What started as a forced seating arrangement has blossomed into a friendship for two ex-White Housers.

Once they left 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., former first lady Michelle Obama and former President George W. Bush became "official seatmates" at "every major thing where all the formers gather," Obama explained during a Thursday appearance on Today. At first, this was just protocol, but once Obama discovered their shared since of humor, she said Bush became her "partner in crime."

The duo has since been spotted hugging at public events and, most recently, sharing cough drops at John McCain's funeral. The "simple gesture" of Bush passing a cough drop to Obama in the pews was a perfect example of why "I love him to death," Obama explained on Today — despite the noticeably "old" cough drops coming from a "little White House box," she joked.

Obama said the moment sent a much-needed message of bipartisanship. "Party doesn't separate us," she said. "Color, gender, those kinds of things don't separate us." Watch her break down the whole moment below. Kathryn Krawczyk