You Need Saving, Too

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN
Family

"I like you, Izuku."

The words felt like a bomb going off inside Izuku's chest. His silent tears turned into happy sobs. He hugged Shouto, crying on his shoulders as he tried to commit the words into memory.

How many times has he dreamed of hearing this? How many days has he spent imagining how he'll react when he heard it in front of the person he likes? How many times has he convinced himself that he would never deserve that?

So now that it's in front of him, his ears heard it and his heart felt it, he couldn't believe himself. Izuku felt as if he's just somewhere, sleeping and dreaming all of this.

This is too good to be true.

"I- Uh- I-" Izuku cannot form words, he sobs as he shakes in Shouto embrace.

The alpha sighed, and Izuku felt him shake with him. Izuku thought his heart could finally be calmed down, but then he felt Shouto crying. When Izuku felt the tears slowly falling on his shoulders, he cried once more. "Don't get over me." Izuku heard the alpha plead. "Don't let your feelings for me subside, Izuku."

Izuku can only cry happy tears as an answer, nodding eagerly. He teared himself off Shouto to look at the alpha. The alpha's tears continue to rush down one after another, his smiles too big- probably too big than what Izuku had once imagined he could make.

Shouto gulped, trying to calm himself, caressing Izuku's face as he said, "I said I would wait," he licked his lower lips, finding the right words. "I told myself I will hold back until you finally decided to love yourself."

Izuku bit his lip, nodding in understanding as he stared back at Shouto- Shou. Izuku knows it, that he's too loving of everyone he forgets to love himself. But, that's not all of it. Izuku was scared before. How can something so good be his? It all felt like a dream, to have Shouto want him. So Izuku made sure to teach himself that, it's just Shouto's alpha, not him, don't get carried away, no one would want you.

All of this still felt like a dream, but unlike before, if this is a dream, Izuku didn't want to wake up again, ever.

"But when the kids said they wanted you as family, I couldn't wait anymore." the alpha chuckled, continuing. "So I decided, I will be with you." he nuzzled onto Izuku's cheeks, and Izuku leaned into him. "I will stay with you until you finally learned to love yourself more than you do to others."

Izuku sobbed, separating his face from the alpha, looking directly at Shouto, wiping the latter's tears. "Shou..."

Izuku felt himself getting overwhelmed once more. He wanted to say something. He wanted to do something. But his heart was faster than him, feeling everything at once. So Izuku only cried, his smile wide as he stared at Shouto- his alpha .

"So for now, I will let my feelings fill what you cannot for yourself." Shouto grinned happily and Izuku chuckled while crying.

Izuku always hears that he's too good to be true. People- other than his bullies- always tell him that he's perfect the way he is. But Izuku always knows his flaws. He knows, but never made a move to change that. People are okay with this version of himself. Izuku isn't sure if they would be so accepting if Izuku learned to love himself and be a little more selfish.

But when Izuku heard Shouto say that, he wanted to change. The kind of change that he's loving himself- so he'll be worth liking, too. When Izuku felt the intensity of Shouto's feelings for him, he wanted to be worthy of it. He wanted to be someone Shouto would be proud of.

"You are such a sap, Shouto..." Izuku decided to say, hugging the alpha, calming his tears and overwhelming feelings. "I- I like you too, Shouto." he declared, sobbing once more.