Chapter 14 - I Will Always Choose Kacchan

Izuku watched as Katsuki disappeared from his room, frowning when he heard the locks clicking into place. They'd agreed on this just in case. Katsuki insisted Recovery Girl and Aizawa give Izuku the okay to leave his room. Well, Izuku bristled at it, but Katsuki said no way in hell was he going to face the wrath of Aizawa, All Might, Recovery Girl, and Auntie Inko just because Izuku thought the heat was over. Katsuki wanted written and sealed proof that it was.

Even though it sent a wave of irritation through Izuku, he did find it hilarious that Katsuki was scared of those four people, especially his mother. It was incredible, in a way, that Katsuki hadn't just tossed the keys on the desk, said "whatever, nerd" and walked out back to his regular life. He was still taking care of Izuku, though the heat was technically over.

And, at least, Katsuki took off the annoying quirk inhibitor cuffs before he left.

Katsuki's scent still hung strong in the air and in his nest. Kacchan must have been diligent about scenting when he came in, and that got Izuku purring. And, he realized as he ran his hands over the other articles in the nest, Kacchan had stayed true to his word to keep the other alpha scents close to Izuku.

He flushed, though, thinking of what Kacchan had to go through. How many times Kacchan probably saw him naked. How many times Kacchan had to clean cum and slick off him and his nest. Dammit, he was completely vulnerable and exposed to the alpha! Why did he choose Kacchan? Tsu would have been the better choice, not because Kacchan would be bad, but how was he supposed to look Kacchan in the eye now?

Izuku's emotions were all over the place, and he supposed it was due to his hormones adjusting as they settled back into their normal levels. He felt embarrassed about Kacchan, but he also felt really snuggly, as if he just wanted to be held and cuddled and comforted. Scented by someone he loved. But how could he ask this one more thing from Kacchan? Kacchan had already done so much, and for much longer than they originally thought.

Kacchan took care of him for two extra days? It was too much for his heart.

The key scraping in the locks jerked him from his thoughts. Kacchan came back into the room, a bowl in one hand and the other tucking the key back into his pocket. "It's nothing much, nerd," he said gruffly. "I haven't had a chance to go to the store, and we ran out of the food we bought. I stole this oatmeal from Momo."

"Kacchan," he chided, his eyes downcast. He could feel the alpha staring at him.

"Whatever," Kacchan huffed. "Eat the fucking shit."

He accepted the bowl shoved gently into his hands, taking the spoon from Kacchan. Izuku started to eat, grateful for it because Kacchan had added sugar and cream the way he liked it. He knew Kacchan disapproved of his oatmeal preference, so to see the bowl of lumpy food doctored with sweeteners sent his heart into another dive.

Kacchan waited for him to eat seated in his desk chair. It made Izuku self-conscious, as he spooned helpings into his mouth, to know the alpha was watching him. He looked everywhere in his room except at his…friend? Alpha partner? His alpha? He squeaked nervously at that thought. No, they weren't — he wasn't Kacchan's and Kacchan wasn't his.

When he was done, Kacchan took the bowl without comment and set it on the desk. "Do you need anything else?" he asked.

Izuku wrung his hands, twisting his fingers together in his lap and wondering if he should request this one last thing from Kacchan. "Uh."

"Spit it out, nerd."

"C-can you, uh, join me?"

"Join you?" Kacchan asked blankly.

"In my nest." Izuku spoke to his hands, unable to meet Kacchan's gaze. He felt so embarrassed asking this.

"Izuku," Kacchan said, slowly, "I don't think that's a good idea. Aizawa -"

"Won't be here for awhile," Izuku boldly interrupted him.

"Still, I'm not sure your heat is over. I shouldn't be in there with you."

"It's over, Kacchan, trust me. I think I know my own body."

Kacchan sputtered, "I-I know that! Fuck off! I'm not saying you don't!"

"Then join me."

"I-I can't."

"Give me a good reason why." Izuku still hadn't looked up, but he couldn't believe he was being so forward. His urge to have Kacchan in his nest was so strong that he thought for a second maybe his heat was still lingering.

"Izuku…"

"Please, alpha?"

There was silence from Kacchan for what seemed a long time, but he finally grunted. "If Aizawa kills me, I'm going to come back and haunt you."

"I'll take that risk."

The care that Kacchan took crawling into the nest warmed Izuku through. He made sure not to disturb the walls of the nest. Izuku wasn't as fussy, of course, because his nesting instinct was fading, but it was nice to see Kacchan show such a deference to him.

"So, uh, how do you…?" Kacchan asked, kneeling in front of Izuku. "I mean, what do you want?"

Izuku patted his main pillow. "I just, kind of want to be held. I know that probably sounds weird," he said, feeling uncertain with those intense eyes watching him. "I just, I guess, need some comfort, even though it's over. I-if you're uncomfortable with that, you-"

"I'll do whatever you fucking want me to, nerd," Kacchan interrupted.

And, Kacchan did. He shuffled himself in the nest until he lay down in it, first on his side to look at Izuku, who gingerly shuffled himself to lay facing the alpha with his head on the pillow that smelled like Kacchan. The burnt sugar scent rose pleasantly into the space.

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

"Yeah. You look like you're in pain." The concern in Kacchan's voice helped to ease the anxiety in Izuku's heart.

"Oh, that," Izuku said, trying to smile. "Just, uh, some cramping. My, uh, body must be adjusting. I had it before my heat started, so I guess it makes sense."

"Where? Near your, uh," Kacchan asked, gesturing down as his cheeks reddened.

It was so cute to see Kacchan this out of his element and having to talk about private, bodily function things. "Yeah. My uterus."

The flush darkened. "Lay on your back," the alpha ordered.

"Wha-?"

"Just do it."

Izuku rolled to the side, his heart speeding up. What was Kacchan going to do to him? Crawl on top of him? Oh, how he wished, but Kacchan wouldn't do that with the threat of Aizawa hanging over them. Their class was still in session for an hour, but Aizawa worked on his own terms. It wouldn't be strange for him to let class out early so he could check on Izuku. Izuku was surprised that Kacchan had actually agreed to climb into the nest, so he was sure Kacchan wasn't going to try anything.

Still with red cheeks, Kacchan propped himself on his elbow and snuck his hand under Izuku's t-shirt and a little under the waistband of his shorts. It tickled and Izuku squirmed, letting out a protesting squeak of "Kacchan!", to which Kacchan murmured, "Trust me."

After a moment, Kacchan stilled his hand, resting over Izuku's lower tummy. Not pressing or anything, but firm. Izuku felt warmth radiating from Kacchan's hand and he gasped. "Your quirk?"

"I can control it enough to make my hands warm, but not explode."

"When did you learn that?" Izuku asked in wonder. He resisted the urge to scramble for his notebook to document this amazing new aspect of Kacchan's quirk. It just felt so good and he could feel himself relaxing under the spell. The cramps eased – not quite disappeared, but seemed to pull their claws out of his insides. Izuku couldn't stop the purr he felt bubble out of his chest as he sunk back into the pillows, closing his eyes at the comfort provided by his alpha.

"Awhile ago," Kacchan answered, though with a quiet tone so as not to overpower Izuku's sound. "Kirishima can get bad muscle spasms after using his quirk, especially in his arms. So I worked on this to help him out."

Izuku opened his eyes and gazed up at Kacchan's face. He wasn't surprised that Kacchan would do something like that. No one seemed to be aware that Kacchan had a very loving heart – that Kacchan cared a lot more than he usually let on. His care showed in the little things he did. Not that learning to control his quirk to such an extent in order to help his friend was a little thing. Just, Izuku knew that Kacchan wouldn't make a big deal of it, and most likely, no one but Kacchan, Kirishima, and now him knew that Kacchan had done this.

"Kacchan is amazing," he breathed, the sound of his purr intensifying.

"Don't fucking cry, nerd," Kacchan said, still in that low tone, but with a little embarrassed growl behind it. "It's no big deal."

"I'm sure it is to Kirishima."

"Pfft. Fucking extra," Kacchan grumbled.

Realizing Kacchan was self-conscious about it, Izuku dropped it, but the purr kept going, his eyes kept shining, and, though he relaxed, he kept his gaze on Kacchan as the alpha soothed out all of his pain.

"I feel better," Izuku said after ten minutes of the heat therapy. "My cramps are almost gone."

"You sure? I can keep this up." For some reason, Kacchan's blush returned when he said that.

"Mhm. Thank you." He missed the warmth almost immediately as Kacchan's hand withdrew and he flopped onto his back. Izuku missed it enough that his purring stopped, and he quickly rolled toward Kacchan, wriggling his way into Kacchan's arms, tucking his head against the solid shoulder. Kacchan's arm cradled him close and Izuku snuck his leg over Kacchan's, allowing his body to be as close along the warm side of the alpha as possible.

"Mmm, this feels nice, Kacchan."

A deep rumble started in Kacchan's chest and a discreet little peek up toward Kacchan's face proved what Izuku hoped to see – another blush spread across the alpha's cheeks. Kacchan was, at the moment, staring up at the ceiling. "Of course it does."

"Alpha is so warm."

"It's my quirk."

"I don't think so." He placed his hand on Kacchan's chest, smiling when the alpha's breath hitched. They were quiet for some time, but Izuku's mind had started to tumble, his thoughts and anxieties taking hold of his brain now that it wasn't occupied with the pain from cramps. He pressed his face against Kacchan's shoulder, whimpering a little at the situation – Kacchan's extra two days, the things Kacchan saw, all the work poor Kacchan had to do. As much as he dreaded it, he had to know what Kacchan went through.

"What's wrong now, omega? Do you still hurt?" When Izuku slightly shook his head with a little negative grunt, Kacchan pressed. "Then what is it?"

"I wasn't that bad, was I?"

Kacchan hummed, absently patting him on the back. "Not too bad. Fucking lot of work, though." Izuku frowned, the fingers on Kacchan's chest flexing with a tremor of anxiety. "I'm not fucking complaining, omega," Kacchan soothed. "I wish I could have done more."

"Kacchan did so much." His hand relaxed, pressing flatly against Kacchan's chest and Izuku watched it rise and fall with Kacchan's breaths. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, nerd," Kacchan said. "I need to thank you for choosing me to help you."

Izuku, knowing it was part of his hormones that sent the wave of love through him, resumed his purring. Kacchan chuckled, the rumble under Izuku's cheek made him feel like crying happy tears. Here was Kacchan in his nest, holding him so gently and tenderly, after spending six days taking care of him and seeing him at his worst, and Izuku was so hopeful this was real. That Kacchan had done this not only because he wanted to help, but that he also wanted to help because he felt something for Izuku.

It wasn't much of a stretch to think that. He may not remember his heat, but he knew from how well he felt now, and how clean his nest was when he woke up, that Kacchan had taken perfect care of him. There was a level of care proven from what Kacchan claimed when he came to offer his help. Izuku would be dumb if he didn't recognize it for what it was. Kacchan did care about him. He may not be able to say the words, but Kacchan was always an actions-over-words person.

The knowledge of all of this swam through Izuku's heat-and-anxiety-exhausted brain. The fact that Kacchan was cuddling him made him bold enough to say, "I will always choose Kacchan."

Izuku allowed himself a little smirk as he felt Kacchan's breath catch again. "Izuku…"

"Kacchan…" he breathed.

They were silent for a few minutes, Izuku's purrs and Kacchan's deeper rumbling blending together as their scents blended together, making the nest feel cozier than any place Izuku ever remembered being. Except, perhaps, their blanket forts as kids. Those always felt cozy, tucked away with each other and playing house, heroes, or any of the other dozen games they played together. Always together. Izuku's heart ached at the missed opportunities lost to their misunderstanding. He hoped, now, that they could mend things.

Tentative fingers rested on the hand on Kacchan's chest. Kacchan had reached for him, lightly placing his fingertips on the back of Izuku's hand. He felt his hand twitch slightly in response. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Izuku murmured, staring at their hands.

"I know I don't deserve it," Kacchan said, then paused. He waited so long that Izuku finally lifted his head and tilted it to look Kacchan in the eyes. The red stare was both intense and loving. Shades of desire floated there and Izuku felt himself falling.

"What, Kacchan?"

"Can I court you?"