Disclaimer: Thanks for all the reviews. You know I don't own the main characters but I do own the story.

The italics mean self talk of any of the characters. The chapter is timed the next day after the last one.

Chapter 10: Love is always bittersweet

Haruka came back from her morning jogging in a very good mood, she found a delicious cup of espresso and a smiling Michiru, life was good.

"Morning Haruka"

"Morning Michi, the coffee is great".

"Thanks do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes please, would you like some coffee?"

"Oh no I'm drinking tea; I sleep very well last night."

"So did I"

Michiru made Belgian waffles and sit next to Haruka, she was feeling fine, after breakfast she planned to practice a couple hours and then get ready for her date. Alex was taking her to lunch.

"Breakfast's delicious"

"Thank you, can I ask why there are boxes in the hall?"

"Those boxes contain Myko's stuff"

Michiru felt that a dark cloud was forming over her head and rain was about to fall. "Is she moving in?"

Haruka smiled, the frighten look of Michiru amused her. "Moving out actually"

"Are you for real?" Michiru was up lifted, "I'm dreaming, Christmas came early this year"

Haruka laughed, she hadn't seen Michiru this happy. "Yes. We had a fight and now is over, I'm available again"

Michiru felt that a bucket of cold water was thrown at her, Haruka was single again and she was now dating" "you broke with her now? God loves my pain"

"So, can I take you out for a fancy lunch?"

"Come on. God, cut me some slack" "I can't I'm having lunch… with a friend, a friend from work" "Nice thinking that sounds very innocent "

Haruka was a little disappointed. "So I'll se you tonight?"

"Yes, I'm cooking something special just for you…"

Michiru had a nice lunch with Alex, but she was determined to stop seeing her, she was going to take a last shot with Haruka, if everything failed she got a plan B: moving out

"Thanks, I had a really fun time"

"Perfect so you will love having dinner with me"

"Oh I … It's a little to fast"

"Come on, I've already told my friends you're coming"

"You told your friends?"

"It's a dinner with my boss, I really need a date come with me please"

"When is this dinner thing?"

"Tomorrow, so are you coming?"

"Let me think it and I'll give you a call"

Later in the afternoon Michiru was having tea with Setsuna.

"All of these happened just yesterday? Wow, and you're now dating this girl Alex?"

"No, yes, I don't know, I mean I knew it yesterday, but today is different I think I should stop seeing Alex, Haruka…"

"Haruka is my friend but she has been near you over 2 years and you're not a couple; give yourself the chance of dating other people, maybe this Alex is the love you are waiting."

"Maybe you're right I'll go out with Alex tomorrow."

Michiru spent the next day morning putting the house in order, the garden was a mess and the pool hadn't been cleaned, Myko didn't order the carpet wash or the tapestry cleaning, she call in sick at work and had an appointment in the salon at 5 o clock, she was very nervous, she chose to wear a red organza dress, it was a sexy short dress that Michiru had only used once she looked really hot in it.

The worst part was telling Haruka were she was going, she planned no to tell her and let Haruka believe she was going to work but coincidentally Haruka came home early and found the dinner tray she was preparing for her to dine alone.

"Why are you making the dinner so early? I came home to dine with you and maybe I can drive you to work, did you went to the beauty parlour or something, your hair looks great"

"Well I went to the salon, but I can get dinner with you tonight, I'm having a date"

"A date? What do you mean a date?" "I don't get it"

"I'm having dinner with a friend"

"Which friend, Setsuna?"

"Setsuna isn't my only friend, and no, if you must know I met someone at work; we are going to a dinner party tonight"

"She's not serious, any moment now she's going to tell me this is a bad joke"

"Well I'm going to get dress now"

Haruka stayed petrified in the kitchen, her bright day was now over.

Michiru came down stairs an hour later; Alex was picking her up at 8 o'clock.

"How do I look?"

"You're not wearing that are you?"

"Of course I am, don't I look good?"

"Too good if you ask me" "It's a little too sexy for a first date"

Michiru was getting deeper and deeper in her lies, she cannot say to Haruka this was actually their second date. "Oh well, It's late for me to get changed, Alex will be here any minute"

Haruka was getting very angry. "Who the hell is this Alex, and why is he dating my girl?" "What car does he owns?" Haruka had the idea that there was no better way for measuring a person, especially an enemy than by his car.

Michiru was a little exasperated, the talk about cars was boring and she was not in the best of moods to tell her beloved Haruka details from a date she wished she had cancelled. "Oh I don't now what model or year her car is"

Michiru's words bounced on Haruka's head she seem to loss for few seconds the ability to reason, to speak, and to hear. "Her car? Her car? Why do she means by her? Alex is a her? What's going on here?"

"…Haruka are you listening to me? She's here, Alex is here, oh boy I'll go open the door…"

Michiru opened the door and let Alex in; Haruka came back from her trance and looked at them.

"Alex, this is my tenant and best friend, Haruka Tenoh, Haruka this is Alex Gunhan."

Haruka and Alex shook hands but the face of Haruka wasn't friendly at all, she wanted some serious explanations, no one, especially no girl was going to steal Michiru from her. "I'm a moron, she's a lesbian too, Michiru could have dated me, and that secret lover is probably gone, if not she wouldn't be dating this Alex"

"Well we better get going, I'll be home later Haruka"

"No" Haruka was in the edge of insanity "Don't go stay a little while, let's have a drink"

The last thing on earth Michiru wanted was to be in the middle of the conversation between Alex and the love of her life.

"Maybe next time, we shall get going" Alex helped Michiru with her coat.

"Right, nice to meet you Haruka.

"But…" Michiru reached the door and exited, Alex go after her, Haruka stand at the door watching the woman she loved leave.

An hour later, Haruka was drunk; she was sitting at the living room with half bottle of whisky in front of her, feeling the most unhappy woman on earth. Then the doorbell rang.

"Mr. Tenoh, Miss Setsuna is here, do I make here come in?"

"Whatever"

Setsuna wasn't surprised by the scene in front of her, for once she had the ability to remain cool all the time on the other hand she knew that something like this might happened when Haruka finally found about Michiru's new love life.

"Good night Haruka, are you having fun?"

"Do I look amused? What can I do for you?"

"I came to get back Michiru's sunglasses she left them at my house earlier"

"So I guess you know about her new girlfriend"

"Yes"

"Life sucks, you know? Michiru was supposed….. We were supposed…"

"It was your fault, you let her go"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"She was in love with you, I just can't believe you never noticed it, but then all of the sudden you got a girlfriend, she was heartbroken and now she's finally moving on"

Haruka felt worst than ever, if anything of what Setsuna was saying was truth she was the world biggest idiot. "But, but she said she had a Secret Love, I heard it myself"

"What are you saying? She has no secret love, she was in love with you, probably she was talking about you, that's what happens when you spy other people conversations, but anyway the cause is lost, she's gone"

Setsuna left leaving a devastated Haruka, once outside the house Setsuna climbed to her car, "Let's see if you finally do something Haruka, or you're really going to loose her".

Michiru wasn't comfortable. She constantly watched the clock, for some reason she felt that she needed to go back home.

"Aren't you having fun dear?"

"Well. I'll like to leave now"

"Fine, lets go" Alex helped her climb to the car and then they left. "So do you want to go to my apartment?"

"No, take me home please"

"It's early, let's go to my place"

"Please Alex I've got a headache"

"Fine I'll take you home"

"Thank you"

"So tell me what's the deal between you and that Haruka"

"She's my friend; I rent a room in her house"

"Right and you two have never…?"

Michiru clearly understand the question but preferred not to answer. "I don't now what you mean"

"Sure" Michiru had a bad feeling; the atmosphere inside the car was getting heavier. Luckily they arrived to the mansion.

Michiru was really anxious to get inside the house. "Good night then" Alex smile in a way that make Michiru tremble, she couldn't open the electric door. "Open the door please"

"What's the rush?"

"I'm tired. I'll invite you for coffee but I'm exhausted"

Alex lean over to kiss her and Michiru dodge her. "What's wrong babe give me a kiss"

"It's too soon for that we barely know each other"

"Come on, I've took you out for lunch, now for dinner, do you think I wasn't expecting something?" Alex was getting really rude, she placed her hand in Michiru's breast and Michiru began to struggle against her.

"NO"

"Relax, you're going to enjoy it"

Haruka heard Alex car in the driveway and stand up in the dark to pick trough the window, she was still drunk and sadder than ever. She waited a couple of minutes for Michiru to come out but nothing happened. "They're making out in the car, now my day is done"

"Stop it, let me out"

"Don't act with me, I now what kind of girls work at the Red Dragonfly, I understand you won't put out for a tip but you're not playing with me, you do this a lot, how else would you be able to live here? Is that Haruka your pimp or what?" Michiru was between horrified and furious, she hit Alex so hard that she let her go, since the car door couldn't get opened, she open up the window and tried to come out.

Haruka keep staring at the car when she noticed something wasn't right, Michiru was opening the window and thrown her purse out, then she seemed to be climbing out.

"Where are you going?" Alex pulled her legs and bring her back to the car, the worst part was that her dress lift and it was now resting on her waistband, Michiru was losing the battle the only thing she could think on doing was shouting.

"Haruka!"

Haruka opened the door from the outside and pulled Alex away from Michiru. She hit Alex in the face, throwing her to the ground.

"Michiru are you ok?"

"Haruka" Michiru hugged Haruka and began sobbing, she had been so scared.

Alex stand up and looked at them. Haruka seem ready to kill her, so she climbed in her car and left.

"It's ok, babe , she's gone". Michiru couldn't stop crying, she cried for what had happened tonight but she also cried because she was tired of suffering, tired of working every night, tired of life. "Don't cry, did she hurt you, Michi answer me". Haruka's voice tremble, she was crying to.

"Haruka I'm so miserable"

"Why? What's wrong?" Michiru looked into her eyes, she couldn't lie any longer.

"I love you, that's what wrong, I love with all my heart I cannot stand life knowing you don't love me and that there's no one that will ever replace you…."

Haruka hold Michiru's hands and stared at her, Michiru was still crying. "Michiru I've loved you the same way since the first moment I saw you, every day I've lived in pain knowing you were only a few steps away from me but you weren't mine, I love you Michiru I've always will"

The full moon was the silent witness of the first love kiss between them, each one couldn't believe life was so good and love so bittersweet, all the pain and sorrows were left in the past .

"I love you Haruka"

"I love you more"

The end?

(So that's all folks, well not really there's an epilogue for this story and I'm already writing a sequel that I plan to call "Unfaithful", so wait a little to hear more from me, I'm really waiting some reviews. Bye bye)