Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hitoshi! Dinner is ready!” Denki calls out from the kitchen.

Their schedules align like this twice a week. Being an underground hero means Hitoshi works most nights and usually gets home to sleep when Denki starts his day. Each week when they actually have the night to themselves, they take the turns to cook. This week was Denki’s turn and he swears to all things holy if Hitoshi doesn’t stop watching cat compilation videos before dinner goes cold-

“Smells good babe” he yawns as he rounds the corner and scratches the back of his head

“Thanks, I tried a new sauce and- “

“Wasn’t talking about the food” Hitoshi murmurs, grabbing Denki’s hips and presses a nose to Denki’s scent gland, inhaling deeply.

Oh. Right. Denki was three days away from his heat.

Denki serves up the food and they take their seats at the dining room table, an eight-seater that they only bought so they could entertain Hitoshi’s family, or their friends. Denki looks at the empty seats at the table and can’t help but imagine a highchair shitting across from them, their pup perched in it.

They’d talked about pups before. When they were in high school, Hitoshi was dead against pups, but once he mated with Denki, he had changed his mind, and they had agreed on “one day”.

Back then “one day” had suited them just fine, but now? Now Denki hoped, wished that “one day” was sooner rather than later. It’d been on his mind for a while. Denki knew he was ready – but he wasn’t so sure about his husband.

“Love? You haven’t touched your food. What’s wrong?” Hitoshi asks. Denki spends a moment contemplating. Did he want to bring this up now? No. This discussion could be tabled for another day.

“Nothin’. Just a long week” he shrugs. Hitoshi sets down his chopsticks with a glare.

“Denki” he warns.

“I promise, it’s nothi- “

“Don’t say it’s nothing because it never is” Hitoshi says firmly.

Denki sighs. They’ve been together a long time, and Hitoshi has gotten really damn at seeing right through him.

“I want to try for a pup!” He says quickly. Hitoshi chokes on his drink and Denki’s heart sinks. So perhaps he wasn’t ready?

Denki doesn’t want to rush Hitoshi. They’re a team, this is something they both have to be on the same page about, but Denki really wants this.

“Babe, you can’t just say shit like that without a warning,” Hitoshi starts, still coughing. He clears his throat one last time and continues.

“This is just the pre-heat talking. I’m in pre-rut babe, and now that you’ve mentioned pups it’s taking all my strength to not take you up to the nest and breed you right now.”

Denki shrugs and slumps in his chair. He knows his mate is right. They are in pre, their instincts are already hiking up to 11, it’s only a matter of time before they lose themselves in a lustful daze.

But this isn’t pre-heat talking.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, since our anniversary.”

Hitoshi eyes widen.

“That was 7 months ago Denki! Look, if this is something you want- “

Something you want. Not something we want. Something you want.

“Something I want? You don’t want a pup with me?” Denki accuses and Hitoshi sighs, running a hand through his messy hair.

“Don’t put words into my mouth. This has all gone way off course”

Denki wasn’t listening, He didn’t want to listen. He just wanted a pup with the man he loved and-

“Why did you fucking bite me if you didn’t want a future with me?” Denki yells, and instantly regrets it. Hitoshi looks like he’s been slapped. Denki knew he had taken it too far, he just wanted to make his point, and start trying for a pup.

“What the fuck? Denki, stop talking!”

“I just- “

Denki’s mind feels fuzzy, and he can’t speak. He has words that he wants to say, building on the tip of his tongue, but he can’t get them to spill. He’s physically unable to speak. Had Hitoshi just commanded him? Or used his quirk on him? Denki can’t decide which is worse. Panic spreads across Hitoshi’s face and he moves to Denki’s side, dinner since forgotten.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to!” he rambles, caressing Denki’s face and running his hand through his hair, and Denki wants to tell him it’s forgiven.

Back in high school, after Hitoshi had transferred into class 2A, Sero would encourage Hitoshi to use his quirk on Denki to make a fool out of him, but it usually involved him quoting vines, and he had never used his quirk against him like this.

“Baby, please say something, I’m so sorry”

The fog clears a bit, enough for Denki to croak:

“I forgive you”

Shame is dances in Hitoshi’s eyes. It’d been a very long time since he’d lost control of his quirk like that.

“Let’s pause the pup talk for now, baby. At least until this heat is over” Hitoshi soothes and Denki nods as his husband pulls him in close. For now, he could wait.

But, spurned by the idea of pups, Denki’s heat hits early, his mind and body screaming for pups, and his plans for contraception were foiled as he had missed the last injection in his cycle. He had told Hitoshi as soon as the heat lifted, and his thoughts were his own again. The Alpha hadn’t been mad, and he had said as much, but Denki struggled to comprehend the feeling he was getting from the bond.

And now, six weeks later, they sit on their bathroom floor staring at two negative pregnancy tests.

“I just don’t understand,” Hitoshi starts, pinching the bridge of his nose,

“We’re a bonded Alpha and Omega. Who didn’t use contraception. There’s no way you’re no pregnant.”

“Careful Hito, you’re sounding a little upset for someone who wanted to wait a couple of heats” Denki giggles.

Sure, he was disappointed that he wasn’t pregnant, but also a little relieved. That’s not how he wanted his future pup to be conceived. A forgotten injection and an argument the day before.

Hitoshi wraps his arms around Denki and pulls him in close.

“Now that I’ve spent six weeks thinking it was going to happen, imagining you carrying my pup…” he trails off and quickly nips at Denki’s marked scent gland.

“Baby, I would love to have a pup with you, anytime. I’m sorry about last month, I just wanted it to be a decision we made, uninfluenced by an alpha or omega.”

Well, at least that’s something they’re on the same page about. Denki caresses his alpha’s cheeks.

“I love you, let’s have a fucking baby together Hito”

It’s not unheard of, for bonded alpha and omegas to conceive outside of a heat, but Denki knows that’s what’s happened. He’s got a checklist of symptoms, nausea, fatigue, dizzy spells, weight gain. He’s pregnant, he’s sure of it. Well, not entirely, but in roughly 45 seconds when his timer goes off, he’ll know. He can already imagine his baby, a little girl or a little boy, he doesn’t really mind, with a big smile and a mischievous glint in their eye. The timer sounds and he looks at the first test, he’d taken four, but suddenly he’s remembering something from math, probability or something, shit – should he have taken 5?

His heart stops.

It’s positive. The first test is positive. The other three that follow are also positive. He’s pregnant. He’s going to have a baby. Hito’s baby.

His eyes swim with tears, as the tests stare back at him.

He’s finally going to have that pup he’s been dreaming of.

Denki pulls out  his phone, he reads the forums of ‘how to tell the baby daddy’, but they all involve elaborate schemes, stuff that takes time and effort to plan, but Denki doesn’t want to hide this from his mate while he comes up with an idea, he wants Hitoshi to know now.

He spends the entire night thinking of ways to break the news. He could pin an ultrasound to the fridge, see how long it takes for Hito to notice. But Denki can’t keep the secret long enough to even get an ultrasound, let alone wait for Hitoshi to figure it out. He’d always been left out of the planning of surprise parties and gossip circles. It wasn’t his fault he liked to talk, and sometimes his mouth moved faster than what his brain could keep up with.

Oh, would the pup have ADHD too? Is ADHD even a genetic thing? He googles it and finds a rabbit hole of medical conditions that his pup may suffer from and he realises he really should have waited to ask a doctor, but he also can’t look away. He needs to satisfy the itch of knowing what more could go wrong, even if it terrifies him-

Keys turn in the door, and the jingle of the chain echoes through the apartment. Ah, it was nearing 5, he hadn’t slept. Denki shuts off the phone and waits for his alpha to trudge up the stairs, his driftwood and sage scent inching closer and closer, and Denki can’t wait to drown in it.

“Oh, Good Morning babe. You’re up early, for your day off” Hitoshi yawns and stretches as he shuffles into their bedroom. The alpha tousles the gel out of his hair and pulls his shirt off in one swift motion before he collapses onto the bed.

“Why are you up?” He asks, muffled by the pillow.

“Was waiting for you” Denki shrugs.

Hitoshi wraps his thick arms around Denki’s waist and pulls the omega against his chest.

Denki doesn’t need any elaborate schemes, he doesn’t need to tease, he just needs his Alpha. Only Hitoshi.

“Hito, I’m pregnant”

His alpha stiffens slightly and pushes Denki away, so they can look at each other.

“Really?” he asks, a wide grin spreading across his face. Denki nods.

“I have 4 pregnancy tests that say so.”

Hitoshi kisses Denki’s forehead, his cheeks, he flips him, so the omega is laying on his back and Hitoshi trails kisses down his body, and eventually rests his chin on Denki’s hipbone, staring at his stomach.

“That’s our pup in there” He says, and shifts, looking at his lover.

“I love you”

The following week, the Yamada-Aizawa family sits their large dining table. Eri talks about the hero course and her job babysitting Lemillion and Suneater’s pups, Hizashi talks about his radio show. Denki admires his family from the kitchen, as he serves up dinner. He’d never had what Hitoshi had - loving, supportive parents. Denki had been kicked out of his home when he was 16, his mother had told him there was no room for a “gay omega bitch”. She’d never said it in so many words but he knew she had been planning on selling him to the richest female alpha she could find, so when she found out that his alpha had taken her son’s virtue, she told him he was no longer welcome in her home. Denki still remembers how stressful it was to see all his friends leave for summer break, and he had to finally face the fact that he had nowhere else to go. Thankfully his powerful alpha saved the day, and Shouta and Aizawa opened their home to him.

Hitoshi had bonded with him not long after, he says it was because he didn’t want Denki to be taken by social services. If they were bonded, and in a happy, healthy relationship, it was illegal to separate them.

Denki would never subject his baby to any of that. He would love his child no matter what, his home and heart would always be open to them no matter what. He actually thinks it’s kind of funny, he’s learned how to be a good parent all because his mom was so monumentally shitty – that and, his in-laws raised a perfect boy, and he got to witness some of that.

He can feel Hitoshi’s gaze focusing on him, his little moment is probably translating through the bond, he turns and sends a reassuring smile through to his mate, before setting dinner down on the table.

“Um, Denki,” Eri murmurs, and looks at the floor. Denki swallows his mouthful of food before answering. He does have some manners.

“Yeah sweetie?”

“um, I’m sorry if this is rude, but why do you smell like that?”

Hizashi and Shouta wait patiently for his answer, in fact Mic wears a knowing a smirk. He looks over to Hitoshi, sitting across from him, who smiles. It’s a little early to tell people, but this was different, this was family. His alpha nods, silent permission to share their good news.

“Well, this is just what happens to an omega when they’re pregnant. Their scent gets sweeter. I hadn’t even realised mine had started to change.”

“You’re giving us a grandbaby? We’re gonna be grandparents! Shouta!” Hizashi beams and Denki laughs. Eri runs out of her seat and hugs him.

“This is amazing! I’m going to be an auntie! And I already have babysitting experience, I can babysit whenever you need!”

“Congratulations you two” Shouta says.

Hitoshi reaches for this hand and squeezes.

Yeah, their baby is only going know love.

Eventually, the in-laws leave, and it’s just the two of them again. Hitoshi’s cleaning the table and the kitchen when Denki latches onto him.

“What is my scent like now?” he asks. Hitoshi presses his nose to the omegas neck and inhales.

“hmm, honey-glazed pear and cinnamon sugar. Makes me want to do very naughty things”

“So why don’t you?”

Hitoshi’s hands were always on him, he was always laying his palm along Denki’s stomach, rubbing small circles with his fingertips. Tonight though, they had to take it down a notch.

At least once a month, the heroes from former Class 1A try to get together for dinner and drinks, just to blow off steam, and maintain a healthy work and social life balance. It doesn’t always work out, but the important part is that they try.

Denki sits across from Eijirou and Katsuki. The alpha is talking to Sero about something work related, but Katsuki is staring into his soul. Could he know? He’s always been super perceptive, maybe he did. Or maybe he was just being a menace. Katsuki’s always been good at doing that too. He looks away from the angry blonde and diverts his attention to his alpha. Hitoshi isn’t paying any attention to what is going on around him, he’s just staring at the ultrasound they had gotten that morning. He’s being discreet, but Denki still nudges him.

“Put that away,” He whispers, and Hitoshi frowns at him. “no one can know yet.”

He was only 8 weeks pregnant, and he’d always been told not to tell too many people before 12 weeks, it could lead to bad luck.

“Fine” Hitoshi grumbles and slides the picture back into his wallet. Denki curls into his side and listens to their friend Izuku ramble about a new apartment he and Todoroki had bought, which wasn’t too far from Denki and Hitoshi’s own apartment. Maybe that’d mean they’d see each other more often.

Denki clutches the edge of his desk as he fights through a cramp. He tries not to be too worried; his doctor had told him that cramps could be normal, especially in first pregnancies. He takes deep breaths, trying to ease both his pain and anxiety.

“You look like shit” Katsuki says as he walks into the building.

Every Friday, Eijirou takes an early day, and spends some quality time with his omega. Apparently, it was the solution to some big fight they had had about working too much and not having any time left for each other. Every Friday like clockwork, Katsuki swings by the office to pick Eijirou up from work like a chivalrous alpha.

“Katsuki, that’s rude,” Eijirou scolds as he stands up from his desk, gathering his things. “Although, D, you do look a little rough.”

“Have you looked in the mirror lately!” Denki tries to crack a joke, but his hearts not in it. This only makes Eijirou look more worried. Katsuki too.

“Bro, are you alright?”

Denki shakes his head. He’s scared. He knows he’s probably working himself up over nothing, but-

“Take the rest of the afternoon, man. Go home and rest”

Sometimes, Denki really liked having a best friend for a boss. Although, Eijirou did treat all his staff fairly.

The pain doesn’t ease the entire train ride home, or the walk back to the apartment. He walks into his home and sees Hitoshi in the kitchen, preparing his things for his shift. He stiffens when Denki enters and sniffs.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

Denki takes a couple seconds to process the question. He’s in so much pain that he can’t focus. No ‘Hi, how was your day’ just ‘are you hurt?’. Denki shoots him a look, but his alpha looks…concerned?

“Denki?”

“Uh, no,” he starts and rubs the back of his head. He really just wants to curl up with a hot water bottle and hold their cat until he falls asleep.

“I got sent home early. I’m not feeling- “

“Denki, I smell blood” there’s fear in his voice, and that’s enough to make Denki’s heart feel like it stops. He meets his alpha’s gaze. Fear, concern, confusion.

Denki wishes he’d never woken up that morning. He runs to the bathroom; Hitoshi following closely and inspects his underwear. His damp, red blood-stained underwear.

“Oh, oh fuck, Hito” he breathes, and falls to his knees. Hitoshi kneels next to him and takes him into his arms.

“It’ll be aright baby, but we need to get you to a hospital”

It’s a silent ride, and Denki spends most of it reading about bleeding in pregnancy. Sometimes, it can normal. He reads that some beta women can have their period throughout the entirety of their pregnancy and go on to deliver healthy babies. But he doesn’t have a monthly cycle like that, would he be that lucky?

“Give me that,” Hitoshi reaches and takes Denki’s phone from his grasp, eyes not once leaving the road. “You’re going to scare yourself stupid. Let’s just wait for the doctor’s opinion”

But the doctor’s opinion doesn’t help either. An obstetrician, he thinks, is waving a doppler over his stomach, but her mouth is pressed into a hard line.

“I’m so sorry, the pregnancy was lost”

Denki sobs, and Hitoshi’s hand grips his own just a little tighter than before.

“the fetus passed through easily, there doesn’t look to be any scar tissue. You don’t need to physically wait to try again but it all depends on you- “

Try again? How can she mention his dead baby and trying again in the same breath? This isn’t like a plant you kill and swiftly replace while pretending nothing happened.

“Thank you, I think we need a moment” Hitoshi cuts her off. She smiles sadly at them and checks Denki’s chart before nodding and leaving the room.

Hitoshi moves to sit on the bed, and wraps his arms around Denki, who curls into the touch.

“I’m so so sorry Hito!” he cries

“You have nothing to be sorry for”

“But I kill- “

“No. Don’t do that. These things happen, babe. Not your fault”

Denki doesn’t respond, just lays in his mates embrace and tried to ignore the silent tears falling onto his face from Hitoshi’s face.

The next couple of days are a blur, Denki doesn’t think he leaves the nest, or if he does, he doesn’t remember it, doesn’t remember why. Hitoshi must’ve called in for him at work, because he doesn’t get any texts, frantically asking where he is, or berating hm for missing a patrol. Hitoshi lays with him in the nest, and they order take out. Neither have the strength or stamina at actually cook anything.

Denki is in a lot of pain, not physically, aside from some headaches, but he’s hurt. He really wanted to have a pup. Hitoshi’s pup. He’d been dreaming about their child, this chubby little thing with purple locks, being their pride and joy simply because they existed. And that had been taken from them.

Hitoshi wraps his arms around Denki and the omega buries himself in his Alpha’s chest.

“I’m sorry” he wails, and Hitoshi squeezes, letting his mate know he’s there.

“You have nothing to apologise for”

It’s becoming a common occurrence, Denki breaking down over something that was out of his control and Hitoshi reminding him it wasn’t his fault.

“I really wanted to have your baby, Hito. I know you were excited too.”

“There will be another chance, babe. Whenever we’re ready for it.

It’s nearing two weeks since the miscarriage when Hitoshi drags him from the nest. They would both be returning to work soon, so they should try and return to normal, or at least, as normal as they could get.

Tonight, was the monthly get together dinner their class had, and Denki didn’t really want to go, but he was also getting tired of watching plain white walls stand still all day. Maybe, when he feels better, he’ll paint them a fun colour. So, they go out, and a few drinks makes him feel better, or at least, make him feel like he’s not about to crawl out of his own skin.

Katsuki’s eyes linger on him again, but there’s almost a hint of…pity? behind them. Fuck, the last thing Denki needs is the Bakugou Katsuki, pitying him. He takes another swig of his whiskey. Izuku abruptly stands and taps his glass.

“Hey guys,” he starts and Denki’s stomach sinks. “Shouto and I have some news” he says and reaches for his alpha’s hand.

Oh no, please don’t say it. Don’t say it.

Izuku’s hand falls to his stomach and Denki feels sick.

Please, No.

“We’re having a baby!”

There’s a round of cheers, congratulations, the like. Denki freezes. This wasn’t fucking fair. Izuku got to have his happy ending with his perfect, handsome, rich alpha while Denki fought tooth and nail to be anything but a broken omega? But then, that wasn’t fair. Both Izuku and Shouto hadn’t had it easy, they deserved this too. They hadn’t meant to be rude, or rub salt in open wound, they hadn’t even known. They were just trying to be happy and share that happiness. Hitoshi moves to grab Denki’s hand, but the omega stands and backs away from the table, before turning and running for the bathrooms. He slams the cubicle door behind him and falls to his knees. Denki buries his face in his hand and does the only thing that makes him feel anything these days. He cries.

He’s not sure how long he sits alone before the door opens.

“Hey Sparky,” the gruff voice calls. Well, that was one of his nicer nicknames. “Let me in”

Denki doesn’t say anything, or move, so the door gets kicked in.

“Don’t fucking ignore me” Katsuki huffs as squeezes himself into the small stall and sits across from Denki.

“You were pregnant, huh? And now?”

Fuck, Katsuki was good, he always seemed to pick up on what was going on around him, except if it were anything related to feelings.

“I lost it” Denki croaks. And then, the waterworks begin again. He holds himself tighter as he sobs.

“Fuck, that’s- I’m- I don’t really understand that, but-“ Katsuki stumbles on his words. It’s no secret he doesn’t want pups, he doesn’t see the appeal.

“Fuck, just come here”

Denki’s not sure he heard the other blonde correctly, but when he looks up, Katsuki’s arms are extended motioning for Denki to curl up against him. He’s still scowling, but Denki knows by know that it’ not with disdain. He shuffles closer and rests his head against Katsuki’s shoulder. He smells nice, like a warm chai latte – oh, he’s going into heat soon.

“This should be your dumbfuck alpha, holding you like this” Katsuki mutters, and Denki sighs.

“I know, I know. I’m just- I don’t want to burden him.”

“Tch, an omega can never be a burden on their alpha”

Denki knows that Katsuki doesn’t believe that. He’s witnessed the fallout of Katsuki thinking he’s a burden on Eijirou – several times now – but the sentiment is nice. Deep down, he knows that he isn’t a strain on Hitoshi, but he’s a little lost right now.

“Are you going to be alright?” Katsuki asks, the anger and frustration that linger in his expressions are gone, and Katsuki gives Denki the creeps when he gets like this.

“What? You worried about me?” Denki teases.

“What kind of a dumb fucking question is that? Of course I’m – You’re – Fuck you, you’re my friend, okay”

Oh yeah, this Katsuki is scarier than the one that blows everything up and threatens murder at every turn.

“Denki?” a new voice calls, and Denki stiffens. Izuku pops his head into the stall with the busted lock and frowns. “Denki, I’m so sorry, If I had known-“

Great, Hitoshi must’ve told everyone. He really didn’t want to be pitied, especially not by his friends.

“It’s alright, Izuku. I’m really happy for you, I’m just- “

“Idiot! You don’t need to fucking justify shit!” Katsuki barks, and Denki laughs. Maybe for the first time in weeks. He can smell his alpha nearby, in this very bathroom, but he’s probably giving Denki the space to enjoy his little omega pile.

They’ll be okay. He’s sure of it.

Of course, saying they’ll be okay and actually being okay are two completely different things. But they’re trying. That’s what counts.

“Babe, we have to talk about what happens next” Hitoshi says one night after dinner. Denki nods.

“Okay”

“We don’t know exactly when your next heat will hit, but I don’t think I’m ready to try again.” He sighs.

Oh, he’s not? Denki knows he’s probably not either, but he just desperately wants to have a pup with his alpha, he doesn’t want to wait.

“I um- I really want to have pups with you, alpha” he mumbles. Shit, now he feels selfish. He doesn’t want to rush Hito into anything, but-

“Okay, how about for now, we don’t actively try, but if it happens, it happens”

Right, compromise. Hitoshi was always so good at finding a middle ground. He has enough focus for the both of them. Except for tonight. Denki can feel Hitoshi’s frustration at this stunted conversation through the bond, but the omega can’t help it. The humming of the fridge is too damn loud, and the cat keeps running around as if there is prey somewhere in this apartment. He can’t focus.

“I’ve been reading up about heats after miscarriage and I think we’re in for a rough one. I’m going to skip my rut, and I want your consent now, rather than – Denki, are you even listening to me?”

Denki starts to cry, because he had been listening, or he had been trying to, because there was just so much happening and he really doesn’t want to talk about heats and ruts and miscarriages and he’s riding high on hormones and all he ever does is fucking cry –

“Ah babe, I’m sorry. I should’ve known” Hitoshi says softly and pulls Denki in close. He takes a deep breath, and fills his lungs with driftwood and sage, and already starts to calm.

They had been together a long time, and Hitoshi is usually all over when Denki’s ADHD starts to spiral, but they’re still just a little out of sorts.

“I’m sorry Hito, I’m a bad omega”

“Shh, no you’re not. You never could be”

Denki’s heat comes, and it’s bad. He spends half of it crying, inconsolable, wondering where his pup is. He’s supposed to have a pup, why isn’t it here? And the other half begging for Hitoshi’s knot, just so can feel anything else. Pain, shock, delight, anything. But the heat comes and goes. Hitoshi decides that if Denki’s ready to try again, then he is too. So, they try, and they try, and they try. Each time, a negative pregnancy test taunts them. Denki researches what foods he should be eating, what positions encourage conception. But his efforts are futile, they just end in more negative results. He stops taking the tests with Hitoshi. He’ll pee on the evil little white sticks at work, or when Hitoshi’s not home. The disappointment that would linger over them in that bathroom became too much for them to take.

Denki’s forced to watch as Izuku’s belly swells, as he basks in the glow of pregnancy. He feels awful because he’s so incredibly jealous, he just wants that so badly, he wants his mate’s hands on him at all times, caressing where their pup grows, why can’t he have that? But jealousy is corrosive, and he wants to be happy for his friend, he really does, but as long as Izuku has a pup in his womb and Denki doesn’t, all he has is his awful, festering jealousy.

In the past few months, Katsuki’s made a habit of swinging by while Hitoshi was at work, complaining about Eijirou’s “constant pestering about pups”. It’s unlike Eijirou to be ‘pestering’ Katsuki about it, the omega had established very early in their relationship that pups were not in the picture. Eijirou’s had plenty of time to accept that, and he’s not the kind of alpha would force Katsuki to do it anyway. Denki suspects Katsuki might be exaggerating, trying to encourage Denki to vent too. But the company is nice, so Denki will let Katsuki get away with it.

“So, no pupping, at all, huh?” Denki asks one night, stifling a yawn. He’s been so tired lately, and that exhaustion has seemingly demolished his filter, but Katsuki doesn’t seem to mind.

“Fuck no” He scoffs.

“Not even to help out a friend in need?”

Denki’s mind is screaming at him. What the hell is he doing? He’s barely let himself even think about the possibility that something could be wrong, that he might need a surrogate. Why is he bringing it up to Katsuki, of all people? The other omega stares at him, head tilted to the side, like a confused dog.

“You’ll have a pup, sparky- “

“We’ve been trying for nearly six months”

There’s a pause – a long, eerily silent pause – and Katsuki’s face falls. Denki feels sick.

“six- Six months? Denki, that’s not good”

“I know okay! I know. What if I am broken? What if the suppressants mother had me on ruined my chances?”

It’s the first time he’s let these thoughts form into something tangible. And it feels good.

“Talk to a doctor before you fucking freak out about it, and if there’s something wrong I’ll- “he cuts himself off and Denki’s heart skips a beat. Tears threaten to flow down his cheeks. Was really considering this? This?

For him?

“I’ll fucking think about it, okay? Don’t fucking look at me like that”

“Okay, this one says facing North could increase our chances- “

“I want to stop trying”

Denki and Hitoshi say at the same time and Denki’s breath hitches. What did he just say? Hitoshi can’t meet Denki’s gaze, and it makes him angry. He shouldn’t, but he leans into it. It’ll be nice to feel something other than despair or desperation for once.

“What the fuck did you say?”

“It’s just, Denki, you’re making yourself sick!” Hitoshi pleads, running a hand down his worn, tired face.

“And I’ll feel better once I get pregnant!”

“Denki, fuck, look at yourself! You’re basically skin and bone, your dark circles are worse than mine. You’re scaring me, babe”

Hitoshi did have a point. Denki had gone to a doctor earlier in the week, like Katsuki had suggested. He wasn’t infertile thankfully, the obstetrician had been too quick to judge, and there was in fact, a lot of scar tissue left from the miscarriage. After an awful and invasive procedure, he’d been given the all clear, but not after he’d been scolded for not looking after himself. He hadn’t meant to cut down his sleeping time, or lose 14 pounds, it was just that pups were more important.

“I don’t want to have pups like this, Denki” Hitoshi says, his voice shaky.

Denki’s anger melts away. How long had Hitoshi been thinking about this? He takes a deep breath and sits in his alpha’s lap, gently wiping the tears from his cheeks.

“Baby,” he coos.

“I’m sorry, I just hate seeing you like this, I don’t want to lose you”

Denki presses his lips against Hitoshi’s for a passionate salty kiss. When was the last time they had kissed like this?

“You won’t lose me. I never meant to make you worry. What I can I do baby?”

Hitoshi always finds the solutions. Maybe, it’s time for Denki to take some responsibility.

“I don’t want to be a controlling alpha; I don’t want to stand in the way of what you want” he sobs.

“Shh, you’re what I want. 3 months. We pause, no trying, at all. Let’s go on dates again, fucking take me to Paris or something, and in 3 months, we’ll re-evaluate.”

Hitoshi nods.

“I love you, Hito”

“I love you more”

The next week, just as Denki sees Hitoshi off for work, he gets a call telling him to come to the hospital. Izuku’s gone into labour and he wants his friends there to be the first to meet the little pup. Hitoshi promises to join once his shift is over, so Denki sits alone in the waiting room.

“Hey Denki” Eijirou calls out to him, Katsuki trails behind him and when he and Denki make eye contact, the feisty omega freezes. Denki sniggers. He’s noticed that Katsuki’s been avoiding him, ever since their conversation about surrogacy. Denki’s not mad, he knows what even offering it had meant for Katsuki, and now that he knows he is able to have pups, he doesn’t care if Katsuki backed out. Even if Denki couldn’t, he’d never as Katsuki to do it if he didn’t want to. Katsuki turns and tries to plot his escape. Denki laughs this time.

“Eijirou, could you maybe give us a minute?” Denki asks. Eijirou looks confused, his gaze floating from Denki to his panicky omega, but he nods, and wanders off down the hall.

“The fuck do you want?”

Ah, there’s the Katsuki he knows and loves.

“You’re off the hook, I’m not infertile”

Katsuki’s tense shoulders visibly relax, and Denki laughs again.

“I appreciate you even considering it man, I know it couldn’t have been easy”

“Whatever. Just don’t say anything about it to Ei. He’d die if he knew I was thinking about it without even changing my mind about having his pups.”

It probably would hurt, Eijirou loved kids, and he wanted pups with Katsuki almost as desperately as Denki did with Hito. Eijirou has spent many a drunken night in Denki and Hitoshi’s kitchen, daydreaming about his and Katsuki’s pups that would never be. So yeah, it probably would be a slap in the face at first, but Eijirou is an incredibly understanding person.

“Well it doesn’t matter now. We’re taking a break from trying”

Katsuki doesn’t say anything, but shoots him a look at says ‘Oh?’

“I guess I just lost myself in the whole trying thing. I so desperately wanted a baby that I kind of forgot to focus on what really mattered” he sighs.

“You do look less shitty”

Denki knows that’s the best compliment he’d going to get.

Hitoshi doesn’t make it to the hospital before the baby is born, and they all take turns going in to meet the little guy. Hospital rules say 2 people at a time, and Denki really doesn’t want to go in alone. Katsuki, he thinks, realises that, because when it’s Denki’s turn, Katsuki goes in with him.

Shit, he’s not sure he can handle this. He wants a baby so much it cripples him, and now it’s even further out of his grasp and –

“Fucking snap out of it, It’s just a baby” Katsuki growls.

There’s something oddly comforting about Katsuki’s no bullshit tolerance. Everyone’s been walking on eggshells around him. Katsuki hasn’t.

Yeah, it was just a baby. He’d have one soon enough, when they were ready. It’d be okay.

Izuku’s admiring his son when they enter, and Denki smiles at him. It really suited Izuku, being a parent.

“Hey guys,” he whispers, and readjusts his hold on the pup, so they could see him better. “This is Todoroki Ichiro” he smiles, drowning in pride.

The baby has a full head of Izuku’s wild green hair, and his round face, but Shouto’s heterochromatic grey and blue eyes.

He doesn’t feel – well, he is sad because he should have a baby by now too, but he doesn’t have the same raging feelings of jealousy he had throughout Izuku’s pregnancy. Maybe, things were starting to get better.

Well, for him at least. There’s an icy energy in Katsuki and Eijirou’s apartment, where Denki currently sits in the living room because Katsuki hadn’t wanted him to be alone. Of course, it hadn’t been said in so many words.

The fight had started with a “aw man, Ichiro is so cute” and it had snowballed from there. Katsuki had jumped on the defence, spouting the same old shit about how he wasn’t going to pup.

“As if you need to remind me now. You let me know every fucking day how repulsed you are at the thought of carrying my pups” Eijirou had quipped.

“Wouldn’t fucking carry anyone else’s either” Katsuki had snapped, but the way he looked at Denki when he said it made him think that wasn’t entirely true. Maybe Katsuki would have helped them have a pup if they needed it.

“You’d better fucking hope not” Eijirou growled.

It was easy for people to forget, because he was such a ray of sunshine, but Eijirou was a dangerous, powerful alpha, and he did not take lightly to be anyone claiming what was his. Even Denki had shivered a little bit.

“Really? You want to do this now, Alpha?” Katsuki had taunted and it had gone downhill from there. The screamed at each other, called each other names, and now they sat on opposite sides of room, stealing quick, almost guilty glances but not actually speaking to each other.

Funny how much turmoil the idea of pups can cause.

3 months pass quickly, quicker than Denki had expected them too, probably because they had all been so busy. With the number 2 and 3 heroes out of paternity leave, criminals and villains had thought there were no time like the present to wreak havoc. It had almost completely slipped his mind, what was supposed to happen after 3 months. Almost. Denki straddles Hitoshi, who is pressing kisses along his collarbone and neck. Denki moans, and throws his head back in pleasure.

“mm feels good to not be grabbing a skeleton anymore” Hitoshi hums.

“Fuck off” Denki laughs. He felt good. He felt more like himself than he had in months.

“Should we pick up where we left off?” Hitoshi says, before nipping Denki’s claiming bite.

The omega purrs.

Hitoshi flips the both of them, and presses Denki’s back into the mattress, and the sex feels the way it always used, before pregnancy and miscarriage and trying, just Denki and Hitoshi, Alpha and Omega, doing what they knew best.

And then the next day, as the Number 2 hero, Suneater returns from his paternity leave, the Number 1 hero, Endeavour, retires.

And they get busy. Again.

There’s a boom in criminal activity, they’re all working overtime. It’s damn near impossible to get Denki and Hitoshi to sit down and have dinner together, let alone fuck. It now doesn’t matter that they’ve physically and mentally healed from the miscarriage and its aftermath, because they simply don’t have time to try for a pup.

When the dust finally settles, Izuku returns from his paternity leave early to claim the Number 1 spot for himself.

Katsuki’s seething, the villains are running scared and criminals and thugs are running amuck.

And 6 months later, things have finally calmed down enough for the couple to finally just cook dinner together. They play some music, and dance around the kitchen while chopping vegetables, seasoning the meat. Hitoshi reaches over Denki to grab some spices when his strong arms suddenly wrap around Denki’s waist and pull him into the alpha’s broad chest. Hitoshi’s nose comes to rest on his scent gland.

“What? Is it time for my heat already? I swear I had another month to go- “

“shh”

“Why do you need me to be quiet if you’re just sniffing me?” Denki huffs.

“Baby, you smell like honey-glazed pear and cinnamon sugar.”

Denki turns in his embrace and brings his gaze to meet Hitoshi’s purple eyes.

“I – Are you – “

“Do you still have those tests?”

Denki nods, and laces his fingers with Hitoshi’s all but dragging him to the bathroom. He fumbles with the box. Could this be it? What they’ve waited so long for?

“I don’t think 3 minutes have ever gone this slowly” Denki groans and Hitoshi laughs.

“Even if it’s not- “

“We’ll be okay. I promise”

The phone screeches, this it. Their moment of truth.

Hitoshi grabs Denki’s hand again, and he turns over the first test.

Positive.

Denki’s breathing hitches, and he flips the other two. Both positive.

“Baby, I’m pregnant” he breathes, and Hitoshi pulls him into a hug

“Hito, I’m finally pregnant” he laughs. Or cries. Possibly both.

“I love you. I’m so proud of you” Hitoshi whispers.

Yeah, he’s definitely crying.

They’re going to be parents. The only thing he’s wanted for the past 2 years is finally within reach.

Finally.  

Chapter Text

Denki sits alone on the medical gurney, tapping his foot against the floor. 

Hitoshi had had a night shift, but got caught up in a murder investigation and the cops needed help with an interrogation, so the alpha was currently missing their first ultrasound. 

“Shinsou-san, are you ready to begin?” The doctor asks. He sighs and nods. They had other patients to see today, and Hitoshi could just join in the next one. He lays back and lifts his shirt. 

“Now I understand that you’ve had a miscarriage before” he starts, and Denki nods. 

“About a year and a half ago” 

Denki doesn’t like thinking about it, about how awful it’d been to lose a pup, or the hardships that followed. 

“Well according to your medical files, there’s no reason why you can’t go on and carry to term this time.” He says, and starts the ultrasound. 

And there it is, his baby. If he hadn’t done this once before he probably wouldn’t even know where to look. 

“Have you experienced any cramping? Spotting? Other miscarriage symptoms?” His doctor, a man named Ayato, asks. 

“There’s been some minor cramping, no where near as painful as last time” he says softly. 

“Cramping doesn’t have to be a bad thing, it can mean your body organs are shifting to accommodate the pup. It doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong, there’s a steady heartbeat. Of course we’ll have to schedule tests in the second trimester to confirm all that,” 

Denki nods. He understands, he doesn’t want to get too excited, maybe if he doesn’t, it won’t devastate him like last time. 

“Can I still work? Will my quirk hurt the baby?” 

“I’ve treated many heroes who worked through the early stages of their pregnancy. You can still patrol, but you should avoid raids and such. Your bosses should have a better idea about how to proceed” 

Oh, that means telling Eijirou. It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell his friend, but he wants to keep the whole thing quiet for now, and he also knows what it’s like to be the friend who desperately wants a baby and can’t while those around him start their families. 

He’d like to avoid doing that to Eijirou for as long as he can. 

“As for your quirk, I don’t see why it should be a problem, just try to avoid short-circuiting yourself, just in case” 

Just in case didn’t sound too reassuring, but he’d avoid short circuiting anyway. If it can affect his brain the way it does, what could it do to this womb?

“By the looks of it, you’re 8 weeks along, and I’m estimating your due date at August 3rd. Do you want sonograms?” He asks, and  he nods. He’d like to have a sonogram back on the fridge, he hadn’t even noticed Hitoshi take down the last one. 

Denki finishes up and heads to reception to sign some documents and book his next appointment when the door to the practice flings open, and Hitoshi stumbles in. Luckily, it’s early enough that he only disturbs one or two pregnant omegas and beta women. 

“I’m here, I’m here, I made it” Hitoshi puffs, and he looks around then his face falls. 

“Wait? I missed it?” 

Denki smiles sadly and nods. 

“Yeah, baby.” He says, and scrawls his signature. 

“Shit, I’m sorry-“

“It happens, there will be others” he says, and presses a kiss to his jaw, giving him a copy of the sonogram. 

“Oh? This is him?” Hitoshi smirks and slings his arm over Denki’s shoulders as they leave. 

“Him? No way. This little pup is a girl”

He laughs, and Hitoshi pins him against the car. 

“I love you, I’m sorry I missed this” 

“Just don’t miss the next one”

Denki sits in Eijirou’s office, looking out over Tokyo. It’s easy to forget Eijirou even has an office. He prefers to work at a desk in their communal office space, he says it helps him bond with the staff. Denki thinks it’s because Eijirou just really likes company. 

The door clicks shuts and a comforting rush of spearmint and vanilla wafts through the room. 

“Thanks for waiting,” he says as he takes a seat at his desk. “What’s up?” 

“I need to be taken off any upcoming raids, and moved to the least dangerous patrol times,” Denki starts, and Eijirou’s eyes widen and he starts grinning.

“Denki are you-?”

“Yes. I’d like to keep it quiet, if possible, just for now.” 

He really hadn’t wanted to go to Eijirou about this just yet, but it was the deal between Suneater and Red Riot. Tamaki would deal with the legal requirements of the agency, and Red Riot would take the staff. 

Eijirou grins at him. 

“Aw man! Congratulations! You can count on me Denki, I’ll make sure you stay safe!” He cheers and flashes a thumbs up. 

“When we tell everyone, just pretend to be surprised, yeah?”

“When you get here, little one,” Hitoshi starts. The alpha had instantly taken to talking to Denki’s stomach, to their pup. 

“We’re going to make sure you never doubt that you are loved. I’m going to have so much fun teaching you how to make your way in the world-“

“Stop it, Hito” 

Denki knows he should love this, he should be happy, but he just- he’s scared. Hitoshi furrows his eyebrows. 

“I’m sorry, I just don’t think we should get too excited or attached yet. Not until we know for sure if she’s gonna stay put” Denki sighs. He wants to be excited, this was something they had waited so long for, something he had obsessed over. But- but he can’t put himself or his alpha through that pain again. If he distances himself, he won’t feel that pain again. 

Hitoshi smiles sadly at him, and props himself up on his elbow. 

“I don’t think that will make it hurt any less if you do have another miscarriage, and calling him “she” sounds pretty attached” he jokes, or he tries to. 

Denki hadn’t thought of it that way, was he getting attached? Of course he was, this was his pup, he’s carrying them, helping them grow. Was he even trying to practice what he preaches?

“I’m not the one who experienced the physical toll of losing a baby, and even our emotional trauma is different. Until we’re sure he’s going to make it, I’ll take it down a notch” 

Denki’s eyes burn as tears gather, and he chokes on a sob. He’s not even sure why he’s crying, his alpha was just being that. A good alpha. that’s no reason to cry like this-

“Hey, hey, why are you crying?” He asks, his voice is soft and it just makes Denki sob again. 

“I - I don’t know!”

Hitoshi chuckles. 

“Aw baby, is this pregnancy hormones?” 

Denki sobs harder, because it totally was and he didn’t know how to stop it. Had he been like this the first time around? Hitoshi chuckles and kisses his cheeks, his nose and his lips until the omega starts to calm down again. 

That night there’s a knock on his door. He opens the door and Katsuki stands on the other side, scowling. He’s holding a bottle of whiskey, and that’s never a good sign. Katsuki doesn’t drink, he doesn’t like what it does to his sharp senses and intellect. Katsuki had gotten drunk at Eijirou’s 20th birthday, was pleasantly tipsy at his and Ei’s wedding, completely hammered at the Todoroki’s news years party a couple years ago and he hadn’t touched the stuff since. 

“Are you gonna fucking invite me in or what?” He growls. Denki moves aside and Katsuki trudges into the apartment, heading straight for the cupboard and grabbing a glass. 

“I can’t drink tonight Katsuki” 

“No shit, I have a nose Dunce face” 

He pours the whiskey into the glass and sits at their dining table. Denki joins him. 

“Ei and I had a fight” 

He sounds tired, he looks it too, he looks pale, and that just makes the dark circles under his eyes look worse. 

“About?” 

“I told him I was gonna be a surrogate for you if it turned out you couldn’t have pups” 

There’s a beat of silence, because Denki hadn’t known that, not for sure. 

“I told him because we always fight about fucking stupid secrets and miscommunications and I didn’t wanna be the cause of another dumb fight but that’s exactly what I did anyway” he says and downs his drink, reaching to fill his glass again. 

Drinking, word vomit, Katsuki really was in a state. It was rare for the other blond to open to him like this. Rare. The last time had been back in their third year, when Katsuki and Eijirou had broken up for maybe 2 weeks, but Katsuki had no idea what had happened until well after. 

“What did he do?” Denki asks 

“Cried, mostly. Said he’d rather die than watch me grow fat with someone else’s pups. He was hurt that I’d do it to give you pups and not him” He takes another swig and puts his face in his hand. He groans. 

“I’m fucking mad. He knows I don’t want pups, I just wanted to help someone in need. Isn’t that what fucking heroes are supposed to do or some shit?” 

The problem with not drinking meant Katsuki had no tolerance, and he was already beginning to slur. 

“Katsuki, I’m incredibly grateful that you would do this for me, but Eijirou wants pups, or at least likes the idea of them, of course it’d hurt him to see you pregnant with someone else’s seed.” 

“But-“ 

“Look at this way, if Hito had been infertile and we’d asked Eijirou to be the sperm donor, I would be pregnant with your alpha’s-“ 

He doesn’t get to finish the sentence, he’s cut off by a low, guttural growl. Katsuki’s always been an angry person, but this different. This is fury, deep fury that Denki has never seen in him. 

“Get it now?” 

Katsuki’s face drops. 

“Oh, right. I see. Fuck, does this mean I want pups?” He asks, and finishes his second drink. He moves for a third. 

“It means you love him, and the idea of him getting something you can’t give terrifies you. You giving something he can’t get terrifies him.” Denki hopes he’s making sense. 

“Fuck, should I just do it? Give him a pup so he’ll fucking shut up about it? Ei’s sacrificed so much for me, maybe I should just- fuck!” Katsuki groans . Denki grabs the bottle of whiskey and holds it away from Katsuki. If he’s talking about pupping, he’s already had way too much. 

“You don’t mean that. Neither of you would be happy that way, don’t you dare bring that up to him” 

Denki knows Eijirou, he knows the alpha will go into a panic if he even suspects he’s forced Katsuki into pupping. It’d probably hurt him more than not having kids. 

“Fuck, you’re right” 

Oh no, if Katsuki thinks Denki’s right, he’s really had too much to drink. 

“I’m sick of talking about me being a shitty mate now,”

Denki moves to interrupt him, Katsuki’s not a shitty mate, he’s always trying to be better, that’s what’s important. 

“Don’t say shit.” He growls and Denki shuts his mouth. 

They sit in an awkward silence for a moment, Katsuki eyeing the bottle of whiskey, Denki keeping it from his grasp. 

“Why aren’t you gushing over being pregnant? Aren’t clucky omegas supposed to do that shit?” He slurs, and Denki inwardly groans. Katsuki didn’t have much of a filter even when he was sober, it was worse when he had been drinking. 

“I’m not getting attached yet, in case I lose this one too. Right now, I have a pup in my belly, that’s all” 

Katsuki narrows his eyes and it feels like he’s staring into Denki’s soul. 

“That shit doesn’t work like that and you know it” 

He did know it. He’s been fighting against every instinct he has to try and separate himself from the pup, to protect himself and Hitoshi when the worst happens, but it was easier said than done. 

The thought of a little girl running around this big, empty apartment fills him with joy, and he’s terrified it’s a dream he’ll never reach. Denki’s trying to talk himself into being okay if he loses this baby too, but deep down, he knows he won’t 

“You don’t have to be a dick about it” he grumbles. 

“You want me to fucking coddle you?” 

Truthfully, Denki didn’t want that. Hitoshi was there to coddle him, Katsuki was there to spit the harsh truth, the stuff he didn’t want but needed to hear. He’s just scared. 

A light knock on the door interrupts his thoughts. Denki can smell the concern rolling off Eijirou before he even gets out of his seat. He pulls the door open, and lets Eijirou in. The alpha sniffles, and his eyes are red and puffy. 

“Hey, D” he says softly. 

It often goes like this, they have a fight, Katsuki comes to Denki to vent and eventually spiral into “I’m a bad mate, he deserves better but I’m too selfish to do anything about it” and then Eijirou comes and they make up. Sometimes its the other way around. Eijirou will cry into a gallon of melting ice cream, talking about how “I’m weak and I’ll never be worthy of Katsuki, but I’m too selfish to do anything about it”. Then Katsuki will crawl, whispering soft apologies and promising him they’re unbreakable. Denki doesn’t mind. He prefers it when they don’t fight, but the company is nice. He hasn’t realised how much he hates Hito being on night shift. 

“Hey Ei” 

Eijirou smiles at him and takes a seat next to Katsuki. The other omega looks away, guilt swimming in his angry red eyes. 

“Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset-“ 

“You’re the one who started crying” Katsuki huffs. Eijirou chuckles. 

“Yeah you’re right” 

Katsuki sighs. 

“I won’t bring it up again. I swear, I’ll-“ 

“Fuck, Ei. That’ll make things worse. We’re always saying we need to talk, use our fucking words or whatever. Just don’t- Don’t hide from me, and I won’t hide from you” 

“Okay” Eijirou whispers. 

Denki knows they’re not done, they’ve got more to discuss, but it can wait until they’re in their own home. 

Eijirou presses a kiss to Katsuki’s cheek, and turns to Denki. 

“So, where are these sonograms? I wanna see my niece” he grins. 

“Y-you think it’s a girl too?” Denki asks. Why was Eijirou being like this? Why did he look more excited than Denki felt? Gods, he was a monster. He can feel his eyes prick with tears and Eijirou’s eyes widen. 

“Whoa man, I- Hito told me you thought it was a girl, I didn’t think-“ 

“No, it’s fine Eiji. My hormones are mess, I cried because Hito forgot to buy me a kit kat yesterday,” tears start to spill at the memory. 

“I don’t even like American sweets!” He sobs. 

Eijirou looks gobsmacked, and Katsuki’s laughing. Denki fishes the sonogram from his wallet and passes it to Eijirou. He brushes the tears away from his face. 

“Uhh, dude? What the fuck am I looking at?” 

Denki laughs, a wet tearful chuckle and he points to where his baby lay in the image. 

Oh. His baby. 

His baby. 

His little person. 

Katsuki’s eyes are burning through him and Denki starts crying again. 

“Fuck, I guess it’s not that easy”

Things don’t exactly get easier, but Denki doesn’t mind Hitoshi talking to the baby, and actually starts to daydream about what to do with the nursery. He figures even if he does lose this one, he can have at least loved it while he could, but as 12 weeks inches closer, he starts to feel more confident that this one will make it. 

He sits in the waiting room of the clinic, waiting for Hitoshi again. However the only thing keeping the alpha now was his horrific sleep schedule. Denki had booked this particular appointment for later in the day, to avoid a repeat of the last one. He had taken an early day from work, and was set to meet Hitoshi at the centre. Just as the nurse starts to call his name, Hitoshi walks in, carrying a little gift bag. His hair is pulled into a low short ponytail, which he knows Denki just loves. The alpha winks at him as they walk into the doctors office. Denki sits up on the gurney as the obstetrician walks in. 

“Hello again” he says, and starts to set up the machine. 

“Shinsou-san, I believe you know what needs to be done” Ayato smiles and Denki nods, lifting his shirt. He hadn’t noticed the small bump that was beginning to form between his hips. Holy fuck, there was actually a baby in there. 

Hitoshi grabs his hand, and squeezes. This must be weird for him, he hasn’t seen an ultrasound since the one they had when they were told their baby had died, was this bringing up bad memories? 

“So at 12 weeks your morning sickness, if you’ve had any, should start to dissipate, but you may experience some dizzy spells. Now, let's take a look at what’s happening here” he smiles, and the grip on Denki’s hand gets tighter. He can feel Hitoshi’s nerves through the bond. This definitely wasn’t going easy for him. Denki just wants to press their foreheads together and tell him to stop worrying his big dump alpha head about this, but he’s very aware that there’s a stranger listening in, so he hopes Hitoshi can register his love and support through the bond. 

“Okay, here’s your baby” the ob says, and Hitoshi’s breath hitches in his throat. 

“Is it- is it okay?” He asks softly and Denki’s heart breaks. 

Ayato smiles sadly at him, fully aware of their past experience. 

“Would you like to hear the heartbeat?” 

They both nod, and a steady thump fills the silent room. Denki smiles, and looks at his mate, who is smiling but also crying. 

“Your blood work from your last appointment doesn’t indicate anything being wrong, there are still tests that have to be run at a later date but if you want to start telling people, now is the time” he says. 

“Thank you,” Denki starts, eyes not leaving Hitoshi. “But, can we have a minute?” 

“Certainly” he nods and leaves the room. 

His alpha heaves a sob and Denki takes him into his arms. 

“I’m sorry” he mumbles. 

“Shh, don’t be silly. This is weird, it’s allowed to feel weird” Denki hums, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“I thought I was okay, but seeing the baby now just reminded me of last time,” he sighs, and diverts his attention to the now still image on the screen. 

“I don’t want us to go through that again, Denki” 

“And we won’t, Alpha. This little pup is going to make it. I’m sure of it”  Denki hopes his own fears aren’t present in his voice, of course he too is still worried about losing this one, how could he not be after the trauma he’d faced, but he really does feel like this one is going to stick.

Hitoshi flashes a gentle smile, and presses his lips to Denki’s.
“I got you a gift” he whispers
“Me? Why?”
Hitoshi rolls his eyes and smirks at him.
“Because, I love you and you’re pregnant and you deserve everything” he says, and places the little giftbag he’d been holding earlier and places it on his lap.
Denki opens it, and pulls out a gold chain, with an intricate gold pendant.
“It’s a locket. It was a few slots, and I thought we could fill it up with pictures of our family as it grows.”
Denki feels the tears prick in the back of his eyes. Why did pregnancy have to turn him into a blubbering mess?
“I love it, Hito, and I love you. I can’t wait to put a picture of our baby in here, because I promise you, this baby will make it”

“Yeah, he’ll make it.” 

“Tsk. She’ll make it.” 

That night they call Hitoshi’s family over for dinner. It’s the same setting as last time. Shouta and Hizashi sitting across from Denki, fingers laced together. Eri gushing about her studies to Hitoshi. Denki smiles to himself, then makes eye contact with his alpha, who smiles back and nods. 

“I have a little gift for you three” Denki starts, and pulls the latest ultrasound from his pocket, placing it on the table infront of his in-laws. Shouta simply stares at it, Eri strains her neck to see and Hizashi breaks into a face splitting grin. 

“A grandbaby?” 

“A grandbaby. I hit 12 weeks a couple days ago. I think this is going to work this time. I know it is”

After telling the in laws comes telling everyone else, and they take their opportunity to do so at one of their monthly get togethers. Denki watches his friends. Shouto coos over little Ichiro while Izuku catches up with Tsu and Sato, while Eijirou nuzzles into the crook of Katsuki’s neck. Such an open display of affection from the couple, particularly Katsuki could either mean they’re nearing a heat/rut share or their relationship is going really well. Denki hopes it’s the latter. 

Denki clears his throat, and the chatter stops. He grabs his alpha’s hand and smiles. 

“I’m pregnant!” He blurts out. 

He’d had what he was going to say all planned out, but when everyone turned their attention to him he froze. It doesn’t matter though, everyone’s offering their congratulations, Mina comes to sit on his lap and hugs him. 

“Come to me for whatever you need, and don’t stress about a thing, we need to make sure this one sticks yeah?” She sings. Hanta claps him on the back, laughing a “congrats, man”. Izuku offers to let them practice with Ichiro, Katsuki huffs something like “about damn time”

Denki starts to choke up. This is what it should have been then, but he’s glad he’s got it now.

Denki stands infront of the bathroom mirror, pulling his shirt taut around his waist. He’s showing. He’s got a tiny little bump that protrudes now. He lifts his shirt and examines how it settles on his hips. 

“You’re beautiful” Hitoshi says, stepping out of the shower. 

“You have to say that” Denki grumbles. 

“Maybe, doesn’t mean it’s not true” he teases, pressing a kiss on Denki’s bondmark. 

“I don’t even look pregnant! Just like I had a big lunch” Denki groans 

“I think it’s cute, and besides, I think you’re going to begging to look like this the further along we get” he laughs. 

Denki knows he’s right, that he’s only going to get bigger and probably more insecure as he does. Hitoshi grabs Denki’s hips and rubs his thumbs over the bump. 

“We didn’t get this far last time,” He says, not lifting his gaze from Denki’s stomach. 

“Well I’d like to get further so I can actually look pregnant” he pouts as he lowers his shirt. 

“You’re gonna eat your words later” Hitoshi laughs.

They sit in their usual restaurant, having a joint birthday celebration for Tsu and Shoji. Most of their friends are drunk, some have gone home already, namely Izuku and Shouto, who are probably more clingy toward their pup than Ichiro is to them. 

“I really want Denki to have a girl” Mina whines

“Well, I think it’s going to be a girl” Denki laughs at her. 

“Nah, Shinsou’s make men” Hitoshi jokes. 

Apparently Hitoshi’s dad and uncle used to joke about that a lot before they died, there hadn’t been a girl born into Hitoshi’s family for over 4 generations. 

“I’m going to prove you wrong in 2 weeks” Denki sings. 

“Oooh, lets take bets!” Mina slurrs. Katsuki rolls his eyes, but he’s smirking. 

“50 thousand yen on a girl” their pink haired friend hollered. 

“I second that” Katsuki grunts. 

“Well I’m with Hito. 50 thousand on a boy” Sero says. 

“I’ll put 100 yen on a boy!” Ochako chirps. Even though she’s rich and famous now, Ochako’s still a tight ass. 

“What’s the fucking point of betting if you’re gonna be cheap princess?” Katsuki calls out. 

This spurs a fight between the two of them, and Eijirou laughs and shakes his head. This was so typical of his friends, to just be, chaotic. He wouldn’t change it. His friends have definitely been walking on eggshells around him since the miscarriage and the new pregnancy. It feels good to be just them again. 

Despite the fact they’re pros now, getting old, mated or pregnant, it feels like the same way it had when they were in high school, living together in the dorms with their “crackhead energy” as Katsuki had dubbed it, while seemingly ignoring how he just might be worst of all of them - in a typical Katsuki fashion. 

“Fine, round face wants to be a jackass, 70 thousand yen on a girl!” 

“Katsuki!” Eijirou groans. 

Denki laughs, and slips into Hitoshi’s embrace. His pup was going to be welcomed into a warm and loving family alright.

The bet gets taken so seriously that those who participated ended up deciding to meet Denki and Hitoshi back at their apartment after the appointment of the big reveal. All their tests came back looking good. Their baby was healthy, and it was starting to feel like this was actually going to happen. No tragedy this time. They walk into their home, fresh ultrasounds of their pup sitting in Denki’s back pocket. 

Eijirou and Mina have already broken into the wine, while Hanta and Ochako talking about their patrol. Katsuki’s draped over Eijirou’s lap, looking at his phone. 

Everyone stops when they walk in, and stare at the couple. 

Denki’s suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion, because he’s finally going to have a baby, and everyone is more involved than he could have hoped for, everyone is happy for them, and of course, because-

“We’re having a girl!” Hitoshi blurts, wide grin on his face, and Denki wraps his arms around his waist. A girl. Denki had been right. He’s not sure why he even wanted a girl first, but he got his wish. 

“Aw Denki! Congratulations” Mina calls and rushes over to them, enveloping both of them in a hug.

“Pay up nerds!” Katsuki calls. 

There are groans and eyerolls from around the room as Hanta and Ochako dig through their wallets. 

“Oh gosh, I’m going to spoil her so much! I hope she loves pink so she loves her Aunty Mina the most!” Mina calls and throws her hands into the air. 

“Oh please, we all know she’ll love her Uncle Eijirou most. All the pups do” Hanta laughs, and Mina pouts. 

“Not this time Eiji” she huffs and blows a raspberry at him. 

“I didn’t even do anything!”

The energy around his life had shifted by the time he got to about 20 weeks, the halfway point. There had been an unexplained boom in criminal activity, so Hitoshi was working more, as were all his other friends. Eijirou had taken him off active duty, and he was able to work from home most days, but home was starting to feel like a prison. He never did get around to painting those walls, and even though he has shared this apartment with his lover for 6 years, it looks bland. He’s a slave to their cat, an almost blonde looking cat that is always wearing a scowl, and is… vocal, to say the least. They named him ‘Howitzer’, because he reminded them so much of Katsuki. The omega had nearly popped a vein when he found out, but backed down when he noticed the cat was mimicking his meltdown. 

“Okay, good choice” he had said. 

The memory always makes Denki smile. Almost always. 

Today he feels isolated, and alone. He could go for a walk to clear his mind, but he’s aware of the increased danger, even during the day. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to his baby just because he was feeling antsy. But he feels more than just antsy. He feels like a stranger. The body he lives in now doesn’t look or feel like the one he’s grown so accustomed to. 

Denki feels like he’s doing this alone. Which is ridiculous because he has his mate, and his friends, his family, but aside from Izuku, he doesn’t know anyone else who had been pregnant, but he doesn’t quite know how to say “hey, I know this is supposed to be the happiest time of my life but I can’t help feeling like I’m nothing but a baby making machine” to his super positive friend. So, his thumb lingers on the number on the one person he knows would have gone through the same thing. Its a number he hasn’t dialled in years , but still knows by heart. 

His mother. 

His emotionally abusive, neglectful, homophobic mother. 

The woman who had kicked him out at just 16 years old for having the audacity to love another man. The woman who kept him on a strict diet since he was 6, and slapped him when he gained 10 pounds in his first year at UA. 

He’s always wanted pups, and even before he understood the trauma of being raised by her, he’s always said he’d never be like her. He already loves his pup so dearly, he’d never be like her. 

But there was one thing she had been right about: he was weak. 

And Denki presses the big green “call” button. It rings a few times, and then-

“Hello?” 

Her voice is the same as he remembers, the same as the last time he ever saw her. 

“After everything I’ve done for you, all that I’ve sacrificed, you would throw it away for a man? I don’t have the space for a gay omega whore” 

A chill runs down his spine. This was wrong. He shouldn’t be calling her. She has no place in his life anymore, and she’ll have no place in his daughter's life. 

Why had he thought this was a good idea?

“Hello?” The woman asks again, more agitated, then she pauses, and her voice turns sinister. 

“Denki?” 

The breath catches in his throat, and tears pool in his eyes.

What has he done?

He quickly hangs up. 

What the fuck was he thinking? She’d never help him. 

The phone rings, and it’s her. He declines the call, and phones his mate instead. 

“Baby? I can feel your panic, what's happened?” Hitoshi asks, and oh, his voice is such a comfort. Already Denki feels warm, and his heart rate slows a little. 

“I did something stupid” he whispers 

“Is the baby okay?” 

And there it is. Is the baby okay? Once again, all anyone cares about is the baby he’s carrying, and not Denki himself. 

He was just a baby making machine. 

So Denki hangs up. In the few moments he’d been on the phone, his mother had managed to call another 3 times. He was going to have to change his number in the morning. 

Denki could feel his alpha’s fear and dread and sorrow pooling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he could have at least told Hitoshi that their little girl was okay. 

He guiltily texts Hito a quick “pup’s fine” and curls up in the nest, leaving his phone on the table, where it continuously buzzes. 

He can’t believe he’d been so stupid to call his evil mother. He’s never been that desperate for guidance before, not when he’s fought with Hitoshi, or when work got difficult, he hadn’t even called her after the miscarriage. Why had he suddenly felt like he needed her now? He knew there was absolutely nothing she could offer, so why did he try? 

The door opens and Denki dances in driftwood and sage, the comforting scent of his alpha. 

“You should be at work” Denki grumbles. 

“How could I, when my omega is in distress?” He sighs as he kicks his boots off. The nest dips under his weight, and Denki turns to face him. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing” 

“Don’t start that shit with me, Denki.” 

The omega sighs. He doesn’t want to say it, he doesn’t want to sound selfish or stupid. 

“I called my mother” 

Hitoshi stiffens next to him. 

“Why the fuck would you do that?” 

“Because I’m lonely”  he says and tears fall on Denki’s cheeks. 

“Lonely?” Hitoshi says, not even trying to hide the hurt in his voice

“It’s just, everyone only cares about the baby and seem to have forgotten about me” 

He hears how awful it sounds, how selfish. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy she’s already so loved, but-“

“You feel like I’ve been ignoring you?” 

Denki stays silent, but he nods. He can feel how much this hurts his alpha, no one wants to be confronted with how they might be failing. 

“Fuck. I never- I didn’t- what can I do?” 

But that’s the good thing about Hitoshi. He doesn’t get angry or defensive when confronted, he simply took the criticism and tried to be better. Denki knows it stems from his powerful quirk, and the idea that it’d better suit a villain. Denki feels dirty, using that against him. 

“I don’t, I don’t really-“ 

Hitoshi’s arms wrap around him, and Denki buries his face in the alpha’s chest. 

“Shh, it’s alright. We don’t need to have all the answers now. Please, always come to me about these things first, or any of our friends, just never call your mother, alright?” 

Denki nods, and holds onto Hitoshi a little tighter. 

“I’m sorry” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for”

Denki would like to say things get easier from there, but they don’t. He’s in pain, a lot. He’s got constant backaches, his feet and ankles are swollen, his baby is very active, especially while he tries to sleep. Hitoshi doesn’t really know how to act around him anymore. Before the night he called his mother, Hitoshi was always placing a hand on Denki’s belly, eagerly waiting to feel their daughter kick. But now, even well and truly after their pups little kicks could be felt by those around him, Hitoshi would only touch him when Denki physically placed his hands there. He can feel himself growing sour, he’s wanted this pregnancy for years, and now it was being ruined by his relationship moving into uncharted territory. But as he sits in his nest, hot water bottle pressed against his back, steaming cup of peppermint tea warming his hands, and his mate giving him a foot massage, he feels... wrong. 

Like he’s not allowed to feel isolated and sad, because his mate loves him so much. 

“Hito, can we, uh, can we talk?” 

Hitoshi pauses and looks up at Denki. 

“What’s up?” 

“I don’t like this. We’re pregnant, we’re supposed to be happy-“

“You’re not happy?” 

“No I, I mean yes, or- I’m so happy that we’re having a baby, I just- we don’t feel like us, right?” 

Hitoshi sighs, and stops kneading Denki’s feet for a moment. 

“I don’t want you to think I’m treating you like a baby making factory.” 

“Hito, I didn’t mean you had to stop acknowledging I was pregnant, it was just starting to feel like it was the only thing that mattered, and I wanted to feel like I mattered too.” 

He still feels so ridiculously selfish when he says it, but he shouldn’t, right? 

Katsuki would probably tell him that he’s supposed to feel this way, that as an omega, he shouldn’t be overshadowed by a fetus. 

“Oh baby, of course you matter. How could you not? You’re a damn fine hero, a great friend and the love of my fucking life. You’ve always mattered” Hitoshi says, and presses a soft kiss to Denki’s lips - the way he usually does. The omega smiles and caresses his alphas cheeks. 

“How can we be better?” Hitoshi asks

“As long as we love each other. That’s enough”

It starts to feel like it should, or least how Denki imagines being pregnant and in love feels. His baby is active, somersaulting at any opportunity she can get, and currently, they’re taking her movements as a way to determine what colour to paint the nursery. They’ve chosen a pastel theme, and are now tossing up between lilac, powder blue and seafoam green. 

“Okay baby, I’m going to say a colour, and I want you to kick when you hear one you like” Hitoshi says, and splays a palm over Denki’s bump. 

“You know she doesn’t understand colours and she’s just reacting to your voice right?” Denki laughs, placing his hand over his mates. 

“Don’t take the fun out of this. Okay baby, blue?,” he pauses waiting, but there’s no response. 

“Purple?”

There’s a strong kick, and Hitoshi’s face lights up. 

“Oh, what’s that? You want purple?” 

There was another kick, and Denki laughs and rolls his eyes. 

“And you call me an idiot” Denki rolls his eyes, but kisses Hitoshi’s cheek. 

So they paint the nursery a peaceful lilac colour, they paint white clouds, litter the ceiling with glow in the dark stars. 

Hitoshi’s face is strained with concentration as he paints,  Denki can’t help but sneak up behind him and dab his paintbrush on the alpha’s cheek. 

“Oh no” he chuckles, and Hitoshi turns and runs his own paintbrush up Denki’s arm, leaving a streak of white. 

“Rude Hito!,” he teases, poking his tongue out at him. “This is how you treat the one carrying your pup? Tsk” 

“Don’t give me that attitude while you look that cute” 

Denki had gone for the overalls look while they painted the nursery, and looking as pregnant as he did made Hitoshi go wild. The omega smirks at him and lazily wraps his arms around the alpha’s neck, latching his fingers together. 

“I’m lucky you love me, huh?” 

“Tch, lucky alright” Hitoshi smirks, and tilts Denki’s chin upwards, bringing their lips together. 

“Get the fuck out of me!” Denki yells, looking down at his ridiculously large stomach. Why did he need to look like he’d shoved a basketball up his shirt? Why couldn’t he just lay an egg or something instead? This was torture. 

“Never heard you say that before” Hitoshi deadpans. Denki doesn’t bother to look at him,  but he knows the fucker is smirking. 

“You’ll be hearing it a lot more now. You’re never coming near me with that thing ever again” he chides through grit teeth as he tries to stand. 

“Oh please,” Hitoshi starts as he moves from his position at the table, grabbing Denki’s hand and supporting his back as the omega hoists himself from the couch. “I know you’ve already planned the next one.” 

Denki looks away sheepishly, because he had definitely already planned another baby. 

“Whatever. This overdue crap is a bunch of bullshit!” 

”Hey,” Hitoshi says softly, placing his hands on Denki’s stretched belly. 

“She just needs a little extra time before she’s ready, like you when you do your eyeliner” 

Denki glares at him, he’s in no mood to be teased. 

“Maybe if you-“ he stopped, feeling a dampening sensation in his underwear. He’d felt something like this once before, when he had miscarried. His eyes widen. 

“Den? What’s up?” 

“I think- I think my water just broke”

“What? Aren’t you supposed to have contractions before your water breaks?” Hitoshi asks, panic settling into the creases of his face. 

“I mean- my back was aching, and I was feeling some cramps but, I’m always in pain! I didn’t think it was anything”

“Oh fuck. Okay. Oh gods, what do we do?” 

“Hito, I think this is the part where we have a baby” 

Almost an entire day later, their little daughter was here. Denki had been discharged the second he’d been given the all clear, he didn’t want to be away from his nest for a second, so they had come straight home. Only a select few were able to see the baby, Denki was tired and so was their daughter, so just their closest friends for now. Mina, Sero, Jirou and Momo had all been by, Todoroki and Deku were hoping to visit, but with a young toddler and having just announced their second pregnancy, Denki wasn’t holding his breath. Aizawa and Yamada were staying for a couple nights for moral support despite neither of them actually having experience with babies, given they had adopted Hitoshi when he was 12 and Eri when she was 7. 

That just left Katsuki and Eijirou. Denki had seen on the news that Katsuki had been wiped out by a villain, so he wasn’t hopeful of that either. 

So he holds the baby close to him, his little Kazumi, taking in each little detail of her delicate features. He had a daughter. He had a perfect little girl with a perfect tuft of purple hair. He and his alpha had made this little person, he couldn’t be more in love.

There’s a knock on the door, and Hitoshi halts his stroking of Kazumi’s hair to answer the door. 

“Our guests are here” Hitoshi says

***

Denki knows something is off the moment he sees Katsuki. He’s scowling, but it’s different than it usually is, he looks, kind of...scared? Katsuki is rarely scared, why would he-

He interrupts his thoughts, an unfamiliar scent hits him. Chai, Katsuki’s signature scent but something else mixed in, something sugary - oh! Caramel. Katsuki’s never smelt like caramel going into a before- oh, he’s pregnant. 

Denki eyes him a little more, could he be right? Was Katsuki pregnant? He looks so uncomfortable, but that could also just be because they’ve invited him to meet their pup, and he doesn’t like pups - or didn’t like pups. Did this mean he and Eijirou had talked about this, really talked? 

He hopes this is a good thing, because Denki would really love to raise his daughter alongside his best friends pups too. 

Chapter Text

Denki sighs in content as he hears his mate come home from work, as the keys jangle in the door and his driftwood scent fills their home. He smiles to himself, and pulls his pup closer into his chest. He runs a hand through her thick purple hair and kisses her forehead.

Kazumi was his total pride and joy – Hitoshi’s too. Yes, Denki knows all parents say that about their pups, it doesn’t make it any less meaningful for him. She really was the best thing in his life. One of them.

Getting her here had been a bit of a shit show, with the miscarriage, the endless trying, the countless negative tests, the festering jealously – but she’s here now and Denki still needs to work on not dwelling on the past, on things he can’t change.

Hitoshi smiles at him as he enters the bedroom, and pulls his shirt over his shoulders before settling into the bed.

“You should be sleeping” Hitoshi mumbles, and presses a kiss to Kazumi’s forehead, right where Denki had just seconds before.

“And hello to you too” Denki teases. Yes, Denki should be sleeping, but he’s got a lot on his mind right now.

“What’s keeping you up, D?” Hitoshi mumbles, sleep already settling into his voice.

Denki didn’t want to tell him tonight, his alpha was already tired, and he wanted to try and keep it a surprise this time.

The truth is, he’s been thinking about siblings – about how he never had any, how he doesn’t want that for their little Kazumi, who gets along so well with their friends pups so how could she not be a good sibling? He’s thinking about how she won’t have to wait that long and-

“Denki?” Hitoshi asks again.

“Uh, sorry babe. I-“ Denki stumbles, and Hitoshi kisses his forehead.

“If you’re thinking about how to tell me about the baby you don’t need to stress” Hitoshi says.

“mm, yeah”

Wait- what?

What the fuck?

Hitoshi knew? But Denki had only found out a couple days ago! He really wanted to try and surprise his alpha, do the sonogram on the fridge trick like he’d read about before.

Hitoshi chuckles.

“Babe, I can smell it on you,” Hitoshi says softly, pressing his nose to Denki’s scent gland, just above the bond mark.

“and it’s delicious”

Denki can’t help the grin that cracks across his face, and he pulls his alpha close, careful not to squish the little pup between them, and the omega brings him in for a quick, passionate kiss.

“You’re going to be a Dad again Hito” Denki whispers, pressing his lips to his alphas jaw.

Hitoshi grins.

“Oh love, I can’t wait,” Hitoshi murmurs, and places his hand over Denki’s flat stomach. “We’re having another baby” he chuckles, and oh how Denki’s heart swells.

They’ve suffered so much, trying to get their family here, and keep it. Sometimes it seems like the world just keeps getting worse, and hope is harder to hold on to, but Denki knows Kazumi will shine no matter what is thrown her way, and so will this new baby.

Hitoshi says something, jarring Denki from his thoughts, and the alpha chuckles when he realises the blonde hadn’t been listening – it isn’t his fault his brain wanders sometimes.

“I asked how you found out?”

Oh, that. It had been a bit of an ordeal, actually.

“I fainted during a crime stats meeting, and Eiji  took me to a hospital, just to be safe-“

“You fainted and no one called me?”

“I didn’t want to scare you, and when I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to surprise you” Denki pouts.

“Okay, next time I’ll let you surprise me” He says.

Next time.

It stirs something in Denki – he knows Hitoshi loves him, love their pups, and would do anything Denki wanted, but Denki also knew Hitoshi was happy with just little Kazumi. It’s not to say he didn’t want more kids, it’s just if they didn’t, Hito wouldn’t object.

So for the alpha to already be thinking ahead to the next time, when he’s only barely 8 weeks along with their second makes his heart flutter.

And maybe stirs his breeding kink too.

Hitoshi takes Kazumi from Denki’s grasp, holding her against his chest, then he grabs Denki by the waist and pulls him in close.

And that’s how they fall asleep, all snuggled together, their little family.  

Chapter Text

Denki watches from the couch as Hitoshi nurses their sleeping son, their precious little Naoki, their first born son.

Kazumi was absolutely taken with her brother, she always wanted to help, even though she was far too young.

The past month should have been bliss, they have a new baby! That should be exciting, feel more in love than they ever have before, they should be overjoyed, so why does Denki feel so…hollow?

He loves his babies, he’d die for them, in a heartbeat, but he doesn’t feel the same overwhelming love like he did when Kazumi was born.

Instead? Instead he feels…nothing.

Empty, maybe.

He puts it down to the post baby blues.

Naoki is needy, Kazumi is needy, So Denki doesn’t really have a lot of time to himself anymore. He’s just adjusting to his new lifestyle. He’s not a monster, he’s just learning. Right?

The hollow feeling doesn’t go away when Naoki hits 8 weeks old. Denki’s post baby blues continues to tick over each day, following him the more he tries to run. Why does he wake up exhausted? Not physically exhausted, he has a newborn and a toddler, of course he’s physically exhausted, but mentally.

Everyday, waking up, changing nappies, making breakfasts, feedings, nap times, more nappies, temper tantrums, colicky babies, its a chore.

It’s a goddamn chore.

Why?

He wanted this. He wanted this so badly. So so badly.

He remembers the hell he put himself and Hitoshi through to have a pup after they lost their first.

Why does Denki feel so out of place?

He puts it down to just learning how to deal with a newborn and a toddler.

Everything’s fine.

But by the time his little Naoki is 12 weeks old, he knows somethings wrong. He hasn’t bonded with his son the same way he did with his daughter. Hitoshi is the one that has to calm him when he cries, and change his nappies, because Denki doesn’t know how to be around him.

What kind of a parent doesn’t know their child?

What kind of a monster is he?

Sometimes, it hurts to hold him, like his hands get pins and needles, and the only way to soothe it was to put the baby down.

He spends most days in bed now. He can’t hurt his son anymore than he already has if he doesn’t even try.

“Maybe you just need to spend more time with him” Hitoshi often suggests, in the early hours of the morning when he knows the omega’s mind is racing about all the ways he is a failure.

Spending more time with Naoki is the last thing he needs. The little pup is doing just fine with Denki on the sidelines, he doesn’t want to ruin the groove Hitoshi has with their youngest.

And Denki just can’t offer the love and support Naoki needs. He knows it’s there, locked behind an impenetrable door he never got the key to.

So he starts isolating himself from his friends too. It hurts to see how good his friends are being parents. Shouto and Izuku, with their two little angels, and Denki suspects the Todoroki family is going to expand a little sooner rather than later.

What hurts most is how wonderful a parent Katsuki is, and he hates that he feels that way, because of course he has faith that Katsuki is an incredible parent, but deep down, he wonders what it says about him. Katsuki, known for being asshole, spent his whole life hating children, never wanting his own for fear they’d hold him back, is flourishing as a parent, while Denki, the polar opposite isn’t.

What would they think of him? An omega who couldn’t love his own child? It’s a stain on society.

But, it’s not like Denki doesn’t love Naoki, but there’s just something so foreign about him.

“Denki, I need you to talk to me” Hitoshi says one night as he climbs into bed, after the kids were asleep.

Denki shrinks in on himself.

“Come on love, please. You’re scaring me”

Denki sighs, and turns, burying himself into his alpha’s chest.

“I just feel so empty”

“Denki, do you think you’ve bonded with Naoki?” Eijirou asks one day.

Hitoshi had asked him to help out while he went out to run errands.

The question catches Denki off guard, he feel like is filthy little secret is about to be found out, so he nods, and tries to cover up his distress.

“Naoki’s been looking at you this whole time and you haven’t looked at him once”

Denki freezes, w-was that true? He looks down at his lap and sure enough, little golden eyes stare back - but, but he can’t let the gaze linger it feels like his body was on fire. What the fuck was wrong with him?

“Do you have post-partum depression?” Eijirou asks and Denki’s stomach pools with dread, and it finally clicks. He’d heard about it, but he never really thought it would happen to him. He loved kids, he loved being pregnant, why would it end up happening to him?

“Fuck I shouldn’t have asked that, sorry”

Denki almost doesn’t hear him. Does he have it? Does that explain why the baby in his arms, feels like dead weight?

“I- I- I uh, I don’t know what’s wrong with me Eiji” Denki says, voice wavering and everything he’s been bottling up comes to the surface. His breath hitches, and Naoki starts wailing at his father’s distress, and even then, Denki can’t look at him.

He’s broken. An evil, broken person, who can’t stand to-

“Denki, give me the baby” Eijirou says, and Denki stills.

Eijirou sounds so serious, there isn’t a hint of comfort in his voice, and it’s startling to hear it from the friend their entire pack goes to for comfort.

And then a thought strikes him. Eijirou’s going to take Naoki away. His friend is so repulsed by the idea that an omega can’t connect with their pup, that he’s going to take them from him.

And his heart clenches. Just because Denki’s a failure of a parent and an awful person doesn’t mean Hitoshi should be punished for that.

“D, hey I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Eijirou says, softly this time, and kneels next to Denki.

Huh? When had he started crouching? When had he started shielding the baby with his chest.

“Denki-“

“Please don’t take him from me” Denki sobs.

“Oh shit, hey no I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not taking him away, I’m just going to try and calm him down. Maybe once he’s calm, you’ll be calm”

His rational brain knows its true. That’s what Eijirou does. He comforts, but he still can’t give the baby over.

He may not have connected with Naoki, maybe the only thing he feels for him is obligation, but he can’t lose him.

“It’s alright Denki, I’m just going to hold him, you can watch me the whole time-“

“Daddy?” A small, pitchy voice asks and Denki’s heart falls to his stomach.

Oh, his sweet little Kazumi, how much had she seen?

It was bad enough his little freak out was causing Naoki distress, but for Kazumi to witness it to?

The only thing keeping him going lately is, while he may be a terrible parent to Naoki, at least he was still trying his best with Kazumi.

But even that was out the window now

“Yeah, I think you need to come home, now” Eijirou says, presumably to Denki’s alpha over the phone. Denki doesn’t move from his position, holding his screeching pup close and listening to Kazumi’s concerned voice, asking her Uncle Eiji all sorts of questions.

It’s not long before the welcoming scent of sage overwhelms him, and he starts to feel like nothing bad can happen to him.

“What happened?” Hitoshi asks Eijirou. The other alpha doesn’t really know how to answer, and Denki isn’t awake long enough to hear the answer, having been scented to sleep.

Hitoshi sits at the table holding his sleeping pup in one arm, and his daughter in his lap. Both fast asleep.

He knew something was wrong, he knew Denki wasn’t okay, but this?

“How did you know?” Hitoshi asks quietly.

Eijirou takes a minute to respond.

“I uh, I was worried that Katsuki would have it”

“Real vote of confidence that was” Katsuki huffs from the nest, laying next to a sleeping Denki.

Hitoshi would be lying if he said that didn’t bother him, but Denki loved sharing his nest, it’s why it was in their living room rather than the bedroom.

“What do I do?”

“Well, go to a doctor for one. It doesn’t do anyone any good to self diagnose just because he’s struggling with parenthood. This shit ain’t all sunshine, rainbows and fucking lollipops and all that other bullshit they sell us”

Hitoshi presses his lips into a thin line. How Denki could find comfort in Katsuki’s attitude was beyond him.

“Can you be productive, for once?” Hitoshi snaps.

“Dude” Eijirou calls.

Katsuki’s gaze is steely, and it makes Hitoshi uncomfortable.

“I am being productive. What about you? How did my alpha pick up on your omega’s distress before you did?”

Hitoshi wanted to bite back, but he holds off. He knew something had been off with Denki, he knew something wasn’t right with the way he regarded Naoki, how that had started to present towards Kazumi too.

But, he’d also just thought it was because two kids were harder than one, and Denki just needed time to adjust.

“Katsuki” Eijirou admonishes, and raises his eyebrows at his omega.

“Fine. Sorry, I know no one expects this to happen to them. Especially because omegas are supposed to be happy to keep popping out pups and being naturals at parenthood” Katsuki huffs, and looks at Eijirou for approval.

“Good. See Katsuro?” He says to the little pup in the alpha’s lap “your Papa can apologise”

Katsuki rolls his eyes.

“I was serious about the doctor. Don’t go putting shit in Denki’s head without a second, professional opinion”

“Hey, Ma’s a doctor, my opinion is secondhand professional”

“Idiot”

Right. A doctor. A doctor would know more than them, they’d know who to call.

So the next week, they have an appointment, but it just confirms their fears.

Denki had post partum depression. Severe cases could last years, and left untreated, it could turn into chronic depression. They booked therapy, and said they’d consider medication and were on their way, when they get home, Denki ignores Hitoshi’s sister Eri, who was babysitting their pups and heads straight for their bedroom. Hitoshi says a quick hello to his kids, and follows Denki, who has cocooned himself into the blankets on their bed.

“Denki?” He asks.

The omega only groans in response.

“Come on baby, talk to me” Hitoshi says, settling on the bed next to his mate.

“It’s okay to leave” Denki whispers, his voice shaky.

“I’m not leaving you like this-“

“No, no, I mean leave . It’s not worth staying with a broken omega.”

Hitoshi’s heart stops in his chest, and he swears, this is what heartbreak feels like. They’ve been through a lot, a rushed mating, not taking a minute to consider the consequences in a desperate attempt not to lose each other, to keep Denki from being lost in the system after his mother kicked him out. The years of unlearning abuse, the miscarriage, but this? This was different.

All the other times, they knew they had each other, and now Denki’s telling him to leave?

Hitoshi takes a deep, shaky breath, and lays on the bed next to his husband

“Baby, even if you were a broken omega, I’d never leave you behind”

Denki shuffles and clings to Hitoshi.

“I’m not worth it, Hito”

And if it didn’t before, his heart broke then.

Denki wants to say it got easier, as time went on, and he got used to therapy. And in some ways, it did. Holding Naoki didn’t fill him with dread anymore. But he still gets chills every time he hears the pup cry, he still can’t see an end to his sorrows.

He wants to know that one day, he’ll be able to wake up and not hate himself for not loving his son the way he should. But there seems to be no end.

Naoki was getting so big, growing up so fast, and while Denki has been there the entire time, he still feels like he’s missed it all.

“Daddy!” Kazumi squeals, and Denki tenses.

“Come paint with me!” She laughs.

Denki pulls the covers tighter. It was one of those days, those days he couldn’t get out of bed, he couldn’t feel anything.

“Daddy?” She asks.

“Kazumi, what did I tell you?” He hears Hitoshi’s voice as the alpha enters the room, and lifts their daughter into his arms

“daddy is sick, but I thought painting might help him feel better”

Denki can’t help the strangled whimper that escapes his throat. His precious little girl, always only ever wanting to help people.

And he can’t be the parent she so deserves.

“I know baby. Maybe tomorrow” Hitoshi says softly, and leaves, taking their pup with him.

When the door closes behind the alpha, loud, heavy sobs wrack Denki’s body.

He doesn’t want to be like this. Of course he doesn’t. He just wants to be able to hold his babies and feel overwhelming love and joy, not this hatred and fear.

Of course he wants to go paint with Kazumi, and quickly rush after his son before the pup crawls through the paint and stains their carpet.

But he can’t.

It’s like there’s a switch in his brain that he can’t turn on. No matter how hard he tries. So the next session he has with his doctor, he asks for antidepressants. They make him worse at first, getting the dosage right was a lot of trial and error that Denki could have gone without.

But eventually, slowly but surely, Denki starts getting some clarity back.

It starts with how grateful he feels for his alpha, who had only ever been kind, and loving and so patient with him, taking so much care with the kids, while Denki couldn’t.

He wraps his arms around his mate’s waist while the alpha is cooking dinner, burying his face into his chest.

“I love you a lot, Hito” he mumbles, further muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

“I love you too babe” Hitoshi says softly, and presses a kiss to the top of Denki’s head.

“No like, I love you, and I appreciate you and I respect you, and-“

“Baby, I know. I love you too.” He says again, and Denki unlatches from his alpha.

“I feel good, I think I might be getting better”

“Can you not treat me like I’m made of glass” Denki snaps at Katsuki, who’s holding Naoki just a little too protectively.

It’s fine, Denki’s comforted by the fact his friends care so deeply for their little family, and they won’t have to worry about the pups fending for themselves if something were to happen to he and Hitoshi.

But he’s also furious, because that’s his pup, and doesn’t Katsuki trust him?

“Don’t fucking bark at me like that-“

“Would you like if I doubted you this much when you had Katsuro?“

Denki regrets it the moment he says it, because he knows Katsuki harboured a lot of insecurity about people doubting his parenting skills - especially because he turned out to be fucking amazing at it.

“Fuck you-“

“No wait, Katsuki I’m sorry. I overstepped”

“Damn right you overstepped” Katsuki huffs, and hands the pup to Denki.

It’s starting to feel right again. It’s starting to feel the way it had with Kazumi.

Naoki wasn’t an added weight anymore, he just fit perfectly.

Denki hates how it’s only started to feel like this just as the pup starts to walk.

Yeah, Naoki was nearly 1. He’d spent nearly a year in a post-partum depression haze.

And he hates it.

Hitoshi tells him it’s not something to regret, it was out of his control and they just need to make the best of now, and everyday forward.

But Denki still missed out on so much with Naoki, and he can’t help but worry about the developmental issue Naoki might have because they getting that crucial bonding time.

“Tch, how many times have I gotta tell you not to get so fucking frantic about things you can’t control” Katsuki chides, and lifts his own son into his arms.

“He adores you. He always has. He’ll be fine. You both will be”

It’s 3 months after Naoki’s first birthday that he comes off the antidepressants, and things aren’t perfect, but they’re okay. His hormones are resetting themselves, it isn’t the end of the world anymore.

And another 3 months after that, life is normal, life is as it had been.

Until Hitoshi asked to “talk”.

‘When the pups are in bed, we need to talk’ he’d said softly while Denki was cooking dinner.

What was wrong? Denki had been doing so well, his therapist even said so. He almost doesn’t ever want to be separated from Naoki and Kazumi, he’s so good now! What could Hitoshi need to talk about? Had it been too much? Did all the extra responsibilities he’d needed to take on when Denki was…sick, become too much?

“Will you stop spiralling please? I’m not leaving you” Hitoshi says as he lays a now sleeping Naoki in his bed.

Hitoshi grabs his hand and leads Denki into their bedroom.

“We’re okay, but I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to say”

“A wonderful thing to say to someone with anxiety”

“Sorry. I just- I don’t think we should have more kids”

Denki can’t really describe what he feels in that moment. Hurt? Anger? Disappointment? All of it?

He lets go of Hitoshi’s hand.

“What?”

Hitoshi sits on the bed and runs his hand over his face.

“I don’t want you to go through what you just went through ever again. I don’t want to ever see you like that again”

Denki feels like they’ve had this conversation before.

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t think you and pregnancy mix”

Okay, that hurt. He loved kids, he loved being pregnant, the feeling of creating a life? There was no feeling that compared, and he wanted to do it again, at least a couple more times, he wants the big family he or Hitoshi ever had.

“It’s not just this last time with Naoki, but I didn’t even recognise the person you became after the miscarriage-“ Hitoshi pauses and takes a wavering breath.

“And then with Kazumi you didn’t even feel like you could talk to me, you reached out to your mom, the most vile human we know - and that’s saying something Denki”

“You can’t decide this for me, Hito!”

Denki doesn’t know when he started crying, but salty tears trail down his cheeks.

“I know! I know! But I can sit in silence on this either”

There’s an uncomfortable silence as Denki tries to process the emotions coursing through him.

“Please, baby, I can’t go through seeing you like that again, and what about you? Have you forgotten how miserable you were?” Hitoshi snaps, but there’s tears streaming down his face too.

“You don’t remember waking me up at 4am and begging me to let you die?”

Denki’s face falls. He didn’t remember that.

“I just- promise me you’ll think about what I said” Hitoshi asks. Denki nods.

So he does. He thinks about it a lot. He thinks about the void he felt like he was falling in, never even nearing close to the bottom. He thinks about how he feels like he was just given a one year old baby, because he didn’t get the chance to properly watch him grow.

He thinks about how Hitoshi must have felt, not knowing how their family would get through this, just trying to hold them together.

He watches as his kids run around the living room, well, Kazumi runs around the living room and Naoki nearly falls over trying to keep up.

Denki loves his kids. Overwhelmingly so.

They’re enough. Hitoshi is enough.

Having more pups is nothing if it’s an experience his own partner couldn’t enjoy it with him.

Hitoshi walks in, and quickly avoids eye contact with Denki.

He sighs, and wraps his arms around his alpha.

“I’ll do it. The- the no more kids.”

“Denki-“

“Babe, having a family is something we’re supposed to do together. If we’re not a united front on the idea of having more kids, we’re not having more kids. Okay?”

“I’m sorry I had to ask-“

“Hito, please, I understand”

“I love you” his husband whispers.

“I love you too, so much. My strong, brave alpha, who has done nothing but support me. How could I not love you”

“Pulling at my heartstrings there babe” Hitoshi jokes.

It’s the first time they’ve felt so…unburdened. With Denki’s recovery going well, the fear of it happening again now abated, they could finally just breathe, and enjoy the time they had with their kids.

Because they both knew peace like this didn’t last long, and in another six months, their lives would be just as chaotic as it had been.

Chapter Text

Life gets intense - busy, so very busy. With Katsuki out of the field on maternity leave, and Izuku limiting his time in the field because he has needy twins, criminal activity booms and Denki and Hitoshi barely see each other. Denki works all day, Hitoshi is gone by the time he gets home. Hitoshi works all night, and Denki is passed out when he gets home, sandwiched in the bed by their two pups.

So it doesn’t come as a shock when Denki realises they missed it. Hitoshi always knew when Denki was pregnant, because he could smell it on him. But they’d only had 10 minutes to themselves in the past week alone and they were both too tired to even pretend to hold a conversation.

Denki’s stomach drops as he looks at the test. He should be happy. He should be over the moon, but Hitoshi’s words echo in his head.

The alpha didn’t want another baby. And Denki had agreed to it. And now- now what was he going to do?

He sighs, and starts with scent blockers, he always has some handy for when he’s in pre-heat. Many alphas didn’t find the scent of a mated omega in heat alluring. Some alphas  didn’t care.

Denki paces in his bathroom, what the fuck was he going to do? What could he do?

He’d gotten pregnant again, when they’d agreed not to. Should he get an abortion?

His mood sours. Just because he’d agreed with Hitoshi that they wouldn’t have any more babies, doesn’t mean he didn’t want them. He’d always, always dreamed of having 4 kids.

But it wasn’t just about him.

It was about Hitoshi. Their two kids.

“Dad! I’m hungry!” Kazumi yells, and Denki shakes himself out of his trance. Right. Deal with the kids he does have, then freak out about this one. He heads out to the kitchen, and makes Kazumi a sandwich and sets one down in front of Naoki too.

As his kids are munching away on their snacks, he makes a mental note to reach out to Katsuki and ask for his advice. He’d probably say some shit like “you’re overthinking it again Dunce Face”

The door swings open, as Hitoshi walks into the apartment.

“Papi!” The pups call out, and run and grab onto their fathers legs.

“Hi Honey, you’re home early” he says, and plants a kiss on his alpha’s lips as he walks through the kitchen.

“Yeah, I got a couple of the sidekicks to cover the shift. I miss my family” he says, and leans in for another kiss, then pauses.

“You smell weird”

Shit.

It’s fine, just play dumb.

“Weird how?”

“Just, muted”

‘Play it cool Denki, for once in your life just play it fucking cool’

“Uh, I’m trying a new brand of contraception, it might be messing with my scent”

Hitoshi hums, and scoops up the kids, laying them on the couch while he picked out a movie to watch. Denki cleans up the kitchen, then snuggles up next to his alpha, as their family spends some actual time together for the first time in weeks.

Hitoshi puts the pups to bed that night, reading them bedtime stories, while Denki lays in bed, a hand mindlessly rubbing against his flat stomach.

Hitoshi walks into their bedroom and shuts the door behind him.

“It was nice to have you home for a change”

“It was nice to be home. I’m thinking of switching my roster, maybe working the same hours as you” Hitoshi says, as he sits on the bed.

“An underground hero in the day?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t be an underground hero anymore”

Oh, Denki would really like that. Actually getting up at the same time as Hitoshi, not having to try and keep himself and the kids quiet throughout the day while he sleeps? Actually get to spend more time together. Uh, yeah, sign him up.

“Is this yours?” Hitoshi asks.

Denki looks at him, and his heart sinks. It was the pregnancy test. Fuck, he hadn’t actually left it out had he?

He sits up in the bed.

“I- uh, its- um” he stammers, before bursting into tears.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright-“

“No it’s not! You begged me not to get pregnant again, and I promised I wouldn’t and now-“

“Denki, look at me,” Hitoshi says firmly. “It’s not like you poked holes in the condoms, right?”

Denki’s eyes go wide.

“No! No I would never do that to you Alpha!” Denki whines, and Hitoshi brings the omega into his arms.

“Baby, calm down. I’m not accusing you of anything. These things happen”

“I can get an abortion” he mumbles.

“If that’s really what you want, but Denki, it was never about not having more kids, it was just about keeping you healthy”

“Let’s just, lets think about it”

Only, they don’t really. The kids have assignments they need help with, Hitoshi still has work, so does Denki, but he feigns injury and decides to help in the command centre instead. Life is too busy to think about what they’re gonna do about the pregnancy, which makes the omega think maybe that means they’re too busy for a third pup.

But then, Izuku and Shouto are worlds busier than they are, and not only do they have four kids, but twins at that. If the number one and number three can make it work, surely the number 7 and notorious underground hero can.

Denki has just put the pups down for the night, both of the kids snoring away as he creeps down the stairs, joining his alpha on the couch, slipping into his warm embrace.

They haven’t had a chance to talk, and they’re both just so tired, but Denki is all too aware that this isn’t just something they can ignore until it goes away.

He finally musters up the courage to say something when there’s a loud knock on the door.

They share a look, it was late, they weren’t expecting any body, who would be at their door.

Denki opens it, and Katsuki stands infront of him, dark circles under his red puffy eyes, he shrinks in on himself, and Denki doesn’t know if he’s ever seen his friend like this.

“I- I- I lost the baby” he sobs.

Denki’s heart breaks for him. He knows that kind of pain, and he’d never wish it on anybody.

“Oh, Katsuki”

Denki brings him into his nest, as Katsuki’s cries into his chest, muttering about how it wasn’t fair, how was he going to recover from this? It reminds Denki of a time long forgotten, and he hopes Katsuki doesn’t repeat his own mistakes.

Eijirou arrives, and he looks about as shocking as Katsuki does. Red eyed, puffy cheeks, his hair is flat, pulled back in a messy half bun. They eventually go to their home, and Denki feels terrible. He stays in the nest, curling in on himself.

Hitoshi lays next to him, and the omega curls into his waiting embrace.

“Brings up bad memories, doesn’t it?” He sighs. Denki only nods.

“Do- do you ever think about who they might have been? Our first?” He asks softly, he sounds a little nervous.

Denki takes a moment, thinking back on his life the past few years. Since he had Kazumi, he didn’t really think much about it, it was a thought that was on the back of his mind when he was pregnant with Naoki, in the early days. But he doesn’t think about how life would be if their first had made it. Katsuki’s drilled it into him by now, “what good is fixating on shit you can’t control?”

Denki shakes his head.

“Do you?”

Hitoshi nods.

Denki shuffles even closer to his alpha.

“You can’t torture yourself like that, Hito”

They don’t say anything for a while, they just lay together, and slowly Hitoshi’s hand lays on Denki’s stomach.

“I know we haven’t talked much about it, and it’s not just up to me, but I want this one, Hito. I really want them” he whispers, allowing himself to really acknowledge how he feels.  

He doesn’t care if they’re too busy, they’ll make it work, they always do.

Hitoshi’s silent, and for a moment Denki’s worried they’re not on the same page about this. Hitoshi had said their little deal wasn’t about anything other than Denki’s health, but what if Hitoshi’s concern outweighs everything else?

But when Denki looks up at his alpha, and sees him smiling, those fears dissipate almost as quickly as they appeared.

“I do too. It’s like I said, it’s not about not wanting more-“

“I’ll be good this time, I promise. I won’t make you worry”

“It’s not like you did anything wrong in the first place, Denki. We’ll make sure you’re better supported this time, I’ll take leave so you’re not alone,”

“No you don’t have to-“

“Denki, baby, let me do this. Our pups are crazy, and I want to be around more anyway. I was gonna cut my hours even if you didn’t get pregnant”

“But what about money-“

“It’ll be paid leave, plus, we have plenty of it. I’m not arguing with you. I’ll be here, no questions asked.”

And that promise makes Denki feel warm inside, until he realises that he’s going to have to formally request time off work, which means rubbing salt in the fresh wound that is Katsuki and Eijirou’s loss.

Denki looks around the office, taking in the pictures on the walls, the family photo of his boss, his bosses husband and their two pups.

“Denki, you know how Eijirou and I split up the responsibilities. You need to take your request to him”

Denki had been afraid that’d be his answer.

“Tamaki, please, can’t you pull some strings? Eijirou isn’t even back from his leave yet, I don’t want the first thing he has to do when he gets back is process my desk duty and maternity leave claims. They just had a miscarriage”

Tamaki sighs.

“You’re right. I’ll approve your desk duty claim but your maternity leave has to go through him. HR doesn’t accept anyone else’s signatures but Eijirou’s”

That was fine. There was plenty of time between now and maternity leave.

Maybe by then, it wouldn’t hurt so much, maybe Katsuki would be pregnant again by the time they need to cross that bridge.

Fuck, Denki feels awful for them, and now he’s pregnant, and ever so limiting his time with the omega, which is probably the last thing he needs but anyday he’ll start to show, and Denki remembers how awful it felt to watch Izuku enjoy being pregnant while Denki’s womb remained empty. He remembers the jealously, and how that jealously made him feel dirty, because it wasn’t Izuku’s fault. He remembers the pain of knowing they had something he desperately wanted. He doesn’t want to put Katsuki through that. And Denki was usually pretty good at handling his emotions, while Katsuki is famous for burying them until he’s drowning in it.

Denki sighs as he heads back to his desk. How the fuck was he meant to manage this?

It was nice, having Hitoshi home so often, and at normal hours of the day. He wakes up on the morning of their first appointment to find: 1. The kids lunches packed, 2. The kids, dressed in their school uniforms, hair and teeth brushed and 3. Breakfast, waiting for him at the table.

The pups are settled, chewing their rice silently.

“Did I wake up in an alternate reality?” Denki jokes quietly.

While he doesn’t view his ADHD, or his kids ADHD as anything that’s bad or needs to be changed, he does sometimes wish for a modicum of peace in the mornings, when Denki has to keep on top of his own mind running a million miles an hour, as well as his little ones.

“You’d be miserable in an alternate reality, Hitoshi says softly in his ear, and then kisses his temple.

The morning runs smoothly, Izuku picks up the pups while Denki gets ready for the appointment, which also runs smoothly.

Pup’s growing nicely for just 7 weeks gone, heartbeat is strong, and Denki is surprisingly confident about this one.

When he’d been pregnant with Kazumi, he’d been terrified he’d have a miscarriage at the drop of a hat, and with Naoki it had also been a fear, but even with his own experience, Katsuki’s recent one, he just has a really good feeling about this pregnancy, which makes the guilt pool in his stomach even more. His best friend has been destroyed, but here he is, happy and excited. And he knows the two feelings exist at once, but it doesn’t make it easier.

He settles into the “Hitoshi’s home in the mornings” routine very quickly, and the weekends are even nicer. Sleep ins, with his alpha, who always has a large hand splayed across his lower abdomen. But this morning, something was different, something was off. He gets out of bed and walks into their bathroom, staring stares at himself in the mirror, side on and pulling his shirt tight. He was showing. Which was a good thing, meant their pup was growing well, but he also felt incredibly guilty, like he couldn’t celebrate this while his best friend was still so broken. He sighs, if this was how it was going to be when he reached a new milestone, he was in for a long pregnancy.

He’s happy he’s showing, he’s happy he’s pregnant, he actually loved being pregnant, bringing his pups into the world, but he also knows Katsuki’s still crying himself to sleep almost every night, he knows Eijirou does the same. His boss is always sporting deep purple circles under his eyes, rivalling that of Denki’s own alpha, he isolates himself in his office, which is so wildly out of character for Eijirou.

Denki wishes he could do more for them, but he doesn’t feel like he can be there for Katsuki and be pregnant at the same time.

“You can’t feel guilty about this. Katsuki and Eijirou expect nothing from you and you know that” Hitoshi says as he wanders into the bathroom, splaying a palm over the bump, smiling when he realises it was actually there.

“I know, but I can’t help it. You remember how miserable I was when Izuku was pregnant with Ichiro. I don’t want Katsuki to feel like that, but I don’t want to abandon him either”

“You haven’t abandoned him, you’re being considerate, he doesn’t want company right now anyway, and we take Katsuro whenever they need us to” Hitoshi reasons, and Denki nods. He was right.

They were still supporting him, in the ways he wanted them to, and that’s all that mattered.

It’s Denki and Hitoshi’s date night, probably the last one for a little while. Kazumi and Naoki were with Eri, his sister-in-law sending updates every hour on his now sleeping pups.

They had planned to go out for dinner, but while basking in the rare silence of their apartment, they decided to stay in, watch adult movies on their couch without a single interruption.

They’d just had their eighteen week appointment, and all their tests came back clear, they were going to have a healthy baby, but Denki could sense something eating away at Hitoshi.

“Talk to me” Denki says when the movie finishes, and cuddles up to his alpha.

“Well I thought the plot twist at the end was cheap-“

“Hito,” Denki presses. “What’s on your mind?”

His alpha pauses for a moment, and looks out the window before turning his attention to Denki.

“It can wait-“

“No, no you don’t ever let me get away with that” Denki interjects, and Hitoshi sighs.

“It’s just, I’m worried you’re fixating too much on what Katsuki lost, rather than what we’re about to have”

Denki furrows his brows.

“Excuse me? My friend is destroyed over his loss, I am allowed to feel that sorrow with him, even if it from a distance”

“At what cost? We can’t go through post-partum again-“

“We don’t have any control over that!”

“Which is why I didn’t want to do this again!” Hitoshi yells, then clasps a hand over his mouth when he realises what he said.

Denki’s heart sinks and his blood boils. He said it’d be okay! Why is he going back on that now?

“Are you kidding me? I gave you every opportunity to tell me how you really felt about this-“

“No, no Denki that isn’t how I-“

“I was prepared to terminate, because we made an agreement, and now-“

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Then what did you mean?” Denki presses.

“I just meant, if you get too caught up in the negative circumstances of Katsuki’s situation- just, what if that opens the door for PPD again?”

“If I don’t allow myself to feel an emotion because it might be negative…that will open the door for PPD.” Denki starts, and grabs Hitoshi’s hands.

“We’re ticking off all the boxes this time. I’ve been seeing my therapist regularly, you’ve been seeing yours, Eri is on standby for babysitting duty whenever we need her, they don’t call her the nanny hero for nothing”

Hitoshi chuckles.

“We’re the only ones who call her the nanny hero”

“The point is, Hito, I’m in control now. In ways I never was before. That’s the key. I’m able to feel empathy for my friend and feel joy for us at the same time and not fall apart”

Hitoshi seems to visibly relax, and Denki snuggles up to him.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you when you just trying to express your concern” he says

“And I’m sorry I didn’t express it well enough”

Denki tightens his hold on his alpha. He’d had no idea Hitoshi was feeling this way, but of course, it made sense. Hitoshi was the one who had to hold their family together when Denki wasn’t well, and it’s not something he wants to do again. He sighs and breaks away from the hug.

“I’ll tell Eijirou tomorrow, but, let me wait until after Katsuki’s birthday to tell him? With his and Katsuro’s so close togather, I don’t want this,” he pauses and motions to the bump between them “to be the only thing he focuses on”

“Hey, you tell them whenever you’re ready. Just make sure you’re taking care of yourself and the pup as much as you’re taking care of them”

Denki goes to respond, but he’s interrupted by an odd but familiar sensation in his abdomen. His baby was kicking.

The pup had been active for a while, but strong kicks like this was a first.

He grins and looks up at his alpha.

“The baby’s kicking”

“Little tyke agrees with me then”

The next morning, Denki bounces his leg up and down as he sits in Eijirou’s office, avoiding eye contact and fiddling with the hem of his oversized jumper.

He’d been so confident that he’d finally tell at least Eijirou today, but now he just wants to run away and hide in his nest.

“What can I help you with today Denki?” Eijirou asks, and Denki sucks in a harsh breath, then bursts into tears.

Fuck, he didn’t want to do this. He knew what it was like, he knew the torture of having to watch friends get pregnant after a miscarriage. After his own, after watching Izuku get everything Denki wanted, he swore he’d never do that to another person. As if he had any control over that.

And now, here he is, in front of his grieving friend, about to say “hey look, I’m pregnant, be happy for me!”

“Whoa, D, is everything okay?”

“You’re gonna hate me” Denki sobs.

“I could never hate you. Come on, what’s wrong?”

“I just- I know what its like to deal with miscarriage and h-how devastating it is to have your friends-“

“Denki, are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant?” Eijirou asks

Denki sobs harder and nods.

“Come on now, you’re supposed to be happy about this. Aren’t you happy?”

Denki nods again.

“But- but you- But you and Katsuki-“

“Aren’t trying again. It was only ever supposed to be Katsuro anyway. She was just a welcomed accident. Besides , you shouldn’t have been making yourself so upset because of us .”

“Y-you don’t hate me?”

“Hate you? No. You’re giving us another niece or nephew to spoil. Now, when do you need to go on maternity leave”

“Sort of, right now”

“Right now?! How far along are you?”

“18 weeks”

“18 weeks?! Why did you not say anything sooner?”

“I went to Tamaki first, he- I just- I didn’t want the first thing you needed to do when you came back was deal with your pregnant best friend.”

“I appreciate that, but you really didn’t need to hide it”

They hug it out, but Denki decides to take the rest of the afternoon and cry as the guilt consumes him.

He should’ve expected Eijirou to spill the beans after his maternity request was approved, but instead, he stands at his door, shocked as Katsuki stands on the other side.

Shit, he’d gotten so thin. It was jarring to see.

They spend the night talking about pups and pregnancy and miscarriage, and dumb hero politics, it feels normal, but at the same time…Denki can see it plastered on his face.

Ugly, festering jealousy.

Denki’s not even sure if Katsuki realises it yet, but he’s all too familiar, he understands the desperation that can follow a miscarriage, and he sees it in his friend.

Exactly what he had hoped to avoid.

Denki lays on the hospital bed at his OBGYN’s office, which was also Katsuki’s OBGYN. Denki had been happy with the one he had with Kazumi, but when he’d gotten pregnant with Naoki, Katsuki had told him to see his OB, and Denki liked her a lot more.

“10 little fingers, 10 little toes, ready for the gender?” Sayuri asks

“Yes” Hitoshi says, but Denki’s heart sinks a little. Did he want to know? He found out with both his other pups, and it was nice to be prepared, but he’d always heard stories about people waiting and finding out at the birth and then-

“You’re having a-“

“Wait! I don’t want to know!” Denki blurts out.

“What?” Hitoshi asks.

“That’s okay. I can tell Shinsou-san in private” Sayuri says softly, and starts to put the doppler away.

“I- I just thought that maybe, since this ones the last one, maybe they could be a surprise?” Denki says, and Hitoshi smiles at him.

“I think that’s a great idea”

“I have good news for you babe” Hitoshi announces as he walks in the door, and walks over to kiss Denki, placing a hand on the bump, before taking Naoki into his arms. The little boy giggles as his father lifts him into the air.

“Dad’s retiring, and UA offered me a job teaching”

Denki’s heartbeat accelerates, Hitoshi, home at night? Home in the afternoons? Being able to actually be with the kids?

“That’s great news!” He grins.

“I’ll start when the school year starts in April, plenty of time to get this little one settled” he says, and taps the bump again.

“Are you sure you want to teach, Hito?” Denki asks.

“I want to actually spend time with my family-“

“But if you’re not happy at work-“

“I want to teach, Denki, you’re not forcing me into a job I don’t want. I promise you.”

Denki was having a lot of insecurities about being responsible for his alpha’s tumultuous run with his job lately, and it worsened as the pregnancy progressed, and Hitoshi was home more often than he was working.

“But-“

“Baby, Kazumi took her first steps when I was at work. Naoki said his first words when I was on patrol. I’m sick of missing everything and I’m sick of leaving you to deal with the pups and get them ready for school while I recover from patrol” Hitoshi rants.

“We were supposed to have a family together, but I feel like all the burden is on you. I don’t want that, and this baby,” he says, and places his hand on Denki’s protruding stomach “has given me a chance to fix that”

Denki’s heart breaks at the thought of his Alpha not thinking he’s enough. While he loved having Hitoshi home and helping out more, it didn’t mean he was miserable in their old routine - that was just work-life balance.

“Hito-“

“I’m taking the job for me. For our pups. Okay?”

Denki knows better than to push, so he simply nods, and kisses his alpha on the cheek.

“I think Katsuki’s pregnant” Denki says to Hitoshi as they prepare the pups breakfasts and Kazumi’s lunch for school.

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a feeling. I went to pick up Katsuro for the school run last week and Katsuki barely said two words to me, Katsuro told me he’s been sick a lot, Eijirou seems really sad-“

“That’s all things that happen when grieving too” Hitoshi says.

“He doesn’t look at me like I’ve stolen one of his prized possessions anymore”

“Maybe he’s just starting to adjust to the fact that he’s not going to have a baby. She would’ve been here by now, wouldn’t she?”

Denki pauses.

He’s right.

But he can’t shake it. And the waft of chocolate coated caramel that drowns their apartment when he goes to pick up Katsuro, how he looks like a shell of person, hallow cheeks and pale skin, the way he looks when he’s pregnant because it knocks him around so much.

“Was I better by the time our first would’ve been here?”

Hitoshi purses his lips.

“Good point. Well we’ll ask them at the party next week”

Denki bites his tongue. He doesn’t think there’d be any point in asking Eijirou.

When they had officially announced Katsuki was pregnant with Katsuro, Denki played the role of a good fucking friend, and pretended that was entirely new information to him.

He never told anyone what Katsuki had originally planned - without so much as telling his alpha.

If Denki were to guess, Eijirou wouldn’t be told about the pregnancy until Katsuki was sure they wouldn’t have another miscarriage.

And his suspicions had been right. And it made him furious. He knew Katsuki was insecure, and there wasn’t any malicious intent behind the secret, but Eijirou still needed to know! Not only was it also his fucking pup, but what if something went wrong? Not all miscarriages passed through easily, they were just as dangerous as anything else. What if something happened and Katsuki got sick and Eijirou never knew why? It’s not often his friend is so dumb. On top of all that, Katsuki and pregnancy were not a good combination, and Katsuki always needed more support than ever. Where was he getting it now? The therapist he hasn’t seen in 6 years?

All of Denki’s intense feelings come to a head when the omega corners Katsuki in the bathroom, and calls him names he doesn’t mean.

Was Katsuki really cruel? He was shouldering so much burden just to try to protect his alpha. If the situation wasn’t so fucked up, it’d almost be admirable.

Denki wants to apologise as soon as he says the words, but he also knows if he doesn’t, it’ll force Katsuki to actually think about his actions, because it’s not often Denki’s the one to call him out on his shit.

But that doesn’t mean he feels good about what just happened. He heads out to the courtyard, to just get a moment to himself.

Hitoshi comes out and joins him.

“Eijirou knows”

Denki’s heart sinks. Eijirou knew? So Katsuki had told him, and he just let Denki yell at him?

“Poor dude had to find out from the nurse at the hospital the other week, Katsuki hasn’t even told him”

And suddenly the anger returns, filling his lungs.

It wasn’t fair for anyone to go through their partner keeping a secret as big as this, but an Alpha as kindhearted as Eijirou? Who has always put Katsuki first? No, that’s not okay. Denki stands and moves to head back inside and yell at his friend some more.

Hitoshi grabs his arm.

“Babe, that’s the last thing he needs. Have you seen him? He’s pale, he looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. I don’t think anyone could beat him up anymore than he’s already doing himself”

There’s a beat of silence, as Denki tries to find the find the reason behind his alphas words.

“Come on now, I shouldn’t have to remind you to put yourself in his shoes”

That breaks him, a little bit.

When he’d pregnant after the miscarriage, he’d been terrified to lose Kazumi, not just because she was his pup and he wanted her to live, but because their first loss destroyed the both them, and they lost each other somewhere along the way.

Denki had tried to keep Hitoshi from getting attached to Kazumi when she was still in the womb, as if it would save him from the same hurt.

While that’s wildly different to what Katsuki’s doing now, it’d hadn’t been Denki to first realise he was pregnant with Kazumi. It was Hitoshi.

If the alpha hadn’t smelled pregnancy on him, would Denki have followed Katsuki’s path?

“Let’s just go home Hito”

When they arrive at Eri’s apartment, all four Todoroki pups are fast asleep, Eshima and Kazumi cling so tightly to one another Denki wonders if it might be child abuse to separate them, and Naoki is in Eri’s arms, eyes drooping. Denki chuckles, and takes his baby into his embrace, brushes the pup’s mop of purple hair from his eyes.

“You just just missed Katsuki, he picked up Katsuro probably 10 minutes ago” Eri says.

The words are innocent enough, but a wave of guilt swallows him again.

From there, Katsuki and Denki only see each other in passing. For the school runs in the morning, dropping off the pups in the afternoon. They’re both avoiding each other. Denki was struggling with the guilt for lashing out at Katsuki when it was really the last thing he needed, and the anger and hurt he felt for Eijirou, who was being left in the dark about something so crucial. But even though Denki thought Eijirou should know, he wouldn’t rob Katsuki of the responsibility of telling him.

The next time Denki properly sees Katsuki, he’s in Labour. The contractions had gotten worse since Kazumi had gone to school, and Denki was starting to panic about what he would do with Naoki if he had to go to hospital. Sure Shouta and Hizashi would take him in a heartbeat, or Eri. Knowing her, she’s been waiting by phone, anticipating the moment for weeks. His little baby isn’t early, per se, he’s just been busy, and the due date had crept up on him.

A knock on the door pulls him from his thoughts, and Katsuki walks in. The other omega makes himself and Denki tea, he plays with Noaki a little, and they make small talk, which Katsuki always hates,

Denki hadn’t noticed this morning, but Katsuki was wearing tighter shirts than he had been a few weeks ago, announcing to the world that he was pregnant. Does that mean he’d finally told Eijirou?

“Yeah, last week” Katsuki huffs “he knew anyway”

Yeah, Denki had known that.

“I- I wanted to apologise for that night. I was out of line when I said those things, and-“

“I needed to hear them. I wasn’t doing anyone any favours, and I actually did tell him that night, I just hoped he’d be too drunk to remember”

“Well, regardless, I remember what being pregnant after a miscarriage. I went a different way about it but I too tried to stop Hitoshi from getting too attached, save him from the heartache.”

Katsuki nods, he remembers the early days of Denki’s pregnancy with Kazumi, how nervous the omega had been, scared he was going to lose her too.

“So, if Hitoshi hadn’t figured it out before me I might’ve-“ he cuts himself off and hisses, as a contraction rips through him, worse than the ones before.

“Okay, lets get you to a hospital” Katsuki grunts, and Denki’s heart sinks a little bit.

He doesn’t want to do this yet. He’s not ready.

Denki thinks his alpha may have been right, he spent too much time being caught up with Katsuki’s situation, that he forgot to enjoy being pregnant himself.

He just wants his little pup to stay put, just a couple weeks longer, so he can bask in it a bit more. This will probably be his last one, considering this pregnancy was an accident, and they’d agreed not to have more after Naoki anyway.

“Hey, quit freaking out. It’s nothing you haven’t done before” Katsuki says, and lifts Naoki into his arms.

Hitoshi bursts into the room as Denki’s mid contraction, squeezing Katsuki’s hand, while the other omega also tends to Denki’s young pup.

His alpha had been teaching that day, getting used to what would be his new workplace and the students. He hadn’t wanted to go, but Denki had said it would be fine. Of course it wouldn’t be.

Hitoshi takes his son into his arms, and the whimpering pup calms instantly, but it’s not long before Naoki is back in Katsuki’s arms, and Hitoshi helps the omega through another contraction.

“I think you’re getting close to go time. We’d better go” Katsuki says.

“Wait- the kids-“

“Will stay with us. They’ll all wear each other out and Sensei’s can pick them up in the morning”

“You know they’re not your sensei’s anymore, you can call them-“

“Shut Up Brainfuck!”

When they’re alone, Denki breaks down.

“Hito, you were right. I forgot to enjoy it” Denki sobs.

“Hey, hey, you were being a good and caring friend. That’s all”

“But- But this is the last time and- and I forgot to enjoy it”

Hitoshi cradles the omega against his chest and runs his fingers through Denki’s hair.

“You forgot to enjoy the nausea, the back aches, the near constant fear of post partum, the constipation, the mood swings, the ankles so swollen you couldn’t physically stand on them-“

Denki knows he’s fallen for Hito’s rouse, but he’s fine with it.

“Okay, okay, just get him out then!”

“See, you agree! Shinsou’s make men!”

It’s another 12 hours until they hold their little pup, bright yellow eyes look up at Denki, and oh the omega is in love.

“Hi little one” he coos, and the baby stirs

“She’s perfect” Hitoshi whispers.

“You’ve said that about all our kids”

“All our kids have been perfect” Hitoshi says softly as he strokes his daughters cheek.

“I think she looks like an Akari” Hitoshi says, and Denki’s heart skips a beat.

“I love it. I love her and I love you”

Chapter Text

Denki’s life until now had never been fun.

His father up and left he and his mother before he was born, and his mother was nothing to write home about.

She was a socialite, so appearances meant everything to her.

Having a son with ADHD didn’t help that appearance.

Nor did having an omega son.

Who was in love with a man.

His mother had had hope, when Denki had told her about his crush on Jirou – not that she would have allowed him to end up with Jirou unless she had wealth or status, but at least there was interest in girls.

Until he met Hitoshi.

As soon as he rocked up to the 1-A and 1-B joint training sessions, declaring he wasn’t going to make friends, Denki knew he was gone.

That was a year and a half ago, and despite the alpha’s stoic demeanour, Denki loves him, and wants to spend the rest of his life with Hitoshi, if he wants him back.

Of course, that hadn’t gone down well when he told his mother.

She’d thrown things at him, shouted homophobic slurs at him, and told him he was no longer her son and she never wanted to see him again.

But with all that, there was still a weight lifted off his shoulders.

He still had a home at the UA dorms, he had his friends, he had Hito.

And he didn’t have to worry about what his mother would say about all that now.

“Aw man, I’m gonna miss you guys over the summer” Kirishima groans, when they’re all hanging out in the common room one weekend afternoon.

“Maybe we should hang out like once a week on break?” Mina suggests.

“Hard pass. I already spend enough time with you nerds” Katsuki scoffs.

“Don’t be mean Bakugou” Jirou sighs.

“It’s not mean! It’s true!”

Bakugou and Jirou go back and forth, but Denki stays silent, internally panicking.

Fuck.

Summer.

What the hell was he going to do? He didn’t have a home to go back to.

He’d managed to siphon a decent amount from his trust fund before his mother cut him off – maybe he could get a short term lease or stay in a hotel for a few weeks.

But –

He’s still a minor. And disowned isn’t the same as emancipated.

A hand squeezes his knee.

He looks over, and sees Hitoshi’s concerned face.

“Are you alright?” he whispers

“uh-huh” he mumbles, nodding his head.

He can tell Hitoshi doesn’t believe him, but he doesn’t push.

The weeks tick by, and Denki is no more for prepared for the break.

His friends have picked up on his distress.

“Denki, what are your plans for summer?” Mina asks, trying to lighten the mood.

But instead, Denki bursts into tears.

All the stress and tension he’s been holding in these past few weeks bubble to the surface, and he can’t keep hiding it anymore.

“Denki?” Mina shrieks in surprise, and rushes to his side,

Hitoshi takes his hand, and all the rest of the Bakusquad crowd him.

“Come on man, what’s wrong?” Kirishima asks.

“I- I don’t have any summer plans”

“That’s it? You’re crying because you have no friends – ow what the fuck shitty hair?” Bakugou holds his ribs where Kirishima just elbowed him.

“No I mean – my mom kicked me out. I don’t have anywhere to go”

Bakugou’s face softens, and that makes Denki feel even worse because he knows its bad when Bakugou of all people feel pity for him.

“What?”

“What do you mean she kicked you out?”

“Where are you going to go?”

“Does Sensei know?”

“Are you going to go into foster care?”

“Enough” Hitoshi growls, and brings Denki into his arms, shielding him.

“He stays with me. Always”

There’s a beat of silence, as Hitoshi scents the omega, driftwood and sage settling over the room.

“Come on, lets go talk to my Dads, they’ll know what to do. I won’t let anyone take you from me”

Eraserhead scowls as they recount the situation, Present Mic wears a similar expression.

“Of course, you’re welcome to stay with us Kaminari, we’re heading back to our main residence in Tokyo for the break, but we’ll get a spare room set up for you” Yamada smiles.

“Kaminari, I hope you know that I have to report this. It’s my duty of care to alert child services. They might turn a blind eye because you’re only a year shy of 18, and most of that time you’ll be here in the dorms.”

So that’s how he came to be at the Yamada-Aizawa household for the whole six weeks of summer break.

Their apartment was far nicer than the residential quarters they lives in in the dorms, if Denki hadn’t seen firsthand how dedicated Aizawa-Sensei was to his students, Denki would wonder why they’d ever leave.

Hitoshi and Denki were forbidden from being in either of their bedrooms with the doors closed, or from sleeping in the same bed.

Something tells them Aizawa is not as tuned in to what goes on in the dorms as he thinks.

Things are going perfectly – Denki and Hitoshi are spending each day together, further developing their relationship, they’re going on dates, spending time with Hitoshi’s little sister Eri.

Their friends are in the group chat teasing them about their slice of domesticity.

But it all crumbles just two weeks in.

“I understand there’s a runaway living in this apartment” a social worker says from the doorway.

“I’m not a runaway! My mother disowned me because I’m in a homosexual relationship.”

“Either way, we can’t have a minor living without parental supervision unless he’s emancipated”

“Let’s take this somewhere private, so we might be better placed to work something out” Aizawa says, and leads the social workers and Yamada into the home office.

“No, I won’t let them take you. You’re mine. You belong here” Hitoshi growls.

“I don’t think we get a say in this”

“Can I bite you? They can’t separate us if we’re bonded”

Denki’s heart skips a beat.

Bonding?

Oh, he wants it so bad. To spend everyday with his alpha, fight side by side, get married, have babies.

But now? He thought this was years away.

“Hito, you really want it to happen this way?”

“Of course not. But they’re forcing my hand. Get off your suppressants, spurn a heat. We need to do this”

“But- but- Where is the love Hito? I want to do this because we love each other” Denki shouts, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

“What do you think this is Denks? I can’t lose you because I love you. You ever seen me this desperate for anything? No. I’m scared they’re going to take you. I know this is years early and not at all the way we should do this, but please let me make it up to you in the years we will have after this! Time we won’t get if they take you away”

“You do love me? You want this because you love me?”

“Denki” Hitoshi sighs, exasperated.

“Hito you know me, I need to hear it. I need to hear you say it otherwise I spend the rest of my life wondering if this was something you really wanted!”

Hitoshi’s fierce gaze softens, and he places either hand on Denki’s cheeks, wiping his tears away.

“Kaminari Denki, I am doing this because I love you. Because I like who I have become with you, because I like who you have become with me. We make each other stronger. And I don’t want either of us to lose that.

So please, let me claim you, let me protect you”

“Okay Hito”

Denki had been allowed to stay put for a couple of weeks, and child services would review the case.

So later that week, they tell Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei that they’re going to spend a weekend with the Baku-Squad, that they’re all meeting up and going camping.

Denki feels bad for lying, but it was Hitoshi’s idea.

Instead, they go to a hotel, and their friends meet them in the lobby.

So, it wasn’t a total lie, meeting up with everyone.

They get to the room, and start ruffling through their backpacks.

Bakugou gives him some of his Punisher t-shirts, some smell like the Chai latte scent he gets when he’s about to go into heat, others smell like his usual Chai and Gingernut.

Kirishima gives him a pillow case that must’ve been recently scented during a rut, because the tobacco and vanilla heavily outweigh his comforting spearmint.

Mina gives him Mango and Peach scarves, Sero passes over a pepper and chilli scented sweater, Jirou gives him her jacket which smells like Leather and Rosemary.

“I expect that back, so like, don’t be too gross on it” she mutters.

“Are you sure this is the best idea?” Sero asks.

“How else are they gonna stop the social workers? It’s illegal to separate happy bonded couples. This all they can do” Bakugou says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Denki collects his items, rips the sheets off the bed, and starts to work on a makeshift nest.

“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. But I need you all to leave now. This heats coming on fast, and I need to get this done”

They all say their goodbyes, and Denki and Hitoshi focus on the nest.

It doesn’t take long for the heat to settle in, Denki is flush and feverish. Hitoshi is also in a rut, but he’s surprisingly level-headed, as if his alpha knows what’s at stake.

“Do it now, Alpha”

Hitoshi pulls him in close.

“I am so sorry it has to be like this. I will make up for it. I will take you around the world, and we can get married in front of the Eiffel Tower, after we’re bound, we could whatever we want. I love you Denki”

“I love you, Hitoshi” the omega whispers.

And Hitoshi sinks his teeth into the scent gland on Denki’s neck, and Denki does the same.

The pain is searing, white hot, but also bearable.

Denki can feel the bond forming – as if there had been an empty spot next to his heart that he didn’t even know was there until it had been filled.

It felt so natural, having Hitoshi there.

He could feel it – the alpha’s overwhelming desire to keep him safe, to keep Denki with him.

He can feel Hitoshi’s intense love for him, and any concerns he may have had for the Alpha’s true intentions when he suggested this a few days ago evaporate.

Hitoshi loves him,

He can feel it in his bones.

Denki hopes Hitoshi is feeling the same.

The next morning, the bite has already healed over – a sign that the bond stuck.

Not that Denki needed a sign – he could feel the bond pulsing next to his heart, as if it were another vein, forever connecting him to his Alpha.

Said alpha approaches him from behind, grabbing his hips, and pressing a quick kiss to his new scar.

Denki turns in his grasp, and runs his fingertips along Hitoshi’s matching one.

“We’re mates” he says breathlessly, as if he’s waiting to wake up from a dream.

“No one can separate us now. I’ll keep you safe” Hitoshi says softly, before pressing his lips to Denki’s.

They arrive back to the Hitoshi’s apartment on Sunday afternoon, to find Aizawa waiting for them on the couch.

“What have you done?” He asks, deadpan.

Hitoshi remains stoic, but Denki shudders in fear.

“You think I wouldn’t notice the charges on my credit card? You told me you were camping and instead you were shacking up in a fancy hotel –“

The omega pauses and sniffs, and his eyes widen.

“You didn’t” he sighs.

“We did” Denki squeaks.

Their teacher doesn’t take his eyes off them, but calls for his Alpha.

“Hizashi, you should get out here”

“Are they finally back? Oh” the blonde stops dead in his tracks as he steps out of the hallway – picking up on the same thing Aizawa had.

Denki begins to cry.

“I’m sorry – I- I didn’t mean to throw your hospitality in your face, it’s just-“

“This was my idea. Leave Denki out of it”

“So you marked that boy without consent?” Aizawa accuses.

“What? No! No he would never! We discussed it outside of the heat! I wanted this too!” Denki sobs. Hitoshi takes his hand.

“You’re still children! You should have just come to us –“

“Dad! They were going to take him away”

“No! We were working out a deal! Your father and I were going to take him in until he was 18. You only needed to wait a year!”

There’s a heavy silence, until Denki cries harder.

He was an idiot. Of course Aizawa and Yamada had already figured it out – and as usual, he’d gone and ruined it.

Fuck, he really was worthless.

“Stop it,” Hitoshi whispers “you’re not worthless. I would have done it this way a thousand times over”

Denki’s eyes widen – right, the bond.

Now Hitoshi would be able to see just how much Denki hated himself – shit.

“Shouta. Not now” Yamada-Sensei says gently.  “It’s okay, it can’t be undone, so let’s just move forward. We knew they were likely going to bond the first chance they got”

Aizawa continues glaring for a moment, before he sighs.

“Very well. I trust you used protection, at least”

Denki stiffens.

Had – Had Hitoshi worn a condom? Each time? Because Denki sure wasn’t on any form of birth control – he didn’t think he’d needed to be with how strong his suppressants were.

He casts an eye over to his Alpha, who is pale, and Denki realises that a lot of the panic he’s feeling isn’t his own.

“You’re kidding me” Aizawa groans. “Well, you’re both grounded until I decide I’m no longer pissed at you”

Denki’s throat tightens again.

Aizawa was pissed at him. His father-in-law probably hates him now.

Fuck, what has he done?

“Denki, can I have a word? Alone?” Aizawa says, and motions for him to follow him out to the balcony.

“Sensei I’m so sorry! We- we just panicked and I- I know we should have trusted you and –“

“Enough. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the situation sure, but it’s like Hizashi said; it happened, it can’t be undone, let’s move forward. You’re apart of the family now. And I don’t want you to join it thinking that you’re hated.

You’ve brought out the best in my son. So thank you, Denki”

“I uh- I- I only-“ he stops himself and sighs, at a loss for words.

Denki just secretly mated with his son, and Aizawa is thanking him?

“He’s easy to love” is what he settles on, and chooses to ignore the hint of a smile on his teacher’s face.

A week later, they’re still very much grounded, but their friends had come over to see them.

“So what’s it like? Bonding?” Kirishima asks, as his boyfriend casts a cautious eye over him.

Were Kirishima and Bakugou thinking about bonding?

“It’s intense. There’s a lot of feelings I have to learn to navigate – well, we I guess, since he feels mine too. Aizawa and Yamada were not happy about it, and we didn’t use protection so we’re probably…” he can’t even bring himself to say it. Fuck.

“It’s just, not what I expected” he sighs.

“Not that I’m not happy! I love Hito and I wouldn’t change this for the world! I just thought it would be different. Like a grass is greener on the other side type thing”

“Tch. Wake up Sparky, this is the real world, shit don’t work like that”

“Be nice, Katsuki”

“What are you going to do, if you are pregnant?” Sero asks.

“Uh, well, I- I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it” Denki mutters.

“Huh? You haven’t talked about it? You went and got mated, unprotected and you haven’t talked about the elephant in room, which has a 99 percent chance of probability?”

“Katsuki, be nice” Kirishima repeats, firmer this time.

“Kiri, I think Blasty has a point. Denki, babe, we’re only 17, not even fully fledged heroes –“

“Can I just not think about it right now!? Please? I have at least another month before I can know for sure so for now can you please just let me enjoy the fact that I bonded with the love of my life!” Denki snaps.

“For the record, that’s what I was trying to get these assholes to do” Kirishima mumbles.

That night, Denki lays in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Bakugou and Mina had been right. What was he going to do if he were pregnant? He and Hitoshi had never discussed pups, but Denki wanted a few. Did Hitoshi?

Fuck, what if Hitoshi didn’t want a baby – like, at all?

They should’ve discussed this before they bonded.

The door to his room creaks open, and Hitoshi cringes at the noise.

Despite having mated, they still weren’t allowed to sleep in the same room. 

But Hitoshi still found his way into his mates bed in the early hours of the morning.

“I can feel your anxiety,” he starts, bringing a hand to his chest. “Everything okay?”

“What if I am pregnant, Hito? What then?”

Hitoshi shrugs, as he settles into the bed and wraps his arms around Denki.  

“No, not fair. You get off scot-free no matter what. I’m the one that has to suffer. Whether it’s carrying a pregnancy or aborting one, I’m the one that has to do it”

“But doesn’t that mean it’s your choice?”

“My final say. But not just my choice. I need to know where your head is at. We’re partners now, remember?” he says firmly, tapping Hitoshi’s bond mark on his neck.

“So you want my opinion?”

“Yes, idiot”

Hitoshi’s silent for a moment – before he sighs.

“I don’t want a baby”

Denki stiffens in his grasp.

“Just now? Or ever?”

“Definitely not now. I don’t know about in the future, I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve just had tunnel vision about being a hero”

“So you, might not want pups…at all?” Denki’s breath hitches.

“I don’t know”

“Hitoshi! I want pups. You know this. Why would you claim me if you hadn’t taken that into consideration?”

“I was kind of pre-occupied. Besides, what do you want me to say? I’ll put my feelings aside just so you can have a pup? Wait, if you are pregnant right now you’re planning to get rid of it, right?”

A surge of anger and irritation rushes through Denki, and the bond. Because yes, he’s leaning toward getting rid of it, but the mere expectation pisses him off.

“Go away. I don’t want to talk to you right now”

“Denki-“

“Leave” Denki snaps, and pulls out of Hitoshi’s embrace, moving as far as the bed will allow him.

Eventually, Hitoshi sighs, and heads back to his room.

Once the door shuts, the tears fall.

Denki’s up well before Hitoshi the next morning, which isn’t uncommon.

He’s halfway through breakfast when the Alpha wanders out of the hallway, they meet each other’s gaze, Denki suddenly looks away, and Hitoshi turns back to his room.

“Trouble in paradise, already?” Yamada sighs.

“No! it’s –“ Denki doesn’t even know how to answer.

“This is harder than I thought it would be” he sighs.

“Relationships often are. The toughest test a bond faces is after it’s created. You’ve gotta learn which emotions are yours, which are his, how not to get overwhelmed by it all. Throw in the fact that you’re both still hormonal teenagers, and you’ve got a less than ideal bonding situation.” Yamada says.

“I think we got into a fight about pups”

The teacher balks.

“Sorry! Sorry I know this isn’t what you want to hear. I swear, I’m not baby trapping your son. I, uh, I’ll go finish this on the balcony” Denki sighs.

“Wait. You need someone to talk this out with. And you don’t have your mother, who’s supposed to be the one taking you through this. Tell me what happened” He says, and pats the seat next to him on the couch.

“He’s just a bit clueless when it comes to pups and pregnancy, isn’t he? Like, I asked what we should do if I am pregnant, and he was so apathetic. Then he told me he isn’t even sure if he wants pups in the future, and then just expected me to get rid of this one – which I probably will, but just expecting me too? As if it’s as simple as popping a zit or something? I have to bleed, or get cut open, and I have to deal with the hormones for weeks afterwards!”

There’s a lengthy silence, and just when Denki thinks he’s blabbed to much, Mic sighs.

“He’s probably just scared. We adopted him when he was just 10, his family had only died in that car crash about a month before, and it really messed him up. He didn’t feel comfortable with us until he was about 12. And then when he finally starting settling in with us, calling us Dad and Pops without feeling guilty about the parents he lost, and actually enjoying spending time with us – Shouta had a brutal miscarriage. He was told he was infertile, which is why we adopt, but I guess there was still a chance, but he didn’t know, and got caught out in a villain attack, and lost the baby,”

Yamada pauses for a moment – clearly this story isn’t easy to tell.

“I understand, you don’t have to tell me more”

“You’re family now. You should know,”

“The miscarriage destroyed him. As it often does for Omegas. He became a shadow of himself. Stopped eating, stopped sleeping, he lost his scent for a bit. And that’s just the biological stuff. It took a psychological toll too. He thought it was his fault, because he’d been on patrol, he’d been ‘reckless’ with his attacks, he viewed it as evidence that he wasn’t fit to be a parent, and he started distancing himself from Hitoshi, who was just a kid, he didn’t understand. But that’s his only experience with pregnancy, and I’d wager he doesn’t want to see you go through the same thing Shouta did.”

“Shit, I had no idea – I mean fuck, sorry for swearing! Ugh!”

Yamada chuckles.

“It’s not to make excuses. He needs to be gentler with you about it – and learn to compromise”

“Thanks Yamada-Sensei, and I’m sorry for your loss”

“I think you can call me Hizashi now – at home, at least! And there’s nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t meant to be, we have Eri, and now you. The picture is complete” Hizashi smiles at him.

He nods, and leaves the room, to find Hitoshi, but he finds him standing back in the hallway.

Denki launches himself into Hitoshi’s arms.

“I’m so sorry, I had no idea”

“Wasn’t my story to tell”

“It affected you just as much as it did all of us, son, it’s still yours too” Hizashi says softly.

“Come with me, let’s talk,” Hitoshi whispers in his ear.

“Pops, can we be ungrounded?”

“You have twenty minutes”

Hitoshi takes his hand and leads him out of the apartment, towards the park across the road.

“I’m sorry I acted like a dick last night. I don’t want a baby right now, but if you do, I can pull my head in and we can figure it out.”

“I don’t want a baby right now Hito. I’ve just been disowned, we still have another year in the dorms, another year in school. I want to be a hero first and I want to enjoy just being with you. We’ve still gotta get married in-front of the Eiffel Tower.”

“Oh, babe I was joking about that-“

“Nope you promised you’d make up a rushed bonding and this how you’ll do it. Hitoshi, if I am pregnant, I’ll be getting an abortion. That was always the plan, but I got mad because it seemed like you expected that from me, with little regard to what it would do to me. Abortions take a biological toll on an omega too, even if the procedure is sought after.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I love you.”

“I love you too Hito”

A few weeks after classes start back up, Denki buys the tests. He’s been tired and grouchy, and he’s scared he’s going to get a positive result, and he and Hitoshi will have to go through even more shit instead of basking in bonded bliss.

That’s how he comes to be in the dorm bathrooms with Mina and Bakugou – the two other Omegas of their friend group.

“Fuck, guys! What if it’s positive?” Denki cries.

“Shouldn’t your alpha be the one doing this?”

“Fuck off Blasty, we’re here in case he needs an Omega pile!”

“Tch”

“Ahhh, Mina I can’t look check it for me!” he says and passes the stick to Mina.

“Ew, no way, you pissed on that thing”

“Oh for fucks sake, give it here” Bakugou snaps, and snatches the test out of Denki’s hand.

“What result are you hoping for?”

“Huh?”

“So I can know if I need to be cheerful or solemn. What do you want it to be?”

“I didn’t know you could be cheerful or solemn -  I thought were just always grumpy.”

“Shut up Racoon Eyes! Fine, Sparky, congrats you’re not pregnant. Now don’t you fuckers run to Ei and say I didn’t try to be nice about it. Assholes.”

“Wait – wait, I’m not-“

A heavy silence hangs over them, as the weight of Bakugou’s words settle over them.

“Oh my god! I’m not pregnant!” he laughs, and hugs both of them.

“Get off me!”

“I have to go tell Hito! Thanks guys!”

He runs out of the bathroom, towards Hitoshi’s room, when he sees the Alpha in the common room, studying with Kirishima, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu.

The alpha catches a glimpse of him and excuses himself, walking over to Denki.

“Negative” he says softly, discreetly showing him the test.

“You took it without me?”

“I just- I was nervous. I wanted the omegas there”

“How you find comfort in Bakugou is beyond me”

“Don’t be mean” he pouts, and punches him lightly in the arm.

“Go back to studying, I’ll see you at dinner”

Every Tuesday, they have dinner with Hizashi, Shouta and Eri their apartment on the first floor of the dorms.

“You can relax. I’m not pregnant” Denki announces as he walks in.

“’Hi Hizashi, how are you?’ ‘Oh, I’m good thanks Denki, how are you?” Hizashi mocks.

“Oh please, as if you haven’t been waiting to hear news like that for weeks” Hitoshi deadpans.

“Kaminari!” Eri yells as she runs up the hallway, clearly fresh out of the bath, based on the way her hair still drips.

The little pup launches herself into Denki’s arms, and Hitoshi’s heart skips a beat as the Omega catches her with grace.

“Eri, sweetie, you can call me Denki. I’m kind of your brother-in-law now”

“Brother? Oniisan?”

“Close enough” he laughs, and sets her back down on the ground.

“Denki, do you know how to braid hair?”

“Sure do, I braid Hitoshi’s in his sleep sometimes”

“And how do you do that, if your rooms are on different floors?” Aizawa asks from the kitchen, and Denki cringes.

“Can you braid mine? Pretty please!”

“Sure thing Princess, after dinner, when it’s dried a bit”

What is this feeling in Hitoshi’s chest? Or is it Denki’s feeling? But all he knows is that suddenly, he’s no longer blind to how good Denki is with kids.

The feeling gets worse as he watches Denki braid his sisters hair, taking so much care so it looks perfect, even though it’ll only get messed up when she sleeps.

As they head back to their dorms, Hitoshi slings an arm over Denki’s shoulder.

“Okay, one day in the future, a very long time from now, we can have a pup”

Denki smiles at his alpha, before tugging on his collar, and bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss.