Chapter 5

Katsuki might have gone slightly overboard with the last session, because now Izuku can't use his legs.

It's a bit pitiful actually: he remains curled up in a pile of blankets, trying to recuperate. Despite eating the bacon earlier, he now refuses food unless it's in very small portions. He also threw up twice which left him shaking and cold to the touch. It's possible that the herbs are wearing off and his hormones are starting to spike in ways that make him unstable. Unfortunately, his men need to start marching in the direction of the next kingdom to conquer and they can't wait for Izuku to recover if Katsuki wants to stay on schedule, so he assigned them to continue as he stayed back with some supplies and a tent to shelter Izuku and himself.

Uraraka wanted to stay but Katsuki rejected the offer, much to her dismay. He's capable of taking care of his own mate and luckily their camp was set up near some hot springs, which might prove to loosen Izuku's muscles once he's capable of moving properly.

Now that they're alone, Katsuki makes some space next to Izuku by piling up some blankets to sleep on. He lays down next to Izuku and hooks an arm around his waist, pressing his chest flush against Izuku's back. The omega doesn't react much at first, but once Katsuki pushes hips snug against the curve of Izuku's ass, that earns him an uncomfortable warning growl.

"Relax, idiot." Katsuki pulls him even closer and Izuku's shoulders stiffen as he's touched. "You're too damn anxious."

Izuku keeps himself turned away, vacantly staring at the wall of the tent as lips press against his neck. He doesn't even react when Katsuki's teeth start to

gnaw at his scent gland, playing with the raised bit of flesh, but after a few moments he starts to unknowingly relax. His muscles loosen bit by bit in the process as the alpha's tongue rolls over the gland, lapping at it until it starts to pulse with heat. Now that the suppressants are beginning to wear off, his body is starting to adjust and pick up common omega attributes such as turning limp when the scent gland is given enough attention.

But even so, Izuku doesn't turn to look at him. His eyes close and he gives a small sound as his body slackens, unwillingly exposing his neck even further as his head rolls onto the blankets. He seems so vulnerable and pliant, it takes everything Katsuki has to keep himself from spreading the omega apart.

The reason for his reluctance is timing. He has a keen sense of intuition and a sharp mind, so when Izuku claimed he had no problem riding him, Katsuki could practically taste the anxiety that oozed from his pores. The omega obviously hadn't told the truth but it was almost impossible for Katsuki to be angry. Taking the power of punishment and crushing it was a clever move, and it actually furthers his adoration.

Izuku Midoriya is a genius.

But unfortunately, he isn't thinking as strategic as he should be.

Ultimately Katsuki knows that the prince wishes to escape. He won't aim to kill unless he's given the opportunity but he's still a very clever opponent. Despite that, his pride and unwillingness to cooperate would prove to be his greatest weaknesses, and Katsuki is eager to exploit them. For now, Izuku is under the impression that sex is punishment for his actions, but what he doesn't know is that Katsuki was planning on stretching him out whether Izuku misbehaved or not. The omega needs to be ready for pups by the time his heat strikes, and when Izuku's ego keeps him from obeying commands, Katsuki can use those moments as an excuse for handling him how he wants.

And while he doesn't exactly need an excuse, as long as Izuku feels like the sex is his fault, his psyche will be damaged as he's crippled under the false knowledge that he could have done something to change the punishment's outcome. In fact, Izuku agreeing to ride him would prove to be a prime example. With each stretch of Katsuki's knot he gets one step closer to becoming inevitably subservient.

However, Izuku did have a point earlier: he only fights back when people hurt him first. It's a very concrete part of his reactions to things thus far, so Katsuki knows that if he's overbearing Izuku might begin to feel trapped... which will lead to the omega finding a way to murder him.

As much as he loves the thought—it's become a strange guilty fantasy of his that always manages to get him rock hard in a matter of seconds—he knows it's just not practical. He has to produce an heir before he starts to loosen the reins on Izuku's thirst for his blood. Death is just another experience that he's eager to achieve in the most intense way possible, but it must come last since it can only be done once.

Katsuki drags his lips up to Izuku's jaw, planting small kisses along his skin. It feels so smooth and perfect that it's a bit unreal, but it makes his heart feel full nonetheless. But as soon as his hand creeps downwards to the curve of Izuku's thigh, he earns another warning growl.

"You're so cute," Katsuki murmurs, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. Izuku finally opens his eyes and turns to glare back at him in response.

"If my hands weren't tied right now, they would be around your throat."

Izuku's voice is so dark and heavy that it fills Katsuki's veins with a dizzy heat, his cock filling with blood. Hiding the faintest of smiles, he lets his lips travel

back down to the scent gland as he draws his hand back from Izuku's thigh. The gesture makes the omega relax slightly but he doesn't close his eyes again, keeping himself attentive and vigilant. It's exactly what Katsuki would do and it makes his heart swell.

Izuku is smart and beautiful, but at the same time, he's feels so mysterious because he hardly talks (much less about himself). And now that Katsuki thinks about it, he doesn't know about his past or anything about him. He doubts it would be possible to coax Izuku to divulge the information but there are some things he already knows that could work to pry the rest of him open.

He shifts himself a bit closer, keeping his arm hooked around Izuku's waist. The cloak still wraps itself around him and the fur collar begins to reek of omega instead of alpha.

"What did you mean when you said your father was gone?" Katsuki murmurs against his neck, pressing another kiss into his skin. A few silent moments pass and he wonders if Izuku heard him at all. But right as he's about to nudge him a little, the omega replies.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm curious."

Izuku scoffs at that, but he seems tense and careful. "My family is none of your damn business."

"What if I cut the ropes around your arms?" he asks casually. "Then would it be my business?"

Izuku tips his head back to shoot him a glare filled to the brim with contempt. "I'd rather eat shit than tell you anything about myself."

His eyes burn like coals and it sends a rolling heat straight to Katsuki's cock,

because fuck, that look is always attractive on him. Clearly this was going to be a bit of a challenge—maybe even a mind game—but he would expect nothing less from such a stubborn prince. A rumbling purr rises in Katsuki's chest as he inches closer, meeting Izuku's gaze head on. It doesn't waver, not even slightly.

"I don't want to hurt you over this," Katsuki whispers. Bringing his hand up from Izuku's waist, he cups his face and strokes his cheek with his thumb. "Whether you like it or not, you're my mate and it's in our best interest to learn more about each other."

There's a shift in Izuku's eyes: it's something angrier and much more threatening. His jaw clenches and Katsuki feels the omega's pulse drum slightly faster beneath his skin, blood pressure rising.

"Don't call me that," he growls through grit teeth, voice strained.

"Call you what? My mate? " A grin slices across Katsuki's lips like a knife, sharp and dangerous. "You said it yourself just a couple days ago. Are you going back on your words?"

"I only did it so you'd leave me alone."

"What's wrong with acknowledging the truth?"

"Maybe it's your truth, but it's not mine."

"Then what am I to you, if I'm not your mate?" Katsuki asks, letting his thumb run over the omega's bottom lip. It's red and raw from Izuku's anxious biting, and it actually makes him look kissable. Izuku's gaze burns and a spike of heat flares through the bond. "You're a sheath for the knife I'll eventually get my hands on."

Katsuki growls softly as his cock throbs, and although Izuku tries not to react, it's obvious that he can sense the bulge pressing against his thigh now. It's hot, heavy, and starting to dribble a bit of precum through the alpha's trousers.

"How would you kill me?" Katsuki purrs. "Or rather, where would you stab me? Would you make it slow or fast?"

Izuku grimaces in response, trying to shift away from the erection. "Are you getting off to this?"

"Maybe a little," he admits. It's difficult to keep his mouth from watering so he tries to bite back his arousing thoughts. "You're sick," Izuku mutters, attempting to take the perverse situation in stride as he shrinks back. "You're really, really messed up. Deep down in the core of whatever you are, there's something warped and twisted and wrong."

"Is that why you hate me?"

Katsuki doesn't get an answer and Izuku stays begrudgingly silent. A small smile plays on the alpha's lips before he presses his face into Izuku's neck. It's warm there, and omega scent wraps around his brain to fill him with a softness that feels like home. He's infatuated, enamored, in love. There's no particular word he can settle on but he knows that Izuku gives him this particular feeling that makes his heart beat faster, the tips of his fingers buzzing with giddiness. He wants to know everything about him, he wants to hold him close and keep him here forever.

Humans don't truly need what they weren't born with, or so he thought. Katsuki entered this world alone and he had no issue with living alone, dying alone. But now his mind drifts to what Izuku had said earlier... when Uraraka had cleaned him and his wounds, did she really use something to amplify Izuku's scent? And if so, was Izuku's reasoning correct? Did she do it so Katsuki would feel more attracted to Izuku, even subliminally, so he would keep him

close? So he wouldn't be alone? What is wrong with being alone?

And additionally, why would Uraraka care? Perhaps she feels like she owes him, and if her loneliness was erased after joining Katsuki's army, she would want to return the favor (quite literally). He would have to speak to her about it later because he has so many questions and far too little answers.

In the meantime, Katsuki wants some kind of distraction from the thoughts that whirl in his mind. He can't fuck Izuku right now because his hormone levels are erratic after what happened last time, but maybe there's another way he can distract himself all while learning more about Izuku...

Katsuki runs his hand up the side of Izuku's bound forearms, his palm sliding over the ropes. When he reaches the top, his fingers work at the knot that keeps them tied together so tightly. Izuku notices this and tenses, obviously surprised and simultaneously relieved that the binds are coming off. However, he's a bit cautious as well: he takes side glances at Katsuki to search for malicious intent but he stays quiet, clearly ready to be freed.

When the ropes loosen, Katsuki slips them off to let Izuku rub his skin. There's constricting red marks that wrap from his elbows to his wrists, coiling around his arms like dark angry snakes. Izuku glances up at him, apprehensive.

"Come here," Katsuki murmurs. He rolls on his back and pulls Izuku on top of him, and as he straddles the alpha, the Izuku's eyes widen slightly. "Bakugou," Izuku starts, shifting with discomfort, "I can't ride you right now, I don't feel good."

"I don't want you to ride me," he assures him, drawing Izuku's hands to his throat. "I want you to squeeze."

The prince blinks and his brain seems to lag a moment, his expression morphing into one of confusion. His eyes narrow as suspicion flickers

through the bond, and that makes the corner of Katsuki's mouth quirk up into a sly smile. Izuku isn't amused at all, however.

"You want me to choke you...?" he asks tentatively. His voice cracks slightly and he looks unsure, as if this could possibly be a trap. Katsuki gives a soft rumbling purr, gaze traveling up Izuku's arms. Despite being an omega it's obvious that they're just as muscled and toned as his thighs. He's not sure about his hand strength but he knows that he can stop Izuku before it gets too far. The prince will probably try to kill him though because that's only logical in a situation like this.

After a few moments, Izuku is still frozen in place. His hands are wrapped around Katsuki's throat but his grip doesn't tighten, cold palms pressing against the alpha's calm and heavy pulse. Beneath the red cloak draped around his shoulders, there's a visible shakiness to Izuku that's... strangely unexpected. He's cautious and nervous, like he doesn't want to do this for some reason. His gaze seems void as well, as if he's distant and detached.

"What are you waiting for?" Katsuki asks, licking his lips. "Don't you want to please your mate?"

Izuku is forcibly jolted back to reality at that statement, his nostrils flaring with anger. Eyes darkening, he shifts his weight on the alpha's hips and his grip immediately tightens around his throat.

Katsuki's chest hitches as his hand instinctively shoots to Izuku's forearm, clasping and holding it there. He doesn't want to scare the prince away so he keeps his grasp gentle but firm, and judging from the expression on Izuku's face, he still looks a bit cautious and unsure. His hold on Katsuki's throat is stiff but steady, cold fingers pressing against the alpha's even pulse. It's obvious that Izuku is uncomfortable, so Katsuki lets his eyes flutter shut as he sinks into darkness. It's better this way because he can focus on the intensity that surges in his veins.

Under normal circumstances Katsuki can hold his breath for several minutes. But with the heat of arousal pumping through his blood, his lungs start to burn, his throat aches in protest, his heart thuds in his ears. Suddenly the hands loosen around his neck and he sucks in a desperate breath of air before it's cut short, Izuku's grip tightening again. Katsuki's head spins and his body shudders in surprise, giving a hungry choking sound as he feels his erection rub against Izuku's crotch.

It takes a lot of hand strength to strangle someone for several minutes straight, and despite how toned Izuku is, it's obvious that he needs to take breaks every dozen seconds or so. It must be so frustrating, since it's obvious he wants to kill him: every time Katsuki feels the air waning in his lungs, Izuku releases his grip for a few moments before squeezing once more. It's a blur of sensations that sweeps him into another world, the steady thud of his pulse drumming in his ears. He barely sucks in enough oxygen to stay conscious, seconds melting into long, breathless minutes that make his mouth water. The only thing that grounds him is his grip on Izuku's arm, holding it tightly for support to keep himself from slipping away entirely.

And for the first time in what feels like hours, Katsuki stares up at Izuku with half- lidded eyes.

He can't see much as smudges of color obscure the edges of his vision, dark spots littering the area around him, but the vivid image of Izuku straddling his waist looms before him. The blood red cloak clings to his frame, the muscle rippling under the fabric every time he tightens his hands around Katsuki's throat. His pupils are full and dilated from the alpha scent that lifts in the air, but...

Tears roll down his cheeks, streaking them with wet trails. There is an unmistakable anguish that pulses through the bond, twisting in Katsuki's heart like a bloody knife.

He's crying.

Why is he crying...?

He can't help how much his cock throbs: it aches so much that it's physically painful to be this hard. Lifting his hips slightly, he gives a choked groan as he rubs his crotch against Izuku's in an attempt to get off. The friction sends a rolling wave of heat through his abdomen and he moans softly,

And suddenly, Izuku snaps.

Hopelessness, misery, grief: it floods the bond all at once and he starts to sob. The sorrow burns like acid and fuck, it hurts it hurts it hurts. Katsuki's pulse thuds with panic and once Izuku releases his throat again, he yanks the hands away from his neck so he can finally breathe properly. Air rushes to his lungs all at once and it fills him with relief, but Izuku's emotions are too overwhelming, too intense for him to take.

He feels every inch of pain, every pang of agony, every tormenting spike of rage that hammers through the bond. It's suffocating and it feels like his entire body is on fire, burning him up from the inside as Izuku curls in on himself and wails. The sound makes it feel like his heart is ripping in half, the piercing scream plunging straight to his guts.

His first thought is that it's a result of hormones going out of control, but piece by piece, the situation slowly starts to come together in his mind. The vomiting, the mental distance, the avoidance, the dissociation, the emptiness, the sobbing: these must be the mental repercussions of learning his place and they're starting to take their toll. One isn't born an omega, they must learn to become one. Izuku was raised as an alpha his entire life so the adjustment must be torturous. Coming to terms with being Katsuki's mate and forcibly bearing his pups will obviously take some getting used to, so these meltdowns

will probably become more frequent.

Katsuki sits up and lets go of Izuku's arm as the omega yanks back quickly, curling in on himself and pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes to stop crying. He's trembling and shaking, but when Katsuki reaches out to touch him, his hand is immediately smacked away as the purest spike of burning hatred races through the bond.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Izuku spats, voice sharp and broken. "Just leave me alone, you monster!"

The word takes Katsuki by surprise and the blood in his veins freezes. Nausea rises in his throat, but he swallows it back down along with the anger that itches in his chest. "You were fine with everything up until now. I don't see what the hell the problem is—"

"You don't see the problem, huh?" Izuku snarls. "You're getting off on my worthless attempt to kill you, I am hurting and you think this is just some disgusting, arousing joke! My misery is your torture porn!" Katsuki narrows his eyes and begins to pry Izuku's hands off his face, gripping his wrists so tightly that the omega gives a strained cry.

"Let go of me!"

"You're mine, I'll touch you how I want."

That makes Izuku's hands curl into tight fists and his eyes burn with the type of rage that can only be found churning in the depths of Hell. "I am not yours."

"You're not royalty anymore, Izuku. You're my mate," he purrs, inching closer. "It's in your biology. You were made to be beneath me because you're an omega."

Izuku's nostrils flare as hot tears roll down his cheeks faster this time. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Katsuki murmurs, drawing near until his lips brush against Izuku's ear. With Izuku on his lap like this, his cock aches and throbs whenever the prince shifts with discomfort: the friction just makes him more aroused than he already is. "There aren't many omegas left in this world, you know. And even then, none of them are like you."

"I don't want your compliments."

"Compliments are for the vain," the alpha whispers. "They're for those with fragile egos and a deadly case of self obsession. But you're different and you're strong. Powerful, even."

Izuku's growls again. "Then treat me like it instead of acting like I'm an object to be owned and possessed."

"You're both, though: you belong to me and you're the fiercest omega I've ever met."

"I'm not an omega."

"Are you saying you're an alpha then?" Katsuki asks curiously.

Izuku looks away and silence hangs in the air for a few brief moments. A dozen seconds tick by, and then another dozen. After a bit of time, there's a twinge in the bond and Izuku meets his gaze again: tired eyes stare through his soul, hollow and vacant. The anger has dissipated and he's only left with a distinct emptiness that Katsuki recognizes all too well. A coping mechanism, perhaps?

"All you want is to learn more about me, and you think that you can trick me into talking about myself?" Izuku speaks quietly. There's a tremble to his voice and his cheeks are still wet with tears: he's exhausted but not yet completely broken.

There's another long pause and Katsuki cocks his head to the side. "How did you

know that's what I wanted out of this?" "The bond works both ways you know.

Maybe you forgot."

Huh. His interest must have oozed through and Izuku sensed it. Katsuki will have to be more careful with his emotions from now on if the omega picked up on his intentions... but at the same time, it means that Izuku's body is becoming more receptive to the bond. Whether it's a willing or unwilling effort is obviously up for debate, though: the image of Izuku's head rolling back with a moan has burned itself into Katsuki's brain.

"I wouldn't have forgotten something like that," he murmurs, lips pressing against Izuku's jaw. His skin feels cold and lifeless to the touch. "You're my mate, after all, and you might not agree but that's what we are. It's how I see you even if it's not how you see me." Surprisingly, the omega's eyes don't flash this time. His stare is flat and steady, and for the first time, he seems unreadable. Katsuki reaches through the bond to sense even the slightest shift in emotion but there's nothing tangible he can grasp. Once he feels like Izuku won't attack him, he lets go of the omega's wrist—it hangs towards the ground, limply—and he pulls the cloak back around Izuku's frame to keep him warm.

"Our pups will be strong," Katsuki continues with a soft, rumbling purr. "I'll mate with you as many times as it takes to have the ones I want and the ones you deserve. A powerful omega needs powerful offspring, and I know they'll surpass us both."

Izuku brings his hand up and Katsuki almost thinks he's going to lash out, but he weakly wipes away his tears with his forearm instead. He's quiet for

several moments, shrinking in on himself, but he finally speaks.

"Bakugou."

"Yes?"

"You're hurting me."

Katsuki tilts his head—he's not sure what he expected, but it definitely wasn't something so simple —and he takes Izuku's chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You're hurting yourself. The more you resist your place, the more pain you'll experience. It's a cycle of self destruction that you need to escape from."

"You're forcing me to be something I'm not," Izuku says more insistently this time. "I'm not subservient to people. I was raised to be an alpha and a ruler. I am still that person."

"You can still be that person. You'll just be below me."

Izuku's eyes soften at that. Katsuki attempts to search the bond but there's still nothing he can feel, and frustration bubbles up in his core. How is he getting so good at hiding his emotions?

"You say you want to know me," the omega speaks slowly, carefully, "but when I express who I am, you reject it and you punish me. You don't care about what I want or what I'm made of, you only care about how you can coerce me into being someone who can please you and fulfill your needs."

"I see it as helping you reach your potential. It's a combination of positive and negative reinforcement," Katsuki replies with a grin.

"You want to take my determination and run it into the ground," he clarifies.

"You're hurting me, and the more you pull me close, the more I'll push away."

"I have no choice but to pull you close."

"Why?"

Katsuki shrugs. "You'll run away if I don't."

"And you don't think that's very telling?" Izuku asks, voice thin. "You call yourself my mate but you acknowledge that I don't want to be here at all."

"There may be things we don't like to do, but in the long run, they can help us. Whatever you become will be ten times greater than you were before."

The omega doesn't reply to that, looking away as he chews on his inner cheek. It seems like he's finished arguing for a while, so Katsuki pulls him close and tucks Izuku's head under his chin. He feels limp in his grasp and Katsuki thinks that yesterday's punishment definitely took its toll, but at least he's a bit more tranquil now. Hopefully Izuku will become more receptive to his position with time, but if Katsuki has to use cruelty in order to make him submit, then so be it.

Sometimes a little violence is needed to put people in their place.

Chapter End Notes