Third person pov

Hitoshi stayed over. They were up all night just talking and laughing. Atlantis stayed as close to Shota was possible, the new marks on his arms pulling him back towards his new husband. Aizawa didn't mind in the slightest. If he had it his way, his arm would never unwrap itself from around Atlantis' waist. He felt beyond elated. He didn't even know what to call this level of happiness. It was the kind where you couldn't stop smiling. He felt like he'd be happy forever, so long as Atlantis was here by his side. He just... He never wanted this to end. This was it for him. This was everything he could ever want and more.

Aizawa never imagined he'd have this. It had never crossed his mind. He hadn't even thought about it before meeting Atlantis. It was so out of the realm of possibility, he didn't consider it. Not falling in love, and certainly not marriage. He wasn't the type to pin himself down to a single person. Or he hadn't thought he was until now, anyway. Atlantis was different. He'd follow him to the ends of the Earth if that's what was needed. Cheesy, sappy, and completely unlike him, but true.

"Watch, watch." Atlantis said, breathless with giggles. Aizawa raised a brow at him as he grabbed both his hands, the same way they'd done during the ceremony. It shot fresh tingles down his spine. This was truly a peculiar and unexpected day. Would they have gotten this, had they not found Hitoshi? Aizawa wasn't sure, but he was glad they'd found the teen either way. He clearly meant the world to Atlantis. 

"What am I watching?" Aizawa questioned, glancing at Hitoshi. The teen hadn't stopped grinning since he got here despite how exhausted he looked. Shota remembered him from the entrance exam. Tired and disheartened, he hadn't made it into the hero course due to his inability to do much against the robots during the physical test. He looked like an entirely different person now, laughing alongside them.

"Just wait." Hitoshi seemed excited, eyes focused on their arms.

That was another thing. The tattoos were... weird. They felt alive in a way Shota couldn't fully explain. They were comforting, and Shota felt at home everytime he looked at them. They were gorgeously intricate, full of tribal shapes. He was sure each one represented an important aspect of their marriage, which only made them all the more special. He was quickly growing accustomed to the new connection he had with Atlantis. It was something he already cherished despite not having had it long.

"There." Atlantis smiled. When Shota met his eyes, they were glowing a soft blue. When he looked down, the tattoos were too.

It was a warm feeling. A comforting heat one wouldn't normally associate with the ocean pooled through the markings comfortably, making Aizawa's shoulders droop as his muscles all untensed. Atlantis noticeably relaxed as well, squeezing his hands. Shota squeezed back. It felt like warm honey running through his veins. Or maybe like a hug. It wasn't something Aizawa could actually place. It was too unique a sensation to be anything else. 

"What is it?" Shota asked quietly. As though raising his voice might make the entire thing stop. 

"Your love." Hitoshi said, sounding wistful just talking about it. Shota felt his heart lighten. Merfolk truly were in a league of their own. Quirks were special and different, but this had to be magic. There wasn't anything else it could be! It was too... Shota didn't know. Maybe that's why it was so whimsical. There was an unknown factor that couldn't be explained. 

"It feels different for everyone." Atlantis explained. "Ours feels soft and warm, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Shota answered immediately, feeling oddly like he might cry. "It does."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They all walked to UA together the next morning. Shota and Atlantis held hands the whole way, talking with Hitoshi and catching up on things. Aizawa wasn't nearly as smiley, but anyone who looked at him would be able to tell how happy he was. It shone vividly through his eyes, which adamantly focused on his husband and the tired teen Aizawa was pretty sure they were about to adopt. He was family, after all. Shota wouldn't just abandon him, and Atlantis most definitely wouldn't either.

"Some humans don't sound all that nice." Atlantis frowned, his nose crinkling as Hitoshi told them about his current foster parents. Apparently the young Siren could go missing days at a time if he so pleased and they didn't care, so long as they knew he was alive. All he really needed to do was show up and look presentable for when the social worker came to check in every month. It all sounded very complicated and vaguely upsetting, but perhaps that was just Atlantis.

"We'll get you out of there." Shota assured in his usual, drawl tone. He didn't want to show how irritated Hitoshi's situation made him feel. There was nothing wrong with showing he cared! He'd just rather not do it where outsiders could see. Atlantis could feel his emotions now anyway. "I have a few connections. Give me the day to pull strings; you'll be in my custody in no time."

"Thanks, Mr. Aizawa." Hitoshi gave a half-smile, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. His relief was evident in his posture. "What are you two going to tell everyone about the marriage? As an underground hero, the, uh... tattoos could be seen as a mistake."

Atlantis had thought about that too. Shota was what was called an underground hero, right? If people ever noticed that they had matching markings on their arms, they could be used against one another. That wasn't a particularly good thing. Just dwelling on it made Atlantis huff slightly to himself. Shota's costume had long sleeves, but you could still see the beginnings of their shared bindings even now. Atlantis was in a jacket today that would hide his, but people were bound to put two and two together before long.

"It'll be fine." Was all Aizawa said. Atlantis could feel how unsure he was. There was a good chance something would happen. Not now, but later on. After that whole USJ attack-- they'd been after that large, blonde-haired man, right? If he was a teacher for Shota's class as well, then Atlantis' husband could be placed in the line of fire once again.

"I'm strong and can fend for myself, and I know Shota can do the same. Besides, we'll always be able to find each other." Atlantis smiled, doing his best to reassure himself. "The bond makes us stronger. In an emergency, that'll come out."

"You're right. I just worry." Hitoshi breathed out through his nose, shaking his head. Atlantis' smile turned more comforting. He didn't really understand this world quite yet or how 'society' functioned, but the merman knew things could get dangerous. This was a lot different than the ocean, and Shota had given him a talk about how horrible people could be. Trust wasn't something that could be given easily here-- not like it could be in the ocean.

"We'll be fine!" Atlantis chirped surely as they entered through UA's gates. Aizawa nodded in agreement, more for Hitoshi than himself. Though Atlantis was a bubbly, generally peppy person that didn't know much about this world, he was strong. His ability to control water and to heal using it could be seen as incredibly strong as far as quirks went, even if that's not what the power was. He was versatile. Something told Shota that Hitoshi probably was too, he just hadn't been able to show it.

"Let's get you to Recovery Girl. She's probably been waiting all morning." Shota sighed. The older woman was quickly becoming enraptured in the idea of Atlantis being her successor here and UA. Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Atlantis could heal injuries possibly even better than she could. With the League of Villains rising up, that was going to be needed. Shota had a feeling this year's sports festival would call for it too. 

"She's nice!" Atlantis agreed, switching from holding hands to looping arms with him instead. Giving Hitoshi a half-hug and a kiss on the cheek, the merman sent his siren cousin on his way. Hitoshi seemed to have a bit more bounce in his step compared to the drag he'd walked with yesterday when Atlantis first laid eyes on him. He watched his relative walk away with a bright smile, his heart warming considerably. Who knew life could be filled with such happiness! 

They started walking, Atlantis chattering and asking questions while Shota answered. The man kept his face neutral, save for a small smile on his face, but his emotions hadn't changed or dampened through their new bond. Atlantis was quite glad. He'd be very concerned if being at school dulled how he felt! But no, he was just putting on a firm face. Atlantis wasn't sure why, but it was alright either way! It was sort of funny to see him appear so serious! 

The school was starting to gradually fill with students. They loitered about the halls, exchanging small talk and chatting about what they'd be doing that day. It was sort of nice to see so many children in one place. In the sea, children were far from common. He and Hitoshi had been the absolute youngest in the pod. It was moderately hard to conceive children. Why, Atlantis had never been sure, he just knew it was a thing. He didn't question it.

Shota explained the school structure a but more to Atlantis as they went. They went the long way around, half so they could have more time together before parting ways, and half because Shota wasn't to avoid Mic and Nemuri. He didn't want to deal with them. On the plus side, everyone assumed they'd be getting married today, not knowing they'd already done it the day before. That meant Mic couldn't try to stalk after them to insert himself in. It was a good thing, because the blonde definitely would've tailed them.

"I see." Atlantis frowned. "And this tournament... it's dangerous? Why force children to fight each other?"

Aizawa really didn't have a good answer. There wasn't actually a solid answer to explain why they were forcing literal children to duke it out. Though it was heavily monitored by teachers and they'd have medical on sight, they were still having kids compete for the entertainment of the public. But also so they could get internships. There were pros and cons to it all, but that didn't change the fact that these were teenagers getting hurt by one another in a mandatory tournament.

"They're the next generation of heroes. It's a bit unorthodox, but it does get them noticed and sought after by hero agencies. It's a way to get their name out there and acclimate them to the crowds." Shota explained. Atlantis nodded, looking contemplative. 

"I understand! Will Hitoshi compete?" Atlantis asked.

"Yeah." Aizawa nodded, smiling a little. "You'll watch too, and probably have to heal some injuries."

Atlantis opened his mouth to respond and say he didn't mind healing as many people as was needed, but he was cut off before he could by a door sliding open. He jumped slightly, blinking down at the figure standing in the door. It was Recovery Girl, smiling kindly up at him with both hands on her strangely-shaped cane. Atlantis really did need to find time to ask about that and what it was. Did it have a function aside from being a walking stick, or was it just to help her hold herself up and balance? Very intriguing.

"I'll take him from here." Recovery Girl reached up and grabbed Atlantis' free hand. With surprising strength, she pulled him into the room. "Good day, Aizawa."

"You too, Recovery Girl." Shota grumbled. Atlantis couldn't stop himself from giggling a little at the irritation he felt in Aizawa. It was all very humorous. They'd see each other at lunch! Until then, Atlantis could get a little schooling of his own and start really learning about the things he needed to know. There was still too much he had to ask Shota to explain! He couldn't keep living like this. The wrong person would catch on at the wrong time, and nothing would be good anymore. Atlantis didn't like the idea of his newfound peace being disrupted.

Atlantis stood on his toes and gave a reluctant Shota one last peck on the lips before gently pushing him at the door. When Aizawa glanced back to give him an uncertain look, he sent a wave of reassurance through their new bond and patted his arms for emphasis. That gained a small smile from the man and a nod, and then he was off and feeling a lot more relaxed about leaving. Atlantis was relieved to see that. He didn't want Shota worrying all day! Then, Atlantis would worry all day! 

"I'm glad you're here. There's a lot to go over before the Sports Festival, dear." Recovery Girl said. She gave him a smile. "I also wondered if you'd be willing to come with me to the local hospital today. So I can perhaps see your quirk in action a bit more."

Atlantis squinted. He'd heard that word before. Hadn't he? Yes, he had. No. Well, maybe, but he wasn't sure. It definitely sounded familiar! Wasn't that the place those crying cars they called 'Ambulances' went? He'd heard it thrown around a lot the day Shota was injured, but he'd never seen or been to one.

"Hospital?" He asked, the word feeling weird on his tongue.

Recovery Girl gave him a dumbfounded look. The older woman decided right then and there that she probably needed to stop being so surprised about Atlantis' lack of knowledge. If he didn't know what a hospital was, then there was a lot more he probably didn't know. The girl gave a chuckle.

"I'll shoot Aizawa a text." Recovery Girl smiled. "Come on. If we leave now, we can be back before lunch."