It was Valentine's Day and they were snowed in. All their wonderful plans, dinner, a movie, taking photos in the park had gone up in smoke. So they were bored and he had just bought the game a few weeks ago, and she had been refusing to play it. And cooking dinner had taken considerably less time than expected.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" He rifled through his dvd cabinet, pulling out rom-coms and horrors.

Carolina's response had been a non-committal shrug.

"Monopoly?"

"We only have two people York. And do you even have a board?"

She was the only person who still called him that, the stupid nickname his friends gave him in seventh grade when they played war games as the United States, each competing to be the best. She had of course played as Carolina, he was New York, David was Washington, and so on. They used to make the twins play as North and South Dakota he remembered.

"Wanna play a video game."

"I can kick your ass at Mario Kart, or have you forgotten." She replied, fondly remembering the time the rented a Wii for her 21st birthday. Nostalgia was a hell of a thing.

"I was thinking something a little more exciting." He held up the case for Halo 4.

"It's a two player?"

"In some modes."

"Eh." Was her apathetic response.

"Okay, I'll make it interesting, each time you die you have to remove an item of clothing." He suggested.

"So strip video gaming? What does the winner get?"

"And loser makes breakfast."

"I'm in." Carolina grabbed a controller. "No eggs, okay?"

. . .

"Just die you fucking cocksucker!" Carolina screamed as she shot at enemys. Both of them were in their underwear, he had taken an early lead by virtue of knowing the game, but she had caught up the second she figured out what was going on. He had one item of clothing left, she had two.

"You know the game can't hear you." York interjected.

"Oh this is fucking bullshit." She slammed down the controller before unhooking her bra.

"Babe, you may want to calm down just a little. I'm not sure' my controllers can take much mre abuse."

"Don't 'babe' me." She spat as she re-spawned beside him. "The game is cheating."

"It's a computer program, how is it cheating?"

"It just is."

"No-one is good at this on the first try."

"Oh so now I suck at the game?"

"I didn't say that, and anyway, you're beating me."

"Oh yeah," She spun her character, the one in turquoise, around to face his. "That reminds me."

"Carolina, no."

"It's not against the rules."

"Carolina, please!"

"Sayonara, Sucker!" She opened fire and his character dropped. "Say hello to Satan for me!"

"CAROLINA!"

"You never said I couldn't do that."

She was right of course, He had never stated that killing each other was out of bounds. He kinda wished he thought of it first.

"Well then." He stood up and removed his underwear. Folding them he presented them to her. "These are for you." He stood in the middle of the room, making no attempt to cover himself.

"Exhibitionist."

"I could say the same to you."

Eventually, when they were wrapped up in a Duvet together on the couch she smiled. "You know this was probably the best Valentine's Day I've ever had."

"Are you sure?" York placed a kiss on her head. "I mean all our plans got cancelled."

"Yeah but it was different." She turned back to their movie. "I like different."