"Loving You Up to Cloud Nine"

Living in a penthouse suite wasn't the 6' 2" man's way of "living it up." Despite a poorly timed pun, he had no choice but to respect the wishes of the breadwinner—while he held down the fort as the "housewife."

Although, Idris didn't mind being in the house most of the day. He was able to get some cleaning done, put some elbow grease to work. Tile grout annoyed him, so he pitted himself against the master bath's shower earlier that morning. Now, it was nearing rush hour, and high winds kicked at the building. What one would call a penthouse was actually the 39th floor; the odd number made everything in Idris want to add a whole another floor, just to round it out.

And being a retired grade-school teacher didn't help at all.

Nothing good was on television. So, Idris decided to go on ahead and get dinner prepped. He didn't hum or sing; he wasn't the right type. Even though his mate loved to sing, he never partook in it. He did enjoy overhearing him sing in the shower, though.

"Let's make a Mediterranean dish today," Idris exhaled, after finishing the tie on his apron. At his back was a stainless-steel oven. He smirked, allowing it to preheat as he sliced the last two potatoes from a nearby basket.

Twenty minutes later, metal jingled in the distance. The kitchen's open layout allowed Idris to hear it. His ear perked up.

"I'm home, Idris~!"

Idris spied the other, albeit much shorter, male hedgehog swagger inside. His fur frazzled at the sight of so many bags falling from his arms as he flopped down on the sofa. "Darcie? Where on earth did all those bags come from?"

The dark-furred hedgehog gave Idris a saccharine smile. "From the mall, silly!"

"You've been at the mall all this time?" He plucked the salmon from its sear and flipped it over.

"Of course. I wasn't planning on sitting through another meeting if I didn't have to. With all that spare time, I decided to shop—since Valentine's Day is right around the corner."

Peeved by the carelessness in his partner's shopping habits, Idris only heaved a sigh and refocused on cooking.

"Something smells delish, Idris…It smells exotic, too."

"It's almost done, so sit tight."

"Okay~" he cooed, pecking a kiss on the taller hedgehog's shoulder. Then, prancing back into the sitting area.

Idris and Darcie sat down for their meal. The shorter man's tresses came down his back in luscious waves, streaked in light blueberry-tinged slate. Giddy from the savory aromas, Darcie clapped happily. Idris's headband held back his copiously curled spines, so strays wouldn't fall into his partner's food. He plated the salmon fillets in a cradle of potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and thyme. The zesty flavors mingled, and Darcie couldn't help praising him on a meal well done.

"You have to taste it in order to know, dearest," Idris chimed.

"D'ohh, I know." But when he took a piece of fish into his mouth, he was suddenly catapulted to Cloud Nine. "Ohh! It's tasty—yummy tasty! I told you, Idris!" Hearts bubbled, popping like firecrackers, over Darcie's head. His cheeks had been tickled pink.

It was Idris's turn to blush. "Humph." A smirk.

Then, the meal resumed.

"What exactly did you buy from the mall, dearest?"

Darcie dumped the contents onto the bed, rushing to organize it all before Idris made it back into the bedroom. Throwing things together, "Oh, you know: The usual…?"

"Define 'the usual'."

"Oh, umm…Some dress shirts"—he threw his on the floor—"Maybe an extra pair of slacks, for that one emergency conference…on that one day…in that one month."—His shoes and socks danced out of his way—"There was…a clearance sale…in Bacharach, can you believe it? So…"—He ditched the pants, too—"I pulled some briefs off a rack, because I'm due for another set, right?" He giggled, shutting the door.

In Idris's face. Another peeved vein. "I suppose…? Darcie, what on Earth are you doing in there?"

"You'll see~, in just one minute~!"

"Mrgrhhh…May I at least get my e-reader, if you're going to hog the bedroom for yourself?"

"I'm not hogging the bedroom—I'm getting ready for it!"

"It should be completely spotless! There's no need to—Wait, why are you getting ready for the bed-…room?"

Idris's face had turned into a boiler. Darcie, from neck to toe, had changed into a fantastical icy-blue ensemble. Sexy men's lingerie came together underneath a lace-trimmed night coat. The gown's racy slits revealed his hips, and a peek of lace keeping bikini-cut panties in place. A darling choker mimicked satin; as did the garter on his left thigh. Icy slippers were too soft—and warm—to belong to Cinderella. Lolita cuffs were linked by heart-shaped buttons.

Sapphire-rimmed glasses tilted farther onto Darcie's nose. "I didn't plan on hogging the bedroom, Idris. I was getting ready…for it."

There was nothing for a moment. "It?"

"Yes, it."

"As in…?"

"Yes, Idris."

"Oh."

There was nothing else for another moment.

Until the cinnamon-curled hedgehog started rubbing the other's tummy.

A flush. "Idris, stop that~! It tickles—and you know I'm trying to lose this stubborn fat!"

"But I like your belly, dearest."

A gear in Darcie's brain became misaligned. "What? Why?!"

"It means I'm feeding you well."

Darcie gasped. His blush dampened further across his face. Idris had knelt down to stroke and nuzzle and kiss his stomach, still digesting the dinner from a half-hour ago. Careful arms went around his back and brought his ear to his waist. The infamous belly quivered in satisfaction, after which Darcie giggled in embarrassment.

"Oh, Idris…."

"It also means I'm doing a good job as the housewife."

"Even though you can bench-press 250 lbs. and I can't?"

"…Precisely." Another loving nuzzle.

And Darcie could've sworn Cloud Nine came back to fetch him.

"Loving You Up to Cloud Nine" End.