lina_musebox

;poe

Sex Pollen Pre Relationship
Poe Dies Pre Relationship
Nightmare Early Relationship
Hogwarts AU Pre Relationship
Poe Almost Dies Pre Relationship
MoM AU First Night
Slightly Older Hogwarts AU
Post-TLJ
Bodyguard and Prince AU; overflow
Massage Pre Relationship
Oblivious Poe AU
Cyborg Poe AU
MoM AU Sex Pollen
FO Infiltration Sex Ring
TFLN
Soulmate Tattoo AU
Finn Marries Someone Else AU
Evil Finn AU; overflow: 1, 2
MoM AU Poe 10 Yrs Older
Vamp/Were AU
Missing for a Year/Telepathy AU
MoM AU Poe 'canon' updated
Dark Possessive AU
Married on Yavin AU
MoM AU Sexy Outfits
MoM AU Subway Sex
MoM AU with Melodies!Finn; overflow
MoM AU Photo-Op Kiss
Nearly Old Men AU
MoM AU Rule 63
Online Dating AU
MoM AU Poe Lost His In-Game Memories; overflow
Trans Poe AU
College Roommate AU
TIE Pilot/Prostitute AU
MoM AU Finn Returns from Port-Out
MoM AU Manipulative Masturbation Machine
Canon AU Manipulative Masturbation Machine
Shape Shifter AU; timeskip
FO Sexual Torture AU
MoM AU Finn Has a Boyfriend
Hades AU Finn Left Alone
MoM AU Apocalypse
MoM AU Poe Died in Canon
Canon AU Handjob in a Hospital (inspiration)
MoM AU Another Apocalypse
WWI Pen-Pal/Love Letters AU
Institutionalized Prostitution AU
MoM AU Body Swap
Post-TROS Victory Party

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Poe was perfect. Beautiful, charismatic, talented, charitable, honest, loyal- Of course Finn was in love with him. It was an inevitability ever since they met. The falling in love part was easy. It was realizing he was in love that was difficult. Everyone loved Poe, he could have his pick of anyone, and Poe wasn't really interested in Finn. As long as they knew each other, Poe always seemed forward about most things. Either he was keeping his romantic feelings for Finn close to the chest or they didn't exist.

Trying to get over him had been even worse so far. He couldn't think of anything worse than cutting Poe out of his life. They were best friends. He couldn't let that relationship go. At the same time, literally no one else interested him.

And that's why Finn turned to the internet. He joined the first dating site he could find (and was also free), signed up under the name TROOPER, and largely tried to anonymous thanks to embarrassment. He at least added his age, location, likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc. Just no picture. Maybe later once he was comfortable, but... eh.

The next step was to browse around at singles in his area. Trying to keep Poe out of his mind, he stared at the 104 search results. Armed with coffee in his free hand, he started swiping.

Finn was perfect. Poe had known this from the first five minutes they'd met, and it had been proven time and time again ever since. Fiercely loyal, protective, with a heart eight times too big for his chest and a mind three times quicker than Poe's, it was no wonder Poe was in love with him. He'd known that first day.

But war was not a good time for romance, and two days later Finn had women crawling all over him. Everyone loved Finn, and Poe could hardly blame them. After all, he was just first among the crowd, right?

He told himself that it was fine, that he didn't have time for romance anyway, that he needed to focus on the war. But the more time he spent with Finn the worse it got, and by the time the war ended he was starting to go nuts.

Maybe he just - needed to meet someone else. Get his mind off his best friend, for a while. He didn't want to lose Finn, and the last thing Finn needed was another admirer he wasn't interested in. So.

The internet it was.

He chose the first free dating site he could find - he was not billing this - signed up under the name HOTSHOT and largely tried to go anonymous so that none of his stupid squadron mates would make fun of him later. Because they would, they absolutely would and he'd never hear the end of it. So, no pictures, save one of a dismantled plane engine. He filled in everything else, but kept a lot of his answers vague.

Then he started searching.

104 results.

He gave a low sigh as he opened the page and browsed through. Force, this was already depressing. No, no, no --

His thumb hovered over a profile. TROOPER it read, and he couldn't help but think of Finn. It wasn't, of course - after all, Rey would probably murder him, right? But it struck a fond enough cord in Poe's chest that he swiped it into the 'yes' category anyway.

Finn had been dwindling his way through the list for a while now when his comm pinged. Someone seemed interested in him.

That wasn't actually uncommon on this app. It was just that they had all be spam bots so far. He fully expected for HOTSHOT to be just the same until he caught a look at the profile. And the picture.

The whole thing read like Poe. That could be Finn's own infatuation talking, though. The plane engine was another reminder that just made his lips twitch into a little grin.

But would it be wise to start talking to someone who seemed like Poe? Would that really help him to get over this?

For a long while, he decided to not reply, instead preoccupying himself with changing his profile image of a landscape with green hills and a lake. Something pretty, a place he'd been to once on a planet whose name he couldn't recall.

Distraction didn't help, though. He was still thinking about HOTSHOT... What could it hurt?

Hi! Good to meet you, Hotshot

He'd gone through a few other profiles, sent a few other yes's. But all interested in them had died pretty quickly after a couple messages.

He didn't even think about TROOPER again. Or, rather, he tried not to. But then a little message dinged and Poe couldn't help the way his heart did a weird little flip.

Okay, calm down, Poe. You need to stop thinking about Finn, stop pretending that this is him or that you're going to find someone just like him. Just. Relax.

Good to meet you too, Trooper

like your new profile pic

swear it reminds me of somewhere

Finn had sat there and stared at his message for a moment, wondering if he should have worded it differently or done something else, then-... He smiled at how quick the reply was, reading through it then going back and reading it again for no reason at all.

Right, he should respond. And attempt to stop smiling at a text message from a stranger.

Thank you! It's a place I visited a few years ago. Can't remember the name of the planet anymore though. Maybe we crossed paths before :)

hows your day going?

Was that-... Was he being awkward? He couldn't even tell. Finn groaned to himself and waited.

Oh. Oh this guys was cute and a little awkward. Poe couldn't help but smile a bit, a tug of longing fondness. Maybe this wasn't the worst idea, after all? Maybe other people could be cute and sweet like Finn was, too.

i've hit more systems than anyone could shake a stick at, these last few years, so there's a pretty good chance of that :)

yeah, pretty alright, low key

trying to get used to this whole peacetime thing again, if you know what i mean

With a name like TROOPER, he had to assume the other man knew exactly what he meant.

He figured the name would give it away, but there was so many people involved in the war that he didn't think it would be a big deal to include the moniker. Turned out, maybe it was a good idea. He could do with connecting with another soldier, he decided.

I do. The adjustment could be better

I'm happy its over of course

but have you ever wanted something for so long that you didn't know what to do with it once you had it?

Finn was surprised to find that he and HOTSHOT were genuinely getting along so well. They talked well into the night and all through the next day, Finn trying to text back as fast as he could without completely destroying his routine.

Every time they spoke and his phone chimed, he got the same fluttering in his heart that he would get from being near Poe. He wanted to ask for a name or maybe a picture, but couldn't bring himself to. Partly because he was shy, but mostly... because he was certain that if HOTSHOT wasn't Poe, he'd just end up disappointed.

That wasn't fair.

For the fifth time that day, Poe nearly asked him for a name. And for the fifth time that day, he talked himself out of it. He hadn’t expected this to come so easy, and he found himself wanting to talk all the time. If the face he pictured on the other end was Finn’s, what harm was there? He knew it wasn’t. He knew it was a pleasant fiction. But he felt like he was making a real connection and he didn’t want to jinx it.

He also really wanted to tell Finn. He always wanted to tell him everything, of course, but he hadn’t felt this hopeful in a while, and wanted to share it. Maybe a piece of him wanted to make Finn jealous. But the other man was distracted, not paying attention to him.

Fine. It didn’t matter.

He kept texting his new friend, instead.

okay so genuine question but how are you actually single

I’m not even saying this to flirt, haha

You just seem like the kind of guy that would have a gaggle of fans

Trust me I’ve seen it :)

Finn didn't want to tell Poe what was going with this dating app. He didn't want to see Poe cheer him on or brush it off or anything he'd typically do. Besides, he kinda wanted to keep this all to himself, leave Poe completely out of it.

It was getting easier to avoid him. No, not avoid. Get a little distance, he supposed. Finn would fix it once he was better with this. Just for a few days. It wasn't like Poe was making it difficult. He seemed so distracted lately...

Finn tried to keep telling himself that this distance thing really was something he was doing on purpose.

For now, he tried to distract himself with his new friend, smiling at the new text but... grimacing, too.

that sounds pretty flirty haha

honestly i just havent been interested in anyone who was interested in me. there was someone, one of my best friends, but that's just how life goes i guess. but no gaggle of fans, trust me. im kind of awkward in person.

i could ask the same for you, though. you're this incredible and still single? is the gaggle of fans you've seen your own?

Alright, maybe a little flirty. Can you blame me?

ah, man, well i know that feeling.

honestly, all cards on the table here , but

been in love with my best friend for a while. he just doesn’t feel the same way about me. but basically everyone i know falls for the guy, so

i know that’s a weird thing to admit on a dating site, but

i figured it’s better to be honest about where i’m at. trying to move on, not succeeding very well

till now, i guess

but that’s why i haven’t just asked you on a date already
even though i kind of already really want to

Finn's heart fell, dragging hope down with it. Falling for someone else who still wasn't into him was just like his karma.

But he had no room to feel that way. He understood the situation better than most. After all, he was doing the same damn thing.

Finn took a deep breath and decided to be brave even if he kind of just wanted to stop texting the other man to protect himself.

i understand

i joined this site to get over him but now i just keep coming back for you. this has pretty much become the highlight of my day, you know. i hope that isnt weird to say

thats also why i haven't asked you on a date either but i definitely kind of already really want to

it isn't

pretty sure i've been nearly shirking duty just to talk to you, so

i think the feeling is pretty mutual

and while normally i would say 'hey that means we should definitely go on a date'

is it weird to say that i kind of

i'd like to do this right?

i want to be able to take you out and not have a shadow hanging over us

and for the first time in years i feel like maybe i could do that, soon, thanks to you

honestly i wanted the same thing but didnt know how to say it. just seems like we should rush into it if it feels right, not waste time, but i dont want to screw it up either

i want you to have everything you deserve and i want to wait until i know i can give that to you

and i know i can or i at least want the chance to try. there arent very many people like you in this galaxy you know

now who's flirting :)

but yeah

honestly, i feel the same way

haha damn it though i really do kind of want to go on a date now

fell right into my own damn trap

but we shouldn't rush it. it's not like there's a war on, after all :)

You're right. we have all the time in the galaxy

It didn't feel like it. This peacetime felt more like a reprieve than something real and permanent. He was anxious to make the most of it, to meet this mystery guy and get on with the happiness they could have. Who knew how long any of this would last?

But he didn't say that. Those were things he knew he shouldn't say. Not when everyone was so damn happy.

It was nice, though, to have the most important thing in his life now be romance. His encounters with Poe, on the other hand, were getting farther apart, seemed almost stale in comparison. He realized with a sudden wave of sadness that he wasn't the only person doing the avoiding here.

He couldn't have that. He couldn't lose Poe. Get over him, yes, sure, but he couldn't lose the relationship they had.

"Hey, man," Finn clapped Poe's shoulder to announce himself, giving a smile he only mostly felt. "Been kept busy lately?"

Poe didn’t even notice his approach, lost somewhere in his own head as he composed a message to send to TROOPER later. He spent a lot of time doing that, these days. So he actually started a little when Finn’s hand landed on his shoulder.

He turned with a sheepish laugh.

“Hey, buddy. I, Ah- yeah. Actually.” He’d taken to avoiding Finn more and more, as he kept catching glimpses of him looking like he was walking on clouds somewhere. He knew he should be happy that Finn was happy. He should. So by the Force he was going to fake it until he made it.

He gave Finn a bright smile.

“You’ve seemed pretty busy yourself, so I didn’t want to bother you with it, but uh - BB-8’s been bugging me to get out there, so. You know. Maybe I’ll have some good news soon.”

Finn was just about to argue that he's never too busy for Poe, just totally throw all of his avoidance issues right under the bus, when it registered what else he was talking about. Poe was getting out there. And was so excited that it was the first thing out of his mouth.

Poe had found someone.

Finn's heart lurched, overwhelming despair mingling with the disappointment that he wasn't over him yet. But he tried very hard not to show it and gave as happy a smile as he could. It didn't really reach his eyes, but he was trying.

"Hey, that's great. About time, right? With the war over, I guess everyone's trying to find their place and settle." He shrugged and looked away from Poe, really not wanting to run away from this. It was inevitable. Instead, he switched to the only topic that could help him right now. "I've, uh, kinda been doing the same thing, too. Things are going pretty good so far."

Poe didn't even falter.

He'd known it. He'd seen it. He'd seen the dumb, goofy looks on Finn's face when he didn't think anyone was looking. It was like hearing that the weather was bad. He already knew. He'd been standing in the rain this whole time.

"Yeah, I kind of picked up on that," He teased, nudging the other man with his elbow. "Keep seeing you grinning to yourself. Honestly thought you'd figured that all out months ago, but, hey, sometimes slow and steady is the way to go." But he can't help but feel a little bitter that Rey would string Finn on this long.

He gave a little laugh and then looked away. "I don't know about settling. I don't sit well, but. I don't know. I don't know if it'll really go anywhere, but it's... It's nice. Been a while."

Finn smiled warmly down at the ground. Whoever HOTSHOT really was, he was making Finn happy. It was nice to know it was showing and actually nice that Poe seemed to approve. He kind of thought that would hurt more. It does hurt but- Anyway.

"I don't think I was ready months ago." Still carried a very strong torch for Poe in those days, hoping something would come of it. Not the case. "With the war over, more things are just falling into place."

It was a little hard to imagine Poe settling for good. He was still in his prime, after all, probably would be for the next several years. Not to mention how much he enjoyed his work. "If it's the right person, settling won't mean stopping. You know? I'm happy for you. I hope it works out."

He was. And he did. Didn't matter if it still weighed heavy on him.

Seeing that warm little smile physically hurt, but Poe actually was glad, in a way. As much of a selfish dick as he could be, he wanted Finn to be happy.

Sure, he'd prefer he was happy with him, but. He could deal with the fact that it never would be.

"Well, yeah, the war was a lot on everyone." That's what he assumes Finn means. "But I'm - I'm glad things are falling into place, then, finally. It was a long time coming." Finn had been holding a torch for Rey this whole time, so - must have been stressful if it wasn't returned until recently.

He almost said something like 'we should all hang out sometime', but then realised he really wouldn't be able to bear hanging out with Rey and Finn and seeing them be happy and together. Nope. Not yet. Couldn't do it.

So instead he just gave a rueful smile and a shrug.

"Yeah, we'll see. Just trying to enjoy it for what it is, right now."

The war was a lot, and Finn doesn't correct him. He'd be lying if he tried to say that the fight wasn't a big part of it. A long time coming, though. He wasn't really sure what that meant so he gave a little laugh. "What? You had it in your head that I wouldn't be single for long or something?" It's not like he ever showed an interest in dating. At least, not with anyone else.

Or had Poe known? Had he assumed Finn desperate? Probably not, no, he- Finn cleared his throat and shifted. That probably wasn't it.

"I understand, though. And you should. We all should. There's no rush." And because he was a masochist. "Someone I know?"

"You're kidding, right? I've met you. Half the base is in love with you," He said with a laugh, and then patted Finn's shoulder warmly. Like a friend that wasn't way way too over-invested.

"Ah - no. Well, actually, I don't know. You might know him. But he and I only just... uh... just met."

He couldn't really admit that they'd never really met. Not to Finn. He didn't really want Finn knowing about how far he'd gone just to try to get over him. It was fine.

That wasn't true. Sure, there have been some people that were bold enough to ask him out, but Finn didn't really think it was half the base. He still laughed good-naturedly at Poe's joke, anyway, hoping that HOTSHOT thought the same.

Anyway, Finn hummed and nodded. He only just met his, too. Sorta. "Lot of new people around lately. Can't say I'm surprised that someone worked that fast." Poe was quite the catch, after all. Anyone he wanted... Yeah.

Poe just kind of laughed, but a warm rose to his cheeks.

"Nah, It's not like that. Taking it slow. I'm a lot faster in the cockpit than I am when it comes to anything else, trust me."

Or at least when it came to love.

Still pining after this one, after all.

He felt a weird pang of guilt toward TROOPER suddenly. Here he was, pining after a guy that already had someone else, that always had, when he had such a kind man waiting for him just on the other end of a text message. His flush darkened a little. "Anyway, it's... It's early days. I'll let you know if there's any good news, promise."

Oh, he'd said something wrong. Finn cleared his throat again and looked away, feeling awkward and out of place. "Yeah. Well, like I said, I really hope it works out."

And he should leave, clearly. "We should hang out sometime, you know. Just the two of us, like old days." Or he could do that. The fear of losing Poe still had him, apparently, but he didn't give a really big chance for a response. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it. There's somewhere I have to be that I totally forgot about."

Online Dating AU

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