(23) Take my heart
"Put it over there."
Michiru leaned back and looked critically at the pine tree. Forty silver balls where hanging between the green branches and Haruka stood on a chair and fixed the candles the way Michiru wanted them to be. Of course they were electrical since they were living in one of the school apartments and open fire, aside from a small candle, was strictly forbidden. Nevertheless the sea beauty wanted their first Christmas tree to look perfect.
"That looks better." Michiru studied the tree, then she nodded satisfied. "Try to switch it on."
"Hai." Haruka jumped from the chair and raced over to the light switch. The next moment Michiru was sitting in total darkness. It was shortly after dusk and a long day they spent in the arcade enjoying the last Christmas market's day. Tomorrow it would finally be Christmas and they wanted to decorate their tree, although they both felt tired and wanted to go to bed after a quick dinner. Usagi's party would surely be great, but also exhausting, they wanted to be fit to face any Tsukino tradition.
"Here it comes." Said Haruka and the next moment the room was illuminated by a warm glow. The silver balls looked like bright sparkling diamonds and the candles blurred between the branches in a golden light. Maybe it was a little bit kitschy, but that was just what Michiru wanted to have.
"Fantastic…" she whispered in awe and reached out with her healthy hand to touch one of the balls. It turned around and silver sparks danced over her smiling face.
"Yep." Haruka looked very proud of herself, but had to blush when her stomach started to rumble. They did not eat anything for lunch, so she was almost starving, especially after she had to endure all those delicious scent on the Christmas market. However, she did not want to eat there while there were so many people around, busy and full of stress, because they still had to buy some gifts. Haruka wanted to eat in peace with her Michiru - which was something they would surely not get tomorrow. Not with Usagi and Chibiusa sitting at the same table, most probably wanting to eat exactly the same candy or the same rice ball.
"I'll make us something." Michiru rose and went over to the kitchen. Haruka did most of the decoration work, now it was her turn to take care of an eatable meal, something the blonde was not able to manage, not even when armed with a microwave.
"Some special wishes?" The smaller senshi opened the fridge, feeling that Haruka had followed her and was looking into it over her shoulder. Obviously she liked what she saw, or at least her stomach which rumbled even louder.
"How about some scrambled eggs?"
"With a lot of cheese?"
"Tons of cheese."
"It's right on its way." Michiru searched for a pan, some eggs, cheese, butter and rice. She always but rice into the eggs and Haruka never complained.
"Fantastic." The blonde let her alone in the kitchen and Michiru could hear the boxes rustle. Obviously her best friend was tidying up. No, Haruka was not able to clear the mess in her room, but at least she tried to keep order in the other rooms of their apartment. The TV set was switched on, but there was no soap opera or even Haruka's beloved sport news running, instead Michiru could hear violin music. It seemed that they were showing some classic concert on TV and Haruka decided for once to let Michiru watch it. Without a fight. Without a protest.
Michiru really started to love Christmas.
Ten minutes and five curses later their dinner was finally ready. The sea beauty could not wait to use her injured arm again, because it was different to cook something more serious than rice in the rice cooking machine left-handed. She was thankful that Haruka wanted to have scrambled eggs, because she would not have been able to make fried eggs. The eggshell seemed to be too thin and she spend half of the time fishing white particles out of the hot pan again. Two spoon ended on the kitchen floor during her rescue operation and Michiru really hoped that Haruka would like her cheese a little bit darker than normal.
"Come, Ruka, let's eat." She called out and balanced the pan in her healthy hand. Normally she wanted to eat in the kitchen, but since her best friend listened to the classic music so voluntarily, Michiru wanted the watch the concert.
"That looks delicious." Haruka appeared so suddenly before her that Michiru almost let go of the pane. But the blonde was fast enough to catch it. "Thank you, Michi." She blushed slightly which Michiru almost missed in the dimmed light. But before she could scold her for startle her or praise her for saving their food, Haruka had leaned forward and kissed her quickly, but softly. Michiru could see that Haruka's face was burning now, even in the living room's twilight.
"I'll take it to the table." Whispered the blonde with a strange hoarse voice and turned around, obviously not knowing what else to say, probably unsure about her sudden action and about Michiru's missing reaction.
The sea beauty blinked confused and touched her tingling lips with the fingers of her healthy hand. Then she raised her head as she caught a movement out of the corner of her eyes. For another long moment she stared at the green branch above.
"A mistle toe?" Suddenly she had to grin. Slowly she walked over to the couch and sat down next to Haruka, who was glancing intensively into the pane, not daring to look up to meet Michiru's eyes.
"Didn't know you knew those foreign traditions."
"Usagi told me about it. She wants to hang one into her room and lure Mamoru into it." Still Haruka was staring at her meal as if she wanted the food to give her support.
"Didn't know that she's such a romantic." Michiru reached for the pane and put some egg-rice into one of the bowls Haruka took into the living room while she still fought with the spoons and the eggshells.
Didn't know that you were such a romantic, Ruka.
"Here, let's eat, we're both starving." Michiru pushed the bowl into Haruka's hands and smiled encouragingly at her as the blonde finally raised her head. Dark green eyes looked unsure at her, but Michiru knew that there was no doubt necessary. No, not any longer, because they survived the battle against Mistress 9. Because little Hotaru would always be with them. Because it was Christmas.
"I like the mistle toe."
Michiru nodded at Haruka's unasked question and felt warm and content when the happiest smile she had ever seen spread on the blonde's face.
Oh yes, she loved Christmas, every aspect of it.