Hope Found in Ice and Flames

Chapter 22

Camp

It'd been hours since their exam periods. Everyone was on edge. Mostly everyone, at least. The top few students were of course so confident in themselves. The atmosphere in the dorms felt somewhat awkward. The members of the classmate dubbed 'Bakusquad' sat in the common area with their heads lowered.

"Ahhh! This is so stressful. I wish we could just, I dunno, get our results instantly." A pink skinned, fluffy haired teen complained, stretching her arms and legs out on the floor where she lay. The guys in the group all mumbled in agreement. "If only Bakugou helped us study..."

"Hey hey! Don't say that! Midoriya helped us alot last night, be grateful." Eijirou chimed in, a confident look on his face. The group stared at him, slightly taken aback.

"Yeah..thats true, however, we were all too tired to really understand a lot." Hanta, a black haired teen responded. Mina nodded. The red haired teen only groaned. He thought back to a few nights ago, he and  Denki had planned a movie and game night with Izuku, it turned out well and he ended up staying the night. Only downside is that he'd insisted on sleeping on a beanbag beside the bed. Which was understandable.

Later in the day, as students were cleaning up after dinner and preparing for bed, Aizawa Shouta arrived and announced who would be able to attend the training camp. Then, he announced that the other students would still attend, however, they'd be unable to participate in the activities and given an educational class instead.

Class-A had began to pack their belongings for camp, along with some extra things. They were so excited.

{Time-skip}

The trip to the camp was long and slightly annoying, people paired in seat with their friends, Minoru hung by his legs from the ceiling(somehow), Mina shouting to her friends, Izuku and Katsuki sharing headphones in the back sleeping, two particular people glancing in their direction constantly, etc. All in all, it wasn't pleasant for Shouta Aizawa.

Arriving and being dropped off the side of a clifftop was a shock to the students, as were giant monsters made of the ground beneath them.  Soon, they reached the camp, exhausted. Well, most of them, Izuku and Shouto may or may have not cheated and flown over the wooded area.

Izuku smiled at his tired classmates, he and his brother looked showered and relaxed, opposite of their sweaty and tired friends.

The students all sat around the tables for dinner, eating the meal happily, a few students literally scarfing it down. They were all so hungry and tired from their 'trip' here. Soon, everyone headed to the baths, aside from Shouto, who wanted to rest. Izuku only went so he could talk to Denki and Eijirou.

The guys all sat in their bath, talking about who knows what. "So, Izuku, how wide can your wings go?" Eijirou asked, leaning his head on his hand and looking at the boy sitting on the edge of the bath.

"Good question..I've never actually measured. I do know the can shrink to the size of my hand." He chuckled, looking around the bathhouse. He noticed a few guys freaking out and Tenya getting up quickly, now seeing Minoru behind him on the fence wall between the boys and girls bathhouse.

He watched as Tenya yelled and Minoru climbed, then, a boy with a red hat and black hair popped up and shoved the purple haired teen by his face, pushing him down and causing him to fall butt first onto Tenya's face. 'Ooph...poor Iida.' Suddenly the boy squealed and fell back, blood running from his cherry red face. Izuku quickly jumped up and caughht the falling boy, slightly freaked out.

"I'm going to take him to the Pussycats. I'll see you guys later." He muttered. 'I saw this boy before' he thought as he walked to the main building 'He was hiding behind Ms. Mandalay when Shouto and I arrived. I wonder why. Shy maybe?' As he reached the door of the building he sighed. Not his business. He entered and set the small boy on the couch, then looking for Shino.

{Time skip, Shino(Mandalay) told Izuku about Kouta's barents already}

"And the villain who killed them is still out there..? That's horrible." The greenette clenched his fists in his shorts, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Of course, he'd known about Water Hose's deaths, however hearing the story from a family member and how it effected a family member was heartbreaking.

He understood how it felt, the constant concern your family members working in hero force wont return. He's felt that pain. But Kota, this small child, he lost all he had. "Ms. Mandalay, you told me he hates heroes, correct?" She nods. "Then I promise, I'll do everything in my power to change that. If I can't, the least I can do is promise to protect him as a hero he can look up to."

Mandalay gave a small smile, "I'm sure you will. However, I doubt it'll be successful for a long while, at all even." Izuku nods and looks out the window. It's darker than before, later too. "You should head to bed. I'll take you to your sleeping quarters." She says.

Izuku nods and they leave the room, looking back at the unconscious boy on the couch only once. Izuku and Mandalay part ways at the door of the guys sleeping quarters, the boy entering quietly. Everyone was fast asleep, well, everyone except Eijirou.

"Kirishima? Why're you up?" Izuku asked, going to the crimson haired teen and sitting on his sleeping bag, sure to not sit on his legs accidentally.

The red haired teen only smiled at him adoringly. "I didn't want to go to sleep without you returning. Just in case I'd have to play knight in shining armor." He answers dutifully. Izuku laughs, looking down and seeing Eijirou's hand intertwined with the mustard blonde teen's beside him. It made his stomach churn uncomfortably. He knew he'd gained a sort of attraction to both of these men. However, he also knew both men were attracted to one another. He smiled.

"Thank you. I can assure you that we are safe, no danger can find us here." He began to stand as Eijirou nodded, only to be caught by his hand. He felt a warmth on his cheek for a moment.

"Goodnight Midoriya." The crimson boy pulled himself into his sleeping bag, leaving the greenette crouched and in a shocked state. 'What. Just. Happened.' He scurried over to his sleeping bag between Katsuki and Shouto, pulling himself in and encasing his body completely.

His face was cherry red and hot. Really hot. Why did Eijirou kiss him?  Why was he waiting for his arrival so late? What's going on? The thoughts ransacked his mind completely. He was stunned to say the least. He was also tired. So tired. "Goodnight." He mumbled, allowing his eyes to droop and his body to fall limp as he fell sound asleep.

{-Elsewhere-}

"C'mon boss, let's just storm the place! I'm tired of waiting!!" A green scaled man with a weapon made of many blades and a blood red scarf complained, dragging out his words as he circled around a hooded man.

"Shut up. We have to wait 'til the right moment. Idiot." The man responded, lightly clawing at his neck.

"I wanna see blood! Blood!!!" A big and muscular figure under a coat yelled, holding his arms out for whatever reason. He wants to see blood.

"Patience is key, right Dabi?" A blonde female with messy side buns giggled, lacing her arms around a man with spiked black hair and purple lacerations coating his body and face.

He nodded, "I believe so, Toga. Be patient and we will succeed." His shiny teal eyes shone in the night, his coat flowing in the wind as much as it could with Himiko hanging on his back. "No matter what."

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{1339 words}

Sorry for the long wait. I haven't been busy, just got writers block. I'm debating a mental health break as well, but I won't keep you waiting long. Until next time.