Chapter Text
Pack at Ease, the words glowed with neon colors that flashed into the rainy evening.
A night club designed exclusively for and welcoming of animal based mutations, hidden or not, catering solidly to pack based mutation groups, a place Izuku found wildly exciting and stimulating and -
Honestly just a bit frightening!
But in good ways, because he’d never known he actually had a hidden mutation.
Painted Dog was their best guess, but with all hidden mutations, it was as much luck and guesswork to figure it all out, like Hizashi’s probable Harris Hawk mutation with a solid side order of osprey, and how Shouta was mostly domestic tabby with more than a touch of lion, despite most people thinking he was so Jaguar-like.
Izuku was always grateful for the tabby though cause it meant Shouta could purrrr and it was solidly awesome to be hugged by someone who loved him AND purrrred!
What they had discovered with months of careful observation though was Izuku’s solid need to be protected, cared for, for him to support and assist and help his loved ones and to have people in his life that….
Frankly the only words for it were Make Him Behave Himself!
Bottom of the pack had such negative connotations yet someone was always the top, someone was the bottom, someone was middle, no place in a pack was bad, not if it fit you properly, and taking his role as the youngest and most inexperienced member of NEZU’S pack put him properly at the bottom.
And something in his soul sang with that, made him so happy that he met everyone with an actual song, high and wordless and filled with joy any time he saw them after a separation of just a few minutes, never mind a few days.
The first time he’d actually wet himself in excitement at seeing Hizashi after three days of his being away Izuku thought he’d die of shame, yet Ryou was there, had already been working with him for weeks by that point, and he’d growled, deep and lowly and Izuku used that threat to step out of his shame, to be objective, to catalogue what he needed right then and what he needed was…
Hazashi to hug him regardless of what he’d just done in his trousers and like magic indeed, Hizashi did, simply wrapped his damp self all up with those long beautiful arms and rocked him side to side and said, “I am so excited to see you too Poppet, like,” a deep sniff and nibble at Izuku’s neck, “I have missed you sooooooo much!”
Suffice to say, his newly set free instincts were a joy and a tribulation to live with.
Which led to his spending time with the entire pack at UA, and with his personal pack either at Shouta’s place or out on the town like now.
They were all talking about perhaps living together, a joint place, probably at UA (utter strokes-ville of a concept for Izuku’s brain) and Izuku wanted that, and was afraid of it in equal measure.
Ryou and Nezu and Chiyo, as senior pack members, were working with him on that, as was a team of behavioral specialists he'd been signed up with for weekly lessons.
All the back pay being returned to him from years of being robbed at work meant he could be a gentle-being of leisure for a few years but instead his days were filled with lessons, training, education, and pack, which suited him right down to his soul.
Inhaling the fragrances of the club Izuku settled in beside Shouta, and basked in how safe he felt, because no matter how hungry the eyes upon him as they moved about meeting and greeting, his position in the pack meant no one outside of it would dare approach without a senior member invite.
They did let others approach, and Izuku enjoyed every single person they welcomed in, he was beginning to get a solid understanding of how the various packs operated in the wider so called Normie world, and spent as much time observing the crowds as he did watching the shows and laughing with his new family.
As small as three, as large as thirty members strong, no pack was the same, but one thing they all shared was a member’s placement in the pack structure supporting the mutation needing a pack in the first place!
A brief peck on the cheek to Shouta on one side and Nemuri on the other and he’d headed for the loo, comfortable enough here now after more than a dozen visits to move about unaccompanied, trusting in his easy to see bracelet on his wrist to keep him from being pestered by any strangers to the club who’d not know Shouta or Pack Nezu.
Huffing a bit he laughed to himself as he made his way back to their table, swerving off his line to belly up to the bar to get a fresh Strawberry Daiquiri to bring back with him, filled with a big fat zero on the alcohol front which was a bit of a bone of contention lately, when a shot glass was pushed to his elbow and heat rolled his way from whence it’d come.
Not worried all that much by the stranger leaning closer Izuku cocked his head and said, “What is it?”
The masc was broader than he was tall, but not fat at all, and he bared his teeth in a smile and said, “You are so sweet, it’s Absinthe, have you never had it?”
Shaking his head, Izuku almost died on the spot when the big masc said with a low and sultry tone, "Well, Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder!”
Gaping at them, Izuku finally erupted into giggles. “Oh my gods, I can’t believe you’d actually say something like that, just, does that even work?”
Looking into orange eyes even Izuku had to agree with, “Well, you're still here, so go on, try it. I bet you’ll like it, it’s a bit sweet, but not as sweet as you.”
Despite how good the evening was going it'd been a frustrating day, he’d tried to fall into research mode several times and been denied, tried to clean properly yet been redirected, failed a test only to be told ninety three isn't a falling mark and not let to beat himself up over it so now, to be faced with something his pack absolutely forbid him from even trying, he had a moment's thought that it might be a bad idea, a moment to listen to the inner voice that said No, no no no and instead he growled and grabbed the tiny crystal glass of golden liquid -
Raising it he smelled and wrinkled his nose at the pungent fragrance and shrugged his shoulders and -
It was against his lips as they parted and the masc was leaning forward with eagerness and Shouta's hand was suddenly just there, easing between his mouth and the glass, calmly taking it out of abruptly numb fingers as he said to the orange eyes masc now beginning to snarl at being interrupted, “I see you missed the red and white band, or did you just ignore it?”
This had the stranger suddenly looking shifty, and then pasting on an utterly insincere smile as he said, “Well, you can’t blame me for that, candy like him begs a taste.”
“Shouta?” Izuku asked in desperation because something was going on that he didn't understand, and he was relieved when Shouta kissed his cheek and said, “Go back to the table with Hizashi, I’ll be there in a minute, I just need to settle something here and then we’ll discuss what you did, understand sweetheart?”
Nodding in swelling dread as he thought of absolute rules and why we really shouldn’t break them, Izuku let Hizashi wrap him in his arms, tuck him into a side hug and be escorted back to their table.
_____________
Nico, big bear mutation and owner of the club was already there and waiting, all Shouta had to do was say, once Izuku was out of the way, “Red band, it means alcohol intolerance verging on life threateningly dangerous, and White means possessed already by a pack.”
Firmly resisting the desire to simply lash out, Shouta said with words like ice, “You could have killed my packmate. Nico, a year and a day please, or would you rather I just kill him for you now?”
Ignoring the now blustering fool still trying to pin the blame on Izuku for being too pretty to resist and how it wasn’t his fault and how it wasn’t fair, Shouta nodded when the owner said, “Ban supported, both here and every pack club in the country! You, get out, if you set foot into my club or any affiliated clubs inside of a year and a day everyone in here will declare open season on you.”
Watching Neco leap up onto the bar and yell the banishment, Shouta easily turned his back on the loser who’d dared try and give a red band -
Sucking a breath, running his fingers over the neutra-pens he carried at all times, all of them had things that could kill them, all of them carried emergency first aid, all of them wore the appropriate bracelet for their evenings fun, he was just glad their naughty little puppy’d been spotted and they’d been flagged down before it went that far. They’d not even begun to worry at the length of the bathroom break, knowing Izuku’d get a fresh drink on his way back and the place was jumping so of course it’d take time.
A nod to Emi as he passed, Rumi and Tanaka both grinning in relief at the save, he’d have to do something nice for them soon, they might have actually saved Izuku’s life.
Not his ass, because Shouta had proper plans for that.
Cradling his panicked rage he gentled it, soothed and let it go, Izuku’d been naughty after a frustrating day and that was all he’d been. The solution to it was simple and required no anger, because their pup hadn’t earned any.
The fucker who'd done it did, but being banished from the only places any pack inclining mutations could let their hair down, or singletons could go hunting for a pack of their own, was punishment enough.
Of course, it they broke the ban it was open season, and Shouta knew most if not all of the regulars would tip him off if the fool tried it. Licking his lips that the thought of the screams if he truly went off leash, he pressed hands with all three of Rumi’s pack, and then stropped his jaw against Shino’s face as they too checked in, the Pussycats were strongly allied to pack Nezu, as was pack Rumi, it felt good to have them here.
They’d have to make time for a proper day of it soon, all three packs, maybe at the beach, but for now he’d leave planning that aside and deal with their newest member!
*
Worried guilty green eyes met his as he crossed the markings on the stone floor, watching as Izuku got nervously to his feet, and Shouta smiled and said, “Do you remember what I said about spankings, Izuku?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first time he’d been taken to Pack at Ease Izuku’d been coached about the place and how to behave while in it, already knew many of the things he might see, smell, experience, and many of the people as well, so while the place might be shocking to his senses he’d been ready for it and was enjoying every single bit until….
He didn't know what the junior pack member of one of the mid sized packs had done, he’d missed that part, only caught up with the drama when he’d seen her escorted back into their marked space. The floor stone was made up of different colors, marked out in different sizes of squares, letting packs set up temporary territories to fit member numbers, and the girl, young, late teens early twenties, already crying as a low voiced conversation led to Izuku almost swallowing his tongue when, without ceremony the clear pack leader sat down, pulled her over his lap and tugged her skirt band down rather than struggling with the miles of fabric the skirt seemed to be made of, and proceeded to spank her in full view of the entire place!
And that wasn't even the worst part, nor was how his own hands reached back without any thought on his part to cover his own ass, no, it was how every single senior pack member in the place watched with calm considering gazes, just as Shouta was, as if they were grading it!
Grading the spanking!!!
And how all of them gave a firm nod when the clearly final three landed, and nodded again when the junior was let to sob in place until she tried to get up, and nodded again when she was cradled and cuddled and reassured of her place in the pack.
He remembered being so drawn to it, and how he’d wanted to run miles away, so to be in the same position now as she’d been then was dreadful!
“Izuku, are you aware of the ingredients of the drink you almost took?”
Oh how he wanted to lie, to shake his head and oh gods, he was shaking his head but he managed to say, despite the gesture, “Yes, I um, sorry,” covering his face he nodded finally and said again, “YEs.”
“Good puppy, perfect honesty, thank you.”
Shivering because he was not getting away with what he’d just done, Izuku flinched hard when Shouta then said, “Repeat for me what I said about spankings, please.”
Please?
As if Izuku had a choice?
Panting faintly, Izuku managed to say, “That if I earned it, no matter where, you’d give it to me!”
“That's right, now, Hizashi, your glove please.”
Wincing, Izuku watch Hizashi tug it off, butter soft leather, all the way up to the elbows of that beautiful arm, Izuku was whimpering as Shouta took it in one hand, pulled it a few times through his fist and slapped it to his own thigh with a sharp crack, nodding as he said, “This will do for now, ten here with this and then we’ll finish at home.”
~
Crying even harder Izuku bent over the chair back when told to, his very short skirt tucked up and out of the way, his thong about as much protection as a fan in a hurricane, and a warm hand on his lower back as Shouta said, “Alcohol is forbidden for a reason, and the reason is it can kill you!”
A swishing sound and the leather landed, and Izuku yiiiped a high cry as he danced up on his toes, and then as soon as he settled back to the ground it landed again!
And again!
Wailing warbles of regret and appeasement Izuku was beyond human speech by the fifth one, and by ten he was draped over Shouta’s hip with an arm around his waist holding him in place rather than across the back of the chair and giving a long ululating cry of regret!
~
And he knew the entire room heard, watched, judged, and approved!
***
Knowing he had more to look forward to when getting home seriously put a damper on watching the show on stage, and the fire merrily burning across the entirety of his ass put the final death knell to any fun he might get from a nice night out.
Other than how nice it was being passed like a parcel from person to person in his pack, that is, something he could solidly get behind, because they all gave the best hugs and cuddles!
Leaning into Shouta he tentatively asked, “Ummm, Shouta?”
“Hmmm?”
“Will it be…. umm, just your haaaah…. well, no….. ummm nev-never mind.”
Subsiding into a red faced heap at the words Shouta murmured into his ear, only just loud enough for him to hear over the music as he answered the question Izuku hadn't actually managed to ask, “A paddle, the one we bought on our trip to Okinawa.” which totally and utterly destroyed Izuku’s ability to breathe but Shouta kept on going regardless.
“And I think it’s time we all left the club. Tonight we'll go to UA, I want the big pack room for this, and it’s the place we all mostly grew up, so you’ll be more comfortable there tonight cause we all fit.”
“And no, you can relax, the super grownups are away this week, enjoying some them time so it’s just us handling this.”
A dark twinkle as Shouta added after checking an incoming message because of the ring tone letting him know who it was sending, “Nezu says to tell you that if they were home he’d be the one handling your trying to poison yourself with unsolicited alcohol offered to you by a complete stranger, and for you to be grateful Chiyo isn't home cause she’d be handling the second spanking, and Ryou the third.”
Thoroughly destroying any composure their pup might possess, Shouta stood up and said, “Let's go home and get this behind us.”
****
Watching her one time crush and looooong time friend deal with their naughty puppy Emi studied the glove in use, because damn, it seemed to combine the best of all things for a speedy correction, all the sting of a belt with the softness of a hand, preventing injury to delicate bottoms while clearly stoking the fires of hell and was attractive as all get out when Hizashi was wearing them.
Judging by the howls each strike coaxed forth she nodded, her costume could do with an upgrade!
“For the love of my ability to sit down,” their junior kitten said, “please tell me you are not -” “Contemplating adding elbow gloves of leather to my costume?” she broke in to ask with a tiny grin.
“Oh dear,” Tanaka-chan whispered, “must you?”
“Petal, with how naughty you are, it’s a given we both add them, perhaps you as well, add a touch of memorableness to the lesson if you have to give us your own glove for the spanking, don’t you think sweet one? And that way you think of it every time you put them on!”
Curling up with a complicated sound of despair she relaxed as they groomed her hair and ears, because yes, yes it would add to the entirety of awfulness a spanking was to have to give her own leather gloves for them to use on her, like the time she’d had to go fetch her own switch!
But at the end of the day, behaving really wasn’t that difficult, she just chose to break the rules, so even she agreed she often deserved every bit of what she got.
***
Being trained for months in a fully immersive program designed by Nezu himself and sited at UA meant Izuku’d spent lots of time in the Nezu family room, relaxing, cuddling, totally zonked out from yet another brutal days training, cuddling for movie nights….
It was a space he was utterly comfortable with, but the firm words, "Fetch the paddle petal.” had him going into parts of the house he wasn't often in.
The implements room, more a closet really, but it had several items he wished to never ever meet in functional real life, as it were, so he carefully got the one he'd been told to fetch and ignored all the rest.
Looking at the thing as he hovered for a moment just out of sight of the others, running gentle fingers across the carvings, they got it on their first time away as a group, just the five of them for a full two weeks, and it’d been Hizashi who’d spotted it.
A tide pool in rippling sand, carved into old growth chestnut wood, so decorative it was easy to not see the business end, as it were.
Chiyo’d said as soon as she'd seen it, "This will live here until you all are under one roof. A beautiful thing like this needs to be safe, you can use it when you need but for now, use it here!”
But that day in the sun when Hizahsi’d picked it up and given it a few smacks to his palm, and had looked at Shouta sideways and Shouta’d gone bright red…..
Learning that Hizashi was a disciplinarian in their pack as well as Shouta was a shock, because Shouta was so good at it, but Shouta’d laughed back at Hizashi’s cheeky expression, "As if I need a pretty little toy like that to teach you your lesson!”
All of them’d laughed, Oboro tugging Izuku into a side hug. “Those two take a positive delight in making my ass clench, I swear it!”
As the formerly lowest ranking member of the pack, and arguably the MOST reckless, even Izuku’d be the first to agree, Oboro needed a firm hand!
And Nemuri was almost as bad, just totally in different ways!
But it was him fetching the paddle, and his feet dragged as he finally went in the family room and paused, frozen for a long long moment of shocked realization, because all of them were sitting down, other than Shouta, who was standing full square waiting for him.
Shouta who asked firmly, “When you decided to take that drink, what were you thinking?”
Oh gods, such a simple question, and the one Izuku didn't want to answer with all his heart.
But he needed nothing extra added onto what he was about to get, so he let the broken whine dribble from between his jaws and then said, letting out months of resentment that had built up unnoticed under all the amazingness of his new life, “That it wasn't fair!”
“It isn't fair I can't clean right anymore, even if it wasn't the right way to do it anyway and I know that, I really do, and and and I’m old enough to drink, even if I never wanted too before but now I’m not allowed, and I was out at a club, and everyone else was drinking, not you all, I know that, you’re all heroes and you don’t risk drinking like that but but but - ”
A hand was holding his free one that had been wildly waving as he tired to articulate his emotions and he managed to keep going, “I didn't think it’d be that bad, it was just a tiny glass, just a tablespoon or two, and he was nice, well, I thought so but thinking about it again,” frowning at the twined band still on his wrist, “I’m wearing a red and white bracelet!”
“You are indeed, for what pet?”
“Oh, life threatening allergies, red for alcohol, and white for not interested in joining another pack so don't bother me.”
“Ummm hmmmm, now, did they ask about the bracelets? The bracelet clearly identified at the main door AND over the bar so everyone knows what they mean?”
“No, they didn't.”
Focused on the sulky and worried face, Shouta continued, “They have a hyena mutation, and for their behavior tonight they are barred for a year and a day, and if they try to get back in before then our pack will go hunting, because you could have died.”
"That tiny little drink contained a very high proof alcohol, and it really might have killed you. Even with the swift application of an antidote your system might have reacted too fast for us to save you.”
“And all of this you know! You know that a bad mood or frustration is not an excuse to risk you life or safety for no good reason!”
Lifting the drooping head Shouta said, “We will work on the underlying cause of your frustrations starting tomorrow, because many things have changed for you in a relatively short space of time and even good change can sometimes bring out upsetting emotions, but that does not get you off this particular hook.”
“You chose to accept that drink and for that shockingly bad choice you had ten in the club, now you’ll get ten with the paddle. And to make sure you properly remember and we have no repeats of the behavior, you will take the paddle to each one of your pack, and receive two of the ten from them.”
“When you give the paddle to them, you are to ask them to teach you your lesson, and you will ask properly.”
“Am I understood, sweet one?”
Freely crying now, Izuku nodded, wishing he’d never even heard of absinthe!
*
Ten with a paddle was bad, Shouta would agree, having been on the receiving end more than a few times, ten with a paddle was a bitch, especially after ten with a length of leather in any shape or form.
But this was a special lesson indeed, worse in many ways than having to fetch the implement or pull down one's own bottoms, but the lesson was important.
There were other substances mutations could take that gave a buzzz without the dangers of alcohol, and Izuku knew that, so to take a bad day and say fuck it to his own health earned every bit of what he had coming!
Hizashi first, as befitted pack structure, and Izuku offered the paddle, and the words “Please, will you teach me better?” and Hizashi took the pretty wooden paddle and replied warmly, “I am honored to teach you this lesson, petal, your health is so important to me.”
“Bend over please.”
~
Having chosen to sit on a solid upright wooden chair their pup dangled across his lap, and Hizashi tucked the paddle behind himself, the already pink bottom about to have quite a bit more color added, as he asked, “Why is alcohol bad for you?”
“Oh, oh no Hizashi please - ” Interrupting without hesitation he laid four measured spanks with his hand, and Izuku squealed and bucked, and answered the question, “Be-because it it it’s bad for me!”
“Ummmhummmmm, and why is it bad for you?”
“Dog, hidden African Pa-pain-painted dog mu-mu-mutation!”
“That's right puppy, and alcohol is dangerous, not to mention potentially lethal for dogs, and you absolutely know better.”
This time he tucked their dramatic flower closer against his belly before he proceed to give a firm warm up, as Izuku wailed how he’d never ever do it again and Hizahi finally lifted out the paddle, tapped the squealing and struggling beloved bottom with it and then, saying firmly, “Midoriya Izuku, do not risk your health like that ever again!”
He swung up and landed the return with a solid thwap, and then repeated it on the other ass cheek because pretty as it was the paddle was not large, as their pup proved his dog mutation with a high kiyiyiyi of utterly heartfelt regret!
Cause paddles stung like a bitch!
*
Izuku was gonna die, being helped up and cuddled and told how much Hizashi loved him didn't help anything other than letting his heart know Zashi still loved him, because now he had to go to Nemuri, and he could hardly even say the words asking for his lesson, and she was sitting on soft chair but then she got up, and had him lean over the back of it as she said, “Izuku petal, no one here will ever stand idly aside as you risk your health for a bit of temper, ever.”
Squaaawling as she too used her hand first, and holy hell his feet kicked and he wriggled and yelled cause it was so bad, how was she so owwwie with just her hand and he was sobbing hard by the time cool wood patted his butt and he howled, a rising oooOOOOoo of regret as it landed twice, like the fires of doom itself!
*
Oboro had to admit, seeing Izuku almost take a drink that could kill him, then to find it was simply a bad mood that had him doing it?
He couldn't wait to hold that paddle, and his expression must have shown it as Izuku finished his hug with Nemi and headed his way where he was sitting on a long, low settle waiting for the pup. He'd known she was before him in placement so where he was sitting would give their newest somewhere comfortable at least to have his final ass roasting on.
Well, Shouta would be finishing it up really, but for now, once Izuku sobbed out the request for Oboro to teach him his lesson, he tugged him into a hug first, saying “You are too important to all of us to risk yourself for no good reason.”
Which might be a bit hypocritical when he’d done the exact same thing not four years earlier but if anyone knew where Izuku was coming from, Oboro did, and exactly how to make sure it didn't happen again, cause damn he remembered this!
“If you want that buzzz Nemi and I’ll make sure you get it, Pack at Ease has drinks that’ll do it, you know that, now, over you go, you by damned earned every bit of this lesson and I am grateful to be part of giving it to you!”
The bottom facing him was a proper red now, yet Oboro too gave a solid warm up with his hand first, not bothering to speak because Izuku was beyond hearing words at this point, but the pup felt the wooden smoothness of the paddle rest for a long moment and was howling long before it landed, kicking and wailing with abandon as it landed again and then Oboro was done.
Surging their Izuku up into a hug he too was crying as he begged, “Please, please don't do anything like this again, we love you!!!!”
*
Having watched with approval as Izuku went to each one of his family to receive his properly unforgettable lesson in why we don’t voluntarily imbibe any substance that could make us sick or, you know, kill us, Shouta didn't hesitate or drag it out any farther when the sobbing mess that was his most beloved person stumbled to him and simply plucked the paddle from his fingers, tucked him under his arm and landed the final two blistering spanks and it was over.
~
Ten with a belt substitute and ten with the paddle in the end wasn’t all that much, even with the extra he’d gotten with their hands, but Shouta was certain Izuku would never forget it.
Nor would he, that moment when he realized what was going on at the bar, and he curled in the big nest a little bit later with all of them just as soon as he’d finished a long long standing hug, Izuku now tucked and still crying in the middle of them all, and wondered if he should be doing anything important about the rest of their pack friends to make sure their juniors didn’t have this happen or….
“Shouta, relax, I told Dadzu all about who was there tonight and who helped spot the danger, even before you were done with my glove, so you know he’ll be onto all the pack clubs to help enhance safety for all the patrons, young and old, as well as sending gift hampers as thanks for the assist tonight.”
“Oh, and I bet Oboro that a sudden rush of leather elbow gloves are going to be seen across the hero industry, as well as the civilian population, and he said, and I quote - ” “No way! Just no way!” Oboro insisted again, but more in frantic denial than any real belief, and Shouta chuckled and said, “I’ll lay you a solid bet Zashi, I bet I'm borrowing your glove for our Rainbo before the months out!”
“Oh daaamn Shouta,” Hizashi laughed as Izuku gave a muffled hitched giggle, “I am not betting against a certainty!”
______________
They’d both been right, soft leather elbow gloves became all the rage and Oboro was bent over experiencing the full measure of them not long after, only it was Rumi providing the lesson that time, cause frightening a rabbit by doing something stupidly dangerous where she could see you do it was a seriously bad idea!
__________________________________________________
ART
The paddle they bought on their holiday as a pack!
And a little doodle I did of Rumi as an ACTUAL rabbit mutation rather than a buxom woman with rabbit ears! Because rabbits are fierce, and so is she!
