Rei and Sera returned…
Sera slowly opened the door.
Mrs. Ishimia stood there, that infamous photo in her hands, smirking like she'd just uncovered the juiciest secret.
"You lovebirds should've told us you wanted some privacy."
"If we hadn't run out, you would've killed us with your dumb questions… And anyway, we just fell because of the snow in that photo," Sera said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, and somehow Alya popped up right at that moment when we fell," Rei added, shrugging.
Mr. Ishimia's voice rang from the other room.
"Rei, Sera! Come here, I've connected the games!"
"Sure!" they both chimed back.
They played games… It was one of those rare nights when everything just felt perfect. Laughter echoed, the screen glowed with pixelated chaos, and even though they hadn't said it out loud—there was love in the room.
Despite not expressing their feelings directly, their hands stayed linked under the table the whole time… fingers softly intertwined, like a quiet promise. Somehow, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Ishimia noticed, and even Alya, for once, didn't seem to catch on.
"Cold, huh?" Rei whispered.
"Yeah," Sera replied, her voice just as soft.
It was midnight by then. Mr. and Mrs. Ishimia had gone to bed hours ago, and the house had sunk into a peaceful hush.
Alya lay on the floor sleeping… just five feet away, her steady breathing the only sound besides the faint hum of the TV. She was sleeping like a rock after screaming five times from losing a game.
Rei and Sera sat close, their hands still together. And then, with a gentle motion, Sera leaned in and rested her head on Rei's shoulder.
"W-what are you doing?" Rei stammered, startled but not pulling away.
"I dunno… I'm just kinda sleepy," Sera murmured.
"Yeah… it was a long day. But tomorrow's a holiday—you can rest all you want," Rei said with a small smile.
"So… should I move away?" Sera asked quietly.
"No… maybe it's better this way," Rei answered.
There was a pause. A silence that wasn't awkward—just tender.
"I think if I confess or do something… the warmth of the moment will go away, won't it?" she whispered.
"Yeah, maybe…" Rei replied.
At this point, even they didn't know what they were saying… or doing. They were just feeling.
Sera's eyes closed slowly. Rei looked at her, and a smile crept onto his face—soft, genuine, warm.
He hesitated for a moment, heart thudding like it was afraid of being too loud in the silence.
Then, almost breathless, he whispered,
"My heart… it's been frozen for so long, like it forgot how to feel anything warm. But with you, Sera… it's like the embers lit back up. I love you."
The words hung in the air, fragile and real—like snowflakes caught in moonlight.
Sera didn't open her eyes right away, but her lips curved into the faintest smile.
"I heard that, idiot," she mumbled, cheeks softly glowing pink.
But her tone wasn't teasing—it was full of quiet happiness, like she'd been waiting for this without even knowing it.
"I wanted you to hear that," Rei said.
Sera's eyes widened for a second… then slowly softened again.
"If it weren't you, it would've been super awkward…"
"So do you like me back?" Rei asked, his voice barely above a breath.
"Maybe," Sera replied, a mischievous little smile tugging at her lips.
"I need a more comfy pillow…" she added, eyes fluttering with sleep.
Without hesitation, Rei gently guided her head into his lap.
"There you go," he said softly.
"You gonna kiss me now?" Sera asked with a playful grin.
"I wish I could…" Rei whispered under his breath.
Sera's breathing steadied. She was asleep.
Rei glanced down at her and chuckled under his breath.
"Guess I'll stay like this all night… not that I mind."
The night was silent… yet there were whispers beneath the snow—whispers of love blooming.
---
-- To be continued
-~Rei