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Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku aren’t just neighbours or friends like the other pups in the village; they have known and played with each other before either of them knew how to say each other’s name.
“I- Izuku…” Little Katsuki was the one who said Izuku’s name first, the other pup’s name being his first actual word.
“Ka- Kat- Kachuki…” Little Izuku blubbered, lips wobbling as his green eyes quickly filled up with tears upon seeing the little frown on his blonde friend’s face.
“No! KAT-SU-KI! KATSUKI!” Little Katsuki tried to teach his friend how to say his name, frowning as he wondered why Izuku was crying when his name was the one that had been butchered so badly.
“Kat- Chu- Ki! Kachuki!” Little Izuku said in between his sobs, wiping his tears and snot as he tried to say his friend’s name over and again.
“No! Urgh! KAT-SU-KI! KAT-SU-KI! KATSUKI!” Little Katsuki said again as he leaned forward to wipe Izuku’s tears, but Izuku cried even louder because he couldn’t seem to get it right.
Izuku’s cry caught their dams’ attention, Bakugou Mitsuki and Midoriya Inko kneeling down next to their pups as they tried to figure out what happened.
“I- Izuku… Izuku…” Little Katsuki said as he pointed to the crying pup in Inko’s arms, and Mitsuki’s red eyes widened as she looked at her pup in disbelief.
“Oh my God, that- that’s your first word! You just said your first word! And it’s not even mom or dad, it’s Izuku!” Mitsuki exclaimed excitedly as she ruffled her pup’s blonde hair, and Katsuki frowned as he groaned and pushed her grabby hands away.
“Izuku…” Little Katsuki repeated, red eyes focused on Izuku’s teary green ones as the smaller pup looked sadly at him.
“Maybe your name is too hard for Izuku to say, sweetheart. Can we try shortening your name so he can say it?” Inko asked, smiling gently as she looked at Katsuki. “How about Kacchan?”
Katsuki frowned a little; Kacchan isn’t his name but it was definitely better than Kachuki.
“Kacchan…” Little Katsuki said, nodding his head curtly as he then turned to Izuku. Holding Izuku’s gaze, Katsuki tapped his chest and repeated his new name, “Kacchan!”
“Ka- Kacchan!” Little Izuku said, and Katsuki watched as his friend’s face bloomed the biggest and prettiest smile he had ever seen. “Kacchan!”
“Un! Kacchan!” Katsuki repeated, and Izuku giggled as he looked at the happy grin on his friend’s face.
Their dams watched, happy smiles on their faces as the two pups kept repeating each other’s names. They were barely 1 year old, they hadn’t even called out for their parents, and yet they had said and remembered each other’s names.
Being neighbours in a small village, Katsuki and Izuku have been close since they were little pups in diapers. Their dams are best friends, so it’s natural for them to be close friends too. They’re two peas in a pod stuck at the hips, the kind where you just need to find one to see the other. Izuku would be seen running ahead with flowers he had plucked in his hands, and Katsuki is right on his heels. They’re extremely close, and Katsuki is very possessive over Izuku. The blonde doesn’t like sharing, and he absolutely hates sharing Izuku with others. He would bare his little teeth if someone even breathed the smaller boy’s direction.
“You dare look at him again and I’ll scratch your eyes out!” 5 year old Katsuki threatens, growling angrily at the extra who had tried to steal Izuku away.
(The pup isn’t trying to steal Izuku away; he simply wants to look at the little trinkets that Katsuki had gifted Izuku.)
Katsuki is 8 years old when he presents as Alpha, grinning proudly and puffing out his chest as he shows Izuku his little fangs that have barely grown. Izuku looks at him with stars in his eyes, his big green eyes sparkling bright as he claps his hands happily for his Kacchan.
“I knew it! Kacchan is amazing! Of course, you’d be an Alpha!” Izuku exclaims happily, his eyes turning into crescents when he smiles so big that his freckled cheeks rise and squish those eyes into cute crescents.
“Of course! Now that I’m Alpha, we’ll wait for you to present as Omega and then I can mark you and make you my mate!” Katsuki proclaims excitedly, and that’s when Izuku’s smile falls.
“B- But what if I don’t present as Omega, Kacchan?” Izuku asks as he looks at his Kacchan worriedly.
“Nah, you will! I’ll stay by your side and make sure my Alpha scent will cause you to present as Omega! ‘Sides, even if you don’t present as Omega, I’ll still make you my mate no matter what!” Katsuki promises, and Izuku nods as he looks at his entwined hands with his Kacchan.
“Un! I’ll stay close to Kacchan then! Kacchan’s amazing! Kacchan’s Alpha scent will definitely make me present as Omega!” Izuku says happily, smiling soft and sweet as he swings Kacchan’s hand.
Except, as months pass by, Izuku still hasn’t presented. It isn’t actually that bad as the presenting age usually ranges from 8 to 12 years old, and Katsuki is one of the very few who has presented earlier than others in their village. It doesn’t calm the two boys though, as both become very restless, and Katsuki starts asking around.
(“How do Alphas help the person they like to present as Omega?”, “What is a sure way for one to present as Omega?” and the one question that got the most grins, “How do Alphas claim the person they like?”)
After getting some answers, the two boys decide to try what Katsuki learned from the adults. There are a few things they could do, but they decide to go with the one that would surely help in turning Izuku into an Omega. It sounds a little painful, but Izuku trusts his Kacchan and so he just sits there while Katsuki prepares him for the things they are going to do.
And that’s how Mitsuki finds Katsuki on top of Izuku in Katsuki’s den, with his barely grown fangs locked deep in the back of Izuku’s neck.
“BAKUGOU KATSUKI! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Mitsuki screeches, red in the face as she grabs her son by the back collar of his yukata and rips him off from mounting her best friend’s son.
“GET THE FUCK OFF ME, OLD HAG!” Katsuki shouts as he tries to get his dam’s claws off his neck, snarling as he struggles to free himself.
“LANGUAGE, BRAT!” Mitsuki shouts as she smacks the back of his head, and she takes a deep breath before looking at Izuku who has turned strawberry red from head to toe. “Izuku, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Katsuki probably had his first rut and he—
“I AM NOT IN A FUCKING RUT!” Katsuki shouts, his face burning at the thought of having his first rut with Izuku.
Katsuki hasn’t had his rut yet, but he has started to feel that pressure and coil building in the pit of his stomach whenever Izuku sits flushed skin-to-skin next to him. His heart has always beat louder when he’s around Izuku, but it beats even louder when Izuku invites him into his nest, lying all warm and comfy next to him. Katsuki hasn’t experienced those weird dreams that he hears the older Alphas talking about, but he has started to feel that tingling sensation in his dick, and his dick getting embarrassingly bigger and harder when Izuku puts his hands on his thighs or hugs him with his face in Katsuki’s neck.
“If you’re not in a rut, what were you doing to Izuku just now?! You’re no longer just a pup, Katsuki! You have presented as an Alpha, so you CANNOT do this kind of play with Izuku! It’s wrong, Katsuki!” Mitsuki scolds his son, her voice louder than usual as she internally panics about what to tell Inko if something has really happened to her best friend’s son.
“I WASN’T DOING FUCKING ANYTHING! I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP—
“I WANTED IT, AUNTY! IT WASN’T KACCHAN’S FAULT!” Izuku shouts, cutting Kacchan off mid-sentence as he looks at Kacchan’s dam, his face red with huge blobs of tears rolling down his cheeks.
“What- What did you say? What do you mean you wanted this, Izuku?” Mitsuki asks as softly as possible, trying her best to stay calm because this isn’t her loud, brash brat of a son, but her best friend’s soft, gentle as a feather son.
“I- I wanted this, Aunty… I- I haven’t presented yet, so Kacchan was just trying to help me present as an Omega…” Izuku replies, wiping his tears with the back of hands, and Katsuki immediately pulls him into a hug.
“Tch! ‘S not your fucking fault! And stop crying! You’re gonna get your eyes all red and swollen again!” Katsuki says, frowning as he wipes Izuku’s tears with his yukata sleeves before turning to throw a glare at his dam. “Don’t get angry at Izuku! I wanted to do this! I just want to make sure he presents as an Omega, and then I can make him my mate!”
Mitsuki’s eyes widen at her son’s words, and her gaze softens as she looks at the two boys in front of her. She should have seen this coming. Hell, she should have known the two boys would want each other as mates when her son’s first word had been the other boy’s name. And yet, somehow, she’s still surprised by how much they want each other despite their young age. The two boys probably don’t even know what love means and yet, they love each other more than some older couples do.
“Izuku doesn’t have to be an Omega to be mated to you, Katsuki. He could be any other gender and I’m pretty sure you’d still want him, am I right?” Mitsuki asks, smiling gently as she looks at her son who glares fiercely at her.
“Of fucking course! I don’t fucking care what he presents as! Izuku will still be my fucking mate!” Katsuki declares determinedly, and his mother sighs as she smacks the back of his head.
“Language, brat!” Mitsuki scolds, her frown turning into a gentle smile as she looks at the smaller boy. “See, it doesn’t matter your gender, you can still be mated to Katsuki. Your second gender responds to your heart, Izuku. It’s all in your heart.”
Izuku nods, snuggling to Kacchan’s side as the bigger boy continues to wipe his face and snot. “Told you not to cry so much! Now your eyes are all red and swollen and disgusting.”
“Also, keep in mind not to bite Izuku, Katsuki. The thing you did earlier, it’s a mating ceremony. I don’t know how you know about it, but you’re not allowed to do that kind of thing until you’re older and you actually know what it means to bite and mate. Do you understand me?” Mitsuki says, and Katsuki grunts his reply as he can feel the seriousness in his dam’s voice.
Katsuki may not know what a mating ceremony is, but he knows from the way his dam is looking at him and the way her voice dipped lower that it’s not something he wants to play around with.
“Mating ceremony? What’s that, Aunty?” Izuku asks, green eyes wide as he looks curiously at the older Alpha who looks around nervously.
“I- I think it’s best if I leave that to your dam to explain to you when you’re older, sweetheart. You’re much too young to know and understand what that is, Izuku,” Mitsuki says, smiling gently, and she almost sighs in relief when the younger boy simply nods.
Mitsuki checks on the bite wound at the back of Izuku’s neck, cleaning it up and dabbing some ointment so that it wouldn’t get infected. She is thankful that her son’s fangs hadn’t fully grown to cause much damage, and that he’s way too young for his body to develop Alpha’s mating venom. She tells Inko about it, apologising for what Katsuki had done, and she’s grateful that her best friend understands and just laughs as she checks on Izuku’s wound.
What Mitsuki and Inko didn’t know was that something had already been born from the bite.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
It’s a cold winter morning when 13 year old Izuku is officially diagnosed as ‘Genderless’. He stares at his village healer’s face, his green eyes widening in shock and horror as he slowly tries to swallow the diagnosis that he has just received. His dam is no different, her own green eyes welling up with tears as she tries to ask the healer to check him again.
“I’m so sorry, Midoriya-san. From how your son doesn’t react to the enchantments and how his blood shows no signs of gender development, he is indeed Genderless. ‘Genderless’ is a rare mutation of the gene and although it’s not as common as it was decades ago, it still does happen. Through Izuku’s blood and the enchantment tests, we confirmed this diagnosis,” their village healer, Madam Shuzenji explains, a sad frown on her face as she pats Inko’s trembling back.
Izuku sits in the chair, his body shaking as he cries his eyes out. Why is the world so unfair to him? He just wants to be Kacchan’s mate. He doesn’t even need to be an Omega, he doesn’t care if he was diagnosed as Alpha or Beta. Izuku just wants to be someone normal so that he can be Kacchan’s mate. And yet, and yet he can’t have that.
“So, how was it? Did they manage to find out your second gender?” Katsuki asks the moment he stops in front of Izuku.
Katsuki has been waiting in front of Izuku’s house, squatting and pacing around the front lawn as he keeps his eyes out for Izuku. Today is the day his best friend will finally get confirmation on his second gender, and Katsuki is beyond excited. He cannot wait to hear what Izuku’s second gender will be, and then he can finally make Izuku his mate. He’s just pacing around when he sees Izuku, and he immediately runs up to his much smaller best friend.
Looking at his swollen red eyes and the way his lips begin to wobble, Katsuki knows the result isn’t in their favour. But he had promised that he would want Izuku as his mate no matter what his second gender is, and he means it. “Oi, stop crying. I told you, you don’t have to be a fucking Omega and I would still make you my—
“I’m Genderless,” Izuku whispers, voice soft and filled with sadness and fear, and Katsuki’s eyes widen as he looks at Izuku.
“What?” Katsuki breathes, red eyes searching Izuku’s green ones as he tries to see if this is some kind of joke. “This- You’re joking, right? I know you have yet to present, but to diagnose you as Genderless just because you haven’t fucking presented is fucking ridiculous! Genderless haven’t been heard for decades, how can they be fucking sure that you’re—
“They did all the enchantments and blood works, Kacchan. I- There was no reaction when they cast the enchantment to draw out my second gender, and they didn’t see any gender development in my blood. I- I am Genderless. I’m so sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku whispers, tears in his eyes as he stares at his Kacchan.
Katsuki is prepared to accept any genders. He wanted Izuku to be an Omega so that they’d be the perfect pairing, the perfect Alpha and Omega pairing that he had always read about and witnessed in the village, but he has prepared himself to accept Izuku in any way.
Except this.
Katsuki hasn’t encountered a Genderless before, but he has heard and read about it. ‘Genderless’ is a diagnosis for those whose genes have mutated back to a time when there weren’t any second genders, and their bodies are known to be broken and useless, regarded as nothing but a burden and menace to society.
And Katsuki’s an Alpha; he cannot have a fucking Genderless as his mate. His Alpha howls in disagreement.
“Kacchan…” Izuku whispers as he watches Katsuki back away, green eyes tearing up when Katsuki raises his palms up as Izuku reaches out to him.
“I- I need to go,” Katsuki says, turning around on his heels and running away from Izuku, who simply just stands rooted to the ground as he watches Katsuki run towards the forest.
His Kacchan who turned away and left him alone for the very first time.
It has been two weeks since Kacchan last spoke to him. Kacchan hasn’t come by their house, and he refuses to see Izuku whenever he comes by. He knows Kacchan must be very disappointed, but doesn’t he know that Izuku is very disappointed and crushed by the test results too? Like Kacchan, Izuku very much wanted to be his mate too.
This isn’t what he wanted; this isn’t his choice.
“Izuku, baby, are you okay?” Inko asks her son, frowning as she looks at how Izuku is just picking at his food.
“Ka- Kacchan still doesn’t want to see me…” Izuku whispers, his eyes filling up with tears as he wonders what he should do to get Kacchan to talk and play with him again.
“Give him—
“I don’t blame him,” Midoriya Hisashi, Izuku’s sire, says coldly and harshly, and Izuku winces from the pain piercing his heart.
“Hisashi!” Inko shouts, her green eyes filled with shock and anger as she turns to look at her Alpha husband.
“What? It’s not surprising that the blonde Alpha boy wouldn’t want to keep in touch with a fucking ‘Genderless’,” Hisashi says as he glares at Izuku, his lips curled back into a sneer as he looks disgusted by Izuku.
“Ka- Kacchan is not like that…” Izuku mutters, his voice soft and barely above a whisper, and tears drop onto his shaking hands as they clench tightly on his thighs.
“Have you looked at yourself?! You’re a fucking Genderless! Do you know what a Genderless is?! AN ABOMINATION! YOU’RE A FUCKING ABOMINATION!” Hisashi shouts with so much anger and disgust, causing Izuku to shrink back into his seat as it dawns on him just how bad his diagnosis was.
“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! DON’T YOU SAY THAT! DON’T YOU EVER SAY THAT, HISASHI! EVERYONE CAN SAY THINGS ABOUT IZUKU, BUT NOT YOU! YOU’RE HIS SIRE! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT—
“NO ONE IN MY FAMILY LINEAGE HAS EVER BEEN A FUCKING GENDERLESS, INKO! NO ONE! Maybe you had fucked someone else behind my back and—
A loud resounding slap echoes in the room, and everything falls into complete stillness. Inko breathes heavily as she looks at her mate with pure rage and sadness in her eyes, and Hisashi holds his bruised cheek as he then turns to look at Inko with shock that bleeds into anger and a resolution.
A resolution that Izuku understands later when his sire leaves with his suitcase.
“What a fucking bastard!” Mitsuki snarls with her arms around Inko, tightening her hold as she comforts her best friend.
“It’s okay, it’s better this way. I can raise Izuku all by myself,” Inko says determinedly as she flashes a small smile, and Mitsuki nods.
Izuku sits on the front porch of Kacchan’s house, his green eyes following Kacchan as the blonde Alpha runs around with the other Alphas from their village. He recognises some of them; they’re infamously known as the true bred Alphas who believe Alphas are the superior gender and look down on the other genders. Izuku flinches when one of them suddenly turns to look at him, and he instantly rises to his feet when they make their way towards him with Kacchan in front of them.
“Ka- Kacchan…” Izuku whispers, smiling nervously as those red eyes look at him.
Izuku has never been nervous in front of Kacchan, but this is the first time in over a month that Kacchan approaches him. They haven’t met nor spoken since he told Kacchan of his diagnosis. That, and Kacchan has never looked at him this way.
A look that’s similar to how his sire had looked at him.
A look that’s similar to how these other Alphas were giving him.
A look full of anger and disgust.
“So, this is the Genderless whose sire just abandoned him?” one of the Alphas sneers, his scent reeks of superiority and dominance, causing Izuku to take a step back from the overwhelming presence.
“Yeah, that’s him,” Kacchan says, voice cold and emotionless, making Izuku’s eyes widen at his words.
“Wait. Isn’t he the one that you wanted to be mated to? I think everyone in our village knows how much you wanted to have him as your mate before,” another Alpha says, smirking as he looks in Izuku’s direction.
“Nah, that’s before I knew he’s a fucking Genderless! ‘M a fucking Alpha! Why the fuck would I settle for a fucking Genderless?!” Kacchan says cruelly as he scowls at Izuku, and Izuku can’t hear anything except the sound of his heart breaking in his chest.
“Pffttt, good fucking call! You presented earlier than almost all Alphas in our village, and that shows how strong your Alpha is. It’s definitely better for you to find a better mate than settle for this… ‘Deku’,” the first Alpha cackles, and Izuku turns and walks away from them.
For the first time ever, Izuku walks away from Kacchan.
“Fuck, you’re a genius! Deku suits him! A useless, Genderless Izuku… DEKU! Damn, why didn’t I think of that?!” Izuku hears another older Alpha holler, and yet all of this mockery is nothing compared to how Kacchan has looked at him and how he has joined his Alpha friends in mocking him.
Nothing compared to what Kacchan has said.
But Izuku should have known; if his own sire could walk away and abandon him, why would Kacchan stay? Kacchan has no reason to stay. He’s an Alpha, and he’s amazing at everything, so it isn’t surprising that he wouldn’t stay.
‘Of fucking course! I don’t fucking care what he presents as! Izuku will still be my fucking mate!’
“But you promised, Kacchan… You promised you’d accept me as your mate no matter what my second gender is…” Izuku whispers behind his closed bedroom door, crying his eyes out as his broken heart bleeds in his chest.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
The sun has gone down and snow is pouring heavily when 16 years old Izuku finds himself standing rooted to the snow covered ground at the corner of the tavern. He has rushed home to take a torch for Kacchan because he knows Kacchan will end up staying late with his Alpha friends, as he usually does; Izuku does not expect to hear this conversation between them.
“Bakugou, why the hell do you still let that worthless Deku follow you around? I thought you said you’re going to find a perfect Omega as your mate? What, your heart can’t bear to let him go?” one of the Alphas had said, smirking wide as he mocked the blonde Alpha.
“Fuck you! Of fucking course, ‘m gonna find the perfect Omega as my mate! I already told Deku to fuck off, but since he doesn’t want to, ‘s not my fucking business then. He wants to please me, and you lazy assholes have someone to do shits for you. Ain’t that bad of a fucking deal, huh?” Kacchan replies cruelly, smirking so evilly that Izuku doesn’t recognise that face anymore.
His body trembles in the cold, tears streaming down his cheeks as he hears just how much Kacchan hates his presence; just how much Kacchan hates him.
“You know, if you keep him around, other Omegas will think you’re already mated and won't approach you. It’s best to get rid of him early before you miss the chance of getting your perfect mate, Bakugou,” another Alpha says, snickering as he looks at Kacchan.
“Nah, ‘m keeping him around to filter out the bad goods. Once the perfect mate comes along, l’ll fucking throw him out. Ain’t no fucking one stopping me from getting my perfect mate,” Kacchan says so heartlessly, and Izuku’s drops the torch as he turns away and runs towards the forest.
This is the second time he turns away from Kacchan.
Izuku should have known that nothing would change. It has been three years since he was diagnosed as a ‘Genderless’, and he still stays by Kacchan’s side no matter how painful it has been. Izuku has endured the daily mockery and ridicule from Kacchan’s Alpha friends while Kacchan just laughs along with them; he has endured Kacchan himself mocking him for his ‘Genderless’ and ‘fatherless’ status. Izuku has bitten through his cheeks and swallowed the heart-wrenching pain when beautiful Omegas throw themselves at Kacchan, watching with his heart bleeding in his chest as the blonde Alpha smirks at them with his hands on their waists and his lips on their necks.
Izuku falls on the snow covered grass, crying as he clutches his chest. “It hurts. It hurts so much, Kacchan.”
Izuku endured everything with the thought and hope that Kacchan would realise that even if he’s Genderless, he’s still the same Izuku. Izuku endured all the pain with the hope that Kacchan would remember the promise he made when they were younger. But now, it seems like Izuku’s the only one who’s holding onto that long forgotten promise.
‘Once the perfect mate comes along, l’ll fucking throw him out. Ain’t no fucking one stopping me from getting my perfect mate,’ Kacchan’s cruel words echo in his head, and it dawns on Izuku that this isn’t his Kacchan.
His Kacchan was someone who protected him and would never hurt him. But this Kacchan, this isn’t his Kacchan anymore. Izuku should stop hoping for his Kacchan to remember the promise. Izuku should have realised that his Kacchan was long gone after he was diagnosed as ‘Genderless’.
Izuku’s body trembles in the cold wind and snow as he cries for Kacchan for one last time. He decides to let Kacchan go. He cannot do this anymore. He cannot keep on living like this. Besides, it’s for the best for him and Kacchan.
No, not Kacchan; there’s no more Kacchan now. He’s just Bakugou Katsuki.
“Uh, are you okay? Are you hurt?” a husky voice asks gently.
Startled by the sudden presence behind him, Izuku jumps up to his feet. In his rush, he accidentally steps on the hem of his yukata and slips backward. Izuku closes his eyes as he braces himself for the fall, but instead of feeling the cold, hard ground, he feels a pair of warm hands instead.
A pair of very warm hands around his waist tighten their hold as they help him back to his feet, and Izuku opens his green eyes, widening slightly in surprise when they meet familiar heterochromatic ones. “Todoroki-kun…”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I heard you crying. Are you okay, Midoriya?” the heterochromatic eyed Alpha asks, and Izuku immediately scrambles back when he realises how close he was standing to the Alpha.
”I- I’m fine, Todoroki-kun. T- Thank you…” Izuku answers, wiping his tears with the back of his hands as he looks away from the Alpha - the famous Todoroki Shoto.
Izuku recognises Todoroki Shoto because Kacchan, no, Bakugou Katsuki hates him with a passion. Just like Katsuki, Todoroki is one of the very few Alphas who had presented at a very young age in their village. Although he keeps mostly to himself and doesn’t seem to do well with socialising with others, the villagers speak well of him and they seem to look forward to his achievements due to his warrior family background.
And because of that, Katsuki hates him with a burning passion.
“All that half and half bastard has is a fucking family name! ‘M way fucking better than that!” Katsuki had said one time, his red eyes burning with anger and annoyance as he stared down the Alpha who didn’t seem to care about Katsuki nor the other Alphas’ existence.
“If you’re fine, you wouldn’t be crying,” the Alpha’s voice snaps Izuku out of his thoughts, and Izuku looks away because he has nothing else to say. “You don’t have to tell me, but let’s find a shelter first. There’s going to be a snowstorm soon.”
Izuku nods, standing awkwardly as he waits to follow the Alpha. He expects the Alpha to just walk ahead of him while he follows behind, definitely not expecting the hand extended before him. Izuku’s green eyes widen in surprise as he looks at the hand reaching out towards him, and he looks up at the tall Alpha before him.
”It gets pretty slippery on the pathway that leads us to the shelter I’m taking you to. And well, we don’t want to risk you falling again, do we?” Todoroki says, and Izuku nods dumbly as he reaches out carefully to accept the Alpha’s hand.
He has never accepted anyone else’s hand other than Katsuki’s before, and no one has ever reached out to him. And yet now, this Alpha extends a hand out to him with a gentle smile on his face.
“Come on, let’s go before we get caught in the storm,” Todoroki says, and Izuku nods with a small smile as he looks at his hand that’s in the Alpha’s warm grip.
For the first time in his life, Izuku has accepted someone else’s hand other than Katsuki’s.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Katsuki can’t help the scowl on his face as he stares at how close Izuku is with the half and half bastard. When did they become fucking friends? No, when the hell did they even fucking talk to each other? Katsuki narrows his eyes, red eyes glaring daggers when Izuku laughs at something that half and half bastard had said.
“What the fuck?! Bakugou, your scent’s fucking burning!” one of the older Alphas he has been hanging around with exclaims, snapping Katsuki out of his rage as he instantly reigns his smokey, angry scent back.
Looking at Izuku with the half and half bastard had gotten Katsuki so worked up that he didn't even realise that his feelings had leaked through his scent. But, why the hell is he angry? Why does it bother him so fucking much that Izuku is with the half and half bastard? Katsuki should feel fucking delighted that the stupid Genderless isn’t bothering him anymore, but he’s not.
Wondering what had gotten Katsuki so pissed that his rage leaked through his scent, one of the older Alphas looked in the direction of where Katsuki had been looking earlier. And he smirks when he sees that it’s none other than the Genderless Deku. “What? You miss your little Genderless now that he’s not trailing after you anymore?”
“WHAT?! KATSUKI GOT ALL PISSED BECAUSE OF DEKU?!” another older Alpha exclaims, his disgust thick and obvious in his voice.
And Katsuki’s face turns red. Not because he’s caught staring at Izuku, but because he’s fucking pissed that these stupid Alphas think that he’s affected by Izuku. He’s not affected by Izuku, and he’s definitely not embarrassed he’s caught staring at Izuku.
“FUCK YOU! I DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHAT THAT STUPID DEKU DOES!” Katsuki growls loudly, so loud that some other extras around them have turned to look at him.
Even Izuku.
Fuck.
No, Katsuki doesn’t care what Izuku does. He doesn’t care who the fuck that stupid, worthless Genderless hangs around with. Katsuki’s an Alpha, and he’s not bothered by some worthless, Genderless Deku.
”Oh, really? Then why were you staring at him and Todoroki then?” the first Alpha asks again, smirking even wider, and Katsuki feels like smacking the smirk off the Alpha’s face.
”CAUSE I FUCKING HATE THEM! THEIR MERE FUCKING PRESENCE ANNOYS THE FUCK OUT OF ME! THEY SHOULD JUST FUCKING DIE OR SOMETHING!” Katsuki shouts in annoyance, and he immediately feels a pang of regret for what just came out of his stupid mouth.
Because, even for him, that is too much.
While the rest of the Alphas laugh and cackle in agreement, Katsuki’s eyes fall on Izuku, who has turned away from him. He doesn’t care about Deku; he doesn’t give a shit if he hurts some worthless Genderless’s feelings. He really doesn’t, so why the hell does his heart feel heavy? Why the fuck is he so fucking pissed off that those green eyes are not on him anymore? Why is he so fucking annoyed and bothered that Izuku is now close to the half and half bastard?
‘Cause he’s our mate! IZUKU IS MATE!’ Katsuki’s Alpha growls in his head.
‘No! Izuku is not our fucking mate! We cannot have a fucking Genderless as our mate!’ Katsuki screams back in his head, tuning out his Alpha snarling in his head.
He watches how Izuku leans into the half and half bastard as he laughs, seething at how comfortable Izuku is with the bastard. Katsuki turns back to the other Alphas, frowning with his fists clenched by his side.
“Where the hell is he? He should be heading home by now,” Katsuki growls irritably, frowning as he looks for the familiar green hair.
Katsuki doesn’t know why, but he finds himself waiting for Izuku on the pathway that he knows the stupid Genderless would take. He might not have been close to Izuku for the past few years, but he knows the Genderless only have this one route from the forest to the back door of his home that the Genderless seems to prefer to take these days.
And no, Katsuki isn’t following him around. He just happens to see.
”No, it’s okay, Shoto! I can go on my own from here!” Izuku’s voice snaps Katsuki out of his thoughts, and he frowns deeper upon hearing the half and half bastard’s name.
‘What the fuck?! Since when were they on first fucking name basis?!’ Katsuki thinks, clenching his jaws to stop the growl in his throat.
“Are you sure? I don’t feel comfortable letting you walk home alone when it’s already this dark, Izuku. If I had known you wanted to go separate ways in the middle, I would have accepted the torch Tenya offered you earlier,” Katsuki hears the half and half bastard says, and he almost growls at the mention of another Alpha.
‘Tenya?! Stupid fucking glasses?! Since when did Izuku get close to all these fucking Alphas?!’ Katsuki thinks, and he clenches his fists tight, so tight that he can feel his claws digging painfully into his skin.
“Oh, Bakugou. This is a surprise. What are you doing here in the dark?” Katsuki looks up when he hears the other Alpha address him.
His burning red eyes meet Izuku’s surprised green ones, those green eyes staring at him wide in shock before his eyebrows settle into a deep furrow. Katsuki’s eyes fall on the near non-existent space between Izuku and the bastard, frowning even deeper when Izuku turns away from him. Izuku was never this cold towards him. His Alpha whines in his head, as he usually does when it comes to Izuku, but Katsuki tunes him out.
“I can be wherever I wanna be! ‘S not your fucking business!” Katsuki barks, glaring daggers while the other Alpha simply nods.
“You’re right. Izuku, are you sure you don’t want me to walk you to your door?” the other Alpha asks, and Katsuki’s eyes twitch at how the half and half bastard ignores his presence and continues to talk to Izuku as if he’s not there.
“Y- Yes, I’ll be fine on my own, Shoto. You go home first, okay? Don’t want your older brothers to go on another finding spree again,” Izuku says, and Katsuki hates how he’s smiling so gently at the fucking half and half bastard.
‘What the hell? You used to smile like that only to me, Izuku!’ Katsuki shouts in his head, clenching his fists tighter when he sees the other Alpha wraps his ugly shawl around Izuku’s neck.
Katsuki bites back a possessive growl that threatens to escape.
“It’s cold, and I have a feeling you might need to stay here longer,” the other Alpha says as he eyes Katsuki, and Katsuki swears he’s this close to ripping the hands that put that ugly ass shawl around Izuku’s neck.
“Y- You don’t have to, but thank you, Shoto. I- I’ll wash and return them soon,” Izuku says, and Katsuki’s heart squeezes tight in his chest at how Izuku’s fucking blushing as he looks at the other Alpha.
Izuku never looked at anyone else before; his green eyes were only on Katsuki from the moment they laid eyes on each other years ago. Izuku never let anyone else get this close to him, nor did he ever wear anyone else’s clothes or shawls. Other than Katsuki, he has never accepted anyone else’s… things.
‘They’re not gifts, they’re definitely not fucking courting gifts,’ Katsuki thinks, red eyes glaring daggers at the damn shawl around Izuku’s neck.
He looks at those blushing freckled cheeks, clenching his jaws in fury at how they had turned red for someone else. All these moments shared between Izuku and the damn half and half bastard were all his before, and yet now, those green eyes refuse to even look at him.
“Alright, I’ll go now. See you tomorrow, Izuku,” the other Alpha says, and Katsuki clenches his fists tight as he bites back a growl.
‘Why the fuck is he meeting this damn bastard again tomorrow?! What the hell is going on between the two of them?!’
Not that Katsuki cares who the hell the fucking Genderless meet. He doesn’t give a damn who Izuku meets, but… his Alpha does. Yes, his Alpha who is growling in his head, howling at him to get their mate back. But Izuku isn’t their mate. Katsuki is an Alpha; he cannot have a Genderless as a mate.
‘But you want him. It doesn’t matter what Izuku’s gender is or if he’s Genderless, you know you want him,’ a voice within him says, and Katsuki frowns as he is reminded of a promise he once made years ago.
‘Of fucking course! I don’t fucking care what he presents as! Izuku will still be my fucking mate!’ 8 years old Katsuki had once promised, but that changed once Izuku was diagnosed as Genderless. Because Katsuki cannot accept—
‘Are you sure? If so, why do you look forward to seeing him everyday? Why do you want him to chase after you? Why does it fucking hurt now that Izuku isn’t looking at you anymore?’ the voice asks, and Katsuki can’t deny any of it.
“Shoto, you know you don’t have too,” Izuku’s soft whisper snaps Katsuki out of his thoughts, red eyes widening when the other Alpha’s strong scent hits his nose.
“I know, but I want to. Can I?” Katsuki hears the bastard ask, panic rising in his chest when he sees Izuku nod.
Katsuki stands rooted to the snowy ground, his eyes widening in fucking horror as he watches the other Alpha scent Izuku. Other than Katsuki, Katsuki’s sire and dam, and Izuku’s dam, Izuku has never allowed anyone else to scent him before. Katsuki bites back the urge to rip the bastard’s throat out, glaring daggers as the other Alpha walks away. He turns to Izuku again, scowling at how Izuku is heavily drenched in the other Alpha’s smoky sandalwood and sweet vanilla scent. It hits him that it has been a long time since he last scented Izuku. His Alpha howls in his head, blaming him for pushing Izuku away.
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!” Katsuki growls as he takes a step forward towards Izuku, fists clenching tight by his side as he glares at the other, who looks confused by his outburst.
“What?” Izuku asks, frowning.
“WHY THE HELL DID YOU LET HIM FUCKING SCENT YOU?!” Katsuki shouts angrily. He’s so lost in his anger that he doesn’t realise that his scent has leaked, and he reeks of rage and fury.
Izuku wrinkles his nose, taking a step back. “Because Shoto likes to scent his friends. It comforts him. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT?! HE’S A FUCKING ALPHA! WHY WOULD YOU LET ANOTHER ALPHA—
“What does it matter to you, Bakugou?! It’s not your business who I allowed to scent me!” Izuku says, and Katsuki’s heart drops at what Izuku had just called him.
Izuku had just called him ‘Bakugou’. Izuku has never called him that.
“What?” Katsuki wheezes out, his heart clenches tight in his chest.
“I said it’s not your business who I allowed—
“No! What the fuck did you just call me?! Bakugou?! BAKUGOU?! Since when did you fucking call me ‘Bakugou’?!” Katsuki growls as he takes a step forward, frowning even deeper when Izuku takes 2 steps back.
“Si- Since I know you didn’t want me by your side anymore,” Izuku answers, the hurt and pain obvious on his face and in his voice.
“What the fuck do you mean?! I tolerated your Genderless ass! You wanted to follow me around, I let you follow—
“I won’t be following you around anymore, Bakugou. You don’t have to tolerate me anymore. I- I heard you the other day,” Izuku says with tears in his eyes, and Katsuki’s heart stops. “You said you were just using me to filter out the bad goods. But I’m not just a thing, Bakugou. And neither are the other Omegas. You’re not the Kacchan I once knew. You changed, and I feel like I don’t even know you anymore.”
“What?” Katsuki wheezes, his heart thudding too loud for him to hear anything else.
The blonde Alpha pales. Izuku heard him the other day when he was talking to the other Alphas, which explains why he hasn’t been following Katsuki around. He only said that because the other Alphas were fucking mocking him. He didn’t know Izuku was around. He didn’t mean to—
‘Does it change anything if you knew he was around? You would still fucking hurt him right in his face if he’s there next to you,’ his brain chastises him.
Fine, Izuku can choose not to follow him around if he doesn’t fucking want to, but why the change in how he calls Katsuki? Why the hell is he calling Katsuki by his first fucking name? What happened to ‘Kacchan’? This… hurts him more than anything else right now.
“Why the hell am I ‘Bakugou’ when you call the half and half bastard by his fucking name?!” Katsuki growls, his heart burning with a feeling he only feels when it comes to Izuku.
The blonde Alpha doesn’t know what this feeling is or what it’s called, but he knows it’s more than just anger. It’s pure rage and sadness, and Katsuki is filled with the urge to scream at the half and half bastard that Izuku is his. But Katsuki knows Izuku isn’t, which hurts and infuriates him even more.
“Because he’s my friend, Bakugou! Shoto found me when I was at my lowest because of you!” Izuku shouts with tears streaming down his face, and Katsuki clutches onto the side of his hakama to resist the urge to wipe those tears away.
“Then ‘m I not? You have known me since we were fucking—
“Friends don’t hurt each other the way you hurt me, Bakugou,” Izuku says, voice firm despite how he’s staring at Katsuki with tears in his green eyes. And the Alpha knows he’s right; Katsuki knows he has hurt Izuku. “We may have been friends, but you’re nothing but a stranger to me now. So, you don’t have to worry, I’ll never bother you ever again.”
Katsuki watches as Izuku walks past him. He wants to reach out, he wants to stop Izuku from walking away, but he knows he has no right after what he has done to Izuku. Red eyes staring at the back of the person he once cherished and protected, fear, guilt, and remorse eat Katsuki’s heart. He knows Izuku means every word he says, that he’ll never bother Katsuki ever again. His stupid pride tells him that it’s better for him this way, but his heart and his Alpha scream in agony.
“Fuck! FUCK!” Katsuki screams with his hands in his hair, tears burning the back of his eyes.
The cold wind howls in the winter night; the snow falls, covering the ground white. Katsuki feels something tugging at his heart. Something faint, but painful enough to make him place his hand over his heart. He has never felt this pain before. His Alpha howls in his head, crying for his mate to come back.
Except, Izuku was never their mate.
And now, Izuku might never come back.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
The wind has always been colder up in the mountains, but it’s colder when the winter wind blows in to welcome the change of the new season. Katsuki wraps his red shawl tighter around his neck, his breath steaming as he exhales. He has just finished selling whatever parts he doesn’t need from the fox and lynx he hunted when he hears a familiar voice. His red eyes fall on the familiar green hair that walks across the busy market square, eyebrows furrowing as he watches Izuku carry a bunch of items while pulling his huge ass ram with his friends by his side.
His friends because Katsuki isn’t a part of Izuku’s group of friends.
Katsuki clenched his fists, frowning as he watched the group of idiot Alphas laughing while they talked about Izuku. “You know, now that I look at Deku, it’s such a waste that he’s not an Omega. Look at that beautiful face and those damn thighs, it’s no wonder our little Katsuki here is still hung up that Deku’s not chasing after him anymore.”
“You know what? You’re right! He’s actually fucking pretty! Hey, I got an idea!” another Alpha said, grinning as he looked at his Alpha friends.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re gonna try to hit on that Genderless bastard?” the first Alpha said, smirking as he eyed Izuku.
Katsuki’s eyes twitched, his Alpha growling dangerously in his head.
“Well, he must still have some kind of hole, right? I can just fucking play with him before- AGRH! FUCK!”
Katsuki didn’t let the asshole finish his disgusting sentence, punching him straight in the jaw and climbing on him as he continued to rain punches on the fucking asshole. The other Alphas tried to drag him off, but they weren’t strong enough to. After all, Katsuki didn’t just laze around like they did.
“STOP! KATSUKI, STOP! YOU’RE GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM!” the first Alpha shouted, his claws digging into Katsuki’s arms as he tried to pull the blonde Alpha back.
“GOOD! I’LL FUCKING KILL HIM AND THEN I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU SHITHEADS! FUCKING! DISGUSTING! MOTHERFUCKERS!” Katsuki roared as he continued to punch the hell out of the idiot.
Katsuki didn’t know when Izuku arrived or why he came to stop him, but he felt Izuku’s presence before he even heard him. “Bakugou, stop! You’re gonna kill him! Bakugou! KACCHAN!”
And Katsuki stopped.
Sitting on the steps of Izuku’s home, Katsuki looked down as Izuku fixed the wounds on his knuckles. “Why did you do this? They were your friends.”
“They’re not my friends,” Katsuki said, his voice low as he looked at Izuku, who focused on nothing except his bloodied knuckles.
And he wasn’t lying. Ever since his talk with Izuku six months ago, Katsuki realised that he never regarded those disgusting Alphas as his friends. He only stayed because they fed his ego and pride.
“And they talked shit about you,” Katsuki added, red eyes fixed on Izuku.
“You talked shit about me too, but I didn’t punch you, did I?” Izuku said as he finally looked at Katsuki.
“You can if you want,” Katsuki said, and Izuku’s eyes widened for a second before looking away.
The way Izuku’s freckled cheeks turned a light shade of pink didn’t go unnoticed, causing Katsuki’s heart to bloom with hope that Izuku would forgive him and they’d be close again.
“Punching and hurting others doesn’t make anything better,” Izuku said, his voice soft as he placed the medicine jar in Katsuki’s hand. “Keep your wounds dry, and wear this three times a day until your wounds are fully healed.”
Katsuki’s heart dropped when Izuku got up.
Perhaps, he had hoped too early. Or maybe, Izuku would never forgive him.
Weeks passed, and then months, and before Katsuki knew it, three years had flown by without Izuku by his side. Despite keeping himself busy with hunting for their village with the wolf he saved two years ago, the blonde Alpha still had his eyes fixed on Izuku, who seemed to bloom and become more and more beautiful as each year passed.
“You’re gonna skip the winter festival again, huh?” Katsuki heard his dam ask, nodding gruffly in response.
Their village celebrates the arrival of winter by having winter festivals. As a form of mingling and enjoying the early nights of winter before the heavy snowstorm starts, their village has been having these winter festivals for centuries.
However, that wasn’t the main point of the winter festivals.
It was stated in their scrolls that couples formed on winter solstice night would last more than a lifetime. Dancing around the never-dying flame as they said their promises to each other, the winter gods would bless the couple with a bond that would last even after death. This was what attracted everyone to the winter festivals, and yet it was the very reason why Katsuki had missed it every fucking year. The thought of seeing Izuku at the festival with someone else; the fear of witnessing Izuku dancing and giving his forever to someone other than Katsuki was too much for his fucking heart to bear.
“I didn’t know I gave birth to a coward,” Mitsuki said to her son, and Katsuki frowned as he glared at the hunting blade he was sharpening in his hands.
He wanted to say that his dam knew him well, but he knew it was not difficult for anyone to guess why he had been avoiding the winter festivals. Choosing to go hunting during the week when winter solstice night fell every damn year, and how he would look at Izuku every time Izuku passed by, Katsuki knew even a fucking blind man could see why.
Or rather, who he wanted to go with.
“Izuku will never forgive me,” Katsuki muttered.
“If I were him, I wouldn’t forgive you either, Katsuki. You mocked him and hurt him in ways that were hard to forgive. But that doesn’t mean you cannot keep trying,” Mitsuki said, patting her son’s shoulders. “You cannot expect him to forgive you if all you did was to ask for forgiveness once or twice. You gotta show him that you really wanna make up for all the shit you did.”
Katsuki looked up at his dam, frowning as he met her red eyes. He knew she was right. He had fucked up, and he never really made amends. Punching an asshole’s face and giving some of the meat he hunted was not enough; Katsuki needed to do more.
“Yeah, I know. But I’ll still skip it this year. There’s no point going if Izuku’s not gonna fucking look at me,” Katsuki said gruffly as he turned back to his blade, ignoring her sighs as she stepped back.
No, he wasn’t being a coward. There wasn’t enough time for him to gain Izuku’s forgiveness during this winter solstice. Katsuki needed more time to make up for all the shit he had done. Whistling to his wolf Yoshiro, the Alpha packed the stuff he needed for this hunting trip. He would miss the winter festival this year, but he hoped to have Izuku with him at the next one.
“You know, staring like a creep won’t get you the beautiful man you want,” Kaminari Denki’s voice snaps Katsuki out of his thoughts, and he shoots an annoyed glare at the Omega’s grinning face.
“I still don’t get why you won’t just talk to him. Izuku’s a very sweet guy! I don’t think he would snap at you for just talking to him,” Ashido Mina says, and Katsuki frowns even deeper.
The blonde Alpha meets his new group of idiots last year, so of course they don’t know anything about Katsuki’s history with Izuku. Katsuki had saved their asses from a pack of wolves during one of his hunting trips, and they decided to follow him ever since. Joining him on his hunting trips, Katsuki had grown closer to the group of four idiots more than he would ever admit to their faces. They’re loud and very annoying with their need to fucking stick their nose in his business, but he knows they’re good people. Katsuki knows that because they openly showed their acceptance to Izuku after knowing he’s Genderless.
“There’s nothing wrong with being ‘Genderless’! People who think Genderless are worthless are so stupid!” Denki said right to Izuku’s face, and Katsuki got a chance to witness Izuku’s face turn into a beautiful shade of red as he tried to mutter his thanks to the blonde Omega.
Shame and guilt crept into his heart when Izuku’s eyes fell on him for a brief moment, and he could only look away when he remembered how much he had hurt Izuku in the past.
If only he hadn’t been so fucking stupid.
If only he hadn’t been such a fucking jerk.
If only he had accepted Izuku right from the start.
“Yeah! Also, you’re so beautiful, Izuku! Anyone would be so lucky to have you as their mate!” Mina had added as she fawned over his lovely green hair and soft facial features, and Katsuki’s Alpha huffed stupidly proud in his head.
‘We’re not his fucking mate,’ Katsuki scolded his stubborn Alpha.
‘No! We are! That’s mate! IZUKU IS MATE! WANT MATE! MUST HAVE MATE!’ his Alpha had said defiantly, causing Katsuki to frown as he shut his Alpha out.
Because no one knows how much Katsuki wishes for that to be true.
“Have you tried courting him, Bakugou?” Sero Hanta’s voice brings Katsuki out of his memories, frowning as he considers the question.
Silence falls between them, followed by surprised gasps from the idiots.
“Wait! WAIT! Are you telling us that you have never courted Izuku despite how much you love him?!” Denki exclaims, golden eyes widening in surprise as he stares at the blonde Alpha, who panics from how fucking loud Denki’s voice was.
“Shut the hell up or I’ll skin you alive,” Katsuki hisses, his face burning as he glares at the loud idiot.
“You have loved him for years, but you have never courted him? That’s so unmanly, Bakugou!” Kirishima Eijirou, Mina’s mate, whisper-shouts as he looks at Katsuki.
“One more word and I’ll fucking feed you to my wolf,” Katsuki threatens, but his idiots know him well enough to know it’s an empty threat. Besides, it’s not the first time he has threatened them that way.
“You know, if you don’t confess and court him soon, someone’s going to steal him right before your very eyes,” Mina says, raising her eyebrows as she signals for Katsuki to look at something.
And so he does. Katsuki turns around, and he immediately glowers at the sight he sees. There standing a few metres away from him, Todoroki is placing the back of his palm on Izuku’s forehead.
(Katsuki is no longer that dickhead who calls someone ‘bastard’ just because he feels insecure. He has learned to respect others, especially if they’re Izuku’s friends. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that he sees them as a fucking block between him and Izuku.)
Katsuki knows Todoroki is just a close friend to Izuku, but he can also tell that the other Alpha definitely wants more with Izuku. It’s obvious to him and the rest of the villagers who talk about them as if they’re fucking mates.
Jealousy - Katsuki learned that’s the name of the emotion he has been feeling all this while when Izuku is with someone else - rages in his heart, and his body moves before he even knows what the hell he’s doing.
”Izuku!” the blonde Alpha calls out, doing his best to ignore his idiots snickering in the background.
Katsuki is about to ask Izuku if he’s going to be at home later because he has extra meat to give to him, when a faint honey and vanilla scent hits his nose. It’s very light, and yet it’s strong enough to stir Katsuki’s wolf awake.
‘MATE! PRIME OMEGA IS MATE!’ his Alpha howls excitedly in his head, and Katsuki’s eyes widen in surprise.
Prime Omega? There’s a Prime Omega in their village?! Katsuki wants to say that he doesn’t care because he has already made up his mind that he will have no one else but Izuku as his mate, but he can’t deny how intoxicating the scent is. He looks around, red eyes dilating as he tries to find the scent that grows stronger with each passing second.
“Kat- Katsuki? What are you looking for? Are you okay?” Katsuki hears Izuku ask, and he immediately looks at Izuku, who looks redder than usual.
(Izuku started calling him Katsuki two years ago. The blonde Alpha wished he could have the nickname ‘Kacchan’ again, but ‘Katsuki’ was definitely way fucking better than ‘Bakugou’.)
Katsuki shakes his head to snap him out of the entrancement the scent has on him.
“What’s wrong with you? Why is your face so fucking red?” Katsuki asks, frowning as he does the same thing Todoroki did earlier. And only then does he realise why the other Alpha was touching Izuku’s forehead. Not that it made him any less jealous. “What the fuck?! Your body is fucking burning, Izuku! What the hell are you doing out in the snow when you’re fucking sick?!”
“I- I am okay, Katsuki! Other than body cramps, I don’t feel sick!” Izuku replies, but the blonde Alpha can tell the other is lying.
Something in him tells him that Izuku is lying. It isn’t intuition, nor is it from his years of knowing Izuku. It’s… something else. Something he has never felt before.
“You smelled it too, don’t you, Bakugou?” Todoroki asks, and Katsuki’s eyes widen as he looks at the other Alpha.
“What the fuck?! You smelled it too?! Who the hell is it coming from?!” Katsuki asks, and he can’t help the possessive growl rumbling in his chest as he thinks about how the other Alpha can smell his - no, not his - the Prime Omega too.
Katsuki is adamant about cutting whatever bond he has with the Prime Omega, until a gust of cold wind blows the scent straight towards him. He realises who the scent is coming from, and who the Prime Omega is.
Izuku…
Izuku is the Prime Omega.
And looking at how Todoroki is looking at him and then Izuku, it seems like the other Alpha knows it too; knows it first before Katsuki does. Fuck.
“How? How is it possible? He- He has been Genderless all this while,” Katsuki asks the other Alpha, who simply shakes his head.
“I don’t know, but he has gradually been giving out this scent for a few weeks now,” Todoroki answers, and Katsuki fucking hates himself for not noticing it sooner. How did he miss out on the change of Izuku’s scent?! “It’s never this strong, though. The scent just grew stronger after you came to us, Bakugou.”
“What?” Katsuki breathes, dilated red eyes widening in surprise as realisation dawns on him.
Izuku’s scent has indeed become stronger. And it’s definitely much sweeter than it had been minutes ago. He notices how Izuku’s face has turned redder. He can see the drops of sweat trickling down the side of Izuku’s face, and that isn’t normal when it’s practically snowing right now. Katsuki may not have been around Omegas much, but he has read enough to know that this is called ‘blooming’.
Izuku’s Prime Omega is blooming for the first time.
Izuku’s Prime Omega is blooming for Katsuki.
Izuku is, indeed, Katsuki’s mate.
And his mate is blooming right in the middle of the fucking market square. Shit.
“What are you two talking about?” Izuku asks, frowning confusedly as he looks at the two Alphas.
“You need to go home, Izuku,” Katsuki says through gritted teeth, eyebrows furrowing as he starts to notice how the other Alphas in their village are beginning to notice Izuku’s sweet scent.
“Do you smell that? Oh my gods, I have never smelled anything this good before.”
“I smell it too! Oh, it smells so good. What is this smell?! Where is it coming from?!”
“Did someone just bloom?! But I’ve never smelled an Omega this good before!”
The chattering from the other Alphas causes Katsuki’s Alpha to snarl aggressively in his head, his red eyes dilated and blown out as he clenches on his jaws to stop the possessive growl from slipping out. ”We need to go. Now.”
“But- But I still have things— Hey!” Izuku exclaims, hissing from how hot Katsuki’s hand feels on his wrist. “Katsuki! What are you doing?! Let me go! Katsuki!”
“We need to get you home,” Izuku hears Katsuki say, the slight growl in the Alpha’s voice causing his heart to race in a way only he can.
“You get Izuku home; I’ll handle everything else here,” Izuku hears Shoto say, and he simply hears Katsuki’s sharp grunt before he is dragged away.
He has lots of questions swirling in his head, but he can’t focus on anything with how Katsuki’s hand burns on his skin. Despite the cold wind and snow falling, the weather seems to be too hot for him the past few weeks. It feels like he’s put in a burning furnace alive, but it doesn’t match how Katsuki’s touch burns him right now.
Katsuki’s touch sets him ablaze in a way he has never felt before. Simmering hot, and yet it isn’t painful. In fact, it makes him want… more.
‘Alpha. He is our Alpha,’ a voice in his head suddenly says, startling Izuku with its sudden presence.
‘What? Wait. What’s going on? What’s happening? Who are you? What do you mean by ‘our’ Alpha?’ Izuku questions in his head, frowning confusedly.
He doesn’t understand what’s happening. Izuku has never heard this voice before, but he isn’t afraid of it. In fact, it doesn’t feel foreign to him. Despite his confusion and how his body is burning, his heart feels calmer than it has been in years.
As if his body has been waiting for its presence.
As if something has come home to him.
For the first time in his entire life, he feels… whole. Complete.
However, before he can get a confirmation if it’s really what he thinks it is, a sharp pain shoots through his body. Izuku staggers a little, and he can’t hold himself back from groaning in pain. Training himself to hunt and going out into the woods to find medicinal herbs so that he would be useful to his fellow villagers, Izuku has been injured before. He has faced life threatening situations that made his dam and friends worry. But nothing comes close to the pain he’s feeling now. His body aches and burns, and it only seems to worsen with time.
Katsuki hears Izuku groaning softly behind him, immediately turning around when he feels Izuku’s hand slipping out of his tight grip. His eyes widen in panic to see Izuku falling back, catching him in time before he hits the snowy ground. “Izuku!”
Izuku feels Katsuki’s chest against his back, feeling the way his hand holds his waist tight while his other hand caresses Izuku’s cheek as he gazes worriedly at him. “Shit, it’s hitting you full now. We- I need to get you home, Izuku. I know you probably don't want me to be this close to you, but I need to bring you home. It’s not safe for you to be out here with your condition like this. Let me… let me carry you home. Please, Izuku?”
Izuku’s vision blurs from the immense pain, and yet he can still see the panic and fear in Katsuki’s face. His body burns hotter, making him feel like he’s being roasted alive. And yet, somehow, the only comfort he gets is from Katsuki’s touch on his cheek. He can see the desperation on the Alpha’s face, smelling it clear in his smoky caramel scent just how much he needs to bring Izuku home.
And that makes something in Izuku… purr. ‘Alpha is worried about us. Alpha cares about us. Good Alpha.’
Izuku can’t think straight; the voice is too loud in his head. Exhausted from the pain, he gives in to the voice. Izuku leans his head against Katsuki’s chest. He feels the Alpha freeze for a brief moment before he relaxes, tightening his hold around Izuku. He breathes in Katsuki’s scent, sighing contentedly. The thick, smoky caramel scent seems to dull the pain a little.
“Izuku?” Izuku hears Katsuki’s voice calling him, his voice sounding weirdly far for someone who is flush against his side. “Will you let me carry you home safely?”
‘Alpha asks for permission. Alpha respects us. Alpha is good.’
If Izuku had half his consciousness with him, he would probably have rejected the offer. He, after all, doesn’t want to get entangled with Katsuki ever again. He doesn’t want to hope, only to get his heart broken once more. But Izuku doesn’t have his rationality and brain with him; something in him craves for the blonde Alpha more.
“Okay, Kacchan… Please take me home…”
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Izuku knew something wasn't right with his body. His stomach area had been hurting for the past few weeks, and his body had ached as if he had just fought head on with a mountain lion. On top of that, he felt far too warm for someone who lived in the mountains. Not to mention, winter had just started too. The ground was snowy white from the snowfall, the cold wind blew harsh and strong, and yet Izuku kept sweating. It was weird, and Izuku’s only guess was that he had developed some serious illness.
It never crossed his mind that all of these were the signs of blooming.
“So, you’re saying, Izuku has just bloomed into a Prime Omega and that he just went through his first heat?” Izuku hears his dam ask, and he turns to look at the old healer who nods as she smiles gently. “But how? You said he was ‘Genderless’! Besides, he has never shown any signs of becoming an Omega, much less a Prime Omega.”
“Yes, Midoriya-san, I did diagnose him as ‘Genderless’. He didn’t react to any of the enchantments then, and the magic done on his blood showed no signs of gender development at all. However, now that he has bloomed into Prime Omega, it makes sense,” Madam Shuzenji says, and Izuku frowns.
“What do you mean? How can I suddenly bloom into a Prime Omega when I didn’t react to the enchantments and my blood showed no gender development?” Izuku asks as he looks at the old healer.
“You see, Prime Omegas are one of the two rarest second genders. It’s actually so rare that there are more Enigmas and Genderless in our records than we have of the Prime Omegas. From the minimal information we have on it, Prime Omegas are known to develop later than all the other genders. It stays dormant until it chooses to come out on its own will. We have no idea what will trigger it. It could be you yourself, or the Alpha you’re close to or subconsciously feel mated to,” Madam Shuzenji explains, and Izuku’s face flushes at the mentions of Alpha and mate.
His brain immediately thinks of Katsuki, flushing even redder when he thinks about how he had been with the blonde Alpha before he slipped into his full heat. Izuku’s memory of that isn’t very clear, flashes of how Katsuki had him in his arms and how the blonde Alpha had carried home. He faintly remembered the Alpha’s strong chest and delicious scent, and he remembered calling him ‘Kacchan’.
“So, while developing a gender this late is almost unheard of, it is something that can happen and has happened,” the old healer’s voice brings Izuku out of his thoughts, nodding as he processes everything that he has just been told.
Izuku is not actually Genderless.
Izuku has bloomed into a Prime Omega.
And during his first heat, his Prime Omega has acknowledged Katsuki as their Alpha; their mate.
‘No. No, no, no. Katsuki cannot be our mate. I- I don’t want him as our mate,’ Izuku thinks - more like telling his Prime Omega, frowning as he recalls all the times the blonde Alpha had hurt him in the past.
He… has forgiven Katsuki. And he knows Katsuki has changed. The blonde Alpha is no longer the guy who mocked and hurt him when they were younger. He can tell the blonde Alpha has tried so hard to make up for the things he did. Izuku might look like he has ignored Katsuki all these years, but he sees. He knows all the times Katsuki fought and stood up for him; he can feel Katsuki’s red eyes on him.
Izuku knows, but that doesn’t mean he has healed. It still hurts.
A loud knock on the front door startles Izuku, green eyes wide when he smells the familiar smoky caramel scent wafting in through the open window. His heart races, but he doesn’t know what to say or do. He really doesn’t want to see Katsuki. Well, at least for now, until he clears up his thoughts a little. Izuku looks at his dam, shaking his head as he eyes the door.
And Inko, knowing his son well enough, nods understandingly.
Leaving Izuku with the village healer, Inko goes to answer the door. And just like the past two weeks, she opens the door to the young Alpha who visits with a basket full of meat and some fruits she recognises as Izuku’s favourite. “Katsuki, Izuku’s still resting. I don’t think he’ll be accepting any guests soon.”
“Oh, I- I know. I- I’m just here to give these,” the blonde Alpha says as he shoves the basket into Inko’s arms, and Inko sighs as she looks at him.
“You know you don’t have to, right? Besides, we still have so much meat from the days before,” Inko says as she tries to push the basket back, only for him to push it fully into her arms before stepping back.
“I know, but I hunted too much and there were so many extras,” Inko watches as the young Alpha reasons, and she sighs as she accepts it.
“Well, if you say so. Thank you, Katsuki,” Inko says, smiling gently, and she watches as the young Alpha simply grunts a soft reply before turning away.
Inko knows the things Katsuki has done in the past. As much as she was very angry at him when she first found out, there’s no more anger in her heart towards him now. Although she doesn’t know if he has asked for forgiveness from Izuku, she knows the young Alpha has changed. She knows of all the times he followed Izuku silently when Izuku had come home late from meeting his friends; she had seen him getting into fights to stand up for Izuku. Unlike Izuku’s sire, Katsuki has tried to make up for the hurt he put Izuku through. And she can tell that Izuku means a lot to him.
But to accept him or not, it’s all up to Izuku. Although, knowing her son more than he knows himself, Inko might know what Izuku’s answer may be.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
“Oh wow, look at the number of people gathering outside Izuku’s home! You’re facing more than just one competition, Bakugou!” Denki exclaims, and Katsuki glares at the blonde Omega.
“They ain’t fucking shit! Unlike them, I have known Izuku since we were pups in fucking diapers!” Katsuki growls out, red eyes ablaze as he watches the idiot extras gathering outside Izuku’s home with gifts and shits.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” Mina says, her eyebrows furrowing as something crosses her mind.
“The fuck do you mean?!” Katsuki barks.
“You might not have told us what happened between you and Izuku, but it’s clear as day that there’s history between the two of you. And seeing how he was pretty cold towards you when we first met, I’m guessing whatever happened wasn’t a good one. And that’s where your problem is, Bakugou. Because instead of choosing you, who he once had a bad relationship with, it’d be easier for him to choose an Alpha who he has a good relationship with or an Alpha he barely knows so that he can have a fresh start,” Mina explains, and Katsuki hates that he sees her point.
After bringing Izuku home at the start of his heat that day, Katsuki is pretty sure that Izuku has forgiven him. However, that confidence gradually fades away when Izuku refuses to see him afterwards. Well, Izuku’s dam says that Izuku’s resting, but something inside him tells him Izuku’s avoiding him.
Katsuki frowns as he looks at the crowd in front of Izuku’s home. These Alphas didn’t hurt Izuku the way he did, but they don’t know Izuku either. They don’t know what his favourite colours are (he used to like red, but Izuku seems to like green and black now); they don’t know what he likes to eat (Izuku loves stewed beef and anything sweet). They don’t know his favourite season is spring. They don’t know him, and they don’t fucking deserve Izuku.
Not that Katsuki deserves him either. But he would rather die than see Izuku with someone else.
“You’re right, Pinky. So, what do I fucking do to get Izuku?” Katsuki asks, not even caring about how desperate he sounds or looks right now.
“Are you seriously asking that?” Denki quips, and Katsuki glares at him, daring him to open his mouth again.
“Court him, Bakugou! The manliest thing an Alpha can do is to really court the mate he wants!” Eijirou says excitedly.
“How the fuck do I court him if he doesn’t even wanna fucking see me?!” Katsuki asks, frowning as he looks at his beaming idiot friend.
“Well, court him until he sees you. Court the fuck out of him until you melt his heart,” Hanta answers, and… Katsuki can do that.
If there’s that one thing Katsuki’s good at besides hunting, it’s to not give the fuck up. He always gets the things he wants, and he has never wanted anything else more than he wants Izuku.
“Yeah, you’re right! I’ll court the fuck out of him! I’ll court him until he says yes and agrees to be mine!” Katsuki exclaims excitedly, grinning as he thinks of what should he give Izuku as the first courting gift from him.
Except, as he stares at Izuku with the basket of meat and fruits in his hands, Katsuki doesn’t feel so excited anymore. Katsuki doesn’t feel nervous or scared easily, but his heart is racing a mile per minute from how Izuku is looking expressionlessly at him.
“What are you doing here, Katsuki?” Izuku asks, and Katsuki nearly whines at being called his name again.
‘What happened to ‘Kacchan’?’ Katsuki desperately wants to ask, but he knows he can’t. Izuku was probably affected by his heat then to call him by the name the Prime Omega gave him when they were pups.
“I just wanted to check on you. How you feeling now? Aunty Inko said it took you a while to recover,” Katsuki says, red eyes watching as the Prime Omega shifts on his feet as he looks at him.
“I- I’m feeling much better now,” Izuku replies, mentally scolding himself for stuttering just because Katsuki’s staring so intently at him. “Thank you… for bringing me home that day.”
‘You’re my mate, ‘s my duty to protect and serve you at all times,’ is at the tip of Katsuki’s tongue. But thinking it’ll probably scare Izuku off, the Alpha grunts and replies, “‘S not a big fucking deal. You’re light as a fucking feather that I can carry you for hours without straining shit.”
Izuku’s face burns upon hearing Katsuki’s answer, his heart thudding fast and loud in his chest. “I- I don’t remember anything!”
The way Izuku’s beautiful freckled cheeks turn pink is enough to tell Katsuki that the Prime Omega is lying, grinning at how fucking cute Izuku looks when he’s embarrassed. “You know, you look way too shy for someone who doesn't remember anything.”
“Shut up!” Izuku hisses, and he hates the way his face burns. He knows he probably looks as red as a tomato right now. “What- What do you want, Katsuki?”
The change in topic causes Katsuki to tense a little, taking a few steps forward as he places the basket of meat and fruits on the ground. “I got this for you.”
“You’ve given me and mama so much meat the past few weeks, Katsuki. We still have so much more in our back storage,” Izuku says.
“This one is different, Izuku. This… this is winter bison meat,” Katsuki says, and he watches Izuku’s face to see if the Prime Omega understands what he means.
Katsuki has indeed given Izuku and his dam a lot of meat the past few days, but this is different because this is Izuku’s favourite meat. The Alpha initially wanted to give Izuku the gifts he had made for him since a few years back, but learning that the first gift should show his qualities as an Alpha, he decided that giving Izuku his favourite meat would show his strong quality as a hunter and protector who can protect him and their future pups. His heart had fluttered wildly at the thought of having pups with Izuku.
“Bison? That huge winter bison that’s hard to catch?” Izuku asks, green eyes widen in surprise as he stares at the meat in the basket.
‘Alpha hunts for us. Alpha is strong. Alpha is good,’ Izuku’s Prime Omega praises in his head, and Izuku agrees silently.
“Yup! ‘S your favourite, ‘m I right?” Katsuki asks, and Izuku’s heart swells in his chest.
‘Kacchan remembers.’
“Y- yes, it is,” Izuku replies, and he looks at the Alpha standing in front of him. This gesture seems similar to all the other Alphas, but Izuku still wants to hear it from him. “Why did you give me my favourite meat, Katsuki?”
Katsuki knows Izuku well enough to know that his Prime Omega isn’t one who would beat around the bush. Locking eyes with Izuku, Katsuki smiles. “Cause I wanna court you, Izuku. And this is my first courting gift for you.”
Izuku’s heart races, his Prime Omega purring all contented and satisfied in his head. He feels a tug in his heart, pulling him towards Katsuki. A part of him wants to accept the Alpha, but his past memories stop him. He frowns as he meets Katsuki’s eyes, the pain he keeps deep down in his heart resurfaces.
“Why do you wanna court me now, Katsuki? What? Because now that I’m no longer Genderless, you suddenly want me? Now that I’m a Prime Omega, I match well with you? Is that it?” Izuku hisses, and panic fills Katsuki’s heart as he immediately shakes his head.
”No! Fuck, no, Izuku! Of course not! ‘M so fucking sorry! I- your second gender should never have mattered! You’re so fucking perfect as you, but I was so fucking stupid! I cared about my stupid fucking ego and pride that I put aside how I feel about you! But I swear I have always wanted you!” Katsuki apologises, his heart thudding loud in his chest as he gazes at Izuku. “But I understand if you can’t forgive. I know how fucking bad I hurt you in the past. Still… I need you to know how I fucking feel about you. I need you to know that not a day passes without me wanting to fucking hit my old shitty self for hurting you. I… really ‘m so fucking sorry, Izuku.”
Tears cloud Izuku’s vision and run down his cheeks, his heart squeezing tight in his chest as he looks at the obvious remorse on Katsuki’s face. Somehow, seeing this pained look on Katsuki’s face hurt him more than all those memories in his head.
“I- I don’t know, Katsuki. I need time to think,” Izuku says, as he turns around and away from the Alpha.
“Of course,” Katsuki says, taking a step forward to take back his courting gift.
“Leave the bison,” Izuku says before rushing back into his home, and it takes Katsuki a few more seconds to realise what Izuku’s sentence means.
He has a chance. Katsuki still has a fucking chance to win Izuku over.
The next courting gift Katsuki prepares is a pot of stewed bison meat. He had asked Aunty Inko for her recipe, which she surprisingly gave without any hesitation. It had made Katsuki feel so ashamed that he apologised to Aunty Inko for how he had hurt Izuku in the past.
“You were young, Katsuki. Now, I hope you can make it up to him. If he gives you a chance in the future and accepts you, I hope you don’t ever break his heart again,” Aunty Inko had said, and Katsuki had sworn to the winter gods above that he would never hurt Izuku ever again.
“It tastes exactly like mama’s!” Izuku exclaims happily, green eyes sparkling bright as he takes another sip of the stewed bison Katsuki cooked for him.
And damn, Izuku looks so fucking cute and perfect, smiling so happily that Katsuki wishes he could have this moment ingrained down on a piece of paper so that he can place it up in his room or something.
‘Omega likes the courting gift. Omega is happy with us,’ his Alpha huffs proudly in his head, and Katsuki doesn’t bother to keep the proud feeling hidden away, grinning from ear to ear as his scent sweetens with pride and joy.
The third courting gift, it’s the one Katsuki’s most nervous about so far. It’s one he made when he was fucking young, but has no guts to give to Izuku. He waits with bated breath as Izuku looks at the orange and green knitted shawl, watching how the Prime Omega caresses the shawl with so much care.
“You made this?” Izuku asks, his heart swells in his chest when the Alpha nods with a slight pink flush on his cheeks.
‘Didn’t know Kacchan can be cute,’ Izuku thinks to himself, biting back a smile as he looks at the Alpha.
(Calling the blonde Alpha ‘Kacchan’ again, even if it’s just in his head, feels natural. It feels like… coming home.)
”Yeah. It- It wasn’t recent though,” Katsuki replies.
“Oh? When did you make it then?” Izuku asks curiously.
“When Todoroki gave you his ugly ass shawl,” Katsuki mutters, his ears burning from the embarrassment of admitting his jealousy.
Izuku wonders when he had accepted Shoto’s shawl, and then he remembers the night he had that heartbreaking talk with Katsuki. The night he told the Alpha he would stop following him; the night they officially stopped being friends for years. It was a painful memory, but this shawl seems to change that. Kacchan had been so affected by Shoto lending Izuku a shawl that he made one for him.
‘Kacchan had been… jealous? Even then?’ Izuku can’t believe it, but he remembers the burning scent from Kacchan. He bites back a smile, and suddenly he thinks of wanting to tease Kacchan a little.
“Why didn’t you give it to me then? Was it because I was still Genderless and—
“Fuck no! ‘S cause I was a fucking coward and I was afraid you’re gonna fucking throw the shawl in my face or something!” Katsuki exclaims, cutting Izuku off before he completes his sentence. “And I already told you, your second gender doesn’t fucking matter, Izuku! I was the stupid one! And, if ‘m to be specific, it’s that moment when you left me that made me realise how fucking stupid I was!”
Izuku’s eyes widen at the surprising confession. He was just teasing Kacchan; he didn’t expect Kacchan to take it seriously. And Izuku definitely doesn’t expect that night to affect Kacchan so much. He knew Kacchan had changed somewhere along the years, but he doesn’t realise that that night had been the reason why. Although, that would explain how Kacchan’s red eyes were on him all the time. Izuku never spoke to Kacchan for a while then, but he wasn’t blind.
A small smile forms on his face as he takes a step forward towards Kacchan. “Hmmm, I love the shawl. But do I need to wear it on my own or do you want to put it on for me, Kacchan?”
Katsuki stares at Izuku, red eyes widening in surprise at what Izuku has just called him. Izuku has just called him ‘Kacchan’ again. He’s finally, fucking finally, Kacchan again.
Snapping out of his stupor surprise, Katsuki nods excitedly as he rushes forward to take the shawl out of Izuku’s hands. “Of course I’ll wear them for you!”
If Katsuki had a tail like Yoshiro, it would be wagging happily right now.
A month passes, and Izuku has received thirty courting gifts from Kacchan. One for each day since the day he said he wanted to court Izuku, five were actually Izuku’s past birthday presents from the years Kacchan had missed, and they were all personally made by Kacchan.
Izuku’s favourite foods, baskets of his favourite meat, knitted shawls and nesting blankets in his favourite colours, hunting blades that Kacchan personally learned to make from their village blade smith Alpha Kamihara Shinhya (Izuku heard Kacchan had exchanged a few favours to learn from him), and beautiful trinkets and hairpins.
Izuku doesn’t usually wear hairpins, but… he does now.
Standing in front of a nervous looking Kacchan wearing the bright orange hairpin that Kacchan last gifted him, Izuku looks at the beautiful green cloth on Kacchan’s hands. “Hmmm, what is that, Kacchan?”
Katsuki looks at the green yukata he learned to make from their village seamstress, heart racing fast in his chest as he thinks about what he wants to say. The Alpha had planned out and practiced, and yet he’s tongue tied like an idiot as he faces Izuku.
“I made this for you, Izuku,” Katsuki says as he walks towards Izuku.
Taking the tray of cloth from Kacchan, Izuku’s green eyes widen in surprise when he sees that the cloth is actually a beautiful yukata. He studies the intricate designs and perfect stitching, his heart blooming in his chest from the effort Kacchan had spent on this yukata for him.
“This is my last courting gift for you,” Kacchan says, and Izuku’s eyes snap to look at Kacchan, the Prime Omega’s heart drops to his stomach.
“What?” Izuku wheezes out, the surprise and hurt obvious in his face. “Y- you’re not going to court me anymore?”
“What?” blurts out of Katsuki’s mouth, and he panics when he sees Izuku’s eyes tearing up. “No! No, no, that’s not what I mean, Izuku!”
“But you just said—
“What I mean is that this is my last courting gift before the winter solstice night! I- I want to invite you to go to the winter solstice night as my partner, Izuku,” Katsuki explains in a rush, and Izuku’s heart calms down. A little.
“Oh… that- that’s what you mean. You- You wanna go to the winter solstice tonight?” Izuku asks, biting his lips nervously as he looks at Kacchan.
“I’ve never gone to the winter festival before. There- there was no point going then,” Katsuki replies as he holds his gaze with Izuku. However, seeing the slight furrows in between Izuku’s eyebrows, he realises that perhaps this is far too fast for them. He may have become Kacchan again, but Izuku might not have forgiven him. “It’s okay if you don’t want to, Izuku. I’ll continue to court the fuck out of you until you agree to be mine. We have all the time in the world, and I’ll make you see that no amount of time will ever change how I fucking feel about you.”
Izuku thought he had been clear about his choice. The Prime Omega had rejected all the other courting gifts. He had even rejected a few right in front of Kacchan’s face. But seeing how Katsuki thinks Izuku might reject him, he realises he may not have been clear with the Alpha.
“I’ll go, Kacchan,” Izuku answers, smiling as he looks at the Alpha.
“You- you will?” Katsuki asks, surprised. “You- you agree to go to the winter solstice night with me?! You… you’re not fucking kidding me, right?!”
Izuku laughs at how cute Kacchan looks as he stares expectantly at him. “Yes, Kacchan… I’m not kidding with you. I agree to go with you to the winter solstice night.”
“I- thank you! I- I’ll make sure you’ll have the best fucking night ever!” Katsuki says determinedly before he turns around and dashes off to prepare.
The Alpha hears the faint giggles coming from the Prime Omega, his heart light and excited in his chest as he thinks of all the things he wants to prepare within the short period of time. Winter solstice night is in ten hours, and he’s going to use nine hours of it to prepare the one thing he has been wanting to show Izuku since he was 16.
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
“Have you gone to the winter solstice before?” Katsuki asks, gazing at Izuku, who is cutely chomping down on the sugar coated strawberry.
Smiling gently as he looks at Izuku, he wonders if he could have had this moment earlier if he hadn’t fucked up. He thinks about the years he had missed; ponders about the ‘what ifs’ that could have happened. His heart feels a twinge of pain, but looking at how Izuku is now by his side, he realises nothing else matters. He will make up for the lost time, and he’s starting with the surprise he has for Izuku.
Katsuki managed to finish setting up all that he needed to by late afternoon, fetching Izuku at his home when the sun hit the horizon and the winter stars started showing themselves. Dressed in his black yukata with orange lining, Katsuki’s heart stopped for a good few seconds upon seeing how beautiful Izuku looked in the green yukata. He even wore the orange and green hairpin he had gifted him.
”H- How do I look?” Izuku asked, biting his lips nervously as he stood before Kacchan.
Looking up at the Alpha, Izuku blushed upon seeing their height difference. It’s not that he doesn’t know how big and tall Kacchan is. Izuku knew, but to stand this close and up front with Kacchan, it caused his heart to race and butterflies to burst, fluttering in his stomach. His entire body burns with needs he hadn’t felt before. It didn’t help that Kacchan looked so good in his yukata.
‘Alpha looks so good. Alpha smells so good for us,’ his Prime Omega mewled in his head, causing Izuku to flush even redder when he felt the butterflies in his stomach travelled lower down to his nether regions.
“You- You looked beautiful, Izuku… so fucking perfect,” Katsuki whispered, his heart thudding fast and loud in his chest.
His heart was beating so fast and loud that he wondered if Izuku could hear it. If it goes any faster, Katsuki feared that his stupid heart was going to explode before he could even make Izuku his mate.
“Let’s go, Kacchan?” Izuku asked softly as he gazed up at the Alpha.
“Uhn! Where do you wanna go first?” Katsuki asked, smiling fondly as he watched how the Prime Omega scrunched his face cutely as he pondered on his answer.
“Skewered meat shop! You’d love the food there, Kacchan!” Izuku replied excitedly, and the Alpha nodded.
They walked in comfortable silence, breaking every now and then. Feeling eyes on them as they walked around the winter festival, especially from the Alphas whom Izuku had rejected, Katsuki leaned closer towards Izuku and walked closely to show that he was the one Izuku had chosen.
“Uh, I have been to the winter festivals, Kacchan…” Izuku’s voice snaps Katsuki out of his thoughts, and his heart drops. “I went with my group of friends. But I… I have never been to the winter solstice.”
Although the disappointment he felt disappears almost instantly, there was a question that had been plaguing his mind. “You were close with Todoroki, right? Why didn’t you accept him when he courted you?”
‘Despite how things are between us, I have never wanted anyone else,’ Izuku thinks as he looks at Kacchan.
“Shoto has never courted me,” Izuku replies, giggling at the shocked expression on Kacchan’s face.
“What?! But- But he was always around you! He was all over you!” Katsuki exclaims, frowning as he thinks about how the other Alpha was constantly scenting Izuku and even lent Izuku his stupid ugly shawl.
“I think I remember telling you before that Shoto just enjoys scenting his friends. Also, he isn’t into Omegas. Tenya is his mate. They made it official during the last winter solstice,” Izuku replies, grinning at Kacchan’s dumbfounded expression.
“Holy shit. I- how did I not fucking know that?!” Katsuki burst out, frowning slightly as he realises he had been feeling jealous for now fucking reason.
“Because Kacchan never cares about what goes on in the village. Do you even know that my mama has a new mate?” Izuku asks teasingly, smirking as he looks cheekily at Kacchan who snorted upon hearing his question.
“Of fucking course, I know! She’s your dam! I don’t give a shit about the others cause they’re not related to you! But trust me, asks me anything when it comes to you, and I can fucking answer it in seconds,” Katsuki replies proudly, and he grins even wider when Izuku blushes upon hearing his response.
“Y- You sound like a stalker!” Izuku exclaims, his cheeks heating up from how Kacchan grins so sexily as he looks at him.
“I have to be, especially when my mate is so fucking beautiful and everyone wants a fucking piece of him,” Katsuki says, and Izuku trips on his yukata.
“I- I- I am not that beautiful!” Izuku stammers as he walks faster, his heart racing fast in his chest and his face burns from the embarrassment of tripping and how his body wants more of Kacchan.
“You are! You’re the most fucking beautiful, Izuku!” Katsuki exclaims, chuckling as he chases after Izuku.
Somehow, this feels like they’re back in their childhood again, where Katsuki chased after Izuku and was never far away from him. Those days where he was always at Izuku’s heels.
“Those who want to participate in the winter solstice night mating dance, it’s starting in five minutes,” the village head can be heard saying, and Katsuiki turns to look at Izuku, who is already gazing at him.
When Izuku decided to end his friendship with Kacchan six years ago, it never crossed his mind that he would be standing next to the Alpha again, much less standing next to each other outside of the plaza square on the night of winter solstice. He thought he’d never be able to forgive Kacchan for the pain he caused. But as time passed and he got to know Kacchan all over again, Izuku realised that he had never considered anyone else as his mate.
‘Kacchan. It has always been Kacchan.’
“Do you want to dance with me, Kacchan?” Izuku asks, smiling brightly as he looks at the Alpha whom he has loved since forever.
To say Katsuki is surprised by Izuku’s question would be an understatement. He had wanted to ask, but his worry about how Izuku would feel held him back. But knowing that he would regret it if he didn’t, he did plan to ask. He was thinking about how to propose the dance to Izuku when the Prime Omega beat him to it.
“Of course, Izuku. I- I have never wanted to do this dance with anyone else but you,” Katsuki confesses, smiling as he takes Izuku’s hand.
The two walk towards the legendary bonfire. It is stated in their scroll that this flame was more than magic, a never-ending flame blessed by the winter gods for humans to find a love that lasts for more than one lifetime. It was said that a pair of lovers had sacrificed themselves to the winter cold, choosing to die together instead of living without one another. Their love touched the winter gods’ hearts, and they created a fire that would last through the night, guiding lovers to find each other in their next lives. This fire, named as the Flame of Eternal Love, will light at this specific location on the night of every winter solstice, the night that the lovers had passed. Katsuki was 10 when he heard of this legendary story, and despite being too young to fully understand what the dance meant, he had always thought of dancing with Izuku here. Years passed and despite how their relationship went after that, the Alpha has never thought of dancing here with anyone else but Izuku.
‘Izuku. It has always been you, Izuku.’
Katsuki holds his right arm up against Izuku’s, lining and intertwining their wrists together as they start moving to the slow music of the flute and tabor drum. Izuku smiles as he moves, gazing into Kacchan’s eyes that never left him. Their yukatas flutter in the cold wind; their feet leaving footsteps in the white snow. The eternal flame crackles in the background, providing a soft, warm glow to the lovers who are giving their forever and more to the person they are dancing with.
“Kacchan… we’d be tied together forever after this dance ends. Are you sure you’re not gonna regret it?” Izuku asks, biting back the ‘regret me’ that almost slips out.
“The only regret I have was to be fucking stupid. We could have this way sooner if I hadn’t been stupid and hurt you, Izuku,” Katsuki says, his voice soft as he gazes sadly at Izuku.
“You know I have forgiven you, Kacchan…” Izuku says, leaning his forehead against Kacchan’s chest for a short second before he twirls away to complete the dance.
Izuku may have forgiven him, but Katsuki hasn’t forgiven himself.
“I know. I know, Izuku… I promise I’ll never ever break your heart again. That’s an oath I wanna make here. If I do, may the winter gods punish me—
“No! No, Kacchan! Don’t- don’t make such an oath. You never know what our future would be like,” Izuku hisses, frowning as he looks at Kacchan.
“I don’t fucking care what our future holds, but I know I would never fucking hurt you ever again. If I fucking break this oath, may the winter gods send the worst of death to me. Because I’d rather die than to hurt you again, Izuku. In this lifetime, and for the rest of our lives after,” Katsuki swears, and Izuku’s eyes burn as tears cloud his vision.
Holding their hands up with their palms flush to each other at the end of the dance, Izuku smiles as he looks at Kacchan with tears in his eyes. “Okay, Kacchan. We’ll be together in this life, and we’ll find each other in our next ones. We’ll be Kacchan and Izuku, together for the rest of our lives.”
Izuku giggles, one hand holding onto Kacchan’s wrist as he blindfolds Izuku’s eyes. Kacchan says he has a surprise for Izuku, It feels colder where Kacchan’s taking him, and it feels like a place he has never been to before.
“Kacchan, where is this place? From the number of times I’ve tripped and the sharp branches, I don’t think I’ve been here,” Izuku says, smiling against Kacchan’s wrist.
“You’ll see when we get there. ‘S not too far now,” Katsuki replies, his heart racing in his chest as he hopes Izuku would love this surprise.
And true to his words, they reach the place barely minutes later. Kacchan releases his hold over Izuku’s eyes, and Izuku’s green eyes widen in surprise as he sees the breathtakingly stunning frozen waterfall and the beautifully decorated cave behind it.
“Did- Did you do this, Kacchan?” Izuku asks a stupid question because his brain has checked out from the magically beautiful sight before him.
“Yeah. I- I wanted to show you that you may have accepted me as a mate, but I’ll still surprise you with things like this because I’ll never fucking stop courting you, Izuku,” Katsuki promises as he gazes lovingly into Izuku’s green eyes.
“Oh, Kacchan… This- this is beautiful! Oh my god! How did you find this place?” Izuku asks, green eyes sparkling with wonder as he steps inside the warmly torch lighted cave.
“Remember when you left me when we were 16? I- I didn’t go home. I couldn’t cope with my mistakes, so I ran into the forest. I stumbled upon this frozen waterfall, and my first thought was how you’d gush so excitedly upon seeing something so special like this,” Katsuki replies with a small sad smile.
Izuku turns around to look at Kacchan, smiling gently as he steps closer to the Alpha. “It’s okay, you’re showing it to me now. And it is amazing! I- I never knew this existed! How did I not know such a beautiful place existed?”
“You do. It’s the same waterfall we went to when we were brats. It just froze during winter, and then melts when it changes season,” Katsuki explains, and Izuku nods as he listens attentively.
Katsuki watches Izuku, red eyes taking in the beauty that is Midoriya Izuku. How Izuku’s green eyes sparkle brightly as he looks around the cave, how he touches the decorations gently as if he’s afraid he’s going to destroy it, how his freckled cheeks flush a sweet red when he sees the nesting blanket on the floor. Izuku is beyond beautiful, and Katsuki is lucky to have him.
“Did- Did you make this fluffy blanket?” Izuku asks as he crouches down to touch it, sighing gently when Kacchan’s smoky caramel scent hits his nose.
‘Alpha scents a blanket for us. Alpha wants to mate us,’ Izuku’s Prime Omega mewls in his head, and Izuku flushes at the thought of mating with Kacchan.
He might be Genderless and might not have someone in mind other than Kacchan, but that doesn’t mean Izuku doesn’t know what it is. And now, with his Prime Omega constantly hungry for Kacchan, Izuku can barely hold himself back from wanting the Alpha too.
‘My Alpha,’ he corrects himself as he flushes even redder.
“I- I did. Just- just in case you get too cold,” Kacchan lies, and he hates how he’s stammering like an idiot.
Izuku nods, embarrassed that he actually felt disappointed at Kacchan’s answer. Nevertheless, he still sits down on the fluffy blanket. Kacchan joins him, sitting flush to his side as they both stare awkwardly away from each other. The tension is thick and palpable, and Izuku feels himself burning from wanting Kacchan to touch him. His Omega mewls in his head, purring for his Alpha’s mating bite.
Katsuki hates how nervous he is. He isn’t a coward. He may be a fucking virgin, but he is not a fucking coward. Izuku has accepted him, so it’s fine for him to ask for a kiss, right? He wants more than a kiss, but they need to start with a kiss. That’s what the books he read taught him.
“Can I kiss you, Izuku?” Katsuki asks as he looks at Izuku, his palms sweating as he waits nervously for Izuku’s answer. “It- it’s okay if you think it’s too fast! I can fucking wait until—
“Yes! Yes, you can kiss me, Kacchan,” Izuku answers in a rush, his cheeks burning as he looks at Kacchan.
Katsuki’s eyes widen a fraction in surprise, immediately collecting himself in the next second as he prepares himself to kiss Izuku. With his palm on the blanket, he leans closer towards the Prime Omega, who has already closed his eyes. He brushes his lips against Izuku’s, barely grazing the warm lips before pulling away. Looking at how Izuku still has his eyes closed, Katsuki leans in to kiss him again. He kisses Izuku slightly harder this time, tilting his head so that he can feel more of Izuku’s sweet lips. He licks Izuku’s bottom lips, pushing his tongue into Izuku’s mouth.
“Kac- Kacchan…” Izuku moans against Kacchan’s lips, his lips shaking as he opens his mouth wider for Kacchan.
Still with his lips on Izuku’s, Katsuki pulls Izuku onto his lap. One hand wraps tight around Izuku’s waist while the other slides to the back of Izuku’s neck, Katsuki kisses Izuku with a fervour. He licks on Izuku’s lips, sucking on Izuku’s tongue as he presses and rocks their body together. His dick twitches under his yukata, and he’s filled with the burning need to bite his mate.
‘Need to knot Prime Omega! Need to bite Prime Omega!’ Katsuki’s Alpha howls in his head, and a needy growl rumbles in his chest as he kisses the fuck out of Izuku.
The need for oxygen causes them to pull away, hearts racing in their chests as they lean their foreheads against one another. A glistening strand of spit remains connected between their lips for a brief moment, breaking only because Kacchan leans in to lick Izuku’s lips.
“Kacchan!” Izuku squeaks, his face flaming red as he stares at Kacchan.
“I want you, Izuku. Can- Can I have you? Can you let me bite you?” Kacchan asks, his dilated red eyes gazing intensely at Izuku.
Looking at how Kacchan has prepared the fluffy blanket and lights up the cave to be warm and comfortable for him, how can Izuku reject Kacchan? After all, he has given his soul to be intertwined with Kacchan’s for the rest of his life.
“Yes, Kacchan… I- I want you to make me officially yours,” Izuku whispers, wrapping his arms around Kacchan’s neck when Kacchan dives to kiss him again.
Kacchan trails his kisses up Izuku’s jawline, kissing and licking down to his neck. When Izuku feels Kacchan’s hands removing his sash, Izuku does the same to Kacchan too. Their movements are rushed, inexperienced, and messy, but none of that takes away their burning needs for each other. Kacchan manages to get Izuku’s sash off first, pulling the yukata down his shoulders as the Alpha’s mouth finds its way on Izuku’s skin again. Izuku’s breath hitches, his body trembling from how good Kacchan’s mouth is making him feel.
“Ka- Kacchan… I- I wanna kiss and bite you too…” Izuku whispers, his voice breathy and needy while his fingers are still stuck at untying Kacchan’s sash.
Katsuki chuckles as he leaves a last bite on Izuku’s neck before leaning back on his hands, allowing Izuku to untie the sash as he wants. He watches as those dark, blown out green eyes widen when his sash is finally untied, his body trembling a little when Izuku’s slender fingers graze his chest. Sighing when Izuku’s lips find his neck scent gland, Katsuki grips onto Izuku’s waist tight when the Prime Omega trails his kisses up his jawline. Katsuki turns his head to seal Izuku’s lips into another wet kiss, his tongue instantly dives into Izuku’s mouth. They kiss wet and messy, and yet their coordination with each other feels natural. As if he has been doing this their entire life.
“I love you. I love you so fucking much,” Katsuki says against Izuku’s bruised lips.
“I love you too, Kacchan. I have always loved you,” Izuku whispers back with happy tears blurring his vision.
Katsuki scoots Izuku gently onto the blanket, hovering over him as he continues to trail his kisses and bites down Izuku’s body. Licking and leaving bites on the beautiful freckled skin, his dick throbs painfully in his fundoshi. He nips on Izuku’s nipples, licking them as he balances himself on one elbow while his freehand pulls Izuku’s fundoshi off. Katsuki would have continued to suck on Izuku’s nipple if he hadn’t smelled the sweet scent coming from in between Izuku’s thighs. His mouth waters, literally, from how fucking delicious the scent is, and he immediately crawls in between Izuku’s legs.
“Holy shit…” Katsuki curses, his voice deep and raspy as he stares at the beautiful pink cunt staring in his face.
He has seen cunts before, but they’re all in the books he read. And the cunts in the books, none of them do Izuku’s cunt justice. With fuzzy green hair at the top, Izuku’s cunt is thick and chubby, glistening wet with slick dripping out of the vagina.
“Do- don’t stare, Kacchan…” Izuku whispers, his face burning from how Kacchan’s looking intensely at his pussy.
“Why not? Your cunt is so fucking beautiful, Izuku,” Katsuki growl as he leans closer towards the cunt.
“What- what are you— KACCHAN!” Izuku screams when he feels Kacchan’s hot tongue on his pussy, his back arching off the blanket as Kacchan’s tongue flicks all over his very sensitive pussy.
Katsuki takes a tentative lick, and he immediately dives in for more. If Izuku’s scent is sweet, his slick is a fucking nectar. Spreading the chubby lips apart with his fingers, Katsuki licks and sucks on the erected clit. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, but from how Izuku’s moaning and screaming his name, he knows he’s doing something right.
“Hnnn~ Ahhn~ Ka- Kacchan! Gods, what is this?! I- I feel something! Hnnn~ Ahhnn~ I feel something coming, Kacchan!” Izuku moans, his fingers gripping tight onto his Alpha’s hair.
Katsuki continues to suck on the clit, his tongue fucking Izuku’s vagina until a gush of slick squirts out of Izuku’s vagina. He sucks on it all, licking every drop he can get his mouth on until Izuku trembling hands tug on his hair.
“To- too much… Too much, Kacchan…” Izuku whispers, his voice trembling and his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath.
Katsuki gives a final lick on that delicious cunt before he crawls up to Izuku, sealing Izuku’s mouth in a wet kiss. His dick throbs when Izuku moans into the kiss, his body trembling when Izuku arches his back to grind his wet cunt up against Katsuki’s dick.
“Don’t- don’t you want to come too, Kacchan?” Izuku asks, green eyes far too bright and innocent for someone who is grinding his cunt up against Katsuki’s dick.
“Fuck,” Katsuki growls, nipping on Izuku’s lips before he leans back on his heels.
Izuku hisses when Kacchan fingers his vagina open, his body shivers from the pleasure he’s feeling. He watches as Kacchan rubs his dick against Izuku’s vagina, moaning from how good it feels. His breath hitches a little when Kacchan lines his dick to Izuku’s vagina, hissing when it slips against his wet pussy.
“Fuck!” Katsuki growls when his fucking dick slips the second time.
“It’s okay, Kacchan… Do- Do it slowly,” Izuku whispers as he caresses Kacchan’s bare shoulder, scenting his Alpha to calm him down a little.
Katsuki finally manages to put his fucking dick in, stopping when he sees trickles of blood flowing out. “Are you okay? Do you need me to stop, Izuku?”
“I- I want Kacchan to continue… I want Alpha’s knot…” Izuku whispers, and Katsuki’s dick twitches.
Fuck, he knows he’s not going to last long from how he can already feel the pleasure building in his balls. Katsuki doesn’t move, giving them both some time to adjust. He continues to thrust slowly into Izuku a few minutes later, growling from the tight pressure squeezing onto his dick.
“Fuck! You’re so fucking tight, Izuku!” Katsuki growls, clenching on his jaws as he wills himself not to fucking come.
“Kacchan!” Izuku screams when Katsuki finally manages to thrust fully into him, his red eyes fix on the obvious bulge on Izuku’s lower abdomen from how big his dick is.
Not wanting to hurt Izuku more, he moves slowly at first. Thrusting in and out, Katsuki places his hand over the bulge on Izuku’s tummy. He hasten his pace when he feels Izuku’s heels dig at the back of his back. Sliding his arms under Izuku’s knees, he lifts his Prime Omega’s legs up to his waist and starts to thrust harder into him.
“Ahn! Ahn! Kacchan! Ahn! Ahn! Ahn! KacchanKacchan! Ahn!” Izuku’s moan echoes in the cave.
Katsuki feels his climax nearing. His thrusting pace breaks momentum, pounding harder and faster into Izuku as he chases his climax. “Fuck! Fuck! Coming! ‘M coming, Izuku!”
Izuku doesn’t reply, his eyes rolling into the back of his head from how good he feels. His mouth hangs open, drool hanging on the corner of his mouth as Kacchan thrusts hard and fast into him. He feels Kacchan grab onto his waist tight, pulling his body flush to his thighs. Izuku feels something very warm sprays inside his vagina, moaning Kacchan’s name when Kacchan knots inside him. Stars burst in his vision from coming the second time, his claws digging into Kacchan’s back when the Alpha bites his mating gland. Izuku returns the mating bite, biting on Kacchan’s mating gland when Kacchan presses his mating gland to his lips.
It’s finally done; they’re, finally, officially mates.
Hugging Izuku close with his back to Katsuki’s chest, they lay down on the blanket as they wait for Katsuki’s knot to go down. The Alpha has covered them both in their yukata, smiling happily as he kisses the back of Izuku’s neck and shoulders. Izuku’s sated purr fills the cave, making the Alpha bask in the pride and glory of satisfying their mate on their first mating session.
“Thank you for tonight, Kacchan…” Izuku whispers, smiling as lean back against his mate.
“No, Izuku… Thank you for giving me another chance,” Katsuki says as he kisses his bite on Izuku’s shoulder. “Thank you for becoming my mate.”
Katsuki never thought he’d have Izuku as his mate. And perhaps, he would probably have missed this chance had his idiot friends hadn’t talked to him. Now that he has Izuku as his mate, he swears to do right by him. Katsuki may already have Izuku, but he’s not going to stop courting the fuck out of Izuku. His mate deserves to still feel chased and loved at all times, and Katsuki knows just the way to do it.
-ˋˏ ༻ THE END ༺ ˎˊ-