Power Outages and Popsicles

Minako rested her arms against the cool railing of her terrace, watching the stars. They were incredibly bright that night. The weather had been rather hot lately, so the city was experiencing some rolling blackouts thanks to widespread overuse of fans and air conditioners. Her own building had not yet been affected, but Minako had turned out her lights and lowered the A/C anyway. She did, after all, have some strawberry popsicles in her freezer. If the power went out, she had an excellent excuse to eat them.

Now that the sun had set, the atmosphere had grown cooler and a soft breeze played with her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the air on her damp skin. She was only wearing a light sundress, but she was still quite warm.

A knock on her door shook her from her reverie. She hadn't ordered any dinner, so who—

"Rei!" Minako flung her arms around her visitor and kissed her cheek. "I wasn't expecting you! Come in!"

Rei grinned and entered the apartment. In the bright light from the corridor, she looked rather flushed. Apparently the heat was getting to her as well. She wasn't wearing much either, Minako noticed. Just shorts and a tank top. Rei usually dressed much more modestly. Minako felt her cheeks get a bit hotter at the sight.

"The power's been out at the Shrine. We had to clear out the fridge, and I managed to make off with this." Rei held up a pint of Neapolitan ice cream. "I'll eat the chocolate flavour if you eat the strawberry."

Minako pouted playfully. "But I like chocolate too, Reiko. And what about the vanilla? It'll feel neglected!"

"I thought Artemis could have it." Rei shrugged. "I don't have any cones though, sorry."

"I have some, don't worry. And Artemis isn't here. He took off for cooler pastures when I decided to switch off the A/C. What a baby." Minako rolled her eyes. She took the ice cream from Rei and headed into the kitchen.

Rei followed behind her. "So, we're alone then." Something in her voice made Minako shiver, despite the intense warmth surrounding her.

"Yeah." Minako nearly dropped the ice cream scoop she'd picked up when Rei's fingertips brushed against her bare shoulders. "Your hands are cold," Minako murmured. They felt glorious against her heated skin.

"I did just carry that ice cream across several city blocks, Minako." Rei's quiet voice was amused. Hot breath tickled Minako's cheek, causing another delightful shiver to travel up her spine.

"W-we should eat it. Before it melts."

Rei was tasting the skin just below her ear. "Didn't you say you had power?" She moved her hands to Minako's waist and pulled her close. Minako felt wonderfully soft curves pressing against her back. Her eyes fluttered shut as Rei's lips journeyed down her neck. "We could put it in the freezer and save it for later—"

The quiet hum of the refrigerator abruptly stopped. Minako opened her eyes and glanced at her stove. The glowing numbers on the panel had gone black.

"I had power. Dammit."

She felt Rei sigh against her shoulder. "You have anything in there that's going to spoil?" She let go of Minako's waist. Minako took the opportunity to resume her search for the ice cream cones.

"Some popsicles. I live on take-out and catered affairs, Rei, you know that."

Rei snickered. "So the popsicles were for—"

"Breakfast. Oh. Shoot." Minako closed the cupboard door with a frown.

"What is it?"

"I lied. No cones. These'll have to do." Minako pulled out some spoons and handed one to Rei. "Shall we dine on the terrace this evening, Reiko?"

~O~O~O~O~

The unfinished ice cream was melting fast in the summer heat and had been put aside. Minako lay with Rei on a luxurious chaise lounge, enjoying the view above. It was rare to see the night sky so bright. Even Rei, who saw a great deal of stars most nights at the Shrine, was awed.

"How many shooting stars is that now, Minako? I've lost count."

"Shoulda taken off your shoes, Rei. Then you might know. Hey!" Rei poked Minako in the ribs. "Hmph. Maybe I should send you home without dessert."

"Dessert? You aren't suggesting we eat those popsicles as well, are you? We didn't even finish the—"

Minako's mouth latched onto Rei's, and kissed her hungrily. She broke the kiss after a few minutes, leaving Rei quite out of breath. "Not that kind of dessert."

Rei's eyes widened. "Oh. Uh..."

Minako giggled at the sight of Rei's blushing cheeks. "Although, now that you've mentioned the popsicles... I'll be right back." She scurried into the kitchen to snag the frozen treats.

"I think you may have a sugar problem," Rei said when Minako returned. "We need to find the number for a support group or something."

"Sugar cane is a plant. So are vegetables. Therefore, sugar is a vegetable. So, as such, it's good for you." Minako stuck the popsicle in Rei's mouth. "Plus, these are strawberry. We're getting both fruits and vegetables."

Rei nearly choked on the popsicle when she started laughing. "Okay, professor. Hey, watch it!"

Minako's popsicle dripped juice onto Rei's shoulder when Minako climbed back into the chair.

"Oops. Sorry, Rei." A wicked idea entered Minako's head as Rei quickly adjusted her hair to keep it from getting into the juice.

"D'you have anything I can clean this up wi—" Rei's vocabulary promptly evaporated as Minako's tongue, thorough and deliberate, removed the sugary substance from her flesh.

Minako's smile was positively angelic as she pulled away. Rei's eyes were enormous with surprise.

"Is that better? Whoops." Minako had dribbled juice on herself now. It was running down her wrist, towards her elbow. "Boy, these are melting really f-fast—" She stumbled over the last word as Rei took hold of her hand, extracted the popsicle, and slowly ran her tongue up the length of Minako's forearm.

Rei quirked an eyebrow as she returned the rapidly disolving treat. Despite the night's intense warmth, Minako was amazed to find she had gotten goosebumps.

"Y'know, I-I think I'm done with mine," Minako breathed. She dropped the remnants into the container of melted ice cream. Rei barely had time to register what Minako had said before she found herself pinned against the chaise. Her melting popsicle slipped from her grasp and landed on the terrace.

~O~O~O~O~

All coherent thought had departed from Minako the moment Rei's mouth first touched her. The only thing she could think of was Rei.

Rei, whose lips and tongue would travel up Minako's neck, down her jawline, and across the sensitive skin of her collarbone, before seeking out her mouth again to kiss her gently, deeply, then ferociously.

Rei, with her hands on every bit of Minako that they could reach, touching, caressing, teasing. Tantalizing. They tangled in Minako's hair, clung to her waist, drew their bodies together... Minako nearly cried out as one found the hem of her sundress and gradually ascended the smooth skin of her thigh. She tore her mouth away from Rei's with a gasp.

"Should—should we—move inside?"

Rei peered down at Minako, breathing hard. Their positions had long since reversed—a few times.

"I'm—more than—happy—right here—if you are." There was a fire kindling in her eyes that made Minako flush with heat. "But—we can go—inside if—"

Minako shook her head and slid her fingers into Rei's hair, bringing their lips together.

"This is perfect."

The smile Minako received could have brought an instant end to the blackout.

~O~O~O~~O~O

They stayed where they were, wrapped only in each other until the the stars began to fade into the coming morning.

Minako shook Rei gently, trying to awaken her. She had dozed off with her head resting over Minako's heart. She was smiling even as she slept.

"Rei. C'mon. Let's go inside." Rei murmured something indistinct and stirred slightly. Her eyes opened only after Minako had laid a kiss on her forehead. She looked confused at first, but her face lit up when she saw Minako.

"Not just a dream, then?" Minako shook her head, giggling. Rei sat up. "Good. You'd've never woken me—uh. Wow. Check out the ice cream."

Minako leaned over the edge of the chaise and laughed. A non-descript sludge drizzled with red was all that remained of the previous night's feast. "That sure looks appetizing. But now we don't have anything for breakfast!"

Rei blinked. "You were serious about those popsicles being for breakfast?"

"Says the woman who brought me ice cream for dinner." Minako wagged a stern finger in Rei's face. "Maybe you're just a bad influence—"

"—Maybe we should check if the power's back on. And if it is, we should order in some real food. Then we don't have to go anywhere." Rei gave her a meaningful look. The fire from the previous night was still in her gaze. Minako swallowed, her pulse quickening.

"That's a really good idea. But, y'know," Minako stood up, grabbed Rei's hands and dragged her inside the penthouse. She pulled Rei past the kitchen, towards the hallway, grinning when she heard the telltale hum of the refrigerator. The sound gave her a much better idea. She changed her course from the bedroom. "I'm not really that hungry. Not for food, anyway."

"Then, what d'you want—" Minako cut Rei off with an electrifying kiss and they stumbled through an open doorway at the end of the hall.

"A shower." Minako smiled deviously and slammed the door behind them.

~O~O~O~O

Author's note:

I figure someone of Minako's calibre lives in a penthouse. They need only fear being seen by passing helicopters. ...Actually, considering how many of them were background noise in PGSM... ah, never mind. No one saw them. The end.

Also, a chaise lounge, for those unfamiliar with the term, is basically a cross between a couch and an easy chair. Or a recliner. I figured it might be comfier than a blanket. Especially since they can be quite large and soft and fancy, even the outdoor ones.

Oh, and Neapolitan ice cream is this wonderful 3-in-1 flavour that allows you to choose between chocolate, strawberry or vanilla ice cream in one container, or—GASP—combine all three into one delicious serving. Heck yes.

Thanks for reading!