"A few do come to mind..."

...

Three years Lynn had been living in London, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. For her twenty-sixth birthday she spent the night at Inferno Hall. Now, what most didn't know about Cruella was that her body temperature was lower than average. She was cold all the time, which was part of the reason she wore fur coats.

Thus, Inferno Hall was kept unbearably warm. But Lynn found with time you became accustomed to it. And a secret of hers was that she liked the noise that heat vents made. The sort of quiet roaring noise of the air moving through the ducts soothed her, and she could often be found curled up in front of one the vents in her flat when the heat was on. And because of Cruella's revulsion to anything below ninety degrees, the heat was on constantly in Inferno Hall.

It was by pure luck that Cruella hadn't discovered Lynn's little quirk yet. For that Lynn was glad. While Cruella was not normal by any means, this was right up there with her obsession with heat. But of course, luck couldn't last forever. That was why the young woman practically hit the ceiling when a soft snort came from behind her.

"Jesus, Cruella, why'd you have to go and do that for?"

"Can I help it if I was surprised to see you curled up on the floor in front of a heat vent?"

Lynn could hear the amusement in her voice, and ducked her head in shame. Cruella could see her friend was embarrassed, and immediately felt guilty for startling her and pointing out her odd little habit. The younger woman was so focused on ignoring the black-and-white woman behind her that she jumped when she felt soft fur press into her back.

"I'm sorry," the older woman whispered sincerely.

"I know, and you have no need to be. I was just startled, that's all. And I admit, it is a little odd to see someone curled around a heat vent."

Throughout the conversation, she made no move to push away from Cruella. At this point in their friendship, nothing the woman did surprised her. It didn't even occur to her to push the other woman away, even though by all rights she was spooning her. Instead, she snuggled back into the fur that was wrapped tightly around Cruella's body.

"Happy birthday, darling."

"Thank you."

The two fell asleep there, warmed by the heat, and calm in each other's presence.

...

"So you're telling me Cruella De Vil spooned you? And you let her?"

Lynn shrugs.

"Well, yes. And I wouldn't say 'spooned', exactly."

"Then what would you call it?"

"Her version of cuddling. Well, one of them anyway."

Mr. Johnson's eyes are practically bugging out of his head at this latest bit of news. Lynn sighs in a way that says she's tired of talking to someone so thick in the head.

"Look, I'm the first friend she's ever had. At first, she didn't know what to do. It took her forever to get the courage to hug me. Now I'll admit, the first time she ever chose that particular way to cuddle, I slid away and asked her what she thought she was doing. She answered in such a small, unsure voice that I couldn't be mad at her.

"'Cuddling, she said, Isn't that what friends do?' I didn't have the heart to tell her we weren't that kind of friends. And then I started thinking about one of my friends back in the States. Whenever she stayed over, and it never failed, I would wake up at least once every time and she would either be spooning me, or some part of her would be draped across me.

"And no, neither one of us swings that way. It was just an unconscious thing she did in her sleep, and I mean, it didn't bother me. I knew she couldn't help it." She takes in his face and can tell he's still stuck on the fact that she cuddled with Cruella De Vil.

"You...cuddled...with...her?" he asks slowly, almost as if the concept is too foreign to be voiced aloud.

She can't help but face-palm at his stupidity.

"Yes, many times. You see, she suffers from horrid nightmares. I mean, and you must understand, they're kind of nightmares that make grown men wet the bed. And before you ask, no, she doesn't wet the bed. She simply needs an anchor to remind her that whatever sick fantasy her mind created isn't real, and of course she seeks comfort."

If you had listened to my explanation a few minutes ago I wouldn't have to tell you this, she couldn't help but add in her mind.

"You seem so calm speaking about this topic. Why is that?"

"I grew up with a younger sister. Whenever she got scared she would run to me and we would cuddle. It calmed her down instantly."

Might as well tell him a truth he'll be able to believe.

"Ah, so when Cruella..."

"Exactly. It's no different than my comforting my younger sister."

"And when did you first discover she was a, how do you say...cuddler?"

Lynn laughs a bit as she begins to remember.

"I'm afraid it was my fault..."