Something Behind Those Eyes

Previously On: Deku Projecting Trust Issues

The two ampled back into the sitting room, hands clasped and a pleased flush to their cheeks.

"Oh ho ho," Denki put a hand to his chin.  "I see we have some loverboys here in the house tonight."

"Still can't believe boom boom boy is a dad," Ochako sighed.  "They grow up so fast."

Kacchan threw himself onto the couch, dragging Izuku down with him.  "I can't believe I owe meeting my own pup to the fucking real life version of your fursona."

"What?  But Kacchan, I'm not a furry!" Izuku spluttered.

"Damn he just told you, Izuku," Denki wheezed.

Izuku had missed the sweet sound of people laughing at his misery.

Mina knocked over a mug, looking briefly like she might fling herself away from Tenya before realizing it was empty.

"Man," she laughed, pretending she didn't just have her heart come to a full stop.  "That bunny's a real hero.  Otherwise we may have never known."

A weak protest died in Izuku's throat as he looked down in shame.  He slid his hand free from Kacchan's.  All at once, the air felt too heavy for the room.

"I'm sorry we made you feel that you couldn't confide in us.  In me," Ochako said softly.

"That's- that's not it!" And it was true.  He had teased the idea of telling them once.  They were all so supportive of the other two omegas in class.  Then again, he was just Deku.  And by the time he realised that wasn't true, it was too late.  

By the time he realised that they truly didn't care about secondary genders, he was too far into the act.  They made him feel like he could tell them, but he didn't want to risk their trust in him.  He knew he could confide in him, but he didn't want them to think he was keeping any more secrets.  

Though, he supposed, he did end up hiding something else.

Yes, there had been a slight stigma against omegan heroes, despite there being many, but class A crushed that just like every other opponent.

Izuku swallowed, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.  "I just didn't want things to change, I guess?"

Tenya pushed the glasses up on his nose.  "What, exactly, did you foresee changing?"

Izuku glanced up at his friend's face.  Should he be worried this was a trick question?  "I lied to you all.  You won't trust me again."

Izuku chose not to elaborate further, seeing as his friends looked like they were dying from various degrees of shock.

"That's not true!" Ochako declared, swinging her arms wide open.  "Of course we still trust you, Deku!"

Momo nodded enthusiastically.  "You're one of the most trustworthy people I've ever met."

"But," Izuku said nervously, like he thought they'd take it all back in an instant.  He closed his mouth, lost for words.  He couldn't wipe the troubled look from his face if he tried.

Kyoka shrugged, twisting an earphone jack around her finger.  "It's not up to us to decide what you should and shouldn't tell us outside an emergency.  That's up to you."

"I think," Shoto said softly.  "You've done too much for us.  It would be a mistake on our part to treat you harshly because of something that has been causing you grief since before we met."

Izuku started crying and flung himself over to hug his friend.  He was saying something unintelligible, but they could feel the love it was meant to convey.

"Welp, that's another problem solved," Denki said, tears in his eyes from the display and fist clenched dramatically.

"If this situation is solved, that means I can go back to being a hero," Izuku muttered into his friend's stomach.  He paused and Shoto could feel him frowning, "I don't want to do any press conferences."

Everyone laughed, agreeing with the sentiment.  Press conferences sucked.

Hitoshi leaned over to pat his back with his foot and Izuku took that as his cue to sit back down.  "So what have you been up to all this time?  Besides, oh you know, raising your secret love child.  I find it hard to believe you of all people could give up hero work and sit at home all day."

"I may or may not have done some vigilante-style activities when I was," Izuku paused.  "When I noticed someone in need."

"So you didn't, I don't know," Ochako waved her hands.  "Go looking for a fight?"

Izuku sputtered, "No!  What gave you that impression?"

Ochako only gave him a pointed look as if to say everything.

"Wait, hold up," Hanta pondered.  "If the school didn't know, then does that mean you weren't legally an omega?"

Laughing awkwardly, Izuku said, "Oops?"

"So you lied on government documentation," Mina said, faux seriously.

"Only once," Izuku said sheepishly.  "Well, more than once, I just mean that I only ever lied on government documentation about that one thing."

"Wait," Kacchan said.  "If you went to a hospital to give birth, does that mean you've updated your records?"

Izuku gave a small, crooked grin.  "Nah, they've just been sworn to secrecy.  We had only doctors and nurses we knew we could trust."

Ochako spoke next, "Uhh, Deku?  I don't mean to be insensitive, but how exactly did you afford to do all this?  Not just like giving birth, because I imagine you used savings from your hero salary.  Just… everything before."

Izuku scratched the back of his head.  "Let's just say All Might has connections and leave it at that."

"A father helping his son achieve his dreams," Shoto muttered darkly.

Izuku shot a weak glare at him as more started to whisper about Izuku's relation to All Might.

"No, he realized that I wouldn't be able to keep the act up on my own with only scent blockers so he assisted me once he realized I wouldn't change my mind.  You know, trying to keep my mental health as good as possible."

"Izuku's secret rich daddy to the rescue," Mina snickered. 

Izuku waved his arms in frustration.  "He's not my dad!"

"No use in convincing those idiots," Katsuki added in.  He leaned in close to whisper so no one else could overhear.  "Also, I believe you said the words 'my parents' earlier."

Shoto took no notice.  "Midoriya.  I understand the need for secrecy, but we're friends.  You don't need to lie to me any longer."

Head falling into his hands, Izuku groaned.

"So why did you leave so soon?"

"Hmm?" Izuku looked up, resting his chin on the palm of one hand.

Ochako continued, talking slowly.  "It's just… you left the very next day or around that time- and I'm assuming you had your mother and All Might help get the rest of your stuff- just why?  Why not wait?"

"I could tell, I guess.  Well, I don't guess.  I knew; it was just some instinct that told me.  I was going to take a pregnancy test in, like, a week and figure it out from there.  But I woke up the next morning and I could tell and I did what I needed and left.  It was a bit of an impulsive decision."

"Wait," Denki interrupted, making a pause button with his hands.  "Omegas can just know they're pregnant?"

Izuku shrugged.  "Sometimes?  But yeah, pretty much."

"How did I not know about this?"

Eijiro put a hand on his chin thoughtfully.  "But what if somehow you were wrong?  Like, I don't know, it was anxiety and not instincts?"

"Then I would've come home," Izuku said firmly.  "I wouldn't have tortured myself for no reason."