Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hm, which one…” 

At twenty-eight, Izuku Midoriya thought his life would be packed with travel, plans for his future, and thrilling romances he could reflect on when he finally settled down with the love of his life. In reality, the omega found himself alone on a friday night in the frozen dessert aisle of the supermarket. His eyes flickered between the option of mint chocolate chip and rocky road, unsure where his stomach wanted to land. He’d already snagged a bag of chips, a king-sized Reese's, and a bottle of lube for his night of indulgent (but lonely) self-care. 

He’d only gained the sudden freedom in his schedule recently, with his job ending at the start of the month. Being a nanny for three years with the same family, Izuku had been surprised when learning his employer was moving his family to another state. What threw him off even more had been the offer from the two betas to have Izuku come with them, as their children had grown quite fond of him. He understood their anxiety about ending his services; because both parents had demanding jobs, Izuku spent more time with the kids during the waking hours than either beta. Their school was on a first name basis with Izuku. He was on all of their emergency contacts. When the parents couldn’t come to their play or sports events, he’d record them to watch as a family later. The kids weren’t just losing their nanny; in a way, they were losing a third parent.

Despite loving his job and the time spent with the family, he had turned down their offer, hooking them up with a nanny in his network that lived in the town they were moving to. He’d said goodbye three weeks ago, not expecting his omega to have such a visceral reaction to the separation. The pseudo-bond he’d created with the kids had nothing to do with wanting to be their omega, specifically. It was in his nature to adore children, and being around some for so long made him long for his own. Friends and family always told him he’d be a great parent, but there was one slight problem; his omega.

“What else is new?” 

He sighed in frustration at how little control he had over his omega’s picky behavior for finding himself a mate. Izuku had been in several relationships throughout his life, some that he was sure would end happily ever after. But if it got serious enough to entertain the idea of mates and children, his omega clammed up and refused to engage. For a beta, that wouldn’t be a problem, because their secondary gender did not affect their fertility. Alphas and omegas, in contrast, had to accept the other as a possible mate before conceiving could happen. If an omega or alpha rejected the mate, that was it; no matter how much sex they had, there wouldn’t be a pregnancy. 

And Izuku had the pickiest omega in the world, which put a nail in every coffin of his past relationships. His heats, where omegas normally begged for someone to share, remained without a partner. Any offer to help him made Izuku physically sick, and he’d even bit an old partner who tried to share his nest. Nobody would commit themselves to someone who knew deep down, a part of Izuku didn’t want them. When Izuku picked up the full-time gig of being a nanny, he gave up on finding a proper partner. One-night stands never scratched his itch the way he wanted, but it was better than getting his hopes up. He couldn’t stand getting dumped again because he couldn’t get on the same page as his omega.

“If you could just shut up and let me enjoy an actual relationship, I wouldn’t be stuck in the ice cream aisle.” He knew it wasn’t a good look to be talking to himself, but he was too depressed to care. The only thing he had going for him was the savings he’d managed to accrue working with his old family, which meant he wouldn’t have to worry about going homeless or hungry for another few months. 

The reminder of not having a job urged him to pull out his phone, checking his email for any new applications from the Omega Nanny Network. He’d registered with the company right out of college, pleased with their throughout background checks and legal representation for nannies accused of child abuse or other crimes by their families. They demanded evidence of salaries to confirm clients would pay for the services, and random drug tests to assure the omegas wouldn’t be put in dangerous situations. For seven years, they’d cared for Izuku as a cherished employee, though he knew part of their care was due to how many positive reviews he got from their customers. 

Even with his higher rates (which allowed him to haggle down to his actual price for the contract), his inbox was constantly notifying him of new offers. Despite meeting the company’s requirements, and checking most of the boxes Izuku requested for his services, none felt right. 

“Maybe my omega isn’t the only one who's picky,” he mumbled after rejecting the six offers in his email. Sighing to himself, he turned his attention back to his original task, snagging smaller cartons of both flavors before he headed to the check-out. 

While he paid for his self-care kit (rushing through scanning and shoving his lube into his bag), a familiar noise hooked into his ear. Looking up from the self-scanner, Izuku’s attention moved through the area until he caught where the distressed noise came from. There, just outside of the bathrooms, was a young alpha alone. He couldn’t be over five, his wobbly grimace and nervous fingers trying to hide the distress that turned his ocean breeze into the stormy scent. The dark eyes didn’t sit still for long, darting around as if looking for something to settle himself. When they finally found Izuku, the omega did his best to offer a soothing smile and a small wave. He doubted the child was old enough for his senses to pick up on his scent so far away, so the brief glare and puffing of his chest proved he saw Izuku as a threat. Izuku tried to hide his laugh at the harmless response, but dropped his focus back to paying for his items. The submission for the child might help him relax, though Izuku did his best to keep him in the corner of his eye.

Right as his receipt printed out, a rough movement made Izuku pick his head up again. His eyes widened when the child from before was carried sideways out of the store by a man twice his size. The shouting and squirming of the child sent off warning bells for the seasoned nanny, who couldn’t simply stand by and watch an obvious kidnapping. His omega howled in distress, and Izuku snagged his bag before rushing after the two men. Finding the bright blond hair of the older alpha wasn’t hard in the mostly vacant parking lot. The child was shouting something at the man who was trying to shove him into the backseat of his car. Panic fueled his actions, and Izuku didn’t think twice about throwing his entire bag at the back of the alpha’s head.

“Fuck!” The impact of something in the bag hit its mark, and the alpha let go of the child to drop into a crouch, his hands grabbing the back of his head with a hiss. Not caring about the consequences, Izuku rushed forward to collect the boy, stumbling back out of grabbing distance to keep them both safe. 

“You’re okay,” Izuku cooed to the boy in his arms, shushing his first wail of tears before hiking him higher on his hip. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now. No more tears, little one.” 

“I want my dad!” The boy shouted, and Izuku quickly nodded before twisting his upper body side-to-side, imitating the rocking stimulus he used for younger children.

“Of course, I can do that. Can you tell me where he is?” 

What Izuku didn’t expect was the little finger to dart back toward the man Izuku had previously ‘saved’ him from. Red eyes were now facing him, the alpha rising back to his full height with a scowl that sent a shiver down Izuku’s spine. The man was gorgeous, even when trying to burn Izuku alive with his glare. Even from the space between them, the bitterness of the rum scent exuded his alpha presence. He was almost as attractive as he was pissed.

And, okay, maybe he’d watched a few too many crime shows during his month off of work. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Izuku rushed forward with the squirming child, praying his expression echoed his apology. “I just saw your son earlier, and he looked super lost. Because he was alone, I monitored him just in case. I know how hectic it can get in a grocery store for parents. I-I’m actually a nanny, so I’ve had my own scares before! But then he was so upset, and you two don’t look exactly alike, though now that I see your eyes a little closer—”

“Wow, you can really talk, huh?” 

The low tone of the gruff voice made Izuku’s stomach suck in without warning, and he tried to ignore the strange reaction to force out his laugh. “Uh, I’ve been told that before.” 

“Tch.” The man bent down to grab Izuku’s bag, shaking it with a scowl. “What the hell did you buy that was so hard? Felt like you beaned me with a rock.” 

“I don’t think I—” 

The flash of the plastic bottle of the lube crashed through his mind, and Izuku’s face burst into color through his squeak. His omega was more than happy to stir itself up at the thought of sharing the item with the man now arching his brow at Izuku. Though he couldn’t smell himself, he knew his apple scent would warm from his unruly omega’s desire. Just because it wouldn’t let him mate didn’t mean sex was off the table. All it saw was a strong, available alpha, despite not even knowing the father’s name. 

Instincts really needed to give Izuku a break.

Before he could let his embarrassment overwhelm him, a small vibration against his shoulder caught him off guard. A peek down proved the child had not only settled into his grip, but had snuggled his face into the crook of his neck, the cute purr from the child making Izuku smile. He hadn’t realized his natural nanny techniques kicked in, his fingers combing through the hair just under the boy’s hat to calm him down. Like the beach after a hurricane, the sea breeze almost mixed with his own, reminding him of a tropical drink he’d sip in his college years. Like they’d known each other for years, not minutes, the child nuzzled into his skin, seeking more of his scent in his sleepy state.

When he looked back at the father, his need to apologize for not returning the child died on his tongue at the intense stare focused on him. “Um…I—”

“How did you do that?” The sharp question didn’t leave room for Izuku to decline answering. 

“Did… what?” 

“Get the gremlin to stop panicking.” There was no accusation, more of a curiosity over a way to catch Izuku in trouble. Confusion must have colored his face, because the man scoffed and waved his hand at Izuku’s body. “Clearly you’re an omega, and I know soothing people is your superpower or whatever. But my brat’s different; Kota hates omegas.”

“He does?” Frowning, Izuku paused his petting, quickly resuming it when the drowsy Kota whined. “Well, like I said, I’m a nanny. I’ve been working with children of all secondary genders since I was twenty-one. Seven years in the business lets me do things without thinking, I guess. It’s…second nature now for me.”

“You’re a full-time kid watcher?”

The re-framing of his job made Izuku scrunch his nose, though he kept his irritation down in case it upset the child he was still rocking side-to-side. “I do. Well, right now I’m on a hiatus until I find a new family.”

“You got fired?” 

“No, nothing like that! They just moved, and I didn’t want to go with them. It was an offer though, if that… tells you how they felt about my skill.” He didn’t know why he wanted to clarify the misconception, knowing his own worth in his career without the alpha’s approval. But something about the intense eyes staring him down made him want to flaunt himself off in a way he normally didn’t. 

“So, what? You just hang out at grocery stores and scope out families that look desperate for help?” The man asked, and though Izuku could have taken the question as rude, he picked out the hint of interest under the low timber.

“No, there’s an actual application.” He licked his lips when he only got a slight head tilt, tugging his mouth open to spill more information. “I work for the Omega Nanny Network. They do a background check, drug screen, and interview the applicant before they get the approval to shop nannies on the site. If a family is interested in me, they send me their profile, and I have the option to accept to reject their offer. Once both sides agree on the contract, then I… I work for them.” 

“Sounds complicated.” 

“Well, I’m helping to raise their child, so I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.” 

“Hm.” The alpha stepped closer, and Izuku’s lungs struggled to fill at the sudden woodsy smell of the rum teasing his nose. “Any of you move in with the families?”

“Oh, um… some do. It’s a bigger cost, and more stipulation in the contract has to be articulated—”

“Do you ?” 

“Me?” He cleared his throat when his tone cracked in surprise, unsure why the question warmed his face. This wasn’t the first person who asked about his living circumstances. He’d just mentioned his previous family wanting him to move with them. Still, he found his voice lost some of its volume when he forced his response. “I mean, I-I’ve done it once, when I was between apartments. Most people can’t meet the requirements for nannies to have their own space, so it’s a rare request.” 

“So if I pay you double whatever you want, you’ll come live with me and the gremlin?” 

“What?” He’d never had someone so blunt with their request, Izuku’s eyes widening from how serious the alpha looked. “Um, you don’t even know what my rates are. How can you be sure you’ll be able to cover my costs as a live-in nanny? And your house needs to be approved for this by the company. I can’t just agree to something without a contract.” 

“Doesn’t matter what the price is, I’ll stick to my word. I’m obviously good for it.” Izuku didn’t know what that meant, but he stayed quiet when the confident smirk fell off the alpha’s face. Fatigue tugged over his expression, like a shirt too small to fit his built chest. “Look, I’ll do your dumb application and jump through whatever hoops you need me to. Put down whatever you need to settle your cute omega ass.” 

“That's—!” He wanted to scold him for the flirty comment, but he swallowed his words when realizing his omega almost purred at its warped version of a compliment.

“Whatever I need to do to hire you, I’ll do it. He—” The man’s eyes darted to Kota, and whatever he planned to say stayed behind thinned lips. “I’ll fucking do it.”

He knew there was something bigger he wasn’t privy to, and part of him wanted to push to get under the facade. In his line of work, family secrets could skew the dynamic he was walking into. But when the smallest nuzzle brushed his neck, and the alpha’s hand gripped Izuku’s sweatshirt over his heart, he couldn’t listen to his logical reasoning. 

“Do the application, and put ‘Izuku Midoriya’ in the referral source.” He looked back at the man when stepping forward to switch Kota for his grocery bag, offering a sheepish smile. “That’s my name, so it’ll put you to the top of the list. You’ll still have to do the background check and other steps to get accepted, and my fees are a little higher than most on the site. But if everything checks out I… I might help you.” 

“Works for me.” 

Izuku stepped back and watched the father move back to the car, where the door was still open from his attack. With a softness that hadn’t shown itself once while Kota was awake, the man slipped him into the car-seat that looked more expensive than a month of Izuku’s rent. The time he took to guide the smaller arms and click him into place proved he cared about his child, even if he called him teasing names and carried him like a sack of potatoes. 

Once securing the child, the alpha turned back to him with a confidence that curled Izuku’s toes. “See ya soon, Nerd.” 

“I’m not a nerd.” A glance down his chest made Izuku look at the comic book design splayed over his sweatshirt, his huff contrasting the flush of his cheeks. “I-It’s just comfortable.” 

“Sure.” Cocky in his smirk, the man nodded at him before he moved around the car, and Izuku watched the two leave the parking lot before he let go of the breath he’d held without realizing it.

He looked into his bag, wondering how soupy his ice cream was after the extended time outside. Izuku glanced back at the fading rear lights of the man’s car, realizing something a little too late.

He never asked the alpha’s name. 

~**~

 The loud pop song that blared through Izuku’s kitchen speaker covered the sizzling of his dinner cooking on the stove. Izuku’s off-key humming didn’t matter to the four walls around him, the omega careless in the shaking of his hips while he mixed the rice into the stir fry. The benefit of living alone meant he didn’t have to feel awkward about cooking in nothing but an oversized shirt. Messing up the words to the song didn’t matter if nobody could hear his mistakes. 

Before the chorus could burst into the overheated kitchen, the music cut off, his phone lighting up to show an incoming call. He mourned his relaxing night of solitude, but smiled when seeing ‘Aoyama’ flashing over his ID. Though the man had started as a simple co-worker at the Omega Nanny Network, the secretary had quickly become one of his favorite people in the company.

“Hey, Aoyama,” Izuku said, leaning over the stove to lower the flame. “What’s up?” 

“ Mon ami !” The excited tone never changed, no matter the reason for the call. “So lovely to hear your voice. How is my favorite flower petal doing on this beautiful evening?”

“Actually, it’s been a pretty relaxing day. I spent some time deep cleaning my shower—”

Despite asking, Aoyama cut off his answer. “My sweet darling, when were you going to tell me you got offered a job by Katsuki Bakugo?” 

“Um.” He blinked, trying to wrack his brain for the name that sort of sounded familiar. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any idea who you’re talking about. Was it someone the company sent over to me?” 

“ Non non , I just found the application and had to call you right away. When I saw we got a celebrity trying to use our service, with my favorite freckled omega as his referral, I had to call, immédiatement !” 

Izuku shut off his stove to let the dinner continue to marinate without burning before he moved over to where his phone sat on the counter, moving to type the name into his search bar. In a second, a familiar face popped onto his screen, along with the several stories of the chef’s flourishing restaurants across the country. Stunned to see the man he’d bumped into at the grocery store, Izuku tried to figure out why such a famous (and well off) celebrity had been in the supermarket of his small town. Sure, from what the search implied, he had a house in the city an hour away, but there had to be high-end places for him to buy his gourmet ingredients. 

Except he could pick out that firm jaw and beautiful complexion anywhere, even after a week. 

“When I met him, I didn’t know he’s… famous,” Izuku admitted, scrolling through the news articles of Katsuki’s career.

“Have you lived under a rock? He was People’s sexiest bachelor and Forbes top 30 under 30. And don’t get me started on how many alpha-related awards he’s won. And with what happened six months ago, I’m surprised the paparazzi didn’t break your door down.”

“Did he get in trouble?” 

“More like got even hotter. The world found out he’s a single dad! He tried to keep it low-key, which most people assume means he didn’t know about his little mini-me. Ever since his kiddo got photographed a couple months ago, Katsuki’s been keeping a low status for ‘family time’. 

“So that’s why he wanted my help,” Izuku said, frowning when seeing the picture of Kota that Aoyama mentioned. His heart ached for the frightened child, and he understood why Katsuki would pull away from the limelight when his child had been accosted by paparazzi. Was this why Kota hated omegas? “Aoyama, does anyone know who the other parent was?”

“There’s so many rumors!” Aoyama sounded too excited about the gossip that only made Izuku wince. “Nobody’s ever seen that sexy man on the arm of anyone for more than a night, and they were all types of genders and secondaries. Plus, it’s been years since he’s officially dated anyone. Whoever it is has never gone to the media, which means he’s probably got a gag order on them. And with how much money he’s worth, he could make any dirty secret go away.” 

“Which means he could also hire someone with more experience than me.” 

“ Oui oui, my little cherub. So you must have done something tres magnifique for him to demand you and only you for service.” 

“Wait, he… really said only me?” 

“His words were quite clear on the application. You’ve left a lovely mark on his brain.” Except all he’d done was go out in a dorky sweatshirt and assault Katsuki in the parking lot. “In fact, he told us specifically to request your live-in quote and double it. That’s how much he wants you to be his nanny.” 

“But if he just applied this week, how did he get through all of the requirements to even look through the nanny choices?” Izuku asked, knowing it took weeks for someone to register for their services.

“He came in with a full drug screen panel and a FBI-level criminal background check. We got to do a virtual tour of his house, including the in-law apartment you’ll be staying in. And let me tell you, I want to live in your bathtub. It’s beautiful. And you have your own entrance, a fully stocked kitchen—” 

“Oh, wow. This is… a lot.” He tried to keep his anxiety from bubbling up by grabbing a fork from his dish rack, stabbing into the cooled down stir fry to grab a mouthful of food. “Did you inform him about me needing days off to do whatever I want?” 

“He’s quite aware of you having set times of work, and that if he needs you to work beyond your normal hours, he’ll have to give you notice and pay double your normal pay.” 

“I’m guessing he’s got others to fill in when I’m not available.” 

“Actually, no; from what was on the current residents and staff, he only listed himself and his son. His job’s mostly outside of the home, and he apparently hates having strangers in his house. Well, except for the freckled omega kind.” 

“Stop that,” Izuku said, knowing his cheeks warmed at the implication. “I won’t be in the home. I’ll have my own space. It’s just easier for me to be there and help if he needs me. That’s probably why he wants a live-in nanny.” 

“ Mon cheri , a hot, single, very well off alpha is inviting you into his home to live. One who will pay for everything you want under the sun, so long as you help raise his child. Please don’t tell me you’re missing the romance in that.” 

“I still have questions I need answered, and I… this is a lot to think about.” Izuku chewed his lower lip, pushing the peppers around in the sauce of the stir fry. “Before I decide, I’ll have to look over the contract and figure out if it’s something I can commit to.” 

“Izuku, you must not overthink this. When have I ever steered you the wrong way?” Aoyama asked, and he hated to admit that his friend had been nothing but reliable in the years they worked together. 

Still, he stood his ground. “I’ll talk to you more about it on Monday. Goodnight, Aoyama.” 

Before he could hear the other’s protest, Izuku hung up the phone. Leaving it on the counter, he slid down with a groan. If he’d known his trip to the grocery store would cause such a stressful situation, maybe he would have just used DoorDash.  

Luckily, he had the entire weekend to figure out his next step.

~**~

At eight o’clock on Sunday morning, a bang on his door woke Izuku up. He yelped when he fell out of his bed, nearly losing the ratty boxers. His cheek ached from hitting the ground, but he pushed himself to his elbows to force out his call to whoever was still knocking on his door. 

“Co-Coming!” He hoisted himself onto his bare feet and scoured through the tiny apartment, tugging the coffee-stained collar of his sleep-shirt to fix it. Sleep made him rub his eye while he fumbled for the doorknob, barely looking at the guest when he swung it open. “Morning—ah?”

And though he hadn’t been sure who would be on his welcome mat, Katsuki Bakugo would not be in the top hundred possibilities. Despite it being so early in the morning, he looked impeccable, as if he’d paid someone to put together the laid-back outfit. Or maybe Katsuki was just amazing at everything he did, if the research Izuku had done on the man the day before was accurate. Though he was a little snarky in some interviews, and ran his restaurants with an iron fist, Katsuki’s record was squeaky clean. He didn’t get involved in drama or law-testing incidents, and those who worked for him had nothing but praise. 

“Morning, Deku.” Now, staring at him in his lopsided boxers and morning breath, Izuku felt his whole face burst with color. 

“Uh—” Despite the damage already being done, he hid behind the door. “Wh-what are you doing here?” 

Katsuki rolled his eyes at the shy behavior. “The gremlin wanted to see you.” 

“Kota?” 

“I-I never said that!” The child in question rushed out from behind Katsuki, his tiny fangs bared up at his father’s smirking face.

“Oh, hey there.” Kota’s appearance coaxed Izuku from his hiding spot, crouching down to meet Kota’s wary stare with a smile. “It’s nice to see you again. How have you been, Kota?” 

“None of your business.” Izuku wobbled when Kota shoved his shoulder, and he grunted when he fell back on his butt. Kota snickered until Katsuki growled and tugged his ear, making the younger alpha whine. 

“Oi, don’t treat him like that, idiot. You’re the one who begged me to come along.”

Kota tried to puff out his chest while he crossed his arms, muttering through his flushed cheeks. “You’re the one who hired him.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” He glanced up at Katsuki, his laugh gaining an awkward tone when it slipped out. “Did he mean you applied to hire me?”

“Nah, the brat’s right. Your company sent me your contract last night, said you’d be ‘tres excited’ or whatever the hell the French guy babbled about.” 

That traitor. He was going to have a very long conversation with Aoyama tomorrow. Of course he would make Izuku face the decision head on without a week of self-sabotage and overthinking. 

“Katsuki, I didn’t—” The desire to clarify the mistake hooked into the back of his throat when he caught Kota’s shoulders bunching up by his ears. Like he expected Izuku to shut him down before the words left his mouth. His glare down at the ground could be mistaken for anger, but Izuku had been around children enough to know his distressed scent had nothing to do with anger. Kota was… sad. Someone had let him down too many times before. 

Izuku’s heart wouldn’t let himself be put on that list. “I didn’t know you’d be here so soon, or I would have gotten dressed.” 

Like magic, the smaller frame went from ramrod stiff to a hesitant relaxation of his spine, slow to turn his full attention back to Izuku. “You’re really gonna come live with us?” 

“If you want me to,” Izuku answered, tilting his head with his smile. “I’d love to work with you, if you’ll have me.” 

“Well, I…” Kota’s lip wobbled before he tugged his hat lower on his face, hiding some of his expression from Izuku’s gaze. “I guess that’s fine.” 

“Fantastic, glad you two are agreeing on something I already paid for.” Katsuki nodded toward the apartment. “You’ve got five minutes to get dressed and pack whatever you don’t want the movers to see.”

“When are they coming?” Izuku asked, though he got his answer when he peered past the two alphas to see a moving truck in his apartment complex’s parking lot. “Wait, I’m moving today ?”

“Obviously. Why else would we be here?” 

“But that’s not possible! I have a lease.” 

Katsuki scowled at the logical argument. “I’ll pay to break it. It ain’t like I’m gonna go bankrupt over your rent.” 

“What? No, I can’t make you—”

“Four minutes.” 

“Dad’s serious about the time, by the way,” Kota said, and Izuku only groaned before he rushed back to his bedroom. 

While he packed up everything he could shove into his overnight bag (he wasn’t sure if the movers would get through everything in one day, and the last thing he needed was to be in a new house without clean underwear), Izuku had his phone on his bed with Aoyama’s number dialed. Despite the man practically attaching the device to his hip from how connected he was to social media and their company, his co-worker didn’t pick up. It wasn’t hard to figure out why, but Izuku knew where his desk was. Monday morning would be hell for the man practically made of sparkles. 

While shoving his deodorant under his armpit before tucking it into his bag, Izuku paused when his eye caught something only his mother knew about; his heat blanket and his childhood bear. Both were means of comfort for him, sometimes pulling them out when stressed or heartbroken over another ended relationship. Mainly, however, their use was during his heat. If his stupid omega wouldn’t let him share it with anyone, he needed something to cuddle through the pain. None of his past partners knew about the comfort items, Izuku too embarrassed over their origin to reveal them. How did he explain to grown men that sometimes he needed to cuddle with a stuffed animal to feel safe? 

But when he thought of some random strangers touching either of them, he quickly collected the items and stuffed them into his bag. He’d probably want them while adjusting to living with two alphas, anyway.

After finishing his impromptu packing and changing into an actual outfit (that maybe he put a little too much thought into), Izuku stumbled out of his room, though froze at the unexpected scene in his living room. With his son’s head in his lap, Katsuki leaned his own back with his eyes closed, showing a fatherly weariness he’d seen on several new parents. Single parents always had it harder, and if the rumors were true, Katsuki had only been a parent for a few months. He couldn’t imagine what had caused the alpha to miss out on his son for the first five years of his life. 

It was sort of cute, seeing someone who felt larger than life presenting himself as a pillow for his son to drool on. 

“What are you staring at?” Izuku glanced up from Kota to find Katsuki’s attention back on him, the previous fatigue hidden under his scowl. 

Embarrassed at getting caught, Izuku held up his bag and glanced away. “Um, I’m ready.”

“Tch.” When the gaze slid down his body, Izuku tried not to squirm. His omega, as if waking up from hibernation, lept at the focus, preening enough to almost purr from the alpha’s attention. It wasn’t a normal reaction, dating plenty of attractive alphas with no response. The picky omega couldn’t give a lick of interest before. Now, his knees almost weakened with the desire to kneel from a little hum off the other’s lips. “So you don’t always look like a hot mess.” 

“You didn’t tell me you were coming over. And it’s not like you go to bed in your best outfits.”

“I don’t go to bed in anything .” Izuku’s brain blue screened when he realized the implication, though Katsuki didn’t seem to notice when he bent over to flick Kota’s cheek. “Get up, Gremlin, or I’m eating your pancakes.” 

“You don’t need them,” Kota grumbled, almost biting Katsuki’s finger before he pouted up at his father. “You’re big enough, dad.” 

“Hah?? Are you saying I’m fat?” 

“Well, I can’t lift you.”

“Because you’ve got noodle arms!” 

The banter between the two made Izuku laugh, smiling when both sets of glares darted toward him. “Well, if neither of you gets up, guess I’ll have to eat all of it myself.” 

“But you’re an omega,” Kota said, nose pulled into a scrunch. “That’d make you sick or something.” 

“I bet I can eat both of you under the table,” Izuku answered, and the challenge was enough to get Kota off of the couch in his protest. 

During the transition from his apartment and the diner Katsuki drove them to, Kota’s hot-and-cold reactions to Izuku raised plenty of questions. In moments where they were walking, Kota almost glued himself to Izuku’s side, but grew tense if the proximity was mentioned. His negative comments about Izuku’s omega nature earned plenty of corrections from Katsuki, who seemed unwilling to let his son’s traditional views on omegas linger. Despite his mean words, Kota’s eyes showed the truth behind his push-and-pull dynamic; he was waiting for Izuku to step away. There was a lingering fear that showed itself in the small whine Kota dropped when Izuku sat on the opposite side of the table at the diner. Though denying it, by the time their waiter brought their drinks, Kota had made some excuse to scurry under the table and pop up next to Izuku. The sudden hyper attachment, when Katsuki had explained his severe aversion to omega before, was a common example of abandonment. But from how he eagerly spoke with his father, Izuku didn’t think it had to do with their years apart. 

“Give him space to breathe, Squirt.” Katsuki rolled his eyes and lifted his hand, waving to a tall man appearing from the back. “Yo, Flat Face.” 

“Hey there, boss!” Izuku blinked at the new information, glancing at the grinning beta leaning over their table. “About time you came by. How come I’m always the last of the group to get your attention?”

“Because you’re annoying,” he answered without missing a beat, then pointed at Kota’s vibrating body. “I told the brat you’ll show him how to make pancakes. Don’t light my kid on fire.” 

“You have such faith in me. Come on, Kota, let your dad show off for his little omega friend .” 

“He’s my nanny,” Kota answered, almost possessive of Izuku despite using his thigh to kick out of the booth. 

Izuku smiled at the curious look of the diner worker, giving a small wave. “It’s nice to meet one of Katsuki’s friends. I’m Izuku. I’ll be working for the family.” 

“You can call me Hanta, and you’re living with them?” Izuku glanced at Katsuki, waiting for his shrug and glare away before he nodded. “Wow, that’s a pretty tall task. I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy.” 

“Stop talking and go make us your special of the day before I fire you,” Katsuki snapped, glaring when Hanta winked and led Kota into the back of the building. With a long groan, the alpha rubbed his palm over his temple through his grumble. “I hire the biggest fucking idiots on the planet.”

“Hopefully it’s because he makes an amazing breakfast.” 

“Ugh, don’t be nice to my extras.” 

Despite the rude name, Izuku laughed, catching his chin in his hand while leaning on the table. “Did you find Hanta in a supermarket, too?”

“More like one of the top culinary schools in the country. Don’t ask me how someone can make scrambled eggs a signature dish, but that lanky fucker did it. I hire the best for my restaurants, and people around here love breakfast.”

“The best, huh?” The soft moment slipped away when he chewed his lip, glancing toward the kitchen door. “You had no idea about my credentials when you offered me a job.” 

“I knew enough.” And from how quickly Katsuki answered, he really believed it. 

Still, Izuku’s insecurity crept in, burying one of his cheeks against his palm. “I didn’t know who you were last week, but now... You could get a fully trained nanny with licenses and decades of experience. So why me?”

“Jesus…” Katsuki slouched back in the creaky diner booth, arms crossed over his chest. Instead of meeting Izuku’s curious gaze, he stared at the ceiling, lips pulled into a grimace. “Since you seem the nosey type, I’m assuming you heard the rumors about Kota.”

“I saw some mentions of you being a new father,” he admitted, knowing lying on day one wouldn’t build a good business relationship. “But I could already tell that from our first interaction.” 

“Yeah, it was a bit of a whiplash having the gremlin dropped on my doorstep. Especially when I didn’t know he was a thing.” 

“They… didn’t tell you?” His heart ached for Katsuki’s headshake, unsure how he’d feel if someone hid such an enormous secret from him.

“Look, when we first met, she wasn’t bad. I can see how why we wouldn’t ever work, but I was fucking young and dumb at the time we hooked up, and my alpha thought she could be… something.” It was the first time he’d heard a strain in Katsuki’s tone, like the memory hadn’t fully healed. “That was right when my first restaurant was opening, so she was a distraction from stress and financial rambling. My alpha enjoyed coming home to someone who acted like she didn’t care about my salary. If I had been a little more aware of her actual personality, I don’t know if the brat would have been a thing.

“She saw how popular I was getting back then and knew I’d be worth blackmailing in the future.” Katsuki laughed, but the humor was too sharp to be real. “Except my mom’s always been a shrewd hag, and made sure I had a skilled manager the second my name started becoming a household thing. So Mirko ate the stupid omega up. Made sure Kota would be taken care of for the rest of his life without the gold digger getting anything. Once she realized she wouldn’t become my rich trophy wife, she left the gremlin with me.”

“But she still checks in, right?” When met with silence, Izuku’s stomach rolled with disgust. “She raised him for almost five years.”   

“Yeah, and she never looked back.” Katsuki sipped his orange juice like he didn’t stab a dagger into Izuku’s heart. “Said she never planned to be a mom, and bailed.”

“No wonder he doesn’t trust omegas…” Collecting his coffee between his palms, Izuku stared at the dark liquid and lowered his lashes. “A child’s bond with their omega is one of the most important dynamics in our culture. To have his be so cruel would be devastating to his development of trust.” 

“Yeah, hence why I hired you.” The blunt statement caught his focus again, and he peeked up to find Katsuki already staring at him. “The gremlin’s skittish around anyone new, especially omegas. I think his mom kept him away from others so she could use him as her meal ticket later, and didn’t want to risk exposing I was his dad before she was ready. She didn’t care how it affected him. It took four months before he even warmed up to Flat Face and Ears, and they’re betas. There’s no point in having anyone in my house if he’s going to be too scared to leave his room, so I’ve been trying to do all this shit on my own.” 

“He’s still pretty young for you to be doing it alone,” Izuku said, frowning at the other’s protective behavior. “Kota needs to be exposed to other people besides you in order to learn how to interact with different genders.” 

“Obviously I know that,” Katsuki replied, though his irritation softened when looking over Izuku’s worried expression. “You asked why I’m taking this big fucking risk on you? Why I’m doing whatever I can to drag your freckled ass to come live with us? It’s cause you're the first person, since his mother left, to make Kota purr.” 

Izuku flushed at the underlying compliment. “Oh, that might be because of my stronger scent. Both of my parents were omegas, so it made my potency a little thicker. My friends tell me I calm them down just by being there.”

“Yeah, I can tell.” There’s a sliver of a tease in the cocky man’s smirk, and Izuku suddenly realized just how… alone they were. His mouth forgot how to function long enough for Katsuki to sip his juice and switch the topic. “So, anything I need to know about you?”

“Like… my credentials? I thought that was on my profile—” 

“No, idiot.” The smooth drop of red eyes onto the slope of his neck almost felt like a caress, Izuku licking his lower lip at the attention. “Wasn’t sure if I’d have to worry about some pissed off alpha coming around when he finds out you’re living with me. I didn’t smell any claiming scent on you either time we met, but maybe he’s just not strong enough to cover yours.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that!” Wanting to clear the air for his boss, Izuku tugged on his collar to fully expose the unbitten skin. “Trust me, you don’t have to worry about that. There’s not anyone on my radar. And if there ever is, I will keep them away from Kota. One of my cardinal rules is to never bring my personal life into my job. N-Not that it matters, because my omega is, like, super picky. He doesn’t come out for anyone, so I’m pretty much single for life.”

It always felt pathetic to admit his omega’s struggle to connect, but Katsuki’s earlier openness about his previous partner let him reveal his own skeleton. 

“Hm.” Katsuki arched his brow, like he wanted to challenge the comment. “Sounds like you just haven’t found a good enough alpha to take care of you.”

Izuku couldn’t decide if the comment made his omega balk or melt. He’d always enjoyed taking on roles that others dismissed for him to accomplish because of his secondary gender. Though parts of himself reeked of his omega nature, he knew his focus of muscle building and toning his body was something outside of the norm. Izuku made more money than the average nanny, which sometimes put him as the breadwinner in his relationships. The few times his lovers tried to baby him left a bitter taste on his tongue. Being independent, despite wanting to find a partner, had always been important to keeping an identity all on his own. Most alphas (and probably Katsuki) preferred more traditional omegas for their life partners.

Yet he couldn’t deny how attractive the man across the table was. It made sense why Kota’s mother could convince her omega that the man would be a perfect mate. His scent was alluring, and the strong, confident presentation would make anyone weak-kneed. Katsuki checked off so many boxes for his dream husband. His omega wanted him to forget the alpha would sign his checks for the foreseeable future. If Izuku could bottle whatever Katsuki’s essence was, he’d love to smother himself in it during his heat and never emerge. 

The dangerous thought made him shove it into a box in the back of his brain, offering an awkward smile. “Well, guess it's a good thing I haven’t, so I can help you with Kota.”

Katsuki scowled, but before he could answer, the mentioned child appeared with a wide grin. “I did it!” 

“Oh, wow.” Turning toward the plates of food Kota and Hants dropped onto the table, Izuku clapped his hands and exaggerated his excitement. “Kota, this all looks amazing. You’ve really outdone yourself.” 

“Not bad at all, Squirt.” Katsuki grinned when Kota puffed his chest out, poking the eggs and giving a nod. “You’ll be stealing Flat Face’s job in no time.” 

“Gee, thanks, boss.” Hanta plated the perfectly cooked bacon and hash browns in front of Izuku, giving him a grin that matched the warmth of his earthy scent. “Let me know if you need anything, okay? Gotta make a good impression if I want you to come back with your friends.” 

“Everything looks delicious. Thank you so much.” Once bowing his head to the chef, he leaned over to pat the top of Kota’s hat. “You’re both so talented.” 

Kota’s face was a wave of emotions; happiness clashed with fear, then rolled into a mixture of hope and pain. Izuku watched his smaller body tremble before he scurried to the other side of the table, climbing into Katsuki’s booth to spear into his side. Katsuki grunted from the sudden pressure, though his arm automatically dropped to protect the smaller alpha from whatever his imagination said was putting him in danger. Izuku’s heart ached for the child who shouldn’t be afraid of someone showing him genuine praise.

And in that moment, Izuku made a silent vow to himself; before he left this family, he would make sure Kota never felt unloved again. 

~**~

When he first stepped into Katsuki’s house, Izuku wasn’t able to think he’d ever see it as home. The building itself was beautiful, with top of the art amenities and well-kept decor. Katsuki had an eye for style, and Izuku could imagine the lovely house being the front cover of a real estate magazine. But for him, someone who had lived in a shoebox of an apartment for most of his life, Izuku couldn’t imagine a time he’d feel the amazing house would ever be his. 

Except it only took him a month to see it didn’t matter what the place looked like. What made a house a home was the magic that happened inside of it. And with Katsuki and Kota’s energy and aroma painting the walls, Izuku almost regretted having the demand for his own space outside of the main house. Though, as the weeks went on, he found himself less likely to stay in his apartment. After the first awkward week of adjusting, Kota started bursting in to ask Izuku to eat breakfast with them (though he did his best to knock before letting himself in). The second week ended with Izuku rambling so much about his favorite TV show, Katsuki demanded they watch an episode every night after Kota went to sleep. And though his nanny duties ended at seven, he offered to alternate nights of bedtime reading with Katsuki off the clock. 

Kota’s progress with Izuku went smoother than he expected. He still saw the hesitant flinches before he asked something from Izuku, as if his father wasn’t paying the nanny to meet his needs. Even when Izuku offered his service for things he knew Kota wanted, like cutting the crusts off his sandwich or to play dinosaurs with him, the little alpha struggled to accept his kindness at face value. Izuku didn’t relent, providing continued patience and soft smiles to meet Kota where he was at. If he noticed the stormy scent growing, Izuku would make an excuse to give him space without going far enough to make the child feel abandoned. After doing the small task of cleaning up the toys or washing the dishes, Izuku would sit somewhere that allowed Kota to crawl into his lap and ask to watch a movie together. If he wanted comfort, Izuku provided it, and praised him anytime he worked through his anxiety and asked for what he needed. 

And then there was Katsuki.

“Oi, don’t eat the ingredients!” Katsuki’s scowl after Izuku snuck a slice of carrot only made him sheepishly smile while chewing the uncooked vegetable. “What are you, a bunny?”

“Maybe in a past life,” he answered, shrugging before he offered the second piece of robbed food to Kota. The little alpha’s feet kicked from where he sat on the counter, munching on the carrot with a pleased hum.

The three were working together to cook dinner, which Izuku hadn’t made a part of his contract. He assumed he’d make the meals for the family, and then order himself fast food or pop in a frozen meal for himself afterward. Since Katsuki worked all day with food, he couldn’t imagine wanting to come home and cook more. Except the alpha almost chewed his ear off when catching the McDonald’s wrappers after the first week, dragging him out to eat beef stroganoff the next night with Kota. Refusing to be a guest at his actual job , Izuku started offering his help to Katsuki’s meal prep, and Kota quickly wanted to join in on the fun. 

Now, it’d somehow became a family event… except Izuku wasn’t actually related.

“You’re teaching him bad habits,” Katsuki said, glaring between the two while he diced the onions without looking. The skill with his knife didn't lessen Izuku’s concern for the long fingers curled around the handle. “Thought I hired you to be a good influence on the gremlin?” 

“We learned how to spell different colors today,” Izuku replied, testing the broth temperature for their meal. “And Kota showed me how to do a handstand.” 

“Izuku’s favorite color is red!” Kota looked proud, as if having the knowledge was something to hang over Katsuki’s head.

And from how Katsuki narrowed his eyes, he saw it as such. “What do you want, a medal? I could ask Deku that whenever I want after little squirts go to bed.” 

“Then I won’t go to bed,” Kota said, tilting his chin up in a pouty defiance that made Izuku hide his smile behind his hand. 

“Hah?? You wanna get grounded or something?”

Except, despite his snarky threat, Izuku knew he wouldn’t follow through over the small protest. Katsuki was a larger-than-life personality outside of the house, working long hours and refusing to let any of his restaurants fall under his expectations of quality. So dedicated to his work, Katsuki had to fly out one night for an emergency issue. He’d asked Izuku to watch Kota until his ‘old hag’ could come over to let him clock out. Not wanting to bother the woman over something Izuku did daily, he’d told his boss he’d be happy to help. The nanny stayed in the main house’s guest room without issue, a little distracted by how much the sheets smelled like Katsuki.

Izuku had even discovered a show Katsuki produced, where he tore into upcoming chefs to the delight of millions. And maybe Izuku watched old episodes on his time off, getting an embarrassed thrill at seeing Katsuki put several alphas in their place. It was amusing to see that side of his boss, because it rarely showed itself when he came home. When he shut his business phone off for the weekend, Katsuki’s hard demeanor slipped off like a jacket, hung up and forgotten to focus on spending time with Kota (and, by proxy, Izuku). He still teased his son, adding silly names that made Kota huff or growl at him. But he also took time to show Kota how to do things properly, and made his pride clear each time Kota made any progress, 

“You’re being a buttface.” Kota’s rude name was tamer than Katsuki’s normal language, but Izuku knew he couldn’t compare the two. He quickly stepped between the two alphas when he heard Katsuki’s growl, letting his soothing scent pour out to disperse their pointless bickering. 

“How about we talk about why Kota should want to go to bed early tonight?” Izuku glanced between them, his own excitement bleeding into his words. “The sooner we all sleep, the sooner you’ll finally get to meet my friends!” 

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about the Nerd Squad.” Katsuki smirked at his own joke, and Izuku ignored him to slide the chopped vegetables into the seasoned chicken broth. “You sure you don’t want me to take the squirt somewhere else tomorrow? It’s your damn day off, and you already said you ain’t a fan of mixing your job with your personal life. You ain’t gotta spend it with us if it’s gonna cross your nanny code or whatever.” 

“But I want to meet Izuku’s friends.” Kota’s young age didn’t fully understand manners, not that Izuku minded in the current situation.

He waved off Katsuki’s hidden concern and stirred their dinner. “It’s fine, really. My friends already know you’ll be here, and I think it could be good for them to meet the people I’m working with.” 

“If you’re sure…” 

“I am. Now, how long until we can eat our soup? I’m hungry.” 

Katsuki scoffed at Izuku’s openness about his big appetite, Kota quick to join in on bugging his dad about dinner. 

Though what he told Katsuki was true, Izuku had ulterior motives for letting his two worlds closer than he normally would. The actual goal was to introduce Kota to new people with varied secondary genders in a safe environment. Tenya and Shoto’s alpha presence held a distinct tinge that differed from Katsuki’s. There's was still powerful, but in unique ways. Tenya kept a tight schedule and showed his dominance through his intellectual discoveries in molecular energy. Shoto, much quieter in his presentation, had an undercurrent energy that made people stand at attention without many words. He always felt more mature than his age, and despite being a sweetheart, most saw him as ruthless as his father. 

Tsu was a beta, which he hoped could be a palate cleanser for Kota if things overwhelmed him. She worked with kids herself as a lifeguard, so she knew how to engage nervous children without making them feel called out. It took a lot to make her lose her composure, and he could already see Kota accepting her first. Finally, there was Ochaco, who had been his best friend since college. He couldn’t think of a more picture perfect omega to prove to Kota how kind omegas could be. She exuded sweetness in her blushing cheeks and floral scent, her joy smelling like a walk through a lavender field. Ochaco, being a woman, also helped eliminate the terrible expectation Kota’s mother had left behind. Her motherly nature and adorable features would leave the little alpha awestruck. 

Except there had been one flaw to his plan that he didn’t realize until it was too late. 

“Can you do a flip underwater?” Kota’s initial defensiveness with the group had floated away when Tsu mentioned her love of water, which led them to start an impromptu pool party. Now, most of his friends were in the pool, letting the child dictate what games or activities they did next. Tenya and Tsu were his current target, Kota floating on his kickboard while he looked between the two adults. “Dad can do three flips without coming up for air.” 

“That is quite impressive,” Tenya said, fixing the goggles like he would his glasses. “Though your father’s skill is formidable, I believe it’s a beatable record.” 

Tsu tilted her head at Tenya’s competitive energy before she shrugged at Kota. “I don’t think it’s fair if I play, since I’m a deep-sea diver.”

“You can do one too, right, Kota? All by yourself?” Izuku asked, and both his friends played their part of acting impressed when Kota proudly nodded.

“Young Kota, can you show us your technique? I bet we’ll learn much from you.” 

“I guess I can help you out,” Kota answered Tenya’s question casually, but Izuku could read the excited kicking underneath his board. 

Pleased that his plan was working so well, it was almost an emotional whiplash when a familiar laugh dragged his attention out of the pool. Ochaco’s pink bikini matched her cheeks, the frilly bottom highlighting the curve of her hips. Her top was modest but fitting to her chest, reminding Izuku how pretty his best friend was. It was a complete contrast to his large t-shirt and swim shorts, floating around in his tube like an old man. If not for who she was engaging in a conversation with, he’d say she was the most distracting person at the party. Except Izuku’s eyes naturally shifted to Katsuki, who had no fear manning the grill without a shirt on. He wasn’t trying to be jaw-dropping, and Izuku knew he didn’t mean to put such a confusing strain in Izuku’s stomach. But his boss was meant for the summer, sunlight caressing his skin like he was the secret child of Apollo himself.  

Seeing two important people in his life engaged in conversation should have been a highlight of the day. Ochaco had already worked her magic with Kota when joining in on his cannonball challenge with Shoto and Tenya, making the biggest splash despite her smaller frame. Kota’s improvement with omegas showed itself with the decreased amount of time it took for him to speak to her. Izuku’s plan worked perfectly, but the sudden shift of Ochaco’s attention from the younger alpha to his father hadn’t been in his schematics. 

What threw him off was how… calm Katsuki looked with Ochaco. Her excitement over whatever she was sharing showed in her hand movements and little hops in her spot. He thought he knew his boss enough to guess her bright personality would grate on his nerves, but nothing about Katsuki’s casual flipping of the steak tips showed irritation. Even as Izuku’s omega purred over the alpha wanting to provide food for the group (his instincts misreading the kind gesture as needing to provide for Izuku’s people), it also felt… wrong. Logically, Kota seeing his father engaging with an omega so freely would be a good thing. Sure, he saw Izuku and Katsuki interact, but he also knew that was a business deal. Katsuki’s casual conversation with the giggling woman would help Kota’s distorted thoughts disappear. Ochaco and Katsuki getting along was a good thing.

It also made Izuku want to drown in the deep end without understanding why.

“Izuku!” The call of his name snapped his head back to Kota, who was waving from the diving board. “Watch the cool jump Tsu taught me.”

“Okay, I’m watching,” he called back, guilt eating away at being so distracted by Katsuki and Ochaco’s growing chemistry. He played his part of encouraging nanny when Kota half-dove, half-flopped into the water. Tsu quickly swam over in case he wasn’t able to orient himself in the water, and Kota forget he even asked Izuku to watch when turning to her to ask about the jump. 

Izuku sighed once his happy mask wasn’t needed, though he almost slipped off his float when a hand touched his leg in the water. He yelped before he looked to his left, relaxing when heterochromatic eyes blinked at him in confusion. “Shoto, where did you come from?” 

“I swam under you,” was the simple answer, head tilted to move the wet bangs from his face. “When I came up, you looked unwell. I worried you were getting sunstroke, since you rarely stay outside this long.” 

“I-I’m fine,” he answered quickly, trying to force his smile wider to soothe his friend’s furrowed brow. “Are you having fun? Like my new place?”

“It’s nice to get away from the business.” Shoto tapped the water with the hand not resting on Izuku’s knee, his comfort in their proximity much different then when they first met. “I bet my father is leaving me several voicemails for playing hookey.” 

“It’s hard to think you feel bad about that with how much you’re smiling,” Izuku replied, laughing at Shoto’s casual shrug. 

He let his legs gently kick to move the two around, Shoto hanging off the side of his float while his hand bumped up higher on Izuku’s thigh. Though he recognized his friend as an alpha (a quite handsome one at that), the touch sparked nothing beyond happiness that Shoto trusted him enough to touch him so openly. Some people who didn’t know the two assumed they were dating because of Shoto’s quiet intimacy and Izuku’s simple acceptance of it. But he knew the long and painful path his friend had gone through to get him to a place where he sought physical contact willingly. Their affection wasn’t sexual, just two friends who saw each other as more than simple secondary genders. 

A sudden wave of water doused both without warning, and Izuku shouted his protest before wiping off his face to look for the culprit. Kota wasn’t hard to find, the alpha popping back up from his cannonball Izuku knew had intentionally splashed them.

“Kota, that wasn’t nice.” 

The only answer he got was a tongue stuck out before Kota swam away, heading to where Katsuki was crouched by the edge of the pool. While he expected Katsuki to scold his son for the rude behavior, he almost choked on his spit when Katsuki only smirked and offered Kota a high-five. 

“Nice job, Squirt.” 

“Thanks.” Kota beamed at the praise, and Izuku almost fell off his tube at the response.

“Katsuki!” Despite his shout, his boss didn’t react to his name, lifting Kota out of the water with an ease that Izuku wished he didn’t grow warm over.

“Go with Pink Cheeks and grab the bowl of fruit so we can have lunch. Everyone else, get out of the pool or go hungry.” 

Izuku huffed when Katsuki gave him one casual look over his shoulder with a smirk that was anything but innocent. Not sure what had gotten into the alpha, Izuku shook his head and looked back at Shoto with an apologetic smile. 

“I’m so sorry about Kota. I’ll have a word with him and Katsuki later.” 

“Ah, I don’t think there’s a need for that,” Shoto said, seeming to pick up on something Izuku missed. “Your alpha thinks I’m sexually attracted to you, so he sent his pup after me.” 

“My—Shoto, please don’t start your conspiracy theories again.” When he only got a blank stare in response, he sighed and pushed off the tube. Ignoring how much his omega vibrated at the claim, he tugged his friend toward the shallow end. “Let’s go get some food. Katsuki makes the best marinade for his red meat.” 

Despite the strange hiccup, the rest of the day went well. The meal was amazing, his friends praising Katsuki for his culinary skills. Their afternoon was full of everyone in the pool, playing silly games that reminded him of his loving childhood with his mother and step-father. Kota jumped between members of his friend group for attention, and the shy boy who’d been afraid to stand near him disappeared under laughter and bright smiles. 

The shining moment for him was when Kota hesitantly let Ochaco brush his hair after the pool, relaxing when she took her time to gently work out the knots. By the time she was done, Kota had relaxed enough to fall asleep in her lap, exhausted from the long day. Though Izuku watched the soft moment with a smile, he couldn’t shake a weird tug of sadness on his soul. Ochaco represented a fact he hadn’t really thought about during his mission to help Kota recover from his trauma; once the little alpha was comfortable with omegas, it would give Katsuki the green light to date again. If not Ochaco herself, someone just like her would soon take a space in the beautiful house Izuku had adjusted to as his own. Katsuki’s partner wouldn’t need to work, because he made plenty of money to take care of them for the rest of their lives. She would probably take over Kota’s care, and Izuku… he wouldn’t be needed anymore.

And though he’d only been here for a month, he’d grown fond of their weird dynamic.

“Why are you creeping?” Katsuki’s appearance behind him made Izuku jump, more surprised by the pressure of a warm chest against his back than the smooth voice near his ear. Though comfortable in the other’s presence, Izuku couldn’t remember a time they’d actually touched in the month spent together. Now, the powerful jaw he sometimes looked at for too long brushed his temple, his tone lazy like an afternoon nap. “You smell like chlorine and fucking Pinseol. I hate it.” 

His mind rolled through the day, snagging on whose scent lingered on him. “Oh, you must smell Shoto. He’s kind of like me, with a pretty potent scent—”

“Fucking peachy.” 

Another rub against the side of his face was more aggressive than the first, but Izuku only settled into the motion he knew was mostly instinctual. Katsuki had a lot of unfamiliar scents in his environment, and he was bound to try and wipe off the traces of other alphas to reclaim what was his. It probably would undo all of his hard work if Izuku walked around with Shoto’s still lingering. 

Needing to distract himself from the way goosebumps rose on his skin when Katsuki’s hand caught his bicep to hold him still, Izuku looked back at the scene that captured his attention before. “Kota did really well today.” 

“Yeah.” His hip was captured next. “Inviting Pink Cheeks wasn’t your worst idea ever, Nerd. Good job.”

“Oh… thanks.” Except the words turned his tongue into sandpaper, scraping against his lips with his next offer. “Do you want me to give you her number?” 

“Hah?!” 

The loud outburst made Ochaco look up from her spot on the couch, sending them a glare that warned of murder if Kota woke up. Not wanting to earn her wrath, Izuku quickly broke away from Katsuki’s hold, moving down the hall. He barely made it halfway before Katsuki caught him again, pushing him against the wall to box him in. Though they weren’t touching anymore, the heated glare he got made his skin tingle with warmth. 

“What the fuck kind of question was that, Deku?” Katsuki hissed out, and Izuku pressed his sweat palms to the wall while stumbling over his explanation. 

“Well, I mean—Ochaco’s really pretty. And Kota did so well with her, which got me thinking about you being able to date soon.” Izuku’s eyes dropped to the broad shoulder in front of him, wondering why his voice struggled to sound normal. “I-I mean, I don’t know if you’re ready to d-date yet, but she’d be an excellent partner for raising Kota, and then you wouldn't need a nanny service to—”

The sudden growl silenced him, his whole body freezing at the noise. He’d heard Katsuki make the dangerous noise before on his show and toward people on the phone, but never toward him. Wide-eyed, Izuku fought the urge to bare his throat in submission despite their dynamic not demanding he do so. In fact, offering his neck could be seen as far too intimate between a nanny and an employer. He’d never had the urge to do it before, even with his actual partners, so he wasn’t sure why the desire burned so deeply in his blood.

Katsuki’s bared fangs didn’t help the urge at all. “If you’re fucking done with me and the squirt, don’t pawn us off on your friend. Just fucking quit.”

“Quit?” Izuku’s confusion twisted with his pain at the comment. “I don’t want to quit. That’s not what I was saying.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to think when you say random shit like that?”

Realizing Katsuki didn’t believe him, Izuku shook his head. “I love it here. You’ve made this place so perfect for me, but I don’t want to impede on your personal life.”

“How the hell are you gonna do that?” Katsuki asked, and Izuku brushed his hand against the temple he’d previously scented.

“Look at what you had to do when I smelt like another alpha.” Something about his comment made Katsuki’s eyes narrow, but he ignored it to continue. “We always smell like each other, which is probably my fault because I love your smell, and mine's really strong already. Except when you start da-dating…well, anyone who might flirt with you will get one whiff of me on you and might think we’re—”

“That we’re what ?” Katsuki’s nose brushed his when he leaned down, Izuku unable to move away with the wall behind him. “A fucking pair? Because that’s what you signed up for.”

“Yeah, but…” Feeling his cheeks heat at his racing thoughts, Izuku swallowed before he turned away, letting out a shaky breath. “I think I’m taking that the wrong way.”

A firm grip on his chin made him look back up at Katsuki’s serious expression, though the cadence was almost a tease. “Want me to explain it another way, little omega?”

Yes, please, his mind begged without permission, and he wondered if his want glimmered in his eyes while he stared up at Katsuki in silence. Neither moved, sharing a miniscule space between their lips to breathe with patterns that were too shaky to be normal. His hands almost dug into the wall, as if worried if he let go, he’d search for something firmer to grab. The bloom of spiced apples proved their scents were entwining. His chest vibrated from his quickening heartbeat.

Before the tension could snap on its own, Ochaco’s voice broke through from the room down the hall. “Izuku, are you still out there? Kota wants you.”

 “I’m—” He had to swallow to wet his throat, unsure when it went dry. “I’ll be right there.” 

Katsuki didn’t move away, so Izuku forced himself to slip under the tense arm, scurrying like a rat to where Ochaco and Kota were. Though he tried to make his entrance look natural, one knowing look from his best friend proved his scent and flushed face gave him away. Luckily for him, she gave him a sliver of mercy, looking down at Kota with a smile.

“This little guy wants you to bring him to bed.” 

“Really?” He bit back his happy chirp when Kota’s sleepy arms reached up as he yawned, still half-asleep from the previous grooming. Izuku quickly scooped him up, relieved when Kota quickly curled into his chest. The motion resembled how children sought their parent’s familiar scent to calm them enough for sleep. Kota’s unconscious trust in him rattled his soul.

“We really wore him out, huh?” Ochaco pushed up from the couch, brushing off her pants before giving him a thumbs up. “Great job.” 

“I should be saying that to you,” he replied, gently swaying himself to keep Kota from squirming. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Thanks for your help.”

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll get that recipe I’ve been begging Katsuki for all day.”

“Wait, that’s… why you were talking to him?” He asked, surprised when she nodded and grinned.

“Duh.” She twirled her hair around her finger while she explained. “When Tsu and I went out to New York last year, we went to one of his restaurants as a little splurge for ourselves. I thought I died and went to heaven when I took my first bite of his honey chicken. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to replicate it, but nothing compares! So when I found out we were coming today, I made a vow to get it by any means necessary. And since I kept my end of the deal, he’s gotta cough up his.” 

“What did you give him?”

“All he wanted was for me to answer a bunch of random questions about you. Things he probably could have gotten from you if he asked. Well, okay, maybe not all of them.” Ochaco smirked at her own memory, and Izuku wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what information she’d offered. “Isn’t it interesting that he thinks secrets about you are more valuable than a recipe he’s refused to sell for actual money? Wonder why that is, Zuku.” 

“I… I have to get Kota to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow. H-Have a safe trip home!” Sure his face matched a fire hydrant, Izuku spun away from his too pleased friend, quick to escape the room with the oppressive tension. He nearly bumped into Katsuki on his way out, and his eyes barely met the unreadable gaze before he looked away, dropping his head and moving down the hall. 

But somehow, even without words, Izuku knew something between him and his boss had changed.