Archive of Our Own

Aizawa groaned as Yamada Hizashi barged his way into his home. He had just been trying to take a nap after a whole school year of teaching a bunch of rowdy, disorganised kids. And now he had to deal with a man-child. Even if that man-child was his husband, it didn’t matter to him at this moment. He was tired, grouchy and did not want to be disturbed unless it was Eri. 

And since the footsteps approaching his couch were heavy and loud, it was clearly not Eri.

“What do you want, Hizashi?” he grumbled, burying himself further into the pillows surrounding him. He contemplated suffocating himself to escape the unavoidable talk he would have to have with his husband, but ultimately decided it would take too much effort.

And he didn’t trust Hizashi with Eri for the rest of her life. She would probably turn out to be a loud idiot like him- even if he loved the way Yamada was, he wanted his little girl to know the difference between lightning and electricity.

“Shota, could you please be a counsellor for the UA summer camp this year? I know you said you wouldn't because you’ve dealt with enough kids this year to last a lifetime, but our normal one, you know Jake? Yeah, well he can’t this year because his son got super sick and he doesn’t wanna risk exposure to the kids.”

Shota opened one eye to look at his husband’s haggard face. “No.”

“Shotaaaaaa, pleaseeeee. I’m begging you. I really need a counsellor for the kids. They need someone to talk to if things get to be too much And you’re great with kids!”

“Hizashi. I want to sleep. That’s it. You have five seconds to get out of the room before I pull you down here with me and make you my pillow.”

Hizashi groaned loudly, running a hand roughly down his face. He was torn, wanting to annoy Shota into agreeing, but also wanting to nap with his husband. He cursed inwardly at the knowledge that he would be napping with his gorgeous, grumpy husband if it weren’t for this camp. Sometimes he regretted becoming the manager for the camp while Nedzu was the founder. But seeing the kids happy faces while there, watching them flourish and grow was the best payment he could ever receive. 

“Shota, I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Eriiii!”

The way Aizawa stood up was menacing and downright terrifying. Yamada began to run.

“Yes, Papa?” Eri asked innocently, bouncing her way into the living room, her poofy dress ruffling as she did so. She stared wide-eyed at the sight before her, of her Dad chasing her Papa around their kitchen counter. 

“Eri, do you think Dad should be the counsellor at UA Camp this year, hmm?”

“What happened to Jake?” she asked, curious and confused. Her Dad never went to the camps first week, it was always just her and Papa for a week until Dad arrived saying he missed her. She always giggled when Papa would pout sadly, only smiling again when Dad gave him a kiss-kiss.

“Jake’s son, Sam I think, is sick this year, baby.”

“Oh,” she said sadly before remembering the question. She smiled widely, running over to grab her Dad and squealed loudly when he picked her up and swung her around. “Dad, please be the counsellor. What if one of the big kids get sad? I’ll be there, and I can give them my blue teddy bear, but I think they might like you helping them more than me. Pweaseeee,” she begged, aiming her puppy dog eyes directly at him. They always worked.

Aizawa sighed as he put Eri down, “Fine.”

“Yay!” Eri shrieked.

“I hate you.” He glared at Hizashi who was looking smug with his manipulation tactics.

“Aww, don’t be mad Shota. You can have a reward tonight,” Hizashi whispered in his ear, subtly running his hand along Aizawa’s back and lower. Aizawa couldn’t help but feel a little happier with his decision.

**********

Aizawa regretted his decision immensely.

As multiple kids filed off from the bus he felt what little was left of his soul shrivel up and die right then. He was still exhausted because instead of his normal two-week recuperation before going to the camp to visit Eri, he only got a week. Yes, he had spent that entire week mostly sleeping, but that’s what he had needed. And now he was back to look after a bunch of kids.

It's not like he was their dad. He didn’t even need to pretend to be anything. But he didn’t want to spend the entire trip complaining. 

So, instead of screaming in frustration and pulling his hair out, he breathed in and out deeply, forcing a neutral expression back onto his face as the kids gathered around where Hizashi stood beside him, the soft, strong hand of his husband rubbing soothing circles of thanks into his lower back. Aizawa couldn’t be the slightest bit mad at his husband for this.

“So, is everyone ready for the camp?” he asked loudly, getting a chorus of screams and yeses as a response. Aizawa could already feel a headache coming up. “Great! That’s the enthusiasm I wanna see. I’m Yamada Hizashi, the camp manager here and this is my husband Aizawa Shota. There are a few rules here at Camp UA that everyone has to follow…”

Aizawa zoned out his husband’s voice, the same speech he had heard him practise multiple times in the mirror already too annoying to listen to yet again. He instead looked around at the first group of kids they would have to deal with. For camp staff reasons, they took different ages to the camp at different times. It also meant the kids got all the staff's attention, which was one of the reasons Camp UA was so popular with parents all over Japan.

The group of kids seemed to be about fourteen-sixteen. His eyes immediately picked out some of the most obvious children he would have to deal with by the end of the camp. A spiky blonde-haired boy was one of them, who stood proudly, an angry expression on his face that only dissipated slightly once the green-haired boy beside him tentatively laid a hand on his arm, still diligently listening to Hizashi.

It intrigued Aizawa, especially when considering the way the blonde shook off the others hand, face twisting with confusion as he did so, as if he regretted it. 

Another he knew he would have to watch was a tall boy whose hair reminded Aizawa of the candy canes Eri sometimes whined for. One side was red and the other a pure white. It was eye-striking and Aizawa could already see some of the girls eyeing the boy up, not that he seemed to notice. His cold front looked impenetrable. Aizawa had seen kids like this before and knew eventually they would crack, whether it be now or later or not even at the camp. But if it happened here, he would at least be ready.

Thankfully he had stoked his counsellor’s room with a few boxes of tissues.

Continuing to observe the others, he scanned his eyes over them. There were a lot this year, what looked to be over sixty. He had to stifle a yawn at the thought that he would have to take care of all these kids practically solo.

He tuned back in to hear Hizashi wrapping up his regular opening speech. “So guys, you can go to Aizawa for anything you need to. Even if he looks like a grouch, he cares deeply for others on the inside. Don’t be afraid. Now, we’ll sort you into smaller groups so we can manage you all easier. Girls of each group will be in one cabin and boys in another. If I spy anyone trying to spy on each other… well the regulars will know what happened to Mineta last year when he messed with the girls. Momo took great pleasure in dealing out punishment with the help of Jirou.”

Some of the other kids smiled at two girls who stood close beside each other, hands locked together. Shota looked away when they shared a soft glance at the other, the tall girl smiling shyly as the smaller one beamed with pride up at her. It was frankly adorable and Aizawa was interested in knowing the backstory behind them ‘dealing’ out punishment to another camp member… and Hizashi allowing it.

Knowing Hizashi would dangle it over his head, he decided he'd just ask one of the girls when they eventually came to visit him. 

The rest of the day went by quick enough. The teens were sorted into their cabins, left to bond for a while and then brought back out. They were a rowdy energetic bunch that made the most noise possible at any given time. 

Eri loved it, of course, the way they all screamed and chased each other around the camp's open yard, old runners pounding over the dirt, little clouds of dust rising in the air behind them, barely noticeable. She sat with some of the older girls, her eight-year-old self having the time of her life as her hair was plaited and fashioned in cute French braids by the girl named Momo. Her smile afterwards was worth even the most precious things in Aizawa's life, like his sleeping bag… and his sleep. 

Aizawa thought he would have to ensure the teens included Eri, as she was one of the only kids there. Yet, when Kouta arrived with Sosaki Shino, otherwise known as Camp Leader Mandalay, Eri immediately squealed and ran towards him, tackling him to the ground. It was an adorable sight and the teens doted on the two with no complaints, even the roughest looking boy, Bakugou, taking a turn in teaching the kid how to punch. He was surprised when they each delivered swift punches to his abdomen but grinned after, a new show of respect held towards them.

Aizawa realised that maybe he didn't have to worry as much as before.

**********

A week had flown past with barely a passing remark to acknowledge it. 

The lack of sleep was getting to Aizawa- he swore he was going to batter Yamada's head in for making a six am wake up call- but he wasn't swamped with kids constantly. The only visits he had gotten so far were from some teenagers who had headaches and just needed a quiet place to sit, or who woke up from night terrors. 

It had been a peaceful few days and it felt almost too good to be true. 

And of course, it was.

Aizawa strolled through the camp in the evening to look for Eri. He found her in the dining hall, which was essentially an over-glorified barn filled with picnic benches and steaming hot food that filled the bellies of these overgrown teenagers. The fact that some of them were taller than him didn’t bother him, even if Yamada had teased him about it non-stop recently. 

Eri sat in between Momo and Mina, two of the girls who had taken a significant liking to her. They chatted quietly together, yet for the first time since the camp had started, Aizawa felt the energy in the room had decreased. Usually, they were throwing insults and food at each other, all the different cabins mingling together and verbally sparring between each other. 

The sombre mood threw him off slightly as he neared the bench she sat on. Running a gentle hand through her long hair, he eased the tangles out of it absentmindedly. Momo greeted him with a small smile and Mina only glanced at him before she returned to her food, pushing it around on her plate distaste.

He was unsure how to greet any of them, the tension practically palpable in the air around them.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, Eri nodding her head in response before she turned back to her food, her chicken nuggets cut into little dinosaurs. She grinned happily at them, scooping up her fork, stabbing one and proceeding to nibble on it- Aizawa would never admit that she looked like a cute little mouse. Since the orphanage and the life she had been part of before them she always savoured her food, no matter how many times Aizawa and Yamada assured her she wouldn't be going anywhere.

Hurrying to Hizashi he struggled to push away the concern he felt for the kids, how they all seemed out of it even though none of them had come near his office to talk. It was disconcerting that they felt that they couldn’t talk to him. He wasn’t that unapproachable, was he?

“What’s up with all of them?” he asked, whispering into his husband’s ear. His spiky hair brushed against Aizawa’s chin as he turned to look at him, green eyes meeting black. He casually glanced towards the group of students eating their dinners quietly, subtly so as not to be noticed- even though they wouldn’t have noticed either way with how wrapped up in their heads they seemed.

"Oh, did you not expect this? It happens every year, a week or so in they all get a little homesick. Nothing major of course, but it can be lonely being on your own for weeks at a time, even if you're surrounded by friends."

Aizawa hummed, trying to think back to when he had gone to the camp. All he could remember was the utter relief at being away from his parents for days at a time, not having to look over his shoulder. "I mean, I don't really get it but that's fair."

"Don't you remember the day you met me Shota? I was crying in the forest because I missed my newborn little sister and you came over and sat beside me, listening while I mumbled about homesickness," Hizashi said calmly, glancing over to Shota throughout his little story and laughing as he saw recognition finally dawn on his face.

"Oh my god, I have to help them, don't I?" he groaned, grumbling under his breath and spinning away from the table, not waiting for a response. He walked to a place in front of the benches and tables everyone sat at, coughing loudly. No one passed him any heed so he coughed violently, hoping they would notice something .

"Are you sick, Sir?" Kaminari Denki asked quietly, nothing like his usual exuberant self, practically oozing with excitement. Now he seemed bored and tired, rubbing harshly at his shadowed eyes before looking at Aizawa again.

"N-no Kaminari, I'm not. Campers, if I could have your attention please," he called out, watching as heads swivelled, looking for the source of the loud voice breaking the silence that had prevailed since he arrived. He waited until everyone was looking up to him before he continued. "I know everyone's feeling a bit down at the minute. I hope you all know you can talk to me, even if you think the issue is stupid. Don't worry, I've had my husband come up to me and tell me he refused to eat oranges because he could just drink orange juice instead." He waited patiently for the chuckles at that comment to die down, although it didn't take long considering everyone still seemed unhappy.

The silence after was stifling, the campers only glancing at Aizawa before averting their gazes to the floor. Aizawa was loath to admit it of course, but he knew the signs of when a student wanted help but refused to reach out. So he decided for them all. 

“Fine, since no one feels comfortable speaking in the group, which is, of course, valid, each of you will be coming to see me over the next few days. If anyone needs me before the appointments I’ll be scheduling, or after, just head over to my office.”

The campers looked surprised. Aizawa even caught Bakugou nudging a shocked Midoriya, whose emerald eyes were wide in surprise. Shota looked on as the blonde pulled at the other’s hand, taking the attention away from Aizawa and back to himself. Their hushed whispers to each other were unheard by anyone else, most of the people around them leaving them to their own devices. 

He had to admit he was slightly curious as to what sort of relationship they had, but Bakugou wasn't screaming at him right now so Aizawa just decided to leave. His stomach grumbled in protest as soon as he got outside but he ignored it, choosing instead to make a cup of coffee and eat the croissant Eri had shoved into his hands earlier that day. He wasn't bothered going back inside and he desperately wanted a nap before he would have to deal with a bunch of angsty teenagers.

Taking a deep breath, he started to think about how he would accomplish 1-A that evening.

*********

Running a hand through his hair, Shota laid his aching head onto his desk, wishing he could just sleep. But there was no such luck, only another knock sounding at his door. He had thought he was done with all the campers that had wanted to see him that evening but apparently not.

A soft hand running through his hair startled him momentarily, causing him to tense up until he recognised the soothing touch as his husbands and relaxed into it, letting the strong hand massage the tension out of the back of his neck.

Eventually, he grumbled and sat up, rolling his eyes as his cockatoo of a husband smirked at him, ridiculously bright hair falling softly around his face for once, framing it beautifully. 

“You done honey?” The abnormally calm tone of Hizashi’s voice sent small shivers of happiness through him and he reached up, pulling his husband down to meet his lips. The kiss was soft, gentle and sweet, exactly what Aizawa needed at that moment.

He leaned back from it, almost laughing at Hizashi's startled look, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“Yeah, I’m done. You wouldn't believe what some of them told me- and what they didn’t,” he sighed, futilely trying to untangle the knots from his hair. A hand grabbed his own, stopping it in its tracks. 

“And what was that?” Yamada asked, politely probing, just enough to see if Aizawa was ready to talk about it. Or if he even could.

“I can’t say. Camper, campee confidentially, you know?” he teased, leaning back into his chair as Hizashi played with his fingers, rubbing them.

“Of course,” he grinned. His smile still made Aizawa's brain function stop enough that the only thing he could do in response was to look away and scoff.

“But I do have a few plans now, so at least the problem children of 1-A should be a bit happier by tomorrow. I have to go talk to some of the staff before it gets too late to set everything up,” he said, standing up and stepping towards the door only to be stopped by a hand on his arm. 

He looked down into the golden eyes of his lover, entranced once again by the soft green flecks he saw there. His husband tugged on his arm, pulling him closer to his face. The tiniest curl of his lips indicated Hizashi’s smile, his eyes lighting up. “I’m proud of you Shota.”

For a minute, he stood there, just looking at the love of his life. Regaining his senses, he leaned in close, nuzzling his nose against Hizashi’s own.

“You sap ,” he whispered, a small smile of his own gracing his lips.

**********

Aizawa was quick to talk to the camp staff he needed, which by the time his entire list of ideas was written out was nearly all of them. All of them were excited when he told them of his ideas, immediately setting the things he needed up around the campfire area. Far enough from it that each spot had its own thing but close enough for the flames to be visible once Hizashi lit them- which would be later in the evening. 

Aizawa was immensely glad the teens were all by the lake, enjoying a lazy summer day with watersports, swimming, sunbathing. Even just reading a book in one of the hammocks the camp had swung between trees surrounding the lake, with blankets in case it got cold. Relaxation was as big of a part as any at the UA camp. Aizawa certainly knew he had hated the water days when he went to it.

Thankfully, the staff were finished before supper, quickly calling all the teens into the barn to eat a specially cooked dinner for them. A range of dishes lay on the table, each more appetising than the last. Each student he had seen that day had told him their favourite dish and seeing the joy that spread across their faces as they saw them was worth how much Aizawa had to bribe Lunch Rush to make all of them.

He finished his supper quickly, meeting up with Nemuri Kayama, aka Midnight, undisputedly one of the prettiest staff members, and one that seemed to have a collection of confessions at the end of every camp, which she simply laughed about when asked and handed over to Hizashi to get rid of.

She was grinning at him when he strolled out and his shoulders slumped further than they had been, already preparing for some smart comment from her.

“So no sleeping bag today Shota?”

“I didn't think it would be appropriate,” he huffed.

“But the younger groups always love ‘trying to catch the caterpillar’. It’s one of their favourite games and you can deny it all you want, but I know you secretly enjoy it too. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

“That game started because you dragged me out of my bed at half five one morning to talk to a bunch of whiny kids.”

“Aww, you don’t mean that. Plus they’re little, you can’t hate them.”

“Their innocence disgusts me.”

She rolled her eyes, flicking her long ponytail to the side in exasperation. “And yet, you protect them when it truly comes to it.”

He ignored her, turning to the campfire they stood in front of instead. “So. when’s Hizashi lighting it?”

She raised a brow at his attempt to deflect the topic of conversation but ultimately allowed him, answering easily, “After supper, like normal.”

“And everything else is set up?”

Shrugging off her purple sparkly jacket, she tugged her crop top to position it better on her body, fanning herself from the heat. “Yep. We’re assholes, not heartless assholes Shota.”

“Just making sure,” he said, a slight curl to his lips.

“Eri’s going to love this too,” she giggled softly, already imagining the little sweetheart’s reaction to everything they had created on such short notice.

“I know,” Aizawa breathed, letting all the tension that had built up from anticipation of whether this would help the kids or not go, leaving his body.

“Well, I guess we better light this thing,” Hizashi announced loudly as he walked out of the barn, Eri running along behind him, the setting sun illuminating her silver hair with rays of gold and oranges.

Time to go Plus Ultra.

**********

Kaminari almost squealed when he walked outside after supper- technically he didn’t walk because he had managed to convince Sero to give him a piggyback. The camp was lit up, both with the dying sun’s rays and the campfire that was burning brightly in the centre of the camp. 

He smiled at the fire before noticing the other things stationed around it, in a circular shape. They seemed like stalls at first, but each one was different.

Standing by the fire was Eraserhead, the camp counsellor, who Kaminari had gone to just before supper. He glanced around the clearing again, noticing a rather big stage with instruments on it, something that made his heart beat faster than before. 

He quickly tapped Sero on the shoulder- though later he realised he had actually thumped the other rather hard- to signal he should let him go. Sprinting over to the stage-like area, he drummed his fingers along the edge, his fingers tapping faster when he noticed the electric guitar sitting in the centre. 

A voice behind him startled him out of his excitement. “You did say you loved playing the electric guitar,” Aizawa mono-toned.

Spinning around to face the other, he twisted his fingers together nervously but looked up into those black eyes, gulping. “So, I can play it?”

A rough, calloused hand ruffled his hair gently and he relaxed into the touch before he knew what he was doing, too shocked for his brain to catch up to the fact that Eraserhead was ruffling his hair, holy shit.  

“Tomorrow. These are all for tomorrow. Everyone gets to mess with them tomorrow for as long as they want. This was just to get you all excited. Maybe bring a sense of home and love to the place that wasn’t there before,” he replied, gesturing to the other things around them. 

Kaminari spied Bakugou over with a bunch of chemicals- explosions were his forte, Midoriya standing calmly beside him as he waited for Bakugou to stop examining them. Momo stood beside them both, watching as Bakugou eyes lit up before she approached him and started a casual conversation. At least, it seemed like it was casual, and they were both invested- Bakugou wasn't even shouting or scoffing at her. 

Mina was practically jumping up and down by a bunch of mats pulled together, the colours aligning in a rainbow across the floor. By the way she was screaming, he assumed that area was dancing-related- his friend was obsessed with it, in the best way of course. 

Sero had wandered off to the barn’s side, where small rock-like shapes sat. Rock climbing Kaminari guessed, purely based on the look on one of his best friend’s faces. That boy was never not rock climbing when they were all home, always taking the coolest photos ever when he did. Kaminari had tried it once and broken his leg- he promised himself never again. 

Shinsou, one of the newest camp members- that Kaminari’s bisexual heart might have taken intense notice of- was slouching by an area that had a ton of seemingly random objects scattered around and posters around it. He squinted to see the writing a little clearer, eyes widening when he noticed ‘psychology’ in bold print across one of them. 

A poke at his side brought his attention back to where he stood, head-turning to find the culprit of who had touched him. Jirou stood there, face blank but a gleam in her beautiful onyx eyes was impossible to ignore. 

“So, Eraser was telling me you play the guitar. Is that true?” she asked suspiciously. Denki’s brain almost stopped when he noticed the little hair clip of a strawberry in her hair, something that Eri had obviously placed there. “Well idiot?” she grumbled, more impatient than before.

He shook himself out of it, grinning broadly, a light blush spreading across his cheeks. “Y-yeah, I do. I love it, it just makes me feel… so alive .”

Jirou nodded solemnly, her eyes widening further. One earphone dangled by her chest, the other in her ear. Denki found himself wondering what song she was playing. “I understand. I sing.”

“You do?”

Her eyes narrowed at his response, “You got a problem with that?”

“No, of course not. I’m sure your voice is beautiful. Probably better than any I’ve heard before,” he quickly amended. She backed off, blushing slightly. 

“Don't be cheesy. We can practise together tomorrow… if you want?”

“I’d love to,” he replied, smiling. His heart fluttered happily when she directed a tiny smile back at him.

“I can’t promise anything,” he teased.

**********

Aizawa didn’t expect the teenagers to get so excited over the areas. They were giggling and screaming as they ran around the place, staying in small pairs or groups as they went looking at each area, clearing trying to decide which they should do tomorrow.

He sat at the campfire with Eri’s head in his laps, brushing the soft locks of her hair out of her face. She snored softly, probably dreaming about ponies and fairies- at least he hoped she was. Smiling down at her, he only looked up when his husband sat beside him, curling an arm around his waist. Shota sank into the warmth of the body beside him, resting his head against Hizashi’s shoulder. Hizashi brushed his hair with his fingers just as Aizawa had been with Eri and soon enough his eyes were closing, exhaustion taking over.

Just before he fell asleep he felt Hizashi shift to get a comfier spot to hold him and soft lips press against the crown of his head. 

Hizashi whispered, “I’m so lucky to have you Shota. And they’re lucky that you gave them the perfect home,” into his hair, the rumble of his chest behind Aizawa finally lulling him to sleep under the starlight.

Surrounded by the people most important to him, Shota dreamt of his home that night.