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The first thing Izuku registers as he comes to is the gentle throbbing of a headache pulling him from a dreamless slumber. The high rise of the sun seeping in through the curtains indicated that it was early afternoon, but Izuku didn’t care. His fingers curl around the blanket, pulling it closer in an attempt to secure some warmth. Speaking of warmth...
He reaches out his hand, lightly patting the bed with the intent of finding the comfort of his long-time boyfriend. However, his hand was only met with cold sheets and vacancy. This got his attention as Izuku pried his eyes open, hand still frantically searching for his missing partner.
“Sho?” Izuku called sleepily, eyes scanning his surroundings. It took his brain a moment to process that the layout of the room was in no way familiar.
He heard a faint rustling from the floor and peered over the bed. There, on the floor, laid Shouto with his dual coloured hair splayed all over a pillow and a second blanket draped over his body. Izuku tapped his arm lightly.
“Sho, why are you on the floor?”
Shouto’s eyes fluttered open, locking onto Izuku with a look of pure adoration that Izuku swears should be illegal so soon after waking up.
“Morning, Izu. Do you have a headache too?” Shouto asked.
“A light one,” Izuku replied. “What about you?”
“Me too.”
Izuku propped himself up, brain still dizzy with sleep as he tried to make out their environment. Why were they in a strange room? Oh right! The two pro heroes were lucky to get some time off work and decided to go to Kyoto for a little vacation. They even managed to rent out an Airbnb with a bit of land.
Shouto slowly lifted himself off the ground, stretching out the knot in his back from sleeping on the floor. He raised his arms over his head in a way that showed off his Pro Hero Deku t-shirt. Izuku could only stare with a warm smile on his face as he remembered how he himself was sporting his favourite Shouto themed sweatpants.
But it wasn’t until Shouto’s hand rested on the nightside table next to a crumpled chocolate wrapper did Izuku’s eyes light up with recollection. To clarify, this one simple action seemed to jog the rest of his hazy memory as to why they had slight hangovers.
When Shouto revealed that he never really experienced holidays as a kid and showed interest in learning about them, Izuku had taken it upon himself to show the euphoria of each one.
Yesterday, Izuku had decided on Easter. He already concluded that it wouldn’t be any fun for them if Izuku hid all the eggs because then he would know where they all were. So, last night the two had come up with the brilliant idea of getting very drunk and hiding chocolate eggs so neither would remember where they put them in the morning.
“Sho! We were celebrating Easter!”
Shouto’s eyes widened in realization. “You’re right,” he said and looked around the room, unsure of what happens next. “Do we start looking for the eggs now?”
“Yes!” Izuku practically shouted, launching out of bed in his excitement, though mindful of his headache. “Ohmygod I’m really excited this is going to be so much fun!” In his rush, he almost slipped on the blanket Shouto left on the floor, luckily the latter was able to catch him.
“Careful, Izu.” Shouto said before a genuine smile graced his lips. “I’m excited too.”
Izuku gave a dopey smile back. “When I was younger my mom used to put these little chocolate eggs all over our apartment.” He began talking animatedly as he made his way to the bathroom, Shouto listening attentively as he also got ready for their egg hunt. “I used to run around with a little basket checking every nook and cranny even after my mom tried to assure me that I had found every single one...”
Izuku trailed off in the middle of brushing his teeth as something colourful caught his eye. “Hey Shouto?”
“Yeah?” He called from the other room.
“Was it me or you who put a few chocolate eggs in the toilet?”
Shouto poked his head in the bathroom to take a look for himself, already donning a new outfit. His brows drew together as he tried to remember his actions from the night prior. Unfortunately, his memories were foggier than he would’ve liked. “Um, it could’ve been either one of us. I don’t remember.”
“Me neither.”
As they finished getting ready for their early afternoon hunt, Izuku found himself rummaging around his luggage just to make sure what he needed was there. He tore through his pants, sweaters and endless number of t-shirts, but the most important item he brought to Kyoto wasn’t where he left it.
No, no, no. This was the one thing he couldn’t lose. He didn’t accidentally hide that too last night, did he? The more he tried to recall his actions, the more apparent the beating of his headache seemed to be causing Izuku to internally groan at this new predicament.
“So, are we getting breakfast before or after the hunt.” Shouto asked, wrapping his arms around Izuku from behind.
“After of course!” Izuku forced a smile to deflect the worry from his features. Not that it took a lot to force his enthusiasm, but what he lost is very important to him.
Shouto scrutinized Izuku for a moment. Of course his partner could still detect the lingering worry on his features.
“Did you lose something? If you forgot something at home, we can probably buy another one when we go into the city.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He said, trying to dismiss his nagging uneasiness. “C’mon, we’ve got eggs to find!” Izuku pulled them both up to their feet and abandoned his luggage in favour of ransacking around the other bags they had lying around the room.
“Here they are!” He said, pulling out two woven baskets and handing one to Shouto who took the basket and inspected it as if it were made of glass.
“So, I just put the chocolate in here, right?” He asked, trying to remember all of what Izuku had told him about the tradition.
Izuku laughed at his confusion. “Yup! You put them in there as we find them. Shall we get started?” He asked, impatiently edging towards the door. “We should split up to see who can find the most.”
Now it was Shouto’s turn to laugh, “Yes, I’m coming.”
In his eagerness, Izuku wasn’t paying attention when he opened the bedroom door and almost tripped for the second time that afternoon. He looked down and saw a small pile of chocolate eggs blocking his path. He began placing them in his basket.
“I don’t know who put them here, but they’re mine now.”
“Cheater,” Shouto accused.
“Nope, because I found them first.”
“Oh, it’s on then.” Shouto said, racing towards a heap of colourful eggs scattered around the stairs.
They began scouring the small house, checking every nook and cranny for their hidden chocolate eggs. It quickly became a competition to see who could find the most eggs. Shouto even resorted to freezing Izuku’s hand to the banister so he could nab the eggs atop the fridge. What neither of them expected were that the eggs ended up being in the most bizarre places and although the two had little to no recollection of actually doing so, it was clear that their competitive spirits had taken over their drunken states.
There were chocolates on the ceiling fan, in the kitchen sink, accompanying potted plants, taped underneath tables, and even wrapped in blankets. Izuku wouldn't admit that he remembers wrapping them in blankets because he thought the eggs needed to feel safe and warm, though both men knew it was him.
In the midst of his search for chocolate, Izuku also kept his eye out for a specific velvet box that he may have hidden last night, hoping that he would come across it before the end of their egg hunt.
“I know it was you who put eggs in the empty whisky bottle!” Shouto called from the kitchen.
“Sho, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Izuku said innocently.
“Knowing you, you probably tried to make the hunt a little more difficult by hiding some in a clear bottle.”
“Well, clearly in my drunken state I didn’t process that the bottle is transparent!”
Izuku also cringed at the fact that the house was in a state of disarray. The furniture was moved to the side, no doubt for late night dancing to Disney music, and they left empty bottles of liquor scattered on countertops.
“So,” Shouto started. “I may or may not have hidden a few in the air vent.”
“What? How did you manage that?”
“I don’t know, but I think I also hid the screwdriver so you couldn’t get to them and now I can’t remember where I put it.”
Izuku laughed so hard his stomach hurt, “Ok, now that’s the craziest hiding place by far!”
Unfortunately, the growing anxiety of losing that velvet box kept nagging his brain which caused his laughter to die down. He turned to his partially filled basket, then to Shouto’s basket that wasn't even half filled.
“I know that was not all of them.” He said.
Shouto glanced behind Izuku who followed his gaze to the window. “Do you remember going outside last night?”
Izuku’s nose scrunched up as he tried to remember, a hand on his chin. “I think... I do remember that actually.” He said sheepishly.
Shouto shook his head with a smile on his face, “Of course you did. Who else would go to such lengths?”
“Hey! It’s my job to make sure that your first Easter is a good and memorable one.”
“Well unfortunately, last night wasn’t very memorable for either of us from a literal standpoint.”
“You know what I mean!” Izuku said, nudging Shouto playfully.
They picked up their baskets to venture outside when Shouto placed a foot in his shoe and retracted it.
“They’re in my shoes...” He paused. “I think that one’s on me.”
Outside they split up to scavenge the area and even though the night before wasn’t exactly warm, Izuku still managed to hide a few dozen eggs out in the yard.
Izuku frantically plowed through bushes and climbed up a tree or two. He even went as far as to ensure no stone was left unturned, literally, now actively ignoring the soft drumming of his headache to focus all of his hero training on finding that box.
While Izuku was maniacally tearing apart the property, Shouto casually strolled through the yard, searching for chocolate eggs almost like it was an everyday activity as he found himself feeling very content. He had no idea what he was missing out on over the years, but holidays clearly brought Izuku a lot of joy, so when he wanted to share that with Shouto, how could he ever refuse? And he had to admit, each holiday was fun in its own way.
A few months ago, Izuku invited Shouto over for Thanksgiving where Inko had made everyone’s favourite dish. There was always a comfortable, warm feel to Izuku’s home that allowed him to relax and Shouto quite frankly enjoyed the comfort of that holiday. He would love to celebrate it with his siblings too.
Though Halloween might be his favourite. He still didn’t understand why kids dressed up in costumes to beg for candy at strangers’ doors – and at night to make it worse – but the spooky feel of it all made it a fun atmosphere to be in. Their classmates from UA hosted a costume party last October where Shouto insisted that he and Izuku dress up as Tulio and Miguel from The Road to El Dorado. Their costumes were a huge hit to say the least.
Izuku’s favourite holiday is Christmas. At first it appeared to be the most overwhelming time of year and the thought of Santa Claus was not a prospect Shouto liked. Thankfully, Izuku seemed to tone it down a notch as a way to introduce him to all the jolly festivities. Izuku had made sure that there weren’t too many colourful decorations and that Shouto got to enjoy regular Christmas traditions like building a gingerbread house, making ornaments for the tree and snuggling on the couch watching Christmas movies with hot chocolate. Shouto decided that he liked celebrating Christmas, especially with Izuku.
Easter was another odd holiday. The idea of a giant magical rabbit breaking into people’s homes at night is equally as terrifying as the idea of Santa Claus. Izuku had to promise that they were just make-believe figures for kids because Shouto kept demanding to know why neither heroes nor the police were doing anything about it.
Nevertheless, he was enjoying this holiday too. Though looking around at the mess they made both inside and outside the house, he doubts whether getting drunk the night before was a good idea or not. Regardless, he was grateful and felt so loved that Izuku has gone to such lengths for him, not just with Easter, but with every holiday thus far.
A soft fabric brushed Shouto’s hand as he inspected a bush, which pulled him from his thoughts. Curious, he gently pulled the object out of the mass of sticks and leaves. What was it and why was it out here? Izuku did mention that he lost something.
Shouto brushed off leaves and dirt to reveal a small black velvet box. Not sure if it was actually Izuku’s or not, he opened it.
His breath immediately hitched in his throat, his free hand covering his mouth instinctively.
There in the box sat a stunning white gold band with pieces of emerald that seemed to dance with sparkles across the ring’s surface in the light of the afternoon sun, almost like Izuku’s freckles.
Shouto lowered the hand that covered his mouth.
“Izu,” he managed to say.
But it must have come out as a whisper because Izuku did not hear him.
“Izuku...!” He said again. Shouto wasn’t sure whether it was his shaking hands or his eyes becoming glassy that made the ring blur from his vision.
“Yeah, Sho?” Izuku called from across the yard.
“Could you... come here for a sec?”
“Sure!”
Izuku approached Shouto from behind, looking a little disheveled from harassing the garden on the other side of the house.
“Hey, what’s...” Izuku trailed off when Shouto turned to face him, the black box he’s been looking for suddenly in his lover’s hand. Izuku’s usual upbeat smile withered as the colour drained from his face in sheer panic.
“Sho, I can explain,” Izuku said quickly, frantically running a hand through his hair which messed up his curls even more. Shouto could only stare dumbfounded as Izuku's thoughts began to spiral. “This isn’t how I wanted to do this. Honestly, I had this whole elaborate plan since we’re on vacation in Kyoto after all. Seeing that we were going into the city later, I planned on taking you site seeing around the market and to visit some of the castles since we both find them fascinating. Then we were going to have a really nice dinner – just the two of us – and then at night I was going to bring you to the Philosopher’s Walk. You know, where they have all the cherry blossom trees lining a canal that they light up at night. But I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to lose the ring. I can’t believe I was so careless. We’ve been together for a few years now and I decided to propose, but... I wanted to make this special and I ruined it by losing the ring last night. I’m so sorry Shouto.”
Izuku’s own disappointment with himself caused tears to well up in his eyes. He spent so much time planning the perfect way to propose and, in the end, he was the one to ruin it.
Shouto shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. “No, Izuku, you didn’t ruin anything.”
“What do you mean? Of course I did!”
“Hold this for a second,” Shouto passed the small box over to Izuku who curiously tilted his head as Shouto fumbled with his sweater pocket.
“It’s just... I had a similar idea.” Shouto pulled out a navy-blue box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful white gold band with a velvet blue sapphire line wrapping around the ring. It was stunning, but appeared even more so as it gleamed in the light. “I was going to wait until the end of our trip, but I suppose now isn’t a bad time?”
Whatever Izuku was holding back before he let flow as tears cascaded down his freckled cheeks.
“No,” he said, wiping at his face. “I don’t think now is a bad time.”
“In that case,” Shouto got down on one knee and a sob escaped Izuku. “Izuku, my best friend, my sun, my stars, the one who broke his bones for me... I still can’t believe you did that. It was crazy.”
“Sho!” Izuku laughed.
“My love,” Shouto started again, sharing a warm smile. “I’m not great with words, but no amount of words can express how much you mean to me. I never thought I could be this happy, so being with you is like living in a constant dream and sometimes I doubt whether I deserve you or not. I want to make sure that you’re just as happy every day. Izuku, will you marry me?”
“Of course I will.” Izuku smiled so wide that his cheeks started to ache, but he didn’t care. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Shouto and pull him into a passionate kiss, but he couldn’t do so just yet.
Shouto’s smile quivered as he fought back his own tears, sliding the ring onto Izuku’s finger.
“My turn,” Izuku said. He got down on one knee, which was enough to make Shouto want to collapse on the spot in a wave of tears. “Shouto Todoroki, you already make me happier than I could ever imagine and I can’t fathom living a day without you. I’m really glad I broke my bones for you all those years ago and I will do it again without hesitation, so don’t test me! As long as I can have a home with you, I know everything will be okay. Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Izuku. I’d be honoured to.” Shouto said. Izuku slid the ring onto his finger and then Shouto scooped him up, kissing his fiancé with as much passion as they both felt in that moment.