Chapter Text
Lesson One: Sometimes You Have to Let Go, Other Times You Don’t.
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Sometimes Izuku wondered if Father Time was up in the clouds above him laughing at his misery.
He imagined the man was looking down him and would take a cruel finger to hold the hands on his clock just to watch Izuku suffer. Izuku even imagined if there was some other deity—or group of deities at this rate—he had made upset to be in the situation he’s in now.
Just some sort of explanation, because what was happening ate away at his insides like nothing has ever before as the hope slowly dwindled from his body.
Green eyes looked up at the ceiling in his tiny shared bathroom with his boyfriend, Shindo Yo clutching a small piece of white and pink plastic in his shaky hands.
The tired brunette was sitting cross legged on the floor with him with his hands folded patiently.
Well, he was exuding an air of patience but deep down Izuku knew he was just as much on edge as he was.
Izuku was staring, holding his breath completely. His knees were curled to his chest as he tapped his foot up and down waiting for two little pink lines.
Please. He begged to whoever was up there. I just want a family.
But when the test saturated fully there was only one stripe.
He clutched the test tighter and dropped his head. He could feel a spike of possessive pheromones and the alpha’s rain like scent fill the space. Then Yo sighed from beside him when his dark eyes looked at the test and the smell quickly retreated.
It was a tired sigh. Tired of this.
His boyfriend wordlessly got up from where he was sitting and the tension in the room grew thick. Like clockwork, the air between them shifted.
“I’m sorry,” Izuku whispered in a small voice. “I...I really thought I was this time.”
“You said that last time, and the time before that,” Yo mumbled in a curt tone without looking at him. “I think it’s time you accept what the doctor told you last month, Izuku. Your chances of getting pregnant are low. Basically none.”
Izuku felt his heart drop slowly the longer he looked at the little area he really thought was going to hold two stripes. His boyfriend’s words felt resentful and Izuku didn’t know what to think as the other left. He sat curled with his knees to his chest alone on the cold white tiled floor by himself trying to hold back tears.
When he heard Yo leave out, Izuku decided to finally get up. He wasn’t too bothered by the alpha male leaving out. This happened frequently every time Izuku would come home thinking he might be pregnant. It was the same cycle for the last three years, starting when he was twenty two.
He would get nausea plus all the signs and even lightheadedness. He would suddenly start hanging closer to Yo and the dark haired man would have an increase of protectiveness at the shift of behavior while they were around all the other alphas in their agency. Then Yo would ask him if he was sure when Izuku would drag him to go get a pregnancy test and the green haired man would just nod vigorously.
But every time it ended the same: with one lone stripe and Yo needing to take a breather away from him.
The first few times Yo stayed and comforted Izuku. His boyfriend was sweet when he told him maybe it was just their desire for wanting a baby that made him think that he was pregnant repeatedly.
Yo expressed wanting a family by their mid twenties, being a more traditional alpha. Izuku was on board with the idea and they tried over and over again because he really did believe that Yo would be his mate at the end of the day. They had been together for nearly five years now, Izuku never questioned them not being together.
But slowly the alpha stopped comforting him.
It made Izuku nervous. He could tell Yo was looking at him in a different light with all negative tests. They hadn’t bonded yet because Yo wanted to wait until marriage like the traditional person he was.
But one day last month, the dark haired male came in explaining in a slightly distant tone that he set up a doctor’s appointment for Izuku to check his fertility and to see if he sustained any internal damage from fighting villains as a pro-hero.
Turns out it was both.
“Your chances of getting pregnant are very low,” the omegan doctor told him in a soft, sympathetic tone. The blue eyes of the physician reflected exactly how Izuku felt as he listened to the family him and Yo fantasized about slip away. “You’re not completely infertile though, you’re just going to have a tough time.”
Yo didn’t speak to him on the car ride back when Izuku was trying to tell him that it wasn’t a terrible diagnosis. He was hopeful that if they kept trying, it was bound to happen. Then he suggested adoption to the alpha but Yo just growled at the idea.
Being traditional like he was, the alpha wanted a biological child.
So, the last month had been tense.
Tears finally gave and started pouring out of his eyes as he bit his lip, trying to strain an ugly sob. Izuku tossed the negative test in the black garbage bin in the bathroom and slowly made his way to the shared bedroom. He cried softly along the way and began to slowly strip himself of his hero outfit, having had rushed home with Yo from the Plus Ultra hero agency to take the test.
The pile of green cloth dropped to the floor with an empty thud and suddenly Izuku felt bare and alone. He touched his exposed stomach absently trying to figure out where did he go wrong? Was wanting a baby that badly really messing with his body this much?
He mused that maybe it was what happened with his mom three years ago. Or maybe it was just because he wanted the family so that things with Yo could be fixed.
The alpha had been so distantly cold to him and Izuku missed the want they used to be. As he stood there in their bedroom alone, he whined softly, needing the comfort of the other—but he was gone.
Yo always left him alone after things like this and it made him feel needy to have to deal with this by himself.
He walked over to Yo’s side of the room to reach into the top drawer to pull out one of the alpha's shirts. The smell of a forest hit his nostrils and he felt himself start to relax.
The alpha was not here but at least he could use the scent from his shirts for some comfort.
He went to grab the go to work out shirt of his boyfriend but when he lifted up the item of clothing, there was something sitting underneath that caught his eye. It was pushed all the way in the back of the drawer in the corner, like it was meant to be hidden.
What’s this? Izuku knitted his eyebrows together and looked closer. It was a tiny velvet box and it made Izuku curious. He reached forward to grab it. The velvet material was smooth under his fingers and when he opened it his heart stopped.
Holy Shi—
Izuku immediately dropped both the shirt and the box the second his green eyes laid sight on the very large diamond ring that was inside. He covered his mouth in surprise totally not expecting that of all things to be sitting in Yo’s workout drawer.
But there it was, rolling on the beige carpet underneath his feet and soon Izuku’s heart rate tripled when he realized what was happening.
Or more so what was going to happen.
Yo is going to propose. He’s going to propose to me but w-we never talked about it too much? B-But it has been five years —
Then he started thinking about how much Yo wanted a family and maybe they were finally taking it to the next step.
His heart started fluttering as he picked up the heavy ring off the floor and stared at it with hope. He studied it closer and noted the tiny emerald gems surrounding it. He looked inside the silver band to see their anniversary date carved inside and Izuku started smiling uncontrollably.
Suddenly the emptiness he was feeling felt a lot less painful and the future was brighter.
✦✦✦
“Izuku! What’s going on, sweetie?” Ochaco’s sweet voice echoed on the other end of the phone. “Did the test come back positive?”
“N-No, it didn’t but there’s something else,” Izuku’s cheery voice smiled into the phone. “Something really exciting.”
“What is it? Did he book a trip to Disneyland or something?”
“I-I found an engagement ring in his dresser drawer. It has emeralds in it and everything!”
Ochaco squealed so hard that Izuku had to reel the phone away from his ear and happiness bubbled up in his chest to the point he laughed out loud.
“Oh my god, that explains why he was putting together a surprise party for your birthday this weekend!” Ochaco gasped. “He’s going to propose with everyone there!”
Izuku smiled harder than he ever had this past month. “Really? I had no idea he was doing that! He told me we were just going to do a quiet dinner.”
“Yeah! Like a month ago he started invited everyone from the agency to help celebrate your 25th at this upscale restaurant so he could make the reservation. I even heard from Momo that even his parents were coming. Oh, this makes so much sense now!”
Butterflies filled Izuku’s chest as he smiled, finally realizing he was going to get his family.
✦✦✦
When the weekend came Izuku tried his best to act like he had no clue about what was happening. His heart was damn near doing backflips and the smile on his face was contagious. Everyone in the agency noticed but only Ochaco knew why. Even Yo was surprised by the sudden uplifting emotions, expecting Izuku to dissociate after another negative pregnancy test.
But Izuku just kept smiling through it, not letting another let down get to him because if him and Yo got married, they could worry about kids later. Maybe he could even convince the alpha to waiver on his anti-adoption stance if they really did have a hard time conceiving after too long.
“Are you ready?” Yo smiled at him, dressed in a clean black button down dress shirt.
The freckled omega nodded his head as he nervously smoothed out his dark green dress top. “Yeah, we’re just going for dinner right?” Izuku tried to hide the excitement behind his smile as Yo gave him that signature charming smile.
“It’ll be a special dinner, gotta break in mid twenties with a bang right?”
“Right!” Izuku giggled as the alpha took his hand and he couldn’t stop smiling the whole way.
This was going to the best birthday ever.
✦✦✦
The whole car ride over Yo held on tightly to his hand and the alpha was smiling at him in the same way that made Izuku fall for him in the first place. Yo was charming, handsome and he smelled like after rain on a cool summer day, just like the one they were in now.
Izuku felt his heart beat hard against his sternum even more when they pulled up to a very upscale restaurant. As they walked inside the golden doors, green eyes twinkled as he looked up at the painted decorative ceiling that had intricate gold designs carved in the tiles and all the fancily dressed people around them.
He clutched the alpha’s hand more as they checked into the front desk and they were led to a private room in the back by a man who had a very uppity demeanor.
“This is really upscale for you,” Izuku whispered to Yo who just shrugged back at him. “I thought you said it was going to be a quiet dinner?”
“Eh, I may or may not have exaggerated,” Yo grinned mischievously as the man pulled open the door to the private hall. Immediately loud music started blasting causing Izuku to yelp in surprise.
“Happy birthday, Deku!” A loud unison yell screamed at him. Joyous clapping and cheering rang out in the room as all of Izuku’s friends popped out from underneath the tables with birthday hats on.
Izuku grinned wide as he saw the color array of all his closet people line up and a giant green banner with his name and ‘Happy 25th’ written across it in gold letterings. He put his free hand over his mouth to try to contain his excitement over how perfect everything way. Yo really thought of everything.
Immediately he was bum rushed by a blur of brown in a pink dress came up to him and embracing him in a warm hug.
“Izu!” Ochaco smile, her rosy scent filled his nostrils. “Happy birthday the cutest freckled greenie all around!”
“He’s the only freckled greenie, round face,” a new familiar deep voice spoke from beside him. “Not much to compete with.” Green eyes glanced to the side to see Katsuki standing there in a red colored dress shirt and a handsome smirk on his face. “Hey, Deku. Congrats on making it to twenty five in one piece somehow.”
Izuku laughed softly as he stared at the welcoming red eyes. “Thanks, Kacchan, I’m happy I’m in one piece as well,” he said with a bright grin on his face.
He didn’t miss the way Yo went silent and only gave Ochaco a small smile. The dark haired alpha started asking her about how she’s been doing and Izuku didn’t miss when Katsuki’s dusk colors eyes eyed the other alpha briefly before rolling his eyes and huffing slightly.
It made Izuku press his lips in a small thin line.
There was always tension between Yo and Katsuki that the omega never really understood but he figured it’s been going on for a while.
Ever since the licensing exams when Katsuki slapped away Yo’s hand, the dark haired alpha always would make small comments about Katsuki being rude.
On the other hand, Katsuki, after they reconciled sophomore year of high school during their shared internship with Endeavor, openly critiqued Izuku’s crush on the other teen when he learned about it.
When him and Yo finally became a couple when they were twenty, the blond alpha would use phrases like ‘he’s too fucking weak for you’ or ‘he just gets by with his looks’ which would immediately cause Izuku to go on the defensive. The green haired omega was happy they were friends again, but he felt the need to draw a line with the tall alpha.
“Hey, Zuzu,” Yo leaned down to whisper to him, “Let’s go take a seat. I got your favorite flavor cake.” The handsome dark hair alpha smiled at him and Izuku heart his heart leap in his chest. He smiled at both Katsuki and Ochaco who made their way back to sitting with everyone in their old high school class.
As he took a seat next to his boyfriend, he studies all of his friends sitting around him. Everyone had a smile on their face as he watched Kirishima and Denki wave at him and he waved back with excitement.
“This is perfect,” Izuku whispered into Yo’s ear and squeezed his hand in his lap tightly. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course,” the deep voice replied back. “You deserve the best.”
✦✦✦
The rest of the evening went as perfectly as Izuku would have thought it did. Everyone was sending drinks all around and talking about how much they missed classes at U.A. The few of them who were in the Plus Ultra hero agency that All Might had recently opened were laughing about goofy antics at work.
Kirishima had found it funny to bring a green ‘Birthday Boy’ slash as a present and he jokingly wore it throughout the night, earning a cluster of laughs from everyone. He noticed how the entire time while he was socializing Katsuki keep looking over at him as if to say something, but the alpha never approached when Yo was hovering around him.
Which was all the time naturally. The dark haired male kept an arm loosely around his waist as they spoke to all the guests, Yo’s parents included. They were such sweet people and the green haired omega’s heart twisted as he imagined himself joining their family officially.
Everything was perfect. The only thing left was—
“Attention everyone!” Yo called out loudly above the chattering crowd. “I wanted to say a couple of words before they bring dinner out.” All of the bustling people in the room paused and looked towards the couple. Izuku tried really hard to contain his racing heart as it threatened to jump out of his rib cage.
Him and Ochaco exchanged excited looks and Katsuki frowned after catching the brown haired omega giving Izuku a thumbs up.
“Izuku and I have officially been together for a little over five years now, and I have to say he is one of the best things to ever happen to me,” the alpha said in a rehearsed tone. Izuku twisted the birthday sash he was wearing nervously as he stared waiting for the question to come. “He’s been with me through everything and always has been the person to encourage me, show me my quirk was valuable and could do a whole lot.”
At this Yo smirked and Izuku blushed furiously while rubbing his neck. The sexual innuendo didn’t go missed when several friends whistled, and a certain blond hair alpha took a long swing of his drink and started grumbling something to Kirishima.
“I put this party together because I wanted Izuku to know how appreciated he is,” Yo continued with a bright smile. “And to show him how much he means to me, I want to give him this.”
Then the whole room slowed down and Izuku felt himself stop breathing when that same velvet black box was in front of him. Izuku, too busy staring at the small item in his boyfriend’s hand missed how hard Katsuki choked on his drink at the sight.
There were several small gasps and Yo gave a tight lipped smile.
Izuku predicted the next move was that the alpha was going to bend down on one knee.
...but it didn’t happen.
The box popped open and sitting inside, instead of the large diamond ring he had found, was a silver heart shaped charm with their anniversary date engraved in it.
Izuku’s happy expression faltered as all the excitement was abruptly snatched out of his body.
Green eyes flickered over to Ochaco who was also wearing an expression of equal confusion, but she was the only one. Everyone else was staring at them like they were the world’s most adorable couple and it took all Izuku had not to cry the longer he looked at the box. It had the wrong item in it.
That meant Yo had switched it out.
“I love you, Zuzu,” his boyfriend said sweetly as he leaned in to give his forehead a kind kiss.
Izuku forced a rigid smile on his face as he took the box from the alpha. Green eyes studied the metallic item and realized he didn’t even have a bracelet to put this on.
“I love you too,” he whispered but the storm inside of him felt like his emotions were about to cave in at any moment under the weight of reality.
Yo had changed his mind.
✦✦✦
“Thanks so much for coming!” The dark haired alpha said to everyone as they headed out. Yo bowed politely whenever a guest came up to him to congratulate them on making five years and for their long-lasting love.
It felt sour and left more than just bitterness on Izuku’s tongue.
Maybe he’s just waiting for a different time. He tried to reason with himself as more people started to come up. He could just be waiting for us to be alone, he might’ve just gotten cold feet and is waiting to do it another time.
He watched his boyfriend carefully, still flabbergasted by the behavior that didn’t match his eyes and that’s when he realized what was happening.
Yo was just saving face.
Katsuki had pointed out several times how Yo always had a weird mask about him—how his emotions were never fully on display. Izuku never thought about it before, but as he watched the alpha interact with everyone in the room, he realized Katsuki was right.
As the last person left out, Yo let out a long sigh like had been holding his breath this entire time. He turned towards the short omega with a gentle smile.
“Ready to head home? I’m really exhausted from all of that.”
Izuku just nodded and gave a tight-lipped smile back.
✦✦✦
The car ride was silent as Izuku looked outside at the fading colors. The sky was draining from a dusky orange and purple to a dim navy blue. The lonely stars were flickering in and out with a pale moon shining through the car window.
The omega tightly clutched the box in his hand still trying to wrap his mind around what it meant. Why had Yo still used the same box but put a fucking charm inside? A charm for a bracelet he didn’t even own.
The smooth velvety texture under his fingers felt like it was taunting him because he knew what was inside of it less than five days ago, but he couldn’t figure out what changed in five days.
“Izuku,” the gentle voice echoed out after a long period of time. Green eyes finally glanced over at the man who was consuming his thoughts, searching his face for an answer to the nonsense that just unfolded. “Today was really nice, but I’ve been thinking about something and I’ve been putting it off for a long time.”
The string of words made Izuku's heart clutch terribly.
“What is it?” He whispered, trying his best not to shake as his fingers dug further into the box.
A long stretch of silence washed over them as they drove down the empty streets silently. Then Yo dropped the words that changed Izuku forever.
“I think we need a break.”
The sentence hit him upside the head like an ugly ton of bricks. Izuku clenched his teeth and his grip on the velvet box became unnaturally tight.
“Why?” He asked with a splintered voice. He held his down trying to figure out what the hell had happened that his relationship just went from a possible glimmer of marriage to absolute shit.
The alpha beside him sighed and gripped the steering wheel harder.
“Just...I don’t think I can see us together in the future as much as I thought I did. I know you had to have felt it this last year.”
Izuku let out a single sob as the vision of the family he wanted started to fade away with every word the man he was in love with said. He listened as Yo tried to soften the blow, to cushion the break up on his goddamn birthday with pretty empty words until Izuku felt himself finally snap.
“What changed?” The freckled omega hissed out and he smelled his own scent start to sour unwilling. The natural honeycomb smell quickly darkened and the aura in the car got immediately tenser. The alpha looked at him curiously and scrunched his nose at the intruding smell.
“What do you mean? We haven’t been close in ages—”
“—No, I mean what changed within the last month,” Izuku raised his voice slightly and the tears poured down harder. “You were going to propose.”
The alpha turned his head to him dumbfounded like he had been caught red handed. Izuku watched as the other man began to flounder, not expecting for him to say what he said. When Yo couldn’t respond Izuku continued.
“I saw the ring in your dresser drawer,” he whispered, and a guilt look washed over the alpha’s face. “W-Why would you buy that i-if you weren’t going to?”
“I was going to...initially. I had bought the ring six months ago,” Yo admitted. “But...the doctor’s appointment happened.”
Izuku heart started to drop slowly into his chest.
“The doctor’s appointment?” He whispered. Then, like remembering a bad dream, everything clicked together. His eyes widened when he realized that’s what changed in the last five days. He had another negative result.
“Y-You’re not marrying me being of my fertility issue? But...but you planned the party—”
“—I had planned the party before the appointment,” Yo quickly correctly, pressing his lips in a hard line. “I couldn’t retract the invitations after I rented out the space. But, with the appointment, I just needed to know if I was making the right decision.”
Izuku gaped at him.
“And the deal breaker was the doctor’s appointment?” He asked in disbelief. “You...you decided if we have a future together based off something I can’t control,” he said more so to himself trying to process what was happening.
Trying to accept that it was over.
He misunderstood in the worst way possible.
“Izuku...” There was another long sigh and freckled man just wanted to be anywhere else. “I think I just need space to think, okay? You know it’s not your fault but I just...I just always wanted kids. Like, my own kids. You get it, right? It’s almost along the same lines of if you didn’t want to have kids and we just didn’t talk about it.”
“But we did talk about it,” he countered with a sob, looking at the alpha. “I can still have kids—I want kids just as much as you do—if not more! The doctor said it’s going to be hard not impossible. W-We can even try other methods. There’s always a way around.”
Izuku waited for a response but after several beats of silence he didn’t get one. His heart sank deeper when he realized there was no reasoning with Yo because the mad already made his decision.
“I just don’t see myself marrying someone who can’t conceive naturally, Izuku.”
The words stabbed and the car suddenly felt small.
“I think it’d be best if we just stopped while we were ahead. It’s been over three years.”
The words burned and the car suddenly felt too small.
“You get it right?” Yo asked in that terribly endearing voice. “We can talk about it more when we get home because I don’t want us to just be strangers either after this. I care for you a lot.”
Izuku tried to speak but his throat was too tight with hurt. The walls of the vehicle warped in his vision and the freckled omega quickly became dizzy. Air. He needed air—
“Let me out,” he strained out hoarsely, shocking them both. Everything was going wrong. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Yo looked at him confused as Izuku started blinking rapidly, trying to see through the tears and steady his breathing.
“What? Izuku, I’m driving—”
“—I said let me out of this car right now,” the omega asked again, and his chest started heaving.
The tears flowed freely now, unleashed with all his hurt over the idea that not only was he not getting his family but Yo was leaving him. Yo was leaving him because he couldn’t provide him a family.
“No. What’s gotten into you? We’re almost home—” But that wasn’t what Izuku wanted to hear.
Without thinking the green haired man hauled off and pulled the handle of the car door. Wind blew into the car loudly and the alpha cursed out loud. Yo swerved the car as he tried to reach out and stop the omega from ejecting himself.
But his hand missed Izuku’s green shirt by barely an inch and without a single warning, Izuku rolled himself out of the car hitting the pavement hard. He squeezed his eyes shut at the rough burn on his skin and the tiny pieces of gravel that dug into his body as he rolled harshly onto the road.
“—Izuku!” Yo yelled out in an alarmed voice. He slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The omega in question quickly stumbled up right, vision spinning as he started walking the opposite direction holding his nauseous stomach.
“Izuku, you’re being dramatic. Get back in the car right now!” The alpha called out, but the curly hair male just shook his head. Izuku then heard Yo start to quickly come after him and before the omega could even think, his flight or fight defenses activated.
And he ran straight into someone’s backyard, fumbling his way through sharp bushes and trees, trying to lose the alpha. He breathed heavily through blinding tears as he tried to put distance between him and the other as his world started sinking.
“Izuku! Are you serious right now?!” Yo called out to him in disbelief when the bundle of green disappeared completely into the night.
“Izuku!”
✦✦✦
He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want me because I can’t give him the one thing he wants. The one thing I want too. I can’t even give it to myself—
Izuku thoughts were spiraling as we walked in Kami knows which direction from wherever he was.
Turns out, he didn’t think too much when he launched himself out of the moving vehicle—not that most people who do that are actually using their common sense.
The omega had not only left his phone in the car, but his wallet and that stupid charm that had mocked him as well. He didn’t exactly know where he was at but truthfully, he didn’t care. All he could see were vision of the family he thought was getting with the Shindos fade away like a like an already distant memory.
Too busy drowning in himself, Izuku didn’t pay attention to the familiar orange sports car that drove past him quickly. He only noticed it when the vehicle came to a loud stop at the end of the road and slowly began to back up. He squinted hard when he looked at the license plate and saw the word ‘Blasty’ written across it.
The window rolled down and it was exactly who Izuku knew it’s be. That telltale earthy smoky scent filled his nostrils and Izuku picked up on the small hint of caramel that always came along with the male.
“Deku?” Katsuki’s raspy voice echoed out and immediately Izuku cursed his luck. This was shaping up to be a fairly unfortunate birthday. “What are you doing by yourself? Where’s Yo?”
At the mention of his now ex-boyfriend’s name, Izuku resisted crying on cue. He didn’t want to think about Yo anymore and he wasn’t about to cry in front of Kacchan on his 25th birthday.
“Hey, Kacchan,” he said sweetly, trying to cover up. He scratched behind his head and gave a very kind smile that he’s so used to flashing. “I’m just taking a walk! I wanted to see the sunset.”
The blond looked at him rather unconvinced as he started driving the car slowly alongside Izuku’s steady walking. Red eyes looked him up and down thoughtfully, eyeing his dirtied birthday sash.
“You, uh, got a twig and shit in your birds’ nest of a hairdo,” Katsuki pointed out, making Izuku pause. He reached up in his hair quickly to feel around and lo and behold, there was a twig and several leaves just sitting in his thick locks. He sighed at how ridiculous he probably looked right now.
“Heh, didn’t notice!” He awkwardly laughed. “I had, er, dropped something in a bush a while ago. I must’ve not noticed.”
The blond cocked his head and clicked his tongue.
“You’re hella far from your apartment right now. Are you really going to walk all the way back?”
“Yeah, I need to get the steps in,” Izuku waved off trying to get the blond to leave. “I’ll be fine! You can go about your night.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Deku.” Katsuki sighed, red eyes boring into him. Izuku always did hate how well Katsuki always saw through any lie he told. “What’s wrong? Where’s that asshole, Yo?”
Case and point—how did he always do that? Pick up on the little things that were off in his life. It made Izuku start to get flustered because all he wanted was a moment of silence to grieve the vision of a family that he’ll never have.
“Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted some peace.” He replied back softly, looking away from the childhood friend.
“C’mon, Deku. Let me drive you home—”
“—Look, I just want to be alone right now, Katsuki,” Izuku snapped before he could control himself and Katsuki's sports car halted completely.
“The fuck? Did you just call me Katsuki?” The alpha harshly hissed and aggressively put the car in park. Izuku whirled around when the intense smell of smoke filled his senses. Angry red eyes were looking at him fed up. “Get your short ass in the damn car right now. Either you're drunk or something is completely wrong.”
“Kacchan, what did I just say? I’m fine—”
“—and I said get in the car,” the blond bit back, glaring at him.
The freckled hero glanced around at all the small identical looking houses and stretch of apartments. When he realized he honestly had no clue where he was, Izuku sighed heavily. He might as well take the ride back.
“Fine,” he mumbled, ignoring the concerned look that landed on the alpha’s face.
✦✦✦
Izuku kept the details sparse. He just said that him and Yo had gotten into a small disagreement on the way back and that he needed to take a breather. He was relieved when the blond alpha didn’t pry deep, but there was a clear sour smell in the car emitting from Katsuki to learn that Izuku had been left alone on his birthday.
When they finally arrived at his shared apartment with Yo downtown, the blond put the car in park and glanced up to the seventh floor where they lived.
“Light are on it seems like,” the deep voice grumbled. Izuku nodded. Anxiety prickled at his skin when he realized he was going to have to have that talk more in depth.
The omega turned to thank the other for driving him back but as soon as he opened his mouth, he was surprised to see Katsuki reach in the back seat and pull out a small green box.
Izuku frowned confused. “Kacchan?”
“Before you go—I uh, wanted to give you something,” the alpha muttered under his breath without looking at him. “I was going to give it to you when we just got back to work on Monday but here. Happy birthday, nerd.”
The box was thrusted in his hands ungracefully in only a way Katsuki knew how to be. He smiled at his friend before opening up the green treasure. He was expecting it to be similar to what Kirishima or Denki had given him, something silly like a gag gift. Or even something small and useful like Todoroki and Tenya had given him, like a stapler or cuff links.
But he wasn’t expecting to open up the box and see a silver-plated necklace with the symbols for ‘peace’ in kanji sitting neatly on a small round charm.
He blinked a couple of times at it. He hesitantly reached in and held the metallic item in his hand and then stared wide at Katsuki who was still not looking at him.
“Wow,” he finally whispered, and slowly amber colored eyes glanced up at him nervously. “What made you think of this?” Izuku asked curiously as he studied it.
It was thoughtful. Like truly thoughtful. He had been striving to be the symbol of peace since graduating and every day the media was trying to tear him down because he was an omega. The world was post old laws and stigmas, but certain beliefs still maintained through social norms, and a pro hero omega was still something everyone was adjusting to.
But to see an actual, literally, symbol of peace handed to him by Kacchan of all people made his heart warm.
Maybe this day isn’t all bad.
“I figured it was appropriate,” The blond grumbled and rubbed his neck. “You’re the future symbol of peace and shit and I know things have been hard recently with the influx of villains and dumb ass reporter. Thought you’d need some motivation every now and then. Now you have it on you whenever.”
Izuku traced the silver symbol in his hand before whispering, “thank you. This means a lot.”
“It’s no problem, nerd.” The alpha smirked at him and Izuku felt himself slightly subdued in his anxieties. “Now go get some sleep. I’ll see you Monday?”
The freckled omega nodded as he carefully placed back the new necklace in the green box it came in.
“Yeah, I’ll see you Monday, Kacchan.”
They exchanged smiles and as Izuku walked into his apartment full of steady building dread, red eyes lingered behind him thoughtfully.
✦✦✦
“Watch out!” Katsuki screamed at him and in a near instance it was almost too late.
The explosive pro hero used his quirk to launch himself in the direction of where a distracted Izuku was standing and knocked back the villain that was just about to strike the green haired man from behind.
The blast from the explosion pushed Izuku to fall backwards and a loud quake rumbled the ground.
Shit.
Izuku cursed to himself when he realized he was, once again, distracted on the job.
Katsuki furiously spun around to face him and it was no surprise to see a beyond irritated look enveloping the alpha’s face.
“What the fuck, Deku?!” He all but screamed. “Keep sharp! That fucker as a quirk like mine! That would’ve put you out!”
Izuku stood up fast and nodded his head in complete understanding. “Sorry! I’m so sorry—”
“—What’s been up with you these last two months?!” Katsuki continued to hiss. “You’re way too distracted. You have to stay fucking focused; we don’t know how many people are still in the building.”
“I’ll go inside now and see if there’s any more civilians trapped.”
“Okay, quickly! Fucking go!” Katsuki yelled when the villain he knocked down groaned and quickly started to attack again with fire in his palms.
This time Izuku used his shoot style to dash out of the way and run inside the architecture that was quickly collapsing.
He heard and felt the muffled quake of another one of Katsuki’s explosions that canceled out the powerful villain as he entered inside the dark apartment complex.
It had officially been two months since Yo left him and Izuku was admittedly off his game. Trying to adjust to not sharing a space with someone was an all-time first for him. He went from living with his mother, to the packed UA dorms to finally shacked up with Yo.
Now he felt the loneliness trickle in his chest cavity unwillingly. He wished his mother was still around and then maybe he would go stay with her.
But that was no longer an option and he knew that.
On top of that it didn’t help any when he heard from Ochaco that she saw the handsome dark haired alpha out with some girl.
He had moved on quicker than Izuku ever thought was possible and it was increasingly awkward at their agency. Seeing his ex everyday look so unbothered made Izuku realize how ahead in falling out of love Yo was. He had fallen out of love while they were together while Izuku lagged behind.
That thought alone made him distracted as he would sometimes absently touch his stomach, reminded of all the things he wanted most in this world.
Katsuki had noticed and started picking up behind him when they were sent on missions together, much like the one they were on now.
But Izuku just felt so guilty because while Katsuki had grown nicer over the years with age, his patience was still very thin when it came to certain things.
Like Izuku not dodging an attack he should’ve with ease.
He shook his head quickly as he paced himself up the crumbling stairs.
Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about Yo of all people. He had to focus. Focus on saving and winning—
The sharp cry of a woman echoed out and Izuku sprang into action. He activated his quirk to quickly ran up the stairs to kick down the locked door where the cry came.
When the wooden door gave underneath his strength, Izuku was met with a strange scene that would haunt him for years to come.
He looked around at the strange purplish dark mist that was clouding the room completely confused before he noticed a tall, dark slender figure standing there in the dark alone.
The man looked over his shoulder, jet black hair and eyes sharp and shot directly at him.
The villain cracked a smile like he was amused.
“Well, the symbol of peace finally showed up,” the deep voice chuckled. “I have been waiting on you for such a long time.” The man turned around fully in the black mist and it confused Izuku when the man looked like a completely regular person. He was wearing all black, but he looked...normal.
“Who are you?” He asked, posed ready in an offensive stance ready to strike. He kept hearing the muffled coughs of a woman echo out into the dark. He kept his eyes ready to save the woman.
“I’m what you desire most,” the man curled a smile at him. “Or at least I can be. I always wanted to know what the symbol of peace wanted most in this world. A lot of people would kill to know what your weak point is.”
Izuku frowned when the mist started growing thicker and the man was engulfed in the darkness completely. A loud crash of thunder and the worried cry of the woman occurred at once making Izuku out his hands up to cover his face.
He squinted in the darkened room that was now thick with a smoggy smell. His green eyes searched around rapidly for both the woman and the villain—but when the man emerged Izuku felt his stomach twist sickly.
W-What is this?!
“Oh,” the deep voice called that didn’t match his new image. “This isn’t what I was expecting at all.”
Standing there like a dark mirror, was exactly what Izuku wanted the most. Only it looked twisted. The villain started laughing as his form fully shifted into darker Izuku holding a baby in his arms.
“A child?” The dark mirror of himself spat. “Is that really what you want the most in the world? I guess an omega is truly an omega, isn’t that right?”
The mirror image started to squeeze the fake baby in his hands and Izuku’s breathing caught in his throat when a burning smoggy smell emitted from the mist.
“I have to say this just makes me more interested in you, Izuku.” The dark green hair reflection said with a crude smile. “I think a change of plans are in order.”
Before Izuku could assess what that meant, the wind in the small room picked up speed like a raging tornado. The vicious air threw the pro hero into the wall with a loud thud, knocking his head. Pain blossomed in his spine and before he could blink the black mist spun around, shaking the weak building harshly.
The black smog left out from the room through a window quicker than he could think. But when it cleared, Izuku was relieved to finally identify where the coughing woman was located.
He regained his balance, trying to ignore the haunting image that just appeared and disappeared in his life quicker than he could process.
He rushed over to the corner where a weakened woman was clutching a bundle of white blankets tightly to her chest.
Her red eyes looked up at him and her face was ghostly pale. Acting quickly Izuku bent down and lifted up the woman when the building began to quake again, he dashed out before it could collapse.
The blinding sunlight hit his eyes the moment he escaped outside and all the pro heroes watched as the entire building give in on itself.
“What the fuck was that?” He heard Katsuki harshly whisper when suddenly all the villains in the attack suddenly began to retreat like they had finally gotten what they wanted.
What it was, no one had any real clue.
But Izuku remained silent as he carefully placed down the woman that was in his arms to the ground to assess her injuries. He watched full of dread as the dark haired woman slowly started to go limp and the life quickly left out her eyes.
He didn’t save her in time.
Her gasp on the small bundle of blankets loosened and it made Izuku punch the ground.
If only he hadn’t been so goddamn distracted—
The blond haired alpha noticed the anger coming off the youngest in waves and made his way over to the omega that had his head down. He looked at the hunch in the freckled man’s shoulders and watched as Izuku ripped off his head gear in frustration.
“Deku—”
“—Don’t,” Izuku quickly cut him off before he could even start. He raised a hand to emphasis the full stop. “Not right now Kacchan.”
The blond sighed and looked at the omega with careful eyes before turning around and leaving him to peace.
“I’m going to go check with Kirishima how the damage is on the other side of the distract,” he called and Izuku gave a weak thumbs up.
As soon as the alpha was out of sight, the omega ran a shaky hand through his hair and looked down at the woman.
A flash of the dark mirror image of himself crept up in his mind.
The way the darkened Izuku had smiled worried him. What type of quirk was that? It panicked him even more when the villain had just left without explaining what the change of plans even was.
But right when he was about to dive in deeper to these thoughts the small cry of a baby echoed out into the wrecked scene.
The omega’s body stiffened completely as he looked down at the bundle of blankets only to realize it wasn’t just a cluster of cloth.
He reached up a hesitant hand to turn over the tiny ball in the woman’s arms to reveal curly black hair and red eyes looking up at him.
✦✦✦
He did what he was trained to do. He finished damage control with the rest of the heroes at his agency and then followed procedure to bring the orphaned child over to the hospital.
He rocked the softly crying baby back and forth in his arms, trying to soothe the distress that was on the child as the kind woman handed him over paperwork.
“It’s always sad when these things happen,” she sighed as Izuku started filling out the various forms.
“It is,” he nodded in agreement, keeping his eyes on the paper in front of him. “But she’ll get adopted in no time I’m sure, she’s a cutie.”
When he pulled the baby in his arms back, he smiled down at the chubby face that smiled back at him.
His heart twisted and a bright grin twitched onto his face.
“Not always,” the woman said with a sad expression. Izuku paused signing the sheets and looked up at her.
“Not always?”
“Sometimes these kids that are orphaned from villain attacks rarely get adopted. You know the whole stigma against adoption and people wanting biological kids.”
Izuku’s mind instantly flashed to Yo. He was one of those. He started to think sourly about the man but then he felt tiny hands grapple at his uniform. A soft whine escape past the pup’s lips.
“But it’s so nice of you to come in yourself, Deku! You’re such a great hero,” she gave an adoring expression.
Izuku opened his mouth to say something but his body started to feel frozen the harder the tiny hands of the baby gripped onto him.
He didn’t know what made him do what he did, but when his green eyes flickered down to the dark haired pup in his arms, wrapped so carefully now dirtied sheets, his inner omega whined.
“I can take her if you want,” the woman offered holding out her arms, but Izuku’s body was stone.
He tried to lift his arms to do just what she said—but he couldn’t.
He glanced between her and the baby in his arms wearily several times.
“C-Can you give me a moment?” He asked the woman. He put down the pen like it was on fire and the kind woman just nodded.
He twirled around and stared down at the bundle in his arms. The pro hero felt his lonely heart squeeze him until he lifted a finger and brush a dark curl out of the baby’s face.
“Hey there,” he whispered to the pup and like a magnet, the tiny hand wrapped around his finger perfectly. Beautiful laughter echoed as the baby started giggling and reaching up for him.
Izuku smiled for the first time in nearly three months.