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Koops couldn't sleep.
How could he? He was far from home, camping out in the middle of a freezing forest as a frigid wind frolicked outside, tickling the fabric of their tent. He hadn't seen either Koopley or Koopie Koo in weeks, and the pangs of homesickness weighed heavily on his mind. He tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, slumber always staying just out of reach.
It was then he noticed the sound of teeth chattering, one of his companions shivering in the cold.
“Um…Ms. Mowz?”
The mouse rolled over to look at him.
“You're s-still awake, s-sweetie?”
Looking at the thief now, Koops could see just how badly she was handling the chilly weather.
“Ms. Mowz, are you ok? You look like you're about to turn into a popsicle.”
“I-I am a bit ch-chilly.”
Of course she was cold. Despite her fur, Ms Mowz was much smaller than Koops, making it much harder for her to retain body heat.
Ms. Mowz glanced over at Goombella, another smaller member of the team. She was safely tucked away next to Vivian, the Shadow’s body heat keeping the Goomba nice and toasty. This gave Ms. Mowz an idea.
“W-would you mind a-at all if I came over t-there and s-snuggled up with y-you?”
Seeing just how cold Ms. Mowz was, Koops nodded.
“Sure. That’s fine with me.”
Ms Mowz trotted over to the larger Koopa, climbing into his sleeping bag next to him and cuddling into his chest.
“Um…do you feel any warmer now?”
“Mmmm…yes. Much better.”
Now with the mouse next to him, he couldn't help but notice just how small she actually was. It was easy to forget due to just how feisty and headstrong she was, but the Koopa could've snapped her in half with little effort. The thought scared Koops, now imagining just how much danger his friend was actually in every time they got into a fight.
Absentmindedly, Koops reached towards her, protectively stroking Ms. Mowz’s fur. Ms. Mowz let out a soft squeak, causing Koops’ mind to return to him, his hand immediately shooting back.
“S-sorry! I don't know what I was-”
“No. Please don't stop. That feels lovely.”
Hesitating for a moment, Koops slowly brought his hand to Ms. Mowz's back, tracing his fingers through Ms. Mowz's fur, his strokes purposeful and delicate. Ms. Mowz let out a few content squeaks, leaning into his touch.
“I appreciate this. It's…not often I get to be vulnerable around anyone in this way, so thank you for making me feel safe.”
Koops' face quickly began to resemble a tomato.
“N-no problem, Mowz.”
A few minutes passed by, and Koops finally felt Ms. Mowz’s breathing slow, the thief falling into a deep slumber. Koops contentedly wrapped his hands around her tiny form, pulling her closer to his chest.
Shortly after, Koops fell asleep as well.