Work Text:
The brilliant summer morning brightens the mood in the coffee shop. It’s new, cozy and welcoming. The only thing is, it’s sort of in the middle of nowhere. There isn't much else in the area besides their café and the customers who come in often stumble upon it by accident. The store has recently started taking mobile orders, at least, to help boost traffic.
It’s usually quiet until noon, so Izuku figures now is a good time for training. He’s showing Ochako, or “green bean” as they call newbies, how to ring in a gift card when the bell above the door sounds.
“Good morning!” Izuku says cheerfully.
The barista looks up from the register. Green eyes meet crimson.
Up close, Izuku can see that the customer is a handsome young man. With his striking features, such as his piercing eyes, fair skin, and facial structure, he looks like he could be a model. He’s frowning for some reason, though. Maybe he just needs his coffee fix.
The man doesn’t greet him back but nods in acknowledgement.
“Mobile order for Katsuki.”
He even has a nice voice, Izuku thinks. He rolls up his sleeves and nods.
“Ah, the venti iced coffee! I’ll be right back.”
When the barista returns, he’s startled to find Katsuki studying him with hawk-like intensity. He shuffles his feet nervously and looks away. As he places the coffee on the counter, Katsuki reaches out. Their fingers brush. Instinctively, Izuku snatches his hand back as if he’s been burned.
Katsuki arches an eyebrow. “Relax. I don’t bite, unless you want me to.” His eyes light up with amusement. He unwraps the straw and stabs it through the lid. “Hey, serious question for you extras. What's with the stupid names for the sizes? Why not just say small, medium and large?”
“Extras?” Ochako repeats incredulously.
“What do you mean?” Izuku jumps in, scandalized. “The names add to the whole experience!”
He stretches his arms out to emphasize the whole.
Katsuki snorts. “Keep telling yourself that, nerd. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He eyes Izuku while taking a long sip of his drink. His eyebrows slowly draw together, attractive face souring with disgust. “What the fuck is this?”
“Um. Your drink, sir?”
“Don’t call me ‘sir’, dipshit. We’re practically the same age. Whatever this crap is, it ain’t my drink.” He slams the cup onto the counter. Miraculously, it stays intact somehow. “Who the hell made this?”
Izuku hears Ochako hold her breath. Earlier, she had asked him if she could try making the order in question by herself. He can see tears pooling in her eyes. She opens her mouth to apologize, but Izuku cuts in.
“I did. Ochako, why don’t you go help Iida in the back? I’ll be fine here by myself.”
Ochako’s eyes widen. The idea of leaving Izuku alone to deal with this irate customer, especially when it’s her fault, fills her with guilt. She wants to protest, but he gives her a reassuring smile and firm nod.
“Okay, if you’re sure,” Ochako says, still uncertain.
Before she leaves, the trainee musters a brave glare at Katsuki, who easily returns it with double the intensity.
Izuku has a lot of experience with de-escalation. This isn’t his first rodeo, but he can already tell that Katsuki’s on another level. Katsuki at his 20% asshole mode is comparable to a regular douchey customer at their 100%. Izuku sighs. Good thing he rolled up his sleeves earlier. He takes the drink and reads out the label.
“Substitute for almond milk, unsweetened, light ice...can you please tell me what the problem is?”
Katsuki’s eyes zero in on the barista’s name tag.
“Deku, huh? How fitting.” He lets out a bark of laughter. “Like hell I’m doing your job for you. I want you to try it and tell me what’s wrong with it.”
“It’s Izuku, not Deku, and I’m sorry but I can’t do that.”
He almost calls Katsuki sir again but manages to stay composed.
“You’re saying no to a paying customer? This is some seriously crappy service. Isn’t the customer always right?” Katsuki asks archly.
Izuku holds back another frustrated sigh. They’re the only ones in the store momentarily, but he has a feeling that Katsuki’s the type to hold up a line until he gets what he wants.
“Fine, but for the record, the customer isn’t always right.” Izuku takes a few sips and quickly identifies the mistake. Ochako had used the wrong milk, which is a common mixup for newbies. The team has each other’s backs, though, so he intentionally plays dumb. “It tastes okay to me, but I’d be more than happy to remake your drink for you.”
Katsuki flashes him an unimpressed look.
“Does your tongue even work, Deku? That’s regular milk, not almond milk.”
Green eyes darken and flit up to Katsuki’s.
“Oh, I can promise you that my tongue works just fine.”
Katsuki blinks, slightly taken aback. He stores this very useful information away for later.
“Whatever you say, shitty Deku.” Katsuki crosses his arms and jerks his chin at the drink. “Well, what are you going to do about it?”
“That’s entirely up to you, Kacchan. I can either make you a new drink or offer you a refund.”
“What did you just call me?” Katsuki growls.
“I called you, Kacchan. You know, since you don’t want me to call you ‘sir’ and you insist on calling me Deku,” the barista says calmly.
“Listen up. I’ve had it with that smart little mouth of yours. Where’s your manager, damn it?”
Izuku’s been waiting for this.
“Let me get him for you.”
Izuku turns his back to Katsuki. He prefers not to do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He pulls out another name tag from his apron. It’s the one engraved with his name and actual title. He clips it on before facing Katsuki again.
“Hello! I’m Izuku the manager. What can I do for you?”
Katsuki stares at the name tag for a long second.
“You’re fucking messing with me, right? If you are, you're going to regret it.”
Izuku smiles sweetly. “Nope.”
It takes Katsuki a moment to realize that Izuku’s actually serious. He narrows his eyes in disbelief.
“Looks like this place is a bigger joke than I thought. Give me the number for corporate. Now. ”
Well, that escalated quickly.
It sounds bad, but Izuku’s not overly concerned. He has a close relationship with the district manager, Toshinori Yagi, who he considers a father figure. Toshinori’s quite empathetic and understands that the café gets difficult customers sometimes, so he often sides with him in these situations.
“Sure thing. Wait here, please.”
Izuku heads to the back office to retrieve a business card.
“Deku! Don’t bother.” Izuku halts and looks back over his shoulder. Katsuki's leaning forward on the counter, grinning at him. “I’ll settle for yours instead.”
Settle for...oh.
Was this whole heated exchange Katsuki’s unconventional way of flirting with him?
“Wow...” Izuku says slowly. “I’m sorry, but that was some weak and unusual flirting.”
“Weak?” Katsuki shakes his head. “Look who’s talking. You’re the one who’s been giving me bedroom eyes since I walked in here without making a move. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
Izuku plays it cool. He approaches the counter and tilts his head.
“And? It’s bold of you to assume that I’d even want to give it to you, especially after you scared off my employee and threatened to get me fired just now.”
The barista blinks and suddenly Katsuki is up in his face.
“You want to. I can see it on your face. Is it banter that turns you on? Are you that easy that a little back and forth is all it takes to get you off, Izuku?” Katsuki teases, a hint of a smirk across his lips.
A blush creeps into Izuku’s cheeks. “I can definitely tell that it gets you off. If you’re interested, you can personally find out what it takes...Katsuki.”
Katsuki’s eyes gleam at the invitation. “Today must be my lucky day. Didn’t mean to send my order to this dump, but looks like it was worth it after all.”
Izuku levels him a look, pushing off the counter.
“It’s not a dump,” he corrects defensively.
“Is so,” Katsuki taunts.
Izuku doesn’t take the bait. He remakes the mobile order with ease, writing “for Kacchan” along with his number on the side of the cup. He contemplates for a second before drawing a little heart beside the nickname.
“It feels a little weird doing this since you’re my customer, but...”
Izuku offers Katsuki the drink. Katsuki glares at the drawing but accepts it. He takes a trial sip and he's pleasantly surprised.
It’s perfect.
Green eyes sparkle expectantly up at Katsuki. "Well? What do you think, Kacchan?"
Katsuki shrugs. “Not bad. I’ll text you, loser.”
A month passes by and everything’s been running smoothly. Thanks to Izuku, Iida and the rest of the team’s coaching, Ochako gains more confidence and experience. The previous green bean can proudly say that she hasn’t made a mistake since.
As for the incident, Izuku told her bits and pieces. Apparently, Katsuki was so upset that he threatened to call corporate. Izuku managed to de-escalate things by remaking Katsuki’s drink and then, after that, he just...left.
Ochako suspects that’s not the whole story, but she doesn't push it. They’ve become good friends, but Izuku’s still technically her boss. She also figures if he wanted to share more, he would’ve.
Izuku’s already a vibrant, sunny person, but Ochako notices that he seems happier overall. It started after the incident, so it must have something to do with the customer from hell.
Was Katsuki so terrible that booting him from the café gave Izuku a permanent glow?
Something else that he shared was that Katsuki kept calling him “Deku”. She’s not sure why or how, but the name sticks at the café. Most of the team calls him Deku now, except Iida, who prefers “Izuku” since it’s more formal. So, if there’s one positive thing they got from the rude mobile older guy, it’s that.
The bell rings, interrupting Ochako’s thoughts. She prepares to greet the customer but freezes.
Speak of the devil. He’s back.
Ochako makes a run for the break room. She dashes inside and leans back against the door, trying to catch her breath.
Izuku has already finished his shift but stayed back to have a coffee and read. He sets his book down, straightening in his seat.
“Ochako, is everything okay?”
“No! Deku, the rude mobile order man came back. He's out there.”
A voice shouts from the front. “Hey, why the hell is no one out here? The consistently shitty service is unacceptable!”
“Don’t worry, Deku. I’ll handle him this time,” she says with vigour, pumping a fist into the air.
“Ochako, wait. You don’t have to-”
The door bursts open.
“There you are. About fucking time, Deku.” Katsuki looks up from his phone with mild annoyance and frowns. “Oh, it’s you again, Round Face. Where’s the brat?”
“Excuse me, but you don’t have to be so rude. Deku's the most kind, caring and patient boss. He’s also my friend, so don't you dare call him names. Now, if you're ready to order, what can I get for you?”
Ochako points the black sharpie in her hand at him with determination.
Katsuki blinks, confused. “Have you got it all wrong. I’m here for-"
“-me,” a voice says from behind her. Ochako spins around, looking at Izuku in shock. He laughs nervously. “Ochako, this is Katsuki. My boyfriend. I call him Kacchan, though. Kacchan, this is Ochako. Sometimes we call her green bean.”
“Boyfriend?” The missing pieces start falling into place. Deku’s evasive recount of the incident, Deku being happier than usual, Deku uncharacteristically staying back after his shift. “Deku! You’ve been dating the mobile order guy, and you didn’t think to tell me? I thought we were friends! And I’m not a green bean anymore,” Ochako says indignantly, puffing her cheeks.
Izuku scratches his neck and smiles. “I know you’re not. It’s just fun to say. As for Kacchan and I, it sort of just happened. It doesn’t seem like it, but he’s actually sweet when he wants to be.”
Katsuki hooks a finger at Izuku, beckoning him to come closer. When his face is within reach, Katsuki leans over the counter and squishes his cheeks together.
“Quit talking about me as if I’m not here, Deku.” He throws a dirty glare at Ochako. “And you, Round Face. What the hell did you call me?”
“Oops, I meant to say angry mobile order guy.”
“Why, you-”
Izuku manages to expertly slip out of Katsuki’s grasp. Rounding the counter, he gets behind Katsuki and loops both of his arms through his boyfriend’s, holding him back.
“We’ll be heading out now,” Izuku says quickly. “Bye, Ochako! Tell Iida I said bye when he comes back from break.”
“Will do. See you!”
Ochako smiles at the couple. Their dynamic is complicated, but they complement each other well. Ochako has a feeling they'll be seeing more of Katsuki at the café now. She mentally prepares herself and starts on the mobile orders.
They’re snuggling on Katsuki’s couch with Izuku as the little spoon and Katsuki as the big spoon.
On-screen, the house lights shut off. The babysitter walks up the stairs with a flashlight to investigate the noise. Once at the top, she comes face-to-face with the masked killer. The figure pulls out a knife and she screams dramatically in terror.
Katsuki yawns. “This movie's pissing me off. Why the hell didn’t she call for help? We just watched her use her damn phone.”
His boyfriend laughs and hums in agreement. The movie they’re watching is turning out to be more comedy than horror due to the low budget special effects, bad acting, and unrealistic character choices.
Izuku isn’t paying too much attention to it, anyway. With Katsuki so close to him, how could he? Izuku grinds back onto his boyfriend, experimentally. He gets away with it a few times before firm hands grip his hips. Katsuki tugs Izuku closer so that their bodies are flush together. Lips ghost over the shell of his ear.
“Cut it out, you little tease.”
Izuku wiggles out of Katsuki’s hold and shifts around to face him. The light from the television flickers over Katsuki’s face. His usual sharp features are softer and more relaxed.
“Make me.”
He cups Katsuki's face and kisses him on the mouth. Katsuki kisses him back and rewards him with a groan of approval. Izuku sighs deeply into a biting kiss when he feels Katsuki’s hands slide under his shirt. Katsuki presses his fingers into his lower back, kneading his tense muscles. It earns a soft moan from Izuku.
“You like that, eh?”
Izuku nods. “Feels good, Kacchan.”
“Yeah? I’ll make you feel even better soon.”
Katsuki’s hands roam further down. He grabs two handfuls of Izuku’s ass and follows it with a hard roll of his hips to prove his point. Izuku gasps. He can feel Katsuki’s arousal through his pants.
Katsuki’s hard for him and knowing this turns Izuku on even more.
“A-ah. Thank you again for picking me up today.”
Katsuki hooks Izuku’s leg over his hip and gives him a look.
“Tch. I wasn’t going to let you bus home so late. It’s not safe. I told you already. I don’t mind picking you up from that dump whenever, Deku. Just ask.” Having forgotten the movie now, he trails nipping kisses across Izuku's jaw. “By the way, how was work?”
Deku shoots him a half-hearted glare for the comment.
“I know you, Kacchan. Now that my team knows about us, you’re going to pick me up whether I ask you to or not." He hisses when Katsuki's teeth scrape his neck lightly. "W-work was okay. We're still not as busy as we'd like to be."
Katsuki pauses. “Hah? Still? Your store needs to do more promos or...” He trails off and concentrates for a minute in the dark. An idea comes into focus. “I used to write online reviews. I haven’t used my account in a while, so I almost forgot about the useless thing.”
“Wow! Really, Kacchan? I bet your account is super popular. I'd love to read your old reviews together someday. Why do I get the feeling that you insulted and gave everything low ratings though…”
Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Of course it is. What are you trying to say? I only gave out shitty reviews when they deserved it.”
“Right. So by when, you mean all the time. Um, Kacchan? Is this your long-winded way of saying you’re going to help me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Deku. I’m going to write a review of your dinky little shop because I feel like it. I’ll be sure to specifically mention you and your so-called customer service.”
Izuku’s eyes shine in the darkness. “Thank you, Kacchan. Whatever you write, I can’t wait to read it.”
He buries his face into Katsuki's chest.
Katsuki flushes, thankful it’s not visible in the dark. He wraps his arms tightly around Izuku and a fond smile tugs at his lips.
“Don’t get too excited, Deku. You’re getting one star.”
Katsuki Bakugou
Local Guide · 83 reviews · 1 photo
★★★★★ 3 days ago
Five stars for Deku the hot manager. The iced coffee isn't horrible.