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1 - It's Beginning to Look...2,014 words
2 - Baby It's Cold Outside1,462 words

2 - Baby It's Cold Outside

Tri had expected them to collapse there on the floor, much like they had for their little nap, but Sleepy was guiding him away from there. "I have the best bed." He nudged open the door to his bedroom and pointed at the magnificent king-sized bed that awaited them. "Extra fluffy and soft. It's as close as a pony without wings gets to sleeping on a cloud."

With a soft snort, Tri smirked. "Those pegasi brought in the snow."

"It's not so bad." Sleepy walked up onto his bed and circled twice before flopping down bonelessly, the bed catching and embracing him. "Mmm... g'night."

"Y-yeah..." He just had to go up with Sleepy and sleep. There. On his bed. "Yeah..."

"Something wrong?"

"No!" His ears went up, body tense. "Nothing wrong at all."

Sleepy patted the bed gently. "Come on. It'll be warmer together."

"Yeah..." Tri stepped up slowly and sank down on barely flexible legs, mechanically flopping into place besides Sleepy. The room grew quiet. Sleepy had faded off instantly, seemingly comfortable with him there. He could feel each little breath of his friend. He could feel the warmth of the fellow pony. He was pressed up close to Sleepy, and it was... good, and terrifying.

"W-what's wrong?" came Sleepy's voice, his eyes opening in the darkness. "Why are you crying?"

Tri hadn't even noticed, but tears stained his face and he had been sobbing in little pathetic noises. His cheeks warmed rapidly. "I-I'm fine!"

"What's wrong?" Sleepy gently asked, sitting up, or trying to. The motion was aborted when Tri suddenly pounced him. He was grabbed up in a tight embrace, the two flopping back to the bed, tangled. Sleepy did not try to push his friend away, blinking with confusion. Then the rubbing began. Tri was pressing firmly in long stroking motions of his entire body as if Sleepy might vanish at any moment and he had to get his share before then.

Sleepy reached around Tri gently and patted his back, stroking in gentle motions and making little comforting noises. "It's alright," he whispered, unsure what was wrong with Tri. And so they remained for a time, one clinging, the other gently trying to calm. Finally, Tri backed away, just a little.

A precious few inches, his breath calming from its panic to a still tense but slowing sound, his eyes locked on Sleepy's own. Sleepy opened his mouth to say something, a question perhaps, but there was no time for it. Tri locked lips, kissing Sleepy intensely. All thoughts of sleep were banished from Sleepy, and he went still with shock, accepting the kiss.

Just as suddenly, Tri scrambled backwards, falling off the bed in a great loud thump, limbs tangled in part of the blanket. "I'm so sorry!" he squealed, quickly freeing himself. "So sorry! It's alright!" He fled the room and the stunned Sleepy. He could be heart stomping through the house in a panic. The front door slammed shut.

The noise of the slam made Sleepy jump in place, awakening him from his daze. "Tri...?" He stepped down from his bed. "Tri? You there?" Emerging into the living room, he could see a new layer of snow, larger than the first. He could hear the roar of the winter, blowing all the harder. "Tri!" He rushed for the door and tried to push it open, but the snow was in the way. How did Tri even get out?

With panicked strength, he slammed into the door harder, knocking it a few inches wider and falling forward into a bank of cold snow. "I'm coming!" He scrambled to his hooves even as he lurched forward, the snow raining down all around him, making it impossible to see very far in any direction. It was cold and dark, but he knew Tri was out there, somewhere. "Tri!" he shouted as he popped free of the deepest bank that had apparently stacked against his house, allowing him to start an uneasy but determined march away.

His legs grew an uncomfortable mixture of numb and painful. One might think that numbness would dull the pain, but the snow refused to give him that, making his steps awkward and each one a little more agonizing than the last, but he pressed on despite it. "Tri!"

He had lost all track of time, pressing onwards to the only place he could think Tri would try to go towards, his own house. Was Sleepy close, or far away? A minute? An hour? He had no way to know in the blowing snow. "Pegasi... really... outdid themselves." No sane pegasus would be outside, trying to fly in that, so he could look forward to no rescue that way.

There, ahead of him! He saw the corner of a building just coming into view and hurried towards it, flopping against the building, panting loudly. A tiny hint of light. He took several little steps towards it, just in time to see Tri's tail go out of view, a door closing. "Tri!" With renewed strength, Sleepy fought through the snow, his steps fueled with a new burst of anger.

He did not knock on the door. He slammed into it with a mighty shout, the poor thing swinging open under his fury. "Tri! Where do you get off going off into the storm like that!"

Tri dropped his scarf that he had been taking off, falling from his unresponsive hooves with surprise. "S-Sleepy? What are you... You look awful."

"I don't care." Sleepy kicked the door shut behind himself. "Why did you leave? Why did you go into this storm? Why did I follow you? What's going on?!" Tears stung at his eyes as he collapsed to his haunches, pain and worry rushing free of him. "Oh Tri..."

Tri stammered, hooves dancing on the floor, damp as it was. Like Sleepy, ice was melting free, making a mess. "It's... just, you know, and..." He licked over his lips, trying to explain, to Sleepy, to himself, to anypony at all. "I was just..."

Quiet crept into the room. Neither had words for the other, and they sat there awkwardly, dethawing from the storm they had braved through. Sleepy felt at his neck, eyes on the fallen scarf. "I forgot to grab mine. I thought you might have gotten hurt..."

"Sleepy, I'm so--"

Sleepy was there, hooves on Tri's shoulders. Tri looked up at him, ears pinned back.

"Shut up," ordered the normally sleepy pony. "Shut up and take this." He went in and pressed his lips to Tri's, returning the kiss that had been given to him shortly before. There were no words, just the exchange. Tri's trembling began to die down as he realized what was going on. The kiss became mutual, the two reaching around the other to pull them closer, nostrils flaring for breath.

Silly drew back first, but Tri stayed in close, almost clinging to him. "We have a lot to talk about," cautioned the sleepy stallion. "First..." He stood up and moved for the door, almost dragging Tri along. He grabbed the lock in his teeth and turned his head, securing the door firmly. "Nopony is going out tonight, right?"

"Yeah," agreed Tri in a small voice. "Sorry."

"Enough sorries." Sleepy set a hoof on Tri's head. "Right now, I am way overdue for some sleep, and I think you are too. Now, you owe me that."

"Yeah..." Tri sat up, ears perking. "You're really not mad?"

"For leading me into a snowstorm? I'm really mad about that!" He threw his forehooves wide. "Don't do that again," he finished tiredly, yawning and heading towards Tri's bedroom.

"I meant before that." Tri trailed along, glancing left and right. "What I did."

"I did it too," countered Sleepy with a little smile. "We're even now. You don't get anymore kisses until you behave. You can have some snuggles though." He stepped up onto Tri's bed, snorting softly. "Yours isn't as soft."

"We're not all professionals," noted Tri defensively, sticking out his tongue. He slipped up beside Sleepy and settled with him, the two starting to nestle, their heart rates settling. It was sleep time, but Tri felt certain he wasn't doing it with a friend anymore.

In the darkness, he could hear the gentle sleeping breath of the other pony who wasn't his friend, not just that. They were something special... Tri nuzzled gently into Sleepy's throat, closing his eyes as he savored the warmth they were sharing. They were lovers, not friends, well, still friends? Friends+! They had so much to talk about the next day... But for that moment, that quiet dark moment, there was nothing but sleep and warmth.

And that was the best Hearth's Warming he ever had.

Author's Note:

Hrm, this fell short of the target word count, but it said the story I was given to tell. I'll be passing this to the commissioner to see what they think of it. I hope you enjoyed! Felt nice and sweet to me.

Edit: They like it, yay!

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