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Shota Aizawa crouches on the roof as soon as he lands on it, sighing as he finally catches his breath. There’s a whiff of air that sprays over him, and he recognizes it immediately.
Working with the Flying Pro before makes it easy to recognize Hawks’ arrival, which is odd considering all of their time together has been spent on separate teams and quick debrief meets.
But, not odd enough for him to make a fuss about the hero circling over his roof.
At least, not until the winged hero lands on the roof a few feet away, wings fluttering with the landing. Shota still doesn’t think too much of it, mainly because the hero isn’t looking at him initially, but with the breeze comes a blooming forest that’s mouth-watering enough to tell him that something’s wrong. Hawks eyes lock on his immediately, and the golden eyes are a deep orange that has Shota’s eyes glazing over with blue. His omega starts chirping in his head, and he catches sight of his string. His eyes go wide while watching as it snaps into place and the other end latches on Hawks’ finger.
Keigo Hawks Takami is his Fated, his soulmate. The winged Alpha is his forever person.
He chirps without thinking, and Keigo’s eyes mellow into gold after he takes three steps towards him. He watches him shake his head, seemingly finding some clarity, and then Keigo takes off.
There’s not a single reaction.
Not a word.
The Alpha is dead silent as he takes to the skies again.
Shota’s chest aches a little bit because he doesn’t know how to take no reaction considering their strings latching into place. The string that Shota can still see thrumming a crimson red that matches his eyes when his quirk is active and those gorgeous red wings of Keigo’s.
He has to force the hurt away, but only after he manages to get rid of the sight of his string.
Shota takes a deep breath, then he moves on and finishes out his patrol. His head hits his pillow at five-thirty, and by then, he’s forgotten all about the oddity and finding his soulmate. His exhaustion completely wipes the moment from his mind as his head hits the pillow, and all he can think about is that he actually gets to sleep in because it’s his day off.
When he wakes up two and a half hours later, the garbled yell that leaves his throat is loud enough that his neighbors start smacking against the walls and telling him to shut up.
He’d woken up because of the uncomfortable feeling on his back, a pain that was numbed by his sleep is suddenly burning through his veins. He doesn’t really recognize anything other than a heavy weight pressing him down into his bed, forcing him to breathe in the breezy, lavender detergent that Nemuri washed his stuff in when he’d been forced out of his apartment for them to actually make it a home.
Shota had been living in a bare-bones home, only a bed that laid on the ground and a couch that Hizashi had shoved into his apartment from his own home after he and Nemuri finally moved in together. Hizashi took him out of the apartment, kept him out for most of the day, on his only day off from both of his jobs, and when he came back, his apartment was filled.
He liked his no attachment.
Though, now, years later, he hasn’t changed a single thing unless Nemuri threatened to send him on another day out with Hizashi. Which she managed to do twice, but her updates were only to add more color.
The detergent had stayed in use even though many other things hadn’t.
Her bright yellow throw blanket for the couch happened to be one of those things that found its way down to a homeless shelter.
“Where is this weight coming from?” The question croaks its way out of his throat as he attempts to lift up on his arms. “Too early for this crap.”
He forces himself up, but the moment he’s up, he’s flying back into his closet and pain radiates throughout his body like a tidal wave. His entire back feels like it’s burning from the pain, and Shota knows something is seriously wrong. Once he’s up, he manages to find his way to a mirror, stumbling from one side to another as he attempts to catch his balance.
“I’ve never been so off balance in my damn life, not even when I hit my crappy growth spurt,” huffs Shota angrily as he stumbles forward and almost faceplants into the mirror. But then a strangled yell jerks out of him as he sees giant red wings on his back. “What the fuck?!”
His first thought is to take a breath, then he goes in search of his phone to call Nemuri and Hizashi because he doesn’t know what is happening.
The only connection Shota can make is that it has to do with his string snapping into place last night.
“One of you better pick up the fucking phone,” grumbles Shota into the ringing phone as he stumbles to the side before faceplanting onto his bed while the wings spread out and weigh him down. “Come the hell on, you pains in the ass, answer the damn phone!”
His newly acquired wings flutter with his panic, just as a sound comes from the phone.
“This had better be life or death. You know it’s our anniversary,” huffs Nemuri, and Shota knows she’s pouting without even seeing her face.
“Yeah, Sho, not that we don’t love you, but this is our anniversary. You know what I have planned, so why are you calling right now?” asks Hizashi in a strained tone that makes Shota wince because yeah, he does know what his best friend planned for this year’s anniversary.
“I know, and I’m really sorry, Zashi, Nem, but this is important. I—uh—I have giant, red wings, and I kind of saw my string snap into place last night. I—Help?” Those wings flutter again and Shota is in the air, hovering over his bed, phone laying there on his pillow. “Someone fucking help me!”
Shota doesn’t ask for help, but the panic he’s feeling is absolutely illogical. It’s screwing with his head.
“Give us ten minutes, Sho,” says Hizashi softly, understanding coloring his voice.
“Your Fated is Hawks?!” Nemuri squeals through the phone, and he winces because even with the space between himself and his phone, she’s loud. “Oh, you’ve got yourself a young treat!”
“Don’t talk about the man like that, Nem,” huffs Shota as his omega chitters in annoyance in his head. “Just hurry the hell up, and hang up the phone would ya? I have to figure out how to get myself down.”
“His wings are part of his body, they’re just an extension, Sho, like your capture weapon. Try it!” replies Hizashi before a click sounds as Nemuri squeals again.
“I can’t fucking believe this. My day off, my weekend, and I have wings! Who hit Hawks with a quirk, and how the fuck did I get affected too?!” yelps Shota just as he comes down, falling harshly against his bed as his wings drape over it like a weight again. “This is ridiculous!”
His mind is running, trying to figure out what happened to get him here, how he’s here in the first place, and how it has to be Hawks’ fault. Logically, there’s no reason that he should have Hawks’ wings on his back, no reason that he should be affected by anything that Hawks was hit with. Being soulmates does not mean that any quirked effects that Hawks is under will affect him, at all.
“Wait a damn second,” gasps Shota as he lifts his head, wings fluttering and lifting him up again. “How the fuck did Nemuri know about Hawks being my soulmate?!”
He doesn’t remember saying it, so how did she manage to figure that out already? There’s no logical answer. He hears the creak of his door, just as he manages to get himself upright, struggling to get his wings to fold like Hawks does.
“Your soulmate is Hawks!”
He turns to see Nemuri bouncing on her feet in the doorway, and Shota glares at her harshly as he asks, “How the fuck did you come to that conclusion?”
“Did you forget about the myth of Fated Mates?” asks Hizashi with a snort as he steps up behind his soulmate, smirking at Shota like he’s won something here.
“A myth? You’re making assumptions based on a fucking myth ?! You know myths aren’t real!” snaps Shota despite the way his mind is whirling as he attempts to remember the myth because Nemuri is right.
“I’m right though, aren’t I?” Nemuri is too smug for his tastes, but he can’t deny her.
“Yes, Nem, you’re right, now what the fuck is this ridiculous myth that your assumption is based on?” asks Shota with a huff as he crosses his arms over his chest, startling when his wings flare out behind him. “Dammit!”
“You’re really struggling with this, Sho,” murmurs Hizashi with surprise as he tilts his head. “I’ll reach out to Hawks and see if he can stop by to fix this mess.”
“Don’t you dare talk to that kid until I know what the fuck is going on,” grumbles Shota before he turns his attention back to Nemuri, glaring harshly when she grins at him with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “Explain.”
“You’re no fun,” sighs Nemura as she drops herself firmly onto her feet and pouts at him before ducking past him to settle on the edge of his bed. “The myth goes like this: When Fated Mates meet, when their strings snap into place, within twenty four hours a quirk swap takes place. When that happens, and it will, only a kiss will return the quirks to their rightful place. That’s the myth, Shota, and now, you need to find your treat to fix the quirk swap!”
“Why is it always me?” asks Shota as his wings suddenly droop, and he drops his head with a groan. “I don’t know how the fuck he manages these things. They’re so heavy, they don’t listen, and somehow they react with my goddamn mood. They are nothing like my fuckin’ capture weapon, dammit!”
“Ya know, I actually think he’s wondering the same thing. You two both have been through a lot. I think your pairing makes a lot of sense,” murmurs Nemuri thoughtfully as she leans back on her hands, tilting her head to the side.
“They actually make more sense than I originally thought when you brought it up on the call,” agrees Hizashi before disappearing from the room, phone lifting up to settle against his ear.
“I kind of get it, but ‘Muri, I’m going to go insane. You know how young he is, right? I—This—He’s stuck with me,” mutters Shota with a grimace as his feet lift off the ground. “This is seriously the most annoying thing in the fucking world.”
“Shota, don’t get in your head about the age thing,” says Nemuri through a chuckle as she stands and tilts her head while looking at him. “You and I both know that when it comes to mates, to soulmates, age doesn’t have a damn thing to do with it. Experience, pain that’s shared, those are the things that build a bond and solidify a soulmate bond. You know what that means. He’s not stuck with you, and you’re not stuck with him. It doesn’t mean you have to be together, many fated aren’t, but it does mean that the universe thinks you two complement each other in ways that we can’t immediately see.”
‘I really don’t need that, not when we both know he deserves someone his age. How did he manage to get stuck with me? I am not stuck with him, that’s impossible,” mutters Shota as his wings flutter more harshly, lifting him higher. He’s got this urge to hide, and when that hits him, he falls to his feet. His knees buckle and the wings surround him in a feathered cocoon. “He’s a good kid, smart and strategic. But he’s been through hell. I don’t think he’s going to like that I’m the one he’s stuck with.”
“Stop that, Shota,” huffs Nemuri from outside of the cocoon. She sounds irritated, and Shota curls himself inwards further at the tone. “You don’t get to make any sort of decisions for him or assume that he won’t be happy about this. That’s not fair to him.”
Shota doesn’t respond, he probably should because he knows Nemuri is right about this, but he just can’t. There’s nothing that he wants to say right now when there’s too many unanswered questions in his head. He doesn’t know how Keigo feels because his memory says that the man didn’t react at all to the thread snapping into place. But Shota knows that something was wrong last night, Keigo’s eyes weren’t the color they were supposed to be, and his scent was too intense.
“So, Hawks is currently down because of a quirk, but he is supposed to be clear in an hour. He said that he would meet us wherever Sho is comfortable though. So, where do you want me to send him?” asks Hizashi as his footsteps draw to a stop outside of Shota’s unsubtle hiding spot. “Did you cocoon yourself? ‘Muri, babes, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything! Shota got all, he’s stuck with me, and I tried to remind him that Hawks is the one who decides that. I also tried to tell him that soulmates, fated mates, complement each other in ways that aren’t immediately seen. He just—Love, he’s getting all isolation-focused again,” whines Nemuri with a stomp of her foot, and Shota wants to snort because he knows that she’s pouting up at Hizashi.
He knows without a single doubt that Hizashi’s furrowed brows are smoothing, that he’s casting looks at him for help against Nemuri’s pout because he’s always been weak to her, and—
“Alright, Shota does that, babes. Don’t stress it, he’ll be okay once he gets the chance to talk to Hawks and hear what he has to say about all of this. Stop pouting,” murmurs Hizashi weakly.
Shota snorts as those red wings unfurl and spread wide, and he smirks when he sees Hizashi hugging Nemuri and rubbing his hands up and down her back comfortingly.
“I knew it,” says Shota amusedly, grinning when Hizashi and Nemuri look at him with wide eyes. “You two are a mess. Just give the guy my address, and you two can leave. I ruined most of ‘Zashi’s plans already, and I’m sorry for that, so just go salvage what you can.”
“Do you really want us to leave?” asks Nemuri softly, worry lacing her words as she crouches in front of him.
“Yes, I really do. I need to get my head together as is, so just go enjoy your anniversary. I’ll let you know what happens later,” replies Shota genuinely as he waves his hand at her, trying to reassure her.
That’s the thing though, he doesn’t know how to reassure her when he’s filled with anxiety over this plan. But he knows that Hawks, Keigo, will come alone, and he wants them to be on even ground.
“He’s going to be just as surprised to find you alone as he is to know that this is your decision. Alright, we’ll go, but you let us know if you need us. We’ll come, Sho,” says Hizashi with an understanding tone, and Shota knows that his best friend read him like a book.
“Thanks,” mutters Shota with a nod before he waves, leaning back to avoid the hug that Nemuri wants to give him. “I don’t want to risk anything with these wings. I’m more than aware of how sensitive they are.”
“Alright, but you owe me a hug,” says Nemuri with a half-hearted pout.
“Yeah, I figured as much,” snorts Shota as he shakes his head and forces himself to his feet to at least attempt to walk them out.
When he reaches his bedroom door, he hesitates and attempts to focus on folding his wings again. Relief surges through him when they do fold, but as soon as he’s out, they flare out again.
“It’s a good thing your hallway is wide,” says Hizashi teasingly before he leads Nemuri down the hall chuckling.
“Fuck off,” huffs Shota with an eye roll before following after them and silently thanking the people who designed and built the apartment for their wide hallways.
By the time he rounds the corner, Hizashi and Nemuri are already stepping out of the apartment, so he just waves when Nemuri turns to look at him. When the door shuts behind them, Shota turns to his couch and wonders if he can get comfortable on it or not before deciding that no, he probably can’t, and he doesn’t want to even attempt to risk it. So, he heads into his kitchen instead. He needs food.
He’s not gonna order in, like he’d initially planned, so he takes stock of his kitchen. There’s not much there, but he can pull together some soup. A glance at one of his top cabinets tells him it’ll be an udon soup with chicken and an egg, if he decides he really wants to have an egg. Logically, the egg is good protein, however, he already is going to have chicken there. So, like, does he really have to put an egg in his chicken and udon soup?
No, he doesn’t, but he does so anyway because he likes the mixture of the yolk with the soup base itself. So, Shota gets to work on making his chicken and udon noodle soup, and he does his egg last, making sure he has a delicious and runny egg yolk. He made enough to pack away, and he has enough eggs from his six pack to make another egg.
“I managed to think ahead without meaning to,” mutters Shota as he grabs a bowl and dips himself some soup before moving his egg to the top of his noodle soup. “I wonder if he’d even like this.”
As he stirs the soup, mixing his egg into it, he hears a light knock against glass, a tink sounds. Shota turns and carries his bowl out of the kitchen towards the living room, setting it on the coffee table before turning his attention towards the sound, his balcony. Keigo stands there, hands fiddling with the bottom of his red sweatshirt as he stares at his feet.
He looks nervous.
Shota understands.
Taking a breath, Shota makes his way over to the doors, and he tries to give a reassuring smile when Keigo’s head whips up as his fingers turn the handle of the glass doors. He tugs the door open, and Keigo seems to hesitate as he moves and motions for him to come inside.
“Do you really want me to come inside?” asks Keigo quietly, uncertainty echoing through his hesitation.
“I think it would be easier if we were inside, don’t you?” asks Shota as he tilts his head, trying to figure out why Keigo is so uncertain. “Hawks, did you figure out my quirk?”
“No, I-I couldn’t figure it out actually. I didn’t have much time to try, the quirk I was hit with threw me into a false rut until they managed to get me free with another touch. I wasn’t sure if you actually had one, though my quick look into it gave me that answer,” explains Keigo quietly, looking almost panicked as he makes his way inside. Then his nose twitches as he wanders over to the couch, and Shota smirks at the surprise he finds on the man’s face. “You know you can call me Keigo, right? I thought I told you that already, Shota. Oh, wait, you cook?”
“I do, Keigo. I usually only cook once a week because work takes over, but I do. It’s relaxing,” replies Shota with a soft smile as Keigo looks at the steaming bowl with curiosity. “I have more soup in the kitchen, if you want a bowl, and I can make another over-easy egg if you want.”
“That’d be great, actually, I-I haven’t had the chance to eat yet,” murmurs Keigo with a sheepish look on his face as Shota turns and heads for the kitchen.
Shota grins as he hears the footsteps following after him, and he tugs out the bowl before going about making another egg for Keigo.
“I’m surprised you’re so, mellow, not something I get to see that often. But you also said you were quirked, how are you feeling after that?” asks Shota as he tries to start a conversation, his nerves falling to the side as he works on the egg and watches Keigo dip himself a bowl.
“It’s not a big deal, ya know? Being quirked isn’t usually a problem, though having to go into a rut after just getting off a fairly bad one… that wasn’t much fun. But I’m okay, my Alpha wasn’t, and since I was in public when it all went off the rails, the PR mess has already started to feel like a hassle. I’m benched for a week because of it, not even just benched, I’m not allowed near my agency for a week. They assigned Jeanist to assist where needed, and the HPSC is handling everything else,” Keigo rambles lightly as he searches for a spoon, and Shota snorts before reaching over to the cutlery-labeled drawer and tugging it open for him. Keigo’s cheeks burst with pink, and for a moment, Shota is so distracted that he forgot about the egg he was moving to the bowl.
“Shit, don’t wanna drop this,” mutters Shota to himself before he carefully settles the egg in the bowl. “Sorry about that. I’m glad you’re okay, though I’m sorry about the quirked mess and what followed. I can’t say I understand because I’m underground, but Hizashi and Nem are my friends. I’ve dealt with them and their messes enough to have a very, very vaguely general idea of what happens. I’m sure our thing didn’t help much.”
“I dunno, finding out that I have a fated mate was pretty, uh—Well, I was excited as much as I was scared. I think that’s the best way to describe that, especially because the HPSC were not happy about it,” replies Keigo with a sigh as he dips his spoon into his soup and stirs in his egg while Shota handles a bit of clean up as far as his fry pan. “Though I had to ask Jeanist what a Fated was because of Mic’s call.”
“Ah, I had to ask about that too when I woke up with wings that I definitely didn’t fall asleep with. Nem and ‘Zashi traded eye colors, so the quirk swap was definitely not something I was ready for,” snorts Shota before he gestures for the archway. “Why don’t we go eat and figure this out in the living room? I am glad that you weren’t upset about me being your fated, by the way, and the HPSC can get fucked.”
“How could I ever be upset about you being my fated?” asks Keigo over his shoulder as he makes his way out of the kitchen, sounding very confused. “Oh, don’t tell anyone I said this, but I agree with that last part.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of reasons to come up with, the main one for me was I’m old as hell, but Nem came after me for it. So, I’ll drop that,” replies Shota with an awkward laugh because yeah, he had a feeling Keigo wouldn’t agree with that either. “I will hold your secret close to the vest until you can say it yourself.”
The fact that he sounded so confused by Shota thinking he’ll be upset has him fighting a blush.
“Oh, Shota, I don’t care about your age. It didn’t stop me from crushing on you when we first worked a case together, and it’s not going to stop me from courting you. If that’s something you’re okay with happening,” replies Keigo with certainty as he settles on the couch, and Shota hovers for a moment before settling on the ground on the opposite side of the table, feeling grateful when it doesn’t upset the wings on his back. But then he’s choking on air as Keigo’s words register. “Yes, I’ve been crushing on you for like a year now. No, I will not listen to any arguments because I’ve heard plenty already.”
“Arguments?” chokes Shota as he tries to pull in a clear breath.
“Yeah, ya know the ones that include being told that I don’t know you well enough to have a crush because we haven’t interacted much,” replies Keigo amusedly as he looks at him, seeming very proud of himself for how he’s thrown Shota off. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just–I wasn’t expecting that,” says Shota in a strained tone as he grabs an old bottle of water from under his table to take a drink. “So, uh, you have a crush on me and want to court me… That’s really something you want?”
“Very much so, but only if you’re comfortable with it. If you’d rather date than court that’s fine, but I fully intend to see what comes of this. I want to,” murmurs Keigo gently, sounding nervous in a way that is reminiscent of how he was when Shota saw him on the balcony.
“Well, I’m more surprised by you wanting to court me than you wanting to date me, but uh–you’re full of surprises, aren’t you, Keigo?” asks Shota softly, fond as he looks at the man, the wings on his back ruffling.
“Hey, I think I’m a ball of surprises,” says Keigo with a chuckle before he focuses on the soup that neither of them have touched. “Does that mean that you’re interested in a courtship?”
“If that’s what you want, Keigo, then I am completely interested in a courtship. I also think we might need to heat up the soup again,” murmurs Shota before he dips his spoon into his soup and gets some chicken with the broth. “Actually, if mine is still warm, then yours is definitely still okay.”
“Then I fully intend to court you, and I wanna make you blush cause pink dusting your cheeks is adorable,” murmurs Keigo as he follows Shota’s lead and starts eating his soup, humming delightfully at the burst of flavor that hits his tongue. “You are an amazing cook, what the heck?”
“Glad you like it,” replies Shota in a flustered tone, ducking his head as heat spreads across his cheeks. “So, uh, does that courting mean that we can scent some too? I’m kind of big on scenting, mainly with my pack, but my omega is screaming for it.”
“The fact that you managed to ask that before I did is awesome,” rumbles Keigo, his alpha showing his happiness as Shota’s eyes go wide, his omega chirping in his head in a way that knocks him off guard. “You can scent me whenever you want, and I can give you some scented items, whatever you’d like. If it’d make things easier, you can come to mine and see which items you’d prefer to have. I don’t know what textures settle better with you, so I will gladly give you my entire closet and let you choose.”
“I don’t know about that, I’m– well, I’m kind of picky, so that might actually work,” murmurs Shota with an embarrassed tone as he ducks his head down and focuses on his soup. “We can talk more about that later, do you–You said you had to ask about the fated mates thing, does that mean you know how we’re gonna get our quirks back?”
“We can pick a day, probably this week because I’ll be off, but you can come over whenever to pick scented items for you and your nest,” replies Keigo with a satisfied smile that he hides with another bite of soup, slurping a noodle as Shota glances up. “I do know how we’re going to get our quirks back though, and I know it’s going to take probably three to four hours for the quirks to swap back. The other thing I know is that I will not kiss you unless you’re okay with it. We can, and will, find a way around it to keep you comfortable, Shota.”
“I appreciate that, Alpha,” murmurs Shota before he can think it through, his omega feeling so settled with Keigo that purrs are rumbling through his chest. When Keigo rumbles at the title, he flushes a bright red and curses his inability to control his tongue around the man. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Uh, well, I normally wouldn’t be one to kiss before a date, not that I really date or do anything involving another person because I’ve never done this. Let me stop rambling, the point is that I kind of need my quirk back for my patrols and dealing with my students. So, I’m okay with a kiss.”
“Those purrs are a sweet sound,” murmurs Keigo almost like he doesn’t want to be heard before their eyes meet, and he’s smiling gently. “Do you want to kiss now, or after we finish eating?”
“That depends on you actually because I don’t care when we kiss. Not that I don’t care, but I don’t have a preference, oh my god, I can’t–” Shota’s nerves and his omegas wants are pulling this rambling out of his ass, and he doesn’t know what to do about it.
“How about, we finish eating, and you think about it?” offers Keigo gently, sounding a bit amused with that fond tone of his as his eyes go all soft and golden.
“That–please,” murmurs Shota as he tries to gain control of himself, but this feels more overwhelming than he thinks it should.
“Do you want help, so you can sit on the couch with me? I know the wings can be a hassle when you’re first learning how to use ‘em,” says Keigo gently as he changes the subject to Shota’s decision to sit on the floor, easily figuring it out.
“I think I’ll stay on the floor, the wings are still messing with my equilibrium, but I also just don’t want to risk anything happening. I know they don’t like–I know nothing happens during quirk swaps that will replicate when they swap back, but I don’t–I still don’t want to risk it,” Shota tries to explain because it is more than just being uncertain of how to sit on the couch comfortably with these giant red, feathered wings on his back. The idea that he could hurt these wings that carry Keigo on his flights and protect him makes him want to whine something pitiful. “I appreciate the offer though, Keigo, I really do.”
Keigo just smiles at him gently before joining Shota on the floor, sitting next to him, carefully ahead of the spread wings, and offering a wrist that is covered by a scent patch. His voice is gentle as his other hand pulls out another bite of soup, “If you want to, we can scent some, help ease whatever’s goin’ on in your head.”
Shota melts at the offer. It’s like Keigo was reading his mind.
He carefully peels off Keigo’s scent patch and links their fingers together to press their scent glands together better, and it’s an explosion of comfort and sweetness as he takes in that same blooming forest, though it’s sweeter than before, less rut heavy.
It’s almost like when you step into a forest in the spring, when the flowers are just blooming, when the tree branches are swaying from the wind, the smell of spring and camping. It’s not something that everyone knows, but he enjoys the isolation of camping in the forest, of the freshness of the river and the chirping of birds.
Keigo’s scent feels like going camping, and it makes him melt.
Shota almost forgets about the food that’s sitting in front of him going cold, almost gone, and he’s just about ready to fall asleep as Keigo’s scent mixes with his own. He’s certain that his own metallic scent that’s broken with a salty addition doesn’t fit with Keigo’s, but it feels right in a way that he didn’t expect.
“I didn’t realize you smelled like the ocean,” mutters Keigo unthinkingly, like he wasn’t expecting Shota to hear him.
“I don’t, not really,” murmurs Shota as his brows furrow.
His scent is salt and metallic, he doesn’t quite get where the ocean is coming from.
“You smell like how my wings smell after a dip in the ocean, Shota,” murmurs Keigo with a tilt of his head, and Shota hears the amusement that’s curling the edge of his lips.
“You–Really?” asks Shota with wide eyes as he looks at the man next to him.
“Yeah, my wings always take on a salty scent. It’s comforting since I usually take a dip in the ocean after a rough day, especially if I’ve fought near it. It’s a relaxing thing for me, also… That extra scent, it–it almost smells like a battle. You smell like you’ve taken a dip in the ocean after a fight,” Keigo’s voice is so awe-filled that Shota has no idea what to say. He’s lost in the description of his scent, in the way Keigo brings their intertwined hands up and presses his nose to his wrist to take it in more. “That’s a bit addicting.”
“My scent is addicting? You smell like a beautiful blooming forest, but you think my scent is addicting?” asks Shota incredulously as he looks at those golden eyes while they flutter open, and he sets their hands back on the table. “You’re insane.”
“Nah, I’m attracted to you and that scent of yours, I think it’s normal,” replies Keigo with a charming grin as he winks before turning back to his mostly empty bowl.
Shota doesn’t think about it before leaning down to press a kiss to the back of Keigo’s hand, the urge is there to kiss him, but he’s a bit nervous about kissing his cheek or those taunting lips. That’s why he presses his cracked lips to the soft skin of his hand instead, but the sharp inhale and the way Keigo seems to melt into his side, tells him that it was the right move.
“That might be the sweetest kiss I’ve ever been given,” murmurs Keigo as he squeezes Shota’s hand in his.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Shota groans at the sound of his own phone going off, only to snort when Keigo groans as well because there’s a trill ringing sound accompanying Shota’s own incessant beeping.
“Someone really needs our attention,” mutters Shota with an eye roll before he reaches across the table for his phone while Keigo tugs his own out of his jeans pocket. “Oh, what the fuck?”
“Why am I getting a message about UA?” asks Keigo as he lifts his eyes, brows furrowed.
“Because apparently we’re getting a new teacher,” mutters Shota with a scowl as he takes in the name that’s sitting on his screen. “I really can’t deal with this shit, and I’m probably going to have to deal with it.”
“All Might?” Keigo’s voice is shocked and confused. “All Might’s going to UA and retiring?”
“Yeah, that’s a situation that I don’t even want to understand, but I’m sure I’ll know more in a couple weeks when Nezu calls for an actual meeting to discuss the new teacher,” replies Shota as he moves to tuck his phone away only for it to beep at him again. “Never mind, we’re having the meeting in two days, much sooner than expected considering the school year hasn’t even ended yet.”
“Looks like it’s a big deal, huh? Well, looks like UA is going to have a time because can All Might even teach?” asks Keigo amusedly as that shock and confusion melts away while he stuffs his phone into his pocket.
“Yeah, I have a feeling that I’m going to absolutely hate all of it,” mutters Shota with a pout as he tosses his phone on the couch. “Why did he have to come to UA?”
“Isn’t that his Alma Mater or whatever?” asks Keigo with a snort as he brings Shota’s hand up to press a kiss to his skin in a way that’s comforting.
Shota leans over and settles his head on the man’s shoulder, unable to help himself when it comes to the easy comfort, and he gets a kiss to his forehead for his troubles. It makes him smile even though he attempts to keep his pout.
“That was sweet,” murmurs Shota as he tilts his head back, nuzzling under Keigo’s chin. “Thanks for coming, even though you had every reason to push it off considering you just had to deal with an induced rut.”
“Wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Shota,” murmurs Keigo as he leans down and their noses nudge, and it’s just easy.
Easy for Shota to tilt his head back a little bit more, to twist his upper body as Keigo’s lips brush his, as a warm hand cups his cheek. His omega sings in his head as Keigo keeps it chaste but still nips at his lip as he pulls away.
“That has to be the best kiss I’ve ever had,” breathes Shota as he finally opens his eyes to find Keigo staring at him all soft and sweet like honey with those golden eyes.
“I think you might be right, Shota,” whispers Keigo fondly as his thumb brushes over his cheek. “I also think you set the bar high for our future dates.”
“Oh please, mister smooth talker, I’m not the one who set the bar high,” huffs Shota in amusement as he leans into the hand on his cheek. “Though I could definitely see us setting the bar high every time.”
“I see it happening too, Shota, that and so much more. I’m glad you’re the one my soul linked up with,” says Keigo softly as his hand slips down, his thumb brushing over the corner of Shota’s lips as he smiles at him. “When do you think we can have another intimate date? I know we can’t really be seen out and about, since I’m too recognizable, but while I search for safe spots, I can at least set up some more intimate and hidden dates. Specifically rooftop picnics and movie nights, and I am wicked with ordering take-away.”
“Well, I’m free for a few hours before my night shifts, but everything depends on your schedule. I can usually trade my shifts around some, but if you’re too busy, we’ll work around yours. But I gotta warn you, it’s probably going to be a lot of phone calls and text messages, which I am shit at, but I will do my best for you,” explains Shota gently, his mind starting to whirl with all of the hardships that they’ll face as a pair knowing that he’s not a spotlight hero. It’s not going to be easy for Keigo to date him when he can’t really go to the events that they can, well, not really.
He technically could, what with being a UA Teacher and all, but he also can’t because he can’t risk anyone knowing that he’s an underground hero, not when it would ruin the work he’s put in.
“I can see you getting in your head,” murmurs Keigo gently before maneuvering them so they’re looking at each other head-on, and Shota smiles sheepishly at getting called out. “I wouldn’t risk your career over a date, Shota, trust me. I’ll take time off, and absolutely ignore all of the stupid, big days that I can because I know, without an ounce of doubt, that I’ll enjoy my time with you more than I’d ever enjoy those silly things. We’ll get through this together, Shota, I promise.”
“I believe you, even though it seems rather unbelievable that you’d want to do all of that over me, but I believe that you’ll try. However, most of those events are kind of important for you spotlight heroes, Keigo. So, we’ll find a work around, maybe on those nights, you can do the hero thing and then drop by and we can do something to celebrate as well. I’m sure we can come up with something,” replies Shota softly, certainty dripping from his words because he wants to see where this goes, he needs to, and Keigo seems to really want it too. He might be getting his hopes up, might be aiming too high, but it’s hard not to when Keigo’s the one that flies.
“We will,” says Keigo decisively, smiling brightly, like Shota’s words have given him some reason to be excited. “But for now, I need to get back to the apartment, and you probably need to rest or patrol? So, how about this? We’ll trade numbers and figure out a day for our next date and for you to come by and get some stuff to nest with. How’s that sound?”
“That sounds perfect, and I cannot wait for both of those things to happen. My omega is craving your scent,” says Shota softly, almost shyly because his Omega isn’t happy about having to wait to have his Alpha’s scent in his nest.
“Well, I can do something to ease that,” murmurs Keigo before he leans back and tugs off his sweatshirt, showing a black long sleeve shirt underneath. “You can keep this for now, at least as something to have my scent. It’s the softest sweatshirt I own and something that I happen to wear often, so I hope you like it.”
Shota takes the sweatshirt from him, and without a moment’s hesitation, buries his nose in it. He settles it against his chest a moment later, face burning at his reaction, but it just smells so much like Keigo that he had to.
He couldn’t help it.
“I feel like I need to give something to you too, something that has my scent,” murmurs Shota before something hits him. “Stay right here, I’ll be right back.”
He gets up and hurries to his room, holding the sweatshirt tight against him as he rushes down the hall, wings fluttering gently before folding enough for him to get into his bedroom. He finds what he’s looking for after a few minutes of rustling in his closet.
There’s a small clear bag that holds all of his heat nesting materials, and he finds the blanket that he’d taken to using the last couple of days before shoving it back in there the other night because it was too soft for him. He tugs it out, knowing that this way, Keigo can still have his scent.
Shota can’t exactly give Keigo a sweatshirt when his wings would slice right through it… he might have an idea for that though. But he can give him a blanket, one that he uses often, that’s drenched in his scent, and is soft and light. So, he heads back out to the living room with the blanket folded under his arm, and smiling happily when he finds Keigo sitting in the same place, leaning back on his arms and staring out of the balcony doors.
“Hold on, how did you manage to get onto my balcony?” asks Shota as it occurs to him that Keigo had been on his third story balcony rather than coming through the building.
“Oh, heh, I climbed,” says Keigo with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders as he turns his attention back to Shota. “I’ve always enjoyed climbing, and it wasn’t that hard to do. Your downstairs neighbor already has a ladder that goes up to his balcony.”
“Yeah, because he’s an idiot who tends to forget his keys but always leaves his balcony doors unlocked,” sighs Shota as he walks over to him, pouting when Keigo stands even though he knows they have to part ways for the night. He passes the blanket over with a soft smile that feels sad even to him. “This is my favorite blanket, softest one I own aside from my nest base blanket, and I’ve used it more than a few times in the past couple of weeks. Hopefully, you’ll like it.”
“I already do,” murmurs Keigo gently, smiling at him as he holds the blanket against his chest and drops his nose into the fluffy fabric, visibly sniffing it. When he pulls away, it’s with an almost lovesick sigh that is far too satisfied for Shota’s heart. “I gotta go, but I will see you soon, and talk to you sooner.”
“Put your number in, and I’ll text you before you’re out of my building,” replies Shota seriously as he grabs his phone and gives it to Keigo, already unlocked because he’s definitely desperate for this.
Keigo grins at him knowingly, but he takes the phone and puts in his number before handing it back and moving towards the door.
“We’ll see if you manage to beat me,” says Keigo gently, amusement sparking in those golden eyes as he opens the door to leave. But Shota smirks as he types out a quick message with just his name and hits send, which leaves Keigo chuckling. “Alright, alright, you got me.”
“Damn straight,” replies Shota proudly before snorting when he looks down to find Keigo’s name in response to his own. “Smartass.”
“Takes one to know one,” says Keigo cheekily as he grins. “I’ll let you know when I get home, Sweetheart.”
“You better,” replies Shota softly as he walks over to him, unable to lean in and quickly kiss his cheek. “Be safe.”
“I will,” murmurs Keigo as he presses a quick kiss to Shota’s forehead before leaving.
Shota watches him go until he disappears, and his heart aches because he misses Keigo already. It hurts to miss him so much already, but then he grabs the sweatshirt and presses his nose into it again as he shuts the door. He knows he’ll be okay, especially because he’s going to be with the man again soon enough, scented items and a date, he really can’t wait.