who: Poe Dameron & Finn when: Dude, I forget when, but it was before the last Chicago adventure where: Around Chicago, near Navy Pier What: Last day of exploring in Chicago warnings: Only if cuteness is dangerous to you status: COMPLETE.
Poe had to confess that he liked Chicago and he didn't know if it was because he was seeing it for the first time through Finn's eyes through all the different places that Finn knew, or if he just really liked the city. It was a lot different from Tumbleweed and it had a lot more people. It reminded him a bit of some of the places at home more than Tumbleweed did. Not that he hadn't been places with fewer people, but maybe cities just tended to feel more the same in any world even if they had their own flare?
Tonight was their last night in the city, and they were walking through the park by the waterfront, and it was a bit chilly without the sun and with the wind, but it just gave Poe an excuse to get closer to Finn, which he did - sliding his fingers through his boyfriend's.
"We definitely have to come back here," he told Finn with a quick grin. "I've enjoyed this trip."
Finn had been happy to show Poe around the places where he used to go, the places that he’d enjoyed. He’d missed Chicago more than he knew. But the thing that he realized was that he missed everything that Chicago had been for them. The start of something new, the promise of things he never quite figured out. It wasn’t that Tumbleweed wasn’t good. It was new and different and he was finding his place a little easier than he had in Chicago. There were also less unusual changes. No one had suddenly aged or de-aged or swapped genders or really anything like Chicago. The fights they had while here, however, had been a lot more.
But the city of Chicago held memories of what had once been and he was glad to share it with his boyfriend. The Navy Pier was one of his favorite places, but even just walking along the lake was nice. It seemed less like the desert. He looked out over the water, smiling at the feeling of Poe taking his hand.
Nodding at Poe’s words, he looked over at him. “You should see the music festivals and the food festivals and basically everything. There’s a lot. So we should definitely come back sometime.”
Poe nodded easily. Those sounded like the sorts of things he'd enjoy, in theory, especially in a place where he wasn't running off to fight a war all of the time. And Tumbleweed was a lot more peaceful - even with portals and things that were a bit crazy - than home had been. Not to mention that while Poe didn't mind helping to fight, and he was willing too, he hated not being in a ship. He was better in an X-wing than he could ever be on the ground, and he felt as if that pirate attack had demonstrated that.
"Maybe we could make an every other month of it," he suggested. "Or even a monthly. It's not like it's difficult to do with the planes."
Finn had been away from real fights for a while. Yes, they’d had some in Chicago, but nothing like they’d experienced while here. Admittedly, the cruise ship had been the most action he’d seen in a while. He hadn’t minded, but going into them without a weapon had been a lot of work and he’d lost fingers because of it. His hand flexed at the thought of it and he stopped himself from looking down at it. The music and food festivals were better to focus on.
“I like that idea. We’ll have to see how Pilot does in the planes soon. Make sure he handles it okay so that we can start taking him sometimes, too.” He lightly bumped Poe’s shoulder with his own before leading him a little closer to the water. “I’m glad you liked it, though. It feels like a very long time since I’ve been here. I know it hasn’t been that long, but it’s kind of different without the CARV towers. Not so much that I feel out of place, but I’m used to seeing them.” He glanced over. “I’m glad I could show it to you.”
Poe grinned and nodded, leaning in towards Finn as he kept walking. He nodded and then wrapped his arm around Finn's waist across his back and pulled him close for a moment. As he pulled back, not a lot but enough that they could more easily continued walking he nodded.
"Maybe we should take him up the next time?" He suggested. "We can do just a quick round about the field - see how he handles it. If he does well, we could take him on one of the longer flights maybe? Cause you're right - if we keep coming up here he needs to be able to come with us."
Finn was fairly pleased with the shift in closeness. He enjoyed the heat against his side. Texas made being close feel much more stifling than it was here. He glanced over at the other man as he spoke, nodding a little. “Yeah. We can see how he does. Hopefully his name is suited.” If he wasn’t, though, Finn assumed they could probably figure out another way to get him to Chicago so he wouldn’t miss out. “We can bring treats and things. To see if that helps with anything.” And Finn would happily sit with the dog if he had to. It wasn’t a big deal.
“But we can figure that all out when we get back. Is there anything you want to see or do before we go?”
"We'll figure it out, and I bet we can get him where he's ready to go up in the air. If nothing else maybe Rey can convince him." She had Force powers, and there had to be something there, right? "But he looks like a Pilot," Poe chuckled.
He came to a stop near a lamp and looked up at the city. "It's a lot different from Tumbleweed," he mused. "I think maybe one of the museums or something? I'm not normally a museum type but being in a world that's not my own - it feels like it could be educational in a good way maybe."
Finn laughed at that. “Yeah. He does tend to listen to her pretty well.” They’d gone out running and just gone out all over the place anyway. He took Pilot for walks, but he definitely hadn’t made an effort to go running every morning. He stayed in shape, just...not by running. “Well, we named him because of our favorite person.” Finn smiled at that. “It was my first and last time naming something. Usually I leave the naming practice to you.” But Finn appreciated the name. Even if he’d had to get used to it. He was Finn now and it was because he’d decided to help Poe escape and he’d been named. It was part of why choosing Dameron for a last name made sense. Outside of he couldn’t really think of another last name. He took the name of the man that first gave him a name that wasn’t FN-2187.
“We can go to one of the museums. It’s at least more interesting than the museum in Tumbleweed. There’s an art one I think you might like.” He looked out over the water again for a moment. “I never thought I’d miss being near the water as much as I did. There’s the river in Tumbleweed now, but it’s not the same as the lake. I mean, there’s not even a ferris wheel.” He leaned over to kiss Poe’s cheek. “Ready to go see some art or do you want to look at the water for a little longer?”
Poe smiled, heart full at the statement. He’d never intended to make friends like this. He’d always made them within the context of battles and ideals. The Resistance and what they were fighting for. And granted both Finn and Rey had ended up fighting for the resistance but not originally. Originally they’d just been partners in the moment and now Finn was a lot more.
“I think we could go see some art,” he turned to Finn and he gave him a fond smile. “If you’re interested in it?”
Finn nodded a little. “Art’s nice. I like the colors. I’d never seen anything like it before. I couldn’t have imagined it.” Not really anyway. He’d seen a lot of things, lived through a lot of things, but art had been such a curious thing to him. He’d never tried to make it himself, but he’d enjoyed looking at it. He squeezed Poe’s hand lightly. “All right. Let’s go.”