Archive of Our Own

Katsuki knows there’s something off with Todoroki.

He clocked the slowdown in Todoroki’s reflexes about a week ago. When he got the jump on him like it was nothing, hand on his neck, pushing him to the ground. Too easy.

It’s not normal.

The best part about sparring with Todoroki has always been his unbelievable reaction time. Katsuki’s addicted to the burst of adrenaline he gets whenever Todoroki jerks into place and grabs his wrist. Holds him back even when Katsuki’s palm is hot and smoking.

He likes the quick feints, smooth dodges, the way that bastard is in complete control of his body. Now that’s a challenge with some teeth.

Today though, there’s this weird sourness to his scent. It’s giving Katsuki a proximity headache.

He’s sweating a bit more, going a little twitchy sometimes when Katsuki brushes past him in the hallways.

Put together it’s all the obvious signs of an alpha who isn’t getting any.

Which is ridiculous, because Katsuki would have expected there to be no shortage of idiots ready to “help out” or whatever Todoroki needs.

Katsuki’s seen it before. Omegas like Kaminari and Ashido get approached. They get sweet-talked a little, maybe some courting gifts, or even just looking kinda pathetic and needy is something that seems to work for most alphas.

Todoroki though, there’s no way Todoroki hasn’t been propositioned outright.

Katsuki’s seen it happen. Omegas get that doe-eyed look, drag some dumbass alpha back to their nest, and Katsuki doesn’t ask what happens after that.

He’s not the kind of omega who offers. He’s not part of this stupid charade.

The class alphas are already taken care of. As far as he can tell.

Except, apparently, pretty boy over here. Which is just crazy on so many levels.

Katsuki doesn’t give a single fuck about alpha hierarchy and what’s going on with the alphas in their class. If there is an order though, Todoroki is clearly at the top of it. So it must take a special kind of stupid to have all that going on and still not find somebody to pop a knot in.

Todoroki’s all…soft and he looks like he’d be gentle about it too. He has that side to him, and Katsuki’s seen him move real slow when he pets the stray cats behind the main school building. Nice and careful.

So he’s strong as hell and he’s nice to boot. Don’t omegas supposedly love that shit?

Whatever.

“Oi,” he grabs Kaminari on their way out of class, and graciously allows the idiot to scent him for a full two seconds before he can finally say his thing. “Half and half smells like a fucking sad sack.”

It isn’t meant to be an accusation.

Kaminari backs off from nuzzling his neck, which always feels more ticklish than comforting, the way scenting is supposed to feel.

“Todoroki? Yeah, oh my god. I noticed. I asked if he wanted to…you know, but he really seemed to wanna just deal with it himself. He told me not to worry or anything?”

“He told you not to worry?”

“Yeah. He insisted.”

“Huh.”

Katsuki frowns.

So. Todoroki is even dumber than Katsuki thought.

*

The next move is pretty obvious. Katsuki takes one more day before he decides to pull the trigger.

There’s really nothing else for it. Short Circuit already asked, and he’s the most forward of all the omegas in the class. Nothing less subtle than a brick to the head is getting through to Todoroki.

It’s simple. There’s something he needs, and Katsuki has it. Because he’s an omega just as much as these other idiots. He’s got an immaculate nest, and he’s got a great body.

There’s no reason why he can’t make it happen.

It absolutely needs to happen. Because Todoroki’s scent is getting unbearable.

Whenever he gets within a few inches of Katsuki he keeps freezing and staring and it’s annoying. He smells like self-denial and he’s only going to be worth beating if he snaps out of it. Gets back to the top of his game.

In the morning Katsuki had him pinned on the floor mats in the gym. Clocked the way his own shifting weight felt overtop Todoroki as he let out these shallow breaths. Watched Todoroki’s flushed cheeks as he looked up at Katsuki. His damp bangs falling over his eyes.

Yeah.

Yeah, Katsuki could do it.

He rehearses his come-on line about four times in the elevator.

Then the moment he sees Todoroki he completely forgets it. He—he’s gotta improvise.

“Come to my room later,” he says, grabbing Todoroki by the upper arm. “You look like shit.”

Todoroki immediately reacts to that touch on his arm, turns in towards Katsuki so fast it’s almost like the old him. “That’s your assessment?”

“Yeah,” Katsuki says. “Driving me fucking insane.”

“Sorry,” Todoroki says.

“It’s whatever. Just…come.”

Katsuki withdraws from the bubble of space around him and Todoroki looks like he’s been punched.

Wow, does he need this bad.

“Who else is going to be there?” Todoroki asks.

“It’s not a fucking party.”

“Okay,” Todoroki says.

It seems like he’s mostly understood, so Katsuki walks away.

The next part—for Katsuki, is preparing his nest. Which is already pretty much perfect, honestly, exactly how Katsuki likes it. Except not ready for an alpha, for some reason.

He’s never had one up here.

He lets other omegas come, because that’s less weird. They don’t mess up the flow as much. He’s got the bed underneath, his grey quilted blanket, black quilted blanket.

Anything he took from the living room downstairs that remotely smells like another alpha has to go.

It’s offending him right now.

Then…there needs to be more space in the middle. Pillows on the side. Like a fort. Yeah. That’s better.

He’s not sure why that takes over an hour. But it does. Then he’s keenly aware that he said later like an idiot instead of giving a real time.

What if Todoroki shows up at fucking ten pm? When Katsuki wants to be sleeping already. Besides, he’s already—he keeps pacing, and it’s only 6 o’clock.

He resists the urge to adjust the bedding in the nest again. Then he hears the knock.

“Bakugou, it’s me.”

What a stupid greeting. Could be anyone. But Katsuki knows that low voice, likes how it sounds kinda hushed through the door. For some reason he’s more conscious of it now than ever, standing here in his nest.

He opens the door just a peek. “Get in here.”

Katsuki doesn’t wait, pulls Todoroki into the room by his shirt collar. It’s not his uniform shirt, but not pajamas either. House clothes.

His touch has that same instant effect on Todoroki, his eyes get all wide and he’s got this look. Like he wants—well, Katsuki already knew he wanted that.

“Bakugou, why—”

“I’m tired of your shit,” Katsuki gets it out there before he loses his nerve. “So you’ve got two options. Either you figure something out and stop fucking moping around everywhere, or you let me.”

“Let you…”

“Take care of it,” Katsuki says, because he can totally take care of it.

He will.

There’s a rumbling sound coming from Todoroki’s chest that Katsuki’s never heard before. Todoroki glances at the nest, back at Katsuki’s face, then wets his lips.

“I couldn’t let you do that...for me,” Todoroki says finally.

“Let me?” Katsuki shoves him back hard, right into the nest, so his back hits that black quilt in the center. “What the hell are you talking about, huh?”

There’s a pause. Todoroki takes another breath.

Katsuki leans in, overtop of him, crowding him into the nest. “Let’s get something straight, you dumbass fucking moron. I’m offering. ‘Cause your scent fucking sucks ass. It’s making me sick.”

He gets quieter towards that last bit, and he doesn’t even know why. It’s just—his body catches up faster than his mind, that they’re in his nest together. The place he built. He put a lot of thought in. Like he does with everything.

“Bakugou,” Todoroki says softly, almost like a plea.

His voice though, it’s…raw in the closed space between them. Real. The sound of Katsuki’s name in his mouth sinks low and warm in Katsuki’s stomach.

“Don’t make it weird,” Katsuki whispers back. “It’s—it’s fucking instinct.”

Katsuki’s omega doesn’t like the continued sense of rejection. He’s almost—he thinks about calling the whole thing off—before he sees the way Todoroki full-body relaxes against the quilt that smells like Katsuki, like a weight’s finally been cut loose. Lying there like a cat in the sun.

“Okay,” Todoroki says. “Okay. Please.”

Good. Great. Finally.

Katsuki gets up again. Lets Todoroki stay on his bed.

“Scoot back,” he orders.

Todoroki does, until he’s as far back as he can get in Katsuki’s nest. All the way.

“What are we going to do?” Todoroki asks, and he actually brushes his face against one of Katsuki’s tank tops, right at the back of the nest.

He seems like he’s scent-drunk on Katsuki already. Or at least halfway there, all floaty.

“I’m gonna sit on your dick.”

It helps him to say it. Because he’s conscious of Todoroki looking at him.

He needs to not look away, to keep acting like he’s calling the shots here. Like he’s got it under control. It’s fucking hard to do that though, with Todoroki in his nest, rubbing himself all over Katsuki’s private things.

He drops his sweatpants first, and then he’s way too conscious of his bare legs. Black panties. Todoroki’s still looking.

Katsuki’s always secretly liked how intense Todoroki looks sometimes, because it means his attention is completely accounted for. And he’ll hit at full form. It’s just…a lot, to get that same level of focused attention when he’s about to show this guy his bare pussy.

“The fuck are you waiting for…an invitation?” Katsuki demands. “Take your goddamn pants off.”

He’s not getting ass naked while Todoroki’s still—still way too perfect pretty boy for this.

Todoroki hastily follows, like he’s eager to do whatever Katsuki wants. Which is good. This is his fucking nest. It’s his fucking show.

He’s not sure what he was expecting as far as Todoroki’s underwear. But the most nondescript black boxers imaginable makes…a lot of sense.

Then Todoroki starts tugging those down too, and Katsuki can’t help but come a bit closer again, stepping out of his panties as he does, rubbing his legs together for some friction as he gets into the nest.

“Don’t get shy on me,” Katsuki says.

He notices Todoroki glancing between his legs. Whatever inner peace rubbing against Katsuki’s blankets seems to have given him slips a bit, and instead of saying something decently horny, he smiles, sort of shy.

“Wow,” Todoroki says, and it’s so sincere—Todoroki’s eyes are fucking shining—Katsuki’s stomach does a flip.

His face feels so hot. “Shut up.”

He watches Todoroki pull his boxers down to his thighs, his dick slips free with a kind of…bounce. “Oh.”

Todoroki looks at him, and he makes this ridiculous gesture with his hands that Katsuki takes to mean…well, here it is. It’s fucking massive. Thick, but not too short either—that’ll go in nice and deep. Because god forbid Todoroki not reach absolute physical perfection in every way, at every thing.

It’s okay though. Katsuki still has this. He’s not a fucking quitter. And if he can get it…then all that, all that’ll be for him.

He slips a hand between his legs, and Todoroki watches.

“Are you…?” Todoroki asks.

“Yeah.”

As if that thing is going to go in without him being good and wet.

“Can I touch myself too?” Todoroki gestures to his own dick.

“You don’t need my permission to touch yourself.”

“Okay,” Todoroki says.

Then it registers to Katsuki that what he’s been looking at so far is Todoroki’s dick when it’s soft.

It should freak him out or something. But it—the…challenge, maybe, makes the back of Katsuki’s neck all warm. He hasn’t had anything up there besides his fingers.

When he touches himself and breathes in, Todoroki watches all intent, and his scent gets to Katsuki immediately, stronger now. Like he can’t wait.

Being watched like this feels good. Like there’s nothing else in the world Todoroki even cares about.

Then there’s also…him watching Todoroki stroke himself. It’s an absentminded thing, Todoroki’s more focused on watching Katsuki than he is on touching himself. But it doesn’t seem to take much, and Katsuki isn’t sure if that’s him, or if Todoroki always gets hard that easy.

“Bakugou,” Todoroki says. “Do you want me to be on top?”

Katsuki doesn’t know. Scrambles to think of what he’d prefer.

“I’m on top,” Katsuki says. “You don’t get to—you don’t know what you’re doing. I’m—I’m just gonna sit. That should be enough.”

That’s what it said, in the stupid ebook Katsuki downloaded about how to do this. Alphas and Ourselves. Penetration should be enough to calm the main instinct. They don’t…they don’t actually have to fuck.

Going and lining himself up over Todoroki is fucking hard.

Mostly because he doesn’t know where he should put his hands until Todoroki quietly says. “You can use my shoulders.”

His shoulders. Yeah.

Katsuki’s heart is beating so fucking fast. He takes another breath in of Todoroki’s scent to steady himself. It’s only been getting stronger since they started. There’s a depth to it, a richness. That was always there though.

There’s a lick of heat to it now.

“Can I touch your hips?” Todoroki asks.

“...yeah.”

He adjusts Katsuki a little, over his dick. The head is the biggest, that’s what it looked like. Katsuki’s never even seen an alpha cock before he saw Todoroki’s. But the tip slips between his soft folds for a moment, not quite inside. Katsuki gulps.

With all the training he’s done, it’s pretty easy to hold himself up. There’s a bit of a stretch as he pushes himself down to take the head of Todoroki’s dick into his cunt. Not pain…but not really comfortable.

Fuck. Is he even doing this right?

How does…fucking Kami does it all the time.

“Okay?” Todoroki asks.

“Yeah, I got it.”

He relaxes, his hands pushing against Todoroki’s shoulders. Then the head pops in deeper, and this time it’s smooth. There’s a pressure at the front of him that feels kinda nice. Then he slides down, feeling Todoroki’s firm thickness, as he takes him all the way in.

Todoroki’s been weirdly quiet.

His hands are still ever so gently holding Katsuki’s hips. Then Todoroki sighs, and his whole face changes like he’s gone to a higher dimension. He lies there, eyes closed, limbs loose. His dick twitches inside Katsuki.

There we go. Yes. Fuck. All the way.

“Twenty minutes?” Katsuki asks, trying not to sound so wrecked.

All he’s doing is just sitting on Todoroki’s stupid dick. He’s not even like…riding him or anything. It shouldn’t feel like so much. So fucking full.

“Okay,” Todoroki says. “That’s good.”

“Good.”

So Katsuki sits there, Todoroki’s dick still inside, and they got what they came for so he grabs his phone from under the pillow.

“Are you…checking LINE messages?” Todoroki asks.

“Problem?” Katsuki asks.

“No,” Todoroki says, he nestles back against the nest. “No, I don’t find that a problem.”

It would be way too intimate, probably, to just lie down on him like this. Against his chest. Which is what Katsuki kinda wants to do? Instinctively.

He also wants to bounce. Todoroki’s dick is nice and thick, and the fullness feels really fucking good. He can imagine how good it would feel if they had a bit of friction.

Or he could just…touch himself. Play with his clit while Todoroki keeps him nice and full inside. Todoroki would probably do it himself, to return the favor. Katsuki could show him.

He’s good at showing people how to do things.

This—this isn’t that though. Katsuki’s just doing the omega thing. The others do it. So whatever. He can do it too.

They’re only here because Todoroki is a basket case who needed an intervention.

Shit. The nest is probably gonna smell like Todoroki for days.

When he thinks about it though, Katsuki doesn’t even…he’s not sure that he minds.

“You feel really warm,” Todoroki says, like he’s giving a report. “It’s nice inside.”

Katsuki chalks this up to some nonsense emotion Todoroki’s probably feeling, because it’s been a while. Or it’s his first time. Whichever. It is kind of a nonsense thing to say. But maybe that’s just because it’s Todoroki.

“Did you think it wouldn’t be?”

“No,” Todoroki says. “I tried not to think about it, to be respectful. But I never expected you not to be good.”

Katsuki swallows. “Well. Bet you’re gonna be thinking about it now.”

“I think…that might be unavoidable.”

The time goes by slow. Katsuki can’t focus on his phone, so he’s only faking it. Todoroki hasn’t touched him anywhere else besides the hips, where he already asked if he could. He’s making little circles there with his finger. It’s making Katsuki feel all hot again.

He shifts a bit on Todoroki’s lap, the friction rubs in a way that’s kinda good, and he bites his lip to hold back the sound.

At the twenty minute mark, Katsuki eases himself off. Looks at Todoroki’s dick again, covered in Katsuki’s slick. He feels…empty.

There’s something wrong. Something missing.

“Can I scent you?” Todoroki asks.

“Go for it,” Katsuki says, and he hates how his voice wavers.

He stays still while Todoroki comes close and presses his face against Katsuki’s neck. His hand at Katsuki’s hip again. Todoroki moves a little, and his lips brush against Katsuki’s throat. He can feel the wave of Todoroki’s satisfaction, his obvious pleasure, the subtle note of his approval. Which Katsuki does not need.

Katsuki pushes down the natural urge to hug him. Not a nice, gentle hug. But the full body-crushing kind. Even if he kinda needs it.

“I think you made a wonderful nest,” Todoroki says.

It’s the most cliche alpha line ever invented. Except Katsuki’s real fucking sure no one’s ever actually literally meant it before this exact moment.

Todoroki lets go way too soon but Katsuki doesn’t know what to do with his hands, can’t grab him and keep him here.

Todoroki gets up and hands Katsuki his sweatpants first, then waits until Katsuki reaches a hand out before handing him his panties too. Seeing his panties in Todoroki’s hand, held normally, like this is just a thing they do, hits him hard.

That and the fact that he didn’t get the chance to ogle Todoroki’s bare ass until now.

Todoroki doesn’t get dressed until Katsuki snaps out of it, he waits to put on his own pants for Katsuki to at least have panties on. Like he might still be needed. Because obviously he’s not the type to just stick it in and then leave Katsuki pantsless and out of it.

“Uh,” Katsuki says. “Bye then.”

What?

“Bye,” Todoroki says back. “Thank you. This really helped.”

It was supposed to.

“No shit.”

“I’m going to go,” Todoroki says. “Is that alright?”

No. No he should stay.

“Yeah,” Katsuki says. “Of course it is.”

He’ll be fine. No reason not to.

*

For what it’s worth, Todoroki wasn’t lying about it helping.

It really fucking helped. There’s evidence and everything. Katsuki’s never seen Todoroki this much on his game before. He’s fun to spar with again. He answers questions in class again instead of looking vaguely strained.

He doesn’t react like a feral animal every time they touch.

But something else’s shifted.

Katsuki keeps looking at him, and he’s thinking about it. The way Todoroki looked at him when Katsuki was sitting on his dick.

When he goes to his nest sometimes he just rolls from side to side getting what’s left of Todoroki’s scent on him, then remembers what the fuck he’s doing.

Todoroki doesn’t act all that different. But he’s always been in Katsuki’s space a lot. When he does it now Katsuki’s conscious of the urge to lean into him. Be closer.

Especially when Todoroki opens his stupid mouth. Like he knows what his voice can do, doesn’t care that he’s messing with Katsuki’s whole vibe.

“Thank you again,” Todoroki says. “For yesterday.”

“Don’t talk about that when we’re out.”

“Alright,” Todoroki says. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

Katsuki’s scent sweetens, and he hates how it makes him look. Blatantly eager for the comfort. Todoroki’s comfort. And Todoroki notices. For a second it seems like Todoroki is gonna put a hand right there at the small of his back.

Then he doesn’t. Maybe he knows better. Thinks, rightly, that Katsuki would bite back.

Katsuki chalks up the rush of disappointment ringing in his ears as instinct.

When he’s back in his room though, he slips his sweats down and he touches the place Todoroki held his hips that night.

*

Kaminari is worse than Todoroki. On principle, because he’s way less put off by respectful reasons to stay off the subject. And also because he’s just generally more annoying. About everything.

Good little perfect omega that he is—Kami clocks the change in scent right away.

Then he has the fucking nerve to ask about it, and Katsuki’s not sure if he’s fishing or if he genuinely doesn’t know.

“Hey. Do you know who took care of Todoroki’s...um, situation?” Kaminari asks, sounding downright conspiratorial.

Does Katsuki know?

Intimately.

“Fuck off. I’m busy.”

“I’m asking because…I thought about what you were saying, or not saying—I should have tried harder to get Todoroki to take my help.”

Him? Helping Todoroki?

“No,” Katsuki says sharply, it comes out before he can think through what it means to say it. “Don’t—don’t bother. Don’t fucking ask him. I took care of it.”

“You took care of it?” Kaminari’s eyes get really big.

No. God.

He puts his hand down over Kaminari’s mouth. “Hey. Don’t....don’t spread it around. I’m—look at him. He was a zombie.”

“So you got it…you’ll be with Todoroki, from now on,” Kaminari says. “You know I almost wanna ask you how it was?”

Of course he does.

“It’s handled,” Katsuki says. “He’s good.”

He meant—Todoroki is all good now, fixed up right from slotting himself into Katsuki’s pristine, untouched omega pussy. Not—not that the dick was good. Even if it was.

“Yeah,” Kaminari laughs. “No, he was basically flying in our lesson today. You saw, right?”

“Of course I saw,” Katsuki cracks his knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll knock that idiot flat out.”

But…it’s not just about the fight though is it. It’s a total ego boost. Todoroki liked being with him so much. Dumb bastard’s practically glowing.

“Uh-huh,” Kaminari says. “I’m really happy for you.”

“You—what?”

“Seems like it worked out,” Kaminari shrugs. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Worked out? What?

“I…”

He did get what he wanted. Todoroki is back in good form. Beating form.

He still shoves Kaminari by the face, lightly, into the lockers behind them.

“Hello. Ow? Is that any way to treat your packmate?” Kaminari rubs the back of his head.

“Stop being happy for me.”

“Okay, okay. I hope you rot.”

“Better,” Katsuki says.

He needs—he needs to go. So gets on his way.

*

It takes about two weeks before Todoroki comes and sits next to him on the sofa. Most people give at least a one seat berth, but Todoroki only does about half that. Which means something. Maybe.

Or it’s Todoroki and no one taught him any social rules and he’s just trying stuff.

Katsuki’s only here downstairs because his nest is pissing him off, ‘cause it only recently stopped smelling obnoxiously of Todoroki. God that fucker’s scent is potent. He’s going to head back up any second, redo it, maybe explode it to pieces.

“Bakugou,” Todoroki says. “Can I talk to you?”

“You already fucking are,” Katsuki grumbles. “What is it?”

He catches a curious kinda gleam in Todoroki’s eyes. There’s a hopeful little flame in own chest. That thinks…maybe.

“I’d like to be with you,” Todoroki says. “Again.”

Katsuki’s mind grinds to a halt.

“Not so loud,” Katsuki says.

“I made sure there was nobody else downstairs,” Todoroki says. “Before I asked you. Since you wanted privacy last time.”

Right. He remembered. Good alpha, a voice at the back of his mind pipes up.

What?

Also, he couldn’t possibly need it again this soon.

Could he? He—he smelled fine in class.

“You’re not still fine?” Katsuki leans in, accusing, then noses at the scent gland at Todoroki’s neck. “Lemme see.”

“Okay,” Todoroki confirms and he angles his neck even closer.

Katsuki licks him there, slow, because he knows it’s sensitive, then he gets the full hit of Shouto’s scent. Rich, sharp on Katsuki’s tongue, so good that Katsuki forgets for a second what he did this for.

There’s that barest hint of sourness. Which had completely gone away…before.

That changes things.

“You do need it,” Katsuki says. “Good that you came to me this time. Maybe you’re not completely hopeless.”

“So I can come tonight?” Todoroki asks.

“You really want it, huh,” Katsuki smirks at him, but it feels less like mocking him this time.

‘Cause they’ve got this thing that they do. Their thing.

“I’ve been very clear on that part.”

“Come tonight,” Katsuki says.

“Do you want…traditionally I believe I would bring you gifts.”

Katsuki pictures him briefly, bringing flowers and chocolate or god forbid, something more personal—something Katsuki actually likes, a hoodie or new clasps for his hero costume boots, because maybe Todoroki would be the type to notice something like that.

“I don’t need that shit.”

Or at least, Katsuki doesn’t think he does. He’s pretty good at being off-putting to most alphas. He doesn’t want anyone to come and dote on him. So no one’s offered, and he’s never—he’s not sure what he’d even do if someone tried to court him.

“Alright,” Todoroki says. “I’ll just come by myself then.”

But Katsuki can’t tell if he’s convinced.

*

Somehow the lead-up the second time feels even more awkward than the first. Though at least…at least this time Katsuki gets to know Todoroki asked for it. He really wants it.

He came to Katsuki.

That’s gotta mean something. Now that Todoroki knows what it’s like, he was free to go to somebody else.

There’s a soft knock on the door. Katsuki hates the surge of excitement in his chest.

And this time Katsuki isn’t as weird about inviting him in, doesn’t grab him. Todoroki just walks in like it’s totally normal for him to be here right now. Then he zeroes in on Katsuki.

Yes, yes, yes.

His hands come up to cup Katsuki’s face, and he leans in, taking a step closer so there’s barely any space between them. Todoroki brushes his thumb reverently against Katsuki’s bottom lip.

“Sorry.”

“That’s fine.”

If they kissed right now it would be his first. It’s not like that needs to be special. He’s not some wilting princess that needs to be wooed. If his first was with Todoroki, that might not be so bad.

He shifts forward a bit too.

Then Todoroki ducks his head a bit, and he noses at Katsuki’s scent gland.

Whispers low against his neck. “You smell good tonight.”

No kiss?

“Uh. You too,” Katsuki manages.

It’s—this is still real fucking intimate. But no kiss. Shit…no, of course Todoroki wasn’t gonna kiss him. Why did he even think of that? It was stupid. He’s getting carried away. By Todoroki being here. By all of it.

“What’s wrong?” Todoroki asks.

Katsuki wonders if he can smell it on him. The want.

“Your face,” Todoroki says. “You’re frowning.”

“We should get to it, right?” Katsuki says. “The thing.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” Todoroki says gently. “Are you?”

Katsuki can’t stand if this is him being babied.

“No, but…we got places to be,” Katsuki says. “Can’t just—stand around.”

His brain feels like it’s melting. He gestures for Todoroki to go lie down on the nest. Then he gets out of his sweatpants like before.

This time he’s wet enough that his panties are clinging to his crotch and he really hopes Todoroki doesn’t notice in the two seconds he hesitates before taking them off.

He crawls over to where Todoroki is sitting in his nest, pantsless and ready. It could be funny, if it wasn’t fucking with Katsuki’s entire being—how seriously Todoroki takes this whole thing.

“Hey so,” Katsuki says. “I’m already good if you want me to just.”

He gestures down at his thing and feels like maybe he wants the earth to swallow him up.

“Could I…” Todoroki scooches closer.

“Yeah.”

Todoroki’s hands span his waist. It’s something but it’s not enough. He wants Todoroki’s warm palm over his bare thigh. Wants him to start there and explore, maybe move around to the wet crease right there. He imagines Todoroki’s hand covering his soft mound, the pressure of it.

The grip on his waist is already so nice and firm.

It’s like an anchor. And he likes that. He’s been horny since expected Todoroki to come tonight. Spent a half hour in his bed with a pillow pushed between his legs, miserable and aching.

There’s no way Todoroki doesn’t know. Not when he’s getting his wet slick all over the head of Todoroki’s dick as he rubs it gently, tantalizing up against Katsuki’s flushed pussy lips.

When Katsuki seats himself this time it’s almost like an accident. Like they were just teasing down there and then Todoroki pops inside like it’s nothing. Just business as usual. The slide all wet and smooth and good, all the way in one shot. Todoroki slots perfectly inside. Settled in deep.

“Fuck that’s good,” Katsuki says.

He feels Todoroki’s hands tighten at his waist, just for a second. Right when he says it.

He didn’t mean to actually say it but his brain-to-mouth filter seems to have gone away the second he took Todoroki’s dick.

“Oh,” a beat. “I’m glad.”

Like he’s just gotten a good review. He’s so ridiculous.

Katsuki laughs. It’s a lot easier right now, for some reason.

“Was that funny?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Katsuki rocks, just a little. Todoroki’s breath hitches, then he nudges up into Katsuki, just a tiny bit.

It might be fun to play that game. Katsuki can be fun. He can have fun with this dumb halfie.

Then Todoroki asks. “Do you want to do twenty minutes again?”

Katsuki stiffens immediately. Somehow wants to cross his legs or something to cover up the place where he can see Todoroki’s dick disappearing into him.

It’s suddenly embarrassing to like it that much. Todoroki likes it too, obviously, but not because it’s Katsuki.

“Twenty?” Katsuki repeats.

He feels this weird tightening sensation in his chest.

“Maybe…we could do like forty,” he says.

“Forty is good,” Todoroki says.

“Uh-huh. I’m always good.”

The plan is good. It’s Katsuki’s plan. What Todoroki came here for. What they agreed to.

They’re not courting or mates or anything. Todoroki wouldn’t even kiss him. He might have rocked on Todoroki’s dick a bit more if Todoroki had kissed him.

“Do you—do you want your phone?” Todoroki asks. “You wanted to use it before.”

His phone. Right. That.

“Give it to me.”

Todoroki fishes his hand under one of Katsuki’s pillows, retrieves it. Katsuki doesn’t even know how Todoroki knew to look for it there.

“Are you cold?” Todoroki asks, handing the phone over face down.

Because putting his dick in Katsuki is one thing apparently, but peeking at his lock screen would be a violation.

It’s a picture he took at the top of a mountain.

“No. Why would I be cold?”

“There are a lot of blankets here,” Todoroki says. “Do you usually get under them?”

Such an alpha.

“No, dummy,” Katsuki says. “Sometimes, yeah. But it’s mostly just…cushy stuff.”

“Ah. I see.”

Todoroki’s body warmth is doing more for him than any of those blankets could anyway.

“Do you want something from me?” Todoroki asks.

He does. He really really does. He opens his mouth and closes it again. Words. Words would help right now but he doesn’t have any, so his face just fixes itself into a glare.

It actually happens to him a lot.

“For your nest,” Todoroki clarifies. “With my scent.”

“Mm. Leave the shirt,” Katsuki says, running his finger over the collar.

Yeah, this one is nice and soft. Cotton. Todoroki wore it under his uniform shirt for most of the day so it’s kinda sweaty and that should be gross but that means the scent’ll be strong.

“The one I’m wearing now?” Todoroki asks.

“Backing out on me so fast?” Katsuki asks. “You offered.”

“No,” Todoroki says. “Just confirming. You can have this one. Do you want it now?”

Katsuki meant later. Like maybe when he was leaving. But now that Todoroki’s offered, Katsuki kinda wants to see.

He’s not sure what he’s even this excited for. He’s seen Todoroki shirtless before. A lot of times.

Katsuki’s toned as fuck too. Big deal.

“Now’s uh, now’s good,” he says.

“Okay,” Todoroki says, then he pulls the shirt up and over his head, putting it kinda to the side. “Sorry. I’m not sure where you want to position it.”

That can be fixed later. Katsuki’s got plans for that shirt. Right now he’s a bit more taken with Todoroki’s bare chest.

Turns out it is a big fucking deal. He’s naked in Katsuki’s nest. And shameless about it to boot. What’s his problem even—like he knows how good he looks.

Yeah. There’s no way Katsuki’s ever gonna be normal about him ever again.

Not—with the way the firm planes of his abdomen shift when he breathes, in and out. The pale scars over smooth muscle. Katsuki could see it even before, but shirtless it’s more obvious the way red and white hair dips down from his lower stomach, then starts to criss-cross as it reaches the center where he’s buried in Katsuki’s cunt.

“I’ll um. I’ll position it later,” Katsuki says.

“I’ll bring you more stuff too,” Todoroki says. “If you want.”

If he wants. That’s what Todoroki keeps saying. Katsuki can’t—can’t get carried away.

There are no messages on his LINE account. Fucking of course, the fucking clown car of people who are always bothering him go radio silent the one time he needs a distraction.

Though he’s not sure what he would even do if someone texted him right now. Answering like this. It’d probably make him crazy. He’d never be able to look them in the eye again.

“You don’t wanna look at your phone?” Katsuki offers.

Todoroki seems like he cares a lot about things being, what would he call it, equitable.

“No,” Todoroki says cleanly.

Real helpful. No reason or explanation.

Katsuki can feel Todoroki’s gaze linger on his bare shoulders. He’s too aware of how tightly the black tank top he’s got on clings to his own chest. Even though Todoroki is right there, bare and open for Katsuki to look at.

And he clearly doesn’t mind. It’d be easier if he would just scroll on his phone like a normal person.

He won’t stop looking at Katsuki though.

“You don’t have to keep your hands on my shoulders,” Todoroki says. “I don’t mind where you touch me.”

He tilts his head a little, and it feels like a suggestion.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Katsuki dips his toe in, tests the waters.

“I would.”

Katsuki starts off just at his neck. His hair is a bit longer right there towards the back. He should probably get it cut. It’s soft.

Then he works down to Todoroki’s pecs. Wondering if at this point he should get to call him Shouto. Now that he’s exploring. But…Todoroki basically specifically requested it. He circles his finger around the pink skin of Todoroki’s left nipple.

Now that’s gotta be personal enough for first name basis.

Todoroki grabs his hand and Katsuki wonders if maybe he’s gone too far, but Todoroki just holds it there. He’s more aware than ever of Todoroki’s dick nestled inside of him, when his open palm ghosts over Shouto’s heart.

Shouto.

It’s beating pretty fast. Must be the arousal. The air’s thick with it. Katsuki’s or Todoroki’s it’s hard to tell. Maybe both.

“I was doing something,” Katsuki reminds him.

Todoroki’s grip on his hand loosens. And he moves down, tracing a gentle line down Todoroki’s stomach with the tip of his index finger.

“That tickles,” Todoroki says.

“Deal.”

“You’re mean,” Todoroki says, as Katsuki adds more featherlight touches, dances on the surface of Todoroki’s warm skin.

He’s never seen Todoroki smile like this.

“You came to me.”

“It was difficult to stop thinking about it,” Todoroki says. “I couldn’t stop.”

“So you’re obsessed, huh?” Katsuki asks. “That’s why you begged me for it.”

“I wouldn’t say it was begging,” Todoroki says.

“Yeah, but you would.”

Katsuki leans down a bit, so he’s balancing his arms up, not resting on Todoroki entirely, but close enough to egg him on.

“...so?” Todoroki says, his hot breath close to Katsuki’s mouth. “I would do what might be necessary.”

Katsuki wants to kiss him. He needs to kiss him. And he thinks—he thinks Todoroki might wanna kiss him too.

The shape of his soft lips. He’s right there. Katsuki can feel every shift of his body from the waist down.

“I think I’d like to see that,” Katsuki whispers.

Stupid ice prince. This idiotic, stoic-ass peppermint. Begging for Katsuki. That’d be real nice.

If he doesn’t kiss Todoroki right now he’ll die.

PING-PING-PING-PING…

Shit. His phone alarm. It sucks the air out of the room. He jolts upright.

Twenty. Twenty minutes. He didn’t remember to change it to forty.

But it feels like they’re done here. The sound’s snapped him clear of whatever happy buzzy fantasy he has where he gets kissed and everything’s just so fucking great. They can’t—he can’t. He pulls himself off with about as little fanfare as he can manage.

“That was…that was twenty minutes,” Katsuki says.

“Oh.”

“You’re all good now, right?” Katsuki doesn’t even know what he’s saying.

Just making words that kind of sound right. Like what a person might say.

“Do you want me to go?” Todoroki asks.

He looks so clueless. Like Katsuki is something he just can’t figure out.

“No,” Katsuki says. “You—you don’t have anything to do? Fuck, I don’t wanna keep you.”

“I see,” Todoroki says.

Katsuki sees his panties lying somewhere, manages to get them on. He doesn’t know where his sweatpants went, mighta kicked them under the bed somehow.

He watches Todoroki get dressed, quick and deliberate. Sees him glance over at his shirt. Oh. Right. Katsuki hadn’t even thought about that, when he asked for it. He can’t just expect Todoroki to walk back to his own room without a shirt on.

But that seems to be exactly what Todoroki is about to do. Because Katsuki wanted to keep the shirt. Because he’s crazy.

“Wait,” Katsuki gets up, pulls open his bottom dresser drawers. “Wear one of mine.”

Todoroki’s only what, a few inches taller? It’ll fit fine. It’s just too fucking bad that all the shirts he has are so distinctly his. If Todoroki wears that around it’ll be like advertising. Maybe he wouldn’t want that.

But it’s better than nothing.

“Thank you,” Todoroki says.

It does fit. Katsuki still doesn’t know what to do with himself.

“Is something wrong?” Todoroki asks. “If it is, you can tell me.”

“Why?” Katsuki asks. “‘Cause you’re the alpha?”

“No,” Todoroki says. “Because we’re friends.”

Yeah, right. Only friends don’t do what they just did. Kirishima is probably Katsuki’s best friend here and he hasn’t even seen the inside of this room.

“Chill the fuck out,” Katsuki says. “Nothing’s wrong. Now…just go away.”

One thing Katsuki didn’t know about Todoroki, before, is that when he’s asked to leave he doesn’t really linger. It hits like a gut punch. How quickly he dovetails out of there, wearing Katsuki’s shirt.

It leaves Katsuki standing there wondering if he was too cold or mean. Of course he fucked up the whole omega thing within two fucking tries. Explains a lot about why nobody’s ever come to him.

He doesn’t get it. How to do it right.

He gets back into bed and presses Todoroki’s sweaty shirt against his face. Rubs Todoroki’s scent all over himself, trying to self soothe and it almost works but the shirt isn’t warm anymore like he was.

And that hurts. He needs warm.

He wants Shouto.

*

After that fucking disaster…he figures Todoroki’s done with him. Maybe he’ll go back to whatever white knuckle monk thing he had going before. Or he’ll bite the bullet and ask some other omega to help him, someone who won’t get weird and push him out like Katsuki did.

They’re graduating anyway. There’s only a couple months before they’ll all be out of here. Whatever kinda fledgling pack dynamics they had here’ll be gone.

Tonight though—about a week after their second session—when he comes downstairs he sees a big group of ‘em all together. The whole class. People are getting weirdly cuddly these days.

Not everyone has a set pair, but he can sorta see it. Nobody’s really that exclusive, but they’re comfortable with each other and the way they sit—touching all the way from shoulder to thigh, it’s a lot. Kaminari and a bunch of people, usually Sero. Yaoyorozu and Jirou. Ashido and Kirishima.

Not him and Todoroki.

They were never even courting. Katsuki cockwarmed him twice and then kicked him out and so he’s got no right to expect anything. No reason to crave Todoroki’s public claim.

He only started all that so Todoroki would be on top of his game, and he has been. There’s no reason for Katsuki to go and want Todoroki to touch him, somewhere, anywhere—in front of all of them.

Todoroki doesn’t even seem to look up when he comes into the room. He’s busy. Talking to goddamn Deku. Deku’s an alpha and alphas and alphas don’t usually fuck, but they can. Maybe that’s what Todoroki’s more into.

And all that stuff with Katsuki was just to satisfy the instinct. Nothing more.

There’s barely any space on the sofa, what with people’s controllers and snacks and shit.

“You fucks called me down here, at least clean up a little,” Katsuki says. “Where the fuck am I supposed to sit in this dump?”

“Just go sit on Todoroki,” Kaminari says, and he must mean it as a real suggestion because he’s somehow sprawled over both Ashido and Sero.

Ashido has her hand in his hair, his legs go across Sero’s lap, and it’s that easy, huh.

This diabolical suggestion must be because of what Katsuki blurted out to him that one time. That he handled Todoroki.

“I’m not gonna sit on him,” Katsuki says.

“Suit yourself,” Kaminari says. “Todoroki, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”

At this, Todoroki finally looks over at him. “Not at all.”

Deku keeps looking between him and Todoroki, so nervous he looks like he might combust. But Todoroki doesn’t break eye contact at all. There’s nothing to suggest he isn’t perfectly cool.

He leans back, just slightly, and his hand is already resting on his thigh, but that’s where Katsuki’s eye gets drawn to.

So there’s space.

Fine.

“Move, damn nerd,” Katsuki gives Deku a light shove, even though he isn’t even really in the way, and all those times before he’d straddled Todoroki from the front, but this time he sits on Todoroki’s thigh, his back to Todoroki’s chest.

Shifts back so he can whisper in Todoroki’s ear. “Sure, this won’t bring up some memories for you?”

People are staring. Katsuki can feel it. But he doesn’t really mind. It’s only a warm buzz under his skin. Todoroki holds Katsuki steady with one arm, balances his weight like it’s easy.

Todoroki replies to him at regular volume. “I sincerely hope that it does.”

They put on this boring movie Katsuki doesn’t really pay attention to. Halfway through Todoroki stops pretending to care too, quits his incessant line of questioning about who’s doing what with who. The lights are off, so he’s more brazen now, though Katsuki really didn't think Todoroki would be the type.

To scent and nuzzle him right there like he doesn’t care who sees. And maybe he doesn’t, but Katsuki’s never seen him do that, not with anybody.

“This is a terrible movie,” Todoroki whispers, and he doesn’t even try to hide that he’s doing it purposefully close to Katsuki’s throat, his warm breath hitting right where he’s sensitive.

“I thought you like all that power of friendship shit,” Katsuki whispers back.

Todoroki’s got both hands on him now. He’s barely short of feeling Katsuki up.

“I like things that are well made,” Todoroki says. “I couldn’t follow most of the plot.”

“I think…” Katsuki whispers. “I think you’re more than a little distracted.”

“More than a little,” Todoroki wrinkles his nose. “Why wouldn’t you just say a lot?”

“First of all there’s a big fucking gap between more than a little and a lot.”

“And second?” Todoroki wonders, his lips brush against Katsuki’s cheek.

“Second of all, you really need to crib about the semantics?”

“I do that because I want to,” Todoroki says. “I think you’re already quite familiar with what I need.”

“I guess I am,” Katsuki says. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Katsuki doesn’t expect him to actually do it. Todoroki’s something of an ideal, not in these parts but out there. A perfect prince. All the girls like him because he seems like the type who would hold the door open for you.

He puts his hand down on Katsuki’s inner thigh. Rubs his four fingers there in a circle. Katsuki leans his head back and Todoroki kisses Katsuki’s throat. Just once. And it’s barely there. But it lights Katsuki up like a live wire.

That and Todoroki’s touch on his legs.

All of it is so antithetical to Katsuki’s previous view of him as a fairly private person. But maybe it makes sense, when it comes down to it Todoroki always has a fifty-fifty shot of going completely fucking feral.

“Where’d you learn to do this?” Katsuki wonders.

“I didn’t practice,” Todoroki says. “If that’s what you mean. I just like touching you.”

Katsuki’s fingers tighten carefully around Todoroki’s wrist. He didn’t even realize he was holding onto it. Then he caresses right there, up and down his upper forearm.

“I think you like touching me too,” Todoroki adds. “Don’t you?”

“Uh-huh. Sure, I do,” Katsuki says. “...what’s your point?”

“Next time you want me…don’t make me leave.”

Katsuki’s conscious of the room around them. The still-playing movie. The whir of the fan. He’s not sure if Todoroki activated his quirk or if he just runs warm otherwise, but it’s like their own little bubble here on his lap.

Like he’s been wrapped in a blanket, and Todoroki’s here with him under it, borderline feeling him up.

So he knew. He knew that Katsuki wanted him and pushed him out anyway. And he wants to come back for more?

“...okay.”

*

They make it a Friday night thing. Katsuki doesn’t like to think of them as sessions, even in his head, but Todoroki’s comparatively sappier term—“being together”—makes him freeze up and act weird.

So they’re sessions. Like it’s some kinda therapy for Todoroki’s inscrutable yet needy alpha. With Katsuki’s tight cunt as the cure-all.

At least now he does his best not to kick Todoroki out the second he feels too vulnerable. The third time they do it, Katsuki lets him stay in the nest, both of them still naked from the waist down.

It’s weirdly comfortable. Katsuki lies back, not showing anything off, or trying to close his legs or anything, just…natural. Todoroki next to him. Not touching. Katsuki reaches out first, his hand closing over Todoroki’s bicep.

There’s a deep vibrato from the center of his chest.

“You’re purring,” Todoroki says.

“I can be happy about things,” Katsuki says. “I’m not just this cranky, horrible person.”

He didn’t mean to take it there, and Todoroki shifts closer, concerned.

“What kind of things make you happy?” Todoroki asks.

“I dunno,” Katsuki says. “I like being outside.”

“Oh.”

Todoroki likes to look into his eyes a lot when they do this, and that’s annoying for its own reasons—makes certain things harder to hide. But now he’s looking right at Katsuki’s bare pussy, like he’s making a quick study.

“Your hair there is slightly darker,” Todoroki says quietly.

“I—I didn’t ask you for a critical comment,” Katsuki says. “I didn’t say a thing when you got out that monster you call a cock.”

“It’s not a criticism,” Todoroki says.

Katsuki doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just doesn’t talk.

Todoroki takes the moment to process, then frowns. “You don’t like my cock?”

He is not having this conversation right now.

“Seriously? I like it fine. We’re not doing post-match analysis right now.”

Not about this.

“You think of this like a match up?” Todoroki asks.

“No, you idiot, it’s an analogy.”

“I see.”

Todoroki does his little head tilt thing, which always reads like an invitation.

He snuggles back against Katsuki’s quilts. “I really like your nest.”

“I can tell.”

Todoroki nods very seriously. “Mhm. You’re very observant.”

“You don’t need to butter me up, tellin’ me what I already know.”

“Very modest too,” Todoroki adds.

“Shut up.”

Katsuki yawns. “Gonna close my eyes for a bit. You can do…whatever.”

He’s out for at least a half hour. Todoroki doesn’t leave until later. Maybe it’s some alpha thing, needing to stay here while Katsuki is vulnerable. Or maybe he’s just a weirdo.

*

A few nights later sensei holds the two of them after class for another talk about unreasonable risks taken during simulated battles.

It’s started to rain by the time they’re let out, and they decide to make a run for it.

“It’s not that unreasonable, and—since when does he do reasonable things out in the field,” Katsuki rants more for the sake of it. “Can you believe this?”

He knows he’s wrong and he’s just in the come down part of realizing that, needs to work it out of his system.

His shoes pound against the wet pavement, the rain splatters against his cheek. He can’t get his stupid hood up. Curses the more he tries.

Todoroki keeps pace with him, but he’s quiet, the way he usually is after a lecture. Katsuki knows. He just likes to think about it.

Katsuki’s hair is getting drenched. He won’t give up though, there’s gotta be a way he can just yank it back into place. Something musta just gotten unclipped somewhere.

“FUCKING SHIT.”

“Here,” Todoroki says, grabs Katsuki by the shoulders to stop him, and turns him around.

He adjusts something at the back of the jacket and slides the hood up and tugs it into place. Katsuki feels the briefest brush of Todoroki’s different temperature hands on his face.

It’s still raining. Katsuki’s just—he can’t believe that just happened. He doesn’t move. Then Todoroki grabs onto his arm, yanks him forward. Then lets him go once Katsuki doesn’t fight the momentum.

They break into a run again, without even talking about it. They both jump in near sync, seconds apart, over the same puddle on the walk path. Then collapse, breathless, in front of the dorm doors.

*

It’s criminal that Todoroki happens to have the silkiest, nicest hair in existence and Katsuki’s completely locked himself out of touching it. He does it a bunch if they’re sparring, because grabbing someone by the head is never off limits, and it’s actually pretty disorienting if done right.

That’s not the way he wants it though. When he’s sitting on Todoroki’s cock, he wants to put his hands in it. Put his face right Todoroki’s scent gland and suck, expressing it properly and letting the whole fucking room smell like him.

It always falls perfectly, so light and airy and fluffy. Which is why Katsuki reaches out for it, brushing his fingers right through Todoroki’s part. They’re on the bed, Todoroki’s just pulled out—since they did it lying on their sides.

Katsuki couldn’t help it.

Todoroki grabs his wrist, loose, while his hand is still touching that soft hair, and moves it to the side of his head. He always looks relaxed after Katsuki lets him cockwarm, but now his eyelashes look a bit wet, at the corners of his eyes, and he’s blinking slow like he’s trying to even himself out.

Katsuki sort of…pets him. And Todoroki leans into the touch like he was starving for it.

Did he want this? Is that—is that why?

Todoroki doesn’t even say anything about it. No placid little comment. No dry remark. Nothing.

“Stupid alpha,” Katsuki whispers.

He keeps doing it and eventually Todoroki closes his eyes. Katsuki’s tempted more than ever to kiss his cheek. Kiss his mouth.

But he doesn’t.

*

He only texts Todoroki on a Wednesday night because he’s having a shitty day. When Todoroki shows up he’s still in full uniform, just without the jacket, so Katsuki tugs him in by his tie.

Then he guides Todoroki’s face to his scent gland at his neck. The smell of his discomfort is gonna be obvious, but Katsuki’s not trying to make a play for alpha comfort. He doesn’t need that.

He was hiding it all day with suppressant patches, which is painful as shit. Now he just wants Todoroki to smell him, to know.

Todoroki takes his time breathing Katsuki in, then lifts up from there and cups Katsuki’s face, and he gets real close, voice so quiet. “It’s bad.”

They nod together, and Katsuki repeats. “So bad.”

Katsuki doesn’t even know what they’re talking about, really. If it makes sense. But it does to him. The feeling. He needed Todoroki here.

“Get in me,” he says.

Todoroki grabs him, maneuvers him by the waist so he’s sitting down at the edge of the bed. His hands linger at the elastic waistband of Katsuki’s sweats and Katsuki moves them in place so he’s touching the bare sliver of skin where Katsuki’s tank top rides up. They make eye contact, and Shouto seems to get it.

He tugs down Katsuki’s pants and underwear in one go, then he lifts Katsuki’s bare feet tenderly out of both.

Then he sits on the bed himself, unzips those stiff uniform pants. Takes out his cock. Strokes along the length a few times with his right hand while Katsuki watches with a strange kind of hunger. They normally do this deeper into the nest, but this time Todoroki stays seated at the edge.

He takes Katsuki by the waist again, and he looks down to see Katsuki flushed and bare. They look at each other again, he lifts and Katsuki moves so that the head of his dick is nudging against Katsuki’s sensitive folds.

Katsuki sinks down easy.

“Oh fuck.”

It turns him on more than it should, the fact that Todoroki’s still wearing his uniform shirt and tie. But he wants more skin.

He reaches out and thumbs at the first button. Watches Todoroki loosen the tie and toss it to the side. Katsuki unbuttons his shirt, going slow while adjusting to the feeling of Todoroki filling him.

“Could I rock in you…just a bit?” Todoroki asks.

“Mm.”

He starts moving, achingly slow. Gentle pushes up, his length caressing Katsuki’s inner walls. After a moment he grabs Katsuki’s hips again to move them up and down together. It’s barely fucking. It’s something else.

Katsuki lets out a shuddering breath every time he finishes the rhythm. Gets even more uncoordinated undoing Todoroki’s shirt buttons.

By the time Katsuki’s done and the shirt hangs open, Todoroki shrugs it off his shoulders himself. Rocks up into Katsuki one more time.

Katsuki actually whines, and Todoroki draws him close into his arms. Katsuki hooks his chin over Todoroki’s shoulder. His hands come up to hold Todoroki’s back. He keeps—these uneven, shaky breaths.

Todoroki kisses the side of his head. He sighs. Letting go of the remaining stiffness in his body, giving over his full weight. Todoroki keeps filling him deep, and his eyes close.

“Shouto,” he mumbles.

Todoroki’s hand cups the back of his head.

*

The next morning Katsuki wakes up and has a hard time opening his door. The room still smells like Todoroki, because he stayed really late. Held Katsuki for like an hour.

There’s something blocking him from opening the door right. So he just pushes harder and then picks up the package that he’s kinda smushed with his blunt force. It’s small and flat, wrapped in brown paper and string.

When he picks it up a paper note falls out.

So you do not have to fight your jacket.

He rips the paper open and inside is…a raincoat? It’s this matte black, but the lining on the inside is a dark grey. No big obnoxious logo in sight. Plenty of subtle zippers with silver metal hardware. The way the hood is attached is clean.

Shit looks expensive. More so than something Katsuki would buy for himself.

Katsuki immediately slams the door shut behind him and goes back inside. Shoves his arms into the jacket sleeves, and zips it up aggressively hard. Wearing it just over his tank top and shorts.

Perfect fit. It’s…decently insulating. The lining is nice and soft against his skin.

Fuck.

He loves it.

He’s beaming to himself with nobody else in the room, like an idiot. There’s a singular bright thought in his head, about Todoroki going out and getting this for him. But then a cloud comes over the whole thing.

Did Todoroki do this because he thought it was required? Katsuki already said no to courting gifts. He wasn’t expecting anything.

Does Todoroki feel like this kinda stuff is obligatory? Because it’s not. And it can’t be a courting gift, because Todoroki never said he wants to court Katsuki. Even after everything they did. He never said, and Katsuki doesn’t even—shit.

He was basically losing it yesterday, calling Todoroki over and going…non-verbal in his arms, practically begging for a cuddle. Todoroki seemed to do everything so naturally. Was he just going through the motions?

No.

No, he was so warm. He felt so warm all over. But did it…did it even mean anything to him? Or did he do it because Katsuki’s been helping him with his…issue, all this time and he figured he owes Katsuki something back.

Because he’s noticed, maybe he even knew before, that Katsuki’s never been courted. Maybe he even noticed that Katsuki’s started to have nagging little doubts about that. About how no other alpha’s ever really touched him, and fuck—Todoroki is a hero. Maybe he just didn’t wanna be the kind of alpha who makes an omega cry. Or sits there and watches it happen without doing something about it.

Suddenly Katsuki can’t stand to be wearing the jacket even a second longer. He takes it off and throws it against the ground, away from his nest. Which still smells so strongly of Todoroki. More specifically, of what Katsuki assumed was Todoroki’s real, actual affection.

The scent he gave off when he was doing all that soft shit. Touching Katsuki.

The nest isn’t even comforting like usual when he curls back into it. His skin feels too sensitive. Too hot.

There’s a painful surge of clarity in his mind about what he really, truly wants.

*

He makes it to class after having done his best to make it look like he wasn’t crying. It only half works. His scent must be so strong, mixed in with Todoroki’s from the night before.

Ashido leans over to him, her hand on his arm, and raises an eyebrow. “So you and Todoroki. Are you a bonded pair now?”

It’s been ages since Katsuki was actually that mad at her. Or any of the idiots in this class. When he gets mad at them now it’s mostly just normal frustration. But now he is. Because of course she can ask shit like that all interested and happy, because she’s got all the shit that Katsuki wants.

She’s not some idiot who ended up naked in bed with the alpha he likes and didn’t clarify that he’s not the type to just do that shit casually after all. Because he’s—he needs the real thing.

Which she’s got. She’s got stupid Shitty Hair on lock and that seemed pretty easy, and almost a bit too convenient. Which was fine, because Katsuki doesn’t want Kirishima like that. But he can’t get what he wants no matter what he does.

It’s not that fucking easy for everyone. Katsuki’s ten times as aggressive as she is on a wild day, and he didn’t care until maybe this morning when he realized that might be the thing stopping Todoroki from coming out with some actual fucking intent.

Todoroki’s a traditional guy. He decorates his room that way and he talks that way a bit. Maybe he wants to mate like that too.

He can picture Todoroki with some docile little waif of an omega who hangs on to his every word and lets him actually fuck them and not just cockwarm every single time. Someone soft who didn’t wait ages to touch his hair and give him a micro ounce of the comfort he’s been denied his whole life.

He can picture Todoroki with someone else and the truth is it would probably make him happier than Katsuki could. But it hurts so fucking much. It’s killing him.

“You really think I would do bond shit?” Katsuki scoffs, laced with derision. “With him? Fucking half and half bastard.”

He says it too loud. Class hasn’t started yet but everyone is in, and they turn their heads to look. She removes her hand from his arm, maybe a little surprised at the venom.

Todoroki looks over too, expression unreadable. Katsuki isn’t sure…how much he heard. Maybe that’s better.

Katsuki doesn’t want his feelings to become anybody’s obligation.

*

Todoroki doesn’t talk to him after this.

It’s only after noticing the avoidance that Katsuki picks up on just how much casual interaction they have, even outside of the nest stuff. Todoroki normally waits for him after class, takes chances to walk with him from one place to another. Back to the dorms.

When they’re in a big group, Todoroki sidles up next to him to talk. Now he doesn’t.

There’s texts missing too. About the homework. Or just random pics of shit Todoroki saw that day. He’s a weird person and Katsuki’s never known how to respond to these texts other than to mock him mercilessly, but now that Todoroki isn’t texting him he realizes he kind of misses it.

And it’s only been like eighteen hours.

It’s Friday night. Maybe Todoroki’s just been pre-occupied with other stuff. Maybe he’ll still come.

If he’s not upset.

Katsuki waits, and when he does hear a knock at the right time he’s so relieved. He opens the door in a rush, expects Todoroki to come in like always, but he doesn’t. He stands there. Stiff.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore,” Todoroki says.

His voice is startlingly even.

“But...” Katsuki doesn’t even know what he can say.

“I’m really grateful for everything you did for me,” Todoroki says. “You’re a really good friend and I hope we can still be friends. I’ll find a way to meet my own needs.”

“Oh.”

So he’s done.

It feels like someone is opening up the rawest parts of him. But that’s better, right? Better than falling harder and deeper and ending up scent-drunk and begging for Todoroki to mark his throat and claim him. Knot him deep while giving him hot and cold kisses.

Better than begging for something he just…isn’t gonna get.

“Good night,” Todoroki says. “I hope you sleep well.”

“Thanks,” Katsuki says.

He feels like he’s been punched.

“No problem,” Todoroki echoes back. 

“Yeah,” Katsuki says, even though talking right now feels like scraping sandpaper. “Bye.”

When he goes back into the room the nest is still all wrong. He curls up into a ball and just sleeps on the floor. He feels wrong in his body. Empty and hollow.

Lost.

*

The two weeks before graduation go by fast.

Katsuki still has people to talk to about agency placements and stuff. The finalization of his sidekick card and his name finally showing up on the official pro hero rosters.

It’s fun sharing this shit with the rest of ‘em too. It’s not like it’s not. But none of them are Todoroki and he finds himself missing the dry commentary. The overly literal interpretations of everything.

Even just how close Todoroki used to sit when they had these conversations. Even before they started their thing. Just not now…after.

Todoroki must be doing something to manage his scent problem. Katsuki’s first assumption and the one he keeps going back to, because it hurts him, is that Todoroki simply found another omega to do things with. It could be anyone in their whole year. For all Katsuki knows.

Realistically, some combination of scent patches, medication or even toys could probably get the job done. But Katsuki always thought the reason Todoroki didn’t do that in the first place was because he found it rather impersonal. He can even kind of hear Todoroki saying that. It fits in his voice.

Katsuki had no idea he knew Todoroki’s voice that well. Now he hears it a lot in his own head. Filling in what Todoroki might say about stuff he’s doing.

Like the plants he’s planning to get for his new apartment. Not because he likes plants that much, but for health reasons. He’s read things. And he knows what Todoroki would say.

Personally, I prefer spider plants. Because they’re non-toxic to cats. I want to get a cat.

He’d only mentioned that he wanted to get a cat after graduation like eight billion fucking times. Now that they’re closer, Todoroki might even be going out to shelters and stuff to pick out the one he wants. Taking Deku or Iida or whoever he isn’t in an awkward emotional stand-off with.

Katsuki takes Kirishima and Kaminari to go look at motorcycles on a free weekend and he hears Todoroki there too.

Public transit is just as good, but if you really want to get a motorcycle you should get one that is lean enough to move through clogged traffic.

He’s the only one who would get that. Boring and annoying as he is. Shitty Hair and Short Circuit are too hung up on what looks the most cool.

But they haven’t talked.

Todoroki said all that shit about still being friends, but that seems to have just been wishful thinking.

Katsuki must have hurt him a lot with what he said…the way he said it. Which is on him. There was probably a better, more private way to end their thing.

He should have just told Todoroki he didn’t want to do it anymore, and then at least he’d still have him. Closer. That much Todoroki would have understood.

Katsuki was an asshole. He more or less knows that. It’s not Todoroki’s fault that Katsuki can’t have him the way he wants, and Katsuki shouldn’t have taken it out on him.

But it’s hard to go back. It’s not like he can change it. Or make it like it was before.

He just can’t stop thinking about it. About him. Over and over and over.

*

Katuski’s not sure why he’s on Todoroki’s floor. Basically everybody’s moved out. Katsuki packed his nest this morning and his room is pretty much empty.

There’s nobody else on this floor. Katsuki was running around yelling at people earlier trying to make sure nobody left stuff behind. They’re going to have people come and clean up the rooms, prepare them for another year’s class, somewhat soon.

Todoroki’s door is open.

They haven’t talked, really talked, in weeks. But Katsuki still finds himself walking over there. He stands in the doorway staring at Todoroki sitting on his futon on the floor. Then he realizes he should probably announce himself.

“Uh. Hey.”

Todoroki turns. “Oh. Bakugou.”

His room is mostly empty. All of his other stuff must have already been packed up and sent out. Katsuki doesn’t know where. He would have been the first to know, at one point, of where Todoroki is moving and what’s going on with him.

Now he doesn’t.

“Can I come in or what?” he asks.

“You can,” Todoroki says, and he taps the space on the futon next to him.

Katsuki’s not sure if this is a peace offering, but whatever it is he’ll take it. He closes the door with a soft click behind him. Goes to sit next to Todoroki, careful, not touching.

He’s still a bit awed whenever it’s been a while and he gets a good look at Todoroki, at how beautiful he is. But he figures that most people are. Now he knows what Todoroki gets like when someone strokes his hair, that he is unfailingly good at his core, that he deserved better.

“What are you thinking?” Katsuki asks.

“About moving out,” Todoroki says. “I don’t want to just yet.”

“No?”

“This feels like home,” Todoroki explains, he looks around, a little wistful, then at Katsuki. “I’ll miss it.”

“You’ll have a home again,” Katsuki says. “Might not be like this. But it’ll be there.”

“How can you be so certain?” Todoroki asks.

“I just am,” Katsuki says. “You’re the kinda person that people wanna build a home around. It’s just like one of those obvious things that’s of course gonna happen.”

“I didn’t know you think that,” Todoroki says carefully.

“Well I do,” Katsuki says. “I just don’t go around saying it.”

“Why did you say you would never bond with me…particularly?” Todoroki says. “If you think I’m the type of person that’s worth building with.”

“It’s not obvious?”

Todoroki shakes his head.

Well, okay. “It wasn’t gonna happen for me. I was…really fucking angry about that. So I took it out on you.”

“It was hurtful to hear you say that about me,” Todoroki says. “I thought we had really connected.”

“We did,” Katsuki says, he looks down at his own hands, closes one into a tight fist. “We did. That night when you held me…you don’t know how good that felt.”

“I’m sorry,” Katsuki says, his voice starting to get all choked.

“What do you mean…it was never going to happen for you?” Todoroki asks.

“Look. I don’t think I’m not fuckable enough or anything. I’m clearly hot as fuck. And I figured that was good enough to get you to calm down or whatever it is you alphas need. But I’m not…I’m not the type that you go and bond and then…mate in a couple of years.”

“You—you bought me…” Katsuki stammers. “That raincoat. I loved it so fucking much. I knew that if I let you any closer to me that I’d want you more and more.”

Todoroki turns Katsuki’s face in towards him. “You wanted me? Like that.”

Katsuki can’t lie to him looking right into his eyes. “So much.”

Todoroki kisses him.

Everything Katsuki’s feeling dissolves into the heat of that kiss. How sure Todoroki feels pulling him in by the waist. His other hand steady, thumb caressing Katsuki’s cheek, fingers pressed behind Katsuki’s ear.

All at once Katsuki realizes the magnitude of his mistake. The way Todoroki kisses, eager for the taste but gentle the way he moves. Tender and yielding with Katsuki of all people, because he knows. He knows.

And he feels it too.

They tumble back onto the futon, it’s easier to kiss that way anyway. Katsuki throws himself into that kiss like a man starved. Todoroki rolls him over onto his back, peppers soft, nipping kisses down Katsuki’s neck. Then pauses at Katsuki’s throat, over his scent gland.

He kisses there, once, lightly, then grazes his teeth against it. “I wanted to. Right here.”

“You did?”

“Mm,” Todoroki confirms. “I still do.”

Katsuki tugs him down to kiss him again, burying his hand in that soft hair. “Fuck. Please.”

They kiss like that while Todoroki moves a hand down between them, down the front of Katsuki’s pants. He strokes over Katsuki’s soft folds like he’s greeting an old friend and then skips the small talk completely and puts in one finger.

Katsuki stifles the sound he makes against Shouto’s neck. Clings to him while Shouto plays with him, taking the finger out and in, rubbing against his clit in teasing little circles.

He undoes Todoroki’s pants, pushing down his fly and taking out his cock. Strips out of his own clothes just as quick. The coolness of the air never hits him even when he’s open and bare. Shouto wraps them both in a bubble of heat from his quirk. From his body.

“God you’re perfect,” Katsuki says.

They kiss one more time. Sweeter.

Then Todoroki lines himself up and slowly pushes inside. Katsuki holds him as close as he wants. Lets Todoroki work in, in, in. Then when he’s settled deep inside they both let out a shaky breath. Todoroki smiles and Katsuki actually laughs.

Everything’s been weird.

Katsuki’s nest has felt off for weeks. There isn’t even a nest here. But this is it.

This is right.

“What do you want?” Todoroki asks.

There’s that look in his eyes, glassy and pretty and how could Katsuki have thought it was anything but the love that it is.

“Wanna feel you,” Katsuki says. “How much you want me.”

Todoroki moves. Slow at first, like the way he rocked into Katsuki…that day. He keeps the pace even with his touch, his caress at Katsuki’s sides, his hands running over Katsuki’s chest. Then he picks up his rhythm once Katsuki starts to move with him. Together.

Katsuki feels him entering deep, every part of his thick length. Todoroki goes quicker, generous hard thrusts into Katsuki again, and again. Until Katsuki starts to feel sloppy, worked open. Still so wet it makes a sound every time Todoroki pushes into his body.

“I’ll take you out somewhere nice,” Todoroki says. “Then I’ll bite you here.”

“Huh?” Katsuki gasps.

“Then everyone will know that you’re mine. Is that what you want?”

“Fuck,” Katsuki says. “Yeah. Yes.”

Oh my god.

“You’ll get it,” Todoroki promises. “You’ll get it all.”

Todoroki thrusts into him relentlessly. The feeling of him on top, The things he’s saying. Being fucked and fucked and fucked. Good and hard. He’ll get the bite. The knot in his pussy.

He cums so hard he cries out and spasms.

“That’s good,” Todoroki says. “You deserve it. Squeezing me so well.”

“Now you,” Katsuki mutters, vaguely out of it. “You asshole.”

Coming once makes him so languid and loose, Todoroki takes it up another notch and he takes it. Feeling sort of deliriously happy, blissed out.

“Katsuki, I’m close.”

Mm.

“Come on. Come in me,” Katsuki says. “Alpha.”

No. “Shouto.”

That does it. He pushes in a few more times, desperate, then slows in an instant, his grip on Katsuki tightens for the briefest moment and then Katsuki can feel him. Inside. The last few achingly slow, wet pumps of his softening dick.

Katsuki strokes his hair as he comes down, holds Shouto close as he shakes over him. “Don’t go. Okay?”

Shouto presses his tear-stained cheek against Katsuki’s neck. “I won’t.”

*

Six Months Later

Mating isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

He thought it would be really boring once. But Shouto’s never been more annoying than when he’s knot deep in Katsuki, talking about nonsense.

They don’t text about the same things anymore, but Shouto regularly texts him now about advice on small talk, that the fridge broke, and that he just likes Katsuki a lot and wanted to tell him that.

They’re kind of on the young side, admittedly.

Katsuki likes to act like it was a very well thought out, mature thing. But the reality is that they talked about it once, kinda offhand, and Katsuki said in no uncertain terms that if he begs for it during heat, it can be taken as a real request.

Shouto’s never needed to be asked twice on anything.

Kaminari’s a bit scandalized that Katsuki ended up never playing the field. Like at all. Ashido nearly spit out her juice at brunch when he showed her the mate bite on his neck. Which was fun.

It’s a lot considering she and Shitty Hair have been doing bonded things for much longer. But what can Katsuki say?

He likes to win.

“I was hesitant to get two kittens before,” Shouto says. “Since I thought I’d be in the apartment alone. They can be a handful. But now that you’re here.”

“Really good to know you’ve managed to find at least one good thing about mating me,” Katsuki snorts. “So I can watch your cats.”

They head out the door. Katsuki zips up his coat. Shouto gives him a knowing smile, then leans in to kiss him on the cheek.

“There are many good things,” Shouto says. “But there are always bonuses.”