Archive of Our Own ^beta

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.

Chapter Text

The days seemed to drag on after that.

Katsuki was caught between rage one day and despair the next. Why did Deku just leave like that? Why hadn’t he said anything to Katsuki? How dare he try and leave him behind? How dare he upstage him?

Because no one talked about the fact that Katsuki had managed to pay off his token in a record-breaking time. The only topic was Deku, how he had paid for his own token, a feat unheard from any Omega, and how he had left the village right after, without so much as a goodbye!

And Katsuki was torn. On the one hand, he was furious because Deku had stolen the spotlight from him. But on the other hand, he was proud of what Deku had done. Now everyone could see how amazing and brave his Omega was.

And that was the point when Katsuki’s rage turned into despair. Because Deku wasn’t his Omega. And since Katsuki had no idea where he could start searching for him he wasn’t sure he would ever be.

On top of that, his rut cycle was approaching and he was on edge. He knew that Deku’s circle would also start soon and that his Omega was alone out there, unprotected and unmated, which only made his mood worse.

In the days leading up to his rut, he got a few offers from eligible Omegas who saw their chance of getting with a Prime Alpha, but he turned all of them down. None of them were good enough or were meeting his standards and he would rather have the memory of Deku than anyone else.

It’s the worst rut Katsuki ever had and he didn’t look forward to repeating it. He needed to find Deku and convince the stubborn Omega to become his mate. He thought about where Deku could’ve gone. If Katsuki had to take a guess he would go to the most obvious choice for becoming an alchemist first, since he probably didn’t worry about anyone from the village following after him. So the capital it was.

This played into Katsuki’s plans as well, since he had planned to go there too to join an adventurers guild. As soon as his rut was over he was ready to go. He had already started to prepare anything he would need for his travels before he and Kirishima had gone out hunting.

When he descended the stairs to say goodbye to his parents he could hear another voice down in their den. It turned out to be Aunty Inko whose face brightened up when she saw him.

“Ah, Katsuki!” she said with a bright smile. “I just came over to tell you I got a letter from Izuku!”

At once all of Katsuki’s senses were on her and he quickly walked closer.

“Did he say where he is?”

She nodded and held out a letter for him to take.

“He’s in the capitol! Isn’t that amazing? My baby made it all the way there, all on his own. I have to be honest, I was a little bit worried but everything seemed to have gone fine. He wrote that he met a group of travelers who took him with them for the last leg of the journey. And you won’t believe it! They turned out to be alchemists themselves! It’s two older men, a son and father and both agreed to take Izuku on as a shop assistant! Oh, Izuku is so excited to work under Yagi-san!”

Katsuki barely listened to anything that she had said, because as soon as he unfolded the letter a wave of Izuku’s scent hit him and Katsuki felt dizzy. He wanted to bury his face in the letter and his legs threatened to give out under him. It had been way too long since Katsuki had last smelled this heavenly scent.

‘Omega,’ his inner Alpha practically purred. ‘My Omega.’

“Mitsuki said you’re going to the capital too,” Aunty Inko continued and held another letter out to him. “If it’s not too much to ask, could you maybe bring this to Izuku? It’s not that I don’t trust the traveling merchants, but it would ease my heart a bit to know you were looking out for him.”

If he didn’t have years of knowledge on his side he would’ve thought Inko’s words were just that of a worried mother. But since he did know her since he was born he could feel the underlying threat of her words.

‘You better find my baby and make sure he’s taken care of. Get out your balls and show us that you're an Alpha after all.’

From the badly concealed laughter of his mother and the polite cough of his father Katsuki knew he wasn’t the only one who had picked up on that fact. Inko was still smiling at him in that unsettling way and Katsuki carefully took the letter from her.

“Of course,” he said and tried to sound and look serious and not at all afraid of the small Omega in front of him. “I’ll deliver it to him, Aunty.”

“Wonderful! Thank you so much, Katsuk!”

He gathered the remaining things he would need for his journey and his new start in the capital. He said his goodbyes to his parents, his father tearful, his mother less so. He also said goodbye to Kirishima because whatever he had been saying out loud the redhead was Katsuki’s best friend and next to Deku the only person Katsuki trusted completely. 

Kirishima was a teary as his father had been, but Katsuki tried to weather it as gracefully as he could.

“Get off me, Shitty Hair!” he screamed while pushing the other’s face away from him. “It’s not as if I’ve died!”

“I know!” Kirishima sniffled and rubbed at his eyes. “But I won’t see you for a long time! At least until you come back to the village or Mina and I go to the capital ourselves.”

“You better make it!” Katsuki yelled while lifting his hand threateningly. “You’re not half-bad in a fight and I need cannon fodder that won’t drop after the first hit!”

“Bakugou!” Kirishima cried, new tears springing to his eyes. “I love you too, bro!”

Finally, he managed to leave the village behind and started his journey towards the center of their country. He had never been there, but he had heard stories from the traveling merchants that came through their city every few months. A year ago he had traded for maps and had started planning the fastest route.

He had no trouble following the directions and the weather seemed to be in his favor. The travel took him only a week since he wasn’t slowed down by other travel companions and could dictate the pace himself. 

When he arrived at the outskirts of the city he was shocked. He had been to nearby towns and he thought he knew what it looked like when many people were at the same place but the sheer size of the sprawling city made him reconsider. It could take him easily half a day just to get from one end of the wall to the other.

How was he supposed to find Deku in this? He thought he would ask around for a green-haired Omega since even though there were other people with green hair it wasn’t that common a hair color but there was no way that he would succeed that way.

He couldn’t rely on his excellent senses as well. Not only was Deku very careful to always wear scent covering cream around his scent glands but even if he wasn’t there was no way Katsuki would be able to pick him out directly with so many people around.

His best bet was to first secure himself a spot at the adventurer guild and start from there. In the letter to Aunty Inko, he had mentioned a Yagi-san who was an alchemist himself and had a shop in the city. Maybe that would help him locate the Omega he was desperately wanting to see again.

Even in a city of this magnitude, it wasn’t hard to find the adventurer guild. It was one of the largest buildings in town after all and everybody knew about it. Before he could join the guild Katsuki had to prove his fitness and skills to them. First in a general test of strength and sparring with some other member. When that was done he was assigned a target to hunt out in the wilds.

Upon seeing the request for a wild boar, Katsuki almost had to smile. This was all too easy. He didn’t want to brag but he was sure the guild had been impressed by him. It would be a piece of cake to kill that boar and to join the guild. He couldn’t wait for the real adventurers’ work to begin. But he had a few days before he had to present his kill so Katsuki started a different kind of hunt.

In the guild, he had asked about alchemists that the guild worked with and was pleasantly surprised when one of them was named Yagi-san. Apparently, he had once upon a time been an adventurer at the guild too, but after a devastating injury, he had retired to less straining activities. 

He and his shop had an excellent reputation in the city and Katsuki was impressed that Deku had managed to get a job at such a seemingly prestigious shop as soon as he arrived in the city. But at the same time, he was proud.

Deku was his Omega after all.

Katsuki decided to finish his assignment for the guild first. After all, he knew where Deku was now and he wouldn’t run away again. Also, he kind of wanted to brag a bit in front of his chosen Omega and show him how capable he was even now that they had left their home.

Like he had expected the boar hadn’t given him a lot of trouble even though the boars around here were a lot bigger than they were back home. It had something to do with the amount of magic around the area, making everything bigger and more dangerous. But that was more than fine with him. He liked a worthy challenge.

But now that he had completed his initiation it was time to claim his prize. Because of that, he was standing in front of Yagi’s alchemy shop, the new guild tattoo on his shoulder still red and raw, and the book he had bought for Izuku stowed away safely in his satchel. 

He was going to walk in there and let the nerd fawn over him for a bit. After that, he would give him the book and explain to Deku that he was Katsuki’s now. Easy.

He didn’t even waste a single thought to the fact that Deku might not want that. And why would he? Since they had been children Deku had trailed after Katsuki, wanting his love and attention. The only reason why Deku had left was because of the village, not because of Katsuki.

With confidence, he opened the door and stepped into the small shop. Against his expectations and hopes, he wasn’t the only customer. In front of him was another man who was looking for a potion of sorts. But Katsuki didn’t pay any attention to him. No, all of his senses zeroed in on the Omega behind the counter. It had only been close to a month and a half since he had last seen Deku but it felt longer. Katsuki wasn’t sure if his hair had always been this shiny, or if the freckles on his cheeks had become even more numerous.

What irked him was the way that Deku didn’t even acknowledge him. He had looked up at him briefly when the door opened but beyond a slight widening of his eyes, there had been nothing. He continued to talk with the other client and didn’t even glance in Katsuki’s direction again until the man had left. Only then did he look at him again.

“Kacchan,” he said, the smile on his face polite. It made Katsuki’s skin crawl. “What are you doing here?”

He sounded genuinely confused and that rankled something in him. 

“I joined the adventurer guild, idiot,” Katsuki barked out and wanted to hit himself. What a great opener for this conversation.

“Ah, I see,” Deku said, still with that polite customer smile on his face. “I should’ve known. You did tell me that’s what you wanted to do. I just didn’t expect you to come to the capitol, I guess.”

“Why the fuck not?” Katsuki took a step closer, the rage in him rising. Did Deku not think Katsuki had what it took to make it in this city? “It’s the best guild in the entire shitty country, of course, I was coming here.”

“That’s true, I guess,” Deku said, still with that same smile. Katsuki wanted to hit him. “So what brings you here, Kacchan? Need a potion for a quest?”

And this, this was the part that Katsuki had waited for. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, what he needed to say to make Deku stop acting like this strange version of himself and be Katsuki’s again.

“I came here for you.”

Deku’s eyes widened in confusion.

“For… me?” He was quiet for a few seconds, thinking over Katsuki’s words. “But why?”

And that had not been the answer Katsuki had been expecting.

“What do you mean ‘why’? Isn’t it fucking obvious?”

“No,” Izuku said with a frown. “I don’t understand why you would be looking for me.”

And Katsuki wasn’t sure what to do next. He had expected Deku to fall into his arms, joyful that Katsuki had found him. He should’ve been proclaiming his love for his Alpha and how happy he was now that they were together again. But none of that was happening. Deku was still standing behind that fucking counter, his stance slightly defensive.

He wasn’t making the first move and that left Katsuki with a big problem. There was no way he would talk about his feelings. Why would he have to? It had always been obvious what they were feeling between them, right? Deku had always loved Katsuki and Katsuki… Well, Deku had always loved Katsuki! He wasn’t sure what to do with a Deku that didn’t and the thought scared him more than he wanted to admit.

Angry with Deku and with himself Katsuki grabbed something from his satchel and threw it on the counter. Curious, Deku picked it up, and for the first time since Katsuki had entered the shop his eyes lit up and a true smile stretched over his face. Katsuki could feel his heartbeat a little faster and he desperately wished to be able to smell Deku’s happy scent right now. But of course, the Omega was wearing his scent cream and the only thing Katsuki could smell was all the herbs around the shop.

“A letter from my mom! Thank you, Kacchan! I wasn’t sure when she would be able to send a reply since the merchants only come by the village every few months.”

“Yeah, whatever,” he pressed out, his heart still beating faster, but he wasn’t sure if it was out of anger or because of Deku’s smile. When it looked like Deku wasn’t listening to him anymore Katsuki knew he had to do something.

“I need a potion!” he blurted out.

“Oh!” Deku gave him the polite customer smile again and put the letter into his vest. “Of course! What kind of potion? A regular health one or something to push your skills?”

Katsuki was offended at even the suggestion that he needed any kind of help in battle but he didn’t want to start yelling at Deku again.

“A health one,” he gritted out from between his teeth.

“One second,” Deku said before starting to rummage through the shelves. He pulled out a small vial filled with a green liquid.

“This one should be what you need. It’s pretty popular with your guild too, so it was the first one Yagi-san taught me how to brew!”

“You made this?” Katsuki asked. Deku beamed and nodded and Katsuki felt breathless for a second.

“Yes! It’s the first batch that passed all the tests and can be sold. I’m pretty proud of it! Especially because Yagi-san said mine tastes even better than his own! But I don’t think he meant it.”

“Of course he did,” Katsuki said, and even though he had never met this Yagi person he knew it was true. “You’re fucking talented and you shouldn’t sell yourself short.”

“You really think so?” Deku’s cheeks were flushed a pretty pink color and Katsuki’s inner Alpha preened at that. 

‘I did that. I made my Omega happy.’

“Of course, shitty Deku. I don’t say shit I don’t mean.” At that moment Katsuki made a decision. He pulled out the coins he needed for the potion and put them on the counter.

“I’ll be back for more,” he said and pocketed the vial. “The head of the guild recommended this shop and I wanna see what else you can do.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to someone else?” Deku asked and Katsuki could see the confusion and uncertainty behind his eyes.

“Why would I? You’re here, aren’t you?” And without another word, he turned around and left the shop. It seemed he had been mistaken. Deku didn’t know what he meant to Katsuki and it would be harder to convince him than he first thought. 

And as much as that made his Alpha whine and growl, it didn’t change the facts about what Katsuki had to do: Win Deku over and make him Katsuki’s. 

But that was fine. Katsuki liked a worthy challenge after all.

Chapter Text

Izuku had never known that life could be this busy. In the village, no one had ever wanted him around or asked for his help for anything with the exception of his mother. Because of that, he had spent a lot of time outside of the village, searching for and gathering herbs and learning about different plants and animals, and taking notes on everything he learned in his journals. He tested the effects of different plants and spent hours sitting motionless in different trees to observe the behavior of different animals.

It had been interesting and had brought him joy but it had been lonely and quiet and it was nothing in comparison to his life in the city. There were so many people going about their life that Izuku’s nose had started to hurt from all the different scents. The houses were larger than some trees and the noise was cacophonous. 

Izuku loved it. His days were filled with different people coming through the shop and talking with him about their travels and adventures. They valued his input about what potions to buy and praised him for his good foresight when they came back to tell him of their successful tales.

Yagi-san and his father taught Izuku a lot about potion brewing and alchemy and every day felt like a new adventure.

In all of his new joy was only one thing that was missing and that was Kacchan. Izuku knew how foolish his feelings were and that he should try and move on, but he simply couldn’t. When he left the village he had done it at a time when Kacchan wasn’t there so as to not have to look at him when he left. He didn’t want to see the indifference on his childhood friend’s face.

The first heat that he had spent away from Kacchan had been hell. His inner Omega was screaming for him to turn back and go home, begging Kacchan to take him back. He felt abandoned and unwanted and like his insides were burning him alive. 

Even days after his heat was over he still felt weak and dizzy sometimes. He knew this was normal behavior for an Omega who had so abruptly been taken away from his main source of heat comfort but Izuku hadn’t wanted to take anything with Kacchan’s scent on it with him. He had wanted a fresh start with no attachments to his previous life.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that his previous life would one day waltz into the shop and demand a place in Izuku’s new one. 

When Kacchan had said that he was here for Izuku, his heart had stopped for a single beat before doubling its speed. Could it really be? could Kacchan really have come after Izuku?

But as soon as this traitorous hope had emerged in his heart Izuku had squashed it again. There was no way. Kacchan was only thinking about himself and his own goals. Izuku felt stupid. Of course, Kacchan would go to the largest adventuring guild in the whole country. Why hadn’t Izuku thought about that?

But then he also hadn’t expected Kacchan to find him, especially in a city this big. The reason for that turned out to be a letter from his mother and Izuku felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. Here was a valid reason for Kacchan’s behavior and now Izuku’s life would go back to his new normal.

Except it didn’t.

When Kacchan had said he would be back he meant it. Every week he came into the shop, buying potions or selling parts of animals or rare plants he had found on his adventures. At first, Izuku had been apprehensive. Why couldn’t Kacchan leave him alone so that Izuku’s heart could heal and he could finally move on from his unrequited feelings?

But the more time Kacchan spent in the shop and told Izuku all about his adventures the more Izuku came to cherish these moments. It was almost like back when they were children. There was no malice in Kacchan’s words and even if he was rude sometimes Izuku knew him well enough to know he didn’t mean it. You know, most of the time.

He also made an effort to be nicer to Izuku. At first, he had been worried and thought Kacchan might’ve been cursed or poisoned but when he brought that up Kacchan had almost exploded the shop with his fury.

“I can be nice, shitty Deku! What the fuck is your point?”

That had convinced Izuku that Kacchan was indeed still himself. But that meant Kacchan chose to act like that. It meant he really did make an effort to be nicer to Izuku and to try and mend their relationship. 

And even though it wasn’t quite what his heart wanted, having Kacchan like this was still more than Izuku had ever thought he could have after their coming of age ceremony. 

The only problem was that Izuku was unsure about what would happen once his next heat struck. It had been almost three months since he first made it to the city and it wasn’t far off. Up until now he and Kacchan had always shared their ruts and heats. Would they do it again now? Would Kacchan offer? Would Izuku want him too?

The answer to that last question was yes. But he wasn’t sure if his heart could take it. He was still mulling this over when a new customer came into the shop. It was the youngest son of the Todoroki family and he visited the shop quite often. Izuku liked him a lot and they had struck up a fast friendship between the two of them. Kacchan had often complained about the ‘half and half bastard’ taking all the good jobs at the guild and trying to outdo him all the time. Todoroki often wondered if the two of them were friends yet.

Izuku found this one-sided rivalry the two of them had going on between them hilarious. Even though Kacchan was always extra grumpy when Izuku told him that Todoroki had come by again. For some reason that seemed to piss the Alpha off even more and he made sure to scent the counter Izuku worked behind.

Izuku was always flustered when he did that. After all, this wasn’t Izuku’s shop! Kacchan couldn’t just try and claim this counter for his own. The way his scent distracted Izuku throughout the day had nothing to do with his flushed cheeks, he was just outraged! Nothing else.

“Todoroki!” Izuku said with a pleased smile on his face. “How can I help you today?”

“Midoriya,” Todoroki said in greeting. “I need a few more health potions.”

“Coming right up!” Izuku replied with a smile and started gathering the potion bottles from the shelves behind him. He turned around, bottles in hand and mouth already open to say something when he noticed the look on Todoroki’s face. It was puzzling and focused on Izuku. He felt himself blush from the sudden attention.

“Is everything alright Todoroki?” 

“Your scent…” Todorki answered while leaning a bit closer, his head cocked to the side. “It’s different.”

Izuku could feel himself blush in mortification. He was sure he had reapplied the scent concealing cream this morning, but maybe he hadn’t been careful enough. 

“I’m so sorry!” he squeaked out. 

“Don’t be. You smell nice.” Todoroki gave him a small smile. “But I didn’t know you were still unmated. Knowing Bakugou I would’ve thought he would be more possessive.”

“What has Kacchan to do with anything?!” he practically screeched out. Was Izuku that obvious with his lingering feelings? Did Kacchan know? If he did Izuku would die from mortification. 

“Isn’t he your Alpha?”

“No! We used to heat share back home, but that’s all!” It was sad and frustrating, but it was the truth and Izuku hoped Todoroki couldn’t pick up on Izuku’s tangled mess of emotions from his scent.

“Huh,” Todoroki said, clearly confused. “I would’ve thought for sure you two were a couple. Didn’t he pay for your token?”

“No, he didn't. I paid for it myself.”

Todoroki’s eyes widened.

“You paid it yourself? How?”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“It wasn’t all that much, to be honest. Just some herbs and money. Anyone could’ve paid that.”

“You’re joking, right? Who in their right mind would set your token so low? I would give my entire inheritance to be with an Omega like you.”

At that, it was Izuku’s turn to gawk in disbelief. Todoroki was one of the wealthiest people in the whole city. The amount of money in his inheritance could probably buy Izuku’s entire village and the surrounding forests and fields for miles. Hell, it was probably enough to include the next village over too, and still have money left. And he was ready to pay that kind of sum for someone like Izuku?

Before he could say anything in answer to that ridiculous claim Todoroki continued.

“But I won’t. First, because I know you don’t feel that way about me and I value our friendship. And second, because I don’t want to die.”

“Die?” Izuku asked weakly, still reeling from everything that had just happened. “Why would you die?”

“Because I’m pretty sure Bakugou would murder me in the most gruesome way possible,” Todoroki said that with just a straight face that Izuku felt the urge to laugh. 

“Why would Kacchan kill you if you- If we-” Izuku couldn’t even finish his sentence without blushing and he quickly looked away while shoving the bottles over the counter.

“Thank you,” Todoroki said while putting down the necessary money. “I’ll see you in a few weeks, Midoriya. Have a nice day.” He turned around to leave but before he left the store completely he turned his head one more time.

“And say hi to Bakugou for me.” And then he was gone, leaving behind a flustered and confused Izuku. 

No one had ever said something like that to Izuku. Sure, his friends and his mother had protested when his token was revealed and they told Izuku that he was more worth than that but no one had ever made a statement quite as bold as Todoroki just now. No one had ever told him how far they were willing to go.

Even though Todoroki had been right and Izuku didn’t have any romantic feelings towards his friend he still felt flattered and pleased. It was nice knowing he was wanted, that he was worth so much to someone. He wouldn’t change how he handled his token for the world, he was proud of what he did even if it was odd, but the thought of someone claiming his token but paying so much more than was necessary… Someone making such a bold statement of their feelings in front of everyone....

The thought of what could’ve been with Kacchan.

With a quick slap to both of his cheeks, Izuku snapped himself back to reality. There was no use in lingering on what-if scenarios. Izuku was here in the present and he was happy about it. He liked his work and he was happy with his life. He even still had Kacchan! Not in the capacity that he wanted to have him, but it was better than nothing.

Still, he couldn’t quite chase away the smile on his face and the happy fluttering in his stomach whenever he thought of Todoroki’s words.

Late in the afternoon, the door to the store was being thrown open and Izuku knew without looking that it was Kacchan. The Alpha tended to come in later than the rest of the usual customers. He claimed he didn’t want to waste his time around useless extras but Izuku hoped that maybe it was because Kacchan wanted to spend some time alone with Izuku.

Before he could even greet his childhood friend he was stopped by the look on Kacchan’s face. It was a mixture of wonder and confusion. He cocked his head to the side and took a long breath in through his nose and with a sudden moment of clarity Izuku remembered that he had never reapplied his scent concealing cream after Todoroki had left.

He felt himself flush and repressed the urge to press his hands against the scent glands around his neck. 

Kacchan stepped closer, more careful than usual and the look in his eyes made Izuku flush even hotter. It was more vulnerable than usual, almost hopeful. He opened his mouth to say something but when he stepped up fully to the counter his face twisted into a sneer and he almost sneezed.

“Half and Half bastard…” he growled while glaring at the spot on the counter where Todoroki’s hand had rested while he was talking with Izuku.

“Uh, yeah,” Izuku said, still confused by what had just happened. “He was here earlier to buy potions.”

Kacchan’s head snapped up and he fixed Izuku with his stare.

“He was in here while you smelled like this?”

Embarrassed Izuku ducked his head and nodded.

“I forgot to apply my cream this morning and I was so busy since Todoroki left that I forgot about it.”

“He commented on your scent?” Kacchan’s voice had dropped into a deep growl and Izuku could feel the hairs on his arm stand on edge. The tone felt almost possessive and a pleasant shiver ran down Izuku’s back before he could stop it.

Could it be…?

“He did,” Izuku agreed and carefully watched Kacchan’s face. There was no way that Kacchan was actually jealous. Yagi had joked about it a few times in the past but Izuku had always brushed it away as merely teasing. The reason why Kacchan acted like this was because he considered Todoroki his rival and he had to beat him at everything. that was all.

But with Torodoki’s words and pointed looks still swimming around in his head Izuku let himself consider the possibility that maybe he had been the dense one. He needed to test that theory. His Omega wouldn’t let him rest otherwise. He could already feel it pushing at the edges of his mind, whining for his Alphas presence and approval, wanting to submit but also wanting proof for his feelings.

“He also asked about my token.” He knew bringing that up was risky but Izuku was desperate. He was only a few weeks from his next heat and just the possibility of not spending it alone, or maybe spending it with his beloved Kacchan again made him be stupid. So what if he provoked Kacchan? The worst that could happen was that he left the shop and never returned. Izuku would be crushed, but he had already made his peace with not having Kacchan. He could do it again. And maybe then he would be able to finally move on with his life. 

Kacchan let out a growl and Izuku could see his fangs poking past his lips. His eyes were drawn down to the counter where Kacchans claws were digging into the wood and leaving a mark.

“Kacchan, stop it!” Izuku yelled and swatted at the hand on the counter. Kacchan pulled his hand back but continued to growl.

“The audacity of that bastard,” he pressed out from behind gritted teeth. “Your token is already paid, he has no business asking about it! He should fuck off!”

“Well, I paid my token,” Izuku said and Kacchan stilled, his wide eyes fixed on Izuku’s face. “So he wouldn’t even need to pay it if I decided so.”

“So that’s what you want, huh Deku? For the Half and Half Bastard to woo you?” Kacchan’s face was an ugly mask of rage, hurt, and frustration and for a second Izuku couldn’t breathe.

“No, Kacchan,” he said. He used the opportunity and released a few calming pheromones. Usually, the effect was dimmed by his cream but today they seemed to be working in full force since Kacchan’s tense shoulders relaxed a bit. “I just told him about my token. I’m not interested in him in that way.”

“Huh,” Kacchan huffed out, but his face softened and he seemed pleased with that answer. But Izuku needed to make one last push. He needed to be sure.

“He did say something funny though.”

“Nothing out of that bastard’s mouth is funny,” Kacchan grumbled and leaned against the counter. Izuku couldn’t help but notice it was the exact same spot Todoroki had stood in earlier.

“He said my token was way too low and he would pay his whole inheritance for an Omega like me.” Before Kacchan could explode again Izuku hurried to continue. “I said he knew I wasn’t interested but you know it was nice hearing that I was worth that much to someone, you know? It’s not going to change my mind, but it was still flattering.”

He braced himself for the explosion he knew was coming but after several seconds there was still nothing but silence. Cautiously, Izuku looked up into Kacchan’s face and for the third time the look he found there took his breath away. 

There was a confusing tangle of emotions on his face. He still looked hurt, like someone had taken away the very air he needed to breathe. There was also anger, but it almost looked like he was angry at himself. And there was something like an idea. There was a light in Kacchan’s eyes that Izuku knew to be determination. He had decided on something and everything in Izuku was screaming and wanting to know what it was.

With a resolute nod, Kacchan pushed away from the counter and looked at Izuku.

“I need all the health potions you have on stock right now.”

“Ehh? All of them? Kacchan, why would you need that many?”

“I’m going to be away for a few weeks, I need to stock up.”

Izuku was confused and a bit hurt. Was Kacchan really just brushing their conversation aside? Did he not care about someone else wanting to pay Izuku’s token? Had he been imagining things after all?

Dejected, Izuku collected every potion they had available in the store and threw in some rejuvenating potions as well. Just because he was hurt didn’t mean he wanted Kacchan to get hurt or fail in whatever quest he was going on.

“Where are you going?” he asked while wrapping the potions in soft cloth to make sure they didn’t shatter.

“A few different places,” Kacchan answered while putting the potions into his satchel. “I need to collect a few things.”

“And you’re going to be gone for a while, huh?”

“Yes.”

That stung. Izuku’s heat would hit in about three to four weeks and he had hoped to at least steal something with Kacchan’s scent on it to make his heat easier. But even that wouldn’t be possible it seemed.

A hand sneaked over the counter and grabbed Izuku’s chin. Startled, his eyes snapped back to Kacchan. The Alpha was grinning, his usual confidence back in full stride and Izuku felt himself blush.

“Don’t worry, Deku. I’ll be back before your heat starts.”

Oh no, had he said that out loud?! 

The thumb of Kacchan’s hand was rubbing circles into Izuku’s cheek and he felt himself relax into the hold. He wanted to slip his eyes closed and purr, but he could stop himself at the last second. His head was reeling, his mind and heart being pulled in so many different directions, he wasn’t sure what to think or feel anymore. 

“I have something I need to say to you,” Kacchan continued and Izuku was listening with rapt attention. “But I can’t say it right now. I don’t deserve to.”

Izuku opened his mouth to protest, to beg Kacchan to say what he wanted to say, but the Alpha started speaking again.

“I’ll probably don’t deserve it when I come back either, but maybe you’ll give me a chance either way.” He removed his hand and Izuku longed for his warmth immediately. He was still struck speechless, unsure what Kacchan was implying, and unwilling to let himself hope.

“See you, Deku.”

“Stay safe, Kacchan,” Izuku said, tears in his eyes. With one last cocky grin, the Alpha turned around and walked through the door into the early evening outside. Izuku was left alone, his thoughts and feelings a mess.

Chapter Text

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Kacchan had left the shop, the city, and Izuku behind. No one could tell him where exactly Kacchan had gone either when Izuku asked the other members of the guild who visited his shop. They could just tell him that he had taken several S-Class assignments against the advice of the guild master and left. They weren’t allowed to tell Izuku what the missions were about but the look on their faces was enough to make sure he wasn’t sleeping without nightmares.

What was Kacchan thinking? Was it something that Izuku had said? Was it his stupid misguided rivalry with Todoroki? If he ended up getting killed or severely hurt it would surely be all Izuku’s fault for pushing him.

It didn’t help that Todoroki was also away on a mission of his own and Izuku had no one to confide his worries to. His teacher offered of course, but Izuku didn’t want to burden the frail man with his woes too. Yagi-san was sickly after receiving a heavy blow several years ago. 

So he stewed in his worries and counted the days until he would hopefully see Kacchan again. His worry messed with his heat too, it seemed. It should’ve hit already, but the symptoms of his preheat were still there. It was almost as if his body knew his potential partner wasn’t there to help him through it and was holding off on falling over the edge. Izuku wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not.

The constant tension in his body and the lack of sleep left his mind a bit frazzled and he had fallen asleep on top of the counter a few times this week already. Thankfully neither Yagi nor the customers had caught him yet but Izuku was nevertheless mortified.

It was during one of these impromptu naps early in the morning, just shortly after they opened the shop when the door was slammed open. He startled awake from his half-slumped state on the counter, his eyes wide and looking around wildly. When his eyes focused on the backlit figure in the doorway he thought he was still dreaming.

“Kacchan?” he asked, unsure if he was seeing things or not. But it was Kacchan even though he looked worse for wear. Izuku could see bandages poking out from underneath his clothing, which was also torn up and patched. His hair was hanging limp and there was still dirt on his hands and on his face. 

Izuku had never seen something more beautiful.

“Kacchan!” he exclaimed again, jumping up from the stool he had been sitting on. Kacchan walked up to the counter, a smirk on his face and a heavy linen sack slung over his shoulder. “You’re back!”

“Of course I am, shitty Deku. I told you I would be.” He put the sack on the ground and shook out his shoulder. Izuku couldn’t stop his eyes from tracking the movement.

“What happened? Where were you?” Izuku wanted to ask more questions, he wanted to walk around the counter and inspect the wounds himself, he wanted to wrap his arms around the Alpha and never let go, inhaling his comforting, spicy scent and finally get his body to rest knowing Kacchan was back and safe.

“I was all over the place,” Kacchan said before pinning Izuku with a serious look. 

“Izuku,” he said and Izuku felt himself freeze up. Kacchan never used his given name. Izuku had always been Deku, the same way that Kacchan had always been Kacchan. Hearing his name now did things to Izuku.

“I told you I had something to say when I’m back but I hate speeches. So, here.” And with that, he pulled something out of the small satchel hanging from his waist. It was two pouches, one filled with medical herbs and one filled with a small sum of money. For a second Izuku was confused until he realized it was the amount he had paid for his token.

His breath stopped and he didn’t know what to say, but Kacchan wasn’t finished. He also pulled out a small book that Izuku recognized at first glance. It had been one of the books he had looked at when the traveling merchants had been in their village the last time. It was a book on alchemy and Izuku had wanted to buy it so badly, but he didn’t have enough money at the time.

“I bought this for you, back when I was hunting for my token,” Kacchan said, his eyes still serious. “I wanted to give this to you and ask you to be my mate before paying for your token. But when I came back to the village you were already gone.”

He let out a dark chuckle.

“Seems like I was a fucking idiot. I thought everything would work out the way I wanted it to without having to say anything. But I was an ignorant fool and didn’t know what I had until you were gone.”

Izuku ran a shaking hand over the cover of the small book and felt tears prick at his eyes. Was Kacchan really saying what Izuku thought he was? But still, the Alpha wasn’t finished.

“I always planned to give this to you, but when I came here you seemed so happy with this new life and not at all happy to see me. It made me realize that I had been shit at showing my feelings until now and that you had no reason to believe me if I told you all this. So I decided to wait. But then fucking Todoroki talked to you about your token and I realized something else.”

The look in Kacchan’s eyes was determined as he pulled the linen sack closer to himself.

“The Half and Half Bastard had been right. This token is laughable and not what you deserve. I don’t have that much money to give you though, so I had to improvise.”

He started pulling items out of his bag and laying them on the table in front of Izuku. Curious, he leaned closer and gasped when he recognized the items before him.

There were dragon teeth and claws, a vial that looked like blood, a bright red feather that seemed to radiate warmth, plants that Izuku had only heard about from Yagi-san and had never dreamed upon seeing for himself in his lifetimes. The items in front of him were priceless and explained the state that Kacchan was in. Had he really hunted down all of this on his own? In just three weeks?

Next to that were five satchels filled with coins, more money than Izuku had ever seen in one place. It was enough to live comfortably for years.

“It’s still not enough to show how much having you as my mate is worth to me, but it’s all I have right now.”

It took a few seconds for Izuku to process what he just heard but when he did he couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. He opened his mouth to answer Kacchan, to say anything at all but the only thing coming out of his mouth with a sob. Embarrassed, he pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle the sounds but he couldn’t stop sobbing. He was overwhelmed with this display, especially coming from Kacchan, from the one person that had always been in Izuku’s heart.

It seemed Kacchan was taking Izuku’s emotional outburst the wrong way though. He clenched his teeth and stared resolutely at the counter.

“I know it’s not enough, not after everything I put you through. I was a fucking shithead for not appreciating you while I still had the chance and I know you have no reason to forgive me, but I want to keep trying.” He gestured to the things laid out on the counter.

“These are all yours. Please accept them while I am away, I’ll return with more.”

Before Kacchan could do anything as ridiculous as leaving, Izuku practically threw himself over the counter and wrapped his arms around any part of Kacchan that he could reach.

“You idiot!” he wailed, his tears streaming down his face still. 

“What the fuck, Deku?!” Katsuki yelled more surprised than anything else. He looked down at where Izuku was clutching at his arm and frowned.

“If you don’t want me to court you, just say so!”

“Kacchan!” Izuku said, his vision still blurry from his tears. “That’s all I ever wanted!”

Katsuki wasn’t sure if he heard the nerd right. He was still a bit shaky from living almost entirely on healing potions this last few weeks and the constant lack of restful sleep. He knew it would’ve been better to space those assignments out more but he had to be back before Deku’s heat struck. He simply had to. Because who knew what would happen if one of the other Alphas lurking around Deku caught a whiff of his delicious scent?

So Katsuki had thrown caution to the wind and had slain monster after monster, collected reward after reward, and climbed the tallest mountains and into the deepest caves to find these apparently legendary plants that Deku had been talking about with that excited sparkle in his eyes.

And now here he was, exhausted beyond belief, his heart bared for everyone to see and a crying nerd hanging off his arm. And he had said he wanted Katsuki to court him.

“What?” he couldn’t help but ask. He was feeling dumbfounded. There was no way it could be this easy. Not after everything he had done in the past. 

“You idiot,” Deku said again, wiping the tears away with one hand while the other was still clutching at Katsuki’s arm. “I’ve loved you since before I even knew what love was! Of course, I want you to court me! I thought you didn’t want me.”

Katsuki felt his head spin. Deku loved him? 

“You love me?” he asked. He turned around and stepped closer. The counter was still between them which made it a bit awkward but still he leaned over and pulled Deku into his arms. Deku only nodded weakly into his chest, his arms moving to wrap around Katsuki’s torso and hold onto him with all of his strength.

“I do,” Deku said, his voice slightly muffled. “So don’t go away again. Stay here with me.”

Katsuki buried his face in the green curls before him and inhaled deeply. Even with the scent concealing cream Deku wore, Katsuki was able to make out his natural scent and he felt like he was in heaven. The last time he had smelled it, those three weeks ago before he left, he had been struck speechless. 

It had been so long since he smelled it unfiltered and his knees had almost buckled under his feelings. He couldn’t help himself and feel hopeful back then. After all, why else would Deku not wear his cream if not for Katsuki? He had stepped closer, almost hypnotized with the need to be as close to Deku as possible. But the scent of Todoroki had made him stop in his tracks and his Alpha had roared in displeasure. The half and half bastard had been here? And he had smelled his Omega?

When Deku had revealed that Todoroki had asked after his token Katsuki had been furious in his jealousy. But he had also been scared. He was afraid that he would lose his Deku to some other Alpha. But it had also shown him exactly what he needed to do.

And now Deku didn’t even seem to need all of the things Katsuki had brought him. He had accepted him back into his arms with ease and without judgment. But even though Katsuki should be elated about this, something about it still bothered him. His old self would’ve accepted this without a second thought. After all, he deserved Deku’s love. He was the best after all. 

But Katsuki had grown since then and realized his mistakes. And if there was one thing he needed to get right it was this right here. It was Deku. Katsuki needed him to understand that he wasn’t going to take him for granted ever again and that he knew what a precious treasure his Omega was.

“You can’t forgive me so easily, idiot,” Katsuki mumbled despite his arms pulling Deku even closer to his chest. “I treated you like shit. Make me grovel a bit more, damnit.” 

Deku snorted at that, his nose still clogged from his crying. It was a fully unattractive sight but Katsuki couldn’t help his heart from beating faster. 

“I should, huh,” Deku said, still giggling. “But Kacchan, that would be torture for me too. You can grovel some more while being at my side.”

Now it was Katsuki’s turn to laugh. He felt Deku lean back out of his embrace and his hands tightened on reflex before realizing how uncomfortably the Omega was leaning over the counter. But as soon as he let go of Deku the other grinned and took a step back before vaulting over the counter straight into Katsuki’s arms.

Taken by surprise, he was just fast enough to raise his arms to catch Deku before both of them could tumble to the floor.

“What the fuck, Deku? Warn a guy next time!” he said.

Or more like, he wanted to say it but was cut off by a pair of soft lips pressed to his own. All thoughts flew out of Katsuki’s head and he could only concentrate on the warm, firm presence in his arms and the gentle kisses the two exchanged. They were different from all the kisses they traded before when they were still heat-sharing in their village. Those kisses had been fueled by need and hormones and had never felt like they meant anything more than a reaction at the moment.

These kisses were different. Katsuki could feel his heartbeat faster and a blush color his cheeks but he couldn’t care less. The butterflies in his stomach made him feel weightless and the only thing grounding him were Deku’s arms around him. He had never thought that he could feel like this but he was happy to be proven wrong. He hoped he would be proven wrong for the rest of his life, for as long as Deku decided to stay with him.

They parted and Katsuki leaned his forehead against Deku’s, simply breathing in his scent and basking in his presence for a while. 

“Kacchan,” Deku said and Katsuki’s eyes fluttered open, red eyes meeting green ones. “I love you.”

And Katsuki had never been good with expressing his emotions. In his family, they showed rather than told and he was the same. But Deku needed the reassurance and Katsuki wanted to work to be what Deku deserved. So he smiled and pressed another gentle kiss against the freckles on Deku’s left cheek.

“I love you too, Deku.”