"Reversal"

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Sailormoon or its characters.

"Michiru," Haruka said casually as she hugged her lover to her in the bed. "My parents called today." She kissed the back of Michiru's neck tenderly.
"Oh?"
"They want to come visit me?"
"That's nice. I've never met your parents before." Michiru pulled out of Haruka's embrace and rolled over to face her lover. Haruka appeared nervous.
"My parents don't know about me." Haruka admitted. "I've always been afraid to say anything before." Michiru gently caressed Haruka's cheek with one of her hands.
"Are you going to tell them now?"
"Not yet, I don't know how they'll react."
"So what are we going to tell them?" Your parents know you're a woman, so you can't very well pretend to be my boyfriend." Michiru said.
"I doubt we could convince them we're roommates since our house is so large and this room obviously has two people living in it." Haruka replied.
"I could pose as your boyfriend." Michiru suggested with a slight giggle. Haruka stared at her incredulously before answering.
"Michiru, I appreciate the idea, but you've never been very masculine." Haruka reminded as she moved to tuck a stray piece of aquamarine hair behind Michiru's ear.
"Call me Mamoru, Haruka." Michiru said with a grin and a tone of finality. "Don't worry; we'll make this work."
"Yes, Mamoru," Haruka laughed and leaned forward to kiss her lover's forehead. "Good, now we'll discuss this in morning." Michiru stated and moved over to snuggle up against Haruka.
***
When Haruka woke the next morning, Michiru sat on the side of the bed with her hair in a ponytail, wearing a plaid flannel shirt, baggy jeans being held up by a belt and a pair of ratty tennis shoes sat in her lap.
"Try putting on a hat and taking out your earrings." Haruka suggested as she sat up in the bed. Michiru blushed and removed her earrings before setting the shoes down and retrieving a baseball cap out of Haruka's collection in the closet. "Your breasts stick out too much."
"You never complained about that before." Michiru said as she pulled the cap down on her head.
"I think we're going to have to wrap them down." Haruka said and got out of the bed as Michiru sighed and began to remove her shirt. "We can use one of your scarves." Haruka retrieved a scarf from the dresser and carefully began to wrap it around Michiru's chest.
"Haruka, does it have to be so tight?" Michiru asked breathlessly.
"It needs to be convincing, Mamo-chan." Haruka said with a light snicker.
"Mamo-chan, eh? Usagi would be jealous." Michiru responded with quiet laugh. Haruka pulled the scarf enough to choke the laughter off. "So, are you going to wear a dress?"
"A what?"
"A dress? Are you going to wear one? The act does need to be convincing, after all." Michiru began to laugh again.
"But, Michiru--!"
"No buts, Haruka! Do you want to look like society's idea of a couple or two gay men?" Michiru argued.
"I think we looked like society's idea of a couple before you got all dressed up." Haruka countered and Michiru swatted her lightly.
"But you are going to wear a dress, right, Haruka?"
"Yes, yes, I suppose." Haruka agreed grudgingly. "You need to try talking with a more masculine voice, Michiru." She added.
"And you need to get some make-up on." Michiru countered.
"Make-up, but-"
"I'm going all out masculine, so you are going all out feminine." Michiru said firmly. "Besides, your parents won't be here that long, will they?"
"Until Thursday,"
"Haruka, that's four days!" Michiru sounded worried.
"You don't think you can keep the act up until then, Michiru?"
"Ara, it's not that."
"Then what?"
"Do you have enough dresses for that many days?" Michiru asked. Haruka blushed brightly.
"You expect me to wear a dress everyday?"
"Should I expect otherwise?"
"You don't wear dresses everyday." Haruka objected.
"I'm also not regularly confused for a man. Go put on your make-up; your parents will be here soon." Michiru ordered and pointed toward the bathroom as she adjusted her cap.
"Yes, Dear," Haruka said with defeat and headed toward the bathroom to change into one of the few dresses she owned. As she changed, a loud knock from downstairs surpsied her. "Michi-!"
"I've got the door; it's your parents!" Michiru shouted from the bottom of the stair case.
Downstairs, Michiru tried her best to look manly and opened the door to Haruka's parents.
"Hello," a woman with long blonde hair said. "Does Tenoh Haruka live here?"
"Yes, yes, she's upstairs changing clothes."
"Who are you?" the woman asked as Michiru let them in.
"Kaioh Mamoru, I'm Haruka's boyfriend." Michiru smiled pleasantly.
"Boyfriend? We weren't aware that Haruka had a boyfriend!" Haruka's mother exclaimed.
"You're an awfully scrawny boy!" Haruka's father stated.
"I've always been small." Michiru responded not acting offended in any manner.
"Mother!" Haruka called as she came down the stairs. Michiru's jaw dropped open as Haruka gracefully danced down the steps.
"You got Haruka to wear a dress?" Haruka's father asked incredulously.
"You make sacrifices for the ones you love, Father. Right, Mamo-chan?" Haruka leaned over and pecked Michiru on the lips.
"Yes," Michiru said in a breathy voice. "Would you like some tea?" Michiru offered politely.
"Please," Haruka's mother smiled as she handed Haruka her purse.
"I'll make it, Mamoru. You relax with my parents." Haruka forced a wide grin trying to get Michiru to do something more manly than making tea.
"So, Mamoru-san, what do you do?" Haruka's mother questioned amiably.
"I'm an artist." Michiru said without thinking.
"An artist?" Haruka's father raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I play the violin professionally and draw also." Michiru smiled. "Haruka's never told me; what do you do, Tenoh-san?"
"I'm an auto repairman." Haruka's father answered.
"I'm simply a housewife." Haruka's mother said.
"A noble profession," Michiru replied.
"We're hoping Haruka will take it up someday."
"Tea's done!" Haruka said loudly as she came in smiling widely. She quickly poured little cups full of the steaming liquid and passed them around. Michiru clapped her hands enthusiastically and exclaimed "Itadakimasu!" in a less than manly voice.
"Mamo-chan, are you feeling all right? You're voice sounds a little funny." Haruka emphasized the word voice and grinned when her parents look at her.
"Now that you mention it," Michiru said in a deeper voice, "I am feeling a little off today. If you'll excuse me then I'm going to go rest."
"Oh, but Mamoru-san, we've just barely met you."
"Father, Mamoru needs to rest."
"He looks fine to me, Haruka."
"Appearances can be decieving!"
"Haruka, Arashi, I did not come all this way to listen to you fight over Mamoru-san's health!" Haruka's mother shouted.
"It's all right; if Tenoh-san wishes for me to stay then I shall." Michiru said as she tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear.
"So, Mamoru-san, where did you meet Haruka?" Arashi asked.
"We were introduced by a mutal friend, Elise Grey. I wanted to do a drawing of Haruka running." Michiru explained.
"May I see the picture?"
"Yes, I'll go get it for you." Michiru left the room.
"Interesting boy you've caught, Haruka." Arashi commented.
"She's everything to me." Haruka said with a dreamy smile on her face. Neither she or her parents seemed to notice the slip of pronouns.
"Here it is," Michiru returned with a sketch book marked to a page and handed it to Haruka's father.
"That's good, very good. I just have one question: why are these pictures signed by Kaioh Michiru?"
"That's my psuedonym." Michiru explained without missing a beat. "Some of my painting are very well known, and it helps keep the press at bay." Haruka flashed her a sneaky smile. Arashi began to flip through the book and stopped on a page with Haruka and Michiru embracing.
"Who's that woman? She looks like you."
"That's my sister Umi." Michiru seemed prepared for the question. "We're fraternal twins which is why we look so similar."
"When Mamoru has his hair down then they really look identical." Haruka picked up the lie easily.
"Who are these people?" Arashi held up a picture of Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru and Setsuna enjoying a picnic. A picture of the same event was paperclipped to the left side of the paper.
"I took that a few months ago when Umi, Haruka, our friend Setsuna, Umi's daughter Hotaru and I all went on a picnic." Michiru answered. Haruka started to wonder how much of the information her lover had come up with beforehand and how much was off the top of her head. Haruka noticed that her mother had finished her cup of tea and started to move to fill it, but realized the tea kettle was empty.
"I'll go make some more tea." Haruka volunteered and began to get up.
"No, Haruka, I'll do it. You should visit with your parents. After all, how long has it been since you've seen them? I'm sure you've got plenty to tell them." Michiru said lightly and took the small tea kettle to refill it. An awkward silence came over the room.
"You look nice in a dress, Haruka." Arashi complemented after a moment.
"Yes, even with that short haircut." Haruka's mother added.
Haruka sighed and knew that this would be a long, long week.
***
Author's note: I wanted to have this entire story finished for Coming Out Day (October 11th in the States; don't know about other countries), but as is evident I did not finish. What I have decided to do is make this my first chapter story and put this part up on Coming Out Day. This story is for anyone who has ever had to go through the scary experience of coming out to a friend or family member.