Disclaimer: The usual

A/N: Oh my god! Time goes by too darn quick. This week was my birthday! Thanks for those who sent me emails and cards and stuff you girls are all great! And quite honestly I have to say I thought I was going to have tons of free time to write but this week has been crazy. Too many good books oh and tv shows! I was planning to publish this 2 days ago u.u *shame on the author* since it was the twins birthday (May 21) but time flew by! Anyways at least it's all done. Here's chapter 22! Please review and sorry for the long wait!

A Lesson on Love

By Auraluna7

Chapter 22: Chasing Butterflies

Rubbing her eyes lazily Michiru turned around in bed, the early morning light filtering through the blinds bathing the satin skin of her bare shoulders. Brushing against the bedding she inhaled the subtle scent on the pillow she was resting on and a smile formed on her lips; Haruka. Stretching lazily she felt the soft tact of the bed sheets against her nude skin; she rolled on her side and found Haruka sleeping peacefully next to her, her face softened in her sleep giving the blonde tomboy a youthful peaceful look.

Michiru traced the silken skin of her lover's face with her fingers, she didn't wish to disturb Haruka; despite the fact that there was light in the bedroom she knew it couldn't be too late; her alarm hadn't gone off yet. Turning to her other side Michiru picked up her mobile phone and looked at the hour; 6:15 a.m., definitely too early to wake up Haruka, there was still plenty of time for both of them to get dressed and head to school. It had been risky to spend a school night outside campus like this but she just didn't want to leave Haruka's side; hopefully her absence had gone unnoticed, Kasumi assured her that she would do everything in her power so that no one noticed her absence.

Drawn out of bed by thirst and force of habit, Michiru yawned softly and picked up Haruka's shirt from the floor, the piece of clothing lay next to her own discarded clothes. Bringing it up to her face Michiru once more inhaled the almost intoxicating scent of Haruka, she wore the shirt buttoning up slowly, the shirt covering down to her mid thighs, and exited the room towards the kitchen.

Her soft bare footsteps made no echo on the polished wooden floors of Akira's flat, enjoying the silence of the morning Michiru took the time to admire a few of the paintings decorating the apartment. Kasumi had been more keen than her, Akira did seem to have a liking for horses; a few paintings in her loft showed wild horses and one that particularly caught Michiru's eye showed a beautiful black stallion emerging from the foam of a forceful ocean wave.

Akira Kitsune surely liked art a lot, there were all kinds of pieces around her apartment leaving barely any room on the walls for more, perhaps she should take the time to sit down and talk to her about something other than Haruka.

Finally reaching the kitchen after her small tour around the apartment, Michiru walked to the cupboard and standing on her toes she reached for one of the few clean glasses left on the shelf, and then with a disapproving look at the sink full of dirty dishes she opened the tab to get some water. She enjoyed the coolness of the crystal water and smiled as she looked outside the small window of the kitchen to the new day, which seem to promise to be shiny and bright, then turned around slowly, the glass still on her lips.

"Morning ma'am."

The surprise in the blue eyes was evident, Michiru froze on the ground, almost choking with the water she was drinking, Texas Star was looking at her sitting in front of a cup of coffee, her long brunette hair unbraided but fully clothed on a pair of dark slacks and white tank top under a blue denim shirt.

Lowering the glass very slowly, Michiru gave the sculptor a faint smile. "Morning,"

"The Jet lag is killing me, I've been up for hours now, I made coffee."

Suddenly very conscious of the nakedness of her thighs Michiru reached for the hem of the shirt and pulled down as much as possible, there wasn't much she could do though, there was really no way to cover herself or even explain what was she doing dressed with nothing but a wrinkled shirt standing in the kitchen of her music teacher at six in the morning. "I…"

"I'm starving too, but I promised to wait for breakfast. Do you like omelets Michiru?" All Michiru could do was nod, and Texas gave her a warm smile. "You're very quiet this morning."

"This is not…" Was saying 'this is not what it looks like' actually going to be any help? Michiru thought to herself. It was obvious that Texas had spent the night in the apartment too, quite probably entwined in Akira's loving arms, things were awkward to say the least and the violinist had no idea what to say.. "I wasn't expecting to find anyone awake at this hour."

"Yeah I can see that." Inadvertently as she spoke Texas let her dark blue eyes brush Michiru's bare legs and Michiru felt her cheeks flushing intensely, she scolded herself for not wearing more clothes, or underwear for that matter.

Trying to ignore her deep embarrassment Michiru, still holding the hem of the shirt, walked to the table and sat across from Tex. She cleared her throat and took a long sip of her water. "So I guess you don't need me to talk to Akira on your behalf anymore, ah?"

"I guess not." She replied showing her perfect white teeth. Michiru nodded in response and picked up the glass of water again, she was running out of drink, and excuses not to state the obvious about her presence in the kitchen. "I still haven't been formally introduced to Haruka Tenoh, well, I guess you did introduce us, but we barely talked, I hope she doesn't mind I spent the night here."

"Well, it is Akira's apartment…"

"Yes, of course." Michiru looked at the watch on the microwave wishing it didn't seem to have suddenly stopped and she had a good excuse to flee. "Do you have classes this morning?"

"Yes, my first class starts at eight thirty."

"I see, maybe you should go get showered and dress, I will feel very mortified if you were late because I kept you chatting here."

Deeply grateful at the casual and non inquisitive tone of Texas, Michiru nodded quietly and stepped up, she dropped the empty glass of water in the sink and walked out of the kitchen. Tex watched the girl smiling, she didn't need to bombard her with questions, it was pretty obvious she and the blonde tomboy were more than friends. She sipped her cup of coffee, and smiled the image of Michiru on her tiptoes with the shirt half hiking on her legs too vivid at the moment.

-0-

Closing the door behind her, Michiru pressed her back against it and sighed loudly. She touched her flushed cheeks and closed her eyes.

"Michiru?" Haruka's voice echoed in the room, her tone slightly hoarse and she was still half asleep. "Is everything alright?" The violinist shook her head and that made Haruka sit up in the bed suddenly fully awake. "What's wrong?" The girl didn't answer at first so the tomboy got off bed and approached her. "What's wrong Michi?"

Biting her lower lip, Michiru looked at Haruka. "I went to the kitchen to get some water…" Haruka nodded. "And I ran into Texas Star."

"Huh? The woman you introduced me to the other day? What?"

Michiru rolled her eyes impatient. "She was in the kitchen because she spent the night here…" Haruka still looked puzzled. "With Akira."

"Oh." Haruka tried to remember more details about Texas Star, she had been too busy looking at Michiru to really remember any details of the new girl, but as she did the weight of Michiru's words suddenly sank in. "Oh!"

"Yes, she's here and she saw me like this."

Haruka looked down to Michiru who looked even more delectable than usual wearing nothing but her shirt, her long hair lose over her shoulders. "Oh, did she ask you anything? What did you said?"

"She didn't ask me anything, but I think it's pretty obvious we didn't have a slumber party Haruka."

The tomboy laughed softly and Michiru gave her a disapproving look. "Oh well, it's not like she had a pajama party with Akira last night either, right? And well if she didn't ask you anything it might even mean that she doesn't care, there are people that just mind their own business you know?"

"You think so?" Michiru bit her thumb nail in a nervous gesture perhaps Haruka was right, Texas didn't seem overly curious about why was she in the tomboy's apartment. Haruka nodded and Michiru sighed again. "Well, maybe, oh Haruka, I really hope so."

"It'll be ok." Haruka lifted Michiru's chin and kissed the rosy lips gently, she intended to be tender with her girlfriend but as soon as their lips met Haruka felt the waves of passion slashing her again; Michiru was not immune to the kiss either, when the tomboy kissed her she couldn't help but to open her lips welcoming the girl and moaning gently against Haruka's lips, making the tomboy shudder and press her hips against hers, Michiru's back against the door still.

Running her hands through Michiru's waist and slowly downwards, Haruka reached down to the hem of the shirt and brushed her hand along Michiru's thigh smiling. "No underwear love?" Michiru blushed again and bit her lips.

"I was just going to get water…"

Kissing the girls lips again and sliding her hand to the inner face of Michiru's thigh escalating until she reached the girl´s incipient wetness, Haruka spoke with soft voice. "Well now you're going to get much more…"

"Mmmm Haruka." Rocking her hips against Haruka's, Michiru moaned in the tomboy's ear as her lips kissed a trail along the blonde's neck, blushing with desire she spread her thighs gently welcoming the pianist. "I need you already"

Closing her eyes, repressing a loud moan, Haruka picked up Michiru and dropped her on the bed smiling as she shed her tank top. "I need you every second of the day…"

-0-

Kasumi looked down to her wristwatch again; it was almost eight in the morning. She played with a soft curl of her long platinum hair, resting her back slightly against the brick wall of the dorm building. "I should just go…" She whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, but her feet stayed on the same spot.

The door of the dorm opened and the blonde straightened her back, a couple of girls exited; the college girls, a brunette with curly hair and a blonde with short hair, had a quick look at the blonde singer and then kept walking. Thinking she probably looked like an idiot camping outside the college dorm, the blonde sighed loudly just as the door opened again and a familiar face smiled at her. "Hey Kas."

"Hi Hail." Kasumi looked over the cellist shoulder but the door closed behind her, the blonde's face showed a slight disappointed look.

Looking at Kasumi with an amused face, Hail Tenki with her cello case in hand walked closer to the blonde. "Rain left early this morning." Not caring too much about pretending she was not really staking outside building to find Rain, Kasumi lowered her shoulders.

"Oh."

"She has a project with her class, they're making a mural or something, she left really early this morning, do you want me to tell her you stopped by?"

"No, that's ok."

"Are you running late for class?"

"No, not really I have the morning period off, my tutor has the flu."

"Well, I'm heading out to the mall, my Cello needs new strings. Do you want to come with me?"

Kasumi looked at Hail, she really had no plans for the morning, she had hoped to catch Rain and see if the redhead wanted to hang out since she knew Rain had no a spare hours as well. "Ok, well I guess I could pick up a few things at the mall."

The cellist smiled and both girls started walking towards the parking lot, Hail had noticed a subtle change in Kasumi over the past few days, the girl seemed quiet and shy, very unlike herself and she wondered how much of this change was related to the Spring Break incident with Haruka. "So, how are things with Michiru?"

"Good, we patched things up." Fastening her seatbelt Kasumi realized this was the first time she was alone with Hail and she looked at the twin for a moment while the redhead was driving. It was so easy for her to distinguish both twins now, Hail's face was always more serious than Rain's, her smile was quite attractive but it always seem like a calculated charming smile and there was also the looks of their clothing. Kasumi could not recall one time where Hail didn't look like clipped out of a magazine, her shirts always pristine and sharp, her tailored suits always impeccable.

"I'm glad." Both girls sat in silence for a moment, Kasumi playing again with her hair wondering if she could ask Hail more about Rain.

Distracted by her thoughts, Kasumi asked absently. "Are you really? I mean are you glad Michiru and Haruka are back together?"

Hail smiled slightly, her liquid emerald eyes fixed on the busy streets ahead. "In the spirit of a sincere conversation, no, I am not glad they're back together but I am glad you girls could patch up your differences." Kasumi nodded. "And since I am being so honest, can I ask you a question and expect honesty in return as well?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Are you over your 'feelings' for Haruka?"

"Yes." Hail noticed the quick firm response and knew the girl was being honest. "I thought I loved her but now I realize I was just chasing butterflies. Haruka came along when I found myself tired of just finding quick embraces, and I thought she was my prince charming. You understand what I am saying, I have no doubt about it, you and I are not so different, going out clubbing, looking for something to break the monotony, finding pocket adventures every time."

The redhead, stayed silent for a moment. "I sometimes find love in those embraces."

"Do you really?" Kasumi's tone wasn't sarcastic but curious. Up until now she never thought too much on how much she had in common with Hail." I find adoration; they make me feel wanted and desired, but not loved. I think I am ready to feel loved and love in return."

"I see. Do you have anyone in mind for that?"

The question had hit the nail; Kasumi blushed and looked out the window. "I don't know…yet." Hail chose not to press the subject, she knew the direction in which the wind was blowing but she also knew Rain had her own doubts. "And you?"

"Me?"

"What about your 'feelings' for Michiru? Are you over those?"

"Hmmm."

"We might never have another sincere conversation like this one, we're usually never alone, whatever you say anyways won't change anything. You can afford to be honest today."

Hail weighted her answer carefully. "I have strong feelings for her."

"Love?"

Stopping the vehicle engine at the parking lot of the mall, the cellist turned her verdant bright eyes towards the blonde. "I don't know…yet."

Kasumi smiled, her lips curving in an accomplice seductive smile. "Touché. I guess I'll have to take that as your answer."

The twin smiled back and locked her eyes with the blonde. "How do you feel about Rain, Kasumi?"

Lowering her ashen eyes, Kasumi tightened the grip on her backpack strap. "I think you've asked too many questions for such a short period of time."

"Fair enough." Hail unlocked the doors and opened the driver's door, reaching the passenger's door to escort Kasumi out of the car. "I'll wait a few more hours before I start asking you again, would you say that's sufficient time?"

The blonde lent Hail a hand and stepped out of the car, brushing her long hair behind her back, the soft scent of her curls grazing Hail. "Maybe."

Still holding Kasumi's hand, Hail examined the beautiful face of the blonde. From the way her blonde hair framed her mysterious moonstone eyes, to the perfect legs that were toned, stylish and perfectly smooth looking and seemed to match her gracious curvy body. Hail couldn't repress a seductive smile. "We could make such a handsome couple, you and me."

Kasumi laughed softly, her glossy red lips curving in a sassy smile. "Yes I know, too bad there's not enough room in a relationship for both our egos and I quite much enjoy being the 'vain' one in mine." Hail laughed sincerely and the blonde followed, the couple walking towards the mall, the redhead still holding the blonde's hand. "I like her."

"I know that, I'm just wondering if you love her."

Pressing her soft fingers against Hail's hand Kasumi's seductive smile was replaced by a saddened expression that made her eyes appeared deeper and lonely. "It's hard to know, when you have never felt real love before…"

"It'll be ok." The warm smile of Hail´s suddenly reminded Kasumi of Rain and the blonde felt a knot in her throat. "I will help you. It'll be ok." Still holding a faint smile Kasumi nodded and they kept walking. "Music shop first?"

Shaking the sadness from her face and smiling softy again Kasumi spoke. "Yes, and then I want frozen yoghurt, a big one."

"Deal. But I'm buying."

Kasumi managed to laugh and the knot in her throat seemed to loosen. "Too bad about the egos' thing, I love dates that pay."

"Too bad indeed, but perhaps I'll enjoy you better as a sister."

"Mmmm… well, even then you're still buying."

Hail smiled. "Of course."

-0-

"It's going to be a major effort to put all these minds together." Rain looked up to the sky and sighed defeatedly. The first meeting for the college seniors' graduation project hadn't gone as smoothly as she could have hoped. Being an artistic project everyone in her class wanted to have the upper hand and things had gone from a brain storm to a major heated discussion between the Art's students.

Texas laughed and patted the redhead's back. "It wasn't all that bad I like your idea for the class mural."

"Well that makes two out of a class of forty so…almost there!"

The Texan laughed again and Rain couldn't help but smile. "Maybe next time I should bring cookies to distract them."

"Maybe you should."

"At least it's almost lunch time, I'm starving!"

"Oh me too, though I barely slept, I think I am more tired than hungry." Tex yawned, covering her mouth and stretching.

"Jet Lag?"

The Texan smiled brightly. "Not exactly."

"Oh?"

"It was someone rather than something."

"Oh!" Rain preferred not to ask anymore, her cheeks flushing softly wondering how could Tex had found someone to take home with her in such a short notice and somehow knowing exactly how, the thought of Hail's charm popping in her mind. How she wished she was like them, her train of thoughts ending on Kasumi. Perhaps if she was an audacious outgoing lover Kasumi would have been swept off her feet and fall right into her arms.

"Yeah. Anyways shall we go?"

"Yes of course, oh look there's the headmaster, is he's looking for you?" The redhead pointed towards the door where Dr. Kaioh stood scanning the room looking for someone.

"Maybe, I was supposed to sign a few papers later, but I was waiting till after my lunch break." The girls walked towards the man and the headmaster smiled at the sight of them. "Dr. Kaioh, Sir, good morning."

"Good morning." Kaimu's greeting was warm; Rain bowed her head gently and looked for a cue to leave them alone to discuss their matters. "Miss Star, how's your first week at school going?"

"Good, great actually. I am very fond of your school already."

"That's great news." The man looked slightly uncomfortable and Rain found her window to leave them be, her stomach growling as she had skipped breakfast that morning.

Looking at them and bowing again she spoke. "Well if you excuse me…"

Kaimu's deep eyes seem to fall intently on Rain. "Miss Tenki, please don't go yet. I need to have a word with you."

Surprised Rain nodded, the brunette realizing it wasn't her the headmaster was looking for. "Well in that case I'll make myself scarce, good morning Dr. Kaioh." Rain watched Texas walking away and she wondered why did the headmaster needed to have a word with her, if this was about the senior's art project she had no patience left for the subject. She was too hungry.

"So how may I be of service Dr. Kaioh?"

The man cleared his throat and had an appreciative look at Rain Tenki, he had seen her before of course, he was proud to say he knew each and every one of his students at least by name, Rain Tenki was ranked amongst the most talented artists of her generation, her work with mixed media one of the best he had seen in years. "It seems you're doing a great job with the art project for your class. I've heard a lot of good things about you Miss Tenki."

"Thank you Sir."

"I will be brief since I am sure just as myself you are a busy person. May I be completely honest?" Rain nodded. "You're familiar with my daughter Michiru is that correct?"

Rain looked at Dr. Kaioh for a moment; the man's face denoted no particular emotion and the redhead wondered if she was in some sort of trouble. "I do…"

"I heard you spent a few days with Michiru and her friends at Lake Sagami."

"Yes, my family has a house at the lake too."

"I see, well that's very nice indeed. Michiru could use some friends, she's a very talented girl but I never met too many of her friends I guess she doesn't have many." If there was a question hidden there somewhere Rain couldn't find it so she looked at the man smiling faintly. "Do you know many of her friends?"

"Well, um, just Kasumi I think sir…"

"Yes of course Miss Tani and my daughter have been friends for a long time now. I am however more interested in new friends…like yourself."

"Um…"

"Because you and her are 'friends' right? Just friends?"

Feeling her cheeks flush and cursing herself for being so transparent Rain nodded profusely. "Yes, yes sir we're friends."

Dr. Kaioh looked at the redhead's flushed face and pressed the subject. "Special friends perhaps?"

Rain blinked perplex a few times, was Michiru's dad honestly asking her if she was Michiru's 'special friend'? She shook her head quietly. "We're friends, good friends…"

"I see. Do you know if she's seeing someone then?"

Making the effort to not turn around and run away looking for a hiding spot Rain kept her green eyes on the Dr.'s. She was sure of one thing, she wasn't suppose to tell Dr. Kaioh's about Michiru and Haruka, absolutely not, of that she was sure, of why was Kaimu Kaioh asking her all this questions she was not. "Um…no Sir. Not at all."

The man smiled at her, his face softening. He could spot a lie pretty easily on people and he could see right through Rain's even without trying. "Ok then, well I'm sorry for stealing your time Miss Tenki, I hope you don't judge me too much for being so awfully personal."

"Not at all!" Rain had to clear her throat and she tried to smile. "Is there anything else Dr. Kaioh?"

"No, that'll be all Miss Tenki, you're excused."

Sighing, maybe a bit too loud, with relief Rain bowed quickly and fled the classroom; she had to tell Michiru her dad was asking around campus who was she dating before he found out on his own.

-0-

Michiru walked into her father's office a bit before lunch. She knew her father wasn't there and that was exactly what she was looking for; she found Akira as usual behind her desk typing her fingers away with a stack of paperwork in front of her.

"Hey."

Akira looked up from her computer to Michiru then back at her work again. "Your dad is not here Michi, you just missed him."

"Yeah, I know that, I …wanted to talk to you actually."

"Do you?" Akira stopped typing; she knew exactly what this was about. "About this morning I suppose. It isn't really me you should talk to, it's Texas, or your dad actually. He knows you're dating someone."

"Yeah…well, I might have told him that. I just wanted to know if Texas mentioned anything to you."

Akira shook her head. "No actually, not a word, I don't know what she makes of the fact that you showed up for breakfast, maybe she thinks you just stopped by, I don't know."

"Yeah…I don't think that's the case. I suppose I'll have to ask her myself."

Akira nodded. "Things could get out of control easily, you need to be careful. Your dad is asking the right questions and he will find the answer to them soon."

Michiru nodded. "Yes I know, I just don't know exactly how or what to tell him just yet."

"Well, better start thinking about it Michi."

"Yeah. Thanks for not making a big fuss this morning."

"Well you know, I'm tired of trying to get you two to keep your hands away from each other. And I wasn't exactly paying full attention to just you guys."

The violinist smiled. "Yes that's true… so you and Texas ah?" Smiling shyly Akira pretended to be focused on a document on her desk. "She's hot; you think it'll be serious?"

"Michiru!"

"What? I thought we were friends…"

"Hmmm, we are…I don't know."

"Make it serious then, she looks like a keeper."

Akira blushed softly. "She is pretty intense."

"Is she? She looks like it. She likes riding ah?" The soft blush of Akira turned into hot pink and Michiru burst into laughter. "Horses, I meant horses! Oh my…" Michiru kept laughing. "I was going to ask you if you liked horses too that's why I said it."

Akira shook her head laughing. "Yes I do like horses, and I guess she does like riding."

"Horses?"

"Oh! Michiru!"

The violinist laughed. "What? I' just asking here…I have a curious nature."

"Curious nature she says…" Akira laughed.

"No serious, is she all 'cowgirl' all the time?

"Mmmm…."

-0-

Haruka cracked her neck, she retried a phrase on the piano, her fingers swiftly traveling along the ivory keys. Lately she felt so inspired but it seems like she never had time to actually sit down and write her songs, her mind was swarmed by the image of Michiru, and every time she thought about her, time seemed to stop. In reality it just went by faster though and Haruka found herself going to bed every night with a million ideas for songs in her mind but none on actual paper.

She had found a quiet moment between tutoring hours to write and she was trying to make the best out of it but it was proving to be quite hard, the soft scent of Michiru was still on her skin and closing her eyes only evoked images of the night they had spent together and made her mind wander away from writing again.

Frustrated the girl sighed and shaking her head she went back to her notes. Once she finished this song she could go back to thinking of Michiru, but then again her songs were all about Michiru, how was she suppose not to think of her? "Life is too complicated"

"Oh I believe that is an understatement Miss Tenoh."

The deep voice made Haruka turn around to find Dr. Kaioh walking into her classroom, she hadn't seen Michiru's dad too often lately. "Dr. Kaioh."

The man walked towards the piano. "How are things going Miss Tenoh?"

"Good, great." The blonde tomboy found it hard to look at Michiru's dad in the eye, guilt wouldn't ease her conscience; she hated hiding.

"Glad to hear, do you have a minute?"

"Sure."

"I'm here to talk about Michiru…"

Haruka forced herself to lift her teal eyes and looked at the man, his face was unreadable, so the moment had finally come? Was she ready to talk about Michiru with her dad?

(Nosy parents are the best aren't they? Any bets? And Kasumi and Hail…what do you girls think? Lol we'll have to wait and see right? Review if you want more!)