"We're lost."

The accusatory tone stopped the blonde and she turned, blue eyes narrowing only slightly. But then a smirk flashed and her hand reached up, flipping her long blonde hair back in a gesture that only caused the other female to sigh. "We are not." Minako replied cheerfully, turning her back onto the raven-haired beauty to begin walking once more. After a few moments, the other girl began to follow, although begrudgingly, silently ticking off all the ways she could kill the other girl. But… At the same time, she could not help but to smile, and Rei was thankful that Minako was turned the other way. She'd never live it down if Minako found out she actually liked her little shenanigans. Not all of them, never all of them… But some of them. Some of them she could live with.

Silence lapsed and the two girls trekked on, their gear set firmly on their shoulders. As it usually happened when Minako became obsessed with something new, Rei was dragged along most reluctantly. It was a rare moment that they would ever separate themselves from Usagi and the others, but the they all had had prior obligations which left Rei alone to deal with Minako for a whole weekend. Camping. Minako… Camping. Rei still didn't see how this was going to work.

"Minako, are you sure-"

"Stop it, Rei! We're not lost."

"Minako we passed that-"

"Rei, shhh!"

Rei let out an exasperated sigh but fell silent, instead taking a long gulp from her water bottle. That was it then, it wouldn't be some horrible evil that finally claimed her life. It would be Minako Aino. Funny how easy it was to accept that fate. "Do you miss her?" Rei suddenly asked, the briefest flashes of their princess hitting her, a warmth spreading through her whole body at the mere thought of her. It had been so long since they had ever been away from her as they were. Peace had been achieved, but they had always been reluctant to leave her side "just in case." So to be away from her felt strange and empty. Well, not entirely empty. Rei glanced away, a frustrated blush creeping into her cheeks. It wasn't like her to blurt out such things.

The blonde turned back to face Rei, her brow arched slightly. "Yes," she answered honestly, liking the fact that they both had been thinking of the same thing. Of the same person. "I worry about her." Minako added with a nod, as if to reassure Rei that her worries were normal. "But either way, the others are there. If something were to happen." Minako offered her the sweetest of smiles and reached out, taking Rei's hands into her own. "This weekend all we have to think about is us and having fun, understand?" She waited until Rei's lips twitched with a smile and the raven-haired girl nodded to show that she did understand to turn back around. This was something they deserved, something that they had earned.

But then, she was turning back around, her eyes finding Rei's; violet met blue and Rei clenched a hand into a fist, her lips moving, but no words were coming. Minako could not find her voice, nor force her legs back into working order. So instead, they stood there, across from one another, Minako's hand extended slightly, as if she meant to take hold of the other girl once more. "Rei, I…" for once in her life, Minako found she had no words for the moment. So many moments like this had passed between them, but they had always been so fleeting, and yet so poignant. Over the last few years, her relationship with Rei had deepened into something special, and yet… it almost wasn't enough.

This was a moment she had been in before. Or at least, one quite similar. She and Minako had had their fair share of moments throughout the course of their relationship, but nothing quite like this. The only moment that could have rivaled this one was the afternoon on the school rooftop, before everything went so horribly wrong. Suddenly, she had to touch her and for the first time, Rei was the one to reach out; her hand grasped Minako's, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to say anything." Rei said softly, her eyes shining, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

At those words, Minako laughed, her head thrown back, blonde hair cascading down her back. In truth, nothing felt better than to have Rei holding her hand and not the other way around. It was the smallest of gestures, but with the biggest of meanings. The backpack slid off her shoulders and hit the ground at her feet and Minako made no movement to pick it up. Instead, she was tugging her hand from Rei's and reaching up, sliding her bag to the ground as well. Her hands remained gripping Rei's upper arms, her skin warm beneath her fingertips. Rei was right, she didn't need to say anything. But there was something she needed to do. There was not much thought to what came next because it came so naturally, as if it was meant to be.

Rei felt her skin tingling beneath Minako's grip. Looking up and into her eyes, Rei could only offer her a smile as the girl stepped up a little closer, her face so close… Close enough to… Without worrying it would change everything, Rei gave in to the kiss Minako gave her, and drew the girl even closer. One hand tangled itself in the long, golden locks, the other curving around her waist. Rei could feel Minako adjusting her own body against hers, both of her hands at her waist, crossed over the wrist at the small of her back. The kiss left them breathless a moment later and both girl leaned back, drawing deep breaths, wide smiles plastered across their features. It was then that one of them finally spoke up.

"Rei?"

"Hm?"

"We're lost."