jabariqueen:

for @finnreyfridays

also available on ao3

Finn stops reading aloud and turns off the holopad when he realizes that Gabriel is fast asleep, his chubby hands clutching his plush toy. The toddler always asks for a bedtime story, but can never stay awake past the first few sentences. Finn smiles fondly, and kisses his son’s forehead. Then he puts a hand on Gabriel’s tiny chest and waits for it to rise and fall, rise and fall like a regular clock. He doesn’t know why, but sometimes he just needs to make sure that his baby is breathing. Reassured, he steps out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

Finn pads down the corridor, stopping in front of Ngize’s room. The teenager is half-asleep, and Rey is lying down next to her, holding her in her arms and singing a lullaby. Ngize looks so peaceful and trustful, a far cry from the twitchy and aggressive child they brought home a few years ago. She was one of the Stormtrooper cadets they rescued from the First Order, and her “childhood” at the hands of these monsters has left her traumatized. But she’s come such a long way since then, and Finn’s heart fills with joy and love every time she’s being her bright, care-free self.

Rey notices him leaning against the door frame, and she smiles to him, still singing. Her eyes twinkle the way they do when she’s happy. Finn stays there, watching his wife sing to their daughter, and feels like luckiest man in the world.