Chapter Text
"Okay," he said with a nod, trying to keep his emotions in check. Katsuki gave him a brief, acknowledging glance before striding off to where the teenagers—bigger than him, and clearly worn out—were waiting. He could see their exhaustion in the way they slumped against each other, their shoulders heaving from the intensity of the training. Katsuki, without hesitation, barked at them to take a break. The teenagers didn’t hesitate for a second, practically collapsing to the floor in relief. Katsuki had a way of pushing people to their limits, and it was clear they'd reached theirs.
Izuku stood there for a moment, watching them, and he couldn’t help the small, contented smile tugging at his lips. There was something about the way Katsuki led them—firm, no-nonsense, but undeniably effective. Still kinda scary, though.
He quickly wiped the smile away, not wanting anyone to notice, and turned back toward the house. As he headed up the stairs, he could see even more heavy bags stacked by the door. His shoulders sagged in defeat. The work was never-ending.
He sighed softly, brushing his hand through his hair, trying to summon the energy to get it done. As he walked past Jiro, who was swiping the floor with a mop, she paused, removed her headphones, and looked at him.
"Yeah?" she asked, noticing his haggard expression.
/And next time, speak up when you need help./
Izuku hesitated for a moment, slightly out of breath. "I, uh..." he trailed off, looking at the bags and feeling the weight of them. "I was wondering... if it would be okay for you to help me throw these bags into the garbage? They’re really heavy, and I don’t have the strength you guys do."
He braced himself for the usual teasing that was bound to happen in some books. The snarky comments about how weak he was, how much of a burden he must be. But instead, Jiro’s expression softened, and to his surprise, she smiled.
"Sure," she said easily, putting her mop down. "Should've asked me before, dude. Your face is all red—maybe take a water break while I grab the rest." She bent down with ease and scooped up three large bags, her muscles barely straining as she tossed them over her shoulder. "You can help me with the rest after you cool down a bit."
Izuku blinked, taken aback by her kindness. Normally, he would’ve expected some sort of teasing or sarcastic remark, but this was different. She acted like a concerned friend, not someone looking to belittle him. He nodded quickly, a bit overwhelmed. "Yeah... I think I’ll do that. Thanks, Jiro."
As she grabbed the rest of the bags, he made his way to the side of the house, feeling grateful. His chest lightened a little as he took a deep breath and headed toward the kitchen to grab some water.
*
*
Later, Izuku found himself balancing on a ladder, his hands slightly shaky as he worked to hang balloons for the upcoming event. Denki was holding the base of the ladder to keep it steady, while Ochako passed him balloons one by one.
"Sorry we are making you do this, Izuku," she said as she passed him a balloon
"It's fine," Izuku said with a grin, taking the balloon Ochako handed him. "It brings back memories when I used to be a transfer teacher in the States. I was allowed to decorate my own classroom, so this kind of thing feels familiar." He kicked his feet in the air as he tied the balloon to a string, enjoying the simplicity of the task.
"I feel like we need more purple," he muttered, glancing around at the decorations. He leaned down, hand reaching for a purple balloon Denki was offering.
In hindsight, his position wasn’t the safest. He was clinging to the side of the ladder with one hand while reaching down with the other. He should’ve known better as a teacher. But before he could grab the balloon, Denki called out, "Look!"
Izuku turned, following Denki's gaze, and his stomach dropped. He could see Katsuki walking inside the house, behind him the teenagers he’d been training. They were holding animal corpses that made Izuku’s stomach churn, and the image was enough to make him cover his mouth.
The teenagers seemed to flinch under Katsuki's gaze, their hands awkward as they tried to carry the dead animals.
"Yo! Y’all caught that?" Denki waved at the others, and just like that, the ladder shifted beneath Izuku. He tried to steady himself, but it was too late.
"AH!" Ochako shrieked, letting go of the balloons in her hands to rush toward the ladder. She wasn’t quick enough. Izuku lost his balance and began to topple backward.
In a blur of motion, Izuku closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable crash. He felt his body jolt, but instead of hitting the ground, he was caught—strong arms wrapping around him in an unbreakable grip. His eyes flew open to see Katsuki holding him steady.
Izuku's heart raced as he breathed heavily, looking up at the blond who was now lowering him back to the ground. Katsuki let go just as Izuku’s rear hit the floor with a soft thud, far less painful than the fall he had feared.
They shared a quiet glance, as though Katsuki was studying Izuku to determine if he was truly okay. When Izuku looked away, Katsuki finally spoke.
"And you call yourselves werewolves?!" Katsuki's voice cut through the air like a whip. Everyone but Izuku winced in unison, heads hanging low as if bracing for the verbal onslaught.
"You got sidetracked and let go of the ladder," Katsuki snapped at Denki. "You were holding onto the wrong thing, and you—" Then to Ochako. He pointed a finger at Izuku, making the man flinch. "Your pose was all wrong! You were just asking to be thrown eight feet into the ground and have your nose broken!"
Izuku winced but slowly began to stand up, his legs trembling. "Thank you, but-" he mumbled, gripping the ladder for support.
Katsuki didn’t seem to acknowledge the gratitude. He was too focused on lecturing the group.
"-I just wanted to get it done quickly," Izuku said softly, trying to explain himself. "We can't afford to be late with this."
Katsuki scoffed, his voice rough. "So what? You'd rather get hurt instead?"
The others shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to react. It was a bit awkward watching Katsuki tear into someone like this, especially when that someone was a human, not one of their own.
"I'll be more careful, yes," Izuku said, causing the others to feel even more awkward. Even the kids in the back could tell that tone wouldn’t get them anywhere—only more laps and pushups. To see someone speak to him with such casual disrespect was... strange and off-putting.
"God, I should’ve just let you fall on your head; maybe it would have knocked some sense into ya. Katsuki grumbled under his breath, glancing back over his shoulder at Izuku. He muttered more to himself than anyone else as he stomped back to the single-file line of teenagers who had just finished their first hunting exercise with him. Their faces were flushed with exertion, but there was a sense of accomplishment in their eyes. It was a training exercise, yes, but it also built confidence. Knowing they had contributed to the pack’s meal was a good feeling, one they’d carry with them for a while.
The teenagers lined up as they were expected, standing tall despite their exhaustion, trying to look as though they hadn't just been pushed beyond their limits by the head alpha.
Izuku, still a little shaken from his near fall, was standing off to the side, dusting himself off. His chest still heaved from the sudden rush of adrenaline. Denki’s voice broke through his thoughts.
"Dude, are you okay?" Denki asked, his face full of concern as he stepped closer.
Izuku smiled weakly, nodding, though his hands still trembled slightly. He brushed off his clothes with a sigh. "Yeah, I’m fine. Katsuki was... quick, impossibly so," he said, his eyes drifting back toward the ladder where he had nearly fallen.
His mind immediately began to calculate, as it often did when he was processing something. "If the distance from the living room to the hallway is about seven meters... Gravity accelerates me at 9.8 meters per second squared... The ladder's roughly two meters tall, so I’d fall for about 0.64 seconds before hitting the ground," he muttered under his breath, running through the numbers in his head.
The others, standing nearby, exchanged an uncomfortable glance. It wasn’t lost on them that Izuku's reaction was a little more intense than they had expected. They were used to his analytical nature, but there was something about the situation that made them uncomfortable.
"No, he’s definitely not okay," Denki said, shaking his head. His voice was a mix of disbelief and concern. He stepped closer to Izuku, resting a hand on his shoulder.
Izuku snapped out of his mental calculations, blinking rapidly as if shaking himself awake. "I am!" he said quickly, trying to cover up his lingering unease. "Sorry, it's just... he was fast." He exhaled sharply, still breathless from the adrenaline rush that had yet to leave his system. The speed at which Katsuki had moved to catch him had caught him completely off guard. It was another reminder of just who Katsuki was: fast, strong, and always in control.
Ochako stepped forward, giving Izuku a knowing look. "Look, just... cut the confetti for us, okay?" she said with a soft smile, handing him the scissors and a stack of biodegradable paper. "It’s for the decorations—nothing too complicated. We need it done by the time the others get back."
Izuku blinked down at the paper in his hands, still slightly shaken. "You know," he started, trying to regain some composure, "I’m an adult who pays rent, taxes, and has raised a child, right? With degrees in—"
"Yes, yes, we know," Denki interrupted, cutting him off with a playful wave of his hand. "But you also just almost fell off a ladder, and we’d rather not have to sit through a long meeting with Katsuki about it." He shuddered at the thought, as if imagining the endless lecture they’d all get. "So maybe let’s just stick to confetti for now."
Before Izuku could argue, Denki gave him a gentle push toward the sofa. "Just take a seat," he said. "You’ve had enough of the ladder for today."
Izuku huffed in resignation, but he didn’t fight it. He sat down on the couch, settling back to start cutting the colorful paper into tiny pieces, his mind still buzzing. He tried to focus on the task at hand, trying to push away the memories of how /warm and safe/ he had felt in Katsuki’s arms. It was hard to forget that feeling of being protected, held close by someone so strong, someone who could break through any obstacle with ease.
Katsuki seemed like he was the type who would act without hesitation when someone was in danger, even if it meant coming across as abrasive or harsh.
Izuku leaned back further into the couch, taking a deep breath, trying to steady himself. It had been a long day.
He couldn’t shake the memory of how Katsuki’s arms had wrapped around him so quickly. It was a mix of strength and care, something that had surprised him in the moment. But now, in the quiet after the adrenaline, the physical sensations were starting to fade, and the ache in his body was beginning to settle in.
He groaned quietly, and the omegas in the room immediately perked up, their sensitive ears flicking toward him. "Are you okay?" Ochako asked, concern flooding her voice. They could tell something was off now that the adrenaline had worn off.
Izuku rubbed his side, wincing slightly where Katsuki had grabbed him at an odd angle, the fall likely causing a bruise. "Yeah, I’m fine," he said. "Just a little sore."
The others exchanged glances again, noticing the way Izuku was grimacing slightly as he moved. His body was probably more banged up than he let on, but no one wanted to push him too hard. They knew how stubborn he could be when it came to admitting when he was in pain.
Denki gave him a concerned glance but tried to lighten the mood. "You sure? You’re starting to look like you’ve been run over by a truck."
Izuku chuckled softly, though it was strained. "Yeah, something like that," he said, wincing slightly. The pain in his side reminded him just how much worse it could’ve been if Katsuki hadn't caught him and held him so firmly.
The omegas continued to fuss over him. "Maybe you should take a rest for a bit," Jirou suggested gently. "You don’t want to make things worse."
"It’s fine, guys. It’s just a little bruise. I promise I’ll stay on the sofa and won’t do anything reckless again," Izuku reassured them. That seemed to do the trick, and they returned to decorating the living room, though Izuku could swear they still had their eyes on him.
He felt guilty for slowing them down. But for now, the only thing he could do was finish cutting the confetti.
As he continued to work, the quiet sounds of the room settled around him. He could hear the distant chatter of the teenagers outside, the soft rustle of paper as he snipped away. But every now and then, his mind wandered back to the warmth of Katsuki’s arms, the sense of protection he felt in that brief moment. It was a strange comfort, and it made the ache in his chest feel just a little more bearable.
The only reason Katsuki had saved him was that he didn’t want Eri, his pack member, to worry. It wasn’t because Izuku mattered that much to him. At least, that’s what he told himself. That glance Katsuki had given him to make sure he was okay, the tight grip—those were just reflexes, a response to how fragile humans were compared to them. Nothing more.