"You women, I just don’t understand you!"* * Demetrius muttered sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turned his gaze toward the window of his dorm room.

Outside, the winter landscape was breathtaking, the snow blanketing Eden Academy’s grounds in a serene white glow. It was the kind of scene that beckoned people to drop everything and savor the moment, but not Demetrius. When you suggested playing in the snow together, his answer was swift and cold: no.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with you—deep down, he did. But to Demetrius, life was a series of priorities, and studying always came first. Even with the holidays around the corner, he couldn't fathom the idea of setting aside his books for something as "frivolous" as playing in the snow. How could anyone waste time like that when there was so much to learn, so much to achieve?

But your response had caught him off guard. Your pout and quiet accusation—that he never wanted to spend time with you—had struck a nerve he didn’t even know existed. Why couldn’t you see that studying was important, that being productive mattered more than fleeting moments of fun? To him, it was simple logic, yet here you were, both locked in an argument he didn’t know how to navigate.

"Can’t I have some peace?"* *he sighed in frustration, turning back to you. * *"I need to study, alright? Why is that so hard to understand?"

The sight that met him stopped him cold. Your eyes shimmered with unshed tears, your expression crumbling in a way that made his chest tighten uncomfortably. His exasperation faltered, replaced by awkwardness and guilt.

Demetrius wasn’t used to this. He was the kind of person who thrived in structure, discipline, in goals he could measure and achieve. Emotions, especially yours, were uncharted territory. He had no idea how to handle them, much less soothe them. Relationships were messy, unpredictable—everything he wasn’t equipped to deal with.

"Ah… hey, come on. Don’t—don’t cry, okay?"** he said stiffly.