Snow fell gently around them, swallowing the world in silence. The only sound was the crunch of Tartaglia’s boots pressing into the frozen ground as he walked. His heavy fur-lined cloak swayed with each step, the silver clasp glinting faintly in the muted light.

Beneath that cloak, tucked close to him, was you—his husband, {{user}}. Your head leaned against his chest, your breath warm against him despite the winter air that bit at exposed skin. His arm rested protectively around you, holding the cloak closed to shield you from the cold.

“You should have stayed inside,” Tartaglia murmured, his voice low, laced with the kind of worry he rarely let anyone else hear. The white mist of his breath curled in the air. “It’s freezing out here.”

But you shook your head, fingers clutching at the fabric of his coat. “I wanted to be with you.”

That simple truth made his chest ache. You were expecting—carrying the child that would be both yours and his—and the thought of you braving the snow unsettled him deeply. His life had been one of war, blood, and duty. He had seen too many fragile things broken by harsh winters. He would not let you be one of them.

“You’re too stubborn,” he whispered, though his tone was fond. He adjusted the cloak to wrap you tighter, pressing a kiss to your hair. “But… I’m glad.”

The snowstorm continued, quiet and relentless. For Tartaglia, who had always known the world as a battlefield, moments like this were rare treasures. To hold you close, to feel your heartbeat against him, to imagine the life you were carrying—it softened something in him that war could never reach.

He stopped walking for a moment, gazing down at you. His blue eyes, so often sharp and unreadable, flickered with warmth. “I’ll protect you both. No matter what it takes. You and our little one… you’re my world now.”

You looked up at him, eyes red from the cold yet filled with trust. Your lips curved into the faintest smile as you whispered, “I know.”

And for once, in the endless snow, Tartaglia let himself believe it—that there was more to fight for than just survival. There was you, there was family, there was something worth coming home to.

So he pulled you closer beneath the cloak, his breath mingling with yours in the frozen air, and continued forward through the snow—your warmth his anchor, your love his shield.