"Elicchi?"

Eli looked up from the statistics sheet of the last student council meeting that had taken place merely over an hour ago and watched as Nozomi stepped into the room, silently closing the door behind her.

"Hey," The blonde smiled, placing the sheet on the table in front of her and barely managing to suppress a yawn. "I was beginning to think you'd skipped out on me."

Nozomi giggled. "And have you do all of this work on your own? I don't think so, Elicchi." She removed both her coat and her scarf, draping them over a chair before walking to where the student council president was seated and placing a lidded styrofoam coffee cup in front of her. "Ta-da!"

For a moment, Eli's icy-blue eyes reflected the same glint as that of a kid in a candy store. "What's this?"

"Hot chocolate," Nozomi said nonchalantly, making her way over to the window and pushing the curtain aside to look out at the worsening snowstorm. "We're going to be here for a little while, after all."

"Nozomi, you didn't have to..."

"I know. But it's your favorite." The purple-haired girl glanced away from the window to flash a genuine smile at her slightly red-faced girlfriend.

A small, yet comfortable silence filled the room. Nozomi continued to stare out the window at Mother Nature's icy wrath while Eli wrapped both of her hands around the cup to savor its resonating warmth.

"You can go home if you want," The blonde spoke after the period of stillness. "The storm is supposed to get worse as the evening progresses, and I don't want you getting stranded."

"I'm not leaving you by yourself, Elicchi," Nozomi replied. "Suppose I go home and you end up getting stuck here for the night?"

Eli waved a hand dismissively. "I won't get stuck. Not if I hurry and finish patching up these loose ends." She gestured to the tumultuous array of papers cluttering her work space.

Nozomi turned away from the window to watch her significant other begin placing some color-coated papers in their own specific stacks. To this day, she still hadn't the slightest clue how she'd managed to find someone like Eli. Someone so caring, so focused on her work. It amazed Nozomi to no end.

With a small smile, the purple-haired girl let go of the curtain and pulled up a chair across from the student council president. "Elicchi?"

Not bothering to pause in the midst of her ongoing task, Eli hummed to show Nozomi had her full attention. "Hm?"

"Stop what you're doing, and look at me." It was a gentle command. Eli reluctantly complied and looked up at the vice president, icy-blue eyes meeting forest green eyes.

Nozomi slowly reached over to place a hand over Eli's, which currently held a blue student data form that she was about to put with the others before she was asked to stop.

"Let me have that." She continued with her soft tone, reaching her other hand out to slowly take the data form from her girlfriend's hand. Eli didn't resist and watched as Nozomi placed the form in its stack.

"Now then," Nozomi cleared her throat and brought her other hand over to cradle Eli's, giving the blonde's hand a good-natured pat. "I think the logical thing to do here would be for us both to stay here. That way we can finish up quicker and leave before the storm gets worse. Two heads are better than one, Elicchi."

It didn't take long for Eli to mull it over. Two heads were better than one, and if the both of them worked diligently without any breaks, they'd beat the storm. So, with a small smile, Eli voiced her approval. "You're right. Let's get this done, and go home."

"Yes ma'am," The vice president smirked, playfully smacking Eli's hand before releasing her and reaching over to drag the stack of data forms to her side of the table. "Now, drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold. I'll handle these."

Eli grinned. "Yes ma'am."

Nozomi winked at the half-Russian before proceeding to search through the forms, checking and double-checking that every student at Otonokizaka had turned one in. It included the students' personal information and emergency contacts, so it was a very important piece of paper.

"Chert voz'mi!"

At the sound of the very rare and very stern Russian tongue, the purple-haired girl looked up at its source before resuming her task with a slight grin. "It's called hot chocolate for a reason. Be careful."

Eli hadn't thought anything about it. She had been so enamored with Nozomi's charm at that moment, her brain couldn't even register that the drink in her hand was still hot. So, of course, she took a big swig without even thinking, and now here she sat, scalded tongue halfway out of her mouth with her hand instinctively covering it.

"Are you okay?" Nozomi asked with a giggle.

The blonde shook her head in response.

"Would a kiss make it feel better?"

This time, Eli nodded.

With another giggle, Nozomi scooted the stack of forms off to the side before slightly raising herself up so that she was now leaning halfway across the table, her face inches from Eli's.

"You're hopeless, Elicchi." She whispered jokingly before closing the gap between them with a small gentle kiss.