My Cousin's Roommate

By Silas C.

Faithful Series

Chapter Eighteen: Dinner Party

-----

Summary: Michiru is having problems with her life and seeks comfort at her cousin's apartment. But it's only a matter of time before she realizes that her problems don't go away, they follow her.

-----

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, of course, doesn't belong to me. I'm simply borrowing. Also, Haruka is not a man in this story. She wasn't a man in the anime, she won't be here either.

-----

Author's Note: You guys are killin' me! I swear, every time I got a new review I was laughing over the side of my computer and Amaya threw me questioning looks. Tristan was simply amused through it all. I suppose I should be grateful that no one cussed me out, ran me over or in some way, shape or form, tried to kill me. We are finally here, my fan-flippin-tastic readers. It's been a LONG journey to get to this point. Either way I look at it, it's been close to a month reading your reviews, interacting with those who email me and of course, writing this fic. I'd have to say that this is the fic I had most fun with, mainly because everyone here is pretty much super awesome. Your responses are classic and while I don't always have the time to respond to every reviewer, I seriously read and archive every single one of your reviews in my inbox so that I can laugh, feel good or be motivated when ever I need it. Thanks for reading, yall are great and I love you (although my intentionally cruel chapters might not prove that). I absolutely get a kick writing for all of you. But alas, I must get back to Queen Michiru I, Kaze no Hangyaku and the new "Beautiful" fic that I've been writing. Ja ne.

-----

" Michiru… "

The aqua-haired woman turned around to find her mother somewhat concerned. " Hai mother? " The older woman found a smile on her daughter's face but absolutely no trace of what she had taken a glimpse of earlier: sorrow.

" Oh, it's nothing. " Her mother replied when Michiru giggled. She knew there was something wrong with her daughter but she couldn't quite place it. " Well, I think I've maxed out your father's credit card. " Michiru glared at her mother playfully. " I'm only kidding. Let's head home. Your father said he had some important news to tell us when we got back. "

" Okay. " Michiru obliged as she fought the urge to look back.

-----

She didn't know why it hurt so bad. It's not that she came back to Osaka expecting to see Haruka but she sure didn't come back expecting to see the blonde with another woman. It had only been a couple weeks since Michiru had been given the letter and, if Haruka had loved her like she had written, then why was it so easy for her to be with another woman? Michiru wiped another set of tears from her cheeks and traced her fingers across the edges of the paper in her hand. None of this made sense. Haruka acted as if she didn't want to be there. And even if she had gotten over Michiru, then she shouldn't have acted with distance and indifference.

" When you're away, even for five minutes, all I can think of is you. "

Michiru couldn't have felt further from that truth. She might have spent the whole afternoon mourning the events that happened before lunch but she was sure, from the way Haruka had treated her, that the blonde wasn't thinking of anyone besides Kimiko. Otherwise, Haruka would have tried to contact her. The blonde surely had her phone number and was in the position to make a simple call, but she didn't. That's all it really was, a call that would apologize for her rude behavior, but it seemed as though Haruka didn't feel sorry for what she had said.

" Everyone else is compared to you. In a strange way, you're the top of the bar, so everyone, in my eyes, will only measure up to you but never really reach you. "

Had everything Haruka said been a lie? If this was true, it only meant that Haruka didn't want to be with Kimiko…wait, no… she knew that her eyes didn't lie to her; she saw Haruka cuddle Kimiko the way she wanted Haruka to cuddle her. Was it Kimiko that now set the bar? Was it Michiru that now had to try and reach the bar, but theoretically would never actually be able to measure up? Kimiko, Sachiko… it was almost like Haruka simply replaced Sachiko. She didn't show signs of remorse, or grief or loss, from when she broke up with Sachiko… perhaps Haruka had been lying the whole time. Not only to Sachiko but to her as well… maybe she wasn't a one-woman woman. The thought never really crossed Michiru's mind until this point.

" Without you I feel listless, wanting, empty. "

More tears made their way to her face as she finally crumpled up the paper in her hand. There wasn't a point in reading this letter over and over, especially if it wasn't true. Who was she kidding? Haruka already had a new girlfriend in a new city and she probably had a new job as well. Everything was well for Haruka. Michiru's only problem is now the things that were written to her, were the things that she felt for the blonde. It was Michiru that felt listless, wanting and empty. The aqua-haired woman heard a knock on the door and she frantically wiped her face, tossed the love note in the trash and answered the unknown visitor.

" Sweetie, change in plans tonight. We're not going out to dinner. Your father's partner is coming over for dinner, along with a few of his chairmen. " Michiru's mother waited for a response but her daughter's expression worried her. " Is that okay with you? If you want to go out to dinner, we can try and go before his friends come over… "

" No, that's not it mother. " Michiru faked a smile. " I was thinking about father's company; I didn't realize he had a partner. "

" Oh yes, he recently hired one. Anyways, I need you to get ready - dress up nice, okay? " Michiru's mother pinched her daughter's cheek affectionately. " Your father's partner and his chairmen are coming over in about an hour, so be ready then. "

" Of course. " Michiru closed the door and leaned against it, heavily. She didn't want to have dinner with one of dad's co-partners. Most of the people he worked with so unbelievably boring and they had a tendency of looking down on anything that's not business related. So, if she wasn't talking about the stock market, or financial statistics, or new ways to improve advertising for the business, then it wasn't worth hearing. She had met so many of dad's associates before, this one would be the same. Michiru could picture an older man who was outspoken, had a pot belly and probably thought he was the best man in the world. As for the rest of them, they would simply be a variation of his father's co-partner and nothing more.

Michiru sighed as she stepped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower.

-----

Michiru's mother called out to Michiru's father. " Sweetheart, grab the phone. " The man walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. He picked up the phone but not before he planted a gentle kiss on his wife's lips. " Oh. " She smiled with a gleam in her eye and then continued to run around the kitchen preparing the food.

" Hello? "

" Evening, Kaioh-san. I just called to say that I would be a bit late. I had something unexpected come up."

" Fashionably late is one thing… late to my dinner party is another. " Michiru's father pretended to sound mad.

" I'm terribly sorry. "

" I'm only joking with you. " The man laughed wholeheartedly. " But you should hurry, my daughter is going to be here for the dinner. She's been looking around and with the chairmen coming, you might not have that great of a chance if you come too late. "

" So she's single? "

" Yes. "

" Are you hinting at something Kaioh-san? "

" Well, she's single. And I couldn't possibly be more pleased to see you bring her flowers. "

" I see. I can't help but feel I'm nothing more than a pawn in your set up. "

" Oh come on, it's not that bad. She'll be dressed beautiful tonight. "

" Beauty isn't everything; personality counts for a lot. "

" She won't turn you down. She recently broke up with her boyfriend, I'm sure she's feeling lonely. "

" I don't want to take advantage of her. "

" But you're my partner and as such, you should be a part of my family. I want you two to get married. "

" I can't do something like that. "

" Sure you can. "

" Kaioh-san, this is a bad plan. "

" Just bring the flowers. "

The other voice sighed in defeat. " Hai. "

Michiru's father hung up the phone and pursed his lips in thought. He felt his wife grab hold off his arm and look up at him questioningly. He smiled widely. " Everything is going according to plan, don't you worry. " He bent down again, bestowing another kiss to his wife before speaking again. " Trust me! The flowers have been suggested and make sure you put the name cards next to each other, understand? "

" You're such a smart wife. Everyone should be able to have one of you and since there is only one of you, you're mine and mine alone! " Michiru's father picked up his wife and swung her around playfully as she laughed. " Oh, I have to finish getting ready. Do you need anymore help in here? " Michiru's father allowed his wife to stand back on the floor.

" No, if I do need help, I can ask Michiru. She's almost done getting ready. "

" Great. " He replied as he darted out of the kitchen and up to his room.

-----

For simplicity's sake, Michiru had decided to go with something in between casual and formal, something that she was comfortable in but also something that didn't reveal too much. She didn't know whether or not having portions of her body open for viewing would 'distract' any of her father's co-workers. The thought in itself caused her to shudder. She supposed that was why she chose a golden colored dress that covered most of her shoulders and only revealed, at most, the collarbone area of her body. As she applied some lip gloss and finished drying her hair, Michiru felt an overwhelming sensation of satisfaction arise; it wasn't every day that she dressed up but when she did, she was sure that she made her parents proud.

" Okay, only a couple of hours having to listen to the world's worst conversations… " Michiru bit her lip. " I hope I can do this. " The aqua-haired girl made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, finding her mother is a rather stressful mood. " Mother, is there anything I can do to help? " Her mother stopped to smile at her.

" You can try to look as though you wouldn't rather be jumping off a cliff right now. " Michiru's mother giggled as she watched her daughter blush. " What? Did you think I wouldn't know? "

" Possibly… " Michiru laughed. " That's not the point. I only hope I can make it through the night without being rude. "

" Yes, please. " Michiru's mother asked as if she were asking for a glass of milk. They carried on a few conversations as Michiru began to help set out the dishes and glasses. It had been a while since she last had a real fancy dinner at home and she was beginning to think that this was awful special for a casual dinner. When the door bell rang, the only thought running through Michiru's head was: And the torture begins. " Michiru, darling, will you greet the guests please? "

" Hai. " Michiru cleaned off her hands real quick and made her way to the door. She was surprised to see that her father had already done the deed but she made her way to the visitors anyways.

" Kenta-san, good evening. " Michiru's father opened the door and shook each man's hand as he greeted them. " Yoshiro-san, how are you? Ryota-san, welcome. " Michiru smiled politely as each of them were ushered past her, into the front room. A vision of Haruka intruded her thoughts as she remembered very well, the 'dream' that she had the night before. " I'd like all of you to meet my daughter, Michiru-san. " All of them waved politely but none of them were enthusiastic about being there. Michiru wondered why someone would come with such lukewarm behavior as they had. The aqua-haired woman made note of the fact that none of them so much as addressed her, they simply looked around the room as if they had something more interesting to look at.

" I'll check on the dinner. " Michiru replied softly as she left her father's side. When she stepped into the kitchen she exhaled deeply. Her mother looked over at her with furrowed eyebrows. " Just as I had expected. All of them are older than father, possess little manners and enthusiasm for being here. They could have called in sick."

" Did you expect something else? Perhaps someone young? Charming? Polite? How about someone with a bright smile and an outgoing personality? " Michiru was about to say 'no' when she realized all of those qualities that her mother referred to reminded her of Haruka. It was ironic that even though she was doing everything in her power to ignore thoughts of the blonde, she continued to be reminded of the charismatic woman. " You shouldn't expect such things of father's friends. I'm only grateful that I have someone as attractive as him. " Michiru laughed but was cut off when her father entered the kitchen.

" Where's the tea? " He asked with concern. " I forgot that my partner likes tea. "

" Ara? Which one is he? " Michiru asked, curious to see which lame man out there was the one her father thought suitable enough to run the company with. Michiru's father blushed.

" Oh, he's not here yet. "

" Why are you red in the face? " Michiru watched as her father's shade only deepened with color. " Is it because he's the most important man out of all of them and he's the only one that managed to be late? "

" Sometimes I wonder if anything slips by you. " Her father stepped around her and took the tea off the kettle. " Make sure this is hot, my partner should be here in fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, let's get them situated at the table and by the time my partner comes, everything should be set out to eat. "

Michiru was unsure as to why her father's partner was so special. He'd never been this way before with any other co-worker; it surprised her to see him so animated when it came to this man. Michiru shrugged and did as he asked. It took them all but five minutes to have them seated and indulging in the fine food and wine. Boring conversation made its way into Michiru's ears as she dozed off, reminiscing of a certain sandy-haired blonde.

" Your father tells me you're in the … artsy field… is this true Kaioh-san? " One of the chairmen asked but Michiru knew he didn't inquire out of curiosity, he inquired because he was silently attacking her love of music.

" This much - " Michiru started but furrowed her eyebrows when she was cut off by another man.

" Surely the field of art isn't your primary talent, is it? " The second chairmen asked, having a hard time comprehending what that might mean for an individual's future.

" That shouldn't mat-- " Michiru stopped when she heard the doorbell ring. Her father glanced over at her with apologetic eyes. " I'll get it. " Michiru muttered under breath, secretly cursing whoever decided to show up late. The aqua-haired woman went to the door and flung it open, despite how polite she was raised to be.

" Good evening, Kaioh-san. " All signs of Michiru's anger simply dissolved at the sight of the tall, well-dressed, unbelievably handsome blonde. Contrary to her belief on all of father's co-workers being older than him, she was surprised to see that someone of considerable youth stood to be her father's partner in business. " Kaioh-san? " The blonde's words held a tone of concern and she quickly halted her examining eyes but her thoughts began to race at a thousand miles per hour. What was she to say? Was this some sort of trick? Why was she seeing the blonde now, of all times? Was this her father's partner? She didn't understand and she knew that the blonde had caught on to this. " Kaioh-san, is everything okay? "

Michiru swallowed hard. " Tenoh-san… " Michiru recognized Haruka's charming smile and wondered why on earth the blonde had humor for a situation as they were in now. Michiru bit her lip and shook her head. She was tough, she didn't need to explain herself, it was the other way around. " What is your business here? " She asked as if she were attempting to be rigid but, she knew she was far from being cruel and unkind; she simply didn't have it in her to exact judgment upon the woman who inadvertently turned her down that afternoon. Haruka seemed to be surprised by the comment as she wiped the grin off her face and took a deep breath.

" If it isn't obvious enough, I'm your father's partner. " Haruka pulled out a dozen roses from behind her back and handed them to Michiru as she pushed her way into the house and closed the door.

" What are these? " Michiru inquired in a defensive manner.

" You're not one for obvious things, are you? " Haruka seemed to be hurt by the rude behavior Michiru was exhibiting but the aqua-haired woman owed the blonde nothing, not after what she had seen today. " They're roses… for you, Michiru. "

Michiru felt overwhelmed with emotions. She wanted to hug the blonde as she had earlier that day. She wanted to kiss her, confess her love, hold her… just like she had in the dream, but only this time, she wanted to keep Haruka. Thoughts of the Kimiko entered Michiru's mind, she would never forget how quick Haruka was able to get over her. Michiru's face filled with sadness as she looked up at the beautiful blonde. " Kaioh-san. " Out of the all the things she wanted to say, she had neither the courage nor the heart to say them now; she was simply overwhelmed and wasn't sure what to do.

" Must you always correct me? " Haruka walked by the front room and easily found her way to the dining room without so much as hesitating; Michiru could have sworn that the blonde knew where she was going.

" How do you know where the dining room is? "

Haruka stopped before entering the door. " You'll find out in due time. " She whispered as she opened the door. All of the chairmen began clapping at Haruka's entrance, casually joking about her being fashionably late. " I'm extremely sorry, you'll have to forgive my delay. "

" Nonsense, forgive us, we were hungry. " Michiru's father motioned for Haruka to sit down but the blonde opted to greet everyone first. Michiru was surprised to see that she was quite acquainted with the chairmen but more so surprised to see that Haruka had bestowed a kiss upon her mother's cheek and no one seemed to make a fuss about it.

" Michiru-san, " Haruka brought her attention to the chair she was holding. " come sit down with us. " Michiru obliged, somewhat glad to see that the blonde was planning to sit right next to her. Haruka waited for her to sit down before she took her own seat. " So, what were you gentlemen talking about before I came, surely not making jokes at my expense… " Everyone laughed.

" No, no. We were talking about the field of arts and about Michiru's profession. "

" Yes and that we don't think it's wise to make arts your primary talent. Don't you think so too, Haruka-san? "

Haruka knew where this was heading and she could tell that Michiru didn't have the heart to respond, most likely because they wouldn't let her get a word in. Haruka looked to Michiru's father who offered no help and then to her mother, who seemed to shrug the offense off. Well, someone had to protect the girl from intrusive men.

" On the contrary, I think all men should make arts their primary talent. " Haruka saw Michiru glance over at her, taken by surprise. " If Michiru-san is talented in the fine arts, " Michiru smiled. She was getting tired of the chairmen calling it the 'field of arts' and was satisfied to see that Haruka thought better of art. " then perhaps all of you are jealous that you simply can't possess this talent? " Most of them scoffed but it didn't keep them from listening to Haruka's words; they gave all of their undivided attention to the blonde. " Did you know Michiru-san is one of the best violinists in the world? "

" Really? "

" Really. " Haruka replied to one of the chairmen. She took note of the amusement of Michiru's parents' face; she took that as an indication that both of them were pleased. " It's said that if you can play the violin, you can reach the heavens with your music and please the Gods that roam in the sky. " Haruka winked at Michiru. " Maybe she's ensuring her place in heaven while all of you greedy chairmen are ensuring your place in … well, another place. "

" Surely that can't be-- "

Haruka cut the first chairmen off. " Oh, you better believe it. There's no reason for me to lie. Obviously the Gods favor Michiru with her beauty and diverse talents. What do you chairmen have to boast - age and money? That won't save you. " The chairmen were in awe and were seemingly having a revelation right before Michiru. The aqua-haired woman couldn't believe that Haruka had the power to charm women but men as well.

Michiru shook away the charm that the blonde exhibited. Sitting here was absolutely torture. She could feel Haruka's leg pushed up against her and even though it was very little contact, it was enough to send Michiru through the roof. On top of that, Michiru was intoxicated by the mere scent of the woman sitting next to her and was completely absorbed in how attractive the blonde was. It didn't help that she had roses sitting in the front room, beautiful ones at that. The aqua-haired woman felt as if she were a victim of some sick game, one that was simply suffering in. All she wanted was Haruka. Instead, she found herself in a room, next to Haruka, fighting to restrain herself from doing anything that would reflect negatively on her father. Finally, unable to battle with her desire or seemingly endless questions, Michiru stood up. Haruka too, stood up when she noticed the woman had intentions of leaving.

" Please excuse me father, I don't think I'm feeling well. " Michiru nodded to the chairmen. " If I don't see you before the four of you leave, I would like you to know that it was a pleasure speaking with you. I do hope that you can grace your presence at another one of our dinners some time in the future. " The chairmen said their farewells but were disappointed to see her leave. Haruka stared after the woman longingly.

" Haruka-san, would you be a darling and make sure everything is okay? " Michiru's mother asked with a smile on her face. Haruka grinned when she got the approval from Michiru's father as well and politely excused herself.

" Gentlemen, behave yourselves. And quit trying to take over the world. " Haruka pointed a finger at them to which they responded by laughing. Then the blonde was out the door and up the stairs. She had to find Michiru. She desperately needed to explain what was going on. The blonde looked everywhere and finally found Michiru where she didn't think to look: in Michiru's room. Haruka entered but only after quietly knocking. " Michiru… " The blonde closed the door behind her and noticed that Michiru had already changed into something more comfortable.

" I suppose you're not big on privacy. " Michiru replied without enthusiasm. " What brings you here? "

" Everything. " Haruka took off her jacket, loosened her tie and allowed some breathing room for her neck. " First of all, I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. When I wrote you that letter… "

" You mean when you wrote me a lie? " Michiru didn't want the words to come from her mouth but she wanted so bad to be told the truth. She just wanted Haruka to confirm her suspicions or wash them away.

" Iie, none of it was a lie! " Haruka approached Michiru. " None of it was a lie. I meant every single word. " The blonde placed a hand on the aqua-haired woman's face.

" Then how can you be with someone else!? " Michiru had tears freely falling down her face as she was angered at the thought of Kimiko. " You held that girl like I wanted you to hold me. How can you like someone else? How can you stand to hold her when you say that you love me? I can't even stand to look at anyone else because I want them to be you… " Michiru's pushed away Haruka's hand. "… but it's never good enough. " The aqua-haired woman whispered in admittance as she cried even more. Haruka tried everything in her power to take hold of Michiru, but the other girl wasn't having it. " Bring on the excuses, Haruka. Tell me why you left. Tell me why you couldn't wait for me. Tell me why you needed someone else. Tell me why you wrote the letter if you intended to get over me in less than a month. Tell me why you're here. Tell me why you know your way around my house. Tell me why my parents absolutely adore you. Tell me everything because up until now, the truth is that you've done nothing but lied. "

Haruka felt tears in her eyes as well. " If it was that easy, I would have told you already. I left because I couldn't take it anymore. I was tired of being around you all the time but not being able to be with you. I wanted to kiss you like I did in the park. I wanted to hold you and make all of your troubles go away. I wish you would have spared me one moment, one moment that I could have swept you off of your feet. But the truth was, you didn't want me. Even if I could charm every other girl in the world, you were the one that I wanted to charm the most but couldn't. I gave you everything I had. I offered you the job because I wanted to be around you all the time. It gave me an excuse to see your face, to 'accidentally' touch your hand as you handed me a document, it simply gave me reason to spend time with you. " Haruka lowered her head in defeat. " But that wasn't enough. You had Inoue-san. He didn't care for you like I did. I'm sure all he wanted was to 'conquer' you and when he did, he probably would have left you. I wanted you so bad and I would have treated you so much better… but you always made excuses for why you didn't want me. You're the one who was lying, not me. "

" Me? " Michiru asked but she knew what the blonde had said was true. She didn't try to deny the words because doing so wouldn't have changed the situation.

" You. I loved you. I loved everything about you. Sachiko wasn't in the picture before you came and the only reason she was in the picture after you arrived was because she knew you would threaten her position with me. She knew you would treat me better and she didn't like that. She didn't like the fact that when we were together, everything was perfect. "

" Perfect? " Michiru didn't know that the blonde had felt the same way too. It brought tears to her eyes knowing that she had something great and she continuously pushed it away. " You thought we were perfect? "

" I did. I thought you felt the same way too. That's why when I kissed you I was surprised to see that you had doubts. "

" You don't understand. "

" Then explain. "

" You're not finished. Why did you write the letter if it was going to be easy getting over me? "

" I'm not over you. I meant every word of it and I still do. I think about you all the time. But if you truly didn't love me, I didn't see a point in interfering with your life and career with Inoue-san, so I left. You want to know why I'm so familiar with your house? It's because I lived here since I came to Osaka. " Haruka smiled. " I was glad because when I came here, your parents took me in like mine never would have. This was all their plan. "

" Plan? "

Haruka nodded. " When you came home, they wanted to get us together. " Haruka laughed. " They wanted you to be with me. Your mother told me that you loved me but that you wouldn't admit it. That you were scared. "

" Wait, what part of this was planned? "

" The kiss, on the couch, that was planned. They woke me up in the morning and had me leave. I didn't want to but they made me. They told me that they needed to confirm your love one last time. That's where Kimiko-san came in. " Haruka began to get nervous in her confession. " Please don't kill me. Your mother hooked us up. "

" Are you two dating? "

" Not really. We pretended to 'date' and casually walk by the area that your mom would be shopping in. I was hoping I would catch you. "

" And today was planned too? "

" Hai. Dinner and everything. "

" And I wasn't dreaming in the front room? "

" Iie. " Haruka admitted. Michiru slapped the blonde as hard as she could. " What was that for? "

" Just wanted to make sure this wasn't a dream too. " Michiru grinned maliciously.

" Why did you have to hit me? Aren't you supposed to pinch yourself? " Haruka felt another slap on her face. " What was that one for? " She asked, rubbing her cheek.

" I had to confirm that you weren't dreaming either. " Michiru smirked as she landed ANOTHER slap on Haruka's face. The blonde groaned. " That one was for letting me believe that our kiss was a dream. Besides, first kisses are supposed to be real, not fake. "

" Let me get this straight, you hit me three times to confirm that neither you nor I are dreaming and because first kisses are important? " Haruka was answered by another slap. " Michiru, this has got to stop! "

" That was for holding Kimiko-san intimately. You shouldn't have made the relationship so realistic. "

" You did so with Inoue-san! "

Michiru adverted her eyes as if she weren't guilty. " I don't know what you're talking about. I'm completely and totally innocent. "

" With that logic, I should slap you too. " Haruka frowned.

" You can punish me later. " Michiru stuck her tongue out. " For now, I have to confront my parents. Why they would hide, lie and plan to bring us together, I don't know. But I plan to find out what's really going on. "

" But I want to punish you now."

" Not now, later. " Michiru replied, playfully… although she had absolutely no intentions of ruining the moment she had right now.

" But they're eating. "

" I can interrupt them. " Michiru pretended to walk towards the door with much interest until Haruka cut in.

" But I'm hungry. "

" We can grab some food in the kitchen? " Michiru suggested as she pointed in the direction of the door.

" I'm hungry for something else… " Haruka pursed her lips in thought but it was obvious that she knew what she wanted.

" Is that so? " Michiru arched her eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. This was the part she was waiting for.

" It is. "

" What are you hungry for? "

" Punishment. "

" Oh? "

" Oh. " Haruka asserted.

" What sort of punishment do you have in mind… I might be able to spare some time…" Michiru wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and innocently batted her eyes.

" Words don't justify my thoughts, why don't I simply show you? " Haruka pressed her lips against Michiru's as they indulged in their second, sweetest kiss in the world. They carefully walked themselves over to Michiru's bed with so much as breaking the kiss. It wasn't until Haruka had sprawled Michiru all over the bed that the aqua-haired woman broke the kiss.

" A demonstration, eh? "

Haruka smiled at the humor. " Something like that. " The blonde trailed kisses down Michiru's neck, intentionally teasing her and inadvertently building Michiru's desire.

" Haruka? "

" Yeah? " The blonde stopped what she was doing when she felt the other girl place a hand on her shoulder.

" It was because I was scared. " Michiru bit her lip. " I was scared to fall in love with you because I knew if I did, I would give every part of me to you. And the thought of you possibly rejecting me, finding someone else, or having Sachiko take my place… I … was scared to admit my feelings to you. " Haruka placed a special kiss on Michiru's forehead and then pulled Michiru into an embrace.

" Michiru, I love you more than anyone else in this entire world. I knew that from the day you stepped in my kitchen. I need you, want you, love you. No one else can take that away, not Sachiko-san, not Kimiko-san… no one. " Michiru hugged Haruka tightly, loving every second that the blonde's arms were wrapped around her; she felt more secure than she ever had in her life.

" You know that I love you, right? "

" Hai, Hai… " Haruka laughed whole-heartedly. " And I love you too… "

" Haruka? " Michiru smiled. Feeling much better that now both of them had confessed, the aqua-haired woman began to unbutton the blonde's shirt.

" Yeah? " The blonde asked as she submitted to Michiru's will.

" Where's my demonstration? "

Haruka grinned.

-----

2AN: There might be an epilogue but probably not. School's been rough on me. Ja ne.

-----