Yukata be kidding me [NYNH Zine]

This is my fic from the New Year New Hope (free!) zine which I also modded on! You should all check it out; Roku, Kuckoo and I spent a lot of time on it with a LOT of contributors! This fic is available to everyone who downloads the zine here, and of course here on Patreon, but will not be on Ao3 at any point.

Check out Kuckoo's collab art too! 

─────

"Okay, so we'll meet outside the temple at eleven."

The words mocked Katsuki as he carried bags of groceries up three flights of stairs. Honestly, what little old lady was out buying food at 10:30 at night anyway? What was she thinking? But Katsuki was a hero, unfortunately, and that meant he’d seen an elderly lady struggling with the bags and been obligated to stop and help. Damn it.

“Thank you so much, young man.” She bowed as he set the bags down on her kitchen counter. “Let me give you something for your trouble.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” Katsuki assured her, already backing toward the door. “Just doing my job, helping people out. Take care of yourself, okay? Maybe go shopping in the afternoon, next time. Alright, bye.”

He closed the door behind him quickly, making sure it was locked before he began his jog back down the stairs, digging his phone from his pocket to check the time. Thankfully, Katsuki had a habit of arriving everywhere with ten minutes to spare, just to make sure he wouldn’t get caught being late to anything, so as long as nothing else got in the way, he’d still make it to the temple with plenty of time.

They’d picked the temple almost perfectly equidistant between Katsuki’s apartment block and Izuku’s, even though they’d likely end up back at one or other after the festivities. It was a small, local place, where the crowds wouldn’t be too excessive, and even if there were a lot of people around, the pathways where they would queue were sheltered on both sides to keep away any prying eyes searching for a hero to bother. It was something Izuku had never cared about, always more than happy to stop for photos and autographs, but Katsuki just wanted one night off to spend with his new boyfriend.

It was their first New Year’s Eve as a couple, even though they’d spent a few together as friends and family in the past, and Katsuki was determined to make it a good one. He needed Izuku to remember it forever – for the right reasons – and gush about it to all their friends and family who were convinced Katsuki could never be good enough for their Izuku.

Katsuki was the best, and that was what Izuku deserved.

And okay, sure, he probably wasn’t good enough, but he was sure as hell the closest anyone was ever gonna get.

He was forced to slow down once he left the apartment block, the footpaths covered in a layer of snow and ice that was sure to send him onto his ass. They’d been cleared off early in the morning, making way for the foot traffic of the morning commute, but once the sun went down and the snow continued to fall, the paths had become precarious.

He hated the damn snow, always had done. Even as a kid, while everyone else was excited about snowball fights and building snowmen, he’d much preferred to just stay inside under a kotatsu with hot chocolate in hand. Nowadays, going out in the winter meant layers. Thermal underwear, thick socks, sweaters and down jackets stacked atop each other, even gloves and scarves if he wasn’t working – though he’d admittedly tried to avoid going out in the snow unless he had to.

Izuku had always been happy to go over to Katsuki’s apartment to hang out, rather than go to a restaurant or a movie or whatever other cheesy shit couples did. Katsuki was grateful for that, although he probably should have said that more often. So here he was, sucking it up, trudging through snow in the heavy boots from his costume that were designed to keep him from slipping. He’d donned a thick black yukata for the occasion, though he’d still kept his comfy thermals on underneath to keep from dying in the cold winds of the night. They were hidden well enough, and no one was likely to ask about them even if they did see them, so other than some potential teasing from Izuku at the end of the night, he didn’t foresee any problems. He had, however, had to throw a scarf and jacket and gloves over the top to deal with the wet factor, to keep from soaking through with snow before they even met up. If all went to plan, he’d arrive with a few minutes to spare before Izuku arrived, long enough to stuff his layers into his bag and let the sappy nerd see him all dressed up for their date.

Idiot would probably cry.

Katsuki couldn’t wait.

With gloved hands stuck deep in his jacket pockets, he shuffled along the snow and ice, breath coming out in little puffs of smoke through the wool he’d pulled up over his face. The scarf had been a Christmas present from Izuku, to replace his old, worn one. It was super thick, extra long so he could wrap it around his face and neck to his heart’s content, and made of the softest wool Katsuki had ever felt grace his skin. Izuku had apologised for it being a “small” gift when he handed it over, but Katsuki thought it might have been the best one he’d ever gotten.

Damn it, maybe he was the sap.

Regardless, he was bundled up to brave his way through the weather to spend what might be the sappiest day of his life with the person he liked most in the world. He had it all planned out, had even brought snacks for them to eat either in line, or as a kind of mini-picnic after they said their prayers. Plus, he had plans to stop at a vending machine and grab them hot cans of cocoa right before they met up. It was going to be the best damn date – the best damn night – of Izuku’s life, Katsuki would make sure of it.

Now all he had to do was get on the train.

─────

Izuku was already running late by the time he left his apartment. He’d managed to leave work on time, had even gotten back to the apartment on time, but when he’d stepped into the bathroom for a quick clean up before he changed into his yukata, he knew it was a lost cause. He’d hoped he would be able to just wash his hands and face and be done with it, but when he saw his snow-laden curls in the mirror, heavy with damp and mud, he knew he was going to have to shower.

His aim had been to get to the temple at ten minutes to eleven, since Katsuki was always early, but as long as he got there by eleven he knew Katsuki wouldn’t complain – Katsuki got to places early for his own sake; he didn’t care when anyone else showed up as long as they weren’t late.

So he jumped in the shower, scrubbed his hair until the water ran clear instead of brown, and did his best to clean off all the scrapes and grazes he’d picked up during his evening patrol. He covered the worst of them with bandages to keep them clean, then wrapped a towel around his waist to go get dressed, his old yukata hanging on his closet door in wait.

He knew it was cheesy, getting all dressed up in a yukata just to go to the temple, but it was rare that he found an opportunity to actually wear it without feeling like an idiot. He knew Katsuki probably wouldn’t be wearing one, would likely be bundled up in all his warmest gear as if he were hiking up Mount Fuji mid-winter, but maybe he would at least appreciate Izuku’s effort. There was just something so enticing about a handsome guy in a nice yukata, and while Izuku knew he was hardly a model or anything, he hoped his own outfit might have at least some of that effect on his boyfriend.

So with his bright blue yukata tied in place, the hems striped with an equally bold red and yellow, he tossed wooden sandals into a bag and kicked on his boots for the walk over. If he tried to get there in the sandals, he’d be late for sure; at least maybe if he hurried there in his comfy boots and changed them around the corner, he could still get there for eleven.

Taking the train was another option he’d considered, to cut five minutes off the trip, but the thought of braving public transport on what might have been the busiest night of the year was not appealing. It would be full of people heading to the shrines and temples with their families, not to mention the singles, drunk on New Year’s Eve parties, heading out to mingle with the families or home to pass out in front of the TV. If he even managed to get on the train it would likely be a nightmare experience; it was far more comfortable – and frankly reliable – to just get there on his own two feet.

He was barely out of the apartment building when he saw the family crowded around their car, pulled over on the roadside as the father fumbled with a spare tyre. Izuku sighed quietly before he headed toward them, smiling when the mother looked up at his approaching footsteps.

“Flat tyre?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled weakly. “The jack is a little rusty, we’re just having a trouble getting it to work.”

“Oh, allow me.”

He took another step closer, bending down to get a good grip under the car then straightening back up easily. Under his touch, the car gently lifted up off the concrete, and two kids clapped and cheered as their parents stared in awe.

“W-Wow, uh, th-thank you,” the man stuttered, quickly pulling the flat off and setting to work getting the new one on. “I’m so sorry, I’ll just be a moment, please don’t hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine, take your time!” Izuku assured him. “I’ve done worse!”

Sure enough, the man quickly got the spare fastened in place, and finally the family scrambled back into the car, back to where they could get warm and dry again. Izuku waved as they got buckled in, shaking his head when they continued to thank him repeatedly, and when the car started up he took a step back onto the footpath.

“Drive safe!” He grinned, waving to the kids through the window. “Happy New Year!”

“Thank you Mister Deku!”

Izuku laughed when the parents blinked at him, eyes widening with realisation. Kids were always so much quicker to recognise him, the adults too distracted to pay much attention to him out of costume. The moment they drove off, he hurried his pace through a nearby park to get back on track, already mentally preparing his excuses for when Katsuki gave him that look, that narrow eyed, one eyebrow raised look, that said “really? You’re a pro hero now and you still can’t even be on time for a date we planned weeks ago?”

Still, he should be able to understand if it was only a minute, right? He could still be there just after eleven, soon enough to apologise a few times and flash his best puppy-dog eyes to get sympathy, and hopefully be forgiven quickly. It was New Year’s Eve, after all – Katsuki couldn’t stay mad at him for just a few minutes for a good cause, right?

Maybe he would push his luck for another minute and show up with hot cocoa from the convenience store, too. It was cold out, after all, and Katsuki hated snow and ice. A can of hot cocoa to warm him up would put him in a better mood for sure. Maybe two cans – one to put in his pocket to warm his jacket up while he drank the other to warm him from the inside. He didn’t remember seeing any vending machines near the temple last time he walked by, so they wouldn’t be able to stop for them while they waited in line.

Hell, maybe he’d stretch it to three cans. He could probably find something in the convenience store to keep them warm, right? Maybe a roll of aluminium foil to wrap the cans in, or maybe just a box of kairo. That was probably a better option than the cocoa, in all honesty – they would certainly keep him warmer for longer. Then again, Katsuki might bring his own kairo, and then it would all be a waste.

So. A box of kairo, three cans of hot cocoa, a roll of foil to wrap them in, and maybe a meat bun or something. Izuku hadn’t had time for dinner during his patrol.

Katsuki wouldn’t mind if he was five minutes late for the sake of all that, right?

...Right?

─────

Katsuki heard the explosion long before he saw any sign of what was going on. He diverted his course without even a second thought, launching himself into the air to soar toward the sounds – the street was alive with screams and car alarms, yells still too distant to make out what they were saying. There were no sirens yet, no emergency services on the way, which meant Katsuki had to act as a first responder.

As he got closer, he saw smoke billowing from a wrecked building, the air shifting and shimmering with heat, and a crowd of people growing bigger by the second.

“Is anyone inside?!” he yelled the moment his feet touched the ground. “Who lives here?!”

His yells went unnoticed, and Katsuki cursed his damn yukata for not being his hero costume. No one ever paid attention to him when he was in civilian clothes and he hated it. It was a price he’d never expected to pay for trying to be sappy for his damn boyfriend for once.

He grabbed the arm of a crying kid who looked old enough to string together a sentence – maybe a preteen, Katsuki’s biggest audience after single middle-aged women – and made sure to look straight into his eyes as he spoke.

“Is there anyone inside?” he asked, much calmer. “Do you know who lives here?”

The kid’s eyes widened with recognition, jaw dropping as he took a moment to fumble for words.

“They haven’t come out,” he answered quietly, trembling. “I don’t know if they were home.”

“Thank you, you’re a real hero tonight.”

He didn’t wait for a reaction, already heading for the building, smoke burning his eyes as he found a path through the precarious littering of glass and wood blown out by the initial explosion. Judging by the volume of the explosion and the shattered remains of the house that still just barely clung together in a vaguely house-shaped pile, Katsuki figured it had to be a gas leak, which meant aside from the fire already raging they were potentially in danger of another explosion too. If they were lucky, the fuel had all gone up in the first one, but if they were unlucky…

Well, at least the windows were already blown out. No chance of a backdraft to blow him up.

He could finally hear sirens, the firefighters approaching, but he knew they didn’t have time to wait if someone was inside the house still.

“Hello?!” he called. “Is anyone in here?!”

He heard a muffled sound in the distance, cursing under his breath as he hurried his pace.

“Keep talking!” he yelled. “Where are you?!”

The voice continued, though he couldn’t discern the words, and Katsuki followed it as it grew louder. He found a massive pile of rubble surrounding the kitchen, flames shooting up into the sky through the wreckage, but thankfully the voice came from somewhere off to his right, further into the house. It grew increasingly louder, and finally Katsuki managed to pick out a few words from the jumble.

Hello?

Bedroom

Please

“I’m coming,” he called back, mentally kicking himself for staying quiet so long. “I hear you, keep talking to me!”

The voice was higher than he’d thought at first, trembling and cracking after what he suspected must have been a lot of yelling. When he finally pinpointed the room he breathed a sigh of relief – there were no flames that far in, only rubble blocking the way, so the trapped inhabitant shouldn’t have more than a few cuts and scrapes.

“Hey, can you hear me?” he called, leaning in close to the rubble. “I uh, I’m gonna… get you out of here. Okay? Just… hold on while I move this shit.”

The sirens grew deafeningly loud and Katsuki grimaced, eyeing the wall that leaned against the wreckage around him. He had a sneaking suspicion that if he blasted it out of the way, it was all going to come toppling down on top of them both.

“What’s your name?” he asked, when the sobs began. “Tell me your name.”

“R-Ririk-ko. I’m- I’m Ririko.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” he answered, examining every wall of the room he could access. “Were you home alone?”

“M-My Dad is still at- at work,” she choked out, fighting her way through the sobs. “My M-Mama is h-here b-but she got h-hit in the- the-”

“Is she uh… sleeping?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“How old are you, Ririko?”

“S-Seven.”

“You’re doing such a good job,” he assured her, cringing at how awkward his voice came out despite his best efforts. “Can you describe the room you’re in? It’s a bedroom, right?”

“M-Mama’s r-room,” she agreed. “But when the- the house went boom it- it got kinda- broken?”

“Are you and Mama near the door?”

“Y-Yeah. Are you a h-hero?”

“I am, I’m Pro Hero Dynamite.”

“D-Dyna-m-mite?’

“Yeah,” he agreed, finally settling on a spot that looked mostly stable. “Do you hear where my voice is coming from?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to come to this corner for me, okay? Come as close as you can to my voice.”

He heard tiny footsteps, and he found himself crouching down, touching one hand to the wall lightly.

“I want you to stay right here, okay?” he said softly. “There’s gonna be another boom, but this time it’s my quirk. If you stay in this spot, you’ll be safe. Don’t worry about Mama, I’ll keep her safe, but I need you to be a big brave girl for me and take care of yourself here for just a minute, okay?”

“Okay M-Mister D-Dynamite.”

“You can call me Kacchan, that’s what my… my friends call me.”

“I like that name.”

“Me too. Stay here, okay? I promise everything is gonna be okay.”

“I’ll stay here, Kacchan.”

“Good girl.”

He moved back to the doorway, cringing as he geared himself up for his tiniest AP shot imaginable. His hands were sweaty as hell from the heat of the flames, though from the thunderously loud sound of rushing water he could hear not far from his position, he suspected the firemen were finally on deck for that. He was still worried about more gas potentially leaking into the house, but he knew he had no other choice left.

“Cover your ears, Ririko,” he called, bracing himself. “It’s gonna be loud.”

Sure enough, his tiny explosion came out much more powerful than he’d planned on, his feet skidding backward on the ashy floors, but when his eyes darted to his chosen corner it was still holding strong. He found a body lying on the floor just past the space his explosion cleared, eyes twitching as she began to come to, and he breathed a sigh of relief to see her moving despite the blood.

“Ri…?” she whispered.

“Mama?” Ririko answered, gasping. “Mama!”

“Ri…? Where…”

“Don’t move,” Katsuki said quickly. “Either of you. Stay put for me, I’ve got you.”

He ducked back into the living area, relieved to find firemen aiming their massive hoses at the dying flames.

“Hey!” he yelled at the nearest group, watching their heads dart up. “Two people here, one seems fine but the other has been knocked out, need a stretcher and medics in case she’s broken something. Can you handle that?”

The message passed quickly down the line, following the hose out to the truck, and by the time Katsuki got back to the bedroom he could already hear medics fighting their way through the front door.

“C’mere, Ririko,” he said finally, when he found her still trembling in her corner. “You did so good.”

She ran toward them and Katsuki quickly stopped her before she could dive on her mother, growling when the woman tried to turn her head.

“I said don’t move,” he snapped. “I’m Pro Hero Dynamite, I’ve got her. Just stay still, the medics are on their way.”

He froze when a tiny hand gripped at his, the barrier he’d halted her with suddenly becoming her source of comfort and affection. In a moment of weakness he reached for her with the other hand, too, lifting her up to rest on his hip.

“She’s fine,” he said again, positioning himself so the woman could see her unharmed child in his arms. “Just stay still.”

He stepped back when the medics finally made it to him, making room for them to do their work, and a little sob wrenched its way out of Ririko’s throat as they began bracing her neck.

“She’s okay,” Katsuki said softly. “Hey, I’m gonna take Ririko outside, you listen to the medics, okay? I’ll make sure the police call her dad.”

“Thank you,” she croaked. “Dynamite.”

He escaped the mess with Ririko held tight in his arms, her tiny hands clinging to his dark yukata, and blinked at the crowd of people when the applause and cheers began. It took him a minute to understand, but when he finally caught up he cracked a smile, squeezing a little tighter at Ririko’s shaking, shivering form.

“Do you know any of these people?” he asked, pointing at the crowd. “Your neighbours and stuff, do you know any of them?”

“Mrs Fujiyama babysits me sometimes when Mama and Dad go out, she lives two houses away.”

“Can you see her anywhere?”

“Hmm…”

She began scanning the faces, and Katsuki walked slowly to give her a chance to look, aiming for the back of an ambulance where another two medics were still on hand.

“Oh! Mrs Fujiyama!” she called, waving as an older woman fought her way through. “I see you!”

Katsuki snorted, but nodded at the woman in greeting when he hurried toward them, still heading for the ambulance.

“I wanna get her checked out, just in case,” he explained, when she fell in step with him, tears pouring down her face. “Has anyone called her dad?”

“He’s in a taxi, he should be here any minute now. She can come stay with me, if he needs to go to the hospital with Kaya. Is she okay?”

“Mama,” Ririko clarified, when she saw Katsuki’s blank expression. “Is Mama okay, Kacchan?”

“She’s with the doctors, they’re gonna take super good care of her,” he promised. “She just got knocked in the head, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ririko’s face fell. “When the door went boom.”

“They’ll check her out, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’ve been hit in the head a bunch of times and I’m still doing good.”

“Okay!”

He set her down on a blanket the medic laid out, and managed an awkward smile when she looked up at him, her chubby cheeks stained with tears.

“Thank you for saving us, Kacchan!”

“You’re very welcome.”

“Riri!”

Ririko’s face lit up, and Katsuki looked up to see a man in a suit stumbling out of his taxi, tripping over his own feet as the crowd parted to let him through.

“Riri, are you okay?!”

“I’m okay! Kacchan saved me! The doctors are taking super good care of Mama.”

“Thank you so much,” the man bowed as low as he could possibly muster, when he turned to Katsuki. “I can never thank you enough, Mister Hero Sir.”

“Dynamite,” Katsuki snorted. “She’s all yours now.”

“Thank you Kacchan!” Ririko said one more time, as Katsuki began to excuse himself. “It was nice to meet you!”

“You too, Ririko. Thanks for being such a good listener.”

As he stepped away, he straightened his yukata and reached inside for his phone, grimacing when he felt the heat coming off the case. He’d spent good money on one that could withstand the heat of his explosions but this was the closest it had come to being put to the test. Thankfully the screen still lit up when he hit the button, and there were no messages waiting to call him out, but he cursed again when he saw the time. He shook his sleeve back to check his watch, just to make sure it wasn’t some screw-up on his phone from the heat, but when the damn hands came back with the exact same number, he knew he was doomed. Grumbling to himself, he turned back toward the temple, his earlier jog giving way to a much less calm pace.

─────

Izuku smiled awkwardly as he climbed back down the tree, hands scraped up but clothing thankfully unscathed. He held a hissing ball of fur under his arm that looked strangely familiar, with its pale fur standing on end and its face contorted into a scowl. He couldn’t help but smile at it fondly as he wrapped his hands around its belly, watching it hang floppy from his grip, still growling and spitting at him for daring to save it.

“Here you go,” Izuku chuckled, when the old woman sang his praises. “Safe and sound!”

“Thank you so much, you’re a fine young man!”

“Well, thank you,” Izuku laughed, his smile softening a little when she scooped the grumpy fluff-ball from his hands and cooed at it fondly despite its struggles. “He’s a feisty one!”

“Oh yes, he has a lot of spirit. I’d better get him back indoors; I think he’s had quite enough excitement for one night!”

“I agree.”

“Come along then, Victor, let’s get you some treats. That must have been so scary, you poor, sweet baby…”

He watched until she was safely back inside, the lock clicking behind her, then let out a long sigh of relief. As much as he adored being a hero, it was exhausting to be called on constantly for the smallest of tasks. He was hardly going to say no, he’d do whatever it took to help people! But his face becoming more recognisable in the local community had come with a few minor downfalls when it came to getting from Point A to Point B. He could never quite make it a straight line, always got diverted to C, then D, and all the way back to A before he made it to E, and-

Anyway, Katsuki was just going to have to deal with him being twenty minutes late. He would understand – he was a hero too, after all. And he knew how bad Izuku was at saying no to people in need! He would just huff a little sigh, roll his eyes, and crack a smile under the kisses Izuku showered on him in apology. Not to mention the collection of supplies he was about to pick up from the konbini, the glowing sign at the end of the street a beacon leading him back to his path.

Kairo, cocoa, foil, meat bun, and maybe some kind of antiseptic for his hands; little Victor had certainly done a number on him.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the warmth of the store, but grimaced at the long line of people waiting for their turn at the checkouts, glancing at his watch as the hands ticked on endlessly. Being one of the biggest holidays of the year, he had expected it to be a little emptier, but he supposed they were all in the same boat – every good New Year’s Eve date needed snacks and hot chocolate, after all. Admittedly most people were home with their families for the holiday season, but… Well, Katsuki was his family, right? They’d chosen each other for that, had elected to become family, even though it felt like they always had been. Izuku missed his mother, sure, but they hadn’t been able to get enough time off to make the long trip home practical, so instead they were spending their first New Year’s Eve as a couple alone as a couple. It actually felt kind of special, that way. Their parents would all hang out together back home, maybe send a few of the typical blurry selfies that parents always took, and they’d all exchange their “Happy New Year!” messages digitally this year.

Just as soon as Izuku got to the goddamn temple.

The stack of baskets by the front door was running low, but Izuku managed to get one all the same, wiping his boots on the doormat as he picked it up lest he slip on the slick floors and embarrass himself in front of a crowded konbini.

He eyed up the various aisles and shelves, muttering to himself as he planned out his path through the mayhem – kairo near the door, antiseptic in the same aisle, foil hidden somewhere in the middle aisles, if they had it at all, then hot chocolate on the far side before he lined up to get his meat bun and pay for it all. Easy. It shouldn’t take him more than five minutes, even with the queues that were thankfully moving through pretty quickly – thank you efficient cashiers – and then he’d be able to meet Katsuki by… 11:30 at the latest.

It would be fine, right? Katsuki was impatient, sure, but he would absolutely wait half an hour, he knew how Izuku was with running late! It would suck, sure, and he’d spend the night ribbing Izuku for it and pretending to sulk while Izuku begged his forgiveness and tried his best to be cute, but he would wait. And next time they had holiday plans, Izuku would be sure to leave an hour early, just to be sure he’d beat Katsuki to their meeting place.

Katsuki was never late, damn his perfect… everything.

Izuku stepped into the first aisle, ready to hunt down the big, sticky-backed kairo that Katsuki liked the best, but before he could even spot the right box, a yell was sounding from behind him in the doorway. He looked back to see three men with dark balaclavas pulled over their heads, one of them pointing his hand at the crowd, fingers curled into the kind of mock-gun that kids “shot” each other with on the playground. Another customer let out the snort Izuku held back for himself, and with his eyes narrowing, the man turned his hand upward and shot a bullet from his fingertip into one of the overhead lights, making it spark and go out with a bang.

“Get on the ground!” he yelled, over the screams of terrified customers. “Hands over your heads!”

Izuku sighed once more, this one much less relieved than the last, and set his basket on the ground with what he knew was a tired-as-hell look washing over his usually smiling face.

One of the other villains turned to look at him as he moved, his hand morphed into some kind of gross flesh-knife, and Izuku just shook his head faintly, glancing toward the snowy streets beyond the konbini windows.

Wait for me a little longer, Kacchan.

─────

Katsuki could hear the bell ringing in the distance as he ran down the street, cursing every damn person who had caused even a minor delay in his travels. The damn extras who walked too slow in the stations, the damn civilians who asked him for help on his way, the damn train drivers who wouldn’t just gun it to get him there a few minutes earlier – all of them. He was Bakugou Katsuki, he was never late to anything, but here he was, of all days, late for his New Year’s Eve date. God damn it. He was so damn lucky that his boyfriend was so quick to forgive, so patient with him, and he just wanted to see the damn guy. The streets were crowded, so close to midnight, with people hurrying to their destinations, and even the roads were clogged with cars, surprisingly busy for so late in the night.

Katsuki wove through the people, running toward the temple and hoping people wouldn’t think he was up to no good for it – at least not enough to stop him, anyway; what they thought in their heads, he couldn’t care less about.

With a wordless yell he stopped in his tracks, tearing at his hair as he doubled back.

God damn it, stupid hero brain

He returned to the spot he’d so very nearly managed to ignore, picking the old woman up without a word and hauling her over his shoulder despite the yelp of surprise it brought out. With one hand steadying her and the other firing explosions to get him off the ground, he flew across the busy street and set her down safely on the opposite side.

Despite her initial fear, she chuckled heartily when her feet touched the ground again, but Katsuki was off before she could voice her gratitude. He launched himself back to where he’d started, and with a few extra explosions to put him back on track, he finally made it to the temple entrance.

With the thunderous bell echoing around him, he looked around the crowd, scanning for that familiar shock of green curls and listening for that bright voice that would call ‘Kacchan!’ as if he wasn’t an hour late for their damn date.

All he heard was the bell.

He looked around frantically for any flash of green, of freckles, of a bright smile he’d gotten so accustomed to seeing aimed his way, but…

Nothing.

Izuku had left without him.

Katsuki’s frantic, desperate speed seeped out of him immediately, reduced to a wobbly, lifeless gait as he approached the walkway. Maybe Izuku had gone on ahead, looking for him? Sure, they’d very clearly arranged to meet at the gate, but maybe, when Katsuki didn’t show up…

No, he was grasping at straws. He was just going to have to accept it: He’d screwed up. He’d missed the most important date of his life so far, perhaps of his entire life to come. That was if Izuku even gave him another chance at a date – he was going to be distraught, thinking Katsuki had abandoned him.

Katsuki should call him. Maybe if they couldn’t be together, he could at least apologise at the stroke of midnight. Assuming Izuku even picked up. Hell, assuming Katsuki could even start the call in time for midnight – he wasn’t exactly counting the bells.

He lifted a hand to grab his phone, to at least try, bracing himself to hear the hurt and rejection in Izuku’s voice, to contain his own emotions well enough to not let them overflow in public, to-

A heavy weight hit him in the side, and he tumbled into the snow, grunting as all the air was knocked from his lungs.

With a last dong echoing around the temple, with cheers and “Happy New Year!”s ringing out from the crowd, a pair of soft, warm, familiar lips pressed to Katsuki’s.

“Happy New Year, Kacchan,” that familiar voice whispered, a little wobbly. “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

Katsuki opened his eyes on a teary-eyed smile, looking down at him in his bed of snow. Despite the sharp pain in his side where Izuku had crashed into him, despite his back and legs now drenched and ice-cold, despite all the fear and doubt and dread that had moments ago been swirling in his veins, Katsuki smiled.

“Me too,” he chuckled, dragging Izuku back down for another quick kiss. “Happy New Year.”

It wasn’t until Izuku moved, grabbing his hand to haul him up, that Katsuki noticed the state of his idiot boyfriend. His old blue yukata was shredded, barely leaving him an inch of modesty, and his hands were covered in dried blood from various new wounds. Even his face held new gashes, one still dripping blood very slowly down his face, and he sported a dark ring that Katsuki suspected would be a black eye by morning.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Katsuki demanded, his smile gone in an instant.

“You know,” Izuku grinned sheepishly. “Hero stuff.”

For a moment Katsuki was silent, staring into emerald eyes that shone with laughter, and finally he cracked another smile. He shoved Izuku playfully, sending him careening into the snow for his own turn at going numb, and then they were both laughing like ridiculous, stupid assholes, shivering and wet in a crowd of perfectly dressed temple-goers.

“God I love you,” Katsuki snorted, wiping a tear from his cold face. “You big idiot.”

“I love you too, Kacchan.”

─────

When they’d both managed to gather their composure, Katsuki reached into his bag, and Izuku blinked at him blankly when a pile of carefully folded fabric came out in his hand. Katsuki smiled at him faintly, and Izuku gave him a sheepish look in return, ducking his head as he accepted.

“I knew something would go wrong,” Katsuki chuckled. “Figured I should bring a spare, just in case.”

“Prepared as ever,” Izuku grinned back, ducking behind a tree to change. “This is why I love you, we complement each other so well.”

“Or maybe we’ve just known each other way too long.”

“Meanie.”

Izuku knew his old yukata was a lost cause the moment he untied the belt, feeling half the fabric fall to his feet in tatters. With a sigh, he stripped it off, thankful that his warm layer beneath was at least mostly intact. The new one he pulled on was dark in colour, navy or black, though which he wasn’t quite sure, in the shadows where he changed. It had little blocks of colour slashed through it, though – a slightly brighter blue beside a plain white. It was much classier than Izuku’s old one, he had to admit.

“I can’t believe you still wore an All Might yukata after all these years,” Katsuki said from the other side of the tree, reading his mind as always. “It’s so tacky. You should just let me pick them out for you, from now on.”

“Is that what this one is?” Izuku asked quietly. “You picked it for me?”

Katsuki was silent for a moment, then a short little huff came out of him.

“Shut up, nerd.”

Izuku grinned, slipping on a deep green jacket Katsuki had included in the pile, a shiny thigh-length affair specifically designed to go over a yukata. He really had come prepared for this, and Izuku was so ridiculously in love with the whole thing.

He took the opportunity to change into his wooden sandals, too, and when he stepped out from the shadows it came with a nervous smile.

“How do I look?” he asked weakly.

For a moment Katsuki just stared, mouth slightly open as if he’d started to speak and it just hadn’t worked. Izuku didn’t mind the moment, though – it just gave him a chance to admire his handsome boyfriend, with all his layers of cozy warmth stripped away, showing off his own beautiful yukata and the slightly flushed cheeks that came with it.

“Perfect,” Katsuki choked out finally, softening when Izuku’s smile grew brighter. “I have good taste.”

“You do,” Izuku agreed, giggling as he stepped up to Katsuki’s side. “You’re so handsome, Kacchan. I’m so lucky.”

“Damn right I am. But uh, so are you. Handsome, I mean.”

“Thank you!”

The line had grown much longer with the stroke of midnight passed, so rather than queue up right away they chose to head for the little pond beside the temple building, to find a spot to sit together and snap a few cheesy photos to send back to their predictably-blurry parents. Izuku dug through his bag until he unearthed the package he’d been so proud to find at the store, smiling weakly when he pulled out the slightly-squished cake slices.

“I thought these were cute,” he explained, showing Katsuki the matching pieces of layered sponge, each topped with a little “Happy New Year!” plaque. “They uh, got a little beat up.”

“They’re not the only thing,” Katsuki snorted, brushing his thumb lightly across Izuku’s bruised cheek. “You okay?”

“I’m fine!” Izuku assured him. “And I’m sure the cake will still taste good!”

Katsuki nodded, a smile tugging at his lips, and squeezed together on a little wooden bench, they got stuck in. Izuku hadn’t realised exactly how starving he was until he jammed a forkful of strawberries and cream in his mouth, his stomach suddenly aching with neglect.

He’d missed out on his meat bun when half the store got destroyed in the attack. He’d managed to keep all the people safe, but some of the merchandise hadn’t fared so well.

“They let me have it for free,” Izuku explained, through a mouth stuffed with cake. “For helping.”

“That’s good of them.”

“These too!”

He pulled out two cans of lukewarm hot cocoa, handing one over with an apologetic smile.

“Not as hot as I’d hoped, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“Thank you,” Katsuki said sincerely, reaching out to ruffle Izuku’s messy hair. “For thinking of me.”

Izuku’s stomach growled, his cake all but devoured and leaving him wanting more, but he shook his head quickly when Katsuki opened his mouth.

“I know you’re not that big on desserts, and I know you wouldn’t say it if you minded, but it’s yours Kacchan, I’m not taking your cake!”

“I’m not offering you my cake,” Katsuki smirked, dragging the package closer to himself despite the follow-up growl Izuku’s stomach gave in protest. “My boyfriend got me this cake, I ain’t sharing.”

“Oh.”

“But I was going to ask if you wanted some snacks.”

He produced a shiny wooden bento box from his bag, and Izuku was drooling before he’d even removed the lid. Katsuki was such a good cook, and it was rare for Izuku to get anything special out of him, these days. They usually settled for quick meals they could share in front of the TV after a long day at work, not perfectly prepared boxes of date-night snacks.

“I love you.”

“Me or the food?”

“Yes.”

Katsuki snorted, but when Izuku got stuck into his cooking, he couldn’t help but smile. Izuku moaned as he swallowed his first bite, as if nothing in the world could make the moment any better, and Katsuki…

Well, he was a big sap in love, he did what big saps in love always did.

He watched, and he smiled.

When his cake was gone, Izuku began feeding him bites of rice ball and rolled omelet, even conceding a few strips of the breaded pork Izuku loved so much – honestly, Katsuki hadn’t expected him to share that section of the box.

It wasn’t until the boxes and cans were all but licked clean that they finally abandoned their spot, linking their cold hands together clumsily as they joined the queue to say their prayers.

As much as Katsuki hated queues, he found the time passed quickly with Izuku at his side, leaning into him and prattling on about everything and nothing, somehow at the same time. He was even feeling fairly warm, despite the snow and his ditched jacket and gloves, only his favourite scarf still wrapped around his neck despite it ruining his yukata aesthetic a little – he figured the nerd wouldn’t mind too much, he’d just be happy that Katsuki liked his present.

Katsuki threw a couple of coins into the box, and Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his hands together for the shortest prayer he’d ever said.

Let Kacchan be safe.

When he opened his eyes, Katsuki was still praying, and Izuku took a moment to admire the soft look on his face, to step back and admire the whole picture – there was something so blissfully sweet about watching him pray for a good year together.

A flash of blue caught his eye, and Izuku leaned over a little, his smile stretching wider when he spotted the small, singed hole over Katsuki’s thigh. It was almost unnoticeable, under the dark jacket, but Izuku’s eyes were trained to notice the small things.

“What are you smiling about, nerd?”

Izuku’s eyes darted back up, finding a perfectly arched eyebrow waiting for an explanation, but instead he just shook his head faintly.

“I love you, Kacchan.”

“Damn right you do,” Katsuki smirked. “Love you too. Coming back to my place for hot chocolate?”

“Yeah!”

Katsuki was the first to reach out, to take his hand again, and Izuku felt his eyes get a little watery. It was still hard to believe that any of it was really happening, that Katsuki was actually his boyfriend, and there were few things in the world that meant more to him than those fingers lacing through his so effortlessly.

“You often stare at me and smile just because you love me?” Katsuki pressed, as they walked back toward the main street.

“Yeah!” Izuku grinned. “It was nothing, Kacchan. Just thinking how lucky I am!”

“What, to have such a sexy boyfriend?”

“To have a boyfriend who wears cute All Might boxers.”

He ducked under Katsuki’s swing with a laugh, and next thing he knew he was back in the snow, Katsuki pinning him down and tickling him mercilessly. His laughter grew brighter, but more painful along with it, and Katsuki cracked a smile of his own.

“Okay, okay!” he spluttered, trying and failing to roll away. “I’m sorry! It’s our little secret!”

“You keep that damn mouth shut.”

“I will! I promise!”

Katsuki stood up, satisfied, and when Izuku held out a hand he even deigned to help the nerd up too. Maybe it was a mistake, considering the snow littering Izuku’s curls, the flush in his cheeks, the shining eyes that looked at him with so much affection; it all made him want to shove the nerd back down again so he wouldn’t see the stupid blush rising in Katsuki’s face.

“Am I forgiven?” Izuku pouted cutely, peering up at Katsuki and batting his eyelashes. “Kisses?”

Despite half his brain protesting the manipulation, Katsuki dragged him in for a quick kiss, shaking his head at the way Izuku lit up so brightly in return. Finally they kept walking, inching their way back toward the warmth of Katsuki’s apartment, and Izuku swung their linked hands as they walked, humming to himself happily. When they stopped to wait at a crosswalk he paused, looking up once more.

“So what did you pray for, Kacchan?”

“A boyfriend who gets to our dates on time.”

“What a waste,” Izuku hummed. “That’s never gonna happen.”

“Tell me about it.”

They exchanged quick grins before the light changed, calling for them to cross, and Katsuki smiled to himself faintly as he tugged at Izuku’s hand.

“Come on nerd, let’s go home.”