Notes:

Michiko is mine, the rest belong to Natsuki Takaya.

Have a marvelous day!

Tali

Chapter 1 – New Friend

Here we are again, circles never end
How do I find the perfect fit
There's enough for everyone
But I'm still waiting in line
Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

~Soulmate, Natasha Bedingfield

Hatsuharu was restless. He ran a hand through his two-toned hair and tried to decide what to do to work off his restless energy and take his mind off of his depressing thoughts about Rin. After a short debate, he decided to head to Kazuma's dojo for a good workout. Maybe Kyou would be there and he'd be able to fight him. That would be an excellent way to distract him from the discouraging thoughts swirling around in the downward spiral of his mind. It was chilly for September so he tossed on his favorite white jacket with the fur collar and headed out the door. He paid little attention to his surroundings and thus took an extra twenty minutes to arrive.

A little while later he saw a girl standing in front of the freshly painted dojo with a speculative look on her face. She had straight, hip length black hair with bright purple stripes, a bit unusual for their area of town, but not unheard of. She was wearing tailored black sparring robes with an intricate bright blue pattern and looked perfectly at home in them. He could see she had on several necklaces, some plain chains and others with various pendants. When she turned to look at him, he realized she was quite lovely. She had an oval face with high cheekbones, her nose was slightly turned up, and she had a generous mouth which was lifted in a slight smile at the corners. Her large eye's were a stormy gray and seemed to see right to the depths of his soul. Please don't look, I don't want anyone to see. Recovering quickly, he indicated to the dojo, "Are you looking for a place to learn?"

Her smile quirked a bit as if at some joke he didn't know and she nodded her head. He walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing her inside. Kazuma walked over to greet them, "Haru-kun, how are you today?"

Haru smiled slightly at the older man, "Good, Sensei. How are you?"

"Doing well. Who have you brought me?" he asked with a small bow to the new girl.

She bowed in return, "Hello, Sensei. My name is Sato Michiko. I wish to learn, please. If you have room in one of your classes?"

The older man bowed his head, "I am Sohma Kazuma, Michiko-san. Have you any teachings or are you an absolute beginner?"

"I have some teachings, Sensei." she replied.

"I have an advanced class starting in a few minutes. Haru-kun, would you please take her into the other room and determine which class she should be in?"

Haru nodded and led her into one of the back rooms. Once he closed the doors he turned towards her and gave a small bow, "Sohma Hatsuharu, Michiko-san. Let's go through some stretches and katas then we'll spar."

Michiko smiled and stepped next to him, ready to begin. He watched her carefully during the stretches and katas and saw that she did them very well. She had a catlike grace that reminded him strongly of the way Kyou fought. He took her through more advanced katas and she did them nearly as well as he did. He smiled slightly at the thought of a good sparring session with the pretty girl.

"Are you ready to spar?" he asked.

"Yes, Sohma-san." she replied. Her voice was musical, and Haru decided that he could happily listen to it all day.

He began slowly, wanting to get a feel for her style and skill. As she continued to keep up he gradually added more speed and power to his hits. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration and she didn't take them off him. She smiled a little more each time he increased the difficulty and soon they were sparring above the advanced class that was practicing in the main room. Quite a while later Kazuma came in to see how the new student was doing and saw they had finally stopped, breathing hard from the extended workout.

"What do you think, Haru-kun?" he asked kindly.

"I'll spar with her whenever she likes. Kyou probably would too. She'd be fine in the advanced class if she wanted to spar more often then we were able."

Kazuma's eyes crinkled in a smile. "I'll leave it to you, Michiko-san, to decide what you would prefer to do."

Michiko bowed to him, "Thank you, Sensei." She turned to Hatsuharu, "Would you be willing to spar with me?"

The younger teen nodded and replied, "Sure."

Kazuma turned to Haru, "I am going to be training for the next couple of months. The dojo will be closed to the public but please feel free to stop by and use it anytime you wish. Please take good care of it in my absence." he handed Haru a key and the teen smiled.

"I will. Thank you, Sensei." he said before returning his attention to the girl next to him.

She bowed to Hatsuharu, "Thank you, Sohma-san."

Haru held out his arm, "Call me Hatsuharu. I'll walk you home, Michiko-san."

She smiled brilliantly as she took his arm, "Thank you, Hatsuharu-san."

The sun had mostly gone down by the time they left the dojo and Haru was glad she agreed to let him walk her home. She could obviously take care of herself but that didn't mean she was safe if she ran into a group of questionable characters. They walked quietly together for several minutes before she looked up at him. "How soon may we spar again, Hatsuharu-san? You are so skilled and I learned so much."

Haru studied her for a moment, "Do you want to meet a couple times a week in the afternoon after classes?"

"What time do classes end?" Michiko asked.

"Aren't you in school?" he asked, a raised eyebrow the only sign of his surprise.

"No. I'm almost eighteen and finished high school a few years ago." came the cheerful reply.

"Why did you finish so early?" Haru asked, interest coloring his voice.

"My parents and I have never gotten along. My father and I had an especially rocky relationship. When it looked like it was heading towards a breaking point, I made a deal with my teachers to put my class work on a compressed schedule and finished almost four years early, right after my fourteenth birthday in fact. Once I was done, I was able to convince my parents to sign the paperwork to become an adult." came the explanation, without a change in tone. Haru's brows went up in surprise that this delicate girl was completely on her own and had been for some time. She waved at the building next to them, "This is me. Would you like to come up for some tea and snacks?"

Haru thought about it for a moment before nodding. She was the most interesting person he'd met in quite a while and he'd like to know more about her. She led the way up the narrow staircase and unlocked the last door on the left. "Come in and be welcome, Hatsuharu-san." she gestured him inside while lighting an oil lamp near the door.

He stepped inside and furrowed his brows at the profusion of oil lamps in the place. He turned towards her with a questioning look, "Is there a problem with the electricity, Michiko-san?"

She blushed a little as she moved around lighting lamps, "No, Hatsuharu-san. I prefer the softer light from lamps. I'll go make some tea. Make yourself at home please."

He watched her leave and then studied the room with a sharp eye. He noted she had no family pictures anywhere but several landscapes were hung on the walls. There were two light colored loveseats in the living room, one across from the entertainment center and the other adjacent to it. There was a matching chair that looked like it would be perfect to curl up in while reading in the evening. She had cozy, deep colored throw blankets over the backs of the chair and couches and books were everywhere. They were piled on every flat surface. She must read even more than I do. he thought.

He walked over to the table and leafed through the topmost one. It looked like it was about medieval healthcare, back when people used to think magic could be used to heal people. Interesting. He looked up as Michiko came bustling back into the room and noted a flash of unease on her face before it cleared and she set out the tea things. "Would you like to take a seat? All I have is cookies, will these be okay?" she asked.

"I thought you said you were finished with school. This looks like a history book." Haru said as he sat down gracefully and accepted the tea she held out. He watched her shoulders tense then relax and idly wondered what she was hiding.

"I'm studying folklore."

Haru nodded and sipped his tea, waiting for her to continue. She didn't disappoint, "That stack is about magic in healing. The things people used to heal others before modern medicine. It's fascinating to see what they used and how and the results they managed to achieve."

He nodded encouragingly again and continued to sip his tea. She continued after a slight pause, "It's a hobby. Interesting but not as fun as sparing with you. You are very skilled, Hatsuharu-san. How long have you been a student of the arts?"

"Since I was very small. The same must be true for you as well. You fight very well." he allowed her to redirect the conversation.

"I started studying with my grandfather when I was six. It was a great way to get to know him." Her expression saddened.

"He passed?" Haru asked gently.

She nodded and sipped her tea. "He taught me so much. Everything I needed to stand on my own, I learned from him." she finished with a small smile.

Haru returned the smile and set down his empty teacup. "Thank you very much for the tea. I should get home."

She stood gracefully and he followed her to the door. "Thank you for visiting with me. It was nice to see a friendly face in a new town."

He smiled down at her, "Thank you for having me over Michiko-san. I'll see you in a couple days at the dojo."

She returned his smile, "Stop by anytime, Hatsuharu-san. If I don't answer it's because I'm at work so come back later."

"I will. See you soon." he bowed and took his leave, thoughts full of the pretty girl and a vague feeling of guilt at being so interested. I'm supposed to love Rin, not be looking at other girls. he thought guiltily. But she doesn't want you. a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind. He thought about Michiko all the way home and that's probably why he made so many wrong turns.

----------

Michiko closed the door behind Hatsuharu and let out a deep sigh. Now that I have a friend, I better do something about all these books, she thought. She had had a bad moment when she came out and saw Hatsuharu leafing through one of her magical healing text books. She hadn't needed to worry about anyone coming over in so long that she had forgotten that people tend to look through things and ask questions. She walked around gathering up the most obvious of the texts and put them on her bed. It took several trips to get them all. When did I get all these books, anyway? she grumbled as she ferried them into the bedroom.

Once they were all piled on the bed she turned and studied her room carefully for a moment before pulling out her wand and conjuring a bookcase next to the dresser. She flicked her wand and the books put themselves neatly on the shelves. It was going to be difficult to remember to keep her magic under wraps. She had gotten so comfortable living alone and working in the magical world that she had nearly forgotten that she walked among Muggles each and every day.

She stopped in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. Now that she was talking to people she would have to remember not to change her appearance too often. She really enjoyed the freedom of being a metamorphagus, but sometimes it made life more difficult that it needed to be. The gray eyes were nice and she could live with them for quite some time. She had been considering changing the hair but would need to be careful not to do anything too radical, like "cut" it all off in case she couldn't live with it after all. Maybe I can change the color of the stripes? she thought cheerfully.

----------

Haru ignored Kyou as he walked up to Yuki and latched a hand onto his shirt. "Hi Yuki."

"Hello, Haru. How are you feeling today?" Yuki asked kindly.

Haru frowned. "I'm not sure. Can we talk for a while?"

"Of course. Let's go to my room where it's quiet." he replied.

"Thank you."

Yuki frowned at him in concern before leading the way to his room. Once they were settled on the bed facing each other he spoke, "What's wrong, Haru?"

"I met a girl last week." he said quietly.

"Is that a bad thing?" Yuki asked, slightly confused.

"I don't know. I've seen her a couple of times and I like her."

Yuki smiled at his friend, "But that's wonderful news, Haru."

"I don't know if it is. Rin only left me a couple of months ago. If I loved her how can I be interested in another girl already?" he asked guiltily.

Yuki chose his words carefully, "I know you loved her, Haru. Don't doubt that you did. Maybe your interest in this other girl is a sign that you are letting go. I don't think that's a bad thing."

"Of course it is. I love Rin and she loves me." He grimaced at his friend's expression.

Yuki reached out to him, "Haru, she threw you out of her hospital room and said she didn't want to see you again."

"I know, but maybe she'll change her mind." he argued.

"I don't know Rin as well as you do, but it seems that when she makes a statement like that she means it and won't change her mind."

Haru looked down at his hands, "Deep down, I know that, but it's so hard to accept. I love her so much." He leaned forward so he could rest his head on Yuki's shoulder.

Yuki ran a hand down his back, "I know, but don't you think it's time to move on, Haru?"

He sighed deeply, "Maybe. Probably. It's just so hard."

"But isn't it harder to try to hold onto her when she's already left?" he asked as he started rubbing circles on Haru's back.

He slumped, "Yeah."

"Do you want to tell me about the new girl?" Yuki asked after a few moments.

His voice was muffled against Yuki's shoulder, "What's to tell? She's beautiful and loves to spar. I've only known her for a week."

Yuki chuckled, "Well, what about her do you like right now?"

"The look on her face when we spar. It's like I'm the only person in the entire world. All of her attention is focused on me and she's happy that it is."

"What else?" he prodded.

"She also has excellent taste in jewelry. She's fun to talk to and very interesting. She makes great tea and has good taste in cookies. She's very kind too, and she's always happy to see me." he elaborated in a warmer and brighter tone.

"Well, that sounds like a good start. Why don't you try being friends with her and let things progress naturally? You have to do what feels right for you." Yuki suggested.

Haru sat up and looked him in the eye, "Okay. Thank you, Yuki."

Yuki smiled, "Any time, Haru."

Outside the mostly closed door, Kyou shook his head and walked into his own room.

----------

Michiko was cleaning house and thinking about her new sparring partner. He was quite cute and very intelligent. They had spoken of many things over the past couple of weeks while they warmed up and cooled down and she was delighted to have finally made what was shaping up to be her very first friend. She was both excited and nervous at the prospect. She was excited because she'd never been able to make a friend before and nervous because she would have to remember to keep her secrets. She had a lot of practice at that and it shouldn't be any worse than evading her teacher's and department head's more probing questions. It was just a matter of redirection, that's all.

She plumped the cushions of the couch and put away the books that perpetually littered every flat surface in her home. The radio was on and she sang along with it as she worked. It was the first full day off she had had for a few weeks and she had a lot to do around the house to make up for it. She often preferred to do housekeeping by hand as it allowed her time to reflect and kept her hands busy. As she finished chasing the last dust bunny out from under the couch she looked around to make sure everything was clean. After a very thorough look around she nodded in satisfaction and slipped out the door to go to the market.

It was a short walk to the store and on the way she spotted a familiar head of black and white hair sitting on a bench in the park. Her smiled widened as she drew closer to Hatsuharu, only to falter when she saw the look on his face. He looked so terribly sad that she wasn't sure she should intrude. She must have made some small sound because his eyes sprang open and he stared at her for a long moment before returning his gaze to the ground. After a brief hesitation she crossed the remaining distance and bowed politely before slipping onto the bench next to him.

"Are you all right, Hatsuharu-san?" she asked softly.

He was quiet for a long time, but Michiko was willing to wait him out. If there was anything she had learned over her short life it was that patience truly was a virtue and would get a person through most anything. She watched as he opened his mouth and then closed it as either the words escaped him or he simply didn't know how to begin. She reached over and rested a lightly calloused hand on his forearm.

"Tell me a story." she requested gently.

He sighed but found the words to begin, "There was a boy who loved a girl with all of his heart. They didn't mean to fall in love, it just happened without either being able to stop it. They found a small measure of happiness in otherwise unhappy lives. Then, one day, the girl was injured and when the boy tried to visit her in the hospital, she threw him out and swung her IV pole at him to make sure he understood he was no longer welcome. The boy tried to visit her again and again and she turned him away every time. Every time she did, it broke his heart a little more."

Michiko's hand tightened on his arm in sympathy. "I'm so very sorry, Hatsuharu-san. Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"No. I'm just trying to let her go. She's not in love with me anymore." he replied heavily.

Michiko chose her words carefully, "In my experience, which I admit is very limited, it would seem that anything you fall into you can fall out of. Real and lasting love isn't something you fall into. It grows and blooms and you tend it everyday to keep it strong and true."

Haru considered her with a pained look. "I've come to that conclusion as well, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

"No, but it makes it easier to live with in the long run." She smiled a little, "You know what will make you feel better?"

"What?"

"Sparring with me. Come on." she said as she stood and took his hand to drag him down the street.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. He had never known another girl to enjoy sparring so very much. He had also never known another to take such pleasure in simple things. She was always so pleased that he walked her home or that they had tea and cookies together or when either of them scored a point on the other. Honestly, she was always so pleased he wondered if she ever got angry. Haru allowed her to drag him down the street and smiled to himself as she shifted impatiently from foot to foot in anticipation.

"Do you feel better yet?" she asked.

"A little." he replied as he unlocked the door and ushered her inside. His heart was a bit lighter. He didn't know if it was because they were about to spar or just because she was near but his day was always brighter when he spent time with this girl.

They sparred for several more weeks before Haru decided to take her out on a date. He was working up the nerve to ask her when she gave him the perfect opening.

"Michiko-san, why do you like to spar so much?" he asked as they did their stretches one afternoon.

She glanced over at him and he could see a blush staining her cheeks. "I usually enjoy it so much because it reminds me of the fun I had learning from my grandfather." She hesitated a moment before continuing quietly, "Now it's because I really enjoy spending time with you."

He looked at her as a small smile formed on his face. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Very much." she replied with an answering smile.