SWEET ESCAPE || poe dameron x reader

chapter five: black leader's jumper

As soon as Poeannounced it officially, all hell broke loose. You remembered zoning out asAle'sha started blasting you with abuse in slow motion. By the looks of theother cadets, she wasn't saying anything good. You were still riding offthe adrenaline from flying again, trying to grasp upon the side of your brainthat was present, aware, there, but you had to physically shake your head tocome back to reality.

"I've been here two fucking years, and you stroll in, all arrogant and mysterious and get Black squadron on your first fucking rank day. This is a fucking joke—,"

"You got Gold-Nine, girl. Stop fucking whining," Heidi hit back with, defending you without a second thought.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Jones. Everyone knows you got Black squadron because you slept with Dameron—,"

Uproar. Heidi stormed towards Ale'sha, all guns blazing. Poe went forward to hold her back, brows furrowed and jaw tense, yelling in unison while Heidi was ready to pummel Ale'sha to the ground. You caught bits and pieces of their words through everyone yelling over one another, telling you that Heidi had never slept with Poe, that Poe may indulge in sex, but it didn't interfere with cadet rankings. To even suggest such a claim was rude as fuck, coming from Ale'sha's mouth. She was insinuating that Poe had favourites.

Which was such a shitty thing to assume Dameron did. He wouldn't dare.

"Is that was this is, huh? Your bunkmate just happened to get Black-Ten when she's been here for a fucking week?"

Everything went eerily quiet as you stepped towards Ale'sha, red faced and raging, completely embarrassing herself over a rank problem that only she had. You placed a hand on Heidi's shoulder, stepping in front of her to glare at Ale'sha head on.

"If you've been here two years, then you'd know that Dameron wouldn't rank up someone because of something as stupid as fucking," You said plainly, staring her down unwaveringly. "And not that I have to fucking say it, but I didn't come here to sleep my way around higher ranking cadets. I came here to fight a war, the same reason we're all here," Ale'sha swallowed, stepping back a touch. "This isn't a popularity contest, Gold-Nine,"

The silence that drifted throughout the landing bays was thick, tense. Ale'sha looked positively mortified as you stared her down, keeping your expression blunt and to the point. She let out an abrupt chuckle, trying to dissipate away the humiliation that surrounded her. "Congratulations, Black-Ten. Enjoy being one of Dameron's favourites while it lasts,"

Poe stormed forwards immediately, standing next to you as he sent daggers at her. "Newbie got Black-Ten because she's the better pilot. That's the end of it," His words hit her like a tonne of bricks. You saw the hurt appear on her forehead first, spreading down to hollow her cheeks and dampen her expression into something else; upset. She was on the brink of tears. "Grow the fuck up, Gold-Nine," Poe added, before looking to the ground painfully.

Ale'sha was the first to rush away, heading back to the dorms while cadets started to mutter under their breath. You were the next to leave, striding back to the dorms as McKinnon called for you back a few times. You ignored him, trudging back to the only place you got quiet on this Maker forsaken base. You slammed the controls and the dorm door flushed shut, leaving you in the darkened space that you shared with Dameron.

You sat on your bunk, feeling the hairs on the back of your neck pricking up at the fucking stress caused by Ale'sha's words. You'd never got on with girls, even since you were young. You didn't indulge in gossip, or back-stabbing behaviour. It was tiring and hurtful, and Ale'sha came under every category of girl that you chose to avoid. It was just a matter of time before she fully exploded at you, what with her hostile behaviour since the first day you'd set foot on base, but still—