Chapter Text
All was still in the forest. Not a single creature disturbed the peaceful silence of the bleary, fog tinged morning. The bright sun peeking between barren trees gave off no warmth. Snow-lined branches of deciduous trees tapped rhythmically against each other as the biting wind whooshed past them. Countless drops of snow quietly fell to the ground, leaving it an almost blinding white. All of this signified one thing. A time many children waited patiently for and adults waited patiently to end. This was the very first day of...
"Hey, Winter... Winter! Get up, you have to see this now!" only one pokemon could break this morning's calm in such a careless way. It was none other than Pebble Starmarble himself, trying to wake the glaceon sleeping next to him with an excited bark.
The glaceon in question--Midwinter--groaned and covered his face with his paws, "What do you want, Pebble? It's my day off, I'm not wasting it on doing your work for you, so don't bother asking."
"What? You know I'd never do that," the dusk lycanroc replied in mock offense, "I wanted to show you something."
Midwinter's long ears perked up slightly, but he didn't look up, "What is it?"
"C'mon, there’s no fun in that. Just see for yourself!" the canine pleaded, nudging his mate to get up. With a sigh, he did just that and propped himself up on four sturdy legs.
Slowly opening his eyes, Midwinter was met with the stone brick walls of the castle, illuminated by the bright light pouring out of the lone window in the room and spooling onto the gray floor. The old, simple bed beneath him consisted of wooden planks and a woolen sheet, large enough for two pokemon to share comfortably. The rest of the room was empty of other ‘mons, who were presumably off working in other parts of the city.
What caught his attention most of all was, of course, Pebble sitting in front of him, his fluffy, white tail wagging behind him like an overjoyed puppy’s. The dusk lycanroc watched him with a toothy grin etched upon his muzzle, “G’morning, Winter. Hope you slept well.”
“Good morning to you too, Pebble.”
“...Aren’t ya gonna ask what I wanted to show you?” Pebble asked hopefully.
The glaceon considered it for a moment. Eh, why not? It was his day off after all, he had time to entertain his mate’s whims.
“Alright, what is it?”
Pebble’s eyes lit up like stars at his answer, “Great! Follow me!”
He bounded towards the window in a few, swift movements, urging the glaceon to follow with a flick of his tail. Midwinter did the same, albeit with a much more sluggish pace. The smaller pokemon leapt onto the windowsill, looking over the white-coated forests and meadows through dirty, misted glass. He stayed silent for a moment, stern lavender gaze melting into something resembling nostalgia. Snow was still gently falling outside, leaving the ground blindingly white.
“Soo, what do you think?” Pebble prompted expectantly.
“Didn’t think that snowfall would come so early. It feels like autumn has barely started.”
“Yeah, I know how you feel,” the lycanroc chuckled, “maybe the days just pass by faster when we’re together~”
Midwinter pointedly hid his face, the pointed tips of his ears turning a noticeable red, “Oh, shut up…”
Pebble let out a proper laugh at his action, “It’s true, y’know. I thought living most of my life up in the mountains would make me sick of winter, but I’m excited to spend it with you.”
His words were teasing at first, but the lycanroc clearly meant every last one. Which was why Midwinter was so flustered in the first place.
“Now you’re just flattering me.”
Pebble shrugged, not denying the claim, “It’s your day off, right? How about we go out and look around a bit?” his tone was full of petulant giddiness again.
Midwinter turned over to him, pale pink still dusting his cheeks, “I doubt there’s much to see. Besides–I doubt your Captain would let you laze around today.”
“Aw c’mon, he’ll let me off the hook… probably.”
The glaceon rolled his eyes, “Don’t skip work just to hang out with me.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind if just take the morning off,” Pebble countered, “anyway, that didn’t sound like a ‘no’. So, what do you say, how about spending this fine morning frolicking through the forest, just the two of us?”
Midwinter sighed, the tiniest smile forming on his face, “Fine. I’ll humor you.”
Pebble abruptly shot up, practically bouncing in place, “Great! Let’s go!”
“Arceus, you’re pretty excited about this,” the glaceon mumbled under his breath as he deftly hopped off the edge of the stone windowsill, following just behind his mate.
“You know, I really hope we don’t run into your Captain either,” the orange canine said airily as they walked through the Castle’s halls.
“Why?”
“Well, she can be a bit…” Pebble let out a nervous chuckle, choosing his words carefully, “...Nosy.”
Midwinter huffed, “I know what you mean, but I doubt Captain Rosenburg is all that invested in what I do on my off days.”
“Or your love life for that matter.”
The glaceon glared at him, “Yes, or that.”
They walked through the sparsely crowded corridors of the Castle together, occasionally being stopped by fellow knights with a small nod of greeting, or a wave from their biped coworkers. It was a pretty drowsy morning, so it was a pleasant surprise to see several familiar faces.
The main entrance came into view, grand and ancient in its stance, the outside world a vast and snowy haven. The rusty, suspended portcullis was tipped with frost, and the wooden doors were left wide open. Strong gusts of air blew into the foyer, leaving the whole room at a freezing temperature. Perfect for the ice-type knight. Less perfect for his rocky companion.
“If there’s one thing I miss about the mountains it would be the fact shedding season didn’t exist up there,” Pebble grumbled after they passed the main entrance guards.
The duo stalked across the thick blanket of snow, Pebble’s paws sinking into it while Midwinter stayed perfectly atop it, not leaving even a single track as he walked gracefully.
“Can’t say I miss having longer fur,” the glaceon admitted, “can’t say I don’t miss it either.”
“You’re just lucky you don’t have to deal with this anymore,” the rock-type scoffed childishly.
“Sure.”
Their walk through the city was pleasant, albeit far from the serenity of winter the glaceon would prefer. Midwinter had expected more pokemon to huddle up in their warm dens, sleeping away the colder months like a simple spell of exhaustion in their own little bubbles.The streets of the once-abandoned human city, and the wilderness beyond it, was teeming with young pokemon playing and rough-housing about.
A lively scorbunny bounced around, grabbing and chucking heaps of snow at her pichu friend, the snow easily melting beneath her feet. The pichu squeaked as the white powder hit him square in the face, taking cover behind a nearby oak tree to prepare his counter attack.
A little snorunt seemed to be attempting to make a snow sculpture, which seemed to be crumbling right under her stubby hands. The snorunt used its ice moves to hold the vulpine-like statue upright, making the more delicate, almost wispy parts look like they stood on their own. Standing by the sculpture was a snow white zorua of Hisui, his eyes shining and tail wagging as he looked at his friend’s work.
“You know, that kid sort of reminds me of someone…” Midwinter mumbled to himself as they reached the end of the street, taking a sharp right into the meadow. Here, the frost covered trees thinned out into open fields and grassy moors. Well, usually grassy moors.
“Really? Who?” Pebble asked curiously.
“Actually, nevermind.”
The vast sky above them was still a depressing (for most at least) cloudy gray. Snowfall grew sparse, descending in small flakes instead of in a flurry like the night before. Not a single other pokemon was here, filling the meadow with a lonely silence.
A cast-like layer of frost coated the bark of far off trees where snow could not stick. The berries and fruits still in bloom stuck out like drops of blood against the white backdrop. From hawthorn to winterberries, all clustered together in bushes and branches. The crisp, cool air stung their noses, but it was still nice to take a break from their responsibilities, not having to worry about anything else.
“I didn’t realize how much I’ve actually missed winter. I was sort of getting used to the warmer climate of the Wild Area,” Midwinter admitted as they walked by the Old Watchtower, voice low.
“I know how you feel, winter isn’t as fun when you see it every day,” Pebble joked, “but even now I feel like a child who’s been waiting for this since spring–Oh look! Lake Axewell is completely frozen over!”
Midwinter turned his head towards the direction Pebble was looking. Sure enough, the water’s surface had turned into a glistening sheet of ice overnight. It appeared to be several inches thick already, despite it only being the first day of winter.
Pebble tapped the ice with one claw, turning towards his fellow knight with a mischievous grin. Like a child about to suggest something stupid.
“Do you think the ice’ll be able to hold us?”
Midwinter’s face grew serious, “Don’t be ridiculous, that’s not something we should risk. I would be fine if I fell in, can’t say the same thing for you–”
If Pebble had heard him, he certainly didn’t listen. With a swift leap, the lycanroc was already skidding on the frozen layer of water, legs slightly spread out and unbalanced like a newborn deerling’s. Eventually, he got used to the slippery texture, and his movements grew more precise. More akin to a dance than helpless drifting.
Midwinter shook his head, he should have expected this of the lycanroc. With a sigh, he put one paw forward, testing the strength of the ice. Unsurprisingly, it was thick enough to support his weight, and more if Pebble was so comfortably standing on it. He slid onto the ice, moving forward as if the surface was merely earth.
“See? We’re fine!” Pebble called over, beckoning the glaceon over, “Besides, you could reinforce the ice if it cracks. Right, Winter?”
Midwinter let an amused smile slip, “Right, Pebble. But we’re not just gonna stand here, are we?”
The lycanroc seemed to think for a moment, his face brightening with a new, probably equally stupid, thought, “No we are not. So, here’s the idea–”
He sped up abruptly, running off with a clumsy stride. Before Midwinter could understand what he was doing, he was already half across the lake.
“--Catch me if you can!”
Pebble’s face was turned towards him as he sprinted off, a teasing glint in his eyes. The agile canine was doing a remarkable job at maintaining balance on the slippery ground, rarely faltering at all. It was like he had done this before, and knowing Pebble, he probably had.
Midwinter knew he’d never be able to outrun the lycanroc (who was currently running circles around him anyway), being both considerably slower and smaller. He’d have to play this smart, using up all of his energy for the day on a simple game was hardly the way a knight should conduct himself. Even if it was tempting…
With another roll of his eyes, Midwinter began pursuit. He kept a steady pace, trailing behind his mate. Luckily for him, he did have the advantage. The frozen ground below was much easier to navigate than it was for the rock-type, leaving him proverbially hot on Pebble’s tail.
The lycanroc was proving to be a very annoying adversary. All of that training was really paying off, if he was doing this merely a year earlier he'd already be out of breath.
Both of them were kicking up flurries of snow as they ran and swiveled around on the ice, clearing the surface to show the pale blue of the frozen lake.
To think he'd be spending his morning playing tag like some carefree eevee… if someone had told him this even a year ago he’d hardly believe it. To think such a quaint life would finally be in reach…
“Hey, Winter!” Pebble suddenly called between pants, craning his head to look behind himself, “I knew you were a slowpoke but I didn’t think you’d be this slow! Where’s that fire of yours, heh?”
Midwinter shook his head to disperse the thoughts clouding his mind and slowing him down. He hadn’t noticed how much distance Pebble had managed to put between them. Like this, he’d never catch him. And yet his stubborn pride urged him to continue.
Only with a smarter approach.
The glaceon swerved suddenly off course and towards Pebble’s left, marring the ice with long scratch marks. He was still chasing after the dusk lycanroc, but his unpredicted change in direction left him scrambling to get away.
The canine was agile, sure, but he was also too heavy to properly turn at such a speed. Especially on such an annoying surface. Pebble let out a startled yelp as he was thrown off balance by his sudden motion, sturdy claws producing a clicking sound against the ice. He tumbled down onto the surface, clearing some of the snow that fell upon the lake (along with catching even more of it in his bright, scruffy pelt).
Quite unbefitting for a knight indeed, Midwinter noted with a self-satisfied hum. The lycanroc was already trying to get up, so he’d have to do this fast. Pushing himself a little further certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Picking up the pace, he raced towards the currently occupied Pebble, who was still stumbling around, just close enough to pounce. With an effortless leap, he jumped on the lycanroc and buried his paws into soft, snow white fur.
“Got you,” he quipped breathlessly.
They stood there like that for a moment, both panting from the impromptu exercise. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment. Midwinter supposed Pebble didn’t always have terrible ideas.
The lycanroc was the first to break the silence, letting out a boisterous laugh, raspy from both cold and exertion.
“Okay, okay. You win. Just please get off my side, you’re heavier than you look,” he said hoarsely.
The glaceon soundlessly leapt back onto the ice, “Oh, right! Apologies…”
“S’all good, dear,” Pebble flashed him a toothy grin.
Midwinter bristled ever so slightly, looking back at the lycanroc, “I told you not to call me that,” he replied in a flustered whisper.
“What, ‘dear’? I thought that only applied when in public,” Pebble whined in mock hurt, getting up and dusting off the snow stuck in his fur.
“W-well, uh…”
“That was what you said, wasn’t it?”
Midwinter scoffed, “Wh-what I meant was…”
“I can’t hear you, Winter.” another smile was slowly forming on Pebble’s white muzzle.
A realization hit the glaceon, “Wait a minute, you’re just pulling this to embarrass me! You know I hate pet names.”
Pebble’s teasing smile immediately devolved into a fit of hysterics, almost sending the lycanroc back onto the ground with a howling laugh. He was certainly easily amused.
“If that ice cracks I’m leaving you in the water,” Midwinter warned in his best intimidating voice, but it did nothing to quell Pebble’s fit. If anything, it just made it worse.
It took an unsurprisingly long time for the jolly canine to calm down, his breath even more ragged now and his fur as messy as it was before he shook all the snow off. Several teardrops welled up in the corners of his pale green eyes.
“It’s not my fault you’re so prickly, even around me.”
“I’m not prickly, you’re just an arsehole,” the glaceon countered, face cherry red.
“You’re just saying that,” Pebble dismissed jovially, “you wouldn’t have kept me around for so long if you truly thought I was an arse.”
“You can love someone and know they’re just doing something just to piss you off, I’d say it’s usually… Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, sorry,” the lycanroc pretended to dramatically wipe a single tear from his eye, “it’s just not every day my beloved mate admits he cares for me too. Now this is a day to commemorate!”
Midwinter rolled his eyes, although not without a hint of fondness, “Because I know you’ll react like that. You’d do everything in your power to annoy me. I wouldn’t be able to look any of our colleagues in the eyes if they heard some of the sappy shit you’ve said to my face.”
“Well, I suppose can’t deny that,” Pebble shrugged, “everyone tells me that. Personally I don’t see it, I just say what I feel.”
“Speaking of colleagues,” the glaceon side-stepped his answer, walking off the frozen lake’s shore, “we should head back soon, your Captain is probably already searching for you. And playing around in the snow is not good enough reason to skip work.”
He was stopped just as he reached the shore, Pebble’s long tail gently brushing at his back. The lycanroc’s face was no longer gleefully teasing, instead a gentle loving expression not unlike someone staring at priceless treasure. His once toothy grin was a small, understanding smile.
“Hey, Midwinter… I know I tease you a lot about being ‘cold as ice’ and all… but, I don’t really mind it. I’ve known you for long enough to know what you’re like, and even if you don’t say it outright, I know how you feel. Um, I’m getting off topic. What I’m trying to say is…”
It was bizarre to see the typically suave lycanroc have trouble forming words. He was acting less like himself and more of a teenager asking out their crush. It was frankly adorable, but Midwinter would have rather thrown himself into a volcano than admit that passing thought to anyone.
Midwinter cut him off with a calloused blue paw to his snout, noting how warm he was, even more than usual. An adoring smile creeped up the corners of his lips as he said his next words, “I know, Pebble. I love you, too. More than anything… more than anything.”