Domesticated
Author's Note: The current exchange rate for the Japanese Yen is roughly
100 per US Dollar. So 500 Yen would be roughly equivalent to 5.00.
--
"She's bluffing."
"I don't know... She seems serious to me..."
"Come on, are you serious? She'd never actually go through with it."
"Now you're just being naive."
"I'm not naïve! I'm willing to bet anything..."
"Anything? How about a thousand Yen?"
"A thousand Yen?"
"Well, of course if you're not so sure anymore..."
"Who's not sure? You're on!"
--
She walked out of the hair dresser's with her head held high, the sun
gleaming warmly down upon her, seeming to kiss her with its warmth.
Taking off her dark blue sports jacket she draped it over her shoulder,
holding it by the collar. With the top two buttons of her blouse
casually unbuttoned she looked almost like a model out of GQ.
Haruka smiled as she felt the stares and heard the murmurs. Depending on
the viewer, she either looked like a beautiful young man or a masculine
young woman. She wasn't vain necessarily, but she would admit to having
her ego stoked by the group of school girls looking admiringly at her
from the bus stop. Picking out the shyest girl of the bunch, she gave
her a smile and a wink, noting with satisfaction the cute blush that
colored the girl's cheeks and the squeals of her classmates.
As Haruka came around the corner on her way to the parking lot, she saw
her princess and future queen. There were few things that truly gave
Haruka joy: lying in Michiru's arms, victory on a race track or on the
battlefield against an enemy, spending quality time with her daughter,
and freaking out Usagi by flirting with her. She took a near perverse
delight in seeing how red she could make the poor girl's face turn. It
was always good for a laugh, and relatively harmless.
Usagi was leaning against a small white fence with Minako just outside
the gated parking lot where Haruka's car was. The princess was finishing
off an ice cream cone she'd bought from a nearby street vender while
Minako was still working on hers. Haruka chuckled to herself a bit as
she wondered how high a metabolism one would need to eat as much as
Usagi did without getting fat.
As Usagi saw Haruka, she instantly smiled and waved to her. The tomboy
casually strode over. "Konichiwa, Ruka-kun."
"Konichiwa Usagi-chan, Minako-chan. What brings you two out here?"
"Ice cream," Minako answered as she held up her cone.
"We didn't know you would be coming around Ruka-kun. If we had, we
would've bought you one too."
"That's alright, kitten," Haruka said, unable to suppress a grin, "I
have something much sweeter in mind."
Usagi looked puzzled, "Sweeter?"
This was the moment Haruka loved. "On the other side of the parking lot
is a public park. We can go behind the groundskeeper's shed together,
where no one else can see. Just the two of us." And now the fun would
begin. Usagi's face would turn eight shades redder than a stop light.
She'd then blurt out something along the lines of 'oh gee, look at the
time,' and run off like a scared rabbit. It was times like this that
made Haruka's day. "What do you say, kitten? You, me..."
"Okay."
"Heh, no problem, I... Huh?"
"Okay," Usagi said, her bright blue eyes fixed upon Haruka's as she
stepped forward, "I'll go behind the groundskeeper's shed with you. I...
I've never been with a girl before, so you'll have to guide me."
Haruka's mouth hung open as she was momentarily struck dumb. Collecting
herself, she smiled her familiar cocky grin. "You shouldn't joke so,
kitten. I might take you seriously."
"But I am serious, Ruka-kun," Usagi said as she continued towards her.
"We'll have to hurry though. Mamo-chan is picking me up at two, so that
only gives us half an hour."
Haruka couldn't believe what she was hearing. Narrowing her eyes, she
studied Usagi closely. "Are you under some sort of a spell?" she asked.
If a youma or some new enemy had somehow done something to the princess,
then that would certainly explain her odd behavior.
Usagi chuckled seductively as she closed the gap between herself and
Haruka. "No, there's no new enemy. And before you ask, I'm not drunk
either." Taking one of Haruka's hands in hers, she intertwined their
fingers together. "Truth be told, I can no longer fight myself, nor can
I resist your charms anymore. Every time you flirt with me, I go all
gooey inside. Take me to the groundskeeper shed Haruka, please?"
Haruka's heart nearly skipped a beat as her princess then leaned her
head against her chest, a small gasp escaping as Usagi's breath lightly
tickled the exposed hollow of her neck. Closing her eyes for a second,
Haruka swallowed hard as she struggled to regain composure. Opening her
eyes, she saw Minako still leaning against the fence, staring at her and
Usagi intently as the ice cream in her cone slowly melted down her hand.
"M... Minako chan," Haruka said, her normally low husky voice slightly
higher than normal as she focused on the other blonde like a sailor
reaching for a lifeline. "Aren't you going to step in and stop this?
After all, you're one of the princess's guardians..."
A wicked smile slowly formed on Minako's face.
"And I fully intend to keep guard," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'll
look out for Mamoru, and if he gets here before the two of you are done,
I'll keep him distracted until you're finished."
"Wonderful," Usagi purred, "That'll give us more than half an hour..."
"Besides," Minako continued, "I'm the Senshi of Love. And should our
princess choose to keep concubines as well as Mamoru..."
"C-c-concubines?" Haruka stammered out.
"Don't tease me," Usagi now pleaded. "Ever since we first met, you've
asked me to be with you. Alright, now I will. Take me," she said,
closing her eyes as she leaned her head back and puckered her lips.
"Er..." Haruka took a quick step back as she pulled her hand away from
Usagi's. "Look kitten, there seems to be a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" Usagi asked, looking hurt.
"You invited her behind the groundskeeper's shed," Minako interjected.
"Where's the misunderstanding?"
Haruka put her hand to her forehead in exasperation, "Look, it was
supposed to be a joke. I was just trying to tease you, to have a laugh,
you know? I never really meant it."
"Let me guess," Usagi muttered, "It's because you love Michiru, right?"
Haruka sighed. "Yes, kitten. I... I may flirt with other girls, and I
might jokingly make a pass at you, but Michiru..."
"I see," Usagi interrupted. Her whole demeanor then changed as, with a
triumphant smile, she turned to Minako. "See, I told you she wouldn't.
Pay up!"
"Doh," Minako pouted as she reached into her purse and pulled out a wad
of Yen. "Here, you won."
"Whoa, wait," Haruka said, the tomboy visibly confused. "Exactly what
just happened?"
"Minako-chan and I made a bet, and I just won."
"What?!" the sandy-haired blonde asked in disbelief.
"I thought for sure she'd actually go through with it," Minako said.
"Don't be silly," Usagi replied, "I told you she and Michiru were way
too close for her to ever..."
"Hold it right there!" Haruka snapped, the tomboy placing both hands on
her hips as she glared at the two blondes in front of her. "You mean,
you made a bet over whether or not I'd actually go all the way and
seduce Usagi-chan?" Both girls nodded their heads. Focusing on Usagi,
she narrowed her eyes. "And what if I had led you behind the
groundskeeper's shed?"
"But you didn't," Usagi said casually. Turning to Minako, she held up
her newly won wad of cash. "Want some more ice cream? My treat."
"More like mine," Minako grumbled. "Sure, why not."
"Ruka-kun?" Usagi asked, "Would you like to go with us?"
"No," the tomboy answered, "I've lost my appetite."
"Oh well. Come on Minako-chan." And with that, the two blonds walked
off, leaving Haruka alone to sulk. She didn't sulk long though before
the sounds of a familiar lilting laugh caught her attention. Turning her
head, she saw Michiru step out from behind a nearby tree.
"Perfect," Haruka mumbled under her breath. "Michi-chan, how long have
you been hiding behind that tree?"
"Long enough," her partner answered as she elegantly tossed a lock of
her wavy aqua hair back over her shoulder. "Care to give me a ride back
to the mansion?"
"Why not." Haruka conceded, letting her lover place her hand in the
crook of her arm. As they started off into the parking lot, the tomboy
nervously cleared her throat. "Michi-chan, I... you... I never
would've..."
Michiru just smiled. "Give me a little credit, Ruka-kun. Do you really
think we'd still be together if I took your teasing with Usagi
seriously? Besides, I know you'd never cheat on me. I'm psychic,
remember?"
"True, I... Hold on." Haruka stopped dead in her tracks. "You are
psychic. Then, all those times I flirted with other girls to make you
jealous, you... You were acting?"
Michiru just laughed again as she once more moved Haruka along. The
sandy-blonde tomboy had once been quite the lady killer, playing the
field and basking in the limelight of feminine adoration. Then destiny,
in the form of a beautiful green-haired artist, strolled into her life
and turned everything upside down. No longer free like the wind, she now
was in a long term relationship, was the adopted parent of a young child
powerful enough to destroy the solar system, and was one of three women
listed on the mortgage lease to the Mansion they all lived at.
"I've become domesticated," Haruka blurted out as she sat down behind
the wheel of her sports car.
"I wouldn't go that far," Michiru said. "There's still something of the
untamed about you, Ruka-kun."
Haruka turned to Michiru, and smiled as their eyes met. They both leaned
in and kissed longingly for a moment or two before separating. "Buckle
up," the tomboy said. A few seconds later, the car sped out of the
parking lot.
Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction