Chapter 11
Touched Starved Alpha
Katsuki’s head pounded as he woke the following morning, his eyes squoze shut despite how dark the room was. Even though only the tiniest amount of light came from the window, a last minute - early morning- engineering feat accomplished with push pins and a couple blankets. Even before the sun graced the sky- his fingers struggled to hang the fabric, and his brain was already hurting- the blond knew that today was going to be the worst.
Katsuki shifted in bed despite the ache it caused, his hand slapping hard against the night stand as he grabbed his phone.The pulse that pounded behind his eyelids the moment he tried to open them again only confirmed the hangover that was raging deep inside him. He hated how he was such a lightweight; his tolerance never built to anything significant over the year, but that was probably a result of rarely consuming libations inn general.
Mumbled curses slipped past his lips at the ungodly light that spotlighted his face, resulting in the alpha gritting his teeth and slamming the offending device back down on his night stand. He groaned as he tried to blink his dry eyes awake, spots showcasing his vision. With muscle memory, he quickly turned down his phones brightness, the relief of achieving that much in his hangover spiring up some pride- though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone that he was a whiny bitch when hung over.
He swipped through his phone and clicked on his work app that was disguised as a calculator. He put in his password on the calculator face and watched as the screen turned black before reloading to the home page of his work account. With lazy fingers and tired eyes, Katsuki scrolled absently through the updates for a few minutes. He grunted happily when none of the updates concerned him in the undercover app. He closed his phone- the app automatically closing- as he rolled onto his back and ignored all the messages from his friend group. He didn’t want to hear the second hand information that they would have received from Denki. That idiot was drunk and there was no possible way he could have understood any context last night.
Katsuki rolled his eyes as he remembered the drunken yelling of ‘information’ the electric hero did as Kirishima tried to walk his limp ass out of the bar. It was only a matter of time before Mina would be hounding him for more details since Denki did little to describe what realistically happened last night. Him and Shinso were not anything but coworkers. Sure, the two had talked and sat next to one another, and he somehow found the two of them leaning into one another as they slowly fell asleep.
That was nothing more than what Katsuki would do with any of his friends- well, besides the whole waking up with his head on the other alpha’s lap, arms wrapped tightly around his thighs. Nor the fingers that were spade through his hair with a tight grip and the roots. The other hand laying lightly on his upper chest as if Shinso was keeping watch over the blond before falling asleep himself- so why was it such a big deal?
A ding from his phone echoed through the darkened room, the sound hammering into the alpha’s head like a chainsaw. It was already late afternoon, his regular schedule all screwed up, no thanks to the night shifts that his mission required. Though he tried on many occasions to try and keep his normal routine, it didn’t work in his favor. Hence why he was okay with drinking on a Sunday night with his crazy friends.
Yet, it seemed that his attempts at bypassing the morning’s expectations seemed to be in vain as he recognized the false ID that flashed on the screen. Every undercover hero was responsible for memorizing all the numbers of the agency they worked for. This was 1 of 6 that was on constant rotation when contacting heroes directly.
Akita:
Mikasa said that we were going to meet up at 6 today instead of 8. Are you coming?
Katsuki sighed at the message, sending back an affirmative. When he first started in this field, it irritated him that communications were like this. It was weird and insanely annoying. Yet, the blond soon came to appreciate this system when one of the top ranking heroes at Aizawa’s agency went missing. The team assigned to look for him learned too late that the hero’s phone was hacked into. It was only because of the messaging system in place that the villains weren’t able to get much info from it.
Akita:
Kay, see you at the place we had lunch at last week.
Katsuki sent back a thumbs up emoji before heavily rolling out of bed. It was already 3pm and the train would take 30 minutes to get to this week's meeting location. The alpha stretched, his arms raising above his head with the tips of his fingers touching together. A few pops and grunts later and the alpha was slowly walking to the bathroom.
He cursed his body for not being able to adapt to his new schedule as quickly as he wanted. It had already been a few weeks and he was still fighting himself when trying to fall asleep or stay up. He had always been good at keeping a schedule throughout all his childhood and into high school, but that was biting him in the ass now.
He wished that he could go back and warn himself about the crazy schedules and shift changes that the new structure for heroism would have. Trying to endure continuous back and forths was excruciating when trying to climb the ranks as quickly as possible.
Even the ranking system became harder to navigate then he ever thought it would be. Before the war that happened his third year at UA- which resulted in many heroes losing their lives- climbing in the ranks was a bitch. Yet, the undercover ranks that he was in were a totally different beast. It wasn’t about citizen approval in this field, rather about the rate of success on a mission.
Hell, even the time frames for resyncing the ranks was longer than before. Jumping more than a few spots wasn’t as feasible when long missions were the majority of cases offered in this division. Katsuki’s last undercover job took 10 months to complete- that began when he was given the assignment to infiltrated into the group, but that didn’t include preparing himself and learning everything about the secretive group. Earning enough trust to even get close to the leader took 2 months with multiple people helping him. That left Katsuki with one mission completed for his first year as an undercover hero.
It was slow moving, requiring a lot of energy and patience for him to move from his spot at 337 to 194 in the first 4 years of his profession.
Part of him hated that the revaluations were only once a year, but that allowed him to prove that he actually cared about being a hero and that it wasn’t about the money and fame. Undercover heroes were paid handsomely after the first year, but those first few months were hell on earth. Many heroes dropped out before the 6 month mark, so it was a gratifying feeling to see how easy it was for him to still have the desire to be a hero, thought he pay increase was much appreciated for his efforts.
The shower water rained down onto the alpha’s shoulders, the room left dark as the he tried to adjust to the hangover. The heat helped ease the migraine at the back of his head and seeped into his achy muscles and relaxed them one by one. For a moment he wondered how Shinso was feeling. That alpha had drunk 2 bottles of sake by himself, the result must be just as bad as the blond’s are. He vaguely remembered Sero helping the purple haired alpha into his car before driving off. The drowsy look on Shinso's face, as he was lugged around and moved like a rag doll, was-
Katsuki froze, his mind reeling back from the word that he was about to say. No! He didn’t think Shinso was … cute… they were both alphas. He didn’t think about other alphas like that. No, alphas should be viewed as strong and tough, not something that an omega would be described as.
Katsuki shook his head, pushing harshly through his hair with both hands. There was no way that he, an alpha, would ever describe someone like Shinso as cute. That mind freak was nothing but a skinny and small version of an apex predator compared to himself. Sure he was dominant in his words rather than his physical stature, and he seemed to handle anyone bigger than him -with or without his quirk- just fine. He was serious all the time and reliable in ways that Katsuki wished he could be sometimes.
Didn’t Denki once say that he had taken multiple classes to strengthen and train his body since his quirk was only mental? Ya, he said that Shinso took martial arts, weapons training and multiple military courses from different countries. Hell, if he remembered correctly Shinso even took gymnastics and dance lessons to improve his form and to learn how to ‘fall correctly’- whatever that means.
The blond alpha nodded his head as he grabbed the bar of soap that sat in its little scrub sock. The material was slightly rough as he rubbed it against his skin to exfoliate his pores. The sensation was a pleasant welcome to the heat that radiated from the water and the clouds of steam that billowed above him.
Katsuki sighed as he realized his mental rant turned into a compliment hype spree. Kirishima was always so open when it came to stuff like this, himself? Not so much. Eijirou never allowed these types of thoughts to bring him down, didn’t let anything negative reflect onto himself. He was always so positive when talking about how he liked another alpha back in UA. He always expressed how Mina was the perfect alpha no matter who was around. Always wore his heart on his sleeve, but all the insults and slurs rolled right off him.
Katsuki never felt like the red headed alpha was discrediting himself or putting himself lower than his girlfriend when he would talk like that. Rather it felt like the two were always equals in this world. Neither of them wanted to dominate over the other in a relationship. Kirishima was truly a wonderful person, always considerate and never allowed anyone to talk down on Mina because of the dynamics of their relationship.
As Katsuki climbed from the shower, his body surrounded by mist and steam, he tried his best to clear his mind. A low laugh left his lungs as he realized the train of thought he was on. Why was he thinking like this? It wasn’t like he saw himself getting into a relationship anytime soon, especially with another alpha. That wasn’t where his life was heading.
He didn’t want the stress that would come to the people he loved because of his work. There was a reason most undercover heroes never had a family, because the risk since the war had only increased. No one wanted that kind of heartbreak to be placed on themselves or a possible lover when a villian got involved.
As he wiped the water from the mirror, his shadowed reflection stared back at him like it always had. The dim light from the night light on the wall allowed the dark rings under his eyes and the scruff on his face to stand out. This appearance wasn’t something his younger self would have ever thought would be the incarnation of a hero- though he should of with how homeless Aizawa looked during class.
Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to care enough to shave this morning- or should he say afternoon. It wasn’t like there was a requirement for him to shave anyways. He ran his hand over the coarse hair, the tips not as sharp as they were when first growing out. It was almost soft at this length, the almost champagne colored hair looking better as each day passed. Katsuki didn’t mind the look, in fact he might like the way he looked with facial hair rather than a clean shave. He would have to see how it held up after some use with his quirk. He didn’t want to be known as the guy with bald spots.
Ever since Katsuki accepted his offer to a hero agency, he had been subjected to the awful reality that was rush hour. The afternoon air was thick and hot as people flowed through the streets of the busy city. The tram was always crammed full, leaving little breathing room for one, the one thing that made it worste was the summer heat that cause every person to leave the tin can sticky with a layer of someone elses sweat. . The only thing the alpha was able to do -if this consisted of doing anything- was to stare out the window and try to disassociate.
When he was younger he envisioned owning a fancy sports car, earning buckets of money with his hero rank at number one. But that wasn’t how it worked anymore. Sure, he made enough money with the rank he was at, able to afford a decent apartment and a food service that actually provided healthy and fresh vegetables. He didn’t have to worry about paying his bills anymore, and could afford the cleaning service the building offered. That in itself was considered a successful life for many people in this city. Not having to worry about money was a luxury.
Despite the aweful transportation, Katsuki was content with his life. He rarely desired anything more than what he had. The outlier though was- and still is- his desire to become the number 1.
Though, even that wasn’t what it used to be. He still wanted to be the symbol of peace, providing the protection give hope for a better future. But that position was no longer out in direct eye sight of civilians.
After the war, the spot that All Might left empty couldn’t be filled to the same standard. The only person that has ever come close to that was LaMillion. He has been the only hero to successfully pull off both undercover and direct hero work off- mainly becasue of his main quirk, and the hand basket he was given by All Might- though he too seems to struggle with the weight of the role…
Katsuki still to this day, has a part of himself that envies the blue eyed hero. He was truly the second All Might in a world that was broken and needed hope, and LaMillion was perfect at doing just that. Maybe Katsuki could be something else for the people, a new symbol in this new world of heroes vs villains.
Bakugo stumbled as the train slowed to the next stop. He wished that he could just use his quirk to get to their meeting spot, but that was a no go when working in the underground. He had to stay as inconspicuous as possible, no matter where or what he was doing. It wasn’t just his job on the line, but also many lives. He couldn’t slip up and expose himself in any way- that would give villains more they could use agaisnt him.
The train halted, Bakugo’s body leaning to the side as he held onto the ring that was attached to the ceiling. The space around him grew as people exited the train, the alpha sighing in relief as he pulled out his phone to try and pass the time. The bubble around him closed again as more people boarded, the alarm dinged in warning that the doors were about to close.
“How’s your head?” A voice asked him. Bakugo blinked, his attention jumping to the new body that was standing directly in front of him. He had assumed it was for someone else, but as his eyes locked with tired purple he knew that it wasn’t.
“Fine.” Katsuki replied, shoving his phone back into his pant pocket. “I don’t get stupid hung overs.”
Shinso nodded, pulling his black mask down under his chin. A huff of a laugh left him as the two swayed back with the movement of the tram. “That’s impressive. I was sure that we both had drunk too much with the cuddling we ended up doing.” A hint of a smile formed at the tips of Shinso’s mouth. His eyes not leaving Katsuki’s once during their exchange.
“Listen,” Katsuki exhaled, looking down at the shorter alpha that seemed to be more willing to taunt him today than he ever gave interest in doing before. “If you didn’t like it, you should have fucking left. It's not my fault that you cuddled with me.” The blond shrugged, his eyes breaking their gaze as he glanced out the window.
They had 3 more stops before they would need to get off.
“Oh?” Shinso didn’t seem at all affected by the blond alpha’s statement. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I may not look like an alpha that likes to cuddle, but let me assure you; I love cuddles and hugs.”
Bakugo raised a brow at that, his eyes drawn to the purple that wouldn’t stop staring at him. Did Shinso really just openly admit to liking physical affection- with him? This couldn’t be the same guy that he knew a few weeks ago. This man must be an imposter with how comfortable he has become around hero partner .
The blond just looked back at him with a confused look, his mind blank on how he was supposed to reply to something like that. “Okay.” he breathed, his face contorting more in confusion when Shinso only smirked back in return.
The train slowed again, the door dinging as it opened at the next stop. People bustled and pushed around them, Katsuki holding strong against the sea of people as the purple haired alpha kept looking at him with an amused look. When the influx of passengers began it was almost impossible to keep the same amount of space between the two as people squeezed their way onto the tram.
Shinso’s smirk fell as he was pushed harshly by a passenger behind him, his balance thrown off as he stumbled over his feet. Katsuki watched with wide eyes as the alpha stumbled right into his broad chest, the impact hard as people kept pushing to try and find room. Katsuki moved his hand to the other ring as he was pushed backwards, wrapping an arm around Shinso habitually to try and stabilize them both. The warning beeps not caring about the chaos as they indicated the doors were about to close, thankfully resulting in the pushing stopped coming to a stop.
Shinso lifted his head, trying desperately to shuffle to find more space to put between him and his hero partner, but it was futile in the end. Their only hope was that more people got off fast than how many would replace them at the next stop.
Katsuki huffed as he looked out over the heads of people, his height doing him far better than Shinso- though that stupid hair stuck up into a fluffy mess that obscured part of his view- as he was able to at least feel like he wasn’t entirely swallowed. Shinso cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the close proximity. He shifted and Katsuki realized he still had his arm wrapped around the alpha.
Katsuki smirked, his eyes meeting the other alpha’s. “What? I thought you liked to cuddle.” The blond teased his head dropping down slightly so only the two could hear him. He watched with satisfaction as his partner eyes grew large before setting a glare up at him. Shinso was only a few inches shorter, but it was enough for Katsuki to feel powerful in this predicament- an idea forming.
Katsuki leaned closer, his cheek barely grazing against Shinso’s, “I can hold you tighter if you want.” He breathed out, making sure to make each word breathy as he whispered into Shinso’s ear. Katsuki smiled as he held the position, waiting for the inevitable shove or growl of warning that would come his way.
What he was not expecting was for Shinso to shift closer to him, their chest now pressed together and moving in sync as they swayed with the movement of the train. Katsuki pulled his face away slightly, shocked at the action. Shinso had his head to the side, his gaze glaring over Katsuki’s shoulder at what the blond could only assume was nothing. The tiny hint of pink that adorned the alpha’s pale cheeks brought more of a surprise to Katsuki. Until he noticed how Shinso’s pupils were beginning to dialate, the sight encouraged a smirk to rise back on the blond alpha’s face.
Katsuki tightened his hold around the alpha, a weird amount of pride forming in his chest as he recognized the soft spot that he found with his partner. It made sense that the mind freak would act this way. He had always a loner- not like Katsuki, who chose to isolate himself. Shinso didn’t have that choice since people feared his quirk, and thus avoided him- even in the hero course.
Katsuki remembered how the alpha was always set apart from everyone else. Even when he dated that mushroom girl in class B- though it only lasted a few months- they never showed any PDA.
Shinso must be touch deprived. It seemed almost strange how quick Shinso was to accept any physical attention from him. Hell, they were only partners in a case that has just begun.
Katsuki peaked out of the corner of his eye at Shinso. The purple haired alpha had relaxed a little in his hold, his chin now resting on the blond’s shoulder with his eyes closed. The embrace seemed to give him some kind of need that he hadn’t been allowed to have before. The slight rumble in Shinso’s chest only proved how much he appreciated the affection.
Katsuki closed his eyes as well. Suprisingly happy that they had formed some kind of connection with one another. He could feel that familiar part himself that began to fume with what was happening right now, but the blond didn’t really care. Over the years of hero work, Katsuki had struggled to learn that it was okay to show a little bit of emotion around his friends. He had tried to do similar things with Denki and Mina over the years, but this was weirdly much easier.
He remembered how Mina in particular- when Eijirou was gone for a few months during a mission- would struggle without her mate. She was living alone for the first time after graduation, her and Eijirou having moved in together to save money. Her scent had slowly changed into a dull version of her usual almond pheromones. Katsuki had noticed her temper also became more sharp and impatient. Her usual demeanor suffered from the war like most heroes, the trama raging hot within her. And the blond alpha struggled to help her.
Katsuki knew what was happening, they were taught about it in school. Pheromone withdrawal was intense, especially when it was with a life partner. Teens went through it when they would ‘leave the nest’, their parents scentings becoming far in between as they moved out on their own. Society was well aware of the reasons behind the crazy emotions and loss of control that the adolescents had. How their scent would spike randomly and their demeanor was never predictable. It was a normal part of maturing. That age range given more patience and leinance as they went through their withdrawal.
Yet, that wasn’t given to adults that were going through the same thing. It was rare in see it with older individuals, but Katsuki could read the signs. He forced their little pack to have a movie nights. Putting on chick-flicks because he knew that Denki would become an emotional mess and demand a cuddle puddle.
And as predicted each and every time, it only took 30 minutes before the entire group was squished on the overly large bing bag in Hanta’s living room. Limbs tangled and the occasional sniffle and crunch of popcorn accompanied the overly emotional music of the movie. Mina’s demeanor seemed to adjust slowly back to what they were used to be, though it wasn’t until Eijirou returned that her scent became more overpowering like it had always been.
Maybe Shinso was going through something similar. It was hard living alone as an alpha. It was hard to find physical affection, that cup only getting filled through one night stands without a pack. Did Shinso have the same ability to get that cup filled with the shifts that he took? Katsuki couldn’t remember him ever being with a group. He was always taking extra shifts, obviously never taking time for himself. Did he have anyone to support him?
Is that what the two were now? Friends? Pack? Or something else?
Bakugo let out a heavy breath, his head bowing more without his awareness. Katsuki allowed those words to roll around in his head. It didn’t sound bad, and with the amount of time that they were now spending together, it only made sense that they would form a closer connection. Maybe Katsuki could be that friend for the purple haired alpha, at least until their mission was over. Then maybe… he could join the pack?
“We need to go over some things that were discovered recently.” Aizawa spoke, his tone low with what sounded like impending doom. He took a large gulp from his tin mug, the smell of coffee permeating through the room. The two young alphas sat at a table in a private room across from their boss. Their meeting location for the week was in a library. A soundproof meeting room had been reserved for them on the top floor that was meant for group studying for the University that was nearby.
Bakugo nodded as he forced his attention on Aizawa. It was surprisingly hard to do so. The moment that Shinso had pulled away on the tram so they could get out on their stop, a weird feeling spread through Katsuki’s chest. It was strange, something he hadn’t felt before. It would randomly be a little painful too, like he was aching for something that he knew he wouldn’t get back.
“We weren’t able to get a meeting with Deku’s master, only one of his lackeys.” Aizawa explained, his eyes hooded as he grabbed a tablet from the backpack he had brought. “His name is “Hari Kurono”, he is a beta. When we searched him in our database, we found that he was part of an organization that Sir Nighteye’s agency was investigating. Nothing ever came of the investigation since the war started shortly after.``
Aizawa tapped away at his tablet, his eyebrows furrowing as he concentrated for a moment. He laid the device down and slid it across the small table to them, the blury image of the said man on screen, a short list personal intel next to the picture.
“From what you two have been able to discover, we are almost certain that he is still in association with this organization despite the war.” Aizawa continued on. “The masks, the lack of evidence of their leader and the use of rather unpleasant means to gain money only confirms my hunch.”
Aizawa leaned forward, hand splaying across the table as he swiped the screen to show another man, the one they were trying to track down. The man pictured had short brown hair, a large death mask on his face that emphasized his golden eyes. His style was shit in Katsuki’s opinion. The fur coat and gloves made him look like he was ready for a snow storm.
“As you know, this is Overhaul. Sir Nighteye was able to confirm that he was the leader of the organization his agency was investigating. You two may not know about this since you were still in school and it’s under need-to-know information, but this man is responsible for the quirk erasing drug that villians used during the war.” Aizawa said with a tight voice.
Katsuki’s eyes widened in shock. So many heroes died because of that drug, no one had expected it. By the time the Heroes Commission figured out what was happening, it was already too late for so many. Even citizens were caught in the crossfire of this drug. It was terrifying and absolutely devastating for the county as a whole.
“I need you two to confirm if Overhaul is the one running that ring. His lackey may be there, but that doesn’t confirm my suspicions. We cannot do this rade without knowing if Overhaul is involved, he is not someone we can take likely. He is the worst kind of wild card.” The older hero glared down at the photo for a moment, his scent leaking out a bit with a sour tone as he got lost in some memory.
Katsuki noticed that his partner was also looking lost in thought. His head was tilted down with his hands fisting his pants, the overall atmosphere thick with anger and dread. The blond paused for a moment, looking back to the photo of Overhaul. He wondered for a moment if this man was who Izuku was so scared of, if this was who was treating him ‘fairly’. The idea made his inner alpha growl in frustration, the man pictured didn’t look like an alpha that would have interest for an omega, let alone provide any decent kind of care . If he discovered that this bastard was the one keeping his childhood friend in constant turmoil, he was going to lose his shit.
Gotta Enjoy the fluff, right?
Word count: 5048
Hello 👋 . Thanks for reading. Thought you all deserved some more fluff with our 2 favorite heroes :) aren’t they cute?
