A Galaxy Quite Close to Home

Chapter 45: Queen of the Carnival

Poe woke up in bed alone, a little disoriented from the absolute pitch dark combined with the smell of coffee wafting in from the living room. He could barely make out the quiet whispers of Finn and Rey on the other side of the door and didn't pay any mind until he heard the name Amy.

"I still can't believe it.. After all this time.. I have nightmares about it. The fact that she was... not her...." Rey's voice sounded strained, a sob in her throat waiting to get out. He wondered what her words even meant. Poe heard the definite sound of Finn giving her a long and comforting sshhh. The half- woken man pulled himself from the sheets and padded across the floor to the door, peeking out into the dim light. Rey sat curled up against Finn on the couch, only one lamp on and both of them cradling hot mugs in their hands.

"I have nightmares about it too... I'm just glad Poe doesn't know." he pressed his lips to her temple, his own brow pulled together. For some reason the wounding truth about Amy never healed for him, it still nagged at his gut sometimes, especially when he saw Poe upset about her. He didn't want Poe to be upset, he didn't want him to cry over a fraud, cry over a lie. Poe took in a shaky breath, still listening to their quiet midnight whispers, and fearing the worst for what they would say.

"What was her name again?"

"Olivier..." Finn winced and Poe felt his own stomach lurch. He didn't understand. What were they keeping from him.. He thought there were no secrets.

"I refuse to use that honestly..." Rey muttered, sniffling and taking a long, deep sip of coffee. Finn didn't respond anymore, staring off blankly as if remembering something absolutely horrible until Rey took his mug from him and put it with hers on the end table so she could throw a leg over his lap and wrap her arms around his shoulders. The young man wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and buried his face against her shoulder and began to cry, couldn't hold it back. Poe felt his heart shattering, seeing Finn cry like that, body shaking and shivering as he tried to silence his sobs against Rey's neck. His own eyes stung with confusion after what he'd heard. He couldn't ask, never, they would know he listened in and it was obviously something they wanted to keep from him, even if it concerned the woman he loved. And who the hell was Olivier? After a moment he convinced himself it was a horribly realistic nightmare, his subconscious just playing a trick on him. Right. Just go back to sleep. So he did, crawling back under the covers and pulling Rey's pillow into his arms, burying his face against it and taking a deep breath. It smelled of her cheap green apple scented shampoo and it made him calm down a little, enough to drift back off to sleep - he hoped he would forget the dream when he woke up.

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"Hey, babe, wake up.." a soft voice pulled Finn from his sleep, eyes fluttering open to see Rey smiling softly. Light poured in the back window, making him squint up at her and then look around for Poe who was still curled up around Rey's pillow.

"Hi..." Finn muttered and sniffed, he felt dehydrated from all the crying of the previous night. Rey handed him a cup of water and sat him up a little. He couldn't help but laugh. "I was just thinking I was really thirsty..." he said before drinking down the whole glass. Rey smiled and rested her palm on his chest, fingers digging a little at the fabric of his shirt absentmindedly.

"I figured you would be... I was too when I woke up.. It's uhm.. My day off. I was wondering if we could go do something." she sniffled and smiled softly. Finn sighed and shrugged.

"Like what?" now it was Rey's turn to shrug, taking the glass and putting it on the bedstand.

"Like.. I don't know. The three of us go somewhere I don't care where just out." her emphasis on certain words made him giggle and he sat all the way up, kissing her softly.