HaruMichi BatB Part 12! Finished just in time to get it up before work, as always here is a Masterpost link

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Haruka did her best to be reasonable. Flowers were a single gesture. Flowers did not make Michiru any different, they did not mean she had changed.

And yet Haruka felt that they meant exactly that. She could not imagine the Michiru who had been cursed, the MIchiru Usagi had described, working in the garden for anyone. She rolled back onto her bed and rested the flowers on her chest. She’d always wanted to get flowers from a girl. She’d always wanted to be wooed. But she loved too fast and too hard most of the time, and trying to play coy got her nothing at all.

The scent of the roses wafted over her like a blanket. How strange to be pursued. How nice. It hardly mattered that Michiru was cursed. A woman of her class, thinking Haruka was something special? Haruka laughed at herself. She was an absolute sucker. One bouquet, and she was over the moon.

She traced the petals with her fingers, blushing at the supple soft feel of them. What would it feel like, to touch Michiru’s cheek like this? Would she be rough against Haruka’s hand? Would it matter?

Haruka felt a tug and and ache and she sat up quickly. She was not… it wasn’t like that. But one good gesture deserved another, surely. She should plan something. Something just as big as Michiru digging around in the dirt. She thought of their garden walk, and the things they talked about.

If Michiru could step down for Haruka, perhaps Haruka could step up for her.

She placed the flowers gently on her pillow and stood. She would need help, for something big.

“Usagi?” She called down the hall.

“You like the flowers, don’t you?”

Haruka turned to see Usagi’s shadow bouncing like an excited child. “Yeah, was that your idea?”

“No,” Usagi said, “I would not have thought it was a suggestion my lady would take well.”

The notion that it was all Michiru made Haruka smile.

“She hasn’t been like this before.”

“I want to do something for her in return. But I can’t do it alone.” Haruka took a deep breath. “I want to show her I can do something on her level. I want… I mean, it won’t be the same without people. But, when she was human, she had balls here, right?”

Usagi stopped bouncing. Somehow, that made her excitement even clearer. “You want to throw a ball?”

“It won’t be much, I’ve never even been to a dance, and you don’t have to know how to dance for those these days, but I thought it could still be…”

Color seeped in around Usagi’s edges. “Romantic?”

“Maybe, yeah.”

“Oh Haruka!” Usagi hugged her with such force that her translucent arms went halfway through Haruka’s stomach and gave her shivers. “This is more than I ever dreamed of.”

“It’s nothing. She’s just… nice, when she tries. So I want to be nice back.”

Usagi snorted. “This is more than nice, Haruka.” She pulled away. “The house should be able to make music, functions like that stayed even without people to carry them out.”

“I’ll need you to convince her to come.”

“That may be hard. But I’ll do it. When—“

“Tonight.” She didn’t want to lose her nerve. “Before dinner.”

“I have to get going, then.” She took a step, then launched into another hug. “Thank you, Haruka.” She glided off down the hall, humming.

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Haruka regretted the idea as soon as she faced the wardrobe. She’d never been good at dressing up. And she couldn’t even dance. She was going to launch Michiru right back to superiority, she would see that Haruka certainly was not worth anything. The wardrobe showed her a variety of menswear styles, some from Michiru’s era, some from the present, and Haruka felt absurd even looking at them. She could hardly even think of actually wearing anything she saw.

“The navy would look sharp.”

Haruka jumped. Mako leaned against the doorway.

“Does it help to know she’s agonizing over if she can wear anything?”

Haruka hadn’t thought of it. “I’m sorry.”

Mako stood straight, intimidating even while incorporeal. “If you’re playing a game—“

“I’m not.”

“If you’re playing a game, you have to play it a little longer. Michiru is really falling for you.”

Haruka turned and pretended to look through the clothes. She did not think she could hide that the thought made her happy. “I don’t—“

“Here.” Mako came up behind her and grabbed a navy jacket with princely silver buttons. “You’ll make her heart jump.”

Haruka looked at Mako, wishing she had more details to read her expression from. “I’m confused.”

Mako sighed. “I love Michiru, I don’t want to see her hurt.” She cocked her head. “I’m in half a mind to threaten you. But I’m also tired.” She pressed her hands together, and then through one another. “I want you to do what you will, so we might move on.”

“Usagi said if she like me, that itself might be enough.”

“She knows more than I give her credit for.” She sat on the edge of Haruka’s bed. “It was hardest on her. Even compared to Michiru. She had a baby. We should have denounced our lady and saved ourselves.” She faced Haruka, face stern in what few features she had. “I want you to go, if you get the chance. Don’t make our mistake.”

Haruka hesitated. Her mind told her Mako was right. Her heart protested. But she had to try and be reasonable. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” She looked at the wardrobe. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

“Not a clue.” Haruka laughed at herself. “I’m kind of hoping the idea is charming enough that it won’t matter.”

“Let Michiru lead. And don’t look at your feet.” Mako put a hand on Haruka’s shoulder. “You’re going to do good.”

Haruka smiled, but she had a foreboding sense that they had different ideas of what good meant.