*I'm not the sort of person who falls
*In and quickly out of love
*But to you I gave my affection
*Right from the start.
*I have a lover who loves me:
*How could I break such a heart?
*Yet still you gained my attention.

"Why do you do that, Haruka?"  Michiru crossed her arms and stared as
Haruka's head swung back around.  'Whiplash this time?'  "I have never
seen your head turn *that* fast before.  What was it this time? 
Sports car?  Motorcycle?  That woman's figure?"

Haruka took a breath in and held it for a moment.  This was great. 
Once more they would have this spat.  What the hell was wrong with her
looking?  Michiru had her; heart, body and soul.  What more did she
want?  Haruka appreciated Michiru, showed her love for her... She let
the breath out slowly.  "Michiru, I love you.  I want *you*.  Let's
not fight over this."

Michiru just fumed and they continued walking through the park.  As
they walked in uncomfortable, angry silence, they heard someone
crying.  Softly, trying not to let anyone passing by she was crying,
they found Usagi.  They came up beside her, calling out her name. 
Usagi replayed the crushing insensitivities of Mamoru, and Haruka's
heart felt for the small girl.  So, she made a flirty comment.

Odango blushed.  And Haruka felt a creeping in her heart, and
fluttering in her stomach.  A vision of that blush creeping over this
girl's breast as she...

Michiru was fuming at the flirting.  Haruka watched as Usagi ran off,
embarrassed and giggling.  She turned to Michiru, smiling.  Narrow
eyes met hers, and then Michiru began walking away, quickly,
deliberately leaving Haruka behind.

She'd done it again.  Haruka sighed and trudged home.  Somewhere along
the way she had lost sight of Michiru, but that was OK.  Michiru did
not want to be in her company right now, and Haruka knew better than
to seek Michiru out when Michiru was in this type of dark mood.  She
loved the aqua-haired woman, but she could be so jealous.  But, she
could say the same about Haruka.  When Michiru flirted with a man...
Haruka's fist clenched.  It infuriated her.

The thing was, Michiru did it on purpose, teased Haruka about it.  Led
these men on, waiting for Haruka to notice.  Haruka never reacted
harshly toward Michiru, just toward the men.  Only at times like these
did she realize the infractions were Michiru's fault, not the men's. 
They just returned what they were receiving.

Haruka entered the apartment they shared.  The spacious condo seemed
cramped at that moment.  And it was quiet.  Michiru had not returned
to their home.  This was her punishment.  A sigh escaped Haruka.  Her
patience for Michiru's childishness was wearing thin.  Anger welled
and Haruka shut the door.  Fine.  She wanted to play this game, Haruka
would do as was required.  She bathed and changed, entered the second
bedroom and locked the door.

Sleep, though, was a long time in coming.  When it did, Haruka
thrashed on the bed with dreams of blonde hair and gentle eyes,
followed by wild green hair and hurt-filled blue eyes.  She was woken
by pounding at the door, Michiru calling for her to wake up and come
with her, they had to go.

*Feeling guilty, worried,
*Waking from tormented sleep
*This old love has me bound
*But this new love cuts deep.
*If I choose now, I'll lose out
*One of you has to fall
*But I need you, and you.

'Looking back,' Haruka thought as she gazed over the calm ocean,
sipping tea, 'I should have just rolled over and gone back to sleep. 
Instead... she was Sailor Moon.  And I just couldn't be happy with
what I had.'

She and Usagi 'bumped' into each other a lot.  Each time, Haruka
promised herself she would just be cool.  Instead she found herself
flirting shamelessly and reveling in the sexual tension between them. 
She was forbidden fruit -- and Haruka herself was in no situation to
offer sexual favors.  Especially to *Usagi*!

Usagi permeated Haruka's thoughts, though.  More and more often Haruka
found herself sleeping in that second bedroom, shut out from the woman
she loved.  Michiru booked more and more dates, spent hours locked
into her studio.  She disappeared and reappeared at all hours and they
fought more.  Haruka felt Michiru was hiding something important from
her -- or, at least, a lover.

Jealousy but into their home and took a huge chunk of the trust they
once shared.  When they did share the same bed, it was a cold meeting. 
The few times they made love it was fast, furious, full of anger and
mistrust.  Haruka could not understand what it was that Michiru was
hiding and why their lives had separated so.

She knew she could just ask, but she wanted Michiru to offer her the
information, trust her as she should trust her life partner.  Michiru
never mentioned anything to Haruka.  And, if she had, Michiru could
have probably prevented most of the actions that occurred.  Instead,
they parted more and more, growing apart for fear of the unknown in
the relationship.

Haruka's fascination with Usagi grew.  She remembered the kiss she had
bestowed upon Usagi in a moment of lust, remembered the softness and
warmth of the lips.  She knew Usagi remembered too.

*Why do you come here
*When you know I've got troubles enough?
*Why do you call me
*When you know I can't answer the phone?
*Make me lie, when I don't want to
*And make someone else some kind of an unknowin' fool
*You make me stare, when I should not
*Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me?
*Why do you come here
*And pretend to be just passing by?
*But I need to see you,
*And I mean to hold you
*Tightly

In the night they met.  Few words.  Lust filled them both, need for 
abandonment.  Usagi was versed in physical pleasure, but Haruka made 
no mention of her obvious physical relationship with Mamoru.  Haruka 
did not question why Usagi had chosen to meet with her, did not stop 
to think of the other loves in their lives.  She was sure Usagi did 
not either.  Right now was for them.  This moment, they would have 
everything they wanted.

Haruka took Usagi to her unused condo, the one she had left vacant 
since moving in with Michiru.  In the cool and stillness of the 
bedroom, Haruka showed Usagi the gentle pleasures of the love between 
two women.  Heated kisses and soft moans, caresses and whispers of 
love.  Haruka let herself get lost in the feel of Usagi.

She stroked down Usagi's bare thigh, watching the smaller woman close 
her eyes and her legs spread slightly, inviting Haruka to take her.  
With deliberate slowness Haruka lowered her head.

--- End Part 3 ---