At 32 years of age, Poe Dameron is becoming more and more convinced his soul mate isn’t out there. Even checking the Soul Guide on a regular basis isn’t giving him answers. Then his father lets him in on a secret: he knows who Poe’s soul mate is.
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Day 2 – Damerey Week Rated Mature
Prompts: Soulmate AU, Orange
Poe Dameron threw the newspaper down on the table, huffing in frustration. He didn’t know why he even bothered to check the Soul Guide anymore; he was already over thirty, and everyone knew that once you reach thirty the odds of you finding your soul mate became astronomically poor. Perusing the Guide, hoping upon hope of finding a picture of the same birthmark he had, was not going to change that fact.
Most believed that if you hadn’t found your soul mate by age thirty, then that meant your mate had most likely chosen their partner elsewhere; it wasn’t uncommon for some people to refuse the ancient tradition of matching your unique birthmark with that of another person, who was believed to be your ‘other half.’ Many people didn’t believe, having known of so-called soul mates who were never happy together or who just didn’t want to be constrained by something that was unexplainable by science or logic. No one talked about the possibility that if one was still unmatched by thirty that it meant their mate was deceased, although that was also the case in a great many instances.
Poe didn’t like to think that at all. He still felt called to a future with his other half; he just knew she was out there somewhere. But hopelessness weighed on him. He tried not to give in, but it was difficult. His father had pressured him into sending in a picture of his birthmark; maybe his match was too shy to add hers to the Guide. After all, the birthmarks must not only match in appearance, but in location, and Poe’s mark was in a rather delicate spot, and it would be more so for a woman.
Kes Dameron walked into the kitchen and frowned at his son, but Poe just gave him a defeated look as he slumped into his chair. Kes glanced at the paper. “Still nothing?”
Poe shook his head.
“I told you, you need to put yours in there!”
Poe grimaced. For some reason, that idea just didn’t sit well with him. It’s not that he didn’t want to give his mate a chance to find him, but he had always envisioned finding her to be much more romantic than essentially taking out a personal add. It was even more archaic than joining a singles website, which some people did in hopes of finding their soul mate without the use of the Guide. While the Soul Guide was still the most valuable resource in finding one’s mate, many people felt the old-fashioned newspaper format was outdated; the publishers, however, refused to go on-line.
Poe sighed, putting his head in his hands, his elbows on the table. “Yeah, maybe,“ he conceded.
Kes snorted at him, his hands on his hips, but his expression looked thoughtful.
Poe lifted his head. “So, everything ready for tomorrow?”
Kes was having a big party here at his little house tomorrow, and for some reason Poe had decided he was going to help. It was a reunion of Kes’ old Army buddies, most who lived outside of Yavin, some even outside of the country. Poe knew all of the men and the two women that had been stationed here in Yavin with his father, having grown up with most of them in his life, but Kes was the only one of the close-knit group that had stayed in the small military town. Poe also still lived in Yavin, having come back after his own stint in the military (the Air Force for him). Currently, he was working as a private pilot for several of the wealthy elite that had decided to make the mountains outside of Yavin their home.
Kes nodded at Poe’s question. Other than going shopping in the morning to gather snacks and booze, there wasn’t anything else to do. Poe frowned as Kes gave him another assessing look.
“What?” he asked suspiciously.
“What if I told you I might know who your soul mate is?”
Poe felt his mouth drop open in astonishment. Kes and Poe’s mother, Shara, had been soul mates, and though Shara had passed away when Poe was eight, Poe had been determined to have the kind of relationship with a woman that his father had had, soul mate or not. His father knew this, so the idea that Kes might know who Poe had been longing for his whole life made him more than a little bewildered.
“What are you talking about?” he whispered.
Kes took a deep breath. “I’ve seen a mark like yours. Same place, exact same shape.”
Poe’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really?” he demanded.
Kes’ face turned a bit red. “She was a baby at the time,” his father explained hurriedly.
Poe frowned. “So… someone I know?” He was even more confused. Why would his father not tell him sooner?
Kes nodded. “Yes,” he said softly. “You’ve known her since she was born.”
Poe’s mind immediately thought to the one baby he had every really known. “Luke’s daughter?” he asked. “Rey?”
Kes nodded, his eyes suddenly hopeful.
“She’s a kid!” Poe exclaimed.
Kes laughed. “She was a kid,” he told his son. “Which is why I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t want either of you to have unnecessary expectations too soon.” He sighed. “Poe, she’s only ten years younger than you.”
Ten years? Which would make her twenty-two now. A grown woman. Poe realized he hadn’t seen her in person in at least seven or eight years. Still…
“Why are you telling me this now? If you’ve known since she was a baby, you could have told us as soon as she reached age.” Eighteen was considered the age of consent.
Kes sighed again. “Well, she headed to college right after she turned eighteen and I didn’t think it would hurt to wait. I had expected you to start advertising your mark when you turned thirty.”
“That doesn’t tell me why you’re telling me now.”
Kes looked a bit nervous. “She’s coming tomorrow with her dad.”
Poe felt a bit of panic. “Does she know? Does he?”
Kes shook his head. “No. I haven’t told either of them what I saw.”
Poe slumped down in the chair again, his mind on overdrive. “What if you’re wrong?” he asked suddenly, not wanting to hope and then have that hope crushed. “I mean, she was a baby. It could have changed shape as she grew.”
“Yours didn’t,” Kes told him firmly. Then he shrugged. “I guess it’s possible it’s changed.” He looked at Poe intently. “But I don’t think it did.”
“Well, how am I supposed to find out?” Poe demanded. “Just ignore what you told me while she’s here then post mine in the Guide and hope she sees it?” He snorted. “That’s rude.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to ask her,” Kes said, a smirk on his face. “You know that soul mates are more than shared birthmarks, right? You’ll feel something when you see her. You’ll know.”
Poe buried his face in his hands again. “Ugh, I used to babysit her!” he moaned.
Kes laughed. “No worries, Poe. She is all grown up now.”
******
Rey Skywalker stepped out of the passenger side of the rental car, looking over the hood at her father nervously. He didn’t even glance at her, as his focus was on the house and his excitement about seeing his old Army buddies again. She smoothed her orange leather skirt with her hands, but then stopped when she realized her palms were damp with sweat. Instead, she tugged at the hem of the matching jacket, wishing she could go back to the hotel and change; she was too dressed up for this little get together, she knew it. But she had wanted to appear as ‘grown-up’ as possible. After all, he would be here.
She had had a crush on Poe Dameron for as long as she could remember, but never once had he treated her as anything other than a child. Not that she blamed him. The last time she had seen him she had been only fifteen years old, all long arms and big knees and braces. He had been on leave from the Air Force at the time, and she remembered how awe struck she had been knowing he was flying fighter jets for a living. She also remembered how cute he had been. Soul mate or not, he had always been her ideal man.
Licking her dry lips, she quickly followed her dad as he made his way past several other cars and toward the front steps of the little house. She had to jog a bit to catch up, glad she had worn a simple pair of black flats to go along with the new outfit she had bought at the spur of the moment when she had decided to come to Yavin with her father for this soiree. She had chosen the color orange because she remembered it being Poe’s favorite color. She rolled her eyes at herself. She was such a dweeb.
Luke gave a quick knock on the door and was instantly answered with a jovial shout of “come in!” He grinned at Rey, then opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter first. The little house was almost exactly as she remembered it as a child when she lived across the street. Her dad and Kes had both been extra close in those years, as they had both lost their wives, their soul mates, and had ended up single dads. They had supported each other even after Luke had moved to Jakuu with Rey when she had been in Middle School.
Kes was also exactly as Rey remembered, or close enough. His hair was mostly grey now, but his dark eyes and bright smile were the same, and his joy at seeing both her and her father was apparent as he greeted them.
“Welcome back!” he said with a laugh. “Come in and eat and drink and have fun!” He tilted his head at Rey. “Rey, you look lovely! So much like your mother!”
Rey had heard that before. “Thank you,” she said softly, then glanced around a bit nervously.
Kes seemed to know what… or who… she was looking for. “Poe is in the living room,” he said with a wink. “I’m sure he’d love to see you again.”
Rey felt her face heat. Was she that obvious? Glancing at her father, who was looking at Kes with a speculative gleam in his eye, she made way toward the living room.
Several people were gathered there, some seated but most standing, and almost all with a drink in their hand. She recognized many faces, though most were significantly older than the last time she had seen them. However, her eyes were immediately drawn to one person in particular and her heart rate sped up as she found him.
He was standing with an older woman Rey recognized as Amilyn Holdo and a man whom she assumed was Holdo’s husband and he was laughing at something she had said. He, like everyone else, was noticeably older, but age looked good on him. His hair was still thick and dark and longer than she remembered, with soft looking curls framing his forehead and behind his ear. He wore dark grey trousers with a black Henley and a black sweater, looking casual and at ease. Once more, she felt too dressed up, and she wondered if she could rid herself of the jacket before he saw her. The black camisole she wore underneath would be much more relaxed looking, but it was also a bit too chilly a day outside for it to really be appropriate.
Suddenly, he was looking at her. His eyes grew wide and his smile faded as he stared, looking her up and down. Rey felt both embarrassed and excited by his perusal. He seemed to collect himself and then gave an excuse to the couple he had been talking to. Without any hesitation, he made his way over to Rey. His dark eyes were intense as he walked up to her, and the corner of his mouth twisted up slightly.
“Rey?” he asked softly as he stopped in front of her.
She nodded and smiled slightly. “Hi, Poe.”
She expected a phrase similar to “wow, have you grown up,” or some such thing, but he surprised her.
“Congratulations on your graduation,” he told her, his expression turning gentle. “Valedictorian, my dad said.”
She nodded. “Yeah.” She licked her lips and couldn’t help but notice his eyes drop to watch the movement. When they flashed back up to meet hers, the gentleness was gone. She shivered slightly. “I’ll be working here in Yavin, at the Yeager Lab.” The Yeager Underground Research Facility was a former gold mine, deep in the bowels of the Yavin Mountains, where the deepest underground laboratory in the United States was housed. Multiple experiments in areas such as dark matter and neutrino physics research, as well as biology, geology and engineering occurred there on a daily basis, and for Rey to get a job there directly after her graduation was a great accomplishment.
Poe’s eyes widened at her admission. “Really?” She saw him glance past her with a slight frown on his face and she looked over her shoulder to see both her dad and Kes watching them. Suddenly, Poe’s expression became serious. “Can I talk to you in private?”
“Uhm, sure?” This was unexpected.
Gently, he grasped her arm and led her from the room. She followed him down the hall and into what she knew had once been his bedroom. She glanced around, noticing that it had apparently been redecorated to be used as a guest room, then she tensed as she turned to see Poe locking the door behind them.
“What are you doing?” she breathed.
He turned to face her, his expression nervous. He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, this is gonna seem really crazy at first, but bear with me.” Licking his lips, he pulled off his sweater and threw it over the back of the chair off to his side. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the Henley from his pants and swiftly pulled it up and off.
Rey’s breath caught and she took a step back, both unnerved by his action and excited by it. What was he doing? She blinked rapidly as he stood there, his shirt in one hand, looking at her expectantly. Her eyes were drawn to his bare chest and she took a deep breath, feeling the excitement rise as she took note of his firm pecs and flat stomach. His skin was bronze and smooth looking and she itched to touch it.
Suddenly, her gaze focused on a dark mark just to the side of his left nipple. Her breath froze in her throat. She stepped closer, staring at the perfect shape of a horse head. A birthmark.
A soul mark.
“Please tell me I didn’t just completely embarrass myself,” he said huskily.
She looked up at him, her breathing suddenly becoming rushed. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to slow her heartrate down, she stepped back again, quickly unzipping her jacket. She pulled it off and threw it on the chair next to Poe’s sweater. Without letting herself think, she pulled the cami up and over her head, then tossed it on top of her jacket. She met Poe’s eyes. He was focused on her face, not looking down, but she recognized the hope and excitement in them. He nodded ever so slightly.
She nodded back, then reached behind her to undo her bra. Slowly, she let it slide down her arms. She straightened her back and raised her chin.
With his eyes still on hers, Poe stepped forward. He stared at her for a moment, his gaze once more gentle, assuring, then he let his eyes drop.
She heard his breath shudder as he focused on the exact same dark shape of a horse head he had, just to the left of her nipple.
“You knew?” she whispered.
“Dad told me yesterday. He says he saw it when you were a baby.”
“Does my dad know?” There was a squeak in her voice.
“He probably does now,” Poe looked up at her, flashing her a quick grin. “I was sure I was never going to find you,” he added, his grin fading. “Dad kept wanting me to put an add in the Guide, but I was so stubborn. I was sure you were out there and that I would find you on my own.” He paused. “I didn’t realize I already knew you.”
Rey finally let a smile loose. “Obviously, I wasn’t comfortable putting an add in,” she told him with a soft laugh. “Besides, I was already in love with you. I always have been.” She shrugged. “I guess we just had to wait for me to grow up.”
“I’m still way older than you,” Poe grumbled.
“Not that old,” she whispered, stepping even closer to him.
He glanced down at her mark again, then back up at her. “May I?” he said softly, motioning toward her mark.
Rey wasn’t sure if it was his rough voice or the question itself that caused the sudden spurt of arousal, but it didn’t really matter. This was him. This was her soul mate. She should have known he would be. She nodded, then closed her eyes as his fingers lightly touched her mark. He stopped then, not moving for a while, then his thumb moved to brush against her nipple.
Rey gasped, opening her eyes. There was fire in his dark eyes, and she felt a surge of moisture between her legs. She moaned, and he responded by moving in and taking her mouth with his. As he kissed her, his tongue delving deep, he brought his other hand up, cupping her other breast and squeezing it gently. She slid her own hands up behind his head, burrowing her fingers in his soft hair and pressing herself against him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight to him, and she felt her breasts press into his chest.
Poe stopped kissing her, gasping for air, then lowered his face into her neck. “Fuck, Rey,” he growled. “Is this really happening?”
She rubbed her body against his in reply, then smiled as he groaned in response. “The answer is ‘yes’,” she told him. “But do we want it to happen here?”
“Shit!” he swore, backing away from her suddenly. “Not with a house full of people, I don’t.”
She giggled as he grinned at her.
“You know, I just live a mile down the road,” he told her.
“What are we waiting for?” she replied.
Without any hesitation, they grabbed up their discarded clothing and put everything back on. Well, almost everything. Rey didn’t bother putting her bra back on, just slipping on the cami and zipping the jacket back up over it. Then she frowned, glancing at the door and then at herself, wondering if she should just hide the bra in her jacket; she didn’t want to leave it here for Kes to find.
Poe seemed to understand her quandary. He took the bra from her and shoved it in the pocket of his trousers. The bulge it created wasn’t any bigger than the one he already had. “Let’s go,” he told her as he reached for her hand.
She grabbed it and let him lead her to the door. He unlocked it and carefully peeked out. Stepping out, he pulled her up to his side, and together they made their way back up the hall, hands clasped, fingers intwined. Instead of going back into the living room, Poe directed her to the kitchen… and the back door. They stopped suddenly as Kes and Luke both looked at them from their positions next to the counter where Kes had been pouring them both a whiskey. The four stared at each other for a while, then Kes jerked his head toward the door.
Released, Poe and Rey rushed for the outside, hearing laughter from both men behind them. They started laughing themselves as they rushed off the back porch, Poe leading Rey to a big black Suzuki Boulevard C90. It had what were obviously custom orange highlights, and Rey couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle,” she told him.
He smiled back. “You always wanted to learn to fly, too, if I remember.”
She nodded, her smile turning shy.
“I have a little two-seater Cessna that will be perfect for you to learn on,” he told her, gathering her up in his arms.
“That’s not the only kind of flying I want to learn from you,” she told him, her voice rough.
He tilted his head at her. “You’ve never..?”
“Of course not,” she told him matter-of-factly. “I was waiting for either my soul mate or you.”
He gave her a slow, wicked smile. “How about both?”
“Perfect!”
He let her go and got on the bike, kicking up the stand and bringing it upright. He looked at her, one eyebrow raised, and she quickly swung her leg over the seat and slid on behind him, not caring that her skirt rode up. As he started the engine, she slid forward, bringing her body completely flush against his, from breast to knee, wrapping her arms tight around him.
“Ready?” he asked her, excitement and arousal easily recognizable in his voice.
“Oh, yes!”
THE END
This story has a sequel! Check out Papas Know Best!
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