Morning arrived softly.
Quieter than the night before.
The storm had settled.
Not gone.
But calmer.
Snow covered everything.
Thick.
Endless.
Leah woke first.
Eyes opening slowly.
Warmth still wrapped around her.
The blanket.
His arm.
Heavy.
Comforting.
She didn't move at first.
Just listened.
The silence.
No wind rattling the windows.
No branches scraping.
Just stillness.
She turned her head slightly.
The window caught her attention.
Light reflecting differently.
Brighter.
Softer.
She slipped carefully from beneath the blanket.
Slow.
Careful not to wake him.
Bare feet meeting the floor.
Cold.
She didn't notice.
Not really.
Her attention was already elsewhere.
The window.
She stepped closer.
Fingers brushing the glass.
And then—
She saw it.
Snow.
Everywhere.
The entire landscape transformed.
The trees coated in white.
The lake barely visible beneath frost and ice.
The dock buried halfway.
No footprints.
No movement.
Untouched.
Perfect.
Her breath caught.
A small, quiet sound.
"…Oh…"
Soft.
Almost disbelieving.
Her hand pressed lightly to the glass.
Cold seeping into her skin.
She didn't pull away.
Her eyes moved slowly.
Taking everything in.
Every detail.
Every soft curve of snow.
Every branch weighed down gently.
She swallowed.
A strange feeling rising in her chest.
Light.
Almost fragile.
Excitement.
Real.
Unfiltered.
"…It's…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Didn't need to.
A small smile spread across her lips.
Then wider.
Brighter.
Something rare.
Something almost childlike.
She turned quickly.
Back toward the bed.
Izana hadn't moved.
Still asleep.
One arm resting where she had been.
Breathing slow.
Steady.
She watched him for a second.
Then another.
A thought forming.
Quick.
Impulsive.
Her smile shifted.
Softer.
Mischievous.
She moved back toward the bed.
Careful at first.
Then not.
Climbing onto it.
Knees pressing into the mattress.
Leaning over him.
Close.
Very close.
His hair slightly tousled.
Expression calm.
Unaware.
Her hand hovered for a second.
Then—
She didn't use it.
Instead—
She leaned down.
Pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Light.
Quick.
Then another.
Closer this time.
Then another.
A trail.
Slow.
Deliberate.
His brow shifted slightly.
A faint reaction.
Not awake.
Not yet.
Her smile widened.
She shifted again.
Fully over him now.
Careful not to put too much weight.
Blanket slipping around them.
Her hair falling forward.
Tickling lightly against his skin.
Another kiss.
Then another.
This time near his jaw.
"…Iz…"
Soft.
Barely above a whisper.
No response.
She huffed quietly.
Then tried again.
More kisses.
Faster now.
Lighter.
Almost playful.
"…Wake up…"
Still nothing.
A pause.
Then—
She changed tactics.
Her lips brushed lightly along his cheek again.
Then just beneath his ear.
Soft.
Tickling.
A faint reaction.
His head shifted slightly.
A small exhale.
Closer.
She leaned in again.
More deliberate this time.
Kisses trailing upward.
Then—
He reacted.
A quiet breath.
A slight movement beneath her.
Not fully awake.
But close.
Her smile grew.
"…Iz…"
Softer now.
Warmer.
Another kiss.
This time lingering.
He stirred.
Eyes still closed.
But awareness creeping in.
"…Li…"
His voice low.
Rough with sleep.
She didn't stop.
Another kiss.
Then another.
Quick.
Playful.
"…Wake up," she whispered.
A pause.
Then—
His hand moved.
Slow.
Finding her waist.
Instinctive.
Holding her in place.
"…You're…persistent…"
Still half-asleep.
She laughed quietly.
"…You're not waking up fast enough."
Another kiss.
His eyes opened slightly.
Just enough to see her.
Above him.
Smiling.
Bright.
Different.
He stilled for a second.
Not moving.
Just…watching her.
Taking it in.
"…What is it?"
Low.
Curious.
She didn't answer immediately.
Just leaned down again.
Pressed one more kiss to his cheek.
Then pulled back slightly.
"…Snow," she whispered.
A pause.
His brows pulled together slightly.
"…Snow?"
She nodded quickly.
Excitement still there.
Unhidden.
"…It's everywhere."
Her eyes lit up.
"…You have to see it."
He watched her for another second.
Then another.
The way her expression hadn't faded.
Still bright.
Still full.
Something shifted in his gaze.
Softened.
"…You woke me up for snow?"
A faint tease.
She didn't react the way she usually would.
No sarcasm.
No playful defense.
Just—
"…Yes."
Simple.
Honest.
A pause.
Then—
"…I've never…"
She stopped.
Words catching slightly.
His expression changed again.
More focused now.
"…Never?"
She shook her head slightly.
Looking away for a moment.
"…I wasn't really allowed outside much."
Quiet.
Matter-of-fact.
Not dramatic.
Just truth.
Her fingers played lightly with the edge of the blanket.
"…I saw it before," she added softly.
"…Through windows."
A pause.
"…But not like this."
Silence settled between them.
Not heavy.
Just…still.
His hand tightened slightly at her waist.
Grounding.
"…Then we go outside."
Simple.
Certain.
She blinked.
Looked back at him.
"…Now?"
"…Now."
No hesitation.
Her smile returned instantly.
Brighter than before.
"…Really?"
"…Really."
She laughed softly.
Relief.
Excitement.
Something deeper.
"…Okay."
She shifted off him.
Quick now.
Energy returning all at once.
He sat up slower.
Watching her.
The way she moved.
Different.
Lighter.
He stood.
Reached for his coat.
She was already pulling on hers.
Slightly rushed.
Slightly clumsy.
He noticed.
A faint smile.
"…Careful."
"…I am."
She wasn't.
Not really.
But she didn't slow down.
Boots.
Scarf.
Hands fumbling slightly.
He stepped closer.
Adjusted it for her.
Careful.
Precise.
Her breath caught slightly.
Not from the cold.
From him.
"…There," he murmured.
She nodded.
Barely.
Eyes still bright.
He opened the door.
Cold air rushed in.
Sharp.
Immediate.
She stepped out first.
Didn't hesitate.
Boot sinking slightly into the snow.
She paused.
Looked down.
Then—
Laughed.
Soft.
Breathless.
"…Iz…"
He stepped out behind her.
Watching.
She moved forward slowly.
Testing it.
Another step.
Then another.
The snow crunching beneath her feet.
New.
Unfamiliar.
Her hand reached down.
Scooped a small amount.
Cold against her skin.
She gasped slightly.
Pulled her hand back.
Then laughed again.
"…It's cold."
He huffed quietly.
"…It is snow."
She looked at him.
Smiling.
"…I like it."
He stepped closer.
Watching her more than the snow.
"…Good."
She crouched slightly.
Tried again.
This time holding it longer.
Letting the cold settle.
Not pulling away immediately.
Her expression softened.
"…It feels real," she whispered.
A pause.
Then—
She stood.
Turned toward him.
Snow still in her hand.
A thought forming.
Quick.
Mischievous again.
He noticed immediately.
"…Li."
Too late.
She tossed it lightly.
Snow hitting his coat.
Breaking apart instantly.
Silence.
A beat.
Then—
His brow lifted slightly.
"…You did that."
She smiled.
Unapologetic.
"…I did."
A pause.
Then—
He bent down.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Gathering snow.
Her smile faltered slightly.
"…Iz…"
Too late.
He tossed it back.
More precise.
More controlled.
It hit her shoulder.
She gasped.
Then laughed.
Real.
Unfiltered.
The sound echoing softly across the still landscape.
He stilled for a moment.
Watching her.
That sound.
Rare.
Important.
"…Again," she said.
Challenge in her voice now.
He didn't argue.
Another handful.
Another throw.
And just like that—
The morning shifted.
Snow.
Laughter.
Movement.
Something new.
Something she had never had before.
And now—
She did.
With him.
And for the first time—
It felt like it belonged to her.