Decided to challenge myself and write a mature story. This is the result.

Angelo

Gender: Male

Age: 21

Height: 5' 10"

Eyes: Chocolatey Brown

Hair: Messy Black

Skin: Light Caramel

Angelo stumbled through the snow, wincing and groaning as cold stabbed into every part of his body.

Apparently, when the townspeople said that this area had "unpredictable weather," they meant that a snowstorm could literally happen at any moment in the wintertime.

Nevertheless, he continued stumbling forward, wishing he had bought a coat or something to keep him warm. Then again, it wasn't really his fault that he wasn't prepared for the instant blizzard.

At last, he saw something up ahead. A house. Houses meant sanctuary, safety, warmth. All of which, Angelo very much needed.

It was only a good 50 feet away. Unfortunately, at the speed Angelo was stumbling along, it would've felt like 50 miles. No way he was going to make it in time.

But he kept going forward. Despite the bitter cold trying to freeze his soul at the moment, he kept putting one foot in front of the other, trying to make his way through the snow.

He was 10 feet away from the front door when a gust of wind seemed to slam him from behind, knocking him down. He yelped and tried to stand back up, but he didn't have the strength. He tried to summon his arm cannon to propel himself upwards a little, but his hand was numb. He looked up at the house. So close, he thought to himself.

It might've been a cold-induced hallucination, but he thought he saw the front door open. Someone stepped out, but he couldn't see their face. Everything was fading into a cold, white fuzziness.

And then it all went black.

Angelo groaned as he woke up.

"Uuuggghhh." He rubbed his face.

Wait…Am I alive? he wondered.

That's when he heard someone say, "Oh, you're awake."

He blinked. Someone else was here with him?

He sat up and quickly scanned his surroundings. He had to squint from the bright light coming from…a fire. That explained the warmth. He was laying in a bed, under the softest blanket he'd ever felt. But it wasn't his bed. He quickly figured that out when he saw that it was meant for two people.

The room was simple enough. A small table was next to the bed on the right, and directly across the room was the fireplace. Also on the right wall was a window, through which he could see the raging snowstorm he almost died in.

And to his left, sitting in a chair, was a woman.

She stared back at him with teal-colored eyes that seemed friendly enough. In her lap was a book, but her hands were folded on top of it. She was probably reading it before he woke up.

"Wha…Who a-a-are you?" he said. "W-Where am I?"

The woman tilted her head. "That is…a strange way of giving thanks to your rescuer."

Angelo blinked. "You…Y-You saved m-me?"

She nodded. "You were half-dead by the time I pulled you inside. You were…so cold. You just wouldn't warm up. Then you started showing signs of life a few hours ago, and then, well, you woke up."

Angelo shivered. He still felt a little chilly. "W-Well, thanks. Like, r-really. I…I'm pretty sure I would've d-died if it weren't for y-you."

The woman smiled. "Ah. Much better. I am Byleth. And you are?"

"A-Angelo." His mouth still felt a little frozen.

Byleth nodded. "Are you feeling alright? Do you still need to rest?"

As much as he appreciated being rescued from the snow, he didn't want to burden Byleth with his presence any longer than he had to. "I'm f-fine now," he lied. "I can leave now. Again, thank you s-so much for–"

"In good conscience, I cannot let you go," she told him. "The blizzard has yet to abate, and around here, snowstorms can last for up to a week. That is why I must keep you here until the storm is over. I am sorry."

Angelo sighed. "A-Are you sure? I don't wanna cause any trouble for you. I'm not gonna b-be, like, a problem or something?"

Byleth's eyes widened. "Goodness, no! You were caught in the storm, and I would think–and hope–that any reasonable person would assist you until you felt better. I assure you, it is of no trouble on my part. You may rest in my home for as long as you need to."

Still, Angelo hesitated. Byleth was, after all, still a stranger. "You're sure? Like, absolutely sure a-about this?"

She nodded. "Without a doubt."

Angelo shrugged. "Alright, if you insist. It's nice to meet you, Byleth," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Likewise, it is also nice to meet you, Angelo."

She stood. "Would you like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?"

Angelo shook his head. "N-No thanks. Not a tea guy. Maybe…Maybe some water?" he said, still hesitant to request something like that.

Byleth nodded. "Of course," she said. "I will be right back."

And with that, she walked out of the room.

As soon as she was sure she was out of his sight and out of earshot, Byleth stumbled and braced herself against the nearest wall, breathing heavily.

What was wrong with her? Surely, she wasn't falling in love with a stranger. Love at first sight was only something she'd heard of in stories, but in real life? She did not think it was possible.

And yet, she could not deny the feelings that were growing in her heart.

Angelo had been handsome enough when he was sleeping. Byleth would stare at his face for hours, marveling at how he looked. When she had taken his shirt off to check for injuries, she'd discovered that he was well-built with a lean, athletic frame. He must've been a skilled fighter who trained vigorously. It had taken all her willpower not to start caressing his chest and feel his slightly-defined muscles.

But now that he was awake, she could not stop gazing into his chocolatey brown eyes. They seemed to hypnotize her, entrance her, until she could think of nothing else but her desire to kiss him.

She shook her head. That was absurd! She did not want to kiss him.

…Did she?

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his smile. The smile that was aimed at her. It made her heart flutter and her nether regions quiver just a little.

And he was staying in her bed. Which she would have to sleep in later. With him.

She didn't know what to think. Her heart told her this was true love. Her brain told her that they'd just met, and there was no chance he would feel the same way about her.

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the kitchen to get his water. She would figure it out later.

The coldest I've ever been was when I had to shovel the snow one time and I did not yet know the wisdom of dressing up in layers. My pants and coat were probably wetter than what Byleth is right now.