Disclaimer: If the world was fair I could say Haruka and Michiru are my characters, but we ll know life isn't fair!
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Yes I know I suddenly got very romantic, I blame Kannazuki No Miko for making me feel all of the sudden dramatic :P But well the best is yet to come? Lol I sure hope so. Here is chapter 13!
Chapter 13: Masochist
Hail Tenki with the cello between her knees placed her bow down observing with curious eyes to her twin sister standing at the door with a damped t-shirt and slacks, looking like a wet dog but smiling like someone who just won the lottery.
"You are dripping all over my new boots Rain…"
Rain smiling got rid of her wet clothes and dried her hair with a towel. "Sorry, it's pouring out there."
"Obviously, where's your umbrella? Which I should point out it is MY umbrella. And your jacket?"
"Funny story… I lent them to a friend."
Hail raised an eyebrow. "A friend?"
"A friend."
"Since when you have friends with no name?"
"Since you started asking too much questions."
"Tell me, I know you want to, who else are you going to tell about this friend who I am sure has a beautiful pair of legs."
Rain sat at her drawing desk and turning on the lamp she looked at Hail. "She does, and fantastic misty eyes."
"Kasumi Tani."
"Hey! How did you know?" Hail laughed she walked to her sister and patted her on the head. "Ah come on 'misty' eyes? Tell me what happened already"
Leaning on her chair Rain smiled. "She kissed me"
"No way! Now you must definitely tell me all about it."
"I just wanted to brag, it was nothing. She was sad, it was raining, I promised to help her and she gave me a tiny peck."
"I see, taking advantage of crying girls, how shameful."
Sitting straight and blushing Rain looked at Hail. "It was nothing like that!"
"Oh right, right." Hail turned around hiding a smile; she walked away from the desk. "Did you whisper to her ear that everything was going to be ok while your hand tried groping her eh? You're a perv…Chester Molester."
Rain looking appalled shook her head. "I did not such thing! I will never..."
Hail burst into laughter. "You're too cute. I know you didn't, tell me what did you promised to do for her ah? Homework?"
"You're an ass." Rain sat down at her desk again fuming, Hail always went around pulling her leg. "I promised to help her talk to Haruka Tenoh."
"Oh come on, did you promised the girl you like to help her get together with the girl she likes? You are a masochist…"
The artist sighed; trying to draw with skilled hand the fresh memories of Kasumi's afflicted expression. "I couldn't help it, she looked so sad."
"You are a dummy for real, if she succeeds you lose, if she doesn't succeed she will blame you and you lose. You're not terribly bright."
"Is it so bad to want to see her happy?" Hail shrugged, hugging her cello she prepared to start playing again. "You should be more interested in helping her as well. Kasumi is Michiru's best friend and if anyone can wing you to Michiru it is her." Still silent Hail lifted her bow, perhaps Rain had a point, the cellist closed her eyes and thought of Michiru's blue eyes and the sweet notes of the cello flooded the room.
"We'll see…"
-0-
Michiru walked into her bedroom after the sunset, Kasumi sat next to the window brushing her precious long hair, the blonde girl posed her eyes on Michiru for a moment noticing her tanned skin, the healthy blush on her face and the smile too big to hide. Without saying a word she went back to looking out the window, lifting the brush again and diligently stroking her curls.
"How was your date?"
"It was good. How was your day Kas?"
"Like any other day."
It was obvious that Kasumi wasn't happy, but there was nothing Michiru could do about it, she could not hide her smile or not feel happy about her day, the moments she shared with Haruka were too special to her. "I am sorry things didn't turn out the way you wanted, but are you going to hold a grudge against me forever for it? I thought we talked about it yesterday."
Kasumi looked at her; she placed her hairbrush down and stood up from the windowsill. "I haven't said a thing."
"Your attitude speaks for you."
The blonde lowered her eyelashes she was not in the mood to fight. "Michiru don't go there, just don't."
"Get it out of your system Kasumi; say what you want to say. Be mad and then get over it, I need my best friend back."
They looked at each other in silence for a long time, Kasumi felt at the verge of tears, how was she to say that she was jealous? That she was grudging that Michiru was so talented? That she envied her being naturally beautiful and gracious? That she was frustrated about everyone living to try and make her a famous violinist? How do you tell your best friend you envy everything about her? How do you say it without sounding like the villain of the story? Who lives out there without secrets? "Did she ask you to be her girlfriend yet?"
"No, but we are dating Kasumi, really…after today I am sure."
"Good then."
"Is that it? That is all you're going to say?"
Kasumi nodded, she walked to Michiru and gave the girl a tight hug. "I am glad you had a good day."
Surprised Michiru hugged Kasumi back. "Kasumi, are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" The blonde nodded briefly. There wasn't much to talk about anyway, she was better just swallowing her feelings again and realizing that Michiru was a good friend, and if she tried hard enough maybe she could be too , even if the try was a monumental task for which she felt unprepared. "Fine, how about we start packing for our trip hum?"
"That sounds good; we should go shopping for new swimsuits."
"Yes, let's do that, Spring Break will be great." The willowy blonde nodded again, she will try talking to Haruka one last time, just once more.
-0-
The next morning Michiru spent her morning classes thinking about her next meeting with Haruka, she had asked the pianist about coming with them to the house in the Lake and Haruka had promised to think about it. Michiru didn't understand why she looked reluctant to accept but perhaps she could find a way to convince the blonde. By lunch time she felt like time was just playing tricks against her, every second seemed to pass slower than the one before. To make it worse she also awaited anxiously to see Haruka sit at a table away from her pretending that they were not with each other, she had to talk to her father sooner or later because she just could not go around sneaking for much longer.
She looked at her wristwatch again. "Did you plant a bomb and are eager for the right time to set it off?" Michiru looked up from her watch and smiled at Rain who sat next to her with a lunch tray, her red hair half lose, wearing faded jeans and a button up white shirt, her glasses peaking out of her shirt pocket.
"Something like that. Are you stalking me too?"
The redhead laughed softly and bitted her sandwich. "Who else is stalking you?"
"So you are?"
Rain blushed hardly and choking on her food, she shook her head. "I meant…oh darn it, why do I always talk before I think huh? Kasumi told me to meet you girls for lunch."
"Hum." Michiru laughed softly. "If you say so. You are dressed up today, is anything special happening?"
The artist tried not so say too much, she had picked up a clean nice shirt to have lunch with Kasumi; she just shrugged at Michiru. "It was the first shirt I found."
Michiru looked at Rain wondering if the girl blushed like this all the time, when they had met at the club she seemed like a totally different person, more confident and charming. Of course things under the dim lights of a night club were different to the real world. Even she was much bolder and uninhibited after a drink and on the dance floor. Then again after finding out Haruka was her Prince she had to admit the blonde had the same attitude in an out of club, the same as Kasumi. She and Rain had a lot of things in common. "Kasumi invited you over? Really?"
Before Rain could answer again Kasumi sat down at the table next to Rain. "Ugh, I absolutely hate Mondays, bad hair day and bad food. Hi Rain." The artist smiled sheepishly at Kasumi, the singer's red lips curving in a warm smile and Michiru looked at the couple with curious eyes.
"Are you girls…"
Kasumi looking completely cool looked at Michiru and Rain blushed again. "Friends you mean Michi? Rain and I are friends, right Hun?" The redhead nodded and focused back on her lunch.
"You blush too easily Rain, that's why girls find you silly." Michiru looked to her side to find Hail who sat next to her dressed in her impeccable tailored clothes, offering her and Kasumi a small cheesecake dessert. The girls smiled at her each taking the dessert from Hail and the redhead looked at her sister pleased. "See? I brought the ladies a treat and got a smile, that's how it's done."
"Leave Rain alone, Hail." Michiru said as she smiled at Rain tasting the small cheesecake Hail brought for her. "She seems pretty successful with women to me."
Kasumi stayed silent, she just tried her own dessert and kept her charming smile, she wondered if there was any hope for Hail to conquest Michiru's affection…probably not. As for Rain, well the artist could have a better chance with Michiru, but she didn't want to think about it.
"Is it so? You're making me jealous Michiru, are you fancying Rain better than me?"
The aqua beauty smiled placing down her fork looking right into Hail verdant eyes. "When did I ever start fancying you?"
Rain snorted, and Kasumi couldn't help to laugh softly. Michiru surely enjoyed pinching Hail's ego. Hail didn't seem too offended by the witty come back, she just took a spoonful of her lunch and shrugged. "The more you deny it the more I am sure you do Michiru…"
"Yeah right Sis, who's the molester now?"
Hail's eyebrow twitched as she looked at her sister with annoyed expression. "Shut up Rain."
"Molester? What's that about?" Kasumi asked smiley, Michiru had been right the twins were quite fun.
"Nothing!" Rain blushed again and raised her hands. "It means nothing! I did not try to grope you!" Kasumi looked surprised at the outburst and blinked a bit perplexed. Hail laughed amused eating her lunch as her twin sister blushed to the core again. "Damn you Hail…"
Michiru had to laugh too as Rain apologized profusely to Kasumi who still didn't knew what was all that about Rain trying to grope her. "You're too cute Rain."
"Yes, too cute Chester." Rain looked back at her laughing sister and sent her a killer look, the cellist laughing out loud.
On the same Cafeteria but another table, Akira Kitsune sat across from Haruka. "How can you eat that greasy disgusting looking hamburger Haruka?" The woman eyed Haruka's lunch displeased, although her salad wasn't what could be called appetizing.
"You think it is disgusting because you decided to go on a diet, you're a masochist sitting here hovering over my food while you can't have anything but salad, so don't go ruining my lunch. I don't even know why you are on a diet, how much do you weight anyway?"
Akira blinked a few times looking at Haruka who seemed unaware of the bomb she had just dropped at the table. "Do you even know that asking a girl her weight is like super rude?"
"I thought the rude question was asking you your age."
Appalled Akira looked at her friend. "You 'sir' are not a gentleman." Haruka laughed and looked at her roommate with amusement.
"I apologize 'my lady' but I don't recall ever saying I was… now just tell me why are you starving yourself all of the sudden anyway?"
"Because I refuse to wear a swimsuit next to your teenage admirers with extra weight, like the fact that any of them could be on a runway is not bad enough. I will not be on extra disadvantage at the Lake trip"
"Who said we're going to the Lake with them?"
"We are not? I thought you wouldn't let go an opportunity to sleep under Michiru's roof for a whole week."
"It isn't Michiru I am worried about. Kasumi will be there and probably other of her friends and who knows, her father might even drop in. And having Michiru around in tiny bikinis is not going to help me keep my hands to myself."
"Hmmm" Akira took another bite of her salad. "I guess staying in Tokyo will be the smartest option then, I wanted a holiday though, but you are probably right." The hazelnut eyes stopped at the table where Michiru and Kasumi sat with the twins, they all looked giggly and happy. "Don't they look cute…did you find out what's the deal with Michiru and the Tenki twins?"
"There isn't any deal."
"Are you sure?" Akira didn't mean to pierce Haruka's jealousy, she was just thinking out loud about how the young teenagers seemed fitted right by the twins, especially as she saw Hail sliding an arm around Michiru's shoulders as the four of them laughed again.
Haruka followed her friend's gaze to found the four friends enjoying their lunch together; she tried to ignore a small outburst of immature jealousy and went back to her lunch. "Michiru and I are together now, for good, so…"
"Uh oh. Did you ask her to be your girlfriend and all? How awfully romantic. How did you ask her?" Akira picked up her bottle of water, trying to wash away the imminent hunger she was feeling. Stupid Diet.
Haruka shook her head softly. "Do I have to ask her that? Isn't it implied that people are together when they have romantic dates and sex?"
Spraying her water all over the table and coughing Akira looked at Haruka. "You did what?"
Haruka laughed and handed her a napkin. "I remember now, that's why I didn't told you about it. You tend to overreact."
"Overreact? You… "Akira leaned and whispered to Haruka. "are sleeping with an underage girl."
"I am three years older than her, give me a break. And she is a very mature seventeen."
"Very mature…good god. You're absolutely right; we should not go to the Lake House with them, absolutely not."
Akira's sudden outburst called Rain's keen attention, she turned to look at the teacher and who she knew was the headmaster's assistant studying the expressions on their faces. There didn't seem to be any obvious attraction between them but they do seem to be familiar with each other, especially at the moment when the dark haired woman seemed to be lecturing the blonde tomboy. "Say Kasumi… is there anything between Haruka Tenoh and Miss Kitsune?"
Michiru raised her gaze towards Rain when she heard her mentioned Haruka's name, Rain looked at Michiru and she smiled faintly back at her. "They are roommates. Old friends from school I believe."
The artist nodded and set her eyes back at the table, Michiru seemed slightly distressed and she wondered if perhaps she was worried about her friend and what was happening with Haruka. "I see. I am naturally curious, that's all." Until she found out if Michiru even knew about anything going on between Haruka and Kasumi it was wiser not to mention anything about the plan she was trying to come up with to help Kasumi and Haruka talked again. "So, Kasumi do you mind if we talk alone for a moment?"
"Sure."
Michiru saw her friend walk away with Rain, perhaps Kasumi will just let go of Haruka without a fight anymore. Hopefully.
"I know what you're thinking Michi."
"Do you Hail? And what am I thinking?"
"Double date."
Michiru smiled her eyes sparkly. "Oh my God, you're absolutely right, that's exactly what I was thinking, do you reckon Rain can handle two girlfriends too?"
"Ouch…you're too mean Michiru, too mean."The muse laughed and patted Hail's back.
"Oh Hail; I'm sorry I couldn't help myself…"
-0-
"Hey you." Michiru walked into the classroom where Haruka sat at the piano. The blonde teacher looked at her and smiled.
"Hey back"
The violinist made sure to close the door before stepping closer to Haruka, leaning on the piano smiley looking for a kiss. Haruka kissed her softly pulling her into her lap. "We shouldn't…"
Nodding Michiru kissed her back but jumped off her lap after a few moments. "So… are you coming with us to the Lake, Haruka?"
Haruka looked at the girl who bent over slightly taking her violin out of the case, the school skirt hiking up against her marble thighs.
"I don't think it is a good idea Michiru, it will be too risky."
"Hmmm." Looking disappointed Michiru balanced her violin gently. "You don't want to spend a whole week with me? I thought we could have a super special night together."
Sighing heavily Haruka considered again and again the pros and cons of this holiday trip. "I just don't think it will end up good, call it a hunch."
"Fine." Michiru started tuning her violin trying to think of a way to convince Haruka to go along with her to the Lake; she really wanted a night all to themselves, a one night where they could sleep embracing each other. "I guess it will be just Kasumi and me… and the twins."
Haruka smiled, she looked at Michiru who kept tuning her violin with innocent expression. "I see, you're going to play the jealousy card."
Smiling slightly Michiru looked into the teal eyes. "I didn't say that. I am just stating the facts."
"Are they staying at your father's estate as well?" Haruka thought herself a true masochist, why ask the details she certainly did not wanted to hear?
"No. But their parents live there and we'll hang out you know like regular people."
"You think that driven by jealousy I will just pack my bags and go with you to the Lake house huh?"
Michiru shrugged, her eyes lowered. "I told you there isn't anything between me and Rain or Hail."
"Rain and Hail? Seriously? Do they have a sister named Rainbow too?"
The smaller girl laughed softly, even if Haruka acknowledged her own jealousy and tried to be mature about it she still sounded jealous. "I don't know, maybe, when we spend all that time together I will ask them for sure."
"If I go, and I am not saying I will, your little friends are going to find out what's going on between us, is that what you want?"
"I am not ashamed, are you? I think I should tell my father anyway."
"Hmmm."
Michiru placed her violin down, she sat at the piano bench next to the blonde. "My dad will understand, you'll see." She placed her hand on top of Haruka's and the blonde smiled back.
"Let's wait for a while before you go telling your dad."
"If that's your wish."
"But don't change the subject, I am jealous you know that don't you? And I bet you love it. Why was Hail hugging you today?"
Michiru smiled. "Oh you saw that? You're such a stalker too. She was demonstrating how Rain comforts girls while trying to get to second base, it was quite hilarious actually."
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Was it now? Did she happen to get to second base with you while doing her little demonstration?"
Laughing Michiru leaned against her. "Don't be silly. But if you're so jealous why don't you come with us, you can stay here and be very jealous because I'll be spending the whole week with them or come with me and see that there isn't anything to worry about."
"I happen to be a mature adult, I don't need to go on that trip to supervise that you don't flirt too much or that Hail Tenki keeps her hands to her cello."
"Ok…"
-0-
Akira lowered her sunglasses to have a better look of Kasumi and Michiru as the girls approached the car. Kasumi wearing the tiniest denim skirt the raven haired girl had ever seen and the top of a small red polka bikini, her hair tied in two pigtails, Michiru right next to her wore an aqua bikini top and a short white pleated skirt, her blue eyes behind sunglasses. "Holy…I sure hope there is more clothing under that skirt. I have belts wider than that mini."
Haruka sighed and pressed her forehead to the steering wheel, just looking at Michiru in that outfit made her want to ditch Akira and Kasumi and shove Michiru in one of those shady motels that cause the violinist to blush and giggle.
"Hi Haruka." Kasumi leaned on the car window next to Akira's seat, she battered her eyelashes flirty, making sure to give Haruka a great view of her cleavage in the process, making Akira who had front row to that view put her sunglasses back up holding her breath astonished.
"Hi Kasumi."
"Kasumi get your butt here and help me with the luggage." Michiru pulled Kasumi by a pigtail giving Haruka a stern look for looking into Kasumi's cleavage. Akira looked at Haruka again while the teenage girls bickered over their ample luggage bags.
"This is going to be fun, fun, fun."
"Maybe for you, for me is a reminder of how stupid I can be when I am jealous. I have a bad feeling about this." Haruka got out of the car to help the girls with their luggage, Kasumi leaning against Haruka every chance she had and Michiru behind her sunglasses trying not to make a scene.
Finally when they were all in the car, the teenagers on the back after a big fight over who was going to sit next to Haruka which ended with Akira screaming at them saying that she was sitting next to Haruka, the tomboy placed her own sunglasses on and looked through the rearview mirror to the beauties sitting on the back smiling…this was going to be quite a long week.
(A/N: Thanks to my fics I have met fantastic, interesting and amazing people. I can't thank enough to everyone that takes a moment of their lives to drop me a line. You are all an inspiration to me somehow and I always write thinking of all of you. ^.^)