CHAPTER 5 – I Prefer To Live It That Way
To say the Tenoh household is a noisy one is a complete understatement. 'Of biblical proportions' was a phrase that better suited the residence. The second that Haruka entered her home, she was ambushed with a hug from her mother, who in turn then grabbed Hotaru in a tight hug too. Setsuna was greeted with a more mature kiss on the cheek. There was music playing from a stereo somewhere, and the clear sound of boiling food could be heard from the area Michiru assumed was the kitchen. Haruka's mother was a woman with the same colour hair as her daughter but longer, just past her shoulder and deep brown eyes.
"Ara, Haruka, who is this young lady?" Haruka turned to her mother and mumbled under her breath,
"This is Michiru Kaioh, okaa-san, she'll be joining us for dinner if it's no problem." Haruka kissed her mother on the cheek and Haruka's mother shrieked at a high pitch,
"Of course she can!" Michiru was shocked that a woman that friendly, polite and pleasant could have a daughter as rude and curt as Haruka. Michiru smiled and bowed respectfully,
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tenoh-sama." Haruka's mother smiled and bowed too,
"Please, Kaioh-san, call me Yumi." Michiru nodded,
"Only if you call me Michiru." Before any more can be said, a tall man with the most amazing green eyes and dark auburn hair appeared in the hallway and grinned before looking at all the girls,
"Oh, my girls are all back!" The man spoke in a deep American accent, and much to Michiru's shock, Haruka spoke back in perfect English,
"Dad! Quit it! I've told you a thousand times!" Haruka pouted again while putting her coat and bags on the stand and taking her shoes off before entering her home. Michiru, Hotaru and Setsuna all followed suit. Michiru watched in amazement as she was led into Haruka's home by Hotaru and Yumi, with Setsuna walking behind them. As she was lead into the living room, she turned around at a sudden noise and saw Haruka being tackled by her dad,
"Ha! You were off-guard again... what kinda Tenoh are ya? Huh?" Haruka growled before she moved her entire upper body to flip her father unexpectedly on his front and lock his arm behind his back,
"A calculating one, otou-san." Haruka smirked again, and stood, she looked over to her mother, who shook her head,
"Oh kami-sama... I'm so glad Taru and Sets are here or I'd be stuck with these two boys all day." Michiru laughed at the comment, as did Hotaru and Setsuna. Haruka blushed as did her father as he stood up, both of them laughed nervously. Haruka put her hands in her pants pockets while her father scratched the back of his neck nervously,
"But, babe! I was teaching Ruka, how to handle herself in a life or death situation!" Yumi chuckled,
"Leon, the only person who will be handling a life and death situation here will be you if you wreck anything in this house!" Leon, Haruka's father, instantly froze and looked around, as did Haruka, for any broken items, they both sighed in relief as they saw none. Yumi chuckled,
"Come into the kitchen, all of you, I have prepared Western and Japanese food tonight," Yumi looked at the confused Michiru and spoke gently, "Leon and Haruka can never agree on what to have for dinner, so it's always a mixture." Michiru couldn't contain her instant response,
"Haruka? Stubborn? Surely not." The sarcasm wasn't lost on Yumi who giggled but then stopped laughing and looked over to Haruka who seem to blush further. Michiru was confused until Setsuna spoke clearly,
"It's good to see that Haruka has a friend who isn't afraid to drop the honorifics, ne, Yumi-san?" Michiru almost gasped in shock at the realization, but then Leon spoke up,
"Hey, in this house, I prefer the honorifics dropped... I only do them to keep Yumi happy... she seems to think I'm an animal otherwise!" He grinned like a child at Yumi who sat at the dining table,
"When you see him eat Michiru-san, you will understand why I think like that." Leon instantly pouted and Michiru couldn't help to notice that Haruka was like her father in every single way except her hair, which clearly belonged to her mother's side.
Midway through dinner, when it was eerily quiet, Leon decided to break the silence and while cutting through a thick steak, he spoke in perfect Japanese,
"So... Michiru, how do you know Ruka, 'Taru and Sets?" Ruka. Before Michiru's mind could even comprehend to answer she smiled at the thought of being able to call Haruka as something as intimate as that. But Michiru answered nonetheless,
"Haruka...san, is in my homeroom... and I joined the dance club." Michiru hoped to leave it at that until Hotaru spoke up in between a bite of teriyaki,
"Hai, Michiru is a good addition to the class, she dances so well, Leon-papa!" Leon seemed to raise an eyebrow and he looked down at his daughter knowingly,
"That right, Ruka?" Haruka looked up from her sashimi and she glanced over to Michiru before nodding,
"Yeah, her steps are flawless." Her father could see the slight glare from Michiru after she was reminded of Haruka's comments earlier in the week. Leon grinned devilishly to his wife who simply smiled at him,
"So, Ruka is this the girl you said you –" Instantly Leon was met with a dumpling thrown into his mouth, as Haruka covered his mouth with her hand and spoke in English once more,
"Dad! I swear to God, if you even think of uttering the next few words, I will make them your last!" Leon smiled as he chewed the dumpling in his mouth. As he finished eating, Haruka eyed him suspiciously, while Michiru seemed seven shades of confused,
"Sorry... am I the girl who what?" Leon smirked and looked at his daughter who instantly threw him a glare that spoke volumes. 'Say anything old man and prepare to meet your maker' thought the youngest Tenoh. Leon cocked an eyebrow,
"Hmm... so, Ruka... is she the girl you said lacked sex appeal?... On the dance floor, I mean?" Haruka's eyes widened, she had mixed feelings, she was glad her dad added 'on the dance floor' but that very same addition spoke volumes that Haruka was not prepared to face. She had spoken to him the day she had seen Michiru's rumba. She had told him how exquisite she thought Michiru was but her dances with Seiya lacked energy, chemistry... Leon snickered at the memory while Haruka seemed to be having a heart attack.
"Otou-san!" He laughed,
"But that is what you said, isn't it?" He grinned devilishly and received a cold glare from his daughter. Michiru looked horrified,
"You told your parents I lacked sex appeal!" Yumi grinned and looked up at Leon as Haruka defended herself,
"Only on the dancefloor!" Haruka didn't even have time to notice her slip, but Michiru did. However Haruka was saved as most embarrassed teenage girls are by her mother intervening,
"Don't worry about it dear... Leon and I used to be quite the dancers. We're the ones who forced Haru-chan into it. She needed something more feminine what with all her motorsport racing, oh but don't worry... we always talk about dancing with her." Michiru looked down, seeming very down, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and Yumi looking at her,
"Darling, don't worry yourself. Haruka may have said that, but one can never know until one has seen it for their selves, ne?" Michiru looked at Yumi, a certain doom formed in her mind,
"Are you saying that you want to see me dance?"
"Ara, not now... after dinner perhaps?" Michiru nearly fainted on the spot but Hotaru giggled gently,
"Michiru dances very graciously."
"Yeah but some dances don't require grace, they require raw passion." Haruka spoke. Michiru looked up and saw Haruka staring directly at her, Leon laughed loudly,
"Well, we'll see after dinner."
Michiru smiled politely,
"Demo, Leon-sama, I could not dance with you, you're far too tall for me." Leon smirked,
"Not with me, Michiru... with Ruka." It was Haruka's turn to nearly choke on her food,
"Nani? Me? " Yumi giggled at her daughter's reaction,
"Hai, Haruka, you're the only person who knows the male leads here... and isn't as domineering as your father." Haruka was about to protest but was met with Hotaru and Setsuna giggling. Michiru was going to protest, but the chance to dance with Haruka? It was too good to pass up, so Michiru opted for acting like she was upset, when inside she was jumping for joy at having the opportunity to be close to the blonde thrown in her direction.
It was twenty minutes later, that Michiru found the living room of the Tenoh's had been drastically altered. Leon had moved all the sofas and seats as far back to the walls as he could, the coffee table was moved to the edges too, and Yumi, Sets, Taru and Leon were all seated on these chairs on the edge. Haruka entered the living room from the kitchen and laughed bitterly,
"This is so embarrassing. I bring a friend home and the first thing you do is embarrass me." Yumi laughed gently,
"Ne, Haruka, Setsuna tells me Michiru is competing in the winter competition and if she lacks passion like you say, we need to see it, to help." Haruka rolled her eyes; 'help who', she thought to herself.
Setsuna made her way to the hi-fi system in the corner of the room and looked over to Haruka,
"What dance are you doing?" Haruka eyed Michiru and sighed,
"Quickstep."
"No!" Michiru shocked even herself at that outburst and Haruka looked at her with both eyebrows raised,
"No?" She smirked and Michiru managed to keep her blush at bay, and spoke almost bitterly,
"No. It's pointless doing a dance that doesn't require... the raw passion and sex appeal you talk so avidly about." Haruka shrugged while she replied,
"I think quickstep is sexy." Leon sniggered at his daughter,
"Then you're a weirdo, Ruka." Haruka pouted again and Yumi looked at the two, standing in the middle of her floor. She raised her eyebrow and whispered into her husband's ear. He grinned widely and nodded. She looked over to Setsuna,
"Sets... find the Gypsy Kings CD... Bamboleo."Haruka instantly turned on the spot looking towards her mother,
"Samba? Are you kidding me!" Yumi shook her head and put on a mock innocent face,
"What's the matter Haruka? Don't want to dance the samba?" Haruka looked away from her mother, who was in the middle of giving her an 'I know exactly why you don't want to dance the samba' look. Haruka simply looked away and unbuttoned her dress shirt midway, with her vest underneath, keeping her modesty. She untucked her shirt and looked over at Michiru,
"If you're going to prove something about sex appeal, you might want to change the way you're dressed." Instantly, the aqua-haired girl looked down at her clothes, and noticed she was still wearing her school uniform, so she took off her jumper and Hotaru took it from her hands. Haruka went to take her hand and she stopped midway through her action as Michiru brought her hands up to her blouse and slowly undid the top two buttons, revealing her exquisite neckline and causing Haruka to look away and breathe deeply to try and hide her blush. Leon sniggered before speaking loudly, much to the blonde's annoyance,
"Ruka, what's up? You don't look so hot." Yumi nudged her husband in the stomach and Setsuna laughed gently as she played the track and Yumi nodded appreciatively.
"I love this song." She murmured.
Haruka sighed deeply as the song started up, the gentle guitars filled the room and Haruka took Michiru's hand in her own. As soon as the tempo increased, she grabbed Michiru and roughly pulled the younger girl close to her, but Michiru became oddly flustered at the sudden contact. As soon as the percussion and drums kicked in Haruka instantly moved her body, her right leg shifting slightly and her foot slid back and she moved all her weight there, never once moving her left leg. Michiru immediately faltered, not used to the steps and stepped on Haruka's left foot. Haruka instantly let her go,
"Do you even know how to dance the samba!" Haruka almost yelled as she stooped to nurse her aching limb.
"Of course I know the samba! What were you dancing?" Haruka laughed a little,
"Don't tell me you only know ballroom samba?" Michiru immediately went red,
"There's only one samba!" Immediately Haruka doubled up in laughter and she nearly fell back onto the sofa,
"Of course, she doesn't have any sex appeal when dancing, she only knows ball room Latin!" She managed to choke out. Michiru became angry but Leon sighed and stood up, as did his wife.
"Haruka." Leon spoke firmly and he took off his top shirt only wearing his t-shirt, and his pants. Yumi turned to the nearly crying Michiru,
"Michiru, dear, Leon is half-Portugese and he used to teach Latin when I danced ballroom. In fact I used to dance professionally. I used to know ballroom-only dances too but he changed my outlook on them when we first danced together." Yumi gestured to Setsuna who instantly started the music again. Yumi looked at Haruka, who stood, no longer laughing and took her place beside Michiru. Leon's entire persona changed. He was no longer a gentle giant. He became an intense man, a smouldering, gorgeous, exotic stranger whose tanned skin glowed. He grabbed Yumi in a loving but tight embrace, and as the song started up again, Michiru felt herself being locked in a gaze now by the scarily intense Haruka. Her green eyes were fixed onto Michiru's blue ones, and Michiru found herself mesmerized, that is until Yumi spoke again, while her husband was moving her in perfect sync with her,
"You see, Michiru, ball room samba is good because it follows certain rules. Certain steps are samba and certain steps aren't; but really that's not what dancing is about... dancing is expression, dancing is another way of getting your feelings across." Leon caressed his wife's arm lovingly as he moved behind her and grabbed her hand in his and he moved it above and around them, his eyes were closed and he seemed to only follow the way his partner was, not leading but working together, bodies as one. Yumi spoke softly as she danced, "There are some dances, Latin mainly, that are not at all about anything other than the feelings you have for a loved one and for that to be successfully transferred to the dance floor, you need to have intensity, passion, lust, love, everything for the person you are dancing with... otherwise you have failed the dance. Do you understand?" Michiru nodded and found herself staring at Yumi and Leon, who had now finished their dance and were standing breathlessly in each other's arms. Michiru looked back at Haruka and found her eyes were still bearing into Michiru's. Michiru went to turn away but Haruka grabbed Michiru's face using her thumb and index finger and whispered to her,
"Don't look away, contact in every way is essential, Michiru," Haruka move her left hand to Michiru's hip and she grinned gently, "You need to be loose in every sense of the word."
"Haruka, I..." She didn't know what to say. Could Michiru Kaioh let go of her inhibitions and not worry about who saw her or what they said? Before Michiru could finish the music started from the beginning again. Yumi and Leon were sitting on the couch, exhausted, but watched the two with their undivided attention.
"Don't worry Michiru, just let go, you have to trust me." Michiru locked her eyes with the blonde as Haruka spoke the last part of her sentence and instantly Michiru found herself being overwhelmed by Haruka; her green eyes, the way she presented herself, the way she was holding Michiru's hand and the way her other hand was trembling slightly against Michiru's back. Michiru wasn't sure what was coming over her, but she couldn't help but smile at the blonde. Haruka's musky scent was so close to her now that it was driving her mad and Michiru couldn't stand it. This dance was as close as she could get for now, she had to take advantage of it.
Bamboleo
Haruka instantly moved her hips so they gently connected with Michiru's, sending a shiver down the younger girls spine, and she moved forwards, then backwards. Michiru found her body involuntarily
working perfectly with the blonde's even though they were dancing fast at three steps to the musical bar. Seeing Michiru worry then look carefree caused Haruka to smile. Had she finally gotten the uptight Kaioh to let go? Only one way to find out, she thought.
Ese amor llega asi de esta manera
No tiene la culpa
Caballo le dan sabana
Porque es muy despreciado,
Por eso no te perdono llorar
Ese amor llega asi de esta manera
No tiene la culpa
Amor de compra y venta
Amor del mes pasado
Bebele, bembele, bembele
Haruka spun herself around Michiru's slim frame and found Michiru without hesitation moved her arms, so they were posed by her side and moved with Haruka, once again without flaw. Michiru could even feel her hips being loose with the music and her hands somehow found their way to blonde's shoulders as the aqua-haired teen turned to her partner, causing Haruka to raise her eyebrows in intrigue. Haruka raised her hands above her head, Michiru's own hands in hers and Michiru found herself up so close to the blonde she could hear her breathe, feel her hot breathe, almost taste her lips. Michiru found herself gazing at the blonde's lips and she groaned gently, only to herself, but then she was ripped away as Haruka moved back. Their hands lowered, but one hand interlocked at shoulder length with Haruka leading the back spot movement, their toes both tapping on the floor behind them at the exact same moment. Michiru found herself smiling widely as the blond did not break her gaze once with the aqua-haired beauty.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Michiru couldn't help but smile when Haruka spun her on the spot and when Michiru returned to her spot, found the blond close, not uncomfortably close, in fact there was no such thing as uncomfortably close for Michiru when it involved Haruka. Then she felt Haruka spin her halfway again, causing Michiru to get that happy butterfly effect in her stomach again. Then she felt Haruka behind her, her right arm already snaked his way around Michiru's waist and caused the younger girl to almost catch her breath and become flustered again. Haruka moved her left hand along Michiru's slender left arm and raised it above them again, Michiru instinctively moved her free right hand around the blonde's neck and could feel Haruka's skin, her warmth. Her skin was so soft yet firm, it felt how Michiru always imagined it did; it was strong, like the blonde object of her affections.
No tiene pardon de dios
Tu eres mi vida, la fortuna del destino
Pero el destino tendressa para dos
Lo mismo yo que ayer
Lo mismo soy yo
No te encuentro a l'abandon
Es imposible no te encuentro de verdad
Por eso un dia no cuentro si de nada
Lo mismo you que ayer
Yo pienso en ti
Haruka moved Michiru into her more and their fingers entwined. Michiru was lead into three full spins around the room, their bodies moving from a high level to a half bow, and as Haruka let go on the third, Michiru could feel her body yearn for more, and she was not disappointed. Haruka grabbed her from behind and initiated the final conga steps of the samba. Breathing heavily down Michiru's neck, Michiru shuddered but once again her feet complied and she found her hands resting on the blonde's comfortably. As she looked up into Haruka's eyes for a split second she could swear that Haruka's eyes mirrored her own. The natural human desire... Michiru was sure Haruka lusted for her. Oh yes, in that instant, Michiru had never been so sure.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Michiru could feel Haruka avert her gaze since that step, and Haruka simply lifted her leg off of the floor and spun Michiru once more, causing the aqua-haired beauty to step back and nearly fall but Haruka grabbed her from around the waist in an instant. 'Any excuse, eh Tenoh?' Michiru could see the slightly guilty look in Haruka's eyes as she grabbed her and held onto her for a second too long. But then Haruka moved Michiru back toward the centre in one swooping and sliding step.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Bamboleo, bambolea
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
As Haruka finished her end of the dance with her hands around Michiru's waist the aqua-haired girl simply felt herself clinging to the blonde's shirt, almost overwhelmed with emotion. There was a silence, and Michiru could swear she could hear the blonde's heart beating rapidly.
"Wow. That was amazing!" Setsuna stood up, her eyes bulging in awe at the dance she just saw in front of her. Michiru looked up and found Haruka was panting heavily,
"You can let go, Michiru-san." Michiru blushed as she realized her position. She had not only her hands clutching at Haruka's shirt, her hands were dangerously close to her chest and her right leg was lifted off the ground and was halfway up Haruka's leg, touching the blonde's thigh closely.
"G-g-gomen, Haruka-san." Haruka simply smiled but looked at Michiru in confusion. Leon stood up and clapped loudly,
"Ruka! There was plenty of passion. I don't see what it is you were talking about!"
"She didn't dance like that in the club."
"What did she dance?" Yumi stood up, now intrigued,
"Rumba, with Seiya." Hotaru spoke up and she was staring at Michiru in utter amazement. Yumi grinned widely,
"Ah says it all then, ne, Haruka? ... Maybe Michiru can only dance like that with you, huh?" Haruka looked at Michiru,
"Maybe. Man, I'm tired." Haruka sat down instantly on the couch and Setsuna looked at Michiru,
"Michiru, you have to show the club that dance... if we could get a couple to dance samba like that at the Winter comp, we'd be a shoe-in for sure." Haruka scoffed at this.
"The only person who could do that is Seiya, and he can only do it badly."
Michiru stood not really listening, still in shock at how much she had let herself go... around Haruka... for Haruka. Leon touched Michiru's shoulder,
"Are you okay, Michiru?" She nodded her head quickly,
"Hai... I've just never danced like that... it was... something else." Haruka opened her semi-closed eyes and looked at Michiru,
"Did you enjoy it?" Michiru nodded honestly, Haruka smirked, "Me too. Thank you, Michiru."
The aqua-haired teen stared at the blonde in confusion.
"Thank you for what, Haruka?" The blonde grinned widely and closed her eyes again, seeming to be asleep, before she parted her mouth slightly and spoke,
"Thank you for trusting me, Michiru."
Translation for Bamboleo
That love arrives this way, this way.
It's not its fault.
A horse that dances in vain.
Because its so very scorned
that's why it won't forgive your crying.
That kind of love arrive this way.
It's not its fault.
Love for sale.
Love from in the past.
Bembele, bembele, bembele,
Bem, bembele, bembele
Chorus
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
You are unforgivable
You are my life, the fate of destiny,
in the destiny of abandonment.
Still the same as yesterday,
I am just the same.
I can't find you, in abandonment
It's impossible, I really can't find you.
That's why one day I can't tell if for nothing
The same as yesterday,
I'm thinking of you.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
Bamboleo, bambolea
Because in my life. I prefer to live it that way.
A/N 2 - Good God, describing these dances are making me feel ill! Hope y'all enjoyed it.