#i was thinking about inquiring about working there but i think i am too swagful and vaccinated

[californiaquail]

went to the local creamery to get ice cream and good milk to make yogurt and i knew they were weirdly christian but didn't fucking realize they were insane antivaxxers but there's straight up "join the bus ride for 'vaccine injured' people" (unclear what for i guess they're just going to drive around and have a pity party?) and robert f kennedy presidential campaign (i thought he gave up?) volunteering posters in there. and also there was a family all hacking and sniffling in front of me. and also i found a hair in my ice cream. also the gallon of (raw.....) milk was $10. think i will be settling for ben & jerrys from the regular store from now on

[summahsunlight]

Worth the Risk, Part 4

Rating: T

Word Count: 1744

Pairing: Army Pilot!Poe Dameron x Nurse!Reader (1940s AU)

Summary: It’s the 1940s, Army pilot and Captain Poe Dameron is flying on missions for the United States Army in Europe.  After being shot down off the coast of France, Poe wakes up in an Army hospital in England, to find you, a nurse, taking care of him. Throughout the process of his recovery, Poe finds himself falling for you, and even though you, for the most part, maintain a professional relationship with him–you’re falling for him as well. Both of you know the risks of falling in love during a war, but then again, both of you have never cared much for being cautious.

Warnings: Angst, swearing

Taglist: @fanfic-addict-98, @thescarletknight2014, @blushingwueen, @americasass-romanoff, @ginger-swag-rapunzel​ 

Here is the fourth part❤️ Taglist is open! If you would like to be added you can always message me, leave an ask, or comment here☺️ I did my best to proof read this and try to stay as historical accurate as possible.

Poe had just finished his evening meal when Rey rushed into his wing of the hospital. Her usually pristine uniform was stained in blood, hair flying out of her bun and sweaty pieces sticking to her forehead.  Instantly, Poe knew that something was wrong, just be the wide eyed look on Rey’s face.  He shifted in his bed as she got closer. “Rey? What’s wrong?”

Rey stopped at the side of his bed. Now that she was standing there he could see the tears in her eyes. “I can’t find Y/N! After we cleaned up the emergency wing, she just...disappeared.” 

“Help me up,” Poe ordered. “I think I know where she went.”

“You do?” Rey questioned, helping Poe out of the bed. “Where?”

“There’s a rose garden,” the pilot supplied. “She told me about it earlier today.”

“Do you think that’s where she went?”

“Yeah. She told me it was her place to escape too.”

Rey helped him into the wheelchair, and letting him tell her the way, pushed him through the hospital outside, to the back where there was the most beautiful English rose garden. 

Poe could just make out your shape, sitting on a bench amongst the flowers. He told Rey to stop, that he would make it the rest of the way himself. She protested at first, but then Poe grabbed the wheels of the chair and gave them a good shove, propelling himself forward towards you.  He heard Rey sigh in disgust, which caused him to smile to himself--that smile soon faded when he finally got close enough to see you.

Your uniform was stained with blood, just as Rey’s was, and your hair that had been perfectly pinned up earlier in that day was laying in long, tangled wave cover your shoulders.  Even in the fading sunlight, Poe could see the dried tears on your face and his heart broke.  “Y/N?” 

Slowly your eyes rose to meet his and the dam broke.  Tears streamed down your cheeks.  Poe moved as fast as his injured body would let him, shifting from the wheelchair to the bench with you and pulling you tightly against him. You buried your face against his chest and sobbed--for all the young men that you had not been able to save that afternoon.  

“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart,” Poe whispered. 

“They were so young,” you whimpered, clinging to his shirt.

“I know.”

“I don’t think...I can’t do this anymore.”

Poe wrapped you even tighter into his arms. His lips pressed a soft kiss to your temple. “Yes, you can; you have too.  I know it’s not easy, I know how hard it is to watch someone so young die in this war... but you’re gonna get up, you’re gonna brush yourself off and continue to help. Tomorrow.  Tonight, you can fall apart, okay? I won’t think any less of you, darling.”

If there ever was a time in your life where you felt safer you couldn’t think of one. In the midst of war, where the fragility of safety was often shattered quickly-- you felt safe--Poe made you feel safe. You weren’t sure how long you actually let him just hold you while you cried, it wasn’t until he shifted his weight slightly and poorly attempted to cover up his whimper of pain that you realized it had been a while.  “Poe?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you in pain?”

“No... none at all...”

“Don’t lie to me!”

Wincing, Poe set you away from him slightly.  “Okay, fine--yes I am in a little pain. I haven’t held my own body up this long for a while now. But I’m fine, really.  I can sit here as long as you want me too.”

Smiling at him sadly, you wiped the tears from your eyes with the back of your hand and then carefully helped him back into the wheelchair.  “It’s late; you should be back in bed, resting.”

Poe grinned, coyly at her. “Am I under curfew or something?”

You laughed. “No. But rest is the best medicine for you right now.”

“If you say so,” he quipped.

“I say so,” you shot back, pushing the wheelchair back inside.

“Well if it’s doctor’s orders who am I to argue?”

“I get the sense that you like to argue.”

He laughed and allowed you to help back into his bed.  As you pulled the covers up around him, Poe grabbed your wrist, his thumb rubbing soft circles over it. “Hey.  Are you sure you're alright?”

You smiled, sadly. “Yes. I think I’ll go back to my room, take a shower, and go to bed myself.  Rest isn’t just the best medicine for those that need to physically heal.”  Leaning down, you kissed his cheek and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Captain.”

Poe stopped you before you could walk away, his hand still on your wrist. “I wish I could kiss you--it probably was the dumbest idea to make that my motivation to get better.” 

Taking your free hand, you lightly kissed your fingers before pressing them to his lips. “With your stubbornness, you’ll get to kiss me a lot sooner than you think.”

“I like the sound of that,” Poe said, smiling. He let go of your hand as his eyes started to grow heavy. “Sweet dreams, darling.” 

“Good night, Poe,” you whispered watching as he fell asleep.  Making sure that  he was fully asleep before you left, you turned and headed back towards your room.  

It was silent in the wing of the hospital that the nurses lived in; many of them had been involved in the day’s emergencies and just like you, many of them were emotionally exhausted by the end of it all.  Grabbing a nightgown and your robe, you proceeded into your private bath. One of the perks of being one of the higher-ranking officers in the nursing corps--you had your own room with your own bathroom. 

A hot shower actually did ease your aching soul.  You were able to strip off the blood soaked uniform and toss it away, you were able to wash your make-up off, you were able to feel clean and fresh and ready to take on a new day tomorrow.  Poe had been right--you were going to get back up on your feet, you just needed to be allowed to fall a little bit.   

He had caught you.  He had caught you and held you and didn’t judge you. A few days ago you tried telling yourself not to take the risk of falling in love with Poe--tonight you realized it was too late. You had fallen in love with Poe and you decided that you didn’t care much about the risks.

“You ask that nurse out yet?” 

Poe looked up, blinking the sunshine that backdropped his friend out of his eyes. Snap had stopped by just after you had taken Poe outside for some fresh air.  You had left the two friends alone to chat while you went about your rounds of checking on other patients. “No.”

Snap shook his head, pulled a cigarette out.  He placed it in his mouth and lit it up. “Come on, Poe.  Do I need to hit you over your fucking hard skull to get you to ask her on a date?”

“I’m not really dating material right now, Wexley.”

“Why not?”

He laughed.  Poe looked down at his lap, a threadbare blanket draped over his legs--legs that had been badly cut up and injured in the crash--he’d have scars no doubt.  “I can barely walk two steps before having to sit down.”

Snap shrugged, waving the smoke out of his face. “That’s what the wheelchair is for, right?”

Poe smiled, shyly. “Yeah but... it’s not the same, Wexley.  I want her to like me but not because I’m some invalid in a wheelchair.”

Grinning, Snap winked at Poe. “Well, once we get you out this hospital garb and back into uniform--she won’t be able to resist ya.”

“How are the rest of the boys?” Poe inquired, changing the subject.

“Fine,” Snap lied.

“Wexley... I know they’re not fine. None of us are fine.” 

“Everyone is losing hope that we’re fighting a war we can’t win.”

Poe thought about you, crying in his arms a few days ago over the loss of so many soldiers.  “Maybe we are,” he supplied, “but we need to keep fighting--the alternative is terrifying to think about.”

Snap nodded his head in agreement. “Rumor has it Eisenhower is planning an invasion of France.”

This intrigued Poe--the number of retcon flights he’d taken over France before being shot down had nearly doubled in the weeks leading up to the crash. “I hope it happens soon. I’m not sure how much longer Europe can hang on--especially the French Resistance.”

Putting out his cigarette, Snap leaned forward. “Need you to get better, kid.  Army is gonna need all the pilots we can get, and you’re one of the best.”

“I’m working on it--the getting better part--I already knew I was the best pilot.”

“I see that nurse hasn’t cured your cockiness.”

“I think she happens to like my cockiness.”

Snap chuckled and shook his head. “Only if you ask her a fucking date, Poe.”

Poe sighed, heavily. “When I can fucking walk again--I will.” 

Grunting, Snap looked at his watch. It was time for him to go.  “Do you want me to get to bring ya back inside?”

Shaking his head, Poe replied, “No, thanks.  I like it out here. Not as stuffy. Doesn’t have that hospital smell.”

“You mean it smells like the real world and not antiseptic mixed with death?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Okay--see ya around, kid.”

“See ya, Wexley.”

Poe watched Snap leave, as he made his way back towards the building and then disappeared inside.  A few minutes later you emerged, tossing a smile in his direction and Poe felt his heart skip a few beats.  He had never felt this way about anyone before.  It had always been too risky after the so-called love of his life had broken his heart--and then there had been the Army.

Followed by the war.  It was dangerous to fall in love during the war.  Poe no longer cared about that, though, because nearly dying had been a wake-up call. He was ready to love again, and he was ready to love again with you.