It was a crisp Valentine’s morning, and the air carried the fresh scent of pine and snow. Athena, the elegant, black, grey, and white husky with her piercing mismatched eyes, one as blue as a winter sky, the other as warm as chestnut bark, stood on the porch. She surveyed the garden like a queen inspecting her kingdom. Beside her sat Obito, her clumsy, affection fueled, seven-month-old Malamute brother, who could barely keep his massive paws still as he bounced with excitement.
Athena sighed as she delicately shifted her paws away from the icy puddle near the step. “Why can’t you ever sit still, Obito?” she asked, her voice dripping with calm authority.
Obito responded with an enthusiastic bark and an excited wiggle of his oversized body. “Because it’s Valentine’s Day, Athena! Something big is going to happen, I can feel it!” He swung his massive paw for emphasis and nearly toppled into the snow.
“Valentine’s Day?” Athena tilted her head with a suspicious flick of her ears. “You mean the silly human holiday with hearts and ribbons and treats?”
“Not just treats,” Obito countered, wagging his fluffy tail so wildly that it slapped the side of the porch. “There’s magic in the air today, Mom says it’s Cupid’s day! Cupid brings love and… and snacks. Lots of snacks!”
Athena sighed again. Obito was impossible to reason with. But before she could lecture him about the silliness of chasing imaginary cherubs, a strange sound interrupted her, a faint fluttering, like wings on a breeze.
Both dogs perked their ears, noses twitching toward the forest line. Something sparkled briefly between the snow-laden trees, and for just a moment, they saw a flash of golden feathers.
Obito gasped, his paws skidding in excitement. “ATHENA, DID YOU SEE THAT? IT’S CUPID! WE HAVE TO CATCH HIM!”
Athena’s mismatched eyes narrowed skeptically. “Cupid doesn’t exist, Obito.”
But the younger malamute was already halfway down the steps, barreling toward the forest like a furry wrecking ball. Athena groaned and hopped gracefully onto dry stones that skirted the puddle. She hated getting her feet wet, but she couldn’t let Obito disappear into the woods alone.
“This is absurd,” she muttered, bounding after him, her sleek frame gliding over the snow like a whisper.
Obito crashed through the underbrush, leaving paw-shaped craters in the pristine snow. He zig-zagged wildly, following the occasional glitter of golden light and bursts of fluttering wings. “I can smell him!” he barked back at Athena.
“You smell everything,” she called, her voice both annoyed and elegant as she moved effortlessly over the snow. She refused to admit it, but a small thrill of excitement sparked in her chest.
They entered a sunlit clearing where snowflakes fell like shimmering dust. And there, just beyond a cluster of bushes, they saw him: a tiny, impish figure with golden wings and a bow of sparkling silver. Cupid looked much more mischievous than they’d expected, his cherubic grin smug and challenging.
Obito gasped, skidding to a stop so hard he tumbled face-first into the snow. Athena sighed as she delicately stepped beside him, her paws barely sinking into the surface.
“I told you!” Obito declared, his face plastered with snow. “He’s REAL!”
Cupid fluttered in front of them, tiny wings flapping like a hummingbird’s. He twirled his bow with a smug smirk and fired a tiny golden arrow into the air. It sparked and landed with a small **POP!** in front of the pair, revealing… a heart-shaped biscuit.
Obito’s tail wagged furiously, his mouth already watering. “A TREAT!”
Athena’s eyes narrowed. “Wait, Obito—”
But it was too late. Obito lunged forward, eager to grab the biscuit. Cupid laughed impishly and zoomed further into the forest, leaving a trail of glittering arrows and treats behind him.
Cupid led them deeper into the woods, weaving a trail of challenges like a mischievous guide. Athena, all intelligence and grace, moved with precision, while Obito, driven by boundless energy and a single-minded love for snacks, trailed behind her, his paws leaving chaotic imprints in the snow. They were determined to catch Cupid, Athena for answers, and Obito for the sheer joy of the chase.
Their first test came at the edge of a narrow, icy creek. Cupid soared effortlessly across, leaving a single heart-shaped biscuit glinting on the far side. Athena stopped short, ears flicking in distaste as her paws hovered above the snow. “Oh no. Absolutely not,” she declared, lifting one paw dramatically away from the icy water.
Obito, oblivious to her refined hesitation, charged ahead with all the enthusiasm of a bowling ball. He stomped onto the ice, his oversized paws slipping in all directions like paddles on a frozen lake. “I got it, Athena!” he barked confidently, only to slide unceremoniously onto his belly with a resounding thud that echoed across the creek.
Athena sighed, her eyes narrowing with a mix of exasperation and reluctant amusement. “You’re hopeless,” she muttered, stepping lightly onto the stones that dotted the creek. Each hop was precise, her paws untouched by the icy surface as she moved across with the poise of a dancer. When she reached the other side, she plucked the biscuit delicately from the snow and turned back to see Obito still floundering, his paws skating helplessly as he tried, and failed to stand.
Cupid’s next challenge lay deeper in the forest, a long tunnel of snow carved naturally through an overhang of branches. Without a moment’s pause, Obito barreled forward, his bulky frame disappearing into the tunnel. For a brief, triumphant moment, he seemed to be making progress, until his back end froze in place.
“Uh… Athena? A little help?” his muffled voice called, paws wiggling uselessly as snow piled up around him.
Athena stopped at the tunnel’s mouth, letting out a groan that was more theatrical than necessary. “You’re stuck again?” she asked, her tone sharp but softened by the chuckle that escaped her lips. Rolling her eyes in resignation, she padded closer and began digging at the snow, her delicate movements far more effective than Obito’s frantic flailing. With a final, firm shove to his hindquarters, she freed him, and the two tumbled out the other side in a heap of fur and snowflakes. Athena quickly righted herself with a dignified shake, while Obito simply lay sprawled out, panting and wagging his tail as if they’d won a prize.
The final test loomed in the distance: a small, snow-dusted cliff where Cupid perched smugly, his golden wings glimmering in the pale light. Athena and Obito stared up at him, both sets of eyes filled with challenge.
“I’ll climb it!” Obito barked, puffing out his chest and stomping toward the base of the cliff. He tried to scramble up the slope, his oversized paws digging in clumsily. For every inch he gained, he slid two back down, leaving a tangle of pawprints crisscrossing the snow like spaghetti.
Athena watched for a moment, her expression caught somewhere between fondness and frustration. With an elegant shake of her fur, she stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. “Move aside,” she said softly. Then, with a graceful leap, she bounded up the cliff in one smooth, practiced motion. Her paws barely disturbed the snow as she landed beside Cupid, her chestnut and blue eyes gleaming in triumph.
“Caught you,” she said, her voice gentle but triumphant, her breath curling in the cold air like soft smoke.
Below her, Obito let out a panting bark of admiration, still halfway up the slope but beaming with pride as his sister claimed their victory.
Obito, panting hard, finally clambered to the top, his fur a mess and tongue lolling. “We… did it… right, Athena?”
Cupid grinned, pulling out two golden arrows. He shot them into the snow, and instead of mischief, the arrows revealed a cozy blanket piled with treats, heart-shaped biscuits, chewy bones, and ribbons that fluttered in the breeze.
Athena blinked in surprise. Obito let out an excited yip and bounded toward the treats, nearly rolling down the cliff again.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Cupid said with a cheeky wink before disappearing in a swirl of golden light.
Athena and Obito settled together on the blanket. Athena, for all her elegance, nibbled delicately at a heart-shaped biscuit, while Obito chewed noisily on a giant bone.
“You know,” Athena said softly, glancing at her little brother, “you were right. There is something magical about today.”
Obito, his mouth full of treats, wagged his tail happily. “See? I told you! Cupid’s real, and he gave us the best Valentine’s Day ever.”
Athena smiled, soft, warm, and genuine, as she rested her head against her brother’s oversized paw. The sun dipped low in the sky, painting the forest gold as the two pups snuggled close, surrounded by treats and warmth.
Even Athena, stubborn and elegant as she was, had to admit: sometimes, magic really did happen, especially with Obito’s clumsy, durpy love leading the way.