Title: Rekindled Passions
Chapter Two
Author: Kiss This
Disclaimer: Same as always.
Summary: AU. Even after Usagi left her two years ago Haruka is still passionately in love with her. Will their relationship be rekindled when Usagi returns to Tokyo as a famous model?
A/N: I am SO sorry it took me ages to update, but I've just been swamped this week. I apologize!
****
" 'Ruka?"
Haruka wanted to scream — hold me, touch me, kiss me... Her body yearned for the pleasures of the past and threatened to betray her heart. But her heart and brain knew better. She stood her place with her fists clenched by her sides and her jaw taut.
Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but struggled to find the words to voice. Her hands itched to run their fingers through Haruka's platinum hair; already knowing she'd find it silky and smelling faintly of vanilla. How could she explain to the one person she swore she'd never walk away from......why she walked away. She closed her mouth and turned her shame-filled eyes away from merciless sea green.
Michiru and Setsuna had no idea what to think. It was obvious the two had met before and judging by the sudden silence that had descended between them they hadn't left each other's company on good terms.
Setsuna's garnet eyes flitted between the two blondes for a moment before resting on Michiru as she stepped slowly forward and tentatively laid a hand upon her cousin's shoulder.
"Haruka...what's going on?"
Haruka's jaw moved slowly as she forced her mouth to open. She wet her lips and spoke in a low and gravelly voice. "She owes me an apology..."
Usagi's eyes snapped back up to meet hers and Haruka wanted nothing more than to hold her in her arms and tell her everything was forgiven. Her arms started to do just that, but she recovered quickly and shoved her rising hands in the pockets of her khakis.
Usagi's sapphire eyes were pained and melancholy. She wanted to cry at her former lover's harsh, but justified, words, but she knew her tears would only draw a crowd of wild fans and spectators.
They both knew it was Haruka who had been wronged and it was up to Usagi to right that wrong. As Usagi struggled to voice her explanation the silence stretched on.
The silence only helped stir Haruka into action. With a shake of her head she turned around and walked away. It took all her concentration to resist the urge to look back and keep placing one foot in front of the other. It didn't matter, though. Even without turning she knew Usagi was watching her walk away. She could feel those familiar ocean eyes boring into her back.
And she wanted to cry...
Usagi cleared her throat and pushed her golden hair from her eyes. "My...luggage..." She said quietly, and hoisted her purse higher up on her shoulder.
Setsuna nodded, and took her friend's arm, "Of course. We'll have you settled in, in no time flat!"
Usagi beamed and allowed Setsuna to lead her jovially to the baggage claim with a bewildered Michiru following close behind. As they made their way through the airport, dozens stopped and stared at Usagi and some even came up to ask for her autograph or even just to shake her hand.
Setsuna, as always, was patient and understanding with a calmly, placid smile on her face as they walked that was slightly disarming. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She asked finally, whispering out of the corner of her mouth.
Usagi smiled brightly at a passing group of teenagers and gave them a wave, "Nope." She replied through her teeth, while continuing to smile.
****
Haruka sighed in content as the jets of the hot tub thundered into her lower back and shoulders. The tension and stress just melted away beneath the monotony of the water. Unfortunately, for Haruka she was unlike her cousin, Michiru. She couldn't completely escape the outside world beneath the sapphire waves of water. It didn't hold the same soothing melody that it did for the aqua-haired woman.
No...her release was in the wind. The speed her car gave her. The air being sucked out of her lungs and the wind twisting her short crop of hair in wild dances about her face made her come alive.
Sparing a glance at the large bay windows beside the tub she scowled. The rain continued to drip down the window in tiny rivulets only to have their matches battered violently against the window, by the wind, to take their places. After she turned off the jets she let her head fall back against the cool tile of the surrounding floor and gave a sigh.
What a perfect day for rain...
The door to the bath room slid upon almost silently and Haruka listened closely as the slapping of bare feet against the tile neared her. She opened her eyes, after having closed them in her reverie and held motionless; allowing the bath's foggy steam to rise up and billow around her until she was completely masked from view.
A golden light penetrated the fog and parted it. The brightness threatened to blind Haruka and she raised an arm to her eyes to block it out. When she lowered it...the light was gone...but the person was not. The "visitor", was Usagi, and she froze once she had made it far enough to discern that the hot tub was, er..."occupied".
She ducked her head in embarrassment and her undone, golden hair fell about her face like a curtain. Clutching her towel against her bikini-clothed chest she bowed apologetically.
"Gomen nasai, Haruka-san." She turned to go, but Haruka calling out stopped her.
"No, Usagi. It's all right. I was getting out anyway."
Usagi turned around, and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Shamefully she turned her pale face away. Taking a deep breath and calming her nerves she turned around. Haruka had hoisted herself out of the hot tub and was reaching for a towel.
Usagi couldn't help watching the tiny droplets of water bead on her tanned flesh and then trickle in a serpentine path down the curves of her breasts. Haruka's toned muscles rippled beneath her flawless skin as she set about to drying herself. Usagi felt her fingers begin to itch as her former lover began to run the towel roughly across her sandy-blonde hair, and a familiar heat flooded through her body over and over again reaching her most private parts with fiery precision.
Damn her for skinny-dipping...
Haruka had been watching her out of the corner of her turquoise eye and now she chuckled as Usagi averted her navy eyes and turned her pink-tinged cheeks. Waiting until she was only a foot from Usagi she finally wrapped the white towel around her torso. "Nothing you haven't seen before, pet." She said coyly.
The spots of pink across Usagi's cheeks darkened and she slowly lifted her eyes. They locked for a moment and it was Haruka who broke the connection to look off at some distant point within the fog. Usagi's own eyes went to the hot tub. She reached out an ivory hand and trailed her slender fingers across the silver metal handle leading to the bath's stairs.
"You always wanted a hot tub..." Usagi spoke reminiscently.
Haruka would have replied, but when she glanced up she was so taken by the sorrow emanating from Usagi she was frozen. Those wide azure eyes were shadowed and melancholy and the shining ivory skin from Haruka's memories was now dull and pale.
Her own words brought a sad sort of smile to her face, "You said that when you finally did get one, we'd..." Usagi trailed off when she realized where her thoughtless words were headed.
Haruka choked down the lump that had started to form in her throat. She remembered too... It wasn't supposed to have happened like this. A sudden chill filled her and she shivered despite the warm, enveloping steam.
It hurts...remembering...
"Gomen nasai--" Usagi turned around, but Haruka was gone.
*****
R & R!
Sorry it took me so long. I'm REALLY stressed out, but I'll do what I can.
KissThis
=^.^=