Spoiler warning: I mention things that happen in the Thai version of the scary movie Shutter which may be directly correlated to the American version as well which I haven't seen. If you haven't seen it and don't want the movie to be spoiled…stop…somewhere along three fourths of the story I guess, watch the movie, and read the rest? If you don't mind, read away. Sorry for the inconvenience nonetheless.
Chapter 5: Sweet Moments
She was a dumbass…
Haruka rolled her eyes as she mentally smacked herself. What the hell did she just start?
What the hell did I do? I am such a…dumb…ass…
She peeled the potatoes roughly, sending its skin flying all over her counter.
They had the perfect relationship and she just couldn't wait to destroy it…apparently. One little realization…and she wanted to destroy it. She gritted her teeth as she cut the potatoes in fours, splashing them into a bowl of cold water. Turning to some carrots, she began to peel them in the same manner as the potatoes.
Just because it means something to me now, doesn't mean it means anything to her. We're still friends with benefits… nothing at all has changed that fact…except that it kind of means something to me now…
She growled inwardly in irritation.
Why does it have to mean something to me now…?
She cut the carrots meticulously and placed them in another bowl, grabbing another root and peeling that as well. She didn't pay heed to the approaching figure of the violinist and remained dutifully at her task. Michiru stood beside her until she finally looked at her, a confused, tired, and sad look upon the smaller woman's face.
"What's eating you?" Haruka asked stonily and deposited the rest of the cut carrots in the carrot filled bowl. It seemed like a dumb question, but she didn't want the most awkward silence in the history of their relationship to rear its ugly head.
Before she could grab the still semi-frozen chicken thawing on another bowl, in an attempt to busy herself, Michiru grabbed her unoccupied hand and held it, the look on her face doubling in sadness and confusion. The blonde sighed and laid the knife she held on the cutting board, the frown in her face matching the one beside her. She turned to the troubled violinist slowly, unlinked their hands and placed her arms across the other's waist. Leaning down so that their faces were only a couple inches apart, she wiped the frown off her face and gave a questioning look before bending down and kissing the younger woman's forehead.
"What's wrong?"
Michiru looked down at the missing buttons on the blonde's black dress shirt and laid her head on her shoulder. "Something's changed."
"Nothing's changed," Haruka stated with a small sigh. Whatever she was feeling could wait in the sidelines and she opted to just give it up this time…lie a bit for their sake. "It's just been a tiring day…for the both of us. A lot of curve balls were thrown and we decided to take them instead of letting them go. I'm sorry for prying…I was out of line."
The violinist made a small sound that sounded like a refute that made the taller woman look at her with a weary smile.
"You were right though," she said as she pushed aqua green curls behind the smaller woman's ears. "I don't have any business prying into your life…'cuz it's your life. I don't know why I forgot that fact…maybe I didn't and I just thought I could do something to right the situation, but I obviously went too far…so, sorry." Michiru looked up at her with pained sapphire eyes as she attempted to rub away the crease her eyebrows were making.
"Don't apologize," the violinist said softly and wrapped her arms around her neck. They hugged for a while, Haruka burying her face in Michiru's sweet hair as the latter nuzzled her neck, kissing her every now and then.
They broke apart after a while, both giving one another small smiles before the blonde turned back around to her task and began making dinner once more.
Some semblance of normalcy returned, and for now, she was more than able to accept that. Who knows…maybe this type of relationship with the violinist was all there was for either of them…a doomed one.
It started with fiery lust, continued with fiery lust, and will end when Michiru probably didn't need or want it anymore…But maybe she shouldn't be thinking of the end so soon.
Enjoy it while I can, I guess…
"Anything I can help with?"
Haruka stopped her morbid thoughts, looked around her and noticed that she had basically finished the prep work. "Get a pot and heat up some oil. We're going to make curry for dinner."
A genuine smile flitted on Michiru's face as she reached inside one of the pantries, being as familiar with the beach house, in her past two and a half month stay, as Haruka. Splashing a bit of olive oil in it, she turned the gas powered stove on and rolled the oil around the pot.
"Just out of curiosity," the blonde started, as she began cutting the still kind of frozen chicken. She figured she needed to talk in order to dispel the stupidity she said earlier. "Did dinner…did you get any dinner at all?"
The violinist gave a wry smile as she pulled one of the drawers to take out a large stainless steel spoon. "I ate…the two sake nigiri I ordered for the two of us and that was basically dinner."
Haruka smiled apologetically as she wrestled with the chicken a bit. "Your father's…such a character."
Sapphire eyes sparkled a bit at her as the smaller woman asked, "How was it by the way? I didn't realize you were with him the entire day…else I would've sent an apology letter."
The blonde chuckled. "He…is nothing like you…if anything, he's more like me."
Michiru nodded. "They're very different…my mother and father—
"Oh my God, your mother…" This time the violinist was the one to laugh. "I never personally met either of them…and neither did I care what a lot of people said about them being a kind of…yin and yang couple…but that was definitely stretching it."
"It was an arranged marriage…but you probably already guessed that," the aqua haired girl said with a small smile as she pushed the chopped garlic in the heated pot. It made a hissing sound as its aroma filled the air around them. "The merging of the top two tea companies in Japan that no longer wanted to be rivals, but friends."
Haruka nodded in understanding as she helped with pushing the chopped onion inside the pot too. "So, did they not like each other to begin with? And if I'm crossing any lines I shouldn't with my questions, feel free to just…tell me."
The smaller woman smiled up at her and leaned her head on her shoulder, mixing the onion pieces into the oil. "Ask away, don't be scared," she said softly and with a hint of apology. "And no, they didn't like one another to begin with. My mother was set on hating my father, and my father was set to making her fall for him…or at least that's what he used to tell me."
"I can understand that…I'd make someone who hated me like me just to prove them wrong."
Michiru laughed and nodded vigorously. "That was exactly what Otou-san's aim was. And, down the line, it had worked somewhat…until…"
She stopped in a trail, her smile sliding off and a sad look taking her face suddenly. That expression had by now become familiar to the blonde.
Biting back a sigh, the tomboy walked behind her and hugged her from the waist, resting her chin on her small shoulders. Reaching over for the chicken, she poured it over the pot as well, placing her hand over the hand that Michiru was holding the spoon on and helped her mix it all together. The smell of cooking food surrounded them as the violinist gave her a sad sideways glance.
"You really don't like gossip do you?"
Haruka rolled her eyes. "Your father said the exact same thing only a couple hours back…No, I don't care for gossip…why should I?" Michiru bit her bottom lip and leaned to her. The blonde met her in the middle and they shared a brief kiss. "It's funny when I know I said the right thing around you," she said and gave a boyish laugh.
"A lot of people talk amongst our circle you know."
"I didn't realize I was a part of a circle…"
The smaller girl pinched the blonde's cheeks and smiled. "Well you are. And if you were just a little bit of the gossipy type you'd know that your family's quite popular."
Haruka's thin eyebrows went up in skepticism as they continued to stir the pieces of meat in the pot. "Which means what to me?"
"Which means, it's normal knowledge that your dad died of cancer and that you took his spot."
Haruka smirked widely. "Oh, I see. Which really, really means you met up with me that second time knowing full well what my 'rain check' would entail. Michiru, I'm so flattered."
The violinist chuckled at the truth of the other's words as she shrugged. "I think… I may have been curious about you way before I wanted to be…" The blonde beamed causing the smaller woman to sigh. "You know if you weren't so good at the things you say you were good at, your arrogance would've made me leave by now."
"But I thought you thought it was a turn on?"
Michiru laughed. "You're burning the chicken…"
"Subject changer…" Haruka pushed her playfully out of the way and stirred the meat a little bit more before adding the proper spices.
"And your cooking. Your cooking's good too."
"Oh you weren't talking about my cooking before?" The tomboy smirked widely at her causing her to roll her eyes. "Don't worry, you're good too."
Sapphire eyes widened a bit. "Oh, you think so?"
Haruka nodded enthusiastically. "You cooked last week…it was pretty good." This definitely earned her a small slap. Laughing a bit at her boisterousness, she gave a questioning look at the violinist before asking, "Why do you need my opinion on the matter?"
"Maybe because you're the only woman I've ever slept with?"
"Why do you need my reassurance? Has a man ever told you, you weren't good in bed or something?"
Michiru smiled rather ruefully. "You always answer my questions with your own questions…why can't you just answer me straightly?"
Adding a bit of chicken broth into the pot as well as some coconut milk, Haruka closed it up with a lid before looking at the smaller woman seriously. "You're excellent…at everything you do. If no one's said it before with utter sincerity, I would be honored to be the first. I just don't ever say it, 'cuz I thought of all people, you'd know it already." The violinist smiled up at her before Haruka took her in her arms. "You never struck me as the…unsure type."
"I'm more unsure about myself than even I know…"
The taller woman smiled sadly before turning her around and leading her to the piano. "Come on, let's play while we wait."
Before Michiru could agree, seeing as this part of her visits was one of her favorite parts, she heard a silent, yet audible grunt escape from the blonde's lips. Looking up at hurt green eyes, she remembered the other's injured feet and shook her head immediately.
"Sit down on the sofa," she stated rather seriously.
Haruka looked at her in confusion before another smirk replaced it. "Hmm, well I did make that rule about being able to have sex while cooking as long as the stove's on low—
"I'm talking about your foot…" she cut off.
Haruka's smirk slid off as the run reminded her solely of her now mixed feelings. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
"You wouldn't unconsciously grimace like that if it wasn't anything to worry about. Now get on the sofa. Where's your first aid kit…if you have one?" Michiru seemed hell bent on tending to her injuries making the blonde surrender with an outward loud sigh. "And don't be so dramatic about it…it's only going to get worse if you leave it alone and keep walking on it."
Hobbling to her sofa she sat down on it and stretched her feet out, scowling a bit at how much such tiny cuts and contusions could hurt. "First aid's upstairs, in the guest bathroom."
Michiru disappeared for a bit giving Haruka ample time to frown at her injuries, even going as far as boldly picking at it. By the time the violinist came back downstairs, she was met with a hissing, contorted faced blonde who looked as if she was busy making the cuts bigger.
"Oh my God Haruka, stop it!" she almost yelled as she rushed to her with a washbasin in hand as well as a small first aid kit.
Haruka looked up at her then with the most childish face she's ever seen her sport: a face mixed with anguish, pain, curiosity, and just the right amount of mischief that made her chuckle in exasperation instead of chide, which she was more opting for.
Dropping the basin on the floor, she gave the blonde a serious look before saying, "Don't pick at it anymore. I'm going to get some warm water, we're going to wash your feet so you won't get infections…if you haven't already…and then bandage you up. Clear?"
Haruka nodded like a guilty child and watched the woman head to the kitchen. She heard the faucet go off momentarily before seeing her again, this time with a pitcher filled with cloudy, hot water. She knelt in front of the blonde and deposited the water into the basin before looking back up at her and motioning for her feet.
Sighing rather loudly, the tomboy submitted and sat down properly before placing her feet inside the basin. Pain shot up quickly causing her to almost raise her feet out of the boiling hot water until Michiru forced them down.
"Are you trying to kill me?!" she yelled as she shut her eyes in hopes of dulling the shots of pain shooting up her leg.
Michiru laughed. "You're such a baby…This whole time I had this preconceived notion that you put yourself in this high pedestal and here you are, crying over cuts and bruises on your feet."
"For your information, I had cuts and bruises on my feet before and I didn't cry then. It was when you shoved them into a bath of boiling water!"
"Melodrama…"
"Tch! It hurts!!"
"Shush! We still need to clean it and I'd appreciate it if you'd be a quiet, good little girl while I do so."
"Pfft!"
Michiru laughed in amusement at sparkling green eyes as she gathered the blonde's left foot into her hands and began washing and rubbing the grime and dirt off. "May I ask how you managed to do this to yourself?" she asked and tsked at the overall redness of her otherwise smooth foot.
"I needed to vent after dinner…" Haruka muttered and flinched every now and then at the pain emitting from her foot, but loving the affectionate touches the violinist was giving nonetheless.
"You said your way of venting was sex and driving—
"And I obviously couldn't drive 'cuz your father was hell bent on taking me to dinner and shoved me in his limo and you were obviously not…doable…at the time…so I ran!" the young CEO exclaimed.
Michiru chuckled at her bluntness and continued her nurturing. "Where did you go?"
"Lake…Hikari?"
Sapphire eyes widened up at her in shock. "Haruka, that's almost seven miles from the restaurant!"
"So? I just ran…I didn't think about going there…"
"How long did you run for?" The question was in apparent exasperation.
"Thirty…minutes?"
"With your loafers?"
"Yeah, and they hurt like hell after four miles so I chucked them in the lake…"
Michiru let out a long, drawn out sigh and looked up at Haruka sadly. "No more running with dress shoes and definitely no running without shoes…understood?"
Haruka rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother—owww!!"
The violinist gave her a fake smile as she stopped pressing her obviously hurt big toe. "What was that? I didn't hear you clearly."
"You're sadistic…" the blonde muttered and scowled at the perfect, beautiful smile gracing the smaller woman kneeling before her.
Michiru's smile widened into a genuine one as she concentrated on her task at hand.
"So…" Haruka stated, not really knowing what to do with herself. "How many of your boyfriends have you given foot massages to?"
The question came out of nowhere, but elicited the response she wanted, a tinkle of laughter escaping from her company seconds after it was uttered.
"That's out of nowhere," Michiru replied in between her laughter.
"Not really," the blonde shrugged with a smile. "It feels like you're massaging my foot and I just added the boyfriend part 'cuz I feel like being a conversationalist…it feels weird having your feet massaged in silence…"
Chuckling some more, the violinist got up from her position and stared down at the blonde. "I'm going to get a towel. Keep your other foot in the basin and keep that one off it."
She headed back upstairs as Haruka turned her feet around and noticed the blisters and redness engulfing the entirety of it. She smiled at the cleanliness of it and gave an appreciative look at the returning violinist, a huge white towel grasped in her hand. She knelt down in front of the blonde again and dried her foot before placing the towel on the floor for her foot to rest in.
"I can safely say that other than you, I have never given anyone else a foot massage…if this is considered one," she answered finally and set her attention on the other foot.
Haruka beamed proudly. "Tell me about one of them. You don't have to give out names or anything…just…let's talk."
Michiru smiled fondly at her words and rubbed a dirty, but obviously hurt area of her right foot. "My first boyfriend lasted for about a year…" she started and frowned, trying to remember something about it.
Haruka nodded and set her eyes on her observationally. She wanted to see how she would answer her—obviously with the truth, but she wanted to know if there were any other feelings that would surface from this bit of past searching.
"His name was Tokei Senshiro—
"Go figure…" She gave the blonde a chastising look as she was given a wide smile back. "Did you two make love music together?"
"No, but you obviously know him…which means Shizuka-san was right…you really are into classical music."
"His viola skills suck…"
"Don't say things like that—
"I'm just being honest…"
"Well regardless of his…viola skills…he was my first boyfriend," Michiru said in playful exasperation. "We met in high school through a music program that invited a lot of talented students from different schools to participate in and we were asked to perform a rather important duet somewhere in it. So we met up, got friendly…got curious—
"Had sex?"
Michiru shook her head. "I didn't want it to go that far."
"Why not?"
"I think I was too busy thinking about everything else…that I forgot how to be a girlfriend…or I just didn't care. We were still just friends after the music program, but it was after that, that we began to see one another after school and one day it got serious. He asked me out, I said yes because I couldn't say no for some reason, and it became a label…he was my boyfriend, I was his girlfriend."
"It sounds as exciting as his viola skills…"
Michiru bit back a laugh. "To tell you the truth, it wasn't exciting…I'm forcing myself to remember how it was…"
"How'd it last as long as a year?"
"It was around that time that we were both doing concerts. He was busy and I was busy and when we met up again we just both decided to end it because as you say so bluntly, it was a boring relationship."
"Hmm…" Haruka sounded as her foot was taken out of the washbasin and into the cold air. Michiru wiped it dry as well before setting it next to her other foot. "Thank you Michiru."
She received a small smile before the smaller woman busied herself again with opening an ointment she took out of the first aid box.
"I want to hear your first sexual relationship—
"Haruka, girls don't kiss and tell…"
"Don't know where you got such an obviously wrong rule…"
"So tell me yours and I'll tell you mine then."
Sapphire eyes looked up at her challengingly as she smirked. "You've realized that when you give me that look, I can't refuse you." It was a statement and not a question, and Michiru was inwardly congratulating herself for making the blonde say so out loud.
Haruka sighed. "Fine… high school…was boring. I went to a rich, straight laced school that although let me wear the men's uniform, had the most uptight girls that all I wanted to do there was run in the track team and graduate as soon as possible. I learned I didn't like guys early…since I learned that I really liked girls much earlier. Guys served as competition, girls served as eye candy."
Michiru laughed quietly giving Haruka time to pause to think.
"My first relationship was with Rai Keiko and that was when I started business school in Keio University. She was majoring in the same field and I'm not sure how it started…"
The violinist looked up at her questioningly as she shrugged. "Really? Or are you just saying that because you don't want me to know—
"I'm serious!" Haruka yelped. "We were in the same classes for our prerequisites and she took a liking to me I guess…'cuz I wasn't really paying attention to people at the time…I just really wanted to finish and get college over with.
"I think she asked me to do some homework with her…a meet up in the library or something like that and before I knew it we were making out…"
Michiru laughed. "You sound much cuter then than you do now, that's for sure."
The blonde stared evenly at her, clearly not amused before continuing. "We 'went out' for the better part of my stay in Keio. We were both diligent students, we got our things done, we had the same classes, and she taught me how to be a better person…you know, socially. And I thought everything was okay…until I found out she was testing the waters and was going out with a guy at the same time."
The smaller woman's smile slid off as she saw a flicker of anger course through the blonde's eyes until indifference replaced it all too quickly. "Do you remember what I said the second night we met up?"
"You don't like being the trial run."
Haruka nodded with disgusted smile. "As I said, she taught me all I really needed to know as to whom I should be in a relationship…and that is whatever that's not her. So after I found out about her debauchery, I completely dropped her, focused on schooling, forgot whatever it was she taught me about being a socialite and whatever else she managed to teach, graduated and took my mother's spot in Tenoh Corp. After that it's been a kind of teeter totter between one night stands and driving…a lot…usually the latter because…"
"You have the cars," Michiru stated and smiled up at the now smirking blonde that let her finish the all too familiar sentence.
"Yeah," Haruka nodded and smiled at her. "Thanks for listening to me…"
The violinist gave her an asking glance at the softness of her tone. "It's polite to listen when people talk—
"No, not like that!" the blonde cried crassly. "I meant thanks for listening to me before…remembering the trial run and the cars—
"Someone once told me that being friends with benefits doesn't have to merit as a sex only thing."
They shared an endearing smile as Michiru smoothed over the tape and gauze she covered the blonde's feet with one more time and got up. The taller woman reached over to her then and embraced her from the waist, resting her head gently on the violinist's smooth stomach. She felt her caress her hair as that familiar feeling of being important, and not in business matters, entered her body again.
It was times like this that made her realize why she had began caring for this smaller woman.
Yes, she was being true when she said "friends with benefits" don't only have sex, but she doubted they were so soft and caring to each other's problems and feelings as much as the two of them were to one another. She could feel the sadness reverberating from the smaller woman when she told her about Keiko. She could feel her comforting gestures now as she stroked her fingers softly through her scalp.
Leaning back, she looked up at kind, sapphire eyes and pulled her to her, the smaller woman's knees landing beside her and her entire body coming down with her and on the blonde.
She began reaching up to the violinist for a kiss before an index finger made its way to her lips, Michiru smiling softly as she gave a disappointed look. "I think we're going to burn the curry if we start now," she said softly in an almost whisper, but leaned down nevertheless to kiss Haruka.
It felt different to her…this kiss.
They've kissed so many times before already, but this one felt new. It wasn't raw or powerful. It wasn't so intoxicating that it was clouding her senses. It actually woke her up. She felt every movement against her body, hear every moan coming out of the smaller woman, and it served to tighten her grasp on her waist, kissing her deeper, searching for what's eliciting this new feeling.
It's 'cuz you love her…
That same voice taunted her again, but this time she didn't chastise it or push it away. She hadn't felt like this for so long…this feeling and knowledge that love and lust were two completely different things. But at the same time that she was reveling on this fact, the awareness that it felt only halfway of what it was shook her core.
Michiru doesn't feel the same. She doesn't even know you feel this way…She hasn't even realized things have changed…
And this train of thought was what caused her to abruptly stop their kiss.
Michiru looked at her in confusion for a second as she lowered her eyes, kicking herself for doing such an unexpected move. Clearing what she knew was a saddening look upon her face, she wore her old mask and looked up at the violinist with a smirk.
"You're right…the curry's going to get burned."
The smaller woman only smiled back and kissed her briefly. "Stay…I'll take care of it so you won't have to get up."
She nodded gratefully as Michiru stood up from their compromising position and headed to the kitchen.
Her fake smirk slid off as her sad frown took its place again. She wondered now if this was ever going to be possible again with her in this kind of state. Would it be possible to have sex with her and then seeing her afterwards as if it didn't matter?
She pressed her fingers over her temples, feeling it pulsate with pain once more.
She could. Of course she could. Because having sex was easier than making love. The real question should've been…did she want to?
"Haruka, do I put the carrots in first or potatoes?"
She smiled amidst her problem and called over her shoulder, "Put them in at the same time. Are you sure the curry tastes good?" She received an enthusiastic nod from the violinist as her stomach growled in protest. "I'm hungry…" she growled out loud and stood up, feeling the pain ring through her feet, but feeling the cushions making a difference there regardless.
"Sit," Michiru insisted. "I can take care of this…"
"I didn't say you couldn't," Haruka answered her and hobbled to the kitchen. "I just don't like being immobile…I'll set up the plates."
The smaller woman smiled softly and stirred the pot up a bit more before putting the lid back on it. The peculiar smell of curry wafted about them as the blonde reached up the cupboards and took two plates out along with chopsticks and glasses.
Remembering their conversation earlier, Haruka gave a wide smirk as she looked back at Michiru's busy form. "Oh, and don't think I forgot that you owe me your side of your first sexual encounter relationship…" The violinist let out a long drawn out sigh that caused her to chuckle. "I'd like it during dinner if you please."
She could feel her smile as she deposited the plates in their proper places, chopsticks to the right and glasses near it.
"No wine tonight," the smaller woman stated. "Curry's best with cold water."
"Yes ma'am," the tomboy could only reply and grabbed a pitcher from another cupboard, filling it to the brim with cold water from the refrigerator.
"Haruka?"
The young CEO looked at her questioningly as she placed the pitcher on the table as well.
"You never talk about your mother…should I not ask?"
Haruka smiled as she set out to grab two bowls to fill their rice in. "You never asked."
"Is it okay to ask about it?"
The blonde nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"What's she like?"
"You trying to score points with my mother so you can get together with me easier?" Haruka asked with laughter in her voice.
Michiru only chuckled. "It might surprise you to learn this Haruka, but the world doesn't revolve around you."
"Well that's too bad…the world would be so much more exciting if it was," the tomboy retorted easily. Getting a bit more serious, she stated, "She's the mother I've always wanted. Like my father, she was lenient with me from the start. She forced dresses on me until I was…ten…when I burned all of them in the fireplace."
The violinist laughed merrily as a picture of a chibi Haruka ran through her mind, grabbing all her dresses from her closet and running downstairs to throw them all in the fireplace.
"My father thought it was funny and after she calmed down a bit, 'cuz apparently all the dresses were very expensive, she asked me why I did it and I told her easily, 'I don't like wearing dresses.' After that she didn't force me into them as much as she used to, although she still tried on occasion." Haruka smiled fondly at the memories and placed the rice bowls near their plates.
"Does she know that you like women?"
"Doesn't the world know I like women?"
"Well if she's anything like you, she's not the gossipy type and wouldn't know."
"She met Keiko." This bit of information kind of stunned the aqua haired girl. "She genuinely liked her and she thought she was perfect for me, until our relationship ended and I told her about what happened. She was furious to say the least…I mean it was bad enough that we were rich, but she wanted to do everything in her power to hunt Keiko down…took everything I had to stop her from doing it too…" Haruka smiled as her mother's protective face came into view.
"Would she like me?"
This question took her aback as she looked at Michiru seriously who gave a serious look back. "If she got to know you I'm pretty sure she would. She'd question our relationship—
"You'd tell her we have a casual relationship?"
"Nope, I'd tell her we were friends with benefits…how you call it kind of cushions it." Haruka smirked up at her and sat down on her spot. "I don't hide a lot from my mother and she does me a favor by doing the same."
The violinist smiled and turned off the stove. "It sounds like a lovely relationship."
The sadness in her tone wasn't missed by the blonde. Not wanting to sound too morose she asked, "Who are you closer to?"
A thoughtful look came over Michiru's soft features as she grabbed a big bowl and placed some of the curry inside it. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly and walked to the table, putting the bowl on it.
She sat on her spot as they both raised their chopsticks and in unison stated, "Itadakimasu."
With all pleasantries aside they began eating, Haruka looking at Michiru the entire time she was chewing on a piece of carrot.
A small sigh elicited from the younger woman before she took some water and stared evenly at the blonde. "Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, second year. His name was Shorai Daisuke, he played the cello, and he was a sempai. Happy?"
Haruka grinned before laughter came out. "Well that was monotonous. Was he any good?"
"Haruka…"
"Fine…who's better? Me or him?"
Michiru sighed before resuming her dinner. Swallowing some chicken and a blush forming slowly on her cheeks she stated softly, "You…"
The tomboy decided to finally drop it, but still kept a firm grin on her face.
As silence finally enveloped the table, the violinist looked up to a still smiling, eating blonde and asked, "Is it imperative for you to always be number one?"
Haruka looked up at her questioningly. "No—
"Then why did you have to ask that?"
"You didn't have to answer it—
Michiru sighed. "You don't strike me as the unsure type."
The blonde laughed at the familiarity of her words. "I'm not an 'unsure type'. I just wanted to know who was better—
"Why?"
"Ego boost?"
The smaller woman rolled her eyes.
"What's the difference? Is there a difference? I hope to God there's a difference…"
Sapphire eyes twinkled in amusement. "If I were to tell you there is none?"
"You should go to him instead…'cuz you don't have to hole yourself up if—
"Don't say that…"
She didn't mean to sound bitter, but maybe it came across that way. "Didn't mean that," she stated quietly, the playfulness gone from her voice.
The comfort level fell from the table, the two of them ending dinner with their appetite ebbing away more than feeling full from it. Michiru gathered the plates up as Haruka got up and helped her.
The violinist gave a smile and stated, "Go upstairs. I'll take care of this. You shouldn't be on your feet for too long."
Feeling that debating probably would take her into deeper water, Haruka only nodded and made her way upstairs. Every step she took to get there felt heavier than the last, a huge sigh escaping from her every now and then.
Her feelings had affected her more than she wanted to let on…and that was definitely bringing her down. For the second time that night, she trudged to her somewhat untidy bed and plopped face down on it again. She didn't know what's gotten into her…because normally she wouldn't have said something so…uncouth, given their relationship.
I shouldn't get too comfortable…
And for the millionth time that day, she wanted to inwardly smack herself. Frowning, she raised her hand and did exactly that…
Wake the hell up…
A loud sound echoed through the room followed closely by her grunt. Her cheek stung a bit, but nothing she couldn't get over as her statement rang through her ears again. That was so uncalled for and she knew it.
Maybe we should just sleep tonight… she thought morosely.
Her ears picked up the small noises Michiru made as she climbed up the stairs and closed her eyes tightly, a frown firmly etched on her face. She felt the smaller woman enter the bedroom, noticed the shuffling to her, and discerned her presence completely as the bed made a shift to her left.
Taking out what had to be a look of disappointment, more for herself than anything, her green eyes found worried sapphire orbs staring up at her.
She decided to make a jest…just to relieve the tension that had obviously never left. "Sex now or later?" She planted a tiny smile just to show the other girl that it wasn't meant to be such a crass sentence, although it kind of was, but all she received was a shake of the head.
Michiru laid next to her, their eyes never unlocking.
Haruka swallowed audibly, knowing what she just did may have risen the tension between them more than anything. Her heart felt heavy and if she were to look into the other's deep sapphire eyes any longer, it wouldn't have been good for either of them, so she opted to turn her head the other way instead.
She heard the violinist sigh and felt her fingers brush her hair moments after. "I called up Satoshi-san—
"You're leaving early tonight?" She wanted to smack herself again. Her brashness finally managed to crawl under Michiru's skin. Closing her eyes because of the headache that had managed to grow, she curled her hidden hand up into a fist and gritted her teeth slowly.
As her jaws were just beginning to join her tight posture, warm hands enveloped her from behind and she felt the smaller woman lie on top of her, her arms coiling around her neck. She opened her eyes again and met up with Michiru's soft look.
Not knowing what to say, she cleared her throat audibly and apologized. "Nothing, but bad things have been happening all day today, so sorry. I guess we should end it early…"
A smile flitted on Michiru's features as she leaned in and kissed what looked to her like an adorable, apologizing blonde. "I called up Satoshi-san to rent us a movie for the night…I told him to choose something he thought we'd both like so he's coming over to drop it off when he decides on it."
Haruka blinked at her as realization dawned on her quickly. Embarrassed that she probably looked so emo the entire time, she turned her head the other way again, but not before the violinist could see the smile come back on her face.
"But if you really want me to go—
In one fell swoop, Haruka had turned to her again and was kissing her, fiercely. She managed to turn her entire body around to accommodate their positions and after a couple seconds had the upper hand by being the one on top.
She buried herself in the kiss to vent off the frustrations regarding herself and the events of the day and just reveled at the familiar feel of the Michiru's lush lips and just as energetic tongue. She wanted to lose herself in it and wondered just slightly enough what the difference would be physically if they were to make love rather than have sex.
Nibbling her soft lips, she moaned involuntarily at the prospect of knowing the two would somehow be different regardless of the actions being the same and felt herself grow hotter at the thoughts of taking the smaller woman under her not out of lust, but love.
She began trailing her kisses down to the violinist's smooth neck, sucking and licking at the hot flesh beneath her. More than once that day she wished that she hadn't begun feeling more than she had started to feel for the aqua haired girl. It had made things so much more complicated than she wanted it to be…but at the same time she knew their agreement was still wholly paramount and the moment Michiru didn't need her anymore, she'd have to stop regardless of how much it would hurt in the end.
A loud buzzing noise stopped her ministrations as the smaller woman let out a sexy, throaty sigh. She stopped swiftly and propped herself up on her elbows, giving the woman under her a wide smirk.
It looked as if all the violinist wanted to do was chuck her phone against the wall, but she pressed the talk button regardless and answered it, albeit slowly and with a hint of annoyance. "Yes…oh…I'm sorry Satoshi-san…yeah I'll come down to get it. Thank you very much."
Haruka stifled her laughter as Michiru gave her a look that screamed lust.
"But I thought you said no sex tonight?"
She received a playful slap as the smaller woman smiled tiredly at her. "Off then. I'm going to get the movie…"
The blonde rolled off, her tongue sticking out towards the frowning violinist. "That's what you get for changing the plans so suddenly!"
She only received a look that was clearly not amused before Michiru completely disappeared from sight. Haruka grinned, glad that the other woman decided not to leave like she thought she would. Sighing out of relief more than anything, she reached for the remote sitting on her bed stand and turned the hanging, large plasma TV on.
When Michiru came back with one DVD on hand, the DVD player was already on and ready to do its job.
"Do you like scary movies?"
Haruka frowned. Maybe having sex was the better idea… "What…is it?"
Michiru glanced at the morbid and dark cover and read out loud, "Shutter. It's Thai, but it has Japanese subtitles so it's understandable."
Now Haruka definitely did not want to look as if she was a chicken about this matter, but she didn't know how to refute the smaller girl without giving away the fact that, no…she did not like scary movies…not at all…
"What's the synopses?" She figured the stalling technique was her best hand at the moment.
Turning the DVD cover around, Michiru stated, "Apparently the main character keeps seeing this girl in his pictures and she starts haunting him."
An involuntary shiver crawled up Haruka's spine as she pulled the blankets from her bed off their almost tidy position. "It's up to you," she said quickly in what she hoped sounded like a noncommittal statement. "I'm feeling pretty sleepy so…"
She trailed off and Michiru literally grinned at seeing the apparent and obvious lie seething from the blonde's features. "But just a couple moments ago, you were so energetic. What happened to that?"
"It passed…really, really quickly…'cuz you left the room and poof! It just vanished…and now I'm really, really sleepy…"
Michiru chuckled and opened the DVD cover, noticing the blonde swallow nervously. She pulled the CD off and popped it on the waiting player, eyeing an anxious tomboy as she did so. The surround sound turned up quickly and all too soon, a rich, albeit creepy instrumental flooded the entire room. Scenes of the movie flashed through the menu making Haruka's green eyes widen. Before she could protest, the violinist clicked the lights off and joined her already blanket laden host.
"M-Michiru…"
"Don't be such a blanket hog," the smaller woman teased and scrolled to the set up menu. A black figure enveloped the screen before the menu popped up and after she set the subtitles to Japanese, pressed play hurriedly.
She pulled the blanket over her body and grinned at the tomboy who had successfully managed to writhe deep enough into the blanket to look as if she couldn't see the television screen, but knowing all too well that she could.
As the movie started with Michiru in a sitting position, her back leaning into the wooden head board and Haruka still deep into the blanket they were both sharing, the sound seemed to already be affecting the blonde.
"Maybe we should turn it down a bit…" she stated as she read the subtitles with one of her eyes semi-closed. Never mind the fact that it was a relatively normal scene in which a bunch of friends were sitting around, playing cards, drinking, and having an overall good time.
Michiru smirked. "Why?" she asked in her melodic tone.
"N…neighbors might complain…"
This statement definitely made the smaller woman laugh. "Haruka, you don't have neighbors. The closest beach house to this one is probably a half a mile away…"
"Fish sleep too you know…"
And this endearing statement was what broke the camel's back. The blonde looked annoyingly at her as she laughed, louder, harder, and definitely not as ladylike as she should've normally been.
Haruka huffed and frowned at the television, her arms crossing across her laying body.
O--O
There was no doubt in her mind that the face the blonde was sporting right now had to be the cutest, most endearing sight she's ever seen. Who knew she was afraid of scary movies of all things? And the fact that not one single scary scene has happened yet definitely earned her a few inward laughs.
But she missed her body and even if her presence was still in the room, the want to be nearer to her and actually touch her surged through the violinist's system.
"Haruka, come here." Her voice was lilting, devoid of humor and instead filled with kindness. "I want to hug you."
Emerald orbs eyed her before the blonde took one little look at the party scene that had not changed from the movie and crawled to her. As she sat in front of her, Haruka clearly not knowing what to do with herself and probably more aware of the movie that was happening behind her, Michiru reached over to her and unbuttoned what was left of her dress shirt. The blonde gave a hopeful look that they would just have sex rather than watch the movie which the smaller woman squashed all too soon with an exasperated smile.
"Let's get into night clothes so we can be more comfortable watching okay?"
Haruka nodded in obvious disappointment as Michiru pulled the rest of her dress shirt off. Getting up from the bed momentarily, she took two shirts and a pair of cottony shorts from the taller woman's closet and cabinet before sitting back down on the bed. She eyed the blonde as she unbuckled her belt and unzipped her pants, a small action that elicited an excited response within her that she needed to crush. The blonde pushed her pants off and smirked at the glazed eyes Michiru was sporting her before she took her sweet time to grab the shorts and put them on. She did the same with the shirt as the younger woman looked appreciatively on.
"Like what you see?" Haruka asked with the smirk still on her face.
"Yes…definitely," was the low reply.
Sighing loudly to quell her jumping hormones, Michiru sought to do the same to the blonde and raised her long curly hair, exposing her back. "Unzip me."
Not needing to be told twice, Haruka reached for her and easily pulled the zipper down, getting the reward of the silky black dress falling smoothly off of creamy, succulent shoulders. The violinist stood up on the bed and let the dress fall all the way to her feet, her long legs kicking it out of the way. Turning around, she smiled seductively at the look of hunger gracing her company's face. It could've been the fact that she took off her dress…or the fact that she wasn't wearing any bra when she decidedly put it on that morning. She was leaning more towards the latter as she saw Haruka swallow what seemed to be an accumulation of water in her mouth.
"Haruka, stop drooling," she chastised with a laugh.
The blonde swiped her mouth with her tee before retorting, "I can't help it if you're standing in front of me half naked…"
The violinist decided to end it and sat back down, putting the borrowed t-shirt on herself, but not before giving an outward grin. Before she could continue on her little inward victory dance though, her eyes widened at the scene the television was making which caused the blonde to turn around in curiosity, right in time as the surround sound boomed the loud sound of tires squealing and a girl's body thudding loudly into the protagonist's car.
"Ho-ly crap!" Haruka stated with obvious fear in her voice and lunged to Michiru's form, burying her face into the smaller woman's shoulders.
The violinist's laughter echoed in the dark room as her arms embraced the tomboy's body. She leaned back and looked at her fondly before staring back at the television screen.
"Why's it so quiet? What're they doing?" Haruka asked, looking up at her. "They're speaking Thai! I can't understand it!"
"Then watch!" Michiru yelled with an amused smile in her face.
"I…can't…" the young CEO said dejectedly. Her ears picked up the sound of the car as she asked, "Are they leaving? Did they even check if the girl's okay? Good God, no wonder he's going to be haunted…"
"The scary scene's over…now turn around and watch with me," the smaller woman pleaded and gave her forehead a kiss.
Haruka seemed to be debating within herself for a while, making small noises of refute every now and then until she turned around and faced the television, leaning into the violinist who was by now comfortably leaning on her pillow as well as the head board. Michiru embraced her from behind and rested her head on top of the taller woman's, kissing her sweet smelling hair every now and then to quell the fear she knew was surmounting inside the blonde's somewhat calm exterior.
The violinist inwardly congratulated herself for the wonderful idea of watching a movie as well as inwardly thanking her trusty chauffer for picking out a wonderful film. It let her see another side of the blonde—a side she wouldn't soon forget. Not because it was funny to see her jump at every sound her fabulous speaker system seemed to make at every intensely silent scene, but because she saw another facet to the taller woman's personality. She doubted anyone in the world, other than her parents, knew she was deathly afraid of scary movies…and this little bit of certainty made her swell in pride for some reason.
She hugged her tighter and gave a small kiss to her earlobe. Haruka smiled at her as they shared a brief kiss…and it was times like this that made her wonder whether they were doing this whole "friends with benefits" relationship correctly.
Were other people stuck in this same web of lust and lies so…open? She couldn't remember a time with the blonde when she felt she couldn't say anything to her other than the clipped and cold subject that was her parents. Other than that, they had spoken about nearly everything, starting with her feelings and ending with the blonde's mother. Haruka openly told her about Keiko, and although she kind of half assed her story on the part of Daisuke, she told that part about herself to the tall woman as well. And the way that conversation ended…she knew she still had to right it. Her offhand comment or question of her relationship with Haruka and Daisuke were completely false—they're nothing alike…from the way they spoke to her to the way they made her feel…there was nothing similar about it. She just wanted to get a reaction…and she definitely got it. She would right it…definitely…
But for now, she reveled at enjoying seeing flashes of surprise and anxiousness gracing the blonde's usually vigilant and frowning features.
Oh you would so lose your reputation of being a snarky CEO if people were to see you like this Haruka…
"Oh my God, what the hell's wrong with her mother? Why the hell would you want to keep that in your house??" she asked in irritation while pointing at the television accusingly.
Michiru could only laugh and hold her closer. "She loves her Haruka…if you loved someone and couldn't let them go, you'd do the same thing."
The blonde enthusiastically shook her head. "You would keep a corpse of…your daughter in your house just 'cuz you love her so much?? Bury that damn thing!"
The violinist laughed some more, the enthusiasm of the other girl getting to her. Looking at the television, she off handedly commented, "Hmm, but I doubt she'll stop haunting him just because they decidedly buried her."
Haruka sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that…"
And of course…she was right. It was a pretty good, tasteful scary movie…one with a clear moral.
"Yeah…don't rape a girl, make a video of it, make her kill herself, and think she won't latch herself on your shoulder for the rest of your life in crazy-Asian-girl-ghost-form…" Haruka muttered and turned the TV off.
Michiru's soft laughter permeated the very dark room as she uncoiled her arms from the blonde's shoulders. She stopped all too suddenly though as the tomboy's hands reached up to her retreating arms and grabbed a hold of them. The violinist could only smile at the sudden action and embraced her again, pulling her on the bed and hugging her effectively from behind.
"You mind if I face you instead of this wall that looks like it's moving, but probably isn't 'cuz my mind's playing tricks on me?"
Michiru chuckled. "Of course not Haruka," she said softly and loosened her embrace momentarily to let the blonde change positions before hugging her again.
Haruka sighed. "I…don't like scary movies…"
The smaller woman's chuckle doubled in octave as she touched their foreheads together. "It's okay to be scared once in a while."
"Yeah, but a stupid thing like scary movies?"
"I thought you were rather cute."
The blonde laughed and gave her a chaste kiss. "You would…"
They bathed in comfortable silence, the aqua haired woman's eyes adjusting to the darkness and seeing the sparkle of what should've been dark green orbs looking up at her. Swallowing, she reached up to the other's golden locks of hair and brushed it, smiling at the audible sigh of content coming from the taller woman.
"It's different." Her voice echoed through the room quietly, Haruka's dark eyes locking intensely with hers. "It's so different that I would rather choose being holed up with you than be seen publicly with him." She saw the smile widen before smiling herself. "Goodnight Haruka."
"Night." Silence surrounded them momentarily before a tiny, "Oh, and if I wake you up 'cuz I can't sleep…I'm sorry."