Fall Colors and Tailsmo Snuggles
The brisk, early November morning chilled the Mystic Ruins, the wind blowing the leaves and the sun starting to creep over the horizon, the chill of the evening slowly dissipating as the warmth of the new day enveloped the mountainside.
Opening the front door to his abode, Tails stretched his arms, taking in the refreshing air before tightening the scarf around his neck. With a travel mug of tea in his hands, the orange kitsune stepped out of his front porch, his sneakers crunching over the grass, growing dormant in preparation for the long winter months fast approaching.
With a long, content sigh, the young fox ventured forth, following the worn trail into the neighboring forest. Peering up as he maintained a slow, steady pace, Tails smiled as he took in the dark rainbow of fall colors, the squirrels chasing each other between the trees, and the sun's rays slowly finding their way between the thinning branches.
Stopping in the middle of the path, Tails turned to his side and gently pushed away some branches obscuring a smaller path, signified by footprints carved into the ground, all belonging to the same fox. Careful to reposition the branches behind him, hiding the secret entrance, he continued his trek, determination in his eyes as he grew closer to his destination.
Having maintained the relatively narrow path the last several months, the orange fox had little issue navigating over the uneven ground and pushing through the bushes, and after what seemed like a brief hop, skip, and a jump, the young kitsune arrived at his destination: a circular clearing deep in the forest, the rising sun shining from above illuminating a small tree in the center.
"Ummm, hello there," Tails called as he slowly approached the plant. "How've you been?" Not expecting a response, the fox placed his tea mug on the ground and pulled a small watering pot from his namesakes. Standing next to the tree, the narrow trunk was nearly Tails' height.
"That about does it," Tails concluded as he put the watering pot back in his namesakes. "We're about overdue for some snow...you sure you'll be okay?" The orange kitsune tilted his head as he observed the young tree once more. "You're right, I'm sure you'll be fine! I planted you out here way back in the spring." Laughing to himself, Tails spun around and waved at the tree from behind. "C'ya! Tell the squirrels I say hi!"
As the fox began walking out of the clearing, he collided with an unexpected guest, falling to the ground and landing on his behind.
"C...Cosmo?" Tails peered up at the green Seedrian above. "Why are you up so early?"
"Well, to tell you the truth," Cosmo replied, a blush appearing across her face, "when you got up this morning, I couldn't fall back asleep." She extended her arm out, allowing the orange kitsune to grab hold and let his girlfriend pull him back up to his feet. "You're like a bundle of warmth when you're in bed, and it gets too cold when you wake up earlier than me." Tails giggled at this observation as he scratched the back of his head.
"How's the tree?" Cosmo asked as she gestured toward the plant.
"Seems to be growing well!" Tails replied as he folded his arms. "I'll say, despite developing in an alien environment, your seed rapidly grew out of its original pot, and it seems mature enough now to survive even the harshest of winters!" To the fox's dismay, Cosmo shuttered. "What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked, tilting his head as he observed the Seedrian in concern.
"It's just that..." Cosmo turned away, dropping to her knees to gently pluck a dark orange leaf from the ground. "The fall is almost over, and snow is well on its way. I've never lived in a snowy environment before."
"Oh yeah, that's right..." Tails thought back to the story of Cosmo's upbringing on her mother's ship, where a consistent temperature and humidity level were maintained conducive to the growth and development of its Seedrian inhabitants. "Are you scared?"
"Well..." Cosmo carefully blew the leaf from her palm, pulled herself up, and turned her attention back to the young fox. "To tell you the truth, maybe a little. Seedrians aren't meant to live in such cold environments, although..." she blushed once more. "You can always keep me warm."
"Yeah," Tails replied as he blushed himself, "that certainly won't be a problem! I have enough fur to keep you warm throughout the entire winter. I could even make you a fur sweater if you'd like!"
"Make a sweater...out of your fur?" It was Cosmo's turn to tilt her head, appearing to cringe at Tails' suggestion.
"Well yeah!" Tails replied, closing his eyes as he stuck a single finger in the air. "With how much I shed, I'm sure I could put together a sweater, or better yet, I could invent a machine that could stitch a sweater for you by simply inserting a big bundle of fur!"
Cosmo chuckled. "I think I prefer the fur on your body, thank you very much." She proceeded to give the young fox an unexpected hug, pressing her face into his chest floof. "I love when you ramble on with your brilliant ideas, Tails, but this time, I don't think a new invention would make things better. Wouldn't the cold give us a reason to snuggle anyway?"
Reading the message loud and clear, Tails wrapped his arms around Cosmo's back and hugged her in return. "Not that I ever needed an excuse," Tails replied. "We've fallen asleep in each other's arms every night since we returned to Mobius." The two laughed as Tails mentally reflected on how Cosmo had taken to rambling, a trait likely developed after spending so much time with him.
"You know…" Cosmo began as she loosened her grip on the young fox and stepped toward the tree. "We haven't given it a name yet."
"A name?" Tails asked as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Well yeah," Cosmo replied. "I still want to give it a name, even though my seed sprouted into a normal tree instead of a Seedrian with sentience."
"Maybe…" Tails raised a hand to his chin in thought. "I'm probably the last one who should be naming anyone, though. Why don't you decide?"
Stepping back, Cosmo returned to Tails' side as she observed the tree once more. "How about...Earthia?"
"Oh, like your mother?"
"Yes." Cosmo nodded. "We already decided we would name our future daughter Galaxina, and I would like to honor my mother somehow...yes, the first tree of our kind to grow on Mobius, the planet responsible for saving us from the fate of the Metarex and bringing order to the universe once more." She nodded her head as a smile grew on her face. "I think it's perfect."
"Same here!" Tails replied with a nod of agreement. "Remind me to print Earthia's name on a plaque when we finish this memorial next spring."
"Miles Prower needing a reminder?" Cosmo jeered, earning a light chuckle from the orange kitsune. "You're the smartest person I know, Tails. I should be asking you to remind me to plant flowers around Earthia this spring." Turning around, Cosmo tilted her head toward her open palm, signaling her boyfriend to hold her hand.
"You know, intelligence and memory do not necessarily correlate in all circumstances," Tails opined as he locked fingers with Cosmo. "I forget things all the time...like the time I forgot to get eggs from the store last week!"
"I suppose," Cosmo replied with a beaming smile as the couple stepped over a downed tree. "That reminds me, can you run to the store this morning to get some eggs? Vanilla, Cream, and Amy are coming over this afternoon to teach me more about baking."
"Sure thing, sweetie!"
With that, Tails and Cosmo slowly made their way back through the forest, admiring the falling leaves along the way, until they returned to their shared Mystic Ruins home. Almost as soon as they stepped into the house from the patio, however, Tails made his way to the door separating the main house with his workshop.
"Where are you going, Tails?" Cosmo asked as she opened the living room window, letting the crisp air into the house.
"Going to get eggs, remember?" Tails replied with a smirk as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Hmmm…" Cosmo raised a finger to her chin in thought before grabbing the cell phone from the coffee table.
"Hello, Ms. Vanilla," Cosmo said into her phone. "Do you have some extra eggs? I just realized we don't have any for our baking session this afternoon. Really? Great! See you in a few hours." Hanging up the call, and setting the phone to the side, the young Seedrian gently patted her palm on the cushion beside her.
"Come sit," Cosmo said, continuing to pat the sofa as she peered up at the orange kitsune. He complied, although as soon as he sat down, she pulled herself closer to him, wrapped a single arm around his back and leaned against his side. As she was a little taller than the young fox, she had to slide down the sofa a bit in order to lean her head against his shoulder. "I missed your warmth this morning. Please sit with me before the girls arrive."
Turning his head, the young Seedrian gave her furry boyfriend shimmering puppy dog eyes.
"How can I say no to a face like that?" Tails asked, a blush across his own.
"Yay!" Cosmo cheered as she gently pushed the young fox so he was lying on the sofa. She proceeded to lie in front of him, pulling one of Tails' arms over her shoulders. "No alarm clock, please. Let's just snuggle the morning away." Tightening his hug around the young Seedrian, Tails closed his eyes, the two falling asleep in each other's arms.
Bzzzzzz.
Bzzzzzz.
"They're not answering, Ms. Amy," Cream said after reaching up and pressing Tails and Cosmo's doorbell multiple times.
"That's strange," Amy replied, raising a gloved finger to her chin in thought. "Maybe Cosmo is helping Tails in the workshop?"
"That's certainly possible," Vanilla agreed, holding a basket of baking supplies in either hand. "In any case, let's see if the door is unlocked." The elder bunny peered down at her daughter. "Cream, can you get the door, please?"
"Yes, mother," Cream replied.
"Chao, chao!" Cheese added from the young rabbit's shoulder.
Cream slowly turned the doorknob and was the first to enter the abode. Stepping into the living room, she audibly gasped.
"What's wrong, Cream?" Amy asked before peering over at the source of her surprise. A blush appeared across her face as the two girls observed the adorable display of sofa cuddling before them, with Tails' furry body wrapped around the young Seedrian. The two were sleeping soundly, their gentle snoring filling the room as the crisp, outdoor air blew in through the open window.
"Oh…my…chaos…" Amy stepped forward, followed by Cream, and the two kneeled down, observing the loving couple more closely.
"They are so adorable!" Cream squealed, but she was quickly silenced by a palm to her mouth.
"Shhh…we don't wanna startle them awake."
Cream complied, nodding her head slowly. "So what should we do about them, then? Let them sleep?"
Amy raised a finger to her chin in thought. "Well…Cosmo did want to bake, right? She even invited us over to show her the ropes." The pink hedgehog crawled closer to the sofa and gently placed her hand on the young Seedrian's hair, as most of the rest of her was engulfed in Tails' embrace.
"Hey Cosmo, it's me, Amy…" She ran her gloved fingers through her hair. "Cream, Vanilla, and I are here to help you bake."
Cosmo slowly opened her eyes to find the pink hedgehog and young bunny on their knees before her. She tried pulling herself up, but she was restrained by the force of Tails' arms wrapped around her. It was at this realization she became aware that her "girlfriends", as they called each other, were watching her deeply intimate snuggling moment. Needless to say, her face grew crimson red.
"Hey Cosmo, it's nothing to be embarrassed about," Amy reassured, running a gentle hand through her hair once more. "When Sonic moved in with me, we started snuggling all the time! It's totally normal!"
"I bet nobody watches you, though…" Cosmo replied as she wiggled her way out from Tails' embrace and pulled her up to her feet, shivering as she immediately felt the loss of the orange kitsune's furry warmth.
"It's getting cold in here anyway," Amy said as she closed the living room window. "Now how about we get baking, huh?"
"Sure!" Cosmo replied with a cheery smile.
With that, the Seedrian, bunny, and hedgehog joined Vanilla in the kitchen, supplies already strewn along the countertops and the oven preheated. The group proceeded to thoroughly educate Cosmo on the art of baking, and after an hour of lessons and an attempt at an apple pie, the girls were joined by the groggy kitsune, who was awoken by the sweet, delectable smell of the pastry.
"Hey, sweetie!" Cosmo called from the oven as she pulled out the pie with oversized mitts. "How did you sleep?"
"Perfectly fine," Tails replied with a yawn as he sat down at the nearby table close to Cream and Cheese. "I got cold after you got up, though."
"Funny, now you know how I feel," Cosmo replied with mock offense as she placed the pie on the counter and cut a generous slice out, transferred it to a small plate, and handed the treat to her boyfriend. "I never tried baking pie before…I hope you like it."
Observing it carefully, the young fox cut his first bite from the pastry with his fork, brought it to his lips, and blew on it before taking a bite. Chewing thoughtfully, the orange fox's face lit up like an alarm.
"Oh wow, Cosmo! This is really yummy! Almost as good at Vanilla's pies!"
"You really mean it?" Cosmo asked as her eyes started glistening.
"You kidding?" Tails asked as he placed his fork on the table. "This pie is fantastic! I can't believe it's your first ever batch."
"Oh Tails!" The young Seedrian rushed to Tails' side, bent her knees slightly, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Tails asked, a blush appearing across his face.
"That is for being the best, most supportive boyfriend in the world!" Cosmo's face was beaming with everlasting happiness.
The two locked eyes, staring at each other intently with wide smiles. It was only after Amy waved her hand between the lovestruck couple when they shook their heads and directed their attention to the pink hedgehog.
"Okay, lovebirds," Amy declared, "let's set the table so the rest of us can enjoy some pie, shall we?"
"Oh, of course!" Cosmo replied with a blush.
And so the entire group spent the afternoon enjoying each other's company, eating some homemade apple pie, sipping fresh tea, and admiring the final leaves falling from the trees, the winter rapidly approaching.
I hope you all enjoyed the latest fluff chapter! This piece was written for the October, 2021 writing contest over on the Sonic Fanfiction Discord server, and I figured it was short and fluffy enough to include as a chapter in my Mega Fluff Collection instead of as its own separate story.
In any case, I'd love to hear your thoughts!