Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock, and I've forgotten in past chapters to note that I also do not any of the songs in this story.

Chapter Seven: Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – From Lilo & Stitch

It was cold. Teresa shivered uncomfortably and snuggled closer to Francis' chest. They were alone on a mattress in the main room of the Breed's underground subway hideout. Ebon and Shiv were who knows where and a blizzard was raging aboveground. Below ground it was freezing. Teresa was bundled in as many coats and blankets as she could find and she was still cold, so she persuaded Francis to be her personal heater.

Surprisingly he had agreed. He wasn't usually one for the touchy-feely stuff but Teresa wasn't going to complain. The younger metahuman was deliciously warm and his chest made for a nice pillow.

Francis stared at the tiled ceiling, playing idly with a strand of Teresa's hair, brow furrowed in thought. The feathered girl nestled into his side looked up at him and smiled. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Nah." Francis laughed. "They're not worth that much."

Teresa giggled and sat up a little. "I'm mad at you."

"Why?"

"Look at you! It's below zero and you're wearing a sweatshirt with the sleeved rolled up. You're not even a little cold and I'm freezing my feathers off!" Teresa pulled at the offending sweatshirt and pouted petulantly.

Francis laughed again. "Yeah, my powers are pretty kick ass."

Teresa nuzzled back to her original position. "You're not going to get an argument from me."

The two were silent for a moment, listening to the howling of the wind down the empty tunnels. It was getting late. Francis felt his eyes slowly closing. He was so warm and cozy and it was nice to have a girl with her arms wrapped around him.

The pyro was just drifting off when Teresa broke the silence. "Francis?"

"Hmm…?"

"If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?"

Francis didn't answer. Teresa nudged his side. "Well?"

"I dunno, can't think of anywhere."

Teresa frowned a little, and then smiled. "I'd like to be in Hawaii." She felt Francis' body shake with silent chuckles. "Don't laugh. It'd be nice and the people there are nice and I could just lounge on the beach all day. I've never seen the ocean."

"I've never left Dakota." Francis said quietly.

"Never?" It seemed impossible.

"Nope."

"Huh." Teresa considered this revelation for a moment. "Well, would you like to go to Hawaii?"

Francis shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Who doesn't?"

Teresa gave a little laugh. "You're no fun. C'mon…why would you want to go?"

"…I've always wanted to learn how to surf."

That was surprising. Teresa sat up to look at Francis' face. His eyes were closed. He seemed to be half-asleep. "That's cool."

Francis nodded. "It always looked like fun."

"Would you teach me?" Teresa settled back, wrapping one of Francis' arms around her.

"Sure."

"Promise?"

Francis shook with silent laughter again. "If I ever learn how to surf, I promise I will teach you."'

"Pinky promise." Teresa held out her hand, pinky finger extended.

Francis linked fingers with her.

Teresa smiled. "I'm gonna hold you to it."

"I know."

Silence again.

Teresa traced circles on Francis' palm. "I'd like to be in Hawaii right now. Sitting on the beach, with the sand between my toes, a warm breeze blowing the palm trees, looking at the sun setting over the ocean and watching the sky go through all the colors of the rainbow." Teresa paused. "Watching you surf in the dying sunlight, me waving from the shore."

Francis was quiet. Not asleep, just listening. It was as good a bedtime story as he had ever heard.

"You know," Teresa put Francis' hand down. "That's about as close to paradise as I can picture. I wish something like that could actually happen." She looked around at the empty hideout, the dirty, graffiti smudged walls, the litter, the bare fluorescent light bulb, the snowdrifts piling in the stairwell and sighed heavily. "Oh well. It's a nice dream. Something to think about on cold lonely, nights like this."

"You're lonely?" Francis asked suddenly.

"Well…I…"

"I'm not." Francis held Teresa tighter, as if to prove a point.

"No, I guess I'm not lonely. Just cold."

Francis smirked sleepily. "I can fix that."

Author's Note:

Okay, I really want to apologize for this chapter being so short. I kinda ran out of stuff for them to talk about. Oh well. The guy who sings this has a really long Hawaiian name that I don't really want to attempt to spell out, but his first name is Mark. Yay!

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