Work Text:
It was a simple thing, really, not anything that was the end of the world. Just a recall of some medications. Most saw it on the news that morning or had gotten calls from doctor offices or family. It wasn’t uncommon for recalls to be sent out. But it was uncommon for a recall to be directly linked to just not working in general. Maybe a general side effect that no one labeled, a misprint, rashes, or some other simple thing.
No, this was actually an unprecedented recall because, for the first time in a very long time, a heat suppressant medication was recalled because it simply did not work. It was very important to get those affected onto another medication or into a safe location. It wasn’t that alphas were feral beasts, but just that scum existed everywhere. Some scum could see a confused omega in the midst of an unexpected heat and take advantage.
This was why it was so important for those affected to be contacted immediately. It was why, when Izuku accidentally dropped his phone into a sink with the water running before a mission, it was the catalyst for possibly the most important day of his life. Because Izuku was feeling feverish, but it must have been the weather. He took his heat supplements religiously, and even though he would technically be going into heat, it wasn’t because the medicine worked. Because Izuku’s phone was waterlogged and not working, and the class was going to the field to help assist in arresting some would-be criminals, he didn’t see the missed calls from his mom or his doctors.
The class was broken up into teams to wander around the city, assist civilians, and heroes. It was Izuku, Katsuki, and Shoto who teamed up when a call went out for a group of criminals trying to rob a bank. It seemed that about ten guys were less robbing a bank and more trying to damage as much property as possible. The minor villains were running around using their quirks to cause general mayhem and chaos. It was less of a threat and more of a headache for all heroes and law enforcement involved.
“Todoroki, can you make a wall of ice on either side of the street so the criminals don’t run away?” Izuku shouted out.
“Got it!” Shoto shouted out before running.
“Kacchan, can you help me knock some of these guys out? The fewer that are active, the better,” Izuku called out.
“Whatever, just make sure to watch your back, Deku!” Katsuki yelled out before blasting at the nearest criminal.
Izuku smiled as he ran to a criminal with a quirk that seemed to be some sort of hardening. Katsuki was still brash and a know-it-all, but he did care about his classmates and Izuku especially. Growing up, the two had a tense past, but as they got older and entered UA, Katsuki seemed to be trying to help out and protect Izuku. In his own special Kacchan way.
“Oh! They sending out snacks now!?” the criminal yelled out before Izuku kicked his face. It didn’t knock him out, but it did get him off his feet. “Little omega has some spirit, don’t worry, little guy, I think I can help you out.”
Izuku tried to suppress a full-body shiver from the creep as he opted to just punch the guy in the nose and maybe break some teeth.
Stupid genderist assholes thinking I’m just a walking meat sack for their pleasure.
It wasn’t that Izuku was ashamed of being an omega per se, just he didn’t like the general views that some people had. He also hated the whole heat thing, which is why he took medicine to prevent it. Not feeling in control of his body? Biologically being wired to need someone else? It was as if the universe was taking choices away from people. Sure, there were plenty of omegas that had happy, healthy partners and lives. But after growing up with one too many horror stories and a mom who was very much an overthinker…Izuku would rather pretend that part of him didn’t exist.
Izuku looked around and felt how hot he was…he hadn’t even done much. Why was he so hot?
“Excuse me, sir?” Izuku turned around to see an officer. “Are you okay?”
Izuku shook his head. He was sweating so much… “I’m okay, just really hot…”
Izuku started to look around and saw that most of the criminals were being handled by someone or just surrendering…he could just take a break in the shade. There was a small alleyway that Izuku walked over to.
The cramping feeling that started lightly in Izuku’s abdomen started to get worse, and Izuku leaned on a building and slid to the ground.
Izuku groaned in pain…why was he feeling like this right now? There was no reason…unless he was…
“Aizawa, come in, please,” Izuku connected to the comms, hoping to get this figured out.
“Midoriya? What’s the matter?” Aizawa must have heard the pain in Izuku’s voice. The cramping and the sweating were getting worse.
“I think something's wrong…” Izuku tried to stay calm and take deep breaths, but what he was about to say made him want to actually vomit. “I think I’m going into heat…”
“Explain that again? Why are you in heat? We have you as being on heat suppressants,” Aizawa said. “Try to get back here if you can with your team.”
Izuku groaned in pain. The idea of having to get up and move seemed like actual torture, and what was worse, his skin felt oversensitive. His own costume felt like it was rubbing him raw. He felt so uncomfortable.
“I don’t think I can…it hurts…” Izuku felt so awful, and what was worse…he knew he was starting to release pheromones…a bodily reaction that he couldn’t stop or prevent. “Please help me…”
Izuku was shaking, trying to cocoon into himself and be as small as possible…
“Deku?!” Izuku perked up at hearing the familiar voice.
“Bakugo, he’s over here!” Shoto yelled out. “Are you okay, Mr. Aizawa said we needed to get you out of here.”
“Jesus Deku, why do you smell so shitty?”
“Bakugo! Can’t you tell he’s distressed?”
“It’s the same thing!”
Izuku grabbed his abdomen and tried to get away from the two, “G-get back…heat…you’re alphas…”
“Don’t you take suppressants? You would have been given days to rest otherwise,” Shoto asked in a calm tone.
“The nerd always takes suppressants, he fucking hates his heats,” Katsuki said. “Would rather die than go through those again…”
“G-get back!” Izuku tried to crawl away, but only yelped in pain. He was then gently sat up by a pair of strong arms and piercing red eyes.
“We’re alphas, but we aren’t animals, dumbass, heat or no. Nothing happens without your say,” Katsuki said, almost offended at the accusation.
“Bakugo’s right, only scum would try anything with you right now, you’re underage and obviously distressed," Shoto said. “You’re safe, okay?”
Izuku still felt panicked, but couldn’t stop the easy feeling, and there was a smell that made him feel so calm…like cinnamon and a campfire.
“What do we got here, boys?” All three teens tensed up at the sound of an unknown male voice.
At the end of an alleyway was a pair of men, and Izuku could smell their ill intentions from where he was. Katsuki’s arms immediately tightened around Izuku, and Shoto seemed to take on a look of murder.
“Get away, we have it handled,” Shoto yelled out.
“Oh, I see how blondie is handling it…could take care of that little thing way faster,” the man laughed, his buddy seeming to think this was all funny too.
“Todoroki,” Katsuki hissed. “Take the fuck care of them before I become wanted for murder.”
“More than happy to,” Shoto said darkly, walking away. Izuku heard screams and curses, but couldn’t care less about what was actually going on.
“Okay, we need to get you outta here ASAP,” Katsuki said. “I need to carry you and blast us to UA, it’s the safest option. Can I carry you?”
“Please make it stop…” Izuku moaned out; he knew his hair had to be damp from all of the sweat.
“Come on, I got you,” Katsuki grabbed Izuku and got him to grab hold of his neck, and tried to wrap his legs around Kacchan’s waist. “Hold on tight!”
Izuku was grateful to Todoroki for keeping them safe long enough to blast away, and he was also grateful to Kacchan for blasting him through the air as the wind helped to cool him down.
By the time they were at UA, the medical staff grabbed Izuku from Katsuki’s back and took him to a heat room for observation. The cool colored walls, calm music, pillows, blankets, and TV should have made the room seem calm and relaxing. A safe place for omegas to go through their heats with support and assistance as needed. But to Izuku, it was like a tomb…he didn’t want to make a nest to feel safe. His normal bedroom should have been fine. He didn’t want to request items as he needed. He wanted to leave this room, go have dinner with his friends, and play some card games until late at night…maybe do something fun on Saturday. Instead, it felt like his whole body was revolting against him.
Aizawa had been helping calm down Inko for about forty-five minutes, checking his phone to see if his husband, Hizashi, was getting anywhere with calming the kid down, when a nurse came in.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we have an issue with Izuku Midoryia that needs to be addressed,” she said.
Inko whipped around, “What’s the matter with my baby?”
“Well, we know his heat suppressant was recalled for not working, but…even with the room, we can’t get him to calm down, and his stress levels are staying higher than we would like,” she said.
“My poor boy always hated his heats…he never did well with them. It was why we got him on medicine as soon as possible,” Inko said, biting her nails. “What do we need to do?”
“We could provide him with some…items to help with the process?” the nurse said. “Though we may need to see about having an alpha help him through it. Do you have any objection?”
Inko shook her head, “No…whatever helps him through this until we can get him onto some new medication. But he won’t like this. He doesn’t like not being in control of his own body…I just don’t know…”
The nurse gave a sad look to Aizawa, “It may be a conversation to have…if there may be someone in Izuku’s life who could help him through the next few days…”
Aizawa gave a firm nod, “Understood.”
“My poor Izuku is going to hate it if it comes to that…” Inko said.
“Hopefully it won’t,” the nurse said.
Izuku was curled in a corner when the door opened…in came a cart, and the door quickly closed behind. Izuku looked up and saw what was on the cart…some water, some food that made him want to actually vomit just thinking about trying to eat it, and other things. Izuku felt tears well up, and his stomach cramped more; he was not going to use that crap. He wasn’t going to just do that…he couldn’t imagine his first being a toy.
He wasn’t sure how many hours had passed; he probably should have been thirsty or hungry, but all Izuku felt was hot, overstimulated, sweaty, cramping, and so exhausted.
“Again, I have to say no,” Present Mic said.
“Let me talk to her! That woman basically raised me, too,” Katsuki said. “Only a few people know how Izuku gets during his heats, and you guys aren’t ready for that!”
Present Mic squeezed his brow, “Aizawa said that you are to stay at the dorms and let them handle this. He will be okay.”
Katsuki was pacing the dorm common room. He was irritated, but he was more worried. He remembered when Izuku presented, the kid was crying and all but had to be sedated until his first heat was over before they could get him on medications. He was annoyingly independent and headstrong. He didn’t like not having bodily autonomy and hated the idea of using items. Katsuki had heard it was rare for omegas to react that way with their heats, most just used items, and move on. But Izuku…just didn’t want to.
“Look,” Katsuki said, trying to be calmer. “He isn’t going to use the items. He will probably curl up in a corner and not eat or drink or sleep until someone suggests sedating him until his body is over this heat…He wants his first time to not be some meaningless sex. He wants it to be special and with someone he trusts and wants to be with. No one sent in there will get anywhere with him. Please, just let me talk with his mom.”
Present Mic turned to Katsuki, and his eyes widened at the sincerity of Katsuki’s words. It also helped that the man was an omega and could understand where Izuku was coming from.
“What exactly do you want to talk to her about, little listener?” Katsuki perked up; it was the most progress he had made in three hours since they got to UA.
“Get some food in him, help him relax and sleep. He hasn’t had a heat in years…he’s probably overwhelmed. Just be with him with no ulterior motives or expectations. If you guys send another alpha in there, he’s going to freak out thinking he might get raped…” Katsuki scratched the back of his neck. “Just cuddle with him and crap…”
“Let me make some calls.”
Izuku was still in his corner, as far away from that stupid gross food and crap for him to “use” when he heard the door open.
It was probably a nurse, at least that’s what he thought until his mind smelled…alpha.
Izuku started to scream out and cry, trying to cover himself as if that would hide his scent. There was no way they expected him to have sex with some random person. It didn’t matter if Izuku even knew them; he wasn’t dating…he hadn’t talked about…he wasn’t going to have sex with anyone. Not right now…
Izuku finally looked up and sobbed…how could they do this to him…he would never be able to look him in the eyes again…even though he had a crush, it was all ruined now…
“K-Kacchan, please leave!” Izuku sobbed. “I can’t…please…”
Izuku heard the door open and the sound of the rolling cart. Curiosity got the better of him as he looked up and saw the cart was gone, and Kacchan seemed to be holding a…hot plate and a few bags of food?
“I’m not coming any closer, but I am going to cook you something that doesn’t look like it was run over and left in the sun,” Katsuki said as if this were a weekend hangout…and not a traumatizing day for Izuku.
Izuku knew his stressful feelings probably must be making it hard for Kacchan…he heard that a distressed omega smelled really bad and made alphas go into “mother hen mode” as Izuku liked to call it.
He smelled meat being fried and eggs, and he stopped crying and saw that Kacchan was making…katsudon! Izuku’s favorite dish…Izuku also noticed that Kacchan was releasing a very small amount of his pheromones…just enough to slightly calm Izuku down…to tell his true intentions. He always had such good control over his pheromones. All Izuku could gauge was that Katsuki was incredibly calm right now…which meant that he wasn’t going to attack Izuku. Not that Izuku felt he would, but being an omega in heat, in a heat room, with an alpha…he painted a picture Izuku didn’t really like.
“Come and eat…or do you want me to leave for now?” Katsuki asked, holding two bowls.
“Why are you doing this?” Izuku whispered, slowly walking over to grab a bowl and returning to his corner again.
“Because these asshats don’t understand how you are,” Katsuki said, taking a bite of food. “You aren’t gonna use that crap they had on that cart, you need control and not to feel pressured into shit.”
Izuku started to slowly eat. He was starting to relax, and the cramping started to ease somewhat.
“...We aren’t going to sleep together,” Izuku whispered.
“Well, yeah, I’m here to make sure you eat and don’t throw yourself into a panic attack,” Katsuki said, not looking up from his bowl.
“It’s not you, just…” Izuku couldn’t explain it in words…
“You’re like demisexual or whatever, you need like a strong connection for that or something,” Katsuki said, looking at him.
“How do you know that?”
“I looked it up after you told me once,” Katsuki said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Izuku just stared in awe…he remembered that conversation? What was that? Two years ago? Three?
“Thank you,” Izuku said quietly.
“You don’t thank someone for being a decent person, Deku.”
“Still…”
The two ate in silence, and Katsuki took the food and placed it outside the door. He asked if he should leave, but Izuku felt more… comfortable. The two ended up still sitting on separate sides of the room, watching some weird game show. Izuku still felt really uncomfortable and hot, but Kacchan’s scent of cinnamon and a campfire was calming him down.
“Is there a way…” Izuku stopped. “Never mind.”
“No, what is it?”
“I just…I wondered since we aren’t going to do anything,” Izuku tried to hide his red face. “Maybe cuddling could help…”
“Is that what you want?”
Izuku shook his head, and in a few moments, Katsuki was sitting beside him with open arms. Giving Izuku full choice on how they would cuddle…it made his heart swell. Izuku ended up curling around his body, one arm around him and his head tucked under Katsuki’s neck.
“Is this okay, nerd?”
“Yeah…it feels better. I know that seems weird, I guess,” Izuku said, feeling sleepy.
“Nah, it’s just what works for you. You’re not like other omegas, and you want to do things a certain way,” Katsuki said. “You're able to get through our heat in a way that makes you comfortable and safe. If that means cuddles and no sex, then it means cuddles and no sex.”
Izuku looked up, “Does my…smell not bother you?”
“You think I have so little self-control?”
“No!” Izuku said. “Just…y’know…”
“Nah, I know what you mean. Some may not be so ‘in control,’ I guess, just,” Katsuki paused. “You deserve to get through this shit the way you want. Not the way anyone else says you should.”
Izuku ended up falling asleep, and for the next three days, he and Katsuki ended up spending the whole time together. No sex, just conversations, cuddles, and short bathroom breaks. Izuku could sing every time Katsuki made him food, and was so happy every time he could cuddle and be close. When he made an involuntary chirp in contentment, he wanted to actually fade from existence, and it didn’t help that Kacchan teased him!
“That was so funny!” Katsuki said, laughing.
“No, it wasn’t! It was so embarrassing!”
“Come on, it wasn’t embarrassing, it was a normal reaction…should help my ego for a few days knowing I made you feel safe enough to do that…” Izuku looked up at the sweet words being said…until Katsuki looked at him again with a wicked grin, “Chirp chirp.”
“I hate you!” Izuku said, beating Katsuki with a pillow.
“Nah, you like me,” Katsuki said on the floor, taking the pillow, beating. “Admit you like an asshole like me!”
“So what if I do! You still suck!” Izuku said…only to freeze mid-hit and stare at Katsuki before going so bright red, he could have signaled for ships in a fog. “F-Forget I said that!”
“Oh, come on, Deku!” Katsuki said, but Izuku was retreating to a corner again in embarrassment.
Katsuki slowly walked over, before getting on his knees, “This okay?”
Izuku reluctantly shook his head.
“Look, Izuku, I like you too,” Katsuki said. “It’s not something to be embarrassed about…”
Izuku mumbled into his knees.
“You know I can’t understand the muttering,” Katsuki said, slightly annoyed.
“It’s not the same…” Izuku said.
“What do you mean?”
“...I like you like…dating like you…”
Katsuki groaned, “I do too, dumbass.”
Huh?
“Huh?” Izuku said.
“I like you too…like the dating kind,” Katsuki said, not meeting his eyes.
“Oh…”
“Yeah…”
Izuku’s brain finally caught up, “OH!”
Katsuki rolled his eyes, “Yes, geez, you can be the densest person alive.”
Izuku laughed, “I guess we both are…”
“Hey! I knew forever that you liked me!” Katsuki said, crossing his arms and putting his nose up.
“Which is why you just said it after I said it first?”
Instead of a reply, Izuku got a pillow in the face.
As the two cuddled to fall asleep, both agreed they would talk about this in a few days. After the heat was over, after the embarrassing questions from their friends and family asking if they were together or if they got together. Once it was calmer…the two would begin to date. Not because they had some mindless, heat-fueled sex. But because they communicated…and for Izuku, that was the most perfect thing imaginable.