"I have so much snow in my hair." Ami growled with exasperation. She was pulling large clumps of it out, and it was making a mess.
Zoi laughed, reaching out both hands to give her hair a serious tousle. "There. Problem solved." He said, grinning. Then he pulled her into a lingering kiss using the hands still threaded through her hair. When they finally broke apart, Ami swatted at his hands playfully.
"Coats and boots off first, mister!"
"Yes ma'am." He replied, giving her a sailor's salute. "Why are you so worried about that? What's the big deal about our cold gear? We could just stay in the entryway."
They were headed to the living room now, but Ami stopped in the middle of the hallway to answer the question. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his so close they moulded to each other. Zoi made a contented noise as he enfolded her in his own arms. He could feel her tugging on his shirt, and then...
"Hey! That's cold!" He yelped as her chilly fingers settled on the base of his spine.
"I know." She informed him, mischief in her voice. "If we were still in our gear, you wouldn't be fulfilling your important role as a giant hand-warmer."
"Oh? That's my role now, is it?" He asked archly, drawing her face up to his. "And here I thought you liked me for my kissing skills."
He was just giving her a demonstration when her phone went off, startling both of them into jumping back like guilty adolescents.
She grinned at him apologetically, pulling her phone from her pocket. "It's Minako."
He sighed, resigned. "You may as well answer it. If she really wants to talk to you, she'll just keep calling."
Ami nodded and flipped it open, the ritual greeting on her lips. Zoi gathered her up as her expression shifted from confusion to shock to sadness. "Bad news?" He muttered in her free ear. She just held the phone out to him. He took it, surprised that she'd just hand the phone over like that.
Then he heard what was coming out of it.
"She pocket-dialled me." Ami informed him, looking very small and guilty. "She... well, I don't think she'd want me listening in on that."
"I don't think either of them would." Zoi agreed, closing the phone with a snap that made him cringe. "I kind of wish I hadn't heard it, either."
Ami shook her head, confused. "They snipe at each other, but they really do get along very well. What happened?"
Zoi sighed and gathered her into his arms. "I don't know." He whispered into her damp hair. "To set Kunz off like that... I don't know."
Ami hugged him back, her shame and worry feeling more bearable with Zoi around. That was how it was supposed to work. Two people that suited each other complimenting and enhancing each other. Together, they became more than either had been.
They weren't supposed to scream those sorts of words at each other.
Part II of the last chapter. I just couldn't bear to break up that moment outside, so I split it up. Still, those two do a very good job of messing up a perfectly wonderful and swwet moment between their friends.
