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Izuku has never heat-fevered before.
Katuski paces as his omega shivers under his warm touch. It's been three days, and Izuku isn’t even in full heat. Neither of them have slept well in the time that’s passed since Izuku recognized his preheat, and collapsed on patrol later that same day. His omega has taken to building a nest outside of their large bed and in their living room instead, claiming it’s too hot. He won’t let Katsuki sleep in the new nest either, he’s so uncomfortable. It’s been driving Katsuki’s alpha insane because he doesn’t know what to do.
Katsuki’s done everything he could. Fever-reducers, ice-packs and cold towels. He tried to keep the nerd fed the best he could, but he either refused to eat or couldn’t keep anything down for long.The doctors sounded so sure when they said it would break by the time his real heat came and Katsuki gave him his first knot. But it’s been three days.
He sniffs at Izuku’s neck, looking for that sweet heat scent. Underneath his usual fresh pine scent, there’s only a whisper of preheat and distress. At this point, Katsuki’s not sure if he’ll reach his heat before the week is over.
“Have you tried asking the doctors for heat-inducers?” Mina says over the phone when he relays the news, which is no news.
“I’ve tried,” twice, actually. “Doc says we can induce it at the hospital, but they won’t admit him until day five.”
Mina winces audibly over the phone, because she knows why he’s been avoiding the hospital.
The omega ward in the hospital, where pups are delivered and omegas are brought to for heat issues and other omega-exclusive illness, does not allow alphas, even if they are mates. Alphas’ protective nature makes them especially at-risk for going feral when their mate is in danger and forced outside of their care. This applies to Katsuki tenfold, since his alpha hormone levels are higher than most. If he were to take Deku to the hospital, he’d likely have to take the sedative they offer to mated alphas- which might not even work on him.
It’s the morning of day four, meaning he could check him in first thing tomorrow morning. But Katsuki’s alpha is so anxious, he doesn’t know if he can handle the separation. He’s been beating back his alpha whenever someone (usually the doctor) even comes near his mate, instincts driving him to protect and unable to distinguish allies from foes. Having his omega potentially removed from his care at the hospital may be his breaking point.
“What are you going to do?”
Her voice is incredibly sympathetic, because she knows exactly what he’s going through. Kirishima heat-fevered exactly one time, three years ago. It had been incredibly stressful on her and the rest of their pack, just as it is now with Deku. Fortunately, Kirishima went into heat only a day and a half after the start of his fever.
Katsuki runs his hand through his spiky hair, completely at a loss. “I don’t think I have a choice, at least for another day. If he doesn’t hit his heat by tonight, then I’ll have to take him to the hospital tomorrow.”
His inner alpha throws a fit at the thought, and he clenches his teeth to bite back an instinctive growl. Now isn’t the time for petty alpha bullshit. His mate is in danger and he needs to see a specialist soon.
“It’ll be okay, Kats. Izuku is strong, and so are you. You’ll make it through this.”
It’s been ages since he’s allowed someone other than Izuku to comfort him, but Mina has been nothing but supportive and understanding since he first told her about it two days ago. He’d reached out for advice, and her tone had gone from her normal loud and jovial, to a seriousness he rarely hears from her. It had been validating, at the time.
Now, he just wishes she would tell him that he’s being stupid and that it wasn’t a big deal.
~~~
The evening of day four is the hardest.
Deku’s gone nonverbal, and is no longer able to respond to Katsuki’s probing questions, even when he’s awake. He still sleeps fitfully throughout the day, no different from the past three days, but the naps are getting longer and longer. He manages to stay awake for maybe thirty minutes to an hour, and is too weak to eat solid foods.
Katsuki calls the doctor one last time, because if Izuku doesn’t go into heat tonight, he’s checking him into the hospital first thing in the morning.
This time, the doctor seems far more alarmed than he did the first time this issue was brought up. Once Katsuki is done listing off all the symptoms and how they have gotten progressively worse, the doctor tells him that this is more serious than he originally thought. Izuku needs to go to the hospital now.
He wastes no time. “C’mon Deku, we’ve gotta get you to the hospital. They’ll help with your heat, I promise.” he says as he reaches into the nest to try and wake up his mate.
“Nmmn-no, wnt K’chn.” Deku’s response is semi-coherent, which would be a good sign if it meant it would make getting him in the car easier.
Instead, Deku clings to the fabrics of his nest as Katsuki pulls him out of it. With whatever meager energy he has left, he begins thrashing in Katsuki’s arms.
“N--noooo, NO!”
Katsuki damn near drops his mate when he’s clipped in the jaw by a pointy elbow. His grip holds tight though, and he works to bundle one of the heavily scented blankets around Deku’s shivering form. Shivering, light , form. Definitely too light for someone with the strength of a top ten hero. Probably attributed to the lack of appetite for the past few days, but still. It wasn’t normal to lose so much weight in such little time.
Deku’s thoroughly tired himself out by the time Katsuki buckles him into the passenger seat. It’s snowing outside, so Katsuki pulls the blanket slightly down Izuku’s neck to cool him off a little.
The roads are icy, as fate would have it. It adds ten minutes to what would be a fifteen minute drive. He calls IcyHot in the car and he answers on the second ring. Katsuki never calls him, so he has to know that it’s serious.
“Hello?”
“IcyHot, I need your help.” Rarer words have never been spoken.
Thankfully, the beta catches on fast. “Are you on your way to the hospital?”
“Yeah, and I won’t be able to go with him to the omega ward. Once he’s checked in I need you there with him, talking to the doctors and making sure he’s okay.”
Alphas can’t be with their omegas in the Omega ward. Betas are allowed, though. Hell, most of the doctors are betas. He would ask Kirishima, since he’s his most trusted best friend and an omega, but he knows Deku would rather have someone more familiar there with him. Todoroki was a beta, and Katsuki trusted him with Deku more than he did any of their other friends.
“Give me ten minutes, I’ll get someone to cover my patrol.”
Katsuki breathes slowly through his nose as he focuses on the road, the way he’s seen Deku do when he’s feeling particularly anxious. It works for a few minutes, before he catches a whiff of Deku’s scent, spiking and turning syrupy sweet. His eyes widen and the car jerks for a second, nearly catching on a patch of ice.
Fuck , they’re only a few minutes from the hospital. If they admit Deku while he’s in heat, Katsuki won’t be able to help him. But their den is further away from the hospital now, and if Deku doesn’t get help soon, things will only get worse.
The thought brings tears to his eyes, because as much as he would like to help Deku through his heat and be there with him, it’ll be much better if he can spend it in the doctor’s care. The decision is clear, but it’s not what Katsuki’s alpha wants to hear.
Deku groans from the passenger seat as Katsuki pulls up to the parking lot. “K’chnnn. Hlp…heat…”
The smell of slick permeates the air, nearly suffocating him. Katsuki’s vision tunnels and he loses it for a second, blinking to find himself halfway atop his omega, mouth sucking on his scent gland and hand bunched beneath the blanket against Deku’s searing skin. He curses and withdraws, forcing himself out of the car and around to the passenger door.
If getting Deku into the car was difficult, getting him out while in heat was damn near a feat of God. The blanket is soaked through on the bottom with slick, and Katsuki’s knees buckle underneath him when he feels it against his forearm and into his shirt. The short walk to the hospital doors feels miles long as he forces himself to move forwards, knowing that his mate (in heat) will be taken away from him the second he makes it through the door.
Todoroki is blessedly waiting for him at the door, bustling him into the foyer and unknowingly soothing Katsuki down with his calming beta scent. He places his right hand on Deku’s forehead, which is sticky with sweat. Todoroki can’t smell heat, but he can recognize the obvious symptoms.
“He’s in heat? Katsuki, why aren’t you at home?” he says as he takes Izuku from Katsuki’s grasp.
Katsuki gasps for air, fighting through the internal turmoil. He somehow manages to speak through the heaving breaths. “There wasn’t time. His heat bloomed in the car, just before we got here. He’s fevered for four days, he needs help.”
Izuku’s whimpering quietly in Todoroki’s arms, weakly reaching out in Katsuki’s direction. “K’chn. K’chnnn.”
Katsuki shoves himself down to his knees, pinning his hands between his legs and biting his lip so hard it bleeds. “Shouto, go . Ask them for the tranq for me. I can’t go in there with him.”
Todorki’s gone before he can look up, and he stays shivering on the cold pavement outside the hospital. He doesn’t know when exactly he started crying, but his throat hurts from the rough sobs. His alpha vocal cords are making anguished sounds he’s never heard from himself before.
“Tojirou, you get his left. Let’s get him into one of the alpha rooms.”
Katsuki feels a small, almost unnoticeable prick at the base of his neck, and then graciously his world goes black.
~~~
“-nk… sleeping…-you.”
Katsuki’s head swims as he recognizes the feeling of coming off a sedative. He’s been through enough hospital stays to be familiar with it. Words are being spoken over his head, but he can’t understand them. His sense of smell returns first.
Tangy citrus, bright and sharp. Mina’s here.
“Hey, Kats, are you awake?”
He blinks his eyes open, bringing a hand up to wipe at the crustiness around them. Black eyes with gold irises are peering down at him from above. Mina’s eyes sparkle with unshed tears as she throws herself down to envelope him in an awkward hug.
“Hey,” he says, throat dry and sore. “What’re you doing here?”
“Todoroki called, said you ended up bringing Izuku to the hospital last night.” Mina grabs at his hand, holding it between both of her own. “They sedated you and brought you to a containment room, so you could sleep off the sedative. They had to double dose you, and we didn’t know when you would wake up.”
Katsuki shoots up in bed, heart racing. That’s right. He brought Izuku in, just as he was hitting his heat. His alpha panics. “Where is he? Is he okay?”
Just as Mina opens her mouth to answer, Todoroki strolls through the door, face neutral. “Oh good, you’re finally awake. Midoriya is asking for you.”
Katsuki feels his stomach unfurl in relief, sagging his shoulders as the tension melts away. Deku’s asking for him, meaning he’s awake and coherent and… wait, how long has he been out?
“Is he still in heat? I thought he would still be in the Omega ward?”
He quickly glances at the clock and sees that it’s just after nine in the morning. Shit, what time had they come in yesterday? Todoroki doesn’t look like he lost any sleep, but then again, he never does.
Deku’s heats take at least twenty-four hours, and that’s with Katsuki heat-sharing. He remembers before they mated that his heats would take him off patrols for a few days to a whole week. It couldn’t have been that long.
Seeing the look on his face, Todoroki answers, “He’s still in heat, just more coherent. The doctors managed to break his fever before it got too bad. And he is in the omega ward, but they’ve moved him to a room where he can be with his alpha for… well… you know.”
Katsuki was going to ask what the hell he’s talking about when he sees the flush on the beta’s face. It gives it all away. Oh. He didn’t know the hospital had rooms for that.
“Ochako brought some stuff from his nest earlier, so he’s ready for you.”
The annoyance he’d previously held when Deku asked that Todoroki or Uraraka have a copy of their house key for emergencies was now long gone. For all that the nerd was impulsive as fuck on the battlefield, he did plan for emergencies rather well.
Katsuki nods his head to his two friends in the room in thanks, and stands. It’s time to go see his omega.
“Oh, and Katsuki? There’s something you should know that the doctor told me.”
~~~
Izuku pouts down at his makeshift nest, thrown messily together with hospital pillows, sterile-smelling blankets, and a few of the nesting pillows and blankets that Ochako brought for him. Whatever , he thinks miserably, at least it looks like a nest .
Except his nest smells like disinfectant, preheat, sickness and himself, but no alpha. Why had his alpha not scented his nesting items? The only scented item he had was the blanket that he woke up with, and it was absolutely soiled with his slick. He can’t use that!
Tears spring to his eyes as he feebly climbs into the mess. Kacchan loves the nests he builds at home, full of his clothes and pillows and blankets. In their den that smells like them . But this one is so terrible, there’s no way his alpha would accept it.
He’s so wet, and his thighs stick together uncomfortably so he places one of the many hospital pillows between his legs, rubbing his crotch against it for some relief. The pressure isn’t worth much, but the stimulation on his omegan dick helps take the edge off slightly. It’s been so long since he’s had to go through a heat alone.
Where is Kacchan?
He’s so close to letting out a pathetic omega keen when he hears the lock click on the door, and as it cracks some of his alpha’s scent seeps into the room.
“K-Kacchan? Alpha?” he asks in a whisper, daring to hope as the door opens a little wider. Kacchan pokes his head in, eyes unnaturally red and puffy.
“‘Zuku,” he breathes, “Izuku, you’re alright.”
Alright? He’s far from alright! He needs his alpha in his shitty nest now . “Alpha!” he cries, reaching his arms out to his mate.
Kacchan falls right into his arms, scenting him desperately and letting his burning hands scorch a path up and down his back. Izuku clings to him and shoves his face right into his neck, where the bond mark aches and throbs for his mate. Kacchan licks right against it, lapping at his scent and soothing him immediately.
“Kacchan, please-” he’s cut off with a fierce press of lips. He releases a weak moan when Katsuki urges his mouth open to lick inside.
Kacchan’s kissing him like death is on their door, and as much as Izuku appreciates it, there are more pressing priorities right now. He moans at the rough suck to his lips and bats at his alpha’s shoulder, shoving him away long enough to say his piece.
“Alpha please , need you…”
Izuku’s already naked and ready, so Kacchan works to rip off his clothes as quickly as humanly possible. His rush would seem comical at any other time, but right now Izuku just needs his mate in him . Needs his alpha to take away the empty ache that he’s had ever since he woke up and stupid Shouto was looking after him in that stinky hospital room.
His mate is on him in an instant, scent overwhelmingly alpha. Izuku is cocooned in his protective, soothing campfire scent, and it’s almost enough. There’s no time for fancy foreplay or tender lovemaking right now, though. He whines and cries incoherently until his alpha presses into him. It’s only when he’s bottomed out and groaning, sniffling into Izuku’s neck and licking at his scent gland like a drug.
“Kacchan, go! Go, go!” he urges with a heel pushing into his mate’s back. And Kacchan goes.
He fucks into him rough and with the end goal in mind, just how Izuku likes it. His omega trembles happily at the familiarity of his mate and his heat desires being fulfilled. He climaxes so many times, just as he always does because Kacchan is so perfect and always knows how Izuku likes it.
No longer is he worried about his messy nest, or the fact that he somehow ended up having his heat at the hospital. It’s all better because of Kacchan. Kacchan is here now to take care of him.
They both cry out when the knot catches and Kacchan nearly collapses on top of him. Instead he moves them both to their sides, hiking Izuku’s leg over his hip because he knows that’s more comfortable for Izuku. His omega preens at the attention of his mate, who’s looking down at him like he’s the whole world.
After a minute, the horny fog in his mind lifts, bringing to attention the tear tracks on his mate's face. “Kacchan?”
He didn’t realize it before, but Kacchan has been sniffling at his neck in near silent sobs. Tears tracked down his cheeks and into the space between them. He’s rubbing his left hand up and down Izuku’s arm reverently, and breathing deeply with his eyes closed. It’s not unusual for Kacchan to be touchy, especially after heat sex. But this is the first time Izuku’s seen him so emotional .
“Thought I was gonna lose you,” his mate whispers thickly against his cheek, pressing a light, lingering kiss right atop his freckles. “Your heat fever lasted four days, and it didn’t look like you were getting better.”
Izuku holds his breath. He remembers the day he felt his preheat creep up on him, feeling a little worse than usual. He definitely remembers Shinso carrying him on his back to the agency, and getting a solid berating from both him and Shouto for not telling anyone how bad he felt. Kacchan had brought him home that night and made him eat something before tucking him into bed.
And that’s the last thing he remembers.
Was it really four days ago?
“Your heat hit on the way to the hospital, and Todoroki went with you to the Omega ward,” Kacchan continued, “It was, God Deku. It was the fucking worst. Knowing that you were in there and that I couldn’t help you or see you. I’m a complete failure of an alpha.”
Things are clicking into place now. Izuku had awoken in the omega ward of the hospital, where alphas weren’t allowed. That’s why Shouto was with him. “Oh my god, Kacchan. I’m so sorry that must have been awful for you.”
He holds his alpha close, scenting him deeply. He couldn’t move around much with the knot still holding tight, but he manages to get both arms around Kacchan’s neck and soothes him with kisses all over his pinched face.
“I’m okay, alpha. You took such good care of me. I’m okay because of you .”
Kacchan kisses him again, and Izuku can feel the guilt behind it. He has no idea why he became heat-fevered, but he knows it wasn’t Kacchan’s fault and that his alpha is the reason he made it through. He really did have the best alpha, bringing his omega who was in heat to the hospital, even though his instincts were rioting against it. Izuku’s seen what happens to a mated alpha when their omega was hurt, and it’s not uncommon for alphas to go feral because of it.
“I love you, Kacchan. You did wonderful, and you are the best mate I could ever ask for,” he says quietly, letting out as much of his soothing omega scent as possible (however tainted because of his heat), and feeling his alpha relax a bit in his arms.
“Love you too, Izuku. Would do anything for you,” Kacchan replied, voice drowsy. Which, noooo. The knot was deflating and he was still in heat! There was no time for a nap!
Izuku’s omega whines as the knot dislodges and brings with it precious alpha come. He’s heating up again and his mate is falling asleep!
“Kacchan! Knot! Now, please!”
Kacchan looks up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. Izuku almost feels bad, because his alpha looks exhausted. But he’s empty and only his alpha can fill him and take the pain away. Kacchan groans and flips Izuku over onto his belly, pulling his hips up and filing him once again. His voice drops to that deep alpha tone that his omega loves so much.
“Anything for you, my omega .”
-
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Eight hours later, his heat is over and his alpha is snoring away.
“You’re doing alright, then?” Shouto says over the phone. Izuku’s phone rang as soon as he texted that his heat was over.
He nods, but then remembers that Shouto can’t see him. “Yeah, it was a pretty short one.”
“That makes sense. The doctors said that your body didn’t have enough energy for your heat to last as long as it normally does.”
Izuku snorted. “Yeah, I guess four days of fever would be really draining.” He says it in jest, but when Shouto is silent for a moment, he second-guesses his wording.
“Izuku,” his friend says seriously, “Katsuki went through hell this week. Bringing you to the hospital and leaving you with me was one of the hardest things he’s ever done. You didn’t see him when he brought you.”
Izuku goes quiet, listening. He knows, generally, what happened when Kacchan brought him. Kacchan told him after their first round of heat sex what had happened, and it sounded awful. Kacchan has never been one to downplay his pain, so the suffering that he would have gone through…
Izuku knows very little about being an alpha. But for Kacchan to cry the way he did, to look so anguished . He feels insensitive for making light of the situation.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what to make of the whole thing. This has never happened before.”
Shouto hums, thoughtful but also sounding a little patronizing. “Zuku, you probably don’t remember, but after you woke up the doctor did say why you heat-fevered.”
Izuku’s curiosity peaked. “He did?”
“He said you were overworking yourself. I didn’t realize it until he said it, but you’ve been pulling twelve hour shifts more than five days a week. For weeks, Izuku. I know Shinsou and I are always on your case about it, but if it’s affecting your health?” Shouto is harsh with his words, which makes Izuku flinch. “You need to do better. If not for yourself, then for your alpha.”
Izuku peers down at the sleeping blonde, feeling guilty. He really had been pushing himself the past few weeks, maybe months. He didn’t take into account how he was neglecting his health. Kacchan wasn’t as vocal about his opinions on the subject, but you could see he worries in the form of larger dinner portions, turning off Izuku’s alarms, requiring that he take a shower before getting into bed.
His alpha really was always taking care of him. Even when Izuku wasn’t taking care of himself. And that just wasn’t fair to him.
“Thanks, Shouto. I think… that really helps put things into perspective.”
The conversation ends shortly after, with Shouto asking him to look after himself and Katsuki and maybe taking a short vacation soon. Izuku agrees and lays down to get a few more hours o snuggle time with his alpha before they check out of the hospital.
“So where are we going?” Kacchan mumbles sleepily, tugging Izuku towards him by the waist and burrowing his face into his neck.
“Hm? Go where?”
Kacchan snorts into his hairline, “Where are we going on vacation , nerd? I think I deserve it.”
Izuku strokes down the curve of his mate’s brow, sighing thoughtfully. “Wherever you want, my love.”
There’s no way Kacchan didn’t know about the reason he heat-fevered. Todoroki would have told him, loyal to both of them. Still, at no point did Kacchan get mad or berate him while he was spending his heat with him, even though Izuku could only imagine how furious he was. There goes his alpha again, going the extra mile to make sure he’s taken care of - no matter how it affects him.
“I want to go to the mountains. Ma’s timeshare thingy, or whatever. It’s a good time for snowboarding, and they’ve got that hot chocolate you like.”
Izuku’s mind is far away from the vacation conversation, thinking about the alpha in his life who would do anything for the people he loves if it means they are healthy and safe. He thinks back to a conversation they had not that long ago, after they passed by the park and saw a young family playing on the swings. He thinks about the splash of pink on his mate’s face when Izuku brought up the prospect of having children.
“I like Hokkaido, the hot springs especially. Apparently the water there has properties that increase fertility in omegas, so we could definitely plan a trip up there before my next heat.”
There’s about a minute of silence, as Izuku waits for his mate to process what he just insinuated. When he does, Kacchan’s head shoots up from the pillow, eyes wide and giddy.
“Wait… do you mean-?”
Izuku only gets to half a nod before he’s being tackled into the sheets again and kissed within an inch of his life. He giggles against his mouth, a little delirious with happiness and relief.
And love. He loves his alpha. And he would do anything to take care of him.
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FIN