Your prompt is HARUKA and SETSUNA in a dingy motel.
Your two prompt phrases are: Making history | Stress

Haruka and Michiru: Runaway Soldiers?! Setsuna on the Hunt

Setsuna looked with distaste at the scarred, dirty door behind which she suspected she would find her missing teammates. The door belonged to Room #10 of the rather regrettably named Happiness Motel, though whether that name was due to some unaccountable optimism on the owner's part or a deeply pessimistic joke Setsuna couldn't say. Already wanting to wash her hands even before making physical contact, she rapped on the door sharply with her knuckles and heard footsteps moving within the room.

The door opened to reveal a very tousled looking Haruka, who was obviously not expecting to see her.

"Setsuna?" A blush spread rapidly over Haruka's cheeks and her half-glazed eyes cleared quickly as she stared at her teammate. "What are you doing here? I mean, I thought you were…"

"Michiru?" Setsuna said dryly, deducing from Haruka's behaviour that Michiru must be temporarily absent but expected to soon return. "Do you mind if I come in?"

She took Haruka's confused shrug as a yes and stepped briskly into the dingy little room. With as much dignity as possible considering the sleazy surroundings, she seated herself on a ripped vinyl chair by the small formica table she spotted next to the window. Of course the blind was down, making everything appear even more dirty and depressing. She very deliberately did not look at the unmade bed with its tumbled sheets and pillows.

"Okay, so." With a slight pout, Haruka threw herself into the chair opposite Setsuna. "You've found us. Now what?"

"We get Michiru and go back to work. Obviously."

Haruka gave a mighty, if resigned, sigh. "She should be back soon. There's an establishment across the courtyard that claims to be a restaurant. She went to find us some food."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Been working up an appetite, have you?"

"Look, honestly Setsuna, the three of us have been tracking this monster through the woods for a week, we've had no sleep, no privacy, no showers…This break was necessary stress relief!"

"And I can see you're also making history in just how low you'll sink to get it."

"Need I remind you," Haruka growled, "that this is the only accommodation for about two hundred miles. Believe me, if there was another option, I would have taken it. Michiru spent so long complaining about how awful this place was that I didn't think we were actually ever going to get around to—"

She broke off abruptly and shot Setsuna a sheepish look. "Yeah, well, never mind."

"Okay." Setsuna got to her feet. As…unsoldierly as Haruka and Michiru's behaviour had been, she had to admit that Haruka had a point. On long missions like this, it was important to take the time to recharge, and it also wasn't particularly pleasant for her to think about what she'd have to put up with over the coming days if she didn't let Haruka and Michiru finish getting this out of their system now. "You can stay here one more night with Michiru. I suppose I could do with a bath and good night's sleep as well…But we'll all be leaving tomorrow bright and early, no excuses!"

A wide grin spreading across her face, Haruka nearly leapt out of her chair and enveloped Setsuna in a bear hug so tight she all but lost her breath.

"Thanks, Setsuna. You're the best."

Disentangling herself and smoothing down her hair, Setsuna did her best to stop the smile of amusement that wanted to soften her lips.

"Don't mention it. I'll go and see about getting checked into a room."

"I think Room #11 is free," said Haruka helpfully.

"I said I wanted to sleep, Haruka. These walls are paper thin. And think about it for a moment. Do you really want me to hear the sounds that you and Michiru are going to be making later on?"

"Umm…Maybe it's not the best plan." Haruka agreed quickly. "But you're welcome to join us for dinner, at least."

"That's okay. I know the last week has been…Challenging. You and Michiru deserve some time together. I'll see you both tomorrow."

When Setsuna checked in to the motel, she was sure to ask for a Room as far away from #10 as possible. The clerk nodded in sad understanding. "I quite understand, madam. In fact, a number of our guests have requested they be moved away from that location. Infernal spirits again, I suppose."

"Not infernal spirits," Setsuna corrected as she took her key. "Just two girls deeply in love."

The clerk's face got even longer. "Oh dear. People in love do even more damage to our Rooms than infernal spirits. Are you sure?"

Setsuna smiled, thinking of the light she saw in her two closest friends' eyes whenever they looked at each other. "Very sure," she said.