Heaven Scent

Warning this is an omegaverse fic (I know, who am I and what have I done with Saysi?) but it's completely SFW because I don't like the NSFW parts of it lol. Tbh most of it could be put down to Kacchan having PMS. As usual, you're more than welcome to skip it if you want to!

Also I haven't edited this so good luck.

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Katsuki had forgotten to go grocery shopping.

Any other day that wouldn’t have been a big deal – he could have done it a few days late, or made do with whatever expired trash was sitting in the back of his fridge until he could get to the store. In fact, any other day he’d have just sucked it up and gone to the store, even though he was an exhausted wreck of a human being.

But his stupid body and its stupid hormones had decided to say fuck you and leave him stranded – exhausted, pathetic, and hungry.

He was so defeated that he’d even called in sick to work – his boss had been shocked by the call, had literally asked if he was pranking him – Katsuki wasn’t some little bitch who took a week off every month; he was the reliable one, the one who showed up every day, rain or shine, and who never got sick a day in his damn life.

The moment he’d finished the phone call he’d burrowed down into his bedding, tugging at his sheets until they’d come untucked from under the futon so he could toss them aside, letting the fluffy blankets rest against his skin instead. Then he’d given those a good yank, too, until he could roll around and tangle himself up in them like a burrito rolled by a sixteen-year-old white guy at a Mexican restaurant who had lied about his experience on his resume.

It still wasn’t good enough.

“Stupid body,” he grumbled, untangling himself to sit up. “Stupid hormones.”

His stomach growled, and he dragged himself over to his tiny refrigerator, humming quietly against the wall barely three metres from his bed. He’d picked the tiny studio apartment for its price and proximity to work – he hardly spent any time in it anyway – but in those rare moments that he wanted to relax at home, he sometimes wished he had a little more separation between his areas. The clutter and noise were especially grating when he was in a bad mood, no matter how unnoticeable they were in his day-to-day life.

He tore open the fridge door, his stomach groaning again when he found it bare – not even a freaking bottle of milk. He’d used the last of it up the morning prior in his coffee, and even then it had been a little too sour for his liking. He’d used the last of his rice the night before, too – needed to grab another big sack of it when he had a ride home, rather than taking public transport. There were a couple of slices of bread shoved to the back of a fridge shelf, but they were a little... green. He wasn’t quite that hungry.

Yet.

He knew the smart move would be to put his big-boy-pants on and walk down the street to the nearest convenience store – it would only take five minutes – but he was just so tired.

Instead he collapsed back onto his futon, grunting when the floor hit him a little too hard through the thin padding, and cloaked himself in warmth and fluff again. Maybe if he fell asleep he could forget about being hungry.

He spied his phone on the floor beside him, still plugged in from charging overnight, and for a moment he just stared at it.

Was he really going to sink so low that he’d order a pizza or something just to avoid going out?

Yes, yes he was.

He reached for the phone, absorbing it into his bedding, and started a quick search for delivery places nearby. When his eyes landed on a familiar name, though, he froze in his tracks.

He could get a whole-ass grocery order delivered?!

The site didn’t take long to load, and Katsuki practically drooled on himself as he scrolled through the sections. Fresh fruit? Hell yes. Vegetables? Absolutely. Meat? Oh god yes, what he wouldn’t do for a nice, thick steak.

He added a ton of items to his cart, grimacing as the price ticked up in the corner, quickly skyrocketing until it gave him pause.

Maybe he should just get a few things to tide him over. Some snacks and a steak, he could go out and get the rest when he was feeling a little better.

Sighing, he removed ninety percent of the items in his cart, paring it down to just the essentials – a few sweet things and a few salty, some crunchy and some chewy, and of course his gigantic steak – if it wasn’t as big and thick as the one in the picture he was going to riot.

Finally he hit confirm, typing in his payment details and setting the phone aside again, rolling over to search for a comfortable spot while he waited. The app had estimated three hours, his stomach was just gonna have to suck it up and stop whining until then.

Apparently he managed to doze off, because he woke with a crick in his neck to the sound of his phone buzzing against wooden floorboards. The delivery had arrived, had just been dropped off at his door, and his stomach grumbled again indignantly when he didn’t leap up right away.

“Thanks,” he typed out, to the guy who had notified him it was at his door. “Appreciate it.”

“My pleasure! :)”

He rolled off the futon again, debating whether he was pathetic enough to crawl to his door but ultimately deciding against it – his knees would be mad about it later. So he clambered to his feet and stumbled to the door, taking a deep breath as he opened it.

The box smelled good.

Maybe it was the smell of steak somehow seeping its way through the wrapping, or maybe it was the fresh, sweet fruit he’d grabbed to munch on later, but whatever it was, he wanted it. He pulled the box inside and tore into the box, tossing aside shredded cardboard to get to the contents within.

The smell filled the box, but he couldn’t work out where it was coming from – it wasn’t the steak, though that did make his stomach growl again when he picked it up – and it wasn’t the fruit, though the peaches, too, smelled damn good when he lifted the bag to his nose. The rest of the snacks were in sealed packages, so it seemed unlikely that it had leaked out from them, either.

No, he realised, as he put a pan on to heat;it was the box that smelled good. Something that had been in it, before they used it for his delivery. It was killing him that he couldn’t put his finger on it, to order one for himself.

It was fresh, like a cool breeze in the summer, although he wasn’t entirely sure how that had a smell, but it also had a hint of earthiness – maybe potatoes? Although those grew underground, they probably wouldn’t be breezy. Some kind of herb, then?

Katsuki threw his steak in the pan a lot more crankily than really made sense, even in his own mind. He didn’t even know why it was bothering him so much, other than wanting to eat whatever the mystery food was.

Stupid body. Stupid hormones.

When his steak was cooked – perfectly, if he did say so himself – he retreated back to bed with it, propping his pillows against the wall. He knew he should have made something else to go with it – vegetables preferably, thoughhe’d booted all of those out of his cart to save money – but the idea of just gnawing on a thick hunk of meat was far more appealing. He dragged all his blankets up to burrow in again, turning the TV on to find something shitty to watch, and settled in with a knife, a fork, and a plate-sized lump of steak.

─────

Katsuki woke up feeling even worse than he had the day prior. If one day off sick was a massive rarity in his life, two was just... unthinkable. But he picked up his phone, making the call with his croaky voice, and he actually kind of appreciated the amount of concern in his boss’s voice.

The area around his bed was littered with trash, after his late-night crawls to the kitchen for snacks. He’d finished his peaches only an hour after the steak, had gone back for chips and gummy frogs a few hours after that, and somewhere, in the pitch black of night, he’d gone in search of his apples, a little disappointed to only have bought two. What that meant, was that when he woke surrounded by the remnants of his snacks, he was once again starving.

And yet, somehow even less prepared to get up and go out.

He dragged himself up, lamenting his lack of blankets – sure, he had two, but he wanted twelve –and gathered all his paper bags and greasy foil packages to toss them in the bin. He hesitated when he reached the cardboard box it had all been delivered in, dragged close to his bed to give him easier access to the snacks. He’d woken up right beside it, his cheek pressed to the cardboard, and even though he knew it was stupid, he kind of didn’t want to get rid of it yet. Not until he figured out what that smell was and ordered himself a thousand.

Speaking of orders.

He picked up his phone again, taking it with him to the bathroom, and as he sat on the toilet he scrolled through his list of apps.

It was stupid. It would have been so easy to just go out and get the groceries himself. But...

Well, he was allowed to be lazy once in a while, right?

He picked out a few more items, just enough to get through another day – his heats had never been bad before, there was no way he was suddenly going to have three days of shitty symptoms, right?

This time a package of bacon was his first addition. Hot, greasy, salty bacon, maybe sandwiched between two thick slices of bread. God that sounded good.

He picked out a small loaf of bread, too. The fluffiest, whitest, least nutritionally sound-looking loaf he could find, then paused to consider his next move. He’d been snacking constantly through the night,  so he probably needed more than just a loaf of bread and some bacon – although an entire day of bacon sandwiches sounded pretty good too.

He’d landed on herbs, for the smell, so maybe he’d buy a few little bunches to test out. He could grab some butter and potatoes, make a nice herby mash, maybe he’d even splurge on some cheese to melt on top – dairy products sounded pretty appealing.

By the time he was done in the bathroom, his order was placed, and he proceeded to mope around the apartment as he waited. He didn’t feel like going back to sleep yet, but everything else just felt impossible. He needed to clean, needed to do laundry, but it all just took so much energy.

Despite the app still estimating three hours, Katsuki got the shipment notification in less than one – must have gotten in before anyone else did. Handy, he’d get his bacon a lot sooner that way. Before he knew it, quiet footsteps were shuffling down the hallway to his door, and he listened for the quiet little thump as the box landed outside.

A minute later his phone pinged, letting him know it was there, and he sent back a quickthanks before he opened the door to retrieve his spoils. The box still had that same smell, like a thick forest in the dead of winter, and Katsuki took a deep breath as he lifted it into his arms. It was stronger than the last time, so maybe he’d managed to get the right herbs, maybe he’d be able to satisfy that stupid craving he hadn’t been able to shake off.

He unloaded it on the bench, pausing to give each of his little herb packets a quick sniff, his heart sinking when none of them quite matched. They were close, for sure, but there was something missing and it was killing him. Still, they’d make a good, filling meal, and would hopefully at least curb his craving, if not satisfy it.

And maybe he’d keep the box again. Sue him.

He used the entire loaf of bread to make himself three sandwiches, each toasted to perfection and laden with ketchup, piled high with hot bacon. It was all he could do to keep assembling them, to not just devour each one the moment it was even close to put together. He didn’t even bother taking them to bed, just ate them over the sink, one by one, spraying crumbs all over the counter as he munched.

It wasn’t until a few hours later, as he cooked up his potatoes, that he realised his mistake. He’d been so occupied with his herbs and his bacon that he hadn’t thought to buy more snacks – when his potatoes were eaten, everything was going to be gone.

Again.

Was he seriously considering making another grocery order?

Maybe he should order pizza this time, or some kind of local place with delivery services. It would at least tide him over for a while – maybe he could order a party platter or something, make it look like he was having friends over and then eat it all himself instead.

That would be so much more expensive, though. He’d already cut down his shopping list to the bare essentials for a day – twice – to save money, it seemed like a hell of a waste to just go buy take out and ruin it.

Fuck it.

He opened the app again, sucking it up and picking the grocery store, making sure to add a few basics in before he got distracted by cravings. Toilet paper, a bag of rice, another loaf of bread, some eggs. All the things he should have bought the first time, but he’d been too caught up in steak.

He grabbed a few bags of snacks and candy again, hit confirm on the order, and sat back to stew in his actions. The people at the store were gonna think he was a weirdo, he’d never be able to order from them again – but hopefully he wouldn’t need to, he supposed. If all went to plan, he’d be done with all this shit by morning, back to normal and never having to show his digital face on the app ever again.

The phone buzzed against the counter the moment he set it down to grab his blanket, and he grimaced as he picked it back up. Of course the damn store was gonna contact him about it, probably thought his account had been hacked or something.

“Hi there! I hope this isn’t too forward of me but is everything okay?”

There was a pause for a second, then another message pinged.

“I couldn’t help but notice you’ve made three orders in two days, so I figured you must be sick? Or injured? I just wanted to check if you’re okay! Is there anything else I can get you? I can stop at the pharmacy if you like!”

Katsuki still hesitated, staring at the screen. He wanted to be pissed off, about his personal business being pried into, about this guy having the audacity to offer him something nice. But...

Well, it was nice, and he couldn’t bring himself to get mad at that.

Plus, he kind of wanted some meds to cool things down. He was going to have to keep some on hand, in future, just on the off chance that he had another bad one.

Huffing, he sent a message back, with a medication name that he hoped the guy wouldn’t look too closely at. Hopefully he’d just flash it at the guy at the counter and buy it without another word.

“I’ll pay you back,” he added quickly. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure!!”

He hovered awkwardly while he waited, staring at his phone as the little tracker got closer and closer, and when he heard the footsteps coming he shrugged off his blanket robe, making sure he was at least relatively decent in his old sweatpants and tank top.

The knock on the door was gentle, as if he was scared to disrupt Katsuki’s privacy – or maybe scared to wake him up. Katsuki pulled it open, though, and looked up at the bright, sunny smile aimed his way, from a stupid, chubby-cheeked face covered in scattered freckles.

“Hi! Are you Bakugou?” he asked, glancing down at his phone screen. “Am I saying that right?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “To both.”

“I’m Izuku! Midoriya Izuku! I drop off your groceries!”

He gestured with the box as he said it, offering it out, and Katsuki leaned over to take it from him. The moment his hands touched the box, he froze, taking a quick sniff and catching that same smell that had been haunting his dreams.

His hands left the box again, stepping closer, nose twitching as he explored. He passed over the box first, searching, then took a step closer, the scent getting stronger. When he turned his head, it got stronger again, and he took another step closer, his face only inches from Izuku’s body.

It was him.

What the hell was it? Cologne? Deodorant? Shampoo? Soap? A mix of things? Why did he want to eat it, was it a fruit scent? Floral? What the hell was it?

His nose brushed Izuku’s sleeve, and he froze in his tracks. All at once it hit him, what he was doing – he was sniffing some random stranger. His face filled with warmth, and he knew his cheeks were burning bright red, his lips trembling when he tried to make words.

“It’s okay,” Izuku assured him, before he could choke anything out. “I get it, I know what the instincts and hormones are like. I brought the medication, if you want it?”

“It’s you.”

“Um... What’s me?”

“The smell.”

Izuku just stared at him, and Katsuki felt himself burning brighter, the flush spreading right down his neck and across his bare shoulders.

“It was in the boxes,” he grumbled. “I didn’t know what it was.”

“Oh! I’m sorry! I’ll be more careful about how I pack them and carry them, I didn’t know I was leaving my scent all over them!”

“It’s... Not bad,” Katsuki admitted. “I just didn’t know what it was.”

“Oh, okay! Well, um, do you... Want to figure it out?”

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed, and it was Izuku’s turn to blush.

“I meant, you can smell some more if you want! That’s all! I don’t mind if you sniff a little!”

“Weirdo,” Katsuki huffed, snatching the box from his hands and wincing – a lot heavier than Izuku made it look. “Gimme a sec, I’ll give you cash for the pills.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Izuku insisted. “I’m happy to help, really!”

“I’m giving you the cash, cut the shit.”

Izuku cracked a smile again, nodding his acceptance, and Katsuki’s shoulders sank a little, relaxing. He carried the box in, setting it down on the counter to unpack once Izuku was gone, then hunted down his wallet in the mess on the table.

“Can I do anything else for you?” Izuku asked. “I finish my shift soon, I’m happy to go shopping for you if you need anything.”

“M’fine now, just been hungry. And tired. Why do you care?”

“I want to help!”

“You don’t even know me.”

“Well, no,” Izuku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “But you’re having a bit of a hard time, and I’d like to help you with that if I can! And, well, you know. Protective Alpha instincts, and all that.”

“You?” Katsuki snorted, eyeing him over. “Alpha?”

“Hey! Not all of us are... meatheads.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but glanced him over once more, catching a hint of the tone muscles beneath his stupid grocery store uniform.

“Shirt.”

“You need a shirt?”

“Gimme your shirt,” Katsuki clarified, pouting a little despite his best efforts to hold it back. “Smells good.”

“W-Well, this is my uniform,” Izuku said awkwardly. “So I can’t really...”

“Kidding,” Katsuki said quickly, jaw tight. “Like I’d ask for that, pfft.”

Izuku paused, staring at him for a moment, the silence growing a little too long for either of them to be comfortable.

“I have a hoodie downstairs, on my bike,” he said quietly. “It’s a little old, but you can have it. If you want.”

Katsuki didn’t answer, and Izuku smiled at him softly.

“It’s a few years old, I wear it just about every day. Super soft and warm.”

Katsuki’s head lifted a little, curious. He did like soft things, but he hated that Izuku had known that so instinctively. Asshole.

“And probably like, three sizes too big for you.”

“Okay, sold,” Katsuki huffed, a little amused when Izuku laughed brightly. “You gonna leave to ‘get it’ then run away and not come back.”

“Course not!” Izuku grinned. “I need to come back to get the money for the pills!”

“Fine,” Katsuki conceded. “Bring me my new hoodie.”

“Back soon!”

He hurried off down the stairs, and Katsuki took the opportunity to down a couple of pills while he waited. The rest of the box he tuckedunder the edge of his futon, to come back to later, then he sat down at the table with his phone. Soon he was listening to the quick, thumping footsteps hurry back up to his door, and he looked up as that grinning face popped back into his doorway, a faded old hoodie held aloft.

“Ta-daaaa!” he sang, extending his arms to offer Katsuki the hoodie. “Come try this out, see if it smells good!”

As much as he wanted to refuse, Katsuki’s feet were already dragging him to the door, his hands reaching for the soft, fuzzy hoodie, worn down by years of love.

“Oh god,” he murmured, when he held it to his face. “What is that, your laundry detergent? Your soap?”

“I’m not really sure!” Izuku admitted. “I don’t smell it, I guess I’m used to it. Can you describe it?”

“Earthy. But fresh.”

“Hmm... Nothing comes to mind right away, sorry. I do spend a lot of time outdoors, maybe it’s something in my garden?”

“You have a herb garden?”

“Technically I have a vegetable garden, but there are some herbs in it!”

“Smells herby,” Katsuki explained. “But not a herb I can put my finger on.”

“Maybe it’s just kind of a mix of everything I grow? I’ll bring you some, you can try them!”

“You don’t have to give me this pity shit.”

“It’s not pity!” Izuku assured him. “I always have too many, and I like sharing the stuff I grow! I’ll bring you some vegetables too. My broccoli is getting big, and my spinach harvest has been awesome, oh and do you like strawberries? They’re almost ripe too!”

Katsuki just stared at him, and Izuku blushed a little, though his smile didn’t waver in the slightest.

“I’ll see what’s ripe,” he concluded. “And bring you some. I can just leave them at your door.”

“You can knock,” Katsuki mumbled. “It’s fine.”

“Okay!”

The hoodie still hung from Katsuki’s fingers, and in a moment of boldness Izuku stepped forward, gently taking the fabric from him and wrapping it around his shoulders.

“Arms,” he instructed, holding it still until Katsuki slotted them in obediently. “There, all cozy!”

He zipped it up over Katsuki’s chest, smiling to himself, and Katsuki felt himself blushing again. It really was far too big for him, the sleeves hanging down over his fingertips, but it was so warm and soft, and it smelled so damn good.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, watching Izuku’s eyes light up at the word. “For everything, I mean.”

“It was my pleasure,” Izuku assured him. “If there’s anything else you need, just send me a message. You have my number, I don’t mind if you use it.”

“You don’t have to do stuff for me, you don’t even know me.”

“I do now,” Izuku grinned. “Now you’re my responsibility!”

“I’m not.”

“Too late, you can’t change my mind now, Bakugou!”

“Katsuki,” he corrected, gnawing on his lower lip. “I hate formality and shit.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “Call me Izuku, then!”

“Fine.”

“I’ll leave you in peace,” Izuku smiled softly. “Call if you need anything, okay?”

“I won’t need anything.”

“But if you do.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “But I won’t.”

“Okay.”

Izuku tentatively raised a hand, letting it hover over Katsuki’s shoulder, and Katsuki finally met his eyes as he just waited silently, giving Katsuki ample time to figure it out and step away. When Katsuki didn’t speak, he moved it a little closer, resting the underside of his wrist against Katsuki’s skin.

Katsuki shivered at the touch, and Izuku smiled again, gently swiping his wrist along the sensitive skin as he slipped it away. A rush of Izuku’s scent hit Katsuki’s senses, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep from shivering again. He could only watch,wide-eyed, as Izuku stepped back, through the doorway, into the hall that would take him away.

“Take care,” he said gently. “Get some rest.”

Katsuki nodded, and Izuku closed the door behind himself, before his footsteps retreated toward the stairwell. Katsuki wrapped his arms around himself and huggedhis new hoodie tightly, breathing it all in.

It wasn’t the god damn detergent, it was Izuku.

────

It took almost thirteen hours before Katsuki woke up again. After two days of only sleeping an hour or two at a time, he’d somehow managed to last thirteen hours before he woke up desperate to piss.

As he hurried to the toilet, he remembered the soft hoodie bunched around him, the warm fabric he’d remained curled up in even as he slept. Despite being worn thin over the course of years, it was still so comfortable and cozy, still kept him so toasty as he snoozed. It was hard to believe some random stranger had gifted it to him, out of some dumb obsession with doing good things for people. What a weirdo.

He still had a few eggs left from his groceries the day prior, so when he’d washed his hands and brushed his teeth, he headed for the kitchen to start cooking. Rice went in the cooker, eggs went in the frying pan, and he even found a couple of leftover rashers of bacon to crumble in, to bulk it up a little more. By the time he crawled back into bed, hot bowl in hand, TV playing some stupid show on the wall, he was actually smiling to himself.

It wasn’t like he was entirely better – his body still ached, his head was still foggy, and he still felt like he could eat an entire steakhouse out of business without even a pause – but he felt comfortable, and he felt safe, and god was that an improvement from the days before.

Being the weekend, he didn’t even have to worry about calling in sick. He had two whole days to rest and recover, to be back to normal by Monday morning, and he’d already vowed to himself to make sure he kept the fridge stocked better before any future heats struck, just in case he had a rough one again for no apparent reason.

Honestly, it was probably just stress. He’d been working so damn hard lately, had put in so many extra hours at the office, his body was probably just trying to tell him to cool his shit, to take some time to actually sleep for once. When he caught up, the symptoms would no doubt pass uneventfully, like his heats usually did.

Despite having enough food left to get by, he still found himself staring at the app, debating his next order. Definitely not because of the delivery boy who’d given him a comfy hoodie, of course – just because he liked fresh food! Plus, he was out of meat, and he really wanted more meat. Maybe another steak, or something fried. It was a shame they didn’t list their fresh yakitori online – because of delivery times, he assumed – because he could have sucked down about a dozen of those.

Drumming his fingers on his phone, he switched to another app, staring at the messages he’d sent the day prior.

“Hey,” he wrote, gnawing on his lower lip. “If I order something for the same price, can you bring me a bunch of yakitori instead? I don’t care if they go cold, I’ll heat them back up.”

It took a few minutes for him to reply, but Katsuki breathed a sigh of relief when it came through – despite saying it was okay, he was still a bit nervous that Izuku would be annoyed by him messaging.

“I finish at twelve today,” Izuku sent back. “If you can wait a couple of hours, I’ll bring you anything you want!”

“That’s fine,” Katsuki answered quickly. “Thank you.”

“Just send me a list, I’ll pick it up myself on my way out and come by while they’re still hot.”

“I’ll send you some money for it, give me your bank account number.”

“Don’t worry about it, just pay me back later! I have some stuff from the garden for you, too! I’ll bring it by!”

“Thank you,” Katsuki typed slowly. “Really, I appreciate it.”

“My pleasure!”

He typed out a list quickly, just a few things he wanted to get through the next two days – the store didn’t deliver on Sundays, so he was gonna have to stock up. And probably order that pizza when he inevitably ate it all anyway.

When he set his phone aside and snuggled into his blankets, he apparently dozed off again, because the next thing he knew a knock on the door was jolting him awake, and he was groaning as he hauled himself up to answer it.

“Hi, Katsuki!” Izuku said brightly, the moment he opened the door – hands full of bags, Katsuki couldn’t help but notice. “Can I come in? I’ll help you put this stuff away. I got you a few extra things, since there’s no delivery tomorrow, but if you need anything else just give me a call and I’ll go pick it up for you!”

“Oh. Um, thanks. Just let me know how much I owe you, I have some more cash, or I can send it to your bank or whatever.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Izuku insisted. “We’ll sort it later. How are you feeling? Better?”

“A little,” he mumbled, shrinking into the old hoodie as a pink flush rose to his cheeks. “I slept better, at least. I just feel... Gross.”

“I’m glad!” Izuku beamed, gently pressing his hand to Katsuki’s forehead. “You don’t feel too warm, but make sure you keep resting. And drink lots of fluids!”

“Mm.”

“Do you want to go take a bath?” Izuku suggested. “It might help you relax, especially if you’re achy or anything. I’ll hang around and make sure you don’t fall asleep in there.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind!” Izuku assured him, already ushering him toward the bathroom – damn his apartment and its single internal door. “Like I said, I finished work! I’ll bring you the yakitori, you can munch on it while you relax.”

Okay, that did sound pretty great.

He set the bath running and left the room, closing the door behind him to let Katsuki undress. It was actually kind of nice, Katsuki thought, having someone take care of him. His mother had never been the touchy-feely sort, had always told him to get used to taking care of himself and not rely on other people. His dad was a little more sympathetic, but he tried not to over-step his boundaries – only stepped in to help if Katsuki asked him for it, which Katsuki was usually far too proud to do. But Izuku just seemed to know, seemed to have it all under control before Katsuki had even figured out what he wanted or needed.

When the bath was decently deep, he sank into it, letting the hot water envelop his aching muscles. He drew the shower curtain about halfway up the bath, making sure he was hidden from view if Izuku walked in, and then lay back to relax, weightless in the water.

Sure enough, a minute later Izuku knocked, cracking the door open to peek through. When he found Katsuki safely hidden away, he stepped inside, poking his arm around the curtain to squirt a green liquid into the water. It quickly began to foam up, filling the bath with bubbles, and Katsuki could only snort as Izuku grinned at him happily.

“Ready for snacks?” he asked, laughing when Katsuki’s hand reached out before he could even finish the question. “I brought that yakitori you wanted.”

“Gimme.”

Izuku didn’t bristle at his demand, just offered him a plastic container with half a dozen skewers of chicken, and Katsuki pulled it in gleefully.

“Don’t drop it in the water, I’m not going out to get you more,” Izuku teased. “I got you a couple of bentos too, for when you get hungry later. I’ve stuck them in the fridge so you can just heat them up whenever.”

Katsuki wasn’t sure how to answer that. Thank you sounded like he’d asked for them, like he wasn’t surprised at all, but oh sounded unappreciative. Instead he just stared, dumbfounded, and Izuku’s smile softened.

“You’re welcome,” he said knowingly. “There’s a karaage one that I thought you’d like, a curry one that’s really popular, a soba one in case you want a change from rice, and a katsudon one that’s my favourite! Not as good as my mom’s katsudon of course, but really good.”

“Why are you doing all this for me?” he blurted out.

“I also got you some salads and potato salad, since you should try to eat some vegetables,” he continued, his cheeks a little pink as he held up another plastic container. “And some potato croquettes, they’re always delicious. You might want to have these soon, while they’re fresh. Are you still hungry? You’re almost done with that chicken already.”

Katsuki glanced down at his container, at the lone yakitori still lying in his container, and pulled a face as he picked it up, handing Izuku the empty container.

“Still hungry,” he agreed, making grabby motions with his fingers. “Gimme the potatoes.”

“Say please, Kacchan,” he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips and oh fuck that was kinda hot. “Be a good boy.”

Katsuki felt himself burn bright red, and Izuku handed him the potatoes knowingly, not bothering to wait for him to find a response.

“You don’t need to pay me back,” Izuku told him, when Katsuki had a mouthful of food to keep him from arguing. “But when you’re feeling better, do you think I could take you on a date?”

“I’m not some helpless Omega who can’t take care of himself,” Katsuki warned, eyes narrowing. “I usually get through these stupid heats without even taking a day off work – I work hard, I work a lot, I don’t need some big, protective, meathead Alpha to take care of me.”

“Good,” Izuku smiled. “I’m not some stupid hormone-obsessed Alpha who needs to check in every hour and scent all your clothes. So dinner?”

“Fine,” Katsuki huffed. “But I’m paying.”

“Deal!”

He cracked a little smile, and Izuku seemed delighted to see it, reaching out to playfully ruffle Katsuki’s hair before he backed toward the door.

“Don’t fall asleep,” he warned again. “I’m gonna check in on you every few minutes, okay? And if you need anything, let me know.”

“Okay.”

“Good. And I’m gonna borrow your kitchen.”

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed, and Izuku just smiled wider.

“I brought some of my home-grown vegetables for you! I’m gonna cook some up for you to have when you get hungry again.”

“I can cook.”

“I’m sure you can,” Izuku shrugged. “But you need rest, and I like cooking!”

“Fine,” he huffed. “Just don’t make a mess.”

“I’ll clean up after myself, I promise.”

He closed the door behind himself, and Katsuki sank a little deeper into the water, using his foot to turn off the tap. His eyes fell closed, and he let out a long breath, the water rippling where the air rushed over it.

Another bite of croquette, and he hummed to himself – he refused to call it a moan. What gave fried food the right to be so good?

True to his word, every once in a while Izuku knocked lightly, peeking inside to check on him. He brought drinks to keep him hydrated, took away his trash, even just sat beside him for a minute to chat, to get to know each other better. He made Katsuki crack a few smiles, even made him huff a little chuckle once – not many people could do that on a regular basis.

“Oh, you done?” Izuku asked, when he peeked in to find Katsuki sitting up in the tub, preparing to navigate himself up and out. “Do you feel better?”

“A little,” he admitted.

“I’m glad! Okay, here, get yourself nice and dry. Where do you keep your pyjamas? I’m gonna go get you a clean pair.”

“Bottom drawer,” he grumbled. “Just sweatpants and tank tops.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back!”

He handed over the thick towel from Katsuki’s rail, disappearing again, and Katsuki climbed out of the water to dry off. He set the tub draining behind him, then gave himself a quick rub with the towel, wrapping it around his waist for decency before Izuku could get back.

“Okay!” Izuku called again, before stepping through the door. “Here, get nice and warm and cozy!”

He set the neat pile of clothes on the closed toilet, ducking out again to give Katsuki privacy, but when Katsuki found his dirty clothes missing from the floor where he’d ditched them, he scowled.

“You took my hoodie,” he accused, when he stepped out, fully dressed. “I like that hoodie.”

“It needed a wash,” Izuku laughed. “You can still keep it, don’t worry! Here, I brought you this one too, just in case.”

The one he pulled from his bag was a lot newer, still thick and fluffy instead of worn down, and Katsuki narrowed his eyes when he held it out. He’d kind of liked the way Izuku’s scent felt baked in, with the first one, and he didn’t want to lose his snuggly sleep hoodie so soon.

“Trust me,” Izuku said softly. “Arms up?”

Katsuki held them out obediently, despite his scepticism, and Izuku pulled the fluffy fabric down over him. It definitely wasn’t new, even if it looked a thousand times newer than the first one, and it was still three sizes too big, still extra warm and comfy, and still...

Okay, yeah, it smelled good. He was man enough to admit it.

“Fine,” he huffed, lifting the baggy sleeve to his nose to give it a littlesniff. “Acceptable.”

“I’m glad!”

He ushered Katsuki over to his bed, and only then did he realise that everything looked clean. There was a rack of dishes drying on the counter, the laundry machine was running in the corner, his snack trash had been sorted into the trash bins, it even looked like he’d swept. What the hell kind of man cleaned a stranger’s apartment without even being asked?

“I didn’t touch your nest,” Izuku assured him, making Katsuki burn bright red. “I took the rubbish you’d clearly chucked from it, but everything else within like a metre I left untouched!”

“Nest?” Katsuki asked, clenching his jaw. “I don’t...”

The argument died on his lips when he saw the soft look in Izuku’s eyes, and he glanced over to see his pillows and blankets, all pulled in to outline the little space where he’d been asleep not long ago.  It really did look weirdly nest-like, and Katsukihated himself for it.

“Do you want another nap?” Izuku asked. “You seem a little sleepy.”

“It’s not a nest,” he objected, pouting. “It’s just my bed.”

“Okay,” Izuku humoured him. “Sorry, your bed. I didn’t touch your bed.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want me to take these boxes back? I’ll reuse them for more deliveries if you don’t need them for anything.”

Katsuki hesitated, glancing over at them stacked beside his futon. He’d kind of liked having that smell beside him, but now he had his hoodie, and that seemed like a better option anyway.

“Sure,” he answered finally. “I don’t need them.”

“Okay! I’ll stick them by the door, then.”

He lifted them like it was nothing, even though Katsuki’s arms hadn’t quite been long enough to hold them comfortably himself, and stacked them neatly in the entryway to grab on his way out. For a moment Katsuki braced himself for goodbyes, for Izuku to excuse himself, but when the words didn’t come, he felt himself relax a little again.

“You should get comfy,” Izuku suggested. “Before the relaxing bath wears off. You might start to get sore again.”

Katsuki didn’t remember ever confirming that he’d been aching, but Izuku still seemed to somehow know, and he couldn’t be bothered objecting again.

“Fine,” he mumbled, crawling onto his futon and adjusting his pillows to lean on. “Do you... Want to sit with me?”

“Only if you want me to.”

Katsuki nodded, and Izuku sat down beside him obediently, sliding over to sit beside him. He radiated warmth, and Katsuki found himself leaning in a little closer to absorb it, no longer surprised when Izuku didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s waist, pulling him in closer until his cheek rested on Izuku’s shoulder, and Katsuki sighed quietly as he settled in.

“I’ll stay with you,” Izuku murmured. “While you rest.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “But I’m keeping both the hoodies.”

“Deal.”

─────

Katsuki hurried home from work, laptop bag slung over his shoulder, taking extra-long strides from the moment he stepped out the station doors. He glanced at his watch, cursing under his breath as he hurried a little more, his breaths coming a little quicker as he wove between people on the street.

There he was.

Izuku stood outside the doors to the grocery store, a concerned look on his face as he watched the approaching crowd, and Katsuki quickly lifted a hand, watching a smile spread across his face when he saw the wave.

He pulled out of the crowd as soon as they got close enough, letting the rest of the group pass him by, and before he knew it there were two thick arms wrapped around him, pulling him in, surrounding him with that warm, fresh scent he’d gotten so addicted to.

“Hey,” Izuku murmured, nuzzling Katsuki’s neck and making him squirm. “You’re late.”

“Sorry, boss was being a piece of shit again,” Katsuki complained, squeezing Izuku tightly. “I missed you too, or whatever.”

“Don’t you or whatever me,” Izuku laughed. “I looooove you.”

“Love you too, or whatever.”

“You little brat.”

Katsuki smiled up at him, and Izuku grinned back, his eyes full of so much love that it was almost overwhelming.

“I grabbed a nice looking roast for dinner,” Izuku informed him, nodding toward the backpack over his shoulder. “I think the potatoes in the garden are ready, so I thought we could roast those up to go with it.”

“Excellent,” Katsuki said, despite the way his own sincerity made him want to puke. “Did you get the bread too?”

“And the bacon!” Izuku grinned. “Gotta be prepared, in case it’s another bad one.”

“It’ll never be another bad one,” Katsuki snorted, finally escaping from Izuku’s hug. “I told you, the universe just wanted to fuck with me that week.”

“The universe,” Izuku began, with that same exasperated tone that he got every time the topic came up. “Wanted to bring us together, Kacchan.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki snorted, giving him a quick peck on the lips all the same. “It’s been like a year, I’m clearly not gonna have another bad one.”

“I’m still gonna be prepared! Just in case!”

“Whatever.”

Izuku’s fingers laced through his, and Katsuki couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile, peeking up at him just to find Izuku smiling right back. He squeezed Katsuki’s hand lightly when their eyes met, everything about his look all gross and sappy, and Katsuki poked his tongue out when Izuku stared for a little too long.

“Over-protective meathead,” he complained, without an ounce of genuine annoyance in it.

“Needy baby.”

“Shut up.”

He pouted when Izuku laughed at him, but let himself be led across the street, heading toward the little ground-floor apartment they’d picked out together just a few weeks prior.

Katsuki would go take a shower and change into his favourite hoodie, like he always did, and Izuku would stop to water his garden, like he always did, and then, finally, they’d get to curl up together in their nest of squishy pillows and fuzzy blankets, letting their stupid hormones take over as their stupid bodies snuggled in for the night.

And Katsuki would never have to worry about forgetting the groceries.