assured liar ☼ poe dameron

XXIV

"Hands off" Poe shoved Aaram back a few paces and moved me behind him, a small group started to form around us now.

"You wanna play flyboy? Let's play."

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The air is so brittle it could snap in a matter of seconds and if it didn't snap, I would.

I could feel the nerves spread over my chest and engulf my mind. The two men stood face to face in nothing but silence. Their words brought everyone from the celebration into a circle around them. Neither of them backed down.

My eyes narrowed as they taunted each other with a haunting silence. No one stirred or stepped in. A cruel sneer formed on Aaram's face and his eyes narrowed as he looked down on Poe. He whispered something inaudible but from the vein pulsing on Poe's forehead, I knew he crossed the line.

"You wanna bet?" Poe exclaimed letting the boiling anger inside him get the better of him. Poe took a confident step and closed the space between them. His voice lowered to a deep whisper and a smirk rolled onto his face when he spoke into Aaram's ear.

I don't know who threw the first punch but the next thing I saw blood on Aaram's clenched knuckles and a fresh bruise forming on his right brow. Suddenly his fist was slamming into Poe's face. Blood pooled in his mouth and dribbled onto his lip.

Poe stumbled onto the floor supporting himself with his arms as he fell. Crimson leaked from his nose and an eerie smile crept on his lips. He wiped the blood off with his hand and looked at it with amusement.

Poe jumped up and threw all his body weight behind the punch that edged closer to Aaram's jaw. Pain erupted on his face with the impact. Aaram fell back with a new expression on his face, determination.

He drew his fist back and ploughed it into the Commander's stomach. His guts smashed together and he repaid it by punching the side of Aaram's face.

I could tell neither of them were thinking straight and I was ready to step in but the jeers coming from behind me told me otherwise.

Aaram held his defined jaw and boiling antipathy brawled on his battered face. Like the weight of a thousand trains, Aaram's fist met Poe's jaw in a disgusting manner. It resulted in the pilot to fall back several feet onto his side.

I saw Aaram's confidence rise at Poe's fall. The fight was being won and it was clear who was dominating. He towered over Poe's defeated body and he raised his leg and kicked his side. Poe trembled helplessly and cried out at the repeated impacts.

Unneeded cheering made Aaram raise his chin. He turned his back to Poe's motionless frame and laughed along with the drunken supporters. I stood frozen in my place, unable to take control of my body.

My mind screamed to run over to the pilot and cover him from more hits. But my body said otherwise and stayed dead still.

I watched Poe. He clutched his side and the corners of his eyes creased with the agony he was feeling. He limped to his feet and sneered something under his breath. I looked into his eyes as he stood up.

No feeling of sorry. No regret. No empathy.

Instead, they narrowed and broke contact with mine. I silently pleaded him to stop but being stubborn, he didn't listen.

Aaram was jeering with a bottle in his hand. Fresh blood smeared in his palm.

Poe turned on his heels and lulled his shoulders and neck. As if he had been injected with liquid adrenaline he charged forward into Aaram's back which arched at the collision. The bottle in his hand fell harshly and shattered into pieces on the floor.