~~~
Izuku was certain that he wasn't supposed to be here.
But he was, isolated minus one person: Iida.
Surely the boss would understand! Surely he'd know that Izuku wasn't at all flirting with or being flirted at by Iida!
Surely he would know that they're just hanging out.
It no longer reeked of ashes and spices, burning his nose and making his temples throb. In its place, there was now the strong and comforting scent of cocoa, though not quite strong enough to be bitter.
He wasn't doing a lot with Iida. He was seated on a cushioned chair beside Iida, who was laying on his blue-sheeted bed. The anxiety had physical effects on him, face marked with dark rings to show his lack of sleep, lines that were staring to crease into his forehead, swollen eyes for the tears he'd cried, and dishevelled hair. His breath smelt a little, though not bad enough for him to not have brushed for the past few weeks.
Todoroki showed no signs of being awake. Yaoyorozu, on the other hand, has slipped into consciousness some time in the middle of the night, only to go back to sleep. Todoroki also had been given a blood transfusion, though his rare blood type meant less blood was given than required. So it was no surprise that he wasn't yet awake.
Izuku was banned from giving any blood - that would leave him without blood as well, which will not run through the boss. Naturally, Omegas needed more blood than other secondary genders: another reason why they were seen as useless and inferior.
"Iida, d-do you want to t-try get some sleep?" Izuku asks softly, threading his fingers delicately through raven hair. Iida's eyes slowly flutter shut, only to snap back open. It had to be trauma, images of the Alpha he loved burned on the backs of his eyelids. He can't get it out of his head, constantly reminded of the time where he'd almost lost him.
"I can't," he whispers softly, and Izuku could only feel a flood of empathy and sorrow fill his brain. "What about you?"
It was true. Izuku didn't get much sleep either. Maybe because of his concern for Bakugo and others, or the fear from what he'd seen, or the common flashbacks he got to when he was on the streets, where death was around every corner. What was it called again? Survivor's guilt? He was an Omega, and he hated to see others being hurt or abused. Because, whilst he hated the way others treated him, he still secretly believed he was inferior, and death was supposed to come to him. Not to innocent Alphas, or new-born children, or the cold and hungry.
And suddenly, he was uncomfortable. Why was he here? How could he enjoy such luxuries here if others are still out the-
"Izuku?"
He snaps from his thoughts, a small gasp leaving from his lips as he realises what planet he was on. The crawling feelings of discomfort dissipates, and he can breathe a little better. Yet there was still a shadow looming over, a ghost of what was to come.
"I should," he replies, biting his cheek to ground his spiralling thoughts. But it hardly worked - not when so much was going through his brain. He wanted to go back when things were simple, and where he didn't know such loyalty like this had existed. At least then, he was less guilty for having any sorts of treasure, unlike how he is here. Even though he hated everyone here, a part of him still knew he was lucky. If a Beta or Alpha had been chosen, instead of him, then he'd probably be dead by now. Follow the same fate that Ochako had - having his body thrown into a sewage river, lost and pushed onto a bank to rot to nothing.
The thought springs a few tears in his eyes, and he swallows the lump away before a sob could form.
"Wh-Why do you trust Kacchan?" he next asks. It's all he's been asking lately, as if he's trying to convince himself that Bakugo is a good person. Or maybe he wants to know how brainwashed all Bakugo's advisors are. Maybe they just want to protect him out of fear, or out of loyalty for helping them, despite the other heinous acts he decided to overlook.
Iida releases a few gentle chuckles, his eyebrows pulling together and cheeks lifting, suddenly emitting a bit more light. The sight gives the Omega some relief, knowing that the Alpha wasn't completely defeated.
"You know, I still don't quite know how Bakugo had allowed you to use such a childish nickname!" His eyes squint slightly as he half-smiles. "Defeats the whole 'notorious murderer' visage he wanted to represent!" A glint of mischief hits his eye. "Did you know he wanted to nickname himself 'Lord Explosion Murderer' when he was in his later teens?"
Izuku guffaws, covering his mouth to block his laughter slightly. "Wh... WHY!" he barely chokes out, and Iida shakes his head, chuckling slightly himself. The fatigue in his voice was still legible.
He only speaks once the laughter simmers, both their chests huffing for air.
"I know good leaders when I see them. Bakugo has to be the most insufferable, annoying, aggressive, terrifying and dirty-mouthed Alpha I've ever encountered. But he's a leader. He listens to his advisors and values everyone to an appropriate degree. He makes smart decisions, and has a good amount of intellect. He could easily help in the intelligence section. And he was the first Alpha I know to bring Omegas from the streets. Anyone from the streets, in fact!"
"B-But what made you trust him i-in the first place?"
Iida's brows crease together in thought, but his answer comes out smoothly and surely. "I'm sure you're familiar of Endeavor. He was on a breeding spree to get the 'perfect' son. Even when having Shoto, he still treated him poorly. Hardly like a son. Essentially, he was a monster."
He shifts slightly, and the air feels a little thicker and humid.
"You ask me why I first trusted Bakugo?"
A pause. Izuku nods hesitantly.
"He was the only person ever to stand up to Endeavour."
~~~
It had been a month since the incident. Maybe a little more, but roughly a month.
The months were getting slightly colder. It wasn't abnormal, but that meant fireplaces and heaters needed to be used. Layers were no longer enough to fight away the cold.
There was a meeting called. A meeting for only important personnel. That, apparently, included Izuku.
He tries to find something appropriate or business-like to wear, as he could sense it was important. He also had a primal urge to get dressed into something nice. It was the first time seeing Kacchan in a while.
Tsu didn't come to see him in the morning. It did make sense, since he was going to a meeting. He finds a silk tunic that stopped at his hips, this time unnoticeably large for him. He wears some smart trousers, using a safety pin to let it snuggly fit on his skimpy waist, then throws on a formal beige coat.
He quickly heads downstairs, navigating his way to the main hall, tensing slightly when he hears foreign voices.
And a strong, alien scent.
A sharp scent, similar to barbeque.
He walks towards the meeting room with a new sense of caution. He feared that it was the attackers, and could smell a little more - acid and the nostalgic scent of cigars. He shudders.
"Are we gonna fucking start or what?" a gruff voice starts. "I've got other shit to do."
"I don't give a fuck!" another voice growls back, and Izuku could recognise its aggression. Kacchan was here.
The thought sets his heart off in a marathon.
"Take a fucking seat and wait!"
Izuku slowly edges into the room, looking from Iida, who offers him an uneasy smile, to Mina, Sero and Kirishima, all who mask their fear with stoic masks. No one else was there. He also takes a chance to look at Kacchan. In the dim light of the windowless room, he could see the slight rings under his eyes. His eyes were duller and his complexion was... paler. Did he eat anything over the past month?
He doesn't dare look at the other side of the room.
He sits beside Kacchan, who was dressed in a black suit and red tie with polished golden buttons and shoes. His pheromones were overpowering - worse than usual - and it took everything for Izuku to not whimper. He was scared, especially when he could smell that same hint of fear.
But it was better than the smell emitted from the other side of the room.
The strongest was by far the Alpha in the centre of the trio. A glance at his face and terror bolts through Izuku.
Shigaraki was here.
His bleached hair was barely tamed, unbuttons blazer and untucked shirt showing how little he cared about what was going on. Those blood-red eyes lethargically travel across the room, until they land on the Omega. Izuku could feel himself jump, his palms sweating against his pants. The slight curve on those crusty lips disappears.
"The fuck's an Omega doing he-"
"t's none of your fucking business!"
There was a woman beside him. She looked no older than an older teen, with sharpened canines and a chilling stare. Her eyes only remained fixed on Izuku, and the licking of her teeth only enhances Izuku's discomfort. The last, to Shigaraki's right, was a spiky-haired man with burn marks and patchwork all across his skin. His stare was an icy blue, though he only gave laziness and a lack of care. The top few buttons of his shirt were either missing or undone.
"Aight, wanna give me a reason why the fuck you shitty bastards decided to kidnap two of my advisors?"
Izuku's breath hitches. His hands grip to his pants a little harder.
"Simple, Bakugo," Shigaraki replies, "I wanted to get your attention!"
"For what," Bakugo sneers and, though Izuku flinches, Shigaraki does not. "You crossed the fucking boundary you better have a good re-"
"Woah woah settle down, Bakugo!" It was the man beside Shigaraki. "There's no need for-"
"No, Dabi, let him speak his mind. It must be hard for such a young Alpha!"
Bakugo growls menacingly.
"Ironic for you to speak of boundaries. I caught you crossing one of mine! No notice beforehand, so I figured - why not I do the same?"
The growling doesn't at all settle.
"And to gain your attention. Well...
"You decided to pull out of our deal."
Why is he here?
Why is Izuku invited to such a terrifying and intimidating meeting?
Why when literally anyone else could take his position?
He could be easily hurt here, if things get out of hand! Hell, he could've had breakfast and relaxed a little more. Maybe visit Todoroki or hand out with Tsu a little more. Maybe finished reading that book! Ma-
A warm hand holds his own.
He flinches only slightly.
No one notices.
It was a larger, warmer, rougher one, holding his hand with a gentle tenderness. It wraps around his thin fingers, stroking at the soft skin over his knuckles.
His cheeks heat up.
But his anxiety cools.
"I pulled out, because you're killing your own fucking people with it!"
"What I do with it is none of your business," Shigaraki growls back, and something serious settles in.
Izuku whimpers ever so slightly, and the hand gripping his own tightens a little more.
"It is, you fucking idiot! If your out there killing random extras for no goddamn reason, then I'm not giving shit to you!"
"So what? I can cross to your border now and do whatever the fuck I want! You're telling me you can take shit from my side, but I can't take shit from yours?"
Kirishima speaks, in a voice almost close to dominating.
"He's saying for you to get lost! If you can't be a half-decent leader, he won't have anything to do with you! Make your own damn weapons!"
"Oi can it! You're not the fucking leader, are you." Shigaraki hisses back.
Kirishima's lips press shut.
That maddened glare fixates onto Bakugo.
"You're gonna fucking regret your decision! We were fine before you decided to fuck it up! Tell you what, those two were just warnings! You have no idea what's coming your way."
Izuku shudders again, but Bakugo keeps his ground, watching daringly as the three get up, buttoning up their jackets and leaving with the chairs untucked. Before leaving, that same cold gaze bores into emerald eyes, and Izuku could feel himself choking on air.
"Nice Omega you have there!"
Another quiet whimper, and a protective growl.
The door slams shut.
~~~
Oof
Also, Shoto is blood type O and Endeavor is AB. Therefore Shoto isn't Endeavor's son (BIOLOGY B*TCH!!!)
Be potates!
~Spud🥔