SkaterCheese's Snapshots Collection (Inanimate Insanity fanfiction)

If She's Cold, Warm Her Up [Apple x Marshmallow]

When Marsh's idiot of a girlfriend forgets her jacket, she has to improvise.

Hey guys, this story has blown up in views lately! Welcome, everyone who's recently discovered this collection.

I assume a lot of you guys are familiar with at least some of my other work, right? Feel free to reply to this paragraph telling me what stories you did read, but in case you don't know, I wrote a neat little story called A Marshmallow's Guide to Loving a Complete Idiot a few years ago! My process for planning and drafting that has evolved a lot over the years; because my outline has changed so much, many mostly-complete scenes have gotten left on the cutting-room floor because they haven't fit into my final vision. This one in particular is ancient, but the context is as follows:

In Lesson 31, Marshmallow and Apple go visit their friends after not seeing them for several years for a wintery "II Reunion," which is basically a TV special where a bunch of reporters talk to them about where they are now so fans can keep up with them. (Basically like the Celebrity Manhunt Total Drama episode.) Marshmallow wants to keep them dating a secret, and in the old version of Guide that this chapter comes from, she's successful. They're on a bus to a convention center to do an II parade or something on the last day.

Without further adieu...

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The subway car was crowded with the bodies of the other inanimate objects, idiosyncrasies and all. Tissues sneezed snot all over Trophy every few seconds or so at the opposite side of the bus, his sneezes always loud enough to be heard over the din of the others. A little closer to Marsh, Paintbrush was trying (and failing) to keep Lightbulb from eating a hearty meal of way too many gumdrops, citing the rule against eating on the bus. Knife and Pickle were talking a little ways away from them.

'It's weird. Does the nostalgia I get from them count? ...I guess I can fondly remember some of the people, even if the show itself was dumb.'

And yet, the nostalgia question didn't weigh heavily on her.

Something else did.

Every single one of them was wearing a coat. This wasn't a source of personal jealousy, as she herself was wearing one in a shade of purple, with a scarf, hat, and comfortable blue mittens to match.

It was the fact that Apple was sitting beside her, shivering in a simple pullover, that got her as frustrated as she was pitiful.

"Why didn't you bring a jacket? It would have saved me a lot of pity."

"I forgot. But it's okay, it's not that cold out."

"There's still snow on the ground."

She shrugged. "We'll be inside most the time anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but if there's a snowstorm tonight, you'll get sick for sure when we walk home."

"It's not a big deal. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Besides, if I got sick you'd take care of me."

'As if she ever gets sick. Chances are I'll catch whatever she would get, if she wasn't so healthy all the time. Ugh.'

"It is a big deal because, if you aren't careful, I'll ask Dough to take care of you." No reaction. Marsh added, "Or Bow."

"Not even a cold is a big deal as long as we're together, Marshy!" Apple threw her arms around Marshmallow and squeezed. Even through her thick pink jacket, she could feel the shiver of Apple's arms. "...Also, please don't."

Marsh didn't reply because, cold as Apple's hands were, there was still comfort in being so close.

"You're super warm." Apple leaned closer and breathed in her scent. "Like a s'more..."

She rolled her eyes affectionately. "I don't like thinking about death."

"Aww, okay." Apple retracted her arms.

"I really am worried. The bus is the easy part; we have a ten minute walk ahead of us."

And after that, of course, the interviews loomed. They filled Marsh's stomach with cold dread.

"I had no idea you cared so much."

"Of course I do."

"That just means we'll have to run as soon as we leave this train." Apple began kicking her feet, as if doing so would help her run faster when the time came. "Besides, wasn't there a snow challenge during season one? That wasn't so bad."

Marsh gulped at its mention. "It's still not good to walk in the snow. I mean, come on. Anyone who walks in the snow that long gets sick."

Marsh shook her head, a surge of affection blooming in her chest. '...She really is so simple.' "You idiot."

She leaned over and looped her arm around Apple's, cuddling close. Apple stopped fidgeting and froze with a short gasp; she was still shivering, but Marsh could hear her pulse picking up where her cheek was against Apple's. Apple's arms seemed to warm up with her blush.

"You call me an idiot a second ago and now you're cuddling me?"

"Are you complaining?"

"...N-no..."

There was a pause. The chaos of the room went on around them: Tissues sneezed, Salt and Pepper jabbered on; a knee-slap was heard. Nobody seemed to notice the tiny objects huddling for warmth.

(And Baseball was right in front of them; the cameras wouldn't notice, either.)

"Am I allowed to cuddle you now?" Apple asked after a moment.

Marsh laughed quietly. "No. You're too cold." Marsh took her hat off and threw it on over Apple's stem. "And we still need to be lowkey, even if everyone knows the news."

"Why? On second thought, I don't care why. I trust you."

Apple thought she was being sneaky when she looped an arm around Marsh and nudged closer. Even though Marsh knew what was going on, she let Apple do that, and get closer, too.

The day ahead would be long, after all...

And maybe they both needed this.