You& me, and our mate

ch 1; hot chocolate

The ground is covered in a blanket of snow who crushed under the feet.
Despite it's rather cold, the day is still beautiful. And the days start getting a slightly lighter for each day.
At least now, the sun wouldn't set until 4 PM, compared to 2;30 PM.
So, the most morbians are enjoying the extra hours of sun.
Even though the children have started school again, after the winter break, they still enjoyed playing in the snow at the recess'.
Throwing snowballs at each others, and maybe even at the teacher if you were a brave child. Or just rebellious.

It's one of the first days of February, and Knuckles shivered at one of the top steps on the stairs by the master emerald. Like the third step from the top.
He sits down with the legs against the chest, and the arms wrapped around the body.
It has been snowing a little, and the shoulders on his brown colored winter coat in vintage style, have snow on them.
The woods around him, is very silent. Not even the birds visited him today, to get some food.
So, today he feels very alone and isolated.
Not like he has anything against being alone... If he must choose between a party full with people, strangers and friends. Or staying completely alone. He would rather choose the last one.
Simply 'Cause he is a lonely wolf. There many peoples around him, makes him awkward and anxious.

But!-... He doesn't like the cold... And it feels kinda stupid to protect something, where no one try to steal it...
Despite Rouge has tried, he knew-... She only wanted to tease him, and get a chance to speak with him.
Even though she might love stealing the master emerald, it wasn't in her mind. Not at all... Instead she wanted to entertain her friend.
At one moment, last year. She actually tried staying by his side during a few days in row... But that was a huge mistake!
They both have a bad temper, and they couldn't stop getting on each others' nerves.
So, a few days later, Rouge flew away, and Knuckles small crush on her, shattered.
If they couldn't stay friendly during a few days, then there aren't a solid ground to build something on...

A chilly wind passed by through Knuckles' dreadlocks, and made him to shudder where he sneezed.
He was about to mutter something about 'stupid wind, and stupid cold', when he heard snow crushing from the left side, on the bottom of the stairs.
Knuckles flinches gasping, and looks curiously down while loosing the grip of his body.
Shadow walks with two white cups with lids on, where smoke sipped out through the tiny hole on the lid.
The echidna stands up, and takes few steps down.
"Shadow?-... What are you doing here?" He asks curiously, and a bit on alert. The lips tugged unsurely upward.
Despite Eggman has tricked Knuckles to fight on his side from time to time, he was worried Shadow might work with him now.
Maybe Eggman and Shadow are planning to steal the master emerald?!

Shadow shrugs so the warm scarf slides down a little from the shoulder. But not enough so the scarf would fall down on the ground.
"I thought you might be cold, and wanted some hot chocolate to warm you up..." he explains, and starts walking up through the stairs. Not fast enough to alert Knuckles.

The echidna smiles.
"Thanks Shadz-... I really appreciate your thought..." he says with a slightly increased heartbeats.
Shadow hands one cup to Knuckles who grabbed it.
Knuckles starts drinking the hot chocolate who strokes warmly over the tongue and down across the chest to the stomach.
He let's out a low purr.

Shadow starts drinking his as well, and starts eyeing at the surroundings.
"Don't you feel alone in the cold out here?"
The echidna lowered the cup, and shrugs.
"I don't really mind being alone-... But I hate the cold..."
Shadow grins.
"Same-..." he chuckles.
"I might live down in the village-... But I really hate having neighbors... They are so stupidly nosey... Despite they are afraid of me and my brother, they-..."
"You have a brother?" Knuckles interrupted him.
He couldn't remember if he has ever seen Shadow walking around with someone who could be his brother.
The question startled Shadow, and he stiffened.
"Eh-... Yeah... I have a... Ehm twin..." he chuckles nervously.
Knuckles wides the eyes in surprise.
"You do?"
Shadow nods.
"Y-yeah-... Mephiles... And he is-... Kinda an asshole... Every boyfriend I've had, dumped me the moment they met him... S-so... Heh..." he furrows the eyebrows, and looks away with a sad look on the face.