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Izuku wasn’t always the smartest omega in the bunch. He’d had a deep infatuation fueled by hormones that ended in a too-soon pregnancy. Then, the alpha just up and disappeared! At first, he didn’t know what to do. He knew he couldn’t abort it lest he risk a drop, and deep down he’d always wanted a child, but he knew he couldn’t do it alone.
He would have to, though.
Shouto, his best friend, after learning of the situation, had paid a private investigator to look the man up, only to find that the alpha had been killed in a car accident. Thinking he was helping, he gave Izuku the contact for the man’s family, who ended up being quite rich and quite antiquated. They couldn’t fathom their son having a pup with a male omega! So, they wired him money to “get rid of it safely”, which—with great indignation—Izuku took to secure the things they’d need.
His omega was quiet, too quiet, and he knew that stress from work wouldn’t help. He was working as an editor: work was never done!
“I just don’t know what to do, Shouto,” he said, taking out his exasperation on the mushrooms he’d been chopping up. “I can’t just quit my job!”
The man hummed. Izuku could hear the honks of cars and the chatter of people on the street as his friend walked to work. The city was so loud too. He looked around his apartment, and while it wasn’t bad by any means, it was quite small, he’d have to move for his child to be comfortable.
“I think I can offer something.”
With a groan, Izuku stated in no uncertain terms: “Shouto, I don’t want your money.” His friend had grown up wealthy. He’d earned even more when establishing his own company, so he was often looking to spoil the rest of them.
“Not my money…well, not for free; I’ve learned that offends people.”
“Then?”
“A job. You can live in and maintain the grounds of my family’s cabin, and in exchange, you’ll receive a reasonable bi-monthly stipend. There’s a town nearby for you to get what you need, and the city is reachable by train.”
It was ideal. Izuku barely opened his mouth to accept before Shouto interrupted. “I will be visiting too, non-negotiable. Can’t risk anything at this stage.”
The freckled man sighed. “Yeah, that’s fair. I like your visits, anyway.”
“Good. And hey, maybe you can even write that novel you’ve been talking about.”
“Yeah,” Izuku chuckled. “Thanks, Shouto.”
And that’s how Izuku ended up living in the middle of the most fairytale-like forest. The morning glow shining on the flora gave it an otherworldly radiance, the wildlife was harmless, and there were even lightning bugs in the evenings that lit up like tiny lanterns to guide the way. The walks both helped improve his bloating and constipation (a nasty pregnancy symptom for that third month), as well as his writing.
At the end of his first week, as he tended the garden in the afternoon, however, Izuku heard a growl. From the edge of the clearing, he spotted a large, ashy wolf. Immediately, he ran inside and locked the doors, yet the beast circled the land for about five minutes and darted away.
Odd.
Didn’t animals like that give chase? It didn’t even check the trash for food. Not wanting to draw it back, Izuku decided to stay indoors, catch up one some of this reading, and make some bread with the bread maker he’d found in the kitchen. The doctor had said carbs helped with morning sickness, and he was glad to find a solution that didn’t involve getting salty crackers from the convenience store. Those only bloated him more.
The next day, the omega came out of the cabin vigilant, checking the perimeter to make sure the wolf was not hiding anywhere. He made sure to eat inside and to avoid leaving anything out that might attract it.
“Are you safe? Do I need to call animal control?” Shouto immediately asked when Izuku told him about it.
Izuku chuckled. “You can’t call animal control when I’m the one invading its territory. He hasn’t proven to be a threat yet, so let’s let him be.”
His friend hummed. “If you say so.”
“I’ll let you know. By the way, are you picking me up for the sonogram appointment on Thursday, or is it Ochako?”
Ochako was his other best friend, a beta, who was now dating Shouto. The two were such opposites, Izuku never saw it coming. Nonetheless, with how happy they were, he couldn’t help but find it cute.
“She’ll pick you up, but I’ll meet you at the office. Just have a meeting to survive before I take a look at my niece.”
Izuku rubbed his belly and smiled. “How are you so sure it’s a girl?”
“Just a feeling.”
Somehow, Shouto guessed right and immediately took them to a store to browse for potential items. Izuku insisted they still had time, but who was he to deny his friends the excitement he himself felt? He wished he could buy his little girl absolutely everything, but he needed to save up a bit more before he began the larger purchases. That said, while walking through town he saw a craft store and picked up some knitting materials. Perhaps he could learn.
The rest of the week progressed well. He’d tried a new recipe, weeded the vegetable patch, and began a simple blanket pattern. Izuku might be experiencing some fatigue, but it didn’t mean he had to be bedridden the whole time.
The wolf he’d initially seen became a frequent sight. It was always alone and walked around the cabin before scampering off.
“It’s alone like me,” Izuku realized.
Feeling bad for the creature, Izuku left food at the edge of the clearing from time to time. He didn’t want it to get close to the house, but he also felt a sense of camaraderie. This wolf was funny, though. Izuku swore it was human-like in its reactions! When he first encountered the food, it scoffed before sniffing the offering. When Izuku tried baby-talking to the beast, it glared and growled before running away, visibly displeased. He refrained from speaking to the wolf like that again. Then, there was the time Izuku spilt paint all over himself. The beast snorted! As if it was laughing at him—the audacity.
Weeks passed, and as they did, Izuku learned the animal was more or less domesticated. Though he had means to fend it off, his omega remained calm, saw the wolf as safe. Eventually, Izuku allowed it to approach. Admittedly, Izuku felt a like one of those cartoon princesses talking to an animal in the woods, but he swore the animal understood him. It laid near him, ears attentive whilst Izuku read aloud to the baby.
At night, Izuku felt guilty about leaving the wolf, especially now that winter was approaching. Both he and his omega felt safe around it, but common sense still held that letting a wild animal in your home could be potentially dangerous for a pup. Having the wolf around made him feel less lonely, nonetheless. Of course, his friends dropped off scented items, and they accompanied him to his appointments. They were great and frequently checked up on him, but he felt a bit like a bother when he called during the day. He was no longer there, could no longer nest with anyone, hang out with anyone, or scent anyone when he needed it. Recently, the wolf had fallen asleep nearby, and Izuku took the opportunity to brush his coat. In its sleep, it nuzzled against his palm, and purred when its nose bumped against Izuku’s belly. The baby had been kicking and immediately settled. He found comfort in the animal’s touch as much as it found comfort in his.
During his sixth month, Izuku’s belly was much larger, and his back was starting to feel the strain, so he walked to a nearby hot spring. He remembered it was there during Shouto and Ochako’s last visit, while they looked at pictures from years past, and it felt like the perfect thing to do on his day off. “Go-chan”, as he’d taken to calling the wolf, followed along and even swam in the waters with him. However, as he closed his eyes, scents filtered into the areas–alphas. Izuku immediately startled, trying to dry off while picking his clothes up from the floor. The beast nipped at him, trying to get him to stay, but he needed to escape before they found him here.
“Sorry, Go-chan, but we need to go.”
The beast nipped again, rumbling a growl that seemed near reassuring.
Izuku took too long, and the alphas stumbled into the clearing.
Great, they’d been drinking.
“Well, well, boys, we have a solstice gift in our hands,” one of them said with a lecherous smile.
Go-chan positioned himself between Izuku and the men.
“Aww,” another mocked, “and he has a protector.” He pulled out a gun.
Izuku cursed, still struggling to get his clothes on. He didn’t want Go-chan to get hurt!
The man shot at the ground once, hoping to startle the beast, but Go-chan only took the opportunity to swipe his large paw against the gun, knocking it free of the man’s hold. The other two pulled out knives—perhaps they were hunters—and went to stab the wolf, but Izuku managed to grab the gun, shooting one in the leg. Go-chan pounced on the other, growling in his face and baring his fangs until the man was a blubbering mess. The other two left. Looking down at the human, almost disdainfully, Go-chan released his hold. The alpha scrambled to his feet and ran away.
Breathing heavily, Izuku clicked the safety on the gun and put it in his backpack. The wolf waited, hackles raised until the men were clear. Then, he turned around and stared at Izuku, nuzzling him as if checking whether he was alright. Once again, Izuku wondered how much Go-chan understood. He wasn’t a wild beast; he was measured and calculated. Was he raised by a human?
The beautiful beast seemed distressed, whining and rechecking him. It elicited a giggle from Izuku, who pet him reassuringly. Carefully, he peeled off his scent patch, instinctually releasing some of his calming scent. It was so curious to see that it worked on the wolf . Izuku smiled softly. “Let’s go home, okay? I’ll make you an extra good meal today.”
The wolf walked by his side the whole way back. “Go-chan…maybe I should call you Katsu-chan, no? Oh! Kacchan! You had a lovely victory there. Thank you so much for saving us.”
It might’ve been Izuku’s imagination, but just then, Kacchan’s tail started wagging, as if the wolf was pleased at the change. It made him chuckle. Perhaps Kacchan had been trained after all.
For the first time, Izuku cooked in the outside hearth. A part of him wanted the wolf’s company for a bit longer. The wolf appeared worried still because, not only did Kacchan drag a blanket from the balcony over to him, he simply wouldn’t stop staring!
To distract them, he started humming a song he learned for his little girl. It lulled him into a complacent state, focusing only on the melody and his cooking; it took him a moment to register Kacchan’s whine.
“Kacchan! What’s wrong? Were you hurt?”
He wiped his hands and rushed over to the wolf, petting his fur to see if he could find the cause. A rumbling growl reverberated through the beast but he knew it was a warning more than a threat. Izuku felt so helpless when Kacchan’s head jerked back, his body twisting in agony.
Desperate tears filled Izuku’s eyes. “I don’t know how to help you! Oh, Kacchan!” He reached out again, only to stop midway.
Kacchan’s bones cracked and his appearance began to blur.
“W-what?!” Izuku gasped. What in the world was happening?
The wolf’s body pulled and morphed—truly horrifying—until it revealed the body of a blond man. A blond man that was now lying naked and unconscious in the snow.
A man?! How in the—nope, this wasn’t the time to panic.
Izuku, to this day, isn’t sure how, but he willed his legs to move and pull the man toward the porch. The blond was heavy, so Izuku couldn’t pick him up. The only thing he could do was get him on one of the chairs. Quickly, he procured some of his clothing from the earlier months of the pregnancy and dressed the man as respectfully as he could. His omega stirred, expressing interest at the more, er, generous attributes the man had. He tamped it down. He needed an explanation about what just happened with Kacchan, and he needed to keep this man safe until he got it.
The smell from the hearth caught his attention. “Ah! The food!”
He didn’t want to leave, but he also didn’t want to have his work go to waste, so he draped a few blankets over the blond and prayed he wouldn’t wake until he was done.
For the next half hour, he worked in the kitchen. Even after he’d finished and served his meal, the man had not woken. He must’ve had some sort of nightmare because his lips bared back into a scowl and his brow furrowed from time to time. Izuku checked him for a fever, but he was okay. Curiously, he observed the man as he ate. He was a little baffled at what had happened. He’d heard plenty of tales of creatures in other lands, and maybe Kacchan had been one of those—it would explain the reactions he’d noticed and how handsome the man was. They certainty weren't native to these lands, though. It also was not common to see such flawless skin, such soft hair.
’Attractive isn't he?’ his omega commented.
Izuku shook his head.
Why wait until now to show his true form–if this was his true form?
The omega finished his meal with a little disappointment at the fact that the blond was still sleeping. The sun was starting to go down and he didn’t want to leave him here in the cold. He was also worried he would fall asleep himself and wake up to find the man gone.
Reluctantly, he parted again and began to store all the extra servings, leaving one out for the blond. He hoped this would be tasty enough.
’Not man. Alpha,’ his omega corrected.
Izuku rolled his eyes. The last time he’d heard his inner nature call a man alpha, he’d ended up with a surprise in his belly.
It was as he came out again that he heard the man groan, his eyes fluttering open, revealing the most stunning reddish-brown eyes.
“Oh, you’re awake!” Izuku said with a smile.
“I-Izuku?” the man muttered groggily, startling when he heard his own voice. “What the…I’m human again?”
Tilting his head, Izuku asked, “So you are from a different race then?”
The blond scrunched his nose. “Shifter.”
“Never met one of you before,” the omega said with a hum.
“You are far too calm to be meeting someone from a different race, human.”
“Kacchan, I am wholly freaking out, but it’s mostly out of curiosity. I mean a shifter?! My step-father would travel a lot, so I grew up on tales from foreign lands. I learned about dragons and elves and faeries and—forget that for now.” Fiddling with his hands, Izuku debated on what to ask first.
“You are Kacchan, right?”
The blond straightened in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah—” he stiffened. “Wait, did you dress me?!”
“I wasn’t about to let you freeze, so yeah.”
The two stared at each other, though Kacchan’s gaze looked more like a glare. Wanting to break the tension, Izuku teased, “Don’t worry, I didn’t linger anywhere.”
The tips of the blond’s ears pinkened. It was so cute!
Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones, but Izuku just felt so happy at this simple fact. “Why didn’t you meet me in your human form? Are you just shy? Is it super painful? Wait, some creatures are affected by moon cycles, like the witches and the sirens, so are you—”
“Oh, my God, Izuku,” Kacchan said with a cackle, “You’re like this even with people, huh?”
It was Izuku’s turn to blush. He was rambling, but he had so many thoughts flooding his mind, he needed to let it out somehow.
“Breathe for a minute, and I’ll tell you.”
Not trusting himself, the freckled man nodded and motioned for the blond to speak.
“First of all, let’s go inside. My alpha’s going crazy that I’m letting you sit in the cold.”
“Oh, sure!” Izuku stood, propping himself up with the chair, but the man was quick to help him. “Th-thank you,” he said bashfully. A gentleman, despite all that growling he’d initially done.
“My name is Katsuki, Katsuki Bakugou,” the blond said, a hand anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. “Figured you might want to know.”
“It suits you.” Izuku grinned. “Wait! I was right, then! You’re literally Kacchan.”
The blond chuckled. “Yeah, guess I am.”
Izuku waited on the cushioned sofa, right by the fireplace. Atop the mantle, Kacchan found the matches and soon had the wood crackling to life.
“A curse is why I was stuck in that form,” Kacchan began as he stoked the fire. “I was…an asshole to humans because I’d generalized and thought all of you evil. Humans were destroying the forest our pack roamed in, they polluted the waters, and,” he sighed, and sat next to Izuku. He rested his elbows on his thighs before saying, “they killed my dad.”
Izuku bit his cheek and reached his hand to place it on Katsuki’s back. “I am so sorry, Katsuki.”
The blond shook his head and shot him a lax smirk. “Sounds fuckin’ weird after a few months of Kacchan, but thanks.”
“Okay, Kacchan, so…how did you go from being angry–rightfully so–at humans, and being trapped in your wolf form? Also what did you do for work? Weren’t you an adult when you got cursed?”
“Damn, one at a time, short stuff,” the blond grouched but subconsciously leaned into his touch.
It took everything in Izuku not to purr. They might be strangers as humans, but Kacchan had been his friend for a while now. It was natural, he thought, to feel at calm in his presence.
“Well, I worked as an design engineer, and on one of my less amicable days, I didn’t quite react well when a client told me they didn’t like the product. I thought she was human, and I didn’t know that she was actually a sorceress. Through touch, she was able to see my past, and after learning why I was so unpleasant, she decided to teach me a lesson.”
Izuku’s brow furrowed. “So the curse…she did what exactly?”
“She said that I needed to recognize that humans, as evil as some might be, are capable of good and often do good for others. In my ignorance, I scoffed in her face. I was too blinded by my hate to see what was happening until it was too late.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Kacchan.”
“My curse is—” The blond averted his eyes as he muttered, “I could only be freed from my animal form if I felt love for a human and recognized it.”
Izuku took his hand back, the touch now felt scorching. With everything that had happened, he forgot to reapply his scent gel. Izuku tried not to react, but how could he not?
Those beautiful eyes were on him in an instant.
The omega could not deal with the intensity, with what the man had revealed, so he asked, “So, a design engineer, huh? And no one wondered where you went?”
“Yeah, I work for a few toy companies, actually.” The man sighed. “It wasn’t easy, but my mother is a shifter too, and we can communicate if we’re both in our animal forms. She was picking me up that day, but ended up smuggling me out instead. Long story short, I showed her how to gain access to my accounts and guided her through my last active project.”
“That is so cool! What companies? And is it like a mind link or do you communicate through some form of animal language?”
Kacchan chuckled. “My favorite is Plus Ultra Entertainment. And definitely through mind link. The grunts and growls are only effective for basic communication like “back off” or “follow”.”
“Oh, my gosh, I love them! They make the best figures—sorry, I was about to deviate. Please continue. So, she finished the project for you, but don’t you have a boss to report to?”
“No worries," the blond said. "She did submit that one digitally, and requested that a coworker present it to the investor with the pretense that I was sick. And yeah, I have a boss, but I requested a hiatus. Hadn’t really taken a vacation since Pa died, so it was immediately approved. A friend handles my emails and social media.”
Izuku moved some cushions to support his back a bit better and leaned back. “He knows what you are?”
The blond nodded. “Yup! I met Ei back home. The idiot married one of ours, so he’s bound to keep it a secret for life or his wife and her family will kill him. It’s thanks to his updates that I stay active in the business and get paid for past projects. I owe him big time when I get back.”
“Ah okay.” Izuku shifted again. He felt so restless. “I’m glad you have family and friends around.”
“Listen, I know I might’ve just made things uncomfortable—damn, I know it’s a lot to accept and all, but if you’ll let me, I’d still like to be part of yours and the pup’s life. A-as a friend or whatever, no pressure.”
The omega bit his lip, deciding that matching the man’s earnestness was probably for the best. “You’re an attractive man who likely has more money than I’ll make for the next two years or more, and you want to stay with a heavily pregnant omega that is bearing another alpha’s child.” He wasn’t used to this. It made no sense. “Why stay?”
Kacchan softened his gaze and took Izuku’s hands with such reverence it knocked the air out of his lungs.
“You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, you’re cute as hell, your scent drives me crazy,” he admitted with a teasing smirk. “Fuck, I even want to see where that story you were writing goes. It was getting kinda steamy based on what you were last muttering about.”
“Y-you.” His scent bloomed, and his chest rattled in a low purr. Izuku was taken off guard by how his body reacted to the man's words. He raised his scarf to hide it, but he knew it was a futile attempt. “Kacchan, you can’t just say things like that!”
With a confident grin the blond leaned closer. “Sure I can, I-zu-ku, and from what I can scent, you don’t mind my staying at all.”
Izuku looked away with a flustered pout. “Why would I? You’ve been here all along. It's not like I like being alone, anyway.”
The heat from the fire was strong enough now. It melded their scents in such an intoxicating way, the omega took a deep breath to get his fill. It was their scent, and it didn’t scare him as it should.
The alpha’s excitement grew, his hands tightening around Izuku’s. “Fuck, you mean it?”
For a moment, he resembled the wolf so much that Izuku had to smile. “Careful, or your tail will start wagging,” he teased.
“Hah!” The man pinched his cheek.
“Oh, pinching and not nipping! I’ve been upgraded!” the omega teased again. He realized there, that what he was feeling was relief, joy at having a companion that felt as much ease and comfort and love for Izuku as he did for Kacchan. The omega’s eyes filled with tears.
“Oi! Is the pup bothering you? Did I punch too hard? What the hell is wrong?”
“Nothing,” Izuku whispered, wiping his cheek. “I’m just happy.”
The blond looked at him, struck by something he couldn’t identify.
“To answer your question, Kacchan, yeah, I mean it. It would be…nice, I think, for you to stay. I wouldn’t mind having the company, and it would be cool to get to know Kacchan the human too. You know way more about me than I know about you, after all.”
The alpha huffed, his cheeks pink. “Yeah, well, maybe now I can spoil you and the brat a little. You’ve been spoiling me with your food and all.”
Izuku giggled and impulsively pressed a kiss to Kacchan’s cheek. “We’d love that, alpha.”
Together, they healed, they solidified their family, and by the time the pup was born, they agreed that maybe life had brought them together for a reason. They could trust and love again.