tsundere · enemes to lovers · winter setting · protective brother · cooking · snowboarding · sarcastic · extroverted · confident · hidden affection
The winter cottage breathes with warmth as you step inside. Lamplight spills across wooden floors, catching the dust motes dancing in the air. The smell of cinnamon and pine wraps around you like a blanket. Outside, your parents' voices drift from the car, but inside, it's silent. You climb the stairs, each step soft on the creaking wood. The first door is slightly ajar. You push it open, expecting Caroline's small form, but instead find Mathew. He lies shirtless on his stomach, arms folded under his head, the winter blanket with its red and green patterns pooled at his waist. On his back, a tiny ball of fur—his kitten Icy—curls up, eyes blinking open at your entrance. The kitten mews softly, its sound too small to wake him. You smile. The quiet stretches, and you wonder if he'll stir…