Work Text:
It’s been… It’s been a rough day honestly. The kind that makes Poe reconsider just how meaningful his employment really is to him. All he really wants to do is get a beer and a slice of pizza.
“And take off this ugly ass tie...” Poe grumbles to himself, loosening his tie with more than necessary roughness.
He thanks god for small blessings as he walks into his favorite pizza shop, luckily just a five-minute walk from his soul-sucking job. The familiar sight of the white, red and green tile walls and the old-fashioned wood stove in the back fills him with a relief second only to the enticing scent of melty cheese and garlic.
"Poe! Long time no see!" The cashier teased, smile bright and playful.
"Real funny, Sam. Can I get my usual?" When Sam clicks his finger guns in agreement Poe takes that as his cue and slumps into his usual booth in the corner. Honestly days like this didn't have to be so bad if there was pizza and beer as a reward for a long day of corporate posturing.
He sunk back into the well-worn vinyl, humming contentedly at the chance to take a rest without someone hounding him about numbers and quarterly reports. Fuck numbers. And definitely, fuck quarterly reports. IF they weren't going under their was no reason to be so anal about everything.
Poe probably shouldn't hate his job so much, it paid well and he was always getting bonuses and it definitely beat some of his old jobs by a wide measure for not taking a huge toll on his body. Maybe he should be more grateful for this life he had.
When Sam came by to drop the pizza off along with his drink he takes it as a sign to cut off that train of thought. Pizza comes first.
"So Poe, bad new, Rachel decided to cut you off on beer for the week since you've been here twice every day, but you can have an extra slice of pizza, so it almost balances out.
"Rachel how could you!" Poe shouts, clutching his heart in a cheesy display of betrayal.
"Your liver will thank me later~" She sings back, heart shaped face all smiles as she deals with another customer.
Poe just sighs and thanks Sam anyway, knowing that this is one fight he can't win. It's not often Rachel makes a power move like that but when she does there's not stopping her. He's been going here too long to rock the boat like that.Instead, he just focuses on his first slice of pizza, perfect cheese, sauce, and soft thin crust that's delicious enough to bring him to tears. He just takes a moment to take it all in, breathing in that sweet pizza smell.
He may or may not doze off somewhere between the first and second slice, leaving the other two to rest on the greasy paper plate but if he does it's no one's business but his own. And if he did doze off then it's totally understandable for him to let out a less that noble sound when he opens his eyes to see a gorgeous stranger seated across from him, digging into his third slice of pizza.
“Hey! I was gonna eat that!” He slurs out, still a bit out of it.
His new seat mate only smiles sheepishly. Poe ignores the warm tingle on the back of his neck. He's supposed to be indignant, not smitten. But the guy in front of him is enough of a looker for him to forgive this...
"Sorry, I got a little hungry. I'm not known for impulse control." He replies easily as he takes another bit,
'I'm ordering a full pie so I can reimburse you." He assures, brown eyes playful.
Poe clears his throat a bit and sips from his straw, trying to quell his sudden thirst.
"And you couldn't wait for you own pie?" He asks.
"Sorry no, I haven't eaten all day. I had a shift at Empire and they don't let you take breaks if you're new." He explains.
"That sounds illegal."
Finn just shrugs, starting in on the next slice," It's a living."
Poe can't believe that he's sitting here feeling endeared by this pizza stealing stranger.
"I can respect that."
There's a lull in the conversation as Finn puts all of his focus in savor the next bit of his (Poe's) slice of pizza. The way he eats you'd think there be a parental advisory warning. Poe's never heard so much moaning in his life, least of all from food. The whole theft part is slowly becoming less important the more he watches his pizza disappear behind those gorgeous lips.
"Sorry again about taking your pizza." Finn says earnestly," When the pie comes out you can take a few slices for yourself to make us even, okay?"
Poe waves him off," It's all right. You must have been really hungry to take it so we can just call it even. I'm full anyway."
Finn doesn't exactly look happy with that and he opens his mouth, probably to protest, right when the box lands on the table.
"Cheese pie, extra cheese, extra large," Rachel says with a smile, leaning down to whisper something to Finn that makes his eyes light up.
"Thanks Rachel." But Rachel just wins at him and heads back to the register.
Finn pushes the box towards Poe,"Please, I'll feel bad if you don't get your slices back." The look in his eyes is so sincere that Poe almost takes him up on it.
"How about this," he starts, pulling out his wallet, and sliding out a crisp business card," You go out on a date with me and we'll call it even?" Finn gapes at him for a moment, a bit in shock.
"Excuse me?"
"A date. I'll take you out for a proper meal and then you don't have to feel guilty about it. What do you say?" He punctuates his question with a wink, suddenly looking a bit more roguish and charming than a moment ago.
Finn reaches out and takes the card from his hand, still looking a bit stunned.
"Okay. If you're sure?"
"Of course. Just call me when you're free and I'll pick you up." He gives him another wink before slipping out of the booth and waving goodnight.
"See you soon."
As he left the store Finn stayed in the booth, staring down at the card with a hit flush spread across his face and neck.
'See you soon.'