Scenting for the first time
It's not a big deal. He’s let the LoV do it already. He can ask Keigo if he wants to scent mark him.
The words won’t come out though and Dabi is staring at the ceiling as Keigo’s breaths even out and deepen.
Dammit this is what he had practiced with Shigaraki for. His thoughts drift back to earlier that day.
“I want to scent Keigo.”
Shigaraki paused his game and looked over at dabi on the other end of the couch.
“Okay? Are you asking me permission or warning me in case you come back smelling like him or?” Shigaraki questioned. It wasn’t like Dabi to volunteer information out of nowhere. Especially about his relationships. However Shig did have a habit of being extra possessive and jumping on any member that came through the door smelling like a stranger.
“Well I don't want you to tackle me if I come back smelling like bird boyfriend all over again, I also wanted to ask for advice on it?”
“I don’t usually ask, I just kinda shove my alpha over and make sure everyone knows who he belongs to. What exactly are you worried about?” Shigaraki scooted closer to Dabi on the couch, resisting the urge to pack scent on his wrists. Dabi didn’t always appreciate being scented. He wasn’t comforted by it like Shigaraki usually was.
"I'm worried I'm going to get claustrophobic and panic. What if I don't like it or he doesn't?"
“If he doesn't want you like that, then we are having fried chicken for supper this week,” Shuuichi spoke up from where he had been half eavesdropping on the conversation. He was half kidding, anyone who had met Keigo could see that he was wrapped around Dabi’s finger.
“You're going to have to talk to him about it, Dabi. If it's serious enough that you want to claim him, then it's best you make sure you're on the same page.” Kuroguri sounded like a wise adult as always.
“Fuck all of that, scent the fuck out of him and tell him he’s yours now” Shig commented casually. Shigaraki tended to scent mark everyone he could stand for more than ten minutes.
Kurogiri and Shigaraki telling him it’s natural to be a little possessive validates him enough to want to at least talk about it with Keigo. They’ve been a big help in navigating the part of himself he had suppressed for so long with illegal suppressants and scent blockers.
Sometimes he just needs to hear that his Father was wrong and they never fail to support him as he figures out what exactly being an omega means to him.
Things like scent marking other people first. Anyone can point out that Shigaraki is an omega too. He does whatever he wants but it doesn’t change the hesitance Dabi gets when it comes to these things. He’s never felt like he’s had to do these things before. He doesn't lead a pack like Shigaraki does, he’s also not nearly as aggressive as Shig is either.
It's okay to want Keigo to smell like him, he knows, or to want to smell like Keigo he restates to himself.
He’s still getting used to giving into the instincts that come with being an omega. He’s shoved them down with suppressants and willpower for so long that he doesn't always know what's normal. What’s pure distrust and trauma shining through.He hasn't seen a healthy example of normal omega or pack behavior so he’s making it up as he goes for the most part.
Just because instinct tells him to do something doesn't mean he has to or that he wants to. Sometimes the omega instincts are just strong because he’s blocked them out for so long.
Dabi tries to bring up what’s on his mind during dinner when he’s cooking and Keigo is pretending he knows how to chop a vegetable. He tries during dinner and later when they leave the dishes in the sink. The topic never gets brought up. He forgets in favor of more important things like Keigo’s mouth on his.
Now he’s staring at the ceiling awake while Keigo sleeps. All because he couldn’t just talk it out.
Keigo is not a deep sleeper, but all Dabi really needs to do is tuck his nose near Keigo's scent glands on his neck. Try and scent Keigo a tiny bit. See if this is going to be something he’s comfortable with before he tries to bring it up to Keigo again.
He turns until he's half laying on Keigo and waits a nerve racking moment to make sure Keigo doesn't wake up.
Then starts carefully nosing along Keigo’s jaw. Soon he's quietly purring. It just feels right to mark Keigo as his. He was probably thinking about it too much. Keigo smells like spice and something slightly sweet. It’s intoxicating and reminds Dabi of every time he’s ever felt instantly safe in Keigo’s arms.
He is so busy chasing the sweet smell that he doesn't notice when his purring gets louder. Loud enough to wake the Alpha underneath him up. He just lets himself purr and rub against Keigo. Intent on making Keigo smell like him.
He doesn't notice he’s woken Keigo up until he's flipped onto his back and Keigo is nipping at his neck. Rumbling in his alpha version of a purr, up above him, and starting to aggressively scent him back. It would be sweet in a way that Keigo was so on board with Dabi being his if Dabi wasn’t panicking. Keigo is heavy and his staples are being tugged at.
It’s too much, too sudden. He feels boxed in, not relaxed like he had been just a few minutes ago.
“Kei-Keigo you need to get off. I, I-I can’t breath like this,” panic bleeding into his voice. Dabi shoves at Keigo’s shoulders and hoped he was awake enough to register what he was saying.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, its okay babe. Breath,” Keigo softly swore as he moved off Dabi and watched him as his breathing slowed. He went to grab a glass of water and let Dabi collect himself but Dabi’s hand reached out and snagged his wrist.
“Wait Keigo, I still- if you want to-” He stuttered out and Keigo’s heart clenched. Just because he was a possessive ass who decided scent marking Dabi in the middle of the night was okay, didn't mean that Dabi had to accept it and sit through it. Keigo had caught feelings, he was doing his best to deal with those and his instincts telling him to mark Dabi as his.
“Dabi,I- just because- I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how you must have been sleeping and just started marking you back when your purring woke me up. I didn’t think and I boxed you in even though I know it makes you panic, you don’t have to just accept it, that’s not how scenting is supposed to work.” Keigo climbed back on his bed, sitting close to Dabi.
“I was awake, I-I know I should have talked to you first, I just couldn’t get the words out.” Dabi moved his grip to Keigo’s hand and sat up.
“I still want you to scent me, I didn’t mean to freak out like that.”
“Hey, don’t apologize for that, it happens. Here, come back to laying on me, let's try it with you sitting on top of me,like you had been before” Keigo gave his boyfriend a kiss and laid back against his headboard. Grabbing Dabi’s other hand as he straddled his waist.
“Um, do I just- I feel stupid like this, Kei.” Dabi muttered. He didn’t move off him though. Just rubbed his thumbs on the back of his and Keigo’s joined hands.
“It's alright. Just lean down and go back to rubbing your jaw along my scent gland like you were before, I'll just be able to do it back this time alright? If you don’t like it or get overwhelmed, we can stop at any time.” Keigo spoke softly. There was little Keigo wanted more than him and Dabi to smell like each other, but if Dabi wasn’t ready then it could wait. He’d done a lot of waiting for Dabi and waiting for this too wouldn’t hurt any.
Dabi followed Keigo’s advice and leaned down. When he felt the urge to continue marking Keigo he picked up where he left off. He started purring and his breath hitched when Keigo started rumbling and rubbing back against him.
They both continued until Dabi fell asleep in between bouts of purring and muttering how nice Keigo smelled. Keigo turned them onto their sides and pulled Dabi close until they were spooning.