help me / bakudeku omegaverse /

Part 31

The journey had gone more smoothly than either of them had anticipated, the horses pounding steadily over the worn dirt roads that stretched out before them. The sun was high, casting a warm glow that danced across the landscape, yet there was an undercurrent of something else - an unspoken tension lurking beneath the surface of the peaceful scene. Katsuki pushed their pace just enough to cover ground quickly, his muscles tense with focus, but he was careful not to overexert the animals. As midday turned to afternoon, the imposing silhouette of the castle faded into the distance, replaced by endless open plains that seemed to stretch on forever, silent and still.

Izuku sat a little straighter in the saddle, instinctively alert. His eyes flicked across the horizon, then down to the ground, then back again, searching for anything out of place. His fingers twitched once against the reins - a nervous, almost subconscious gesture. Katsuki, riding just a few paces ahead, caught his sudden change in attitude instantly.

"What," Katsuki muttered, voice low and cautious, eyes narrowing as he looked back.Izuku blinked, confused. "What?""You're thinking too loud," Katsuki said, a sharp edge to his tone.Izuku hesitated, then pressed his lips into a thin line. "That's not a thing."Katsuki snorted, a rough sound that carried a hint of amusement despite the seriousness. "It is when it's you."Izuku huffed softly, but the unease in his posture remained. Something was off - he could feel it in his gut, a prickling sensation that wasn't rooted in the terrain but in himself. He tried to dismiss it, to focus on the steady rhythm of the horses beneath them, but the feeling persisted, gnawing at the edges of his consciousness.And then it hit him - like a slap to the chest, sudden and overwhelming. Not pain, not noise, but scent. It was thick, heavy, almost suffocating in its intensity, filling the air around them with an intoxicating, primal aroma that made his head spin. Sharp and pungent, it clung to his senses, flooding his mind with a rush of heat and raw instinct.

"Kacchan...?" Izuku's voice caught in his throat as he snapped his head up, breath hitching. The air shifted - something wild and unrestrained, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface. The pheromones weren't subtle - they spiked, flooding the space between them with a thick, burning desire that was impossible to ignore.

"Kacchan, are you okay?" Izuku demanded, voice trembling with rising concern.No response came. Instead, Katsuki's body suddenly lurched, a strangled inhale tearing from his throat. His grip on the reins tightened so fiercely that his knuckles turned white, and his face flushed a deep red, unnatural and almost frightening in its intensity. Steam seemed to rise from his skin, the heat radiating off him in waves as if he were about to ignite.

"Shit," Katsuki rasped, voice cracking under the weight of whatever was overtaking him. "Notnow-"

Without a second thought, Izuku acted on instinct. The horses reared slightly, and within moments, they had veered off the road, plunging into the undergrowth where the terrain was softer and less exposed. His mind raced, no longer hesitating - he forced the earth beneath them to shift and ripple. Walls curved upward, rough but sturdy, forming a small enclosure nestled between the trees. A roof followed - just enough to shield them from the glaring sun and the wild chaos threatening to consume Katsuki.

A shelter, a barrier - something to contain the storm.

By the time Katsuki managed to slide from the saddle, he was barely able to stand. His legs buckled under him, trembling as he collapsed against the earth, breathing ragged and uneven. Izuku hurried forward, heart pounding, guiding him inside with gentle but firm hands. His mind was racing, heart pounding in his chest as he tried to assess what was happening.