Archive of Our Own ^beta

Izuku knew that the way things were wasn't healthy. 

He had presented as an omega late, at 12 years old, but by then, everyone knew he was quirkless. 

Male omegas were rare, and they weren't highly regarded. So being a quirkless male omega? Yeah. Junior high had not been fun. 

His teachers marked him down and accused him of cheating, and his classmates bullied and beat him. That was bad, of course, but it would have been manageable, if not for life at home. 

His father had left shortly after his diagnosis at age 4, and his mother turned cold in the months that followed. She had stopped asking about his day, then stopped asking about the destroyed uniforms or injuries, then stopped acknowledging him altogether. She cooked for him until he was 9, then left him a note saying she was taking more hours and to cook for himself. He had survived all of that, even if he felt like the lack of familial scents would drive him insane. 

When he presented, she had been disgusted. She was a beta, but she could still pick up on his new scent, and she said it was vile. She switched all of his soaps for scent-canceling ones, forced him to wear scent patches on his neck and wrist glands, and punished him brutally whenever she caught him giving into his instincts. She had taken one of his teeth-a molar on the right side-when she came home to find him trying to make a nest.  

He never tried again. 

Sure, he had a quirk now, and sure, he lived in the dorms and away from Inko, but part of him was still terrified that she would find out. So he wore his scent patches, washed with the scent-canceling soaps, and ignored the alcove built into all of the omega's rooms meant for a nest.

He waived off the concern of the others in his class, playing up his anxiety and convincing them all that he was just shy with his scent. It wasn't a lie, after all. He couldn't tell what he smelled like to others, and while he had liked his scent when he first presented, Inko said it was vile and that it would push away any alpha with a nose. He didn't really want to take the scent patches off if that was true, and what reason would she have to lie? 

He guarded his room religiously, to keep anyone from seeing the empty alcove meant for a nest and asking questions, but that wasn't uncommon for omegas, who were fiercely protective of their nests, so no one really pushed him. He just met with his friends in Uraraka or Iida's rooms instead. 

He ignored the urge to take Aizawa-sensei's scarf or his sleeping bag, both of which were saturated in the rich coffee and cream scent of the older omega. He ignored the urge to take Mic-sensei's jacket, which carried the leather and lemon scent of the alpha. He squashed the desire to take Shinsou's blazers, coated in the scent of lavender and honey. He ignored the way his inner omega looked at the three of them, all a little closer to him than the others, all nicer to him than anyone had been before. He ignored how his inner omega kept calling them his pack. (He didn't have a pack. He didn't need one.) And he certainly ignored the blankets in the common room that were bathed in Shouto's peppermint and wood smoke scent. (And yes, he knew it was odd that Shouto kept leaving those items on the chairs Izuku liked to use. Or even outside of his door. But it was fine. He was probably just concerned about the lack of Izuku's own scent and trying to make him less self-conscious. He was such a good alph-friend.)

He was...well, not happy, he didn't think he could be truly happy without a nest, without the ability to roll around and cover himself in the scents of his friends (and pack), but he would survive. 

He reminded himself of that fact almost daily as his first heat in the dorms drew closer and closer. 

He didn't need a nest. He didn't need a pack. 

He would survive without it. 

---

While Shouta had a reputation for hating his students, he and his pack knew that wasn't true. He always got attached to his students, to his pups, but he kept his distance. All of his students had families and packs of their own, and they didn't need a particularly broody omega trying to adopt them. 

That had worked well for most of his teaching career, but this class just had to be different. 

They were attacked by villains in the first week, which already heightened his protective instincts, and, with the dorms in place, his inner omega had gotten more attached than usual. 

Despite that, he was still careful to keep some distance and to redirect his paternal instincts elsewhere. He was sure Hitoshi was getting tired of all of the cuddles, but it was good for the formerly touch-starved teen, so Shouta didn't really try to stop. 

So, while this class has been difficult, it wasn't impossible, and he was doing a good job. 

'Was' being the keyword.

Midoriya had been acting strange for the last week. Not his usual brand of strange-though his typical flighty and skittish nature was strange for a powerful omega pup-but strange like his heat was coming up. 

The teen had been eyeing objects belonging to those he was close to, mostly Shouta's own pack and Todoroki, but he hadn't asked for anything for his nest, at least not that he had seen. He also hadn't put in a request for his heat leave yet. 

Shouta had brought it up to Hizashi by Tuesday, but his husband had urged him to be patient and to wait for the teen to approach them. Going to him first would only scare him off, Zashi warned. 

Shouta had agreed, and he had watched the boy's cheeks get redder, his eyes get foggier, and his steps lose their balance through the week with growing concern. 

The flushed cheeks were waived off as embarrassment, glazed eyes as a lack of attention, the staggering steps as exhaustion by the rest of the staff. Even the other omegas agreed that it was probably nothing, since the boy didn't smell of heat. 

And that was what worried Shouta. 

So on Friday, after Midoriya spent the entire Ethics class without looking up or writing a single thing down, Shouta decided that he would have to be the one to broach the subject. 

"Midoriya," he called as the bell rang, drawing dazed green eyes to his own. "Stay after class. The rest of you, get to lunch." He ignored how the rest of the class paused as well, looking at him with confusion, before shrugging and making their way out the door. 

Only Hitoshi and Todoroki hesitated, both alphas looking at Midoriya, who had yet to move or acknowledge that he heard Shouta, with clear concern. Still, a glare-one he knew his son could read as concerned, but that Todoroki would take as a threat-sent the boys to the cafeteria, dragging their feet the whole way. 

Once he was sure the alphas were gone, he crossed the room and crouched beside Midoriya, growing more concerned when the younger omega didn't even follow his movement, just stared ahead with glazed-over eyes. 

This close, he could almost feel the heat radiating off the boy, and he knew that his heat was very close to starting, if not already in its early stages. There were dark shadows under his eyes, an indication that he hadn't been sleeping well, even though it should be the time that he slept the best. Preheats were exhausting, but omegas always rested well when curled up in their nests. That's where Midoriya should be, by this stage-curled in his nest with his pack's scent. 

"Midoriya," he called again, softer this time. 

The teen startled a little, but his movements were still sluggish when he turned to look at the older omega. He didn't make a move to speak, and there wasn't any comprehension in his eyes, though they did drift to look at him when called. It looked like he was right, and Midoriya was already starting his heat. 

"Hey there, kiddo," he greeted, softer than he usually was with his students. He couldn't help it, something about this teen screamed at his inner omega, and Shouta had worried for him for nearly a week now. "You're looking a little hot there, how are you feeling?"

Midoriya didn't respond, but his eyes drifted to Shouta's capture weapon, and he saw the boy's hands twitch. 

That was concerning by itself. Once in heat, omegas rarely had the restraint to keep from taking something they wanted for their nest. Shouta himself had been guilty of taking his husband's shirts and jackets, even when he was wearing them, multiple times. He didn't like to think about his youth, when he had taken Nedzu's tie right off of him when the rat had come to check on him during the first heat after his adoption. 

So, Midoriya restraining himself from taking it, combined with hiding his heat symptoms and the distinct lack of any scent on the boy was concerning. Concerning enough that Shouta resolved to ask his dad to look into the boy's home life. 

In the meantime, though, he had a teenager to take care of. 

"Midoriya, do you want this?" He lifted the weapon a bit for emphasis. 

The teen seemed a bit more engaged at the question, both hands starting to reach for the scarf before he pulled them back to his chest, letting out a low, mournful whine. 

Yes, an investigation indeed. 

He pulled the capture weapon over his head, draping it around the neck of the teen in front of him, and watched how the boy instantly buried his face in the fabric, inhaling Shouta's scent through rumbling purrs. 

"All right, Problem Child," he started, rising to his feet and ignoring the way his knees popped. "Let's get you to your nest."

The teen whined again, shaking his head frantically. "N-no, n-no n-n-nest, n-no, n-not-t allow-wed-d, n-no-"

Shouta reached forward when Midoriya began to claw at his own arms, clearly distressed and overwhelmed at the very mention of a nest. He took the boy's hands in his own, making sure that he couldn't hurt himself again. "Hey, it's okay," he soothed, drawing frantic eyes to his own. "Who told you that you aren't allowed to have a nest?"

Midoriya was trembling by this point, occasionally pulling at his hands, though Shouta kept a firm grip on them. "M-m-mam-ma, s-she s-said-d n-n-no, s-she'l-ll h-hurt-t m-me, n-n-not-t allow-wed-d, n-n-n-not-"

An investigation might not be enough. This was clear omega abuse, and he knew there was no way he was letting the pup go back to an abusive situation. 

Well, Hizashi had always said he wanted a big family. 

Shouta pushed out soothing pheromones, letting his scent sweeten. He was satisfied when the scent calmed Midoriya, and he watched as the tension drained from the boy, leaving him a little slumped, though a quiet purr rumbled its way from his chest again. Shouta didn't release his hands, both as a preventative measure and to try and provide some comfort to the teen. 

It was good that the boy wasn't so traumatized by the clear disregard for his needs that he couldn't take comfort in other omegas. It made this next part easier. 

"I know your...mother said that you can't have a nest," he started, interrupted by Midori-no, Izuku's- plaintive whine, "but did she ever say anything about being in someone else's nest?"

Izuku blinked heavily, tilting his head in thought. After a few moments, he slowly shook his head. 

Shouta let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, glad that he was right and that the woman hadn't considered the option. It made sense that she hadn't, omegas were typically very territorial with their nests, and no one but their pack was allowed to enter. 

What she, and Shouta himself, had not counted on, was the fact that Shouta's inner omega was all too eager to adopt the pup.

It was good, though, considering how instrumental nests were to omegas, let alone young omegas. 

Without a nest, and the scenting that came along with it, omega pups struggled to recognize their pack members or form new pack connections. This could cause anxiety, feeling like they didn't belong, and issues forming connections to others, even in a more superficial way. 

In retrospect, it was obvious what was going on with the pup. He should have noticed sooner. 

He pushed the thought aside, ignoring how many things he was resolving to think about later, and gave the teen a small smile. "Then it would be okay if you came to my nest, right?"

The poor pup seemed really conflicted about it, and Shouta had to keep a firm grip on his hands when he tried to pull them away again, but eventually, he nodded. 

"Good, pup," he praised, glad that the rest of the class wasn't around to see him being so soft. "Can you walk?"

Izuku considered this for a moment, before shaking his head. 

"That's alright," he assured. "You can ride on my back, okay?"

The teen was quick to agree, this time.

---

Shouta would admit that he hadn't thought about opening doors when he helped the dense omega pup climb onto his back. It wouldn't have been a problem if he had his capture weapon, but he had wound it around Izuku's neck, and the pup didn't seem inclined to let it go anytime soon, not that he expected him to. It took some juggling, but he managed to get the door open, and a bit more effort saw his boots kicked off into the gehkan. 

He huffed, pulling the Problem Child a little higher on his back as he made his way into the living room. He dropped the teen on the sofa, ignoring the way the kid whined and gripped at his shirt in favor of removing the bright red sneaker and helping Izuku out of his jacket and tie. 

"Izuku," he called, waiting until the teen was looking at him to continue. "Would you like some more comfortable clothes before we go to the nest?"

He pouted, but, after a moment, reluctantly nodded. 

"Okay, then you stay right here, I'm going to get you something else to wear and come right back."

"N-n-no!" Izuku immediately reached out, almost blindly, until he latched onto Shouta's jumpsuit, pulling the older omega toward him with remarkable strength, given the fact that he wasn't using his quirk. "S-st-tay-y."

Shouta wasn't really surprised by the sudden clinginess of the boy, though it did pull at his heartstrings. Still, he could barely open the door with the teen on his back. He couldn't imagine rifling through drawers and their overstuffed closet with the boy on his back, and he couldn't let the boy in the nest in such stifling clothes. 

He was just about to try to get the boy onto his back again and struggle through picking out the clothes anyway when the door burst open and the scent of lemon and leather burst into the space. refreshing the scent that had faded since the morning. 

"SHOUta!" Hizashi cheered, quirk cutting out with one quick, red-eyed glare from his husband. "Nedzu said you left early and needed me-oh, hi Little Listener! What are you doing here?"

Izuku turned to the noise, though the movement was slow, and his eyes were still glazed. He tilted his head, sweaty curls spilling across his forehead. "M-M-Mic-sen-nsei? 'Re you 'Z-Zaw-wa-sen-nsei's m-mate?"

Zashi softened, probably recognizing the heat haze for what it was. He stayed where he was by the door, carefully controlling the scent he let out, even though it was already set into the entire apartment, and gave a careful, closed-lip smile. "Yeah, Little Listener, I'm 'Zawa-sensei's mate. But what're you doing here?" On the last question, Zashi's eyes drifted over to Shouta, narrowing a little in suspicion. Of course, his husband knew that had been feeling particularly broody lately, and he probably thought that his instincts were getting the better of him. 

And he was wrong in that assumption!

Mostly.

Izuku's face scrunched up a little in thought, turning back to Shouta. "C-clot-thes, t-then n-n-nes-st. M-m-mam-ma didn-n't s-say n-n-no ot-ther-rs-s n-n-nes-

st, s-so it-t's ok-kay." The teen stammered through the explanation, sounding a lot like he was still trying to justify it to himself while still being so utterly hopeful that it broke Shouta's heart. 

"That's right," he assured, passing his wrist over the boy's curls to scent him, earning another purr. "Your mother said that you can't have a nest, not that you can't share someone else's," he repeated the affirmation, tossing a meaningful look to Zashi, who had clearly figured out why the child was in their den if the devastation and anger in his eyes was anything to go by. 

His husband swallowed, taking a deep breath while Shouta continued to soothe the clingy pup, before stepping slowly into the living room, looking for any signs that the younger omega was uncomfortable with his presence. Of course, there were none. If anything, Izuku seemed to relax as Zashi's scent washed over him, and his purrs continued, uninterrupted. 

"He said clothes," Zashi whispered, placing a hand between Shouta's shoulders in a supporting gesture. "Were you going to get him some of ours?"

"Ours or 'Toshi's", Shouta confirmed. "His school uniform is hardly comfortable, and I wasn't going to drag him back to his dorm in this condition."

Zashi nodded along with his reasoning, slowly reaching out to run his fingers through Izuku's green curls. The boy purred a little louder, leaning into the touch. Shouta could watch his mate's heart melt, much like it did when they met Toshi, and he knew that Zashi wouldn't stop him from adopting the teen once the investigation into the boy's mother was complete. 

Zashi pulled away reluctantly, clearly struggling to ignore the boy's whine, and met Shouta's eyes. "I'll go grab some of Hitoshi's things then, do you want to move him to the bathroom to change?"

Shouta nodded, and, now that he was bundled in Shouta's arms, Izuku didn't protest the older omega moving, instead snuggling closer and purring like a little motor. 

Hizashi returned quickly, handing off the clothes before ducking into their bedroom to change into something more comfortable. 

Shouta looked through the clothes, amused and a little concerned that his husband had picked clothes that still smelled like Toshi and that he had scented them himself before handing them over. While Izuku hadn't reacted poorly to Zashi's scent or their mingled scents in the apartment, wearing something scented might be a line the boy didn't want to cross. 

Still, he had to change, so Shouta decided to offer the clothes regardless. 

He really shouldn't have worried. 

Izuku's purr increased in volume, and he was quick to shed his uniform, changing into the offered sweats and t-shirt. Shouta turned quickly to preserve the teen's privacy, but not fast enough to miss jutted ribs and faded bruises that he didn't remember Izuku getting in training that week. He made a mental note to ask about it once this heat had passed. 

He turned around once the sound of shifting fabric ended, finding a very pleased omega pup sitting contently on the counter, burying his nose in the shirt, which hung baggy on his frame. The capture weapon, of course, stayed around the teen's neck. The shirt also left his arms exposed, showing a tapestry of surgical scars that Shouta knew were caused by his quirk and subsequent surgeries. Still, there was the edge of a jagged scar on his bicep, one Shouta was desperately hopping wasn't the full-blown starburst that it looked like.

He shook the thought off, stepping closer to the pup. 

Izuku looked up at him, then around the room, frowning before hiding the bottom half of his face in the capture weapon once more. "W-wher-re's-s T-T-T-osh-shi?"

Shouta ignored the way his heart melted at the question and the way his inner omega took it as a confirmation that the pup was his. He already knew that, he didn't need any more confirmation. 

"He's in class," Shouta reminded, gently scenting Izuku's curls again, bathing the boy in a mix of his family's scents. "He'll be home soon. In the meantime, do you wanna take off your scent patches?"

Izuku hesitated, pulling his wrists to his chest. "But-t I sm-mell bad-d," he murmured, ducking his head. "M-m-mam-ma s-said-d it's b-bad-d."

Shouta hummed, swallowing his anger at the claim. "Well, I don't think you'd smell bad. I'm sure you'd smell very nice. I really want to know what your scent is like. Can you show me?"

Was it manipulative to phrase it that way, as though the teen was doing him a favor? Yes. But it was manipulation for the boy's own good. An omega's own scent always acted as a comfort, and in another omega's nest, deep in his heat, he would need all the comfort he could get. 

If it would also bathe Shouta's nest in the scents of his entire family? Well, that was just an added bonus. 

The teen bit his lip, but slowly nodded, reaching to pry the patches from his wrist glands. 

Shouta watched him fumble for a moment, movements clumsy and sluggish with heat, before he huffed and just shoved his wrists toward the older omega with a pleading whine. 

Shouta huffed a small laugh, stepping forward and gently peeling the patches off before reaching for the ones on either side of the boy's neck, careful to keep his movements slow and telegraphed. 

The scent of an evergreen forest and rain, earthy and comforting, washed over the room, and Izuku's shoulders relaxed a bit, clearly pleased with the way the scents mixed together. 

He turned to Shouta again, stretching his arms out in the universal request to be held, and Shouta was quick to comply, scooping the pup into his arms and scenting him gently. He carried him into his and Hizashi's room, where his nest was. Zashi was waiting for them, seated on the edge of the bed, just outside the nest, and offering a crooked smile. His hair was down from its ridiculous style and put into a messy bun, glasses discarded, and wearing an oversized white shirt and black sweatpants. 

"Hey Shou," he greeted softly, turning his gaze to the younger omega, who was tucked close to his chest, nose buried in his scent gland. Zashi visibly softened as the teen's sweetened scent worked its way into the room, and he offered a small smile. "Do you want to change before getting the Little Listener settled in the nest? I can take him!" 

He hummed, jostling the boy a bit until he whined and leaned back to look at Shouta with big, betrayed eyes. "Sorry, Izuku," he murmured. "I have to change too. Do you think you can sit with Zashi?"

Izuku blinked at him, struggling to comprehend his words, before he tilted his head. "W-wit-th M-M-Mic-sen-nsei?"

He gave a fond huff, one he would deny if his husband ever spoke of it. "Yes, Problem Child, with Mic-sensei."

Izuku furrowed his brows a little but nodded easily. "Y-yea-ah, M-M-Mic-sen-sei is n-nic-ce, g-good-d al-lph-pha. Qu-quirk-k is V-V-Voic-ce, and it-ts s-sup-per c-cool, and he's-s n-numb-ber f-f-fourt-ty t-two, and he has-s t-the r-rad-dio, b-but he t-teac-ches-s t-too, and h-how-"

He smiled as the pup continued to mutter about how cool his husband was, stepping forward to deposit the boy in his husband's lap. Zashi seemed overjoyed at the turn of events, listening with rapt attention as Izuku absently rambled about his quirk and his multiple jobs.

Meanwhile, he changed into his favorite pink sweatpants and a loose black shirt. He took a moment to tie his hair into a low ponytail, then texted Toshi to tell him to come straight home after class. He hesitated a moment, knowing that Nedzu knew what was going on since he sent Zashi, but decided to still send him a quick text and ask the rat to start an investigation. He got an ominous smiley face that he did his best not to think about as he left the walk-in closet and rejoined the pair in their room. 

The pup seemed to have worn himself out, no longer rambling as he draped himself over Zashi's chest, and purring quietly. Zashi was running his hand through green curls, scenting the boy into a puddle of contented goo.

Shouta released a small, involuntary purr, drawing both sets of green eyes to him, and he gave a rare smile to the pair. "Alright, Problem Child, let's get you in the nest, yeah?"

The pup perked up, twisting in Hizashi's arms to reach for the older omega, earning himself twin chuckles from both of the adults in the room. Shouta made quick work of scooping him up and plopping him in the center of the nest, joining him quickly.

Shouta was not normally an affectionate person, but his family was an exception, so when the smaller omega latched onto his shirt and snuggled close, all he did was pull him closer and purr. And glare at his husband, who was quick to snap a picture. 

"M-M-Mic-sen-nsei," Izuku called, reaching one hand blindly in the alpha's direction. "Cud-dle? 'S c-cold-d."

Both of them knew that the boy wasn't cold, that it was the heat fever making him feel that way, but Zashi didn't have the heart to argue, instead crawling into the nest and wrapping himself around the pup. 

They cuddled quietly, scenting the teen in a way that was clearly proprietary, not that either of them cared. After learning what they had about the boy's mother, neither of them would let him go back to the woman, no matter what they had to do to prevent it. Izuku was theirs now, and it was best to make sure everyone else knew it. 

It shouldn't have surprised Shouta that, tired as he was, and now surrounded by his mate and newest pup, he fell asleep rather quickly. 

---

"Dad? Pops?" Toshi called, his voice startling Shouta from sleep.  A dull thud rang out, so he probably dropped his bag in the gehkan. "Dad said to come home. Where are you?"

He reluctantly pulled himself away from Izuku, turning the whining-but still asleep-pup to cuddle with his mate instead, and shuffled out of the room. 

By the time he reached the hallway, Toshi was already standing there, scenting the air with curious eyes. "Who's that?" 

"That is Izuku," Shouta huffed out a sigh, brushing his hair back from his face. "He...well, he's in heat, and we'll probably be adopting him once it's finished."

Toshi's eyes widened, examining Shouta like he was expecting a logical ruse which...was fair. But this wasn't a ruse, so he bore the scrutiny. After a moment, his son's eyes narrowed in thought, and he cast a glance at the cracked door to his and Zashi's room. 

"His mom," Toshi began, quiet and thoughtful. "It's his mom, right?"

"It is," Shouta confirmed, hiding his surprise, though he knew that the traces of it were in his scent. "How did you know that?"

"No one ever caught his scent, even after we moved into the dorms. Like, it wasn't even around the room, and we all started to get a little worried, you know? So, we asked him about it." Toshi gave a quiet huff, rubbing at the back of his neck. His scent was beginning to take on a sour undernote, one Shouta had learned to associate with his pup's anxiety. "He got crazy nervous and started mumbling about his mom, and smelling bad, and 'not allowed'. The others just thought he was being anxious, and I guess it could be that but...I don't know, it didn't feel right." Purple eyes glanced up at him, clearly nervous. "I should have told you but...but I was worried he would be mad at me and...it doesn't matter." He shook his head roughly. "I should have told you, and then-"

Shouta stepped forward, pulling Toshi into a tight hug and pushing out a soothing scent. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured, running a hand through gravity-defying locks. After a few moments, Toshi's scent evened out enough that Shouta felt it was safe to pull away, even if he kept his hands on his son's shoulders. "While I would have appreciated knowing about your concerns, it is not your responsibility. Your responsibility is to learn, not monitor your classmates. Do you understand?"

His pup gave a reluctant chuff of affirmation, even if he wouldn't meet his eyes. Shouta decided to accept it. He wanted to get both of his pups bundled up in the nest. He would remind Toshi that he wasn't responsible for the whole world later.

"Good," he praised, releasing his shoulders and ruffling his hair. "Now, go get in your pajamas and meet me in the nest."

They spent the next 3 days cuddling in the nest. The family constantly scented Izuku, which kept him content and docile throughout the heat. It didn't take long before the effects were seen. 

Within a day or so, 'Zawa-sensei' became 'Dad', 'Mic-sensei' became 'Pops', and 'Toshi' became 'Toshi-nii'. They were all riding the high of bonding, and it showed in the way they all sunk into their instincts. 

Shouta and Izuku seldom left, and never longer than it took to use the restroom, but Zashi and Toshi ventured out often to bring them food and water. They spoke few words, communicating mostly through whines, chuffs, purrs, and gestures. 

The rest of the family started to come out of it on the third day, though Izuku stayed blissfully under the influence of their combined, content scent. 

"He's ours now," Toshi murmured drowsily, Izuku cuddled into his chest, purring in his sleep. He blinked slowly, turning his gaze to his parents, who were bracketing the pair of pups. 

Shouta, who lay behind Toshi, glanced at his alpha, who was curled around Izuku. Their eyes met, and Shouta had no doubt that they were on the same wavelength, so he nuzzled into Toshi's hair with a soft purr. "Yeah, he's ours."

The thought made his inner omega purr. 

---