━━ CHAPTER THREE / invitation

It was late but neither Eliana or Maymie had fallen asleep yet. The radio played quietly from the desk in the room as the two women silently scrolled through the holonet. It had been a quiet evening and there was some discussion here and there but they were mostly quiet. It was a nice change from the fast pace of both of their days. They were always entertaining, always working but now they could slow down.

Eliana's holopad pinged and she furrowed her eyebrows. That meant a message but a message from someone outside of the Resistance. She clicked through and her heart stopped when she saw who it was from. Her eyes flicking over the words before she dropped the holopad onto her stomach. The invitation sent her head spinning.

"You need to get up?" Maymie asked. Her soft tone startled Eliana a little.

"No, it's just an invitation," Eliana explained. Maymie - who was on the bottom bunk - shuffled out slightly to try and catch a glimpse of the other woman.

"Excuse me? To where?" Maymie asked curiously. Eliana let out a soft sigh and slid to the end of the bunk. She climbed down the ladders and dropped to the floor, sitting on the floor between the bunk and the door. Her holopad rested on her lap as she looked up at Maymie.

"I used to intern for a Senator on Coruscant and we were... closer than friends or a boss and an intern should be," Eliana explained. It was weird that she had never mentioned her before, Relya had been such a large part of her life. A large part of her accepting herself.

"Right?" Maymie said as she turned over onto her side. Her head rested on the pillow and her gaze fixed on Eliana who still had no idea how to feel.

"And she was the Senator for Naboo. She was lovely. So kind and sweet but after issues with the First Order, I left that position and came here. But she has sent me an invite to the Ball or... birthday dinner for the year. There's still plenty of time before it but I didn't expect it. I attended them multiple times as her intern but it's been over two years since I left and I don't understand why now of all times and why would she even want me there. I left her with very little warning, joined the Resistance, I did everything wrong but there it is. The invite." Eliana knew that she had begun to ramble but Maymie listened and took in every single word. She then held her hand out for the holopad and Eliana reluctantly passed it over.

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," Maymie mumbled as she read over the invite. Maymie would have suggested the invite was a request to see each other in a less than professional capacity again but the little plus one at the bottom threw that theory out the window. If her only aim was to get into Eliana's pants again, there would be no plus one, no opportunity, "If I'm honest, I think she is trying to be nice. She's letting you bring a plus one. If she wanted more then..." Maymie didn't feel the need to finish the sentence. She then passed the holopad back.

"She used to fuck me in her office, Maymie. This is not her being nice. If anyone would have found out what she did, she would have lost her position as a Senator. You don't bring a massive legal threat to your birthday party after not seeing them for two years and just hope they won't ousted you to the entire room," Eliana retorted. Maymie sighed and sat up on the bed. She then slipped to be sat in front of Eliana, dragging the brunette into her lap.

"You don't have to go," Maymie responded as she hugged Eliana. The brunette hummed in response. It wasn't the decision whether to go or not that bothered her. She knew that she likely wouldn't but the request at all threw her through a loop. It had been two years, no contact and they hadn't exactly left on good terms.

The argument was dramatic, harsh and by the end of it, Eliana felt worthless. Not because of anything Reyla had said but just because Reyla was right. She was risking her dreams for Leia Organa, someone who - at the time - was not the most trustworthy character. But Eliana knew now, she wouldn't change a thing. She just wished Reyla had understood back then.

"I could go for the sex. It was good," Eliana joked. Maymie snorted and Eliana's smile only grew wider. It would be a choice but she could make it. Or she could accept and take someone with her, act as her date. Either way, it would be a way to get back at her. But Eliana was not really the petty type. Getting back at the woman she had loved just felt childish. It was easier to just not go.

"Bring it up with Organa in your next meeting. She knows the Senate," Maymie suggested. Eliana nodded and curled up into Maymie's lap. She felt better but she wanted the comfort of Maymie's hugs. Her arms were always so comfortable.

-

It was another day of test flights and fitness training and Eliana was tired. The rec room had everyone piled in. The bar was filling drinks high and Eliana had her fair share. But now, she sat alone on the sofa. Her gaze burning into her and Poe's chalkboard. They each kept a tally of the mistakes that each had made during test flights or in the field and how many times they had beaten each other in certain races or test flight scenarios. Their mistakes were even but Poe had beaten her far too many times for her liking.

It would change, she knew that. It always did but Poe always caught up quickly. He was the best pilot in the Resistance and Eliana hated admitting it but it was the truth. Even despite her natural affinity and talent, she just couldn't beat him.

"Stop pouting over it," Dow's voice startled her. She hadn't even realised that he had left Maymie and Nettie's side. The trio had been drinking at the bar with Poe and a few of his friends but Dow had left to deal with their brooding Squadron Leader.

"I was not pouting." She was. "I was just looking." She was glaring. She knew all of this but that didn't stop her from lying. Nobody had to know how annoyed it really made her. She had always been beaten by a man and she was still being beaten here. She wanted just one more one up on him and the Coruscant mission could have been that but she was almost certain he had also been chosen alongside her.

For what reason was beyond Eliana but he was and they were going to be stuck together. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but it just meant incessant flirting with no buffer in the form of separate bunks and other missions. It would just be those two, travelling together, alone.

"You're making Dameron smug," He retorted. Eliana looked down at the drink in her lap and downed the rest of it, "So, either come to the bar and quit moping or let his ego grow more." Dow shrugged a little and Eliana turned to face him. He tilted his head slightly and she stared at him for a moment or two longer before she turned away again.

"He can be smug all he wants now, I'm going to beat him on time trials tomorrow," Eliana snapped. Dow scoffed and jumped over the back of the couch to sit beside her. His glass was empty and left on the table on the side.

"Oh really?" Dow cocked an eyebrow. Nobody had beat Poe's record in three months. It was practically impossible to beat but Eliana knew she could. Especially if she used the modified X-Wing when she wasn't really supposed to. It looked no different from the outside so nobody would know. Not unless they really wanted to check.

"He's not the Maker. I could beat him no problem." It was all big talk. She knew she got like this after a few drinks. Dow knew she got like this after a few drinks but it didn't stop her from running her mouth and making promises she couldn't keep.

"What claims is she making now?" Poe asked as he appeared beside her on the sofa. Eliana grinned and placed her cup on the table before she turned to face him.

"That flight run you're so proud of? I'm gonna destroy it on our test flights tomorrow." There was a hint of arrogance to her tone and it seemed in her tipsy state that she actually believed she could do it. Poe smirked.

"I'd love to see you try, sweetheart." She met his gaze defiantly and they were silent for a long moment. Just looking at each other and every bone in Dow's body told him to leave. That they needed to be alone but then Eliana got to her feet.

"I'm going to bed. Don't drink too much while I'm gone. Test flights are at 1200 hours tomorrow and you all need to be up," Eliana responded. Poe watched as she left the room and he glanced at Dow. But before either of the men could say anything, Poe had gotten to his feet and gone after her into the corridor.

"Hey!" He called. Eliana paused in her footsteps and turned to face him, cocking an eyebrow, "Nothing to say?" She shook her head and he sighed, "Did I say something?" He asked as he got closer. Eliana shook her head again.

"I'm just tired, Poe. The teasing can wait till the morning." Her words were sharp and there was an edge of annoyance. An edge he had never heard from her before. At least, not directed at him. She had been so tolerant of his teasing.

"What happened?" He asked as he closed the gap between them. He didn't touch her, didn't do anything that she wouldn't like but he was there. A presence and she wasn't sure if she was glad about it or not.

"Nothing. I just didn't sleep well and it all hit me at once," Eliana rubbed the sleeve of her - Poe's - jacket against her face. Her eyelids felt so heavy and she was sure that if Poe stuck around any longer, he would see her cry.

"Okay. Well, I'm only a comm away if something bad happens," He responded. Eliana nodded and sent him a half-smile before she disappeared down the corridor. Sometimes she hated how easily he could switch up. He could be so flirty and teasing and unrelenting but in the next second, the sweetest man she had ever known. It was infuriating.

But she couldn't think about him. That's what had gotten her in this state in the first place. She wanted to sleep so she went straight to her bunk.

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