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The two teenagers sit on the couch, legs on top of each other in a strange way that is somehow comfortable. Or, at least, tolerable, considering they haven't moved an inch since they first got home. Well, since Mali got home--Ashley doesn't live here. Oh, sometimes she wishes she did. And other times she's quite happy when she can just get up and leave. Those times are few; she'd love to spend all of her time with Mali-Koa. Okay, maybe not all of the time. But the majority of it.
The only time she really wants to leave is when Mali's mom, Joy, makes Kinaki Lamb. Ashley absolutely despises lamb. The texture and the taste is just--ew. Ash made the mistake of eating it once and never will she ever again. Even if it smells amazing when Joy makes it, she will never take another bite of that horrid meat. Or any meat, really. Ash is a proud vegetarian with a strong love for delicious, raw fish. And the lamb may or may not have ruined all meat for her but whatever.
Mali always complains that Ash abandons her and doesn't care for her suffering whenever Ash makes a run for it after she hears what's on the menu for dinner. Ashley usually tells her to suck it up and stop being a bitch. Mali usually pouts that stupid little pout and Ash has to force herself to look away because she is not getting guilted into eating lamb. Mali can suffer alone just this once (and all the times that follow in which Joy thinks it's a good idea to cook a cute little animal in the oven).
Ashley usually loves Joy's cooking. Especially when sweet potatoes, or kumara, are involved. Fuck, Ash's stomach grumbles just thinking about it. And don't even get her started on raw tarakihi. Ash could eat that shit forever.
Mali's dad, David, also cooks exceptionally well. He makes a mean steak (from what she's heard) and can truly toss a summer salad. He even fucking makes his own dressing. Ashley doesn't understand how both Mali and Calum, her brother, can burn water while trying to cook pasta when their parents are so talented in that area. (Joy's spaghetti is amazing, anyway. She's glad Joy always shoos them away before they can ruin the simple dish even further.)
"I'm really hungry," Ashley says, turning to Mali-Koa. The other just glances at her before going back to tapping on her phone screen.
"Shame. Parents aren't coming home 'til nine. They have some fancy dinner. Told us to make something, so we can either starve or order pizza."
Ashley pouts. "Where's the number list thingy?"
"Fridge."
Sighing dramatically, Ashley gets up and drags herself to the refrigerator. She grabs the handwritten list, scanning it until she finds the pizza place that delivers the fastest. Once finished dialing, she tries to put the piece of paper back on the fridge, having difficulty with the Minnie Mouse magnet. "Fucking hell, Min. Fucking cooperate, please."
Mali calls from the couch, "Stop talking to the magnets! Wasting your time; they don't have functioning ears. Or mouths, for that matter!"
Ash mocks her grumpily, giving up with the magnet and just putting it with the paper on the counter beside the fridge. She presses "Call" and waits for the employee to pick up. "Plain okay?"
The Māori girl pops her head in the doorway, frowning. "You're so boring. Get half meat-lovers."
It's Ash's turn to frown. "That meat better not touch my half, bitch."
Mali only smiles, winking at her friend.
The pizza arrives at never o'clock because it fucking starts snowing. There's barely an inch on the ground but apparently the people at the pizza place are super cautious, or maybe just really fucking lazy. Ashley bets it's the latter. So now they either have to walk to the damn pizza place because neither of them have their drivers license or cancel the order and eat something at home. Ash shoves the phone into her chest, calling for Mali.
"What?! I'm busy," Mali shouts from her bedroom. Since when did she go up there?
Ashley just groans louder. "Fucking stop fingering yourself and get down here! Do you wanna walk or starve?"
There's silence for a solid two minutes before Ash hears two feet stumbling down the stairs. Mali-Koa appears pissed, arms folded in front of her chest. "What do you want?"
Ashley explains quickly, motioning to the window outside. Mali nods, grabbing the phone and accidentally grazing Ash's boob. Neither comments or cares.
Impatiently, the paler of the two waits, drawing circles onto the counter because the other has her phone. Ashley doesn't think she could have survived in the old days.
"Okay, bye. Thank you," Mali-Koa says before hanging up. She looks at Ash. "I hope you brought your winter coat because we're going on an adventure!"
Glaring but refusing to comment on the fake enthusiasm, Ashley turns around and starts walking to the door. "You better give me some gloves or some shit," Ashley grumbles, bending over to shove her feet into her Vans. She ties them haphazardly and stands again to grab her Not-a-Winter-Coat jacket. When she turns around she's surprised to see Mali already there, feet in her bulky snow boots and coat zipped up all the way. Ash laughs at the sight of her waddling over to the bin of gloves and hats.
"Shut up, these boots are Cal's old ones and a size too big. Not my fault my parents are cheap."
Ashley doesn't answer, simply just shaking her head and chuckling some. She puts on her jacket and zips it up quickly. Mali offers her a pair of gloves and she takes them gratefully (or as gratefully as she can manage before being forced into the freezing cold) and shoves them on. Putting her hood up, she looks to Mali expectantly.
Mali-Koa opens the door, holding it for Ash. They step out, Mali making sure she has her key in case her brother isn't home when they come back. Ash shuffles impatiently through the driveway while Mali finally closes the door and follows her.
Once on the sidewalk, Ash can maybe see why the pizza place didn't want to do a delivery. The roads are pure slush and the snow they're walking on is practically ice. Ashley walks carefully, frustrating even herself from how slow she's going. Mali groans behind her and she silently agrees.
Five minutes pass and the dramatic duo are still struggling. It's snowing harder now and Ash is shivering because she could have sworn the news people said it was going to be a super duper sunny day. And with this thought in mind, she only grabbed a light jacket before going out to her school bus stop. She thought she wouldn't even need it.
She should never believe those impossibly attractive bastards.
"You know," Mali speaks up from behind her, "these boots are really heavy." Ash goes to ask what that has anything to do with her but her annoying friend beats her to it. "Carry me."
Ash scoffs, "In your dreams."
Without warning, two gloved hands are on her shoulders and one heavy body is boosting itself onto her back. Arms cling around her neck and legs around her hips while she struggles to find her balance, which was so rudely stolen from her. Ash grabs Mali's thighs, fixing their position so it's at least a little comfortable for her.
"I'm legit skin and bones. No muscle whatsoever. I could collapse any minute," Ash says dramatically but she starts walking anyway. Mali giggles into her short friend's hood. That's the only response that Ashley receives. "Fuck you."
"Gladly," Mali mumbles into the hood. Ash hears and her brain fucks up. Like, really fucks up. Her brain thinks maybe Mali meant that. Means that. That she'd gladly fuck Ash. And Ash is not opposed to that. But she'd rather kiss Mali first, if she'd want to. Would she? Is she even queer? Ash doesn't know. Fuck, why doesn't Ash know? Aren't friends supposed to talk about that stuff? Does that mean they're not frie--
A car horn blasts incredibly close to the pair, because Ash may or may not have been paying attention while crossing the road, and Ash is brought back to her senses. She jumps back (as well as she can with a person clinging onto her back) and shrieks. Mali just clings harder. "Fuck."
But the thing is, it's kind of hard to keep one's balance when scared shitless so of fucking course Ashley falls. Hard. With Mali on her, piggyback style. So, basically she falls on top of Mali. Hard.
"Fuck," she repeats, cringing. Mali grunts from beneath her shivering body. Ashley tries to get up but a gloved hand stops her.
Mali brings her arms around Ash and shoves her closer into her body--or rather, winter coat. "Stay. The sky looks pretty from this angle."
"But--but pizza," Ash argues weakly. Mali-Koa's hold doesn't loosen. So Ash gives up without much of a fight, honestly. Relaxing into the other body, she looks up and squints. The snowflakes land all around them, and on them, too. She sticks her tongue out and waits for some to fall on it.
Mali laughs from somewhere under but above her. Ash shuffles further down so she can glance up at Mali comfortably. "What is it?"
Shrugging, Mali responds, "It's nothing, just thought my first snowfall would be with my family. Or, I dunno, a special someone."
"Am I not a special someone?" Ash pouts.
Mali laughs softly. "Of course you are. You're the most special person I know. Just not like..."
Curious, Ash turns onto her stomach when the girl beneath her trails off. "Not like what?" she prods.
Blushing. So much blushing. Mali looks away when she feels her face heat up but Ash can barely see the rosiness of her cheeks. But once Ash starts poking said cheeks, Mali looks down awkwardly. She sighs, uncomfortable in their position now. She struggles to sit up but Ashley sees what she's trying to do and scoots off of her torso.
Finally, she's sitting up and helping Ash into the same position. They're still on a sidewalk corner in the middle of a snowstorm but neither pay attention to the cars driving beside them or the cold seeping into their bones. Just each other. Always each other.
It appears Mali is struggling to come up with an answer while Ash watches her quietly. By now she'd probably be making a joke, trying to shoo away the tension. But this feels different, more serious.
Ash looks over her face in the quiet. Mali's eyes have always made her jealous. Their brown is so much prettier than her own. And her face is always made up into near perfection. Her eyebrows are always on "fleek" (as Calum would say sarcastically once he'd see her after she spent "forever" in the bathroom getting ready before school), her eyeshadow always done so nicely it looks professional, and lips always stained a color that not only suits her beautiful brown skin but accentuates it. Making it so no one can ever forget or look past her beautiful race.
Ashley doesn't understand how someone can be so pretty. And unbeknownst to her, Mali is thinking the same thing.
Because, fuck. Ashley's face is so narrow and her pretty bone structure is so prominent with the help of a little (or a lot--Mali doesn't really know or care) makeup. And her freckles are so cute; Mali loves when Ash lets the world see them. And her nose is so cute and small and her lips are so kissable. Fuck, Mali really wants to kiss her. Her. Ashley. Her best friend.
"Fuck it," Mali mumbles and before Ash can ask her to repeat what she just said, she grabs Ashley's face with both of her hands. They stare into each other's eyes for a moment that feels impossibly longer than it actually is and they just, they just--
Ashley kisses her. She sucks it up and just goes for it and she fucking kisses her. Mali doesn't waste any second at being surprised. She kisses back, fighting the smile that's threatening to appear. It's her first kiss and she knows it's not Ash's but she can't find it in herself to care. So she kisses with all that she has (all heart, no experience) and fuck.
It's not the best kiss, she knows this. But it's her first kiss so it's the best kiss she's ever had so far and that has to mean something. Because Ashley means a whole lot of something to her.
They pull back, Ashley's face still in Mali's hands, gasping for breath. Ash wraps her arms around her friend's (or Whatever-The-Fuck's) waist and leans into her. Resting her head onto Mali's shoulder, she whispers, "That was nice."
"Pizza's nicer."
Ash slaps Mali's thigh lightly, huffing, "Don't lie."
Giggling, Mali rests her head on top of Ashley's. "Okay fine. That was nicer than pizza but pizza would still be really nice right now."
"Okay, true." Ash butts Mali's head, moving it off of her own. She sits up straight and stares into the brown eyes softly, before glancing down at her lips. She leans in again, closing her eyes. Mali follows, meeting her halfway. Their noses bump into each other but they ignore it. And their lips are gentle against the other's, both too scared to go any farther. Pulling away slightly, Ash mumbles, "Your lips are definitely tastier than pizza. What is that? Cherry Chapstick?"
Mali laughs, shoving the idiot away. She stands up, struggling some. Ash does the same and stretches her back, sighing in relief at the cracking noise she is met with. "You're so fucking stupid."
"But you love me anyway," Ash says, all smiles, offering her gloved hand to her Maybe-More-Than-a-Friend friend. Mali-Koa takes it without a thought, swinging their arms once they begin to walk.
Hopefully the pizza place is still open when they finally manage to get there.