it started quietly, almost like the world was holding its breath. riki had been waiting for this moment since the weather forecast hinted at snow, but you had only smiled, doubting it would really happen tonight. still, when he tugged your sleeve and pointed toward the window, the first white flakes had already begun to fall, slow and hesitant, melting the moment they touched the glass.

“see? told you,” he said, voice full of triumph and childlike wonder. you laughed softly, shaking your head, but your chest felt warm. the streetlights outside painted the air with gold, and every flake shimmered as if the sky was scattering tiny pieces of light. you stood beside him, shoulder against shoulder, and the silence wrapped around you both in a way that felt sacred.

riki turned toward you, a grin stretching wide across his face. “come on,” he said, already grabbing his coat. you barely had time to protest before he was holding yours out for you, eyes sparkling. moments later, you stepped into the crisp night, the cold biting gently at your cheeks, the scent of winter sharp and clean. snowflakes landed in your hair, soft kisses from the sky.

riki reached out and brushed one away, fingers grazing your temple. “you look like a snow angel,” he murmured, and the words slipped out so naturally that your heart fluttered. he didn’t seem embarrassed, just happy, the kind of happy that came from something simple, like being right here, right now.

you both walked down the quiet street, boots crunching in the thin layer of snow forming beneath your feet. every sound felt softer, muffled by the white. riki kept stealing glances at you, his breath visible in the cold air, forming little clouds that disappeared too soon. sometimes he’d bump your shoulder lightly, just to make you look at him again. sometimes you’d reach out first, pretending to fix his scarf just to touch him.

when the snow began to fall thicker, you both stopped under a flickering streetlamp. riki tilted his head back, mouth open, catching snowflakes on his tongue, and laughed when you did the same. the sound of his laughter carried through the stillness, warm enough to melt the cold around you. you wanted to memorize it forever — the way his eyes crinkled, the way his hair caught the snow, the way his joy felt contagious.

“this is perfect,” he whispered. you nodded, and he stepped closer, close enough that his coat brushed yours. the world seemed to shrink until it was only the two of you, hearts beating in sync under the falling snow. riki lifted his hand and traced the outline of your face, thumb brushing your cold cheek. you leaned into the touch, closing your eyes, feeling his warmth seep through your skin.

“our first snow,” he said, almost in awe. “together.”

you smiled, eyes still closed. “the first of many.”

he laughed again, soft and tender, and before you could say another word, he leaned forward and kissed you. it was slow, hesitant at first, like the first flakes that had started everything, then deeper, surer, melting the space between you. the snow kept falling, landing on your hair, your coats, his eyelashes. the world could have ended right there and you wouldn’t have noticed.

when he pulled back, his breath was shaky, his cheeks flushed. “you’re freezing,” he murmured, tugging you closer. “let’s get you warm.”

but you shook your head, smiling against his chest. “just a little longer.”

so you stayed — two figures beneath a streetlamp, wrapped in each other while winter painted everything new. the snow kept falling, erasing footsteps, covering rooftops, softening edges. and as riki pressed his forehead to yours, whispering your name like a promise, you realized that this moment would live inside you forever — the night the first snow fell, and love felt as endless as the sky above.