‘Twas the night before New Year [WDHP Zine]

I recently modded the free digital holiday zine, Wonder Duo Holiday Party, and this was the piece I wrote to publish in it! It's something a little different, so I hope you enjoy!

Check out the zine here 

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‘Twas the night before New Year, and laid in the sand
Were two young men, twined hand in hand;
The shifts were all covered by favour-owing friends,
Since the rest of the year they’d worked countless weekends;
So together they’d flown to the end of the world,
Every step of the way, Katsuki’s stomach had whirled,
But they’d made it there safely, had spent days together,
Enjoying the peace and the warm summer weather.

Their trip was beginning to draw to an end,
Just one more celebration to together attend;
So they’d swum in the ocean and laid in the sun,
And ate from a barbecue some friendly group had run,
‘Til red-and-gold rays had spread right through the sky,
And darkness had driven most groups to goodbye.

The stars now shone bright, Izuku’s eyes just the same,
And all of it set Katsuki’s heart bright aflame;
From down near the water the voices rang out,
And Katsuki straightened, deciphering the shout.
One minute to go the man called to the bunch,
So Katsuki stood, but Izuku beat him to the punch.

He’d thought he was already in love before,
But the glow in that smile made his heart ache so much more;
He couldn’t see much through the late-night darkness,
But he knew every freckle on that face regardless;
With all of his light, love and joy out on show,
Katsuki knew in that moment he’d never let go.
Head empty like Dunce Face’s two millionth volt,
He stammered, and stuttered, and resisted the urge to bolt:
“Izu—” he tried, and then started again,
“Izuku—” drowned out by a group yelling ten.

Not one to give up, Katsuki straightened his spine,
But this time it was Izuku shouting out nine!
Eight, and seven, and six followed after,
A chorus of voices, of cheers and of laughter;
So Katsuki smiled, a faint little thing,
He’d wait a bit longer, see what the night would bring.

With five and four the volume rose higher,
And Katsuki too leant his voice to the choir.
As he called out his three the shore lit up with light,
Fuse after fuse, little sparks burning bright.
Footsteps grew closer, away from the ocean,
The teens in swimsuits making quite a commotion,
And in their wake came calls two and one,
With the bang of explosions, the countdown was done.

Bright shots of light burst up quick through the sky!
As they shattered and sparkled, Happy New Year came the cry!
Izuku’s arm wrapped ‘round Katsuki’s waist,
And when their lips met Katsuki’s poor heart raced;
His tense fingers trembled as they tangled in green,
And his face felt too-warm, on his skin a sweaty sheen;
Around them clinked glasses and sizzled hot sparklers,
But in their own world, they were naught but blurs.

When they parted with smiles for just one another,
Katsuki knew, that for him there’s no other;
And so with lungs aching that couldn’t find air,
He took a step back and he whispered a prayer.
“Since the first day we met, you’ve been stuck in my mind,
Good, bad, confusing, or all three combined.”
He reached in his pocket and wished for good luck
But when his hand closed, from his mouth came a fuck.

Izuku blinked, just once, in confusion,
And Katsuki knew he could create no illusion;
“I’ve lost it,” he said, already scrambling at sand,
“What the fuck,” he continued, “This is not what I planned.”
But from Izuku came a bright belly laugh,
While Katsuki planned out his own epitaph;
“Can I help?” Izuku asked, already bending down,
His amusement preventing a full-on breakdown;
“It’s black,” Katsuki told him, shoving nerves aside,
“But if you find it first, don’t you dare look inside.”
“Of course,” Izuku humoured him, “I wouldn’t think of it.”
“It’s not been gone long, it was just in my pocket.”

It didn’t take long for the beachgoers to realise,
One by one coming over with fresh sets of eyes;
By torchlight and glowsticks they searched for his prize,
And it took just a minute for the cheer to arise;
A little black box, full of Katsuki’s dreams,
Safely returned, amidst bright grins and beams.
“Thank you,” he said, more sincere than ever,
But quickly he remembered his next endeavour;
This time with a crowd, all watching on in glee,
Katsuki braced himself, and he dropped to one knee.
“Izuku,” he started, for the tenth time that night,
“This isn’t exactly what I planned on the flight.”

Izuku giggled, so patient and forgiving,
And at once disappeared all of Katsuki’s misgivings;
“I cannot explain just how much that I love you,
With you at my side, there is nothing I can’t do;
From now, every day, until I’m a goner,
I promise to make you happy, if you’ll do me the honour;”

He paused for a second, to open it up,
And managed a smile when Izuku hiccuped;
Tears were already streaming down his face,
And Katsuki knew he’d picked the perfect place.
“Marry me,” Katsuki said, fallen breathless,
and Izuku nodded at once, with no hesitance;
The beach then erupted, sharing in the glee,
But Izuku’s face was all Katsuki could see,
All scrunched up and stupid like always when he cried,
The most beautiful man in the world, Katsuki sighed;
Relieved and amused, and just so very glad,
For every moment of his life that he’d had,
To lead to that ring sliding onto the hand,
Of the man for whom his love seemed to only expand.

Hand in hand, heart to heart, Katsuki took a step closer,
And the teens who had helped them yelled “kiss him you loser!”
He wanted to argue, but he just couldn’t resist,
When the alternative option was him being kissed;
“To the hotel?” Izuku asked in a murmur,
And Katsuki smirked, hitching him up with fervour;
Over a shoulder he threw that giggling dead weight,
Letting him whine and complain, then accept his fate;
To the laughing onlookers, he said “later nerds,”
And the walk back begun, with fading calls of kind words;
And as they rounded the corner, new friends leaving their sight—
“Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night!”