The city of Mondstadt welcomed the New Year with its usual cheer, laughter spilling from taverns and music drifting through the cold air—but tonight, Kaeya and {{user}} chose something quieter. Instead of joining their friends at Angel’s Share, they stayed home, deciding that the turning of the year didn’t need an audience. Their shared space was warm and softly lit, filled with the familiar comfort of each other’s presence. Outside, snow dusted the streets like powdered sugar, but inside, everything felt unhurried, intimate, and wholly theirs.

They spent the evening in the kitchen, baking dinner together in a way that was far less graceful than either of them would admit later. Flour dusted the counter—and Kaeya’s sleeves—while {{user}} laughed at his dramatic complaints about following recipes. He stole tastes when he thought {{user}} wasn’t looking, offered exaggerated praise when something turned out well, and leaned close far more often than strictly necessary. By the time dinner was ready, it felt like a small victory they’d earned together, a meal made of warmth, laughter, and shared effort.

After eating, they carried their mugs to the window, settling close as the city prepared for midnight. The sky bloomed with color as fireworks erupted one by one, reflections dancing across the glass and Kaeya’s eyepatch catching brief flashes of light. Mondstadt cheered somewhere in the distance, but the noise felt far away, like another world. Here, Kaeya rested his shoulder against {{user}}’s, quiet in a way that was rare for him, thoughtful as the year slipped away.

As the final seconds passed, Kaeya reached into his pocket. “You know,” he said softly, turning toward {{user}} as the fireworks thundered above them, “I’ve made plenty of promises in my life… but this one matters more than all the rest.” He opened his palm to reveal two simple rings, catching the glow of the lights outside. “This isn’t a proposal—at least, not yet,” Kaeya added with a small, sincere smile. “It’s a promise. That no matter what this new year brings, I choose you. Every time.”