wintumn: my love

chapter 2: winters glasses

Third person pov:

The next day, Autumn arrived at the nursery, trying to blend into her usual routine. But as soon as she walked through the door, she felt like something was off. The air seemed heavier, or maybe that was just her imagination. She kept her head down, hoping not to draw any attention, but of course, Marjorie noticed.

Autumn was sorting through some papers when she heard her manager’s voice from behind.

“New look today, Autumn?” Marjorie’s tone was casual but laced with amusement.

Autumn froze. She had forgotten all about the glasses. Winter had left them at her place after a late-night visit. They were a bit too big for her, but she’d thrown them on absentmindedly, not thinking anyone would connect the dots. Slowly, she turned to face Marjorie.

“Glasses?” Marjorie tilted her head, looking at her closely. “They’re a bit different from your usual style.”

Autumn could feel her cheeks warming, but she kept her face neutral. “I needed them today. My eyes were bothering me.”

Marjorie leaned against the doorframe, clearly enjoying herself. “Interesting. You know, those glasses look a lot like Winter’s.”

Autumn’s stomach did a flip. Marjorie never missed a thing. She straightened her posture, trying to play it cool. “They’re just glasses, Marjorie.”

“Mhm.” Marjorie gave a knowing nod, her lips curling into a sly smile. “Of course. Just glasses. No connection to Winter at all.”

Autumn met her gaze, refusing to back down. “You know, Marjorie, not everything is a grand mystery.”

Marjorie laughed softly. “I never said it was. But if you’re borrowing accessories from a certain someone, you might want to be a little more subtle.”

Autumn didn’t respond, but she knew Marjorie had already pieced it together. The manager gave her a light pat on the shoulder before walking away, leaving Autumn standing there, feeling exposed.

As soon as Marjorie was out of sight, Autumn pulled the glasses off and shoved them into her bag, muttering under her breath. She’d have to be more careful in the future. But despite the slight embarrassment, she couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face, thinking of Winter and how effortlessly he managed to slip into her life.

The rest of the day felt like it dragged on after Marjorie’s teasing. Autumn tried to focus on her tasks, but every now and then, she’d catch herself thinking about Winter. His stupid, oversized glasses sitting in her bag were a reminder of how she was starting to let him in, even when she didn’t mean to.

Later that afternoon, as Autumn was prepping some lesson plans, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“Well, well, look who’s hiding out.”

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Winter leaned against the doorway, his usual playful grin plastered across his face. His presence felt lighter than the others in the room, and somehow, that made Autumn feel both annoyed and oddly comforted.

“Not hiding,” she muttered, still focusing on the papers in front of her. “Just trying to avoid people who like to talk too much.”

Winter laughed softly and moved closer. “Heard from Marjorie, huh?”

Autumn finally looked up, narrowing her eyes at him. “She noticed the glasses.”

Winter’s grin widened. “Ah, caught red-handed. Well, you do look good in them.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help a small smile. “You need to stop leaving things behind at my place. You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

“Or maybe,” he said, leaning down slightly, “you just need to stop wearing my stuff in public.”

Autumn felt the heat rise in her cheeks, but she masked it with a scoff. “Next time, I’ll just throw them out.”

“You wouldn’t,” Winter teased, moving to sit on the edge of the desk, facing her now. His legs dangled just above the floor, reminding her again how much shorter he was. He didn’t care, though, and that confidence was disarming.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Winter’s eyes searched her face like he was trying to figure out what she was thinking. Autumn hated how he could see through her so easily, but at the same time, it felt good not to have to pretend with him.

“So,” Winter said eventually, “what’s the plan here?”

Autumn blinked. “What do you mean?”

“This,” he motioned between them. “You and me. The secrecy. The stolen moments. Are we keeping this up, or…?”

Autumn hesitated. She wasn’t used to talking about feelings—especially hers. Winter, on the other hand, seemed so open, so willing to dive into things headfirst. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m not good at…this.”

“I’m not asking for a declaration of love,” Winter said gently. “I just want to know where your head’s at.”

Autumn fiddled with the corner of a notebook, her fingers tracing the edges as she thought. She wasn’t ready to make anything official, but she couldn’t deny that being around Winter felt different. He was slowly chipping away at her cold exterior, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But maybe…just maybe, she was starting to like it.

“I think,” she said slowly, “I’m okay with seeing where this goes. But I still want to keep it between us for now.”

Winter’s smile returned, bright and genuine. “I can work with that.”

He stood up from the desk and started to head out of the room but stopped at the doorway, turning back to her. “Oh, and Autumn?”

“What?”

“You really do look good in my glasses,” he said with a wink before disappearing down the hallway.

Autumn shook her head, feeling the warmth of a blush creeping up her neck again. Maybe letting Winter into her life wasn’t such a bad thing after all. But she’d have to keep him—and his charm—under wraps, at least for a little while longer. Marjorie’s knowing eyes were already enough to deal with.