CHAPTER 8
Doors slammed throughout the Neptune castle. Michiru stormed blindly through the corridors, in the general direction of her bedroom. Anyone who made eye contact with her was shot a very dirty look. 'THAT sure makes them mind their own business,' Michiru thought smugly, nearly slamming right into a passing servant. She darted around the confused servant, not even apologizing. The servant stared after the enraged princess, blinking and wondering absently why the princess hadn't stopped to say sorry. The princess was, of course, not in the least expected to make apologies to servants, but normally Michiru was the most kind and friendly person in the whole castle. 'She must really be in a state,' thought the servant to herself, and returned to her work.
Michiru emerged into her bedroom and threw herself down on the bed in an angry fit. She pounded the mattress with balled fists, until she was too tired to continue. She let her arms lie limp at her sides and bit her lip, holding in angry shouts with as much effort as she could muster. She soon realized that she was dreadfully tired. She closed her eyes gratefully and drifted into a deep sleep...
.::..::..::.
She was woken the next morning by a loud knocking at her door. She stirred wearily and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck where she had a terrible ache. "You may come in," she called, stifling a yawn.
An elderly servant entered nervously. News of Michiru's anger last night had obviously spread quickly amongst the servants. "Don't worry," Michiru commented drowsily. "I'm not going to bite your head off, or anything."
The servant woman giggled nervously and entered, closing the door softly behind her. "Yes, of course. But anyways, Princess Michiru-" The woman stopped talking abruptly and gasped. "What happened...to your DRESS!"
Michiru looked down at her dress and groaned. Not only was it very wrinkled from sleeping in it last night, it was also streaked with dried blood and dirt from the night before. In short, Michiru looked a right mess. "It's a long story," she said irritably, as the night's events came flooding back to her in a rush. "Besides, I don't really think it's your place to ask me that," Michiru added sharply.
The servant blushed. "Yes, yes...dreadfully sorry, of course. There's a man downstairs, says he wants to talk to you. Says he's the Prince of Uranus. What shall I tell him?"
Michiru groaned. "Says he's the Prince of Uranus, does he? Well, don't believe everything you hear." She laid down and pulled the covers up over her head. "Tell him to go away. I don't want anything more to do with him."
There was a pause. "He says it's urgent," added the servant quietly.
"Well then, send him up, if you really must!" Michiru cried impatiently. The servant nodded and scurried away. Michiru sighed and stared at herself in the mirror. "WHY did I just invite him up?" she wondered aloud, exasperated. She suddenly froze. "Her," she corrected herself. "Why did I invite HER up." She frowned. It seemed so strange, calling Haruka a 'her'. Haruka had to be joking last night...it just wasn't possible that handsome, masculine Haruka was actually a female.
A light rap on the door broke through Michiru's thoughts. "Come in," she responded, still seated on the edge of the bed. The door opened slowly and Haruka stepped in.
"May I...come in?" she asked softly. Michiru nodded weakly. Haruka turned and gently shut the door behind her, and sat down on the bed next to Michiru...but still leaving about a foot of space separating them. Michiru sighed and pointedly avoided Haruka's gaze.
"Look Michiru," Haruka began, "I know you must be angry...beyond angry, even; but please hear me out."
Michiru said softly, "All I want to hear is that you were joking last night. Please tell me you're not really a woman."
Haruka felt her heart break at this sentence but took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I'm afraid I can't say that-" Michiru groaned- "but what I can truly say is that I do love you. That was far from a joke. I never meant to hurt you, I never even wanted to fall in love with you but...after our first meeting I couldn't stop myself...I loved you already, although I tried to convince myself that I didn't. I felt like I'd found a piece of me that had been missing, I finally felt complete." Haruka paused, not knowing what else to say. "I'm sorry."
Haruka glanced over at Michiru to see her reaction, and was surprised to find that Michiru had silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Almost as if it was a reflex, Haruka reached out and brushed Michiru's tears away. Michiru managed to choke out between sobs, "I- I feel exactly the same." Haruka knew that Michiru was going to say something else too, and waited patiently while Michiru tried to stop crying. Eventually Michiru continued, "I knew I'd just get hurt again by falling in love with you...I knew it was a mistake all along but it seemed so perfect...just like it did with Larry..."
"Michiru," Haruka interrupted, "forget the past. It's over, it's done. If you're not going to love me, then I don't want it to be because you think I'd treat you like Larry did. I'd never do that to you. I'd never hurt you on purpose."
Michiru turned to Haruka, smiling through her tears. "Well, I love you already, so there's no point in trying to pretend I don't. I guess I can take...one more risk..."
Haruka's eyes widened. "You really mean it? Even if I am a woman?"
Michiru nodded sincerely. "Sure, that will take some time to get used to...but I'm sure it'll be worth it."
Haruka hardly dared to believe her good luck. Slowly, hesitantly, she leaned in towards Michiru. But Michiru was faster. Their lips met perfectly in a long kiss, and Haruka ran her fingers through Michiru's soft curls. Nothing else seemed to matter but the two of them. When they reluctantly pulled apart, Haruka pulled Michiru into a gentle but protective embrace.
Michiru closed her eyes. She knew that Haruka wouldn't be like Larry. This was something different...Michiru smiled to herself. She could tell there would be many more perfect moments like this one in the future...
.::..::..::.
LA FIN
-Flashes an "Applause" sign- It's over! Hope you guys liked it! But just because it's over doesn't mean that I'm not still waiting for more reviews! Constructive criticism is still welcome!
See y'all next time! ;D
-Dada
Doors slammed throughout the Neptune castle. Michiru stormed blindly through the corridors, in the general direction of her bedroom. Anyone who made eye contact with her was shot a very dirty look. 'THAT sure makes them mind their own business,' Michiru thought smugly, nearly slamming right into a passing servant. She darted around the confused servant, not even apologizing. The servant stared after the enraged princess, blinking and wondering absently why the princess hadn't stopped to say sorry. The princess was, of course, not in the least expected to make apologies to servants, but normally Michiru was the most kind and friendly person in the whole castle. 'She must really be in a state,' thought the servant to herself, and returned to her work.
Michiru emerged into her bedroom and threw herself down on the bed in an angry fit. She pounded the mattress with balled fists, until she was too tired to continue. She let her arms lie limp at her sides and bit her lip, holding in angry shouts with as much effort as she could muster. She soon realized that she was dreadfully tired. She closed her eyes gratefully and drifted into a deep sleep...
.::..::..::.
She was woken the next morning by a loud knocking at her door. She stirred wearily and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck where she had a terrible ache. "You may come in," she called, stifling a yawn.
An elderly servant entered nervously. News of Michiru's anger last night had obviously spread quickly amongst the servants. "Don't worry," Michiru commented drowsily. "I'm not going to bite your head off, or anything."
The servant woman giggled nervously and entered, closing the door softly behind her. "Yes, of course. But anyways, Princess Michiru-" The woman stopped talking abruptly and gasped. "What happened...to your DRESS!"
Michiru looked down at her dress and groaned. Not only was it very wrinkled from sleeping in it last night, it was also streaked with dried blood and dirt from the night before. In short, Michiru looked a right mess. "It's a long story," she said irritably, as the night's events came flooding back to her in a rush. "Besides, I don't really think it's your place to ask me that," Michiru added sharply.
The servant blushed. "Yes, yes...dreadfully sorry, of course. There's a man downstairs, says he wants to talk to you. Says he's the Prince of Uranus. What shall I tell him?"
Michiru groaned. "Says he's the Prince of Uranus, does he? Well, don't believe everything you hear." She laid down and pulled the covers up over her head. "Tell him to go away. I don't want anything more to do with him."
There was a pause. "He says it's urgent," added the servant quietly.
"Well then, send him up, if you really must!" Michiru cried impatiently. The servant nodded and scurried away. Michiru sighed and stared at herself in the mirror. "WHY did I just invite him up?" she wondered aloud, exasperated. She suddenly froze. "Her," she corrected herself. "Why did I invite HER up." She frowned. It seemed so strange, calling Haruka a 'her'. Haruka had to be joking last night...it just wasn't possible that handsome, masculine Haruka was actually a female.
A light rap on the door broke through Michiru's thoughts. "Come in," she responded, still seated on the edge of the bed. The door opened slowly and Haruka stepped in.
"May I...come in?" she asked softly. Michiru nodded weakly. Haruka turned and gently shut the door behind her, and sat down on the bed next to Michiru...but still leaving about a foot of space separating them. Michiru sighed and pointedly avoided Haruka's gaze.
"Look Michiru," Haruka began, "I know you must be angry...beyond angry, even; but please hear me out."
Michiru said softly, "All I want to hear is that you were joking last night. Please tell me you're not really a woman."
Haruka felt her heart break at this sentence but took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I'm afraid I can't say that-" Michiru groaned- "but what I can truly say is that I do love you. That was far from a joke. I never meant to hurt you, I never even wanted to fall in love with you but...after our first meeting I couldn't stop myself...I loved you already, although I tried to convince myself that I didn't. I felt like I'd found a piece of me that had been missing, I finally felt complete." Haruka paused, not knowing what else to say. "I'm sorry."
Haruka glanced over at Michiru to see her reaction, and was surprised to find that Michiru had silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Almost as if it was a reflex, Haruka reached out and brushed Michiru's tears away. Michiru managed to choke out between sobs, "I- I feel exactly the same." Haruka knew that Michiru was going to say something else too, and waited patiently while Michiru tried to stop crying. Eventually Michiru continued, "I knew I'd just get hurt again by falling in love with you...I knew it was a mistake all along but it seemed so perfect...just like it did with Larry..."
"Michiru," Haruka interrupted, "forget the past. It's over, it's done. If you're not going to love me, then I don't want it to be because you think I'd treat you like Larry did. I'd never do that to you. I'd never hurt you on purpose."
Michiru turned to Haruka, smiling through her tears. "Well, I love you already, so there's no point in trying to pretend I don't. I guess I can take...one more risk..."
Haruka's eyes widened. "You really mean it? Even if I am a woman?"
Michiru nodded sincerely. "Sure, that will take some time to get used to...but I'm sure it'll be worth it."
Haruka hardly dared to believe her good luck. Slowly, hesitantly, she leaned in towards Michiru. But Michiru was faster. Their lips met perfectly in a long kiss, and Haruka ran her fingers through Michiru's soft curls. Nothing else seemed to matter but the two of them. When they reluctantly pulled apart, Haruka pulled Michiru into a gentle but protective embrace.
Michiru closed her eyes. She knew that Haruka wouldn't be like Larry. This was something different...Michiru smiled to herself. She could tell there would be many more perfect moments like this one in the future...
.::..::..::.
LA FIN
-Flashes an "Applause" sign- It's over! Hope you guys liked it! But just because it's over doesn't mean that I'm not still waiting for more reviews! Constructive criticism is still welcome!
See y'all next time! ;D
-Dada