Flying Through the Flames || Poe Dameron [The Force Awakens + the Last Jedi]

No Place I'd Rather Be

A/N: Thank you for being patient, everyone! I really haven't been writing much recently but I'm trying to get back to it.

Please let me know what you think of the chapter!

- TAAF_

Poe's POV

I sighed as I shut the door to my quarters quietly, coming in from a nighttime walk. Nyssa was already asleep when I left so I didn't dare wake her, though walking was never as nice as when we were together. After pulling my leather jacket off and tossing it over the back of my wooden desk chair, I proceeded to take off my boots, tossing them in the general direction of my door. I didn't care much for neatness when it came to my bedroom, there wasn't a crazy amount of stuff in it anyway.

On my desk there was a lamp and books, along with a string of photographs of me and Nyssa, my x-wing and my parents. That was about as personalised as my room got, save for my clothes and odds and ends strewn everywhere. To be honest, my x-wing was more personalised than my own bedroom.

After brushing my teeth, I changed into my pyjamas, which consisted of looser pants and a black short-sleeved shirt. I climbed into bed, settling down under the covers, tucking my arm behind my head. I looked over to my window, the blinds open to expose a beautifully clear sky: I fell asleep counting the stars.

...

I was wrenched out of sleep to shrill, bone-chilling screams, what felt like minutes later, causing me to gasp as my eyes snapped open. The scream was one of someone in agony, which made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. With only the first sound to go on, I wasn't sure where it had come from, had it been across the hall or the room next to me.

"NO!" The voice cried loudly, forcing me to realise it was Nyssa that was screaming.

Hurriedly, I threw back the blankets I was under and bounded across my room, barely pausing to knock on the door separating me and my best friend.
"Nyssa?"

I got another shout in reply, it evident that she couldn't hear me. I cast the door open so hard that it hit the wall it was attached to, the impact vibrating through the floor.

"NO!! POE!"

I almost jumped back when she uttered my name, as I saw her tense figure in the dim light of the room.

For a moment I stood, confused—there was no attacker from what I could see, but then I realised—

Stupid, I chastised myself.

Nyssa was having a night terror; I could see it now: the covers on her bed were thrown to the side and she was twisting to and fro, like a person being tortured. Sweat covered her ashen face and her eyebrows were drawn together tightly. A headache was sure to follow when she woke.

I rushed forward, almost tripping over my own feet when she shrieked again, screaming in fear at the absolute top of her lungs.

"Nyssa, wake up!" I begged, shaking her bare shoulders: she was sleeping in the green tank top she'd worn that day for training. "Wake--"

My plead was met with one last shill scream before her bright eyes snapped open, gasping for breath.

"Oh my God, Poe--" She squeaked, looking around wildly as she sat up, my hand still on her firm shoulder. "You're okay?"

I frowned, confused. "Yeah, of course I'm okay." I sat down on the bed next to her legs right, after I flicked the lamp placed atop her bedside table, on. "What were you dreamin' about?"

"Nothing, it was just a dream." Nyssa replied, her eyes glinting in the light of the moon filtering through her window, falling back onto the mattress.

"You can tell me, Phoenix." I reassured, brushing my hand across her knee.
My attempt at comforting my best friend went south, as she let out a small noise, burying her face in her hands. I wasn't sure if it was out of anger or despair.

"Kylo Ren--" She choked, causing me to dread what she'd say next. "He had you."

Nyssa's statement drew a breath from me, as I empathised deeply, knowing her feelings for Ren. He was the only thing she seemed afraid of.

"It wasn't real, hey?" I leaned down and whispered to her, taking one of her hands to try to make her feel better. Though I was curious about the dream, I didn't press further to know details. "It didn't happen."

Nyssa huffed hoarsely as she nuzzled her face into the crook of my elbow, clutching my hand.

"I'm gonna kill him." She hissed, barely audibly. I could feel warm tears on my arm.

"Go back to sleep." I soothed, trying to ignore the threat she'd just uttered, running my thumb in circles across her hand. "I'm here, you're okay."

After a few minutes of shuddering tears, Nyssa began to relax slightly, like my statement had helped. She shifted again so she was on her back instead of her side, looking at me as I wiped the tears off her cheek.

"Don't go anywhere." Nyssa smiled, her blue eyes falling shut.

"There's no place I'd rather be." I told her, realising it was one of the most true statements I'd ever uttered.

A few moments later she began tapping a rhythm on my hand.

"What is that? What are you doing?" I asked, puzzled.

"Oh, it's just something I do when I can't sleep. The beat helps lull me to sleep, I-I suppose." She murmured, eyes still closed.

"How about you use this," I suddenly got an idea: using my beating heart in my chest, to help her get to sleep so I took her hand and put it to my chest. "And that way you won't have to keep doing that?"

Nyssa's eyes popped open once more, arching an eyebrow. "That might actually work."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Here--" Nyssa shimmied over in the bed to make room for me, gesturing for me to get in it.

I took the unspoken invitation but clarified once I was lying down. "Is this alright?"

Nyssa snuggled up next to me, resting the side of her face on the left side of my chest. She draped her left arm across my body and held my wrist presumably to feel that pulse too, whilst my arm wrapped around her, resting on her scarred bicep.

She smirked into my chest, her regular personality shining back through. "This is perfect."