Disclaimer: Haruka & Michiru belong to us! Without us, Naoko-sensei would've never made her hundreds of millions of yen, animation studios would go out of business, and Japan would still be an island nation! Wait, Japan is still an island nation... Well, two out of three ain't bad, right? Anyway, back to being PC, Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko-sensei, Toei, Bandai, Kodansha, etc... zzz... Haruka&Michiru-ism, the Religion, belongs to us. There.
Candies anyone?
Retaliation
Plan A: M & M
The nerve of this guy!
Haruka couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was definitely pushing the limits and demanding something beyond reasonable. She stole a quick glance at Michiru, curious to her response. To Haruka's disappointment, Michiru was listening very attentively to every word, her eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together in delight. Haruka got worried.
"I think you will really enjoy it too, Michiru-san," he continued. "It will definitely be a new experience for you, but it's always good to try something new once in a while."
"Maa, I think it's a lovely idea," Michiru beamed, "as long as you're okay with it, Haruka." Ever the considerate one of the pair, Michiru looked innocently at Haruka.
Haruka's eyes narrowed. She inspected the proposer across the table. His short black hair shone in the afternoon sun; his eyes were confident, almost challenging; his aura gave off a royal arrogance. How Haruka would have loved to bring her fist home to his nose. But Michiru's presence suppressed her anger to an icy silence, if only on the surface.
Across the table, Mamoru tried his best to maintain the calm facade. He couldn't possibly back down now. He had already brought up the proposal and pissed off the unruly and rebellious Senshi of Flight. There was no turning back. He knew if Michiru was not present, Haruka would have most likely asked him to step outside - in a gentlemanly way, of course. But he could not allow these thoughts to falter his will. He must put up a fight now and worry about patching up the "brotherhood" afterwards.
"Let me get this straight, Mamoru-san," Haruka strained to keep her cool. "You are asking to borrow Michiru for one evening?"
"Hai," came the prompt reply. "And Michiru-san does not seem to have a problem with this at all."
"What makes think that I don't have a problem with this?" Haruka said through her clenched jaw. "Hell, what makes you think that Odango won't have a problem? Have you even asked her?"
"Ah, Usako," Mamoru recalled his girlfriend with a slight pang of guilt. Yes, he still needed to break the news to her. She would probably cry at a very loud octave, call him a baka, and run off to stuff her face silly at a ramen restaurant.
Mamoru winced at his very likely future. "I haven't told her yet," he admitted. "But I asked her to come here straight from school so we can all talk about it like adults. She will probably be mad at me, but I just have to have Michiru-san for-"
"MAMO-CHAN!" Usagi bounced through the doors, her odango's practically falling apart from her clumsy sprint to the café.
"Oi, Usako!" Mamoru couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious as Usagi grabbed his arm and snuggled up to him happily. He reminded himself that this was why he must go through with his proposal.
"Oi, Odango!" Haruka affectionately greeted while Michiru smiled warmly at the Princess of the Moon.
"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" Usagi was getting excited. Lucky! Did Mamoru invite her to go a double date with the elegant couple?
"Usako," Mamoru cleared his throat and provided a little bit of breathing space between the two. "I have something important to tell you. It involves me and Michiru-san."
"Mamo-chan and Michiru-san?" Usagi stared at her boyfriend and then at the graceful Senshi of Embrace with a blank look, she was starting to not like the sound of this.
"Hai," Mamoru continued. "I just asked both Haruka-san and Michiru-san if it was okay for Michiru-san to be my date this Saturday evening at the Keio Medical School faculty banquet. I hope you will be okay with this too, Usako..."
There was a tense silence for the longest time until all of a sudden...
"Hidoi! Mamo-chan no baka, Baka, BAKA!"
"Don't take this the wrong way, Usako," Mamoru tried his best to calm the wide-mouthed girl down while Haruka and Michiru both wondered how he was going to get himself out of this one. "There will be a lot of professors and doctorates from all over the world. I may land a post-residency or research job because of this. It will be a good opportunity to get to know some colleagues from Johns Hopkins and Stanford. I really want to take you, but..." he paused to hand Usagi a tissue for her running nose, "well, you remember what happened last time at Edward's party."
Usagi sniffled and reflected upon her drunken experience. John Hop-nani? Stan-furd? Usagi's head spun from just the American names, she had to admit that English and martini was a cocktail that did not sit well with her. But still...
"Usagi," Michiru finally decided to clear up the situation. "Mamoru-san is only inviting me because he wants me to also perform at this banquet. The original cellist was chosen for a competition, and now they are in desperate need of a cellist at the last minute. I've been meaning to pick up the cello again, so Mamoru-san thought it would be perfect for me to attend the function, that's all. But if you are uncomfortable, I'll certainly understand." The violinist kindly offered Usagi her handkerchief.
"Haruka-san?" Usagi looked pointedly at Haruka, tears welling up in her eyes. "You are okay with this?"
Perfect, Haruka plotted. Odango hates the idea, it's two against two now. I need her help to talk Michiru and Chiba out of this.
"Of course not!" the scheming racer tried her best to be dramatic. "I have a barbecue that same afternoon with the F-1 guys. Everyone else is bringing their girlfriend, I would look foolish if I showed up alone."
"Jaa, I have an idea!" Michiru placed her hand over her partner's arm. "Haruka, why don't you take Usagi to the barbecue? I'm sure she'll appreciate all the dessert tables more than I will."
"NO!" Haruka reacted all too quickly, which proved to be a major mistake.
"Hidoi!" came another deafening shriek. "No Mamo-chan or barbecue!"
"Haruka!" Michiru scolded her partner while Mamoru ordered a slice of cake in an attempt to console his girlfriend.
"Come on, Odango, stop crying." She reluctantly resigned through gritted teeth, "...I'll make sure to escort you to every dessert table at the barbecue."
Just great, Haruka thought bitterly to herself. Stuck with Odango at a barbecue with an endless supply of junk food. Was this a karmic retaliation of her meaningless flirting with Sailormoon during the Death Busters' invasion? If so, Haruka was thoroughly regretting her past misconduct at that very moment.
"Honto?" Usagi displayed an impressive demonstration of how quickly her mouth can turn from a frown to a smile. Exchanging last minute English cram lessons for desserts definitely sounded like a sweet deal to her. "Yummy desserts, here I come!"
I know I should be happy that we cheered her up, Mamoru thought to himself while he watched Usagi chomp contentedly on her carrot cake, completely forgetting that she didn't even like carrots in the first place. But why does it feel like I can't measure up to food?
"Just what you wanted, ne?" Michiru whispered teasingly to a peeved Haruka. "Maybe you can even try kissing her when she's not Sailormoon."
Haruka coughed; Usagi blinked; and the matter was settled.
Michiru looked in the closest for the fifth time. Where was that white chiffon Chanel dress she was looking for? She recalled picking it up from the cleaners the night before, intending to wear it tonight, yet she couldn't find it anywhere.
Oh well, this satin Valentino gown from the last Europe concert tour will just have to do... Michiru sighed, resorting to her backup plan.
Pulling her hair up in a loose bun, Michiru checked her reflection upon completed dressing. The silky teal fabric fell beautifully over her slim figure; the draping neckline accentuating her long, slender neck even more. A pair of Cartier pearl earrings and a matching bracelet were her simply adorned accessories. And although she wore quite a bit of makeup as a regard for the evening's formality, Michiru's natural skin radiance and the beauty of her features always shone through.
Michiru made a slow turn in front of the full-length mirror and decided that her backup plan was not so bad after all, even if the teal gown was far more conservative than her first choice. After applying some perfume to her pulse points, she suddenly recalled something and quickly descended the stairs to Hotaru's room.
"Michiru-mama, you look so pretty!" Hotaru lifted her head up from her latest mystery novel and greeted Michiru with a look of admiration.
"Arigatou," Michiru smiled at her daughter, feeling a little guilty that neither she or Haruka were able to keep their daughter company that evening. Fortunately, Setsuna had always been a reliable third parent, which was especially nice when the couple wanted "alone time".
"Hotaru, did you happen to see the white dress lying on the lounger in my bedroom last night?" she asked Hotaru, bending down to gently smooth her daughter's purple hair.
"Hai, it's right here," Hotaru went to her closet and reveal the hidden treasure inside. "Haruka-papa brought it here this morning. She said it would be a good dress for me to wear when I'm older. But she also said I can't wear it in front of boys."
"Oh, did she?" She is so predictable, Michiru thought as she decided that Haruka was definitely sleeping in the guest bedroom that night. "Ne, Hime-chan, do you mind if I borrow it?"
"Hai!" Hotaru was more than happy to oblige. Michiru-mama looked beautiful in teal, but that sheer, flowing white dress was so much better! She wondered why her Haruka-papa didn't suggest that to Michiru-mama.
Mamoru arrived in a sharp (what else?) black tuxedo to pick Michiru up at six o'clock exactly. He even brought a bouquet of stargazer lilies for the ladies, which Setsuna promptly placed into a Tiffany vase. Michiru took one flower and pinned it to her hair, the perfect accent to her attire. Mamoru loaded Michiru's Stradivarius cello into the car while she slipped on her silver Manolo Blahnik stilettos.
"Itte kimasu," Michiru waved goodbye to Setsuna and Hotaru from the passenger seat as the red sportscar pulled from the driveway.
"Ganbatte ne," came the enthusiastic good luck wishes. "Itte irasshai!"
"I just spoke to Usako before I drove over," as the two hit across a bit of traffic in the ever-bustling streets of Tokyo, Mamoru cheerfully recapped to Michiru an earlier conversation with his girlfriend, "she had a great time at Haruka-san's barbecue and said that she will be sleeping early tonight because she's too tired from eating."
"Is that so?" Michiru giggled softly, "I figured that the F-1 team barbecue would not fall short of her expectations. She's not mad at you anymore?"
"Not after several slices of 'the best ice cream cake, apple pie, chocolate brownie I had in my life'," Mamoru quoted. "I almost wanted to ask her if she needed Haruka-san's help getting into the car."
"Hmmmm... I wonder where Haruka is right now since she already drove Usagi home," Michiru contemplated suddenly, "I didn't have a chance to talk to her before getting ready, I hope she's still not bitter about everything."
"I know," Mamoru turned solemn again as the traffic started clearing up. "Any recommendations for my peace offering gift to her?"
As Mamoru lead Michiru across the Keio Shinanomachi campus, he first became aware of the extra attention that he was drawing from the way people stopped conversing as he and Michiru passed them. Heads turned as he escorted captivating beauty past the university hospital toward the East Lecture Hall. Acclaimed professors and doctoral candidates, the nerds and playboys of the elite medical world were all captured by the beautiful musician who unexpectedly graced their campus. Mamoru, for once, felt proud to be with his company.
Michiru held politely onto Mamoru's arm. This was an experience she never had when she was out with Haruka since her partner's overprotectiveness, borderline possessiveness, usually meant that if anyone dared to look at her appreciatively, they would definitely be reciprocated with looks of death from Haruka. She could care less about how many pairs of eyes she was attracting, but it was nice that she didn't have to worry about her date intimidating an innocent bystander who just wanted to stand afar and admire.
When the three other members of the quartet learned that the famous violinist Kaioh Michiru was going to be their cellist for the evening, the musicians were all delighted and in awe. Michiru's serene nature immediately put their minds at ease, and the string quartet performed flawlessly. Although she loved the violin more than any other instrument, Michiru was surprised at how much she enjoyed performing as a cellist. For the first time since her concert with the Three Lights, she had the opportunity to participate in a joint musical collaboration and share the spotlight with other talented musicians, and she didn't mind at all.
"How were you able to win Kaioh Michiru's affections?" A Keio acquaintance slyly approached Mamoru as the applause for the encore faded away. "Did she dump her racer boyfriend Tenoh Haruka for you?"
"Oh no," Mamoru defended dignifiedly, "we're just friends."
"Trust me, you'll give in soon," he gave Mamoru a knowing nudge before pressing something discreetly into his palm as they shook hands. "Thank me tomorrow morning."
Mamoru looked down at the small package in his palm and read "Trojan Ultra Thin", dumbfounded. After making sure that his friend was far enough to no longer notice, he searched for a trash can, which he decided would be the suitable home for the unwelcome "gift".
"Mr. Chiba, I am so touched by your girlfriend's music!" A geeky Stanford doctorate stopped Mamoru while he made his way across the room. Mamoru quickly stuffed the suspicious plastic square into his jacket pocket. "You are a very lucky man," the American continued jealously, gesturing toward Michiru.
"We're not dating," Mamoru explained. "She's a good friend."
"Really? Does that mean I'll have a chance with her?"
"Uh..." Mamoru didn't know how to tell him about Michiru's "significant other".
"Yo, Chiba!" Fortunately for the tongue-tied Mamoru, a former Harvard classmate dragged him away from his awkwardness. "Come meet Mari-chan, Dr. Shimizu's latest patient, who just got her DD implants last month." The two men walked past the table where Michiru sat chatting the rest of the quartet. Mamoru shot Michiru an apologetic look when his Harvard friend made some monkey noises at the well-endowed Mari.
"Young man," Dr. Shimizu, who stood with his hand around Mari's waist, nodded wisely at his protege's admirer. "As an aspiring plastic surgeon, you should be excited."
Men, no matter what age. Michiru thought as she realized how much she missed Haruka all of a sudden. Can't live with them, can't live without...
Well...
Michiru decided that it would definitely be very cold in their bed if Haruka slept in the guest bedroom, so the earlier dress incident will have to be overlooked.
"Arigatou, Mamoru-san," Michiru said courteously as Mamoru escorted her back to his car, "I had a wonderful time."
"The pleasure's mine. I don't think I would've gotten so much attention if you weren't here. I even got a couple of job offers as we were leaving," Mamoru replied, equally grateful. "Are you cold?" Realizing that Michiru had wrapped her arms around herself, Mamoru gallantly took off his jacket and placed it over Michiru's shivering shoulders to protect her from the damp fog that started to build up. "Here, this should help."
"Get your hands off of her!" Without warning, a tall figure emerged from the nearby rose bushes and pulled Michiru away from Mamoru.
Michiru, caught off guard, struggled herself free before she finally recognized the culprit underneath all the branches and leaves. "Haruka? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to pick you up," Haruka answered a-matter-of-factly.
"Really?" Michiru examined her disheveled partner suspiciously. It may be the guest bedroom tonight for Haruka afterall. "Do you not trust me?"
"I trust you, I just don't trust him," Haruka glared at Mamoru.
"Don't be silly, Haruka," The violinist found the situation both infuriating and comical at the same time. "Mamoru-san had been the perfect gentleman, which is not what I can say about you at this moment."
"How is he a gentleman? He tried to take advantage of you!"
"I did not!" Feeling very wrongfully accused, Mamoru finally objected after watching the couple go back and forth.
"You tried to put your arms around her!"
"She was cold!" Mamoru believed he was actually talking to a rock in the form of Haruka's head. "Offering my coat was the gentleman thing to do."
"You just didn't want her to be cold?" Haruka was not convinced. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"Fine," Haruka was a little tired of the interrogation herself, having been neurotic ever since she had dropped off Usagi and came to hang out in the thorn bushes for the last few hours. She took off her own jacket and replaced it over Michiru's pale shoulders.
Just as Mamoru caught his jacket tossed mid air to avoid being hit directly in the face, a grey square fell from one of the pockets onto the grassy lawn. Haruka looked down curiously at the small package and picked it up before Mamoru was able to get to it.
The racer's face was instantly red with rage as she imagined her worst nightmare.
"No no! I can explain!" It was then that Mamoru realized he had forgotten to dispose of his friend's "gift".
"Oh yeah? Explain it to my Space Sword, Romeo."
The red sportscar sped off, tires screeching. Haruka's blood pressure finally returned to normal. Michiru had stepped in at the last minute when Haruka busted out her henshin pen and taunted Mamoru to go and pick a rose off the bushes.
"Arigatou, Michiru," Haruka recomposed herself. "It was a good thing that you stopped us. I was definitely ready to transform, even in front of all those people."
"Which, of course, was totally pointless, completely irrational," Michiru scolded, "...and utterly adorable."
"Michiru?" As the couple walked towards their Ferrari, Haruka's throat suddenly felt dry. "Would you ever be interested in men?"
"Maybe," Michiru glanced over her shoulders at the foolishly stunned Haruka. "Are you concerned?"
"I'm worried," Haruka admitted defeatedly. Her normally tough exterior always crumbled in front of Michiru, and this was definitely not the time for her pride to take over. "Men would line up even just for the chance to talk to you."
"Well," Michiru smiled mysteriously, "in order for me to be interested, he has to meet one very important criteria first."
"Only one?"
"Baka wa ne!" Michiru laughed and swung her arms around her partner's neck. "He has to be 'Haruka' first."
The blonde took a couple seconds to digest that piece of information before grinning back, her arms wrapped instinctively around Michiru's waist. "Fair enough."
O-shimai
Ichigo's Notes: Michiru stopped by and complained to me that she didn't get enough of a stage presence in my debut fanfic. She scolded me and told me that I didn't deserve to be her #1 Fan. So I hope that this odd little story made her (and other Michiru fans out there) happier.
Michiru-sama, I've learned my lesson, honto ni gomen nasai!
Everyone may seem a bit out of character (but given the circumstances?); however, I simply cannot write another fanfic without getting this one out of my system first. There may be a sequel... if there are other brave souls who enjoy seeing Haruka jealous as much as I do. ; )