Winter draped the Smith estate in a blanket of powdery snow, the gardens transformed into a silvery wonderland. The air was crisp and clear, every breath a visible puff, and the sun glinted sharply off icicles clinging to the eaves.
Inside, the warmth of lunch still lingered. The chatter had died down, and coats, scarves, and boots were quickly pulled on. The children burst through the doors in a flurry of laughter, muffled by wool and layers.
Leina stepped carefully into the snow-covered yard, her boots crunching softly. She held her gloved hands together, her posture composed, eyes quietly taking in the scene. Unlike her brothers, who had already launched into a spirited snowball war near the hedges, Leina preferred watching before joining.
"Leina!" Samantha's voice rang like a bell as she jogged over, cheeks rosy from the cold. Her steps were uneven, but her grin never wavered. She clutched a scarf that kept slipping from her shoulder. "Let's build a snow fort! I already started one near the gazebo."
Leina gave a soft nod, adjusting her earmuffs. "Okay. But no throwing snow at me."
"I'd never!" Samantha giggled, clearly lying.
A few paces back, Alexander's gaze lingered on Leina. He tugged on his gloves, expression unreadable. The wind tousled his ash blonde hair as he took a deep breath and moved toward her, each step slow and calculated.
He'd waited all morning for a moment. A minute alone with her. Not that he really knew what to say. Just… that he wanted to be near her.
"Leina," he said, stopping a few feet away, his tone unusually quiet.
She looked up at him, curious but calm, her breath rising like smoke between them.
"Wanna go for a walk?" he asked, trying not to look over his shoulder in case Lester popped out of nowhere to mock him. "Just around the garden."
Leina opened her mouth—but the moment vanished.
"Nope!" Samantha cut in cheerfully, slipping her arm through Leina's. "She's mine! We're building a snow fort. You can't steal her."
Alexander blinked. "Sam—seriously?"
Samantha puffed her cheeks. "Seriously. You're always trying to talk to her when I'm with her."
"I'm not—" He sighed and glanced at Leina, who was clearly trying not to laugh.
"I didn't know I was this popular," she said lightly, tucking a loose strand of hair under her hat.
"I was here first," Samantha insisted.
Alexander exhaled sharply, dramatic in defeat. "Fine. You win, princess."
"Darn right I do," Samantha said, chin high, victorious. She leaned into Leina, clearly pleased with herself.
Leina watched them both with a warmth in her chest she didn't quite understand. There was something oddly comforting about the way they bickered—like they both wanted to claim her, in the gentlest way possible. *It's silly,* she thought, *but… kind of sweet too.*
Alexander turned away with a mutter, trudging off toward the far end of the garden where snowballs exploded like fireworks. A shout from Liam nearly took his ear off.
"Finally!" Louis yelled. "Thought you were gonna keep flirting forever."
"I wasn't flirting," Alexander snapped.
Lester, already mid-snowball windup, grinned. "Sure you weren't."
Levy was running laps—yes, laps—around the hedge maze, wearing a weighted vest *under* his coat.
"It's negative five degrees!" Liam shouted at him. "Get inside, freak!"
"Cardio doesn't stop for weather!" Levy yelled back, mid-sprint.
Alexander rolled his eyes, already regretting his life choices.
Meanwhile, Reginald stepped out of a sleek black car just outside the manor. His right-hand man said something about briefings and schedules, but Reginald barely heard him.
He paused.
From where he stood, he could see the children—snowballs flying, laughter rising, Samantha's small frame clinging to Leina's. And in the middle of it all, Leina stood like a candle in the snow—quiet, glowing, untouchable.
Something in Reginald's gaze softened. Just for a second.
Then, like a ghost passing through fog, he turned and walked into the mansion, the door closing silently behind him.
Back outside, the chaos resumed. Liam had tackled Louis into a snowdrift. Lester was using a sled as a makeshift shield. Alexander had finally joined the fight, already pelting the twins with sharp aim.
"Reinhardt warzone," Levy muttered, jogging past. "Classic."
And somewhere behind the hedges, Leina laughed again—just a little—and chased after Samantha, the frost crunching beneath their boots like echoes of something warmer.