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Roman turned in his nest, grumbling as the blanket was tugged away from him. He shivered and tried to reach back for it, but it was once again pulled out of his reach. He whined and sat up, huffing as his ears were flopped down beside his cheeks.”Remusss,” he complained, bapping the vague form under the blankets.
There was shuffling and tossing and turning before Remus poked his head out, looking grumpy and tired.”Whaaat,” he asked, pouting. His head bobbed up and down, trying to hold it up in his haze. He accidentally bumped it against Roman’s and the two cried out in pain.
Roman started crying, feeling frustrated, cold, and tired. He forcefully yanked the blankets back from his brother and gripped it tightly around himself, hoarding it. Remus let out a gasp and tried to tug it back, his tail hitting the nest rapidly with a thump. It was a sign of aggression, but Roman didn’t let go, he instead curled in tighter on himself, trying to keep the blanket with all his might.
“Let go!!!” Remus cried, tears starting to form on his face as well.
“No!!! You stole them from me!!!”
There was a soft grumbling from further within the cave, but the two continued to struggle, letting out cries and little yells.
“What’s going on here?”
The twins both stopped and looked over at the noise, finding their father at the archway to their ‘room’. He looked tired, but he managed to get himself out of bed to check on his sons.
Remus immediately let go on the blanket and started crying, making grabby hands at their father. Roman wiggled out of his soft cocoon and did the same.
“R-Remus was taking my blanket!” “Roman took my blanket!” came twin cries. Their father sighed softly and kneeled beside the nest, opening his arms. The twins launched themselves into his lap, staying as far away from each other as they could. A hand from each side made soothing ministrations on the twins’ backs and hair, their father trying to calm them down.
“You two have your own blankets for a reason,” he reminded gently after their sobs turned to sniffles. Roman gripped his father’s forearm tightly while Remus blew a raspberry at his brother, wiping the tears off his cheeks.
“Remus took all of it though!” Roman complained, looking thoroughly irritated that his father wouldn’t seem to let him tell his side of the story. He bounced, starting to throw another tantrum, his face one of distress.
Immediately, his father leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Hey, calm down hatchling, it’s okay. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I-I woke up, and I was cold - Remus took all the blankets! I tried to get it back, but he wouldn’t let me!”
“Nu uh! You stole them from me after! I was cold after!” Remus shot back.
“Then don’t take it next time!”
“Don’t wake me up and steal them!
“Boys.”
The twins stopped their bickering and looked up at their father, a stern warning in his eyes. The two slumped down, their ears drooping.
“So what I’m hearing is Roman woke up without a blanket because Remus took them -” Roman nodded, sticking his tongue out at his brother who looked betrayed. “ - and Roman took it back, and kept them all from Remus.”
It was Roman’s turn to look surprised and Remus’ turn to look victorious.
“Now, it seems since you are both at fault you will both have to apologize to each other,” he said. He would have a punishment for them in the morning, but he was too tired to think of any now.
Both twins decided this was the moment to clam up, both turning away.
“ Sons ,” their father warned. They would have to learn to reconcile, especially after such a petty argument.
“I’m sorry,” Roman said first. He looked at their father, who urged him to continue. “I shouldn’t have stolen all the blankets back, just mine.”
Remus was silent, getting a nudge from his father. He squeaked and gave him an uncharacteristically shy look. He looked down and blushed, from his cheeks to his ears. “I-I’m sorry for stealing them the first time,” he whispered quietly, fiddling with his fingers.
Their father allowed himself a smile before he gave them both a kiss. “Do you both accept each other’s apology?” he asked.
Roman quickly nodded, giving Remus a small smile, his tail moving to wrap around his brother’s.
Remus was a little hesitant at first, but eventually nodded too, their tails twined.
The eldest sighed and moved the two boys off his lap and back into their nest, separating their blankets so they each had their own - Roman’s red, Remus’ green - and they tucked themselves in. With one last kiss on the forehead, their father went back to bed, leaving the two in their nest. When he came to wake them up after the sun had risen, they were both pressed together, tails still twined, and blankets swapped.