Work Text:
It’s a cold and rainy day. You forgot your umbrella at home. It’s a 20 minutes walk home, you have been working hard all day, just stepped out from your workplace and you are already wet like you stepped out of a pool. You start to run down the street. It is usually busy because it’s some shopping street, full of clothe shops, cafes and stuff like this but now it is almost empty. Noone likes shitty weather like today’s.
You are really tired so you slow down and notice something you never noticed before. It’s a small shop- no, a cafe…? You are not sure. ’TEA HOUSE’ say big letters above the door, you ass.
It’s not your kind of thing –or I could say, it’s not your cup of tea-, you never drink tea, but the place seems friendly. It has brown framed windows, a carved wooden door and the wall is a soft light brown.
It can’t be so awful so you go inside. A little bell rings twice; once you open the door and once again when you close it. Oh, of course it hangs over the door. It’s not loud and it seems like you are the only one who heard it.
You look around. On your left are carved wooden booths, somewhere bookshelves and quietly talking or reading people. Everyone has a mug and some people are eating. The place isn’t crowded but neither is empty. It’s peaceful and… and wonderful. You wouldn’t let anyone to know but a little… it feels like you came home.
Especially when you notice the smell of pie.
You look to your right. There is an old till and there are cakes on the counter. Behind the counter are shelves with books and more desserts on them.
And then you see the cashier who seems to belong there as a fish belongs to the sea. Beautiful bright eyes –if someone’d ask which color is your favourit, well, now you’d answer without hesitation-, hair that seems perfect, adorable smile and a frilly apron. Yes, a frilly apron.
Anywhere else, on anyone else it would propably look ridicules but here and now it seems just perfect. You walk to the till and say
’Hi’
’Hi, what would you love to drink?’ the cashier asks on a voice you would listen to all day.
’Uhm… a tea I guess…’ you feel so lost and so stupid.
’You don’t drink tea really often, do you? And you have not been here before, right?’
’Yeah’
’Well, we have a tea list here or I can surprise you with something, if you want’
’I choose the surprise one’ you say and rub the bridge of your nose.
’You have a headache?’
’Yeah, long day and stuff’
’I see… Do you want anything else? A cupcake, biscuit, pie?’
’Pie!’
’It’s pecan pie. Is it okay?’
’Of course’
’Okay, while I make your tea, you can have a seat, get dry and stuff. Make yourself home’
You smile back and sit down in the nearest booth. You take off your jacket because you are getting warmer and you are not as wet as you were. Though your hair is still too wet. You run a hand through it.
The cashier comes to you with a big slice of pie and a mug of steamy tea. The smell of the tea makes your head feel better. It turns out that it’s herbal tea and the cashier chose it because it helps if you have a headache.
You ask about the place and take a sip of your tea while the cashier talks to you. You start to eat your pie, the cashier –who turns out to be the owner- sits down front of you and talks. The tea does really help, the pie is fuckin’ delicious –homemade- and you go home happy.
After this day you visit the little tea house every day. You always drink a tea, eat a few slices of pie and talk with the owner. It doesn’t really surprise anyone when you two start to date. You don’t make a perfect couple, but who the fuck wants to be perfect when you can be happy?
The tea house becomes your home and anywhere you see or smell herbals you remember that rainy day when you met one of the most important people in your life.
But no, you are not the kind of tea drinking person, no.
’One’ mug per day doesn’t count. So says you.