***Warning: Language, Bakugo's insults, masterbation (Only in the AO# , sexual tension, slow burn, mention of multiple partners, humor
***Please read on and enjoy!
Chapter 5: The Ghost In The Window
"Master Shoto, General Hawks is here," announced a servant to Shoto, who was reading in the library.
Shoto lifts his head from the book by the fireplace and gives permission for the servant to lead Keigo inside. He had to wonder if Keigo had seen his father yet; he's curious as to what excuse Keigo will come up with to explain the baby. So far, only he knew the truth about the baby's father.
Shoto didn't know what to expect when Keigo entered the room, but it wasn't in an omegaly, maternal way. Keigo was dressed in his red military uniform bearing the Legion of the Hawk sigil and rapier at his belt, along with a pistol. In his left arm, he was holding what has to be Shoto's nephew, but instead of holding him gently, Keigo was holding the baby like a sack of potatoes.
"Good morning to you, Master Shoto," Keigo greets merrily and closes the door behind them. "Or rather, dear brother-in-law."
"Dabi told me everything," Shoto said, standing up and walking over to greet his nephew. "May I see him?"
"Of course! The little guy is getting heavy, anyway." Keigo hands the boy to Shoto.
Shoto gently cradles the baby, as he's been taught to do, and moves the blanket from the small face. He let out a silent breath of relief to see that the baby resembled Keigo much more than his brother.
"Can you scent him for me?" Keigo asks. "Your daddy will smell Touya's alpha scent, but if yours is mixed in, I can pass it off as you nuzzling him."
Shoto smiled softly. "Yes, I can do that. What's his name?" He asks while nuzzling the baby's neck.
"Eh, he hasn't got one yet,"
Shoto looked at Keigo with surprise. "Why not?"
Keigo leans back against the wall and says, "I told your rotten, sneaky brother that if he doesn't return to us, his mate and son, I will not name the boy after him. It's petty, I know, but I want your brother to keep his head about him while undercover and not make any rash judgments. The fact that he left at all still doesn't sit right with me. And I heard that Bakugo has disappeared."
Shoto hands the baby back to Keigo. "We're searching for his whereabouts. Using Tokoyami's magic, we know that Bakugo is alive but staying at a fishing town on an island...with an omega...who's caring for his injuries."
"You seemed threatened by this other omega,"
"Wouldn't you be?"
Keigo shrugs his shoulders, shifting the baby to his right arm. "Not really. But, to be honest, I don't care much for Bakugo, and I know your brother doesn't, either. I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to my little darkling, Yami. He's like a son to me, and you know this,"
"...Bakugo has been with a few others besides Tokoyami. And your darkling has moved on from Bakugo, so there's no reason to bring up the past."
"But the hurt is still there, and that same hurt I can see in your face as well,"
Shoto doesn't reply.
"Yet, you're still in luck, marriage-wise. You still have your omega innocence. Your father will find someone else for you,"
Shoto squares his shoulders and narrows his eyes at Keigo. "What makes you think that Bakugo is giving up on me? I think he had cold feet and overreacted. Once we find him, we'll clear everything up."
Keigo gives him a pitiful look, then clasps his hand on Shoto's shoulder. "There are two things you can do. You can accept Bakugo when he comes back and forgive him of anything he may have...done….with another omega. Or, you can snap your fingers in his face and watch him fall from grace with hurt pride. He has more to gain by marrying and mating you, so he'd be foolish to throw all that away. But just make sure you're prepared for that confrontation."
"...I want him as my mate and husband."
Keigo chuckles softly. "You Todoroki boys are so stubborn!" He kisses Shoto's cheek. "I'll be hanging around here for a while to help you out, so don't hesitate to come and talk to your omega-in-law." The baby starts to whine and Keigo sighs dramatically. "And this one is as demanding as your brother! He's always hungry and complaining."
"I guess it's the omega in me, but I love my nephew already," he smiles softly.
"Let me go feed this little monster before his wails bring down the whole castle."
Shoto sits patiently by the fire until Keigo and his nephew come back. Shoto wasn't prepared for Keigo to push the boy into his arms.
"My arms need a rest," Keigo says with a sigh and plops down on a chair, his limbs sagging. "It's easier to fight an army than take care of that little bundle of energy." he chuckled. "I think it's harder to be a bearer than a general."
Shoto looks at the milk-drunk baby in his arms, cooing softly. "Are you unhappy to be a bearer?"
"Hm? What makes you say that?"
"You don't seem to care much...you carry him like he's a satchel bag."
Keigo laughs and says, "He's the only great thing I've done in my whole life. I'd send the entire kingdom's army to anyone who might try to hurt him. I would set your brother on fire if that's what I would have to do to save this boy. And my rapier would drain the blood from an enemy, slowly and painfully, if they lay one finger on that golden head." He smiles and adds. "So, what kind of desserts do you have? I'm starving and I could go for a tart!"
Shoto just stared at Keigo, dumbfounded, at how viciously fierce the general was a moment ago to the happy-go-lucky omega he is now asking for sweets.
"I can have some brought up for us," He says, then adds. "What are you going to tell my father to explain this child?"
Keigo gives him a lazy smile and shrugs his shoulders. "Whoops."
Shoto just stared. "That's all you're going to say?"
"Well, it's either he was a 'surprise', the stork brought him, I'm married to your brother, or simply 'whoops'. Less is more, Shoto."
Shoto hung his head in defeat.
Izuku was finishing up cleaning the plates when he heard the shuffle of boots coming up to his door. Bakugo heard them, too, turning to look towards the door. Izuku wondered who could be here this late in the evening- either it was something important or he was in trouble. Wiping his wet hands on his pants, he goes to the window and looks out to see the two guards from earlier. He frowns and swallows the lump in his throat.
"Stay here," Izuku tells Bakugo. "Please, don't say anything."
"Who the hell is it?" Bakugo asks.
"Please, just sit quietly! These are Kai's men, and they'll turn you in the moment they see you! I'll handle this,"
Bakugo watches as Izuku hesitates for a moment before opening the door and stepping out. Taking the walking stick, he hobbles over to stand next to the door to listen, out of sight and stands silent as a statue. He listens.
"It's late to be out," Izuku says to the two guards. "Is anything wrong?"
"We thought you'd like some company for tea," Says the first, his hands arrogantly on his hips.
"Um...now is not a really good time. I'm afraid I'm all out of tea,"
"Bullshit," hissed the other, jabbing Izuku in the chest with his finger. "You just don't want to let us inside. What are you so afraid of, Green Bean? There are two magistrate officers standing outside you're house, and you're going to deny us entry when we want it AND are entitled to it?"
Izuku refused to bend to their demands. "There is nothing here for you, so be on your way! This is MY home! The deed is in my name and my name only! I pay my taxes and tributes! And if you were true magistrate guards, then you would know that neither an officer nor guard can enter someone's home without a warrant, if their name is on the deed! That is not just Magistrate Kai's rule, but the king's rule as well!"
The first guard laughs, slapping a hand to his forehead. "You're not so dumb after all! But you forgot one little thing, Little Fishie," this guard flicks Izuku's nose. "That only works if it's an ALPHA'S name on the deed!"
Izuku's eyes widened as he realized that they were right. He stands frozen in place as the second guard shoves him back against the door.
"So, let us in, and we'll all have some fun," the other guard adds,
"Oh, we both take milk in our tea- Oh wait, you don't have that milk anymore, do you?" He mocked then clicked his tongue. "Guess you'll have to make up for it with-" The guard stopped talking.
The second guard looks to the first and sees that the other is looking at something, and he looks terrified. "What is it?" The guard turns in the same direction and his breath catches in his throat.
In the dark window stands an all-white figure of a man with angry red eyes and a vicious sneer. The two guards, trembling, take a step back then jump when two ghostly hands slam against the glass. The figure lets out a loud, violent roar, and the two guards trip over each other trying to run away.
"IT'S THE BLACK ROCK GHOST!" Shouts the first guard in terror, running after the other who tripped and rolled the rest of the way down the path.
Izuku, completely confused, looked at his window to see Bakugo standing there, covered all in white. He quickly goes back inside and says, "What the-" but stops when he sees the bag of flour is empty with footprints to the window. Bakugo was covered from the waist up with flour.
"That scared them shitless!" he laughed maniacally. "Did you see those two running like frightened little brats? That was priceless!"
"B-Bakugo…? How did- I mean- how did you think of this?"
"I read it in a book of lore about this island," he replied. "You said everyone on this island is suspicious, so I thought fast and gambled on my looking like a ghost to scare them away. I don't know what the Black Rock Ghost looks like, but I must resemble it in some way,"
Izuku smiles and laughs nervously, wiping a small tear from his eye. "You...you did this for me?"
Bakugo hobbled back over to the table. "You were failing out there," he says. "It was painful to watch." He sits down and stares hard at Deku. "You do know what they were planning to do to you, right?"
Izuku nods, rubbing the back of his head. "I...I thought I had outsmarted them."
"You should have punched them both in their big fat mouths! I've seen how you work, split wood, and lift up heavy things, Deku. Your fists could easily knock those guys out."
Izuku slumps his shoulders. "I know I can, but it's illegal for an omega to strike an officer or guard of the crown."
"Pfft. Not in the Royal City," he says. "Anyone can punch a guard or officer, so long as you can prove you had a fair reason to do so," Bakugo taps his fingers on the table. "That bastard Kai should know better,"
"He doesn't care about us," Izuku reminds him. "He's a tyrant, one I would like to take down myself," he says seriously. "We should get you cleaned up." Izuku wets a cloth and hands it to Bakugo, letting the alpha clean himself.
"I thought you said there wasn't any milk left at the market,"
Izuku had gone back to cleaning the kitchen area. "There wasn't,"
"That's not what the guard said," Bakugo countered. "Seems like you encountered them today. I bet they took the milk you were looking forward to, right?"
Izuku sighed softly. "Yes. They knocked it out of my arms and it broke on the road."
Bakugo wipes the flour from his hair. "Have you always dealt with alphas trying to force you like that?"
"No," Izuku replied. "To be honest, it only started happening more ever since word of the Revolution reached here. I think...they are starting to exercise their power by instilling greater fear in us to maybe stop more people from joining the Revolution."
Bakugo tossed the cloth at Deku's back. "I bet if you had the choice, you'd join the Revolution. You're the type of do-gooder to join a cause like that,"
Izuku quivered at Bakugo's suggestion. Did the alpha already know? Was he just guessing? What should he say?
"I...I just want things to be better for the kingdom's people- the lower births, the commoners, the peasants, the surfs...everyone who doesn't have a noble title or old bloodline. Our country could be greater than it is if people like me had more freedoms and choices. I wouldn't want to see anyone hurt or killed...I just want everyone to come to an understanding; be equals."
"There can never be full equality," Bakugo tells him. "It can be better, but it will never go away. It can't. You need a leader to make and uphold rules to ensure everything runs smoothly."
Izuku puts up the kettle for tea. "But you can agree that you can have a leader who isn't an entitled tyrant and still remain great?"
Bakugo stared at the hopeful green eyes and replied, "Yeah, I can."
"I knew you were a good man, Kacchan!"
"Stop smiling like that! You look like a mad man!"
"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that you, an officer of high rank, understand what I am trying to say! Don't you see that with the power you hold, you can help make all these changes? You really would be the Hero of the People!"
Bakugo didn't want to tell Deku about Shoto or the plans they had to carry out that are in line with Deku's philosophy. He also didn't want to tell Deku that he wants to be the de facto king. It's like Deku said, he would be a Hero of the People in multiple ways, and to win the commoners, the extras; those who make up the greatest population in the kingdom gains the utmost respect and power. The people will flock to him, become loyal to him, and he'll rule in his own way. So long as he is married to a Todoroki, the king cannot touch him. He would still be loyal to the king but would have his own subjects. Popularity has its own power.
"And I can help you!" Izuku says.
Bakugo scoffed. "You? Help me? In the way of politics? Hell no. You're just a fisherman and a farmer. I don't need your help. If I ever have trouble with the koi fish in my eventual pond, I'll call on you." Bakugo reached into the bowl in the center of the table to take a piece of dried fruit only to suddenly have it snatched from his fingers. "Hey! What did I do? Piss you off? Your face is red, and with those freckles, you look more like an angry strawberry than an angry broccoli!" he laughs at his own insulting joke but stops when the same piece of dried fruit hits him right between the eyes. He glares dangerously at Deku. "Did you just throw dried fruit at me?"
"I did, and I'll do it again!" Izuku threatened, though his voice was slightly trembling.
Bakugo felt his chest swell with a deep intake of breath as he tried to control the unfamiliar feel of rage that was ready to explode inside of him; all because of a piece of dried fruit. He has had arrows shot at him; stones, pistol bullets, cannonballs, knives, and axes, but never ONCE did someone throw fruit at him. It shouldn't bother him as much as it is, and Bakugo didn't know if he was actually angry at himself for letting something like this get to him or is angry at Deku.
"I'll teach you to throw fruit at me!" Bakugo shouts and without thinking, tries to stand up normally. He immediately tumbles to the floor, landing hard on his good arm. Gritting his teeth, he says, "Get over here, you good for nothing bottom-feeder!"
Bakugo used his good arm and leg to drag himself towards Deku, growing all the more enraged when the bastard omega had the nerve to cross his arms and tap his foot. The omega, this extra, this COMMONER, is looking down at him. HIM!
"I'll kill you!" Bakugo threatens.
"You'll have to catch me first," Izuku countered, calmly walking away and sitting on the bed. "Well? I'm waiting?"
He was being cruel, he knew this, but Bakugo would have to give up eventually. Izuku wasn't surprised that Bakugo continued to crawl towards him, looking like a demon that had just risen from the depths of the earth. In the dim lighting, Bakugo gave the appearance of something terrifying; the monster under the bed or the creature in the closet to light. Izuku felt a tremor of fear. But then, Bakugo collapsed to the floor with a stream of short moans. He was in pain! He must have hurt himself! Izuku quickly got up from the bed and knelt at Bakugo's side, asking if he was alright. The answer came with an arm around his neck as he was pulled into a chokehold. Struggling and gasping for air, he claws at Bakugo's forearm but the muscles were too hard. His feet kicked and scraped against the floor, trying to break the hold but he was no match for alpha strength.
"How do you like that, eh, omega?" Bakugo hisses with delight. "You fell for that old trick!"
Izuku couldn't believe how strong Bakugo was for someone who is wounded with two broken bones. Bakugo might not know it, but he was letting off alpha pheromones while establishing dominance. If Izuku were another alpha, he would either grow fierce with the need to fight and kill or stand down. But he was an omega; with a body and nature ever submissive to that of an alpha's. Izuku stopped struggling; not because he was giving up but due to the semi-hard erection he had sprung. A warm stream of slick gathered at his inner thighs and if he could smell it, then Bakugo could.
Bakugo let go of Deku's neck when he caught the scent of omega slick. He kept his weight on his forearm as he stared down at the panting, flushed omega that somehow looked both frightened and filled with wanton need. Bakugo would have thought Deku smelled of fish, musk, or mushrooms, scents he hated, but it was none of these. Deku had the scent of the ocean just before a summer storm. A calm before the storm. It was a unique smell, one that Bakugo didn't think an omega, or anyone, could possess. The scent wasn't something physical. Shoto's was that of warm honey while similar to rosemary, and various other omegas he'd been with barely smelled of anything. Deku's scent is faint right now, but if the omega were in full heat or arousal, the smell would be overwhelming; and he, too, was aroused by it.
Turning away from Deku, Bakugo says, "The kettle is starting to whistle."
He hears Deku shifting behind him and then feels hesitant, trembling arms gently embracing him. He doesn't move as Deku's shaking fingers and rough palms lightly stroke his chest and stomach. Deku's lips and nose were resting in the crook of his neck, taking in his alpha scent. Bakugo knew that Deku was lonely, which made him desperate. Desperation in omegas often causes them to make mistakes. Bakugo is an alpha that has almost full control over his alpha instincts before he can be that mistake to an omega.
However, Deku's touch and gentle scent had him feeling a tingle of warmth in his chest. Bakugo felt his eyes grow wide as he knew what that feeling meant. It meant the beginning of a bond. He did not feel it with anyone, not even with Shoto, though he figured it would come in time. He has to do something fast. If he were to give into instincts and let Deku mount himself on his cock, then the bond will strengthen. Should that happen, he would lose all chances of being with Shoto, and it's Shoto who can give him everything he wants and needs to advance in life. Deku can't. Bakugo has to keep Deku from falling for him, and in return, keep himself from falling for Deku. He needs to do what he does best, and that's being cruel.
"Stop it," Bakugo says through grit teeth. "You stink of fish and sweat. I don't want to smell like you!" In the back, the kettle was now screaming with steam.
Izuku pulled away from Bakugo as if he had been burnt. Those words had hurt terribly. Izuku felt so embarrassed and even heartbroken at Bakugo's cruel rejection. He got to his feet and went to the hearth to pull the kettle from the fire. What had he been thinking? Of course, Bakugo would reject him, and Bakugo was in the right to do so. He needs Bakugo to help with the Revolution, not to be a romantic partner. He let his omega needs cloud his judgment, and yet the slick was still present between his thighs even though his erection had gone away. What if this ruined his chance to get Bakugo on their side?
'He says I smell,' Izuku pours the tea for them. 'I know I smell. I haven't had new clothes in a year. I work around fish and mud and wood. Water is needed for the livestock, for drinking and for cooking...not for washing.' He hands Bakugo the cup of tea at the table then goes to the window to gaze out at the sea. He can't face Bakugo right now. 'Maybe...maybe I can spare some water for a quick bath. I can use the soap bar for the dishes. It won't be perfume, but it will take most of the smell away.'
"I'm getting used to tea," Bakugo said, breaking the silence between them.
"It's good for you."
Silence fell between them again.
Early the next morning, Izuku rose before Bakugo. The alpha was snoring, still in a deep sleep. Izuku did his best to keep quiet as he heated up some water to use to bathe. He grabbed a clean cloth and took the bowl of hot water outside into the crisp winter air, shivering, and teeth chattering. He went into the shed, which was slightly less chilled than outside.
Still shivering, he stripped himself bare and soaped up the cloth. The warm water helped to chase the cold away but only for a moment. Izuku had to brace the cold, though, if he wanted to make himself more presentable to Bakugo. So, he scrubs hard at every inch of his flesh, even running soapy hands through his hair. In theory, he shouldn't be going above and beyond to please Bakugo, and alpha. Bakugo should like him for who he is and not what Bakugo thinks he should be; however, a little bath isn't too much to ask. Bakugo didn't smell too splendid, either, yet it still was not as bad as him. Fish and the ocean tends to stick with a person if they live and work around it their whole lives.
'If I smell better, then maybe Kacchan will let me sleep next to him in my bed,'
Izuku's hopeful smile turned to a frown when he felt his lower area tighten and began to harden. Blushing, he bites his lip and tries to will it away by running the now cold water on his skin but to no avail. His body was reacting to thoughts of Bakugo. There's no way he can go back into the cabin with a tent in his pants.
(Edited for FF- read scene on AO3)
"What has become of me?"
Dabi lowers his hood and looks up at the massive door leading into the mountain. He knew this was the right place because for the final mile, everything around him was gray, dying, or had been turned to ash. This was Tomura's territory. He walks up to the door and pounds on it with his fist. Hopefully, someone would hear him. If he hadn't mated and bonded with Keigo, he would most likely join Tomura's forces for real and not just undercover. And now he has a child. He doesn't want their son to grow up in a harsh world like he did; Dabi wants their son to have a happy, fear-free life. Everything he never had.
Tomura wants to destroy the world his son has just been born into; and Dabi wouldn't allow that.
The door opens slowly.
TBC
