A/N: A different take on a popular trope. Coffee Shop AU, Perry style.
She's perfect.
Her smile fills him with light and he knows that today, today is the day he'll finally gather his courage and actually open the door to the little coffee shop where she works. She's especially pretty today, her hair pulled back in a single ponytail instead of her usual three buns. It swings when she turns her head and her hair is glossy. His fingers flex instinctively as he imagines running them through her silken waves.
"Hi! What can I get for you?" she chirps. He knows she's just doing her job, but her bright attitude makes him feel like he's the only man in the world and she only has eyes for him.
"Uhm, a large latte with half a pump of vanilla, please."
"Really? That's my favorite!"
"Interesting coincidence." He smiles his best smile. Please work, please work.
"Extra foam?" she asks with a tilted head.
"If it's not a hassle."
"Well, it's how I like it, so I thought I'd check." Her smile shifts to something conspiratorial.
No one else is in the shop, so he takes advantage of the quiet.
"How long have you worked here?"
"Oh, three years, since I started at the university. Do you go there?"
"I used to, I finished up my JD there and work for a local firm."
"You're a lawyer?"
"Five years now."
"That's what I want to do!"
"Really? More in common. You don't want to focus on environmental law, do you?" he asks, hiding his nervousness. This is going too well which means he'll invariably put his foot in his mouth.
"How'd you know?" she exclaims.
"It's what I'd hoped to do so I thought maybe a love for lightly sweet vanilla lattes might mean another shared interest." He gives her a crooked smile he hopes is charming.
Her eyes cloud for the briefest of moments before she's smiling again as she finishes his drink.
She's about to hand it to him but stops and picks up the sharpie. She holds it over the cup and asks, "Name?"
He pauses, too excited by the realization that she wants to know his name to actually answer. She blushes and starts to put down the pen. "I … uh I guess I don't need to know it, here, sir," she says as she hands him his coffee, radiating disappointment.
He knew he'd manage to make a mistake. She mustn't feel like this. Taking a calming breath, he boldly places his fingers lightly over hers and holds her eyes. "It's Ben," he says as he makes a show of looking at her nametag, "Rey."
Her blush deepens and she nibbles at her lip slightly before the sweetest little shy smile plays across her delicate face.
Her hazel eyes dart to his. "It's nice to meet you … Ben."
"It's very nice to meet you, lovely Rey."
She blinks and her smile grows wide and open.
He takes his coffee and leaves swiftly. He doesn't want to push his luck.
"Ben!" she calls out as he walks in the next day. It's early afternoon and the lunch crowds have died down. Once again they're alone in the small shop and the fact she's remembered his name gives him confidence.
"Hello, Rey." He holds her eyes with his, making sure she understands he didn't need to check her nametag.
"Uhm, same as the last time?"
"Please, if it's not too much trouble."
Rey rolls her eyes. "I think I've got time."
This is it. This is his opening. "Time enough to make two?"
Her brow crinkles in confusion and her shoulders slump slightly. "You want two? Are you … are you meeting someone?"
"I hope so. You. Take your break and sit with me, Rey."
"Oh! You want … oh, I see." She ducks her head and he sees the edge of her lips curl up and she pushes a bit of her hair behind her ear. Today it's back up in her usual three-bun style.
Time has stopped and he feels as if he's standing front of her naked, waiting for her judgement. He's not sure what he'll do if she rejects him. She's everything, everything he's ever wanted and he's desperate for this chance.
She keeps looking down and fidgeting with her hair. The silence goes on too long and his heart has sunk to his stomach. He's not surprised by how much it hurts.
He's about to retract his offer and leave with his dreams in shreds when she turns and calls out "Poe!"
A man comes out from the back, wiping his hands on his apron. "Yeah, Sunshine?"
"Uhm, I'd like to take my break now." Her voice shakes and Ben realizes she's going to say yes! She's going to accept his offer. Maybe even accept him.
Poe looks from Rey to Ben and nods knowingly. "Sure thing. Take all the time you need."
"Thanks, boss," she says and her eyes catch Ben's for just a moment. He sees excitement and hope and a thread of fear that concerns him. She has nothing to be afraid of, not from him. He would never do anything to hurt her.
Ben sits on his couch with his scotch and an ornate box in front of him on the coffee table. There's a large stack of books on the side table and a laptop open on the cushion next to him.
He's just come home after the most perfect two hours with Rey, her boss allowing her to sit with him until the afternoon rush. She'd brushed the back of his hand with her fingers numerous times and had walked him to the corner when she had to get back to work.
His hand comes up to his face and he caresses the spot on his cheek where she'd kissed him. He'd caught her in his arms and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. She'd agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow and he'd wanted to wait to kiss her properly until after he's taken her on a real date. He's going to do everything right. His Rey deserves only the best. No one has ever sparked in his blood like Rey. He can't fail, not this time. Not with this.
The laptop finishes powering up and he double-clicks the icon with her smiling face and her voice fills his spacious apartment.
"Can you believe it, Poe? He fixed up his first car, just like me!"
"That's great, kid! He sure looked smitten from what I could see."
Ben snorts. Smitten does not even begin to capture what he feels for his gorgeous siren. No, she's everything to him.
It had taken him a few weeks to work out how to bug her coffee shop, her boss Poe Dameron takes security seriously. Ben had had to call in a few favors from several of his less savory clients, but now he is able to listen to her sweet voice whenever he wants to. And if he gets a craving when the shop is closed, well, there are always the recordings.
He opens up the large box and sifts through the stack of photographs. Rey in the university quad, reading, with the sun highlighting her hair and bringing out her darling freckles. Rey focusing on taking notes in one of her classes, that precious nose of hers scrunched up in concentration. Rey sitting with a dark-skinned man at a local restaurant popular with undergrads.
He frowns at this one. He remembers the vicious jealousy that had seared through him when he'd first seen the other man. He'd clenched his fists so hard that his nails had broken the skin of his palm. When he had arrived home that evening he'd broken his hand when he'd punched through a wall.
Oh, he had been irate when he'd first found out about this man, this competition. He'd eventually overheard his name, Finn. He'd seen him linger one evening outside of the coffee shop and Ben had assumed he had been waiting for Rey. He'd seethed as he had come up with creative ways of handling this unfortunate development, when Poe had kissed Finn hello and Rey had gone the other direction. He'd never known such blissful relief as he had watching Rey walk home alone. Ben still doesn't like Finn, but he won't do anything about the other man. Unless it becomes necessary.
Finally he gets to the bottom of the stack of photographs and pulls out his favorite. She'd been coming from dinner at her professor's house, a small gathering of top students. She was radiant that night, wearing a green dress with her hair down around her shoulders. He'd kept to the shadows that night, but oh how he'd wanted to approach her then. He still imagines what the green silk will feel like beneath his hands.
"I know it's a little crazy, just saying yes to a date like that. But I feel like I've known him forever. We have so much in common!" Rey's voice continues to pour out of the speakers. "Can you believe he likes to rebuild engines, too?"
Ben glances at the large stack of mechanic's manuals and reminds himself to brush up on 1960's American makes, as those are her favorite.
"Really? That's great. I'm happy for you, Rey. You deserve something nice."
"Yeah … I think maybe things are finally looking up for me."
Ben takes a sip of his drink and smiles. Yes, Rey. She will be happy, he will treasure her, pamper her, ensure that nothing ever hurts her.
She's his, now.
A/N: Thank you so much, ArtemisBare, for the premise! The plot is all hers.
Thank you for reading, 'Thwarted' will be back on Monday!
Please let me know what you thought of my little Coffee Shop AU! You're all the best.