Chapter 16

                                    

                                          
Izuku wasn't sure how he felt about meeting his boyfriends' families. Sure, Eijiro, Katsuki and Shoto were kind to him, but that didn't mean their families would be. His boyfriends knew his boundaries and were careful when approaching something new with him. And it didn't matter how much the alpha's reassured Izuku that their families would love him; he still had anxiety and was still more than unsure about the situation.
They had come to an agreement, they wouldn't do it all at once but instead spread it through the week and (in Shoto's case) keep it to parents, so Izuku wouldn't get overwhelmed. He could do that.
He hoped he could do that.
The first to visit was Shoto's mother, Rei. Izuku was more than relieved when Shoto told him his father would never be invited over, so his mother (and siblings once he was more comfortable) were the only ones he'd need to meet.
Izuku was hiding behind Eijiro when the doorbell rang. He was scared out of his mind, but he wanted to make his boyfriends happy. Besides, it was one person. If Shoto's mother was anything like Shoto, it should be easy.
"It'll be okay," Eijiro whispered to him, running a hand through his hair while Shoto went to open the door.
He heard Shoto greeting his mother and tried to steady his breathing. Shoto said she was nice, so he didn't have to worry, and if he needed space, they would understand.
Shoto led her into the living room, and Eijiro tried to have Izuku come out from hiding by putting his arm around his waist and pulling him forward a few steps. He kept his hand on Izuku's waist still, knowing it was a reassuring presence for the omega to have.
"Izuku, this is my mother, Rei," he gestured to the older woman. She was beautiful, with long white hair and stormy grey eyes. Other than Shoto's blue eye, he looked almost exactly like her.
Izuku gave a shy wave. "H-hi."
Rei smiled sweetly at him. "Hello, dear, it is nice to meet you finally. Shoto has told me all about you."
Izuku tried to look up at Rei; it was the polite thing to do, after all, but ended up staring at the ground. "Nice- nice to meet you." His voice stayed quiet, and he tried to take a steadying breath, but there was only so much he could do.
"You okay?" Eijiro whispered, squeezing the omega's waist gently and rubbing his side.
Izuku nodded, though he wasn't sure he was really okay. He could feel his anxiety building, but he could convince himself everything was going to be okay if he was with his boyfriends.
They all sat around the living room, Izuku curled up against Shoto's side. Katsuki sat on the other side of him while Eijiro grabbed the charcuterie that had been prepared beforehand.
"I was excited when Shoto said I could finally come to meet you," Rei said softly to kick off the conversation. "I had been looking forward to this since he mentioned you the first time."
Izuku wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Having people who were excited to meet him was a new feeling. "Oh- umm, thank you?" he muttered, his eyes drifting to the side.
"I hope Shoto is treating you well, and the others too, of course," she continued, correctly assuming Izuku wouldn't say much on his own.
Izuku looked at her in almost shock, appalled Rei could insinuate that they were anything other than perfect with him. "O-of course they are! They're amazing-" He blushed at his own outburst and looked back at his lap, fidgeting with his hands. "They're always amazing," he said quieter. He tried to stop the thought that he didn't deserve it, but it didn't matter how many times he was told he deserved love and affection. It would always be hard to believe it.