The explosion was so unexpected that you had no chance to hide. You felt the shockwave hit a nearby building with your inert body. Pain spread over you, but what worried you more was that you felt stunned. Something heavy fell on you and you felt the metallic taste of blood in your mouth.

"Lieutenant!"

"All right!" you hissed in pain, "I'll be fine."

Somehow you managed to slide off a piece of metal plating that crushed your side. You found your blaster in the rubble and awkwardly stood on your feet. You were shaking all over like a leaf in the wind.

"Lieutenant! Black Squadron is coming. They're going to blow everything up! We must run!"

"To the ships! Tell everyone to back off. That's an order!"

Only when the ships broke away from the battlefields and the Resistance X-Wings passed you while the firing started, you saw the enormity of the destruction. What had once been a First Order's city now resembled a pile of rubble. However, you managed to evacuate the inhabitants, at least as many as you managed.

You rested your forehead against the cool glass and closed your eyes. You felt as if your head was still filled with the sounds of explosions, every part of your body ached. But you were going back to base, you were safe.

"Lieutenant Y/L/N, congratulations. You've accomplished something practically impossible. I'm glad you came back to us safe and sound." General Organa smiled gently at you.

"We've done our part, ma'am. The credit goes to Black Squadron, they razed First Order to the ground." you answered and you felt like the man standing next to you moved slightly, grunting significantly.

"Commander Dameron knows how I appreciate his skills and what he does. You don't have to feed his ego anymore. It's already quite big."

You smirked and nodded to Leia.

"Thank you both, now go back to your quarters and get yourself tidy. Y/N, shouldn't you visit med bay?"

"I'll be fine, thank you, ma'am."

You left the meeting room and headed straight for the quarters. You dreamed of using the refresher, of getting rid of clothes soaked in the smell of smoke.

"Y/N!"

You turned at the familiar voice and looked at Poe. He was still standing near the door, smiling mischievously at you. His frizzy hair was messy from his helmet, and his orange jumpsuit was slightly unbuttoned.

"Commander." you answered by crossing your arms over your chest and being practically sure what you were going to hear next.

"Will you go out with me?"

"No."

"It was worth trying! Maybe tomorrow?"

You shook your head pityingly and started walking towards your room. You really wanted to wash up.

"Y/N! Will you go out with me?"

You rolled your eyes as a familiar voice echoed above your head during breakfast. Poe had been doing this for several months. He was stubborn and unpredictable. He didn't care if you just ate, worked or talked to your superiors.

"Maybe when you finally go out with him, Dameron will leave you alone."

Leia recently suggested when Poe announced after the briefing was over that he had a very important question. It was obviously meant for you. The whole room bursts out laughing, and you wanted to collapse into the ground and take Poe with you there.

"Poe's a good guy. He's crazy and cocky but has a good heart. I'm surprised his head finally popped out of the cockpit."

"I know that, General." You agreed with Leia, "But Dameron can't feel that he is entitled to everything, can he? He should try a little harder."

Leia looked at you nodding appreciatively. You could have become a really good lesson for her commander.

"I brought you a flower." he said proud of himself and after a while a beautiful plant appeared in front of your face, "It's not as beautiful as you are, but I thought you'd like it."

"Thank you." you answered surprised.

Poe took that as a good sign and was already sitting next to you.

"Do you have the evening off? Maybe we could go for a walk?"

"I have some reports to complete." you muttered as you finished drinking your caf, "I don't think I can get away. It will take me all evening."

"You're giving me no chance, Y/N." he sighed, scratching his head "How about tomorrow? We could have lunch together. I know one nice place, you'll like it."

"Commander Dameron..." you started, but he quickly interrupted you.

"I love it when you call me that, Lieutenant."

"I have to get back to myself."

Poe was cute, you had to admit. Every day he tried harder and harder, he asked you by surprise as if he was hoping that you would lose your vigilance and finally agree. He could talk to you about work or missions and then suddenly ask if you would go for a drink with him.

The entire base already knew about his advances, but he didn't seem to care. Even when Snap pulled him almost by force from you and the General during a meeting with the recruits. Poe Dameron never gave up, not when his goal was so sweet.

A soft knock on the door of your quarters distracted you from the reports you were working on. You pulled out of bed, checking your watch, it was late and you weren't expecting any guests. Unless...

The first thing you saw were gorgeous brown eyes. Their owner was leaning nonchalantly against the door frame, and as soon as he noticed you, he raised an eyebrow a little.

"If you make me wait any longer for you, I think I'll go crazy." he said, looking at you from the top of your head to your bare feet.

"Yeah? I think I'm crazy already. I can hardly hold back from lunging at you during check-in or when I see you in the hangar."

"Good to hear that." Poe rested both hands on the doorframe and leaned towards you.

You smelled his aftershave and you felt dizzy. In an instant you grabbed his face in your hands, sticking into his mouth. Poe didn't protest, and even shoved his tongue into your mouth purring at the same time deeply. You moved away from him, licking your lips and seeing him coquettishly raised one eyebrow.

"I think the lieutenant finally gave in to me." he muttered, leaning in even more and trying to catch your mouth in his.

"I gave in a long time ago, Dameron. You know that."

You grabbed him by the T-shirt visible under the pilot's jumpsuit and dragged him into your room.

Another greedy kiss as soon as the door closed behind you both. His hands rested on your hips and pulled you against him in a second. You slid your fingers into his hair, bringing out another lovely groan from him.

"I'm sick of hiding." he muttered, tearing himself away from your mouth and dropping around your neck, "How much more do we have to drag this? I wish everyone would know you're mine."

"What will Leia say? What if she sends me to another facility?"

"You know full well she won't. Besides, she and General Solo..."

"Oh, shut up now, Dameron!" you sighed feeling his hands slip under your shirt "If you keep talking, I'll move somewhere by myself and leave you here."

"Bullshit. You're not going anywhere!"

He grasped your hips tightly, lifting you enough for you to wrap your legs around his waist and set you down on the desk.

"Stars, I can't pretend anymore." he said, starting to unbutton your shirt as your lips roamed his neck.

Kriff, Dameron had the most kissable neck in the galaxy.

"I want to be able to take your hand...hug you when everyone sees us."

"You know I want it too, Poe. All those young girls wandering their eyes behind you... should know you're already taken."

"Do some young girls like me? Ouch!"

He felt your fingers dig painfully into his ribs and laughed. He loved teasing you. Poe instantly found your lips, kissing you greedily as his hands slipped off your shirt in a hurry.

Stars, he adored you! For over a year, he was the happiest man in the galaxy. If it weren't for the war, the Resistance, General Organa and your stubbornness... Poe was afraid of his own thoughts. It was great to have something of his own and share it with you. Although they were only brief moments - kriff, he loved them the most.

You slipped between your quarters like spies. Stealth meetings off base, excuses to spend some time together.

Dameron has agreed to pretend you didn't have anything in common just because you asked him so much. He told you many times that it was stupid, that you didn't need to hide, that General Organa wouldn't mind. However, he didn't want to waste time arguing with you, so he pretended that he was trying to seduce you and arrange a date with you so that he could at least enjoy these moments together outside of your quarters.

"I love you, Poe." you whispered into his ear, feeling his hands wandering down your back.

Stars! The most beautiful words he has ever heard. He would like to hear them every day, several times. He would never get bored.

"That's good." he replied, hearing your soft laugh, "I'd be worried if you stopped."

"You're too confident." you scolded him by taking off his shirt.

"I've heard it before, but you never really complained."

"If I could, Commander!"

Another kiss. The hands tried to get rid of as many layers as possible without having to move apart.

Poe Dameron made you feel alive. He was the most precious thing you had. He was a good thought, hope for better days to come. He was everything.

You didn't want to tell him that, but you always smiled and your heart beat mad when you met him by chance. His ego didn't need to be fed more. Poe Dameron already thought you lost your head for him.

"Leia is sending me to Jakku." he muttered as he began to slide off your pants "Super secret mission."

"That's why you're telling me about it?" you asked looking at his face, suddenly so serious.

"I shouldn't... But Leia says if something happened..."

He saw you frown. In a second, all the euphoria faded as if it was sucked into a vacuum.

"What would happen, Poe?"

His hands caressed your thighs, but you just stared like the man you loved so much, nervously biting his lip as he tried to choose the right words.

"I won't have the support of the Resistance. If anything goes wrong... I'll have to deal with it by myself." he replied trying to sound calm, but then added as if to loosen the atmosphere, "But BB will be with me so you shouldn't worry about anything."

He pecked your lips, but you didn't even react by analyzing what he said.

"You want to say..." you started "That you might not come back? Poe, please..."

"Hey, Y/N. Nothing like that is gonna happen!" he grabbed your arms "I'll come back to you, I always come back. Remember?"

Yes. He promised you this every time. Before each mission, he would find at least a few minutes to find you and remind you of his promise. And you held on to it with all your might, trying not to think what would have happened if Poe hadn't returned to base one day.

But now it was different. No one but Poe and Leia, and you now, knew about this mission. So it was dangerous. More than usual.

Poe kissed your arms lovingly embracing you, but you suddenly felt so empty. You felt as if someone had ripped your heart out. Why? Because you loved him, you really did.

"I will fly with you."

He looked at you with a mixture of sadness and pain. You couldn't go with him, he didn't have to say anything. Poe Dameron was a bad liar. Tears appeared in your eyes.

"Honey, please..." Poe took your face in warm palms, trying to wipe the wet tears that started to run down your cheeks. "I've been in worse trouble, you know that."

"I feel... I feel like I'm never going to see you again." you sobbed "I can't, Poe... This war is destroying us more and more."

"I'll be back." he assured, but you didn't listen to him anyway.

"We wasted so much time, Poe... I could listen to you, right from the start. So we could do a lot more than...this..."

"What are you talking about?"

Your fingers moved tenderly over his bare torso, finding their way to his arms, collarbones, neck and lips. You felt his strong heart beat, just for you.

"If we had come out sooner... We might have had more than what we have now, Poe. I was so stupid! I insisted on not telling anyone... I was scared."

"Don't say that, Y/N." he interrupted you "What we have is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in years. I wouldn't give it up for anything. Do you understand, Y/N? I love you. You're my strength, my life, my everything... If it is necessary I will come back to you even from the end of the galaxy. "

"Poe..."

"I love you. You have to remember that."

"Don't say that... Don't talk like you're never going to come back..."

You cuddled up against his body as much as if you wanted to merge with him. You both saw yourself at your best and worst times. You felt that you had something special in common, you didn't want to lose it. Even if the Poe mission could change the outcome of the war.

"Jakku is a hole in the middle of nowhere. Before you know it I'll be back." Poe's voice reached you slightly muffled "First Order won't even know I'll be there. A few days and I'll be with you again. Then we'll win the war..."

You snorted like Dameron told some bad joke. He pushed you away from him and looked at you fondly.

"We'll win this war, Y/N. I promise you that. And then I'll take you to Yavin, if you like. We'll live the life we ​​always dreamed of. Exactly the one you tell me about at night... Remember?"

"It's stupid, Poe..." you muttered smiling because you knew exactly what he was talking about.

"It's not stupid at all!" the pilot laughed, "We'll build the house we both dream of. We'll have a garden, whatever you want. Colorful and full of delicious fruit. Big and soft bed, not what we have here."

He put his forehead to yours, closing your eyes, and you did the same. You could practically feel the soft and wet grass under your feet, smell the trees on Yavin even though you had never been there before.

"We will be free, Y/N. We will be together..." Poe's voice swayed you, reassuring you "And if you only want and agree... I'll marry you..."

You opened your eyes and touched his face, but the pilot seemed still lost in dreams. He was still on Yavin, with you.

"We'll get married, and then..."

Your heart was beating like crazy. You were waiting.

"Tell me what will happen next, Y/N..." his voice sounded as if he was asking you to confirm that you want it all and that you will fight for it together. He asked for hope.

"We'll get married, Poe, and then the kids will come... At least three."

Dameron laughed.

"They will have your eyes and certainly your stubbornness. They will run barefoot in the garden, come to our bed at night when the storm breaks, they will listen to your stories about how their dad was the hero of the Resistance. You will teach them to reach for the stars.... Just come back to me, Poe. Please... "

His lips brushed yours. It was a promise. A promise that it will all come true.

"If you come back from Jakku..." you started softly, but the pilot interrupted you.

"When I come back, Y/N. Because I'll be back."

"When you get back I want to tell Leia about us. I don't want to hide anymore..."

His eyes lit up with the light of a thousand stars, and one of the most beautiful smiles you've ever seen appeared on his lips. It was your Poe.

"We'll do it together, love. You'll see, Leia will be glad." he rejoiced, "Before you know it I'll be back. I'm sure of it."

"Kiss me, Poe. Please."

You never had to ask twice. Not for that. Poe's lips found yours, but now the kiss was different. You have become even closer to each other.

Dreams were your hope. When everything was falling apart, you kept repeating it all to yourself.

Poe. Yavin. House. Garden. Poe. A soft bed. Green grass. Poe. Wedding. Children. Calm. Peace. Poe.

"I love you, Y/N."

His voice brought you back to earth. You were back on D'Qar, in your quarters, with Poe still alive by your side. You smiled uncertainly. If you were to never see him again, you couldn't lose that night.

You wanted to give yourself completely to him, even though he knew your body by heart. You wanted to feel his skin under your fingers, feel his warm breath against your skin. Make love to him. If you could, you would give everything to make him stay with you.

It was just another mission, wasn't it? Just like any other. Poe will be back to you in two or three days. He will scream again across the landing field the question he has asked you so many times "Hey Y/N! Will you go on a date with me?"And then you will come up to him, kiss him tenderly and say, "No, Poe. I don't want to date you. I want to spend my whole life with you."

Then you'll win the war and make all your dreams come true. Together.