taco night (at your not cutest, you are love) // a wildmoore first meeting AU
about: prompted by 3x05 ("A Lesson from Professor Pyg"), the required AU oneshot where Ryan and Sophie actually meet at Taco Night. [read on ao3, or below]
"You know when the corner of the chip gets stuck in the back of your throat? [...] It wasn't cute, but that's the point. I mean, someone sees you at your Not Cutest and still asks you out."
🦇
“Sophie loves tacos!” Mary announces to the whole table. Her eyes widen before snapping right to where Sophie’s seated. “That’s not, like, a gay joke. Everybody loves tacos. It’s why Taco Tuesdays were invented.”
Sophie chuckles, even as her cheeks burn. “Mary, chill. I know.”
Mary’s shoulders relax. She shoots a quick grin around the table. “I thought this would be a great way to bring people together.” Her clinic coworkers nod. Mary glances at the empty seat beside Sophie. “Ryan’s coming.”
Sophie’s eyes narrow. There’s the catch. “Mary,” she warns. Mary’s hands fly up in defense, but before Sophie can say anything else, a blur of plaid rushes behind the med student.
Mary squeaks as this new person hugs her. This must be Ryan — the, as Mary said, ‘super hot, Black lesbian who works at The Hold Up now.’ She’s taller than Sophie expected, though that might be a trick of her shoes. Long, wavy black hair, amazing brown skin, and that body? Sophie takes a sip of her water just to collect herself.
Sophie doesn’t know much about Ryan Wilder. Just that Mary had helped Ryan at the clinic, and then the two had become fast friends after that. Mary helped Ryan get her job at The Hold Up. Ryan practically lives with Mary because she’s there all the time. She has a complicated ex, but — as Mary not so subtly added, ‘it’s not more complicated than all the Kate stuff.’
Mary breaks from the hug and quickly pushes Ryan towards Sophie. “We saved you a seat by Sophie.”
Ryan laughs like honey — sweet and thick. “Of course you did.” She flashes a small smile at Sophie that makes Sophie’s throat feel tight.
Sophie has to drop her eyes back to the menu. She can’t be caught staring the moment this girl arrives. Ryan doesn’t seem to have the same hang ups. She smiles at Sophie as she sits down.
“Ooh! I love these chips.” She grabs a few to pop into her mouth. Sophie respectfully sips more water.
“Mary ordered for you already. Said something about—“
“The bomb vegan tacos, yeah.” Ryan smiles again. Sophie has no choice but to smile back. This girl’s magnetic. “I introduced her to this place. Told her it’d be a perfect date spot, and she pulled this.”
Sophie nods. “Turned your date spot into a whole group thing.”
“Influencers,” Ryan deadpans with another handful of chips. “They love a posse."
Sophie coughs on her water. Her cheeks blaze. “Sorry. Wrong hole.”
That makes Ryan laugh, which would be embarrassing enough on its own. Sophie groans, as Ryan starts coughing. Leave it to her to ruin this conversation. This is why she mostly picks up women at bars. She just has to look hot, and call it a day. A few well-timed looks, and then they’re both out of breath for much better reasons than this.
Ryan coughs again, and Sophie sarcastically laughs. “Okay, very funny.” But as she glances to her side, a now sweaty Ryan coughs so violently that Sophie freezes. “Oh, shit.”
Sophie immediately turns Ryan around in the chair. If the chip is stuck, then it’s time for the Heimlich. She clasps her arms around Ryan, but the shock of that is enough to dislodge the chips. Ryan’s whole body shakes with the deep gasp of air that follows.
“I’m fine,” she croaks. “I’m fine.”
Fine doesn’t stop the pulsing in Sophie’s ears though. Fine doesn’t erase the imprinted image of Ryan panicking behind Sophie’s eyelids. Sophie’s fight or flight mechanisms have always been strong, but the service and the Crows have not lessened that. Adrenaline’s high in her veins, and Ryan’s warm body is still shaking in her arms.
But if Ryan is fine, then Sophie needs to relax. Sophie asks, “Are you sure? Do you need water? A drink or—”
Ryan shakes her head. She turns in the hold. Since Sophie’s still wrapped around her, when Ryan does turn forward and glance to her side at Sophie, well, it’s like Sophie’s already pulling Ryan into something. Like they’re a breath away from those ridiculously soft lips melding with hers in front of everyone.
Wait. Sophie startles at that. She finally lets go and springs back into her own chair. Her eyes dart around the table. Of course, everyone’s watching them with a mix of relief and curiosity. Mary looks ready to burst. Shit. Mary. This whole table is full of medical professionals, but Sophie was the first to jump in. Mary’s never letting her live this down.
Ryan reaches for a cup of water. “I’ve got some here. And I’ll slow down. I promise.”
Sophie nods. “Good.” She looks back to Ryan, but more specifically, to Ryan’s cheek. “You, um, have a little —“ She reaches over and swipes a tear off of Ryan’s cheek. Ryan’s eyes widen at the touch.
“Thanks. I probably look….” Ryan groans. Shakes her head.
Sophie figures she might as well tip her hand. “You look cute. A little tired now, but… cute.”
Ryan grins. “Cute enough to do this again? Maybe without the audience next time?”
Mary pipes up from across the table. “You know, we were almost done here. Right, guys?” She glances to her coworkers, who look down at their mostly empty plates and half-drank margaritas. “Yeah, so, we’re gonna go and…” Her chair squeaks when she pushes back. Everyone else rushes to their feet too. Mary slips her purse on. “You know, look at labs. And you two can just, like, chill, or talk, or, you know, whatever.” She flashes one more smile at them before dropping a few bills on the table and hightailing it out of there.
Sophie sinks into her seat in what must be embarrassment, but Ryan calls after her, “Subtle, Mary!” Mary throws a wink over her shoulder at the door.
Sophie clears her throat. “I didn’t ask her to do that.”
Ryan laughs. “Pretty sure she’s been waiting for this. She had me close at The Hold Up the other night because —“ and here Ryan uses her best Mary impression “—‘You just have to meet Sophie. She’s gay, but like, not gay gay. Like it’s not a hook up, but if you did—‘”
Sophie doubles over to hide her face in her arms on the table. Ryan laughs again and soothingly rubs her hand on Sophie’s shoulder. She says, “Mary’s trying to help.”
“I can ask a girl out,” Sophie grumbles.
Ryan quirks an eyebrow. Sophie still hasn’t so much come back from her mortification station. “I asked you out, remember?”
That gets Sophie to sit back up. Her eyebrows pitch up too. “Only because I basically had my arms around you.”
“Nu-uh, no, that’s different. You weren’t copping a feel. That’s not you making a move.”
Sophie shakes her head. “You know what, let’s not get into this just yet. Let me buy you a drink, and then we’ll see who’s really got the moves here.”
She doesn’t even wait for Ryan to say anything. She pushes herself up from the table using her bare, muscled arms. Then, once she’s at her full height, and Ryan turns those big brown eyes to look at her, Sophie actually smirks down at Ryan. She can see the exact moment that Ryan takes in just how tall and hot Sophie is. Ryan’s faux-defensiveness turns warmer, a little less playful as she leans forward in her seat. The motion pokes her chest out, and Sophie — forgive her — takes a peek from this new vantage point. Ryan smirks back.
She asks, “You gonna get that drink, or just keep staring?”
Sophie’s beyond staring now. She’s gonna make sure that they turn this night around. Maybe even turn each other around later. The night’s young, and the margaritas are half off.
“I’ll get you two.”
🦇
🦇
end author's note: this was so much fun to write. I forgot to share it with y'all, but thanks to @thetyifs asking, it gets to be a hiatus gift! what'd you think?
