Work Text:
The bar was popping, as it usually was this time of night. Hosnian nightlife being what it was in the Capital—it was like this every night regardless of work schedules or Senatorial sessions. Rey filled glasses, cleaned classes, restocked bottles, wiped up spills, listened to terrible jokes, and got hit on—a lot. She laughed it off, or broke fingers as necessary. Plutt didn’t care too much as long as the credits kept rolling in. What Plutt really didn’t like was the space cadets coming in and trying to find dates. Republic had strict rules for its up-and-comers which included no alcohol or other mind-altering substances, and no fraternizing in their dorms.
Rey didn’t much care for listening to Plutt, however. And some of the space cadets looked mighty fine in their uniforms.
For example, this specimen slouched against the bar with his face in his hands, delicate curls coming undone from where he’d tried to plaster them into place in the morning. She slid down his way and wiped off a spot on the bar before setting down a napkin.
“I got pick-me-ups, flyboy. What’s your taste?”
The man looked up at her from behind his hands, then thought better of his posture and sat up a bit straighter. He looked tired, but also nervous, and kept glancing at the dance floor where a gaggle of various patrons were grinding against each other.
“Um…” he started slowly and Rey wondered if he was debating if he’d break the rules for whatever challenge he was facing. “I’m gonna need vodka in a water glass, with ice, and I’m gonna be ordering water from you all night.”
Rey raised an eyebrow at the man. So he’d chosen breaking the rules and liquid courage. As he looked back at the crowd, Rey followed his gaze to a particular purple-hued demi-human. Rey couldn’t tell their gender, if they had one, from this angle, despite the tight-fitting, shiny clothing.
“One water, please,” the man said, turning back to her and tapping the bar.
Rey chuckled and shook her head, and filled up a glass for him.
He sipped at the glass, then looked up, frowning at her. “This is actually water.”
With another laugh, Rey shrugged. “That’s what you ordered. Although, that’s the first time one of you space cadets has been smart enough to try and order vodka in a water glass.”
“You’re not my TI.” He sighed, but his frown had given way to an almost amused smirk, like he wasn’t used to being foiled.
“Nah, but I’ll let you in on a secret, flyboy. Confidence is way sexier than vodka breath.” She gave him a little wink and then nodded her head towards a customer that had tried to wave her over further down the bar. “If you crash and burn, come back here and I’ll let you order a water.”
“Yeah,” he said almost absently, still giving her that half-grin. “I think it might be.”
Rey would have liked to say she forgot about the handsome space cadet and his slightly disheveled curls, and she certainly wasn’t the least bit disappointed he didn’t come straight back to her bar after being rejected, but that would have been a lie. It was for the best, though; guys like him were crawling all over this place and what she needed to do was focus on making some bread and getting out of here.
The evening passed and things were starting to wind down. She collected trash, wiped tables, restocked glasses, and filled the last call orders. As she walked back behind the bar to rinse out her rag, she smiled and shook her head at the even more disheveled looking space cadet. His once almost tame locks were now fully undone from whatever product he had put in it. His uniform top was unbuttoned and open and there was a shiny sheen of perspiration on his skin.
“Have fun?” she asked.
“No, I completely self-destructed,” he told her with a wide smile.
She eyed him up and down. “If that’s what failure looks like, I’m not sure I want to see your version of winning.”
“I mean, I was having a good time. We hit it off all right, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this confident bartender. Especially after you kneed that one jerk for getting too handsy.”
“You saw that?” she asked with another shake of her head. So he was going to be one of those types.
“Yeah, my new friend wasn’t too happy I kept eyeballing somebody else. Scuffed my boots up pretty bad when they stomped on them as they left.”
She laughed lightly and went back to her closing time duties. Perhaps he’d get the hint if she ignored him until Plutt rolled out of the backroom and started kicking everyone out so he could do the books.
“So I thought maybe you’d like to eat lunch tomorrow—with me. Together. Before this place opens.”
“Sorry, flyboy—”
“Poe, my name’s Poe Dameron.” Another winning smile. Space cadet was just full of them.
“I’m Rey,” she said smiling back, then internally chastised herself. No, they weren’t doing introductions, and her name was right there on her name tag. “Sorry, Poe, I don’t date customers.”
“Technically, I’m not a customer. I only had some water, and even in this place, water is still free, isn’t it?”
“You’re all about getting around the rules, aren’t you, Poe Dameron?”
He shrugged and held up his hands slightly, looking quite guilty. “Just the ones I don’t like.”
“Okay,” she said with a nod, thinking she might have this particular space cadet pegged. Could be entertaining at least. And after hanging out at this place every night, she deserved to have some fun on her own terms.
“Okay?” he repeated.
“Plutt!” she shouted towards the back. “Bar’s closed! I’m leaving!”
Rey grabbed her bag from the cubby under the bar and walked to the other side to join Poe. “I haven’t eaten yet, so dinner, and if that goes well…” she grinned. “I do love breakfast, too.”
Poe’s mouth opened slightly, a little in shock and a little in hell yes. He looked like he was about to say something else, perhaps about how there wasn’t any fraternizing allowed in the dorms, but Rey hooked her arm into his before he could speak and told him, “I’m sure we can find more loopholes for those other rules we don’t like.”