Who: Finn and Rey Where: Rey’s place? What: Noms, Dreams, surprise scars When: End of May Status: Completed
As much as Finn was curious about Tiger King, the copious amounts of Pad Thai he’d inhaled had given him an epic dose of a food coma. He’d done his best to stay awake - after all he didn’t want to be rude to Rey as it was her turn to host their weekly stream and dinner thing they had going - but there was only so much of a crazy man with tigers and his equally as weird companions he could take. He’d blame the Southern drawl and one too many clips of his so-called music videos.
He’d slowly toppled over sideways onto the far end of the couch, out like a light. Instead of just a nap in blissful REM, however, Finn was given an intense amount of Dreams. So much happened that it almost felt like a cacophony of things - he noticed Rey was taken once the chaos died down on Takodana and devastation filled him; Finn was brought back to the Resistance base only to find out Poe was alive (in the waking world Poe had already confirmed this), then they were off to try to blow up Starkiller Base while all Finn wanted to do was rescue Rey. He wasn’t sure why he was so drawn to her, why he was laser focused on her - was it a crush? Was it because besides the five seconds he’d had with Poe, she was the only other person in his life he could count as a sort of friend? Was it that Force thing everyone kept talking about? It didn’t matter. There wasn’t time to analyze anything. Images and sounds flashed through his mind - the screams of Rey and Chewie as Solo fell off the catwalk, stabbed by his own son Kylo Ren. The howling of the wind as they ran across the snowy surface of Starkiller to get the Falcon. The red hot glow of Ren’s lightsaber and the blazing blue one Finn held in his hands as they squared off, both blades humming with energy.
Kylo had Force tossed Rey into a tree. Finn was pissed as hell and would make him pay for that. They clashed, again and again, twirling and slashing and struggling. Finn could practically feel the heat of the blades as they crossed and then he was screaming as Kylo’s cross blade dug into his shoulder. The pain! It burned deep, right through Poe’s jacket. Then suddenly he was released and they were swinging again and he landed a blow onto the other man’s shoulder, which just really pissed him off, Finn could tell. But he wasn’t going to give up, wasn’t going to let him hurt Rey further if he could do anything about it. And just as he thought maybe he’d be able to get the better of the black clad psychopath, Finn felt the horrible release of the handle of his lightsaber as it was flung from his hand with a flourish of Kylo’s blade. Then a black gloved fist connected with his face, the world spun and the most excruciating pain Finn had ever felt exploded in a line up his back. Then everything went dark.
Finn woke with a loud gasp, sweat beading his forehead. He shot up from the couch, adrenaline flooding every fiber of his being. “REY!” he reflexively shouted, eyes wide and wild, searching for her.
Rey's dreams of late had been one disaster after another. Being captured, mentally assaulted by Ren, and then her attempt to escape. But her friends had come for her. Something she'd never expected in a million years, but her friends had come for her.
Finn, and even Han!
Some of that she'd dreamed recently but kept to herself unsure of how much she even wanted to share, and not wanting to worry Finn and Poe.
But the Han had died. And then Finn lay on the ground.
Rey was woken by Finn's scream just as she pulled the lightsaber to herself and ignited it.
She flailed and fell off of the couch.
"Rey!" He repeated, and rushed over to her. "You okay?" He didn't even wait for an answer before he pulled her into a hug. "Oh man. I just...the dreams...Kylo Ren." He couldn't even form proper sentences. He pulled back to look at her.
“Is a bit of an arse, yes.” Rey scrambled to her feet, grabbing him by the face to inspect him. “Oh thank god, you’re not hurt. Ren he… I think he killed you!”
At least she thought he wasn’t hurt; he certainly seemed okay and she squeezed his face between her hands as she tried to calm down from her own dreams.
Finn's face was being smushed and he legitimately didn't mind, though he was certain given any other circumstance he'd be blushing a bit at the contact. He was just relieved Rey was okay; in the dreams she must have woken up from Kylo Ren's attack because she'd seen him. As they stood there looking into each other's faces her words sank in. Finn's eyes went wide and he said (the words a bit smushed as well considering) "I...I don't know. Am I dead? In the dreams I mean. Because whatever he did it….AGGGGHH!" His face contorted in agony and he fell from Rey's hold to his knees as the adrenaline wore off and the realization the injuries had crossed over took hold. Pain exploded from his back and the front of his right shoulder. "Oh god!" He gasped. He wanted to pass out again.
“Finn!” Rey dropped down next to him, leaning over to look at his back. She could see the angry gash and it was a miracle that Ren hadn’t severed his spine. She didn’t know if he had in their dreams, bacta could maybe save him, but they didn’t have bacta.
She cradled him with one arm and tried to sound casual about it and not at all freaked out like she was. “It’s just a bit of a flesh wound?”
But they really should get him to a doctor.
“You’re quoting Monty Python now?” Finn cried out incredulously. He rocked in her embrace, trying to focus on anything but the fear he might end up dying in the real world. Did people die here if they died in their dreams? He tried to remember the posts on the net - no, no….there were people that talked about it but were still here. But then there were injuries. Limbs suddenly missing. Robotic parts. And now apparently lightsaber wounds.
“Rey,” he said weakly, clinging to her, looking up at her face that stared down at him in barely concealed worry. “Do you kick his ass? Please tell me you kick Kylo Ren’s ass.” The pain felt like it was starting to subside a little; he didn’t know if that meant he was going into shock or if something else was happening.
“I’m trying to keep you calm,” Rey pointed out, staring at the wound and holding him as tight as she dared.
“I.. I don’t know. He was trying to pull the lightsaber to him, but it called to me and I pulled it to my hand. That’s when I woke up.”
She’d sure as hell been prepared to give him a beat down, though.
"Yeah well…" He shifted a little as his back started...tingling? Was that supposed to happen? "If you can whack the heck out of me with a stick and scale a First Order base without being seen and call a lightsaber to you I'm betting you kicked his ass. I’d put money on it.” And he even managed a breathy laugh. After a moment of silence his brow furrowed again, and he looked up at Rey with confusion in his eyes. “Am I going into shock or something? The pain is gone and my back and shoulder tingle.”
“I’ll accept your vote of confidence.” She smiled at him, before gently pulling him over and pushing his face down into her lap as she tried to get a look at his back. His shirt was ruined, and she pushed it out of the way; but all she could see was a nasty scar.
“I think it got better!”
Finn wasn’t sure how this moment could get any more awkward than his face in Rey’s lap. He could feel his face flushing in response and was thankful his dark complexion would essentially hide it.
He rolled back onto his side and exhaled before saying “Yeah?” Relief washed over him and he managed to sit up. “Like it’s all gone or…?” Please don’t let it be scars. Please.
“Uhm,” Rey said, that hesitation probably enough of an answer. She squinted one eye up, “I’ve seen worse? It’s actually quite fetching, all things considered. Might even get you a few dates, actually!” Chicks dug scars, right? Guys too? She wasn’t actually sure which way he swung or if he was both ways like her. Absently, she stroked his hair trying to calm him.
This was just too much for Finn. The dreams were crazy enough, but now he’d woken up to an agonizing wound that just healed in a matter of seconds and now he probably had a huge scar? He was stammering, brow furrowed in frustration, and he was about to get up to look at the nasty line running the length of his back he knew was probably there judging by Rey’s response when she reached out and ran her hand over his hair.
He stopped, instantly still, like a startled wild animal and stared at her. Calmness flooded his being suddenly and he felt the tension leave him. Rey had that effect on him in the dreams; it seemed here was no different. Whenever they occupied the same space it was like he was whole, as if he was where he was supposed to be. His brown eyes searched her face, trying to figure out why they had this connection.
“Thanks for um…” he blanked for a moment, “uh, you know. Making sure I didn’t die on your floor.”
“It’s quite all right. I’m just glad you’re okay. I could scrub the blood out of the floor but what would I do without my best mate?” She smiled at him, eyes crinkling up. Honestly, she was probably a lot more calm than she had any right to be and maybe it would hit her later (oh it would hit her later) but for now she would be the calming, slightly cheeky presence Finn needed to get through this.
She’d never met anyone else before who’d made her feel like she didn’t have to be alone, and then she’d started meeting people left and right, thanks to the dreams. If nothing else, she’d thank them for that. For Finn especially.
Her best mate. Finn grinned his lopsided, trademark grin. He knew they were best friends, but it was nice to actually hear confirmation of it. He reached out and pulled Rey into a hug. Then Finn got up and pulled his shirt off while he went to find a mirror. He needed to see what the scar looked like. Going into the bathroom he flipped the lightswitch and immediately twisted to get a look at his back. A gnarly keloid line went straight up his back along the length of his spine. "Holy…" he uttered. "How am I going to explain this at work??"
Oh. Abs. Those were nice. Rey blinked her eyes and followed him over to the mirror, frowning at it as they got a better look in better light. It was worse than she’d thought, and it really was a miracle that it hadn’t severed any vertebrae.
Raged flashed in her eyes; she was going to murder Kylo Ren, “I hope I kill that wanker!”
Despite the murderous look in Rey’s eyes Finn snorted in amusement, unable to help himself.
“‘Wanker’?” he bit his lip trying not to laugh while his eyebrows went up. Her British words always caught him off guard and sounded funny to him. He did appreciate her rage on his behalf though and knew if their roles had been reversed, he’d have felt the same way. Hell, in the dreams that was pretty much what he was trying to do when Kylo Ren had Force tossed her into a tree and knocked her out. Nobody did that to his friends. Not even the so-called great Knight of Ren.
If he wasn’t so hurt, she’d have smacked him one. As it was, she folded her arm and glared at him, but it was almost comical. “I can think of better names but they aren’t for mixed company.”
The thought remained strong within her though, and a cup on the coffee table wobbled through the Force. Rey really did hope she killed Ren. For Han, and for Finn and for all the people he’d ever hurt.
Maybe Revenge wasn’t a Jedi way, but she wasn’t actually a Jedi.
Finn smiled softly, hoping it’d placate her temper a bit, and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Hey...what matters is I’m okay. Maybe I’m okay in the dreams too.” He hoped. Finn then sighed a little dramatically and took one last glance in the mirror. “But I think my days of showing off this bod are over.” And he grinned like a goof at Rey. It would hit him later how messed up having a dream induced scar was.
“Which part of scars are sexy didn’t you get?” Rey stuck her tongue out at him. Yes, yes so much better to joke about it than to really think about it.
She didn’t think she could sleep anymore, “Do you want to get breakfast?”
“Yes.” He replied emphatically. Finn needed some coffee and a big slice of coffee cake to take his mind off of this insane scenario they’d woken up to. “Breakfast sounds like an great idea. You pick the place.” He then paused and smiled sheepishly - uh, but can we stop by my place first so I can get a new shirt?”
Rey looked him up and then, then replied, “I think I can lend you something until then. It might be a little tight.”