Standard disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. This should come as no surprise. I am simply a teller of stories that occasionally claw their way desperately out of my head.

Notes: A friend was having a bad time and I wanted to cheer her up. I asked what I could write for her. She wanted fluffy Rei/Usagi and snow, so that's what she got. (Inadvertently done just in time for Femslash February! Good job, me!)

(27 February 2013)

Snowfall

The snowfall was unexpected. What's more, Rei decided, it was RUDE. Overnight six inches of snow had dropped on Tokyo, and the city had been taken by complete surprise. Near everything had ground to a halt – no school, little public transport, only the most dedicated shops open.

And Grandpa and Yuuichiro were stuck visiting a sister shrine in Kyoto and very decidedly NOT here helping her sweep and shovel snow.

The bad news was that there were a lot of paths to clear and, being a space open to the public, no real way to get around clearing them.

The good news was that Rei was also Sailor Mars, and with nobody around, clearing snow became as easy as saying "Fire Soul". All of the secluded back paths were done in next to no time, leaving only the more visible areas. Sadly she couldn't risk taking the easy route here, and so it was Rei and a shovel and a broom and some staggeringly rude weather.

At least there hadn't been any visitors, and Rei honestly didn't expect any. Only crazy people would go out in this if they didn't have to.

So it was with no small amount of surprise that Rei watched as a snowball flew just inches past her nose. Before she could blink, a second drifted over her head. She heard a third impact the snow near her feet.

There was no denying it. She was under attack.

By someone with truly dreadful aim.

Two other snowballs were sailing through the air. Rei stayed still, confident that doing so would keep her safe. She was right.

Rei crossed her arms and smirked. There was only one person with both the determination to hit her and the complete inability to do so.

"Usagi!"

The snowball volley stopped and Rei waited.

"Uhh, no," a voice from a nearby grove of trees said a moment later. It was dropped an octave, and Rei rolled her eyes at the pathetic disguise attempt. "I'm not Usagi. I'm not anyone! I'm … not even here."

Slowly, careful to not make any noise, Rei began to creep toward the trees. She was guessing that her assailant had ducked out of sight, assuming that if she couldn't see Rei, Rei couldn't see her.

"So you should probably go back to what you were doing," the voice continued, proving Rei's assumption correct. Perfect. "I mean you weren't hit anyway, so what difference does it make, right? Ahhahaha."

About halfway through, the voice forgot it was supposed to be deep. Rei was almost insulted that she was actually supposed to be buying this.

She peeked around the tree and saw Usagi huddled at the base. She had partially wedged herself between the trunk and a row of low bushes that she clearly expected to provide her some form of protection.

Silly girl.

Her eyes were clamped tightly shut and she was wincing. It was such a pathetic image that Rei almost felt charitable.

Her hand clenched around the broom handle.

Almost.

"I-In fact I'm Minako!" Usagi said, not even bothering to try and sound a tiny bit like Minako. "And so you should AAAAHHHHHH!"

Usagi screamed as she was buried under an avalanche of snow dislodged from the tree Rei had just wailed on with her broom. For a moment, all that was visible were flashes of pink jacket. Usagi looked like a strawberry drenched in whipped cream. Then she unearthed herself with a mighty cry and looked around angrily for her attacker.

"REI-CHAN!"

There was danger lurking, but Rei was in full lecture mode and missed all warning signs. "Honestly, Usagi, did you think I wouldn't—"

Finally, finally, a snowball connected, and it was a shot more perfect than any Usagi could have ever possibly hoped for. Dead center of Rei's face. Splatter even went in her big fat mouth. Usagi cackled. It was probably not a great idea. Rei spit out a mouthful of snow. Usagi cackled harder.

"U-saaa-giiii …"

All cackling stopped. Uh-oh.

Next thing Usagi knew, she was catapulted to the ground. She landed in thick piles of snow, but still the impact coupled with the cold took her by surprise. Rei had her shoulders pinned, and a fire blazed in her eyes so intently that Usagi wondered briefly if there'd even be any snow left by the time Rei was done glaring at everything.

This was bad.

Rei wasn't the only one with psychic flashes; intuition went a long way. For example Usagi knew, more keenly than she'd ever known anything in her life, that she had approximately five seconds before handfuls of snow would be stuffed down her shirt.

It was, after all, totally what she would do.

There was only one option.

She really had no choice.

Rei would complain later.

But then Rei would find SOMETHING to complain about later anyway, so it might as well be this.

Usagi reached out, grabbed two fistfuls of jacket, and tugged. As expected, Rei was caught off-guard and gravity took over. She fell with a gasp, which was cut short when Usagi's mouth covered hers.

Rei's brain marked this action as horribly unfair, and bookmarked it to complain about.

Later.

No matter how many times they kissed, Rei was always struck by Usagi's intensity. This wasn't a girl who did things in half-measures. Well, that wasn't exactly true, she did MOST things in half-measures. But loving someone was never one of those things. Rei prided herself on her passion – heck, it was right there in her Senshi title – but Usagi LOVED, and every single gesture of love came from the depths of her bottomless heart.

Being loved by Usagi was unlike anything in the universe.

Right now, Usagi was loving the hell out of Rei's tongue.

Rei responded by grabbing Usagi's bottom lip and sucking it between her teeth. She was rewarded with a moan, and couldn't resist a grin.

"Not fair," Usagi said with a pout that never reached her eyes.

Rei nudged Usagi's chin aside with her nose and began to trace kisses down her jawline. "You started it," she pointed out, her voice low and throaty. "You know you love it."

There were hands on her cheeks, urging Rei to look up. She did, and as she locked eyes with Usagi, her breath caught at what she saw there. She flushed, from the tips of her ears to the ends of her toes, and for a moment was sure she'd never remember how to breathe.

"I know I love you," Usagi said, and they were the truest words ever spoken. When she smiled, Rei felt herself becoming undone.

This would never do.

Rei thrust a handful of snow down Usagi's shirt.

"WELL I DON'T ANYMORE!" Usagi shrieked. She tossed Rei aside and scrambled to her feet, shaking her shirt out and squealing as frozen water hit new places. Rei was laughing so hard she held her sides, certain she'd split without external support. Even another snowball to the face couldn't stop her sniggering, but it did ease enough for a counterattack. Soon the shrine was filled with the sounds of battle and laughter.

... ... ...

Rei rapped her knuckles on the bathroom door. "Are you gonna be in there all day?"

"You're the one who told me to take a bath!" Usagi shouted back, her voice distant and echoy.

This was true. Usagi had come out the worst in their war, and was drenched and shivering by the time she'd finally (wisely) surrendered. Rei had taken one look before marching her inside, shoving dry comfy clothes into her arms and ordering her into a hot bath, because taking care of a sick and sniffly Usagi was not how Rei wanted to spend the next week, thank you.

"I said take a bath, not take a vacation!"

"All right, geez." There was muffled splashing followed by the sound of the water draining. "Hey you know what you should do?"

Rei leaned against the wall near the door, looking thoroughly amused. "Oh I should be doing things now?"

"Yes, you should!" Usagi readily agreed. "You should make me hot chocolate! As an apology!"

"What exactly am I apologizing FOR? Being better than you?"

"For being a big meanie. And you should put marshmallows in it, those little ones I like. And—"

The bathroom door opened, revealing Usagi in a pair of sweatpants and a TA Girls' School t-shirt that was at least one size too big. She was in mid-demand, but broke off when Rei thrust a steaming mug of hot chocolate under her nose. It was packed full of partial melted mini-marshmallows.

Usagi took the mug and held it in both hands. "Oh," she said, quietly. Rei's smile was a smug one. "Thanks."

"Come on, you big dummy," said Rei, leading Usagi down the hall and into the main living room. A fire was already in the hearth and blankets were on the couch arms. Usagi took in the scene and arched an eyebrow at Rei, who suddenly flushed and looked away, embarrassed. "I-It's just getting worse out there," she said in a rush, needlessly straightening the blankets. "And your clothes are all wet anyway. So you should probably just stay here tonight."

To be evil or not to be evil?

"Makes sense to me!" Usagi said casually, choosing not to be evil. She was going to be the future queen, after all. Being evil simply wouldn't do.

She took a long drink of hot chocolate, only setting the mug down when Rei turned back. There was a noticeable dab of marshmallow foam on her nose.

Rei gestured vaguely at her own face. "You've got … stuff."

"Do I?" Usagi's tone was innocent and she made no move to wipe it off herself.

Well maybe a little evil was okay.

Rei reached out and scooped the foam away, but before she could retract her hand, Usagi caught her wrist. Smoothly, never taking her eyes away from Rei, Usagi slid the fingers into her mouth. Rei watched, transfixed, as Usagi's tongue slowly slid up one digit, then curled around to glide down the other.

"You're so bad," Rei whispered, taking an involuntary step forward.

Usagi released Rei's fingers. "I'm a soldier for love and justice," she replied, weaving her hands through raven hair. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Then Rei was kissing her again, and Usagi declared this entire day to have been one brilliant success.

At some point they wound up on the couch, snuggled under one of the blankets. Usagi's head was nestled comfortably on Rei's chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of her heart, and thoroughly enjoying how she could change it so easily with the slightest of touches. Rei bore all this willingly. Her arms were wrapped around her Princess and her chin rested lightly on Usagi's odango. Every now and then, for no reason other than she wanted to, Rei would plant a kiss on the top of Usagi's head.

"Rei-chan?" Usagi finally said, her voice seeming loud in a room otherwise filled only with the sound of a crackling fire.

"Mm?"

"Would you do something for me?" Usagi pulled back and glanced up at Rei, her expression serious.

Rei sat a little straighter, responding to the change in tone. "Of course."

"Anything?"

"Anything." Rei's response was a solemn promise, an eternal pledge. "Usagi, what's—"

Usagi leaned up to whisper in Rei's ear. "I need more hot chocolate."

"Ugh, you're IMPOSSIBLE."

"It's good hot chocolate!" said Usagi, and felt this was sufficient explanation.

Apparently Rei did as well, as she shoved Usagi aside and flung the blanket back, then scooped up the mug and stomped into the kitchen. It wasn't exactly a graceful victory, but so long as there was more hot chocolate at the end of it, Usagi wasn't particularly troubled by the details.

Rei's angry muttering accompanied the slamming of a pot on the stovetop. It was sweet music to Usagi's ears, and she took a deep, contented breath.

The smell of fire and the sound of complaining. Usagi considered how there were no two things that better equaled "Rei", and she thoroughly enjoyed both while watching the snow fall outside.