Close to Me {Poe Dameron}

four

"Well, shit this is good," Poe said after he finished his first bite.

Kat chuckled, before tucking into her own sandwich. She smiled as the flavor hit her tongue and the warmth from the sandwich spread through her body. "These sandwiches were a special treat. Sure it's just cheese on toasted bread but I swear they use either special cheeses or butter because I could never recreate it at home."

Poe shook his head in disbelief. "You've been doing all of this since you were a kid. I'm surprised you're not a higher rank."

She just shrugged, mouth full from her latest bite. "I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Not too far from Ruby's, there was a square for people to gather. It was one of the bigger squares in the main hub of Coruscant. It held press conferences, festivals, and a fountain with the names of the fallen rebels. Rebellion Square was the official name but the locals called it Hope Park. It was believed that if one would toss a coin into the fountain, hope would be restored or a wish would come true. Kat was unsure if she and Poe really should be making their way towards the square but she had to see what had become of it.

She stumbled slightly when they arrived, seeing how run down it had become. The fountain wasn't running and people were climbing and sitting on it. No one was supposed to be doing that out of respect. Poe caught her arm, helping her regain her balance. "You, okay?"

Kat nodded before maneuvering herself against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't hate me," she whispered, "this is called Hope Park, well, technically it's Rebellion Square. I had to come see what it looked like now and if my parents' names were ever added to the fountain."

Poe let out a sigh. He couldn't fault her for wanting to know. He would have done the same thing if he was in her shoes. He led them over to the edge of the fountain so they could start looking for the names of her parents.

Kat took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. They may have started to tolerate the other more but she was nowhere near comfortable enough to cry in front of him. She gave his side a squeeze as a silent thank you when they silently made their way towards the fountain.

They didn't have to travel far or anywhere near where the majority of people sat before they found where her family name was carved. There was Corla, her grandmother who was on the Tantive IV. Then underneath were Devyn and Lili, her parents. Next to the Metonaes was Raymus Antilles, Corla's uncle. A small smile tugged at her lips as she briefly touched the stone. Kat then lowered herself to the ground, tugging Poe with her.

He draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side so they could look like a couple just enjoying a nice day. He hadn't quite expected her to snuggle in so close. He wasn't sure about her but ever since they landed, he had been thinking of small gestures that played into their cover. Well, maybe she had if her small kiss in the restaurant was anything to go by. He was just unprepared for how easy and natural it all felt. They had both spent so much time fighting each other that he had forgotten his thoughts about her when he saw her entering the base for the first time.

✧☆✧

He just returned from a routine flight when Leia and another woman were walking through the hangar. The new face was taller than the general but then again so was he and he wasn't that tall of a man. She was beautiful and he knew he would be in trouble when he heard her laugh at something Leia had said. BB-8 had let out a low whistle, snapping the pilot out of it. "Shall we go say hello?" He asked his droid before getting out of the cockpit.

Hello didn't actually go as well as he had hoped. She seemed immune to his charms and he soon put his foot in his mouth. After Leia had introduced the two, he realized where he had heard the name before. She was the girl that Leia raised as her own daughter and who had gone on wild benders while in Naboo. They called her the party princess if his memory served correctly. "So what are you doing here, princess?" It was a simple enough question but one she did not appreciate.