The air was still warm from the day’s heat, the sky a deep, velvety blue dusted with the first brave stars. The only sounds were the gentle shush of waves on the sand and the distant, fading laughter of their friends. They’d hung back, a respectful, excited distance away, with Mina already holding her camera aloft, her silent, tearful grin visible even in the dim light.

Two months since graduation. Two months of harboring a secret that felt like a live wire in Katsuki’s chest. Izuku was 18 now, he was 19. It was time.

They walked hand-in-hand, the same way they had on that painful day a year ago, but this time, the silence between them was comfortable, full of a shared peace. When Katsuki stopped walking, Izuku stopped with him, turning with a soft, curious smile.

“Kacchan? What is it?”

Katsuki’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic, joyful rhythm. He took a deep, steadying inhale, the salt-air filling his lungs. He could feel the eyes of their friends on them, but he saw only Izuku. Izuku with his sharp, green mullet ruffled by the sea breeze, his freckles like constellations under the moonlight, the silver of his piercings catching the distant glow of the boardwalk lights.

He dropped Izuku’s hand.

And then, he got down on one knee.

The world seemed to hold its breath. The waves paused. Izuku’s jaw dropped, his hand flying to his mouth. His wide, emerald eyes glistened, reflecting the starlight and the overwhelming emotion welling within them.

Katsuki pulled the small, black velvet box from his pocket. His hands, usually so steady and sure, trembled just slightly as he opened it. Nestled inside was a simple, stunning band of polished white gold. Etched into its center was a delicate, continuous line that curved into the shape of a semicolon—a perfect, permanent echo of the necklace Izuku never took off.

“Izuku,” Katsuki began, his voice rough with a love so vast it threatened to overwhelm him. It wasn’t loud or explosive. It was a reverent whisper, meant only for the man standing before him. “My life before you was just… noise. A fucking brutal competition to be the best, with no one at my side. Then you came back. You never gave up on me. You saw the worst of me, the weakest parts, and you… you stayed.”

He swallowed hard, his own vision blurring.

“You’ve fought harder than any hero I know. Not just against villains, but against the shit in your own head. And every time you got back up, you became more fucking beautiful. I watched you turn your scars into strength. I watched you choose to live, over and over again. And I want to be there for every single choice you make from now on.”

He looked up, meeting Izuku’s tear-filled gaze, his own heart laid bare.

“So, will you? Will you let me stand with you forever? Izuku Midoriya… will you marry me?”

For a terrifying second, there was only the sound of the ocean. Then, a choked, watery sob escaped Izuku. He nodded frantically, his body trembling from head to toe.

“Yes,” he breathed, the word barely audible. Then, louder, filled with a disbelieving, radiant joy, “Yes, Kacchan! Yes!”

He launched himself forward, not even waiting for the ring, throwing his arms around Katsuki’s neck and sending them both tumbling onto the soft sand in a heap of laughter and tears. Katsuki held him tight, burying his face in Izuku’s neck, breathing him in, his own shoulders shaking with relief and happiness.

From a distance, a chorus of cheers and whoops erupted. Mina was openly weeping, camera still rolling. Denki was sparking with excitement.

Eventually, Katsuki managed to sit them up, the sand clinging to their clothes. He gently took Izuku’s left hand, his own hands finally steady. He slid the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly.

Izuku stared at it, the semicolon gleaming in the moonlight, a promise not just of a future, but of a continued story. He looked back at Katsuki, his smile brighter than all the stars above them.

“I love you,” Izuku whispered, leaning his forehead against Katsuki’s.

“I love you too, you damn nerd,” Katsuki murmured, sealing the promise with a soft, salty kiss. “Forever.”