Happy May the 4th! I finished my old Hero/Villain Swap AU that is also Dark Pilot and also platonic Force Dyad. It only took 3 years for 5 chapters and an epilogue, but it's done!
It will update weekly. For now you can read chapter one on Ao3.
“Ben,” the damning familiarity of his name on Poe’s lips caused embarrassment to color Ben’s cheeks, even after he successfully managed to slink past Poe and continue his furious trek to his room. He should have known his temper tantrum would not go without a reasonable explanation. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Ben’s eyes widened in faux innocence and he smiled again, this time saccharine-sweet, though there was a fair bit of venom just below the surface. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
So I forgot to post this on tumblr, but this is a cracky darkpilot fic I wrote based on that episode of The Office.
Poe Dameron has recently been made the manager of Corellia Paper Supply, much to Ben Solo's chagrin. When someone defaces the billboards from their new ad campaign, Ben stresses out. Poe only wants to help him relieve that stress.
“Why are you here?” His gaze is almost clinical in his put upon detachment, watching Poe as if he were no more than a fly buzzing about the room. “I have things to do.”
“Really? Got a busy day ahead of you, your highness?” he taunts, and there’s a pang at the remembrance of when that had once been a title used to tease before a stolen kiss rather than goad him into a quarrel.
“Too busy to let you drag me to a bunk, yes,” he lobs back easily. He can’t help the slow crawl of a cruel smile. It hooks into the corners of his mouth, threatening to puncture some vital organ and let blood seep in where it didn’t belong. “So either get on with it or get off my ship.”
it’s nice to have a friend
benpoe + first kiss / 1,308 words / rated g
“i don’t know how you can live here.” ben rubs the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the perspiration that’s gathered there. “it’s so kriffing hot.”
poe let’s out a low, somewhat mocking whistle. “wow, buddy. you’ve gotten mouthy in the past six months.”
“shut up,” he huffs, partly because his hand slipped from the little notch he’d been reaching for but mostly because poe says buddy in a way that makes him…well. buddy, pal, and especially kid kick up a torrent of negative reactions he isn’t quite sure what to do with, so he trudges forward, swinging a leg over another branch.
the force tree looks as if it’s been on yavin iv for hundreds of years. no one can really explain how it managed to grow so quickly and so abundantly, thick branches and limbs strong enough to hold the both of them as they climb. then again, it’s a force tree. it probably has the same – what does poe call them? – “mystical powers” as ben. who could probably use said mystical powers to simply launch himself to the very top of the tree, but half of the fun is chasing after poe.
he holds out a hand, clamping down on ben’s to help hoist him up and over the limb he’s settled on. his breathing is a little heavy from exertion but he looks out, following poe’s line of sight, and sees the entire colony, the fields, and forests beyond, and even the mountains in the distance. it’s…well, it’s beautiful.
and the way poe is looking at it is beautiful. his eyes are all alight, like his little moon is bespin or coruscant or the lakes of naboo. ben has seen all of those things but they don’t really compare to the way the corner of his best friend’s mouth quirks up when he finally looks at him again.
his stomach gives a little flutter in response. “you were right. the view is worth it.”
“huh? didn’t quite hear that.” poe is full-on grinning now, holding his fingers to his ear. “did you say i was right?”
“shut up,” ben says for the second time in ten minutes, and ducks his head to hide the flush in his cheeks.
they sit that way for a while, straddling the branch and looking out. there’s a breeze this high up that makes the stifling heat and humidity almost bearable. it ruffles their hair a little but it’s still uncomfortable, so they shift until their knees are almost touching.
poe looks at him again, all wide smile and unruly curls that are still sticking to his forehead, and ben…ben squeezes his eyes shut and leans forward.
it’s really awkward. because ben’s only thirteen and it’s his first kiss. because he’s all teeth and nose and poe is very clearly surprised. because he tilts back as if stunned by a blaster shot, and ben is left reeling forward, crashing up against him, with hands slipping on the bark of the branch as he catches himself.
“i-” ben dies, just a little. “s-sorry, i-”
he’s…he’s going to jump from the tree. he’s going to jump or run or..fall? yeah, maybe he’ll fall and the soft earth of yavin iv will simply swallow him whole. that sounds a lot better than continuing to sit there and meet poe’s wide-eyed expression.
“hey–”
“kriff.”
“will you–”
“i can’t reach…”
“wait a second–”
“…the next branch…”
“ben!”
he whirls back around, and this time their knees knock together. this time it’s ben that snaps back because poe is…really close. so close their noses are almost touching. he tries to shimmy away but his back is pressed against the wide trunk of the force tree.
he swallows. counts to five in his head so his voice doesn’t crack when he finally says, “what?”
“you surprised me. that’s all.”
ben chews on the inside of his cheek, not really sure what that means. “okay?”
“just…” poe gives a little shake of his head. he looks…kinda nervous. as if he hasn’t done this before, or at least not very often, which is strange to think about because people look at poe. they look at his square jaw and dark eyes and pretty hair. whereas people mostly look right through ben (or, more often than not, they chortle and remark on how he resembles an ikopi). “sit still, okay?”
poe leans forward until he can feel his breath ghosting over his lips. it feels warm and very, very nice, especially when poe closes the distance between them with a little tilt of his head.
it’s less awkward this time but it’s still nervous, tinged with inexperience and a willingness to learn. poe’s palm comes up to cup his cheek. ben’s hands itch to fist into his shirt but he balls them into fists instead, lips gently parting, and, embarrassingly enough, he sorta sighs into poe’s mouth.
he doesn’t actually care that it’s embarrassing because it’s…it’s really good. maybe. he thinks so, but how would he know? it’s his first–second kiss!
he thinks he wants to do it again but wills himself to stay still when poe pulls away, just far enough that he can see him swallow and look down, gauging his reaction. he clears his throat and waits. and waits. and waits, until ben licks his lips and surges forward to kiss him again.
this time he lays his hands on his shoulders, one fist gathering in the fabric of his shirt, and lucky for him poe seems just as eager. they’re still knocking knees but this time it elicits little smiles, and they’re both kinda laughing, and ben lifts, just a little to get closer, and –
screams.
his body slips from the branch in his haste. he’s dying for real this time, hurtling through the leaves of the force tree, crashing through the foliage on this way down. he can do little to control his movements as he scrambles about the empty air, clawing uselessly at twigs and branches. falling, and with nothing to slow his descent, gravity half swallows the wind from his lungs.
an invisible force surges up through him, from the very tips of his toes and fingers, and he can hear poe’s panicked ben! from a few feet up as he’s hauled to a stop mid-air. it’s so abrupt that he screeches again, expecting the bone-shattering crunch of fragile body against earth.
instead, he manages a shallow breath, twisting in such a way that he is able to crane his neck and peer around. he’s greeted with the jarring gentleness of a soft thud as he lands, still a little unceremoniously, and blinks rapidly against the sudden stillness of solid ground.
he’s still trembling by the time poe jumps down from the lowest branch, buzzing with the sudden, unexpected power.
“how did you–”
“i don’t know,” he’s still breathless but it’s more from the way poe bends to look him over, as if he’s making sure every piece of him is still intact. the warmth from his body drains and returns exclusively to his cheeks, which burn hot enough to melt skin from bone, and he gives his shoulder a gentle shove. “i’m fine.”
there’s a call from the house shortly after. ben’s dad is hollering that supper’s been ready for twenty damn minutes and if they don’t get inside…
poe grabs hold of ben’s hand again and pulls him to his feet, but this time he doesn’t let go. he holds it all the way across the field and into the house, intertwining their fingers, and gives it a little squeeze as they duck into the kitchen. their families start to chide them a little when they notice and ben’s ears burn, but poe still doesn’t let go.
