OKAY THIS IS SET DURING THEIR FIRST BATTLE AFTER HARUKA AWAKENS.
–
Michiru was unsure how to feel about Haruka never mentioning
her confession. Granted, she’d done her best to convey Haruka should forget
about it, that any feelings didn’t matter in light of their mission, but part
of her was consumed with wondering. Did Haruka think her frivolous? Did she
feel anything back? She’d walked away, that first day, but had it been from
Michiru or from Neptune?
Michiru felt frivolous worrying about these things, when
there was so much more going on. It played in her mind even now, in battle,
each time Haruka called her Neptune. What
do you think of me? She thought as Haruka called for her to watch out. Are we nothing more than partner soldiers?
She loosed an attack at the monster. It dodged, making a bound toward Uranus. Michiru
turned, expecting to see Haruka prepping an attack.
Instead, she saw Haruka looking at her. Michiru could not
tell separate her deepest hopes from reality, but it almost seemed as though…
The monster landed a hard blow to Haruka’s stomach, sending
her falling back.
Panic and rage united in Michiru. This time her attack did
not miss. The monster died with a scream and MIchiru dove to Haruka’s side.
“I’m alright, don’t worry,” Haruka wheezed. She sat up and
rubbed her diaphragm.
“You have to stay alert,” Michiru chided. “That could have—“
“I know, won’t happen again. Just.” Haruka looked up to the
sky. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to say.”
Michiru bit her tongue. She’d been trained all her life for
composure, but never had it been as hard as now. “What is it?”
“Well, ah…” Haruka apparently found the clouds very
interesting. “You… I mean I… do you…” She finally looked down, to Michiru.
Her face froze for a long moment. “Do you…” She blushed very red and turned
away. “Do you have any control over the outfits? Skirts aren’t really my thing.”
Hope she hadn’t meant to hold deflated in Michiru’s chest. “No,
I’m afraid to say I don’t.”