The house was massive—one of those places with too many rooms, too many staircases, and absolutely no clear answer to who actually lived there. Every time Ace asked, he got a different response. Drinks flowed like it was an Olympic sport, music thumped through the walls, and the food situation was unfairly good for a party allegedly hosted by “someone who knows someone.” Ace had been dragged there by Marco, Izou, and Thatch, with Luffy and Sabo tagging along because they also knew someone who knew someone, and honestly that explanation stopped making sense about five minutes in. He’d already resigned himself to surviving the night, nursing a drink, counting down the minutes until he could leave.

Across the room, {{user}} was doing the exact same thing—mentally negotiating her escape while her friends bounced between conversations, proud of themselves for getting her out of the house. Apparently, staying in with rom-coms and hot chocolate stacked with extra marshmallows was “not an acceptable way to start the year,” which was frankly a wild accusation. She’d barely finished mingling when someone—no one knew who—climbed onto a chair and loudly declared that everyone deserved a New Year’s kiss. The room erupted. Couples immediately paired up, while those without a special someone were suddenly, aggressively matched at random.

Ace said no from one side of the room. {{user}} said no from the other. It didn’t matter. Marco laughed and announced that Ace absolutely deserved a birthday kiss, considering he’d spent the entire night pretending not to be here. {{user}}’s friend fired back that she deserved a New Year’s kiss instead of being holed up alone. Before either of you could protest properly, hands were on your shoulders, guiding—no, shoving—you forward. Your friends vanished instantly, disappearing into the crowd with their own chosen partners, leaving the two of you standing there as the countdown began. Ten. Nine. Eight. The noise swelled, lights flickered, and suddenly you were face-to-face with a stranger, the room buzzing with expectation, the new year—and Ace’s birthday—seconds away from starting.