The Four Seasons of Michael (Princess Diaries Fanfic)

January (1)

Something changed when the New Year began.

I couldn't pinpoint it, but I started perceiving the world in a new light. As gloomy as it had seemed when arriving in Tsukuba, it now appeared challenging - but in a good way. Now I understood my life, the situation I was in, as an opportunity to push myself even harder, achieve even more, make that final leap to prove myself. It was now or never, I knew I could never have a shot like this. I had given it all I had when I invented the prototype – I doubted I had another similar achievement in me. Why would I, really, the cardio device I was making was as groundbreaking as a single operating device could be. If this wouldn't make a somebody in world's eyes, nothing ever could. Of course, just coming to Tsukuba, getting my own lab and my own team was a huge, huge accomplishment, but it wasn't enough. The world doesn't care about those who almost make it. All it wants to know about are victories.

I had to finish the robotic arm to show the world it had been wrong about me all along. Succeeding would give me a chance to get Mia back like nothing ever could.

And I wanted it right there, right then. I wanted to lock myself into the laboratory, and work day and night until the moment I could lift my hands and say done. I wanted to get on the plane, fly back to New York, skip the ceremonies, skip the interviews, ignore the world's big eyes staring, admiring, accepting – I didn't want any recognition, I didn't want the money. All I wanted was Mia. The thought of having her back in my arms, locking her into my embrace and never, ever letting go, occupied my mind, it was all I could think about. I subjugated everything for this goal, this obsession of mine. If I could do something tomorrow, I tried to have it done by today's evening. I didn't want to waste a single hour, I didn't want to sacrifice a single minute I could otherwise spend with Mia.

But of course I couldn't work all day and night. Clearly I needed a break every once in a while. I couldn't simplify my life to only working, sleeping and eating.

The time I wasn't in the lab I refused to spend in the apartment, catching up on some sleep or watching movies. These were all things I could easily do in New York. If I was in Tsukuba, at least I could use the time to experience the city.

I went to every museum, every gallery I could find. When there was nothing else to see, I started attending lectures. I listened to everything – from astronomy to history, art, culture, social sciences. I always liked learning. I knew that if cardio arm indeed took off, I wouldn't have time to go to school. I would have my own company to run, my own product to sell. And to use the little time I had left, I went to classes as diverse as I could find them. If I liked what I was hearing, I went back or read more on the internet or looked up books in the library.

I wasn't only looking at my time in Tsukuba as an opportunity to make my dream future a reality. Now it was also a time for me to grow as a person, to learn as much as I could. As a prince consort, who knew what obscure knowledge could come in handy one day. Surely one day there would be a guest interested in Greek mythology. Some other time, there might be an expert on the Middle Ages. Someone might like Renaissance or chemistry. I wanted to talk to as many of them as I could.

Due to working as much as I could, attending classes and going to a gym as regularly as I could, I often returned to the apartment so tired I barely managed to take a shower before falling asleep. A few times I fell asleep in front of the laptop, one time I dozed off while making myself dinner. I couldn't write Mia as often as I would like, but those occasions when I poured myself an energy drink to stay up for another hour, I did make sure to write her a lot, about whatever subject we were discussing. If I didn't know much about it, I would google it, read about it until I felt like my knowledge was sufficient.