Title: Gift exchange
For: awashsquid
Prompt: Michiru's and Haruka's first Christmas together, poor Haruka + rich michiru
A/N: I have no idea how you feel about Minako, but I hope you like her since she kinda intruded on this fic and outstayed her welcome.
I hope you like it—I tried out a new style.
Summary: What do you give the woman who has everything?
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What do you give the woman who has everything?
Ok, maybe not everything. Haruka had to admit there were a few things Michiru did not own, such as a proper monster truck, the latest train set, or the last LEGO Batman movie. But that was a Michiru thing, where she would smile politely if Haruka asked her opinion of it and change the topic to something else. Anything else.
Her girlfriend's refined palate might be preventing her from enjoying the truly great things in life.
Everything else, though, Michiru either had or could have if she desired it. Moreover, Haruka's meager budget could not even hope to remotely cover even one of those things.
Which left her with wandering the local strip mall—it might not be a gift Michiru deserved but she had to try.
"Walmart?" Minako questioned as they entered the store. "We're going to buy the great Michiru Kaiou a gift from Walmart?"
"It doesn't have to be Walmar—Minako, stop laughing." Haruka snapped, glaring at her best friend as she bent over laughing.
"No, no, this is perfect," Minako said, managing to stop laughing long enough to respond. "It will be a surprise she'll never—no, I can't do it." She burst into laughter again, her peals of laughter causing the other customers to stare at them.
"Minako!" Haruka sighed, not sure why she expected otherwise. "I thought you were going to help."
"I will, I will." Minako calmed down and stood up. "So where to first, captain?"
"Clothing." Haruka pulled out a piece of paper proudly, numbers scrawled on it. "I snuck into her closet when she wasn't home and got all of her sizes."
"And then ruined all the secrecy by folding the clothes after," Minako dryly responded. "Alright, let's get on it."
-x-
"What do you think?" Haruka asked, picking up the classiest shirt she could find in the store. It had ruffles, it was green—teal, Michiru had corrected her enough that she knew teal from aqua from moss—and it even came with its own necklace.
Jewellery and a shirt, it was almost two gifts in one.
Minako wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You don't really want to know." She looked at the clothing racks around her. "I don't think her highness will actually want anything in here."
"Is it the style?" Haruka reluctantly returned the shirt to the rack. "Or the store?" Maybe they should just move to a different one—Minako had vetoed all the options so far.
"…one of many reasons." Minako held up a t-shirt with NOTHING SAYS I LOVE YOU QUITE LIKE FISTING scrawled over the picture of a fist. "Actually, I take that back. You should get this for her."
"…" Haruka stared at her best friend blankly. She should be used to this by now, she really should. And yet somehow, Minako always surprised her. "That's something you'd wear."
"Rei would kill me if I gave it to her at Usagi's gift exchange." Minako grinned wickedly and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see where that was heading. "I'm getting it."
"She won't even leave a corpse behind this time." Haruka warned.
Minako ignored the advice. "Totally worth it."
"You'll have to sleep over somewhere else that night—Michiru made me promise you can't come until New Year's Eve," Haruka called out as Minako bounced off to check out.
"No problem," she sang back merrily. "Mako always keeps the couch open for me."
Haruka shook her head. "Provided you're still in one piece." She couldn't protect her best friend from herself—no one could, actually. Rei would set her on fire and if she was lucky, Ami would be kind enough to douse the flames.
"It'll be fine. Rei would miss me too much," Minako chirped as she paid for her purchase. "And besides, I'll even wrap this up nice."
Haruka stared at her friend, raising an eyebrow. "The wrapping paper is from that sex store, isn't it."
"Mayyybbeee," Minako shrugged her shoulders, the picture of innocence. "I didn't buy it, so I wouldn't know."
"Minako, you made me—"
"I would never." She looked horrified, a hand on her chest. "And the clerk even knew your name, how often have you gone there?"
The cashier was leaning forward now, curious, and Haruka flushed a dark red. Unfazed, Minako strolled out of the store and into the greater mall, still tutting as she walked.
"Your receipt." The clerk held out the slip of paper, clearly dying to ask more, and Haruka snatched the paper roughly.
This was a story she was definitely not fighting about in public.
Quickly, she marched out of the store and past Minako, pointedly ignoring her. Only when she reached the mall map did she stop.
"Minako," Haruka growled.
Minako, all smiles, ignored her and looked cheerfully at the all map. "Where to next?"
"Minako."
"Another clothing store?"
Haruka glared at her friend but Minako remained as unflappable as always. It was a war of attrition and Haruka lost. Every single time.
You can't really defeat someone who doesn't care and doesn't understand the concept of shame.
Sighing in defeat, she looked at the map. Mulling over the choices, she muttered, "Maybe a different type of store this time?"
Eagerly, Minako chimed in. "I know just the place. There's a store on the other side of the town—"
Haruka cut her off, knowing just where this led to. "You're just saying that because you really want that shoe sale."
"Me, never!" Minako faked gasped. "But now that you mention it…"
"Minako." Haruka frowned. "Not helping."
"Fine…" She looked at the mall's map, reading the names of each retail store. "Not pricey enough, not pricey enough, I'd give it to her but you wouldn't…hmm…"
"Oh, I got the perfect idea," Minako smiled, pointing at the store at E6. "I think she'll love it."
"Really?" Haruka stared at it. "I dunno…"
"Trust me, I saw a flyer from there the other day and it has the perfect gift. There will be no other like it in the world. A one-of-a-kind." Minako paused, watching Haruka's face run through a myriad of expressions. Doubt, curiosity, belief.
Honestly, Haruka was such a sap, falling for words like unique and special.
And so easy to persuade. Careful to hide her grin, Minako sealed the deal. "She'll really see your feelings in it."
-x-
Christmas was more Haruka's thing than hers. If Michiru had to be truthful, her family did not so much celebrate the holiday as they did use it as an excuse to show off. An excessive party for excessive guests—this day was no more than a grand gesture.
But Haruka had been so excited and though Michiru tried to deny it, it was almost impossible to reject her eager girlfriend. Particularly when Haruka had already started decorating the house a month ahead of time—to do anything else would be a cruel punishment.
Though, she had to raise an eyebrow watching Die Hard. How it fit in a list that included the most stereotypical Christmas movies, she couldn't figure out.
("It takes place around Christmas," Haruka had argued.
And not because Haruka imagined herself as the hard boiled detective. It had nothing at all to do with that.
In the face of Haruka's joy, even Michiru couldn't point that out.)
"Ready for the gift exchange?" Haruka asked, almost leaping from her seat to grab her gift.
"You want to go first?" Michiru asked—it had been hard enough for Haruka to keep the secret for the past few weeks, delaying it any further would be just plain torture.
"Yes!" Haruka beamed as she dashed back, placing the gift bag on her lap. "Merry Christmas!"
"…Merry Christmas," Michiru answered, turning her attention to the bag.
If she were honest, she had been enjoying it. The food, the movies, the atmosphere, everything. Maybe it was the people you were with and all that—the clichés might have had some logical base to them.
For once, she saw the merit in the Christmas movies they had marathoned last night.
That was, until she opened Haruka's gift and saw Minako's fingerprints all over it.
The first few seconds were everything—Haruka would notice any hesitation. Michiru's face melted and she smiled warmly. "It's lovely."
It was a hand knitted monstrosity. Bright neon green clashed with a horrific shade of red. If she had to guess, maybe a tree was on the front. Somehow, actual bells and bobbles were fixed into the sweater and it chimed merrily when she moved it.
She could hear Minako's laughter with each ringing bell.
Michiru would never wear this. Maybe in her secret moments, when Haruka was out and she had the house to herself and a couple of champagnes.
Maybe.
But never for anything else.
"Very unique," she added, tactfully. The smile didn't slip from her face. "How long did it take you to make it?"
"You like it?" Haruka blushed, rubbing her head proudly. It was Michiru's favourite expression and she wished she could have really enjoyed it. "It took all month—Minako offered to help, but I wanted to do it on my own. Besides, she'd done enough by finding the knitting lessons and even giving me the bells to put on it."
And it was confirmed.
"Oh!" Haruka winced, frowning lightly. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that…but it'd be unfair to take all the credit myself."
"Thank you." Michiru smile grew broader as she put the sweater down. She cupped Haruka's cheek tenderly, directing her face down so she could kiss Haruka's lips gently. "I love it."
Haruka flushed a dark red, embarrassed and happy. Grinning like a fool, she wrapped her arms around Michiru for a loose hug. "It's nothing."
"It's everything." And it was, that was an honest truth. No one had ever spent that much time and effort on a gift for her before. While Haruka stuttered and looked around awkwardly, Michiru rested her head on her girlfriend's chest.
Haruka's hugs were always the warmest. "Thank you, Haruka."
Haruka rested her cheek on Michiru's head, too flustered to say anything else. Too flustered to do anything but chuckle happily. Michiru let the vibrations run through her, anchoring her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Michiru pulled back.
"You still have to open my present." Michiru pushed her gift forward. Delighted, Haruka carefully opened the gift, trying not to tear the wrapping paper as she did.
"You don't have to be careful with it, it's not fragile."
Haruka stuck her tongue out to the side as she carefully peeled off the tape. "I just want to keep everything safe." Completely focused, she removed the wrapping paper without so much as a tear.
"Oh, and I'll thank Minako as well." Michiru added, as though she just remembered. "After all, she did help."
"Really? Minako said I shouldn't mention it, but it didn't feel right leaving her out of it." Haruka bumped shoulders with Michiru and Michiru rested her head on her shoulders.
"Ara." Michiru closed her eyes, soaking in Haruka's warmth.
It had to be the holiday that was making her feel so mushy.
But not mushy enough to save Minako.
"Her help shouldn't be forgotten."
Unfortunately for that girl, there was one slight flaw with her plan. Minako's birthday present hadn't yet been bought, and Haruka always liked assistance when shopping…