Work Text:
A/N: Italics = past/memories. Normal Text = present events.
“Kacchan!” His best friend jumped on him, causing them both to fall to the ground.
The blond snarled playfully, swatting his hands at the giggling toddler. “Get offa me you nerd, you’re heavy!” Izuku rolled off of him with loud, infectious giggles, causing Katsuki to grin stupidly.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Kacchan!” The younger boy whined lazily, causing Katsuki to slap him over the head lightly.
He deadpanned, “We saw each other two days ago-”
“SO long ago!” Izuku cut him off, throwing his arms out as he swayed dramatically toward the blond’s body. Katsuki caught him with a grunt, rolling his eyes with a fond smile.
“Whatever dumbass.” Izuku gasped.
“Kacchan!!!” He whined, “That’s mean!”
Katsuki smiled at the memory before his expression soured, remembering every that happened after those precious moments from his childhood.
“You pathetic Deku!” Katsuki yelled with a halfhearted laugh as Izuku cowered, wide fearful eyes watching his crackling hands.
The goons cackled behind the blonde, making threatening gestures at the smaller boy. One piped up with a prideful smirk, slamming a fist into his hand. “I don’t know which is more pathetic; the fact that you’re a quirkless loser, or a stupid omega!”
An instinct that Katsuki had long ago buried flared up, the one that told him to protect his mate as an Alpha. To protect his omega. Yet when he looked at Izuku’s quivering form, scared beyond belief, Katsuki had to force the mantra over and over again. “He’s weak, pathetic, quirkless and he means nothing to me.” His mother had taught him to think like that, it was the only way he knew.
The teachers said so, and his peers agreed. The only reason Katsuki fought back was because of the look on Izuku’s face when Katsuki would hit him. There was fear and hurt and betrayal, yet Izuku always looked at him with a form of understanding. He had seen the way Mitsuki treated him, the way she spoke to him, and the way she filled his mind with all of those prejudiced ideals.
It made Katsuki angry. He was angry and guilty and because he didn’t know how to process his emotions, he usually ended up only hurting Izuku more. But soon enough he couldn’t bear it and would stand back as his ‘friends’ beat the shit out of Izuku. He tried to redirect their attention most days, but on others, he couldn’t stop it without standing against and it was right, wasn’t it? It would be wrong to stand against it because all of these words were true, weren’t they?
Maybe he was just too young to understand why it was okay to hurt people that didn’t deserve it because everybody else said that’s what was right. Hell, the teachers and other adults even encouraged it.
So why was he feeling so fucking guilty?
“Because it wasn’t right, shithead.” He couldn’t help but degrade himself over and over as the memories replayed. His handmark was printed against Izuku’s cheek. His burns along Izuku’s scarred body. His words haunted Izuku’s overworked brain for countless days and nights on end. It was all too much.
Katsuki felt the tears before he knew they had begun. They trickled down softly, quietly, guiltily . It was his fault and he knew it. God did he wish he just got over himself and stood up for his stupid omega when he had the chance. Because now he couldn’t. He could only protect his damaged name. There was nothing left after Izuku was killed.
It frustrated Katsuki to no end, even after all of these years. He was seventeen now but his best friend was still only twelve. He would never age another day because of that bastard who couldn’t watch out for unprotected, delicate, omegan civilians. It was a real shock when the number 17 pro hero was outed for killing a boy and stuffing it under the rug with the help of the police. It was safe to say he was demoted after that.
Katsuki enjoyed that in the moment that it happened, that fucking rat of a person began losing everything he loved in the span of a single anonymous social media post upload. Yet, it would never bring Izuku back, and that’s why he couldn’t bring himself to give a shit what happened to that scum of a man after that brief moment that he was put on blast on the internet.
It happened right in front of him too, his best friend’s death.
“Deku you can’t be serious.” His tone was harsh and disapproving as he shoved Izuku to the side, causing him to almost crash face-first into the curb. He collected himself quickly, a pout on his face.
“I want to be a hero too Kacchan!!” His eyes were wide, the fear stowed away for now as his admiration shined in the sunlight.
“You can’t be a hero.” Katsuki knew it would break his heart, and in his demented mind, that was the intention.
“I-...” Izuku grew quiet. He didn’t know what to say because they had had this talk about eighteen trillion times before and they had all led to the same thing. ‘You can’t be a hero.’ He knew it was right but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Suddenly, a building in the distance collapsed into itself, only to blow up and debris to fly everywhere. The boys cowered, searching for shelter as a large piece of metal flung in their direction. Katsuki growled as he tackled Izuku's already mangled body to the ground, a large rock just barely skidding over his back.
“Fuck,” Katsuki growled, getting up just as quickly as he was down. “Stay here or I’ll kill you shitnerd.” He demanded with looking at him, quickly running forward to help evacuate civilians. He was only thirteen yet when he screamed at people for their attention in the crisis, people seemed to listen to him. He directed a large group to a building just out of reach of the fight that was beginning between the bomber villain and a high-ranking pro hero. (Think metro-man from Megamind, idk why, that’s who I think of.)
The hero seemed to be careless of his surroundings, ramming into buildings as he fought with the chaotic villain. Suddenly, Izuku was whizzing past the blonde to help a wounded elderly woman who had gotten stuck underneath some rubble. Katsuki almost screamed in anger. He ran over and quickly used his quirk to relieve the woman’s leg from the rubble entrapping it. Izuku helped her up and began to lead her to where Katsuki had been herding the terrified crowd. Katsuki gave him a look that had Izuku knowing he was going to get it later but right as soon as they were a good feet yards away, the hero crashed into the ground just where the lady had been trapped. The villain shoved the hero's body so hard that they made a three-foot crater before relocating as they threw each other around.
The woman made it safely back to the crowd, where Katsuki had also dropped off Izuku, warning that he was going to get his ass handed to him twice as hard if he didn’t stay put this time.
And then Katsuki was running off again. This wasn’t his job. He was an inexperienced twelve-year-old boy. He lifted a rock to search for any more civilians to escort away when time slowed.
The moment was quick but Katsuki could only process it in slow motion. Time slowed drastically as he dropped the rock. It clattered against other rubble loudly. The villain was being thrown at him, the hero following closely behind him, intending to return the crater in the ground favor ASAP. Katsuki couldn’t move.
But Izuku could. He could hear the bushy-haired boy’s screams, meeting his eyes with his own wide, fearful ones. Izuku was too close now, the villain was approaching faster and faster. And then Katsuki was thrown to the ground. He could only scream and Izuku was accidentally pinned down under the villain, the hero used his strengthening quirk to lodge the villain, and in turn Izuku, into the solid black stone ground. Izuku yelped but the sound was drowned out by the mangled villain's scream and the hero’s grunts. Katsuki tried to run but time was so slow, he couldn’t move any faster. Katsuki could only faintly register the sad, accepting, encouraging smile sent to him by Izuku’s dirt and debris-covered face before he was crushed into the solid pavement under the villain.
The cracks of broken bones haunted him to this very day. He would never be able to unhear it, unsee it, unfeel the heart-wrenching horror. The guilt. He will always remember the snap in himself that he felt, the way he just knew that he had lost his forever mate. And he would never forget that it was all his fault .
Katsuki could barely register anything after that, the purple smoke that faintly emitted from under the villain's body, the startled yet bloodthirsty look of the pro hero, the cop sirens, the questions, the cold bath he had after, the weeks after he fell asleep that haunting night, nothing. It was dry and empty and dark for a long time after that mid-evening. He couldn't taste, feel, enjoy, grieve, process, anything.
It was months of going through the motions before Katsuki sat down and let himself cry. After that, he found out what happened to Izuku. The police covered the hero's ass, explaining the twelve-year-old boy's disappearance by claiming it as a suicide. The hero only faced minor repercussions, despite killing a child and doing mass amounts of property damage that would take months for the city to be able to repay. But hey, he caught the bad guy.
But at what cost?
That’s why Katsuki continued to become a hero. He would save people, for Izuku. Become a better person, for Izuku. Katsuki got into therapy and began to work through his issues, for Izuku. He would do better, for Izuku. He would rat out the best of the worst, for Izuku. Everything he did now was for Izuku.
Because he wanted to be a hero people didn’t have to ask, At what cost?
---
Training had been especially difficult today. Today was the anniversary of his best friend's death. Did he even have the right to refer to him as his best friend? Katsuki didn’t know.
No one could understand how heartbroken he was today of all days, why he couldn’t fight back the same as usual proclaiming his stupidly ignorant speech of victory. He couldn’t be the symbol of victory today, the memories were too crushing.
When Kirishima tried to ask what had him so off, all he could do was shove him away. He wouldn’t show them how he felt. He couldn’t. They couldn’t know how villainous he acted towards the sweetest, kindest boy on their planet. He was a heinous, tainted creature and if he wanted to stay on the path he was on, he couldn’t reveal that just yet. He would tell the world at some point possibly, but not now. All he was a stupid 17-year-old hero in training and all he wanted to do was make it out alive. But that was hard to accomplish when the formerly known group, The League of Villains-- now the so-called Paranormal Liberation Front (or PLF for short), was up class A’s ass every second of the week.
They had started attacking at the end of Katsuki's first year, gunning for a trio of third years, Mirio Togata, Tamaki Amajiki, and Nejire Hado. Shigaraki (The League’s head) made it seem like Mirio had stolen something from them, or that he had something they wanted.
Anyways, after Mirio momentarily lost his quirk during the fight that saved Eri, now Shota’s adopted daughter, the League backed off only to come back during Katsuki’s second year, focusing on his class. The year had been hell for the entire class, especially Katsuki. The League seemed to target him for some reason. They were able to kidnap the blonde once this year, his therapist had fun with that one.
Today was a hard day already. Katsuki knew he was in deep shit when the villain alarms went off, ringing loudly throughout the school of Yuuei. He wanted to sob in defeat already, this day was shit and he wanted it to be over.
Yet, Aizawa collected his students (Shut up, I know he’s only 1-A) and prepared them to fight. Class 2-A-- Class 3-A in two months-- marched out into the field that they were directed to, The PLF already fighting some other previously unoccupied teachers. Shigaraki grinned mid-fight with Cementoss as he saw Katsuki leading the exhausted group of students out into the field.
“Bakugo Katsuki,” His shriveled voice rang throughout the field, causing shivers to climb up the blonde’s back.
“Join us, Bakugo. We can fulfill your life’s desire, in return, all we need is your help.” Shigaraki smirked openly, father safely placed away for the time being.
“Fuck off!” Katsuki struggled in his restraints, gasping for air as the hand around his throat brought back unwanted memories of the sludge villain incident. An incident where he was just barely saved by Izuku the same year he died. The boy was more courageous than any of the heroes that stood by and watched, yet he was the one to get reprimanded for stepping in and saving Katsuki’s life.
Shigaraki stopped smirking now, his frown evil and pouty. “We know everything about you Bakugo, your past, your weaknesses.~” He whispered tauntingly, growing closer.
Katsuki could feel the fear crawl up his throat even if the hand was loose around his neck.
Shigaraki’s nose was just barely touching his now. “Join us. We have the power to help you, but we also have the power to hurt you if you can’t comply…” His breath reeked, Katsuki noted.
He gulped back the fear, deciding now was as good as any to put on his mask. He snapped his jaws at the Alpha, growling loudly as his voice rumbled. “I will never JOIN YOU!” He screamed in Shigaraki’s only minorly shocked face.
Shigaraki stood back with a disappointed grimace. He glared behind Katsuki at the owner of the hand around Katsuki’s neck. “Very well,” He turned his back to the blond, the hand beginning to grip tightly around Katsuki’s neck. “You chose your fate.”
The grip grew tighter and Katsuki couldn’t figure out where he was. He saw flashes of the burning gravel, the slime crawling down his throat easily. He struggled but he couldn’t move, the restraints being replaced by slime encasing. Katsuki screamed raspily, trying to breathe, thrashing around harshly. His vision was flickering between the burning gravel and a musty storage room in the basement of an abandoned building. His consciousness was fading fast as fear coursed through his blood quickly.
Unlike the slime monster incident, he couldn’t see Izuku. There was no Izuku to save him this time. All he could do was welcome the darkness as the slime reached his lungs, covering them with its sloppy residue, his thrashing slowing to a stop as he tried to breathe in fresh air desperately.
It was hard not to fall back into his pitiful state when Shigaraki smirked at him so menacingly. He couldn’t cower like a child, he wasn’t allowed to. Even after all these years of therapy, his mother’s words continued to haunt him.
“It’s your fault for being weak and getting kidnapped.”
He couldn’t be weak now. His life depended on it. Others' lives depended on it. The safety of civilians depended on it. No, he couldn’t be weak now, he was too strong to fall at the feet of this treacherous villain.
Class A quickly jumped into the fight, helping take down the mass of villains that had arrived so late in the night. It was a long, tiring battle and just when they thought it was over, Katsuki heard an ear-piercing scream. He searched the area, trying to figure out what was happening when he realized it was Ochako. Ochako was down, injured, impaled .
Once everyone’s attention was pulled to her scream, Katsuki began to run over when his foot got stuck. He looked down to find the cause, not able to even scream before he was swallowed into a purple portal for the second time this year.
He tried to scream but a hand covered his mouth before he could get the sound out. All people were attending to Ochako, who was crying as she spit up blood, holding her side painfully. Katsuki could feel the tears gather in his eyes as he lost sight of the scene, now in the League’s main lair, a hand still trapped across his mouth.
He tried to bite it, for which he got a smack. The hit was hard enough to make him dizzy, disorienting him further. His head was pounding, the room was so dim his eyes burned trying to take it in.
A groan was heard. Dabi, Katsuki identified. “Twice be careful, you know what he asked.”
“Ah right, sorry!
I’m not sorry, fuck you!”
Katsuki could hear Dabi rolling his eyes. Twice quickly released the woozy Katsuki from his grip, who immediately began attacking, though he was still trying to adjust to the dim lighting.
He was quickly tackled to the harsh ground where Dabi pinned him. “You’re fucking lucky I can’t hurt you Pipsqueak,” Touya growled in his ear as he sat on the blond's back. When Katsuki tried to blow him up, he growled and readjusted so Katsuki's hands were pressed against the back of his head.
As Katsuki struggled, a light giggle was heard. Katsuki stilled immediately, recognizing that giggle. That giggle belonged to someone dead, to someone he treasured dearly. Something in him snapped in place hearing that giggle, something that was broken long ago.
Now Katsuki was fighting. He was struggling before but now he was fighting like hell. He knew that giggle. He needed that giggle. He had to get out, find it. Katsuki rolled over, Dabi now trapped underneath him. He threw his head back, effectively knocking the man out and causing himself a minor migraine and probably some minor head trauma. But that didn’t matter. Not when he heard a laugh this time.
Before he could get very far, Twice tackled him to the ground. As he fell he saw the ghost of someone he loved peer around the corner, a frown on his delicately beautiful freckled face. And then Katsuki’s head met the ground and he was efficiently knocked out.
---
When Katsuki woke up, it took him a minute to actually open his eyes. The headache he had was gnarly and the sun was a little too happy today as it shined through the thin white curtains of Yuuei’s healthcare center. He groaned as he sat up slowly, cupping his head carefully.
He heard the quick shuffling of feet before the curtain surrounding his bed was thrown open. The noise ricocheted in his mind and he winced. “Oh my god, he’s up!” Mina's voice was like nails to a chalkboard and Katsuki covered his ears with a groan.
“Shut the fuck up,” His voice was quiet and raspy as he complained, to which Mina replied with a loudly whispered, “Sorry!”
Soon enough, a whole group of dumbassery migrated over to his bedside from what he could identify as Ochako’s bed. She seemed to be energetically awake, meeting his gaze with a sorrowful smile. His friends- *cough*shitheads quickly bombarded him with a colorful array of questions. Their voices were pinching his brain in the worst ways and the migraine he had before worsened tenfold.
Across the room, Ochako seemed to notice this. “Guys!” She spoke up above everyone, gaining the group's attention. “Let him breathe a second, calm down.” She chuckled, wincing as she grasped her side.
When the group muttered their sorrys, Katsuki sent Ochako a grateful nod begrudgingly. Mina, Sero, and Denki made their way back over to Ochako to give Katsuki some breathing room but Kirishima and Jirou pulled up some chairs to sit beside Katsuki’s bed.
“How are you feelin’ buddy?” Kirishima asked kindly, his eyes displaying his worry.
“Tch,” Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Don’t use your injured kid voice on my Shitty Hair.”
“Sorry,” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “But seriously, how are you doing?”
Katsuki stayed silent, staring out the window next to Kirshima’s head. Jirou stayed silent as she waited for Katsuki’s answer as well. “I’m fucking fine.” Katsuki decided begrudgingly. He couldn’t bother his friends with the memories of his dead friend, and even worse with the fact that he was obviously becoming delusional. Kirishima and Jirou shared a look, one that spoke a shared ‘I don’t believe him’ .
Kirishima stayed silent for a long few moments before he sighed. “If you say so, Baku-Bro. But just know I’m always here for you.” He gripped Katsuki’s warm hand on his own, his toothy smile sad and full of worry.
Katsuki rolled his eyes again. “Whatever Kiri, I wouldn’t hold my breath.” Kirishima’s expression grew a little lighter at the use of his real name in the placement of the usual degrading nickname.
“I’m still here,” Kirishima shrugged, patting Katsuki’s hand before getting up and joining the others next to Ochako. Jirou stayed silently, offering an earbud to share with Katsuki, who accepted it easily. They had similar tastes in music most of the time and this was really the basis of their friendship, using music to communicate and heal.
It wasn’t long before the sun fell below the horizon and Chiyo was kicking every visitor out so the patients could rest. Katsuki was informed he would stay overnight to make sure he didn’t have anyone's quirk residue or anything out of the ordinary up with him. Katsuki had also learned that Ochako was healing slower than usual from her stab wound, it was just below her heart. Luckily, they were the only two from their class to have to stay overnight, all minor injuries were easily healed thanks to Chiyo.
>>>
When Katsuki was released he was handed back his damaged clothes. Sighing as this was one of his favorite pairs of jeans, now ruined, he tossed the shredded clothing into a nearby trashcan but still when he heard the click of metal on metal.
He turned back with a confused expression after hearing the loud ting and cautiously grabbed his jeans back out of the bin. Underneath them was a small pure silver dog tag with a note taped to it. He grabbed it curiously, unfolding the note hastily.
“Bakugo Katsuki,
We know your secret. If you’re not willing to share, we’re more than happy to.
Best wishes,
The ones you should keep closest.”
Katsuki didn’t understand. He flipped the flimsy piece of paper over only to find the backside blank. The dog tag had nothing inscribed into it, it was just blank.
“What the fuck?” Katsuki muttered, flipping the tag over in his hands before shoving both items into his pocket and storming back to his room routinely.
---
“I see, Mr.” Nezu checked the student application form. “Midoriya. But we have no evidence or documents of your previous schooling anywhere. Anyways, we can’t just let you join third-year pro heroes in training, especially as you seem to lack any training of your own.” Nezu eyed the boy's slim form and Izuku had to shove the frustration down his throat, his omegan teeth beginning to bare themselves, ready to snap at the principal's throat. But he didn’t, instead displaying an understanding close-lipped smile. “If you really wanted we could put you in with the first years but besides that, there is nothing we can do, despite your amazing test scores.”
The greenhead wanted to whine aloud, used to being able to get his way immediately as he does around his family. Instead, he straightened up and glared determinedly. “What if you put me through the second-year final testing? If I get a good score then I could join the third year of class A next year! I promise you, Sir, I am a great student and I would make an even greater hero. I can get you all of the documents you need, please sir, just think about it.” Izuku smiled encouragingly after he finished before rounding up his bag and dismissing himself politely.
Nezu watched the boy leave his office with acute interest.
“I’m sure you will make a fine student, Midoriya.” Nezu spoke into the empty room as he began on his paperwork just as he had been before the boy had demanded an immediate audience with the principal.
---
Katsuki shuddered against the cool sheets of his bed. The moonlight streamed through his open curtains casually. But instead of admiring the view, Katsuki was trapped in his mind. His body was covered in goosebumps and his bottom lip quivered as the darkness encased him, his mind spinning into endless turmoil.
“Do you even know how to NOT be fucking useless??”
Katsuki heard himself whimper, slapping his hand to his mouth to quiet the sound.
“Pathetic, I can not believe I gave birth to such a weak creature. You don’t DESERVE to be called my son, have MY last name. Do better, or you’re out.”
Katsuki couldn’t remember what he did wrong, but he was about seven then. It usually went like this though, he couldn’t remember the context but he always remembered her words.
“You’re fucking weak, get off the floor brat!” Her grip on his shirt was threatening.
He would remember random moments. In the dark, all by his lonesome as the curtains fluttered in the wind.
“You’re crying?” She scoffed. “C’mere, I’ll give you a real reason to cry.” Katsuki backed up with a soundless whimper. Last time she had said that Katsuki couldn’t walk right for a week.
Katsuki couldn’t even close his eyes now, the only thing he could see was her infuriated expression and all he could do was turn back into that whimpering seven-year-old boy who couldn’t do jack shit to defend himself.
“Come on, get up, protect yourself! Hah, you can’t. Weakass.”
That was him this time. It was worse than his mother. He had to hold back the tears from remembering Izuku’s teary-eyed expression. He was projecting and Katsuki wished he could punch himself in the face. What a fucking menace, rot in hell you little demon . Katsuki’s fists were wrinkling the nice, neat bedsheets as he stared at the wall in front of him.
“I need to train,” Katsuki growled, ready to punch anything and everything to release his building lava pit of emotions. His therapist couldn’t get him on one of those journals or anything normal. Instead, Katsuki was addicted to training to work through his emotions. His therapist did not appreciate this, as Katsuki would come to their sessions with bruised fists and sore muscles. She since then deemed it an unhealthy coping mechanism that was actually self-harm, which Katsuki needed to tone down before he buried himself into the ground.
He tried, he really did, and he had gotten better since then. But when he got this deep into the darkness all he could do was fight to feel like he had something in his control, like he wasn’t the weakling 7-year-old that would run from his mother anymore. It was his only safe place after Izuku was killed. Izuku used to be amazing at sorting through Katsuki’s emotions with him, he was so much better then. Now his mind felt like on big cramp that he couldn’t just ease away with a few rubs and a hot pad anymore. His hot pad had frozen up and been thrown away, lost, forever.
It was around 4 am when Katsuki was calm enough to head back up. The blond cursed when he saw the time and realized he was not going to get any sleep before class in the next few hours. He showered and rested for the next two hours until his alarm went off, to which he responded easily. By shoving it off his nightstand and under his bed.
He groaned as the sun slipped through his curtains. This was going to be a long day.
---
(Less than two months later)
Finals were a bitch, but everyone seemingly passed well enough. Aizawa had given a hard time to a few of the students (cough, Denki and Ojiro, cough) because of their below-decent grades. After the tests, the students were given a choice of whether they rather live on campus or go home over summer break and Katsuki chose to stay without any hesitation, though his old hag wasn’t too pleased about that. The summer had been fairly peaceful, seeing as most of the students left for their families for the break. The only consistent peer he had was the insomniac, who had basically been adopted by Aizawa and his husband Yamada. They had a place on Yuuei’s grounds that they mainly stayed in so Shinsou rarely left.
Over the summer Katsuki had been more or less frequenting his therapist, and they had made some great progress in the two months Katsuki was free of school.
Now, there were three days before the first day of their third year and Katsuki couldn’t have been more nonchalant. His peers were either hyper or anxious, despite having their main teacher be the same as it has been for all of their years at UA. But this was their last year of hero training before they were titled as real pro heroes who could go out and save the world. (As if they didn’t already do the world-saving- part already…)
It seemed like the villains had gotten the memo that it was summer break because the League had barely been active the entire summer. And the action they chose to handle wasn’t directed towards Class A, instead more or less petty crimes to continue to show everyone that they were still in fact alive and active.
Mina slammed down on the couch beside Katsuki, groaning loudly as she slumped over into Katsuki’s lap. The blond raised a brow and shoved the girl off, going back to playing with his phone. “Kat, Kat, Cat, Kitten, Kitten Whiskers.” Mina poked the blond, trying to gain his attention, which she failed at and only began successfully annoying him.
After the seventh transition of a nickname, Katsuki was fed up. He growled authoritatively and slapped Mina’s hand away. “Ouu~” She snickered. “Alpha’s angry.” She taunted, rolling over so she was now on her back against the couch. Katsuki rolled his eyes at her childish antics.
“So have you heard the news?” She questioned, eyes wide with the promise of gossip. Katsuki shrugged, still playing on his phone disinterestedly. “We’re supposedly getting a new student. Haven’t gotten details yet but dude passed the finals with flying colors, even rivalling your grades,” Katsuki eyed her with a brow raised. As much as he didn’t care for gossip, this was interesting. “Yeah,” She nodded at his curious glare. “Guy’s super smart, and strong too I heard he threw two bots at eachother and knocked out the physical under four minutes, again, rivaling your time.”
“As if,” Katsuki scoffed, placing his phone screen side down on the couch’s armrest. “Nobody ever wins over me.” He stated confidently. It was true though, there were close calls but Katsuki has worked and earned every title of number one that he has been given throughout his years at UA.
“I know, Champ.” Mina raised her hands at Katsuki's defensive tone. “But this guy sounds pretty hard core, I’m excited to see him.”
“Whatever,” Katsuki scoffed. “I’m sure he’s not even that great.”
Mina stared at him with a cheesy smirk. She punched his lag playfully. “Is our big bad Alpha jealous over the new boy?” Mina punched him again, causing Katsuki to bear his fangs at her. “Alright, alright, I get it blasty.” She raised her hands in surrender and scooted away before she hopped away without warning, spotting Momo from across the room. Katsuki watched as Mina grabbed one of Momo’s boxes, helping her drag them to her new room.
Katsuki scoffed to himself as he replayed her words. “Jealous, as if.” He rolled his eyes and pushed off the couch. It was time to make these fools some lunch because none of them learned how to fucking cook a decent meal after all of these years.
Denki and Sero whooped like frat boys when they saw Katsuki walking into the kitchen. Katuski snarled at them, threatening that if there was one more comment made about his immaculate pectorals, he was never cooking for anyone else ever again. Students were quick to shut the offenders up, causing Katsuki to smirk victoriously.
---
The first day rolled around faster than anyone had wanted. Eventually, Katsuki found himself surrounded by most of the dimwits he had started with. Mineta was expelled the first year after he attacked a group of girls, Shinsou then replaced his spot the next year. Aoyama left the school mid-school year of the second year right before he was outed as the school’s traitor for the League.
Katsuki supposed this mysterious new student was filling in that spot to make an even twenty students among the class.
Speaking of the new student, everyone had yet to meet this guy.
Aizawa rolled into the classroom tiredly, yawning as he held a cup of coffee. As much as he wished he could bring it, his husband had vetoed the arrival of the signature yellow sleeping bag.
The morning started with a quick headcount and a sleepy welcome. Aizawa quickly explained that the first day would be a lazy day to adjust to their schedule and new peers, as authorized by Principal Nezu. Apparently, the other classes had transfers too, except these students were already a part of this school, unlike the student news to class A. Yet he warned that this following year was going to be tough and taxing, so the students had this day only to prepare themselves.
After Aizawa sat back down in his chair, the board covered in upcoming dates and homework assignments, he rested his head on his arms. Suddenly, the door flew open and a thin boy came tripping from behind it, startling Aizawa and his students.
Katsuki only briefly glanced at the door as it flew open, disinterested. He just assumed this was some student from a lower class asking or informing Aizawa of something. Well, that was until the boy began to speak and the whispers around him grew husher.
“H-Hello! Uh, Aizawa Sensei, sir! I-I’m really sorry for my tardiness! I got lost and-” The boy stumbled over himself, fumbling with his bag as he ripped some form out and shoved it into Aizawa’s hands.
Katsuki’s jaw dropped and he let his pencil roll off the desk, the sound clattering loudly in his head.
“Quiet, problem child.” Aizawa rubbed his temple, looking over the form. “Ah, you’re my new kid. Don’t worry about it this time but if I catch you being late to my class again I won’t hesitate to double your training for a week.” Kirishima whispered something loudly and both Denki and Sero nodded with horrified expressions. Aizawa’s training was brutal.
“Yes sir!” The boy bowed heavily, his bag throwing itself over his head at the force.
“Now sit down.” Aizawa muttered tiredly, resting his head once again.
“Ah, yes Sensei!” The boy turned, his fluffy hair bouncing at the movement and then it was like time slowed. His smile was bright and infectious, as it always was. His eyes were brimming with excitement, hope, and determination. His freckles were perfectly dusted across his cheeks.
Red eyes met green and Katsuki felt his world collapse around him. Confusion struct directly after the buried grief resurfaced. A weight was both simultaneously placed and taken off of Katsuki’s chest as he watched those iridescent green eyes widen with shock and a small smile crawled onto his face.
“Deku?” Katsuki could barely whisper as he stood up from his desk. His peers were staring at him like he was crazy but they didn’t understand…
“Kacchan.” Izuku greeted with a soft smile, one that was both comforting and heartbreaking to Katsuki. This had to be real, no villain knew that name. A special name, one only Izuku could use.
“Kacchan?” He faintly heard Kaminari question dumbly from the back of the room.
Katsuki’s eyes teared easily as he took a heavy step towards the-- still short-- fluffy green-haired boy. And then another, and another, and soon enough he was sprinting from his seat into Izuku’s wide-open, welcoming arms.
Katsuki’s body crashed into Izuku’s strong self, stern in his position. Arms wrapped around him, encasing him in Izuku's signature Omegan scent. This had to be him. He immediately shoved his face into the crevice of Izuku’s neck, greedily inhaling his one-of-a-kind scent.
Katsuki felt the tears fall and something inside him shift, something that had been buried shortly after it was broken. Izuku’s grip could only rival the grasp Katsuki had on him, one that promised he would never let go. His emotions felt like a tornado that he was in the midst of trying to lasso and failing.
“Izuku,” Katsuki choked, only clutching the boy closer to him. Katsuki patted the boy’s body, trying to make sure that he was real, that he was physically there with him.
“I know,” Izuku soothed quietly, calmly caressing his hair.
Aizawa stood by his desk confusedly and awkwardly. He didn’t really understand what was happening right now, nor did he know how to act on it. As he continued debating though, Katsuki pulled back slightly yet his grasp along Izuku’s body was stronger than ever.
“H-How,” His peers could see the smothered tear tracks covering his face but he couldn’t give a damn about that at this moment, not to mention the voice crack as he tried to speak. “You’re dead. I watched you die, Deku. I was there when-” Katsuki couldn’t go any further, gulping heavily as the memory replayed over and over in his head.
Izuku smiled sadly, bringing a warm hand to Katsuki’s flushed cheeks. Despite the warmth lingering on his face, he leaned into the hand contentedly, taking whatever he could get. “I’ll explain when we’re alone Kacchan. But I’m not dead, obviously.” Izuku chuckled but Katsuki couldn’t find it in himself to take anything humorously right then. Instead, the statement brought him back into reality and he looked around at his questioning classroom.
Katsuki shoved his hands over his face, wiping the tears away gruffly before scowling at his peers. Aizawa cleared his throat with an expectant gaze but Katsuki responded by tugging Izuku’s sleeve and dragging the boy to the-- now-- unoccupied seat next to his. (Sero was more than happy to move after he was exposed to Katsuki’s venomous glare.)
Aizawa only questioned for half a second before deciding he was not even remotely interested in his student’s weird drama. Katsuki tried hard to ignore his peer's whisper and hushed questions about the scene that just played out in front of them all. But soon enough, Katsuki grew fed up and growled, bearing his fangs at everyone surrounding him.
The students reluctantly calmed down and backed off, giving the nervous Izuku and emotionally frustrated Katsuki some much-needed space. The clock ticked slower than usual, and Katsuki itched for class to be over. They didn’t have any other significant classes until later, it is the first day and all.
He needed to sort this shit out as soon as he could.
---
As soon as class ended Katsuki threw his things into his bag haphazardly and tugged Izuku out of his seat hastily, dragging him to the stairwell that led to their dorm rooms. He easily ignored his peers and Aizawa who questioned him as he passed, his tunnel vision only eyeing Izuku and the explanations of his appearance.
They made it up the stairs quickly. Katsuki threw open his door and shoved Izuku onto his bed, locking the door behind them.
Katsuki sat on a small couch parallel to the bed with an unreadable expression. “Explain.” He demanded simply and Izuku sighed.
“Kacchan… Before the hero crushed me that day, Kurogiri sucked me up into one of his portals and…”
Izuku wanted to scream, shout, cry-- but it was already too late. His bones were shattering against the rubble of the concrete and the villain's body held more pressure than anything Izuku had ever seen , let alone been under. His cries of shock and pain were silenced by the ear-splitting noises of his body breaking.
And then he was falling.
He only fell for a short amount of time, hitting a soft bouncy mattress with a glass-shattering scream as his broken limbs were disturbed. He heard a breath inhaled through their teeth and a groan. His vision was fleeting but before the world went dark, Izuku saw a cloudy purple man, who he later came to know as Kurogiri, standing over his body with someone who seemed to be a medic or doctor of some kind. Izuku could hear shouting as Kurogiri tried to lessen the thick tension in the room.
“What the hell did you think you were doing??” A rough, scratchy voice shouted from across the room, growing closer.
“He was going to die!” The purple man’s voice was calm yet somewhat shaky.
“So!?” The first voice responded, much closer now. “We don’t know this kid, I’ve never seen him in my life! What’s the point in saving some random Omega kid??” The voice was upset, infuriated even.
Around this time was when Izuku’s screaming quieted and his mind blacked out, his body not able to handle the immense trauma that was just inflicted upon it.
“Sir, please,” The medic began to wave their hands around Izuku’s body, light green light flowing from them. “This is the quirkless boy who saved that blond kid from the Slime Monster a few months ago. He has potential, quirkless or omega, or not. Just give him a chance, no kid deserves to die after living such an unfair life.” Kurogiri seemed to know more about Izuku than he was letting on.
Shigaraki watched the medic calculatingly as he processed. Eventually, he caved. “He has two weeks. If I don’t deem him worthy after that, get rid of him. I don’t care how.”
Kurogiri nodded respectfully before Shigaraki stormed out. He looked down at the boy with care, careful not to jolt the bed he was sitting on and disrupt the healing process.
“Of course, I don’t know what went down while I was unconscious, but after that, I healed for a day or two and began initiation. Which was basically just training but… riskier.” Izuku shuddered, looking away. He looked back with a slight smile. “Shigaraki must have seen something in me because they took me in and I was fully trained. I refused to kill, but they did utilize my immaculate learning abilities and I learned to code and deal with tech to help them on missions.” Izuku looked sheepish as he admitted this, Katsuki’s glare hard as he stared him down.
Katsuki took a long, silent moment to process. He wanted to be calm, he wanted to be rational but he couldn’t help but explode. “So what, you’ve been alive and well and now you’re here to spy on us for the villains??”
Izuku frowned, frustrated at the accusation, yet understanding from his position, he would have concluded the same thing. “That’s not why I’m here, Kacchan. Actually, the league didn’t want me to come but I wanted to because I wanted to see you. I’ve been keeping track of you for all these years, I’ve been able to see your accomplishments and cheer for you from the back of the bleachers. I’ve been here all this time, Kacchan, for you.” He was smiling now, soft and small but still comforting in the best ways.
Katsuki stood up, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was breathing heavily and paced around shortly, the tension building. He let out a short scream as he turned and slammed his fist into the wall, efficiently creating a hole in it. Izuku flinched back slightly at the random act of aggression.
“You’ve been here, for me,” Katsuki repeated with a dark chuckle as his forehead met the wall. He whipped around with tears in his eyes, hands balled into fists. “You haven’t been here , for anyone Deku!! You’ve been DEAD !! I thought you were dead, all of these years! And you said nothing, you never said anything to me!” Katsuki jutted a finger in Izuku’s face, eyes filling with tears and only one slipping down slowly. “I have mourned you every single day since you died, and yet, you’ve been right across the street, SPYING ON ME!!” Katsuki backed up, his rage fading as the tears grew.
Izuku had tears in his eyes now, his soft smile had fallen into a guilty frown and his hands shook violently at Katsuki’s outburst. Yet, the shaking wasn’t out of fear but out of guilt and frustration. He tried to say something but his throat was dry and his voice was lost. Neither boy spoke for a few long moments.
“I was a fucked up kid and I’m still pretty damn messed up Deku. I’m sorry, I truly am, for absolutely everything and I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.” His voice cracked as he sat back down on the couch, leaning his head back against the cool wall and letting the tears fall freely from his closed eyes.
Izukuu cautiously scooted off the bed, instead settling down on the couch next to Katsuki. He rested a tender hand against Katsuki’s shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.
“I’m sorry Kacchan.” The tears were evident in his voice, yet it felt like the only thing he could say. “I forgave you years ago.” He spoke quietly as Katsuki hunched over, his shoulders shaking softly.
“Fuck,” Katsuki breathed out as he sobbed. Izuku winced with pain and leaned over the blond’s back, enveloping him from behind with a tight grip.
Izuku cried softly behind the sobbing blond, both in the middle of a breakdown but also amid the healing process.
It only took a few minutes until Katsuki passed out, too emotionally drained. Once Izuku was sure that the blond was unconscious, he lifted his bulked-up body over to the bed with a grunt, tucking him in under the covers. He began to retreat back to his room when Katsuki whined in his sleep.
“Omega, mate, don’t leave again,” Katsuki mumbled as he tossed over once, hand searching the bed. His pheromones released subconsciously, filling the room with distress signals.
Izuku felt himself purr once he was under the covers next to Katsuki, the blond pulling their bodies tightly together with happy growls. “My omega,” The blond nuzzled Izuku’s neck happily in his sleep, holding him in a grip that the younger boy wasn’t sure he would ever be able to escape.
“I’m right here Kacchan.” He soothed as his fingers ran through thick locks of blonde, spiky hair.
Katsuki purred contently, lulling Izuku into a perfectly peaceful sleep. They both subconsciously clung to each other, their scents mingling together in a happy state.