To say that Deku was surprised would be an understatement. He stood, frozen in amazement, and watched as Katsuki snatched the imposter's phone and chucked it behind him mercilessly. The scared impersonator watched in horror as the device broke into pieces.

It was true that Tatsuo and Katsuki didn't always get along but, until that moment, the younger never believed that his older brother would actually kill him. Now he wasn't so sure. The older alpha was pinning him with vicious red eyes, his pheromones doing all the speaking for him. The room was full of a dangerous scent that indicated imminent violence. Tatsuo's heart raced.

"Katsuki!" He said, raising his hands defensively. "Hey, chill out! Come on, ch-" The boy was interrupted when his brother easily kicked him down. He fell hard onto his tailbone. He cried out in pain but was quickly silenced when Katsuki stepped on his chest, pushing down with a crushing force that stole the breath from his lungs.

"What the fuck were you doing with my omega?" He growled, making even Deku's skin prickle in fear.

"S-Sorry!" The boy panted. He tried to pry the alpha's foot off of him but he couldn't budge it.

"Kacchan." Deku finally spoke but his voice was barely audible.

Katsuki looked to the omega. What on earth was he wearing? Panties, a collar, and cat ears. He didn't doubt that his idiot brother had talked him into it. He looked back to the boy on the floor with a hard glare. "Did you put that on him? Did I say you could touch him?" He interrogated, applying more pressure.

The younger brother wheezed, clawing at Katsuki's leg but finding no mercy. He wasn't saved until both Mitsuki and Masaru arrived to break up the fight. It took both of them to pry the older brother off. The blonde woman angrily slapped Katsuki across the back of the head while Masaru helped Tatsuo up.

"You're really going to kill him like that!" She scolded. "What the hell has gotten into you!?"

Katsuki didn't defend himself, he just looked to his omega to make sure he was alright. The confused and oddly dressed boy trembled both from the shock of being tricked and the fear in watching his alpha violently attack his brother.

Katsuki shook off his mother's hands and went straight to Deku, shielding him with his back so that they wouldn't see him in the embarrassing outfit. He looked down to the boy, his demeanor completely changed. He was calm and kind now. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

The omega began to relax as he breathed in his partner's comforting pheromones. He nodded. He really wanted the others to leave. He wrung his hands nervously. "Can… can you ask them to go?" He said, whispering as quietly as he could.

Katsuki shrugged off his jacket and draped it around Deku before turning to his family. "Can we have some privacy?" He asked as if he hadn't just tried to murder his own sibling. They understood and obliged, leaving the two alone.

The moment he turned back around to face the omega, he found two little hands grabbing his cheeks. The boy was searching his face with intense scrutiny. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked.

"I want to be completely, with a doubt, positive that you're my Kacchan." He said, looking deep into those familiar eyes.

"Look… I'm sorry Tatsuo messed with your head and all. I didn't know that-" The alpha was interrupted.

"What did I eat for lunch?" Deku asked.

The man rolled his eyes. "A smooshed-up Nutella sandwich that you'd been carrying in your bag for the last fourteen hours." He replied. He had tried to talk the omega out of it but in the end, Deku did what he wanted.

The omega relaxed, taking a deep breath and looking to his alpha. "So… Tatsuo's here…?" He asked. He hadn't been warned at all.

"We're going to stay in a hotel."

"But… okay, I know what just happened was kind of scary but I still think we should stay here…" The omega said, holding onto Katsuki's sleeve.

The man looked dumb-founded. "My brother just tried to take photos of you in this… what even is this? Weird cat costume. But you still want to hang around and see how long it takes him to come up with another way to be weird?"

"He won't do it again." The omega promised. "And if he tries again, I'll know better and stop it. I would have never allowed him to put this costume on me if I had known he wasn't you. Speaking of which… do you think it was fair not to tell me that your brother is an identical twin?" He asked with a slight scowl.

"It wasn't important because he wasn't supposed to be here. It was just a horrible coincidence that we both came to visit at the same time."

"That could have been avoided if you had told your parents that we were coming. I mean, seriously. Was your plan just to ride into town and hope someone would be around? Besides that, think of your poor parents who have to scramble to accommodate everyone because of you couldn't be bothered. If that doesn't show you to be more considerate, then think about the awkward position that you put me in. Apparently, you didn't tell them that I was coming, much less that I exist, so I show up here as a surprise and a burden. How were you sure that they'd receive me well or have room for me? Didn't you think that might make me feel like an imposition? I'm very awkward here, Katsuki." The boy scolded.

Katsuki scowled back but admittedly, he felt a little guilty. "Okay, yeah. I guess… I should have called or something. Still, my plan wasn't inherently flawed. Mom and Dad are home and they both love you so I didn't really fuck up that bad."

"Is that what an apology sounds like?" Deku asked, crossing his arms.

The man rolled his eyes. "Holy shit, I can't take you seriously in that costume."

The omega pulled the ear headband off then the collar and threw them aside so he was left in only the pink, silk, underwear. Red eyes examined the clothing. "Did Tatsuo give you that too?" He asked, surprised. He didn't think that his omega would own something like that.

"They're mine." The boy answered, still a little peeved. "I bought them when I went shopping with Ochaco."

"Ah… I was wondering where you got that lingerie from."

"I was in a better mood then."

"Hey… are you really angry at me?" The Alpha asked, his voice just a little tender.

"Mm-hm." The pouting boy answered honestly.

The man wrapped his arms around the boy but Deku didn't respond. He didn't lean in or hug back. Instead, he defiantly diverted his eyes.

His rejection made Katsuki both angry and desperate. "Come on, don't do that. Let's get out of the house. We're both restless from the flight and stressed out because of Tatsuo, let's just get some fresh air."

The omega took the bait. "Where?" He asked, still pouting.

"Anywhere you want."

He mulled over the decision for a moment before deciding. "I want to go for a hike." He said.

The alpha picked up a pair of jeans and held them open at the omega's feet so he could step in. He never thought he would become the kind of alpha that babies their omega like this but he couldn't help it. Deku was precious to him. He wanted to take care of the boy. He didn't want him to be angry. He didn't care if it was embarrassing to act like this, he just wanted to keep the boy at his side.

Deku stepped into the pants and watched as Katsuki pulled them up and buttoned them. He felt his anger dissipating. "You can't just annoy me so much then turn around and be sweet. You'll give me whiplash." The omega complained softly.

The alpha smiled at that forgiving tone. "Sorry…" he mumbled. "Here, wear this. It's cold out." He handed Deku one of his flannel shirts. He always thought it was so cute when the omega wore his clothes.

In a gesture of reconciliation, the omega accepted the shirt and put it on. The shirt fell half-way down his butt and the long sleeves hid his fingers. He looked to his alpha who was admiring the outfit with grinning approval. He couldn't help but blush. "I'm still annoyed." He reminded half-heartedly.

The alpha began to change his own clothes. "Will you forgive me if I agree to staying here rather than going to a hotel?" He asked. The situation would annoy him and make him anxious but if that's what it took to keep the omega happy, he could bear it.

"Would you?" The wide-eyed boy asked. As embarrassing and awkward as it was for Deku to stay there in the family home, he couldn't miss the opportunity for him or Katsuki to bond with the family.

"Sure… but you have to stay at my side and you can't talk to Tatsuo."

"Don't you think you're going a little overboard? I can't just not talk to him. We'll be in the same house after all."

"Fine. You can say 'hello' and 'goodbye' to him but that's it."

The omega knitted his eyebrows together, once again becoming annoyed. "Kacchan, I'm not going to let what happened before happen again. I know better now. You don't have to baby me, I can handle this." He assured.

Katsuki bit his bottom lip but nodded his head, allowing it. He wished he could control Deku more. He wished he could hide the omega in his jacket and never let anyone see or hurt him. He remembered what Ochaco said. It was healthier for both of them as a couple to have trust and freedom. "Okay… okay, you can talk to him. Just promise me that you'll be clever like I know you are, okay? He's smart but he's not smarter than you."

This response earned a little smile from the boy. "You think I'm clever?"

"As all hell." He agreed, pulling on his jacket before putting a jacket over the boy's shoulders.

Deku slipped his arms into the jacket with a grin. "Would you wear a bell around your neck?"

"Is that some sort of kink or something?" The man asked.

Deku giggled. "So I can tell which of you is my Kacchan. Your faces are really identical."

Katsuki put his shoes on. "Tatsuo had his ears pierced in high school. The holes healed but you can still tell." He mentioned.

"He smells different too." The boy added.

"Does he smell better than me?" He prodded.

The omega shook his head. "Of course not. My alpha smells better than anyone else~" He cooed in an overly flirty voice, teasing his alpha.

"Whatever." The man snickered. They left and Katsuki showed Deku a trail that he had discovered during his last visit. Deku was excited by all the unfamiliar flora and fauna while Katsuki was just happy to see Deku happy. The alpha never thought that he would become so dedicated to an omega. Before he met Deku, he thought that coupled alphas were miserable losers. They gave up freedom and wealth to dedicate themselves to needy, annoying, little omegas who enjoyed nothing more than to drain their alpha's energy and wallet. He thought he had surpassed them, that he was smarter and stronger because he had avoided the temptation of mating. Those ideas went out the window when he started to know the cute, funny, clever, greenette.

Katsuki, just like the alphas he had pitied, was now completely devoted to his omega. He wanted to get him anything, do anything for him, take care of him in every possible way. Share his dinner, his bed, his life with the boy. He rested his hands in his pockets and gently ran his index finger over the ring box that he hid within. He had bought it a little over a week ago on a whim and kept it hidden in a safe since then. He didn't know when he was going to offer it to Deku, he hadn't thought that far ahead. Once they had sex the first time, Katsuki knew he couldn't hold onto it much longer.

"Kacchan, look~" The boy said with a smile as he squatted next to an abandoned antler. "What's this from?"

The man smiled. He loved his omega's childlike curiosity. "Reindeer." He answered.

The boy gasped. "Are there reindeer around here?"

"Of course. It's almost Christmas, isn't it?" He joked, clutching the ring box more firmly.

Deku giggled. "I want to do all the Christmassy things you hear in those songs like roasting chestnuts and making snowmen and decorating a tree."

"Well then, I guess we have a lot to cram in tomorrow."

"Can we sit by a fire place? Ooh! And I want to see a horse-drawn carriage and carolers."

The man chuckled. "Let's go into town tonight after dinner and we'll see what we can do there." He clung to the box tightly and decided to offer it to Deku that night.

"Okay!" Deku agreed. They hiked a little further before turning around and returning to the house. When they arrived, Mitsuki and Masaru were waiting For Deku with apologetic expressions. The boy was confused.

"Izuku-kun," Mitsuki said in a soft voice, "We're so sorry about what happened earlier." She and her husband bowed apologetically which completely flustered the boy.

"O-oh! No! Don't be sorry! Please, it's okay!" He bowed back, unsure of what else to do. His heart raced in a flustered panic.

"Tatsuo really has a hard time with… people." Mitsuki explained.

"It's okay." He responded awkwardly. He couldn't help but remind himself that they had seen him in his underwear. Just fifteen minutes after they met, they saw him in a lewd situation with his alpha's brother, wearing pink panties and cat ears. He was so humiliated that it made his stomach ache.

Katsuki intervened. "We're going upstairs." He said, taking Deku's sleeve and tugging, indicating for the boy to follow. They got up the stairs and into their guest bedroom. "Sorry, they don't know how to chill." He explained, closing the door. "One time, in fourth or fifth grade, there was this bullying incident…"

The surprised Deku. It was hard for him to believe that his hot-headed alpha would ever be the victim of bullying. "Someone bullied you?" He asked.

"Well… yeah… and no. This kid wrote something stupid in my textbook like 'you smell' or something like that. That kind of pissed me off and back then, I didn't know how not to give a shit so I returned the teasing ten-fold." He explained. That made a lot more sense to the little omega. His alpha didn't start trouble but he certainly never let go of an opportunity to blow it way out of proportion. "For about a month, I was putting worms in his backpack and taking his lunch money. He went and blabbed to his mom who called my mom then… Mom made me take my piggybank and go all the way to his house and give him all of my savings, even though it totaled more than I took from him. After that, for a month, she made me carry his books around for him. They just don't know how to be normal, that's why I didn't want you to meet them."

The boy chuckled. "She wouldn't have gone to such extremes if you weren't so bad behaved, don't you think? If I had known you as a kid, do you think we would have been friends?"

Katsuki considered that question. "Probably not. If you think I'm angry and violent now, I was a hundred times worse when I was younger. For some reason, I destroyed everything good. If someone was nice to me, I punched them. If the teacher praised me for doing good on a test, I'd start failing just out of spite. I would have despised you." He responded honestly.

"What changed that?" The greenette asked, blinking his sparkling emerald eyes.

"I guess, I got tired of living in a word without good things. I thought that I would happy alone, that I could accept everyone hating me. I lived in a more limited, simpler, world." The man blushed as he continued to speak. "But… Then you started hanging around me and I guess… I kind of figured that, even though it was annoying and frustrating and confusing to have someone else around, it was worth it to have something good."

"Softie~" Deku accused affectionately. "Do you have a crush on me or something?"

"You? As if." The man joked back. "Are you still sure you don't want to stay in a hotel?" He asked again. "You just saw for yourself how weird my family is."

The offer sounded tempting now. "But they're your family…"

"How about we stay somewhere else just for tonight." The man compromised. "Town is almost an hour away and it's supposed to snow tonight. Let's just go into town then say that we don't feel like driving back in the snow."

That suggestion relaxed the little omega. He wanted a little bit of separation from the family to recover from his humiliation but he didn't want to give up on a family reunion either. "Well… yeah, that makes sense." He agreed with a little smile.

Katsuki grinned and began to pack a bag for the night. "Hey, answer me this… who's better looking, my brother or I?"

"Hm? You're an adult and you're still competitive with you brother?" Deku asked, taking everything that Katsuki threw into the bag out and folding it before arranging it neatly inside.

"Psh, no." He mumbled. "I'm just wondering if you can tell the difference between us."

"Of course, I can." He closed and zipped the suitcase. "If I had expected there to be two people who looked like you, I would have easily made the distinction earlier."

"Then who's better looking?"

"Why are you so persistent? What if I say it's your brother?" He teased. "Why give me a choice when you only want one answer? If you want me to say you're better-looking that your brother, just slacken your pride and ask me to say it."

Katsuki rolled his eyes as his know-it-all omega. Did he really want to be married to this boy forever? He was so annoying. But then again… he was usually right. "Never mind."

The boy giggled. "My alpha is sooo handsome~" he teased. "Some much more better-looking than anyone else."

Katsuki chucked a rolled-up shirt at the omega who giggled and omitted a playful yelp. He gathered the shirt and began to properly fold it. "What? Isn't that what you wanted? Now you're throwing a tantrum?" He laughed endlessly as Katsuki threw another shirt at him, this one landing on his head and draping over his face. The two played, laughed, and bantered until the packing was done and they took off for town. Deku found it almost unbearable to sit in the car again. He adjusted his seat a hundred different times, changed his sitting position, and opened every compartment in the car at least twice. Once they pulled up at the little inn in town, Deku flew out of the car while the tires still rolled to a halt.

"Would it have been absolute agony to wait one more second for the car to fully stop?" Katsuki scolded as he got out of the car. His words fell on deaf ears. Deku was contentedly stretching every which way. The alpha rolled his eyes. "Drama queen." He remarked.

They checked into the little inn and put their shared suitcase in the room. The place was small, quiet, and quaint. Katsuki scoped out every location, trying to find the best location for the eventual proposal. This inn was a little… well, it wasn't awful but it didn't have that spark. It was furnished in the seventies and had a slight musty smell. He knew Deku would take a million photos of the event and the ring. If people saw him getting proposed to in a shabby, outdated, bed n' breakfast, they'd roll their eyes and think, 'what a shame he settled for that Katsuki'.

They left immediately to walk the town. They stopped at every store front where the omega took note of every paper snowflake, every cheaply-mass-produced nutcracker, and every blow-up Santa Clause with inexpressible delight. He clung to his alpha's arm, heart racing and giddy. He jumped around when he found a street vendor selling paper cones full of roasted chestnuts. Katsuki bought them for him but didn't let him touch even one for five minutes. He knew the omega would shovel them into his mouth without considering that they're steaming hot. Although he had planned to take Deku to dinner in town, he knew he'd have to change that plan. After the chestnuts, they had hot chocolate then afterwards, candied pecans, hot apple cider, kettle corn, peanut brittle, a cinnamon doughnut, and eggnog. Between the belly full of warm food and the tingling excitement, Deku never got cold even though his breath came out in great puffs of fog.

As the omega was examining several pairs of hand-painted clogs, Katsuki spotted his perfect opportunity across the street. There stood a horse drawn carriage manned by a massive Clydesdale and a historically dressed driver. Deku obviously hadn't noticed yet. Katsuki laid a hand on his back. "Hey, stay here for a second, I'm going to the bathroom." He lied. The boy nodded, immersed in his activity.

Katsuki crossed the street quickly and knocked on the carriage to get the driver's attention. He struggled with English but he wasn't hopeless. "Hello, excuse me." He greeted with a nod of the head. "I want to pay for this." He pointed to the carriage. "Two people." He held up two fingers.

"Well, it's 20 dollars for a fifteen-minute ride down the street." The driver replied.

"Fifteen minutes? No. I need to buy more time… how can I explain…" He thought for a moment. "Here. Look at this." He pulled the ring out of his pocket and showed it to the man quickly before shoving it back in his pocket. "This is for my omega." He said. "I give- no, I will give it to my omega now. In this." He pointed to the carriage again. "See? I need to buy forty minutes- no, an hour." He corrected. He wanted to give Deku time to compose himself again before dragging him back out onto the street.

"You're going to propose?" The man smiled. "An hour is 150 bucks. I know a good route for this sort of thing. The first thirty minutes are through downtown then we go through the city park for fifteen minutes. In the park, there's this big tree that's covered in lights. It's pretty quiet over there, it's a good place to pop the question. Then, assuming all goes well, we go through the park the long way and end back up in town." He explained. Katsuki didn't understand everything the man was saying but he nodded and paid.

Katsuki quickly returned to Izuku's side. The greenette greeted him with a warm and loving smile that made the man's heart skip a beat. He had no doubts about what he was about to do but nonetheless, he was nervous. "Hey, wanna see a horse?" He asked.

The boy's eyes lit up. "Really? Where?" He looked around. Katsuki pointed out the carriage and Deku gasped. "Wow! It looks like how they do in the movies." He remarked.

"Let's go get a better look." Katsuki offered and held his omega's hand. He led him across the street and right up to the carriage. "Should we go for a ride?" He asked.

Deku was over the moon at the suggestion. "Really? Wait-no. Kacchan, these things are super expensive." He smiled, showing that he wasn't upset.

"Maybe in Japan they are but here, they only charge a thousand yen for an hour. Look, he's just sitting here with no customers and nowhere to go. Let's humor him." Katsuki pushed.

Deku looked over the carriage, dreamy fantasies warming his chest. "I guess it wouldn't hurt, then…"

Katsuki got in first then helped the omega in and sat beside him on the plush bench. The driver called out to the horse, tussled the reigns, and the carriage started to slowly roll down the bumpy cobbled street. The sound of the Clydesdale's hooves keeping steady pace on the brick and the muttering of people became their music as Deku watched the town and Katsuki watched Deku.

As the driver had said, they made a slow and peaceful path through the small town before entering the park. Dark trees were illuminated by white lights scattered along their branches and a few antique street lights lit the path. There were some more cart vendors and families in the park but it was much quieter than the streets. Katsuki caught sight of a couple walking along in their winter bundles. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the tight, round, bulge in the omega's belly.

'That's going to happen to us too, right?' he wondered. He was both anxious and excited. 'Of course. My omega is going to make a baby someday. We're going to be parents. We won't just be kids or bachelors or even a plain old couple anymore. We'll have started something bigger and more important than ourselves… a whole lineage. Hundreds or thousands of people will eventually come from our lineage, from this moment…' he thought. He looked to Deku and the omega returned the look with happy, sparking eyes. In those deep emerald irises, Katsuki saw himself reflected along with a sea of twinkling lights.

"I love you." Katsuki spoke the words softly and sincerely. He didn't blush or act embarrassed; he was completely sure of himself.

The warmth that Deku's peachy smile carried warmed the alpha deep down into his core. His heart fluttered, so nervous and also so ready. "I love you too." The boy answered. Every word was true.

The cart slowed to a stop and both men looked up. They were in a large opening where people gathered and chatted. A few children tried to sing a Christmas song despite forgetting so many of the words, a young couple took a photo together, and a father fixed the hats and scarves on his small herd of children. In the middle of the scene stood a tall and wide tree that glowed, lights wrapping completely up the trunk and through the branches. Every branch was decorated with homemade ornaments. Some were elaborate beaded designs while others were simple crafts. Each was unique and full of sincerity.

Deku stared at the tree in amazement. He spotted a particularly fun bird ornament but when he turned around to point it out to Katsuki, he saw something that made him forget absolutely everything else. First, he noticed a sincere, loving, desperate, and anxious expression on his alpha. His smile fell slightly to match the seriousness of his alpha. He was about to ask 'What?' but before the words could leave his lips, his eyes caught a tiny sparkle in his peripherals. He glanced down to Katsuki's hand where he held open a ring box. Deku's heart stopped as the image of the shimmering diamond ring sunk into his memory, never to be forgotten.

The green eyes lifted again and locked onto the Ruby ones. Katsuki had planned to say something, to ask for his hand, but now that the moment had come, he couldn't. A wave of fear washed over him. This was the moment. He needed the answer to be yes. If it wasn't, he didn't know what else to do. There was no plan B, only Deku.

The omega's eye lids fluttered and silently, tears built along the corners. "Kacchan…" He whispered. All other noises faded away. "Is this…?" He asked.

The alpha nodded. "Yeah…" He answered. His courage slowly trickled back. He had to speak now, he had to do this right. "It is if you want it to be. Deku… I know I love you. I know I won't love anyone else. I know that I don't want to let go, ever. I want to give you everything… myself, a house, a kid… I'm ride or die, baby." He chuckled awkwardly but Deku didn't return the smile. He still sat there quietly, amazement in his eyes and tears rolling down his pink cheeks.

Katsuki cleared his throat as he felt that fear climbing back up. "I want this… I know I do… but if you don't… that's okay. You don't have to say yes just because I'm asking. I know they do in the movies but forget that. If you don't want to do this, if you're not ready for this, then we can just go back home and we'll act like it never happened. No hard feelings, no hostility, just readjustment, okay? I don't want to make you feel like-"

The alpha was cut off by familiar lips pressing against his. Familiar fingers wound themselves in his hair, a familiar warmth pressed against his chest. The kiss was intense but brief. Deku pulled away and looked into those bright ruby irises. He was still teary but finally, the smile returned. "I'm ride or die, baby." He confirmed with a little chuckle.

The alpha pulled the omega into his lap and held him so tight, partially out of adoration and partially to hide his teary face from public view. Even though these people were strangers, he would hate to show that side of himself to anyone but his omega. Deku happily obliged to hug his alpha's neck and hide his face.

The driver gave them a few minutes before continuing quietly through the park then back out onto the street. After a short ride, they got out of the carriage and started walking back to their hotel. Deku's held Katsuki's hand the whole walk back and marveled at the shiny ring. As the omega considered when and how he would break the news to his family, the alpha was just glad that the cold air was calming his red and puffy face.

"When are we going to tell your family? Tomorrow?" The greenette asked.

"Mmmm…" Katsuki considered it. "If we tell them, they'll assume they're invited to a wedding." He pointed out.

Deku pouted. "Of course, they are." He answered firmly.

"Why even have a wedding? Let's just fill out some paperwork at the courthouse then go on a long, long, honeymoon." Katsuki said, fantasizing about a no-family, no-drama, no-stress, elopement. Just him and his omega spending quality time together on a tropical island where no one would bother them.

The omega stopped walking and gave his alpha a 'you can't be serious' face. "No wedding?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I mean, really. What's the point? So we can plan for months, stress and fight, then host an expensive party where we get to watch our families get drunk and fight? That sounds like marital sabotage."

"You'd rather have a lonely courthouse wedding? You'd rather share one of the greatest moments of our lives with tired office workers who can't even remember our names than our loved ones? Do you not have a romantic bone in your body?" Deku asked, astonished and disappointed.

Katsuki restrained himself from physically face-palming. This date had been nothing but romantic. Katsuki was stretching himself, doing things that were truly uncomfortable for him because he knew Deku would like it but now, all that was forgotten. "Really? I'm not romantic enough just because I want to marry you and take you on a vacation instead of spending a year fighting with you over tissue paper and mashed potatoes?"

Deku's disappointment slowly started shifting into frustration. "Do you really like I'm like that? I'm not asking for a castle or a mile-long guest list, Kacchan. I'm not going to be a bridezilla or whatever, I just want... y'know, what everyone else has." He explained. As a young omega, he's watched every romcom ever filmed and waited anxiously for the wedding in each. He had meticulously planned his own wedding a hundred times over as a child. Now he was being told that that sparkly, beautiful, moment wasn't going to come for him. His wedding would consist of a court lobby, paperwork, and ballpoint pens.

The alpha rolled his eyes. "You want it because everyone has it? Does it even mean anything? I'll get you the pretty garments and we'll just pretend we had one."

"No, you're not understanding what I'm saying! I don't want it just because everyone else has it- I mean, I do, but that's not it. I want it…because I want to be a bride." He tried to explain it but he didn't know how. "I mean… I want a wedding because… it's a wedding! It's the beginning of a marriage! It's the exchange of the oath and-and the giving away of the bride and-"

"Deku, I'm not going to ask your father for you or accept you in a ceremony from him like an archaic cattle exchange. That's ridiculous." Katsuki responded firmly.

Deku's face fell. "Oh, I get it." He said with a scowl. "I understand now. You don't want a wedding because you're better than that, right? Tradition is old, you're too good for that. Familial respect? Archaic. Vows? Over it. Brides and grooms are a thing of the past, dead to us because we're civilized people now, right? Can you even see the little men from up on your high horse?" He asked.

"Why are you being like this?" Katsuki snarled.

"Being like what?" The omega instigated.

"You're being an omega." He answered through gritted teeth. Suddenly, Deku was everything he didn't like about omegas. Whiny, needy, materialistic, stubborn, annoying, manipulative, and self-conformed to old gender roles.

Deku tore his hand out of Katsuki's, outraged. He didn't even have a response to that. He walked past Katsuki towards the entrance of the inn. "I'm going to the room. Stay down here until you can get that stupid head of yours on right." He muttered before disappearing into the inn and darting up the stairs. Katsuki though that he caught a glimpse of the omega whipping his eyes as he left.

Katsuki's hands were bound into tight fists as he cursed under his breath. This wasn't how he had wanted to start off their married life. 'So it's my fault again!?' He thought. 'I'm not the one being completely outrageous! If he could just let go of that stupid old idea of what a relationship is supposed to look like, he could understand my point! Why the hell does he want to go through this stupid hassle so we can do a thousand-year-old ceremony where he's sold to me like property!? Did I just propose to a complete idiot!?'

He wanted so badly to cling to his anger and his point of view but images of Deku running away and wiping tears from his cheeks flashed through his memory. He loved the omega, he couldn't easily watch him cry. 'Dammit, Deku…' he thought.

He tried for a minute or two to reconsider what the omega had said but he still couldn't understand it. He fished his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Ochaco, the omega mind-reader who seemed to always know best. Katsuki would find her insufferable as a partner but she was an invaluable friend.

Katsuki: I need you to call me asap.

Across the world, the young, brunette, omega picked up her phone and looked at the message. She was in her living room folding baby clothes. She texted back immediately.

Uraraka: What's wrong?

Katsuki: I need you to explain why omegas care about weddings. It's dire.

The omega glanced around for her husband. He always told her to stay out of their relationship. He reminded her that Katsuki and Deku needed to learn to communicate with each other rather than relying on her to hold their relationship together. Ochaco usually agreed with him but he wasn't around and she could sense that this was important. She called the confused and frustrated alpha.

"I can only talk for a minute." She said as soon as the call went through. She planned only to start them on the path of understanding and still let them do most of the work for themselves. "Just tell me what happened.

Katsuki gave a heavy sigh and quickly recounted the whole night, starting with the carriage ride and ending with the crying omega. As he spoke, he started to realize the harshness of some of his words.

"Well…" Ochaco began. "It's bad but it's not as bad as you think. There are big arguments like which religion to raise your child in or how to spend a limited paycheck and then there are small arguments like what to eat for dinner or who's going to change the baby. You're on the smaller side but still in-between."

Katsuki felt a little at ease. For a moment, he thought he had ruined their relationship and that he was going to have that ring thrown back in his face. "You think so? Well… I guess that's reassuring. I just don't want to fight."

"That's a good attitude. It's not about winning or losing, it's just about reaching an agreement. Would you agree to have a wedding? After all, you know that Izuku wants one." She asked.

"I mean… I guess I would if he said that he won't get married unless there's a wedding."

"Do you think he would say that?"

"No, of course not. You and I both know that if I said I'd only marry him in a court house, he would do it but he would be so upset…"

"Bakugo, the first step in dissolving a conflict is deciding where you want this to end. You need a common, peaceful, goal to work towards together. You've found yours. You both want to get married without the other being miserable." She coached. After coming out of her first marriage, Ochaco had gone to a substantial amount of counseling and through that, she became a master councilor.

The alpha nodded. "Great but if we do it my way, he'll be miserable and if we do it his way, I'll set everything on fire so… do we just stay engaged forever?"

Ochaco chuckled softly. "I suppose you could but maybe you could each work on seeing it from the other's perspective and see where that takes you. What do you think of Izuku's perspective?"

"I think it's…" He tried to put the words together in his head and voice them honestly. "It's old-fashioned, excessive, annoying, time-consuming, frustrating and not to mention expensive! I just don't want to spend months fighting with him about stupid shit like table runners just for one night of chaos and weird traditions." He explained.

"Mmhm, that's understandable." She agreed. "Weddings, no matter how they're done, will cost a good chunk of money and you guys will need to make decisions that you sometimes are on different sides of. You're right, it'll be a challenge. What does Izuku think of weddings?"

The alpha rolled his eyes. "He only knows what he's seen in Hollywood. He thinks it's just a day for him to be royalty followed by a party with cake."

"That doesn't really sound like Izuku to me."

"Are you kidding? The kid loves cake."

She chuckled again. "Yes, but he's never asked to be treated like royalty before. He's never wanted to spend a lot of money for the sake of being extravagant, he's never been interested in big parties with a lot of people and he's never been inconsiderate or anyone around him. You know that."

The alpha felt guilt settle in his abdomen. She was right. He had accused his omega of being just another annoying, egotistical, materialistic omega but he knew that wasn't true. And why had he tried to use the name omega as an insult? He felt so stupid. He loved Deku and Deku was his omega. That wasn't an insult but a title of prestige and honor. He wanted to hit his head against the wall as he remembered Deku telling him to get his stupid head on straight. He was so right. "What does he want then?" Katsuki asked in a defeated voice.

"Why are you asking me? Go upstairs and ask him yourself but this time, really consider what he's saying. And don't forget your common goal." She advised.

Katsuki thanked her and put his phone away. He went straight into the inn and up the stairs. He stopped at the door to their room and listened. Thankfully, he didn't hear crying. He knocked, ready to be vulnerable and honest again. He could do it if it meant having this marriage work out.

"What?" Deku asked from inside, his voice tired and defensive.

"Deku… I'm sorry. I lost my head there and I was a fucking idiot so… let me tell you to your face that…" He swallowed as the next words left his lips, "I want to have a wedding with you." He still didn't understand why Deku wanted it and he was sure he'd hate it but if this was the first step towards ending the argument, then he would gladly take it.

The door opened slowly and Deku looked up at his alpha, his eyes full of guilt and regret. "Kacchan…" He mumbled. "No, you're right. Weddings are silly. I just… I love you and I want to marry you, even if it's in a courthouse." He still wanted a wedding but now he felt guilty about asking for one after his alpha had taken him on the perfect date and given him the perfect ring. He was asking too much.

Katsuki gently put a hand on Deku's waist and moved him back so that he could come in and close the door. He stood close to his omega and looked down on that fluffy, deep green, hair. He ran a hand through the boy's locks lovingly. "I just realized while I was out there that I really don't know much about weddings. Could you teach me?" He asked, his voice unusually soft.

Deku could feel his alpha's affection so he nodded. "I'm not sure how to describe it right…"

"How about you just explain how it would feel to be an omega on your wedding day." Katsuki started.

"How it would feel? Well… you wouldn't be able to sleep at all the night before because of all the excitement then you would get up early and meet up with your friends. Everyone would be so happy and excited and anxious. You would be counting down the minutes until the makeup stylist and hair stylist would come and make you prettier than you've ever been before and you would just stare in the mirror and wonder what your alpha is going to think when they see you." A smile had crept onto Deku's face as he got wrapped up in the fantasy. He sat down on the bed and the alpha followed.

"Finally, you get to wear the garments that you picked out weeks ago and when you see yourself in them, you think of the dozens of omegas in your ancestry who did this same thing and took on the responsibility of a family." He continued. "And then your dad takes you by the arm and escorts you just like he did when you were younger. It's so bittersweet but you know that you don't want to be a child anymore. You want to be somebody's partner and a parent. And then…" Deku softly closed his eyes. "You start down the isle and your alpha is there and he's ready to tell everyone that you're his. You take his hand and feel that his whole heart has accepted you as his omega and that there won't be another. He looks at you in your garment and thinks of you as delicate but also elegant and refined. Then you watch your dad walk away and, in that moment, you feel that your purpose has transferred. Before, your first priority was your parents and you belonged in their circle but now, you have your own family and you belong there. Your purpose is to support and raise your family now. There are no more breakups, you and your alpha belong to one another."

Katsuki listened and truly tried to empathize with the omega. Strangely enough, he found himself a little entranced in the fantasy as well. There were still aspects that he struggled to romanticize and he still knew that this would be difficult and frustrating but he could see better now why Deku wanted it. "How big would you want it to be?" He asked.

"Kacchan, we don't have to-" Deku began to protest, guilty about the fact that he was getting his way after their fight. He knew he had treated his alpha badly. He had said things he didn't mean and acted outside of himself.

"I want one too, okay? I mean… a very small and private one but I get what you mean about sharing it with your family and our role in tradition and whatnot." He nudged his hand against Deku's. The omega opened his palm and the alpha held his hand, intertwining their fingers.

Deku rested his head against the alpha's shoulder. "Don't be so nice to me." He said. "I was so mean to you… that was the best date of my whole life and I said all those mean things…"

Katsuki smiled a little. "I can't truly be mad because you weren't truly wrong." He answered. Deku was right, he was being a bit arrogant and harsh. "I'll accept your apologies if you'll accept mine, Omega."

The boy's demeanor changed slightly at the use of that name. He hunched a little more and frowned. Katsuki noticed immediately. "What?" He asked.

"Just call me Deku." He corrected. He knew what Katsuki thought about omegas and he didn't want to be that. He didn't want to be an annoyance.

Katsuki then understood what the problem was. "Oh… Deku, I'm…" He swallowed and forced himself to be open. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really, sorry. When I said you were being an omega… I didn't mean…" He grumbled, frustrated at his on inability to express himself clearly. "Okay, I did mean that but I was wrong. That's what I used to think about omegas before you."

"You still think that." Deku clarified.

"I mean… yes. Okay? I don't get along with most omegas, I just don't. I have a hard personality and you know it. I don't get along with most people. That doesn't reflect on how I feel about you, though. I wouldn't be marrying you if I thought you were like that."

"So you want to marry me because I'm not a real omega? I don't fit your stereotypes and that's why I'm good?"

"No! I mean…" The alpha took a deep breath. "I don't love every omega out there. A lot of them annoy me, I'll admit that, but that doesn't mean I hate omegas as a whole. There are a lot of qualities that omegas have that I love, qualities that I love about you. Omegas can be so gentle and comforting. They can talk straight to the heart and truly empathize with others. And they're cute, so much cuter than alphas. They're small and they look up at you with these sparkling eyes that make you want to do anything for them. And omegas smell good, it's amazing." He gently squeezed Deku's hand. "And omegas can become mothers. They can grow offspring and they can nurture that baby in a way that an alpha can't. There are a lot of things I don't like about other omegas but that doesn't mean that I wish they didn't exist. I love you and, if you weren't an omega, I couldn't love you as much as I do."

Deku accepted the apology silently, rubbing his head against the man's strong chest affectionately. Katsuki patted the boy's head. "See? Omegas act so cute sometimes." He said. He was completely red in the face from all the mushy talk. He was getting better at saying these sorts of things to Deku but it was still hard. He would never ever speak like this if anyone else was within earshot.

Before he knew it, the omega was crawling into his lap and straddling him, his arms around the alpha's neck. "I hate when we fight." He whispered. With the omega's throat so close, Katsuki could smell affection and lust pheromones. His primal instinct told him to mark the boy so he began to rub his cheek over the exposed neck. The omega shuttered. "Let's promise to never fight again."

Katsuki smiled, his sharp canines exposed. "That's a tall order, don't you think?" He responded in a strong and smooth voice.

The omega emitted a little giggle. "Next time we start to fight, we'll just stop and fuck instead~" he teased.

Katsuki knew that the plan was ridiculous and ineffective in the long run but as he sat there with his warm omega nibbling his earlobe, he didn't feel like turning him down. He wrapped his hands firmly around the omega's hips and ground up into him. There was no way in hell he'd say no to this.

They tried their best to be quiet but it was hopeless. They were both excited by the engagement, emotionally stirred up from the fight, and recklessly in love. A little bit of grinding and nibling quickly turned into Deku being pinned down on the bed Katsuki being covered in bright red bite marks.

They each took their turns apologizing. Deku went first, getting down on his knees and taking the alpha's thick member down his throat until his nose was buried in Katsuki's abdomen. Katsuki then sucked the omega's cock while curling two fingers inside of his ass until the omega was writhing and begging for the real thing. The foreplay was short lived as the two soon began experimenting with positions.

They tried to decide what was best but they liked all of it. Katsuki liked fucking Deku on the vanity because the mirror gave him a perfect view of the omega's lewd expressions. Deku, on the other hand, liked being laid on his back on the bed because he could kiss his alpha and bite his neck.

With one final screaming orgasm, they decided that they were too exhausted for another round. After waiting for the knot to release and cleaning up, they received a polite knock on the door. Katsuki answered, finding an alpha staff member smiling awkwardly. "Good evening, sir. I hope you're enjoying your visit. We've received some complaints from our other guests about-"

Katsuki scowled dangerously at the man. His hormones were still running high which made him feel like he could not allow another alpha within fifty feet of his omega. He didn't want this man to smell let alone see his omega. "We're leaving in the morning." He grumbled before shutting the door.

He immediately went back to the bed where his annoyed omega was waiting. The boy clung to his alpha. "Don't leave! I'm very sensitive right now…" he complained. "I'm going to get drop."

"No you won't. I was only gone a second and you could see me the whole time." He pretended to be annoyed but in actuality, he liked feeling so needed. He wrapped his arms around his omega and began to relax. It wasn't hard for either of them to fall asleep and the next morning, the quietly packed up and left. Although Deku had no regrets last night, he now bustled out of the inn with a red face, not wanting to meet eyes with any of the employees who had heard him calling out his alpha's name.

They hopped into the car and went back to the Katsuki family home. "Are you going to tell them, or am I?" The greenette asked as they pulled up to the house. He knew he had to force his fiance's hand on this or he would never say anything about the engagement.

Katsuki sighed. "I will. You go upstairs and pretend to have food poisoning." He advised.

"What? Why? I want to be there for the big moment."

"Trust me, you don't. My parents will lose their shit and they'll want to touch you and ask you questions and they'll try to get involved in the planning. My mom will pressure you into doing some stupid shit like a flash mob and you'll say yes because you want to bond with her but in the end, we all end up at each other's throats." He explained.

"I won't." Deku pleaded. "I promise. I mean… you're right, I would really want to give in but I won't. I'll stand my ground."

The ruby-red eyes looked into Deku's sternly. "No flash mobs, no bouncy houses, and no swimming with the dolphins." He said. The omega nodded, smiling.

They got out of the car and entered the family home. Much of the previous day's tension had dissipated and it didn't feel so awkward anymore. The whole house smelled of lemon and vinegar cleaning products. Mitsuki came to greet them with her hair under a bandana and carrying a mop. She smiled. "Hi guys! Sorry, the floor in the living room is still wet." She said.

The omega's heart was beating rapidly with anticipation. He looked up to his alpha who was still as cool and apathetic as ever. Before he could say anything, Katsuki opened his mouth and bluntly announced, "Izuku and I are engaged now. We'll have a wedding. You will be invited. It will not be a big or elaborate affair. We don't know where or where so don't ask."

Both Izuku and Mitsuki were amazed by how easily and emotionlessly he could say something like that. His mother stammered. "Y-you're… you're engaged?" She asked in disbelief. "I don't under-"

"Yeah." Katsuki interrupted.

Mitsuki hadn't even known about Izuku's existence for very long and now her son was going to get married? She was tired of being blind-sided like this. She wanted to be a part of her children's lives, not just an afterthought who occasionally was deemed worthy of inclusion. She scowled. "Hold on right there, Bakugo. You can't just get married-"

"Why not?" He asked, cutting her off again. While he remained apathetic, his omega was becoming more and more anxious. Izuku could sense the tension.

"B-because you… uugh! That's not what I meant! I meant that you can't just cut everyone out of your life and then every once in a while, send us postcards like this! You're getting married!? I mean, are you kidding me!? Until a few days ago, I thought you were an asexual bachelor! Can you just stop being so selfish and include your family in your life!?" She leaned her mop against the wall and crossed her arms.

Now Katsuki was getting worked up too. "You're not entitled to every detail of my personal life. I'm not a kid anymore, I didn't need to tell you every time I use the toilet." He countered.

"Don't you fucking dare make me sound overbearing for wanting to know that you're in a serious relationship more than one day prior to your engagement announcement! I'm not some psycho helicopter parent!"

"Could have fooled me." Katsuki replied with a subtle growl which made his mother gasp. She looked like she was about to slap him across the face when her husband walked in, drawn over by all the noise. At this point, Deku was clinging to Katsuki's arm and tugging on him, trying to silently tell him to stop talking.

"Mii-chan, what's going on?" Mr. Katsuki asked.

"Honestly, I'm just surprised that Mr. Nobility deemed us worthy of being invited to his wedding." She said, a twinge of emotion in her voice as if she was fighting tears.

Masaru looked from his wife to his son then to the deeply uncomfortable omega. Deku was anxious and afraid, afraid that this was his fault and that Mitsuki hated him. Masaru sighed, being the more level headed of the pair, and gave Izuku a comforting smile. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Midoriya. It's really not about you." He assured.

The high-strung Katuski pulled his omega closer, annoyed that anyone would dare talk to his omega without his permission. After what happened the previous morning, he was very protective of Deku, even around his own family.

"Why the hell are acting like we're going to eat him!?" Mitsuki barked. "This isn't a third-world bride market, this is your family home! If you still consider us your family, that is!"

Deku hated this. He had fought all last night and he was so tired of it by now. He was tired of his fiance's stubbornness, of being anxious, of feeling unwelcome and disrespected by the Katsuki family. Maybe Bakugo was right, maybe it was better that he didn't have contact with his family. Had Deku asked too much by wanting him to have a relationship with them? Had he been selfish and ruined a delicate balance? He was just fed-up with it.

The little omega broke out of Katsuki's hold. He looked so frustrated and exhausted as he looked up to his surprised alpha. "I'm so tired… Kacchan, I'm sorry I asked to come here, I'm sorry I asked you to have a relationship with your family, and I'm sorry for causing so many problems. That being said, I won't be a part of them anymore. I won't fight. If you want to stay here and fight with everyone all day, I'll be around. If you want to catch the next plane back to Japan, I'll come along without a word of complaint. You can disown your family, fistfight your brother, or just continue having a relationship with them while pretending I don't exist, I don't care. I just can't stand to be a part of it anymore, okay? I'll be out on the porch while you figure it out." He said before leaving out the front door.

Katsuki watched him go silently, his anger slipping away from him as a guilty realization settled on him. He just couldn't stop fucking everything up.