It was four in the afternoon and Katsuki had spent his entire day shut-in, tucked away in his nest. Without a doubt, his time would have been better spent tying up loose ends before his heat. The fridge was nearing on empty and he had a week's worth of homework to complete. Even so, Katsuki couldn't be bothered to care.

The omega was in a bad way. All of the typical hallmarks of his personality had been smothered in despair. Lethargic and disheartened, Katsuki had unknowingly committed hours to staring at the walls of his bedroom.

What was the reason for such a pathetic display of melancholy?

A fucking breakup.

Katsuki had repeatedly told himself that it wasn't about the alpha, it was the principle of it all. Who the fuck stepped out on an omega on the cusp of heat?

When Katsuki first received the breakup text, he was livid. That instant he called back to curse the man out. And would you believe it? The son of a bitch already had him blocked! Vibrating with rage, the omega chucked his phone across the room. What a spineless, low-down piece of shit!

Although Katsuki was quick to succumb to the heat of the moment, lacking an appropriate outlet for his fury, his emotions soon simmered. An unsettling feeling of anguish washed over him. While Katsuki was by no means heartbroken, the rejection cut deeper than it had any right to.

Listlessly trailing his fingers over the soft contents of his nest, Katsuki silently tore himself down. The writing was on the wall. Although the reason for his string of failed relationships had evaded him, ultimately Katsuki was the common denominator.

No matter how confident or formidable the alpha, a week or two was all it took before they ran off with their tails between their legs. The extent of their rejection was bizarre. No explanation was ever given. As if the omega were a threat to their lives, every action was taken to avoid him.

While Katsuki had made every effort to appear unbothered, in truth he had been harboring feelings of inadequacy for a long while. Repeated failure had a nasty way of chipping away at his confidence. The omega was beginning to suspect dating was a lost cause. Clearly, he was not worth anyone's time.

It was under these conditions that Katsuki found himself disrupted by a knock at the door.

At first, the omega ignored the noise. He was in no mood to entertain solicitors or otherwise. And yet, whoever was at the door was strangely persistent. Sporadic knocking quickly escalated to a barrage of sound. From across the room, Katsuki heard his phone ring. Switching off between hitting the doorbell and pounding at the door, the visitor made every effort to get his attention.

In no time at all Katsuki had reached his threshold for bullshit. Covering his ears with a pillow, the omega belted out, "Shut the fuck up!"

In acknowledgment of his request, for a moment it was silent. However, once it was apparent that Katsuki had no intention of answering the door, the action persisted.

With excessive force, the omega threw himself out of the nest. "Gah!"

Heavy on his feet, Katsuki scampered through his home in a huff. The omega had a good idea of who was at the door. Of all the idiots in his life, there was one particular alpha who would not take no for an answer.

A glance through the peephole confirmed the visitor's identity. Katsuki groaned. Of course, it was Deku. The universe would never miss an opportunity to rub his nose in the dirt. The omega ran his hands over the front of his face. Counting back from ten, he took long deep breaths. No matter how tempting, homicide was not the answer.

"Kacchan?" Contradictory to his behavior only a moment prior, the alpha's voice was gentle and inquisitive.

For a moment, Katsuki thought twice about answering. He was wearing hardly anything; only a loose tank top and sleeping shorts. Not to mention the entire apartment stunk of preheat. And yet, just as quickly as concerns were raised, they were dropped. Really, there was no reason to be modest. He had known Deku since they were both toddlers. The alpha was practically his little brother.

Sporting the most severe of frowns, Katsuki straightened up and opened the door.

"Hi, Kacchan!" The alpha greeted him kindly. "I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd stop by. I brought you a hot chocolate!"

As the alpha's jovial aura pierced through his bleak bubble, Katsuki scrutinized the paper cup held out towards him. Fucking Deku. He knew Katsuki's preheat vices all too well.

"Cut the crap." The omega uttered through clenched teeth. "What the hell are you doing here?"

In turn, Deku shrugged. Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he replied. "I had a feeling something was wrong. You weren't at the gym this morning."

As the two eyed one another in silence, the alpha's concern managed to worm its way through Katsuki's weakened defenses. It was pathetic. Deku always saw right through him. Sensing what was to come, the omega's stance became rigid.

At the first sign of Katsuki's distress, the alpha's face fell. "Kacchan? Is everything alright?"

The omega was uncharacteristically quiet in his response. "Shinsou dumped me."

While Katsuki was desperate to save face, there was no fighting against the sudden onslaught of sorrow. Traitorous tears filled his lash line as the omega struggled to speak. "I got the text this morning. The fucker didn't even have the balls to say it to my face."

As if on queue, Deku threw his arms around the other man. "I'm so sorry."

Held tight against the alpha's firm chest, a tremble worked its way through Katsuki's body. He would never admit it, but Deku's scent had always been a source of comfort. It was gentle and sweet, just like the alpha himself.

Deku's warm consolation became Katsuki's salve. Soon all of his pain was replaced by a peculiar tingling in his gut. Part of Katsuki wanted to relax in Deku's hold, however, in the end, the vulnerability was too much for him. Once composed, Katsuki was quick to push the alpha away.

"It's whatever," Katsuki grumbled. Turning away from the doorway, the omega discretely wiped the tears from his eyes. He didn't bother looking back as he called out to the alpha. "Come in."

In no time at all, the pair settled into Katsuki's sofa. The alpha sat on one end while Katsuki lounged over its entirety with his feet draped over the other's lap. Under different circumstances, the omega would have kept his distance, but his preheat cramps were killing him. Fortunately, Deku did not seem too bothered.

Katsuki nursed his hot chocolate while the alpha scrolled through movies on Netflix. At first sight of an All Might title, the alpha perked up and pressed play. Typically Deku would have checked with Katsuki before selecting a movie, however, in this specific instance, there was no need.

Deku was Deku. When he wasn't mindlessly spouting off facts about the production of the movie, he was gushing over All Might and his acts of heroism. His level of engagement was obnoxious to say the least. Still, no matter how ramped up the alpha became, Katsuki made no effort to shut him up.

Oddly enough, after such a taxing day, Katsuki found a great deal of relief in Deku's idiosyncrasies. In a setting so ordinary, the omega was able to set his troubles aside and breathe easily. He felt normal and comfortable.

Unfortunately, as time went on, Katsuki's mind inevitably circled back to his ex. Perhaps he had been naive, but for once, Katsuki saw promise in his relationship. Shinsou was different.

To start, the alpha had no room to complain about Katsuki's personality. He was a straight-up jackass. Any insult Katsuki hurled his way was returned tenfold. It was an interesting dynamic. Shinsou seemed to enjoy getting under the omega's skin and for whatever reason, Katsuki found the attention exhilarating.

The omega often felt like a high schooler with a crush. Every sly smile sent his way had his heart racing. Shinsou was never far from his thoughts. Whenever they were apart, the omega would often daydream about what the future held in store for them.

In retrospect, it was obvious Katsuki had gotten ahead of himself. Despite his feelings for the man, rejection was inevitable.

Before he had realized it, Katsuki had zoned out, missing a considerable chunk of the movie. With a renewed despair, the omega abruptly vocalized his frustrations.

"I'm through dating."

Immediately Deku put the movie on pause. "Aww, don't say that Kacchan!"

"I just don't get it." Feeling pitiful and small, Katsuki drew his knees in towards his chest. "It's like this shit is on repeat. They know who I am from the start. Why?"

"Why do they run off like that?" Katsuki then turned towards the alpha. While it pained him to show Deku his pathetic side, the omega had to know for sure. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"You shouldn't take it personally." Taking Katsuki by the hand, the alpha offered an encouraging smile. "Kacchan, you are the most incredible person I know. You're hardworking, intelligent, fun, beautiful…"

In response to the barrage of compliments, Katsuki turned red. Averting his gaze, the omega took a sip of his drink. "Stop it."

Despite Katsuki's embarrassment, Deku pressed on. "Seriously, though! What's not to love? It's a good thing that guy is out of your life. The way I see it, he and all those other jerks were unworthy. You deserve only the best."

"Open your heart a bit." Deku continued, "Who knows? Maybe you have been looking in the wrong places. Perhaps your true mate has been under your nose this whole time!"

"Hah!" The notion was so absurd Katsuki couldn't help but laugh. "I fucking doubt it."

After their exchange, the omega continued to struggle internally. Anxious and full of self-pity, Katsuki zeroed in on his next set of issues: his upcoming heat and how he had royally fucked himself over.

Against his better judgment, Katsuki had invited Shinsou to share his heat. It was a bold move given the fact that they had only been dating for a month or so, but honestly, Katsuki didn't feel like he had much of a choice. He was sick of being the only virgin among his friends. And hell, maybe it would have given Shinsou a reason to stick around.

Ultimately, it was a dumbass move. So far gone into preheat, he was up shit's creek without a paddle. It was too late for suppressants. He had no choice but to go it alone.

The omega grimaced just thinking of his impending discomfort. Without a doubt, it was bound to be a nasty, sticky affair. Under the influence of mating hormones, his mental state would likely worsen. For days on end, Katsuki would be crying out, desperate for an alpha who couldn't give two fucks about him.

The omega lamented. If only there was a way to diminish the effects of his heat. However, in such a state, only an alpha could remedy his unease. Even the scent would be a great help if only to trick his mind into thinking he was not alone.

Then, out of nowhere a lightbulb went off in the omega's head. Looking at the man opposite of him on the couch, Katsuki knew just what to do.

"Oi." To get the alpha's attention, Katsuki kicked him lightly. "I want to ask you something."

With a raised eyebrow, Deku cautiously replied, "Okay?"

"First you've got to promise me." Katsuki folded his arms over his chest as he stared down at the alpha. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you will turn me down."

"Go on?"

"Promise." Katsuki went to kick him again, however, before he made contact, Deku took hold of his foot.

"Alright," The alpha gave his foot a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "I promise."

"My fucking ex put me in a pinch. You know, for my thing." Katsuki looked away, expecting Deku to fill in the blanks. "It would help to have an alpha's scent."

Flustered, Katsuki fumbled with his words. "Just a shirt or something for my nest."

At once the alpha's expression softened. In a voice so syrupy sweet, he replied, "Oh, of course, Kacchan!"

"I would do anything for you. You need only ask!" Smiling from ear to ear, the alpha quickly tugged off his sweater. "Take this for now. I'll bring some other things for you tomorrow."

Without any hesitation, Katsuki snatched the garment right out of Deku's hands.

As Katsuki nuzzled into the hoodie, his eyes fluttered closed. What a difference a scent could make. As if by magic, all of his troubles were washed away.

It was just what he needed: the brisk and hearty scent of an alpha. And not just any alpha, this was a man he trusted entirely. In times of strife, Deku was a shoulder to lean on, a protector of sorts. Any desire for Shinsou was effectively smothered out.

"Thanks." The omega whispered into the garment.

Deku appeared all too pleased by his actions. He was like a dog, oh so eager to be of use to his master.

Soon Katsuki pulled the sweater over his head. The garment swallowed his smaller form. Tucking his knees under the front to fill in the excess space, Katsuki let out a sigh in contentment.

"I've given you so much crap over the years." Katsuki peaked out from the hood drooping over his head. "Still. For whatever reason, you have always hung in there with me."

Typically, Katsuki's wasn't one for sappy nonsense. It was difficult to open up without feeling awkward. And yet, something about the moment felt right. Pondering over his delivery, the omega's face heated up in embarrassment. While his feelings were obvious, it was about time he put it all on the line. Fighting off the urge to hide his face, Katsuki was inadvertently timid in his delivery.

"You're my best friend."

After the words were uttered, Deku was quiet. It was odd. Given the alpha's sentimental tendencies, Katsuki expected him to overreact. Instead, Katsuki could have sworn he saw Deku's right eye twitch.

Katsuki wasn't sure what to think. As the seconds wore on, Deku's smile took on an unnatural air. Had he somehow screwed up? Insecure and uncertain, the omega's stomach started to churn.

Fortunately, Deku managed to snap out of it. Brightness returning to his eyes, the alpha spoke out in a chipper tone. "I'll bring some food over when I come back tomorrow."

And with that, the awkwardness was swept under the rug. Breathing a sigh of relief, Katsuki fell back onto the couch. "Ugh, spare me. Your cooking is awful."

The interaction was weird, but all the same, Katsuki didn't question it. Perhaps he was just being too sensitive. With his heat right around the corner, it was likely he had misread the moment.

"Well, it can't be helped," Deku replied matter of factly. "I need to look after you."

In response, Katsuki scoffed. As irritating as it was to be coddled, that was just Deku: always overstepping and annoyingly thoughtful. And really, Katsuki did need the help.

"One of these days you're gonna make some omega very happy," Katsuki replied, figuring it wouldn't hurt to pay the alpha a compliment for once.

"Oh?" Izuku countered teasingly, "Are you saying I'm making you happy, Kacchan?"

"Pssht." A slight smile gracing his lips, Katsuki made a show of rolling his eyes. "Just bring the shit before noon. Any later and I won't answer the door."

Afterward, their conversation dropped off and the movie was once again their main point of focus. No longer burdened by his sorrow, Katsuki started to think that Deku was probably right. Rather than give up on love, perhaps it would be in his best interest to expand his search.

While it was true that Shinsou was less of an idiot than his typical pick, Deku had never liked the other alpha. Had that been Katsuki's first mistake?

Was it possible that Deku's stamp of approval could have made a difference in his dating life? Obviously, Deku had a thorough understanding of his needs and desires. Hell, sometimes it seemed the alpha knew him better than he knew himself.

One thing was for sure, Katsuki reasoned, having hit rock bottom, the omega had nowhere to go but up.

Only when the credits began to roll did Katsuki mention anything to the man at his side.

"You should set me up sometime."

The suggestion appeared to catch the alpha by surprise. Like gaping fish, Deku's eyes were bulging, mouth wide open. Still, Katsuki continued on. "You said it yourself, right? Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places or whatever."

"Oh, I don't know Kacchan." Deku laughed nervously, "I don't think any of my friends fit the bill."

"And why not?" Katsuki pushed back. "If they are anything like you, I should be in good hands."

"What about that alpha you are always with?" The omega continued, "His hair color is split down the middle. Is he single?"

With an obviously forced smile, the alpha replied carefully. "Maybe we should talk about it some other time. You know, when things aren't so fresh?"

It was at that point when it dawned on Katsuki: dating Deku's friends were off-limits. It made sense. After all, when they inevitably broke up, the alpha would be put in a bind. With a sigh, Katsuki sunk into himself. Well, at least he tried.

In no time Katsuki found himself walking Deku to the door. On the way out, the alpha kept looking back towards him, pursing his lips together like he had something to say.

"Ugh." Katsuki groaned. "Just cut to the chase before you start muttering."

"Uh... okay," Deku replied sheepishly as he turned to face the omega in the entryway.

"Since you are going to use my stuff for your heat… I was thinking." A blush formed over the alpha's cheeks as he shyly looked away. "Would you like for me to scent you?"

Katsuki's response was immediate. "Nah, I'll pass."

The alpha doubled down. "Wouldn't it help you feel more comfortable?"

Katsuki really did appreciate Deku looking out for him. Even if he was sort of pushy, the omega trusted Deku had the best intentions. And really, the act of scenting was only a step above the level of intimacy they already shared.

And yet, in spite of all that, it was difficult for Katsuki to ignore his baser instincts. Something about the scenario felt wrong.

"I'm not that desperate," Katsuki spoke out with finality. "Plus, that's hella weird."

Upon Katsuki's rejection, Deku deflated. "Yeah, I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow, Kacchan."

After making his exit, Katsuki waved Deku off and quickly closed the door. He then proceeded to ready himself for bed.

Following a quick snack, the omega made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. As Katsuki wished death upon all of his mouth germs, so too did he scrutinize his reflection. All in all, the omega was a bit surprised. In his recollection of the day, Katsuki had for the most part struggled internally with his emotions. However, his splotchy reddened cheeks and the heavy bags under his eyes told a different story. Even more strange, for as shitty as he looked, Katsuki didn't feel half bad.

As the omega moved on to washing his face, he quietly reflected. Days such as these reminded Katsuki that it was not a sign of weakness to depend on others. Although it would take him a while to move past his pain, no question talking things out with Deku had him in a better place.

That evening Katsuki had expected no further interruptions. After settling into bed, he placed his pillow inside of Deku's hoodie and hugged it tightly. Comfortable and calm, sleep came easily for Katsuki.

Sadly, the omega's peace was short-lived.

Later that night while Katsuki was sound asleep, a visitor approached his doorstep. With no consideration for the time, the individual bypassed the doorbell altogether, instead slamming his fist against the wooden door repeatedly.

Having been jolted awake, Katsuki's heart beat wildly as he struggled to make sense of the world. On autopilot, he cast his covers to the side and tumbled out of bed.

Once on his feet, Katsuki glanced at the digital clock at his bedside. "What the hell!?"

It was three in the fucking morning! He told Deku to come early, but god damn!

Even as Katsuki trudged to the door, the pounding continued to reverberate through his apartment. Groggy and furious, the omega resolved to correct his previous mistake. Last time Deku had gotten off too easy. High-caliber morons only learned the hard way.

Katsuki flung open the front door fully prepared to give the alpha a piece of his mind. With no concern for his neighbors, he belted out, "Deku! What the fuck?! Do you even know what time…"

The instant he was hit by the scent of his visitor, Katsuki was wide awake, gobsmacked.

Katsuki could hardly believe the sight laid out before him. Shinsou had been the very last person he expected to see at his door. And his condition? It was nothing short of terrifying.

The omega had to wonder why Shinsou was at his doorstep of all places instead of the hospital. Clearly, Shinsou had been brutally attacked. Leaning on the door frame for support, every bit of the alpha's exposed skin was swollen and bruised. While his face wounds were crusted over, it was obvious Shinsou needed stitches by the way his skin peeled back to reveal distended red flesh.

Gripping the front of his shirt, Katsuki swallowed hard as he stood back in horror. Who on earth would do such a thing? And to what end? Yes. Shinsou was a prick. Admittedly, there were times Katsuki felt compelled to bop him upside the head. But that level of brutality? It was beyond the omega's comprehension.

While hushed, Shinsou's tone was urgent. "Let me in. We need to talk."

Without so much as a second thought, Katsuki stepped to the side, clearing the way for the alpha.