"So how long are you guys going to keep dating but not dating?"

Haruka stood up from the shot she was preparing to take at the pool table. "Excuse me?" She thought she misheard Mina over the loud music coming out of the dive bar's juke box. "You're not bringing that up again."

Mina moved to lean against the pool table next to her best friend. "Look, I've been doing a very important scientific study while we've been playing this game. On what you may ask? The eye to ass ratio. I've caught Michiru covertly staring at your ass every time you've taken a shot from that end of the table."

"You know, there are times when I hate you," grumbled Haruka, glaring at Mina. She went back to taking her shot, though she was more self conscious of her decision to wear skinny jeans than she was before.

"Yeah, but you love me the other times." Mina watched as the two ball banked off of the corner pocket back into the middle of the table.

Haruka just shook her head. "How many times do I have to tell you? Michiru and I are only friends." She hoped that Mina would drop the conversation or get distracted by something else, like maybe the music or her own girlfriend who happened to be sitting at the same nearby table Michiru was at. Haruka doubted she would though. Her best friend had a one track mind and she had learned, through some very embarrassing moments, that Mina would not step down from an objective she established that involved Haruka.

A blonde eyebrow quirked up. "Really? Cause you know, I like to think we're pretty close friends. Let me tell you, I don't look at your ass nearly as much as she does. There's definitely some more than friends appreciation going on." Mina was ignoring that it was her turn to take a shot. She was determined to get Haruka to take some action.

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that you stare at my ass? Does Rei know that you have wandering eyes?"

The shorter blonde shook her head as she walked over to a small side where they had left their drinks. "Don't try to change the subject here." Mina was starting to get frustrated over the whole situation. She grabbed Haruka's drink and held it out to her, while taking a sip from her own, signaling that the game was on hold. This was serious business that had to be attended to. "I mean it. We all see it. Everyone sees it. The two of you are practically married with all the shit you do together. For example, why is she here?"

Haruka just shrugged, taking a swig from her bottle. "Because she wants to spend time with us? Ever think she wants to hang out with her friends?"

"Yeah, but why would she come here? This place is a dive." Mina waved an arm around her, forcing Haruka to look around. She's was right, it was a dive. The walls were covered in 1970s wood paneling, the jukebox only had music from a minimum of twenty years ago, the linoleum floor looked like it could do with a replacing, and behind the bar was questionable at best. "I understand why we're here, the pool is cheap and so is the beer, but she doesn't like either of those things. If that's not love, I don't know what is."

The song that was playing had ended and was replaced with a classic rock song that neither really knew too well. Haruka took in another mouthful of her drink, while looking over at the green haired person of her affection. She really would have loved to be going out with Michiru, but she had already been rejected months ago. Not wanting to lose their friendship, she never had pushed the issue again. "Look, she's not interested."

"Bullshit."

"Truth. She turned me down months ago."

Pushing up the sleeves of her grey sweater, Mina leaned forward on the table. "Was that before or after you found out she was dating what's her face."

"Before."

"And she's no longer dating her now."

"Right," Haruka replied, rubbing the back of her neck.

"And there is no reason for you to not ask her again. Especially with the 'Fuck me' eyes she keeps giving you." Mina slightly nodded in the direction of the table the other two girls were still sitting at. Looking over, Haruka only saw Michiru laughing at something that was said in the conversation she was having with Rei. Blue eyes looked up and caught her own. Michiru smiled at Haruka, while nodding at something Rei was animately saying, before turning her attention back to what was being said. "See? Totally 'Fuck me' eyes. I practically give Rei that look like at least three times a day."

"I didn't need to hear that."

Mina grabbed her wrist and started to pull her towards the table, but Haruka tried to resist. "You're going to ask her out or I will send her those photos from last Halloween. I swear to whatever car company you're admiring at the moment I will. Don't tempt me."

The color drained from Haruka's face and she froze still. "You wouldn't. I thought you deleted those."

"You thought wrong."

Weighing the options in her mind, Haruka finally relented. "Fine, fine. I'll ask her. But it's your fault if I get angry at you when she decides not to talk to me again."

The two blondes crossed across the bar, pool game forgotten. Haruka fiddled with the bottle in her hands, her nerves becoming more prominent the closer she got. She could still turn around, she could try to steal Mina's phone to prevent her from sending those photos, she could still-

"What the?!"

Haruka's attention was drawn towards the question. She noticed Mina was frantically wiping at Rei's chest with a small napkin, her plastic cup empty and sitting on the table. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry Rei. I must have been bumped into by someone. I didn't mean to spill my drink on you. Come on, let's get you to the bathroom and see if we can clean this up."

Rei stood up holding her arms out, the front of her dark blouse even darker from where Mina's drink had landed over it. "Dammit Mina, this was my favorite blouse."
"I know, I know. I really am sorry. NowletsgotothebathroomsoIcanhelpyouwithit." Grabbing her girlfriend's arm, Mina started to lead them off in the direction of the women's bathroom, leaving behind a nervous Haruka and mildly concerned Michiru.

Sitting down where Rei once sat, Haruka focused on her beer bottle. She held onto it with both hands, using it as an anchor to the table. As long as she was holding onto it she convinced herself to not back out of her decision. It did not mean she was calming down, the edge of the beer label was showing proof of that. "Uh, Michiru?"

"Yes?"
A nervous cough to clear her throat. "I was wondering, that is, maybe, possibly, you'd want to go out with me, sometime?" The end of the question came out in a rush and Haruka focused in on her anchor, her thumb playing with the label's edge. She braced herself for the rejection but instead felt a soft, warm hand on top of hers, calming her down. Looking up she saw a smile cross Michiru's face.

"I'd love to. Actually I was wondering if you wanted to come over after we were all done here."
A goofy grin grew across Haruka's face as everything finally processed in her head. "I'd love to. To….to. I did say to right?" Michiru just laughed.

Peering through the crack of the slightly pried open bathroom door, Mina shook a fist in victory as she watched the other two leave hand in hand, some moments later. "Victory is mine!"

"Dammit."

Mina turned around and smiled at Rei. "Pay up. A deal's a deal."

"I don't think ruining my shirt was part of the deal."
"All's fair in love and war, Hino." Mina placed her hands on her hips, taking an authoritative posture.

Rei grumbled something under her breath. "Fine, fine. All hail Minako Aino. Goddess of Love. Never shall I question her matchmaking abilities again." Rei rolled her eyes at the last bit. "How'd you manage to finally get her to do it?"

"What and give away my trade secrets?" Mina asked, looking shocked at the very thought of her telling her tricks to others. Rei just motioned at the stain on her blouse and Mina just sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you just this once. I bribed her with the Halloween photos."

A confused look crossed Rei's face. "I thought you deleted those? Saying, and I quote, 'No person on Earth should have control of the power that those gave you'. End quote."

Mina just smirked. "Yeah, well, Haruka doesn't know that."