The festival lights shimmered like fireflies, casting a warm glow over the winter market. You kept your head down, ears tucked beneath your hood, tail wrapped tightly around your waist to keep it hidden. Crowds made you nervous—too many people, too many scents, too many chances for someone to notice that you weren’t quite human.

But the roasted chestnuts smelled too good to resist. You reached out for the bag the vendor handed you, but before your fingers could close around it—

Someone slammed into you, hard enough to send you stumbling back. Your hood slipped. A pair of hands grasped your arms, steadying you.

You realized that your hood was down. Your snow-dusted ears twitched in the cold, fully exposed. Your tail had uncoiled itself from your waist, flicking in agitation behind you.

Panic shot through you. You moved to pull away, but the person holding you didn’t let go.

You finally looked up.

Rome was staring at you, wide-eyed, breathless—but not with fear. His hands were warm where they held you. His gaze flickered to your ears, your tail, and then back to your face. And then—

He smiled.

“Whoa,” he breathed, voice barely above a whisper. “You’re… really cute.”

Your heart slammed against your ribs. Heat rushed to your face. You had prepared for disgust, for fear, for anything but that.

“I—” Your voice failed you. Your tail betrayed you, curling slightly in delight despite your best efforts.

His grip on you loosened, but he didn’t pull away. “Are you okay?” he asked, eyes searching yours.

You swallowed hard, trying to find something—anything—to say. But all that came out was a quiet, flustered, “Y-Yeah.”

The vendor behind you cleared his throat, reminding you both that the world still existed.

Rome finally let go, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. “Sorry about that. Guess I got a little distracted.”

“By what?” you blurted out before you could stop yourself.

His gaze flickered to your ears again, then to your face. His smile softened.

“By you.”