Chapter Text
Only a day had passed since the last time Katsuki had gotten to see Aizawa.
One single day and he already felt as if he was losing it.
At first, he hoped that, despite the condition he was in, Aizawa would only need a single kiss from Recovery Girl and he would be able to come home, he would call them all over into his large nest while Haru curled up by their feet and everything would be perfect.
Just like it always was when Katsuki was with them all.
But Katsuki should’ve known his luck had never gotten him anywhere.
The worry and horror that encompassed him at the sight of Aizawa’s mangled up, broken body had only grown with every second they were forced to stay away from him, with every time they were told they weren’t allowed to see him just yet while the doctors attempted to get his body in working order once again. Even Hizashi - the man who Katsuki viewed as a steady, constant source of support that never wavered - seemed to be on edge, occasional growls and angry rumbles escaping his throat as a strained smile pulled on his face whenever he attempted to pull whichever powerful contact he had, all in hopes of seeing his mate a little bit sooner and, hopefully, providing his pups with some semblance of comfort.
That was one of his main concerns, Katsuki knew that. The man was constantly looking over at both him and Hitoshi, tired eyes trailing over their bodies as if he would catch an injury that the doctors missed during the required check-up all students had gone through. Accompanied with the consistent scenting and hugs the alpha forced upon them, it was clear Hizashi was desperately trying to hold the pack together.
But he could not do so just yet, they wouldn’t be whole until the head of the pack was back with them. The doctors had told them all that Aizawa could not accept visitors for the time being, and so they stayed in the waiting room throughout the night, curled up on uncomfortable seats as Katsuki rested his head on Hitoshi’s shoulder and Hizashi drank every drop of coffee available in the coffee machine. At first, Hizashi insisted they both go home and get some rest, especially after the day they had had, but they refused to do so.
They needed to be with their pack, they needed to be with their family. Katsuki only wished he was allowed to bring Haru with him - Aizawa always did seem to have a soft spot for the kitty, and Katsuki knew he would want to see him. But Hizashi - the stubborn fucker - wouldn’t budge, not even when Katsuki forced tears to fill his eyes; that particular move did seem to crack the alpha’s resolve at least a little bit, but he had still told him Haru needed to stay home.
It wasn’t the man’s fault, Katsuki knew that, he knew there were rules set up in the hospital that he needed to follow, but the feeling of helplessness would not escape him.
Even the smallest thing that he could think of that would make Aizawa feel better once he awoke, he could not do.
And so all that remained was for him to stay right there, with his pack members - after all, their place was by Aizawa’s side, and they wouldn’t leave, not until they saw him, not until the sweet, comforting scent of cinnamon and vanilla filled the room once again, erasing the remains of hospital sterility.
It wasn’t until the afternoon - a whole day after the USJ -, when they were all slumped over in the seats, trying to remain awake, that the nurse approached them and told them they were finally allowed to enter the room in which Aizawa resided.
Finally, the energy they had been lacking suddenly reappeared, and they practically ran towards the room, desperate to see him, to make sure he was safe and alive.
After the uncertainty they had spent the night in, they needed to see proof that Aizawa was still there, he was still with them.
The moment they were inside, Hizashi separated from them as the door clicked shut behind them. Katsuki watched as the alpha walked over to his mate, lips curled up in a soft, gentle smile and hands shaking when he trailed the back of his knuckles against his bandaged up cheek. He whispered something to him, then, and Katsuki did not know just what it was, although he was certain he heard something akin to “your pups are safe.” And with the words, he leaned in, lips pressing against Aizawa’s forehead where they lingered before Aizawa responded with a choked up chirp.
Seconds later, Katsuki felt Hitoshi leave his side. He saw him step closer to them, embracing his mother as they exchanged comforting words that Katsuki did not know if he wished to hear.
He so desperately wanted to be beside them, he wanted to be held and told everything was okay, that everything would be okay.
Yet Katsuki couldn’t bear to move past the threshold.
In the past, whenever he was hurt, he tended to disappear into his own head, hidden behind blissful haziness where no one could touch him, and no matter whose hands were trailing across his flesh, his mind paid it no heed.
This time, at that moment, the feeling did not appear, no matter how hard he wished it to.
Betrayed by his own body, his feelings pushed to the surface as he tried to keep standing.
A familiar ache appeared within him, then. A sensation that only arose whenever he thought of his mama and papa - a painful concoction of regret, guilt, powerlessness.
And he could do nothing to stop it, so it grew. It festered until he felt as if there was nothing but that very feeling left inside of him. Even as Hitoshi and Hizashi looked at him, smiling and waving him over, telling him to come closer, it did nothing to soothe him.
Frozen, he felt frozen. As if nothing would ever wash away the filth he felt upon him - the shame.
Only when Aizawa turned towards him, eyes tired yet filled with fondness that Katuski knew he hadn’t earned, he was nothing but a hindrance, an annoyance that crashed into their lives and forced them to take care of him because he was a goddamn child who just couldn’t stop being so fucking patheti-
His voice was gravelly as he spoke, and the moment he heard it, Katsuki broke apart at the fragile seams.
“Come here, my little pup.”
He stumbled forward at the words, muscles trembling from the effort it took to keep himself upright, but he somehow found the strength to rush toward him, clumsy feet carrying him over to one of the only people that had never given up on him.
The man who saved him, cared for him, helped him through every little hiccup in Katsuki’s path.
The man who Katsuki did not save.
His strength abandoned him as he got close, and so he fell onto the bed, gripping the blankets as strong, tired, safe arms wrapped themselves around him, pulling him in closer while his nose pressed up against Aizawa’s throat.
The words fell from his lips between the sobs, “Mom, mo-mommy, I’m sorry!”
Shouta knew the pup did not hear the gasp that escaped him, nor could he feel the trembling of his arms.
He, himself, could hardly feel much of anything - all that he felt was warmth spreading throughout him, his heart threatening to break out of his chest as he looked up at Hizashi, the alpha’s hand covering his mouth as Shouta’s vision blurred.
Replacing Katsuki’s parents was never something he and Hizashi wished to do, they never expected the boy to see them as anything but the people that loved and cherished him unconditionally.
Yet the word had been uttered, anyway.
Mom.
He called him mom.
With a shaky exhale, Shouta used whatever pathetic remains of power he had left in his tired body to pull Katsuki in until the boy was lying beside him, curled up with his face in the crook of Shouta’s neck.
“Shh, it’s okay, baby - you have nothing to be sorry for. You did so well, you were so brave, so strong - all of you were.”
As he continued to whisper, his other hand gripped Hitoshi’s, holding his pup close as Katsuki’s body began to relax beside him while repeated reassurances dug further into his mind, pushing away those nasty thoughts that must’ve settled in.
And with the scent of his pack surrounding him and the feeling of Katsuki’s deep, steady breaths against his skin, he allowed himself to drift off.
How Katsuki was doing, Hitoshi did not know.
Days had passed since the incident at the hospital - which his parents still wouldn’t stop talking about, especially since Katsuki had taken to calling his mother ‘mom’ from then on - and Katsuki was yet to show any sign of how he was truly feeling. He barely even spoke to them, opting to use sign language whenever he wished to say or ask something, and he’d been curled up in his nest with that spawn of Satan they called a cat every day since then.
Hitoshi supposed all the grief and panic he felt had been let out on that uncomfortable hospital bed, but he doubted it was that simple.
He couldn’t have possibly just been fine all of the sudden, as if nothing had even happened when Hitoshi knew just how badly this had all affected him.
Fuck, even he hadn’t come out unscathed - the sight of his mom all broken and beaten up was something he would never forget. How Katsuki - Katsuki who, despite his strength and his power, was still delicate - had managed to pull himself back together, he didn’t know.
The fact that the rift between Katsuki and Midoriya still hadn’t mended only served to heighten Hitoshi’s worry - what exactly happened between the two to cause this sudden animosity remained a mystery which Katsuki simply refused to give him any hints for. Any attempt he made at getting his brother to actually talk about the problem ended up backfiring, resulting in that little pout and frown on Katsuki’s face and the omega hastily grabbing Haru and stomping off to his nest to sulk until Hitoshi gathered the courage to go to his room and make a peace offering - normally, a cartoon that Katsuki liked, or a new blanket for his ever-growing nest.
So, he might’ve been a bit concerned about his brother.
Just a little bit.
The handful of bonds Katsuki had formed with those around him were important - after so many years of imprisonment and isolation, days spent alone in his room or with… with them, cutting off the people he loved and cared about wasn’t good for him.
It was self-destructive.
The omega deserved to be bathed in affection, he deserved to feel how happy he made everyone around him, how blessed they felt for getting to have him become a part of their pack and their family, and none of that could happen if Katsuki spent the majority of his time sulking because one of the people in his pack had wronged him in some way.
He almost wanted to force them both into a room and lock them there until they sorted their shit out, if only to stop Midoriya from giving Katsuki those pathetic sad stares whenever the omega brushed him off and refused to acknowledge him - the only reason he didn’t do so was because… well, he didn’t think it would go over very well with his brother if he did the same thing his captors had done all those years ago.
When he first realized just how similar his plan was to what they had done to him for so long, he was horrified with himself, angry and disgusted, and it had taken a few slaps on the back of his head while Katsuki called him a moron for him to snap out of it.
So he was out of options.
Katsuki didn’t want to talk to Midoriya, and Midoriya wouldn’t stop looking like a kicked puppy.
Fuck.
It was frustrating to see Katsuki pull back into his shell just when he’d truly been getting happy.
Maybe if he, at the very least, knew what exactly went wrong between the two, he would be able to beat the shit out of Midoriya for whatever fuck up he’d made and, maybe, make Katsuki smile a little bit - but he couldn’t.
All he knew was that the beta hadn’t told Katsuki he had gotten into UA; which, yeah, it was a rather shitty thing to do, and Hitoshi had told him so the moment he found out, resulting in a cowered look on Midoriya’s face, but Hitoshi knew Katsuki, and he knew his brother wouldn’t put the beta through such harsh treatment and such a lengthy period of nothing but silence for something like that.
No matter his insistence that it wasn’t the truth, Katsuki adored Midoriya, he cherished him greatly, and pettiness had no room in their relationship. He wouldn’t waste time being distant from him if it wasn’t serious.
But he pushed this particular issue to the side - there was time to sort that shit out and get things in order. For now, he had other things to worry about.
Mainly, how the hell Katsuki would handle being at UA, carrying on with his studies, dealing with the shitload of trauma he was still trying to sort through, while he clearly struggled to handle the damn guilt inside of him, no matter how many times Hitoshi and his parents attempted to smother the stupid feeling?
It was obvious, so damn obvious. Katsuki seldom lied, and even when he tried to hide things from them, his body was honest.
They could see the tension that appeared in his muscles whenever he caught sight of their mom covered in bandages - no matter how many times they told him it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t have possibly done anything against a monster even All Might struggled to fight, it was of no use.
That pretty little head of his simply would not take in the reassurances, and so Hitoshi was forced to watch him drift in shame and regret.
He watched as that very same tension appeared when their mom walked into the classroom, his classmates cheering and smiling at his arrival, despite his bandaged up form.
The notes of relief and joy swirled throughout the room, Katsuki’s being the strongest out of all, and Hitoshi knew that beneath the bandages and the uncaring facade, his mother was touched.
Hell, he’d probably be gushing about it to his dad later that night, just like he always did whenever his pups did something he thought of as sweet.
The moment the class settled in, he began to speak, and so, with his arrival, came the announcement of the one thing he’d been dreading since the start of the year - the Sport’s Festival.
He knew Katsuki was excited about the event, his competitiveness and desire to prove his worth to others would surely thrive in such an environment, but Hitoshi could not help but worry.
It was televised, viewed by millions of people, and not only was Katsuki still struggling with being surrounded by crowds but there was also a chance he would be seen by those that had taken him when he was a child.
They would set his eyes upon him and see the beautiful, strong person he had become.
The person that they did not know even existed.
Hitoshi desperately wished he could protect that image, keep it hidden and sacred just so that Katsuki could have some part of him to call his own.
But he couldn’t.
All he could do was make sure none of the fuckers so much as looked at him wrong during the stupid competition.
If they did, they would just have to disappear for a while.
“Oh, hey, Bakugou right?”
Katsuki turned towards the source of the words as he got up to pack his things and prepare to leave to the cafeteria for lunch - the lessons that had dragged on throughout the day had left him more hungry than he had thought he would be, and he desperately wanted to get the fuck out already and get some food.
But, apparently, he couldn’t do so just yet.
The sheer amount of energy that seemed to emanate from the pink-haired alpha nearly had him stumbling backwards - she was bright, that was the best way he could describe it. Bright and bubbly and filled with a sort of joy that was rarely seen in others. Almost infectious. Every part of her seemed to scream friendliness - from her golden horns and pink hair to the colourful, albeit childish, anklet she wore. And he knew just how kind she was, too. He could still remember her kind voice as she calmed him down after the whole disaster with the break-in.
It was difficult to maintain his scowl in her presence, especially when he felt Hitoshi’s hand land on his back, warning him to at least attempt to be polite.
“Yeah, what?” He frowned as he spoke, leaning back against his desk and throwing his backpack over his shoulder. Yet, even in the midst of the conversation, his gaze trailed off to the side, only for a split second, and it landed atop multi-coloured hair and the boy whose movements seemed far too confident to actually be real - he had to have been faking it, no one felt that calm all the time.
It was then that blue and gray looked up at him, meeting his eyes for a moment before he quickly turned back towards the pink-haired alpha standing before him.
She did not seem deterred by his tone, and her grin widened as she was joined by Kaminari and a black-haired, yet calm-looking, beta Katsuki had only shared a few words with in the past - Sero, he thought his name was.
“You wanna join us for lunch today?”
His teeth dug into his bottom lip, brows furrowing as he dared to look towards the stupid alpha who he did not even want to be looking at at all - he was just curious if he was still there, if his eyes were still on Katsuki, that was it. And just as he had done so, the boy glanced at him, even as he walked towards the exit, his eyes did not leave Katsuki.
Foolishly, Katsuki thought the alpha had inhaled while he was walking past them, catching the notes of Katsuki’s sweetening scent as the alpha’s own perfume strengthened once he caught a whiff of whatever it was that he was seeking.
But he must’ve only imagined it - all he knew was that blueberries, mint, and campfire had his muscles loosening and his head nodding as Hitoshi stood by his side.
“Sure, whatever.”
And just as the people before him grinned, excitedly chattering away while they began to walk together, he heard the distant sound of someone’s voice, their words unintelligible from the distance - fucking annoying, is what he thought the second he noticed it.
He approached the entrance of the classroom, peeking over Todoroki’s shoulder and finally seeing just who it was.
A smug looking fucker who Katsuki already knew had nothing to be smug about, surrounded by people he’d never seen before.
“Who are you, exactly?” Todoroki spoke, his voice level and monotone as ever while the remaining members of the class stood behind them.
And Katsuki did not care to hear his answer - it didn’t matter, none of these fuckers mattered.
So he stood beside the alpha, staring at the blond omega blocking his way - blue flashed toward him, widening with something that appeared to be surprise before his expression levelled out and an infuriating smirk appeared in its place.
“Bakugou, huh?”
A snarl escaped him, an angry noise that he couldn’t control nor did he even attempt to stop it.
He did not wish this boy to speak the name of his family - he didn’t deserve it, not when he said it with such disgust, as if Katsuki was merely some dirt he’d come across.
“Get the fuck out of my way.”
The words had the desired effect on the surrounding crowd, and he watched as they stepped aside.
But just as he and his friends were about to walk through, the omega stepped in front of him, inches away from his face, that sleazy smirk still right there.
“Eh? Too much of a celebrity to talk to the rest of us peasants?”
The blond was looking for a fight.
He was looking for someone to push until they broke, Katsuki fucking knew that. He knew and yet he couldn’t help the light sparks that appeared at his palms and the sweat that dripped down his temple - it was not only anger that simmered underneath the surface, it was panic. And it was only because he could control his scent that the rest did not know just how badly the boy’s proximity was affecting him.
Yet, suddenly, there was a strong hand pushing the boy away, causing him to yelp as an arm created a barrier between Katsuki and him.
Slowly, Katsuki turned his gaze towards Todoroki, but the alpha wasn’t looking at him, not this time.
This time, there was something in his expression, something cracking through the mask he always wore - anger.
“He told you to move, Monoma. Next time, listen to him.”
And, as if nothing had happened, the alpha walked away, Monoma’s eyes set on the back of his head, lips parted in shock.
Weird.
He was fucking weird.
And so was the stupid goddamn blush spreading across Katsuki’s cheeks.
Katsuki shook his head and stomped into the hallway, hands shoved in his pockets as Hitoshi and the rest joined him and he spoke over his shoulder “Stay the fuck out of my way, extras.”
Their indignant sounds went ignored.
“We still gotta talk about you and him, y’know,” Hitoshi whispered, making sure no one else heard the words.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Hitoshi let out a hum, throwing an arm over Katsuki’s shoulders and pulling him in close to his side.
“Yeah, whatever you say, puppy - I’m telling you now, though, you need to get some better taste, this is just embarrassing.”
His cheeks flushed bright red at the insinuation.
“My taste is perfectly fuckin’ fine.” And it was! He had perfect taste, actually. Which was why he didn’t like Todoroki one bit, not at all.
His scent was nice, but that was about it, there was nothing else there, and Hitoshi was clearly in dire need of some rest if this was the bullshit he came out with while sleep deprived.
“Right, sure it is. Tell me that when your scent doesn’t become all sunshine and fuckin’ rainbows whenever candy cane so much as walks past you.”
His eyes widened, hands slapping against the scent glands on his neck as he ushered his steps, ignoring Hitoshi’s chuckles behind him.
“Shut the fuck up, nii-chan!”
Maybe Katsuki should eat alone from now on.
Undercut Fucker: yo, you alright, kat? saw the usj bullshit on tv, looked crazy
Katsuki: Yeah, it was fine. Kicked some ass.
Undercut Fucker: of course you did
Undercut Fucker: you still gotta teach me how to get out of that move, though
Katsuki chuckled as he read the message, typing out a quick ‘next time’ before he pocketed the phone.
It hadn’t been long since he and the alpha began training together - it was a spur of the moment sort of thing, something Katsuki wasn’t planning on offering until the boy mentioned how he had never bothered learning how to fight because he didn’t want to be a hero. Katsuki didn’t hesitate to call him an idiot for such thinking. No matter his plans for the future, the world was dangerous, villains were lurking behind every corner.
That was when Katsuki invited him to come watch him, Hitoshi, and Aizawa train in hopes of learning something, and during the very first lesson, Katsuki began to teach him everything he had learned so far.
But the alpha still struggled with some of the things Katsuki tried to get him to learn - the last time they were together, he kept him in a damn headlock until the boy’s face nearly turned purple.
Hopefully, he would have plenty of time next time to teach him how to stop himself from getting choked out like a damn idiot.
With a sigh, Katsuki looked back towards the UA courtyard, the vast fields empty sans the occasional teacher or student rushing towards the exit.
Being alone had become something he was not quite accustomed to any longer.
While still often needing his space and simply staying in his nest where no one bothered him, Katsuki adored the moments he got with those around him, he cherished the times with his pack, and even the sparing moments he spoke to his classmates.
It was becoming increasingly more difficult to be apart from them.
But as he sat on the outside steps of UA, he could appreciate the silence, the peacefulness that surrounded him. The sun was setting, casting the sky in golden hues and delicate pinks - he always did love witnessing such a view; the windows in the old house were normally boarded up, covered with something that prevented him from getting a look at the outside world, and so finally getting a chance to see the sights he’d been missing out on for so long was something he held dear to his heart.
He didn’t know just how long he had left to wait - Hitoshi, after being pulled to the side by Cementoss and told he wanted to go over something he was struggling with in the class, told Katsuki to wait at the entrance, he’d told him that he and their parents wouldn’t take long and they would rush home straight after.
When he had said the words, Katsuki could hardly think, let alone provide an answer other than a nod.
Their parents.
It was still such a strange term - something that filled him with warmth and fulfilment, but dread and fear all at once.
The worry that he was replacing his mama and papa was still deeply embedded within him, carved into his mind, never to be moved, but Hitoshi, Aizawa, and Hizashi never allowed the thoughts to fester. They were quick to reassure him, remind him that he deserved to love and be loved in return, he deserved to have all the family he wished to have. Besides, with the number of photos auntie Inko had given him, it was difficult to forget where he truly came from.
Besides, it was… it was nice. It felt good to have someone to lean on in a way you would on a parent, it felt good to call someone ‘mom’ and for it to not be a silly whisper in the darkness of the room while he hoped his mama would come back. He was yet to gain the courage to call Hizashi dad, but he already knew it wouldn’t be long until the word escaped his tongue.
So he indulged himself. He allowed the worries to be pushed to the sidelines for the sake of his own selfish desires.
Maybe he deserved to be greedy just this once - maybe he deserved to have this one goddamn thing he’d craved all his life.
Yeah.
Maybe.
Suddenly, breaking the quiet surrounding him, the door behind him opened, hinges creaking before it clicked shut.
He almost spoke, thinking it was Hitoshi or his parents finally coming to get him, and he was ready to complain about how they made him wait outside with his ass on the cold fucking floor like an idiot, but when he turned his head towards the source of the sound, the words caught in his throat.
Mismatched eyes fell upon his own, confusion etched into those normally stoic features as Katsuki inhaled. With the wind gently blowing in his direction, the notes of the alpha’s scent freely flowed towards him and he felt his body practically melt.
The alpha tilted his head to the side, stepping closer to him as he spoke, “What are you still doing here?”
“Waiting for Hitoshi.” Katsuki looked forward once again, fingers pulling on the edges of his sleeves as he hugged his knees close to his chest.
He heard awkward shuffling beside him, and his lips nearly twitched upwards at the sound, even more so when he sensed nervousness in that all too familiar scent.
“Oh, uh, do you, uhm, do you need a ride or something?”
Katsuki looked up at him as the alpha stood by his side, “Huh? Nah, our parents are driving us home.”
The alpha hummed in response. His presence, for once, did not feel uncomfortable, it did not make him feel caged in or awkward while an alpha - a powerful one, at that - was in his presence.
All he felt was a serenity he seldom exhibited.
That was until the alpha suddenly sat right beside him on the steps.
Katsuki’s head snapped towards him, lips parting a few times before he finally managed to speak, “The hell are you doing?”
Todoroki shrugged, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward and watched the same sunset Katsuki was admiring moments ago.
“Waiting for my driver.”
Katsuki scoffed, rolling his eyes as he forced himself to relax - there was no point in trying to push the boy away, no point in telling him to leave.
And, maybe, Katsuki selfishly wanted that lovely scent by his side a little while longer.
“A driver? Fuck off, you have your own driver?”
A delicate flush spread across Todoroki’s cheeks, the pink trailing up to the tips of his ears as he pushed his shoulders upwards, “Y-Yeah, what else am I supposed to do?”
Katsuki shrugged, sighing as he pulled his knees closer to his chest, “I don’t know, man, take the train or some shit.”
A few moments of silence passed, and Katsuki was certain Todoroki wouldn’t speak to him again. He almost felt annoyance grow inside of him at the thought, but then the alpha practically whispered, voice subdued and filled with something that Katsuki was certain was shame, “I, uh, I’ve never been on one, so…”
And, for once, Katsuki did not feel the desire to tease or to mock, he did not wish to throw insults or to tell the alpha to fuck off.
This time, his Omega urged him forward, whining in desperation as the scent of nervousness reached them both.
He sniffled, trailing circles onto the concrete with his finger in hopes of hiding just how nervous he truly was, “Don’t worry, I get nervous ‘round that sort of shit too - never know if I’m gonna mess something up or not, can never handle to fuckers around me.”
He felt Todoroki’s gaze on the side of his face, but he daren’t meet it as he listened to the Alpha speak, “You do?”
Katsuki nodded, hands shaking at the reminder that the words he spoke offered, “Mhm. I didn’t really go out much growing up, so, y’know… Everything is still a bit new to me.”
But the alpha did not judge him, he did not laugh or ask why that was - there was nothing there but gentle understanding.
“Me too.”
And Katsuki smiled. He couldn’t help it; it was a rarity that someone simply understood, no matter how little they knew of the extent of Katsuki’s past. Always asking questions, always needing to know why Katsuki didn’t like revealing clothes, why Katsuki didn’t like needles, why he trembled when surrounded by alpha’s, why he sometimes simply could not speak, nor did he wish to do so.
Todoroki did no such things.
Todoroki asked nothing of him, yet he appreciated what he received.
So, maybe, just this once, Katsuki could offer him something more. He could speak to him without sneering or telling him to fuck off, he could give more than he would give to others.
Yet, the words he spoke were not the ones he intended to say, “Your hero costume is shit by the way.”
He would’ve taken it back had he not looked at Todoroki, had he not seen the silly, petulant pout on his lips and the rosy flush covering his cheeks.
Had the boy taken offence, he would’ve apologized, however reluctantly.
But it seemed as if there was no need for such things.
“Is not.”
The whine in his voice was almost unnoticeable, but Katsuki could still hear it.
A giggle escaped him, and the alpha quickly looked up from where he was staring at the ground, his eyes wide and that blush of his spreading further up his face, and not for a second did he look away from Katsuki.
“It is - it’s ridiculous, what the hell were you thinking?”
The alpha shuffled, scent filled with nothing but delicate notes of happiness - as if Katsuki teasing him was bringing him joy.
But that couldn’t have been it, there must’ve been another reason for the purity of his scent.
Katsuki couldn’t understand why someone like Todoroki - strong, powerful - would ever feel content by Katsuki’s side.
He did not let his own insecurities ruin his mood, however, and so he simply looked at Todoroki, he looked at the alpha and he did not allow his smile to disappear as the boy stuttered out, “T-That it’ll make me look… cool.”
Katsuki snorted, “Is that a fucking pun?”
The alpha glanced at him, brows furrowed and head tilted to the side.
Cute.
No.
Katsuki felt himself blush, the heat rising across his face as he dispelled the thoughts.
Not cute.
Stupid and ridiculous!
Yeah, not a single part of him was cute or appealing in any way whatsoever.
“Huh? No, why would it be?”
Katsuki groaned, shaking his head as he let out an exasperated sigh, “Oh my god, never mind.”
Seconds passed in silence, comfortable and easy without any pressure for either one of them to break it.
But, as Katsuki looked at Todoroki, as he took notice of the sharpness of his features and the softness found in those eyes, he spoke, voice quiet yet confident all at once, “I’m going to design a costume for you.”
Todoroki’s gaze shot over to him, “No, no, you don’t have t-”
“I’m not offering, I’m telling you - someone has to do something about that monstrosity.”
And, at that, as if he hadn’t fucking insulted him to his face, Todoroki’s features softened, filled with something that Katsuki could only describe as fondness.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m in such capable hands then.”
Cheeks covered in shades of vermillion, Katsuki looked the other way, hugging his knees close and ignoring the way he could still feel the alpha’s eyes on him.
“W-Whatever, shut up.”
Stupid Alpha.
For once, Katsuki felt as if maybe Hizashi and Aizawa were going a little bit overboard.
As the Festival approached, both of them raised their concerns about Katsuki’s safety - Katsuki couldn’t deny the fact that they were right to say that maybe displaying him on national television when he had people actively trying to kidnap him wasn’t such a good idea, but he was determined to go through with it.
No matter the potential dangers, he couldn’t stand on the sidelines and watch his classmates carry on with their lives while he remained stagnant.
He needed normalcy.
So they conceded and allowed him to enter, even though Katsuki could see the apprehension in every line on their bodies.
They worried far too much - he would be fine; if nothing had killed him so far, then nothing ever fucking would.
But maybe the trepidation they were feeling had rubbed off on him, only a tiny bit, and so he couldn’t help but tremble as they all walked to the room where the rest of Class 1A was waiting.
Hizashi had fretted over them in the morning, walking into their rooms while they were still sleeping and waking them both up just to hold them tight and wish them good luck. Katsuki wished he was there with him at that moment, but he knew the alpha had work to do, he couldn’t remain by their sides all damn day.
So it was just him, Hitoshi, and Aizawa between them, reminding them of all the rules and how proud he would be no matter what.
It warmed Katsuki’s essence in a way only his family seemed to be able to.
But it didn’t stop a tinge of nervousness from flashing in his body - they were close to the door of the room the class was in, only a few steps away, and Aizawa wasn’t moving away from them, he wasn’t even attempting to hide who they were to each other. They would all know, they would know there was something there that they hadn’t know before, and Katsuki wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it.
He didn’t care if they knew, but he did care about how Aizawa would react to them finding out Katsuki was now one of his pup’s - would he be ashamed? Would he be embarrassed to have a pup who was so goddamn fucked up?
Katsuki knew he brought bad luck to those around him, he knew that he had done nothing to earn the care and affection everyone wished to shower him in, and so he knew they had nothing to be proud of.
Why would they want the world to know someone like him was theirs?
Yet a part of him hoped they didn’t care, he hoped people would see and they would know who he was and who they were to him - it would be the confirmation he needed that he had a family.
If it was public, no one could deny it.
But all of his worries were wiped away the moment Aizawa opened the door.
Katsuki had presumed he would simply say goodbye and wish them luck, but, instead, the man pulled them back in as the class watched, wrapping his arms around them in a way that Katsuki had grown to associate with warmth and safety, and he allowed his scent to spread around them, to envelop them whole until their anxieties were squashed. Moments later, he pulled back, one hand on Katsuki’s shoulder while the other worked to push back the strands of hair that had fallen down Hitoshi’s forehead.
“You two be careful, alright? Your father and I are not in the mood to lecture you if you get hurt.”
Katsuki could hear distant gasps of his classmates, he could hear the murmurs of those around him, yet he didn’t care - all that mattered was the way his mom was still right there, encouraging them and calling them his in front of everyone.
A delicate rumble grew in his lungs, pushing past his throat until a quiet purr sounded in the room.
He almost felt embarrassed, almost hid behind shaking hands and denied that sound was coming from him, but his mom looked at him then, bandages still covering his face but the joy was clear in his gaze, and he leaned in, lips pressing against Katsuki’s forehead before he did the same to Hitoshi.
And he stepped away, “Good luck, pups, kick their asses.”
“Hey!” Kaminari whined in the back, and Katsuki turned towards him, grin wide as the omega pouted while he sat cross-legged on the chair, in between Hanta and Ashido.
“Yeah, yeah, good luck to the rest of you too, you’ll do great.”
With those parting words, he turned and left.
And, suddenly, Katsuki felt as if he didn’t quite know what to do.
All eyes were on him, something that still made his skin crawl, and he was waiting for the questions.
“S-So, ha-have you guys seen the new documentary about the pre-quirk era?” Katsuki’s gaze flicked towards Izuku, the boy nervously wringing his hands together as an awkward smile tugged on his lips.
For the first time in what felt like months, Katsuki felt nothing but fondness of the beta - regardless of the years they had spent apart, Izuku still seemed to be able to pick up on the things about him that not many even noticed.
Reluctantly, he nodded in his direction, receiving a shy smile in return - and that was that. That was as far as Katsuki was willing to extend his interactions with Deku.
If the boy didn’t wish to talk to him about important parts of his life, then Katsuki didn’t wish to talk to him at all.
Petty, maybe, but he couldn’t help it. He had expected far too much from Izuku, and when he barely received anything, the disappointment caused a bridge between the two that was far too large for them to mend.
Maybe, one day, Izuku would get his shit together and explain the secrecy and the lies, maybe he would tell Katsuki the truth of how he didn’t really want to let him into the life he had created for himself while Katsuki was gone.
Maybe.
But, until then, he didn’t deserve anything but distant acknowledgement.
So Katsuki walked past his table and sat with those who he had reluctantly begun to think of as friends.
Well.
Friends and one fucker who couldn’t get the hint and stop treating him as if he were made of glass. But he elected to ignore him. And until they were finally ready to leave, he sat with them, speaking whenever prompted to and remaining silent otherwise.
The nerves he felt at some point had slowly begun to disappear - maybe it was because of the steady supply of comforting scents surrounding him, or maybe it was resignation to his fate, but it didn’t matter.
He would do the best he could no matter what.
And he would beat them all.
Just as the thought cemented itself into his mind, he looked up to see Todoroki and Deku standing before each other.
Silence enveloped the room, an awkward tension that had Katsuki looking around to see if anyone else had noticed it.
All their eyes were upon the two boys, and they listened to Todoroki speak.
“Midoriya, I am stronger than you.” Hand flying up, Katsuki covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing - it was stupid, what a pathetic way to begin a competition. Idiots, stupid idiots with their stupid ego’s that forced them to proclaim their strength in front of them all. Besides, it was as if they didn’t know Katsuki was stronger than them all. Todoroki continued, “And I will beat you, no matter what.”
Arching a brow, Katsuki leaned into Hitoshi’s side, and he dared to whisper, “Do you think that they know you and I are gonna pummel them to the ground?”
Hitoshi snorted, nudging Katsuki’s shoulder with his own, “Nah, dumb fuckers.”
Katsuki shook his head as he focused back on the two, just in time to hear Deku speak, “Everyone is going to do their best, Todoroki-kun, and so am I.”
The awkward tension grew, stifling the air in the room as they just stared at each other like no one else was even there.
And Katsuki sighed, drawing the attention to himself as he stood from the chair, kicking it back and meeting Todoroki’s gaze.
“Alright, pack it in mister theater kid.”
He could hear those around him letting out chuckles, he could sense that blanket of pressure disappearing from them all as the two boys stepped away from each other.
The alpha didn’t snap back, he didn’t do anything but look to the floor, a blush covering his cheeks as he muttered, “S-Sorry, Bakugou.”
And Katsuki rolled his eyes.
Whatever.
Even as the race commenced, Hitoshi could hardly focus on anything but himself and his brother.
The words he had spoken before the competition began seemed to have started a fire under every participant.
“I am Bakugou Katsuki. And I will win.”
Despite the indignation many displayed, it almost felt as if the words were the motivation they all needed. The anxious tinge of bitterness was still within the air, but it was now filled with subtle determination.
Katsuki always did have that effect on others.
He could see the explosions blasting from his palms every once in a while, but the boy was not using them as much as Hitoshi had thought he would be. For a second, he frowned at the realization, concern filling his body at the thought that Katsuki, maybe, wasn’t trying as hard as he should’ve been - perhaps he still needed some rest, some gentle care from his pack. But then he remembered the conversation they had had a few weeks ago after they spent their training session refusing to use their quirk’s.
“I need to be able to get out of shit and win even if I don’t have my quirk - quirks are useful but what the fuck am I gonna do if I get tired or if it gets taken away from me, if it disappears?”
At the time, Hitoshi reminded him that quirks being taken from someone was not something that was possible, and so he needn’t worry.
But Katsuki was quick to remind him of the collar that he was forced to wear for the majority of his life, and Hitoshi quickly closed his mouth shut and told him they could practice quirkless sparring as much as Katsuki wanted to.
It seemed to have done him some good, judging by the way the explosions were becoming quieter and quieter as he sped ahead of everyone else.
Hitoshi smirked where he sat upon the shoulders of those that would carry him to victory.
Katsuki barely had the time to feel angry about taking third place in the race before everyone’s eyes turned towards Izuku.
Izuku who held the band worth the most points because the stupid little fucker somehow used the smallest bits of his broken quirk and he’d won.
Deep inside, Katsuki almost felt proud of the nerd - after all those stories Izuku had told him about the way people treated him growing up, as if he was useless, he was now standing right there, with a screen showing clearly just what he was capable of.
But the pride was covered with the remains of anger he didn’t think he would get rid of any time soon.
Out of the corner of his eye, Katsuki watched as Hitoshi got swarmed by a group of people. Judging by the look on his face, the alpha wasn’t expecting such an interest in him - his brother never had been one to see just how much he was truly worth, how useful and intelligent he truly was.
But Katsuki couldn’t pair up with him.
If they had done so, they would’ve won easily. They had the advantage of knowing how they worked, they knew each other’s intricacies and quirks far too well.
It would’ve been easy.
And Katsuki never was one to choose easy over challenging.
So he let Hitoshi talk to the people around him as he looked around.
And only then did he notice that his nii-chan wasn’t the only one who was apparently popular with the students.
The noises of those speaking over each other blended together, and he could hardly hear them or understand what the fuck they were trying to say to him.
But he knew some of them, and he knew their quirks.
Strong. Powerful. Reliable.
Well. Some of them were.
Despite his dislike for the stupid idiot with the red hair, he couldn’t deny that his quirk was… useful.
And so he looked at pink, yellow, red, and black, and he grinned and climbed onto their shoulders.
They would win this stupid thing.
Okay.
So maybe not.
Maybe he’d gotten a bit cocky.
But this was nothing but a small obstacle in his way.
So he breathed in and he moved away from the frantic crowds - all day spent around so many people wasn’t something he needed or wanted.
Just a moment alone, that was all he was searching for.
Just one goddamn moment where no one was talking to him or looking at him expectantly as if he were the solution to all of their problems.
So he shuffled through the hallways and ignored the calls behind him until there was nothing but silence all around him.
His back hit the cold, cement wall, and he let out a breath.
It was there that he finally felt his racing heart begin to calm.
But his serenity did not last for long, and it was only minutes later that footsteps echoed near the entrance behind the wall he was leaning against.
When blueberries, mint, and campfire mixed with forest and water from a fresh spring reached him, his eyes widened.
It was as if the two fuckers haunted him, no matter where he went or what he did.
Ridding himself of Todoroki Shouto and Midoriya Izuku wasn’t something he would ever be able to do.
But he could run away, he could slip into the shadows and disappear before they even realized just how close to them he stood. Yet something kept him tethered to the spot, his feet unable to take the steps he so desperately wanted to take.
At first, their voices were muffled, distant and unrecognisable, but Katsuki heard Todoroki speak as he focused, “Your power is similar to All Might’s.”
Katsuki frowned at the words - the similarities were undeniable, but strength-related quirks were not so rare, they could be found anywhere.
But still. Yes, very similar.
“So, I have to ask…” Katsuki’s ears strained, teeth digging into his lip so that he could stop himself from breathing and hear what the hell he would say next. “Are you All Might’s illegitimate child?”
Oh, what the fuck?
The air rushed out of him, eyes rolling as his head fell back and hit the wall.
This is the guy his Omega was so attached to?
Fuck. Maybe Hitoshi was right, he did need to figure out what the fuck was wrong with his taste in alpha’s.
Distantly, he heard Izuku splutter at the question, their conversation continuing.
His fingers tangled in his hair as he let out a quiet sigh - fuck, he really shouldn’t be eavesdropping any longer.
Perhaps he could go find Hitoshi, or Mina and Kaminari, they always served as a good distraction.
But then he heard the words leave Todoroki’s mouth.
Quirk marriage.
It wasn’t something unfathomable - he had been through enough bullshit similar to that to know how fucked up it could get.
Seeking for those who could provide them with the best offspring, all for some selfish desires that they conjured up.
It was cruel and selfish and Todoroki had been around it all his damn life.
He’d been around fire and pain and greedy hands holding him down and forcing him to become something he never wished to be.
The mask he wore was suddenly not pure indifference, it wasn’t a product of a spoiled little boy not wishing to fit in with those around him.
It was the quiet that Katsuki used to keep himself still, to stop himself from bursting open and revealing all of the ugly within.
Todoroki Shouto wasn’t just an alpha with the perfect quirk, nor was Katsuki just the prime omega created to be bred and used.
Yet the world had treated them as such and it had chipped away at the normalcy that they could’ve had.
Just as Endeavour’s training had pushed Todoroki into almost painful social awkwardness and misunderstandings of how to behave, Katsuki’s shujin had torn him to shreds until nothing but silence and desperation remained.
Maybe they were both a little bit broken, and maybe nothing would ever fix the jagged lines left behind, but Katsuki knew himself, and he could feel Todoroki was much of the same, and he’d never given up before.
They still had a chance, and Katsuki knew they would make it.
He’d snuck away as the boys’ voices finally quieted down.
The last thing he wished for was for Todoroki to find out he’d been listening in on his private conversation where he shared such personal things, but a part of him was desperate to turn towards them, to comfort the alpha and make that edge in his voice disappear.
But he couldn’t.
And so he turned away and walked through the hallways until his mind didn’t feel quite so heavy any longer.
His faith in heroes never was made of steel, it had always been something fragile and delicate, and so Endeavour’s behaviour wasn’t a shock, it wasn’t something that Katsuki didn’t see coming.
After all, the man was a foreboding and dangerous hero, a man whose power could easily make anyone crumble to their knees. But that desire for success was clear in the blue of his eyes, it outshone everything else.
No. He never did have much faith in him. But he had hoped, for Todoroki’s sake, that this one hero wouldn’t betray the principles and morals he was meant to follow.
He supposed hoping never did him any good.
Suddenly, Katsuki stilled, the echo of his footsteps disappearing at the sight before him, the feeling of flames flickering so close to his skin.
Even from a distance, the man had always looked larger than life - tall with broad shoulders and unyielding muscles.
Endeavour.
“The hell are you doing around here, kid?” The gruff voice was filled with annoyance, as if Katsuki’s mere presence was a hindrance.
Shouto’s words spun through his head.
Wasn’t that exactly what the man thought about everyone that wasn’t his masterpiece?
Katsuki arched a brow at the words, “I have more of a right to be so close to the competition grounds than you do, Endeavour-san.”
A growl escaped the man, a sound so deep it reverberated through the walls of the tunnel they stood in.
Yet Katsuki merely lifted his chin at the noise.
Huh.
Strange.
He felt nothing - no fear, no worries, the walls weren’t closing in on him.
The confusion he felt was carefully hidden as anger drew itself upon the features of the hero’s face.
“Insolent little brat, aren’t you? Who the hell do you think you ar-”
Katsuki walked towards him as the man spoke, steps light as he pushed his hands into his pockets.
But just as he stood by his side, he breathed in.
Ah.
So that’s what it was.
Dianthus. Smoke. A mixture still familiar to him from all those months ago when Katsuki grabbed that goddamn coat during his first heat.
He paused, tongue darting out to wet his lips before he grinned, turning his head upwards to look him in the eyes as he spoke, “If you so much as raise your voice at Shouto ever again, I won’t be the only one to know your little secret.”
One hand was raised, and his palm patted against the part of his arm that was not ablaze.
Even as heat made his eyes prickle with tears, even as he stared up at bright blue filled with anger, he did not move away.
A smile pulled on his lips, a sly little thing that he knew would have earned him a harsh punishment in the old house.
And he spoke.
“Better watch out, Endeavour-san,” The man startled, scent spiking up into a familiar sweetness that Katsuki knew all too well. “I’d stock up on my scent patches if I were you. I can smell your pre-heat, omega.”
His eyes widened, lips parting and the flames around his body dying down for a split second as Katsuki grinned.
With blue eyes stuck to his back, Katsuki walked away, and the fear in dianthus and smoke stuck to his tongue.
Good.
Let him be scared. Let them all be scared of what Katsuki could do to them.