-☆-

Nothing. Not a word was exchanged. Not a sign of movement was gestured. Even thoughts were absent and bringing both of them clueless. Waiting for the other person to do something.

There was no Ava wanted to share the bed.

"What was that all about blondie?" Poe sighed, braking the silence. Leaving her grateful that he didn't shoot a snarky comment at her or it could have ended poorly for him.

"What was what about? What do you mean?" She asked turning to look at him, wanting some clarification on his question. Trying to brace herself foe what he was bringing up now.

He jabbed his thumb behind him towards the door. "I mean the way you just made the Chief look like he wanted to pee his pants. What was that all about?"

The feeling of relief swept over her stress levels, as she studied him for a second. She opened her mouth to explain, but wanted to be safe than sorry.

"Before I tell you, I got to ask you a question." She said as she squinted her eyes at him.

Poe arms now cross with eyebrows narrowed. "What is this blondie?"

"What's a droid?" Ava asked with a snark and folding her arms, mimicking Poe's current defensive stance. He let out a scoffed, thinking she was joking and release his arms. Yet she stood there waiting for an answer.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You know what a droid is, Blondie! Why are you asking me?" Poe scoffed.

Ava stepped forwards and cocked her head to the side as she poked a finger on his chest. "I just want to make sure you know what a droid is."

"Pft," Poe let out a chuckle as he leaned his back against the dresser that was near the door. "Sweetheart, I know what a droid is."

Ava shrugged and smiled. "Then I bet your an expert on what they do, huh?" Emphasizing anything to get his ego up and running, while watching for anything peculiar. The sassy playboy personality was in check. She now had to test his knowledge and find proof.

Amused for only a few seconds from her choice of words, Poe then tighten his lips and shaking his head.

"Uh uh! I know what your doing Blondie," He scolded with a finger in her face and Ava had to hold back a snicker.

"Your trying to make me look stupid again but it's not going to work." Poe crossed his arms, with a huff, as he continued to resist her interrogation. He knew she was smart, but in this moment, he was questioning her intelligence. "Yeah, good luck with that. The last time I was in an interrogation was with Kylo Ren. He only won because of his stupid Force powers and got inside my head." He finished as he gestured where his brain was to add more to his experience.

Ava listen to him ramble on and on. She thought about stopping him, but instead decided to let him look like an idiot.

"And last time I check, you don't have the Force, blondie. So interrogate all you want." He added before he mockingly extended his arm out for her to speak. "Sorry please continue." The fake expression of guilt on his face made Ava giggle.

Not the response Poe was looking for. The sound caught him off guard and caused a hint of pink that lightly colored his cheeks as she stepped closer to him.
All through a blur, Poe felt his blaster slide out of his belt. Following was a flash of light and a pain on his upper arm, near his shoulder.

"Kriffing-Bantha! Why did you do that? What did I do?" Poe cursed bitterly through his teeth. He brought his hand up to where he got shot.

"You gave me proof that you're not a Skrull. A perk of you being an outsider from this galaxy is a Skrull doesn't know Kylo Ren. They also don't know what a driod is other than BB-8, and they definitely wouldn't know what the Forcd means." She explained as she listed her reasons on her fingers.

Poe understood but was busy trying to ease the pain. "As for shooting me? What was that for?

He scowled at her while she smiled like a princess and batted her eyes. "Maybe payback for being a jerk before." She said as she stepped into the bathroom and took off her backpack, digging for her first aid supplies. "Besides, Skrulls will go back to their original form if they're hurt. And you still look like Poe Dameron to me."

"Whatever." Poe mutter under his breath. "It hurts really bad, and you better fix it."

Ava snickered at his high pain tolerence. He must have had worse injuries with being a space pilot. "Don't worry," She said as she looked over at him and pointed to the two person couch across the room. "It'll only leave a minor bruise or scratch. Nothing too bad."

With a grunt m, he limped over to the couch and Ava rolled his eyes.

He only hurt his arm not his leg.

"Oh thank you Doctor Quill, I feel so much better already." Poe said sarcastically as he set himself down in the cushion carefully. She caught his eyes for a moment, slightly offended at his comment. But she found him smirking at her as if he told the best joke. Not realizing she smiled back as if she were laughing along too.

Her chest being abused by her heartbeat that suddenly increased. Pounding against her ribs and wanting to fly away. Not being able to look away until her mind told her smacked her in the face.

Don't get attached, Ava.

Shaking her head while hoping her heart would take a chillpill once again. Refocusing on preparing a cold rag and bandages to attend his wound.

Ava walked out of the bathroom to the mini fridge. "Now, if you want to roll up your sleeve, it will make it easier for me to-"

Instead of what she asked, she found herself seeing Poe effortless remove his grey shirt from the Nova Corps. He hadn't noticed her wide eyes as he winced a little.

She never moved so fast but she immediately opened the fridge.

Oh Odin have mercy

She went to waterparks and it never phased her to see a man like that. Heck, she lives with Drax who never wears a shirt because of his "sensitive nipples."

She trembled as she wrapped the ice inside the rag. Thinking maybe men from his galaxy are just different. Or maybe he had powers to put her on a spell. If Wanda Maximoff and Doctor Strange's magic exist, then anything could be possible.

"Hey blondie,"

She refused to look over her shoulder but she hummed in reply.

"Ready to be treated." Poe said with his voice smooth as butter.

It's as if he could hear her thoughts and only fumed her more. Ava spun around, after taking in a deep breath of patience. "Poe! I said roll up your sleeve, not take off your whole freaking shirt!" She snapped.

It made Poe jump for a moment to see her so angry until his face melted into amusement. He clicked his tongue and scrunched his nose. "Well it's a bit too late for that, and call yourself lucky."

She remained silent as she approached him and sat on the other cushion. She slowly grabbed his bruised arm, applying some cream to it and pressed the homemade icepack on his burned skin. Ava found a anidote, knowing humor was the best way to cope with any problem. She knew the reaction he wanted.

And he wasn't going to get it.

"Eh, I'm already lucky." Ava placed the ice on the injury. "I've seem the God of Thunder and Captain America. Both can do better than that." She said as she made a quick glance at his bare chest.

The blood inside Poe was right below the line of past boiling point. Triggered at her clever comeback and felt a knife stab into his ego. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as they stabbed lightsabers into her skull. He held his attempt to force-choke her until he was distracted. The sound of Ava's laugh and it made his cheeks become hot as a furnace.

She bit her cheek, to hide her satisfaction, knowing she won. "Hold that ice on your arm General. It's more than just your arm that needs it." She said with a proud wink as she kept her eyes on his arms until he took over.

Ava stood up to put her first aid kit away.

Poe shook his head with his eyes closed. "You're killing me blondie." He chuckled as he slipped his shirt back on, doing his best not to touch his wound. He got onto his feet and followed her.

"I'm not." Ava chimed with innocence , putting the kit back in her backpack that she left on the bed. "I saved you from being killed by rocks the other day."

Ava turned around, but her smirk vanished, not expecting Poe to be behind her. He advanced towards her and captivating her for the one hundredth time. His dark umber eyes filled with danger, but paired with a gentle admiration. Exploring her icy, yet understanding azure optics.

He raised a brow as he looked down at her face with just his eyes. Not much required for him to move as she was only a inch or two shorter.

"Is that so?" He tested with there still being a fair distance between them.

Feelings enhanced as she stood there in front of him. His stupid smirk playing on his lips making her want something.

Something that she never had.

But, reality slipped in and she knew it could never be possible.

With a clear of the throat, Ava finally broke the comfortable silence. "I uh-" She began her exit as she took a few steps to the side. Her shoulder brushing past his, as she paced the room. "About the Skrull situation, I think I know someone who can help us out."

Ava looked down to pull out her communicator out of her jean jacket. Once she recovered from her over heating cheeks, she turned around and glanced at him.

"Right." Poe retreated and blinked a few times as he scratched the back of his neck. "And this person is helpful how?" He said, crossing his arms, bringing back his sarcasm to avoid an awkward tension.

"This person is part of that Avengers team I was telling you about. She deals with Skrulls, good and bad, on a daily basis." Ava described as she pressed a few buttons on the device and let out a long sigh. "I think you'll like her."

Poe scrunched his face in disagreement. "Well see."

Relieved. Not that she cared if he did liked another girl more than her, Ava quickly retorted before he could notice her hesitation. "At least we know she doesn't crash into asteroid fields."

A loud groan came from Poe as he threw his head back. He dragged a hand over his face as he made eye contact with her again. "Would you quit bringing that up!?" He requested.

"Nope." Ava said dryly as she popped the p.

Poe rolled his eyes. "Fine. Then I'll just tell this girl that you sing terribly."

A gasp escape her mouth before Ava stroke a punch on Poe's arm.

"Ow!"

Oops. That was the bad arm.

Poe hissed through his teeth. "Or tell her you abused me!"

"Sorry." Ava chuckled nervously. "I'll just be out in the hall if you need me."

She slipped out of the room and the communicator started to contact the one and only, Carol Danvers.

- | -

The was nothing but a short voice-mail as Carol didn't pick up. Ava cursed as it meant she would have to stress about him again. She walked through the door and gave Poe a brief update.

After, the silence returned and neither dared to say anything. Until Ava took off her jacket and hung it on the bed frame.

"So do you want the bed or do I get it?" Poe asked breaking the silence.

Ava looked at him questionably as she tied her hair back. Tired and in no mood to negotiate with him.

"We could share or-"

"I'm not sharing." Ava said stubbornly as she sat on the bed and pulling off her leather boots.

Poe scoffed, putting his hands out. "I thought we were friends now blondie!"

She returned him a judging stare as she spoke over her shoulder. "We are Dameron. But friends don't need to share if they don't want to." Ava opened the covers after successfully getting her boots of, and tucked her legs underneath. She stretch them out, with her back against the wall, closing her eyes as she let out a long sigh.

A dip in the mattress made her peep to see Poe ready to make himself comfortable. His left knee perched on the bed and his hand still holding the ice.

"You better not!" Ava threatened with a strong frown, but Poe proceeded to set himself beside her with a smile. Thank goodness it was a king sized bed otherwise he would be too close. She glared at him and wasn't going to let this be the classic rom-com trope. Not a chance. Yet Poe still sat there and continue to taunt her with a snicker.

"And friends don't have to listen if they don't wanna."

"Get out." She said, only blinking once.

"Oh c'mon blondie!" He whined at her statement. "There's no way I'm sleeping on the floor, it's too uncomfortable. Especially now that you, sweetheart, were kind enough to put a bruise on my arm."

To be fair, he had a point. Making an injured man sleep on a concrete floor wasn't like her. Even if it was Poe. Furthermore, she didn't want to sleep on the ground again either. The floor of the Benatar was more comfortable than here.

Realizing she was out of options, Ava exhaled a deep breath of irritation. "Fine. Just stay on your side and don't come anywhere near me."

Poe laughed once more. "Trust me, I'm literally going to sleep. I'm also very tired, so goodnight." He said as she felt him shifting his body to turn the opposite direction.

"Goodnight." Ava replied under her breath as she turned off the light.

Unlike Poe, she wasn't able get herself to sleep as easily. Her mind was wide awake as she stared at the abyss of the dark room. Thinking about the advice from the women and how she felt when she was around Poe.

In the whole time she knew him, she tried to convince herself feelings for him didn't exist. However the more time she spent with him, he grew onto her.

His stupid sarcastic jokes, his devilish smile and dashing eyes that deeply stabbed into her soul. Along with his voice and how he'd run his hand through his curly raven colored hair. She admired the way he cared about BB-8 and his home.

Her mind continued to list all the reasons she had grown attached to him and still had one question.

Why?

Ava's thoughts wondered about until she remebered how close Poe had been and she didn't retreat. Like she wanted to be closer.

Share what she was feeling with him. See if she could find what her brother and Gamora treasure together.

The desire reminded her of the movies she watched as a young teen. Whether it was Elizabeth Bennett, Katniss Everdeen, Kat Stratford, Lucy Eleanor Moderatz, or even Rapunzel and Cinderella, they all had one thing in common. The one thing Ava dreamed of having.

Finding love, and someone to share it with.

Maybe her answer to her question. She had always imagined herself to be like those fictional women and to fall in love with a stranger.

In her story, Ava Quill, an ordinary girl from Earth with no powers or special abilities falling for a space pilot from another galaxy.

She thought back to when they first met and noticed how she didn't hate him anymore. The complete opposite in fact.

Ava was falling in love with Poe.

It was more than just his handsome looks. Now she fell for him. All of him.

The man sleeping soundly next to her, had no clue of the crisis he put her through. Ava beamed in the darkness everytime she thought about Poe.

And then, she remebered. Girls like her don't get the guy in the end. He was a General who seemed like a big deal. It was the equivalent of a Prince or a King. And Ava was just the peasant girl not even in the same league.

It could never work.

Love like that, worked for everyone.

But it could never happen to her.

___________________-☆-__________________

Hope you don't hate the shared bed trope. I wanted to put a twist on to make it more bearable. But it was fun to play with Poe and Ava's new dynamic. Their starting to shift away from being enemies and more friends now. But like frienemies because they still banter.

Also, Ava is so insecure (don't know what for🎶) and it's so sad. But crushes irl, tend to make us more self aware and doubtful about ourselves, I wanted to show how Ava battles it.

Annnnnnd....

Because it's Marvel, might be getting Carol as a cameo. (I'm not the biggest fan of her tbh but dont hate her.)

Update coming hopefully next week (:

-marie