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ᵃᵗ ⁿⁱᵍʰᵗ

A/N: here's an angsty one with a dab of fluff. shits gonna get both spicy and depressing hella fast after this chapter.

"Give them to me. Now." 

It isn't very often that Izuku finds himself in this position---not with Shouto, at least. He holds his palm out expectantly, fingers flexing impatiently as the mismatched teen seems to ignore him the first time he asks. He does eventually relent with a sharp huff, slapping the half empty box of cigarettes into Izuku's palm. The freckled man pockets them and quickly reaches out to pluck the one poised between Shouto's lips, flicking it over onto the sidewalk. "We said this---we said it years ago that you wouldn't touch that shit again, didn't we? Hm?" He prompts but Shouto doesn't grace him with a response, eyes glued to his feet from where he's seated on a bench on the campus courtyard. He's ashamed to have been caught, Izuku can tell. 

He squats down with a sigh, his expression softening as he takes Shouto's fidgeting hands in his own. 

"Hey. Baby, I'm really worried about you. You can talk to me---you know that, don't you? What's goin' on with you that's got you messing around with this stuff?" He tries again with a more gentle approach. Something tells him that this isn't just Shouto going through some sort of rebellious stage or a random relapse; he's been triggered. "How long have you had these? Don't tell me you went through all of these in a day." 

Shouto shakes his head, jaw tight as he squeezes Izuku's hands with his own. 

"Bout a week, maybe, I dunno. Been keepin' it in moderation, at least. Just...stressed out, is all." He responds in a murmur. He lifts his head, finally gathering the nerve to look Izuku in the eyes. "Sorry I haven't been texting you or coming over, I just---I needed some time, you know?" 

The implication of this seems to make Izuku a little uneasy, brows pinched together in obvious concern. 

"Did I do something to upset you like this or make you need to have time away from me? If I did, you have to tell me so I can fix things---" 

"God---no, Izuku, it's not you." 

Izuku relaxes a bit but his worry doesn't dissipate. 

"...is it about your parents? Did something happen at home?" He presses. "I overheard Touya and my dad talking about yours some time ago. Nothing specific but it didn't sound good---not with the tone in Touya's voice. He seemed to be fairly upset and worried about you but you seemed fine so I didn't bother you about it. Guess I should have listened to my first instinct and asked." He feels as though he's neglected his duty as an alpha---his duty to make sure his mate is well in mind, body, and spirit. Something has obviously gone horribly wrong for Shouto to be chain smoking first thing in the morning. 

The omega's past relationship with nicotine was a rather violent one that left him volatile and, after a while, physically sick. Izuku had helped him rid himself of such a nasty addiction. It had felt like a slap in the face to see him smoking upon first glance but now---assessing further? He realizes that his lover must be incredibly troubled. 

"That woman is not my father, that sick fucking bitch." Shouto hisses with a discerning amount of disdain that makes Izuku rear back a bit from the sheer amount of venom dripping from his boyfriend's tone. 

"Whoa, hey---" 

"Did you know that she tried to drown me as a baby? Or that she was with Katsuki and his parents the night he'd gone missing? That she only came here because she heard that Katsuki had been found and she's been trying to get her grimey ass fucking paws on him?!"