â pt. 1 | barista!verse, slow burn & fluff | fem!reader | 3.9k words
â file brief : He just wanted coffee. Then he asked you out. Now Katsuki Bakugo has one mission: survive your first maybe-date without combusting. (No promises.)
â sensitivity log : caffeinated slow-burn romance, mild language, texting and first-date anxiety | characters are 19 and stressed about it
â authorâs note : This was supposed to be a small fluffy follow-up to ânew barista in town.â (Works as a stand-alone, too.) Instead, it became 3,954 words of Bakugo spiraling because a girl said yes. Do with that what you will.
â§ïœ„ïŸ: *â§ïœ„ïŸ:* ăă *:ïŸâ§*:ïŸâ§
Bakugo stared at his phone like it might explode.
Which, coming from him, meant something.
Heâd just gotten back from trainingâsweaty, sore, and still mildly irritated about a villain exercise that went sideways because Kaminari thought it was a good idea to freestyle. Typical.
But none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was the slip of paper burning a hole in his pocket.
What mattered was your handwriting. Your number. Your smile when you gave it to him.
What mattered was the fact that heâd asked.
He exhaled sharply, like it might help steady his hands. It didnât.
Still, he grabbed his phone. Opened your contact. Typed.
Finally, after almost five minutes of intense, silent suffering:
Saturday. 4 p.m. Outside that cafĂ© near station 3. You in?â
He stared at the message.
And sent it before he could overthink it again.
Heâd picked 4 p.m. on purpose.
You worked mornings on Saturdaysâhe knew that. You were off by 1. He, on the other hand, had class until 3:10. If he was fastâno, if he sprintedâhe could make it just in time.
Better that than making you wait to eat.
Heâd rather be the one out of breath than let you sit around hungry.
Not that heâd say that.
Then he stared at the screen some more.
He threw the phone onto his bed like it had personally offended him and flopped down beside it, arm over his eyes.
âTch. Idiot,â he muttered, ears red.
It was fine. Whatever. You were probably working. Or busy closing the café. Or laughing at him behind the counter with that other barista who smiled too much.
(Okay, maybe not laughing. But still. Maybe.)
He didnât hear his phone buzz right away. But when he checked it twenty minutes later, your reply was sitting there, bright and obnoxiously adorable:
Do I get to know what youâre planning or are you going full mystery hero on me?â
His stomach did something weird. Like a flip. Or a detonation.
He locked his phone without replying.
Because he didnât have a plan.
Because this wasnât supposed to happen.
And that kind of terrified him.
Bakugo didnât go to the cafĂ©.
He thought about it. Thought about seeing you again. Thought about maybe, possibly asking what kind of stuff you likedâmusic, food, flowersâanything that might help him figure out how to plan this stupid not-date date.
And then he thought about saying something dumb. Looking obvious. Sweating like an idiot.
Instead, he sat in his room, textbooks open, completely unread, while Kirishima scrolled on his bed across the room.
âYou okay, bro? Youâve read the same page five times.â
Bakugo didnât look up. âShut up.â
Kirishima grinned. âThat bad, huh?â
âI mean, you did ask her out. Thatâs huge.â
Bakugoâs eye twitched. âI didnât ask her out. Itâs justâcoffee.â
âYou already get coffee,â Kirishima pointed out. âWhatâs different now?â
Bakugo looked like he might actually combust. âShe knows itâs coffee. With me. Outside of work.â
Kiri laughed. âRight, right. Totally not a date.â
Bakugo grunted and threw a pillow at his face.
He picked up his phone, unlocked it, checked your text again, and locked it.
Still there. Still annoying. Stillâsweet.
He woke up early. Extra early.
Time was going by fast and he still had no plan for your definitely-not-a-date. Or whatever.
So, he got his laptop out. And searched. And typed. Like he was working through his thesis.
âNice places Musutafu.â
âGood places to have breakfast near me.â
âWhat to say on a first date?â
âWhat not to do on a first date?â
âHow not to scare people off?â
He sighed. âIdiot,â he muttered.
And he had more tabs open than he could even count.
Kirishima:Â âOn your way?â
He panicked. Clicked on your chat.
Were you about to cancel?
Did he just act like an in-love idiot for nothing?
Damn it. Damn it. Damnâoh.
Havenât heard from you since Tuesday.
I mean, I know youâre busy, donât misinterpret me.
At least he wasnât the only one nervous.
He ran to class. Just in time.
He looked for a table where he could just eat in peace.
âDidnât forget, dumbass.Â
You like Italian food or not?â
Didnât sound romantic.Â
Which was exactly why he sent it.
No dot dot dot typing this time.
No waiting twenty minutes.
Your reply came fast. Too fast.
âI love Italian food! Are you planning to cook for me or something? đâ
His face went red instantly.
âHell no. Just asking.â
Youâre cute when you pretend you donât care.â
He groaned and slapped his forehead against the table.
ââŠI hate you,â he mumbled under his breath.
âYouâre not helping.â
Great. Italian food it is, then.
Kirishima blinked. âBro. Itâs literally lunchtime.â
âYeah, and you owe me.â
He raised an eyebrow. âFor what?â
Bakugo slammed his lunch tray on the table.
âI need a restaurant. Somewhere decent. Not fancy. Not trash. Good Italian. Preferably quiet⊠Bonus if no one we know ever goes.â
Kirishimaâs jaw dropped.
âWait. Is thisâ? Are you planning the date, bro?â
Bakugo hissed, âItâs not a date.â
âRight. The not-date. With the girl whose number youâve been checking every ten minutes and who makes you blush when she says hi.â
Bakugo shoved a piece of bread in his mouth just to avoid answering.
Kirishima grinned. âOkay, okay, no teasing. Iâve got a place. My cousinâs girlfriend works there. Itâs chill, private, and the foodâs great.â
Bakugo swallowed. âSend me the damn name.â
He rolled his eyes but texted you before he could chicken out:
Itâs called Il Filo. Youâll like it.â
You replied barely two minutes later:
âYou already sound so sure lol
His chest clenched for some reason.
âDonât care. Youâll look beautiful either way.â
Should he have said good? Or pretty? Was beautiful too much before even the first date outing?
You didnât reply right away, and he felt his brain doing a triple backflip.
See you tomorrow, Kats. đ€â
He stared at that little heart emoji like it was a bomb.
âI sent it! I sent it! Ah!â
You tossed your phone onto the table like it burned.
Your coworker raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
âNever seen you that nervous for someone. He must be special, huh?â
Your cheeks warmed immediately.
âYeah, well⊠he is.â
You tried to look busyâshoved your phone into your locker, smoothed your apron, adjusted your updo.
âSo⊠whoâs the mysterious man? Alex refuses to tell me anything. He just laughed and walked away like he knew everything.â
You groaned. âTraitor.â
âHeâs just⊠this guy who comes in sometimes. Not the friendliest at first, butâheâs sweet. Like⊠secretly sweet. And way too pretty for his own good.â
She leaned closer across the table. âHot and emotionally repressed? Thatâs your type.â
You snorted. âShut up.â
âDoes he have a name?â
âWaitâis this the blonde with the resting murder face?!â
You slapped a hand over her mouth.
âShh! Heâs⊠heâs really not like that.â
She pulled your hand off, laughing.
âIâm just saying. You? Crushing on someone who looks like he could bench-press a motorcycle? Iâm shocked.â
You couldnât help but laugh, even as your heart raced.
âFine. Yes. Itâs him. And weâre⊠grabbing food tomorrow. Justâdonât make it a big thing, okay?â
She gave you a knowing smile.
âMy lips are sealed. But if you donât give me a full report by Monday, I will cry.â
âUgh. Could this shift be any longer?â
You slumped over the counter like your soul was already halfway gone.
âGirl, weâve been here for forty minutes. Chill.â
Your coworker handed you a stack of clean mugs.
You groaned again and straightened up.
âI have a thing later. I canât look dead inside by the time I leave.â
âDonât say it like that,â you muttered, placing the mugs in their spot. âItâs not a thing. Itâs just⊠food. With a guy. A very attractive, intimidating, sharp-jawed guy who texted me âyouâll look beautiful either wayâ and now I donât know what to wear.â
She raised her eyebrows. âOkay, yeah. Thatâs a thing.â
You didnât answer. You were too busy mentally cycling through every outfit youâd ever owned and wondering if you should buy new shoes during your lunch break.
Your phone buzzed in your pocket.
âIâm not texting because Iâm nervous, by the way.
Just checking youâre still alive or whatever.
You smiled. Instantly. Stupidly.
âStill good. And very alive, thank you.
Now go study or something.â
Bakugo stared blankly at the whiteboard in front of him.
His leg bounced. His notes were half-finished. His pencil snapped at some point and he didnât even notice.
Heâd checked the time seven times in the last fifteen minutes. And he didnât even like checking the time.
Class ended at 3:10. He needed to be at Station 3 by 4. If he sprinted across campus, skipped the train and just used his quirk for a shortcut (not technically allowed), maybeâ
âBakugo?â Aizawaâs voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
âPage twenty-five. Try to keep up.â
He grunted in apology and looked down. He had no idea what he was looking at.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He didnât even read the message. He just pressed his palm over the screen and let himself breathe.
Only a few hours left. He could make it.
Bakugo was running through the streets like his life depended on it.
And, honestly, it kind of did.
He was not about to be late. Not for this.
âNo way in hell,â he growled, weaving between pedestrians, ignoring the stares.
âOld hag raised me better than that.â
He resistedâbarelyâthe urge to use his quirk just to get there faster. Exploding across town mightâve shaved off two minutes, sure, but itâd also make him look like a lunatic.
(And maybe mess up his hair. Again. No thanks.)
Heâd picked his outfit the night before.
Black t-shirt. Gray jeans. Black boots.
And the damn beige trench coat his mom made him buy âbecause it was stylish and didnât make him look like a delinquent.â
He hated how good it looked.
Worseâhow much you might like it.
He checked his phone once as he turned the corner.
He spotted the station sign just ahead.
One more block. One more turn. Justâ
Bakugo came to a sharp stop right outside the café near Station 3, heart pounding, breaths fast but quiet.
Standing just outside the cafĂ©âs patio fence, hands tucked into your coat pockets, head slightly turned like you were scanning the street. Your hair was pulled back differently todayâlooser, messier, softer somehowâand you wore this warm, thoughtful expression, like your mind had drifted off somewhere peaceful.
You hadnât seen him yet.
Which gave him one dangerous, fleeting second to look at you. Just⊠look.
And damn, you looked good.
The kind of good that made his heart trip over itself. The kind that made his throat tighten and his brain go blank.
You looked real. You looked like something he could never let himself wantâuntil now.
âHey, Katsuki,â you said, voice soft, happy. Just for him.
He coughed once, like his body was trying to restart itself.
You took a step closer. âDid you run here?â
You laughed. Bright, sweet, way too loud for how flustered he felt.
âI wasnât gonna say anything,â you teased, nudging his arm lightly. âBut you are a little out of breath.â
That soft teasing. That easy smile. The way you stood just a little closer than necessary.
He offered his arm. Tense, a bit awkward.
Then looped yours through his without hesitation.
He nodded, too fast. âLetâs go.â
And he was already questioning every decision heâd ever made.
Why the hell had he offered his arm?
Who even did that? Was this a thing?
What was he now, some kind of Victorian gentleman?
He risked a quick glance at you.
You didnât seem to think it was weird. You were⊠smiling. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Stillâhe didnât pull away.
The walk to Il Filo was only a few minutes. But it felt longer. Not in a bad way. Just⊠different. Like the air had changed.
Neither of you spoke for the first block. It wasnât awkward, exactly. Just⊠careful.
He wasnât good at this.
He could fight villains, lead missions, destroy entire landscapesâbut casual first date small talk? Death.
You, apparently, had a stronger constitution.
âSoâŠâ you said, your voice light, warm, the way it always sounded when you handed him his drink. âWhat made you pick Italian food?â
He grunted. âDidnât. Just⊠knew you liked it.â
You tilted your head. âYeah? How?â
âI dunno. Thought you said it once.â
You raised an eyebrow. âI did?â
You squinted at him playfully. âBakugo⊠have you been listening to my conversations?â
He wanted to crawl into a manhole.
But then you said, âWell, Iâm glad you did. Because Iâve been craving pasta for like two weeks now.â
You walked a little closer.
Il Filo sat tucked between two office buildings, small and shaded and just out of sight from the main street.
Warm lights. Ivy-covered windows. A soft chime when he opened the door for you.
You both stepped in. The host recognized Bakugoâs name from the reservation and led you to a table near the backâsemi-private, quiet, but still open enough that it didnât feel awkward.
You slipped out of your coat and sat across from him, hands folded politely, like you didnât notice how stiff he was.
âNice pick,â you said, glancing around. âItâs cozy.â
He shrugged. âKirishima recommended it.â
You smiled. âHeâs the redhead, right?â
âYeah. Talks too much.â
You looked down at the menu with a grin tugging at your lips. âHeâs a good friend. I can tell.â
He didnât answer. Just stared at the menu like it owed him money.
But the silence didnât stretch too far this time. After a few seconds, you asked:
âSo⊠what year are you in?â
You tilted your head. âAt U.A.â
âSecond. Almost third.â
You smiled againâgenuine, curious. âThatâs impressive.â
He looked away. âItâs not.â
His mouth twitched. Not quite a smile. But close.
ââŠWhat about you?â he asked, after a pause. âYou in school?â
âI took a break this year. Was supposed to start med school.â
âBut I wasnât sure. Thought maybe I should⊠see what else is out there, first.â
He didnât respond right away.
He shrugged, not looking at you. âPeople rush too much. Act like everything has to be figured out at eighteen. Itâs bullshit.â
You stared at him a second longer than you meant to.
âYeah,â you said softly. âThatâs exactly how I feel.â
For a few seconds, there was just the quiet hum of the restaurant around you. The weight of something delicate settling between you both.
Bakugo let you speak first, then ordered the exact same thing without blinking.
The conversation stayed light after thatâmutual teasing, awkward jokes, a few stories from school (filtered, of courseâhe wasnât about to traumatize you with the full UA experience), and little comments about cafĂ© disasters and annoying customers (which he nodded at, pretending not to remember every time heâd seen them happen).
At some point, you laughed at something he saidâreally laughedâand it stunned him into silence.
You looked so happy. So you.
He wanted to see more of that.
He blinked, sat up straighter, and picked up his water like nothing had happened.
You smiled at him across the table, eyes bright.
ââŠYouâre not as scary as I thought,â you said softly.
His eye twitched. âDonât get used to it.â
You both were nearly kicked out of the restaurant.
The hours had passed in what felt like fifteen minutes.
Youâd laughed. A lot. And somehow, he had too. Quietly. Barely. But you noticed. And that made him nervous. And a little proud.
He enjoyed every second of it.
And he wasnât even annoyed to admit that one.
The way you lit up when the pasta came. The way you said it was exactly what youâd been craving. Like heâd somehow read your mind.
(It was a lucky guess. But he wasnât about to tell you that.)
He, of course, didnât let you pay.
Youâd tried to argueâhe shut it down with a look. Itâs not even like you had a chance at it.Â
That part of him, the gentleman, the one that wanted to take care of you, to do things rightâhe didnât even know it existed until tonight.
And you were the first one to meet it.
Now, he was walking you home.
Risking a full-blown lecture from Aizawa.
And somehow⊠not caring.
To smell that faint, sweet perfume you wore.
To hear you laugh againâlike it was only for him.
He felt his chest tighten with something new. Something real.
He tried to ignore it. It didnât work.
The streetlights cast warm shadows across the pavement. Your building wasnât far. You walked slower than usual. He matched your pace.
âBy the wayâŠâ you said suddenly, not looking at him. âYou looked really nice tonight.â
His steps faltered for half a second.
He grunted. âDidnât even recognize you at first.â
You blinked. âIs that⊠a compliment?â
He looked away. âYou lookedââ
ââreally damn good, okay?â
âWell, thank you,â you said softly.
ââŠI almost didnât recognize you either,â you added. âI didnât know you could dress like that.â
He squinted. âLike what?â
âLike a grown-up,â you teased.
He groaned. âRemind me why I like you again.â
You grinned. âYou like me?â
But he didnât let go of your arm.
You stopped just outside your building.
He was stiff again. Back to that awkward version of himself youâd seen at the cafĂ©âthe one who didnât quite know what to do with how he felt.
You turned toward him. âSoâŠâ
âI had fun,â you said.
âI hope we can do this again sometime.â
And for the first time tonight, he didnât look away.
âI meanâif you want to,â he added quickly, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. âWe could. Sometime.â
You smiled. Warm and sure.
âIâd like that, Katsuki.â
Your voice saying his name.
It hit him in the chest like a damn truck.
Before he could even registerâwhich was bad for his whole hero reputationâyou leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
His brain and heart short-circuited at that.
A small tug at the corner of his mouth. Almost a smile.
âI know youâre a hero in training and all that, but get home safe, yeah?â
How the hell was he supposed to react to that?
You moved toward the doorâquiet and careful, like you didnât want to scare him off.
And right before you turned to go, he saidâquiet, but firm:
âText me when youâre free again. Iâll plan something.â
A pause. Too quick for you to answer, but heavy for him.
âAnd if you ever wanna text me your nonsense. Or cravings. Or whatever⊠I wonât mind.â
He looked away, grateful for the mediocre streetlight that made it harder to see how red his ears were.
Your cheeks a little pink too.
âIâll make sure to text you all my nonsense, Kats.
As long as you text me yours.â
He nodded again. No idea what to say. No idea what counted as nonsense.
âGood night, Katsuki,â you whispered.
And in something between a breath and a prayer, he said,
âGood night, pretty.â
He watched you walk inside.
And when the door closed behind you, he let out a breath he didnât know he was holding.
He made it back to the dorms without getting caught.
Took the long way. Avoided every hallway Aizawa might be lurking in. Moved quiet, like a villain on a stealth mission.
(If villains wore beige trench coats and had their hearts pounding like idiots.)
Once inside, he climbed the stairs two at a time and shut his door behind him.
Leaned his head against the wood.
And smiled. Just a little.
Then, phone in hand, he flopped face-first onto his bed.
He sat up like someone had hit him with a stun grenade.
Blurry. Taken without him noticing.
He was in the background, walking down the street, hands in his coat pockets, hair a mess from the wind.
A plate of leftover pasta in a to-go box.
His fingers hovered over the screen.
For a second, he considered sending something sarcastic.
Also, back at my dorm.â
A beat. Then another buzz:
âYouâre cute when youâre nervous.
Also, thanks for letting me know. <3â
He stared at the message.
Grinned into his pillow like a damn idiot.
Just let me know when youâre free again. Next timeâll be even better.â
He didnât wait for a reply this time.
Just turned off the light.
â§ïœ„ïŸ: â§ïœ„ïŸ: ăă :ïŸâ§:ïŸâ§
steal this and Bakugo will personally blow up your espresso machine.
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