Fan Fiction: The Hobbit (G)
Title: Durinson's Coffee
Pairing/Characters: Ori, Dwalin, Balin, Thorin, Bofur, Bombur, Nori, Bilbo Baggins; N/A
Rating: G
Fandom: The Hobbit
Word Count: 1,957
Spoilers: Not really.
Summary: Thorin interviews Ori and Dwalin trains him.
Notes/Warnings: Continuation of the coffee shop!au. I have no idea how long it's going to be. No beta.
Durinson's Coffee
Ori paused outside the coffee house, his heart thumping in his chest from a combination of nerves and anticipation. Dwalin waited inside, but so did Thorin. He'd yet to meet the owner of Durinson's Coffee, but Fíli and Kíli had both indicated that he was the stern and serious type. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he entered the coffee shop. It was busy tonight, warm with the smell of coffee and baked goods. Both Fíli and Kíli were behind the counter, the latter taking orders and the former filling them, with help from an older man with long dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail to keep it out of the way. Before Ori could become intimidated by the bustle, a familiar hand wrapped around his arm, drawing his attention to Dwalin, who stood beside him now. "Glad you could make it, lad. This way."
The taller man guided him through a door marked 'Employees Only' to what had to be the offices for the management. Dwalin led him through one with a 'Thorin Durinson' nameplate on it. Balin sat in one of the chairs facing the large, heavy desk. He grinned when he saw Ori. "Hello, Ori. Good to see you again."
"Good to see you, too, Balin." Ori shook his hand with a small smile, wondering if he'd be there for the interview as well.
"Brother, could you send Thorin back?" Balin addressed Dwalin with a twinkle in his eyes. Giving an exasperated huff, Dwalin disappeared out the door. Ori turned in time to appreciate the way Dwalin's jeans fit his ass. Then Balin spoke again. "Have a seat, lad."
"Thank you." Ori tried not to fidget once he sat down, but his nerves were getting to him.
Apparently, he wasn't very good at hiding his nerves because Balin reached over and lightly patted his arm. "Relax, Ori. Thorin won't bite."
Ori nodded, but said nothing. He couldn't tell Balin that this was the first job interview he'd had in weeks, that the money he'd carefully saved from his last unemployment check had just run out. The last thing he wanted to do was show how desperate he was to get this job. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened to admit the older man he'd seen behind the counter, his hair completely loose now. "I hope you two haven't been waiting long."
"Ori here hasn't been here for more than a few minutes." Balin told the man as he moved around the desk, not yet sitting down. "Ori, this is Thorin Durinson, owner of Durinson's Coffee. Thorin, this is Ori Rison."
Thorin glanced at Balin in surprise and Ori's heart sank. Did they know either of his brothers already? Dori wouldn't be so bad, but Nori had a Past that sometimes caught up with him and not always in a good way. Thorin cleared his throat as he finally sat down. "Do you have any experience as a barista?"
"Not professionally." Relief flooded through him when neither of the men asked about his brothers. Perhaps they knew Dori. "I had a friend in college who owned an espresso machine and I got to be pretty good with it."
Thorin nodded and, as he did, the light caught on the streaks of silver in his hair. "I'm sure you've seen for yourself that you won't just be making drinks. You'll also be taking orders and busing tables and so on. Do you think you could handle that?"
"I'm sure I could." He pulled out the copy of his resume that he'd brought with him and offered it to Thorin.
He took the paper and skimmed it. "Yes, it looks like the others are right about you and I'm guessing one of your brothers is Nori?"
"Yes, he is." Ori bit his tongue the next moment, wishing his innate honesty hadn't gotten the better of him. There was a reason Nori didn't generally mention him or Dori by name, if he mentioned that he had brothers at all.
Balin patted his arm comfortingly. "It's all right, laddie. He's already fit in with us thanks to Bofur. Just means you'll fit in with us more easily than we thought."
He looked from one to the other in surprise. He wondered what Balin meant about Bofur. "You've seen Nori recently?"
"Yes. Sometimes he helps Bofur and Bombur bring in the first round of baked goods for the day." Thorin's brow knit in a frown. "You haven't?"
Ori shook his head. "I've been at school until recently."
"We don't always know when Nori will be here, but when he does come, it's usually early in the morning," Balin told him.
He nodded, relieved to know that his other brother was all right. Thorin cleared his throat and Ori turned his attention back to him. "Much as this is a family-run business, there's still paperwork that needs to be filled out." He held out a stack of papers to Ori, who took them with mingled relief and pleasure. "Fill these out and talk with Balin to figure out the best shifts for you to work. He knows which shifts the others prefer."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Durinson." He stood when Thorin did, clutching the papers tightly to his chest.
Thorin held up a hand, a small smile curving his mouth. "Thorin, please. Part of the family atmosphere, you know."
"Yes, of course." He nodded, smiling shyly.
Thorin led the way from the office, moving behind the counter while Balin and Ori continued to the seating area. He could hardly believe that he'd finally landed a job. I only hope that I don't make a fool of myself in front of Dwalin.
* * *
When Dwalin let himself into the coffee shop the next morning, the smell of fresh-baked goods met him, as usual, along with the chatter of voices in the kitchen. Upon proceeding back there, he found Bofur and Bombur placing racks of goods on the counters. Off to one side, Ori and Nori stood side-by-side. Seeing them so close together, Dwalin could tell they were related, as Balin had told him last night on the way home. They were about the same height and their eyes and noses were the same color and shape. Nori's long brown hair didn't have the hint of red in it that Ori's did when it caught the light.
Bofur looked up from pilfering a croissant and grinned when he saw Dwalin standing in the doorway. "Dwalin! Good morning!"
"Stop eating the goods, Bofur," he retorted with a faint smile, going to the safe in the corner and retrieving a cash register drawer with money in it already. "How's Bifur?"
Bofur's ever-present cheer faded for a moment. "He still hasn't woken up."
Without a word, Nori crossed to Bofur's side and squeezed his shoulders comfortingly. His voice gruff but sincere, Dwalin told him, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Dwalin told me about Bifur yesterday," Ori added quietly, his arms folded across his chest. "I hope he wakes up soon."
Bofur nodded, leaning into Nori briefly before straightening up. "Thanks, guys." He managed a smile. "Let's get everything in the shop, hmm?"
Dwalin caught Ori's arm when he moved to help. "They can handle it. You're with me."
"A-all right." Ori followed him to the front.
He stopped them by the cash register, sliding the drawer into place. "You'll mainly be on clean-up duty and help keep the case of baked goods stocked for now. During slow periods, you'll be trained on the register and making the different drinks."
Ori nodded, taking it all in with huge brown eyes. "I asked Balin about a dress code, but he said we don't have one?"
"Correct, though Thorin prefers that we make an effort to look clean and neat. If you decide to grow your hair out, pull it back while you're on shift." Most of them preferred to keep their hair short, but Thorin and both of his nephews had let theirs grow out.
There was a knock on the glass door then and both of them turned. Dwalin smiled when he recognized the short, plump man with an unruly mop of honey-gold curls. Moving around the counter, he opened the door for Bilbo. "Good morning, Dwalin."
"Morning, Bilbo." As Dwalin and Bilbo approached the counter, Bofur and Nori emerged with the first of the day's baked goods. "What's your poison this morning?"
After a moment of studying the menu, Bilbo told him, "A large zebra mocaccino and a slice of coffee cake."
Dwalin gestured for Ori to join him and talked him through turning on the register and entering the order. When he finished, Ori told Bilbo, "Your total is $7.45."
"I've not seen you before," Bilbo commented idly, handing over a ten-dollar bill
Dwalin talked Ori through how to enter the amount. The change the lad counted out easily and offered to Bilbo, along with the receipt. "I'm just starting today. Thorin hired me last night."
"That's good to hear," Bilbo smiled warmly as Dwalin plucked a cup from the stack and showed Ori how to mark the order on it for the barista. "I'm Bilbo Baggins, by the way. I teach at the community college nearby."
Dwalin moved to the machine to make Bilbo's mocaccino, keeping half an ear on Ori's conversation with Bilbo. "I'm Ori Rison. What do you teach?"
"Languages, mostly the 'dead' ones such as ancient Greek or Latin." Bofur returned from the kitchen with a brown bag for Bilbo, offering it to him with a grin. "Thanks, Bofur."
"Bombur heated it up a little, just the way you like." Bofur winked and disappeared back into the kitchen, presumably to get more of the baked goods."
Dwalin finished making the drink and set it on the counter in front of Bilbo. "Tell Thorin to stop wearing you out on school nights."
"Dwalin!" Bilbo blushed deep red as he accepted the cup.
Ori looked between them with a frown that made a line form just above his nose. "Pardon me if I offend you, but are you Thorin's boyfriend?"
"I am, yes." Bilbo gave an exasperated sigh. "Which I didn't know meant I'd wind up with the rest of these idiots as family, too."
Bofur reappeared with another tray just in time to catch Bilbo's last comment. "Admit it, Bilbo, you love us anyway."
"Sadly, I do." He smiled warmly. "Give my regards to Bombur and Nori."
"Will do." Another grin and a wink and Bofur disappeared again.
Bilbo turned back to Dwalin and Ori. "That reminds me: are you and Nori related?"
"He's my brother," Ori answered quietly. From behind the counter, Dwalin could see the lad plucking at the hem of his sweater with his fingers.
He reached across the counter and patted Ori's arm. "I thought so."
Bofur returned again, carrying two trays of goods. "This is the last of the lot."
"Good, because it's almost time to open." Dwalin glanced at the clock.
Bilbo followed his example and snatched up the mocaccino and coffee cake. "And I need to get going if I want to get to my first class of the day on time. It was lovely meeting you, Ori."
"It was nice to meet you, too, Mr. Baggins." Ori smiled shyly at the little professor.
He shook his curly head. "Might as well call me Bilbo, since we're both part of the family."
"Bilbo, then." Ori nodded his head.
After Bilbo left, Dwalin and Bofur showed Ori what he needed to do to help them open for the day. The lad listened intently to every word, clearly determined to get it right. He'll be fine.
End
Pairing/Characters: Ori, Dwalin, Balin, Thorin, Bofur, Bombur, Nori, Bilbo Baggins; N/A
Rating: G
Fandom: The Hobbit
Word Count: 1,957
Spoilers: Not really.
Summary: Thorin interviews Ori and Dwalin trains him.
Notes/Warnings: Continuation of the coffee shop!au. I have no idea how long it's going to be. No beta.
Durinson's Coffee
Ori paused outside the coffee house, his heart thumping in his chest from a combination of nerves and anticipation. Dwalin waited inside, but so did Thorin. He'd yet to meet the owner of Durinson's Coffee, but Fíli and Kíli had both indicated that he was the stern and serious type. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he entered the coffee shop. It was busy tonight, warm with the smell of coffee and baked goods. Both Fíli and Kíli were behind the counter, the latter taking orders and the former filling them, with help from an older man with long dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail to keep it out of the way. Before Ori could become intimidated by the bustle, a familiar hand wrapped around his arm, drawing his attention to Dwalin, who stood beside him now. "Glad you could make it, lad. This way."
The taller man guided him through a door marked 'Employees Only' to what had to be the offices for the management. Dwalin led him through one with a 'Thorin Durinson' nameplate on it. Balin sat in one of the chairs facing the large, heavy desk. He grinned when he saw Ori. "Hello, Ori. Good to see you again."
"Good to see you, too, Balin." Ori shook his hand with a small smile, wondering if he'd be there for the interview as well.
"Brother, could you send Thorin back?" Balin addressed Dwalin with a twinkle in his eyes. Giving an exasperated huff, Dwalin disappeared out the door. Ori turned in time to appreciate the way Dwalin's jeans fit his ass. Then Balin spoke again. "Have a seat, lad."
"Thank you." Ori tried not to fidget once he sat down, but his nerves were getting to him.
Apparently, he wasn't very good at hiding his nerves because Balin reached over and lightly patted his arm. "Relax, Ori. Thorin won't bite."
Ori nodded, but said nothing. He couldn't tell Balin that this was the first job interview he'd had in weeks, that the money he'd carefully saved from his last unemployment check had just run out. The last thing he wanted to do was show how desperate he was to get this job. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened to admit the older man he'd seen behind the counter, his hair completely loose now. "I hope you two haven't been waiting long."
"Ori here hasn't been here for more than a few minutes." Balin told the man as he moved around the desk, not yet sitting down. "Ori, this is Thorin Durinson, owner of Durinson's Coffee. Thorin, this is Ori Rison."
Thorin glanced at Balin in surprise and Ori's heart sank. Did they know either of his brothers already? Dori wouldn't be so bad, but Nori had a Past that sometimes caught up with him and not always in a good way. Thorin cleared his throat as he finally sat down. "Do you have any experience as a barista?"
"Not professionally." Relief flooded through him when neither of the men asked about his brothers. Perhaps they knew Dori. "I had a friend in college who owned an espresso machine and I got to be pretty good with it."
Thorin nodded and, as he did, the light caught on the streaks of silver in his hair. "I'm sure you've seen for yourself that you won't just be making drinks. You'll also be taking orders and busing tables and so on. Do you think you could handle that?"
"I'm sure I could." He pulled out the copy of his resume that he'd brought with him and offered it to Thorin.
He took the paper and skimmed it. "Yes, it looks like the others are right about you and I'm guessing one of your brothers is Nori?"
"Yes, he is." Ori bit his tongue the next moment, wishing his innate honesty hadn't gotten the better of him. There was a reason Nori didn't generally mention him or Dori by name, if he mentioned that he had brothers at all.
Balin patted his arm comfortingly. "It's all right, laddie. He's already fit in with us thanks to Bofur. Just means you'll fit in with us more easily than we thought."
He looked from one to the other in surprise. He wondered what Balin meant about Bofur. "You've seen Nori recently?"
"Yes. Sometimes he helps Bofur and Bombur bring in the first round of baked goods for the day." Thorin's brow knit in a frown. "You haven't?"
Ori shook his head. "I've been at school until recently."
"We don't always know when Nori will be here, but when he does come, it's usually early in the morning," Balin told him.
He nodded, relieved to know that his other brother was all right. Thorin cleared his throat and Ori turned his attention back to him. "Much as this is a family-run business, there's still paperwork that needs to be filled out." He held out a stack of papers to Ori, who took them with mingled relief and pleasure. "Fill these out and talk with Balin to figure out the best shifts for you to work. He knows which shifts the others prefer."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Durinson." He stood when Thorin did, clutching the papers tightly to his chest.
Thorin held up a hand, a small smile curving his mouth. "Thorin, please. Part of the family atmosphere, you know."
"Yes, of course." He nodded, smiling shyly.
Thorin led the way from the office, moving behind the counter while Balin and Ori continued to the seating area. He could hardly believe that he'd finally landed a job. I only hope that I don't make a fool of myself in front of Dwalin.
* * *
When Dwalin let himself into the coffee shop the next morning, the smell of fresh-baked goods met him, as usual, along with the chatter of voices in the kitchen. Upon proceeding back there, he found Bofur and Bombur placing racks of goods on the counters. Off to one side, Ori and Nori stood side-by-side. Seeing them so close together, Dwalin could tell they were related, as Balin had told him last night on the way home. They were about the same height and their eyes and noses were the same color and shape. Nori's long brown hair didn't have the hint of red in it that Ori's did when it caught the light.
Bofur looked up from pilfering a croissant and grinned when he saw Dwalin standing in the doorway. "Dwalin! Good morning!"
"Stop eating the goods, Bofur," he retorted with a faint smile, going to the safe in the corner and retrieving a cash register drawer with money in it already. "How's Bifur?"
Bofur's ever-present cheer faded for a moment. "He still hasn't woken up."
Without a word, Nori crossed to Bofur's side and squeezed his shoulders comfortingly. His voice gruff but sincere, Dwalin told him, "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Dwalin told me about Bifur yesterday," Ori added quietly, his arms folded across his chest. "I hope he wakes up soon."
Bofur nodded, leaning into Nori briefly before straightening up. "Thanks, guys." He managed a smile. "Let's get everything in the shop, hmm?"
Dwalin caught Ori's arm when he moved to help. "They can handle it. You're with me."
"A-all right." Ori followed him to the front.
He stopped them by the cash register, sliding the drawer into place. "You'll mainly be on clean-up duty and help keep the case of baked goods stocked for now. During slow periods, you'll be trained on the register and making the different drinks."
Ori nodded, taking it all in with huge brown eyes. "I asked Balin about a dress code, but he said we don't have one?"
"Correct, though Thorin prefers that we make an effort to look clean and neat. If you decide to grow your hair out, pull it back while you're on shift." Most of them preferred to keep their hair short, but Thorin and both of his nephews had let theirs grow out.
There was a knock on the glass door then and both of them turned. Dwalin smiled when he recognized the short, plump man with an unruly mop of honey-gold curls. Moving around the counter, he opened the door for Bilbo. "Good morning, Dwalin."
"Morning, Bilbo." As Dwalin and Bilbo approached the counter, Bofur and Nori emerged with the first of the day's baked goods. "What's your poison this morning?"
After a moment of studying the menu, Bilbo told him, "A large zebra mocaccino and a slice of coffee cake."
Dwalin gestured for Ori to join him and talked him through turning on the register and entering the order. When he finished, Ori told Bilbo, "Your total is $7.45."
"I've not seen you before," Bilbo commented idly, handing over a ten-dollar bill
Dwalin talked Ori through how to enter the amount. The change the lad counted out easily and offered to Bilbo, along with the receipt. "I'm just starting today. Thorin hired me last night."
"That's good to hear," Bilbo smiled warmly as Dwalin plucked a cup from the stack and showed Ori how to mark the order on it for the barista. "I'm Bilbo Baggins, by the way. I teach at the community college nearby."
Dwalin moved to the machine to make Bilbo's mocaccino, keeping half an ear on Ori's conversation with Bilbo. "I'm Ori Rison. What do you teach?"
"Languages, mostly the 'dead' ones such as ancient Greek or Latin." Bofur returned from the kitchen with a brown bag for Bilbo, offering it to him with a grin. "Thanks, Bofur."
"Bombur heated it up a little, just the way you like." Bofur winked and disappeared back into the kitchen, presumably to get more of the baked goods."
Dwalin finished making the drink and set it on the counter in front of Bilbo. "Tell Thorin to stop wearing you out on school nights."
"Dwalin!" Bilbo blushed deep red as he accepted the cup.
Ori looked between them with a frown that made a line form just above his nose. "Pardon me if I offend you, but are you Thorin's boyfriend?"
"I am, yes." Bilbo gave an exasperated sigh. "Which I didn't know meant I'd wind up with the rest of these idiots as family, too."
Bofur reappeared with another tray just in time to catch Bilbo's last comment. "Admit it, Bilbo, you love us anyway."
"Sadly, I do." He smiled warmly. "Give my regards to Bombur and Nori."
"Will do." Another grin and a wink and Bofur disappeared again.
Bilbo turned back to Dwalin and Ori. "That reminds me: are you and Nori related?"
"He's my brother," Ori answered quietly. From behind the counter, Dwalin could see the lad plucking at the hem of his sweater with his fingers.
He reached across the counter and patted Ori's arm. "I thought so."
Bofur returned again, carrying two trays of goods. "This is the last of the lot."
"Good, because it's almost time to open." Dwalin glanced at the clock.
Bilbo followed his example and snatched up the mocaccino and coffee cake. "And I need to get going if I want to get to my first class of the day on time. It was lovely meeting you, Ori."
"It was nice to meet you, too, Mr. Baggins." Ori smiled shyly at the little professor.
He shook his curly head. "Might as well call me Bilbo, since we're both part of the family."
"Bilbo, then." Ori nodded his head.
After Bilbo left, Dwalin and Bofur showed Ori what he needed to do to help them open for the day. The lad listened intently to every word, clearly determined to get it right. He'll be fine.
End