It didn't start as a game.
It started as winter.
They were walking together, breath soft in the cold air, boots crunching against a thin glaze of ice that kissed the pavement. A quiet moment. Simple. Ordinary. And then — her foot slipped.
Instinct took over before thought could catch up.
Jedson was there in an instant. Hands firm. Steady. Certain. His grip anchoring her back into balance as if her fall had never even been an option.
She looked at him then — not startled, but startled by the realisation.
He had stabilised her without hesitation. Without question. Without a flicker of doubt.
And something old stirred in her chest.
A memory of never being steadied like that before. Not by past lovers. Not by anyone. The unfamiliar safety of it echoed long after the moment had passed.
---
Later that day, when his guard was lowered and laughter filled the space between them, she tested the echo.
Another stumble. This one deliberate.
Once again, his arms were there. Immediate. Protective. Reliable.
This time she didn't hide her expression. A slow, smug smile curved her lips as she looked up at him — eyes glittering with mischief and curiosity.
"You'd never let me fall, would you?"
His answer came without hesitation.
"Never."
Her brow lifted slightly. Challenging. Playful. Searching.
"No exceptions?"
A beat. Then, resolute.
"None."
Something shifted in the air between them — unseen, unnamed, but undeniably present.
A promise had been spoken. A line drawn in gentle seriousness.
And from that moment on, what began as curiosity transformed into invitation.
The game had begun.