Chapter 30 Yours, Excruciatingly Eternally #2
I froze, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to come up with a response. “That’s not fair! That’s not even a thing I can see!”
“It’s there,” he said, clearly pleased with himself.
“You’re cheating,” I accused, pointing a finger at him.
“You’re just mad because I’m better at this game.”
“You’re insufferable,” I muttered, sinking back into my seat.
“And yet, here you are,” he said, echoing my earlier words with a satisfied grin.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at my lips. As frustrating as Wynter was, there was something about his composed, teasing energy that made me want to keep pushing him just to see what he’d do.
The snowy landscape outside seemed to stretch endlessly, but inside the car, the air felt warm, alive with our banter. I didn’t know where we were going, but for the first time, I didn’t really care.
The winter market looked like something out of a dream.
Strings of fairy lights crisscrossed the snow-dusted streets, casting a golden glow over the cobblestone square.
Wooden stalls lined the way, each one adorned with garlands of pine and crimson ribbon.
The air smelled like roasted chestnuts, spiced cider, and the faint, sugary warmth of candied almonds.
I clutched Wynter’s arm as we stepped into the bustling crowd, the festive bustle of conversation and laughter wrapping around us. His steady presence beside me felt grounding, his hand tucked into the pocket of his coat where mine rested warmly against his.
“You know,” I said, tilting my head up at him, “this whole market thing is dangerously romantic. It almost feels like you planned this.”
He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a faint smile. “Maybe I did.”
“Now that’s suspicious,” I teased, nudging him lightly. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who plans romantic outings.”
“Maybe I’ve found a muse lately.” he said, his tone calm but laced with something unreadable.
“I never had a particular fascination with romance before.”
“Have you never watched titanic or Bridgerton or something?” I questioned,
“I’ve watched a lot because of my sisters but I never really saw myself as a part of it, just kind of watching from the sidelines because I never had the time.
Coming to Julliard, having the chance to mentor instead of compete for once is the first time in a long time I’ve been able to breathe. ” He explained.
I glanced at him, but his expression was as certain as ever, his dark eyes scanning the market like he wasn’t about to give anything away.
We stopped at a stall selling handmade ornaments, delicate glass stars and snowflakes that caught the light. I picked one up, a small reindeer with glittering antlers.
“Do you want it?” Wynter asked, his voice soft.
“No,” I said quickly, setting it back down. “It’s pretty, but I don’t need it.”
He gave me a look—half amused, half skeptical. “You’re bad at this whole ‘treating yourself’ thing, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me, I treat myself all the time,” I said, lifting my chin. “I bought a latte this morning.”
“A latte doesn’t count,” he said dryly, his hand slipping out of his pocket to guide me toward the next stall.
“I just never grew up having the privilege to want things.” I cleared my throat.
“I can understand that.” He processed straightening the collar of my coat.
“So whats your definition of ‘treating yourself,’ then?” I asked him.
“Something that lasts,” he said simply.
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you’d say that. You’re probably the kind of person who invests in, like, diamond bracelets or something.”
He laughed, the sound low and warm. “And what’s wrong with diamonds?”
“Nothing,” I said, grinning. “Just that they’re very… you.”
We wandered further into the market, stopping occasionally to browse the stalls. Wynter insisted on buying me a cup of hot chocolate despite my protests, and I had to admit it was the best I’d ever had—rich, creamy, and topped with a cloud of whipped cream.
At some point, he led me to a quieter corner of the market where the stalls were spaced further apart.
The lights here were softer, the snow falling gently around us like tiny stars.
I was so focused on the way the snowflakes sparkled in Wynter’s hair that I almost didn’t notice the familiar blue-and-gold box he pulled out of his coat pocket.
I froze.
“Wait,” I said, my voice catching. “Is that…?”
“The necklace you saw at Versace, Sydney said you’d wanted it ,” he finished for me, holding it up. The delicate gold chain gleamed in the soft light, the pendant—a tiny North Star charm encrusted with diamonds—catching every sparkle.
“But… it was reserved,” I stammered, staring at him. “They said someone had already claimed it.”
“That’s because I claimed it,” he said simply.
My mouth fell open. “You what?”
“It was reserved for me,” he said, his tone casual, though the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “Ambassador perks.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “And you’re just… giving it to me?”
“Who else more deserving, darling?” he said, stepping closer. He reached up, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “I’m asking you to be my girlfriend.”
The words hung in the air, soft and steady, like they belonged there.
“Wynter…” I started, but he silenced me with a small shake of his head.
“Don’t overthink it,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost gentle. “Just… say yes if it feels right, If you want to.”
I looked at him, at the way his usual teasing smirk was nowhere to be found, replaced by something so earnest it made my chest ache.
And then I thought about everything—his steady presence, his quiet confidence, the way he always seemed to know exactly what to say to get under my skin in the best way possible.
I smiled tears glistening in my eyes, my breathing ragged in disbelief of this moment I’d dreamed of since I was a little girl. “Okay fine since you’re practically begging me—“
The word came out before I could second-guess it, and Wynter’s face broke into a rare, genuine smile—so full of warmth it could’ve melted the snow around us. He interrupted me with a hug sweeping me up into arms and we both laughed.
I didn’t know before— no one told me that love could be so easy. So peaceful, feel so right.
He stepped behind me, the necklace glinting between his fingers as he fastened it around my neck. The pendant felt cool against my skin, a reminder of how surreal this moment was.
When he stepped back in front of me, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders, he tilted his head slightly. “Diamonds look perfect on you.”
“You’re so…,” I said, though my voice was soft, my smile betraying how I really felt.
“And you’re mine now,” he said, his voice full of quiet certainty.
“Rephrase that.” I ordered.
“I’m yours.” He breathed placing a hand on my cheek, then pressing his forehead into my shoulder as I threaded my fingers through his hair.
The snow swirled around us, the market fading into the background as we stood there. And for the first time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Then all of a sudden a little girl appeared out of nowhere, bundled in pink with a candy cane clutched in her mittened hand. She stopped in front of us, staring wide-eyed at Wynter.
“Excuse me,” she said, her voice small but serious. “Are you cursed like Anna from Frozen?”
I froze, trying—and failing—not to burst into laughter. Wynter crouched slightly, his calm composure somehow intact.
“Cursed?” he repeated, a faint smirk on his lips.
“Yeah!” She pointed at the white streak in his dark hair. “Did someone hit you with ice powers?”
“No ice powers,” he said, his voice gentle. “Just how my hair is.”
The girl frowned. “Are you sure? It looks just like hers.”
Wynter leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Maybe I am cursed. But if I am, it’s a pretty cool one, don’t you think?”
Her eyes widened, and she nodded solemnly. “Super cool, do you have a sister?”
“I um.” Wynter hesitated glancing away.
“He has three.” I told her.
“Maybe you are from frozen.” The little girl hummed.
“Maybe, the cold never bothered him anyway.” I chuckled placing a hand on his shoulder.
With that, she skipped off into the crowd.
The car was quiet, The smell of warm mince pies lingered in the air, but I wasn’t thinking about food anymore.
The windows were fogging up slightly, the snow outside cocooning us in a private, wintry world.
I had my feet lifted onto the seat as Wynter sat beside me unwrapping the mince pies we’d brought to eat.
Wynter had just finished wiping a stray crumb from my mouth, his touch light but lingering. It was such a small thing, but it sent a little jolt through me. I leaned back, fiddling with the edge of my coat, trying to calm the nervous energy bubbling inside me.
I glanced at him. He was relaxed, one arm resting on the back of the seat, his dark eyes half-lidded as he watched me. I could feel the weight of his gaze, like he could see right through me, and it only made me more aware of what I wanted to ask.
“Wyn,” I said quietly, barely trusting my own voice.
“Hm?” His eyes didn’t waver, the corner of his mouth curving in that maddeningly confident way of his.
“Can I… ask you for a first favor, as my boyfriend?”
He tilted his head slightly, his smirk softening into something unreadable. “Without hesitation, what kind of favor?”
“It’s embarrassing.” I flushed, “I don’t want you to think I’m too much of a loser or anything.”
“I could never think that.” He reassured me.
I swallowed hard, my cheeks heating. “I want you to… kiss me. But, like… properly. You know, with tongue this time.”
That caught his attention. His smirk vanished, replaced by a look so intent it made my heart skip a beat. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his eyes locked on mine as if he were weighing my words.
“Are sure?” he asked, his voice low and steady. “It’s never my intent to rush you.”
“It’s not rushing me if I’m asking you to put your foot on the gas.” I chuckled.
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” I whispered, barely able to meet his gaze. “I just… I want to know what it’s like. And I trust you.”
Something shifted in his expression—something darker, more focused. He reached out, his fingers brushing against my jaw before tilting my face up toward him. His thumb traced a slow, deliberate line along my cheek, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Okay,” he declared. “I’m not holding back.”
“Please.” I breathed.
My lips crashed into his, it started slow, his mouth moving against my own with this delicate precision and I couldn’t help but melt into his embrace entirely. He hand slid up the back of my back pulling me closer.
His tongue brushed my bottom lip and I parted my mouth without restraint, the earth itself tilted on its axis for us.
I drowned in every expression of him. The warmth of him and the sheer intensity of the kiss made me dizzy.
His tongue taunted mine slow and delicate feeling unreeled by the way he devoured me like he was a man starved.
Wynter wasn’t just kissing me. He was teaching me, guiding me with every movement. His other hand slid to my waist as he tilted my head anchoring me. I couldn’t help the soft sound that expected my lips and I felt his twitch with a faint smirk.
“Breathe darling.” He murmured against my mouth his voice low and breathless.
“I’m trying.” I whispered back with shaky hands to his chest. “I’m relaxed.”
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye his dark eyes ablaze with something that made a shiver cascade down my spine. “Not yet.” he said softly, and before I could respond his mouth was on mine again and this time there was nothing gentle about it “you will be, though.”
The kid turned hotter, messier, his tongue exploring mine with a confidence that left me completely breathless.
I pressed closer to him my hands tangling in his shirt as I tried to match his pace but he was always one step ahead keeping me on the edge of losing control.
He grabbed ahold of my leg and leaned over me pressing our bodies together. “I didn’t know…” he breathed.
“What didn’t you know?” I wondered placing my hand on his cheek.
“That you wanted me…” he brushed his full lips over mine, “This bad.”
“I do.” I swallowed.
“I’ll give it to you, whatever you want. But for now I’ll just kiss you.” He assured me.
His lips were urgent, searching, tasting. I barely had time to process it before his hands slid to my waist, pulling me into him.
His touch was possessive, as if he couldn't get enough of me, and I responded just as fiercely. My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging him closer as I deepened the kiss, pressing my body against his.
The world outside disappeared, the only thing that mattered was the heat between us, the frantic need to be closer, to feel more.
I could taste the sweetness of the hot chocolate on his lips, but it was overtaken by the heady rush of his kiss, something far more intoxicating.
Every second felt like an eternity, each press of his mouth pushing me further into the edge of something I didn't want to pull back from.
When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing hard, the air between us thick and electric. My lips tingled, swollen from the kiss, and I couldn’t stop staring at him.
“Wow,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper.
He smirked, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip, sending another shiver through me. “Not bad for a first lesson.”
“Lesson?” I said, my voice still unsteady but laced with a hint of teasing. “I didn’t realize we were studying.”
He chuckled, his voice low and rough. “You wanted to learn, didn’t you?”
I bit my lip, my cheeks heating again. “Yeah, well… I think I need a few more lessons.”
His smirk deepened, and he leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “Then we’d better make some time, I like for my students to graduate with honours.”
And just like that, the cold outside didn’t matter. We somehow had turned the quiet little car into the warmest place in the world.