Chapter Text
"Are you good now? Got all the stupid pillows you want?" Bakugo asked, looking over the massive handful of assorted pillows Izuku struggled to hold.
"Yep!" Izuku chirped happily. "Thanks for helping me find them, Kacchan." Izuku beamed with joy. He could hardly stand to contain his excitement! He couldn't wait to make his nest later.
"Yeah, yeah." Bakugo turned away to avoid Izuku. The smile he wore was making Bakugo's chest all weird and fuzzy, and that was something he couldn't deal with right now. Damn Izuku and his cute ass face and carefree attitude. "Weren't we here for a damn blanket or something?"
"Oh," Izuku's lips straightened into a thin line. "Yeah, I do still need one of those. I'm pretty sure my main nesting blanket is still at mom's house." When the school settled on using UA as a battleground for war, all students were required to remove their belongings from campus for safe keeping. Some things just never got returned after that. "I needed a new one anyway. I've had that one since we were in middle school." Izuku shifted, the mountain of pillows dangerously close to collapsing.
"So, why the hell did we just spend thirty minutes looking at fucking pillows?" Bakugo blankly asked.
"Because... you distracted me." Izuku defended, glancing around the pillows. "You walked off this way and-"
"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo waved his hand dismissively. "Go ahead and blame me for it. I'm just so distracting."
"You are!" Izuku challenged. "You walked off this way, and I followed you, then you started talking about stuff and asking me if I liked the pillows and-"
"Okay! I get it! Jeez." Bakugo glared fiercely at Izuku, his stomach fluttering wildly. "You never had to follow me; that was your own god damn choice."
"I'll always follow you, Kacchan." Izuku hummed.
Bakugo could have taken a punch to the gut from prime All Might better than that. "Shut up, will you!" He spat, his body physically buzzing from the statement. He couldn't deal with all these weird feelings that were taking residency in his body. "Let's get your stupid blanket, find the extras, and get the fuck out of here." He stormed off towards the other aisles.
"Wait up!" Izuku scrambled to keep up while struggling to hold his pillows.
"Midoriya! Bakugo!" Three familiar voices called out as the duo approached the blankets.
"Hey!" Izuku greeted, hurrying over to join them.
"Oooo! Looks like someone had a good haul!" Hagakure teased.
Izuku smiled sheepishly. "Ah, yeah. There were just too many good choices." He explained, his cheeks flushed.
"Man, you said it." Uraraka bear hugged the large bat plushie she had pressed to her chest. "My omega started going wild over all the options. I would so buy everything if I could."
"Pff, like that'll even happen." Bakugo mumbled, earning himself a sharp elbow jab from Hagakure.
Kaminari squeezed his way between the two, successfully diffusing whatever retaliation that might have been about to happen. "I guess we all should have grabbed carts." He had an equally obnoxious amount of blankets stacked in his embrace.
"Probably." Hagakure stepped aside, allowing Kaminari more space. "Do we need anything else before we check out? There are a few clothing shops further down I saw that I really want to check out before we head back." She stamped her feet giddily.
"Yeah! Just one more thing. I want to look for a blanket real quick if that's okay." Izuku explained.
"Yeah! I'll help!" Uraraka eagerly offered. She was having fun just looking around at everything.
"Works for me." Kaminari glanced around. "I think I'm gonna find a cart while you guys do that. These are getting kind of heavy.
"Some hero you are. Outmatched by a couple of linens." Bakugo scoffed.
Kaminari, having not heard the line (or choosing to ignore it) ran off towards the front to find a cart, while the other two brats rushed to judge blankets together. It left Hagakure and Bakugo alone awkwardly standing in the middle of nowhere.
"So, you're not getting anything?" She questioned curiously.
"Why would I?" Bakugo's gaze drifted towards the empty space and floating clothing beside him.
"Because why not? This place is amazing! Don't you want good stuff for your nest?"
Bakugo's eye twitched. "As if. This is just another stupid shop. Only real difference is that it's overpriced and marketed towards weaklings."
"Hey, that's not true!" Hagukure huffed, pulling the plushie she had chosen to her chest. "All items in these shops are grade A manufactured. They are ten times softer and made of high quality ingredients aimed specifically at improving nesting."
"That's what they want you to think, so you'll buy them." Bakugo shoved his hands in his pockets. His fingers brushed over the damaged card he still kept tucked away in the right one. "Doesn't matter anyway. I don't have a nest, so I don't need any fancy high end shit. If I want a blanket, I'll buy one from a normal store."
"Obviously, none of us have nests right now." Hagakure rolled her eyes even though Bakugo couldn't see them."That's like the whole reason we're here. Most of our stuff is still gone from before the war."
"No." Bakugo sternly spoke. "I don't have a nest." He paused, drawing out the moment. "Never have and never will."
"Never have what?" Kaminari asked, pushing a full cart up to them.
"None of your business, Sparky." Bakugo rolled his head to the side; his focus landed on an uninteresting sign across the store to avoid paying the other two any mind.
"We're just talking about nesting." Hagakure explained for them. "Bakugo said he isn't getting anything."
"Why not?" Kaminari leaned across the cart, pressing his forearms into the handles. "Too expensive for you?"
"Fuck you, it is not." Bakugo growled. "There's just no fucking point. This place is stupid, and nesting is stupid."
"Woah, woah, woah, nesting is not stupid." Kaminari defended.
"Yeah!" Hagukure agreed. "It's needed for Omega's mental and physical health."
"Well, I've done just fine without it, and I'll continue to live without it." Bakugo assured, his attention shifting to Izuku and Uraraka. Could they be any slower? He needed them to hurry up and get him out of this stupid conversation.
"Hold up." Kaminari's brows furrowed. "Without it?"
"Yeah, without it. Nesting is a huge waste of time and money. It's not worth my effort." Bakugo continued to drill holes into Izuku and Uraraka’s heads, hoping either of them would catch on.
"You've never nested?" Kaminari pressed.
"Never." Bakugo responded.
"Isn't that, like, really unhealthy?" Hagakure jumped in front of Bakugo to get his attention.
"Yeah, isn't that painful? Don't you have instincts or something?" Kaminari continued to question.
Bakugo was unphased by Hagakure's useless attempt to block his vision. "You're see through, dumbass, and I'm taller than your clothing can block." He mumbled, respectfully leaning to look around her rather than through her. "And mind your business spark-plug."
"Oh come on! You gotta tell us now!" Kaminari left his cart in favor of harassing Bakugo. He pressed up against Bakugo’s side, his arm lazily draped over his shoulder. "Tell us your secrets. How do you manage? Are heats worse? How do they work without a nest?"
Bakugo winced at the pressure near his bruised gland. "Shut up, moron." He swung at Kaminari, his right arm accidentally setting off small explosions that threw the smaller blonde a few feet back. "I don't let stupid ass instincts rule my life like you nutjobs do."
The explosion finally got Izuku and Uraraka’s attention. The two quickly made their way back to the group. Both were relieved to see nothing had actually been damaged.
"Jeez, Kacchan." Kaminari rubbed the soot from his face where Bakugo had hit him. "A simple get off works once in a while, you know."
"Cry about it." Bakugo turned, his eyes settling on the group of three. "Well, finally!" He snapped, making his irritation clear as day. "Are you two done frolicking in the fucking blankets now?"
"Almost..." Uraraka looked between Bakugo and Kaminari. "Should I ask?"
"No." The three replied simultaneously.
"Okay! Well, I just need one last thing." She held up two blankets. "Bakugo, which one do you think I should get?"
Bakugo's eyes narrowed on Uraraka. What game was this supposed to be. He studied her expression, looking for deception behind those chocolate orbs. "How the fuck am I supposed to know what you should get? I don't care about any of this shit." So much for that stimulant helping his mood.
"Exactly! I already asked Deku-kun, but he's too biased. He just picked which one he liked better. You don't have those feelings, so you'll tell me which is best based on the quality!" Uraraka insisted.
"Just pick one for fuck sake, it's not that big of a deal." Bakugo argued.
"I'm not having Hagakure spend money on something that's not perfect." Uraraka retorted.
"So figure it out." Bakugo huffed.
"Just help me." Uraraka groaned. "It's two blankets. Then we can pay and get out of here."
"Fine! You all are so annoying." Bakugo snatched the creamy tan, long furred blanket from Uraraka and looked it over. "This one sucks. The fibers are only nice and soft when you buy it. Once you wash it, you'll never have it feeling like this again. It'll lose all its good qualities."
"Okay, so no for the tan one." Uraraka took it back and tucked it under her arm. "What about this one?" She offered up her second option. It was a teal green, short furred blanket.
Bakugo bared his teeth, emphasizing his discomfort with the task. One, he didn't like being bossed around, and two he didn't like this game. He begrudgingly gave in, the sooner they left the better afterall, and snatched the second blanket from her.
Something shattered inside him. The sturdy, iron gated, thick concrete walls he had built up over the years since presenting suddenly exploded in a messy display of dust and metal. His carefully crafted prison for his omega deteriorated in a matter of seconds. The starved beast he had kept tied down broke free with a wild craze. His body flared up in response. His heart rate spiked, his temperature increased, and endorphins flooded his system faster than he could flush them away.
Soft.
The blanket was soft like rabbit fur.
His crimson eyes narrowed on the plush material between his fingers. The world was hazy, nothing in focus besides the cloth. He squeezed it, bathing in the texture. His watch steadily beeped in alarm, frantic over the drastic increase in his heart rate, but Bakugo's brain couldn't comprehend the sound nor its meaning. All he could think about was the blanket. He squeezed it gently. It was a beautiful shade of green. It was like Izuku. His jaw tensed and his mouth water. Izuku. His omega howled inside, thrashing violently at its remaining restraints. He lifted the plush fabric to his face and nuzzled his nose into it. An odd sensation rippled through his throat.
Shock tore through the small group.
Hagakure gasped, the first to make a physical reaction. "Did Bakugo just purr!?" She squealed in surprise.
The high pitch squeal knocked Bakugo from his daze. He absently looked up, reality taking a moment before crashing down on him. His eyes blazed with every emotion. He threw the blanket violently at the ground, as though it had burnt him, and stumbled back away from it.
"What was that about instincts?" Kaminari teased lightly.
"Fuck!" The outburst was frantic. "Fuck! All of you." His eyes danced around the area erratically. He felt weak and exposed. His emotional walls weren't rebuilding fast enough to save him. "And your stupid nesting shit." His watch screamed.
"Kacchan, it's okay," Izuku hesitantly stepped forward. "Your heart..." he reached for the device making the alarming sound.
"No," Bakugo's irises shrunk, "you can fuck off too." He snarled defensively. His body felt wildly out of control. He took a few clumsy steps back then lashed out at the noise. He tore the beeping device from his wrist and threw it to the ground. "I can take care of myself!" He announced before storming off.
"Kacchan!" Izuku made an attempt to follow, but Uraraka and Kaminari stopped him. "Guys! His heart!" Izuku pleaded, his eyes wet with tears. Panic washed across him in cold waves, making his stomach twist and turn.
"He's okay." Kaminari assured. "Chasing after him is only gonna make it worse. You know how he is; he's Kacchan. He gets fired up fast and burns quick."
"Yeah, he'll be okay once he cools off." Uraraka agreed, holding Izuku's arm tightly.
"You weren't there!" Izuku lashed, pulling from Kaminari’s grasp. Uraraka and Hagakure were quick to tackle him. The three end up in a weird pile on the floor.
"It's not back then!" Hagakure insisted. "We're fine, your fine, Bakugo's fine!" She soothed, running her hands through Izuku's hair. "Plus, we still have to pay for everything. Don't you want your pillows? Bakugo helped you pick them out, didn't he?"
"I don't care about them. I care about Kacchan." Izuku pulled himself up to a kneeling position. His eyes dark and piercing, the same crazed look he wore during their past battles.
"Deku." Uraraka said calmly. She knew they couldn't realistically stop Izuku if he really decided to run, but they could help calm him down first at least.
"Hey bro, come on." Kaminari snapped his finger in front of Izuku's face. Izuku's eyes stayed fixed forward. "What's one thing you can see? Hm?"
It took a moment for the words to process. Izuku's lips trembled as he fought his internal battle. A few bated breaths later and his eyes finally moved to observe his surroundings."I see... you." His breathing was harsh and airy.
"Who's 'you?' Can you be more specific for me?" Kaminari asked.
"I see Kaminari." Izuku swallowed. "I see Kaminari." He repeated, his eyes drifting away from the male. "And I... I see Hagakure." He added, trying to control his breathing.
"Good job." Uraraka praised sweetly, not bothering to correct him on Hagakure. "What about hearing? What do you hear?" She began humming softly
Izuku sucked in a deep breath. "My heart. It's in my ears."
"That's something." Kaminari agreed. "But what about the surroundings? Hear anything there?"
Izuku closed his eyes and forced himself to focus. "I hear humming... Uraraka?" He questioned, turning to look at her.
"Mhm!" Uraraka smiled.
"You're doing great." Hagakure assured. "What about smell? Can you smell anything? This one might be tricky with the purifying system."
A challenge. Izuku could win a challenge. Kacchan always won, and so did he! He inhaled deeply, letting the faint scents drip into his senses. "I smell... bubblegum." Uraraka's scent was still the strongest, it was the easiest to tell apart. "And citrus...? and chocolate." He continued taking deep controlled breaths. "Oh... my honeysuckle."
"Hell yeah, dude." Kaminari's grin widened. "You got us all in one try. I can hardly smell that good right now."
Izuku inhaled again. The scents were sweeter and stronger now that he was focusing on them. Were they... were they surrounding him with calming pheromones? He exhaled with a low sigh, letting his body go slack. "Sorry."
"Nah, don't be." Kaminari ruffled Izuku's hair. "We all got our post-war goody bags. Some got scars, some got health issues, and some of us got the fun mental issues." He joked half-heartedly."
"Yeah, what he said... Just not as weird." Hagakure somewhat continued to massage Izuku's head slowly.
"He's got the spirit." Uraraka giggled, leaning over Izuku's back and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Feeling any better?" She questioned, her arms still around his torso to help him stay upright.
"A little." Izuku dropped his head into his hands. "My head still feels heavy, but I can speak again, and I'm thinking straight."
"Hunny, I don't think you ever think straight." Hagakure teased, holding her hand out to help Izuku to his feet.
"I do!" Izuku stumbled forward upon standing, but Uraraka quickly smacked his leg. He gently floated a few inches into the air thanks to her quirk.
"Yeah?" Kaminari laughed watching him flail in surprise. "And they say I'm the airhead."
Hagakure sighed. "That was terrible."
"Hey! It wasn't that bad!" Kaminari pouted.
Uraraka let Izuku steady himself before releasing him. She pressed her pads together, "Release," and lowered him next to her.
Izuku smiled softly, shuffling to stand with everyone.
"There he is." Hagakure playfully squeezed Izuku's cheek. "All better and grounded."
"Awe come on! Mine was bad, but that wasn't?" Kaminari whined.
"That one was pretty good." Izuku admitted, glancing away while Hagakure babied him.
Kaminari gasped. "Who's side are you on!" He threw his hands up in the air.
"The winning side." Uraraka patted Kaminari’s back. "Better luck next time."
"This isn't fair. I miss Bakugo now." Kaminari crossed his arms and turned away.
"Yeah, yeah, we'll find hothead." Hagakure started picking up the pillows and blankets that dropped in all the commotion. "First we'll pay for everything, then we'll find him. Sounds good?" There was a long pause. "Who knows, maybe he'll even purr for us again, right Midoriya?"
"What? I hope not!" Izuku squeezed a pillow to his chest. "He seemed really stressed out afterwards, and I don't want Kacchan to be stressed. I've known him since we were kids and he's never done anything like that before. What if it hurts? His heart was going crazy." Izuku's breathing hitched again.
"Purring is normal." Uraraka gave Izuku a gentle nudge. "I think he just shocked himself. He just needs time to process things, alone." Uraraka explained with such confidence that confused Izuku. How was she so certain of this?
"Yeah, he just got his panties in a twist because I called him out on it." Kaminari helped Hagakure with the pillows. "He's blowing off steam like usual."
"Okay, okay, enough talking." Hagakure brushed her hands off. "We'll find him faster if we hurry up, so go on." She shooed them towards the registers.
They hastily purchased their items and made their way out of the store.
"Okay," Kaminari sniffed the air. He made a display of inhaling real hard. "Damn, that didn't work." He frowned. "I don't smell him anyway around here."
Hagakure sniffed the air next. "Yeah, too many scents." She glanced around. "Wait. What does he smell like?"
Uraraka and Izuku's expressions turned sour at the remark.
"Huh? Like um... Like caramel." Kaminari tapped his chin. "I think? Now that you mentioned it, I haven't really smelled him today."
"There are a lot of people here." Uraraka commented quickly. "Hard to smell our new scents over others."
Izuku shot her a curious look. "It is... and a lot of these places have purifying systems by the looks of it." She knew something.
"Well, let's just call him." Hagakure pulled out her phone.
"Already tried." Kaminari and Uraraka announced.
"Well." Hagakure grasped her phone in thought. "What about you Midoriya? Did you try?"
"Oh... no, not yet." Izuku reached into his back pocket and slipped his phone out. He turned it on, noticing a single notification. It was Kacchan. He tapped it, opening their chat log.
"Sorry." Was all the message read.
"Well?" Hagakure leaned over, attempting to see Izuku's phone screen.
"Calling!" Izuku panicked and hit the call button to hide their chat. Bakugo’s profile photo, a photo they took together after the war, and number shown on the screen while it rang. Once... twice... dial tone.
"Damn, I thought for sure that would work. He never ignored you." Hagakure huffed.
"Maybe he didn't hear it. He's half deaf." Kaminari shrugged.
"Hm, maybe." Uraraka glanced around. "Should we split up?"
"Yeah!" Izuku blurted out a little too excitedly. "I-I mean yep! We'll cover more ground, find him faster." He chuckled uncomfortably.
"Uh huh." Uraraka raised an eyebrow at him. "We'll do that. Um, text each other when we find him?"
"Okay."
And that was how they went their separate ways.
Izuku opened his phone again once he was alone. A new message appeared on screen.
"I'm by the bathrooms outside the wing. I don't feel like dealing with them right now."
Izuku rushed out of the omega only shops and towards the bathrooms. That message had been sent nearly 5 minutes ago! Bakugo could have gotten anywhere in that time. Izuku really hoped he hadn't left. The bathroom sign came into sight. Izuku kicked off, throwing himself around the corner.
"What the hell?" Bakugo grunted when Izuku slammed into his chest with full force.
"Kacchan!" Izuku scrambled back "Sorry! I didn't expect you to still be here... are you okay?"
"I'm fine, nerd." Bakugo fixed his shirt. "You barely hit me."
"I didn't mean that. I know you can take a hit like a champ. I meant... whatever happened earlier. Are you okay? Your heart."
Bakugo's nerves lit aflame. "I'm fine." He pushed past Izuku, aiming to leave the mall.
"Wait, Kacchan." Izuku jerked forward to grab his arm. "Your watch." He whispered, pulling the device from his pocket. He gently fastened it back around Bakugo’s wrist.
Bakugo watched, with hazy eyes. The touch. He wanted more of that touch. "Tch... thanks." He mumbled, shivering when Izuku's wrist accidentally pressed into his sore scent gland.
"You're welcome, Kacchan. Is your heart okay? You scared me back there." Izuku questioned, his fingers brushing over the watch screen to display the heart rate monitor. He watched the numbers flash across it.
"It's fine." Bakugo stared with Izuku, watching the numbers blur by. 100... Izuku was holding his hand. 107... Izuku's hand was warm. 110... Izuku's touch was soft. 115... Izuku probably smelled good. 108... he wanted more of Izuku's touch.
"Why's your heart rate so jumpy?" Izuku asked in a hushed tone. "What happened back there? What's happening now?"
Bakugo tensed. "Nothing." He yanked his arm away from.
Izuku didn't believe that, but he knew not to press it right now. If he did, there was a high chance Bakugo would leave. The others were right about one thing; Bakugo needed time between things to try and process. He'd come clean eventually. "Are you ready to meet up with the others for food?"
"No." Bakugo continued walking, but he changed his pathing towards an alley instead of the exit.
"No?" Izuku followed him. The two walked into the darker, cooler, and quieter cramped hallway. He watched Bakugo lean against the wall before collapsing to the ground. The blonde curled in on himself, pulling his knees to his chest and hugging them.
Izuku slowly took the spot next to bakugo. He didn't know what was going on, nor did he know how to help, but he still wanted to be there for him.
Bakugo glanced over. That fire in his chest blazed. It almost hurt with how ragging it was. He tilted his head, allowing it to fall onto Izuku's shoulder. "Just give me a few minutes." His eyes slid shut.
"Of course, Kacchan." Izuku bumped his head back against Bakugo’s. The two sat in comfortable silence, listening to the crowds walking by outside the alley. They were all so unaware of this tender and private moment, and that made Izuku kind of happy. This was the side of Kacchan only he got to see.
Bakugo tilted his head, his nose pressing into Izuku's neck. The contact helped soothe the beast that had awoken inside him, but it wasn't enough to extinguish the feral feeling that lingered. All these new feelings had suddenly shot alive, and they were eating him alive. These cravings he had never had before. He wanted to cuddle, to purr, to whine, to nest. He wanted all these stupid things he had never had the desire to, and his ego was taking a huge blow because of it.
"Kacchan?" Izuku tilted his head up a little. "Can you smell me yet?" He questioned softly.
Bakugo blinked. Can he smell him? He shifted, pressing his nose and face into Izuku's neck more. He inhaled, nudging the gland in an attempt to draw out the scent. The only scent was of trash nearby. He clenched his fists together in irritation, and his mouth watered. No, he couldn't smell Izuku, but maybe if he bit him... maybe he could taste him. His lips parted.
'Ring... ring... ring.'
Bakugo's eyes dilated. He scrambled backwards. Fuck! Had he just thought of biting Izuku's neck? How dangerously close had he been? He reached up to brush a finger over his right fang.
"Sorry." Izuku was oblivious to Bakugo’s panic. He answered the ringing. "Uraraka." He greeted, letting Bakugo know who it was.
"Did you find him? We've been in like every shop, no sign of him." She explained.
"Maybe he left." Kaminari added from behind her.
"No, I found him." Izuku looked over at Bakugo.
"Found me? I fucking told you where I was." Bakugo spat.
"He told you?" Hagakure must have snatched the phone from Uraraka. "You made us look when you already knew!"
"Well! He's with me, um meet you at the wing entrance? Sounds good, bye!" Izuku didn't give any of them the chance to reply.
"You liar." Bakugo stated.
"I didn't lie! They asked me to call you, and you didn't answer. They never asked if you had texted me..." Izuku defended, standing up and brushing himself off. He offered Bakugo his hand.
Bakugo greedily took it, basking in the way his body melted under the touch. "Let's get this over with so we can get back to the dorms. I'm fucking tired." He pulled Izuku out of the alley.
The two groups met at the large sign in the front of the omegan only section.
"There they are!" Hagakure waved the duo over. "I can't believe you knew where he was that entire time, and sent us on a wild goose chase." She lectured Izuku.
"Yeah..." Izuku nervously rubbed his hands together. "I didn't know until after we split up." He lied. "And then I got distracted by the message and forgot to tell you."
"Uh huh." Uraraka rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we did a little shopping while looking, so now we're good to go eat if you want."
"Finally, a good fucking idea. Pink cheeks, your intelligence is returning." Bakugo scoffed
"What...?" Three confused eyes laid upon Bakugo and Uraraka
"I think that's a yes." Uraraka laughed, blowing off the comment. She didn't feel like explaining that night to them anyway.
"I don't have anything else to buy." Izuku glanced between Uraraka and Bakugo. "I'm good to eat. Did you guys see any good places?"
"There was a really cute ramen place towards the back." Hagakure offered. "It looked cozy and smelled amazing."
"As long as it had spicy shit, I don't care where we eat." Bakugo shrugged.
"They probably do. They had a huge sign in the front window. I think I saw peppers on it." Kaminari explained.
"Yeah, the one with the cute little animal mascots. I think the wolf was breathing fire from the peppers." Hagakure tried to remember the sign in detail.
"You think they'll have mochi?" Uraraka asked hopefully.
"Maybe." Hagakure turned in the direction of the restaurant. "Let's go find out!" She grabbed Kaminari and Uraraka’s hands, pulling them off ahead of Izuku and Bakugo.
The restaurant was indeed cozy, but it was also small. The place was clearly new and not intended for large gatherings. The five struggled to fit into the largest booth they had available. Kaminari and Hagakure, the most petite of the group, sat comfortably on one bench while the other three squirmed around without room to spare. In the end, Bakugo ended up grabbing a chair from nearby. It pissed him off, but he didn't have the energy to make a scene.
They ordered and the group fell into comfortable conversation.
Bakugo stared at his ramen while listening to the others talk. They talked so easily with one another about all things omega, and it made Bakugo feel things. He felt distant, unincluded, different. All these strong negative feelings bubbled in his chest and threatened to drown him. It wasn't fair. Something had shattered in that nesting shop, and now he didn't know how to deal with anything. How come everyone else did? How could they all talk so normally about this stuff, while he couldn't? Instead, he silently seethed with desire. He wanted to scent, to smell, to taste. He wanted to purr and hoard everything soft and nice. He wanted to touch and cuddle and bond with all these omega's around him. All these characteristics he had hated about everyone else, were suddenly so strongly present in himself, and he couldn't do anything about it. The only control still left was the collar and muzzle still tied tightly to his inner omega. He refused to submit so easily, even if it resulted in such agony.
Time passed quickly in the restaurant. Bakugo wasn't sure when he had finished his meal, or when the others had stopped talking, but eventually he was beckoned out of the place by Uraraka.
"Today was awesome." Kaminari stretched his arms above his head. "I'm so beat though." He yawned.
"It was lots of fun." Hagakure agreed happily. "But I agree. I can't wait to pass out."
"I'm going to sleep so well tonight." Uraraka squeezed the bat plushie to her chest. She had pulled it from her bag as soon as they left the restaurant.
"Mhm." Izuku hummed. "I'm also tired. Aizawa sensei went rough on our training today, but I'm glad we got to come here anyway." He glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, Uraraka, did you ever buy one of those blankets?"
Bakugo stiffened, suddenly back in reality. His blanket. Had she bought it after his reaction? His eyes narrowed on the bag hanging loosely in her grasp. Was it in there? He wanted to rip it apart and find out.
"Oh. No, I didn't." Uraraka glanced over at the shop as they passed it. "I completely forgot about it after Bakugo threw it. That's okay though, I didn't really need one."
"Awe, are you sure?" Kaminari asked, skipping up to then. "We can always head back in."
They could. The idea made Bakugo’s heart quickened. He subconsciously muted his watch before it could go off. They could go back in for Uraraka, and while they were distracted, Bakugo could find his blanket. He could tear the place apart and find it for himself. He could have it.
"No, that's okay." Uraraka assured with a smile. "I'll manage without one. It was just nice to be able to look around today. I'm sure we'll be back here soon anyway."
Fuck. Bakugo's eyes lingered on the store. His blanket. He wanted to whine in frustration. His fingers twitched with need. It was in there, wasn't it? What if someone had bought it? The idea made him angry. No, they couldn't have. That was his blanket. He had touched it, and that meant it was his. His lips parted, he wanted to ask to go get it, but nothing came out.
"Yo, Kacchan! You've been real quiet ever since dinner." Kaminari jumped on Bakugo, hugging him tightly. Kaminari might just be more touch starved than Izuku.
Bakugo's body melted. He wanted affection, wanted the touch, but he couldn't. His ego got the best of him. "Fuck off." He shrugged Kaminari off. "I'm tired, and you guys take forever."
"Ah, I forgot it's past his bedtime." Hagakure joked.
"Shut up." Bakugo spat.
"Okay, okay." Uraraka hopped between them. She could sense there was some underlying tension in Bakugo's voice. "We're all tired, let's just get on the train and get home. Okay? No fighting."
Izuku took the opportunity to move closer to Bakugo, allowing their shoulders to brush together. Bakugo didn't fight it like he had Kaminari.
The way home felt far too long. It was just a few minutes before curfew when they entered the dorms and went their separate ways.
"Hey, Kacchan." Izuku followed Bakugo towards the kitchen.
"What, nerd." Bakugo pulled open the fridge and got a water bottle. He cracked it open and took a long sip from it. The coolness against his throat felt nice in comparison to the heat that still boiled in his chest.
"Would you like to hang out a little longer? I know it's already late, but I want to start my nest and I-"
Bakugo's hand warmed, making the plastic bottle squishy in his grasp. He scrunched up his nose in disgust and put the bottle on the counter. "I don't want anything to do with nesting."
Izuku stared at the bottle for a moment before refocusing on Bakugo. "No, of course not! You'd just be there to hang out with. You can do whatever you want, I'd just enjoy the company." Iziku explained quickly, under the impression he had pissed Bakugo off already.
"We just spent the entire day today." Bakugo screwed the cap backing the deformed bottle.
"I know, I just would like-"
"Midoriya, Bakugo." Todoroki approached the two calmly.
Izuku's eyes brightened. "Todoroki-kun." He greeted warmly.
"I didn't see you two after training." He stated, glancing at the bags in Izuku's hands. "Did you go out together?"
"Oh! Yeah, we went shopping." Izuku held up one of his bags. "That old mall recently got rebuilt, and they added an omegan section, so we all went to check it out. We would have invited you but..."
"I understand." Todoroki nodded. "Did you get anything good?" He silently noted that Bakugo didn't have any bags.
"Yep! There were so many nice nesting shops there." Izuku opened up one of the bags and looked inside. "I needed new things for my nest anyway, so it was convenient too. We all bought lots of stuff." Izuku began pulling out everything he had bought and showing it to the Alpha. He continued by going into deep detail about the good qualities each one had.
Bakugo leaned on the counter and watched the interaction. Even with all his frustration, there was something oddly endearing about watching Izuku talk so passionately to Todoroki and Todoroki listen so intently. That weird fluttering feeling filled his lower abdomen.
"Those are very nice." Todoroki praised once Izuku had finished. "I'm sure you'll make a good nest with them."
Izuku chirped at the praise. "Hopefully. I'm going to start on it tonight and see how it goes. I'm not sure I'll have all my instincts back yet to really make a good one."
"I'm sure it will be great." He was silent for a moment. "I was going to ask if you two would like to study for next week's exam together, but I don't wish to disturb your nesting, Midoriya." He turned his attention to Bakugo. Bagless Bakugo. "Bakugo, would you like to talk?"
Izuku found that wording odd.
Bakugo's expression soured. After a day like today? Like hell he wanted to talk. The damn bastard was probably going to throw some more heavy shit on him, and she could not handle that at the moment. He wasn't sure what he might do in this state. "No can do, Icy-hot. I'm helping Izuku with his nest."
Izuku's heart skipped a beat. "But you said-"
"We can talk tomorrow." Bakugo grabbed Izuku's arm and yanked him towards the elevator. He couldn't allow Izuku a moment more to say something.
The two stood awkwardly in the elevator. The air was thick with confusion, too many questions hung heavy between them.
Izuku swallowed, the lump in his throat refusing to dislodge itself. "So..." he whispered, testing the waters between them.
"No." Bakugo shot down whatever Izuku was going to say.
"What? But I haven't said anything yet?" Izuku gaped at him.
"Don't care." Bakugo leaned against the far wall and watched the numbers change as they moved. "My answer is no."
"That doesn't make sense." Izuku argued. "I was going to ask why you changed your mind? You can't just answer that with 'no.'" Izuku ignored Bakugo's attempt to kill their conversation.
"'Cause I can." Bakugo retorted, tapping his foot aggressively on the metal floor. Why did this elevator have to be so stupidly slow?
"But you don't usually do that." Izuku insisted.
"So? I can, alright? And I did." Bakugo pushed off the wall and stood in front of the doors. Any second now.
"Come on, Kacchan. You're acting weird. I don't like to push you, but I'm worried." Izuku grabbed Bakugo’s shoulder.
There were a million solutions to this simple problem. Bakugo could have done anything, said anything, and Izuku probably would have backed off just like that, but his mind blanked out. The touch was so soft, and his head was so stuffy. His brain fried, new instincts overriding the systems. "I want to see your nest." He blurted out
What? No! That wasn't what he meant to say!
"I mean... I want to see how you make a nest."
No! That wasn't what this was about at all! Why was his mouth saying such things? He didn't care about nesting. He never did and he never would. He was using this as an excuse to hide from Todoroki, not to learn how to make a nest.
Bakugo swallowed. Surely he couldn't possibly be interested in nesting. His mind trailed off to the blanket from the shop. It couldn't be.
Izuku was equally as frazzled by the outburst. Kacchan wanted to watch him nest? No better yet, Kacchan wanted to learn how to nest, and he wanted Izuku to show him? Izuku's whole body raged with warmth. "Y-you..." the words stuck to his tongue.
The elevator doors opened.
"Whatever." Bakugo scrambled out of the confined space and down the hall. He grabbed Izuku's doorknob and violently shook it.
Izuku chased after him, just barely saving his door from being blown down.
The two awkwardly entered the familiar dorm.
Bakugo hastily took up residency in Izuku’s desk chair with his back turned. He wanted as much space between them as possible right now.
Izuku watched from the doorway for a moment, then shut the door. He dropped his bags of nesting material and sat down on the floor. The room was quiet, neither of them quite sure how to address the situation. Izuku took to sorting his items instead.
Bakugo listened to the rummaging, an avid curiosity bubbling up in his gut. What was Izuku doing? He couldn't resist the desire to know. Discreetly, he turned his attention to Izuku and watched as he sorted through the pillows. "Why are you doing that?"
"Wha-chan." Izuku jumped, having been zoned in and not expecting the sudden question. He glanced between Bakugo and the pillows. "You mean, sorting it so I can see what I'm working with." He shifted, moving to the left so that Bakugo could get a better view of his system. "Small pillows," He pointed to the smaller pile, "work better in the nest, while the big pillows work great for foundations."
"Uh huh." Bakugo spun around in the desk chair. "How do you know that? How can you tell which ones are good and which ones are bad?"
"Well, all of these are good." Deku picked up one of the pillows and looked it over. "I wouldn't have picked them if they were bad." He assured, setting the pillow in the right pile with the larger ones. "But that's mostly up to preference I think. Not every omega agrees on what is and isn't a good material for nesting. That's why there are so many kinds."
"You think?" Bakugo frowned at the explanation. "Isn't there like a system or something you go off of?"
"Nope, no system. It's different omega to omega. It's all just up to the feeling." Izuku's eyes drifted up to meet Bakugo's focused stare.
"The feeling?" Bakugo questioned, his eyes burning with confusion. He was trying desperately to understand something, anything, about this, but it all felt too foreign.
"Yeah, the feeling. It just feels right."
Bakugo's jaw tightened with frustration. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" His voice was gruff.
Izuku shrugged, unphased by the sharpness of his tone. "It's just a feeling. I can't explain it to you. It's just a really nice feeling. You know?"
The words felt targeted as the hit Bakugo. His mind raced back to the blanket. That teal green oh so soft blanket. Fuck. It felt right. Was that the feeling Izuku was referring to? That really good rush of endorphins. The way his head spun and his body felt light. They way everything just felt good? "That's fucking stupid."
"Maybe." Izuku pushed himself up and approached his closet. "Lots of things in life are based on feelings." He fug through the blankets that were stored away for winter. "Nesting just happens to be one of them."
"Exactly why nesting is stupid." Bakugo crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair; it squeaked upon the added pressure.
"If you say so, Kacchan." Izuku by now knew Bakugo well enough to not be fooled by such statements. He had learnt over the years that Bakugo had the tendency to say things he didn't mean as an attempt to protect his own wounds. This was one of those times. If Bakugo truly thought such a thing, then he wouldn't be asking questions and acting interested.
"It is." Bakugo insisted, trying to prove himself. "Who wants to waste time and effort moving blankets and pillows around because of a feeling?"
"Hm, about a third of the population." Izuku retorted, dropping the blankets on the floor in a new pile.
Bakugo's lip twitched at the remark. "Stupid."
"Mhm.", izuku absently hummed in agreement as he sorted through everything
"Why are you doing that? Didn't you already have them sorted?" Bakugo watched Izuku push the items apart further, filling the empty space on the floor.
"I'm sorting them based on their textures."
"But you just sorted them based on their size?"
"Yeah, now I'm double sorting them. I want the firmer big ones for the bottom, they make a good thick base, and the softer ones for the walls."
"So there is some sort of logic behind it?"
"I guess there can be if you want it. This is just how I personally like it, I'm not sure if it's like that for every omega out there."
"You take notes on everything, and you're telling me you don't have any on nesting?"
"In theory I do, it's just not exactly what you're asking for." Izuku paused his process to crawl over to his desk. He pulled open the draw on Bakugo's right and picked through the dozens of notebooks labeled inside. "There it is." He plucked the one titled 'omegas.' "Here." He sat the book on Bakugo's lap. "It's all the observations I've made of multiple omega's, plus a lot of medical statistics. I don't have much on nesting since I haven't seen many other nests."
Bakugo traced his hand over the cover of the notebook. It was old, he could tell. It still had Izuku's old handwriting scribbled across the front, back before the war damaged his hands and made them shake when he wrote. He flipped open the cover, not at all surprised by the very detailed first page.
Izuku crawled back to his mess and continued fixing everything for the next stage. "It hasn't been updated in years, so some of the information is probably wrong now. I'll have to redo it when I get the time." He scooped up two of the thickest comforters and squeezed behind Bakugo to the corner of the room by his desk.
"This is really a stupid pastime." Bakugo continued glancing through the pages. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was secretly looking for anything on himself.
"There are worse things I could waste my time on." Izuku dropped the blankets to the floor and began to smooth them out. He tucked their corners and folded some sides to give it a janky circle-like figure.
Bakugo gazed over each page until he hit the back cover. Nothing. "Surprised you don't have shit in here about me for once." He casually stated, forcing the edge of his voice away.
"Why would you be in there?" Izuku asked genuinely. "You've never really portrayed omegan traits." Izuku layered the next comforter on top, adding plush to the base. "You're the only exception to the statistics that I've ever seen. I didn't feel the need to add anything of it." Izuku excused, but in reality it was heavily written about in a different notebook, one of the multiple ones labeled 'Kacchan' that he had hidden away. Did that make him sort of a stalker? Maybe, but what Bakugo didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Besides, I started that book in middle school. No one else knew you were an omega but me. If I had written about you in there, someone might have found out."
Bakugo's throat tightened and his mouth went dry. He gulped, attempting to remove the thick knot that had formed. He hated remembering their younger days, and right now it seemed like a touchier than usual topic. Izuku had thought of his well-being so much back then, and Bakugo had been the worst. He sat the book down. "Whatever." He leaned forward, crossing his arms and pressing his elbows into his thighs. "What are you doing?"
"Making my foundation." Izuku pushed the excess blanket against the wall for extra padding. "I like my nests on the floor, but it can make them really uncomfortable if you don't give them a proper bottom. You don't have to put them on the floor, they can really go anyway. Some even make them in or under things like beds."
"Why don't you use a cot or futon?"
"I've tried before, but they don't feel right." Izuku stood to grab more supplies.
"You and these goddamn feelings." Bakugo huffed. "Is that really all it is?"
"Pretty much." Izuku hummed, returning to his spot. He started stacking the pillows up around the sides like brick walls.
"Now what are you doing?"
"Making the walls. They are like guards. Omega's use nests as a safe space, and the walls help by adding that extra barrier between them and the world. Some make their walls super high, but I prefer mine lower."
"Because of a feeling?"
"Because of a feeling."
"Course." Bakugo rolled his eyes.
Izuku smiled, holding back a laugh. He found it endearing that Bakugo was interested in this and asking questions. He also found it captivating that Bakugo trusted him enough to see this side.
"The walls don't have to go any certain way. You don't even have to have walls if you really don't want them." Izuku happily built his little oval-shaped nest.
"Why wouldn't someone make walls? Then it's just a bunch of blankets on the floor."
"Well, some omega's might not have enough supplies to make full nests, some may have quirks or health problems that make it hard to get in and out of a walled nest, and some may just like the open space better." Izuku stretched out to grab the last thick blanket he had. He draped it over all the build up, creating a plush shell over his hard work.
"What's the point of that? You just spent all that time building everything just to cover it up?"
"I like it more solid, like a mattress. It feels better this way and holds up better." Izuku tediously tucked the remaining fabric into the crevasses between the wall and the pillows. He sat back one finished and observed his work.
"Is it done?" Bakugo questioned.
"Not yet. Can you hand me that last pile of pillows? The tiny ones are good for in the nest. Usually I'd have some plushies in there too, but I think those are at mom's. I thought I had them tucked away here, but I guess not. I'll have to stop by or head back to those shops sometime before we start having heats again."
"Sure." He rolled the chair towards the pillows. His arm extended, intending to grab the nearest pillow, but he hesitated. Would he have another reaction like earlier? Surely not, right? He had already touched all of these pillows and been fine, but the mere possibility had him stalled. What would happen if he had a reaction to one of them? Would Izuku make fun of him? Or worse, would Izuku get upset? These were his pillows. Bakugo couldn't just try to claim them because of a stupid 'feeling'.
"Kacchan?"
Bakugo swiped up the first pillow and tossed it at Izuku. "Take your damn pillows." He huffed, relieved when that strong sensation hadn't washed over him.
Silence.
"That feeling you said earlier..."
"Yeah?"
"What does it feel like?" Bakugo tossed two more pillows at Izuku, watching as he swiftly added them to the nest.
Izuku pondered how to answer the question. "That's hard to say. I'm not sure how it feels for everyone. It's usually intense depending on the situation, but it always feels good."
"Intense?" Bakugo studied Izuku's movements. He hadn't reacted intensely with any of these pillows or blankets.
"Yeah. Instincts are rough for both secondary genders. Things can get violent for both, though that's typically recorded in Alpha's rather than Omega's. I think that's just poor stereotyping. Plenty of omega's can be harsh."
"Uh huh." Bakugo tossed the last pillow to Izuku. That had definitely been aimed at him.
"So." Izuku plopped down in the center of his nest and opened his arms up to present it. "What ya think of it?"
"Huh?" Bakugo looked over the area. That was it? He thought it would be harder than that. "It's something " he acknowledged, taking in all the small details that had been woven in while he was distracted. "I'm surprised it's not completely All Might."
"Nah, that'd be weird." Izuku traced the wall of the nest with his index finger. It felt good to nest again. He forgot how relaxing it could be.
"That'd be weird?" Bakugo gave him a flat look. "But having your entire room All Might themed, isn't?"
"No! My room is great." Izuku pouted. "I worked hard for these collectibles, of course I'm going to show them off. And everything else just makes me happy having. Plus, you have just as much merch as me, you just hide all of it."
Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Having it is one thing, making an entire room of it is another." Bakugo watched Izuku sulk over the insult. "So what's the deal? Why not add something like that to the nest? What makes it weird?"
"I love All Might, he's really important to me, but having something of his or about him in my nest would be... embarrassing. When we were younger and first presented, sure, but now that we're adults it's just... eh... a feeling."
"Ugh I'm sick of these stupid feelings." Bakugo barked. "What the hell kind of feeling keeps you from having something in your nest? Don't omega's typically include things from others or that remind them of others? Why not have All Might if he's so important to you?" Bakugo was getting worked up.
"No, no." Izuku waved his arms in an 'X.' "It's completely normal for Omega's to include things from others in their nests, but everyone's different. I just don't feel comfortable having his stuff in my nest because of my heats. It'd be weird to smell or think of him while like... that." Izuku glanced away sheepishly. "It's not to say I'm against items like that, just from certain people."
"How do you know who to add and who to exclude?"
"You're going to hate me, but it's just a feeling. It's like... I'm not sure how to explain it. Like hm... like would you want to smell Auntie Mitsuki while in heat?"
"Like hell. I don't want to smell her anyway. Stupid alpha pheromones and shit." Bakugo faked a gag.
Izuku's lips curled up in an amused smile. "That's exactly how I feel about All Might stuff in my nest."
"Okay." That made sense at least. "What about ones you would put in your nest?"
"It's the opposite. People who you find comfort in. Like would you want to smell them while at your lowest?" Izuku explained.
"I couldn't smell at my lowest." Bakugo blankly replied.
Izuku's face turned to stone. Was Kacchan referring to his death, or to the present? "But who would you want to smell?" He chose to ignore the coldness that sunk in his gut. "Like, hypothetically, who would calm you most while in heat?"
"That's a stupid question." Bakugo crossed his arms over his chest, a physical barrier between him and the question. "Who would you?" He deflected.
"Ah..." Izuku squirmed. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because I do. Who's scent would you pick to have in your nest? Pink Cheeks?"
"What!" Izuku exclaimed in shock. "No, of course not! She's mated, a-and I wouldn't be comfortable around her while in heat. She's a great friend and all- but... i-"
"Then tell me who, or I'll keep guessing." Bakugo threatened.
"You're so mean sometimes, Kacchan." Izuku whined, covering his face. He took deep breaths, urging the flustered knot in his gut to disperse. "I'll tell you... but only if I get to ask you something in return. You have to answer it too." Izuku peaked through his fingers. "Fair?"
Bakugo clicked his tongue. Was it worth it? Realistically, no, but his omega wouldn't stop thrashing at the chains at the idea of knowing. It wanted to tear down the competition, to know who to destroy.
"I have... and, um... would put your belongings in my nest."
Bakugo froze. "Have?" He questioned. "How the hell-"
"Nope! One question, haha! I already answered, no take backs. Now! It's your turn." Sweat formed above Izuku's brow in a fit of nerves. He was not about to admit to asking Mitsuki for some of Bakugo’s old shirts when they were younger, nor was he about to admit to borrowing (stealing) one of his shirts during their first year.
Bakugo wasn't satisfied with that, but he chose to let it slide for the moment. "Fine, ask your stupid question."
Izuku paused to think. One question. If Bakugo was true to his word, and Izuku knew he would, then he held a huge opportunity on his tongue. He had to make sure it went to good use. "What happened earlier at the nesting shop?" The words spewed out like water from a busted pipe.
Bakugo's palms warmed, threatening both Izuku and his room; he quickly wiped the excess sweat from them, diffusing the explosion before it could occur. "Nothing."
Izuku's jaw fell open. nothing? Bakugo was lying right now? After saying he would answer truthfully? Now he needed to know what happened. "Come on, Kacchan. You said you would answer, and you never say things you don't mean. Right?"
"That's not true." Bakugo glanced away. "And I answered. Nothing. That's your answer."
"That's not the truth."
"So what?"
"Don't lie to me, Kacchan." Izuku's voice was stern, but it held a sadness in it that Bakugo hadn't heard in forever.
"Fine!" He growled. "I don't know, okay?" He exhaled sharply through his nose. "That stupid blanket. I don't know. I touched it and everything went to shit."
"Shit?"
"Yeah, shit! Like really fucked up shit! Then Hagakure had to go and scream like a lunatic over it." He ran a hand down his face, smearing away the tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes. "It was weird, okay? Happy?"
"No. What was weird about it?" Izuku was persistent.
"I don't fucking know, it just was." Bakugo chewed on his cheek. "It was so intense. Everything felt wrong except that damn blanket. It was like one moment I was completely in control of who I was and what I did, and the next I was nothing more than a puppet to that cloth."
"Did it feel like... like your instincts got the best of you?"
"I was trying not to say it like that." Bakugo groaned. "But whatever. Yeah. It felt good in the moment, sure, but afterwards I was just left feral. That's why I vanished.
Feral? Izuiu stared at him, examining his tense body language. "Do you still feel feral?"
"I don't know." Bakugo rubbed his temples a moment then looked deep into Izuku's green eyes. "Everything feels off." His expression grew exhausted, the facade of the day finally peeling away.
"Kacchan." Izuku's heart broke for the blonde. He'd already gone through so much, and now he was fighting his own body. "It's okay." He opened his arms, calling Bakugo to him.
Bakugo wanted to make a smart remark, but at this moment he couldn't think any up. He silently pushed the chair back and stumbled forwards into Izuku, tackling the boy into the nest.
Izuku laughed, squeezing Bakugo tightly to his chest. "It's been a while since we've done this." He remarked softly.
"It's been like a month." Bakugo replied, his voice muffled by Izuku's shirt.
"That's a long time." Izuku buried his face in Bakugo's hair. He could smell the sweet coconut shampoo from their shower, but still his scent was absent. "This is the first month since the war that we've missed our weekly sleepovers.:"
"That's not true." Bakugo propped his chin up on Izuku's chest. "You didn't let me near your dumbass for like the first three months."
Izuku lolled his head to the side. Good to know Bakugo would never let him live that down. "I was struggling. You know I wanted to see you more than anything, it was just..."
"Sure you did." Bakugo closed his eyes and relaxed. That didn't matter right now. In fact, nothing mattered right now. He could forget the world for the moment and just enjoy the company. "You made me have to run off to fucking Icyhot."
"I didn't make you do that. You're the one who chose him." Izuku countered, his hands sliding from Bakugo's upper back to his lower.
"Who else was I supposed to bother?" And cry too, but that was better left unsaid. He had already made Todoroki swear to never tell Izuku about their long 4 am chats where he cried to him about everything.
"Oh I don't know, maybe, Kirishima? Kaminari? Oh, maybe Mina, or Sero, o Jiro? You know, your friends?"
"Shut up." Bakugo pressed his palm to Izuku's mouth, effortlessly shutting him up. He shifted, moving to tuck his legs on either side of Izuku's thighs. The tight space proved difficult, and Bakugo accidentally kicked the wall of the nest. His pupils dilated, fear drenching him. "Shit, did i-" he panicked, looking at the spot he kicked.
Izuku couldn't contain his laughter.
"Hey, it's not funny!" Bakugo tried to look pissed off, but Izuku's laugh had his lips turning into more of a smile than a snarl. "You're a bastard." He growled out, shoving Izuku's head further into the blankets.
"I don't think I've ever seen you so scared." Izuku gasped for breath, weakly fighting back as he was forced away.
"I don't know how nests work!" Bakugo exclaimed, pushing Izuku's head down harder. "I can't stand it when you start bawling your eyes out, and I especially can't deal with that tonight, so I had every right to look panicked."
"Sure, panicked.: Izuku kept giggling. "Whatever you say, Kacchan." He shoved Bakugo off of him, finally fighting back.
Bakugo flailed, collapsing over Izuku's body, his back awkwardly sprawled across his legs. "You're such an asshole." He huffed, staring at the ceiling.
"Wow," Izuku kicked Bakugo off and sat up. "That's real rich coming from you."
"Yeah, yeah. Number one Jerk, trust me I know." Bakugo squirmed, positioning himself to face Izuku again and- Oh. Wow. This nest, Izuku's nest, was actually really comfortable when you properly laid in it. Fuck. Okay, maybe... Just maybe... this one time at least, Bakugo would say that perhaps nests weren't as stupid as he thought. Not if they were all this comfortable. "Your nest... it's nice." Bakugo closed his eyes, pressing his face into the blankets.
The praise shot through Izuku like lightning. He toppled down next to Bakugo, his arm lazily draping over the blonde's chest. "Thanks, Kacchan." He whispered, burying his face in the nest.
The two laid in absolute silence. Time passed slowly.
"How late is it?" Bakugo asked, breaking the peace.
"Probably pretty late." Izuku wiggled around, feeling for his phone.
"They're on the desk." Bakugo remembered dropping them there when they entered.
"Oh." Izuku stilled for a moment. "I'll check." He carefully maneuvered his way out of the nest.
"Can't you just look at the clock?" Bakugo asked, his head falling to the side
"I don't have it plugged in." Izuku staggered forwards, bumping into his desk. He reached for his phone and picked it up. The power button did nothing. "Oh, my phones dead." He turned to get his charger and plug his phone in.
"So check mine, dumbass." Bakugo yawned. "I don't waste my battery looking up everything that comes to mind like you."
"Rude." Izuku sat his phone down on his bed and walked back to the desk. He turned on Bakugo's phone, which was indeed charged, and stared down at the lock screen. It was a picture of him, Bakugo, and Todoroki from after the war. The picture however, wasn't what caught his attention. It was the message. The message from Todoroki that read 'Goodnight Katsuki. Let's talk tomorrow.'
"Well? What time is it? Can't you read?" Bakugo opened one eye to look at Izuku.
"Oh! Yeah. It's ten forty-seven." Izuku sat the phone down.
"Great." Bakugo groaned, pushing his face into a pillow. It was way past his bedtime.
"You can stay here if you want." Izuku glided over to the switch and turned off the lights. Maybe he could urge Bakugo into staying if he made him tired enough.
"Planned on it." Bakugo admitted shifting to look at izuku through the darkness. "Have our little 'sleepover' as you call them. Just like we're little kids."
"Hey, I think we deserve to act like kids once in a while." Izuku carefully moved towards the bed. He wasn't as good at moving in the dark as Bakugo was. He kicked the side of the nest then bent down and felt around. So this was the wall, then he was-
"Get in here already." Bakugo grabbed Izuku's collar and yanked him into the nest.
Izuku gracelessly flopped down onto Bakugo with a groan. "Do you have to be so forceful?"
"Yeah, it's part of my charm." Bakugo squeezed Izuku tightly. "Now go to sleep. You said you were tired earlier."
Izuku melted against Bakugo. "I am." He yawned, exhaustion washing through him. "Today was a lot."
"You said that right." Bakugo inhaled deeply.
The room was silent.
"Hey, Kacchan?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you still have nightmares?"
"That's a stupid question."
"Yeah." Izuku knew it was. Of course Bakugo still had nightmares, they all did.
"Hey Kacchan?"
"What, nerd?" Bakugo groaned
"I'm really glad you're alive." Izuku pressed his face into Bakugo's chest. He could feel the steady thumping against his cheek.
Bakugo shuddered at the comment. "Yeah, yeah, now go to bed. Stop thinking that sort of shit."
Silence.
"One more thing."
Bakugo huffed. "What."
Izuku opened and closed his mouth, debating his response. "Never mind." His fingers dug into Bakugo's shirt.
"You're gonna piss me off, Izuku." Bakugo warned, his left arm wrapping firmly around Izuku's waist.
"Sorry."
The room grew silent again.
"Are you still awake?" Izuku whispered minutes later.
"What." Bakugo growled, his limit being pushed.
"Can you purr again? Like you did earlier?" Izuku whispered as though someone may have heard them.
"No. Now go to sleep before I leave."
"Okay, okay." Izuku didn't want Kacchan to leave. Having him in his nest like this just felt right, and he wasn't ready to give that up. "Goodnight, Kacchan."
"Goodnight, Izuku."
Izuku's eyes slid shut. Sleep tugged at his brain while the steady thumping rhythm of Bakugo’s heart lulled him off to slumber.