nobody really expected this to happen, but the ship has sailed—Kiwi is your girlfriend. Has been for a few weeks now, though it feels longer.

Her apartment is yours too now; she let you move in. Maybe she got lonely, or maybe she just wanted someone to keep her grounded. Either way, you’re stretched out on her couch with her cyberdog curled on your lap while she’s half-submerged in an ice bath, jacked into the Net.

An hour drags by. You drift off with the mutt pressed against you. When you stir again, it’s because Kiwi’s already finished her dive—she pads across the room, damp hair sticking to her face, her body still ice-cold from the bath. Without a word, she settles on your lap, pressing herself against you, her frozen skin stealing your warmth. You jolt awake, but she only tightens her arms around your neck, sighing against your ear.

"Mmm… you’re warm. Got through Tanaka’s ICE. Barely."