A/N: For a little change of place, it's time to give this paring some love.
Bad Habit
She hated to admit it, but, she had a bad habit.
Or rather, her tongue did. It was strange, but it seemed to like to tangle itself. Contorting her words and sending her meaning askew. Her mind would think one thing, and that blasted appendage of hers would slither out an entirely different word, sometimes with a completely inane and obtuse meaning. It boggled her, frustrated her, and damaged her pride in a way she didn't want to address. Denial was her escape.
That's why, when it mattered most, she refused to say a word.
Many didn't know this about her, as she was a brash, boisterous woman by far. Haruka liked it that way, to be considered so ill-tempered and conceited. Image was everything in the corporate space, and even she knew that impressions meant everything.
So what if they found her unimpressive?
It would be a mistake to think her so inept. She would take the stage, rise to claim attention and demand respect, and she would win it over. Strictly, because that's just how Haruka was. No one would dare to question that little detail and get away with it. She would be known, and she would be heeded. It was only a matter of time.
Still, when it mattered most, she could, and would, get her meaning across without words. She had a great deal of meaningful things to share, not that anyone would know that.
Well, maybe one person would.
She would know, because she could decrypt, decode, and decipher every little detail, right down to the very core. She would know, because she would echo the sentiment, and correct that wayward little bad habit that Haruka seemed to have.
And she would know, because that's just how lovers were.
They knew.
They'd know with every brush of the hand, or awkward sideways glance. They'd know with every little smile, or ever so slight frown. They'd feel empathy and sadness just as deeply as joy and contentment.
So, even when Haruka's words ran away from her, Yukino would chalk it up to one of the reasons Haruka meant so much to her.
"You're going to be late for class…" Even then, even when her words refused to do as Haruka wished them to…
"I know."
"You're in charge of the committee now, you can't be late." Stalling, and stumbling…
"But, I'm going to be."
"Yukino! That's being a bad example." And falling back on tried and true lecturing, because that at least was comfortable.
"Nobody's perfect."
"You are." Until finally, quite coincidentally, she'd blurted something that actually sounded right.
"Kiss me again, Haruka."
And she would, because in those few tender moments, she could say all the things she wanted to. Declare all she ever needed to, and the best part of it all was that her little bad habit, wasn't so bad anymore.