DISCLAIMER: The characters DO NOT belong to me. MARISA KIRISAME AND ALICE MARGATROID BOTH BELONG TO ZUN, NOT ME

...I need more time now...AGH.

Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy~

"Alice?" Marisa noticed the girl shivering and she asked, "What's wrong?"

The puppeteer wouldn't answer and she quickly headed to the fireplace. Probably to receive some warmth from the fire, hopefully. Marisa let out a small chuckle before she came to join Alice, whom firmly felt unwilling to be with her. Perhaps today wasn't the time for Alice to enjoy. She hissed, "Go away, Marisa."

Marisa seemed surprised, and she laughed, "What? And I thought you needed some company." She still sat beside her blond friend, and rubbed her hands to create some heat. Alice bit her lip, and she sighed. Marisa looked relieved to be near fire.

The fire's flames licked in the air, and the smoke flew up to the top of the chimney as it danced wildly in the night above. As of now, the fire was now the element that both girls needed. Alice was still shivering and said, "Why won't you go away."

"It might be because you're quivering. And I need to know ze~" Was Marisa's response as her golden eyes watched Alice's aqua ones, waiting patiently for her reply. Alice felt quite uneasy again when Marisa's gaze was locked on her. Unable to hear from her, Marisa took a lock of Alice's hair and twirled it with her finger. The puppeteer was shocked, but her trembling hands couldn't detach Marisa's from her hair. Marisa realized that Alice wanted her to let go, and she did. "Jeez, it's only a question. Why won't you answer, Alice~?"

Alice wrapped her arms around herself and let out yet another sigh. Well, from the look in Marisa's eyes, she couldn't possibly ignore her query. Only Alice could find mere and innocent curiosity in them. Smiling smugly, she answered softly, "The hot water ran out."

"Hot water, you mean the shower da ze~?" Marisa guessed, jabbing a finger in Alice's shoulder. The blond girl squirmed away, and nodded. She wondered if that were to be a phase of Marisa's plan. Thankfully, it wasn't. "Oh. I guess I used it all."

"Haha, yeah...You used it all you dimwit." Alice smiled bitterly, and crossed her legs so that both her knees would touch her face. Marisa's smile disappeared, and somehow, she felt sympathy. "Now why are you feeling so sad?"

Marisa stared at Alice and said, "You can't expect me to feel so proud and boastful, right...?"

"Then how would you react then?"

"By this." With that, Alice felt a pair of arms locking around her back. Encouraged from the reaction, the arms pulled the puppeteer close to the witch. Marisa held Alice in her chest, and slowly stroked her hair. "Does this feel better?"

Alice was as bashful as a schoolgirl that she could hardly speak. "W-Wha?" The lump in her throat was limiting her movements. She could only breath, and from the sudden embrace she was in, it didn't feel bad. In fact, it felt quite nice. Which was the reason why Alice was afraid. "M-Marisa, s-stop!"

But this didn't make her stop. Instead, Marisa did only the opposite: to make the situation worse, in Alice's opinion. She lowered her hand to the puppeteer's waist, and kept the other on the head. Alice could feel Marisa's cool breath on her neck, and she wondered...

Are we...Sharing body heat?

"I won't let go until you tell me that you're warm." Alice could certainly hear the strictness in Marisa's tone, and also care. Did she do this because she cared for her? It was only then before she realized that her face was hot like hell. "If you're cold, you should've told me about this, Alice. I'm sorry."

Thank you.

Alice nodded slightly, and sunk her face into the witch's shirt. Perhaps this didn't feel so bad after all. She didn't want her to release her, and slowly, but surely, her eyes began to droop. And right after that, she felt a sharp pain in her ear.

Yelping in surprise, she trembled once again, "I-I'm warm!"

Marisa did finally let go of her, and smiled warmly at the red puppeteer. "See? I was so serious and you were sooo cute there, Alice~"

Widening her eyes, Alice blinked continuously to digest what Marisa had said to her. She backed away, "I-I was not!"

"Oh, but I think you love it!~" Marisa laughed again. Now Alice was mad.

"H-Hey! S-S-S-Stop it! Don't c-c-come near me! Don't touch me like that! MARISA!"

Perhance the puppeteer was involved in the blissful fight that night, that she almost forgotten her blaming towards the witch. And, maybe one day, she will be hugged again.