Third person pov

Aizawa ended up carrying Atlantis once they docked. It hadn't taken long to get back to land, the tides dragging Gang Orca's vessel into its previous position as though it had never left to begin with. Of the three involved with the ritual, Hitoshi was the only one who'd retained consciousness. He'd stayed laid out on the deck's floor uncaring of any water that splashed its way onto his face and already-soaked clothing, staring up at the sky. Though clearly tired, anyone could see just how contented he was to be there. No one dared to interrupt him.

Toshinori was very carefully moved onto one of the benches, covered in blankets and head propped up with a sandbag of all things. The man breathed in deep and peaceful, his face laxer than Recovery Girl had seen it in a very long time. The woman was truly speechless as she checked over him, stethoscope coming up to listen to his lungs. Her heart had clenched when she'd first realized he had both back, full and sounding as strong as ever. The man was still skin and bones, but he was skin and bones with healthy organs. And that was two thirds of the battle, really.

"He should wake up within the next few hours, but it'll probably be a day or two before he stops feeling tired." Hitoshi noted mildly as the blonde man was awkwardly loaded into the vehicle they'd brought here. Atlantis remained dead asleep, curled up in Aizawa's arms like a cat. As exhausted as he was, Shota could tell he wasn't hurt in any way. It was relieving enough for him to maintain his straight face, even at the looks Nezu and Recovery Girl were giving him. They had just watched something insanely supernatural occur, after all. Even he was blown away by it. Just when he thought things couldn't get any crazier, Atlantis would pull out a whole new deck of cards.

Nezu didn't ask anymore questions. A surprise, yes, but one Shota didn't dare to inquire about. Hitoshi lightly dozed the entire way back, shifting vaguely in and out of sleep. Recovery Girl continued to shoot him glances. It was hard to believe a tired, disheveled teenager wrapped in a bright orange beach towel could be a mythical creature out of a children's fairytale. Ancient and powerful, and hardly of this world. It's almost comical. If you'd told Shota a year ago this is where he'd be today, he'd... well, he might actually believe you, with how much he adored merfolk. He hadn't been embarrassed by his fascination then and he most certainly wasn't now.

Aizawa hauled Atlantis up to his apartment, Hitoshi following after him and stumbling like a drunk the whole way. Atlantis doesn't stir even slightly. The only indication he gives of life is the soft snores that escape him as he lies limply in his husband's arms. Shota lays him on their bed with a gentle kiss to the forehead before escaping to go try and force some food down Hitoshi's throat. The boy looked absolutely exhausted, and he isn't about to let his husband's cousin pass out on the floor without some sort of nutrients.

Hitoshi is going to be living with them. Custody would be Aizawa's in no time flat, so they were going to have to find a place for the kid. Aizawa's apartment was hardly big enough for three, even with his spare bedroom. It's basically a shoebox it's so small. They're going to have to move. This place is cheap and though it's close to work, it's rickety at best. Being an underground hero and a teacher pays pretty well, however. Aizawa won't say he's amassed tons of wealth, but... wait. Wait, wait, wait. That box of gold Atlantis had found and then hidden at Shota's request. Get that appraised and they could get a house with a pool a mile long. And a few cats to boot. It's more than ideal when he thinks about it. He feels fond.

Aizawa enters the kitchen expecting Hitoshi to still be slumped down in a barstool with his upper half draped over the countertop. And yeah, he is, but he isn't alone. Aizawa is so uncharacteristically startled that he almost lets out a yelp, just barely managing to catch himself as Hizashi and Nemuri slowly turn to him. They're both standing there huddled up next to each other, eyes wide like they hadn't expected to be caught. Mic's phone is out, pointed directly at Hitoshi. Aizawa resists the urge to bash his head through the nearest wall.

Mic and Midnight aren't super sure what to think at this point. They'd come here hoping to host some sort of confrontation. Maybe force themselves in, because when it came to Shota Aizawa, sometimes you had to be a little pushy. They were overjoyed to see him happy. They just... didn't understand how he could shut them out of such a key point in his life. He'd built up an impenetrable dam. They'd tried waiting for him to come to them. It wasn't working. He was never going to unless they took initiative. They just hadn't expected... this, really. 

"Hizashi, Nemuri." Aizawa greets, eyeing them. They eyed him right back. As though this wasn't his house and he was the odd one out here. Hitoshi weakly raised his head, looking mildly bewildered. He's too bleary and tired really process. Shota is pretty sure he hadn't even noticed them before. The teen tried to push himself upright, hands sliding weakly against the countertop. He's still shirtless, having shed the soaked garment to try to keep from getting a cold. There's a nasty scar on his chest. Aizawa steps further into the room. "What're you doing here?"

"Invading your privacy." Nemuri admitted with surprising honesty. Mic elbowed her in her side, forcing a smile.

"We were just worried about you! And Atlantis! We tried calling a few times to invite you two to lunch but you never answered." Hizashi's voice has an undertone of a whine to it. He looked a little upset, pouting. He glances at Hitoshi. "You've been pushing us out, Sho. We're your best friends! And now suddenly you've got-- what, a husband and now a kid? What kind of double-life are you leading?"

Before Aizawa can muster up any words of reply, several things happen at once. 

There's a very shrill ringing noise that makes Nemuri and Hizashi both jump, shrieking out so loudly Aizawa swears the windows rattle. He feels his quirk threaten to flare, only stopped by the way Hitoshi's entire body seizes. Aizawa feels a spike of panic as the teenager's joints lock up, face twisting with a tense sort of pain. His teeth clench hard enough that Shota can almost hear his jaw creak, even with the high-pitched humming that he knows he'll hear about from his landlord later. 

At the same time, Atlantis very abruptly jolted awake. He felt it send a shock through their bond, a new wave of emotions overtaking him. Shota heard a faint bang come from the bedroom as his husband supposedly rolled his way out of their bed. Hitoshi's expression shifts, the ringing reaching ear-drum rupturing levels of high. And then suddenly there's some sort of glowing rock ejecting itself from Hitoshi's chest and shooting across the kitchen like a bullet. It's a blur as it flies, absolutely shattering the glass of his oven's door. Hizashi and Nemuri yelp and jump away as glass flies, the latter's hands cupped around her ears to try and block out the shrieking noise. Hizashi is a little too used to tones like these to be anything but confused. 

And then the ringing stops. Snaps off like it never happened. Aizawa takes a deep breath.

There's a moment of silence that follows just before Hitoshi's legs snap together like two powerful magnets and purple scales are climbing across his skin so fast Shota could've blinked and missed it. The teen lets out an undignified squeak of some sort, blood bubbling out of the small wound in his chest as he tips out of the barstool, any semblance of balance lost as the weight of his tail drags him down. He flops hard onto the ground, eyes wild as his arms pinwheel uselessly in an attempt to find some sort of center of gravity. He doesn't look nearly as tired anymore. Hizashi and Nemuri stare, eyes wide as Hitoshi unceremoniously drops down onto the tile. Aizawa can't stop himself from gaping at the teen as he props himself up on his elbows weakly, staring at his tail in disbelief. He's shaking. 

"Oh." Mic says eloquently. Nobody can muster up words of response. Hitoshi feels like his lungs have stopped working. 

Hitoshi hasn't seen his tail in years, but it's still the exact same as he remembers it. Shades of miasmic purple he's always seen reflected in his eyes shine back at him, healthy, clean, and powerful. The frill at the end of his tail is as billowing as he recalls it being. The fins on the sides of his tail flicker slightly, so extremely familiar yet foreign at the same time. Tears flood his eyes unbidden as his hand flies up to touch the gills on his neck, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to find words. That's his tail. His tail. He has his tail back. Just like that. The coral-- the coral he'd enchanted, it-- it had just popped out. And now he feels so complete, and whole, and at home, and strong. Healthy and awake and-

Atlantis comes crashing through the bedroom door, still looking tired and like he's about to tip over. His eyes land on Hitoshi. He lunges and grabs his husband's arm with a shriek, leaning almost all his weight on him. Were Aizawa a lesser man, he probably would've tipped over from the sudden weight. 

"Shota!" He shakes him excitedly. He's teeming with surprise that's quickly overtaken by exuberance. Aizawa can feel it rushing through his own veins, Atlantis' emotions melding with his own stunned ones. He can't stop himself from smiling too, eyes sparking. "Hitoshi got his tail back!" 

Hitoshi turns to his cousin, beaming tearfully as his tail awkwardly flexes and wiggles on the floor. Hizashi and Nemuri stare. They both turn to Aizawa in sync as though he has any idea what in fresh hot hell just happened. He rips his eyes away from Hitoshi to look at them too, smile dropping a little at their pasty complexions. Atlantis is too busy freaking out to even care that they're here, scrambling over to Hitoshi to inspect him. Hitoshi's tears come in a flood, unrestrained and fierce. He grapples to his cousin, sobbing, disbelief surging. His tail, his tail, his tail.

"Uh." Aizawa looks at the black glass on the ground. He's going to get evicted. "You two should take a seat. There's a lot to explain."

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

Merfolk. Merfolk are real, and Aizawa had gotten married to one and hadn't even bothered to tell them! 

"You're kidding." Hizashi's voice comes out flat as Atlantis very carefully wraps the chunk of coral that had flown from his cousin's chest in twine. His own necklace lays flat against his shirt, a crystal that gives off a faint glow. Hitoshi is still speechless, running his hands up and down his own tail as though to take it in. He continues to stare at it as though he's afraid it'll disappear forever if he dares pry his gaze away. The wound on his chest had long since been healed, a splash of water all Atlantis needed. 

There was no reason for the coral to come out. Hitoshi had tried once to dig it out when he was at his lowest of lows, but it was too painful and too deep. He'd even considering reaching out to a doctor to see if they'd taken some x-rays and surgically remove it, but that would've exposed his secret. It had been something that almost seemed worth it before. Now, he supposed he didn't need to worry about it. There'd been a hot rush that had flooded his body before it happened. The ocean calling out-- wanting something. Atlantis had felt it too, he knew. He wasn't sure what the sea had been trying to tell them. Something important if the reaction was anything to go off of.

"Am I?" Shota asks dryly, splayed out on his couch as though he hadn't just dropped the bomb of the century. He kept his arm flung over his husband's shoulders, the tattoos that mirror Atlantis' on full display. Nemuri gazes at them in awe, eyes darting between his and the ones inking Atlantis' arms. The lines aren't as dark as they had been the first night after their marriage, but Aizawa can still feel the bond strong as ever. It feels more like the markings have sunk in than faded, settling into his skin like they'd been there his whole life. 

"I just... merfolk." Nemuri shook her head, prying her eyes away to inspect Hitoshi again. His eyes are puffy from crying, his eyes full of childlike wonder that makes him look even younger than he already is. His tail is amazing, a swirl of every purple imaginable and more. Nemuri can almost see him in the water, swimming in large arcs and spiraling through the water. "I guess I can understand why you didn't tell us."

Aizawa nods, and so does Hizashi. He's a little upset, but he does get it. This is a big deal. A whole other species, ancient and legendary. He'd already turned on his quirk for them, staring at Hitoshi with glowing eyes. The teen hadn't seemed to noticed, too enraptured with the return of his beloved tail to bother glancing his way. The appendage didn't vanish. It wasn't a quirk. It was awing. Hizashi felt bad for all the times he'd teased Shota about his oceanic obsessions now. They were all true. 

"D-Don't hold it against him." Atlantis sputtered out, tightening the knot holding the coral of Hitoshi's new necklace. They'd scrubbed the blood off of it, revealing its dull blue color. It was perfect to be made into a necklace, and it would have to be if Hitoshi was to keep living on land with them. "My kind has been hunted for centuries, and in recent years, I fear we've gone nearly extinct. I-I thought I was the last one left until recently. My situation was very... precarious. Though I'm still unsure of what destroyed my pod, I have fears it could still be out there. We are still very much at risk if it gets out our powers are not these quirks of yours. Our magic extends beyond much of what you deem imaginable."

Atlantis thinks back to the injury he'd healed just earlier today. Toshinori Yagi's wound had not been caused by land-originating means. Magic from the ocean had done that. Had mangled him for some reason. He could tell it had not been the sea's will, with how willingly it had cradled him in its waves and allowed Atlantis to heal him. He feared whatever had done this to the blond man also had something to do with why his family was slaughtered and scattered. It made him all the more cautious. It's a miracle he had somehow avoided being caught. Atlantis is glad Hitoshi had the chance to hide out on land. There's no telling what could've happened if he hadn't had that chance. He'd been so young. It's scary to think about.

"We get it. We just... wow. Merfolk." Hizashi shook his head, grinning. This was totally insane. His best friend had found a merman, married him, and then found the merman's cousin. And now they were all a little merman family! Shota even had magical tattoos binding him to Atlantis. It was totally whacked. "That's pretty cool!"

"Understatement of the year." Nemuri scoffed. She shook her head. "I'm assuming Nezu and Recovery Girl know? And All Might? Is that why... did you heal him? I know they said it was impossible, but if you've got magic like you said..."

Atlantis blinks cluelessly at her. Hitoshi slowly looks up. Shota suppresses a sigh as the teen's brows tick up, up, up until they're as high as they'll go. The R-rated Heroine pauses just briefly, realization coloring her face seconds later as Hitoshi leans forward.

"I'm sorry." The purple-haired teen says, sounding so genuine it's almost funny. "That emancipated twig of a man was All Might?" 

Hizashi's shrieking laugh tells Aizawa that yeah, they're definitely going to get evicted.