A/N: This week's art is by Amaura1406 , the very first piece of fan art that took me this long to post I'm sorryyy xD ( ੭⌯᷄௰⌯᷅ ू'l|) Take this long chapter as my apology lol (ﾉ)'ω'(ヾ)
Enjoy~!
Now that Izuku had a half-month break, he wasn't about to waste a single day doing nothing. A few days later, he took Katsumi out again for another expedition of fun. This time, his plan for today was to spoil the pup with clothes and toys. Except, he hadn't received his paycheck yet, so he still had to use Kacchan's Infinity and Beyond Limitless Black Diamond credit card.
Just as they were about to head out the door, Iida worriedly called out to them, "Midoriya-san, do you want to wait for Master Bakugou to come back from work before going out together?"
The bespectacled butler couldn't just stand there and watch anymore, prompting the Omega with good intentions. Izuku awkwardly scratched his head. "Ah... it's fine, he's so busy right now. I don't want to bother him. We'll be fine on our own!"
After all, he had picked a time to go out when Kacchan wasn't around on purpose. There was no way he was going to wait for the Alpha to come back from work first!
"Then, please allow them to follow you. This is all according to Master Bakugou's instructions, we cannot take Young Master Katsumi's safety lightly."
The Beta gestured at three tall bodyguards wearing black suits and sunglasses nearby. It wasn't an unreasonable request, and Izuku had no reason to turn it down, so he could only agree and set out with them in a tow. This way, he didn't need to rely on Neito to carry all their bags and purchases.
Still, why did he have a feeling that Kacchan had made arrangements like this on purpose...?
(?・・)ゞ゛
While they were window-shopping, Izuku discovered a newly opened children's clothing store. The flashy banner had caught his eye, and the adorable display of garments peaked his interest. Seeing all of those cute and trendy clothing on sale, he switched to his shopping mania mode and eagerly brought his honeybun inside to start exploring.
"Honey, this'll look good on you! Go try it on!"
Katsumi nodded and obediently carried the chosen outfit to the fitting room. As Izuku waited with bated breath for the pup to change his clothes, casually looking through more racks, he noticed two familiar figures passing by outside the store.
It was Itsuki and Shouto, his sister holding onto the Alpha's arm as they strolled and chatted together.
"Wow, this store is so cute!" she chirped excitedly, entranced by the style, "Shouto-nii, shall we go inside and take a look? Sumiko-chan's son's birthday is next month, so why don't we buy him a jacket as a gift?"
"Mm," Shouto answered passively.
"Have you seen her pup? He's so sweet and chubby, so adorable! Shouto-nii, if we have a pup in the future, do you think he'll be as cute?" Itsuki asked coyly, fluttering her eyelashes.
"I wouldn't doubt it," he said. It was obvious that the Alpha wasn't in a good mood as he responded robotically to her questions.
"Shouto-nii, are you still mad at me?" Itsuki looked like she was at a loss.
She bit her lip, already tearing up, "I've already apologized publicly on Hooter, and you heard Yarra's explanation for yourself. As for that phone call... it was because Shouto-nii wouldn't talk to me after seeing that press conference, and after you left... I had too much to drink. I desperately searched everywhere for you, worried and scared, and when Izuku-nii called... I lost it. I didn't know what I said, but I was really drunk and I really do regret it—"
"Zuzu..."
As Itsuki was struggling to defend herself, he suddenly said her brother's name. She followed his line of sight, and to her surprise saw Izuku standing next to a clothes rack right across from them. What perfect timing.
"Izuku-nii..." With tears at ready in her eyes, she ran over to the Omega to hold his hand, sobbing loudly, "Izuku-nii, finally! I wanted to apologize in person so badly, but you didn't pick up my phone calls or respond to any of my texts, and I don't know where you've been these past few days...
"When everyone was asking me about this before, I did say I didn't believe that you did all that, and then it turned out to be a misunderstanding, I just knew that you wouldn't do anything like that! Now that the truth has come out, in the end you were still hurt by it. I was a victim too, but no matter what this incident was all because of me and I pulled you into it."
She sniffled, hiccups punctuating her words, "So I'm sorry, Izuku-nii, I'm-I'm really sorry! You ca-can hit me, scream at me, d-do whatever you wa-want, as long as you st-stop being angry w-with me!"
Itsuki's passionate speech sounded sincere, with a natural and unforced feeling with each word, with the bonus of making it sound like Izuku was being unreasonable and searching for excuses to bully her.
This time, Izuku didn't say anything. He only threw a resigned and exhausted look in Shouto's direction.
His accusing 'I told you so' eyes made Shouto feel incredibly guilty. He hurriedly intervened and tugged his girlfriend away from her brother. "Itsuki-chan, calm down a little."
She didn't notice the little exchange between them, her ever-lasting tears blurring her vision. "Shouto-nii, help me talk to Izuku-nii. You know best how much I've hurt and blamed myself these last few days. All I've ever wa-wanted was to see him and apologize... I-I really hope he will forgive me! O-otherwise... I can't... really..."
Looking at the woman crying pitifully in his arms, the Alpha finally relented. In an apologetic tone, he said, "Zuzu, I'm sorry. Itsuki-chan's been going through a rough time from all this. She's been blaming herself again..."
As soon as Itsuki heard this, her mouth curved up into a smug smile. While she wept woefully on the outside, internally she was secretly waiting for Izuku to explode. Every time she asked plaintively for forgiveness her brother would refuse to give in, say every nasty thing possible, and make Shouto disappointed in him. No doubt that it would definitely be the same this time...
"Ah..." Izuku sighed, rubbing his temples. This song and dance again. He took a long moment to gather his thoughts, before finally saying, "You know what, Itsuki? I saw your apology and received it. Since it was a misunderstanding, then let's forget about it and leave the past in the past. I forgive you."
"What—" Itsuki's face changed instantly, full of disbelief. She was so shocked that she stopped crying. "...What did you say?"
"Really?!" On the other hand, Shouto was full of relief. He looked at her with an elated smile. "Itsuki-chan, isn't that great?"
She couldn't say a single word, her face frozen in a hideous shade of liver as she struggled to process this unexpected turn of events. What was she supposed to say to that?!
On the other side, the door of the dressing room opened, and Katsumi stepped out in the clothes he had tried on. He looked utterly adorable in the red jumper the Omega had picked out. A hint of warmth flickered over Izuku's fake mask of politeness. He immediately walked over to pick up the pup with a smile, and then said to the salesgirl, "I want all the clothes he just tried on, and he'll wear this one out."
"Understood, I'll ring them up for you right away!" she responded with a wide smile.
Izuku politely inclined his head towards Shouto as a farewell, then with Katsumi in his arms, walked out of the store. Behind them, a bodyguard settled the bill, picked up all the shopping bags, and followed after them. Itsuki was struck dumb at this scene, then perked up with sudden realization:
"Eh? Is what Sumiko and Wakana said true? Last time they told me that they saw Izuku-nii buying children's clothing at the mall, but I didn't believe it! Isuku-nii, he... don't tell me that he really did become a mistress of an old rich Alpha, and even gave him a pup..."
It was a shame that her brother left so quickly. She hadn't been able to see the child's face clearly, and wasn't fast enough to secretly take pictures as evidence...
"Itsuki! Stop talking nonsense!" When Shouto heard her musings, he interrupted her right away with a solemn expression, looking in the direction of Izuku's speedy departure. "I've seen that pup before. Zuzu told me that he's just the son of a friend!"
She hurriedly backtracked, "Shouto-nii, I'm just saying if it is even possible for Izuku-nii to be so kind to him if he is only a son of a friend? Look, he has a bodyguard following them, and he paid with a black card. Normally, that sort of family should be well-off and be able to hire nannies and bodyguards, so why would he need to help take care of a pup?"
A hint of struggle and hesitation appeared on Shouto's face. He looked like he was about to agree with her, but then he seemed to remember something, and said in a determined voice, "Itsuki, in my heart, Izuku is my brother. If you insult him, you insult me. Don't let me hear such words again! Other people may doubt him, but as his family we can't, understand?"
Itsuki didn't expect that Shouto's attitude towards Izuku would change so drastically after what happened this time. Damn it! What kind of spell did Izuku cast on him in the hospital that night? Shouto suddenly had so much faith in him, even turning a deaf ear to her words...
"I'm sorry, Shouto-nii, I know I'm wrong, I won't do it again!" Itsuki gritted her teeth as she reluctantly apologized.
It seemed like the incident this time had awakened the guilt inside the Alpha, and he wouldn't doubt Izuku so easily anymore. But so what, even if he wouldn't believe what other people had to say, she still had to find an opportunity to make him see it with his own eyes. Then they'd see whether or not Shouto still wouldn't believe it!
She still had cards to play, and it was only a matter of time until she found another weak point of her brother's to exploit. His relationship with Monoma Neito was fishy to begin with, and now there was even a pup in the mix. Things were getting more and more interesting!
For now, Itsuki would have to temporarily have to endure it during this period, and wait for Shouto's resolve to weaken before she could do anything else...
(╬ Ò ‸ Ó)
On the ground floor of the mall with all their bags of purchases, Izuku was ready to take Katsumi home. Except, there was something missing. The greenette was confused. "Um, where's our car?"
It couldn't have been stolen, right? No, that wasn't possible, since the driver had been left in the car to wait for them...
Behind him, the bodyguard replied calmly, "Our car has already left because the Boss called to say that he would come pick us up after work."
"Eh?" Izuku said dumbly when he heard the explanation, then hurriedly continued, "Then I guess we could go by ourselves. I think I can call us a taxi from here. What if Kacchan is delayed by something or has to work overtime—"
Before he finished speaking, a United States Smash Plus Ultra: Limited Edition pulled up smoothly by the curb. The window of the backseat rolled down slowly, and a familiar face appeared. Kacchan asked, "Finished shopping?"
Izuku's expression was stiff as he nodded his head. In the past few days, he had been getting up late and sleeping in early to avoid running into Kacchan, so even though they lived under the same roof, he hadn't seen the Alpha in two whole days.
"So you're going home?"
"Er, yes!" He opened the car door and helped Katsumi into the car. Then he opened the door of the front passenger seat, preparing to sit shotgun. However, before he could do so, the bodyguard behind him stopped him. "I'm sorry, Midoriya-san, but the passenger seat isn't safe, so allow me to sit here. It's better for you to sit at the back."
"Oh, okay..." Izuku opened the back car door again, and got in. Even though Katsumi was sitting between them, the Omega did his best to stay on his side of the car. Kacchan's attitude was the same as usual. With a laptop balanced on his knees, he was busy typing away rapidly on his keyboard. Seeing this, Izuku breathed a little sigh of relief. That was good.
However, ten minutes later, the ash-blond seemed to have finished his work. He set the computer down into his briefcase, settled a drowsy Katsumi on his lap, and then naturally turned in the greenette's direction. His familiar warm aura suddenly crossed between the safe distance, making the hair on Izuku's body stand on end. He subconsciously pressed his whole body against the door again, his face almost becoming one with the window...
"Izuku?" Kacchan's voice sounded in his ears.
"Mm? What is it?" Izuku turned his head slowly to look at him.
His voice was dark with amusement. "Are you hiding from me?"
"Ah... ahahaha! H-How... how is that possible? Why would I need to hide from you?" Izuku laughed uneasily, his mind scrambling for an excuse, "It's just that... those clouds! Just look at that sunset! All of those colors are incredibly gorgeous... I'm just looking at the view... just the view, ehehe..." After saying that, he turned back around with a whoosh.
But at that moment, he didn't know what the driver was doing, for the vehicle suddenly made a sharp turn, causing the Omega's body to fall back towards Kacchan. Bakugou frowned, and stretched out an arm to wrap around Izuku's shoulders. Once he was stable, he didn't take his arm back.
"Sorry about that, Bakubro, a car swerved into the lane ahead of us just now!" Kirishima reported, his voice apologetic.
"Just be careful next time."
"Roger that!" Kirishima responded cheerfully. It looks like the red-head was getting a pay raise when they got back.
Izuku said nothing, feeling incredulous. Was it his imagination, or was everyone, from the butler to the bodyguard to the second-in-command, helping Bakugou Katsuki out?
( ؕؔʘ̥̥̥̥ ه ؔؕʘ̥̥̥̥ )?
Upon returning home, Izuku continued to use dieting as an excuse for missing dinner, and at the first chance he got was used to escape into his room. He was starting to feel thankful for all those times he overindulged himself with food. With his and Katsumi's weight skyrocketing these days, it gave him such a good excuse to avoid the Alpha!
A short time later, there was a knock on his door. Luckily, from the sound of footsteps, it wasn't Kacchan. Izuku had just finished showering, and was drying his hair with a towel as he went over to open the door. Bobbi was waiting outside with a tray of food in her hands.
Seeing how refreshed Izuku looked as he answered the door, she was clearly stunned. The Omega in front of her had a certain charm that captivated her. Right after a shower, his scent was especially pure and soothing, transporting her into a forest of greenery. No wonder Master Bakugou liked him so much...
She shook her head and came back to her senses, announcing cheerfully, "Midoriya-san, Master Bakugou had me bring you something to eat. Even though it's important to watch your weight, you shouldn't starve yourself. All of these are low in calories and fat, so eating them should be fine!"
"Okay, thank you Bobbi!" His nerves from earlier eased up from seeing the cute maid. Izuku noticed something different from this morning. "Eh? Bobbi, you changed your hairstyle! It's really cute, it suits you very well!"
"Thank you, Midoriya-san!" She blushed as she accepted the compliment. Fidgeting nervously for a moment, she suddenly blurted out, "You know, Midoriya-san? You're a really nice person! In fact, just between you and me, I think you and Master Bakugou are especially compatible together! It would be wonderful if you two were closer to each other, otherwise if some other scheming omega joined the family, we would definitely be miserable!"
"Um..." All Izuku could do was give her an awkward smile as he accepted the tray of snacks. Please cut him some slack! Why was even the maid starting to help Kacchan?
(*′□')ゞ
Later on, Bobbi knocked on his door again to take away the tray and delivered a glass of milk.
When there was a knock at the door for the third time, Izuku was leaning against the balcony railing as he blew-dry his hair. Thinking it was Bobbi again, he directly said to come in. It was only when the footsteps grew closer did Izuku feel that something wasn't right. He turned around, and as expected, he saw Kacchan's face within reach.
"Kacchan..." Izuku subconsciously tightened his grip on the railing, "Did you need something?"
The Alpha remained silent, vermilion eyes watching him steadily. The Omega in front of him was wearing All Might themed pajamas; what should be covered was covered completely. After a blow-dry, his viridian hair was still a little damp, curls gently tousled by the night wind. His cheeks were still flushed from the steam of his shower, and alert emeralds flashed with a hint of surprise and wariness...
As Izuku's skin prickled from being stared at, Bakugou finally spoke: "Izuku..."
"Yes?"
"I missed you."
"Urk-!" He instantly choked, thinking that he misheard Kacchan. "Um, wha-?"
Bakugou took one step forward, placed an arm around his waist, drew Izuku gently to him, and then enfolded him into an embrace. At the same time, his other arm came up around the Omega, and in an extremely exhausted and yearning gesture, he leaned down to softly bury his head into the crook of Izuku's neck...
"It's been so long since I last saw you..."
Helpless, Izuku was rendered speechless, his thoughts racing in a panic: AAAAAAAAAAH! What was this situation?! It had been only two days, okay? But, argh, that wasn't the point! The main point was, Kacchan had just said that he missed him?
This... this wasn't how things were supposed to turn out!
He was definitely hallucinating, right? Right?! He had to be!
Izuku's brain struggled to come up with a reason to justify Kacchan's actions. It was as if his mind had been infected by a virus, throwing the standard coding into wild disarray. Once he finally came back to his senses, his first reaction was to push the Alpha away, his heartbeat skittering.
But then Kacchan tightened his arms, and his low voice in Izuku's ears sounded a little pitiful: "Don't move. Just let me hold you for a minute..."
...How was Izuku supposed to respond to this request? Damn it, what the hell was Bakugou Katsuki playing at?!
Izuku had been carefully avoiding the ash blond these past two days, and had been mindful enough not to stir him up. But now the Alpha's scent was everywhere, enveloping them into a single bubble. Why was he suddenly acting up like this...?
Ten seconds passed... Thirty seconds passed... One minute passed... Three minutes passed...
...It was supposed to be only one minute! Too untrustworthy!
Just as Izuku was about to break free using force, Kacchan finally released him, murmuring, "Sorry, I forgot myself."
Slowly, Izuku backed away, carefully putting some distance between them. He swallowed and forced himself to smile, "Uh, ehehe, it's fine, don't worry about it..."
Seriously, that almost scared him into a heart attack, and he thought he could pass it off with just a 'forgot myself'? Fuck that!
What made him even more miserable was that he couldn't say 'no' to that face!
Seeing that confused yet sullen look on the Omega's face, there was an imperceptible flash of amusement in ruby eyes. "Don't stay up too late. Good night."
"G-Good night to you too..."
Good night his ass, he didn't need to sleep tonight!
\( #'⌂')/┌┛
Izuku ended up tossing and turning the whole night. He couldn't fall asleep until early the next morning, but even then that was only a few short-lived hours of sleep. When he woke up much later, for some reason the greenette had a feeling he didn't want to go downstairs right away. Not daring to get up yet, he spent some time on his phone reading Hooter posts.
Once he couldn't bear the suspense any longer, he quietly called the maid to check. "Bobbi, has Kacchan gone to work yet?"
"No, not yet! But I think Master Bakugou is very busy. His phone hasn't stopped ringing ever since he got up and came downstairs. Kirishima-san has also come over in a hurry, and it seems that he asked Master Bakugou when they would be heading out..."
"And then?"
"And Master Bakugou still hasn't left! He's been downstairs all this time! I don't know what he's waiting for..." She sounded anxious.
It looked like Izuku couldn't avoid him any longer!
He took several deep breaths, carefully adjusted his mindset, put on an impenetrable mask, and headed downstairs with a calm, natural expression. He saw Kacchan sitting leisurely on the sofa, Kirishima standing next to him with a stack of documents in his hands and looking extremely worried but not daring to urge him to hurry.
Izuku stretched his arms as he walked down the stairs, yawning. Once he 'noticed' Kacchan, he deliberately showed an astonished expression. "Ehh? Kacchan, it's already so late, why haven't you gone to work yet?"
When the Alpha heard his voice, he raised his eyes to look at Izuku with a indulgent expression. Those deep crimson eyes reminded Izuku of those red ropes from his dreams, warmly and gently twining around him, cutting off any protest dying at his lips.
"I was waiting for you," he said matter-of-factly.
Izuku at a loss for words. Why was he suddenly unable to speak properly with Kacchan?
While the Omega had a foolish look on his face, the ash blond stood up and walked towards him. Instinctive reflexes screamed at him to retreat, but as if they held some intangible power, those eyes held him place, Izuku couldn't bring himself to move. In seconds, Kacchan was already standing in front of him. He softly stoked the greenette's curls.
"If I don't wait for you now, then I'll be unable to see you for the whole day again."
Izuku's spirit fled, leaving a lifeless body behind.
"I'm going to work." Saying that, Kacchan leaned forward to kiss his forehead.
Izuku was officially dead. There was no saving him.
>* ))))><
Long after Kacchan had left, Izuku remained rooted to the same spot, his fingers subconsciously touching his forehead where the Alpha had kissed him. He could still feel it there with a burning sensation...
Even though it was just a kiss on his forehead, and although he had secretly kissed the ash-blond before, it was still the first kiss that had happened when they were both sober. At this moment, Izuku finally understood... Kacchan had definitely figured out his strategy early on, so he had switched tactics!
If they had continued pretending that everything was normal like before, then that would have been fine. But if Kacchan didn't hold back anymore, giving into his desires, what more could he do?
Fuck! It was over! Izuku really couldn't win against him!
If he was pushed to the point where he had to lay all his cards on the table, then there could only be one outcome, and they might have to part on bad terms, or worse...
As Izuku freaked out inside his head, he suddenly felt his shirt being tugged. Looking down, he saw Katsumi, who was tilting his little head up to look at him. He noticed the pup holding a watercolor painting in his hands and asked in surprise, "Baby, did you finish drawing already?"
Katsumi nodded shyly, then stared expectantly at him as he handed it over.
Izuku's plans for the near future were all centered around accompanying the pup. He had already arranged the itinerary yesterday; today he would show Katsumi how to fly a kite, and to make things more exciting, they would make it by hand together. After seeing clearly what Katsumi had painted, Izuku was amazed.
"This, you painted..."
Big, puffy whitle clouds floated lazily in a vast boundless sky of blue. There were three figures sitting on the clouds. Katsumi's artstyle was still rather abstract, but just from the details and characteristics, Izuku could still recognize the people in the painting at a glance: they were himself, Kacchan, and Katsumi.
The pup was not fond of his father; whenever he drew people, it was only ever of the greenette or the both of them together. He had never drawn the Alpha before. But now, this was the first time that Katsumi had painted Kacchan...
It took Izuku by surprise, but he quickly recovered. He took Katsumi's hand and led him outside, humming cheerfully, "Let's go! We'll use your drawing to make our kite! I think Hatsume-san should have the rest of the supplies for the kite frame ready for us by now."
Katsumi nodded, but for some reason he seemed a little disappointed...
(.﹒︣︿﹒︣.)
After spending the whole day kite flying with Katsumi, Izuku rolled up his sleeves and personally cooked that night. He had taken Katsumi out to eat the last two days, then returned very late at night, hiding away in his room. Now that it was obvious that his ploy had failed, he didn't need to continue with it.
Just as he finished cooking, Kaminari came over running after following the scent like a dog, wagging his imaginary tail. "Woah, oh—these are all my favorites, brother-in-law—urk-!" He coughed a few times awkwardly, "Uh, I mean, I've been waiting for you to cook again, Midoriya!"
Speechless, Izuku looked askance at him. This guy, did he slip just now and called him 'brother-in-law'?
"Go and tell Kacchan that dinner's ready."
"Oh, oh, okay!" Kaminari rushed off in a hurry, his heart filled with anxiety. He had accidentally blabbed it just now, which made him break into a cold sweat, but unexpectedly Midoriya didn't react to it? Did he not hear him clearly?
At the table, the more the Beta looked between the Alpha and Omega, with his observations and keen senses, the more he felt that there was something off about them. Something was wrong, definitely wrong...
He gnawed on his chopsticks, then drew closer to his cousin's ear to whisper, "Bakubro, did you do something to Midoriya? Why does he look so scared of you? He doesn't even dare to look at you!"
"I didn't do anything," Bakugou answered nonchalantly. There wasn't the slightest hint of guilt in his expression.
"Is it just me then? No, that can't be it..." Baffled, Denki scratched his head before stuffing his face with chicken.
At last, the meal ended like that.
Izuku felt that sitting through this meal was more difficult than fighting a war—he had to be on guard every second. As soon as he finished eating, he immediately stood up and started clearing the table. "I'll wash the dishes!"
Kaminari finished his last bite of rice, and hurriedly tried to stop him, "No, let me do it!"
"It's fine, it's fine, I'll do it!"
Izuku scrambled to pick up the empty plates and bowls; if he didn't find something to do, he was going to go crazy.
The Beta looked apprehensively at the Alpha next to him, and ventured, "But how could we let you wash the dishes after you worked so hard to make them! Uh, you know what, I ate the most, so of course I should be the one to wash the dishes!"
Saying that, he shot an eager look at Bakugou, like he was waiting for a reward. However, Bakugou gazed back at him indifferently and said, "Let him do it."
"Eh..." Kaminari was stunned. Did the sun rise in the west today?
This mate-protecting maniac was letting Izuku wash the dishes? No matter how hard Denki thought about it, he was still confused. It didn't make any sense!
Bakugou clarified: "You're our guest, after all."
"What?!" Stupefied, Kaminari pointed at himself with his finger, "I'm the guest?!?!"
In other words, his cousin was saying that he and Midoriya were family? Since when did the Beta become the guest here?
On the side, Izuku blushed, an alluring shade of red rising up on his cheeks. He covered his face with his arms, and with the expression of someone ready to die of embarrassment, quickly ran upstairs to flee the scene...
Katsumi watched him abruptly run away with a lost expression on his face. He didn't know what was wrong with the greenette, but he could tell that it was his father who had done something to him, so he gave the Alpha an unhappy glare, then followed behind Izuku on his short legs.
Denki was caught off guard by the way Bakugou had brutally cleared the room. Looking dumbly at Izuku's fleeing back, he said helplessly, "Dude, this is what you call 'nothing'? Your teasing even sent a tough omega like Midoriya running away like the wind, alright?"
He tsked and shook his head, "I knew there was nothing wrong with my sixth sense! What are you trying to pull off this time? Everyday, I'm trying my best not to sell you out, but then you go and lose yourself to your instincts! Argh, whatever the case is, at least tell me about it so then I'll know how to coordinate with you-!"
Kaminari ranted for a long while, and once he paused to breathe, Bakugou cut in with three words: "Go wash dishes."
Then he turned to walk upstairs with cool aplomb. The Beta watched him go, feeling dumbfounded. So he had only been used by his cousin to show off their affection? Where was the humanity? Where was the justice? Where were the familial bonds?
He had been tortured to the point of almost losing his sanity, and in the end he still needed to wash the dishes?!
(●o≧д≦)o
The night was quiet and peaceful, but Izuku was lying in bed with his eyes wide open. It had already been a few hours, and yet his heart was still beating unusually fast, threatening to break out of his chest. What the hell!
He had already experienced and seen so much of the world, but just with one sentence from that Alpha, he was already panicking this much. His traitorous heart kept racing, jackrabbiting all over the place, just like a naive teenager who was completely inexperienced in love. He almost couldn't dare to imagine what the future would be like...
No, no, he couldn't continue like this! Izuku scrunched up his face in dismay, hugged his knees to his chest, and rolled around on the bed. This was just like waiting and asking to be killed!
Once the clock struck midnight, Izuku rolled out of bed and dove into his closet, searching for something...
A pair of black shorts caught his eye, and Izuku smiled as he pulled them out, deciding to pair them with a dark blue tank top. Next were the thigh-high boots, with dangerously high heels. Then he proceeded to accessorize himself with various forms of silver chains and jewelry, wrapped around his arms. As a final touch, he put on smokey makeup that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him in.
Just like how Cinderella's infamous, glamourous dress turned into rags after midnight, Izuku turned himself into a hussy and was going to to hit up a nightclub in order to provoke Lord Explosion Murder's disgust. These past two days, Kacchan had been very busy, so he should still be awake at this time, right?
Izuku took a peek outside the balcony and looked in the direction of the study. As he expected, the lights were still on, so he ran over and knocked on the door decisively. Hmph, he needed to do his best to blind the Alpha!
Knocking three times on the door, there came the sound of steady footsteps, and then it opened. Bakugou blinked, after clearly seeing who it was outside the door, stared blankly. "What... is this?"
"Kacchan, I'm going out drinking with some friends, so I'm just dropping by to let you know!" Izuku said energetically, eagerly waiting for the ash-blond's reaction.
The Alpha's surprise lasted for a moment, then he nodded to show that he understood, as if he didn't see anything wrong with the way the Omega had chosen to dress himself up. "Alright, have fun."
As he said this, he even added on calmly, "Do you need the driver to send you?"
"Uh..." Izuku was disappointed. "No, it's fine. I'll just take my motorbike..."
He took a deep breath to pull himself together, and just as he was about to leave, Kacchan suddenly blocked his way. That startled him, putting himself on high alert. What did he want now?
The greenette took an instinctive step back, but still couldn't avoid the hand reaching out to him... only to lightly trace his freckles.
All of the hair on his body stood up, and Izuku immediately jerked back, looking up at the ash blond as if he were a pervert. The corners of the Alpha's mouth twitched, and he pointed to where he had meant to interject: "Your freckles."
"What about them?" Izuku's mind was already in a mess, and at this point he could hardly understand Kacchan's logic at all. He had them everywhere. Why bring up his freckles so randomly?
"People might not recognize you yet, but your freckles stand out. You should cover them up."
He stood two steps away from him and argued weakly, "But they're just freckles; surely no one will care about a detail like that..."
"It wouldn't hurt to be careful."
"Okay, whatever you say is reasonable, so later I'll pick up a mask to cover them!"
"Good."
After having that discussion, Izuku finally hopped on his motorbike and left the Bakugou residence, feeling disoriented. What was it that even though this round had just started, he had a feeling that he was going to lose it miserably?
No, no, no, stay clear-headed, he had to break this obsession with Lord Explosion Murder!
.°(ಗдಗ。)°.
Inside an unknown bar, Izuku ordered a bottle of wine at the counter. Enjoying this rare moment to himself, he sat down to pour himself a glass. The dance floor was filled with people dancing and grinding to the beat, but the greenette wasn't the least bit interested as he stared indifferently at his drink.
He already had enough of the club scene back when he lived overseas. No matter how wild or exciting it was to other people, to him it was no different or entertaining than a rehearsed pantomime. After he had one bottle, Izuku ordered another one.
Alcohol didn't relax him; on the contrary, it only made him twitchy...
Just as he was halfway through his second round, an Alpha walked over with a glass of wine in his hand. Seemingly intrigued by Izuku, he asked, "Sweetheart, are you alone?"
He looked thirty-something in age. He was immaculately dressed, like some elite, and had a flashy appearance. Other Alphas had noticed Izuku while he was polishing off his first bottle of wine, but in this getup, the Omega looked like an old hand at this scene, and the average Joe didn't dare to make a reckless move.
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku looked at the Alpha's ring finger on his left hand. Even though he wasn't wearing a wedding ring, the skin color around that area was obviously lighter. It was clear as day to see that he took it off to pick up Omegas.
"So what if I am?" Izuku answered lazily, one hand supporting his head. Hooded emeralds looked up underneath dark lashes, blinking slowly as they narrowed onto the newcomer's body, dragging them from head to toe and back up again, making sure to bite his lip in a suggestive manner.
The Alpha's spiking scent signaled his interest. "May I join you?"
"Sure." Izuku smiled lightly, an obvious suggestion lurking in his eyes. The elite was almost unable to conceal his pleasure at this lucky chance. Grinning widely, he took a seat next to Izuku, opening up with a cliche pick-up line: "Bad night?"
Izuku sighed with a trace of annoyance, "Yup, it was an ugly breakup!"
"Who would break up with a beauty like you?" The elite had an astonished expression on his face, already prepared to offer, "What kind of Alpha doesn't know how to cherish what he has?"
"I dumped him." Izuku said dreamily, swirling the wine in his hand.
"Uh-" The Alpha coughed awkwardly, "...Then he must have upset you somehow!"
"That's right!" Izuku declared indignantly, sipping his drink. Setting the glass down, he looked at his company, a preculant pout on his wine-stained lips, "You know what, listen to this! I just came around to pick up Alphas to fool around with every now and then, and when he found out, he made such a big deal out of it!
"It was never anything serious, but he just kept crying and crying and it annoyed me so much!" Expectant emeralds drilled themselves into the Alpha, daring him to disagree, "Isn't that so ridiculous?"
"Er..." The elite finally couldn't say a word. Why did he find these lines so familiar?
It was just like how he had been grumbling to his colleagues earlier about how his wife kept nagging him to come home early when he spent the nights out to relax. But he was so taken by this Omega's every gesture, as if he had been bewitched by those enchanting eyes, that the possibility he could be taken for a ride didn't even occur to him.
After a few drinks, the two of them walked out of the bar together. The eager Alpha couldn't wait any longer. "Where to? Trivago or Ceasar's Salad Palace?"
"Heh, why bother with hotels? Here's just as good!" Izuku grinned cheekily as he dragged the elite into a small side alley.
The Alpha panted with excitement, and pressed the greenette into the wall, "Mm, you're right... here's more exciting..."
While the two of them were talking, they failed to notice that a couple of feet away from them, a United States Smash Plus Ultra: Limited Edition was parked there like a ghost. Inside the vehicle, no matter how calm Bakugou appeared to be, there was a strong oppressive atmosphere raging through the air.
Sitting next to him in the front passenger seat, Kaminari was regretting his life choices so much that he almost threw up.
The Beta had a niggling feeling that something was going to happen tonight, so he stayed up late to wait. As he suspected, he happened to look out his window just in time to see Izuku and Bakugou leaving the house at different times, so he had decisively tagged along with his cousin. But never in a million years would he have expected something this problematic would happen!
Kaminari couldn't stand the ash blond's horrifying face any longer, so terrifying that just the sight of it could stop a pup from crying.
Within the shadows of the alley, the Alpha's hand was creeping up on Izuku's waist. His cousin's endurance should be near breaking levels by now. Kaminari could tell that Bakugou's patience was barely hanging on by a single strand of hair. He croaked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go save him!"
Bakugou growled, "Wait."
"It's already getting this far!" Denki panicked as the elite lowered his head, "What's the point of waiting anymore? You're going to explode if you don't do anything! Midoriya has admittedly restrained himself these last two years, but he has a history of being wild. Learning to be good isn't easy, but it's too easy to revert back to bad habits after all—"
"Shut up or die."
Just as Kaminari couldn't take it anymore and closed his eyes, an anguished howl of pain rang out into the night.
"Huh? Wait, what's going on...?"
Confused, he opened his eyes to see Izuku holding the Alpha in a headlock, as the elite covered his crotch and screamed like a pig being slaughtered. The Omega immediately delivered another harsh kick, knocking the man to the ground like a domino. Trembling, the elite tried to get up when Izuku stepped on his back, the point of his heel digging in sharply. His jaw hit the cement hard, blood dripping out of his mouth as he continued to shriek.
Kaminari instantly went back to cowering into his seat, covering his eyes with his hands and wincing in sympathy as he listened to the Alpha's wailing. "Aye, brother-in-law is too brutal, ow, ow, ow..."
Izuku's technique was perfect, his every movement natural and fluid, as if it were all well-ingrained within him...
Once he was satisfied with his work, he left one foot planted on the Alpha's back, digging in the heel a little deeper and relishing the groan he received. Good, he was still conscious. Resting one arm on his knee, he looked down at his unlucky victim with a sneer. The seductive genie from earlier had metamorphosed into a frightening gangster.
"Give me your phone!"
The elite had been beaten black and blue until he couldn't tell up from down. He didn't have any strength left to fight back, and after hearing Izuku's demand, he hastily pleaded, "I-it's in my pocket! My wallet too, there's a ring inside my wallet, everything is yours! Please spare my life, Superman!"
How was he supposed to know that he would get robbed while out looking for a hookup! And the thief was a knockout too! From his skills and murderous aura, he could tell that the Omega was a professional! He didn't know who would have a vendetta against him to hire a hitman, but all he could do was beg for his life.
Izuku didn't care if the scumbag was misunderstanding the situation. Taking out a slim knife, he neatly ripped open the pocket and swiped the phone, then waved it in front of the Alpha. "Put your hand out, unlock it for me!"
"Eh... unlock it? What do you want to do?" the elite asked warily.
The greenette slapped him across the face for his insolence. How dare he question his actions. "I told you to unlock it, so do as I say! Stop wasting my time. What, you don't believe that I won't cut off your knot?"
The threatening shine of the knife and maniacal glint in those crazed emeralds scared him shitless. "I'll unlock it, unlocking it! Right now!"
Scrolling through the Alpha's contacts, Izuku found his wife's number in his contacts and facetimed her. Soon enough, a woman's face appeared on the screen. He could tell that her foundation wasn't bad, but perhaps it was because she stayed at home doing housework and neglected her skincare, for she looked sallow like wax. It was a typical housewife's face, the type that egotists detested.
"Who... who are you?"
The woman's expression changed when she saw Izuku's face, but then she continued in an extremely exhausted voice, "I don't care who you are, from now on he can love whoever he wants or be with whoever he wants; I'm ready to divorce him, and I don't want any money from him. Whatever he does after this has nothing to do with me anymore, so leave me alone!"
"Che, you're going to let him off so easily?" Hearing her exhausted tone, Izuku shook his head in disappointment. "Oneesan, you're too kind!"
She hadn't expected his unconventional attitude, and she couldn't help but stare blankly at him for a good long moment before asking uncertainly, "What... what do you mean?"
The corners of Izuku's lips ticked up, and he pointed the phone's camera lens at the bastard he had just beaten up, lying helplessly underneath his boot. He smirked, "See that?"
Once she had a clear view of the pitiful Alpha on her phone, the woman was completely dumbfounded. "Y-you... the two of you... what is this?"
With a knowing look on his face, Izuku sniggered, "So? Does that feel good?"
The woman finally recovered her senses, and even though she didn't understand what was going on, she continued to look at the pathetic sight. Eventually, she answered subconsciously, "Yes!"
After admitting it herself, her lips twisted with a trace of bitterness. Not so long ago, if her husband had gotten even the smallest of scratches, she would've worried herself to death. But now, seeing him cut such a sorry figure, she was unexpectedly pleased and satisfied by the result.
"Hehe, that's great!" Izuku giggled triumphantly, "I didn't have any other reason to call you, just that instead of being happy alone, it's better to be happy together, which is why I wanted to show this to you! Now everyone can be happy together!"
Listening to his pleased laughter, the woman was still in a daze, and didn't know how to respond to this bizarre situation. As for the lowlife under Izuku's boot, that pig's face was all twisted up in humiliation. He hadn't expected that this Omega would insult him not only physically, but also mentally, and even going as far as to show off to his wife, who had always admired him, this shameful state he was in.
This bastard didn't want sex, money or valuables. Then why the hell was this Omega messing with him?!
He was extremely unlucky to bump into him, but little did he know, the worst still had yet come...
Izuku suddenly thought of something, and then patted himself on the head in approval. He proceeded to tell the woman on the phone, "Ah, that's right, later I'll send you a recording of him and his cronies talking, it'll prove that he's having an affair! Why the fuck wouldn't you want money out of the divorce? Did you lose your mind worrying about trash like this? Get what you deserve after wasting your best years on him, and not a single yen less! Understand?"
"Yes... yes, I understand!" She nodded, realization dawning upon her face.
He nodded back in approval at her epiphany, then said with an intense expression, "Yup, that's right! That's exactly how it should be. With money, you can look for any guy you want. Even if you end up with another jerk, in any case you can still keep a harem of studs and boy toys! And if they don't listen to you anymore, then you can just kick them to the curb anytime!"
Izuku cackled gleefully, "Wouldn't that be nice!"
Everyone present at the scene was completely rendered speechless. Kaminari's jaw dropped, feeling thunder-struck; for some reason, he actually thought that the greenette's words were reasonable...
The woman at the other end of the line was still bewildered by his actions, and cautiously ventured, "Um, thank you! But, uh, who... who on earth are you? Why are you helping me? Have we met somewhere before?"
Izuku beamed happily, "No need to thank me. You can just call me Deku, the bad superman!"
Saying this he ended the call, sent her the recording on his phone, disposed of the phone in a nearby dumpster, kicked the unconscious elite aside, then turned and left the alley.
Peeping from the window, Kaminari's jaw was still gaping open, wide enough to catch flies. He still had goosebumps from the chills. "Holy shit, that was intense! What he did to Propert was nothing compared to this!"
Bakugou wasn't in the mood to deal with an enthralled Beta. He knitted his eyebrows together in exhaustion, his forehead beading with sweat from the strain. It hadn't been easy for him to hold himself back. There was a distinct impression of him having just survived a disaster.
Denki looked at his cousin admiringly. "Seriously, I can't believe my eyes. Thankfully you managed to endure, otherwise we would've missed such a great show!"
Speaking of which, he added on, "By the way, I remember that I was only able to get a list of the names of the people Midoriya had dated back then. But without a doubt, they were all good-for-nothings. Furthermore, it was always him who dumped them in the end. If you take Neito into account, and the fact that he always tries to change the subject whenever we talk about their dating past...
"I wonder if the reason he dated all those trashy Alphas was just like what he did tonight. Entice them, lure them in, then deliver justice and protect hearts for the sake of love..." Kaminari sounded like he had just made a big discovery, but Bakugou's expression showed that he wasn't the slightest bit impressed with the observation. He didn't believe that Izuku was that type of person.
And even if he had been, it didn't matter to him.
(๑ˇεˇ๑)•*¨*•.¸¸♪
"Man, it feels good to be alone sometimes
God I gotta say those are my favorite nights
When no one's around, and I'm still speaking my mind
Man, it feels good to be alone sometimes
I'm not alone cause I wanna be alone
It's just the way it went down
It didn't hurt as much at first
But I can't believe how much it's killing me now
You can lie lie lie
You can lie to me
I don't care I'm not losing sleep
If it don't bother you
It sure as hell don't bother me."
Izuku hummed absent-mindedly to himself as he rode his motorbike. He felt refreshed, so refreshed after beating up the Alpha. As expected, torturing scumbags really was the best way to destress!
He glanced at the time on his watch. It was four in the morning, still too early. He needed to wait until at least six o'clock before he returned. That way, he could coincidentally bump into Kacchan in the living room... And so, he made a turn and headed west.
Half an hour later, Izuku arrived at a river bank. After he parked his motorbike off the road, he took a seat on the soft grass. The cool breeze felt especially nice on his face, sobering him up after his fun.
But that wasn't the only reason why he chose to come here. There was another good point about this location, which was... it had lots of mosquitos!
He laid back down on the grass, staring up at the starry sky and chanting:
"Mosquito, mosquito,
Fresh blood is here, bite me
Bite me as my senses tell me
It's mealtime, come bite me..."
The area was too spacious and empty, and there was nowhere they could hide the car, so they had to park further away. Luckily, Kaminari still had one of the mini drones left over from his last spy mission. It had infrared vision, so it could film at night. At the moment, it was flying above Izuku's head.
"Hehehe, see Bakubro, I told you it would come in handy!" The Beta was so pleased with himself, he patted himself on the back. On the car monitor, Izuku was starfished out on the grass under the dark sky, murmuring repeatedly under his breath, "Mosquitos come bite me..."
"Is he drunk? Coming all the way out here just to feed the mosquitos?" Kaminari was stupefied.
Bakugou didn't say anything, as if he didn't think it was strange at all, with all of his attention fixed firmly on the Omega on the screen. After a long while, he unbuckled his seatbelt and headed outside...
Izuku relaxed as the alcohol finally sunk in. He closed his eyes, feeling dizzy. In his drunken haze, he distantly processed the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind, and the buzz of mosquitos gradually disappeared. His body, cold from the night air, was suddenly covered with warmth...
The moment that familiar scent wrapped itself around him, the last bit of consciousness he had been holding onto faded away like smoke. Because Izuku had been on his own, he didn't dare to allow himself to become completely drunk. He didn't know when it happened himself, but there was unexpectedly someone in front of him whom he could be safely drunk with.
Bakugou covered Izuku with his coat and chased the mosquitos away. Then he lay next to him, placing his arm underneath Izuku's head as a pillow, so that the grass wouldn't prick his skin. The Omega clung to his clothes, sound asleep. Even though the heavy makeup he was wearing, the Alpha could still see the child-like innocence on his relaxed face. Kacchan couldn't help but want to dote on him...
(人-ω-)｡o.ﾟ｡*･♡Good Night♡･*｡ﾟo｡(-ω-人)
By the time Izuku woke up, the horizon was already fish-belly white. He checked the time again and saw that it was five-thirty in the morning. He had only taken a nap, but had actually slept for so long?
Stretching out his arms, Izuku looked at himself and realized, unexpectedly he hadn't gotten that many bites at all. Even so, there was just enough he could use for his plan. He thought that since he had slept for so long, he definitely would've gotten at least a couple hundred bites. But if that really was the case, then it would've been too fake anyway.
What was also strange was that even though it was late autumn and he was next to the river, after waking up from his sleep, his body still felt fine. He wasn't the slightest bit cold at all...
Was it because of the alcohol?
Half an hour later, Izuku returned to the Bakugou residence. It had just turned six o'clock. In the living room, as usual the Alpha was drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
So far, so good.
"Kacchan, morning!" Izuku entered the house and greeted him cheerfully.
"Morning. You're back." Bakugou lowered his newspaper to look at him.
Izuku was secretly observing his reaction, but then it soon became apparent that it was too difficult to observe anything on a face that gave nothing away. But he wasn't about to give up that easily, so he sat on the sofa directly opposite from the ash blond and deliberately touched his neck, lightly tracing the bites.
There was no way he wouldn't see it from this close, right?
As he expected, Kacchan's wandering eyes traveled over his neck and landed right on those incriminating red splotches on his bare skin. Then he furrowed his brows together even more heavily, seemingly displeased.
Hook, line, and sinker.
Izuku pretended that he didn't notice, and yawned loudly, "Huaah, I'm so tired, so sleepy..."
There was a moment of silence, then Kacchan asked, "Why do you have all those mosquito bites?"
"Urk-!" Izuku almost choked to death on his own saliva.
Are you freaking kidding me?!
I dressed myself like this, tell you that I'm going out to a nightclub, and come back very early the next morning. As a normal, hot-blooded Alpha, shouldn't you assume right away that they're hickeys?!
What bitten by mosquitos? Izuku had gone to a bar! A bar full of Alphas and Betas! Drinking all his worries, partying his heart out and dancing the night away—so maybe he hadn't done any of that, but still. How could it be possible for him to be bitten by this many mosquitos inside a bar!?
Lord Explosion Murder, where is your high IQ and logic?
But Izuku couldn't give himself away and eagerly correct him by outright insisting that they were 'hickeys' either—that would be too weird...
Alas, his plan had failed. Now what was he going to do...?
Bakugou put down the newspaper and stood up, leaving the room for a moment. He came back with a small white bottle in his hands and slowly approached him. Izuku raised his head and eyed him warily. What was he doing?
"This should reduce the swelling." As he said this, he took the lid off, poured some cream onto his fingers, then started to apply it on to Izuku's neck. The instant the cool substance made contact with his skin, Izuku jumped up as if he had been electrocuted.
"Um... I-I can do it by myself!" He protested, waving his arms to block him off.
"Don't move. I almost dropped it," the Alpha admonished him sternly. His rough fingers were incomparably gentle as he spread the medication on his neck, collarbone, and what he could see of Izuku's arms. Because of the cream, the places where his fingers swiped felt cool, but under freckled skin, it was slowly burning up...
Once he was done, Bakugou finally stood back. "How is it?"
Izuku snapped out of his daze and cautiously tested the places where the mosquitoes had bitten him. Blinking in amazement, he said without thinking, "Wow! It doesn't itch anymore! What kind of medicine is this, it's super eff... effective..."
Right after he said it, the greenette immediately wanted to bite off his own tongue. He actually let it slip himself! Goddamnit! It looked like his premonition had really come true after all. He had ended up failing his mission in an utterly miserable defeat.
Izuku's head drooped pathetically like a discontent, disappointed pup, and muttered guiltily, "Kacchan... I went out drinking..."
"I'll keep it from Katsumi." Bakugou answered neutrally.
"And I went to a nightclub..."
"Mm, as long as you're careful."
"...I stayed out all night!" Izuku finally lost his patience, his frustration getting the better of him as he exclaimed, "Kacchan, aren't you angry at all?"
"Do you want me to be angry?" Bakugou said lightly, gazing at him with meaningful eyes.
Izuku goggled back in total disbelief. He actually managed to turn the tables back on him!
Katsuki reached out and removed a blade of grass from his hair, intoning quietly, "I've said this before, you can treat this place like your own and do whatever you want."
Saying this, he abruptly paused, then continued in a rush, "...I don't like it when you go out on your own late at night to places like bars or nightclubs, because it keeps me up when I don't know where you are. But, I'll stand by my words and respect your freedom."
With a poof, Izuku's heart was fatally struck by a cupid's arrow. Ugh, he couldn't fight this hopeless battle anymore...
The enemy was simply too powerful, just easily One. Sidedly. Crushing. Him!
~*~