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──⭒─⭑─⭒──
~Shouta POV~
Shouta had never been interested in dating, let alone marriage. He was what most would call an ‘odd alpha’. No one really understood why he chose to stay single at almost 30 years old.
Which is why he was now facing a dilemma… Alphas not having a mate at his age was rare, practically unheard of. And the government had started breathing down his neck about finding a mate. Something about mateless alphas being ‘unstable’ and ‘dangerous’. What was worse, the hero commission had now even threatened to withdraw his license if he didn’t find a mate to ‘stabilize him’ soon.
It didn’t matter that Shouta never once showed any signs of aggression or being unstable. The prejudice was that no alpha could be trusted, at least not without an omega to keep their emotions in check.
So, Shouta was now faced with a choice… Either he finds a mate and endures living with some random omega, or he loses his job and probably never be able to work again, under the guise of being too unstable.
He sighed deeply, not liking either option. He’d been fine without an omega for years, so why should it matter if he had a mate or not?
There was also another thing to consider… Shouta had been thinking about adopting for a while. But no sane person would ever let a single alpha adopt a child.
Maybe… Was there a solution here to both of his problems?
After all, a lot of omegas were given away at a young age, and unfortunately, most of them ended up being abused.
But if he were to snatch one of them up in the guise of marriage, he could make sure they were safe.
Making up his mind, Shouta opened up one of the many brochures the hero commission had sent him and started looking through the files.
…
After a lot of searching, Shouta managed to find a lead to a website with more… unwanted omegas. Most of them were older ones, so called ‘past their prime’. Or they were kids or teenagers with ‘villainous’ quirks. But there was one who caught his attention. A young omega, barely a teenager, with bright green eyes and hair. He was awfully thin and had deep bags beneath his eyes. But what caught Shouta’s attention was the fact that he was quirkless.
Quirkless kids in this day and age were rare, and Shouta was well aware of the survival rate of the unlucky few. Not to mention the cases of abuse…
Yes, this was the one Shouta wanted.
Having made up his mind, Shouta wasted no time in calling the listed number and decided on a time for their meeting. The woman on the other side of the line sounded absolutely delighted that he was interested, and not at all worried about the obvious age gap. It made Shouta both relieved, but also sick with rage.
His friends were shocked when he told them he had arranged a meeting with an omega. And even more so when they learned how young the omega was. He tried to explain himself, but they just gave him pitying looks and shook their heads at him.
“Shou, honey, there is no way an omega and alpha can live together like that,” Nemuri said, as if explaining something to a child.
“He’s twelve,” Shouta hissed, “He’s just a pup! Besides, I’ve never been interested in any omega before, so I’m pretty sure he won’t affect me,” He huffed, crossing his arms as he glared at the others.
“There’s a reason Alpha’s aren’t allowed to adopt, Shou,” Hizashi pointed out, earning him another sharp glare.
“Again. He’s a pup. I’m not a predator.”
“We’re not calling you that. And he’s not a pup, if he’s presented,” Nemuri sighed, “You know that. We all know that. Once they present as an omega, they are ‘fair game’. No matter how young they are.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Shouta insisted, feeling frustrated that his friends didn’t have more faith in him, “Besides, he looked to be in bad shape and he needs a good home. I just want him to be safe.”
“We know, Shou. It’s not the pup we’re worried about,” Hizashi sighed, giving him another sad look, “Just, be careful, alright? I know you’ve never fallen for an omega before, but… It’s bound to happen eventually, right? I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
Shouta scoffed at the idea of that fragile pup somehow hurting him.
Things were gonna be fine. Shouta would be free from the commission's threats, he’d get to ‘adopt’ a pup, and the kid would have a safe home.
Really… What could go wrong?
──⭒─⭑─⭒──
~Izuku POV~
Izuku had the misfortune of presenting as an omega when he was twelve. And not only was he an omega, which meant he would be forced to settle with an alpha as soon as possible, he was also quirkless, which meant very few alphas would ever want him.
Inko had not been happy about his second gender. She was already not very fond of having a quirkless son, but upon learning he was also an omega…?
Yeah, she was not happy with that…
For the past year, his mom and dad had tried almost desperately to sell him off to whatever alpha would want him, claiming that ‘your age is the only good thing about you’. And that if they didn’t get him settled before he was a teenager, no one would want him.
It scared him. Especially since all the alphas were so much older than him. The youngest was twenty years old. He had been nice, all things considered, but then he had quickly stopped showing interest as soon as he learned of Izuku’s quirkless status…
So yeah, not many great candidates. But Izuku also knew he didn’t have the luxury to be picky. He’d tried bringing up not getting married once, but that had been a mistake. It had taken hours for his mom to calm down after that, and his dad had lectured him about the importance of omegas having an alpha to ‘take care’ of them. Especially if someone was as useless as Izuku himself was.
He’d learned quickly that he didn’t have a choice in this matter. Whoever wanted him, Izuku would have to act grateful and accept their proposal, no matter what he might think about it.
That’s why, a week before his 13th birthday, he didn’t feel an ounce of joy when his mom barged into his room and told him he had a new potential ‘buyer’, he just felt resigned and thought ‘this is it.’
She kept gushing about the alpha as she got him presentable, telling him about how he was ‘in his prime’, how he worked as a teacher and how he sounded like a good mate.
Izuku nodded along and tried not to throw up at the idea of someone that much older than him being his new mate. For fucks sake- the guy was twice his age!
The alpha soon showed up, and his mom let him inside their apartment with a big smile.
Izuku froze as he saw him, a blush spreading along his face as he took the older man in because… Oh no, he was hot.
His dad elbowed him and told him to introduce himself. It was only then that Izuku realized everyone’s attention was on him, and his blush increased by a tenfold as he noticed everyone staring.
He gave a deep bow as he introduced himself, “H-hello! Um, I’m Midoriya Izuku. It’s- it’s a pleasure to meet you,” He stammered nervously, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the floor, just as he’d been taught.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Aizawa Shouta,” The man- Aizawa answered. His voice was deep and made something inside of Izuku purr. He held it in though, since purring at someone you just met would be super weird!
They all sat down at the table, and Izuku let his parents do most of the talking as he sat politely by their side, keeping his posture straight and trying his best not to move or speak unless he was being addressed.
Aizawa seems nice enough? Not at all how Izuku would imagine a single alpha to be? Weren’t they supposed to go crazy from being alone for so long? He’d definitely been expecting someone much more aggressive.
“So, Aizawa, what made you choose our Izuku?”
At this, Aizawa paused, and Izuku perked up as he wondered what he would answer.
“There was no reason, not really. He just caught my attention,” The man answered after a moment of hesitation. Izuku slumped a bit at those words, before he caught himself and straightened back up. He wasn’t sure why he felt so disappointed.
“And you are aware of his… condition?” His dad asked.
“If you mean his quirklessness, then yes, I am aware and I don’t mind,” Aizawa answered evenly.
“Really? Not at all? Do you not want a quirk more suitable to pass on to future kids?” His mom asked, sounding like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“No. I’m more interested in adopting, to be completely honest.”
“Oh. Well that’s… A relief?” His mom answered, clearly taken aback, “Can I ask what your quirk is?”
“It’s called Erasure. In short, it can erase other’s quirks. So Izuku’s lack of a quirk is hardly something I mind.”
Izuku immediately perked up, and without meaning to, he opened his mouth and started talking.
“You have an Erasure quirk? Like the Pro hero Eraserhead!? How does it work- ah!” Izuku cut himself off with a yelp as his dad hit the back of his head.
“Stop that,” The man hissed angrily, “I apologize Aizawa-San, we have been trying to get him to be less… chatty.”
Aizawa looked pissed, and Izuku curled into himself with shame. There goes whatever chance he had.
“I don’t mind,” The man said with a deep sigh, as if trying to calm himself down, “But going back to why I’m here. I am still interested. And if Izuku agrees, I’d like to give this a try.”
Izuku’s head whipped up in surprise. He still wanted him!?
“Oh how wonderful! Of course Izuku will-”
“I want to hear it from Izuku,” Aizawa snapped, cutting his mom off. It was the angriest Izuku had heard him so far and he swallowed nervously as everyone’s attention was suddenly back at him.
“Um- y-yes, I- I’d like that,” Izuku whispered, feeling like the whole room was spinning. What was happening!?
The adults kept talking about the more practical things on the matter, while Izuku just sat there and stared at them.
Aizawa soon left, but he would be back on Izuku’s 13th birthday next week, when they would sign all the legal documents and Izuku would move in with him.
Did… Did Izuku just acquire a mate!?!?
──⭒─⭑─⭒──
~Shouta POV~
“Sooooo… how did it go?” Nemuri asked, leaning against the bar and grinning up at Shouta.
“It went awful. The poor kid looked even worse up close,” Shouta snarled, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp.
“Oof, don’t let him hear you say that,” Hizashi winced.
“I didn’t mean it like that! I just mean that- he’s just- it’s like they’ve been starving him! He’s too thin! He looked sickly! I’m sure with some proper food and sleep, he will get better, but for fuck’s sake, how can you let it get that bad!? And the dad hit him! Right in front of me!”
“Jikes, okay, that sounds pretty bad,” Nemuri agreed with a grimace, “Good thing you’re getting him out then? When is the ceremony?”
“We will sign the papers next week. Apparently the parents want him out by the time he turns thirteen,” Shouta answered with a grunt.
“That’s- that’s really soon. And wait- you won’t have a ceremony?” Hizashi gasped.
“Of course not,” Shouta huffed with a roll of his eyes, as he ordered another drink, “We’ll sign the papers at the government building, get a witness and that’s that.”
“I don’t know why I expected anything else,” Nemuri snorted, “Well, good for you Shou. I call dibs on being one of the witnesses!”
“Same!” Hizashi cheered.
Shouta just sighed as he took a sip of his drink.
Just what had he gotten himself into…?
…
Time seemed to almost fly by, and soon, it was time for Shouta to go see his new ‘mate’.
They all met up at the government building, where Izuku stood together with his parents. The boy was dressed in a white dress shirt and some white slacks, looking extremely nervous. His attire made Shouta feel a bit bad, since he just wore a black polo shirt and dark jeans. Maybe he should have tried a bit more, since this was technically gonna be their wedding?
“Oh my gosh, is that him? He’s adorable,” Nemuri gushed as soon as she saw Izuku, causing the boy to blush and curl into himself.
“Nem, be nice,” Shouta sighed. He hadn’t really wanted the two to tag along, but his friends had insisted they be there as witnesses. Still, he would appreciate it if the other alpha didn’t make his new ‘mate’ uncomfortable.
At least her partner had more tact, as Hizashi walked up to the younger omega and politely introduced himself, keeping his usually loud voice quiet for once.
“Hello there. You must be Izuku? I’m a friend of Shouta, and this is my Alpha, Nemuri. It's very nice to meet you,” The older omega spoke softly, earning him a nervous smile from Izuku.
“It’s- it’s nice to meet you too,” Izuku answered, just as politely.
…
They stepped into the building and got everything sorted. They had to wait for a while for it to be their turn, but the whole thing took less than 10 minutes, once they were finally allowed inside.
And with that… Shouta and Izuku were legally married.
Shouta stared down at the papers with an odd combination of acceptance and defeat. With this, the commission wouldn’t bother him anymore. And he could make sure that Izuku got a safe home. It truly was a win win. So why did he feel so nervous?
“Alright, we’ll leave him to you, then,” Inko said with a joyful smile and a clap of her hands.
It was only then that Shouta noticed the bag that Izuku was carrying with him, and he realized that they wanted him to bring Izuku home with him today.
They really wanted to get rid of him that bad, huh?
Izuku’s parents soon left, not even giving their son a second glance as they parted ways. The boy watched them go with sad, dejected eyes, and without thinking, Shouta reached out to wrap an arm around the kid’s shoulders.
Immediately, Izuku tensed, and Shouta withdrew his arm with a muttered ‘sorry.’
“No, it’s- um, it’s okay. I mean, you’re my alpha now. You’re… You’re allowed to t-touch me,” Izuku stammered, sounding terrified at the mere idea but also wearing a defeated expression.
Suddenly, Hizashi was at their side and he made a loud Bzzt sound with his arms crossed as an X in front of him.
“Bzzt- nope! That’s not how this is gonna work, kiddo!” Hizashi said, his tone playful but his eyes serious, “Shouta may be your alpha, but he’s not gonna do anything you are uncomfortable with. I don't know what you’ve been told, but you always have the right to say no, you dig?”
“Um…” Izuku looked at him with wide eyes, looking like he very much did not understand.
“It’s okay, hun. Baby steps, remember,” Nemuri soothed Hizashi, before turning to Izuku, “But Hizashi is right, you know. Never be afraid to speak up if you’re uncomfortable. That’s not only towards Shouta, but to everyone, us included.”
…
They eventually parted ways with his friends and headed over to Shouta’s apartment. Or he supposed it was their apartment now. That was gonna need some getting used to.
“Here we are, make yourself at home,” Shouta said, as he held the door open for Izuku to step inside.
The boy timidly walked past him and into the apartment, looking tense and like something was gonna jump at him at any moment. Hopefully he would learn to relax, once they got more used to each other.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room,”
“My room?”
“Yes.”
“You mean… we won’t share?”
“No, that’d be weird.”
At Izuku’s confused expression, Shouta sighed and decided he probably needed to explain a few things. He gestured for Izuku to sit down on the bed, while Shouta sat at the desk chair.
“Listen I… I never wanted to have a mate. The government basically held my job over my head, if I didn’t cooperate and found an omega.”
“So you… don’t want me?”
“Not as a mate,” Shouta confirmed with a sigh, before he continued, “But I also don’t mind you staying here. I actually wanted to adopt, before finding you. And you’re practically still a pup. So if you’re okay with it, I’d like you to stay.”
“You… Want me as your pup? But I’ve already presented! That’s… not gonna work. I mean, what about when my heat hits?”
“I’m a pro hero. I’m pretty sure I can control myself.”
“You’re- what!?”
“I didn’t tell you?”
“I thought you were a teacher!?”
“Oh yeah, I teach at UA. But I’m also a pro hero. My hero name is-”
“You’re Eraserhead!” Izuku blurted out, eyes practically shining, “You have an Erasure quirk, right? That’s the only hero I can think of! Oh my god you are so amazing and-” The kid suddenly cut himself off with a flinch, as if he’d been hit, “S-sorry…”
“Don’t apologize,” Shouta told him softly, remembering the way he’d been hit for speaking too much before, “And you’re right. I’m Eraserhead. Though that’s obviously something I don’t want many people to know. So I’d appreciate it if you kept it on the downlow.”
“That’s okay. It’s not like I have many people to talk to.”
“Really? You don’t have any friends? Or people you talk to in school?”
At that, Izuku grimaced and curled into himself, “I, um, I don’t go to school. My parents pulled me out as soon as I presented as an omega.”
“They did what?” Shouta snarled, only to feel bad as soon as he saw Izuku curl further into himself, “Sorry, I-,” Shouta sighed and dragged a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry for yelling. But that is not okay. Everyone should have a right to go to school. I will see what I can do and we’ll get you enrolled somewhere.”
For some reason, Izuku didn’t look happy about that. In fact, he looked miserable.
“You don’t like school?” Shouta asked.
“It’s- it’s not school I don’t like. It’s just… the other kids. They, um, aren’t very nice to someone like me.”
“Someone like you? You mean quirkless?”
The boy flinched at the word quirkless, but nodded anyway.
“I see. How about online schooling? At least for middle school?”
“That’d… be nice, thank you,” Izuku said, breathing out a sigh of relief.
With that, Shouta left Izuku to his own devices, letting him unpack in peace.
He started on dinner and almost managed to forget he wasn’t alone. That was, until Izuku emerged from his room, looking panicked as he stared at Shouta with a horrified expression.
“What are you doing!?”
“Making dinner?”
“But- but that’s my job!”
“Um…” Shouta paused, unsure how to respond to that, “No, it isn’t? I mean, we could arrange it so you can cook some times, but I’m pretty used to cooking by myself.”
“But you’re an alpha!”
“Izuku… Exactly what have your parents been telling you? How do you think this is gonna work?”
“I mean… I’m supposed to be at home and take care of the household?”
“And is that something you want? You’re only thirteen. Surely you must have some dreams or anything like that?”
At that, Izuku paused, looking awfully shy all of a sudden.
“Promise you won’t laugh?”
“I won’t.”
“I- I want to be a hero…”
“I see. Then we’ll work towards that.”
“Wait- really!?”
“Yes, really. I do teach at UA, remember? I’m pretty sure we can get you in shape during the upcoming years. If you want to try for the UA entrance exams, that is?”
“Y-yes! Of course I- I want that more than anything!”
Shouta smiled at that, “Good. I’ll get started on a workout and meal plan for you.”
“...You don’t think me being quirkless is an issue?”
“Why would it be? I fight quirkless, you know.”
At that, Izuku looked ready to cry. Shouta just hoped it was happy tears.
“Anyway, dinner is almost ready. If you want to help, you can set the table. Plates are in that cabin, and the glasses are in the one next to it.”
With that, Izuku got to work setting the table, looking extremely nervous as he did. Shouta made sure to praise him for his good work, once he was done. It seemed to be the right call, since the boy practically lit up at the praise.
…
Just as Shouta had said, he immediately put together a workout plan for Izuku. As well as a meal plan, since he was awfully underweight.
The boy was actually a good student. Maybe a bit too eager sometimes, and he had a hard time knowing his own limits. But he listened and was willing to learn, which was more than Shouta could say about a majority of his own students.
Aside from physical training, Shouta also taught him some hand to hand combat. They’d visit UA (which blew Izuku’s mind) and used one of their gyms to train.
…
Shouta took his role as a caregiver with stride, and he almost forgot that this kid was supposed to be his mate.
Almost…
That was, until that fateful morning…
It had been a few months since Izuku moved in with him, and so far, things had been going well. But then Shouta woke up and immediately was hit with a sweet smell wafting through the apartment.
He stepped out into the kitchen, where a dazed looking Izuku was preparing breakfast, since it was his turn. The boy looked awfully feverish and like he could barely stand. And with the sweet smell coming from him, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on.
“Izuku? What are you doing out of your nest?” Shouta asked, holding one of his sleeves over his nose and mouth to block out the scent.
As a pro hero, he’d gone through multiple training sessions to not be affected by an omega in heat. But he had to admit, something about Izuku’s scent was starting to affect him.
“Huh? Oh, um, I’m making breakfast?”
“I can see that,” Shouta answered slowly, “But shouldn’t you be resting?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re in preheat,”
At that, the kid paused, as if he himself hadn’t even realized it, “Oh… Um, that- that explains a few things,” Izuku mumbled, his face turning a bright red.
“You didn’t notice?”
“No? I mean, I’ve only had two heats before, so… I guess I didn’t notice?”
“I see,” Shouta sighed. It was getting very hard for him to think, being surrounded by that sweet smell, “Go back to your nest, Izuku. I’ll bring you some breakfast in a moment.”
“But- but it’s my turn!”
“Being in heat obviously changes that. Now go rest,”
Reluctantly, the kid shuffled away from the stove and back to his room. It took everything in Shouta not to follow him, the scent beckoning him to get closer.
As soon as the kid was gone, Shouta quickly opened all of the windows, letting some fresh air in.
Once that was done, and he was feeling a bit better, Shouta got started on breakfast, continuing where Izuku had left off. Just as he’d said he would, he left a tray of food outside Izuku’s door and knocked, letting him know it was there. No way was he gonna enter Izuku’s den while he was in heat.
Still, something inside Shouta purred at the idea of providing for his omega. Especially while he was in this state. But he quickly shook his head and pushed those thoughts aside. He was just… Helping the kid out while he was sick…
Izuku’s heat lasted for a full week. And that week was torture for the both of them. If Shouta thought the kid had smelled good during his preheat, it was nothing compared to his actual heat. Shouta was just lucky that the smell didn’t trigger his own rut, or he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to control himself.
Once Izuku’s heat was finally over, the kid had emerged from his room, smelling delicious and looking like a mess. Shouta had immediately sent him to take a shower, while he once again opened all the windows to clear out the air.
After that, things thankfully went back to normal. Albeit a bit awkward, at first. Shouta had to finally face the reality that he wasn’t living with just a pup. No, Izuku was a full-fledged Omega. And that scared him.
What if he lost control one day and hurt the kid?
Shouta shook his head. No, he couldn’t think like that. After all, he’d managed to resist Izuku during his heat. So surely he would be able to withstand whatever else life might throw at them.
…
Sure enough, time continued to pass. The two of them grew a lot closer over the years, not as mates, but as friends.
Izuku had grown a lot during his time with Shouta, the shy malnourished kid he’d taken in had flourished and become a very outgoing teenager. Their apartment was almost constantly filled with the sound of his chatter. Not to mention when they went to UA and Izuku would talk to everyone. The staff had gotten to know Izuku during his time with Shouta, and they all adored the little omega, almost as much as he admired all of them.
It was a bit annoying, having to stop and be, ugh, social, with his coworkers, whenever Izuku was with him. But it was also adorable, and Shouta wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. Not when he knew how long it had taken for the boy to finally come out of his shell.
There was one problem though… As much as Izuku got along with the UA staff, he still didn’t really have any ‘friends’ his own age. He’d never really stopped doing online schooling, which meant he didn’t get to spend any time with other teenagers. Hopefully, that would change soon, once he started at UA.
Because there was no way that Izuku was not getting into this school. Not when the whole staff recommended him, as well as Nedzu having his eyes on the clever little omega. He would still have to take the exam like everyone else, (Izuku had refused getting in on a recommendation), but Shouta was sure he’d be able to pass. After all, he already knew about the robots and had prepared to face them for years.
And wouldn’t you know it, the day of the exam came and went, and Izuku passed flawlessly. Shouta couldn’t have been more proud of him, and he made sure to tell him that, earning him a blush and a loud purr from the boy.
Not much changed after Izuku got into UA. Other than him now being Shouta’s student. He was one of the only few omega’s in his class, and so, he obviously got a lot of attention. Sometimes unwanted. Shouta had taken great pleasure in expelling that gross grape haired beta who tried to put his hands on Izuku the first day.
But other than that, things were going well. That was… Until the students learned that Izuku and Shouta were married. He had no idea how that information had even gotten out, but he suddenly found himself facing a class with a lot of personal and uncomfortable questions.
At least he had the authority to shut them all up, but he also knew that Izuku took the worst of the burnt because of it. He once overheard Uraraka asking Izuku why he didn’t have a mating bite, if he was already claimed.
Izuku had been quiet for a while, before laughing sadly and telling them about their situation. The young alpha seemed shocked that an alpha and omega were living together in such a way. As if the act of being platonic and still ‘technically married’ was an impossible concept to grasp.
She then laughed a little and moved closer to Izuku with a smile, “Well, if you ever want a real mate, just let me know,” She all but purred, causing the young omega to blush.
It was then that Shouta was hit with the awful reality that Izuku could be taken from him. Which was ridiculous. After all, the boy wasn’t his to keep. But they were still married, and that meant they could get divorced. What then? What would Shouta do if Izuku found another alpha? Would he have to go on another wild goose hunt and ‘obtain’ another omega to keep around, just so he could keep his job and apparent sanity?
No… Shouta didn’t like that at all. He didn’t want another omega. He didn’t want to go though this whole process again with someone else.
That was when Shouta realized he, at some point, saw Izuku as his, despite not being properly mated. He didn’t want to see the young omega with anyone else. He wanted him to still be at his side, now and forever.
…
Something seemed to change after that. Or maybe it was Shouta’s mind playing tricks on him. But he could swear that Izuku got just a little bit more clingy, especially while they were in school or around other alphas. He’d stick to Shouta’s side like a shadow, clinging to his arm and hissing at anyone who dared to get too close.
It was confusing. The boy almost acted like an overprotective alpha. Or like he was overcompensating for their lack of a proper bond.
…Maybe that was exactly what he was doing, actually?
Shouta sighed to himself, unsure how to deal with this new development. It only continued to get worse, until he’d woken up one morning and found the kid sleeping outside of his door.
He nudged the kid with his foot, startling him awake.
“Are you okay there?” Shouta asked, raising an eyebrow at the clearly shocked boy.
“Um-, y-yes! I’m fine!” Izuku yelped, as he scrambled up to his feet.
“What were you doing on the floor?”
At that, Izuku blushed and looked away, fidgeting with his hands, “I, um, I just wanted to be close to you… My nest feels like it’s too far away, sometimes…” The kid mumbled, looking extremely embarrassed.
“How often have you been sleeping out here?” Shouta asked, feeling torn between disturbed and fond at the kid’s antics.
“...A few times…”
‘So probably quite often,’ Shouta concluded. He sighed to himself and shook his head.
“Well, next time just… knock,” Shouta said softly.
“You’ll let me sleep in your room?” Izuku asked, voice filled with barely contained hope.
“It’s better than you sleeping on the floor,” Shouta told him with another sigh, “Now come on, I need some coffee,” He said, before heading into the kitchen, Izuku right at his heel.
…
Shouta wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. But he still was a bit surprised to find Izuku knocking on his door that very same night.
The kid had a pillow clutched to his chest and was looking anywhere other than at Shouta, as he mumbled something about being ‘lonely’.
Shouta just sighed and stepped aside to let him in. Izuku smiled shyly at that and quietly excused himself as he stepped foot into Shouta’s den. Shouta wasn’t one that was particularly territorial or ‘in tune’ with his alpha side. But he had to admit that there was something that just felt incredibly right about having Izuku so close to his nest.
They both settled down in Shouta’s nest, and he almost let out a purr at how right it felt. And he had to stop himself from pulling the boy closer to his side. He didn’t want to overwhelm him or scare him away.
He wasn’t sure how he managed to fall asleep. But the next time he opened his eyes, it was already morning. He looked down and found Izuku curled up in his arms, still fast asleep. Shouta couldn’t stop the soft purr he let out at the sight, which only grew louder as the boy returned the motion in his sleep, purring back contently.
It was a bit awkward after that, when Izuku woke up and they both had to come to terms with the fact that they had just shared a nest. But it also felt so right, that Shouta didn’t have the energy to fight it. Nor did he find any reason to turn the boy down every time he showed up at his door.
It seemed like their scents had started to mix more since they started ‘sleeping together’, and Izuku got left alone more thanks to it. Which was an added bonus. Shouta couldn’t help but wonder if that had been the reason the boy had wanted to share a nest in the first place. After all, it would make sense for him to use Shouta’s scent to ward off other alpha’s.
He had been sure that had been the only reason.
At least… Until Izuku started showing signs of preheat. And he started nesting inside Shouta’s nest.
The man had been horrified, to say the least. And he’d quickly tried to deescalate the situation by removing the objects. But then Izuku had growled at him, showing his fangs as he clung to his nest materials, and Shouta had been quick to back down. He was not willing to fight the clearly feral omega over this. He’d just sleep on the couch instead…
Or so he thought. But then he’d tried to leave the nest, and it had a similar reaction to when he’d tried to remove the objects.
Did… Did Izuku think Shouta was a part of the nest, too!?
“Kid… Will you let me go?” Shouta tried to ask, feeling resigned as Izuku clung to him like he was a giant teddy bear.
“No. My alpha. Stay,” The kid all but growled, clearly lost in his instincts.
“I’m not your alpha,” Shouta tried to explain, just as he had for what felt like a million times before.
Izuku just held on to him tighter as he let out an unhappy growl, clearly having no intentions of letting Shouta go. The man just sighed as he resigned himself to his fate. He felt… Surprisingly okay with this? He would have expected himself to put up more of a fight. But there was just something about Izuku clinging to him, asking him to stay, that made him scaringly compliant.
He had been sure that the kid was just acting this way because of his preheat. And that once his actual heat hit him, he’d throw Shouta out of the nest. But he had been dead wrong.
As soon as Izuku’s real heat hit him, the boy whined and begged Shouta to mate him. Shouta had once again tried to leave, but had been stopped by a very insistent and downright feral Izuku.
Shouta weighed his options. He could force his way out and lock the door, forcing Izuku to endure a week of heat on his own. Or he could help him out, possibly triggering his own rut, but shorten the time by half. He had never shared a rut before, and he was honestly a bit scared to do so.
But then again… This was Izuku. His supposed mate. And he honestly couldn’t see himself doing this with anyone else…
With a sigh, Shouta made his decision and he let Izuku pull him back into the nest.
Sure enough, his own rut was triggered by the boy’s heat, and Shouta honestly couldn’t remember most of it. All he knew was that he woke up a few days later, hungry and sore, and with bite marks covering his whole body, including a fresh mating mark on his neck.
Izuku was lying beside him, also covered in marks but looking overall content as he slept. Shouta smiled at the sight and quietly left the nest to prepare them some breakfast. He also checked his phone, and winced at the number of missed calls and texts from his coworkers and friends. Apparently, Nem had gone to check on them at one point, but had quickly figured out what had happened based on their scents. She had quickly left their apartment after that, never entering their bedroom and then sent a quick ‘congratulations’ to his phone.
Shouta rolled his eyes at that text, but he also couldn’t help but smile as he answered, letting everyone know they were okay. His fingers traced his new mating mark as he walked around the kitchen, and he felt an odd surge of happiness at knowing it was Izuku who had put it there.
And what was best of all? Mating marks were permanent. Now, no one could take Izuku away from him. Not really. Shouta wondered why he’d even waited this long to mate with the boy to begin with.
“Um…” Shouta startled at the sound of Izuku’s voice and he turned around to find Izuku awake, standing in the doorway to the kitchen and fidgeting with his hands. Shouta couldn’t help the fond smile on his face at that adorable sight.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” Shouta hummed, turning back to where he was preparing their food, “Breakfast will be ready soon.”
“I- um,” The boy stammered. Shouta glanced over at him and paused at the look on Izuku’s face. He looked like he was gonna throw up. And their mating bond, although fresh, let him in on just how anxious the boy was feeling.
“Are you alright?” Shouta asked, turning off the stove to instead focus on his new mate.
“I- I’m fine,” Izuku whispered, sounding and looking everything but fine.
“You wanna try that again? I can literally feel how ‘not fine’ you are,” Shouta huffed with an amused shake of his head. Only for his smile to drop when Izuku flinched and curled further into himself at the mention of their bond.
“Do you… regret what happened?” Shouta asked quietly, his heart sinking with dread. He hadn’t even considered the possibility but it would make sense why Izuku wouldn’t want him.
“...You don’t want a mate,” Izuku answered quietly, sounding absolutely heartbroken. Tears had started to gather in his eyes, a few slipping out as he clutched at his own arms in an attempt to self soothe, “You don’t want me.”
“Oh,” Shouta breathed out, realization hitting him hard. He… He had said that before, hadn’t he. But- but that was years ago! Things were different now! He was different! There was no way Shouta wouldn’t want Izuku as his mate. Not now, not ever.
He tried telling the boy that, but Izuku still looked unsure.
“Look, I-,” Shouta sighed, running a hand through his hair, “It’s true I never wanted a mate. But that was before I met you. I don’t know when things started to change, but they have. You’re very different from when we first met, and so am I. But… I don’t regret what happened, as long as you don’t?”
He couldn’t help but feel anxious as he waited for the boy to reply. He wasn’t sure what to do if Izuku decided he didn’t want him. After all, a mating bond needed some form of affection in order to stick. So Shouta had just assumed things were fine. But if they weren’t… If Izuku didn’t want him? Well, he wasn’t sure how he was gonna be able to live with that…
“...I only regret it if you hate me,” Izuku eventually said, voice quiet and uncertain.
“I could never hate you,” Shouta said, a growl stuck in his throat at the mere idea.
Izuku looked surprised at that, before he smiled up at him brightly, tears in his eyes, “Can I- can I hug you?” The boy asked hopefully.
Shouta smiled back and opened his arms, inviting the boy in. Izuku wasted no time in rushing forward, hugging him tightly as he started to cry. Shouta could almost cry himself as he realized these were tears of relief.
They’d be alright, he’d make sure of it. He promised that to himself as he kept hugging Izuku, his new mate…
…
He had expected things to become awkward between them after they mated.
But to the contrary, Shouta felt closer to the boy than he ever had before. Quite literally, since their new bond let them sense what the other person was feeling, no matter the distance.
It felt nice, knowing there was always someone there to check up on him. And Izuku seemed a lot happier too. A lot more confident with the way he talked to his classmates, no longer caring if they were an alpha or not, since he had his own mate and a mark to prove it.
Time continued to pass, and Shouta couldn’t be happier.
He’d finally found his mate. And even if it took them a while to get here, Shouta wouldn’t change it for anything in the world…