Title: New

Fandom: Star Wars

Pairing: Finn/Poe
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Everything’s new to Finn, even Poe’s cold.

Notes: Written for day 5 of my 23 Ficlets project to celebrate my 23^rd anniversary in the community

New

Finn’s just about to doze off in the copilot seat in the cockpit when the sound startles him into opening his eyes. He’s not sure what it was. A sensor alert? Something BB-8 was trying to communicate? He shakes himself awake properly and rubs his hand over his face. He’s about to ask what the noise was when he notices Poe’s got a strange expression on his face.

He looks like he’s trying very hard to remember something, face kind of screwed up, eyes looking upward. Then he lifts his scarf to cover his nose and mouth and pitches forward, eyes slamming shut. “EHTchhiii!”

Oh. Well, that’s new. Then again, most everything’s new to Finn. “Hey,” he says sleepily, putting a hand on Poe’s shoulder. “You all right?”

Poe tugs his scarf back down and nods. “Yeah, buddy. Sniff! Just a little sinus issue. Nothing to worry about.”

But to Finn, that seems exactly like something he should worry about. “Can I do something to help? Reset the environmental controls? Or the pressure controllers? Or the… I-don’t-know-whatsits?”

Poe looks over at him then, and Finn expects that expression everyone gives him when he says something completely wrong or proves that he clearly doesn’t understand what’s going on. He’s used to feeling out of his depths in the Resistance, though he felt it back when he was a Storm Trooper, too. But Poe doesn’t wear that expression. He looks… grateful? Is that it? That couldn’t be it.

But it is. Poe covers Finn’s hand on his shoulder with his own and squeezes. “Thanks for asking, but there’s nothing you can do.” He sniffs a couple times and pulls the scarf up again to rub at his nose. “Think I’m probably just coming down with something.”

That sounds ominous. Finn’s never been sick, but he understands the general concept. “Can you… not?” He fully expects to receive the look this time.

But, again, he doesn’t get it. He instead gets amusement and another squeeze of his hand. “Doesn’t work that way, but, man, I wish it did!” He pulls on the strap of his canteen and unscrews the cap one-handed. After a small sip of water, he winces as he swallows. “Yep. Definitely coming down with something all right.”

His hand is still on Poe’s shoulder, and Finn wonders if he should pull it away. But he doesn’t. He keeps it there as the ship flies them closer to the base. He keeps it there even though he’s dead tired and really wanted to get a quick nap in before they arrived. He keeps it there while Poe’s body rocks back and snaps forward in his seat with another sneeze. “ehh-IHTchahh!”

Poe drops the scarf and massages the bridge of his nose. Does it feel uncomfortable to sneeze? Or does whatever he’s coming down with come with pain right there? This is all too new to Finn, and he doesn’t want to risk asking a stupid question now. He’s not sure he could stand that look coming from Poe. “I’m sorry you don’t feel well,” he says, hoping it’s an all right thing to say, because it’s what he feels.

Poe gives him a smile and swipes at his nose with the back of his hand. “I’ll survive. Like I said before, it’s nothing to worry about. When… hang on.” His eyes narrow, and he gets a faraway, unfocused look in his eyes. Then he pulls the scarf back up. Finn hears him take several small, quick gasps of air. Then he leans back in his chair with his eyes closed.

Finn isn’t sure what just happened, but Poe told him to hang on, so he hangs on. There’s not a lot that Finn’s good at, but waiting is something Finn actually understands. So he waits. A minute passes. Two. With his eyes closed like this, Poe looks like he might be asleep. But then his breath hitches again and he sneezes. “HEHHTTChoo!” Poe rubs at his nose and relaxes again, opening his eyes. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “Sorry.”

Finn gives him a gentle smile. “Hey, it’s nothing to worry about, right?”

Poe takes this in and then returns the smile. “Right. But, even so, when we land, you might need to give them the briefing.”

“Because you’ll be sneezing too much to talk?”

Poe laughs, “No, because… well, yes. Maybe. But mostly because I should go straight to bed. If I take a couple pills and get some rest, I might be able to kick this before it gets any worse.”

“Right,” Finn echoes, though he has no idea what that means. How much worse could it get? And when he talks about sleep, does that mean he wants Finn to join him in bed? Sometimes Finn longs for the clarity of orders. There was far less to figure out when everything that was expected of you was clearly laid out and all you had to do was follow along. Of course that didn’t keep him from questioning, from eventually recognizing when something immoral was happening. But it was definitely easier.

“I’ll understand if you want to sleep in your own quarters tonight instead of with me.” Poe swipes at his nose and snuffles wetly.

Finn’s not sure what he’s supposed to say to that, so he sticks with the truth. “I never want to sleep without you.”

Poe squeezes his hand again then lets out what sounds like a happy sort of sigh. “You’re officially the best.”

Finn beams. This is all still new to him, but he likes the sound of that.