Chapter Text
Soft light peaked between gaps of the leaves, or pine needles. Spreading glimpses of its light down to the bottom of the forest floor. Making most of the area dim and allowed a foggy blanket to cover the moss and leaves in a healthy layer of dew.
Early morning was always Izuku’s favorite time of day. When he was most at peace, collecting and foraging for herbs. Restocking his supplies for his Apothecary Shop. Searching for echinacea, chamomile flowers and ginseng. All helpful ingredients to help aid with his treatments.
Collecting in the morning, before the sun would rise, became a habit out of necessity. Izuku was forced to get a head start of the day, because he couldn’t stay out after sundown. Darkness wasn’t safe for him.
Izuku was not welcome in his village, never safe within its borders. He was only ever safe deep within the forest, hidden away where no one could find him. Only then was he safe, only then could he relax.
The forest was his hide away, his safe heaven. This was where his home and nest was located. A secret place weaved into the heart of the woods, where no one dared to wonder. A humble cottage carved into the side of a large tree, which Izuku had built himself.
It wasn’t fancy and didn’t have any riches, but it was his sanctuary. The building held his nest, his food, and his prized possessions. Which mostly consisted of his hoard of herbs and medicines.
Therefore, he always made sure no one followed him, or saw where he went. If they tried, and many did, he would prance about the woods (which he had memorized) until they got lost. Only then, would he make his way home.
The cottage was well hidden and camouflaged, since it was literally carved into the tree. But he was always cautious, better to be safe than sorry.
No one knew the forest as well as Izuku. Any normal person would be completely lost in a dense repetitive forest like this, but Izuku knew every branch shape, every bark pattern and rock. Loved the smell of leaves and the uneven ground under his feet. He knew every inch of this forest.
Probably because he spent his entire childhood within this place, alone and lots of time on his hands. So, he memorized the tree maze, studied the plant life and made friends with the animals. It seemed like they were the only creatures alive that would treat Izuku gently. The squirrels were not afraid to eat from his scarred hands, the birds would land gracefully upon his head and the rabbits especially loved him somehow. Always scampering under his feet and flicking their noses at him, which always made him smile.
These were his friends, he had no one else. No human friends or family, rarely interacting with people at all. Since the village wanted nothing to do with him.
That’s the reason he lived in such a secluded place. After the death of his mother, Izuku was driven out of the village and into the woods. The villagers thought he would succumb to nature's terrors, since he was a young child, no one expected him to survive.
But somehow, he did. Izuku adapted to the forest, learned ways to keep warm at night and found unexpected foods. After years of living off the land, Izuku found his footing and against all odds, survived.
Even as the years passed, the village’s opinion of Izuku never changed. They continued to hate him as much as they did when they chased him out of town. When he was young, Izuku didn’t understand why they held such disdain for him. He hadn’t done anything wrong, or anything specific to warrant their hate.
Izuku understood now, and he couldn’t do anything to change it. They hated him because he was different, and deep down it scared them. Not only was Izuku a male Omega, which wasn’t great, but that was not the reason. Izuku was deformed, a mutant with strange abilities the villagers feared. All his life, Izuku was called a monster. A witch. A freak.
The only person who saw Izuku in a good light was his mother, Inko Midoriya. She told Izuku that his powers were a gift and a beautiful blessing.
The gift of healing.
An amazing power to give strength and restore health to those who need it.
But, after her death those words of encouragement were drowned out and washed away by the wave of insults thrown at him on a daily basis. After a lifetime of hearing it, he believed it. He was a deformed monster, he was cursed and brought that curse on everyone around him.
This was why Izuku loved the forest. It was always quiet and he didn’t have to feel like a witch. The woods allowed him a place to take his mind off the villagers' hurtful words and focus on something else. Anything he wanted.
Here, he was free. Here, he could be just Izuku.
The Omega made his rounds, inspecting all his usual spots where the herbs grew. Harvesting just enough from each plant, to ensure it would survive for the next harvest. His basket was full of: chamomile for its calming properties, ginger root as an inflammatory, valerian root for a sedative.
He collected them in their appropriate vials and bags, stored in his wicker basket. Just as it was starting to overflow, he heard a distressed noise. A week, but high pitched squeak, accompanied by the sound of flapping. Probably a bird of some kind.
Watching where he stepped, Izuku made his way towards the sound. Listening intently to pin point where it was coming from, so he wouldn’t hurt it even further. Kneeling down in the leaves, he moved a low hanging tree branch out of the way and found something small and sad, on the forest floor.
It was a baby bird, it must have fallen from its nest or flew into something. Because, it was bouncing around the leaves, legs working surprisingly well as it jumped around. When the bird noticed Izuku, it tried to fly away. But its right wing was crooked and unable to achieve any lift, and simply crashed to the ground again.
“Oohh, little one.” Izuku scooted himself closer to the creature. “Did you fall?”
At first the hatchling did not appreciate Izuku’s approach and tried to scamper away, squawking at him. Probably more scared than angry.
“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” Izuku was used to befriending animals, so he had learned a thing or two about why animals bite and how to avoid it.
He reached into his bag and pulled out some millet seeds he had just collected and poured them into his opposite hand, protected by his glove. Then carefully laid it flat on the dirt beside his knee.
With a surprised chirp the bird fluttered its feathers, obviously tempted by the food, but too stubborn to do anything about it yet.
“I know I’m big and scary, but I promise I’m nice.”
The tiny bird seemed to actually squint its little black eyes at Izuku’s remark, fluffing its feathers with a full body huff. But eventually, one foot at a time, creeped its way into Izuku’s hand.
The tiny beak plucked and sorted through the seeds, which tickled Izuku’s palm and he couldn’t help but laugh lightly. As the bird ate, Izuku used the opportunity to examine the tweaked wing properly. It was bent at an odd angle and stuck up, making it look uncomfortable for the poor creature.
Using his teeth, Izuku removed the glove from his free hand and tucked it into his basket. Careful not to scare the bird away, he focused his energy into his curse. A soft green light emitted from his fingers, sparkling with a vibrant energy. Izuku forced his own strength into the wound, causing the muscles to rebind and strengthen.
The bird didn't seem to notice as its wing straightened, too focused on its yummy treat. Then with the smallest pop the joint slotted back into place and the fluffy head bolted upright in surprise. Squawking and jumping around in Izuku’s palm, trying to figure out what had happened.
“There ya go.” Izuku giggled.
Carefully, he moved his hand with the millet and the bird up and down. Forcing the bird to flap its wings, but without having to support its weight, slowly getting it used to using its wings. Realising that it was healed and could fly now. In less than ten seconds, Izuku could feel its weight lift off his palm during each fall. It was ready, but he gave it warning anyway.
“Ready?” He asked, not that he expected an answer.
“Go, fly!” With one last push he gently eased the bird into the air and just as he’d expected, the bird took to the skies. Flying higher into the canopy, chirping happily as it joined its brother and sisters. Starting its life to freely soar in the clouds.
Izuku watched it go, following the aerial acrobatics as it swirled between tree trunks. He was happy that the bird was free again, that he had brought it some joy. Yet, as he gazed, he was also envious of it. Because he knew that he would never be free like that. Izuku would always be stuck on the ground, to live like the dirt, filthy and alone. To live and die here, to go back to the dust.
While Izuku spaced out, he felt a wet sensation land upon his bare hand, the one without his glove.
Looking down, he found his friend, Clippy was a deer that Izuku had befriended several years back. A doe that kept him company from time to time during his harvests, the female deer grew attached to Izuku when he fed her some extra dried nuts he’d bought in town. Ever since then she’d accompany him everywhere.
“Hey Clippy.” Izuku scratched her chin, which caused her eyes to close in bliss.
The villagers called him crazy for talking to animals, but they called him crazy for a multitude of other things too. So, what did it really matter at that point?
Snap
Izuku was so distracted by his thoughts, by the time he heard the breaking of a twig, it was too late to hide. His guard had been down since Clippy was nearby, usually the dear would bolt at the first sign, or smell of danger. Which she did now. Bolting away with her white tail disappearing into the darkness of the forest.
At the same time, Izuku whirled around, seeing a sight that stopped his heart.
He would certainly be dead in the next few minutes, for what he saw could only mean his demise. A sight that screamed authority, following orders from the village, to finish the job. To rid the forest of the monster. Standing only a few feet away from him,
Izuku was eye to eye with a heavily armored guard.
************
“To all our loyal and faithful subjects, greetings.” A man addressed the public, his voice carrying over the crowd. “A message is brought directly from the Royal Bakugou Family, with this letter, the Royal Guard has been sent out to each province. In search of a potential prospect for the Prince Katsuki, we Guards shall remain and observe every city, town and prefecture of the Kingdom. Do not be afraid, the Guard are not here to interfere, only examine.
“Given, by the hand of the King and Queen. Greatly Sealed with the family crest, this third day of May, in the year of 14XX.”
By the time the speech was completed, the entire village was wild with excitement. Villagers spun with a new found passion to dress their best and put on their best act, in order to woo the Royal Guards enough to catch their attention.
One hundred times he’d see it, with every village they’d visited, it was the same every time. He’d grown to loathe it at this point, frustrated at the wenches that threw themselves at their feet. It was embarrassing.
He’d had enough of that in the Kingdom, strangers following him and chasing him, practically begging for attention. Katsuki was over it, all of it. He knew he needed to find a mate, but he wanted to find someone who didn’t grovel at his feet for his approval. Not like the sleazy princesses he was forced to tea with at home.
When his parents offered him the opportunity to search for himself in disguise, he jumped at the opportunity. Not only did it get him out of the castle, but he would be able to choose his partner. A choice not a lot of royalty were given.
Face covered by his metal mask, he felt comfortable walking in public. No one would recognize him by just the lower half of his face, as long as he kept his recognizable hair covered, his secret was safe.
This particular village was much smaller than the others they’d visited, it was a dusty place that spanned smaller than his Palace. Therefore, it couldn’t remotely compare to the grand size of the Capital city.
All the buildings were one single story and the road held no brick or stone, just dirt and puddles of mud. Everything seemed to be coated in a grey layer of grime, despite the movement of the villagers.
Katsuki detested it, not because he was scared of getting his hands dirty. On the contrary, Katsuki had seen many horrific things from his past battles with neighboring Kingdoms. His travels across the Kingdom have been long and tedious, he was not afraid of hard work.
No, Katsuki hated this place because the entire place reeked of prejudice. The atmosphere didn’t feel right in his bones, making his senses off and putting him on edge. He wished to move on from this place as quickly as possible.
Before that could happen, he had to thoroughly gauge the village. Even if he didn't like this place, he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. He hadn’t cut corners in any town yet, and he wasn’t planning to start that bad habit now. Katsuki didn’t do anything half-assed.
He walked along the streets with his right hand man at his side. Kirishima, a friend and fellow soldier that Katsuki had known for a very long time. He was an Alpha, just like Katsuki.
“I don’t like this place, this village gives me the creeps.” Kirishima physically shuddered, his metal armour clinking together as he shook.
Katsuki couldn’t agree more, he didn’t want to be there a moment more than needed. “Let’s just do what we came here to do and get the fuck out of here.”
As they walked, dozens of pedestrian eyes followed them. Watching their every move, as if they were doing something more exciting than simply making their way through town.
He had to make sure he kept his scent in check, especially in such a public place. His Dragonborn blood was more potent than average. It held a recognizable signature that would most definitely give away his identity if left unchecked.
No one must discover his lineage, if word got out that he was the Prince, the mission would be a failure. The entire point of him going undercover is to try to find someone who enjoyed Katsuki’s company for himself, not his title.
The two Alpha’s entered into what seemed the center square, the center of the village and filled with life. There wasn’t anything particularly special about it, no statue or fountain. It was just a simple cobblestone platform, which stood about eight inches above the ground and served as a sort of stage. Circular in shape and held a flagpole in the very center.
Which bore the Kilmoure Flag, a red spear embroidered over a blue base. It was a simple design and obviously home made, which was not surprising for such a small town.
For some odd reason, this place was drenched in sadness and pain, though there was no evidence of violence anywhere. No traces of blood or anything of the sort. The villagers acted no different, moving about their lives unaffected by it at all. Yet, a dense cloud of utter sorrow hung in the air, staining the entire square.
“You feel that too right?” Kirishima asked, his eyes scanning their surroundings from under his helmet.
Katsuki nodded slowly and heightened his other senses, as a Dragonborn Alpha, his senses were even better than average. He could smell the tiniest hint of food miles away or pin point “prey” from hundreds of feet in the air like a hawk.
After years of partnering together, Kirishima recognized Katsuki’s tell and knew exactly what he was doing.
“Oohhh, you’re doing your super sense thing.” He wiggled his fingers with a laugh.
“Yeah, shut up so I can actually listen.” Katsuki huffed out in annoyance.
The man rolled his eyes. “While you do that, I’m going to check out the market.”
With a pat on his shoulder, Kirishima turned away and left Katsuki to his eavesdropping. He knew that Kirishima simply wanted to get away from the strange, nagging feeling of dread that hung in the air. Katsuki wished to flee from it as well, but he was strangely interested. So, he stepped closer, which made the sensation intensify with each stride.
His boot, inches from the platform and Katsuki couldn’t move any closer. His head pounded and the ringing in his ears rang loudly, so badly he thought they might bleed.
Through the shrill noise, he could hear distant screams reverberating through the area. Ghosts of left over pain, one voice in particular stood out from the rest. Or wait, was it multiples of the same voice? Katsuki couldn’t tell.
He closed his eyes to concentrate, to pinpoint the cry and figure out why it was hurting. Maybe if he knew the reason for its trouble, Katsuki could help.
“They need to get rid of that thing.” A spiteful conversation broke his focus.
Frustrated, Katsuki’s shoulders slumped and he exhaled in annoyance. The screams had disappeared, yet the uneasy feeling lingered.
“I completely agree, it’s such an eyesore! I’m tired of looking at it.”
The Alpha turned his attention to a small group of villagers standing close by. Gossiping loud enough for everyone in the square to hear, squawking their nasty opinions out in the open. Katsuki hated these types of people, so flamboyant with their mouths. Is nothing personal to them? Fuck.
“I know! I saw it today when I passed through the Peace District!”
“Ew! That place is disgusting, why would you even go over there?” An Omegan woman gawked in surprise, her dress too tight for her. Which pushed up her large breasts, another thing she didn’t bother hiding.
“I needed medicine for my Grandmother, but I swear I didn’t touch anything.” This Beta sounded less accusatory, but still weary.
“You actually traded with it? You don’t know what’s in those, they could be contaminated!” The female physically gasped and took a step backwards, looking horribly offended.
“Don’t ever go back there again! It’s too dangerous, the Witch prowels all over that place!”
A Witch? The once boring chitchat now piqued Katsuki's interest and decided to listen further.
“But…my Grandmo-” They tried to justify, but was interrupted.
“No! That Witch is nothing but evil. It needs to be put down and end its evil reign for good.” The Omega stuck a finger in their face, expression hard and unyielding. “It's caused nothing but trouble here. Stealing, cheating and poisoning our population with its putrid Omegan stench.”
The Beta dropped their gaze to the floor and nodded, giving up the fight.
Whoever this Omegan Witch was, Katsuki had an immediate distaste for them. They were probably the reason why the town felt so ominous, that downright evil feeling in Katsuki’s gut. He might not be on his home turf, but he felt the need to bring peace and justice to this little village.
Katsuki has faced many demons in his journeys and confrontations in battle, so this shouldn’t be any different. One puffed up Omega was no match for Katsuki’s experienced Alpha, so he pledged to rid this place of such a treacherous being.
Satisfied with this new information and energized with a new goal, he turned around to meet Kirishima in the market. Following the familiar Alpha’s scent to track him down.
Usually, Katsuki would simply take to the sky. Spreading his wings, for an aerial view and quick travel in between places. But, he could not. The ability of flight was a trait exclusive to the Dragonborn Royal Family, therefore he was forced to fuckin walk eveywhere. It was extremely tedious and set his teeth on edge.
After the bothersome journey to find Kirishima, Katsuki finally entered the market. It was much more densely populated than the center square and moved with a lively energy. Gone was the eerie feeling and was replaced with a frenzied aura of chaos.
Carts weaved through the tiny walkway and pushed people around, while vendors chanted their promotions of goods. Animals in rickety corrals bleated, wishing they were free or begging for food. The smells of spices, cooking food and all the swirling smells of the villagers packed together. It overwhelmed Katsuki’s senses, specifically his nose.
His heightened senses were a blessing, but in this case, it was a curse. He felt everything too strongly, his attention snapping from every tiny movement, sound and smell. It was too much.
But he needed to find Kirishima, that was the entire reason he’d come to this crazy place. Holding his breath, he pushed through the crowd. Which ended up being worse, much worse. The close proximity of everything, people bumped into him and stepped on his feet. The yelling vendors now pointed their advertising directly towards him, announcing items that Katsuki didn’t need or want.
Fuck this place.
Fuck finding Kirishima.
He needed to get out of there, and needed fresh air. He wanted more than anything to sprout his wings and get the hell out of there. But he could not blow his cover, not when they just got to this place.
Spotting a gap in the busy road, Katsuki took advantage of it. Moving as quickly as he could towards the exit. Worming his way through the traffic and activity of the overwhelming place. His heart beat rapidly as the controlled panic flooded his system. He really needed to get out of there.
At last, he broke through the crowd, but he was still close enough to hear and smell the commotion. For that reason, he did not stop and continued to walk to the edge of the town. To the forest, where it was quiet.
Bursting through the trees, he ran forwards wanting to put as much distance between him and the village. Blindly running further into the woods.
What was wrong with him? Katsuki never panics like this, he’d kept his cool through war and tedious experiences. What about this village affects him so much?
He forced himself to stop running, to pause and center himself. He was definitely lost in the forest, it was peaceful and he would finally breathe. With a deep inhale, the fresh air soaked into his lungs and calmed his spirit. The heavy atmosphere of the village was gone, here gravity felt physically lighter.
His Alpha slowly settled down in his chest, heart beat regulating as he leaned against a tree. He rolled his neck and stretched his shoulder joints, to ease his restless spirit. Which helped a lot.
Now that he was feeling like himself again, he took a good look at his surroundings. The trees were magnificent; tall and wide. Seemed to be a very healthy, mature forest.
It was not a region that Katsuki was used to, since he lived in the capital city. He was accustomed to flying over the forests, not walking through them. It was a nice change.
The more he looked around, the more the trees seemed to strangely call him in. His Alpha crooning at the idea of going deeper.
A breeze wafted by, pressing gently on his back and caught the edge of his cloak. As if the wind itself was telling him to go further. Somehow, it felt more than just the simple urge to forage and hunt, this was different. Like fate calling him to action, beckoning him in.
Katsuki wasn’t one to ignore his instincts, his Alpha had never led him astray before and he wasn’t going to ignore it now.
So, he walked further in. All he could hear was the wind rustling the leaves, choir or insects and crunching of branches under his feet. It was much less elegant than being in the sky where everything was quiet. The trees provided shade, which was a pleasant change since Katsuki didn’t have that luxury above the clouds.
Many smells of flora and pollen danced in his nose, not overpowering like the market, just light enough to notice. He wasn’t tracking anything in specific and wasn’t sure what he was looking for. He was simply moving by instinct.
“Oohh, little one.”
A soft voice startled Katsuki and his combat instincts took over, silently ducking down behind a bush to hide himself.
“Did you fall?” With the second phrase, he was able to spot the origin of the voice.
Katsuki stopped breathing.
The moment Katsuki laid eyes upon him, Katsuki was mesmerized. Before him was a small man, wearing a large oversized dark cloak that covered most of his body. But Katsuki was more focused upon the beauty of his expression; bright green eyes gleamed with concern and a splattering of freckles that covered each of his cheeks. Equally green hair curled up in odd angles and framed his face in a graceful way.
“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Who was he talking to? With as much stealth as he could manage, he silently snuck around to get a better look.
The man held a little bird in his hands, it looked distressed. Not scared of the male, but seemed to be in pain. He held the bird so gently, so sweetly by his gloved hands. Covered up, like the rest of his form. It was strange, he’d never seen anyone like this before and it intrigued him.
Katsuki checked the wind, making sure he was downwind of him so he wouldn't be caught. It was then that he caught a whiff of the man’s scent. He was an Omega and smelled very similar to the forest around them, he probably spent a lot of time here. It was hard to distinguish between the natural and the Omegan scent, but Katsuki detected jasmine tea and sage.
Immediately as the scent soaked into his system, Katsuki felt at peace and his Alpha was wide awake. Who was this Omega?
The strange man reached a gloved hand into a bag and pulled out a handful of tiny seeds, which made the bird chirp happily at the sight of food. The Omega returned the chirp, a sound which caused his Alpha to preen and he to force it from verbalising. A bizarre reaction that Katsuki had never felt before, never once had his Alpha reacted to anyone.
Then he realised, this pull was not just curiosity. His Alpha was claiming this forest Omega.
Shit.
“I know I’m big and scary, but I promise I’m nice.” He guided the bird to eat.
Big and scary, yeah right. Even from afar and behind a bush, Katsuki could tell that the Omega was a shrimp. He was practically half his height and probably one third Katsuki’s weight.
The Omega laughed and Katsuki knew he was fucked, the sound was bells to his ears, a jingeling that hit him straight in the core.
Carefully, he pulled off one of his gloves and hovered his hand a few inches over the bird's head, which was so engrossed in its food that it didn’t notice. But his hand…it was covered in gnarly scars. Katsuki internally grimaced at the idea of what could have caused that kind of damage, but now understood the reason for the gloves.
What happened next, Katsuki did not see coming. A soft green light sprouted from his palm, the light danced over the bird and buzzed with energy. Katsuki’s jaw dropped as he watched the bird wing gently fall back into its proper place. A surprised trill emanated from the bird as it flapped its wings, trying them out.
“There ya go.” That giggle was going to be the death of him.
Katsuki was speechless, the Omega had healing magic! Healing was incredibly rare and highly sought after, he only knew one other person with this ability. An older woman who lived with his family in the capital city. But even she said she never met anyone else that shared her gift.
Katsuki watched in awe as the Omega dutifully helped the bird fly again.
“Go, fly!” With one last umph, the bird was able to catch the breeze. Using its healed wings to carry it higher into the tree tops.
Once out of sight, the Omega’s expression changed, his formally cheery countenance gazed sadly into the sky. Watching the space where the birds flew overhead, his eyes seemed far away with a longing that Katsuki understood too well.
From the brush behind the Omega a fucking dear walked into the mini clearing, the creature waltzed straight up to him and nuzzled his ungloved hand like a dog asking for pets.
“Hey clippy.” As quickly as it appeared, his sad expression was gone. Green eyes taking comfort in his other “friend”.
Who the fuck was this Omega? A healer who hides away in the woods and befriends wild animals?
Apparently Katsuki was leaning too heavily upon the bush that he was hiding behind, too enthralled by this Omega to think properly about stealth. A branch cracked under his weight and caused a noise loud enough to scare off the deer.
By the time he looked up, he had locked eyes with green. Which were even more beautiful now that they were aimed towards him, but they were scared. Scanning Katsuki with fear, landing on his heavy armor and large sword.
Immediately, the Omega bolted.
“Wait!” Katsuki called after him, hoping to prove he didn’t mean any harm.
Fuck, he forgot that he looked so intimidating with his Royal dragon armor. He probably looked terrifying and scared him away.
Katsuki chased after him, following his scent. But it seemed as though the Omega knew this forest very well, because he easily evaded all the obstacles with ease. Ducking under branches and hopping over rocks as though he knew what was coming before he hit it.
Meanwhile, Katsuki ran into every single thing like a bull, his armour clanking and weighing him down with every step. He still wasn’t used to wearing the heavy metal armor, even after many months of parading around in it.
Katsuki’s attire of choice was his boots, his cape and staying light on his feet. Keeping his daily wear as simple as possible to be flexible and quick. Also as a Dragonborn, he trained in wide spaces with enough room to maneuver; flying through the open air.
This was the opposite and it made him feel inferior, an emotion that was new for him. His Alpha hated it, but somehow he was also thrilled at the idea of an Omega worthy of a challenge. An Omega with skill, who used his small size to his advantage. The ability to dart swiftly through small gaps and use the environment to his advantage.
Eventually, Katsuki lost the scent entirely. Even with his hyper senses, he could no longer hear, smell or see the Omega anywhere.
Frustrated, Katsuki huffed and caught his breath. But he vowed that he would find the Omega again and properly introduce himself.