Rey and finn in a goddamn cliche coffeeshop AU - go!
the nice thing about AUs is you can fudge canon timelines a little bit
REY works at the coffeeshop, owned by one han solo. he doesn’t really need the help, but she walked in with a job application jUST as he was trying to fix one of the espresso machines, and she knew exactly how to fix it. so he took a shine to her and hired her on. she makes a brilliant espresso. an even more brilliant americano. a really, really amazing cafe au lait. she is an exceptionally talented coffee maker and han doesn’t really ask her any questions about why she wants the job or where she comes from, but she always looks up whenever someone walks in, not in an ‘alert for customers’ way but ‘maybe it’s - ? oh no, it’s not’ and, you know, he wonders a little bit, to himself.
and one day finn walks in, a little secretively, and again rey is like ‘oh...? no. not who i’m looking for.’ he has the look and bearing of someone from the military base just past the county line, and he looks like he’s trying not to be found, but he also gives her an earnest, truly warm-hearted smile. rey makes him his frappuccino and expect that to be that, just another day, just another customer...
but he tries to tip her, because this frappuccino is A M A Z I N G. she doesn’t have a tip jar. she doesn’t NEED a tip jar, she insists. PUT that mason jar down, STOP TRYING TO TIP HER.
okay, fine, he takes his frappuccino and sits in the corner, wondering why all the books on the rickety wooden bookshelves are technical manuals about cars and HVAC systems, when another customer comes in and orders a coffee, and something is wrong with the coffee, apparently, because the customer throws a fit, and Finn is like, ‘this is bullshit? this coffee is incredible, i’ll put a stop to this - ’ but Rey handily sends the customer out the door and on their way with some stern, uncompromising words. so she clearly doesn’t need his help. but regardless he just goes up to the counter and asks, ‘that customer was terrible, are you okay?’ and she’s like, ?? i’m fine, don’t worry!!
and fifteen minutes later, she shows up at finn’s table by the bookshelf with a piping hot blueberry scone, on the house. the coffeeshop is empty, aside from him, so she sits down for a few moments to chat and things between them start to, you know......... ~ Blossom ~
(han solo grumps behind the counter. for christ’s sake, at least finish washing the mugs before you run off to flirt)
