"Knock Knock? Minako?" Sixteen year old Michiru called as she pushed open the door to the Aino household.
"Up here." Minako yelled from the top of the stairs and Michiru rushed up to join her.
"Afternoon. So are you nervous?" Michiru asked as she walked into the room and then laughed at the disaster that was Minako's room. Clothes were thrown everywhere, jeans on the floor, tops covering lamps and bookshelves.
"Shut up and help me! Everything looks wrong. I can't do this Michiru! What was I thinking? I think I am getting hives and my throat is closing up." Minako said as she paced back and forth.
"Mina CHILL. Ok, first off. You're perfectly fine. You're nervous and that's perfectly normal. Secondly, you'd look amazing in anything you put on. Now sit and let Michiru take over." Michiru said and pushed Minako into her computer chair.
"Michi..."
"Minako, chill. This is Rei you're going out with. The same girl you've been friends with for YEARS. I am pretty sure it's gonna be okay." Michiru said as she looked through Minako's clothes, forming outfit choices in her mind.
"Well when you put it like that..." Minako said and scrunched up her nose.
"Now where is she taking you?"
"I don't know for sure. She said something about the mall. So I'm guessing a burger and a movie or something like that." Minako said as she rested her head on her desk.
"Ok, so fancy casual." Michiru grabbed Minako's nicest pair of dark wash jeans and a teal off the shoulder long sleeve shirt, handing them to Minako, "There you go. No Converse either. Wear real shoes."
"Michiru.. it's going to be bad enough not to dress casual and now you're gonna make me worry about breaking my neck in a heel too!" Minako groaned.
"Welcome to land of womanhood." Michiru pulled her by the hand and pushed her into the bathroom, "Now get changed so I can do your hair and makeup."
"Have I told you I hate you lately?" She called from the other side of the door.
"No, but I think it goes without saying." Michiru grinned.
"Just as long as we're clear." Minako pulled open the door, standing in the outfit Michiru picked out.
"Perfect. Now grab your little black strappy heels that Melissa made you buy when we went to New York. They'll make your jeans stop dragging and look super cute." Michiru told her as she grabbed the make up and curling iron from the bathroom.
"Yeah. Two inch heel. Complete klutz. Ice. Those three things belong together." She mumbled as she grabbed the shoes from her closet.
"Is that negativity I hear? Cause I'd hate to have to beat you up."
"Oh like you could beat me up! I may be small, but I'm mighty. I'd so kick your ass." Minako said as she plopped back down in her desk chair.
"If you weren't going on a date in an hour, I'd so prove to you just how wrong you are." Michiru said as she began to do Minako's hair.
Twenty minutes later, Aino Minako was ready for her date. She stood in front of her full length mirror, pulling at the shirt Michiru had chosen for her, seriously hating her shoes and wondering if her hair and make up was over done.
"I have to go. You look perfect. Rei is going to forget how to breathe. Call me when you get home and tell me EVERYTHING." Michiru said and gave her a quick and gentle hug.
"Thank you!" Minako called as she heard the front door close. Grabbing her purse, she walked down the stairs, standing in the foyer waiting for Rei.
"Wow... you look grown up." Minako's father commented from the kitchen table where he sat eating left over's from dinner.
"Thank you Daddy." She asked, said amused at her father's comment.
Minako's gasped as there was a knock on the door. She rushed over to the door opening up, her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Rei standing in her dark tight jeans and a crimson red turtle neck, complete with leather bomber jacket and high heeled black boots.
"Hey." Minako said meekly.
"Mina...you look beautiful." She commented and they both shared a smile.
"Good evening Rei." Mr. Aino called from the kitchen.
"Hello Sir." She said and nodded in the direction of the man.
"Where are you and Minako off to this evening?"
"Red Robin for dinner and they're playing Casablanca at the bookstore." Rei explained and Minako smiled, Casablanca was one of her favorite movies.
"Home by eleven please." Mr Aino told her.
"Yes sir." Rei nodded as she took Minako's hand leading her outside to her truck.
"Rei, how'd you find out they were playing Casablanca?" Minako asked, knowing that Rei wasn't one to frequent the mall.
"Ok, you caught me. Michiru helped me." Rei admitted, rubbing her hand on the back of her neck.
"That's so sweet." Minako leaned over and kissed her cheek and Rei smiled shyly at her.
"I uhm...want to give you something." Rei explained.
"Rei you don't have to get me anything." Minako told her, though it was nice to have someone to spoil her.
"Well it hardly broke me, besides I like doing nice things for you." Rei reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a chain that had her class ring on it, "I figured the ring would be too big on your finger, since you have such nimble hands...so I put it on a chain. I mean you don't have to wear it, I just, I wanted you to have it. Ok, I'm an idiot." Rei was silenced as Minako leaned over to kiss her.
"Thank you." She accepted the necklace, sliding it over her head and rested it on her neck. She played with the ring while Rei drove.
"Did you forget your coat?" Rei asked when she parked in front of the Red Robin.
"Ah crap I did. I didn't even realize it before. Michiru forced me into a long sleeve shirt." Minako muttered as Rei slid off her leather jacket and wrapped it around Minako's shoulders.
"Aren't you gonna be cold?"
"Ah, I'm tough." Rei shrugged, getting out of the cab and walking around to open the door for her.
"Thank you." Minako said, the jacket smelt of aged spice and strawberries just like Rei, she loved it.
"You're welcome." Rei smiled and wrapped an arm around her as they walked into the restaurant. They took a seat in the corner booth, sitting on the same side, Rei kept an arm around her, knowing that she was freezing.
"So did you finish the Geometry homework?" Rei asked her.
"Yeah. Come over tomorrow and I'll help you on it." Minako told her, knowing that helping would end up with Rei copying her answers.
"Thank you." Rei kissed her temple.
After dinner, they walked through the nearly empty mall and into the half-priced bookstore. Rei paid for their tickets and they took the old couch in the back corner of the room, Rei stretched out on the couch, taking Minako in her arms. She smiled into the dark as the movie began. Rei wiped her tears when she cried over Rick and Ilsa's ill fated romance and laughed with her at all the right parts.
"This was perfect Rei, thank you." Minako said as they walked towards the truck.
"You're welcome. Thanks for making it amazing." Rei said and kissed her nose.
"You're too--." Minako trailed off as she fell on a piece of ice, "Oof." She said as she landed on her ankle, breaking her heel.
"Oh my God. Are you okay?" Rei kneeled next to her, cursing herself inside for not having a better grip on her.
"I'm fine. I just have to kill Melissa for talking me into buying these and Michiru for making me wear them." Minako said as she slid the shoes off. Rei sighed and picked her up, bridal style, "Rei I can walk!"
"Not on ice your not. The last thing I need to do is explain to the your father why I brought his daughter home with frostbite." Rei placed her in the car. Minako propped her leg up on the dash while Rei got in.
"I'm sorry." Minako said as she was on the verge of tears, more out of embarrassment than pain.
"Hey it could've happened to anybody. All that matters is that you're safe." Rei promised her, taking her hand.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Parking in front of the Aino house, Rei sighed when she saw Minako's ankle resting on the dash, successfully bruised and swollen. She swore it was just sprained, but Rei wasn't so sure. Holding her purse and shoes, Minako wrapped her arms around Rei's neck and she carried her inside.
"What happened?" Mrs. Aino rushed from her spot in the living room to the foyer.
"I fell on the ice and broke my heel." Minako said, burrowing her head into Rei's neck.
"Put her on the couch Rei, please." Mrs. Aino instructed and Rei did as she asked. Rei stood awkwardly while Mrs. Aino assessed the damages. Deciding it was just a sprain, she wrapped Minako's ankle and made her take a pain killer.
"I'm fine Rei. Go home. I don't want you to get in trouble because I'm a klutz."
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Rei asked as she glanced at her watch, cringing when she saw how late it was.
"Yeah. Come over after lunch and we can do homework." Minako smiled, grabbing Rei's neck with her hands, she pulled her down into a deep kiss.
Rei pulled away grinning, "Frisky much?"
"It's the painkiller. It makes me "wild". She said suggestively waggling her eye brows. Rei laughed as she let herself out.
"Did you have a good time honey?" Mrs. Aino asked, handing Minako a cup of hot cocoa and sitting next to her on the couch.
"I really did. It was perfect before I fell." Minako smiled at her mother.
"I like seeing you like this."
"Like what?"
"Happy. Content. In love." Mrs. Aino told her youngest daughter.
"I didn't think you would be this okay with me and Rei." Minako said honestly, she had been worried about her parents reaction.
"Oh honey. We've been waiting for this day, long before you even realized you loved Rei." Mrs. Aino patted her leg.
"Mom..." Minako groaned, rolling her eyes.
"That's all I am saying sweetheart. Now would you like to stay here for tonight or do you want some help upstairs?"
"Here is good." Minako wrapped the blanket tightly around her, resting her head on the pillow.
"Okay. Sleep well Mina." Mrs. Aino said and kissed the top of her head, shutting off the lights and moving to go upstairs, "Oh and Minako. You and I are shopping for a nice pair of dress flats before your next date with Rei."
"Yes Ma'am." Minako giggled into the darkness.