Katsuki's mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts that had him panicking.
You see, as the school years passed in U.A, his relationship with the Nerd had gradually begun to repair. They spent more time together, by working together to better themselves. They had eventually developed a friendship that neither of them thought possible, with the simple fact that whenever they were together, they were better. Their marks improved by bounds when they studied together. Their fighting competency got better after every sparring match. Their personal lives became easier when they shared their frustrations.
It was when they had graduated U.A that Katsuki was faced with a confusing desperation to keep Izuku near him. They had both gone their separate ways when they graduated, but Katsuki found every excuse in the book to keep seeing Izuku in any capacity he could. When his flatmates had moved out after finding partners, and Izuku's had done the same, Katsuki immediately jumped at the idea of rooming with Izuku.
It was also after a particularly bad fight with a villain where Izuku had landed up in the hospital for a month that he came up with the idea of opening an agency with the Omega so that he could keep him even closer as a means to keep an eye on him and keep him safe. Izuku had jumped at the opportunity to open their own agency.
He couldn't understand his desperation to keep the Omega in his sights and never let him go. He was starting to think something was wrong with him. For some time it was difficult to act normal around the Omega. It came to a point where Izuku had confronted him and asked if he had done anything wrong and Katsuki had come up with an excuse that work was piling up and he was just stressed. The Nerd then worked on hiring more people to help lighten the load and Katsuki had made an even bigger effort to hide his feelings.
When the scandal came out, Katsuki was devastated. Had the Nerd been hiding a lover? He felt betrayed because as far as he knew, they never hid anything from each other. They were always open to each other with whatever was happening in their lives.
That day when Izuku got home, he decided to confront the nerd and ask for the truth. Katsuki was always able to tell when the Nerd was lying and when he saw nothing but the truth in those eyes, so he was finally able to relax and feel the anxiety wash away.
That's when he came up with the plan to "court" Izuku. Not only would it help dispel all the pregnancy rumors, but it would also keep the Nerd close to him. The feeling in his chest at the notion of courting the Omega was difficult to describe, but it wasn't something he had ever felt before so he wasn't able to understand what it was.
The day he spent with the Nerd had enlightened him in ways he never thought possible and he hoped that the plan would work. He didn't find it easy to open his heart and the fear of losing his closest friend was consuming him. However, he was determined to see this through and hoped he could use the time to figure out what it was that was making him feel like this.
It was now late in the day and he was busy cooking a light meal of miso and gyoza, something light yet still filling. He knew that Izuku's full heat would either start early tomorrow morning or in the afternoon and he needed to make sure that the Nerd was well fed before it began.
With what he learned in his dynamics class in middle school, he knew that when Omegas went into heat, they wouldn't be coherent and ended up incapacitated during this time. He was glad that the Omega was on suppressants: he wasn't sure he would be able to handle Izuku if he was like that. He would just end up with mild cramps and flushed with warmth.
Katsuki's ears heated up with the thoughts running in his head. Thinking of the Omega and his heat was making it very difficult to keep his mind on the plan. His scent that permeated the air was also muddling with his mind. He needed to keep his focus and phone his agency to let them know that himself and Izuku would be off duty for the next three to four days. He let the Miso simmer on the stove while he did that.
Once the phone call and Miso was done, he plated up the food and took it to the dining table. He wanted to see if he could get the Nerd to eat there before he was confined to his nest from tomorrow onwards.
He made his way to the Nerds room and stuck his head in the open doorway. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. The Omega was cuddling the pillow that Katsuki was using, his face smushed into it.
"Hey Nerd." The call made Izuku's head shoot up from the pillow, his face lax with sleep and his curls sticking up all over the place. When his gaze landed on the Alpha, he let out a small chirp. Katsuki had to hold back a chuckle. "Think you could come to the dining room and eat supper? It might do you some good to move a bit before your heat fully starts."
The Omega slowly sat up, his limbs heavy with sleep. "Yeah okay, the cramps aren't so bad right now." He let out a small yawn behind his hand. "The hot water bottle helped, thanks Kacchan." Katsuki watched as Izuku crawled to the edge of his nest, shakily pulling a leg over the edge.
"Need help there Deku?" He walked into the room and stood in front of the Omega.
Izuku looked up at him, his face still half hazy and flushed. "Hmm…"
"Alright you lazy ass." The Alpha reached down and put his hands under Izuku's armpits. "Let's get you up." Hefting him up onto his feet, allowing a moment for the Omega to find steady footing. Maybe his heat was coming on sooner than anticipated. "Do you rather want me to carry you?"
Izuku simply nodded, letting Katsuki reach down to grab generous thighs and lift him up. The Omega let out a squeak but still wrapped his arms around the Alphas neck. Katsuki let out a chuckle at that. "Don't worry Nerd, I ain't gonna drop you." With that he walked out to the dining room and put Izuku down on a chair, then pushed him in. "Eat up before it gets cold." He then sat down in his own chair next to Izuku and they ate in comfortable silence. Katsuki had to every now and then nudge the Omega to remind him to eat and not fall asleep at the table.
Once they had finished eating, Katsuki gathered all the dishes and put them in the sink. "Hey Nerd, do you need me to remake your hot water bottle?!" He called out loudly from the kitchen. When he got no reply, he walked back to the dining table and saw that the Omega was fast asleep with his cheek pressed against his arms on the table. Katsuki let out an exasperated sigh. He knew the other was tired, but didn't think he would pass out that quickly.
"Okay Nerd, let's get you back to your nest." He leaned down, pulled the Nerd into his arms, and without waking up, the Omega nuzzled his face into Katsuki's neck, right against his scent gland. He felt a shiver run up his spine from the feeling of Izuku unintentionally nuzzling there. He stood there stock still, momentarily questioning the reaction. It felt good to have the Omega to nuzzle there, and not in the platonic sense.
He mentally shakes himself and carries Izuku back to his room. He couldn't afford to think of things like this. It was just his Alpha taking advantage of the situation that there was a healthy Omega in heat for the taking and he couldn't allow his Alpha to cross that line. Izuku trusted him to take care of him during his vulnerable time and he was not willing to lose his best friend because his Alpha is sniffing where it shouldn't.
Not that he could find fault with the smell. Izuku's heat scent was absolutely delicious. The aroma curled up his nose with a hint of honey and slid down his throat like molasses. It sent a warmth spreading through his chest and further down, until the heat settled in his gut. His chest rumbled with a chuff before he realized he was nuzzling the Omega back. He had to grit his teeth and pull his face away from Izuku before he does something he would regret.
"Hmm Kacchan…"
He panicked at the sound of Izuku's voice, worried that the Omega had caught him in the act. He quickly shushed him. "Shh shh, go back to sleep, I'm just gonna put you in your nest." He leans down to place Izuku in his nest but is met with some resistance. "Deku?"
"You're warm…"
He couldn't see Izuku's face, but he was sure he was awake now. "Do you want me to make another hot water bottle?" Adjusting his stance, he knelt down on the edge of the nest, allowing most of Izuku's weight to lean into it.
"No…" Came the meek reply.
"Will the hot water bottle not be enough? Do you need anything else?" He tried to let go of the Omega now that he had most of him in his nest, yet Izuku refused to let go. "Oi oi come on now, I can't help you if you do this."
"It hurts…"
The words had him freezing in his actions, worry ripping through his mind. "What hurts Zuku?"
"The cramps, they hurt really bad."
"Well that's why I asked if I should make you another hot water bottle. It will help with the cramps." He repositioned his hands so that they rested in the nest, holding up most of his weight instead of his core muscles doing all the work. He was basically fully in the Omega's nest at this point, with him clinging around his neck in a vice like grip.
"No, it won't help any more."
He felt his heart sink at the reply. He didn't want his friend suffering anymore. "Is there something else that can help? Medication? Painkillers? Maybe something warm to drink? Tell me, what can I do for you Deku."
He felt Izuku hesitate in his breathing, as though he was thinking really hard on what he wanted to say. That usually meant that the Omega either wanted to say something difficult, embarrassing or hard to say. He just hoped it was something he could do to help. "Zuku? What is it? Can you look at me please?"
The arms around his neck loosened a bit before tightening up again. The Omega minutely shook his head.
"Zu, please?"
It took a second, but the arms let go of him eventually. When he pulled himself away, it was then that he finally noticed how the Omega's scent had changed, a fresh wave hitting him square in the face. It was so much thicker than before, leaving his throat dry but his mouth full of saliva. It spoke of pure need and lust. He caught himself pulling in a full lung of the scent, his body going stiff with the realization that Izuku's full heat had finally hit.
Izuku timidly looked up to Katsuki before speaking. "Well…" He licked his lips before continuing. "...There is only one thing that could really help, but I know you won't do it, so it's not right that I ask."
He said there was something that could help but won't ask? Well screw that, he needed to know. He would do anything to help Izuku. "Deku, just tell me. If I can help, then I want to. I don't want you to suffer through this. How do you know that I won't do it if you don't ask me? How is it fair that you decide that for me?"
The look on the Omega's face was that of guilt. "I'm sorry Kacchan, I just don't want to put you in that position where you end up doing something you might regret. You mean a lot to me."
"You don't know that Nerd. You haven't even told me what it is, how can you be so certain that I won't do it without having any problems?"
With that, the Omega looked away with a thoughtful look on his face. His face was also becoming very flushed and he could feel, with how close he was, to how his temperature rose as the seconds ticked by. The scent was also getting even thicker if that was even possible to believe. "You promise not to get mad?"
"Look at me Izuku." When green eyes met red, he spoke with firm words. "I promise I will not get angry at you for asking me to do something, especially when I have asked you what it is."
Izuku let his head fall forward and crashed it against the Alpha's chest. The words spoken next were mumbled and the Omega's hands gripping the nest showed white knuckles. "I didn't hear that Nerd, you need to speak up."
"A KNOT!"
The exclamation shocked Katsuki into silence, then the word sank in and his eyes widened. A knot? That meant that Izuku was saying that he needed a knot to alleviate the cramps? Was Izuku asking him for a knot? Well the Omega did say that he didn't want to ask that of him, which definitely meant that Izuku was asking him for his knot.
When the implication fully hit him, his mind was sent spiraling in different tangents. There was the fact that his Alpha hindbrain was going absolutely feral because this Omega had asked for its knot. There was also the fact that his best friend had asked him for his knot. What did he feel about this? Was he disgusted? Happy? Angry? Excited?
He had to give himself a few moments to let himself feel what was going on in his mind before he could come to a conclusion.
There was the fact that yes, he found Izuku attractive. Who wouldn't? He was this cute yet stacked Omega with the most pretty green doe eyes that could put any baby to shame. There was also his equally luscious green curly hair that was softer than silk. Not to mention that he had thighs for days that everyone drooled over. He might be emotionally stunted, but he wasn't blind. He knew the Omega was a good catch physically.
That wasn't all there was to him though. Not only was he a very physically beautiful person, but he was also a very beautiful person on the inside. He had a heart of gold and he wore it on his sleeve. He didn't care for whoever you were, if you needed help, he would help in whatever capacity that he could. It was also part of his bleeding heart. Then there was how smart he is. He had the capacity to outthink even the smartest of heroes.
When he heard a whimper, he saw that the Omega had pulled away from him and had burrowed his head under a blanket. "Oh no way, you ain't hiding away from me you little shit." With that, he wrestled the blanket of the Omega's head and pinned his hands down. Izuku still had his face hidden against the nest so Katsuki was unable to see whatever was his expression. He moved both of the Omega's hands to one of his and used his free hand to pull Izuku's face towards him. There were tears running out of the corners of his eyes that were closed tight and his face was so red that he was worried that he would overheat.
"Izuku, I need you to look at me right now."
When Izuku tried to shake his head in response, Katsuki leaned down further and squinted at him. "Zuku, look at me. Please."
The Omega slowly opened his eyes, releasing more tears that ran into his hairline, wetting the curls there. The look on his face said that he was scared and embarrassed.
"Why did you think you were asking me that would make me upset?"
Izuku's throat bobbed as he swallowed, pulling the Alpha's gaze downward. The skin was flushed down past his neck, below the hemline of his top. Katsuki wondered how much further it went down, but when the Omega spoke next, his gaze shot back up to green orbs. "Be-because it-it would be taking advantage of you." His face morphed into that of shame.
The Alpha sighed and let go of the Omega's face. "Izuku, I'm not upset and you wouldn't be taking advantage of me because…"
When he didn't continue, Izuku frowned. "Because?"
"...Because I wouldn't be opposed to it." He was momentarily shocked at how that statement felt so true in his mind, his Alpha side chuffing in delight at the thought.
When the Omega's eyes widened in shock, Katsuki was quick to add. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but when it comes to you, I'm willing to do anything."
"Anything?" Izuku's voice sounded breathless.
"Yes, anything. It's been like this since high-school. I don't know how to explain what it is but there is something about you that has me putting you in my every thought and when you ask me for something, I have this craving to fulfill the request or I'll go mad. So really, you could ask me anything and I would do it."
There were new tears in Izuku's eyes. "Kacchan…"
"I know this sounds creepy and probably much worse than you asking me for a knot,-" The Omega's face turned an even deeper red if that was possible. "-but it's what I feel, and I'd understand if you get upset at me. I know this sounds like preferential treatment and it isn't fair because I don't do this for any of our other friends but…"
"Wait Kacchan!" His words were stopped at the Omega's outburst. "Just-just hold on a minute. You mean to say that I'm the only one you feel this way about?"
When the Alpha nodded, Izuku giggled. "And you say you are willing to do anything for me? Why is that? Why do you feel that way?"
Katsuki glanced away. "I'm not sure, all I know is that when it comes to you, I have no morals and it's frustrating. When I think of you, I feel things that I have never felt with anyone else before so I don't know what it is because I don't have prior knowledge of it."
"Oh my god Kacchan! Not everything can be explained by mainstream thoughts! This is something to do with emotion, which lets be honest, is not one of your strong points."
Katsuki growled at the insinuation.
"Wait Kachan, just sit up quickly, I wanna ask you some questions, maybe It will help us understand a bit better."
Katsuki leaned back in the nest and sat down while Izuku sat up and crossed his legs.
"Okay Kacchan, simple question. Does the thought of hugging me upset you?"
"No." Was the quick reply.
"Okay, and does the thought of hugging Denki upset you?"
Thinking of hugging the other Omega irked him a bit. "Not really, I don't really like it but I don't push away anymore."
"Okay. Does the thought of kissing me upset you?"
Katsuki didn't take long to reply but it wasn't as instantaneous. "No, it does not." And he was surprised he felt that way.
"And does the thought of kissing Denki upset you?"
The Alpha's face pulled into one of disgust. "Very much, but I don't really like doing much with someone that annoys me on a daily basis."
"Okay fine, does the thought of kissing Momo upset you? You have a lot of respect for her."
"Yes, the thought makes me uncomfortable."
"Right, so you wouldn't want to kiss either of them, but you don't have an issue if you had to kiss me. So ask yourself this. Do you want to kiss me?"
The Alpha took a moment to think it over to be able to give a fair answer. The thought of kissing Izuku was not unpleasant, in fact, it sounded very pleasant. The thought of his lips being pressed against the Omega's had the warmth from earlier returning to his gut. "Can I ask something before I answer?"
"Yeah sure, you can ask me anything Kacchan."
"What does it mean when I think about kissing you and my stomach feels warm? Like warm warm?" The squeal the Omega let out jolted Katsuki.
"Kacchan! Before I answer, can I try something?!"
The Alpha squinted at the other in suspicion. "What do you want to try?"
"Just trust me on this and close your eyes." The Omega had this excited look on his face and it looked as though he was ready to jump from it.
Katsuki took in a deep breath then let it out with a deep huff. "Fine, but no funny business." He closed his eyes and waited.
"Don't get a fright, but I'm gonna come closer."
"Just get on with it Nerd, I ain't got all night and I still want an ans-"
He was cut off when something soft and plush pressed against his lips. His eyes shot open and he had to squint hard to see that Izuku was kissing him. He felt the warmth in his gut get higher in temperature and his heart starting to beat erratically.
The Omega pulled away with a red face that he wasn't sure would ever go back to its normal color at this point. Katsuki still sat there with eyes wide open and silent.
Izuku kissed him. Izuku. His best friend. The one he would do anything for, had kissed him. And he wasn't upset in any way. In fact, he felt happy. Giddy happy.
The Alpha surged forward, closed his eyes and kissed Izuku in return, except this time he didn't allow the Omega to retreat and pulled him close by putting his hand on his nape and holding firm, pulling a surprised sound from his throat.
As the seconds ticked by, the kiss became firmer, and Katsuki angled his face just a little so that their lips would slot together just a little bit better. He could feel the Omega start to purr against his lips, feeling how hands gripped at his shirt and pulled closer. He indulged Izuku and allowed himself to be pulled closer to the other, the heat between them rising.
When they finally pulled apart, Izuku had a dazed look in his eyes and Katsuki was breathing a little bit harder.
"Kacchan…" His voice was breathier than before.
"Zuku…"
"I really liked that Kacchan." The Omega leaned forward enough to rub his nose against the Alpha's. "I want more."
"Zuku, what do you mean by more?" He couldn't stop himself from asking, he needed to know what this exactly meant. He knew that after that kiss, he definitely had some un-platonic feelings for the Omega, the thought had hit him like a tidal wave and he wanted to ride it to completion.
"Well Kacchan, you seem to be attracted to me from what I've gathered, and…" He drew in a deep breath before speaking again. "...maybe we could experiment further. We're close friends and at this point with everything we've been through, this wouldn't change what we are. It would also make my heats easier and I could also help with your ruts in future."
Katsuki wasn't sure he liked where this was going but he was also curious where it could lead. "Are you saying 'friends with benefits'?"
"Yeah, something like that, you know, during this whole 'fake courting' thing. We could use each other until we find someone else I mean. If that's okay with you?"
The Alpha felt his stomach drop. Izuku wanted them to use each other and nothing more. He couldn't say he liked it, but he did take away the ability for the Omega to find relief with anyone else. He knew the Omega had had partners before, but he was still a virgin. If this is all Izuku would be willing to give him, then he would take all he could.
"We-we can do that, but will it be fine for you?"
"I'm fine with it, how about you?"
Katsuki closed his eyes and leaned in further so that his lips would graze the others. "Yes." He then pushed forward to press their lips together in a kiss a little less timid than the one before and it slowly deepened as the minutes went by.