Summary: Wolf!M-21 hasn't seen snow before.

Pace the Night

By Dark Ice Dragon

The tv was a white noise at the back of Tao's consciousness as he played about on the internet – not too attention-grabbing, but always there. He'd gotten so used to it (and Takeo's comments to what was happening) that the click of claws on tiles behind them was noticeable straight away. The spacing between each click was too big for the puppy – that, and Tao could see the puppy sleeping in his basket over his screen. Which meant-

A wet nose to his elbow. Tao lifted his arm, smiling at the wolf there. "Heya, M."

M-21 waved his tail and tried to get closer, huffing.

"Do you wanna sit with us?" Tao asked, playing with the fur on top of his head. It was a little on the coarse side, but there was enough to be thick, fluffy and fun to play with. "You need to go around." He indicated the path around the sofa arm with a downward finger. M-21 could hop over it of course, but that would mean he would land on top of Tao's laptop and yeeeah, no.

M-21 stepped back and started going around. He stopped once he was clear of the armrest, lifting his head to look at something on their left.

"Hm?" Tao looked over at what had gotten M-21's attention. There was the window, the blinds up and showing the garden but- "Oh." Tao glanced back at M-21. "Haven't you seen snow before?" The hedge was dusted with white, thick snowflakes drifting down from the sky. With all the missions M-21 had done, he had to have.

Or maybe he didn't remember right now.

"Wanna check it out?" Tao said, setting his laptop to the side and hopping to his feet.

M-21 perked up before wagging his tail more.

"Tao…"

He grinned in Takeo's direction. "C'mon, you join in too! It'll be fun, and it's late enough the neighbours won't see us."

M-21 had already gone to the window and-

"Ah ah!" Tao said, forgetting Takeo for the second as he went over. "No paw prints on the glass; Boss might kill us." Not so much for the paw prints, but M-21's claws could go right through it with enough pressure. M-21's ears flattened but he dropped to all fours.

"I know the hedge's in the way, but we'll be out soon anyway." Tao looked over his shoulder at Takeo. "You coming?"

Takeo switched the tv off, standing up. "Yeah."

"Heh. Sweet." Tao slid the window open and M-21 edged out, sticking out his head and sniffing the dusting of snow there, keeping his paws inside the house.

"Don't worry," Tao told him, letting him take his time, "it's safe."

One of M-21's ears swivelled towards him but he stayed where he was, investigating more. He jerked back when his nose touched the snow, and he sneezed, shaking his head.

Tao snickered, and he waved a hand when M-21 looked up at him and whined. "I forgot to tell you it's cold, huh? It's okay – that's normal."

M-21 looked back at the snow and after studying it for a few seconds, he stretched out and placed a paw on top of the snow, petting it. When nothing happened, he put down a second paw. After another pause, M-21 stepped outside, looking around at the snow, his tail waving. Once he was done, he looked back at them.

"See?" Tao said, smiling. "Nothing to worry about." He was about to follow him out but he glanced down at his slippered feet. Oh, whoops.

"Here."

He looked up to see Takeo holding a pair of his shoes in his hand, another pair of shoes in his other.

"Heh, thanks," Tao said, taking them from him. There was a snapping sound outside and when Tao turned, M-21 was biting at the air, looking like – oh, he was trying to catch the snow.

"Having fun?" Tao asked when he had his shoes on and he walked outside, the snow crunching under his feet. M-21 huffed, looking at him for a second before trying to catch the snowflakes again.

Smiling, Tao chased after him, who bounded away and okay, playing in the snow was fun after being inside the house for the whole day.

They chased after each other for a bit and Tao was tempted to throw snowballs, but that would be a bit unfair, seeing how he had hands.

When M-21 skidded to a stop, his ears still perked and tail up in the air, Tao did too, his breath freezing in front of him in fluffy clouds. M-21 peered at Takeo, who was looking up at the sky and then back at Tao, his head tilted.

What was he trying to - oh. Tao grinned. He nodded and jerked his head in Takeo's direction. With a huff and a wave of his tail, M-21 bounded over to Takeo.

Takeo saw M-21 in time to get an armful of wolf, and they both went down into the snow. "Oof!"

Tao wheezed with laughter as he made his way over, kicking snow up because he could. "That was all M-21's idea," he protested before Takeo could accuse him.

"You encouraged him," Takeo said once he'd gotten away from M-21 licking his face.

"He was worried about you! See!" Tao pointed as M-21 tried to nose about his face again. "He thinks you should join in."

"I'm fine," Takeo said, patting M-21's scruff. "You don't need to worry."

M-21 made a grumbling noise but backed off, shaking the snow out of his fur. When M-21 didn't run off, looking between them, Tao asked, "We done?"

M-21 huffed and then headed towards the house again. Because he was tired or because Takeo wouldn't join in? Hm.

"Ah, wait!" Tao said as M-21 was about to step into the living room. M-21 lifted his head and looked at Tao over his shoulder.

"You're wet," he said. "We're going to need towels."

"You get them," Takeo said, giving his shoulder a light push. "You're the driest out of all of us."

He was?" But he'd been… Tao looked at Takeo and the snow all over his clothes and hair. He snickered. "Okay, I'll get them."

M-21 tried to follow him in, but Takeo's hand on his head stopped him.

His slippers on, Tao went to get towels. Once he got them, he paused and went upstairs, gathering spare clothes for when M-21 transformed back. There were some clothes strewn across the floor and Tao put those in the laundry before going downstairs again.

When he got to the living room, M-21 was sitting, his forehead pressed against Tao's shoulder as Takeo patted his back and Tao smiled. He threw over a towel to Takeo, setting a couple over the sofa as he went over. Takeo started drying M-21 and Tao worked on Takeo's hair.

It didn't take long for them to get dry and once the windows were closed, the blinds lowered, the three of them settled back onto the sofa to watch tv, M-21 on top of their laps.

Inspired by this post: aomoto tumblr com / post / 104451132642