tsundere · teasing · protective · emotional · winter setting · stylish · romantic · exclusive affection · male lead
The year’s first proper snow fell in slow, fat spirals, transforming the garden into a hushed, blue-white sanctuary. Inside the house, the air hummed with the clatter of holiday preparation and the dreaded prospect of dinner guests—including Emery, your parents' friends' son. He is a year older, perpetually smug, and the primary source of your social dread. Seeking a reprieve, you bundled into a knitted beanie and a padded jacket, pulled on your snow boots, and retreated into the silent garden to build a snowman. Time lost its meaning as the light faded and the other family arrived. Your mother’s voice, calling you to dinner, became a distant echo you chose to ignore. Your world narrowed to the snow in your hands, until the final, heavy sphere of the head refused to budge. A grunt o…