hey, can you do a fic where Malachi is snowboarding with his family and he watches the reader absolutely shredding in snowboarding and he gets that love at first sight kind of feeling, later getting the courage to talk to her and she’s like flirting/playing hard to get. “Buy me a hot chocolate” kind of girl. Tysm!
snowblind - malachi barton
malachi barton x fem!stranger!reader
warnings: strangers to more, mild snowboarding risks, flirting, playful teasing.
the cold stings your cheeks in that nice way—the kind that wakes you up, not hurts. snow crunches under your boots as you tighten your bindings, breath fogging the air. the mountain feels alive under you: loud, bright, buzzing. you love it here. it feels like freedom.
you give the slope one last look, shift your weight forward, and push off.
the world immediately turns into motion. clean turns, sharp edges, powder flicking up with every carve. you let yourself lean into the speed a little more than you should, chasing that little jolt in your chest. and right when you hit a small jump—just for fun, nothing dramatic—you land smooth enough to feel cocky about it.
so yeah, you smile. of course you do.
what you don’t see is the boy at the top of the run whose entire soul leaves his body the moment you pass.
malachi is mid-laugh at something kamri said when he catches a blur of movement. instinct makes him look, and then—
his jaw just drops. like… actually drops.
board half-strapped, gloves crooked, goggles hanging off one ear. the whole situation is embarrassingly cinematic.
he watches you float down the slope like it’s easy, like you were born on a board. and he’s not dramatic but— okay no, he is dramatic actually—because he swears the sun hits you stupidly perfect.
loren nudges him with his pole. “you alright, bud?”
malachi doesn’t even blink. “no. i think i’m in love.”
kamri smacks his arm. “bro you’re ridiculous.”
“shh,” he says, still staring. “this is destiny or something.”
by the time he reaches the bottom, you’re already kicking snow off your board by the lodge, hands tucked into your jacket sleeves, breath visible in tiny puffs. there’s a little smirk on your lips like you’re proud of whatever you just did.
he’s doomed. totally doomed.
malachi walks over like he’s confident, but he’s absolutely hyping himself up in his head.
you notice him instantly—kinda hard not to, considering he’s walking like the mountain belongs to him.
“hey,” he says, voice smooth in that effortless-flirty way guys never have unless it’s practiced or natural. for him, it’s natural.
he gestures vaguely toward the slope you came down from. “that was insane. like… actually insane. your turns? your landing? your speed?” he laughs under his breath, shaking his head. “i thought i was decent until just now.”
you shrug like it’s nothing, the corner of your mouth pulling up. “i’ve been doing it a while.”
“yeah, i could tell.” he glances down at your board, at the way your hair peeks out of your beanie. then back at you. “you kinda made the entire mountain look like your stage.”
you try not to smile at that, but his grin is stupid contagious.
he steps a bit closer, voice dropping softer, more playful. “i’m malachi, by the way.”
“i know,” you say, because of course you recognized him, but you’re not about to give him that satisfaction. you tilt your head. “and you came over here because…?”
his smirk widens, all confidence returning. “because i wanted to talk to the girl who just hypnotized me on a snowboard.”
you should not feel the way your stomach flips, but here we are.
you look him dead in the eyes, pretending to think. “mhmm. alright. talk, then.”
he opens his mouth—no plan, just vibes—but you cut him off with a small, teasing smile.
“actually,” you say, tapping your boot on the snow, “hot chocolate first.”
“you wanna talk to me?” you shrug casually. “then buy me a hot chocolate.”
the challenge hangs in the cold air between you two. he stares at you for half a second—long enough to realize you’re serious, but playful, testing him—and then he grins.
a slow, flirty, i’m-so-into-this grin.
“only if you sit with me after,” he fires back.
you raise a brow. “depends. is it good hot chocolate?”
“the best. and if not, i’ll buy you another one somewhere else.” he lifts his board, eyes glinting. “i’m not letting you walk away after shredding in front of me like that.”
you laugh, real and warm, and turn toward the lodge.
and when he follows you inside without hesitation—yeah.
and you knew it the moment he opened his mouth.
thank you for requesting, i hope you like it.
feel free to request anything, no matter how specific.
thank you for reading and see you in the next one!<3
