In the morning, Daniel woke to a lingering warmth stirring in his groin, blinking and looking hazily out the window at the bright, sunny morning. Alexander, always an early riser, was stroking Daniel's already aroused cock, spreading the scant lubrication over the shaft and rubbing himself with soft sighs. Daniel, still languid from sleep and smudged from the night before, lay on his back and kissed Alexander's lips. Suddenly, the conversation from the previous day came flooding back to him.

"I need to shower," Daniel said, pulling Alexander's hand away and shifting his position to sit up on the bed, shaking off the remnants of sleep. Alexander leaned in, wrapping his arms around Daniel's waist, planting a wet kiss on his shoulder and tracing his tongue from shoulder to neck, eliciting a shiver of pleasure.

"I'm not in the mood."

"You are," Alexander chuckled warmly, gripping his cock and moving his hand up and down. "See, here's the evidence."

"That's just morning arousal, not proof," Daniel responded dryly, crossing his arms. "At my age, it's pretty much routine."

"Come on, Danny!" Alexander, taken aback by the unexpected rejection, sought clarification. "You're joking, right?"

"No, you said yesterday that I could refuse, so I'm refusing," Daniel stood up, stretching and cracking his joints. He watched Alexander from beneath his lashes as Alexander's stare roamed over him, lingering with desire. "It's time for breakfast, and then we'll hit the slopes. Isn't that why we're here?"

As Daniel settled onto the chairlift, Alexander, still visibly miffed, didn't even look his way. But Daniel wasn't bothered. Mumbling a quick "bye," he scanned the area, searching for a familiar white figure. Spotting it at the base of the hill, almost blending into the untouched snow, Daniel felt a warm rush of happiness.

For a moment, he felt like his old self: carefree, youthful, and vibrant. He descended the Green Circle he could not tackle the day before, this time looking for his instructor, Vasya. Vasya standing on the edge waved and pointed at Kostya who was gearing up to descend. Daniel waved back with a grin. The switch had already happened, and a wonderful day with Sonya was on the horizon.

"Hey!" Sonya greeted him brightly, pushing up her ski mask. "You look a bit tired! Ready to take on the slopes today?"

"Hi!" Daniel replied with a broad smile, adjusting his own mask. "Yeah, had a late night. But I'm all set now."

Today, a strong drive pushed him forward, a genuine eagerness to impress Sonya, unlike the previous day with Vasya, when he was merely catering to Alexander's wishes. His body moved fluidly, muscles tensing and releasing in harmony with the terrain, bolstered by Sonya's graceful presence beside him. The fresh, fluffy snow, or powder as Sonya called it, created an exhilarating sensation of flying: his warm, energized body soared, his spirit awakened and soared alongside. With a swift, almost silent sh-u-u-uh, Daniel found himself at the base.

The thrill continued with a leisurely, refreshing climb back up, with Sonya pointing out his errors. The sun, the bustling crowd, Sonya's animated voice, her rosy cheeks and cute red nose, and the rapid thumping of his own heart all blended into an experience that felt pure, light, and innocent.

Lunch sneaked up on them, catching Daniel mid-flight on the Blue Square just as Tengiz approached.

"Already?" A shadow passed over his sunny mood. "Tell me I can come back later."

"We can continue later," Sonya reassured him. "By the way, there's a challenging section on this slope, a saddle in the middle that can throw you off balance if..."

"Alexander is waiting," Tengiz interrupted with a firm tone, making Daniel uneasy about sharing too much in front of Sonya.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot after lunch," Daniel replied quietly. "Let's go, Sonya."

Tengiz skied beside them, then pushed Sonya aside rather rudely to sit next to Daniel on the chairlift. Daniel bristled, reaching for the handrail to sit down, but Tengiz cut him off sharply.

"It's better if you don't ski together. Alexander will meet you at the bottom. You'll have a different instructor tomorrow."

"Understood," Daniel responded, ignoring the advice and casting a regretful glance back at the puzzled Sonya. He wished fervently that Alexander hadn't acted possessively in front of her, potentially ruining their connection. His feelings towards Sonya were entirely platonic, though she seemed to like him, and he didn't want to spoil the remaining time by revealing his role.

Thankfully, Vasya skied down with Sonya, so the upbeat Alexander, seemingly having put the morning's incident behind him, didn't suspect a thing as he casually glanced at the two instructors.

"How was your ride today? Want to join me?" He didn't hug or kiss which put Daniel at ease.

"I'm feeling more confident, falling less, but it's still too early for steep slopes," Daniel replied with a relieved smile, grateful that Alexander wasn't being overly affectionate in front of the others. To outsiders, they appeared as two friends sharing their skiing experiences. Daniel waved to Sonya and quickly added, as Alexander turned around to see who he was waving at, "Shall we go? I'm really hungry."

"Me too," Alexander whispered, leaning in closer. "But my hunger is a different kind. You've been teasing me since this morning, yet I find myself liking it. You're smiling, your eyes are sparkling, so we're on the right track," he said hopefully, "Aren't we?"

"Sure," Daniel replied, avoiding eye contact. It was a bit awkward for a moment. There was too much hope in Alexander's voice, unaware that Daniel's glow was not due to the turn in their strange relationship but because of a particular person who had briefly illuminated his otherwise dull life.

As they changed for dinner and prepared to head to the cottage, Alexander received an important call, judging by his serious expression.

"Wait here, okay? I'll be back in about five minutes," Alexander said, buttoning his jacket as he answered the phone and stepped out. "Hello..."

Daniel pulled out his phone, hesitating. Sonya had suggested exchanging contacts, but he had clumsily avoided the topic, saying that his number was new and he didn't remember it. He wanted to keep talking to her, but the repercussions of seemingly innocent conversations could be disastrous. Alexander, who meticulously read all his messages, would surely react badly, reading into it something that wasn't there. The door swung open, letting in a blast of cold air, and Daniel, still engrossed in his screen, absentmindedly responded.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

"Sasha will be on the call for another fifteen minutes," Georgy said grumpily, knocking snow off his boots. "That should be enough time for us. What are you doing to him, you bastard?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel snapped, instinctively stepping back."

"Manipulating him, walking all over him," Georgy sneered, his upper lip curling like an angry dog's. "You hit him, asshole, then start a scene and play the victim to make him feel guilty. Did you really think no one would notice?"

"You don't know the full story between us. And if I remember correctly, you were warned not to meddle," Daniel said, his fists clenched, the threat from Georgy palpable.

"I will meddle; he's my best friend. I suggest you show some restraint and remember your place, or you'll regret it. Trust me, I can make your life very fucking miserable whenever I want," Georgy grinned. "There are plenty of ways to make you look bad in front of Sasha, so don't push me to take action."

"And what if I tell him about your threats? Aren't you worried he'll retaliate as well?"

"Try it, and you'll see," Georgy straightened up, taking a step forward, but immediately relaxed his posture as Alexander returned to the cottage, eyeing them suspiciously.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing," Georgyy responded, feigning innocence with wide eyes. "We were waiting for you, I came to find you and you weren't here. Right, Daniel?" He shot a chilly smile at him, and Daniel nodded cautiously. He didn't want to find out how much worse Georgy could make things, not at the moment.

As they approached the communal cabin where lunch was being served, Alexander whispered.

"Did he say anything to upset you?"

"No," Daniel replied, averting his eyes from Georgy's broad back. The change in setting hadn't changed the situation: just as in the zone, you had to get along with the guards to avoid problems, and it seemed to be the same here. "We didn't really get a chance to talk; you arrived when we just started."

During lunch, Daniel remained subdued, the presence of the children, who had been sent to bed early the previous night, keeping him from broaching any sensitive subjects. The atmosphere seemed more relaxed. Even Natella's smile was softer, kindled by Kostya's attentiveness. Her cool, classic beauty was radiant, drawing looks and admiration. Everything about her was exquisite: her silky black hair, which she clearly left untouched unlike Varya's and Katya's; her peachy-smooth, oval face framed by large, almond-shaped eyes fringed with long, curved lashes; her finely sculpted nose; and her delicately curved, pinkish-lilac lips. Georgy looked at his wife with such profound, unquestioning love that it was hard to understand how he could cheat on her.

"Do you like Natella?" Alexander whispered in his ear. Daniel startled, met his gaze with a guarded look, gauging his mood before answering vaguely.

"I can't say, since I don't know her personally. But she is undeniably beautiful, and it's natural to be drawn to that."

"Then don't be drawn," Alexander warned tersely. "Unless you want to upset me and Goshka."

Daniel obediently shifted his eyes to his plate, but couldn't suppress a sigh of annoyance: being told where to look and where not to, and still believing their relationship was built on trust. It was maddeningly contradictory. Alexander seemed to share the sentiment, sighing as he probably thought along the same lines, and he reached under the table to comfortingly squeeze Daniel's leg.

The irritation lifted only when they were on the mountain and Sonya approached him with a smile. Daniel's mood instantly brightened. Whatever longing might come later, for now, he was determined to savor a day and a half of pure joy - his little New Year's gift. He wouldn't allow a single moment of that happiness to be tainted. With this resolve, he pushed off, gliding down the slope, feeling weightless and free, soaring like a bird.

After dinner that evening, Daniel stopped Alexander's hands from wandering again, suggesting they could catch up in Moscow instead. He didn't want to face Sonya the next morning feeling tainted and awkward around her.

"My whole body aches, I'm exhausted. Please, let's not do this now," Daniel moved further away.

"If I'd known you'd become so reserved, I wouldn't have suggested new terms," Alexander replied grumpily. "At least give me a kiss."

Daniel complied with a quick kiss, keeping his tongue from entering Alexander's mouth and gently pushing him away.

"We'll catch up in Moscow, okay? I can barely move; my muscles are sore."

"Deal," Alexander stubbornly lay close to him, pressed his face to Daniel's neck, and fell silent.