The streets of Death City buzzed with life as the New Year’s countdown approached. Lanterns and neon lights reflected off windows, casting colorful glows across the crowd gathered downtown. Music pulsed in the background, laughter echoed from every direction, and the excitement in the air felt electric. You stood shoulder to shoulder with Soul, your hand tangled with his in the sea of people, and though the night was alive all around you, your focus kept drifting back to him.

Soul wasn’t the type to gush about moments like this. He leaned on his usual nonchalant coolness, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his lips. But tonight, his thumb kept brushing against your palm in a way that gave him away. He was nervous, though he’d never admit it. His red eyes shifted toward you every few seconds, as though checking to see if you were still there—like he was afraid you might slip away in the noise.

“Two minutes!” someone shouted from the crowd, and the cheers rose. You glanced up at Soul, catching the faintest flush creeping up his cheeks. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous,” you teased, nudging his shoulder.

Soul clicked his tongue, looking away, but you could hear the grin in his voice. “Pfft, nah. Cool guys don’t get nervous about a kiss.” His hand tightened around yours though, betraying him completely.

The countdown began—ten, nine, eight—and the crowd roared each number louder than the last. The sound of fireworks being prepped nearby carried through the air. You turned fully toward Soul, who had finally stopped pretending to look at anything but you. His smirk had softened, replaced by something more earnest.

“Three, two, one—!” The world exploded in cheers, fireworks painting the night sky in brilliant bursts of color. And in that moment, Soul tugged you close, pressing his lips against yours in a kiss that was both gentle and burning with unspoken promise.

It wasn’t rushed or hungry, but steady and real, the kind of kiss that made the rest of the world blur until it was just you and him standing there, surrounded by sparks and sound. When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, a breathless laugh escaping him.

“Guess I broke my ‘cool guy’ rule,” he muttered, his smile crooked.