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English
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Part 4 of IH1-A Summer Camp bloopers
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Published:
2021-02-11
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3,082
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1/1
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Forest

Summary:

Kota watches and makes a comparison. Shouto watches and relaxes.

Iida, meanwhile, watches and grows more and more frustrated.

Notes:

thank you so much to everyone for being so incredibly patient!! I’ve been enjoying writing for this series again, so I knew it was time to come back (•̀ᴗ•́)و I didn’t want the first update I posted to be too heavy (yet) so this update is relatively light in tone. I hope you all enjoy!! ٩( ᐛ )و

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Kota stood in the forest surrounding the training camp. He had taken his shoes off to the right somewhere, discarded in no rush. The grass underneath his skin was both soft and prickly - vibrantly green just like the rest of the trees and plant life in the forest, watercolor splatters of light weaving in and out through the treetops and peppering his face. Greenery was everywhere he turned, contrasted against the earthy brown of dirt and bark, and Kota took in a deep breath as a breeze rustled the flora and cooled the skin of his arms and toes.

He liked it there, only aided by the fact that no one knew where he was. It was quiet. The cliff in front of him dipped without hesitation or slope, solid in its methods, and Kota sat in front of it to swing his feet. He felt weightless. Unburdened.

The newcomers had arrived only just before he’d gone, a torrent of exhausted souls stampeding through the brush like a herd of elephants. He’d seen a man called Eraserhead and Aizawa interchangeably, Kota had never seen him before nor heard of him, but a friend of his Aunt was an acquaintance of his, at least to some degree. He hadn’t seen the newcomers outright yet and he wasn’t sure he cared to. As far as he was concerned they were doing their own thing while he did his, there was no reason to idle by each other, especially with the training he overheard they were about to endure. The last thing he wished to do was get in the way of that.

His parents didn’t quite agree. They coaxed him the whole trip about introducing himself, even more when the group actually arrived, encouraging him to get out there and meet new people. Kota wasn’t as invested in the idea, shy and reserved as he was. He always had been. Hero work had never been an interest of his, not really, and he had the feeling that it was all that group would talk about. Kota would rather settle amongst the prickly grass and breathe in the fresh air alone, content in his solitude.

Still, he couldn’t deny he was curious.

 

The summer camp building was larger than Shouto had anticipated. It was no mansion but it was certainly respectable. Shouto had been picturing wooden cabins and flimsy tents - he was very relieved to learn they would have stable lodging.

A bath was his first priority with most everyone else, but the teachers and staff had a different idea. Before he could mentally process his surroundings they were all pressed to make dinner, everyone gathered outdoors in the slowly cooling air as they got to work, side by side, people who had never cooked in their lives pressed next to those who had no other choice. A quiet comradery was built on the struggle of preparing a meal for so many people.  Bakugo was to his left, fuming as he chopped vegetables - with a ferocity he was a bit awed by - Uraraka was to his right, warm and soothing, guiding his flames with murmured words and a little smile, and he could hear Momo behind him as she asked over others, quietly inquiring how to use a kitchen knife.

Shouto breathed in the smell of freshly washed vegetables, felt the sweat on his back start to cool, and listened to the sound of his classmate’s quiet chatter, realizing that was what home sounded like.

A knife was pressed into his hands shortly after the fires were lit, shifting to Bakugo’s station instead to help speed things along. Even getting into Bakugo’s radius had shivers crawl down his spine like tiny spiders, and on impulse he greeted Izuku with Bakugo. He stepped next to his classmate to stand in front of the cutting board nearby, knife solid and cool in his palm as he began to chop. Izuku was a chatterbox as usual, and Shouto found himself wishing for the EMF back at the dorms as he chopped the potatoes Momo had helped peel, the mutters stopping and starting in between Bakugo’s grumbles with good enough timing that he wondered if Izuku was responding to them, no doubt in reassurance that it wasn’t so bad. He could hear the kid’s voice already.

Whenever someone passed them by they greeted Izuku cheerfully, stopping to chat nonsense if they had the time, and Izuku paused to giggle and laugh and make the occasional potato float if he got excited enough. Satou managed to find a barely doable wifi signal and tried an EMF app in between getting dishes ready, but it was too unstable to work properly, turning into a double failure once Aizawa caught on to what he was trying to do and scolded him for it. He laughed it off, and Shouto watched with no small amount of surprise as that was all the punishment he received, not just from Aizawa but also the Pussycats. Satou folded back into the group to do his part, Shouto watching from afar as they all moved around each other with ease, weaving in and out to trade jobs when convenient and support others when they could. Izuku wasn’t left out of it either, being guided away most likely by Iida with a small, delighted gasp that made him smile. Bakugo smirked beside him until he caught Shouto’s eye, his expression souring in the span of a blink.

A small figure out of the corner of his eye made him pause. At first he thought it was Izuku, his heart beating hard against his chest bone in excitement at seeing him again - the figure looked small enough - but a second glance put the figure farther away than what made sense, veiled by shrubbery and leaves. A red hat was stark against the greenery, unfamiliar, and Shouto frowned in partial concern and partial confusion. What was such a young child doing at an intense training camp?

A better question was what the kid was staring at - it certainly wasn’t Shouto.

 

Kota was happy he looked, if only for a peek. The smell of food cooking mixed with the smoke from the fire, raw and bare in materials and nature, and Kota wasn’t sure what feeling it gave him. All he knew was how drawn to the group he’d become, stomach rumbling and curiosity pushing him as close as he dared. It wasn’t that close, in all honesty. Enough that he could hear the clanking of dishes and silverware, the murmurs and laughter from conversations all over the clearing, a symphony of voices that left him feeling a touch overwhelmed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with so many people.

Not just the food drew his attention either, there were two others that looked different. Faded, worn. They hovered as if on strings, flying around the clearing, doing their best to pull mild pranks on the others with glinting eyes and quick hands. Only one seemed to be doing the maneuvering, a kid that looked Kota’s age, a devious grin fitting perfectly as he balanced a potato on a small pile of dishes. The other, looking much older, spoke to the younger one, hovering carefully and speaking loud enough Kota could barely hear him over the roar of noise. 

They reminded him of his parents, and Kota smiled. They had to be friendly, then.

 

Dinner, in Shouto’s humble opinion, turned out as well as could be expected when the chefs were teenagers.

Aizawa was there to make sure no one got caught on fire, but other than that their teacher was more than happy to let them sink or swim. The potatoes were undercooked, the carrots were overcooked and slightly mushy. The taste was off, the smoke blew back in his face a good third of while he was on cooking duty, and Momo ended the experience enthusiastic but covered in small cuts on her fingertips. As much as they had to fumble about, he thought they hadn’t done too bad. Most of everyone thought it was funny anyway, teasing one another about how they chopped the vegetables wrong and threw off the soup as a whole, or how they didn’t stir clockwise and that messed things up. Even he could admit it was amusing - he was mostly thankful nothing had burned.

They were sent to bathe after dinner. He was expecting it to be a quiet affair, but the food and drinks were enough to revive some energy in his classmates, and Kaminari was sprinting for a cannonball as soon as they crossed the threshold into the bath. Kirishima wasn’t far off. Shouto settled for a much calmer pace, preemptively shielding his face when the hot water splashed back from the force, enjoying the steam and water in a much more reserved way, distancing himself from the splashing and laughing that had unfolded to his right.

After making himself clean, he headed for bed. The pajamas he packed were soft on his skin as he made his way to the men’s sleeping quarters, keeping him warm in the cool night, wood floors chilly against his bare feet. He could hear the girls giggling across from the men’s quarters just standing in the hallway. Ignoring it, he opened the door and stepped inside, immediately lighting up.

Izuku was there, wrapped up in someone’s sleeping bag like a tiny burrito, giggling wildly to himself. Shouto huffed a breath in amusement.

Hello, he said, walking further into the room. Someone will need that soon.

Izuku blew a raspberry at him and he supposed that was fair enough. He made his way to his own sleeping bag, laid out at the top center of the room, three sleeping bags away from where Izuku was holed up, and made himself comfortable.

Izuku! Hi! Kirishima bounded into the room, beaming, Kaminari on his heels. Is Iida here?

That got him to sit up. Izuku pointed with a crooked wrist to an empty spot of the ceiling. 

There! There! Izuku blurred at the edges, the windows of the building shivering in their frames. Kirishima chuckled. He says hello!

Hi Iida! Kirishima and Kaminari chimed as Sero walked through, Bakugo slinking in after them. He took one look at Izuku and grunted, annoyed.

That’s my fucking sleeping bag, Deku, he barked, stomping towards them. Izuku squealed and burrowed back underneath the thick material, his small form barely making a bump in the fabric. I need to go to bed!

There’s shouting already, Satou sighed, stepping across the threshold with a tiny smile. Hi Izuku, hi Iida, if you’re here.

A muffled ‘Hi!’ was heard through the fabric, just as Kirishima answered. 

He is, Izuku said so.

Get the fuck out! Bakugo picked up his sleeping bag and dumped out the kid, Izuku tumbling out of it like a pile of clothes, and he coughed behind his hand to hide laughter. Bakugo whirled around to glare at him. You think this is funny? Huh? 

Yeah, Kirishima answered for him, grinning, sharp teeth on full display as he padded to his own sleeping bag. It’s really cute that he’s so attached to you.

Shouto looked back over and Izuku was gone. Disappointment carved a small hole in his chest, but it was dulled hearing that Izuku was still a giggling mess. 

Whatever, Bakugo grumbled, straightening his sleeping bag out again.

Shouto pursed his lips. He wasn’t sure if it was because of Izuku’s sudden appearance or if it was something else, but the memory of Ibara’s attempt was growing more and more persistent the longer he sat there, resting on his tongue until he couldn’t resist the urge to spit it out. 

Iida? He paused. Could you take Izuku to say goodnight to the girls? They’ll want to before they sleep.

Izuku muttered quickly, clearly excited at the prospect, and a moment later the cold that had permeated to his right vanished.

 

Todoroki had said that for a reason. His tone implied it, weighed down from a burden, and Tenya was more than happy to let his friend vent. Izuku didn’t question it anyway, tugging on his sleeve and practically dragging him along to the girls’ quarters, phasing through walls and doors to pop out the other side. The lot of them were talking in much softer tones, the scent of nail polish and perfume giving Tenya a mild headache already.

Izuku puffed his cheeks. A moment later, he dropped, sank down and down until he landed right next to an oblivious Uraraka.

Iida too! Izuku chirped, getting her to jump nearly a foot in the air. Iida! Iida!

Yaoyorozu clapped her hand on her thigh from across the room, eyes sparkling, nearly disrupting Tsuyu’s careful strokes with the polish.

Izuku! It’s a delight to see you! She laughed and Tenya smiled slightly, something mildly bitter keeping him from being too overjoyed. Iida, I’m glad you’re here.

That softened it a bit, but it didn’t make the bitter taste in his mouth vanish, not completely.

Tell her I said hello! he replied, chopping at the air sharply for emphasis as well as to get the frustration out. He wished he could say it himself.

Iida says hello! Izuku parroted, even copying his motion, and if Yaoyorozu didn’t help that certainly did. The mimic was too spot-on. He watched Izuku wiggle in place as Uraraka turned to properly hug him, her smile fading slightly as she listened to Izuku’s rattling breaths, but she was grinning again by the time she pulled away. Tenya knew the feeling, his chest tightened with sympathy just watching her.

Izuku didn’t stay visible for nearly as long, exhausted after his time with the boys, vanishing quickly after Uraraka’s hug, and as bad as it made him feel he was glad he wasn’t the only invisible one anymore. 

The girls focused on them for a while, dotting on Izuku and catching up with him, everyone lamenting over having to leave the EMF at the dorms all the while with resigned sighs. Tsuyu brought up Yaoyorozu making another, but she revealed she didn’t know the components. They made do with what they could anyway, having Izuku pat and giggle and mutter through vague translations of his words and input. It wasn’t ideal, but Tenya knew it was much better than silence. He also knew that while everyone was training with their Quirks with the Wild Pussycats, Aizawa would be assisting them with training of their own. He was incredibly relieved - a mixture of thankful, grateful, and comforted - that he wasn’t getting left behind, by his friends or his teacher.

Eventually the girls shooed them away, saying goodnight. Despite Izuku’s excited tugging on his sleeve and blurring edges, Tenya steered Izuku back to the boys’ quarters to say goodnight as well, knowing he’d get upset later if he didn’t. They had all the time in the world to explore the summer camp building and say hello to their insomniac of a teacher.

The atmosphere had changed. Once light and drowsy, it was weighted with a thoughtfulness that wasn’t absent or careless in nature. Their brows were furrowed, frowns pulling at their lips, and Izuku hugged his arm for comfort, his rattled breathing noticeably worse.

I am sure it’s fine, he said, tone soft and comforting. Why don’t we ask?

Izuku looked up at him, eyes big and round. How?

Tenya hummed. He scanned the room. Pat Bakugo. He seems to share your mind more often than not, yes?

He could almost see the gears clicking in Izuku’s head. He pushed forward when Izuku didn’t, steadily moving them along until they were close enough to make Bakugo visibly shiver.

Shit, he snapped irritably, and Tenya replied a quick ‘Language!’ he knew Bakugo couldn’t hear. Back already? That was fast.

Tenya gestured, Izuku hesitating for only a second before gently, tentatively, patting Bakugo twice on the shoulder.

Kacchan? Kacchan? Why is everyone sad?

Bakugo paused, his frown shifting from annoyed to something more neutral, and Tenya shook his head in silent awe. He didn’t understand Bakugo and Izuku’s relationship, he’d frankly given up trying to, simply supposing that was just how childhood friends operated.

...It’s nothing, Bakugo said after a moment of silence, his shoulders pulling up only telling the opposite story. We’ll talk about it later.

Don’t worry buddy, it’s nothing crazy, Kirishima added across the room. We’ll talk about it tomorrow, Iida, you too. Right now we’re all beat.

Multiple people in the room let out exaggerated yawns, falling in their sleeping bags with gusto. Tenya took one look at Izuku and knew he didn’t buy it, worry creasing his brow as the kid messed with his crooked wrist nervously. He played along as best he could, enthusiastically reassuring it must not be a big deal and they needed to say their goodnights, and they did just that, hoping that the cheerful voices would be enough to soothe Izuku’s bleeding heart for the night.

A quick nudge through the wall and into the hallway later and Tenya had everything he needed to distract. He started their routine, the same thing they did with the dorms and the school, coaxing Izuku to move to the front of the building so they could work their way to the back and meticulously pick their way through every crevice for hidden surprises and secrets. After, he knew, they would work from the lowest floor they could find to the highest - Izuku didn’t like descending the floors and Tenya was more than happy to accommodate. 

During their trip, they stopped by Aizawa’s office to say a quick hello. When he heard about their plans the man wished them luck, warned them of the furthermost back left room and left them to it.

He followed Izuku down the halls, growing more aware of the race the kid was trying to start and doing nothing to smother his smile. Something was going on with his friends, sure, but if they decided to put it off for tomorrow it couldn’t be so bad. He had his friends and his teacher, and it may not have been his parents or a body to feel with but it was miles away from nothing at all.

Tenya took in a deep breath, unneeded but comforting, determination and stubbornness flowing through his chest and making him straighten. With newfound energy, he raced Izuku to the end of the hallway.

Notes:

I’m back on track!! I’ll see everyone next Thursday 😊

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