Not This Year

-for-

Ten no Kasou

Chapter One: Michiru's Secret

My note: Before I start, I want to say that I'm not trying to ignore the rest of my fics, as I'm heading over to update them now. However, I received this challenge and decided that since it was a Christmas fic, that I should finish it for the holiday. This fic, of course, is entirely dedicated to Ten no Kasou.

It was December and, as December had always been, it was crazy, hectic but more than anything it was a loving holiday. It was the perfect time of year for all families to come together and celebrate the meaning of Christmas.

Michiru knew this year would be the same as the last. It wasn't but six months ago that she met the blonde friend of hers. Ever since then her life had changed. There was so much she learned, so much that she appreciated within their friendship. So much she had gained without meaning to. Haruka had taught her the meaning of life, love and happiness. Simply put, the world meant nothing to her without the blonde.

That thought had been running through her mind lately. It was the truth, it wasn't worth living if Haruka wasn't there. But for Michiru to feel so attached to a person, what could it have meant? No one could come close to the affection she held for Haruka. And, while the blonde had the tendency to flirt a lot, Michiru knew that the blonde cared most about her. She could tell by the little things that Haruka would do; things that Haruka didn't know for other people, only her.

In six months, Haruka had shaped her heart. In six months, Michiru had witnessed how much one person could affect her life. Michiru remembered how the blonde would hold her hand as if she would never let it go. Memories of Haruka's constant affection, encouragement, friendship, faith, flooded her mind.

Michiru wouldn't deny it. She loved the tall, quirky, charming blonde. There wasn't a quality or trait that she didn't love about Haruka. But she could never bring herself to confess to this unrequited love; instead, she continued to watch Haruka from afar and from up close. Just about every girl that knew Haruka was jealous of Michiru, this much she knew because of how much they hated her. She remembered when the girls would pick on her because Haruka would pick her up, eat lunch with her, go to her violin practices, visit her art exhibits or anything else that was somehow related to her. They were jealous because, even as much as Haruka would flirt with them, it was the small things that Haruka had done for Michiru that made them green in the face. Michiru laughed and then sighed as she reminisced of all the good times they had shared together.

"Ah, my little mermaid." Michiru felt a large jacket placed over her shoulders and a sudden rush of warmth soothe her cold body. "You shouldn't go out in the snow without a jacket."

"Hai, I know." Michiru admitted, happy to see the person of her thoughts had arrived. "How is your Christmas shopping going?" Michiru felt her heart sink when she noticed Haruka's downcast expression. She shouldn't have mentioned the topic; every time they discussed the holiday, Haruka would become sick with depression.

"Not well." Haruka spoke softly. "You're so hard to shop for." The blonde replaced her sadness with a false happiness but Michiru recognized the fact that Haruka didn't want her to know so she left the subject alone. "I tried to think of what to get you… and when I did, I realized it was a bad idea."

"Any gift from you is a generous thought. I would never ask for anything from you."

"That's what makes this so tough. I was thinking of getting you cosmetics. I heard from a reliable source…" Haruka winked.

'Usagi…' Michiru giggled at the thought of Usagi blabbing her mouth off.

"… that you liked cosmetics."

'Oh? Not bad. She's been doing some research on me.'

"But I had to disagree with cosmetics. I don't think they would make you look prettier, they would hide the true allure that only Michiru Kaioh possesses." Haruka made a funny pose as she tried to illustrate Michiru's radiant beauty.

"Hmm… sounds like a line you use on a lot of girls." Michiru threw Haruka an 'I caught you look' which merited a smile from her friend.

"Not a lot. Only a few." Haruka went back to walking alongside her friend. Michiru waited in silence for the answer she wanted to hear. "Okay, okay. Maybe it was more than a few… maybe … it was a lot…or maybe a lot more than a lot." Haruka grinned as she nudged the aqua-haired friend of mine. "But it doesn't matter how many times I've said it; it only matters that when I said it to you, that I meant it."

Michiru bit her lip. She hated pretending as if they were a couple. Not that they did, but Haruka openly flirted with her. To a lot of their friends, they too thought they were a couple. But even as if was, Michiru had yet to act on the relationship that she ultimately desired. Was it her fault for loving Haruka? Or was it Haruka's fault for flirting with her?

"Sure, sure. Save the flirting for girls that can be seduced by you."

Haruka laughed. "Ah, Michiru, you truly are my match. I have never met someone who could resist me as much as you have. And that's not to say that I've tried to come on to you, but your persistence gets me feeling defeated most of the time."

"Well, you're not supposed to seduce your friends. There's a reason that you call them friends and not lovers." Michiru stopped walking when she noticed Haruka had stopped at a shop, peering inside the window. Michiru found that Haruka had laid eyes upon a very, very, pretty snow globe. For quite some time, the aqua-haired girl watched her friend intently, leaving her to her own thoughts.

---- Flashback ----

"So, Haruka have you made any progress yet? You can pick out any gift you want for any friend that you might have. Just think wisely about your choice." A tall, man with light brown hair beamed down upon his daughter. "Christmas is supposed to be special."

Haruka nodded. "Papa, I think I have the right present."

"Already?" Haruka's father laughed wholeheartedly. "Well…" He peeked around her back, noticing that she was hiding something. "What is it? Show me." Haruka pulled out a small, beautiful snow globe. "Oh, that's wonderful. Who is it for?"

"Mommy." Haruka's father lifted his head in confusion, at the news. He wasn't sure what to say, nor did he try to hide the fact that he was speechless. "Mommy always said she wanted to dance in the snow. Don't you think this looks like mommy?" Haruka pointed to the small female figurine on the inside of the tiny globe. "And…" Haruka shook the globe a few times. "now she can always dance in the snow." She handed the gift over to her father. "She can dance even when it's not Christmas." Haruka looked down at the floor, or more so towards her feet. She could never pick out presents but this one, was one she wanted to get.

"Haruka…" The man started only to find that he had nothing to say.

"Mommy would like it, don't you think?"

"Hai… she would. But Haruka, there'd be no way to get this present to mommy… she's too far from us now." He replied with a heartbreaking tone.

"How far?"

"Heaven is certainly far enough that we can't reach it."

"Then let's take a plane."

"Haruka, it doesn't work like that."

"But you said it was in the clouds! I've seen planes go into the clouds!"

"There aren't any planes that go to Heaven."

"Then we can buy a plane."

"Haruka stop." The older man stated. This was clearly going nowhere. "We can't buy a plane or fly in one to get to the clouds. For now, we can't bring mommy a Christmas present. All we can do is think of mommy and she'll be with us, always." Haruka's father pried the snow globe from his daughter's hands and took the small one into his own. "I think it's time to go now. It's getting late. We'll go shopping another time, okay?" Haruka nodded, feeling as if she had done something wrong. All she wanted to do was get her mother a Christmas present.

---- End of Flashback ----

Haruka took a look at her watch. "You know what, I've got to go pick up Usagi. I completely forgot about that. I'll meet you at your house. Okay?"

Michiru was reluctant to allow the blonde to leave her. She had spent most of her day, busy with preparations, that she was dying for a simple moment, where she have a quiet conversation with Haruka. That's all she desired. None of the rest had mattered; just a moment with Haruka. 'No, this is perfect.' Michiru thought as her eyes made their way to the window of the stop both of them had been looking in. 'I can finally shop for Haruka's Christmas present.'

"Hai, try not to flirt with her as much this time." Michiru joked, but inside she meant every word.

"Of course not. I'll tone it down just for you. I'll only flirt a little." Haruka winked happy to feel her mood lighten up drastically, but she knew that would all change once the aqua-haired girl left.

"Trouble maker." Michiru mumbled to the blonde as they parted. At last, she would have a chance to shop. It was so close to Christmas that it wasn't best to put off the shopping any longer. "At least the one thing I want to get Haruka, obviously hasn't been--" Michiru's eyes widened when she noticed a woman had just bought the snow globe that Haruka had been staring at. Michiru walked into the store and approached the man at the counter. "Sir, I was wondering if you point me in the direction of where that snow globe in the window might me." The man blushed hard, though Michiru wasn't sure why. She was only interested in the snow globe.

"I'm sorry, that lady has taken the last one."