FINALLY I’VE FINISHED WITH FANDOM SUNDAY. It only took two weeks >_>

This one was seriously the hardest, I’m still not happy with it but AH WELL. It’s some kind of AU, of course.

—

They wound up walking along the river—Michiru stayed on the
raised pathway while Haruka hopped down to the rocky shore. The sky was over
cast, the air getting chilly. There was hardly anyone else in the park today,
and no one by the water.

“I wish you’d walk up here. You’re going to fall.”

“I’m not going to fall.” She might fall, but the danger of a false step toppling her into the
water kept Haruka’s heart from racing off with other fears. She’d practiced
things to say—So, just curious, when we
hang out like this, do you think of it as like, I dunno, a date? Or maybe Hypothetically, if someone, say, me,
hypothetically, liked you, what would be a way to tell you? It was much
easier to focus on her foot placement.

“You  know,” she said after
a long while, “I always feel people miss out when they stay inside on days like
this. They’re nice.”

Michiru stopped. “You won’t think it’s nice when you’re
soaked through and shivering. Please come up here, there’s something I want to
talk about.” She sat down and dangled her feet off the edge.

Haruka leaned her elbows against the walkway. “I can hear
you just fine like this, you know.”

“That’s not quite my point.” Michiru pursed her lips.

“Fine, fine.” Haruka lifted herself to sit what she thought
was a reasonable distance from Michiru. It was always a hard balance. She
always tried for six inches, which felt as absurd as it did reasonable—it was
close enough to be casual, friendly, but hopefully just far enough outside the
intimacy bubble.  

“I rather enjoy spending time with you like this.” Michiru
scooted closer.

“Oh, uh, me too.”

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Yes, the
real question, I suppose, is if we mean the same thing by that.” She leaned in
against one arm, placing her hand very close to Haruka’s. “And I daresay I
think we do.”

“Do we?” Haruka felt as though a current ran through the concrete
between their fingertips. It traveled up her arm and filled her brain with
static.

Michiru leaned closer still. “There are ways to find out for
sure.”

“Are there?” She was close enough that Haruka felt the
warmth of her skin through the cool air. Michiru’s eyes moved down and back up
to meet Haruka’s. There was a question being asked, Haruka was sure, but she
dare not hope for what it was and she dare not give any answer but yes.

And then it happened, a poem without words, magic without a
spell. Their lips met and Haruka’s stomach flipped over, her heart rose so high
in her throat her mouth felt like an echo chamber against Michiru’s. Haruka was
sure she felt more in those few seconds than she had in all the rest of her
life.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked, stupidly, when they
parted.

“You may.”

“I’ve wanted to do that since we met.” Haruka could not help
but grin.

Michiru smiled back. “That was a well-kept secret indeed.”