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“Freeze! Police!”
 
Izuku swooped down low and swung himself through the ground level window. He landed in a basement, scattering glass and startling the criminal he intended to apprehend. Said criminal had his pants around his ankles, a scantily clad woman between his knees where he sat frozen on the couch, and a whole lot of drugs laid out on his coffee table.
 
“Saito Jin, you’re under arrest for the possession and distribution of cocaine and various other illegal substances!” Izuku eyed the woman, sheepishly tucking bills away in her bra. “And, um... I guess, also prostitution.” He tried to direct all of his focus to the man to give the lady some time to collect herself.
 
Saito pushed her off of him and hiked up his pants. “Fuck off, pig!” He held up his trousers and leapt over the coach to make a break for it up the steps and out the back door.
 
“Don’t run! The place is surrounded!” Izuku quickly caught up with him, sweeping out Saito’s feet and pinning him down to the ground. The man struggled as Izuku attempted to get the cuffs on him, a difficult feat, seeing as he was much smaller than the criminal.
 
He had just finished tightening the cuffs when a loud growl made both men pause. Izuku squinted into the dark corner of the room, where the noise seemed to be originating from.
 
“Hello?” Izuku asked the pocket of void.
 
Glowing red eyes glared out from the darkness. A glint of white fangs drew his attention in further and suddenly Izuku was gaping at the naked body of a man with ears and a tail.
 
A hybrid.
 
The hybrid gripped the bars of a cage, the metal so black Izuku hadn’t even noticed it against the darkness, too focused on the creature. He snarled at Izuku and the man pinned beneath him quivered.
 
Saito cleared his throat, “I, uh, wouldn’t let him out if I were you. He’s really bitey. I’ve had to keep him chained up like that.”
 
Izuku shook him a little. “Hey, bud. I’ve got some bad news. I’m about to make you

wish

you’re only getting charged with possession and prostitution.”

Katsuki watched through the bars as both his owner and his latest mistress were led out the back door in handcuffs.
 
He chortled.
 
Served those fuckers right.
 
The cop who had made a flashy entrance and had disturbed his late afternoon nap stood a little ways away, watching him nervously, obviously intending to get closer. Katsuki bared his teeth and growled at him again in warning.
 
The cop flinched but continued to make his way over inch by inch. “Are you okay?”
 
Katsuki didn’t stop growling.
 
“Can you speak?”
 
When Katsuki refused to answer him again, the cop looked worried and leaned in closer to assess his living quarters. A spike of territorial behavior reared and Katsuki swished his tail from side to side in agitation.
 
“How could another person treat someone like this?” Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes and Katsuki stopped growling to observe.
 
The cop was close enough that he could read his badge.

Midoriya Deku

.
 
Katsuki huffed out a small laugh.
 
What kind of name was

Deku?

“I’m going to get you out of here and we’re going to, well, we need to bring you to the precinct first, if you don’t have any medical emergencies that need to have you rushed to a hybrid doctor... Can you understand me?”
 
Katsuki didn’t answer him again. It had been so long since anyone had talked to him or even expected him to talk back. After a good while, he’d just decided his own voice wasn’t needed.
 
The cop pulled out his walky and spoke into the receiver, “We’ve got a hybrid being kept down here in poor conditions. I need a change of clothes and a blanket in case he rejects them. His owner’s clothes should fit for now. He’s not receptive to verbal communication and he appears aggressive at the moment... What?! A

muzzle

and a

leash?

Well, I, um…” The cop peeked over at Katsuki, as if he were asking permission. “If that’s procedure, then I guess my opinion on the matter doesn’t really have any sway, does it?” His voice was tighter when he asked his last question. He turned off the communicator.
 
Deku sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry. The next few hours are going to be unpleasant for you, but don’t worry! I’ll do what I can to make it go by faster!”

Izuku walked into his captain’s office and gave him a salute, “You called for me Captain Aizawa?”
 
Aizawa didn’t look up from his paperwork, his dry eyes scanning over the pages with dissatisfaction. “Midoriya, I’ve told you this already, but you don’t have to do that every time you walk in here. Take a seat and relax.”
 
Izuku did as he was instructed.
 
Finally, Aizawa set down his papers. He folded his hands and took in his subordinate’s stiff posture. “About this case, since you were once again the first on the scene, I need to debrief you. Also…” He picked up a magazine, rolled it up, and smacked Izuku on the head with it. “

Why

are you always first on the scene? Why is it that every time I give you a partner, I get complaints that they can’t keep up and they deliver me their immediate transfer requests?”
 
“I can’t help it! My legs move faster than my brain!”
 
“Clearly.”
 
Izuku grimaced.
 
“Well, you obviously aren’t learning your lesson no matter how many times I smack you with

Vogue

, so let’s get into the nitty gritty of this debriefing, shall we? I’ve been informed of everything we already had on file for Saito. All of our information before the arrest was correct. However, there was an unforeseen variable that nobody knew about.”
 
Izuku nodded. “The hybrid.”
 
Aizawa continued, “He refuses to speak and caused us all a whole lot of grief when we had to remove him from the basement cell.”
 
“Not to interrupt, sir, but, where is he right now?”
 
“We’ve got him detained in holding. We managed to find more suitable clothes for him and he did put them on, but his nails are pretty long and very sharp, so they’ve already got some wear and tear.”
 
“What are the procedures for something like this?”
 
Aizawa hummed, “Well, the partner is going to be charged for keeping him in those conditions so-”
 
“No, sir. I meant, what are we going to do with the hybrid?”
 
“Oh, that. I’m not sure yet. Usually, if abused hybrids are taken into custody, they can be rehabilitated and given counseling. But the whole process of recovery relies on the hybrid being receptive to communication. This guy that we’ve picked up is really troublesome. The report that I’ve received from the hybrid handling unit suggests that he was no better than a wild animal. Tried to chomp down on one of their arms for putting a muzzle on him.”
 
“Not to play devil’s advocate, but I wouldn’t feel too good about being muzzled either.”
 
“Noted. Either way, he’s not making it easy for us. We’ve got good evidence against his partner, but he’d be a great key witness to the trial if he’d talk. As he is right now, he’s not suitable for being out on the streets or being around anybody. We don’t even have a name. His face isn’t showing up in our database and the blood sample won’t be back for a while. All we’ve got to go on is a scratched up dog tag with a couple of letters I can barely make out.”
 
Aizawa slid a photograph of the collar over to Izuku. The tag was mangled and rusty. All he could make out was

Ka

.
 
“As it stands, we might have to keep him in holding, and, if he refuses to cooperate, he might be deemed a danger to society and end up in hybrid prison.” Izuku bit his bottom lip. “Don’t make that face. I don’t want that for him. That’s just the way things like this usually go. I

want

to rehabilitate him, but even the handler unit doesn’t want to go near him.”
 
“Then I’ll take him in,” The words were out of Izuku’s mouth before he had even properly thought them.
 
Aizawa leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. “You were a part of the K9 Unit when you started right?”
 
When dogs were deemed excessive force and too violent for apprehension, the K9 Unit had paired up officers with dog hybrids instead. It was a checks and balances of sorts. If a cop was morally unjustified in asking a hybrid for an assist, the hybrid had more sentience than the average dog to refute the decision.
 
“You remember why you didn’t work out there?”
 
“I had too much energy for my partners?”
 
“That was the informal report. Formally, you were unsuitable because you were always the first to throw yourself into danger. You didn’t rely on your hybrid partners. Your partners wanted to protect you too, but they couldn’t keep up with all of your split second decisions. That's not good for hybrids, especially dogs. They're loyal to a fault. They kept thinking they failed you in some way. Do you really think it would be wise for me to send an abused hybrid home with someone like that?”
 
Izuku clenched his fists in his lap. He thought about that poor hybrid, trading one cage for another. “I’ll use my vacation days if I have to. I want to help him, Aizawa.” He stared him down with an unwavering resolve.
 
Aizawa scratched at his scraggly chin. “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Having you think about someone else’s feelings for a change might make you a better partner. Plus I don’t have to see your stupid face every time I need to debrief for a case. You can pick him up down in holding. I’ll sign for his release, but I don’t want to see you in the office or on the premises for a month minimum. Understood?”
 
Izuku stood up and saluted him. “Yessir!”
 
Aizawa’s eye twitched. “Stop doing that and get the hell out of my office.”

Katsuki sat in the corner of the cell block. The new clothes he’d been given did little to stave off the cold that seeped into his back from being pressed up against the back wall. He heard the big metal door he had been brought through open in the hall, his ears flicking forward to focus on the sound.
 
A familiar head of green curls and soft green eyes peered around the edge of the cell. The officer waved to him hesitantly, giving him a wobbly smile. “Hello! Nice to see you again. Sorry if you’ve been waiting long.”
 
Katsuki hadn’t even known he was waiting for anything.
 
Deku stepped further into view behind the bars. Katsuki made quick note of the leash, collar, and muzzle in his hands. He pressed further back against the cell wall and growled a warning.
 
Deku seemed to take note of where Katsuki was looking and sheepishly held out the accessories. “Oh, sorry. They aren’t going to let me take you out of here without these. I understand you might have had a bad experience with people forcing them on you earlier, but it was mostly a cautionary measure, so you wouldn’t hurt others or yourself accidentally.”
 
Deku slipped his hands through the bars and held out the items. “Here. I don’t like the idea of putting them on you myself, so, if you wouldn’t mind, you can be the one to put them on?”
 
Katsuki didn’t move forward.
 
Deku set the accessories down and then took a seat. He rested his cheek on his hand and carefully watched him. “You’re actually really smart, right? I can tell. You’ve got an intelligent look in your eye. You also laughed when you read my nametag in Saito’s basement.”
 
Katsuki stopped growling.
 
This cop was observant.
 
“They don’t know what to do with you, because you won’t talk. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to speak to other humans though, since one of us treated you so bad. But there’s a lot less empathetic people on the force and in our government. Types of guys who would have you incarcerated just because they’d automatically make you out to be an accessory to your partner’s crimes rather than a victim. Just because they don’t want to spend time helping you. They think it’s easier and cheaper to just leave you to rot in prison. I don’t want to see that happen.”
 
What had he just called his owner? His

partner?

The hell was this guy talking about?
 
“I think you can understand me and you’re well aware of the situation you’re in. I want to take you to my place, where we can house you until Saito goes to trial. If you can testify against him, we can clear you of any hasty judgements from the higher ups a lot easier and your partner would be going to jail for pretty much his whole life.”
 
Now

that

Katsuki could work with. Anything to see the tables turned on that bastard. Katsuki had only fantasized until now about seeing

him

in a cage.
 
He stood up and walked over to the bars. Deku flinched as he bent down to pick up the collar. He buckled it over his neck and clipped on the leash. He sneered at the muzzle, but provided no further objection before slipping it over his mouth. He stared down at the cop patiently.
 
Deku jolted as he realized Katsuki was waiting for him and rose to his feet. He was so much shorter that Katsuki. How had this shortstack manage to get permission to take him home?
 
Deku opened the holding cell door and stepped in a little too close for Katsuki’s liking. He bared his fangs and Deku tripped, stumbling forward. He righted himself before moving slower to pick up the hanging leash. He looked up at Katsuki with a determined expression. “Thank you for trusting me enough to get you out of here! My name is Midoriya Izuku and you are…?”
 
Katsuki blew air out from his nose.
 
He had no reason to provide his name.
 
“Well, I can’t just call you nothing so…” He looked intently at Katsuki’s collar. “Ah! Kacchan! I’ll call you Kacchan, since I can’t seem to read the rest.”
 
Katsuki let out a dissatisfied rumble in the back of his throat.
 
Deku smiled up at him, ignoring his frustration. “I’m not hearing any objections, so Kacchan it is!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So, this is my place.” Izuku unlocked the door and was surprised to find Kacchan running past him to get inside. The hybrid stood in the middle of the living room, looking from side to side. His nose twitched as he took in the scent of his new surroundings.
 
“It’s a pretty simple home. Only one floor, but there’s a small backyard. Mostly, I just go for jogs in the nearby park when I want to get some fresh air though… Oh, right! Before we start the tour, you should take your muzzle off! Get comfortable!”
 
Kacchan turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. He did a half shrug and removed the contraption from his face. He licked his lips as soon as they were free. Izuku caught himself staring at the gesture.
 
“Y-You can just set that down on the counter in the kitchen. I’ll find somewhere to stow it until we need to go back to the courthouse.” Izuku stepped into the hallway and opened a closet. He pulled out a towel. “You can take a bath or shower, while I prepare dinner, if that’s okay? Take your time, since I need to look up what kind of food I should be feeding you.”
 
Kacchan stared at the towel in Izuku’s outstretched hand.
 
He didn’t take it.
 
Izuku pulled the towel back and shuffled awkwardly down the hall and opened the bathroom door. “I’ll just set it on the edge of the tub, then?”
 
He put it down and turned around to find two red eyes staring into his. He let out a small noise of surprise and tripped backwards, falling into the tub, and, most likely, bruising his ass.
 
Kacchan leaned over him, gripping the towel bar above his head. His tail was swishing behind him as he smirked down at Izuku.
 
Izuku felt heat rush to his face. “That’s not funny! I could have busted my head open!”
 
Kacchan didn’t pay him any mind, his attention too focused on the controls of the tub and shower. He twisted a knob and water shot out from the shower head, pouring over Izuku and partially Kacchan. Kacchan jumped back and shook his hair free of the droplets, eyes wide with shock.
 
Izuku sighed and slumped back against the wall.
 
This wasn’t going as well as he imagined.
 
He turned the knob to stop the shower and stepped out of the tub. “I’m guessing you’ve never used a shower before. I don’t think I even want to know how your partner kept you clean. Just look here for a second. Turning this one makes the water flow. You can change the setting from shower to bath by pulling this up, and this knob controls temperature. Red means hotter, blue means colder… Are dog hybrids colorblind?”
 
Kacchan blinked at him.
 
“Uh, well, whatever. It’s going to have to be a trial and error sort of thing, I guess. Dinner might take longer. I have wet clothes to change out of now.” Izuku pushed himself out of the tub and walked to the door. He turned around to see Kacchan removing his shirt and throwing it to the floor.
 
Izuku balked at him.
 
When Kacchan met his gaze, he finally unfroze, mumbling something that he hoped sounded like an apology before closing the bathroom door.

What the hell was that?

His chest was so

wide

and he was so…

muscley?

God, it really had been a while since his last relationship. He couldn't

believe

he just caught himself thirsting over the hybrid that he was supposed to be housing

with no ulterior motives. Goddammit Izuku! Get your shit together!

He took a deep breath to slow his racing heartbeat. He looked down and noticed the puddle he was making in the hall. “... Shit.”

Katsuki had never used a bath or shower before.
 
Well, not one made for

humans

. He’d been with owners that had shower systems installed in his cages, but he usually only had to pull a lever and a large amount of water would fall over him at once.
 
It was never this complicated.
 
His last owner was too scared to move him from the cage to have anything installed, so more often than not, in the last year, Katsuki would find himself at the end of a hose when he needed to bathe.
 
This was nothing like that.
 
The water pressure was gentle and it came out like rain. It felt enjoyable and warm. He closed his eyes and relaxed under the faucet as it slid over him. His ears fell back against his head and he lifted his chin up to meet the droplets.
 
He sniffed as Deku’s scent met his nose again. His scent was everywhere in this place, but this strand wasn’t one the human produced naturally. Katsuki had smelled it coming from his fluffy hair, a sweet fruity scent. He reached for a bottle on the tub ledge and examined it.
 
He sniffed it. It had the same scent as Deku’s hair. He uncapped the lid and squeezed out some of the contents onto his palm. Logically, he came to the conclusion that this was something humans used to scent their hair.
 
He tried to lather some of it onto his head. The suds agitated his ears, but the feeling of running his fingers through his hair wasn’t so bad. He watched as dirty bubbly water fell to the bottom of the basin and swirled into the drain.
 
This stuff was pretty damn good at removing filth! No wonder humans used it.
 
He rubbed a little onto his tail and watched more grime leave his fur. He shivered at just how good it felt to be clean again.
 
After rinsing everything from his fur and body he turned off the water and shook himself out. He looked down at the towel Deku had left for him and snorted, deciding he was fine without it.
 
He left the bathroom and wandered into the kitchen. Deku had his back to him, mixing something in a large pot and mumbling to himself while he stared at his phone.
 
Katsuki made a gruff noise to alert the human he was in the room. Deku whipped around. His eyes grew wide and he immediately turned back to his phone. “

Oh my god!

I left you a

towel

, right?”
 
The back of his neck and the tips of his ears turned red as he leaned over the edge of the counter. Katsuki shook more water from his hair. Deku peeked over his shoulder. “Shit! The floors are getting soaked!”
 
He made a move towards Katsuki.
 
“Don’t-!”
 
Katsuki watched as Deku slipped comically on a puddle and landed on his back. He stared up at Katsuki dumbly from the ground.
 
For a short moment his eyes stayed focused between Katsuki’s legs before finally darting up to his face. His eyes widened in surprise. “You’re

blond?

”
 
Katsuki chortled down at him. He offered no assistance in getting Deku to his feet, opting to take a seat at the kitchen table instead.
 
Deku got up and started being noisy again. “Aaaa! No! Don’t sit there

naked!

Oh god, we need to get you clothes. I think I received a size XL shirt from my dad once that I still have. He said I’d grow into it, but I’m pretty sure he just didn’t know my size. And underwear and pants… Well my boxers are probably okay for now, and sweats are always roomier than they should be. One second! I’ll be right back.”
 
Katsuki watched the human sprint from the room. The pot on the stove boiled ominously, the liquid inside spilling out over the edges. Deku returned with an armful of clothes, panting as he held them out to Katsuki.
 
“Please... put these… on…!” Katsuki hesitantly took them and then sent a wary glance to the pot. Deku followed his line of sight and gasped, “The stew!” He rushed to turn off the heat.
 
Katsuki leaned over the table to watch Deku taste it. He deflated. “I burned it a little.”
 
Well, this guy was interesting if nothing else.

Katsuki spent the next week in quiet observation. So far, there were five things he’d learned about Deku.
 
The first: He was a crybaby.
 
Katsuki already knew he was much stockier under his clothes than his appearance let on. He was small but his body was well trained. His first impression had been that take down of Katsuki’s owner and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t mildly impressed.
 
That impression was shattered the first time Katsuki walked in on Deku crying in front of the television with some sad soap opera playing on the screen. He didn’t even seem to know the characters, calling them

the boy

and

his siste

r, which led Katsuki to believe he had never seen anything from the show previously. He just got emotionally pulled into the one episode.
 
It wasn’t just sad things that made him cry either. Katsuki had watched the man tear up at happy things too.
 
A sappy commercial about some athlete persevering after an accident almost made him quit had his lip wobbling. By the time the

Pepsi

logo popped up on the screen, Deku already had his face pressed into a throw pillow, sniffling loudly.
 
The second thing Katsuki noticed was how social he attempted to be with him.
 
He stepped much too close for Katsuki’s liking and didn’t understand the most basic threatening noises Katsuki used to try and keep him away.
 
Either that or he didn’t have any reservations about Katsuki’s very real threat to maim him.
 
It was a little unsettling to be honest.
 
He was also extremely chatty, asking questions that he wasn’t going to get answers to. And whenever he didn’t get a response, he’d ramble, muttering to himself until he came to his own conclusions. Even just watching him hold a whole conversation up by himself looked exhausting.
 
The third thing Katsuki noticed was how nerdy he was.
 
His first night, Deku had sat at his laptop into the wee hours of morning, while Katsuki had been given his bed to sleep in. Katsuki didn’t find sleep, instead peeking out to watch Deku work.
 
He furiously wrote down notes as he scrolled, his face scrunched up in tight concentration.
 
God, he looked ugly.
 
The next morning, Katsuki had woken up on the floor, half of his body lying in the hall, half in the bedroom, and utterly alone in the house.
 
He had only just gotten up to get himself something to drink when Deku came in through the front door like a storm, throwing bags down and around the floor of the entrance.
 
He had purchased clothes in Katsuki’s size and had done quite a bit of research looking into what kinds of foods and hybrid care products Katsuki would need.
 
None of the food or weird stuffed toys really appealed to him very much and he didn’t know what the hell Deku expected to do with the nail file, but the clothes were nice. They fit him well and they kept him warm.
 
He was even careful trying them on. Hadn’t put a hole through the fabric or tore at any loose threads. His decided his favorite was a plain black shirt with a skull in the middle. After his third day in a row of wearing it, he had been reluctant to let Deku throw it in the wash, only caving when he spilled some soup on it.
 
The fourth thing Katsuki noticed was how anxious Deku was.
 
This was not the same person who had shown up at the scene of a crime and told him he’d handle everything with that stupidly reassuring smile on his face.
 
Deku startled

very

easily. He jumped at phone calls, when the mailman knocked on the door, when Katsuki entered a room without clothes. It was a weird contrast, his personal life and his occupation, and Katsuki sort of wondered how he even became a cop with such bad nerves.
 
Maybe his athleticism really was his only saving grace? The man did go out for a run every morning. And, right before bed, he did a few reps of curls while scrolling through his phone.
 
The fifth and final thing Katsuki noticed about Deku was his sleeping habits.
 
Some nights he wouldn’t sleep at all, but mostly he’d pass out sometime between midnight and three a.m. on his sofa, leaving Katsuki to take his bed again and again.
 
Katsuki would enter the living room after he was knocked out cold and observe him. Deku was a clingy bastard, always had a pillow hugged to his chest. His face was a lot less anxious in sleep, his freckled cheeks soft and round, pressed into the arm rest.
 
How he didn’t wake up with crinks in his neck, Katsuki wasn’t sure.
 
He teared up sometimes. His brow wouldn’t wrinkle, but his eyes still watered, teardrops slipping through his lashes and over his cheeks sideways.
 
If it was a nightmare, Katsuki wasn’t sure why he never tossed or turned, or woke up screaming. Katsuki had dreams like that. He was sort of curious. What kind of dreams did Deku have?

After a week Katsuki finally felt settled in and familiar enough with Deku to thoroughly explore every crevice of the house. Deku noticed him doing it, annoyingly hanging on the edges of him moving from room to room.
 
The bed was starting to smell like Katsuki, much to his satisfaction. The bathroom still smelled like Deku’s shampoo, but that couldn’t really be helped, since Katsuki was

also

starting to smell a little bit like Deku’s shampoo.
 
There was only one room left in the house that he hadn’t been in yet. The door was always shut and he had never felt the need to enter it before. But his nature to prowl through every inch of his new territory was making him increasingly curious. He tried the handle and it stuck.
 
Locked.
 
“Don’t!”
 
Katsuki reared back, startled at Deku’s sudden presence in the hall.
 
Katsuki growled. He wasn’t used to Deku asserting himself. He hadn’t yelled at Katsuki once since he moved in. Katsuki had almost stopped perceiving him as a potential threat altogether.
 
Almost.
 
Deku looked guilty. “I’m sorry for snapping… I read somewhere online that you should be able to enter any room in the house that you want. They said it would make you feel less anxious if you have free reign and I…” He took a shaky breath, “It’s okay if you want to go in. Just, please be careful in there. Don’t knock anything over okay?”
 
He held out a small key.
 
Katsuki raised a brow at him before quickly snatching it from his hands. Before he could change his mind, he inserted it into the keyhole and opened the door.
 
Stale air met his nose and he winced.
 
It was another bedroom.
 
Sunlight filtered in through the blinds, highlighting the dust dancing through the space.
 
Katsuki took a tentative step inside.
 
He carefully glided his hand over the dresser. It had a very feminine design. A jewelry box sat on top of it, along with a brush and a few other hair and makeup products.
 
The comforter on the bed was a light spring green, small pink and white flowers embroidered at the edges. A smell similar to Deku’s lingered here, but the scent marking hadn’t been renewed for a while.
 
There was a photo on the nightstand, propped up behind a bookmarked novel, a story left unfinished.
 
He picked up the frame.
 
There was a woman with green hair and crow’s feet smiling at the camera. A boy in a high school uniform stood next to her, looking a little embarrassed, clutching a diploma to his chest.
 
Katsuki set the photo back down. He looked over to the door and saw Deku watching him carefully, leaning against the frame. His expression was pained. He looked so lost standing there. Awkward and out of place in a way that very much wasn’t like his usual uncomfortable self.

Idiot.

Katsuki glared at him.

Angry.

He was so goddamn

angry.

You didn’t have to let me in here, just because you’re trying to keep my feelings from being hurt or just because some stupid website told you to. Have some self preservation. Learn to be a little selfish.

Katsuki opened his mouth, but nothing came out but a strangled noise.
 
His voice was so underused.
 
His throat stung.
 
It was so sore.
 
He couldn’t speak.
 
Deku didn’t seem to notice the attempt.
 
Katsuki took a deep breath and stalked back over to Deku, pushing him out of the room and slamming the door behind him. He locked it and dangled the key out to the human.
 
Deku took the key back slowly, a bewildered look on his face.
 
Katsuki pushed past him and went to Deku’s bedroom, closing the door behind him. He didn’t come out for dinner that night, too focused on practicing.

Izuku plated breakfast the next morning, bacon and a side of apple slices. He hadn’t seen Kacchan since last night and he didn’t bother calling him a second time for dinner when his first call went ignored.
 
He didn’t mean to make things so awkward, but he also didn’t know how to apologize for the strange atmosphere that still hovered over the house from yesterday.
 
He sat himself down at the table and stared at the second plate seated across from him.
 
It was likely Kacchan wouldn’t be coming to breakfast either. He picked up a fork, intending to start, when his bedroom door creaked open in the hall.
 
Kacchan stepped out and yawned. He lifted up his shirt to scratch at his tummy as he made his way down the hallway. He pulled out his seat and plopped down. Dark eye bags weighed his normally handsome face down. It didn’t look like he had gotten much sleep either.
 
Izuku stared down at his food, biting his lip.
 
What could he say?

What words would fix this?
 
Should he start with an apology?
 
“I don’t like fruit.”
 
Izuku jolted, dropping his fork. It landed on the table with a clatter. He lifted his face up. Kacchan picked up the bacon with his fingers and tore into it.
 
Had Izuku just imagined it?
 
“I don’t like vegetables either. I only eat meat. Usually, the rarer the better.”
 
No, Izuku was not imagining things. Kacchan just spoke to him. It sounded gruff and deep, but the noises that left the hybrid’s mouth were definitely words.
 
Kacchan licked leftover oil from his fingers. Izuku’s eyes followed the movement, entranced. When he was done, he gave Izuku a feral grin. “Well, you aren’t a decent cook anyway, so it should be easier for you to start serving things raw, right?”
 
Izuku swallowed. He felt his body temperature skyrocket. His own heartbeat hammered loudly in his ears.
 
This was dangerous.
 
Izuku was in some very deep shit.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Please slow down. I can’t understand a word you say when you talk that fast,” Uraraka’s groggy voice tried to persuade Izuku to no avail.
 
“Uraraka, you aren’t listening! He spoke to me and I practically popped a, well,

a you-know-what

at the breakfast table!”
 
“A boner?” She provided unenthusiastically.
 
“Don’t say it outloud! I don’t know what to do! I obviously haven’t thought this through, but I was just so justifiably upset on his behalf, you know? I couldn’t leave him. Higher ranked officers would go after him for sure! You know how they’re always complaining about the rehabilitation programs for hybrids. They barely see them as people!”
 
“Mmhmm,” It sounded like she was getting dressed now. He heard clothes rustling. Probably putting on her uniform.
 
Hybrids were allowed highly specified rights and there were programs set in place to accommodate their lifestyles. Most of them were social and needed the feeling of pack or companionship, which often led to them being adopted into households or family spaces as partners, a kind of mutually beneficial arrangement.
 
But there were cases like Kacchan’s where hybrids were mistreated and passed from home to home unlawfully. It was similar to the underground slave trades and prostitution rings Izuku often times found himself breaking up. Such traumatic experiences were seen as a failure on the government’s part to find these hybrids a proper home and hybrid advocacy groups fought tooth and nail to ensure there was a proper process for helping them recover.
 
But there were still a lot of people within the system who made things difficult, and liked to point fingers at the programs for being a drain on the country’s economy. People that would see Kacchan and try to pass him off as an unsavable person.
 
Or worse.
 
An animal.
 
“I don’t think you’re taking this seriously. I’m trying to tell you that I’m in way over my head!”
 
“Yeah, sounds like both of your heads aren’t thinking too clearly, huh?”
 
“Stop making vulgar jokes! I really don’t know what to do! I forgot because he wasn’t talking a whole lot, but he’s pretty much the same as a human everywhere else besides his tail and ears.”
 
“Well, not everywhere.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“You said you found him naked in that cage, right? You didn’t get a good look at what he might be packing?”
 
“Goddammit!” Izuku rubbed at his eyes tiredly. “... Okay, yes. He’s not quite human down there either.”
 
“Is he big?”
 
“Pardon?!”
 
Izuku could practically hear her shrug on the other side of the phone. “Well, you haven’t gone on a date since… well, for a

while

. It’s natural that you’d be attracted to the first hot guy that started bunking with you.”
 
“But he has

ears!

And a

tail!

And the thing between his legs has a- has a-!”
 
“A knot.”
 
Izuku’s head spun. He plopped down to sit on the edge of his bed, no longer possessing the energy to stand. “Yeah, that.”
 
“It’s not so weird. You said it yourself. They’re basically human everywhere else. And it’s good that you see him that way, because most politicians and the bad guys we put behind bars don’t. They just see them as pets. A commodity.”
 
“... Do you and Iida ever-?”
 
“What?! No! He’s my partner yeah, but he’s not my type and I’m not his! … But, if you want to talk to someone who is caught up in the kind of

scandal-

and I’m using air quotes here- that you’re currently fantasizing about, I would talk to Mina.”
 
“Ashido?! I can’t do that! If I start asking her questions about her and Kirishima, she’d want to be all up in

my

business!”
 
“You could stand to let more people inside your head. Might help you organize your thoughts better. Rely on somebody else for a change.”
 
“Deku!” Kacchan’s voice called out for him from the living room.
 
“Deku?” Uraraka questioned. “Why’s he calling you that?”
 
“I have no idea. I think he just read my name wrong and it stuck. I tried to get him to stop, but he ignored me.”
 
“Did you get him to tell you his name at least?”
 
“Uh, yeah and I’ve already submitted an update of his progress to Aizawa. It’s Bakugou Katsuki. I’m still calling him Kacchan though, since he doesn’t want to use my proper name and he hasn’t told me to stop.”
 
Uraraka laughed, “Pfft! Great job! Way to antagonize the temporary partner that you’re

supposed to be rehabilitating

. Oh! I have to go now! Iida and I are doing a morning patrol and I want to stop for donuts on the way to work!”
 
“Lucky. Wish I could go in. I already miss it.”
 
“It’s only been a week! Seeya later, Deku!” She hung up before Izuku could protest the use of the new nickname.
 
Kacchan burst into his room a few seconds later. “Deku!”
 
Izuku pocketed his phone, standing up at attention. “What? What’s wrong?”
 
“There’s a rodent outside and I want to chase it. Am I allowed out?”
 
Izuku blinked at him dumbly. “You want to chase… a rodent? What, like a rabbit or a squirrel?”
 
Kacchan’s tail swished from side to side. “Yeah, it’s sitting in the middle of the yard, digging holes and planting seeds or something. The backyard is

your

territory, right? It shouldn’t be there, so it needs to be chased off!”
 
Izuku had never lived with any kind of hybrid before, but he had been in close proximity with the guys from the K9 Unit, and they’d never shown any interest in chasing squirrels.
 
“It’s a squirrel. You don’t have to chase it. It’ll leave on it’s own eventually.”
 
“You can’t let it get away with that! What if it decides to come back?”
 
“Then... it comes back?”
 
Kacchan looked at him like he had grown a second head. “How do you manage to protect this place from invaders if you can’t even keep away one little prey animal?”
 
“There isn’t a need to protect myself from invaders. Nobody is going to attack my house. We’re safe here.”
 
Kacchan’s ears lowered slightly. “Oh.”
 
Maybe he’d never known a home that didn’t feel like someone could come bursting through the door at any moment? Just what kind of life had he led up to now?
 
“Were you worried about people attacking you in your last home?”
 
Kacchan tilted his head. “Not really. That sort of thing only happened the first few times I changed owners. But it was kind of a surprise, so I could never be sure if it would happen again. Poor bastards never saw it coming… After that it was more common that I was just bought.”

Owners?

“Kacchan… How many partners have you had until now?”
 
“Partners... Ah, that’s what you keep calling my owners. Counting you... ten?”
 
Izuku swallowed. “

Ten?

” This hybrid exchanged hands

ten

times? Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose and waved a hand in front of his face. “Hold on. I need a minute to process this. Oh, where’s my notebook. I should be writing this down.”
 
He pulled an unused one from the stack on his dresser and opened up to the first page. “Do you have any names of your previous partners? Addresses?”
 
“Addresses…” The way he said it made Izuku think he probably didn’t know what that was, “I don’t think so. I don’t remember their names either, not after I get passed off to a new one. The first two aren’t worthy of being remembered anyway.”
 
“Why’s that?”
 
“Because they’re dead.”
 
Izuku almost dropped his pen. “They’re-?”
 
“My first owner had a lot of people working for him and so did the second. I heard they would clash a lot outside of the house. One day, my second owner just stormed the first one’s house with his people and took over. He took all his money and whatever else was of value. He said I was the most expensive thing he got out of the whole ordeal though.”
 
It sounded like Kacchan had been caught in a turf war between two gangs at odds.
 
“The second guy didn’t keep his people close like the first guy. Idiot. A robber stabbed him in his sleep and then took me with him.”
 
“How- how old were you at the time?”
 
Kacchan shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve never needed to keep track of things like that. I was still a pup I think.”
 
Izuku held a hand up to his mouth, unsure what expression he should be wearing. Kacchan shuffled awkwardly in place, obviously waiting for a response.
 
“What?”
 
Izuku swallowed. “Kacchan, I don’t know what kind of life you’ve been living up until now, but none of what you’ve told me is normal. You shouldn’t have had to go through all that. I’m sorry, I-” Izuku felt the tears slide down his face before he even noticed his vision blurring.
 
Kacchan clicked his tongue. “Why are you always crying?”
 
“What? I’m not always crying.”
 
“You are. You cry in front of the T.V. all the time, and you cry in your sleep. And now you’re crying over some things I just said. Is it because of that woman in the picture? Do you really miss her that much?”
 
The questions stung at Izuku’s heart. He tried to quell a small hiccup as more tears welled up.
 
This wasn’t right! Kacchan had more right to cry than Izuku! What was he doing suddenly getting worked up about his own pain?
 
“You’re stupid. Always crying over everybody else’s problems. Even when you let me in that room, you did it because you didn’t want to hurt

my

feelings. Cry for yourself every once in a while, dumbass.”
 
Izuku covered his face with his hands. “I’m sorry! It’ll stop in a second! I’m sorry!”
 
“Stop apologizing! I’ll just wait until you’re done, so hurry up.”
 
It had been three years since her passing, but Izuku had never let himself cry over it. He was twenty-one at the time. And she told him to be strong and to always do his best. He had taken her words to heart. Truly. And he tried. He tried so hard to be strong. But the dam had to break every once in a while.
 
It was a little strange, crying while Kacchan patiently stood there, watching him and waiting. He didn’t offer any more words of comfort or move closer, but his presence was still soothing. Maybe this was the thing about hybrid partnerships that appealed to so many people?
 
When the tears stopped and his breathing slowed, Izuku wiped at his eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I’d say I don’t usually get so emotional, but I think that ship has sailed.”
 
Kacchan huffed. “Yeah, no shit.”
 
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to spend some time just talking things over with you. There’s a lot you probably don’t know or understand yet. The first thing being… I’m not your owner. I’m your

partner.

”

Katsuki was starting to piece things together little by little. He wasn’t stupid. He knew his previous owners were hiding things from him, feeding him information about the world outside in distorted chunks.
 
One of them had been foolish enough to keep him in a room with a television, so naturally he’d started to find cracks in their words. Deku’s explanation about everything was just a breath of fresh air, validating those feelings of suspicion.
 
“So, hybrids are not kept as pets, but they still live with humans.”
 
“Most, yes.”
 
“And they’re practically part of the family?”
 
“Or roommates of sorts.”
 
“Do they contribute to the household?”
 
“Sometimes. It isn’t illegal for hybrids to get jobs if that’s what you’re asking.”
 
Katsuki shook his head. He whispered to himself, “What the fuck…”
 
“Something you don’t understand?”
 
“No! Not really… I just, I don’t think I technically have those feelings of wanting to be close to humans in the way you’ve described partnerships are. Is that weird?”
 
“For someone with your background, it probably isn’t all that strange.”
 
“So, I’m not strange?”
 
“Mmmaybe in other ways?” Deku admitted, “I don’t know a whole lot of hybrids that lean into their animalistic nature as much as I’ve seen you do.”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“You’re very territorial. You growl a lot and I’ve never seen a hybrid ask for raw meat before. Usually, our K9 Unit just eats whatever warm meals they’ve prepared for them in the cantina at work. I wonder if that’s also a side effect of your background? Maybe all the stressors in your environment made you rely on your base instincts more?”
 
“I don’t really get it, but if you’re skirting around asking why I haven’t tried playing with those stupid toys you bought, I’m gonna be pissed.”
 
“No, well, I am a little disappointed that you don’t like the things I bought, but I can understand not wanting to relax enough to play with them.”
 
“

Play

with them? What level of maturity do you think I’m at that I need to play with those stuffed squeaky toys?”
 
Deku scratched his cheek and looked off to the side skeptically. “Hmm. You can say that when you were so gung ho about chasing after the squirrels out back…”
 
Katsuki slammed his fist down on the table and pointed at the man across from him. “Maybe if you let me out of the house more, I’d feel less restless about chasing things off the property!”
 
Deku looked startled. “Oh! Do you want to go for a walk?”
 
Katsuki’s ears pricked up at the last word excitedly.
 
Deku snorted into his hand at the reaction.
 
“I didn’t mean to keep you cooped up here. It was a precautionary measure to make sure you wouldn’t be outwardly violent to strangers. You’re not good at letting people get too close to you without snapping or growling, so I didn’t think it was a good idea. But, you’re probably going a little crazy in here, right? We can start simple. For today, let’s go on a walk.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Shota stretched his arms above his head, not stopping until he heard a satisfying crack. He settled back into his chair and reviewed the case files again.
 
They all followed a similar pattern, although the locations the crimes took place didn’t seem to have any sort of connection, randomly taking place in multiple districts. But after hearing about Shota’s precinct’s recent capture of a hybrid slave trader, all of them had found their way onto his desk.
 
“We think there might be a connection,” Nezu, the Commissioner of Police had relayed, “You said you were able to successfully capture a rapid hybrid from the bust? I think you might want to take a look at these case files.”
 
And he had.
 
Shota had read them over at least three times each, and, with there being at least ten folders on his desk, it had been a lot to go through.
 
He reached into his desk drawer and withdrew a bottle of eyedrops. After applying a few he sighed and looked over the reports.
 
Ten incidents. Ten

murders

where a human had been found brutally eviscerated by their partner. Most of the hybrids were found nude, which led officers to believe they had been victims of hybrid trafficking.
 
But the really troubling thing that was always a factor in each case was the uncontrollably feral state these hybrids were found in. Every single one had been shot dead for immediately attacking an officer.
 
Shota grit his teeth thinking about it.
 
Cops with twitchy hands weren’t uncommon in his line of work, much to his chagrin and much to the system’s disgrace. But Shota took some pride in how

his

officers conducted themselves. Most of his cops took it upon themselves to learn methods to subdue their arrests rather than make a split second decision to execute.
 
The reports were disturbing in their details of the ferociousness of the hybrids, and he wasn’t surprised. Bad cops were good at fudging reports to justify their shitty actions.
 
But he couldn’t be biased. He thought of the hybrid Midoriya had just taken home, the report of the handlers who had first taken him out of the basement cell. Honestly, the descriptions weren’t too far off from these other cases.
 
Only his story didn’t end in murder.
 
He took a sip from his cup of coffee and winced at the temperature. His phone rang and he grumbled, setting the mug back down to answer it, “Hello?”
 
“Aizawa?!” A loud voice shot through the receiver.
 
“Hatsume. I guess you’re calling because you’ve done that hybrid’s bloodwork? Let me guess, malnutrition?”
 
“Well, yes, obviously, but something more exciting than that!”
 
“What could be more exciting than that? He’s got some weird disease?”
 
“No! More exciting!” She paused, her voice lowering conspiratorially as if she were sharing hot gossip, “It turns out, he’s not domesticated!”
 
Shota blinked. “I’m sorry. What did you just-”
 
“He’s not a domesticated hybrid!”
 
Shota pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, I heard you. Explain.”
 
“You told me he was a dog, but he’s not! He’s a-!”
 
“A

what?

” Shota stood up abruptly from his chair, flustered at the news. “Can that sort of thing happen? Do hybrids like that exist?”
 
“Well, we bred domesticity into animals and hybrids before, so I think it’s safe to assume that you can also breed it out of them by finding and seeking out the more aggressive traits!”
 
Shota looked down. His eyes scanned over the multiple cases. Photos of hybrids with enlarged fangs and long nails. A cold sweat started along his spine.
 
“Hatsume, I’ve got a bunch of case files I need you to look into. I’ll email the reports to you as soon as possible. There’s some pictures of hybrids I need you to examine. I think we just stumbled onto something big.”
 
She squealed on the other end, “Oh! How exciting! More work! Send it over right away! Oh, yeah! What about the undomesticated hybrid you’ve got right now? Can I examine him too?”
 
Shota gaped.
 
Fuck. Midoriya.
 
“We’ll discuss that later. Right now I have to make another call.”

“I’m really sorry about this, but it’ll be safer if you just wear the leash.”
 
Kacchan growled, but didn’t move away, sticking close to the front door. “You said most hybrids can just walk around, do what they want, and even get jobs! There’s no way they wear

leashes

if that’s the case!”
 
“Okay, well I never said they can do what they want. There are limitations, like laws. And you are still technically being observed under the eyes of the law, so I think it would make me and everyone else we meet out there feel better if you had some form of restraint. Just as a precautionary measure!”
 
“Isn’t there any other way?”
 
“I mean, I guess if you held my hand the whole time we were out, that could work, but it might look ridiculous and I’m not sure how good you are with people getting into your personal space just yet.”
 
Kacchan’s ears flicked down, “Fine... If the leash is the only way I get to go outside...”
 
Izuku frowned. Little pinpricks struck at his heart at the sight of Kacchan’s sad pout. “Don’t look like that. Look, I won’t even hold it. It’s just there in case I need to grab it, okay?”
 
Kacchan’s tail rose and then started to wag. “Okay. Can we go now?” He whined.
 
Izuku nodded and opened the door. “Let’s g-”
 
Kacchan took off, sprinting off the lawn and towards the street. Izuku’s feet moved before his brain could catch up, barely making it in time to grab the end of the leash. He yanked it back, and Kacchan jerked to a halt before he could step into traffic.
 
“Are you fucking insane?” Izuku pulled Kacchan’s head down with the leash so he could yell at him properly, “That was so dangerous! You can’t just run across the street without looking where you’re going. You could get hurt or worse!”
 
Kacchan looked startled at his outburst, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. After a second where Izuku caught his breath, the hybrid cocked his head to the side in an admittedly endearing manner. “What’s worse than getting hurt?”
 
Izuku stared at him incredulously. “If you get hit by a car, you could

die

.”
 
Kacchan snorted and tugged at the leash until he was standing fully upright again. “You think dying is worse than getting hurt? I’ve seen people die. Looks a lot easier than dealing with pain.”
 
Izuku’s heart was still in his throat, choking him before that statement sent it plummeting down into his stomach. “Don’t say that. Dying is a thousand times worse.”
 
Kacchan’s head swiveled around as he inspected the new outside smells. Absentmindedly he questioned, “Oh, yeah? How so?”
 
“When you die, you get seperated from everybody you love.”
 
Kacchan stopped inspecting the area to look down at him. “Well, when I’ve got people I love, I’ll let you know. But right now pain is worse than dying.”
 
Izuku sighed, hand to his head. Apparently, there wasn’t going to be any further arguing on this particular topic.
 
“How do I cross the street anyway, if I’m not supposed to just dodge the cars?”
 
Izuku found himself smiling, despite his frayed nerves. He took Kacchan’s hand in his. “You hold hands and look both ways to make sure it’s clear.”
 
“You said we weren’t going to need to hold hands if I wore the leash…” Kacchan narrowed his eyes at Izuku.
 
Izuku’s smile could cut wood it was so sharp. “This particular thing is not up for debate.”
 
Kacchan huffed. “Fine.” He squeezed Izuku’s hand a little tighter in his, tugging him closer.
 
The side of Izuku’s body pressed itself up against Kacchan’s and suddenly his skin lit up with a fever. His cheeks felt flushed.

Shit.

Well that backfired.
 
Were his palms sweaty? Did Kacchan think it was weird? Although, Kacchan’s hands were also sort of sweaty so maybe it was okay...
 
Kacchan nudged his shoulder and pointed to a car that had stopped to let them cross. “Is it safe or a trap?”
 
Izuku walked them off the curb and whispered his answer so quietly only he could hear, “

I have no idea.

”

They got to the park and Izuku led them over to the bench he usually did his pre run stretches at. He was in workout clothes, shorts and one of his graphic tees, just in case he needed to chase after Kacchan.
 
Kacchan was similarly dressed for exercise, sweats and a tank, although Izuku wagered Kacchan would find a way to move in anything he wore.
 
Izuku tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the ground. “See this path?”
 
Kacchan looked down at it and startled. “It’s a tiny street. Should we move off it?”
 
“No. It’s a track. It wraps around the park for a mile. You can use it to run.”
 
“You said I couldn’t run in the street.”
 
“It’s not a-” Izuku threw his face in his hands to compose himself. “Look, you see that man jogging?”
 
Kacchan’s eyes followed the movement. His pupils grew wide as they latched onto the jogger eagerly. His tail swished back and forth with mounting excitement. “Yes.”
 
“This is a designated spot for running, so it’s safe to run on it. You don’t have to worry about cars at all.”
 
Kacchan looked at him expectantly. “Are we going to run?”
 
“Yeah! Although, I have to warn you, nobody, man or hybrid, can keep up with-” Kacchan started sprinting down the stretch of track before Izuku could finish his boast, “…Wait up!”
 
Izuku broke into a sprint right after the hybrid. He watched Kacchan follow the path perfectly, thanking his lucky stars that he was too focused on following the track that he hadn’t seemed to notice the family of ducks lazily sitting by the lake’s edge in the distance.
 
But it took all of his energy just to keep pace a few strides behind him. By the time they had made it back to the bench, he was drenched in sweat and choking on air. His lungs burned with just the effort of breathing.
 
Kacchan stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking annoyed. “This path led us in a circle. What the hell was the point of that?”
 
Izuku tried to reach for the bench. He missed getting a handle on it and fell forward, gasping on his knees. “Holy… cow!”
 
Kacchan snickered, “Are you okay? You didn’t do so bad keeping up, but I don’t know how you can be this winded after a light jog.”

A light jog?

“You were

sprinting!

”
 
“Hardly. It would be pathetic if that was my sprint. One of my owners used to let me run races and I never lost. I’m way faster than this.”
 
Izuku sat on the ground and leaned back against the bench. His chest heaved with the effort it took to just stay upright after that moment of intensity.
 
Then the sound of clothes rustling grabbed his attention. He looked up and was struck with the sight of a small girl, about four or five, tugging on Kacchan’s sweatpants.
 
The adrenaline spike was both immediate and useless, his body far too slow and worn out to properly scramble for Kacchan’s leash. He saw Kacchan whipping around in slow motion, his red eyes sliding to the little girl, his pupils becoming thin black slits.
 
Izuku went to open his mouth, to shout a warning, but Kacchan squatted down before he could even get a word out.
 
Izuku watched as Kacchan took the little girl’s hand in his, long, sharp nails delicately avoiding pressing into her soft skin.
 
“It’s not polite to pull people’s clothes. You should say

Excuse me

,” Kacchan reprimanded the child.
 
The little girl’s eyes sparkled, indifferent to Kacchan’s harsh tone. “Can I pet your ears? They look soft!”
 
Izuku continued to observe, mesmerized as Kacchan shrugged before lowering his head. “They aren’t soft, but go ahead…”
 
Her tiny fingers trailed over the back of one and she smiled, content. “Soft…” The ear flicked and she giggled. “What’s your name?”
 
Izuku found his voice, “Oh, this is Katsu-”
 
“Kacchan,” Izuku’s eyes stayed fixed on the hybrid, surprise by the interruption, “My name is Kacchan.”
 
The girl took a step back and waved. “Byebye, Kacchan! Thank you for letting me pet you!”
 
Kacchan stood up and watched her run back over to the playground. He looked back to Izuku for some form of reassurance. “She probably wouldn’t be scared of a name like Kacchan, right?”
 
Izuku felt heat rise to his face. He nodded. “It’s a very cute sounding name.”

They made it back home in record time and Izuku wanted nothing more than to slip into the shower. He had already stripped down when his phone buzzed on the sink ledge.
 
He picked it up. “Midoriya?”
 
“Captain Aizawa?” He stood at attention, muscle memory shaping his body into a salute. Awkwardly, he slipped out of the position. At least Aizawa couldn’t see him.
 
“... At ease…”
 
Shit. He still knew.
 
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
 
Izuku’s brow furrowed. “I’m okay and so is Kacchan. Oh, I mean the hybrid I brought home.”
 
“Good. Now, I’ve also got something very important to tell you and I need you to stay calm.”
 
Izuku was growing increasingly not calm with each word that left Aizawa’s mouth.
 
“The hybrid you took home isn’t a dog… He’s a wolf.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Izuku opened his bathroom door little by little. He stuck his head out and peered down the hall. He couldn’t see Kacchan in the living room from his current vantage point.“ You need to bring him back to the precinct as soon as you can. We need to run some tests and ask him a few questions now that he’s been vocal with you ,” Aizawa’s words echoed in his head alongside the sound of his own thudding heartbeat.He sighed and turned to look the other way, abruptly coming nose to nose with Kacchan. He screamed inadvertently and jumped, banging the back of his head against the doorframe.“What are you doing?” Kacchan’s eyes kept Izuku pinned to the spot, dissecting his every move.“N-Nothing! I was just checking to see where you were.”“I’m right here... You didn’t take a shower yet?” Kacchan’s eyes wandered shamelessly lower, setting themselves on the towel Izuku had wrapped around his waist.Izuku felt the need to skirt behind the door more. “I just thought I forgot something from my bedroom?” He avoided eye contact, keeping his head turned off to the side.A low rumble brought his attention back to Kacchan and he dared a look. The wolf hybrid was smiling, sharp canines on full display. Izuku shivered at the sight, fully aware that this was less an expression of happiness and more of a menacing threat.“You’re lying.” Kacchan set a hand against the door and pushed. It jerked out of Izuku’s grip and slammed open without much resistance. Kacchan crowded in closer, forcing Izuku to press his back up against the woodwork. He placed two clawed fingers lightly against Izuku’s throat. “I can hear your pulse. It’s going crazy.”Izuku gasped at the touch. He bit into his bottom lip to stifle the noise. But Kacchan didn’t miss the sound. His eyes grew wide with some form of understanding.“Oh. You want that .”“ That? ” Izuku chimed. His own voice sounded breathless in his ears.“You don’t have to be coy.” Kacchan swiped his tongue over his lips. Izuku gaped dumbly at the movement. “I’ve had other owners who asked me to do that too.”Before Izuku could properly react or ask what exactly Kacchan meant, the wolf hybrid had grabbed his wrist and tugged him down through the hall. Izuku remembered to struggle a little too late as Kacchan kicked open his bedroom door and threw him onto the bed.He had barely flipped himself onto his back before a shadow hovered above him. The wolf hybrid’s arms caged him on either side. Kacchan gauged him for a reaction, but the emotional whirlwind of being manhandled and thrown onto his bed had left Izuku speechless.“They’d leash me while I did it,” Kacchan picked up the end of his leash, still attached to his collar from their walk. He pushed the end loop around Izuku’s wrist. “They had to hold it taut, to make sure I’d behave. I don’t like the feeling of being choked, but I couldn’t very well be trusted not to bite it off when they forced it into my mouth.”Izuku paled. “I don’t want to force anything into anywhere.”“No?” Kacchan’s nose brushed up against his neck. “Even though you smell like this?”He swallowed, feeling Kacchan’s eyes catch the movement at his throat from his peripheral. “Like what?”“Fear and arousal have a very similar scent. I’ve smelled something similar on you a few times already. Given the context of the previous situations, I don’t think it’s all fear,” Kacchan’s deep, gravelly voice slipped into Izuku’s ear. It sent little shockwaves of heat prickling down his skin.Izuku brought a hand up to hide his face. “I-I wasn’t thinking of anything like this. ”Kacchan pulled the hand back down so he could peer clearly into Izuku’s face. “Bullshit.” He reached down with his free hand and groped under the towel. Izuku startled as rough fingers gripped his length. He let out a small whine. “If you weren’t thinking about it, how’d you get like this?”Kacchan ripped off the towel, exposing Izuku’s naked body to the chilly air of his bedroom. His dick was already half hard in Kacchan’s hand, pressed between the hybrid’s palm and Izuku’s stomach.The sight of his sharp claws just barely avoiding slicing into such a delicate part of his flesh made Izuku tremble with a strange, unknown desire.Kacchan hummed, “That’s a more honest reaction...” He slid down Izuku’s body, occasionally trailing his teeth along Izuku’s torso. He gave a small nip where his pelvis started to dip. Izuku flinched and gripped the sheets.Kacchan’s hand receded from his cock and Izuku watched, frozen in place, as both sets of clawed fingers wrapped around his thighs, the tips of Kacchan’s nails almost digging in enough to puncture the supple skin, but not quite. Kacchan watched him from between his legs, face smug and unwavering. His tail swished from side to side, clearly enjoying the view.Without another word, Kacchan brought Izuku’s cock into his mouth and sunk down on it dry. Izuku jolted upright and moaned. His hands left the sheets, one going to weave through his curls, the other pressing into Kacchan’s spiky blond lochs.He felt his back arch off the bed, but Kacchan had a strong grip on his thighs, keeping Izuku from wiggling free no matter how much he squirmed.Kacchan slowly pulled off, dragging his tongue along the underside of his shaft, coating it with saliva.

The head left his lips with a wet pop before it sprang to attention in front of the hybrid’s face.He started playing with the tip, swirling his tongue around before teasing the leaking slit. The small ministrations on such sensitive areas were torture.“Please! Don’t! I’m-!” Izuku tried desperately to persuade him off, but Kacchan persisted.One of Kacchan’s hands squeezed the base of his cock. The wolf gave it a lazy stroke as he paused the movements with his mouth to speak, “You should hold that leash tighter. I have actually bit one off before. One of my owners got bold. Lost track of it during his climax,” Kacchan’s heated breath ghosted over his throbbing dick. His fangs hovered over the head as he gave it another long languid lick. “I could so very easily do the same to you. Dismember you with a single bite.”Although the threat should have terrified him, the adrenaline simply made the heat beneath Izuku’s lower abs coil further, his pleasure mounting much faster than he anticipated.“ Please ...” he begged, “Please don’t bite it off!”The corners of his eyes felt heavy with unshed tears. Kacchan’s pupils expanded, his hungry eyes observing just what kind of mess Izuku was becoming under the pressure of his words.He growled low in his throat, “Beg for it like a good boy, and I might let you keep it.”Izuku nodded, the tears finding their way down his feverish, freckled cheeks. “Please make me cum, Kacchan. Please...”Kacchan let out a beastial snarl. He sunk his mouth over the head of Izuku’s cock. He pressed his fingers down on Izuku’s hips, hard enough to bruise, holding him in place as he bobbed between his legs, his pace much faster now.Only a few more seconds passed before Izuku was seeing stars, letting out a strangled, broken cry as he reached his climax. His cock pulsed in Kacchan’s mouth, painting the back of his throat with his cum. Kacchan didn’t let up with his actions, milking him through his orgasm.When Izuku was no longer a shuddering, writhing mess, but a spent, panting body on the bed, Kacchan finally slipped off his limp cock. He grinned up at him, spittle and Izuku’s cum dripping from the corners of his mouth. He looked so pleased with himself.Izuku curled his legs up, bringing his knees closer to his chest, trying to hide himself now that the embarrassment of the entire situation was steadily sinking back in. Post orgasm, reality hit him like a truck.He kept his eyes fixed on the wall. How he managed to speak with the lump in his throat was beyond him, “Can I get up and take a shower now?”He felt Kacchan press his weight down over him, his nose nuzzling back behind his ear. “ Mmm? If you’re feeling satisfied already, sure.”Kacchan’s warm breath tickled against his neck. Izuku’s pulse fluttered against Kacchan’s lips in response. His body’s reaction definitely hinted at just how not satisfied it was willing to be right now if it meant they could continue.But everything in Izuku’s head was a mess and he needed to sort some things out. He was not going to accomplish that pinned beneath this dangerous wolf.Izuku pressed weakly against Kacchan’s chest, trying to push himself up. He swallowed before attempting to speak. His mouth felt dry, “We need to get cleaned up and go to the station. Captain Aizawa called us in and he has questions to ask you.”Kacchan’s gaze flickered between Izuku’s face and the arm braced at his chest between them. He shrugged, but crawled off. “Suit yourself. Planning to dump me back in a cage now that I’ve misbehaved?”“ What? No! Of course not!”Kacchan raised an eyebrow at the outburst. “Yeah. You wouldn’t do that. You liked what happened just now far too much to get rid of me so soon.”“Well, that’s not- Actually we should talk about the thing that just happened, because it should definitely not have happened. I shouldn’t have let it happen. You’re supposed to do this kind of thing with someone you love and, well-"“Liar. People do this sort of thing without love all the time,” Kacchan’s expression spoke volumes on his experience with how true that statement rung, “And you were receptive to it.”Izuku’s face felt like a furnace. “I...” he had no way of denying it, “I was. But I shouldn’t have been! You’ve been through a lot and you kept saying how you felt forced into doing all sorts of things. I shouldn’t have gotten any pleasure from it. I’m sorry.”“You shouldn’t be. That was the first time I ever actually enjoyed it.” Kacchan used his thumb to wipe the dribble off his chin. “It was nice not having my hands bound. You didn’t yank on the leash either. The hair pulling on the other hand...”“I’m so sorry about that! It was just- You were good. You were really good. I obviously couldn’t control myself.” “It’s fine. I think I liked it. Much more personable than the leash. Plus, I liked having the control.” “You liked having the control?” Izuku wanted him to clarify. “You were gripping onto me for dear life. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten to hold a human down and dominate them on my own terms. Used to be just oral on my knees. Although, I did have one owner who liked watching me mount his wife.” Izuku ran sweaty fingers through his hair. “There are so many things wrong with what you just said. I don’t even know where to start.” “Why does any of it matter if we both liked it?” The question was a soothing splash of water on the overworking and overheating machine that was Izuku’s brain. But it still trudged along a mile a minute. It couldn’t be that simple. It never was and Izuku wouldn’t let it. He always had to overthink it. Except this time, it definitely felt justified. “It’s more complex than that I think. The way you described being in control… It sounded like you just used me to get back at humans and I shouldn’t encourage it and I shouldn’t like it.” Kacchan was confident when he responded, “You shouldn’t. But you do.” Izuku rubbed at his face tiredly. “I can’t argue with you there. Admittedly, you’re a very attractive person. And it’s been a while since I’ve been with anyone... I swear I didn’t have this intention when I asked you to stay with me, but now-” “Now you want me to bend you over and fuck you like you’re my cuck owner’s wife?” Izuku stood up abruptly and found his towel. “Where the hell did you pick up that sort of language? A week ago you didn’t even know how to use the shower properly!” He shrugged. “We both lived very different lives up ‘til now.” Izuku covered himself as he took in Kacchan’s words. “I suppose both of our standards of what’s normal don’t really apply to the other.” Izuku walked out of the bedroom. He stood in front of the bathroom, pausing. Kacchan was right on his heels. He sighed and spun around. “What are you doing?” “Taking a shower with you.” “You can’t take a shower with me. It’s not big enough and I don’t know if I can trust you to keep your hands to yourself.” Kacchan leaned in. He took one sniff by the juncture where Izuku’s neck met his shoulder and snorted. “You’re the one walking around smelling like sex on a silver tray. Isn’t it more likely that you’d want to pat me down, Mr. Officer?” Izuku made an indignant sound and stepped back into his bathroom. He slammed the door shut. “How can you have such a mouth on you?! Were you always thinking things like this, even when you weren’t talking?” “Why? Did you like it more when I didn’t speak?” The question left guilty pinpricks in his heart. Izuku creaked the door open just a smidge. “You’re awfully good at playing the kicked puppy. Do you think you can guilt me into doing everything you want?” “Yes.” Izuku slammed the door shut again. “I’ll be done showering in fifteen minutes and then you can have your turn! Alone! ” He heard a big body slump back against the door and slide down. He saw Kacchan’s shadow settle on the floor under the crack. “Fine…” He sounded petulant, but Izuku couldn’t help cracking a small smile. The wolf had shown he was more than capable of barreling the door over. It wouldn’t hurt if Izuku found it just a little cute that he was actually being respectful in his own surly way. Maybe the wolf could be tamed after all? “I don’t hear any water running yet. You just masturbating by yourself in there, or what?” Or not.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After his shower, Katsuki found boxers, a pair of dark jeans, and a soft maroon hoodie waiting for him outside the bathroom door. He picked them up and walked into Deku’s bedroom. Deku turned his head away as soon as he saw him come in, his ears tinged with that fun red color Katsuki was beginning to like provoking from him.
 
“Why do you have to walk around naked?”
 
“S’what I’m used to,” He answered honestly, throwing the hoodie on first. The boxers were easy enough to get on, but the jeans looked like a hassle. “Can’t I just wear the baggy ones?”
 
Deku finally deemed him dressed enough to look his way. “It’s my workplace, so I feel the need to look smart. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, but you should probably get used to the different types of clothes you’ll be expected to wear as a fully functioning member of society one day.”
 
Katsuki clicked his tongue in distaste, but struggled with the jeans anyway. He finished buttoning them and caught Deku’s eyes trailing below the curve of his back. Getting a glimpse of himself in Deku’s hanging door mirror, even Katsuki had to admit his ass looked pretty good in the tight denim.
 
But that wouldn’t stop him from fucking with his new owner, “See something you like, Deku?”
 
Deku’s cheeks grew rosier as his eyes darted back up to meet his. “Nope!”
 
His lies were easily detectable, not nearly as disgusting as his previous owners. Actually, Deku’s lies barely had any scent to them at all. His body was too honest, expressions and vocal intonations giving him away almost instantly.
 
Truly, a terrible liar.
 
Katsuki blew air out of his nose in a silent laugh. “Let’s just get this over with, okay?” He made for the door.

Izuku stepped into Aizawa’s office, Kacchan trailing closely at his feet. Aizawa and Hatsume Mei, their district’s head forensic scientist, both stood up upon their arrival. Aizawa took a hesitant step back, eyeing Kacchan warily. Hatsume had no such reservations.
 
“You’re the wolf! Isn’t that right?” She strode over without caution. Kacchan let out a warning growl. She paused and made grabby hands in his direction. “Can I have a cheek swab or a hair sample? Some more of his fun DNA to explore?”
 
Kacchan stood behind Izuku and latched onto his shoulders. “Deku, keep that weirdo away from me. I don’t like what she’s doing with her hands.”
 
“Hatsume, would you mind backing off a bit?” Izuku interfered. “Kacchan doesn’t like it when people suddenly get in his personal space.”
 
Hatsume pouted and turned around, going to slump back into her chair. “He lets

you

in his personal space though,” she complained.
 
Aizawa gestured for both Kacchan and him to occupy the two free seats in front of his desk. “Midoriya is hosting Bakugou in the aftermath of his victimization. It would make sense they’d develop some fondness and a certain level of comfortability around each other.”
 
Izuku took his seat as a cold sweat started slipping down his back. The level of comfortability he was now at with the wolf hybrid was definitely not the level he should be at professionally. If Aizawa ever found out, Izuku might be out of a job.
 
Kacchan ignored his seat, opting instead to hover behind Izuku, draping his arms around his neck and resting his chin over his head. He glared at both Aizawa and Hatsume intermittently. “Why are we here?”
 
Aizawa took his seat again. “I need to ask you a few questions, Bakugou. We’ve had a string of cases similar to yours that I think you can help us with.”
 
Aizawa slid over the case files. Izuku picked them up and started to rifle through. “This… this is terrible…” So many deaths, both humans and hybrids and no arrests or saved victims, no leads to prevent more bloodshed. Izuku looked up at Aizawa. “How does Kacchan tie into this?”
 
Aizawa nodded at Hatsume. “Well, you see,” she started, “We believe someone is breeding feral hybrids. Bakugou here is a byproduct. Probably an in between stage, seeing as his personality isn’t

entirely

feral. But he’s also not completely tame. He’s definitely not of the dog strand of hybridization. His closest match came back lupis. Wolf.”
 
“Is he dangerous?” Aizawa asked, giving a pointed look at Izuku to keep his mouth shut.
 
Hatsume laughed. “Well, yeah, but so are most living creatures given the right motivation! Judging from his disposition, he’s tame enough to make morally sound decisions just like any other human or hybrid… if he so chooses.”
 
They looked at Kacchan, expecting some type of response.
 
His tail flicked back and forth in irritation. “What? Deku already told me I can’t cross the street without holding hands so I won’t.”
 
Izuku and Hatsume stifled out a laugh.
 
Aizawa remained stoic. He brought a recorder out and set it down on his desk. He sighed, leaning over folded hands. “With that cleared up, I’d like to begin the interrogation part of this visit. Bakugou Katsuki.”
 
Izuku nudged Kacchan and whispered up at him, “Give vocal responses. He’s recording you.”
 
Kacchan huffed, but did as he was instructed. “Yeah?”
 
“What is your date and place of birth?”
 
“What the fuck?” Kacchan shook his head incredulously. “How would I know that?”
 
“Can you remember anything about your first partner?”
 
“Some? He was a rich guy with lots of other men working for him. He kept me locked up until he was gunned down by my second owner’s men.”
 
“Was there anyone before your first owner?”
 
Kacchan went quiet.
 
“Kacchan?” Izuku prompted him again.
 
“Bakug-”
 
“There were two before him. Which do you mean? The Doctor or The Sponsor?”
 
Izuku tried to look up into the hybrid’s face, but it was hard to see anything from his current angle.
 
“I’d like you to tell me about both of them, if that’s okay. What were their roles?”
 
Kacchan’s hold over his shoulders tightened. “The Sponsor wasn’t around very much, so I don’t really know. But I think he was in charge of everything. He would point and say things and people would move. But The Doctor was always there. He did health check ups on everybody almost everyday. He ran tests too.”
 
“There were more of you? How many?”
 
Izuku felt Kacchan shift to shrug. “I don’t remember. A lot. Mostly pups and kits. They kept our dams and sires separate.”
 
“Let’s go back to the tests you mentioned. What were they like?”
 
“Mostly just normal fitness tests. To see how fast we could run, how high we could jump, how hard we could bite and claw,” he swallowed, “And how much pain we could take before we had to stop.”
 
The room was quiet. Aizawa picked up the recorder and stopped the tape. “Thank you, Bakugou. I assume that wasn’t easy.”
 
“It’s not a big deal.”
 
“What does all this mean?” Izuku asked aloud, brain already pouring over all the new information it was trying to piece together.
 
Aizawa put the recorder in his desk. “I have a theory. I think someone’s breeding undomesticated hybrids and using them to take down specific targets. Did you notice the kind of people that ended up being illegal hybrid owners in those reports?”
 
Izuku nodded. “Minor politicians and celebrities.” It was actually pretty common for the circles of upper echelons to partake in illegal human and hybrid trafficking. “And Kacchan’s first partner sounded like a gang leader.”
 
“They were people that didn’t draw too much attention, but still had an impact on society. These,” Aizawa smacked his hand down on the case files, “are trial runs. Not yet perfected to release on people with more influence, but enough to test it out. And once they’ve perfected it…”
 
“They’ll be able to make an army of mindless assassins who can be bought into the homes of the people they’re intended to kill,” Izuku finished the thought, dread creeping down his spine.
 
Kacchan remained quiet behind him.
 
“Let me help with the investigation.” Izuku stood up, breaking out of Kacchan’s hold. “Aizawa, I want to help.”
 
“You’re on vacation and housing a victim of trafficking. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you in on this case.”
 
“What if I cooperate alongside him?” Kacchan took a step to stand closer to Izuku, staring Aizawa down with him. “I know the ins and outs of this system better than any human or hybrid you’ve got, so use me.”
 
“You,” Aizawa pointed at Kacchan, “are a civilian and not authorized to partake in any missions or arrests.”
 
“Then let him apply for the K9 unit!” Izuku had blurted the words before he really meant for them to be out. Aizawa glared at him icily. “He can, can’t he? He has citizen paperwork now, so he can apply.”
 
Kacchan nodded. “That’s right. Deku said hybrids can have jobs. Give me this one.”
 
“That’s not how it works,” Aizawa argued back, “You aren’t even a dog. You can’t join the K9 unit.”
 
“Actually!” Hatsume bounced out of her seat and strolled in between them, “The K9 Clause states that any

Canis

hybrid can apply for the position.

Canis Lupus

qualifies. Whether the genus or species of

Canis

was never fully clarified in the original clause. Well, nobody must have ever thought they would

have

to clarify, but with that small loophole, I’m afraid he is well within his rights to apply for the position.”
 
Aizawa looked them all over, eyes red and irritated. “He’ll never pass all the tests. There’s a fitness test-”
 
“He’s both faster and stronger than me,” Izuku interrupted.
 
“A written exam-”
 
Izuku turned to look up at Kacchan. “You can read and write, can’t you? You read my name badge when we first met.”
 
Kacchan nodded. “My third owner taught me. He was the robber. Had to let him know through messages when the coast was clear and what houses were empty.”
 
Izuku shrugged. “Kind of a

Slumdog Millionaire

moment on that one, but Kacchan’s smart so I’m sure he’ll be able to pull it off!”
 
“And then there’s the mental assessment.”
 
Both Izuku and Kacchan winced.
 
“There’s no way he’ll pass it.” Aizawa folded his arms. “He’s experienced way too much trauma to not have

something

holding him back. The shrink’s not gonna give him a pass.”
 
“You won’t know unless he tries!” Izuku remained in a determined stare down with his captain.
 
Eventually, Aizawa relented. “Okay. Whatever. You wanna give it a whirl, go ahead. But don’t complain about the results.”
 
Izuku got so excited he threw his arms up and around Kacchan. Kacchan stood ramrod straight in his hold. With some mild embarrassment, Izuku removed his arms and coughed into his hand. “So, when are the tests being held?”
 
“I’m giving you a month to prepare, while I work on leads. You can train him and get him to study before then. I’ll email you the actual date later.”
 
Izuku saluted his captain, “Sounds good, sir!”
 
Aizawa scooped a magazine off his desk and gave Izuku’s head a whap. “Stop doing that.”

Frustration still lingered around the edges of Katsuki’s frayed nerves. The conversation they had held in the scraggly captain’s office wasn’t one he had enjoyed. And finishing it up with the argument on whether or not he was capable of helping them in the field had made that cold snowball of anger towards humans telling him what he could and couldn’t do roll downhill. It now sat as a huge lump of ice in the pit of his stomach.
 
At least Deku had stood up for him. He watched the shorter man wave to the captain as they left the office, itching to sweep them both away from the other humans as soon as they were given the chance.
 
The weird lady in glasses kept trying to persuade them to come back to her office when finally Katsuki’s patience snapped. He grabbed Deku by the wrist and gave it a tug.
 
Deku’s words stopped abruptly as he fell back into Katsuki’s side, just outside the office door. He stared up at him questioningly, “What’s wrong?”
 
Katsuki glared at the other two people in the room. “We’re going to the bathroom.”
 
Deku’s face grew that delectable shade of red, round, freckled cheeks the perfect ripeness for plucking. “I-it’s right down the hall. You don’t need me to take you there, right?”
 
“You’re gonna teach me how to use the toilet,” Katsuki’s excuse wasn’t the best he could come up with, but he wanted it to be a little obvious to Deku that he didn’t want to hang around these people anymore.
 
Deku didn’t seem to catch on, “But you already know how to-

Hey!

”  Katsuki pulled him away from the office, seeking out the bathroom with the directions he’d been given.
 
Katsuki pushed open the door and swung Deku inside like he weighed next to nothing, locking it behind him. Under the smell of cleaning chemicals, he picked up the tangy scent of Deku’s adrenaline spiking.
 
Personally, Katsuki didn’t know what was so appealing about getting grabbed and dragged around, relinquishing control and just letting someone lead you around. But Deku very obviously liked it.
 
And Katsuki, at the very least, enjoyed that Deku liked it.
 
He took a step forward and Deku took a slow step back. “W-what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
 
Katsuki hummed, “That conversation was annoying. Those humans were annoying. Telling me what I can and can’t do.”
 
Izuku’s hands flexed at his sides. “I know it probably seems like they were trying to control you, but Captain Aizawa also has authority over me. We’re in the same boat. He’s definitely not doing it because you’re a hybrid.”
 
Katsuki reached out, looping two clawed fingers into the belt loops of Izuku’s pants and tugging him closer, until Deku’s pelvis was pressed to his. “Good. If we’re both feeling frustrated, then I know a great way to relieve some stress.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Katsuki crowded Deku into one of the bathroom stalls. He spun him around, forcing Deku to lean over the toilet and catch himself on the tiled wall. He reached around his hip, gliding his nails over the fabric of Deku’s button down shirt and untucking it casually along its route.
 
He continued to move his hand, unbuttoning Deku’s slacks and slipping his fingers below the waistband without much fanfare. He cupped his palm around his dick, fondling him in his underwear. Deku keened and leaned back into Katsuki, back to chest, perky ass pressed against his crotch, slotting his own hardon just right, between his cheeks.
 
Little pants come out of his owner in huffs of hot air. It was starting to make the enclosed space feel steamy. Deku looked uncomfortably humid in his pants so Katsuki pulled them down past his hips. He peered down over his shoulder, spying the semi Deku was packing, now in clear view, under the thin fabric of his boxers.
 
Katsuki’s one hand massaged Deku’s dick, coaxing it to get harder. His other remained on Deku’s hip, rubbing encouraging circles there with his thumb. Deku impatiently pressed his ass back against Katsuki’s crotch.
 
The sudden friction elicited a growl. He didn’t stop the hand working Deku’s cock. But Katsuki couldn’t help the fingers tightening at Deku’s waist, trying to keep him still. In a more threatening cadence than he intended, he snarled against his ear, “Don’t just fucking

do

that!”
 
Deku didn’t give him a verbal response, much too worked up. He nodded his head instead.
 
“Good boy,” Katsuki purred, thinking he should reward his owner in some way.
 
While Katsuki could feel there was now a decent amount of precum dripping from Deku’s tip, he came to the conclusion that getting it slicker down there would probably feel a lot better. He brought the hand holding Deku’s hip up to his lips and pressed two fingers inside.
 
“Open.”
 
Deku listened without question, letting the digits slide in and out, letting Katsuki finger fuck his mouth while he whined around them, coating the fingers in a healthy amount of drool.
 
It made things go a lot smoother when Katsuki readjusted the positions of his hands, using his slickened palm to work Deku, edging, taunting, pushing him enough to make him moan, but not yet enough to blow his load.
 
It wasn’t long before Katsuki smelled the salty tang of tears, caught sight of them spilling down his owner’s cheeks. Deku sobbed, the feeling of needing release the only thing coursing through his poor, shuddering body.
 
Katsuki grinned. He leaned down and started to whisper dirty things against the shell of his flushed pink ears, “You wanna cum for me, Deku? You cry so sweetly for me. Let me hear more first.”
 
And Deku’s body obeyed as he choked out whimpers and frantic intakes of warm breath.
 
Eventually, Katsuki’s words shifted into praise, “Good. You sound so good, Deku. Do you wanna cum for me now?”
 
Katsuki meant for the question to be rhetorical, but Deku’s body still responded. Even with the gentle tugs that were supposed to be just shy of relief, he spilled out over Katsuki’s hand and into the toilet bowl, shaking from head to toe and gripping Katsuki’s wrists to keep himself standing.
 
Deku’s breaths were heavy, brow slick with sweat. His curls stuck to the back of his neck and parts of his face. His eyes were dazed, but satisfied, dreamily content as he looked up at the one pillar keeping him from crashing to the floor.
 
A low rumble left Katsuki’s throat as he cradled Deku closer. It wasn’t a growl, but something soft and caressing.
 
Protective.
 
But he wasn’t gonna explain that to Deku. Most likely, his human didn’t even understand or pick up on the little nuances like that.
 
And it wasn’t like he

needed

to know how much Katsuki liked holding him in his arms or how much it pleased him to see that stupidly endearing face full of freckles look so goddamn blissed out. It made Katsuki feel good. He took pride in it.
 
It was that relaxed, post haze feeling that had him wanting to snuggle up next to him. He dove his nose into Deku’s neck and inhaled the sweet smell of lingering pleasure and doped up happiness.
 
He was only able to enjoy it for a few minutes.
 
Deku shook him out of the trance moments later when Katsuki was still getting high off his scent, “Kacchan… We should probably get going now. People are going to be suspicious if we stay in here for too long.”
 
Reluctantly, Katsuki relented. He let his arms slip away from around Deku’s waist.
 
Deku cleaned himself up, fixing his clothes and splashing cold water onto his face to appease his feverish blush. He also demanded Katsuki to wash his hands and was utterly disgusted when Katsuki took that to mean he should lick the cum from them instead.
 
Kastuki relished in the fact that Deku had to splash more water on his face after that.
 
He could tell by his owner’s fidgety demeanor and anxious expression that there was more Deku had to get off his mind.
 
He finally broached what was bothering him as they were exiting the bathroom. “I-I want to talk about what just happened when we get home, okay?”
 
Katsuki groaned, “We have to talk about it

again?

”
 
Deku nodded firmly. “We need some ground rules.”
 
“You haven’t set those up yet?” Deku flinched as a short, brown haired woman and a doberman hybrid wearing glasses approached them, “Kind of important when you’re living with someone.”
 
Katsuki reacted immediately at his owner’s sudden tense reaction, none too happy with the ambush outside the bathroom himself. He jumped in between them, pulling Deku behind him and growling, keeping his eyes trained on the other hybrid, the potentially larger threat of the two.
 
The woman threw her hands up in a pacifying manner. “Woah there! No need to get aggressive. Deku, you, uh, maybe wanna intervene? Iida’s tail fur is starting to stand up.”
 
He heard Deku behind him shuffling around. “O-Oh! Right! Sorry! Kacchan, please stop that!” He pushed his way around Katsuki and moved to stand in front of him. He gestured to the pair of strangers. “These are my friends and coworkers Uraraka and Iida. They’re one of the K9 Unit teams here at the station.” He turned to address them, “I’m sorry, but he doesn’t like it when people approach him without warning.”
 
“It’s fine!” Uraraka replied cheerily.
 
Iida cleared his throat. “It’s completely understandable after what he went through.”
 
Katsuki stopped growling, but he kept his teeth bared. “You know these people?”
 
“Hmm?” Deku looked back at him. “Yes?”
 
“Then why the hell didn’t you stop me or say anything when I started posturing?”
 
Some color rose to Deku’s cheeks. “Uh…”
 
Uraraka unsuccessfully stifled a laugh. “Oh, it’s probably just been a while since he’s had anyone trying to protect

him

, right Deku?”
 
“Uraraka!” He flushed brighter. “Cut it out!”
 
“What?” She continued to tease him, and Katsuki enjoyed it, although he was definitely missing some context, “You looked like you were enjoying it. Am I wrong?”
 
“Well, I mean, I-”
 
“Midoriya,” Iida spoke up, cutting him off, “It has been some time since your last relationship, so it’s not surprising if your hybrid partner’s instinct to protect made your heart beat faster.”
 
“

Oh my god!

You’re both so embarrassing!” Deku’s hands flew to the doberman’s mouth to silence him. “That’s enough of that! We are done talking about my past relationships! Also,” He whipped around and pinned Uraraka with a glare, “What I told you the other day was in confidence. Did you tell Iida about… things relating to Kacchan and me?”
 
Iida’s voice was muffled under Deku’s palm, “No, I deduced how you were feeling based on your reactions just now.”
 
Deku glared at him.
 
Iida removed Deku’s hands from his mouth. “If you ever need to talk to someone about your relationship issues, you know our door is always open, Midoriya. We were there for your big break up with ice cream and tissues-”
 
“And beer,” Uraraka added.
 
Iida ignored the amendment, “So please don’t hesitate to come to us for future consoling.”
 
“I know

you’re

being sincere Iida, but I don’t know if that’s worse or better than Uraraka being facetious.”
 
“Oh, come on. I’m just messing with you! Plus, you should change your tune. A little birdie told me you two were going to be studying and training for the K9 Unit entrance exam and we can help.”
 
“How’d you find that out so quickly?”
 
“Mei. All the girls at the station have a group chat. She was

very

excited. Kept spamming us with charts and Bakugou’s blood work results. We actually had to ban her until she promised to stop.”
 
“Gotcha. So how do you plan to help?”
 
She pointed a thumb at Iida. “Iida kept all his K9 study textbooks from his academy days. You can use them to study to pass the written test.”
 
“I’ve left notes in the margins where some laws have been amended or redacted to keep the information up to date,” Iida supplied helpfully.
 
“That’s awesome!”
 
“And I can teach him hand to hand and how to disarm bad guys so he doesn’t feel the need to immediately respond with deadly force.” Uraraka looked Katsuki up and down with judgemental eyes.
 
Katsuki huffed, “Well, that’s no fun.”
 
“It’s not about having fun!” Uraraka chastised him. “It’ll be your job to protect people, but even bad guys have rights. You have to follow the proper procedures to ensure the safest results for everybody involved in a situation. I’m worried you’ll have a difficult time with not escalating situations in the field.”
 
“That’s a little blunt… And he hasn’t even started studying yet,” Deku tried to stick up for him.
 
“I’m being blunt for his own good. It’s better to learn this sort of thing now or he’ll end up like all the trigger happy cops out there,

or

he’ll be just as reckless and self sacrificing as his partner. I’d rather not have two Deku’s running onto the scene and encouraging each other into danger.”
 
“You make a fair point.”
 
Uraraka’s stern face shifted to something much softer. Katsuki caught a scent of something tender and caring. “I’m just trying to look out for you. Just want you guys to be safe. Iida and I have to hand in our morning patrol report now, but I’ll text you later, okay? We’ll come up with a time to meet for studying and training.”
 
She started to walk away. Iida bowed to Katsuki. “It was very nice to make your acquaintance!”
 
Katsuki jolted at his stiff and jerky movements but nodded, “Um, same…” He looked to Deku when they were out of earshot, “Your friends are nerds too.”
 
Deku snorted. “Yeah, well, get used to it. Cause one day we’re gonna be a K9 Unit team, and we’ll be just as nerdy and efficient as they are.”
 
“No,” Katsuki corrected him, “We’re gonna be better.”

Kacchan stuck to Deku for most of the afternoon. Leaned on him while he watched TV on the couch. Hovered above him while he made dinner, setting his chin atop his head to watch his hands work.
 
Izuku complained about how heavy it was, but his heart wasn’t really in it. He was just really bad at telling the wolf no. But with Kacchan’s warm arms draped around his frame, keeping him close, it felt…
 
Nice.
 
He had forgotten this feeling. Couldn’t even remember the last time he had allowed himself anything that would really make him feel this giddy or, god forbid,

happy

.
 
He just hoped it didn’t come crashing to a halt when he decided to have their talk after dinner.
 
He took a seat in the arm rest after finishing the dishes so Kacchan would be forced to take the couch. He wanted to hold this conversation eye to eye and face to face.
 
“So, I mentioned setting some ground rules earlier today…”
 
Kacchan’s attention left the hybrid specific bone treat he was gnawing at that Izuku had picked up for being decent during his interrogation. His face was wary. “You did…”
 
“I have three.” Kacchan didn’t open his mouth to complain, just eyed him aptly, waiting. “The first, I don’t want there to be any feelings involved.” This was a rule more for Izuku’s sake than Kacchan’s.
 
He’d been through his fair share of heartbreak, the last being the end of a three year relationship when his mother had been sick and dying. Izuku just couldn’t give his partner the attention he needed when all of it had been focused on her. He didn’t

blame

his ex. It had been a stressful time. He probably stuck it out with Izuku for as long as he could.
 
But what Kacchan had offered him was something without strings attached. Was it a little less personable than he would have liked? Sure. He really did want someone to love him unconditionally. But at this point in his life, with how devoted he was to his job and all his past hang ups, it didn’t seem realistic. He just didn’t see himself as someone worth loving right now.
 
But sex was easy. Simple. It was something his body could do without having to use his brain. He didn’t want to overthink it. It would be the only thing in his life that he’d allow himself to not stress over. He deserved at least that much, right?
 
Kacchan didn’t seem to have anything to say about the first rule so he continued, “The second rule is, we need a safe word.”
 
Kacchan grumbled around the bone hanging absentmindedly from his mouth, “What’s that?”
 
“It’s a word that either of us can use to make the other stop without question. There are times that aren’t appropriate for, um, sex.”
 
“You say that word like a virgin.”
 
Izuku ignored the barb, “

Anyway

, I know you like having control when we do…

it

, but it can be a little scary, like if I ever felt like not doing it and you persisted.”
 
“If you actually didn’t want it, I would have picked up on it.”
 
Izuku felt his face grow red. It was undeniable that Izuku had been pretty gungho so far about everything they’d done. “Even still, I want you to trust me when I say something, even if it goes against what you’re feeling. Because even if I

like

the prospect of something, I’d rather not get fired over my boss discovering me getting a handjob in the bathroom at work.”
 
“Oh ho. So you

did

enjoy that.”
 
“Not the point.”
 
“So, what word did you want to use then?” With all the teasing remarks, Izuku was pleasantly surprised to find Kacchan following along.
 
“Well, ideally it would be something that would turn you off. What do you think it should be?”
 
Kacchan chewed on his bone thoughtfully. After a moment he pointed it at Izuku and sneered. “

Heel

. I can’t fucking stand that word.”
 
In certain circles that would still be a pretty sexually charged word, but Izuku kept his mouth shut. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, rule three. PDA is allowed but in moderation.” This one went hand in hand with his first rule. He was pretty sure that the less nonsexual contact they had the less likely Izuku would get attached and develop feelings.
 
Kacchan blinked at him “What’s PDA?”
 
“Public displays of affection?”
 
“When have I ever done that?” Kacchan looked appalled.
 
Izuku fidgeted in place, trying to think of a less embarrassing way to explain, “W-Well, you hang on me an awful lot, especially when we’re out of the house and around other people. I don’t exactly hate it, but if my supervisors or my coworkers figure out what kind of arrangement we have, it might be bad.”
 
“I don’t hang on you in front of other people to be affectionate. I do that so you’ve got my scent on you.”
 
Izuku’s mind felt like it was going blank. “You’ve been

marking

me?”
 
“Duh. You’re

my

owner, aren’t you? Shouldn’t my things smell like me?”
 
“First of all, again, I’m not your owner. I’m your partner-”
 
“Potatoes, pa-tatoes.”
 
“Second, you don’t

own me

.”
 
“I didn’t say I did. I just said you were mine.”
 
“How is there a difference?”
 
“Whatever you want to call it, owner, partner, the human I have an arrangement with. That makes you

something

to me. Are you not

my

partner?”
 
Oh. Okay. Now Izuku was starting to get it. “I am. I’m your partner… Does that make you mine too?”
 
“Obviously.”
 
Izuku felt his heartbeat flutter at the confirmation. He tried to shake away the feeling by starting up the talk again, “Anyway, now that we’ve gone over my ground rules, do you have any you would like to share?”
 
Kacchan’s eyes went wide. “You mean, I can make rules too?”
 
“Of course! It wouldn’t be fair if only I was comfortable with something. This is a two way street. So, do you have anything?”
 
“Yeah... Actually, I’ve got three rules too,” Kacchan’s ears went flat back against his head, “I don’t want to be touched unless I say it’s okay.”
 
“Like, certain places?” Izuku wanted to clarify.
 
“Sort of. Just, like, in a sexual way. I want to do the touching, but being touched is…”
 
Izuku recalled that Kacchan hadn’t ever actually tried to finish himself off when they fooled around. “You don’t have to explain yourself. It’s okay. If I want to touch, I’ll ask, and if you say no, then that’s the end of it. What else?”
 
“I don’t want to be choked or restrained. I don’t like feeling like I can’t run away if I need to.”
 
Honestly, that wasn’t a surprise. Izuku nodded. “And the third one?”
 
“I want to sleep in the same bed.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“What? Why?”
 
Katsuki was surprised by Deku’s immediate resistance to something so simple.
 
“But you’ve had the whole bed to yourself. Isn’t that better than having to share?”
 
“You don’t sleep. I hear you out here tapping away at your laptop well into the morning. It’s annoying.”
 
“Sorry, I’ll be quieter.”
 
“No. Just go to bed like a normal person. If we sleep in the same room, I’ll know you aren’t staying up.”
 
“Oh. Were you worried about me?”
 
Katsuki looked at him like he was an idiot. “Lack of sleep makes people dysfunctional. I’d rather not have my owner falling asleep or fucking up just because he can’t get to bed on time. What the hell are you even doing until three in the morning?”
 
“Looking over work files.”
 
“Weren’t you supposed to be on a break? Is that something your superior would chew you out for if he knew?”
 
The color drained from Deku’s freckled face. “Uh, yeah. Aizawa would probably drub me with

Vogue

a few times if he knew.”
 
“Well then, I’ll make this simple. Sleep in your bed with me or I’ll let him know you work after hours.”
 
“This is less of a rule and more of a threat now.”
 
“It’s for your own good.”
 
Deku sighed, exasperated. He folded his arms over his chest. “

Fine

. I guess.”
 
“Good.” Katsuki nodded in the direction of the bedrooms. “It’s time for bed now, by the way.”
 
“It’s only 9 o’clock!”
 
“You sound like a bratty child.”

“Your feet are cold,” Kacchan’s voice drifted directly into Izuku’s ear.
 
“You’re welcome to untangle your feet from mine at any time then…” Rather than scoot over, Kacchan’s arms slipped around his waist, pulling Izuku’s back against the wolf’s warm chest. “Hey! I can’t sleep like this. It’s gonna get too hot.”
 
Kacchan rested his chin in the crook of his neck. One of his knees pushed up in between his legs.
 
Izuku startled.
 
“...What are you trying to do? Didn’t you say I should get to sleep earlier?”
 
“Getting you off once or twice shouldn’t take that long.”
 
Izuku huffed, “Well, don’t you sound confident.”
 
“I am.” His teeth grazed Izuku’s earlobe. The knee between his legs pressed harder up against him, rubbing. “You were tossing and turning and it was annoying.”
 
“I told you it was too early for me to sleep. I can leave the bed if you want.”
 
“No. You’ll sleep better if I make you cum.”
 
“I-I appreciate your concern, but-”
 
“You don’t want to?”
 
Izuku peered over his shoulder, eyeing up the wolf’s smug face. Kacchan knew he wanted to. He was just abiding by the new rules Izuku had established.
 
He relaxed into Kacchan’s hold. He couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes when he replied, “It’s fine…”
 
Quickly, the arms around him loosened. Clawed hands gripped the front of his waistband, peeling it down. His cock sprung forth, lively and starting to stand at attention.
 
Kacchan hummed against his temple. “I like it when you’re honest.”
 
Izuku watched with minor trepidation as Kacchan’s fingers wrapped around his shaft. Kacchan was careful with his nails, but it still made a spike of adrenaline rush through his veins.
 
He kept his grip loose, teasing Izuku with the ghost of a touch. It felt more like he was carefully scrutinizing the shape and feel of him in his hand rather than trying to build up any pleasure that he’d been alluding to. As if Izuku were something to be studied.
 
Kacchan sighed, hot exhale of breath blanketing Izuku’s neck. “You’re gonna need to be a lot wetter if you want me to jerk you off.”
 
Izuku opened his mouth, about to suggest Kacchan use his saliva again, when the hand wrapped around him unfurled. Kacchan pressed it down over the tip and started rubbing his calloused palm over the sensitive glands.
 
Izuku gasped. He tensed, gripping the bed sheets. “Wait! Oh my god! It’s too rough! Too much!”
 
Kacchan didn’t let up. He let out a low rumble, “What do you mean it’s too much? You just started leaking.”
 
The pleasure Izuku was feeling mounted so fast it was frightening. His ankles locked with Kacchan’s, feet no longer cold as his body seemed to catch fire, fever spreading out to every nerve ending.
 
His hips jerked forward, sputtering as he came against Kacchan’s open hand. He shuddered, his legs twitching with his orgasm.
 
He panted into his pillow.
 
Shit! That was way too fast!
 
Kacchan brought his hand up and licked it clean over his shoulder. “When I said you needed to get wet, I didn’t mean for you to go that far. Just enough to slick up your dick would have been fine.”
 
“It was your fault! It was too overstimulating!”
 
“Want me to stimulate it some more?”
 
Izuku almost said no to spite the self satisfied tone in the wolf’s voice. Instead, he rolled over to lie on his back, giving Kacchan more of a view. “Do what you want.”
 
Kacchan’s pupils dilated as his eyes roamed over what he could see of Izuku’s body. He pushed himself up, tail wagging behind him. Hovering over Izuku, he used a tentative hand to push his shirt up until his chest was laid bare before him.
 
Kacchan rubbed one of his nipples with a thumb experimentally. He pinned his gaze to Izuku’s face as he continued, tongue dipping down to lick a stripe over the other. Izuku felt a grip return to his cock, already twitching back to life with renewed interest.
 
His hands itched to leave the bed and grip onto Kacchan, but he kept them in place. He wasn’t allowed to touch. It was one of Kacchan’s rules. He had to adhere to it.
 
But as the warmth pooled and bubbled up from inside him again, he craved more than just what Kacchan was giving him. “Kacchan?”
 
“Hmm?” Kacchan’s line of sight still hadn’t left his face, carefully watching Izuku for any change in expression.
 
“Can I- Can I, um, touch you a little? Like your shoulders, or head?”
 
“What, can’t you keep your hands to yourself?”
 
“It’s just hard to lay here like this and not do anything. It’s frustrating.”

And a little lonely

, a voice in the back of his head said.
 
Kacchan reached over to grab his wrists. He brought Izuku’s hands up, sliding them onto his head. Izuku’s fingers got lost in his hair. One of Kacchan’s ears flicked.
 
“If your hands need something to do, you can pet me. I don’t mind that so much.”
 
His mouth and hands returned to making Izuku feel good. Izuku gently brushed his fingers over Kacchan’s scalp. His hair was coarse but fluffy, fun to play with. He rubbed behind one of the wolf’s ears and Kacchan made an appreciative noise.
 
A nip at his chest made Izuku jump. He looked down. Kacchan had one of his nipples between his teeth. “Don’t get so distracted that you forget about what I’m doing. If you look away, you might miss something good.”
 
Izuku swallowed. He felt his dick jerk in Kacchan’s grip.
 
Kacchan raised an eyebrow. “Do you... like pain, Deku?”
 
“Um…”
 
Kacchan circled his areola with a claw and Izuku gasped. “I was trying to be gentle. Didn’t think you would appreciate getting scratched up, but if you actually have a preference for it…”
 
The hands in Kacchan’s hair tightened. The wolf tensed and paused.
 
“S-sorry! It’s-it’s not like I have a preference or anything like that, but if you continue, I don’t know that I control myself. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I-”
 
“Shut up.” One of Kacchan’s fingers pressed against his lips. “It’s fine. I won’t go so far that you can’t handle it. I don’t wanna get tugged around, so we’ll keep it vanilla for the moment. There’s ways to combat your clinginess. But we’ll save it for another time.”
 
Arousal coursed through Izuku at the thought of being tied down. Kacchan might not like the prospect, but Izuku always had a never drying well of curiosity to pull from. He’d never done anything like that before in any of his previous relationships, but thinking of Kacchan having his way with him entirely was enough to bring Izuku to the edge a second time tonight.
 
This time he had enough forethought to give Kacchan some warning. “I’m gonna cum! There’s tissues on the nightstand. Kacchan! The nightstand! Kacchan, I’m-!”
 
He shot a second load over his torso. A bit flew high enough to land on his chest. Kacchan looked down at him, admiring the canvas of his body painted in such a lewd manner. He trailed his tongue over the lines of cum.
 
“You-!” Izuku felt himself blushing like mad, thoroughly grossed out. “Do you like the taste of it, or are you just doing this to rile me up? I said there were tissues to catch it.” He shuddered as Kacchan’s mouth finished collecting the rest around his cock head.
 
He swiped a thumb across his lips and licked the remnants. His adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “I don’t

hate

your taste. I’m just doing what feels good.”
 
Ah. So he was just acting on instinct.
 
“But riling you up is a pretty good bonus.”
 
Kacchan flopped down next to him, arms going around Izuku and tugging him close. His nose pressed into his hair. He inhaled, relaxing, coming down off a high. Izuku found his heart pounding faster in his chest.
 
This really wasn’t in line with his limited physical contact rule.
 
But it was just scenting. Kacchan had said it himself. He did this sort of thing to scent him, to claim him as his partner. There was no deeper meaning to it and Izuku shouldn’t take one from it.
 
Still, he couldn’t help leaning back against the hybrid, soaking in the scent of another warm body.
 
Surprisingly, Kacchan was right. He did find sleep a lot easier, content in the wolf’s arms.

The human before Katsuki stretched, pulling an arm over her chest. “Now, don’t underestimate me or you’ll be in for a bad time.”
 
Deku stood at the edge of the mat, watching him with an apologetic expression. “It’s true. Uraraka doesn’t hold any punches.” Katsuki had already seen the two cops go hand to hand as they demonstrated a few techniques. Deku had ended up on his back each time.
 
Katsuki was stuck somewhere between being amused and fighting off his initial urge to jump to his human’s side whenever he got knocked off his feet. He’d leapt to his own feet the last time, prompting the cops to ask if he’d like to start sparring now too.
 
Katsuki had played it off like that had been his true intent, but Uraraka was perceptive. She kept giving him small smiles and doing weird things with her eyebrows. She knew

something

. But Katsuki had no idea what. It wasn’t like he really had anything to hide to begin with.
 
Iida, her hybrid partner, brought a hand down and signalled the start of the match. “Begin!”
 
Katsuki didn’t make a move first, merely observing her. She looked pleasantly surprised by this. Most people probably went for her immediately, expecting little resistance because of her small size. But Katsuki had watched her flip Deku over enough times to be wary.
 
She made a move for him first instead. She dipped low, going to swipe his legs out. Katsuki leapt over the move like he was jumping rope. She rolled out from under him before he came down. He didn’t give her enough time to put distance between them before he grabbed her shoulder and pressed her to the mat, hand sliding down to her throat.
 
“Oh shit!” Deku sprung to his feet. Uraraka’s dog hybrid both looked and smelled tense.
 
Uraraka held a hand out to both of the spectators. “It’s fine! Just got the air knocked out of me. I tend to rely on my opponent’s own size and momentum to unbalance them, but it’s a lot harder when my opponent’s larger and keeps his movements more controlled. Can’t say I was expecting this. Did you learn to fight somewhere?”
 
Katsuki let up his grip on her throat. He didn’t leave any bruises behind. The placement was mostly for show. You always went for the throat when you wanted submission from an opponent.
 
“Yeah.”
 
He held a hand out and pulled Uraraka to her feet. “Who taught you?”
 
“I didn’t have a teacher or anything. I just picked it up.”
 
It was out of necessity.
 
“Oh… Uraraka sensed his discomfort concerning the topic. “Well, you’ll do better fighting someone closer to your weight class. Deku, you be his sparring partner while I give him instructions.” Katsuki still wasn’t sure how he felt about Uraraka’s continued use of the nickname

he

had given Deku.
 
“Me? Why me?”
 
Katsuki smiled. He cocked his head and curled a finger in his direction. “Come on, Deku. You chickening out on me? Show me what you’ve got.”
 
Deku huffed. It seemed he was easy to rile up in or out of bed. He stepped onto the mat.
 
Uraraka handed him a fake knife. She turned to Katsuki. “You remember how I disarmed him before?”
 
Katsuki nodded.
 
“Good.” Uraraka walked over to stand by her partner. “Iida?”
 
He gave her a small smile before waving his hand. “Begin!”
 
Deku lurched forward, knife tip aimed at Katsuki’s stomach. It was a feint, as Deku lightly danced on his feet to go for the side of his ribs instead. Katsuki managed to avoid it grazing him narrowly.
 
“You’re going off course from her training regimen.”
 
Katsuki liked the excited look in Deku’s eyes as he twirled the knife around. “Field work is unpredictable. Plus, if you can flip Uraraka like that, you probably need something more challenging. I’ve been watching you. You’re a fast learner. I don’t want to bore you.”
 
“If you were watching me less and paying attention to your sparring matches with Uraraka more, you probably would have spent less time getting flipped onto your back.”
 
Katsuki went on the offensive. Uraraka had told him not to ever rush a person with a knife, to let them come to him, but, after seeing Deku stumble just a bit, he felt like he’d been provided an opening it would be foolish to miss.
 
He gripped Deku’s wrist hard enough to make him release the weapon. It fell to the floor. Katsuki threw Deku down next to it, straddling him from behind, one hand pressing an arm flat to the mat, the other at his throat, letting little pinpricks stick in at the skin with his claws.
 
“Having you on your back is nice, but I think I prefer you in this position.”
 
Iida blew a whistle.
 
Katsuki startled. He stood up and Deku rolled over.
 
The dog hybrid scolded them, “There were so many things wrong with what just happened! First of all, Midoriya, you didn’t stick to the beginner regimen Uraraka slaved over!”
 
“I didn’t spend that much time on it!” She tried to pacify him.
 
But he continued, “And Bakugou, you have a long way to go. You aren’t supposed to rush a person with a knife. It doesn’t matter if you see an opening. It’s dangerous to get into close quarters with someone armed. They could easily use your momentum to throw you into their blade.”
 
Katsuki kicked the toy knife. “Yeah, yeah. I knew that already. Deku was just being cocky so I thought I’d show him up a little.”
 
“That’s another thing! You use too much excessive force! Law enforcement officers already have a bad reputation for that sort of thing. Aizawa carefully hand picks cops for this precinct that he knows won’t overdo it. You won’t pass if he thinks you’re being too violent or using your position to hurt civilians.”

Katsuki’s ears flicked back and he growled at the accusatory tone. “Fighting is already a violent act. In what way am I being

too

violent?”
 
“You keep going for your opponent’s throats. It’s a threat to kill, is it not? I’m a hybrid too, so I understand it well. That may be how you fought to survive, but here, to win, you have to fight to protect. Even if the person you have to protect is the person you are fighting.”

“Then how the hell do I get someone to submit without threatening them?”

Iida tossed him something. It clinked in his hands when he caught it.

Cuffs.

“These are much more effective than teeth and claws. Restraining an opponent shuts them down a lot faster than threats. With a threat, they still have the option to fight back, and, if they do, you’d have to follow through with your threat. But with the cuffs, they don’t even get the option. Instead of the throat, go for the hands. Your take down technique is already superb. It’s only the apprehension that needs some fine tuning.”

Katsuki stopped growling. His tail swished back and forth in agitation as he looked over the cuffs.

“Um, I think you’ll make a great K9 Unit member!” Uraraka chimed in. He looked up at her. “Iida can be a real stick in the mud, but what he says is really helpful. Believe it or not, I was pretty laid back with my own take down technique until he helped me tighten it up. He really only wishes for you to improve!”

Katsuki nodded. “I know.”

He pulled Deku up by the back of his shirt and set him on his feet. Deku opened his mouth to protest at being handled like a kitten, but promptly closed it when his eyes landed on the cuffs in Katsuki’s hands. Red splotches bloomed over his cheeks. He hurriedly looked away, but the damage was done.

Katsuki grinned. “Yeah, I can definitely see these being useful in the future.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Psst, Deku.” Kacchan nudged Izuku under the coffee table, currently buried underneath piles of books and notes.
 
“Do you have a question, Kacchan?” They kept their voices low as Iida lectured on, standing above them in Uraraka’s living room. He was pointing with something that looked like a long conductor's baton at a white board.
 
Kacchan slid his book over slightly and pointed to a line. “A lot of the stuff in here is illegal, right?”
 
“It’s… yes. Almost all of it. They’re laws. Deciding what’s legal and illegal is kind of what they do.”
 
“Smartass. I didn’t ask for sass. It’s just, I had a lot of owners that did these things. I could practically check off everything on this page and the next. Haven’t gotten to the rest, but I bet it’s the same throughout... Do you think that means

I’m

bad?”
 
“

What?!

” Deku yelled, incredulous.
 
Iida cleared his throat, “Ahem! Something to share, Midoriya?”
 
“Wuh? Oh, no. Sorry, Iida. Please continue.”
 
Iida turned around and began again.
 
As soon as his back was facing them, Izuku leaned over into Kacchan’s space. “Your past partners- I don’t know how they lived or what they were like, but you shouldn’t define yourself by who they were or what they did.”
 
Kacchan’s ears flattened back against his head. “But I’ve done some of the things on this list too.”
 
“Did you know they were bad when you did them?”
 
“No. But-”
 
“Did they force you to do those things?”
 
“Uh, yes?”
 
“Then you’ve done nothing wrong. All the fault lies with them.” Izuku’s face softened. “You’ve got a clean slate, Kacchan. You can start over and do some real good. All the things you might have done in your past? It’s all gonna stay here trapped in this book. You don’t have to do any of it ever again. Now it’s

your

choice.”
 
“...Kay.”
 
A faint dusting of red coated Kacchan’s cheeks. He kept his eyes trained on the page, but Izuku felt some movement under the table. He startled as one of Kacchan’s feet lightly grazed his ankle.
 
Izuku suppressed a shiver.
 
“...Kacchan?”
 
Kacchan didn’t respond, only brushed his foot up against his leg again, pushing his pant leg up and traveling along his calf sensually.
 
Izuku gripped his pencil tighter, shoulders going rigid. He gave Kacchan a pointed look, but the wolf was determined to not meet his eyes.
 
Izuku gasped as he felt the brush of something against his back. He peered over his shoulder to find Kacchan’s tail flicking up his side, the long hairs tickling the exposed skin of his arms.
 
“Kacchan! Quit it!”
 
“AHEM!” Iida made both of them freeze. “Midoriya! What’s gotten into you? You’re usually so studious. At this rate, I think you might be hindering Bakugou’s studying more than helping. Maybe you should go help Uraraka in the kitchen?”
 
Izuku sent Kacchan a glare.
 
The hybrid had his mouth covered, leaning into his palm. His face was unreadable. But his eyes followed Izuku as he stood up and left the room.
 
Izuku sighed and wandered into the kitchen. “Uraraka, do you need any help? Iida kicked me out of the living room. Apparently, I’m distracting Kacchan from the lesson.”
 
Uraraka removed a tray of freshly baked cookies from her oven and propped them on the stove. “Of course you’re distracting him. Do you

see

the way he looks at you?” She giggled, “So cute!”
 
Izuku felt heat rise to his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve told you the layout of our arrangement. He looks at me like a cut of prime beef at best and an annoying roommate who occasionally asks him to pick up the hybrid toys he swears he never touches at worse.”
 
“I’ve been eyeing you two from in here. You didn’t see the way his tail wagged when you got up to leave?”
 
“I certainly

felt

it moving when he decided to tease me during Iida’s lecture.”
 
“I couldn’t hear you guys from my spot in the kitchen, but he definitely looked happy over something you said… You don’t understand hybrid body language yet, do you?”
 
Izuku leaned against the fridge and shrugged. “What’s to understand? They’re just like people, right?”
 
She took off her oven mitts and shooed him out of the way. “Move. I have to get the lemonade out.” He obliged and she dipped inside for just a second. When she reemerged she had a contemplative look on her face. “I think it’s wonderful that you don’t see a line between hybrids and people most of the time, but, I do think trying to read him more might help you notice that there are some pretty important differences.”
 
“Like, um, like the knot thing?”
 
She snorted and just barely had time to settle the pitcher of lemonade on the counter before she doubled over. “Is-Is that the only major difference that comes to mind?”
 
“Uh, no. I mean… They have ears… and a tail… sometimes depending on the species?”
 
She started pouring the drinks. “You’re killing it, Deku,” She sighed, “It’s okay to see differences in people. Things can be equal and still different, you know? Living with Iida helped me see things from another perspective and I think you and Katsuki will be the same.
 
“You know, I used to have that mosquito alarm, the high pitched one, as a wake up call before I realized it was hurting Iida’s ears. I use one of the default ones now, but there’s things you learn about your partner from living closely with them. I think you’ll get it eventually, but you’re pretty inexperienced at this point.”
 
“So, you think I just need time or?”
 
“You need to pay attention to him, Deku. Consciously study him and think about what all his little microactions mean.”
 
“...What if I accidentally read into them?”
 
A quiet filled the kitchen. Uraraka frowned. “I thought you told me you weren’t interested in Bakugou like that? Did you lie?”
 
“N-No,” Izuku tried to backtrack, “It’s just…” He gnawed at his bottom lip.
 
Uraraka started to plate the cookies. “You’re going to fall for him, aren’t you?”
 
“Of course not! He’s not interested in that sort of thing anyway. I’m not sure he’s capable of those feelings, especially not right now-”
 
“Then how about in the future?” Uraraka picked up the tray holding the fruits of her labors. She held it as levelly as she did his gaze. “I know you’re trying to protect yourself and I think Bakugou

is

good for you, but I don’t want to see you get hurt. Just be…

open

to things a little more. Okay? Not everyone wants to break your heart, like your ex.”
 
Izuku sighed. “He didn’t want to break my heart. It wasn’t his fault that my problems were draining him dry.”
 
“You convinced yourself of that cause you have a big heart.” She took a step by him and gave him a light peck on the cheek. “You’re gonna be too good for every person you date. I hope you know that.”
 
Izuku rubbed at his face as he watched her leave the kitchen.
 
Iida’s excited voice called out from the living room, “Ah! Uraraka! You’re just in time for the sermon on how to conduct a respectful pat down.”
 
“Ooooh! Woooow!” Uraraka’s faked enthusiasm had Izuku laughing into his hand.

Katsuki was picking up everything pretty quickly. He didn’t have a whole lot holding him back, no questions to ask after Deku helped him clear up the small doubt he’d been holding onto.
 
Hearing his human claim he was innocent, a victim rather than a perpetrator felt… liberating. He couldn’t help wanting to touch him. Katsuki struggled to keep the feeling under wraps, settling for light brushes under the table and curling his tail around his side.
 
Now

these

were signs of affection. But Deku seemed more annoyed by the display than anything. Katsuki wondered how he would react if he were to just pull him into his lap and scent him.
 
He wanted nothing more at the moment than to rub his cheek to Deku’s, nose grazing his unprotected throat. Every display of vulnerability, whether conscious or not, drove Katsuki crazy. Deku was so good, so trusting. He was unlike anyone Katsuki had ever encountered.
 
None of his owners had told him he could do good, to

be

good. None of them had given Katsuki anything close to

a choice

.
 
He sighed and the doberman hybrid caught wise to his daydreaming. “Bakugou… I sent Midoriya away so he wouldn’t bother you, but are you perhaps still distracted by something?”
 
“No, it’s still Deku.”
 
“Oh… Well, what about him? Perhaps I could give you some council. I’ve been friends for an awfully long time with him after all.”
 
Katsuki growled.
 
Iida was unperturbed. “Ah! I see you’re feeling territorial about this subject. I didn’t mean to offend. It’s simply a fact that I’ve known him longer. I meant no disrespect.”
 
Katsuki appreciated the other hybrid’s ability to sense his unease. “Deku… he’s interesting, right?”
 
“Interesting how?” Iida’s good natured smile prompted him on.
 
“He doesn’t judge you for your past. Makes you feel welcomed. Like you’ll never do anything wrong. Sort of makes you want to live up to the expectations he’s setting, right?”
 
Iida nodded. “Yes, I can see that! But, you know,” his smile fell into a frown, “he doesn’t judge others because he tends to take on all the blame himself. He’s a good person, maybe too good. He wants to see the best in people, but reserves all his judgement for inward reflection.”
 
Katsuki agreed, “Yeah, I noticed that in his work ethic. He doesn’t ever stop. And, if I make him, he acts like it’s some sort of shortcoming on his part.”
 
“It’s a result of a more trying time in his life… You know about his mother, right?”
 
The empty room that carried a scent so similar to Deku’s...
 
“Yeah. His dam passed a while ago.”
 
“Not a while. It’s only been two years.”
 
“We have a different definition of a while then.”
 
Iida shrugged. “I guess so. For him, it wasn’t too long. He’s still grieving. Have you heard a lot about his past relationship?”
 
“He doesn’t talk about it, so everything I know I know from you and your partner.”
 
Iida’s face was grave. “Uraraka and I have a bad opinion of him, although Midoriya insists the man never did anything wrong. He broke up with Midoriya when his mother was dying. Midoriya will tell you it was the stress that got to him, but I’ll never forget seeing my friend sobbing on our couch and telling us that bastard’s last words. He told Midoriya they were always a light thing. Just something to kill time, not

actually

dating. As soon as things got marginally stressful in Midoriya’s home life, he wanted out.”
 
Katsuki bristled.
 
“Midoriya took it in stride because that’s the kind of guy he is. He won’t blame the other party and instead tries to put it all on his own shoulders. He’s always taking on responsibility for things. It’s partly why his partnerships never work out. He’s always first on the scene. First to make arrests. Assuming complete responsibility… It’s one of his only flaws as an officer.”
 
Katsuki stared down at the textbook in front of him. “Do you think

I’ll

be able to make up for it?”
 
Iida blinked at him, clearly surprised by the question. “Make up for it? How do you intend to do that?”
 
Katsuki hadn’t a clue. Didn’t even know where to start.
 
“I don’t know. I’m... not good at reading normal people yet.”
 
Iida chuckled. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call Midoriya

normal

. I think you’re doing just fine though. He looks more vibrant these days. Looks like he’s been getting proper sleep too, although, I have no idea how you managed that one.”
 
Katsuki held his tongue. He had Iida figured out enough to know the answer to that particular question was better left unsaid.

Sometime in the afternoon, the doorbell rang. Kacchan’s ears perked up, the only visible evidence that he wasn’t entirely engrossed in his studies.
 
“I’ll get it!” Uraraka left to answer it. She came back into the room followed by Mina and Kirishima.
 
The former waved to Izuku. “Yo! How’s it goin, Midoriya?” Heard you’ll be joinin our sect soon, so I wanted to meet your partner.”
 
Kirishima immediately strode over and sat himself down in between Izuku and Kacchan. All of the black lab’s attention was focused on the wolf. “I’m Kirishma! What’s your name?”
 
Kacchan squinted at him, suspicious of Kirishima’s straightforward attitude. “Bakugou…” he finally answered.
 
Uraraka sent Izuku a look. “Let’s give our partners some space and head into the kitchen.”
 
It was a pretty blatant message. Urakaka had obviously called Mina to come over, but Kacchan seemed too preoccupied with meeting the new hybrid skirting just outside of his personal bubble to notice.
 
“Oh, uh… Sure.” Izuku got up and followed the girls into the kitchen. He immediately called Uraraka out on her underhandedness, “Really? You had to bring

Mina

into this?”
 
“Hey!” Mina interjected, “I’m probably your best reference when it comes to hybrid-human relationships! Give me

some

credit, Midoriya!”
 
Izuku sighed and sat himself down in a bar stool. “You have the floor, Mina-

senpai

.”
 
“Thank you!”
 
The girls settled down, glasses of lemonade in front of them. Izuku wished he had remembered to bring his in from the living room.
 
“So, Uraraka tells me you and Bakugou have been getting pretty close.”
 
“I guess it really depends on what you mean by

close

,” Izuku indirectly approached the topic.
 
“Are you banging?”
 
“

Mina!

” Izuku protested.
 
Uraraka settled a hand on her shoulder. “Ease into it a little bit.”
 
She pouted. “Fine. Let me rephrase it in a way you prudes can comprehend. How far along is your relationship?”
 
“Um, we’ve decided not to really refer to it like that.”
 
Uraraka rolled her eyes.
 
Mina’s face hardened. “Was that

his

suggestion?”
 
Izuku backtracked, forgetting how protective his friends could be about certain topics after his ex, “No! No, that was my idea. I wanted it defined at the get go. Now there’s no way we can misinterpret each others feelings… Because there are none!”
 
The amendment had both girls squinting at him.
 
“What?”
 
“You’ve met yourself, right? You’re going to fall hard,” Mina reasoned.
 
“That’s what I said!” Uraraka gave her an encouraging nudge.
 
“Did you call Mina over just to double team me like this?” Izuku was starting to feel a little cornered.
 
“No! Sorry, I actually called her over to help you with reading hybrids better, since, well, she’s dating one. I didn’t mean to rehash our earlier conversation.”
 
Mina took a sip of her lemonade. “What exactly is he having trouble with? They’re pretty easy to read. Easier than humans, I’d say.”
 
“According to Uraraka, I can’t read Kacchan’s body language well.”
 
Mina waved him over. “Come here.” Izuku walked over. She pointed out into the living room. Izuku could see Kacchan clearly from this angle. “You see his tail flickin back and forth?”
 
“Yes?”
 
“He’s either thinkin real hard or he’s annoyed by somethin. Which do you think it is?”
 
“Um… He’s studying so he’s thinking, right?”
 
“Bzzt! Wrong. He’s annoyed. His ears are flat against his head. He’s upset. Now, I want you to walk out there and grab your lemonade. That’s right. I saw you look longingly at ours when you forgot it! But pay attention to what he does when you go get it. Then get back here and gimme a report.”
 
Izuku nodded and dutifully followed through with the assignment he’d been issued.
 
“Hey, Midoriya!” Kirishima smiled at him as he lifted up his cup.
 
“Oh, hey! Just forgot my drink!” Izuku eyed Kacchan as he left. The wolf didn’t even glance up from his textbook.
 
He walked back into the kitchen. “That accomplished nothing.”
 
Uraraka and Mina giggled. “God, you

are

bad at this. Mina was giving me the play by play while you were out there. Tell him!”
 
“You didn’t see his tail wag?”
 
Izuku looked back, as if he’d catch sight of it this late in the game. “Uh, no?”
 
“Or how about how his ears stood at attention? They were clearly focused on you the entire time you were in the room.”
 
“I didn’t catch any of that!”
 
“Well, pay attention to him more, knucklehead! He’s not as vocal about his feelings as Eijirou or Iida, so you really need to focus!”
 
“I’m trying!”
 
“You’re not!” Mina crossed her arms. She leaned over and whispered something to Uraraka.
 
“Why does it feel like you’re conspiring against me?”
 
“Oh! That’s a great idea!” Uraraka turned towards him, “Mina’s got a plan. She came up with a scenario and she’s going to tell you how Bakugou will react beforehand so you can look for the signs.”
 
“Okay, but why did she whisper it in your ear instead of sharing it with the class?”
 
“She wanted to clear it with me first.”
 
“You’re making me nervous.”
 
“You don’t even have to do much, Midoriya. Just play along and keep an eye out for the signs.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Katsuki leaned back and stretched. They were wrapping up. It would be dinner time soon. He was looking forward to being alone with Deku again after such a busy, oddly social day. The labrador next to his side yawned. Katsuki was surprised to find he was enjoying his company. “What do you think our partners are doin in there?” Katsuki shrugged. “Talking.” “Well, obviously. But what about?” “The weather? Who the fuck cares.” “I do!” “Why?” “Cause I care about everything Mina’s involved in. Aren’t you the same with Midoriya? Uraraka said you and Midoriya were in a similar situation to ours. Aren’t you dating too?” “Dating?” “Yeah, you know. Going out?” “We go out sometimes. Like to the park for runs and to the police station to train.” He shook his head. “Not like that! It’s more intimate. Like, you- Well, you kiss, hold hands-” “Have sex?” Kirishima blushed. “Uh. Yeah. That too sometimes.” “Deku and I have done things like that.” “Okay, so you’re dating then!” Iida sat himself down in between them. “I’m interjecting before you both create misunderstandings. I don’t think you’re on the same page. It’s different for Bakugou and Midoriya, Kirishima.” “How so?” “Yeah, how so?” Katsuki suddenly felt very defensive over this concept of “dating” that his new friend had introduced. “People who date usually have feelings for the other person,” Iida explained. “What feelings?” Kirishima blinked at him. “ What feelings?! Love obviously! Or, if it’s just budding, affection at least.” Iida nodded. “That’s right. You need to like the other person for it to be properly called dating.” “Well, I like Deku.” “That’s so manly! Just coming out and saying it. How refreshing!” “Kirishima, he clearly doesn’t understand what we mean by ‘like’. It’s not just someone you have positive emotions towards. It’s someone you hold dear and someone you want to be with always.” Katsuki cocked his head to the side. The material in his textbook was easier to understand than this. He looked to Kirishima for help. “You like that pink haired chick. What does that feel like?” “I don’t just like Mina! I love her!” He corrected Katsuki. “And what does that entail exactly?” “Well, it usually means I want her all to myself and I only want to be with her too. I like a lot of people because I have a lot of friends, but Mina’s special. She’s the only one I’d kiss or hold hands with and-” “And have sex with?” “Why do you keep going back to that?” Katsuki shrugged. The sex was just a large part of his current arrangement with Deku. He mainly was using it as his only point of comparison. “You say I’m not dating Deku. Then what would you call us?” Iida froze. “Well... I’d probably call you friends… with benefits.” Kirishima nodded. “Fuck buddies works too.” “Do you think… Would Deku like to date? Or does he think we already are?” “He’s aware you aren’t interested in the emotional aspect of a relationship,” Iida supplied the answer to his question, “As far as I know, he doesn’t have any intention to date you either.” Katsuki furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?” Kirishima cocked his head to the side, sensing his distress. “If I want to do all the things you’ve said. Kissing, holding hands, sex, having him be mine and no one else’s, how do I change it so we’re dating?” Katsuki was aware of Deku’s rules. Limited displays of affection and not getting “feelings” involved, which he was starting to understand to be this extreme case of liking another person that Kirishima had described. Dating sounded like the way to get around it all. “Midoriya has hang ups over his last relationship, remember? He doesn’t want to be that close to another person yet, or maybe ever,” Iida’s voice cut through his scheming, “I also don’t think you fully grasp what it means to like another person enough to date them.” Katsuki hated the tone the Doberman was using, as if Katsuki wasn’t able to understand everything they’d gone over. And maybe he hadn’t, but it still irked him. He opened his mouth to start some shit when a loud guffaw interrupted him. Their human partners swayed into the room, faces flushed and jovial. Uraraka had an arm around Deku’s waist as she cuddled up against his side. Katsuki bristled. “Uraraka, are you drunk?” Iida stood up, hands out, just in case one of the humans toppled over. “We added some liquor to the lemonade!” Mina declared proudly. “Ashido, you know she can’t hold her drinks well! Neither of them can!” Deku threw an arm around Uraraka and smiled. “We just wanted to have a little fun!” Katsuki got up and pulled Uraraka out of Deku’s arms, shoving her into Iida’s awaiting hands. Katsuki growled down at his human, “What are you doing?!” Deku looked up at him, mouth agape. He directed his attention to Mina. “You were wrong! His ears went back and his tail poofed up, but you didn’t say he’d get this mad!” Mina held her stomach and bellowed out laughter. Iida sighed, “I’m going to put Uraraka to bed. Kirishima, Bakugou, make sure your humans get home safe.”

“Kacchan?” “Hmmph.” “Are you mad at me?” Katsuki dragged Deku along by the hand. It was quiet out, aside from their own steady footsteps. “I’m not.” “You are though.” Katsuki whipped around and Deku walked right into his chest. “Why do you think that?” Deku rubbed at his nose. “Mina was trying to teach me how to understand you better. She said you would react a certain way if you got upset.” “So you purposely upset me?” “What? Oh, no! I mean, I didn’t mean too! I just… I wanted to understand you better.” Katsuki deflated. He brought Deku’s hand up to examine it. He thought back to what Kirishima had said about dating, about holding hands. They weren’t dating, but Deku still let him hold his hand. Why was he allowed certain privileges, but not others? “I want to understand you better too.” Deku’s eyes grew wide. “You do?” “Of course I do! I hate it when there’s something I don’t know, but it’s apparently so obvious to everyone else. I hate it when Uraraka’s mutt explains things to me, like he knows you better than me. And, even if he does, I hate that too!” Katsuki panted, warm puffs of air pumping from his lungs. Deku squeezed his hand. “Um, compared to Iida, there’s parts of me that only you know.” Red blossomed over his cheeks. “You mean sex.” Deku nodded. “Yeah. Sex.” For some reason, Katsuki was displeased. He tugged Deku closer, mouth inches from his partner’s. His breath smelled like alcohol and citrus. “I want more than that.” Katsuki pressed his lips to Deku’s, watching as his partners eyes fluttered shut. He kissed him slow and thorough, tongue making languid movements against Deku’s before brushing up against his palette. Deku’s knees wobbled and then buckled. Katsuki caught him, kept him propped up. He kissed Deku deeply, as if doing so would allow him access to somewhere inside his partner he couldn’t yet reach. Deku’s hands gripped at his forearms, anchoring him in place as Katsuki swept him away. When Katsuki pulled back to look down at him, Deku was a gasping, drooling mess, eyes drooping and heady with desire. “Um… Kacchan?” He sounded breathless, “Do you want to continue this?” Katsuki nodded. “When we get home?” Deku shook his head. He looked over to a thin alleyway. “Back there.” Katsuki felt a happy trill rise up in his chest. He tugged Deku forward into the slim path. There was a turn midway through that Katsuki ducked them into. It was a cramped space, between two buildings, but at least they wouldn’t be in direct view of the street. Deku swallowed and tugged Katsuki forward by his waistband, pressing himself back against the wall. “Will you let me make you cum today?” That was against one of Katsuki’s rules. But, only an hour or so before, Katsuki had been thinking of ways to get around Deku’s. Maybe he had to give some ground before he could gain more of it. He nodded. Deku licked his lips and undid the button and zipper of his jeans. Katsuki helped him guide the pants and boxers down far enough to slip his tail above the waistband. Deku squatted at eye level with his cock, eyes wide and nervous. “You change your mind?” Deku startled and looked up at him, smiling meekly. “N-No! I just… It’s quite big, isn’t it?” “Is it?” Katsuki couldn’t help shooting his own smile down at him. He eyed him with apprehension as Deku gently took his dick into his hands. He kissed around the tip a few times, eyes looking up, searching Katsuki for approval. Katsuki wove trembling fingers into Deku’s curls, urging him on. Deku continued, pressing his tongue flat up against the underside, trailing up to the head. His soft lips wrapped around him and Katsuki watched as Deku’s mouth slid down. He felt the head of his cock hit the back of Deku’s throat and he hissed. Deku choked a little. He made a lewd slurping noise as he pulled back. Katsuki’s cock glistened with his spit. He shivered at the feeling of it being exposed to the night air. It didn’t last long, as Deku sunk back down onto him, warmth enveloping his cock once again. Both of his hands went to the back of Deku’s head. He tried to keep his grip lax, to not buck his hips so Deku wouldn’t choke again, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to control himself. “Pull off, Deku! Pull off and turn around!” Deku slipped off of him with a wet pop. He wiped at his mouth and stood up. “I’m sorry! Was it bad? I’m out of practice.” Katsuki spun him around and pulled his pants down to his knees. “Hands on the wall. Keep your thighs closed tight.” Katsuki pressed the head of his cock up against one of Deku’s inner thighs. Deku gasped, hands clenching against the bricks. Katsuki thrust forward and felt himself slip blissfully into the pocket between Deku’s thighs.

He rutted again and found Deku moaning out as Katsuki brushed up against the underside of his balls.  Good . They were back to the old routine. What he was used to. He much preferred seeing Deku squirming in pleasure as opposed to experiencing the sensation himself. Katsuki licked and sucked marks over the back of his neck as he moved, hands holding Deku steady at the hips. “Keep ‘em together Deku. Gonna cum.” Deku moaned, “Me too. I’m close. I’m- Kacchan, I’m gonna cum too!” Katsuki’s hips stuttered unevenly as he came. White streaks painted the brick wall and the inside of Deku’s thighs. He sunk his teeth into Deku’s shoulder to quell his groans. It only made Deku’s louder. His body shivered as he came undone shortly after Katsuki. Deku’s strength gave out against the brick and Katsuki had to weave an arm around his waist so he wouldn’t fall into the wall. He leaned back, cradling Deku close and nuzzling into his hair. “Kacchan, are you scenting me again?” His voice was lazy, words slurred, fucked out. Katsuki hummed, “No.” “Then, what are you doing?” “I’m enjoying your scent.” “Oh.” When the post bliss of Katsuki’s orgasm had faded and Deku seemed stable enough, he set him back down on his feet. Katsuki pulled his pants back up but removed his hoodie. He knelt down and used the article of clothing to clean up Deku’s legs. “Kacchan what-?” “We’re only a few blocks from the house. But it’ll be uncomfortable for you like this.” Deku set his hands on Katsuki’s shoulders. He remained quiet and let himself get taken care of.

Izuku followed closely behind Kacchan, his hand in the pleasant grip of his partner’s. This was nice . Letting someone guide him. Letting Kacchan take control. Ever since his mom died, he’d kept such a tight grip on everything to prevent anything else from slipping away. It had been maddening, not being able to help her, to take care of her. Whether it was the alcohol or the euphoria of knowing Kacchan had felt pleasure tonight too, at least in this moment, for once, and without guilt, Izuku felt like he had been the one taken care of. And it felt damn good.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Shota leaned back in his seat, listening intently to the voice on the other end of the line.
 
“You’re certain that’s a bidding spot? No, I’m not doubting you. They’ve taken place in stranger venues, I’m sure. We just need to be careful. Can’t rush into it like a bust this time. We’re looking for a lead to the recent string of cases.”
 
He sighed as the voice on the other end made valid point after valid point.
 
“I know. I don’t like it either, but if we bust the place, we lose any chance at finding a lead back to the source of the feral hybrids. Sometimes, that’s how this job is. You need to prioritize the safety of as many people as possible. If it’s between the general public and this small ring of victims, you know what we need to do.”
 
There was a moment of silence.
 
“Toshinori, you know I appreciate your help in this matter, but we can’t save everybody. As soon as we get a lead and find the source, I promise we’ll bust the place. And it’s not like the auctioneers are particularly tight lipped either. It only takes a few hours of interrogation before they give us a list of clients. We’ll be able to extract all the victims in due time. Right now, I need to prevent a potential massacre, or a string of murders, or whatever this insane breeder is planning.”
 
Captain Toshinori from the precinct over relented and changed topics.
 
“Your apprentice? You should stop calling him that already. Midoriya’s doing fine. Actually, he’s taken on another hybrid partner. I think this one might stick. You should swing by and meet him eventually. They make quite the pair. Might even be a better duo than you and Naitoai someday.”
 
Shota could hear Toshinori grin through the receiver.
 
“Yeah, I know that’s all you’ve ever wanted for the kid, To follow in your footsteps. I’m reluctant to say it, but he’s the best cop I’ve got. Problem is, K9 unit pairs still do better than individuals. Maybe now that he’s got a partner, he’ll be able to reach his full potential.”
 
Shota stifled a laugh.
 
“You two really are alike. I plan to assign the mission to Midoriya and Bakugou if they end up passing all the necessary qualifications, but you know how he gets since you’re the same way. If his empathy for the victims compromises us, we’re screwed.”

Captain Aizawa scanned over his clipboard. “You passed the physical exam in record time. I wouldn’t believe these numbers if I hadn’t seen you do it myself. And you actually scored better than Midoriya on your written exam.”
 
“He

did?!

” Izuku shouted.
 
Kacchan grinned down at him, triumphantly gloating.
 
Aizawa smacked him on the head with the clipboard. “Don’t raise your voice indoors. It was only by a point. Still, he now holds the third highest score on that test, knocking you down to fourth.”
 
“Am I allowed to retake the test?”
 
“Absolutely not. Put your competitiveness aside and celebrate your partner’s success.”
 
Izuku groaned. He elbowed Kacchan in the side. “I

am

really proud of you. It’s just a little aggravating that I got knocked down a peg.”
 
“Good. Then maybe you’ll strive to keep up with me.”
 
“Why, you son of a-”
 
Aizawa coughed into his clenched fist before the petty argument could escalate. “The last remaining test is the psych evaluation. Chiyo’s waiting for him in her office. She cleared her entire schedule for today, so we better not keep the old lady waiting.”

Izuku paced outside the doctor’s office.
 
Kacchan had been inside for two hours already!
 
Aizawa sat in the corner, reading a thick magazine and shooting Izuku disapproving looks. Izuku felt like if he tried talking to him again about how long it was taking, his captain might beat him to death with whatever collection of articles he was currently reading.
 
After another ten minutes the door opened and a short, old woman hobbled out with a cane.
 
Aizawa set his magazine aside. “Well, Chiyo, what’s the consensus? Is he fit for work?”
 
Dr. Chiyo nodded. “He’s a perfectly stable young man!”
 
Aizawa and Izuku exchanged surprised glances.
 
Izuku beamed. “That’s great!”
 
“But, I’d like to have a little sit down with his partner.”
 
Izuku’s face fell. “What?”
 
“I want to confirm that you’re

both

cleared to work.”
 
The implication that Izuku was less likely to pass a psych evaluation than Kacchan after all the trauma he’d endured was alarming. “But I-”
 
“Midoriya,” Aizawa stopped any complaints, “Do what she asks. It’s just procedure.” He picked his magazine back up and opened it to where he’d left off.
 
His captain would be no help it seemed.
 
Izuku scooted into her office. Kacchan was already seated on the far end of the couch facing her chair. Izuku went to join him, noticing the small tail wag that accompanied Kacchan catching his eye.
 
Dr. Chiyo closed her door and settled in. “Now then. I’ve heard some pretty interesting things these past couple of hours. As you are probably well aware, Officer Midoriya, Bakugou has experienced a great deal of traumatic events in his past.”
 
Izuku nodded.
 
“He’s shared some with me, what he considers to be his most disturbing memories, and I was heavily perturbed to realize he doesn’t seem to be as affected by it as he should be. Now, if this were a singular traumatic incident, I would be able to write off the lack of a reaction as blocking it out or bottling it up, but it’s clearly neither of those.
 
“I believe he’s simply unaware of how bad it was for him. I’m not even sure he considers most of it trauma. I don’t like to use this diagnosis lightly, because I believe on some level trauma does have an affect on people, whether it’s denied or not, whether it shows signs or not, but I believe him to be almost completely desensitized at this point.”
 
“What exactly does that mean for him?”
 
“Well, for one thing, it means I don’t expect him to lose his head in situations that might trigger him. I’ve already asked him, but, to be thorough, were there any instances of him snapping at others for getting too close?”
 
“Um, snapping no. He’s gotten upset or growled. But, any time it happens, he gives clear warnings so people don’t get into his space.”
 
Dr. Chiyo nodded. “He’s in his right state of mind then. With his level of trauma, you’d expect him to fly into a frenzy, to panic and bite. He shouldn’t be able to help that sort of reaction. But he doesn’t experience any of the usual symptoms that come with PTSD. As such, I know his judgement won’t be impaired. Technically, he’s cleared.”
 
Izuku swallowed. “Then, why did you bring

me

in here?”
 
 Dr. Chiyo sighed. “I’ve spoken with Bakugou a little about how he’s been doing living with you.”
 
Kacchan’s ears dipped down. His tail twisted around one of his legs. He wouldn’t meet Izuku’s eyes.
 
“Midoriya, I don’t want you to worry. I’m going to give you both a passing evaluation, but I’d like you to consider attending grief counseling.”
 
He whipped around at his partner, “You

told

her?” Izuku watched as the question made Kacchan flinch. He instantly regretted the tone he had used. It was quite obviously laced with betrayal.
 
Dr. Chiyo continued on, “You can sign up, and, as your partner, Bakugou qualifies as a therapy hybrid, so you can even take him with you if you’d like. It would probably be good for him too.”
 
Izuku stood up, stopping her right there. “You said we were cleared, right?”
 
Dr. Chiyo took a deep breath. She let it out slowly. “I did. You and Bakugou are free to go and start work as soon as you’d like. I just wanted to let you know that the option was there if you-”
 
“I don’t need it. She died two years ago. I don’t need to revisit it.”
 
Dr. Chiyo handed Kacchan a pamphlet. “You take this, then, dear, for if he does change his mind.”
 
Izuku grit his teeth and made for the door. He pushed it open.
 
Aizawa got to his feet. “How did it go- Hey. Midoriya? Midoriya!”
 
Izuku heard Kacchan explaining things behind him, “We passed, but…

Dammit!

We’re gonna need a moment!”
 
Ha! Izuku didn’t need a moment! Izuku was perfectly fine! Why was everyone trying to convince him he wasn’t? Now, even Kacchan…
 
Izuku stopped. He had somehow walked himself to the park. He heard footsteps pause behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Kacchan waiting a few feet behind. His tail was still tucked between his legs.
 
He was scared.
 
“What are you doing? I know you’re faster than me. You could have caught up to me back at the station. Why are you following so far behind?”
 
Kacchan’s ears flicked but stayed down. “You’re mad at me.”
 
“Well, yeah...”
 
“So, I wasn’t sure if I should be close to you right now.”
 
A sharp pain gripped Izuku’s heart.
 
“Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”
 
“No…” Kacchan shook his head, “I don’t think you’d do that. I just didn’t think you’d want me near you. I… I messed up the evaluation. She asked me questions, but I didn’t know which answers were correct, so I tried to be honest. When she started to ask about you, I didn’t know it was bad to tell her.”
 
“What? No, it’s-it’s not

bad

. You did what you were supposed to do. You passed the evaluation.”
 
His voice was strained, “Then why are you upset?” He took a step forward, gripping the front of his shirt as he spoke.
 
Izuku stared down at his feet. “I’m not upset with

you

, Kacchan. What happened to my mom two years ago isn’t something I like talking about. Having other people know about it, talking about it, it makes me upset. It hurts to even think about.”
 
“Trauma,” Kacchan stated, “That’s what the doctor said.”
 
Izuku hugged himself. “Yeah, Kacchan. It’s trauma.”
 
“She said if your trauma is affecting you, you need to see someone. Is that true?”
 
“It doesn’t affect my work performance, so I technically pass the psych evaluation,” Izuku could have left it at the excuse, but he didn’t want to lie to Kacchan, “But it does affect me in other aspects of my life. I-I should go see someone.”
 
“I can go with you. The doctor said I was allowed.”
 
The sentiment was incredibly comforting. “Yeah, I’d appreciate it if you would. Um... Kacchan? Can I hug you?”
 
Kacchan’s tail whipped out from between his legs. It wagged from side to side as he strode over and threw his weight over Izuku, pulling him into his arms. Izuku’s hands gripped the back of his shirt. He leaned into Kacchan’s chest, relaxing as he felt the wolf’s heartbeat pounding away up against his ear.
 
It calmed him, steadied his nerves.
 
“Hey…” Izuku broached the subject carefully, “Would you ever, hold me like this... in bed?”
 
He felt Kacchan tense. His heart skipped a beat. “I’m assuming you don’t just mean hugging.”
 
Izuku shook his head, face still smushed to Kacchan’s chest.
 
“... I don’t know if I want to try that just yet.”
 
Izuku felt his shoulders sag. He figured that would be the case, but he still found himself disappointed.
 
“But, if you’re okay with bending your rules on limited affection, we could still curl up like this, on the couch or something.”
 
Izuku smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Yessir! Kacchan and I will report for duty tomorrow at eight. Oh, uh, and sorry again about running out of there so fast. Would you mind apologizing to Dr. Chiyo on my behalf too? Ah, sorry! You’re right! I’ll do it myself next time I see her! Thank you very much. Have a good night.”
 
Izuku hung up the phone and settled back into Kacchan’s lap. He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and snuggled in to watch whatever movie Kacchan had picked on Netflix.
 
“I cleared everything up with Aizawa. He gave me an earful for being rude to Dr. Chiyo.”
 
“I heard. You know my hearing’s, like, a thousand times better than yours, right?”
 
Izuku mimicked him in a higher pitched, nasally voice. Kacchan pinched his nose.
 
“Ah! No! Kacchan, let go!”
 
“Sorry, I didn’t realize your clown nose was attached to your face. Guess that’s what you get for tryin to be funny.” The grin Kacchan was sporting and the way his tail pounded the cushion beneath him clued Izuku in on the fact that Kacchan was enjoying their banter.
 
Mina was right. Maybe hybrids were easy to read. At least, once you were accustomed to their behaviors.
 
Izuku smiled back up at him. “We’re officially a K9 Unit, you know.”
 
“I know. I was there for all the exams.

I’m

the one who took them. Meanwhile, you didn’t do shit today.”
 
“No, I just mean, it’s exciting, right? We get to work together, to take down bad guys.”
 
Kacchan shrugged. “I guess that’s exciting. It’s no different from what you already do though, is it?”
 
“No, but now I get to do it with you.”
 
They stared at each other for a moment. Kacchan looked like he was about to lean down and kiss him when the television made a noise so sudden and frightful that Izuku couldn’t help but jump.
 
He clutched at his chest. “What the hell kind of movie is this?”
 
“A scary one, duh.” Kacchan shook the remote in his hand. “It’s got werewolves in it.”
 
“I can’t deal with scary things, Kacchan. I might go to bed early. You’re on your own.”
 
Kacchan locked Izuku in place with his legs. “Come on, Deku. Watch the movie with me. It’s

exciting

, right?” He used Izuku’s own words against him.
 
Izuku struggled to no avail. “Kacchaaan, noooo!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Heat rutted up against Izuku’s backside as he came to. He felt the pressure slide between his ass.
 
“Hmm?”
 
Firm arms bound him to Kacchan’s chest. The hybrid still slept soundly behind him, grunting against the back of his neck.
 
They must have fallen asleep on the couch last night. The TV was turned off. Izuku didn’t remember doing it, so Kacchan must have.
 
Another thrust up and Izuku gasped. He could feel Kacchan’s cock through their underwear, felt it slide along and catch against his rim.
 
His own dick twitched at the idea of an early morning round.
 
But Kacchan wasn’t even awake yet! Izuku felt a little pinprick of guilt at his body’s reaction.
 
“Ka-Kacchan?”
 
The wolf hummed against his throat, mouth murmuring indecipherable words against his quickly heating skin. One of the hands wrapped around him and found its way up his shirt.
 
Izuku flinched at the warm press of fingers groping his torso, nails grazing up to cup his chest. One of Kacchan’s thumbs skimmed over his nipple and Izuku brought a hand up to cover his mouth before he could let a strange noise slip out.
 
His body subconsciously rubbed back against Kacchan’s hardon and the wolf’s breath stuttered in his ear. His lips grazed the shell and then Izuku felt the wolf’s wet tongue licking his earlobe, tugging it into his mouth and biting down.
 
Izuku squeaked.
 
Kacchan woke up, “Hmm? Oh, Deku…” he pulled Izuku closer, nuzzling into his hair and breathing his scent in. “It’s just you…” he sighed out in sleepy relief.
 
“Don’t ‘it’s just you’ me! You’re grinding on me and we have to get up soon.”
 
“Didn’t you grind back on me too?”
 
“Wha-! Were you awake for that?”
 
“...Maybe.”
 
The hand at his chest pinched one of his nipples. Kacchan rolled it in between his thumb and forefinger. This time, Izuku’s hands weren’t acting as a buffer when he moaned.
 
“It was entertaining, watching you secretly get off. Did you like the idea of cumminng without me knowing? Lying right next to me and using my dick to get off while I slept?”
 
Kacchan’s hand left his chest. Izuku heard the rustle of clothes and felt his boxers slip down to rest around mid thigh. Then came the hot press of Kacchan’s cock on Izuku’s backside.
 
The head pushed its way between his legs. Kacchan trailed feather light kisses along his nape. Izuku’s balls rose, pushed up by the shaft moving to take its place in between his thighs.
 
He flexed the muscles, giving Kacchan’s cock a good squeeze and the wolf hissed in his ear.
 
He let out a stream of curses and praise, “Fuck! Mmm, that’s a good boy, Deku. Yeah, hold it just like that.”
 
He snapped his hips forward. If Izuku wasn’t being held in place, he probably would have ended up on the floor by the force. He gripped the couch and one of Kacchan’s arms in a moment of panic.
 
“S’okay. I’ve got you.”
 
Izuku’s eyelashes started to collect tears. The flood of emotions and the mounting pleasure stole his breath away.
 
Kacchan continued, slow and meaningful, checking Izuku’s face to see if he was feeling it too. He whined when he saw the tears spilling forth and licked along Izuku’s cheek.
 
“Ah! I’m okay! Just-just something in my eye.”
 
“You’re a terrible liar.”
 
“I’m-Mmf! You’re just making me feel so good. Hah! I’m gonna-!”
 
“Cum.” Kacchan reached down and grabbed his front. He moved his hand at a much faster pace than his hips, taking Izuku’s pleasure and raising it exponentially in such a short amount of time.
 
It was overwhelming. It was all too much. Izuku thought he screamed as much, when he came all over Kacchan’s hand and the floor below.
 
Kacchan’s knot slipped between his legs. In his afterglow, Izuku could feel the swell of it pushing his thigh apart. Despite his state of bonelessness, he diligently squeezed them together again.
 
“Ah! Deku!” Kacchan’s grip on his body tightened, every muscle tensed as he finished between his legs.
 
Kacchan shook with the effort of his orgasm as hot thick seed continued to flow out. His knot deflated little by little. He didn’t make any moves to detach himself from Izuku’s back and Izuku didn’t pull away, not wanting to overstimulate the wolf if he was still too sensitive.
 
Izuku eyed the clock. They’d be cutting it sort of close today, but they might just make it on time if-
 
“Can we take a shower together?”
 
Kacchan voiced his own thoughts aloud. Izuku blinked back at him, surprised. Then he broke into laughter. He reached back and gave a quick peck to Kacchan’s cheek.
 
“Just this once.”

Izuku was a weak man. He’d let Kacchan bathe him in the shower. Didn’t shy away from a single touch that morning, even though it completely went against his resolve to avoid unnecessary PDA.
 
Even when he was cleaned of all the body fluids and Kacchan had started to lick his back, Izuku offered little protest.
 
Only a simple, “Wait! What are you doing?”
 
That Kacchan brushed off with a “Grooming you. Now stay still.”
 
He’d even allowed the wolf to scent him after. Kacchan insisted on doing it, since they’d be at the precinct all day. He wanted all the other hybrids to know “who Deku belonged to”.
 
But after such a soft and easy going morning, Izuku was getting a little shy. They were standing in Aizawa’s office, stealing glances at one another.
 
Kacchan was being respectful, keeping his hands to himself like any well behaved K9 officer, as per their agreement. But Izuku could tell he wanted to be closer to him.
 
Saw the flicked back ears and the tiny pout. A wave of affection threatened to drown him as he resisted the kicked puppy look Kacchan was throwing him.

Knock it off! You’re here to work! You’re acting like you have a cru-

He paled.
 
Aizawa entered the room. He was quiet, looking between the two of them for a moment.
 
“Why are you both just standing? I have chairs. Take a seat.”
 
Izuku did as he was told and Kacchan followed his lead, occupying his own chair. Aizawa went to sit at his desk and a tall, skinny man with bright blue eyes entered the room behind him.
 
Izuku beamed. “Toshinori!” Izuku flew out of his seat and went in for a hug.
 
“Midoriya, my boy!” The older officer opened his arms to receive him. He ruffled his hair. “You’re looking rather chipper. It’s nice to see you in such fine health!”
 
“Oh, uh, yeah. I’ve been feeling a lot better lately. I mean, since the last time you probably saw me.”
 
He peeked over Izuku’s head and smiled at Kacchan. “And you must be his new partner.”
 
Kacchan stood up and crossed the room at a brisk pace. He grabbed Izuku by his collar and tugged him out of the embrace. He held out his hand.
 
Toshinori took it. They shook.
 
Toshinori’s smile widened. “Quite the grip you have! Aren’t you lucky to have such a strong partner, Midoriya?”
 
“Huh? Wh-! Kacchan, you aren’t hurting him, are you?”
 
Their hands broke apart. Kacchan’s ear flicked.
 
“No.”
 
“Gentlemen,” Aizawa cleared his throat. He gestured to the chairs in front of him. “We’re unfortunately not here for a reunion. Take. Your. Seats.”
 
The officers made a mad scramble for their chairs.
 
Aizawa opened a familiar folder on his desk.
 
“Another hybrid case?” Izuku questioned.
 
“Yes. Toshinori brought it to my attention. It happened in the district over.”
 
“Did it… did it end the same way as the others?”
 
Aizawa nodded solemnly. “Can’t really blame the officer this time. The hybrid went for another officer’s throat and their K9 partner reacted on instinct. It was self defense. Doesn’t mean anybody involved is sleeping easy though.”
 
“Yeah, I bet.”
 
“But that’s not the reason Toshinori’s here today. With this string of cases finally being connected, we thought it best to have a face to face meeting on what to do next.”
 
“Does that mean we have a lead?”
 
Aizawa grinned. “Yeah. The victim of the last hybrid case was going to be Rutherford Bates, a fairly well known ambassador from the US. He tried picking up a pet while he was in Japan. Guess he thought it’d be more discreet if he involved himself in some trafficking overseas.”
 
“

Was

going to…? Does that mean-?”
 
“He’s alive. Yes. He’s been arrested and interrogated while in custody. We haven’t made the arrest publicly known yet. We’re worried it’ll tip off the trafficking ring and they’ll move shop before we can infiltrate. That’s where you two are gonna come in, by the way.
 
“There’s a warehouse down by the docks. It’s a normal fishing business during the day. They bring in good clean money, and, after looking at their records, all their paperwork is in order. But, every second Saturday of the month, the warehouse owner slips his keys to a group of hybrid traffickers.”
 
“So, you need us to bust the place!” Izuku’s indignation on the hybrids’ behalves flared.
 
“No. I need you and Bakugou to go undercover to find the source of the feral hybrids.”
 
“But, the other victims-“
 
A hand settled on Izuku’s shoulder. He looked up at Toshinori. He gave a sympathetic look but held a finger to his mouth, asking Izuku not to argue.
 
Izuku zipped his lip and let Aizawa continue, “The other victims will be saved in due time. Right now, the priority is preventing anymore deaths, both hybrid and human. I want you to get in, gather information, and get out. We’ll do it as many times as we can until we’ve got a lead.”
 
He slid a shiny, black card and a matching leather collar across the desk.
 
“Rutherford had this card on him. You merely have to show it to the person watching the door and they’ll allow you entry.”
 
He showed them the inside of the collar. It was branded with a lion roaring in gold foil.
 
“These are custom pieces that all the buyers make their hybrids wear to the events. Bakugou will have to wear it when you go. There’s a small microphone and camera on it too. Don’t worry about them being noticed. They’re practically microscopic. Hatsume made and applied them with the smallest tweezers I’ve ever seen.”
 
Izuku picked up the card. He moved it in the light and saw the same roaring lion appear as a holograph. He looked over to Kacchan. “Will you be okay wearing the collar?”
 
Kacchan’s tail flicked from side to side. “I can deal.” He picked it up and tried it on, buckling it around his neck. Izuku thought it looked pretty good. The sleek black against the muscles there complimented him surprisingly well.
 
“Hatsume also has costumes with more body cams for you to wear. There’s a cellar door inside the fish warehouse that leads down into the auction venue. We were told it’s fancy so you need to look the part. I’m not a fashion expert and Hatsume just told me to leave it to her, but, well, if her outfits are a little too outrageous, don’t be afraid to bring your concerns to my attention.”
 
That sounded worrisome.

“Deku…” Kacchan fidgeted on the other side of the lunch table. Toshinori had left to grab a tray of food, so he spoke freely, “You hugged that old guy in public, but

I

can’t hug you! What’s the deal with that?”
 
Izuku choked on his ham sandwich. “Toshinori is like my mentor. I haven’t seen him in awhile and I got a little excited.”
 
“Do you like him more than me?”
 
“What? No! I mean, I don’t really have a sliding scale for that sort of thing.”
 
Kacchan played with his food, poking holes into pieces of steak with an annoyed claw.
 
Izuku sighed, “Look. He’s like a father to me.”
 
“Your sire?”
 
“Oh, um, yes?”
 
“... You don’t have one that’s related to you?”
 
Izuku frowned. He took a big bite of his sandwich. “Who knows? I had one at some point, but the man left to work overseas and then didn’t even bother coming back to make sure his wife and son were okay. He might as well be dead to me.”
 
“

My

sire and dam are probably dead.”
 
Izuku stopped eating.
 
Kacchan shrugged. “I only knew them for a few years. My dam was aggressive and they hoped I’d be more like her because we looked alike. But my sire was stupidly gentle. I got told a lot that I shouldn’t want to be like him, cause he was weak. My dam still loved him though. Before they took me away from her, she told me that all the time. Even though they were forced to be together, he was clumsy and apologetic and she ate that shit right up.”
 
Izuku was mesmerized by this new information. This glimpse into Kacchan’s past. He wanted to hear more, to know more about Kacchan, “And how did he feel about her?”
 
He shrugged. “Dunno. Never actually met him. After I was born, they took him away. He was only allowed to be around for the siring and the birth. Made it easier on my dam.”
 
“I bet he loved her too then. It’s nice to think you were born out of love.”
 
Kacchan’s ears flicked. Some pink rose to his face. “I’ve never thought about it like that, but I guess so.”
 
Izuku resumed eating.
 
“You were probably born out of love too.”
 
Izuku choked again. “What?”
 
Kacchan flicked a piece of meat into his mouth. “There’s no way

you

were brought into this world without it. You’ve got love practically shooting out your ass.”
 
Oh no. Was it obvious? Written on his face? Did he really have a cru-
 
“Your friends all speak highly of you and you’re close to your superiors at work. You’re practically drowning in love. Can’t walk a damn step in any direction without sloshing around in it.”
 
Oh. Oh, he just meant in general.
 
A tray clattered down next to him and Izuku startled. Toshinori looked apologetically down at him. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to make you jump! I’m just excited since it’s been some time since we’ve caught up!”
 
Kacchan flicked another piece of meat into his mouth and grinned. “See? Didn’t even have to move and it’s up to my ankles.”

Deku finished some paperwork at his desk and stretched. Katsuki sat up, looking at him imploringly. He wanted to go home. He was completely done with the day.
 
Toshinori had occupied Deku’s attention for most of the afternoon, and Katsuki was restless. He was itching to renew his scent markings on Deku, but he’d been good. Had listened and kept his hands to himself.
 
Deku gave him a sympathetic look. He bit his lip and Katsuki saw something in his eyes give in. “Kacchan, you’ve been so good today. Do you want a treat?”
 
“A treat?” Katsuki kept his face stoic, but his tail wagged back and forth behind him.
 
Deku seemed to take notice, laughing into his hand. “Yeah, a treat!”
 
“Can I choose what the treat is?”
 
“Hmm? S-Sure! As long as it’s within my capabilities.”
 
“We’ll need to go to the bathroom.”
 
“O-Oh? Uh, okay…” 
 
Deku’s face lit up, red and delicious. Katsuki expected more resistance, but he just pushed himself out of his seat and followed him obediently to the restrooms. 
 
Once inside, Deku tried to step into a stall. Katsuki caught his hand.
 
“Wait, we should-”
 
Katsuki placed the hand on his head, right between his ears. He closed his eyes and pressed up into the touch. “Pet me.”
 
Deku blinked at him. “Oh. I wasn’t really expecting… this.”
 
Katsuki cocked his head to the side. “What were you expecting?”
 
“Um, you know. Something a little less tame? Something I’d probably get fired for doing at work?”
 
“That’s against your rules.”
 
“Yeah, but I seem to be breaking a lot of them lately,” He mumbled under his breath.
 
Deku’s fingers wove into his coarse fur. They dipped behind his ear and scratched. Katsuki sighed, relaxing into the feeling.
 
“Why did we have to come in here if all you wanted was to be pet?”
 
“Because I didn’t want anybody else to see it?”
 
“Well, yeah, but why? Are you embarrassed?”
 
“No. But people might think I’m soft.”
 
Deku’s eyes bunched up at the corners, a sweet smile lifting his face into a gentle expression. “Aren’t you though?”
 
Katsuki huffed, “No… Can I kiss you?”
 
“Um, we might have to go into a stall to do that.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Well, it’s not professional in a workplace setting… Plus, if we

do

end up breaking my rule, I want to be prepared.”
 
It was starting to sound like Deku was

hoping

Katsuki would break his rules.
 
Katuski released a predatory rumble. He backed Deku into one of the stalls and locked the door.
 
“Mr. Officer, I was under the impression that your job was to stop people from breaking the rules.”
 
Deku wove arms around his neck. “I’ll let you off easy this time for good behavior.” He pulled him down and pressed their lips together.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hatsume, is all this really necessary?”
 
She ducked under his arms, pulling the measuring tape taut against his chest.
 
“Absolutely! All of those fancy auctioneers and buyers will be wearing tailored outfits. I can’t have you standing out!”
 
“Then why did you pick

that

as my undercover outfit?”
 
Izuku pointed to a slinky, black top hanging in a transparent garment sleeve. Lace decorated the back. It would reveal almost his entire expanse of skin, riding low and stopping just before his ass, where a pair of black, leather pants would pick up where it left off.
 
The tall boots standing off to the side were also a little concerning. They had some heel to them. He’d have to practice walking around in them for a bit. But he

did

like all the straps and buckles. That was kind of punk.
 
“Clubs like the one you’re infiltrating are like that. You have to dress in designer. You must exude high fashion, and a sexy aura.”
 
“I can’t do that in a suit?”
 
She grabbed his face and squished his cheeks. “I talked it over with Aizawa, and, we both agree, you’d look like a boy at his coming of age ceremony. You’ve got a baby face.”
 
“I do not!”
 
“Do too.” Kacchan stared smugly at him from his seat.
 
He’d watched Hatsume run circles around him for an hour already, the end of his tail flicking as if he were annoyed with her close proximity. Or, maybe he was just restless from having to sit still for too long.
 
“Now, Bakugou!

He’d

work well in a suit!”
 
Kacchan grinned. “Thanks, but that seems awfully stuffy.”
 
She waved off his concerns, “Not to worry! We aren’t really going for the business look anyway. Izuku is playing the part of some rich eye candy, and you’re his hybrid bodyguard… and whatever other role would generally apply to you.”
 
“So, a sex slave?”
 
Izuku grimaced.
 
Hatsume seemed unbothered. “That sort of thing is rather common in these circles, so, if the situation calls for that kind of cover story, yes. Which means, your outfit is also fairly seductive.”
 
She went over to a closet and pulled it out.
 
“Tada!”
 
It was a red button-up with black lace running up the sides to match Izuku’s top. A silky black tie hung around the collar, embroidered with roses and tonal black thorns. Izuku swallowed, having no doubt that it would look amazing on Kacchan. It would most certainly bring out the color in his eyes.
 
The pants were skinny jeans, ripped with a studded leather belt threaded through the loops.
 
It was like something out of a rock magazine. Izuku gaped at it. “That belt is so cool! Do I get any accessories like that?”
 
Hatsume nodded. She lifted up a tray on her table and displayed her wares. Arm bracelets, earrings, and a metallic choker, all silver to match the buckles on his boots.
 
“Aren’t they cute?”
 
“Um, yeah, sure… So, do I get any spiky things too?”
 
“Oh, don’t worry!” She assured him, “When the make-up artist we hired gets her hands on you, you’ll look a thousand times more dangerous than Bakugou!”
 
Izuku assumed Hatsume’s definition of dangerous didn’t exactly line up with his.
 
He pouted.
 
He wanted to look cool too! Did his face really not match that persona?
 
He moved his face around, eyeing it up in the mirror.
 
Kacchan stepped up behind him. “What’s wrong?”
 
He peeked up at the wolf. “Kacchan, am I not manly or something?”
 
Kacchan tweaked his nose. “Are you fishing for compliments?”
 
“No! But, the persona they’re fitting me for... It's rather effeminate, right?”
 
Kacchan nodded, “It’s okay. I’m well aware that you’re not

actually

a girl. Just like I’m not

actually

your sex slave.”
 
Izuku winced.
 
Yeah, okay. Maybe Kacchan had it worse after all. That certainly put things into perspective.
 
The wolf leaned over him and quickly whispered into his ear while Hatsume’s back was turned, “It’s a little like role reversal, ain’t it? You’ll be in control of me all night. What are you plannin to have me do to you?”
 
Izuku shuddered. He bit his lip, refusing to voice aloud all the fun thoughts that immediately flooded his head.
 
“What are you thinking about, pervert? Your arousal’s practically palpable. You’re lucky this chick isn’t a hybrid, or she’d know just how desperate you are. If you

were

a girl, I’d bet you’d be dripping for me. Getting all slick down there.”
 
“Kacchan...”
 
“Would you have me lap it all up? Stick my tongue inside and eat you out? I could stir you up so good. You’d probably tug on my leash, pull me in closer, just so you could grind down on my mouth. I’d have you cumming all over my face.”
 
“Oh, oh, god... Hatsume! I’m sorry, but I have to step out and use the restroom!”
 
“Okay! Just hurry back!”
 
“I’ll come too.”
 
Izuku whipped around, “

You

stay right the hell here!”
 
Kacchan abruptly stopped in his tracks. His lips tilted upward. “Gonna handle it on your own? Oh, that’s right. We’ve been breaking so many rules lately, I almost forgot.”
 
Izuku gave a nervous glance at Hatsume, but she was already engaged in some other project.
 
He sighed, relieved that she was lost in her own world. “I’m going to get some water and calm myself down.”
 
“Boo. That’s no fun.”
 
Izuku went to leave. He paused and then slipped in, “I’m sure you’ll have no trouble riling me up again later tonight,” and that seemed to perk his wolf back up just fine.

“You said later tonight,” Katsuki complained from the couch.
 
Deku continued to dutifully stir his pasta. “Yeah, but I’m making dinner. I want to eat before you completely wear me out for the night.”
 
Katsuki leaned over the back. “Sounds like someone’s lacking stamina.”
 
“You would be too if you weren’t always so focused on making

me

feel good. I’m always receiving, but, sometimes, I wish you’d let me give back too.”
 
“I let you blow me once.”
 
Deku glared. He pointed his wooden spoon at Katsuki, admonishing, “The absolute

audacity

of phrasing it like that! I mean, it’s true, but still!”
 
Katsuki stood up and stretched. “Well, I’m gonna go take a nap then before dinner. Call me when it’s time to eat… you or the meal.”
 
He made his way back to the bedroom and collapsed onto Deku’s bed.
 
Katsuki knew he had to give a little to get a little when it came to their rules, but he wasn’t exactly sure he was ready to take

that

leap.
 
He eyed up the cuffs on their night stand. It would definitely make him feel secure, having Deku wear them while he pounded into him. But the moment his knot inflated inside, he’d be trapped for a good while.
 
The image of Deku taking all of him in, being pumped full of cum, so that his flat abs extended to a bulging belly… Katsuki released a small grumble of arousal at the idea.
 
Too bad he liked it more in theory than practice.
 
But he also didn’t want their relationship to go stale. With the way Deku made admissions about wanting Katsuki to hold him, maybe he just wasn’t being properly satisfied. Or, maybe he wasn’t getting all the right stimulation.
 
Maybe he liked it better in his ass.
 
Katsuki observed his fingers. The nails were long and sharp, perfect for eviscerating. Not exactly made for pleasuring a partner.
 
 He jolted up in bed.
 
Maybe Deku had toys? He had an ex-boyfriend, and he

clearly

liked to be dominated. It wasn’t a reach to think he’d have a few masturbatory items lying around.
 
Quietly, he stood up and started to snoop. He checked under the bed first. Nothing there but a pair of bunny slippers and a few magazines. Not even raunchy ones. Just a lousy police academy subscription.
 
Next was the closet. Again, not much to see there.
 
He was rifling through Deku’s bureau, about to give up, when he spotted something brightly colored shoved under everything in the sock drawer.
 
Bingo.
 
He pulled out a dildo.
 
It was considerably shorter than his own dick, and definitely not as girthy. But there was a switch on the end that, when Katsuki flipped it, made the toy come to life.
 
It continued to vibrate in his hand as he shuffled through the rest of the drawer, excavating a bottle of lube and another pair of handcuffs, this pair, lined with a pink, feather boa-like trim.
 
“Kacchan! Dinner is rea… dy…” Deku trailed off, his voice being replaced with prolonged silence and the monotonous sound of the dildo vibrating in Katsuki’s hand.
 
Katsuki held out the cuffs. “Just what kind of stuff did you get up to with your old boyfriend, huh?”
 
Deku flushed, but his brow pinched. “The cuffs were a gag gift from a friend. We never used them.”
 
“And this?” He held the dildo aloft.
 
Deku wet his lips. “I purchased that after he and I, um…”
 
“Broke up?”
 
Deku winced. He nodded.
 
Katsuki flicked off the vibrator.
 
“Well, that bastard’s out of your life now. His loss. It’s like he acquired a nice vase, chipped it a little, then up and decided he didn’t want it anymore. Lucky for me, he left all the pieces. Just need to patch it up. So, what do you say? We could have some fun. You, me, and this thing you bought online for… thirty-nine ninety-nine?”
 
Deku snorted into his hands. “Oh, gosh. Is the price tag still on it?”
 
“I guess you never got around to actually using it.”
 
“Yeah, uh, I couldn’t really bring myself to. I was kind of turned off by anything that might make me feel good like that for a while, cause it reminded me of how I was with, um, him.”
 
Katsuki tossed everything onto the bed. He started walking over to Deku, caging him against the open door. “Well, from what I’ve observed so far, you haven’t denied yourself a whole lot since we’ve been together.” He leaned down, closer. “And I don’t really want to deny you things. I like making you feel good.”
 
Deku’s face was bright red. Katsuki watched a shiver run through him.
 
“I want to hold you, Deku. But I can’t do that right now.”
 
“Kacchan… I know. I-”
 
“But, I can certainly prepare you to take me for when the time comes. Would you like that?”
 
Deku looked down, avoiding Katsuki’s eyes. He nodded.
 
Katsuki grinned, pushing himself up off the door. “Good. But, first, let’s make sure your dinner hasn’t gone cold.”

Kacchan parted from their kiss. His hand kept up a slow, steady rhythm between their bodies, their cocks held laxly in his grip, just enough friction to feel good, but not nearly enough to cum.
 
“How many fingers are inside you now?” Kacchan let a low rumble reverberate in his chest. It made Izuku’s rattle as the wolf pressed down against him.
 
“I’ve got three inside,” Izuku’s face burned as he narrated the way he stirred himself up. “I’m... almost ready.”
 
Kacchan let out a noise that sounded like a pleased purr, “You’ve done good, stretching yourself open. You haven’t been able to reach too far though, have you? Haven’t found the place that makes you feel good.”
 
“It’s-it’s been a while!”
 
“If you’re having trouble, should I find it for you?”
 
Kacchan grabbed his wrist and pulled his fingers out in one swift motion. Izuku yelped, feeling himself try to clamp down, to keep himself feeling full.
 
He felt the brush of something sturdier and thicker than his fingers take their place. It pressed against his puckering entrance, pushing in easier than expected with all the lube Kacchan had applied earlier.
 
Izuku panted, breathing becoming erratic as he felt himself get stretched.
 
“Deku, bring you lips over here.”
 
Kacchan pulled him back into a kiss. Izuku stopped trying to figure out how his lungs worked, letting them operate automatically, now that Kacchan’s tongue slid against his own, distracting him.
 
His walls relaxed as he melted into the kiss, allowing the toy further inside. He felt it brush up against the back of his cock and he moaned into Kacchan’s mouth. Kacchan’s eyes lit up. Izuku could tell by his reaction that he’d found exactly what he’d been searching for.
 
He flicked the switch and the toy buzzed to life. Izuku’s inner thighs quaked with the stimulation. He clenched them around Kacchan, unable to stop his muscles from spasming.
 
Kacchan looked panic stricken, and Izuku quickly regained his composure. He relaxed his grip, watching the fear drain from Kacchan’s eyes as quickly as it had entered.
 
Kacchan rutted up into his now tightly closed fist, dragging his cock against Izuku’s. Izuku kept a grip on the sheets, letting Kacchan move against him, as his other hand worked the dildo in and out.
 
A warmth was growing, spreading, applying more and more pressure to his cock. The swell of Kacchan’s knot, as it steadily inflated and pressed down against his own weeping erection.
 
“Hot! So hot!” Izuku felt himself get dizzy. His balls tightened and his insides clenched down at the same time. He came, screaming out Kacchan’s name and painting his stomach in streaks of white.
 
“Deku!”
 
Kacchan’s knot slipped inside his fist and stuck fast. Izuku watched as his release joined Izuku’s. It reached all the way up to his collar, but Kacchan still wasn’t done.
 
The force of it lessened somewhat. The stream of cum continued to dribble onto Izuku’s stomach and down his sides. Kacchan shook with the aftershocks of his orgasm.
 
It was so much. Would Izuku ever be filled with it? Would he be able to

hold

it all?
 
Another wave of pleasure hit him unexpectedly at the idea of being bred by the wolf. He trembled, feeling his ass clamp down harder on the toy, still moving inside. Nothing more came out of his cock as it hung uselessly over his thigh.
 
But he still felt himself cum, dry and prolonged.
 
Just like a girl.
 
He gasped, remembering the way Kacchan had dirty talked him earlier that day. Talking about how wet he was for him. How slick and ready.

God

, Izuku wanted him so bad. Wanted to feel Kacchan fill him up, raw and warm. To feel him shoot hot spurts of cum inside, leave his ass dripping.
 
“Ah!

Ah!

” His toes curled, his back arching up off the bed.
 
Kacchan growled, pressing him back down, hips stuttering ruthlessly as he finished.
 
He released his grip, letting their cocks fall limp. Izuku laid back, spent and tired.
 
The buzzing in his ass cut out. He shivered one more time as Kacchan carefully removed the dildo from between his legs.
 
The wolf closed his eyes, rumbling in his throat. He pressed his nose into Izuku’s hair. He inhaled deeply, nuzzling and moving down.
 
Kacchan pushed Izuku’s hair back, trailed soft kisses down his sweaty forehead, over a closed eye, against his temple. One peck just shy of his lips, on the corner, then against his throat, where he paused, carefully taking the time to lick and suck at the delicate skin.
 
In his post coital bliss, he didn’t even seem to notice Izuku’s hands had moved to grip his shirt, anchoring him down. Kacchan continued to hold him, cuddle him. He rolled onto his side and pulled Izuku along, just to keep him in his embrace.
 
They must have fallen asleep like that, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Izuku emerged from Hatsume’s lab and spun around. “Well? How do I look?” Aizawa stared at him boredly. Hatsume clapped her hands together. “Perfect! And you look so natural in those heels!” Kacchan stepped out behind him, adjusting his tie. “He better. He practiced wearing them at home all this week. Kept having to correct his posture.” He gave Izuku’s ass a subtle pinch. Izuku squeaked and swatted at his hand. “Guess it paid off. Don’t you look good.” “Yes, well,” Izuku gave Kacchan a once over, “you don’t look half bad either.”   Kacchan picked up the end of his leash. He took Izuku’s hand and placed it in his palm, curling his fingers around it. “Ready to leave when you are, Master.” Izuku spluttered at the address. “Haha! Probably should have gotten him used to being called that too!” Hatsume teased. “So, what are our cover names?” Izuku changed the topic back to the job. Aizawa raised a brow, “You’ve already got a good set of nicknames. No one there is gonna be able to trace anything back to you from just Deku and Kacchan.” “But won’t they sound fake then?” “A lot of the underground upper class go by different aliases,” Hatsume assured him, “They aren’t going to question its authenticity, but maybe how you came upon choosing it. Kacchan already sounds like something you’d call your cute little pet.” Kacchan growled. Hatsume continued, unbothered, “But Deku might be a little harder to understand.” “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. If we get to it. Let’s just get this whole operation underway, alright?” Kacchan must have been feeling anxious to start too.

The surveillance van pulled into an alley and parked. “We’re six blocks from the location. You’ll have to walk there from here. Hatsume has the cameras and microphones hooked up to your disguises, so we’ll be able to see and hear everything when you enter. We’ll bust the place if we discover you’re in danger.” Aizawa opened the back doors. “Good luck.” Izuku slipped out, a black, hooded cloak draped over his head and shoulders. “Ready, Kacchan?” Kacchan huffed, stepping out after him, “Sure… Hey, keep the leash tight, but don’t yank me around. Gives off the feel that you’re in control, but you don’t need to be cause I’m well trained,” he advised. They left the alley and started walking down the road at a leisurely pace. “You’re really committed to these roles, huh?” “Of course. It’s our job.” “Right! Such a good work ethic.” The buildings grew sparser as they came upon the harbor. It was quiet, the streetlights unlit. “That’s the warehouse…” Izuku pointed it out. From the outside, it looked no different from the other fisheries surrounding it. There were no obvious tells that this was an auction site. The windows were dark, the garage was locked, tightly closed. Izuku took a deep breath, praying that their information had been good. They went around the side of the building, coming upon a metal door. Izuku gave it a light knock. It opened just a smidge. A chain held it the rest of the way closed. Hovering over the chain, a single blue eye stared out at him, roving down his body, pausing at his hips, then moving back up to his face. “Can I help you?” A gruff voice asked him. “I’m in the market for something good,” Izuku wove an arm around one of Kacchan’s, hanging on flirtatiously to hide how he was using the wolf to stop his legs from shaking. “Last truckload of fish went out at noon. And it’s a bit late to be makin dinner.” “Oh! I’m sorry. How silly of me! I almost forgot…” Izuku reached down his shirt front. The eyeball tracked his movements languidly, enjoying the view. He pulled out the black membership card. “I should have mentioned I had an invitation to purchase some… fish.” The door slammed shut. Izuku’s grip on Kacchan tightened. Then he heard the sound of the chain being undone. The door opened fully. “You’re quite the catch yourself,” A man in a server’s suit gestured them inside, “Right this way. Would you mind stepping off to the side? I need to pat you and your little doggy down. Precautionary measure, sir.” Izuku entered inside the dark room. He was confused. It still just looked like an empty warehouse. “I completely understand. Enjoy your search!” He gave a wink that made the doorman flush. Kacchan tensed up next to him. “Oh, but you should know, this one has had an aggressive streak in his past. Makes for a good guard dog, but mind your fingers, okay, darling?” The doorman paused in the middle of checking between Kacchan’s legs. The wolf threw Izuku a smirk over his head. “Thank you for the warning, Sir.” When it came time for Izuku’s pat down, the doorman appeared even more anxious, running shaky, sweaty hands up his sides. Hatsume was right. Izuku was definitely dressed more dangerous than Kacchan. If it was distracting this man from checking him too thoroughly, maybe he should have hid a gun. “Have you been to this location before, Sir?” “Afraid not. I’ve only recently gotten into this sort of thing.” “Well, I’ve worked at other sites, and it’s usually the same everywhere you go. Always have ‘em underground. There’s two lightswitches in the office back there. Flick the one with the lion motif and you’ll be on your way. Enjoy yourself. Might see you inside, if I get a shift change.” Kacchan growled. The man startled. Izuku brushed his fingers through the wolf’s hair. “Oh, hush. He’s no threat.” The more he pet, the softer the growls got until they cut out. “There, good boy,” He turned back to the doorman, “If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll bump into each other.” Izuku gave a little finger wave that the doorman returned. They made their way back into the office, closing the door behind them. “The hell was with your performance?” Kacchan commented. Izuku gasped, offended, “What? Did you find it lackluster?” “No. It was too good. Did you think he was attractive or something?” “No!” He whisper-yelled, “Well, he wasn’t bad looking. But what was with you, growling like that? Weren’t you supposed to be better behaved?” “You say that like you don’t prefer me on my absolute worst behavior.” “I meant the roles we were given!” “Whatever. As your guard dog, I should be able to drive off the undesirables. Makes for good cover when extras like that start pissing me off.” Izuku felt his way around the room. He came upon the lightswitch. The lion roared at him, its red tongue sticking out and begging to be flicked. He pushed it down. A ding sounded out from behind the wall. A door slid to the side, revealing an elevator. “Right. He did say it was underground, didn’t he.” Kacchan stepped inside. “Don’t tell me you have some sort of phobia.” “I don’t.” Izuku clambered in after. “But, we’re on the docks. Below us is-” “The ocean,” Kacchan finished his sentence as the cylindrical room they occupied drifted down, below sea level.    The walls and shaft they traveled in were transparent, made of a sturdy plexiglass-like material. Izuku resisted the urge to press his face up against its surface when a couple of fish swam by. “Hope you’re getting all of this, Aizawa. Hatsume must be having a field day.” Their elevator approached something dimly lit in the dark abyss. Flashing neon lights of a dance club and bar greeted them. The elevator slipped inside the structure and stopped. It dinged and Izuku and Kacchan entered the club. Loud music blared out from all around them. The structure shook with the reverberence. Izuku was surprised it didn’t shatter. He felt a tap on his shoulder. Another doorman held out his hand. “May I take your cloak?” “Certainly.” He batted his eyes, handing it over, but this one seemed less enthused. “Are you buying, auctioning, or-” A drunk woman spilled her cocktail over his suit. He sighed, “just enjoying yourself this evening?” “Buying.” “The auction starts in twenty minutes. Down the back hall,” He pointed to a dark corridor, blackened by a lack of lights. “Sounds good. Gives us some time to hit up the bar while we wait.” Izuku spun on his heal. He felt so much more exposed, now that his cloak was gone. He saddled up at the bar. Kacchan stayed standing at his back. “You don’t want a seat?” “Seats are for humans.” “Oh, right....” Izuku thrummed his fingers over the counter. “That’s a shame. It’s kind of sad to drink alone.” “If you need accompaniment, I have no problem joining you,” A man with flaxen hair settled into the seat next to Izuku. He waved the bartender over. “A scotch on the rocks and an apple martini for this little Granny Smith.” Izuku snorted, quickly covering his face with a hand. He glanced worried eyes up at the stranger. But the man didn’t look disturbed by his laughter one bit. “You’ve got a cute laugh. Bet you have a nice smile too. No reason to hide it, baby.” Izuku set his hands back down on the counter, accepting the drink. “Do I look like someone who drinks apple martinis?” “You can look however you want, as long as I can keep looking at you.” Izuku tilted the glass back, sipping only a little of the alcohol. “That’s some confidence you have there.” “Can’t really help it. You need to be confident if you work in showbusiness. Haven’t you seen my face before?” “I don’t believe I have.” Izuku did recognize him. Stage name Miki, the lead singer for an idol group, Rocketz, that had been growing in popularity lately. Rumored to sleep with fans backstage. Guess they also involved themselves in things like this. “Now that’s just a crime.” He leaned forward. “We should get to know each other better, so you don’t forget. My names Miki, of the idol group Rocketz. You?” “Deku,” Izuku shook his hand, “If you’re so inclined, you can accompany me to the auction. It’s my first time at this location and I could use a tour guide.” He raised Izuku’s hand and pressed a kiss to its surface. “It would be my pleasure.” Kacchan’s back pressed up against his. Izuku could feel the rumble of a growl vibrating through him. The sound of it was carefully masked by the music. Kacchan was just letting Izuku know he was annoyed. He smiled and leaned back, reached up to run fingers over the wolf’s neck, then turned Kacchan’s face toward their company. “I have to ask though, are you a dog person?” The idol blinked like he’d just noticed Kacchan was there. “Oh, you’ve brought a pet! Yeah, I’m down with that. So… does he usually just watch or do you get him to-” The music cut out and the lights dimmed. “Honored guests, please make your way to the showroom. We’ve got quite the line up of fine specimen this evening.” “Looks like we’ll need to have that particular conversation later.” Izuku stood up, grabbing hold of one of Miki’s arms. “Lead the way, Mr. Tour Guide. Show me how good of an entertainer you are.” Miki rose to his feet. “Oh, yeah! Sure! Right this way!” They made their way over to the back tunnel. Red lights lit up both sides of the path. The tunnel was still fairly dark, but at least Izuku wouldn’t trip.   “It gets darker up ahead. The tunnel leads back into the earth, so we’ll be underground. Cool, right?” Izuku shivered. “Kind of cold down here.” Miki removed his arm from Izuku’s grip and draped it over his shoulder instead. He pulled him in closer. “How’s this, babe?” “O-Oh! Perfect!” Izuku’s skin was starting to crawl. Yellow light at the other end of the tunnel filtered through the dark. “This is the showroom,” Miki whispered into his ear. Izuku braced himself for whatever horrors awaited. He stepped inside and was confronted with the image of a scaled down theater. Rows of comfortable looking chairs lined one side of the room. On the other, a stage, currently obscured with a drawn red curtain and gold tassels. “I assume you’re gonna want an aisle seat so your pet can stand next to you?” “Well, aren’t you thoughtful.” Miki sat down and Izuku took the seat next to him. Kacchan’s nose twitched, as if he were scenting the air. His ears fell forward, eyes lighting up on full alert. He must have been able to smell the other hybrids being held captive. A large man with a flushed, chubby face and a comically large Monopoly man mustache walked up onto the stage. He cleared his throat, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The stock we have for you tonight is exceptional. Bred so thoroughly, in fact, that I’ve never before seen hybrids with such unique patterns and flair. Truly, these were made to be the crown jewels in any collection.” He clapped twice. The curtains withdrew. “For our first specimen, a rabbit hybrid. Age fifteen years. A virile, young male. We start the bidding at one thousand.” A chorus of men and women chimed in, raising their hands and shouting out numbers. They threatened to drown out Izuku’s own inner chatter. It was okay. Aizawa said they’d bust the place once this whole ordeal was over. He would save them all in due time. The rabbit’s eyes were closed, his head slumped over as he sat on the stage. His handler tightened the leash and his head bobbed up so the audience could get a better view of his face. Izuku saw red. “You okay, doll? You don’t want a little ol’ bunny rabbit?” Izuku forced himself to unfurrow his brow. “Not my type.” He tried to ease some of the tension out of his shoulders. The hybrids were clearly all sedated. It would be much harder to tell which ones were from the feral ring. A few more rounds went by. Finally, the auctioneer came forth, sweeping his arms up dramatically. “Thank you again for joining us tonight. We’ve got one more treat for you, and we saved the best for last!” Rather than tugging this one out on a leash or by bound hands, a server rolled out a cage. Inside, a sleeping hybrid girl leaned against the bars. “Cat hybrid. Age sixteen. Female. Pay special attention to the exotic patternizations along her hair and over her skin. This beauty truly is one of a kind.” Her hair was a long orange color segmented with black stripes. Similar stripes reached across her cheeks and highlighted her rib cage on either side. The pattern continued down past her hips and over her legs. She yawned and Izuku saw the glint of dangerous, pearly whites. His eyes widened as recognition sunk in. This was no cat. This was a tiger. “We start the bidding at ten thousand!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Izuku kept his eyes trained on the girl in the cage. The room was alive with the sounds of people calling out numbers, waving around bills, and standing up to be noticed or heard.
 
Miki whistled low, “She’s a pretty one, huh? I’ve never seen a hybrid like that before. Hey, you haven’t bought anything tonight. How about that one?”
 
Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat, “Unfortunately, I only swing one way.”
 
Miki shrugged. “It’s whatever. But it must make orgis a snoozefest. When you’ve got a total sausage party going o-.”
 
“Do you know who’s selling that one?” The question was too abrupt. Izuku chided himself internally for not keeping his cool.
 
But Miki remained laid back. “No idea. They keep all the buyers anonymous. But, from what I know of the whole process, they usually know who’s going home with their goods before the bidding actually starts. That way they have an idea of how much they’ll be getting compensated for. Even if someone else goes home with the product, that just means they made out better cause someone else unexpectedly coughed up more coin.”
 
Izuku ruminated on this as the number of voices dwindled. He watched the room, waiting. Finally, a man in a studded vest was the last to call.
 
The auctioneer pointed to him, “I have one million, one million for the cat. Any other takers? No? Then-”
 
“Two million,” Izuku raised his hand. He kept his face calm, directed on the other remaining bidder.
 
The auctioneer looked surprised. He pointed his gaffel Izuku’s way. “T-Two million? I have two million over here. Going once, twice-”
 
“Three million,” The man with the vest sent Izuku a curious stare.
 
“Four.”
 
“Five.”
 
Izuku smiled at him. He turned away slowly, letting the auctioneer count down, “Once, twice, sold to Mr. Henry Wurthright!”
 
“Aw, too bad, babe,” Miki leaned into his side, “But I can console you if you’d like.”
 
Izuku rose to his feet. “This has been nice, but I have some business I need to take care of. You understand, don’t you, sweetheart?”
 
Miki looked between Izuku and the other bidder. He sighed, throwing his head back against his chair. “I get it.”
 
“Oh, hun. But I did have fun tonight! Getting talked up by a young thing like you was absolute bliss!”
 
“Don’t bother trying to make me feel better. Just go get your new man.” He waved Izuku off good naturedly.
 
Izuku blew him one last kiss and then led both him and Kacchan over to their bidding competitor.
 
The other bidders, who had stayed to congratulate Mr. Wurthright, cleared away, sensing the bigger fish were going to start talking amongst themselves. Izuku hadn’t just raised the auctioning price on that tiger for nothing. He needed to be recognized by this person if he was going to be given the time of day.
 
“Hello, Mr. Wurthright.”
 
“How do you do, Mr….”
 
“Deku will do.” Izuku offered his hand. Wurthright shook it. “Congrats on your win tonight. That cat hybrid was awfully attractive, wasn’t she?”
 
“Yes, quite the pretty thing. You certainly gave me a run for my money though. Almost threw in the towel. I’m not usually one to be goaded, I hope you know. But it sort of felt like you were testing me, so I wanted to prove that I’m worth my salt.”
 
Ah. So he suspected Izuku was just gauging his net worth.
 
“Keep a lot of sugar babies, do you?”
 
“None as pretty or conniving as you... yet,” he admitted whimsically.
 
Izuku batted his lashes. “Well, I’d be interested in such arrangements, but, first, I’d like to know where such a fantastic beast came from. I’m in the market for a new hybrid right now. Thought I could snag something tonight that came in stripes, but, well, maybe I’d even settle for spots.”
 
Wurthright chuckled, “My, I can tell you’ll be a tough one to please. As for the seller, I’m sure we can discuss him later. Why don’t we head somewhere more private? There’s a collection of guest rooms to the left of the stage.”
 
“Stage left or our left?” Izuku clung to Wurthright’s arm.
 
He chuckled again, “Fan of theater? What a classy one, you are. I’m looking forward to spoiling you rotten.”
 
Kacchan followed behind, footsteps quiet, forgotten. Wurthright led them back into an offshoot tunnel. It was well carpeted, but dimly lit, with hall lights barely illuminating the spaces between doors. It almost looked like the inside of a hotel.
 
“My private room is over here, love.” He unlocked the door with his key card and stepped inside. Izuku tried to follow, but Wurthright held up a hand, “Ah ah ah. Your lap dog will have to stay outside and guard the door. I don’t like having my personal quarters collect hybrid dander or fur.”
 
“Of course. I understand,” Izuku turned to his partner, “Sorry, Kacchan, you’ll have to wait outside. Paw?”
 
Kacchan looked at him like he was stupid before conceding and placing his hand in Izuku’s.
 
“Good boy. Make sure you behave, alright?”

Deku closed the door and the panic started to set in. What were they going to do in there? Deku wouldn’t really sleep with that elitist old fuck just for some information, right? And what the fuck was with that stupid little paw trick he’d made him-
 
Oh.
 
Katsuki examined his hand. Deku had passed him the membership card, the one that had allowed them entry into the club. Did he want Katsuki to check the guest room associated with it? Made sense. He might be able to find some clues. The guy they already had in custody had been a buyer of the person they were looking for too.
 
He huffed and made his way down the hall. The card number was pretty high. Just a lot of zeros and then three digits. The room must have been farther back, in the hundreds. He didn’t like straying this far from Deku, but they were on a mission, and Deku could handle himself.
 
Katsuki shook his head, trying to clear his worries and focus. He was so busy thinking about Deku, he almost missed the right door.
 
Katsuki slid the card into the slot. A small light on the handle lit up green. He pushed his way inside. He flicked a switch on and his ears drooped.
 
What a fucking stye!
 
The whole room was covered in paperwork. Did Rutherford just stow everything from the auctions here? Probably too afraid to take any of it home. At least at the auction site he knew it would be safe.
 
Katsuki groaned. He closed the door behind him. Well, he only had a short time span to search, so he had better get started.

“Would you like to freshen up first? There’s a bathroom over there.”
 
“I cleaned up before I came out tonight. Didn’t really do any dancing either, so no need.”
 
Wurthright uncorked a bottle of red wine. He fished two glasses out from a cabinet and poured them both a drink. “Then we can skip right to the fun part.”
 
Izuku took the offered glass. “The fun part?” He asked coyly, holding up his wine.
 
Wurthright nodded, “I prefer to imbibe before engaging in activities. Gives the faces of my partners more range. I like it when people can just let go. Don’t you like it when you can tell your partner’s enjoying it?”
 
Izuku sighed wistfully. “I certainly do.”
 
“Then, come. Have a seat and we’ll talk a little.”
 
Izuku settled down on one of the two parlor chairs. Wurthright occupied the other. He sipped at his drink.
 
“So, what business does your family do?”
 
Izuku huffed, “I hid my name for a reason, you know.”
 
“And what an interesting moniker you’ve chosen, Deku. Does it have any meaning behind it?”
 
“Maybe. But if I give you too much too soon, I feel like daddy will get mad at me.”
 
Wurthright smiled, amused. “Oh, so your father’s the type to disapprove, but lets you do whatever you want anyway?”
 
“Not father,” Izuku corrected, “

Daddy

.”
 
Wurthright spluttered a little. He cleared his throat, a rosy shade lighting up his cheeks. “Did daddy pick out your moniker too?”
 
“He certainly did.” Izuku sent a silent apology to Kacchan for having to vaguely talk about him in such a lewd manner.
 
“I take it you like to be degraded in bed then?”
 
“Not always.” Izuku shrugged. “I like a healthy dose of both humiliation and praise.”
 
“Doesn’t everybody?”
 
“Yes, but I like them in heavier doses than most.” Izuku lowered his lids. “As you said, daddy disapproves of my hobbies. Imagine if I spent a few million of his hard earned cash bringing home a hybrid like the one you bought tonight?”
 
“You’d be in for quite the punishment, I’m sure.”
 
Izuku nodded, taking a larger sip of his wine. He licked his lips.
 
Wurthright watched the movement, mouth hanging open. He was falling for it, hook, line, and sinker.
 
“I’d love to help you. But the seller was really very strict about his confidentiality. He was an odd one. Didn’t want me or any of his other buyers to refer potential customers to him.”
 
“Does he visit the clubs? Maybe I can sidle up next to him and procure a meeting one night.”
 
“Sadly, he doesn’t partake in any of the clubs. He has employees bring his hybrids in, but they never stay. Only time we met face to face was during the pre auction meeting, when we discussed the presentation of my purchase tonight. You, of course, were the wild card factor neither of us saw coming. But things went smoothly regardless, so no harm done.”
 
“Hmm, so it’s impossible to get a meeting with him then?”
 
“If I tell you so, will you walk out on me?” Wurthright started speaking forwardly, “I know you followed me back here with a purpose. And, since I probably can’t fulfill that purpose, you’ll want to leave. But I was hoping you might stay. I’m quite fond of your looks and I’m not bad in bed.”
 
“Maybe if you give me something good, I’ll be tempted to stay? A name, an address, an associate?”
 
Wurthright leaned into his palm. He swirled his glass around, watching the liquid inside whirlpool against the walls.
 
“I cannot offer you the gentleman’s full name. But he does have a moniker that the underground elites use to address him. He goes by All for One.”
 
Izuku’s face lit up. “Thank you. Then I’ll be sure to keep my ears peeled for it.” He stood.
 
Wurthright set his glass down. “Leaving then?”
 
Izuku winced. “Oh, right, I just-”
 
“I get it. In our society, we so very often move from one goal to the next, trying to climb the ladder. But, before you leave me high and dry, maybe you’ll give me a consolation prize?”
 
Izuku started to back up. Wurthright followed him until his back was pressed against the door. He leaned down, readying to capture Izuku’s lips.
 
Izuku turned the doorknob and pushed outward. He fell back and found himself in Kacchan’s waiting arms.
 
Kacchan bristled and bared his teeth. A growl escaped his throat as he stared Wurthright down.
 
Wurthright looked surprised by the behavior, a sheen of sweat coating his forehead.
 
“Ah, the guard dog. Kacchan, was it? I guess you’re fairly decent at your job then.” He looked down to address Izuku, “Daddy must keep you on a tight leash, if he’s got

this

one making sure you don’t get into trouble. No wonder you keep sneaking out to rebel.”
 
Kacchan’s hold on Izuku tightened. In a gruff voice, he shot back, “

Daddy

doesn’t like it when other people try to touch his chew toy.”
 
Wurthright’s lips quirked up at the sides. “Interesting choice of words. Well, get him home safely, so

daddy

doesn’t make a bigger stink here than he already has.”
 
Izuku paled.
 
Were they compromised? Wurthright clearly knew who Kacchan was to him. There was no denying that. But he was letting them go.
 
“Why?”
 
“Why what, dear?”
 
Izuku shook himself out of Kacchan’s hands. “Why are you letting us leave?”
 
“I told you. You’re just moving from one goal to the next. It’s all ladder hopping. And, furthermore…” He looked back and forth, down the hall. “I suspect something dastardly is afoot. There’s been a lot of deaths in this tightly kept circle. I quite enjoy this hobby, and I’d like to keep it safe. Even at the risk of some exposure.”
 
“You’re going to be arrested eventually,” Izuku told him point blank.
 
“Better an arrested millionaire than a dead one, right?”
 
“Right… Just, don’t get too close to your new acquisition, alright?”
 
Wurthright chuckled, “Thank you for your concern, but I’ve housed many a disobedient hybrid in my time. I’ll be just fine.”
 
“Then goodnight and good luck,” Izuku grabbed Kacchan by the hand and pulled him forward, momentarily forgetting the leash. He’d pick it up again when they left this hallway of sin and misery. For now, he needed the extra comfort to keep the nausea at bay.

Katsuki followed closely behind Deku. He heard his partner let out an exhausted puff of air.
 
“What a waste of time. All that work and our cover’s been blown.

And

the only thing I have to show for it is a handle our perp goes by. Aizawa’s gonna kill us!”
 
“He’s gonna kill

you

maybe.”
 
“Wuh!

You’re

the one who blew our cover!”
 
“Yeah, but I’m not coming back empty handed.” Katsuki pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pockets. He brandished it like an award, tail poised up, ready to wag as soon as Deku lavished him with praise.
 
Deku looked the page over carefully. “Is this… Rutherford's invoice?”
 
“A bill for one Mr. Rutheford Bates, the very same we have in custody,” Katsuki confirmed.
 
“It’s signed by a Ujiko Darum… Is that All for One? He wouldn’t just leave a paper trail like this, right?”
 
Katsuki shook his head. “I don’t think it’s the person we’re looking for, but the name does sound familiar to me. I told you there were two people behind this operation. The Sponsor and-”
 
“The Doctor? This Ujiko person is The Doctor?”
 
Katsuki nodded, “It’s hard to remember, since it was so long ago. But I’m pretty sure all the other hybrid kids I was caged with called him Dr. Ko when I lived in his facilities. And look.”
 
He pointed to a seal at the bottom of the page. It was an intricate design, but, undeniably, it was the letters AFO that were stamped against the paper in ink.
 
“Kacchan... you’re amazing!”
 
In his excitement, Deku threw his arms around Katsuki’s middle. Katsuki flinched in surprise, but was astounded to find himself uninclined to pull away, his tail wagging a mile a minute. He settled his own arms around Deku’s back.
 
“We aren’t going back empty handed! We did it! It’s a mission success!”
 
Katsuki buried his nose into Deku’s finely groomed, green hair. He breathed the scent of him in deep, expecting to be calmed. The stench of unfamiliar men reached his nose instead, polluting Deku’s natural smell. He grimaced, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up at attention.
 
“Kacchan? Are you okay?”
 
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
 
“It’s just, you’re growling.”
 
“I didn’t make a sound.”
 
“I can feel it through your chest. What’s wrong?”
 
Katsuki thought back to Kirishima’s explanation of love. How it entailed not wanting to share his partner with anyone else. God, but the way he was feeling now sure felt ugly. How could Kirishima’s face be so smiley as he described something like

this

?
 
Katsuki scooped Deku up and started carrying him down the street. The heels were starting to make him walk funny anyway. They had probably left some nasty blisters.
 
“As soon as we get home, we’re both taking a bath. I’m gonna remove every atomic trace of those losers tonight from your body, so get ready.”
 
Deku pouted. “What? No! I’m so tired! All I wanna do is sleep!”
 
“No getting out of this one, Deku.

Daddy’s

fucking pissed. You’re way too good at making other men fall for you. There

will

be repercussions.”
 
Deku groaned, snuggling back against his chest. “Well, at least let me rest until we get back to the van. I’ve earned that much, haven’t I?”
 
Katsuki settled his chin over Deku’s head.
 
“Sure.”
 
Even for an ugly feeling, Katsuki thought it wasn’t so bad.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The surveillance van's back doors opened up. Kacchan set Izuku down inside, where he quickly removed his heels.
 
“Thank

god

!” He breathed a sigh of relief, looking over his poor, abused feet. “So, how was the footage? Did you guys get everything you needed?”
 
Aizawa was leaning back against the other side of the van, arms crossed, expression cross. Might as well have been holding up a sign with a big red X over his head.
 
Kacchan took his seat next to Izuku. Izuku swallowed, suddenly sensing the heightened tension in the air.
 
“Is-Is something wrong?”
 
Hatsume revved the engine. She leaned back over the seat, a playful smile on her lips. “Got everything we needed and more!” She winked.
 
“Then why do I feel like I’m about to get chewed out?”
 
“Because you are.” Aizawa continued to glare holes into him. “But I’m reserving it for when we get back to my office. It’s inappropriate to discuss in front of your coworkers.”
 
Hatsume giggled, “I wouldn’t mind hearing about it!”
 
“The privacy is for Midoriya’s benefit, not yours.”
 
Guess they wouldn’t be going home just yet. Pity. Izuku wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed with Kacchan and sap all of the wolf’s body heat.
 
He yawned.
 
Kacchan pushed Izuku’s head down to rest on his shoulder. He looked up at him quizzically.
 
“Take a nap until we get back to the office. You look dead.”
 
“I’ll take you up on the offer then. Thanks for being my pillow.”
 
Before he could close his eyes, he caught Aizawa’s disapproving look.
 
Izuku had a sudden, eerie premonition about just what exactly Aizawa planned to chew him out for.

“Let’s start with the intel while it’s fresh,” Aizawa smacked the case file down on his desk. “Our guy doesn’t show up to any of the auctions himself. Doesn’t take customers he hasn’t pre-approved of. All we really know about him is he goes by a code name. All For One, or AFO, as depicted in the seals he leaves on invoices.”
 
Izuku fidgeted in his seat. He had tried to broach the subject of his impending tonguelashing, but Aizawa had blown him off, requesting that he shut up and follow him back to his office in silence.
 
He felt small in his seat, not knowing if he should speak up or if Aizawa just intended to review what little information they had gathered.
 
He decided on the latter and Aizawa continued, “We know the seller is working with a doctor named Ujiko. With what we’ve got, we can start to run some searches, look for mentions of AFO online and see if there are any doctors, practicing or with revoked licenses, with the name Ujiko.”
 
Izuku nodded. “If he was ever licensed, his information should be accessible through our systems. But finding the actual breeding kennel will be a bit more difficult.”
 
Aizawa nodded. “It’s a lot harder to track a delivery truck backwards. Most we can do is monitor any auction sites we’re aware of and use the traffic cams to trace their route back to the source.
 
“That’ll bring us to the next stage of our mission. We’re going to stake the places out. Twenty-four hour surveillance on each location. I’ll make a rotation schedule and then notify the other K-9 units. We start tomorrow.”
 
Izuku stood up. “Right! Okay! Sounds good! If that’s everything, then-!”
 
“Midoriya, sit back down.”
 
Izuku slammed his ass back in his seat.
 
Aizawa’s tone was not fucking around.
 
His exhausted looking captain sighed, “Regarding your relationship with your partner…”
 
Shit.
 
“I’m going to need to know what’s going on. I can’t have either of you getting overly emotional if something happens on the job.”
 
Kacchan leaned into his hand. “No problem there. Deku’s rule three is no emotions allowed.”
 
The room went silent. Aizawa gave Izuku a look that was very clearly irritated. Izuku felt a cold sweat coming on.
 
“What I’m getting from this is you’re not official?” Aizawa tried to clarify.
 
Izuku shook his head. “We’re not dating, no.”
 
“How long has the relationship been going on?”
 
“Um, probably a week or so after I brought him home?”
 
Izuku watched as Aizawa’s grip turned white knuckled around the pen in his hand.
 
“It’s not his fault,” Kacchan chimed in, “

I

was the one who initiated it.”
 
“Doesn’t matter. As the person responsible for you, he should have known better and turned down your advances.”
 
Kacchan growled, “I’m not some puppy that needs someone looking out for me! I have autonomy! We’re both consenting adults, so what’s the problem?”
 
“The problem is relationships in this kind of work environment can be a liability!” Aizawa’s raised voice made both Kacchan and Izuku flinch. He sighed, brushing hair out of his face. He made his tone more gentle, “Take what happened tonight for instance. Bakugou, you know by now that Midoriya is the type to rush into situations without thinking of his own safety. How’d it feel to be left on the other side of that door?”
 
There was a beat of silence where Izuku took his words into consideration. He hadn’t thought about it at the time, but what Aizawa said was true. It was the type of situation that had lost Izuku his past partners, had stressed them out to the point of quitting.
 
He looked up at Kacchan, seeing his face pinched in thought.
 
“I didn’t like it,” he stated simply, “thinking that old man might do something to him. It fucking pissed me off.”
 
“You see, that’s why-”
 
“But,” Kacchan interrupted, “I trusted he knew what he was doing.”
 
He held Aizawa’s gaze, unwavering.
 
“The only reason I was able to sneak away and find the information we needed tonight was because of Deku’s plan. If any of his other hybrid partners felt upset being paired with him in the past, it was probably due to their own incompetence. I can keep up with him just fine. We did a damn good job tonight. You can’t deny that.”
 
Izuku watched as Aizawa leaned back in his chair. He folded his hands over his stomach and contemplated Kacchan’s words, eyes pinned to the ceiling.
 
“I can’t refute that,” he finally said, “My only complaint about today’s mission was you blowing your cover at the end. But even that ended with an informant passing along intel. It’s true, you both work well together. You’re a good unit, and I’m reluctant to break you up,” a pause hung heavy in the air, “so I won’t.”
 
Both Izuku and Kacchan lost some of the tension in their shoulders, relaxing back into their seats.
 
“But,” he gave Izuku a pointed look, “I’m a little disappointed in your irresponsibility approaching the relationship. Do

not

take the trust you’ve been given for granted. Both mine and your partner’s.”
 
Izuku nodded. “Yessir.”
 
There was something about Aizawa being disappointed in him that felt worse than getting yelled at. The man was a father figure to everybody at the station. Letting him down was like letting down Izuku’s own father. Well, worse really, considering Izuku hadn’t seen the actual man in some time.
 
“Don’t look so glum. You should be proud of your success in the mission tonight. Just go home and get some rest, alright?” At least Aizawa was a softie when he was done administering his scoldings.
 
Izuku stood up and saluted him, “Yessir!”
 
He felt the barrel of a rolled up

Vogue

bop him on the head. “I said to cut that out.”

Deku was uncharacteristically quiet as they entered his house. He groaned and dropped his full weight on the couch, face planting with a puff noise, as all the air rushed from the cushions beneath him.
 
“What the fuck was your captain’s problem?” Katsuki voiced what he assumed was both of their frustrations aloud.
 
Deku turned his head to the side so Katsuki could hear him speak, “He’s your captain too.”
 
Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Why’s he so up in arms about us? We didn’t do anything wrong.”
 
“

You

didn’t. But I let things get wildly out of hand.”
 
Katsuki felt an eye twitch coming on. He recalled Iida mentioning something about this. How Deku always tried to shoulder all the blame. The nerd couldn’t even bring himself to find fault in his bastard ex boyfriend.
 
He slammed his fist down on the doorway, growling, “

We

didn’t do anything wrong. But if

we

did, then

I’m

the one who started it!”
 
Deku didn’t look his way. Clearly Katsuki wasn’t getting through to him.
 
He strode over, taking Deku by the wrist and pulling him up off the sofa.
 
“Kacchan? Wuh-Hey!”
 
Katsuki didn’t give him time to complain, bringing him to the bedroom and throwing him back on the bed. He crawled over him, hovering, trying to get Deku to make eye contact with him, but his human shamefully averted his eyes.
 
“I-I’m not really in the mood to do anything tonight. Plus, we’re both tired from the mission. We need to rest.”
 
“This thing here doesn’t seem like it wants to rest.” Katsuki smoothed his hand over the tent forming in Deku’s pants.
 
“Kacchan…”
 
Katsuki slipped everything down and brought Deku’s cock out into view. It was still only semi hard, but flushed with a delicious red color. It twitched under his scrutiny, as if excited to receive more of Katsuki’s attention.
 
He bent down and lapped at it, gliding gentle strokes of his tongue up from the base to the bottom of its head. Deku closed his eyes and bit his lip, preventing him from watching Katsuki properly and stifling his sweet voice.
 
Katsuki growled, bringing his tongue up to swirl around the tip before sinking his mouth around it. Deku gasped, hands gripping the sheets.
 
“No…”
 
Katsuki paused to bring two of his fingers to his lips. He bit down and pulled at the nails, removing the sharp points at the end of them. He scoffed at how pitiful they looked now. Like they belonged to a human or prey rather than the proud predator hybrid he was. But if this was what he needed to do to make Deku cry out underneath him, he’d gladly make the sacrifice.
 
He brought the fingers down to trace Deku’s hole. Excess drool and precum was coating it in enough liquid to coax the entrance open. Playing with his ass had already made him so soft and pliable. He slipped his fingers inside, already knowing how to curl them, where he needed to press just right.
 
“Kacchan, don’t… I can’t!”
 
Deku slid up the bed and out of his grasp. His cock fell from Katsuki’s open mouth, his tongue lolling out in the aftermath.
 
Katsuki’s fingers were removed less gently. Even bitten down to nubs, they were still meant for tearing flesh.
 
Katsuki saw the blood trickle down between Deku’s inner thighs. Then he looked down to find it underneath his nail beds.
 
He shook. “Why? What did I-? You’re

hurt

!”
 
Deku peeked down as if he’d just noticed. He winced at the sight, but didn’t pick up his eyes. “Kacchan, I-I don’t want to do this tonight.”
 
“You don’t want me? I thought you liked this!”
 
“I do!” Deku cut him off, “Too much! I want you so bad... It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do just to resist!”
 
“Then why resist? Why are you feeling so guilty over this?”
 
“Because it’s just

me

!”
 
Tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks. His attempts to wipe at them were futile as they kept on coming.
 
“It’s always just

me

feeling good! I’m so terrible! I shouldn’t have entered a relationship like this with you. I should have been the voice of reason. You relied on me to give you a safe space, and, even if you said we both wanted this,

I’m

the only one ever receiving! So, shouldn’t

I

be the only one to blame?”
 
Katsuki took in a large, steadying breath of air. The smell of freshly drawn blood dilated his pupils and created tension in his chest cavity.
 
“I don’t know how to convince you that you’re wrong.” He felt his expression harden. “If you think you’re the only one receiving from this relationship, maybe you should stop comparing our situation to whatever happened with your damn ex, and realize I don’t want to hurt you like he did.”
 
“Kacchan-”
 
“He was a selfish prick! He wanted your time and energy when you couldn’t give it and you think that’s your fault! You think that you should have given him more, but you couldn’t, and you need to get over it! Forget that piece of trash and move on! Be selfish, be content with yourself, allow yourself to be-”

Loved

.
 
The word stuck to Katsuki’s throat as he was struck with a terrifying realization.
 
He understood now. He understood what the word meant. Why he was so insistent to keep Deku his. Why the new concept of dating appealed to him. Why he wanted Deku to allow himself everything Katsuki had to give him.
 
He loved him.
 
Katsuki quietly stood up off the bed and left the room.
 
He heard Deku’s sniffling get louder as he made his way to the bathroom. He grabbed a warm washcloth and started the bath. He made his way back into the bedroom and found Deku looking up at him through damp lashes, his scent shifting from guilt to fear.
 
He had thought that Katsuki was fed up with him. That he had abandoned him.
 
Katsuki sighed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and shifted Deku over by his legs.
 
“Spread yourself open slowly,” he instructed.
 
Deku continued to cry, but did as he was told. Katsuki brought the wet cloth in between his thighs and started cleaning up the blood. He made sure to be gentle, patting Deku down thoroughly until it was all gone. It still looked sore.
 
“Shirt off,” Katsuki helped him pull it over his head.
 
He picked his naked, vulnerable little human up and brought him to the bathroom. He set Deku in the tub and turned off the water, before getting to work removing his own clothes. Deku said nothing as he stepped in after, plopping himself down behind him and pulling his back flush against his chest.
 
After a minute, Deku finally relaxed back into him, red-rimmed eyes slipping closed. Katsuki lathered soap onto his hands and washed his hair. He held a hand over Deku’s eyes as he poured water over his curls to rinse it out.
 
Deku tilted his head back to help him. His pink, puffy lips that he’d been biting earlier drew Katsuki’s attention. Katsuki leaned down and pressed a chaste but persistent kiss to them.
 
Deku tensed, unable to see it coming. Katsuki brushed his hand up, away from his eyes and over his forehead, pushing the curls out of his way. Deku peered up at him, wide eyed and reproachful.
 
Katsuki smirked. He held Deku’s head in place by his chin and leaned down again to press soft kisses all over his exposed forehead, his freckled cheeks. Finally, when Deku’s whole face was painted a bright red, he settled a gentle nip on his nose, making the human in his clutches gasp.
 
He withdrew and Deku’s face screwed up in an admonishing pout.
 
The smile didn’t leave Katsuki’s face.
 
“Just let yourself be taken care of for once, nerd.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hmm…” Chiyo hummed, eyes scanning over her clipboard. She peeked up and observed both Izuku and Kacchan sitting on either ends of her couch. “Even though it’s initially why you signed up, I’m guessing we’re not here today to discuss some helpful coping mechanisms for grief.”
 
Izuku kept his arms tightly folded to his chest. He was already uncomfortable as is, having to bare his heart to the old woman, who was kind enough, but, all things considered, still a stranger. Being in the middle of an awkward romantic spat with his wolf hybrid only added fuel to the fire.
 
“Let’s start with a few casual questions. How’s your week been?”
 
“Fine,” Izuku shifted around in his seat.
 
Just another forty minutes. He could last that long.
 
Kacchan scoffed, “Not

fine

. There’s a lot to get through. You got any questions that’ll really get to the root of things?”
 
“Kacchan, that’s not how it works!” he snapped.
 
“Pretty sure

she

decides how it works, Deku.”
 
Chiyo chuckled, “Both of you are certainly lively today, aren’t you?”
 
Kacchan clicked his tongue. “That kind of question barely scratches the surface.”
 
“Kacchan…” Izuku warned again.
 
But Chiyo only laughed. “I most certainly have

deeper

questions, Bakugou. I just don’t want to make anyone so uncomfortable that they decide to get up and leave the room.” She gave a pointed look in Izuku’s direction.
 
“I wouldn’t do that…” he protested. A moment of disbelieving silence later and he apologetically tacked on, “...again.”
 
“Good,” Chiyo huffed, “Now, Bakugou, would you please tell me more about this empty room you spoke of in our first meeting?”
 
Kacchan’s ears flattened against his head as he caught Izuku’s eye. Izuku shrugged, trying to convey that it was alright for Kacchan to talk about it. It’s why they were there after all. Kacchan still seemed hesitant.
 
But, even while nervous, he answered honestly, “Deku has a bedroom no one uses, and it’s not like I’m vying for it!” he was quick to throw in, “I actually prefer sleeping in the same bed as my partner, but it’s odd that his dam’s scent is still hanging around after all this time.”
 
She nodded, pen skimming the paper. “Midoriya, have you been in the room since your mother passed?”
 
“No,” his voice came out icy, almost unrecognizable to his own ears.
 
“Why not?”
 
“That’s a loaded question-”
 
“Only if you make a big deal about answering it,” Kacchan interrupted him.
 
Izuku frowned. He wrung a hand behind his neck and reluctantly replied, “I know it’s been a while already, but it’s hard to believe she’s gone. Some days, I turn the corner into the hall, expecting to see her standing in the kitchen, and, instead, it’s just-”
 
“Me standing there?” Kacchan finished, “What a fucking let down that must be.”
 
Before Izuku could bite back, Chiyo scolded him, “Now, now! Enough of that. We’re here to work through problems, not create more, right?”
 
Kacchan’s tail curled around one of his ankles. He pouted, staring out the window.
 
Chiyo sighed. “Well, we’re probably not getting anywhere discussing the empty room today. Why don’t we discuss what’s currently ailing you?”
 
“

Nothing’s

ailing us.” Izuku insisted, “We’re as healthy as a couple of horses!”
 
Chiyo snorted, “You can’t fool me, dear. My eyes might be old, but they still see that something’s amiss.”
 
Kacchan nodded, his attention returning once more to the conversation. “You’re damn right something’s off! Now

this

is the line of questioning I was talking about!”
 
Izuku sank back into his seat, preparing himself for another onslaught of new, invasive questions.
 
“Please, speak your mind freely, Bakugou,” She urged, “I’m sure you’ve got a lot on it.”
 
Kacchan leaned in. “We’ve got these rules, see?”
 
Izuku groaned.

Oh no

.
 
“Yes, yes.”
 
“And Deku’s included something called a safe word.”
 
Izuku flinched.
 
Chiyo wrote as fast as she could. “And that safe word was?”
 
“Heel,” The word rolled off Kacchan’s tongue as easy as pie.
 
Izuku buried his face in his arms on the side of the couch.
 
Fuck, he really

had

forgotten to use their safe word, huh? He could have ended their fun at just one little syllable that Kacchan was chivalrous enough to remember, but, instead, he was a dumbass who managed to hurt himself during intercourse and freak his partner out in the process.
 
“Honestly, I think it all goes back to his last mate.”

Wait

.
 
“Everything I’ve heard about the guy makes me think he’s a jerk.”

What? Why was he bringing that up here?

“Deku obviously deserves someone better than an asshat who abandoned him when the going got tough, you know?”
 
Izuku looked at him incredulously while Chiyo copied his words down as fast as she could. She turned to him. “Midoriya, do you ever feel angry about your past relationship?”
 
Silence filled the room. Then Izuku managed a very unconvincing, “N-No.”
 
“Liar!”
 
“Kacchan!”
 
“Am I wrong?!”
 
Izuku looked between Chiyo and his wolf.
 
He sighed. “Ultimately, I find no fault in my last partner. I was going through some traumatic things and he didn’t want to stick around for it. It was a completely rationational decision to make on his part that I have to respect.”
 
“Wow. What a wonderfully, well-practiced response. Now, can you tell us how you

really

feel?” Kacchan’s grating tone tore through almost every layer Izuku had built up over the years.

Okay! I’m mad about it! I’m damn near pissed even! He was a jerk. Wouldn’t even make sure I came half the time during sex. Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?

Izuku was pretty sure if he actually said his true thoughts aloud, he’d be immediately burdened with an immense feeling of guilt rather than relief.
 
Instead he quietly affirmed, “That’s how I really feel. With the situation as stressful as it was, it couldn’t be helped.
 
Kacchan clicked his tongue.
 
Chiyo frowned and wrote frantically on the form attached to her clipboard.

“I know I’m not

technically

being graded on my performance in therapy, but why do I feel like I didn’t receive a passing grade today?”
 
Deku brought up the day's earlier event while he and Katsuki watched the hybrid auction site for signs of their perp.
 
They occupied a small, one person room in a hotel across the street. A camera with a quality, long distance lens sat on the windowsill, aimed at the fishery. A wire ran from the camera down to a laptop, seated in the middle of the old, carpeted floor, where it displayed whatever business the establishment received.
 
So far, there hadn’t been any recorded movement during their late afternoon shift.
 
“Probably because you refuse to open up and keep all your feelings inside,” Katsuki answered him bluntly without a hint of remorse.
 
Deku winced and moved his finger along the mousepad sheepishly. “I don’t like talking about my past hangups.”
 
“That’s a damn shame, cause they influence so much of your present day fuck ups.”
 
That seemed to strike a nerve.
 
Deku’s watery, upturned eyes bore into him as Katsuki leaned back against the wall. “It’s not as easy to let go of the past for me. With the life you’ve led, I don’t know how you manage to do it. I-” He stopped to wipe at his eyes.
 
Katsuki grumbled, “In my case, I’ve had so much bad shit happen to me that new bad shit barely registers. They say I’m allowed in the field, cause my past doesn’t affect me, but, you know, I

want

things to be different. I want to understand why my past experiences were so bad. Why people pity me and how I can make them not. With you, it’s the complete opposite. You hold onto every little thing, and I see how it affects your day to day, and... I just want you to be happy.”
 
Deku took a deep, steadying breath. “It may seem trivial, or even privileged to you, since you’ve obviously been through so much more, but it’s not so easy for me to let go of all my anxieties... I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but I’m really easy to sway.”
 
Katsuki managed to keep his laughter unaired.
 
“I get swept up in my emotions. So, if someone shows interest in me, even a little bit, I have the potential to develop feelings for them.”
 
Deku paused.
 
Katsuki didn’t dare break the silence, holding onto the hope that he would continue.
 
His patience was rewarded.
 
“That’s why I made it one of my rules, when we first started our relationship. No feelings involved. It was important that neither of us fell for the other. I’m quick to develop attachments and I’m scared to get hurt.” He looked up and gave Katsuki such a sad, soft smile. “I’m a coward, aren’t I?”
 
Katsuki wanted to spill his newfound feelings then and there. Wanted to lay himself bare before Deku and leave everything up to him to decide. But, in that moment, he understood where Deku was coming from. Why he would hold himself back, despite knowing his desires.
 
With Deku’s apprehensions out in the open, Katsuki was unexpectedly a coward too.
 
Instead, he slowed his breathing and began a new topic, “I want to revisit our rules, since you brought them up just now.”
 
Deku sighed, but the tight smile didn’t fall from his face. “Sure, Kacchan.”
 
“New rule: You

will

use the safe word and speak up when you’re uncomfortable... so I don’t accidentally hurt you.”
 
“Kacchan… That wasn’t your fault. You’re a good boy. I just didn’t-”
 
“

Deku

,” Katsuki stopped the self-destructive tirade in its tracks, “You don’t have to lie to me. I know I’ve got wolf DNA spliced up inside me, but I’m not an actual mutt. When you call me a good boy, I want it to be genuine, because I can tell the difference.”
 
Reluctantly, Deku nodded.
 
Katsuki grinned, huffing out an amused gust of air from his nose. Very quickly, he shifted his focus back to his remaining amendment, “Second new rule: I want to get used to being touched.”
 
Deku’s eyes widened at the confession.
 
Katsuki continued, “I still want you to tell me before you plan to touch me, but I want your hands on me now. I want to get even more used to you petting me, holding onto me. If it’s you, I think I wouldn’t mind feeling a little tied down.”
 
Deku stared at him, speechless.
 
“I know that goes against one of my previous rules. I want to retract that one in favor of this new one. Because you make strides to accommodate me, and I can see that only providing you with attention instead of letting you give pleasure in return has made you feel guilty and lonely. I’m not good at these kinds of relationships yet. This sort of give and take…. My role has always been to give. I don’t know any other way. But I don’t want to make you sad.”
 
A tear ran down Deku’s cheek. Katsuki knelt down and brushed it aside with his thumb, nail bitten down to a harmless stub.
 
“And, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, cause I know how much you overthink things, so know that I want you in ways you might not have previously expected too.”

Izuku’s fingers ran through Kacchan’s hair and back behind his ears. His hand lingered to leave scritches. Kacchan mumbled appreciatively, head resting in Izuku’s lap. He kept his eyes on the monitor, but his attention was aimed more towards his hybrid partner, if he was being honest.
 
He'd never seen Kacchan so flustered before. And he was so much more talkative lately, so very intent on explaining everything so Izuku didn't have to wrack his brain trying to figure things out or interpret his intentions on his own.
 
He felt himself relax.
 
Kacchan really was the perfect partner. He said he wasn't used to relationships, but, honestly, Izuku considered him to be the most caring lover he'd ever had.
 
He yawned and rubbed his eyes, continuing to watch the painfully bright screen.
 
It was odd. The location they were staking out hadn’t seen any action in a few days. If the group chat was anything to go by, there were just a lot of sad, tired K-9 Units reporting in with zero activity.
 
Izuku continued combing his fingers through Kacchan’s fluffy hair, admiring the healthy sheen of his coarse fur.
 
Then his hand paused as something strange caught his eye.
 
One of the fishermen stood suspiciously off to the side, far from the others during their meal break.
 
He wandered over to a more open area and tapped his foot on the pavement a couple times.
 
Wasn’t that peculiar?
 
Did his coworkers piss him off? But he would have stuck around and gave them flack, right? Why walk off where there wasn't anyone else around for him to express his agitation to? Perhaps it was a signal of some sort? But who would he be signalling? And where?
 
Izuku enhanced the image, focusing on the man.
 
His eyes widened in understanding.
 
Below his feet was a manhole, rusty and round.
 
“Kacchan...” Izuku jostled him out of a half sleep.
 
“Hmm?” Kacchan sat up and squinted at the screen.
 
“They’re not transporting the feral hybrids by truck.”
 
Kacchan’s pupils dilated as he watched Izuku replaying the video of the lone man stepping erratically on the manhole.
 
Kacchan voiced his theory aloud, “They’re carting them in from the sewers.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Aizawa glared across his desk, mouth hidden behind folded hands. Izuku and Kacchan sat in seats before him, awaiting his response to their report. After a second, his eyes closed and a fraction of a smile peeked out from behind his hands.
 
“Excellent work. I commend your attention to detail. Such a subtle thing, it might have taken us weeks to notice.”
 
Izuku straightened up proudly in his chair. He felt like he had been handling a lot of personal things poorly lately, but if there was one place he could excel at, it was his job. “Thank you, sir! How should we proceed?”
 
Aizawa hummed, “We don’t know how much of the sewer system is used for transportation, so we need to be careful with our entry point. We also can’t be hasty and just send a large group to perform the raid underground.”
 
His fingers skimmed over his keyboard. Kacchan leaned over in his chair to try and see the screen. Aizawa shooed him away, while he finished typing. Kacchan slunk back into his seat, crossing his arms and pouting.
 
The printer whirred to life. Aizawa stood up to retrieve whatever document he needed. He placed it in front of them.
 
“Here’s a map of Musutafu’s sewer systems. I think it’s fair to say we should enter on the outskirts of town to avoid detection. You never know who’s watching. I wouldn’t doubt that these people have someone in the government tipping them off every time routine inspections need to be performed. So, right here would be our safest bet.”
 
He marked it off with a pink highlighter. He switched to yellow and traced along the passageways, abruptly coming to a stop at a place he labeled ‘X’.
 
“This looks to be the quickest path back to the fishery. When you arrive at this point, you’ll need to wait until there’s activity that can lead you back to the feral hybrid ring.”
 
“When you say

we

?” Kacchan raised a brow.
 
“Right. I said this wasn’t a mission for a large group of people. It’s gonna be just the two of you leading us back there. You’ll have mics, cameras, and tracking devices on you at all times. I want you to verbally signal us when you’ve encountered an underground drop off site, because I don’t doubt you’re gonna run into more than just the fishery.
 
“When you arrive at the feral ring, I want you to ping us. I’ll organize the rest of our K-9 Unit to bring down the feral ring and phone in any other drop off sites you find for a simultaneous, full scale raid. I wanna bag as many of these bastards as possible in one go.”
 
Kacchan’s tail started to wag.
 
“You excited, Kacchan?” Izuku brought it to his attention.
 
“Aren’t you? We’re about to dole out some long overdue justice.”
 
“Speaking of justice,” Aizawa interrupted their hype, “I don’t want this to be a revenge quest. I know you aced the written exam, Bakugou, but I want to make this clear. All offenders and victims should be brought in alive, if it can be helped.” He placed his hand down over the stack of linked case files that had kicked off the entire investigation, “There’s been too much spilled blood already.”
 
“I’m no killer,” Kacchan assured him.
 
Aizawa let out a sigh. “I know, but I do want you to make decisions based on your and Midoriya’s survival. Hybrids tend to have a better nose for discerning that type of thing, and, well… Midoriya’s self preservation skills are…”
 
“Nonexistent.”
 
“Hey!”
 
“I was going to say lacking, but so long as you get the idea. I trust you’ll watch each other’s backs and not do anything too stupid.”
 
“We won’t disappoint you, sir!” Izuku stood up and gave him a salute.
 
Aizawa’s hand twitched, as if he imagined holding a rolled up phantom magazine to strike him over the head with. Instead, he settled for picking up the map and handing it over.
 
“Memorize this as best you can. We’ll provide you with a cleaner copy later for the mission, but you’ll move faster if you know where you’re going ahead of time. We begin operations tomorrow at eighteen-hundred hours. That should give you time to prep and learn the route. Oh, and make sure he gets a good night's rest,” He tacked on, looking at Kacchan.
 
Kacchan smirked. He brought up a hand and gave Aizawa a lazy salute, mirroring Izuku’s. “Yessir.”
 
Aizawa’s eye twitched. “Get the hell out of my office.”

“Deku,” Katsuki removed the map from his human’s hands. “Enough of that. You haven’t stopped looking it over since we got it. Even had to steer you away from walking into a few poles before we made it back to your car in the precinct parking lot...”
 
“Just a few more minutes!” He made grabby hands for it. “Then I’ll sleep!”
 
“You said the same thing ten minutes ago. You’re sleeping

now

.”
 
He pouted. “You don’t have to actually follow Aizawa’s orders to a T. It’s not even bedtime yet.”
 
Katsuki perked up, triumphant in knowing he had successfully gotten Deku on a healthy and routine sleep schedule.
 
“Your brain needs a cooldown period or you’ll never get to bed. It’ll just keep running its motor all night.”
 
“That’s... Okay, that’s true. Dammit, you’re part animal, but why do I feel like you have

me

trained?”
 
Katsuki leaned down to give his temple a peck. “Because you’re emotionally weak to my demands and you bend easily to my will. Now let’s go.” He snatched up his wrist and led the way back into the bedroom.
 
Deku sat on the bed bashfully undressing while Katsuki shifted through dresser drawyers to retrieve their sleepwear. He passed Deku the superhero ones he lounged around in almost constantly, and settled on his “I wanna bone” shirt with matching dog bone pattern bottoms.
 
Fully dressed, he slid into bed, pulling the covers over a fidgety Deku. He closed his eyes and let out a content sigh.
 
But the sounds of fabric rustling kept him from peacefully dozing off. He squinted, confirming his suspicions that Deku’s eyes were on him, clearly still wide awake.
 
“What?” he demanded.
 
“What do you mean what?” Deku played coy.
 
Katsuki sat up, and leaned on his elbow. “You’re too restless. What’s up?”
 
“Well,” He wiggled under the comforter, “we aren’t going to, um,

do

anything tonight?”
 
Katsuki blinked at him. “Your hole’s injured, you horny fucking idiot.”
 
“I-I don’t mind some pain! Plus, it’s been a couple days. It should be fine.”
 
“We have to get some proper sleep. We have the mission tomorrow.”
 
“Right, but I recall you mentioning at some point how rubbing one out helped with getting to sleep?”
 
The restraint Katsuki was practicing was, honest to god, worthy of a whole box of milk bones.
 
“Plus, um, this is a pretty high risk situation we’re going into, and, if this is the last night we spend together…”
 
Oh. Katsuki hadn’t even thought about that. The part of his brain that registered situations as life or death must have normalized concepts like that long ago. But watching Deku try to profess something so serious triggered a feeling of urgency in Katsuki too.
 
He brushed soft fingers over his cheek. Deku looked at him with rapt attention, breath held.
 
“No need to come up with such dramatic excuses, Deku. All you had to say was you’re backed up.”
 
“Kacchan…” He frowned.
 
Katsuki huffed out a laugh, rolling on top of him. “I’m not worried about this being the last time, because I know we’re gonna be incredible.”
 
Deku rolled his eyes. “Then thanks for humoring me, I guess.”
 
Katsuki ground his hips down against Deku’s, effectively silencing his sass.
 
“Not humoring you. All pressing matters considered, I just want you now as much as I always do.”
 
Deku bit into his bottom lip, drawing Katsuki’s attention to them. They were puffy, raw, and red. Deku had been gnawing on them while he’d studied the map earlier.
 
“You look real kissable right now.”
 
“Then kiss me.”
 
“If I do that, I’d have to stop looking at how kissable you are.”
 
“What a conundrum.”
 
“A real head scratcher to be sure.”
 
Deku tugged him down by his shirt collar, making their lips meet softly. One of his legs tentatively hooked around Katsuki’s back, slow enough that it didn’t seem to upset him. It brought them closer, bodies pressing together. Heat gathered in Katsuki’s core and spread throughout the rest of him.
 
“You’re so warm.” Deku whispered against his neck, lips trailing along his skin.
 
Katsuki’s hand snaked behind him, lifting his shirt. Deku’s back was slick with sweat. “Is it uncomfortable?”
 
Deku helped him remove the top. He shook his head, curls bouncing before sticking against his forehead. “No. I like it.”
 
Katsuki inhaled deeply, enjoying Deku’s musky scent as it grew stronger with the humidity. “Me too.” he admitted.
 
He tenderly slipped Deku’s bottoms off, lifting his hips off the bed and shimmying them down. Deku tugged on his shirt and Katsuki hurriedly removed his own clothes at his prompting.
 
Deku went to reach down between their legs, but Katsuki caught his hand. He pulled his wrists up and pressed them up by his head. Deku gave him a perplexed look, searching Katsuki’s face for a hint of what he was up to.
 
Katsuki smirked. He set the full weight of his hips down on Deku’s, until their pelvises were flush together. He rubbed against him, creating a slow friction between their cocks as he started a dirty grind.
 
Deku gasped. “Kacchan! I-I need more!”
 
“You can cum like this.” Katsuki encouraged him, keeping up the pace. “Doesn’t it feel good?”
 
Deku’s hips frantically moved against him, seeking out more stimulation. “Yes… I just- More… I need more.”
 
Katsuki lowered his torso until their cocks were trapped tightly between them. He picked up pace, frotting down until Deku was writhing underneath him, panting out greedy pleas for more, more,

more

.
 
“Beg,” Katsuki commanded him.
 
“W-What?” Deku’s bleary eyes found his. He looked dazed to the point Katsuki thought he might not have been able to understand his request.
 
“I said beg for it, Deku. Beg for it and I’ll make you cum all over yourself.”
 
“Mmm!’ He whined before giving in, “Please, Kacchan! Please, make me cum! You’re such a good boy! Please let me-!”
 
Katsuki growled, the unexpected praise squeezing his heart and making his face feel hot. He sunk his fangs into the junction between Deku’s neck and shoulder. Deku brokenly cried out, as if Katsuki had ripped the sound of pleasure directly from his throat.
 
His body shook, toes curling and back arching. He settled back on the bed, body sticky and slick with all manner of fluids. Tears tore tracks down his cheeks. He looked a perfect mess.
 
“Pain slut,” Katsuki’s teasing remark contradicted his endeared smile.
 
He watched Deku’s cock twitch at his words.
 
Well, if Deku wanted to continue down

that

road, Katsuki could oblige.
 
He continued his gyrations, this time paying special attention to lavishing Deku’s neck with nips, bruises, and degrading words.
 
“Such a dirty whore, Deku, cumming from a little bite. Didn’t take much for you to fall apart, huh? Just a bit of pain and you melt against the mattress. Shit, you’re already getting hard again. And the way your legs strain to spread open for me. So greedy for more contact. Does your little cock like getting crushed by my knot?”
 
“L-Little?!” Deku squealed at that last comment. More cum leaked from his tip.
 
“Well, you’re not a grower or a shower, Deku. Ain’t a secret you’ve got a small pecker. But it’s fine. It’s cute. Looks so lewd, getting overshadowed by my dick.”
 
Deku grew unbelievably red, trying to pull his hands out of Katsuki’s grip so he could hide his humiliated face. “You’re a canine hybrid! Of course you’re gonna be b-bigger!” he continued to protest.
 
“Shut up, dumbass. It’s dirty talk. And you obviously like it. Look how wet you are. You’re letting out so much and it’s already the second time you’re gonna blow. You gonna cum before me again? Poor thing. You can’t help it can you? You just love getting talked down to. It’s okay, Deku. Cum for me again. Show me what a slut you are.”
 
Deku moaned, head thrown back against his pillow. Katsuki pulled back just in time to see his hips fruitfully humping the air, desperate and deplorable. His cock bounced, spraying his spend on both his and Katsuki’s stomachs.
 
Katsuki jacked off at the sight, eyes hungrily raking over Deku’s spent, filthy body, cock still spilling out pathetically over his torso. He let out a pleased rumble. His core tensed, the heat building up inside finally bleeding out. He came, showering Deku in even more seed, painting a picture of complete obscenity.
 
He panted in the following silence, the comforting post bliss. Every inch of Deku was covered in the scent of sex. Purple marks littered his neck, collar, and chest. Tears were perched in the corners of his closed eyes. He wore a serene smile.
 
He was beautiful.
 
Katsuki brushed his sweaty hair back, ears flattening to give his hand some room. “Satisfied, Deku?”
 
Deku didn’t answer him. His chest rose and fell in an even pattern. Katsuki blinked at him.
 
Fucker had passed out cold.
 
Katsuki’s fingers dipped down to Deku’s navel, where their collective cum was accumulating. With his past, Katsuki considered himself to have more sexual experience than most people, but he had never finished on an unconscious person before.
 
“You’re a fucking novelty, Deku.”
 
Katsuki sighed, satisfied and coming down from his high, influenced by Deku’s contagious exhaustion. He dropped down next to him, the mattress squeaking beneath the sudden, hefty impact. His limbs and eyelids felt heavy.
 
Katsuki pulled Deku into his arms, nose nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “We’ll clean up tomorrow.” He pressed a kiss to his cooling skin. “I’ll suggest we share a shower in the morning. Then you can protest and argue until you eventually give in.”
 
He slipped into a fitless sleep.

“Does your vest fit?” Deku affixed the heavy, bulletproof padding, adjusting it to make sure it wasn’t loose, but still comfortable.
 
“Fits like a dream,” Katsuki joked. It felt encumering, but not unmanagable. If Katsuki needed to chase after a perp, his speed with the vest would still be faster than most hybrids, let alone humans. “How do I look?”
 
Deku’s cheeks flushed bright red as he gave him a final once over. “Handsome.”
 
Katsuki snorted. “I meant, does it look like I have everything on? But it’s nice to know you have a thing for a man in uniform.”
 
The red on his face deepened. “Yeah, everything’s on. And I’m fully equipped too. Gun, map, badge, cuffs, taser… baton?!” He patted each place down, feeling to make sure they were all there. When it came to the night stick, he panicked at finding it missing, checking the seats of the car.
 
Katsuki sheepishly revealed it. It had a few indents in the metal where his teeth had sunk in.
 
“You

chewed

on my baton?!”
 
“You called it a

stick

and waved it around this morning. Then you

didn’t

throw it. And now you’re mad because I chewed it a little? How insensitive can you be?”
 
Deku took the baton and tucked it away, giving Katsuki some side eye. “It’s still operable, so I’m not mad... Maybe I should think about getting you some toys. They say hybrids only act out when they need enrichment.”
 
“Buy us some adult toys and I’ll never act out again.”
 
The driver coughed politely but sternly into his hand, “We’re almost at the drop point.”
 
Deku elbowed him and put a finger to his mouth. Katsuki buttoned his lip for the rest of the ride.
 
His claws couldn’t help piercing his seat as they approached their destination. They traveled alongside a growing hill. It sloped up against a bridge, which seemed to drop off into an empty, man made gully. The car went over the bridge and pulled to the side into some nearby woods.
 
Deku thanked the driver and hopped out. Katsuki joined him as he pulled out his map. He carefully made his way down the steap side, coming to a stumbling stop in the gully. He looked up from his map, peering into the deep, dark maw of a rancid smelling tunnel leading down underneath the earth.
 
“This is the entry point on the outskirts of town that Aizawa mentioned.” He shuffled in his pocket for a flashlight. “You ready?”
 
Katsuki felt a sort of constriction squeezing at his heart just looking at the enclosed space. He took up Deku’s wrist. “Not really, but we’ve got a job to do, so let’s get this over with.” He pulled him forward.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Ugh… Stinks in here,” Kacchan grumbled.
 
Izuku followed him down the tunnel, flashlight trained on the wolf hybrid’s back and a few steps ahead. “Well, did you expect it to smell like a field of daisies or…?”
 
“Put a cork in it. You can talk big cause your sense of smell is duller than mine.”
 
“That’s true. In that case, I guess I’m a little grateful. Is it uncomfortable?”
 
“It feels like I’m wading through sludge. The fur on my tail is standing on end.”
 
It

did

look a little bushier.
 
“But it could also be the tension hanging in the air.”
 
“Tension?”
 
“You don’t feel it? I get a weird uneasiness about being down here, and I don’t think it’s just because we’re in tight quarters, although that’s not helping matters either.”
 
Izuku bit his lip. He felt his body tense up as he snapped to attention. It sounded like Kacchan’s animal instincts were notifying them of something sinister. He would have to remain completely on guard.
 
Izuku switched the flashlight off. Kacchan stopped in his tracks. Izuku tucked it away and grabbed his wolf’s hand. “You lead the way from here on out. I don’t want to spook anybody we run into up ahead.”
 
Kacchan nodded and tugged them further along. As they continued through the sewers, Izuku started to feel apprehensive, as if he too could feel the thickening tension.
 
Kacchan’s grip on his hand tightened. He pulled him up against the wall. They waited in silence.
 
There was an intersection up ahead. Izuku could see a soft glow coming from around the corner. They weren’t near the fishery yet. This must have been one of the drop off points Aizawa had mentioned.
 
If someone was standing guard, how would they get past?
 
Suddenly, a loud snore ripped through the tunnel. Izuku exchanged a triumphant smile with Kacchan and moved into the intersection. A man sat slumped over a makeshift table. A hand gun and an unfinished game of solitaire was laid out before him.
 
Izuku flicked on the communicator at his chest, pulling it close to his mouth so he could quietly whisper against it.  “Drop point location found.”
 
They waded into stinking sewer water, crossing to the other side to continue on their way. Only when the light of the guard’s oil lamp had faded out behind them did Izuku let out a relieved sigh.
 
He took out his map and marked the drop location. It was under an old government building, the primary function of which was to store archives. Izuku wasn’t surprised that some government officials would be involved in the trafficking. People like that always gravitated to positions of power. Still, some of these people might be leaders in his community. It was disheartening to think about how deep the corruption might run.
 
They hit two more drop sites along the way to the fishery, having to wait for guard changes at each location before they could pass. Izuku marked a hospital and, more surprisingly, a koban, one of the small neighborhood police booths.
 
Thinking about the hospital for too long sickened him. It was very likely they were using trafficking for organ donations, another common practice in the underground market.
 
The police box though… That one was hard to accept. What if he had worked with some of the officers who were in on this? Getting chummy with a person like that made his skin crawl.
 
“Hold on…” Kacchan put his arm out to stop Izuku from taking another step.
 
“Why? Aren’t we almost at the fishery?”
 
Kacchan didn’t respond. His nose twitched as he looked for a scent. “This way.” He pulled Izuku away from their destination.
 
“But the fishery-?!”
 
“Shh. Not important.” He moved with a purposeful gate, taking large strides that Izuku had to match with two fast steps of his own just so he wouldn’t get tripped up or fall behind.
 
He stopped abruptly and Izuku slammed into his back. Before he could say anything about their deviation, Kacchan had cupped a hand over Izuku’s mouth and dragged him up to the corner of the next intersection.
 
No light filtered out from the upcoming tunnel. There didn’t seem to be any way of telling if this was a drop site, but Kacchan seemed to be intently listening for something, so Izuku waited, ears straining to catch what the wolf had already picked up on.
 
Very faintly, Izuku could hear footsteps approaching, echoing steadily throughout the tunnel.
 
A rumbling interrupted the noise. Izuku felt himself shaking and wondered if they were experiencing an earthquake before he realized Kacchan was just growling. The sound reverberated through his chest. His tail wagged in agitation, fur bristling even more than it had been earlier.
 
Izuku wanted to warn Kacchan to keep quiet, but his hold was unusually tight, silencing any plea Izuku might make. Kacchan was too focused on whatever threat was approaching. Izuku had to get his attention somehow.
 
Without much forethought, he bit one of Kacchan’s fingers. His dull teeth didn’t break the skin, but it was enough to snap Kacchan out of it. He jolted, growls immediately dying in his throat. He looked down at Izuku and held his gaze, ears falling back against his head apologetically. He nodded, trying to confirm he was still in his right mind.
 
Izuku unclenched his jaw and Kacchan’s hand fell away from his mouth. Still, the wolf didn’t loosen his grip on his body, keeping Izuku pressed to his side. Whoever was coming clearly had his wolf on edge.
 
The footsteps came to a halt. Following a moment of quiet came three booming knocks against a metal door. There was a groan of it sliding over the cement floor as it opened. A light finally filled the tunnel.
 
“Mr. Ujiko?” A gruff voice asked.
 
A throat cleared, “That’s

Dr.

Ujiko.”
 
Izuku felt all the blood drain from his face, his heart sinking into the soles of his feet.
 
Someone let out a low whistle, appreciatively appraising. “Pretty gold coloration. Some sort of cat hybrid? Never seen one with hair that swoops all the way down its neck like that.”
 
“Well, careful breeding can bring out a multitude of unique attributes, and I do take pride in my work.”
 
“It shows. I-”
 
They both went quiet. Izuku swallowed, worrying that they’d somehow been noticed.
 
“Around the mouth… Is that?”
 
“Oh, haha!” Ujiko laughed. “Yes, it caught a sewer rat on the way over. Not to fear though. I shot it with another dart after. It’s

very

heavily sedated. But you might have to clean it up before your auction.”
 
“Uh… sure,” The auction site staffer didn’t seem too thrilled. “Papers?” He seemed to drop the small talk, trying to rush them through the rest of the process.
 
“Here. You’ll find the receipt and the papers of ownership. Give AFO’s kind regards to the new master, would you? Tell him it was a pleasure doing business with him.”
 
There was shuffling as the hybrid and his papers exchanged hands. Then the light went out and the door closed shut.
 
Izuku waited a moment before attempting to break out of Kacchan’s hold, but his partner still held him in place. Izuku counted the minutes in impatient agony. Only when Kacchan’s ears stopped twitching did he let Izuku drop from his hold.
 
“Okay, let’s move,” Kacchan stepped into the next tunnel.
 
They both scurried past the metal door. Izuku spoke hurriedly into his communicator, “Drop site found under the business complex across the street from the mall. We came upon trafficking activity between the site and one of our suspects. The Doctor was seen dropping off a feral cat hybrid. Hybrid species sounded like it fit the description of a lion. Be careful upon busting the place. We’ve moved off course from the fishery and are now trailing Ujiko back to the feral ring. Next contact will be to notify you of the source.”

Katsuki couldn’t help the low rumbling in the back of his throat. He had yet to voice it aloud, but Deku still seemed to notice his nervousness anyway.
 
“We gave him a ten minute head start. Is that okay? We’re not following too close, are we? And, if we’re some distance behind, is it possible that you might lose his scent?”
 
Katsuki huffed, “Show some confidence in my skills. If there’s one thing a wolf knows how to do well, it’s tracking prey without being noticed.”
 
“Sorry… You just froze up back there and it made me worried... Are you scared?”
 
Katsuki took a deep breath. The putrid scent hanging off every surface of the tunnel did nothing to calm him down. “Wouldn’t change anything if I was.”
 
“So you are.” Deku didn’t sound like he was picking a fight, more like he was just trying to gauge how Katsuki was feeling.
 
Before Katsuki could assuage his fears, two pitch black wads of foul smelling fur darted around their feet. Deku gasped, going rigid and stepping closer to Katsuki’s side. He leaned heavily against him, watching the creatures fade back into the dark tunnel.
 
“Rats,” Katsuki stated flatly, “We spooked them.”
 
He turned around to continue walking and grimaced. He quickly covered Deku’s eyes and made his human step to the side.
 
A messy carcass of a half eaten rat sat before them. Bone, blood, and viscera was sprayed out around it. Poor bastard was probably the snack of that lion hybrid they’d spotted earlier. And how very like rats to feed on their own kin… or what was left of it.
 
“Kacchan?” Deku sounded concerned.
 
“Just keep moving.”
 
“But why can’t I-”
 
“Trust me. I’m saving you from having to see something you

don’t

wanna see. You’ll be sick if I let you look… I’ll never understand why cat’s play with their food. Just gobble it all up and be done with it. Blech.”
 
Deku peeled back his hand some distance from the carcass. He peeked up at Katsuki, pouting.
 
Katsuki snorted. “Okay. Maybe I can see a little of the appeal.”
 
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” He tried to sneak glances over Katsuki’s shoulder, but they were too far ahead, and Deku’s weak human vision wouldn’t be able to see anything in the dark at this point.
 
Katsuki just kept pushing him along. “Focus on moving forward. Did you forget we’re on a mission, dummy?”
 
“Right. We’re on a perilous mission and I’m an officer of the law and a fully grown man. I can handle seeing the weird things you find lying in the sewers.”
 
“You didn’t like it when an alive rat ran by you. No way was I taking my chances showing you the dead one.”
 
“Couldn’t have been

that

bad…”
 
“It was so dead, it was the literal definition of overkill. But, if you missed your opportunity to blow chunks that much, I guess I could describe it to you in gruesome detail.”
 
Deku shook his head, face tinting a shade of green. “Nope. Actually, I think I’m good.”
 
Katsuki’s nose perked up. The air was less sour up ahead, a hint of freshness to it that reminded him of the outside. Deku was getting antsy as they got closer to the source.
 
“Are you sure this is the right way, Kacchan?”
 
“Positive. Why? What’s up ahead?”
 
Despite having committed the damn thing to memory, Deku pulled out the map of the sewers to confirm his suspicions. “Up ahead is an exit point. We’ll be breaching the surface soon, and I’m pretty sure it leads outside city limits.”
 
Sure enough, an incline began in the tunnel. Katsuki spotted the bright natural light of the sun up ahead, the smell of pine and earth. An old, rusted grate covered half of the exit. They ducked beneath it as they left the sewers, stepping out into a forest.
 
Katsuki looked around, taking in another breath of fresh air. The inhalation had a tang of the sewer remaining. Some of the scent still clung to his fur and clothes. He couldn’t wait to bathe when this was all over.
 
“Kacchan, does this seem familiar to you? Do you remember the feral ring being located in the woods?”
 
Katsuki shrugged. “We were never allowed outside of the facilities unless we were being transported. They kept us below ground mostly, so I never got a whiff of anything, but I remember the sounds of birds.”
 
“Birds?” Deku echoed.
 
“Lots of different birds.” He nodded. “Yeah, this feels right. Let’s go.”
 
He padded softly over leaves while Deku’s boots crunched every other twig. Katsuki wanted to snap at him, but he supposed it was the best a human could do. It wasn’t like they were graced with a hybrid’s natural ability for stealth.
 
They approached a ridge and he flattened himself against it, crawling up to look over and into the valley below. There, guarded on all sides by trees for miles stood a building that made bile instantly rise in Katsuki’s throat. The taste of it coated his tongue and burned his nostrils.
 
“That’s it.” He didn’t dare look away, fearful that it might disappear if he took his eyes off of it for even a second.
 
Out of his peripheral, he made note of Deku reaching up to hit the beacon button on his communicator, pinging Aizawa their current location.
 
“I hope they can get out here okay,” Deku mumbled, “I didn’t see any nearby roads on the map and a helicopter would be too conspicuous. They’d hear our backup coming and flee.”
 
Katsuki moved along the ridge, getting closer to the building as he weaved through the trees.
 
“K-Kacchan?” Deku questioned his descent into the valley, but stayed on his heels. They stopped and inspected the building at a closer range. “I don’t think I see any cameras. I would have expected some security.”
 
“Cameras mean potential evidence,” Katsuki answered, “These guys are capable of being caught doing worse things than just trafficking.” He never recalled any cameras inside the facility either.
 
“I almost can’t imagine anything worse than that…”
 
“Trust me. There are.”
 
Deku let the topic drop. Instead, he filled the gap with a new thought, “They must be pretty confident then.”
 
“Well, they’ve been at this profession for a long time without facing consequences. That warrants some confidence.”
 
“Good thing confidence makes people sloppy.” Deku gave him a sly smirk.
 
Katsuki pushed Deku’s head down, forcing them both to duck. A window on the side of the building opened. The stench of tobacco made Katsuki scrunch his nose in distaste. The brand was nostalgic, distinctly recognizable. The Doctor liked his pipe.
 
A cell phone rang and he heard The Doctor release a big puff of smoke before picking it up. “Hello? Ah, yeah. The delivery went as planned. You should have seen the doorman’s face when I passed it along. It found itself a snack on the way there and the poor fool almost pissed himself…
 
“Of course he didn’t suspect anything. You should let me brag a little. I make you monsters and you don’t even let me gloat about it with anyone. Least you can do is let me have fun with some lowly auction staffers…
 
“Hmm, that’s right. The new products will be ready for inspection when you arrive. I plan to give them a thorough look over and remove the undesirables beforehand…
 
“Let’s see, there were three this time that won’t be cleared for auction. I’m happy with the number. It’s a significantly better ratio than the last batch. I hate wasting products, but if they’re no good, they’re no good. Plus, I’ve got no right bragging about failed products. I’ve got a reputation to uphold afterall…
 
“Haha! Yes, well, it’s a reputation known only to you and me, but a reputation nonetheless. What did I say just a moment before? Let me brag a little. I’ve got a right to be proud of my-I mean,

our

accomplishments, don’t I?”
 
“...Hmph. Understood. See you soon.”
 
The Doctor took another long drag from his pipe and let it out slow. He coughed, hacking over the edge of the sill. “Tch. All rich folk act so high and mighty. Not like you did any of the

real

work. You’re just the damn benefactor.” He punctuated the vent by slamming the window shut.
 
“Did you hear that?” Deku asked him excitedly. His eyes twinkled with mirth. “The Benefactor, AFO, is coming. We can get both of them at once!”
 
Katsuki didn’t share his enthusiasm. All his blood had run cold halfway through the phone call.
 
Deku picked up on his dread. “Kacchan? Kacchan, what’s wrong?”
 
Katsuki searched Deku’s face in a panic. “Is there any way we can break into there before he arrives?”
 
Deku’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Katsuki watched as he processed his question. Behind his carefully calculating eyes, Deku was reassessing the situation, crunching numbers, going over all possibilities.
 
“Why.” 
 
It wasn’t a question, but a prompt for explanation, as if Deku had already prepared a proper answer for when, not if, Katsuki gave him a decent reason. It was obvious he had faith in Katsuki’s ability to judge the situation accordingly.
 
His trust grounded Katsuki. It helped release some tension in his shoulders as he got ready to relay the news to Deku. “The undesirables, the three hybrids he called failed products, if they’re not fit for auction…”
 
Deku’s eyes widened in horror. Katsuki wished he could spare him from the terrible knowledge, much like how he had blocked Deku’s vision of the eviscerated sewer rat. But Deku was his partner, and he needed to know what nightmares went on in that hellish place before they could act.
 
Deku’s mouth thinned into a straight line. He gave Katsuki a resolute nod. “Saving lives is our number one priority.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Izuku opened the window, quietly moving it up until there was enough space for Kacchan to slip inside, Once in, he reached out a hand, helping Izuku through. He landed on cheap carpeting, surveying their surroundings.
 
The inside of the facility, upon first glance, seemed like a simple cabin home. Where they currently stood looked like the living room space, decorated with matching wooden furniture that never looked like it got any use and tribal patterned throws that were dusty enough to warrant a thorough wash.
 
Kacchan’s nose twitched. He started to move farther into the house, following the Doctor’s scent. Izuku followed close on his heel, unholstering his gun and turning off the safety.
 
Kacchan brought them down a short hall leading into a kitchen nook. The area was a little more lived in, occupied by someone’s half finished cup of coffee sitting out on the counter and dishes piled high in the sink.
 
Izuku wrinkled his nose. “Not very cleanly, is he?”
 
Kacchan moved to a door, where, logically, due to the house’s layout, a pantry or closet should be. He slowly opened it, not making a peep. It was dark.
 
“A basement?” Izuku squinted, stepping closer to take a peek inside.
 
Kacchan grabbed the back of his shirt collar, hauling Izuku back just as he tried to take a step down. “Fuckface, look before you leap.”
 
Upon closer examination, the door revealed an immediate drop. There was a ladder leading down to a landing a full six or seven feet below them. Beyond that, a staircase continued the trek down.
 
Izuku gave his wolf a sheepish smile. “Sorry... Got ahead of myself.”
 
Kacchan scoffed, smirking confidently. “Well, that’s why I’m here.” He lowered Izuku down to the landing below. Izuku gasped as his wolf brought him through the hole, lowering him with one hand. Then, ignoring the ladder completely, Kacchan leapt down to silently join him.
 
Izuku crossed his arms. “You know, you didn’t have to scruff me like a kitten. I could have climbed down on my own.”
 
“I’d rather not take the chance with your clumsy ass.” He nodded. “Let’s keep moving.”
 
They crept down the long metal staircase. The air was starting to taste staler, the lighting growing dim and uninviting.
 
Izuku shivered. “Ugh, what is he, some kind of mole man? How could anyone be okay working in these conditions?”
 
Kacchan stopped in his tracks. Izuku tensed, on immediate alert.
 
Izuku’s wolf brought a hand up to his face, puzzling. “You know, he sort of looks like one. Do you really think he could be a hybrid?”
 
“Kacchan, I was joking!”
 
They continued until the next floor came into view. Kacchan struck an arm out, halting Izuku’s progress. “I-I just want you to be prepared for what you might see down here. This isn’t something I can just block out, like that eviscerated rat in the sewers. The Doctor’s down there. I can smell him, but so are all his…

experiments

.”
 
Izuku set a hand over on Kacchan’s back. He seemed to relax a little under the comforting touch. “Don’t worry, Kacchan. I can handle it. Plus, you’re here, right?”
 
“...Right.” Kacchan’s brow remained furrowed.
 
The staircase came to an end and Izuku found himself in a laboratory. The counters were littered in beakers and test tubes, microscopes and centrifuges. A white board covered in mathematical equations that Izuku couldn’t even begin to understand hung from the opposite wall.
 
Kacchan approached a set of see through, refrigerated cabinets. Inside, vials of red fluid labelled with animal stamps sat on display. Izuku watched as Kacchan’s eyes focused on one of the vials labelled

Lupus

. His reflection bared its fangs in disgust.
 
Just the thought that Kacchan’s blood might be in there made Izuku’s skin crawl. He shivered. “Did he ever take your blood?”
 
“Lots of times.” Kacchan rubbed at his wrist. “So often that I still get a phantom feeling of it. I’ll feel the sting of a needle, close my eyes and see the sickening way the syringe used to fill up. The sensation of lightheadedness that follows…”
 
He turned away from the cabinet. The light in his eyes dimmed only a moment, as if he were recalling the events. When he looked up at Izuku, the light had returned, a new wave of determination washing over them.
 
“But those terrible visions are a thing of the past. Now all I can do is make sure it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
 
Izuku nodded, feeling a sense of pride swelling in his chest over how far his partner had come. “Yeah. That’s right.”
 
A whimper echoing from outside the room made them both jump. Izuku signalled Kacchan to let him take the lead, readying his gun and moving into the hall to follow the sound. Kacchan stayed low and close to his side as they advanced.
 
Izuku entered the next room, barrel first, eyes scanning to assess the new environment. It was strangely built. On one side stood a tall fenced in area, close quarters that housed nude hybrids, reminiscent of some twisted pound or animal shelter. On the other side sat a giant hole made of concrete, like one of the empty pools at their local skate park.
 
Another whine pierced the air, ringing in Izuku’s ears and drawing his attention back to the cages. The Doctor stood inside one, a restrained hybrid kneeling before him, her head bowed in submission. He was pressing down on the plunger of a needle, injecting something into the poor things arm.
 
“Stop!” Izuku entered the room, aim poised on The Doctor. Kacchan kept to his side, growling his own warning.
 
The Doctor froze, eyes widening behind his round spectacles. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting guests.”
 
Izuku nodded to the girl, what looked to be a young panther hybrid, possibly around twelve or thirteen years old, dozing in his grip. “Drop her! Now! Put your hands above your head

slowly

!” He carefully enunciated each syllable so there wasn’t room for error or misinterpretation.
 
“Certainly. I had every intent to do just that before you interrupted me, since I’m finished with it regardless.”
 
The panther hybrid immediately slumped to the floor, boneless and heavy. Her short, jet black hair parted over her face, revealing a soulless blank stare, unblinking, unmoving.
 
Izuku swallowed, his mouth going dry as he realized she’d just been euthanized before his very eyes.
 
He glared at the Doctor, rage flaring out to every corner of his being, indignant on the murdered girl’s behalf. “Hands up where I can see them!” Izuku tried to keep his voice even, but it shook with unshed tears.
 
The other hybrids, still trapped in their cages, grew increasingly agitated with the presence of the newcomers. They slammed their bodies up against the chain link fences, clawed fingers curling in the wire, shaking, rattling, and kicking up a fuss.
 The Doctor started to raise his hands. Then he paused. He tilted his head to the side, looking curiously at Kacchan. “Oh ho ho!” He coughed a wheezy laugh. “You’re one of mine, aren’t you?” 
Kacchan tensed. All the fur along his tail bristled, making it look thrice as big as it actually was. He stood perfectly still, as if he’d stopped breathing.
 
The Doctor continued, not requiring a proper response to keep the conversation going, “Yes, I remember! One of my first successful experiments. You were the first big leap from Canis back to Lupus, although you still retained a little too much of that human consciousness that filthy domestication had bred into your kind. Your species was always meant to stay feral. You’re an animal at heart. Just look at how liberated your brothers and sisters are thanks to me!”
 
As if prompted by the Doctor’s manic cue, the hybrids got rowdier, snarling and baring their fangs, directing them at Kacchan. Kacchan took a step back toward Izuku, his ears flattening against his head.
 
“Stop talking!” Izuku tried to reign everything back in, to retake control.
 
But the Doctor’s sickening words were overwhelming. “Hybrids have always been more genetically similar to wild animals than human beings. It’s in your nature to rely on instinct rather than intellect. You’re a slave to it. You were born and bred to be beneath us and no cozy home, fancy job, or silly, delusional human partner can change that. You’re an animal, wolf. An apex predator. And that’s all you’ll ever be.”
 
“Shut up!” Izuku readied to take a step toward him, when all the chatter of the hybrids in their cages came to a complete stop.
 
The room fell silent. Even the Doctor’s tirade quelled as footsteps echoed down the hall. The occupants of the room waited in hushed silence as someone approached.
 
Then, through the shadows, a man quite befitting of the title The Benefactor emerged.
 
He wore a tidy suit, black and impeccably unwrinkled. He looked unreasonably calm, despite discovering a pair of cops had infiltrated his super secret hybrid torture basement. Izuku gaped at the state of his face. It was horribly disfigured, a set of claw marks stretched across the length of it, permanently skewing the flesh of his skin.
 
A cold front followed him into the room, gripping Izuku’s heart and paralyzing him with fear. Something about this man was worse than the Doctor. It was as if his presence alone set every nerve in Izuku’s body on alert. He swallowed.
 
This man was dangerous.
 
Izuku forced himself to move, re aiming the gun at AFO. He cleared his throat. “Don’t-Don’t move!”
 
“Welcome, officer and pet!” His tone was sweet poison, making Izuku feel sick to his stomach. “Welcome to your final resting place!”
 
He reached up an arm and slammed his fist down on a red button up against the wall. A loud buzzer droned through the underground space, red lights flashing overhead.
 
All the cage doors flew open, the hybrids inside jolting back at the initial freedom, before bounding forward. Then, everything devolved into utter chaos.

“Shit! Get down!” Katsuki barrelled into Deku, pushing him down into the pit to avoid the immediate flood of rapid hybrids escaping from their cages.
 
They rolled down the side of the pool, Katsuki covering Deku’s head protectively with his arms, cushioning the fall. When they came to a stop at the bottom, Katsuki quickly pulled himself off of Deku, shaking his head to clear it.
 
“Kacchan, what about-?”
 
“Augh!” An anguished, guttural scream rose up from above. It was fortunate they were out of sight from the scene of carnage, but blood and flesh still tore into the air in a horrifying manner as the Doctor was assumedly mauled to death by his own creations.
 
The sound of footsteps on metal grates rung out from above them. On the far wall, over the pool and out of the hybrids’ reach, stood AFO, casually strolling on a raised platform up against the wall.
 
The hybrids, finished with their first kill, began to circle the outskirts of the pit from above, sending ravenous glares down at Katsuki and Deku. Katsuki put himself between them, moving around him to snarl a warning when one of the other hybrids got too bold.
 
They hadn’t entered yet, too scared to stand in the pit. Katsuki knew why. He knew what it meant to be there. He spared a glance down and saw the stains of battles past soaked into the floor.
 
This was a place you either made it out alive or perished under the claws of a stronger opponent. There was no in between.
 
And those memories, that fear, had taught these hybrids well. None of them were immediately willing to take those odds right now, too instinctually driven to a sense of self preservation and too stupid to know they could enter together and leave together.
 
Katsuki planned to take advantage of that.
 
AFO laughed from above. “If you wouldn’t mind pet sitting, I’ll be leaving now. They should keep you occupied for a while, but, if they get hungry, do be careful. They get a little snappish.”
 
He took a step and paused, the sound of beeping drawing his attention to his smart watch. He tapped it, the light flicking on and the sound of police sirens spilling into the room.
 
His face fell, the first crack in his overly confident facade.
 
Deku scoffed. “Looks like backup arrived just in time. There’s no escape. They’ll have the place surrounded. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were on their way down right now.”
 
“This really is a shame.” He pulled his jacket back, reaching inside. “I was hoping I didn’t have to dirty my own hands today, but, despite my desire to remain gentlemanly, I’m a surprisingly spiteful fellow.” He removed a pistol from a hidden holster.
 
Deku started to scramble on his hands and knees for his own gun. It sat a little ways off. After skidding down the side of the pit in their mad shuffle to get down the slope, Deku must have lost track of it.
 
And now the idiot was making a dash for it, stepping out from behind Katsuki.
 
Blood pounded through Katsuki’s ears. He didn’t think, acting on instinct, just as the Doctor had said. He was an animal, wild and unrestrained, meant to move on primal urges alone.
 
But, in that moment, every primal urge in his body only wanted to keep Deku safe. He sprinted forward, watching as Deku scooped up his gun, seeing the glint of AFO’s in his peripheral.
 
Two shots rang out, one preceding the other. A stabbing pain pierced Katsuki’s shoulder, a bullet entering his body just as he managed to push Deku to the side. The other whizzed by him, sinking into the chest of the Benefactor.
 
Katsuki slumped down across Deku’s lap, his muscles spasming as he tried to get back up. He had to protect Deku, even now. No, now more than ever. He needed to get up. The other hybrids would smell his blood. They’d smell his weakness and descend on them in no time.
 
But he was so cold and he was so tired.
 
“Kacchan? Hey, Kacchan?”
 
Why did Deku’s voice sound so far away? He wanted to be closer. Deku held his head on his lap, forcing him to look up at him.
 
Katsuki's vision started swimming, Deku’s face becoming a melty blur of tears and panic. Katsuki closed his eyes to make it stop, whimpering at the pain, the strain of keeping his eyes open.
 
He heard fabric tearing, then felt the pressure at his shoulder grow in intensity, as Deku attempted to stifle the bleeding.
 
The howls of the other hybrids rose up. They hadn’t yet entered the pit, perhaps startled by the loud bang of Deku’s gun. At least he wouldn’t be eaten. He wouldn’t be ripped from Katsuki’s arms with what little time he had left.
 
“Just hold on, Kacchan! Hold on! Hey! We’re down here!” Deku called out.
 
There was a commotion above them, the sounds of other voices, much too muffled to make out.
 
But a recognizable laugh drowned it all out. AFO cackled and hacked. “Pitiable thing! A feral monster, but still conscious enough to know it!”
 
“Shut up!” Deku roared.
 
“He’s wanted to be put out of his misery since long ago!”
 
“That’s not true! Kacchan, I know that’s not true. You wanna be here with me, right? And I want you too, so stay with me!”
 
It was the last thing Katsuki heard before everything faded to black.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Katsuki padded barefoot next to The Doctor. The man carried a clipboard. He scooted Katsuki forward with it, toward the edge of the pit. “Go ahead. Go on. Show me what you can do, little devil.”
 
Katsuki’s tail wagged, happy to be out of his usual cramped quarters. Maybe if he did well, he’d be allowed more time outside, or maybe he’d even get to see his dam.
 
He slid into the basin, landing perfectly poised in the center of the arena. Another hybrid stood before him, wolf ears flattened. She waved shyly at him.
 
“No! That won’t do!” Both Katsuki and the girl flinched at The Doctor’s disapproval. “Fight, pups! Show me your skills! Bring out those aggressive tendencies that have long been forgotten!”
 
Katsuki turned back to the girl. She had already fallen forward, getting on all fours. Katsuki followed suit, feeling an old instinct flare up in the back of his mind. It lit a spark in him, a rush that made him feel more alive. He bared his teeth, growling through a playful smile.
 
The girl leapt for him and he easily dodged. He found a rhythm, watching as she tired herself out just trying to keep up with him.
 
“You can’t avoid her forever, little devil! Confront her!”
 
Katsuki heeded The Doctor’s advice. As the girl jumped toward him again, he moved out of her way and sunk his claws into her wrist, swinging her to the ground and slamming her back against the cement.
 
“Yes! Now finish her! Finish her!”
 
Adrenaline flooded through Katsuki, blurring his consciousness. His vision tinged red and he excitedly sank his fangs into the other hybrid child’s throat. Sticky warmth pooled into Katsuki’s mouth. The red on the edge of his vision seeped into everything until it was all he could see.
 
He looked up at The Doctor to find the man nodding approvingly. Katsuki broke into a proud smile, tail thumping against the ground, matting with his sparring partner’s blood. He turned to the girl, to share in their accomplishment, only to find her lifeless body laying still before him.
 
His tail stopped wagging.
 
“Not bad.” The Doctor scribbled his notes. “This marks your first kill.”
 
Katsuki whimpered. His legs shook until they caved beneath him. He scrambled backwards, away from the corpse.
 
The Doctor sighed, “Well, that won’t do. Not fit for breeding, but you didn’t fail the test... We’ll just mark you for sale.”

“You’ve been taking too big a cut. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
 
Katsuki watched from behind gold bars as his new owner, The Mob Boss, smashed the pommel of his cane into his crony’s mouth. Teeth flew across the room, some of them scattering into Katsuki’s cage. He picked one up and threw it, hitting the crony in his forehead.
 
“Oh, Katsuki. Do you wanna play with him?”
 
His owner kicked the goon forward until he landed on his knees before Katsuki’s cage. Katsuki made a show of slashing out at him, small but strong limbs reaching through the bars. The man looked like he might have wet himself.
 
“P-Please… I won’t do it again!”
 
“No, you won’t.”
 
The Mob Boss snapped his fingers. Two burly men entered the room and picked the goon up by his elbows, dragging him out the door and presumably to the courtyard where he would be “whacked”, whatever that meant.
 
“Such a good boy, Katsuki!” His owner pulled a sword out from the cane and used the sharp end to stab a piece of raw meat on his desk. He tossed it inside Katsuki’s cage. “The way you inflict such terror! Marvelous!”

Not ten days later, The Mob Boss knelt before his cage, the same terrified look in his eyes that had haunted his goon. There were loud bangs echoing all around, driving Katsuki’s senses crazy.
 
A man with a gun stood above Katsuki’s owner now. He fired, sinking a bullet into The Mob Boss’s head. He laid limply on the floor, his blood soaking into the carpet. Katsuki was no longer fazed by such things. He’d seen it too often here. What did it matter that the body and blood belonged to his owner this time?
 
“My!” The rival mob boss approached him. “Aren’t you a lovely little specimen! I’ve never seen anything quite like you. I must have you.”

Katsuki’s new owner is a hybrid Collector. Because he possesses an entire collection, he paid less attention to Katsuki than his last. He was only the favorite for about a week before a rabbit hybrid of perfect pedigree came into the picture.
 
He could hear the ugly thing getting fucked within an inch of its life every single night. Then, in the wee hours of morning, it was escorted back to its cage, preening and looking stupidly proud of itself.
 
On one such occasion it came back unguarded, stretching and ambling closer to Katsuki’s dwelling. It leaned against his bars.
 
“You know, I’ve been given freedom to roam about as I please now. The master trusts me completely. What a pitiful thing you are. A kid like you has no idea how to open your legs to get ahead yet.”
 
Katsuki squinted at it from the darkest corner of his cage. “You shriek like a parrot in bed. Does he know you’re faking it?”
 
The rabbit’s smile faltered. He gripped the bars, pressing his face close. “You watch your tongue, brat! Children shouldn’t speak on things they know nothing about!”
 
Katsuki pushed off the floor and charged forward. He struck out, raking his claws over the startled thing’s muzzle. The rabbit fell back, gripping its face in shock. It screamed bloody murder. The Collector came, along with some of his men.
 
The rabbit threw itself in his arms. He pointed to Katsuki. “That awful monster scratched me!”
 
The cell door opened. Katsuki felt the brunt of knuckles against his face. He snarled and one of his master’s men threw a muzzle on him.
 
The Collector sighed, annoyed. “Take the dog to one of the cells in the outer estates.” The rabbit clung to him, looking smug. The Collector shoved him away. “And put this one back in its cell. It’s ruined.”
 
The rabbit’s face fell in shock, as the master’s men dragged them both away. Katsuki held his head up high.
 
Served that bunny right! Now it would know what it felt like to live in Katsuki’s place!

A year passed by where Katsuki occupied one of the abandoned outer house cages. A year of quiet. Of solitary and reflection. Of anger and remorse.
 
This was the year Katsuki forgot how to speak.
 
But, in such a long and extended quiet, his ears grew sharp.
 
He growled, the fur fluffing up along his tail. Not long after, a leg appeared over the window sill. A man that looked nothing like his master’s men fell into Katsuki’s prison, only the bars of his cage separating them.
 
He patted himself down, picking up a hefty looking sack. When he noticed Katsuki’s presence he paused. “Well, look at you. What’s your name?”
 
Katsuki huffed.
 
“Don’t talk much? That’s good. I just took out someone pretty important and I’d appreciate it if you’d let me go without a peep.” Katsuki saw the glint of a firearm under his coat.
 
“Your master’s men aren’t too pleased with me, so don’t alert them, yeah?”
 
Katsuki rolled his eyes, settling back in the cage and folding his arms. The Thief looked around. “You been here a while? There’s dust all over the damn place, so I figure not a lot of people come by here very often.”
 
It

had

been some time since Katsuki received a proper meal.
 
“Hmm…” The Thief appraised Katsuki. “You look like you could fit into some tight spots. You wanna be useful? I bet I can get the both of us out of here undetected,” Katsuki perked up, “but you’d owe me. Whatdya say? I get you out of here, then you work for me for a while after? Not a bad deal, is it?”
 
Katsuki got back to his feet and gripped the bars. He hoped his wagging tail conveyed his approval for the plan.
 
“Clever boy.” The Thief pulled out a lockpick. “Now, let’s get you outta there.”

Katsuki hit a growth spurt in what might have been his fourteenth or fifthteen year. With no constants in his life, he was starting to lose track of time. People’s names and faces were blurring. He’d already decided he wouldn’t bother remembering them.
 
Even so, he thought The Thief would be kinder, but, after Katsuki’s added height, the wolf became more of a detriment than a help. He sold Katsuki to a wealthy family they’d robbed two weeks prior.
 
Katsuki sighed, finding himself, once again, in another cage.
 
His new owners were always busy, The Husband worked late nights and came home smelling like women other than his mate. The Wife was also a business woman, who liked to keep up a fake housewife image while she had maids clean and cook for her during the day.
 
The only source of entertainment Katsuki had was their runty little offspring, a twelve year old boy named Miki that would visit Katsuki and sing for him.
 
He would perform, strike a pose, and frown when inevitably Katsuki didn’t applaud. “Come on! You didn’t like it? I choreographed that whole routine.”
 
Katsuki wished he could tell him to show his parents, although their neglect was probably why he was forced to be the boy’s only audience anyway.
 
Miki came up to the bars, cheeks tinged pink. He gave upturned eyes at the wolf. “You

really

didn’t like it?”
 
Katsuki rolled his shoulders. He let out two succinct barks.
 
Miki grinned. “Good! I’ll have a new one prepared for you tomorrow!”
 
Katsuki whined and slumped back in his cage, carrying on despite the fact that he was so bored he was actually looking forward to it.
 
“Miki!” The Wife was working from home today.
 
“Uh oh!” Miki got to his feet, stepping away from the cage.
 
His mother’s heels clicked as she came down the stairs. “Miki, I told you not to mess with that thing! Your father would throw a fit.” She gasped as she drew closer, violently grabbing his arm and yanking it up to better examine it. “Did it claw you?!”
 
“What? No! These are from the cat!”
 
That damn cat had been an addition to the family, courtesy of The Wife. She’d kicked up a fuss, declaring that if her husband was allowed a pet, she would have one as well. It wasn’t a hybrid, but the creature was just as smart and three times as conniving. Katsuki had watched in agitation as it had pounced on Miki’s feet during a performance, tripping him up and going for his face next.
 
But the mother’s rage wouldn’t be quelled so easily, and there was no way she’d ever fault her newest acquisition and risk losing it in whatever competitive game she was playing with her cheating husband.
 
“We’re getting rid of it!”

The Husband apparently worked for more than just a normal pharmaceutical company. He had also been selling the goods of his trade under the table. This was the route he’d chosen to rid himself of Katsuki.
 
Katsuki coughed as his new owner, The Drug Dealer puffed smoke into the air. The noise caught his attention.
 
“What? You don’t like that?”
 
He got to his feet, moving closer to antagonize Katsuki. Katsuki tried to jump forward, only to have his collar dig into his neck, his chain pulling taut to keep him from moving too far from the wall. The Drug Dealer blew more smoke into Katsuki’s face. His eyes watered, sensitive nose stinging from the acrid stench.
 
“Hmm, I’ve got something you might like better.” He wobbled over to a crate and pulled out a container of pills. He tossed a tablet over to Katsuki. “Swallow that if you want dinner. Consider it a gift for being such a good guard dog on our last run.”
 
The drug took effect thirty minutes later.
 
“Hey, what’s wrong with the pooch?”
 
Katsuki whined, curled up on his side, facing away from his owner’s company. Heat coiled in his lower stomach and caused a burning itch between his legs.
 
“Gave him an aphrodisiac to make him chill out. I think he likes it. He hasn’t done that growly thing for a while.”
 
“Neat.” How could they all just continue their mundane conversations like Katsuki wasn’t suffering, his whole body going up in flames?
 
“You know, might not be a bad use for him. He’s got a nice face. I know some people that would be interested in him.”
 
The Drug Dealer smiled around his pipe. “Tell them to make me an offer.”

“Oh! Fuck

yes

! You’re such a good boy! Good doggie! Ah!” The Woman beneath Katsuki shuddered, arching on his cock. She held the pillows behind her in a white knuckled grip, panting and coming down off a high. “Oh, baby… You were so good.” She lit a cigarette and clicked her tongue. “You come yet, limpdick?”
 
Her Cuck husband sat back, nude in a leather armchair, pulling uselessly at his hog. He groaned in frustration. “No! Shit! You finished before I could!”
 
She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, what good are you?”
 
“Wait, keep talking to me like that. I think it twitched a little.”
 
“God, you’re such a fucking freak!” She tossed a pillow.
 
Katsuki sat at the foot of the bed, restraints still holding his arms back, the muzzle tight over his mouth.
 
The Woman looked at him and smiled. “I got an idea. Why not have doggie finish you off?”
 
“I’m not into that.”
 
“Well,

I

am. We always satisfy

your

dumb kinks and never mine. You know, I got half a mind to leave you, if you don’t start shapin’ up!”
 
“But I can’t get off with anal. Remember? We tried that.”
 
She untied Katsuki’s muzzle. “Wasn’t thinking about that. He’s got a perfectly good hole you can use right here.”
 
“Are you insane Look at those teeth!”
 
She laughed. “What? Are you scared?”

“We got some fresh meat in the pit today.”
 
One of the spectators pointed down at Katsuki. He growled up at them and they flinched.
 
The other audience member stared at him in awe. “That’s the biggest dog hybrid I’ve ever seen! What breed is he?”
 
“Tried asking his owner, but nothing came of it. He’s keeping his papers hidden. Only the committee is allowed to see them. I think they’re forged though. There’s gotta be something else there. Surprised they won’t disqualify him.”
 
Katsuki flung himself forward, gripping a husky mutt by its jaw. Its teeth sank into his hand. Katsuki didn’t bat an eye as he slammed his opponent into the ground, knocking it unconscious. He lapped at his wound, the drama and carnage of the moment driving the audience wild.
 
He walked back to his side of the pit. His owner, a man who asked for Katsuki to call him his Coach, congratulated him. “Easy win, Gladiator, but you forgot to finish the job.”
 
Katsuki would never finish another match like his first. Every body that hit the floor flashed an image of a little lupine girl in his head. It stilled his hands.
 
Eventually, he stopped fighting in the arena. He tired out his opponents instead, having them chase him around and throw punches into empty air. But that sort of thing made for a boring match. He went from Gladiator to the Lazy Luchadore in a couple days, and that simply wouldn’t do.
 
Requests for Katsuki to make an appearance at matches came to a stop. The Coach threw in the towel. “If you’d rather race, you could have said so. I got a friend who’d gladly take you off my hands.”

“Jin, what’s that?” A bimbo in scanty clothing and a whole lot of makeup startled as she noticed Katsuki’s presence in the corner of the room. “Oh! Is that your big ticket? Did he win you lots of dough?”
 
Katsuki’s owner, The Track Star, flopped back against the couch. “Not exactly. Soon as his first race started, he managed to leap off the track and into the stands. To make matters worse, his muzzle came off and he bit a few of the officiators. Took a whole lotta men to sedate him. I’m barred from the racetrack for a while.”
 
“Boo! If you’re not pulling in any cash through the tracks, how do you plan on paying for my special services?” She dropped her top.
 
The Track Star eyed up an array of white powder on his table. “Relax, baby. I got the means through other channels. Maybe you’d like to try a bit yourself?”
 
She smiled, much too saccharine to be genuine. “I was hoping you’d say that! I didn’t want to be rude, but you had a whole line on the table when I walked in, so I thought we’d be taking off before I,” she slipped her skirt down and dropped it next to the top, “took more off.”
 
Katsuki was gonna be sick.
 
The sound of glass breaking, jolted him to attention. A small man in a blue uniform landed in the basement. “Freeze! Police!”
 
Oh. This was the part where he met

him

, wasn’t it?
 
Green hair framed a face full of freckles. Katsuki watched with bated breath as he swept The Track Star off his feet and used a surprising amount of strength for a shortstack to cuff him. The Officer picked up his head and two sparkling emeralds flashed up at Katsuki, as he finally realized the wolf was there, alone, in the dark, but waiting for Deku to come rescue him.

The Deku memories flew by much too quickly for Katsuki’s liking, but he knew why. He had kept so many. Too many to revisit in a timely fashion. But there were blips here and there that Katsuki took note of, images of Deku’s face in passing.
 
His first bath, where he accidentally soaked Deku down to the bone with that stupid fucking pout on his face that made Katsuki snicker.
 
The first time he’d been allowed in Deku’s dam’s old room. The fool’s sullen expression, heartbroken and on the brink of tears.
 
His shock when Katsuki had spoken his first words. Looking back, his motivations for speaking again had been so silly, just so he could tell that selfless bastard off.
 
Katsuki shook his head and continued running through the memories. He saw Deku crying, winded from a run, proud of him at combat practice, and blushing like mad as Katsuki made him experience pleasure again and again and again.
 
As he ran towards Deku, all the shadows of Katsuki’s past stretched out far behind him. He smiled, sprinting forward. His hands twitched, longing to touch him, longing to hold him, and to feel those soft careful hands on Katsuki.
 
What an idiot he’d been. To think that Deku would ever hurt him after seeing his stupid vulnerable face filled with nothing but love, and Katsuki only had love to give him in return.
 
If only he could reach the end of this path! Katsuki dropped down on all fours. He panted, heart pounding as his pads thumped against the ground. He saw himself for what he was. A wolf, racing through a dark forest in search of his mate.
 
Deku was on the other side of these thick woods! Katsuki knew it! He could smell him!
 
“Kacchan!” his frightened voice called for him, dampened with tears. “Kacchan!”
 
Katsuki howled as he bounded toward the sound. Harsh light blinded him. He tried to blink it away.

“Kacchan!”

Deku

.
 
Katsuki squinted his eyes open. The blinding light dwindled to an overhanging fluorescent affixed to a white ceiling. A teardrop fell on his face. He lowered his gaze, finding Deku hovering above him.
 
Katsuki cleared his throat. His voice came out broken and hoarse, but so very full of relief. “Hey.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Deku’s hand reached out. Katsuki braced himself for his touch, but it anxiously went to the sheets, fisting a handful of fabric in a white knuckled grip. Katsuki swallowed. “You can hug me.”
 
Deku’s face lost some of its tension. He moved closer, only to stop short at his superior’s reprehensive tone, “That would be ill advised.”
 
Aizawa leaned against the far wall, arms crossed. He pushed himself away from it and approached them. Deku took his seat, shameful eyes darting down to his folded hands.
 
Aizawa gave his head a pat. “Relax. I just don’t want his wound to reopen immediately after they finished patching it up.”
 
“Yessir…”
 
Aizawa bopped him on the head. “Quit that already.”
 
Katsuki stared intently at his captain, tail thumping impatiently on the cot.
 
Aizawa sighed. “Well, I’ll give you both some time to yourselves.”
 
“Wait, Aizawa!” Deku grabbed his shirt sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. “Um, about the case…”
 
“I’ll reprimand you both for reckless behavior later.”
 
“No, not that. I meant, the decision they came to… regarding the hybrids.”
 
Aizawa looked over Deku’s shoulder. His expression flickered to momentary anguish as his gaze fell on Katsuki. “I trust you to deliver the news as best you can. You’ll both be taking time off to process it. Hell, even I’m gonna take my vacation days after this one.” Without another word he marched through the door and left them both alone.
 
“Deku…” Katsuki called for his partner. Deku turned around, teeming with new nerves. Katsuki grabbed his hand and placed it on his head, right between his ears. “Pet me.”
 
Deku’s eyes watered. His fingers scritched behind Katsuki’s ear, right where he liked it. “Good-Good boy, Kacchan! You did such a good job.” Katsuki’s tail wagged happily. Deku hiccuped.
 
“Why are you crying, stupid?” Katsuki laid a hand on Deku’s head, bringing their foreheads together. “We both did a good job, didn’t we? I mean, sure, Aizawa’s gonna chew us out for going in before backup arrived but-”
 
“I’m happy.” Deku bowed his head, resting it gently against Katsuki’s shoulder. “I’m really happy that you’re alive. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you. Don’t know how I could just go back to my empty house and shut every piece that you’d leave behind that door I refuse to open.”
 
Katsuki winced as he brought his arm up to wrap around Deku’s shaking shoulders, hiding his tear streaked face against his chest. “But I’m still here. It’s okay. Everything’s okay now.”
 
Deku shook his head. He pulled back. The look of despair on his face was immeasurable.
 
Katsuki tipped his chin up. “Deku, what’s wrong?”
 
Deku cleared his throat. “Yesterday, with the raids that took place all across the city, we saved, in total, three hundred and fifty-six hybrids.” Katsuki couldn’t see how that was anything but good news. “But,” Deku wasn’t finished, “of those three hundred and fifty-six lives we saved, for thirty-nine of them, all of our efforts were in vain.”
 
“What… What happened?” Katsuki’s pulse started pounding in his ears. “Deku, what happened while I was out?”
 
Deku’s eyes went blank as he relayed the information, “The city council voted on the fate of the thirty-nine feral hybrids that were rescued from The Doctor’s lab and from various points located around the city. With their overly aggressive instincts, the city decided they were a danger to society, have no basic human intelligence, and have no chance at rehabilitation. Therefore, rather than spend the time and money required to teach and provide them with a decent way of living, the council has decided that-that they’ll be euthanized.”
 
The word hung heavy in the air between them. A chill ran up Katsuki’s spine.
 
“Fuck... What the hell is that supposed to

mean

? They’re not just animals, right? And, Deku, you-you’re talking like you’re reading directly from some pompous political declaration. Aren’t you upset? Aren’t you angry?”
 
“Yes! Yes-fuck-

of course

I’m angry!” Deku ripped away from Katsuki, getting to his feet. He threaded fingers through his hair, pulling at the fistfuls he gathered. “I’m livid! I’m going absolutely insane at the thought of it! I don’t know how anyone could condone this! I tried pleading with Aizawa, but he’d already tried talking to everyone above him. They told him, at most, they’d erect some stupid statue to honor the victims, in the hopes that nothing like this ever happens again! What absolute bullshit!”
 
Deku buried his face in his hands. He sobbed, the curses he was no doubt spewing made unintelligible. As Katsuki took in the sight of his grief, his own anger subsided in favor of consoling his partner. He pulled Deku in again, encouraging him to clamber into the cot.
 
Deku curled up against his side, letting Katsuki shush and lull him with soft strokes of his fingers against his cheeks. He wiped away tears and sadness, leaving behind only forehead kisses and soothing caresses as Deku’s spent body wracked with every awful emotion imaginable.
 
Eventually the dust settled. Deku’s trembling slowed until he was limp in Katuski’s arms. Only the steady beating of his heart remained.
 
His small voice, hoarse from crying, spoke up, “I’m sorry.”
 
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
 
“I still feel like I failed. Not just them. I failed you. I told you when we first met that life outside the cages you’ve been kept in would be different. I told you that the world was less cruel.” He sank further into Katsuki’s side. “But I was wrong.”
 
“Deku, you didn’t fail me. You

saved

me.”
 
Deku looked up at him, searching Katsuki’s face for sincerity.
 
“And, if I’m being honest, it’s not like I ever really put much stock in that bright eyed optimism of yours. I’ve lived…

a life

. But this line of work taught me to accept things on a case by case basis. It’s not all black and white. Not all humans are bad. Some are good. You’re good. And you make me feel like the world is less cruel than it is, so don’t take the weight of it on your shoulders. I can carry some of it too. We’re partners, right?”
 
Deku’s lip wobbled. He tucked his head under Katsuki’s chin. Katsuki felt him nod against him. “Right… We’re partners.” A few more tears stained his collarbone.

“Take it slow.”
 
“I’m fine, Deku.” Kacchan pushed the door to their home open.
 
Izuku followed him inside, pouting. “You were shot a little over a week ago. That’s, like, the very definition of not fine!”
 
“The doctor said he’s never seen anyone bounce back so fast.”
 
“The idea of you doing any bouncing right now is a frightening visual. You’re giving me heart palpitations.”
 
Kacchan grabbed his waist and spun him around. “That’s my modus operandi.”
 
Izuku’s eyes hooded as Kacchan leaned in. He almost forgot himself, lost in watching the wolf’s inviting lips slowly approaching. Quick as he could manage, Izuku brought his hands up to block the kiss. Kacchan opened his eyes, expression shifting from surprise to annoyance.
 
Izuku grinned sheepishly. “We might have to put a hold on our, um,

activities

until you’re better.”
 
Kacchan rolled his eyes. “Really?”
 
“Well, I don’t want to have to explain to anyone how your wound reopened!”
 
“The stitches are already partially dissolved. We’ll be fine. Plus…” Kacchan dangled a pair of cuffs between them. “I was thinking we could try something.”
 
Izuku patted at his back pocket. “Did you swipe those off of me just now?”
 
Kacchan swung the cuffs around his finger. “So distracted by me grabbing two handfuls of your ass, you didn’t even realize you were being had. Now try to tell me you don’t want me.”
 
Izuku’s face caught fire. “That… That was very sneaky…”
 
Kacchan tugged him along towards the bedroom. He flopped back on the mattress, pulling Izuku down with him. His low voice rumbled in Izuku’s ears. “You want to do the honors or should I?”
 
Izuku sat up, stradling Kacchan’s waist. He offered up his hands. “You can do it…”
 
The cuffs clicked into place as they circled Izuku’s wrists. Kacchan pulled on the chain between them, beckoning Izuku to lay down. He set his hands above the wolf’s head, boxing Kacchan’s face in with his arms, bringing them closer together.
 
The wolf hummed against Izuku’s lips. Izuku swallowed, impatient for Kacchan to make the first move, but not wanting to overstep any of his boundaries. Kacchan’s tongue skimmed across his bottom lip. Izuku opened his mouth and Kacchan licked his way inside, coaxing Izuku’s tongue into a languid, thorough kiss.
 
Izuku melted on top of his chest. He closed his eyes and focused more intently on the way Kacchan’s tongue swiped up against his palette. The pleasure increased with each needy sound Kacchan was able to drag forth.
 
His hands drifted down Izuku’s back, finding their way under his clothes. One hand pushed up Izuku’s shirt while the other reached down his pants to grope his ass. Izuku moaned into the kiss as it grew wetter, hotter. It was so intense, the fiery touches driving him wild with want.
 
There was a very tangible desperation to it, with the way Kacchan held him so close. With Izuku’s hands bound, the wolf had all the power, but he was still lying beneath Izuku, still pressed snuggly against him, anchored down by his weight.
 
Izuku remained aware of it. He thought to speak up, but any concerns were quickly devoured, swallowed by Kacchan not giving a moment’s rest to his mouth.
 
A finger prodded at Izuku’s entrance and Izuku jolted, bucking up and grinding his hardon against Kacchan’s leg like a bitch in heat. Had Kacchan kept his nails trimmed while in the hospital? He shivered as the wolf smeared lube around his hole, teasing the rim with his pleasantly calloused fingertips that caught and dragged on such sensitive places.
 
“Your hips are shaking,” Kacchan commented. He’d slid lower to be at eye level with Izuku’s chest. Izuku couldn’t see the teasing smile, but he could hear it in his voice. “You want me inside that bad?”
 
A rough tongue brushed over Izuku’s nipple. He shuddered as Kacchan took the glistening pink bud into his mouth, rolling it around gently with his teeth. Izuku couldn’t help the way his lower half jerked back again, almost as if it had a mind of its own.
 
Finally, Kacchan slid the elusive finger inside. It only just brushed up against his prostate, but after being so thoroughly worked up, Izuku saw white.
 
“A-Ah!” He shivered, body spasming as he sprayed Kacchan’s chest in cum. Izuku continued to shake even after his vision returned.
 
“That was quick.” Izuku squeaked, having very little time to collect himself before Kacchan flipped them both over. “You must have really wanted this.” He shoved another finger in alongside the first, pumping them in and out so fast that Izuku’s poor dick could only twitch to signal its arousal.
 
“Ah! Wait, no! Kacchan, slow down! Just came!”
 
“No way. Can’t you hear how sloppy your hole is? Doesn’t sound like it wants me to stop at all.”
 
Izuku felt himself clench down. His eyes rolled back into his head and drool dribbled down his chin, but he hardly noticed with the way Kacchan was stirring him up inside. Just as his back started to arch off the bed, Kacchan’s fingers withdrew. It left him whining, desperately hanging on the edge from the overstimulation, a second orgasm having been built up way too soon after the first.
 
The head of Kacchan’s cock docked on Izuku’s rim, breaking him out of his trance. He peered down to find Kacchan between his legs, angling himself to enter. Izuku panted, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes.
 
“R-Really?”
 
Kacchan chuckled. He pushed his hair back, giving Izuku a clear view of his face. “You’re not the only one who’s been wanting this.” He rested his palm against Izuku’s cheek, eyes lidding in a tender expression. “Deku, I’ve been meaning to bring up our arrangement. You see, we’ve broken quite a bit of our rules...”
 
Izuku choked on a sudden sob.
 
“But there’s just one that I’ve been too afraid to touch.”
 
Izuku hid his face and nodded.
 
“Tch. At least let me get it out first, dummy!”
 
“I love you, Kacchan!” Izuku wailed, “I love you so much!”
 
Kacchan leaned down, pulling Izuku’s arms away. “Beat me to it…” He captured Izuku’s lips in a soft, chaste kiss.
 
Using the moment as a distraction, he thrust forward. Izuku gasped as he bottomed out. They remained still, a panting, sweating tangle of limbs tied to each other, and soaking in the new and most welcome idea of requited love.
 
Kacchan gave an experimental roll of his hips. Izuku let out a wanton noise that had him clamping his shackled hands over his mouth.
 
“Lord have mercy. How do I get you to make that sound again?”
 
Kacchan started up with an almost unforgiving pace. The sound of wet skin slapping on skin filled the room and Izuku’s uncontrollable moans rose up to join in the chorus. A liquid warmth pooled near Izuku’s stomach.
 
An unfamiliar sound drew his attention back to his partner. Kacchan’s ears were drawn back as he pounded into Izuku, whines, like a ravenous dog’s, escaping his throat. Izuku’s ass felt so full and it was only getting fuller, hot and rapidly expanding…
 
Kacchan’s knot! How could Izuku forget about his wolf’s knot?
 
It inflated until Kacchan could no longer move, but that hardly mattered. It was large enough to press down on Izuku’s prostate, pinning the bundle of nerves in a position where even the slightest stutter of their hips sent a wave of pleasure coursing through Izuku’s whole body.
 
Kacchan howled, jaws clamping onto Izuku’s shoulder as he came, a wet heat pouring into Izuku’s stomach, filling him up to the point where his belly bulged, distended in a manner that made him look almost pregnant.
 
His own orgasm finally took him, short bursts that had him squirming on Kacchan’s knot. The wolf’s teeth broke his skin and Kacchan let go. He pulled back Izuku’s shirt to lap at the mark he’d left behind, wiping it clean of blood.
 
The knot was down to perhaps half its size now, but it was still locked in place, too dangerous to slip out. Izuku didn’t mind. Now that he knew what it felt like, Izuku wanted Kacchan to stay inside him for as long as possible, committing the wolf’s shape to memory.
 
“No need for that… I can be ready to go again in a few hours.” Kacchan breathed against his neck.
 
“Shit… Did I all mumble that out loud?”
 
“Only the most embarrassing parts.” Izuku snorted. “It was kind of hot though. Try your hand at dirty talk next time.”

Next time.

The words made butterflies dance in Izuku’s stomach.

There was going to be a next time.

“How about this?” Kacchan tossed Izuku an old knit blanket.
 
Izuku grimaced. “Oh wow. I can’t believe she kept this. This was my baby blanket. Probably not worth keeping.”
 
“It’s in decent condition. Put it in the donate pile.” Kacchan brought over a pile of books next. “We have room for these on the shelf in the living room.”
 
Izuku started dusting them off while Kacchan busied himself digging up the next artifact.
 
It had been a few months since they’d settled in back home. Izuku and Kacchan attended therapy regularly now, at least once a week. The redecorating had been the therapist’s idea. Izuku had thought that revisiting his mother’s room would be more painful than this, but Kacchan, unsurprisingly, made it less so.
 
He was efficient in his work, as always, but he didn’t rush the process. Every little thing had to be taken to Izuku to be cleared for disposal or relocating. Kacchan had opened a window, breathing fresh air and sunshine into the stale room.
 
They had plans to make it into Kacchan’s den. He’d have his own bed and closet. They planned to furnish it to his liking. Right now, they were cleaning out the space while awaiting the new pieces they had recently ordered.
 
It was high time Kacchan received his own room, something that carved out a feeling of permanence in their little home.
 
Kacchan insisted he would still be sleeping with Izuku. They would cuddle up under the covers and usually slept quite soundly throughout the night. Therapy had been good for the both of them in that way.
 
“Oh! We better stop.” Izuku took note of the time. He stretched, raising his arms over his head. “We can pick up again after we get back, but everyone’s probably waiting for us.”
 
Kacchan bounded over the bed. “Do we need signs?”
 
Izuku shook his head. “Uraraka has extras for us, so we don’t have to worry!”
 
Kacchan eyed him warily. “It’s because I used inappropriate language on the last ones, isn’t it?”
 
“That might have something to do with it!” Izuku grabbed his coat and Kacchan, his scarf.
 
“Show some respect! I’m pretty sure that bastard resigning was a direct result of my unique vernacular.”
 
“He did turn awfully white when he read it.” Izuku opened the door.
 
“He shat himself.” Kacchan smiled as he walked through. “Gonna make this one do it too.”
 
Izuku smiled back. “Then let’s go raise some hell.” He closed the door behind them.