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Damn it all. Not one thing Splinter did made the place any warmer.
Late December in New York would always be cold, he knows, but damn it all , it was a fucking cold snap . And living underground certainly didn't help.
Splinter cupped his hands together and blew into them, barely making enough warm air to heat up his nearly frozen fingers, all before continuing to loosely wrap the bear plush in the wrapping paper he scavenged the other day.
His boys may not be getting the best Christmas, but damn it, they were getting one .
From beside him, the rat heard the crinkle of paper being crumpled and thrown, along with a soft groan from his co-parent. “This is stupid.”
At that, Splinter sighed, more annoyed than anything. “It’s just wrapping paper. I'm sure a ‘warrior alchemist’ can wrap a stinkin’ present.”
He turned just in time to see the unamused scowl on the goat’s face. A goat who didn’t seem to be nearly as bothered by the frigid temperature. For Spirit’s sake , the guy was wearing a t-shirt!
“I simply do not understand the need for secrecy for these gifts. Why can’t we just give them to the boys?” Even as he spoke, the goat continued to fumble around with the tape he was using to wrap a cardboard box holding some other present.
“That ruins the magic. Besides, it's fun to uncover a secret.”
“The ‘secret’ of toy cars?”
Splinter rolled his eyes, pausing once more when he realized that he could barely feel what he was touching. Damn. With a deep sigh, the rat cupped his hands and blew hot air into them. It didn’t do much, but it helped.
After a moment, Draxum spoke up again. “Are you cold?”
Despite himself, the rat felt his eye twitch slightly, turning to look at the goat with a very forced smile. “Not at all! I'm wearing three layers of clothes because it was too hot in the Lair!”
“It was just a question.” The goat defended. “I just assumed that with your fur–”
“That I wouldn't be freezing my balls off? It's like, negative five degrees in here, man!” The rat threw his hands in the air in frustration before crossing his arms once more, forever trying to keep any semblance of heat in his body.
After a painfully uncomfortable silence, Splinter heard Draxum sigh. “I think that's enough present wrapping for tonight.”
“But Christmas is–”
“In three days. We have time to wrap these silly presents before then.”
As much as he wanted to argue, the rat man was tired. He should just get this over with; get the presents wrapped and ready to place under their pathetic excuse of a Christmas tree…but maybe it was better to rest.
“Fine. But since you aren't cold I'm taking all the blankets.”
This earned an eye roll. “That hardly seems necessary.”
By then, Splinter was hardly listening, setting his partially wrapped present under the bed. Sitting up properly now, the rat stretched, trying to ignore the way his back cracked. From there he decided to forgo the jacket he was wearing, because at least he'd be sleeping with a blanket.
When the mutant turned to properly crawl under his sheets to sleep (and likely to end up tossing and turning anyway), he found the goat already laying on his side, looking up at Splinter with a quirked brow. “I thought you said you were cold?”
“I am, but I don’t want to sleep in this.” He couldn’t quite explain it, but he’d rather curl up in a bunch of blankets than sleep in multiple layers. Taking off another layer, leaving himself in a similar shirt to Draxum’s, Splinter ignored the look his co-parent was giving him. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.” The goat hummed.
Splinter huffed, plopping back onto his pillow, not being very polite and trying to tug the sheets towards him, earning yet another annoyed look from Draxum. “Whatever. You’re not using these, right?”
“Actually, I was.” Even with the revelation, Splinter just couldn’t help himself. He was tired, yes, but he also was just awake enough to tease the other man. Gripping harder onto the sheets when the yokai tried to pull it back. “Come on. Seriously?”
A smug smile curled onto the rat’s lips. “You’re always saying you’re too hot. Why do you need a blanket?”
“I say I am ‘too hot’ because my winter coat is thick. That along with other clothing is uncomfortable.”
“Yet you still insist on taking the blanket.”
At that Draxum grumbled, clearly not having a proper explanation for that. Ha. He won.
Or at least he thought .
Before Splinter had another second to think he heard the goat huff. “That’s it.” Before being grabbed.
Of course, his first response was to flail, assuming this was the jerk trying to wrestle him out of the blanket, but after a moment, he felt himself…being hugged? “Drax?”
“If you’re just going to complain about being cold, then we can at least make the best of it.” It took a moment for it to register, but with his face being pressed into the goat’s wooly arms, the rat realized what he was doing.
“Y’know, if you wanted to cuddle, you could have just said so.”
Splinter winced when he felt a flick to the back of his head. Clearly teasing even if it hurt like hell. The rat huffed, finding himself rubbing his face into the goat's arm. “You're a freakin’ furnace”
“Mmhm.” Draxum hummed, making his chest vibrate. Something that almost made this more comforting.
Okay, maybe he really did need to get some rest. Splinter sighed, reaching a cold hand out to run through the yōkai’s soft hair. Almost instantly feeling them get warmer. Even if when he tried to pull them out, they got caught. “When was the last time you brushed your hair?” He chuckled, a clear tease.
To that, he gained a groan–one sounding exhausted rather than annoyed. “This morning.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Splinter pulled back from the hug just enough to properly feel and look at the goat's hair. “It's a lot thicker than usual–” Something he was surprised he hadn't realized.
“ Observant one, aren't you, rat?” the goat huffed.
“Shut up.” The mutant pouted, looking more over the other man. “Your whole body is a lot thicker–”
Draxum rose a brow, to which Splinter clarified; “Like your fur.”
“Ah. It's really nothing to be so fascinated by. I simply…bulk up during the colder months.”
“Like a sheep?” He couldn't resist. And for his crimes was once more flicked on the head. “ Ouch! Stop doing that.”
“Then stop talking.”
“You're literally a giant, pink sheep, man.” He expected another flick, but this time just got the goat rolling his eyes.
“I may be. But at least I do not complain when it is only sixty degrees.”
“That's freezing ! What do you mean? ” In all his life it had, at worst, reached around the forty/fifty range. Of course, that could be the fact that he lived in fucking southern California his whole life, but still .
“ Please , that's nothing. I've fared springs as cold as that. No, this is cold.” He vaguely gestured to the air around them. “That much, we can agree upon.”
“Well… you got your wool, so shut it.” There was no use arguing the point, so Splinter simply huffed.
“ Fur. ”
“It's literally wool.”
“It is not.”
“Someone sounds like they're in a baad mood–”
“I will not hesitate to take these sheets away from you.” Yeah, maybe that was enough sheep jokes for tonight.
“Fine, fine. You win, goat man.” With that, the rat scooted closer, once more burying his face into the goat's chest. An action that had become very familiar these last few weeks especially.
And it was hard to deny how his heart warmed him from the inside out when he felt Draxum tuck the blankets around them both, keeping the two of them warm and comfortable for the night.