Chapter Text
Once Koyagi exits the classroom, the pack rush to their omega’s table like a herd of rampaging wild horses, in their haste even jostling Katsuki who is seated in front of the omega rudely out of the way. Katsuki’s angry barks go completely ignored in favour of pawing their omega to check for injuries that are obviously not there.
“Our poor omega… hearing all those things must have been so unpleasant, right?” Mina sobs, her arms encircling Izuku’s head in a suffocating embrace. The rest are packed densely into whatever space available, and suddenly it’s the inside of a Tokyo subway carriage during rush hours for one flustered omega.
“There’s nothing more to fear, Izu, for I am here!” Denki exclaims coolly like some protagonist in a hero movie, one hand propped on the hip and an open palm thrusting to the air in a striking pose.
Kyouka is stifling her laughter in the background.
“What are you acting all cool for? It wasn’t like you were the one that saved the day or something,” Tooru boos and lands a playful slap on Denki’s shoulder. The light force unexpectedly is enough to knock him over due to the way his body is twisted to accommodate his pose, prompting an undignified squawk out of the blonde sprawled on the floor.
“I-I’m fine! There’s really no need for all th-this. It’s embarrassing!” Izuku cries out panickedly. He feels the urge to further emphasise his point by waving his arms around in a pacifying manner, that is if he’s able to wiggle his arms out of the tight press of bodies smothering him. He currently doesn’t feel upset or disturbed or anything like what his packmates suspected, honest!
Back in the virtual world, once Izuku figured out that everything was a set-up and they were in no real danger, it effectively erased all animosity that he previously harbored towards Koyagi. Okay, probably still a little bit miffed since even if it was a virtually-generated world his packmates could still feel pain when those chimeras and Koyagi smacked them around. Koyagi’s supposedly upsetting words didn’t faze him as he knows that it’s merely a tactic to stop them thinking clearly and consequently fail their test.
Izuku is aware how upsetting Koyagi’s words were to his packmates so in a sense this situation is understandable, provided he gets released some time soon. An omega needs his breathing space after all! His eyes then flicker unthinkingly towards his front.
To land on Katsuki who is staring back at him from his seat, wearing an unreadable expression. Izuku is intrigued by the look but is not particularly concerned since Katsuki doesn’t look particularly upset, just uncharacteristically pensive.
Before Izuku can ponder more on it, a loud cough rings from the front of the classroom.
Aizawa appears unperturbed by this gratuitous show of PDA bordering on inappropriate right inside the classroom, just massively bored. “Tell me when you’re done.”
“Aizawa-sensei! Why did you let Nakamura-san do that to us?? You wouldn’t believe how terrifying it was!” Hanta yells out in an accusing tone at their teacher.
Aizawa flashes the disgruntled pack a smile that is all teeth. “I figured it’s good to put some pressure on shining hero candidates every now and then so you’ll be ready to take down all sorts of villains in the future, especially those who are fond of deceptive tactics. By the way I’ll be marking you on your performance individually on the crisis mission as well.”
By this point the pack have released their quarry and reluctantly filed back to their seats. Izuku is left sighing in relief as he fixes his appearance to be presentable for class, smoothing out his hair and his crumpled shirt uniform due to being rubbed and groped by multiple body parts.
“You can see what’s going on in the VR world?” Kyouka asks, her tone laced with surprise.
“Not yet,” Aizawa says while thumbing a flash drive clutched in his hand. “The video recording is stored here which we will later review together as a class.”
The flash drive is subsequently stuffed into his shirt pocket. “It was truthfully quite taxing for Nakamura-san to use his quirk on these many subjects. I might be the one to suggest the ‘test’ to him but I didn’t actually expect he would take me up on that. It was a good way to polish your teamwork without actually putting your lives on the line, wasn’t it? Be sure to properly thank him for the opportunity later.”
“Ehhh… Even after all the creepy things he said to us?” Denki whines, plopping his entire front on the table noisily as an expression of protest.
Mina nods in understanding, rubbing her chin contemplatively like a detective. “Well, Nakamura-san did say it was all nonsense talk meant to rile us up so we would get majorly distracted while attempting to neutralise him.” She then breaks into snickers, her teasing gaze poking at their resident peevish pomeranian. “At some point even Katsuki nearly turned feral.”
“Don’t fucking turn the blame on me!” Katsuki screams, propping one of his feet on the table complete with a threatening display of explosions popping off his palms.
“Bakugou, get your foot off the table,” Aizawa sighs as he eyes his yellow sleeping bag longingly.
“I fear that I would be too if that situation persisted much longer,” Fumikage says, black-feathered forehead crinkled in deep thought, “turn feral that is.”
“That training was good for us, huh?” Eijirou exclaims, grinning toothily, “And I developed such a cool combo attack with Rikidou too!”
Rikidou gives the beta a thumbs up.
“I think we made quite a formidable duo as well, right Shouto?” Kyouka asks as she looks at the alpha with an expression of mutual pride. Shouto nods back at her impassively, a minute smile making a fleeting appearance on his lips.
Aizawa is pleased that his students are quick on the uptake and also quick to let go of their grudge towards his long-time friend. He goes to further cement their thoughts. “Once you debut as heroes, there’ll undoubtedly be countless times you face life-and-death situations. Your bond as a pack can be either your greatest weapon or your Achilles’ heel. Which it is will largely depend on your ability to maintain a cool head in any situation. To not let your emotions, verbal provocations, or the sight of your packmates getting injured cloud your judgement during combat.”
The class takes their teacher’s points seriously. Most villains out there aren’t exactly interested in having fair and honourable fights, instead, they’ll gladly exploit whatever weaknesses they can spot on their adversaries. Including things societally considered as sacred such as pack bonds. It’s fortunate that they were given a taste of this bitter fact this early on in their hero training. Koyagi made for a convincing villain that managed to get under their skin so spectacularly. It’s only due to Izuku’s aptitude in analysing quirks that they could avoid the fate of potentially scoring a fat zero on that secret test.
During a lull in the discussion, Ectoplasm pops in at the open door. “Pardon the intrusion. Is it time to start class yet?”
“Of course, apologies for taking up your teaching time, Ectoplasm,” Aizawa replies as he gives the other teacher a small bow.
“No problem at all.” Ectoplasm returns the bow respectfully. “There’s always room to learn a valuable lesson of a different nature than that of the assigned subject of a given time slot.”
“Definitely more valuable than Math! Yuck!” Tooru quips cheekily while snickering.
Ectoplasm appears unaffected by the playful jab. “Regardless, Math is still one of the villains that you must defeat in your final test, and I’m here to prepare you for it.”
Everyone groans for the second time that day at the mention and emphasised inevitability of Math. Except for the class geniuses such as Momo and Shouto, or Katsuki who simply sneers at his packmates’ lameness for getting intimidated by something as pathetic as a school subject riddled with numbers.
Not everyone has actually got to have their one-on-one session with Koyagi, so it continues as the day goes in that previous separate classroom.
Koyagi has a way with his words that despite the pack’s sustained mistrust towards him up until the reveal of his acting, they surprisingly manage to find it within themselves to loosen the guards in their hearts. Enough to even lay bare their insecurities that they so far have never felt secure enough to discuss with their own packmates. It’s like having a neutral third-party that is knowledgeable in things pack-related sworn to confidentiality that they can confide in, who gives them a safe platform to explore their thoughts, repressed emotions, and worries without judgment.
As it was painfully revealed to them just how emotionally vulnerable they are if a villain so much as spouts threatening words towards their pack, this presents as a perfect opportunity to address it with a professional before it has the chance to fester and manifest negatively some time in the future.
“I feel like such a useless alpha,” Mezou confesses, his multiple fists clenched tightly on his lap. Koyagi is sitting across from him in silence. “You saw how Tenya shone in the battlefield, or how Katsuki with his powerful quirk could level a building with a single move. Compared to the other alphas, I simply pale in comparison.”
Size and height wise, he’s the epitome of a quintessential alpha, no one will doubt that he’s an alpha when they first meet him. However, those are mere physical attributes, when someone looks past that they’ll quickly notice that he’s nothing remarkable.
Not your typical alpha hero material...
He’s deeply aware that his quirk is more suited for recon rather than taking out villains with grand moves. That fact didn’t use to haunt his thoughts as much before he became assimilated into the pack. However, now, it would spin uncontrollably into distress whenever it is made apparent that he’s nowhere close to an alpha such as Shouto in terms of fire power and agility.
A tumultuous storm buffets against the inside of his chest cavity and he fights to keep his facial expression from pathetically crumbling down as he looks up to Koyagi.
Mezou almost expects pity, or reprimand on the beta’s face. Whispers of past memories “You’re an alpha, act like it.” and “It’s simply regrettable that your actual abilities don’t live up to that alpha-like appearance.” repeat themselves in an endless torturing loop in his head.
But to his great surprise, Koyagi’s entire being only projects acceptance and understanding. “You had a vital role in warning your pack of my surprise attack, otherwise Iida-kun would have suffered greater injury back in the virtual world. And do you remember what you did when that truck almost struck Aoyama-kun and Kaminari-kun? You threw your own body to shield them without any hesitance, your packmates with comparatively frailer bodies. Take it from someone that has consulted hundreds of packs over the years that it isn’t something just any alpha can do.”
“Strength is defined not just in terms of one’s power to destroy, but also one’s ability to protect. So please believe me when I say that you’re no less of an alpha, Shouji-kun.” Koyagi’s yellow eyes shine with warmth that feels genuine. The quiet remarks somehow manage to calm the storm of his anxieties that was perpetually raging inside him. The demons of his past, who used to constantly scream degrading insults in his ears, are now quiet. It’s peace unlike what he’s ever felt before.
Maybe now Mezou can start to accept that he’s worthy enough to be an alpha in the pack.
In the other sessions, it’s not about a perceived personal shortcoming, but is more from one’s familial background that becomes the source of their insecurities.
Ochako for one, can fake cheerfulness during celebratory occasions that more often than not require a hefty sum of money.
“My financial background… is not stellar, to say the least. I always feel guilty whenever my packmates, like Tenya and Momo, cover for me.”
Whenever there’s a cause for celebration, it’s not beyond the more financially affluent pack members to splurge on their money to make the event as memorable as possible. Nice dinners in upscale restaurants, fancy holiday get-aways, or that one time when they celebrated Christmas in a legit castle and even booked an aerial Santa-and-reindeers show. While she could only chip in a pitiful 500 yen bill.
Her packmates have never once tried to make her feel bad whenever she’s short on cash and unable to pay her full portion of funding to a celebratory event that she has agreed to. Yet the guilt still eats at her, wondering if secretly they are disappointed in her.
Koyagi sets aside his pen and clipboard and stares at her seriously. “Uraraka-san, I used to be a poor student majoring in psychology. That time while my pack was already making money, I was still studying for my master's degree, nose-deep in thick textbooks writing my thesis. To earn the title of a ‘pack expert’ requires long grueling years of study. I pretty much relied on them to provide for me. Did I feel guilty? Of course I did.”
Ochako is taken by surprise, not expecting that younger Koyagi used to experience a similar predicament as she does now. The possibility simply doesn’t occur to her, especially since Koyagi is wearing a presumably expensive watch and a nice-looking tie now. She guesses his present income now isn’t as abysmal as when he was a uni student.
Her assumption is further solidified as Koyagi continues talking, “When you become pro heroes, you’ll all earn a steady income and can adequately pitch in for aggregate pack spending. That includes you, Uraraka-san. You’re now a student, and students shouldn't worry too much about money as their main priority should be education.”
Warmth spreads through her chest, enveloping the doubt and she lowers her head to stare at her lap. The words sound reassuring enough but does it excuse the reality that she still comes empty-handed to the pack? That she brings nothing?
Ochako takes a deep breath. “What you said makes sense, Nakamura-san. But, still… So I’m basically stuck with leeching off my packmates until I become a reputable hero? That would take years! Isn’t that unfair? Being a deadweight… I really don’t want to be that.”
“A deadweight? Is that what you consider yourself as in the pack, Uraraka-san?”
She’s about to open her mouth to answer when a rectangular screen materialises right in front of her eyes, causing her to suck in a startled breath instead. It conveys a sequence of brief clips, a replay of what transpired in the virtual world. Of her leaping in front of Kyouka and punching a pack of little raptors left and right that were keen on shredding her packmate with their nasty little teeth and claws. Of her navigating her way through crumbled ruins of buildings while carrying the injured priest on her back. A harpy chimera with wicked talons swooping down from the sky towards Shouto’s unguarded back was thwarted by Ochako hurling a humongous concrete fragment right at it.
“Doesn’t look like a deadweight to me.” Koyagi’s voice brings Ochako to refocus her vision through the half-opaque floating screen back on the beta expert. He’s smiling, equine yellow eyes curving with the force of his smile and verging around his rectangular-shaped pupils.
“Money is important, true,” he says, “But I’d argue that being an inspiration is infinitely more valuable. When you pursue something you love with a good heart, I believe what you need, whether it’s shelter, food, companionship or money, will automatically follow wherever you go. So you have no need to worry, Uraraka-san.”
Ochako’s lips quiver, and tears start to well up. Early on in the first semester, she has unapologetically confessed that the major motivating factor behind her ambition of debuting as a hero is its monetary merit. Unknowingly has also based the majority of her worth on it once she joined the pack, the lack of what she has, the well of her insecurity swelling every time the issue of money comes up.
It turns out that what she needs is for the sheer falseness of this mindset to be pointed out to her. For that, Ochako is grateful to be here, sitting in this empty classroom with a gentle breeze flowing through the opened window, across the goat-headed man that she thought was trying to feed her to his chimera pets just two hours prior.
“I don’t know if divulging this information to you is okay and frankly I don’t care.”
There’s fire in Shouto’s tongue, eyes ablaze with unbridled contempt. Koyagi is listening silently, his clipboard resting on his lap.
“It isn’t public knowledge that Endeavour wasn’t the best alpha to his pack. I acknowledge the fact that he’s a great hero, his achievements praised incessantly by the media. But behind closed doors he was horrible to his omega and raised his kids like soldiers. Even discarding those that he deemed useless, his own flesh and blood.” The image of a shrine, a portrait of an unsmiling blue-eyed child, flashes in his thoughts.
Shouto grits his teeth as his hand ghosts over the left side of his face. “This scar is a testament to his utter failure as an alpha sire and mate.” His omega mother’s terrified face is forever embedded in his memory, the culmination of years of mental abuse perpetrated by her own mate. There are times where he can barely look into the mirror, his hair and eye colour which are neatly splitted in the middle an ugly reminder of what he is. Highlighting the sole reason why he was conceived.
A quirk marriage’s perfect spawn.
He clutches his wrist with bruising strength, both hands shaking. “That bastard’s blood is running in my veins. I’m afraid that despite my best efforts I will turn out like him. A horrible alpha to his pack.”
Embers of heat are crackling in the alpha’s guts, the clock ticking and beating at the seconds of distraught silence threatening to swallow the room whole.
Koyagi sucks in an audible breath. “Do you remember my questions during the test? Just what it is that is called a pack bond? Why is it so strong?”
Shouto nods wordlessly.
“Back in the virtual world, I witnessed everyone’s devotion to their pack. It’s fascinating how powerful it is, considering that the majority of you probably weren’t even aware of each other’s existence a year ago. Regardless, you stood united in the face of a dangerous foe, trusting each other’s strengths and covering for each other’s weaknesses. I actually expected at least one or two of you to abandon the pack and flee together with the civilians on the ferry with tails between your legs,” he adds in amusement.
“That will never happen,” Shouto says with absolute confidence.
Koyagi nods good-naturedly as he continues, “What we have here are individuals that have known each other for less than a year who have already committed to protect the pack to the point of risking their lives. It’s safe to assume the strength of pack bond is not because of blood, or the names in a family registry. It’s purely because of love that you yourself have decided to share voluntarily.”
“Endeavour is not you. You are not him. Even if he played a part in giving birth to you, you both are still separate people. If you firmly choose to, there’s no stopping you from picking a path different from what he’s taken. A path that you think is right that you stand by as a decent alpha.”
‘In battle, I will never use my left.’
‘It’s okay for you to become who you want to be.’ Shouto is reminded of his mother’s soothing words, although at that time he failed to understand what she meant.
‘It’s your power, isn’t it?!’ That was Izuku, beaten and with broken fingers, yet his eyes were blazing with unflinching resolve. It was the first time Shouto was able to break away from Endeavour’s shadow and acknowledge his other half, alongside discovering his true potential.
“Todoroki-kun, you have the right to pave your own path. One that isn’t riddled with pain and belittlement. One that is forged out of love. The only thing left to do is to put your trust in you .”
Shouto drags his eyes up. The way the sunlight filters in through the windows allows the clear image of his face to be reflected on the lens of Koyagi’s glasses. The visual representation of the duality of his nature that he used to hate with passion is staring back at him. Maybe as time passes, he can finally learn to look at his own reflection without even a sliver of that doubt and self-loathing creeping and corroding at his insides.
Koyagi rests an encouraging hand on his shoulder. “Brave alpha. Go out there and make your pack proud.”
Katsuki steps into the room, hands shoved in his pockets and a permanent scowl decorating his face.
“Bakugou Katsuki?”
He grunts and plops his butt carelessly on the seat across Koyagi.
“You’re one of the pack’s prime alphas, correct?”
“Yeah,” the alpha answers half-heartedly.
Katsuki fucking hates being here. The last thing he needs is for a shrink prying into his goddamned private life, talking about stupid feelings and taking precious time away from class. This psychotherapy session better be worth it, he’s seconds away from saying screw it and launching his ass out of here.
Not to mention, Koyagi’s steady gaze pisses him the hell off. As if he’s able to dissect him like a hospital patient and peer deep into his ugly insides.
“I remember you Bakugou-kun, you were the alpha that nearly blew me into smithereens. Thankfully everything wasn’t real otherwise I won’t be here talking with you,” Koyagi chuckles.
“Good for you.” Katsuki flashes him a fanged smirk in response. It’s hard to believe that the small, harmless-looking man sitting across from him was the all-powerful psychopath with visions of deranged grandeur that was previously intent on turning them into his lab rats.
“Anger management isn’t your forte, is it? It’s good to know that you still defer to your pack’s lead alpha even on the verge of being feral, otherwise we might have to hook you up with anger management therapy. So far I’d say you’re doing great, Bakugou-kun,” he adds in a joking tone.
That’s bullshit. Katsuki heeded the call not because he defers to Tenya or some shit like that, but because he was well aware that anger was his greatest flaw and that it could accidentally get him and his pack into deep shit. He has learned to distinguish Tenya’s different alphan growls, and that particular one urged Katsuki to ‘calm down’. He more or less tolerates it because it often buys him time to reassess his situation calmly instead of letting anger get the best of him.
He opts to stay silent, neither affirming nor denying his observation.
Koyagi hums, tapping his pen against his clipboard. “Despite being a hot-headed alpha, I was impressed that you were pretty lenient when it comes to your omega. Heightened aggression in alphas usually translates to equally inflated protectiveness over their pack omegas, more so for prime alphas, virtually never letting their omega to step into a potentially dangerous situation. In this case, however, not only did you allow Midoriya-kun to do so, but you also hardly checked on him while he was busy battling the chimeras. You let him hold his own and take hits without batting an eye.”
Katsuki gives a non-committal grunt. Deku is a damn trouble magnet, sure, but it isn’t like he needs someone to babysit him. If nothing else, it’s the ones that get him in trouble that have to prepare getting their pathetic asses handed back to them.
“While you seem to have a lot of faith in him in warfare, that doesn't seem to be the case in everyday life. I notice that you constantly reapply your scent markings on Midoriya-kun whenever another packmate puts theirs on him.”
Surprise flashes across Katsuki’s face, the only real reaction he’s given after he has stepped inside the room. “How did you...”
Koyagi taps the tip of his nose with a finger. “Keen nose. I’m trained to parse through many scent signatures. You do realise it doesn’t make your omega any less yours when your pack members lay scent claims on him, right? That they will not take Midoriya-kun away from you?” he says with those steady yellow eyes trained on him. Katsuki is really itching to unleash a blistering explosion somewhere, preferably on the soft body of the nosey, know-it-all, bipedal goat man.
“None of your business,” Katsuki growls out venomously. His hands are gripping the wooden edges of his chair so hard that his knuckles turn white, a thin stream of smoke escaping through the gaps of his fingers.
The display of barely-restrained anger doesn’t escape Koyagi’s notice. He releases a waft of calming, non-threatening beta scent into the room which collides with Katsuki’s own smoky, smoldering alpha one. Clearing his throat, he then says in an even tone, “I’m here to help you and your pack build the foundations of a healthy, long-lasting relationship. In my experience, 2 out of 5 newly formed packs disband in under 2 years. It’s not my intention to be discouraging, but for a pack with 19 members it’s all the more important for everyone to acknowledge and confront any unresolved personal problems before it has the opportunity to grow out of control. This is your opportunity to be forthcoming with yours. Please be assured that everything that we discuss here will stay between us.”
Katsuki clenches his teeth but nonetheless that little speech manages to get him to reign his volatile emotions back as the smoke from his palms dissipates. He has had a talk with Deku before this consultation session, who advised him to have an open mind while speaking with Koyagi, and that he wouldn't entirely condemn the effort at conversation if it veered into the territory of his well-guarded emotions. ‘It’ll be good for you, Kacchan,’ Deku has said in that earnest way of his, ‘It’ll be good for us. Will you promise that you’ll give Nakamura-san a chance?’
Katsuki curses under his breath, steeling his heart with great effort for what he’s about to say. This goat is lying, his quirk isn’t VR but is actually forcing someone to spill their guts out, is it?
“Deku and I go way back, we’ve virtually known each other since we were in diapers.” Katsuki starts with a low voice, eyes firmly turned away to the side. “We were... best friends. Everything was fine until it was revealed that Deku was a quirkless omega. Apparently he got his quirk extremely late but I didn’t know that at the time. I latched onto the fact that he was a quirkless omega and came into the conclusion that he was beneath me. Deku kept sticking close to me despite my cold shoulders and that somehow angered me like nothing else. I used to be horrible to him. Shit, it was more than horrible.” Katsuki runs a hand frustratedly through his hair, only getting some sense of relief when he tugs at some knotted strands roughly until it hurts.
That part which he has said aloud is pure fact, and although he’s ashamed of his past actions, he’s not a lame-ass coward who is afraid to actually disclose it to someone and bear the brunt of their probable judging reaction. The next part though is significantly harder, comparable to jamming a hand through his chest and ripping his heart out. It takes everything he has to remain seated and not to run for the hills by blasting himself out the damn windows.
“While we’ve made up since then, and Deku said that he had forgiven me for all the shit I’ve done to him… If he sees how all those other extras are better than me, he’ll surely turn away from me one day and kick me out of the pack.” There he said it. The monster lurking in his heart that’s been growing bigger and bigger for months ever since the day he joined the pack. He sees its shadows mocking him every time someone is being all chummy with Deku, touching and cuddling him and Deku’s easy acceptance of their affections, whenever someone makes Deku laugh with their idiotic antics, whenever he snaps at Deku with far more scathing remarks than he intended and regrets it afterwards. Curse his short-temperedness and foul attitude. Compared to his other good-natured packmates who don’t leap at every opportunity to scream profanities and be an absolute jerk, surely, his personality is equivalent to fucking dumpster fire.
“That’s why I feel that I have to constantly keep his eyes on me, to slather him with my scent. Remind him of my presence and appeal to his omega side. So that he won’t eventually discard me.” The last part is barely a whisper.
As a prime omega, it’s within Deku’s rights to decide whether or not someone belongs in the pack. In this regard, not even the lead alpha can overrule his decision, and it’s unlikely that Tenya will ever back him up if it goes against Deku’s wishes. The mere thought of being rejected by his omega feels as if his chest is being struck by a battering ram, he can’t put his brain around how devastating it’ll be like if that actually happens. On certain days, it feels as if Deku will drop that truth bomb on his lap at any moment and he’s left tip-toeing the entire day with that fear deeply lodged in his guts.
Katsuki chances a glance back at the beta expert, a part of him berating him for that shameful admission to a stranger. He’s a certified pack specialist so it can’t be that bad, right? At least Katsuki doesn’t spot any hint of derision on Koyagi’s countenance.
“Thank you for opening up to me, Bakugou-kun. You’re very brave for doing so.”
Katsuki clicks his tongue. Koyagi can try to make him feel better but he’s feeling more shitty than brave right now. And the last thing he needs is fucking pity. “So? What’s the verdict? Would you say deep down he still hates my guts even if he’s never admitted it out loud?”
“Do you really believe Midoriya-san still harbors a feeling of hatred towards you because of your tumultuous relationship in the past?”
“You’re asking me? You’re the expert here, aren’t you? Stop wasting time and just lay it on me.” Now the damn goat is just testing his patience. Katsuki has no interest whatsoever in playing 20 questions here.
Koyagi doesn’t show any outward reaction to his aggression, it reminds Katsuki of how unflappable he was while battling their entire pack a few hours ago. “I had a brief conversation with Midoriya-san this morning, and I wouldn't say he's the kind to hold grudges. At the same time, he also wouldn’t take a beating silently without a fight. Midoriya-san is an assertive individual that has confidence in both of his analytical and combat skills. I was truly shocked when I saw the method he chose to prove that everything wasn’t real was to stick his bare hand into molten lava. Quite a bold fighter indeed, he even turned my own chimeras against me!” he exclaims and throws his arms up in playful dismay.
After dropping the smile, Koyagi puts on a more serious expression. “Furthermore, as you probably have learned in your designation studies, omegas do not like to be marked by someone that they do not approve of, and would endeavour to scrape the scent off as soon as they get the chance. It’s in their instincts. Midoriya-san did nothing of the sort, quite the opposite really, he wore your scent proudly to show everyone that you’re his alpha.”
Katsuki blinks rapidly. He guesses it makes sense, omegas are more sensitive to pheromones and would have no qualms expressing their dislike for a particular one. And that includes Deku. A memory plays out inside his head. Once, inside a public subway, an alpha had accidentally bumped into Deku because of a particularly harsh jostle the carriage made. Deku accepted his profuse apologies, but when the alpha looked away, the omega took the opportunity to lean into Katsuki and whisper to him to ‘hold him’. And then shortly after Katsuki complied, grumbling vainly in protest, Deku began to rub his body against his with subtle motions, presumably to replace the foreign alpha’s scent with Katsuki’s own. Even if Katsuki pretended obliviousness during that time, his heart had swelled with possessiveness and alpha pride as he held the smaller omega close the rest of the way.
“That omega is special,” Koyagi continues to say, snapping Katsuki out of his stupor, “I can feel that he’s destined for great things. He has a tremendous capacity to love, and perhaps do one of the hardest things that a human has to do. To forgive.”
Coloured mist of all kinds bursts forth out of thin air inside the classroom, its immaterial form creeping around the two of them. Katsuki’s bewildered eyes dart around to see wisps of the mist swirling into shapes of people with indiscernible faces. All different, all have their own stories to tell as they dash agilely around the room, leap over an invisible hurdle, slash at a not-there enemy, and assist a limping someone to their feet.
Koyagi doesn’t so much as spare the weird phenomenon a glance as he speaks, a serene air embracing his small frame. “All the great heroes of the past have their own demons to battle with. It might not be a real living villain, but one living within.”
And out of the rest, one stands out, a person constructed of purple mist standing tall with a bright red beating heart on his chest. The man’s heart expands to take on a scarlet lion form, mane made of pure roaring fire, and the man drops to his knees as if sapped off all strength.
“In one’s mind they take on a corporeal visage, feeding on it like a parasite and preventing them from taking the direct road that leads to their aspirations. Some might spend their lives not knowing they even have such monsters living within them.” The fire continues to grow and surround the cowering form with its oppressive heat. Everything is consumed with red and Katsuki feels like choking. “But once you acknowledge it then it becomes easier to confront. More so if you are accompanied by those who love and accept you unconditionally.”
As the fire tames, there are people stepping through the flaming curtains. They all slowly make their way towards the kneeling figure with spiked hair. Their faces start off hazy, unrecognisable, but gradually twist and turn to familiar features. Katsuki can’t mask the look of surprise on his face. Eijirou. Mina. Denki. Tenya. Ochako. And the list goes on.
Last but not least, Deku. Unlike the others who are surrounding the figure on the ground, Deku takes his place in front of him. The green of his irises shines with kindness, replacing the fire that is smothering his lungs with cool relief.
“You have your pack to help you banish the demon in your heart. Or at least to tame it. Don’t doubt his love. If you let the doubt fester, it might backfire and hurt your precious omega instead. Trust your omega. Trust your pack.”
“Kacchan,” Deku’s voice calls out, its pleasant chimes like dainty wind-bells. The omega holds his hand out in offering to a frozen Katsuki.
The glow that lights his eyes. The smile that blossoms like a flower on his face. And the way he calls out to Katsuki with that childhood nickname. What would he be without those constants, Katsuki wonders. There was a time where he had taken that warmth for granted and even resented it. He now knows well that those are his gifts that keep on giving, his anchor that he can trust will keep him steady as he paves the road to becoming a hero.
Katsuki remembers that fateful day ten years ago. The sun was harsh on his eyes but their little adventurous band of four were undeterred in exploring the edge of the forest, they were tasked as heroes to vanquish evil that resided across the river. Absorbed in his enthused narration of how exactly he would defeat the villain, his foot had slipped while he was treading the big log over the river and he unceremoniously fell into the small stream. Katsuki laughed to mask the pain he felt twinging in his elbow and butt but then he heard the splish splash of tiny steps hastily approaching him. He looked up in curiosity to see Deku’s concerned face as the omega extended a helping hand towards him.
Katsuki remembers the pang of inexplicable distaste that had flooded his senses and how he had slapped away the hand extended to him. Katsuki remembers Deku’s startled, openly hurt expression at his reaction, and how he hadn’t cared one bit and drilled in the rejection even more by following it up with a series of ruthlessly hurtful words. And wasn’t that the start of the rift widening between them, something that Katsuki had perpetrated with his own hand. If only he had taken it that day... the hand that was so generously offered to him, he knew that Izuku would never hold his weakness over his head and they could have continued being normal childhood friends, and even became pack earlier without fearing any hidden enmity due to their bad past.
So Katsuki makes sure to take the one offered to him this time. Grasping at that misty hand that feels sure and real, and relishing in the warmth that courses through his entire body, from the crown of his head down to the tips of his toes. Deku’s smile is blinding, those eyes that Katsuki has silently adored since they were mere toddlers crinkling in unabashed joy.
This warmth.
If only he can put it in a jar and protect it forever, to ensure that he would never be without it.
‘Deku won’t fit in a jar,’ his mind has supplied, ‘he’s way too big to be contained in one’ . Not to mention what a selfish request it is, when the world could use someone like Deku to light up the darkness that scours the lands endlessly.
Whatever the case may be, Katsuki swears he would protect him no matter where Deku’s feet take him. Wearing scraped knees and pained tears, Deku has persistently followed him all his life despite being met by cruel rejection time and time again. For once, maybe Katsuki might be able to set aside his childish pride and follow the proud silhouette of his beloved omega’s back instead.
That is a promise he intends to keep to his last breath.
“Kacchan!”
Katsuki is startled out of his quiet musing, his feet coming to a halt. His eyes automatically search for the owner of the voice. (Even without a visual he already knows who it is, he can probably discern it out of a thousand other voices, in a bustling crowd, in the surreal space of his dreams).
Deku is beaming at him, waving. Suddenly the distance between them in the hallway feels jarring, too much wrong, a sense of urgency overtakes his being and before Katsuki knows it, he’s already speeding towards the omega. Under the waning sun, Deku glows like a king wreathed in warm sun-shards of emerald.
Deku tenses a bit as Katsuki gathers him in a crushing embrace.
“Eh? What’s going on?” Deku squeaks in his ear.
The omega is squirming and Katsuki tightens his arms in response. “Shut up. Let me stay like this for a second.”
The squirming stops and Deku goes completely lax. Katsuki releases a short pleased purr to express his appreciation for the omega’s quick acceptance.
“Of course. I’ll be here for as long as you need.”
“What if it’s forever?” Katsuki blurts out and regrets it immediately afterwards. With the way they are positioned, there’s no way for Katsuki to discern Deku’s expression. But the whiff of contented omega squashes his anxiety before it has the chance to sprout.
“Then forever it is,” Deku says, “Kacchan better be prepared to have a stinky, whiny omega sticking to him forever!”
Katsuki’s face breaks into a tiny smile. The alpha noses into a scent gland, with his feet planted on the ground and his omega secure in his arms, his heart soars. “Heh. Get rid of the stinky part and you got yourself a deal.”
The water faucet squeaks as the flow of water cuts off. After drying his hands off, Koyagi steps out of the washroom and notices someone waiting right next to the door.
“Hello Midoriya-kun,” he greets politely, a pleasant smile in place.
Izuku still jolts in surprise even though he is deliberately waiting outside the door to intercept the pack specialist.
“Y-Yes! It’s such a fine afternoon, isn’t it! Not that the weather hasn’t been great since this morning, it’s been perfectly sunny really but it’s especially noticeable now the state of the weather-” His hand slaps itself on top of his mouth to stop his pointless blabbering.
Koyagi blinks, looking rightfully confused. “I suppose it is a fine afternoon and yes I do agree the weather has been kind to us since morning.”
An awkward silence stretches between them as Izuku’s brain whirls overtime to find something, anything to say.
“How, uh I mean, what was your overall assessment of our pack? Do you think we d-did okay?”
Koyagi’s expression brightens and his ears perk up. “Let me start by noting that there was no performance to be marked as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. As to how I think your pack relationships are, they’re exceptionally healthy! Although everyone has unspoken personal difficulties, as is normal for any person, you are all supportive of one another and do not make it a habit to bring someone down. My only wish is that you continue to do so!”
Just as soon as Koyagi finishes speaking, his spirited face suddenly crumples as a violent cough wrecks his body. Izuku reflexively reaches out his arms to support Koyagi.
“Are you alright, Nakamura-san? You look pale,” Izuku says concernedly. Pale is an understatement, the poor man is barely standing firmly on his feet.
Once Koyagi has sufficiently recovered his bearing, Izuku reluctantly withdraws his arms. “Ah Midoriya-kun, I’m quite alright. This is par for the course whenever I extensively use my quirk,” Koyagi says, a visible strain in his smile.
Izuku feels bad that he’s essentially keeping Koyagi from finishing up what he has to do before returning home and getting some much-needed rest. He’s rethinking his intent of approaching Koyagi in the first place, but that decision is taken away from him when Koyagi’s curious voice travels over to his fidgeting form.
“Are you hiding something behind your back?”
“Oh… um…” Izuku is physically perspiring now, apprehension and determination corralling against each other inside him.
Well as the saying goes, it’s now or never. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thrusts out both his hands towards Koyagi.
Koyagi stares at the object resting on top of shaking palms.
There’s a bell with a bright pink bow, its back connected to loose twin ribbons that can presumably be tied together into a necklace or a bag decoration, laying innocently on Izuku’s open palms.
“This…” he drawls off quizzically.
This is Izuku’s cue to start rambling. “Ah, this is one of the Horned Hero, Pan’s merch! They made it into the top ten last year and I admire them a lot and they kind of reminded me of you, Nakamura-san. I mean, uh… how to say this…” Izuku takes a deep breath to compose himself for a second. If he wants Koyagi to get his points he needs to express them in a more coherent manner. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always admired heroes. They are the cool figures that take down villains and keep the country safe. It’s no secret however that heroes earn a significant portion of their income from public persona, interviews, special events, merch, etc. Yet for someone with an extravagantly eye-catching quirk, Pan still does a lot of community service that mostly goes unnoticed by the spotlight. It isn’t in their personality to showcase and reap personal benefits from every of their heroic actions.”
“After all, heroism is rooted in the spirit of helping people. It’s important to beat down villains and be a visible symbol of strength and peace that ease people’s hearts.” All Might pops in mind, alongside his gallant frame posed beside a defeated heap of villain and the billowing cape attached to his equally flashy-coloured costume, and the crowd of people waving and screaming out his name with undisguised admiration. “It’s also no less important to be one that helps guide and ease the burden in people’s lives.”
“Pan doesn’t release a lot of official merch, and out of all of them this one is my favourite. They spoke about its personal significance to them in one interview. They said a bell symbolises a call to duty, of beginnings and endings. How it doesn’t matter how someone’s background might not be the most conducive to the path to heroism, due to finance, parental history, or even one’s less than commendable actions in the past. It’s about your heart,” Izuku touches the pink bow reverently, its twin curving shapes at the top, “how you choose to start to be kind and supportive to those around you, how you extend this kindness even to strangers, the growth you experience from the beginning to the conclusion of your life’s mission. If you live as a hero, you die as a hero as well. It’s carved in your being, what you represent.”
Nurses, teachers, construction workers, and a slew of other occupations weaved into the fabric of society. They may not have attended a ‘hero school’ but there’s no disputing that their life works have been heroic in nature. In their own right, they are also heroes. Including Koyagi, the pack specialist who has immensely helped their little pack in his own way. Izuku may not know the contents of everyone’s conversations with him inside the consultation room, but based on the way their shoulders had eased the slightest and the wave of contented scent permeating the air after their little session, Izuku can tell that he had done them a good deed indeed.
“You are a hero, Nakamura-san. Thank you for today.” Izuku bows into a 90-degree, hands extended for the second time to offer the small tinkling bell.
Koyagi is stunned into silence, before gently taking the offered item. “Thank you, Midoriya-kun,” his voice is a bit waverly and his lips weave into a genuine smile. There’s a shiny sheen on his yellow eyes. “I will treasure it.”
Aizawa suppresses a yawn. It has been a long day and he’s tired. More so for one person in particular he suspects. Bloodshot eyes follow the shuffling steps of a horned person with hunched shoulders down the empty hallway.
“Going home?” he calls out.
Koyagi pauses mid-step and turns around sluggishly.
“Yes, I’m thoroughly exhausted,” he answers with a sheepish laugh, “Can’t wait to crash onto the couch and pass out until the next afternoon!”
“That’s understandable with the strain your quirk must have caused you for activating it on 19 high-spirited hero students. I truly thank you for your help today Koyagi-san and wish you a good rest back home,” Aizawa tips his head down in acknowledgement, politely bidding him goodbye.
Koyagi stays silent for a few seconds before his lips part. “When you told me you’re proud of this year’s students, I got immensely intrigued. It wasn’t like you to express that kind of sentiment and say as much. So of course I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to see them myself when you offered it to me. They are a tough pack indeed, they acted fast and formulated clear objectives even after being plucked straight out of the classroom and dumped to a near erupting volcano site. I have never seen such seamless cooperation out of a fledgling hero pack in my career.” Another pause and a soft voice followed by an approving smile. “They will be exceptional heroes in the future, Shouta.”
Although Aizawa takes care not to outwardly show how much those comments have pleased him, he knows that Koyagi sees it nonetheless. The little goat is not observant for nothing, trained to pick up minute twitches of facial muscles and other non-verbal social cues.
Koyagi doesn’t call him out on that and instead reminds him cheerfully, “Don’t forget about the apples!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Aizawa drawls in a dry tone, “I’ll bring some tonight.”
The corners of Koyagi’s lips quirk up in a knowing manner. “Aren’t you annoyed that I’m still mooching on your fat bank account even up to now, Shouta?”
“I would never.” Aizawa chuckles. His perpetual apathetic glower is strangely absent, replaced by fondness.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.” Koyagi says once again, the smile still plastered on his face. There’s less stiffness in his movement and within a few minutes he’s disappeared from sight.
Aizawa is still standing with his eyes fixed on the now empty space when someone cries out to him.
“Shouta! There you are!”
The shrill volume doesn’t so much as jolt him now, years of exposure will get someone accustomed to almost anything.
“What are you standing around alone and zoning out for?” Hizashi peers over his shoulder to attempt pinpointing the source of Aizawa’s preoccupation only to come up with nothing. “Are you ghost-watching or something? Ooooh scary~!”
Aizawa scoffs but doesn’t shrug away the close proximity the beta has saddled him with. A waft of citrus and oak that is Hizashi’s signature pheromones tickles his nose. “It’s nothing. Do you need something?”
“Yeah! I wanna ask whether you prefer okonomiyaki or nabe for dinner?”
“Nabe.”
“Okaaaay!” Hizashi pulls up a clipboard from nowhere and ticks the relevant box with a bright red pen and exaggerated flair, as if he were a judge in some hotshot competitive event. “That’s three points for nabe and two points for okonomiyaki! Hey, hey, if I pick okonomiyaki and make it a draw, does that mean I can choose whichever to be the winner by default since, y’know, it’s my turn to cook?”
Aizawa resists the urge to facepalm exasperatedly when it dawns on him that the result will be the same no matter what he picks. Hizashi is such a troll as always. He exhales a small sigh instead. “Up to you. Anyway, I’m heading to Tokyu for a quick grocery run right after my last class. Do you want me to pick up something?”
“I’ll text you the list! Thank you, Shouta!”
Hizashi attempts to land a wet raspberry kiss on Aizawa’s cheek which Aizawa expertly dodges without even looking, at the same time dislodging himself from Hizashi, causing the voice hero to stumble and nearly fall face-first to the floor.
Aizawa ignores the incensed squawking left on his wake and instead busies himself with counting how many minutes he has left for a quick nap before his last scheduled class.
“Bye Nakamura-san!” Ochako waves at the yellow taxi. The rest of the pack are there too, having escorted Koyagi to the front of U.A. to say their goodbyes.
Koyagi is seated in the back passenger seat with the window rolled down, his head popping out the window as he waves his handkerchief excitedly in goodbye.
“Midoriya-san, remember your promise! I’ll contact you again~!”
Izuku’s face flushes with surprise when he notices that the remarks are addressed towards him. Oh, is Nakamura-san referring to the research about male omegas? So he was actually serious about that? It should be quite easy to obtain Aizawa-sensei's permission as he has promised Nakamura-san previously. His packmates on the other hand…
He meekly peeks a glance to the side only to be met by a barrage of piercing glares.
“What is he talking about? What promise? Why does he need to contact you again?” Came the onslaught of questions, loud in their vehemence until they all blend together unintelligibly.
Izuku is suddenly sweating bullets. “Um, that…”
“Hohoho!” The taxi speeds into the distance while the pack squawks and surrounds the panicking omega, demanding an explanation for the cryptic message.
A bell clinks against a buttoned-up collar. The pink ribbon on top is speckled with sunlight, ever-changing shadow and light patterns fluttering on its surface from the light seeping through the car window.
Smiling, Koyagi adjusts his neckline and turns forward.