The common room of Heights Alliance was alive with warmth and laughter. The sound of music and the clatter of party games echoed around the room. Plates of snacks and half-empty bottles of soda were scattered across the tables.

Izuku Midoriya sat at the edge of one of the couches, leaning forward slightly, his eyes focused on one person in particular. His classmate. His friend. But somehow, over the past few months, more than that. Not officially, not out loud, but in the quiet ways that mattered - a lingering touch, an inside joke, a glance that stayed a little too warm, a little too knowing.

They were sitting beside him now, he’d been talking with them for what felt like hours — though he couldn’t say for sure. He wasn’t sure where the time had gone.

His gaze dropped to his hands, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. His mind was already racing, voice loud in his head. This is fine. This is normal. It’s just you and them talking. You do this every day. Don’t overthink it. Don’t ruin it.

But it wasn’t normal, was it? Not tonight. Not with the way his pulse jumped every time their knee bumped against his.

He shifted his weight, his hand brushing against theirs.

“So… there’s this, uh, thing.” His voice was quiet, but not shaky. Not exactly. “You know how, um, people say you’re supposed to kiss someone at midnight on New Year’s?” He let out an awkward laugh, ducking his head like it would hide the warmth spreading from his ears to his neck. “It’s supposed to be good luck for the year ahead.”

He lifted his eyes just enough to meet theirs, half-expecting them to laugh, to brush it off, to say something teasing.

But they didn’t.

Oh.

His throat felt dry. His heart was loud. And he was suddenly very, very aware of how close they were.

“I— I mean, not that you have to or anything!” he stammered quickly, his hands moving in small, frantic gestures. “I just— it’s a thing people do, and I thought maybe—What I’m trying to say is... I wouldn’t mind if it was you.”