No Regrets - Izuku Midoriya x OC (MHA/BNHA)

XXXVI.

Izuku's POV

I was on cloud nine. Alex was with me again and I have finally ended any deals and unfinished business I had with the LOV. The story about being abroad was the easiest one to sell - saying anything else, even a bit suspicions-releasing, was too risky. The first day we came back, Hawks was waiting for us in our house. I was surprised but didn't ask how he came in. I'd rather not know at the glorious moment of Alex being by my side again. 

His face was somewhat dark even though he tried to hide it behind a smile. 

Alex's reaction was even odder. Her face went through a palette of emotions in an instant. First she frowned and narrowed her eyes dangerously, as if they had some things untold and then quickly blushed and looked away from him and into my eyes with a weird smile I could even describe as... attempted seductive. 

"Alex! Good to see you, finally!" Hawks smiled as he got up from the chair in our hall.

"You...too, Hawks", she stuttered out and hugged him insecurely. 

"Midoriya! How about we chat about the upcoming events? The preparations for the UA Sports Festival have began. Hm? Let's allow Alex to... adapt? Anyway, come", he blurted out quickly before pulling me away from Alex. 

"I-I know, I've talked to Mr. Aizawa not so long ago", I replied. 

"Nice", he said and shut the doors into Alex's face as she followed us. 

"What the h...?", I began but he didn't let me finish. 

"So she was abroad, huh?" he said and the smile instantly disappeared from his face.

"Yeah, visiting some family back in USA."

"Lovely. But I don't buy it."

"There is nothing to buy. She was away and now she's back", I shrugged my shoulders.

"Did you hear that there is a new member in the Hero Commission?"

"Yeah..."

"Apparently some hero recommended him."

"It was me."

"Ah? You? I thought so. How do you know this guy?"

"An acquaintance. He's a... professional man", I squeezed out. 

"You don't seem to believe yourself!" Hawks laughed obliquely. 

"There are a lot of adjectives I could use to describe him, that's all...!"

"Mhm. He's pretty insecure up there, amongst the other members."

"Is he?"

"Yeah. Seemingly, he went to a famous school here, in Tokyo. Although he certainly needs some reminders about orthography."

"Some things are easily forgotten", I replied and turned away. 

All the lies I told in such a short time have ached me deeply. I was always honest, even when I shouldn't have been so completely. The sun was setting slowly and I had a clear view of its majestic colours through my window. The windowsill mirrored my face in a white glow. I looked into it. Even though it seemed the same, it wasn't. Not to me. The shadow of lies and crime has been cast upon it. It clouded my eyes and threw self-disgust into my soul. Alex once mentioned her fear of looking into her eyes in the mirror; and now, for the first time, I understood it. My mother raised me to be a good person, and now, as a 23-year-old, I have become the total opposite. Something she would, deep down if not on the surface, be ashamed of. Alex must have felt the same way. A few days ago I covered the mirror in the bathroom with a towel because I saw that shadow on me. 

I slammed my hand over the reflection and looked back at Hawks. The happiness I felt at first has quickly shifted into anger. Life is often unfair and toxic, full of hate. That's why it feels so good when you're feeling joy. But I would replace that feeling with less sadness any time. 

"Who do you think you're fooling, Midoriya?" Hawks suddenly asked. 

His eyes flashed into mine with an unmasked wrath. 

"No-one", I said. 

"You're fooling yourself. Tell me what really happened before it's too late!"

"What do you think has happened, since you're so smart?!" I yelled. 

He was intelligent. 

"I think someone has blackmailed you into setting up Chito into the Commission. And the object was Alex. I hope it wasn't the League, even though I have a hunch telling me differently."

I was stunned. 

"Well, you're wrong", I replied as calmly as I could. 

"You'll be completely..." he began before the doors opened. 

I looked and saw Alex. 

"I have left a... suitcase in the car, Deku. Could you...?" she said with a smile.

"Of course", I rushed away.

This is the second time she called me Deku since we started dating...

"A new nickname, huh?" I heard Hawks say before I shut the house doors. 

She made it up, since she had no suitcases with her. I stood in the middle of our lawn and rubbed my eyes anxiously. I thought this would all be over. Instead, I was just digging a deeper pit for myself with each minute. 

I regathered my thoughts and came in after checking no-one is around in the halls. I quickly went up and down the stairs as if I left something up there. 

"Thanks for stopping by!" Alex chirped happily. "Some friends are supposed to come over now so I better go get ready. See ya!"

She hopped off the bar chair in the kitchen and went into the bedroom. Hawks glanced at me and walked away without saying goodbye, pushing my shoulder away a bit rudely. 

"Bye", I said into the silence and he slammed the doors. 

I shook my head and went up to Alex. She was on her bed, scrolling through her phone. 

"We're having friends over?" I muttered, trying to remember when we arranged that. 

"No. I just said that to get rid of him! I mean... I'm back and happy. And he wasn't in the best mood, now, was he?"

"Yeah, sure", I answered absentmindedly. 

She stood up and dropped her phone onto the bed. Hugging me from behind, she turned me to face a big mirror. I looked away from the mirrored me, expecting him to say 'Look what you have become'. She turned my head lightly and said: "Look at us!"

I was surprised by her action, by her easiness when she lied those last two times. I said nothing and simply hugged her back. 

***

"Yeah, I visited my aunt! I even showed her some pictures of you and F-Tsu! She said you're really kawaii! That expression is well-known in the States now, you know?" Alex told Uraraka as they were chatting by the bar in the kitchen. 

Day later we really did have some friends over; Kacchan, Uraraka, Momo, Iida, Kirishima and Todoroki. 

"She's eager to be back", Kacchan grunted and took a sip of his whiskey. 

"It ain't very many to cry in front of the reporters like that, bro. What will they think of you?" Kirishima said and punched my shoulder jokingly. 

That's my smallest concern... 

"Let go of him. Can't you see he's tired? Midoriya, you need at least 8 hours of sleep, and if we consider the fact you have a  physically challenging job, you should sleep for 10 hours in total", Momo said, practically by heart. 

I rolled my eyes and looked back at Alex, who was now enthusiastically talking about a friend named James she also visited. She made it all up utterly swiftly; in such a manner it surprised me.