Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The bell over the bakery door chimed as Eijirou pushed his way inside, the smell of warm bread and sugar sweeping over him like a blanket. Morning light streamed in through the wide front windows, casting a golden glow over the displays. Soldiers from the early patrol had told him this bakery was the place for sweet rolls, so he’d offered, very nobly he felt, to pick up a dozen for the barracks.

What he walked into, however, was not the peaceful, cozy bakery he expected.

A pretty, young man stood behind the counter, sun-bright hair pulled messily back, flour dusted across his cheekbones like freckles. He was smiling nervously, shoulders tense.

Across the counter, a broad, red-faced patron leaned forward far too close.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” the man slurred, tapping the counter with two thick fingers. “Give me another one of those smiles. You don’t gotta pretend you don’t like the attention.”

The sweet smelling Omega laughed, but it was the thin, brittle kind, the kind people made when trying not to anger someone bigger than them. “Uhh sir, I really need to finish the orders. I have some more pastries in the back, but if-”

“Oh, I’on need pastries,” the man cut in, smirking. “Just you.”

The Alpha didn’t think. He didn’t consider. Instinct, training, and a thick swipe of protectiveness hit him at once.

“Step away from the counter.”

His voice cut through the room like the steel of his strong Alpha scent.

Both of them turned.

Eijirou still wore his guard uniform, breastplate gleaming, sword at his hip, cloak pinned neatly at his shoulder. He stepped forward, expression calm, but his eyes sharp enough to slice through the man’s bravado.

The patron bristled. “And who’re you s’posed to be?”

The redhead held his gaze, unfazed and trained. “A member of the Royal Guard. Which means if a citizen feels unsafe, I step in.” His voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to. “You’re going to step back, pay for what you’ve already taken, and leave.”

The man scoffed. “That pretty boy asked for it, fluttering around like-”

Eijirou moved.

Not violently, just a hand on the man’s shoulder, grip firm enough to warn, not harm.

“That’s enough,” he said quietly. “Out.”

Something in Eijirou’s calmness, his utter lack of fear, his unusual hostility, must have pierced the man’s drunken fog. With a muttered curse, he fumbled coins onto the counter and stormed out, the bell jangling wildly behind him.

Only when the door closed did the Alpha step back, exhaling slowly.

Behind the counter, the boy stared at him wide-eyed.

“Are you okay?” The Guard asked, gentler now.

The blonde blinked. Then beamed.

“You were amazing!” He leaned across the counter, eyes sparkling like he’d just watched a hero story come to life. “I mean- you didn’t even yell! You just- you just guarded!”

The lack of space turned the Alpha’s ears red. “Well. That is my job.”

“That guy comes in here all the time,” the baker sighed, relief spilling over into rapid chatter. “He always makes these comments, really weird ones! And I get all sweaty and panicky and my dad used to say people like that go away on their own if you don’t feed them but they never do, oh god, I’m rambling.” The shaking Omega covered his face with both hands. “I do that when I’m nervous.”

Eijirou’s mouth tugged into a smile before he could stop it. “It’s alright. You… talk very enthusiastically.”

The blonde peeked through his fingers. “That’s a very kind way of saying I talk too much.”

“Yes, I suppose so.” Eijirou laughed gently.

The Omega laughed, bright and unbothered, like sunlight through clouds. “Well, you’re lucky I do, or this would be a very quiet conversation, my hero. My name is Denki, Denki Kaminari.”

My hero.

Eijirou, who was normally confident, unflinching, and a jokester at heart, found his tongue tripping over itself. “It’s nice, you know, to meet you, Denki Kaminari. I- well- I don’t mind. Truly.”

What’s the matter with you, Eijirou?

“You look like you don’t talk much,” Denki replied cheerfully, leaning his elbows on the counter. “Strong and confident, you know? But you’re very handsome so it works.”

The Alpha Guard choked.

And the sweet Omega’s eyes widened. “Oh, OH- I didn’t mean- well I did mean- because you are handsome, like really really- oh god I’m doing it again.”

The Alpha cleared his throat, ears now a deep scarlet. “It’s- it’s fine.”

“So!” The baker said loudly, desperate to redirect. “Are you here for bread?”

“Um. Yes. A dozen sweet rolls for the barracks.” Eijirou laughed, suddenly very aware of his posture. “The, uh, Captain likes them.”

Katsuki fucking HATES sweets, why am I panicking?!

“Right!” The Omega spun around so fast he almost knocked over a tray of cooling pastries. “I can absolutely do that. I mean- I do it all the time, not that I think it’s boring, I love baking actually, but I probably shouldn’t brag about that since you’re, like, a soldier and you actually have a duty and I- um. I have dough.”

In response, Eijirou pressed a hand over his mouth to hide the smile threatening to escape.

Denki boxed up the rolls, humming softly, off-key, enthusiastic, and weirdly charming. When he handed the box to the Guard, their fingers brushed, just lightly. Just enough.

Both froze.

A spark zipped between them like someone had struck flint.

The Omega’s cheeks flushed pink, he couldn’t look him in the eye. “Thank you,” he whispered, though he was the one giving the box.

Eijirou swallowed as he took in the embarrassed, innocent change in Denki’s scent. “If anyone bothers you again… send for me. I patrol this route often.”

The Omega’s smile softened into something warm, earnest, a little shy.

“I will. And… thank you, Eijirou Kirishima.”

“You know my name?” the Guard blurted.

The baker blinked. “You’re in uniform. You have your name embroidered. It’s right there.”

The Alpha flushed the second Denki pressed a finger to his chest. “…Right.”

The Omega grinned. “But also I would’ve remembered anyway.”

Eijirou felt his heart do something undignified and heroic.

“I’ll… return tomorrow,” he said, then immediately winced at how stiff it sounded.

“Good,” Denki said brightly. “I’d love that.”

As Eijirou walked out, box of pastries under one arm, he swore the sun felt warmer, the day lighter, and his steps a little less steady.

Behind the counter, the Omega sank to the floor with his back to the counter, hands pressed to his lips, whispering under his breath.

“What the hell was that?”

-

Eijirou had walked this route a thousand times, boots steady on the cobblestone, sword hanging from his hip, the morning sun glinting off his armor. Patrol days were predictable, comfortably so. But ever since he’d spent more time with the shy little baker whose smile lived somewhere under his ribs, nothing felt predictable anymore.

He didn’t even notice he’d drifted nearer to the bakery square until a familiar scent reached him, honeyed dough, and something soft and sour that tightened his chest and shortened his stride.

Denki’s summer lemon.

He spotted him before he meant to, standing beneath his storefront with a basket of fresh pastries, head ducked shyly as he spoke to a traveller. A tall one cloaked in foreign colors. Leaning a little too close. Touching the baker’s wrist as he laughed at something the Omega said.

Eijirou froze mid-step.

His vision tunneled.

His Alpha surged.

Why… Why was that man touching him?

A heat flared beneath his skin, sharp, hot, terrifying in its intensity. It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t soldierly. It wasn’t allowed. But the moment that stranger brushed his fingers along Denki’s wrist again, gentle, like he had the right, the Guard’s hands curled into fists on instinct.

Denki didn’t pull away. Probably didn’t realise. He was too soft, too trusting.

Too easy for anyone to want.

The Alpha’s teeth clenched, breath shuddering as something primal rose like a storm inside him.

Mine.

No. No, not mine, he’s just in danger.

You’re a guard, so guard!

But the instinct burned anyway, blistering and undeniable.

He took a step forward.

Then another.

Ready to intervene, to peel the stranger away, to put himself between the Omega and whatever intentions the man might have.

But then the baker looked up.

Just a glance. One second. Two.

And everything else vanished.

The traveler’s voice became background noise. The crowd, the city, the patrol route, gone. Denki’s golden eyes widened, softening instantly, brightening like dawn breaking through storm clouds.

“Eijirou!” he called, breathless.

It hit the Alpha like a blow, how happy he sounded, how completely his attention shifted away from the stranger the very moment he saw him. Denki didn’t hesitate. Didn’t excuse himself. Didn’t even look back at the man still talking beside him.

He simply ran.

Basket bouncing at his hip, bright hair flying, cheeks flushed from the cool morning air. Straight to him.

And in the heartbeat it took for the Omega to cross the distance, Eijirou glanced back and the stranger was gone.

Just… gone. As though the moment Denki’s eyes found their Alpha, nothing else mattered. As though the man had never existed at all.

The possessive fire inside the Alpha flickered, then extinguished entirely, replaced by a stunned sort of awe.

“Good morning, Ei!” The baker breathed, stopping too close, close enough that he had to bring a hand to the Alpha’s chest, close enough that his scent wrapped around the Alpha like silk. Sweet.

The Guard swallowed hard, fighting the shiver up his spine.

“Morning, Denki.” he managed, voice rougher than he meant.

The Omega beamed. “I made your favourite! I-oh, wait, you’re working-! Sorry, I didn’t mean to run, I just-!”

He rambled. Soft. Sweet. Entirely focused on the redhead. And the Alpha listened, hardly hearing the words, too overwhelmed by the echo of that fierce, protective surge still thrumming under his skin.

He’d wanted to rip a stranger away from the Omega.

He’d wanted to claim what he had no right to.

And yet, Denki looked at him like he already belonged to him somehow.

Eijirou exhaled slowly, quietly, steadying himself.

He was in trouble. Deep, undeniable trouble.

Not because the Omega was in any danger.

But because he was already too attached.

Already too far gone.

-

The morning sun spilled through the windows, gilding the wooden counters and casting soft light across the flour-dusted floor. Everything seemed ordinary, the clatter of rolling pins, the cheerful chatter of customers, yet Denki’s thoughts refused to stay ordinary.

He kept catching himself thinking of the Alpha Guard.

The soldier had made his appearance in his store for weeks, tall and confident, laughing easily as he ordered pastries for his fellow guards. Yet every detail of him, the glowing red of his eyes, the way his hands would brush over the counter, the slight way his confident smile faltered when he noticed anyone getting too close to the Omega, the way pride laced every word he spoke, it was all etched in Denki’s mind.

He shook his head lightly, flour dusting his fingertips. I can’t believe it. He pressed a hand to his chest. Did I really fall for a stranger in a couple weeks?

Weeks. Barely enough time, and already his Omega instincts had betrayed him. His cheeks flushed at their first memory. Eijirou had stepped forward without hesitation, protectively, speaking firmly to the man, and then, and then! He had smiled at Denki, that warm, awkward smile that somehow made the Omega’s stomach flip.

He came back every day, every morning Denki would wake with excitement racing through his veins. 

“Stop thinking like a lovesick fool,” Denki muttered to himself, though he couldn’t stop the way his heart thumped just recalling the Alpha’s laugh. The blush in his chest grew. “He’s a soldier. A Royal Guard, for god's sake. And I… I’m just a baker.”

And yet, somehow, that only made the memory sweeter. He replayed it in his mind, the rough brush of Eijirou’s calloused hand against his own, the way his voice had softened when he reassured him. The confidence, the kindness, the way the Alpha’s sharp red eyes had looked straight at him, making him feel both safe and dizzy at once.

Denki pressed his flour-covered hands to his cheeks and let out a small laugh, embarrassed. “Somehow…” His gaze drifted to the window, as though he might see the Guard walking through the market again. “…I think I’m...”

A sigh escaped him, he needed not to finish his sentence. 

The Omega couldn’t help the heat of longing that rose every time he remembered the soldier’s warm smile.

For a moment, he pressed a hand to the counter, leaning over slightly, imagining Eijirou standing there again, just for him. He let himself smile, a little shyly, a little foolishly.

And then, reluctantly, he went back to kneading the dough, telling himself he had to be patient. A couple weeks were nothing, he reminded himself. And yet, his heart insisted they were everything.

-

The morning market was already alive when Eijirou turned down the central lane, the smell of warm bread and fruit-sweets drifting toward him. He wasn’t even supposed to be here, Katsuki had dismissed the unit early for the day to spend some extra time with his Prince, but his feet had carried him to the marketplace anyway.

Or rather, they’d carried the Alpha to him.

The baker who stood behind a stall draped in blue linen, laughing as he arranged pastries that shimmered with sugar. His hair was tied loosely at the nape of his neck, a few stray hairs escaping to frame his bright, open face. Every time someone approached the stall, he lit up like it was the best part of his day.

The way an a scent like his should have overwhelmed the space, sweet, warm, never did with Denki. His innocent Omega scent, lemon, and a little bit of smoke from the ovens was refreshing and revived something deep in the Alpha’s chest. 

Dangerous combination, Eijirou thought. Too soft for a soldier to want.

He cleared his throat and approached, boots thudding on the stone. Denki looked up, and froze.

His smile widened instantly.

“Ei! You’re back again!” The Omega beamed as if it were a surprise, though The Guard had somehow found himself here three times this week. Twice without needing supplies. “Let me guess, you’re here for your lemon twists again? You say you aren’t, but you always end up taking two.”

The Guard fought the urge to smile. “I’m here to restock for the barracks. The recruits eat like starved wolves.”

“Mm-hm,” Denki hummed, leaning forward on his elbows. “So… not for the lemon twists.”

Eijirou cleared his throat again. “Not for the lemon twists.”

His ears burned.

The sweet Omega was oblivious, radiant, and leaning far too close. The other stallkeepers nearby exchanged knowing glances, the kind people used when they watched a story unfold in front of them.

And the worst part?

Denki had no idea.

“Do you… want just one?” The baker offered, holding up a fresh twist dusted in powdered sugar. “You know, before they sell out.”

The Guard stiffened.

He did want one, not a twist. One Omega. The more time Eijirou spent with him, the more panic clawed at his chest at the idea that someone else could walk into that warm little bakery and win him away. Some other Alpha, stronger, freer, someone not bound to vows and duty, could sweep him up. Could claim what he ached for.

What the Guard could never have.

No attachments. No distractions. No dreams of warm hands or soft smiles or-

“I shouldn’t,” Eijirou managed.

The young Omega blinked, then looked down at the pastry like it had offended the Guard personally. “Oh. Um, right. Sorry.”

The hurt was small, barely visible, but it was there, and it punched Eijirou square in the chest.

He scrambled. “I mean, I can’t eat sweets while we’re still training. Bakugo, uh, our Captain, he’s strict about discipline.”

The Omega’s shoulders relaxed, relief softening his face. “Oh! That makes more sense. For a moment I thought you just didn’t want anything from me.”

The Alpha nearly choked. “That’s not-! That is absolutely not the reason, Denki.”

At hearing his name, the Omega smiled, warm and pleased.

Eijirou shifted his weight, hands clasping behind him in a disciplined stance to keep from fidgeting. His vow, the lifelong celibacy oath taken by all of the elite guard until retirement, echoed in the back of his mind like a cold reminder. Bonds were forbidden. Courtship was inappropriate. Anything more was impossible.

And yet…

Whenever the blonde looked at him with those bright, trusting eyes, Eijirou felt something warm and terrifying unfold in his chest.

He cleared his throat softly. “Your stall seems busy today.”

“It always is when I make the berry tarts.” Denki leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Between you and me, I’m competing with the honey vendor across the square.”

Eijirou laughed heartily, a warm, bubbling sound that seemed to surprise even himself. The blonde looked pleased at having caused it.

“Well,” Denki said shyly, “if you ever want any pastries for the barracks again… I’d be happy to help. I owe you one.”

“You owe me nothing, Denki.” The Guard said, a bit too quickly. “I just did what was right.”

The Omega’s smile turned soft again, fond, almost too gentle for the Alpha.

And Eijirou felt the vow tighten around his ribs.

He glanced toward the barracks, responsibility tugging him back to reality. “I should return. Patrol starts soon.”

“Oh, of course.” Denki’s voice dipped with a flicker of disappointment he didn’t seem to realise he’d let slip. “Then… I’ll see you around?”

Eijirou hesitated.

And in that pause, every unspoken longing seemed to hover between them. He made a decision, one he would have to live with for the rest of his life. 

He bowed his head with a small, helpless smile. “Monday, five in the afternoon. Meet me by the barracks' southern entrance.”

Denki’s entire face brightened. He nodded. 

Eijirou stepped back, forcing his feet to move away, not toward him.

He glanced back once.

The Omega was still watching him, expression hopeful, unaware of how easily he’d cracked open the heart of a soldier who had vowed never to let anyone in.

The Alpha exhaled slowly.

“Until then, Denki.” he murmured under his breath.

It scared him more than it should have.

-

It had started as a simple thank-you gesture. That first Monday, the Omega had brought a small box of coconut rolls to the barracks as a thank you for Eijirou who had scared away the man who’d cornered him at the bakery.

But somehow, without either of them ever saying it aloud, it had become their ritual.

Every Monday.

Every week.

A few stolen minutes carved out of two busy lives.

Denki told himself it was just gratitude, but he always woke up early on Mondays. Always picked out the nicest pastries. Always checked his reflection twice before leaving the bakery.

And Eijirou, the Guard who had never cared about perfume or scenting oils, had begun washing up before dawn and changing into a clean shirt before drills. His fellow soldiers teased him for it, Katsuki pulled a face to it, but he didn’t care. It was Monday.

And Monday meant Denki.

-

That morning, the barracks courtyard was unusually quiet, most soldiers out on patrol. The young Omega slipped in through the side gate, the one the redheaded Alpha had off-handedly mentioned “no one really uses.”

He held a small box of pastries against his chest, the sweet smell of cinnamon warming through the paper.

His heart beat a little too fast. His lemon scent was strong and overwhelming even for him. 

He told himself, as he always did,

You’re just being polite. You’re just delivering sweets. It’s nothing more.

Except it was more. His Omega instincts curled warm and foolishly hopeful inside him every time he saw the tall broad shouldered soldier. Every time Eijirou smiled brightly at him, like the baker had hung the moon without meaning to.

Denki peeked around the corner to make sure no one else was there, because the last thing he wanted was to cause trouble for the Alpha by drawing attention, and then he stepped into the courtyard.

He waited, not for long. 

And there he was.

Eijirou, leaving the barracks with a careful eye. 

Already looking toward the gate like he’d been listening for the Omega’s footsteps.

The Alpha Guard straightened at the sight of him. For an Alpha who was usually effortlessly confident, he looked almost bashful now, running a hand through his too long red hair, shifting his weight, trying and failing not to stare.

“Morning, Denki,” he said, voice too soft for the rough soldier he was. “You’re early.”

The Omega smiled, cheeks warming. “And yet you’re still here to meet me. Are you sure you don’t have work to do?”

Eijirou swallowed. “It can wait a few minutes.”

Their eyes caught and held and neither of them looked away.

Denki’s breath hitched. His Omega purred deep in his chest, instinctively soothed and thrilled by the Guard’s presence.

And Eijirou’s Alpha responded, Denki could see it in the way his shoulders relaxed, in the way his voice dipped unconsciously deeper, and his pupils flared.

The small Omega held out the pastry box. “I brought these for your squad today.”

The Alpha accepted it carefully, like it was something precious. “They’ll appreciate it.”

“You mean you’ll appreciate it,” Denki teased, shy but brave enough to try.

Eijirou’s cheeks flushed as red as his hair. “I- I might have one or two.”

They walked toward the shade of the barracks wall, the only hidden spot in the courtyard. They always ended up there, never explicitly agreeing to it, but always meeting halfway like two magnets unable to resist.

The baker leaned against the cool stone. The Guard stood in front of him, close enough that Denki could feel his body heat, smell the copper and steel scent that had already become dangerously comforting.

“How was work this week?” The Alpha asked, leaning to hear the Omega’s sweet voice.

Denki talked. About baking. About flour deliveries. About a young customer who tried paying with buttons instead of coin.

Nothing important. Nothing that should have held a soldier’s attention.

But, by god, Eijirou listened like every word mattered.

Because to him, it did.

He watched the blonde’s hands as he spoke. Watched his mouth. Watched him with a hunger he didn’t understand, a hunger he’d never felt before for any Omega.

And every time Denki laughed, or flashed him his bright smile, Eijirou looked like he’d been struck in the chest.

A breeze drifted through the courtyard, carrying Denki’s scent toward the redhead, citrus mixed with sweet dough and Omega softness, and the Guard’s composure faltered.

His breath stuttered. His pupils widened.

His Alpha reacted before he could control it, leaning into the soft space of the Omega’s neck.

Denki froze immediately. He was overly aware of the Alpha’s large hands on his hips, his nose brushing against his scent gland, the low rumble in the Alpha’s chest. 

His Omega fluttered, thrilled, desperate, stupidly hopeful as he chirped.

“Ei?” he whispered.

The Alpha blinked hard, grounding himself as he pulled away from the Omega with a start. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry Denki! I just-!”

Denki bit his lip, gaze softening, pleading the Alpha would find his way back to him immediately. “It’s fine, Ei! I really liked it!”

A beat passed. Too long. Too full.

This was supposed to be harmless. Routine. Polite.

But they were leaning in.

They always leaned in.

Neither of them ever admitted it.

Finally the redheaded Guard exhaled sharply and stepped back, forcing distance.

“I should… go,” he murmured, but he didn’t move.

The Omega nodded, but his scent dropped. “Right. Of course.”

They stood in silence, two people aching for what they couldn’t name, couldn’t claim, not yet.

The Alpha handed him a small cloth-wrapped parcel from his jacket pocket. “Um, this is yours. For you, I mean.”

The Omega blinked, excited in less than a beat. “For me?”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding the Omega’s eyes no matter what. “Just some dried fruit from the supply tent. I remembered you said you wanted to bake some bread with it.”

Denki’s cheeks warmed. His chest tightened. “That’s… you remembered. It’s sweet.”

Eijirou swallowed hard. “You’re sweet.”

They both froze.

The Alpha went red as he flailed his arms around. “I-I mean- the pastries! The pastries you bake are sweet-!”

The baker’s laugh was soft and delighted. “I know what you meant.”

Their Monday minutes were almost over. The Omega could feel it. His Eijirou always had to leave first, duty called him away with the harsh rhythm of bells and commands.

Denki’s fingers trembled slightly as he stepped back. “Same time next week?”

The Guard nodded slowly. Too slowly. “Yes. I’ll… be here.”

“Then I’ll bring something new.” He hesitated, then added softly. “For you.”

Eijirou’s inhale was clipped, far too sharp for something so small.

But he smiled, and it was warm enough to melt his friend on the spot.

“I look forward to Monday.”

Their eyes lingered on each other a moment too long.

Neither moved.

Neither wanted to.

But finally, as always, Eijirou forced himself to turn away, shoulders rigid with restraint.

And Denki watched him go, clutching the parcel to his chest, wishing Monday would come again tomorrow.

-

The morning drills had ended early, leaving the training yard unusually quiet. Eijirou stayed behind, sword still in hand, body humming with the kind of restless energy that came from thinking too much rather than doing too little.

He didn’t even notice another soldier lingering behind him until a voice cut through his fog.

“Still hanging around here, Kirishima?” the man said casually, wiping sweat from his brow. “You’ll wear a trench in the dirt if you keep pacing like that.”

It was an innocent statement, light, harmless, nothing more than a passing comment.

But it hit him like a blade sliding between ribs.

Because he had been pacing. He had been walking the same stretch of earth, again and again, just as he had been walking circles through his own mind all week.

The soldier clapped him on the shoulder before heading off. “See you at meal time.”

And then he was gone, leaving nothing behind but silence.

Silence, and the truth Eijirou had been refusing to face.

He stood there breathing hard, staring at the imprint of his own boots in the dirt. A worn path. A pattern. A rut.

Just like the one he’d been walking with Denki.

Every Monday.

Every soft smile.

Every shy, hopeful glance.

Every moment that made his heartbeat trip and stumble like it didn’t belong to him anymore.

He had been pretending, pretending, that those minutes weren’t becoming the best part of his week. Pretending he wasn’t counting days, hours, breaths until he saw the Omega again. Pretending the oath didn’t exist when Denki leaned close and smelled like warm sugar and lemongrass.

He had let himself walk deeper and deeper into something he had no right to want.

“No,” he choked, voice cracking.

He dropped to his knees before he even realized he’d fallen.

Pain shot up his legs but it was nothing, nothing compared to the agony shaking through him. Like something inside him had been torn away. Like he had been hollowed out.

The redhead pressed his palms into his face, groaning.

His vow.

His damned vow.

Soldiers of the crown shall remain unbound. No mate. No claim. No entanglement of the heart that could sway one’s duty.

The words carved into his memory rose like a blade against his throat.

Eijirou’s breath strangled in his chest.

“How am I supposed to-?” His voice broke, the sound jagged. “How am I supposed to let him go?”

His fists clenched in the dirt.

He remembered the way Denki’s eyes lit up when he laughed.

The way he rambled when nervous.

The way he looked at the Alpha, like he was something gentle, something safe, something worthy.

Eijirou slammed his fist into the ground, a choked sound ripping from him.

He couldn’t have that.

But, Bakugo had that!

He wasn’t allowed to.

Bakugo had won the right to have that. You have not. 

Not as a soldier.

He was a man sworn to the kingdom, not to an Omega’s arms.

But the ache wouldn’t leave him.

“Denki…” His voice softened, trembling. “I can’t- I can’t do this.”

A soldier did not cry. 

But Eijirou’s strength cracked, splintering inside him from the force of everything he felt but was not allowed to keep.

He lowered himself fully to the dirt, knees buckling under the weight of the truth crashing through him like a storm.

“I love you.”

It was the first time he said it aloud.

The first time he allowed the word to escape.

And saying it made it worse.

So much worse.

“I love you,” he whispered again, the confession ripping him open. “May god be my witness… I love you so much it burns.”

His chest heaved, breath shattering as the reality struck.

He had to say goodbye.

He had to look his sweet little Omega in those bright, earnest eyes and tell him they could never be together. Tell him that those Mondays, those soft, stolen moments he lived for, they had to end.

The Alpha pressed his forehead to the dirt, shoulders trembling with a grief so deep it hollowed him from the inside out.

Don’t make me do it, he pleaded, heart breaking completely. Don’t make me walk away from him. Not when my whole damned soul belongs to him.

His breath hitched.

But a Guard’s vow was unbreakable.

And so, because he loved him, he would protect Denki from a future of waiting for a mate who would never truly be his.

He would cut himself away from the one person he wanted most.

Eijirou’s hands curled into fists so tight his knuckles whitened.

“I’m sorry, Denki.” A tear slid onto the dirt. “I’m so goddamned sorry.”

The words echoed back to him, empty and aching.

And there, beneath the cold moonlight, the redhead stayed, collapsed in the dirt, heart splitting, mourning a love he had never been allowed to keep.

-

The sun had barely climbed over the rooftops when the Omega hurried through the narrow path behind the barracks, the hidden route he and Eijirou had started using to avoid drawing attention. His basket of bread made with the Alpha’s dried fruit, still warm, wrapped carefully in cloth, swayed in his hands.

His heart fluttered with that same nervous excitement it did every Monday. It had been like this for weeks, the quick glances, the stolen minutes, the quiet laughter, the way Eijirou’s eyes softened every time he saw him.

The blonde tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and tried not to smile too widely. Pathetic, he thought. The Omega in me is already hopelessly smitten. A Guard with a kind smile and suddenly I’m a fool in love.

But even thinking that made him blush.

He turned the corner,

And stopped.

Eijirou was already there.

Standing against the wall.

Not training.

Not on patrol.

Just… waiting.

His posture was rigid, hands clasped tightly behind him, shoulders stiff as stone.

And his expression, oh god, his expression. 

He looked broken.

“E-Ei?” Denki’s voice came out small.

The Guard lifted his gaze, and the Omega’s heart cracked. Eijirou’s usually bright red eyes were dim, greyed with anguish, as if he had been standing there for hours wrestling with something too heavy for even a soldier to bear.

The baker stepped closer.

“Ei… What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

The Alpha flinched and Denki’s scent soured.

“No. Not hurt.” His voice was rough. “Not in body.”

The Omega reached for him instinctively, but Eijirou took a single step back, as if contact would shatter him completely.

“Ei?” Denki’s voice trembled as he folded in on himself. “You’re scaring me.”

The Alpha swallowed hard, throat bobbing. “I’m sorry.”

Denki blinked. “For what?”

The redhead drew in a shaky breath. “For what I’ve allowed myself to feel. For what I’ve done to you. For every Monday I waited, hoping, knowing I had no right.”

“Ei… what are you talking about?”

The Guard closed his eyes.

“I’ve fallen in love with you, Denki Kaminari.”

The words punched the air from the Omega’s lungs.

“I tried not to.” Eijirou’s voice cracked. “I tried so hard. I took the vow. I swore my life to Musutafu. Guards don’t court. Soldiers can’t love. We are a wall, a sword. We protect, nothing more. That’s our oath.”

Denki felt like puking, he shook his head violently. “But-”

“I should have pushed you away the moment you smiled at me.” The Alpha’s breath hitched. “But I couldn’t. God help me, I couldn’t.”

“Ei- please don’t-!”

“I can’t keep meeting you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I can’t see you again.”

Denki’s basket fell to the dirt with a soft thud.

“What?” His voice broke. “N-no! Ei, please- what do you mean you can’t? Why-?”

The Alpha stepped forward, cupping his Omega’s trembling face in equally trembling hands.

“This is killing me,” he whispered. “Every time I see you, I want you more. Every Monday, I count the minutes. I lie awake thinking about your laugh, your hands, your scent! Denki, I am losing myself.”

“Then don’t stop,” the Omega whispered desperately. “Don’t leave me- please, Eijirou, please-!”

Eijirou shook his head, pained. “I have nothing to offer you. No promise. No future. I’m not allowed a mate. And yet I-” His voice cracked again. “I’m in love with you. And it hurts.”

“Eijirou!” The Omega grabbed his wrists, clinging, pleading with a grip as strong as steel. “I love you too.”

The Guard froze.

Denki’s breath shook as he spoke again.

“I know it’s foolish. I know it’s so soon. But I… I can’t help it. I think about you constantly. Every night. Every morning. I breathe to see you again, I can’t stand the thought of you being away from me.”

Eijirou groaned softly, forehead resting against the blonde’s.

“Don’t say that,” he whispered, voice trembling. “It makes this so much harder.”

“Then don’t go,” Denki begged. Tears spilled freely now. “Please, don’t say goodbye! Please.”

The Alpha made a small, broken noise.

And then,

He kissed him.

It was desperate, aching, full of all the things he tried to deny. Denki gasped against him, hands gripping the redhead’s tunic, pulling him closer, closer, as if he could melt into him and never be alone again.

Eijirou kissed him like a dying man clinging to his last breath.

Denki kissed him like he finally found something he didn’t know he’d been searching for.

Their lips trembled.

Their breaths shook.

Their hearts raced in painful unison.

When the Alpha finally pulled away, he was shaking.

“That was wrong,” he whispered.

The sobbing Omega shook his head, frantic. “It wasn’t, please, kiss me again-!”

The Guard kissed him again. Harder. Weaker. Heartbreaking.

Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling, bodies pressed together like they were made to fit.

“This is the last time,” the Alpha whispered, voice crushed. “The very last.”

“Don’t say that.” Denki sobbed.

But in a second, Eijirou wrapped his arms around him, lifting him into his chest, holding him with all the devotion he wasn’t allowed to speak aloud.

They stayed like that, shaking, clinging, breaking, until the Alpha slowly, painfully loosened his grip.

He stepped back.

“I truly hope you find a mate that can make you happy.”

Denki reached for him.

“Ei-!“

“Goodbye, Denki.” The Guard’s voice was barely audible.

“Eijirou, no, please. Don’t leave me-!”

But the Alpha forced himself to turn. Forced himself to ignore the rot in his Omega’s usually light scent. 

And he walked away.

Denki stayed where he was, knees buckling, hands trembling, tears hitting the ground like rain, crying his heartbreak into the quiet morning air.

His chest heaved. 

The bread lay forgotten between them.

-

Eijirou stood at his post like a man carved from stone.

The courtyard bustled with morning drills, fresh recruits panting, boots striking the cobblestones in messy rhythm, metal clashing as Katsuki barked corrections. Normally, the redhead would be in the thick of it, calling out sharper commands than his Captain, smirking when Katsuki glared at him for overstepping, laughing under his breath at every mistake a trainee made.

But today he didn’t laugh. He didn’t tease. He didn’t speak unless directly spoken to.

His eyes were fixed ahead, unblinking. Shoulders squared. Hands tight behind his back. A perfect soldier, because he didn’t know how else to keep from falling apart.

Katsuki watched him for several long seconds from across the yard, irritation flickering into concern. Finally, his Captain stepped toward him with heavy boots and an even heavier sigh.

“Ei.” Katsuki began.

No response.

Eijirou’s jaw tightened once, but he didn’t turn. Didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe, it seemed.

“Eijirou,” the Captain repeated, louder.

“Yes, Captain,” the redhead answered immediately, flat, clipped, hollow. A voice emptied out.

His Captain frowned. “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

“I heard you,” Eijirou replied, though his eyes were unfocused, staring through the courtyard as if trying to anchor himself to anything that wasn’t the memory of a trembling Omega in his arms begging him not to say goodbye.

The blonde crossed his arms. “You’re usually insufferable in the mornings. Where’s the unnecessary commentary? The unsolicited advice? The part where you question my orders just to annoy me?”

“Not necessary today, Captain.”

Katsuki blinked. “God, something really is wrong.”

Eijirou didn’t move. Not even a twitch.

His Captain took a slower step closer, voice lowering, not gentle, but cautious, as if speaking to someone balancing on a breaking edge.

“What happened?”

For a long moment, the redhead said nothing. His throat bobbed, but the expression on his face never changed. He looked forward, eyes distant, as though he were still seeing Denki’s face, wet cheeks, shaking hands, whispering his name like a plea.

“Nothing happened,” the Alpha said at last, and his voice was quieter, breaking in a way he tried to hide. “I handled it. It’s done.”

Katsuki’s brows pulled together. “Handled what?”

Eijirou finally looked at him, but his eyes were deadened, stripped of the fire that usually lived there. 

He had no more words. 

The Captain exhaled slowly, like he was fighting the urge to shake him until answers fell out.

“You’re going to get yourself killed if you stay like this,” he muttered.

The redhead didn’t respond.

Didn’t react.

Didn’t even look away.

Just stared straight ahead, as if looking anywhere else would tear him open again.

Katsuki grimaced, then stepped back, defeated but worried. “Be that way then. But I’m watching you. One wrong step and I’ll order you to tell me.”

Eijirou didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe.

Didn’t allow himself to feel.

He couldn’t.

Because the moment he let go of this cold, suffocating control he’d feel everything he’d lost.

Because the ache of walking away from the only Omega he had ever loved would break him clean in half.

So he stood. Silent. Perfect. Empty.

A soldier fulfilling his vow.

Even as his heart bled beneath his armor.

-

The little bronze bell above the bakery door chimed as a family stepped inside, two parents with compatible scents and a laughing toddler perched on her father’s shoulders. They were loud, warm, messy, and completely wrapped up in one another.

Denki was halfway through tying a ribbon on a pastry box when he froze.

The baker watched them, a soft ache blooming in his chest, too familiar, too sharp after days of no contact. The way the Alpha father bent to kiss his mate’s temple, the way the Omega leaned into him without hesitation, the way both reached to steady their child with reflexive, shared love.

A perfect, simple kind of devotion.

The blonde’s fingers tightened on the ribbon until the bow collapsed.

He swallowed.

He wanted that.

And he wanted it with him, the Alpha who looked at him like he was made of sunlight, who pulled away every time like it hurt, who whispered I can’t, even when everything in his scent said I want you.

The Royal Guard who kissed him like he was drowning, then left like he’d seen a ghost.

Eijirou. Ei, Ei, my Eijirou.

The Omega stood there, chest trembling, heart pounding against the inside of his ribs like it wanted to break free and run on its own.

The family came to the counter, cheerful and oblivious.

He forced himself to smile as he gathered pastries, took their coins, offered a polite bow. But he wasn’t really there. His whole body was thrumming with something reckless and bold and unmistakably primal.

He loves me. I know he does. And if he can’t be selfish enough to fight, then I’ll do it for him.  

As soon as the family stepped out the door, the Omega jumped over the counter, locking the storefront and racing to the back door in a frantic sprint. 

The bakery was left alone but Denki was already out the door, the bell clattering behind him as he sprinted around into the bright market square. The mid-morning air was warm on his face, the scents of spice and bread and horses blurring as he ran.

He didn’t think.

He didn’t slow.

The world narrowed to one desperate truth. 

He refused to lose the Alpha who loved him.

At the same moment, across the city, Eijirou had reached the exact same breaking point.

The Alpha lay rigid in his narrow cot, staring at the ceiling beams as if they alone could hold him together. He tried, god he tried to accept the choice he’d made. To remind himself that vows mattered, that duty mattered, that Musutafu came before the longing in his chest. But the moment he closed his eyes, the memories slammed into him with merciless force.

His Captain’s perpetual disappointment as he frowned whenever Eijirou refused to explain what was wrong.

Denki’s face, red, wet, twisted with hurt as he’d sobbed, begging him not to walk away.

The sound of the Omega’s breath hitching.

The way his small hands had clutched at Eijirou’s uniform, trembling.

The hollow, echoing silence after the Alpha forced himself to turn his back.

And worst of all, the searing, burning, tearing pain in his own chest. The instinct-deep agony of rejecting the Omega he loved. His Omega. His.

It crashed over him in one unbearable wave, ripping the air from his lungs.

The Alpha jolted upright with a shuddering gasp.

“No,” he whispered, already swinging his legs over the side of the bed, the decision hitting him like lightning. “No more. I can’t- I won’t-!”

Duty suddenly felt so small. So meaningless. None of it mattered, not the vow, not the consequences, not the disappointment of the entire barracks.

All he could think of was Denki’s broken voice.

All he could feel was the yawning emptiness where his mate should be.

He stood so fast the cot screeched against the floorboards.

Nothing else mattered. Not anymore.

He needed to hold him, needed to bury himself in lemon and sugar, needed to plead for him until his throat was raw, needed to promise that he’d never, ever walk away again.

By the time he reached the door of the barracks, he was already running.

Two hearts in motion, two bodies cutting through the early morning streets, never knowing they were running in opposite directions.

The Omega reached the barracks gate breathless, chest heaving, palms sweaty with flour and fear. Two soldiers looked at him in confusion as he approached.

“I- I need to see Eijirou,” Denki whispered, voice cracking.

One guard frowned sympathetically. “Kirishima? He left just minutes ago. It looked like he was in a hurry.”

The baker’s heart fell so hard he swayed.

He left? He left this early? To avoid me?

But no. That didn’t feel true. Not in his bones, not in the place inside him where Eijirou lived now.

He turned and began running again, past the gates, down the path, toward the city square.

The Guard reached the bakery’s shopfront, breathless and sweating, only to find the door locked.

He banged on it once.

Twice.

“Denki?” he called, voice hoarse. “Denki, please.”

No answer.

He ran around to the back entrance to find it open, the bakery warm and smelling of bread, but empty.

His heart dropped.

He’s gone. He’s not here. He didn’t wait for me.

He swallowed, stepping deeper inside, voice breaking just slightly.

“Denki, please. I lov-!”

But the shop was still.

Silent.

The Alpha paused, chest tight with panic and grief, until he no longer felt his heart breaking. 

And then he heard it.

“-Ei?!”

A voice cracked with breathlessness and panic.

He turned.

And there his Omega was, huffing by the door frame, apron flapping behind him, hair more wild than usual, eyes wide and already filled with tears. Running full speed toward him.

Eijirou didn’t think. He didn’t breathe.

He ran too.

They crashed into each other halfway across the room, the Alpha sweeping Denki into his arms with desperate, trembling strength, lifting him clean off the ground as the Omega clung to him like he’d drown if he let go.

“Ei! Eijirou, you came-!” Denki gasped, voice breaking into sobs.

“I searched for you, my love. God, I ran all the way-!” The Guard breathed into his shoulder, shaking harder than he ever had in training. “I can’t-! I won’t stay away from you.”

Their lips met helplessly. His Omega kissed him like he’d been waiting a lifetime, like he couldn’t get close enough. Like the Alpha was his only gateway to oxygen. Eijirou, in return, kissed him like a starving man finally tasting something sweet after days of nothing.

The world melted around them.

His oath.

His fear.

The consequences.

All of it burned away under the force of the warmth against his chest. 

When they pulled apart, foreheads pressing together, both of them breathless and shaking, Denki whispered, begged and prayed. “Please… please don’t ever leave me again. I love you.”

The Guard closed his eyes, pained and adoring all at once.

“And I love you, Denki.” he whispered. “I tried to be a good soldier, I tried to honour the oath. But I won’t do it. Not if it means losing you.”

“You won’t, Ei!” the Omega breathed, cupping his face with shaking hands. “Not now. Not ever.”

Eijirou let out a shaky sound between a laugh and a sob, arms wrapping tighter around him.

“Then damn the consequences. Damn the oath. I choose you, Denki Kaminari.”

The Omega’s breath hitched, and then he smiled. Soft. Trembling. Radiant as always.

“I choose you, Eijirou Kirishima.”

And in the quiet morning light, with the city still waking and the world still unaware of the promise they’d just made, Eijirou finally laughed, and kissed him again, slowly this time, with the certainty of someone who had finally let himself fall.

And Denki kissed him back, knowing they’d both run the whole world over if it meant finding each other again.

-

The bakery’s back room still glowed with the orange hush of the fireplace, its crackling the only sound in the small space besides their breathing. The shop out front was closed, the lanterns dimmed, the door locked. Flour still dusted Denki’s sleeves, and Eijirou’s uniform coat hung abandoned on a chair, forgotten the moment they’d fallen into each other’s arms after making their choice together.

They lay curled up on the old couch by the fire, the purring Omega tucked against the Guard’s chest, the Alpha’s arms wrapped around him like they were finally allowed to do what they’d always wanted. Denki’s fingers played with the fabric of Eijirou’s undershirt, unable to stop touching him, needing the reassurance that he was real, that he was here, that he hadn’t walked away again.

The redhead pressed a kiss into his Omega’s hair, lingering there, breathing his sweetened scent in.

“You’re quiet,” he murmured softly, voice rough from emotion. “That usually means you’re thinking very hard… or about to say something stupid.”

Denki let out a shaky laugh, but it wavered. “Mix of both, actually.”

The Alpha’s hold tightened instinctively. “Tell me, my love.”

The Omega hesitated for only a moment. “What if… what if they take you away from me?” His voice cracked. “What if they kick you out of the guard? What if the others hate you? What if-”

Eijirou shifted, cupping the blonde’s face with one warm, steady palm. His thumb brushed Denki’s cheek, gentle in a way that made the Omega’s eyes sting.

“Hey,” the Guard whispered, tipping their foreheads together. “Look at me.”

Denki did and the Alpha’s gaze was blazing, resolute, full of love that had clearly been caged far too long.

“I chose you,” the Alpha said firmly. “Not by accident. Not by weakness. Not in a moment where I wasn’t thinking clearly. I chose you with everything I am, soldier or not.”

The Omega swallowed hard, chest aching. “But your vow-”

“My vow means nothing if it costs me you,” Eijirou explained, voice low, almost fierce. “I’ll face the consequences. I’ll face Bakugo. I’ll face the whole damn kingdom if I have to.”

He pulled his Omega closer, onto his lap, holding him like he needed him to breathe.

“No one,” the Alpha murmured, “is going to take me away from you again. I won’t let them.”

Denki’s eyes filled, and he pressed his forehead into his Alpha’s shoulder, voice trembling. “I was so scared, Ei. When you walked away that night, I thought- I thought it was over. I thought I’d never see you again.”

Eijirou exhaled shakily, hand sliding through blonde strands of hair. “I thought the same, and it’s what broke me.” His voice grew hoarse. “I couldn’t breathe without you. I kept telling myself I had to do my duty, but every time I tried to let go, something inside me felt like it was tearing apart.”

The Omega pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes wide. “You… felt that too?”

The Guard let out a small, helpless laugh. “Denki, I’m in love with you. Deeply. Stupidly. Permanently.”

Then softer, “I think I have been since the first moment I saw you fall to the floor after our first meeting.”

Denki’s face flushed pink. “You saw that?!”

“I notice everything about you,” the Alpha admitted, voice thick. “Every smile. Every ramble. Every time you tried to pretend you weren’t looking at me.”

In embarrassment, the Omega hid his face in Eijirou’s chest again, mortified. “Don’t say it like that.”

The Guard chuckled, arms locking securely around him. “Why not, my love? It’s true.”

For a moment, they just held each other, listening to the fire, feeling the steady rhythm of each other’s hearts.

Then Denki whispered, barely audible,

“Ei… What happens now? What happens to us?”

The Alpha leaned back, tilting the blonde’s chin up so their eyes met, slow and certain.

“Now,” Eijirou said, “I protect you. I protect us. I tell my Captain the truth. I face whatever punishment comes but I do it with you in my arms at the end of the day.”

Denki’s breath caught. “Together?”

The Alpha brushed their noses together, a quiet, reverent touch.

“I swear it. Nothing will come between us again. Not vows. Not fear. Not anyone.”

The Omega kissed him, soft, relieved, overflowing and Eijirou kissed him back with all the devotion he had held in for far too long.

The fire crackled. The world outside stayed silent.

And for the first time since meeting each other, they allowed themselves to believe. 

They had a future. Together.

-

The clang of steel and the thud of shields echoed across the training yard, the new recruits panting under the sharp orders of their Captain. Eijirou stood beside him, pacing between rows of sweating young soldiers, correcting grips, adjusting stances, barking the occasional encouragement.

It was a normal morning.

Except the redheaded Alpha couldn’t stop tapping his fingers on his thigh. Or glancing at the gate. Or shifting his weight like a man expecting the sunrise itself to walk in.

And then, it did.

Denki stepped through the gates carrying two large baskets of pastries, warm steam escaping the linen covering. His apron was not dusted with flour for once, strands of blond hair falling over flushed cheeks. A few recruits perked up immediately, because the Omega was always kind, always smiling, and always generous with treats.

But Eijirou’s entire soul sat up straighter.

The Omega caught his eye for half a second, a quick flicker of something warm, relieved, yearning, before he looked away and addressed the group as a whole.

“Good morning, everyone!” The baker called out, cheerful but breathy from the walk. “Sorry for the intrusion, but I brought you guys some more pastries. Baked this morning.”

The recruits murmured excitedly and swarmed toward him.

Eijirou tried to stand still. Failed miserably. His steps naturally drifted closer, like the ground itself tilted toward the Omega.

Like he was made to do it, Denki handed out pastries to the recruits first, smiling, laughing, asking how their training was going, yet Eijirou knew that every time the baker looked up, the Omega was searching only for him.

Finally Denki reached him.

His voice softened in a way that wasn’t obvious to anyone but the redhead.

“I saved your favourites for last,” the Omega said, pulling out tightly wrapped lemon twists, still warm. “I made them this morning. I realised you only really enjoy them when they’re fresh out the oven.”

The Guard swallowed so hard his armor creaked as his heart hammered. “You… you’re always paying attention to the strangest things, Denki.”

“And you always forget you’re not supposed to be this easily flustered around me,” the Omega countered with a small grin.

The Alpha nearly choked. The recruits heard nothing. They simply assumed the baker was being polite. But Katsuki turned his head slightly, brow raised in a look that said what the hell was that?

Still, he didn’t intervene.

Eijirou reached for the pastry, brushing his baker’s fingers, too lightly to draw attention, but enough that the Omega’s breath caught.

“You spoil us,” the redhead said gruffly, trying to keep his voice normal. “The cadets look forward to your visits more than drills.”

The blonde smirked softly. “Do you look forward to them?”

“Every hour,” he responded immediately.

The Omega’s lashes lowered, a faint tremble running through him. “Good. Because I-” His voice dropped further, softer than the wind. “I hate being away from you for too long.”

Eijirou’s chest tightened painfully. His Alpha rumbled, quiet, primal, hungry to pull Denki against him right here in the open.

Instead he cleared his throat, pretending to be casual. “Can I come by the bakery tonight? If that is alright, of course.”

Denki’s face lit up like dawn.

“I don’t just want,” he murmured. “I need you to come over.” He shifted the basket on his hip, cheeks warming. “I’m cooking dinner, special for you so-”

He cut himself off, but Eijirou’s eyes darkened instantly. Any Omega cooking for an Alpha meant they wanted to make an impression. Proving they would be a good mate.

Even if the Omega was loved as a baker, it was tradition. It was primal.

“You’d cook for me?” he coaxed softly.

The blonde shook his head as he flushed completely, nervous, glowing, yearning all at once. “Just… please come. I’ll worry if you don’t.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” the Alpha Guard rumbled, voice full of quiet devotion. “Not for anything.”

Their eyes locked, too long, too intense.

Behind them, The Captain cleared his throat pointedly. Both boys snapped upright like guilty recruits. The baker dipped his head respectfully, masking the flush blooming across his cheeks.

“T-thank you for letting me interrupt training, Captain,” Denki said politely.

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed just a little too much, scanning the Omega, then his second in command, then back again.

Eijirou felt sweat bead at the base of his spine. He knows. He definitely knows.

But then his Captain sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Alright, boys, get your pastries and back to work. Please excuse us, Denki.”

The Omega nodded quickly and stepped away, continuing to hand out the rest, though each time the redheaded Alpha looked up, the baker’s eyes were already on him, soft and warm and longing.

When the last pastry was gone, Denki lifted the empty box and called lightly as he passed his Alpha on his way out.

“See you around.”

“See you,” Eijirou responded, unable to stop the smile pulling at his mouth.

Once Denki was far enough away that even Katsuki’s hawk-like hearing couldn’t catch him, the Alpha whispered under his breath.

“Tonight.”

The Omega didn’t turn back, but the way his shoulders tilted, the tiny, hidden sway in his step, told Eijirou he’d heard.

-

The air outside the barracks was cool, but neither redheaded Alpha nor blonde Omega noticed it, not when they were finally, blissfully pressed against each other beneath the lantern glow. 

Denki’s back hit the stone wall gently, his Alpha’s hands on either side of him, their lips locked in a kiss that had been months in the making.

It was bruising, mind-numbing. 

The Omega’s fingers curled into Eijirou’s uniform, tugging him closer, practically climbing into his arms with a soft, needy sound. The Alpha swallowed it greedily, one hand sliding beneath Denki’s shirt to grip his waist, the other lifting to cup the back of the Omega’s nape.

“Ei,” The blonde whispered between kisses, breathless and smiling, “We’re going to ruin your uniform-”

“Worth it,” the Alpha murmured against his mouth before pulling him back into another hungry kiss.

They didn’t even try to hide their laughter or the quiet, breathless gasps that kept escaping the sweet scented Omega. They had chosen each other, finally. They weren’t going to hold back. 

Eijirou leaned his forehead against his Omega’s, breathing hard.

“I can’t stop touching you,” he admitted, voice low, shaking with relief and want.

“Then don’t,” the baker whispered, tugging him in again.

They kissed harder, deep, relieved, dizzy kisses, each clinging to the other like they’d spent weeks starving.

Which, in a way, they had.

So when a voice came from behind them, sharp, unimpressed, and absolutely not amused, they both jolted violently apart.

“Are you two finished?”

Both men screamed.

Not gracefully.

Not even a little.

Denki jumped so violently he collided with the redheaded Alpha’s chest.

Eijirou spun, nearly tripping over his own boots, shoving his Omega protectively behind him in one movement so fast it looked instinctive.

Standing ten feet away in the shadows, arms crossed, looking like he regretted every life choice that brought him here, was Captain Katsuki.

He stepped out of the dark like a wraith, expression carved from stone. His dark red eyes flicked between the two of them, taking in their flushed faces, swollen lips, disheveled clothes, and the way they were still unconsciously leaning toward each other.

“I’ve been standing here for a full minute,” he said flatly. “A full minute. You two didn’t hear me because you were-” He waved vaguely at them. “Getting busy in plain sight.”

Katsuki sighed heavily.

“Saints above, Eijirou. Really? Outside the barracks?”

The redhead opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked like a child caught stealing the royal jewels.

But Denki, wide-eyed, terrified, immediately stepped in front of his Alpha, arms spread protectively.

“Captain, please! Don’t punish him! It was me. I came here, I started it, I’m the one who-”

“Denki-!” The Guard tried, horrified.

But his Omega kept going, breath shaking, voice desperate.

“Please, Captain, punish me instead! He only broke his celibacy vow because of me, I pushed him, I begged him, he tried to do the right thing, so please don’t take it out on him!”

Katsuki blinked. Slowly.

Eijirou buried his face in his hands.

The Omega trembled where he stood, shielding the Alpha with his entire body despite being almost half his size.

The Captain stared at them for a long, suffering moment, then dragged a hand down his face with the exhaustion of someone who had expected this and yet still wasn’t ready.

“For the love of the god,” he muttered, “I’m not punishing anyone.”

Denki froze.

Eijirou choked.

Katsuki gestured suggestively at both of them.

“Do you think I don’t know what happens with my soldiers under my watch? You’ve been about as subtle as a kicked hornet’s nest.”

Eijirou’s ears went red.

Denki let out a squeak.

Katsuki rolled his eyes skyward.

“I swear, between your mood and hopeless pining, I thought I was going to lose my mind before something finally snapped.”

He exhaled, defeated but not unkind.

Katsuki crossed his arms again, but now he looked more like a tired older brother than a superior officer.

“Ei,” he said, “You’re my right hand. I’ve known you since we were brats. You think I haven’t noticed how heartbroken you’ve been? How lovestruck? I knew this was coming months ago.”

Eijirou blinked, slightly ashamed. His Omega hid beside him again, flushed scarlet.

The Captain sighed. “If anything, I’m disappointed you hid it from me this long.”

At that, the Alpha unstiffened, still wary but sure of himself, more so than he had been for years. “Captain,” he began, unusually formal. “I want to court Denki, I plan on making him my mate one day. I beg of you, please allow me to do so.”

Denki gasped, hand reaching for his Alpha’s. “Ei.”

“If that is what you wanted, Eijirou,” Katsuki responded after a few seconds of thought, “You could have asked before you two started… whatever this circus was. Could’ve saved me the eye sore.”

Denki choked on a wet laugh.

Disbelief sat beneath the blooming scent of iron of the Alpha holding him. “You mean it, Bakugo?”

The Captain waved a hand. “Look. Don’t make me say it again, go home. Before someone else sees you and I have to do a fuck-ton of paperwork.”

Denki’s breath hitched hopefully. “We can stay together?”

His Alpha grabbed his hand immediately, holding it like a vow. “For the rest of our lives if you’ll have me.”

The Omega melted.

The Alpha Captain made a dramatic retching sound. “Good lord, you two are worse than Izuku and I.”

Eijirou cracked the widest smile.

And Denki beamed up at his Alpha.

And Katsuki, shaking his head but undeniably fond, turned back toward the barracks.

“Next time you two want to suck face,” he called over his shoulder, “Choose anywhere but my doorway.”

“And Ei.” He continued, smile kind and promising. “I’ll make sure no one has a problem with this. Once Izuku and I are crowned, I’m abolishing the stupid vow.”

Eijirou could have passed out from joy.

-

Life continued, and it was strange but so wonderful. 

Denki was sweeping the front step of the bakery when he saw the familiar shape of his Alpha jogging up the street, broad shoulders, long red hair tied back loosely, cheeks a little pink from the morning chill. The Alpha slowed the moment he spotted his Omega, and the smile that bloomed across his face was so bright it could have outshone the stars.

The baker’s heart immediately tried to climb up his throat.

“E-Ei! You’re early today.”

“I… ah-!” Eijirou cleared his throat and straightened, suddenly bashful. “I was just passing by while on patrol. And I brought you something.”

Denki let out a half-groan, half-laugh. “Ei, you can’t keep bringing me gifts. People are starting to talk.”

“I’m courting you,” the Guard responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He reached behind his back and pulled out a bundle, not a small token, but a carefully tied package, wrapped in deep blue cloth. “That’s what courting is, my love.”

The Omega flushed so hard his ears burned. “Y-yes, but-! You’ve already given me three gifts this week.”

“That was last week,” the Alpha corrected softly. “This is Monday’s gift.”

Denki blinked. “Monday’s-? There’s a schedule?!”

Eijirou nodded solemnly. “You deserve consistency.” Then he ruined the seriousness entirely by smiling like an idiot, sharp teeth on full display.

The baker, flustered beyond belief, tugged open the cloth. Inside was a little wooden figure, carved delicately, polished smooth. It was… him. Holding a tray of pastries. Grinning.

“Ei,” he whispered, breath catching, “did you make this?”

The Alpha rubbed the back of his neck. “Tried. Took me four days and I stabbed myself in the hand twice but-!” He pointed. “Look, it kind of looks like you. If you squint.”

Denki stared at the little carving, and then at Eijirou, before launching forward and throwing his arms around the Alpha’s middle. The redhead almost staggered, caught completely off guard, but his hands came up instinctively, cupping the back of the Omega’s head.

“You can’t just…” Denki buried his face into the soldier’s chest. “You can’t just do things like this. I’ll fall even harder.”

Eijirou froze. Then, softly, breathlessly, whispered into the sensitive spot beneath his Omega’s ear.

“That’s the plan, my love.”

Denki pulled back flushed, dizzy with heat, only for the Guard to produce another gift.

“Ei-!”

“It’s small!” the Alpha defended quickly. “Just- here.”

He held out a simple braided bracelet made of red and yellow thread. The Omega blinked down at it, touched the pattern, then looked up.

“Our colours.”

Eijirou swallowed as he nodded, suddenly shy again. “So you… think of me. During the day. Even when I’m not here.”

The Omega slipped it on immediately. “I already do, silly Alpha.” he murmured. “But I guess this way, people will know I belong to you now.”

The Guard went completely still, his expression softening into something reverent and overwhelmed at his Omega’s words. 

“And there’s one more-”

“Eijirou!”

“It’s the last one this week! I swear!”

Denki groaned dramatically, but he was smiling so widely his cheeks hurt. The redhead opened his bag and pulled out a tiny protective charm.

Worn leather cord.

Metal etched with a crest of some sort. 

“It’s beautiful, Ei! Where’d you find it?”

“I made it.” The Omega froze, golden eyes finding red as Eijirou brought them closer together.  “Using leather from my armour, and steel from my chestplate. The insignia is my family crest.”

Denki was speechless, a gift like that, made purely from the only protection the Alpha was given. 

“Eijirou… this is- this is something you give a mate.”

The Alpha’s eyes darted away, ears going bright red. “I know. But it… felt right. I’m the only Kirishima alive so the crest does belong to me.” He hesitated. “If you don’t want it-”

“I want it.” Denki clutched it to his chest instantly. “I- god, Ei, of course I want it.”

The Alpha’s shoulders sagged in visible relief. He stepped forward, raising a hesitant hand to the baker’s cheek. Denki leaned into it without thinking, their foreheads touching, breaths mingling. “I meant what I said, my love. I want you as my mate one day. When the time is right.”

Denki looked at him through long lashes, smile shy as he purred against his chest.

“You make it impossible,” the Omega whispered. “Impossible not to love you.”

Eijirou’s breath hitched, shaken, undone, overflowing with emotion.

“Good,” he murmured. “Because I’m already gone for you, my love.”

And right there on the bakery step, with a broom at their feet, flour dust drifting through the air, and the morning sun painting the street gold, they kissed softly, sweetly, like two people who had chosen each other long before either of them dared say it aloud.

And when they parted, Denki was already holding the next gift to his heart.

As if it belonged there.

-

The warm sun was spilling across the cobblestones of the city square as Katsuki and Eijirou walked back from the training grounds. The redhead was already exhausted, sweaty, and wanting nothing more than to swing by the barracks before heading back to the bakery. But before he could even turn in that direction, three young women stepped directly into their path.

“Kirishima~” one of them cooed, batting lashes she surely practised at home. “We saw you leading drills today. You looked… impressive.”

“Very impressive,” another added, her eyes shamelessly trailing down his chest and pausing at his hips. “We were just talking about how strong you must be.”

The Captain sighed under his breath, stepping away, hoping the encounter would take up little of his time.

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh… thank you?”

But the girls stepped closer, too close, one even brushing her fingers along his forearm as if testing the tension of his muscle.

“Royal Guard Eijirou,” the boldest one began, twirling a strand of hair, “We were wondering if you might walk us to the west market. We’d feel so much safer with someone strong escorting us.”

The Alpha Captain glanced at his Second-in-command with an expression that clearly ordered handle this before I walk into the river.

But Eijirou was spared the effort.

Because a low, territorial snarl came from behind the girls.

They froze.

Then turned.

Denki stood there, flour still smudged on his apron, arms crossed tightly over his chest. And though he was usually as sweet as melon dew, right now his eyes were sharp and stormy, scent soured and harsh, Omega instincts blazing bright.

“Back off.”

The girls blinked at him, once, twice, clearly not expecting the shy, gentle baker to sound like a feral creature defending its den.

“Oh,” one of them said with a confused smile as she wrapped a hand around the crook of the redhead’s elbow, “you’re the baker boy, right? We weren’t doing anything wrong, Kirishima isn’t mated. We’ll take good care of him.”

Care?

The Omega’s jaw flexed, and he moved, fast.

He squeezed himself right between them and the redheaded soldier, practically plastering himself against the Alpha’s chest as his hands hooked possessively around Eijirou’s shoulders and neck. “There’s nothing for you to take care of.” Denki snapped. “He’s perfectly fine with me.”

One of the girls sputtered, “But you’re not his mate!”

The baker bared his teeth in something that was definitely not a polite smile. “But I will be.”

Eijirou choked on his own breath, half surprised, half delighted, and completely, helplessly in love.

His Omega turned his head, glaring at the girls as he pressed a bold kiss to the Alpha’s jaw, then another to his cheek, then slowly and deliberately to his mouth.

The girls gasped and recoiled at the uncaged desire that bloomed in Eijirou’s usually metallic scent.

Katsuki groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes. “For the love of god, children walk through here!”

Eijirou only smiled into the kiss, cheeks pink, hands hovering softly before he caved, bringing Denki’s hips flush against his and kissing him back, full of warmth and devotion.

If someone asked the Alpha if he was a little turned on by his normally sweet, oblivious Omega making his claim so publicly, he’d be afraid he couldn’t begin to deny it.

When they separated, the baker looked completely happy with himself.

The Captain tried to hide his mouth as it twitched into a barely contained smile. “Unbelievable.”

“We’re busy,” the baker said curtly to the girls without even turning to look at them.

And the girls, finally realizing they really did stand no chance, huffed their goodbyes and fled.

Then Katsuki burst into laughter, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. “Jesus. I’ve seen war heroes with less fire in their threats.”

Denki didn’t hear him, too busy gripping his Alpha’s tunic possessively as if the man might vanish if he let go, too busy making sure the girls were at a very far and very safe distance from his Alpha.

Eijirou leaned down in his distraction, lips brushing the Omega’s ear, voice warm and absolutely sinful. “Possessive today, are we?”

The baker’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “Sh–shut up, they were being handsy!”

“Mm-hmm.” The Guard’s grin turned smug, affection glowing like moonlight behind his eyes.

“I love it when you’re protective.”

Denki nearly melted.

The Captain, watching them, could barely contain his amusement as he shook his head a final time, a smile tugging despite himself.

“You two are absurd,” he declared. “I’m so damn grateful Izuku is openly possessive that no one even tries flirting with me anymore.”

Eijirou barked a laugh.

Denki blinked, suddenly imagining the gentle, soft-spoken Prince snarling like a dragon at any admirer who got too close to the Alpha. The image felt true.

Katsuki huffed, but he was smiling, the gentle kind always meant for his Omega.

“They don’t even make eye contact with me these days. My Prince has saved me a lot of unwanted conversations.”

The baker laughed, Eijirou’s arms tightening around him, warm and proud.

And for a moment, the entire square felt bright with love, loyalty, and the fierce devotion each of them carried for the person who owned their heart.

-

Eijirou had been pacing the length of the bakery for nearly ten minutes, boots thudding on the wooden floor like distant war drums. The baker stood by the table, tying the last knot on the satchel of bakery orders, refusing to look at him.

“You’re really going,” the Alpha said, voice low, tight. Not angry, worse. Scared.

Denki lifted the bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I told you last week I had to. The next city over needs their autumn market orders by sundown.” He brushed past him toward the door.

Eijirou stepped in front of it, bracing an arm against the frame. “Then I’m going with you.”

“No,” the Omega snapped, more sharply than he meant to. “Ei, you’ve had double shifts all week. You need rest.”

“I don’t care about rest,” the Alpha growled, breath uneven. “I care about you.”

Denki’s throat tightened, but he forced himself not to soften. Not yet. “I’ll be fine. It’s one trip. One city over. I’m not a child. I know how to watch myself.”

The Guard’s eyes flashed, the unmistakable flare of an Alpha pushed to his limit. “No, Denki, you don’t.” His voice shook with something desperate. “You’re… you’re oblivious. And too trusting. You talk to anyone who smiles at you, and you assume everyone is kind and harmless and-!”

“And that’s a bad thing?” The Omega bit out, heat rising in his chest. “I’m sorry I’m not paranoid and snarling at every stranger I meet!”

Eijirou flinched. He looked away, jaw tight, throat bobbing. “It’s not paranoia when it’s true,” he whispered. “You don’t see the way some people look at you. You don’t smell their intentions. You don’t know what it…” He cut himself off, teeth grinding. “…what it does to me thinking of you alone out there.”

Denki’s breath hitched. The truth in the Alpha’s voice, the fear, the love, clawed at his heart.

But the word oblivious dug in deeper.

“So that’s what you think of me,” the Omega whispered, stepping back. “That I can’t take care of myself. That I can’t make one trip without you.”

“That’s not- my love, wait-”

“I’m going,” Denki barked, gripping the satchel strap so tightly his knuckles ached. “I don’t need a guard.”

Eijirou looked like something inside him cracked. His hands twitched helplessly at his sides wanting to reach, to hold, to stop him.

But he didn’t move. He didn’t force it.

“Denki,” he said, voice breaking in a way the baker hadn’t heard for a while. “Please don’t walk away like this.”

Instead the Omega swallowed around the burn in his throat. “I’ll be back by nightfall, watch the bakery.”

He slipped past the Alpha before he could crumble. The door shut behind him with a soft, hollow click, and the cool morning air hit his damp eyes like a sting.

He walked.

He didn’t dare look back.

The world looked the same, sunlight bright, birds chattering, villagers strolling past, but everything inside him felt wrong.

He hated leaving angry.

He hated how much he already missed the Alpha.

Left behind, the Guard pressed his forehead to the door Denki had just walked through, eyes squeezed shut, heart punching painfully against his ribs.

His Omega was out there, upset, unprotected, alone.

And he’d been the one who drove him off.

Both of them, out on the road and alone in the house, felt the same sharp ache settle under their ribs.

The same anxious thrum.

The same fear of distance.

The same desperate wish to run back and fix it.

But neither turned around.

Not yet.

Not with their pride and hurt still stinging.

-

The baker had been furious when he left, the last thing he saw as he stormed out of the bakery was Eijirou standing there in the doorway, jaw clenched, hands balled at his sides like he was physically holding himself back from chasing after him.

Now, hours later, Denki wished he had chased him.

The forest road between the capital and the next city was busier than usual, festival shipments, merchant wagons, stray travellers, but the Omega had walked a few quiet stretches alone.

Too alone.

He hugged his basket of sample pastries tighter to his chest, gaze on the dirt path, trying to breathe through the lingering sting of their argument.

“I don’t need him for everything,” he whispered to himself.

But the words rang hollow. Untrue. Unsafe.

Branches cracked behind him.

Then another step, heavy, purposeful, too close.

Denki froze.

When he turned, three strangers stood in the middle of the path behind him, smirking, amused, and far too interested.

Alphas.

“Well now,” one drawled, eyeing the Omega up and down, “what’s an unclaimed little sweetheart doing so far from home?”

Denki’s pulse spiked. “I-I’m just passing through. Please, I-!”

“Relax,” the second one cooed, stepping closer. “We can keep you company.”

His blood sizzled as the Omega stepped back, heart hammering, wishing, wishing he hadn’t been so stubborn. Wishing his Alpha were here. Wishing he hadn’t walked away without looking back.

The third Alpha moved to block the path ahead.

Denki’s breathing turned shallow.

Ei was right.

He was oblivious. He did trust too easily. He never thought people would be cruel.

And now…

A rumbling growl split the air.

“Get away from him.”

The three Alphas startled, spinning just as a fully armoured soldier burst from the trees, mud-splattered, breathless, eyes full of white-hot fury.

Denki’s knees nearly gave out in relief at the scent of steel.

The three strangers immediately backed up, hands raised. “We didn’t touch him-”

“You won’t,” Eijirou growled, moving in front of his Omega like a shield. “Walk away. Now.”

They didn’t hesitate. They fled.

The moment they disappeared down the road, Denki let out a breathless sob.

The Alpha turned, and the anger in his face melted the second he saw the tears.

“Oh, my love,” he whispered, reaching out with shaking hands.

The baker’s fingers fisted in Eijirou’s tunic as he stumbled into him, burying his face against the Alpha’s chest. The redhead pulled him in so tightly it was almost desperate, breathing him in, hands trembling as they cradled the back of Denki’s head, his waist, anything he could touch.

“I’m sorry,” the Omega whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Eijirou shook his head fiercely, peppering kisses to a damp cheek. “No. Don’t you apologise. Not to me.”

But Denki was already talking, voice thick with emotion.

“I only insisted on going alone because- because I felt like I was getting too used to depending on you,” he admitted, pulling back enough to look up at him. “You spoil me, Ei. You protect me and gift things to me and hover and fuss and-“ he sniffed, wiping at his eyes, “and I love it. I love all of it.”

The Guard’s breath hitched.

“I just… I wanted to show you that I could still do things by myself. That I wasn’t useless.”

The Alpha cupped his face gently, reverently.

“Denki,” he said softly, “You show me your strength everyday.”

The Omega blinked, startled.

“I didn’t say you were naive because I think you’re weak,” Eijirou murmured, thumbs brushing away the wetness on Denki’s cheeks. “I said it because the world is cruel, and you-” he swallowed hard, “you are good. And kind. And trusting. And I don’t ever want anyone to take advantage of that. I don’t ever want anyone to take you from me.”

The baker’s breath stuttered. “I know. And you were right.” He leaned into his Alpha’s hands, voice cracking. “Being together is better. I don’t want to do any of this alone anymore.”

Eijirou let out a shaky exhale, pressing their foreheads together.

“God, Denki… I’m terrified to lose you.”

“You won’t,” the blonde whispered, curling his fingers into the fabric at Eijirou’s chest. “And I don’t want you to ever think you will.”

The Alpha kissed his forehead softly, then the corner of his eye, then his cheek, gentle, apologetic, almost reverent.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured between each press of his lips. “For scaring you. For snapping. For making you feel anything less than cherished.”

Denki blushed, swallowing thickly.

“I am cherished,” he whispered. “By you. And I want you to keep spoiling me. I want all of it.”

Eijirou’s breath caught, a small, helpless smile breaking through the fear still lingering in his eyes.

“Then you’ll have all of me,” he promised quietly. “Every day. Everywhere. Always.”

Denki’s fingers slid up to cup at the Alpha’s jaw, eyes damp but full of stars.

“And you’ll have me,” he whispered back. “Every day. Everywhere. Always.”

The Alpha turned to wrap his cloak around his Omega’s shoulders, pulled him close, and continued their journey to the neighbouring city.

Together.

Exactly the way they both wanted.

-

The Festival of Spring lit the whole capital in warm, shimmering gold, ribbons strung across the streets, lanterns shaped like blooming flowers, musicians playing love-blessed melodies on every corner. Omegas wore soft pastels and flowing fabrics, Alphas in deep, proud tones. The air itself felt charged, thick with tradition and longing.

And Eijirou… Eijirou was nearly feral with pride.

Denki barely made it two steps into the festival square before strong arms circled his waist from behind, pulling him tightly against a broad, warm chest.

“Mine looks better than every other Omega here,” the redheaded Alpha murmured into his ear, voice low, rough, claiming.

His Omega flushed immediately, the soft drape of his festival robes fluttering with the movement. “Ei, people are staring-!”

“Good,” the Alpha said bluntly, jaw set. “Let them.”

And they were staring, some in admiration, some in envy, some just in awe of how fiercely the Alpha held his Omega, as though daring the world to challenge him.

Every time someone glanced too long at Denki’s pretty face or the curve of his unmarked neck, Eijirou’s hand tightened around his waist, guiding him closer, shoulders squared in warning as he growled something possessive.

“Kirishima,” an older soldier laughed as they passed. “You’re going to break your Omega with how close you’re holding him.”

Denki spluttered, face going red, but the Alpha only smirked and hugged him tighter.

“He doesn’t seem to mind,” he said, and his Omega squeaked an almost convincing, “I don’t!”

Children danced in circles around them, petals rained from balconies above, and couples kissed beneath archways wrapped in fresh greenery, the blessings of renewal and prosperity.

The Prince had danced with his Captain in the square, both Izuku and Katsuki looked completely enchanted with each other, and Eijirou’s heart bloomed for them. 

As the afternoon went on, the Alpha bought his Omega everything he so much as glanced at, a sweet bun dusted in cinnamon, a woven basket of festival colors, a tiny charm shaped like a crescent moon.

“For the bakery,” Eijirou said, cheeks warm. “To bring us luck.”

The baker melted instantly, eyes going soft and glassy.

“You’re being ridiculous,” he whispered lovingly.

“I’m allowed,” the Alpha answered. “I’m in love.”

As the sun dipped and lantern light painted the Omega golden, Eijirou couldn’t stop staring. Couldn’t stop touching him. Couldn’t stop smoothing his hands over Denki’s small waist, and face and arms as though reassuring himself he was real.

“You’re glowing,” Eijirou was breathless. “I don’t even know how to look away from you.”

The Omega’s heart swelled painfully.

“Who’s telling you to?”

But before he could say anything more, a musician plucked the opening chords of the traditional dance of luck. Couples hoping to expect soon moved toward the center of the plaza.

The Alpha turned to his Omega gently to face him.

“Dance with me?”

Denki nodded immediately, and they stepped into the lantern-lit square, swaying together in soft, slow circles. Eijirou’s forehead touched the baker’s gently, protectively, lovingly. Their fingers intertwined perfectly.

“I’ve never wanted anything the way I want you, my love.” The tall Alpha whispered, voice thick with emotion. “Never.”

Denki trembled, overwhelmed.

“I’m yours, Ei.” he breathed. “Always.” 

They said nothing else after that, simply enjoying their time together in the spotlight, finally. 

When the dance ended, the festival crowd cheered, but the redhead didn’t seem to hear anything except the Omega’s breathing.

The Alpha brushed his thumb along Denki’s cheek, eyes darting between his eyes and his lips. 

“Denki,” he murmured, voice reverent, “Will you let me spend the night with you?”

The baker’s breath hitched, his pulse elevated as he heard the very words he’d hoped to hear the second he laid eyes on the Guard.

“Alpha…”

“Only if you’re ready.” Eijirou added, desperate and gentle all at once. “I just don’t want to be apart from you tonight. Or ever.”

The Omega nodded before the word even formed, nodding with stars in his eyes. 

The Alpha took his hand, holding it firmly, possessively, guiding him away from the square, away from the music and lights, down familiar quiet streets.

Their steps quickened.

Then they began to laugh, soft, breathless, joyous, as they nearly ran the last corner toward the bakery’s back entrance.

The Guard kissed him just a block away, hands unable to leave Denki’s face, the Omega clutching his shirt, both of them trembling from months of yearning.

After a few moments, they separated in a hushed laugh. 

“Did you have a good evening at least, my love?” Eijirou’s voice was a low rumble, a vibration Denki felt in his very bones.

“The best,” the Omega breathed, tilting his head back to look up at the Alpha. Eijirou was all sharp lines and imposing strength, from the proud set of his jaw to the way his uniform strained against thick muscle. To Denki, he was the most magnificent thing in the entire kingdom. “I can’t believe you danced with me. In front of everyone.”

A low growl rumbled in the Alpha’s chest. “I would dance with you on the Queen’s table if you asked it of me. I am proud to be with you.” His thumb stroked circles over the Omega’s robes, a proprietary gesture that made Denki’s heart flutter. “Every Alpha who smelled you tonight was envious. They should be. You are mine.”

The baker blushed, a pretty pink rising on his cheeks. He knew, on an intellectual level, that he was desirable. His golden hair and bright eyes drew attention, most of it unwanted. But his sweet, slightly pliant nature often made him feel naive. That a man like Eijirou, powerful, so revered as second in command as a Royal Guard, would want someone like him still felt like fiction.

They reached the familiar warmth of the bakery, the rich scent of bread and yeast, a comforting blanket in the cool night air. The Omega unlatched the heavy back door, his movements economical and sure. They had been here together before, but tonight felt different. The air was charged with an unspoken promise, a potential that hummed between them.

“Upstairs?” The Alpha’s voice was husky.

Denki could only nod, his heart hammering against his ribs. He led the way, his hand finding Eijirou’s and lacing their fingers together. The stairs to the attic were narrow and steep, winding up into a cozy space that was entirely Omega. It was a single room filled with the scent of dried herbs and old books, with a large, comfortable-looking bed piled high with soft quilts and pillows.

Eijirou had spent the night before, usually ending in the both of them asleep tangled up on the couch downstairs. The Alpha was deadset on keeping the Omega’s space sacred. Some place he had to earn to step into.

The Guard paused at the top of the stairs, his gaze sweeping over the room, but his focus was entirely on the Omega standing in the center of it. Denki fidgeted, suddenly feeling shy under the intensity of that stare.

“It’s not much,” the blonde murmured. “Just a little room.”

“It’s your nest,” the Alpha corrected, his voice thick with emotion. He stepped forward, his boots making no sound on the worn wooden floorboards. He reached out, his fingers gently tracing the line of Denki’s collarbone. “It’s perfect. It smells sweet like you.”

The Omega leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed. “Ei…”

“Look at me, my love.” The command was soft, but absolute.

The blonde opened his eyes. The Alpha’s gaze was dark, burning with a possessive fire that both thrilled and soothed him. “I have waited for this,” Eijirou confessed, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “I have watched you at the market, smiling at everyone, and I have burned with the need to be the only one you smile at like that.”

“I only ever smile at you like that, silly Alpha.” Denki breathed, his honesty shining in his eyes. “The others? They're just people. You belong to me.”

A groan escaped the Alpha’s lips. He closed the remaining distance between them, his hands framing Denki’s face as he finally, finally brought their mouths together.

It wasn't a chaste kiss. It was a claiming. Eijirou’s lips were firm and demanding, his tongue sweeping into the Omega’s mouth to taste and explore. Denki melted against him, his hands coming up to clutch at the heavy fabric of Eijirou’s uniform. He tasted of the spiced cider they’d shared and of something wild and uniquely Alpha.

The redhead’s hands began to move, mapping the Omega’s body with a reverence that was at odds with the hunger in his kiss. He stroked down his sides, his thumbs brushing over his soft nipples, drawing a sharp gasp from the Omega. With practiced ease, he unlaced Denki’s robe, pushing it from his shoulders to pool on the floor.

The Omega shivered as the cool air kissed his heated skin, but Eijirou was there, his large, warm hands spreading across his back, pulling him flush against his clothed body. The contrast was electrifying.

“So beautiful,” the Alpha murmured against his lips, his gaze devouring the sight of him. “All mine.”

He guided his Omega backward until his knees hit the edge of the bed. Denki sat, his eyes wide and trusting as Eijirou knelt before him. The sight of the powerful Alpha on his knees before him was so overwhelming, the Omega thought he might weep.

Eijirou’s hands went to the laces of Denki’s breeches, his touch deliberate. “I’m going to take care of you, my love.” He promised, his voice a low, hypnotic chant. “I’m going to make you feel so good. You will never doubt how much I adore you.”

He peeled the breeches down Denki’s legs, his eyes never leaving his Omega’s. The blonde was fully exposed now, his body flushed and trembling with anticipation. His own slick was beginning to slide between his thighs, a sweet, potent fragrance that made Eijirou’s pupils blow wide with lust.

“Ei… please.” The baker whimpered, his hands twisting in the quilts.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Eijirou soothed. He stood and, with swift movements, shed his own uniform. The sight of his Alpha’s body, sculpted with muscle, scars telling stories of his duty, and his cock thick and hard, jutting out from a thatch of dark hair, made the Omega’s mouth go dry.

The redhead joined him on the bed, covering Denki’s delicate body with his own. He settled between soft thighs, his weight a welcome, grounding pressure. He kissed him again, deep and slow, one hand tangling in the Omega’s golden hair while the other stroked soothingly down his side.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” the Omega whimpered against his mouth, a tear of pure happiness escaping to trail down his temple. “That you want me.”

Eijirou caught the tear with his thumb, his expression fierce. “This is all I’ve ever wanted. You are the light of my life, Denki Kaminari. The only thing that makes sense.” He nudged his Omega’s legs wider, the head of his cock pressing against his slick, wet entrance. “Are you ready for me? To be mine completely?”

“Yes,” the blonde gasped, arching his back. “God, yes. Claim me, Alpha.”

With a guttural groan, the Guard pushed forward. He sank into Denki’s heat inch by glorious inch, his body shuddering at the exquisite tightness that gripped him. The Omega screamed out, his head thrown back, a mix of pleasure and a sharp, stretching ache that was so right, so perfect.

Eijirou stilled, buried to the hilt, giving Denki’s shaking form time to adjust. He peppered his face and neck with soft, worshipful kisses. “You feel like you were made for me,” he rasped. “So perfect.”

“Ei, Alpha, my Ei.” The blonde babbled, eyes glazing over in pleasure. 

Eijirou began to move then, a slow, deep rhythm that stole Denki’s breath. Each thrust was a possessive statement, a branding. The Alpha’s hands were everywhere, gripping his hips, teasing his nipples, stoking the fire inside the Omega higher and higher until he was a writhing, begging mess.

“Ei! Alpha, harder, harder!”

“Anything you want,” Eijirou growled, his control beginning to fray. He increased his pace, his thrusts becoming harder, more demanding, driving into the spot that made stars explode behind Denki’s eyes. The headboard slammed against the wall, the only sound in the room besides their harsh panting and the slick slap of skin on skin.

The rhythmic, powerful slap of Eijirou's hips against his own was a primal drumbeat, and with every deep, possessive thrust, the Omega’s mind spiraled deeper into a blissful haze of emotion. He was lost, not just in the overwhelming pleasure, but in the sheer, staggering reality of this Alpha who chose him. The caring, magnificent Guard who watched him with a fire that could burn down kingdoms, who looked at him, the simple baker, as if he were the most precious treasure in the realm.

A desperate, joyful ache bloomed in his chest, an obsession he'd harbored in secret for months finally, violently sated. He had dreamed of this claiming, of being utterly possessed, of Eijirou’s metallic scent marking him as his and his alone, and the reality was a thousand times more potent. As the redhead’s sharp teeth grazed the scent gland on his shoulder, a new, breathtaking thought crashed through Denki’s pleasure-fogged mind.

This wasn't just a night of passion, it was the beginning. This was the Alpha who would protect him, who would fill this quiet space beneath his ribcage with laughter and love. The thought sent a sharp, ecstatic jolt through him, and he cried out, tightening his legs around the Alpha's waist, pulling him impossibly deeper, as if he could absorb the very essence of their future into his body.

The blonde felt his climax coiling in his belly, a tight, hot spring ready to snap. “Alpha, I’m-!” he sobbed.

“Come for me, my Omega,” his Guard commanded, his voice a dark, dominant caress. “Come for your Alpha.”

He sank his teeth into the fleshy part of Denki’s shoulder, where it met his neck, a perfect, possessive bite.

The sharp pain was the final push the Omega needed. He shattered, a silent scream on his lips as his orgasm ripped through him, the bond wrapping around them in waves of pleasure. His inner muscles clamped down hard on Eijirou’s cock, and the Alpha followed him over the edge with a roar of triumph as his knot grew large enough to catch, spilling his hot seed deep within his Omega’s body, sealing his claim.

They lay tangled together for a long time, their bodies drowned with sweat and slick, the evidence of their union. The Alpha carefully rolled them, pulling Denki onto his chest so the Omega was sprawled over him, his head tucked into the crook of his neck as he breathed through the aftershocks. Eijirou’s heart hammered a steady, powerful rhythm underneath the blonde’s ear, a comforting drumbeat in the quiet aftermath. The bite mark on Denki’s shoulder throbbed, a dull, sweet ache that was a constant, tangible reminder of their new bond.

Two large, calloused hands stroked slowly up and down the Omega’s spine, a soothing, possessive gesture. He pressed a soft kiss to Denki’s sweat-damp hair, inhaling deeply. Sweet lemon now mixed with something new. The scent in the room had changed. It was no longer just Denki’s citrus and Eijirou’s musky iron. It was a new, combined scent. Of a mated pair. It was the most comforting thing the Alpha had ever smelled.

The Omega stirred, his fingers tracing idle patterns on his mate’s chest. He felt boneless, replete, and utterly cherished. A soft, happy sigh escaped his lips. He tilted his head up, his big eyes shining with a sated, dazed light.

“Ei,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

“Hmm?” The Alpha rumbled, his arm tightening around Denki’s waist, pulling him impossibly closer.

“I still don’t think it’s real.” A small, disbelieving laugh escaped him. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up in my bed alone, and this will all have been a beautiful dream.”

Eijirou shifted, propping himself up on an elbow to look down at his mate. The moonlight illuminated the Omega’s face, making his eyes glow and his bite mark stand out as a dark, perfect brand. The Alpha’s expression was fierce, a mixture of adoration and a protective fire that burned in his gaze.

“This is not a dream, my love,” he said, his voice low and serious. He reached out and gently traced the mark he had left on Denki’s shoulder. “This is real. You are mine. I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you, if that’s what it takes.”

The blonde’s heart swelled, a fresh wave of emotion washing over him. He reached up and cupped Eijirou’s cheek, his thumb stroking the rough stubble there. “You don’t have to prove anything. I feel it. Here.” He placed his hand over his own heart. “It just feels too good to be true. That someone like you would choose someone like me.”

“Someone like you?” The Alpha’s brow furrowed. “Denki, you walk through the market and you make people smile. You create beauty with flour and sugar. You are kindness and light. I am a weapon. I stand in the shadows and watch for threats. You are everything I am not, and everything I want to protect.” He leaned down and kissed him, a slow, deep kiss that was full of unspoken promises. “I am the lucky one.”

The sincerity in his voice made Denki’s eyes well up again, but this time he didn’t fight it. He just kissed the Alpha back, pouring all of his love and gratitude into it. When they parted, the Omega felt a new warmth blooming in his belly, a gentle, insistent heat that had nothing to do with the fading embers of their first coupling.

Eijirou must have smelled the change in his scent, because his eyes darkened with a renewed hunger. “Again?” he murmured, a knowing, possessive smile playing on his lips.

Denki blushed, but he nodded, a shy smile of his own gracing his features. “Is that… is that alright? I’ve never- I didn’t know it would feel like this.”

“It is more than alright, my love.” The redhead growled softly. He moved the Omega to his lap, so Denki was on his knees, and settled between his already shaking legs, his still hard cock nudging against the blonde’s slick entrance. “I could spend the entire night inside you, if you’d let me. I want to memorize every sound you make, every shiver of your body.”

He slowly but firmly lifted his Omega by the hips, and brought him back down, and this time there was no pain, only a blissful, stretching fullness that felt like coming home. Denki shook at how full he felt, the new position having him deeper, a soft whimper escaping his lips. This time was slower, more intimate. Eijirou met the Omega’s hips in a languid, deliberate dance, as if he were savoring every single second. He worshiped Denki's body with his hands and his mouth, rubbing softly against the mark on his shoulder, then his lips, then the sensitive skin of his throat.

“You were made for me,” the Alpha breathed against his skin, his hips rolling in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. “This perfect body, this generous heart, it’s all mine.”

“Yours,” Denki gasped, his hands shaking on Eijirou’s broad chest. “And you are mine, Alpha.”

The blonde leaned down on the Alpha’s chest, nose dug beneath the redhead’s ear, his small Omega fangs tracing against firm muscle and instinct, smelling and finding the perfect spot as he bit down, closing the bond for eternity. The Alpha’s stomach jolted, and the overwhelming scent of fresh summer lemon raced through his veins. 

When Denki sat back up, tears raced down his smiling, beautiful face. 

The pleasure built quickly after that, a cresting wave of warmth and love. The Alpha Guard watched his mate’s face the entire time, his gaze locked with his, as if to anchor him, to show him that this was real, that he was seen and cherished. When Denki finally came again, it was with a soft cry of Eijirou’s name, his body arching beautifully as his release pulsed between them. The redhead followed him a moment later, burying his face in his Omega’s neck as he spilled himself inside him once more, a final, possessive act of sealing their bond. 

Afterward, the Alpha didn’t move. He simply rested his weight beneath his mate, his face buried in his hair, their bodies still joined. He felt Denki’s breathing even out, the Omega’s body growing heavy with sleep. A fierce, overwhelming sense of protectiveness washed over the Guard. This was his world, right here, in this small attic room. This sweet, vibrant boy was his to love, to protect, to cherish for the rest of their days.

He carefully shifted to the side, pulling out of the Omega’s body with a soft groan. Denki whimpered at the loss, but Eijirou was quick to console him, pulling the quilts up over them both. He gathered the sleepy Omega into his arms, tucking his mate’s head under his chin.

“Sleep, my love,” he whispered into the quiet room. “I’ll keep watch.”

The Omega mumbled something incoherent, snuggling deeper into his Alpha’s embrace. For the first time in his life, Eijirou felt a peace so profound it was staggering. The guard who had spent his life watching over the kingdom had finally found his own Sovereign to protect. And as the moon sailed across the sky, he held him, a silent, steadfast sentinel in the heart of the baker’s attic.

-

The sunrise was slow and honey-gold, spilling across the small bedroom above the bakery, warming the tangled sheets where the young Alpha and Omega lay wrapped together. The fire in Musutafu’s celebrations had burned down to embers sometime in the night, but neither of them had noticed, they’d only been aware of each other. Of breath and heartbeat. Of touch and scent.

Now, in the soft quiet of early morning, Denki lay spread across his Alpha, cheek pressed to Eijirou’s chest, legs tangled lazily, wrapped in the scent and warmth of the man who had mated him just hours ago.

The Alpha couldn’t look away from him.

He’d been staring for god knows how long.

The Omega’s hair was messy in the sweetest way, cheeks still pink from sleep, or from the memories they shared the night previously and the bond mark at his neck was faintly bruised and beautiful. His. Fully his. The thought made Eijirou’s breath catch every time he dared look at it.

He lifted a hand, brushing Denki’s hair back with a reverent gentleness that didn’t match his normal confident swagger.

“You’re staring,” his Omega mumbled sleepily, voice rough from slumber and last night’s breathless laughter.

The Guard smiled, low and warm. “I have every right. You’re my mate now.”

Denki’s face flushed. “Still, you’re staring a lot.”

“Of course I am,” Eijirou laughed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Have you seen you?”

The Omega hid his face in his mates chest with a helpless little groan, making the Alpha chuckle. He wrapped his arms around the Omega’s waist and rolled them gently so the blonde was beneath him, still held protectively.

The way his mate looked up at him, soft, trusting, utterly in love, nearly knocked the air right out of Eijirou’s chest. Memories over every moment he spent reaching, begging and bargaining for his mate, the pull he felt for him. The love that drowned him. 

It was enough to make him double over in pain, in adoration and devotion. 

He dipped down, kissing his Omega’s forehead. Then his nose. Then the corner of his lips, teasing, making Denki whine quietly.

“I want to talk about our future, my love.” Eijirou said softly. “All of it.”

The blonde’s breath caught, and he nodded, fingers resting over the Alpha’s heart. “Like what, Ei?”

The Alpha exhaled shakily. “Move in with me.”

Denki blinked. “Ei, you live in the barracks.”

His Alpha smirked, placing himself in the neck of his mate. “Then I’ll move in here if you’ll allow me. Or we’ll get a house. Or we’ll live in the fields under the stars. I don’t care where, as long as I’m not apart from you ever again.”

The Omega’s heart swelled so hard he thought it might burst. “You’d do that? You’d make this your home?”

“You are my home, I’ve wanted that since the day you first touched my hand.”

Denki shoved him lightly, embarrassed. “Ei.”

But Eijirou only laughed. And then, mischievous, warm, unbearably affectionate, he leaned down and murmured against his mate’s ear. 

“And besides… I need a proper home for you when you get big and round with our pups.”

The blonde made a sound halfway between a squeak and a gasp, cheeks blazing. “Eijirou!”

“What?” The redhead teased, eyes glinting. “You’d look beautiful. Completely perfect. Can’t you picture it? You, glowing, waddling around the bakery, everyone fussing over you and calling you the prettiest Omega in the Musutafu.”

“Ei stop-!” Denki covered his face, mortified and flustered beyond reason.

But Eijirou gently pulled his hands away, kissing each palm.

“You’d be gorgeous,” he said sincerely. “I want that future. I want all of it. With you.”

The baker’s eyes softened, shimmering.

“That is all I ever wanted, a family. Ei, do you really mean it?”

“With everything I am.”

The Omega pulled him into a slow kiss, sweet and grateful and full of hope. When they parted, Denki whispered, voice trembling but sure. 

“Then let’s build that future. All of it. A home… and hopefully one day, a pup.”

The Alpha’s smile broke warm and bright, the happiest he’d ever looked.

He gathered his Omega into his arms, holding him as if he were the most precious thing in the world.

“Just one?” he finally murmured into Denki’s soft hair.

“Don’t ruin the moment, Eijirou.”

The Alpha laughed so hard he snorted, just in time for a loud knock to echo from the bakery below.

They froze. 

“For the love of-!” Eijirou dropped his head back on the pillow with a groan. “My love, I swear, the universe hates us.”

The Omega tried not to laugh at the full-body misery vibrating from his newly minted mate. “Maybe it’s just a customer?”

Another knock, louder. Firmer.

“Messengers don’t wait,” the Guard sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Duty doesn’t sleep. Or let me sleep.”

His Omega cupped his cheeks, pulling him in for a lingering kiss. “Duty is very rude.”

“Criminally rude,” his mate agreed, leaning into him as though he could will himself back into the blankets. “I just mated my perfect Omega last night. Can’t I get one morning without someone needing something?”

The baker raised a brow. “You’re a Royal Guard. I think ‘privacy’ was surrendered around the same time you surrendered your vows.”

Eijirou paused. “Worth it.”

His voice was so sure, so quietly devoted, Denki’s breath stuttered.

The knock came again.

Denki in response sighed dramatically. “Go on, my great, noble soldier. Before they break my door.”

His mate grumbled like an offended bear, reluctantly pulling himself from the bed. “If they don’t have a good reason, I’m coming right back up here and-”

“Ei,” his Omega warned playfully.

He huffed, grabbed his shirt, and tugged it over his still-marked shoulder. But before leaving, he leaned down and kissed his mate once more, slow, lingering, the kind of kiss that promised they weren’t done talking about futures and forever.

Then he whispered against the Omega’s lips.

“I’ll be back before the bread even rises.”

And with another reluctant groan, he trudged downstairs to answer the Queen’s summons while Denki, wrapped in blankets and smelling of their mating marks, watched him go with a smile he couldn’t hide.

-

Eijirou stood outside the bakery door for a long time before he found the strength to turn the handle.

He could still hear the echo of the council chamber, the clipped voices of generals, the grim outline of maps, Captain Katsuki’s harsh command echoing over it all. 

The vanguard is to ride at dawn. 

Vanguard.

The first to meet the enemy’s blades.

The first to fall.

He had saluted, jaw locked, heart steady.

But the moment they dismissed him, it crumbled. Completely.

Because he had an Omega waiting at home. 

An Omega he loved more than breath.

An Omega who would shatter entirely if he heard the truth.

They were freshly mated, what would happen now that he had to leave, for god knows how long. What would it do to his sweet Omega. His everything. 

The Alpha stepped inside.

The bakery was warm. Sweet. Safe.

A fire crackled low, filling the room with honey-butter air. His mate sat at the counter, elbows propped up, humming as he iced pastries, completely oblivious, beautiful in the soft candlelight, his hair tied loosely with sugar dusting his hands like snow.

The moment he looked up, he beamed.

“Ei! So much for ‘before the bread rises’, it’s risen, and packed and all sold I might add. Besides I thought Bakugo would have kept you all night again.” Denki wiped his hands excitedly on his apron and rushed to him. “You’re freezing, Ei. Get near the fire.”

Eijirou forced a smile, stepping into his mate’s arms before he even spoke a word. The blonde pressed his cheek to Eijirou’s strong chest, breathing in his scent like it was medicine.

“I missed you,” His Omega murmured, voice gentle as a petal. “You smell tired. Bad meeting?”

The Alpha swallowed. Hard.

His voice came out low, tight as he cradled his Omega in his arms. “Something like that.”

He held Denki closer, burying his nose into that soft Omega scent, lemon mixed with sugar dough and warmth. He inhaled like a starving man, memorizing everything.

He didn’t know how to say it.

He didn’t know how to destroy this softness.

“Ei?” The Omega pulled back, eyes bright with concern. “What happened?”

Eijirou almost broke right then.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t look into Denki’s hopeful little face and say I may not come home to you.

So he lied. Or tried to.

Sharply, he whispered. “Just a long day.”

Denki frowned, unconvinced. “You’re shaking.”

Eijirou closed his eyes.

He hadn’t even realized he was.

The Omega took his hands and rubbed them between his own, trying to warm him. “You’re scaring me. Talk to me, Ei.”

He would have rather been stabbed.

“Denki…” the Guard tried, voice cracking. 

But his Omega shook his head, stubborn as ever, pressing his forehead to the Alpha’s chest.

“No. Don’t do that. Don’t talk like nothing’s wrong. You promised that no matter what came at us, we’d figure it out together.”

A weak laugh escaped him, painful, strangled.

God. How was he supposed to leave this?

The blonde tugged him gently to their small table. “Sit. Please. Just breathe.”

Eijirou obeyed.

The Omega placed a steaming bowl in front of him, smiling softly. “Eat, it’s been a long day. Eat, Ei.”

But the Alpha Guard couldn’t eat. He stared at the bowl, hands trembling around the spoon he couldn’t lift.

Frightened, Denki reached for him again. “Eijirou, please tell me. You look like you’ve been carrying a mountain.”

The redhead’s jaw clenched.

He looked up.

Looked into the eyes of the Omega he loved with everything in him.

And the mountain finally crushed him.

“We leave tomorrow,” he whispered.

Denki froze.

“Leave?” he repeated faintly. “For… for what?”

Eijirou swallowed, his throat burning. “War is confirmed. The Kingdom of Hosu has made threats against the Prince. The army marches at first light.”

The Omega’s lips parted.

His face paled.

“Ei… no. No, you can’t-!” His voice broke, hands trembling as he reached out. “No. Please. You told me- you told me we’d have more time-!”

Eijirou caught his hands before they shook apart.

“I know,” he whispered, forehead falling against his mate’s. “I know, my love. I’m so sorry.”

He hadn’t cried in a while.

But he felt it, an unbearable pressure behind his eyes.

Denki shook his head frantically, tears running freely now. “You can’t go. Eijirou, please, you can’t leave me, I can’t-!”

The Alpha pulled him close, wrapping him in a desperate embrace.

Denki collapsed into him fully, sobbing into his chest, clutching at his cloak like he could anchor him in place by force of love alone.

“Eijirou,” he cried, voice cracking, “I just got you, I finally have you. So why does the world want to take you from me?”

The Guard held him so tight it hurt.

“Denki,” he whispered into his hair, “I don’t want to go. I swear to you, I swear on my life, on my soul. I want you. I only want you.”

“Then stay,” the Omega begged. “Please. Stay. I don’t care about the consequences, I don’t care what happens, just stay here with me.”

Eijirou felt his heart tear in two.

“Love,” he whispered, choking, “I can’t. Musutafu needs our protection. The Prince needs us- the people-!”

“I need you alive!” Denki sobbed.

The Alpha broke.

He pulled his mate into his lap, both of them shaking, clinging to each other like drowning men.

“I will come back,” Eijioru said fiercely, cupping the blonde's damp face. “We’re meant to be together. I know that. And I’ll fight every enemy alive to make sure I return to you.”

The Omega curled into him, shaking, gripping his cloak with both fists.

“I don’t want a world where you don’t come home,” he whispered. “You’re all I have, Ei.”

“You’ll never live in that world,” The Guard breathed.

They held each other long into the night.

Until the candles burned low.

Until Denki fell asleep exhausted in Eijirou’s arms.

The Alpha didn’t sleep for hours.

He stayed awake as long as he could, watching the Omega he loved more than anything, memorizing every breath, every mole, every soft line of his face.

Because tomorrow. 

Tomorrow he might never get this again.

-

Eijirou woke to cold sheets.

That was the first wrong thing.

The second was the smell.

Burnt. Acrid. Bitter enough to sting the back of his throat.

His heart jerked painfully, instincts snapping awake.

“Denki?” he called softly, already knowing there was no answer.

He shot out of bed, half-dressed, half-panicked, the leftover scent of their mating still clinging to the sheets. It made the emptiness worse, so much worse. They had just found each other again. They had only just sealed their bond two nights ago. And now.

Now he had to leave.

The Alpha practically flew down the stairs.

The bakery was dim, dawn not close to brushing the windows, and in the center of the flour-dusted floor lay a single, blackened loaf, burnt to rock, torn apart like someone had ripped it in fury. 

His mate.

Fear hit Eijirou so hard he saw spots.

“Denki?” His voice cracked.

The front door was wide open.

He ran.

Outside, sitting on the cold stone curb, shoulders trembling, face buried in his arms, was his Omega. The early morning chill curled around him, catching in his hair and the loose nightshirt he’d thrown on. Tears shone on his cheeks, fresh ones, not the dried tracks from the night before.

Eijirou’s chest split open.

He crossed the distance in seconds, dropping to his knees in front of him. “Denki, my love, what happened? Are you hurt? Talk to me.”

The baker looked up and the expression nearly brought the Guard to the ground entirely.

Red-rimmed eyes. Bitten lips. Hands shaking.

“I burnt it, Ei,” the Omega whispered hoarsely. “I haven’t burnt a loaf since I was eight. I-I couldn’t even make bread right. I can’t think, Eijirou. You’re leaving and everything is wrong and I don’t-!”

His voice broke. Completely.

Eijirou’s breath left him in a painful rush. He reached out, cupping his mate’s face with gentle, trembling hands, wiping the tears with his thumbs, pressing his forehead to his mate’s.

“Don’t you dare cry over bread,” the redhead whispered, voice raw. “Please, my love. Not today. Not when my heart is already tearing itself apart.”

Denki tried to laugh, but it came out a choked sob as he clutched fistfuls of his Alpha’s shirt, dragging him closer, desperate.

“I’m angry,” Denki growled, voice shaking. “I’m so angry. At you leaving. At the world. At myself for burning something so stupid. And I’m scared, Ei. I’m terrified. I keep thinking, what if you don’t come back? What if- what if I never see you again?” His breath hitched. “We made promises. You promised me a life. You promised me… us.”

The Guard’s heart shattered so violently he didn’t know how he was still breathing.

He hauled his Omega into his arms, crushing him against his chest, one hand buried in his hair, the other wrapped tight around his waist.

“I will come back,” Eijirou swore, voice rough with everything, fear, love, desperation. “I swear on my life, on my honor, on our bond. I am coming home to you. Nothing will keep me from you. Not war. Not a kingdom. Not a thousand armies.”

Denki clung harder, shaking against him, tears soaking his mate’s collar.

“You can’t promise that,” the blonde whispered, voice breaking. “You can’t promise something you can’t control.”

The redhead pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, those beautiful, devastated eyes.

“Yes,” he murmured, “I can. And I am.”

His thumb brushed Denki’s lower lip, reverent.

“You are my mate. My home. My everything. I will crawl my way back to you if I have to. Do you understand? I will not give you up.”

His Omega let out a sound, small, wounded, hopeful all at once, and launched himself forward, pressing desperate, trembling kisses to Eijirou’s jaw, his cheeks, his mouth. The Alpha caught him, kissed him back with the same broken intensity, pouring every bit of love and fear and promise into it.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t gentle.

It was everything two souls could give before being ripped apart.

When they finally broke for air, Denki whispered against his lips, voice shaking:

“Come home to me, Ei. Come home and keep every promise we made.”

Eijirou pressed his forehead to his mate’s again, breathing him in like he could store the scent in his lungs for the battlefield.

“I will,” his Alpha vowed. “I swear it. I’m coming back to you.”

And as the sun finally broke over the rooftops, they stayed like that, wrapped in each other, terrified and in love, holding on as tightly as they could before the world forced them apart.

-

Flour dusted the air like pale snowfall as Denki kneaded bread dough with a ferocity that made the table shudder. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, hair tied back, eyes dull and shadowed. The bakery was silent except for the restless scrape of dough against wood and the faint crackling of the dying fire.

It had been weeks, and yet he hadn’t slept more than a handful of hours since the army marched.

He couldn’t.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw Eijirou on the battlefield, bleeding, calling his name, or worse… silent.

So he stayed awake and baked until his hands hurt. Until he could almost forget.

Almost.

The front door chimed.

The Omega flinched, head snapping up. “We’re closed,” he called sharply, louder than he meant to. The bell jingled again. Whoever had entered wasn’t leaving.

“Are you deaf?” The baker snapped, slamming the dough down with a thud. “I said we’re-”

He stepped through the doorway.

And froze.

Prince Izuku stood just inside the shop, cloaked, hood down, looking exhausted and heartbreakingly gentle as he offered the baker a small, pained smile.

“Hello, Denki.”

Denki’s anger collapsed into numbing shame. “Your Highness! My deepest apologies.”

Unfazed, the Prince lifted a hand weakly. “You have nothing to apologise for. I’m here simply as a buying customer.”

The Royal Omega looked smaller than Denki had ever seen him, deflated, hollow. Nothing like the shining Prince from that festival night.

His own reflection could have mirrored the grieving Prince. 

“I know it’s late,” Izuku said softly. “I just… I couldn’t sleep.”

The blonde swallowed hard, suddenly hyperaware of his flour-dusted hands, his unkempt apron, the dark circles bruising his eyes. Barely proper appearance for the company of his sovereign. 

But despite that, a customer is a customer. “What can I get for you, my Prince?”

The freckled Omega tried to smile again. “The day of the Captain’s Ascension Tournament, your stall had these particular pastries that bent in funny shapes. Do you have any of those left? They were… comforting.”

The mention of that night made something inside Denki crack. They were lemon twists. Eijirou’s favourite. 

But he nodded. “Do you have time? They won’t take long.”

He lit an extra lamp and moved stiffly behind the counter, mixing flour, honey and lemon with mechanical precision. Izuku watched, hands clasped politely in front of him, silent for a long while.

When he finally spoke, his voice trembled.

“Denki… I’m so sorry.”

The blonde Omega didn’t react. Didn’t know how to.

“It’s not your fault, Your Highness.”

But the Prince shook his head. Something in him snapped, something fragile and regal and unbearably human. He removed his circlet and knelt on the bakery floor.

The blonde inhaled sharply.

“Your Highness-! No, you-you can’t-! Please stand up-”

But his Prince bowed fully, palms pressed to the wooden planks, shoulders heaving as tears raced down his pretty face.

“I am not bowing as your Prince,” he said, voice cracking.

“I am bowing as an Omega whose Alpha is at war because of me. As an Omega who took your mate away. As the reason you are alone tonight.”

Denki staggered forward, horrified as he leant down to grab his Prince’s hands off the floor. “No, no, please, don’t-! You can’t kneel to-to someone like me…”

Izuku lifted his head, eyes wet and shining with guilt deeper than any title. His voice was firm and quaking all at once when he responded. 

“I’ll understand if you never forgive me. The soldiers, I ache for them. For my people who are worried for their safety. But you’re different, Denki. You are an Omega whose heart is breaking exactly like mine.”

Denki’s breath shook.

The numbness finally buckled, and he felt everything, sharpened fear, longing, the awful hollow of sleeping alone, the ache in his delicate bond with Eijirou that pulsed with distance and danger.

The Omegaen Prince whispered, voice shattering. 

“We are the ones who wait. The ones left behind, when half our souls are out there. No one else understands this pain.”

The blonde sank to his knees opposite him before he even realized he’d moved.

And for a moment, they simply held each other’s hands, trembling and hollow and hurting.

The bakery was silent except for the crackle of the fire and the quiet, shared ache between them.

“I never thought it could hurt this much,” Denki whispered.

“I know,” Izuku said softly. “I know.”

A long, fragile breath passed between them.

Then the Prince pressed a palm weakly to his abdomen, voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m with child,” he said. “Kacchan’s pup. Musutafu’s future heir.”

Denki’s eyes widened, hope, sorrow, awe, all at once. 

“You… you’re expecting?” he breathed, the words barely forming.

Despite the situation, Izuku was still Royalty, being in his presence with such important news is a blessing few were privy to. 

The Prince’s hand drifted to cover his lips, small, instinctive and trembling. “Almost two months. I found out a couple of days ago.” His voice cracked, a thin shell barely holding the weight underneath. “I didn’t even get to tell him. I-” His breath shuddered, and so did his resolve. “Kacchan has no idea our pup even exists.”

The baker stared, wide-eyed, devastation so violent he felt sick. “Your Highness…”

He moved closer, but not too close, almost afraid to touch him, like the Prince was something fragile and luminous.

A new life. The kingdom’s future. Captain Katsuki’s pup.

“That’s…” the blonde Omega swallowed hard, unable to stop the tears from forming. “That’s wonderful, my Prince. Truly.”

But the words shook, trembling with a grief he couldn’t hide. Because the joy of new life, the future of their kingdom, wasn’t the only thing in the room. It mixed with fear, and longing, and the sharp sting of reality.

Izuku’s face fell, not at Denki, but with him. “I know,” he whispered. “It should be the happiest moment of my life.” A soft sob escaped him. “But he’s not here. And I don’t know if he’ll ever come home to meet them.”

At that, the baker’s tears finally spilled.

He thought of Katsuki, leading the battlefield from the forefront.

He thought of his fellow merchants, aching for their children they had no way to contact. 

And he thought of Eijirou, his sweet Alpha out there too, facing blades and arrows and blood.

He thought of the morning before the news broke, curled up with his Alpha mate, laughing, whispering, dreaming.

Of Eijirou grinning as he teased, 

Can’t you picture it? Everyone fussing over you and calling you the prettiest Omega in the Musutafu.

Of Denki hiding his face in embarrassment, swatting at him, already picturing it.

Already wanting it.

Now he didn’t know if any of it would ever happen.

His hands shook as he sat on his heels. “I was supposed to… we were supposed to…” His voice broke completely. “We talked about pups. About our future. Just hours before that courier came with the war summons.”

The Omegaen Prince looked up sharply, eyes swallowed by tears. “Denki…”

And then they were both crying, quietly at first, then openly, helplessly.

Two Omegas, bowed but unbroken, sharing a grief only they could understand.

The grief of being left behind. Of loving Alpha’s made of duty and steel. Of waiting for footsteps that might never come.

The blonde moved first, reaching out. The Prince met him halfway.

They rested on the floor of the bakery, Prince and Commoner, foreheads touching, shoulders shaking.

“I’m so scared, your Highness.” Denki whispered, heart in pieces. 

“Me too,” Izuku admitted, a tear falling onto the baker’s sleeve. “But they’re coming home. They have to. We’ll hold our pups in our arms one day. All of us..”

They clung to each other, two hearts breaking, two hearts still hoping, two mates left behind but refusing to let go of the future they had already begun to dream of.

And in the quiet bakery, with dough half-mixed and night pressing in around them, they cried, for their Alphas, for their unborn heir, for futures half-built and half-promised.

But they cried with hope, too.

Because despite everything, they still believed in their mates.

They still believed in love strong enough to survive a war.

And they believed, together, that their mates would return.

-

The world had narrowed to noise and red.

For a moment he didn’t understand why the world had tilted sideways. Why the sky, streaked with arrows and clouds, was suddenly the only thing he could see. Then the pain hit, sharp and molten, radiating from somewhere just below his ribs.

Shouts blurred around him. Boots pounded the mud. Someone fell. Someone screamed. Metal clashed and clanged like bells rung by the desperate.

A voice cut through the chaos like a blade, Captain Katsuki, furious and terrified in equal measure.

But Eijirou couldn’t lift his head, couldn’t answer. His ears rang too loudly, each heartbeat shaking his body like a drum struck too hard.

He tried to move his hand. It didn’t listen.

He tasted iron.

Katsuki had barked orders, but it sounded far away, as if he were shouting from underwater.

The redhead let his gaze slip sideways. His brothers-in-arms were fighting around him, forming a half-circle to stop the enemy from getting any closer. Rain mixed with blood on their armor. The Captain knelt beside him, hands shaking as they pressed cloth to Eijirou’s wound.

He didn’t feel it.

The sky above him was too bright. Too wide. Every cloud looked like it was drifting in slow motion. It didn’t look like a battlefield sky, not to him.

It looked like home.

And suddenly he wasn’t hearing the droves of war anymore.

He was hearing the soft footsteps of his Denki padding across the wooden floors of the bakery at dawn, humming off-key as he mixed dough. He was smelling warm bread and lemon. He was seeing soft Omega eyes widen when he smiled at him for no reason at all.

He heard the Captain beg, giving orders. 

But the Alpha’s eyes unfocused.

All he saw Denki instead.

Denki laughing the first time Eijirou shyly handed him a flower.

Denki pushing flour onto his nose when he thought the Alpha looked too serious.

Denki sprawling atop Eijirou’s chest that night like he belonged there.

Denki whispering I love you like it was a secret carved into his bones.

His mate.

His home.

His right to live. 

His reason to fight.

Eijirou’s lips parted, a breath slipping out between them shaky, soft, almost a sigh.

“…Denki…”

It was barely audible, swallowed by the sound of rain and clattering steel.

But he wasn’t dying. His body was simply sinking exhausted, overwhelmed, pulled toward the memory of the Omega he loved more than breath.

The world dimmed at the edges, fuzzy and muted.

A gentle warmth spread across his mind, the imagined feeling of Denki’s hand slipping into his, thumb brushing his knuckles.

He didn’t close his eyes to give up.

He closed them because he needed to see his mate one more time, even if only in his mind.

And in that quiet, floating moment, though the battlefield still raged around him, he whispered a promise only Denki would ever truly understand. 

“I’m coming home… just wait for me.”

-

The horns began rumbling just after noon.

Not the soft melodic chimes that bells announced festival days, nor the bright ringing of a royal decree. 

No.

These thunderous drawls were heavy, shaking the windows of every home in the capital.

The blaring horns of return.

Denki froze where he stood behind the bakery counter, his hands covered in sugar. For a breath, just one, his heart forgot how to beat.

“They’re back,” whispered an elderly woman waiting for her bread, tears already welling in her eyes.

But the Omega didn’t reply.

He didn’t even think.

He just ran.

The door slammed behind him, the little bell jerking wildly as he sprinted into the rain-choked street. The sky had split open, pouring down hard, soaking him within seconds. Mud splashed up his legs as he shoved through crowds, slipping, stumbling, gasping.

Because this was it.

This was the moment his Alpha would come home, would be safe. 

He reached the square just as the soldiers began to march in. Banners, torn and burned at the edges, dragged limply in the rain. Armor was dented. Bloodstains, washed half away by the storm, still clung to breastplates and gauntlets.

Denki shoved through the crowds, scanning every face.

Eijirou. Eijirou. Eijirou. 

He didn’t see the flaming red hair.

He didn’t see the broad shoulders he knew better than anyone.

He didn’t see the familiar gait, the one he could recognise even in a crowd of a thousand.

He pushed past more people, nearly falling, breath coming in hysterical gasps.

Where was he?

Where was he?!

Another line of soldiers marched past.

Not him.

Then the medics.

Not him.

Then the injured being carried on stretchers.

Not him!

As he scanned the capital square he found Prince Izuku as he burst forward from the palace grounds, shoving past advisors, his robes dragging through mud. His eyes were wild, frantic. 

“Kacchan!”

And then Denki saw him from across the plaza, the Captain, bruised, half-limping, still managing to look unbreakable even as he staggered towards his mate.

Izuku slammed into him, and Katsuki caught him with a hoarse, aching sound that cracked the sky more deeply than the thunder. Their embrace was violent, desperate as the Prince clutched the Alpha’s face as if terrified he’d vanish. Katsuki buried his forehead against his Prince’s neck, shaking.

Denki stopped dead in the mud.

Something inside him collapsed and warmed all at once, relief for them, envy slicing through him with guilt immediately following.

They had each other again.

But where was his Alpha?

His vision blurred, rain and tears mixing. His chest tightened until breathing hurt, until thinking hurt, until he could no longer hear anything but the echo of Eijirou’s voice in his own mind.

I will come back.

I swear it to the gods. I will come home to you.

A promise that now tasted like a violent lie.

He staggered backward, nearly slipping in the mud. The world swayed, muffled, distant. Someone asked if he was alright, but he couldn’t answer, couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t take a breath. 

His mate. 

The love of his life. 

Gone?

He turned and ran, not knowing where, not seeing through the tears, just running.

Back through the streets, back to the bakery, back to the place where the stars aligned and allowed him to meet his Alpha for the very first time. Where they had laughed, where they had whispered dreams of pups and a future.

Future?

What future?

He slammed through the bakery door so hard it banged against the wall, the bell giving a sharp, frantic ring.

And then, Denki froze.

Because someone stood inside.

A tall figure, soaked from the rain, dripping onto the floorboards, a travel bag hanging from his shoulder. His hair was longer, unkempt, plastered to his forehead. His uniform was torn in places, bandages visible under the leather, bruises dark along his jaw.

But his eyes. 

His eyes were the same as always.

Warm. Scarlet. Alive. 

Fixed entirely on him.

“Ei…?” The Omega whispered, voice cracking.

The Alpha’s face crumpled with relief so intense it bordered on pain.

“My love.”

Denki let out a choked, broken sound.

Eijirou crossed the room in three long strides and the moment his Omega reached for him, he was swept entirely off the ground.

The Alpha’s arms wrapped around him fiercely, desperately, holding him as if he’d never let go again.

“My darling,” The shivering Guard whispered into his hair, voice shaking. “I’m here. I’m here, my love. I’m home.”

The baker clung to him like a lifeline, burying his face into Eijirou’s neck, sobs pouring out in messy, trembling waves.

“I thought you were gone,” Denki cried, his words spilling over themselves. “I couldn’t- I can’t-! I love you, I love you so much, Ei, please don’t ever- don’t-!”

As to calm him, Eijirou rested their foreheads together, breath shaking.

“You’re so beautiful,” he cried, thumb brushing Denki’s wet cheek. “How could I have forgotten just how beautiful you really are, my love. Look at me. You’re here. I’m here. Nothing, nothing, will keep me from you again.”

The Omega laughed through tears, breathless, trembling. “You’re covered in mud.”

“And you’re crying on my shirt,” Eijirou murmured, softer this time. “Perfect match.”

Denki threw his arms around him again, clinging with all the strength he had.

The Alpha held him just as tightly, lifting him off the ground, his voice breaking with raw devotion. 

“I came straight home to you.”

And Denki finally, truly believed it.

The Omega had so much to say, so much he had kept hidden for months. But that could wait. His mate was home and in his arms. 

-

The bakery was quiet except for the soft chop of Denki’s knife against the board. Evening light glowed warm across the kitchen, dust motes drifting lazily, but the tension between them crackled like a storm waiting to break.

Eijirou sat at a table, still in the undershirt his Omega had insisted he change into after his shower, the fabric stretched across his chest and shoulders. He watched Denki move, watched him breathe, watched him exist, his eyes hungry in a way that made the baker’s pulse stutter every time he dared glance over.

They didn’t speak.

They couldn’t.

The Omega had tried. He’d tried to ask about his wounds earlier, tried to talk about dinner, about the weather, about anything, anything, to keep himself grounded. But one look at his Alpha sitting there, alive, warm, so painfully handsome in the soft lamplight, and all the words dissolved on his tongue.

Eijirou’s fingers drummed softly on the table. His gaze never left his mate’s.

It burned. It devoured. It begged.

The baker swallowed hard, his own breathing uneven, hands trembling as he diced vegetables he could barely see. The air felt thick, like if he moved too quickly, he’d burst into flame. His skin tingled, his body vibrating with the instinct he’d been fighting for hours. 

Touch him. Touch him. Touch him.

His Alpha stood slowly, silently.

The Omega’s spine went rigid. He didn’t turn, but he felt the heat of his mate behind him before he heard a single step.

Still, neither spoke.

Denki gripped the edge of the counter to keep himself steady. His heart beat so loud it drowned out everything else.

Then the Guard exhaled, low and trembling, like he’d been holding his breath since walking through the door.

And he said, voice rough and reverent against the back of the baker’s neck. 

“I haven’t tasted you in months.”

Denki dropped the knife.

It clattered to the floor, forgotten.

He spun, crashing into Eijirou with a desperate, broken sound, hands in his hair, mouth on his lips, kissing him like he was starving, like he’d die if he didn’t. His mate caught him instantly, lifting him, crushing him against his chest. 

It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was a collision. Months of longing, of fear, of lonely nights fueled by nothing but desperate hope, all poured into one frantic, messy, desperate meeting of mouths. It was all teeth and tongue, a hungry claiming. Eijirou tasted of the road, of desperation, and Denki tasted of icing and unshed tears.

“I missed you,” Eijirou growled against his lips, his hands roaming down the Omega’s back to grip his ass, pulling him impossibly closer. “Every single fucking day. All I could think about was getting back to you. To this.”

“Missed you more,” the baker gasped, his hands fisting in the front of Eijirou’s dusty tunic. He nipped at his Alpha’s lower lip, a sharp, possessive bite. “Woke up every morning reaching for you and the bed was cold. The house was quiet. I hated it. I hated every second you were gone.”

“Never again,” The Guard vowed, his voice a raw, feral snarl. “I’m never leaving you again.”

They stumbled backward, a tangle of limbs and frantic need, knocking over a display of artisanal breads that scattered across the floor. Neither of them cared. The space between them was an insult, a torment.

Eijirou’s hands were everywhere, tearing at the knot of the Omega’s apron, then yanking his shirt over his head. Denki’s own fingers were clumsy with haste, fumbling with the buckle of Eijirou’s belt, the laces of his trousers.

“Clothes. Off. Now.” his Omega panted, his golden eyes blown wide with lust and adoration.

“Here?” Eijirou asked, a smirk finally gracing his lips, a flash of the cocky man the baker remembered beneath the weary soldier.

“Here. Now. Everywhere,” Denki demanded, shoving the fabric of Eijirou’s tunic down his shoulders. “I want you to fuck me right here. I want to smell you on every surface. I want everyone who walks in here tomorrow to know you’re back and you belong to me.”

That was all the permission the Alpha needed. With a guttural roar, he ripped his own shirt off, sending buttons flying. They shed the rest of their clothes in a trail between the kitchen and the main counter, a desperate flurry of discarded fabric and armor. When they were finally bare, skin to skin, the air crackled with raw, unbridled energy. The scent of their combined arousal, thick and intoxicating, filled the shop, overpowering the smell of baked goods.

Eijirou spun his mate around, pressing him face-first against the cold, marble countertop. The shock of the chilled stone against his heated skin made the Omega gasp, his back arching. The Alpha’s chest was a furnace against his back, his rigid cock a hot, heavy line pressing into the cleft of Denki’s ass.

“Look at you,” Eijirou rasped, his hands gripping the baker’s hips, his thumbs digging into the flesh. “My beautiful Omega. All mine. No one else gets to see you like this. No one else gets to touch you.”

“Only you,” the blonde whimpered, pushing back against him, a silent, desperate plea. “There’s no one else, Ei. It’s only ever been you. My Alpha. My mate. My everything.”

He was slick, ready, his body having been waiting for this moment for months. Eijirou didn’t wait, didn’t tease. He lined himself up and drove home in one powerful, possessive thrust.

The cry that tore from his Omega’s throat was one of pure, unadulterated bliss. It was a feeling of being completed, of being made whole again after being broken for so long. The stretch, the burn, the overwhelming fullness, it was everything he had craved. It was alive and it was searing.

Eijirou set a brutal, punishing pace, his hips snapping against Denki’s ass with enough force to shake the entire display case. Each thrust was a declaration, a brand.

You are mine. I am here. I am home.

“Fuck, my love,” the Alpha grunted, his rhythm never faltering. His hands slid up Denki’s arms, pinning his wrists by his hips. “Tight. So fucking tight for me. Did you wait? Did you let anyone else touch you?”

“Never!” Denki cried out, his voice cracking with emotion and pleasure. “Never! Only you! I only ever want you! My body, my heart, my soul. It all belongs to you, Ei!”

Eijirou’s rhythm stuttered for a second, overwhelmed by the declaration. He leaned down, his forehead resting between his mate’s shoulder blades, his breath coming in harsh pants. “And I belong to you,” he growled, his voice thick with emotion. “Every part of me. The soldier, the commoner, the human, it’s all yours. There is nowhere else I would rather be. No one else I would rather die for. No one else I would rather live for.”

He pulled Denki away from the counter, manhandling him until his back was pressed against the cool plaster of the wall next to the ovens. The heat radiating from the ovens baked their skin, a perfect counterpoint to the cool wall. The Alpha hooked one of Denki’s pretty legs over his arm, changing the angle, and thrust back into him, deeper than before.

The Omega saw stars. He wrapped his other leg around Eijirou’s waist, holding on for dear life as his Alpha fucked him against the wall of their shop. It was primal, feral, a reclaiming of territory and soul.

“Ei! Alpha, please!” The baker chanted his name like a prayer, his nails scrabbling at the sweat-slick skin of his mate’s back. “Please, Alpha, I’m-”

“I know,” Eijirou snarled, his eyes glowing with a fierce, red light. He reached between them, his rough, calloused fingers pressed mercilessly against the Omega’s belly, pushing against his cock as it dragged in and out. “Come for me, Omega. Come all over me. Mark me as yours.”

The command, combined with the firm circles of his hand, was Denki’s undoing. He threw his head back with a shattering scream, his body convulsing as his orgasm ripped through him, hot and blinding. His release painted their stomachs and chests, a sticky, visceral proof of their reunion.

The clenching of his mate’s inner muscles pulled the Alpha over the edge with a hoarse, triumphant roar. He buried himself to the hilt, his knot swelling and locking them together as he poured himself into his mate, his release a hot, possessive flood. It was a claiming, a bond renewed, a promise sealed in flesh and fluid.

They stayed like that for a long time, panting and trembling, locked together by Eijirou’s knot, their bodies pressed against the wall of their bakery. The scent of sex and sugar and home was a heady perfume around them.

The Alpha gently lowered his mate’s leg, his arms coming around to support him as they both slid down the wall.

Wordlessly, they did all they could to catch their breaths, eyes never leaving the other. 

“Look at you,” Eijirou murmured, his voice a low, intimate growl. He leaned down, not to kiss him, but to run his tongue over a smudge of powdered sugar on Denki’s collarbone, tasting the combination of his mate’s skin and the sugar. “All mine. Messy and perfect and all mine.”

The Omega arched into the touch, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “Always yours, Ei. Every part of me.” He shifted his hips, the movement sending a jolt of pleasure through them both as Eijirou’s knot tugged at his rim. The Alpha groaned, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

“Careful, my love,” he rasped. “You keep doing that and we’ll be tied here all night.”

“Promise?” The blonde teased, a slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. He wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck, pulling him closer for another deep, languid kiss. It was slow this time, a rediscovery. There was no desperation, only the profound, soul-deep certainty of being home.

They stayed locked together for what felt like an eternity, just breathing each other's air, exchanging soft kisses and whispered words. Eijirou told him about the cold nights, the fear, the moments he thought he wouldn’t make it, and how the thought of his Omega’s smile, of the warmth of this very bakery, had pulled him through. Denki told him about the quiet days, the visits from the Prince, about how every time the bell chimed, his heart would leap, hoping it was his Alpha, only to sink when it was a customer. He told him how he’d sleep in Eijirou’s left over blouse just to feel close to his scent.

Finally, with a soft hiss, the Alpha’s knot went down, and he was able to pull away. The loss was immediate and achingly hollow, but it was temporary. He scooped his mate up from the floor, cradling him bridal style, and carried him through the small doorway that led to their bedroom above the shop.

The Guard had forgotten how warm and safe it was, a stark contrast to the sterile violence of the war he had just left. He gently laid his Omega down on their bed, the sheets smelling of them, of their promised life before the war. He took a moment to just look at him, to memorize the sight of his Omega, naked and beautiful in their bed, his golden eyes watching him with an adoration that stole his breath.

Eijirou grabbed his bags from the bed, and kicked them into a corner. He would deal with it in the morning. Tonight, there was only Denki. He crawled onto the bed, caging his smaller body with his own, his weight a welcome anchor as he mirrored their mating night. 

“I’m not done with you yet,” the Alpha whispered, his lips brushing against the Omega’s ear. “I have months of missed touches to make up for.”

The baker shivered, his hands coming up to rest on Eijirou’s chest, feeling the steady, strong beat of his heart under his palm. “I’m not going anywhere,” he breathed, tilting his head to offer his neck, his mating gland swollen and sensitive. “Take whatever you need, Ei. Take everything.”

With a low growl, his Alpha accepted the invitation. He sank his teeth gently into the sensitive flesh, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to remind them both of the bond that thrummed between them, a living, electric thing. He began to enter his Omega again, his hips rolling in a slow, deep rhythm that was less frantic and more meaningful. Each thrust was a promise, a vow.

“I love you,” he grunted, his forehead pressed against Denki’s. “My mate. My whole world.”

“Yours,” Denki moaned, his legs wrapping around Eijirou’s waist, pulling him deeper. “My Alpha. My Guard. My heart. There’s no one else. There’s never been anyone else. We belong to each other.”

The words were a litany, a sacred chant spoken between breaths and moans. They moved together with a familiarity that only true mates possessed, their bodies singing a song that had been silent for far too long. The pace built, the slow, deep thrusts becoming harder, more demanding, the need to connect, to possess, to be one overwhelming them once more. Eijirou braced himself on his forearms, looking down into Denki’s eyes, watching the pleasure build there.

“Come with me, my love,” he commanded, his voice thick with emotion. “Let me feel you again. Let me feel us.”

His Omega cried out as his second orgasm crashed over him, as intense as the first, his body clamping down on the Alpha, pulling him with him into the abyss as his eyes frosted over with exhaustion. Eijirou followed with a growl, his body shuddering as he emptied himself into his mate, claiming him all over again, sealing his promise with his very essence.

They collapsed together, a tangle of limbs and sweat and satisfaction. Eijirou rolled them, pulling his mate to lie on his chest, his head tucked under his chin as he fell quickly into slumber. He wrapped his arms around the blonde, holding him as if he were the most precious thing in the world, which to him he absolutely was.

The war was over. He was home. And in the arms of his Omega, in the heart of their little bakery, Eijirou was finally, truly, at peace.

-

The Guard stirred in the dark, the quiet of the room broken only by the soft rustle of sheets. He blinked, adjusting to the dim light streaming through the window, and froze for a moment.

There, sprawled across the bed in a way that made absolutely no sense, was his Omega. One leg flung over the edge, an arm propped up toward the headboard, and the blankets twisted around him in a chaotic heap. His face was serene in sleep, lips parted slightly, chest rising and falling with gentle rhythm. Finally at rest, finally content and safe. 

Eijirou felt a rush of warmth he couldn’t quite name. His lips twitched into a soft laugh, the sound barely more than a breath in the quiet room. He shook his head, fondness overwhelming him. How did I get so lucky?

The Alpha shifted closer, watching the baker with unguarded affection. Every line of his face, every careless movement in sleep, made the redhead’s chest ache with love and longing.

Eijirou didn’t wake his Omega, not at first. It was still so early, a habit of war clinging to him like sweat.

He only lay there, letting his senses drink in Denki’s scent like a starving man finally offered water.

Sweet.

Soft.

Home.

Milk. 

It hit him like an arrow to the heart.

A faint undercurrent, subtle but undeniable, warm honey, summer lemons, and something instinctive and ancient that made every nerve in his body lock rigid.

Pups.

His Omega was with children. Multiple!

His mate, Denki, was carrying his pups.

For a long moment he could only stare wide-eyed at the his Omega, every breath shaking. He almost laughed out loud, almost shouted, almost shook him awake, but then his gaze dropped to Denki’s sleeping face.

The dried tear-tracks. The exhaustion. The fragile peace wrapped around him like a thin blanket.

And Eijirou’s heart softened into something molten.

He swallowed down the noise clawing up his throat. Instead he buried his face in his mate’s golden hair, shaking with quiet, uncontrollable joy. His arms tightened around his Omega, just a little, careful not to wake him.

“Mine,” he breathed, barely a whisper. “All of you… mine.”

He kissed Denki’s temple, slow and reverent.

He hadn’t dared to imagine this so soon after returning. He hadn’t imagined he’d get to have this at all, or that fate would give them such a miracle right after all the fear and pain of war.

He leaned back just enough to look at the Omega again.

Beautiful.

Radiant.

Carrying his future.

Eijirou let out a silent, breathless laugh, running a trembling hand through his mate’s hair. Every inch of him simmered with adoration, possession, and overwhelming peace.

He couldn’t tell him. Not yet.

The baker deserved to wake gently, deserved not to be jolted out of the first deep sleep he’d had since the morning his Alpha marched away.

So Eijirou stayed still, nuzzling closer, closing his eyes and smiling like a man reborn.

He would celebrate quietly, here, with his sleeping mate in his arms, pups growing safely between them.

He had known from the moment they met, from every stolen Monday and every quiet moment since, that the Omega had claimed a piece of his soul he could never get back.

And now that little piece was growing inside the very person it was given to. 

Seeing him now, utterly vulnerable and unassuming, sprawled across their shared bed, Eijirou’s heart swelled. He gently brushed a finger over Denki’s tousled hair, a smile spreading across his face. “Unbelievably… perfect,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion.

For a long moment, the Alpha simply watched, laughing softly to himself as his pulse raced. He could barely recall their previous night, the closeness, the passion, but in this quiet, chaotic moment, he was content just to look at the Omega who had stolen his heart and promised his future completely.

And Denki, oblivious to his Alpha’s newest discovery, continued to sleep peacefully, the most ordinary, beautiful sight in the world, soon to be swollen, and the most extraordinary, in Eijirou’s eyes.

-

Denki stood hunched at the counter kneading dough, his belly round with their first pair of twins, pressing softly against the edge of the table. He hummed under his breath, the tune lilting and bright, entirely unaware of the way his mate stood in the doorway simply watching him.

Eijirou leaned his shoulder against the frame, arms crossed, feeling his heart squeeze almost painfully. He still wasn’t used to it, the sight of his Omega glowing, swollen with their pups, cheeks flushed with effort and happiness. His mate. His life. His forever.

His Omega looked up, smiling brightly when he noticed the Alpha staring.

“Don’t just stand there and grin at me like that,” he said, flustered already. “If you want something, come say it.”

The Alpha pushed off the doorway, walking toward him with that soft, slow, dangerous swagger that always made Denki’s breath catch. “I want a lot of things,” he murmured.

The blonde’s face went entirely pink. “Ei, I’m working-!”

“I know,” Eijirou commented, stopping just close enough to brush flour from his Omega’s cheek with his thumb. “You’re as beautiful as sunlight.”

Denki’s breath stuttered. “You can’t just say things like that.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

“Ei-!” The baker looked like he might combust, and Eijirou laughed, warm and low.

Then, as though pulled by instinct alone, he slid to one knee.

Denki stared.

The smiling Alpha took his flour-dusted hand gently in his own, looking up at him with a tenderness so fierce it nearly broke the Omega’s heart.

“Denki,” the redhead began, voice steady, “I want to be married to you. I want you to choose me every time, just as I choose you. I want to raise our pups with you. I want every morning, every night, every breath with you. Will you spend the rest of your life with me as my husband?”

The blonde made the noise that was somewhere between a squeak and a gasp, the one that had become Eijirou’s most favourite sound. “Ei- Eijirou, I- you can’t just- just do that! I’m covered in flour for god’s sake! And- and the dough is rising! The twins are-!” He cut himself off with a breathless laugh, eyes blurring with tears. “I look ridiculous…”

“You look perfect,” his mate declared without missing a beat.

Denki tried to speak again, but only a broken, wobbly exhale came out. His free hand covered his mouth as his eyes watered even more. “God, Ei, I’m so dizzy.”

The Alpha laughed softly, rising just enough to kiss his Omega’s knuckles. “Flustered again? Even after everything, even with our pups kicking away inside you, you’re still shy?”

The Omega swatted at him weakly with his apron. “Stop teasing!”

“Not until you say yes.”

The blonde blinked rapidly, lips wobbling. “Of course it’s a yes, stupid Alpha.” he whispered. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

Eijirou stood, sweeping him immediately into his arms, mindful but desperate, burying his face in his mate’s neck as Denki clung to him and laughed through tears.

“You’re going to make me cry, my love” the retired Guard murmured, voice thick.

“You are crying,” the baker teased, wiping a tear from his cheek before leaning up to kiss him tenderly.

His Alpha kissed him back, slow and reverent, hands trembling where they held his waist.

“You’re mine,” Denki whispered against his lips, breathless.

“And you,” Eijirou murmured, “have always been my future.”

And in the quiet bakery filled with warm light, flour dust, and the faint smell of rising bread, the soon-to-be family held each other, flustered, laughing, overwhelmed, and desperately, endlessly in love.

The morning rush had finally slowed, the scent of honey-crusted loaves and warm cinnamon rolls drifting lazily through his little bakery. He wiped down the counter absently, half-listening as two customers near the window whispered excitedly over their shared pastry.

“They’re marching today,” one breathed, fanning herself dramatically. “The whole Guard battalion, god, aren’t they nice to look at?”

The other giggled. “Captain Bakugo is the one everyone talks about. The strongest Alpha in the Guard. But he’s so obviously wrapped around the Prince’s finger that it’s almost embarrassing.”

Denki smothered a smile, pretending not to eavesdrop as he refilled the basket of lavender biscuits.

“But his second-in-command,” the first woman continued, voice lowering to something conspiratorial. “He’s the sweet one. And unmated. The perfect Alpha. People say he’d make the gentlest mate. If they were permitted to, that is.”

Gentlest mate.

The words flickered through the baker’s chest like a spark hitting dry kindling.

Against his better judgement, he drifted toward the front window with a tray in hand just as the distant thunder of marching boots began to echo down the street. The girls pressed closer to the glass, squealing softly. Denki leaned to the side, just enough to see over their shoulders.

The soldiers came into view, rows sharp and disciplined, armor gleaming with the morning light. The Omega’s breath caught before he could stop it.

There, stood strongly next to the Captain, was the Alpha they spoke of.

Tall. Broad. Blood-red hair pulled back with military precision. His jaw set, stern and beautiful in a way Denki did not expect an Alpha to be. Not cold, just focused. Steady. Sure.

And for reasons the Omega could not understand, heat curled low in his stomach, leaving him with a strange, breathless ache as he stared at the stranger. As though something inside him had been waiting, quietly, unknowingly, for him.

The Alpha marched past, gaze fixed ahead.

But then he faltered.

Just barely.

His head turned.

His eyes, sharp and startlingly warm, even from a distance, shifted toward the bakery window. Expectant.

Fated.

Denki’s heart leapt, but he ducked instinctively behind the display shelf, cheeks burning. When he dared peek again, the Alpha’s line of sight had already moved on, carried by the flow of the battalion.

Unseen. Forgotten.

Probably for the best.