Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^ Previous parts available at http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm < > represents a character's thoughts. LIVING WITH MICHIRU Part 3 By GSL It was a lovely morning in all aspects -- The sun was shinning magnificently on them, the wind was sending its greetings to the sky senshi, the birds were serenading, dogs were chasing butterflies, a picturesque moment indeed. Of course, all these wouldn't be so beautiful if not for the sea senshi running beside her. Michiru was slowly breaking into sweat as she matched Haruka stride for stride. Pearls of sweat glistened down her face like diamonds. It didn't for an instance mar the beauty that she was. In fact, Haruka couldn't tear her gaze away from her partner's brilliance. Too bad she couldn't see this side of Michiru too often since the gal often denied Haruka's invitations to run; the sole reason being that she didn't want to stink of sweat, preferring to swim instead. Today was somewhat different. "This is a good day for running", Haruka had concluded after looking out in the window. Concurring with her, Michiru, much to Haruka's surprise, was waiting patiently at the door, willing to break into sweat. Well, that was Michiru, always unpredictable, who never ceased to amaze Haruka. They didn't talk during the run, only concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. It was only when they arrived at a bench overlooking the lake, did they stop. Haruka was still exercising as she focused on the ducks waddling on the waters. Unbeknownst to her, her deep concentration was earning admiration from her partner. The serenity of the moment made Michiru want to join her everyday for these morning runs. But the feeling of clothes plastering to her sweaty body and hair all mussed never failed to irritate her. "I feel like taking a bath now," Michiru complained. "You can jump into the lake," Haruka offered jokingly. Then she saw the glint in her partner's eyes, "You're not serious, are you." Michiru still had that infuriating grin on her face. "You know what wet T-shirts would do, and we're a long way from home." "Spoil-sport." Haruka shook her head in exasperation. She plopped down next to the Neptunian senshi on the bench, closing her eyes until an image came unbidden to her mind, one where Michiru wore only a wet, white T-shirt and smiling bashfully. Immediately, she tried to shake the image off her head and came face to face with the real Michiru who was holding a leaf in her hands. Seeing the startled look on Michiru's face, Haruka knew that she had just escaped from one of Michiru's stress-releasing ideas. Michiru dropped the leaf, seeing the plan to tickle Haruka was foiled. "I have to go back to my agent's today." "What for? I thought you told him that you were putting your carreer on hold." "He didn't say what, but he said it was for a good cause." "Okay." Haruka deliberately answered nonchalantly. "You're sending me there, right?" "Aha! I knew you wanted something from me." Triumphantly, Haruka actually started thinking of the excuses that she could use against being Michiru's beck and call. "So, will you?" Michiru asked, batting her eyelids. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "The nerve of those guys!" "Haruka, calm down." "They were giving you lewd looks. Undressing you with their eyes. Passing snide comments." Haruka was really mad. If not for Michiru, she surely would have done more than shouting her head off. "Maybe I can catch up with them, and show them some fists." As she was about to leave, she felt her hand tugged by Michiru whose eyes bored into her. "What? Aren't you angry?" "I am. But I guess you scared them enough when you nearly ran them over with your car," Michiru pacified. Taking hold of Haruka's hand, she pulled her towards the agent's office. "I don't want to bail you out of a police station. On the other hand, I don't think I'm old enough to do that." "Michiru," voiced Haruka, making her last feeble attempt. "Come on," Michiru pulled harder, hastening her steps, "people are waiting." "Why do I feel like a fool?" Haruka complained, which finally halted Michiru in her steps. Michiru turned to face her, the sincerity in her eyes warming Haruka's raging heart. "No, you're not. It was a very sweet thing that you did, protecting my modesty." "It didn't seem that you appreciate me doing so." "I do." The smile on Michiru's face signalled the end to their discussion. Haruka shook her head, admitting defeat. "Let's go," Michiru continued, still not releasing Haruka's hand. When they made the entrance to the office, they naturally became the centre of attention. All of Michiru's colleagues other than her agent, Kenzo, did not know of Haruka's true gender. So, to them, it was a chance to ogle at a beautiful couple that just stepped into their boring work schedules. "Good morning," Haruka said in the suave voice of hers, which would definitely set more than a few hearts fluttering. She could almost see the starry eyes that the females were directing at her. Michiru, in the meantime, was talking to Kenzo's secretary, ignoring the disturbance that Haruka was creating. A while later, Kenzo stepped out of his office. He nodded a greeting to Haruka before motioning Michiru into his room. "Haruka, do you mind staying here for a while?" Michiru asked, knowing what her partner's answer would be. It didn't take a genius to know that Haruka would be happier in the company of beauties than in a room of conversation that didn't involve her. Michiru did however give a long stare to Haruka, ordering her to behave herself. The blonde could only sigh, nodding her acceptance. She had to find entertainment while she was out here. How could Michiru chide her for that? Besides it was only harmless flirting. When the aqua-haired lady left, Haruka found herself a place to sit down. With nothing better to do, she looked around, taking in the surroundings. She was beginning to feel bored already until she saw the secretary looking at her from the corner of her eyes. Well, maybe the secretary needed help from her, she thought, a mischievous grin appearing on her face. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Michiru shifted uneasily in the chair under the intense gaze of the man in front of her. Touga, that was the name he told her. A very attractive man, in his late twenties perhaps. The air of masculinity around him would have made any woman swoon. He seemed intelligent and confident, which was another added plus. She was introduced to him by her agent. Apparently, he was the organiser of the charity concert that would be staging in a couple of days. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, one of the performers had backed out and they urgently needed a replacement for the concert. Touga had been very apologetic and sincere in his request for Michiru to be part of their cause. It was for the underprivileged children, he urged. And because of his persistence, Michiru couldn't find the heart to reject him. Yet, there was something about him that made her uneasy. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her. He said he was a fan of hers. But in his gaze, she sensed more than admiration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "There's another person inside?" Haruka asked bewilderedly, surrounded by most of the female employees. To her horror, they began to get dreamy at the mention of Touga. "Yes, isn't he handsome?" One began, followed by approving nods from the others. "And he was so nice, so gentlemanly." Haruka didn't like this one little bit. She was about to ask more, when Michiru came out and there was this man beside her. The person, she supposed as Touga. He was about to leave, shaking Michiru's hand, saying his good- byes. Haruka certainly didn't like the look that he was giving Michiru, or why he was still holding her hand. She paved her way out of the circle that had formed around her, coming to Michiru's side too. "Tenoh Haruka," she said coolly, offering her hand to Touga. "Michiru's boyfriend," she added, enjoying the surprised look on his face. To her satisfaction, he released Michiru's hand to shake hers, while seemingly looking at Michiru for confirmation. "I'm Ikari Touga," he said at last. Once the introduction was made, Haruka took hold of Michiru's hand and turned lovingly to Michiru, "Are you done yet, love?" Michiru had an amused look on her face but decided to play along for now. "Yes, my darling." "Well, then we should leave." As they walked away, one would notice, if he looked carefully enough, sweet music playing in the background and rose petals falling behind them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Can you remind me why I am doing this again?" Haruka queried as another bag dropped out of her hands again. The poor girl was holding on to approximately ten bags of merchandise; none of them belonged to her. Michiru was trying on a gown, enjoying the feel of the fabric against her skin. Despite the interruption, the sweet smile on her face did not fade, "It's a boyfriend's duty to carry his girlfriend's bags. Right, love?" Haruka sweatdropped. "Do you think I look nice in this?" Recovering, Haruka eyed the image of her partner in the mirror. 'You look great in anything', Haruka wanted to say, but what came out was a "Yes". There were things on her mind, like whether Michiru was interested in that Touga guy. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, but she felt threatened. All the female employees were so taken in by that guy, and she had to admit that he was good looking too. Wouldn't Michiru be interested? Argh! She gave herself a mental shake and tried to clear her mind of the unpleasant thoughts. "Earth to Haruka." Michiru called out, waving her hand in front of the blonde several times, finally catching her attention. "Why did you space out all of a sudden?" "No. Nothing." Haruka stuttered. "Were you thinking of Touga?" There was a definite gleam in Michiru's eyes. "He is rather handsome, don't you think so?" Michiru seemed to be enjoying the wide-eyed look that was on Haruka's face. "So, are you interested?" "What?!" Haruka shouted, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity. She looked around, wondering how to dispel the limelight that was on her, then decided to ignore it. Speaking in softer tones to Michiru, "No. In fact I think you would be interested." There was no response from Michiru, which sparked off all the alarm sensors in Haruka's body. She looked at her questioningly, but Michiru was deliberately not answering her question. Instead, with a cryptic smile, Michiru turned back into the changing room to strip out of the gown. Outside, alone with her thoughts, Haruka was fuming silently. Michiru wasn't so indifferent after all. Hatred for Touga rose to towering levels; how could that man take Michiru away from her just like that? She didn't hear the door open to reveal Michiru in her original clothes. Neither did she feel the hand on her tightened muscles. But she didn't miss the words that Michiru spoke to her, "Come on, love." It was like a knife thrust into her heart, reminding her that she would never get Michiru's love. Mechanically, she walked towards the cashier with Michiru, painfully absorbing the new information. "Haruka, I'm not interested in him." A soft whisper drifted to her ear. Befuddled, Haruka turned towards the speaker for confirmation, "what did you say again?" "Give me your wallet first." Haruka unprotestingly put her wallet on Michiru's outstretched hand. She saw Michiru take out more than a couple of bills to pay for the purchases before the now empty wallet was promptly returned to her. "Thanks," Michiru said, after passing the new bags to Haruka for carrying again. She hooked her arm over Haruka's and began to pull her out of the store. "I've thought about it but he isn't my type." Haruka was sure that she didn't hear wrongly this time. Michiru was smiling brilliantly to her, and she felt the world was right again. Indulging in this newfound peace, it took moments before the blonde realised what happened, "You emptied my wallet for that dress!" Michiru only giggled, "That costs only a fraction of your prize winnings. Besides a boyfriend is supposed to give presents to his girlfriend." "I don't think I like being the boyfriend all that much," complained Haruka, which unfortunately fell on deaf ears, as she was dragged to the next shop. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Haruka!" The aforementioned person froze in her steps, turning to see who had called her. It was definitely not Michiru, since the shopoholic was standing next to her, finally pricked by conscience to help her carry some of _her_ things. In the sea of faces, she didn't find any particular one that was familiar. "Someone was calling me, right?" Haruka asked. "I don't see anyone we know." Burdened by the numerous shopping bags, they decided to move on. "Is it too heavy for you? I can carry some more," Without waiting for Michiru's answer, Haruka's hands had already moved to relieve the weights off Michiru's delicate fingers. Their hands brushed, sending a not so unfamiliar shock over their systems. "It's okay. Besides, you are holding on to too many things." Haruka resisted the urge to smile goofily at the sight of Michiru's sweet smile. "Then, let's hurry. Once we dump all these in the car, we can go for our dinner." As they were about to leave, there was another shout for Haruka's name. Again, they turned but found no one. Just as Haruka was cursing the caller under her breath, she saw a redhead speeding towards her direction. "Nanami?" Doubt edged on Haruka's voice. The fourteen-year-old crashed onto Haruka's body, throwing her hands up for a bear hug. It was with much difficulty that Haruka maintained her balance. But there was still a question of staying alive, since she was being squashed like a teddy bear. Luckily, her cousin released her slightly to inspect her. "I missed you so much." Having the air knocked out of her, Haruka concentrated on taking regular breaths, missing the death threats that shone on Michiru's eyes. As the young redhead continued to fuss over the blonde, words sprouting of lovesickness, Haruka became very aware of the strain on her foot, the result of being stepped on, deliberately. By wincing, she caught her cousin's attention who stopped clinging onto her. Tolerating the pain, she tried to get her bearings on the matter. On her left was her partner, her cold exterior shouting her unhappiness of the intrusion. On her right was her cousin, who by the look of things was still nursing a crush on her. Well, it did seem that being an attractive woman such as herself had some of its bad moments. "Michiru, meet my cousin Nanami," Haruka started making the introductions. "Nanami, this is Michiru." And thus began Haruka's nightmare. The dinner that followed the fateful meeting was like a volcano waiting to erupt. Her cousin had become overly lovey-dovey over her, totally ignoring Michiru's presence. Their whole conversation, or rather Nanami's one-sided talk was along the lines of 'Haruka, I think of you everyday', 'did you miss me too'. Haruka, to her best effort, tried to be as polite to her cousin as possible but, at the same time, had to maintain a level of distance so as to not lead her on. The latter part proved to be rather difficult since Nanami had not let loose of her hand since they met. This could be the reason why Michiru was ignoring her. She seemed to have faded into the background. If not for the pleading glances that Haruka had sent her way which wasn't often enough since Nanami was commanding all of her attention, Haruka's troubles would have overshadowed Michiru's presence. "Now open your mouth." Nanami forked a morsel, bringing it near Haruka's lips. "You don't really have to feed me." Embarrassment, although not the foremost on her mind, was reddening her cheeks rapidly. She, a grown woman, at least that was what she thought, being fed by an overly affectionate fourteen year-old. Worse, her housemate, partner, bogus girlfriend was watching all of these. "But I can't finish all the food by myself." Nanami's eyes began to water, her lips pouting. "Please, another piece of the steak." There was no way Haruka could have rejected her. She bit on the offering, stole a quick glance at Michiru, and attempted not for the last time, to retrieve her left hand from Nanami's grasp. The smaller girl was her playmate since she was young. They had been very close, until Nanami's parents had to move to another town. They hadn't stayed in contact all that often and the last prominent thing Haruka could remember was saving Nanami from some school bullies, and that was when she started to realise that Nanami was getting starry- eyed over her. During then, she didn't bother to take corrective actions. To be truthful she rather enjoyed the attention, basking in the glory of it all. Now it seemed, was the time to pay the price. Nanami was talking about her recent developments and how she had persuaded her father, Haruka's uncle into bringing her along for his work trip. Half-listening, Haruka wondered at the possibility of including Michiru into the conversation. She would want them to be friends, but it didn't seem that Nanami wanted anything to do with Michiru. Just when she desperately needed a solution to this awkward situation, her wits flew, her mind became a blank. She knew Michiru wasn't happy as it practically radiated from her. This hurt Haruka in a way that she never thought possible. Overcoming her rational mind was an urge, to speak, to talk, to explain, to seek Michiru's understanding. Yet Nanami's chattiness had denied her that chance. Well, if she couldn't talk to Michiru privately... Michiru's left hand was limp on her thighs, hidden by the table. Haruka could just reach over and give her a light squeeze. Surely, Michiru would understand what the gesture meant. Reaching over slowly, Haruka was careful not to let Nanami notice. She edged closer and closer until she managed to brush against the top of Michiru's chilly hand, but before Haruka could fully grasp it, the offending hand sneaked back to its owner when a voice startled Haruka. "Hello! Ms. Kaioh, how nice to see you again." "Hello to you too, Mr. Tenoh." She wanted to slap his hand away but decided against it for it might worsen Michiru's opinion of her, and she could not afford to get into more trouble with Michiru. Shaking his hand, she offered a polite greeting too, if only for the show of things. Her mind whirled with half-baked plots to get rid of the pest, totally forgetting about Nanami. "Mr. Tenoh?" Nanami asked. She was pretty sure that Haruka was a female since they used to share baths together. Even though she hadn't seen her cousin for the last couple of years, she didn't think Haruka would have gone for a sex change operation at so young an age. Panicking, Haruka took her napkin and covered Nanami's mouth. "You have something there," Haruka faked a laugh over it, then in a whisper, "I'll tell you later." Michiru in the meantime was letting Haruka handle the situation herself. Being ignored the entire time since Haruka saw her darling cousin was not how she wanted to spend the evening, and therefore, Haruka can find her own way out of the mess. "Ms. Kaioh, I was wondering if I could take you out after dinner? To the beach, perhaps?" Touga started. That ignited Haruka's fury, the nerve of the man to invite a woman when her 'boyfriend' was here. She would have thrashed him up if she was not suddenly restrained by her cousin in a hug from behind. "Good, then we can have our private time together," cheered Nanami. Michiru's eyes narrowed into slits which wasn't a good sign. "Yes, I love to," she said, even flashing a smile for Touga. "What?!" To her utter disbelief, Michiru had actually agreed to the man's request. The shock froze Haruka such that she did nothing to stop Michiru from leaving with the man. Not that she could, with Nanami's death grip. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "I've called Dad and told him that I'll be staying with you for these couple of days." Nanami beamed. Haruka just had a bad feeling over this. She felt bad for having thoughts of driving a cousin away. A cousin who was lying on her bed, dressed in simple pajamas which Haruka silently thanked the Uranian god that it was not skimpy, and was having hell of a time on her own. Haruka herself was not unhappy, per se. Confused, maybe. More so, since Nanami insisted that she shared the bed with her. "Do you remember when we used to do this?" Nanami asked, her hand clutching Haruka's, as if afraid to let go. Distant memories rekindled, lending a smile to her face. "Yes, before you moved away." Haruka's free hand was upraised drawing imaginary pictures on the ceiling. "We would create stories, using our mind to paint the pictures with the ceiling as our backdrop." Head turning towards Nanami, "Do you still remember them? The stories?" "Of course." Hesitation surfaced a little later, "uh, maybe there's some I've forgotten, but there's one that I'll always remember." A tale that was childishly weaved, but was held closest to Nanami's heart. One that she hoped Haruka would recall. "Can you guess?" "Hmm," Haruka feigned thinking over it, "the one that your parents were witches?" A shake of head. "The teachers were aliens story?" Another shake, with visible increased frustration on Nanami's face. "Ah ha, I know," Nanami's face lighted up as she expected, "the Nanami is an idiot story." A well-deserved punch was sent Haruka's way. "Okay, okay, I remember. It's the story of the princesses." Seeing that Nanami was now pacified, Haruka continued, "You and I were both princesses. One day, you were caught by an evil dragon. He wanted to eat you up but after seeing how beautiful you were, he decided to make you his bride. All the warriors were unable to save you except for the courageous Princess Haruka who went through great hardship and finally freed you." "How did you know?" Nanami was becoming emotional despite herself. The past was coming back rapidly to her, as if they had never parted. "It was the longest story that we came out with. Sometimes you wouldn't even let me sleep. And you were also most excited about that story." Haruka was starting to enjoy the evening, discarding all initial reservations. Not a care in the world, there were no daimons, no human sacrifices to make, only fairy tales that lived in their minds. "It was our last story." Regret evident in Nanami's voice. Silence reigned as both occupants were overwhelmed by nostalgia. Haruka realised that what they had was so deep that would not be washed away by time. It was a past that was shared by no other. Guilt arose as she thought of how lightly she treated Nanami when she re-appeared into her life. Having been reminded of the bond, Haruka lightly squeezed the hand that lay softly on hers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- She was all alone. A fact that she was used to. There was nothing in her world, no trees, no sea, no sky. It was void, empty except her, the only living presence. She would run and run, not stopping, not even checking if she had touched ground. There was only one urge that she had to fulfill. And she did just that. Time had no meaning. Neither did her life. Why was she running so hard? Was she escaping from something? Questions that she never asked herself, just a single-minded stubbornness to continue on endlessly. It was her world, no matter how bare it was. One day, it rained, nothing short of a miracle. She ignored the water droplets falling on her and treaded on. A nuisance it was, but she didn't count on the fact that water ran deep. Grass sprouted out of the ground that appeared from nowhere. Puddles of water joined to form streams, rivers, and finally seas. Slowly, but surely, her world changed and this sent shivers down her spine. Frightened in a way that was unexplainable, she stopped running altogether. She cried for her lost world, scorning the new intrusions, but she couldn't stop the change. Now, she walked aimlessly. The sea was flooding her world and calling out to her at the same time. A mirage, she thought she saw. A figure standing on the waters, naked as she was. A lady whose face was so familiar yet unremembered. But beautiful the lady was, so terribly beautiful that she had difficulty standing. The lady's arms reached out to hers, beckoning. Her legs walked on their own without her prompting. Faster and faster, she broke into a run. There was a reason to run now, which was to carry herself to the lady's embrace. "Michiru." Haruka called out as she grew nearer and nearer. The scene changed abruptly, the surreal world replaced by the white ceiling of her room. Haruka sat up on her bed, the dream still fresh in her mind, invoking emotions that she was most uncomfortable with. Her face was wet, with sweat or tears, she didn't know. But a wash was in order. Feeling an attachment that stuck her to the bed, she searched for the cause of it. There it was, Nanami's hand still holding on to hers. She looked so peaceful, almost calming Haruka's internal turmoil. The blonde carefully pried their hands apart, leaving the girl in her sweet dreams as she went to refresh herself. Splashing water onto her face was doing little to relieve the melancholy in her heart. She felt very vulnerable, as if she had lived and died. Michiru, the name brought her out of her reverie. Was she back? Haruka scowled as she recalled whom Michiru was out with. The sound of car engines made her drop everything. With increased pace, Haruka raced to the main door, peeking out from the side window. Causally, she wiped the moisture on her face with a sleeve until she saw Michiru with Touga walking by her side. Her jaws dropped as she saw a large jacket draped over Michiru's shoulders, which obviously did not belong to her. There was no stopping to her anger when Touga continued to stand so closely to Michiru. As he began to lean down for a kiss, her legs moved automatically. The door opened loudly, stopping what was about to happen. The man straightened, surprised to see Haruka at the doorway. Numbly, Touga received his jacket back from Michiru and took the hint to leave. The two senshis didn't say a word until they were in the living room. Haruka felt betrayed. The anger in her eyes was unmistakable. "I'm back," Michiru began. Looking at Haruka now, she thought she might have acted childishly. Yet she couldn't explain her actions other than she couldn't stay in that restaurant any longer than she had. Touga was an escape, and she clung onto him. Maybe the initial reason to go out with him was to spite Haruka but it had also allowed her to clear her head. And now, she regretted letting such a thing hurt their delicate relationship. "I'm sorry." Moving closer to Haruka, she tried to reach for her hands. Haruka flinched at her touch and Michiru dared not make her move again. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get through to Haruka. With all the anger shrouding her rationality, Haruka wouldn't be able to comprehend that she would have stopped Touga from making any advances if Haruka hadn't intervened. It was best to leave the blonde alone until she had calmed down, even for a little bit. Her departure was stopped when Haruka's hand snaked in to capture hers. She couldn't begin to name the emotions on Haruka's face and truly feared that she might have destroyed something. "I'm sorry," Michiru repeated, pleading into Haruka's green orbs. With a smile, she tried to dispel the awkwardness but looking at how hurt Haruka was, she couldn't continue the act. But before she could despair, the next thing she knew, she was locked in Haruka's embrace. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The smell of breakfast roused the blonde senshi up. With a stretch to ease her aching muscles, she rose from the couch that she was sleeping on the night before. How she had ended up on the couch proved to be a major exercise to her sleepy mind. Her growling stomach dictated that she needed food. And hence, her trusty legs brought her to the kitchen. She was about to call out to Michiru until her mind registered the woman she saw. "Good morning!" chirped Nanami. Her mind whirled. "Morning," Dazed, Haruka looked futilely around, searching for a certain green hair girl. "Hungry?" "Yes," replied Haruka absently. It was ten in the morning, judging by the clock on the kitchen wall. Where was Michiru? The burning question brought forth images of the night before. She had hugged Michiru fiercely, as if her life depended on it. No words were exchanged between them, each indulging in the closeness as their bodies merged. It was a moment of precious peace that interrupted their confused minds. A moment of togetherness that made everything right again. Somehow, they moved to the couch and Haruka's last memory was sleeping on Michiru's lap as she stroked her blond hair. Now that Haruka was wide-awake, the whole incident didn't feel real at all. To make it worse, the absence of Michiru disallowed her to confirm anything. So absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't see the plate of continental breakfast stashed in front of her by Nanami. "My dear cousin, you better not discredit my efforts." Nanami warned. Looking up, Haruka gave a wry grin, "Did you see Michiru?" Regretting it almost immediately, Haruka winced at the change of expression on Nanami's face. In an attempt to be unemotional, Nanami took a piece of paper out of the apron pocket and passed it to Haruka wordlessly. 'Gone to the recording studio', stated the note written by Michiru. It wasn't much, but Haruka felt better enough to start digging into her breakfast with gusto. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Michiru?" Haruka waited with bated breath for the other's response over the mobile phone frequency. When it came, she couldn't stop the grin that formed on her face. "You got my note?" "Yes. I could have sent you to the studio if you woke me up." "You were sleeping so soundly." "My back is still aching." "What, you expect me to carry you to your room?" "Something like that. I know from experience that you can be very strong." Haruka could almost imagine Michiru smiling over the other line. Her apprehension after last night's events had dwindled but if Michiru listened carefully, she would be able to detect a slight uneasiness in her voice. "Do you want me to fetch you home when you're finished?" "I don't know when my practices will end. And..." "What?" "Touga invited me to dinner. It's strictly business; we need to discuss more in detail about the concert. Kenzo will be there too. And I'll try to be home earlier." Michiru seemed to be seeking her approval, which made it harder for Haruka to deny her 'request'. "Okay," Haruka drawled, "but if you need a ride home, just give me a call. I'll pick you up. Any ideas where you'll be going?" Frantically, Haruka searched for pen and paper to note down the name of the restaurant and its address. Both turned silent after awhile. There was something distancing them that needed to be resolved. Taking a deep breath, "Michiru, about last night, I..." Haruka was cut off as another pair of hands snatched her handphone away from her. "I was looking all over for you." Nanami admonished. "Nanami, I was talking!" Haruka motioned for her phone, demanding it back. Unfortunately, Nanami paid no heed to her and spoke directly to the phone instead. "Sorry, But Haruka is busy shopping with me at the moment. Call back later." With that, she pressed the end button and returned the phone back to its owner who was definitely pissed off. "Nanami!" Not fearing Haruka's anger, the younger girl hooked her arm over her cousin's, flashing a pitiful expression on her face, "You promised to spend the whole day with me." "But..." Nanami was wearing Haruka down and she knew it. "Please," she urged. Hearing no response from Haruka, she started pulling Haruka along. They passed by several clothing shops in the big mall but it was a shop selling musical instruments that caught their attention. "Do you still play the piano?" Nanami asked as she eyed the large object in the shop. "You used to play it very well." "It was a long time ago." The wistfulness in Haruka's voice was not missed by Nanami. Before Haruka could react, she was pulled into the shop and was seated in front of one of the pianos. "Play for me. I'm sure you can still do it." The hopeful look on Nanami's face erased all the misgivings she had and she began to put her fingers on the keys. Trusting her memory and her years of practice, Haruka started haltingly at first until it began to flow smoothly out of her. She didn't know how long she played, but every key she struck, she was reminded of Michiru, of the times that Michiru would play her violin for her and how she secretly wished that she could play along with her. Unspoken desire for the Neptunian senshi flooded her entire being. She wished Michiru was here too, to hear her feelings as she played. Maybe then, there wouldn't be a need for words. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Why did you insist on coming here? It is so out of the way." Of course, Haruka didn't voice her thoughts out loud. "The food is nice." It was the best off hand answer that she could think of. Discreetly, her eyes scanned for the presence of an aqua-haired lady. "Well, the ambience seems nice." Soft music was playing in the background. The flickering glow of the candles softened the surroundings, lending a romantic, almost dreamy air to the restaurant, a cosy setting that had apparently attracted a lot of customers. This was the time when Haruka truly enjoyed her status as a celebrity. The manager was a fan of hers, and immediately they had a table ready for them even though there was a long waitlist. As they took their place in a corner, Haruka finally saw her. Michiru was seated at a table near the stage where a band was playing. She was dressed in a white gown which fitted her well, accentuating her figure. "Haruka, what do you want?" Her attention drawn back to Nanami, Haruka flipped through the menu and made her order to the waiting waiter. "This is nice. They even have a live band." Nanami was looking around. If she had seen Michiru, she wasn't telling. "Yes." "It's your treat, right?" Nanami turned back to face her. Grinning deviously, Haruka sipped the water, "Unless you want to pay." "You're kidding. I can't even afford the appetizer." "You're exaggerating." "I can show you what's in my purse right now." "Okay. I believe you. They'd bring the bill to me anyway." Haruka smiled, taking another sip of the water as she spied Michiru from the corner of her eyes. They continued small talk over their dinner. Nanami was clearly enjoying the meal, while Haruka was divided in her attempts to eat, talk to Nanami and watch Michiru. From what she could observe, Haruka knew that Michiru had finished her dinner and so were the rest. She wondered if they were planning to leave soon. If so, she had better rush through her food. "Oh, there are people dancing now." True enough, there were already several couples on the dance floor, waltzing. Looking at Nanami, Haruka had a few ideas of what was running in her cousin's head. So, it was not surprising when she found herself pulled to the encircled area. They began dancing, Nanami leaning close towards her. Ignoring the uneasiness that mounted inside her, Haruka turned towards Michiru's direction and met a pair of crystal blue eyes. Of course Michiru was going to see her, her brain intoned. Unfortunately for her, Nanami chose this moment to lay her head on Haruka's shoulder. That sort of sent a negative signal which made Michiru turn away from the dancing couple. That hurt too much. No way was she going to leave things lying like this. "Nanami, I'm sorry." Haruka said as she pulled away. Straightening, she made her way towards where her partner sat, not looking back to see the disappointed look on her cousin's face. She could hear Touga speaking to Michiru but she refused to let jealousy get the better of her. All her focus was on the lady, he didn't matter, neither did the rest of the world. "Will you dance with me?" A simple question that allowed her a glimpse of Michiru's face again. She didn't even bother to acknowledge the presence of the two other people on the table. Flashing a warm smile, she continued, "Please. It will be my honour." It took moments before Michiru would move a single inch. Her heart was in a turmoil, so many feelings going through her at the same time. Was she jealous? She knew she shouldn't be, but it would explain why Haruka's asking had pulled her out of the doldrums. Looking at the blonde, she knew she had lost. A smile was returned and Haruka pulled the chair out for Michiru. Taking her delicate hand in hers, she guided them to an empty spot and they began to waltz. "Are you surprised to see me?" Haruka started, stepping closer to Michiru, her partner's perfume intoxicating her. "Did you plan this?" Looking at Haruka's mischievous eyes, Michiru wondered how the blonde could just make her forget about the scene she had just seen. "What do you think?" For Michiru, being held so closely by Haruka felt too good to be true. She sighed, the one act taking away all the confusion, uneasiness that was on her mind since the start of the day. Her Haruka was holding her tightly now, just as she did the night before. Her body heat was warming her soul such that she never wanted Haruka to let go. Letting loose in the music, she swayed along with her partner, already lost in her eyes. Words weren't necessary anymore. They already knew in their hearts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Whistling, Haruka was whistling! This was an undeniable proof that Haruka was in an incredibly good mood. So what she had just won a few plushies from the shooting game, the racing game, the fishing game and generally becoming a menace to all stall-holders in this amusement park, Nanami was sure that they were not the cause of the whistling. It had to do with Michiru; she knew it yet she refused to admit it. Just as Haruka continued on with her winning streak, enjoying the scowls of stall owners, the pile of toys weighed heavily not only on Nanami's hands but on her heart too. Haruka didn't seem to notice or she was too happy to notice her sorrow. Miserable, she felt miserable. It all started with the dance Haruka had with Michiru. It hurt so badly when they moved closer and closer, lost in their own worlds. Her heart was torn apart but Haruka treated it as if nothing had happened. Her eyes burned, she knew she was losing her cousin. Worse yet, she had never owned her in the first place. Slowly, Nanami began to notice green eyes scrutinising her. She turned away abruptly, fearing that her unshed tears would be seen. She had successfully gotten her attention but why didn't she feel happier? "Nanami." The amusement park was crowded with too many people, the high noise level almost eclipsing over Haruka's soft voice. The blonde seemed to notice this too, and began to pull Nanami into a less crowded area, namely a rather deserted café. Orders were made and the items were served rapidly, allowing their private conversation to begin. "I heard that you are leaving tomorrow." Nanami's father had personally told her about the fact, Haruka didn't doubt its accuracy but it was good starting ground nevertheless. The redhead nodded, avoiding her cousin's eyes. "Um... I hope I have been a good hostess." Nanami didn't move. She knew this talk was going somewhere. "You know..., I..." That was Haruka, never too good with words. But she knew the words were coming... 'I don't love you', she could almost hear it. She raised her eyes to her cousin's, waiting for the inevitable. Haruka grew even more tongue-tied, if it was possibly so. Her mouth was open but no words spilled out. Just as she finally braced her courage, a beeper sounded. Immediately, Haruka's hand rose to cover her own watch. The nervousness in the blonde's face was replaced by seriousness. It was a sight that even Nanami had not seen before. Haruka just turned cold, almost to the point of ruthlessness, such that Nanami couldn't resist a shudder when she spoke. "I have to go. I'll be back." Alone for the next half an hour, Nanami had the chance to think. It was not something that she usually did. But with time on her hands and the 'crisis' that was befalling her, she started reflecting on her life. Memories past and present surfaced. Some happy, some sad. What was constant was that, the experience sobered her. She was forced to obtain a new understanding, a new look of things to help her come in terms with her own feelings. It also helped her withstand the sight of Haruka and Michiru walking into the café. They sat together in front of her, a siren aiming for her heart. "I hope you don't mind Michiru joining us." Nanami thought but she did manage a forced smile. "You know, we never got a chance to speak much." Nanami watched on astonishingly as Michiru started a conversation with her. "I was hoping to talk to you more often but with me busy with the concert, there simply wasn't the time. Oh, by the way, you will come, won't you?" "She'll be there," Haruka intercepted any response that Nanami had to make. "That's good. I'm looking forward to seeing you at tonight's performance." A genuine smile marked Michiru's face, making her more beautiful than ever. This was the woman who stole her love and Nanami could finally understand how she did it - With a heart so pure that she could offer kindness to a rival who did nothing but shun her. "Can you tell me some of the embarrassing things that Haruka did when she was a kid?" "What?!" The blonde protested, then relented, "But I don't really have much to worry since I was _the_ perfect child." "Perfect?!" Nanami could hardly believe her ears. There was no way she would allow Haruka to get away with this. "Remember the neighbour's dog incident?" Before she could continue, Haruka's hands appeared from nowhere to cover her mouth. Michiru protested, wanting to hear the juicy details, so she helped Nanami scraped off Haruka's offending hands. "Two against one! Unfair." "Quick, Nanami! While I hold her down." Giving an evil eye to Haruka, Nanami began, "Have you seen a ten year old girl being chased around town, screaming for help, crying bucketfuls of tears?" "That's not true. Don't believe anything she says, Michiru." Her cousin deserved no mercy, especially since she was accusing her of being a liar. "The dog chewed off Haruka's toy car when it went over the fence. Haruka got angry, looking for revenge. She thought the neighbours weren't around and the dog was leashed to a tree. Imagine the fright she got when the dog got free and started chasing her. Hey, I think that was how she got so good at running..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Haruka can do it!" All eyes landed on Nanami's petite figure when she made the remark, almost unbelieving. To confirm, they turned towards the shocked racer who could hardly sprout a word. "I didn't know you play the piano." Michiru asked. "Oh, she was so good, performing at school concerts." Haruka interrupted before Nanami could continue. "It wasn't a choice. Besides, I stopped playing when I moved to Tokyo." "But you still have the magic. Remember the piano shop, people were applauding." Somehow, Haruka was having the idea that Nanami was deliberately making things difficult for her and generally trying to make a fool out of her. The pianist who was supposed to accompany Michiru's violin performance had the misfortune of being involved in an accident and thus could not turn up. Haruka was quickly becoming the substitute if she didn't act soon. "But this is different! This is a concert. Many people are watching. I don't want to become the headliner tomorrow as a fool with butter fingers." "Humph! So, the famous Tenoh Haruka isn't that great after all." "Wait a minute! Don't you..." The bickering between the cousins was halted as Michiru spoke, touching Haruka's hand to get her attention, "Haruka, please. We need a player." If there was one other unknown talent that Michiru possessed, it would be that she could tame the stubborn blonde at any time of the day, like what she was doing now. "And I have confidence in you." "You haven't even heard me play." Michiru suppressed a smile, "Sometimes it is not about skills, it is about playing with your heart. And you are always true to your feelings." Trapping Haruka with her soft gaze, she knew the battle was won, "You can do it." Haruka sighed in defeat. The next moment, the backstage surged in activities. Touga shouted some instructions to a few helpers. Haruka was being turned around like a mannequin before they decided that her tuxedo was nice enough for stage appearances. Then, like cattle she was pushed to a waiting piano which marked the beginning of her night of terror. "Ladies and gentlemen, for the last item of the night, can we give our warmest welcome to Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru?" As the applause died down, the music began. Nanami could see Haruka behind the piano, not a tinge of nervousness she had seen just minutes before. It was a good thing that they pushed their item to the last one, giving Haruka more time to practice. And Haruka didn't fail them, she had mastered the tune in two hours and was playing superbly. Well, if Haruka had made any mistakes, Nanami was sure that she didn't notice as the notes already captivated her when Michiru joined in the sonata. Their play merged perfectly, forming a tune so beautiful that she wanted to cry. Or maybe it was because she had finally accepted the truth that she could only be a good cousin to Haruka. The sonata spoke of great love, how lovers met, falling for each other, the inevitable separation and the final reconciliation. If Haruka was playing her heart, then the person the blonde was thinking of, was not her. She could see it now, as clearly as daylight, that her cousin's heart was already lost to the talented violinist. As the tune stretched to a finale, the crowd went roaring. With tears brimming on her eyes, Nanami too stood up for a standing ovation, wishing them happiness in her mind. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Nanami left already?" Michiru didn't turn as she continued removing her make-up, only watching Haruka from the mirror as she made her entrance. The taller girl closed the door behind her, and slumped on the couch beside the door. "Yes, her father was here to pick her up." Michiru was still able to see Haruka's image in the mirror but this time she turned around to speak, "It's a shame that she had to leave so soon. We could have gone for a celebratory party." "Ya." Haruka seemed drained out. Tired could be another word that would describe her now. "You played very well," Michiru encouraged. "You think so?" "The crowd doesn't lie." Haruka pondered over it for moments before she stood up, coming closer to Michiru. She could see the sudden stiffening of muscles of the smaller girl but made no remark about it. Bending down, her head hovering next to Michiru's, "Come to think of it, Touga suddenly seemed quite scared of you, trying his best to avoid you. What did you do to him?" "Nothing. I just told him not to waste any more time on me." It was a wrestle for Michiru to keep her tone neutral. "I don't want to be known as a two-timer." "Is that so?" Haruka teased. A cryptic smile was all the answer she got. ********************* Author's Notes: I don't know what happened but I lost my sense of humour. This part turned out mostly different from what I had planned. But hopefully, it would be enough to appease my readers. I like to take the opportunity to thank my pre-reader Cass for picking out all the errors that I have made. And also to all of you who are still reading my fics. 14 July 2000