synopsis: After leaving your old life behind, you start fresh by working at a local coffee shop. One day, you embarrass yourself as well as a blonde man named Dennis Whitaker. Both of you end up hitting it off after the awkward first encounter and can’t help but chat with each other. Your coworkers start meddling with the growing relationship between you and the doctor. However, after injuring yourself at your workplace, you find yourself being treated by none other than Dennis Whitaker.
fluff, no smut, barista!reader x dennis whitaker
It’s been ages since you found yourself in an enjoyable workplace. After uprooting your old life and starting anew in Pittsburgh, you decided to apply for a barista gig. You had recently worked at a popular small-town shop that was always packed, since most people there preferred to support small businesses over major corporations.
Honestly, the place was fun until all there was drama happening left and right. When you were dragged into it, that’s when you knew it was time for something new. Moving was always something you wanted to do, but you lacked the funds. It took another part-time job on top of being a barista to make the money you needed to move away.
Pittsburgh wasn’t your first choice, but it was new, and when you compared the job opportunities, it offered better options than other places. Another perk was the apartment you found. It was fairly priced, not too far from your new job, and you could already envision how you would decorate. Moving didn’t take much time, and the job hunt was short.
Thankfully, the honeymoon cafe agreed to a Zoom interview after hearing your story. The manager loved your attitude instantly and welcomed you to the shop at the end of the call. After securing the job and your apartment, you said your goodbyes and made the move.
Kiera, the manager at honeymoon cafe, is probably your favorite person in the coffee shop. One of the reasons you wanted to work here is that it’s not only a coffee shop but also a bookstore. Your new friend had told you it was actually her idea to carry romance books, because with a business name like honeymoon cafe, it’d be a shame not to have love stories available.
So far, the morning has been pretty good. Although you spilled an iced latte down the front of your cute outfit, you are catching on fast. Most people have been understanding with you; they are sure to relay their usual drinks to you instead of getting frustrated, which has been a massive help. At the old shop where you were previously employed, the regulars were always spiteful when they had to inform new hires about their drinks.
When rush hour hits, you are asked to take orders and hand out drinks. Talking with customers is easy here; most of the people are friendly, or they cut straight to the point. While you refill the basket with straws, two people step forward to place their order. One is a girl with short dark hair, and the other is a blonde man.
“Hey, guys. What can I get going for you two?” You smile at them while walking back to the register. Both of them wore matching outfits: black scrubs and tired expressions. Honestly, if anyone you've seen so far this morning needed a coffee, it’s these two.
“Uh,” the blonde one starts, “just the usual, please.” It’s the way his eyes shoot up to you for a second, then deflect straight to the floor that makes you bite back a bigger smile. Before you can say anything, the girl next to him elbows his side with an exaggerated groan.
“She’s new. She doesn’t know your usual, genius.” She grumbles while scrolling on her phone. A little smirk tugs at her lips as she starts typing something in silence.
“Unfortunately, I don’t know it. It’s my first day here, but I promise to learn it as fast as I can,” you shoot him a small smile. His head nods quickly in a single motion as he darts his attention to the female next to him.
“Oh my god, go stand over there, I’ll order it,” she barks at him, stuffing her phone in her pocket. He turns away from you before he thanks her under his breath. “Sorry, he’s weirder than he looks,” her cheeks puff out before leaning on the counter.
“No need to apologize, I’ve dealt with far worse and weirder,” you laugh slightly before clearing your throat, “So about that order?”
“I got it, Trinity! They’re almost done,” Kiera calls out while pouring a frozen drink. One of your coworkers steps in front of you to quickly type the order in while chatting with the dark-haired girl.
“You’re the best, Kiera!” Trinity sends your coworker a small smile before walking toward person she came in with. She slightly kicks the guy’s foot when she goes to sit down in the lounge chair next to them.
The line is clear, so when a drink slides onto the bar, you waste no time snatching it. After working as a barista for as long as you have, you have experienced almost everything. Including being yelled at by someone who left with a frappe instead of a black coffee. Never in your life did you expect someone to confuse a hot drink with a frozen drink, but shockingly, it does happen. Instead of the customer realizing they personally made a mistake, they shouted at the workers instead. Therefore, you prefer to make sure the drink goes with the right person.
Yelling out orders isn’t exactly your favorite part of the job, but you’d rather do this than have someone yell at you. The cafe is buzzing with energy, and people are scattered throughout the building while chatting. As you go to call out the order, it’s almost like the customers are trying to talk over one another. Okay, you’ll just have to be louder.
“Huckleberry!” You call out. After the word leaves your mouth, you instantly recoil back. “Wait, what the fuck?” The laugh that escapes your lips causes your cheeks to puff out before you catch yourself. Keep it together, be professional. It’s hard to go back to an indifferent face when the coffee shop suddenly goes silent.
The first thing to break the newfound silence is a loud snort from the dark-haired girl named Trinity. You glance up at the ceiling, attempting to stifle your laughter, which thankfully works. The blonde, Huckleberry, nearly trips over Trinity’s foot as he hurriedly makes his way toward you. It doesn’t go unnoticed when he turns toward her with a look of ‘what the fuck’ after stumbling for a second.
“I-uh-sorry,” he stammers as he nears you. The awkward tension of the room slowly starts to dissipate when he nears where you stand. Mercifully, you meet him halfway before extending his drink and straw toward him.
“Here’s that drink for you.” A polite smile plays on your lips while handing over the frozen drink. Even though you’re not entirely sure what it is, the cup is covered in chocolate and caramel drizzle.
“My name isn’t actually Huckleberry,” he says as you pass the drink over. A genuine laugh escapes you while the smile on your face grows even wider.
“This may come as a shock, but I didn’t think it was.” His shoulders sag a bit when you say this before his lips pull upward.
“Come on, Huckleberry. I’m not getting my ass chewed for being late.” Trinity grabs him by the shoulder. “Thanks for the drink, newbie.”
There wasn’t time to say anything else before they were out the door. After standing there with an amused expression, you turn on your heel to join your coworkers again. They are all smiles and snickering behind the espresso machine. When you near them, and they notice you, it only makes them laugh even harder. Suddenly, old feelings from your past job start resurfacing as they laugh together.
Did you do something wrong? Have they been making fun of you the whole time? Have they been pretending to be your friend this entire time? How long have they been doing this? How long have they been laughing at–
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t think about the fact you didn’t know about the nickname!” Kiera howls in laughter. After they wipe the tears from their eyes, you feel the anxiety in your chest begin to loosen.
“What?” you question in a choked voice. Confusion is all you can feel while staring at the group of people who attempt to catch their breath.
“Trinity’s nickname for him is Huckleberry, and that’s what she has us write on the cup. I honestly don’t know where the nickname came from because I don’t ask. We had many customers, so I didn’t even think about it. When you shouted Huckleberry, I could barely stand straight because I was laughing so hard,” Kiera breathlessly tells you.
“Totally our fault,” Ryan tosses his hands up, “But it was so nice to laugh after dealing with that rush. I mean, I was two seconds from falling to the floor laughing, seeing that look on your face. I could practically tell you were like, what the fuck is a huckleberry, oh my gosh.” A wheeze comes from him before he grips Kiera’s shoulder. The two of them seem to lose all feeling in their knees as they buckle to the floor.
“Yeah, we should’ve definitely told you, but it’s okay. He’s a good guy, and even if he was embarrassed, that’s nothing compared to what he goes through with Trinity. God, I love that girl, but she gives him a hard time. It’s all fun and games, though–probably not for him–but trust me when I say she isn’t going to let anyone mess with him. She may give him a hard time, but no one else is allowed to do it,” Lainey smiles as she pats your back.
“Good to know,” you gently laugh, “I thought you guys were laughing at me.”
Everyone kind of sobers up at your words, and you send them an awkward smile. Instantly, they all begin to reassure you about how they would never do something like that.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to ruin the mood!” You frantically wave your hands, “I’m just so thankful you were laughing at that whole thing!”
“Girl, we’re not your old coworkers. If we didn’t like you, you wouldn’t be here. Trust me, we want you here. We’ll never laugh or make fun of you. Will we give you a hard time sometimes? Yeah, we’ll do that and more. But it’ll never be like what you experienced,” Kiera pulls you into a hug while the rest of your new coworkers send you a smile.
“Yeah, think of Trinity and calling her buddy, Huckleberry. We may give you a hard time, but we've got your back,” Lainey glances over her shoulder while making a drink for herself.
A small smile pulls at your lips as your new coworkers pat your back while walking past you to take orders and make drinks. There’s a short moment that passes as you close your eyes, feeling a wave of too many emotions washing over you. It’s honestly overwhelming, and your chest tightens for a second as you breathe through the feeling.
Even though everything has been going smoothly, you still question yourself. Is this what you should be doing? Is this the right move? Will this be a repeat of what happened before? However, those doubts begin to wash away as the day goes on. This was definitely the right choice.
After you worked a couple of closing shifts, everything started to be easier to understand, and you learned how to make drinks you didn’t make at the place you previously worked. With all the training you received during the afternoon shifts, you walked in this morning with a confident attitude.
Everything has been flowing so easily since you’re used to the system your coworkers have made. Another perk of working the afternoon shift was chatting with the regulars, which means you know some of their orders. It’s been nice not having to shout every order like you were doing on your first day. Plus, it’s nice seeing the happy expressions when you remember who they are.
While walking a mug of coffee to someone seated in the corner, you catch sight of a familiar duo. When the hot beverage is safely set on the table, you politely excuse yourself before walking away. As you journey back to your workstation, the blonde-haired guy catches your eye for a brief second.
“Sorry, guys, I had to run a drink over to someone. What can I get going for the two of you? I unfortunately don’t know what you two ordered last. I swear it to you, I will have it memorized for next time, though.” You promise them with a genuine smile.
“It’s just two twenty-four ounce hazlenut, caramel, and chocolate frappes,” Trinity tells you. Before you say anything, the blonde cuts you off.
“With whipped topping, please,” he adds in.
“Of course, we will have those right out for you. That’s going to be $14.40.”
It’s much easier to navigate the register after working the last few shifts. The place you worked at was much simpler, whereas this one, you have to add all the flavors in, the exact subsitution, and simply include everything special about the drink.
The two of them walk away to the same spot they did the last time they were here. When Kiera finished the drinks, you offered to take them for her so she could clean up her station. She gives you an appreciative look and mumbles a thank you under her breath. Before the duo came in, Kiera had accidentally spilled one of the fraps she had made when she saw them walking toward the building.
When you neared them, you handed Trinity hers as she remained seated. Even as she talks on the phone, she still makes an effort to thank you for the coffee. Then, you turn to find the blonde standing at your side, awaiting his frozen drink.
“And here’s that for you,” you say, handing the cup to him with a smile. He goes to turn around, but decides against it as he faces you once again.
“It’s Dennis. My name is Dennis Whitaker.” You held your hand out in an attempt to be polite, which caused you to mentally cringe at yourself.
“Well, it’s nice to know your name isn’t Huckleberry. I’m (Y/N), nice to formally meet you. So you work at the hospital?” You put your hands behind your back as you fiddle with your fingers. Dennis smiles as he glances down at his badge, which has his work information on it.
“Yeah, I actually just got this the other day. I’m officially a doctor and not a student doctor,” he shares while talking with his hands.
“Well, that’s awesome! Congratulations, I bet that was exciting for you. I hope you were thrown a big celebration for something like that,” you grin at him, “I bet your family is so proud of you.”
“No big family celebration, unfortunately. I’m actually from Nebraska, so–”
“Nebraska?!” You cut him off. “Sorry, that was rude. I’m just shocked since that’s quite the distance. But hey, good for you! I actually just moved too. I’m not doing anything as amazing as saving lives, but I’m just happy to move from my hometown.”
“Oh, don’t say that. I’m sure people are excited to come in and see you guys. I mean, you may not be doctors, but you guys are kind of lifesavers. Without this,” he gestures to his melting drink, “I would be dead–not literally–but I would feel like it. It keeps me awake, which helps me help the patients that come in. Therefore, in a way, you’re saving people.”
As he rambles on, you can’t help but smile at his words. Without thinking about it, you grab his arm and gently squeeze it. “Thank you, Dennis. That was probably the nicest thing someone has said to me about my job. Seriously, thank you.” He goes to say something again, but you cut him off, “I hate to cut this conversation short, but your friend left. I’m not sure if that means you're late, but I just wanted to let you know.”
He turns his wrist over to check his watch, then grimaces at the accessory. “Oh yeah, I’m late. Uh, yeah, I gotta go like now, but thanks for my drink!” Dennis calls out over his shoulder before literally running out the door.
A laugh escapes you as he cuts across the street in a hurry. “Earth to (Y/N), we need you over here!” Lainey frantically whisper-yells at you. As you spin on your heel, you realize someone came in and placed a massive order.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize!” You apologize while snatching an apron from the hook on the wall. As you tied the strings behind your back, you couldn’t help but notice a smirk on your coworkers' faces. “What?”
Instead of saying anything while you start putting syrups and sauces into cups, they wiggle their eyebrows at each other. When a minute of silence and exchange looks past, you groan and spin on your heel.
“Is someone going to tell me why we’re smiling and giggling, or do I have to let my anxiety answer for me? Because trust me, it will,” you look at them with a jokingly pointed look. Even though you’re joking, it’s not a lie; it will definitely eat at you for a bit if no one tells you.
“Just seemed like you and Dr. Whitaker were hitting it off over there,” Ryan doesn’t even try to hide his smile. When you scoff at his words, Kiera turns and grabs his arm dramatically.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever told me,” she flutters her eyelashes like an animated character. As you watch them re-enact your previous encounter with the young doctor, you throw a rag at them while telling them to shut up. “Ew, that rag was soaked!” Kiera cringes as the dark blue towel splats onto the tiled floor.
“Good,” you huff out, “maybe if you were working instead of making fun of me, the rag wouldn’t have hit you.”
Everyone bites back their smiles while muttering their fake apologies. No one felt bad for a second; they were enjoying this situation far too much. A long-suffering silence rests on the group, with the only sounds being the hum of indie music and the grinder every time someone needed an espresso shot. The lack of conversation causes you to replay the scene in your head, meaning overthinking the situation.
You can’t believe that you were feeling him up–not that you were feeling him up-but still, you don’t do stuff like that. Then, the handshake causes a grimace to pull on your face. Ugh, why did you shake his hand? Seriously, when was the last time someone shook your hand when you met them? What were you trying to do? You were shaking his hand like you were hiring him for a job or something.
After a moment of suffering in silence, you spin on your heel to see everyone already looking at you with knowing grins. The large order was now finished, and you wait until the customer walks out the door before running a hand down your face.
“How bad was it?” You groan with your face in your hands. Kiera coos as she steps over to you like a wounded dog. “I haven’t talked to a guy in forever, and I shook his hand like I was trying to be a potential business partner. He probably thinks I’m such a weirdo,” the words fall from your mouth.
The rest of the staff waste no time walking over to you while you outwardly panic. Ryan crouches down to your height and chuckles at your flushed face. “It’s okay, we’re just joking. It really wasn’t that awkward. I think it was sweeter than awkward. Plus, he’s a good guy. He probably just liked that someone was willing to listen to him.”
“Say you swear right now,” you stare at him. “I really felt like such an idiot, guys.”
Your coworkers awe and rest their hands over their chests as if they were stabbed in the heart by your words. It’s hard not to roll your eyes at their antics, but it’s refreshing to have a group of people who genuinely care about you.
“Oh, stop. You’re not an idiot, you just need a little help. But, I think the awkward charm is cute! I don’t mean that in a demeaning way either. It’s refreshing seeing something that’s not showing off and trying to act like someone you’re not. I’m sure he appreciates that more than you trying to act like these other people who flaunt themselves around. I feel like this is coming off in a rude why but I promise I’m not. It’s seriously so sweet,” Kiera squeezes your shoulder with a little pout.
“Gosh, I just wanted to know if that was awkward. I wasn’t trying to be charming, I just wanted to have a conversation. It’s not like I’m trying to date the guy. I mean, he probably has a girlfriend or boyfriend. Either way, I was just talking,” you explain. Everyone shares looks that all look different but convey the same message: sure.
“Wait,” Ryan tosses his head back in laughter, “you don’t like this guy, but you’re panicking this much about it?” He questions you.
“Yep,” you tell him, popping the ‘p’ dramatically.
“Lainey, have you ever panicked this much over a guy you didn’t like?” He quirks a brow at your blonde coworker. She turns around with a huge smile on her face.
“Nope,” she copies you, popping the ‘p’ as you did. As she takes a sip from her drink, she waggles her eyebrows at you jokingly.
“So you don’t think he’s cute?” Kiera sends you a leveled look. Her dark eyes narrowed at you as she waited for your pending answer. Your face contorts as you scoff again.
“I didn’t say he wasn’t cute.”
“You think he’s cute!?” Lainey squeals and jumps with your hand in hers. You quickly snatch your hand back and grumble curses under your breath.
“You guys are ridiculous. He’s cute, okay? Oh my gosh, I think he’s cute–big deal. I’m taking this customer's order, and when I turn around, you guys better be done talking about this situation. Actually, erase it from your brain. Scrub it out. I don’t care, but no more. I will switch to afternoon shifts if I get interrogated about him anymore,” you walk away, clearly flustered.
“If I didn’t like someone, I definitely would also storm away after saying all that,” Ryan whispered under his breath. Your head snaps back like something straight from a horror movie as your eyes lock on his brown ones.
“Ryan, if I hear one more thing about the doctor, I will put your hand in a blender, so help me god.”
Never in your life have you felt the weight of people looking at you. However, today you felt as though a hundred pounds had been shackled to your body as your friends watched you. Next in line was the infamous Dennis Whitaker, the blonde man your coworkers can’t keep out of a single conversation.
Your face burns with all the gazes on you. The feeling makes you so anxious that you begin to rock back and forth on your heels when he steps forward. However, something is missing. You point at the open space next to him with a questioning look on your face.
“Where’s your partner in crime? Did you guys break up?” You ask before thinking twice. Dennis’s eyes go wide at your question, while his hands wave frantically between you two.
“Oh, we’re not a couple. She actually–well, I don’t know if I should say that–but trust me, I’m not her type. She doesn’t like guys,” he tells you. If you weren’t red-faced before, you definitely were now. “Trinity actually isn’t going to work; she’s not feeling good at all. It’s bad.”
“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. I was just joking. Like partners in crime? Breaking up? Like if the Batman and Robin–never mind, forget it. I’m rambling, I’m–”
“No, no, I get it! Sorry, I didn’t want you to think we were a couple. I was the one who made it weird,” Dennis clears his throat as red dances across his cheeks.
“Don’t apologize! You’re totally fine! Let’s just go back in time,” you make a squeaky sound as you pretend to turn a dial to ‘go back in time,’ “Good morning, do you want the usual?”
The blonde in front of you bites back a smile, “The usual sounds great, thank you.”
“Alright, your total is on the screen and ready whenever you are,” you gesture toward the card reader. “You know, we have this really good tea that works really well for sick people. Honestly, I’ve had quite a few customers swear by it. I’ve only been here for a short amount of time, so that should speak volumes. If you get off before the cafe closes, I’m sure Trinity would love it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Unfortuantely you guys are closed before I get off, but if she’s still sick when I have a day off, I’ll have to come by.”
“On your next day off, you should ask this lovely lady for a cup of coffee when she’s not working. She’s relatively new to the area and could use a guide,” Ryan walks up with his drink.
Nothing is nonchalant about the way your jaw falls open. While you look like a fish gasping for air, Dennis sounds like he chokes on air. Ryan simply smiles between the two of you, smug about the situation.
“Uh,” your voice is shaky, “I am so sorry. You can ignore him, I–”
“No, I could show you around sometime if you want to, that is. Um, yeah. That’s not a problem at all! I know what it’s like to move and not know anyone or have anyone to hang out with,” he tells you, then grimaces. “That made me sound like a loner, but I guess I kind of was until Trinity found me.” Dennis scratches the back of his neck while lightly laughing.
Ryan kicks your ankle when you don’t say anything. I mean, how could you have something to say? He just offered to hang out with you one-on-one so he could show you around. When you snap back to reality, Dennis stares at you while waiting for you to respond to him.
“Honestly, I would really appreciate that. The only things I’ve seen so far are my apartment, the honeymoon cafe, and the grocery store. So yeah, if you don’t mind and actually want to, I’d definitely take you up on your offer.”
“Awesome,” Ryan smacks both of your shoulders, “Sounds like a date.”
Before you can say anything, Dennis glances over and looks like he might die. “Oh my gosh, I’m late again. I’m so sorry, but I have to go. I’ll be back tomorrow, and we can talk more about places to see.”
“Don’t forget your drink,” Ryan calls out to the man running out the door. Dennis curses before rushing for his drink. He mumbles a quick thank you before making his way outside once again.
“That’s it, blender time, now.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Ryan laughs like a manic as you snatch the front of his apron, “I think the correct words are: thank you. Maybe you should be thanking your wingman and not trying to blend his hands.”
“You just planned a date after I told you not to bring the situation up again. Now, I’m going to be in an early grave from a massive panic attack!” You exclaim in the thankfully empty coffee shop.
“Hey, if you’re dying, just think: Dr. Whitaker can take care of you.” Ryan wiggles his dark eyebrows at you. A burning feeling takes over your face once again, which causes him to point at you. “Look at you, blushing, thinking about him taking care of you.”
When there wasn’t a customer in the building, your shift consisted of you chasing Ryan and Ryan running from you. Kiera and Lainey simply cheered and recorded the whole thing with massive grins on their face. All you could think about was how on earth would you would show your face the next day.
Since you started working at the honeymoon cafe, you haven’t been too overwhelmed. Today is a different story, though. Not only are all the seats taken in the building, but the line is to the glass doors. Honestly, your anxiety is starting to act up due to the unusual amount of customers you have, but you try to do your best to breathe through it.
Kiera must notice you are getting overwhelmed, though, because she walks up and offers to swap stations. Instantly, you accept and replace her at the espresso machine. Pulling shots and steaming milk is peaceful compared to the chaos of the register right now. You make a mental note to thank her later for letting you take a break from that spot.
“Hey, I need some oat milk steamed. Can you please start that?” Lainey calls out from the syrups.
“Got it,” you tell her as you begin pouring the milk into a pitcher. As you hold the pitcher, you constantly check the temperature to make sure you don’t make it too hot. Lainey thanks you as she sets the drink down beside the espresso machine, then rushes back to start the other cups.
When the thermometer reads the correct temperature, you turn the steamer off and pour the milk into the cup. Ryan took a shot you had ready and finished the drink for you. As the cup is whisked away, you grab the rag to wipe off the steam wand. Lainey is by your side again, filling a hot to-go cup with hot water from the espresso machine. She’s making an americano for someone.
While she does this, you reach for the steam wand but forget to grab the rubber part at the top of it. Lainey goes to warn you, but it’s too late as you hold the hot metal with your bare fingers. Instinctively, you rip your hand away, but accidentally knock over the cup she was filling up. The girl next to you gasps as the scorching water from the cup drenches your hand and the running hot water pours onto your skin.
A yelp leaves your mouth as you cradle your hand to your chest. Your coworkers quickly turn to rush over when they see how red your hand is. All of them grimace as the skin on your hand bubbles.
“Um, what do I do?” You question with tears in your eyes. As the four of you huddled together, customers grew frustrated at the lack of work, so Lainey shooed Kiera and Ryan off.
“You two go, I’ll run some cold water over her hand. Then we’ll bust out the first aid kit,” Lainey lets out a shaky breath, staring at your hand. Before your coworkers rush back to their stations, they make sure you’re okay. After reassuring them it’ll be okay a couple of times, they begin working on the orders again. “Okay, this is going to hurt, but I’m pretty sure this is what you need to do.”
“Pretty sure?” You ask through gritted teeth. Lainey sends you an apologetic smile before turning on the handwashing sink. As you’re about to dunk your hand into the freezing water, the blonde girl jerks your hand away.
“Dr. Whitaker! Just the guy we need!” She cries out. Your eyes widen as you turn to find him standing at the counter. It doesn’t take more than a couple of seconds for him to see you clutching your hand to your chest. “She has some nasty burns on her hand from the espresso machine. The cup of hot water was poured on her, then the water from the spicket got on her too.”
“That’s not good,” he simply says before Ryan waves him behind the counter.
Your face flushes as he paces toward you in his scrubs, wearing a serious expression. Once he nears you, Lainey gives you a little smile and walks away. “May I?” Dennis asks with his hands outstretched. Reluctantly, you nod and hold out your throbbing hand. “Ouch, you okay?” He questions as he examines the burning skin.
“I feel like I just stuck my hand in a pot of boiling water for ten minutes. I’d say I’m better than okay,” you dryly tell him. Dennis glances up at you and huffs out a laugh.
“Well, humor is a good sign. Unfortunately, I think you need to get this checked out and probably taken care of. If you want to, I work across the street and would be more than willing to help you out.”
“I mean, you could return the favor, I guess. I do make your coffee every day. It’s about time I get something in return,” you attempt to joke, but realize what you said.
“Whoa, burns make you frisky. Where was this when we were planning your guys’ date yesterday?” Ryan asks you. Dennis's hand twitches a little as he examines your hand a bit.
“I’m about to smack you with my hand, burned or not.”
Dennis laughs at your words before shaking his head, “There’ll be no hitting anyone with this hand. Actually, do you guys mind if she gets this taken care of really fast? I definitely wouldn’t have her returning to work today, but tomorrow she could be on the register, or something that won’t get her hand dirty.” He glances up to look at your coworkers, who instantly tell you two to get out of here.
“Go get that thing taken care of, girl. Trust me, we got this. Next time you come in, we’ll cover your drink doc.” Kiera promises him with a thankful smile.
“That’s not necessary, but it’s greatly appreciated,” Dennis tells them as he ushers you out.
“Don’t you want to grab your drink first?” You question him, pointing behind the two of you. He simply laughs at your questions and shakes his head no.
“This is a little more important than my drink. Plus, Trinity is feeling better and came in with me. Hopefully, she’ll get me one. If not, I’ll just drink a black coffee like the others,” he shrugs while urging you across the street.
At first, you didn’t realize it, but now that he’s guiding you across the street, you notice his hand on the small of your back. After acknowledging this, it’s hard to ignore it, but you try your hardest to act indifferent.
“How long is the wait going to be?” You clear your throat while trying to move away from his touch. It’s casual, so he doesn’t notice; however, he simply catches up to you with his hand remaining in the same spot.
“Oh, you won’t have to wait. I’ve had plenty of coworkers take in people they know and get treated. Plus, this is something I can clean up in the breakroom, and it’s quick and easy. As long as that’s okay with you?” The two of you walk into the waiting room, and he patiently waits for your answer.
He doesn’t bat an eye at the crowd that fills the seats, whereas it’s all you notice. People have various injuries, some complaining of a stomach ache, while others were draining blood from an arm wound. Even though it’s rude, you can’t help but stare at everyone.
“You deal with this every day?”
“Sometimes it’s busier,” he frowns for a second, “but that’s besides the point. Do you want to wait, or do you feel comfortable with me treating you before my shift starts?”
“I feel like a scumbag for saying this, but yeah. I’ll definitely take you up on your offer. I think I’ll have a panic attack after twenty minutes in here,” you tell him honestly.
He gives you a look of understanding before gently guiding you through the crowd. A couple of people bump into your hand, which causes some curse words to fall from your lips. When you reach the door, a woman buzzes Dennis through, and you’re met with people running from place to place.
“Just keep following me,” his tone is gentle as he continues to guide you. Now that you two are in his place of work, you realize he doesn’t only have a hand on the small of your back, but he is now holding your arm upright. “Alright, here is the break room. Let’s get this checked out.”
“Dr. Whitaker, what do we have here?” An older male with brown hair questions. Dennis sighs while closing his eyes momentarily.
“Dr. Robby,” he sends him a small smile, “my barista—not my barista—but um, sorry, that came out weird.”
“I’m his barista,” you tell his coworker while biting back a laugh. “I burnt my hand pretty badly, and Dr. Whitaker offered to help me when he saw it at the shop. I hope that’s okay. If not, I’ll leave. I don’t want him getting in trouble,” the words rush out. Dr. Robby looks as though he wants to laugh at the two of you before he shakes his head.
“Go ahead, Dr. Whitaker. Just try to get your barista taken care of before your shift starts. The night shift had a rough night, and we have a lot to catch up on. It’s nice meeting you, and you’re in good hands,” the older doctor tells you. A smirk pulls at your lips from his dumb joke as your eyes land on Dennis.
“So, let’s get this patched up before you get in trouble,” you tell him while gesturing to the door. He simply nods and invites you into the small room that’s currently empty. “So what do you have to do?”
“Well, your coworker was actually doing the right thing. First, we’re going to run some cool water over the burns. So let’s start with that first,” he waves you toward the sink. You nod before following behind him. When your skin touches the running water, you hiss from the pain. “Sorry,” Dennis winces.
“It’s fine,” your eyes squeeze shut while the water continues to run over your burning skin. “So what else?”
“We’re going to do this for about five minutes, then dry it off. I have some nonstick gauze in the first aid kit, so we’ll wrap the hand in that. We don’t want anything touching or rubbing against it, but I need you to change it at least once. It doesn’t look infected, so we don’t have to worry about antibiotics or anything like that yet. But, if you notice anything unusual, like it’s leaking pus or the pain is too much, come back here to get some antibiotics. Other than that, I recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen for the pain.”
“Okay,” you lamely respond as he shuts the water off. He sends you a small smile before gesturing to the empty chair at the table. You take a seat while he digs around in the staff lounge’s first-aid kit.
“Got it,” Dennis chirps with the supplies in hand. “May I?”
“Yeah,” you hoarsely say while hesitantly letting him take your hand.
“This might hurt a bit,” he sends you a sympathetic look. You wave him off with your free hand and suck in a deep breath.
“Just do it, doc.” Your eyes squeeze shut as he begins to dab the irritated skin. When you grumbled some choice words, he apologized quietly. After a moment, you crack your eyes open to notice how focused the blonde is in front of you.
“Okay, now I’m just going to wrap it up. It shouldn’t be too bad now. I feel like the drying part is worse.” Dennis fiddles with the gauze before wrapping it around your hand. “Is this okay? Not too tight?” His eyes flicker up to meet yours.
Your face flushes from the intimate proximities before clearing your throat and breaking eye contact. “Uh, yeah, it’s fine.” Dennis nods before smoothing his hand over the band-aid.
“Alright, you’re set. Now remember, go home and keep the bandage dry. Change it at least one more time, and if it hurts, take some pain relievers,” he continues to hold your hand gently as you stand from your seat. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize I was still–yep, I’ll just let you have this back,” he laughs as he releases your hand.
A light laugh falls from your lips at his awkward reaction, like he hadn’t been holding your hand for the past fifteenish minutes. “It’s okay,” you reassure him with a grin on your face. “Now, I hate to be annoying and needy, but can you walk me out? I know you need to get back, but I completely forgot the blueprints of the place.”
Dennis’s eyes go wide at your words before vigorously nodding his head. “Yes, that’s not a problem at all. I have a couple of minutes left, and if I get in trouble, at least I was helping someone.” He holds the door open for you to walk out of.
When you thank him and walk past him, you notice a little crowd standing outside the staff lounge. Your eyebrows raise as the number of people in scrubs who wear knowing looks on their faces. Even the doctor you met earlier, Dr. Robby, glances through the top of his glasses with a smirk on his face. Dennis freezes in his spot while his coworkers eye him, clearly enjoying the view.
“How is your barista doing, Whitaker?” An older blonde woman asks him. She wears a nurse leader badge and her arms cross over her chest, chewing on a piece of gum. You feel like a zoo animal with the way everyone stares at both of you.
“She’s doing good. I was just going to walk her out, then come pick up some patients,” he hesitantly says with a slight tilt of his head. You noticed Trinity wiggling her eyebrows at him before he gave her a warning look.
“Alright, hurry back, hun, we need you back here. It’s nice to meet you, sweetheart. We’ve been hearing about this barista across the street. Heard you guys are going on a little date soon. Don’t worry, I told Whitaker about my favorite diner. You’ll have to let me know what you think. Now, you two get a move on, we have patients that need to see us,” the blonde lady smiles.
Your face flushes as a couple of people snicker at the charge nurse, Dana’s words. The name on the tag is hard to read, but after staring at it for a moment, you were positive it said Dana. Dennis mumbles a quiet, come on, before guiding you out of the emergency department.
“Oh god, you weren’t lying. It really does get busier,” your mouth pops open from the amount of people piled into the waiting room. Dennis sends you a tight-lipped smile while scanning the crowd.
“Yeah, it’ll probably get busier, but let’s not jinx it either way,” he says while the both of you are near the door. “I’m sorry about that back there. They can’t be a little much.”
“It’s okay, um,” you clear your throat while holding up your hand, “thanks for this. I mean, I look like I’m ready for Halloween, being wrapped up like a mummy, but it’s fine.” Both of you laugh until the sound of an ambulance is heard. “I should probably go, but seriously, thank you so much. I owe you one.”
“How about you return the favor by going to dinner with me this Friday?” He questions you. Your eyebrows shot up at his forwardness, a smile tugging at your lips. “I would love to take you to the place Dana was talking about, if you want to.”
“I would love to. Friday night sounds like a plan,” you lightly sway before turning around.
“It’s a date!” He calls out to you.
When you turn to nod at him, you catch him doing some kind of dance with his back toward you. Your hand covers your mouth, so he can’t hear the laugh that comes from you. Oh, Ryan is going to be so excited to hear about this.
Thank you so much for reading! I’m done with the barista!reader x the pitt characters, but it was so fun to do! Once again, please be kind! This is my second imagine and I’m new to this!
