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“The fireworks should start any minute now!” Izuku called into the apartment, the sliding door to the balcony left open for Katsuki to join him.
“I’m coming!” Katsuki yelled back, and Izuku chuckled to himself as he turned back to the night sky spread out in front of him. It was a beautiful, cloudless night, perfect for fireworks, and though it was a bit chilly, it wasn’t nearly as cold as it could be in December, so he was content to stand out there as long as he had his coat wrapped tight around his shoulders.
He’d been waiting for an evening like this ever since he and Katsuki had started dating at the end of their third year at UA, but in the four and a half years since, somehow one or both of them always ended up on patrol, covering for someone, or called out to an emergency on New Year’s Eve. It might be kind of cheesy, but Izuku had always thought the tradition of kissing your special-someone at the strike of midnight to start the new year was so romantic, and so he always tried to arrange for them to go see the fireworks together, or at the very least have the night off to sit on the couch and cuddle. Of course, he hadn’t told Katsuki that he was dead-set on that New Year’s kiss, but tonight, he was sure nothing could drag them away, and with fifteen minutes to midnight, his pulse was racing in anticipation.
“Kacchan!” he called again when the first stream of smoke took off into the sky, exploding into a silver shower of light over the city. “The fireworks are starting, where are you!?”
“Here!” he said, appearing around the corner and rushing outside with an open bottle of champagne in one hand and two skinny glasses in the other. “Sorry, the bottle was hard to open,” he admitted with a blush, setting them all down on the patio table before finally sliding the door shut.
“Aww, campagne? Is that why you didn’t want me looking in the fridge?” Izuku cooed.
“That, and I didn’t want you to know what I was making for dinner, either,” Katsuki corrected, and Izuku’s chilly cheeks simmered with warmth at the remembrance of their meal. Katsuki had made him pork katsudon, his favorite, as a New Year’s Eve surprise. It was surprising, since Katsuki wasn’t usually so quick to defer to Izuku’s tastes – he always complained that his favorite foods were too sugary and fatty – but maybe he’d noticed after four years how much Izuku wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with him and decided to make it special.
Katsuki poured a glass of champagne, the pale golden liquid bubbling up the sides of the thin flute, and then handed it to Izuku.
“Thanks babe,” he said and gave Katsuki a kiss on the cheek.
“Of course. Wouldn’t be New Year’s without champagne,” he shrugged, pouring himself a glass before finally joining Izuku at the balcony. Izuku hummed happily, shifting closer so he pressed into Katsuki’s side, feeling the warmth radiating off of him, and Katsuki gave a little huffed-out chuckle before wrapping his arm around Izuku’s shoulders.
In front of them the fireworks display continued, the sky filling with all colors and arrangements of bursting lights, getting more complicated and impressive as it went on. In the streets below, they could hear party-ers and bar-goers flooding the streets, cheering along as they watched. Izuku sipped his champagne and then let his head fall to Katsuki’s shoulder, feeling so warm in his chest despite the chill of the winter air. Katsuki squeezed his shoulder, and Izuku looked over at his face to see the fireworks show reflected in his eyes as he watched it. Izuku smiled, and feeling himself start to tear up, looked back at the sky to keep himself from actually crying. He didn’t mean to get that emotional, but being with Katsuki always made his heart do funny things, and four and a half years together hadn’t changed that so far.
After a while, he checked his watch to see that it was two minutes from midnight, and immediately felt a rush of excitement. It was so close now, he’d get that New Year’s kiss for sure! But then he felt Katuski’s arm unlatch itself and his warmth leave his side, and he turned, concerned.
“Kacchan–”
“I’m just putting my glass down,” Katsuki clarified before Izuku could even get worried, and he let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh, okay. Can you take mine too?” Izuku held it out for him.
“Sure,” he nodded, and placed it next to his on the table, Katsuki’s glass slightly less filled than Izuku’s. A particularly loud display of fireworks drew Izuku’s attention back to the sky, and he smiled, knowing it was the grand finale before midnight. Sure enough, the people in the street soon started to count down.
“Ten, nine, eight!” they cheered, and Izuku was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “Seven, six, five!”
“Kacchan, get over here,” Izuku waved behind himself without looking, too enamored with the brilliant display of glittering lights in the sky.
“Four, three, two!”
“Kacchan–” Izuku turned around, expecting to find his boyfriend next to him, ready for a kiss, but instead his eyes lowered to see he was kneeling on the ground.
“One! Happy New Year!” the crowd shouted, soon drowned out by an incredibly loud blast of fireworks, the lights glaring in Izuku’s peripheral vision, but he was too busy staring down at Katsuki to care, his mouth agape and the breath punched from his lungs.
He was holding a little box, the top open to reveal a gold ring with an oval diamond, the yellowish light of the fireworks reflecting beautifully across its surface.
“Kacchan…” Izuku breathed in at last, lifting a hand to cover his mouth as tears sprang to his eyes.
“I, uh, know you wanted a kiss, but I figured this would be an appropriate substitute,” Katsuki said, an adorable blush rising to his cheeks.
“Yes. Yes, yes, yes!” Izuku started nodding frantically and reached down to grab Katsuki by the shoulders and pull him up for a hug. “Yes, Kacchan! Oh my god, I love you so much!” he gushed, grabbing his face next and pressing his lips hard against Katsuki’s.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Katsuki chuckled, pushing them apart enough so he could talk again. “I haven’t even asked yet.”
“Oh! Right, sorry,” Izuku laughed. Katsuki reached up with his free hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks, and Izuku’s stomach fluttered at the feeling of it, too overwhelmed to do anything but look Katsuki in the eye as he waited for him to speak.
“Izuku, will you make me the happiest man in the new year? Will you marry me?” he said, and Izuku was nodding before he could even finish.
“Yes, yes, a million times yes!” he sobbed out the words, and that time it was Katsuki who brought their lips crashing together for a kiss. The sounds of the crowd cheering for the new year below flew in one ear and out the other on the rhythm of Izuku’s pounding heart, and for a moment he forgot to breathe, so when Katuski pulled away again he gulped for air, feeling lightheaded for more reason than one.
“Gimme your hand,” Katsuki said, and Izuku instantly offered it. Katsuki held him by the palm, already holding the ring in his other hand, and carefully slid it on. A perfect fit, because of course it was; Katsuki wouldn’t propose unless everything was perfect.
It all made sense then, the katsudon and the champagne, he’d done everything to make sure this was the perfect evening so he could propose right at midnight. It was such a perfect plan, Izuku couldn’t even be angry that he didn’t quite get that New Year’s kiss.
“What’cha thinking about nerd?” Katsuki whispered, bringing him back to reality.
“Nothing. Just… I’m so happy. I love you so much,” he said, slipping further into Katsuki’s embrace, feeling strong arms wrap around him as he let his head fall into his shoulder. Behind Katsuki’s back, he held out his hand high enough so the diamond ring caught the light just right, and let a sappy smile crawl onto his face.
Yeah, he was just fine not getting that kiss. A New Year’s proposal was a thousand times better.