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Syl was out late. It was getting to be winter, and lately, she had been staying out at her shop stand well into the cold nights. Why? She wanted to buy Astral something extra special. It was their first year together, and Syl wanted to make it something to remember. She handed her customer, a garden dweller-hyperborean hybrid wrapped in a tight scarf, a small trinket Astral had made for her to sell, and took the few moonshards out of their paw. As the customer walked away, Syl gathered her wares into a large sack, flipped the sign on her stand to the closed side, and started heading back to the home she, Astral, and Cross shared.
As she walked, the snow came down harder, frost collecting on the ends of her fur. Her paw pads were numb, and her hooves felt like they would split open. If she knew it would be this cold, she would have brought something warmer, but the snow had picked up fast, and the only thing she wore was a hand-made scarf Astral had given her. The wind shifted to lash against Syl’s face, and she dug her claws into the ground, lowered her head, and pushed on. During the winter, Twinspeak Bluff grew to be quite cold, as it was high off the ground. The walk from where Syl had set up her stand to her house wasn’t that far, but because of the snowstorm, it would take much longer than usual. Normally, Syl would just fly, but the wind and snow made it treacherous, if not impossible. Syl never thought she would think this, but she was thankful that her pads were numb, because if they weren’t, they would surely hurt as if the anger of Sol and Luna fell upon her.
Finally, after what felt likes hours of walking, Syl got home. She stumbled up to the door, gasping for breath, and shoved it open. Thank Luna Astral left it unlocked. She walked inside, the winds slamming the door shut behind her, and Astral rushed to her side.
“Syl!” Astral gasped. “Why were you out so late!? With all that snow stuck to you, I’d think you were a hyperborean!”
Syl shuffled to her mate’s side, still panting. “I-I want to get you something special, to make this winter memorable, because I love you!”
Astral wrapped one feathered wing around her. “You don’t have to do that! With you, every winter will be special. There’s no need to risk getting frostbite for that. Now go sit down and get warm, I’m making you some hot chocolate.”
Astral walked into the kitchen, and Syl went to the couch and collapsed onto it. She clawed at her scarf until the knot came undone, the wet fabric falling onto the floor. she caught her breath, the snow covering her pelt melting and soaking into the fabric of the couch. Well, it was just water, it would dry. A few minutes later, Astral returned, carefully holding a steaming mug. She handed it to Syl, who gulped it down, the hot drink warming her body. Once she finished, Syl set the cup down and looked to Astral.
“Thank you. Where’s Cross?”
“I sent her to bed, it was getting late. She’s asleep right now.”
Syl nodded. “That’s good. She needs her rest.”
Despite being her step-mother, Astral loved Cross just as much as if she had made her egg herself, to which Syl was thankful for. If Astral and Cross didn't get along, she doubted they'd be able to live together.
Astral sat down next to Syl and wrapped her long, fluffy tail around her. "Are you still cold?"
Syl flexed her paw. "Yeah, but i'm starting to be able to feel my paws again. Wow, they hurt. I think my pads are cracked."
"Let me take a look." Astral gently held Syl's paw and peered at it. "Yep, it's cracked. Bleeding slightly.
Astral slowly licked the wound, her warm tongue cleaning the specks of dried blood off it. Syl winced, her paw stinging, but Astral held her close in a comforting embrace. Quickly, the wound was cleaned, and Astral let her paw drop.
"Do you think you need a bandage?" The fluffy white star seeker asked.
Syl stretched the hurt paw. It still hurt but it felt much better than before. "No, it'll be fine."
Astral licked her mate's cheek, then stood up. "I'll put your stuff away. Here, give me your moonshards."
She handed her the moonshards she had earned, and Astral slipped them into a pouch resting on a shelf, then carried the sack to their storage room. As she watched Astral walk down the hall, Syl took the chance to admire her partner. She was big, strong, and capable, and always comforted her and Cross when they needed it, like she had just moments ago. That was why she wanted that winter to be special, that was why she spent many late nights out in the cold. Astral deserved it, after everything she had done for her family.
Astral returned and nudged Syl to her paws. "Come on, let's go to bed. You must be exhausted."
Astral was right, she was tired. The events of the night had kept her concious, but now that things were calming down, Syl wanted nothing more than to collapse onto her bed and sleep. She let Astral guide her to the room they shared, and onto the soft bed. As ahe laid down, she felt Astral lay down beside her and pull the thick blanket over them both. She felt Astral's wing cover her, felt her arm pull her closer, and as the quiet sounds of their combined breathing faded away, Syl fell asleep next to the kulpera she loved most.