Pairing: Nathan/Audrey
Rating: PG-13 (T+)
Disclaimer: There'd be plenty of things that would be different if I owned Haven, despite its near perfection.
Spoilers: Yes, I suppose for "Ain't No Sunshine" specifically.
Summary: Just because he couldn't feel the heat, didn't mean it wasn't affecting him. Drabble. Part of a nine-part series of one-shots for a scifiland challenge. They're unrelated drabbles, but written and published as a group. Prompt: ICE CREAM.

Family homes had air-conditioning, but a few years ago he'd seen the Chief give a new recruit a scathing look when asked why the station didn't have it. "It's Maine, rookie," was all the explanation he'd offered, and it had made Nathan chuckle. It did seem kind of silly to invest in AC when it was only needed maybe a month out of the year. It was a small town, they weren't made of gold. Since taking over as chief, Nathan was increasingly and more painfully aware every day.

He'd kept the same office, not wanting to go to the trouble of carting all of his things just across the hallway. Much easier to just move the nameplate (same one, no need to make a new one) to his door and use the old office to house three new desks for newbies; much needed space. Besides, he still couldn't shake the pervasive presence of the Rev, sitting in his father's worn office chair. One of his first actions as chief was to chuck that chair. Bad juju if he ever saw it.

Currently, however, he was less than thrilled with his choice. Parker was reclined in her chair with her petite feet resting on her desk. Her ivory shirt was unbuttoned in the heat, sweat glistening on her collarbone. Not that he minded her company. Normally. But today it was 102° with near 100% humidity (or so he was told), and she was languishing.

It was rather erotic.

The way she sighed, tying up her hair; how she dabbed her slick neck; how she closed her eyes to ward off lethargy had him transfixed. The fact that he felt none of her discomfort made it rather surreal, much like watching a movie. Her slim fingers toyed with her open collar as she searched the file in her hand for any reason whatsoever to escape into the blissfully cool interior of his beat-up Bronco. He followed an elegant fingernail as it traced the edge of her collar. She had been engrossed in her reading, but she sensed his eyes on her.

"Nathan? Are you okay?" She blew out a puff of air, lifting a hank of hair that had been dangling in front of her eyes. Closing her eyes, she continued. "This heat is making it difficult to focus, isn't it?"

She didn't realize her mistake, and he didn't correct her. He couldn't feel the heat, but it most definitely was impairing his ability to focus. It most certainly was.

That was it, is was time to take action.

"I'll be right back," he said getting up and jogging out the door. She looked after him in confusion, but made no attempt to move. When he came back ten minutes later, she was staring, unseeing, at the wall next to the door. Her eyes snapped to him, then shot to his hands.

He almost laughed as realization dawned across her elfin features and she immeadiately perked up.

"Ice cream?" she asked with a mixture of disbelief and excitement.

"Yep. Didn't you notice Alfred's cart at the end of the street this past week?" She wasn't listening as he handed over the scoop of ice cream he'd bought for her.

"Strawberry," she said with a smile as he extended the cone to her. "My favorite. You remembered". When she reached out to pluck it from his fingers, her hot skin rasped against his. She was so hot he almost dropped her treat. She shot him a funny look at his clumsiness, but it quickly changed to desperate gratitude. "Thanks, Nathan. This is just the thing."

He fervently hoped it would do something to assuage her state of overheating, because when he'd dashed out, he was at the end of his rope. He made his way back over to his own desk with his scoop of vanilla, settling into his seat. He finished off his confection in a few bites, then looked up to see if his partner was enjoying hers.

It was his undoing.

Her tongue lapped at the pink sphere, sending jolts of arousal down Nathan's body. He watched, helpless, as a pastel rivulet ran over her knuckles, only to be caught with tongue, teeth, and lips. As she licked her hand, he couldn't help but imagine his skin under her mouth, rather than hers. What would her ice-cream cooled mouth feel like on his collarbone, shoulder, at his ear whispering slightly dirty things he'd only be too happy to oblige? Her hot little hands touching every square inch of his skin? Danger, Will Robinson.

He swallowed dryly and realized she had paused in her...ministrations and had raised a quizzical brow. "Are you sure you're okay?" He cleared his throat hastily.

"Yeah, I'm fine". He switched tacts. "Just spaced out for a second," he returned with slight smile. She looked at him partly in concern, partly with skepticism.

"All right..."

Audrey wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, but sometimes she could be oblivious, and he was damn grateful.