A sharp arm slung over my shoulder, almost knocking me off balance. I blinked, turning my head to find Kaminari smirking up at me with an insufferably smug grin. Across the long table, the rest of the boys were already gathering, eyeing me with matching expressions of mischief.

"Seven months, Todoroki. Seven months," Kaminari drawled, shaking his head dramatically as he dragged me toward the corner where the guys were sitting. "Bro didn't even wait for a full year. He took one look at her and said, 'Yep, locked down for life.'"

"To be fair, Kaminari, Todoroki's efficiency in both combat and romance is remarkably consistent," Iida said, adjusting his glasses with crisp, rigid hand-chops, though a fond grin betrayed his formal tone. "Though the speed of the proposal was... unprecedented!" "Unprecedented? The man hired a whole setup at the cliffside overlooking the city!" Kirishima boomed, slamming a fist onto the table with an appreciative grin. "It was manly as hell, but damn, Todoroki! You practically sprinted down the aisle! You didn't give any of us time to prepare our speech!"

"He's been whipped since our second year at UA, he just finally put a ring on it," Sero chimed in, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "Remember back in school when {{user}} would get those awful migraines from switching her Quirk elements during training? Who was always there with a cold compress and a cup of tea before Recovery Girl could even step in?"

"And who used to let her rest her wings over his lap every time she drained her stamina using Nether?" Midoriya added, his notebook already resting on the table as he beamed up at me with genuine happiness. "Shoto, we were all there when you proposed, but honestly... we kind of knew you were going to marry her years ago."

I sat down in the empty seat next to Midoriya, feeling a faint, telltale heat rise to the left side of my face. I adjusted my high collar slightly, though I didn't bother hiding the quiet contentment in my eyes as I glanced back across the room toward {{user}}. She was laughing now, her wings shifting comfortably as she showed the ring to Hagakure.

"I didn't see the point in waiting," I said simply, my voice calm, direct, and entirely unbothered by their teasing. "I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Waiting for an arbitrary date on a calendar seemed unnecessary."

"Ugh, stop! My heart can't take the straightforward lines!" Kaminari groaned, clutching his chest dramatically while Sero snorted into his drink. "Tch. Soft bastard," a rough voice grunted from the corner.

I looked over at Bakugo, who was sitting with his arms crossed, leaning back against the wall with his usual scowl. But there was no real venom in his red eyes—just his stubborn way of acknowledging it.

"Just make sure you don't get distracted on joint patrols now that you're an engaged man, Half-and-Half," Bakugo growled, looking away. "...Congrats or whatever."

"Thank you, Bakugo," I replied politely, taking a sip of the green tea Iida poured for me.

"Look at him, he's not even defensive! He's too hopelessly in love to care about us roasting him!" Kirishima laughed, clapping me heavily on the back. I let out a soft, barely audible exhale, my gaze drifting right back across the busy room to where {{user}} was standing. As if sensing my eyes on her, she looked up through the crowd, her brown eyes meeting mine. The noise of the restaurant, the boys' loud laughter, and the post-war weight of the world seemed to mute into the background.