The House By The Sea

The Wedding

The church had been beautifully decorated, every row adorned with bouquets of roses and lilies, just like the bride's, the altar was simple yet elegant, everything was perfect. The guests had been looking at the couple with smiles etched on their faces, listening as they both said their "yes" and their vows, joyous that the two had finally decided to join their lives, their happiness increasing when the ceremony was over and it was time for the party.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the party: great food, great music, great environment, everything looking like it had come from a fairy tale. Even the bride and groom, now husband and wife. Today had been the day that Kaioh Michiru and Kou Seiya had decided to unite their lives, after being engaged for nearly two years plus four of dating.

The bride sat at her table, resting her feet for a while, her blue eyes scanning her surroundings, watching those that were around her laughing and dancing and smiling, some talking, others in silence, every guest exuding happiness. She on the other hand, wasn't feeling that happy. No, don't get her wrong, she was happy, who wouldn't be after marrying a guy like Seiya, handsome and nice, who treated her right and made her feel good, and who also happened to be one of the biggest music stars of the planet (not that she married him for his fame and fortune, she was just as renowned as he was), but simply not as happy as she thought she would be in her wedding day.

Her musings were interrupted as Meioh Setsuna, her best friend and who also happened to be her maid of honor, appeared in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere, something that Michiru was already accustomed to, after being friends for as long as she cared to remember. Her friend's red eyes stared at her own, her face set in a serious position, seeming to be looking at the very depths of her soul, before a soft smile ghosted her lips, her stance relaxing a tad, as she bent closer to her.

"I've got to admit Michiru, I'm very impressed. I never thought that you would actually follow through this." She teased her quietly.

"You know me Setsuna, always full of surprises." She said, sighing softly.

"Are you ok? You seem tired." Setsuna asked, her brow frowning with concern for her friend.

"I'm ok, even though I am a bit tired." She sighed. "I honestly can't wait to get this party over and simply go home and sleep…"

"Sleep? I don't think that's what you'll be doing when you get home. Not with that bastard that you married with." She growled out. Michiru smirked a bit at her friend's words. Setsuna had never really liked Seiya, having started disliking him when she had found out that they were dating, the dislike gradually evolving into what the aqua haired woman called a "pet" hate, culminating when she nearly jumped at his throat when the couple announced that they were engaged. She had eventually toned it down, for she knew that Seiya make her feel good, but still made no secret that she didn't like him (she had tried to dissuade her from marrying him every time they saw each other, even during the rehearsal dinner, with her fiancé standing right next to her).

"You know, I'm still surprised you accepted to make my dress without complaining. I thought you'd refuse or at least annoy me to death while making it, but you didn't even mention anything related with him once."

Setsuna's face got serious again. "Of course I accepted, Michiru. Do you think that I'd ever let anyone else get their paws on you and make you a dress that would never be a match to those that I make? Not even that idiot would stop me."

"What idiot?" asked a young girl that was passing by, her blonde hair styled in odangos, whose big, innocent blue eyes had a questioning look upon them.

"Seiya, of course, Usagi-chan." Answered the aqua haired woman with a roll of her eyes. "You know Setsuna has never really liked him."

"Hai… I never really understood why though… Why do you not like him, Setsuna-san?" the blonde asked, her eyes meeting Setsuna's.

"Well, there are plenty of reasons but, to make it short, I think he's an arrogant little idiot, who has his head far to inside his own ass to see what goes on around him, and who doesn't give a shit about anyone else but himself." Setsuna said in a breath, pausing to take another deep one, before continuing. "I think that the world would be a far better place without him and occasionally I find myself wishing he'd just be run over by a car… or get crushed by something… like a piano…" and her eyes got a dreamy gleam on them, as if she was seeing what she described happening before her, or probably just imagining other ways of him disappearing, before she snapped out of it. "I really don't like him."

Usagi blinked, her mouth hanging open, before she let out a slightly nervous laugh. "Um, ok , I, um, I've got to go and find Mamo-chan now… um yeah…" She quickly hugged the bride, congratulating her for the nth time, before she hurried off.

Michiru sighed. "I think you might have scared her Setsuna. Did you have to be that harsh?"

Setsuna huffed. "She was the one who asked."

They stared at each other and both just burst out laughing. After a good while, when they controlled themselves, Michiru got up from her chair, cringing a bit both from the pain in her feet and from the sound that left the violin from the band playing. She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to answer the violin's cry and run to the small stage and save the instrument from that evil man's hands, or simply just take out a shoe and throw at his head, as un-elegant as that might be. A small chuckle escaped Setsuna, and she knew that her friend knew exactly what she was thinking. She ignored the green haired woman and moved into the "jungle" around them, searching for her husband. He found her first.

"Michiru, koi!"

Said woman turned around, her eyes meeting her husband's, the tall, handsome man dressed in a black tuxedo moving towards her, before stopping and turning around, grabbing someone's hand and turning towards her again, this time seeming to be practically dragging that other person by the hand. "I want you to meet a good friend of mine." He said, pulling the other person forward.

And Michiru's heart stopped.

Standing in front of her was a tall person dressed in a white tuxedo, who had a messy blonde mop of hair and the deepest green eyes she had seen, whose head was turned toward her husband, probably readying to yell at him, Seiya cutting him off before he even managed to utter a word.

"Honey, this is Tenoh Haruka, a long time friend, and who also happens to be the world's best racer. Haruka, this is my wife, Michiru, and her friend, Meioh Setsuna-san."

The blonde's eyes landed on Setsuna first, and he bowed slightly, sending Setsuna a dazzling smile, the green haired woman smiling as well. "It's nice to meet you, Meioh-san." Another smile passed between them. "Likewise, Tenoh-san." And then they just started laughing, before the blonde neared Setsuna and enfolded her in his arms, releasing her a moment later and turning towards Seiya, who seemed dumbfounded, smirking at his friend, before turning towards Michiru, who had been watching the exchange silently, her eyes never leaving the blonde.

Their eyes met. Haruka's smile froze in his face, and he openly stared at the woman that was standing in front of him, swallowing forcefully as her beauty washed over him. Michiru too stared at him, taking in this stranger's full image, feeling a rush of warmth course through her as she lost herself in his eyes. Almost in a trance, she watched as he extended his right hand towards her own, took hold of it, and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles, his breath brushing her skin as he murmured "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kou-san.", his husky voice sending shivers down her spine.

"Kaioh!!! Kaioh Michiru! She didn't take his name." Setsuna quickly interrupted, her eyes gleaming with what could only be described as victory. "And that was the best decision she has made these past few weeks!" she smiled triumphantly as Seiya sent a glare her way, which she promptly ignored, clearly not fazed at all by his "menacing" look. Neither she nor the black haired man noticing the interactions made by the blonde and the aqua haired woman.

Meanwhile, said pair kept staring at each other, Haruka's eyebrow raising with the information given by Setsuna. "My apologies. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kaioh-san." He said softly, sending a bright smile to his friend's wife. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Tenoh-san." Michiru replied, feeling drawn to the blonde. A sudden desire to know this person hit her, leaving her surprised, while she started thinking about some subject she could ask him about, just to be in his presence for a while longer.

"Do you know Meioh-san, Haruka?" questioned Seiya before his wife had a chance. Both Setsuna and Haruka startled chuckling, and Setsuna replied in a sly tone "Yes, we do. We know each other very… intimately."

"Indeed." The blonde said, smiling yet again, giving a great view of his perfect white teeth.

"Really? May I ask where and when did you two meet?" Seiya insisted, the knowledge of this relationship between his friend and his wife's best friend, or, as he called her mentally, his archenemy, leaving him hoping that perhaps he would get some dirt on the oh so mysterious woman, so that he would be able to stop her from constantly picking on him.

"Well," Haruka started, but Setsuna quickly cut him off. "That is none of your damn business Kou." She hissed, glaring at him, her fierce look affecting the man as he appeared to shrink a bit. The red eyed woman stared at him for a while longer, before abruptly turning toward Haruka and Michiru, smiling at them and saying in an innocent tone "Now, why don't you take Michiru out for a dance, Haru?"

The blonde, who hadn't taken his eyes off of the aqua haired woman for a mere second, seemed to ponder the suggestion, before nodding and speaking up, sending the artist an intense look. "Will you dance with me, Kaioh-san?"

Michiru's lips moved without her acknowledgment. "Yes, of course.", her body not following her reply until she jumped slightly as she felt her best friend's hand on her back pushing her towards the enigmatic blonde. Haruka took the bride's hand on his own again, his heart suddenly racing from the soft feel of the beauty's skin, not even thinking about asking Seiya for permission to "steal" his wife before lightly pulling the woman to him and leading her out to the dance floor.

Neither spoke after that, their bodies fluidly moving together as they swayed to the soft music that came from the band, their eyes remaining locked during the whole time they danced, nearly as if they were the ones doing the talking. There was this strange magnetism surrounding them, as they both leaned closer and closer with each passing moment, both of them being so concentrated on each other they didn't notice it until they were practically nose-to-nose. And, thanks to their proximity, Michiru realized with a start that Tenoh Haruka was not a man, but a woman. Her eyes widened slightly and the blonde's lips curled a bit as she seemed to read her mind, and she bent toward her, murmuring in her ear "I never said I was a man, Kaioh-san." before she straightened as the music ended, breaking apart from her and bowing, thanking her for the dance as she turned and disappeared amongst the people surrounding them.

The violinist stayed in the same spot for a good minute, her head swimming with images of the blonde and her last words, a shiver running through her as she remembered the blonde's breath caressing her ear as she whispered those slightly teasing words. Michiru shook herself out of her stupor, quickly moving out of the dance floor as she decided to go looking for Setsuna, planning to extract every bit of information she could of the racer from her friend, by good or by bad.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was surprised at her behavior. What was wrong with her? She had just married that very day and there she was acting like a teenager with a crush. Still, the guilt was washed away as her confusing feelings took over as she saw Haruka hugging Seiya, sending her one last glance as she turned and left the party.

Michiru gulped, the blonde's look etched on her mind. What had that look been? Was it regret she saw in Haruka's eyes? Or was it desire? That thought sent a wave of heat over her and she staggered as if she was hit. Twenty minutes and look at what you have done to me. Who are you Tenoh Haruka?

AN

Hi again!

It's been a good while since I've published The Reason Why but I'm back on business with The House By The Sea.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've read this and still I'm not very pleased with the result but it's much better than it was initially.

Sorry for Setsuna's OOC but I just couldn't resist! I actually had no problem whatsoever imagining the mysterious Sailor Pluto saying and doing the things I made her do... is that strange? xD

Anyways, thanks for reading, thank you so very much to everyone who read and reviewed The Reason Why (Haruka left because Michiru broke their promise and threw herself in front of her to save her life) and I'll shut up now.

Until next time,

LostWyrda