Chapter Text
In a world ruled by alphas you were the rare beta hero. Some of your friends had teased you about it, but you didn’t mind. So what if alphas with strong quirks dominated the industry? You weren’t in it to shine. You were in it to save people.
“You’re half-omega anyway,” Katsuki teased when he saw your room in the dorm at last. He hadn’t been able to participate in the little show-and-tell you all did, but you’d been curious to see his and offered an exchange.
Your quirk happened to be highly social and came with a nesting habit, so half your room was taken up with one of those special omega beds all filled with fluffy blankets and pillows.
It’s called Cairo Spiny Mouse, and it‘s a heteromorphic quirk. The only parts physically impacted by it were your coloration and your ears and tail. You were extremely agile and had massive regenerative abilities. You were also small, more like the size of older primary age kids or middle school at least, but you were tough. You had stood in battle and wiped away blood from your face like it was nothing, only to keep moving forward.
It came in handy during the war, as did your heightened senses. The Cairo Spiny Mouse could scent water in the desert and hear the slither of a snake over the dunes from deep within its home. You could smell Dabi from a mile away and forget the ease with which you could smell Shigaraki. They both had signature scents you would never forget.
You heard the alphas talk about scents all the time and how overwhelming they could be, how unbearable the scent of certain others versus the appeal of an omega, but you thought like they were overexaggerating considering none of them had the fine-tuned sense you did. You would know; you tested it against them multiple times.
“I’m still convinced you’re an omega in disguise,” said Katsuki as he plopped down on the sofa beside you. He grazed through your desert-colored hair and skimmed your nape, sending a shiver down your spine. “You smell good, too.”
If you could smell yourself you would apparently catch the scent of desert rose, sunshine, and clear water. It was a pleasant scent, but more something one would find on a candle than on an omega. Still, many of your classmates used your scent as a palate cleanser when the intermingling of so many alphas grew to be too much.
You didn’t mind. Cairo Spiny Mice were highly social animals. During school breaks when you were alone you became lethargic from lack of socialization. It was a whole thing, and sometimes your mom had to drag you out to a mall or another crowded place to get your body moving again.
You loved living in the dorms; it was almost like sharing your nest with siblings. If you were a little braver, you might’ve even asked a few of the other girls to have a sleepover in your room. As an only child, you hadn’t slept beside another person since you were old enough to stop sneaking into bed with your parents.
“You never question the others who are betas,” you pointed out to Katsuki. They were few; it was thought that stronger offensive quirks were more common among alphas to give them an additional protective edge. Omegas often had survivability-style quirks, healing quirks, things to make them more appealing or help them live longer in a world ruled by instinct.
Betas were more versatile. There were betas with quirks that were useful for hero work, like Neito Monoma. His was an excellent hero quirk, as was Minoru’s. He’d shown his versatility in battle, as well as his courage.
“Yeah, well, none of them are interesting,” Katsuki argued. “They’re all extras like the other betas.”
“But I’m not, so I must be something. Why not an alpha?” you asked.
His crimson eyes narrowed. “Nah. You’re way too shrimpy to be an alpha. Besides, your quirk screams omega.”
Your parents agreed. They were an alpha/omega pairing and were certain they’d have one or the other as a child. When you came out with your cute little ears and your long tail, they thought you’d be an omega and prepared you accordingly. You didn’t care as long as you got to be a hero.
You had wanted to be a hero since you were a small child, perhaps five or six. Like all children, you went through a phase where Allmight was your favorite, and you couldn’t say the man didn’t hold a special place in your heart to this day, but it was hard to choose one now. Those who had remained during the war were all worthy of respect. They had proven themselves to be heroes in the truest sense of the word. They had sacrificed, and they had kept fighting.
When you hadn’t presented, you were relieved. You would rather be a beta than an omega any day. It wasn’t that female omegas specifically were forbidden from being heroes; the rule that they couldn’t be in the Hero Course at U.A. had been struck down at the same time as the one prohibiting quirkless members of society. However, it was heavily discouraged for most. Omegas were to be protected. They were natural mothers, guardians of the future, and that was their place.
Your opinion didn’t matter when you were standing against the whole of society to include most of your friends. You were a social being, and you went with those you considered family.
You rolled your eyes at your friend but allowed him to cuddle against you. It was a thing Class A often did, treating you like an omega when their instincts were on the rise. As long as it stopped at a very firm boundary, you were fine with it, enjoyed it even.
In fact, you often found yourself nuzzling against their scent glands and inhaling, like you were now.
Unlike most alphas, Katsuki’s scent was sweet . It was partially the nitroglycerin of his quirk, but also just something about him. It reminded you of baked goods and a hint of citrus, like he was cooking something in the oven. Of all things, it reminded you of pineapple upsidedown cake.
He ran hot, and for some reason, that was too much for you right now, so you leaned away. He frowned and dragged you back to him with a massive arm.
“What gives, mouse?”
You shrugged awkwardly. “I’m just feeling a little hot is all.”
“Well, stay still,” he demanded.
Like a good mouse, you did.