Star Wars Oneshots

The Best of the Best (Finn)

"Is this real?" he breathed. I huffed a hysterical laugh, a few tears sliding down my face.

"I sure hope so."

If both of us had had our way, I don't think either of us would've moved again for at least a few hours. But a certain pilot popped into my line of sight, a confused look on his face.

"Do you and Finn... know each other?"

"Finn!" I said, breathlessly happy as I pulled back to smile at the former Storm Trooper. "That's a great name."

"I think so too," he said, matching my smile. "Poe gave it to me."

I looked at Poe. He still seemed a little confused, but he had a proud look on his face all the same.

"You're really the top recruiter of defectors, aren't you?" I mused. He shot me a wink.

"Don't you forget it. Now come on, we have a fascist dictatorship to take down."

Finn and I shared a smile as Poe headed off into the crowd of the base. I sighed.

"We probably should follow him, huh?"

"I guess so. How long have you been here, though?"

"A few years," I replied. Finn looked shocked, so I continued. "I... couldn't stand watching the people I'd trained go off and die, killing a bunch of people in the process."

Finn nodded, sagging a little, shoulders slumping as he looked away for the first time since we'd found each other. I nudged him with my arm, suddenly insanely worried about him.

"Hey. What's wrong?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light. He huffed a humorless laugh and shook his head.

"It's nothing. It's just... I can't believe you've been here for so long. It took you a lot less time to realize how wrong we were than it took me."

My eyes went wide, shock nearly rocking me off my feet at his revelation. I quickly grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face me.

"Finn! Are you kidding me? I understand the guilt over our past, seriously, I do. But the fact that it took you a little longer than it took me means nothing. You were literally brainwashed from birth, something I was a part of! I didn't have that excuse, and I still served them for years."

Finn didn't look totally convinced, although his posture wasn't quite as slumped as before. I continued.

"Finn, I spent years convincing myself not to leave. I convinced myself not to care. Honestly, why would I care? It was all part of a righteous cause, canon fodder being expended killing bad guys trying to take down the government." I shook my head at myself in disgust. The fact that I'd ever believed that nonsense, that damaging propaganda, would haunt me for the rest of my life. Finn let his hand rest on my waist, giving it a gentle squeeze to comfort me, and I took a deep breath before continuing. "The realization that I was on the wrong side started long before I left, and I'll always regret the extra damage I did to the galaxy before listening to what I knew was right.

"But Finn, I went through all that as someone who grew up with a family, in school, with some varied viewpoints, although not many. You were told from birth that the First Order's morals, politics, and methods of enforcement were the one and only right way from almost the day you were born. And still you came to your own, different conclusion and left those sons of bitches behind, because you are that good of a person, Finn. That's... amazing."

I'd caught myself rambling, saying more than I'd maybe initially intended to, but I couldn't bring myself to regret it. I loved Finn, and the last thing I wanted was for him to put himself through any more pain than he'd already survived.

Finn laughed, a disbelieving sound, and the smile he gave me felt as bright and warm as the sun. I wasn't sure what I expected him to say, but I got a pleasant surprise when he finally did speak up.

"...Can I kiss you?"

"Hell yes."

We shared a beaming, happy smile, our first free smile, and then Finn leaned down and kissed me. He wrapped his arms around my waist again, pulling me to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing in the middle of the runway without a care in the world who saw us. It didn't matter who saw us now. No one here would exploit us, or use one of us to hurt the other. We were free, together.

"Hey! I'm happy to see my two best friends making out and all, but we actually have things to do today, remember?"

Finn and I broke apart reluctantly, still smiling even as we turned to Poe, the interruption. He was right, unfortunately. In order to take the First Order down for good, to free the rest of the galaxy, we had a lot of work to do. But it didn't seem quite as daunting now that I had Finn.