Chapter 9 - I Trust You Above Everyone

What a fucking, blithering, idiotic moron. How the fuck was he, the amazing Katsuki Bakugo, even considering wanting to court this dumb shit? He ignored the voice whispering in the back of his stupid head that the courting was the result of his being long in love with the omega, but seriously? Why did he have to fall for someone so incapable of taking care of himself?

Instant ramen? When fucking real ramen was so simple to make? What did Katsuki care if he had to fucking cook? Didn't he fucking cook every damn day? Was Izuku so dumb that he didn't realize that it was no effort to add to the pot, so to speak?

Dumb Deku.

Katsuki had to admit, however, that shopping for groceries with Izuku was probably the happiest thing they'd done together in a long time. Izuku kept trying to prevent him from putting stuff in the cart while Katsuki waved off his protests with a snarl. It was damn irritating, but it was also…fun? He had to fight off laughing at Izuku's expressions whenever they 'fought' over the ingredients Katsuki kept adding.

When he protested the cost, Katsuki offered to pay for half, since, he argued, he was making meals for him and for Izuku. Paying half made sense. Izuku backtracked and said that that he wasn't worth all this fuss, which only got Katsuki fired up enough to shout at him that he was a fucking alpha taking care of an omega and fuck off if he didn't want his help!

Izuku had to apologize profusely to a woman who pressed her hands over her young child's ears when Katsuki started swearing.

"Please don't blast anyone, Kacchan!" Izuku begged. "And please watch your language!"

"Fuck off, Deku!"

Katsuki didn't buy…much. It was only for four days, after all. Still, Izuku eyed the six large carry bags on the checkout counter after they had paid. "Seriously? This is a lot, Kacchan."

He snorted, taking four of the bags and leaving the two lightest for Izuku. "I have to make three meals a day, idiot. And between meal things. And your damn electrolytes. I read you need high protein and carb heavy meals. Preferably some stuff with magnesium and iron as well."

Izuku paused in reaching for the two remaining bags and stared at him with those damned big doe eyes. "Y-you read about this?"

Katsuki felt his cheeks redden, so he looked away. "Of course I did," he huffed. "I've never taken care of an omega before."

Fuck, if that didn't get Izuku purring. Katsuki fought the urge to bury his face in Izuku's neck to be as close to that sound as possible. Shit.

"Kacchan is a good alpha."

"I'm a fucking great alpha, you damn nerd."

They left the store and turned down the street leading back to UA. Izuku's purr had settled into a pleased hum. A tune Katsuki had no clue about, but it washed over him as it mixed with the sounds of the busy street. He let his mind wander, thinking mostly about everything of which Aizawa had instructed him. Most of it he knew already. He hadn't lied to Izuku about researching how to care for an omega - not just the nutritional requirements he had to fulfill, but also what to do to keep an omega happy and comfortable.

It would be easy if this were to be a sexual heat, but he and Izuku weren't there, of course. Normally, teenagers didn't have sexual heats. Aids and toys were usually sufficient, but an omega did need the help and scent of an alpha. Sometimes, if a child presented young enough, the alpha parent could take care of it, but Izuku didn't have an alpha parent. Siblings could suffice in a non-sexual heat as well, but again, Izuku had no siblings.

Izuku would need Katsuki's scent above all other things. The rest would be the things a mate would take care of during a heat – protection, keeping the omega fed and healthy, urging sleep and hygiene – until the omega came down from their cycle. While it certainly was uncomfortable for an omega, especially without the sexual aspect, it shouldn't be a problem.

Unless there was something to do with the quirk that could cause an issue. While Katsuki was going to hate seeing those fucking cuffs on Izuku, he agreed with Aizawa that they should be cautious.

Not that he was going to let their teacher know that.

He did bristle about the standby alphas, though, logically, he could see their need. Katsuki certainly wasn't going to let Izuku down. How the fuck could he contemplate courting the omega if he failed at the main alpha task of watching over his heat? No, Katsuki was going to do every fucking thing he could in order to win Izuku's heart over.

Izuku's quirk, though? It was crazy strong. The little shit could best him one on one. Katsuki hated to admit it, but he knew his limits and his strengths. He was honest with himself in the deepest, darkest corners of his mind that Todoroki was as strong as he was. Izuku's untested and uncontrolled quirk was powerful, and if Izuku did hurt him or incapacitate him in some way, it would be wise to have someone to back him up.

The choices surprised him, though. He knew Izuku was close to the frog girl and icy hot. But ponytail? He didn't know they interacted much. Or, at all.

Izuku was still humming that damned song, with a little smile on his face as he swiveled his head back and forth, looking at everything around them. What a fucking little dreamer he had on his hands.

"Can I ask you something?"

Izuku startled out of his thoughts, his smile growing as he turned his attention on Katsuki. "Of course!"

Was he really thinking about living with that cheerful, chirping, beautiful voice all his life? Fuck. "Why'd you pick those alphas?"

"Which alphas?"

"My backups," he grunted, scowling.

"Oh! Yeah, those," Izuku said, scrunching up his nose. "I guess they're the three I trusted the most." His expression turned anxious. "After you, of course."

"I still don't get it? Icy hot? He has the personality of a block of wood."

"Kacchan!" Izuku sputtered through a laugh. "That's not nice. Shoto is a good friend!"

"Oh, so it's first names with him, is it? What the fuck, Deku?"

The little shit rolled his eyes, and then settled them on Katsuki with such a fond look. Damn, Katsuki was acting jealous and possessive. He needed to stop that. "We're friends. I call my friends by their first name." Then, with a grin that was too sly for Katsuki's liking, added. "I call Kacchan by a nickname."

And, oh fuck, did his alpha preen at that. It was true. Izuku didn't call anyone by nicknames. Fuck, Katsuki used more nicknames than anyone did. Not that he didn't know the names of everyone in his class. He wanted to appear as if he didn't give a fuck what their names were.

Secretly, he did, but no one needed to know that.

"Whatever," is all he growled out, but he could see Izuku knew exactly what that simple statement he said meant to Katsuki. Fuck fuck fuck. "I just wondered why them. I didn't even think you were friends with that ponytail girl."

Izuku thought for a moment. "Tsu? Or Momo?"

"The one that makes things."

"Momo," Izuku clarified. Katsuki realized that frog girl often wore her hair back in a ponytail, too. "I guess, not exactly friends. We don't hang out a lot together, at least."

"So why them?"

They turned down an alley that was a shortcut to lead them closer to the school entrance. "If you hadn't offered, Tsu was my first choice. There's no romantic feeling in me for her, but she's honest, straightforward, strong, and responsible. I knew she'd probably be the best at handling everything that comes with watching over me."

Katsuki nodded, humming an affirmative. Izuku wasn't wrong. He was often amazed at how good a hero the frog was growing into. Not only was her quirk unique and powerful, she was incredibly smart and a good strategizer. Thinking about it, if Katsuki were to have his own agency one day, he wouldn't mind hiring her for a water-based section. "I can see that. What about icy hot? He'd be the last person I think would be a comfort."

"Shoto is really nice, though. Maybe not to you," Izuku said, his tone teasing. "But, he's a good friend. I think out of everyone, he'd be the one I know would not take advantage of me."

"Take advantage of you?"

"Sexually," Izuku said, blushing. "I don't think Shoto is interested in mating at all. Or, if he is, it has to be the right person. He's also responsible, and will do everything he has to do once he promises to do something."

"Why not chipmunk or four eyes?"

"Do you mean Uraraka or Tenya?" Izuku said, giving him a little frown.

Katsuki shrugged, unrepentant. "You knew who I meant," he said, laughing.

"Uraraka is too emotional. I think she'd want to do everything she was supposed to, but I think she'd get overwhelmed fast. She cares too much."

"Hah? You don't think I care?"

"I didn't mean that. You do, but you also don't let it get in the way of what you have to do," Izuku reasoned. "Uraraka would. And Tenya? Well, let's just say Tenya would be too by the books. I needed someone flexible to adapt to anything that might not go as it should."

Katsuki understood that. "Ponytail is like that, too, though? Something about class reps being anal retentive or something."

Izuku laughed and Katsuki swore it made the sun seem to shine in the murky sky as they stepped out of the alley. "Yeah, but she also has a soft side and is really smart. I know she'd take the duty seriously, but be flexible enough to change what she had to. She's honest to a fault, and I'd trust her to be discreet as well."

Katsuki nodded, falling into his thoughts again. Izuku had thought hard about his choices. His reasoning was sound. All of it made sense, and he was glad to see that Izuku hadn't made his choices based on emotion, but rather on who would best suit his needs. However, that just made him doubt Izuku's choice of him.

"Then, why me?" he blurted.

"Why you?"

"Why choose me? I'm not adaptable or flexible. I'm not nice, or responsible, or any of that shit you just said."

"I chose you because not only are you all those things and more, I trust you above everyone." Izuku laughed at his expression. "And I wanted you. Above everyone." As they crossed into the grounds of UA, Izuku laughed again, as if he just hadn't flipped Katsuki's whole world.

Fucking nerd.