Now Is Not the Time

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is not mine.

"Now is not the time!"

Uranus ducked behind a sturdy looking pillar just as a fireball whizzed through the space her head used to be. Magical cosmos power or not, Uranus did not think that Sailor Moon would be able to resurrect her mangled corpse if she were decapitated.

"No, now is the perfect time," Neptune's disembodied voice echoed from somewhere within the vast concert hall. "Say it or I won't help you."

Another fireball exploded from the other side of the pillar. Uranus cursed. This was not the time to bring up domestic dispute.

"Be reasonable!" Uranus shouted back. The pillar shook again as it took another hit. "We're in a middle of fighting a daemon!"

Neptune coolly replied, "I am being reasonable. In fact, I'm being downright logical about this. I have tried everything to get you to say it but somehow you always manage to slip away."

Uranus poked her head from behind the pillar to get locate the daemon but was forced to duck as another fireball flew at her face. 'Damnit, I'm not going to get anywhere unless I can find out where the daemon is sniping at me from,' Uranus thought.

"Just say it and I will get you out of your predicament."

Uranus gritted her teeth. Never. Uranus was nothing if not stubborn and she'll wait her partner out behind this pillar if she had to. Besides Neptune wouldn't just walk out on her.

More explosions and raining debris.

An exasperated sigh floated from somewhere. "I'm going now. Call me when you're ready."

Uranus yelped, "You're leaving me?"

A succinct, "Yes."

"I can get killed!"

Nothing.

How long will this pillar last?

Another explosion and this one knocked a fairly sizeable piece of rubble onto Uranus' head. Obviously, not forever.

"Ok, fine!" This was going to take all her discipline. Uranus conceded through clench teeth, "I love you."

"I can't quite hear you," came the taunt. Uranus could practically envision Neptune's smug face from her voice.

"I hate you so much right now!" Uranus shouted back.

Less loudly she said, "I love you. There happy?"

"Very."

Silence stretched forth and then the sounds of scuffle from the balcony across the room. It was only when Neptune called Deep Submerge and the screech of a defeated daemon faded that Uranus came out of hiding.

In a display of inhuman acrobatics, Neptune landed neatly next to her scowling partner and smiled at her brightly. "I love you too."

Uranus sent her the dirtiest look she could muster but deep inside she felt a sense of relief that had nothing to do with finally being freed from bombardment. Honestly, the things Michiru did for love.

Author's Note: I believe that Haruka would not confess her love unless someone forced her hands because she seems to be an emotionally stunted individual (my views). Love confessions from her seems so out of character to me that the only way I imagine her saying anything like that is only grudgingly. Though she might be reluctant to verbalize her commitment to Michiru it is nonetheless sincere and I think becuase it is truly heart felt that Haruka has such a hard time with saying things like that. It is going fall upon Michiru to move their relationship along and I expect that she would have fun at Haruka's expense along the way.