( This is a commission for the lovely @askashapeshifter! This is a truly lovely couple and so much fun to write. I'm sure they will live rent-free in my mind for months!)
It was quiet and overcast, the world seeming muffled by a thick layer of freshly fallen snow. The weather pegasi had been busy making sure that everything would be picture perfect for Hearth's Warming in just a few days.
Hearth's Warming?
That was a playful discussion that Dust Jacket and Dream Catcher often had this time of year. The kitchen was clean and everything had been put away, but the stove was still warm and the scent of fresh cinnamon waffles hung in the air.
The scent of pine was also in the air from their Hearth's Warming tree that was sitting in a large pot just inside of their living room window. Still just half decorated, but they could worry about that this evening. Boxes of ornaments both old and precious and new sat neatly around the tree. A sprig of mistletoe hung in the middle of the doorway and had been the cause of many a loving smooch.
The bedroom was dark and cool. A log was crackling merrily in the fireplace to drive off most of the winter chill so it was pleasant. Thick curtains had been pulled to block out most of the light coming in from outside as the two big stallions were snuggled together under a pile of warm blankets.
Dream Catcher was sprawled on his side, one of his wings tucked up underneath him. The big dark-furred stallion’s winter coat had come in so his soft, fluffy coat had floofed out a bit as he cuddled the stallion in bed with him, his free wing and his forelegs were both wrapped around his sweet stallion Dust Jacket to snuggle him in as close as possible. The rainbow-dyed front of his mane was covering his eyes and just the tip of his luxuriously long, colorful tail poked out from under the covers.
Dust Jacket’s fur on the other hand was more sleek and shiny. The gray stallion had his legs tucked tight against the barrel of his body so he could squeeze in as tightly against his lover as possible. The changeling didn’t really feel a need to shift into a full winter coat when they were cuddling as his larger lover had all of the warmth and love he needed. He had also done away with his normal curved horn in this form so that he could press his head against Dreamy’s chest, burying his face in warm, comforting chest floof.
The two slept through the morning, snuggled tightly together, lost in dreams of each other. They moved very little through the morning. The occasional twitch of an ear at the sound of foals playing or muffled Hearth's Warming music coming through the walls from revelers going about their business. A gentle squeeze, a drowsy nuzzle, a playful preening of fur with teeth did nothing to disturb their comfort or slumber.
At some point, Dusty opened his eyes and looked around blearily, smiling as he gazed at his big, handsome lover. He reached up with a hoof to brush the rainbow colored hairs away from his face, just looking at him for a moment, amazed that this wasn’t just a dream, his life really was completed by the wonderful stallion against him. He lifted his head for a moment, placing a loving kiss under the big stallion’s chin before snuggling his face back into his chest floof. He took a deep breath, savoring his lover’s scent mingled with the smells of butter, cinnamon and syrup from their breakfast together.
Dreamy whickered softly in his sleep, smiling as he tightened his wing against Dusty’s side, tickling his fur just a little. He cuddled in even tighter, his forelegs giving the stallion a gentle squeeze as he rested his head atop that of his love, holding into him protectively. He gave each of the stallion’s ears a gentle kiss and preening nibble, causing them to twitch a little. Even in his sleep the big pegasus gave a soft grunt of laughter at that.
And so the two lovers stayed intertwined, warm and comfortable beneath the sheets as they slept away the blustery Saturday morning. Heart to heart and hoof in hoof they shared their warmth and their love for hours until they were forced to awaken. They greeted one another with a gentle kiss and still held one another for a while as they awoke, unwilling to give up even a moment of their precious cuddle time. The two of them tossed around under the sheets a bit before Dusty finally spoke.
“You know, we really should get up. We have things to do..”
“Do we HAVE to, though?” The bigger stallion murmured into his lover’s mane.
“Mmmm.. Well…”
The two of them looked each other in the eyes and simultaneously said, “Nah…”
Tugging the blankets tightly back around each other, they cuddled together the rest of the day. The music played, the wind whistled through the branches, and the snow drifted silently to the ground. All the while, the two lovers snuggled together in their warm, loving embrace.
