(14) I will carry you
"Isn't it peaceful?"
Michiru stroked some strands escaping her white cap behind her ears. Rough wind was tugging at her figure but she did not mind. The sea before her was endless, the horizon both so near and so far away. She felt as if she could touch the edge of the world but at the same time she knew that it was impossible.
Just as impossible as Hime-chan's rescue. But still she's alive.
Michiru smiled and spread her arms. The water was wild in front of her, mysteriously dark and foaming. She could not see its ground but she loved to hear the waves crashing at the snow covered beach.
"I'm the king of the world." Whispered Michiru and giggled. She did not really like that movie, but she could understand the main actress' feelings about the freedom the sea could give you. The feeling of spreading your wings and flying away, with no boundaries, no worries, no duties.
"Hope we're not standing on a sinking ship." Mocked Haruka muffled. The blonde had not talked to her all day; but nevertheless she accompanied the sea beauty to a stroll along the beach during dusk. Michiru did not ask her directly, she only told her where she was going and Haruka took her jacket wordlessly. It was one thing to visit little Hotaru in hospital or spend time with Usagi and her friends, but it was a total different thing walking in the dark, all alone.
"I can't see any icebergs." Michiru fought with her white scarf and turned around to her best friend. Haruka had covered almost all of her face with her own one, only her dark green eyes could bee seen from the outside. The wind was really cold but Michiru always said that there was no bad weather, only bad clothes. And after she stood only in her nightshirt on a parking lot in the middle of the night she could hardly argue with the winter's cold now, could she?
"And even if there was, we would sail around it."
Because Sailor Moon is our captain.
Michiru bowed and picked up some snow. She did not feel its cold through her gloves, so she could concentrate on forming a perfect snowball – which she threw shamelessly at Haruka. The blonde blinked surprised, but before she could react, Michiru had already overpowered her. They both fell down into the soft snow and the sea beauty giggled happily.
"Snow fight!" She gasped and took two hand full of snow to soap her best friend. Haruka looked wide-eyed at her as she felt the wet, ice cold element going through her scarf and running down her spine.
"Arg! Michi! That's unfair!" she grumbled and finally started to defend herself before Michiru had buried her completely in the winter's snow. She grabbed her best friend's hands and tried to stop her. But Michiru did not want to stop, she felt so happy, so free; she wanted to share that feeling with everyone – with Hotaru, with Usagi and her friends and, of course, with Haruka. The blonde did not seem as if she wanted to smile or even laugh. Well, Michiru did know a way.
"It's my job as a friend to be unfair." Michiru grinned and brought up her heavy guns. She slipped out of her gloves Haruka was still holding tightly and started to tickle the blonde. First she did not achieve anything than a stunned look on Haruka's face as she shook the now empty gloves incomprehensibly in her hands. But then she found a way inside Haruka's loosely buttoned jacket, right to her ticklish sides.
"Wah! Michi!" It was the first laugh Michiru had heard from Haruka for days, maybe even for weeks. She grinned diabolically and made a mental promise to herself to tickle her best friend more often.
"There's no escape from the invincible tickle master!" laughed Michiru and squealed as Haruka finally threw away the empty gloves and started to tickle the sea beauty in return, as well.
"Invincible? You? Never!"
"Wah! Stop it! That's been my secret weapon! Ruka!"
"Now that I know of it it's not secret anymore."
"Ruka!"
Michiru lost her balance and fell into the snow right beside the blonde who actually stopped tickling her but left her hands by the smaller woman's side, just in case. They were out of breath and both of their faces were redden, not only from the falling night's bitter cold. Snow glittered in their messed hair and their caps where laying on the stamped down underground around them.
"Peace?" panted Haruka and blinked as snow fell into her face. But as she looked up she saw that it was not due to their childish fight but that it had started to snow again.
"Truce." Michiru was still grinning madly, but this time Haruka was prepared. Her hands tossed forward and grabbed Michiru's wrists before the sea beauty could attack her with another snow pile she had secretly gathered behind her back. If she was already laying in the white element why not use it?
"That's what you're calling a truce? I'd call it cheeky." Haruka's cheeks were redden and she was smiling. She looked completely different than the girl Michiru had seen during the past days, always hiding in her car or in her own room, not talking to her, not talking to anyone, staring dully in her schoolbooks, refusing to answer the phone or any questions Michiru was confronting her with.
She should laugh more often.
Michiru intertwined her fingers with Haruka's wet gloves and her smile got tenderly.
She's so beautiful when she's laughing.
Haruka blushed deeply and looked away, watched the snow swirling around them. Slowly she rose and pulled Michiru with her.
"We should go back or we'll catch a cold."
"Will you nurse me then?" Michiru picked up her gloves and cap and put them into her jacket's pockets. Then she took Haruka's hand again as if it was the most natural thing on earth. Haruka did not mind, maybe she pretended to hold her in case she would slip and fall.
"I can burn water, you know."
"No problem, then we'll order pizza."
"That's unhealthy."
"Being nursed with burnt food is unhealthy."
"So don't get ill." Haruka shook her head to free her messed hair from its layer of snow. For a while they were walking in silence, both of them thinking their own thoughts.
"Do you want a fir or a pine tree?"
"Huh?" Haruka blinked surprised.
"The Christmas tree. Fir or pine? That's important." Michiru looked over to the wide sea, already thinking where to hang which glass ball and counting how many candles they needed and, of course, where they should put the tree. Since it was their first Christmas together in this boarding school, there was a massive planning to be done.
Now that we'll see this year's Christmas. Alive.
"I thought you'd visit your parents. I don't need a tree." Haruka lowered her head as if to concentrate on her steps on the slippery ground.
"My parents are overseas for a Christmas tour. I'd only be in their way." Michiru shrugged her shoulders. She did not feel sorry, because this was the way it was, always had been. Mostly they did return in January and then they'd celebrate a late Christmas together. "So, fir or pine? I only have ten more days to decide, that's not much."
"Pine." There was a small smile on Haruka's face. Michiru squeezed the wet glove gently.
I would never leave you alone on Christmas, Ruka. I'll never let you alone.