Many thanks to everyone who read my first chapter and reviewed, followed, or favorited! You've all been so kind, I hope the second chapter doesn't disappoint! And as always, I don't own any of these characters.
Work dragged by for Rey, something she normally didn't mind. She would rather spend her time at the cafe than at home by herself in her empty apartment. But today, she wanted to get back and see Kylo again. She wanted to thank him for sending the landlord and maybe attempt to have an awkward conversation with him.
She laughed out loud from where she was collecting cups from a table, glancing around to make sure no one was looking at her. Only she would look forward to something like that.
She'd only spoken with him twice, and one of those times had resulted in her yelling at his door, but she found him oddly charming. There was just something about him.
The door opened and she glanced up, seeing her friend Finn walking in.
"Hey!" he called, waving and heading to the front.
"Let me set these down," she called back, scurrying to dump her dishes in the sink behind the counter. Hands empty, she ran back and embraced Finn, his arms warm around her shoulders.
He chuckled into her hair before stepping back. "Sorry it's been a while. I kept meaning to visit."
Rey punched him playfully. "I'll never forgive you. But I will get you a coffee. On the house, of course."
His laugh followed her to the coffee maker where Poe was already getting his drink ready.
"Mind if I take a quick break and catch up?" she asked, knowing she didn't really need to. It was midday so hardly anyone was in.
"Only if you get me his number," he muttered under his breath, throwing a wistful look to where Finn sat.
Rey rolled her eyes. Poe had been pining after Finn since he visited her on her first day of work here. She kept telling him to just ask him out but Poe was weirdly shy where he was concerned. She just took it as a sign that he really liked him.
She promised herself to say out of it since they were both her friends but she thought they'd make a great couple, with Finn's constant overcautious personality and Poe being so easygoing and carefree. She thought they'd maybe help balance each other out a bit.
Grabbing her lemon tea and Finn's mocha, she joined him at a small table by the window.
Finn was her oldest friend, someone she'd known since she was a teenager. They'd been in the same foster home for a year and managed to stay friends even when they got separated. He'd been there for her through a lot of rough times and helped her get her first apartment.
"So, how do you like your new place?" Finn asked, settling back in his chair and sipping his mocha. His eyes lit up and he let out a satisfied groan.
Rey shook her head, loving how expressive he was about everything.
"Yeah, it's nice, it was a much needed change," she said, recalling her abysmal previous apartment.
"Good. Your landlord seem nice?"
"Yeah, he's alright. Came and fixed my lock this morning." She drank her tea, loving the perfect blend of sweet and sour.
Finn nodded, giving her a second while she debated telling him about Kylo. He knew her so well, he could tell there was something on her mind. She only had to think about it briefly, knowing Finn would understand better than anyone.
"There's this guy, my neighbor," she started. "My walls are really thin so I can hear him at night, tossing and turning, having serious nightmares. He reminds me of Timothy." She named the boy who would wake up screaming and clawing and Finn nodded, having seen him too. She could tell from the look on his eyes that he didn't like where this was going but he let her finish.
"I can just hear him in there, night after night and he doesn't live with anyone. He's alone all the time, just suffering. I know it's none of my business but..." she trailed off.
Finn set his drink down with a clink against the table and sighed. "Look, you know what I'm going to say. It's not your problem."
"I know that," she mumbled, picking at her seat.
"I love you girl, but I don't think you do know. You think everyone's problem is your problem and you'd kill yourself trying to fix them all." His voice was kind but that almost made it worse.
"I just feel bad for him," she protested weakly. "He could probably use a friend."
"I'm not going to argue with you. I know how stubborn you are and you're going to do what you think is right either way. But just remember, guys like that, usually it isn't a great idea to get involved with them." He gave her a meaningful look and she flushed.
"It isn't like that. Besides, you know I hate thinking like that. Your past doesn't always define you. Look at us, we both made it."
He held up his hands defensively. "I know, I know. I'm just saying, if this guy has some trauma in his past that he's carrying around, he could be a bit of a loose cannon. I don't want you caught in the crossfire if he explodes."
Rey glared at him defiantly. "I refuse to judge someone before I know their story. I wouldn't have anyone in my life if my friends chose that mentality. I have to believe that there's hope for scarred people; people like us… like him."
Finn looked at her with warm understanding. "I don't want to fight with you. All I'm saying is, you have a bad habit of finding something that's broken and trying to put all the pieces back together. Just remember those pieces have sharp edges and you could get cut."
"Wow Finn, that was really poetic," she said flatly.
They stared at each other for a second before they both started chuckling. Finn shook his head as he laughed.
"So this guy, how good looking is he?" Finn asked innocently.
"Shut up!" Rey shrieked, knowing he would take it there.
Finn's eyebrows flew up his forehead. "That good, huh? I'm sure his looks have nothing to do with your sudden selfless desire to help him," he teased.
She groaned, wanting to punch him. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't want anything to do with me. He doesn't seem like he likes people much and our first interaction was… not great," she finished lamely, unable to find a better word.
"Yeah, well I'm sure the second he actually thought about the fact his new neighbor was a gorgeous girl, he regretted that real quick," he muttered.
"You're such an idiot."
"Makes two of us," he threw back and she stuck her tongue out at him.
Finn stuck around for a while longer and they caught up on everything else. Whenever he visited, he left Rey with the feeling that her heart was too full.
As was his custom every time he left, he pulled her into a tight hug and asked her, "Are you happy?" He was always looking out for her.
"Yes," she told him, meaning it. She felt him nod against her.
He pulled away, throwing Poe a quick wave. "See you!"
"Hey, don't wait so long to visit next time," Rey called to him as he started towards the door, shrugging on his leather jacket.
"So needy," he tossed over his shoulder, throwing her one last grin before he vanished out the door.
The second he was gone, Poe collapsed against the counter dramatically. "That man… Rey, why do you have to bring him here and torture me so?"
"Yeah, it really looked like you were being tortured when you were checking out his butt as he left."
Poe laughed loudly, brown eyes sparkling. "Touche."
...
Rey hurried up the stairs of her apartment, feeling strangely nervous. She had rushed home after closing up the cafe, a large tea in one hand, a box of chocolate chip cookies in the other. Everyone loved chocolate chip, right?
She paused in the hall outside Kylo's door, tucking the cookies under one arm so she had a free hand to knock with. Up until the moment she left work, she had debated bringing him something but it went against her nature to not thank him for calling the landlord about her lock. It had been surprisingly thoughtful and unexpected.
The door finally opened, revealing a surprisingly well dressed Kylo. He was in dark jeans, with a black blazer over a charcoal sweater. She was already noticing a trend in his clothing color choices. His hair even looked slightly more tame than the last time she'd seen him.
"Rey," he said, looking surprised. It was dumb but she felt strangely pleased that he said her name without hesitation, almost with familiarity.
"I just got home from work and wanted to thank you for getting the landlord over to my place." She gestured over to her door. "My lock is fixed now, so thanks."
"Oh- I uh… you're welcome." He looked horribly uncomfortable and Rey felt bad for how much she was struggling to hold back a giggle.
"Well, I wanted to thank you in person. And these are for you." She handed over the hot tea and box of cookies, which he took hesitantly. "I didn't know what you liked but it seemed a little late for coffee so it's pomegranate tea with honey, my favorite."
He just stared at the things in his hands like he didn't understand how they got there or what he should do with them.
She assumed getting him to talk would be like pulling teeth but holy hell, this was painfully awkward. He was just standing there holding her gifts and staring at her like she was an idiot. Maybe he hated cookies or was allergic to pomegranate. A wave of embarrassment washed over her and she felt her face getting hot but refused to feel bad.
He didn't say anything she continued. "It's like a thank you and an apology at the same time. For the other night, you know, when I might have said something about hoping you got murdered." She smiled self-consciously, running a hand through her brown hair. "I was hoping I could explain myself and apologize for real, if you have a minute."
"I'm actually on my way out right now, I'm running a little late..." he trailed off meaningfully, glancing down at his outfit that suddenly made sense.
Rey bit back her disappointment. "Oh, of course, sorry!" She backed up and started side-stepping towards her door. "Sorry, I'll just-" she pointed to her door. Oh hell, she was an idiot. She turned around and started digging through her purse, looking for her keys.
"Rey." The sound of her name sent her spinning back around, surprised he hadn't fled back into his apartment already.
Kylo was watching her with the smallest of smiles. "Thank you, for the tea and cookies." He lifted the cup to his lips and took a small drink, eyes on her. "It's sweet," he said almost like he was surprised. He'd probably never had a good cup of tea in his life.
"I might have gone a little overboard with the honey, I have a bit of a sweet tooth," she explained apologetically.
The edge of his tongue peeked out as he licked his lips, probably tasting the lingering sweetness. Their eyes met and it felt like the air in the hallway had been sucked out. His gaze hit her like a physical blow.
"I like it," was all he said, giving her one last look with his intensely dark eyes before going back into his apartment, closing the door behind him.
Rey opened her door feeling like she was in a trance, closing and leaning against it, listening to him as he came back out. It wasn't until she heard his footsteps disappear down the stairs that she let out a breath, spine going limp.
Either she was going crazy or she was feeling this weird intensity between them. In the hall just then, the way he'd looked at her, it felt… she didn't know but whatever it was, it scared her.
It scared the hell out of her.
...
This goddamn espresso machine was going to be the death of her. Rey groaned, resisting the urge to smash it on the ground and stomp on it. It had decided halfway through her shift that it didn't want to work anymore. She thought maybe the electrovalve had gotten jammed so she took it apart and cleaned it but it still wasn't working. It could be that the pump just gave out but she was going to have to take it apart further to tell for sure.
After being unable to fall back asleep last night once Kylo had woken her up, she wasn't in the mood to deal with this stupid machine. The sound of him hyperventilating after a nightmare, big, wheezing, shuddering gasps that she swore she could feel, had made it impossible to relax enough to go back to bed.
She heard the cafe door open. "I'll be with you in a second," she called over her shoulder, twisting viciously at where the water line connected to the pump. It came free, spraying a burst of water all over her chest and shoulders.
She swore under her breath, grabbing the nearest hand towel and wiping at her neck. The front of her blue blouse was soaked but she had a customer waiting.
Spinning around to the front counter, she tried dabbing at her shirt a bit before giving up.
"Sorry about that, I-" she cut off when she saw Kylo waiting at the counter, looking like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or not.
Rey froze, suddenly so aware of how she looked. Soaked shirt stuck to her skin and probably showing off her lacy bra. Hair thrown up in the messiest bun possible, from trying to get it out of her way while attacking the espresso machine. She knew, she just knew, she probably had smears of coffee somewhere on her face.
He, of course, looked great. He was in a tight black sweater that looked unbelievably soft and had a laptop bag with him.
"I was just hoping to get a drink but I can come back later if it's a bad time," he said and it took her brain a second to realize he was teasing her.
"No, uh, what can I get for you?" she asked, stepping up to the register. With only the width of the counter separating them, he suddenly felt so very big and in her space.
"Pomegranate tea. Extra honey."
She flushed and resisted the urge to look up and meet his eyes that she could feel on her. What was he doing? Well, at least she knew he'd liked his tea. That had to count for something, right?
He was right in front of her and she wanted to say something but she felt suddenly shy. She didn't usually do shy. But it was different when she'd had all day to think about what she was going to say to him but now he was here, unexpectedly showing up at her work and she couldn't seem to conjure up any words.
"Is that for here or to go?" she asked.
"Here," he replied and her stomach twisted. She felt like she should be excited he had chosen to come here, knew it wasn't a coincidence. It would be the perfect opportunity to chat with him and get to know him a bit better. But after that look he gave her in the hall, the intensity of that feeling between them… she hadn't figured it out yet.
Ringing up his drink, she told him his total and took the card he offered her, fingertips brushing his. Reflexively, she flicked her eyes up and met his own, the lights of the cafe revealing the warm honey tones among the darker browns.
He looked uncertain, like he was regretting coming in and Rey cursed herself for being such idiot. Here he was, trying, reaching out to her, and she couldn't even think of anything to say. She needed to pull herself together.
"Actually, your drink's on the house," she said, handing Kylo back his card which he took hesitantly.
As usual, he seemed thrown by her doing something kind, looking like he wanted to protest.
"I don't charge friends." She glanced over her shoulder. "At least when my boss isn't around."
He chuckled, tucking his card away. The sound melted away her anxiety, clearing the tense air between them.
"But," she continued, playfully, "I will let you tip me."
For the first time in her life, she realized just how suggestive those words sounded. Or maybe it was just him putting her mind in the gutter. He really was attractive, she thought, then instantly berated herself.
"How generous of you," he said, clearly amused as he dug out a few bills and shoved them into the tip jar.
"They don't call me Saint Rey for nothing," she joked, then noticed Poe slipping back in from his break. "Go ahead and grab a seat, I'll bring your drink out in a minute."
Kylo nodded and headed towards the back of the cafe, having to dodge some of the lower hanging lights as he went.
"That is a very large man," Poe said, sidling up next to her, his tone appreciative.
"That is my neighbor," Rey replied, starting to boil the water for his tea.
Poe choked. "That's the prick who you want to get murdered?!"
Rey blushed. "Okay, I said that one time and I was a little worked up in the moment."
He looked back over to the table Kylo had claimed, pulling out a laptop and notebook, clearly intending on staying for a while.
"I take it back, you feel free to go visit his apartment in the middle of the night whenever you want. Also, on an unrelated note, you looking for a roommate?"
Rey glared at him but he just laughed. "I'm teasing, I'm teasing. But seriously, can you say tall, dark and handsome?"
She ignored him, going to the cabinet and digging out a black mug with little spaceships on it. Despite how tempted she was, she couldn't give Kylo one of the delicate floral teacups, if only because she would die of laughter.
She made his tea, adding in a healthy amount of honey, then took it over to him. She could feel Poe's eyes on her as she crossed the cafe and when she glanced back, he gave her the most unsubtle thumbs up ever. He was in so much trouble.
Kylo had taken one of the tables along the back wall and was typing away furiously on his laptop. He paused when she approached, scooting some of his papers to the side so she could set his drink down.
He cocked an eyebrow at his spaceship mug but didn't comment.
"It was that or flowers," she explained.
There was a nearby couple drinking from the floral cups and Kylo glanced at them, taking in the bright colors and thin handle. "In that case, I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
She grinned as he took a tentative sip from his mug, and pulled the extra bottle of honey from where she'd stashed it in the pocket of her apron.
"In case it isn't sweet enough." She offered it to him but he shook his head.
"It's perfect," he said simply.
Did he have to stare at her so intensely when saying stuff like that? Her earlier flustered feeling came creeping back.
"Okay, uh, good." She backed away, nearly bumping into a chair. She sidestepped it at the last second, clipping the table with her hip instead. It wobbled dangerously for a second before she caught it. Please, just let her die now. "Uh, let me know if you need anything else."
She fled back to the counter where Poe was waiting for her, shaking with silent laughter.
"Very smooth," he finally got out, wiping tears from his eyes. "You'll have to teach me that move some time."
"Fuck off."