The unknown soldier.

Slumber.

Natalie's POV

I woke up with his arms still around me. Laying still, I didn't want to get up and wake him up. "Good morning." A rough voice said softly. Kriff his morning voice was HAWT. I stood up and he groaned. "But you were so warm." I laughed as he curled up under the covers again before I softly smiled and sat back down on the bed. "Poe?" I whispered. He hummed in response, opening one caramel brown eye. "Thank you for staying with me for the night. I know it was childish..." He silenced me with a hug, I stiffened, unsure of the movement but I hugged him back, the two of us sitting there in comfortable silence, holding one another. 

"I need to get a change of clothes from my room before Finn and  Snap question me." He yawned rubbing his eyes. I nodded and he left. My stomach fluttered, why did I feel this way? I should be mad at him, for the things he called me. But since then he has saved my life, took care of me, and then stayed the night with me. But this feeling, the excitement and nerves that locked my jaw when I was around him, the butterfly in my stomach, and the ache in my gut when he left...It was a weird emotion. Throwing on dark brown khakis, and a white t-shirt I went to my mother's room. 

Lea was so happy to see me as she gave me a warm hug. "Hi, mom," I whispered. She hugged me tighter. "I love that word, Mom." She said pulling away with tears in her eyes. She led me to the brown couch, its color has worn from the years of use. I sat down, and she started to braid my hair into two beautiful long dutch braids. "Mom?" I asked. "Hmm?" I took a deep breath. "I have had this weird feeling when I am around...a certain person." I felt her bony fingers stop their braiding in a moment of shock. 

"Let me guess, you get butterflies when around this mysterious man and then you get that locked jaw feeling caused by nerves and excitement. The ache to see them every moment of the day and when you don't you feel lost?" She tilted my head back to look into my shocked eyes and she laughed before resuming braiding. 

"How'd you-?" I started. "It's how I felt when I first met your father. I realized that feeling was love." She almost sang the word love. "Speaking of men, I saw Poe leave your room this morning, in the same clothes he wore yesterday." She raised her eyebrows. "Did a special someone spend the night in your room?" Color rose to my cheeks and to my ears in a burning heat. 

"Yes. Yes, he did. But it wasn't what you think!" I cried. "After the nightmare on the falcon, I didn't want to be alone again and he, well, he eased me." Lea stood and smiled. "I'm glad. But I need to warn you, getting attached to someone in this field is dangerous. A lot of times, especially pilots, don't come back." 

I nodded silently. Wracking my brain I found something to change the subject. "Um, mom?" I asked. "I kind of feel useless around here. Do you know anything I could do?" She nodded and motioned for me to walk with her. We walked out of her room and around the compound. "We could use someone to work on the x-wings, you have the mechanics due to working on the Finalizer. According to Finn, everyone was taught how to work on TIE fighters, I don't think they will be too different. Plus," She motioned to where Poe was sitting with Finn and another man I've never seen. "You will be around flyboy more often." I scoffed and hit her arm playfully while she chuckled. 

"Oh, Natalie!" Poe shouted over at me, waving me over to his table. "Don't say a word." I sighed and Lea raised her arms in defeat. "I won't." She walked past me and whispered, "he's into youuuu." Shooting her a glance as I walked over to Poes table he and Finn wrapped me in a hug. "Alright." Poe sat down and motioned over to where the other guy sat next to Finn. he was larger, with a friendly face and beard. His eyes gleamed with laughter, and the crinkles in the corner of those laughing eyes showed that he must smile a lot. 

"Natalie this is Snap. Snap this is Natalie." I shook his large hand and he smiled at Poe. "So this is the little lady we hear a lot about." Finn laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "yes this is, in fact, the girl we hear all about-OW!" he cried glaring at Poe. I assumed that he kicked him under the table and I hung my head to hide my laughter.