Sorry about the delay getting this chapter out, had a mental block on where to go…Please enjoy.

My Family
Chapter 7

I groaned as I rolled over in the morning to find the spot next to me empty. I nearly screamed in pain as my hip popped. Michiru must have had me lying weird last night. I frowned and looked around the room. Where was Michiru?

"Ruka, are you alright? I heard you scream." I looked up to see Ayame step through the doorway. "Do you need any help?"

I shook my head. Ayame really wasn't the person I wanted to see. "Where's Michiru?"

"She's sleeping silly, its 5AM. You should try to get back to bed Ruka." She pulled the door shut behind her.

But she's not in here with me. I gently rubbed my forehead and looked around my room. It was a dream. I was in my own room. I frowned and let myself fall back onto the mattress. I never kissed her, she never asked me to kiss her. I gently touched my lips and sighed. It felt so real though. I need a glass of water. I grabbed my crutches and climbed out of bed.

"What the…" I frowned when I saw a similar piece of paper near my door. Don't tell me I'm dreaming again. I used my crutch to push the paper close to the bed to make it easier for me to pick up. After sitting back on the bed I reached down and snatched the paper from the carpet.

Haruka,

Please don't be mad at me for leaving like I did. I just don't think its right for you to feel like that. We're related for Christ's sake…Ruka; it would never work out between us, even if I did feel the same way as you did. I'm sorry if it seemed as though I led you on in anyway, I never meant for that. I always thought you were playing as well. I never realized that those things you said were coming from your heart. I never wanted to hurt you, and I'll always regret that. Please don't be mad at me, I do hope to still be your friend.

Michiru

I bit my lip and set the paper on my nightstand. I really messed up this time. We're not going to have those special moments anymore. She's going to feel uncomfortable around me from now on. I won't be able to hold her when she's sick, and she won't curl up against me when she's cold.

Michiru's POV

I can't sleep. It's too late now to get that letter back. If I opened her door she'd surely wake up and wonder what I was doing in there. I sighed and crawled out of bed, maybe mom's got some breakfast ready by now. I glanced at the clock and frowned. I'd have to leave for school in 2 hours and I haven't slept at all last night. I hated this feeling that I wasn't with Haruka last night. It felt strange to be away from her after having spent each night with her since the accident.

Part of me was starting to love her. But it could never work. What would people think of us if they found out that our parents were married? What would our own parents think? They would think we're disgusting and kick us out for sure.

"Morning mom…" I yawned and ran my fingers through my tangled hair as I reached the bottom of the steps. "Is there anything to eat?"

Ayame looked up at me and frowned. She quickly stepped to my side and placed her hand on my forehead. "Honey you don't look too good. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine mom; I just had a hard time sleeping is all."

"Probably because you got used to having Haruka with you. You might want to check on her; she screamed a little while ago, I think she twisted her leg the wrong way."

I frowned and quickly ran up the steps to check on her. "Ruka!" I opened the door and saw her sitting on her bed, staring blankly at the paper before her. It was my letter that her tears were now staining. "Ruka, are you alright?"

"I thought you didn't want to be around me." She said coldly. I'd only ever heard that tone when she spoke to one of my boyfriends.

"I never said that Ruka." I stepped closer to her and sat beside her. "I just meant…you should think about it."

"'I just don't think its right for you to feel that way.' Did you not write those words? Michi I can't help who I love and you're who I love."

"Ruka I-"

"No Michi, you stop. Listen to me for a minute; let me get all this out." I carefully listened to each of the words that she spoke to me. "I've been fighting this urge to kiss you for the past 3 years Michiru. Every time I see you with another person it pains me beyond belief. I can't help but picture what it would be like for us to be together. I know I told you this last night, but I think I just need to repeat it for my own sanity. I can't stand this anymore Michiru. I think it would probably be best if we didn't speak anymore. Like you said I shouldn't feel like this. And I figured that if we don't see one anther then my feelings would surely go away."

I frowned and watched her crumble up the paper; my eyes watched it land on the floor. "I'm scared."

Her teal eyes met with mine and I blushed. "Scared of what?"

"Of this…of what I'm feeling." I shivered as I let my head rest on her shoulder and my hand rest on her thigh, just above the bandages. "Mom said you screamed, are you alright?"

I felt her head move in a nodding motion. "Yea, I just twisted the wrong way. Michi you look like you haven't slept at all."

"Because I couldn't sleep without you near me. I felt my heart break last night when I curled against the pillow you slept on. I'm sorry; my emotions were just so ransacked last night when I wrote that. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright Michi, you're here now. I don't think your mom would mind you missing one day of school." I watched her lie back against her pillow and slide against the wall to give me room to lie down next to her. "Only if you're alright with it of course."

I nodded, smiling as I joined her. I rested my head against her chest and quickly fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of her heart beat. I knew that it beat only for me.

Just to help everybody clerify, in case they didn't figure it out. In the last chapter, where I had the line break in the middle, everything after that was a dream, the letter, the kiss, everything. Don't hate me, there was a true confession in this chapter, no more dreaming.