IN MY DREAMS [A POE DAMERON X READER STORY] [BOOKS 1-3]

chapter twelve

At nine years old, you were more like your mother than your father. Your parents often commented on how strangely old you seemed, although you were the youngest. You had your mother's spirit and it shined through everything that you did.

The village your family had settled in was small and quiet. All of the children's parents were veterans. It was a simple life for those broken from the war that had ended ten years prior.

You were up as the sun rose. It shined brightly between the tall trees of the deep forest. The underbrush was flat beneath your feet from the wear of many footsteps using this path. You walked alone, feeling the energy of all the life that was appearing in the early hours of the morning.

It was like any other morning --- and just like always, you were on the hunt for one person in particular.

"Poe Dameron," you called out in a sing-song voice.

You heard his annoyed sigh as you appeared in the clearing where he knelt in front of an old X-WING. It was a project he'd been working on for as long as you could remember. This wannabe-hot-shot-pilot was desperate to see the galaxy one day. His father, knowing his love for flying came from his boy's late mother, told him he could go anywhere he wanted if he repaired a ship by himself from scratch. It was a challenge that was lasting Poe a good amount of time.

"Good morning."

"Morning," he said, rolling his eyes. Poe had just turned fourteen a couple of weeks ago.

"You started without me again."

"Yeah, well," he grunted as he ripped a set of wires out of the bottom of the ship. He rolled his eyes at himself when he noticed that it was the wrong set of wires. "Get up sooner and I won't next time."

You sat down beside him with your back against the X-WING. You wrapped your arms around your knees and watched at him. "The red needs to connect with the green. Then connect the blue back to the blue, and the yellow one---"

"Needs to come out," he finished. "I got it. Thanks."

"Well, you don't need to get all snappy with me, Dameron. I'm only trying to help."

"Sorry." The pair of pliers in his hand got stuck up in the machinery. He yanked hard and then groaned in frustration. "Dank Farrik---"

"Your dad would thump you upside the head if he heard you speak like that, Poe Dameron," you scolded. You shifted onto your knees beside him and pushed his hands out of the way. Your hands were much smaller than his and it allowed you to get a tighter grip on the pair of pliers.

"Aw, relax. I'm not a kid anymore. I can swear if I want."

You rolled your eyes. Only a kid would say something like that, but you could tell that Poe wasn't in any mood to be lectured by you.

"Besides, you're just a kid," he said. "I don't really need to hear it from you."

As you pulled the pliers out and handed them to him, you sighed. "You know, I have half a mind to thump you upside the head myself. You're a real jerk now."

"Well---" he started.

"Well what? I'm your best friend." When he didn't say anything, you huffed and stood up. "At least I thought I was."

As you headed back towards the trees, you knew he was watching you. It didn't surprise you when he called out your name to slow you down. He jogged after you to catch up and you turned, arms crossed over your chest, eyebrows raised, waiting for an apology.

He huffed. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a jerk."

"Oh, you don't?"

"No."