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They were promised to each other before they were even born.
Good friends since their childhood, ladies Bakugou and Kaminari swore to each other that they would join their families should they give birth to an omega-alpha pair. And not long after they were both married, lady Bakugou gave birth to a grumpy little alpha.
It took lady Kaminari a little longer, but when young Katsuki Bakugou was almost 3 years old, baby Denki Kaminari was born a happy little omega.
The two spend much of their time together when they are young, Katsuki a very serious and stubborn child, head already filled with dreams of becoming a soldier to join the king's army.
Young Denki was an energetic and carefree child, always looking to go on adventures and have fun playing.
As they got older it was rare for Denki to ever win at the games they played, and Katsuki was a sore winner no matter how much his mother scolded him, but it didn't seem to bother Denki in the slightest.
“Must be their second nature,” the staff gossiped. “They're falling into the usual pattern.”
“If my son tries to bully him I'll kick his ass,” Lady Bakugou grumbles as they watch Denki trip chasing after him.
“I'm sure he'll take good care of him,” Lady Kaminari says as she lifts her teacup to take a sip. Sure enough, as soon as Katsuki heard Denki hit the ground, he spun around and helped him up, brushing the dirt from his clothes and checking his knees and palms for cuts while lecturing him about watching where he walks and being careful.
When Katsuki is 12 he leaves to train as a soldier. Denki, only 10, writes to his friend constantly. He tells him what he spends his days doing, his own training for society as well as schooling. He tells him the fun he has when he's not being lectured, and ends every letter telling him he misses Katsuki and can't wait to hear all about his training.
These letters all go unanswered for several years.
💛~⚡️~💛
The postman smiles as 14 year old Kaminari rushes towards him. “Hello young sir Kaminari, a pleasure to see you.”
“Hello!” His smile is bright and happy, and he bounces in place to try and contain himself. “Can you please mail this letter for me?”
“Your weekly correspondence with the usual, I presume?”
“Yes please!”
The postman nods and takes the letter, noting how Kami lingers just a moment longer. “I only had one letter for your mother today, she's in the sitting room with Lady Bakugou.”
Slightly dejected but still keeping his chin up, Kaminari nods and says another quick thank you before bolting to the sitting room.
As he draws near, he can hear from where the doors are left ajar. “...and my swordplay has improved immensely. I'm ranked at the top of the class with a wide margin between me and second place, of course all that boy cares about is how he compares to the others.” Katsuki’s mother laughs before placing the letter down. “Why don't we go for a stroll in the garden? Listening to all the training my son is doing is making me antsy just sitting here.”
The two women slip out the doors arm in arm, chatting and laughing.
Kaminari eases his way into the room, his eyes glued to the letter they had been reading together. Once close enough, he skips straight to the bottom. In a precise handwriting completely unfamiliar to Kaminari is written “your son, Katsuki Bakugou.”
He slips out of the room and returns to his quarters before his mother and her friend can find him.
∘₊🧡───💥───🧡₊∘
“Bakugou, another love letter arrived from your omega!”
“Fuck off shitty hair, he isn’t my omega!”
Kirishima shrugs, still smiling as he hands the delicately folded letter to his friend. “Then maybe you should tell him that. He seems so dedicated to you, sending a letter every week.”
“Kacchan, have you ever replied to him?” Midoriya asks, sitting down across from them.
Bakugou grumbles, standing from his chair and snatching the letter. “Don’t butt your nose into my business, you damn nerd. Besides, why the fuck should I reply? I didn’t ask him to send me letters.
Shinso shakes his head in disapproval. “Hopefully someone better comes in and sweeps the poor guy off his feet. Someone so kind to the likes of you must be a saint.”
“Oh fuck you, I'm the best.” Bakugou storms off to his room, the letter from Denki shoved roughly in his pocket. He wouldn’t tell any of them, but his heart sped up every time a new letter arrived. Out of annoyance, of course. He was sick of getting all these fucking letters, he doesn’t know what to do with them anymore.
As the door to his room clicked shut, he turned his eyes to the small lockbox on his desk, which he knew if he opened would be full near to the brim of all of Denki’s other letters. He knew if he opened it he would smell that soft scent of rain on the wind, and could almost feel the wind he associates with an oncoming storm.
The letter in his hand has a different scent on it, but no less alluring to him. It smells almost metallic, like what he would imagine the air to smell of right before lightning would strike. Bakugou carefully opens it and as he reads, he realizes this is a very different letter. There is no greeting at the beginning, it just launches straight into an…apology.
An apology for his letters. An apology for assuming he wanted Denki to write him while he was gone. And a promise.
A promise not to write to him again unless he hears from Bakugou first.
He snarls, dropping the letter on the table. What the hell had changed? Last week's letter had smelled so happy and hopeful, telling him all about his life and that he missed -
He opens the box roughly, intent on locking this new letter away with the rest, to get the smell of Denki’s sadness away from him, but-
The inside of the box still smelled like Denki’s happiness. Bakugou paused for a moment, head tilted forward as he breathed deep. That familiar scent that brings him warmth during all the hard days of training, that scent that keeps him going when his anger and determination start to fail him.
He closes the box and locks it, the new letter sitting out on the top of his desk still.
He doesn’t want to contaminate the last happy thing he has with his own fuck ups.
But it won’t matter soon, Denki will realize that he’s wrong soon enough and keep writing to him.
∘₊💛───⚡️───💛₊∘
His 16th birthday comes and goes with little fanfare. Kaminari didn't want anything too big, but his mother still had all his favorite foods cooked, and let him skip lessons to spend the day outside painting.
Jirou had come over as well, gifting him a new volume of a series they both enjoy. Her own mother had yet to give up in trying to teach her how to be a proper omega in society, so her days were spent with much more schooling than Kaminari, so it was a miracle she was able to stop by at all on a Monday, one Kami was grateful for.
But he is surprised when, early Saturday morning, his mother is shaking him awake and demanding he get dressed, and “sweetie, wear that nice blue vest you have, please? It makes your waist look so small, and the color makes your hair and eyes stand out so nicely.”
So dressed a little nicer and much less comfortable than he would normally be for this early on a weekend, Kaminari piles into the coach with his mother and heads off to join her for her weekly tea with Katsuki’s mother.
He watches the scenery with a frown, thinking about all the gossiping he would be missing out on with Jirou. He always enjoyed all the news she seemed to have an endless amount of, although she still hasn't spilled where she got the info from. ‘Protecting her sources’, or some such nonsense.
But he rarely complained when they got to discuss which of the town's omega were vying desperately for which alpha's attention over tea. Sometimes when Jirou was feeling brave, she would complain to Kaminari about her pining after the gorgeous alpha next door, Yaoyarozu. Or the days she would indulge him as he spoke of his childhood friend and betrothed, whom she did not like but had learned not to bad mouth around the other omega.
And so as he stared at the other townsfolk milling around the city square as they neared the Bakugou's residence, Kaminari could help but wonder. What could be so important that mother wanted him to join her so badly?
💛~⚡️~💛
Katsuki’s mother is probably one of Kaminari's favorite people to be around, and it's not just because she practically raised him alongside his own mom. She is full of confidence, takes shit from no one, and isn't afraid to tell people exactly what she thinks of them. It helps that she adores Kami and his mother, because it seems they are the only two people she knows besides her husband that she is always kind to.
And after seeing the screaming matches she called affection between her and Katsuki before he left for training, he's glad her displays of affection for himself are squeezing his cheek and kind words.
“You'll have to get used to handling people with a sharp tongue,” Lady Bakugou tells him, stirring her tea (that Kaminari thinks has alcohol mixed into it, but has been unable to confirm so far). “My son certainly has a hard time expressing affection, you'll need to be able to handle his…more aggressive attempts at flattery.”
“Nonsense, young Katsuki has always had a soft spot for Denki,” his mother giggles, reaching over to smooth his hair down. “You saw how gently he always treated him. And I'm sure he is hard at work growing up while he's gone, just like Denki has been. They'll be just fine.”
Kaminari sips from his tea cup, knowing he doesn't need to weigh in on this. His mother and her best friend have a habit of talking endlessly about their marriage arrangements, always speculating on how Katsuki will behave and the kind of family they are going to raise together.
Privately, Kaminari thinks Katsuki will be a sweet mate, if shy. He's the type of person to honor his duty above all else, but Kami also knows he has a soft side. Sometimes when he lays in bed at night, he pictures what their reunion will look like. He imagines how tall Katsuki would be, likely muscular from all the training. He'll show up with flowers as a gift, or maybe jewelry. As unlikely as it would be, Kaminari hopes he'll bring him books from the capital, if he remembers him writing about his love for stories before…
He takes a deep breath, disguising it as smelling the aromatic tea. He does his best to temper his expectations, considering his betrothed has never acknowledged the letters he used to send.
💛~⚡️~💛
By the time there’s a commotion at the front door, Kaminari thinks he is well on his way to discovering how to sleep with his eyes open. Listening to his mother and her close friend chat for so many hours had been sweet at first, but had quickly grown dull. The sounds from the front door draw his attention, and he glances to the door leading to the hall. He thinks he hears one of the maids say, “in the drawing room,” and then footsteps are making their way closer.
Lady Bakugou stands, looking excited, and his mother places a hand on his thigh, squeezing. She looks just as excited as her friend, and Kaminari wonders if this is why they came over today.
He finally understands when Katsuki walks through the door, his coat tailored perfectly to accentuate his broad shoulders and muscular chest, pants tight to show off the strength in his legs. It’s almost embarrassing how much self control it takes Kaminari not to submit to his instincts in that moment and bare his neck to the powerful alpha. If he hadn’t already been sitting, Kami’s knees may have given out from under him.
And as the alpha walks forward with a purpose, so many familiarities jump out at Kaminari. Katsuki walks with a new-found confidence and ease that had been only just starting to bud when they were kids, it’s with a single-minded focus that he remembers seeing every day growing up together. His hair has kept its tousled appearance, and from experience Kaminari knew that it was soft to the touch.
But the most familiar part, the thing Kami saw in his dreams most nights, were those piercing red eyes. They were honed in on Lady Bakugou as he strode across the room, his focus not wavering from her. Kaminari is equally upset that his finance and childhood friend was not turning to acknowledge him, while also grateful that it gave him a moment to compose himself as he stands up alongside his mother with shaky legs.
“Hello, mother,” Katsuki greets, bowing as she curtsies back.
“Took you long enough to come home for a visit,” Lady Bakugou replies, the same vicious grin that Kami saw on Katsuki in their youth as he was dragged into something mischievous with the alpha. “At least you had the good sense to send notice ahead of time.”
“I wanted to discuss something important with you,” he says, cutting right to the chase.
Familiar, comfortable, home. Kaminari’s blood sings the longer the alpha is in the same room as him, his scent overwhelming in the best way possible. His mother next to him grips Kami’s arm gently, her excitement clear in the smile on her face.
“Of course you do brat, always so impatient,” Lady Bakugou scolds, but she looks oddly proud. “Tell me what it is that you needed to discuss so urgently.”
“I want you to call off my engagement.”
The room drops into an icy silence, and all of a sudden the hand his mother has on his arm is the only thing keeping Kaminari standing. Every bit of comfort, of familiarity that had Kami feeling like he would float away with happiness comes crashing down around him, dropping a cold pit into his stomach even as his face heats with a feeling he cannot name.
“You want to what.” Lady Bakugou snarls, her face void of her earlier excitement, an angry pinch in her brow as she glares at her son.
“I want you to call off my engagement. I have a life and career in the capital, and cannot let ties to this town get in the way of my aspirations there.” Katsuki stands tall, his arms crossed and defiant to his mothers anger. “Besides, I’ve had a chance to meet so many new people. I want to be able to choose my own future, and mate with someone I want.”
Lady Bakugou is speechless, a rare occurrence, and Katsuki seems to take advantage of that. He turns back to the door, telling her, “I must go wash up before dinner.” He catches sight of Kaminari and his mother and pauses for but a second to bow his head, not even verbally acknowledging them before he spins and storms out of the room, heading toward the stairs.
In that brief second of eye contact, Kaminari realizes that the red eyes he had been seeing in his dreams, that he remembers fondly from his childhood, were nowhere to be found. There wasn’t a spec of the brusk yet kind boy he grew up alongside inside the cold, determined adult that had blown through the room like a storm, there and gone before he could even process the damage left behind.
The silence of the room is broken by Lady Bakugou, swearing in a most civilized way. That seems to unfreeze his own mother, whose hand comes up to rest on his shoulder. “Denki, dear…”
He turns to his mother, who he knows has been aware of his infatuation with his betrothed despite his absence, and takes a steadying breath before requesting in a voice far more steady than he expected, “I think I would like to return home.” He can see the heartbreak reflected in his mother’s eyes, the wonderful woman that had raised him, had cried alongside him with every scraped knee, that cheered for every bit of progress at his studies. She cares so deeply for him, and he thinks privately to himself it’s good that at least one person was capable of mourning his engagement. Because right now, he’s not feeling much of anything.
“Of course sweetheart, we’ll be on our way.” His mother turns to her friend and says her goodbyes, and Kaminari braces himself for Lady Bakugou’s anger when she turns to him next.
But her entire countenance shifts to something softer, reaching forward to hug him. “I am so sorry Denki, you can be sure I will be having words with that unruly son of mine.”
When she releases him he merely nods, turning to follow his mother out of the room. Waiting for them out front of the house is their carriage, which he climbs into through muscle memory alone, allowing it to carry him home, away from the Bakugou residence.
🧡~💥~🧡
As the door to his bedroom shuts, Bakugou lets his shoulders drop into a slouch. He hadn't expected Denki and his mother to be in his living room when he came home, but he supposes nothing the hag pulls should shock him any more.
He starts to remove his outerwear, stepping over to his wardrobe before he sees movement outside. A glance down below shows Lady Kaminari guiding Denki to the carriage, and Bakugou notes the blank look and slight slump to his shoulders.
He lets out a huff and spins away from the window. It’s not his problem anymore, the little omega will get over it soon. Besides, he has more important things to worry about, like the woman practically kicking down his door as she storms into his room in a flurry of fury.
“And just what in the fuck was that, Katsuki?! You’ve been gone for a few years, and you lose all manners and sense?! I have half a mind to refuse you returning to the capital!”
“I am an adult now, you cannot stop me from returning,” Bakugou growls, widening his stance as he prepares to fight with his mother. “And it would have been perfectly fine if you had not tried to surprise us all by having them over when I returned.”
“I figured you would be excited to see him!” His mother snaps, running a hand through her hair that is so similar to Bakugou’s own. “When you left, the two of you had been so close. I don’t understand how that could change.”
“I demand the right to be able to choose whom I marry, mother.” He does not balk at the look of fury in her eyes. “I want the chance to marry for love as you and father did. I have met so many people in my time at the capital, and I believe that many of them would be a better match for me than the scrawny little omega that has never taken a single thing seriously his entire life!”
“I will remind you that you were not the only one doing some growing up in your time away,” his mother snarls. “The little Denki you remember has been doing a lot of maturing while you were gone, and it might just surprise you.”
Bakugou rolls his eyes. “How much growing up could he have done when all his letters barely gained an ounce of originality or thought.”
His mother’s face grows red in her anger. “He’s been writing to you?”
“Was. Past tense. It stopped a while ago.”
“Dear god, you brat. Of course he stopped, because he must have seen one of the letters you wrote me and realized you were ignoring him. No wonder he withdrew into himself a few years ago.” His mother sighs, rubbing her face, eyes squeezed shut as if she can barely stand to look at him. “You broke his heart. And then you come back and stomp on it further?!”
“He shouldn’t be such a hopeless romantic then!” Bakugou snaps, his own handle on his anger slipping the more his mother yells at him. “These kinds of arrangements only work out in fairytales. This is real life, if he has to learn the hard way then so be it.”
His mothers hands drop from her face, and she stares at him with a level of disappointment that he almost takes a step back. “I cannot wait to see you learn your lesson, you brat. Denki deserves better than the likes of you.” He flinches slightly at that, but his mother is already walking to the door.
“I’ll call off the engagement with his family, but know that I do not do it to give you what you want, but to save poor Denki from being stuck with someone that does not appreciate him.” She sighs as she steps into the hallway. “I expected better of you.”
The silence left behind in the room as the door gently closes is deafening.
∘₊💛───⚡️───💛₊∘
His 18th birthday comes and goes with little fanfare.
The only people that make a big deal of it are his mother and Jirou, both of whom understand his desire to keep the spotlight of the public off of him. It’s been two years since the engagement was called off, and Kaminari was forced back into the marriage market.
Lady Bakugou tried to do her best when calling off the engagement to make it sound like it was a mutual decision based on Bakugou and Kaminari growing apart while he was gone, but no one in the town believed it. Rumors had spread like wildfire, people trying to piece together what was so wrong with Kaminari that it would cause their families, who have been close for decades, to call it off.
Being on the marriage market became the most difficult thing for Kaminari, especially since he had never truly prepared for it. The secured marriage with an alpha from a good family had always meant his mother went easier on him in his etiquette classes, although that did not make him a slob. However, he was not well-versed in how to flirt or banter with an alpha he is trying to marry, and so he found himself falling into awkward silences more often than not when he was chatting with an interested party.
The one place he made up for it was dancing. Most alpha would ask him to dance, even if they were not interested, simply because Kaminari drew so many eyes when he spun on the dance floor. More than the beauty he had inherently was a blossoming attractiveness when he smiled and laughed. No matter his partner, he always found a reason to smile as he moved through each step and slide, every note flowing through him.
But as soon as the song ended, his tongue didn’t move as smoothly as his feet, and the person he danced with would wander off to find someone else.
His sole supporters, outside of his mother and Lady Bakugou, were Jirou and her betrothed, Yaomomo. Luckily, Yaomomo and her family were powerful enough that Jirou’s close ties to Kaminari did not smear or ruin their engagement, because Jirou had told him privately that while she had the biggest crush on the alpha, her marriage came second after her childhood friend. And Kami wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had not only ruined his own happy ending, but Jirou’s as well.
Kaminari walked with Jirou arm in arm down the path next to the lake, watching the small pop-up market that had come into town for the week. It was a great moment to get out in front of society, and his mother had made sure to bring him along with her as she and Lady Bakugou shopped together. The two friends always made it a point to hang out in public, where people could not lie and say the ending of the engagement ruined their friendship.
Anything they could do to remove the ammo the other mama’s used against Kami, they tried.
Yet still, the whispers followed him.
“Something must be wrong with the omega.”
“Their families must be hiding some kind of scandal, why else would they call it off?”
“A shame the whole thing ran the young Bakugou out of the town, he would be a perfect match for my daughter.”
Jirou’s arm tightens in the crook of his elbow. “Bunch of ignorant assholes,” she whispers, making it a point to glare at the mama’s not bothering to whisper.
Kaminari kept his head held high, ignoring the words altogether. “Don’t pay them any mind, it hardly matters what they say.” Soon enough, he would be leaving anyway. His mother and him had discussed it just this morning, a childhood friend of her and Lady Bakugou had moved to the capital from their town after meeting an influential captain, and she had reached out asking the two of them to come and visit for a few months. Their families were welcome to join.
And so they packed up all of Kaminari’s nicest clothes, with a promise from his father that they would be finding a seamstress at the capital to get him a few new outfits in the style they were wearing there, and tomorrow they would get into a carriage for a trip that would take them several days.
“I’m going to miss you,” Jirou whispers, the only other person aware of their impending departure. “I’m sorry it’s become so…hostile for you here.”
“It’s not your fault, and it hasn’t been that bad,” Kami sends her a smile, her face doubtful in reply. “You’re always a highlight, and that’s really all I need.”
“I hope that you know I consider you a close friend as well,” Yaomomo says as she approaches the two of them, her own smiling gaze darting back and forth between the two of them. “Jirou is not the only one that will miss you.”
“Momo,” Jirou greets, she and Kami curtsying. “I did not know you were coming today.”
“I snuck away from my responsibilities to see you both.” She grins at them mischievously. “I was hoping to treat you both to lunch.”
“Thank you Yaomomo, but I think I will be joining my mother and Lady Bakugou. You and Jirou can eat without me, if you don’t mind?” Jirou pouts up at him, but he gives her a smile. He doesn’t want to intrude on their dates, especially when it’s so important for them to grow closer before their impending nuptials.
“Of course, but I beg that you tell us the moment you return home. I want to have you over to our home, it should be done construction by the time you next visit.” Yaomomo insists. Kaminari nods readily, impressed that Momo had already planned out a house and undergone the building of it before she had even asked Jirou for her hand. It made him happy, to see that the alpha Jirou is marrying is just as in love with her as the omega is with them.
He knows his friend sometimes feels guilty, having something that Kaminari had thought he would have as well. That’s why in front of her, and especially his mother, he never cries. He saves his tears for the nights, when he is alone in bed and no one can watch him crumble.
“Well I have to come back once it’s done being built, I wouldn’t want to miss your wedding.” Kaminari says, smiling for real when he sees how excited Jirou looks at that thought. They would have married each other right away had it not been for the construction of their home, which Momo had insisted on completing first. She wants to show how she can provide for her omega, and the family they want to start.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Jirou agrees.
They say their goodbyes and Kaminari goes to meet his mother and Lady Bakugou, seeing them standing by a booth nearby. It’s always worse when he’s alone out and about in society, the whispering and comments. People always seem so much more brave, approaching and asking questions when he’s alone. But Kaminari has done a lot in these past two years to make himself faultless. Beyond the fact that he is not great at making conversation, mostly due to the hostile nature everyone brings to their interactions.
But other than that, Kaminari has shaved away anything someone could find fault in him with. People may talk about him for his failed engagement, but he made damn sure that was the only thing they would be able to fault him for. His etiquette has been perfected, his confidence, while mostly faked, cannot be questioned, and his posture is excellent. When around those that are kind to him, his social graces are beyond measure, and he had taken to the more creative engagements with a passion.
He knows all of these things, and those around him cannot speak ill of him for any of those qualities. He has limited them to speculation and hearsay, which makes it much more difficult to mark him as a social pariah.
But once they arrive at the capital, none of this will matter. He will not be followed by whispers, he will not be subjected to stares and laughs at his expense. He will have the opportunity to meet eligible alphas and betas, because none of them will know the baggage he comes with. The rumors will not spoil his chances there.
And maybe, just maybe, he can find what Jirou and Momo have. Maybe someone will look at him like he’s hung the stars in the sky, like he’s their whole world.
Maybe there, he can find love.
🧡~💥~🧡
Bakugou receives the news not in a letter, but from one of his fellow officers in the king's guard.
Graduation from their classes at the royal military academy had happened around Bakugou’s 19th birthday, his parents coming out alongside those of his classmates to witness their achievements. Bakugou’s relationship with his mother has been stilted since his trip home to break the engagement, but he tries not to let that get to him when it comes to his accomplishments.
He made his choice, and his mother is allowed to feel however she wants about it. At the end of the day, he is the one with the power over his future now, as it should be.
So when he hears from Midoriya that his visit to his family home to see Lady Midoriya was met with a nice reunion with his mother, Bakugou sighs and dresses in something nicer than his officers clothes, and makes his way across the city.
The Midoriya household is familiar with Bakugou since he’s begrudgingly friends with the green-haired beta, ever since they started their classes together, so they let him inside without asking the lady of the house for permission.
“Everyone is in the drawing room,” the housekeeper tells him, taking his coat and gesturing down the hall.
Bakugou is surprised by the assortment of scents as he draws closer, hearing the soft chattering of a group larger than he was expecting. It’s a pain, he was hoping to only have to deal with his mother and Lady Midoriya, but it’s to be expected that they have guests over to see his mother. She’s a social butterfly, and probably has many friends from the years she spent visiting the capital in her youth.
One of the scents stands out from the others, more alluring and drawing him in the closer he gets. He can also scent his mother and Lady Midoriya, familiar and comforting, as well as a few others, likely the staff. But he marches forward with a confidence that has only grown over the years, the ease with which he deals with people growing the older he gets.
So he’s expecting an easy time, a few ‘hello’s and ‘nice to meet you’s while he pays his mother the visit she is due while in the area, and then he can leave. He follows his nose and the mysterious scent to the drawing room, he steps through the door and pauses to assess the small group gathered.
His mother is flanked by her two closest friends, the kind lady Midoriya, who looks so similar to her son and is just as quick to cry as he is, seeing as she has happy tears on her face. And to his mothers other side is someone Bakugou remembers so well from his childhood, Lady Kaminari.
The realization sends some strange feeling tracing through his chest, and his eyes quickly dart to the others in the room. A few of the staff stand ready, and on the other side of the room, sitting at a chair sipping from a delicate cup of tea, is Denki Kaminari himself.
Bakugou cannot help the way his eyes take in this new version of his childhood friend. His skin is still as fair and blemish-free as he remembers, but he looks much more delicate now. His wrists are so small from where they peek out from his lace gloves, his waist looks petite and hips full, given the silhouette his dress gives, with some help from Bakugou's vivid imagination.
His eyes travel up over the intricately embroidered bodice, ravenous for the view of the slender neck leading up to push lips, a cute nose, and those sparkling golden eyes he remembers so fondly.
As one of the staff announces him, and everyone in the room's gaze moves to the door to take him in, Bakugou watches how the happy, peaceful look on Denki's face changes as his eyes meet Bakugou's.
There is a moment of surprise, and Bakugou has the pleasure of witnessing how quickly and efficiently the omega from his childhood can assess a situation, for the moment he laid eyes on Bakugou the surprise lasted only a second before beautiful golden eyes lost the sparkle of amusement they had, turning steely and sharp, glaring at the alpha from across the room.
“Katsuki,” his mother greets, walking over to him.
“Mother,” he bows, watching the other women curtsy alongside her. “Lady Kaminari, Viscountess Midoriya.” After greeting everyone he turns to Denki - to greet him as an equal or just stare and drool, he does not know - but Denki saves him from embarrassing himself by snapping open the fan clutched in his hands.
“If you all would excuse me, I find myself in need of some fresh air,” a nasty glare shot at Bakugou, “all of a sudden.”
Bakugou can see Lady Kaminari give her son a small nod from his peripheral vision, but he barely acknowledges it as Denki Kaminari sweeps past him, the tantalizing scent he had followed almost overwhelming him, although the room clearly takes note of the sour turn it has taken. He glides out the glass doors and into the garden, taking a walk through the hedges and flowers while fanning himself gently.
Not bothering to take his eyes off the omega, Bakugou feels his mother come to stand next to him, as she watches her friend stand next to the door and sadly watch after her son. “I knew you would choke when you saw the wonderful young man he would grow into, but I didn’t think I would be blessed enough to be present and see it with my own eyes.”
“Shut it, hag.”
“Do you plan on staying and ruining our welcome dinner as well?”
Bakugou tears his gaze away from the vision pacing in the gardens to look at his mother. She is not being mean, but honest. It was no secret to the people in the room that Bakugou made Denki furious simply by being in the same room; and now that Bakugou had come to visit, it was up to him as to whether or not he would stay and make Denki furious for the rest of the evening.
“I did not plan on staying long today,” he agrees, and his mother starts walking back to the entrance hall of the home, seeming to take that as an invitation to see him out sooner rather than later. “I will come calling again soon.”
Lady Bakugou shoots him a piercing gaze full of motherly disappointment. “If you fuck things up for him in this city, I will personally kill you on my friends behalf.”
“I will do no such thing,” Bakugou says, mind already thinking back to how much growing up Denki had been doing while Bakugou was off doing his own maturing. “See you soon.”
🧡~💥~🧡
Over the next few weeks, like a moth drawn to flame, Bakugou would return to the Midoriya household. But each time he entered a room Denki was in, the omega would excuse himself, not bothering to hide from their friends or families that he was avoiding the insistent alpha. Not one to be deterred by a little gruff treatment, Bakugou had eyes for nothing else happening, but he could see the way his mother snickered in delight at it. She enjoyed seeing him regret his actions from his younger years.
But those actions did not need to stop him from getting what he wanted now. Clearly Denki had adored him when they were young, so even if those emotions had faded, and he assumed not considering hate isn't too different from love, it should not be difficult to get the omega to change his tune.
Confidence was something Bakugou had in spades, so he had no doubt in his mind that he could win his childhood friend over.
That is, until Lady Kaminari stepped in.
On one of the many days Bakugou slipped into the sitting room, Denki sits at the pianoforte playing a hauntingly beautiful tune as several people stop their conversations to watch. He paints a serene and peaceful picture, swaying slightly as the music moves through him, travels to the tips of his fingers and flows into the room around them. The glow of the sunlight coming through the window, falling onto his head and shoulders creates a beautiful halo around him, his face in gentle shadow as his blonde hair glows.
His smile radiates a content happiness, and Bakugou can tell that there are few other places that Denki would want to be other than letting this music be an extension of himself. It’s that peace, the small, genuine smile, that makes Bakugou’s breath stutter in his chest. A warmth blooms there, which feels almost nostalgic in a way. He doesn’t feel a desire growing in him from the looks Denki has grown into, which he is loath to admit was a good bit of his attraction to the omega thus far. But rather it’s a warmth that begs he take Denki by the hand, ask how he learned this song, and what it means to him. The desire to provide and protect inflated inside his chest at the sight of that soft smile.
It was all at once wholly unfamiliar, and yet at the same time felt like coming home.
With the grace of a queen, Denki finishes the piece, smiling and accepting the praises of those gathered. Once the adulation dies down, he does not even deign to turn and look at where Bakugou stands in the room, simply opening a lace fan to create a gentle breeze against his face and chest as the omega excuses himself out into the garden, his handmaid trailing behind him.
Bakugou watches as he goes, and has half a mind to follow after him, if only to keep this comforting warmth in his chest from vanishing in his absence.
“He has worked hard to be exactly what society expects of an omega his age.”
He glances to his side, where Lady Kaminari had approached without him so much as noticing while distracted by her son. He gives her an acknowledging nod. “You’ve clearly raised him well.”
“Oh, it had nothing to do with me.” Bakugou turns to her fully now, confused. When she does not reply, he gestures for her to continue. “You broke something in him that day, Katsuki. The spite and determination to prove himself as worthy, despite what the ton says about him, has made the omega you see today.”
A sudden cold replaces any warmth that had been growing while watching Kaminari’s performance. Dread, unlike anything he had experienced previously, creeps into him as he asks, “what has been said about him?”
She levels him with an unimpressed stare. It’s disconcerting, having a woman that once was like a second mother to him, looking at him with such disappointment, and above all else, with a deep sadness. It made something uncomfortable shift inside him. “I do not care how impressed you are with how he has grown. I look at you and all I can see are his endless tears. Tears that you caused.” Her eyes do not waver as she stares him down, and does not show an ounce of pity as Bakugou processes the weight of her words. “I don’t ask you to treat him kindly now that he is here in the capital, but I ask you to leave him be. Just stay away and let him have a chance to spread his wings.” She turns to look at the door Kami had disappeared through. “I just want to hear his laugh once more.”
Before even waiting for an answer, Lady Kaminari sweeps away, leaving Bakugou with a growing sense of unease and something else he had never had to put a name to before. Something he had not felt since he was a young pup and broke one of his mothers vases while rushing about the house. Guilt.
While he may not have had time to think of them in recent years, some of his fondest childhood memories have Denki laughing in them. One of his biggest regrets at the time he broke off the engagement was that he would no longer be friends with the omega, because although he hadn’t wanted to be engaged to him, he had still wanted to be close. Back then he blamed his parents for the rift he knew would grow between them, but now he realizes he should have just waited. Patience, it seems, is not one of his virtues.
Confusion and negative emotions swirl inside of Bakugou’s chest in place of the warmth from a moment ago. He glances around the comfortable room full of friendly faces and realizes he is actively ruining this for Denki. Perhaps…perhaps he should give him some space. To enjoy the capital a bit before Bakugou tries to monopolize his time. He can change his tactics, let the omega come to him first. This whole patience thing can’t be that difficult.
Feeling a bit like a scolded dog leaving with its tail between its legs, Bakugou turns around and sweeps back out the entrance where he came through only a few moments ago.
He does not return to the Midoriya household for well over a fortnight.
∘₊💛───⚡️───💛₊∘
At first, Kaminari wondered why Bakugou no longer haunted the Midoriya household each day, but quickly shook himself free of such curiosities. Clearly Bakugou had not changed in all these years, and only had a passing fancy due to Kami’s looks. And after consistently ignoring the alpha, he must have either taken the hint or decided the omega was not worth the effort, and had given up.
Which was all the better for Kaminari, although he hopes Bakugou will not go around telling people bad things about him. He has never known Bakugou to be unnecessarily cruel, outside the day he broke the engagement, so he does not think he will. But a small voice inside him worries that perhaps he does not know his childhood friend at all…
His breath trembles at that thought, but he shakes his head in disappointment. It doesn’t matter if he knows Bakugou well or not, the only thing that matters is the alpha staying out of his way while he finds himself a mate.
And he is going to put his every effort into finding a mate this season. He will find someone kind, from a good family, that will care for him and allow him to indulge in some of his favorite pastimes. He will run his household, maybe be hostess for a ball or events in his home, and someday, have their children.
Nothing is going to stop him from achieving the future he wants.
“You look lovely, dearest,” his mother greets as Lady Midoriya claps in joy.
“Lovely does not even begin to cover it! You are a vision,” the short, green-haired woman gushes, rushing forward to pat his cheeks gently. “You simply must meet my son, Izuku. Even if the two of you do not hit it off as more than friends, he has some very handsome friends he can introduce you to.”
“I hope those friends are all from good families?” Lady Bakugou inputs, giggling lightly as Lady Midoriya nods emphatically.
“Of course! My Izuku does not consort with anyone of questionable background.”
Kaminari gives her a placating smile. “Lady Bakugou jests, I’m positive that your son is the spitting image and character of his mother, and have no doubt he handles himself and his affairs with the same care you do.”
Lady Midoriya gives his cheek a soft pat before leading everyone out front to the carriages, where Kaminari’s first venture into the marriage mart of the capital awaits him.
Sat next to his mother, knee bouncing with nerves under the skirt of his dress, his mother takes his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to be great.” He returns her smile and takes a deep breath, allowing the muscles in his body to relax as he exhales.
“You’re right.”
∘₊🧡───💥───🧡₊∘
The last place he wanted to be was at half-and-half’s birthday ball, but Midoriya and Kirishima had ganged up and convinced him to go. And as much as he didn’t want to attend, he was…curious to see who else was going to attend.
He didn’t have to wait long to have his answer.
The ball is being held at a lakeside pavilion, the lake surrounded by lamps with colored paper, and some attendants of the Todoroki family paddling around the lake with even more lamps to make the surface of the water sparkle beautifully. On the lakeside there are tents with tables of beverages and food, along with seating. The dancefloor is well-lit by more lamplight, and large enough for everyone that would like to dance.
Bakugou can feel the ripple of curiosity move across the room when the group enters. Fashionably late, as his mother always likes. However the women he has known since his childhood are not who the crowd is focused on at that moment.
Tucked between Ladies Kaminari and Midoriya, Denki Kaminari glows. He holds himself well, a pleasant but not overeager smile on his face. Bakugou has seen omega with half his beauty hold court and demand attention, but Denki keeps himself in check, demure and soft as he sweeps into the party with a youthful glow to his cheeks.
The dress he wears reflects the light of the candles beautifully, as if the seamstress had planned the fabric for a party exactly like this one. Knowing his own mother, she must have known what would be at the party and planned this herself. If there was anyone in this world the Lady Bakugou wanted to spoil, it was her dear best friend and her omega son.
Denki’s neck is bare, like all unmated omega to help their scents be open to entice an alpha or beta, his dress showing an appropriate amount of skin but still making Bakugou feel hot under the collar. His heart skips a beat as he watches his childhood friend glide across the pavilion with a grace few others have so effortlessly, the warmth from standing in the Midoriya sitting room watching him play pianoforte expanding in his chest once more.
There was no more perfect moment to step forward and take his hand, offering a dance before sweeping him off to the romantically-lit floor as the 8-piece quartet starts up a song. Bakugou took a deep breath, thinking of what he would say before taking a step forward to make his way to him.
And just as he is approaching the group, he realizes that the setting they are in imposes multiple challenges. First, it will be quite embarrassing to be ignored by the most beautiful omega at the party in front of his peers. And second, his peers are also noticing the most beautiful omega at the party. Third, those peers do not have the same complicated history making them hesitate before approaching.
Several familiar faces step forward to introduce themselves to Denki before Bakugou even crosses half the space between them. Alpha he barely recognizes, and some friends from his unit, bow and introduce themselves. For all the anger that bubbles up in Bakugou’s chest at his missed opportunity, even he can recognize the grace with which Kami handles all the sudden attention.
He makes eye contact with each man, and ensures they all have a chance to add their names to his dance card when asked. He keeps his smile polite, his attention rapt but not overly so. He remains interested, but allows his attention to bounce around, making sure no one feels left out.
And although he knows those are all good qualities, and it makes him realize what a good partner Denki will be, that realization does not help the ugly feeling growing in his chest as he watches Shinso lead Kami to the dance floor.
A smaller voice in the back of his head watches how…restrained Denki is, and his instincts scream that it’s wrong, somehow. The lack of brightness that Bakugou remembers from their childhood, the smiles so large he could see practically all of his teeth, flashing the small omega fangs that had barely grown in before Bakugou was sent off to school. There is no bounce in the omega’s step, even as he keeps perfect tempo with the song.
It’s all too perfect. The words from Lady Kaminari echo in his head, exactly what society expects of an omega his age. And he can sympathize with her for the first time, when he realizes there may be a very short list of things he would not do to see Denki smile, not a pretty one meant for the suitors and marriage mart, but a real smile. Something closer to what he remembers from their childhood, just on a much older, prettier face.
And something dark continues to build inside Bakugou’s chest the longer he watches, as one dance ends and another begins. As Kirishima flirts with Denki, who smiles and flirts back, his eyelashes batting demurely as he hides behind a lace fan and giggles.
For a moment Bakugou makes a promise to himself not to approach Denki in such a public place, but as he watches the omega excuse himself for refreshments, he cannot help but follow after him into an empty tent full of drinks and snacks.
In his head, his first conversation with Denki after such a long break will be romantic and witty, something that will make his childhood friend laugh and realize they got off on the wrong foot after so many years apart. In reality, as is usually the issue, Bakugou is incapable of conveying what is in his head through the words that leave his mouth. Even worse, he typically manages to convey the opposite.
💛~⚡️~💛
“Enjoying yourself tonight?”
Kaminari quickly lowers the glass from his lips, swallowing the lemonade in a rush before turning to see who entered the tent. It takes him a moment after being spun so much on the dancefloor and with such dim, intimate lighting to realize the guest is the last person he wanted to see.
“I did not expect to speak with you tonight.” Kaminari greets coldly, taking another sip merely to do something with his hands.
“And I didn’t expect to see you holding court with so many different alpha,” Bakugou practically growls, stepping inside and up close to Kaminari, who has to pull his glass back against his chest to keep from brushing against Bakugou. The alpha reaches around him to grab a glass for himself, giving Kami a small salute before taking a sip. “Looks like the night isn’t going how either of us planned.”
Slightly shocked, Kaminari steps out from between the alpha and table behind him. “And what did you expect? I am here to marry, of course I am open to being introduced to all the eligible alphas and betas in attendance tonight.”
Bakugou frowns. “I didn’t stop coming by to let you forget me and run around with other alpha, I was giving you space until you were comfortable enough to come and find me.”
Kaminari scoffs, placing the glass down with a clack. “Me? Come and find you? Why on earth would I do such a thing as to belittle myself to find you when there are plenty of other alpha here to divert my attention?”
A growl grows in Bakugou’s chest as he corners Kaminari again against the table once more, his empty glass forgotten on the table next to Kami’s. “All it takes is a few alpha paying you attention and you’re creaming yourself?”
“It’s being treated like a human fucking being, Bakugou!” He snarls, still trying to keep his voice low so as to not be overheard as he shoves the alphas shoulder to push him back, realizing quickly that he is unable to move that solid wall of muscle, bouncing back against the table behind himself. “For years I’ve had to put up with being the scandal of the ton, having people wonder what could possibly be so wrong with me that you would call off our engagement with such a spectacle.” He does his best to choke down the emotions that come alongside admitting that, hating the way his voice quivers slightly.
But even in the face of an angry alpha, even when he wants to crumble at his feet, he carries on. “But no one here knows me! No one knows me and for once that means no dirty looks, no mama’s laughing at my expense, and now I’m actually an option for people to desire. No one is going to judge the man that mates me, because the decision doesn’t come with the damaged label you gave me.” He turns to squeeze past Bakugou and to escape through the tent entrance. “So excuse me for creaming myself when a proper alpha shows me some respect.”
Bakugou snarls again, grabbing Kami’s arm and yanking the omega back against his chest where it vibrates in anger. “And what the fuck do you mean by proper alpha?”
Not backing down, Kami bares his own smaller fangs and snarls right back at Bakugou. “I mean that you wouldn’t know decorum or how to behave in polite society if it bit you in the ass. You ruined my life once, what on earth could I have done that would make you hate me so that you want to ruin my life twice??”
Sneering, Bakugou leans back to look Kami over properly. “Maybe I just want to save them the trouble of being shacked up with a smart-ass like you.”
“A smart-ass like me? Which is a treatment only you receive from me, and only after the abuse I’ve been through, but you just choose not to see it.” Sarcasm drips from his lips as the words pour forth, unable to stop them now that he’s started. “Poor Bakugou, subjected to my affection and attention when we were younger. How terrible it must have been, for your betrothed to adore you so. Surely I don’t know how you even survived the suffering I must have put you through.” Omega claws slash at the back of Bakugou’s hand, causing him to flinch and pull back, letting go of Kami’s arm. “Do not touch me like you know me, Sir Bakugou.” He spits his name like poison. “I don’t want to sully myself with the likes of you.”
With that Kaminari lets himself back out from behind the tent, continuing on his way where everyone else is gathered right where he left them.
🧡~💥~🧡
“God dammit…” Bakugou whispers, rubbing his eyes in frustration. He acted like a child, getting so easily baited by obvious plays to get him angry and jealous. And it fucking worked… Way to show he has not matured at all over his years away. Fucking useless piece of-
Now Denki is angrier than ever, and worse, is determined to find a mate in someone else. Someone that isn’t Bakugou. His alpha snarls at that.
“You shut up, your pride is what got us in this situation to begin with,” Bakugou snarls softly, picking up Denki’s lemonade and finishing it off.
He steps back outside the tent to watch where Tetsutetsu is leading Denki to the dance floor, furious at the dusting of blush across those soft, pale cheeks.
Bakugou doesn’t say goodbye to anyone as he leaves the party.
∘₊🧡───💥───🧡₊∘
It turns out that Midoriya is the only one able to put two and two together, and realize who Kaminari is to Bakugou. A combination of frequently being the one to bring the mail for the group and recognizing the name, alongside visiting his mother while Kaminari is staying in town. Add on top of that a creepily accurate reading of Bakugou’s emotions that speak to a long friendship that Bakugou will deny if asked about, and his friend will not shut up about Bakugou making amends.
“And how do you know he didn’t do something to make me call it off, huh?! Why do you keep talking like I’m the one that needs to fix things?” Bakugou growls, stalking down the riverside market where many young ladies and omega are promenading for potential suitors.
Deku doesn’t even blink at Bakugou’s anger, continuing to walk and smile as they pass others on their way to the shops. “He’s such a sweetheart, so I know you’re the one that fucked it up.”
The alpha grumbles as they stop at a stall, Deku taking a look at the lace fans to buy one for his mother. Bakugou pretends not to take in their surroundings, but cannot help but notice by the water where Denki stands, his attendant a few steps away while two men flirt with him.
“Alright, I’m good to go,” Midoriya tells him as he leaves with more fans than he had planned on getting. When his friend notices he isn’t moving, he follow’s Bakugou’s gaze to see who he is looking at. “Oh no,”
Bakugou grunts in question as he watches Kami’s fan flutter in his face, arms crossed and pissed before he even hears what Midoriya says. “Those men are known for not paying their tabs at Nighteye’s gentlemen's club.”
His feet are moving before he has fully processed what his end goal is, taking him closer and closer to the small group. “Gentleman!” Bakugou says with forced cheer, coming up beside Denki. “I see you are introducing yourselves to my good friend Kaminari. It has been a while since I have seen you at Sir Nighteye’s club, perhaps I will see you both there tonight?”
Midoriya hangs back, trying to keep uninvolved as the two men stutter out excuses and goodbyes as they hurry away. Bakugou lets out a small, relieved breath, and freezes when he realizes he did not think about the fact that he would need to talk to Kaminari if he approached him.
“What are you doing?!”
Let alone explain himself.
He turns to his childhood friend, taking satisfaction in their height difference as Denki must tilt his head back to stare up at him. “Helping you.”
Like the stubborn omega he is, he crosses his arms and pouts angrily up at the alpha. “I do not need your help, I was talking to them because I am looking for a husband-”
Bakugou throws his hands up in the air, frustrated. “All they were doing was complimenting your looks! They don’t actually care about you. Besides, Deku said-”
“What is so wrong with wanting to look pretty? For wanting to be desired?” Denki interrupts, looking even more angry. “After what I’ve gone through, I think I deserve someone that will show me every day that they think I’m beautiful, and that they’re attracted to me. That they want me. I refuse to let you tell me how I can and cannot feel.”
Bakugou pauses, completely derailed from his goal of telling him how unscrupulous those men were. “You think I don’t find you attractive, is that it?”
It’s Denki’s turn to throw his hands up in frustration. “Where is this coming from? You have let me know in no uncertain terms what you think of me, I don’t need to guess. It was written across your face the day you called it off.” Tears brim in his eyes, like remembering causes him pain. “You wouldn’t even look at me, wouldn’t acknowledge that I was there while you told your mother you didn’t need something so ridiculous tying you down to some no-name town.”
“Well I didn’t see you the way you look now.”
“Oh, so now that I’ve grown into my looks, that’s what matters to you?”
“Your fiery attitude is helping.”
“You didn’t like me when I was nice to you, but now that I hate you all of a sudden I’m interesting?”
“Hate is quite the strong word, Denks.”
“Do not call me that.” Bakugou pauses at the venom in Denki’s voice, and startles when he sees the tears flowing freely now, baring his small omega fangs. He realizes he pushed too far, this wasn’t simple banter for him the way it was for Bakugou. This was hurting him. “You lost the right to call me that the day you decided I wasn’t worth the ink to write back.”
The alpha can’t find it in himself to reply or move as he watches Denki leave, his handmaid passing him a kerchief to clean the tears from his cheeks.
“I think,” Midoriya says, stepping up next to Bakugou as they watch Denki hurry off crying, “that it is time to grovel.”
“I grovel to no one.”
“I highly doubt you will ever find someone to love you the way he does, and he will never forgive you if you do not crawl for it.”
Bakugou growled at the thought.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, picture how lovely he will look completing his vows with another alpha. That might inspire you to get lower.”
∘₊💛───⚡️───💛₊∘
Kaminari paces his room, upset that even years later, Bakugou's words still slice him open and leave him gutted on the floor. It shouldn't matter anymore. He's rebuilt himself from the ground up, removed the parts of himself that were lacking and focused on what was important. He's accomplished on the piano, is able to embroider almost as well as his mother, and has learned the ins and outs of running a household. He is polite, demure, and behaves exactly how an alpha would want him to. He has made himself into someone that is desired.
But oh, how he misses his paints. How he longs to pick up the first book he sees and read until the candles burn down to the wick. He misses laughing unrestrained, head thrown back and stomach aching from the force of it. How he wishes to gossip and judge who wore what, or who danced with who.
How he missed being imperfect, but himself.
A knock at the door startles him, and a whispered, “come in” has his handmaid entering with a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk.
“I wanted to bring you my tried-and-true cheer-up routine,” she tells him, setting the plate and glass down before moving to grab a brush. “Sit down for me?” Kaminari moves to the chair and lets her calmly brush his hair while he snacks on the sweets, feeling the tension bleed from his shoulders.
“I know there are a lot of complicated feelings around the subject, and it is by no means any of my business, but…” his handmaid runs her fingers gently through his hair and smiles at him in the mirror. “He had better have one hell of an apology ready after making you cry so much over the years, or else I might have to intervene.”
Kaminari gives a happy, soft laugh. “I hope for his sake he does, for I would never want to be on your bad side.”
She nuzzles his hair gently, leaving behind some of her soft rose scent. “Goodnight, sleep well.”
As she slips from the room, Kami takes small sips of the milk. And he can’t help but wonder…what if Katsuki apologized? Would Kaminari forgive him? Does he even want to forgive him?
He leaves the empty plate and glass on the table as he curls into bed, the sheets soft and slightly cold as pulls them up to his chin. No matter how he fights it, no matter how he tries to defend himself, he’s not kidding anyone. And he surely cannot fool himself. He’s never hated Katsuki, not a single day of his life. Not when he chose to ignore his letters, not when he broke the engagement. Not when he came back into his life and tried to act as if he had never hurt Kaminari.
If he lets himself be vulnerable, he knows he will not turn Katsuki down if he were to propose. He’s not sure he would even ask for an apology, or if he would need it. His heart has belonged to the alpha for as long as he can remember, back when he was a sweet friend in their youth and still now, while he is a rude adult.
And Kaminari knows, or at the very least hopes, that the kind alpha from their childhood who would lift him up and brush off his knees after taking a fall was still in there. The gruff affection, kindness hidden behind a scoff and frown.
It doesn’t help his heart that Katsuki has grown so attractive. He is huge, full of corded muscles and sharp edges. Kami’s omega instincts tell him he will be the perfect protector, and will probably give him strong babies. He knows Katsuki would have warmed up these cold sheets faster than Kaminari is, and his dark, musky scent would mingle with his own softer, sweeter scent so well…
He rolls and buries his face in the pillow, letting out a trembling breath. He won’t cry again, not while thinking of what he might never have. He can’t let Katsuki bring him to tears when he isn’t even here.
It’s just not fair.
He falls into a fitful sleep.
💛~⚡️~💛
The following morning, Kaminari slowly descends the staircase, wanting nothing more than to go back upstairs, get back into his nightgown, and curl up under the covers with a book.
But that would be rude to their hostess, and so he joins them in the sitting room where a light breakfast has been laid out. He gives a soft morning greeting before collecting a plate for himself before joining his mother and her two best friends on the couches to chat.
As the day continues and they shift from chatting while eating to chatting while embroidering, one of the attendants rushes in with a smile. “Flowers have been delivered!”
The three women jump to their feet with varying levels of disbelief, Kaminari’s mother gently shaking his shoulder in excitement. A man steps into the room holding a beautifully intricate vase with the biggest, most expensive looking flowers, and a small package. “For Denki Kaminari?”
Lady Bakugou shouts in excitement and shoves Kami forward to accept the gifts, Lady Midoriya practically vibrating with excitement as she thanks the man and has their attendants see him out.
“Oh, these are lovely,” his mother praises with awe in her voice, petting a petal with gentle fingers as Kami takes in the majesty of the colors. Under his skin there is an urge to paint them, but that was something he had not done in years. Surely he would never be able to capture their beauty. And besides, he has no time to do such things.
“Whoever sent them must be wealthy,” Lady Bakugou muses, sounding approving. “Only the best for our little Denki.”
“And the love that went into the gesture,” Lady Midoriya agrees, tears in her eyes. “Such a gorgeous gift.”
“The package, young lord,” Kami’s handmaid encourages.
“Oh yes, open the letter! Who is it from?”
Opening the package, Kami finds a letter waiting on top of a book. It’s an author he is unfamiliar with, but his mother hums in approval. “Whoever it is has good taste in books as well. You will enjoy that read.”
Excited and in disbelief, Kami opens the letter to find unfamiliar handwriting. That makes sense, since he has not traded correspondence with any of the eligible alpha or beta in the capital. The letter is sweet, comparing Kaminari’s beauty to that of the flowers delivered. It mentions wanting to call on him soon.
But everyone in the room must be able to smell when Kami gets to the bottom of the letter, because his scent turns sour. Everyone starts talking over each other, asking Kami what’s wrong, but his mother simply gets up and stands next to him, looking at the letter over his shoulder.
She cannot contain her gasp, turning to look at Lady Bakugou. That seems to be all the confirmation the brusk woman needs, before she huffs in dark amusement. “Maybe my brat of a son has finally pulled his head out of his ass.” She levels Kaminari with a very serious look. “Don’t take him back until he crawls.”
The rest of the day is a blur for Kaminari, his head a mix of confusion and - he can hardly even believe himself - a dash of hope. The rest of the household leaves him to his thoughts, always including him in their meals and activities but never asking him to engage much. He tries not to notice the looks his and Katsuki’s mother exchange throughout the day, like they are equal measure worried and relieved. He knows, no matter what he and Katsuki do, the two of them will support them.
By the time his head hits the soft pillow in the room Lady Midoriya gave him to stay in while visiting their home, Kaminari has come to a decision. And while Lady Bakugou is right in her statement that Katsuki must crawl, Kami doesn’t have the heart to go and tell him to do so. So now he will just…wait. See what Katsuki does next, and wait for the alpha to approach him.
And hopefully by the time he does, Kami will have some idea of what to do about his courting.
It’s a fitful night of sleep for the omega.
💛~⚡️~💛
Over the next two weeks, Kaminari is spoiled rotten. Every day he receives a letter full of sweet words, the alpha getting more and more confident in his writing as the days go by. His words are honey dripping down the back of Kami’s throat, sweet and smooth. Every few days there is a gift alongside the letter, and it’s not always the same. There is always a small bouquet of flowers included, but sometimes there will be a book as well, or sheet music Kami has never heard of before, and even blank canvas and paint.
The thing that surprises Kaminari the most is the exquisite pieces of jewelry Katsuki sends to him. Jeweled hair combs to hold his bangs back that match the dark pattern in his hair, bracelets and necklaces, earrings, all complimenting his looks and wardrobe, delicate and expensive.
“Finally spending some of the money he makes,” Lady Bakugou says begrudgingly, appraising some of the pieces her son sent to Kaminari. “At least he’s off to a good start with that apology.”
No one mentions it, but every time something new arrives in the mail, Kami can feel his scent getting less and less bitter, sweetening with each passing day. He’s thankful no one teases him for it, or else he may never leave his room again.
The looks his mother and her friends exchange have become much more hopeful and happy, although Kaminari does not tell them what he is thinking. The way he reacts to each gift says enough, how they catch him reading the books he’s gifted and wearing the jewelry, even when just sitting around the house.
For now, he just needs to wait for Katsuki to come to him. No need to make a final decision just yet.
∘₊💛───⚡️───💛₊∘
It feels like Kaminari has waited both forever for this day, but also no time at all.
He’s sitting in the lounge chatting with his mother and Lady Bakugou when Katsuki enters the room, flowers in hand. The room goes silent as the alpha and omega make eye contact, Kaminari’s breath catching in his throat.
Katsuki is the first to move, striding across the room to them. Kami rushes to set his tea cup down on the table before standing alongside his mother and her friends, everyone exchanging muted greetings as they watch the two face each other.
The flowers are extended gently towards Kaminari, who feels like he is floating as he reaches out to accept them. “Do you mind if we chat? Maybe out in the garden?” He asks, eyes gentle as he takes in the omega.
Knowing he would follow him anywhere, his instincts screaming at him to comfort his nervous alpha, Kaminari nods and turns to where his handmaid is waiting with a vase for the flowers.
“Stay where we can see you,” Lady Bakugou demands, arms crossed and looking darkly amused. Surprising everyone, Katsuki does not rise to the bait as he normally would, just nods and places a hand on Kami’s back to guide him out the double doors. They step outside and move far enough away to have privacy to talk, but close enough that their mothers can still see them.
Kaminari stays silent, hands clasped in front of him and eyes downcast, gazing at the flowers as a slight breeze ruffles them. He knows if he looks into Katsuki’s eyes a moment longer, he will cave and forgive him before the alpha even has a chance to say anything.
“I have been an ass to you.” The statement is blunt, but there's more emotion behind the words than Kami expected. He glances up to stare at Katsuki, surprised by how wet his deep red eyes are. “There is no apology big enough, no gesture grand enough, to meet the requirements that you deserve, but I am here with nothing more than myself, and still I must try.”
Katsuki takes a step closer, keeping an appropriate amount of space between them, but Kami still gasps in shock. “Denki, I am so sorry. I was careless, thoughtless, self centered, and when I saw you again in the Midoroya household those months ago I was shocked by how fierce my affection for you still burned. And then over the weeks that followed I became jealous and angry, I said and did things I can never take back.” Katsuki places a hand on his chest, and a single tear tracing down his face. “I am so sorry for everything I've done. I was not the alpha you needed and deserved, back then or now, even as you poured your heart and soul into your love for me.”
Kaminari blinks back his own tears, his hands coming up to press against his chest as if it would stop his heart from bleeding through his clothes. He had never expected an apology, and though he stays silent, he has already forgiven Katsuki. He had never stopped loving him, his omega instincts had never stopped recognizing Katsuki as his alpha. Forgiveness for someone you love is far too easy.
But Kaminari is greedy. In the weeks he received gifts from Katsuki, while he has had all of this time to think everything over, he has come to realize that he is selfish and deluded, his head still in the clouds after all these years, no matter how badly he tried to bury that part of himself. As he stares at the alpha he loves, as Katsuki bares his heart to him with his apology, he still hopes for more. He hopes his love is mutual, he hopes Katsuki wants him just as badly.
“I shouldn't even have the right to talk to you any longer for what I've done, but I need you to know.” The alpha clenches his fists, one pressed to his chest as he earnestly tells Kaminari, “All those years I spent away for training, I had a box. And on my most difficult days, I would open that box and read. So many different letters, where you told me about your day. The books you read, the gossip Jirou shared with you.”
Tears are streaming down Kaminari's face now, and he tries to hide it with his hands. Curse omega dresses, for not having convenient places to carry a handkerchief.
But he doesn’t need to worry for long before Katsuki is whipping out his own from his pocket and pressing it to Kami’s cheek gently, their fingers brushing as Kaminari takes it from his hand to catch his tears with it. It’s soft, and smells of Katsuki. Kaminari's chest trembled as he tries to draw in a steady breath.
“The words were always a comfort, but more than that was your scent. The box was filled with it, and breathing it in brought me the strength I needed when I was at my lowest. It made me think of happier days, and I was able to push through.” Katsuki reaches forward, the back of his knuckles a breath away from Kaminari’s cheek, but not touching him. He looks almost pained as he drops his arm to continue.
“And then I got this stupid idea in my head from some of the other soldiers in my unit, that arranged marriages are a burden,” he spits the words out, but Kaminari doesn't flinch. He can see the anger directed inward as Katsuki tells this part of the tale.
“And like a fool, I believed them. Even though I know you, and could not wait to see you again, this idea grew in my head that my mother was using our arranged marriage to control me and I hated that.”
Katsuki is crying more now, but makes no move to wipe away his tears. He wears them proudly, letting Kaminari see the anguish he is struggling with. “I never stopped to think of how it would hurt you, of possible long-lasting effects this could have for your life. That was foolish and selfish, but at the time I thought I was supposed to carve out my own destiny, not have it handed to me by someone else.”
“And what about now?” Kaminari whispers, surprising them both by finally speaking, Katsuki's eyes coming fully alert and scanning his face at the sound of his teary voice. “What do you think of following a path someone else laid out for you now?”
“I would still be writing my own destiny,” Katsuki whispers, a spark glowing in his eyes, and Kaminari dares to believe it's hope growing in the alphas gaze, making him stand up straighter as he continues to talk. “By choosing to go down that path I will make it my own. It will be no less special, no less mine, just because someone else saw the sense in it first.”
“How do I know…you won't change your mind?” Kaminari asks, hopeful but terrified.
“You have every right to doubt me, but if you give me the chance, I will prove to you every day how devout I am in this promise. I will make sure you never doubt again, that you hear every single day that I…”
Kaminari's breath caught in his chest. “That you…?”
Katsuki does not tower over Kaminari, but his body leans forward, as if drawn in by the omega. As if there is some magnetic pull that he cannot fight against drawing him closer. “That I love you.”
Kaminari cannot help the sob that slips from between his lips before he covers his mouth with his hands, handkerchief clutched in them. Katsuki is crying too, his chin wobbling ever so slightly as he drops to one knee.
Katsuki pulls out a small box from his breast pocket, and opens it gently before facing it to Kaminari. A beautiful ring of diamonds and pearls, intricately inlaid and hand crafted, passed down by the ladies of the Bakugou name for generations. A ring Kaminari had not noticed had been missing from Lady Bakugou’s hand. “I asked my mother for this, because it rightfully belongs to the omega I marry. And Denki…I want that to be you. I know I don’t even deserve to ask, and I plan to shower you with love and affection for the rest of our lives should you say yes. Will you please marry me?”
“Yes,” Kaminari breathes between sobs, his happiness swelling up so large in his chest he fears he won’t have the room to breathe around it. “I forgive you, I forgave you the moment I set eyes on you when we arrived. I want nothing more than to be with you, Katsuki. Yes, I will marry you!”
Kami can hardly hear the cheering and rushing of their families coming to join them over his own heartbeat and Katsuki’s breathing, their foreheads pressed together for but a passing moment.
“Forever with you is the greatest gift you could give me,” Katsuki whispers before their mothers are separating them from each other.
And nothing has ever sounded so sweet to Kaminari.
∘₊🧡───💥───🧡₊∘
Walking into a party arm-in-arm with Denki Kaminari, an engagement ring on the omega’s finger, is probably the best feeling in the world.
Seeing the way some of the faces on alpha in the room fall in response to it makes his chest puff up just a bit more than usual.
His friends all congratulate them, Deku practically crying with happiness.
But all of that matters little in the face of his love on his arm.
“What are you so smiley about?” Denki asks him, sipping from a glass of lemonade with a happy grin of his own on display.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Bakugou tells him, feeling his smile melting from smug to smitten as those golden eyes gaze up at him.
“I’m just happy,” Denki tells him, tucking his hand in the crook of Bakugou’s arm. The omega fits so perfectly against his side, and the urge to wrap him in his arms and whisk him away somewhere they can be alone, where no other eyes were on them, was strong. But Bakugou held himself back. The wedding date was scheduled for less than a month away, their mothers and Lady Midoriya having a grand time planning it for them.
Soon they would be married, but for now. For now he could relish in the victory. And more so, he could be thankful.
“And I am also happy, happy that you are as kind as you are beautiful. I’m a lucky bastard, that you forgave me even when I did not deserve it. And I cannot wait to marry you.”
Denki’s scent blossoms with happiness, and Bakugou cannot help the soft chuckle and besotted smile he gives his fiance.
Today and for the rest of their lives, he plans to make Denki the happiest omega in the world.