Chapter 14: Running

.:x:.

"Tadaima..." Said Haruka as she entered the house. Before she could slip out of her shoes, Haruka heard fast foot steps approaching the entrance.

She had just took out her coat and gave it to the maid that she was captured in a strong embrace. "Okaerinasai!" Said cheerfully her assailant.

"Aya...thanks for the warm welcoming." Said Haruka with a smile.

"I'm happy you are already home." Ayashi said as she looked up to meet Haruka's eyes.

"Haruka-sama, your father is on his office and wish to speak with you." Called Inoue-san.

"Hai, I'm coming." Said Haruka to the major d'homme. "Would you please make me some tea Aya, I will be back soon." The blonde told Ayashi.

"Hai, do you want it to be serve in your room?" Asked Ayashi.

"No...I'd prefer in the living room please." Said Haruka as she turned and followed Inoue-san.

"As you want." Called Ayashi. She watched them walked away and disappeared in the large stairway.

.:x:.

"Are you sure about it Haruka ?" Asked the tall blonde man from behind his desk. "I've been a little unfair last night...I think you should just do
what your heart and mind tell you to do. I don't want you to have any regrets."

"Arigatou, Otou-san. But I won't go back on my words now. It's too late..." Replied Haruka.

"So you are still planning on doing what I had suggested you to do ?" Asked Haruka's father.

"Yes." Answered Haruka looking into her father eyes.

.:x:.

The next morning, just before dawn Haruka and Ayashi were eating their breakfast while the maids were preparing their belongings.

"Ne Ruka, are you sure you want to go too?" Asked Ayashi a little worried.

"Yes, Fukuoka is a nice city and Tokyo is too polluted."

"That's not what I meant. You know you don't have to come with me... I decided yesterday to go back home because... I'm only a burden here. I don't want you to-"

"Aya..." Haruka interrupted her, she then stood up and went to kneel beside Ayashi. The sitting girl tried her best to keep her tears from falling but failed as Haruka took her hands.

"Why are you saying that? You know you meant a lot to me and you will never be a burden, never."

"I- I saw how you looked at Michiru...I know you really love her." Said Ayashi looking away.

"You are right, I really love her..." Haruka took Ayashi's face between her hands and softly made her turn to look at her. "...but I love you too and I decided
to lay my heart between your hands." Said gently Haruka.

"But...you-"

"No buts Aya, just tell me if you accept it ?" Asked Haruka looking directly into bright blue eyes.

"I cant'! I don't want you to pity me. I know you truly love Michiru... Back in high school when I told you I loved you, you couldn't respond to my feelings because
your heart was already taken...please, don't do that to yourself." Said Ayashi as tears streamed down freely.

"Aya...don't say that. It's true I love her since High school but people changed as much as feelings...we weren't mean for each other." Said sadly Haruka. "I didn't see you for almost one year
and I have to say that you changed a lot. You've became really beautiful." Added the blonde smiling at Ayashi.

"A-Arigatou." Stuttered Ayashi with a slight blush.

Haruka sensing that it was the moment, took out something from her pocket and spoke gently and sincerely. "Aya, would you please be my girlfriend and thus my fiancée ?" Asked Haruka after a moment of silence.
She was still kneeling in front of Ayashi and had took one hand in hers and held with the other one a beautiful ring.

"..." Ayashi didn't answer, for she was too surprised to find her voice. She sat silently, her eyes wide and her other hand held before her mouth.

"I know, we are still young but I want to spend each moment of my life with you... You who believe in me, care for me, understand me and love me unconditionally... I want to do the same for you.
So what is your answer, Aya ?" Begged Haruka. She truly wanted to learn to love Ayashi just as much as she loved her. She wanted to see her happy and more importantly she wanted her to live.
To fight alone was courageous but certainly painful too. Haruka didn't want Ayashi to know that she had found out about her state, she wanted to protect her and to help her without the smaller
blonde always wondering if it was out of pity or compassion. It wasn't both, it was just of love and duty.

Ayashi looked a moment into Haruka's teal eyes and found what she was looking for, sincerity. Suddenly, without letting the other blonde the chance to prepare herself,
Ayashi flung herself into Haruka's arms and cried. "Hai!"

.:x:.

Michiru slowly opened her eyes and was blinded by the sunrays that came through her bedroom window's curtain.

"What time is it now?" She mumbled to herself. She then looked to her right to read the time in her alarm clock but didn't find it. "What?"
And then it came back to her, she had overthrown everything in her night table last night.

Slowly she got out of bed and went to retrieve her alarm. While she was looking for her things, the aqua haired girl found Haruka's key card.

"I feel like this is coming to an end..." Told herself Michiru sadly. She was going to stand up when she spotted a folded paper on the floor.

"What's that?" Michiru took the paper and quietly unfold it. She immediately saw that it was Haruka's handwriting and that it was addressed to her.

Dear Michiru

I'm Sorry,

You once held my heart into your palms
And cared for it for a while.
You once broke it into million pieces
And came back to repair it.
I was happy,
You were the one I was waiting for
And once by my side you laid.
You were everything I wanted in life
And once my duty took that away.

You won't probably understand why
But I know this is something I got to do.

Please, forgive me.

Read my heart.
Haruka

"Read my heart?" Repeated quietly Michiru and as she read another time the note, she felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're right , I-I don't understand..." She whispered sadly, clutching
the small sheet onto her chest. "...not at all."

Michiru was at loss. She knew from the way Haruka acted that the blonde still loved her but the sudden arrival of Ayashi seemed to have affected her more than she would have thought.

It pained her to know that if Ayashi didn't come back to Tokyo, she would have probably been with Haruka again now. However the more she thought about it the more she wondered why Haruka choose Ayashi over her.
And then it struck her, carefully Michiru read again Haruka's note and found out why.

"And once my duty took that away..." Said aloud the aqua haired girl. Even if she now knew why Haruka choose Ayashi, she still didn't understand.
'Duty, duty, duty... what kind of duty has she towards Ayashi?' Thought to herself Michiru. 'It didn't make sense...'

After pondering for a moment about what kind of duty the blonde had towards Ayashi, Michiru decided that it was better to ask Haruka herself. She wanted to confront the blonde
about her true intentions and about her real feelings toward Ayashi. But more importantly she wanted to know where they stood. "I have to talk to her..." Said Michiru to herself.

Grabbing her handbag and her key, Michiru quickly ran out of the door and out of the building. Something happened and she had to see the blonde immediately or she feared she would never had an answer.

.:x:.

"I'm sorry Miss, but Haruka-sama isn't here." Replied politely a maid in the interphone.

"Do you know where he is then ?" Asked Michiru eagerly.

"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to divulge his location." Answered sincerely the maid.

"Oh...What about Ayashi ? Is she there ?" Enquired the aqua haired girl.

"She went with Haruka-sama."

"And Tenou-san ? Is he at home ?" Asked Michiru. She had to see Haruka and if the maid wasn't allowed to tell her then she had to find someone else.

"My sincere apologize Miss, but there isn't anybody at the moment." Answered the maid.

"And when will they come back then ?"

"I don't know...not for a while I suppose."

"..." Michiru was perplexed, she didn't know what to think of this situation. She was supposed to find Haruka, to confront her and talk to her, and maybe to convince her but she wasn't even there.
"What do you mean by for a while ?"

"Well I'm not supposed to say anything...but since it's seems important to you, then I will tell you what I know."

"Thank you very much."

"Don't thank me, I don't think that will help you much..." Said the maid sadly.

"What do you mean ?" Asked Michiru a little worried.

"They left about two hours ago...and won't be back at least for one year." Said sadly the maid.

"What? What did you say ?" Asked bewildered Michiru.

"They moved out from Tokyo this morning." Repeated the maid slowly. She knew that it wasn't the best way to acknowledge someone's departure but it was so sudden, she herself hadn't expected that.

"How...why? ...I mean so fast ?" Stuttered Michiru. She was too astonished to make a clear sentence. After a moment of confusion, Michiru hastily regain her sense.
"Where ? Where are they going to?" Asked eagerly the aqua haired girl.

"I'm sorry but Tenou-san didn't give us any information about they're destination."

"Someone must knows, right ?" Pleaded Michiru. She wasn't going to give up, not now that she understood Haruka's behaviour. 'I can't let her go...not without an explanation.'

"As I said we are not allowed to...but if it can help you, I know their flight was planned for 11am." Replied the maid.

"11 am ? I still have 30 minutes..."Said Michiru while looking at her watch. "Thank you very much !" And with that said, Michiru ran to the cab that was waiting her near the Tenou's residence gates.

.:x:.

"Haruka, our flight will soon depart." Informed Kenji to his daughter. He saw the look of regret in her face and cursed himself internally. 'I shouldn't have told her...'
He was somehow glad that Haruka proposed to Ayashi, but deep within him he knew that Michiru Kaiou hadn't deserved his unfairness. After all he didn't know her very well,
except from what his daughter had told him and he had only met her twice too, overall not enough to judge someone.

He had told Haruka about the probably bright future ahead of the aqua haired girl and about the possible fact that Michiru hadn't particularly paid special attention to this.

"Oh Okay..." She replied softly. "Where is Ayashi ?" She then asked as she looked around and didn't see the blonde.

"She went to the bathroom." Answered her father, he looked at Haruka thoughtfully and then decided to ask. "Haruka, do you really love Ayashi the way she loves you ?"

Haruka stayed silent an instant, surprised by her father's sudden question, she then glanced at him and replied softly. "I do...I really do, but her love... is on a different level as mine."
Ending her sentence in a soft whisper, Haruka walked away from her father and his men.

"Where are you going ?" Asked Kenji worried.

"I'm going to look for Aya..." The blonde replied. She then heard her father ordered one of his men to follow her, but before leaving them she put on her sunglasses and added. "Alone."

Kenji hesitated a minute, but then withdrawn his man.

.:x:.

"That will be 9550 yen, Miss." Said the driver. He had been asked to drive to Tokyo Narita airport as fast as possible and now he was parked in front of the departure entrance.

"Here, keep the change." Said Michiru as she got out of the cab as soon as she had handed the money.

"Thank you very much, Miss." Called the driver but the aqua haired girl was already out of sight.

Tokyo Narita airport was crowded and people seemed to be all in commotion. Michiru tried to make her way into the airport but it wasn't an easy task,
especially when she was in a hurry and ran into bags and people. 'I have to see her...' Thought Michiru as she ran desperately in order to find the tall blonde.

.:x:.

"Hey, Beauty." Called a man in his thirties.

Ayashi didn't respond nor did she turned around to acknowledge such a rude man. She was out of the bathroom and wanted to be back to Haruka as soon as possible, she hated crowded places.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Said the man as he took Ayashi's wrist to make her turn and stopped.

"Leave me alone!" Shouted Ayashi surprised by the man audacity. She tried to disengaged herself from his grip but found that she was too weak to fight against him.

She was going to asked for help when she suddenly felt trapped in strong arms. "She asked you to leave her alone." Said a voice from above her.
She knew that voice and immediately leant on the strong and soft body behind her, she felt secure.

Haruka tried to keep herself from beating the man, but didn't ease her grip in his wrist. The man's face contorted in pain and he then stuttered some apologize and asked for forgiveness.

"Release him, Ruka..." Spoke softly Ayashi. She didn't want Haruka to hurt anybody because of her. "Please."

The tall blonde did as she was asked, but not without reluctance though, she had really wanted to break the man's wrist.
The frightened man just held his right wrist in pain and ran as fast and far as he could.

"Are you okay ? Did he hurt you ?" Asked with concerned Haruka as she looked Ayashi up and down.

"I'm allright. He didn't hurt me." Replied Ayashi softly, she was really content that Haruka was so concerned about her well being.

"I'm glad you're unhurt." Said Haruka quietly. She gently cupped Ayashi's face between her hands and looked into soft blue eyes. "Don't leave without telling me first...okay?" Whispered Haruka.

Ayashi taken aback by Haruka's concerned, felt somehow guilty for worrying the tall blonde. Gently she held Haruka's hands with hers and smiled. "Hai, I'm sorry..."

"Let's get back, the flight will soon take off." Said Haruka quietly. Ayashi nodded and started to walk silently behind Haruka when she saw Haruka stopped and tenderly took hold of her hand.

Smiling, Ayashi strode along Haruka.

.:x:.

Michiru suddenly came to a stop, here in front of her stood Haruka and Ayashi. She was going to walk to them when she saw how Haruka looked at the blonde with concerned, so she decided
to watched them a moment before making her presence known.

As she looked at them again, she saw how Haruka cupped the smaller blonde's face with affection and spoke softly to her. 'It's not out of duty...' thought sadly Michiru.

She knew she had to talk to the blonde, but now that she had witnessed what she wanted to know, she didn't have the courage to interrupt them. Especially when the two were
so close and intimate with each other. Michiru just stared silently as Haruka stopped and took Ayashi's hand in hers and walked away. '...It's out of love.' She then closed her eyes
and let the tears that she was trying to hold flowed freely.

It hurt so much to know that the slight hope she had put in talking with the tall blonde had vanished before she could really talk to her.
"Why...why can't I control my heart desired ?...It's so painful." Stammered quietly Michiru between her sobs. "I don't want to love...I don't..." Michiru slowly lowered herself and cried her heart out.

AN : Don't throw me stones ! Haruka and Michiru definitely ! But the road isn't all smooth, there's bumps and gravel all along.

To the reviewers, thank you very much !

Rushingwind, Hm I don't know if this chapter has answered all your questions but I hope it did, and about your wish, don't worry it will come true!

King of warlords, thanks for the compliment. I did try my best to show their emotions.

Apl85, I'm glad to know that there's less spelling mistakes in my fic, I was wondering. Thank you for telling me.

Papapapuffy, I'm glad you love my story. I will try to update it as soon as I can.

Hachiru, don't be too eager, there's time for everything.

Shinn, oh no you again ? Just kidding, I'm really glad each time I read your review. I know Michiru is suffering a lot but that's for the drama part!