Chapter Text
Once again, he somehow managed to convince himself this heat was something he could beat. Like everything in his life, he saw it as a challenge, something that could be lost or won.
Just like last time, he’s made it to the end of his heat, alone, only to realise that he’s lost.
Katsuki pats his hair dry. He should have showered, but a bath seemed easier. The thing with baths is the longer you soak, the more contaminated the water becomes and, in the end, that water is what you’re using to clean yourself. So, despite the soap, shampoo, and bath bomb, he can still smell his heat on his skin.
He dreads the thought of going downstairs like this almost as much as he dreads climbing back into his nest all alone. He’d gotten out of his nest because he couldn’t sleep. He doubts he’ll fair any better getting back into it.
He goes somewhere else.
It’s dark out, so he expects he’ll have to knock on Shouto’s door more than once to get him to answer. He doesn’t expect no answer at all.
Aggrieved, Katsuki stomps back down to his own floor and knocks on Deku’s door. The nerd shows his face immediately, beaming as though the thought of someone coming to visit him is the most exciting thought in the world, no matter who it is.
“Hi Kacchan.” He says, still smiling but tilting his head to look at Katsuki. He looks him up and down, likely checking for signs of weakness, before deciding to look sheepish about it.
Katsuki frowns. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Sorry. Everything okay?”
“Yes.” Katsuki grinds out, and realises belatedly that he’d thrown Shouto’s hoodie over his head before he left his room. Deku definitely knows whose clothes he’s wearing. “Shouto’s not in his room.” He decides.
“Oh.” Deku says, looking thoughtful.
“Do you know where he is?” Katsuki asks, growing impatient.
“No. I can call him. Do you want to come in?”
The last place Katsuki wants to be is trapped in Deku’s room, listening to him ramble for an eternity while his subconscious is still creating vignettes of what it might be like to be impregnated. Stupid fucking heat. Usually the idea of having kids makes him gag.
Shouto would make nice pups . His mind supplies unhelpfully.
Yeah, there’s no way he’s going in Deku’s room like this.
He does want to sit though, or maybe even lie down, so he slides down the wall until he’s sitting in Deku’s doorway, looking at him expectantly.
“Okay.” Deku mutters. He sits down beside him and they wait in silence as Deku’s phone calls Shouto’s and then rings out.
Katsuki thumps his head against the doorway.
Shouto is infamously bad at answering his phone. He seems to forget that people might want to reach him sometimes and usually leaves his phone behind, or leaves it on silent. Unlike Katsuki, who actively ignores most of the people who try to call him.
It’s unlikely that Shouto is ignoring Deku’s calls, then. He must be busy.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you wait for him in his room.” Deku says.
Katsuki side-eye’s him. He would mind. Maybe not so much with Shouto or Deku, but if an Alpha went into his room and stunk it up after a rut , Katsuki would explode their fucking balls off.
“It’s not as big a deal for us.” Deku says, like he’s reading his mind.
Whatever. He’s tired, and he’s not going to wander around searching for that beta moron, no matter how much the clingy, desperate omega under his skin wants to see him.
He lifts himself off of Deku’s floor with a tremendous amount of effort and leaves the beta behind with no further words spoken between them.
Shouto keeps his room tidy, which is something he appreciates about him. He’d guess it was a beta trait if Deku’s room wasn’t such a cluttered nightmare.
The tidy room means that Shouto will know if Katsuki messes with anything. He intends to sit patiently on the floor for that reason alone, but the omega in him is fixated on Shouto’s bed.
Shouto has a very distinct scent for a beta. He likes to swear up and down that he doesn’t smell like anything, but Katsuki would argue that Shouto’s scent is the first thing he notices in a room full of alphas. It’s a strange sort of absence of scent that makes it what it is. It’s quiet, not overwhelming, but always missed when it’s not around, unlike the scent of an alpha. Warmth is how he’d described it to Shouto. He stands by that.
Shouto’s bed smells warm, and Katsuki is decidedly cold. Then scent clinging to the sheets is a silent reminder that Shouto will show up eventually, which eases the gaping hole in Katsuki’s chest, brought on from a heat spent all alone. He tries not to feel bad as he climbs under the covers, and only experiences a small amount of guilt when his expressed glands brush against the pillows, ruining the clean pillowcases with his overly ripe scent. He’s downright embarrassed when that leads to him swiping his glands against the mattress, duvet, and blankets.
Possessive
.
There’s no way any of the stupid alphas in their class are coming in here and not smelling Katsuki on Shouto’s sheets. Katsuki’s only respite comes from knowing Shouto probably wont know anything is amiss.
His point is proven when Shouto enters his room -who knows how long later- after Katsuki’s scented every inch of his bed, and doesn’t even look in his direction. Katsuki watches him place his school bag on his desk and unpack a few books, neatly pushing them to one corner before moving a few others into his bag as Katsuki wonders if his normal human nose even works. Good pro hero he’ll make if he can’t even sniff out a threat.
Katsuki’s too overwhelmed by relief just seeing his dumb face to be bothered notifying the beta that he’s here, or calling him out for being clueless.
His hope for him returns, however, when Shouto’s face scrunches and he lifts his head to look straight at him. “Katsuki..” he says quietly.
Katsuki’s overwhelmed with sudden humiliation when he realises the situation he’s gotten himself into. Not only has he snuck into Shouto’s room, uninvited, he’s also welcomed himself into his bed, post-heat, at night. The only saving grace for his dignity is that he still has his damn clothes on. Otherwise, it would be completely acceptable for Shouto to assume Katsuki came here for a late night rendezvous.
Which he didn’t.
He didn’t.
If he sees anything shaped like a penis between now and his next heat, he’s going to have a panic attack. He’s had more than enough of that the last few days.
Katsuki tries to disappear into the mattress, forcing himself not to do something as cowardly as to hide under the covers.
“Are you okay?” Shouto asks, tilting his head.
“I’m fine.” Katsuki says through gritted teeth.
“Are you hungry?”
“No.”
Shouto frowns, “what can I do for you?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I don’t-” Katsuki sighs. Whatever, he’s already embarrassed himself enough by just being here. “I wanted to see you.”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“Yes.” Shouto folds his arms, blinking at him. “I don’t understand. Last time you wanted me to make you food, so I did that-”
“Don’t make it sound like I used you for your cooking skills. I would have gone to literally anyone else if I just wanted a meal.”
“-but you don’t need anything this time. So now I’m confused.”
“Would you shut up .” Katsuki growls. Shouto drives him fucking insane sometimes. He’s never met someone so obsessed with finding reason in other people’s actions. He’s sure Shouto doesn’t justify every single thing he does before he does it. “You think I came all the way up here for no reason?”
“Yes.”
“I came here..” Katsuki says through his teeth, thoroughly annoyed. He came here because he thought Shouto could make him feel better, but apart from the desperate feeling of emptiness subsiding the second Shouto showed his face, no part of Katsuki feels better. “because I just spent two whole days, on my own, thinking about how much I wanted to see you.”
There’s probably something to be said about Shouto’s stubbornness helping Katsuki overcome his own flaws. He certainly wouldn’t have been so disgustingly honest with anyone else.
Anyone else wouldn’t have been embarrassingly obtuse about why an omega would come into their room after spending a heat on their own.
“Why did you want to see me? ”
Katsuki groans, dumping his head in his hands. Nothing is ever easy with Shouto.
The bed dips beside him, and Katsuki begrudgingly lifts his head to glare at his companion. Without his permission, one hand lands on Shouto’s thigh, seeking the beta’s touch.
Shouto’s hand automatically covers his own, and Katsuki feels two days of tension slowly seeping out of his muscles. He uses the last of his strength to crawl silently into Shouto’s lap, demanding the beta’s affection.
Shouto sits in shocked silence for a moment, and then slowly wraps his arms around Katsuki’s waist, gently pulling him in.
The tension leaves, evaporating in an instant, and he hums without consciously deciding to do so. Shouto makes a strange little questioning sound when Katsuki lets his body fall lax, making Shouto the one responsible for him not slipping off the bed onto the floor.
“You’re exhausted.” Shouto whispers, his hand coming up to cup Katsuki’s jaw. Katsuki blinks at him, fighting the heaviness trying to drag him to sleep so he can ask for what he’s wanted the last two days, and probably even longer than that.
“Will you stay…” Katsuki starts, losing his train of thought for a moment when Shouto instantly nods that he will, “for my heats?” he asks. Shouto opens his mouth, his head suddenly shaking, “Please?” Katsuki asks, tears prickling in his eyes. He doesn’t want to do it on his own anymore. He doesn’t care if that makes him weak, or means admitting defeat.
“Why me? I can’t help you with-”
“I don’t want a knot.” Katsuki whines. “I already have one… and if that’s all I wanted, I could ask any one of those alphas out there. You know they’d say yes.” He pats his palm against Shouto’s chest, trying to push some sense into him.
“You-“
“I need you with me. Can you please-“
“Yes.” Shouto interrupts. “Yes- I want to-“
“Want?”
“I- yes. If you’ll have me.”
Katsuki huffs, a relieved laugh escaping him. “I’ll have you.” he whispers, leaning his forehead against Shouto’s.
Shouto’s little smile grows. Katsuki bites his lip.
“Can I kiss you.” Shouto asks, eyes searching him imploringly before landing on Katsuki’s mouth.
Katsuki blinks once, a whole different kind of need rising to the surface, but quickly nods. He closes his eyes, waiting for Shouto to close the distance.
Shouto’s lips brush against his, making him flush. He takes a shaky breath, waiting patiently as Shouto’s fingers comb gently through the hair at Katsuki’s nape.
It’s nice, and Katsuki feels his head growing heavier. “If you’re not gonna kiss me, I’m going to sleep.” He grumbles, after Shouto continues petting his hair for a little too long.
Shouto kisses him. It’s gentle, soothing. His lips are soft and when the kiss slowly opens, Katsuki finds he tastes just like he smells, just like he feels: warm.
Katsuki falls asleep with Shouto’s lips against his own, wrapped up in his arms, feeling like he’s won.