Title: A meeting of ...minds?
Author: Ree
Theme: Haruka/Uranus (intense: day 4)
Genre: General/Romance
Version: Anime/Manga Post Stars/ pre-crystal Tokyo
Rating: PG13

This complex lady and her friends belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I just asked if they could play for a while.

A meeting of ...minds?

They finally made it to Michiru's hotel room. Dropping her purse on the bed, Michiru ask the question that had been haunting her since she had seen who was playing the piano. "What are you doing here?" Haruka started to look offended, so Michiru quickly continued. "I'm happy you're here. I just wasn't expecting you. And certainly not playing the piano." A soft smile curved Michiru's lips as she remembered the end of the concert.

Haruka felt the last bit of worry melt away. "I wanted to see you." Grinning she continued. "And I wanted to surprise you."

Michiru snorted softly. "Well it worked. I was and am completely surprised. How long have you been in Okinawa?"

Haruka made a show of looking at her watch. "Oh... about an hour before your concert. I had just enough time to change into my suit, and collect money to bribe the doorman and the pianist."

Michiru sank onto the bed. Looking at the floor, she spoke softly. "Thank you for coming."

Haruka shook her head. Michiru should not be pulling away from her. 'And that is all the reason I need to keep the decision I made. We are drifting apart. And if neither of us fights it...' Sinking to one knee, Haruka cut off her view of the floor. Sliding her hands around Michiru's, Haruka started speaking. In an intense, almost tight voice, she tried to explain all the thoughts that were swirling around in her mind.

"We've been apart too much, and something needs to be done." Michiru jerked her eyes up until they meshed with the blue ones looking at her. Haruka tried to put her feelings into her gaze as well as her voice. "It's not working. We have been slowly, here lately not so slowly, drifting apart these last three years. It has to stop. I can't stand it anymore."

Michiru's eyes filled with longing so intense that Haruka could have sworn she was being touched by it. But Michiru's voice was soft and neutral. "But what can we do? We both have contracts. We both have dreams we wish to follow... And they take us in different directions."

Haruka let a gentle smile cross her face. In a soft, velvety tone she disagreed. "My dream is not only to race. It is be with you. Always." Her fingers gently brushed over Michiru's palms and wrists. "I will take that wish over my wish to race. I can run with the wind anywhere."

Michiru shook her head. "If you left racing... I won't let you leave it. You would be cutting off a part of yourself."

Haruka let go of one of Michiru's hands, and slid her hand over the side of Michiru's face and then buried it into her hair. Gently, carefully she pulled Michiru's head down to hers. "I'm still all here." Haruka breathed in the scent of her lover's breath. "I don't have to race in both circuits to achieve my dream. And doing so is making me lose my real dream." Giving in to the longing to taste Michiru, Haruka pulled her mouth the rest of the way down. Her senses felt almost overloaded, she was ready to end the conversation.

Michiru's eyes widened as Haruka pulled her down the last couple of inches. As their lips met, her eyes drifted shut and she surrendered to the feelings washing over her. Finally she pulled away to catch her breath. Haruka's words were almost a blur in her mind, but one sentence was completely clear. "Are you dropping one of the circuits?"

Haruka frowned slightly, and tried to pull Michiru back in for another kiss. Michiru pull back. "Haruka! Answer me." Her voice was pleading.

Sighing deeply, Haruka sat back. "Yes I am. Kind of."

Michiru's eyes lost their fuzzy, dreamy expression. The intensity of their focus almost cut through Haruka. "What? What do you mean ..kind of?"

"I'm going to keep racing cars. The complete circuit. But I'm going to race the motorbikes on occasions. I'm just not going to worry about winning that circuit."

Michiru sat back. "And who said you could decide that on your own?"

Haruka looked up at her for a moment, trying to think of the best response. 'She feels guilty. She feels that I'm the only one giving up something I enjoy. But I don't mind.' The longer she looked at Michiru sitting on the bed, the more tempted she became. Finally she gave in. Rising slowly, she came to her feet. Michiru leaned back to see her face. With a small smile playing around her mouth, Haruka pinned Michiru back onto the bed. Looking down into her partner's face, she answered Michiru's question. "I did. I had a choice. You or both circuits." Dropping her head for a moment, she tasted Michiru's neck before continuing. "And I chose you." This time she let her mouth trail over Michiru's forehead and down her cheek before settling on her mouth again. When the kiss was finally over, Haruka smiled. "And I like my choice. So don't try and change it."

Michiru raised her hand and let her fingers tangle into Haruka's hair. "But...but I can't let you be the only one giving up something."

Turning her head, Haruka nuzzled the palm next to her cheek. "So don't. If you feel you need to cut back, and become more exclusive again" She kissed the palm and then let her lips trail down to the wrist. " do so. No-one is stopping you." She looked down into her lover's eyes for a moment, before continuing in a more serious voice. "But no-one is making you either. Only do what you feel you need to do to be happy."

Michiru looked into the eyes that were trying to be serious, but they were failing. She could see the want, the need behind them. And she knew that what she saw was what she wanted at that moment. "Do what I want to do to make myself happy?"

Haruka nodded. She sensed a subtle shift in Michiru's attitude. 'Is she accepting? Is she going to give in and not worry about it?' The gentle pull on the side of her head caught her off guard, and before she knew it, Michiru had her locked in a tight embrace. Somehow she ended up being the one pinned on the bed, and Michiru was smiling down at her.

Cocking an eyebrow, Michiru asked a simple question. "Do you know what would make me happy right now?" Hope flared in Haruka. Reaching up, she pulled Michiru down into a long kiss.

-------------------

The travel alarm clock buzzed on the night stand. Haruka tried to turn it off, but her arms were tangled in the sheets. She opened her eyes in time to see Michiru's hand slap at the button until it hushed. Letting her gaze follow the arm, she ended up looking into a pair of sleepy aquamarine eyes. A smile rushed forward. Haruka knew it was one of those silly, sappy smiles, but she couldn't stop it.

Michiru dropped a kiss onto the smile. Seeing that smile helped make up her mind. She was going to become a little more hard to get for the art world, and easier to get for the one that holds her heart.