Chapter Text
Bakugou Katsuki was fifteen. Fifteen, and in love.
“Come on, Kacchan, we can’t be late to the movie!” Deku pulled his hand, grinning ear to ear.
Katsuki scoffed, yanking the hyper Omega back. He squealed as he collided into Katsuki’s chest. “Slow the fuck down, shitty nerd,” Katsuki said. “It’s not in another hour. We can fucking make it.”
“Ah, I know, I know.” Deku sighed, but he looped his arm around his waist anyways. An intimate gesture — one that Katsuki grew less annoyed with with each passing day. “I’m just so excited, Kacchan! We haven’t been to the cinema in two months!”
Katsuki made a face. They’d been busy with school, and they hadn’t been able to make any plans together outside of the library, so this was a bit overdue. Despite having been official for half a year, they’d only gone out on a proper date only a handful of times.
Katsuki shrugged as he pulled his boyfriend closer to his side. “Yeah, well, it’s still just a movie, Deku. S’not worth running headlong into traffic.”
“Kacchan.” Deku’s tone suddenly became serious. “I would let a bus hit me for the sake of watching All Might.”
At this, Katsuki snorted loudly, and Deku immediately joined in his mirth.
“God— Deku, why the fuck am I even dating a mess like you?”
“Hmm… because you like me?”
“Not with that manic grin.”
Deku giggled, filled with sunshine and youth, and kissed his cheek affectionately.
Sometimes he swore he could still feel what it was like; how his heart would drum in his ears, how fireworks would go off between his fingers from how nervous and sweaty he got. Sometimes he remembered how nice it was to lie under the covers with his boyfriend, how warm and safe and goddamn happy he was from just being in the same room with him.
Sometimes, when he woke up in the middle of the night from a dream, he'd remember how it felt to have Midoriya Izuku look at him at all.
Sometimes…
"Dynamight?"
Katsuki blinked out of his thoughts. He looked at the glass coffee table before him first, then at the interviewer next to him. "Uhh…"
The woman's red lips curled upwards, overly sweet, and said, "Wow, did I startle you with our question, Dynamight? My, my! Does this mean you do have a special someone in your life?"
Katsuki scowled, holding back his annoyed sigh before it could be caught by his microphone. "No," he said firmly, a bit of a bite to his tone. "Like I've said to hundreds of gossip mags, I do not have anyone to go home to. I'm married to my job, and that's it."
"Aww, but that's not what your blush is saying, Dynamight!" The interviewer sang, loud playfulness completely faux for the sake of the camera.
This time, Katsuki couldn't hold back his sigh even if he wanted to. "Think what you want," he said, shrugging. "But I don't see how that's relevant to me climbing the ranks of pro heroes."
"Ah, always to business." She nodded, clearly disappointment from having the most popular question be brushed off so easily. Just like every interviewer in Katsuki's life. "But yes, you're absolutely right, Dynamight! Our viewers also want to know how, at the young age of twenty , you've already made your way into top ten! What's your secret?"
"Easy. I'm just fucking better than everyone."
She laughed heartily, and the audience in the studio joined in.
"Well, you may be number ten on the professional scoreboard, Dynamight, but your confidence has certainly sealed its spot as number one!"
Katsuki huffed a short laugh. He picked at the tips of his gloves, eyes downwards and away from the lines of cameras in front of him. When he looked up again, he caught sight of a child with dark hair, his eyes so big and bright like spotlights, like someone he knew, and Katsuki found himself spacing out yet again.
After the talk show ended, his manager had talked his ear off about swearing on national television — again — but her words entered one ear and went out the other, completely unprocessed. His mind was too cluttered for that today.
He was driving alone now, in the middle of a quiet neighborhood with the sun setting in the horizon. His hero costume had been exchanged for a casual shirt and sweatpants, the kind you'd wear at home after a long day at work.
But he wasn't going home — not to the place where he slept alone every night, anyway.
He parked at a distance; a precaution that he and his… associate had insisted on to avoid prying eyes and cameras. That said, Katsuki raised his medical mask a little higher as he walked along the trash-littered street. A dog was barking somewhere, just adding to Katsuki's headache, and he growled and walked faster to his destination.
It was a house, relatively small, but cozy in the sense that it felt lived in. There were pots of plants on the windows, an All Might welcome mat in front of the door, and small imperfections on the walls.
Katsuki stopped to look at the building. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped up to the door, waited a beat, and knocked.
"Coming!" Someone from inside shouted. Then, the door swung open, and his legs were immediately grabbed by a small child with green curls.
"Uncle Kacchan!"
"Hey, kiddo!" Katsuki laughed, genuine for the first time in literal days , and hoisted the little pup into his arms. "Well, shit, you got heavier! Did you eat extra chocolate this week or what?"
"No, but I did eat a super big pizza yesterday!" The four-year-old pup declared proudly, the shine in his red eyes never fading. "I think we have leftovers in the fridge. Mama, can Uncle Kacchan have some?"
Deku, who had been standing by the doorway, seemingly lost in his quiet thoughts, blinked and smiled thinly at his son.
"Sure, honey," he said, cocking his head towards the house. "Come in."
The living room was warm compared to the chill outside. Picture frames lined the shelves, dating as far back as when Toshi was first born, but nothing before that. Nothing with Katsuki in it. It was just Toshi and Deku, together, on his first birthday, on his first day of preschool, and all the little moments they shared together between these walls.
It was almost symbolic how the Omega had arranged these pictures here. It was almost as if he was cutting himself away from the past, from the life he had before everything fell apart.
An insistent tug on his collar made Katsuki jerk back to reality. He blinked down at Toshi, who was giving him a confused look. "Uncle Kacchan?" He asked. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine, bud." Katsuki grunted as he hoisted the little one higher against his hip. "Now, where was that big ass pizza you were talking about?"
"Kitchen. Oh, while we eat, can I show you my new comic book? Pretty please, Uncle Kacchan?"
"Sure, sure." Katsuki set him down on his feet, still smiling. "Go on, little brat. I'll meet you at the table."
"Awesome! Be right back."
Katsuki watched as the boy disappeared around the corner, the sound of a door shutting the only indication of where he went.
Just when he was opening the fridge, a rustling of a bag snapped his attention upwards, and he was met with his ex, already dressed for work, rummaging through his messenger bag. "Um, thanks for coming on such short notice," he was saying, eyes far away from his own. "My coworker got sick and I had to take over her shift last minute, and I couldn't get a babysitter on a Saturday night, so."
"It's fine." Katsuki nodded, drumming his fingers on the fridge's cold door. "I'm always available for him. You know that."
Deku paused. His scent shifted, ever so subtly, but Katsuki still caught it. He didn't say anything about it though, and let the other regain his composure enough to hand him some money. "So, um, here's a little cash in case you guys wanna—"
"No." Katsuki immediately shoved the money back into his hands. "I brought my own money. Just go, we're fine."
This time, when Deku's sent shifted, it lingered. His usual pine and earthy musk was clouded with burning mint and unease, and Katsuki realized belatedly that he still had his hand curled around his.
Katsuki quickly let go like he'd been shocked with electricity. An apology was set on his tongue, but he figured that it would only make the situation worse, because then he would be acknowledging something. Something he and Deku had buried a long, long time ago.
So, Katsuki simply turned away to set a plate of pizza for himself and for Toshi, saying nothing.
"You don't have to pay for everything all the time, you know," Deku said after a minute of stifling silence. "I have a steady job at the diner now. We're fine."
"Yeah, well, I ain't using most of my money on anything else, anyway. S'fine, it's not a big deal."
"I appreciate that, I really do, but Toshi's still my kid."
Before he could stop himself, Katsuki clicked his tongue and muttered, "He's my kid, too, you know."
And all too fast, there was a hand grabbing his shirt, and a furious finger pointed at his nose. "Will you—" Deku, wild-eyed and snarling for a split second, sighed sharply and shoved him away. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your mouth shut ? What if he heard? Where the hell even is he?"
"Oi, calm your tits, Deku," Katsuki snapped, the Alpha inside him thoroughly pissed from the sudden show of aggression. His instincts were screaming for a fight, but he kicked it down far enough so he could take a deep breath and level his voice. "He's in his fucking room. I'm not that stupid , goddammit."
Deku threw up his hands in exasperation, and he went to grip the sink to calm himself down.
"He can't know, do you understand me?"
"I get it. You've told me—"
"I mean it." Deku whirled, facing him now with an intensity that had never existed when they were kids. "He's not even five yet, okay? He doesn't need this— this thing between us—"
"You say that as if there fucking is a thing after you—"
"Me? Me !? How fucking dare you! How dare you say it was me when you left me —"
Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening, followed by a hearty, "I found it, Uncle Kacchan!"
The two adults sprung apart right before Toshi bounded into the kitchen, a comic book hugged tightly against his chest. "I found the comic book!" He repeated, oblivious to their previous argument. Always so blissfully oblivious, just as he should be. "I forgot where I put it, but it turns out I just left it in my bag."
"Well, then you should put away your stuff more carefully," Deku chided, his mother voice automatically flipping on. "I just bought you that, and I don't want to see you lose it, okay?"
"Yes, mama." The pup laughed sheepishly.
Deku cracked a smile before crouching down and kissing his forehead. "Okay, well, mama has to go to work now. You be good, okay? Bedtime at nine. I'll be back soon."
"Okay, bye, mama!" The pup butted his head under the greenette's chin briefly before pulling away and waving him goodbye.
Deku smiled at his son as he left, not once making eye contact with Katsuki.
Which was fine . It was fine. It wasn't like it was the first time Deku pretended he didn't exist.
It wasn't like it still hurt . It wasn't.
It wasn't.
"Hey, Uncle Kacchan, look, look!" Toshi enthusiastically held up his comic book up so he could see, almost jumping from how excited he was.
And just like that, all of his burdens fell off his shoulders, and Katsuki could breathe again. "Yeah, what is it, brat?" He asked as he sat down on the dining room's chair, bringing the pup — his pup — up onto his lap. Looking over his shoulder, Katsuki finally saw the cover, and it was like warm honey was poured over his heart.
"It's you!" Toshi giggled, pointing at the cartoon-style Dynamight on the front page of the book. "Cool, right? I begged mama to get me this edition. You just look so awesome here and I had to have it for my collection!"
"Collection, huh?" Katsuki huffed, hiding his smile in the little one's messy hair. "Yeah. Your mom knows a thing or two about collections."
"Mm-hmm! Mama likes All Might the best, but I like Uncle Kacchan! You beat the bad guys real fast, and your hero costume has orange and I love orange, and you're also super famous!"
"All Might's a lot more famous than me, though," Katsuki teased. "Besides, everyone talks about me because I have a shitty way of talking."
At this, Toshi laughed. "I saw you on TV! Mama laughed when you said the bad word."
Something in Katsuki's chest stuttered. "Yeah? He did?"
"Yup! Mama always laughs. He tells me to not copy you, though, because it's not funny when I say it."
"Mm." Katsuki squeezed his pup tighter, unable to stop the fondness from spreading through his heart. "Yeah, don't copy me just yet, Toshi. Your mom will kill me otherwise."
"No, mama wouldn't do that! You and mama are friends, and friends don't kill each other, right?"
At this, Katsuki paused, but he composed himself quickly and said, "Yup. Exactly. Okay, so, whaddya say we read this together in the living room, hm? We can nibble on this cold ass pizza and then I can cook you something?"
"Katsudon!" Toshi said. "Can you cook me that? Mama usually makes it, but I like how Uncle Kacchan makes it, too!"
"Sure thing, bud. Anything you want."
"Yay!" Toshi flung his short arms around his neck in a hug. "I love you, Uncle Kacchan!"
For a moment, the words got stuck in his throat from how it had closed up, but it didn't take much effort — no effort, to be exact, because he could never feel bothered when it came to his son — to say what he always said to him whenever they got to meet like this.
"I love you, too, Toshi."
It was just sad that he was only allowed to say it as Uncle Kacchan, and not as his father.
Katsuki was fifteen. Fifteen, and incredibly stupid.
On their third year of middle school, Katsuki got his Omega boyfriend pregnant.
His rut had started early, right after their movie date. He just— He just started sweating, and his fangs were aching for a claim, and his whole body was burning , and Deku was right there with him on his bed, kissing him, trying to get closer because his pheromones were affecting him, too, and they were out of their minds with lust.
He remembered, vividly, how right it had felt to hold him like that, to hear him moan his name and whimper when his knot had formed, to watch his eyes roll back into his skull from being filled without a fucking condom . He remembered how it felt when they descended from their high, how everything just felt so light and blurry and all they wanted to do was curl against each other for the rest of the night and sleep.
For that one night — that whole day — they were happy. Happy and together.
But then reality had to snap them awake, and when they opened their eyes, it was to a positive pregnancy test.
And Katsuki just— He freaked out. He freaked out, okay? He was fucking fifteen with all these plans to be a pro hero, to be the best and strongest of them all so he could protect his quirkless Deku, but—
But to drop all of that to become a father? A mated Alpha? At— At fifteen fucking years old, barely out of middle school?
He… He couldn't. He couldn't do it.
Inko had been enraged. His own parents had been enraged. At him, at the both of them. God, he still remembered how heavy the air had been in the Midoriya's living room with all of them cramped inside. He still remembered how Deku had cried, how he'd begged him to look at him and tell him that he'd be there with him. How he'd asked him, with a wobbly smile, to claim him and mate him so they could get through this together.
And he. Just. Couldn't . He'd just sat there, between his mom and dad, blocking out all of their screams and demands for him to explain himself, of how the fuck he'd knocked up his boyfriend and known about it for three months and not say anything, and did nothing.
He was fifteen. He was fifteen and so fucking terrified, so he did what any scumbag would do in that situation.
He walked away.
But when he turned sixteen, his son was born, and he fell in love all over again. Midoriya Toshi became his whole entire world, and that had never changed even after five years of resentment from his childhood ex.
He could take the glares. He could take the fake smiles. Hell, he could take the slaps and screams whenever Toshi was out of earshot. But he'd made a mistake before. He wasn't going to repeat that with his own son.
He lost Deku years ago. That was fine. It was fine. But he couldn't, for the life of him, lose his flesh and blood, even if he understood how little right he had to that demand.
So he greedily took what he could get. When Deku had dropped out of school, and began helping his mom with earning money, he'd been — extremely reluctantly — allowed to babysit his son when they were gone. When Inko died a few years later, his visits became a lot more frequent, and his fights with Deku became a lot more volatile. They fought at every chance they got, but they always, always stopped to pretend they were fine whenever they heard baby Toshi gurgle and cry from his crib.
But once he made it as a pro hero, things started to slow down. He was earning money, a lot of it, and he always gave most of it to Deku and Toshi.
It was at that point where Katsuki knew, without a sliver of doubt, that Deku was thoroughly done with him, because when Katsuki had handed his first ever paycheck to him, selfless Deku didn't even stop to decline it, and merely took the slip of paper and closed the door on him.
That night, he had hurt. A lot. He mourned for their dead relationship, for that spark he had treasured and trampled on so many years ago, but ever since then, he'd never let anything get to him ever again.
He and Deku were done. There was nothing there anymore. The sole reason — the only reason — he came back to that house was for his son. That was it. He didn't care about seeing Deku's smile again, or hearing his voice, or smelling his familiar pine scent. He didn't care anymore. He told himself that he didn't care.
But it was whatever. The past was the past. What mattered now was that his pup was hungry, and he needed to get these eggs out of the pan before they turned to fucking cinders.
Maybe it was because of his Alphan instincts, but he was completely tied to his pup — that was basically the reason why he wanted to be in his life the moment he was born. He was protective of him, wanted to provide and take care of him, but most of all, he was invested at everything Toshi did.
Like for example, his quirk.
It was nine now, and they were in Toshi's room, getting ready for bed, and the little one was showing him a series of tiny pops along his palms, like he always did whenever Katsuki came to visit.
It was endearing, and heart-warming, to see his son inheriting his quirk and being proud of it, even if he had no idea who he got it from.
"One day, I'm gonna surpass you," Toshi was saying. "I'm gonna be the greatest hero, and protect mama and Uncle Kacchan!"
If his tears hadn't dried up years ago, he would've cried at the sweet declaration.
"Alright, alright, I'll believe it when I see it, kiddo." Katsuki snorted, but he still ruffled the other's hair and rubbed his forehead against his temple, lightly scenting him. "Go to sleep, 'kay? I'm gonna wait for your mom to come home."
"Can't you sleep over, Uncle Kacchan? Please?"
"Kid, you know I—"
"Y-You're busy, I know. It's just… It would be cool if you could stay and make me pancakes in the morning. I like your pancakes."
"Mm." Katsuki's mouth twitched in a smile. "Well, then, I'll just have to make you some the next time I get to babysit your ass, okay? Now go to sleep. I'll be right outside."
Toshi hummed, snuggling under his Dynamight blanket. "Okay. Goodnight, Uncle Kacchan."
"Goodnight, sport."
When he closed the bedroom door, he sighed, and went to the couch to watch something on his phone.
He didn't know what time he dozed off, but it was well past midnight when Deku came back, looking exhausted to the bone.
Katsuki immediately woke up from the sound of the door, and he grimaced when he saw his ex's state. "Jesus," he murmured, almost sympathetically.
"Is Toshi asleep?" Deku asked, brushing him off like usual, as he set his bag by the door.
"Well, duh, genius. It's the middle of the night."
Deku gave him a flat look, then he sighed and went to the kitchen. "I don't have the energy to argue with you," he said, loud enough for Katsuki to hear.
"Oi, I didn't even— God." Katsuki growled, flopping back into the couch. "Whatever, Deku. Ain't got time for that, anyway."
There was the sound of a tap, and the rushing of water, then a quiet, "Hey. Can you babysit again tomorrow?"
At this, Katsuki raised an eyebrow. Huffing, he got up and walked over to where Deku was. The greenette was in the middle of drinking some water when he asked, "Why? You working Sundays again?"
"No. I just…" Deku paused, shrugging. "I just have some stuff to do."
"Like?"
"It's none of your business," Deku snapped, defensive now. "I'm almost twenty years old. I'm allowed to have a life, you know."
"I never said you couldn't, asshole," Katsuki growled back, baring his fangs in hopes of intimidating him enough to shut up. It didn't work, of course. It never worked on him, but he could damn well keep up appearances.
Deku scoffed and slammed his glass of water on the counter, the sound as deafening as a gunshot. "If you don't want to, then that's fine . I can ask my neighbor to watch Toshi, since apparently your words about always being available for Toshi are just bullshit like all the other things you say."
"Hey!" Katsuki boomed, the Alpha inside him livid by the atrocious accusation. "I care about my kid, alright!? Don't you fucking dare say I don't, you piece of Omega shit !"
Deku shoved his chest hard, making him stumble back a few steps. "Oh yeah!? That's not what you said when I told you I was pregnant!"
"Oh, this again, Deku? Right here, right now? Come on, give it to me, wake Toshi up and see where the fuck this goes for you. Come on, Omega, scream !"
Deku yelled, frustrated, and started shoving him to the door. "Out!" He ordered. "Get out! Get the fuck out of my house!"
"Deku!" Katsuki dug in his heels and grabbed the doorframe, halting their trainwreck before it crashed into the wall. Taking in deep, forced breaths, he shrugged off Deku's hands from his shirt and faced him. "Stop! Just stop. You said you didn't want to fight, right?"
" Fuck you, don't make it sound like I started this!"
"I wasn't—" Katsuki stopped his voice from escalating any further, and tried again, gentler. "I wasn't trying to say that. Look…" He sighed sharply from his nose, then he leaned his shoulder on the wall. "Whatever, okay? I'll babysit tomorrow. I'll be here. It's whatever."
Deku made a sound in his throat that bordered on a snarl. He scrubbed his palms over his freckled face before he muttered, "Fine. Whatever."
There was a stretch of silence between them, intense with unfinished words, but Katsuki eventually asked, "What time should I come over?"
"Six. No, five. Come by five."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Scowling, Katsuki shuffled on his feet for a minute, before ultimately opening the door to leave. "See you and Toshi tomorrow, I guess."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Deku grabbed the doorknob, pausing. "Bakugou."
Katsuki quickly turned away, not giving the other the satisfaction of seeing the grimace on his face. With the door closing behind him in finality, he made his way towards his car, refusing to acknowledge the weight in his chest.
"Dude, come on ." Kirishima groaned. "We've been planning this for over a week ."
"I said I can't, Kirishima." Katsuki clicked his tongue as he adjusted his earpiece. "Something came up. You guys go on ahead."
"Come on, Bakugou, what's the deal? I thought you said you didn't have an interview today."
"I don't. It's personal stuff." Katsuki grabbed his wallet and keys from the table, double checking silently if he had everything. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'll make it up to you and the guys. Right now, I'm really fucking busy."
"Damn, Bakugou, you sound like you're meeting the president or something."
"Shut up, man. Look, I gotta go, I'm running late."
"You'd better be meeting a hot Omega or else this sacrifice of boys night is unforgivable."
Katsuki rolled his eyes as he started the engine of his car. "It's not like that," he mumbled quietly.
But somehow, his best friend caught the shift in his voice. "Wait a minute," he started, shell-shocked. "You're actually going to meet an Omega right now!?"
"Oi, Shitty Hair, I said it's not like that, aight? God, you're annoying. It's just some errand."
"If you were just gonna buy milk or something, then you wouldn't have cancelled our plans."
"Try me. Hanging out with you dumbfucks literally sucks the life outta me, y'know."
"Ha ha, that’s very funny, Bakugou. But seriously —"
"Goodbye, Kirishima." And with that, he hung up, and he tossed his earpiece onto the passenger seat.
Damn that keen-eyed Kirishima. He was one of the best people in his life, and one of the best friends he could ever have since high school, but he was too socially aware for his own good. Even back then, Kirishima would always question why he'd disappear right out of class, speculating vocally that Katsuki must be going on secret dates that nobody knew about, and Katsuki in turn would just brush it off, not trusting his sharp tongue to not slip up and accidentally give away his real secret.
He knew Kirishima and the others wouldn't break off their friendship if they knew about him and Toshi, but the fact still remained — he'd left his ex to basically raise their child on his own, and that was too big of a bomb to recklessly set off.
There was shitty traffic as he drove, so he got to the house twenty minutes later than planned. When he knocked, he was fully expecting to be yelled at — but what was new, honestly — but what he wasn't expecting was to see Deku being…
Being drop-dead gorgeous.
He couldn’t even remember the last time hei saw him out of his work uniforms, so to suddenly see him wearing a green button-up with the top buttons undone and a pair of skin-tight jeans really threw him for a loop. His eyes were accented with eyeliner and dark eyeshadow, making them seem even bigger than usual. His freckled skin was on perfect display, with a light sheen of sweat on his collar bone, making it glow under the sunset.
And those lips . God, they were so glossy and pink, so pretty even though they were pulled in a tight frown. “You’re late,” they said.
“Yeah…” Katsuki breathed, momentarily dazed, but he quickly blinked and coughed into his fist. “I mean, yeah, sorry. I got held up.”
“I’m leaving in a few minutes,” Deku was saying as he turned away, walking straight to the couch where his purse was. “Toshi! Toshi, come here and give mama a kiss goodbye.”
“Coming!” Their pup called out from somewhere in the house, most likely his room.
“So…” Katsuki couldn’t stop his eyes from roving over Deku’s attire even if he tried. “What’s with the get-up?”
Deku scowled at him. “I told you it wasn’t any of your business, didn’t I?”
“God, am I not even allowed to make small talk with you?”
“No,” Deku answered swiftly. He took a second to fix up his hair, then he took a bottle of perfume up to his neck.
And without thinking, Katsuki immediately said, “Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Uhh…” Katsuki screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, like he was trying to rid himself of whatever spell he was in. “Your scent’s fine as it is. Perfume just— It just makes it worse.”
Deku’s eyes narrowed at him. Then, as sharp as a blade, he said, “Well, I don’t recall asking for your opinion, so…” Without breaking eye contact, he sprayed the perfume on his scent glands.
Katsuki rolled his eyes at the petty — power — move. He was about to fire off a remark when Toshi’s bedroom door opened, and the lively pup bounded right into his dam’s arms. “Bye, mama!” He kissed his cheek loudly. “Have fun!”
“I will, sweetie! I’ll bring home some snacks on my way home, ‘kay?”
“Okay!” Toshi turned his attention to Katsuki, and he broke out into a huge grin. “Hey, Uncle Kacchan! You’re late.”
Katsuki scoffed fondly as he went to pick him up. “Well, I had to go kick some baddie’s butt, so apologies if I’m a little late, your highness.”
“You’re half an hour late.”
“Twenty minutes!”
“Same thing,” Deku muttered from behind him. “Well, okay, I’m heading out. Take care.”
“See you later!” Toshi waved goodbye, and right after the door closed shut, he turned his head to Katsuki and said, “Uncle Kacchan, I’m so glad you’re here! You were just here yesterday, and I thought I wouldn’t see you again in awhile.”
“Yeah, well, your mom asked me to.”
“Ohhh.”
Katsuki sat down on the couch with a grunt, holding his son close to his chest. “But I would come by every day if I could, whether or not your mom asked me to, you know.”
Toshi peered up at him curiously at that. “Then, why don’t you?”
Katsuki smiled thinly before pressing his cheek on the top of his curls. “It’s complicated adult stuff, kiddo. You wouldn’t understand.”
The pup made a sound of protest. “That’s what mama said to me, too. S’not fair. I’m not a baby anymore.”
Katsuki chuckled, the act vibrating through his body pleasantly. But then Toshi’s words sunk in, and he asked, “Wait, what did your mom say?”
“He said it’s complicated, too, like you said.”
“No, no, I mean— I mean, what about?”
“Oh, I asked about where mama was going. He said he was going out with a friend.”
“Okay. And, umm, do you know who this friend is?”
“That’s what I asked! But mama said it wasn’t important for me to know yet because it’s complicated. Which is really unfair because mama knows all of my friends, but I don’t know any of his! I wanna meet and play with them, too.”
“Uhh…” Katsuki cleared his throat, an uncomfortable feeling lodged in his chest. “N-No. No, kiddo, it’s— Your mom’s right. It’s complicated, and you really shouldn’t stick your nose in it. Okay? You’re way too little for that.”
“Ehhh, not Uncle Kacchan, too!” He whined. “I thought you’d be on my side!”
“I am, I am. You know I’ll always be on your side, Toshi. Just… Uhh, just let your mom do his thing, okay? It’s probably nothing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I doubt it’s exciting anyway. So, uhh, Toshi, what do you wanna do tonight?” He was quick to change the subject, for he didn’t trust himself to keep talking about it and not call his ex to demand answers.
Luckily, the pup immediately switched to ranting about something else, which worked in distracting him for awhile, but eventually the distraught howls of his inner Alpha drowned out his words.
It was a long night again. Toshi was asleep, and Katsuki was on the couch like the previous night, but this time he wasn’t dozing off. He was waiting, wide-eyed and hyper-vigilant, for the door to open, and when it did, he was instantly on his feet.
“Deku, where did—”
The greenette jumped, nearly dropping his grocery bags. “ Jesus Christ, Bakugou, what the hell!?” He hissed. “You scared me!”
Katsuki narrowed his eyes as he stomped over to him. The lights were on, so he could take in Deku’s appearance in more—
Katsuki gaped. “Is that a fucking hickey, Deku?”
The Omega tensed, and he quickly lifted the collar of his top to hide the purple mark on his neck, but his glare never lost its intensity. “I appreciate you watching Toshi and all, but I have to ask you to leave now.”
“Deku, did you fucking go on a date ?”
“Bakugou, I mean it—”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were seeing someone!?”
Deku dropped his things heavily on the kitchen counter. “First of all, I have no obligation to tell you shit about what I do,” he spat, his flowery perfume now gone and replaced by a forest fire. “And second of all, so what if I’m seeing someone? I have the right to, and I certainly don’t have to ask you for permission.”
Katsuki huffed a humorless laugh. “Don’t you— Don’t you fucking think I’d want a heads up about this, Deku? Huh? You asked me to babysit our son, made me wait up for you until it’s almost two in the fucking morning, and you couldn’t be bothered to tell me that you’ve—”
“That I’ve what, Bakugou?” Deku strode right into his space, jabbing a finger into the center of his chest.
God, did he grow taller? He always knew Deku was small, but to have him this close — after years of distancing from each other — he realized that Deku had grown a lot of inches throughout the years. He was almost up to his nose, and from where they stood, Katsuki could smell the shampoo in his hair, the pine underneath his ferocity, and the subtle musk of another Alpha clinging to his clothes.
Katsuki was going to be sick.
“You didn’t think I’d ever get over you, did you?” Deku scoffed in his face, his breath like a summer breeze against his overheated skin. “You thought that I’d, what, be stuck with glueing back my heart for the rest of my life? Is that it, Bakugou? You didn’t think I’d ever move on, that I’d ever make something of myself like you did?”
“I…” Katsuki swallowed. “I never said I’ve…”
“Tell you what.” Deku interrupted his train of thought with a swift pivot. He opened the door wide for him, crossed his arms, and leaned his shoulder on the doorframe. “If you drop whatever interrogation you had in store for me and get out right now, I’ll let you come back here next week. Maybe the week after that, too, because you’ve taken care of Toshi so much. But I really, really need you to get out of my face, Bakugou, or else this will never work.”
Katsuki stood there, frozen in place, as he stared at his ex, at the dark street ahead, and back again. He took a tentative step forward. "Deku—"
"GET OUT!"
Deku was fuming, freckled cheeks now red from anger, and he looked close to exploding if the white-knuckled grip he had on his arms was any indication.
"Get out," he repeated, much quieter this time, but his rage was still heard loud and clear. "Get out before I call the cops, Bakugou."
He knew he wouldn't, and he knew he himself would never let whatever this was get to that point, but he still honored his wish and didn't push. Instead, he grabbed his phone from the coffee table, and wordlessly stepped through the doorway.
"Hey."
Katsuki paused at the steps.
"The guy I'm seeing?" Deku met his gaze, made absolute sure that he could see the thunder clouds in his forest eyes. "He's a much better Alpha than you ever were."
And then the door banged shut in his face.
Once Katsuki was inside his car, he gripped his hair and screamed.