The dim and distant past

Hi minna-san! Finally, I've decided to write a fic in English to show my boundless talent for writing to the whole world...er, 'lil trace of arrogance ^_-... However, the point is that definitely more people read English fan fiction than it's the case with the German ones I've written for over a year now.

Though I grew up almost bilingual, I don't guarantee that this is free of mistakes... So please leave your comments whether this thing sucks or not ^_^

Yukio skygoddess@gmx.net

I don't own Sailor Moon or Haruka and Michiru, but I'd like to *evilgrin*

Prologue

Am I still the same?

Are you?

Years have passed since I've seen you last. All I know is that I'd never have come this far without you. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, there'll always be the memories of this summer we shared...

"Shimatta!" -"Haruka-papa, didn't you teach me not to curse?"

Her fostered daughter was grinning at the blonde who was desperately looking for the cookbook she had assumed to be somewhere in the small library Setsuna and Michiru had put up to teach Hotaru reading. Actually, they had just put their books all together on some tall shelves in the living room.

"Why are you looking for this cookbook, papa?" "It's none of your business, c'mon, get yourself dressed, Setsuna-san will be here soon. Don't you remember what date it is today?" "It's Valentine's Day today" ;The small one yelled out and put her arms around Haruka's neck; "So I'm gonna show you how much I love all of you."

"You rather seem trying to kill me"; gasped the racer when the girl hugged her even harder.

When Hotaru heard the jingle of keys on the door, she ran towards the corridor an left the blonde on the floor of the room, still almost suffocating.

"Did I interrupt you playing a new game?" Haruka rose herself from the ground when she saw Setsuna standing in front of her.

"Yeah, it was 'Kill Haruka'!" "You didn't confess your love to me yet, papa."

Hotaru was standing beside her, still in her casual clothes. The addressed one replied: " I love you and I'll even love you more if you'd show me your love a bit more tenderly next time."

"And I do so, too. But now go upstairs, it's already half past six..." added the green-haired woman. "But you told me the movie started at eight..."

"We're going to eat a little before we go to the cinema."

"But Haruka-papa wanted to cook today... she was looking for Michiru-mama's cookbook."

"Well, you really want to taste her cooking? Wouldn't you fancy something better?" "At McDonald's? Onegaaaaaai!" "If that's what you'd like today..." Setsuna nodded her head, secretly worrying about her figure.

Hotaru ran upstairs to get dressed for the feast that was expecting her.

"So you don't wanna taste my cooking?" Haruka grumbled. "Gomen, but you know even Usagi would be able to do something better than you..." " And that's my problem, Setsuna-san."

"What's the matter?"

Setsuna asked though she could easily read Haruka's mind from the expression on her face.

"I could do it much better than Usagi if I'd only find this bloody cookbook." "Why don't you take this 'til you've found the one you was searching for ?"

Setsuna took a book from the highest shelf an handed it to Haruka who blushed, realizing that she had stood right in front of the book all the time.

"Arigato..."

When Setsuna went upstairs to dress herself up as well, Haruka sat down on the couch and looked at the book. "Japanese Basics" was written on its cover in dark red kanji. After leafing trough it a little, she decided to make an ordinary sushi. That wouldn't be so complicated, besides she had often done it with Michiru.

She nodded as if to encourage herself when she closed the book. Sushi would be best- not to hard to do, but always as good as Michiru had deserved.

Soon after Setsuna and Hotaru had left, she walked into the kitchen an looked for the stuff she needed.

Contrary to her worries, she had finished cooking after half an hour. Haruka cleaned up the kitchen and set the table in the dining room in a romantic mood with some candelabras. Today it was the fifth Valentine's Day she was going to spend with Michiru- not that she had ever celebrated it before she got to know her aquamarine- haired lover.

Half an hour later she stood in the dining-room perfectly dressed with some tight black pants emphasizing her slender, athlethic legs and a wide white shirt that made her torso loom softly under the material.

Waiting for her girlfriend who told her she'd return about half past eight, Haruka walked into the kitchen to pour herself some drink. When she had put the glass down again, she found Michiru's cookbook still laying on the kitchen table. She picked it up and as she wanted to put on the shelf again, a light blue envelope fell out of it.

It was addressed to Kaio Michiru- no address, no stamp, no sender, only the name of the woman who had changed her life so much to the positive in the last few years. The blonde looked at it curious. Was she allowed to read it?

'Stop this, it's Michiru's privacy after all' she told herself, already pulling out some white sheets out of the envelope.

She stared at the date surprised and started to get suspicious when she recognized the handwriting. 'How dare you read this, Tenou Haruka' said the little angel to her left and 'Read it, it could give you some important information' the devil on the right.

Should she really exploit Michiru's trust on Valentine's day? Haruka sighed when she sat down and started to read.

*

Tokyo, 29th March XX Dear Michi-chan!

Though you suddenly seem not to trust or want to talk to me anymore, there are still some thing I need to tell you. I just don't know what has happened to you since I introduced you to this Tenou Haruka-san girl, but if you say you're happy with her, I've got no other chance as accepting it.

For you still don't talk frankly, I need to express my true feelings in this letter. Wasn't it you who wanted to stay friends after we parted?

Wasn't it me who introduced you to Haruka-san you are so deeply in love with now?

When you told me you'd put an end to our relationship, I thought it was because you knew I was going back to America soon. After thinking about it for quite a while, I came to the conclusion that you had decided you weren't attracted to girls anymore. I even tried to find out if you secretly dated some boys- of course, there were none. Please excuse me for being so rude and spy on you!

When you told me you had fallen in love with Haruka-san, you was turning my world upside-down. Why Haruka-san which I had wanted to help me to get over you? Why Haruka-san who was my only true opponent in my time as racer in Japan?

Perhaps this it is. Haruka-san was meant to be my opponent forever. My Michiru, I still love you more than I have ever loved anyone.

You don't trust me anymore, and I don't know why you do so. After all, I could never give you as much as Tenou-kun can. I'm going back to America tomorrow.

Just don't worry about me. I'm going to leave your lives forever. Haruka-san has finally beaten me.

But perhaps, one day, you'll remember the girl who initially showed you what love means and smile about it, asking yourself 'What's she doing right now?'

I don't know what I'll be doing without you yet. I wish you only the best- it's the least you deserve.

In endless love,

Elza Gray

*

Haruka shivered as she put the pages on the table. This letter had been written about five years ago and Michiru had never told her she had been in love with Elza before they got to know each other. Was there a bigger secret between those two than the letter revealed?

Suddenly she felt some warm breath on her neck.

"What are you doing here, Ruka?"

The blonde suddenly jumped from the chair she was sitting on. Michiru had come and she hadn't noticed.

"Did you get a love letter from a secret admirer, darling?" The smaller woman was holding the surprised Haruka tightly. "No, it's just... uhm... happy Valentine's Day, Michi..." ; she evaded, kissing Michiru fleetingly.

But the senshi of the sea sensed there was something wrong with her partner. "Haruka, what is it?"

She turned the blue envelope around and suddenly felt transferred back into a time she thought she had already forgotten.

Haruka wanted to explain, but all that came was some embarrassed stuttering. Her partner put one of her slender fingers to her partner's mouth to keep her quiet.

"You're not crossed with me 'cause I read it?" Michiru smiled calmingly.

"Maybe a little. But it's Valentine's Day today, isn't it?"

"Yeah... I've already made some di- "- Haruka couldn't withhold the question any longer- "Tell me Michi, what kind of relationship was that between you and Elza? Why did you never tell me?"

"Don't you want to tell me you love me first?" Michiru led the blonde to the couch in the living room. Haruka knelt before her aquamarine-haired lover.

"I love you and I'll never stop as long as I live but pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaase tell me what this letter was about!"

The violinist pulled her up to the couch, kissing her passionately. "I love you, too, and if you stop worrying about me having any concerns because of you read this letter at once, I'm going to tell you everything right from the beginning."

"But it found it in the cook- well, I promise I'll stop..."

Michiru made herself comfortable in her lover's arms. This night was going to be longer as she had planned it to be...

---------------------------------------------- To be continued...

That's all for today, but I'm working on the next part... Ja ne,

Yuki ^___^