author: Samantha
Rating: PG
Timeline: after SailorStars
Notes/Summary: Haruka has agreed to watch a kitten for Mamoru until Usagi's birthday. Watching the kitten is one thing, hiding it from Michiru is another.
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Kitten Crisis

---Friday morning---

"Haruka, please, you have to do this for me! I've no other way out of it!" The future king nearly begs her.

"I don't think Michiru will agree to having a cat in this house. She's awfully fussy when it comes to messing it up. She even turned Hotaru down when she asked for a hamster!"

"But this isn't a hamster. It's a cute, furry, playful, adorable little kitten. It won't do any harm."

Haruka crosses her arms. This man just won't take no for an answer. "If it's so harmless, why doesn't one of the other girls take care of it?"

"You know they're on that trip together. I was planning on taking care of it myself until Usako got back tomorrow, but with her coming home early because of the flu I can't hide it anymore!"

"You would think they'd come home with her. After all, they went because of her birthday."

"Don't complain to me about it! Just please take care of it until tomorrow evening! It's only a day. You'd have a better chance of hiding it from Michiru than I would from Usako the way she snoops for gifts."

"But you're not sleeping with her yet! How can I keep it in our room without Michiru finding it?"

"You can distract her, can't you?"

"Not every time she walks in!"

"Well, you've got to try..." Mamoru holds the tiny white kitten right in front of Haruka's face. It flutters it's little eyelashes and meows the cutest noise she's ever heard. "Please?"

Haruka takes the kitten out of Mamoru's hands and holds it in her own gently, petting it's back. "This better be the last time you get Usagi an animal for her birthday."

---Friday afternoon---

"What am I supposed to feed the thing?"

"Her name is Lily."

"Whatever!"

"Okay, okay! Look, just give her some milk. That'll probably hold her."

"If I get in trouble because of this it'll be your neck!"

"You're doing me a great favor. I'll be there tomorrow evening to pick her up."

"I'm doing it for Usagi. Ja ne." Haruka hangs up the phone and looks down at the kitten rubbing against her leg. 'Michiru will be coming home soon,' she thinks to herself, contemplating what to do with Lily. 'I don't suppose you like being locked up in a room by yourself, huh? I'll have to keep you in my room then.'

Michiru's car pulls in the driveway unexpectedly, interrupting her thoughts.

"Shimatta!" Haruka picks the kitten up and runs it upstairs to her room at full speed. She nearly throws it in and shuts the door, getting back downstairs just as Michiru enters the house.

"You're home early, Michiru."

The aquatic Senshi smiles at her partner while walking over to her and kissing her lips. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Of course...it is." Haruka scolds Michiru internally. 'Of all days to come home early!'

"I'm going to take a shower. Care to-"

"No!"

"What?!"

"I mean you can't take a shower! Uh...not the one in our room, anyway."

"Why ever not?" Michiru smiles sweetly. "Oh! Is it a surprise?"

'She expects so much from me...' She plays with a lock of Michiru's hair, trying to be as convincing as possible. "Yeah, that's it... A surprise. And it's not ready yet, so don't go in our room, okay?"

Michiru giggles and kisses Haruka again softly. "You're so wonderful to me! I won't peek." She walks up the stairs and turns the corner with a grin.

Haruka leans back against the wall and puts a hand in her hair. 'How do I get myself into these situations?'

---Friday night---

Lily scratches at the bathroom door and meows louder than a kitten should. Haruka gets out of bed and angrily opens the door. Lily walks out and rubs against her leg, purring.

"Will you quiet down already! If Michiru finds you I'm in big trouble. There's nowhere else to put you except in here. I can only hope she goes to sleep right away."

"Who do you want to go to sleep right away?"

Haruka jumps up and turns to see Michiru a few feet behind her, wearing a silk, white and aquamarine summer nightgown. "I-uh... Hotaru. Yeah, she's got that art class so early tomorrow morning I want her to be rested for it."

Michiru closes the gap between them and runs her fingertips along Haruka's arms. "That's not the only reason you want her to fall asleep quickly, is it?" she speaks in a whisper, sliding her hands up under her lover's shirt.

Haruka smiles weakly and leans her head back against the door while Michiru continues her exploration. 'Wonderful! I finally want her to fall asleep quickly and she picks tonight to be horny as ever!'

---

An hour later, Haruka opens her exhausted eyes to find Lily pushing the door open. Apparently it hadn't latched all the way when she closed it earlier. Lily scampers over to the bed and tries countless times to run and jump onto it, using her little claws during every attempt. 'Why does the damn thing have to like me so much?'

Michiru stirs in her sleep and opens her eyes to the slight vibration of the comforter as the kitten clings to it. "What was that?" she asks sleepily.

"W-what was what, Michi?"

"I thought I felt something a second ago."

"That...was me."

Michiru smiles and puts a hand in Haruka's hair. "I know every move you make, Ruka, and I know that wasn't you."

Haruka returns the gesture with a kiss. She feels a larger vibration and looks down to find Lily successfully on the bed.

"I felt that," Michiru says.

Haruka climbs on top of the smaller girl and pleads to her nervously. "Michi, once more. Onegai?"

"Again? I'm going to be unconscious all night!"

'That's the point.'

---Saturday morning---

Haruka wakes to warm breath tickling her neck. She laughs quietly and reaches a hand up to stroke her partner's hair, but feels it's much softer and shorter than she recalls. Opening her eyes, she meets face to face with a familiar white kitten. "Lily!" Haruka sits up, nearly throwing the animal onto the floor. She immediately scans the room for Michiru, finding the bathroom door closed and the shower active. 'I hope Michiru didn't see you or I'm in trouble.' Lily meows softly, sitting

and staring at her caretaker. "What? What do you want?... Oh, you're probably hungry. I'll get you some milk." Haruka picks up Lily and carries her to the kitchen.

Michiru exits the shower and finds the bed empty. She walks downstairs and turns the corner just as Haruka does behind her, neither seeing the other. Not finding her lover downstairs, Michiru starts back up to her room to reinvestigate. She puts her hand on the doorknob and stops when a familiar laughter emits from behind it.

"You like that, don't you?"

'Nani? Who's she talking to?' Michiru puts her ear to the door and listens to the mystery conversation.

"Now that you're finished, why don't you come up on the bed with me? Be prepared to hide if you hear Michiru coming back. I can't let her know you're here."

'Sonna!' Michiru falls to her knees in the hallway. 'She's got someone in there and doesn't want me to know...'

Haruka scratches the kitten's ears and listens to it purr softly. "You like that? It feels good, doesn't it? How about this? Ooh, you like having your belly rubbed, huh? Yeah..."

'This isn't happening! I thought our relationship was so beautiful.'

"I never noticed how soft and silky your hair is, Lily."

'She 'never noticed?' So she's been with her before?' Michiru touches her own aqua locks. 'And I've only heard Haruka refer to my hair that way.'

Lily scratches at her neck and the thin red bow around it. "Is that uncomfortable, Lily? Well, why wear anything now if you don't have to? I'll help you take it off."

Lily meows again loudly, sounding like a young woman's giggle in Michiru's distraught imagination. She cries aloud and runs downstairs. Haruka hears the outcry and chases after her, finding her in the livingroom. She sits on the couch with tears racing down her lovely features.

Haruka kneels next to her in concern. "Michiru, what's wrong?"

Michiru looks down at the blonde with reddening eyes and smacks her hard across the face.

Haruka holds her cheek and stares at Michiru in shock. "What was that for?!"

"You know very well what it was for you..." She leans back and continues crying.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't try to hide it. I know about you and Lily!"

"You found out? How?"

"It doesn't matter now. I did and it's over!"

"I was only hiding her from you because I knew you wouldn't accept her."

"'Accept her?!' She's stolen my fiancee!"

"Nani?"

"Now you don't love me anymore!"

"Wait, I don't think you-"

"Don't talk to me! Just go and have fun with your Lily and leave me alone! I never want to see you-"

"Hey! Quiet down you two," Setsuna says from the doorway. In her arms is a small ball of white fluff. "How could you leave such a cute animal like this alone in your room?"

"Animal?" Michiru stands and walks over to Setsuna, taking the kitten into her hands. "... Lily?" She meows and flips her tail around upon hearing her name. Michiru hands it back to Setsuna and turns to Haruka. "I...I'm so sorry..." The taller girl smiles warmly and holds her arms out to her. Michiru falls into the embrace and looks up to her. "I... I thought..."

Haruka caresses Michiru's back. "I know, Michiru. I forgive you. You know I would never do a thing like cheat on you. You're the one and only woman for me."

"Oh, Haruka..." The two young lovers kiss passionately, forgiving each other's misunderstandings. Setsuna rolls her eyes and leaves to tend to the kitten's last-minute needs.

---Saturday afternoon - Usagi's birthday party---

"This is from me, Sweetie." Mamoru hands his future wife a large box.

Usagi's eyes light up in anticipation. "Ooh! What could it be?" She tears off the bow and gift wrap excitedly, lifts the lid of the package and screams in joy. "Oooohh!! Kawaii!" Usagi lifts the kitten into her arms and cradles it. "It's adorable! Thank you so much, Mamo-chan!"

Mamoru kisses her on the cheek. "Anything for you, Usako."

The other girls crowd around their leader and play with the new kitten in delight.

Mamoru squeezes out of the group and sits down next to Haruka and Michiru. "Thanks again for watching Lily. I hope she wasn't much trouble."

Haruka looks down to Michiru, who answers for her. "No trouble at all, Mamoru. No trouble at all."

---Saturday night---

Michiru lets down her hair, letting it spill about her shoulders. She crawls into bed and is immediately wrapped in warm arms and covered in sweet kisses. Smiling, she pulls up the covers and her fingernail catches in a tear.

"Haruka, that cat scratched up our bed sheets!"

"We can replace them," she replies shortly, not feeling at all like talking. Haruka buries her face into Michiru's neck, melting her anger.

"Well, I suppose it's about time to get new ones anyway. You're lucky we're both in such a good mood."

"I'll show you how lucky you are..." Haruka flips Michiru onto her back and kisses her lips and neck, gradually working her way south. Michiru giggles and sighs in the darkness, massaging her lover's back and shoulders.

She opens her eyes at a sudden realization. "Haruka..."

"Hmm?"

"The past two days you were constantly trying to distract me from Lily's presence, right?"

"Yeah."

"So last night, four times in a row, was that only distracting me from the kitten?"

Haruka, not concentrating on her words or thoughts, replies, "Yeah. It got into the room so I had to distract you somehow."

"That's what I thought..." She sits up quickly, pushing Haruka off her.

"Nani?"

"So last night was all an act?"

"What? No!"

Michiru picks up a pillow and playfully tosses it to her, pointing with a smile to the door. "Couch."

"But Michi!"

"No excuses. Go!"

Haruka picks up the pillow and walks angrily downstairs. She sits on the couch and wraps a blanket around herself, mumbling, "Mamoru, if I ever see you again you're going to be skinned alive..."