Author claims no rights to Hero Academia or any affiliated licenses.

OoOoOo

By the time she made it home, the world was quiet.

There is a restlessness about her this night. Izuku could only stare out her window at the twinkling lights of the city. In her heart, she wonders, but will never admit, what might have been. What her life would have looked like had Katsuki never left her behind? Only now, there was the burning desire to know if his words were the truth or merely just for show.

Granted, despite his bravado and cockiness, Bakugou had never been the sort to say things he did not mean. Which was partially why his rejection at such a tender age had wounded her so deeply. It had left a scar upon her heart the way his bite still adorned her neck. She pressed her forehead to the glass pane. The coolness of the hard surface did little to take away the nearly feverish feel of her skin.

Emerald eyes closed slowly, allowing the darkness to embrace her in a sort of mock-peace. However it did not last. The moment she opened her eyes again, her thoughts were whirling with Fumikage and Katsuki. On the one hand, Fumikage was willing to take her despite being abandoned.

Bakugou claimed that he had never abandoned her.

Yet, if Katsuki had truly forgotten about their mating and subsequent falling out-

If that was how he saw the events between them, as something a child could be forgiven for, then she was bereft of the bitter resentment that had started to seep into her bones about her True mate. She had always wished him well, and secretly she still wanted him. How could she not? He was the one for her. She shouldn't have been able to recognize her true mate at five. Briefly, she had spoken of it with her Omega Pediatrician. Back when she was a small girl. The one that had looked after her well being since her birth. The same aged woman with lines of silver in her hair, and a nest of crows feet that crinkled about her eyes.

The one that had told Izuku about the benefit of not being born with a quirk.

Because her body was not forced to expend energy to grow and mature her quirk, she was able as an omega to sense her true mate much faster. It also allowed her Omega nature to mature before others like her that possessed a quirk. As a result,s he'd been put n suppressants at nine, while others did not start until thirteen. Perhaps that was why she had never forgotten Bakugou's status as her True mate.

It was, she would later figure out, the reason she trailed after him. Helpless to resist the pull of the Alpha. Even though neither of them had presented yet. Maybe, she really was a cursed being. To know, with absolute certainty, that he was perfect for her. And, then to be rejected by that same person...

It had driven her nearly to the brink of madness.

Kaa-chan hadn't pulled away all at once. Perhaps that sharp sort of severance would have been easier to forgive. But, no, life had not been so kind. His crimson eyes, the ones she had lovingly gazed into after their bonding, had slowly began to fill with disgust and dislike. Then, when the Alphas of her school had finally started presenting, dislike had turned to hate. In the Hero Academy, hate had turned to disinterest.

Disinterest had hurt her far more than his hatred ever could have.

By their second year, or perhaps it was their third, they hardly even spoke to one another. Izuku brushed away the bitter tears of disappointment and sorrow every time she had chased after him. It wasn't until All Might, and her gifted quirk of One-for-all, that she stopped chasing after Katsuki Bakugou. The Omega had resigned herself to her fate after that.

When even having a quirk, had not made him want her.

Her mother knew, years after the fact, that Izuku was mated to an Alpha. One particularly vicious heat, and a lack of suppressant from over training, had blown the carefully concealed fact out of the water. But shame and resentment prevented her from telling her Mother the identity of the Alpha. She lied that day, when directly asked (avoiding her mother's worried gaze as shame clenched at her heart), that it was some Alpha she couldn't remember.

How ironic it all seemed now. To have lied about not remembering, and to have been forgotten herself.

If that was what had actually happened with Bakugou. Midoriya simply did not know what to do, or how to act. There was every reason in the world to, and not to, trust him. He was a hero, just as she was. And, he had proven that he could be trusted with her life

...But... could he be trusted with her heart?

The Omega, the New Symbol of Hope, and ever optimistic (according to her peers) hero Deku... was afraid. Afraid of being hurt again by someone that had once held her heart in the palm of his hands.

Her mother had told her, quite seriously, and with tears in her eyes, to take another Alpha. It was a thought she'd had herself a time or two. Watching the other Betas and Omegas with their Alphas. Seeing what she wanted but could never have in Katsuki. Izuku had tried, just to even think about letting another Alpha have her. But it made her sick to her stomach, and she had ended up heaving her entire breakfast into the bathroom. The salty and sour taste of vomit revealed the truth she already knew. An Alpha besides Katsuki was impossible.

And, though she had formed close relationships with others, friendships that lasted beyond the threats of doom. Shed never been able to let a more dominant second nature near her, until Fumikage. It was a fear of further rejection, and also due to the sense Alpha's possessed. Somehow, they all instinctually knew that Izuku could not be a true mate to them. Only Omegas could tell their true mates who they were. However, the Alphas sensed that Izuku was taken and never pursued anything.

She'd tried, briefly, to give off signs of availability for one Beta. A boy from her middle school, the very last year, but it had ended badly. He'd taken one look at her mate-mark and bolted from her as fast as he could.

They were young, she could understand that.

So, it pained her to think that perhaps Bakugou deserved as much forgiveness as she was so willing to give others. Izuku found it to be a bitter pill to swallow. Could she honestly keep this maelstrom of feelings and past events against the reasoning of a six-year-old Katsuki? Was he any worse than she at six for being so dead-set on them being a fated pair?

She finally removed her forehead from the glass, groaning slightly as her skin stuck a bit to the surface. She eyed the smudge left behind critically. Now she was going to have to clean the window. But seeing it made her think of her past with Bakugou. Katsuki... was... impossible not to see. She'd spent years attempting to get over him, and still, like the glass, she could see how he impacted her. Easily.

The memories of a happier time, spilled forth, as Midoryia reached for the nightstand drawer and pulled out some suppressants. The feverish feeling was growing worse, as it always did when thinking of Katsuki. No, when she thought of Kaa-chan. The Kaa-chan from her younger days.

It's a sting that makes her eyes water, and she whimpers. Her small hands push feebly against his chest, but the blonde boy in front of her stays latched onto her neck. It is not the act that has her upset, because she wants to be with Kaa-chan forever. It's the pain she doesn't like.

It hurts.

Something warm flows, and the whimpers become more frequent, as if she hoped to placate the pain itself. However, just as the worst of it comes, she feels something inside of her twitch. Like a dream, where one slowly floats to awareness. Some part of her purrs in excitement and absolute happiness.

Kaa-chan is everything. Kai-chan is her mate.

As if he could hear her thoughts, the boy pulls back. A small amount of crimson liquid drips from his mouth, and she notices that it matches the red of his eyes. That other part of her, loves him even more. Her lip trembles, and her neck stings, but Izuku can only cry from happiness.

"Quit crying," the boy grumped at her, wiping his mouth off, and leaving a steak of red across his arm. "You're mine now."

She moved forward, hugging Kaa-chan with all of her might. And, she felt the safest when his arms curled around her, in a protective gesture.

"Always?"

"Always," he confirmed with a soft rumble in his chest. One that made her feel peaceful and content. The pain didn't matter anymore. His arms tightened around her, much stronger than before and Izuku looked up. His crimson eyes were nearly glowing.

"I'm gonna get a quirk, and I'm gonna be a hero," Kaa-chan said with determination. "I'm gonna be the best hero, so you'd better be the best mate to me."

She smiled at him brightly, feeling her heart swell.

"I will be. The best mate for you," she promised with all her innocent heart and soul.

His messy blonde hair moved, as he lowered his head, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Mine."

The memory of his statement, and the way his young face had said it merged with the passionate declarations of the Bakugou she knew now. His more rugged features, and the same crimson eyes.

Izuku jumped, feeling her heart race. She was sweating profusely, and clutching at the front of her suit in desperation. Her thoughts jumbled, and then came back into stark clarity.

Heat.

She groaned out loud. as the familiar ache started. Worming into her middle until it was undeniable. She knew in an instant, that she had taken her suppressants too late or that they were out of date. Izuku hadn't thought she would need them. It had been three years since her last heat. Her training was so intense that she often skipped them, even in the beginning. They had spaced out more and more as she fought, was injured, and exposed to countless dangers. In short, Izuku lived with a great deal of stress. As every pro-hero did.

The stress, exercise, and lack of a mate had lulled her secondary nature into a sort of slumber.

But tonight, his scent clung to her skin as did Fumikage's. Two males that could be mates to her. Two chances for something more, had awoken the more feral side of Midoriya. Shaking hands tore at her clothing, attempting to remove it. It made her skin feel far too tight. Emerald eyes were glassy and she felt a desperate compulsion to mate.

Mentally, she attempted to fight back against the sudden surge. She had no mate. There was no one. No one.

With that last desperate realization, the Omega collapsed to the floor and gave herself over to the burning heat.

OoOoOo

'Explosion King', Alpha, Katsuki Bakugou, was a man on a mission.

Both literally and figuratively.

It had been four days since anyone had seen Deku, himself included. Four days since anyone had been able to even get a hold of her. Three days since he had called out the Beta Fumikage Tokoyami, and challenged him for chasing after his mate. Two days, since the shadow bastard had agreed. And, one day, just one measly day, since his Alpha instincts had set him entirely on edge and his need to see Deku had sky-rocketed to new heights.

And his damn Omega was no where to be found.

She wasn't with the Beta, he'd stormed into Tokoyami's office with fury blazing form his eyes. The mate-stealing shit, had the audacity to state that he wouldn't give up on Katsuki's mate. The Alpha had reigned himself in, and not sent the office into outer orbit with one of his explosions, long enough to state himself as Izuku's Alpha.

It had caused a bit of a stir in the agencies, but Bakugou didn't give a damn about that shit. What he said was true, and toward the end of their conversation, Midoryia had been giving Omega signals of trust. Her scent had been confused, but full of hope, an near affection at one point. She wanted him as well, he could tell (or maybe he was fooling himself) but he'd promised her he would earn her trust back. He would earn that deep love she'd held for him as a child, back.

He needed her back.

Bakugou would never admit to anyone, other than Deku, that he had loved her for ages. He'd wanted her for ages. However, she'd always smelled of Alpha since her quirk. Perhaps that was part of it? Part of the reason he'd been so aggressive toward her at the academy. He had been upset and wanted to punish her for being unable to have her.

It was stupid shit. He'd always done stupid shit. But, he was her Alpha and he would show her that she could trust him.

He stalked toward her home, the address was not far from her mother's. The place they'd grown up at. The one that he walked by sometimes, unable to tear his gaze away from the spot by the swings where he'd bitten Izuku. The harder he tried to recall it, the more he began to remember.

He wasn't so good with the emotional bullshit, but he could be a touch sentimental, when the mood struck him. The coat he'd worn when he spoke to her last, still smelled like her, and so he hadn't washed it yet. It calmed him down, when she would't answer any of his calls. Either to her private line or the agency provided phone.

Lowly, he growled in chest, feeling a strange sort of anxiety flare up, and the need to be near his Omega intensified to the point of near pain. He raised his hand, ready to knock upon the door, when the smell hit him. Sweet, and ready. Beguiling and impossible to ignore.

It smelled of 'Omega' and 'heat'. His crimson eyes flashed, and he bared his teeth. His body, despite suppressants, was responding in the most natural of ways. He blinked, feeling slightly drunk on the scent, as he knocked.

Silence meet his non-verbal request to enter.

OoOoO

Inside the apartment, huddled on the floor as her body felt as if it were attempting to boil her at the same time it drove her to crying out at every slight movement, the Omega stilled at the sound of knocking. She dared not move, knowing that it could be some Alpha with impure intentions, a Villain, or worst of all...her mother.

She never wanted her mother to see her like this. Even if it was 'perfectly natural'.

Izuku remained silent, willing the intruder to leave.

"I know you're in there mate." The rough voice of Katsuki penetrated her heat-fogged mind. She whimpered softly, not bothering to do more than exist.

A shuffling sound came from outside the front door, and her emerald eyes could only stare at it, waiting for what she as certain was the inevitable outcome.

OoOoOo

He could hear the whimpering, and it pierced through the haze of her scent. He had been a complete ass to Izuku in the past, but that damn delicious smelling fucking-deku, was his Omega. His mate. And, she was not ready for them to be more. Though their last interaction had given him a great deal of motivation and hope for a future where she did not reject him.

"Don't open the door," the explosive Alpha commanded.

As far as forcing their bond to renew, this was the most golden of opportunities, but he was a far better Alpha than that. Had she come to him, with her heat, he would have carried her to his bed. His crimson eyes would have watched her make everything to her liking, and then he would have claimed her entirely as his own. His teeth would have re-scarred the thin silver lines of his first bite, or encompassed it entirely. Either way, everyone would know she was his once more.

But, she hadn't come to him. Something that still hurt his Alpha side deeply. His Omega hadn't felt that she could come to him, given their past. Yet, he needed her with all he had. Now that he was aware of her, he would never willingly give her up. Never.

She had to believe him, and he was going to make her believe him. Come hell or any fucking villain that existed.

"I'll keep you safe" he crooned through he door, staring at the stark white paint with a bit of loathing, as he pictured her inside. There was the distant sounds of shifting, and he could hear her moving in the apartment. The scent of her grew stronger. So much stronger, and it had his hands trembling with a want to blowup the fucking door.

He wanted her, oh how he wanted her. But, if she would not come to him, and would not accept him, it would destroy him in the end. Izuku had to come to him willingly.

Not now, but one day, his Alpha side would be appeased with that. The hope for 'one day'.

"I fucking promise, okay?" The explosive blonde uttered, feeling his hackles rise as he scented the other Betas and Alphas in the streets nearby. Anyone was a threat to her, his mate.

"I won't let anyone force you, Omega," he said lowly, knowing she could hear.

Not even me.

OoOoOo

She was pressed up against the door, emerald eyes filled with crystal tears that would not fall. Her hand was placed against the wood, as if she could touch him through it.

Her head was fogged, but clamoring. And for once, her heart echoed the sentiment.

Alpha.

She'd been convinced that he would do what he wanted. it was pure Bakugou, to a act that way. However, he'd continued to defy her expectations of him. It made her stomach clench with more than the pulsing need to mate. It was shame and disappointment. In herself, more than anyone.

Perhaps she truly had been unfair to Katsuki, in this regard. He was right, she thought sadly and with a bit of wisdom gained form her life experiences, he may have been awful in many ways to her, and there was much that they still had to work through before she could even really trust him again...

But...

And it was an exceedingly important 'but'...

... He was a great Alpha.

Her throat constricted and she blinked the tears away. Maybe she needed to really get to know Bakugou as he was now, not as who he had once been.

OoOoOo

True to his word, Katuski remained an ever watchful guardian over her apartment door. He planted himself by her door and refused to be moved. He kept his lonely vigil well after his voice mailbox was filled to the brim with calls demanding to know where he was. He ignored them. They didn't matter enough to pry him away from protecting his Deku.

The neighbor to the right came out, offering him food and drink. The old man knew exactly what he was doing, and Bakugou growled lowly every time the wizened man appeared. For he bore the stench of Alpha. Any Alpha was a threat to is mate in this state. He looked at the hero with knowing eyes, ad shoved the food into Bakugou's lap.

Soft whimpers occasionally made it through the silence, and Crimson orbs closed briefly against a reciprocating wave of need that washed over him.

On the second day, since taking his post, her voice floated through the door.

"Kaa-chan?"

He froze, feeling his heart race. He hadn't heard that stupid fucking nick-name from her lips in years. It left him feeling slightly hollow. Years? Had it really been so long?

"I'm still here," he answered gruffly, feeling the need to comfort her, though he could smell the scent of relief that emanated from beneath the door.

And it made his chest swell with pride and longing, when she whispered a soft 'Thank you'.