𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄!

𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍'
𝟏𝟓. 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

The crisp morning air was alive with the sound of skis carving through the fresh powder. Lando glanced over his shoulder to see Gianna just behind him, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold and a determined smile on her face as she navigated the slope.

"Keep up, slowpoke!" he called out, his grin widening as he turned back down the hill, leaning into the next curve.

"Slowpoke?" Gianna's voice carried over the snow, tinged with mock indignation. "You're lucky I didn't leave you in the dust at the top!" With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between them, passing him with a triumphant laugh.

Lando shook his head, laughing as he picked up his pace to catch her. They weaved down the slope, the morning sun sparkling off the snow and turning the world into a dazzling white canvas. By the time they reached the bottom, both of them were breathless, their smiles unguarded and wide.

"Okay," Lando panted, leaning on his poles as he caught his breath. "You win this round. But I'm calling for a rematch after lunch."

Gianna smirked, pushing her goggles up onto her forehead. "You can rematch all you want, Norris. I'll still win."

They made their way to the ski lodge, where the rest of their group was already gathered around a large table near the window. The smell of hot food and spiced drinks filled the air as they sat down, peeling off their jackets and gloves.

"Finally," one of their friends teased. "What took you two so long? Stopping for a romantic moment on the slopes?"

Gianna rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed slightly. "Please, I was too busy waiting for Lando to catch up."

Lando gave an exaggerated groan, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, make fun of the guy who's clearly conserving his energy for the afternoon run."

The table erupted into laughter, the teasing light and easy. As the food arrived, Lando found himself stealing glances at Gianna, who was animatedly telling a story about one of her near-misses on the slopes. She caught him looking at her once and raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a knowing smile.

For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had melted away—the laughter, the chatter of their friends, the bustle of the lodge. It was just them, sharing something unspoken but undeniably real.

And for the first time in a long while, Lando realized he wasn't worried about where this might lead. He was just happy to be here, with her, in this moment.

As the lunch carried on, the table was full of lively banter and shared stories from the morning on the slopes. Plates piled high with steaming pasta, burgers, and bowls of hot soup passed around as the group fueled up for the afternoon. Gianna was sitting to Lando's right, her laugh ringing out as one of their friends recounted a spectacular wipeout from earlier.

"You're lucky I didn't have my phone out," Gianna teased, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "That would've gone viral in minutes."

Their friend groaned. "Please, let's leave my dignity intact, at least until the next run."

Lando leaned closer to Gianna, his voice dropping just for her. "You really do love calling people out, don't you?"

She glanced at him, smirking as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What can I say? It's part of my charm."

He chuckled, his elbow nudging hers gently. "It's definitely something."

There was something easy about this—sitting here with her, surrounded by their friends but caught in their own little bubble. She didn't pull away from him like she might have before. Instead, she gave him a small, almost playful look, her foot brushing lightly against his under the table.

The gesture caught Lando off guard, but in a good way. He smiled to himself, trying to play it cool, but his heart raced a little.

"Alright," one of their friends said, clapping their hands together. "Afternoon runs? Who's in?"

A chorus of agreement went around the table, and Gianna turned to Lando. "Think you can keep up this time?" she asked, her tone teasing but her eyes warm.

He leaned in just slightly, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "I think I can handle more than you think."

Her cheeks flushed, but she didn't break his gaze. "We'll see about that."

They bundled back up and headed out, the snow crunching under their boots as they clipped into their skis. The group spread out as they hit the slopes again, but Lando and Gianna stuck close, their banter flowing as easily as the movements of their skis.

At one point, they stopped midway down a quiet trail, the rest of the group further ahead. The world around them was silent except for the occasional whisper of wind through the trees.

"This is nice," Gianna said, looking around at the snow-covered forest. Her voice was softer now, no teasing edge, just honesty.

"Yeah," Lando agreed, glancing at her. "It is."

For a moment, they stood in comfortable silence, their breaths visible in the cold air. Then, Gianna turned to him, her lips curving into a small smile. "Remember our first trip like this?"

Lando chuckled, his eyes lighting up. "How could I forget? You spent half the day yelling at me for taking the wrong trail and getting us lost."

Her laugh was soft, the sound carrying in the stillness of the trees. "That's because it was supposed to be an easy trail, and you dragged us onto a black diamond. I thought we were going to die."

"Hey, we made it down in one piece," he shot back, grinning. "And I like to think I taught you something about trusting my instincts."

Gianna raised an eyebrow. "Your instincts? Please. I'm the reason we didn't end up stranded out there all night."

He held up his hands in surrender, his laughter genuine. "Okay, fine. You saved the day. Happy?"

"Very," she said with a satisfied smirk, though her expression softened as she looked at him. "But honestly, I don't think I've laughed that much on a trip since then."

Lando's grin faded slightly, replaced by something warmer, deeper. "Me neither," he admitted.

For a moment, their eyes met, the memory of who they were back then lingering between them. The playful banter faded, replaced by something quieter.

"Gianna," Lando said softly, his voice dropping just enough to make her pause. "I know we've had our ups and downs, but...I'm glad we're here. Together."

Her smile softened, her cheeks already pink from the cold but somehow feeling warmer. "Me too," she replied simply, her voice sincere.

Lando hesitated for a moment, then reached out, brushing a strand of hair that had escaped her hat back into place. His glove was clumsy, but the gesture was careful, almost tender. "You've got snow in your hair," he said, his tone teasing but gentle.

Gianna rolled her eyes, but the faint smile playing on her lips betrayed her. "Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Observant."

He chuckled, stepping back and nodding toward the trail. "Come on. Let's catch up with the others before they start making bets about what we're doing back here."

She shook her head, laughing under her breath as she pushed off down the slope. Lando followed, watching her for a moment before focusing back on the trail.

The morning wasn't perfect, but it was theirs, and in the quiet moments like this, he realized that being with her—even here, in the middle of nowhere—was exactly where he wanted to be.

As they skied down the trail, the quiet of the snow-covered forest around them felt like their own little world. Lando stayed close behind Gianna, catching glimpses of her turning smoothly through the fresh powder, her movements confident and natural. He couldn't help but smile, remembering the first time they had skied together when she had been too proud to admit she was nervous. Now, she glided down the slope like she owned it.

At a bend in the trail, Gianna suddenly came to a stop, turning to face him with a playful glint in her eyes. "You're staring," she said as he slowed to meet her, her breath puffing out in the cold air.

"Can you blame me?" Lando shot back, grinning. "You're showing off, and I have to give credit where it's due."

"Flattery won't make me go easy on you during the next race," she teased, though her cheeks flushed a little deeper.

He shrugged, leaning on his poles. "Who said I wanted you to go easy? I like a challenge."

Gianna rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. She turned back toward the slope, but before she could push off, Lando's voice stopped her.

"Wait," he said, the playful tone in his voice shifting to something softer.

She glanced back at him, her brow lifting in curiosity. "What is it?"

Lando hesitated, his gaze steady on her. For a moment, he seemed unsure of whether to speak, but then he leaned his weight forward slightly, as if skiing closer would make his words carry more weight. "It's just... I've missed this," he admitted. "Not just skiing, or being out here. I've missed us—the way we could just be ourselves around each other."

Her expression softened, and for a second, Gianna looked like she might brush it off with a joke, like she often did when things got too serious. But instead, she met his gaze, her voice quiet. "I've missed it too," she said. "More than I wanted to admit."

The sincerity in her words caught him off guard, but it also made something inside him settle. He leaned forward, just a little closer, his tone warm and teasing again to keep things light. "So, does this mean you're finally admitting I was the fun one in the relationship?"

Gianna laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible." But as she turned her face away, her smile lingered, wide and genuine.

They stood there for a moment longer, the cold air biting at their cheeks, but neither seemed to mind. Lando felt the urge to say something more, something about how being near her made him feel like he was rediscovering a part of himself he thought he'd lost. But instead, he kept it simple.

"Well," he said, shifting his weight back onto his skis. "If we keep standing here, the others really will think we got lost—or worse, that you were giving me another ski lesson."

Gianna smirked, already moving ahead. "Please, we both know you need one."

"Hey!" he called after her, laughing as he raced to catch up.

By the time they rejoined the group at the bottom of the slope, the air between them felt lighter, easier, as if their conversation had cleared away the lingering shadows of their past.

As they sat back down at the lodge after the afternoon runs, the group crowded around a long table with steaming mugs of coffee and cider, Gianna settled into a chair beside Lando. This time, when their shoulders brushed, she didn't shift away.

Instead, she leaned slightly into the touch, her hand brushing against his under the table as if testing the waters. Lando glanced down at her, catching the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as she continued chatting with their friends.

It wasn't much, but it was enough. Enough to remind him that whatever they were rebuilding—slowly, piece by piece—was worth it.

       The cabin buzzed with laughter and a warm glow as the group gathered in the cozy living room, the remnants of dinner pushed aside to make room for drinks, snacks, and an ever-growing pile of games. The fire crackled in the hearth, and the sound of clinking glasses mixed with the shouts of triumph and groans of defeat.

Max stood in the center of the room, dramatically miming something incomprehensible. His arms flailed, and he jumped up and down, pointing at his head repeatedly.

"An angry chicken?" Oliver guessed, squinting at him in confusion.

"A kangaroo on fire!" Pietra shouted, barely holding in her laughter.

Max let out a muffled groan of frustration, shaking his head violently and gesturing again.

Lando leaned back on the couch, grinning as he sipped his drink. "It's obviously a giraffe that's lost its neck," he quipped, earning a round of laughter from everyone except Max.

"No!" Max shouted, exasperated as he pointed frantically at the ceiling. "It's a parachute! Come on!"

The room erupted in laughter again as the timer buzzed, signaling his failure. Max threw his hands up in defeat, flopping onto the floor dramatically.

"I swear you guys are useless," he muttered, though his grin betrayed him.

Gianna, seated cross-legged on the rug with a glass of wine in hand, shook her head. "No, you're useless," she teased. "That was the worst parachute impression I've ever seen."

"Oh, and you could do better?" Max challenged, sitting up with a mock glare.

Gianna set her wine down with a smirk. "Watch and learn."

She stood up and grabbed the next card, her eyes scanning it quickly before nodding. Without a word, she started acting, throwing her arms out in exaggerated movements.

"An airplane!" Tom guessed immediately.

"No, a bird!" Pietra added.

Gianna shook her head, then dropped to her knees and started hopping.

"A frog!" Oliver shouted.

"No, wait—a kangaroo!" Lando said, sitting forward.

She pointed at him, then hopped faster before pretending to bounce off an invisible wall.

"A kangaroo... in a box?" Martin guessed, clearly confused.

Lando's face lit up. "Boxing kangaroo!"

Gianna threw her hands in the air triumphantly as the group cheered. "Finally!" she said, grinning as she collapsed back onto the rug. "And that's how you do charades, Max."

Lando shook his head, laughing. "Alright, you win that round. But let's see how you handle trivia."

The group transitioned to a trivia game, splitting into teams. Gianna and Lando ended up on the same side, with Max, Pietra, and Oliver forming the rival group.

"Alright," Martin said, acting as quizmaster for the first round. "Here's an easy one: What's the capital of Canada?"

"Toronto!" Max shouted confidently.

"Wrong!" Gianna and Lando said in unison, both pointing at each other and laughing.

"It's Ottawa," Gianna added smugly, earning her team a point.

"Show-offs," Oliver muttered, pouring himself another drink.

As the night wore on, the drinks flowed freely, and the games got progressively louder and sillier. At one point, Tom convinced everyone to play a ridiculous word association game that ended in chaos when Pietra accidentally rhymed "banana" with "llama" and had everyone in stitches.

Lando and Gianna found themselves sharing little glances and smiles as the night went on. Whether it was over a particularly clever guess during trivia or a shared laugh at one of Max's over-the-top antics, the connection between them felt natural, unforced.

At one point, during a lull in the games, Lando leaned toward her, his voice low enough that only she could hear. "So, do we tell them we're clearly carrying this team, or let them figure it out on their own?"

Gianna smiled, swirling her wine glass. "Let them live in denial," she replied, her tone light but her eyes warm as they met his.

As the games wrapped up and people began to drift into quieter conversations or toward bed, the room settled into a comfortable hum. Gianna found herself sitting on the couch next to Lando, her head resting lightly against his shoulder as they watched Max attempt to explain the rules of one final game no one had the energy to play.

"Today was fun," she murmured, her voice soft enough that only Lando could hear.

"Yeah," he replied, tilting his head slightly to look down at her. "It was."

The fire crackled in the hearth, and outside, the snow continued to fall gently, blanketing the world in quiet. Inside, surrounded by their friends and the warmth of the moment, it felt like the perfect end to the day.

As Max stretched dramatically in the armchair, he nudged Pietra with his foot. "Alright, I'm officially done for the day. Let's call it before someone forces me into another round of charades."

Pietra rolled her eyes but smiled, leaning over to swat at him lightly. "Don't blame us because you're bad at it."

"Blame the team," Max shot back with mock indignation as he stood and grabbed Pietra's hand. "Come on, you're supposed to back me up, not roast me."

"I can do both," she teased, letting him pull her up.

They said their goodnights, and as they headed toward their room, Max threw a sly glance over his shoulder. "Don't stay up too late, lovebirds."

"Goodnight, Max," Gianna replied pointedly, shaking her head.

Once they were gone, the cabin felt quieter, the sound of the crackling fire filling the space. Gianna sank a little deeper into the couch, feeling the warmth of the fire on her face and the weight of the day catching up to her.

"You warm enough?" Lando asked, his voice soft as he glanced down at her.

She smiled faintly, tugging her sweater around her. "Yeah. It's nice."

Lando leaned back beside her, one arm resting along the back of the couch, close but not quite touching her. The glow from the fire danced across the room, casting shadows that flickered on the walls.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, the ease between them surprising after everything they'd been through. Gianna traced a finger along the rim of her empty wine glass, her thoughts swirling.

"You've gotten quiet," Lando said, his voice low but light. "That's usually my move."

Gianna smirked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Just thinking. It's been a good day."

"It has," he agreed, his gaze steady on her. "Even if Max thinks I'm a hopeless skier."

"Well," she teased, setting her glass on the table, "I'm not going to lie. That tumble you took earlier was pretty spectacular."

Lando groaned but smiled, shaking his head. "I'm never living that down, am I?"

"Probably not."

He laughed softly, the sound easy and familiar. When it faded, there was a beat of silence between them, and Gianna looked at him fully, the firelight reflecting in her eyes.

"You've changed, you know," she said quietly, the words slipping out before she could overthink them.

Lando raised an eyebrow. "Have I?"

She nodded. "Yeah. In a good way. You seem... calmer. More sure of yourself."

For a moment, he didn't reply, his expression thoughtful. Then he tilted his head slightly, his gaze locked on hers. "Maybe I've just finally learned to stop and enjoy what's in front of me."

The words were simple, but the sincerity behind them made her heart flutter. She felt her breath catch in her chest, and before she could stop herself, she leaned forward, just enough to close the space between them. Lando did the same, and their lips met softly, the kiss tentative at first, as if neither of them wanted to rush it, but it was full of meaning—of years of history, of things they'd both been afraid to say.

When they finally pulled away, their foreheads rested together, both of them breathing a little more heavily. There was no need for words in that moment. It was enough to just be there, close, sharing the warmth of the fire and the comfort of each other's presence.

Gianna smiled softly, her hand resting lightly on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "I guess we'll see who wins tomorrow," she said, her voice quieter now, the teasing tone still there, but softer.

Lando chuckled, the sound easy and warm. "I'm not going easy on you."

Gianna laughed lightly and leaned back into the couch, her head resting against the cushion. "We'll see about that."

They sat there for a few more minutes, the quiet stretching between them, until the fire began to die down. Gianna yawned softly, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment, and Lando smiled, nudging her gently.

"Ready for bed?" he asked, his voice warm.

She nodded, her body feeling relaxed and at ease, something she hadn't realized she'd been missing. "Yeah. Goodnight, Lando."

"Goodnight, Gianna," he replied, his voice soft as he stood and extended his hand to her.

She took it without hesitation, feeling the warmth of his touch. Together, they headed to their room, the cabin quiet around them, the weight of the day slowly slipping away. As they made their way down the hall, Gianna felt a quiet hope stir inside her, a feeling that things were finally starting to fall into place again.

#AUTHORSNOTE

Yes a really long one lmaooo, I said long one's were coming and they are, so be ready for more!

Thanks for reading and don't be silent reader, I love to see your thoughts!

J