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

No Choice To Make

Nyssa's POV

Once we were back on D'Qar, I ran as fast as my raw lungs would allow to the black and orange x-wing on the tarmac, out in front of our usual hangar. My flight suit was infinitely more heavy with water still soaking it, and my boots squelched the whole way. Poe had his back to me as he crouched and talked to BB-8, my heart lightening at the reminder that we hadn't completely failed our mission.

"Poe!" I called, my voice coming out hoarser than I anticipated.

Poe whipped around, his eyes shining and wide. "Nyssa?" He was on his feet in an instant, bounding toward me with such exertion that I thought he would topple us both when he enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. "You're okay?!" Poe demanded, his voice breaking as he held me and held me, showing no signs of release. "They said on the intercom that you'd been hit! I thought you were dead, Phoenix!"

"I'm okay," I whispered, savouring the hug as much as I knew he was, breathing him in.

"Why didn't you say something? I thought you were dead, Nyssa!" he repeated, voice thick with tears that made my heart crack.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, only holding him tighter as tears slipped from my eyes. "I'm so sorry. Everything happened all at once and I was stuck underwater, and then I was shooting stormtroopers--"

I never finished that sentence, and realised I didn't need to as Poe pulled back and kissed me. Any breath I'd managed to catch was instantly gone, but it didn't matter. The urgency in the movement of his lips and tongue had my trembling, my hand snaking into his hair.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I said silently, my other hand reaching his vest of his flight suit, turning to lean against the grassy side of the hangar. I was still trembling as he leaned back, gasping, and gripped both sides of my flight suit and shook me.

"I thought you died," he said slowly and out of breath, "Without knowing that I'm in love with you, Nyssa." He touched his forehead to mine, taking a breath as I closed my eyes, the words sinking into my skin. He had meant what he said on Jakku, then.

"I love you too," I breathed, the words never sounding so right as they did then.

Poe's grin was unrestrained as he kissed me deeply, then resumed the bear-hug, like no amount of time in that position would satisfy him. I was content to stay there, too, but then he pulled away. "I can't believe you didn't find some intercom somewhere and tell me what happened," he scoffed, an edge of real irritation in his voice.

"Hey," I smiled, patting his shoulder. "If you hadn't thought I was dead, who's to say you would've ever found the courage to say that to my face? I think I did you a favour."

"You're the worst," he said as he shoved me lightly, a laugh bursting from him. After a moment of examining me, his eyes lit up with curiosity. "How are you not dead, anyway?"

"I have excellent swimming skills, Commander," I smirked, flicking a bit of the water from my braids at him.

"Sounds like that swimming lesson with Callie paid off," he mused, slinging an arm around me as we walked toward headquarters. "You're okay, though?"

I knew what he was talking about. The water. "I'm fine," I said. "I got trapped in the cockpit because of the water pressure, but I got out."

"You're amazing, you know that?" Poe said in disbelief. "I'm so proud of you." He stopped walking and turned to face me. "I meant to thank you for what you did on Jakku. I could never have done what you did."

"I would never have left you there," I said firmly. "There was no choice to make."

"Still," Poe replied, rubbing my upper arm. "I can't even fathom how hard that must have been. I collapsed from the heat, but obviously, you didn't have that luxury. I would have died if it wasn't for you."

"I had to return the favour," I joked, meeting his dark gaze. "I paid my life debt."

Poe scoffed. "You never owed me a life debt, Phoenix."

"Didn't I?" I murmured. "You're the one who saved my ass when Kylo tried to have me murdered."

Poe blinked in disbelief, and I knew I'd caught him off guard. I couldn't remember the last time we discussed the incident so plainly. I had never been so free of that terror. Until now.

"I don't have to hide anymore," I breathed with joy. "He knows I'm alive, so I don't see a point in being afraid anymore, or suppressing my powers."

Poe smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that," he said, squeezing my hand. When we turned back to start walking again, Poe's head snapped up in surprise. "Finn?" Then it was Finn's turn to be bear-hugged. The two embraced happily and launched into excited greetings.

"Nyssa told me you survived the crash!" Finn exclaimed. "I thought you were dead for sure!"

Evidently, there was a lot of that going around.

"You saved BB-8! You completed our mission, Finn, I--" Poe stopped, pointing at Finn's jacket, realization sparking in his eyes. "That's my jacket."

"Oh--" Finn started taking it off, but Poe stopped him.

"No, no, keep it. It suits you," Poe said and I was inclined to agree. It fit Finn well, too.

"You're a good man, Finn," Poe proclaimed, thwacking Finn on the shoulder.

Finn glanced at me and then back at Poe, joy not meeting his eyes. "I need your help."