Sleep eludes Katsuki.

It isn't something new, of course, but in this new place, his restlessness is not born from boredom; it is born from irrational fears. Irrational, he thinks, because something within him assures him that he is safe where he is. There aren't any monsters hiding under his bed---no evils lurking in the dark. The television serves its purpose of background noise well, illuminating the dark of the room enough to quell his anxieties of being visited by the Boogeyman. He just can't stop thinking about Brother.

If he even is his brother.

There's so much that Tomura has been dishonest about that Katsuki has found himself questioning the entirety of his existence. But why would Tomura lie? Did he know that he was lying? Surely it's possible that Tomura believed that he was doing the right thing. But then why would he tell him that outside would make him sick when he's perfectly fine? In fact, he feels so much better than he has in all the years he's spent locked away in his room. And that woman claimed that the medicine brother was giving him made him sick---why would Brother do that?

He's unnerved to say the least, having gotten up from bed at least a dozen times with the intention of going to that nice man's room (odd, he knows everyone else's name but his) but every time he'd managed to grip the doorknob, he had begun to have second thoughts and abandoned it to go back to bed. He knows that the man---his guardian---had assured Katsuki that he could come and find him should he need anything at all but it seemed so inconsiderate to wake him at a time like this for something that he probably had no answers for. The last thing he'd want is to be bothersome for the man and his nice wife.

When he reaches for the door for a thirteenth time, a soft knock sounds from the other side and startles him. He bumps against the bedside table and nearly knocks the lamp over, crouching low and backing away from the door. It opens shortly after and a curly green head pops in, flipping the light switch on the wall adjacent to it.

"Katsuki? What're you doin', sweetheart? You okay?"

Izuku is careful with his movements as he slides into the room and closes the door behind him. He sits on the edge of the bed to keep a comfortable distance between them.

"I heard your little feet in here pittering around; just wanted to make sure you were alright. Did you need something? Do you have to use the bathroom? I know the hallway is super dark at night, I can leave the hall light on for you." He offers. Katsuki does not respond, still crouched and shaking like a feral cat.

"You...scared me." He says, back against the wall. Izuku sheepishly rubs at the back of his head, flashing him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and I wanted to knock instead of just walking in. You're a presenting omega; no alpha should feel comfortable just invading your privacy."

Ah. Right. Omega.

Katsuki takes a moment to consider Izuku. Just as his mother had said, he's rather large in stature. Katsuki assumes it to be natural, as his father is much larger than Katsuki would ever think a man could be. With what little he knows about current biology, he at least understands how genes work.

Still, Inko had described alphas to be sort of boorish and...well, there were a lot of unsavory things said about most alphas. About how society makes them out to be superior. Izuku, however, seems rather polite and generally harmless. He respects his mother well, and he's been more than respectful to Katsuki and his space since he's been here. His father is quite the gentleman as well and they seem to treat omegas rather delicately. Suppose she was speaking of alphas generally rather than collectively.

Katsuki hopes that he never meets an alpha like the ones that she mentioned.

Izuku takes a moment to look around the room---most likely to make sure that nothing was broken---when his eyes land on the still-made bed. The alpha's brows pinch together; he's concerned.

"You haven't slept at all."

"I...cannot fall asleep."

"...I see. Are you scared?"

A subjective question, really.

"I am not afraid of you, if you are wondering."

"Then why are you all balled up in the corner like that?"

"I have already said to you that you had startled me."

"And you're still startled?"

Katsuki's gaze narrows at the large man, head tilted curiously as he chooses to say nothing lest he become flustered. Izuku somehow finds amusement in that, keeping Katsuki's partially annoyed gaze as he gets comfortable in the blonde's bed.

"What are you doing?"

Izuku chuckles---as if what he plans to do should be fairly obvious.

"I'm gonna sleep here with you."

"Why? Is your bed broken?"

"Well, I don't want you sleeping alone if you're afraid. I'm gonna sit with you until you go to bed, at least. Ma said somethin' about going out tomorrow; you wouldn't wanna be falling asleep during a celebration, would you?" The alpha insists, patting the bed on the side of him. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I'll even give you a hug if you need it. Shouto tells me I'm good at hugs."

Hugs?

"What are hugs? Are you going to impregnate me?"

Izuku sputters and sits up from the bed, face blooming a red so deep that Katsuki begins to wonder if he may be sick. Izuku looks him right in the eyes, almost like he's trying to determine whether or not Katsuki is being serious when he suddenly falls apart into a wheezing fit of laughter.

"Christ, Katsuki, you don't get pregnant from hugs! C'mon, remember when your brother would wrap his arms around and squeeze real tight? Then everything that made you upset would feel so much better? Those are hugs, honey. Don't they make you feel better?"

Katsuki doesn't ever remember Tomura giving him these hugs. Baths. Kisses. He even massaged Katsuki's legs after they'd started to bruise from not being able to walk anymore. But never hugs. Do hugs mean you love someone more? Did Tomura not love Katsuki?

"You're starting to make me think you've never had a hug before."

"..."

The smile on Izuku's face immediately falls.

"Oh...oh, honey. I'm sorry, I didn't---come here, please." He asks, lowering his voice. He feels bad that he'd laughed, he had no idea that Katsuki had been deprived of something as simple as hugs. The way that Katsuki's face pinches together tells him that he's upset him and made him feel bad---the exact opposite of his initial intentions.

Katsuki stands from his spot on the floor, wringing his hands. Izuku's nose stings a bit at how the omega's sugar sweet scent sours into something akin to distress. He feels incredibly shitty for laughing now.

He'd usually want to keep his distance with an omega that he was unfamiliar with but as soon as Katsuki is within arm's reach, he grabs him and pulls him against his chest in a tight embrace. His body practically swallows Katsuki's own smaller, much more delicate one. He begins to lightly scent him to calm him, having found earlier on that the blonde responds positively to scenting.

Katsuki sniffles against his chest and that's when Izuku feels warm, wet tears staining his shirt.

The tight feeling in his chest makes him squeeze tighter.

"I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean to make you sad. And I'm sorry I laughed, okay?"

Katsuki nods against his chest, hands curling into the fabric of Izuku's shirt. Izuku lifts him up from the floor and pulls him up into bed, keeping him held tight against his chest. He heaves a heavy sigh, staring up at the ceiling fan as Katsuki continues to cry silently into his shirt.

"No offense, sweetheart, but your brother doesn't seem like a good one."

"I...am starting to feel that way as well."

He sounds so small and defeated, voice muffled against Izuku's collarbone. There are so many mixed feelings swirling about in Katsuki's heart that he's unsure of how to cope with them. Izuku's fingers card through Katsuki's hair in an attempt to soothe him.

"Mmm. Well, how about we don't think about sad things anymore, hm? Matter of fact, I'm your big brother now." Izuku declares. He figures if Katsuki is going to be here a while, he'd do well to help him as best he can. He's unsure of what will happen if they don't find Katsuki's real parents and he can only imagine how terrifying the uncertainty of it all must be.

This kid deserves to be loved properly at least once in his life.

"We do not share the same mother or father---"

"Well, consider it an adoption. Come on, kiddo, I'll make sure you have a blast."

"...I get the feeling that this is another one of your odd metaphors. What does it mean to have a blast?"

Izuku almost laughs again but he's able to cover it with a cough into his fist. He's still in awe with how innocent Katsuki is---completely uncorrupted or tainted by the outside world. He doesn't even seem to have a proper understanding of what death really is.

For fuck's sake, he thought hugs were a type of sex!

"It just means that we're gonna have a lot of fun. We'll hang out, I can introduce you to some folks who'll look after you. We can go to parties once you're more comfortable around people. I bet you've never been to a theatre either, huh? I wanna take you there, too. Maybe mom and dad want to come, too."

"Brother."

Izuku smiles.

"Yeah, babe?"

"You talk a lot."

Yeah, Katsuki's definitely going to get annoyed with him fairly quickly. And that's okay. From what Shouto tells him, that's usually what it's like to have siblings.

"I know." He says, pulling the blankets up over them when he feels Katsuki yawn against his neck. Katsuki doesn't respond so Izuku assumes he's beginning to doze off. It's better he doesn't risk waking him with more mindless chatter.

Probably should have turned the light off first.

#

Toshinori is mildly surprised to find Izuku downstairs making breakfast the next morning, as his son is never awake before ten. He's singing some catchy tune that Toshinori is sure he's heard on the radio, awfully upbeat for it to be so early.

It isn't until Toshinori makes it to the kitchen table that he realizes that Izuku isn't alone, a tiny blonde omega clinging to him in a way that reminds Toshinori of a koala bear. Izuku easily holds him up with one arm, using his free one to tend to the pan that he's standing in front of at the stove.

"Well, good morning, you two!" He greets them, his surprise morphing from mild to pleasant. He's happy to see Katsuki so relaxed here. He knew that Izuku would have an easier time getting him to open up than Toshinori ever could. Here's hoping that Shouto could help him get a feel of himself while Izuku handles helping him get a feel of the world.

The younger alpha turns to offer his father a smile in greeting. "Hey. French toast, eggs and bacon for breakfast. Hope you're hungry."

"French toast? I didn't think you knew how to make anything other than instant ramen!"

"Funny, dad. Katsuki was telling me he's never had it before so I figured I'd make him some."

Izuku's always been a considerate boy. Knowing him, he'd probably watched YouTube videos on how to make french toast all morning just to make sure he could get it right.

"You two got awfully close overnight, somethin' you need to tell me?" The older blonde teases and Katsuki, bright eyed and bushy tailed, lifts his head up from Izuku's shoulder. "Izuku is my brother now."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Tomura makes me very sad so Izuku has adopted me. He said we are going to blast together."

"Have a blast together, honey." Izuku corrects him and Katsuki nods in agreement.

Toshinori's brows raise in genuine shock, but he is not the slightest bit disappointed. Katsuki must've said something about Tomura to really piss Izuku off.

"Izuku has taught me about hugs. They are very nice. They may have become my most favorite thing." Katsuki says and Izuku chuckles. "More than chocolate cookies?"

"...they have become my second most favorite thing."

Toshinori chuckles fondly, reaching over to ruffle Katsuki's hair.

"You're cute. I'm glad to see you two getting along. Your mother will be down in a bit; she's been fussing over what our plans for today are since she woke up this morning. Wants to get everything scheduled out so we don't miss anything." He says, directing the last bit towards Izuku and the freckled man snorts. "Mom can be such a spaz sometimes."

"That's where you get it from."

"I am not a spaz."

"Tell that to your spastic word-vomit sprees."

"So what I'm hearing is that you don't want french toast."

"If I don't get french toast then you're paying your own tuition next semester."

Izuku turns slightly to give his father the side-eye.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me, kiddo."

Izuku rolls his eyes, making sure to give his father extra toast. "Fine, damn drama queen." He mumbles. "What is a drama queen?" Katsuki asks and Izuku just pats him on the back. "It's not important, Kats. Here, go sit at the table. Breakfast is ready."

He puts the omega onto his own feet and Katsuki sits down across from Toshinori when Inko comes speed walking down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, boys! Katsuki, honey, how are you feeling? Did you sleep okay?"

"Hello Mrs. Mother. I did sleep well, but Izuku snores very loudly---"

"I---I do not, you brat! See if I come and sleep in your bed with you again, little traitor."

"Look alive, sweetheart, the boys are full of energy today." Toshinori says to his wife with a laugh, thanking Izuku as he hands him a plate of food. She smiles, taking her own from him next. "That's just what we need! We're going to go to the mall today to get you some new clothes---anything you like, sweetheart. Then we're going to go get those personal items that we talked about before we go to dinner tonight. Does that sound good?" She's a little weirded out by being called 'Mrs. Mother' but she knows it isn't any fault of his. Calling her Inko must be fairly odd for Katsuki.

"I would like that very much."

"Great! Izuku, will Shouto be joining us today? I know you two were supposed to spend time together today. If you'd rather stay here then---"

"And miss Kacchan's first experience with the outside world? No way, what kind of brother would I be?" He insists, not missing the way his mother whispers a confused "brother?" under her breath. "I shot him a text this mornin', says he'd love to join our little family outing. He's excited to meet Katsuki. He's gonna meet us at the mall."

Katsuki pauses in dumping a near half bottle of syrup onto his food to look up at the freckled alpha in confusion.

"Someone wants to meet me? Who is this Shouto person?"

Izuku sits down at the table next to him, gently taking the syrup bottle away and setting it in the middle of the table. "My boyfriend."

"Oh. A friend that is a boy?"

"Ah. Yes and no. He's someone that I love very much and want to be with for a very long time. I'd like to marry him some day and have lots of children. But he's still my friend. It's always good to have a lover that you can be friends with." He explains the best that he can. "He's an omega as well; you're both the same age. You remind me a lot of how he used to be, I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

Katsuki certainly hopes so. The only friend that he has ever had, had been Basil. He hopes that he is able to make more friends now, ones that will not suddenly leave him to go to the better place.

"Eat up, boys! We've got quite the day ahead, I don't want to miss a thing!"

For the first time in years, Katsuki is filled with excitement.