Disclaimer: I don't own any Sailor Moon characters.

A/N: Wow, I can tell you guys really love Shigeko, ne? j/k! It's not that I enjoy torturing Ruka or making it hard for her and Michi to be together, but unfortunate things like this happen. Let me assure you, though, that Ruka is not weak and defenseless. She defends herself, which just makes Shigeko angrier, so Ruka kind of has to choose her battles to some degree. At the same time, she's trying to do what she thinks she should be doing in a relationship – working things out. Alright, sorry to make you wait while I was off on vacation getting sunburnt. On with updates!

Chapter 6: Never Too Late

The house was empty and still except for giggles coming from a room down the hall. The soft glow of dawn crept into the room where the giggles were broken by light kisses. Her school jacket lay discarded on the floor beside two school bags and her blonde hair was in disarray. Her green tie was half undone and hung loosely around her neck and the top three buttons of her untucked shirt were unbuttoned. Arms were wrapped around her neck and she was poised above the pink-haired girl on the bed. The small girl smiled up at her and whispered, "I love you, Haruka-chan."

"You too," she said and returned the smile. She planted one more kiss on the girl's lips and then she sat up. "We better get going or we'll be late for school." Haruka crawled off the bed and began fixing her uniform.

"But I want you," the other girl whined in protest, still lying on the bed. She rolled over to her side and faced Haruka. "I won't get to spend time with you later because of your stupid piano recital."

Haruka smiled unconsciously as she thought of the "piano recital" that would take place later that evening. Fortunately, her back was turned to Shigeko. It wasn't a lie. She just knew how excessively jealous and possessive Shigeko was when it came to Haruka hanging out with friends. She finished the knot on her tie and turned back around. Her girlfriend was sitting on the edge of her bed sulking. "You know I hate it as much as you do, but parents rule," said Haruka. That one was a lie. Today she loved the piano, and tonight's recital had nothing to do with her parents. She sat beside the girl and hugged her. "Can't you be happy with the time we're spending together now?"

"No, it's not good enough. I hate you," Shigeko grumbled and tried to push Haruka off her.

Haruka held on. "Oh, come on, don't say that," she said gently and tried to kiss her girlfriend.

Shigeko pulled back. "I do. I hate you." She lightly slapped Haruka's face.

A look of aggravation appeared on Haruka's face. It was too early to get in a fight. "Fine." Haruka stood up from the bed and picked up her jacket.

"I'm just kidding," Shigeko tried to laugh it off.

"Well I'm not. I told you I don't like you saying you hate me," the tomboy said with a level voice, "and I told you not to slap my face."

"Why?" Shigeko asked, as if the reason wasn't obvious enough.

"You know why, I've told you numerous times already," Haruka almost snapped and she took a moment to make sure she remained calm. "Because every time you say you hate me or hit me, it hurts, even if you don't mean it. You do it almost every time we fight. I just can't take it as a joke. I mean, really, how can you say you love me and then easily turn around and say you hate me?" Haruka looked straight at Shigeko. "Have you ever heard me say I hate you? Ever?"

The girl's eyes narrowed at Haruka. "No, but I bet you think it."

"That's not my point, Shigeko-chan. How would you feel if I told you I hate you or hit you?"

"I know how it feels, remember? That's why he's my ex-boyfriend!" Shigeko remarked angrily.

"Okay, so why are you doing to me what he did to you?"

"Fuck you!" she shouted at Haruka. "Now I really do hate you. Thanks for fucking up my day. You can't do anything right."

Haruka sighed. "Forget it. I try to tell you how I feel and you turn it into something else."

"If you don't like it, why don't you break up with me then?"

Haruka simply stared at Shigeko. Her patience was starting to wear thin. "Is that what you want? Is that what you've been trying to do all along? Get me to break up with you? I know how much you hate me, I know how much you'd rather see me hurt and bleeding, I know I'll never be good enough for you!"

"That's right, you'll never be good enough! You'll always be a fuck-up!" Shigeko pushed Haruka out of her room and slammed the door shut.

"Shigeko-chan," Haruka called as she grabbed the doorknob. There was a click as the lock went into place. "Shigeko-chan, open the door, please!"

"Fuck you! Leave me alone!" Something crashed against the other side of the door and Haruka instinctively ducked.

"Shigeko-chan, what was that?"

"None of your fucking business! I said leave me the fuck alone!"

"Fine!" I didn't wake up two hours earlier for this, Haruka thought. She walked out of the house and shut the door behind her. Fuckin' A, my bag is still inside, she realized as her hand passed through the air beside her left hip where her bag would've been. She looked back at the window she had crawled through earlier that morning to get to Shigeko's room while her parents were still home. It was still open. She started taking steps toward it when the other girl appeared. She threw Haruka's bag out, spilling its contents on the yard, and shut the window. Shigeko flicked her off and closed her curtains. Haruka rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered. As she bent down to pick up her things, she found that pages in her notebook had been torn up and she was missing a textbook. She figured that's what Shigeko must have thrown at the door. I guess I'll have to copy Elsa-chan's notes again, she settled in her mind and headed to school.

During the exchange of classes, Elsa passed a note to Michiru in the hall. Michiru quickly went to her next class and opened the note as she sat down. It was a conversation between Elsa and Haruka from second period. Michiru scanned past the small talk at the beginning of the note till she got to the more important matter, which Elsa conveniently highlighted for her:

Haruka: Thanks for letting me copy your notes. Man, I'm so freakin' tired.

Elsa: Let me guess, you and Shigeko-chan were fighting again?

Haruka: Is it that obvious?

Elsa: What happened this time?

Haruka: I don't know, the usual. It's like a fucking broken record – no matter what I do, it's not good enough. I feel like I'm walking through a minefield, waiting for her to blow up at any given moment.

Elsa: Why are you still with her then? Do you love her?

Haruka: She's my girlfriend.

Elsa: That's not what I asked. Do you love her?

Haruka: (scratched out words) Stupid pen. We'll work it out. We always do.

Elsa: I'll take that as a no?

Haruka: I wouldn't still be with her if I didn't.

Elsa: A yes or no would've sufficed, but okay. She still doesn't know that Michiru-chan and I know you two are together?

Haruka: No, she doesn't. Could you lend me a pen? This one is running out.

Elsa: If I told you Hiro-kun was hurting me, what would you do?

Haruka: I'd beat the shit out of him! I don't care if he's your boyfriend or not! Nobody lays a hand on my best friend!

Elsa: But I know he doesn't mean to hurt me.

Haruka: That's bullshit! If he really loved you, he wouldn't hurt you like that. Is he hurting you? I'll kick his ass and he'll be so sorry, he'll wish he was never born!

Elsa: Do you see any injuries on me? No, he's not hurting me, so don't go beating up my boyfriend for no reason! Now you tell me, is Shigeko-chan hurting you?

Haruka: What are you trying to say?

Elsa: You know what I'm trying to say. Is she hurting you?

Haruka: No.

Elsa: So for the past months, since you and Shigeko-chan have been together actually, you're just suddenly prone to accidents? Liar! I'm calling you out and I'm going to be very honest with you. I talked to my cousin. I know you didn't get those bruises you had a couple months ago from doing whatever to your car. Don't you see what she's doing to you? You quit track, you look miserable, you're always tired, you're always broke – all because of her! I bet she'd make you quit racing if it didn't guarantee her a shopping spree.

Haruka: It's not like she does it for no reason. It's my fault for making her angry, so I just have to deal with it.

Elsa: That's what she has you believe! You're in denial and you know it! I don't care how angry Hiro-kun makes me, it's no excuse to start hitting him, or make him feel like shit. It's not normal for couples to beat each other up. It's called abuse, physical and verbal.

Haruka: Yeah, well it seems like everything about me isn't normal, so what else is new? Don't bother passing this back to me.

Elsa: That's not what I meant! I'm sorry. I just worry about you. Michiru-chan worries about you too. Stop being stubborn!

Underneath that last line of the conversation, Elsa wrote to Michiru that Haruka refused to accept the note at that point, but it looked like they had all the proof they needed to confirm their suspicions. Haruka had already managed to admit she and Shigeko were constantly fighting, but she always denied her injuries were a result from those fights. Also, Elsa and Michiru had found that the other injuries since the bruises weren't as easy to verify. The conversation on the note, however, was practically a signed confession. Michiru felt like crying, but she felt too angry. Her blood was boiling. She had never felt so much animosity towards anyone, but at that moment, she wanted to tear Shigeko to shreds with her bare hands. She wouldn't stand by any longer to watch Haruka give up her happiness for an impudent little girl who didn't deserve anything Haruka had to give. Finally, at the very bottom of the note, Elsa wrote, "I don't want this to spoil your birthday, but you trust me for a reason: I won't keep things from you. P.S. Have fun on your 'date' tonight with Haruka-chan!" There were hearts drawn around Haruka's name. You're such a smartass, Elsa-chan, Michiru thought. I wish it was a date.

Do I love her? It's been five months now. Haruka was staring out the window, watching the afternoon clouds go by. She was in science class, her last class of the day, and her teacher was droning on about something that had to do with cell division. She thought of the note she and Elsa passed between each other earlier that morning. I wouldn't put up with all her shit for so long if I didn't, right? Every couple has their ups and downs.

"It's not normal for couples to beat each other up," a voice inside her quoted.

She doesn't mean it, Haruka argued.

Listen to yourself! You said so yourself that if someone loves you, they wouldn't hurt you like that.

Haruka unconsciously touched the band-aid near her eye.

It didn't take you this long to know you loved Michiru. You knew you loved her the moment you saw her.

"Tenou!"

Haruka's head snapped to the front. "Hai!"

"I would appreciate it if you paid attention," her teacher said and he looked at Haruka grimly. "I asked you, what are the five stages of mitosis?"

Ah, how does that mnemonic go? She thought hard, and what came to her mind was the day she was supposed to be in study hall. She was with Michiru instead, and they were in the art studio because Michiru was painting a still-life of a bowl of fruit. Michiru had stepped out and Haruka was feeling a little mischievous. When Michiru returned, she had the most amusing frown on her face when she saw Haruka's handy work of art on the still-life that Michiru was in the middle of painting. I painted Michiru's apple teal – IPMAT. Haruka caught a sudden burst of giggles from escaping her mouth.

"I highly doubt you'll think it's so funny when I send you to detention," the teacher warned.

"Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase," Haruka answered quickly.

Her teacher nodded. "I'm glad you've been studying, Tenou, if not paying attention in class," he said and moved on.

Haruka rolled her eyes behind the teacher's back. She turned her attention back to the outside world and tuned her teacher's voice out. Now where was I? Do I love Shigeko-chan? Maybe I just love the idea of being in a relationship and making someone happy.

Even if it costs you your happiness?

Well, it's not like I can't get another girlfriend.

You don't want another girlfriend. You want Michiru.

Haruka's brow furrowed. How do I know this isn't just rebound talk?

Because you've always loved Michiru.

Haruka's thoughts paused a moment. We're friends now. I don't want to ruin it.

Will you quit making excuses? She was the one that kissed you, remember?

Yeah, but it was a little too late, wasn't it?

Her inner voice didn't respond.

Haruka rested her head on her hand and sighed. Her pinky brushed against the band-aid, one of the many constant reminders of the unpleasantries she had to tolerate. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She glanced at the clock hanging on the front wall above the chalkboard. The clock's hands were positioned at 3:00 and the second hand slowly wound its way around. Four and a half more hours till showtime. Butterflies began to stir in her stomach.

When the bell finally rang, Haruka walked out of her classroom and headed to her locker. She was surprised to find Shigeko waiting for her. Her eyes were fixed on Haruka and her face was expressionless. Haruka couldn't tell if she was still upset or not, so she approached her apprehensively.

Shigeko took a step closer to Haruka. "I'm sorry about this morning, Haruka-chan." She held out the textbook Haruka was missing. It was in bad shape with the cover bent and the pages wrinkled and partly torn.

Man, I'm going to have to pay a school fee for that, Haruka thought resentfully. She took the book and nodded. "It's okay." She opened her locker and exchanged the books she needed for her homework. In the mirror hanging inside her locker door, she caught sight of Michiru walking by. She paused a moment to watch the aqua-haired girl exit the mirror frame, then turned her attention back to Shigeko, who still appeared remorseful. Haruka gave her a smile. "Don't worry about it anymore. I'll talk to you later, okay? I have a lot to do before the recital." She closed her locker and secured her school bag on her shoulder.

"You left me this morning," Shigeko said quietly. "You said you'd never leave. Do you still love me?"

You kicked me out, but whatever you say. Haruka took a quick look around to make sure nobody was in hearing range, then softly said, "I never said I didn't." In an instant, Haruka caught Shigeko as she jumped into her arms and kissed Haruka on the lips. Haruka took a step backwards for balance and ended up falling back against the lockers with a loud metallic bang that caught the attention of students walking by. She quickly placed Shigeko back on her feet. She could already feel the glances from the students who had witnessed the spectacle. "Shigeko-chan, people saw that!"

"I know, and I don't care who sees us anymore. I love you, Haruka-chan," Shigeko said and tiptoed to reach Haruka's lips once more. "I promise I won't say I hate you or hit you ever again," she told the tall blonde.

While Haruka held Shigeko in her arms, her inner voice spoke again, I have a feeling it won't be long before that promise is broken.

Well, in that case, I'll break up with her, alright? This is her last chance. Right now, we're okay.

The inner voice replied, Why wait for it to happen? You have every reason to break up with her already.

Haruka shut the voice out and caught a glimpse of aqua hair.

Michiru watched the couple from around the corner. It was surprising to see them displaying affection publicly. Maybe it was female intuition, but Michiru had a feeling this act of boldness was all for show, all to keep Haruka hanging on to a false hope. Shigeko could probably sense her hold on Haruka weakening, so she obviously knew what she was doing. It pained Michiru to watch her love suffer at the hands of the manipulative bitch. She was about to turn to leave until Haruka looked up and met her eyes. She smiled and sent Michiru a wink. Michiru remembered she wasn't supposed to know about the note Haruka and Elsa shared, so she returned the smile as if there was never anything wrong. She pointed to her blue eyes, then at Haruka, then she held up seven fingers, and finally held three fingers up on one hand while the other hand formed an O.

See you at 7:30.

In the living room, Takeshi peered over his newspaper at his daughter pacing back and forth in the foyer. The hem of her dress floated lightly behind her legs with every stride. He could smell the subtle scent of the perfume his wife gave Michiru for her birthday. Headlights from a car illuminated the windows briefly. He watched his daughter rush to the window, then as the car passed on she resumed her pacing. He laughed lightly to himself and folded the newspaper, placing it on his lap. "Michiru-chan."

The sound of her father's voice startled Michiru. She stopped mid-pace and looked timidly at Takeshi. "Sorry, Otou-san, I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Takeshi smiled at Michiru and motioned her to stand before him. When Michiru got close enough, he glanced around for his wife, then discreetly whispered, "Are you sure you're not going out on a date?"

Michiru blushed. "Otou-san! I'm only going out with Haruka-chan! You remember her, don't you?"

Takeshi's brow furrowed in thought, then he said. "Ah, the little girl who played the piano!"

"Hai, but she's not little anymore!" Michiru chided.

"Hai, and neither are you," Takeshi's smile broadened. "Fourteen years old. I can't believe how fast you've grown. It seems like only yesterday I brought you home from the hospital, so small and delicate." He held his arms up as if cradling an infant.

Michiru laughed. "Otou-san, stop it!"

They both looked up as the doorbell rang.

"Alright, Hime-chan, I won't embarrass you, I'll stay inside," he said and shooed his daughter away. Michiru gave her father a hug and kissed his cheek. "Have fun, birthday girl. And don't call me if you need to get out of jail." Michiru stuck her tongue out at her father and waved goodbye as she walked out the door. Takeshi watched from the window as his daughter moved down the pathway with a tall young teen with blonde hair, who was wearing a sky blue shirt and black pants, walking alongside her.

Mieko stood beside her husband and looked out the window as well. "I thought she said she was going out with Haruka-chan."

Takeshi smiled knowingly. "That is Haruka-chan."

Mieko gaped. "You let our daughter go out with a boy? I hardly see that as something to smile about!" She smacked him on the shoulder. "I was under the impression that Haruka-chan was a girl!"

"Dearest," Takeshi wrapped his arms around Mieko and pulled her away from the window, "Haruka-chan is a girl."

"What? Are you blind?" Mieko asked on the verge of hysteria.

"Remember that tomboy our little girl wouldn't stop talking about?"

Haruka and Michiru walked down the sidewalk to where Haruka's Miata was parked out of view of Michiru's house. The Miata's lights flickered as Haruka pressed the unlock button on the key remote. She opened the door for Michiru.

"You're looking quite lovely tonight, Kaiou-san," Haruka complimented Michiru as she settled into the seat.

"Maa, does the occasion really call for such formalities, Tenou-san?" Michiru replied playfully.

"Birthdays only come once a year," Haruka said as she closed the door. She walked over to the driver's side and slipped herself behind the wheel and set the key into the ignition. The car came to life and Haruka drove them out of the neighborhood.

Michiru looked over at Haruka and saw the tomboy in the easygoing posture she loved most – her left hand atop the steering wheel and her right elbow hanging out the window. There was just one more thing that would make this pose perfect. "You know, you can lower the top down. I like the way the wind feels."

Haruka smiled. She reached into the backseat and pulled out her school jacket. "Alright, but in case you get cold, use this."

The Miata's top came down and the wind whipped through Michiru's hair. She clutched Haruka's jacket, not because she was cold, but because she could smell Haruka's cologne. She breathed in the aroma and savored every bit of it. Looking back at the driver, whose hair had become a wild tangle of blonde live wire due to the wind, she caught a glint in Haruka's eyes. Haruka glanced at Michiru and saw her holding her jacket tightly. She switched her right hand to the steering wheel and extended her left arm out to Michiru.

Michiru looked at her questioningly.

"Come on, come here," Haruka beckoned to her with her hand. As Michiru slowly moved closer to Haruka, the tomboy put her arm around Michiru in a warm half-embrace. "I told you, you might get cold," she said and gave the girl's shoulder a brisk rub.

Michiru rested her head on Haruka's shoulder and smiled furtively. You're the perfect one.

Haruka glanced down at the girl beside her. The butterflies were churning up a cyclone inside her stomach. She felt a sudden urge to kiss the top of Michiru's head. No, she wanted to kiss Michiru's sweet lips. No matter how many times she had kissed Shigeko, none of them could match Michiru and the feelings her kiss had evoked on that long ago night. Is it really too late? She gently lifted her arm off of Michiru and downshifted as they approached the Juban district.

"Haruka-chan, exactly where are we going?" Michiru sat upright in her seat.

"I'm taking you to a concert that's going to be recorded live."

"A concert?" Michiru studied Haruka's face. "What concert? I haven't heard of anyone coming to perform."

"You'll see." Haruka tried to hold back a grin. "It's a surprise."

Michiru shook her head. "You and your surprises."

"Why, you don't like my surprises?"

"No," Michiru giggled, "I love your surprises."

Haruka gave Michiru a sly grin. "You better," she said as she turned at a corner. She took a light purple scarf with a gold emblem on the corner out of her pocket. "Here, cover your eyes," she instructed, "and no peeking!"

"Are you planning to kidnap me? I'll have you know my father is friends with the chief of police."

"And I'll have you know that I can still outrun anyone who tries to catch me."

Michiru covered her eyes with the scarf and tied the ends behind her head. "There, happy?"

Haruka waved her hand in front of Michiru's face and was satisfied when Michiru didn't respond. "Good. We're almost there."

The blindfolded girl sat patiently as the car continued onward. They turned somewhere and the car moved slowly before making a final turn and coming to a stop. Michiru heard Haruka shut off the engine and step out of the car. She heard footsteps go around to the back and heard Haruka open the trunk. The trunk made a hollow thud as Haruka closed it and then her footsteps came to Michiru's side, where Haruka opened the door and took one of Michiru's hands into her own. Carefully, Michiru stepped out of the car and Haruka gently nudged her to the side so she could close the door. Michiru heard the locks on the car click into place and then Haruka led her for a short distance from the car. Haruka stopped.

"There's a curb. Take one step up."

Michiru was a little surprised at how close the voice was to her. It seemed to be almost right beside her ear and she thought she could feel Haruka's breath. She imagined Haruka whispering sweet nothings into her ear. It gave her goosebumps.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." Haruka's voice moved in front of her.

Michiru snapped out of her wishful thinking and cautiously took a step forward and felt her foot land on the curb, then stepped up with her other foot. Haruka led her around some more. They stopped again and Michiru assumed they reached their destination when she heard the chime from a door opening. Sounds like a store. Where in the world is she taking me?

"Konbanwa, Suzuki-san," Michiru heard Haruka say.

"Konbanwa," a man's voice said. "Everything is set. Just give the signal."

"Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Suzuki-san."

They walked further inside and Michiru figured they had stepped into a room when her footsteps made a different sound on the floor. It was wood, as opposed to the tile they were walking on earlier, and it creaked underneath their weight. A door closed behind them. "The suspense is killing me, Haruka-chan," she told the girl leading her.

"You can sit down now. But don't try to touch anything."

"Why not?"

"It'll bite."

"Haruka-chan!"

Haruka laughed. "I'm kidding, nothing in here will bite you."

Michiru slowly bent down and reached behind her till she felt the chair. Haruka let go of her hand and she heard something being placed beside her. She heard Haruka take a few steps away from her then heard her settling into a seat beside her. "Can I take the scarf off now?"

"No, wait till it starts." Haruka took a deep breath and exhaled. "The performer is a little shy."

Michiru was about to ask who the performer was until she heard a single note from a piano ring through the room. Other notes soon followed, connecting slowly with each other in a largo tempo. It was a very simple melody, but the impact it made on Michiru was overwhelming. She reached up and removed the scarf from her eyes. In front of her was a black Kawai grand piano. Beside her was Haruka, who sat on the bench with the black and white keys at her fingertips. In a way, it was hard for Michiru to believe that the girl who lived for speed was playing such a delicate melody at its slow, broad tempo. It didn't match her style. Then again, it was her style – so unpredictable, so elusive, and so carefree, just like the wind. The wind didn't always blow at record-breaking speeds. Sometimes it was gentle and soothing, like the song Haruka was playing.

I want to be with you now.

Those whispers, they were the same whispers she heard the last time she heard Haruka playing the piano. Those words were still on her mind, and now she was hearing them again. Michiru watched Haruka carefully and saw that her eyes were closed in deep concentration, as if she saw the piano better in her mind than in front of her eyes.

Haruka opened her eyes as she faded the song out to a closure. She kept her eyes on the keys and said, "That one's called Dearly Beloved. This next one is Eternity Memories of Light and Waves." Her voice was a little shaky, revealing how nervous she was, but her hands moved steadily. She began playing a sequence of notes in a more moderate tempo, building the volume up and then bringing it back down. Haruka repeated the sequence for a few more measures before bringing in the melody, which cascaded down from the right side of the keyboard.

I want to be with you now and forever.

As the music unveiled before her, it became clear that the whispers she heard were Haruka's words. Somehow, in her heart, she had always known they were Haruka's words, but now she was really hearing it. Song after song, Haruka played on and all Michiru wanted was the pianist's hands to caress her the way they caressed the keys of the piano. She wanted to take away all of Haruka's pain and replace it with all her love.

Several pieces later, Haruka announced, "For this last one, I'd like to ask the guest of honor to join me in a duet." She bent down and picked up the object she had placed beside Michiru earlier.

Michiru gasped. "How did you get my violin?"

"You really should keep a better eye on your things," Haruka said. "Oh, and your locker combination is easy to remember, too."

Michiru gave Haruka a scowl, but smiled as she took her violin case from Haruka and opened it up. She held the violin against her left shoulder and picked up her bow. After plucking the strings a few times, she made slight adjustments with the tuning pegs till she was pleased with what she heard.

"Ready?"

Michiru drew her bow across the strings and played a quick scale and arpeggio. "Ready."

The two musicians played their song together, improvising here and there, and feeding off each other's rhythm. The way Michiru's fingers moved expertly up and down the neck of the violin amazed Haruka. She had always felt a little sense of pride in being able to do the most complicated runs on the piano, but seeing Michiru match her skill and keep up with her on the violin was very impressive.

I want to be yours.

Haruka blinked. It was happening again. She was hearing whispers and she could hear the faint sound of the sea. It was unmistakable, considering all the time she'd spent at her secret beach.

Let me come to you. I want to be yours.

The tomboy stared at the violinist, her first love. The words made her realize it wasn't her troubles that she was always trying to run from, she was running from Michiru. All this time Haruka wanted her, but instead she was running from her. She had pushed Michiru away in fear of humiliating her, and yet the girl came back to her. She had denied her feelings when Michiru practically confessed her love to Haruka with a kiss, and yet the girl remained by her side while she was with another. And now, though they were friends, Haruka refused to let Michiru see her pain, but the other girl always knew how to make her feel better. She turned her attention back to the piano. Yes, Haruka cared for Shigeko, but no, she didn't love her. Michiru was her only love.

Their duet ended at last. Haruka applauded Michiru and made her blush. "How do you like your surprise birthday present?"

Michiru grinned. "It's the best! I love it! I don't ever want to forget this night."

"You won't. I told you the concert was being recorded live." She nodded in the direction behind Michiru and waved. Michiru turned around and saw a thin, cheerful-looking man, who she presumed to be Suzuki. He was sitting in front of recording equipment in the small room and he waved back and gave the thumbs up signal. "Now there's one more song I need to play for you before we're done here," Haruka said. She cracked her knuckles and stretched out her arms, preparing herself for the encore performance. "It'd be a disgrace to let you go home without it," said the pianist and she began playing a lively tune.

The song was Happy Birthday, but despite Michiru's pleas, Haruka refused to sing.

Back in the car, Michiru held her birthday present in her lap. She already knew she would be listening to the CD over and over again. They took the scenic route back to Michiru's house and cruised by the water before Haruka parked at the beach. Both girls got out and walked along the shore. The moon made the ocean look like it had diamonds floating on its surface. "Don't you just love how the water looks at night?"

"It's nice, but I prefer the way it looks right at sunrise," Haruka said. "There's that orange glow right on the horizon, and it grows warmer and warmer, like it's welding a bond between the sky and the sea. And then you get those golden sparks on the water when the sun comes up."

Michiru nodded. "Hmm, that's an interesting way to put it. So you think if you could hear the sunrise, it'd sound like a metal shop?"

Haruka thought for a moment, then said, "I don't know, but I can imagine the ocean sounding like whispers."

Michiru tilted her head and looked at Haruka. "It's funny you mention whispers."

"What do you mean?"

There was a long pause before Michiru said, "Haruka-chan, you hear something, don't you." Michiru's voice was soft, but striking. She wanted, no, she needed to know how Haruka felt. "You hear something when we play together."

Haruka's throat went dry. She tried to act oblivious. "Anou, there's a big difference from the last time we played it. It sounds a lot better this time, ne?"

Michiru groaned mentally. So help me, Ruka, I will get you to talk. "Hai, it sounds better with the actual instruments," Michiru said in an attempt to refer to their performance on the night they kissed.

It struck home. Haruka stopped walking and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Oh, you meant… not that time…" Michiru started stammering, acting like she had misunderstood Haruka's statement. "I'm sorry." She walked ahead. Maybe it's not the right time.

"No, don't apologize. It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. I mean, you're right, but either way, this time still sounded better," Haruka started rambling.

Stop avoiding it, stop running, the voice inside Haruka echoed in her mind as she stood there. It's not too late.

Suddenly Haruka's heart felt like it was ready to burst. So this is it. Haruka cleared her throat and walked up behind Michiru. "I hear you, Michi," she whispered as she held Michiru in her arms.

A/N: P. S. – I also don't own Dearly Beloved, it belongs to Yoko Shimomura for the videogame Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I own Eternity Memories of Light and Waves, it belongs to Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi for the videogame Final Fantasy X-2.

I'm going on another trip, a roadtrip this time, with my capoeira group to a batizado, but fortunately I will have my laptop with me in case I find time to write between driving and trying not to get kicked in the face, again.