Chapter Five
Love is in the air ^.^
Haruka arrived unannounced the next day, and checked into an expensive hotel room. She called Usagi, asking her when they were going to get together.
"How about tonight at around six in the park?" asked Usagi. Haruka was surprised - the senshi had never met there before...
"Um... Sure..."
"And could you bring some candles and a blanket? We were - er - going to have a potluck picnic. Is that okay?"
"Should I bring some food too?"
"Ah - yeah! That'd be great!"
"Alright then, see you tonight!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Michiru wandered Setsuna's house - her house, too, really. Hotaru's as well. She was surprised at how much Hotaru had grown, she hadn't seen in her forever, though they constantly emailed. There was one more owner of the house - one who Michiru would not name... Michiru was still devoted to her, deep down... she would still die for her... but she would not die for Michiru... she did not love Michiru... (or so Michiru thought)
"Michiru?" said Setsuna. Michiru was surprised - she had found herself in her and Haruka's old room, and hadn't even noticed.
"I'm sorry, I was looking for something - "
"Or someone?"
Michiru's breath was caught in her throat for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "No..."
"Alright..." There was a moment of silence. "The others are going to be meeting in the park tonight, you'll have to go on your own because Hotaru is going strait from class and I'm going strait from the observatory - is that okay?" Michiru nodded.
"Sure."
"I'm off now, and Hotaru wont be back. The fridge is full, help yourself. Its just as much your fridge as mine."
Michiru smiled. She missed the days living in this house, the outer senshi, all a family. They had always been so close, Setsuna, Haruka, Hotaru, and Michiru. Michiru missed it... she missed it so much...
"Alright then, bye," said Setsuna, troubled by Michiru's far away look.
Michiru nodded. "Bye."
~~~~~~~~~
"She believed it?!?!" said Minako with a grin, jumping up and down. Usagi had just hung up on Michiru. Usagi nodded. "Hahaha!! This is so perfect!!"
"It is! It is!!"
"Should we go and watch??"
A few years ago, Usagi might have taken Mina-chan up on this offer, but she had matured a great deal, and shook her head. "I think - I think they need to be alone."
Minako smiled. "They love each other so much!! I can't wait to see how it turns out!!"
Usagi grinned. She was so happy - she cared so much about Michiru and Haruka. She couldn't wait to see what happened...
~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, another conspirator was taking a leaf out of her comrades' book and bringing two people together.
"Hotaru, where are you taking me?" asked Shingo. He was blindfolded and quite confused. She laughed.
"You'll see."
She led him for a few more feet before seating him on a bench. "You stay here!" she said. He grunted a reply.
About ten minutes later he was tired of waiting, and he wanted to see what was going on. He took off the blindfold and looked around. He was in the middle of a maze, one of those made out of hedges.
"Hotaru!" he shouted. "You've really done it this time!!"
"Shingo? Shingo, is that you?" came a familiar voice. He almost laughed.
"Kai? How'd you get in here?"
"Hotaru!"
"You know Hotaru?"
"She lives right near me!" Shingo smiled.
"Keep talking - I'll come find you."
"What shall I talk about?" asked Kai as Shingo began to make his way towards the sound of her voice.
"About anything!"
"Have you ever seen the movie 'Gladiator'?"
"Only like five times!"
"It was so sad! I couldn't stand all the war scenes! I cannot stand death!"
They went on like this for twenty some odd minutes, until Shingo rounded a corner and there was Kai! She wore a short blue skirt with a white teeshirt. Shingo thought she looked positively gorgeous! He grinned.
"I guess we found each other!"
"I guess we did!"
"Now to find our way out of this maze!"
As they began walking through the maze, almost subconsciously, instinctively, even, Shingo reached out with his hand. And, to his surprise, a smaller, more timid hand entered his grip. He clasped it firmly, and smiled as he said,
"Just around the corner - I'm almost sure of it!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was dusk, and the park was quite eerie, long shadows stretching here and there, golden sunlight coming through the trees, distant from the horizon. Michiru and Haruka sat in a grassy clearing, blanket spread out, candles lit.
"I thought this was a little strange..." said Michiru. Haruka was confused.
"Huh?"
"Its obvious that they're trying to get us back together."
"Oh..." Haruka hadn't found it that obvious, but now that Michiru mentioned it, she knew that it must be true. She searched for something to say - something that would make Michiru want to be with Haruka again, something sweet, something nice - "Well, we wouldn't want muffin head's plan to be all in vain, would we?"
Michiru's eyes widened - had Haruka just said that she wanted to get back together? Michiru waited to see if she would continue.
"I'm so sorry, Michi. You know I love you and your music... and everything about you. I love your swimming and your painting and I love your laugh and I love your smile and I love it when you love me and I even love it when you yell at me for using your toothbrush."
"Oh Haruka!!" Michiru flung her arms around Haruka's neck and Haruka hugged her close.
"Does this mean that you'll take me back?"
Michiru ruffled Haruka's hair. "Of course I will, dummy!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Finally they stumbled out of the maze, Shingo was grinning. "I'm gonna get Hotaru!"
"Hehe, I'll help!"
Shingo collapsed on the lawn outside of the exit of the maze. He still held Kai's hand, and pulled her down next to him. For a moment Kai was wary, but she found that she had never felt more at home putting her head on Shingo's chest, listening to his heart beat, having him put his big, strong arm around her, pulling her closer... and the stars had never seemed quite so bright.
Love is in the air ^.^
Haruka arrived unannounced the next day, and checked into an expensive hotel room. She called Usagi, asking her when they were going to get together.
"How about tonight at around six in the park?" asked Usagi. Haruka was surprised - the senshi had never met there before...
"Um... Sure..."
"And could you bring some candles and a blanket? We were - er - going to have a potluck picnic. Is that okay?"
"Should I bring some food too?"
"Ah - yeah! That'd be great!"
"Alright then, see you tonight!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Michiru wandered Setsuna's house - her house, too, really. Hotaru's as well. She was surprised at how much Hotaru had grown, she hadn't seen in her forever, though they constantly emailed. There was one more owner of the house - one who Michiru would not name... Michiru was still devoted to her, deep down... she would still die for her... but she would not die for Michiru... she did not love Michiru... (or so Michiru thought)
"Michiru?" said Setsuna. Michiru was surprised - she had found herself in her and Haruka's old room, and hadn't even noticed.
"I'm sorry, I was looking for something - "
"Or someone?"
Michiru's breath was caught in her throat for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "No..."
"Alright..." There was a moment of silence. "The others are going to be meeting in the park tonight, you'll have to go on your own because Hotaru is going strait from class and I'm going strait from the observatory - is that okay?" Michiru nodded.
"Sure."
"I'm off now, and Hotaru wont be back. The fridge is full, help yourself. Its just as much your fridge as mine."
Michiru smiled. She missed the days living in this house, the outer senshi, all a family. They had always been so close, Setsuna, Haruka, Hotaru, and Michiru. Michiru missed it... she missed it so much...
"Alright then, bye," said Setsuna, troubled by Michiru's far away look.
Michiru nodded. "Bye."
~~~~~~~~~
"She believed it?!?!" said Minako with a grin, jumping up and down. Usagi had just hung up on Michiru. Usagi nodded. "Hahaha!! This is so perfect!!"
"It is! It is!!"
"Should we go and watch??"
A few years ago, Usagi might have taken Mina-chan up on this offer, but she had matured a great deal, and shook her head. "I think - I think they need to be alone."
Minako smiled. "They love each other so much!! I can't wait to see how it turns out!!"
Usagi grinned. She was so happy - she cared so much about Michiru and Haruka. She couldn't wait to see what happened...
~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, another conspirator was taking a leaf out of her comrades' book and bringing two people together.
"Hotaru, where are you taking me?" asked Shingo. He was blindfolded and quite confused. She laughed.
"You'll see."
She led him for a few more feet before seating him on a bench. "You stay here!" she said. He grunted a reply.
About ten minutes later he was tired of waiting, and he wanted to see what was going on. He took off the blindfold and looked around. He was in the middle of a maze, one of those made out of hedges.
"Hotaru!" he shouted. "You've really done it this time!!"
"Shingo? Shingo, is that you?" came a familiar voice. He almost laughed.
"Kai? How'd you get in here?"
"Hotaru!"
"You know Hotaru?"
"She lives right near me!" Shingo smiled.
"Keep talking - I'll come find you."
"What shall I talk about?" asked Kai as Shingo began to make his way towards the sound of her voice.
"About anything!"
"Have you ever seen the movie 'Gladiator'?"
"Only like five times!"
"It was so sad! I couldn't stand all the war scenes! I cannot stand death!"
They went on like this for twenty some odd minutes, until Shingo rounded a corner and there was Kai! She wore a short blue skirt with a white teeshirt. Shingo thought she looked positively gorgeous! He grinned.
"I guess we found each other!"
"I guess we did!"
"Now to find our way out of this maze!"
As they began walking through the maze, almost subconsciously, instinctively, even, Shingo reached out with his hand. And, to his surprise, a smaller, more timid hand entered his grip. He clasped it firmly, and smiled as he said,
"Just around the corner - I'm almost sure of it!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was dusk, and the park was quite eerie, long shadows stretching here and there, golden sunlight coming through the trees, distant from the horizon. Michiru and Haruka sat in a grassy clearing, blanket spread out, candles lit.
"I thought this was a little strange..." said Michiru. Haruka was confused.
"Huh?"
"Its obvious that they're trying to get us back together."
"Oh..." Haruka hadn't found it that obvious, but now that Michiru mentioned it, she knew that it must be true. She searched for something to say - something that would make Michiru want to be with Haruka again, something sweet, something nice - "Well, we wouldn't want muffin head's plan to be all in vain, would we?"
Michiru's eyes widened - had Haruka just said that she wanted to get back together? Michiru waited to see if she would continue.
"I'm so sorry, Michi. You know I love you and your music... and everything about you. I love your swimming and your painting and I love your laugh and I love your smile and I love it when you love me and I even love it when you yell at me for using your toothbrush."
"Oh Haruka!!" Michiru flung her arms around Haruka's neck and Haruka hugged her close.
"Does this mean that you'll take me back?"
Michiru ruffled Haruka's hair. "Of course I will, dummy!"
~~~~~~~~~~
Finally they stumbled out of the maze, Shingo was grinning. "I'm gonna get Hotaru!"
"Hehe, I'll help!"
Shingo collapsed on the lawn outside of the exit of the maze. He still held Kai's hand, and pulled her down next to him. For a moment Kai was wary, but she found that she had never felt more at home putting her head on Shingo's chest, listening to his heart beat, having him put his big, strong arm around her, pulling her closer... and the stars had never seemed quite so bright.