"Usagi!" Haruka managed through her rash breathing. "What are you doing here?"
"It was really dark outside and I didn't want to be alone. You didn't lock the door so I just came in. I left my violin here anyway."
Haruka didn't understand any of this. "Michiru was just here. What happened?"
Usagi laughed. "So that's what you were dreaming about. You were smiling while you slept until a few seconds ago when you started screaming. I thought it would be better to wake you up."
"No! I wasn't dreaming! She was really there!"
"Well you must have been really tired after cleaning the house. It was a huge mess."
Usagi continued to laugh, finding a great amount of humor in the woman's obvious pain. How could she not? She had just fallen asleep on a sofa after cleaning the place, making the weirdest snores that she had ever heard, and then suddenly starting screaming. Also, the kitchen had been filling up with smoke for several minutes, so she would have to have Haruka do something about it anyway.
"Haruka?" Usagi asked. Haruka didn't respond. "Could you please get rid of the smoke? It's hurting my eyes."
Haruka turned around and suddenly noticed the smell of meat. She sprinted into the kitchen, ignoring the numbness in her legs, and turned of the burner. The stew had boiled over onto the stove, spewing broth, beef, and vegetables all over the counter and floor. She removed the pot from the stove and placed in near the sink. It seemed to be fine, the smoke was just coming from what remained on the stove, but if she had gotten to it any later, dinner would have been ruined. Still, Usagi had just been sitting there and goofing off like she normally did when she could have simply turned off the burner. That was unforgivable when it put her night with Michiru in jeopardy.
"Usagi! Why didn't you turn it off!" she asked, more than a tad loudly.
"I didn't know how. Your stove is much more complex than the ones I know how to work."
"You just have to turn a knob, you idiot!"
"Ha-Haruka…" Usagi said, bursting into tears. "You don't mean that. I didn't mean to do anything wrong."
Haruka could not stand her wailing. "I told you to leave! If you hadn't come, this never would have happened."
"I didn't mean to-" she tried.
"Prove it," Haruka suggested, realizing that she was being too harsh on the nimrod.
"What?" Usagi gasped, completely misunderstanding Haruka's intentions.
Haruka nudged toward the kitchen. "Clean up the mess. There are sponges in the drawer to the right and the mop is in the corner."
"I CAN'T DO THA-" she tried, but Haruka stopped her.
"Would you like to go home now, Usagi?" Haruka nearly spit out her name, glaring at her with the eyes of a madwoman.
"I'll clean it okay! You don't have to be so mean!"
Usagi got up and stomped towards the kitchen. She grabbed a sponge from the drawer, wet it, and began to work at the scum on the stove, nearly burning herself as she did so. The crap was really caked on; it took several hard scrubs to just make the slightest difference. Usagi scrubbed harder, still crying at Haruka's terrible insults. Haruka had often been unkind to her when she had fought as the soldier of love and justice. She had always thought of her and her friends as weak interferences. Haruka had always underestimated her. She was always so rude and uncaring.
After a while, the junk on the counter disappeared, Usagi's hands feeling incredible raw. She could still feel Haruka's cruel eyes piercing though her body as she picked up the wet mop and began with the floor. Usagi had never had to do anything more than take care of the kids after she married, and what she did for them was completely minimal. She hadn't cleaned anything in such a long time, it was amazing that she still knew how. Usagi cried harder, and wrung the mop in the bucket of water. After eight more sweeps, Usagi decided that is was the cleanest that the floor would get.
"Good," Haruka informed, her voice downgrading as if she was a puppy that had learned a new command. "Come here."
Usagi hesitated. She didn't know what else Haruka could want her to do.
"Come here," she repeated, much more agitation in her voice.
"Fine!" Usagi screamed, starting to cry again.
Usagi walked over to Haruka, standing a good distance from the sofa on which the woman was lounging.
"What do you want?"
"Don't raise your voice to me, Usagi. Sit down, for goodness sakes."
Usagi cringed a bit, but slowly sat next to Haruka. She wished that there was more room on the loveseat. With Haruka in this sort of mood, she really didn't want to be anywhere close to her.
"Usagi?"
"Yes sir…" She wasn't sure of what Haruka would prefer to be called, but she was just trying to be as polite as possible.
Haruka chuckled. "You don't need to sit so far away from me. I won't hurt you."
Usagi found that more than a little hard to believe, but when she snuck a quick a Haruka, she realized that the evil glint in her eye had disappeared.
"Are you hungry?" Haruka asked.
"What?"
"You heard me."
She really was good at changing the subject.
"Yes, sir. I'm hungry."
Haruka got up and went into the newly cleaned kitchen and ladled stew into two bowls. She set them on the table and looked into the refrigerator. After bending over a bit, she saw the bottle of champagne that she hoped was there. She didn't know why, but she just had a feeling that it would be there. She poured two glasses and took a seat, not even offering Usagi a seat, and drank the glass of champagne. Lord knew she needed it. She just hoped that its effects would take hold soon and relieve her mind from this confusion.
Usagi went to the table, assuming that Haruka had invited her to dine with her by setting two places. It was late. Much too late for Michiru to come home expecting dinner. She sat down across from Haruka, still, too afraid to look her in the eye. She swallowed her food in a second. For some reason, Haruka had only poured her the smallest amount of juice, but she drank it without a complaint. Haruka ate fast, but Usagi finished much earlier. She summoned up her courage to ask for more.
"The stew was very good. Could I please have some more? I am still very hungry."
"Eat it all, if you want." Haruka was serious. Nobody else was going to eat it, so she would rather not waste.
Usagi also center took /center her seriously. She ate directly from the pot, using the lading to pour the stew into her gut.
Haruka didn't pay attention to Usagi and finished off the magnum of champagne. She suddenly felt very tired. Haruka got up from the table, stumbling as she did in her drunkenness. Usagi paused, the ladle still dangling from her hand as she watched Haruka's jagged path to the stairs.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeasssim fine," Haruka slurred.
Usagi dropped the ladle and rushed over to Haruka, grabbing onto her arm just before she could make it to the first step.
"Haruka? Are you drunk or something?"
"I just want to get a little rest. I reallyamfiiine.."
"No you are not, Haruka. Sometimes Mamoru gets like this after a hard day of work and goes to sleep for a long time and wakes up with a headache., so I know. Besides, what am I supposed to do if you go to sleep again?"
Haruka didn't answer and started up the stairs, dragging the protesting woman up the stairs with her.
"I don't want to go back home! Please don't do this! I really don't want to go back! I just want to stay here!" she wailed.
Haruka walked into her room, Usagi still attached to her arm. She brushed her off easily, not noticing the cry she made when she hit the floor. She took of the tuxedo and dropped it onto the floor; it was much too hot to sleep in. Usagi stared blankly as Haruka removed her pants as well. Somehow, she felt herself wanting to see Haruka's body again. Usagi didn't turn away.
"Haruka? What are you doing?" Usagi peeped. Should could help it, even though Haruka was wearing boxers, it was just too much.
"I just need a little rest."
"You just slept!" Usagi got up and shook Haruka by the shoulders, hopping that it would shake some sense into her. "You aren't tired."
Haruka didn't push Usagi away this time, but brought her close to her body. Usagi was right; she wasn't tired anymore. She hadn't relized it before, but Usagi looked really nice today. She hadn't even noticed what she was wearing. A pink miniskirt with purple flowers sown across it and a plain white, low-cut T-shirt. Usagi had nice legs, short as they were. She had noticed that many times when she had been transformed, but she had never noticed that she had a nice cleavage.
"Haruka?" Usagi whispered, very close to her ear now. She had much more expected Haruka to strike her than to hug her.
Usagi relaxed in the friendly gesture, gratefully taking in the act of kindness.
"I'm sorry that I yelled at you. It was wrong of me." Haruka didn't sound herself; she normally didn't apologize for such things.
"It's okay. I understand." Usagi told the truth. If Mamoru ever left her with the kids for any matter of time, she would go insane.
"Thank you." Haruka pulled Usagi slightly away, stared into her ocean-blue eyes, and pressed a kiss to Usagi's lips.
She returned it.