steadfast ardency | poe dameron [completed]

14: It's About Time

14

" It's About Time "

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I brushed my bangs to the side as I strutted defiantly through the chaotic tarmac, my satchel brimming with thermal detonators and lightsaber strapped to my side.

A few illicit glances were shot my way but I casually brushed them off with a roll of my shoulders and a straightened back. I was glad I never really cared about other's opinions on me. I guess it was a good thing since most of them were scrutinizing.

I scanned the area, rampant with action, until my eyes landed on the Millennium Falcon a distance away. I caught the wandering gaze of Finn who offered a kindly nod before disappearing inside the massive ship. It was then I really noticed what he was wearing – Poe's jacket.

A spark of jealousy arose inside me for some reason. I mean, I kind of suspected either Poe had the hots for me or for Finn, maybe both. So seeing that attractive male wearing the "person I sorta like"s jacket made me a little skeptical and somewhat envious.

Speaking of Poe, he was poking around on his X-Wing, dark brows furrowed in concentration. I briskly made my way over to him and spun the fellow around, glaring at the man directly in the eye. He stumbled back, flustered, as I began to scold him.

"Do you really think you're going on this mission?" I snapped.

Poe gaped at me for a mere moment before regaining his composure. "Yes, I am. Stop worrying about me, Arden, I'm a great pilot."

"I know, I know," I said, my voice slightly quivering. I bit my lip, looking at my feet in shame and embarrassment. Maybe it was foolish of me being so doubtful about this endeavor. Poe was more than capable of taking care of himself, but I couldn't push down the agonizing feelings that spurred inside my chest at the thought of him getting killed.

I craned my neck up. "You're stupid for going in there, you know that, right?"

Poe's jaw locked in frustration. "What do you want me to do? Stay back here and watch my friends get killed?"

"I'm not saying that!"

"Need I remind you that you're going into Starkiller Base as well."

I clenched my fists at my sides. "That's not important –"

"Yes it is," Poe shot back. "You're going inside Starkiller Base right after you got your ass kicked by Kylo Ren. The Kylo - fucking - Ren. Knowing you, you're going to run into him again. Why are you so worried about me when you need to watch out for yourself?"

"I worry because I care!"

Poe blinked slowly as my eyes glossed over.

"I care about you, Poe! You're the first person I've cared about in a long time. If you die, I. . ."

I broke off, laughing ruefully.

". . .I'm a fucking psychopathic murderer. No matter what anyone says, I'll never escape my past, so I'm not going to worry about my life unless you're not in it anymore."

When my words floated into the air, the air grew thick between us. I couldn't help the tear that cascaded down my cheek like a cold stream.

Poe was the only person who really mattered in my life. I never ached for anyone else's comfort, never obsessed over their wellbeing, never took into consideration their outlooks. I didn't know if Poe thought of me as a friend or not, but I knew for sure I didn't want him to be – I needed him to be more.

As Poe's caramel eyes watched the tear fall, his hand reached out to gingerly wipe it away. I bit the inside of my cheek, my skin heating where his finger touched like ignited sparks across my flesh.

"I know I'm not good with showing my feelings and I suck at being nice to people, but you're the only person here that I really like. I-I don't want to lose you too, okay?"

Poe was almost taken aback at my words and so was I for a moment.

"You're not going to."

And then his hand was threading through my hair and his lips were against mine. I could feel his heart beat against my own as our bodies melded together in a tethered bond. We were kissing in the middle of the Resistance Base. The best Rebellion pilot in the galaxy, a heroic soldier, the most stoic and loyal of all of the Resistance. He was lip locking the rogue Jedi, the traitor, the murderer, the ex-lover of Kylo Ren himself.

But we didn't care.

Poe's lips were soft and warm and inviting. My arms snaked around his waist as he pushed our heads closer together, our mouths embraced in a heated kiss. My spine tingled with adrenaline as I basked in the exciting, yet unfamiliar feeling. Above all, it felt right.

Then, we broke away, not even caring to glance once more at the stupefied throng that had cautiously congregated around us.

"You can handle this," he breathed.

"I'd be lying if I told you watching you leave would be something I could handle," I said back.

Poe's bitten, pink lips twisted up into a a soft smile at the ends as he retracted himself from me. And then I felt it. That spark. The tug of my heart as he began nonchalantly taking steps backwards towards his aircraft, his shoulders relaxed and that careless smirk spread across his face.

It wasn't love, not yet, but it was something like it.

"Bye asshole," I croaked, because the only thing I was good at in these emotional situations was insulting people.

Poe tipped his head as he clambered into the seat, muttering a few incoherent phrases to BB-8 who beeped obnoxiously about how our intimate moment was "very splendid to my eyes".

A sudden presence beside me knocked my mind back to reality.

"You ready?" Finn asked.

I sighed. "Let's go."

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(A/N):

SORRY FOR ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS, I WAS REALLY RUSHING TO UPDATE

BUT YESSS PODEN? ARDOE? HAD THEIR FIRST KISS

YASSSSSS

OTP

Anyway, please vote, comment, and share!! I love hearing back from you!!!

k bye

- kelly