Lucas Soulfang chuckled as he watched his son’s Oliver and Paul explore the front yard full of snow as he shovels his driveway; a task he hasn’t done since he was a teenager. If it wasn’t for the small amount of tawny brown fur on the tips of the cubs ears and tail, the white fur wolf toddler cubs could practically camouflage themselves within the rapidly forming snow bank that Lucas is creating. Rachael was busy sipping a coffee as she also watched her twin boys explore and experience snow for the first time; the anthro lioness fury making sure they don’t try to run out onto the street, she had her runes ready to tug her cubs back to safety if the situation demanded it.
Oliver was the first to look shocked when a ball of snow landed on his head; shortly after, Paul also felt the chilling thud of snow landing on his backside; both twins turn around to see their wolf fury father laughing as they look confused as to what happen. Their confusion soon turned to amusement when their mother launched a snowball at Lucas; striking him square in his open muzzle as he laughed.
“Again,” the two cry in unison as Lucas scoops up a paw full of snow; working it into a ball he flings it at Rachael, only for her dodge it with ease and launch a retaliatory salvo. The twins quickly picking up on how to make snow balls were soon pelting their father with tiny balls of cold white; giggling and laughing as Lucas pretended to fall from being struck with a mortal wound. The two cubs rush over to dump more snow on their father only for him to spring up and give them a short merry chase towards Rachael.
“You can run,” Lucas chuckling as he watches the two hide behind Rachael; “but you’ll only tire yourselves out. And that’s when I’ll get you,” Lucas trying to reach around only to get a face full of snow from his mate.
“Finish shoveling the drive Lucas,” Rachael smirking as she watches Lucas wipe the snow off of his muzzle before leading the cubs back inside; “and then come and help me set up the tree.”
“More like keep those two off of you while you decorate it,” Lucas retorting as Rachael sighs and nods as she ushers the cubs inside.
Turning around to head back to his winter chore, Lucas growls as the snow plow drives by; kicking up dirt and snow and heaving it back onto the driveway.
“Bastard,” Lucas swears as he practically has to start over; he heads towards the mess when he got a sudden flash of inspiration. Putting the shovel down, Lucas crouches a places a hand paw on the snow; he thinks of hot asphalt as his runs glow and the snow rapidly begins to melt, Pooling at the road he scowls as the melted snow will soon freeze and turn into ice.
“Worth a shot,” Lucas grumbling as he tries to shovel a channel for the melt to flow to the nearest storm drain; he swears as he hops off the sidewalk after stepping on salt and feeling the dense mineral press on his sensitive paw pad. Grumbling as he manages to make a tiny channel; wide enough to drain the water away, he heads back to his driveway to finish the job with the shovel.
Coming back inside, Lucas wipes his paws and checks to make sure there is no snow sticking to his fur before stepping off the mat. His walk is a little off as the small rock of salt is still stinging him despite the fact that he got it off of him while still outside and the mat got rid of any remnants.
“Our neighbor covered his sidewalk with enough salt to turn Spirit Lake into a salt water lake,” Lucas remarking the body of water north of Mount St. Helen’s; a still active volcano roughly 90 minutes north of Portland. “The stuff is still stinging my paws,” Lucas sitting on a dining room chair as he lifts up a leg to massage the pink pads.
“Are you trying to get out of tree trimming duty,” Rachael looking at her mate as she places a box by him; an artificial tree that can be assembled in a few minutes. “You pick the best spot while I grab the ornaments.”
“You remember where I put them,” Lucas getting up and hobbles slightly to the tree to begin assembly; hauling the box to a corner of the living room he cleared out last night when the snow fell, he began to place a mat on the floor before the stand went down. Grabbing the stems we soon had them snapped in place just as Rachael came down with two boxes of ornaments.
“The advantages of having a house over a condo,” Rachael placing the boxes down; “is more storage space.”
“The down side is lawn maintenance and property taxes,” Lucas opening the first box to see the ball and crystal ornaments; putting it aside he opens the second box to see the string of lights. “Where are the twin terrors,” Lucas looking about as Rachael began to take the lights and start stringing them up.
“In their room playing,” Rachael responding; “told them to not to come down until I come for them.”
“Then we need to work quickly,” Lucas grabbing a second string of lights and hooking them up to the first; “those two get bored quickly and will find creative ways to entertain themselves.”
“Which is why,” Rachael grinning from her lioness muzzle as her runes glow and the ornaments start flying out of the boxes and onto the tree; “this should be a breeze with magic.”
******
The twin cubs looked on in wonder and confusion with the fake tree now in the living room when they were ushered from their room; their eyes soon light up as Lucas pugs in the lights and the tree lights up in a multitude of colors. Rachael struggles to keep the two from bum rushing the tree as they clearly want to get closer to explore.
“It’s fine to look at,” Lucas approaching his sons as they stare at some of the lights blinking; “but don’t touch. Lots of the items are fragile and have tons of sentimental memories attached.
“Pretty,” Oliver responding as he gets close enough to touch the tree; his father staying close incase curiosity gets the better and decides to grab an ornament.
“Yes,” Lucas nodding; “but remember, paws off the pretty sparkling items. Or mommy will get cross with you.”
“Oh sure,” Rachael getting gruff as the twins looks at their mother with apprehension; “make me the villain.”
“It’s only fair as I make them some sandwiches for lunch,” Lucas chuckling as he stands up and looks at his sons; “you want tuna, chicken or spam sandwiches for lunch?”
Sitting at the kitchen table, Lucas bit into his sandwich as he watched Oliver and Paul chew their lunch. The two threw him for a loop when they asked for grilled cheese instead. Rachael laughing as she escorted the two to the kitchen and gave Lucas an evil smile; the wolf fury just shook his head as he followed them into the kitchen.
“Grilled Cheese,” Lucas shaking his head; “you want it with some tomato soup?”
“Ooh that is a good idea,” Rachael grabbing a can of the condensed soup; “soup and sandwiches.”
Lucas watches as Rachael dips her grilled cheese into the tomato soup and then take a bite; watching as she encourages the twin toddlers to follow suit while he just uses a spoon to sip his soup.
“What time is Brittany dropping off Dusk and Dawn,” Lucas breaking the silence apart from teeth mashing toasted bread with melted cheese; “I want to see if we have time to string up the outside lights.”
“Around supper time,” Rachael taking a napkin to wipe the mess from Paul’s muzzle; “you should have enough time until then to string up the lights. You focus on those,” Rachael watching Oliver slurping his soup; “I’ll deal with dinner, while these two have a nap.”