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"You don't really mean that, do you, Susie?"
"Heh, yeah I do!" She and Noelle burst out in laughter, both slamming their hands against QC's countertop. Her laugh reminded Kris of Gerson's, but they'd never mention it to her.
As the two continued their conversation, Kris felt their phone buzz in their pocket and pulled it out discreetly; the three had agreed to limit "phone time" while hanging out, but they recognized the vibrations as signaling their mother.
kris, it is getting dark out!
please come home soon. i do not want to have to worry about you
They rolled their eyes so hard they almost fell out out of their head, but they didn't even bother texting back to try and fight it. Instead, they slipped their phone into their pocket and hopped out of their seat, hopping to slip out without their two friends noticing. At first, they didn't.
"No, no, seriously Noelle, it really is my favorite track on the album."
"It's just screaming, fahaha! What could you even like about it?"
"The screaming!"
More uproarious laughter. It made Kris' heart burn in a way they couldn't put into words, and as they stood at the restaurant's doors, they considered calling Toriel and asking to stay out late. Then they heard the two laugh again and suddenly lost all their motivation to do so. Sometimes it felt like their head was being shoved underwater, and other times it felt like the brief moment of coming up for air.
Kris had pulled enough pranks on Noelle at QC's as a kid to figure out how to open the doors without making the bell ring, and soon they were making their way down Hometown's empty streets. The bright lights inside had obscured how dark it was already, although they should've inferred that from the season.
Even in their sweater, they could never help but shiver even in moderate temperatures, and the freezing winds now felt almost insulting. As they turned south, a particularly strong gust nearly pushed them over entirely, succeeding only in throwing them off course. They veered off the road entirely and made their way to a nearby tree, collapsing against it and wrapping themselves in their arms. They considered calling their mom to have her pick them up, or at least waiting for the winds to die down. Instead, they simply sat there, absorbed in themselves and listening to the howling sky, interrupted only briefly by a few passing sedans and their blinding headlights.
Suddenly, they felt a weight fall over their shoulders. They began to jump, but they realized quickly enough it was that familiar purple jacket that Susie wore. Looking up, they saw her towering over them, balancing on the curb. "Hey, dumbass. What're you doing by yourself here?"
They exaggerated their shiver, hoping to make her laugh, but they knew it really just looked sad. "I'm fine."
"I didn't ask if you were alright," she started, bending down to a crouch. "I asked what you're doing."
Kris hopped up onto their knees and removed the jacket that had been draped over them, holding it out for its rightful owner. "I'm just chilling."
She finally did laugh, but the look of concern on her face hadn't faded. "Bro, you're acting really weird, and not in the normal way."
They smiled and looked at her, shaking their arm again and hoping she'd relieve their tired shoulder. "I swear, it's alright."
"Alright. Then tell that to her." Kris looked past her and down the sidewalk to see Noelle quickly approaching.
"K-Kris! You didn't even say goodbye?" Noelle had always tanked cold temperatures better than Kris could -- the fur helped a lot -- but they could still hear her voice quivering as she spoke. They pulled their jacket-holding arm back and stood up using the tree as support. As soon as Noelle closed the distance, they stepped up to her and threw Susie's jacket over her. "Hey! Where'd you get this?"
"You're cold, aren't you?" Kris smiled, forcing their chattering teeth into temporary silence.
"Wait, Kris!" Susie climbed up to the sidewalk beside them both, winking as she spoke. "You aren't trying to swoon my girlfriend with my own jacket, are you?"
The conversation had been warming their frosty heart so far, but they felt it shrivel up as the words hit their ears. They walked away from Noelle and stuck up their hands. "N-no, I-"
They were cut off as Susie dove her hands into their hair and ruffled it around. "Yo, that was a joke dorkwad! Don't look so dour."
Noelle walked up to them and tried to hand over the jacket again. "Here, you look like you're a lot colder than I am."
They refused it, crossing their arms and backing up slightly before bumping into the tree. "No, I insist, madame." Their laugh sounded forced.
"No." Noelle suddenly turned stern, getting up onto the front of her hooves and looming over them. "I insist." Then she launched forward, jacket first, colliding with Kris and pushing both of them against the tree. The two struggled against each other limply; she tried to forcibly wrap it around them without messing up their sweater, and they tried to break free. Neither was giving it their all. After about a minute of laughing at the situation, Susie joined in too.
They had almost gotten it all around Kris when they heard a loud snap.
Noelle immediately jumped off of Kris. "Shoot." Kris turned around, revealing a small tear in the jacket. "Uh... sorry, Susie."
She smiled, shrugged, and grabbed the jacket before throwing it over Noelle. "It happens. Didn't fit me perfectly, anyways." She stepped forward, wrapping one arm around Kris and the other around Noelle. "Besides, having fun with you guys is worth any jacket. Now, let's get Kris home."
As they stepped forward, Kris rested their head against Susie's side. She might have been cold-blooded, but she felt warmer than any hoodie, sweater, or jacket could.