Disclaimer: The usual
A/N: Well, what can I say Ladies? I am a bad author and I haven't updated much ^.^: life is a bit hectic and there is a lot of things happening, but I have finally came with Chapter 18! So here it is and I will start Chapter 19 right away!
A Lesson on Love
By Auraluna7
Chapter 18: Beautiful mess
Fighting the tears falling down her face Michiru reached the main house pretty quickly, she opened the door and burst into the living room, searching for something to calm her and finding nothing. She could not breathe, she could not think. She knew Haruka and Kasumi were going to come and try talking to her, offering explanations she didn't wanted to hear or comprehend. She was cold, a few minutes before she hadn't mind the short nightgown or her bare feet touching the teak floor but right now it all seemed cold and dark.
She reached the coat closet without thinking and wore a spring sweater, looking down she found a pair of espadrilles wedge shoes and exited through the main door, the cool spring breeze reaching her exposed legs. Brushing her hair behind her back Michiru started walking down the road to a path that she knew lead to the small town, she didn't want to be found right now, she needed to vent.
After about twenty minutes of brisk walking, Michiru's emotional turmoil was not any better, she had stopped crying and most of her sadness was starting to skirt the edges of fury, all her insecurities piled one on top of the other. Had Haruka been playing with her this whole time? Was she not her girlfriend just so the blonde could go around kissing whomever? And Kasumi, after what she told her the night before, confiding all her insecurities…how could she? Had she planned the whole thing? Every possible scenario still made her upset, even if Kasumi had planned the meeting, she had been there long enough to see Haruka kissing Kasumi. It was not a stolen kiss, it was not a forced kiss either, Haruka had gifted what should have been all hers. And in theory Michiru could not even object and this fact was killing her.
Refusing to give anymore thoughts to the matter for fear at crumbling down in the middle of the street like some sort of hysterical lunatic, Michiru looked for a place to sit down and have a drink, she walked down the main street of the small touristic town and found a busy looking club, she had a look at herself and wondered if she was actually going to be able to walk in there, but she told herself this was no time for more doubts and shedding her sweater the violinist walked to the door.
The bouncer had a look at her, the tiny nightgown posing as a cocktail dress, her long legs ending in the tall shoes and the furious look on her eyes making her eyes dark and deep and without a word he let her in. Michiru smiled and walked into the place; the dance floor already packed with couples, she glanced at them for a moment and then headed for the bar at the back. She noticed a lot of eyes on her but she didn't care, she leaned on the bar slightly and ordered a martini.
Drinking the martini in one sip Michiru cringed softly, the heavy and warm sensation of the alcohol spreading down her throat, she closed her eyes and thought of Haruka again, scolding herself Michiru opened her very blue eyes and sighed.
"What are you doing here?" The words startled Michiru, she didn't expected to hear a familiar voice right now, she turned around to find a pair of emerald green eyes looking at her, the redhead girl standing in front of her looking sharp; wearing a button up white collar shirt and black Armani jeans.
For a moment Michiru had to focus her attention on the girl, she realized it was not Hail when the girl smiled. "Rain? What are you doing here?"
"I asked first." Rain brushed her eyes over Michiru, the revealing outfit striking her as unusual, the tousled hair and the dark expression adding to the uneasy feeling. "Are you here alone?" Michiru nodded and asked for a second drink, Rain touching her bare arm. "What's wrong Michi?"
"Nothing, everything. Does it matter?" Emptying her drink again her blue eyes were fixed on Rain. "You look nice tonight, where's Hail?"
The girl shrugged. "On the back with some girl she met. Michiru you should not drink like that, actually you shouldn't drink at all. Is Kasumi here too?"
At the name of the blonde, Michiru felt a knot on her throat; she shook her head and sipped her drink again. "Have a drink with me Rain. I'm celebrating."
"You don't look like you are." The bartender handed Rain a drink and the redhead touched Michiru's arm again. "I have a table, come on let's go." Michiru nodded and followed her.
They sat at a small table in the corner, Michiru avoiding the green eyes as the alcohol slowly numbed her anger. "Where's Hail?"
"I told you, in the back somewhere. Tell me what are you doing here alone, and …is that a nightgown Michiru?"
Laughing softly Michiru dismissed the comment but smiled. "You don't even want to know. Really. I am glad you're here though, I feel alone tonight."
"Tell me what's wrong Michi, come on." There was sincere concern in Rain's voice and Michiru looked at her with a sad smile, the beautiful face of Rain partially hidden by the dim lights but still equally attractive. "I'm calling Kasumi, does she knows you're here?" The twin reached for her phone and Michiru stopped her, her violinist´s soft fingers encircling Rain's wrist.
"Don't call her please. I don't want to see them. Have another drink with me and I'll tell you. But you're not going to like it."
"I don't like it already, look at you, you're a mess. A beautiful mess, but still."
Smiling Michiru brought the martini glass back to her lips. "Beautiful mess, how poetic Rain, are you going to write me a song?"
"I am afraid you have people lining up for that, I am just a humble artist."
"Beautiful words written but not felt, hold no true meaning." The words came out of her perfect lips with a tint of sadness and Rain held Michiru's hand.
"You had a fight with Haruka. What happened?"
Michiru lowered her eyes, the soft fingers of Rain entwined with hers. "I found her tonight, in Kasumi's arms." The redhead closed her eyes, the infinite sadness that she felt reflected on the factions of her soft loving face. Michiru bit her lower lip already regretting her words. "I'm sorry Rain…I shouldn't have said anything."
Sighing softly Rain opened her eyes again, and she gave the violinist a small smile. "So you said you were here celebrating, celebrating what? That you found them together?"
"I am here celebrating that you cannot die from heartache." Michiru brought her glass up, cheering.
Rain looked at her own drink and poured it down quickly. "What are you going to do then?"
"Like I know. Don't you say I look like a mess Rain?"
Nodding the redhead sighed. "It'll be alright, I am sure it was a misunderstanding."
"No, Rain. I don't want to hurt you because I know how you feel for Kasumi but there was no misunderstanding, I walk into them naked and kissing, that sends a pretty clear message."
Rain sighed heavily this time as she ordered more drinks for the two of them, resting her chin on her hand she looked at Michiru. "Love sucks."
"It sure does…"
-0-
"Explain to me, how the hell did you lose Michiru?"
Haruka sighed, she messed her hair impatiently and stared at Kasumi who sat on the living room dressed in her jogging suit, her hair damped and down. "That's not important right now."
"It certainly is, tell me. Should I call the cops? Or Michiru's dad?" Akira was leaning more towards the first option, like she was anxious to call her boss and tell him that his beloved daughter got into a lovers' quarrel with her tutor and left the house all right under her nose…yeah no way.
"No. She's just mad ok? I pissed her off and she walked out of the house. I am sure she's ok, just not sure where."
Akira tried really hard to restrain herself from choking the tomboy and stay calmed. "I'm so calling the cops. You are so dead Haruka, so dead."
Kasumi got off the couch and walked to the two older women. "It's my fault Akira, please stop. Michiru is fine, she knows this town, she has been here dozens of times. I am sure she is fine." Pissed, hurt, and angry…but fine.
"She better be, and I am serious I want to hear what is going on, you both look like you got stuck by lightning, this is a complete mess."
The willowy blonde sat on the piano bench looking exhausted. "We should go to town to look for her; it's a pretty small town."
Haruka nodded. "Yes, let's do that. Kasumi you stay here and Akira and I will go."
"No. I know the town better than you two, I'll go with you, Akira should stay here."
"This is certainly not the time to discuss about you wanting to spend time with Haruka, Kasumi." The blonde looked very pale all of the sudden and Akira started to put the pieces together as to what was going on. She sighed softly. "Ok, let's take a deep breath, Michiru will turn up, and Kasumi you're probably right, go with Haruka and let's try to find her before something else happens."
Kasumi nodded and walked out of the living room. "I'll wait for you outside Haruka"
"I'll be right there." Once Kasumi left the room, Haruka turned her attention back to Akira. "Michiru found me and Kasumi in the bath house, we were both in the tub and she…well you can imagine how she reacted to it."
"What the hell? Are you sleeping with Kasumi too? Is there no end to your lust?"
"Hey, hey. You're taking it worse than Michiru! I did not sleep with Kasumi it was all a misunderstanding and …god, she's so mad at me Akira! Like so mad, I don't know if she's going to forgive me."
The dark haired girl touched her friend's arm trying to comfort her friend. "It's going to be ok Haruka, I am sure Michiru will calm down, you know how it is, she'll be really mad and then she'll just get over it. You'll see."
Sighing Haruka nodded. "I hope you're right. I really do."
-0-
"You know…you know what bothers me the most?" Michiru flipped her hair to her back, Rain still sitting next to her. "That she never asked me to be her girlfriend, can you believe it? Of course it all makes sense now, of course…"
Rain emptying her glass, nodded. "Of course."
"Like, I mean…do you think I will make such a bad girlfriend? I'm kind of pretty no? Do I look like I cannot be an ideal girlfriend, is that it?"
"Not at all Michiru, you are such a beautiful girl, your eyes are so blue they make the sea feel jealous, if it had been me, I would have asked you to be my girlfriend right away."
Michiru smiled at Rain, they were sitting close as the music in the club was too loud to have a conversation otherwise, she touched Rain's hand with her own. "You're so sweet Rain."
"But it's true."
"Is it now? Tell me have you had many girlfriends before Rain?" The redhead nodded slightly, her cheeks blushed after the many drinks she had had in the last hour she and Michiru had sat discussing how badly love sucked. "Where they special?"
"She was. I just had a one; well just one that was truly my girlfriend I mean, her name was Shinkei. But that was a long time ago."
"Was it romantic Rain? How did you ask her to be your girlfriend?"
"I didn't ask her to be my girlfriend, I was …I am not good with girls, she was beautiful and outgoing and we hit it off right from the start, she looked for me, not the other way around, she was there every time I turned, sitting behind me at class, sitting at my table at lunch, walking home with me… and one day I just woke up knowing I loved her."
Michiru sighed and setting her elbow on the table she rested her chin on her palm. "So you didn't ask her? What's with that, why not?"
"Well I didn't ask her, she told me." Rain laughed softly. "Shinkei held my hand one day while I was walking her home and she told me she loved having a girlfriend. And that was it. Like I'll like to say it was an awesome story but no, not really it probably just sound cooler in my head than I really was."
Michiru smiled, Rain was always so cute and sweet it was hard not to. "Did you love her?"
"Sure I did, but it was a long time ago. When middle school was over we parted ways and I never saw her again. What about you? Did you have other girlfriends Michiru?"
The aqua haired beauty shook her head and poured another drink. "No, not really. Not a formal one. I guess no one wants to ask me out formally. Like I said it seems I'm not an ideal girlfriend."
"That's nonsense Michi, nonsense; I will so ask you out."
"Really?"
"Totally. I'll take you out somewhere nice and then I'll hold your hand like this…" Rain held Michiru's hand and the girl half smiled. "Then I'll be all like, Michiru will you like to be my girlfriend?"
Michiru laughed softly, despite being terribly sad, Rain had a way to make her smile. And Rain felt the same way, the thought of Kasumi in Haruka's arms had completely disarmed her, she felt so exposed and sad, but sharing her sadness with Michiru had made her feel less bad. They had been talking for a long time now, about love, about art, about unrequited love and more. "Oh Rain, sure I will love to."
The emerald eyes looked at her, confounded for a moment as Michiru laughed again. "Let's be girlfriends tonight, let's dance."
Rain smiled and leaned slightly towards Michiru and the violinist did too, their faces so close to each other they were almost kissing. "I don't dance so well…"
"It's ok…" Michiru licked her lips softly, a sudden blush on her cheeks.
"Is it?" Nodding Michiru leaned closer to Rain and both girls stared at each other for a moment.
"Michiru?" The couple turned around to see Hail standing in front of them, a cute looking brunette standing next to them, the cellist hand around the petite waist of the girl dressed in a velvety green dress. The twin seemed unpleasantly surprised and let go of the brunette. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was feeling like dancing actually." Michiru smiled.
Hail looked at her sister with questioning eyes, Rain said nothing but a heavy blush set on her face. "Where's Haruka?"
Michiru shrugged and got off her chair, Hail took a surprised look to the violinist outfit. "Rain? Are you coming?" Rain nodded and got up as well, Hail held her sister by the wrist before she could walk behind Michiru.
"Rain what's going on? Why is she here?"
Rain looked at the brunette standing next to Hail, the girl had a sweet innocent face and smiled a bit confounded as to what was going on. "Hail, you're busy aren't you? We'll talk later, when we're both not busy."
Leaving behind a puzzled looking Hail, Rain walked to the dance floor, where Michiru was waiting for her. Hail turned her attention to the girl standing next to her. "Um, I'm sorry, I am afraid I have some things to take care of now."
The petite brunette girl shrugged and handed her a neatly folded napkin. "It's ok. Call me." Hail smiled at her and saw the cute girl in the green dress walk away; she saved the napkin on her pocket and turned her attention back to the dance floor.
There was definitely something going on. Against her own desires she took out her cell phone and texted Kasumi, lifting her eyes now and then to see Michiru and Rain on the dance floor, the aqua haired beauty twirling around Rain, her tiny dress hiking up every time she swayed her hips. She dismissed the instant sting of jealousy and focused on finding out what was going on.
Cutting through the dance floor Hail reached the couple and Michiru looked at her. "Hi Hail!"
"Michiru, let's go outside ok? I called Kasumi and they're coming to pick you up."
Michiru tilted her head. "Too bad because I don't want to go. Come on Hail, smile. Dance with me too" Michiru grabbed Hail's hands as she continued to dance with Rain at her back, who seemed as drunk as Michiru. Hail sighed as the vision of Michiru dressed in what she could obviously recognize as a satin nightgown literally made her weak in the knees.
"Rain, a little help here…" Rain shrugged and let Michiru rest her back against her as she pulled Hail closer, the soft looking thigh of Michiru nesting itself between Hail's legs.
"Come on Hail, I know you want to dance with me."
"I do. But you're drunk. Come on, let's go." Hail stepped away from Michiru. "Rain, you too, come on."
Michiru finally let Hail dragg her and Rain out to the street, the cold wind of the night making her shiver. Hail had a look at her and took her jacket off placing it over Michiru's shoulders without a word, the three of them standing outside the club.
"Are any of you two going to tell me what's going on? Michiru?"
Michiru shrugged, she wasn't much for talking right now, her eyes were heavy and an uneasy feeling had set in her stomach, she turned to look at Rain and leaned on the redhead feeling slightly lightheaded, Rain placing an arm around her shoulders. "Leave her alone Hail. Go get the car."
"No, we're waiting; Kasumi said they were very close."
"Rain… I don't want to see them please." Michiru whispered to Rain, her blushed face resting on the girl's chest.
"It's ok Michi; we can go to our place. We'll take you back tomorrow morning."
Hail looked at her cell phone again; she walked a few feet away from her sister and Michiru, taking her eyes off the couple just long enough to reply to Kasumi's text. Michiru's silence was getting on her nerves and Rain was certainly not helping, if Haruka had hurt Michiru, she was going to be sure to pay the favor back. Kasumi's text was vague, she said they were heading there and asked her to keep Michiru with her. The redhead sighed and turned her attention from the phone back to Rain and Michiru.
What Hail saw almost made her drop her phone, Rain had her hand on Michiru's cheek and their lips were parting from each other after what looked like an obvious kiss; both girls completely unaware of Hail's reaction. Just as the startled redhead was about to break the couple apart in a jealous fit, she heard her name being called and turned around to find Kasumi.
"Oh Hail, thanks for calling. Is she ok? Have you talked to her?"
Hail nodded absently. "She's ok; I haven't talked to her…" Kasumi nodded and stood next to Hail, Haruka catching up right after passing by Hail, who still could not move out of the spot she was standing on.
Michiru looked at the two blondes and hide her face on Rain's chest. "Tell them to go Rain.., please."
"Michiru…" Haruka spoke hesitant, to Michiru who refused to look at her. "Can we talk please?"
"No. Go away, not tonight."
Haruka felt quite powerless, she didn't feel like discussing her private matters in front of everybody and Michiru seemed reluctant to stop hiding in Rain's arms, a fact that she had to admit to herself, irritated her. "Rain can you please give us a moment?"
"Haruka, Michi isn't feeling well ok? You can talk tomorrow; I'll take her home with us tonight."
Kasumi looked at Michiru and Rain, the latter on the redhead's arms and she felt a sudden outburst of jealousy, especially as she heard that Rain was planning to take Michiru home. Haruka clenched her fists and kept her eyes on Michiru.
"Michiru come on, this is childish."
Looking at Haruka, Michiru broke her embrace with Rain, her own legs not too steady. "I am being childish? Well that's what you get for dating a seventeen year old girl. I am not talking to you and I am not going back with you and ...her. So you know… Rain let's go." Michiru held the redhead's hand and dragged her towards Hail. "Are you taking us or should we call a cab?"
Hail sighed and looked at Kasumi and Haruka; Michiru seemed to completely dismiss the willowy blonde. "Ok. I'll get the car…"
Haruka could not believe she just let Michiru ride to the twins' home. She was so mad right now but there wasn't anything she could do, Michiru seemed upset and pretty drunk and at least now she knew where was she spending the night. Cursing her luck in silence she turned to look at Kasumi who seemed if possible even sadder than before. "Let's go Kasumi, she'll be fine."
"Maybe she will…"
-0-
"Are you out of your mind Rain? What happened tonight? With you and Michiru?"
Rain looked at her sister, the usually poised Hail looking completely unbalanced. "Nothing happened."
"Nothing? You call that nothing? You kissed her Rain, I saw you."
"It was not what you think it was. And besides you said you didn't love her. And it doesn't matter she is in love with Haruka."
Hail was losing it quickly; it was one thing to know Michiru was in love with Haruka, but a very different one to see her kissing Rain. She had tried so hard to control her sudden impulses to help Kasumi in her conquest for Haruka all because she refused to hurt Rain, and yet her sister had cared nothing about her feelings for Michiru.
"I just can't believe it!"
"You can't believe what? Nothing happened."
"You said you were in love with Kasumi!"
"And you said you didn't love Michiru! And I do love Kasumi, and nothing happened." Rain sighed, her own conscience against her, she had never seen Hail so mad at her and she was not really feeling as carefree as she was pretending, she was not sure if nothing had really happened. She was sad and drunk and that had brought and awkward moment with Michiru. She wished so badly Michiru felt the same way about the whole situation, that she just felt it had been an awkward moment and nothing more. "Hail you're not really mad about this. Are you? I was sad, so was she, we had an strange moment. It doesn't matter anyway; she's in love with Haruka even if Haruka just broke her heart."
"I'm not even sure what happened tonight, do you know why she and Haruka had a fight?"
"Michiru found Kasumi and Haruka together."
"Oh so they broke up."
Rain shrugged. "I suppose so, they seemed pretty mad at each other wouldn't you say?"
Hail nodded. "Are you done then? With your strange moments with her?"
The twins looked at each other for a moment and Rain felt a sudden blush covering her face again. "I… I don't know." Hail turned around and walked to the door. "Hail wait." Without turning around Hail left, she was not in the mood to fight with Rain anymore, she never even consider the possibility of her favorite sister beating her to the punch with the girl of her dreams. She had tried to pretend to be aloof and ok with the fact that Michiru was in love with Haruka Tenoh but now things were different, was there a real chance to get to Michiru now? Was Rain ahead of the race?
When Hail left, Rain sat down at her desk, she was so upset right now. Her eyes stopped at a detailed sketch of Kasumi and unable to keep looking at it she had to put it at a bottom of a pile just to find another sketch of Michiru this time. Frustrated she got away from her desk and walked out of her studio, her own work was betraying her right now…
-0-
The sunlight that filtering through the paper panels of the room hurt Michiru's eyes. She turned in the soft bed mat and inhaled the peculiar scent of fresh tatami. Realizing she was in an unfamiliar room her deep blue eyes opened and she stared at the room around her; a very severe headache attacking her all of the sudden.
Cringing, Michiru sat down and stared down at herself, the wrinkled nightgown reminding her exactly where had she been the night before. She touched her hair and found it tousled and unruly. Again she examined the room, nothing in it pointing to who the room belonged to, she tried fixing her hair and getting out of bed. Hesitating she opened the sliding paper panel door and looked outside, the beautiful sight of a garden welcomed her.
"Morning."
Michiru turned around and found herself face to face with Haze Tenki, the man sitting in the hallway outside the room with a notebook on his lap.
"Morning…"
"You're Michiru, right? I don't know your last name. I'm Haze Tenki."
"Kaioh."
"I see. Well nice to meet you Michiru Kaioh." Michiru nodded, slightly embarrassed by the image she was presenting, and she held the hem of her nightgown trying to cover her legs, what had she been thinking last night? Going out dressed like that? She wasn't even mad anymore, if any, very sad.
"Nice to meet you." Michiru fell silent. She was not sure what to ask. She figured out that she had woken up at the Tenki's house. Rain had mentioned her brother before… Rain, she had kissed Rain… what had she done? "Um… are your sisters up?"
"They are. Do you mind if I asked you something?"
"Go ahead."
"What happened last night? They are both a wreck. My sisters never fight, and last night they were screaming at each other. "
A guilty knot formed on Michiru's throat. "I have no idea why."
The green blue eyes examined her, they told Michiru clearly that haze didn't believe a single word that she had said, but then he smiled. "I see. Well Hail is in the dining room, and Rain is in her studio. So who do you want to see first?"
That was one fine question. Rain probably wasn't feeling like talking to her after the awkward moments they had shared the night before. And Hail, well she hadn't really said anything to her but her suspicions were confirmed, she had started a row with Rain over the stupid girlfriend thing, in which moment of randomness had she thought kissing Rain was a smart idea? Did Rain have any feelings for her? And even worse, what about Haruka? She had bluntly refused to talk to her the night before and now after her anger was gone she was not sure where was she standing with the blonde tomboy. Was Haruka with Kasumi? Were she and Haruka together? So many questions, all without an answer.
"Well… Actually…do you think I could borrow some clothes first?"
"Oh, sure. I think I can help you with that." Michiru nodded, thankful Haze wasn't too much into asking her a bunch of questions, because right now she had no idea how to answer any.
(A/N: Isn't love fun? So many girls, so many possible outcomes…dating girls is haaaaarrrrd! Lol )