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Mating bites something an Alpha gives to an Omega to symbolize their relationship, labeling them as taken, spoken, formed, or mated. At least that was all Katsuki knew about it. Mating bonds had something to do with pheromones and some in-depth life-changing connection but he wouldn't be able to tell you much.
If he, a Beta were to get bit that's all it would be just a bite, a little love nip. It was always something that bugged him slightly.
Katsuki turned his head to the right where he could see Izuku sleeping away. His back was united towards Katsuki; he could see the scratches on Izuku's back from their activities last night's activities. He turned his head back to the mirror and he eyes the bite just above and to the right of his collar bone.
He loved the marks Izuku left him. He wasn't sure if it was the Alpha instincts or Izuku himself but Katsuki was always left with a mark somewhere around his body. Though it was usually placed someone heard his chest or thighs, never somewhere actually visible.
He liked this though, Katsuki knew his body could never hold an Alpha's bite but it was nice to pretend I could. How would it feel to have Izuku's mark on him? To have everyone know he was Izukus.
As more of their friends got into serious relationships, mating bonds were something that was bound to happen. Their necks were bare one day and the next they were spotting a pretty new bond.
So seeing his neck slightly pink with teeth marks made Katsukis stomach flutter. He ran his fingers softly over the bite scared if he pressed it too hard it would disappear.
“Baby?” The voice called from the bathroom door “You okay?”
Katsuki looked over to Izuku, his hand still at the base of his neck hovering over Izuku's mark. It felt like he was caught doing something dirty.
“Yeah. I'm fine.” Katsuki said softly in his own voice, surprising him at how mellow it was.
Katsuki could feel Izuku's eyes on his hand. It seemed to be the center of attention despite his chest being littered with hickeys. He gave a little sigh and then uncovered the bite.
Izuku's response was immediate, his hands traveling to Katsuki's shoulder and chin, tilting Katsukis's face away from his body so he could inspect the bite “Baby I'm so sorry. I didn't think it would leave a mark.” Izuku apologized
Izuku's apology shouldn't have hurt him like it did.
“I'm sorry. We can cover it with a bandage! It's an easy fix. I promise I'll be more careful. I won't do this anymore.”
Katsuki swatted away Izuku's hands, pushing his hands to his chest to put space between them. “Do you ever wish you were with an Omega”
“What?” Izuku questioned, his face turning to confusion. The question seemed to come from nowhere.
“Is that why you won't go near my neck? Because I don't have scent glands there? Fuck I'm sorry our genders don-”
Izuku was quick to bring Katsuki against his chest. “Kacchan, what are you talking about?” Izuku asked, more confused than anything. He squeezed his arms when Katsuki tried to pull away from his embrace.
“A bite won't work. It won't stay. My body won't let it stay.” Katsuki explained his own voice shaking as it did.
Izuku stayed silent for a few seconds before asking “Is this about Ejiro and Neito?” The two no one expected ever to get together did. Both boys were always up at each other's throats but somehow after a few years of dating, they finally mated. They invited everyone to a little dinner where they showed off their new bating Marks. Maybe that's why the night before Izuku felt so inclined to mark Katsuki despite his better knowledge.
“Kacchan, I love you for you. I don't care what your second gender is.”
“Do you not want people to know I'm yours? Is there something wrong with me? Is it something I can fix?” Katsuki asked, barely going above a whisper, breaking with every vowel.
“Ka-”
“You never give in to your instincts around me and that's because your alpha doesn't see me as a suitable pair for you. It wants to mate. It wants someone it can bond to and that's… I can’t do that.”
Katsuki buried himself into Izuku's embrace as he poured out his heart. He wished he could yell, scream, and get angry at Izuku but he couldn't. It wasn't Izukus fault. And Izuku was his safety net, in his arms, Katsuki knew he could close out the world and just be vulnerable. He could be safe around Izuku.
“Honey, can you look at me?” Izuku asked in a soft voice.
Katsuki shook his head. He didn't want to face Izuku, he didn't want to face the consequences of his own thoughts.
Izuku pushed Katsuki back to get a good look at him. “I don't let my instincts run wild because I thought you didn't like that. You'd call me a knothead when I did when we first started dating. You're proud to be a beta. I didn't want to treat you like an Omega.” Izuku explained. If he knew Katsuki was feeling like this he wouldn't have actively tried to make him feel more secure.
“You wouldn't be treating me like an Omega. You'd be treating your lover the way an Alpha would.” Katsuki explained looking up at the Alpha, he could feel the pressure behind his eyes.
“Baby. I'm so sorry.” Izuku apologized by cupping Katsukis cheeks and pecking his face with kisses. “I'll be better, I promise. Anything you want I'll give you. I'll give you the world, all you have to do is ask.”
And Izuku did keep his promise as soon as the bite mark on Katsukis neck faded it was replaced with another, then another until there wasn't a time when Katsukis neck was bare. Izuku stopped suppressing Alpha and Katsuki learned what it meant to have an Alpha lover. He was constantly scented despite his inability to smell it. But he was told whenever he walked into a room there was a possessive Alura. According to others he always had that subtle scent but now it was prominent.
Turns out Izuku always did treat him like an Alpha's lover but it was subtle intakes so he wouldn't notice. It made it feel good. It made him feel satisfied to know Izuku didn't love him any differently than he would an omega lover.
—
“Hey, Kacchan” Izuku called out as both Katsuki and Izuku cuddled on the couch. Izuku watched the tv while Katsuki read the newest addition to his manga. Basking in each other's presence.
“Mhm,” Katsuki responded, not taking his eyes off the manga, just slightly tilting his head so Izuku knew he was listening.
Izuku bit his lip slightly. He and Katsuki have been dating for 5 years, moving in together a year into their relationship.
If Katsuki was an omega he would have asked him to bond by now, so why was he nervous bringing up the idea?
"What is it?" Katsuki asked, setting his book down to look at Izuku "what the hell did you do?"
"Nothing! I was just thinking that umm. So there's this tattoo artist that-"
Katsuki picked up his book again, turning his attention back to it now that he knew Izuku was dying. "So you want to get a tattoo? What were you thinking?"
"Well no! I was thinking we- uh you-."
Katsuki pressed his finger to Izuku's lips "I already got my nipples pierced for you. I am not going to get myself inked. I'm not going near any more needles ya here?”
“Oh.” Izuku replied, shaking out his thoughts, “Yeah. Right.”
Katsuki looked back at Izukus's kicked puppy look. There was no way in hell he was getting inked but he could at the very least entertain the idea. “Tell me about this tattoo artist.”
Izukus lightened up at the statement, taking the manga from Katsukis's hands to have his full attention. “This tattoo artist works with Alpha and Beta couples.”
Katsuki raised his eyebrows at the last part, he watched as Izuku pulled out his phone and opened the tattoo artist's social page.
“They specialize in mating bonds, they make them look super realistic. He's a beta and started making these tattoos since he couldn't mate with his own Alpha partner now he helps other A, and B couples. I know you were feeling self-conscious about this and I think it will be a really good idea. The bites I give you only last so long and he could help us with-”
Izuku's words went over Katsukis's head after the second sentence. He started down at the artist's page. They look so real. He could have that?
“You want to mate with me?”
Izuku stopped his tangent to look down at Katsuki “Well yeah. I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I um. I looked into this when we first got together but I wasn't sure it would be something you'd be into.” Izuku explained “I wanted to bring it up earlier but I first wanted to see how soon we could go in. He usually has a really big waitlist but it turns out you're his favorite hero so he called me when someone canceled. .”
“I- uh when can we go in?” Katsuki asked, the current bit he had on his neck was practically faded already. Izuku was going to re bite him soon.
—
The day finally came and Katsukis's stomach was in knots; he couldn't tell if it was nervousness or excitement. This was the first time his neck was ever bare. The artist needed to have a fresh bite in order to get all the details, meaning Katsukis neck needed to be spotless.
Apparently, there was more than one location where a mark could be placed. Anywhere, the scent glands would naturally be viable. After looking at several pictures he wanted it where Izuku kept biting him. It felt weird changing the location. It was where his alpha kept claiming it after all.
They walked into the store and the heroes were immediately greeted by the other A, B couple. Everything seemed to be set up already, the equipment was out and sanitized and there seemed to be no one else in the store.
“Welcome! Hi, I'm Yuta and this is my mate, Hiro! We closed off the rest of the shop for your privacy. “ The beta explained then turned over to Katsuki “I'm a huge fan by the way of both of you! You both are so open about your relationship and that has made things a lot more normal for non-stereotypical couples.”
Katsuki scoffed at that thought. It was hell when they first came out with their relationship. But they were more so attacking and critiquing Izuku than himself. Always telling him to get an Omega and how he was a defective Alpha.
Izuku didn't mind when he was at the center of the hate but when things began turning in Katsukis's direction. Izuku was quick to immediately shut it down. The world didn't like getting the cold shoulder from their sunshine hero so they all came begging Katsuki for help.
Now after so many years no one blinks an eye at Alpha and Beta couples.
“Yeah well, people are stupid,” Katsuki said
“You can say that again.”
The process went pretty simple. Yuta has Izuku bite him where they wanted the mark to be placed permanently. And the entire time Katsuki couldn't help but remind Izuku to do it right and make sure it didn't come out ugly.
Katsuki just got an ‘I know Baby’ in response with a slight chuckle.
The pain was pretty mild compared to everything else he's been through. Izuku held Katsukis's hand as he made conversation with the other couple, always making sure to include Katsuki.
“And done,” Yuta happily cheered, going to wipe the foam off the tattoo.
Katsuki looked over to Izuku who, as he expected, had tears and snot running down his face.
“Kacchan.” The dumb alpha cried
“Here you go.” Katsuki was handed a mirror by the other Beta.
Katsuki grabbed the mirror looking up at Izuku for reassurance. When Izuku gave him a little nod he flipped the mirror over and what was staring at him was exactly what Katsuki wanted. It looked a little red and sore but that's what made it feel even more realistic.
“Fuck. I-.” Katsuki tried to get words to come out of his mouth but he was speechless. He doesn't know what to say, “Thank you.”
The beta smiled up at him, showing off his own tattoos mating bite. “Gotta make them ourselves but that doesn't make them any less real.”
Katsuki could cry. He's pretty sure we were crying. “How much is it going to be?”
“On the house. We know how hard it is but you both have made it easier. Consider it thanks for everything you've done.”
Katsuki nodded his head and he lifted himself from the chair and said their goodbyes as soon as they stepped outside the shop Katsuki fell into Izukus's arms. All the emotions and insecurity he'd been feeling throughout the year were falling away.
“I love you. I love you so much.” Izuku cried alongside Katsuki. “You have always been my mate and now the whole world will know too.”