Canoodle
The newspaper hit the table with a violent thwap and a blond eyebrow arched at the muttered curse that followed.
"Problem?" he asked, careful to keep his voice level.
Dark eyes glittered warning. "Don't tell me you haven't seen it," she said with a huff.
He finished off his orange juice, set the glass aside and shrugged. "Sure, I saw it."
"And?" she prompted when he didn't offer anything more.
"And what?" Again his voice was calm, without inflection, but he could feel the smirk at the corner of his lips.
Apparently, Tifa could see it too, because her eyes snapped crimson sparks in a sea of dark chocolate. "This isn't funny, Cloud," she stated.
That, he thought as he stood and cleared his plate, was a matter of opinion. "It's not that bad," he said.
"Not that bad?" Her voice rose an octave and she snapped open the newspaper. "'Legendary Planet Hero Tifa Lockhart, former member of AVALANCHE, is no stranger to scandal but in recent weeks a number of pictures have surfaced revealing her with former Wall Market slum lord Don Corneo, prompting fervor, outrage and interest among Edge locals. When asked if she had been a one time consort of the nefarious Don, Ms. Lockhart had no comment, but a source close to the ex-extremist confirms the images as authentic.'" She lowered the paper, peered at him over the headline. "Not that bad, huh?"
"You've weathered worse," Cloud replied, removing the article from her hands and tossing it aside. He circled his arms around her waist and feathered her temple with a light kiss.
"I suppose you're right," she smiled, leaning into him. "I mean it could be worse. They could have the pictures of you conoodling with Don Corneo."
He stiffened; indignant. "I did not canoodle."
"Aw, c'mere you healthy lookin' girl," she teased him, doing a fairly accurate impersonation of the sleaze-ball Don as she nibbled his ear.
"Not funny." But even he was smiling as she led him from the kitchen.