Haruka walked into the house she found that Hotaru was curled up on the couch asleep.
"well thought I'd come home early...was she any trouble?" she asked, chuckling a little.
"Not at all, we just came inside about an half hour ago." Michiru answered and Haruka laughed.
"you mean she actually didn't try to run you off? Though in her defense the last few babysitters that I hired was just a tad bit too extreme." the blonde stated with a sigh as she carried a pizza box into the kitchen.
"I think that you need to talk to her. She blames herself for the Elza incident and we both know that that was not anyone's fault but Elza's." Michiru stated and Haruka sighed.
"Yeah I forgot that you went to school with Elza. I never meant to hurt Hotaru, I don't handle emotions well." the tomboy retorted then glanced at the couch where the child was curled up asleep before she added "I don't want her to be afraid of me..."
Michiru put her hand over the blondes, drawing her attention to her.
"She adores you. She's afraid of you when you get drunk but not when you're at yourself." the mermaid like woman stated, trying to be reassuring to the tomboy who only scoffed.
"I lost my fucking temper at her all the time Michiru. Hell...I even slapped her once, what over I don't remember. I've never been good at confessions and I have no idea how I can apologize to her over any of this!" Haruka exclaimed, slamming her fist against the table.
"Haruka...This is something that you two need to talk about honestly. I'm sure that she knows that you care about her." Michiru assured, glancing toward the couch again before adding "She was upset that you had to leave. I think that was mostly why she was in a foul mood all day."
Haruka chuckled at this and pulled away from the light touch of the girl that she had semi-despised during high school.
"I take it that she told you something?" the blonde asked then laughed softly "I suppose its good that she has someone to talk to though, the lord knows I'm not the most sympathetic listener in the world."
Michiru smiled a bit at the statement as she replied "I think that if you'd get over what happened in school that you'll be able to listen to her." Michiru easily recalled how Haruka had been treated in high school and how she had been a loner.
"Thanks Michiru...by the way would you like to stay for dinner?" the blonde stated with a polite, thin smile.
"why thank you Tenoh, that is incredibly polite of you." Michiru replied with a smile as Haruka walked into the living room and lightly shook the child's shoulder.
"Hime-chan, wake up its time for dinner." she called softly, kneeling beside of the couch as the child mutter something that she couldn't understand.
"Taru-chan...unless you want us to eat everything then you better wake up." the blonde chuckled as the raven haired girl sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Papa? Its still light outside...what time is it?" the six year old asked with a yawn and Haruka chuckled.
"it just turned six o'clock. I thought I'd come home early tonight." the woman answered as she got up from her crouched position on the floor. She hated to know the reason that Hotaru had looked so surprised by this, knowing that her daughter had expected anything but this and that thought alone hurt her.
"You're not going back tonight are you?" Hotaru asked quietly as her violet eyes met the teal gaze of her father, who only shook her head.
"No Hotaru, I won't be staying out late anymore unless completely necessary." her parent vowed, reaching down and lightly raking her fingers through the child's hair before she added "Now lets go eat okay?"
Michiru watched this exchange with a small smirk on her face. She wished that somehow she could help the small family, though she knew that Haruka was too prideful to allow anyone to help her.
As they entered the kitchen the young girl looked up at Michiru and asked "are you staying for dinner?"
"Only if its okay with you." Michriu answered with a smile, surprised when the child nodded.
Later that night while Haruka lay awake in bed she thought about what Michiru had told her, wondering what Hotaru had told Michiru. However her thoughts were interrupted by a soft, almost silent knock at the door.
"Come in." She called with a sigh though she almost smiled a little when the door creaked open and the small figure of her daughter slowly inched her way into the room.
"I had a bad dream." the child admitted shyly, afraid that her guardian would send her back to bed.
"Want to talk about it?" Haruka asked as she sat up, glancing at the clock that read three o'clock AM.
Hotaru slowly made her way over to the bed before crawling up next to the short haired blonde.
"you left in the dream...I was looking for you but you just vanished." she whimpered, trying hard to fight tears however then she felt a gentle hand cup her face, forcing her to look up.
"Hotaru, I will never leave you understand? I know I've not been the best father to you in the last few months since she left us but I am not going to just abandon you. Like it or not you're stuck with me kid. Sure I'm probably a big jerk sometimes but I do love you." Haruka stated firmly, holding her child's gaze.
Hotaru blinked back more tears, pulling away from Haruka's warm hand. She didn't want to appear weak however with every word it became harder.
"I...I'm scared daddy." the admittance was harder than it should have been however to her surprise Haruka lightly cuffed her.
"why baby? Are you afraid that I'd get mad at you? Please talk to me love." her father's husky tone gently commanded as a the woman repositioned her so that she was seated on her lap.
"Yes...and...and I'm afraid that you'd come back home drunk again!" the child exclaimed, her eyes spilling over as she dipped her face against her father's chest.
"Sweetheart...I'll never get mad with you because you need me for anything and I promise that I wont come home drunk again and take anything out on you." the butch promised softly, using her fingers to comb through the girl's dark hair.
"I'm sorry I did all of that before Princess...I guess I was so caught up with my own feelings I never realized that you was hurting just as much as I was." she added after a while, causing her still distraught daughter to look up.
"it's okay papa...I forgive you." Hotaru whispered, trying to dry her eyes with the back of her sleeve however the tears kept coming.
"thank you hime-chan...now no more tears." Haruka replied, using a soft hand to lightly brush away the crystalline moister from the little girl's face "you've cried too much in the last few months...you shouldn't have to anymore."
With that last comment Haruka leaned down and kissed Hotaru's forehead before laying down, positioning Hotaru so that she was nestled in the crook of one arm with her head still on the tomboy's chest. The little girl was shocked to say the least as she closed her eyes and snuggled closer. It had been a months since she had last been able to do this.
"Thanks Daddy." she whispered, relaxing as the blondes large hand caressed her shoulder soothingly to help her calm down.
"for what? Holding you? Last time I checked kitten that's what parents did...take care of their children." Haruka smiled in the darkness as she looked down at the mass that was her daughter, who was now beginning to relax completely as her sobs quieted and her breathing slowly leveled out as sleep consumed her.
"Goodnight my firefly." Haruka whispered to her as she too closed her eyes to let sleep consume her.