The first snow of the season fell in delicate whispers, blanketing the deadened streets with a cruel purity. From the frost-rimed window of the vampire city hall, Chess stood, her red eyes glowing with something akin to wonder.

"Lord Crowley! It's snowing!" she sang, her cheerful voice a jarring contrast to the desolation outside.

Crowley Eusford barely glanced her way, his crimson gaze lingering on the soft cascade of white beyond the glass. "Yeah," he murmured, his voice distant, as if pulled back to a time long past.

The snow reminded him of the winters when he had still been human—a time of treacherous beauty. Winters then had been relentless, a predator in their own right. Men would die from the cold, the simplest of illnesses taking lives like a silent reaper. Yet, even then, Crowley had persevered. Back then, he had trained relentlessly, a man driven by the desire to protect his companions. His family. His honor.

Now, centuries later, those memories were ghosts, their meaning lost in the abyss of time. Seasons no longer held power over him, save for the faint nostalgia they occasionally stirred. He turned his attention to Chess, who stood transfixed by the snow, her youthful features lit with excitement.

"Shall we go outside, you two?" he asked, his tone a mixture of indifference and curiosity.

Chess practically bounced with joy, her enthusiasm infectious, though Horn raised a skeptical brow. "If that is what you wish, Lord Crowley," she said.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The guards stationed outside the city hall bowed as the trio passed, their silent reverence a stark reminder of the vampires' dominion. Crowley led them away from the mansion, his strides purposeful, until they reached a secluded area far from the watchful eyes of other vampires.

"Tell me, Chess," Crowley said, pausing to glance back at her. "Do you like winter?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, her cheeks pink with excitement. "When I was human, it was my favorite season!"

Horn scoffed softly. "Don't tell me it's because you didn't have to work during winter?"

"Exactly!" Chess admitted, unashamed. "It was the one time of year you could rest and sleep in!"

Crowley smirked faintly, his sharp features softening. "So, you truly did nothing during those long winters? Back in my human days, winter was a time of hardship. A single mistake could mean death."

"Well, there was one thing I loved to do..." Chess trailed off, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's have a snowball fight!"

Horn groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Chess... This is ridiculous."

Crowley's smile darkened, his fangs glinting as he chuckled. "Why not? Let's do it."

Horn looked startled. "Lord Crowley, you don't have to entertain her childishness."

"I know," he said, his voice laced with a low amusement. "But I'm curious. I've never had a snowball fight before."

Chess clapped her hands together, delighted. "Yay! Be careful, though—I'm a genius at this!"

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The first snowball came out of nowhere, striking Horn squarely on the head.

"Point to me!" Chess declared triumphantly, her laughter ringing out like bells.

"Chess!" Horn growled, brushing the snow from her hair. But before she could retaliate, a perfectly aimed snowball from Crowley hit Chess with a soft *thwack.*

"Lord Crowley!" Chess cried, her wide eyes filled with betrayed shock.

"Consider this a lesson," Crowley said, his grin predatory. "Geniuses should anticipate every move."

Chess stumbled backward, raising her hands in mock surrender. "W-wait! Lord Crowley, let's not—!"

"Too late," Horn interrupted, her expression darkening as she joined Crowley in the assault.

The snow became their battleground. Crowley moved with supernatural grace, his attacks relentless yet calculated. Chess scrambled, dodging and retaliating with all the fervor of someone clearly outmatched.

"You're awfully confident for someone so outnumbered," Crowley taunted, the gleam in his eyes as sharp as his fangs.

"Mercy!" Chess cried, laughter and panic mingling in her voice.

But no mercy came.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

When they returned to the mansion, the three of them were covered in snow. Crowley looked utterly unbothered, his crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement. Horn smirked faintly, brushing snow from her coat.

Chess, however, trudged behind them in silence, her usually vibrant energy utterly spent.

"We should do that again sometime," Crowley remarked, his tone casual as he swept past the staff and into the warmth of the hall.

"Agreed," Horn added with a rare smile.

Chess didn't reply. Instead, she muttered under her breath as she ascended the stairs. *Never again will I challenge Lord Crowley... in anything.*

-Snowy Days END-

A/N: Let's all have a snowball fight as long as there is still snow falling on the ground in the winter!