Katsuki Bakugou

"Happy Birthday, Katsuki!"

My parents both cooed at me with their hands behind their backs. I knew they were hiding a gift behind them as if I were still a child that didn't know about object permanency. But I humor them with a smile and rolled my eyes lightly.

I couldn't help but smile at them though, being thankful for the fact that I had great parents. Over the past few years, they had been really involved in my life when previously they were busier with work than they were with me.

The summer Izuku left for school had been when the change happened within our family. My father began to show just how much of an Alpha he could be when it came to his child. He only recently began giving me more freedom.

I was still pissed that Izuku left without at least saying goodbye to me. I thought we were closer than that. Worse than just leaving without seeing me first, he hadn't contacted me once. I have texted him a lot over the first six months before I gave up. It was too painful to be ignored like that.

In the past, I had run over to Izuku's family home just to see if he would be home around Christmas for Thanksgiving break. But he never was. I tried to get his mother to tell him to call me or text me, but she told me the same thing my parents did; he was at school somewhere that he had no phone access.

I then asked for his address so I could send a letter, but they wouldn't give it to me.

After that, I gave up. It has been 2 years and I officially hated him -- well --  I wanted to hate him, but I couldn't fully let go of all the good times we had together.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right and that everyone was hiding something from me. I knew deep down that Izuku would never willingly leave without telling me goodbye or coming to see me again over breaks. But I also understood that my parents probably had a role to play in his disappearance considering that night.

The past 2 summers I had kept an eye out on his house, trying to see if he would come home; he never did. It was like Izuku Midoriya never existed and was only in my head. But I knew that I had not imagined him over those four years.

"Thanks' guys." Smiling at my parents, I couldn't help but appreciate them for everything they have done for me. I was a terrible child before Izuku came along. Now that he was gone, I was afraid that things would go back to how they were all those years ago -- me being an angry tyrant and not having a life or friends.

As if knowing what I needed, my parents kept me busy with sports and hobbies. They pushed me to go see my friends and stay busy, and now that I turned 16, I would have more freedom. I had gotten my license this morning and now my parents had invited my friends over for dinner and cake.

"We are so proud of you, son. You are growing up into an amazing alpha and we want you to know that we have only ever tried to look out for you, but you're growing up now and we can't keep you around forever." I watched my parents as my good friends Kirishima, Jiro, and Denki sat on the sofa, stuffing their faces with pizza and chips. I had somehow managed to keep them as friends over the years and although I frequently joked about them being annoying, I really enjoyed having them in my life.

Watching my parents, I smirked fondly at their bright faces and watched as they pulled out a pair of car keys from behind their back. My stomach dropped and my eyes widened with excitement.

"No fuckin' way!" I shouted and grinned only to receive a quick smack to my head from my mother.

"Language mister!" My mom scolded me while turning to my father with an exasperated look on her face. She flailed her arms around dramatically.

"Jesus Christ, Masaru where the fuck did he learn to cuss like that?!"I couldn't stop the laugh that left my body as my father just rolled his eyes fondly at her. They have always had such a strong love for one another.

They were perfect mates; many years ago my parents told me the story of how my father found my mother when they were both 18. He had just presented fully and was going crazy over the scent of green tea and lemons. Turns out, it drove him right to my mother's house where she was. Mom had been preening over a strong scent of freshly cut grass that wound up being my father's pheromones.

I had thought this story was adorable when I was younger, but the older I get and the more I am taught about Alpha characteristics and traits, the more I realize how fucked up it all really is. It did not seem fair to have your mate picked for you based on scents and biology. This moon goddess chick seemed to have a sick scene of humor.

"Okay okay, just give me the keys so I can go look at my car!" I grin and wiggle my fingers out for the keys. My father snatched the keys from his wife's hands and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders while leading me towards the garage.

"Yo man, that's sick you got a car!?" Kirishima's big mouth yelled after me. I flipped him off over my shoulder and flashed him a shit-eating grin.

"You lucky bastard!" He mumbled only to have me roll my eyes at him and run off into the garage with my father. I hear him hiss under his breath after me and my father leads me to the garage where a new car was parked beside the family car. I was still chuckling from Kirishima's outburst but sobered up quickly at the shiny black car that looked brand new.

"Holy shit..." I gasped and my father patted my back proudly.

"You like it?" His rough voice made me smile and nod quickly. I was expecting a piece of shit for a first car, but this looked like it was newly driven off the lot. I did not deserve such great parents.

"Jesus, thank you so much." Muttering with a huge smile on my face, my father dropped the keys in my hand and I quickly pressed the unlock button. The headlights flashed with a loud beep sounding in the garage. I grinned like an idiot and rushed into the front seat as my father slipped inside the passenger seat. We spet the following 30 minutes driving around and talking about the car as well as Alpha things such as my plans for my future pack.

I hadn't thought about it too much as I still have two years before I even find my mate. But I know for sure I will ask Kirishima, Jiro, and Denki to join if they would like to. There were no Alphas in my friend group apart from me. Kirishima was a beta and Jiro and Denki had both presented as Omegas. I thought it was strange to find a male omega, but we still treated Denki equally and he was a great friend -- even if he had odd behaviors that only Jiro seemed to understand.

Being the Alpha of our group, I liked to know that my future pack members were strong and had good morals. But that their sub-gendered natures were submissive to me -- and they were.

So, it didn't worry me much about having them join my future pack. I could only hope my mate would be able compatible with me and my friends and willing to accept them as I have. The thought made me laugh under my breath. O course my mate would be submissive to me. I was the Alpha. My mate would be some young Omega that would supposedly be my perfect match, and therefore, they would listen to me as their Alpha.

Walking back inside after the ride in my new car, I was all grins when I flop[ed down on the sofa next to Kirishima who smiled at me and punched my shoulder.

"So, this means you're gonna be driving us to school now, man. No more bus riding or I swear I won't talk to you ever again." Denki now peeked up from where he had been curled up next to Jiro.

The Omegas were always staying close together in their own protective circle. It made me smile. They knew where my loyalties lied and they felt safe with me. To them, I was already their Alpha and they knew to trust me. It made me proud to see them comfortable in my home, they were the only friends I hade left.

"Yeah Bakugou! You have to take us to school on Monday!" Denki giggled as Jiro sats up and pointed at me with narrowed eyes and a twisted grin.

"You have to take us every day! Not just Monday, I know you'll try and find a loophole if Denks leaves it at Monday!" Dumb hair grinned and I rolled my eyes with a shrug before giving a small wave of dismissal to Jiro who was sassing me. The real thing that had me willing to take them every day is the idea of Kirishima not talking ever again. Although it would be nice, I would miss his dumb jokes and his ridiculously loud laugh.

"Yeah whatever, dumb hair." I huffed under my breath.

After dinner, my friends leave and my parents head to bed for the night leaving me flopped on the sofa in the dark living room. The only light was being cast by the TV that had been playing some random show that I never watched.

Sitting alone on special holidays like this had never been good for me. Every time I did, I started thinking about him again and it brought fresh waves of pain as well as anger that was directed towards Izuku. Nevertheless, I still sat there and conjured up images and memories that might have been made on days like this.

I didn't know why I cared so much about him, but I would never forgive him for doing this to me. He had only ruined my faith in people that I called friends. He had my young mind wrapped around his fingers and then tossed me aside.

I would never forget that night where he was attacked in this very room. I would never forget the look on his face as he cried and sent me away. That was the last time I saw him, and his tear-stricken face had been burned in my mind.

I have also never forgiven him for -- for touching me how he did.

Although I knew something was very wrong back when it happened, I defended him to my parents when I told them. No matter how angry I was at him for doing all of that to me, putting me through this kind of pain, I couldn't stop worrying about him.

My instincts would run wild when thinking about him. The need to protect him always came back to me and I knew it's just because the last images I had of him were of the broken teen sitting on the floor with disheveled clothes and stuttering at me for me to leave the house.

That night has haunted me over the past two years. For a while I would have nightmares of that man hurting Izuku while I helplessly stood by, unable to move as I watched that monster make Izuku cry.

Other nights, it was the 14-year-old me that was being pinned down under Izuku. That dazed and crazed look in his eyes while he would be staring at me. Each night I would wake up right as he groped me. I would wake up covered in sweat and tears, unable to catch my breath as ghosts of his hands remained on my skin.

Luckily those dreams of Izuku touching me haven't happened in almost a year.

Yet, part of me knew that it was nights like these where I just sat and wondered about what went wrong and why Izuku left as he did, which made me nervous to go to sleep. Doing what I do every holiday and birthday when my mind drifts off to the thoughts of viridian eyes and kelly-green curls, I shuffled off to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets.

Yanking out a half-emptied bottle of Tequila, I took a large swig straight from the bottle before shoving it back in the very back of the cabinet until the next time this happened.

The worst part of this bullshit is that I could never fuckin' forget him no matter how much I tried, and just like all those years ago, I couldn't hate him.

I just hated the way I feel around him; only now that he isn't around me anymore, I hated the way I felt when I thought of him.