Disclaimer: The usual
A/N: Long overdue, yes I know. Sorry Ladies, this chapter was hard to write, plus my bronchitis got a bit worse and work is not fun! But enough whining here's chapter 17.
A Lesson on Love
By auraluna7
Chapter 17: Love
The moonlight filtering through the sheer tulle canopy over the bed bathed Michiru's velvety skin and gave it the appearance of a mystical Nereid extracted from a dream, her long satin hair swaying as the girl's hips thrust against hers. Haruka looked into Michiru's eyes; the girl smiling back at her, the beautiful lips parted with soft moans as the blonde held her hips and marked the rhythm for their love dance.
Smiling and leaning down on her lover Michiru kissed Haruka's lips softly, her thighs straddling the blonde, her hips rocking against her. "I never thought we were going to be alone tonight…"
"Me neither."
Haruka embraced her, rejoicing on the soft warm and lustrous skin of Michiru and the almost surreal pleasure of being in her arms. Michiru kissed her back, their bodies entwined as they rolled in bed, the blue eyes deep under the partial shadows of the bedroom. "Michiru, I love you."
A sudden burst of warm spread all over Michiru's body, different than her perpetual desire for Haruka but equally strong, her cheeks blushed and she touched the soft lips where the words she had longed to hear had come from. "I love you too Haruka." The blonde smiled, her hands travelling long the well toned legs of her lover, her fingers claiming the secret treasure between them.
With a long moan Michiru closed her eyes and arched her back, forgetting about anything and everything except Haruka and the promise of love gifted to her tonight. And Haruka loved her tenderly but demandingly, satisfying her own thirst for her until they were both exhausted and content still embracing each other.
"Is this the first time? It is…"
"First time for what Michi?"
"First time we're actually on a bed…"
Haruka laughed softly and brought the girl closer to her, caressing the soft dreamy curls of Michiru's aqua hair. "I should be ashamed of myself then, not knowing how to treat women right."
Michiru laughed this time pinning Haruka down under her, a sassy smile on her lips. "I wasn't complaining. Just saying." Leaning down again on Haruka, Michiru kissed a path along the tomboy's neck down to her chest and along her naval. "Besides, wasn't me who seduce you Professor Tenoh?"
"Was it? That can't be true; it will tarnish my reputation of player." Michiru smiled, still playful but with a soft sting of jealousy on her heart.
"Are you still a player love?" Her words were so smooth they sent a shiver down Haruka's spine, which only got worse when the muse spread her legs.
"No."
"Are you sure?" Michiru kissed Haruka's inner thighs this time, licking the soft skin slowly after each kiss. "I don't like sharing."
"Me neither."
"I really love you… Haruka, don't play with me."
Haruka shook her head defenseless, awaiting for the pleasure she knew Michiru would grant her. "No…" Her voice horse almost a whisper.
"Promise me."
"Yes…yes."
"I will show you how much I love you then…" The blonde closed her eyes as the mouth of her Muse conquered her, again and again while the moonlight bathed them both like a glittery blanket, protecting them right now against anything else.
-0-
"Well don't everyone seems in an awesome mood today, did anything happened?" Akira smiled at the three women sitting at the kitchen table, Kasumi looked particularly pretty, her long hair tied on a side ponytail, her cheeks blushed and her lips glossy.
"It's amazing what a good night sleep can do." Akira smiled back at Kasumi and then looked at the couple sitting next to her, they both seem cheery as well, Michiru's smile could have easily lighted up a room and Haruka could not take her eyes off her. Considering the night before everyone seemed pretty bummed Akira wondered why wasn't she having a fabulous day as well, she had slept the whole night after all.
"Mmm ok. So what are we doing today? It's our last day at the Lake. Are the twins coming over?"
Michiru shrugged. "I doubt it, Hail said they had plans. Unless you want to go see them Kasumi…"
The blonde who seemed terribly focused on her fruit plate lifted her eyes and looked at Michiru. "Hum?"
"The twins, do you want to go see them?"
"Oh…no. Not really." Kasumi tried not to think of Rain, not at all; right now she could not stop and think of her when Haruka was just around the corner waiting for her. It was true she had divided feelings for both women, she liked Rain and she felt a special connection with her but it was not the same as the passionate feelings she had for Haruka. So she just couldn't think of Rain, not right now.
"You sure?" Brushing her eyes away from Michiru and into Haruka, Kasumi nodded and went back to her breakfast. A sudden silence fell upon them. "We should go out for a boat ride or something."
"That sounds good." Haruka smiled at Michiru and Akira nodded as she poured herself some breakfast. Haruka noticed Kasumi's wrist for a moment as the girl lift her glass to drink. "You liked your bracelet ah?"
Kasumi smiled brightly, touching with her fingers the tiny moonstones around her slender wrist. "I Love it."
Haruka smiled and Michiru smiled too, she refrained to comment she had picked the bracelet herself, she knew Kasumi was going to like it, to think Haruka wanted to buy her a CD. After breakfast Akira and Haruka went out to the dock to get the boat ready while the girls prepared lunch. "Kasumi…"
"Mhmm?" The blonde girl stopped humming and looked at her friend.
"Are you sure you're ok? You are acting very weird today. Are you just trying to hide your feelings for Rain? Did you had a fight?"
"A fight you say? With Rain? No. She's the sweetest girl on earth Michiru."
"If she is, then why are you not over there trying your best at winning her heart? What's so wrong about Rain?"
Kasumi sighed softly and turning around she leaned against the kitchen counter. "There is nothing wrong with her; she's sweet, smart, decent, pretty, and sweet."
"You said sweet twice."
"That's because she is too sweet. Too sweet for someone like me, I will only end up hurting her, and the sooner she realizes that the better it will be for us all."
"You say you don't want her but you sound like the opposite to me, why don't you just give her chance? She could surprise you."
"Michi, just drop I ok? For today, let's just have a great day, like before, lots of fun and sun."
"Ok, let's do that then." Michiru finished wrapping the pile of small sandwiches she had in front of her and Kasumi seemed again absentminded, thinking. She had spent the whole night lying awake in her bed wondering how or when to lure Haruka into a secluded place where they could talk, where she could finally force the love confession she had awaited for so long.
"Michi, tell me, does the steam room in the back of the house still works?"
"You mean the small bathhouse? I suppose, why?"
"You think we could turn it on today? I feel like going in later." Michiru nodded slightly, her own ideas forming in her head.
"Sure, sure that might actually be a great idea. I'll make sure to find out how to get the whole thing going."
"Good, this holiday has been great hasn't it?"
"Oh it sure has."
-0-
"So why are you girls not planning the end of society as we know it one girl at the time ah? What happened to your hot dates for the spring break?" Hail looked up from her guitar her long hair perfect and posed as usual.
"Haze, why don't you go see if mom needs you to do a chore or something?"
"Oh oh, troubles in paradise?"
Rain looked up from her tablet and smiled at Haze. "Well if you must know we're having pms, want to sit and talk about it? Twins menstrual cycle is such a fascinating subject; it might make enough material for your books."
"Oh you're right Rain; he should totally write about it, let's start with breast sensitivity and such."
Haze looking like he was cringing walked to the doorframe of rain's studio. "Never mind ladies, let's pretend I didn't even ask a thing."
"Yeah let's do that." The twins saw their brother walked away and Hail sighed. "I really hope we meet someone tonight, I am getting rusty"
"You're such a dog; I don't really feel like going out"
"Oh, no. You promised. No more mopping for Kasumi or Michiru or both of them, we're done with them."
"I am not done with Kasumi, I still … like her."
"Love her you mean, because like a blind fool you have fallen in love with someone who won't love you back."
"Perhaps. And your sour tone tells me you might have fallen for Michiru as well."
Hail scratched the strings of her guitar and started playing an old love song; she refused to listen to her sister's words. She was not in love with Michiru Kaioh; she had liked many girls along the years, more than she can count, and even thought the image of the blue eyes haunted her she will not admit it. Love wasn't for her, especially when she knew Michiru's heart belonged to someone else.
-0-
Meet me at the bath house tonight at 9. Your Muse.
Haruka sighed and looked at her wrist watch again, smiling faintly at Michiru who smiled back at her happily. The whole idea of a secret meeting with Michiru on the bath house had made her smile all day; every time Michiru and her had some time together they had kissed and held hands. It had been unusual to receive a message from Michiru in such a strange fashion but Haruka smile thinking of it as a small romance role play.
Things were looking up pretty good for them, perhaps it was time to try and talk to Michiru's father after all. What could be the worst possible scenario? If he wanted her to resign to her post she would, she didn't wanted to but she would.
"Will I see you tonight?"
Michiru's words whispered in her ear made her shiver; she nodded softly as her fingers stroke the marble keys of the piano wishing instead to be stroking the marble thighs of her muse. "Yes. At 9 p.m."
The violinist smiled as picked up her instrument, looking at Akira and Kasumi who sat on the living room waiting to hear them play. "I'll be waiting."
"I won't make you wait long." With this last words and after a one last accomplice look the tomboy started playing, the soft sound of the piano suddenly increasing in pace and passion as the violin joined it in the song. Finally they were ready, it had taken a long time, countless hours of practicing and a lot of concentration but they were finally sounding as one. Finally her song had come to life in two voices now entwined as lovers, becoming a whole.
As she pounded the keys in the very familiar tune now, Haruka raised her eyes and found the pair of deep gray eyes looking right at her, an unmistakable charge of desire in them, and Haruka for once had to look away from the heavy gaze blushed as her own music made her vulnerable and she was unable to present a poised image for Kasumi, music had a very strange effect on Haruka.
She had always been possessed by the spell of music, she never considered herself a sentimentalist girl, Haruka was and always had been a tomboy. But music opened a door to her feelings; it usually didn't matter who played or which song. If played right must songs could touch a fiber deep in her soul making her feel every emotion, some of them powerful enough to cause a change in her mood; she had felt before sad enough to shed a tear or happy enough to blush, some songs burned a mark on her mind and heart and before she had met Michiru she thought only music could make her feel like this.
The 'My Muse' song represented for her, when she wrote it, a secret desire, a long cry for the secret treasures of a mysterious lover, a journey for her lost pleasure; but now it represented so much more. Her song talked to her about Love, a word she had heard so many times, listened in so many songs but never possessed, the chase for pleasure turned into a discovery of love, loving Michiru Kaioh was easy she was the perfect muse, nothing will make her vibrate this way, she was the Love she had heard in all those songs.
When the vibration of the last note died, Haruka looked at Michiru, the deep sea eyes looking lovingly at her. "Did you felt that?"
Haruka smiled. "You felt it too…"
"Yes. We're ready. We're finally ready." The tomboy nodded. Yes they were, they were finally ready …for Love.
-0-
The steam rose up and covered the whole room in a warm fragrant fog. Haruka walked in a few minutes before nine, she found the water of the bath already warmed up, petals of roses floating on the water, candles lighting the edge of the tub giving a soft golden light to the room.
Carefully she shed her clothes and neatly placed then on a bench, walking into the warm waters shortly after, the delicate perfume of the flower petals on the bath embracing her. She sighed with pleasure as her muscles relaxed in the water; her long pianist fingers tingling with excitement at the thought of Michiru's soft skin beneath them. She closed her eyes for a moment, the only noise a faint murmur of the water around her.
A minute before nine, she entered the room, her bathrobe falling around her ankles with a soft whisper, smiling at the sight of the silhouette of the blonde tomboy against the candle lights she walked slowly towards the tub and entered the waters with soft footsteps, her gray eyes filled with desire. Her skin warmed up instantly at the touch of the water, her nipples hard with excitement.
Haruka opened her eyes smiling, and after a second she held her breath when the soft figure of who she thought was her lover came closer and she discovered Kasumi instead, the warm water barely covering the full teenage breasts, her hair down and lose like a golden drape around her almost screaming nudity. "Kasumi…"
The girl shorten the distance between them, reaching Haruka's side, her legs brushing against Haruka's, the candle light giving her moonstone eyes a secret golden shine. "Did you await long for me?"
Haruka shook her head still perplex, she was afraid of touching the girl even to push her away. "What are you doing here?"
Confounded but not taken aback Kasumi pressed herself against Haruka's body, her round breasts against the tomboy's chest. "I told you I would be here at 9."
"What?"
"Yes, I heard you talk to Akira, Haruka its ok I love you too, me, your muse."
Haruka still blinking with surprise pushed Kasumi away softly, her throat dry and her head spinning. "No, no Kasumi."
"No?" Kasumi looked at Haruka with distress in her gray eyes. "But I heard you say it, that you wanted me, your butterfly muse."
Shaking her head again Haruka looked at Kasumi, her appearance of temptress fading rapidly, a veil of sorrow in her eyes. "But…"
"Kasumi, you are not the butterfly muse, you never were, why would you think I was talking about you? I was talking about …"Looking terribly hurt Kasumi looked away, the fair illusion that had brought her here tonight shattering; of course Haruka was talking about Michiru, Michiru always Michiru. Without being able to keep herself together Kasumi burst into angst sobs, her cheeks tainted with tears. "Hey, no Kasumi come on don't cry."
The one thing Kasumi could not do right now was stop crying, she felt all the sadness contained inside burst out. Of course Haruka wanted Michiru, who wouldn't? Perfect Michiru, always beautiful and elegant, so talented and warm hearted, so ethereal, portrayed by everyone as an angel, as a Muse. And what was she? No one; a bad copy of Michiru, someone who tried too hard, someone who just offered herself to a person who could never love her back, a villainess.
"Please Kasumi, come on, it's not so bad. Look, you're very beautiful, I'm sure you will find someone for you."The girl shook her head, crying almost hysterically and Haruka felt an idiot unable to do anything. "Hey, what about Rain? She likes you right?"
Rain, like she could think about Rain right now, being naked, exposed and rejected…twice. "Why?"
"Why?"
"Why can't you love me Haruka? What does she have I don't?"
The teal eyes filled with sadness, she could not tell Kasumi why she loved Michiru over her, what kind of person would do that. "Kasumi, come on. How can I answer that with anything that won't hurt you?"
Fighting with the tears that kept falling from the ashen eyes Kasumi spoke again. "It's like this every time, always, she has it all and I have nothing."
"I'm sure that's not true, come on, look at me, its ok. Don't cry Kasumi come on." In an impulse Haruka brought the girl into a hug, she always felt so powerless when girls cried. And Kasumi clung to her arms sobbing. "Hey it's ok, really, stop crying please."
Kasumi raised her eyes still filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I thought that you…and me…and the bracelet you got me….
"Oh Kasumi, Michiru picked that bracelet for you."
"I...oh I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"
"It's ok. But Kasumi please, you must let go of this 'thing' that you have for me, we never even kissed, please I don't know what to say or do anymore, you're cornering me."
"I'm sorry." Again sobbing Kasumi hid her face on Haruka's neck and the tomboy couldn't help but hold her. "I try so hard to be like her, but it never works. I am always the bad guy, I just wish for once to be the princess of the story."
Lifting Kasumi's chin Haruka looked into the steel eyes. "Who? What are you talking about Kasumi?"
"Michiru."
Haruka gave the girl a small smile, her fingers still under the soft chin bathed in tears. "Are you serious? You want to be like her? You don't have to be anyone but yourself, Michiru is always talking about how beautiful you are, about how you get great grades in a breeze, she thinks you're awesome. You don't need to try and be her."
Kasumi's tears started flowing again, her face softly blushed and covered in tears. "I always feel like I am invisible, that I have to make the extra effort to be noted."
"You just haven't looked in the right direction, there is so many eyes posed on you, you're so beautiful. And so talented, your voice is such a gift, you're the best of us all performers, you are your own instrument, and the music is inside you and come from you. "
"Thank you." Sniffing softly Kasumi bit her lip holding her tears; she looked into the teal eyes feeling sad. "I'm sorry Haruka, for stalking you, for cornering you, I just really wanted you to like me, I really wanted you to love me."
"I know." Haruka's fingers wiped the tears away from Kasumi's face and the girl lowered her eyes. "It's ok. Nothing happened."
Kasumi nodded and they stayed next to each other in silence, their bodies touching slightly under the warm water. "Will you kiss me once? Just once. A keepsake, a birthday present no one else picked up."
Haruka sighed softly and leaned lightly over Kasumi, she pressed her lips gingerly over hers in a tender and soft kiss. It lasted just a second, an instant and Kasumi didn't press it anymore, when the kiss ended she looked down slightly blushed but moved back slowly. It was over, no more chasing Haruka, it was over.
"Are you ok?" The tomboy's voice almost a whisper, Kasumi nodded softly thinking this was as good as time as any to grab her bathrobe and leave.
"You lied to me. Both of you." Startled Kasumi looked up to find Michiru standing in the bathhouse, wearing a small black nightgown, her long hair down and shiny. "I can't believe I am so stupid."
"Michiru! This, this isn't…"
"What it looks like? Please…"
Haruka saw her lover standing right in front of them and realized what just happened; she had found her naked holding Kasumi in her arms, kissing her. "Michiru wait." The look on the blue eyes was indescribable Haruka never thought the blue eyes could look at her like that, the girl turned on her heels and walked out of the bathhouse, Haruka cursing under her breath jumped out of the tub, reaching for her clothes. "Did you plan this? Did you?"
Shaken and pale Kasumi shook her head, she had planned for Haruka to meet her here, but she would never lure Michiru here to see them together. "No, I swear."
Sighing frustrated fighting with her clothes Haruka nodded, she believed it, Michiru was waiting for her, she probably had looked for her all over the house and found her finally here at the bathhouse. All she could hope was that Michiru was willing to listen to an explanation that even to her sounded lame. "Get dressed, come on. You're coming with me."
Kasumi nodded her head a mess. How was she going to explain this to Michiru?
(A/N: Don't kill me…think…if you do…there's no chapter 18! Review!)