Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^ This fanfic is my attempt to 'guess' what happened between Haruka and Michiru after they met. And thus it takes place after Haruka accepted her senshi duties. C&Cs are much appreciated. < > represents a character's thoughts. LIVING WITH MICHIRU By GSL Yesterday was a very weird day, even for a person like her. To begin, her foundations in life were uprooted and any semblance of normal life would never be seen again. It was astonishing to know that the sailormoon gang was real. And how was it possible that she was a senshi like them? And did she really have to wear that fuku? She would catch a cold one of these days. To be the best F1 racer was what she wanted, not a senshi. To save the world, was she capable of that? Images of Kaioh Michiru began to flash through her mind... at the race track, the cruiser, and finally as a fuku-clad Senshi during yesterday's attack. Haruka began to blush. And Haruka simply did not blush, that was totally out of character for her. She had seen many beautiful women before, why should Kaioh be any different? Though not many appear in her dreams and even nightmares too. The Silence, it was coming. And they were supposed to stop that by finding three talismans. Michiru had went in length about their mission yesterday night even when Haruka had insisted that she rest after sustaining the daimon attack. She found out that she couldn't argue with Michiru, there was no way she could win. Every word the Neptune senshi said seemed to draw her breath away, how could she argue when she had to keep reminding herself to breathe? Her daydreaming was brought to a standstill when the teacher cleared her throat. Haruka would have paid no mind to her, except that there seemed to be a new classmate for them. a mantra repeating in her mind as her eyes grew wide at the new girl. The teacher called for attention again. "We have a new student today." Turning towards the girl beside her, the teacher continued, "please introduce yourself?" "Good morning, I'm Kaioh Michiru." As the leading lady in her dreams and nightmares spoke, Haruka couldn't believe her eyes. Michiru was injured from yesterday's attack. her mind added. She should be in bed, resting, recuperating. Also there was a question of how she changed schools that quickly. Michiru quickly scanned the room full of hormonal teenagers until their eyes met. "Pleased to meet you." Haruka knew that Michiru was speaking to the whole class and not to her specifically. But then, Michiru gave a mega-watt smile when she was facing her directly. At that moment, Haruka thought her heart had stopped. There was a huge commotion when it came to where Michiru would sit. Never had the teacher had so many volunteers to help guide a new student, even though it was obvious that male hormones were the cause of it. Michiru had asked to sit next to her, citing that they were acquaintances. That was fine, Haruka wouldn't want her sitting next to some guy but why did she feel so self-conscious all of a sudden? She could feel the glares from the male population of the class. It was an annoyance at best but nevertheless a good distraction against the sweet smell of her partner's perfume. "Haruka?" Hearing her name, she turned awkwardly towards Michiru, smiled nervously and waited for Michiru to continue. "Are you alright? You seem nervous." Michiru was critically examining her, which made her even more fidgety. "Nothing," Haruka replied, trying to be indifferent. Michiru frowned which wasn't a good thing in Haruka's opinion. "I'm just surprised that you've joined my school," she quickly added. Michiru had a smile on her face and left it at that, observing that the teacher was looking in their direction. Miraculously, Haruka managed to endure until break time. Then to her utter dismay, half of her class started crowding round Michiru. There was a certain discomfort when she saw Michiru talking freely to the boys. She wanted to ignore it, leave and get some lunch. Michiru was a big girl, she could take care of herself. But her willpower wasn't enough to do just that. "Michiru, didn't you ask me to show you the school? So, let's start now." Haruka tried not to sound too enthusiastic. She pulled the girl out of the crowd, tightened the hold she had on her hand and went to find some secluded corner. -------------------------------------------------------------------- After checking that the storage room was devoid of any other beings except the two senshis, Haruka locked the door and walked towards Michiru. Michiru was already waiting for Haruka. Seeing her partner approach, she began, pre-empting the blonde's questions. "I came here so that we can be together." Haruka's mouth was left wide hanging as a sweatdrop loomed heavily on her head. Michiru stifled a giggle and continued, "We are partners, it's best to stay together since we don't know when the next daimon attack will be. Besides you are still new, I can guide you with the new powers and ease you into this new life." "Umm, yeah." It did sound logical to her and it wasn't that bad to have Michiru around. Thinking back to last night, Haruka remembered a Michiru who was wincing from the cuts on her back. And now, she appeared to be in the pink of health. "But are you well to be in school?" "Were you concerned about me?" Michiru asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Haruka was stunned momentarily, "Uh, we are partners. You were protecting me. Of course I'm worried about a friend's health." her mind congratulated. Michiru smiled at her partner's defensive tone, "Senshis have higher healing rates than normal people. Honestly, I appear to be fine but I still can't do anything strenuous now. So you have to protect me for these few days." While this was true, she was sure that Haruka would be in a protector mode for months to come. And she was not complaining. Even though Haruka seemed to be receiving quite a lot of shocks... "So, your home or mine?" "Huh?" "Where do you want to stay? Mine or yours?" "What!" "I thought I said that we have to stay together. We need to build camaraderie. We need to know each other thoroughly so that we can fight more effectively as partners." It was a convincing speech, Michiru knew that. Looking at Haruka's face that held a truly confused expression, she went for the kill. "Do you have something to hide from me? You bring home boys and you don't want me to be around." Haruka shook her head vehemently. "Then it's set. I guess mine is a better choice since it's not rented and bigger too. I'll help you move in after school." Michiru tried not to grin too wide. Looking at Haruka, she couldn't help but feel that the world was becoming a much better place. Haruka couldn't argue since she was already lost in Michiru's deep blue eyes. She was going to live with her. She didn't know whether the idea was a good one but the decision had already been made for her. Anyway, no harm could come out of it, right?! ------------------------------------------------------------------- (Two months passed) Haruka felt different today. This was the first race since she accepted her duties as a senshi and it had been two months since she moved into Michiru's house. She glanced towards her companion walking alongside with her, smiling. And then she realised why she felt different. She was walking in a slower pace than usual. Well, that was one of the things that she had to sacrifice. Walking in top speeds, in Michiru's mind was unladylike especially since there was no emergency. So she had to make her strides shorter to match Michiru's pace. Luckily Michiru didn't forbid her from driving at horrendous speeds. Also she discovered new responsibilities in having a housemate. She had to report her whereabouts, couldn't stay up too late to practice racing or fine-tuning her car. On the other hand, it made her felt belonged with someone to go back to every night. She was no longer solitude. It was an amazing two months for both of them, getting used to each other's habits, learning of each other's limits. They trained together, ate together, but did not sleep together _yet_. Haruka would brush away the thought as soon as it dared to make an appearance in her head. She was not comfortable with these feelings emerging within her. Afterall, Michiru was straight, how could she not be? "Haruka?" Michiru asked. "Hmm?" "You seemed to be in deep thoughts. That's unlike Haruka. Quick, where's the real one!" No longer a rich girl alone in a big mansion, Michiru found herself much happier when Haruka moved in. It was odd to see this side of Michiru. She was always composed in other people's eyes. But when they were alone, Haruka had found that she could be very playful if she wanted to be. But Haruka was the only one who could see this side of her. "Ha ha, very funny." "No sense of humour." Michiru pouted. Haruka smiled inwardly and increased her pace, knowing that Michiru would catch up. Once she was in her garage at the race track, she could see her crew still doing some last minute checks on her car. She greeted them and in return she received gasps. "Haruka, who's the lady behind you?" Yuuji asked, giving the evil eye. He was one of the mechanics, very efficient in handling cars and women. He had managed to amaze Haruka with his knowledge of cars and hence they had gotten along very well. "Yeah, is she your new girlfriend?" Hata added. Another mechanic and a joker but a reliable friend. "She must mean a lot to you since you don't take girlfriends here, especially before a race." Muyo getting into the act to tease Haruka. Michiru was grinning now, waiting for Haruka's response. Before meeting Michiru, her three crew members were the only people she could call friends. At first they got along without knowing her true gender, but the chief, which was more like a fatherly figure to all of them, decided that honesty was the best policy at least among them. They were shocked, but after an awkward phase and an argument, she was back to being one of the guys. Except that being teased was part of the package, she had held her own so far but it might change soon. Haruka didn't know what trouble she was getting into when she brought Michiru here. She just wanted to leave Michiru with her crew while she raced. Now, maybe it didn't seem like a good idea. She would hear no end to their teasing and this was affecting her unlike the usual that they tried to pull on her. "She's Kaioh Michiru, my _friend_." "Only friends? Then do I get a chance?" Yuuji asked hopefully. "Hey, you have enough girlfriends already." "Why are you getting so defensive?" Haruka was nearly left speechless. Luckily the chief came to her rescue. "Okay, enough. We have a race to prepare for." The three mechanics groaned and resumed the testings. "You have very nice friends." Michiru whispered, almost with envy. Haruka nodded. --------------------------------------------------------------------- People were standing on top of their seats, screaming at the top of their voices. It was deafening, Michiru complained but no doubt it was all what Haruka wanted to hear. She was standing on the winners' stand, waving her trophy. And it was no wonder that many girls have fallen for her... self-confident, cool, successful and definitely handsome. Once the ceremony was over, the reporters crowded round the winners. Haruka busied herself with answering the questions at best as she could until- "Tenoh, do you have any steady girlfriend?" The question surprised her. "No," she replied but she couldn't stop herself from glancing at Michiru's direction. She was still with her crew and Yuuji seemed to be putting some effort to make sure that Michiru noticed him. It was then that Haruka felt a pang of jealousy rise within her. She quickly ended the interview and walked briskly towards her crew and Michiru. Haruka gave a cold glare to Yuuji, signifying her displeasure. He got the hint and left the two senshis alone. "Michiru, I..." "Shh," Michiru's head tilted upwards as another premonition hit her. "It's the park. Let's go." Haruka lamented as she ran past her crew, saying that she would be back later. "Why are they in such a hurry for?" Yuuji wondered. That was the question on everybody's mind, including a sleazy female reporter who was spying on them. --------------------------------------------------------------------- For the past week, they have been sleeping in the van in the hopes of catching Haruka bringing a female back her home. But till now, there was no such luck and therefore no frontal news. Madoka was sure that Haruka had not been going back to her rented house. When she saw Haruka with the aqua-haired beauty, her brain was filled with splashes of headlines on her magazine. The editor would commend her and it would be the biggest scoop of her career. Then her trusted photographer reminded her that she had no proof. She wanted to strangle him, then decided against it, she still needed him to take pictures. There was something familiar about Haruka's companion. She did some homework and here she was, stalking outside Kaioh Michiru's house. Finally, a break that she needed. Haruka drove into the house, with Michiru by her side. Pictures were quickly taken, films wasted. "Did you see that?" A satisfied grin was apparent on her face. "But that's not enough." Seeing Madoka's confused face, Ken continued, "let's wait and see if he leaves or not." The morning came slower than they wished. A car's engine was started which prompted them into action. Again Haruka was seen driving the car with Michiru by her side. More photographs were taken and Madoka could see the headlines already: Playboy F1 racer cohabiting with renowned musician. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Music was in the air. A beautiful, soulful melody was being played, having a therapeutic effect on the listeners. It was a tiring day for both Haruka and Michiru, having fought all day long as part of their training session. The lights were dimmed to provide a romantic atmosphere, the way Michiru liked. Haruka didn't mind, it just added to the coziness of the room. Afterall this was a place where they would unwind, pull their masks away and just be themselves. Watching Michiru play the violin was one thing that would never tire her... the way she closed her eyes, relaxing, letting her guard down. The notes she played would drive all weariness away and touch the most vulnerable part of her that she fought so hard to protect. She had never enjoyed music this much until now. It made her want to take up piano again, and join Michiru in weaving enchanted notes one after another. The tune came to a close, and Michiru opened her eyes. Haruka was caught staring again but Michiru just smiled, the type that Haruka didn't know how to respond except to idiotically smile back. "It was beautiful." "Thanks." Michiru replied, putting her violin away. Haruka discovered that Michiru would become more sensuous during the night, especially after playing the violin. Michiru would suddenly have very little to say but would listen attentively to what she had to say. And sometimes in the sparkling blue eyes of hers, she would find the calm that had eluded her for years. It was like she had found the centre of her life in Michiru. But that was not possible, right? For starters, they were both girls. Although she flirted with females, it was just a game to her. Was she a lesbian, she didn't know. How could she be certain when she had never fallen in love? Instead, love was a luxury that she thought she would never have or dared to have. Truth be told, she found Michiru very attractive. With Michiru, speech was sometimes unnecessary and they would still understand each other perfectly. Was there love? She didn't want to know. But there were times when she wondered how close they were in their past lives. But now in this magical moment, she was glad that she took the henshin stick and joined Michiru in her mission. It was her fate afterall, she would have no regrets. For at least in this lifetime, she had found a friend in Michiru. She was content. Strong aroma of coffee roused her to the presence of Michiru standing beside her. She gladly took the offered cup and watched as Michiru took a seat beside her. "This is nice," Haruka said as she drank from the cup. Michiru watched Haruka curiously. One thing for certain was that Michiru herself had enjoyed nights like this and it made all the fighting worthwhile. "What?" Haruka had caught on her puzzled expression. Haruka herself was holding an innocent expression wondering what Michiru was thinking about her. And Michiru found herself relishing the look on Haruka's face - like a three year old guilty of breaking a vase. Cute was a weird word to use in Haruka's case since Haruka had never let herself to appear cute. She was the cool, unfriendly racer. But now, it was exactly how Michiru felt about Haruka, cute. "Nothing." Michiru smiled, leaving the question to dust. She knew that Haruka wasn't convinced but Haruka wasn't about to argue also. "This is nice," Michiru continued, sipping the coffee. Her feelings for Haruka were strangely strong. And exactly what these feelings were, she had some clues but she didn't want to admit its existence yet. Haruka was not ready, neither was she. In the meantime, she would enjoy being with Haruka. They have always clicked on a mental level. With a look, they were able to read each other thoughts. And that was why they were so successful as a pair against the daimons. On the personal level, it was a known fact at least among the two of them that Michiru liked to tease Haruka. Maybe it was because Haruka looked really cute with her face flushed, or that it gave her a sense of satisfaction when she could break through the defence of the rookie racer Tenoh Haruka. Whatever it was, being with Haruka made her feel alive and it was a wonderful feeling. -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Good morning, Michiru." "Good morning. You seem to be in a chirpy mood," said Michiru as she set the plates for breakfast. Removing her apron, she sat down across from Haruka. "Don't know why? But I just feel great this morning." Haruka hummed. She had a dream the night before. She couldn't remember anything other than it was a happy dream. There was something in it that made her satisfied, fulfilled. "Since you are in such a happy mood, would you care to join me for some shopping?" Michiru asked as she started eating. The answer was obvious. Haruka wasn't into this kind of things. But it was fun to see how she would squeeze out of this. "Uh.. I've to go to the race track. It may take the whole day." Haruka quickly tucked into the breakfast, refusing to look at Michiru's knowing eyes. If there was anything that she learnt during her stay with Michiru was that her partner could read her like an open book. The same couldn't be said about Haruka. Sure, they fought well together, Haruka could read Michiru's next moves, know her likes and dislikes but there were some aspects of her that remained a mystery. But this didn't mean that she was a brainless blonde, she just needed time to figure out the Neptunian princess. Unravel her weakness and have her long overdue revenge. Maybe she dreamt about teasing Michiru, that would explain why she felt so good. They had finished their breakfasts and Haruka was about to leave when Michiru's voice stopped her, "Haruka, would you drive me to the shopping district?" How could she refuse? She already got out of the shopping trip, the least she could do was be a chauffeur. Besides if she got into Michiru's bad books, she might find herself being teased all day long or ignored which was even worse. Sometimes she wondered if the reason for getting her to stay here was to provide entertainment for the Neptunian senshi. "Okay, are you ready?" She was met with a confirmation, as Michiru appeared, dressed up to the nines, walked towards her. Haruka opened the door for Michiru chivalrously. They stepped onto the porch and flashlights blinded them. All kinds of reporters could be seen crowding outside the gates. They did the only thing they could, they rushed back into the house and locked the door. "What's happening?" Haruka asked as shouts of their names could be heard. The need to answer was shelved as the telephone rang. Michiru went to pick it up, and the call was for her but from someone she had not expected. "Dad? How... No... Haruka is a friend... Cohabiting! Well... No, we are not having a sexual relationship... Don't you trust me?" Michiru remained silent as the other speaker spoke. Haruka by now had caught on to what was happening. Somehow Michiru's father had known that they were staying together and his paternal instincts had kicked in. "Dad, you know the paparazzi. I do see Haruka often but we are not dating... Yes... Dad for the final time, we are not sleeping together and yes I'm too young for that sort of thing... Trust me okay... Goodbye." Michiru began to breathe freely once she let the handset down. It was no wonder since her father had almost wanted to come back to Japan immediately. She could reveal Haruka's true gender but what other trouble would be raised. Turning to Haruka, "It seems that we are being featured in a magazine as the newest couple who is also cohabiting." "What!" "There were photographs of us leaving the house together in the morning. And I'm your newest catch, the flavour of the month." "You're kidding?" Michiru _looked_ at Haruka, thoughtfully, which was jittering the poor blonde. Then her expression changed, almost smiling sexily, leaning closer and draping her arms around Haruka's neck. "Do you mean that I'm not attractive enough for you?" Inches away from touching Haruka's lips, Michiru continued, "Don't you have feelings for me?" Haruka blushed beet-red. Michiru's actions were doing amazing things to her system, like a complete shut down. She looked away from Michiru, trying to pacify her raging heart. Though Michiru was embarrassing her, she didn't want her to stop. Not now, nor ever. But that was it. Michiru laughed as she pulled away from Haruka. "I think we should decide how to deal with the matter." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Yuuji, Hata and Muyo were busy snatching a magazine between themselves when Haruka rushed in, shouting, "Close the door now!" They looked amusedly at her before Hata pressed the button for the large garage door to fall. Haruka was in the meantime cursing at the slowness and keeping a watchout for any incoming pests. The reporters were hounding her but that was not the worst. She had finally realised the sheer number of suitors Michiru had. "Tenoh Haruka, how dare you defile the sweet and innocent Michiru!" Luckily for the aforementioned person, the door closed before the speaker could enter the now-locked garage. Banging on the door could still be heard, accompanied by all sorts of cursing. "Come out here now! I shall show you who is best for Michiru." "Michiru is MINE!" Haruka heaved a sigh of relief, ignoring the commotion outside the door. It seemed that a whole horde of angry men had arrived, and she hoped that the door would stand against them. Cursing at her lousy luck, she planned her revenge, imagining doing all kinds of unspeakable things to the reporter who wrote the scoop about her. Chains, cages, whips... Still in a righteous rage, she was angered when her trusted crew members began to laugh at her expense. Yuuji and Muyo were clutching their stomach as they laughed the loudest. Hata was rolling on the floor, enjoying the scowl she had on her face. "I hope all of you die from a lack of oxygen," Haruka sweared under her breath. "Come on, Haruka. You have to admit that was funny, at least in our eyes." Yuuji managed between laughs, unaware that he had just signed his death certificate. "Funny?!" Haruka began to advance menacingly towards Yuuji. "Hold it. I'm just trying to lighten the mood." Yuuji began to back away from Haruka amongst the cheers of 'Go Haruka Go'. He glared at the two traitors before breaking into a run. "Is that so?" Haruka proceeded to chase Yuuji around the few cars in the garage. Hata and Muyo continued to laugh at the spectacle in front of them. Haruka wasn't successful in catching Yuuji although she did manage to brush his overalls a couple of times. "Come and face your punishment like a man!" "I'm not crazy, thank you." Yuuji retorted. "Hey Haruka, why are you in such a bad mood? Did Michiru kick you out of bed?" Muyo couldn't keep his mouth shut. This was too much of a chance to miss, an open day on Haruka's sexuality. "More like she kept her up all night. A sleep deprived Haruka is very irritable." Hata decided to add in his few cents worth. Haruka eyed them dangerously. Hata and Muyo eeped before joining Yuuji in the Cat and Mouse game. "You know we were surprised when we read the article." Muyo shouted as Haruka was hot on his tails. Hata and Yuuji steered clear away from Muyo and hence Haruka. But it changed when Hata opened his big bad mouth, "yeah, we know you masquerade as a man and flirt with girls, but you mean you do really swing that way?" Haruka's face was a flushing red, whether it was due to the running or the teasing was anybody's guess. But that was not important now, she had decided to go after Hata. "So, how's sex like?" Yuuji asked and began running immediately, although escaping was a better word, knowing that Haruka was going to get him no matter what he did. Haruka stopped chasing and scowled at her three mechanics. "I give up. This must be the worst day of my life." She turned her back against them, walking away. This had the effect of raising guilt among the three guys. "Haruka." Hata started and was ignored. "You know we don't mean it." Muyo said as the other two joined him. Standing side by side having similar apologetic expressions, they realised that they might have a little too much fun. With lightning reflexes, Haruka threw a chair at them, knocking them down. "Never mind, I forgive you." A victorious smile on her face, she adjourned to the inner office. "Hi, Chief." "Released your tension?" Kaneda asked, a wry smile on his lips. "You saw that?' "Hard to miss." Kaneda threw a magazine to Haruka. She caught it effortlessly. When she saw her picture on the front-page, she immediately flipped through it to read the article that caused her misery. "So, is it true?" "No... I mean... uh..." Haruka was flustered. The article was true in the sense that they were living together but... "You can be truthful to me. I'm not homo-phobic." Haruka gasped and added quickly, "We stay in the same house but we are not dating or anything." "Oh, then it's too bad. You both looked the perfect couple, you know?" Kaneda was winking at Haruka. "Uh..." A classical sweatdrop situation for Haruka. She couldn't believe it, even the chief was making fun of her. Well, a chair was nearby... "What are you going to do now?" The question threw her thoughts away, including the thought of how a chair on the chief's head would make him cuter. Turning serious, she tried to not remember how Michiru had teased her during their long discussion. "I have talked this over with Michiru. Even if I moved back to my apartment, the harm is already done. The paparazzi will still continue to assume that we are lovers. Denial will only make them try harder." "But you can't reveal your true gender, the sponsors will have a fit and who knows what your fans would do." "I know. So we are kind of stuck." "Why don't you just admit it? This way, it reinforces the image that you are a guy." "I don't know. It will affect Michiru too." She wasn't that against the idea. But she remembered Michiru denying any relationship with her to her father. "In that case, wait a few days and see what happens." Haruka's mind was suddenly flooded with images... she running away from the paparazzi... fighting Michiru's suitors... school girls declaring their undying love for her and to ditch Michiru for their embrace. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The headache just won't go away. She thought that by playing the violin, it would sooth her overworked mind, but she was wrong. Her meeting with her agent had gone on quite well. Although he was worried about how such publicity would affect her image, Michiru was adamant about not staying away from Haruka. The discussion was ended rather quickly when calls from her suitors began to flood the office. Now in the sanctuary of the recording room, she practiced on her violin and tried to ignore everything. Fencing away suitors was already hard in normal circumstances, but now it was even worse. It seemed that they all want a piece of her this very minute. How was she supposed to perform her senshi duties if she was distracted? It also wouldn't do to have reporters trailing after her, her identity as the Neptunian senshi might be revealed. And Haruka. The memory of Haruka's lips was still fresh on her mind. How close she was to kissing the blonde? The lips would be soft, she was almost sure of it, as if she had kissed her before. And it took everything out of her to not close the final distance when she had the chance. "Michiru!" A young man in his early twenties dashed through the door. "I've been trying to contact you the whole morning." "Yoshida? How did you get in here?" Michiru remembered him, one of her suitors, renowned for his persistence. A security guard came running in, after Yoshida. "What do you think you are trying to do?" Yoshida ignored the man, concentrating only on the beauteous musician, "Michiru, is it true that you are with that playboy racer?" And before he could get his answer, he was caught in a tight hold by the security guard. "Sir, you can't barge into our premises like that. I have to take you outside." Michiru tried not to show too much emotion as another of her suitor was dragged away. "But, but...I love you Michiru." His plea could be heard even as he was dragged down the hallway. Rubbing her temples, she could feel her head about to explode. That was the number 81 suitor who tried to get her attention today. It seemed that there would be no end to this mess. Her cell-phone rang. Michiru was apprehensive to pick it up. What if it was another of her suitors demanding an answer? But then logic took over. This was a private number which she had given to only a privileged few, which included Haruka. At the thought, she answered the phone and was rewarded with the voice of her partner. "Michiru?" "Haruka, I'm glad it's you." "I had a terrible day, being mobbed everywhere I go. How about you?" "Not too good. I don't think I like attention all that much." "I don't think we can go back to your house tonight." "Yes, I agree. Why not go to my beach house? I can meet you there." "Great. It's private, we can get away from everyone else. See you there in another hour." "Okay, bye." When the phone was disconnected, Michiru could feel herself loosen up. After hearing the rich voice of Haruka, she felt as if everything would turn out okay. Putting her violin away, she couldn't resist a smile as she thought about seeing her Haruka soon. Her agent had arranged for her a great escape plan. A decoy was sent through the main doors, to be driven away in a car as quickly as possible, leading everyone in a wild goose chase. While Michiru would be personally sent to her beach house by her agent himself. They got to the car without trouble and thought that they have succeeded until... "How dare you seduce my Haruka?!" "I will not forgive you." Interesting names were called. Then... "Get your facts straight!" "It's Tenoh Haruka that seduced my Michiru." "Don't worry, Michiru, I'll protect you." "I'll brave any storm, fire, adversary for you." Somehow, Michiru's suitors managed to keep Haruka's fans out of the way and they were able to drive away safely. Both Michiru and her agent heaved a sigh of relief once they were out of the 'war zone'. "We really need to do something about this," her agent lamented. But nevertheless, they were on their way to the shimmering waters of the beach. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michiru was slightly disappointed when she couldn't find Haruka when she arrived at her beach house. Her agent had dropped her off a couple of minutes ago, and here she was roaming in the mansion and still no sight of her partner. Catching glimpses of the sea through the windows, Michiru couldn't resist the invitation. She went to her room and selected one of the many swimsuits to wear. A week ago, she was here with her Haruka, but under different circumstances. They were here to train, to spar and after that it was a splashing time in the waters. She had deliberately worn a revealing suit to tease Haruka. And did it work well, since the blonde was left speechless. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled thinking about the blonde's reactions this time. Without further ado, she picked up a towel and walked towards the waiting waters. Time passed more slowly for the Neptunian senshi as she floated in the waters. The warmth enveloped her self, providing the calm that had eluded her for the whole day. Idly she wondered if Haruka was here already. As if answering her thoughts, she caught sight of a figure on the beach. It was then that she realised she had drifted quite far away from the sandy shores. Not a problem for Michiru, she dived deeper and glided through the waters, intending to surprise Haruka when she got closer. And what a surprise it was! The unsuspecting victim had a shock of her life when she thought a sea creature had jumped up at her. On the other hand, Michiru was stumped when she realised that the joke was not on Haruka but on her, for the now-dripping wet victim was not Haruka but a nerdy teenager. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." Michiru apologised. "Kaioh Michiru?" The girl asked almost timidly. "Yes?" "I..." "I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" Michiru was a bit concerned. The girl didn't look right, pale and shivering. "Please. Leave Haruka. You're young and beautiful. You have no worries about suitors." "What?!" Stupefied, Michiru watched inquisitively as the girl continued. "I love Haruka. I can't live without her. And I know Haruka loves me, we'll be very happy together." The girl dropped down on her knees, begging which flustered Michiru. "Please stand up." She didn't know Haruka was dating somebody. She should have known of such things earlier on. But now, she felt oddly blamed for this girl's misery. "No, not until you promised me." Tears ran down the girl's face to which Michiru could hardly ignore, but to stay away from Haruka... "I.. Can you please stand up?" Desperate, the girl opted for a different tactic. "Haruka belongs to me!" The girl proclaimed as she rose to her feet, pushing Michiru away. Her voice raised to match the fury in her heart, "I love her and she will love me if she knew I existed." "What?!" Stunned again; Michiru was having too many surprises in a day. "If you're not around, I'm sure my Haruka would start to notice me." Brandishing a knife, the girl attacked. Caught offguard but Michiru was no damsel in distress, she caught the girl's hand in time. Having superior strength, Michiru twisted the girl's hand. The girl yelped and the knife fell to the ground. With a push and a release, the girl fell painfully on her back. Michiru had retrieved the bladed object and thrown it further behind herself so that it would be out of the girl's reach. By now, Michiru had a few ideas of who this girl was. An obsessed fan of Haruka's, no doubt. Silently she chided herself for thinking that Haruka had actually dated this girl. "Please, get hold of yourself. Do you know what you're doing?" The girl whimpered on the ground. "Michiru!" The sight of Haruka running towards her set her heart fluttering. And somehow an image of how the male leads and female leads of a movie would run towards each other on a beach, followed by an embrace and a passionate kiss, ran deep in her mind. It was a silly thought which was snuffed immediately as she returned to more important things at hand. Haruka raised an eyebrow on Michiru's choice of swimsuit, but had quickly caught on to the wrongness of the situation. "What's the matter?" She saw the girl crying on the ground, and was switching glances between her and Michiru. "Haruka, do you love Michiru?" The girl asked, drying her tears with her shirt. "Because if you really love her then I have to admit defeat and accept the truth." "Huh?" Haruka was clueless as to what was going on and could only sweatdrop. "Haruka," Michiru intervened quickly, linking her hand with Haruka's, "I think we better tell the truth. We shouldn't keep our romance under wraps anymore." Haruka looked at Michiru questioningly but decided to go along with her partner, whatever her plan was. "Yes. I'm very much deeply in love with her." The girl ruptured into tears again and sprinted away from the pair. Haruka stared bewilderedly and turned to Michiru for answers. "I'll tell you later." Michiru replied, answering the unspoken question. She began hugging herself, realising as if for the first time how cold it was. Haruka instinctively took off her coat, and laced it around Michiru's shivering body. Unexpectedly, the green-haired lass leaned against her for the much needed warmth. Again, Haruka was baffled but this time it was the feeling of Michiru's body against hers, that made her brain go on a vacation. "I'm still cold," Michiru said, leaning her head on Haruka's shoulder. Haruka didn't need another hint, she wrapped her arms around her partner, completing the embrace, with the words that she said just moments ago hanging heavily in her heart. --------------------------------------------------------------------- "I know there were a lot of rumors that I was a playboy. And that I changed girlfriends like I changed clothes. But all those are untrue, for I only have one girlfriend." Haruka turned towards Michiru who was sitting beside her. With a prolonged gaze and eyes that spoke thousand of words which basically meant I love you to the infinity, she forged ahead and voiced her thoughts, "I love you, Michiru." There was a sweet smile on Michiru's face. She rested her hand on top of Haruka's, silently supporting her partner. She knew what she had to say but she would very much like to prolong this process. Yet Haruka was looking expectantly at her, waiting for her response. "Haruka, you're the only one for me." Michiru finally said. Cameras flashed blindingly at the couple. Cheers were shouted. Questions were rapidly asked. Reporters inched forwards, trying to get closer to the couple. The once quiet conference room had turned to a noisy marketplace. Kaneda spoke, silencing the crowd. "Before you start getting excited, I think Haruka still have some words to say." Haruka nodded, appreciatively, "Michiru and I have just gotten together. Yes, we are very much in love, as for the specifics, we would like the media to allow us some privacy." Again, the conference room flared up with noises. "Please," Kaneda interrupted, "We know that all of you have a job to do. To report news, so why not put the emphasis on their careers instead of their private lives." "Both of them are still very young, this kind of prying into their lives is very unfair for them. Give them space, this is all we ask of you," Kaneda continued. This time nobody made a move or a noise. "I know our fans are concerned about us, and I thank them for the concern. But there are some matters that we want to keep out of the limelight. I ask my fans to understand and to support me. Michiru is the best thing of my life and I don't want anything to change it." Haruka finished and stood up, followed by Michiru, both their agents and various other employees. Together, they bow as one and pleaded, "Please." ---------------------------------------------------------------- "I can't believe I went along with that?!" Haruka exclaimed. Loosening her tie, she slumped onto the sofa, still pissed off with having to sacrifice her pride for some privacy. From the looks of it, Michiru wasn't too happy but didn't say much. She sat down next to Haruka wearily. She didn't like to beg but at least she had some compensation in the form of Haruka's love declaration even though it was just plain acting. "And we don't even know if it would really work. And if it doesn't, all the sacrifice for nothing." The grumbling continued and it started to annoy Michiru. "Why did you agree in the first place?" Michiru remembered being asked by her agent to go to the hotel's conference room and was only told at the last minute what the purpose of the trip was. "I didn't want to but Kaneda said you agreed to play along with it. So, I agreed." Haruka answered exasperatedly. "What?! He told me that you agreed and that's why I consented to it." Both began to frown deeply but it was Haruka who spoke first, "Chief or no chief, Kaneda's a dead man tomorrow." She flexed her knuckles, taking satisfaction that revenge would not be lost. Then she saw Michiru who was watching amusedly at her antics. Their eyes met. And images of the earlier press conference flashed into mind. Haruka couldn't believe she actually said the words out. When she was given the script just before the meeting, she couldn't practice the words without stuttering. But when she looked into Michiru's eyes, it just rolled off her mouth. And now here she was in the exact situation, looking into deep blue eyes, words at the tip of the mouth. But if she said it now, it would be for real and not plain acting. Michiru was giggling and Haruka realised that she was staring too much. Her face flushed red, her words faltering, "Hmm, you know, just now... what I said, um, I..." "The love confession, you mean." Michiru was definitely enjoying it, milking all it was worth. Haruka reddened more. "Whatever. It was just an act, so we don't need to take it seriously." Haruka watched her partner's expression closely. Michiru raised an eyebrow to which Haruka's response was only a cough, "Um, so we don't need to get uncomfortable over it." "You're a great actress, I almost thought you were speaking with your true feelings." Cold sweat began to break on Haruka's forehead. Michiru smiled, understanding that both of them still needed time, no matter how right it felt. "I'm tired, I guess I'll retreat to my room." Passively, Haruka watched as Michiru walked away from her. As the distance got further, she thought that she was slowly losing Michiru. It was a silly notion but it felt so real, and so painful that Haruka voiced out her name, "Michiru." "Yes?" Michiru asked, turning around. "I...," What was Haruka going to say. That she already missed her when she would be sleeping a few rooms away from her. "Nothing." She added with a hopeful grin that Michiru would leave it as that. No such luck. Michiru smiled wryly, strutted towards Haruka and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good night," she said, but upon seeing Haruka's shocked state, she suppressed a giggle before continuing, "This doesn't mean anything, _lover_." Once Michiru left, Haruka could finally release the breath that she was holding. Her fingers traced the parts where Michiru had previously touched while her brain replayed the kiss. There was only one question on her mind. The kiss, what did it mean? ******END****** Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at writing Sailor moon fanfic. Although I have written Ranma fanfics before, I have found a lot of difficulty in writing this fic, ie writer's block. But since I've started a few scenes, I was determined to finish it. This is supposed to be the first part of a mini-series, but I don't know if I'll be able to continue it. So, don't be surprised if this is the only part I'm going to post for "Living With Michiru". I like to take the opportunity to thank my friend, Cass for pre-reading this and motivating me to complete this. I also thank her for hosting this fic on her site. She has also written several H&M fics, go to her site and take a look. http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics.htm