CHAPTER 7
They stayed like that until Michiru stopped crying and she'd cleaned up most of the blood. By this time Michiru's dress was a complete mess, covered in dirt and blood, but she refused to go back to the castle to see if there was a change of clothes for her. "Imagine the expressions of their faces was they'd see me! They'd never look at me the same way again!" she said obstinately, not wanting to ruin her elegant reputation. No matter how much Haruka protested, Michiru refused to go back to the castle, and Haruka finally gave in. The two walked through the gardens and Haruka quickly found their garden, leaving Larry far behind.
The two sat together, discussing various things and letting the time pass without a care. Sometimes, though, Michiru got distracted from what Haruka was saying. The Uranus Prince was just so handsome... the sandy blond hair, the warm blue eyes...Michiru couldn't take her eyes off him.
This worried her. It was the exactly the same feeling she'd felt when she first met Larry. He had been handsome, too. She'd loved him with all her heart...but he had betrayed her...caused her so much pain...she couldn't bear to let it all happen again. She wouldn't. And yet...and yet...
"Michiru?" The Neptune princess snapped immediately out of her thoughts. Oh no, she thought. I completely ignored him...AGAIN. He probably thinks I could care less about him. But, much to her surprise, the blond Prince looked more amused than angry.
"Quite a daydreamer, aren't we?" he teased. "What were you thinking about, then?"
You, Michiru thought. But of course she didn't say it. She just blushed and muttered a muffled apology...
.::..::..::.
Haruka watched Michiru's cheeks turn red and she smiled to herself. She looks so cute like that, she thought. And...is it possible...that she could like me too?
It didn't take a genius to see that Michiru's reoccurring blush and stares into Haruka's eyes without hearing what she was saying obviously meant SOMETHING. But could it ever be...love?
Yeah, said a voice in the back of Haruka's head. She's definitely in love with the Prince of Uranus. But could she ever love the PRINCESS of Uranus? Haruka didn't think so.
But still...maybe it was worth a try...
.::..::..::.
Michiru became aware of Haruka looking at her intently. A small smile appeared on the Prince's face, but disappeared as soon as it had come. It was replaced by an expression of...sadness? Could it be? But why...?
"What's wrong, Haruka?" Michiru asked quietly. Haruka took a deep breath and her eyes and her eyes met Michiru's.
"I need your advice," he said. Then, he did something completely unexpected- he reached out and lightly stroked Michiru's cheek. Michiru shivered and blushed. What was going on??
"I'm in love," Haruka continued, "but I'm afraid that the person I love could never love me for who I really am...the real me." Haruka paused, then asked, "What should I do?"
"You should tell them your feelings," Michiru breathed, hardly daring to believe...could he be...talking about HER? But...
There was a minute's silence. Michiru held her breath. She jumped when Haruka began to speak again. When he did, it was so quietly that Michiru almost didn't catch it.
"I love you...Michiru."
Haruka seemed to hesitate, but then made up his mind. He leaned in and his lips touched Michiru's. Michiru shivered again. It felt like she was in a dream. The kiss quickly grew deeper but suddenly the reality burst through Michiru's foggy thoughts. She immediately forced herself to pull away from the kiss.
"I'm sorry," she said, a little out of breath. "But...I can't...love you. I can't..." She felt tears burning in her eyes but forced them back. She definitely wouldn't let herself cry in front of Haruka AGAIN. "I promised myself...I would never love another man again...after Larry. He broke my heart."
Haruka's blue eyes locked into a stare with Michiru's own teal eyes. Michiru felt uncomfortable and looked quickly away. But Haruka gently tilted Michiru's head up to meet her stare. "What if," the Prince of Uranus said softly, "I were to tell you that I'm not a man?" Michiru opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't speak. Her gaze flickered across Haruka's face, trying to find some trace of evidence that Haruka was lying. "No way," she breathed, her voice trembling. She stood and began backing away. "No," she repeated. "You...you..."
"Michiru...just...wait! Listen to me..."
"No!" Michiru yelled. "You lied to me! I...I can't believe it! I trusted you! I loved you! You're no different from Larry...I gave my whole heart to you but you-"
"Wait! Just let me-" Haruka started desperately.
"No!" Michiru yelled again. "Never...never talk to me again! I don't want to hear your voice again! I don't want to see you again! Just go away!"
Michiru turned and ran through the gardens. She didn't know where she was going; all she knew was that she had to get away from Haruka...
.::..::..::.
Poor Haruka! Poor Michi! They need a hug! :,(
They stayed like that until Michiru stopped crying and she'd cleaned up most of the blood. By this time Michiru's dress was a complete mess, covered in dirt and blood, but she refused to go back to the castle to see if there was a change of clothes for her. "Imagine the expressions of their faces was they'd see me! They'd never look at me the same way again!" she said obstinately, not wanting to ruin her elegant reputation. No matter how much Haruka protested, Michiru refused to go back to the castle, and Haruka finally gave in. The two walked through the gardens and Haruka quickly found their garden, leaving Larry far behind.
The two sat together, discussing various things and letting the time pass without a care. Sometimes, though, Michiru got distracted from what Haruka was saying. The Uranus Prince was just so handsome... the sandy blond hair, the warm blue eyes...Michiru couldn't take her eyes off him.
This worried her. It was the exactly the same feeling she'd felt when she first met Larry. He had been handsome, too. She'd loved him with all her heart...but he had betrayed her...caused her so much pain...she couldn't bear to let it all happen again. She wouldn't. And yet...and yet...
"Michiru?" The Neptune princess snapped immediately out of her thoughts. Oh no, she thought. I completely ignored him...AGAIN. He probably thinks I could care less about him. But, much to her surprise, the blond Prince looked more amused than angry.
"Quite a daydreamer, aren't we?" he teased. "What were you thinking about, then?"
You, Michiru thought. But of course she didn't say it. She just blushed and muttered a muffled apology...
.::..::..::.
Haruka watched Michiru's cheeks turn red and she smiled to herself. She looks so cute like that, she thought. And...is it possible...that she could like me too?
It didn't take a genius to see that Michiru's reoccurring blush and stares into Haruka's eyes without hearing what she was saying obviously meant SOMETHING. But could it ever be...love?
Yeah, said a voice in the back of Haruka's head. She's definitely in love with the Prince of Uranus. But could she ever love the PRINCESS of Uranus? Haruka didn't think so.
But still...maybe it was worth a try...
.::..::..::.
Michiru became aware of Haruka looking at her intently. A small smile appeared on the Prince's face, but disappeared as soon as it had come. It was replaced by an expression of...sadness? Could it be? But why...?
"What's wrong, Haruka?" Michiru asked quietly. Haruka took a deep breath and her eyes and her eyes met Michiru's.
"I need your advice," he said. Then, he did something completely unexpected- he reached out and lightly stroked Michiru's cheek. Michiru shivered and blushed. What was going on??
"I'm in love," Haruka continued, "but I'm afraid that the person I love could never love me for who I really am...the real me." Haruka paused, then asked, "What should I do?"
"You should tell them your feelings," Michiru breathed, hardly daring to believe...could he be...talking about HER? But...
There was a minute's silence. Michiru held her breath. She jumped when Haruka began to speak again. When he did, it was so quietly that Michiru almost didn't catch it.
"I love you...Michiru."
Haruka seemed to hesitate, but then made up his mind. He leaned in and his lips touched Michiru's. Michiru shivered again. It felt like she was in a dream. The kiss quickly grew deeper but suddenly the reality burst through Michiru's foggy thoughts. She immediately forced herself to pull away from the kiss.
"I'm sorry," she said, a little out of breath. "But...I can't...love you. I can't..." She felt tears burning in her eyes but forced them back. She definitely wouldn't let herself cry in front of Haruka AGAIN. "I promised myself...I would never love another man again...after Larry. He broke my heart."
Haruka's blue eyes locked into a stare with Michiru's own teal eyes. Michiru felt uncomfortable and looked quickly away. But Haruka gently tilted Michiru's head up to meet her stare. "What if," the Prince of Uranus said softly, "I were to tell you that I'm not a man?" Michiru opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't speak. Her gaze flickered across Haruka's face, trying to find some trace of evidence that Haruka was lying. "No way," she breathed, her voice trembling. She stood and began backing away. "No," she repeated. "You...you..."
"Michiru...just...wait! Listen to me..."
"No!" Michiru yelled. "You lied to me! I...I can't believe it! I trusted you! I loved you! You're no different from Larry...I gave my whole heart to you but you-"
"Wait! Just let me-" Haruka started desperately.
"No!" Michiru yelled again. "Never...never talk to me again! I don't want to hear your voice again! I don't want to see you again! Just go away!"
Michiru turned and ran through the gardens. She didn't know where she was going; all she knew was that she had to get away from Haruka...
.::..::..::.
Poor Haruka! Poor Michi! They need a hug! :,(