TOY SOLDIER [IX] ▸ Poe Dameron

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN [XVIII]

THE MEAL WE SHARED REMINDED ME OF THE DAMERON FAMILY DINNERS THAT I SO BITTERLY MISSED. DESPITE MY PARENTS NOT ALWAYS BEING HOME, THERE WAS AN EMPHASIS OF TOGETHERNESS AND SHARING CONVERSATIONS OVER FOOD WHENEVER IT WAS POSSIBLE. I wished my mother was able to be there for me the way that Uma was for Sabik. My chest felt hollow just looking at something as simple as the way Uma scolded Sabik for having his elbows on the table.

I brushed the thoughts away and stabbed a piece of meat with my fork. The food actually was delicious; Uma was a terrific cook. Everyone else thought so too, they were all enjoying themselves. I looked around the room at the smiles and laughter echoing off the walls. Even BB-8 was having a good time. It was warm, joyous, and welcoming.

I realized I was being silly. There was no point in being bitter and longing for the past. The past was in the past, push it aside and move on. A state of mind, right? I plastered a smile and joined the conversation.

It was growing late in the night, and Uma was pouring another round of ale. Alya kept telling me how fuzzy she felt, so I saw it fit to promptly cut her off.

"Woah, woah, easy." I told her gently, trying to ease the cup from her lips after a particularly long swig. I handed it off to Uma, who took it away.

"But I'm not even fucking drunk," Alya said, sighing.

"Yeah, but if you keep drinking like that, then you soon fucking will be." I told her matter-of-factly, mocking gently, jutting my chin out at her, a playful grin on my lips. Alya rolled her eyes and smiled back, swatting at me tongue-in-cheek.

"She's always been such a lightweight," said Sabik coyly, raising his glass to his lips.

"Has she?" I snorted. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"You certainly don't appear to be a lightweight," Sabik noted. "That's like your fifth glass, Poe."

"Is it?" I honestly hadn't been keeping track.

"I guess all the long nights at the Resistance with the other pilots probably keep your alcohol tolerance up," He supposed casually, taking another swig.

"Oh stars, Sabik," Alya pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" asked Sabik innocently.

"Is that seriously your way of cleverly slipping in the topic of Resistance into the conversation?"

Sabik turned a deep shade of scarlet. He had been found out. "H-Hey!" He stammered with embarrassment as Alya and I laughed. "It's not my fault I want to join so badly, that's her fault." He pointed a finger at his mother, who merely rolled her eyes.

"Don't blame me," She said. "You have a Captain right in front of you, ask him."

Sabik turned to me, eyes turning a little red from the alcohol, but the look in them was too intense regardless. I was a bit intimidated by his enthusiasm, chuckling nervously.