Drowning in You

Izuku Spotted Him

Izuku had been slightly worried about moving into his college dorm and had spent enough time stressing over the unknown; especially regarding his new roommate. The 'unknown' had always been something that held the Omega back in life. College wasn't the time to be shy and reserved. It was the time to break down walls, shed his shell, and discover his true self. 

He was pleasantly surprised to discover that his roommate wasn't anything too terrible. Kirishima was loud and messy but was also kind and considerate. Living with the Alpha wasn't as bad as it could have been. Although, it had only been a week since school had begun and things still had time to fall apart. 

Izuku enjoyed his classes for the most part. Studying English literature wasn't necessarily the best career choice, but he loved it nonetheless. Perhaps it was another way to shield himself from real life. Books were familiar. Fantasy was predictable. The Omega's days normally consisted of classes, reading, and cleaning up Kirishima's mess in their too-small shared living space. The books were Izuku's favorite part.

The end of his school days were the only times Izuku had a chance to relax and breathe. He would normally wind up in the University's library, lost in the stacks and reserves while trying to find a new read; anything that would take his mind off his non-existent social life and treat his imagination to something more than reality could give him. 

His mother was worried and overprotective as usual, calling to check in almost every day during the first week of school, and couldn't blame her; Izuku had never been so far from home before. He doubted his decision to move away from home for school almost every day. He had nothing here. Today wound up being the same as the others. Classes had ended and Izuku was nose-deep into a new book while sitting on the floor of a secluded section of the library. The dust and the old-leather smells were comforting and reminded him of something familiar and almost like home. 

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"I can't find the stupid fucking section!" Katsuki's voice roared throughout the room. He was already sick and tired of the work-study program he had signed up for. All the complicated rules he had to follow made his head swim and he wasn't sure if he could keep it up for the entire year. The grumbling for him to stay silent from Kaminari, the other work-study, didn't make things any easier for him.

The smell of musty old books was driving him insane and the silence pounded against his ears. Katsuki knew a headache was forming, one he would go back to the dorms to drown as he guzzled club soda. He hated sweets, but bland water was worse. While his eyes scoured the numbers on the binder of the books before him, his tongue tingled in memory of carbonated water exploding in his mouth.

Katsuki huffed under his breath and threw the book on to the metal cart by his side. He just needed the little extra help to pay for his college tuition and he'd be damned if his parents shoved more money down his throat. He could become a Cybersecurity Analyst on his own without their constant support. Hell, the damn thing would pay for his entire degree in a matter of years, so a little debt wasn't too bad. What sucked were the number of credits he was needing just to finish up a single semester. Full-time Alpha stuck in stuffy classes full of irritating pheromones wasn't exactly on his to-do list of the things Katsuki found exciting.

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Reading was one of the world's best escapes, but Izuku didn't have too much he wanted to escape from. There wasn't anything too terribly wrong with his life. He was raised by a single mom and always had enough food to eat, clothes on his back, and a roof over his head. He was able to afford school with the help of scholarships, so his education was never in question. His future was relatively secure. Then why did it feel like something was always missing?