Archive of Our Own ^beta

This isn’t exactly a normal situation for Katsuki, but he’s a little too out of it to really act accordingly. By all means, he should be snarling, spitting, tearing the metal handcuffs that dig into his wrists and presses on his bones, and yet…

And yet.

“Oh good, you’re awake! I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

Katsuki struggles to keep his eyes open and comes face-to-face with the last thing he saw before he was dragged away; green eyes as bright as the forest, and the man who had kidnapped him for presumably something awful.

“I wanted to ask what your workout routine is, because I’ve been trying to work on my biceps but I haven’t exactly had time.” The man continues, seemingly oblivious to the way Katsuki’s glaring at him. “If you’d be willing to tell me, I’d really appreciate it!”

The man who kidnapped him isn’t too bad looking. From what he’s seen of him so far, he has broad shoulders, green curls poking out from under a comfortable looking Bakugou beanie from the autumn line, and large hands that could definitely crush his trachea if provoked.

Katsuki doesn’t give a shit about any of that. “So what, you could crush me like a fucking grape?” He spits, trying to muster up enough saliva to land a good shot. “You took me off the street like a fucking COWARD, in a crowd of PEOPLE! You’re never getting away with this shit, asshole. Don’t you know who I am? I’m—”

“You’re Bakugou Katsuki, a model for the Ground Zero Industry, and you’re pretty much their muse for their most popular lines.” The man says, cocking his head in the process. “Of course I know who you are. I know your entire schedule for the most part, but I can never catch you at the gym when you go every other day!”

Katsuki takes a very deep breath. “Fuck you. Also, I go through different entrances because too many Alphas tend to try and prevent me from going. They want me ‘soft’ and fucking ‘cute’, since muscles aren’t attractive on an Omega, apparently.”

The man wrinkles his nose. Katsuki finds that he can’t find the scent of his kidnapper in front of him, and tries to scoot back in the chair that he’s tied up in. “They don’t know what they’re talking about; your Valentine’s Day lingerie shoot was gorgeous! The burnt orange pieces made your eyes burn like rubies, and I know the pale pink was a fan favorite, but I’ve always preferred you in darker colors.”

“So you’re a fan, then?” Katsuki asks, trying to keep him talking. The more information he acquires, the more he can work with. It’s just a matter of time before something snaps; this guy’s attention span, or even worse, Katsuki’s temper.

“I’m your biggest fan, actually.” The man informs him. “I’m the one always up to date on anything you do! I can’t believe how busy you get sometimes, but you always persevere! It’s very admirable to everyone else.”

“Thanks,” Katsuki bites out. Every bit of his PR training is in full play right now even though every instinct in his body is telling him to run. “Can I get a name for my biggest fan, then? Kinda hard to keep calling you ‘green-haired guy’ in my head, y’know.”

He’s actually calling him “kidnapper, stalker, insane maniac”, but he has a feeling the guy won’t take too kindly to this. The man considers this, tipping his head to the side and finally snapping his fingers in excitement. “Deku! You can call me Deku! If you’re calling me by a nickname, can I call you one too? It’ll take me a while to think of one, but for now, we can get to know each other!”

He seems charming. A bit weird, the way he mutters and taps his fingers on his chin, but he seems like an average person that Katsuki would never be able to pick out of a crowd. (And maybe that’s why no one even noticed Ground Zero’s shining star being whisked out from under their noses, gone in a flash with not even a single scent escaping the air.)

“Okay,” Katsuki says cautiously, doing his best to not reel back when Deku approaches his space. He leans in so far, in fact, that Katsuki can’t fight his instincts and lunges forward, striking towards Deku’s nose with a feral snarl that his sire would’ve cuffed him for.

Faster than he expected, Deku jerks back and narrowly avoids those sharp fangs. The man gives him a pleasantly surprised look, a pleased scent starting to seep out from the sterile air. “There we go! I knew you weren't as docile and submissive as the media made you out to be. I don’t want you to have to cover that up while you’re with me, Katsuki. Be your real self; that’s the version that I care about, anyways.”

Katsuki’s doing his absolute best to not reveal that he’s genuinely worried about Deku’s reflexes; no Beta would’ve reacted that fast, and when Deku smiles, no Omega on the planet has teeth that sharp. A long buried instinct stirs inside of Katsuki, shaking off the dust after eons of slumber.

Even as the famous Omega bares his own fangs in a vicious grin, he knows one thing for certain:

Katsuki’s in deep, deep shit.

Alphas are not inherently terrifying. Regardless of instincts, there’s been strict regulations in law and in education to train yourself and regain control to the best of your abilities. Hence, Katsuki originally wasn’t too worried about dealing with unwanted suitors and any subgenders attempting to court him. To feel a deep unsettling feeling from Deku means that he’s not just any Alpha, he’s something that hasn’t been seen in public in quite a long time.

The words refuse to peel themselves from Katsuki’s tongue, stuck to his fangs and reluctant to speak their truth to the stagnant air. It’s… powerful, knowing that when Katsuki will eventually (demand) ask Deku to come in and turn the air conditioning on, the Alpha will come hustling in from somewhere in the residence and do his bidding.

Katsuki’s in cuffs, and yet, he has this Prime Alpha following his every whim. He’s never felt this important before in his life.

(And if Katsuki wonders what Deku’s scent would be like, to seep out from under whatever neutralizers he has around this place, that’s between him and the cuffs burning on his wrists.)

About four days after his initial kidnapping, and Deku has dutifully fed him and made sure he’s showered, along with countless bathroom breaks, Katsuki finally gets a glimpse of the Alpha that’s keeping him.

He’s secretly relieved; being on eggshells around Deku has made his teeth ache, but now he’s got an idea of how to handle this particular case study when Deku gets a phone call and excuses himself to take it in the other room. “Excuse me, Kacchan!” Deku says cheerfully, making sure Katsuki is still cuffed before he walks away. Katsuki wrinkles his nose at the nickname that’s been given to him.

“Hello?” Deku says, still in Katsuki’s line of sight in the living room. “Hey! It’s good to hear from you; I know, I’ve been pretty busy lately, but have you seen the news? There was that whole press conference, but I already emailed in about the cost and everything else I wanted. I’ll be honest, it’s such a small number for what Kacchan is really worth, but we all have to start somewhere—”

Being in plain sight means Katsuki can see the exact moment Deku’s bouncy self goes suddenly still. The Prime Alpha looks like a statue, jaw set before he starts pacing around the room. The air seems to crackle around him, and if he had a tail, Katsuki knows it would be whipping back and forth.

There’s a faint scent of ozone in the air. Lightning, right before a thunderstorm.

“I’m just saying,” Deku protests, waving his hands around in an incredulous manner. “It’s been four days already! They should’ve given me a better answer already! He’s literally their only kid, I don’t understand why—no, it’s NOT because he’s an Omega. That’s so presumptuous of you to think—he’s the heir to the Ground Zero brand and their entire damn fashion empire. Have you seen those magazine shoots? I’ve been wanting to buy some of their blankets for eons now, but they’re high quality which means expensive too—”

“Hey,” Katsuki calls, wanting his attention back and feeling his mouth go dry from the lack of water. They’re talking about him. It’s his fucking ransom demand. “Hey, Deku.”

He hears Deku lower his voice and say something else before hanging up, padding his way back into the room. “Hey, Kacchan.” He smiles weakly. “So, good and bad news. The good news is, you’re getting an upgrade from these living arrangements! I think you and I have bonded really well, and I can tell you’ve been getting uncomfortable with the handcuffs, so I’m going to release you and then we can talk like a pair, okay?”

“And the bad news?” Katsuki snaps, refusing to bare his neck away from Deku as the Alpha comes closer with a key he magically produced from his pocket. “You can’t just leave me hanging like that, Deku. The fuck’s wrong with you? You sounded off on that phone call.”

It takes a few moments of fiddling, but the cuffs come safely off and Deku moves back faster than anticipated. “That’s the bad news,” he murmurs, grinding his jaw together. “Just—just give me a second to compose myself. I’m no longer in a good mood and I don’t want to take it out on you.”

Katsuki finally stands up and rubs his aching wrists, feeling his fangs starting to drip. He does his best to take stock of the room, but Deku’s still in the doorway and prevents him from leaving. “Do you need any ointment for your wrists?” The Alpha asks politely. “Or I could get you something else, or—”

“Water,” Katsuki retorts, and straightens up when Deku’s eyes flare. “Please,” he tacks on, and the dark shadow is gone in an instant. Patient. He has to be patient, even though it isn’t in his blood, and every single neuron is screaming at him to leave.

Deku gives him a tight smile and walks away, leaving the scent of something heavy in the air. Katsuki wants to chase after it until the day he dies.

The water’s pressed into his hands, cold and freezing and grounding him to reality. Katsuki barely has a chance to take a large gulp before Deku sighs, rubbing a hand down his face and coming straight out with the rest of his news.

“The bad news is, your parents don’t want you back.” Deku says, sounding fairly upset. “I called to see if I could bribe them with anything like secrets for your safe return, and they outright refused and said to not worry. I…honestly don’t know where to go from here, so if there’s anything you have questions about—”

“You’re lying,” Katsuki blurts out, feeling the hot wave of shame rise in his chest. “Bullshit. My stupid parents would NEVER deny me back; I’m their goddamn muse, I’m the face of the Ground Zero Industry! My sire wouldn’t have thrown me into the goddamn fashion gauntlet if she thought I couldn’t handle it!”

To be the golden child is to be in the spotlight for every portion of your life. Katsuki has known cameras and ego and fame, practically fed to him on a silver platter, and still cannot fathom that his parents would refuse to have their golden goose back.

(Maybe the fact that he’s even considering the fact that his parents would do that to him speaks volumes. It’s an ugly truth that Katsuki doesn’t want to acknowledge with any part of his being. He wasn’t exactly a model Omega growing up, and his temper tantrums and fights have been broadcast more times than he can count.)

“I don’t want you to think that I’m lying to you,” Deku murmurs quietly. “My friend Todo—well, another friend of mine, recorded the interview on TV for us so you could see it and make your own decision. I’m sorry, Kacchan. I really didn’t think it’d be this easy.”

“Easy?!” Katsuki snarls, baring his fangs again as he flexes his palms and drops into a fighting pose. “Easy to STEAL ME?? To kidnap me away from my home? The FUCK are you TALKING about?”

Deku wrinkles his nose. “An Omega like you deserves a long and determined hunt, someone who puts up a fight for you. I don’t want you to roll over for me; I want you to see me as your partner and hopeful mate. I meant your parents, because they’re the ones who raised the greatest partner I could ever ask for. I want to prove your worth to the world with a high ransom but your parents have really fucked this up for me.”

“I want to see the interview,” Katsuki croaks out. He’s overwhelmed, a bit shaken, but his Omega’s waking up inside him. To have someone who sees him as an equal partner, to want such a high prize for his worth and even then…

Deku blinks at him. “Okay! Let me pull it up for you. One moment please, Kacchan.” He heads to his TV, humming all the while as Katsuki catches his breath. For a moment—for a single, life-changing moment, he wanted to sink his teeth into Deku’s neck. He wants to bypass the courting bites on the wrists, he doesn't care that much about parental approval, because Deku won.

And then he shakes himself and regains his morals, even if they are waning by the hour.

The TV flickers to life and the recording starts up. Katsuki watches his parents, prim and proper and composed as always, wait for the reporters to stop asking questions. “Have any demands been made for the release of your son?” Someone asks, holding their microphone out. “How far will you go for the Bakugou heir?”

Mitsuki and Masaru exchange glances on the TV, and Masaru nervously wrings his hands together. Katsuki, knowing his father’s tactics, understands that Deku is telling the truth. Fuck. “We find that it may potentially not be in our best interest to demand our son back,” Mitsuki says smoothly. “As we all know, my son has notoriously turned down every single suitor that has ever made an approach. To find that an Alpha took the time out of his life to have our son, and to have him treat him right? It’s everything we could’ve asked for! We may even have grandpups down the line, if this Alpha keeps up his hard work.”

The reporters start clambering for more answers, flashing more cameras at the famous Bakugous, and Katsuki fully understands that this situation will not change. He’s practically stuck here; with his parents’ permission, Deku has complete and total claim over him. He’ll never go home again.

“Do…you want me to call them again?” Deku asks, looking adorably confused. “I don’t mind; in fact, I’d rather you keep a relationship with them as much as you want. If my mom gave me up that quickly, I’d be super upset! I’ll have you meet her if you’d like, she’s a really nice woman! A great mom, honestly.”

“Call them,” Katsuki says quietly. “I’m gonna rip them a fucking new one. I’m not having you stop me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Deku promises as he starts dialing a number. It takes several moments, but someone finally picks up on the other line. Katsuki nervously wrings his own hands.

“Hi! This is the Alpha that kidnapped your son,” Deku says cheerfully into the phone. “I understand, Mr. Bakugou, but he’s here with me and I wanted to know if you’d like to talk to him. I’m serious, yes, he’s fine. Of course he’s not injured! He’s available—okay, got it. Thank you.”

“Here,” Deku says, ruffled as he hands the phone over to Katsuki. “It’s your parents on the other line, I promise. It actually took a few rings for them to pick up, which is kinda rude! You’d think they’d be waiting by the phone to hear from you.”

Katsuki pays no attention to the Alpha as he presses the phone to his ear, biting down on his tongue as he hears a familiar and soft tone say, “Katsuki?”

Every piece of bravado in his system has drained. Katsuki’s snarls and fangs have vanished, brought on by one of the only people that could calm him down. “Dad?” Katsuki chokes out, letting out a shuddering breath. The gravity of his situation is starting to dawn on him; even with how nice Deku’s been for the past few days, he was genuinely starting to forget that he was brought here not of his own accord. “I saw the news. What the HELL was that? You don’t think it’s in your best INTEREST to have me BACK?”

“Katsuki,” his dam’s voice says gently again, never faltering and steadfast as always. Katsuki grips the phone tighter, feeling his nails start digging into the burner phone. “You know we will always love you, but…”

“There’s always a but, isn’t there?” Katsuki bites out. “You guys can never just say you care about me without some fucking contradiction.” Even as Katsuki says it, he finally feels what he’s been trying to suppress this entire time; the feeling of fear, feral and crawling out from his ribcage. “So you’re just—you’re just letting me stay with my KIDNAPPER? He took me off the STREETS, in BROAD DAYLIGHT! And you’re OKAY WITH IT?”

There’s a pause, and then a shuffle on the other line. Katsuki’s fangs are on full display as the phone creaks beneath his fingertips. Judging by the near silent footsteps, Deku’s moved closer to him, lip curling up. “You goddamn brat,” his sire’s voice snips out. “Look, Katsuki, you have to think of this from a PR and business perspective. The news outlets had deemed you a lost cause years ago, and no amount of discussions and benching you from runways was going to save you. Although this situation isn’t exactly…ideal, this Alpha has already said he’d take care of your stupid ass. If he’s such a big fan, why wouldn’t you let him do that? We’ve already done that your whole life. We might actually get grandpups from you! We thought the Bakugou line would die out.”

Katsuki thinks Deku’s going to take the phone from him in one swift motion, but Deku gestures instead to his fangs and shows Katsuki that the Alpha’s are fully elongated. He’s got his back. He knows that Deku has his back. He’s never gonna be alone again.

“You listen here, you shitty hag,” Katsuki snarls, the blood rushing to his face. “My worth ain’t determined by how many fucking pups I can give you, asshole! When I let this Prime fucking Alpha mate me in the most scandalous display of courtship you’ve ever seen in your life, THEN you’ll be begging for your successful son to come home! Fuck you, Bakugou Mitsuki. I’ll never hold the title of Bakugou again.”

And maybe it’s petty that Katsuki hangs up without hearing her out, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He’s been an unmated Omega for his entire life and only shitty people have courted him for his money and fame. Deku has treated him more like a person in these past few days than his own family has. But if he’s no longer a Bakugou, then…

Katsuki spins around and jabs a finger into Deku’s chest, fighting the purr rising in his chest. “What’s your fucking name?” He demands, puffing himself up to look bigger. “If you’re determined to be my Alpha, then I SHOULD know your name! I need to see how good enough your family name is to be paired with mine.”

Deku stares, and then bursts out laughing, grinning all the while as he regains his breath. “I really did pick the right mate,” he breathes out, still giggling with his fangs on display. “Well, how does Midoriya Katsuki sound to you? We could have a spring wedding, or a fall wedding, because I heard you don’t like to sweat too much in the summer, and winter’s just a little too cold for you. I’m happy with whatever you pick!”

Midoriya Katsuki. It ripples off Katsuki’s tongue like the finest wine, and he hates to admit that it feels right in his bones. He doesn’t have to worry about being Bakugou Katsuki ever again for the rest of his life.

“I still want your name,” Katsuki snaps. “And then I want to get out of here and have dinner with you and not in this shitty place. Where the hell do you live anyways? This place is a DUMP, Jesus. I can’t believe you’d put your future mate in a house like this.”

Midoriya raises his eyebrows. “You think…this is my place? Oh! I guess that makes sense, since I’ve had you here for a few days. I’m so sorry Kacchan, this is my friend’s twelfth safehouse. I wanted to have you in my penthouse, but my best friends said I should show you that I like you without the issue of fame and fortune. I wanted to put you in my summer house for now, but you would’ve been kinda sweaty and I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible. We just kept going down the list until—”

“Your name, Deku.” Katsuki flashes his teeth. “Hand it over.”

“My full name is Midoriya Izuku,” Midoriya smiles, looking incredibly fond as he gazes down at Katsuki. “I don’t know if you want to call me Izuku or Deku, but it’s up to you! I figured, since you call me Deku and I call you Kacchan, you could keep the Deku nickname.”

“We can discuss that over dinner,” Katsuki huffs, turning his head. As an afterthought, he slowly tilts his neck in acceptance of the courting. Judging by Izuku’s sharp inhale, he understands the gesture for what it is. “You owe me after this past week and all the shit that’s gone down. You’re paying.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Izuku murmurs, and he brushes his cheek against Katsuki’s, crooning all the while. Katsuki closes his eyes and finally allows himself to start purring for the first time in years, warm in his future mate’s arms.

“Midoriya!”

Izuku looks up, followed by Katsuki in the same instance. They both eye each other down for a second before bursting into laughter together. “She could be asking for either of us,” Izuku teases, before Katsuki snaps back, “We both know she’s asking for me! Watch it, Deku, Round Cheeks knows I’m the one with over an ounce of fashion in my body, therefore, she wants my input.”

Sure enough, Uraraka pokes her head in and says, “Midoriya Katsuki! You! Mr. Designer! Get your ass over here NOW; we have some lady trying to say we stole her design and I know there’s no way you’d ever copy someone else’s work. I was trying to be as nice as I could, but then she called me a bitch and I’m not getting in trouble with security today.”

Being married and mated to Midoriya Izuku, the adopted son of Yagi Toshinori, was a plot twist Katsuki did NOT see coming. Yagi Toshinori is one of the greatest actors of their generation and Izuku’s just as successful in his own right as a writer and dynamics therapist. With Katsuki, who made sure he became Izuku’s mate with his own copyright brand and the start of a new life, they’ve become a powerhouse couple throughout all of Japan.

With Uraraka’s issue, Katsuki has a funny feeling he knows what this is about. He gets up from his penthouse desk, still a bit messy with all the newest designs for the autumn lineup, and makes his way to Uraraka’s side. “You wanna come with me, Deku?” Katsuki calls, letting a bit of satisfaction bleed into his scent.

(The thunderstorms and campfire smell that occupies their entire floor thanks to their intertwined scent never fails to make Katsuki the happiest person alive.)

Judging by Uraraka’s gleeful look as Izuku nearly trips over himself to join his mate, she knows exactly what’s about to happen. The three of them make their way down the elevator and to the lobby, where security is talking to a tall blonde woman. “That’s BULLSHIT!” She snarls, slamming her hand down on the receptionist desk. Ashido Mina, who models for Katsuki’s designs and keeps a part-time job as their receptionist on the side, doesn’t even flinch and instead raises her eyebrows. “Okay?”

“Dynamight Industries has stolen copyrighted material from Ground Zero!” Bakugou Mitsuki spits, holding a packet of papers in her hands. Katsuki’s sure it’s full of useless bullshit that wouldn’t hold up in court, especially since his own brand has been official for years now. “I demand to speak to your CEO!”

“Luckily for you, they’re right over there.” Ashido drawls, waving when Izuku waves excitedly back at her. Katsuki curls his lip and spots the moment his mother recognizes who’s standing in front of her. “Sup, hag.” He says, crossing his arms. “You trying to cause my mate and I some stress in our day?”

“Katsuki,” Mitsuki says evenly. “I see you’ve stopped modeling and put on a few pounds. Are you Midoriya Izuku’s housewife? I never thought I’d see the day you’d be so damn docile—”

Izuku’s snarl echoes through the lobby and makes everyone jump a foot in the air. “I’d be VERY careful about what you say next, Bakugou Mitsuki.” Izuku smiles, Prime Alpha fangs dropped. They’re already drawing a bit of blood from his lip. “That’s the renowned designer Dynamight you’re talking about! You’ll find that my mate already had the copyright to his own image and brand years ago. You won’t win whatever the fuck you’re trying to accuse him of.”

It’s the world’s flimsiest excuse for a fight. Mitsuki definitely only wanted to cause trouble, especially because Katsuki’s getting invited to some pretty big award shows and runway events just for his lines and input. Izuku couldn’t be more proud of him if he tried.

“Get the fuck outta our building, and never come back unless you want a restraining order slapped on your annoying ass.” Katsuki demands, hands on his hips. “My mate will make sure you can’t get close to me ever again. If you actually acted like my sire in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“It’s your own fault, Bakugou Mitsuki.” Izuku says cheerfully. “You practically spit in my face with my worth as an Alpha, not even asking for your own kid back! Who DOES that?! My family would’ve fought tooth and nail to see me returned safely. You don’t deserve Kacchan’s love and affection. You heard my mate; get the FUCK out of our building before I have security put you on your ass.”

Mitsuki holds her head high and storms out of the building without a fight; Katsuki knows she didn’t retaliate ONLY because there were too many witnesses and she cares about her image more than anything else in this world. She’ll probably try again later, but she doesn’t stand a chance against Izuku and Katsuki’s line of lawyers.

“Sorry to disturb the both of you,” Uraraka apologizes, then yelps and glares when Katsuki smacks his hand on her hair to tussle it. “Asshole! Just for that, I’m not bringing you mochi! Ugh!”

“See if I cook dinner for the nerd squad tonight then,” Katsuki snarks, then laughs out loud when Uraraka frantically tries to backtrack to gain his favor again. “Wait! No, hold on! I’m sorry! Please make that teriyaki you were talking about! I’d give you my firstborn!”

The two mates wave goodbye to everyone and head back into the elevator, waiting for the doors to close before assessing the situation. Izuku mutters curses under his breath about beating the shit out of Mitsuki (to Katsuki’s amusement) before looking at the explosive Omega. “I hope I’ve given you the life you deserved, for that matter. I would’ve ripped her limb from limb if I hadn’t gotten you out of there. I hope you’re happy with me, and I promise to make you happy for the rest of my life.”

He’s echoing a vow that’s been repeated on many occasions and one that Katsuki has written down somewhere hidden, just for him. To live a life free and with friends, along with a kickass mate and complete creative control? Katsuki really has it all. He turns to Izuku and says quietly, “Thanks for fighting for me. Means a lot. Love you.”

“I love you with everything I am. I’d fight for you until the stars went out,” Izuku says firmly, and yelps when Katsuki pounces on his mate. He presses a kiss to his lips and purrs happily in his arms, the elevator doors taking them all the way to their home and their forever.