Izuku Midoriya 

I was giving him a chance.

I told myself to relax and try to trust him, try to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had never given me a reason to trust him. But then again, I never gave him a reason to trust me either. We were going at this blindly and blissfully.

As lovely as it was, it was a foolish thing to think of as permanent. So, when he kissed me, I kissed back. When he made an effort to be kind to me, I showed my appreciation. I also began showering him with small doses of affection throughout the day. It always made my heart flutter when his eyes lit up at the seemingly small things I would do for him.

It had only been a few days since Shoto left and Katsuki hadn't made any comment about leaving to go home. I think we were both too afraid to bring it up and ruin the easy atmosphere we had created -- a bubble for just the two of us. 

A bubble that I didn't wish to pop just yet.

However, I couldn't ignore it forever. I could see the way Katsuki frowned at his phone over text messages that I never asked about. I could feel the worry radiating off him -- an Alpha thing I assumed. He had a pack waiting for him and I was afraid I was becoming selfish again. I had been hogging Katsuki to myself when he had responsibilities back home.

If he wanted to leave, he made no move to show his intentions. Katsuki spent his nights in my guest room, opting to give me my space until I was more comfortable with the idea of us sharing a bed. The last time had been disastrous and only because of my heat. I had made the silent vow not to rush out relationship this time. I wanted us to progress at a normal rate, not driven by pheromones or lust.

Katsuki didn't question me when I sent him to the guest room each night. He'd simply kiss my lips softly, run his fingers through my curls and then wish me a good night. He left me breathless and smiling each time. An infectious thing that stuck to me even as I tried to sleep. Things were going well. Too well.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was cautious. I was too comfortable, a feeling I was never used to. Even with Shoto, I wasn't comfortable like this. I had been safe with Shoto, with Katsuki I feel at home.

I was scared.

Scared to fuck this up and ruin this bit of peace and excitement I have found. But each morning I woke up to breakfast being made and my mate smiling with a cup of coffee at my kitchen table. It was perfect. Too perfect. I was waiting for the ball to drop and shatter the stillness and tranquility that had been surrounding us in the last few days.

This morning the ball dropped.

"My parents are wondering when I am coming home," Katsuki stated over breakfast and my world stopped spinning. I had been terrified of this conversation. He was leaving me again, only this time we were together. We were together, weren't we?

"It's been five days and there are some things I need to take care of. Hey, what's wrong?" My ears were ringing and my fingers curled into the soft fabric of my joggers. The bubble popped. I could feel the tension rising within my body and my heart began thrumming faster.

"Izuku," I gasped when a pair of arms wrapped around my hips. I was lifted easily from my chair and placed into Katsuki's lap. Once settled and straddled over him, Katsuki placed my face in both his hands, holding my face at eye level with his. "Let me finish," He sighed, breath fanning my face and forcing me to inhale deeply as his scent washed over me. My body shook with nerves. I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn't stop. I didn't want him to leave. 

"You're leaving," I whispered and my arms trembled. Katsuki's brows furrowed before he grabbed the back of my neck and tucked my face into his shoulder. I shivered this time for another reason. His hands kneaded the nape of my neck, squeezing over the sensitive area and coaxing my body to relax. His hold on me was one of dominance, yet I felt nothing but protected and safe.

"Shh, I'm not leaving you," Katsuki crooned softly for me, a soft sound that any Omega would recognize. It was an Alpha's call to calm their mate and I nuzzled into his neck in appreciation. "I am not leaving you. I just need to go back and take care of some things that need my attention," He murmured gently and I frowned.

"Like what?" I might have been pouting, but I was upset. I was scared.

Katsuki must have heard the slightly childish tone of voice because he chuckled and pressed his lips to my jaw. "I was preparing to go to college. I start in a month and have lots of things to set sorted out. I am supposed to be living on campus. It's only a year-long course and I have already made arrangements to stay in the dorms. I have to pack up," He trailed off and my heart hammered again.

University? Where was he going to school? How far away would he be? Living on campus? A whole year?

"Izuku," Katsuki groaned softly and I whimpered, clinging to him tighter now. He seemed shocked -- so was I. I had not been so clingy with him over the past few days. But now, I was desperate to hold him closer. All the talk of him leaving had me whining low in my throat. My Omegan instincts were going wild with a need to keep my mate close.

"When?" I asked, a muffled sound from my face pressed into his neck. He sighed and rubbed large hands over my back in soothing motions.

"I need to go back soon to get things settled. The campus is actually nearby. WCU," He said and my head snapped up.

"That's only ten minutes from here!" I exclaimed. Katsuki would be close by! That fact excited me much more than it should have, but there was no denying it. I was practically purring with the thought of my mate being only a few minutes away from me.

"I hadn't noticed," The Alpha teased lightly. His smirk flashing my way and making my insides melt in the process.

"Asshole," I hissed. He only laughed and hugged me to his body once more. "You'll call me, yeah?" I whispered. I knew that we were still figuring things out, but we were together now. A couple, I assumed. Katsuki would be different now and I would be different as well. We could make this work.

"Of course," My mate whispered into my hair, his hands continuing their patterns on my back. We sat in silence for a few minutes, just letting things settle back down. Katsuki was full of surprises lately and each one impressed me more than the last. Even though my heart stung knowing that my mate was leaving soon, I felt calm in his embrace.

An unnerving yet blissful feeling it was. We had so much to work through together, yet we never pushed each other away when seeking physical affection from the other, and it was times like this that I was most grateful that Katsuki seemed to seek my embrace as much as I sought his. 

***

"I'll call you when I'm home, okay?" I watched  Katsuki drive away from my apartment complex and felt the air turn colder as the distance between us grew further. However, there was no strain on our bond this time. The familiar pull and burn in my chest never returned and I was silently grateful.

Katsuki had agreed to call me every night and keep me updated with what was going on at home. He wanted to go to college to get his engineering degree and who was I to stop him from getting an education. 

When he told me his choice of school, my first reaction was to invite him to move in with me. However, it was too soon for that. Out relationship was fresh and new. It seemed a bit odd to have him move in with me already. Especially when there was a silent agreement between both of us that we were taking things slowly.

Plus, his dorm would only be a short ten-minute drive from my apartment. I would still get to see him. For now, I had to get through the next month being away from my mate. He promised to visit each weekend and that gave me some comfort and hope. He was coming back and that was all I cared about.

Mina and Shinso had come over just hours after Katsuki left. She had planned to catch up with me after I made the transition back home and Shinso was being dragged along. Mina had been saying something about how Shin was being a grumpy prick lately and needed to get out fo the house.

He honestly looked a mess and something in me cringed at the familiar look in his eyes. I had seen that before. I'd witnessed the same hollow and dull look in my own mirror when I left Katsuki.

Even as we all sat in my living room listening to Mina rant about her mate's sudden obsession with collecting things, my eyes were fixed on the indigo Alpha who was mindlessly sipping his coffee and looking out the window.

Eventually, Mina escaped to my porch to order take out for us all and My attention shifted to Shinso. I wanted to know what was going on. I didn't want him hurting the same way I had been hurting just months ago. It seemed like yesterday away but in reality, was six months ago.

"Hey, Shin," I hummed and slid onto the sofa beside him. The Alpha gave me a soft smile that didn't reach his eyes and my heart squeezed.

"Hey, Izu," He replied with a raspy voice that told me he hadn't been speaking a lot. I cringed, understanding that feeling as well. I swallowed thickly and leaned into his side.

"Is it Denki?" I whispered and Shinso stiffened up beside me. I tensed as well, waiting for the lash out that never came. Instead, the Alpha's shoulders shook and he set his cup down with shaking hands. I moved over some, turning to look at his face that had contorted in pain. He had tears swimming in his eyes that he seemed to not notice -- or not care about.

My heart ached for him and I sighed softly. While shifting closer to him, Mina walked back inside and froze when she saw Shinso's condition.

"Oh, honey," Mina cooed and came over, kneeling down in front of the softa so we were all at the same height.

"I did something terrible," Shinso croaked and finally lifted his head to meet our worried gaze. I felt my throat close up at the haunted look in my friend's eyes. "I think I really fucked up."