Just Transform!

Disclaimers: Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Kaioh are the properties of Naoko Takeuchi and the respective studios.

The bang of the skillet on the stove top made Haruka wince. The sound was especially loud in the quiet morning. She had not intended to place the pan down with such force but the sudden spike of pain had distorted any ease of control that flowed through her limbs. She placed a hand on her face, bracing her left cheek, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. Even the echo of the noise seemed to agitate the pain and she grimaced. She was no stranger to pain of course, as a senshi she participated in many battles, and while some outcomes were better than others there were times when she was left incredibly bruised and battered. But she was at least able to walk away from those.

This pain however-

"I know I said it was your turn to make breakfast but you didn't have to be so grumpy about it," Michiru yawned as she entered the kitchen. She was clad in one of Haruka's button down shirts and boxer briefs. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to her elbows and the few open upper buttons revealed an alluring flash of cleavage. The boxers clung to her hips and a perfectly shaped rear and also revealed long luscious legs which loved to wrap around Haruka. Usually, seeing Michiru like this awoke a primitive need in the blonde and whatever task she might have at hand was postponed until later. Much much later. But not today.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten: Knowing Enough

"You knew those men," Michiru wasn't asking but rather stating the fact as she handed Haruka a pack of frozen peas. "And they knew you."

They were in the art student's apartment with Haruka sitting on the very couch where they made love. The thought of it lingered on the surface of her mind but she tried ignored it. There were more pressing matters to take care of. She carefully placed the frozen bag over her bruised and swollen knuckles. How much of it should she tell Michiru? Could she trust the student? Then again, Michiru had risked her own life by returning to the fight. At the very least she was owed some kind of explanation.

"They're a couple of goons who work for a loan shark." Michiru sat down in the other couch across from her and nodded for Haruka to go on. "A while ago I was desperate for money. Every bank I went to denied me so I had to find an alternative. I was able to borrow some but I couldn't pay all of it back in time. I started making deliveries in order to pay off the rest of the debt. Those men were the ones who usually made the deliveries but I ended up taking their work away. They developed a grudge because of that. They probably didn't like me from the start either because I wasn't a typical woman."

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: Trouble Follows

Haruka's shift was finally over. She sighed in relief, as she stepped out the back door and into the dark alleyway.

"Wait, Haruka!" Michiru called out behind her, and the tall woman whirled around, trapping the art student between the door and herself. The music from the bar could still be heard through the closed door.

"What do you mean wait?" Haruka growled. She was furious but had held it in during the evening. Being nasty to the customers wouldn't have been good for business. "Somehow you ended up here at my job. On a night that I'm working no less. I want to know how you found out where I was. You didn't come here to hang out with friends, or pick up anyone. You sat there all night drinking one drink, those eyes of yours on me the entire time. So, just what are you doing following me around?"

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Lyrics mentioned in this chapter are from the song called "Closer" which is the property of Dido.

Chapter Eight: The Hunter And The Hunted

Two weeks. Give or take a day or two, it had been two weeks since Michiru's encounter with the handsome Haruka. She would have been lying to herself if she couldn't admit she'd been counting the days. The time had passed quickly; Michiru's charcoal portrait had catapulted her into a series of events which marked a very important time in her life as an artist. But as busy as she was, she simply could not forget the feeling of Haruka's toned body moving against hers. For the first time in her life, Michiru could say that perhaps she had fallen in love. And fallen hard for a stranger no less. Memories of the too short evening spent with the woman assailed her and a slow burn ignited within, much like a burning ember that catches flame with a gust of oxygen, growing and consuming as time went on. It wasn't the first time the feeling visited her and Michiru had tried to some degree of embarrassment to "scratch the itch" so to speak on her own without avail.

"Michiru...," a low voice, Nagi's, interrupted her flow of thoughts and Michiru looked over to her right to see the short brunette staring at her quizzically, "class is over. Are you okay? You look a bit flushed."

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: A Late Night Conversation

The streetlight in front of the house cast Haruka's warped shadow against the front door as she unlocked it as silently as possible. She opened the door quietly to prevent disturbing everyone sleeping inside; it was one-thirty in the morning. Late nights were a thing of custom for Haruka, she worked long, odd hours and arrived home at strange times. Some nights she arrived home much later if other jobs popped up but no such opportunity had presented itself tonight and so she had come straight home.

"I'm home," she announced quietly to the darkened hallway before she took her boots off. As she stepped further into the house she noticed a flickering light through the archway leading into the living room. Someone was still awake, really, it could only be one person. Making a detour into the kitchen, she grabbed a beer from the refrigerator then headed into the living room and plopped herself down on the couch next to the figure. The metal gave a sharp, loud crack and a hiss as she popped the top of the beer can. Taking a long pull of the contents she sighed in satisfaction as the liquid left a cold, biting trail down her throat.

Cute and Misunderstood:Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Rumors and Reputations

By the next day the typhoon had blown itself away and it was business as usual at St. Lulim Academy. Despite being up late Michiru did not feel tired. Like the day before she was in the clubroom standing in front of an easel; but unlike yesterday the portrait before her sat untouched as she stared out the window. The sun shone down upon the trees, grass, various plants and students all across the campus. She thought being out in the sun might feel a lot like how she had felt when Haruka had looked at her.

"It would have been nice to say goodbye to her at least," Michiru muttered to herself as she bit the tip of her finger. A light pink flushed her cheeks when she thought it was one of the very same fingers used to touch the blonde in intimate ways.

"Oh! Our dear Miss Michiru is staring off into space with a most interesting look on her face, Hikari!"

Michiru looked to her left to find her classmates Nagi and Hikari looking at her in an intrigued manner. A friendship between the women had developed naturally as all three shared many of the same classes, but Michiru liked the shorter dark-haired Nagi more than the tall blonde Hikari. She just could not bring herself to trust the standoffish Hikari as readily as she did the warmer Nagi. Michiru always considered herself a good judge of character and listened to her instincts when it came to allowing people into her life, but she could not just disregard Hikari out of respect for Nagi: the two were cousins, even though they did not share a family resemblance.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Don't Look Back

The very first moment Michiru experienced Haruka's kiss, she had known she could never accept a kiss from any other. The kiss had proven that what she had felt upon meeting the blonde was not a fluke. Standing in the middle of her living room with mere inches between them Michiru felt the heat of arousal wash over her followed by the warmth of rightness. This is where she was meant to be: in this woman's arms. Haruka's kiss tasted of honeysuckle carried on a warm summer wind. It did not take much for Michiru to imagine herself with Haruka in a field, the music of breezes rustling through the trees and dancing through the blades of grass with the sun shining down upon them. She was surrounded by the heat and taste and smell of the woman.

When Michiru loosened the robe and slid her fingers across Haruka's skin, she could feel the tense form of carved muscles. The blonde woman's body felt like a Greek statue come to life: Michiru's own Galatea made of flesh and bone, tendons and sinews, underlain and intertwined to create a being of perfection for Michiru alone. But Haruka was not made of cold ivory; the very proof of it was the heat generating from the blonde.
She could feel the trim blonde shudder at her touch and she wanted to feel more, wanted to tease more until Haruka cried out. She slid her hands upwards and slipped the robe off the woman's shoulders. Strong shoulders bunched under Michiru's fingers and she felt Haruka's hands release their hold from her hips and slip under her tank top. Her skin was electrified beneath the blonde's hands, the rough calluses eliciting an arousing, chaotic sensation as they lightly caressed her back. She moaned into Haruka's open mouth and the blonde seemed to drink the very moan from Michiru's lips before deepening the kiss. When they broke apart Michiru immediately stepped back and slipped her own meager clothing. She missed the feeling of Haruka's hands on her skin as they returned to the woman's side.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Lying To Oneself

What just happened?

Haruka's forehead made a small thud as it connected to the tiles of the shower. Hot water washed over her body and Haruka had to admit the heat of it felt very good after the cool rain of the typhoon. What the hell just happened? It had only been minutes since the incident at the bottom of the stairs. Haruka barely had time to take in the comfortable kitchen before she was guided into a small hallway and ushered into the bathroom where Michiru demanded her wet clothes. From the moment the blonde met the other woman she had not felt in control at all. It infuriated her how easily she had gotten caught up in the woman's flow.

Her lips still tingled from kissing Michiru. Her right hand, which hung at her side, moved of its own accord until she realized her fingers were touching her lips. She could not get rid of the sensation. Desire had blindsided her until she could do nothing but heed its call. She stared at her hands which only minutes ago had grasped the heated flesh of the teal-haired woman. They could recall perfectly the softness to which she had clung.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Familiar Strangers

A furious gust of wind buffeted Michiru's back while she extracted her keys from her bag. She shuddered when the blast hit her, only to go still when she felt that new but already deliciously familiar warmth of the blonde's tall frame behind her. She could no longer feel the wind and she realized that there was a purpose to the woman's act-Michiru was being protected from the typhoon's fury. Flames ignited in her cheeks and in her lower belly. Didn't this stranger realize what her actions caused within Michiru? Was the blonde doing it on purpose? Michiru bit her lips as the stranger moved in closer, she wanted to turn and catch a glance of the woman's face. Not being able to see the woman caused a flash of nervousness accompanied by the unnameable emotion she felt when they stood talking in the rain. Her long, delicate and artful fingers suddenly felt clumsy as she pushed the key into the lock.

Since she arrived in the city for school five months ago Michiru had not invited any of her friends over to her second floor apartment. She did not like the notion of inviting just anyone into her private space and yet here she was with a stranger standing at the door to her home. A very cute stranger, but still a stranger. Just what was she doing? Following your instincts. The idea manifested itself and she pounced on it, readily agreeing. The magnetic attraction she felt the moment she locked her gaze onto the blonde's convinced her to persuade the woman to follow her home. Long callused fingers brushed past hers and gently took the keys from her hands. A tingling heat unlike anything she had ever felt before blossomed immediately on the skin which was lightly grazed and she almost moaned out loud from the sensation.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter Two

Chapter Two : Opposites Attract

Michiru blinked once more to clear the rainwater out of her eyes. Despite the glare on the stranger's face she did not feel threatened at all. Or perhaps she did not feel that way now because she saw her rescuer was a woman. A very attractive woman. Michiru was entranced; she had never seen wet hair look so captivating before. The wind flung her wet blonde locks to and fro, water dripping from the ends. Nor had she ever felt such heat from a navy blue stare.

"What the hell are you doing?" the woman growled at her.

Too relieved to pay attention to the aggravated stranger, Michiru continued to take in the woman's appearance. She was dressed in all dark clothing, and the art student had to admit the jeans, button down shirt and motorcycle boots gave the blonde an edgy looked that appealed to her. Her rescuer did not look particularly dangerous until the woman took a step forward and leaned towards her. Michiru felt a thrill scampering up her spine. The stranger smelled of the rain and wind with an underlying hint of soap and cologne.

Cute and Misunderstood: Chapter One

Chapter One: The Typhoon

Fat drops of rain hitting the windows broke her concentration away from charcoal lines, swirls, and careful smudging. Taking two steps back she surveyed the drawing that had engrossed her for the past hour. She shook her head in frustration, waves of teal green hair captured in a ponytail bobbing in silent agreement with her. It still wasn't right somehow. And the deadline was two days away. She muttered what she considered a lady-like curse as she gnawed on her lower lip with her teeth. Am I going to make it in time?

The raindrops pounded against the window panes and she suddenly realized how quiet it was in the clubroom. She was the only one left. Whooshing winds buffeting the side of the building brought home the fact that all the other students with good sense had left before the conditions outside worsened; she sighed at her folly. She had heard the reports of course, a typhoon was making its way towards the city and all students were warned off campus. They were told by faculty members to leave, they didn't have to go home as long as they weren't hanging around St. Lulim Academy.

A set of lone footsteps echoed in the hallway, stopping directly in front of the clubroom door. It slid open to reveal a female faculty member. "Miss Kaioh! What are you still doing here?"