Meanwhile, Izuku was just leaving the supermarket with ingredients for tonight's dinner.
After his audition, he had to get rid of his stress and worries about his performance somehow, so he opted for a long workout at the gym. The Omega knew that his acting had made a good impression on the judges despite his lateness, but he had no idea what his competition was like. In order to resist his urge to scope out everyone who had auditioned before him, he lost his mind in the steady rhythm of exercise instead.
Three hours later, he remembered that he still didn't have his phone. So right after showering off his sweat from the workout, he headed straight to his workplace. Izuku wasn't surprised to find his phone inside his company locker. At least his rat of a manager still had some knowledge of common decency.
The first thing he did was to check his inbox. Spam, a text from Copycat, more spam, an advertisement on horoscopes, a text from Kouji, and oh! A message from UA Productions!
The Omega tapped on the message, squeezing his eyes shut just before the words popped up on the screen. This was it! The moment he had been waiting for! Slowly, he opened his eyes to read:
[Hello Midoriya Izuku,
As you know, today we held auditions for the movie <Zero to Hero>...
You have auditioned alongside many others.....]
Izuku rolled his eyes as he forced himself through the formalities. Just get to the point already! Eventually, the words he'd been looking for appeared right before his eyes:
[We're happy to announce that you will be joining our crew, playing the role of Deku!]
Izuku screamed with excitement and did a happy dance. Finally! He made it! He finally scored a major role! He finally beat Itsuki at her own sick little game!
But of course, this was only the start of their battle....
With his cheeks aching from smiling so wide, he immediately sent back: [I'm looking forward to working with everyone!]
Then he set his phone down and took a moment to contemplate how he'd celebrate this victory. Traditionally, after accepting a new role, the greenette would treat himself to a bowl of katsudon.
But somehow, katsudon didn't seem like it was enough to commemorate this particular role. This was the biggest role the Omega had scored in a long, long time. So Izuku decided to go all out and make hotpot at home instead.
It wasn't until he was counting out his change to pay for the ingredients, side dishes, and beer did he realize how sad it was for him to be eating such a large meal alone. Really, it was practically the ultimate level of loneliness. At least he was used to it from being a loner most of the time.
At his apartment, he waited on the ground floor for the elevator, his arms too tired to carry all his groceries up the stairs. As he watched the numbers go down, he absentmindedly overheard the chatter of the Betas working at the front desk.
"Hey, hey, did you see that handsome Alpha earlier?"
"Of course I did! You'd have to be blind to not see him walking through those doors!"
"I know right?! Almost gave me a heart attack when I saw him!"
"And the pup he brought was super cute too! They looked so alike, they must be father and son!"
"Who do you think they were visiting?"
"Who knows? I don't remember any of the residents having a mate that attractive!"
"All I know is that I'm definitely taking the late hours so I can see him again!"
"Hey, that's not fair!"
As he entered the elevator, Izuku quietly laughed to himself at the teenaged Betas who were working themselves into a tizzy over this 'handsome Alpha', and good-naturedly wished them good-luck. Ah, to be young and in love again.
Once he arrived at his floor, the Omega noticed two figures waiting by his door, one tall and one short. His freckled face frowned in confusion. Visitors at this time? Who could they be?
As he came closer, their faces slowly but surely became recognizable, until he finally came to a stop a few feet away in shock. On his doorstep stood Bakugou Katsuki in a neat suit with a dark outer coat. Katsumi was being carried in his arms, and the pup was holding a fruit basket in one hand while the other waved excitedly at the sight of his green hair.
. . . Just what were these two doing at his place?
"U-Uh, M-Mr. Bakugou?" Izuku stammered as he called out to the Alpha, eyeing the ash-blond duo nervously, "M-May I ask why you're here? It's pretty late for a visit...."
"To check on your health." Bakugou bit out each word curtly.
To . . . To check on his health?
Bakugou Katsuki personally came over to visit this late at night to check on Izuku's well-being, going as far as to bring his pup with him? Surely the accident wasn't that big of a deal. The Omega had been working out just fine hours earlier.
"A-Ah, how kind of you. Um, please come inside. Sorry about the mess, I wasn't expecting anyone to drop by...."
Izuku fumbled over his words as he unlocked the door to his apartment, speedily rushing inside to tidy up as much as he could before they could see the state of his living/dining room, picking up trash off the couch and throwing his clothes into his bedroom.
"Feel free to sit wherever you like. Would you like something to drink? Is green tea and milk okay?" The greenette busied himself with putting away the groceries as he did his best to entertain his unexpected guests.
"Sure." Bakugou nodded his assent, his expression looking as if Izuku was a weatherman reporting the forecast of the week. Izuku could only blink away his bewilderment as he started the water boiler to prepare a cup of tea for the Alpha and poured a cup of milk for the pup.
As Izuku waited for the water to boil, he took a peek at the two to see how they were doing.
Bakugou looked awkwardly cramped on the narrow couch with Katsumi sitting next to him. Not only did the father and son pair look alike, but they also shared a similar expression: pinched, glowering faces as they examined at their surroundings. As if they disapproved of the Omega's living quarters. They were also silent, neither seemed to be in the mood for conversation.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense and awkward around them.
Izuku didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry at the sight. Really, what did these two come here for?
For the sake of breaking up their cold war, Izuku casually asked as he handed over their drinks, "So, um, have you two eaten dinner yet? I was planning on having hotpot tonight . . . would you like to join me?"
"Sure," Bakugou agreed as Katsumi nodded eagerly, his amber eyes twinkling in expectation. The greenette took a moment to stare at them sceptically. He was only trying to be polite, and yet who would've thought that they'd actually accept his offer?
One was a bigshot CEO, while the other a little prince. What kind of expensive delicacies have they not tasted before? And yet they were more than willing to partake in a commoner's hotpot with this Omega? Izuku felt a bit embarrassed at his meager offering.
But there was no taking back his words. He already invited them to a meal, and they had accepted. So all he could do was roll up his sleeves and tell them, "Then I'll get to cooking. It should be ready in half an hour."
Back in his kitchenette, Izuku absentmindedly hummed to himself as he brought out various spices and ingredients he planned to use for the hotpot. As his hand hovered over one particularly spicy mix, he remembered that he hadn't asked the two if they could handle spicy food. Thinking that it'd be best if he knew their preferences, he turned around to go ask—
Only to see two pairs of amused eyes watching his every move.
The greenette flushed in surprise, looking much like a strawberry. Just because they had nothing to do, that didn't mean they should be watching his every move. He cleared his throat, attempting to will away his fluster, and said, "Um, the soup base I have is a bit spicy. Will you two be able to handle it?"
"No problem," answered the ash-blond Alpha as he stood up and set Katsumi onto the counter. His piercing red eyes looked over at the mass of ingredients picked out for hotpot. It looked like a lot of work. "Need some help?"
"O-Oh, really?" Izuku was taken back by the unexpected offer. "Actually, that'd be great. Can you prep the vegetables?"
"Mm." Bakugou shrugged off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and immediately got started with washing the produce. The Omega couldn't help but watch in awe as Bakugou wielded the knife just like a pro, chopping up everything in mere seconds. He had no idea that the Alpha could cook, but then again, there were a lot of things he didn't know about him.
Katsumi quietly watched the two adults work in sync, happily giggling to himself. They worked well together, as if a missing piece had been found...
In the end, it wasn't until the hotpot was just about ready when Izuku realized that Bakugou had taken over the cooking process entirely, even making the soup spicier than usual.
The greenette eyed the red bubbling concoction nervously. It wasn't that he doubted Bakugou's skills or anything, he was only worried that he wasn't going to be able to handle it. It smelled extremely delicious though!
After setting up the table, they dove straight onto the meal like hungry wolves. Bakugou unofficially placed himself in charge of cooking the meat and for the most part served the other two. On the other hand, Katsumi seemed to love spicy food as much as the adults did, stuffing himself silly and occasionally sticking out his tongue from the spiciness.
"...Is it okay for Katsumi to be eating this much spice?" asked Izuku, feeling concerned after watching the pup rapidly gulp down his milk. He worried about the possible consequences if the little prince got sick after this meal.
"He's not that weak."
"Oh, okay...." The Omega decided to take his word for it. They ate in silence for a moment before the Alpha decided to speak up once more.
"How was the audition?"
Izuku paused, his cheeks stuffed with perfectly cooked cabbage. He hadn't expected Bakugou to remember that he had an audition today. Quickly chewing and swallowing, he answered, "I was victorious! Since I got the role I tried out for, I decided to make hotpot to celebrate!"
Bakugou raised his glass. "Congratulations."
Izuku blinked at him in amazement before clinking his cup against Bakugou's. Who would've thought that the first person to congratulate him would be Bakugou Katsuki?
"Thanks!" the greenette responded with a small smile, shyly shifting his eyes away to sip his drink. There was something about the curve of those pink lips that made Bakugou's heart tremble for a few beats.
After that toast, Izuku turned to the pup who was watching him drink. "I'm especially grateful to Katsumi for rescuing me last night. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to attend in the first place. Baby, cheers to you!"
Katsumi looked at his cup of milk, then at Izuku's raised cup. Looking a bit reluctant, he copied their actions and lightly clanked his cup with Izuku's before throwing his head back to chug down the rest of the milk.
The Omega couldn't help but laugh out loud at the pup's serious attitude. So he already knew about the adult ways of drinking shots? Who even taught him that?
Even though Izuku had bought more food than he had planned to eat that night, between the three of them, they managed to finish everything down to the last bite. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction. Food was a lot more enjoyable with company. Albeit uninvited company, but company nonetheless.
And speaking of uninvited company . . .
Izuku stood up and subtly glanced at the ash blond pair who showed no signs of leaving. As he began to clear off the table, he said a bit awkwardly, "Hey, um . . . it's getting pretty late, isn't it? Shouldn't you two start heading back—?"
*BOOM!*
Lightning flashed outside his window, and was followed quickly by the loud booming of thunder. Soon, heavy winds began to fiercely shake the trees outside. "Wha . . . What's going on?" Izuku gaped at the sudden change of weather.
"The weather forecast predicted heavy rain and a typhoon tonight." Bakugou commented offhandedly.
Izuku watched the oncoming storm outside in dismay. It'd be dangerous for the pup if they were going to leave at a time like this... He could feel their stares drilling into his back as he continued to observe his apartment's surroundings and pretended to not know their intentions.
Eventually, he couldn't ignore them any longer and gave in: "Since the weather's pretty bad right now, why don't you two wait out the storm here?"
Damn it, his Omegan nature had taken over again, wanting to be generous and tend to the needs of an Alpha and his pup. Well, it couldn't be helped. He was only trying to be courteous, assuming that there was no way Bakugou would agree to spend the night at his shabby apartment. There had to be a hotel or two nearby, right?
The result:
"Sure," the ash blond conceded, Katsumi gleefully bouncing on the couch at the prospects of a sleepover. Izuku fought the urge to facepalm himself as he washed the dishes. Why did he have a feeling that the Alpha was going to accept his offer again?
Why was this happening to him?
He really needed to take better control of himself...
Just like that, father and son duo were going to stay the night.
The apartment Golden Age Entertainment had arranged for Izuku was not that big: only the basic necessities of a kitchenette, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a living room that also served as a dining room.
"Mr. Bakugou, you can sleep in my room with your pup. I'll take the couch, so give me a minute to change the sheets—"
"It's fine. I'll stay here and you can sleep with Katsumi." Bakugou interjected, his overwhelming demeanor silencing any argument the Omega had.
Izuku felt like he had failed at being a good host for his guests. Not only did he end up letting the great Bakugou Katsuki cook dinner, but he was also making him sleep on a sofa that was too small for the Alpha.
Really, if Bakugou had showed up at his place alone, then even if the world was ending outside, Izuku definitely wouldn't invite him to stay the night. A single Alpha and Omega alone together clearly screamed danger.
But Bakugou had brought his son, so Izuku didn't have the heart to throw them outside. Besides, it wouldn't be that bad since Katsumi was here, right...?
"...Then I'll go see if I have anything for you guys to borrow. Feel free to use the shower," the greenette mumbled, heading to his closet to check for any clean clothes. Sure enough, he did, but he felt reluctant to bring them out. Ah, well, what did it matter? They were bound to find out eventually, he reasoned to himself as he took down the clothing from their hangers.
For Katsumi he had a child-sized All Might onesie that he had bought on a whim for a younger cousin, though he supposed there was still time to find another present for that particular cousin. It was a bit challenging to pick out clothing for Bakugou, but Izuku finally settled on an brand-new oversized All Might hoodie he had only worn once and a pair of black sweats that Kouji had left behind from his last visit.
Just looking at his brother's clothing dimmed down the Omega's mood a bit. Ever since Izuku reunited with his birth parents, he couldn't bring himself to go back and visit his adoptive parents, feeling guilty over the fact that they had spent their time and money to raise a pup that wasn't even their own. He barely kept in touch with them and mostly stayed in contact with Kouji instead.
Izuku shook his head, scattering these negative thoughts and sighed. Now was not the time to be depressed. He tiptoed up to reach for the spare blankets and sheets, silently reprimanding himself yet again for forgetting to buy a spare futon for visitors. Kouji had teased him about it, after showing off yet another growth spurt that had him towering over Izuku. The greenette had sworn to buy one as soon as he left, but promptly forgot that promise a few hours later. Oh well.
He returned to the livingroom and helped set up the sofa. At least it didn't have any armrests, so Izuku was able to add a chair to one end to lengthen it. After placing the clothes on top of the pillow, the Omega scurried into the bathroom to help Katsumi wash himself.
He was impressed by how obedient the pup was, staying perfectly still as Izuku gently scrubbed his ash blond locks, and how he managed to put on the onesie all by himself. Once his hair was dried, Katsumi instinctively headed for the bed while Izuku ran another bath for Bakugou.
Izuku gave himself a quick once over to make sure he was decent before walking out to let the Alpha know the bath was ready. "We'll be going to sleep now. If there's anything else you need, don't be afraid to ask!"
"Mm." Bakugou made a small noise of acknowledgement, his crimson eyes appraising Izuku's appearance. He had a feeling once he saw the hoodie the Omega had left for him and the onesie his son had pranced outside wearing, but his suspicions were confirmed once he saw the All Might themed pajamas Izuku wore. And the fact that he had peeked inside the nerd's bedroom while the other two were washing up, but that's not the point.
The Omega was definitely an All Might fanatic.
Setting that particular bit of information aside, he focused on the sight in front of him instead. A freshly washed face, freckles dancing across flushing, tender skin. Besides the conservative sleepwear, there was a towel around his neck as Izuku attempted to dry off the rest of the water clinging onto his green hair.
Bakugou watched as one droplet of water dripped off an emerald lock, falling right on the side of his face, sliding ever so slowly down to the curve of his neck, and even lower below his collar—
The Alpha had to force himself to turn away from the tempting sight.
Too bad he wasn't allowed a single bite.
~*~
Izuku entered his bedroom—and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the adorable smol Might waiting for him.
He stood in a daze for a moment, remembering all events that led up to this point. Ever since that night, a lot of unexpected things had developed beyond his expectations. Switching off the light, the Omega snuggled up by the pup, cooing, "Let's go to sleep~"
Wide amber eyes blinked back at him, not a single trace of sleepiness within them. Izuku sighed and scratched his head wearily. "I'm guessing you want me to tell you a story?"
A soft rustle echoed through the room as the ash blond pup nodded hopefully. Izuku closed his eyes helplessly and forced his sleepy brain to think.
"Mm . . . I can't think of any stories right now . . . How about I sing you a song instead?"
Even more nodding.
Thus, Izuku softly caressed the pup's fluffy blond hair and quietly crooned:
"Rocky Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Rocky Mountain high
When you've climbed that Rocky Mountain
Hang your head and cry:
Do-do-do-do, do remember me
Do-do-do-do, do remember me
Sunny Valley, Sunny Valley, Sunny Valley low
When you've reached that Sunny Valley
Sing it soft and slow:
Do-do-do-do, will you remember me?
Do-do-do-do, will you remember me?
Stormy Ocean, Stormy Ocean, Stormy Ocean wide
When you're in that deep blue sea
There's no place you can hide
Do-do-do-do, please remember me?
Do-do-do-do, do remember me
Do-do-do-do, will you remember me?
Do-do-do-do, please remember me..."
After singing the song a few times over, Katsumi's eyes gradually drooped shut, finally falling into a deep sleep. Izuku was glad that the pup was asleep, but now he was left awake from all that singing. Raising a pup really wasn't as easy as he thought!
He suddenly felt admiration and respect for Bakugou as a single father. That being said, Izuku wondered who Katsumi's mother was, or why would she leave the pup and choose not to stay with Bakugou?
Was it because her status was too low for the Bakugou family to accept? Or maybe she and Bakugou had fought about something? Or maybe, maybe...
With his mind whirling over the possibilities, Izuku eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.