This is an idea I came up with a while back, and I decided to finally put it up here. I'll be updating my other story soon, hopefully, but school started back up so I can't promise too much. This chapter goes fairly quickly on purpose, and I'm hoping to put up the next chapter whenever I get a chance. Next week? I really like this idea, so it most likely will be around that time. As for this story, I hope it hasn't been done before. If it has, my apologies. Hope you enjoy it. Take care!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for the plot.
The Only Promise You Ever Made
Chapter 1
It was an undeniable fact that she could have woman she wanted. That smile of hers, that grin could cause the aforementioned to swoon, to look at her with a lust that even she didn't possess. But, it wasn't what she wanted. A girl on her arm, a woman in her bed…those were just minor things that she could live without. She had a personality and habits that she wanted to completely disregard from her lifestyle. The flirting, the sweet talking and the kissing; they were all just habits of hers that couldn't seem to die, regardless of the effort she put to get rid of them.
Besides, she had been there before. Countless time, she woke up in the early morning to simply look at the face of a complete stranger, of some woman she couldn't even remember the name of, or probably never even asked for. It was a life she wanted to look past, to get rid of and maybe, possibly, even soon, find a girl who could have that effect on her. She wanted to fall, as cautious as a person she was, and even secluded with her emotions, she wanted to fall in love.
It was a feeling she had yet to experience, maybe because of her withdrawn personality. She wasn't afraid, just not easy. It wasn't something she could so easily dive into, without a second thought, or without even knowing the person. But, she figured that was how all the great ones started out, really. Maybe, one day, she'd be able to experience one of those moments. She didn't want anymore one night stands, no more late night kissing and lovemaking that would only bring about awkwardness the next morning. No, she was tired of all of that. She was tired, even annoyed to a certain degree. She wanted it to change. Her perspective on life had changed, ever since the accident, and now all she wanted to do was find somebody to love, as difficult as it might seem to believe. But, she was willing to try.
Haruka sat at the bar, a drink in her hand, her other resting on her thigh. It was still too early to head home, so she decided to stay for a while longer. The club was dull, and the music was lame, but it was better than being alone at her condominium. She took a quick sip of her drink, and then ran a hand through her hair. Again, she thought about leaving, but there was something else bothering her. There was something holding her back, and she couldn't put aside that feeling in her gut long enough to ignore it.
"It's rare to see you of all people here by yourself," a voice said.
Haruka didn't bother looking. She took another drink instead. "Why is that so surprising?"
"Well, you're the great Haruka Tenoh: the womanizer, the flirt, the charmer with good looks and a sexy personality. Should I go on?"
Haruka grinned. "No, but sexy should have been the first thing," she explained.
The voice laughed, and Haruka couldn't help but listen. It was soft, even with the loud music blaring. She finally turned to the voice, almost dropping her drink when she set her eyes on her. The woman before her, the beauty standing right there…she could only stare at her in awe. There were no words to describe her, not enough adjectives to fully explain how beautiful she was.
Haruka grinned at her, which in turn caused her to raise her eyebrows. "So, I take it you're a fan of some sort?"
"What gave you that idea?"
"You seem to know a lot about me. But next time, make sexy the first thing you say. Just a heads up, is all."
The woman smiled, a soft and warm smile that Haruka was glad she could elicit from her. "I'm not a fan of yours."
"An obsessive stalker then?" She made a face of disapproval, and Haruka could only laugh.
"I'm just a person who knows of your reputation, is all."
Haruka became amused by her words, almost immediately believing that she was just another woman who assumed too much, without knowing the real truth. It wasn't a surprise, or a first. She couldn't blame people for thinking what they did; it was her own choices and naivety that led to these false beliefs about her. But, there was no turning back…no changing anything that had already been done. The only thing she could do now was prove everybody wrong. She was going to, in the end.
Although, it didn't seem like anything had changed at all. This woman she just met was already throwing a title at her, probably thinking that she was still some promiscuous person with no feelings and emotions. It bothered her, in a way.
Haruka sighed inwardly and ran a hand through her hair. The woman gave her a questionable stare. "So, this reputation of mine-"
"Is something that I refuse to believe," she interrupted. Haruka simply looked at her, her mouth open, at a loss for words. "I know what I said, but I don't like to believe something unless I've seen it for myself."
Haruka grinned, putting her drink down on the bar. She stood up in front of her. "That's a good thing, I guess. Even so…I don't think that means we have to rule out good looks and a sexy personality, does it?"
The smaller girl smiled then looked away. "I'll get back to you on that," she answered, before walking away.
Haruka stood there as she watched the woman walk away—the way her legs and hips moved. She grinned when a thought formed in her head, but she immediately dismissed it when the realization that she was walking away hit her.
She went after her, catching up to her outside, standing in front of a car and rummaging through her purse. She stood next to her.
"You're leaving so soon?" she asked, leaning against the car.
"I didn't intend on staying too long."
Haruka was trying to think of what to say. If only she could say something, anything to get the woman to stay with her, if only for a while longer. She didn't even know her name.
"You know, I don't even know your name."
The woman found her keys, opened the car door and sat in it. She started it, and then rolled the window down. Haruka just stood there, an indifferent look on her face with her hands in her pockets. It seemed as if she felt she didn't need to try, and that only amused her.
"If you really want to talk to me again, you'll find me."
Haruka grinned, leaning her hand against the car and bending closer to the window. "Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you soon."
The woman looked away, as if thinking about her words, and Haruka could only wait for her response. The hesitation made the blonde wonder if she really did want to see her again, or if she was just saying that in order to get rid of her. Either way, she was going to keep to what she stated.
She didn't look at Haruka. "What if I said I wanted to see you again?"
"Then I wouldn't be surprised," she answered truthfully.
The woman laughed, and Haruka's smile grew wider. She could get used to listening to that melodic sound. It calmed her.
"You promise to find me?"
Haruka frowned. "I can't promise anything."
The woman finally looked at her, confused. "But, I thought you wanted to see me again."
"Oh, believe me I do. It's just, I don't make promises."
"Why not?"
Haruka shrugged her shoulders. "I don't make promises when so many things always change."
Haruka walked down the aisle, passing the rows of seats filled with people dressed in formal wear. It wasn't somewhere she was used to being at, but she was there for a specific reason, for a specific person.
Michiru Kaioh. She had finally learned of her name, the next day, in fact. It didn't take too long, seeing as she was apparently extremely famous throughout Tokyo. How she never heard of nor seen her was a mystery.
Haruka arrived at the front row, and sat herself in the middle, placing the bouquet of flowers on the floor next to her feet. She glanced at her watch, becoming impatient, even if there was only three minutes until the concert started. She mindlessly fixed her tie, slightly pulling it down to put some relief on her neck. For some reason, just thinking about seeing Michiru again was causing her body temperature to rise, and her heart to race. She chuckled to herself and shook her head.
She was nervous. She was actually nervous for once around a woman she had only met once. It was most definitely a first, and most definitely something that she could get used to. The feelings that were stirring inside of her were new, but she enjoyed it. She almost felt giddy, as she anticipated even the sight of the violinist.
The lights suddenly went dim, and a spotlight concentrated on the center stage. A lone person could be seen walking to center stage, before the spotlight revealed her.
There she was. Right there, standing not too far from where Haruka was sitting, looking breathtaking in her dress that complimented her figure, and her hair accentuating her face. Haruka stared…it was all she could do. That smile of hers, those eyes of hers. She was beautiful.
Michiru bowed to the audience, and then nodded before placing the violin under her chin. She began playing, the soft, slow music sounding wonderful. Haruka listened, both her hands resting on her legs. There was just something about the way she played that made her all the more attractive. Her music was amazing, and she could feel the emotion put into every single note. She could just simply listen to it and feel happy.
Michiru closed her eyes, slowly moving her body to the music, as the curtains behind her opened to reveal the orchestra. They joined her in the song she was playing, simply making it even greater to listen to. Haruka could only concentrate her attention on Michiru, loving everything that the sight of her brought.
Suddenly, she closed her eyes, as well, leaning her head back and closed her hands. She listened to the melody, concentrating solely on the violin as she relaxed her fingers on her legs. She moved them, over an imaginary piano that she could only see in her head, and only her hearing the imaginary sounds emitting from the instrument. The music greatly accompanied the violin, and she could only smile at that. Here she was concocting a piece of her own that would do well as a duet with Michiru. She would love to show it to her someday.
The piece finished, and Haruka opened her eyes. Michiru stayed where she was, the violin under her chin and the bow still resting on a string. Her eyes were closed, and her mind seemed to be somewhere else—a place she took herself when she played. She opened her eyes, bowed, then proceeded on with the next piece, her eyes closing once again. Haruka would simply watch her for the next pieces, simply being content to do just that.
When the concert was over, Haruka made her way backstage to find Michiru. She walked through the crowds of people, holding on to the bouquet of flowers while trying to fix her suit. She finally arrived at Michiru's dressing room, but just stood there. The nervousness came rushing back, and she, again, had to loosen her tie. She rubbed her eyes, pacing back and forth, trying to come up with things to say.
From the beginning, Haruka was intent on asking Michiru out, but that wasn't exactly a strong point of hers. A life of women throwing themselves on her, without her needing to utter one single word, gave her the luxury of not needing to ask anyone out. Truthfully, she had never even been on an actual date with anyone. So, for her to do this was new, but she couldn't back down to any extent. This was the best chance. She just needed to relax, and go with the flow. She needed to let her feelings do the talking for her—a complete out of the ordinary thing for her.
Haruka ran a hand through her hair, and then cleared her throat. She lightly knocked on the door, but didn't hear any movement after a while. She laughed to herself, realizing that the ridiculous knock she just gave was embarrassing. She didn't know she was that nervous. Again, she knocked, but louder this time. She heard movement, a sound that almost made her run away.
"Get yourself together, Tenoh. It's no so…"
The door opened, revealing an almost bare Michiru holding a thin garment around her shoulders, and a breathtaking smile on her face.
Haruka released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Uh…"
Michiru slightly laughed. "It's good to see you, Haruka. I didn't know if you'd find me."
The pianist glanced away and cleared her throat before turning her attention back to the violinist. "I told you that I'd see you very soon," she answered, bringing the flowers in front of her.
"Such a gentleman," she remarked, before taking the flowers. Haruka grinned, loving the fact that she had a sense of humor. "Come in," she said, moving aside for the taller woman.
Haruka didn't move for a few seconds, afraid that she might do something brash when walking past Michiru who was almost half-naked. She didn't show that she was nervous in any way, because confidence was always more of what people saw. But with Michiru, it was getting more and more difficult to keep her behavior the same. She walked past Michiru, taking in the scent of her.
Michiru closed the door, and then set the flowers on a table near it. "I'm actually glad that you came today. I was wondering when I'd see you again."
Haruka turned to face her and shrugged. She put her hands in her pockets. "It wasn't all too difficult." She laughed, remembering that she didn't even try. "I saw a poster of you early the next morning," she explained with a smile. "So, I decided to come to the concert and surprise you."
The talking made Haruka calmer, and the idea of asking Michiru out didn't seem like such a crazy idea, after all, even if she was dressed the way she was. She couldn't complain.
"What did you think?"
The blonde smiled. "It was amazing. I never knew anybody could play with so much passion as you could. It was like I could feel the emotion you put into every piece."
"Apparently too much," Michiru commented, moving closer to Haruka.
"What are you talking about?"
Michiru didn't say anything, but carefully fixed Haruka's tie with her skillful hands. The close proximity was something the blonde ached for, yearned for. She simply stared at the woman who concentrated on the tie, and had to withhold her urges of wanting to hold her, to kiss her.
Without even thinking, Haruka brought her hand up, placing it on Michiru's cheek. She loved the softness under her fingers as she caressed her skin, causing the violinist to look up at her in a way she never had before. There was something there, something that was hidden before but she clearly saw it now.
Haruka wrapped her other arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Their bodies fit perfectly, she noticed, and when the shorter woman put her arm around her neck, everything just seemed right. The closeness, that look, the feeling—it was all so right.
They kissed. It was a slow and soft kiss that was almost hesitant, at first. But, once it was clear that the feeling and desire of wanting each other was mutual, it became deeper, more passionate. Haruka loved what she felt, and she knew that this was what she had been waiting for. This was her chance at finally being happy.
They pulled apart and Haruka rested her forehead against Michiru's, a grin on her face caused by the smile the other woman showed. "Go out with me, Michiru," she said, more of a statement than a question.
Michiru just simply smiled. "What took you so long to ask me?"
That night was going to be the start of something new for Haruka. Something different that she had yet to experience or understand, but she was willing to try. With Michiru, she was willing to give everything in order to stay with her. There was no hesitation in that sense, no second guessing and she felt like she had finally found somebody she could be happy with.
After a few dates, there was no denying that they wanted to be together. They couldn't stand to be away from each other. Haruka was finally in a real relationship with someone she cared deeply for. There were no late night stands, no waking up in the morning next to a person she didn't know to any extent. No, when she woke up next to Michiru, there was a different feeling she wasn't used to, but that didn't bother her. She could watch her sleep, moving small strands of hair away from her face in order to let the sunlight reflect off such beauty. The simplicity in those kinds of things were new to her...something she would have never done before, but each time those feelings would rush back and she didn't want to get rid of them.
Michiru brought out the best in her, a side of her that she wasn't willing to reveal to anybody else. Haruka would do anything to make her smile, to make her laugh—two things that she could never get enough of. She was happy…it was that plain and simple. She was happy with Michiru.
"What're you doing, Haruka?" Michiru asked, coming behind the blond to wrap her arms around her.
Haruka sat on the bench, slightly running her fingers over the keys of the piano, thinking of what she should play for the other girl. Something new, something special. Or, maybe something she recognized.
Haruka lightly grabbed the hand wrapped around her, and gave it a slight squeeze. "I'm going to play something for you."
Michiru pulled away to sit next to her. "I didn't know you could play anything?"
Haruka grinned at her, gave her a slight kiss then proceeded to play.
Her fingers moved gracefully over the keys, as if she didn't even need to try. She closed her eyes, visioning Michiru on the stage again so many months ago, playing her violin piece with such grace. She remembered the melody, the harmony, and she played the same thing she had that same day to herself. The sound was amazing, so elegant but just simply wonderful to hear.
Michiru sat there, staring at Haruka in awe and admiration. For one, she didn't know the blonde could play so well. Secondly, she didn't even know she had created a piece that accompanied her own. It was just perfect. She stared at the blonde, taking in everything she was, and just how peaceful she looked playing. She was in her own world, something that she could understand.
Haruka finished, opening her eyes and taking a breath to calm her nerves. She always got passionate whenever she played, especially if it was that certain song. She looked at Michiru, a grin on her face to only be met with a kiss.
It was different, however. There was more urgency behind it, more passion and more feeling. She enjoyed it, as she slightly moved to wrap her arms around Michiru's waist. The kiss deepened even more, that when they finally pulled away, Haruka couldn't contain herself. She couldn't hold it back anymore, as she pulled the smaller woman into her arms.
"I love you," she whispered, moving her fingers along her back. She felt Michiru smile against her shoulder, but she didn't say anything. Haruka didn't mind too much, because she just wanted to enjoy the moment. She had never said those words to anybody before, but the feeling it brought was more than she ever expected. It was so genuine, and she knew that she wanted to protect this woman for the rest of their life together. She would give anything to make sure she was safe. Anything.
Michiru pulled away, placing her hand on Haruka's cheek. She smiled, and the sparkle in her eyes spoke volumes. "I love you, too."
This would only be the beginning.
Haruka stopped the car in front of a house, before getting out to open the door for Michiru.
"Where are we?" she asked, grabbing a hold of the blonds arm.
"This," she began, motioning towards the house, "is our home."
Michiru glanced at her before walking closer, inspecting and taking in the area as well as the house itself. The two-story house sat there, surrounded by full grown trees and gardens of flowers. The porch was covered by a veranda, its elegance evident in the Victorian architecture. The windows were accompanied by green shutters, and a small bench sat near the doorway. The driveway and garage was immense, probably to hold all of Haruka's priceless cars, she figured. It looked exactly as Michiru always envisioned her dream house would look like, wonderful and by the ocean. Haruka sure did pay attention to everything she said.
Haruka suddenly grabbed Michiru, lifting her up to carry her in her arms. She smiled down at her, kissing her as she walked to the front door. She skillfully unlocked and opened it with one hand, before walking over the threshold and into their new house, their home. She carefully let Michiru down, closing the door behind her only to stand there with her hands in her pockets. Michiru walked around, simply in awe at the beauty of the home. The feeling she got was indescribably simply wonderful and amazing. The only other time she got that feeling was when Haruka proposed, but she couldn't argue at the thought of getting used to it.
Haruka held her hand. "I want to show you something," she said, leading her away. They went down a hallway before stopping at a door. "I want to show you the garage," she explained.
Michiru smiled, fully knowing that Haruka only wanted to show off her cars. She was surprised however to find none when the door was opened. Instead, the floor was concrete, covered in brown paper. Easels stood with blank canvas' resting on them, all different kinds of paints and brushes sat on the shelves against the walls. On the wall hung all of Michiru's old paintings and even one that Haruka had tried her hand at, with Michiru's insistent persuasion, of course.
"Hold on," Haruka said, moving into the garage. She went to the back and bent down as an unlocking noise could be heard. She lifted up a garage door, which opened up to the backyard. The view was simply breathtaking, as the sun was slowly beginning to set and its reflection could be seen in the ocean. Michiru slowly walked closer to where the blonde stood, trying to take in the view and the beauty of it all.
"Haruka…this…this is simply wonderful. I can't believe you thought of this."
Haruka smiled—a gesture she only showed to her wife. "Did you think I wanted to show you my cars?"
Michiru laughed, but before she could answer, Haruka kissed her. The kissing eventually led them to the bedroom, and lucky for Haruka, she was smart enough to have already had their things moved in, specifically the bed.
Hours passed before they lay there on the bed, holding each other and enjoying the feeling of being together, married and in love. Just simply happy.
"Make me a promise, Haruka," Michiru began, tightening her hold.
She frowned. For the years they had been together, it was something Haruka never did, and Michiru never seemed to question it. "Michi, you know I don't make promises."
"Please, just this time, Ruka. Please?"
Haruka sighed, glancing away momentarily before looking back at her. It was something she had never asked of her before, because there was a sort of understanding on her part. But, for some reason, she was acting different. She had been for a while now, and she knew there was a reason behind it. This apparent promise that she wanted her to make had something to deal with it. Michiru had always understood that she didn't do that, but now it was like she wanted that to change. Haruka decided that she would do it, just this one time, for her. Only for her.
Haruka kissed her forehead. "Of course. Just for you."
Michiru smiled, hugging her tighter. She dug her face into the blonds shoulder, breathing in her scent, something she was familiar with but enjoyed nevertheless.
"Promise me that you'll stay with me forever and not go anywhere. So that we can always be happy."
"I shouldn't have to even promise that because-"
"Please," she interrupted, kissing her collarbone.
Haruka sighed, moving away to look at Michiru in the eyes. She kissed her deeply, softly, and passionately. There were no hidden meanings behind that kiss, no hesitation. There was only a love that she held for this woman in it, and it was something that wouldn't wane or disappear in the slightest sense. She pulled away and then looked into her eyes.
"I promise, Michiru."
It would be the only promise she ever made to her. She never once thought that she would break it.
Well, I don't have too much to say. Just review if you'd like. Take care!
-Nightfall5029