ladyofleithian: (Default)
[personal profile] ladyofleithian
Title: Expectations

Summary: A group of fans walk into a Starbucks...

Prompt: Coffee Shop AU

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author’s Notes: Set in 2019 because, obviously, we have to stay home now.





It was Jess who nudged Poe in that moment while they were in line, Poe working on the latest chapter of his current Episode Nine speculation fic. “I think the barista’s staring at you,” she said.

“What?” Poe looked up, and it was there he saw the rather striking-looking barista, who looked to be early twenties at most, looking over at him. “Shit, it must be the costumes, right?”

Jess sighed. “No, you dummy, he’s — oh, you’ll see."

Poe supposed it was his turn in line anyway. It looked, he thought, like the chapter where John confronts Kylo on the battlefield would have to wait.

***

“Going to a movie?”

Even the barista’s voice...damn, but it gave Poe some flutters in his stomach just listening to it. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “Rise of Starkiller.”

The barista smiled. “Gotta say, your costume’s really good.”

The way he looked at Poe — Poe was used to being thought of as attractive, the way people looked at him. The way the barista looked at him, though, he might as well have seen a god walk into his coffee shop. Poe definitely wasn’t used to that.

“Thanks!” Poe said. “I had to put it together. Just took some reference photos and, well...”

“It looks very close to the real thing.” The barista sighed. “I do wish I had a night off; I’d love to see how it all ends.”

“Yeah, well, you could always...write your own version?” Poe said.

A furrow of the barista’s brow.

“Oh yeah, my friends and I...we write stuff like that. It’s like trying to make up what happens next, or what happened behind the scenes or what could have or should have happened. Gets a little complicated when you throw setting changes into the mix.”

“Interesting!” The barista smiled then. “I’m Ben.”

“Poe.”

“Nice to meet you, Poe. So, what are you planning to have?”

"I’ll take one of your hot chocolates,” Poe said.

Paige and Jess ordered their drinks, as did Finn and Rey (and apparently Ben recognized Rey), and Ben got to work. Poe couldn’t help but admire the way he moved, how his back seemed to flex under the shirt...

He was typing out more of his chapter, praying he got the dialogue right, when Ben’s voice jolted him out of his reverie. “Poe! Your hot chocolate’s here...”

Poe took a look at it, and it was there he grinned. “That just made my night. Thank you.”

***

“Did he just flirt with you?”

Rey sounded flabbergasted in that moment.

“Um, yeah.” Poe took a sip. “Good hot chocolate too.”

Rey sighed. “My cousin just flirted with you.”

“He’s your cousin?”

"It’s rather complicated,” Rey said. “But yes. And somehow he warmed up to you...”

"Doesn’t usually?”

“He’s a little serious sometimes,” Rey said. “But yes, he really does seem to like you. If you break his heart — ”

“Rey, he just wrote down on my cup that he thought I was good-looking; he didn’t propose to me.” Poe furrowed his brow as he looked further down the cup. “And he also gave me his number...huh...”

“Either way,” Rey said, “I think it is worth following up.”

***

The movie wasn’t particularly good, but going back to the Starbucks they’d gone to earlier, it was worth seeing Ben again. “You look like you didn’t have a good time.”

“It wasn’t like it was a Lovecraftian abomination,” Poe said, “But it was so disappointing...”

Jess snorted. “There goes Poe trying to be ‘good cop’.”

“I was actually thinking,” Poe said, “When are you off your shift?”

“Well, Sundays should do it...why?”

“I got your message.”

“Oh.” Ben turned the color of Mustafar’s surface.

Poe laughed. “Relax. It was flattering. Maybe I could talk with you outside your shifts, get to know you better...”

Ben smiled. Poe found he’d do anything for that smile. “That would be perfect.”




May 2023

S M T W T F S
 12 3456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031   

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Mar. 12th, 2026 03:03 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios