'Sup?

Genre: Romance? (Is 'Western-style sheriff looks cool while smoking' a genre? if so, it's that)

Characters: Scarlett, Nisha

Filthy Habits

A spark appeared, followed by the orange flicker of a flame. Nisha's face was briefly illuminated in the glow. The light flickered out and left an orange pinpoint in the darkness, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.

Scarlett groaned. Nisha smoked her cigarette, willfully ignorant of Scarlett's reaction.

Scarlett waved the smoke out of her face. "Those'll kill you ya know."

Nisha groaned. "And so will most of my habits." She exhaled a cloud of smoke; it floated lazily towards Scarlett. "And so will most of yours, come to think of it."

"Yeah, well my habits aren't as filthy as yours."

Nisha laughed. "Yes they are. We dated, remember? I know all about your weird-ass kinks." She took another drag on her cigarette. "And remember who that's coming from."

Scarlett turned a light shade of herself, and was thankful that Nisha couldn't see it in the dark. "Those are different."

Nisha placed her cigarette in her mouth and her hands in her duster pockets. She exhaled a puff of smoke. Scarlett wrinkled her nose.

"Please," Nisha said. "Explain how."

"Well, for one, they don't smell as bad." Scarlett snatched the cigarette from Nisha's mouth and threw it on the ground.

Without missing a beat, Nisha pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. She was about to shake one loose when she saw the disapproval in Scarlett's eyes, shining through the dim light. She sighed and put the pack back into her pocket. "Fine."

Scarlett smiled. "Thank you." She nodded. "Although-"

"You'd rather I threw them out. I know." Nisha pulled out her lighter and played with it for a moment. The flame danced in her hand and cast shadows against the ground. She looked up at Scarlett, bathed in the light. "You don't plan on taking this from me too, do you?"

Scarlett shrugged. "Don't see why I would. I only get you to drop bad habits. Jack, chewing tobacco, that damn gum popping-"

"Which I'm going right back to if I'm not allowed to smoke." Nisha clicked her tongue loudly. Scarlett flinched.

"It's fine," Scarlett said. "I'll break you of that too. Again."

"Like hell you will." Nisha pulled her cigarettes out again and tapped one loose. She lit one defiantly before Scarlett could protest.

Scarlett, seeing she'd already lost, settled for another annoyed groan.

Nisha closed the distance between them, leaned in close and kissed Scarlett. Before Scarlett realized what was happening, her lungs were filled with smoke and Nisha was backing away. Scarlett coughed and sputtered. Nisha chuckled.

Scarlett reached into the breast pocket of her jacket and pulled out a stick of Maliwan brand gum. 'Shocking flavor!' the package proclaimed in bright blue letters. She pressed the gum into Nisha's hand.

"Here, pop all you damn want. Just don't do that ever again."

Nisha acted wounded. "But Scarlett, I thought that all you ever wanted was for me to kiss you?"

Oh, that's clever, you little… Scarlett turned away and muttered. "Bitch."

Nisha tossed the glowing butt of her cigarette into the night and laughed.

Disclaimer: Smoking is bad (but you knew that). Don't do it just because Nisha looks cool.

A/N: The original title of this was "Anti-Smoking PSA" until it was pointed out to me that that is a terrible title.