Discover Top Posts Tagged with #alpha bnha

Alpha Kirishima x Reader: Flower Girl

Summary: After being rescued by a certain red haired hero during a villain attack, you find him sniffing around the flower shop you work at

Masterlist

Good to back everyone! After a bit of a break I'm ready to hop back on the BNHA fic train, and I thought I'd go off on my return with an extra long fic! I would also like to announce that I'm looking for a beta reader, so if anyone is interested then let me know. Something to help me keep up regularly with fics as my college classes continue. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy, and continue reading my fics in the future! Until next time!

~Bim

____________________________________________________________

“And then they took me to the arcade where I proceeded to kick their ass skeeball!”

You could only laugh as Reiko recounted her date from last night, careful to keep yourself from pricking your fingers on the roses you were currently trimming as she continued to bounce back and forth across the store as she put your newest bouquet selections on display. The store was slow, being a Wednesday night and already quite late, so you were free to converse without having to worry about customers while you prepared to close. Something you were looking forward to after being tired all day from your sleepless night from before, waking up shivering. Fall and winter were always a rough time, your apartment so cold that no amount of blankets or heating pads seemed to help, especially when you had to leave the confines of your cozy nest to go to work. Thankfully Rekio had enough energy for the both of you as she continued to chatter away.

“You know, you should really think about putting yourself out there more. I know you’re not big on the whole online scene, but what about that alpha who owns the bakery a few blocks over? They seem to always bring you something or another when they drop by.”

“Natsu’s just a friend.” Bundling up the last of the roses with a simple ribbon, you put them in their pickup cubby. “Plus, he already has the hots for the delivery boy. You should have seen him practically drooling when he was unloading those heavy boxes last time I stopped by. Not that you’re much better.”

Flashing a grin over your shoulder, you barely managed to dodge the sandal thrown your way, instead hitting the bulletin board beyond with a dull thunk and leaving an impressive smudge behind.

“Have fun cleaning that up.” You pat her shoulder as you pass, flipping the sign and locking the door, officially closed for the day. Taking a deep breath, you let your shoulders fall. The sun outside was already setting, leaving the sky a rosy blush that reflected across the small outlet your shop was located in. Across the way you could see the fabrics shop had already done so, and the large-horned teen that worked after school was doing the same at the game store as well. He caught you staring, sending a wave your way. One you returned. He was nice, hardworking and would occasionally stop by to grab flowers for his girlfriend, an energetic beta who could be found dragging him around the plaza on weekends as they shopped.

Speaking of weekends, you couldn’t wait to start yours. Two days of uninterrupted relaxation as you recharged your social battery. The most interaction you would have with others would be when the delivery boy dropped by, and you could practically taste the cheap takeout already.

“Hey!” Reiko’s voice shouted from across the store, and you turned around just in time to avoid the bottle of window cleaner thrown your way, though the balled up rag managed to hit smack dab in the center of your face. “Stop daydreaming and help me cleanup! I have a hot alpha to get to!”

Turning on her heel, she grabbed a broom and started to sweep up the leaves and dirt that had been gathering all day, dropped from the countless pots and bouquets that had moved around and sold. You were glad to let her do so, as the thing apparently had it out for you as you seemed to get a splinter from the worn wood handle every time you came within three feet of it. No, you were content to wipe the windows and counter until they were spotless, even if they would be caked in pollen and dust by the next day. Leaning closer to the window, you were focused on one particular spot that seemed to have a type of sap smear over it, but no matter how hard you scrubbed it didn’t seem to even budge. So focused were you, that you didn’t hear Riko calling your name at first.

“(Y/n).....(Y/n)”

“Not now.” You chided, tongue stuck out in concentration. “I’ve almost got it.”

“(Y/n), look out!” Her yell finally made you pause, looking past the stain and now seeing what looked like a miniature sun. A sun headed your way. A curse barley made it past your lips before the impact came, first processing the shop you had just been working to clean falling in debris around you, then the ear shattering sound it made as it hit the plaza. Broken glass flew and you barely had time to raise your arms, letting them take the brunt of the impact instead of your face and neck as pain laced up your body, feeling nearly as hot as the air around you. You briefly registered the sound of Riko’s own yell as everything turned dark. You thought for a moment you had passed out, but a sliver of light caught your eye and you realized that the ceiling and walls of the shop had fallen, trapping you in near darkness and pressing down more and more with every second.

“Shit…SHIT!” Your chest felt tight as you struggled to breath, every alarm in your body going off, both in pain and panic. You could feel your scent becoming stronger, fighting its way through the debris to call out for anyone who could help you, though you doubted anyone would be able to detect it over the pungent smell of smoke that hung in the air.

‘Deep breaths. Panicking isn’t going to help anything.’ You told yourself, trying to take deep breaths to calm yourself, despite the thin air. Moving each limb in turn, you found you weren’t as trapped as you had originally thought, with a small amount of wiggle room between the debris. Slowly, inch by inch, you wormed your way through the maze of splintered wood and shattered tiles, ignoring the way the broken glass scratched your skin as you moved towards the small sliver of light you could see peaking through the inky darkness. It was your only hope, your sole focus and goal. If you could get out through there, you could make it out of this alive.

Right, left. Right, left. Every step follows your hand's path. So focused you were, that when you finally reached the small hole you bumped your head on the ceiling of debris. It was smaller, much more than you had expected it to be, and for a frightening moment you thought you might not fit through what could be your only hope of escape from this suffocating cave.

No. It would work. You would force it if you had to. So, sucking in your stomach and bringing your shoulders in as tight as possible, you slowly began worming your way through, ignoring the way the loosely knitted yarn of your sweater was torn away, leaving your skin exposed to the sweltering air above.

First your arms, which moved to the sides to pull you even further out. Then came your head. As soon as it was through the noises once muffled by layers of rubble hit full force. People were already yelling, screaming as they ran every which way to escape the flames that had engulfed the small shopping outlet. They covered every surface like a blanket, the lack of sway in the wind telling you they had to be the result of a quirk, radiating twice as much heat as one would expect from the blaze. You almost missed the cooler air you had just escaped from but nonetheless greedily gulped in air as you struggled to pull your legs the rest of the way through.

“(F/n)! (F/N)!”You thought you had imagined it at first, hardly able to hear anything over the pounding of your heart and the roar of the flames around you. But when they called out again, your head whipped around to see Reiko, struggling herself underneath the large sign that had once hung above the register, proudly displaying the prices of every bouquet and arrangement. Now the heavy oak only worked to trap your friend, stubbornly ignoring her attempts to push it off her lower half.

Cursing whatever luck you had left, you managed to pull your legs free, losing your last remaining shoe in the process. Pushing your way through what was left of the shop, another rumble hit the ground as you reached her side, sending you scrambling as you struggled to remain balanced. The yelling almost seemed to double in volume now, making it even harder to block out as you latched on to the cursed wood.

“On the count of three. One, two, THREE!” You heaved, putting every last ounce of your strength into your arms as you lifted. On a normal day, there was no chance that you would have been able to lift such a thing. The larger potted plants you had were enough of a struggle for you even when you were in top shape. Maybe it was the desperation, the thought of having to live knowing the fact you were the reason your closest friend had met her untimely demise, or the raw scent of her fear that seemed to slice through every other scent floating in the air, that pushed just enough adrenaline into your body to give you enough strength. Just enough to allow her to scramble from underneath in time to avoid the heavy slab as it slammed back down to the ground.

Your hands ached, feeling as if they were cut to ribbons and full of splinters. It didn’t matter though. What did was that Reiko was now safe, or as safe as one would be in this moment.

“We have to get out of here!” She stumbled to your side, leaning on your shoulder as she favored her left leg. No unloading the shipments for a while for her, you mused, despite the situation.

“The heroes should be here soon!” You purred lightly, trying to comfort her as you picked your way across the ground, heading in the same direction you had seen everyone else running earlier. Numbers meant safety. They meant big groups. Groups that heroes would be more drawn to.

Another rumble from the ground, this one much stronger and much closer. It brought a new rush of energy in your body as you were all but dragging Reiko now, trying not to let your own fearful scent grow too strong and draw unwanted attention. A tall order with how scared you actually felt, biting your lip to keep from whimpering.

“It looks like the shops a block down are still intact.” You strained your neck, trying to get a better look at the still intact structures just a few dozen yards away. “If we can make it there we can-”

Your words were cut off as your shirt collar caught around your neck, Reiko tumbling down with a small yelp as her own leg was unable to keep her standing. Jerked violently back, you barely registered the feeling of someone much taller and much bigger standing behind you before the pungent scent of alpha hit you. Not the soothing scent of fallen leaves or fresh bread, nor even the minty musk that some carried. No, this was like leaning over a giant tank of beach and breathing in as deeply as you could. The scent was burning, your eyes nearly watering as you retched, though it turned out to be the least of your worries as you felt a hand clasp around your throat.

“Back the fuck off, or this little omega gets turned to ash.” A voice spat from behind you, the hand lifting you even higher to the point your feet were almost off the ground. This person was undoubtedly the villain who had caused the explosion from earlier, dangerous not only in practice with his destruction but also in morals. Any alpha this close while you were putting off the amount of panic and pain, so tangible in the air you could almost see it, and wasn’t jumping to do anything about it was bad news. Panic set to an all new high, you struggled to get out of their grip, only to still as the hand around your throat began to grow even hotter.

Your mind began running amuck, no longer able to control the panic that had been steadily growing and being pushed down this entire time. Your parents had always warned you to be careful whenever shit hit the fan. Omegas were more often than not the first ones targeted thanks to the large bargaining power they held in nearly any situation. No alpha, no hero, would risk an innocent omega getting hurt. Every villain knew that. And despite your fear you couldn’t help the jolt of anger that coursed through you. Not only at the villain who had stooped so low as to drag a civilian into this little standoff of his, but also at yourself for the fact that you hadn’t tried harder to get away. All those self defense classes you and Reiko took together every week and you had just tossed it all away, freezing on the spot the instant you became threatened.

You could see her, half standing as she used a piece of piping to support herself. You motioned for her to go, her scent screaming of the fear that was coming off her in waves and you prayed that the villain wouldn’t decide to use her as well.

She was reluctant, even taking a small step forward as your eyes locked, only for you to shake your head just a fraction. There was nothing either of you could do against this man, and only a fool would think otherwise. Still, it took another pause for her to finally accept your fate. You could see the tears running down her eyes as she turned tail and fled, limping away as quickly as she could. Now you were on your own, and the thought brought a chill down your spine despite the heat surrounding you.

“Let them go! This fight is between us.” A new voice cut through the air, drawing your attention. Eyes stinging from the pain of the smoke and tears quickly gathering in them, you rapidly blinked them in an attempt to see where the voice had come from. Gaze bouncing back and forth between debris and flames burning among them, you finally landed on two shadows standing only a few yards away. It was hard to see anything more than their outlines against the bright light, but the confident stances and dramatic silhouettes of their costumes were enough for you to know. The heroes had shown up.

“Maybe if you give up now, I’ll only hit you half as hard.” Another, different voice spoke up. You internally cringed at how rough it sounded, as if the person had just got done screaming at the top of his lungs for hours on end. It indeed matched his words, yet you wish he had chosen different ones as the villain drew you impossibly closer. Now you could feel that it wasn't just his hand that was burning, but his entire body.

“You two should have left me for someone else to take care of!” Your captor shouted, almost laughing as he did. “You, Dynamite, can go blow for blow with me sure, but now we’ve seen what that does to everything else!”

The blond man grit his teeth, his gaze becoming even more scathing than before, as if he were trying to melt the man with his mind.

“Enough. We don’t need to use our quirks to take down pathetic scum like you.” The same man from before spoke, clearly more level headed about the situation, though if you were as tall as him, you supposed there were few things that would scare you.

He chuckled.

“Of course you would think that, you optimistic fool. But the fact of the matter is that you’re not going to catch me tonight. Not unless you want to see this one,’’ he jerked your body to cover more of him as he tightened his grip. “,become crispier than rice.”

You couldn’t help the small whimper that left your mouth, the two heroes instantly tensing at the sound. A deep growl was thrown in response, and if it weren’t for your current situation you would have swooned at the deep baritone despite the clear anger it bared.

“Easy there fella. Wouldn’t want anyone to try and play hero now, would we? But you do raise a good point.” He shifted, bringing his face closer to your unmarred neck and, much to your horror and disgust, drew in a deep breath.

“This one’s nice. Unmated at that. I just might consider keeping them for a little while.” His lips, now pressed against your skin, broke into a sharp grin as his warm breath washed over you, causing every hair on your body to raise in alarm. The tall man had begun inching forward, slowly, inch by inch while his partner took a wider stance.

“If they behave, that is.”

Later, people would praise you, saying how brave you were. That you were a one in a million omega. How you didn’t let your fear get the better of you and crumble. But the truth of the matter is pure fear is what drove you in that moment. It coursed through your body and set every nerve ablaze, overriding every rational thought and unlocking your frozen limbs.

You dropped, falling into a squat that was only possible thanks to his blatant surprise at the action. A deep breath in, and out.

This is really going to hurt.

Using all the muscles you had gained from Reikos forced Friday gym trips, you launched yourself up and slightly back, right into your attacker. The sound of bones crunching came first, followed quickly by the splitting pain that blossomed from the top of your skull. Yet you had no time to mourn the inevitable headache, jumping forward and out of arm's reach as soon as your feet touched the ground once again.

The man yelled, stumbling back a few paces as he held his face.

“You little bitch!” He started towards you, yet never got even close enough to lay another finger on you because that moment was all the heroes needed.

The taller one leapt forward, quickly closing the distance in a single bound. He didn’t stop when he reached you, his arms quickly sweeping you off your feet as if you were a child, his massive form then curling around yours as a sort of shield. The next moment, what felt like a reenactment of earlier hit, knocked the wind out of you as both you and your hero were thrown forward by the strength of the blast. This one was hotter than the one from before, more concentrated. Still it felt like your hair was singed off and every ounce of oxygen being burned from your lungs. A loud ringing, then silence.

You must have blacked out from either the force of the blast of hitting the ground, probably both. All you knew was one moment you couldn’t see a thing and the next you were facing down one of the most attractive faces you had ever seen. So, in proper response from your thoroughly shaken brain, you said the first thing that popped into your mind.

“You’re really cute.”

And he was. No longer hidden in the shadows of the rubble, you could see him clearly now. His hair stood straight on end, slightly smoking and crimson red and surprisingly still standing despite recent events. They perfectly matched his eyes, which were once looking with concern and fear now had widened in surprise. He still held you caged in his arms, though now more so leaning over you as he knelt on the ground. His size matched his height, every inch of him wide and sturdy, from his shoulder to his legs, and with energy that pulsed through his twitching, equally strong hands.

He blinks, slowly. As if he were expecting something entirely else from you, which was fair in this case. Before the embarrassment had time to set in, his eyes narrowed and locked onto something on your neck. A hand reached forward, still easily holding you like a child with just one, and brushed along your skin, causing you to flinch and let out a small whimper. Something must have cut you earlier without you even realizing it. Briefly, you wondered if they would have to give you a tetanus shot.

The red head however, flinched back as if he were the one injured. A deep rumble came from his chest in automatic response, prompting you to snuggle further into his chest. Breathing in his scent of coffee mixed with a light mint, now tinged with the smoke around you. You were content despite the position, enjoying the way his scent soothed you, along with the way his voice rang out, as smooth and thick as honey. You almost whine when a medic takes you from his arms, though you manage to save yourself the embarrassment.

“I have to go make sure my partner has the villain under control. Though knowing him, I think I should be more worried for the other guy.” He smiles, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, before patting your head and running off in the direction of loud swearing.

Quickly, the medic takes you to one of the many awaiting vehicles, finding a free one before tending to your wound. In all honesty, you thought it was a bit overkill. You hadn’t even noticed it before now, and it was nothing that a little gauze couldn’t help with. On top of that, they were worried about possible internal injuries.

“You were kind of thrown around out there.” The beta joked as he finished putting his things away, turning to dig in one of the many compartments just inside the back. As he does that, you’ve distracted yourself as you touch at the gauze now wrapped around your neck, flinching as you catch a whiff of the man’s scent still on you. You scent burns stale, cursing the beta to begin his digging even more frantically before sighing in defeat.

“I’m sorry. I can’t find any comfort blankets anywhere. With all the attacks that have been happening lately, we just can’t seem to keep enough on stock.”

Doing your best to smile, you brush away his words as if they were nothing more than a pesky fly.

“No worries. I’m fine, really. It’s not like you did anything.” Though you can’t help but feel down at the fact there were none. All you wanted now was to go back home and curl up in the comfort of your own nest, though it seemed that wasn’t going to be happening for a while.

“He may not have, but I did.” A familiar voice rumbled, scaring you. For such a large man, you would have thought you would have seen him coming, or at least smelled his approach. His scent hung potent in the air, even now, though you assumed you must have gotten used to the small amount that still clung to your form.

He got down on one knee, now eye level as he took in your new bandage. A small growl escaped him, and you found your own crooning notes reaching out to sooth him. This day couldn’t get any more embarrassing for you.

“I’m sorry I allowed you to get hurt. I should have been more careful. Not everyone is as unbreakable as me.” He let out a light laugh, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. In that moment it was hard to see him as a kickass hero and not one of the shy customers you always got on Fridays, picking up flowers for first dates and whatnot. You laugh lightly yourself in response, doing your best to keep the still lingering anxiety out of your scent and the trembles at bay. There was no reason to make him feel any worse than he did for something he couldn’t control.

“It’s alright. I probably scratched it crawling out from the debris earlier. Not to mention I’m tougher than you think. One more second with that guy and I would have had him flat as a pancake!” You laughed, meekly flexing an arm that was hardly bigger than his wrist. In doing so, a light tremble raced through your body, followed by more that wouldn't stop no matter how hard you tried, and you could already feel the tears starting to gather in the back of your eyes as the gravity of the situation hit you.

Damn, one of those blankets would be pretty good right about now.

No sooner had the words entered your mind then you felt something being placed over your shoulders. You were instantly swathed in the scent of the man before you, a light purr escaping as you raised your gaze from their lazer focus on your feet in an attempt to keep him from seeing you cry.

You noted his uniform change, a lack of red from the material he had worn around his waist just moments before. The same material that was now resting around your shoulders as a blanket of sorts, only this was much better than any starchy blanket the E.M.T.s could have given you.

It’s still warm from his body and absolutely drenched in his scent. The fabric is worn, surprisingly soft against your skin with a few holes, and now light burns, that give it a dash of character. Uniquely him. You breathe in deeper, enjoying the moment before reminding yourself of your audience, and here you were swooning like an omega in heat. He was just a hero doing his job, comforting civilians and helping as needed. You were just another omega to be saved. Nothing special, you reminded yourself despite the sharp pain it sent through your chest.

Clearing your throat, you quickly calmed yourself and settled your nerves before slipping the fabric from your shoulders and trying to hand it back to the alpha still kneeling before you

“Thank you, but I’m fine, really.” Flashing him a smile, you can only hope that he can’t see through the blatant lie. But of course, like all other things today, it doesn’t go your way as he gently pushes the fabric back, now tying it softly in a knot to keep it in place.

“I wouldn’t have given it to you if I wanted it back. Trust me, I have a closet full of them back at the agency.”

Your heart nearly melted at the look he gave you and you swore he was purposely pushing that comforting scent of his forward to make you more agreeable. Yet you wouldn’t have it, once again shaking your head.

“I couldn’t possibly think of taking something more from you after all you’ve already done for me. Really I-”

“Spiky hair!” The voice tore through the air, easily rising above the emergency vehicles and chattering people moving to and from said vehicles. The same blond from before was marching over, significantly more soot stained then his friend but looking none the worse for wear. His steps seemed to shake the ground, and in the back of your shocked mind you processed that this was number two pro hero Dynamight. His reputation preceded him, both his strength and general dislike for reporters and civilians milling about at attack sights. Everything about him screamed alpha, including the overwhelming scent of smoke and spice that came with him.

“We still have things to deal with. Don’t think you can dump the interview and police questions on me this time!” He grabs the larger man by the strap of his vest, not even bothering to spare a glance your way as he proceeds to drag the hero away, back towards the flashing lights of police cars and cameras.

You watch him go, giving a small wave as he stares helplessly back.

“Miss.” The beta who bandaged you appears once again. His eyes skim the material now over your shoulders, but neglects to comment on it. Either he simply didn’t care enough to ask, or it was a somewhat common occurrence with heroes.

“The rest of the non-emergency patients are heading to the hospital. You should head out with them.”

You nod, thanking the young man and throw one last glance to where your savior had disappeared to before heading to the vehicle you could see others crowding around already. The entire time, from the trip to the hospital as well as through the entire time the doctors are given you a checkup, you keep the fabric close, refusing to even let go of it. Even when the nurse had tried to take it away when you went for some scans, they had been forced to concede after you grew upset enough to set every rank in the building on edge.

As expected, there was nothing wrong with you beyond a few cuts and bruises, as well as the doctor saying to take it easy with all the tossing around you did. It was already dark by the time you were heading home, the train nearly empty apart from a group of giggling school girls seated further down. Your phone, which you had gotten from the mass of items brought back from the disaster sight, chimed. The screen was slightly cracked, but it still worked thankfully. Enough so that you could see the message from your boss telling you that the shop should be fixed by the end of the week, but you could take as much time off as you needed to recover. There was also a mention of a care package being sent your way, which warmed your heart. Although she may not be around much, often tending to stores in other wards, Anyo was always nice and looking out for her employees, not allowing any customers to bash workers and paying a hefty amount more than minimum wage.

The shop being open so soon was a relief, as you don’t know how long you could go without work before getting behind on your bills, but you assumed that’s what you got with the top of the line villain insurance that most shops had. Nothing like the apartments you lived in. If that were to be destroyed during some rampage you would be seriously screwed.

The rest of the week seems to fly by, slowly recovering from your injuries and taking care of things around the house you had been putting off. The thought of you red hero flashes through your mind more than a few times, though it is quickly banished. Most likely you would never see him again, and it was foolish to dwell on him. That still doesn’t stop you from sleeping with the blanket of fabric now in your possession.

The next Monday, as soon as you step through the doors of the newly built flower shop, Reiko is on you like a bee to honey.

“I’m sorry! If you hadn’t stopped to help me none of that would have happened to you! And then I just left you there with that maniac!” She cried into your shoulder as you rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“It’s alright. Everything turned out fine in the end.” You laughed, lightly purring to sooth her woes. “I think I would have been more angry if you hadn't left me. Then both of us would have been in trouble.’’

“Speaking of trouble,” Reiko jumps back, seemingly completely recovered from her crying. Grabbing your shoulders, her grin is more akin to that of a hungry shark than a best friend.

“I saw you with that red haired guy after everything. The same one who saved you.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively, causing you to blush and quickly brush past her to the break room located in the back, same as before but this time thankfully a bit bigger.

“It was nothing.”

“C’mon! I saw him give you that cape of his!” she laughs, tossing a new apron your way as you shut your locker. “I bet you still have it too. Tucked away somewhere in your nest, right?”

You huffed, busying yourself with getting the store ready to open.

“We have other things to worry about. We’re bound to have a larger crowd than normal after being closed for so long, so just drop it, will you.”

“Fine, fine.” Reiko sings, grabbing the other side of a rather large bonsai you were moving. “You win. My lips are sealed.”

As it turns out, they were in fact not sealed, as Reiko proceeded to poke and prod you about it all day, even catching you a few times daydreaming about said alpha. Each time it was harder to deny her accusations, her quirk allowing her to sense how flustered and embarrassed you were.

On and on it went, your only reprieve was your brief lunch break that you spent in blessed silence. The nice old beta from across the hall had heard about your recent incident and had cooked and given you enough food to last weeks. For the past two days you had eaten nothing but the american-style pasta dish she had prepared, yet the container remained covered with tinfoil, half full in your fridge. The action was touching but you were getting kind of tired of tasting nothing but pasta, though you knew you would be riddled with guilt for weeks if you tried to throw it out. Besides, it saved you on groceries for the month.

When you’re hungry, there’s no such thing as stale bread

After your break you were once again subjugated to her constant smirks and comments. By the time pre-close was starting, you couldn’t wait to get home to your silent apartment, something you normally dreaded. You loved Reiko, and you were glad she was feeling better, but she would talk your ear off if you let her.

“For the last time,’’ you sighed, throwing a load of towels stained with dirt into the wash for tomorrow. “He was just doing his job. He’s a hero! I bet he saves dozens of omegas every week.”

The words hurt even though you were the one who spoke them, chest tightening as you moved to grab the broom.

“He’s probably already forgotten about me.”

You expected Reiko to argue, and you could tell she certainly was about to go off about what a catch you were for any mate. However, it seemed luck was on your side for the first time all week as the front bell rang, signaling what was likely your last customer of the night.

With a look that told you this conversation wasn’t over, she stalked up to the front while plastering on her best service smile. Her peppy voice rang clear from the back, a much deeper tone responding, so quiet you weren’t quite able to catch what they were saying, though it sounded familiar. You swept the broom across the floor harder, getting in every nook and cranny of the new tiles as you tried to place it.

Maybe they were a regular? No, anyone who came by normally had already visited or it wasn’t their normal time. Still, maybe someone had changed their schedule up?

Reiko’s voice pulled you from thought, calling you up to the front to help with something. Odd. Normally she was the best when dealing with customers. Dusting your hand off, you head towards the front, pushing the small gate open and rounding the corner, only to be stopped dead in your tracks as their scent hits you. It must have been all the pollen floating around from your cleaning that you hadn’t sensed him before. Or maybe you were just imagining it. But no, standing on the other side of the counter, just as frozen as you were, was the same sharp toothed man that had saved you just a week before.

He wasn’t wearing his uniform this time, instead dressed in a pair of black joggers and a white athletic shirt that fit perfectly snug across his broad chest. Their lack of color only accentuated the red sneakers he wore, along with the leather jacket and messenger bag slung over his shoulders. His hair however, was still just as spiky and vibrant as before. Briefly, you found yourself wondering what kind of gel he used to keep it so perfect all the time.

“Well, if we’re all done staring at each other like weirdos,” Reiko grabbed you by the shoulder, pushing you forward to the spot at the counter she had previously occupied. His scent was even stronger now, lacking the smokey tinge it had before, but still enough to make your legs feel like jello.

“Kirishima here is looking to pick out some flowers, and I know how good you are at helping people find what they need, even if they don’t know what they want.”

You wanted to argue, knowing the blatant lie as she was the one who had been there longer and knew how to read customers better. Yet there was nothing you could do as she turned back to the stunned alpha, shooting him a bright smile as she shot into the back, presumably to pick up where you had left off on chores.

“Don’t worry! You’re in great hands!”

With that, you were now alone, face to face with the man you had been trying to banish from your mind for weeks with little success. Still, he is a customer, and you must treat him as such.

Stepping up to the counter, you put on your best smile and prayed your voice wouldn’t tremble as you spoke.

“Hello there, how can I help you.”

He stares a moment longer, eyes wide, before seeming to snap out of whatever he was thinking as he stuttered.

“I-I’m here for flowers!”

You flinched a bit at his booming tone, immediately feeling bad as his scent became tinged with sadness. You were quick to correct yourself, wanting to do anything to get that wondrous scent of his back, and let out a small laugh despite your nerves, sending your own scent off in soothing waves to calm the clearly tense man.

“I kind of figured. What are these flowers for? A relative? A friend? Maybe your mate?” You could hardly get the last one out, already feeling mournful over the alpha you had no right to mourn. As a hero, and a strong one at that, along with the personality of his you had seen so far, how could he not have one?

“No!” His shout made you both jump, leading to his face becoming slightly tinged as he sheepishly rubbed his neck, a habit of his, you noted.

“No mate. A coworker. A new sidekick just joined the agency and I wanted to do something to make them feel welcome.”

A wave of relief washed over you, though you tried not to show it as you placed a thoughtful hand on your chin, scrambling to remember what was best at this time and would convey the right message.

“How about…some yellow roses and forget-me-nots?”

“Sounds perfect?” He practically rumbled, making your heartbeat that much faster as you rushed to get a pamphlet to show him the different types and sizes he could get. You leaned over the counter, gently tucking a stray hair behind your ear as you explained the difference between the selections. He moved to lean on the counter as well, eyes laser focused on the pictures and nodding along to your words, seemingly unaware of how the elbow of the hand he was current resting his hand on brushed your own, sending shivers down your spine as you tried not to croon, all the while trying to subtly take in as much of his scent as you could.

All too soon he was done, patiently waiting as you moved to a side area to cut and arrange the flowers into a cone of white tissue paper and wrapping, taking the moment to gather yourself. His scent had all but fried your brain at this point, a heavy fog that seemed to encompass every inch of your body. Normally it wasn’t too much of an issue, the many flowers of the shop diluting the scent of any omega, beta, or alpha that happened to enter the shop. But his seemed to push forward and take control of the entire space, making you nose-blind to everything else.

“Are you alright back there?” His voice flooded from the front, making you realize just how much you were lingering, the flowers already wrapped.

“Sorry about that.” You smiled, emerging once again to see his form filling the small isle between the counter and shelf behind it completely. “Sometimes these things don’t like to cooperate. Especially the roses. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve nicked myself on them.” You laughed, only to note the way he remained silent, brows furrowing in worry.

“You should be more careful. There’s no need to rush and hurt yourself. Anyone who can’t wait isn’t worth your time.”

His tone is deep, serious as he stares you dead in the eye as he speaks. His gaze is smothering, and you only manage to hold it for a few seconds before darting your head down, laughing it off with a wave of your hand as you slip from behind the counter, leading him to the back wall where you kept all the ribbons.

“It’s nothing, really. I could wear the gloves we have, but getting a stool to get them from the shelf every time seems like too much effort when I can do it fine most of the time.”

He grumbled, not seeming convinced but letting the subject go.

Reaching the back, you grandly gesture to the wall that holds dozens of different spools of ribbon, ranging from all different kinds of patterns and colors. Normally they would already have something picked out when they came up to the counter, but you were more than glad to help him with his first time here. He didn’t seem much the type to go flower shopping often.

He considers the array, eyes smoothly moving from row to row as he ponders, allowing you the chance to study him a bit more. It’s only now that you truly notice the scar traveling over his eye, faded but still visible. Something he got in his childhood you assumed. There’s newer, more prominent ones that cross his skin, scattered all the way from his chest to his hands, or what little of his skin you can see peeking from his clothing. A number of patches adorning his bag, ranging from bands to heroes. One, you note with light amusement, bears the logo of Dynamight, his friend from last week.

“That one.” You turn, seeing he’s pointing at a simple yellow ribbon with small bees dancing across its length.

“Excellent. That’s one of my favorites.”

He seems to puff up slightly at your words, much to your amusement. That quickly falls as you go to get the stool to reach the desired ribbon, realizing that Reiko had taken it earlier to organize some of the shelves in the back, and in fact you can hear her doing so currently, soft thuds coming through the thin walls occasionally. It’s not that high though. Maybe if you jump?

Crouching down a bit, you swing your arms to help you get a bit more height, fingers barely brushing the edge of its cardboard holder. You huff, slightly embarrassed at your pathetic vertical. Now you wish you had just gone and gotten the stepladder in the first place, and you are about to turn around to do so, glaring at the offending item, when you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. Before you can react there’s a warmth across your back, accompanied by a light purr while plunging you into darkness as an arm reaches above you, easily grabbing the desired spool before quickly retreating back.

Turning, Kirishima is holding the spool, which looks positively tiny in his hands.

“You could have just asked.” He laughs as you pout. A kind of deep belly laugh that doesn’t fail to send shivers down your spine, all the while making you crack a smile of your own, as if it is infectious.

Swiping the ribbon, you retreat back behind the counter and quickly cut a length off, giving a little extra so you can make the bow a bit more fancy when you tie it.

Your cheeks still haven’t cooled by the time he’s paid, even worsening when your hand brushes his as you hand him the bouquet. It’s like his touch is fire, but the warmth is worth the burn.

You both stay there, frozen. As if neither of you know what to say. With any other customer, your interaction would have already been over, already off on their merry way. But not him. He lingers, hesitating as if debating with himself.

“I hope…I hope everything goes well with your new friend.” You offer, unable to stand the silence.

His body stiffens, frozen, before relaxing into his casual stance once more.

“Yeah.” His gaze catches yours, the red iris more akin to a gentle heat than burning flame they were before.

“I hope it does.”

With that he’s gone, ducking out the door and leaving nothing but his overwhelming scent behind. You stand there a few moments longer, basking in that same scent which had begun to steadily fade from the cape currently residing on top of your bed.

“Holy Shit!” Reiko comes bounding out of the back, clearly having been spying through the whole ordeal. Something you had expected given her pension for gossip.

“He’s totally into you!” She grabbed your hands, bouncing up and down excitedly. “I can already see it now! Your kids are going to be the cutest things ever!”

Barking out a couch, you manage to pull away from her vice grip, retreating into the back to grab the keys and lock up. All the while trying to hide the blush you’ve steadily held for the past fifteen minutes.

“He was just getting flowers for a friend Rei. Of course he would come to a flower shop.”

“Stop trying to deny it! I could see the way he looked at you, as if you were the stars on a moonless light! He’s totally into you!”

It was no use trying to stop her when she got like this. Ever the romantic, Reiko took any chance she could get to gush about mates and love. The type to purchase the cheesy fated mate novels from bookstores, though you had to begrudgingly admit that you had borrowed some from here a few times. Purely for academic reasons, you had always told yourself, all while tucking in for another sleepless night until you either finished them or passed out.

But this wasn’t like those books. There was no fated mate to come sweep you off your feet, falling in love at first sight or dramatic proclamations of love. No hero to sweep you away nor mysterious villain to develop a soft spot for you and only you. All works of fiction, thought up by some wistful writer who had yet to find love themselves.

You let out a sigh of relief as you flipped the sign to ‘closed’, thankful for the dragging first day back to be over.

‘I’ll most likely never see him again.’

__________________________________________________________

It turns out that whatever higher power was out there found a particular enjoyment in making your life tortuous, because not even a week later, the red haired hero was back in the shop, inquiring about more flowers for another friend of his. This time it was a promotion congratulation. This interaction went much better than the last, only managing to trip over a stray pot, which he was quick to catch you by the waist, his hands fitting over your hips like a warm glove. Once again you were both a blushing mess by the end, and you were once again swearing that it would be the last time you would see him.

Then he came the next week.

And the next.

Soon enough, his weekly visits turned into every other day. His reasoning was that he had recently gotten more into gardening, wanting to start his own little area at home to help him relax after the stressful work of being a hero all day.

“My house just seems more welcoming since I’ve begun adding them around.” He explained one afternoon when you had questioned his sudden interest. Just as he had done the past two weeks, he had brought a few drinks and mochi from the cafe down the street, quickly winning Reiko over with a sweet chai latte that had given him the privilege of being given a spot to lean or sit when he visited, conversations often dragging on as he asked questions about your day as well as any he had on the most recent bouquet you had made. The presence was a welcome one, emitting a comforting aura that brought an air of ease to the shop, not to mention there were a significant decrease in rude customers ever since the alpha had begun hanging around. He would sip on his own sweetened concoction, red eyes piercing over the rim of his cup as he watched you consume your own drink. It was almost scary how quickly he had been able to narrow down your preference simply from the small reactions you gave with each visit.

“Not that I don’t love helping you pick out new ones every week, but wouldn’t it be cheaper if you were to grow your own instead of buying new ones every week?”

“Wow, I didn’t know you found my visits so troublesome.”

“No! I just meant, I mean-” Stumbling over your words, a small whine left your lips as you mentally berated yourself for the poor choice in words.

He let out a small laugh, waving off your concern.

“I know, To tell you the truth, I have before. Back in my high school days, one of my friends tried to get me into gardening with him to help relieve some of the stress with our classes. Unfortunately, it seemed everything I touched would die within a few days. Eventually I decided training was a better way for me to let off steam.”

His answer was an earnest one, if not a tad sad, but a small voice crept in from the back of your mind. The same one that would bristle every time another omega came up to talk to him while he was relaxing there, barely able to keep your own scent from pushing out threateningly and resisting the urge to snap at them. They were just being friendly, and you couldn’t blame them for being attracted to him. It would be more surprising if they weren’t. But with the way he politely turned each one down, always with the recommendation of one of his friends that he thought they would like, as he had no shortage of them in his social circle.

This only furthers your theory that he already had a mate, yet he had never mentioned one, nor had he even brought the scent of one with him when he stopped by. The only way to know for sure would be to ask, and while there was no way you would straight out ask him-

“You don’t have a roommate then?” Subtle, still worried he would catch onto your underlying intentions. Yet he only coked his head at the question.

“To take care of your plants, I mean.” You bit your lip, debating your words or a moment before deciding to just get the ordeal over with. At least you wouldn’t have to live without knowing anymore.

“Maybe your mate? They might just be dying because you’re not watering them on time. I know heroes are busy, but maybe if you had someone else to help you it wouldn’t be an issue?”

Kirishima stared back with owlish eyes, as if you had just told him the earth was flat, and the silence made you think that maybe you had crossed a line in where you shared personal information.

“I’m sorry, I just-”

His laughter cut you off, nearly doubling over as the baritone tune carried through the shop, drawing the attention of some of the other patrons. It took him a few moments, but he finally managed to calm down enough to speak once more.

“I’m sorry.” He chuckled, whipping a stray tear from his eye, still leaning on the counter for support.

“It’s just, I haven’t shared an apartment, let alone a room, with anyone since my early internship days. I have to ask though, why did you think I do?”

“I just didn’t want to assume anything.” You answered, maybe a bit too quickly.

“You just seem so, well, social. It’s hard to imagine you living alone in some quiet apartment.”

He hummed, picking up the straw of his now empty drink and began tying and bending it into a series of intricate shapes.

“You’re right. It does get lonely, but with my odd hours of work it’s probably a good thing. Plus, I don’t want to wake anyone up with my morning workouts or late night convenience store trips.” His tongue poked between his lips as he spoke, focused on his current task of shaping the plastic in his hands into some abstract form of art. Once again you found yourself wondering how he wasn’t constantly hurting himself with those sharp teeth of his.

“That’s why it’s nice coming here though. It feels nice talking to people outside of work, and my friends are busy with their own work. I do feel bad coming in and taking up space though.” Gesturing to the shop around him, it was undeniable that he stood out in the relatively small space despite cramming himself into a corner at the end of the counter.

“Besides, the only way I would be able to stop coming around is if I stopped killing my plants.”

You both laughed, despite the sadness you felt tugging at your heart at his words. For someone who was always smiling and making others feel better, Kirishima didn’t deserve to feel the pain of loneliness, and you knew firsthand how hard it could be, your own apartment just as quiet and cold.

“Why don’t you help him?”

You yelped, spinning on heel and pressing your back to the counter, a hand pressed over your rapidly beating heart as Kirishima shot up in his own seat which knocked to the ground from the sudden motion.

“Reiko!”

You scolded the woman, only receiving a smile in return, instantly setting you on edge. You knew that smile. It was the smile she had whenever she was about to get you into something you wouldn’t be able to dig out of.

“What? You have one of the best gardens I’ve seen at your apartment. You’re clearly an expert on the subject.”

“That would be nice actually. Maybe if you helped me pick out the right ones and help me come up with a schedule that I could follow, I could get my friends to stop calling me a plant killer.” Kirishima spoke, your head whipping to him. You couldn’t believe this! Not only Reiko, but now Kirishima too!

“Well, I,” Spluttering, your mind raced for an excuse. The thought itself was exactly what you had wanted, a reason to spend more time with the alpha, yet now that you had the chance you were utterly terrified.

“I don’t get out until ten!” You knew Kirishima’s schedule. He normally got out around seven or eight, if he wasn’t being held up with reports and paperwork. “Surely you wouldn’t want to wait that long! Not when you’re already tired at the end of the day!”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Reiko slapped your back, nearly sending you over the half door you normally took to get out from behind the counter. Thankfully Kirishima was there, catching you by the shoulders and rightening you once again, a small rumble of purrs soothing your anxiety as his hands gently squeezed your shoulders. Or rather trying to.

“I can have one of the others take the last few hours of your shift tomorrow, and you can get out a bit early to help him!”

That was surprising, especially from Reiko, who was notorious for complaining about the morning people and how they never bothered to clean, leaving everything for you two to do at night after closing.

“My agency is actually pretty close to here, and my place is just a bit further.” He sighed, looking almost guilty as he spoke. “I’d offer to pick you up, but sometimes the briefings can run long. I don;t want you to have to wait around for me here, and my assistant will make sure you’re taken care of until I can get out.”

“Perfect!” Reiko clapped her hands, quickly moving to usher Kirishima out of the shop and taking away your only chance to argue. On another day you might have found it funny to see such a small omega pushing around arguably one of the biggest alphas you had ever seen, but now it just spelled your doom.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then!” He manages to throw back one more smile, flashing his pointed teeth with confidence, before Reiko slammed the door, quickly pulling down the curtain.

“What the hell Reiko!” You try to keep from yelling, not wanting to chance Kirishima hearing you right outside, but you could strangle your friend right now.

“What. I’m tired of watching you two dance around each other. I’m honestly surprised that he hadn’t done anything. Alphas are normally pretty forward with these kinds of things.” She shrugged, heading back to collect her things.

“This isn’t one of your books! You can’t just shove him my way like that and hope that he magically falls in love with me!”

She only shrugs.

“He didn’t seem very reluctant to me.”

Hanging your head, you couldn’t help the feeling of hopelessness that washed over you. There was nothing you could do now. Calling it off would be too embarrassing and anxiety driven for you to do. But now you were going to his job, with his hero friends. You would be completely out of your element, surrounded by countless strange alphas and betas, with the most you could hope for being that you would run into at least a few omega heroes to take the edge off.

“What do I do now?” You whimpered, leaning into Reiko as she gently wrapped her arms around your shoulders, her calm scent soothing your bristling nerves.

“Well, I would start with deciding what outfit to wear. That’s what I always have trouble with.”

__________________________________________________

Her words turned out to be true, as the next day you could be found earring through your closet, going back and forth on what to wear. Your normal clothes were out of the question, most stained by dirt and green spots from the planets, yet you didn’t want to wear any of your dressy clothes as they would only get dirty throughout the day. There was no time for you to run home after you got out, being a twenty minute trip by train. If you took a change of clothes there was nowhere for you to change at the shop, and there was no way you would be able to ask someone about it. Besides, you didn’t want to wear something too abnormal and make Kirishima feel like you were taking this as a date when you were just helping him with some home improvement.

Once you finally decided what to wear, it was way past the time you were supposed to leave for work, and as a result you didn’t have a chance to pack a lunch or eat breakfast, only grabbing a can of coffee from the fridge in your mad rush to make it to work on time. You did, though it was only by the skin of your nose and you were sure you had left more than one bitter beta behind as you rushed through the crowded sidewalk of the plaza.

Reiko was already in the back, giving you a once over with a raised brow as she tied her apron, but held her tongue with any comets she had. The rest of the day passed by both frighteningly fast, yet agonizingly slow. It didn’t matter that you had missed your lunch, as you don’t think you could have even eaten it with the way your stomach was tying itself into knots.

Reiko was a bit more lenient today, not forcing you to do any of the undesirable jobs around the shop, and lifting the pots that would have normally stained your clothes with the dark soil. The least she could do, considering she was the one who got you into this.

Finally, the clock hit six, signaling your leave as one of the normal morning people trudged in to take your spot. Clearly they were not used to being up right now, or least at work if the dark rings under their eyes were anything to go by. Before you left, Reiko pulled you to the back, ushering you into the bathroom while shoving a bag of clothes in your arms.

“You didn’t think I’d let to try and woo your alpha crush wearing that, did you?” She teased. The clothes, thankfully, were tailored to your style, and were more casual than what she might have chosen if it was herself going.

As you step out to the main plaza, waving goodbye to Reiko and your disgruntled coworker, a ball of anxiety settles in your stomach. It only continued to grow as you got closer to the agency, following the directions that Kirishima had sent you, number given to him courtesy of Reiko. Each window you pass you’re checking your reflection, subtly picking at your clothes and hair. Your stress not only affects you, but all the others around you as their heads whip in the direction of your distressing scent as you pass and only quickening your pace.

All too soon you find yourself there, neck bent painfully back as you took in the size of the building. It was much like all the other hero agencies you had seen around, dozens of floors lined with dozens of windows. His signature red color was brought into the design still, the dark red brick making it stand out from the cold concrete surrounding it.

Your nerves hit full force, mind turning into complete overload as countless scenarios raced through your head. What if you walked in and they turned you away, thinking you were just another crazy fan? Or what if he had to cancel at the last minute and you were left to awkwardly excuse yourself? Worst of all, what if everyone in there thought you were annoying? While omegas in hero work weren’t unheard of, definitely more common now than they used to be, many still found them to be distracting in this constantly stressful line of work. More often than not, they were given their own floor to work on, or it was required that they used scent blockers to keep from setting their coworkers off.

“Excuse me?” Jumping, your head whipped to the now open front doors. Peeking from a small crack was a young man, his hair looking like a mass of clouds that swayed with every small movement. His skin was equally as pale, nearly white, but worked to only accentuate his eyes that much more. Strikingly bright, as if they were made out of liquid gold, and locked onto your frozen form.

You wanted to speak, tried to, but it seemed as if an invisible grip had your throat in a choke hold. Instead, you just continued to stare dumbly at the man.

“You must be the one Mr. Kirishima told me about.” He stepped a bit further out, opening the door wider and beckoning you in. “Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.”

Expecting you? Surely he hadn’t been waiting for you to arrive? There had to be better things Kirishima would have him do with his time. Regardless, you gave him a small smile and stepped past into the building, grateful to be out of the chilly fall air.

The inside was just like the exterior, nice and professional, but still with an air of welcome to it. There were currently a few others milling about, inquiring about getting help for one job or another, as well as heroes who had just gotten off or were heading in to work, if their costumes were anything to go by.

“Right this way.” The man lead you past the front desk, manned by a large alpha with a plethora of tattoos visible on all six of his arms, and down the hall to an elevator. He introduced himself as he pushed the call button.

“I’m Kuraudo, but you can just call me Kura. That’s what everyone else does.”

Nodding, you did your best to not seem nervous, not wanting to come off as rude. He was a beta, you could tell from his scent, and a particularly kind looking one at that. In fact, it took everything in you not to reach over and touch his hair, wondering what it must feel like.

Instead, you told him your own name.

“I hope I’m not late. I was sure I had the time right though.” Your brows scrunched, taking out your phone to double check your calendar.

“No, you’re actually early!” Kura laughed, stepping out of the way as a few others got off the elevator, stepping in after you.

“Mr. Kirishima wanted me to be there to greet you. He said you would probably be nervous coming to a hero agency for the first time, full of a bunch of strange alphas. Not to mention we aren’t exactly running a small operation here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! You must have other things to do!” Now you really felt bad. What if he had to stay late because you took up his time?

“Nah. In fact, you’re helping me procrastinate calling back some of the other agencies we’re working with. They can be a real pain sometimes, especially when things don’t go their way.”

He winked, lightly elbowing you as if it were some inside joke you two had. His personality instantly put you at ease, his scent relaxing you in the same way your older sister used to. It was less potent than any alpha or omega, but you found it almost better that way, not having to deal with the constant barrage of scents.

He continued to make small talk with you, leading you from the elevator and past a dozen sets of curious eyes. Taking a quick pit stop in the break room to grab some tea, Kura pouring a few shots of espresso in his, much to your horror, he then leads you to what you could only assume was Kirishima’s office. Not only was his scent practically seeping from every crevice in the frame, but his name was boldly plastered on the front in silver.

“He should be back at any moment. One of the interns needs a bit of help on his public skills, so he’s been taking him out on patrol as often as he can.’’

The image made you smile. It seemed like such a Kirishima thing to do. He was always doing things like that at the shop. Lifting heavy pots into people's cars, keeping kids entertained while their parents browsed, and making sure no one was causing issues.

“If you need anything, I’ll be right out at my desk. Don’t pay any mind if you hear some yelling though!” With that he was gone, leaving you alone in the large room, free to do as you please.

Still jittery and on edge from the unfamiliar location and scents, you relegated yourself to pacing around the room, looking over the items covering every inch of the walls, as if he were scared of seeing the paint beyond.

Unsurprisingly, there were a large number of awards. Some were from his ranking in the top ten, while others were from his work with schools and other organizations. Along with them was a plethora of photos, some taken with a camera and others clipped from newspapers. They held everything involving his agency, both him and the others he worked with. On the far wall was a line of photos, large groups gathered in front of the building in a group photo, each dated every year spanning seven years. In each and every one he was smiling, and you could almost feel the warmth radiating off him in each one.

The rest of the room was decorated in a range of warm tones, making the office seem surprisingly cozy despite its official nature. The furniture was all stained a dark brown, almost black, and a small push on the coffee table in the center of the room told you how heavy they all were. Heavy and expensive. It must have been someone else who had designed this place, you surmised. Kirishima had never really seemed the material type, always seeing him in casual clothes that he likely wore to and from work. Most of the time he had a jacket or sweatshirt paired with some joggers, though the occasional workout shirt was a pleasant surprise as it allowed you to subtly appreciate his large build. It was as often now that fall was setting in, and he now bundled up with long coats and warmer jackets.

As you appreciate an article talking about the save a group from his agency had made while he was off doing business in America, a flash of color unlike the others caught your eye. While everything else was on a spectrum of orange, red, gray, and black, this was a crisp white. It hung right next to the door, being the last thing anyone would see when they left, and upon closer inspection you found it to be a panel of pressed flowers. Forget-me-nots, you noted.

“What an odd thing to have hanging up here.” You mumbled to yourself, wondering what it was doing among all these articles and awards. They scratch at a memory in the back of your mind, just out of reach as you try to remember why they seemed so familiar, apart from the fact you saw them everyday at work.

“Have you seen my mug? I could have sworn-”

The door slammed open, barely hitting you as you managed to jump out of the way, the wind blowing your hair as it passed. A small yelp escaped you in surprise. On the other side was Kirishima, clearly surprised to see you standing right on the other side.

“Crap! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there! Are you hurt?” He immediately stepped forward, his spiked hair brushing the top of the frame, and grabbed you by the shoulders as he gave your body a quick once over.

“I’m fine, really. Just surprised.” You assured him, lightly crooning to ease his worries.

He gave you another look, seemingly not trusting you enough to take your word for it. Only once he was sure you were fine did he let go, quickly grabbing his coat from a side closet, as well as a scarf and his bag. He was quick to toss the items on, all except for the scarf, which he proceeded to wrap around your own neck.

“It’s too cold out there to be walking around like that. You don’t even have a coat on!” He lightly chastised when he saw your confusion. You didn’t complain, instead burying your face further into the fabric both to hide your burning cheeks and take in more of his scent that lingered on the item. He was right, you had to admit. Reiko had clearly been leaning a bit more into fashion than practicality when she chose this outfit, but while she was practically immune to the cold, you had no such luxuries.

“Don’t forget, you have a meeting with Mr.Horishiki on Monday!” Kura called after him as you passed. He grimaced, seemingly aghast at the idea, and you almost laughed. Kura sent you a wink as you passed, his eyes full of clear glee at having pulled such a reaction from the alpha.

Waving goodbye, he returned it enthusiastically as he sipped his drink. Hopefully you will be able to see him again sometime.

As you left the building, everyone bid their boss goodbye, polite smiles and enthusiastic waves thrown his way as their eyes fell your way curiously. They never questioned him about you, yet that was almost more unnerving than if they had. It seemed Kirishima sensed your discomfort, quickly ushering you out of the building and back onto the cold street, even more thankful for the added layer of warmth now.

“I’m sorry for being late.” He nervously fidgeted with his hands, twitching for a moment before he offered an arm your way, which you hesitantly took, trying not to let him see the way your hands were slightly shaking. The sidewalk was crowded with people just getting out of work and students enjoying their time after school, and it would be no good if you got separated, unable to part the crowd as he did while you walked.

“We ran into a group of troublemakers near the end of patrol. One of them had some kind of ink quirk, and as you can imagine it turned into a mess. I’m kind of surprised it didn’t stain my skin.” He laughed.

“It’s alright. Your office was quite comfortable, and I had plenty to keep me interested in. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many awards hung up in one place before.”

He seemed to puff up a bit at your words, visibly perking at your words. It was funny, almost like a kid when their teacher praised them for their hard work.

It was getting even darker now, the street lamps starting to flicker on as shops turned on their lights. It was something you wished you could enjoy more often, loving the way all the lights looked shining together at night. How long has it been since you had a night off to go out and enjoy yourself?

“I hope I wasn’t too forward asking for your help yesterday.” You were walking across the street, somewhat struggling to keep up with his long strides despite the fact you could tell he was already walking a bit slower than he normally would.

“I realize how awkward it must feel to be invited over to a random alpha’s house. My friends say I can be a bit oblivious at times, and I can’t help but agree.” There it was again. His nervous habit of rubbing the back of his neck, cheeks now tinged with red thanks to the nippy air.

Your heart seized at his words, unable to tell him the truth but not wanting him to feel as if he had forced you into this. If anyone had, it had been Reiko, but you couldn’t say you minded it one bit now that you were here.

“I don’t think so.” Your hand squeezed his arm a bit tighter, words escaping you before you could stop them. “If there’s any alpha I trust, it’s you.”

You feel him freeze at your words, resulting in you mentally berating yourself. It was like every time he was around, your brain melted and tongue loosened, leaving you staggering even after all this time. He himself had ducked his head, suddenly deeply interested in the display windows. Thankfully by the time you had gotten to the train station, he was back to his normal self, recounting some of his tales from the day.

“It seems I may have chosen the wrong profession. Your job sounds much more interesting. Though I don’t know how I feel about nearly having my face burnt off everyday.”

“Yeah, but at least a lot of vendors give you a discount once they get to know you. I think I’ve had takoyaki for lunch everyday for the past month.”

Reaching the toll booths, you reach for your train card, kept in the inside pocket of your jacket so you don’t lose it. Only, you aren’t wearing your jacket. It’s back at the shop, sitting in the backroom, left behind so you wouldn’t have to carry around a whole other set of clothes for the night.

“Are you alright?” Kirishima questions, head quirked to the side.

“Y-yeah! Just forgot to take my train card out of my other jacket.” You reach around to your other side, riffling through your bag in search of your wallet.

“I still have my wallet though, so I can just pay for it and-”

Beep

The light chime of the card reader sounds, barely registering before you’re gently pushed through the gates, quickly followed by another little chime as Kirishima pushes his way through, having to step sideways through the narrow doors.

“You didn’t have to do that. Here, I think I have some yen in my bag to pay you back.”

“It’s alright.” He gently stops you from rummaging around any further, already heading towards the tracks. “Just think of it as payment for helping me. And, of course, let me pay for your ride back.”

As much as you want to argue, you hold back. Money was slightly tight with the week off work, and in a way it made you happy that he wanted to pay for you. In a way, if you squinted, you could almost pretend it was like how courting mates acted.

Stepping up to the tracks, you almost walked past Kirishima on your way to the front cars, which were normally designated for only omegas. It kept there from being any more issues with grabby alphas and betas, though you had occasionally run into omegas who didn’t act any better. In any case, it was still normally a relief that you didn’t have to worry too much if you dozed off on the way to or from work.

Once the train arrived and you got on, it was much easier than normal as Kirishima cleared a clean path through the crowd that allowed you to get on without bumping shoulders with a few dozen people. Inside was more cramped than the omega compartment, having twice the clientele, and there wasn’t a single seat open apart from the ones reserved for the pregnant and elderly. Trying not to bump into any of the people around you, when the train moved it took you by surprise, knocking you off balance and left you stumbling.

“Easy there.” An arm wrapped around your waist, steadying you enough to get your feet under you once again. Of course Kirishima would have no trouble with the acceleration, already grabbing one of the top bars for support. Bars that you could already tell were out of your reach, and any poles you could have used had two or three people between you and them.

Gently grabbing your hand, he brought it up to rest in the crook of his elbow. The muscle underneath flexed slightly as your grip tightened while the train took a slight curve. Even through the many layers of fabric you could feel it, not to mention how your hand couldn’t even fit halfway around his arm.

“Here. you can hold on to me for now.” His voice was soft, barely a murmur as he maintained his manners, and your small thanks was just as quiet, barely even audible to your own ears.

Though the ride was short, you found yourself slightly missing the omega carts up front. Here you were surrounded by strangers who had no sense of personal space. At one turn some shifted, shoving you forward a small step and eliciting a small yelp at the sudden contact despite knowing it was inevitable in such a cramped space.

Kirishima’s reaction was instant, a snarl trailed by a low growl rubbing from his chest as he pulled you closer, everyone in the immediate area taking a step back. The man who had bumped you whipped around, maybe to complain, but instantly went pale at the alpha towering over him. Without another word he shuffled his way to the other side of the train, getting as far away as possible until his stop.

For the rest of the trip, no one got within a foot of either of you.

Your own stop came about ten minutes later, exiting just as easily as you had entered.

The difference in areas from where you lived and where he did was striking, though you should have expected it with his fame as a pro hero. In fact, you note, this is a pretty popular place for heroes to find residence from what you hear.

There’s no flickering street lights, hiding suspicious shadows both real and imaginary. No gangs are hanging out on the street corners or at the entrance of alleyways, nor gathered in the parking lots of gas stations. The pavement is free of cracks and weeds, while the stores and buildings that line the streets are in pristine condition. A few strings of lights hang over the sidewalk, giving everything a warm glow as you walk further towards your destination. All the while Kirishima is by your side, enthusiastically pointing out all of his favorite places to stop for coffee in the mornings, or order dinner from when he’s too tired to cook. Even the park where he takes his morning jogs.

“And here we are!” He stops in front of one of the many towering buildings, the walls clad in panels of glass and soaring dozens of stories. Punching in a code to the security pad and hen swiping a card from his wallet, the door buzzes and the click of the lock is heard.

“After you.” He gives a mock bow, gesturing you through the open door, making you giggle as you do so.

The inside is decked to the nines, looking more like a high end hotel than an apartment building with its giant chandelier hanging in the lobby, as well as the elegantly sculpted molding along the edges of the ceiling. Fine details that speak of its prestige.

There’s no one else in the lobby, and when you call the elevator the doors open immediately.

“Normally I would take the stairs to see how fast I could get up them, but I’m a bit too tired today.” He punches one of the buttons on the array of numbers, and you note that it seems to be on one of the upper floors. He really ran up those stairs on a regular basis? After working all day? You could hardly get yourself up the two flights it took to get to your own.

On the way up, Kirishima seems to become more and more antsy, shifting from foot to foot as his anxiety slowly starts to leak into his scent for the first time that you can remember, though you choose to forgo mentioning it in order to spare him the embarrassment.

It turns out that his apartment is at the very end of the building, locked behind a thick wooden door he struggles to open as he drops his keys twice in a row. Only one. A lot less than the three you keep on your door to lock at night. Oh what it must feel like to be both an alpha and a hero.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I haven’t really had that much time to clean up lately.”

He hangs his coat up, taking the scarf you offer him as you both take off your shoes. He immediately puts on a fuzzy pair of slippers, offering a spare set for you he must keep around for guests.

Despite his words, the apartment is almost immaculate, the light scent of cleaner lingering in the air. He must have done a frantic clean, just as your mother had always done when you had guests, saying the same words every time someone visited.

“I can see you like to stick to your color scheme.” A teasing tone lightens your words, though it's nothing untrue. Just as his office had been, his apartment was done up in varying shades of red and black, with a few other warm tones and cremes thrown in here and there.

“I actually had to have someone else do it. I’m not the best at picking out color schemes, though it has yet to fail me so far.” Stretching, his back lets out a soft series of pops while he groans, unintentionally sending a streak of lightning through your body.

You scold yourself. The man just wanted to be comfortable and here you were ogling at the way his shirt rose slight, showing of the slight sliver of hips that dipped down and-

“You can set your things down on the table, though be careful of that rug there.”He gestures to a square of maroon fabric, cushioning the wood floors from the oak table above.

“I‘ve laid myself out more times then I can count not paying attention as I walk through here. He leads you deeper into the house, opening right into the living room, and to a table set up by a large sliding door that leads to a terrace. Beyond, there’s quite a view of the city, it’s lights blinking in the purple dusk as night approaches.

“So, where should we start?” He questions.

Looking around the room, you take note of the plants placed sporadically in every corner. From the windowsill to a corner on the floor, it didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to their placement.

“Well, I think we’ll have to move some of these around. You have ones that need shade on the windowsill, and others that need constant sunlight on shelves.”

Nodding, you both get to work. For the next twenty minutes you reorganize his moderate collection, noting the various states of dying in each one. He wasn’t joking when he said he wasn’t great with plants.

Some you place on the edge of tables, others out on the terrace. There were a few that you wanted to put higher up, though Kiri was in charge of those ones after you had tried to do it yourself earlier, nearly falling off the stool you were using to do so. It was almost insulting how easily he did so, lifting heavy pits onto higher shelves you couldn’t even hope to reach even if you were to throw them.

Once you were finished, you moved on to helping him make a schedule of sorts, taking inventors of the plants and all their new locations, leaving space on the lists if he decided to get any more for his collection in the future.

“You really were prepared for this.” You mumbled, surprised when he pulled out a few simple supplies for you to make a board he could hang up, just so he would be less likely to forget. You were leaning over said paper, desperately trying to keep your attention focused as he watched you work.

Currently, he was leaning against the table in the seat across from you, head casually resting in his palm as he sipped from his cup, proudly labeled with yet another hero's logo. He looked so peaceful, eyes half lidded as he listened to you explain every plant and care instruction to him. A gentle smile graced his lips, and his hair had started to fall in his face a bit, finally worn down from its day. One thing was for sure, if he ever decided he didn’t want to be a hero, there was certainly a spot in modeling for him.

“How did you get to know all this?”

“Well, I have worked at the shop for a few years now, so I would be pretty embarrassed if I hadn’t picked anything up by now.” You hum, focusing on trying to remember how to spell the name of a flower.

“My grandma was really into gardening when I was younger as well. I got left with her a lot when my mom was working. She would always give me a treat if I helped her out in the garden, and I guess at some point I just fell in love with it.’’

“Your grandma sounds nice. Mine would only throw shoes at me when I left my toys lying around.”

“Yes, she was.” You lapsed into silence once more, the only sound was that of your pen on paper, scratching away while the clock clicked closer to the hour. It was nice, peaceful almost. Yet despite not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, a question still burned on your mind.

“Kirishima?” He hummed, showing he was listening as his eyes had begun drooping.

“You said you weren’t around here a lot earlier, so you must spend all your time at work. Does it ever get lonely? I know heroes don’t always have the best lives, despite how we like to think.”

You were worried he would take your question the wrong way, hoping he wouldn’t find it to be too prying. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders, filling his mug with more tea from the pot, stirring in a generous amount of honey as well.

“Yeah, sometimes. But that’s why I like being at the agency. There’s always people there, either interns or other heroes. It’s better than the silence here.”

You nodded, understanding perfectly what he said. You loved your job, but it took up a lot of your time. When you did have free time, you would spend it in the park or at the library, not wanting to go back to your own silent apartment. You weren’t even home enough to be able to get a pet, feeling bad to leave them alone for such stretches of time.

“Hey,’’ He sat up, now wide away from his dowsing session, though you couldn’t blame him. You yourself had almost been lulled to sleep, the air warm and heavy with his scent, the seat cushioned with a pillow so soft it was hard to believe it was meant to be used in such a way.

“I was wondering if-”

Before he could finish, a loud siren blasted through the air, carrying through the open window just behind you. It was piercing, nearly grating on your ears as it continued, pausing only for a moment as it continued to sound in short increments.

“Shit!” Kirishima jumped from his seat, quickly rounding the table to shut the doors, the glass doing a surprisingly decent job at cutting the sound to a muffle as he latched the lock.

“There’s a hydro dam near here, and it lets out a flood release every night. There’s a few people that like to hang out in it’s shallows to practice with their quirks, so it gives them a little warning to get out of the way in time.”

He fiddles with the mug in his hang, holding it easily in his pal as he draws the curtains, further helping to dampen the sound. Trying not to swoon at the way he easily palms the object, you busy yourself with doodling a few little sketches of each plant to help him be able to identify them a bit easier. The action draws his attention, his form leaning over the tab;e as he moves around to get a better look.

“Hey, that’s pretty good.”

“Thanks.” You blush. “Reiko never wants to draw on the chalkboard signs to promote our sales, so I’ve gotten pretty good at drawing different types of plants. Don’t ask me to do any animals though.”

Laughing, he moves back around the table to get a better look.

Hey what’s that th-”

It happens in a flash, and for a moment you don’t even process that he’s tripped, catching his foot on the rug he had warned you about earlier. The slight shock it sent through the table as his hip caught the corner wasn’t much of an issue, what was, was the mug he had been holding. Its contents sloshed over the rim as he doubled over, clutching his surely bruised hip. The irony of a pro hero known for his indestructible nature being taken out by a table wasn’t lost on you, but your concern was more for your now stained shirt. It’s not scalding by any means, but the amount of honey he had generously stirred in earlier made it quite a sticky mess as it had already begun to dry.

He’s immediately on you, hands frantically moving as he tries to pull the soaked fabric away from your skin, only to let go as he realized his touch.

“I’m sorry! Fuck!” He was practically whimpering as he spoke, apologies spewing left and right from his mouth. Grabbing a towel from the kitchen, you’re able to clean up most of your skin, though the shirt you wear is a lost cause.

“It’s alright.” You assure him. He just heavily sighs, pinching his brow.

“I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve spilled mugs and bowls. I should have gotten rid of it a long time ago.” After he finishes cleaning up the rest of the mess, he asks you to wait a moment longer as he disappears further into the house. From where you sit, you can hear him moving around, a bit of shuffling and thumps ringing from the dark hall before he emerges once again. In his hand is a shirt, looking like one of the same ones he wore so often when he visited and looking utterly cozy.

“You can wear this for now, just so I can properly wash your shirt. If you’re fine with that, that is.”

You’re tempted to deny. It wasn’t a big deal to you as there had been many times you were doused in water or spilled some sugar water for the hummingbird feeders outside on yourself.

But you don’t. Instead your mind works on auto pilot, hand reaching out for the clothing before you can stop yourself. Kiri’s smile only widening as you do so, he’s practically purring as he directs you to the bathroom, just down the hall he had emerged from and to the left.

Quickly stripping off the now ruined shirt, you use the cloth from earlier with a bit of warm water and soap to clean up a bit better. Picking up the shirt, the black fabric is soft and worn from wear, the cotton fabric unlike the normal stretchy material of his athletic clothes. Slipping it over your head, the fabric falls to about mid thigh, almost comically large as it hangs in folds. Running your fingers over the fabric, you find yourself humming lightly as you press your nose into the shoulder, the spot on the fabric likely near where his scenting glands were with how strongly it smelled. Your lungs nearly hurt with how deeply you inhale, relishing in his pine-like scent.

A knock at the door startled you as Kiris voice flows through the door, reminding you of the situation.

Gathering you shirt from the floor, you open the door. Kirishima is on the other side, hand still raised, clearly intending to knock again. Instead he pauses, frozen as you stare at one another. His eyes are wide, mouth slightly agape as his gaze slowly shifts down your body before snapping back up.

He mumbles something under his breath, unintelligible, before swiping the shirt from your hands and rushing back down the hall to another room. The musical sound of a washer sounds, and in moments he’s back, red in the face and slightly panting.

“C’mon. I put everything away already.” Leading you back to the main room, he avoids eye contact the entire time.

“Are you hungry?” He questions, heading into the kitchen. “It’s pretty late, and you probably didn't have a chance to eat anything after work before heading my way.”

“Oh, no I’m fine.” He already had invited you to his home, and you didn’t want to put him out any more by having him feed you. However, your stomach had other plans, rumbling loudly in protest at missing dinner after your nonexistent lunch and breakfast. You’re mortified at your own body, while Kirishima just laughs, pulling out a plethora of takeout menus from a basket by the fridge.

“As good with cooking as you are with plants?”

“No, just not much time to cook. I’m actually not that bad at it, or so I’m told.”

It takes you aback for a moment, hard to imagine him romping around the kitchen in an apron, large hands handling small measure cups and delicate recipes.

Spreading the menus out before you, he lets you pick where. Of course, when you spot the name of the restaurant he had pointed out earlier on your walk, you immediately picked it up, prompting the man to laugh.

“Looks like we have similar tastes. I normally get the same thing every time, but you can look it over and decide what you want.”

After doing so, you move to the living room while Kirishima places the order, taking a better look around the room. From your spot at the table, you can see a number of photos along the walls and bookshelf, much like his office. These seem more personal though, picturing him out of his normal hero costume and surrounded by others at places like the beach and a few other houses. The bookshelf itself didn’t have much reading material on it, instead housing a number of action figures of other heroes. Friends of his, you assumed, as well as other heroes he admired.

“You know,” He walks back into the room, pocketing his phone as he runs his fingers through his hair.

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem pretty independent for an omega. All the ones around our age it seems already have a mate, or are courting someone. Well, I guess even the alphas and betas are like that.” He glances over to the bookcase you were just staring at.

“Even when the villain attacked you didn’t seem scared when you went back to help your friend.’’

Kiris comment makes your chest puff with pride, a small laugh escaping you as you remembered your younger days, just after you had presented.

“I actually grew up in a family of alphas. First omega born in generations. Even then they didn’t coddle me, wanting to make sure I could take care of myself just like everyone else. My brother told me that even though I was an omega, that didn’t mean I was helpless or incapable.” It was something that had been drilled into your head, repeated every morning at breakfast and every night before you went to bed.

“One day my mother had to comfort me after I came home from school crying. The others wouldn’t let me play heroes and villains with them, saying omegas were just meant to look pretty.”

Kirishima growled.

“And the school let them get away with that?”

“Yes. Their parents were of some family name or another, but that didn’t matter to my mom.” You smiled fondly at the memory, still remembering the way your father had to calm your mother down after she had flown into a rage, nearly destroying the house as she fought to get to the school and show them a piece of her mind. Instead, your family proposed it as a teaching moment.

“The next day I went into school, wearing the best clothing, hair done up with a ribbon my mother had made the night before. When they played that day, insisting that I was the civilian in danger, I agreed. When the ‘villain’ attacked, trying to pick me up and carry me off the playground, I knocked him right off his feet just like my sister taught me to.”

Kirishima was laughing by this point, his red eyes focused completely on you as he leaned back, reclining in his seat.

“Yeah, I knew a couple of those back in my school days. Even run into a few of them in hero work now.”

“Still, I wish I could be a bit more intimidating at times. Sure would help when people get a bit too touchy.”

While the number of customers like that had dropped since Kirishima had begun hanging around the store, he couldn’t be there all the time, and that meant you still had to deal with the occasional asshole. Meanwhile, Kirishima’s brows had pinched, clearly ready to speak hi s own mind, when the front door rang.

Standing up, he grabs the remote from the side table and tosses it your way.

“You can pick any spot you want, though I think the couch has the best view of the Tv.”

“You don’t eat at the table?” It seemed like a waste, to have such a nice piece of furniture and not use it.

“Nah. The couch is more comfortable, and it’s normally the only chance I get to catch up on my favorite shows before turning in for the night. Plus, I’ve always found it awkward to eat in silence.”

As his steps fade down the hall, you're struck by another pang of guilt, feeling like you’re taking up his free time that’s already sparse thanks to his work. Regardless, you know arguing with him will get you nowhere and click on the Tv, pulling up a streaming service and choosing from the recommended movies there.

The scent of food wafts through the apartment, Kirishima returning just as the intro begins.

Plopping down on the other side of the couch, opening the bags and pulling out your containers. He keeps ample room between you, practically glued to the other side of the couch as he pulls the coffee table closer.

Passing your container over, you mumble out a thanks before digging in, starving from your lack of meals for the day. If he has any comment about your hunger, he doesn’t say anything, digging into his own food just as eagerly. While the credits continue playing, you snatch a pamphlet that had been stuck into the bag, different then the one he had in his collection.

“Interesting reader there.’ He asks.

“No, just curious. I’ve never ordered from here before. Don’t even think there’s one around my place.”

“Yeah, It’s one of the only places that can deliver around here. With all the heroes living here, the security is kind of picky about who they let in. Honestly though, I kind of miss the cheap food my friends and I used to get when we were freshly graduated, even if it wasn't the best tasting all the time. It kind of grows on you , ya know?”

He sighs, picking around in his dinner.

“Sometimes I still managed to sneak away and get it in time before they close. Reminds me of when I was young and strong.”

His words make you scoff.

“I’d say you’re still strong now. And if you’re old, what does that make me?”

A large grin splits his face.

“You think I’m strong, huh? How strong?”

You blush, realizing how your words sounded to him, and quickly changing the subject as you inquire about his own food.

“It’s a meat curry. They grow their own spices in the back for their dishes, and it always tastes good.”

Taking a deep breath, you can smell the spices, though the exact combination you wouldn’t be able to tell.

“You want to try it?’’ He offers, and you eagerly nod. Fancy food like this was far and few between, and his dish smelled even better than yours. Grabbing your own chopsticks, you realize that they’re already covered in sauce from your own food. Maybe they packed extra?

“Don’t worry about it.” He cuts your searching short, holding up a piece of the tender meat. “Unless you have a thing about germs?”

Shaking your head, you lean over to take a bite, humming appreciatively you find the food just as good as it smelled. In fact, you’re somewhat jealous now after having only ordered something you knew you would like. The meat is spicier than you would have expected, making your mouth tingle in a way that makes you want more.

“Pretty good, right?” He smiles, leaning back. “Sometimes I think I should get something different, but it always manages to hit the spot.”

“Do you want to try mine?” You offer, reasoning that since he was the one who paid for dinner, there was no reason you couldn’t share a bit. Picking up a sizable amount of rice and vegetables, you offer it the same he had done just moments ago. And, just as you had, he leans over and accepts the offering. Unlike she had though, he was forced to lean down slightly, the height difference apparent. His lips close around your chopsticks, eye closing as he takes in the taste. Just as you had, he hums in thought, and you are glad he didn’t immediately dislike the food.

When he opens his eyes once more, he remains there, face only a few inches away from yours, before jumping back away, scooting over to his side of the couch.

“Well,” he coughs, folding his feet on the table in front of him. “I Hope your taste in movies is as good as your food.” He turns his attention back to the screen, you doing the same as you busy yourself with eating, trying to smother the butterflies in your stomach with rice. As the time plays on, you find yourself glancing back over, trying to be subtle in the way you glance over at him, enjoying the way he looks so relaxed as his scent fills the room, mixing sweetly with the smell of your dinner and the plants now placed around the apartment. Unknowing that he had been doing the same.

Soon enough, the story on screen captures your attention as the man on screen hunts down the criminals who took his daughter. By the time the climax of the movie comes around, you’ve completely relaxed, and so it would seem Kirishima as well. His arms moved to be thrown over the back of the couch, the other lazily thrown over the arm of the furniture. His nearly empty container, twice the size of your own, is carefully balanced on his stomach as he’s now slumped even further down into the cushions. Eyes dropping, it’s questionable if he’s even processing what’s happening on screen. You were in a similar position, even learning further to the side, closer to the alpha and nearly touching as your shoulder brushes his side.

You could blame it on your full stomach, the cozy warmth or the air inside a contrast to the chilly breeze outside, or the overall relaxed atmosphere, but your tongue was loose either way as you realized the situation.

“Is this a date?”

You only realize you said it out loud as Kirishima stiffens. His head shifts, turning to look over at our own curious eyes, neither of you moving from your close positions.

“Would you….would you mind if it was one?”

Your own thoughts, go back to the previous months. All the visits, the small gifts he brought. The way he always made you feel when he was around, warm and fuzzy, and of course the cape still tucked into your nest at home. Before now, you had never considered the chance of being with him anything more than a fantasy. Always so kind and patient. Reiko’s words come to mind, how she had said you would always just keep dancing around each other unless someone pushed you that one step forward. All along he had been subtly trying to hint his interest, you were just to blind by your own thoughts to see it.

“I have to warn you, I’ve never courted anyone. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

His hand comes up, gently caressing your cheek as he moves closer, leaning down slowly, giving you plenty of time to pull away if you want. You don’t, only leaning further into his warm touch, calloused hands gently scratching at your skin.

“How about now?”

You don’t give him an answer, only closing the short distance between your lips. It’s like fire burning and setting every nerve on fire. You don’t want to pull away, savoring the moment, but when the burning in your lungs becomes too much you do, Kirishima chasing your lips with a small whimper as you laugh.

“You have no idea I’ve been waiting to do that.” He whispers, resting his forehead against yours, panting lightly as he subtly scents you. “Omega. My omega.”

#alpha bnha

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#alpha bnha