Haruka sighed. She and her parents had parted ways only moments ago near the rental car. Hotaru of course greeted her as normal as she walked in and laughed at her appearance citing something about Michiru and a game with a tuxedo. Setsuna called a greeting from the kitchen and told her that Michiru was upstairs. She couldn't glean from Setsuna's voice any hint which might prepare her for what lay ahead - a teary-eyed beauty, a stoic angel or a raging Sailorneptune.
"Michiru?" Haruka called as she climbed the stairs. Downstairs, she heard Setsuna ask Hotaru to help dry the dishes from dinner. "Michiru, are you asleep?" She reached the top step. The light in their bedroom wasn't on but their door wasn't closed either. Considering that four people lived in the house on very separate schedules, when one wanted to sleep, one usually closed her door.
Haruka walked into the room as silently as she could. From the light in the hallway, Haruka could she the outline of her lover lying in bed facing the window. The night was nice and the window was open. A light breeze played with the curtains and a full moon shone in the sky. Venus and Jupiter were glowing merrily.
"Michiru?" Haruka asked quietly. She crawled into bed and snaked her arms under the covers so that she could embrace her lover's skin. Michiru felt so warm. Haruka always enjoyed the feeling of her skin. Michiru shifted slightly and moved her left hand over Haruka's. She had the most beautiful hands, an artist's hands. Lotions kept the skin soft but a love of music and painting caused calluses to form on the finger tips of Michiru's left hand, the hand used to finger the violin, and her right hand, her hand used for painting. She had such delicate hands, such a light touch. Haruka shuddered involuntarily thinking about what those hands could do to her.
"Haruka," Michiru spoke softly. "Do you remember how our relationship began?" She began to stroke the back of Haruka's hand.
"Yes, we were introduced by Elise Grey." Haruka answered.
"No, that's not what I mean. That's not where our relationship as lovers began. Do you remember the time you took me to the beach in middle of the summer that evening? In the midst of the little fireworks and the families, you told me something special." Michiru whispered.
"I told you how much I loved you for the first time." Haruka responded as she recalled the night. They had watched parents light fireworks for their children and watched little boats disappear into the darkness as the sun sunk ever deeper into the ocean. They had pointed stars out to one another as they appeared and made silly, romantic wishes on each one.
"That wasn't the only thing you told me." Michiru said. Haruka searched her memory for what Michiru meant. She tried to remember what else she had said as they had sat on their beach blanket and ate bento boxes that was so important to her lover. "Even though I knew in no uncertain terms that you were interested in me in more than a friendly way, you told me you were a lesbian, and gave me the chance to back out of a relationship."
They had been the only people left on the beach and night had settled completely. Haruka had held Michiru on her lap with her head on Michiru's left shoulder as they watched the sea roll in and out calmly. In the distance they had been able to hear cars driving swiftly along the roads. Haruka remembered that for a moment she had leaned her head against Michiru's neck to snuggle and started listening to her then best friend's heartbeat.
Haruka had lifted her head away from Michiru and pulled out of the embrace. She recalled how cold she felt suddenly and how her heart clenched with fear of rejection.
"Michiru?" Haruka had said.
"Yes?" Michiru had responded. She had looked away from the sea to smile at Haruka.
"You do know that I'm a lesbian, right?" Haruka had blurted out.
"Yes," Michiru had taken Haruka's hands into her own and smiled again. "Why did you tell me that, Haruka?"
"I told you because it's something I wanted to be sure that you knew. I had to know that you knew that I don't just love you in a friendly way. I wanted to tell you...because I love you so much that I want you to have the chance to get out of our relationship if it isn't what you want." Haruka had said with such uncharacteristic passion that her voice cracked.
Haruka understood why Michiru had brought the memory to mind.
"Michiru," Haruka started.
"Don't tell me that you can't tell your parents what you told me, Haruka." Michiru said quickly, before Haruka could continue. "If you can't tell them then why could you tell me?"
"I told you because I love you, Michiru." Haruka told her.
"You don't love your parents?"
"I do, but what if they don't accept me? What if they tell me that a gay daughter is not worth their time? What if they tell me to stay out of their lives forever?" Haruka could feel tears in her eyes. Stubbornly she tried to force them away. She hated appearing weak in front of anyone, even Michiru.
Michiru rolled over in Haruka's arm and faced her lover. She saw the tears in Haruka's eyes but said nothing about them. She leaned forward and gave Haruka a kiss as soft as a cherry blossom's petal before resting her head against Haruka's breasts.
"What if they tell you that they're glad you've found happiness with someone unlike so many other people in this world?" Michiru countered quietly. "You can't play the 'what-if' game and win, Love. You told me because you truly loved me. If they truly love you then they'll understand what you have to say is said because you love them so much that you want them to know who you really are. It may take time for them to adjust, but I believe they will eventually. Besides, you'll feel much better for doing it. This charade we've been going through is my own fault. I shouldn't have offered to be your boyfriend. I should have insisted you simply tell them."
"Michiru, did you ever tell your parents about you and I?" Haruka realized with surprise that she didn't know her own lover's past with this particular roadblock.
"I...my parents and I stopped speaking once I came out to them." Michiru admitted. "I never had a good relationship with my family anyway. To my mother I was nothing more than a prodigy to brag about to other jealous mothers. To my father I was another source of revenue, a way for him to buy better 'toys'."
"Do you ever wish you hadn't told them?" Haruka asked seriously.
"At first I did." Michiru said honestly. "Now I'm glad that I don't have to hide anything from them and continue to be their performing puppet. Living a double life is no fun, Haruka. I think the last two days have proved that to you."
"That's true," Haruka said thoughtfully. The breeze became the only sound in the room for a moment. For a second the door behind them creaked, someone, probably Setsuna, had closed it to offer them more privacy. "Michiru, I want to tell my parents. At dinner tonight I felt so held back when I had to monitor my use of pronouns and make sure I didn't say your name. I do want to be able to speak freely and act freely, but I'm afraid. If I tell you that I'll try to tell my parents is that good enough for you?"
"Ara, it doesn't matter if it's good enough for me, Haruka. You have to be able to live with the end results." Michiru replied. "I will support you though, however you want." Haruka kissed the top of her lover's head in gratitude.
Haruka smiled at their role reversal. Although Michiru was a strong and able woman, Haruka usually filled the role of the stronger prince in society's romantic ideals. Tonight, in her golden dress, she felt vulnerable and Michiru had come to comfort her despite her own pains. Tonight, the princess gave her all to save the prince from her own dragons.
***
Author's note: Hi, everyone! ^_^ I hope you enjoyed this part. It's actually been my favorite part to write so far. I just wanted to mention something about the last paragraph. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I wanted to talk about Haruka's appearance and ways of acting (when her parents aren't around) without taking away her femininity. After listening to one of the Revolutionary Girl Utena sound tracks, I decided the best way to represent what I wanted to say was to reverse stereotypes and refer to Michiru as a strong princess fighting dragons to help save Haruka, the female prince. I hope it worked out.
"Michiru?" Haruka called as she climbed the stairs. Downstairs, she heard Setsuna ask Hotaru to help dry the dishes from dinner. "Michiru, are you asleep?" She reached the top step. The light in their bedroom wasn't on but their door wasn't closed either. Considering that four people lived in the house on very separate schedules, when one wanted to sleep, one usually closed her door.
Haruka walked into the room as silently as she could. From the light in the hallway, Haruka could she the outline of her lover lying in bed facing the window. The night was nice and the window was open. A light breeze played with the curtains and a full moon shone in the sky. Venus and Jupiter were glowing merrily.
"Michiru?" Haruka asked quietly. She crawled into bed and snaked her arms under the covers so that she could embrace her lover's skin. Michiru felt so warm. Haruka always enjoyed the feeling of her skin. Michiru shifted slightly and moved her left hand over Haruka's. She had the most beautiful hands, an artist's hands. Lotions kept the skin soft but a love of music and painting caused calluses to form on the finger tips of Michiru's left hand, the hand used to finger the violin, and her right hand, her hand used for painting. She had such delicate hands, such a light touch. Haruka shuddered involuntarily thinking about what those hands could do to her.
"Haruka," Michiru spoke softly. "Do you remember how our relationship began?" She began to stroke the back of Haruka's hand.
"Yes, we were introduced by Elise Grey." Haruka answered.
"No, that's not what I mean. That's not where our relationship as lovers began. Do you remember the time you took me to the beach in middle of the summer that evening? In the midst of the little fireworks and the families, you told me something special." Michiru whispered.
"I told you how much I loved you for the first time." Haruka responded as she recalled the night. They had watched parents light fireworks for their children and watched little boats disappear into the darkness as the sun sunk ever deeper into the ocean. They had pointed stars out to one another as they appeared and made silly, romantic wishes on each one.
"That wasn't the only thing you told me." Michiru said. Haruka searched her memory for what Michiru meant. She tried to remember what else she had said as they had sat on their beach blanket and ate bento boxes that was so important to her lover. "Even though I knew in no uncertain terms that you were interested in me in more than a friendly way, you told me you were a lesbian, and gave me the chance to back out of a relationship."
They had been the only people left on the beach and night had settled completely. Haruka had held Michiru on her lap with her head on Michiru's left shoulder as they watched the sea roll in and out calmly. In the distance they had been able to hear cars driving swiftly along the roads. Haruka remembered that for a moment she had leaned her head against Michiru's neck to snuggle and started listening to her then best friend's heartbeat.
Haruka had lifted her head away from Michiru and pulled out of the embrace. She recalled how cold she felt suddenly and how her heart clenched with fear of rejection.
"Michiru?" Haruka had said.
"Yes?" Michiru had responded. She had looked away from the sea to smile at Haruka.
"You do know that I'm a lesbian, right?" Haruka had blurted out.
"Yes," Michiru had taken Haruka's hands into her own and smiled again. "Why did you tell me that, Haruka?"
"I told you because it's something I wanted to be sure that you knew. I had to know that you knew that I don't just love you in a friendly way. I wanted to tell you...because I love you so much that I want you to have the chance to get out of our relationship if it isn't what you want." Haruka had said with such uncharacteristic passion that her voice cracked.
Haruka understood why Michiru had brought the memory to mind.
"Michiru," Haruka started.
"Don't tell me that you can't tell your parents what you told me, Haruka." Michiru said quickly, before Haruka could continue. "If you can't tell them then why could you tell me?"
"I told you because I love you, Michiru." Haruka told her.
"You don't love your parents?"
"I do, but what if they don't accept me? What if they tell me that a gay daughter is not worth their time? What if they tell me to stay out of their lives forever?" Haruka could feel tears in her eyes. Stubbornly she tried to force them away. She hated appearing weak in front of anyone, even Michiru.
Michiru rolled over in Haruka's arm and faced her lover. She saw the tears in Haruka's eyes but said nothing about them. She leaned forward and gave Haruka a kiss as soft as a cherry blossom's petal before resting her head against Haruka's breasts.
"What if they tell you that they're glad you've found happiness with someone unlike so many other people in this world?" Michiru countered quietly. "You can't play the 'what-if' game and win, Love. You told me because you truly loved me. If they truly love you then they'll understand what you have to say is said because you love them so much that you want them to know who you really are. It may take time for them to adjust, but I believe they will eventually. Besides, you'll feel much better for doing it. This charade we've been going through is my own fault. I shouldn't have offered to be your boyfriend. I should have insisted you simply tell them."
"Michiru, did you ever tell your parents about you and I?" Haruka realized with surprise that she didn't know her own lover's past with this particular roadblock.
"I...my parents and I stopped speaking once I came out to them." Michiru admitted. "I never had a good relationship with my family anyway. To my mother I was nothing more than a prodigy to brag about to other jealous mothers. To my father I was another source of revenue, a way for him to buy better 'toys'."
"Do you ever wish you hadn't told them?" Haruka asked seriously.
"At first I did." Michiru said honestly. "Now I'm glad that I don't have to hide anything from them and continue to be their performing puppet. Living a double life is no fun, Haruka. I think the last two days have proved that to you."
"That's true," Haruka said thoughtfully. The breeze became the only sound in the room for a moment. For a second the door behind them creaked, someone, probably Setsuna, had closed it to offer them more privacy. "Michiru, I want to tell my parents. At dinner tonight I felt so held back when I had to monitor my use of pronouns and make sure I didn't say your name. I do want to be able to speak freely and act freely, but I'm afraid. If I tell you that I'll try to tell my parents is that good enough for you?"
"Ara, it doesn't matter if it's good enough for me, Haruka. You have to be able to live with the end results." Michiru replied. "I will support you though, however you want." Haruka kissed the top of her lover's head in gratitude.
Haruka smiled at their role reversal. Although Michiru was a strong and able woman, Haruka usually filled the role of the stronger prince in society's romantic ideals. Tonight, in her golden dress, she felt vulnerable and Michiru had come to comfort her despite her own pains. Tonight, the princess gave her all to save the prince from her own dragons.
***
Author's note: Hi, everyone! ^_^ I hope you enjoyed this part. It's actually been my favorite part to write so far. I just wanted to mention something about the last paragraph. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I wanted to talk about Haruka's appearance and ways of acting (when her parents aren't around) without taking away her femininity. After listening to one of the Revolutionary Girl Utena sound tracks, I decided the best way to represent what I wanted to say was to reverse stereotypes and refer to Michiru as a strong princess fighting dragons to help save Haruka, the female prince. I hope it worked out.
