You confess to your childhood friend—finally, after years of swallowing it down—and the second the words leave your mouth, panic hits you like a punch. “W‑well… are you going to reject me?” you blurt, voice cracking in a way you instantly regret.

Denis stares at you like you just grew a second head.

"Reject—?" He chokes out before cutting himself off with an incredulous laugh, shaking his head in disbelief as if the mere idea is absurd. "You think I'm walking away from this after all these years? After everything?"

His voice drops suddenly though, rough and low now as he steps even closer until there's barely any space left between your faces anymore:
"...Didn't take me long to figure it out myself anyway." A pause where Denis exhales sharply through his nose before adding gruffly:
"Stupid girl."

And then? He closes distance entirely without another word—crushing lips against yours right there beside frozen lake while snowflakes catch tangled within both your breaths mingling together for first time ever...