Chapter Text
It’s a new day, and Izuku isn’t sure what to expect as he starts getting the shop set up. The open sign is on, the front desk is mostly clear of deliveries, and Izuku just has to finish putting the labels on this three-bag order before he’s fully ready to try to conquer the day. He turns to grab the stapler as a throat clears, and he jumps, hands flying to his chest.
The bell didn’t ding to tell him someone had come in.
His green eyes focus on Shota Aizawa standing on the other side of his desk in his uniform.
“I– Welcome, it’s– you– It’s a little early for you to be here, isn’t it?” Izuku doesn’t even manage his little welcome speech, too caught off guard by the early arrival of his favorite Reader.
“I was hoping to get here before I had to get to UA. I need to talk to you about something, Izuku,” says Shota quietly, looking nervous even as he plants his hands firmly on the counter, displaying himself as he brings his face out of his capture weapon.
Shota Aizawa is fully on display and looking very seriously at Izuku, like he’s waiting for something.
“I– Okay. What’s your question?” asks Izuku nervously as his brows furrow and he steps up to the desk properly.
“Can I court you?” asks Shota firmly as he lifts one hand to show a limited edition Eraserhead keychain. “This is all I could bring because of my patrol, but I have a proper gift hidden here. Is it okay for me to go get it?”
“I– you– Seriously?” asks Izuku as his fingers reach out to brush against the shiny keychain.
“It’s not hard to hide things in your shop, you know? And yes, I am being serious, I want to court you, date you, whatever you’re up for. I– I really like you, Izuku Midoriya,” Shota sounds as nervous as he does confident, and Izuku’s not sure how the man does it. But his cheeks are burning, and Shota’s lips have lifted into a soft smile that sends wings fluttering through his belly.
“I– Go get your other gift,” says Izuku with a soft nod as his fingers wrap around the keychain. “I want to be able to accept your courtship offer properly, which means I need to see everything that’s involved in the gift offering. Though, I’m a little surprised you didn’t consider your notes to be a courting gift.”
“Courting gifts eventually end because they turn into mating gifts, anniversary gifts, etc. Those notes aren’t going to end, Izuku,” replies Shota with a hint of a smirk before he turns around and disappears around the bookcase towards his nook.
Izuku stares down at the keychain for a moment before giving in and covering his face with a little squeal as he feels the heat from his cheeks. He knows what he looks like, a freaking Izuberry.
“That was a sweet sound, but I like seeing your flush, Berry.”
Shota announces his presence gently, but smoothly enough that Izuku whines in his throat at the compliment.
“You’re going to turn me into a berry if you keep doing that,” Izuku’s cheeks puff out as he pouts at Shota for flustering him so much.
“I just think it’s cute, I can’t help that,” snorts Shota before he passes over a square object wrapped in green wrapping paper. It’s nicely wrapped and everything. “Besides, this is probably going to make you flustered, and I won’t even be here to see it again.”
“Shota,” whines Izuku, pouting harder at the older man. But then he looks back at the gift and carefully unwraps it, unable to help himself. It’s not typical for gifts to be wrapped like this. Usually they’re put in bags and tissue paper is added, or they’ve got a bow wrapped around them and aren’t hidden. His jaw drops at what comes out. “Is this a personal book? Like yours? The side is worn, but it’s in such great condition.”
Izuku turns the book over in his hands, the cover is a soft, mint green, and it’s got a building on the cover that’s got a boy with freckles and red hair standing with an apron, meanwhile there’s another guy just off to the side, dark hair and a coffee in hand staring straight at the redhead. He recognizes the cover, but he can’t figure out why. Not even the title stirs anything, until he opens the book and sees the signature, he realizes. This is the same author his mom loved when he was younger. He wrote a lot of stories, and there was a book signing that he went to with her. His mom thought the author was a woman, among many others, but it turned out that Mari was a man.
Inko still loves to read the books, so Izuku still knows the author. But the author only signed his books with his real name, otherwise the books were under the name Emari.
The title is My Sweet Coffee Reader, and it looks absolutely amazing.
“It’s one of my comfort reads, and I’ve been waiting a long time to share this with you,” says Shota with an almost shy smile as Izuku looks up at him with awe. “It’s my absolute favorite read, and I’ve had it for a long time now. When you look inside, you’ll understand why this is my proper courting gift, I promise.”
“But you don’t want me to look just yet,” murmurs Izuku as he tilts his head to the side, fingers running across the imprint of the title along the well-worn spine of the book.
“Not yet, maybe another time I can watch those freckles be encompassed by a sweet flush,” replies Shota with a gentle tone as he reaches out a hesitant hand that Izuku closes the distance with, letting those rough fingers brush over his cheek. “But for now, I think getting your response is much more important. Only for now though.”
Izuku feels like melting onto the desk in front of him, this amazing man, amazing alpha is charming him like no one else ever has. He sets the book down and reaches out a hand to press his fingers against the back of the hand hovering next to his cheek. Izuku slowly wraps his fingers around until he can lace his fingers gently with those rough ones, and he smiles softly as he glances at their intertwined fingers before meeting those dark eyes again.
“I accept your courting, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. However, I have a question,” says Izuku quietly, gently because he knows what traditional courting is, and he’s watched his friends bend and mold those traditions around what they wanted or didn’t want. “How traditional do you expect our courting to be?”
“Well, I have to admit, I’m surprised by that question. I’m not much for traditions on many fronts. But, when it comes to courting, I don’t mind some of the traditional rules,” Shota’s eyes turn contemplative as he tilts his own head while looking at Izuku. He seems to be thinking hard on this, like it could be an important conversation, and Izuku supposes that it is. He’s never been courted by previous partners, the efforts weren’t worth it to them, but he’s wanted it for a long time. Izuku has had time to think, and this conversation is going to tell him if he and Shota are on a similar enough wavelength or if compromise is necessary. “For example, a three month courting period before a week of separation to decide what happens. I like that because it gives us a chance to be alone and understand our thoughts. However, the no scenting outside of chaperones, and even the chaperones thing, I’m not the biggest fan of either of those. I also don’t like the idea of sharing the courtship with anyone outside of our circle, asking my boss for permission to court someone is ridiculous. Though Nezu is both aware and very supportive, he was the first one to call me on it and tell me to stop being an idiot about my emotions, so he can deal with any traditionalists in the hero world.”
Izuku hums at first, letting the information settle in his mind as he feels elation and hope swell within him until he’s almost unable to control his smile from turning feral. His omega is raving about finding the perfect alpha, and he’s fighting to keep him calm enough to respond.
“Well, I like the idea of sticking with the courtship length and week separation, and I agree with the annoyance of chaperones and no scenting,” replies Izuku slowly, taking his time to respond, wanting to make his reasoning as transparent as he can as he knows what his responses can be seen as with him being an omega. “I’m very tactile, so the idea of being unable to touch, let alone scent, until we’ve come to a decision feels more than unnecessary. Having someone come with us to our dates, especially when they’ll have to be more intimate and private feels almost invasive in a very uncomfortable way. I do think we could do some double dates with our packmates to let them get comfortable with the future pair of us, for when that’s where we end up.”
“I love that you’re already thinking of it as when instead of if, and I completely agree. Being comfortable with each other’s packmates is very important, and doing double dates as well as going to pack nights would make that a lot easier,” Logical thinking must be something that rolls through Shota with ease, and Izuku feels like he remembers Hitoshi saying something about Shota being unable to work his heart into the plan with his logic. And right now, he’s seeing that battle out in the open as Shota’s eyes shut, as he takes a breath, and opens them with a sterner determination. “We can discuss that more in depth for our first date as I fully intend to learn about your boundaries so that I can keep them in mind for any future date. When do you want to go on our first date? I will plan it this time because I already have an idea in mind, so the when is all up to you.”
“Well, trading numbers can help with the boundary discussion, as well as our first date. I’m off at three on Wednesday this coming week, so I’ll be free all evening,” offers Izuku with a soft smile, watching the way Shota seems to take in his realization as he arches a brow. “Your mind is going all logical on this, isn’t it? Boundaries are important, and I want to discuss them too, but you just talked all formal and robotic like. That’s why I’m assuming that’s where your mind went for a moment.”
“Yeah, that’s– that’s something I’m still working on. Not keeping all of my worries in a logical jar. But Wednesday works perfectly, I can pick you up at six for dinner. It’ll be a picnic and a movie thing, but not at either of our places, not just yet. I have the perfect spot in mind, and I really hope you like it too,” says Shota softly, his thumb brushing over Izuku’s fingers as he stares down at them like he can’t believe what’s happening now, as though this is all hitting him right now. “I can’t believe you accepted it.”
“I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t,” breathes Izuku as his brows furrow while Shota’s eyes lift to meet his own again. “I was nervous, I won’t deny that, Shota, but I’ve had a crush on you for way too long to not give this a chance, no matter my nerves. I’m going to say this, even though I will never lose the blush again. But you have been my Sexy Reader for a long time, Shota, and that was before I knew you were an Alpha or the notes.”
“Oh my god, Sexy Reader?” asks Shota with a snort, leaning back with a grin that he can’t seem to stop from curving his slightly parted lips. “Hitoshi has talked about that so often, I can’t believe I didn’t put it together. That’s adorable, Sweetheart.”
“Yeah, well, like I said, I’ve liked you for a while,” says Izuku with a gentle pout, not quite able to stop himself as Shota finds amusement in his secret. Though his pride is a beautiful sight to see. “Anyway, about the trading of our numbers, are you gonna be here again later?”
“I was planning to, as long as this went well, why?” asks Shota as he furrows his brows and tilts his head to the side, probably trying to figure out how the question is connected to them trading numbers.
It’s adorable.
“What if you came with me to the diner a few blocks away for a bit after I get off here and we trade numbers then? I’m supposed to be meeting Shouto and Tenya there along with a few other packmates for a bookclub, and I don’t really feel like walking alone tonight. If you’re up for it, of course?” Izuku can’t help it that he wants to spend more time with Shota, and at least this way, he could spend a little bit of time with Shota outside of this shop that’s become both of their little safe havens.
“A prelude to the first date, maybe I can convince you to let me hold your hand for a wrist scenting then. Either way, I’d love that, Izuku,” replies Shota softly, tone turning awe-filled as he brings Izuku’s hand up to brush his lips over his knuckles in a gentle kiss. “I have to go deal with my students, but I will see you again as soon as I can.”
“I can’t wait,” replies Izuku shyly as Shota sets Izuku’s hand back on the desk with a soft smile. “Have a good day at work, Shota.”
The surprised, soft smile that is sent his way as Shota turns to leave has his heart racing in his chest, and Izuku watches Shota disappear with that smile still curving his lips when he turns to wave outside the window before slipping out of sight.
Purrs loudly escape him in the confines of the empty shop as his hands slip back until they find the book that was left for him by the Alpha that wants to court him. Izuku can’t help but slip a finger under the cover and flip through to the first chapter, only for his vision to blur at the writing sitting in the margins of the first chapter. There are two, and Izuku has to rapidly blink and wipe at his face to be able to even see the page in front of him. He does a quick flip of the pages and finds a lot of writing in the margins, and he knows he has to read this book to read the messages Shota left behind.
He tugs out his own notebook as an idea hits him.
His future Alpha is a real sweetheart, little notes and sweet words that hold the softest meaning, and now, he’s going to pay it back in kind. He’s got his own little notes already, thoughts of Shota that are hidden in his messages and a note on his phone, but now, now he’s going to actually show his future Alpha how he feels. Not only is he going to read this amazing book and give Shota his thoughts, he’s going to write his own little notes for the Alpha to read with some help from the book he’s been given to add to his own growing list. By their first date, he will have a gift for his future Alpha that will make him blush too.
Izuku can’t wait to see Shota later, but even more, he can’t wait to see what their future holds as the courtship truly begins.