New Year's 2020

Shota Aizawa's idea was almost perfect.

Or maybe, you know, purr-fect, since his plan involved cats. One could almost excuse the horrible puns he thought of as he walked quietly through the streets to get to his favorite cat cafe. He was, for once, excited on New Year's Eve.

If he didn't sit at home, people wouldn't know where he was and they couldn't drag him to one of their inane parties or events. And while those closest to him knew his favorite haunts, they would have to check them all and risk valuable party time fir themselves if they wanted to come get him.

No, this was a perfectly purr-fect, flawless plan for spending the night by himself. His fellow cat lovers would be here but they would be interested in each other and the cats. Not him. Sighing with relief that no one had grabbed him and thinking he was safe, he opened the door and walked in.

"Aizawa?"

He stood frozen in place, rubbing at his eyes in disbelief. The counselor from school was standing at the counter with a mug in one hand. She strolled over to him, her striped, fluffy tail twitching in a rather fetching manner.

"You're <i>here</i> for New Year's?"

He blinked. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I'm  - well, half cat." She wriggled her ears at him. "Plus I don't like really big crowds."

"Me either," he grunted.

"Here for the night?" He nodded at the cashier. "All right. Cover tonight is," she quoted him a larger price than usual but he just shrugged and paid.

"You want to sit together?"

He watched her carefully as she chose an out of the way booth. That was acceptable, so he nodded.

Aizawa had a surprisingly good time.

He knew he got along well with the counselor from the school's weekly get-togethers at a local bar. He just hadn't known - or perhaps had been hiding from himself -- his attraction was more than sexual. Sure, she was cute, beautiful even. But he had assumed he saw her this way for the obvious reason that she had cat ears, a tail, little poky fangs and a feline underside to her nose.

When he saw it was more, he added to his plan.

When the countdown started she sighed wistfully, staring outside at the couples lining the street and holding each other close.

She smiled at him as he stood up on "<i>four!</i>" and gestured to the animals prowling around behind them in the kitty corral.

"Going to pick a cat to kiss for luck?" She asked lightly. It wasn't uncommon, a few people were cuddling kittens right now.

"Three!"

Aizawa stared at her with those bloodshot, enigmatic gray eyes of his. "Yes," he said simply.

"Two!"

And sat next to her in the booth.

"One!"

Elly's ears flicked straight up, her tail fluffing out in all directions as he bent forward and pressed his mouth to hers. His hands rested lightly on her own under the table as he moved gently, deepening the kiss. His lips were dry at first, but she trembled and parted hers, giving him access and running her tongue along them. Amazingly, he shivered as well and she smiled when they parted, their foreheads still touching.

"Yes, well." He cleared his throat and boldly retained eye contact with her, though his hands squeezed hers lightly. "Happy new year."

"It looks like it," she agreed, purring loudly.