the dream hatchery - brendon/dusty
brendon/erin maxick (dusty)
pg, 871 words
for selphiebooyaka, with a prompt of dusty working at a coffee shop and brendon being too wimpy to ask her out. this is...sort of that.
Hands down, The Dream Hatchery has the most delicious coffee Brendon has ever tasted. He walks into the shop out of pure curiosity; from the outside, it doesn’t look at all like a place that would serve anything. There’s a tiny wind-chime that clinks softly when he pushes the door open, and he’s almost expecting shelves of books, maybe - a quiet, used bookstore - but instead he’s greeted by the heavy scent of coffee.
The wooden floor barely peeks out from beneath layers of Persian carpet, and half of the people inside are barefoot. Two women are sitting cross-legged on the floor in flower-printed skirts and loosened corsets - Brendon nearly walks out, uncomfortable in his sneakers and t-shirt compared to everyone else.
A woman catches his eye before he can turn though, waving across the small shop from behind her counter. “Hi! Would you like some coffee?”
“Um,” Brendon says. “Sure?”
“Sit wherever you like,” she tells him. There are two large circular tables surrounded by mismatching armchairs and a stray cushions lining the wall; Brendon sits in a chair and smiles absently at a man scribbling on the wrapping paper from some dessert. He barely has time to look around before the woman’s walking towards him with a giant white coffee mug, cradling something else in her free hand.
“Wow,” Brendon blinks, hooking his fingers through the handle of the mug once she sets it down. “That’s a huge cup.”
“It’s also really hot, so be careful, okay? This is for you, too.” She extends her hand towards him and he leans in to see; there’s a large, chocolate-covered strawberry sitting on a sheet of pale blue wrapping paper, much like the piece the man beside him was scrawling on.
“Really?” he asks. She nods and Brendon gently takes the treat from her cupped hand - as soon as he does she curls up in the empty armchair to his left, tucking one foot under her thigh.
“Yep, it’s Suds and Strawberry Saturday!” Brendon snorts at the surprise of alliteration before he can help himself, and he almost apologizes - she laughs right along with him though, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“So, I’ve got the strawberry part,” Brendon begins, and she immediately twists around to point at the door.
“There are two big bins full of soap by the door and you can pick one out when you leave. Every bar is handmade and I know for a fact than men really love fig and lemon verbena. I’m Erin, by the way; I forgot to tell you! I own the shop.” She smiles like it’s her life’s dream to be right where she is, and Brendon can’t help it when he smiles back.
“Do you have themes every day?” he asks, behind the rim of his oversized mug.
“Nope, just two. Today, and then we’ve got Wine and Wishes Wednesday. Those are my favorites.”
“Wishes?”
Erin visibly perks up in her seat and leans in towards him - Brendon suppresses another quiet laugh at her enthusiasm and listens, “Yes, it’s so much fun. Everyone who comes in gets a free glass of wine, or whatever they want, and on the stem of the glass there’s a little sheet of paper rolled up. When they’re done with their drink they can write down any dream they want to come true on the sheet, one of their biggest wishes, and every Thursday morning I string them all up to this beautiful apple tree in my back yard. The wind and the birds usually carry them all away by the weekend, and it’s just so amazing to see people’s dreams floating around the city every once in a while. I love it.”
“S’that why you’re The Dream Hatchery?” Brendon asks, coffee almost half-gone, and Erin grins.
“That’s exactly why. They might not all come true, but I believe they get a little closer when they’re out in the breeze instead of locked in our heads.”
They stay quiet after that, Brendon sipping slowly to savor every drop. Erin relaxes back in her chair and smiles up at the ceiling for a while, eyes closed while she rests - Brendon glances at her as often as he dares, from the feathers in her hair to her bare, polished toes. The background is filled with soft murmurs and a muted acoustic guitar over the speakers; Brendon gets used to it quickly and he nearly jumps when the door opens, startled by the sudden chimes.
Erin immediately unfolds herself and stands, waving at the lean blonde in the doorway. Before she leaves Brendon’s table, though, she leans down closer to him - “When you’re done with your strawberry, write down something you think is sweet in your life; there’s a basket to put it in on your way out. I love to read what makes people happy.”
“Definitely,” Brendon smiles. He watches Erin scamper over and hug the other girl, ducking his head to hide the grin that escapes when she laughs out loud.
While he’s chewing the last bite of his strawberry, Brendon writes erin’s hospitality + the best cup of coffee i’ve ever had. see you wednesday.
pg, 871 words
for selphiebooyaka, with a prompt of dusty working at a coffee shop and brendon being too wimpy to ask her out. this is...sort of that.
Hands down, The Dream Hatchery has the most delicious coffee Brendon has ever tasted. He walks into the shop out of pure curiosity; from the outside, it doesn’t look at all like a place that would serve anything. There’s a tiny wind-chime that clinks softly when he pushes the door open, and he’s almost expecting shelves of books, maybe - a quiet, used bookstore - but instead he’s greeted by the heavy scent of coffee.
The wooden floor barely peeks out from beneath layers of Persian carpet, and half of the people inside are barefoot. Two women are sitting cross-legged on the floor in flower-printed skirts and loosened corsets - Brendon nearly walks out, uncomfortable in his sneakers and t-shirt compared to everyone else.
A woman catches his eye before he can turn though, waving across the small shop from behind her counter. “Hi! Would you like some coffee?”
“Um,” Brendon says. “Sure?”
“Sit wherever you like,” she tells him. There are two large circular tables surrounded by mismatching armchairs and a stray cushions lining the wall; Brendon sits in a chair and smiles absently at a man scribbling on the wrapping paper from some dessert. He barely has time to look around before the woman’s walking towards him with a giant white coffee mug, cradling something else in her free hand.
“Wow,” Brendon blinks, hooking his fingers through the handle of the mug once she sets it down. “That’s a huge cup.”
“It’s also really hot, so be careful, okay? This is for you, too.” She extends her hand towards him and he leans in to see; there’s a large, chocolate-covered strawberry sitting on a sheet of pale blue wrapping paper, much like the piece the man beside him was scrawling on.
“Really?” he asks. She nods and Brendon gently takes the treat from her cupped hand - as soon as he does she curls up in the empty armchair to his left, tucking one foot under her thigh.
“Yep, it’s Suds and Strawberry Saturday!” Brendon snorts at the surprise of alliteration before he can help himself, and he almost apologizes - she laughs right along with him though, eyes crinkling at the corners.
“So, I’ve got the strawberry part,” Brendon begins, and she immediately twists around to point at the door.
“There are two big bins full of soap by the door and you can pick one out when you leave. Every bar is handmade and I know for a fact than men really love fig and lemon verbena. I’m Erin, by the way; I forgot to tell you! I own the shop.” She smiles like it’s her life’s dream to be right where she is, and Brendon can’t help it when he smiles back.
“Do you have themes every day?” he asks, behind the rim of his oversized mug.
“Nope, just two. Today, and then we’ve got Wine and Wishes Wednesday. Those are my favorites.”
“Wishes?”
Erin visibly perks up in her seat and leans in towards him - Brendon suppresses another quiet laugh at her enthusiasm and listens, “Yes, it’s so much fun. Everyone who comes in gets a free glass of wine, or whatever they want, and on the stem of the glass there’s a little sheet of paper rolled up. When they’re done with their drink they can write down any dream they want to come true on the sheet, one of their biggest wishes, and every Thursday morning I string them all up to this beautiful apple tree in my back yard. The wind and the birds usually carry them all away by the weekend, and it’s just so amazing to see people’s dreams floating around the city every once in a while. I love it.”
“S’that why you’re The Dream Hatchery?” Brendon asks, coffee almost half-gone, and Erin grins.
“That’s exactly why. They might not all come true, but I believe they get a little closer when they’re out in the breeze instead of locked in our heads.”
They stay quiet after that, Brendon sipping slowly to savor every drop. Erin relaxes back in her chair and smiles up at the ceiling for a while, eyes closed while she rests - Brendon glances at her as often as he dares, from the feathers in her hair to her bare, polished toes. The background is filled with soft murmurs and a muted acoustic guitar over the speakers; Brendon gets used to it quickly and he nearly jumps when the door opens, startled by the sudden chimes.
Erin immediately unfolds herself and stands, waving at the lean blonde in the doorway. Before she leaves Brendon’s table, though, she leans down closer to him - “When you’re done with your strawberry, write down something you think is sweet in your life; there’s a basket to put it in on your way out. I love to read what makes people happy.”
“Definitely,” Brendon smiles. He watches Erin scamper over and hug the other girl, ducking his head to hide the grin that escapes when she laughs out loud.
While he’s chewing the last bite of his strawberry, Brendon writes erin’s hospitality + the best cup of coffee i’ve ever had. see you wednesday.