CHAPTER 5
"Where are you taking me?" Michiru demanded through clenched teeth, after she'd been following Haruka through the gardens for about ten minutes.
"We're almost there, I think," Haruka reassured her. "No one will be able to find us here."
"You can say that again!" Michiru sighed under her breath. She was tired and getting quite irritable. She had leaves and twigs sticking in her hair, which was steadily escaping from the bun that she had arranged it into that evening; and her dress was streaked with dirt. Her feet were cramped inside her uncomfortable shoes. She was about to give Haruka a piece of her mind when suddenly Haruka began to speak:
"Here we are! Just under here... yes, that's right, come on Michiru."
Haruka disappeared through a curtain of vines hanging down from a tree branch. Michiru followed her, shoving some vines aside. She looked up at her surroundings and felt her jaw drop.
They were in a small circular area, with a breathtakingly beautiful stone fountain in the center. The stony walls surrounding the enclosure were covered in unique white flowers, growing up elegantly from the ground. Pushed against the walls were a few stone benches, and small spots of light were scattered across the ground and walls. Even Michiru had to admit to herself; the place was eerily beautiful and romantic.
"So? What do you think?" Haruka said suddenly, making Michiru jump a little. Michiru turned to find her companion leaning against the stone wall, arms crossed across his chest. "It's...well...fantastic," Michiru admitted finally. "How'd you find it?"
"Hmm. Just came across it one day, I guess. I used to spend a lot of time here at the palace. My parents are pretty good friends with the King and Queen here."
"Oh," Michiru said awkwardly. Why couldn't she think of anything to say back to Haruka?
Suddenly Haruka shifted and walked over to sit down on one of the stone benches. Michiru hesitated, but joined him eventually. He smiled at her when she sat down.
"So...what happened back there anyways? Why were you-"
"-on the ground, crying?" Michiru finished, smiling wearily.
"Let me guess. Larry?" Haruka asked softly.
"How'd you know?"
Haruka shrugged. "It made sense. That guy really is a jerk, isn't he? What did he do to you anyway?"
Michiru looked away, suddenly feeling shy. "Oh...he just..." She sighed. She couldn't hide the truth from Haruka. "He tried to kiss me, to tell the truth!" she said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Luckily she took a deep breath and calmed down, and the tears stopped. Haruka looked at her sympathetically, but let the subject drop, for which Michiru was grateful.
The two new friends spent the rest of the evening together in their "secret retreat", talking and laughing. Michiru had never felt closer to anyone in her life, even though she'd just met Haruka a day ago. Michiru regretted eventually having to leave. Haruka led her out of the garden back up to the castle.
"I had a great time," he said.
"Me too."
"So, tomorrow night, same place?"
"Of course!" said Michiru, smiling up at him. She reluctantly turned to leave.
"Oh...and Michiru..." Suddenly Haruka reached out and caught hold of Michiru's hand. The Neptune princess turned to meet his gaze.
"Take care, okay?" Haruka said quietly. Then, unexpectedly, he leaned in and kissed Michiru on the cheek.
.::..::..::.
Aww, how sweet...love is in the air, my friends! Stay tuned for the next chapter...
"Where are you taking me?" Michiru demanded through clenched teeth, after she'd been following Haruka through the gardens for about ten minutes.
"We're almost there, I think," Haruka reassured her. "No one will be able to find us here."
"You can say that again!" Michiru sighed under her breath. She was tired and getting quite irritable. She had leaves and twigs sticking in her hair, which was steadily escaping from the bun that she had arranged it into that evening; and her dress was streaked with dirt. Her feet were cramped inside her uncomfortable shoes. She was about to give Haruka a piece of her mind when suddenly Haruka began to speak:
"Here we are! Just under here... yes, that's right, come on Michiru."
Haruka disappeared through a curtain of vines hanging down from a tree branch. Michiru followed her, shoving some vines aside. She looked up at her surroundings and felt her jaw drop.
They were in a small circular area, with a breathtakingly beautiful stone fountain in the center. The stony walls surrounding the enclosure were covered in unique white flowers, growing up elegantly from the ground. Pushed against the walls were a few stone benches, and small spots of light were scattered across the ground and walls. Even Michiru had to admit to herself; the place was eerily beautiful and romantic.
"So? What do you think?" Haruka said suddenly, making Michiru jump a little. Michiru turned to find her companion leaning against the stone wall, arms crossed across his chest. "It's...well...fantastic," Michiru admitted finally. "How'd you find it?"
"Hmm. Just came across it one day, I guess. I used to spend a lot of time here at the palace. My parents are pretty good friends with the King and Queen here."
"Oh," Michiru said awkwardly. Why couldn't she think of anything to say back to Haruka?
Suddenly Haruka shifted and walked over to sit down on one of the stone benches. Michiru hesitated, but joined him eventually. He smiled at her when she sat down.
"So...what happened back there anyways? Why were you-"
"-on the ground, crying?" Michiru finished, smiling wearily.
"Let me guess. Larry?" Haruka asked softly.
"How'd you know?"
Haruka shrugged. "It made sense. That guy really is a jerk, isn't he? What did he do to you anyway?"
Michiru looked away, suddenly feeling shy. "Oh...he just..." She sighed. She couldn't hide the truth from Haruka. "He tried to kiss me, to tell the truth!" she said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Luckily she took a deep breath and calmed down, and the tears stopped. Haruka looked at her sympathetically, but let the subject drop, for which Michiru was grateful.
The two new friends spent the rest of the evening together in their "secret retreat", talking and laughing. Michiru had never felt closer to anyone in her life, even though she'd just met Haruka a day ago. Michiru regretted eventually having to leave. Haruka led her out of the garden back up to the castle.
"I had a great time," he said.
"Me too."
"So, tomorrow night, same place?"
"Of course!" said Michiru, smiling up at him. She reluctantly turned to leave.
"Oh...and Michiru..." Suddenly Haruka reached out and caught hold of Michiru's hand. The Neptune princess turned to meet his gaze.
"Take care, okay?" Haruka said quietly. Then, unexpectedly, he leaned in and kissed Michiru on the cheek.
.::..::..::.
Aww, how sweet...love is in the air, my friends! Stay tuned for the next chapter...