Haruka awoke to the sound of a crash in the other room and rushed in, seeing her daughter sitting on the floor where she obviously fell crying.
"What the heck Taru?" she asked as she knelt down, lifting her into her arms. "You're not hurt are you?"
Hotaru shook her head before hiding her face against the crook of Haruka's neck. Haurka only rubbed the child's back and sighed. Not sure what the kid was thinking.
"How did this happen kitten?" she questioned as she stood up and walked toward the living room.
"Spilled water." the child replied, though her voice was muffled and Haruka chuckled.
"Well sweetheart that's why I tell you to be careful." the blonde stated gently as she dropped a kiss onto the little girl's hair before adding "why don't I fix us some breakfast? Its been a while since we ate together huh?"
The offer caught Hotaru's attention, causing her to look up at her father figure who was smiling lightly at her.
"Really Papa? Can I help?" Hotaru sniffled and Haruka smiled a bit wider.
"Yes princess and of course you can help." the tall tomboy stated with a smile as she lead the child toward the kitchen. She was just glad that it had been at least a bit easy to patch things up with her young child, who now acted almost as if the last few months had not even happened at all.
"What do you want to eat squirt?" she asked then added "as long as its not that bake stuff that we made before...you know I can't bake anything without catching something on fire!" The butch stated jokingly as she recalled how many deserts she had tried to bake and ended up with a pan full of the charcoal.
"How about an omelet?" The raven haired child asked softly, almost afraid to ask and Haruka nodded.
"whatever you want princess...Go get whatever you want to put into it." she answered as the little girl headed toward the fridge, grabbing some pieces of cheese before returning to her father figure.
"thank you Hime-chan." Haruka stated as she took the objects from the child before she went and grabbed the eggs from the Frigidaire door.
"Papa? When can I learn to cook?" the child asked curiously, looking up to her parent who smiled a bit at her.
"Well in a few years I guess." Haruka stated with a smile then added "though Makoto can teach you...We both know that the only thing you'll learn how to do from me is give someone second grade food poisoning."
The comment got Hotaru to laugh as she stood on a chair to try to reach the plates that rested on a high shelf.
"How about I get them down and you set the table?" Haruka stated as she came over and picked the child up, setting her on the floor before getting two plates down and handing them to the six year old girl before adding "no need to have you falling down again right kitten?"
The child nodded despite the small pout that she had on her face as she did as she was told though Haruka only smiled and gave her a playful smack with a nearby towel.
"wipe that look off your face before it freezes like that." she teased, earning a dirty look from her daughter which only made her chuckle a little more.
"You're mean Haruka-Papa." the child stated suddenly though she walked right up to her papa's side and glared up at her.
"how so little smart alack?" The blonde retorted, in the same lighthearted sense as before.
"you always make fun of me!" the girl all but yelled, causing Haruka to flinch a bit before kneeling down to the child's hight.
"Princess you know that I only tease you and I no way would ever make fun of you over something...Hell I poke fun at myself." she stated gently, patting her daughter's shoulder lightly. Hotaru however only shrugged away, turning away from Haruka who sighed.
"Okay you little runt...why don't you go watch cartoons? There's no need for you to be in here if you're going to be mad at me." she stated, noting how the child's shoulders drooped slightly.
"I was only joking..." her raven haired child retorted, glancing down however Haruka—who had known this all along—only smirked and sneaked up behind her, grasping her into a light hold from behind.
"Oh really? You made your daddy think you was mad at her just for a laugh!?" Haruka exclaimed, trying to raise her voice in fake anger though it came out more like a chuckle as she began to tickle the girl, who squealed in protest.
However before their playful bantering could stop there came a knock at the door, causing Haruka to groan.
"Who the hell could that be?" she muttered as she got up from her place on the floor and walked over to the door, throwing it open only to see that a soaked Michiru stood there on her doorstep.
"Hi Haruka...Sorry to bother you but my car kind of just died on the curb and I was wondering if I could borrow your phone to call someone to come pick me up?" she stated, causing Haruka to smile a bit.
"of course, come in." Haruka answered as she headed into the living room to get her cordless phone and bring it to the goddess-like woman.
"thanks Haruka, you're a life saver!" Michiru stated, bowing a bit as she took the phone and dialed a number.
Haruka left the room to give the other girl privacy.
"Who was at the door Haruka Papa?" Hotaru asked curiously from where she was attempting to stir together the eggs and ingredients in a large bowl.
"Michiru-San, her car kind of quit and she needed to use the phone." Haruka answered as she began to try to help her daughter, getting so caught up with the small cooking lesson that she didn't notice that Michiru was standing in the doorway, a small smile on her face.
"I never thought that Playgirl Haruka Tenoh would ever be giving cooking lessons to anyone." She stated, startling Haruka slightly as she turned around.
"Michiru! How long have you been standing there?" The blonde demanded as a blush crept across her face.
"Long enough to see that you're a far cry from the aloof kid you were two two years ago." the aqua haired woman stated with a chuckle as she noticed the tomboys color darken.
"M-Michiru! Don't talk about High school!" Haruka stammered, causing the nymph like woman to laughed out loud, the sound similar to wind-chimes.
"why? Are you ashamed of yourself for those years Haruka? Is the great Tenoh actually wanting forgiveness for all the heartbreak that she was accountable for?" the shorter of the two teased, though her sapphire eyes sparkled dangerously playful.
"I do not want to talk about whatever I did then." The blonde snapped, pouring the egg mixture into a skillet before placing it over the burner of the stove.
"I'm just joking Tenoh." Michiru stated, her tone slightly apologetic.
"Hey, let sleeping dogs lie right? By the way do you want to stay for breakfast?" The blonde replied, shrugging her response.
"no thank you." Michiru replied politely just as Hotaru jumped down from the chair she had been standing on to reach the counter.
"Hotaru I swear I'm going to have to glue you to the floor to keep you from getting hurt!" Haruka exclaimed, reaching down to give her daughter a playful tap on the top of the head.
"I didn't fall this time Papa!" Hotaru argued, causing Haruka to roll her eyes.
"this time squirt! No more acting like a little monkey!" the child's parent lectured lightly before ruffling her child's hair.
Michiru chuckled at the light display between the two before Haruka turned her attention back on fixing breakfast.
"I had a talk with Daddy like you said Michiru-San!" Hotaru exclaimed, going over to the wavy haired woman who knelt down.
"yeah we had a good talk about things." Haruka confirmed just as Michiru looked up at her.
"And how did it go?" the shorter of the two asked, raising a delicate eyebrow at the other who sighed.
"Daddy apologized...Said she would take me to the park but wont since the weather sucks!" Hotaru stated with a glare out the window.
"Now now princess...there's no need to be that rude." the blonde chided nonchalantly as she filled two plates with food.
"it does Haruka!" The child snapped bitterly earning a little glare from her father figure.
"Well kitten it might but you shouldn't be a cheeky little runt about it!" The tomboy stated then added "go eat, maybe you'll be less grumpy!"
Hotaru stuck her tongue out at the woman who had adopted her before going to her place at the table.
"You're really good at handling kids Haruka...if you still were like you were in school you'd screamed your head off at her!" The aqua haired teen stated and Haruka shrugged.
"hey, people can change over two years." she retorted.
The tall blonde didn't notice the look of adoration that Michiru was giving her.
"I suppose they can Haruka."
Michiru couldn't believe that her high-school crush—who had been a jerk and a player all during those four years—was now in front of her arguing with her six year old child without any amount of anger in her tone. She was surprised that Haruka had such a calm and gentle demeanor now that she was older.