It came as no revelation when they simultaneously cringed and sulked, "I hate the cold."
Having grown up in places that could surround their bodies in a sweltering heat just seconds after leaving their house, Sam and Ava were unaccustomed to dealing with blistering, chilly winds or inches upon inches of thick, padded snow. Sure, it was fun to throw snowballs at Peter when he was "not flirting" with MJ or hit up an ice rink with Harry and Liz as a fun double-date, but the excitement of snow could easily wane against the frigid bite nipping at their toes and fingers and the New York wind always seemed to seep through the many layers of shirts and jackets they wore in prevention.
"Ugh, why does it have to be freezing today of all days?" Ava complained, wrapping her arms tight around her waist, "I have a huge chemistry test tomorrow! How am I suppose to focus when my mind is practically begging me to run to the nearest fireplace and stay there for the next twelve hours?"
"You're telling me, kitty cat," Sam sniffed, his nose already beginning to run despite his best attempt at nestling it underneath his thick scarf. They usually held hands on their way back from school (unless Sam said or did something stupid), but the wind was whipping past them in ways Storm would be proud of and even though they both wanted to, each hand would suffer terrible consequences, "And this wind! How am I supposed to sleep tonight if that keeps raking against my window?"
"I just want to get home, undress into a pair of sweats and get under as many covers as possible," Ava said, biting at her lip as another gust of wind rushed passed them, cold sinking into her bones, lingering in-between the empty crevices of clothes and skin.
"You know what? Screw this," and a moment later, Sam scooped Ava into his arms bridal style, ignoring her protests and giving a quick look over the general vicinity before bright blue light enveloped him and he skyrocketed into the air, surging forward. Knowing it would be futile to yell at him to stop, she clasped her arms around his neck and snuggled her head into his shoulder, enjoying the instant relief from the brisk winds.
Sam descended a block away from the house. Intense adrenaline swarming his veins, he grabbed onto Ava's hand and whisked them towards Aunt May's doorstep, reveling in the oncoming giggles that slipped past Ava's mouth and the air of wonder laced in her next words, "What's gotten into you, Sam?"
He kept silent and Ava quirked an eyebrow. There were few instances she could recall Sam keeping his mouth shut, especially when she was involved. Most times when it occurred, he was either recollecting his life in Arizona or working on a difficult math problem. But this? Grip tight, eyes focused, the slight curve of his lips that indicated he was cooking up something in that haywire brain of his...it was new. And a bit of a turn on if she was being honest.
When they finally made it to the house, Sam swung the door open and announced their arrival, though they both knew no one would be home before them. Danny and Luke were taking after-school boxing lessons and Peter was on a milkshake run with the new girl Felicia Hardy. And Aunt May was at work.
"We have the house to ourselves, babe," Sam said as they threw off their bulky jackets onto the floor, "Haven't had that happen in awhile."
"Yeah, I know," Ava replied, taking off her washed-out jeans and slipping into a pair of thick, black cotton sweats. The corner of her eyes caught Sam appreciating her exposed legs and she couldn't help but smirk at his unabashed gawking. What a dork, "You remember the last time that happened?"
"No need to remind me. I've already replayed it three times in my head since we opened the door," Sam lifted his eyes to the ceiling, a far-off, dreamy gaze stuck on his face.
"Pervert," Ava rolled her eyes as she took off her sweatshirt and smoothed out the wrinkles from her turtleneck, "Why do you have to be such a typical boy?"
"Oh, kitty cat, I'm anything but typical," he walked over to her, grabbing onto her hand again, "Come on, Ava. Bedtime."
"Sam, are you kidding - " but before she could get the rest of the words out, she noticed his stare grow soft and unguarded, a somewhat shy smile gracing his lips. Goosebumps shot up across her arms and she shivered at the tingling sensation.
"Still cold?" Sam asked, opening up the blankets and leading them onto the bed, "I can help with that."
A few twists and turns of their bodies and soon, both were snug under the blankets, bringing life back to their chilled skin and bones. Sam let go of her hand and took hold of the other, wrapping his arm around her upright shoulder and keeping their fingers interlaced as he pressed his chest and waist into her back, interlocking their legs underneath the white sheets. When he kissed the bare skin just below her neck and breathed into her long tresses, Ava squeezed his hand just a little tighter, basking in the newfound warmth encasing her flesh. She huddled her body closer, doing her best to leave as little space as possible between his shirt and hers. He responded and leaned in further, his chin practically digging into her shoulders. His other hand made its way beneath her pillow and head and she smiled as her boyfriend let out a content sigh.
"I love you, kitty cat," he whispered, voice low and husky from approaching drowsiness.
"Love you too, you big dork," she replied, closing her eyes as another kiss found its way to the birthmark behind her neck, the warmth so vibrant around their bodies it would come as no surprise if they were glowing.
Perhaps the cold wasn't so bad if it left her feeling adored.