14

In the early afternoon, Michiru was sitting on the couch, a soft smile playing on her lips, as she nodded her head slightly. Her fingers taping softly against her own knee, as she listened to Hotaru playing the violin.

She was quite surprised at the black haired little girl, as she was learning quite fast how to work her small, slender fingers on the instrument.

The girl was standing right next to her, a concentrated frowned on her face, as she carefully but beautifully played the song Michiru had taught her.

A little blonde girl was sitting with them, right next to the grand piano. Her legs swinging in the air, as she listened to her friend's music, a wide smile on her pretty little face.

And when Hotaru's song ended, she clapped her hands excitedly "Play again, play another song!" she exclaimed, happily.

"I'm still learning, Kari" Hotaru said to her, smiling softly at the younger girl.

"Oh, I know!" the little blonde exclaimed, looking at Michiru now "You can teach her that sea song!"

Michiru frowned, surprised at the girl's comment "You mean 'Ocean's secret'?" she asked, referring to one of her own songs.

"Yeah, that one!" Hikari said, smiling "And then my mommy can teach me to play it too, so I can play with Hotaru!" she said, all excited.

"But, sweetie, you play the piano, not the violin" Michiru said, returning the smile.

"But my mommy plays it all the time" she said, frowning and pouting cutely.

And when she noticed the tall blonde woman coming from the kitchen, she ran to her and grabbed her hand, dragging her into the living room with them.

"Mom! Teach me that sea song!" she said, sitting in front of the piano, and dragging her mother down with her.

Michiru looked at the tall blonde woman "You play 'Ocean's secret' on the piano?" she asked "You wrote a counterpart?"

"Not really" Haruka answered, somewhat embarrassed "I just fool around a little..." she mumbled.

"Yes, you did" Hotaru said, smiling at her, and giving the violin back to its rightful owner "Here, play the song" she said to her "It sounds great with the piano. And I bet it sounds even better live!"

"Please, mom? Play with Michi!" Hikari begged, still pulling from her mother's hand.

Haruka looked at the aquamarine haired woman, and when she smiled at her, tilting her head and making her curls brush against her shoulders, the blonde woman let out a sigh and gave up.

"Ok" she said, looking at her daughter "But I'm gonna need my hand back"

The girl let go of her hand, and the tall blonde woman took a deep breath, before nodding her head to the aquamarine haired woman.

Michiru smiled, positioning the violin under her chin, and started playing. Her blue eyes studying the blonde, curiously. And then she wondered how she managed to keep on playing without skipping a note at all, as the tall blonde woman started playing the piano next to her.

It was perfect.

Only, perfect didn't even match it. Not even close. Because the way the sound of the piano complemented the soft whisper of her violin was simply amazing.

She had never really considered making a duet out of any of her songs. But listening to the soft song coming from the piano, she could easily imagine just how magnificent it would be to always play like this...

When the song came to a soft, fading end, she looked at the tall blonde woman, locking eyes with her. God, she's so perfect, she thought to herself.

"That was great!" Hotaru's voice got their attention back to reality, and Haruka cleared her throat, blushing slightly.

"That was..." Michiru tried to put into words her amazement "When did you...? I mean, how..."

"We listen to your music all the time" Hotaru provided as an explanation, smiling at the aquamarine haired woman "And you always sound so great, I wanted to be just like you!" she exclaimed.

Michiru smiled warmly at her, and then looked at the tall, still blushing blonde woman.

"Mom, can you adopt her?" Hikari asked, looking up to her mother, and pointing at the violinist.

Haruka chuckled "No, baby, I can't do that"

The girl pouted "Yes, you can!" she insisted "You did it with Hotaru"

Michiru smiled, and knelt down to look into the little girl's green eyes "I'm too old for your mom to adopt me, sweetie" she explained, her eyes flickering to the tall blonde's.

"Oh" the girl said, looking sad. But then she looked up at her mother again "Can we keep her, then?"

"You can't 'keep' people, Kari" Hotaru said, giggling at the smaller girl's question.

"Why not?" she asked again, now looking at Michiru "I like you" she declared, pouting.

The front door got open then, and in walked Makoto and Minako, both girls with bags in their hands, carrying their groceries inside.

A frowning, annoyed looking Nephrite walked in right after them.

"Ok, we brought ice cream!" Minako exclaimed, smiling at the girls "Who wants some?" she asked, and then she giggled as both girls jumped up, excited.

Michiru went to help them with the groceries, earning a grateful smile from her friend. She took one last look at the blonde still siting on the piano, before she disappeared down the hallway, and into the kitchen.

Hikari and Hotaru went running right after her, leaving one blonde woman sitting on the piano. But then Hikari came running back, throwing herself at her mother's neck and hugging her, sitting on her lap.

"I know!" she exclaimed into her mother's chest, looking up at her "I'll ask her if she wants to be my mommy too!"

Haruka blushed at that one.

"No, princess, you can't ask her that" she said, looking at the little girl's frowning face, and trying to find the right words to explain to her why she couldn't ask such a thing.

But when the explanations that came to her mind were nowhere near child-permitted, she let out a sigh, blushing lightly at her own thoughts "We can't keep her, Kari. She has a life to go back to"

"But I like her" the girl said, pouting.

"I know you do, baby, I know" she said, brushing her soft blonde bangs out of her eyes. I like her too, princess, she added, mentally.

"Maybe we can make her stay" Hikari ventured, tilting her head and deep in thought. She looked up to her mother and kissed her on the cheek, smiling "I love you, mommy"

Haruka smiled warmly at her "I love you too, princess" she said, kissing her forehead "All the way up to the sky, and all the way back..."

"Over and over again!" the girl finished for her, giggling.