Chapter Text
“So Bakugou, are you going to claim anyone’s token next week?”
Izuku had been on his way into the woods to gather herbs for his mother when that sentence made him stop dead in his tracks to listen. He was glad that the cream hiding his scent had just been applied, effectively hiding him from being detected by the two Alphas talking on the other side of the wooden wall fencing off part of the training area from the rest of the village.
He held his breath and leaned closer, eager to hear the answer.
“Hah? No way.”
“What?” Kirishima sounded genuinely confused. “But didn’t you have a stable rut partner for the last two years?”
“So what? Just because Deku helped with my ruts doesn’t mean I’m going to chain myself to his useless ass for the rest of my life.”
“Calling someone useless is not manly. And abandoning someone isn’t either. Does he know you won’t pay his token?”
“Stop butting into my business, shitty hair! Deku knows this is just convenience, nothing more. Now are we gonna fight or are you gonna talk my ear off?”
The two moved away from the wall where Izuku was still standing doing his best at holding back his tears. Slowly, to make sure he didn’t make any unnecessary noise he backed away from the wall and continued on his path towards the forest. He was thankful that almost no one was outside this early in the morning. This way no one could see the silent tears dripping down his face.
It was customary for every child to be assigned a token, short for bride token or bride price, at their coming of age ceremony that was held once a year for the entire village. Everyone who had turned 18 since the last ceremony was welcomed into adulthood and was their worth for the village and their family was judged.
If a child wanted to leave their home, be it to leave the village or to marry into another family, that token had to be provided by someone. It was the sign of a strong and capable Alpha to pay for their own token and the token of the Omega they choose. Of course, there was no time limit in which the price had to be paid, but everyone knew that at least the Alpha’s dowry should be paid to their parents two years after their coming of age.
The token could consist of anything. From food or pelts to live animals to money. Every skill and how it benefited the village and the family of the child was taken into consideration and evaluated to set the height of the token.
The more capable you were the higher your token was and the harder it was for you to pay it off in a timely fashion. But success only made your abilities and prowess shiny even brighter. And no one was more capable than Bakugou Katsuki. From a young age onward he had excelled at everything he had tried his hand at and now at 18, he was already one of the best hunters of the entire village. There was no question that his dowry would be high and that he would pay for it as soon as possible. He had been earning and saving money for years now and he was prepared to buy or hunt any price requested for him.
Of course, most tokens were set at a reasonable amount. After all, no one wanted to force their children to stay with them forever and rob them of their chance of attracting a suitable mate. But too low tokens often had the effect of making someone seem weak or useless. Most often male omegas were rated low since they were less fertile than female Omegas, whose tokens were often higher by default. Because of this even male Omegas tried their hand at the more warlike crafts to raise their worth and their tokens for their coming of age ceremonies.
There were other crafts and occupations of course, but being able to provide for and protect their home was viewed as the most valuable. In a city or bigger village, other talents would be seen as more desirable but out here survival was the most important.
That left Midoriya Izuku with a problem. He was born rather frail and weak and on top of that, he presented as an Omega early on. All his tries with any kind of weapon proved fruitless, as did his other tries at any type of crafting. His strength was with his brain, his ability to think quickly on his feet but without a strong body, it was hard following up on that. He learned to read and write from his mother and the traveling merchants that came through their village, but that was also not considered useful.
Math was important, reading and writing less so. His mother also taught him everything she knew about herbalism and how to treat a wound. That was his only useful craft, but it was something that most others were also taught about. He wasn’t special and he didn’t stand out, so his hopes for a high token were low.
But all that hadn’t mattered to him, not after he and Kacchan had become heat and rut partners. Granted, the first time had been on accident since they entered their cycles at roughly the same time and were close by. But after that Kacchan stuck with him and even spent time with him outside of his rut so Izuku had been sure Kacchan would choose him as a mate. He had never shown any interest in anyone else before and had even fought off another Alpha before who had tried to share his rut with Izuku.
But it seemed Izuku had been mistaken all this time. While he had been head over heels in love with his childhood friend, Katsuki had never planned on continuing this as anything more than relief for both parties. He would probably leave the village soon after paying off his token and become a renowned adventurer, Izuku was sure.
And that would mean he would be left all alone, surrounded by their friends who were happily getting mated and started families of their own.
Would that be enough for him? Help his mother with her home, maybe help some of their friends raise their children?
No. It would never be enough. Maybe it wouldn’t even have been enough if Kacchan had decided to mate Izuku and start a family with him. He could see that now. There had always been a hunger in him. He wanted to know more, about the world they lived in and about the people. He wanted to see it for himself. But he had never dared to dream like that, not as weak as he was. Not when Kacchan needed him here.
But that wasn’t true now, was it? He may still be weak, but that was only an obstacle that he could overcome. He would show them. He would show them all.
The coming of age ceremony was a big celebration each year. It marked the turning of the seasons, the beginning of spring, and new life all around. The whole village gathered for the announcement of the tokens. Every participant was brimming with nerves, eager to find out how high or low the tokens would be. Some were unsure if they had done enough if they had proven themselves, while others were talking about how they were going to try and gather everything necessary to pay off their future mate’s tokens in time with their own.
There were only two noticeable exceptions to this: Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku. No one had expected Bakugou to be nervous, since everyone knew his token would be the highest of them all. But the calm acceptance of Midoriya threw some people for a loop. There had been cases like his before and every time without fail the person was a raging ball of nerves and shame. It was used as an example for the younger generations to be better, to prove their usefulness and worth for the village or they would end up like this on their coming of age ceremony.
But Midoriya even had a small smile on his face. It unsettled a few of the villagers. The people he was closest to were filled with hope that their friend wouldn’t fall into despair as other people had done before him. Some were even whispering about how he probably thought Bakugou would still take him on as a mate, even though no one expected the pride of their village to waste time with someone as useless as him.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, everyone receiving what they were due. At least in the eyes of the elders. Each person had to step before them and their judgment was proclaimed. What they were capable of, what they had done for the village, and what they would do for the village in the future. There was a pause in which the person could either accept this judgment or try to plead their case. There had been cases where a token was lowered or raised before. After the final token had been determined, it was written down and handed over.
When it was Bakugou’s turn he surprised no one with his acceptance.
When it was Midoriya’s turn he surprised everyone.
Not only did he accept his judgment without crying or pleading, but he also thanked the elders for their wisdom with a serene smile on his face before stepping away from the podium and retaking his place in the crowd.
The ceremony continued but more and more eyes stray from the other participants and lingered on Midoriya. He had never gathered much attention, at least not the positive kind. Everyone had been confused when rumors started that he had become Bakugou's regular heat partner but most figured a male Omega must be good at something , even if he was mostly useless everywhere else.
But now there was something about him, almost like something within him had shifted and solidified and it drew attention to him. He stood straighter, with more confidence in himself and it showed.
After the official ceremony, the celebratory feast began. Everyone was eating and being merry and celebrating the start of a new year.
Izuku was trying to enjoy himself, sitting with his two best friends. Ochako and Tenya had been rut and heat partners for a while now and from the giddy looks they exchanged, Izuku knew it wouldn’t be long before their tokens were paid off and they would start their own family. He was happy for them and it was easy to hold the bitterness at bay while he watched them. He knew what he wanted to do and he had made peace with himself but he also understood it would be a long time before he would stop hurting.
He was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed Kirishima approaching until the other was taking a seat next to him.
“Hey, Midoriya!” he said, his grin as bright as always. Izuku couldn’t help himself and smile back.
“Hey Kirishima,” he answered. “Congrats on your token. It’s something you can be proud of.” Kirishima had received one of the highest tokens and it was well deserved. He was an excellent hunter and he and his family were responsible for most of the lumber produced for the village.
“Thanks!” Kirishima grinned, clearly pleased. He opened his mouth to say something in return but cut himself off at the last second. An awkward silence hangs over them while Kirishima was trying to figure out what to say. Izuku smiled, knowing what it was about.
“It’s alright, Kirishima,” he said while laying a reassuring hand on the other's arm. “It doesn’t bother me.”
“It doesn’t?” Kirishima asked, clearly confused and Izuku couldn’t blame him. From birth, they were told their token was important and would determine how their life would progress. Having a low token could affect you until you died. But Izuku had made a choice and he wouldn’t regret it.
“It doesn’t matter what the village elders think of me,” he said, his eyes determined. “I will determine my own worth.”
His friends were silently staring at him and Izuku started to feel self-conscious.
“What?” he asked, feeling how flushed his face became with all the attention on him.
“That was such a cool thing to say, Izuku!” Uraraka said, her eyes sparkling. Next to her Tenya nodded in agreement.
“Even though I do think the village elders are to be respected, your determination is admirable and I do think you’re right! Your token wasn’t measured correctly and the fact that it doesn’t throw you into despair fills me with joy!”
“Midoriya!” Kirishima cried out and threw his arms around Izuku in a hug. “That’s so manly of you! You’re so cool!”
Izuku was a bit overwhelmed by his friends throwing themselves on him like that and praising him but it also made him happy. He knew even though most people in the village didn’t accept him he still had people he could count on. He was quick to ignore the insistent voice that told him Kacchan was one of these people too. The Alpha hadn’t even looked at Izuku once for the entire evening and he was sure he wouldn’t see him until their next cycle started. And he wasn’t sure if he would even then.
But still, the voice in him kept on insisting that he at least try and talk with Kacchan. Maybe Izuku had misunderstood. Maybe Kacchan had been embarrassed and hadn’t wanted to admit anything in front of the other warriors when Kirishima had asked him.
Either way, Izuku knew what he would do. What he had to do for himself.
At that moment Izuku’s wandering eyes caught the tail-end of a familiar red cloak disappearing around a building and he made a decision. He excused himself from his friends and ran in the direction that Kacchan had disappeared in.
“Kacchan!” he yelled and watched as the Alpha in question stopped and turned around to him. His face was mildly annoyed but that was almost happy for him, so Izuku was fairly certain he had caught him in a relatively good mood.
“What do you want, Deku,” he asked and Izuku had to think for a second. He hadn’t thought about what he would say when he was facing Kacchan.
“What… what are you going to do now?” he asked unsurely. “You know, now that you have your token.”
“I’m leaving with Shitty Hair tomorrow,” Kacchan answered and Izuku was surprised by how mellow the other seemed. Maybe he had partaken in a few tankards of moonshine?
“We’re going to hunt a wyvern and a wild boar.” A wyvern skin was the last thing Kacchan needed to complete his token. Izuku knew that the other had already amassed everything else in the last year in order to pay his token off as quickly as possible. The boar was part of Kirishima’s token, so it made sense that the two friends would go out together.
“And after that?” Izuku knew he was fishing, but he couldn’t bring himself to outright ask Kacchan about wanting to take a mate. He hoped the other would catch on to what Izuku wanted to ask.
“I’m going to pay off my token as the fastest Alpha ever. And then I’m saving up money to leave this place and become an adventurer, just like All Might.”
All Might, a legendary Alpha warrior, was known throughout all the land for his heroic deeds and the monsters he had slain in his time. Every child heard about his tales and Izuku and Kacchan had been no exception. They had reenacted his tales and fantasized about becoming adventurers themselves. It seemed as if Kacchan was finally ready to make that dream into a reality.
Without Izuku.
“What about you?” And that surprised Izuku. Did Kacchan really want to know? Or did he just want to make sure Izuku knew where he stood? Either way, the last thread holding his heart together broke and the pieces fell apart. He managed to hold back his tears and give Kacchan a watery smile.
“I’m going to try and learn more about Alchemy,” he said. “Maybe I can trade for a new book when the merchants come into town again.” He couldn’t tell Kacchan all of his plans, he just couldn’t. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to keep his plan close to the remains of his heart. He needed something to hang his hope onto.
Kacchan nodded and without another word he turned around and left Izuku standing alone in the dark. Izuku counted the seconds down until he was sure Kacchan wasn’t able to hear him anymore before he broke into tears.
Katsuki was annoyed. It had taken him and Kirishima longer than anticipated to find and slay the Wyvern. Instead of the planned four days, they had been gone for six. It wouldn’t mess with his record of paying off his token too much but it still irked him.
Next to him, Kirishima was smiling like a loon. Not only had he gotten the fangs of the wild boar he needed for his own token, but he also found a very nice sheep up for trading in one of the villages they passed through, which was part of Mina’s bride token. He would keep it behind his house until he had gathered everything he needed, but it was a very good start.
Subtly, Katsuki touched the medium-sized pouch hanging from his belt. He had filled it with a variety of healing herbs they had collected on their way. When Kirishima had asked he had claimed it was for his own use but the little voice inside his head protested. After all, the majority of Deku’s token consisted of a medium-sized pouch filled with healing herbs.
But it wasn’t as if Katsuki was thinking about paying Deku's token and mating him. He had gathered them for himself.
And just in case. You never knew. And the fact that he traded for an alchemy book in the last town they passed through had nothing to do with that either. Books like that were valuable and maybe Katsuki could use that in the future. It had nothing to do with Deku expressing more interest in it.
Nothing at all.
Back home he presented his parents with the wyvern skin.
“I knew you could do it, kid,” his mother said, her eyes gleaming with pride. Up until this point she had held the record of paying off her token. She had managed everything within a month and she had also paid for her mate’s token, Katuski’s father. Katsuki would only be paying for his own token, but he would do it in under a week.
He ignored the small voice in his head that told him he could beat both of her records at once if he stopped being a coward.
He and his parents walked over to the main hall where the elders resided during the days. His parents had to come as witnesses and to tell the elders that they had indeed received the token. Of course, someone from the village would come by later to check if everything was correct, but that was mostly only a formality.
“Congratulations,” one of the elders said warmly and pulled out the book of records to make the corresponding change in Katsuki’s family status. “You’re the first one of this year’s batch to pay off your token.”
“Of course I am,” Katsuki boasted and he would’ve ripped straight through his shirt with the way his chest swelled at the praise. If he was wearing one that is.
“Well,” one elder woman said with a smirk. “You’re the first Alpha that is.”
Katsuki whipped his head around to her with an angry snarl.
“What does that mean, huh?”
“It means someone else already paid their token,” she said and Katsuki could’ve strangled her.
“Don’t worry about it though!” the man said with a nervous smile. “It wasn’t anything significant.”
“Who was it?” Katsuki pressed out from between his tightly clenched teeth.
“Midoriya Izuku.”
With those two words, all the fight drained out of Katsuki and he could only stare stunned down at her.
“He paid his token the day after the ceremony. Granted, it wasn't hard with how low it was, but he still did it. I think that’s the first time in our recorded history that an Omega has paid their own token without their Alpha.” There was an excited sparkle in her eyes when she continued. “I think we might have misjudged that one. I’m excited to see what happens next.”
Before anyone could say anything else Katsuki was out of the door and running across the village towards the Midoriya house. He was furious for several reasons. For one, how dare Deku upstage him like this? Was that why he asked Katsuki for his plans? So that he could pay his token before him and make him look like a fool?
And how dare Deku pay for his own token? That was an Alpha’s job! How else was Katsuki supposed to show that he was able to provide for his Omega?
Or any Alpha, not just Katsuki. He didn’t want to mate Izuku, after all.
But mating was another point. How would someone declare their courting now? Izuku was for all intents and purposes his own head of the family, now that his token was paid off. He could of course still live with his mother and they would always be family but now Izuku wasn’t bound to her anymore. He could build his own home and start his own family.
Panting, he arrived at Midoriya's door and pounded on the door. It didn’t take long for Aunty Inko to open the door. She gave him a surprised, but warm smile.
“Katsuki! What a nice surprise. What can I do for you?”
“Hello Aunty,” he said, because it didn’t matter how mad he was, he just couldn’t be rude to Inko. It was just not possible. “I need to talk with De- Izuku.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed and her eyes turned a bit sad. Katsuki felt his stomach drop.
“I’m sorry, Katsuki. You just missed him. He left yesterday.”
“When is he going to be back?” he said with gritted teeth, careful not to raise his voice.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “He said he wanted to learn more about alchemy. For that, he needed to find a teacher. So he paid off his token and left the village. He told me he would write to me once he found a place to stay. If you want I can tell you once I know more?”
Numbly, Katsuki nodded and managed to say goodbye to Inko. Like in trance he wandered back home, ignoring his parents who called after him when he climbed up to his room. There on his bed were still the medium-sized pouch of herbs and the book Katsuki had brought with him,
For Izuku , he thought duly, I brought them for Izuku. Because I wanted to ask him to be my mate.
It seemed he had lost his chance to do that.