For genprompt_bingo
Aug. 19th, 2020 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Gorgeous
Summary: While working as a volunteer at Takodana County Library, Ben falls in love with his coworker, Poe Dameron.
Prompt: Co-Workers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Partially and loosely based on my time working at a library before the COVID-19 scare. I admit I miss doing it.
It was supposed to get him some employment experience. That was what Ben’s uncle suggested, with a hint that it was the year of our Lord 2018 and for the love of God, Ben, you need a job outside of going to college and writing Darkpilot fanfiction on his iPhone.
(Ben would have found some sort of witty retort to that, mostly involving the idea that fanfiction was a perfectly valid medium, and if Dante could write his self-insert fanfiction about religion, why couldn’t fanfiction be respected in general. Unfortunately, it seemed to be one of those instances where Ben’s witty comebacks came up short. Fucking uncles...)
So that was why Ben had driven there, in his Silencer car, and he took a moment to look up at the towering white marble building. Takodana County Public Library. Maz’s library. He had nailed the interview, all things considered, and he was glad. Now to nail his first day...
***
When Maz was showing him his duties, Ben didn’t expect to see the young, curly haired Latino man who was sorting out books on the counter, stamping them.
“That?” Maz said. She was a petite African American woman, middle-aged with oversized glasses, beautiful, hardly looking that much older than her fifty years. “That’s Poe Dameron. He’s one of our most dedicated workers.”
Poe looked up then, and for a moment, Ben could swear that his heart skipped a beat. He felt a pang of jealousy; at the age of twenty-three, Ben was starting to grow into his features, but only slightly. After all, Poe was beautiful, every feature seeming to be perfect. A long, sculpted nose, perfectly shaped lips...
It really was made worse when Ben was assigned to working with him. Stamping books, filing them away. Even Poe’s voice — Ben couldn’t help but notice that even his voice was pretty to listen to.
“You new here?” Poe said, and he sounded so genuinely interested.
“Mostly working for the volunteer experience,” Ben said.
“Volunteer, huh? Looks like we’re in the same boat.” Poe turned back to his book. “Oh dear God, my mama would have an aneurysm if she knew I was stamping a James Patterson book...”
Ben laughed despite himself. “Your mom doesn’t like him?”
“She might have gone off about how he writes the same plots over and over again.”
“Fanfiction does that too.”
Poe tilted his head.
“Yeah, I write fanfiction. Is that weird?”
“No. I’ve dabbled. Space Battles?”
“Space Battles.”
They talked. Ben wasn’t sure if he was ready to say he wrote Darkpilot fanfiction, but...
***
Ben found he actually enjoyed coming to work at the library even as he also felt fluttery. He bonded with the others, including Paige Tico and her girlfriend Jessika Pava, Snap Wexley and his fiancée Kare Kun, and more. Even the people he didn’t like, such as Armitage Hux and his girlfriend Phasma, he could at least bond with Poe over their irritating quirks. (“Does he do that with you too?”) Sometimes Ben looked for missing books, and Poe would wish him luck, with that wink that made Ben’s heart skip a beat.
Enjoying your job. How common was that? It was something that Ben hadn’t expected to actually happen. He remembered stories about his parents hating their jobs, his mother always having some horror story or another to tell about her coworkers (such as what Sindian did this time). But this...
And Poe was a pretty big part of that. Funny, charming and kind — and woefully out of his league.
Ben knew he was fucked.
***
Of course his cousins Rey and Jannah had to try and help. Of course their significant others (Finn Windu and Rose Tico, respectively) had to join in. It was Rey who said, “Is it even ethical for coworkers to date?”
“I heard about coworkers transferring to different branches,” Rose said. “Just to avoid a conflict of interest.”
“It’s volunteer work. I don’t think we can do that.”
“You don’t think,” Jannah said. “You could just ask him for his number. Get to know him better.”
***
If it hadn’t been for Ben’s car breaking down and him having to take Poe’s home, Ben wouldn’t think any of the following events would have happened.
The radio was currently playing Halsey’s “Without Me” for probably the thousandth time in a row. Maybe thirty-seventh, if Ben was being generous. Poe changed the radio, sighed. “Better?”
“Better.” Then, “My house is at 11823 Chandrila Drive, if you’re wondering.”
“Chandrila Drive? Nice,” Poe said. “So, Ben — sorry about your car.”
“It’s not that bad. I mean, stuck with you in a car...it’s not really that bad.”
“Oh.” Poe sounded surprised in that moment. Then, teasingly, “I thought you were getting tired of me already.”
“No. Not really.” Ben swallowed. “I like you, Poe. Not just in the friend way, though if you want it to be in the friend way...”
Poe grinned. “No. I like you too. Not just in the friend way.” A beat. “When did you know?”
“I just did. You were so charming and nice to me. I think you were my first friend on that job.” A beat. “The fact you’re breathtakingly beautiful is a bonus, but not the only reason.”
Poe laughed. Ben found he didn’t mind it at all.
They talked about other things. Getting to know each other, better. Maybe it was too soon to so much as fall in “like” with someone, but Ben just knew.
Outside the car, they got out. It was already night, starry. A shooting star shot out over them, illuminating the other stars with light.
“Shooting star,” Poe said. “Make a wish.”
Ben knew that the only thing he really wished for was the very idea of his relationship with Poe going well. For Poe to continue to feel the same for him.
When Poe asked to kiss him, Ben couldn’t say he was complaining. The softness of his lips was worth the bumping of noses and the laughter that followed.
They broke away.
“We could go out,” Ben said. “On a real date. I’ll take you somewhere nice...”
Poe grinned. “Wherever you’ll take me,” he said, “It’ll be a good one.”
Summary: While working as a volunteer at Takodana County Library, Ben falls in love with his coworker, Poe Dameron.
Prompt: Co-Workers
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Partially and loosely based on my time working at a library before the COVID-19 scare. I admit I miss doing it.
It was supposed to get him some employment experience. That was what Ben’s uncle suggested, with a hint that it was the year of our Lord 2018 and for the love of God, Ben, you need a job outside of going to college and writing Darkpilot fanfiction on his iPhone.
(Ben would have found some sort of witty retort to that, mostly involving the idea that fanfiction was a perfectly valid medium, and if Dante could write his self-insert fanfiction about religion, why couldn’t fanfiction be respected in general. Unfortunately, it seemed to be one of those instances where Ben’s witty comebacks came up short. Fucking uncles...)
So that was why Ben had driven there, in his Silencer car, and he took a moment to look up at the towering white marble building. Takodana County Public Library. Maz’s library. He had nailed the interview, all things considered, and he was glad. Now to nail his first day...
***
When Maz was showing him his duties, Ben didn’t expect to see the young, curly haired Latino man who was sorting out books on the counter, stamping them.
“That?” Maz said. She was a petite African American woman, middle-aged with oversized glasses, beautiful, hardly looking that much older than her fifty years. “That’s Poe Dameron. He’s one of our most dedicated workers.”
Poe looked up then, and for a moment, Ben could swear that his heart skipped a beat. He felt a pang of jealousy; at the age of twenty-three, Ben was starting to grow into his features, but only slightly. After all, Poe was beautiful, every feature seeming to be perfect. A long, sculpted nose, perfectly shaped lips...
It really was made worse when Ben was assigned to working with him. Stamping books, filing them away. Even Poe’s voice — Ben couldn’t help but notice that even his voice was pretty to listen to.
“You new here?” Poe said, and he sounded so genuinely interested.
“Mostly working for the volunteer experience,” Ben said.
“Volunteer, huh? Looks like we’re in the same boat.” Poe turned back to his book. “Oh dear God, my mama would have an aneurysm if she knew I was stamping a James Patterson book...”
Ben laughed despite himself. “Your mom doesn’t like him?”
“She might have gone off about how he writes the same plots over and over again.”
“Fanfiction does that too.”
Poe tilted his head.
“Yeah, I write fanfiction. Is that weird?”
“No. I’ve dabbled. Space Battles?”
“Space Battles.”
They talked. Ben wasn’t sure if he was ready to say he wrote Darkpilot fanfiction, but...
***
Ben found he actually enjoyed coming to work at the library even as he also felt fluttery. He bonded with the others, including Paige Tico and her girlfriend Jessika Pava, Snap Wexley and his fiancée Kare Kun, and more. Even the people he didn’t like, such as Armitage Hux and his girlfriend Phasma, he could at least bond with Poe over their irritating quirks. (“Does he do that with you too?”) Sometimes Ben looked for missing books, and Poe would wish him luck, with that wink that made Ben’s heart skip a beat.
Enjoying your job. How common was that? It was something that Ben hadn’t expected to actually happen. He remembered stories about his parents hating their jobs, his mother always having some horror story or another to tell about her coworkers (such as what Sindian did this time). But this...
And Poe was a pretty big part of that. Funny, charming and kind — and woefully out of his league.
Ben knew he was fucked.
***
Of course his cousins Rey and Jannah had to try and help. Of course their significant others (Finn Windu and Rose Tico, respectively) had to join in. It was Rey who said, “Is it even ethical for coworkers to date?”
“I heard about coworkers transferring to different branches,” Rose said. “Just to avoid a conflict of interest.”
“It’s volunteer work. I don’t think we can do that.”
“You don’t think,” Jannah said. “You could just ask him for his number. Get to know him better.”
***
If it hadn’t been for Ben’s car breaking down and him having to take Poe’s home, Ben wouldn’t think any of the following events would have happened.
The radio was currently playing Halsey’s “Without Me” for probably the thousandth time in a row. Maybe thirty-seventh, if Ben was being generous. Poe changed the radio, sighed. “Better?”
“Better.” Then, “My house is at 11823 Chandrila Drive, if you’re wondering.”
“Chandrila Drive? Nice,” Poe said. “So, Ben — sorry about your car.”
“It’s not that bad. I mean, stuck with you in a car...it’s not really that bad.”
“Oh.” Poe sounded surprised in that moment. Then, teasingly, “I thought you were getting tired of me already.”
“No. Not really.” Ben swallowed. “I like you, Poe. Not just in the friend way, though if you want it to be in the friend way...”
Poe grinned. “No. I like you too. Not just in the friend way.” A beat. “When did you know?”
“I just did. You were so charming and nice to me. I think you were my first friend on that job.” A beat. “The fact you’re breathtakingly beautiful is a bonus, but not the only reason.”
Poe laughed. Ben found he didn’t mind it at all.
They talked about other things. Getting to know each other, better. Maybe it was too soon to so much as fall in “like” with someone, but Ben just knew.
Outside the car, they got out. It was already night, starry. A shooting star shot out over them, illuminating the other stars with light.
“Shooting star,” Poe said. “Make a wish.”
Ben knew that the only thing he really wished for was the very idea of his relationship with Poe going well. For Poe to continue to feel the same for him.
When Poe asked to kiss him, Ben couldn’t say he was complaining. The softness of his lips was worth the bumping of noses and the laughter that followed.
They broke away.
“We could go out,” Ben said. “On a real date. I’ll take you somewhere nice...”
Poe grinned. “Wherever you’ll take me,” he said, “It’ll be a good one.”
