Dirty Little Secret:

By Haruka's Knight and Neptune's Mask

Chapter one: The Bet

Author's Note: The idea actually sprung up while I was speaking to a fellow author. Originally I intended to work on it as a joint project, but it has taken so long that while I welcome her to write her own version if she chooses I want to get to work on this one. This is set roughly a year after "Truly Madly Deeply". That said, I'm going to edit this then re-read my linked stories to try to get back into the right mind set. Please let me know what you think.

Ann Reed smirked at the blonde who sat on the polished black piano bench in the sound booth. A year of working with the former racer had left the two with an odd working friendship. Currently they were passing time waiting for an uncharacteristically tardy Michiru Kaioh-Ten'ou. The violin player had text messaged a few minutes ago saying she was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, this left the two tom-boyish women to their own devices until she arrived.

"Setsuna Meiou." Ann stated, naming the current victim of their boredom. Teal eyes seemed to widen a fraction as Haruka shook her head. Ann raised one brown brow over her glasses and grinned at Haruka. "You doubt me Ten'ou-san?"

"I've only known her slightly longer than I've known you, Reed, but I do know she isn't a lesbian." Haruka pushed some blonde strands from her teal eyes and shook her head again. "I've met an ex-boyfriend of hers and heard too many stories about others from Michi."

"I didn't say she was a lesbian, the topic was homosexuals I thought." The American stood from her place on a stool. She fiddled with something hanging about her neck, though it was still hidden inside her shirt. "Besides, as you said, they were her ex-boyfirends."

"No, jokes aside, I'd know if Setsuna-san was a lesbian." The blonde blew off Reed's cockiness. "She's straight, even if we all joke sometimes. I think you need your supposed gaydar adjusted."

"I bet she is." Reed spoke seriously and shoved her hands in her pockets pulling out a set of keys. She held the keys up for Haruka to see. "In fact, I'll bet my 1966 Ford Mustang on it. You win, it's yours. . . Though how you'd get it here from America I'm not sure."

"I'd feel like a theft, I can't take your car so easily." Haruka smirked in her own cocky way and waved off the idea. "What would you get out of it even if you did win?"

"Your motorcycle." Reed laughed when Haruka seemed to freeze than she put her keys away. "What's wrong? Is the great Haruka Ten'ou afraid to lose?"

"The Mustang's worth more so don't cry when you lose. How do we prove this?" Haruka asked, finally conceding to the wager.

"Simple, we get her to go on a date." Reed pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and sighed as if she were being punished. "As you're married I suppose I'll have to be the sacrificial lamb."

"Wait, you're going to ask Setsuna out?" The blonde piano player stood and shook her head. "You know, it isn't normally that easy in Japan."

"Hey, it's not like I'm asking her to a hotel and I'll have your help. In order to make the bet fair you'll have to help me win her over." The American seemed to think it over before looking again toward the taller blonde. "I'll ask her out for coffee, it wont prove anything but it's only step one. After that I'll start off slow, maybe a few more invites to coffee and a bouquet of flowers. After we both agree it's been a fair amount of time I'll ask her to dinner, as friends, and from there starts the great 'Woo Miss Meiou Mission'. Sound good?"

"Sure, though I doubt it'll get that far." Haruka heard a light rap at the studio door and the two went quiet as teal and brown eyes turned toward the door.