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The north lands were cold. Farming was difficult with the short season and brutal Winters but the riches to be found in the permafrost and the bountiful land and sea made anyone willing to challenge nature a wealthy man. Katsuki was one such, slightly crazy man. A native of the clime, the blonde left his home village to start a new settlement further east. The mountains offered little shelter but plentiful game and resources.
The lone alpha led his personal herd of reindeer along a well worn trail across the tundra. The snow blew fiercely and the sun was dim from the storm. He pulled his hood a little closer, descending from the higher elevations of tundra land into the taiga. The thick stands of pine offered little comfort and the reindeer were uneasy, but Katsuki led them for an hour through the rapidly darkening wood to the furthest north of the 'civilized' world - a settlement called Yuuei.
Light made the red eyed man squint, his reindeer snorting and pawing anxiously at the ground. People milled about and horses replaced reindeer here. Cutesy dogs replaced the sturdy wolf-like half feral beasts that pulled sled and aided the hunt, and folk dressed for appearance rather than survival.
Katsuki looked a true barbarian and out of place, draped in black and orange wool, garments trimmed with arctic hare fur. His sealskin boots were waterproof and warm, stuffed with hair and soled with thick dragon leather.
His long wild hair, short in a few places and shaved along the sides, was braided along the edge and decorated with beads and gold. He was a chieftains son after all, and everything about him screamed power, wealth, and status if you could understand the language. His braid told he was a bachelor and its length spoke of his achievements. Dragon's teeth were carefully covered in gold and set in, and hung around his neck with the precious gems he mined.
"Honey, come inside." A mother called to her child as he walked toward the market, reindeer bells jingling to ward off predators.
Izuku sat in the warm water. He had come a long way just for these hot springs. He sat with the water up to his chin. The warmth and minerals feeling great on his achy cold body. He contemplated life and what he should do. He was being pushed to get married.
Katsuki felt half frozen. The cold of the tundra was one thing, but the damp cold in the forest chilled him to the bone. The springs keeper let him stable the reindeer in an unused barn and the blonde had a bedroll tossed among the hay for after a bath. He stripped down nude, not expecting anyone else to be in the spring. A rather unusual ritualistic wash scrubbed sweat and muck from Katsuki's form and he strode into the steamy spring room like he owned it.
The springs were so steamy Izuku heard someone else get in the bath before he saw him. "H-hello there. " he said cautiously yet friendly. He stayed where he was at, squinting to try and find out who it was. After a moment he blushed, though you couldn't tell because of the warm water. The man that got in was gorgeous!
"Haah?" Katsuki barked harshly. He wasn't used to hearing humans speak too much anymore, just the familiar grunts and bellows of reindeer and the barks and growls of dogs.
"Oh." He said once he sat down, low enough to see under the thickest of the steam. Katsuki looked like someone out of a fairy tale with wild hair, crimson eyes and tattooed marks across his face, all ceremonial of his birth village.
Izuku was silent for a while, staring at the stranger. "Um hello." He tried again to spark a conversation. "My name's Izuku." He said, his big green eyes still staring through the mist.
"Southlander." Katsuki said, listening to Izuku speak. The blonde's voice was gravelly and deep, clearly unused to speaking much let alone in the Midland dialect. He said something in a flowing but barbaric dialect to himself, remaining quiet for a moment.
"Bakugou." He said finally. Katsuki knew better than to give his full name to a stranger; he was superstitious and a stranger with his name could curse him.
"Um yeah I'm from the south." Izuku answered he was from a larger village in the valley. He was used to being surrounded by people and livestock. "You're from the mountains aren't you? What brings you here?" He asked curiously. The blonde's accent was kind of hard to understand so Izuku listened carefully.
The blonde huffed a bit, leaning against the back of the spring. The stones were worn smooth from the water and years of people leaning against them and the warmth was comforting to him. "Past mountains. Tundra." Katsuki replied, listening to Izuku carefully as well. The southern accent was strange and foreign to the blonde alpha. "Why is omega alone?" He asked bluntly.
Izuku flailed a bit. He wasn't technically alone... At least not on his terms. He had an escort, a large ram by the name of Erik. The two had been together pretty much forever. "I came up to the mountains to... Well, I'm supposed to be meeting the... Someone tomorrow." He vaguely explained. His father owed a debt to the King. So he sold Izuku to Prince Shouto as a possible mate.
Katsuki didn't understand southerner logic. Slavery wasn't unheard of in the north, but it was usually the defeated serving the victor not a sale for debt.
"Why listen? North is freedom." Katsuki said, waving off Izuku's problem like it wasn't serious because to him, it wasn't. "Do what you want." He added on, sinking a bit deeper in the water with a grunt of comfort.
"That would be nice... But there's no way... I mean I have a debt to uphold... I couldn't possibly just run away..." Izuku muttered and flailed a little too himself. He didn't know anything really of the north only that it was cold year round but people had freedom.
Katsuki rolled his eyes. He pulled a necklace off, a woven sinew worn soft with time, bearing the alpha's musky spicy scent. Laced onto it were several rather large, rather expensive gems - the riches of the North. Each one was set in an intricate mesh of gold and silver, as thin as maiden hair and beautifully wrought. "Give that, and come." He said, standing up without any explanation.
Izuku blushed and covered his face with his hands. He didn't want to be rude and stare but the glimpse of how large the stranger was made his blood rush. "I... I can't do that... It's got to be me or... Or they'll come and kill my father..." the southerner explained.
"If he sells omegas, he deserves it." Katsuki replied. The blonde easily draped the necklace from Izuku's hands around his neck, letting them fall onto his chest. "Omega is worth more than all the gold and stones in the snow."
Izuku's blush deepened, "N-not from where I'm from... Omegas... Especially male Omegas, are... Well they aren't worth more than a couple of sheep, or a money debt in my case." The omega looked down and fiddled with the stones. "If I don't go... They'll probably hunt me down and kill me too..."
Katsuki sat down beside Izuku a bit abruptly, leaning in close. The blonde's red eyes affixed on the omega's face, noting every freckle and how brilliantly red he was too.
"Worth only sheep? Ha!" He laughed, clearly finding it amusing. He leaned back against the tub.
"//Omegas are rare, priceless treasures and should be treated as such. Anyone foolish enough to throw one away deserves whatever punishment he receives.//" Katsuki's native language was rough but had a certain cadence to it, and it flowed easily from his lips where the southern language seemed foreign and rough to speak.
"I... Have no idea what you just said... " Izuku was confused yet flattered? Something made him think that what the blonde just said was that he was special in some way. "Where I'm from... Omegas aren't that special... Especially ones like me... I'll probably just be some sort of concubine or something..." The freckled one elaborated on why he was journeying.
Katsuki listened to Izuku explain, his nose wrinkling at the mention of the omega just being one step above a whore. He stood up abruptly and picked up Izuku like a sack of potatoes, slinging him over his neck like a trophy with ease.
"I buy omega, then." He said defiantly, clearly determined to relieve Izuku of his obligation. Without a care in the world for the cold or modesty, Katsuki just hauled Izuku from the bath to the barn where the alpha's reindeer were bedded. The hay filled area they were in was sheltered and warmed by a small cast iron stove with a pipe leading out. The alpha's bedding was on the hay already, as were his garments. He set Izuku's feet down on the soft hay and tossed a thick wool blanket over him. It reeked of alpha and a little too much like reindeer, but it was very warm and rather soft.
"Where..." He said, still naked and digging through a pack. He was ignoring Izuku for the time being, looking for something.
Izuku yelped and flailed. It was late and he didn't want to bother anyone so he didn't scream for help. For some reason, even with his gruff voice and actions, he felt... Safe with the northerner. He was embarrassed however being naked out in the cold with a stranger but the blanket he was given was warm. And it smelled... Okay, to the omega. Yeah it smelled like reindeer but the Alpha smell coming through almost made him drool.
Katsuki finally found what he was looking for and pulled it from his pack. He noticed Izuku was snuggled into the blanket and he didn't bother holding back a rumble. He wove that blanket from reindeer fur himself over a winter storm, and his inner alpha was pleased. Omegas were not common in the North, and almost all were female. Katsuki wasn't interested in them and they didn't like him much either.
"Here." He said, taking what looked like an oil and swiping it across Izuku's throat. It was warm and tingly, soaking into the skin almost instantly. He began speaking what sounded like a spell, except the words made sense by the way he watched Izuku's face change.
"...and the dragon mother gave her lifeblood for her children to speak to one another. Wait, you're staring."
Izuku looked at the naked man wide eyed. He could suddenly understand him better. "What... Was that stuff?" He muttered looking at the bottle the oil came from. He was having a hard time with him being naked as well. The stranger was very handsome, and hung too. He started blushing again and turned away from the blonde
"Magic from the North." He said tucking the bottle away. He used it to be able to speak with Southerners, although he intentionally truncated his speech so they wouldn't talk to him. The southern language did not appeal to him, but hearing Izuku speaking the northern dialect pleased him greatly.
Katsuki finally tugged on some thin flax or linen based undergarments, which didn't really do much to hide anything. He tugged on warm looking wool pants next but sat shirtless, looking comfortable with the warmth of the barn.
He sat down in front of Izuku, cross legged and put his palms on his own knees. "Who the *fuck* thinks selling an omega is a good idea, anyway?!"
Izuku whinced, "It's not my idea either... But it's either go to Prince Shouto or he'll kill my family. And like I said where I'm from... I'm not exactly prized..." He explained once more. He had turned back around to face Katsuki, the blanket wrapped tight around him as he was still naked.
"Then I will purchase you." Katsuki said bluntly. The alpha had a large amount of packs and was clearly not hurting for money on this trip.
Izuku sputtered. "B-but why? You... You don't even know me... Why would you... I don't understand..." The omega was so confused. Why would a stranger want him? Of all people! Of all Omegas?!
"Because you're beautiful." Katsuki replied honestly, pulling an emerald from one of his bags and holding it up. "The emerald has nothing on you." He said, looking at the stone and the omega at the same time. He tossed it away like it was an apple core. "Southlanders value rocks, not omegas. It's foolishness."
Izuku blushed again. He had never been called that before... "I... Thank you…?" Was all he could say as tears started falling down his freckled cheeks.
The blonde huffed lightly and leaned in to wipe Izuku's tears away. He gave up his own bedding to Izuku for a 'nest', and was determined to win him over in the ways of the North. "Where is this place you must travel to?" He asked, not having a clue who the person was that Izuku was essentially sold to.
Izuku was still naked under the blanket the stranger had given him. It was weird, this person whom he knew nothing about, made him feel safe and warm. He'd never experienced such a warm fuzzy feeling before.
"Um the Todoroki Kingdom… It's in the northeast. Land of Fire and Ice it's called. Prince Shouto is the youngest I guess. I've never been there actually." Izuku explained.
Katsuki snarled, his scent immediately turning sour. Katsuki's people were from the far north, his territory spanning most of the Arctic - mostly because no one else wanted it or could handle the extreme weather. "Those arrogant..." He trailed off, clearly angered by the mention.
Izuku winced and whimpered a little. The scent the blonde was putting off hurt his nose and he could hear him growl. He pulled the blanket over his head to hide.
"Those fucks would want a precious omega as nothing more than a court whore..." He growled out, the reindeer snorting and shifting in discomfort. One came over and nosed at Izuku under the blanket, snorting and huffing warm breath over the blanket in an attempt to make him feel better with soft grunts and nose bumps.
"Well then I will pay and then we go north." Katsuki said as a matter of fact, like it would make it all better to just hand the Todoroki family some currency. To his experience, it *would* work; they were as money-hungry as any southerner and gems and gold worked well on them too.
Izuku blushed and hid his face in his hands. "Why? Why do you want to help me so badly?" He muttered, he was still unsure about trusting this stranger. Even if he was trying to help, and handsome too.
The reindeer huffed again in his hair and nosed at his curls, trying to nibble on his hair a bit. "Because, omegas are cherished companions. That's fucking why."
Izuku was going to argue that he didn't even know him... But changed his mind when the reindeer started eating his hair and drooling. "Hey, cut that out." He lightly scolded. He got out of the blanket enough to pat the reindeer and try to shoo him away.
The reindeer instead tried to lay down to cuddle the omega, until Katsuki got up and grabbed the beast by its halter and bonked heads with him. "You go lay down or I'll turn you into dinner, Crag."
Crag snorted and pawed at the hay briefly before retreating to the rest of the deer, although it was clear the stag was fixated on Izuku to an extent.
Katsuki huffed and rubbed a hand through his hair, annoyed. "Shitty reindeer, always pushy..."
Izuku giggled a bit. "My Erik is stubborn too." He said before realizing he had left his sheep in his room at the inn. He had snuck him in not realizing there was a barn. "I should go get him! Oh my, I forgot!" He blushed as he had gotten up to go get him, the blanket falling around his ankles, he was standing there now naked.
Katsuki chuckled and offered Izuku a warm, although too large, tunic that was held shut with a broad leather belt. It was lined with rabbit fur and very soft, with the cloth being a bit scratchy but it was clearly sheep's wool, dyed black. "I am assuming Erik is a companion beast?"
Izuku nodded. "Hm, Erik is my ram. We've been together for like... Ever." He smiled after getting dressed quickly, being turned around. "I'll see you later... Um... What was your name again?" The omega didn't even know the alpha's name.
"Katsuki." He said, giving Izuku his actual given name. The blonde tugged on his undershirt, a simple garment that offered a little protection against the cold and kept the rabbit fur off his bare skin. "Katsuki Bakugou."
The Bakugou clan was renowned for their dragon riding, their wealth and their resilience in the cold and dark of the far North.
Izuku stopped dead in his tracks. Even he had heard of the Bakugou's. They were said to be terrifying, but Katsuki seemed really nice to him. He even wanted to help him, or was it all just a ploy? He glanced back at the blonde one more second before leaving the barn and rushing over to the inn and to his faithful companion, Erik.
Katsuki slumped down on his bedding, Crag seeming to laugh at him. He flipped the reindeer off and grabbed the blanket, hugging it a little. The cloth was still warm from Izuku and smelled like the omega. His alpha rumbled deeply, pleased by the scent. No omega had ever smelled good to him before.
~~~
Erik bleated angrily when Izuku opened the door and he headbutted the omega with a snort, pawing at the floorboards in irritation. He'd made a mess of the bed and chewed on the mattress, exposing the hay inside and he'd eaten some of it too.
"Ow! Erik calm down, I'm sorry." He tried to soothe the angry ram by apologizing profusely. The sheep would not even let Izuku touch him for a good 10 minutes. The omega sighed, laying in the bed, he'd have to pay to fix that...
Izuku laid in bed staring at the ceiling, even though he now had Erik cuddling him again he still felt a little lonely. He had so many thoughts going through his head and he didn't know which path he should choose.
Erik nosed and nibbled on him, smelling both alpha and reindeer on Izuku. The clothes were tugged at since they smelled much like both, and he bleated in annoyance. His human smelled weird and he didn't like it!
"I'm sorry Erik... I'll change, will that be better?" He asked the ram as though he would answer him. He got back out of bed and changed into his own clothes.
"Help me out her buddy, what am I supposed to do? I want to be free... But at what cost? Who's to say that barbarian isn't just playing me? If I do go at least I'll be..." He trailed off tears threatening to fall. "But if I do go with him... Ugh I'm so confused." Izuku buried his face deep into Erik's wooly neck.
Erik huffed and tugged at Izuku's hair, roughly trying to drag him up and out of the bed. He walked over to where Izuku laid down Katsuki's tunic and snorted, butting it with his horns and generally throwing a sheep fit, before dragging it over to the omega and looking at him unblinking.
"You... Want me to go with the stranger?" Izuku asked him as he sat up in bed after watching Erik throw another fit. He pet the ram until he fell asleep. Still uncertain of what the next day would bring him.
~~~
Katsuki was up early the next morning. He wanted his tunic back and damn it he was going to find Izuku and get it. He had a spare, but it wasn't as warm and with winter blowing in harshly, his return trip was going to /suck/ without it.
Leaving the warmth of the barn, the blonde ventured into the inn for some food. He had money and the southlanders loved money, and he didn't want to break into his provisions yet.
Erik chewed on Izuku's hair, not actually trying to eat it but doing a damn good job at making a hell of a mess of it with drool and bits of hay.
Izuku groaned, having not slept well. "Ugh really Erik, really?" He scolded as he sat up and touched his head. He got up slowly and stiffly. After fixing himself up and getting dressed in his own clothes he went down the inn stairs to get some breakfast. Erik following close behind to be let out for bathroom and food.
Erik walked past Katsuki and stopped, walking over and headbutting the alpha rudely before walking past and leaving a poop on the floor.
"What the *fuck*?!" the alpha said loudly, annoyed as hell the ram just hit him out of nowhere. He went to give chase and stepped on the poop, sliding on the wooden floor and nearly falling over.
Izuku turned when he heard someone yell and knew Erik was behind it. He saw Katsuki fall and had a hard time not laughing at him. He went over and helped the blonde up. "I'm sorry about him... he's got... possessive issues..."The omega said and sighed. Erik and Izuku had been together since they were babies. Ever since he matured and discovered he was an omega, Erik had been super protective over him.
"That's an understatement." Katsuki huffed, brushing himself off. His foot stunk like sheep poop now and there was an obnoxious smear and a smug sheep outside looking in the window, he swore.
"Did you decide to accompany me?" Katsuki asked, still speaking his dialect.
"I-I'm sorry, but is he all right?" The shop keep asked, not able to understand the alpha's speech.
"Uh... Yes, he'll be fine. Thank you." Izuku said nervously to the innkeeper, fearing he'd ask for more money for the mess. He didn't have much else on him. "Kacchan are you alright?" He asked, turning to the northerner. Truth be told if he wanted to go with the Alpha they'd have to go soon. The guards from the Todoroki Kingdom would soon be there to pick Izuku up. But if he went with Katsuki he'd be indebted to him…
Katsuki pulled a small pouch from his waist and placed the contents on the counter. It was enough gold to likely cover Izuku's whole stay, his stay, and meals and then some. "To cover mess." Katsuki gruffly said in the Southern dialect, an accent lingering before he grabbed Izuku's wrist.
"I got a score to settle with that walking wool pile..."
"Ack! Kacchan please! Erik, he's my everything... Please don't hurt him!" Izuku pleaded with Katsuki as he was drug outside. Erik was blissfully unaware, eating hay with the reindeer.
Katsuki watched the sheep look up at him, hearing Izuku's voice. "Oh I'm not gonna hurt him. Oi, fuzz butt, get over here!" The blonde said, watching the reindeer all look at him and start walking over because it was Katsuki calling them.
Erik lazily walked over and stared at Katsuki and the blonde was soon head to head with the stubborn ram. "Listen you, you're not about to pull that dumb shit with me again." He warned, and fell back when Erik headbutted him flat onto his ass.
"Ack! Erik! That goes for you too. Be nice!" Izuku scolded the ram. He went over to the sheep, eyes slanted in anger. Only the omega just looked cute to Erik when he was mad. He nuzzled his owner... No friend, and acted like he did nothing wrong.
Katsuki swore and got up, brushing snow off his ass. He was fairly certain the sheep was laughing at him. "Why you furry little..." he growled, Erik looking smug at him from his position by Izuku's side.
"Fine!" He huffed, crossing his arms. One of the reindeer walked over to nuzzle at him and he patted the petite creature a few times.
"Come on you two, please get along. We have a long journey ahead of us." Izuku said, revealing that he was going to go with the blonde. Sure he was a stranger, but so was Prince Shouto. And hopefully the Alpha is good on his word that he'd be free. The omega kept pleading with Erik to apologize for being mean but the ram was as stubborn as a mule.
The sound of horses and a procession interrupted the conversation. The reindeer snorted and pawed at the ground and Katsuki quickly hooked their halters together and held the leads. He held Crag's halter in hand and stood half in front of Izuku.
A suspicious man with black hair and scars all over his face jumped down from horseback. He was an alpha and damn proud of it by his posture. "You, there. I am looking for the Yuuei Inn. I'm picking up some garbage." He sneered, not realizing Izuku was his charge.
Izuku shook a little out of fear. Shit! He swore, they had come for him already?! "I-it's r-right over there..." Izuku pointed to the nearby inn. He was so scared he gripped onto both Erik and Katsuki.
Katsuki leaned back a bit, shoving Crag toward Izuku. "I'll take care of him."
The blonde stepped forward, leading one of the reindeer who was laden with leather pouches. "You. Are you looking for an omega?" He asked boldly, standing in Dabi's way.
"I am, what's it to you? He's a garbage male omega. Supposed to be short and not attractive, with freckles." He looked over Katsuki's shoulder to see Izuku, but found his vision crossed by the blonde.
"His purchase price, what is it?" He asked, stepping closer to Dabi and showing his fangs. It was clear Katsuki was no ordinary alpha, with his proud posture and strong scent.
"More than you can afford, peasant. Now move your beasts." Dabi said while wrinkling his nose at Katsuki.
The alpha got up in his face. "Peasant, huh? Suppose you're that bastard child from the Todoroki family, then? The one that ran away and got all fucked up, then came back with his tail between his legs? I don't take to people talking shit about me or my mate, so answer me again, what the fuck is his price?"
Dabi stepped back. This was no normal peasant and definitely no normal alpha. "You can't be... Bakugou??"
"Damn fucking right." The blonde said with a satisfied smirk.
The two alphas bickered for a few minutes back and forth before Katsuki just pulled the entire harness off his deer and dropped it effortlessly at Dabi's feet. The pouches spilled open, revealing gems and gold coins. "This should cover it. Now fuck off."
He turned and walked back to Izuku, leading the reindeer. His arm went around the omega and he nosed Izuku's nape, glancing over his shoulder to watch Dabi and his men scrabbling to pick up everything in the slushy snow.
Erik stood in front of Izuku the whole time. The omega still shook a little. He was still unsure if what he was doing was right. He now was a little afraid of both the alphas but something about Katsuki's scent soothed him. However the blonde had said something that miffed him a little. "I... I'm not your mate! ... You said I'd be free..." He said cautiously.
"It shut him up, now let's go before he changes his mind." Katsuki said, barely above a whisper. He took the lead from Izuku and led the reindeer out of the main street and behind the inn, tying them to a hitching post.
"How far North do you want to go?" He asked while checking on the deer's packs and their hooves.
"Oh... Uh... I hadn't thought that far." Izuku confessed. He just knew he wanted to be free. Free from his abusive father, free from some prince, just the freedom to do as he pleased. But that was usually just a dream for Omegas. Especially southern male Omegas.
"Then come with me. You are free." He said honestly, checking Crag's hooves. The stag snorted, not liking the extra attention and pulled his leg out of Katsuki's hand.
Izuku nodded, flabbergasted by this man, this alpha. "You... I mean... Thank you." He finally said. He smiled as happy tears rolled down his cheeks. He then picked up his small bag of belongings and put it over his shoulder.
Katsuki smirked a bit, wiping Izuku's cheeks. Those freckles were beautiful and he gave in to the urge, lightly biting his cheek before backing up.
"Maybe I'll seduce you on the way. Come on, let's go." He turned, tugging lightly on the leads. The deer were in line, staggered left and right with the blonde and Crag in the lead. He had eight deer in all, each one fairly laden with supplies, and the blonde had a pack himself.
Izuku just stood there a moment staring with a blush. He then flailed, what on earth was that?! He then realized Katsuki was walking on ahead, he jogged to catch up. "So... Uh... How long will it take us to get there?
"Week, maybe ten days. Depends on the shitty weather." Katsuki replied, leading the reindeer and Izuku onto the taiga. He was first, using heavy snowshoes to break trail as the reindeer followed quietly, soft snorts and huffs sending clouds of breath into the chill air. "It's a long trip." He added, glancing back at the omega.
Izuku nodded slowly. At first he was having no problems, but as he continued into the cold he was slowly falling behind. He wasn't used to traveling this far. Erik was right next to him, making sure he wouldn't fall too far behind and also trying to keep him warm.
Katsuki slowed and eventually stopped. He turned and walked back to Izuku, and picked the omega up easily. He set him on the back of one of the reindeer, who only flicked ears in reply to the added weight.
"Hold on to the harness." He said, before the reindeer train began to move again, with Erik irritated but walking alongside Izuku despite the deep snow.
Izuku yelped in surprise when Katsuki picked him up, but was thankful he didn't have to walk anymore. Izuku chattered to Katsuki and Erik, and the reindeer. He wanted to get to know his savior better.
Katsuki listened to Izuku, giving answers when he felt like it. The sun rose in the sky and started dipping quickly. They were still on the taiga and the wind made the trees groan and creak, snow falling in large chunks around them with loud noises. The reindeer were resilient, used to the sounds and barely flicked ears.
"We will camp here." He announced, leading the deer off the trail down a side trail, likely made by wood cutters. They went a bit into the woods before finding a relatively nice sized clearing. An old wooden lean-to stood with it's back against the wind, old hay stacked around to offer some protection.
"Do you know how to start a fire?" He asked, helping Izuku from the reindeer's back.
"um.. I think so." Izuku said hesitantly. "You rub two sticks together right?" He asked. Erik was hungry and went right to the hay. He complained when he realized the hay was old but he ate anyway.
Katsuki rolled his eyes. He handed Izuku a pouch containing flint and some wool. The reindeer were nosing around the shallow snow, pulling up dormant grass and moss, and a few were hesitantly nibbling on the old hay.
"I'll put up the tent." Katsuki announced. He pulled things from the back of two deer and got to work quickly. The tent went up quickly, a rounded dome shame big enough to fit inside. The cloth was clearly not normal, as it was heavy and shimmered in the rapidly fading sunlight.
Izuku gathered some firewood, and before it got too dark and managed to make a fire. He sat on a log that was near the fire. "I'm hungry." He stated, as his stomach rumbled. Erik made his way over to the fire sitting next to Izuku on the ground.
Katsuki checked on the reindeer first, shifting packs from one to another, leaving Crag and another stag unfettered. None of the deer were tied up and they nosed about the snow and occasionally chewed on the old stale hay. "Food will be limited." Katsuki announced, offering Izuku bread and cheese and a bit of preserved meat. He did however put snow in a pot and tossed herbs in from a packet, making a strong but tasty herbal tea.
Izuku sat quietly, eating the bit of food and stared at the fire. He had his hands wrapped around his cup of tea and a wool blanket made from Erik around his shoulders. Erik lay beside the freckled run away bride snoring quietly.
Katsuki made himself comfortable by the fire, his hands wrapped around a mug of the tea. He ate the same simple foods Izuku did but he got up a few times to patrol the makeshift camp. At one point he returned with a rather small, but edible, rabbit and simply skinned it by the fire and used a stick to start roasting it without a second thought.
Izuku had yelped when Katsuki returned, having heard a noise just moments ago. He was squeamish and looked away, Erik being incredibly interesting at that moment. He did eat a little of it though.
Erik was softly snoring, all was quiet for a long while. Izuku had started yawning a lot and decided to turn in. "Good night Kacchan..." He said sleepily and crawled inside the tent.
Katsuki ate what Izuku didn't, the blonde making sure the omega had at least *some* fresh meat. He would have to make sure to catch something larger tomorrow; his rations of food wouldn't last feeding two people, and he refused to eat one of his reindeer. The little herd was special to him and those few were the ones he never culled.
The blonde slipped into the tent a bit after Izuku, hearing Erik snoring and the reindeer softly grunting and huffing in the snow. The remains of the fire flickered through the dragon hide tent wall, and it was warm within the confines. He immediately began to strip, intent on letting his clothes dry from sweat before sleeping.
Izuku was turned away from Katsuki. He had managed to change into thin pajamas (the only ones he had) and was freezing despite being under several fur blankets. He shivered a little as he heard Katsuki undress and get under the blankets. He froze, he hadn't thought of that, that they'd be sharing a bed.
Katsuki simply put his arm over Izuku's middle and dragged him close. The blonde was nice and warm, borderline hot, and he pressed his bare chest against Izuku's clothed back. "You're too damn tense. Relax already."
Izuku whimpered a little. He'd never been cuddled like this before. He tried to relax and took deep breaths to try and calm down. He was still shivering a little bit, but his back was warming up quickly. He blushed after realizing Katsuki was naked. "Y-your naked?!" He squeaked out.
"Drying out my clothes. It's not good to sleep in them, you get sweaty and then you'll freeze to death." He said honestly, not letting go of the omega. Katsuki's face was in Izuku's hair, dangerously close to his nape, and he breathed deeply with a deep rumble of delight.
Izuku "Eeped" and panicked a little. He managed to turn around and face the blonde. He was grateful to the man but he still wasn't ready to make any commitments yet. His blush deepened being brought in close, their hot breathes intermingling.
Katsuki lightly nuzzled Izuku's forehead, his cheeks and chin a bit scratchy. The blonde didn't have much facial hair but he was slowly getting some stubble back on. "Just get some sleep. The journey will be longer tomorrow."
Izuku whimpered a little but closed his eyes. A warm and fuzzy feeling spread throughout his body. He didn't know what it was or meant but he suddenly felt safe. Like no harm could ever come to him being in this alpha's arms. "K-Kacchan?" He whispered out his name.
Katsuki grunted, opening one eye. The alpha was on keen alert for any sounds and shifted just enough to be able to see Izuku's face, albeit a bit blurry since he was so close.
"I... Um... Thank you..." He said quietly and nuzzled into him a little bit. He fell asleep quickly from there. They didn't move all night and stayed cuddled in each other's arms.
Katsuki remained fairly still throughout the night. He slept in several extended naps of sorts, and was awakened well before sunrise by the loud snuffling and grunts of reindeer very close to the tent.
Izuku slept through the night for the first time in a really long time. A little voice in the back of his head was telling him "my Alpha" when he woke up and they were still in each other's arms. He blushed, his inner omega could be so perverted at times.
Katsuki sat up and yawned, stretching a bit before scraping himself up out of the blankets. "Blankets need laid out with the tent open before we leave and they need rolled up inside out so they dry during the trip." He instructed Izuku, while pulling on his own clothes. The blonde's clothing was thick and bulky but his frame carried it well.
Izuku nodded and sighed. He had made it one night out on his own. He could have never been free without this man. He got dressed quickly as it was cold outside the blankets. Erik could be heard complaining and yelling for Izuku to come feed him.
"Easy, he's coming." Katsuki said gently to the ram, giving him a brief head pet before continuing to check on the reindeer. Everyone was present and he checked their feet diligently while the fire kindled back up. It took it a while as the branches were damp from snowfall, but soon he had the pot with herbs in it sitting on a rock, warming, with bread and a chunk of what looked and smelled like bacon sat in a small metal bowl cooking.
Izuku got up and got dressed before crawling out of the tent as he smelled food. He was hungrier than he thought. He thanked Katsuki for the food and began eating when handed a plate. He felt rather giddy almost, like a schoolgirl with a crush. He blushed thinking about last night. They had slept under the same blankets, naked. However Katsuki never did anything inappropriate. Either he was a really good alpha or... Izuku was a really poor omega...
Katsuki gave Izuku more of the food than he himself took. The blonde figured Izuku was not used to this kind of travel and the omega would need more energy to keep up. Plus he was small and too thin by the alpha's own opinion; southerners liked their omegas thin and whispy and it was weird to him.
"The next part is too rough to walk. Ride on Snowball." Katsuki said, handing some reins to Izuku. The reindeer in question was completely white with piercing blue eyes and a very pale pink nose, and nuzzled the omega softly.
"Oh okay..." Izuku giggled a little as he was nuzzled by the reindeer. Erik of course got jealous and bleeted loudly getting ready to head butt the poor deer. Izuku immediately grabbed onto one of the ram's horns to stop him. He scolded him which made the sheep huff but back off. He followed close by Izuku as they traveled.
Katsuki walked for a while but ended up climbing onto a less than enthused Crag, guiding the stag up a particularly nasty trail. The reindeer were more sure-footed in the drifted snow and plowed through slowly. The alpha finally dismounted and shoved brush out of the way, revealing the dark but out of the wind recess of a cave.
"Storm is coming. Let's get inside." Katsuki announced, dragging Crag in by his halter. The other deer started to follow.
The cave was dimly lit and was less a cave and more an iced over crack in the mountain itself. Above a fair distance up was the distinct crystalline blue of glacial ice, which let a little sunlight in. The blonde led deeper and the path dropped, but he kept hauling Crag along.
The walkway opened up and revealed a hot spring sending warm mist into the air. Above them was the edge of the glacier, melted away but the heat of the water kept the cold out.
Izuku was amazed by the hot spring. At first he was unsure where Katsuki was even taking him. "This is so cool!" He said as he got off the white reindeer. He was sore from riding all day and a hot spring would really help with tight muscles.
"We'll wait util the storm passes." Katsuki said, unsaddling the reindeer and letting them wander a bit within the warm chamber. The deer were quite content, drinking from a cool pool of meltwater and grazing on moss and sparse grass.
Erik was not happy with the food selection so Izuku let him have some oats and a corn mix. It wasn't the best for him but it wouldn't hurt him. The omega then was soon in one of the hot springs to clean off and get warm.
Katsuki busied himself with this and that, unpacking supplies and hanging up clothes to dry and warm. The blonde stripped down to the waist and got to work making bread.
Izuku stayed in the bath probably longer than he should have. He was very pruney by the time he was ready to get out. The omega had stayed in the bath far too long though and passed out from the change of temperature.
Katsuki lay Izuku out gently on the warm stones near the onsen, using a shirt as a pillow. He'd dried the omega off and covered him with what he'd used, which was probably a reindeer saddle blanket or a similar item to it. He meanwhile had food cooking and was watching the reindeer wading in one of the pools and drinking deeply.
Izuku came to after a couple of minutes. His eyes fluttered open and he sat up slowly holding his head. "I'm sorry Kacchan..." He said, groaning a little. Erik made his way over and started checking the omega out. He bleated at him half with worry and half scolding. "I know I know, I'm an idiot." He spoke to Erik and patted his head.
"Drink this, it's cool water." Katsuki said, offering a cup of water from the glacial melt. It was cold and crystal clear. He wiped Izuku's face with some cool water too as Erik fussed over his master. "Yeah, he's an idiot isn't he?" He chuckled, agreeing with the ram.
Izuku just blushed a little and laughed with Katsuki. He drank the water slowly and soon felt better and less dizzy. When the food was done he got up and made his way over to a rock near the fire. The blanket was wrapped around his waist. "What did you make today?" He asked.
"Fish." He replied, revealing some freshly caught fish. One of the pools in the cave flowed in and out, obviously connected to a mountain stream. The fish were small but the blonde had quite a few strung up drying over a hot vent. Free food was always worthwhile.
"And bread." He placed a small loaf in front of Izuku, one of half a dozen little loaves he made.
Izuku thanked Katsuki and began eating. It was really good for a random put together meal. They sat and chatted for a while, Izuku petting Erik until he got sleepy. The ram was softly snoring as he had fallen asleep. "I… think I'll head in." The omega said, glancing at Katsuki as if asking if that was okay.
"Bed is set up." Katsuki gestured. The blankets were laid out on the reindeer saddle pads, as the deer were browsing the moss and grass again or sleeping and were unsaddled. The alpha packed away the extra bread, wrapping it in plain cloth for eating later. The fish was still drying and he hoped it would be done in time, but with how he could hear the wind howling faintly, he didn't suspect them to be leaving for a few days.
Izuku nodded and made his way into the tent. He stayed naked this time and got under the covers. He hoped Katsuki would join him soon as in all honestly he really liked cuddling the previous night
The alpha checked on a few things before stripping down as well. He laid his clothes out inside out to let them dry and crawled right into the bedding beside Izuku. It was comfortable in the cave and he didn't have the bedding as heavy as the night prior, with the heaviest blanket hanging up for air instead. His arm immediately went around Izuku's waist and he snuggled right up without a word
Izuku blushed, feeling the heat of the Alpha up against him. He was definitely smitten with Katsuki. But how was he supposed to tell the blonde that? "K-Kacchan I..." He began and looked up into ruby eyes.
"Hmm." Katsuki grunted, opening eyes to see emerald eyes very close to his own face. "Something the matter, Deku?" He asked, using an interesting nickname for the omega.
"N-no... It's nothing..." Izuku continued to blush and turned his gaze away. How was he supposed to ask a stranger to kiss him? Well they weren't really strangers anymore were they? But still, what was he to do?
The blonde just nuzzled Izuku's cheeks and forehead a bit, ending up giving a couple little love bites to his cheeks before resting his head. Katsuki was flirting in his own weird way, but he did have morals and honor as an alpha not to push on an omega like the southlanders.
Izuku nuzzled his face into Katsuki's bare chest. He started whimpering a little when he didn't get exactly what he wanted. He began to press light kisses to the Alpha's chest hoping he may get the hint.
Katsuki hummed lightly, the soft noise descending into quiet content rumbles. He raised an eyebrow when Izuku started fussing at him and let out a low, deep chuckle before pressing a few more kisses to Izuku's forehead since that was where he could reach.
Something happened to Izuku in that moment when the Alpha rumbled. It gave him goosebumps and he made a tiny purring noise. He looked up at Katsuki once more, their eyes meeting. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned up, puckering his lips a little to go in for a kiss.
The alpha rumbled a bit more, his lips meeting Izuku's in a soft and light kiss. He held the omega close, warm under the blankets, ignoring the world outside.
This was like magic to the omega. It gave him butterflies, and set things on fire inside him. A moan slipped past his lips as the short kiss ended. He "Eeped" and blushed, "I... I'm sorry... I didn't...I mean..." He rambled on.
"Hush." Katsuki replied, going in for a second kiss with a deep rumble. He held the omega close and started to lean harder on him. "Just means I need to court you harder." He murmured against his lips, determined.
Izuku felt like running away and jumping the man's bones all at once. He was scared. He had never been in a relationship before, no one had ever wanted him. "K-Kacchan..." He murmured before kissing Katsuki back. He was laying on his left arm but his right he found out was clutching onto the Alpha's forearm
Katsuki made no further moves on the omega, not trying to roll him one way or the other. He had honor and refused to push Izuku. "Have to prove it to you." He murmured against Izuku's lips, nipping lightly.
Izuku nodded and nuzzled his face into the cruck of Katsuki's neck. He purred softly, slowly falling asleep in the alpha's arms. When he awoke the next morning he was kind of stiff and sore, but he felt.... Happy for the first time in a really long time.
Katsuki was awake before Izuku and had ventured out of the cave, as there was snow by the narrow pathway in and his boots were sitting drying. The reindeer were wandering about the cave, snuffling on the ground for moss and the bits of grass that were left.
"About time you wake up, Deku." Katsuki said, crouching down beside the omega who was still snuggled into the blankets. "Storms passed, we need to get going."
Izuku sat up and yawned. "Okay Kacchan". He moved slowly, getting dressed. His thoughts wandering as usual in the morning. It took him a little bit to pack up but he made a decision. He wanted to be free, free to be himself and to find his own love. Who's to say Kacchan, his savior, wasn't his true love? So it was decided that he'd let Katsuki court him.
Katsuki saddled up the reindeer and left some things in the shelter before he left. The northland people of his tribe used this cave to shelter and you left what you could and took what you needed. The alpha led the deer and Izuku out of the narrow cave mouth and shoved some snow and the dried wads of bush back in the entrance, and led the deer around the whole clearing for a bit to muddle up the footprints.
"Let's go." He announced. The storm left deep drifts but the wind blew much of the snow away, leaving a hard, firmly packed trail with deep drifts on either side. The trail was narrow but passable, and Katsuki led the deer on foot.
Katsuki insisted that Izuku ride the reindeer again. Erik was close to the deer, looking up at his friend making sure he was okay. Izuku hummed every now and then. A lullaby his mother used to sing to him. His mother had died when he was young. She got sick and passed away.
Katsuki checked back a few times as they made their way through the pass and down the other side. From the high part, one could see for miles; first the rocky snowy descent that trickled into trees and in the far distance, those gave way to open tundra and endless miles of snowy ground.
"Ah, she's here." Katsuki said, slowing to a stop as they entered the taiga. The reindeer shifted a bit and Crag huffed, and out of the underbrush appeared a wolf. A massive wolf the size of one of the deer, draped with cloth of the same colors and type as Katsuki's clothing.
"About time you show up, brat." He said, petting the wolf between the ears. She whined and tugged at his mitten and sleeve until he pulled his mitten off and ruffled her fur with his bare hand.
Izuku gasped when he first saw the wolf. She was gorgeous but very much could be deadly. He calmed down a little when Katsuki seemed to know her and petted her. Erik on the other hand was both frightened but wanting to protect Izuku. He bleated nervously and started kicking at the snow ready to head butt the wolf of she came near.
Without a second thought, Katsuki hopped onto the wolf's back. "Let's go home." He said, patting her gently. The deer fell into line and one of them nose bumped Erik to get him to go along.
"Come on Erik, we're going... Home." Izuku said to his ram. Erik looked up at him confused. Home was the other way. Where were they going anyway. The ram suddenly realized that they weren't on some sort of adventure...
When they stopped again it was to set up camp for the night. Izuku watched as Katsuki did most of the work. He wanted to help in some way. "K-Kacchan? Can I help?" He asked as he got off the white reindeer.
Katsuki rumbled when Izuku said that, the wolf wagging her tail lightly as they went. The wolf disappeared into the taiga when the unusual party settled for camp.
"Set up the ne-bed." He said, gesturing to the pack that contained the bedding. The alpha had packed it neatly that morning and everything was a little warm from the reindeer's body heat.
Izuku nodded and grabbed the bedding pack. He set it up inside the small tent. That was the first thing that Katsuki had done. The omega started purring as he made things the way he'd like. He blushed when he realized what he was doing.
Erik was starting to hang out with the reindeer. They accepted him as one of their own. The ram would never admit it but he was starting to like his new family.
Katsuki gathered wood for the fire, although pickings were slim and mostly half rotten or damp. It took a little while but soon he had a crackling fire going and pulled out the last of the bread he made at the cave, setting it by the fire to warm. He also had the pot sitting on the edge with some of the herbs for tea floating around inside in a well-used linen bag and several of the dried fish sitting for dinner.
The wolf returned and looked pleased with herself, dropping a plump ptarmigan bird at Katsuki's feet. She sat down near the fire and straight up stole the dried fish; she brought the bird, it was a trade in her opinion.
"Oi you little shit." Katsuki said, watching as the wolf bolted down the dried fish before he had a chance to intervene. "Fine, but this is ours." He said, picking up the bird and prepping it. She did get the insides and seemed quite pleased with that little addition.
"Dinner." He said, poking his head into the tent to see that Izuku looked pleased with himself.
Izuku had been purring rather loudly without realizing it. He jumped when Katsuki spoke, not hearing him come in. "Okay" he said and smiled for the first time at the Alpha. He crawled out of the tent and went to sit on a log near the fire. Erik had also joined the omega by the fire.
Katsuki made a soup of sorts out of the ptarmigan with a thick gravy and a few sparse veggies scattered in. It was poured over the last of the bread and was a good heavy meal fit for the cold. Izuku had the larger portion clearly and the blonde handed it over without batting an eye.
Erik settled down in the snowy grass by the fire. Katsuki cleared away some of it and the reindeer were busy around, snuffling through the grass and browsing on whatever they could find.
"We should be home tomorrow night, if we have good travel and no fucking bullshit to deal with." Katsuki said, stuffing another bite of gravy soaked bread in his mouth.
Izuku nodded as he ate. He was nervous, he felt like he was the boyfriend meeting parents for the first time. Wait? Was he the boyfriend? Lover? Mate? He shook his head blushing. They had only kissed before falling asleep last night, but nothing happened after that. The omega was deep in thought and muttering to himself forgetting to eat.
Erik noticed his master being distracted and gently bumped him with his muzzle, staring up at his human.
"Oi, eat up Deku. It's gonna get cold." Katsuki said, handing the empty bowl to his wolf who promptly stuck her nose in and licked the bits of gravy out with delight.
"oh, heh, sorry" He laughed nervously, petting the ram. He soon finished his meal and thanked Katsuki. They sat in silence for a while, just staring at the fire. Izuku was starting to over think things again.
Katsuki got up and added a bit more wood to the fire, the smoke drifting into the bitter cold air and disappearing into the trees above. The sun had long set and the only light was the flickering fire and the faint moonglow through the pines. "You're staring." He said after a long silence, the wolf wedging her massive head onto Katsuki's lap.
"Oh... Sorry Kacchan..There's… a lot on my mind..." He spoke slowly looking up at the blonde. He blushed a little before yawning. "I think I'll turn in." Izuku said matter of factly. He petted and kissed Erik good night and went into the tent.
Erik bleated softly before getting up and wandering to nibble on things with the reindeer. Katsuki soon followed the omega into the tent, leaving his wolf companion to guard the camp.
Izuku was in the middle of taking off his clothes when Katsuki came in. He "meeped" and covered himself up, blushing and flailing a little. "K-Kacchan?!" He wasn't expecting the Alpha to come inside right away.
"'s cold out." Katsuki said, which was true but he also was ready to snuggle up to the omega. The blonde couldn't remember a time when he slept that well and felt so rested in the morning, and the gentle kisses they'd shared were addictive. He'd heard stories as a pup about fated mates but scoffed at the idea; now he was beginning to wonder.
Izuku soon calmed and finished getting ready for bed. He crawled under the fur blankets, his back to Katsuki. He was nervous again, there was this feeling deep down inside him that he /needed/ this alpha.
Katsuki stripped down and laid his clothes out as he always did, sliding under the blankets with his bare chest against Izuku's back. The alpha draped his arm over his side and buried his face in fluffy green curls.
Izuku stiffened, feeling Katsuki's hot breath against his neck. He started to purr out of instinct. When he realized this, he stopped abruptly. "I... Sorry Kacchan ... I-I'm Sorry!" It was like his body was moving on its own and not listening to his brain.
"The hell are you apologizing for??" Katsuki replied, giving in to a rumbling in response. The blonde nuzzled Izuku's hair and was quite content inhaling the omega's sweet scent in such close contact.
Izuku calmed with Katsuki's rumble and nuzzling. He turned around to face the Alpha. "K-Kacchan... I..." He started as he looked up at him. The omega didn't know what he should do... *Always follow your heart* a voice in his head said. How was he supposed to ask what he wanted?
Katsuki rubbed his chin lightly on Izuku's forehead, stirring up scents as he did so. When the omega rolled over he dragged the smaller man towards him even closer, arms around him and holding pretty tightly.
"Hm?" He grunted, his mind racing. Izuku smelled so damn good, perfect even, and Katsuki really wanted to stay like this forever.
"I... K-Kacchan will you... Kiss me? Please? " He asked quietly and cautiously. He had lived his whole life thinking nothing good would ever happen to him. Until now... When the most perfect alpha arrived and saved him.
"Gladly." The blonde replied, shifting just enough to be able to claim Izuku's lips for himself. Despite his wild, rough look and behavior, he treated the omega like the treasure he was.
~~~
END?