Work Text:
Izuku glanced over at the door when he heard the bell’s gentle jingle as it opened. That’s where he saw him. Shouto Todoroki – of course he remembered his name – wearing a simple, beige, textured turtleneck that hugged his frame perfectly, loose trousers that swayed with each step and a brown belt holding it up that matched the brown suede chelsea boots he wore.
Shouto dressed so simply, and Izuku was surely head over heels for him. The man could walk in wearing a trash bag dress and Izuku would still be a blushing, flustered mess.
Izuku watched him sit in his usual spot – the lonesome booth at the corner of the shop where no one would bother him. He watched as Shouto’s slender fingers brushed through his beautiful bicoloured hair and tied it in a bun, then neatly folded his sleeves back. He watched as he pulled his phone and tablet from his bag, setting it up to do his work.
He could look at him all day. But he had to do his job.
Izuku’s cheeks flushed, shaking his head slightly and turning away to grab the coffee pot from the machine to serve his customers. Shouto, hopefully, would be there all day, so he didn’t need to worry.
An hour and a half went by and Shouto watched as people entered the cafe and left, and he was still there. His finger tapped on the tablet screen as it dimmed. He pressed his lips together and furrowed his eyebrows.
“[Title]. By Shouto Todoroki”
“One chilly autumn morning,”
That was it. The rest of the page was blank. Shouto had spent an hour and a half there, only to write four words. He hoped that coming to a cafe, being surrounded by the calming ambiance, and the scent of freshly grounded coffee beans would give him some sort of inspiration for his new novel.
Shouto had no issue writing the previous ones. They were all so easily done. Ideas flowed through him and he had to stop himself from going way over the limit. This was different though.
The only thing that he could blame was the lack of a partner in his life. No issues before, yes, because those stories were fantasy, mystery, psychological thriller - there was no romance. If he wanted to take on the challenge to write a book in every genre, he had to tackle romance. And who didn’t like a classic coffee shop love story? But nothing was coming to him.
Shouto rubbed his eyes, exhaling slowly and stood up. Maybe if he ate something, the gears in his head would turn. He made his way towards the counter, towards Izuku.
Izuku’s back was turned as he was on the other side of the counter, telling his coworker another customer’s order. He picked up the mug of freshly brewed coffee to take over to his customer so he could return and bask in the beauty of Shouto Todoroki’s face.
“And don’t forget the-” He turned quickly to walk off, almost immediately colliding with an obstacle – said obstacle being Shouto. The cup in Izuku’s hand tilted, and a cascade of hot liquid splashing and staining Shouto’s sweater.
Izuku looked up, his eyes wide as he saw who towered over him. His gaze darted between Shouto’s face and his turtleneck, audibly swallowing as he watched Shouto’s lips press into a thin line.
“I- I am so, so sorry!” He exclaimed, his tone panicked as he reached for a few napkins and quickly tried to wipe off the stain which only seemed to spread more. “Oh my god, please don’t be mad!”
Shouto furrowed his eyebrows and watched the panicked - Izuku, he read the name on the tag, trying to wipe off the coffee. It wouldn’t work, obviously. But it was funny seeing the cute barista try and ramble out multiple apologies. Cute? Ah.
He grabbed Izuku’s wrists gently, pulling them away from his torso. Izuku looked like he was on the verge of tears. Cute.
“It’s fine, Izuku, don’t worry.” Shouto’s voice was like an elegant tune to Izuku’s ears. It was deep, yet so gentle and hushed. Izuku was sure this was the first time Shouto had ever uttered his name. And it sounded like hearing the angels sing at the gates of heaven.
Izuku couldn’t stop the blush rising in his face and his heart pounding in his chest as he stared. Shouto looked like a God before him.
He swallowed hard and nodded again. “O-Okay.” He stammered out, his gaze moving to their hands and Shouto finally let go. His pores raised as he pulled his hands back and hugged himself. “I’m really sorry- again.” He murmured.
Shouto shook his head and smiled lightly. “It’s really okay. Perfect, actually.” He said. His eyes were on Izuku for a few seconds too long when looking at someone, then he walked away.
“Alright-” Izuku whispered, eyebrows furrowing once his words finally processed. Why was it perfect? He watched Shouto walk away to the restroom, then recalled the smile on his face as he talked to Izuku. It made Izuku’s face heat up again, covering his face with his hands and he let out an inhumane squeak.
“Oh my god, ” He croaked out, slowly shuffling towards the supply closet to grab the things to clean the mess he created.
Shouto looked at himself in the mirror as he blotted away the coffee stain from his sweater. He hummed quietly, cleaning what could come off from his clothes.
He walked out after most of the blemishes were gone, giving Izuku an acknowledged nod and returned to his seat. He turned on the tablet again. His eyes glanced towards Izuku, then at his tablet, then back to Izuku. A small smile tugged on his lips at the recent memory of Izuku’s flustered expression.
Shouto laced his fingers together, cracking his knuckles, before he began typing.
“Coffee Stains. By Shouto Todoroki”
It seems as though Shouto has found the muse for his romantic saga.