Poe has been having a bad day, and Rey does what she can to make him smile.
Damerey Challenge Ficlet
Prompt: Snow
Poe Dameron was about ten feet from the door to the hanger bay when he felt what he knew must be a snowball hit his back, right between the shoulder blades. He stopped short and took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. He was in a foul mood, and if this was a member of his squadron trying to cheer him up, he was more than ready to inform them it wasn’t working. If anything, it was making him feel worse.
He turned on his heel, ready to lay into whoever it was, when he was struck speechless. Standing a few feet away, looking tiny in her borrowed coat, another snowball in her hand, was Rey.
This was unexpected.
He tilted his head at her, any anger he had been feeling overcome by confusion. And a hint of hope. “What are you doing?” Rey was usually so reserved around him, despite his many attempts to get her to open up to him.
She shrugged, giving the snowball in her hand a tiny toss up in the air, then catching it again. “I knew you were in a bad mood and decided I needed to do something about it.”
He arched his brows. “Oh, really?” He walked up to her, stopping in front of her with his hands on his hips. Instead of looking nervous, her eyes sparked in challenge. “And you thought throwing snowballs at me was the answer?”
“I’m just trying to get you to smile,” she said softly. “You’re always doing things to make me smile, I thought I’d return the favor.”
Poe searched her face intently, wondering how he should continue this conversation. He didn’t want to miss this opportunity, but he didn’t want to scare her away, either. “I have a better idea of what you could do that might make me smile,” he told her, then cleared his throat as he realized how husky his voice sounded.
“Really?” she asked, a smile of her own playing at her lips. “What?”
Poe glanced around them quickly. Nobody was near, but someone could come out the door behind him at any moment. He looked back at Rey and decided to take the chance. “This,” he whispered, then moved in. Slowly and deliberately, he brought his lips to hers. They were just as soft as they looked, he thought, as he gently kissed her.
He heard the snowball in Rey’s hand drop to the ground, and then he felt both of her hands settle on his chest. He pulled back slightly, but she followed, so he obliged her unspoken request and kissed her harder, bringing his hands up to cup her face. He brought his tongue into play and touched her upper lip. Her breath caught in response, and she stepped even closer to him, opening her mouth and tentatively meeting his tongue with her own. Poe was very aware that she probably had little, if any, experience with kissing, and he wanted to take his time, showing her as much as she wanted to learn.
He didn’t hear the door open behind him, but the sound of someone exaggeratedly clearing their throat did catch his attention. He and Rey jerked back from each other and Poe turned to face the person behind him.
Leia stood there, her hands folded on top of her cane. “What’s going on here?” she asked, her expression stern.
Busted.
Rey was holding a hand up to her mouth, but she dropped it and replied almost immediately. “I was just trying to get Poe to smile,” she said, her chin high.
Leia looked back and forth the between them. “It doesn’t look like it’s working,” she said. She tilted her head at Poe, then looked back at Rey. “Maybe you should go someplace warmer and try again.”
Poe felt his mouth drop open in shock. He looked at Rey and saw that her expression was just as stunned.
Leia shrugged, then turned to head off toward the mess. She called behind her shoulder. “And don’t stop until it works!”
Rey looked at Poe with wide eyes. “Did she… just tell us to... go make out?”
Poe watched his mentor as she walked away from them. “Uhm… yeah.” He looked at Rey cautiously.
She looked back at him, the corners of her mouth tilting up. “Well, your quarters are closer. Shall we?”
Poe’s lips twitched. “I guess we better. General’s orders.”
Rey laughed, then took his hand and began tugging him toward the barracks.
Poe wanted to laugh along with her, but he refused to smile. Not yet, anyway.
He was going to make Rey work for it.
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