Two weeks later, Michiru handed over a small cup. Haruka took it from her while reading over the directions one last time. Two pink lines meant they were pregnant. She placed three drops into the little indentation and watched as the chemical reaction raced across the slot. One pink line . . . She heard Michiru sniffling behind her. It took her a moment to register the results before her wife was pressed in her arms with tears running down her porcelain cheeks to soak into Haruka's navy dress shirt. "Michiru?" she whispered unsure. "It must be hormones," came the muffled reply. Haruka allowed herself a grin. If this result was accurate, they were going to be parents. The ultrasound technician moved the sensor over Michiru's stomach taking pictures of her uterus. The couple's knuckles were white where they clenched each other's hands. After several minutes, the doctor entered the room. "Good news. The test was correct. You are pregnant." Michiru let out a breath. "The ultrasound shows a healthy baby." "Only one?" Michiru inquired. "You're sure?" Haruka questioned her. She had heard of cases where one twin was hidden behind the other. "I'm afraid two of the embryos must not have implanted." The doctor paused for a moment letting the news sink in. "But here's a picture of your daughter." She handed the couple a small printout of a tiny figure rendered in sepia tones. Already they could see the outlines of what would be her nose and little mouth. "She's beautiful," Michiru whispered, her blue eyes filling with tears. Haruka felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. She took the picture in nerveless fingers. "Sugoi." On the way home they stopped at a small restaurant for dinner. Haruka had her usual salad accompanied by a cup of soup. Michiru picked at her own chef salad before finally putting down her fork. Haruka regarded her levelly. "Are you sure that's enough?" "I don't want to lose my figure." "You won't. Remember everything Odango ate" Two identical grimaces appeared, but Haruka didn't drop the subject. "Do you want to go get some sashimi?" "I'm a little tired, I think I'd rather just go home," Michiru whispered. Her fatigue was evident. Haruka chewed a bite slowly. "I think you should eat more first." Silence stretched between them for a moment. Michiru's face clearly showed her irritation as she picked up her fork in a sharp movement. The blonde didn't take it personally. She knew that hormones were wreaking havoc on Michiru's body.Haruka ordered dessert in hopes of enticing Michiru to eat some of it. She smiled at her wife. "I'll share it with you," she cajoled. She received an icy glare in response. Michiru wanted to go home and she wanted to go home right now. Haruka's own irritation began to rise, but she wisely held her tongue. She asked for the dessert to be boxed up. Unfortunately it took an extremely long time. When they finally made it to the car, the violinist was steaming. Haruka opened the door for her and they drove home in terse silence. When they reached the house, Michiru was out of the car and marching into the house at a speed that impressed her wife. When the blonde made it inside, the aqua haired woman was already upstairs. Haruka logged onto the computer and surfed for about 30 minutes, giving her mate enough time to get into bed. Haruka then went upstairs and changed into her own pajamas quietly before climbing into her side of the bed and succumbing to sleep. Morning came quickly. The blonde hadn't slept very deeply. She put on shorts and a loose community service T-shirt for her morning run. At the door she picked up her sneakers before going to sit on the front porch and lace them. It looked as though it was going to be a pretty day. Mist was rising from the plants and dewdrops glinted in the early morning sun. After stretching, the blonde took off at a quick pace. She hoped that Michiru felt better, otherwise the next few days might be miserable. She made a cautious contingency plan on how to occupy herself should it prove necessary to stay out of the artist's way for a while. When she got home, she was tired and sweaty, but her head felt much clearer. Taking off her shoes and her sweat socks, she put her shoes in their proper place and wandered barefoot toward the laundry room. When she got to the kitchen, she saw a large traditional breakfast and her contrite looking wife. Haruka stood for a moment stunned. "I'm sorry." Michiru bowed. When she looked up, Haruka could see tears sparking in her blue eyes. She moved forward to embrace the other woman. Michiru lightly pulled back making a face. Haruka realized with chagrin that she was still holding her sweaty running socks. At that point their eyes met and they both dissolved into laughter. "I'll be right back," the blonde excused herself. When she returned, Michiru was seated. "Gomen nasai. I'm just not myself." Haruka sat down and silently scooted closer to her mate, pulling Michiru into her arms. With the tension gone, they had an enjoyable breakfast together before Michiru went to take a nap. Haruka went into the library and scanned the ultrasound picture to email to Setsuna and Hotaru. That night the blonde sat on the couch reading over the sports section. Michiru lay with her feet in Haruka's lap perusing a healthy choices cookbook. The violinist was determined that they would eat well for the duration of her pregnancy.She wiggled her toes slightly and Haruka ran a finger up the center of her foot.Michiru gasped. Haruka chuckled as she was lightly kicked. The racer slid a warm enveloping hand around Michiru's foot and squeezed lightly. "I was thinking of names . . . " Michiru lay her book down on her chest and focused on her wife. "Eh?" Haruka was caught off-guard. "What about Aiko? Or Hikari?" The artist suggested, thinking of popular names from her youth. "Hmm," the blonde replied noncommittally. Michiru thought harder. "Junko?" "Jun Jun," Haruka answered, reminding her mate about the asteroid senshi. "Good point." Michiru sighed. Haruka paused for a moment, considering how this would sound to her lover. "Kazuko?" Michiru's eyes narrowed as she considered the choice. "Kazuko." The violinist repeated slowly, testing the name on her tongue. Haruka shrugged and buried her nose in the paper, feeling unsure of her suggestion. Michiru's arm went to Haruka's elbow then slid up to her hand. Their fingers played together. Haruka ducked her head then met Michiru's eyes. They smiled at each other. "It's what we've fought for, ne?" Haruka asked softly. Michiru nodded. "Hai. This is what we've waited for." Her hand lightly touched her stomach. "Kazuko." A few weeks later Michiru's moods had stabilized. She was upstairs taking a bath. Meanwhile Haruka was watching TV to distract herself. Fevered thoughts kept assaulting the blonde when she thought about Michiru's supple body being lowered into the warm water. The doctor had prescribed several weeks of abstinence after the implantation to allow for the baby to firmly establish itself. Haruka missed making love to her wife desperately but she didn't want to impose on her lover. If Michiru wasn't ready or wanted to wait longer to make sure the baby was safe, she would control herself. She was engrossed in a program about running and optimum conditioning techniques when her beloved sat down beside her in nothing but a robe and started brushing out her long aqua hair. Haruka could smell the intoxicating scent of Michiru's conditioner. She swallowed and tried to bring some moisture back to her suddenly dry mouth. Her eyes were locked on the program but she wasn't processing any of the images she was seeing. Suddenly she felt Michiru's hand on her thigh, heat surging from it like a brand. So aware was she of her mate's touch that it felt as if she wasn't even wearing pants. Her strong thigh muscles flexed and she shifted slightly as desire pooled in her belly. "Haruka." Michiru's voice carried a quiet invitation. The blonde felt a rush of anticipation and clicked off the television. They stared into each other's eyes. Michiru's fingers lightly traced Haruka's strong cheekbones and jaw. As she moved gently over her wife's throat, she was delighted to feel the blonde's heartbeat speed up. The senshi of Uranus' expression was yearning and her eyes darkened before closing. Michiru straddled Haruka's lap and began to kiss her neck while playing in her hair. Haruka's hands went to Michiru's back to pull her closer before sliding down to cup her bottom. "On the couch?" she asked huskily. "Who's going to see us?" Michiru responded. Haruka laughed. Then she thought about the coming baby, Hotaru's childhood, and lovemaking being, once again, limited to the bedroom. "I suppose we'd better enjoy it while we can, ne?" she whispered before surrendering herself to the moment. The next morning, Haruka tossed the mail on the kitchen table before heading to the refrigerator for a glass of juice. Michiru sorted through it although there wasn't much there: a statement on their investments, promos for her favorite store's preferred customer program, one of the three car magazines to which Haruka subscribed and a letter. She broke the seal with a perfectly manicured nail. "Who's it from?" Haruka looked curiously over her shoulder. "Setsuna," The violinist shared happily. "She has taken leave next month and she's coming for a visit." "Honto? Sugoi!" "Happy Anniversary you two!" Michiru read with a smile. They had planned a quiet evening at the house to celebrate. "It's terrible isn't it, just wanting to stay home on your anniversary." The violinist sighed. "Maybe we're getting old," Haruka deadpanned. To her surprise Michiru winked at her. "‘The heart that loves is forever young, '" she quoted, lightly rubbing her nose against Haruka's. The blonde smiled also. "It's a full moon tonight." the artist informed her mate. "I'm glad I'm not out driving then," Haruka said thinking of all the near misses she usually had when the moon was waxing. "Let's go for a walk," Michiru said softly. They wandered outside into the warm evening. Since a normal life was all they had ever wanted, they happily indulged in the normalcy of the moment. Michiru breathed deeply of the fragrant night blossoms. She and Haruka strolled in the moonlight. The blonde wrapped an arm around her waist. A neighbor just getting home from work waved to them in the twilight. They returned the gesture. The air grew heavy and fireflies came out to light the world in sparkling flashes. "Hotaru," Haruka said smiling. They held hands as they slowly made their way back to the house. Michiru went immediately to the kitchen and pulled a little box out of the freezer. "Is that it?" "Hai." The top tier of their wedding cake was carefully preserved and protected from freezer burn. "Do you think it will taste ok?" "I followed the directions, so it should be fine. People do this all the time." Haruka was skeptical. "Hmm. If that's true then why don't they freeze birthday cakes." "Because you get a new one every year," Michiru answered easily. "But if you're lucky, you only get one wedding." "I intend to be lucky." Haruka kissed Michiru's cheek. "Ah." The violinist made a sound of contentment. Michiru made a simple dinner that night of things they already had on hand. Haruka took out two wineglasses and poured some low acid grape juice for them both. Michiru had made a tiny hors d'oeuvre platter with baby shrimp and cheese with buttery crackers. She'd also found a tin of caviar. They lit candles in the living room and, while dinner was baking, they curled together on the couch to look at their wedding pictures. The violinist alternated feeding Haruka and herself while the blonde turned the pages. The bridal portraits were beautiful. There was one particular close up that emphasized Michiru's joy-filled eyes. "I really like this one." Haruka commented softly. "You look so happy." "I am very happy." "You were so attractive," the violinist observed as they found a shot of a serious looking Haruka just before the ceremony. She kissed just behind her wife's ear. "Still are." "Eh, well I try." Haruka winked at her wife. There was a picture of the queen surrounded by the four inner senshi all smiling brightly and shooting peace signs. "They look like they did in high school," Haruka mused. Michiru nodded taking a sip of her juice. "That was a good shot." "Here's a great one." It was Setsuna with her arms wrapped around Hotaru from behind. "I miss them." Michiru sighed. "I do too," Haruka agreed. Haruka flipped to a page that held pictures from the reception: Uranus in her dress posing and smiling brightly for the camera, Neptune throwing her bouquet, the two of them dancing, lost in their own little world together. "How could we have forgotten some of this?" Michiru's voice was faintly amazed. "Hai," her wife agreed. The oven chimed and Michiru went to get dinner out of the oven, while Haruka gathered the silverware. They set the table while a recording of them playing together flowed through the speakers. Michiru served dinner then excused herself to change into "something more comfortable." When she returned, Haruka was rendered speechless. Her wife smiled brightly at her as they sat down to enjoy dinner. Haruka kept shooting glances at Michiru. The violinist was wearing one of Haruka's white dress shirts and what appeared to be nothing else. The shirt was unbuttoned down to just above her breasts. Its bottom brushed her thighs but every now and again would part when she shifted giving the blonde views of interesting shadows she was certain she would like to explore more intimately. Michiru tossed her hair again and leaned across the table after the butter. Her breasts were pressed up and plumped. Haruka drank deeply from her water glass. The last straw came when Michiru "accidentally" dropped her napkin and bent to pick it up. When she stood up again, the artist found herself swept off her feet and being carried upstairs. "What about dinner?" she whispered. "I've always been a fan of eating dessert first." "Yes, I remember. Cookies for dinner." Michiru giggled at the memory. "Hush." Haruka interrupted lightly as she kicked their bedroom door shut behind them. Several hours later the tousled pair made their way back downstairs. Michiru pulled their wedding cake out of the cake dome and rolled up the sleeves of her robe before reaching for a knife. Haruka got a plate and a fork. Michiru tenderly fed the blonde the first bite. "Well?" "It's good," Haruka whispered as she closed her eyes. She was instantly transported back to that joyous day by the remembered flavor. As she turned to reach for a napkin, the light caught a small bruise that was forming on the blonde's strong throat. "Oh. I got you," Michiru commented, running her finger over the spot. Haruka smiled ruefully. "Hai, but it doesn't hurt." "Gomen." Michiru lightly kissed the darkened place. The blonde looped her arms around the violinist. "I'll take love bites from you any day." They smiled into each other's eyes. Michiru took a fork full of cake. "Ut-uh." Haruka took it from her. "That's my job." Michiru took the bite and chewed slowly savoring it She swallowed then leaned forward to give her wife a slow kiss like the one they had shared a year ago. "Mm . . . that is good." "I know what you mean." Haruka eyed the confection. "I didn't think it would still be that good after a year." "Silly." "Nani?" "I wasn't talking about the cake." The next morning at exactly 9:30 a.m. teal eyes snapped open. The lithe blonde rolled over and eyed her lover critically. "How do you feel?" Michiru smiled brightly, her cheeks had a rosy glow. "I'm fine." She set down the book on pregnancy she'd been reading. Haruka's gaze rested on her wife. She searched the beautiful features but the only greenish tint came from the swath of aqua curls framing her mate's radiant face "Not sick?" the blonde asked unconvinced. "Nope!" Michiru rolled out of bed and threw her robe on before padding out of the bedroom toward the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast?" "Whatever you're craving," Haruka answered. Michiru gave her strange look and disappeared down the hall. ‘Still no morning sickness?' the blonde wondered with a shake of her head. She brushed at her bangs. Of course this was Michiru who had stood calmly on deck when their cruise ship had clipped that tropical depression. Even Haruka had been below stairs dry heaving long after her lunch had come up. It wasn't that Haruka wanted her to have morning sickness, but after reading all of the literature at the fertility clinic, both while they harvested Michiru's eggs and while recovering after they had taken her own, she had had the usual sequence of events in mind. Haruka pulled off her boxers and tugged on a pair of blue and white striped pajama bottoms to ward off the morning chill. She headed for the kitchen. Michiru was setting out breakfast that consisted of cut up fruit and a few other foods that they had developed a taste for over the years. Haruka couldn't quite get used to this. No more reporting for duty. No having to steal moments together. They had a hefty pension, a house on the beach, and each other. Now there was a baby on the way - it was miraculous and she was more content than she could have ever imagined
Back to Eternity Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction