Chapter Text
He thought it was just food poisoning. Bad takeout or undercooked chicken. But the symptoms went on for days. Nausea, vomiting, headaches. Izuku was exhausted.
It got so bad that he had to call in sick at work, he asked All Might to cover his classes for him. The older man had been worried, but Izuku assured him he was fine, and that he shouldn’t come over in case it was contagious. All Might had agreed, provided he check in twice a day. He’d do that soon, once his tummy settled enough that he could leave the bathroom.
Another wave of nausea rolled over him and he leaned over the toilet again, emptying the contents of his stomach. Not that there was much left, he hadn’t felt hungry in days.
The sound of a deep voice startled him.
“Midoriya?”
He turned to see All Might in the doorway, instantly relieved.
“Toshi…”
“Izuku?!” Toshi sounded shocked, but Izuku didn’t want him to worry. “Damnit… I knew something was wrong when you didn’t check in.”
“I don’t feel too good. I’ll be okay though.”
The older man hurried to his side and pressed a hand to his forehead.
“You don’t have a temperature.”
His head swam as he tried to focus his vision.
“I just feel kind of dizzy...”
“You look pale. How long has it been like this?”
“Um, a week? I think…”
“A week?! Izuku, you need a doctor.”
“You think so?”
“Yes,” Toshi decided. “Come on.”
He helped Izuku up off the floor.
“I can manage…” Izuku protested weakly, not wanting to be a bother. But when he stumbled, Toshi scooped him up.
“What are you doing? I’m too heavy!”
Toshi tightened his grip.
“I might not have hero strength anymore, but I can still carry the person I love.”
He trusted Toshi and tucked in tight against his hero, ready to be taken care of.
“Toshi…”
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Okay...”
At the hospital, the doctor decided it was bad enough that he needed to be admitted. He sat in a bed, a drip attached to his arm, while they began running some tests. Toshi stayed by his side.
Izuku leaned back against the stiff pillows, monitor beeping quietly beside him.
“Why didn’t you see a doctor sooner?” Toshi asked, his concern obvious.
Worrying him was the last thing Izuku wanted to do.
“Because I felt okay for most of the day. It was just like that in the mornings.”
“Silly boy. You were always much too reckless with yourself.”
He could hear the fondness in Toshi’s voice, feel the restraint it took not to reach out. There were other people here, and they both knew their relationship would not be understood by anyone but them. Still, Izuku thought they’d be forgiven a little tenderness under the circumstances. He turned his hand over, leaving it there as an offering. They shared a look and then Toshi accepted, reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze.
“I’m sorry,” Izuku offered.
“So you should be,” Toshi said softly. “You don’t just belong to you now.”
He wasn’t angry, just gently reminding Izuku that they were partners now, and that meant not shouldering things alone.
“I’ll try to remember that,” he said, squeezing Toshi’s hand in return.
- - -
Izuku thought it would be simple. A few blood tests, some antibiotics, and he’d be fine. But the tests came back clear.
“This is more complicated than we first anticipated,”the doctor told him the following afternoon. “It could be physiological rather than an infection. I’m going to order an ultrasound for the morning. See if it might be a gall bladder or liver issue.”
“Okay,” Izuku nodded. It was starting to sound more serious than he’d first believed.
That evening Toshi came to see him. He’d wanted to stay all day, but Izuku had insisted that he prioritise the students and keep teaching his class for him. They both had a strong sense of duty so the older man agreed.
He was relieved though, when Toshi appeared that evening.
“How are you feeling?” he said, offering a kind smile.
“I’m okay,” Izuku answered honestly. He’d held down his lunch, so that was a positive.
“Any news?”
“The tests were clear. They think it might be something else. Something to do with my body.”
“Oh…”
The idea sat heavily between them, because Izuku’s body had been through a lot. Maybe One For All had taken a toll on him, like it had on Toshi. Except he was only twenty-two, and if his body was breaking down already…
“I…”
He let out a shaky breath, and voiced the thought that had been brewing all day.
“Toshi, what if there’s something really wrong with me?”
Toshi gripped his forearm and gave it a squeeze.
“Then we’ll deal with it. Together. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you…” he accepted, a lone tear managing to escape him.
They sat in silence then, heavy and loaded, but not uncomfortable. It was frightening, but having Toshi close made it much easier to bear.
The silence was broken when his phone pinged. Toshi picked it up off the bedside table and handed it to him. There was message from Kacchan.
WHAT THE HELL DEKU?! THIS TRUE?!
There was a link to an article. He clicked on it.
FORMER HERO DEKU HOSPITALISED WITH MYSTERY ILLNESS
“Damn…” he swore softly, angling the phone so Toshi could see.
“I guess it was only a matter of time.”
He closed his eyes and let out a breath.
“I can’t deal with this illness and the media too.”
“Forget the media. You don’t owe them an explanation. Want me to call Bakugo for you?”
“Please…” Izuku accepted. “Tell him not to worry… Or maybe I should do it. He’ll think it’s serious if I don’t…”
“It’s up to you.”
He sighed and pulled up Kacchan’s number.
“Hand it to me if he gets too worked up,” Toshi offered.
Izuku nodded and hit call.
Kacchan answered on the first ring.
“Oh shit, it’s true.”
“How do you know that?”
“You would have just messaged back if it wasn’t. So what? Are you dying or something?”
Blunt, scared, jumping to the worst case scenario first. That was Kacchan.
“N- No. At least, I don’t think so. It’s just a bit of a stomach bug, but they can’t pinpoint the cause. I’m having more tests in the morning.”
“Good! Stupid doctors should do their jobs! Someone with you? Or do I need to mess up my schedule because of you?”
“No, I’m fine. To- All Might is here.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, he’s retired. He has the time.”
“True, about time the old geezer did something useful again. But call me if he’s too old and useless, okay?! And don’t like die or anything dumb like that…”
“Okay, Kacchan. I’ll try not to.”
“You better. I need someone around to rag on. Got it?!”
“Got it. I have to go now, Kacchan. But thanks for checking in.”
“Whatever, nerd.”
Then the line went dead.
“True to form,” Toshi commented.
“Yeah,” Izuku smiled. Kacchan might be harsh, but he had a way of making Izuku feel calmer. “It’s nice to know he cares.”
“Of course he does,” Toshi said. “You’re very important to a great many people. So don’t die or anything dumb like that…”
There was a beat of silence and then they both laughed softly.
“It’s gonna be okay…” Izuku decided. Leaving his friends wasn’t an option.
“Yes, we’re all here for you.”
- - -
Overnight his phone had exploded with messages from his friends. Rather than answer them all he dropped a message in the 1-A group chat assuring them he was fine and telling them they could talk to Kacchan for confirmation. Thinking of his oldest friend fending off all those queries made him smile.
And he needed that ahead of this morning’s ultrasound.
When the nurse wheeled the machine in, Toshi was with him. It was Saturday, so there were no classes to teach.
“This isn’t an invasive procedure,” she said. “But we are going to need free access to your abdomen. Would you prefer privacy?”
“No, it’s fine. Toshinori can stay.”
“Alright,” she nodded, setting up while they waited for the doctor to arrive.
A minute later the doctor strode in.
“I’m just going to be looking at things like size and shape of your organs, vascular structure, presence of any masses that may indicate abnormal growths…”
The gel was cold on his skin as the doctor pressed the probe to his belly, applying a small amount of pressure. The doctor studied the screen as he moved the probe, slowly scanning Izuku’s insides. Suddenly he stopped dead, frowning at the screen.
“What is it?” Izuku asked, voice a touch shaky.
The doctor shared a look with the nurse and leaned in to whisper to her.
“Tell us what’s happening,” Toshi said, calm but commanding.
“I just want to get a second opinion before I say anything.”
“Is it that bad?” Izuku fretted. Toshi touched his shoulder, reminding him he wasn’t alone.
The nurse returned with a second doctor who took the probe and checked the scan for herself. She stopped dead like the first doctor, and they shared a look. Obviously they agreed.
“Just tell me,” Izuku begged.
“I’m not sure how to say this,” the first doctor said. “It’s seemingly impossible, but it’s clearly there.”
“What is?” Toshi insisted.
The second doctor answered.
“A heartbeat. It appears as though you are pregnant, Mr Midoriya.”
His mind went blank. He had dealt with more than his fair share of unthinkable situations and always been able to approach them analytically. Logically. But this… It couldn’t be.
His hands started to shake.
“Toshi..?”
The older man looked as stunned as he felt.
“You’re sure?” Toshi frowned.
“It’s consistent with your symptoms and look,” the doctor said, turning the screen so they could see. “There it is.”
And he was right. There on the screen, in Izuku’s belly, was a tiny pulse, beating a rapid rhythm.
“H- How is this even possible…?”
“That’s another question entirely. It could be quirk related.”
“I don’t have a quirk. This can’t… No.”
“Calm down, Izuku…” Toshi said gently.
“Calm down?! I don’t know how to do this?! I can’t have a child! There’s so much I’m unprepared for!”
“Hey. Stop. You don’t have to know how to do this yet. And you don’t have to do it alone.”
Izuku whipped around, wide eyes landing on Toshi. This was his child too.
“Oh no. This’ll ruin you. I’m so sorry!”
“Hey,” Toshi said, squeezing his hand. There was no point hiding now. “Don’t worry about me. This is about you right now.”
The doctor’s voice cut through his panic.
“I’d estimate this foetus is eight to ten weeks old. You don’t need to continue this pregnancy.”
That stopped his panic cold. They were saying he could get rid of it. Make it like it never happened.
His eyes met Toshi’s. Did he think that sounded wrong too?
Toshi gave him a tight smile.
“It’s up to you.”
The words were right, but the sad look in his eyes didn’t reflect them. Would Toshi be willing to sacrifice what he wanted, just to keep Izuku happy?
“Don’t put this on me!”
“This isn’t a decision for now,” the female doctor said. “You need time to process what you’ve been told. Calm down and take your time to accept what you’ve just learned. We’re here if you have any questions.”
“That’s right,” the male doctor agreed. “In the meantime I’ll order another blood panel, testing for markers we didn’t last time. You have a team here to help you.”
They were right. He needed to be smart about this.
“Y- You’re right. Thank you.”
They packed up to leave.
“Hit the call button if you have questions.”
Then it was just him and Toshi, and the weight of this news.
“I can go if you’d rather be alone. Or I can call your mother. A friend. If you’d rather it’s not me here right now.”
“No. No one else can know yet. I need time to think.”
“Of course.”
It took him a second to realise what that sounded like.
“Hey,” he said, reaching out. “I don’t blame you. I don’t regret anything that’s happened between us.”
Toshi took his hand.
“Neither do I.”
That felt like a really good reason to keep this baby, but Izuku didn’t voice it. He still needed to think. To make sure it was the best choice for everyone.