Chapter Text
“Todoroki!”
Shoto furrows his brows and looks up at the urgency in Uraraka’s voice. “What?”
She ducks her head in the kitchen doorway. “Can you please watch the front for a few minutes while I run to the ladies’ room?” she asks with a tactical smile and a bat of her eyelashes.
“Sure,” Shoto replies, baffled as to why she’s asking in such a peculiar way; she knows he never minds, especially when the place is empty like it is now.
“Thank you!” she chirps before racing past him toward the back.
Shoto emerges to cover her post, carrying a tray of fresh brownies with him. He has only just started to place some of them in the display case when a tinkling sound draws his attention.
“Welcome to Rei’s,” he greets in his usual monotone before looking up. His breath then catches in his throat for a moment when he sees a beautiful woman with long, dark hair entering the shop.
Shoto’s chest clenches when she removes her sunglasses and his gaze meets startlingly lovely obsidian eyes.
“Oh, hello,” she remarks, as though taken aback to see him. Her eyebrows rise just slightly as she surveys Shoto. Then her face softens and she smiles. “Sorry, I’m used to seeing Ochaco here.”
Shoto closes his unusually dry mouth and swallows. She must be a regular, he realizes, if she’s friendly with Uraraka. He licks his lips and makes to say something, but by the time he parts his lips, the woman has already moved on to admiring the various pastries on display.
“Everything always looks so amazing…” she murmurs, her head bowed and her now widened eyes glued to the case. “It’s never easy deciding what to choose...”
“Those brownies are fresh from the oven,” Shoto volunteers, pointing. He flushes slightly when the woman’s eyes snap up to him. He doesn’t usually go out of his way to make suggestions to customers like this, but for some reason he just wanted to have something to say to her.
The woman’s eyes flicker back to the salted caramel brownies. She smiles and then stands straight. “That sounds good. I’ll take one of those, then, please.”
Shoto gives a nod and goes to box up the best-looking brownie available. “Is there anything else that I can get for you?”
“I would also love a cup of tea.” She scans the menu above Shoto’s head and then crinkles her eyes with a giggle. “I think I’ve tried them all by now. Perhaps you can surprise me?”
“Sure.” Shoto gives another nod and rings her up. “If you would like to take a seat, I’ll bring the tea to you.”
“Thank you, ah…” Her eyes stray toward his chest, where Uraraka usually wears a name tag.
“Shoto,” he supplies after a brief moment of hesitation.
“Thank you, Shoto,” she says with another pretty smile. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu.”
"Nice to meet you, too," Shoto manages, working hard to keep his voice even.
He exhales deeply once the woman heads off toward the few tables by the shop’s front window. His stomach clenches as he withdraws into the kitchen for a moment to prepare her tea. He never just goes and gives out his name to customers like that. Then again, he also doesn’t have much experience speaking with pretty women who aren’t related to him, with one exception being Uraraka, who is practically a sister to him.
Hm, come to think of it…
Shoto glances toward the back. Where is Uraraka, anyway? What’s keeping her?
He makes a mental note to check on Uraraka in a bit as he heads back out to take Yaoyorozu’s tea to her. He is almost to her table when the sound of a low, but rather - there is simply no other word for it - erotic moan hits his ears, causing him to halt suddenly.
“Oh, this is so good...”
Shoto’s face grows hot as he watches the woman chew slowly, her eyes closed. He hasn’t thought much about it before, but it’s pretty awkward to witness someone enjoying his pastries so, ah, thoroughly.
He forces himself to take another two steps toward her table, clears his throat to announce his presence, and then places the teacup down in front of her.
The woman stills and her eyes pop open abruptly. She slowly lifts her gaze to look at him. A heavy flush spreads over her cheeks.
Shoto averts his eyes, though he can feel his lips curving ever so slightly. Unable to help himself, he remarks, “Glad you’re enjoying it.”
The woman seems too embarrassed to speak, so Shoto then makes a quick exit with a bow of his head, hoping to avoid any more awkwardness between them.
Shoto keeps himself busy during the remainder of the woman’s visit. It is only when he hears her speak that he looks up again to find that she has approached the counter once more.
“Uhm, thank you,” she says, unable to look him in the eye as she tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I hope that you have a nice day.”
“Thanks. You too,” Shoto replies, noticing that there is still a pink tint to the apples of her cheeks.
He sighs in relief when the door closes behind the woman after she’s left. But it’s only a second later when Uraraka practically pounces on him with a squeal: “Sooo, I see you met Momo, one of our most loyal customers!”
“She’s cute, right?” Uraraka says, now shaking his arm. “Right?! And she loves your desserts!”
Shoto blinks in confusion at the sudden assault. Then, after putting two-and-two together, he turns narrowed eyes on her.
“You did this on purpose.”
To her credit, Uraraka looks at least a little bashful as she takes a step away from him and twiddles her thumbs together.
“Well, you said no when I asked if I could set you up with someone…”