A/N: I AM SORRY THAT I AM LATE! Here's 5k to make up for it.✨

Toshinori knows better than to drown his miseries in alcohol. He'd told himself that he wouldn't; that it would just be one little beer upon coming home but here he is---three days later---sprawled out in his lawn chair on the back deck with his fifth beer of the evening. It's definitely overkill, he thinks. He and Nighteye hadn't exactly been friends; they bumped heads with each other on a near daily basis since they'd brought the odd, quirky little man into the office that day all those years ago. No, not friends. But Nighteye was a good man---a man who held fast to his convictions and always did what he thought was the right thing. He stuck too close to the rules; wasn't willing to break protocol even if it meant saving lives and that's where he and Toshinori clashed but Nighteye was a damn good detective. 

He didn't deserve to die. 

And even though Toshinori knows that he, himself, had nothing to do with why Nighteye had gone to Tenko Shimura's home on the day that he was killed...somehow...it all feels like it was his own fault. 

He hears the back door open and close but doesn't grace his guest with a greeting. Inko had already given up on trying to console him for the day, having retreated to their bedroom in hopes that he would at least come to bed tonight. There's only one of two people that could be, and one of them doesn't know how to unlock the back door. 

Izuku takes a seat in the chair next to him. He doesn't say anything, simply just stares out into the yard under the orange and purple hues of the sky as the sun sets. It would be something beautiful if Toshinori could pull himself out of his own head. 

"...I know I've had too much." He slurs slightly. Izuku hums his acknowledgement. "That's good---to be self-aware when you're not sober. But I didn't come out here to lecture you." He points. Toshinori grunts a non-committal response, head bobbing in a bit of a nod. He's grateful. 

"...how's Katsuki?" 

"He's alright. Mom and I took him to the library yesterday and it's his new favorite thing." Izuku says with a fond smile. Toshinori can't help but find it a little contagious; imagining Katsuki's cute little awe-stricken face as he pulls Izuku around by the arm so that he can get the books on the high shelf. He wishes he would have come out of his funk enough to have accompanied them. He hated that he missed it; that first experience for Katsuki. 

"His favorite, hm? More than chocolate cookies and hugs?" 

"His third favorite thing."

He and Izuku share a laugh together. 

"I introduced him to Fumikage. You remember him, right?" 

Toshinori hums. He's rather hard to forget. "Your rather...eccentric beta  friend who works there at the library, right?" He recalls and Izuku giggles. "He's goth, dad. You can say goth; you don't have to avoid it like it's some sort of slur." 

"Well it feels like name-calling!" 

"I promise you, he prefers to be called goth more than he likes to be called eccentric." 

"Fine, fine. How'd they do? They hit it off pretty well?"

"Why is that even a question? You should know by now that Katsuki's got a little spell on him. As soon as people meet him, they fall right in love." It's true, so far, but that could just as quickly become a double edged sword if they're not careful. All the same, Toshinori is glad that Katsuki isn't having a difficult time making friends like he thought that he would. Making mutual friends with a few of Izuku's was a good start. Toshinori has known most of them since Izuku was in junior high school. Good, compassionate kids with big hearts. They'd take good care of Katsuki. 

"Good. That's good." 

"Mhm. Mina and Ochako are having a kickback at their place soon, just for us to catch up with each other. Thinking of taking Kacchan with me. Get him used to other people." 

"I see. I think it's a good idea." Toshinori pauses to take a swing from his half empty bottle. "You're doing well with this whole 'big brother' thing." Izuku shrugs. "At first it was just to comfort him. Keep him from being so anxious so he'd know that someone was looking out for him. Classic hero complex." 

"And now?" 

"Now...well, shit, now I kinda wanna punch the shit out of anyone who breathes in his direction the wrong way. Little siblings aren't so bad." 

There's a pause. Toshinori is unsure of what to do with such wholesome information. 

"He doesn't understand why you're sad. Well, no, that's wrong. He understands that you lost someone important. But he thinks that he's gone somewhere that you can get him back from. I don't think Katsuki has a very good understanding of what death is. He keeps going on about 'the better place' . Says that's where his brother went and that he's still waiting for him to come back for him." 

Toshinori remembers Katsuki going on about this better place upon his rescue. Toshinori had assumed that he was just in denial but this is somehow much more macabre.

Toshinori wipes at his face with a tired groan. 

"I'm not at all looking forward to this investigation or this trial. As much as I want to bring justice to these kids and to Katsuki...having to explain everything to him when it's all over. Hardest part is that we might need him to testify but…" 

"...but you don't think he'll want to if he knows it'll put him behind bars." 

"And it'll be devastating for him to know what he's been accused of. For him to know what he's done…" 

Izuku visibly cringes. 

"That's...fuck, yeah, that's gonna be rough." 

"Let's pray to whatever god will listen that mercy is given upon the both of us." 

Toshinori tips the bottle over to empty the rest of the contents over the deck and into the grass, standing up from his chair in a bit of a stagger but quickly catching his footing. Izuku watches him with a smile. 

"I take it your done sulking?" 

"I wasn't sulking, runt." 

"You were sulking. And the Toshinori Yagi I know wouldn't just sit around and take a loss---he's a fuckin' winner. He'd be out there kicking the shit out of some bad guys. Not letting them win." 

It's backhanded but it does the trick of getting under Toshinori's skin and riling him up. 

"You know, son? You've got a point."

"Obviously." 

"Don't push it." 

"My job is to do exactly that." The freckled alpha says with a self-satisfied grin as he stands from his chair as well. 

"Go on. I'm gonna order some takeout. Mom's worried and exhausted. You need to go talk to her." 

"Right." 

"And apologize." 

"...right." 

Toshinori sighs. Inko deserves more than a few words of apology. He'll have to make it up to her. 

Since when did Izuku become the mature one? 

#

Katsuki wiggles his bare feet against the smooth pavement of the sidewalk, eyeing the bug in his hand with awe. He'd never seen a ladybug up close before---never in person. It's so much prettier than he'd imagined, having been so enamored by it that he'd followed it from the yard and, as it would seem, further up the road than he had intended.

It doesn't dawn on him that he's lost until the ladybug leaves him, flying away in some direction that's difficult for him to pinpoint with it being so small. He loses it somewhere above him, mutely admiring how pretty the sunset is. He'd only ever gotten to see it from his bedroom window but now, he can play outside and watch the sunset every day. Do the things that Tomura never allowed him to do. 

His stomach interrupts his reflecting with a loud rumble and he reaches down to rub at it through his dress in an attempt to placate it but alas, it seems it can only be quelled with a meal. Preferably a hefty one. Maybe he could ask Izuku to make him more of the cookies when he gets home. 

...whichever direction home may be.

"U-Uh oh…" he whispers to himself, hands wringing the hem of his dress nervously. None of the houses look very familiar to him and he hadn't been paying very much attention to which direction he'd been going in while chasing his ladybug friend. Maybe if he just...kept walking in the opposite direction, he'd find his way home? Oh, but it's starting to get dark and the thought of walking home alone in the dark terrifies him. 

"Well, well, look what the trash dragged in." 

Katsuki startles, heart beating against his ribcage as he pivots around to face the fairly condescending voice behind him. He takes a few steps back to be safe, avoiding eye contact with the man standing behind him. He doesn't want to seem confrontational; doesn't want to see as though he wants to pick a fight. 

It's a blonde man, probably no older than Izuku is. He's nowhere near as large in stature as the freckled alpha is, but he's still at least a head taller than him. He's wearing a terrifyingly smug grin, looking down his nose at Katsuki. 

"Oh, it's shy. That's almost kind of cute." It's sardonic in tone. 

"H-Hi. M-M-My name is---" 

"I know what your name is, omega. Everyone around here knows about you." 

Oh.

"Y-You do?" Katsuki asks, making sure to keep his gaze down as he speaks. He tries to keep his tone even---to not show that he's afraid---but his legs won't quit their shaking. "U-Um. I am lost. D-Do you think that you could---" 

Katsuki yelps in fear, tripping over his own feet as the larger man advances on him. He tries to catch himself on his hands but scrapes them against the pavement as he lands flat onto his backside. He raises his stinging hands to try and shield himself, afraid that the stranger was going to harm him but instead all he receives is howling laughter. 

"How brainless do you have to be to get yourself lost chasing vermin?! I'm surprised Yagi let such a useless liability roam free here in this neighborhood; is he out of his mind?!" 

Katsuki lowers his bleeding palms, the corners of his mouth turning down as the stranger begins to attack him with hurtful words. He knows he shouldn't have left the yard but...but the ladybug was just so beautiful and he wasn't sure he'd get the chance to see one up close again. He hadn't meant to get himself lost. 

"I-I... I d-did n-not kn-know that---" 

"No, I imagine you wouldn't know how to do much of anything other than lie on your back and spread your legs, now would you?" 

"I d-do not understand what that me---" 

"It means that all you're good for is being a needy slut!" He spits and Katsuki feels his eyes stinging, feels his lips begin to quiver just as much as his legs have. He shakes his head as if to tell him that his accusations aren't true---to ask him what he has done to wrong him so badly that he'd deserve to be called such mean words but it's become difficult to form coherent words. He can hear his heart beating loudly in his ears, scent sours with distress as it permeates the air around them. 

"Any respectful alpha would know that omegas are to be kept in the kitchen and in the bedroom! You're here to serve after all---slaves to your own bodies. You should be ashamed." 

Katsuki is in tears, unable to do anything other than hope that this stranger will get bored with him and leave him be. Is he to apologize for being born an omega? He feels like he should be apologizing for something, but he's worried that he'll just apologize for the wrong thing and make them even more angry with him. 

"Well, you brainless slut? What do you have to say for yourse---" 

An oddly familiar scent overpowers Katsuki's own, so much so that it pauses the stranger's verbal assault with it's potency. Katsuki can't quite pin the scent to any one thing or person---not quite---but it's much less threatening than the man in front of him. 

It does, however, smell very angry. 

"Angel? What're ya doin' with him?" 

Katsuki feels hope bloom within his chest. 

"T-Touya?" 

He wipes at his teary eyes to clear his blurred vision and sure enough, the tattooed alpha is standing before them. He's dimly lit by the street lamp he's under, a hand shoved into his pocket and a cigarette poised in the other as it plucks it from his lips after a long drag---Katsuki only remembers them because he'd seen Tomura smoking them before. 

Touya's eyes narrow at them, head slanting ever slightly as if to assess them as he flicks the cigarette into the lawn nearby. He heaves a heavy sigh, eyes closed as if he's making an effort to compose himself. It's a commendable effort; if the way his scent angrily swirls in the air around them is anything to go by then he's already thought about committing murder several times within the last few seconds. 

"Back away, Neito. I'm not in the mood to deal with any of your shit today." 

The stranger, presumably Neito, bristles and folds his arms across his chest. 

"I'm not moving anywhere. You're both standing on my lawn." 

"Incorrect. We're all standing on a public sidewalk. A public sidewalk in which it would seem that you have decided to yet again invade the personal space of a person of a weaker gender. A public sidewalk where you will---inevitably---get your ass handed to you for the third time this month." Touya corrects his dryly and Neito visibly twitches annoyed. He doesn't say much more, just baring his teeth in an angry snarl. 

"Katsuki. Come here, angel." 

Katsuki scrambles up from the pavement to join Touya's side, ignoring the stinging pain in his palms. Touya keeps eye contact with Neito the entire time. He's challenging him, it would seem---asserting his dominance---but it doesn't seem like Neito is going to take the bait. He averts his gaze first and, albeit vehemently, takes his leave. Touya watches him until he's out of eyeshot. 

"What are you doin' out here all on your own, kid?" 

Embarrassed and thoroughly ashamed, Katsuki keeps his eyes trained on his feet. He can feel his throat burn with the amount of strain it takes to try and hold back the oncoming onslaught of tears. 

"I-I saw a very pretty bug. I did not know if I would ever see it again so I...I followed it and...a-and I---"

He chokes out a sob and Touya rears back in a bit of a panic. 

"H-Hey, hey, don't cry---" 

Katsuki's fingers tangle in the fabric of Touya's shirt as he looks up at him with bleary, pleading eyes. "T-Touya...am I to b-be ashamed because I was born this way? I am a bad omega! I cannot bear children---I do not even know how to use the micro machine!" 

Touya squirms a bit, incredibly uncomfortable. Not because of Katsuki, exactly, but he just...isn't very good at comforting crying people. 

"I-It's... it's called a microwave." Isn't what he means to say but it's the first thing that comes out of his mouth and he instantly regrets it the moment Katsuki's sniffling tears become wails. 

"Ah, dammit. Hey, kiddo---hey." He kneels down so that Katsuki can look him in the eyes. Touya's shitty with comforting words but he's sincere. He can only hope that his efforts are good enough. 

"Okay. So you got lost while you were playing outside? That's okay, everyone makes mistakes. You're not in trouble and you're definitely not a bad omega---there's no such thing. You hear me?" He tries and though Katsuki doesn't stop crying, he does nod in understanding. Though, there's something oddly specific about the phrasing that Katsuki uses…

"Where's all this talk about bad omegas coming from? He say somethin' to you?" 

Another nod. 

Touya can feel his mouth turning down into a scowl. 

"What'd he say, angel?" 

Katsuki shakes his head again. "I---I do not wish to repeat such mean and h-hurtful words to you." 

Touya's gonna take that fucker's head off of his shoulders. 

But for now, his main focus should be getting Katsuki home. He can imagine that Yagi and Izuku are somewhere running around like chickens with their heads cut off. 

"Okay. Alright. I understand. Let's get you home, okay?" He decides, taking a moment to assess Katsuki's physical well-being. He notices that Katsuki isn't wearing shoes but he doesn't comment on it, doesn't want to upset him more and make him feel even more insecure about himself. 

"What happened to your hands, kiddo, did you trip in fall?" 

"I-I did. I was trying to keep my distance from the scary man. I thought that he was going to hit me…" 

Oh, Neito Monoma is dead. 

Touya covers the growl that rumbles low in his chest with a cough, clearing his throat aggressively. 

"Okay. It's okay, you're safe with me, alright? Come on, gimme your hand." Touya would offer to carry him but that seemed like he'd be pushing quite a few boundaries that he hadn't wanted to cross. Too much touching. But having Katsuki hold his hand is a good way to make sure he can keep up and for Touya to keep him calm as they traverse their way through the dimly lit neighborhood. He'll keep some small talk going to keep Katsuki's delicate nerves settled.

"So what was the pretty bug that you saw?" 

#

"Katsuki?!" 

Touya releases the omega's hand and the blonde goes bolting across the driveway and into Izuku's waiting arms. The green-eyed alpha squeezes him tightly, pulling away a second later to hold Katsuki's face in his palms to look him over. "Where have you been?! Where are your shoes?! Are you hurt?! Hungry?! Baby, don't ever leave like that again, okay, you had me worried sick!" Katsuki whines out an apology and tells Izuku that he didn't mean to---that he'd gotten lost and Touya helped him find his way home, bursting right out at the seams with more tears. Inko and Toshinori are crowding them, letting them know that they aren't angry; they were just scared. 

Izuku looks past Katsuki to see Touya still standing on the sidewalk. He's waiting, makes a gesture for Izuku to come and talk to him a moment---no...it's his dad that he wants to talk to? Or is he gesturing them both? 

"Inko, would you mind getting Katsuki a bath before dinner, dear? It would seem that he's scraped his hands up pretty badly." Toshinori suggests and Inko, finally taking Katsuki's bloody palms into account, begins to fuss over him. She takes him gently by the wrist as not to hurt him as she leads him inside. Katsuki goes without fuss, turning to wave a goodbye to Touya as he goes. Touya manages a smile. 

"Bye, angel." 

"G-Goodnight!" 

Toshinori and Izuku both wait until the two of them are out of eyeshot before they make their way to Touya. Whatever it is that he wants to say is probably something that shouldn't be overheard. 

"Thanks for bringing him home, Touya." 

The Todoroki waves him off dismissively. "Don't sweat it, I was on my way here anyway. Just a suggestion, though. May want to get him a cellphone and teach him how to use it. He wasn't too far away from here when I found him but he had no idea of where he was and no sense of direction upon coming back. If he can't learn how to use GPS he at least needs to be able to call for help." 

Izuku, who usually combats anything that Touya says with an annoyed objection, nods in agreement. 

"For once, you actually have a point. We were in the house for at least twenty minutes before we realized he was gone. I'd told him that if he was gonna go outside then he shouldn't leave the yard---" 

"He didn't do it on purpose. Saw a ladybug and got distracted. Kid's for his head way up in the clouds, that's for sure. For someone who's got a history of being kidnapped, having a cellphone could be a crucial point in making sure he stays safe this go around." 

Toshinori pales and Izuku gapes at the pierced alpha with an extremely incredulous expression plastered to his face. 

"How did you—" 

"After you said that Katsuki being here was case related, I got curious. All I had to do was a quick Google search and piece the obvious evidence together to figure out that the little cutie's name was actually Katsuki Bakugou." Touya points with a shrug. "You know I won't say anything to anyone. I won't even ask the details. Just know that I've got your back if you need me, Nori." 

Toshinori pinches at the bridge of his nose as his oncoming headache hits him full force but he manages a smile, at the very least. He pats Touya on the shoulder. 

"Thanks, Touya." 

"After all the times you've gotten my ass out of hot water? Anytime. Although…" he pauses, tone growing dark. "You may want to keep an eye on Neito. When I found Katsuki, he was harassing him. I don't know the specifics other than the fact that he said some pretty degrading shit that was enough to make Katsuki cry. He wouldn't even repeat it back to me, it hurt his feelings so badly. And those scrapes on his hands came from tripping and falling while trying to run away." 

Izuku's own scent begins to turn rancid, jaw tensing. He looks as if he's warring with himself and, honestly, Touya can understand the sentiment wholeheartedly. 

"You don't have to worry about kicking his ass, I plan on doing that myself. Had to prioritize getting the kid home first. I, uh...I didn't want him to see me be all brutal and violent. If he's gotta be exposed to it, it won't be because of me."

Izuku scoffs, shaking his head. 

"I can't tell if I'm losing my mind or if you've suddenly gained a brain but again, I agree with you." He says, albeit backhandedly. "If I go and beat that misogynistic piece of shit to a pulp on his lawn then it's gonna look bad on my dad. You've already made a reputation for yourself as a degenerate so I'll allow you to do your thing with this." 

"That's a really fucked up way to say that you're gonna trust me and let me handle this." 

"Better take it in stride cause that's all you're gettin'." 

"Look at you two, bickering like siblings and we haven't even gotten to the wedding yet." Toshinori teases and Touya snorts. "If Izuku ever grows a pair and asks Shouto to marry him already. It's been, what? Five years?" 

"Shut up, jail bait." 

"Make me, you big, doe-eyed fucker." 

"Alright, you two, tone it down." Toshinori sighs. These two can't get along to save their own lives. "I'll have a talk with Neito Monoma and make sure he knows that his antics are unacceptable---and that pursuing Katsuki with them will have consequences." 

"You wanna do that before or after I kick his little dumb beta brains out with my size eleven boots?" 

"Touya." 

"Nori." 

"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, I assume." 

"You'd assume correctly, friend. I'm mad as hell anyway; kicking some disgusting asshole's teeth in might make me feel better." He confirms. Both Toshinori and Izuku share a look with each other; Izuku's brow raises curiously and Toshinori's knit together in mild concern. "About that. Are we going to talk about that nasty bruise on your face?" 

Touya groans irately. 

"Preferably not." 

"Touya." 

"Fine, fine. My mom's husband and I got into it. It was a fucking stupid argument, in hindsight, but I got fuckin' pissed and punched him in his shit and then he fuckin' hit me back." Which had, admittedly, caught Touya by the ankle. Keigo didn't look like the type to fight back---didn't look like he had the balls to. Damn sure didn't look like his right hook would hit so fuckin' hard, either. 

"He apologized but I'm still pissed so I'll deal with it in a couple of days." 

"You're not going home?" 

"No, cause I'm still fuckin' pissed and I might hit him again. I need to calm down first and my mom won't stop fucking calling me and it's pissing me off more." 

"He's calling because he's worried about you, dipshit." Izuku points and Touya kicks at the freckled alpha's shin. "I fuckin' know that, alright? I'm pissed because he keeps apologizing like it's his fault and begging me to come home and talk to him. He won't let that bastard take accountability for anything he does; I can't deal with my mom right now. Probably just crash at Tetsu's for a while---" 

"The one with a worse juvenile record than you have? Absolutely not." Toshinori objects. It's not that Tetsutetsu is a bad kid; the Kirishima's are damned good people. He's just impulsive. Punch first, ask questions later. He's a spirited lad too, so when he gets riled up, it's fairly easy for him to get Touya worked up and ready for a fight as well. The last thing Touya needs is more assault charges on his record. 

"You're staying here. Feel free to take the weekend. Katsuki is in the guest bedroom right now but you can have the sofa. It's not a discussion." 

"Tetsu's not a bad guy, you know." 

"I know. But you're staying here." 

"...alright. Thanks." 

Definitely a better option than going home.

"C'mon, I'm sure dinner's gonna get cold waiting for us." Toshinori insists, shepherding the younger alphas towards the house. 

"Behave around my little brother, Touya." Izuku warns. 

"Still with this shit? I told you I'm gonna look out for the brat, why would I do something to hurt him?" 

"I'm talking about keeping your dick in your pants." 

"You're the pervert, not me." 

"I said what I said." 

"And I said what I said." 

"Enough, boys. Am I going to have to separate you for the entire weekend?" Toshinori chides and both younger alphas vehemently turn away from each other. 

But not without Izuku letting him know that he's going to be watching him. 

A/N: In case anyone was confused, Tetsu and Kiri are brothers here lol