The weekend before Christmas break, Mason rented a tiny cabin nestled in the woods just outside town. It was rustic—fireplace, no TV, a stack of books and board games in one corner—but it was perfect. For once, no buzzing phones, no practice schedules, no campus drama.
Just them.
Athena stood on the front porch the morning after they arrived, wrapped in a blanket and holding a mug of tea. Her breath came in soft puffs of steam in the cold air as she watched snow fall gently over the pine trees. The stillness was surreal.
Inside, Mason was making pancakes.
"I didn't even burn them this time," he said proudly as she walked back in. He placed two plates on the table, the smell of cinnamon and maple syrup filling the warm space.
Athena smiled, surprised. "Look at you, trying to win 'Boyfriend of the Year'."
He shrugged, grinning as he poured syrup. "I've got a lot to make up for."
They ate quietly for a while, the silence between them no longer heavy—but peaceful.
When the plates were cleared and the fire crackled, Athena settled into the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. Mason joined her, resting his head against the cushions. They sat shoulder to shoulder, watching the flames dance.
"I missed this," Athena said softly. "Not the cabin... just this. You. Me. No noise."
Mason nodded slowly. "Me too. I think I got so caught up in everything else that I forgot how easy it is to just... be with you."
She turned to him. "Harper likes you, you know."
His jaw tensed slightly. "I figured."
Athena didn't say it to start a fight—but she needed honesty between them now.
"Do you like her?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Mason didn't hesitate. "No. I mean—she's nice. Funny, sure. But she's not you. She never was. I didn't see it before, but... I was using the friendship as a way to escape when things got hard with us. I shouldn't have."
Athena blinked, surprised by his openness. "Thank you for saying that."
"I just—I want us to last, Athena. I know I mess up. A lot. But I don't want to lose you again. Not ever."
Athena leaned into his side, laying her head on his shoulder. "I want us to last too. But we can't if we keep bottling things up. No more walking away, no more shutting down. Deal?"
Mason turned, kissing the top of her head. "Deal."
They stayed like that for hours, wrapped in each other, the fire slowly dimming, snow falling gently outside.
They didn't need perfection. Just honesty. Effort. And a whole lot of love.
That night, under thick quilts and soft lighting, they whispered dreams about the future—about where they'd live, what careers they wanted, how they'd decorate their first real home.
It was the first time in months it felt like them again.
And even though life would try to pull them in different directions again… they had something stronger now.
Each other.