Okay, this was a lot. For now, he closed the distance between himself and Rey, reaching for her hand. "It's okay. When I saw the tree dead, I thought something had happened to you. I'm just glad you're not hurt."
Demeter again, though. He didn't want to make assumptions, didn't know the full story, but what was he supposed to make of this? Why did Demeter keep treating her daughter this way?
He looked back to Poe from where he stood, certainly not sure that kidnapping her was the answer. No, he didn't want Rey to leave now that she was here but he couldn't be that selfish either. To keep her from life just seemed wrong. "It'll anger the others. We can't put Rey in that position." Especially if she was already under Demeter's heel. What would become of Rey now?
Rey almost drew her hand back from Finn’s, believing it wasn’t right that he should be reaching for her. The person who hurt him and made him worry. It was overwhelming, as was this entire day.
But, kidnapping wasn’t the answer. If anything this was “proving” Demeter’s point of how cruel the others could be. Not realizing she was being cruel herself by hiding Rey away for thousands of years.
“I need to head back, before Demeter tried to take it out on the mortals or the others.” Like Finn, or even his other half.
“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you, it’s my fault.”
“We didn’t put Rey in this position, Demeter did.” He was getting real riled up now. How could Rey think she was worthless?
“I don’t care who gets angry. They can all fight me. If she cares about Rey as more than some kind of twisted possession, then she can come and damn well prove it. Let them paint me a villain, I don’t care. Rey’s staying here. End of story. When I’ve decided my point is proven, then I’ll take her wherever she wants to go.”
This wouldn't end well, but Finn knew that he couldn't make Poe see reason when he was like this. Especially when Finn thought he was right. Perhaps some outside interference would make Demeter see her error...
But that still meant it kept Rey from the surface. Not for good, but for now. For who knew how long.
He could feel the hesitancy in her hand, the lack of a grip, and this whole scenario was threatening to break his heart. Finn turned back to Rey, unsure of what to say. "Maybe... he's right."
Why were both of them talking like she wasn't in the room? Like she was some child and they were trying to determine what was best for her, instead of asking her? That was the frustrating part, but she didn't take it out on Finn. Instead she squeezed his hand back to show she wanted him.
And, if she had time to really analyze things, she would find that she enjoyed holding his hand.
"Don't I get a say in all of this?" she asked, looking at Finn then at his other half, whose name she still didn't know.
"She will take it out on the mortals, if not them then another god. I'm...used to her moods." Translation, seeing Finn yesterday was bad and Demeter took it out on her, so...she was sadly used to it.
“If you got a say, this wouldn’t be a kidnapping,” Poe said bluntly. “This way, none of them can blame you. You can’t honestly say that you agreed to it, because you didn’t.”
He snarled at the idea of taking it out on the mortals.
“I will not let her threaten you with causing pain to others. If she hurts them it is her fault, not yours. If she abuses her power so thoroughly she only confirms my every worst thought of her. You’re staying here. End of story. Fight me on it if you want, but I’ve sealed off the underworld. You could kill me and still not get out of here.”
Finn squeezed her hand back but felt torn. Rey just alluded to Demeter harming her, that she had grown used to it. He could never allow her to go back to that.
"If-... If she tries to harm the mortals, step out of her bounds, others will step in. I'll step in." Demeter's going to find out what happened, find out who took her daughter. "None of it's your fault. I don't want to keep you anywhere against your will, but she shouldn't be allowed to harm you either."
He couldn't stand by while Demeter hurt innocents for the actions of the Underworld either and he wouldn't bequeath that task to Poe. All of this was his fault.
Her thumb started to rub circles over Finn's palm, as if reading his mind. None of this was his fault. She should've stood up to Demeter, or forced Finn back. If anyone was to blame, it was her. She was the one who had to be kept hidden...and now she was starting to see why.
But, what was confusing to have both men care about her situation. Artemis had shown some concern, but she knew better than to interfere with Demeter's decisions.
"She doesn't harm. She...just displaces me. I've never stayed in one spot too long, I'm used to it, honestly." Minus the guilt tripping and lectures, but...that was normal, right?
"I don't want Zeus or the others to take it out on Finn, or you." Though the other manage to make Rey's anger nearly bubble over. He was....infuriating to say the least, but she had to try and reason or compromise with him.
"Can we just...discuss this tomorrow? I'm willing to stay the night." Tomorrow might be kinder, and give them more ideas.
"She doesn't have to hurt you to harm you," Poe muttered. He whistled for Beebee, the note cutting clear across the plain.
"We can talk tomorrow. But I'm not changing my mind." There was no point pretending that he might.
The hound bounded toward them, running up to Poe's side and bumping him in the legs - a normal dog size, this time. He patted one of the heads.
"I already made the banquet hall," He said, a little bitterly. This was supposed to be a joyous thing. He was supposed to have met her and convinced her to come and spend time with Finn down in the underworld where he could watch them both. Where he could bask in Finn's radiant feelings, and assess her own. Instead he'd botched the whole thing, probably made her hate him, and possibly started a god war.
But he wasn't going to back down.
He started walking toward the palace without looking at either of them.
Finn watched after Poe as he left, desperately wanting to run to his lover and smooth his edges down. But doing something might calm him faster, give him time to think and assess. Plus, he couldn't exactly leave Rey alone.
He turned back to her with concern. "I'm sorry." Not for Poe but for everything else. "We'll all talk about it tomorrow, work everything out. It'll be okay, though. I promise."
Poe's decision was grating on her nerves. If it wouldn't harm her chances of leaving, she would have started yelling or thrown a punch. But, she couldn't, especially with Finn holding her hand--and damnit, he was caught in the middle of all of this. He shouldn't be though! The blame didn't belong to him, and now....she wasn't sure where the blame should go, but that was something to process later.
For now, she had to bite her tongue and squeeze Finn's hand again, something that was quickly becoming a second-nature thing.
"It's not your fault," she murmured softly, briefly shutting her eyes to help her take a deep breath.
"I don't know, but I need to change his mind..." and thinking about it..the name of Finn's other half was Poe. He told her yesterday, which seemed like a lifetime ago. There was another squeeze of his hand before she pulled it away.
"I'll be fine, Finn. If you need to talk to him or anything, I'll follow behind."
He stalked off, knowing that they would be talking behind him, and forcing himself not to care.
Beebee walked briskly at his side, and he kept one hand in the hound’s fur as if to center himself. He’d never felt so off balance. His heart was racing as if he were mortal, his blood boiling with righteous fury and...
Well. And fear.
He wondered vaguely if Finn would forgive him for this. Finn had never held anything against him before, but Finn had also never loved anything except him before. They’d always worked so well together, but he knew that was rare. The gods fought bitterly and constantly, so maybe it was just their time to fracture.
He didn’t want it. He wanted to see Finn smiling the way he had been yesterday, again. Wanted him to kiss him deeply while murmuring his thank, as if Poe was doing him some great favour, just by loving him. He didn’t want Finn to look at him with worry and doubt, questioning his choices. But maybe there was nothing for it.
“They can both hate me,” he muttered to BB-8, “if somehow that keeps them safe and happy.”
Changing Poe's mind would not be an easy task. Even if it could be, Finn was afraid for Rey to return to the surface now. Where would Demeter take her next to ensure Rey never saw their faces again? Where could they even go to run from Hades?
He looked back fearfully to Poe, hating the thought of leaving things like this, torn between these two people. But he had to come to a decision, and Rey's felt as good as any.
His fingers brushed against her arm. "I'll go speak to him, make sure he's okay. Then, maybe I can show you around while he builds your rooms? It's not all bad, really." They could at least try to enjoy the calm before the storm, before Demeter realized what had happened.
"I won't be long," he said before jogging after his lover, easily catching up and brushing his fingers against a different arm. "Poe? Wait just a moment, please."
He halted - of course he did - he would never be able to completely ignore a direct request. But it was clear that his heckles were up, as if preparing himself to be told off for everything that had happened. He'd deserve it, too.
"I'm sorry," He said tightly, as if to fend of what he expected Finn would say next. "Talking wasn't - wasn't really getting me anywhere. She was never going to be honest with me."
Poe was so tense. It just made Finn worry all the more. "No, I understand." He wished he could say that this was okay but he couldn't with any confidence. What if Demeter took her rage out on Poe for this?
"I don't know if this was the best choice, but you had to do something." That, at least, he knew. His hands found the back of Poe's neck, fingers twining into the nape of his hair. "We'll figure this out together. Try to find some compromise, okay? We'll make it work..."
And just because he could hardly take it anymore, he wrapped Poe in a tight hug. "Thank you for finding her."
The touch on his neck was already working to relax him - a knot in his spine slowly releasing. He should have known better, than to expect rage from Finn. Not with him.
"She was in the middle of nowhere, Finn," He said, his voice dropping low. "The barest desert I've set foot in, in a while. Demeter told her to make the desert bloom, but there wasn't a drop of water to be found. It was so obviously a- a mask that I couldn't stand it. She tried telling me that she'd left on purpose. To go there? For what?" He let out a low, frustrated noise, and turned his head to bury his face in Finn's throat.
There was a long pause before he continued.
"I'm not actually going to keep her here against her will. Not - not for more than a few days, anyway. If I let her go now, she'd be punished. It has to look like I've done this entirely against her will. But I wouldn't keep her here."
There was another pause, and then a low murmur: "I wouldn't even keep you here, if you wanted to leave. I'm not Demeter. I would never-- If you decided that this wasn't your place, I wouldn't keep you here."
Edited 2019-10-13 16:00 (UTC)
"is that a knife in your pocket or are you just glad to- oh its a knife"
He let Poe vent and confess, holding him close and keeping his face against his hair. The last confession hurt deeply, clawing into in his chest nearly the same way Finn gripped at Poe.
"I know. I know you wouldn't. But I could never leave here. I could never leave you. I love you so much." It's true that he visited the surface, that he liked to see life thriving before it was over, but he couldn't imagine being barred from the Underworld and his lover. He could never imagine such a dire fate. The mere thought twisted at his heart.
"We'll explain it to Rey, make her realize she has choices beyond her mother's wishes. But you and I? I can't picture calling somewhere else home, not without you there. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you thought that. I love you."
"It's just hard not to feel like I've condemned her to a prison, today," he muttered lowly, even as Finn's words bled through him. He hugged the man back tightly.
"I couldn't bare it, if I knew I'd been condemning you to one, all this time. You deserve everything under the stars and beyond them, Finn. I love you more than I would ever be able to express."
"Everything I want is here," Finn murmured into Poe's ear, gently placing a kiss to his temple. He could feel Poe's love pouring from him even now, wrapping itself around him like it could protect him from the outside. Maybe it can and has, he wasn't sure.
But Finn wasn't lying. He didn't entirely know what exactly he felt for Rey except for companionship and affection. There was so much more between him and Poe that he couldn't part with, though. Everything he could possibly ask for was here in the Underworld with him.
He intended to hold on to Poe for as long as his lover needed. "If you're happy, then I'm happy. We go together, and I won't hear of anything different. Please, Poe, never doubt how much I love you. Please." Was it because of Rey? Did Poe feel like he wasn't good enough anymore?
All his fault. Guilt stabbed through Finn again, but it would have to be okay.
"I don't. I don't," he reassured him quickly, pressing a kiss and then another to the man's throat. "I've never doubted that for a moment. I just know there are - I know there are things I can't give you. That's all."
He pulled back from the embrace, just far enough to see Finn's face, as he reached up and touched the man's cheek.
"But I won't speak of it again, if you don't want me to."
He didn't want him to speak it again but- "I don't want you to stop telling me your worries or anything else on your mind. I just-... This is my home. The Underworld is all I'd ever need. I'd never want to leave for good. Not ever." Not even for Rey, who seemed to be light and life personified.
Maybe he should start spending more time at home and less time on the surface. With Rey here and Demeter there, that certainly wouldn't be a challenge.
"Believe me. Please. I'd never walk away from you."
"I hope that doesn't happen," Finn answered with a solemn frown, reaching up to press a kiss to Poe's forehead. "We'll place this as safe as we can for as long as we can, then work from there."
He still planned to confront Demeter alone if things started looking bad but maybe it wouldn't come to pass. Maybe it really would be okay...
Finn combed a hand through Poe's hair, searching his eyes. "Are you okay?" He seemed a little better.
Finn really wished he could say otherwise but it may be best if whatever mending Poe and Rey could have moved slowly. So, instead, he kissed Poe on the cheek.
"I'll make sure she's comfortable until then... I love you."
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Demeter again, though. He didn't want to make assumptions, didn't know the full story, but what was he supposed to make of this? Why did Demeter keep treating her daughter this way?
He looked back to Poe from where he stood, certainly not sure that kidnapping her was the answer. No, he didn't want Rey to leave now that she was here but he couldn't be that selfish either. To keep her from life just seemed wrong. "It'll anger the others. We can't put Rey in that position." Especially if she was already under Demeter's heel. What would become of Rey now?
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But, kidnapping wasn’t the answer. If anything this was “proving” Demeter’s point of how cruel the others could be. Not realizing she was being cruel herself by hiding Rey away for thousands of years.
“I need to head back, before Demeter tried to take it out on the mortals or the others.” Like Finn, or even his other half.
“I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you, it’s my fault.”
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“I don’t care who gets angry. They can all fight me. If she cares about Rey as more than some kind of twisted possession, then she can come and damn well prove it. Let them paint me a villain, I don’t care. Rey’s staying here. End of story. When I’ve decided my point is proven, then I’ll take her wherever she wants to go.”
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But that still meant it kept Rey from the surface. Not for good, but for now. For who knew how long.
He could feel the hesitancy in her hand, the lack of a grip, and this whole scenario was threatening to break his heart. Finn turned back to Rey, unsure of what to say. "Maybe... he's right."
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And, if she had time to really analyze things, she would find that she enjoyed holding his hand.
"Don't I get a say in all of this?" she asked, looking at Finn then at his other half, whose name she still didn't know.
"She will take it out on the mortals, if not them then another god. I'm...used to her moods." Translation, seeing Finn yesterday was bad and Demeter took it out on her, so...she was sadly used to it.
"I've caused enough trouble, please Finn."
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He snarled at the idea of taking it out on the mortals.
“I will not let her threaten you with causing pain to others. If she hurts them it is her fault, not yours. If she abuses her power so thoroughly she only confirms my every worst thought of her. You’re staying here. End of story. Fight me on it if you want, but I’ve sealed off the underworld. You could kill me and still not get out of here.”
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"If-... If she tries to harm the mortals, step out of her bounds, others will step in. I'll step in." Demeter's going to find out what happened, find out who took her daughter. "None of it's your fault. I don't want to keep you anywhere against your will, but she shouldn't be allowed to harm you either."
He couldn't stand by while Demeter hurt innocents for the actions of the Underworld either and he wouldn't bequeath that task to Poe. All of this was his fault.
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But, what was confusing to have both men care about her situation. Artemis had shown some concern, but she knew better than to interfere with Demeter's decisions.
"She doesn't harm. She...just displaces me. I've never stayed in one spot too long, I'm used to it, honestly." Minus the guilt tripping and lectures, but...that was normal, right?
"I don't want Zeus or the others to take it out on Finn, or you." Though the other manage to make Rey's anger nearly bubble over. He was....infuriating to say the least, but she had to try and reason or compromise with him.
"Can we just...discuss this tomorrow? I'm willing to stay the night." Tomorrow might be kinder, and give them more ideas.
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"We can talk tomorrow. But I'm not changing my mind." There was no point pretending that he might.
The hound bounded toward them, running up to Poe's side and bumping him in the legs - a normal dog size, this time. He patted one of the heads.
"I already made the banquet hall," He said, a little bitterly. This was supposed to be a joyous thing. He was supposed to have met her and convinced her to come and spend time with Finn down in the underworld where he could watch them both. Where he could bask in Finn's radiant feelings, and assess her own. Instead he'd botched the whole thing, probably made her hate him, and possibly started a god war.
But he wasn't going to back down.
He started walking toward the palace without looking at either of them.
"I'll build you quarters."
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He turned back to her with concern. "I'm sorry." Not for Poe but for everything else. "We'll all talk about it tomorrow, work everything out. It'll be okay, though. I promise."
How could he promise that? "What can I do?"
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For now, she had to bite her tongue and squeeze Finn's hand again, something that was quickly becoming a second-nature thing.
"It's not your fault," she murmured softly, briefly shutting her eyes to help her take a deep breath.
"I don't know, but I need to change his mind..." and thinking about it..the name of Finn's other half was Poe. He told her yesterday, which seemed like a lifetime ago. There was another squeeze of his hand before she pulled it away.
"I'll be fine, Finn. If you need to talk to him or anything, I'll follow behind."
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Beebee walked briskly at his side, and he kept one hand in the hound’s fur as if to center himself. He’d never felt so off balance. His heart was racing as if he were mortal, his blood boiling with righteous fury and...
Well. And fear.
He wondered vaguely if Finn would forgive him for this. Finn had never held anything against him before, but Finn had also never loved anything except him before. They’d always worked so well together, but he knew that was rare. The gods fought bitterly and constantly, so maybe it was just their time to fracture.
He didn’t want it. He wanted to see Finn smiling the way he had been yesterday, again. Wanted him to kiss him deeply while murmuring his thank, as if Poe was doing him some great favour, just by loving him. He didn’t want Finn to look at him with worry and doubt, questioning his choices. But maybe there was nothing for it.
“They can both hate me,” he muttered to BB-8, “if somehow that keeps them safe and happy.”
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He looked back fearfully to Poe, hating the thought of leaving things like this, torn between these two people. But he had to come to a decision, and Rey's felt as good as any.
His fingers brushed against her arm. "I'll go speak to him, make sure he's okay. Then, maybe I can show you around while he builds your rooms? It's not all bad, really." They could at least try to enjoy the calm before the storm, before Demeter realized what had happened.
"I won't be long," he said before jogging after his lover, easily catching up and brushing his fingers against a different arm. "Poe? Wait just a moment, please."
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"I'm sorry," He said tightly, as if to fend of what he expected Finn would say next. "Talking wasn't - wasn't really getting me anywhere. She was never going to be honest with me."
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"I don't know if this was the best choice, but you had to do something." That, at least, he knew. His hands found the back of Poe's neck, fingers twining into the nape of his hair. "We'll figure this out together. Try to find some compromise, okay? We'll make it work..."
And just because he could hardly take it anymore, he wrapped Poe in a tight hug. "Thank you for finding her."
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"She was in the middle of nowhere, Finn," He said, his voice dropping low. "The barest desert I've set foot in, in a while. Demeter told her to make the desert bloom, but there wasn't a drop of water to be found. It was so obviously a- a mask that I couldn't stand it. She tried telling me that she'd left on purpose. To go there? For what?" He let out a low, frustrated noise, and turned his head to bury his face in Finn's throat.
There was a long pause before he continued.
"I'm not actually going to keep her here against her will. Not - not for more than a few days, anyway. If I let her go now, she'd be punished. It has to look like I've done this entirely against her will. But I wouldn't keep her here."
There was another pause, and then a low murmur: "I wouldn't even keep you here, if you wanted to leave. I'm not Demeter. I would never-- If you decided that this wasn't your place, I wouldn't keep you here."
"is that a knife in your pocket or are you just glad to- oh its a knife"
"I know. I know you wouldn't. But I could never leave here. I could never leave you. I love you so much." It's true that he visited the surface, that he liked to see life thriving before it was over, but he couldn't imagine being barred from the Underworld and his lover. He could never imagine such a dire fate. The mere thought twisted at his heart.
"We'll explain it to Rey, make her realize she has choices beyond her mother's wishes. But you and I? I can't picture calling somewhere else home, not without you there. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you thought that. I love you."
XD
"I couldn't bare it, if I knew I'd been condemning you to one, all this time. You deserve everything under the stars and beyond them, Finn. I love you more than I would ever be able to express."
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But Finn wasn't lying. He didn't entirely know what exactly he felt for Rey except for companionship and affection. There was so much more between him and Poe that he couldn't part with, though. Everything he could possibly ask for was here in the Underworld with him.
He intended to hold on to Poe for as long as his lover needed. "If you're happy, then I'm happy. We go together, and I won't hear of anything different. Please, Poe, never doubt how much I love you. Please." Was it because of Rey? Did Poe feel like he wasn't good enough anymore?
All his fault. Guilt stabbed through Finn again, but it would have to be okay.
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He pulled back from the embrace, just far enough to see Finn's face, as he reached up and touched the man's cheek.
"But I won't speak of it again, if you don't want me to."
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Maybe he should start spending more time at home and less time on the surface. With Rey here and Demeter there, that certainly wouldn't be a challenge.
"Believe me. Please. I'd never walk away from you."
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He pulled back, letting out a hard breath.
"Part of me wishes that Demeter would come and fight me. Just so I can really show her what she's done."
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He still planned to confront Demeter alone if things started looking bad but maybe it wouldn't come to pass. Maybe it really would be okay...
Finn combed a hand through Poe's hair, searching his eyes. "Are you okay?" He seemed a little better.
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"I'd better make her somewhere to rest, though. I have no doubt she'll be happy to be able to avoid me while she's here."
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"I'll make sure she's comfortable until then... I love you."
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gah, I don't know how I didn't see this reply!
it's all good!!! ♥♥
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HI IM SORRY the holiday's have been wrecking my life
*pounce* Happy Holidays!