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Bakugou Katsuki stomps his way down the sidewalk, steadfastly ignoring the cold in favor of focusing on his destination. Just a few more steps and he'll arrive at the shop's front door.
The chime rattles loudly as he pushes his way inside, and he takes only a brief moment to appreciate the warm air again before he charges towards the cash register. He has a mission to complete and he's short on time.
"Hello, last minute shopping?" asks the cheerful redhead behind the counter. "We're just about to close in..." he squints at the clock on the wall, "ten minutes."
"I'm picking up an online order," Bakugou replies.
The cashier's name tag reads Kirishima, but Bakugou's already calling him Shitty Hair in his head. He wonders if red is his color all year round, or if he's just being extra for the holidays.
"Oh, you must be Bakugou, yeah?" Kirishima exclaims, fumbling around under the counter for the package. "Cutting it kinda close, aren't you?" he laughs. "It's literally Christmas Eve!"
"It's a gift for the world's nosiest dumbass, so I couldn't pick it up sooner," Bakugou grumbles.
Shitty Hair's cheerful attitude doesn't fade as he rings up the purchase, and then neatly wraps it up again so it won't get damaged in transit. The tension in Bakugou’s shoulders eases a bit as he watches the other guy work like he has no care in the world. Things have been so hectic lately, he doesn't even remember the last time he had time to relax.
"Here you go," Kirishima says, sliding the package across the counter towards Bakugou. "Just in time too," he adds, glancing at the clock again. "Enjoy the holiday and feel free to drop by the shop anytime!"
"Maybe," Bakugou says.
He won't admit he kinda wants to explore the shelves of the shop more, and maybe spend a little longer chatting with Shitty Hair. Ask him about the color or something.
But he doesn’t have time today. So he throws a nonchalant wave over his shoulder as he heads out to brave the cold once more.
This time he walks with lighter footsteps.
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Kirishima Eijirou zips up his jacket before he sets out on his trek towards the train station. Usually, he heads straight there from work, but since today is a holiday and he's off early, he's going to treat himself.
There's a coupon in his pocket that he's been dying to use for weeks.
When he steps inside the café, he almost knocks over a lady standing near the entrance.
"I'm so sorry," he stutters out, grabbing her arm to prevent an unfortunate tumble to the floor.
"No worries," the lady responds, sweeping long green hair out of her face. "I should have moved away from the door sooner. Sometimes I just feel paralyzed by the cold that I forget what I'm doing."
"Oh yeah, it's brutal out there today," Kirishima nods. It had started to snow again while on his way here. "Do you like hot chocolate?"
"Hm?" The lady tilts her head in confusion.
"Since it's so cold and I almost knocked you over, I'll get you a hot chocolate" Kirishima explains. "Unless you already ordered?"
"Ah, I wasn't planning on getting anything. I just stepped in here for a break from the snow," she replies, but then places a finger to her chin like she's contemplating something. "...but I do like hot chocolate."
Kirishima grins. "Perfect!"
He doesn't hesitate to use his "one free drink" coupon for the lady's hot chocolate. She definitely seems to need something warm more than he does right now.
"Here you go," he says, returning to the table she's sitting at. "Uh..."
"Call me Tsu," she says with a nod of thanks for the drink.
He settles down at the table and they chat for a bit. Kirishima listens as Tsu talks fondly about her younger siblings, and the chaos they always bring during the holidays. And she listens patiently as he rambles on about his job. It's nice, Kirishima thinks, to be able to share a table with a someone on this holiday evening. It makes him want to call his old friends up to say hi when he gets home later.
Eventually, the hot chocolate runs out and they realize they'll have to brave the cold once more.
Tsu slips on a pair of thick gloves and readjusts her scarf to make sure it covers everything properly. She promises to bring her little brother by Kirishima's shop sometime soon and thanks him again for the hot chocolate.
Despite the snowflakes that keep falling on the rest of his walk to the station, Kirishima doesn't feel the chill because of the pleasant warmth in his chest.
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Asui Tsuyu (though she prefers simply "Tsu" to anyone who asks) is running a bit behind schedule, but she doesn't mind. The hot chocolate break was a nice breather before hitting the grocery store for a handful of last-minute items for dinner.
Now, grocery bag swinging in her hand, she walks as fast as she can to the bus stop. She makes it there early enough to stake a claim to the bench, under the shelter that'll keep the snow off her head. Another person is sitting on the other side of the bench, humming quietly to herself as she impatiently bounces her legs up and down.
Tsu has a bad habit of staring sometimes, and she must admit that the lady's bright pink hair peeking out under her hat has her full attention.
"Sorry, is the humming annoying?" the woman says, taking out her earbud as she notices Tsu's gaze.
Tsu shakes her head, compliments the lady's hair, and then asks what she's listening to. The question makes the other's face light up in excitement. She fumbles to pull out her phone to show Tsu the music titles, all Christmas songs for the holiday.
The enthusiasm puts a smile on Tsu's face until she notices the woman's reddish-pink fingers. No gloves to keep her hands warm in these frigid temperatures.
"There's just something magical about the atmosphere on Christmas Eve, I think," the woman muses, staring out at the snowflakes and not paying attention as Tsu starts rummaging through her coat pockets.
"Here," Tsu says, holding out the extra pair of gloves she had. She always keeps another pair in her coat pocket just in case she gets caught in the cold without them. "To keep your hands warm."
"Oh no, I can't take your gloves," she replies, waving her hands frantically, nearly knocking her phone to the ground in the process.
Tsu remains unfazed. "It's my spare pair, so I insist." She waves her own already-gloved hand at the lady for extra reassurance. "I have at least five more pairs at home."
The woman says thank you, and then slips on the gloves. She stretches her fingers out and looks at them like she's inspecting a new manicure. The way her face lights up again reminds Tsu of her siblings. It won't be much longer before she's watching them rip through wrapping paper to open up their gifts this year.
The bus arrives, groaning to a halt in front of the stop. They climb aboard, knowing they'll part ways soon, but Tsu is content knowing those hands won't be cold anymore.
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Ashido Mina hops off the bus and does a fun little twirl before she heads off to finish the rest of the walk home. She glances down again at the warm gloves on her hands, appreciating the feeling of the soft fabric covering her fingers and palms.
Christmas Eve really is magical.
Streetlights start flickering on now that the sun has set, making the falling snow look more glittery than before. Mina skips down the sidewalk, giving in to the urge to dance along with her music. People passing by stare at her antics, but she doesn't mind. If you can't dance for a special occasion, then when can you?
She misses a beat, however, when she notices the really hot guy standing on the sidewalk ahead, just under a corner streetlight. She marvels a moment at the snow falling on his strange two-toned hair. The flakes blend in with white hair on one side and stand out against his red hair on the other side in stark contrast. He's got a backpack slung over his shoulder like he'd been traveling. But what Mina really notices is that he's looking around like a lost puppy.
"Need help?" she asks, coming to a halt in front of him.
The guy blinks and then nods. "I'm trying to meet up with a friend, but I've never been here before..." He holds up a slip of paper with the name of a local bar scribbled down.
"Ooh, I know that place. It's right on my way home. Follow me!" She gestures towards the direction they need to go.
The lost stranger looks temporarily more lost than before by Mina's offer of assistance, but then takes a few hesitant steps after her.
"Why are you dancing?" he asks a few minutes later.
Mina grins at the guy. "Because it's Christmas Eve, and everything feels magical, don't ya think? Plus it keeps me warm."
The guy tilts his head up towards the sky, as if looking for the aforementioned magic.
"It's just a magic feeling," Mina explains. "That feeling of anticipation, of excitement, of hope."
The word hope catches the stranger's attention, his head whipping around to stare at Mina instead.
"That makes sense," he murmurs into the scarf wrapped around his neck.
"Here's the place," Mina says, pointing to the doorway of the bar just a few steps ahead. "Enjoy the holiday with your friend!"
"Thank you," he nods and heads towards the door.
Mina continues down the sidewalk again, skipping and twirling in the snow, thinking about how nice it would be to see some old friends too. Everyone's been so busy lately.
She pauses when her phone starts to ring.
Kiri! reads the name on the caller ID.
"Speak of the devil, Eijirou!" she laughs answering the call. "I was just thinking about you."
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Todoroki Shouto readjusts the backpack on his shoulder, takes a calming deep breath, and then steps into the bar.
The room is bathed in a neon blue light, casting odd shadows on the patrons at the tables and the two musicians on stage. The light also warps the color of the Christmas decorations around the room, making it feel as though he's just stepped into another universe.
But he's not here to admire the scenery. He's here to find Sero.
Another moment later and his eyes land on the bartender at the back of the room, and the familiar smile eases some of Todoroki's nerves. He watches Sero work, mixing drinks with the same ease he had back in their college dorm.
"Hello," he says, stepping up to the bar.
Sero's head pops up and his eyes nearly pop out in shock. "Roki!" he exclaims. "Did you come all this way to visit?"
He practically runs around the bar so he can throw his arms around Todoroki in a hug, the good kind that chases away the cold.
"Yeah, I..." he swallows, suddenly feeling selfish to show up with no warning. "I just needed to get away from home for a while."
"You can absolutely spend the holidays with me," Sero declares, and glances at the backpack. "Is that all you brought?"
Todoroki nods.
"Good thing we're still just as lanky as we were in college. You can borrow anything you need." Sero grins, and it's just as comforting as Todoroki remembers it.
Perhaps the dancing lady on the street was right. Tonight is a night for hope.
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Unlike most people, Sero Hanta doesn't mind working on a holiday. It's the time of year when people become their most interesting selves, for better or worse. He sees them at their most stressed and their most relaxed, and every emotion in between.
He can read faces just as well as he can read through his favorite manga series.
And right now, he can tell his boss looks a little stressed.
Since there's a lull in demand for drinks at the moment, he throws together one of his specialties and brings it to the stage where she's just about to take a musical breather while the pianist plays solo for a bit.
"I'd like to make a request," Sero grins as he offers up the glass to Jirou.
"I don't take requests," she rolls her eyes.
Sero knows that's not true, but he doesn’t call her out on it yet. Jirou's stubborn on the best of days.
"Will this change your mind?" he offers up the glass again after she ignored it the first time.
"Are you bribing me with alcohol in my own bar?" Jirou replies, but downs the drink anyway. She wrinkles her nose and then mutters something about the amount of whiskey in it.
"Yep," Sero nods. "So my request is for a Christmas carol."
Jirou does not look enthused. But Sero knows she'll come around, so he turns and points to the bar.
"That's my friend Shouto," he explains. "He's the sweetest, most awkward dude you'll ever meet, and he came to visit me because he's having a rough time right now. I think a good old Christmas carol will cheer him up." He pauses and gestures around to the whole bar. "Actually, we could probably all use a little extra bit of Christmas spirit."
Jirou frets too much about her music sometimes, gets stuck in her own head about it. So Sero always reminds her of why she loves music in the first place: it brings people together.
"Okay, fine," she sighs. But Sero sees the spark in her eyes again as she contemplates which song to play.
She climbs back on stage and Sero returns to his post behind the bar. The song she chooses is a familiar, easy one, and soon the whole bar is filled with the sound of most people singing along.
Sero watches Shouto hum along, getting swept up in the song. And he also watches Jirou, up on stage, strumming her guitar as she sings into the mic. Each note seems to pull a little more weight off her shoulders.
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"Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your holiday!"
Jirou Kyouka switches off the mic after that and switches on the usual music playlist now that she and Momo are finished for the night. She grabs her guitar and heads to her office, ready for a few moments of quiet before she joins Sero behind the bar.
"Another wonderful performance," Momo says, slipping into the office behind her. "I had fun."
"You say that every time we play together," Jirou laughs. She and Momo combine their guitar/piano talents on stage here every week.
"Because it's true!"
Jirou stows her guitar away safely in the case and then sinks down into a chair. The office is cozy, and she wishes she could hide back here just a little longer.
"Sure I can't convince you to stick around until closing?" Jirou asks, watching as Momo slips on her coat and scarf.
Momo sighs. "Sorry, I have to finish some last-minute gift-wrapping," she answers, moving to make sure her boots are laced up properly, and then adds with a cheeky smile, "don't be too grumpy while I'm gone."
"I'm not grumpy," Jirou mutters.
Momo gives her a look that says she knows the holidays exhaust Jirou but isn't going to push it. And then she inexplicably pulls out a decorative garland out of her bag and lays it on Jirou's shoulders like it's a feather boa.
"Just some Christmas spirit to get you through the rest of the night," Momo grins. "We'll still see each other tomorrow though, right?"
"Absolutely," Jirou nods, ignoring the itchy feeling of the garland.
"Great!" Momo claps her hands together. "I'll bring my best tea for special occasions."
After another few minutes of goodbyes, Momo heads out, leaving Jirou alone in her quiet office. She takes the garland off and drapes it around the neck of her guitar case instead. It does look delightfully festive, and she can't wipe off the smile that settles on her face.
Jirou never really likes holidays, but maybe this year can be an exception.
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Yaoyorozu Momo is not a procrastinator.
But this year, she was so busy that the holidays snuck up on her too fast, and now she's got to scramble to finish things on time. Specifically, she just needs to get a few more presents wrapped before tomorrow.
Luckily, she knows the perfect person for the job.
She breathes a sigh of relief when the library comes into view, and the lights are still on.
"Welcome," a familiar voice calls out as she steps inside. "Oh, Yaoyorozu! Good to see you!"
The librarian, Iida, is standing by the closest bookshelf as he restocks the empty spaces.
"I was afraid I wouldn't make it," she says, pausing a moment to catch her breath after power-walking several blocks in the snow.
Iida readjusts the glasses on his nose and gestures for her to grab a cup of hot cider on the table nearby.
"Nonsense!" he replies. "I'm keeping the doors open longer than usual today, for anyone who needs to warm up or perhaps, needs some last-minute gift-wrapping." He eyes her bag knowingly.
Momo thinks it's sweet that most people would be shutting down early today, but Iida always chooses to do the exact opposite to help people out.
"You caught me," she replies. "I just need three little things wrapped up. I tried doing it myself and kept ripping the paper."
"Gift wrapping is a precise and careful science," Iida declares with a sympathetic nod.
Momo always enjoys when she gets a chance to drop in and spend time with Iida. He's earnest in everything he does, and gift wrapping is no exception. She follows his meticulous and methodical hand motions as he covers each of Momo's gifts in colorful paper, moving almost robot-like fluidity. His hands seem to have a mind of their own, since he spends the whole time chattering away, regaling her with tales of today's library patrons and his upcoming plans to visit his brother.
"There you go," Iida finally says, affixing the last bow on the last box. "All done and ready for delivery!"
Momo imagines for a moment the pleased expressions on her parents' faces when they open their gifts tomorrow. And she wonders if Jirou will look the same when she tears through the wrapping paper to open her own.
"Do you ever feel a bit sad that all your hard work on wrapping gifts quickly goes to waste?" Momo asks suddenly, remembering piles and piles of ripped and wrinkled paper of years past.
"Nonsense," he answers honestly. "A gift that remains unopened is a missed opportunity to share joy and love."
"How very poignant," Momo agrees.
She may be running a bit behind on everything this year, but Momo won't miss any opportunity to share happiness with the people she cares about the most.
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Iida Tenya double-checks, as he usually does, to make sure the library doors are locked when he leaves for the night. He is distracted from his task, however, by a nearby wail of dismay.
He turns around to see a guy just a bit further down the sidewalk, standing by a parked car covered in fresh snow. Though the snow has stopped now, Iida hadn't realized how much it had snowed during the day while he'd been working inside.
"Are you okay?" Iida asks, carefully approaching the distraught fellow. He doesn't appear injured, at least, even though static electricity seems to cling to his bright blond hair.
"My car is totally snowed in here," he answers, pointing to the barely visible tires. It does look like the heavy snowfall combined with remnants shoved out of the road from a snowplow have trapped the vehicle in place. "How am I going to dig this out?"
The guy puts his hands on his face and lets out a dramatically frustrated groan.
"Do not fret," Iida says. "I have a shovel inside the library."
The guy's eyes go huge at the revelation, and he immediately hugs Iida like he's a rescuer casting out a life preserver.
"Bless you!" he exclaims. "Thank you!"
"It's no trouble, uh..."
"Kaminari," the guy introduces himself.
"Right," Iida nods. "It's no trouble, Mr. Kaminari. I'll be right back."
They get to work quickly to excavate the car, and Iida admires Kaminari’s seemingly endless supply of energy. It's quite invigorating to watch. At one point, Kaminari even answers his ringing phone, cradles it between his ear and shoulder, and keeps right on shoveling as he talks.
"That was my roomie," he explains after he puts the phone away again, even though Iida wasn't going to be nosy and ask. "Apparently, his old college friend is in town, and now they need me to swing by and pick them up sometime soon. I guess it is getting kinda late, huh?"
Iida glances up at the darkened night sky, only punctuated by the streetlights all around. He's out a bit later than he expected, but he doesn’t mind.
"Thanks again for helping," Kaminari says once the car is finally free. "You deserve to have a nice Christmas. And a nice New Year's too," he adds for good measure.
"So do you," Iida insists. The change in the guy's demeanor from worried frustration to excited elation is heartening to witness.
He waits until Kaminari successfully drives away before he returns the shovel to its proper place, and then he double-checks the library doors once more before beginning his short walk home.
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Kaminari Denki isn't a big fan of driving on snowy roads. He's gotta go slower than usual, and keep his eyes extra peeled.
So maybe that's why the flickering Christmas light display he passes by catches his attention.
Something is definitely wrong with it. Like half of them seem to be burned out and the other half seem to be out of sync with everything. He slows to a stop just as he spots a lady apparently trying (and failing) to fix the problem.
An exasperated "crap" is the first thing he hears when he gets out of the car.
"Having trouble?" he asks.
The lady looks up from the wires she's fiddling with, and her already pink cheeks darken with an embarrassed blush.
"I have no idea what's wrong with the display, and I'm supposed to be heading to work right now. But it just seems wrong to leave this messed up on Christmas Eve, you know," she blurts out.
"Let me see," Kaminari kneels down to get a closer look at the wires. "I'm an electrician, so I might be able to figure it out."
Kaminari fiddles around with the equipment for a few minutes before asking if she has a replacement extension cord to use. She nods and disappears briefly inside the business behind the display. Uraraka Construction reads the sign overhead.
"Are you Uraraka?" he asks when she returns. "Isn't it a little late to be doing construction work on Christmas Eve?"
She looks confused for a moment before she glances up at the business sign too. "Oh! This is my parents' business," she explains. "I help out sometimes but my main job is as a paramedic."
"Oh man, that's really cool," he says. "You get to help out so many people that way."
"I do what I can," she replies, looking a bit sheepish at the compliment.
Kaminari reconnects the replacement cord and then watches as the light display comes to life in a dazzling array of colors. It's like a spark of fun in the midst of a dark, cold night.
"Oh thank goodness," Uraraka sighs. "I'm glad you were at the right place at the right time."
"Well I just couldn't let these nice lights go dark on such an important night," he chuckles. "I was just passing through..." he trails off as he remembers he was supposed to go pick up his roommate and friend from the bar. "Oh snap, I've gotta go!"
Uraraka laughs, remembering that she too had been in a hurry to get to work. She thanks him again and then they part ways.
The Christmas lights remain steady like a bright beacon, guiding the way for anyone still traveling on this cold night.
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Uraraka Ochako hopes she's not too late.
She skids into the station, quickly closing the door behind her to shut out the cold wind.
"Ochako! Merry Christmas!" a familiar voice calls out from across the room. "I was just about to leave."
She breathes a sigh of relief that she caught him just in time.
"Merry Christmas, Izuku!"
She digs the plastic container out of her bag and hands it to him, watching as his eyes grow predictably wide and watery at the gift.
"You haven't even opened it yet," she teases.
Izuku pops off the top of the container to reveal a pile of Christmas cookies. Ochako is proud of how well they turned out, especially after last year's debacle with the gingerbread.
His thank you is muffled by the cookie he immediately shoves in his mouth, and Ochako laughs at the mess of crumbs getting everywhere.
This is her favorite part of the holiday, just seeing the joy on someone's face when they receive a gift. She's glad she made it here before he clocked out at the end of his shift. She has a few more cookies to pass along, like for her supervisors Aizawa and Yagi, but that can wait a few more minutes.
"Be safe," Izuku says as he tucks the container securely under his arm. "I'm sure I could stick around longer if you need extra support."
"No way," Ochako says, shooing him towards the door. "Go enjoy your holiday vacation! I've just stocked you up on enough sugar to give you a good start."
Izuku gives her a hug, somewhat awkwardly so he doesn't accidentally drop the container, and then she watches him dash out the door in a hurry to get home.
Satisfied, she settles down at her desk and hopes for a quiet night.
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Midoriya Izuku turns the key in the lock and steps into the warmth of his apartment. He's greeted by the smell of food still lingering in the air, even though dinner was probably eaten a few hours ago.
"Did you get lost on the way home, nerd?" is the other greeting he receives too.
"Kacchan!" he calls out, kicking his shoes off before heading towards the kitchen. "I'm not that late. I was talking with Ochako before I left work. She sent cookies."
Bakugou, clad in a holiday-themed apron, looks unimpressed by the declaration. "Hope they're better than the gingerbread," he mutters.
Izuku ignores Bakugou's usual grumpiness because he's used to it after all these years. He focuses instead of the fresh plate of food now in front of him.
"Eat properly," Bakugou demands. "I'm sure you forgot during work earlier."
Izuku decides to dig in instead of admitting that his lunch was a hastily devoured bag of chips.
As he eats, he watches Bakugou continue cleaning up the kitchen, moving restlessly around like he's trying to keep busy. Izuku wonders if there's something on his mind, but he decides not to ask yet. Best to finish eating first.
The two of them don't usually do much to celebrate Christmas, choosing to wait until New Year's to go visit their families. So this feels like any other regular night in their apartment, Izuku reflects. Just the two of them sharing a comfortable space together.
He nearly chokes on his rice when Bakugou suddenly deposits a small wrapped gift on the table beside him.
"What? For me?"
"Who else would it be for, Deku?" Bakugou snorts.
Izuku gently opens up the small package, taking care not to accidentally damage whatever is inside.
He gasps when he uncovers a limited edition first issue copy of his favorite comic book. It takes every ounce of willpower he has not to start crying on its delicate pages.
"To replace the one I ruined with the coffee," Bakugou explains, even though Izuku already knows that, remembering the unfortunate incident from a few months ago.
"How did you even get your hands on this?"
"Just ordered it from that comic book shop downtown," he shrugs. "Their website said they specialize in finding that kind of shit."
Izuku flips through the pages of the familiar comic, smiling as he spots his favorite panels and characters and dialogue bubbles.
"That's very kind of you," he says. "I didn't even get you a gift in return."
Bakugou rolls his eyes. "I didn't buy it because I wanted something in return. A gift is just a gift, not an obligation."
Izuku knows he's right about that.
"I am going to hug you," he declares, setting the comic down so he can catch Bakugou before he escapes.
Bakugou growls like he's annoyed, but Izuku knows better. He blinks back a few tears again, thinking about how grateful he is to have such good people like Bakugou in his life.
"Do you wanna read the comic together with me?" Izuku asks once he finally releases Bakugou from his vice-like grip.
"We've already read it a hundred times."
"And tonight can be the 101st time."
Bakugou sighs like this is the most difficult request that's ever been asked of him, which is how Izuku knows he's won.
They settle down side-by-side on the couch to start reading. All in all, Izuku thinks this is going to be a pretty good night.