[ That's not to say he hasn't been tempted, or at least curious; he's also not so sheltered that he doesn't know what happens on this ship sometimes, especially since his own bunk is pretty close to others and late at night, certain sounds can only usually ever mean one thing is going on, but he doesn't want it to be just something casual, built around the physical. Maybe that's why he's waited as long as he has, because for him, there are only two people he's ever seriously thought about doing that with, and one of them is sitting up in the bed next to him right now.
But this is different, something he doesn't want to rush into but at the same time, there's a rightness in it, and it's starting to provide context for all of the things he's been feeling since he first got on this ship. Obviously he doesn't expect all of the same from Poe either, since he didn't experience all of the same events, but maybe Finn's daring to let himself hope that that doesn't matter, especially now that he's here and Poe's signaled that he wants this to happen too. ]
What? No.
[ He shakes his head, manages a scoff, air through pursed lips, and then realizes his arms are folded across his chest before relaxing them, dropping his hands down — which means that his hand ends up resting on top of Poe's, that direct touch enough to activate the empathy bond, and Finn almost pulls away before he realizes this is what he wants to feel too, that reassurance. His own emotions are complicated — there's nervousness, sure, based in the fact that he doesn't know what he's doing and doesn't want to be disappointing, but there's also interest, admiration, attraction. It all threads through where they touch, and Finn glances down as he slowly, carefully interlocks their fingers, palm pressing against Poe's knuckles. ]
[ Poe's not entirely used to the sensation of someone else's emotions blending in with his own, sometimes subtly, other times an onslaught that he's unprepared for, but with Finn it's quieter and more familiar, it doesn't feel intrusive. They've already shared so much, this isn't a big leap. He wonders at times if this isn't a glimpse of how things are for Rey with the Force, feeling this kind of connection to the people around her. He might ask her later on, it would be great to have better control over this, sometimes it feels way too personal with people he barely knows. Finn just happens to be one of the very few exceptions where there isn't really anything he wouldn't open up about if it came up.
There's not much to surprise him in what he feels from Finn now, as their hands press together, which he accepts without reservation. That nervous flutter was written all over his face, but what wasn't as easily apparent is the hopeful, genuine interest that he's probably too shy to know how to express at all. And Poe gets it, maybe as well as anyone who didn't grow up being trained as a stormtrooper could.
He's more open with his interest, and a calm, steady influence through that bond. He's also got a lot of feelings of his own, and buried underneath his stubborn, seemingly unfailing confidence he has plenty of his own worries, and what feels like the weight of the whole galaxy on his shoulders sometimes. Finn already knows all that, probably even just how deep Poe's feelings go, but obviously he wasn't assuming that they would necessarily be this intimate.
He leaves that hand where it is, warmly curled with Finn's, while he reaches up with the other to brush his thumb over Finn's jawline instead, soft and affectionate. ]
You know that whatever we get into here you're still going to be my best friend.
[ It feels important to point that out, whether or not that's something Finn is worried about. ]
[ At this point, Finn's feeling so many things that it's difficult for him to parse through them all, which means he doesn't necessarily know what's trickling over to Poe through the bond they share — but at the same time, it feels comfortable, calm, maybe a little anticipatory. Or maybe that's just him feeling what Poe's feeling on his end, that confidence permeating through the bond until it starts to affect him too, make him feel more at ease, make him want to be bolder.
That, or Poe could just be saying all the right things to help him here, because his thoughts are racing with the possibilities of what could change and what might have already now that they're not just talking about more but planning on doing it too, taking things in a decisive next step rather than simply waking up next to each other with arms and legs entwined — which is something that Poe doesn't even remember them doing before.
Regardless, this is all new, so new he's not even sure where to start, but Poe seems to have an idea, and Finn feels like his breath stops altogether when the other man reaches out to touch him, thumb trailing along his jaw in a way that makes his mouth run dry. ]
I know. You — you're always mine, too. Not — not mine like that, but... you know what I mean.
[ He swallows down a nervous chuckle, glancing at their shared grasp again, but then he's turned his head just enough so that he can lower his chin, pressing his mouth against the pad of Poe's thumb before he can second-guess himself. ]
[ It's not easy to stifle his amusement, ultimately only letting a bit of a teasing glint shine through. Finn is just cute, and when they're not distracted by the seemingly endless number of other things to worry about back with the Resistance, and focus is shifted entirely onto him, it's almost too easy to fluster him. That's not what Poe's goal is, enviously, it just happens to be a side effect from the gentle flirtation that he's decided to pursue. Gentle because Finn hasn't done much of this before, and this isn't one of those new things that he would nudge Finn into trying just to see if he likes it. They already have a bond that's been side-eyed for how close it is, he's confident that there's more for them to get into.
And he can do that knowing that they know each other too well, and have trusted each other with so much, that it really won't matter if they never do this again. It wouldn't change how he feels about Finn.
So he's confident in the way he leans in, smiling at the way Finn presses a tentative kiss to his thumb, which he strokes lightly across his lips and out of the way so that he can kiss Finn properly. He's not shy about it, or harboring any last second doubts, but it's warm and slow and affectionate more than anything seductive. He's got no ulterior motives, just inviting Finn to make out with him sounds like a fantastic idea.
He's even mostly keeping his hands to himself. The light touch on Finn's cheek is still there, splayed across his jaw, while the other hand is still lightly entangled with his own. ]
[ It feels like they've been working up to this for a while now, but regardless, Finn still manages to be surprised when Poe pulls his hand away and then leans in to replace the placement of his thumb with his mouth instead, and no matter how much he's been curious about what it could feel like between them, that doesn't change the fact that he's still never done this before, with anyone. He doesn't even know if he's going to be any good at it, and that uncertainty flares up through the empathy bond where they're touching in multiple places, the twining of their fingers, even the press of Poe's lips against his own.
It helps, though, that the other man has more confidence, more familiarity with what to do here, and what comes through the bond from his side, comfort and an utter lack of doubting, puts some of Finn's anxieties at ease.
Even if this doesn't turn into anything beyond tonight, he has to believe that nothing will change between them — at least, he hopes it won't, and that he hasn't done enough to turn Poe away from potentially wanting to do more. That said, a part of him would be mostly content to just sit here and kiss, mostly because he doesn't know the first thing about proceeding.
But he does finally break the kiss, pressing his lips together and sweeping his tongue between them, feeling more emboldened now but also a little sheepish too. ]
And it doesn't bother you that I've never...? [ He doesn't think he needs to go into specifics on what he doesn't have experience in, that Poe will be able to fill in the blanks without him having to clarify further. The fact that he doesn't even fully know what goes into them doing more than kissing is probably proof enough of that. ]
[ As well as Poe knows Finn, this would have been different without the intensity of that empathy bond, which is even stronger with more physical contact. More tangible intimacy means more emotional intimacy, so even though he can feel that flicker of uncertainty Poe knows that it's not because Finn isn't sure that he wants this. It's a kind of hesitation that's directed inward, about what he can and can't do, and it feels very familiar compared to what Poe's seen before. He's watched Finn find his feet with the Resistance, where he started out insisting that he wasn't really one of them, and it made a lot of sense considering that he'd never been given a choice before.
Given that general inexperience obviously Poe was expecting him to be new to this to some degree, if not completely. So this isn't surprising, and it doesn't throw him off at all. If anything he's doing his best to make sure that Finn can relax into this with him, with slow, deliberate movements and only the slightest hint of tongue, flicking against Finn's lips, gentle and maybe coaxing a little bit.
He's not pushing for anything, but he's not going to hide the fact that he's interested either. ]
Why would that bother me? [ He's smiling as their mouths part, far enough for them both to catch a few breaths. In that pause he's reaching for Finn's free hand, pulling it toward him until it's resting against his chest in an unspoken invitation to touch in ways he hasn't before. Poe's clearly completely comfortable with it. ] This isn't a bad place to start, if you want to.
[ He doesn't think he's ever made it a secret, the fact that this is all so new for him — and that includes any sense of physical intimacy. Even if he'd never shied away from giving Poe hugs, or clasping Rey's hand in his own, it doesn't change the fact that he hadn't had a chance to grow up in a place where any of that was even encouraged, let alone welcomed. The thought of doing more — it's not like he doesn't have curiosity about it, and he definitely isn't lacking in interest, and all of that likely flares across the bond the longer they touch, which seems to be happening more and more without interruption now.
And Finn's not going to want to stop, either, the first lingering kiss between them alighting his senses in the way where he's realizing he's hungry for more, especially when Poe's tongue gently urges against his mouth and makes a corresponding tendril of heat coil at the base of his spine. ]
You mean just... with the kissing. [ As a place to start, that is, and he still can't really get over the fact that Poe's smiling like that, warm and gentle, at him, so close that he can see every angle of features that he's never really gotten to study like this before.
He doesn't fight it, when Poe collects his hand and leads it for that press, and he instinctively spreads his fingers, nudging his palm directly against Poe's chest, feeling the steady thrum of a heart beating underneath. ] I keep waiting for this to feel strange. Like... we've been friends for so long. Shouldn't it be strange?
[ Poe hums an agreement at first, distracted with his current preoccupation of pressing a lighter kiss to the corner of Finn's mouth. If this was just about seduction, if he was kissing anyone else, it would be different, but he's not dwelling on that. His attention is much better spent gently exploring Finn's reactions to those touches and light teases of tongue and teeth, giving him a chance to feel it all out too. For once he doesn't know exactly where this will leave them, here in this bunk specifically or in general, but it's not a bad kind of uncertainty. ]
It doesn't have to be. [ Now that he's left Finn's mouth for the time being he's just going to try kissing in other easily accessible places. Down from Finn's mouth to his jawline, all the way back toward his ear, and — assuming that goes over well — down to his neck, still slow and warm and affectionate. It's almost, but not exactly, like when he was exploring things himself as a teenager. He's got a lot more self control now than he did then, not that he would have pushed too hard no matter how many raging teenage hormones he was dealing with at the time. ] Sometimes friends get closer.
[ Metaphorically and more literally. Maybe he hasn't tried more than an occasional, off-handed attempt at flirtation and held his tongue when he was a little too tempted to make suggestions before, but any potential sexual tension aside they've barely been apart from each other since they met. While being thrown together into the same shrinking rebellion would do that, obviously, Poe wouldn't have let him go even if there were still a lot more people with them.
He does eventually pause, skimming his tongue over his lips, if just to give Finn a chance to catch his breath a bit. ]
We can do more than the kissing. But only if and when you want that too.
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no subject
But this is different, something he doesn't want to rush into but at the same time, there's a rightness in it, and it's starting to provide context for all of the things he's been feeling since he first got on this ship. Obviously he doesn't expect all of the same from Poe either, since he didn't experience all of the same events, but maybe Finn's daring to let himself hope that that doesn't matter, especially now that he's here and Poe's signaled that he wants this to happen too. ]
What? No.
[ He shakes his head, manages a scoff, air through pursed lips, and then realizes his arms are folded across his chest before relaxing them, dropping his hands down — which means that his hand ends up resting on top of Poe's, that direct touch enough to activate the empathy bond, and Finn almost pulls away before he realizes this is what he wants to feel too, that reassurance. His own emotions are complicated — there's nervousness, sure, based in the fact that he doesn't know what he's doing and doesn't want to be disappointing, but there's also interest, admiration, attraction. It all threads through where they touch, and Finn glances down as he slowly, carefully interlocks their fingers, palm pressing against Poe's knuckles. ]
no subject
There's not much to surprise him in what he feels from Finn now, as their hands press together, which he accepts without reservation. That nervous flutter was written all over his face, but what wasn't as easily apparent is the hopeful, genuine interest that he's probably too shy to know how to express at all. And Poe gets it, maybe as well as anyone who didn't grow up being trained as a stormtrooper could.
He's more open with his interest, and a calm, steady influence through that bond. He's also got a lot of feelings of his own, and buried underneath his stubborn, seemingly unfailing confidence he has plenty of his own worries, and what feels like the weight of the whole galaxy on his shoulders sometimes. Finn already knows all that, probably even just how deep Poe's feelings go, but obviously he wasn't assuming that they would necessarily be this intimate.
He leaves that hand where it is, warmly curled with Finn's, while he reaches up with the other to brush his thumb over Finn's jawline instead, soft and affectionate. ]
You know that whatever we get into here you're still going to be my best friend.
[ It feels important to point that out, whether or not that's something Finn is worried about. ]
no subject
That, or Poe could just be saying all the right things to help him here, because his thoughts are racing with the possibilities of what could change and what might have already now that they're not just talking about more but planning on doing it too, taking things in a decisive next step rather than simply waking up next to each other with arms and legs entwined — which is something that Poe doesn't even remember them doing before.
Regardless, this is all new, so new he's not even sure where to start, but Poe seems to have an idea, and Finn feels like his breath stops altogether when the other man reaches out to touch him, thumb trailing along his jaw in a way that makes his mouth run dry. ]
I know. You — you're always mine, too. Not — not mine like that, but... you know what I mean.
[ He swallows down a nervous chuckle, glancing at their shared grasp again, but then he's turned his head just enough so that he can lower his chin, pressing his mouth against the pad of Poe's thumb before he can second-guess himself. ]
no subject
[ It's not easy to stifle his amusement, ultimately only letting a bit of a teasing glint shine through. Finn is just cute, and when they're not distracted by the seemingly endless number of other things to worry about back with the Resistance, and focus is shifted entirely onto him, it's almost too easy to fluster him. That's not what Poe's goal is, enviously, it just happens to be a side effect from the gentle flirtation that he's decided to pursue. Gentle because Finn hasn't done much of this before, and this isn't one of those new things that he would nudge Finn into trying just to see if he likes it. They already have a bond that's been side-eyed for how close it is, he's confident that there's more for them to get into.
And he can do that knowing that they know each other too well, and have trusted each other with so much, that it really won't matter if they never do this again. It wouldn't change how he feels about Finn.
So he's confident in the way he leans in, smiling at the way Finn presses a tentative kiss to his thumb, which he strokes lightly across his lips and out of the way so that he can kiss Finn properly. He's not shy about it, or harboring any last second doubts, but it's warm and slow and affectionate more than anything seductive. He's got no ulterior motives, just inviting Finn to make out with him sounds like a fantastic idea.
He's even mostly keeping his hands to himself. The light touch on Finn's cheek is still there, splayed across his jaw, while the other hand is still lightly entangled with his own. ]
no subject
It helps, though, that the other man has more confidence, more familiarity with what to do here, and what comes through the bond from his side, comfort and an utter lack of doubting, puts some of Finn's anxieties at ease.
Even if this doesn't turn into anything beyond tonight, he has to believe that nothing will change between them — at least, he hopes it won't, and that he hasn't done enough to turn Poe away from potentially wanting to do more. That said, a part of him would be mostly content to just sit here and kiss, mostly because he doesn't know the first thing about proceeding.
But he does finally break the kiss, pressing his lips together and sweeping his tongue between them, feeling more emboldened now but also a little sheepish too. ]
And it doesn't bother you that I've never...? [ He doesn't think he needs to go into specifics on what he doesn't have experience in, that Poe will be able to fill in the blanks without him having to clarify further. The fact that he doesn't even fully know what goes into them doing more than kissing is probably proof enough of that. ]
no subject
Given that general inexperience obviously Poe was expecting him to be new to this to some degree, if not completely. So this isn't surprising, and it doesn't throw him off at all. If anything he's doing his best to make sure that Finn can relax into this with him, with slow, deliberate movements and only the slightest hint of tongue, flicking against Finn's lips, gentle and maybe coaxing a little bit.
He's not pushing for anything, but he's not going to hide the fact that he's interested either. ]
Why would that bother me? [ He's smiling as their mouths part, far enough for them both to catch a few breaths. In that pause he's reaching for Finn's free hand, pulling it toward him until it's resting against his chest in an unspoken invitation to touch in ways he hasn't before. Poe's clearly completely comfortable with it. ] This isn't a bad place to start, if you want to.
no subject
And Finn's not going to want to stop, either, the first lingering kiss between them alighting his senses in the way where he's realizing he's hungry for more, especially when Poe's tongue gently urges against his mouth and makes a corresponding tendril of heat coil at the base of his spine. ]
You mean just... with the kissing. [ As a place to start, that is, and he still can't really get over the fact that Poe's smiling like that, warm and gentle, at him, so close that he can see every angle of features that he's never really gotten to study like this before.
He doesn't fight it, when Poe collects his hand and leads it for that press, and he instinctively spreads his fingers, nudging his palm directly against Poe's chest, feeling the steady thrum of a heart beating underneath. ] I keep waiting for this to feel strange. Like... we've been friends for so long. Shouldn't it be strange?
no subject
It doesn't have to be. [ Now that he's left Finn's mouth for the time being he's just going to try kissing in other easily accessible places. Down from Finn's mouth to his jawline, all the way back toward his ear, and — assuming that goes over well — down to his neck, still slow and warm and affectionate. It's almost, but not exactly, like when he was exploring things himself as a teenager. He's got a lot more self control now than he did then, not that he would have pushed too hard no matter how many raging teenage hormones he was dealing with at the time. ] Sometimes friends get closer.
[ Metaphorically and more literally. Maybe he hasn't tried more than an occasional, off-handed attempt at flirtation and held his tongue when he was a little too tempted to make suggestions before, but any potential sexual tension aside they've barely been apart from each other since they met. While being thrown together into the same shrinking rebellion would do that, obviously, Poe wouldn't have let him go even if there were still a lot more people with them.
He does eventually pause, skimming his tongue over his lips, if just to give Finn a chance to catch his breath a bit. ]
We can do more than the kissing. But only if and when you want that too.