The End of The World

PREMONITION

Michiru's delicate body curled and pressed against Haruka's, nestling her nose between her shoulder and breast where each purring breath sent chills racing down her spine. Their bare legs delved into one another, grazing to create a glorious warmth and sweat that beaded in the creases of their skin. Haruka pulled the smaller girl closer, wrapping one arm around her tiny waist and loving the feel of their touching bodies- every ridge in her spine crawling up to greet a mass of beautiful aqua hair. Fingering the tendrils, they looked like the turbulent sea before dusk when the golden rays slanted against each roiling wave, the same shade that nothing except that natural counterpart could replicate.

Beautiful.

Haruka tried to make out her soft features through the weighted darkness, barely seeing the smouldering lashes, their shade competing with even the night, caress her cheek. Her sculpted lips were swollen from their vehement kisses, looking so, so very delicious. Extending her neck, Haruka nuzzled Michiru's nose and tilted it upward, their lips connecting like a magnet. The taste was familiar as her tongue skirted around the tender skin- one that was indescribable, one that only she would know.

Beautiful.

Michiru groaned, her eyes roaming beneath her lids and lips yanking apart as another whimper escaped. Haruka loosened her grip over the girls thin shoulders that quivered like a broken bird's, the muscles becoming taut. Tracing her cheekbone, the finger crossed the path of a tear that forged a lonely trail from the corner of her eye and sparkled in the darkness. Her heart twanged like an elastic band, concern stiffening Haruka's entire body as her eyes sharpened to lock on Michiru's despairing face.

"Michiru," She breathed, the heat of her own breath reflecting off their sweat soaked skin. Michiru did not stir, her face screwing up in pain. Every breath was laced with pain until it turned into great gasps for air and making her limbs spasm. "Michiru!" Haruka sat up, the sheets slipping off of her bare body and allowing the cool air to creep inside. Only when she hoisted the girl on her lap did Michiru's eyes fly open to greet her girlfriend's face merely inches away- for a second, her eyes turned a milky white, the blood vessels darkening around the edges as if they were to pop. Haruka jerked back in surprise, fumbling at the skin around the back of her neck as a wash of icy fear cascaded.

In a half a second, the look was gone, replaced with shining, mediterranean orbs- confused and slightly fearful. Haruka's widened eyes squinted in concern yet relief at the sight of Michiru's perplexed expression.

"What's wrong?" Each word was slightly slurred, her heavy lids blinking slowly as if trying to clear away the lasting residue of sleep. Eyes flitting across the room, she surveyed their erotic position and gave a sly grin, raising a hand and planting it between Haruka's breasts to pull her closer. Haruka knotted her lips, not in the least opposed to the idea yet slightly unsettled by the previous occurrence.

"Wait, Michiru. You were seizing up and... your eyes were..." She trailed off as the pixie-like woman cocked her head, eyebrows knitting. Then, realization dawned over and she pecked the side of Haruka's jawline, a grin slanting across her face.

"It was just a dream." Her voice picked up on its coherent elegance once again, the words tumbling musically in the fleeting space between them. Still, it was not convincing enough.

"Nothing is 'just a dream' anymore. You of all people should know that by now." Haruka's resonant voice turned stern, breaking through the tender wall of whispers and bubbly kisses. It was difficult to see through the veil of night but Michiru's eyes turned hard in resignation as if waiting for her to say that.

"I was burning." Her voice cracked to reveal the fear buried under the courageous facade. Haruka refused to react although her grip on the naked girl tightened, heart thrumming faster than ever as their eyes aligned. "Fierce flames that even my sea could not extinguish. You were there too- Uranus I mean- and as you attacked the fire, you began to burn and-" Her voice reached its breaking point and Michiru flung both arms over Haruka's shoulders, pressing their bodies together until they both collapsed backward. Bouncing slightly on the springs of the twin bed, the blonde's fingers traced up her body until it reached her face where tears did not hesitate to fall. Lips stretched tightly over clenched teeth, thin shoulders shaking uncontrollably at every sob, it was almost too painful to gaze into such a horrified expression cast onto such a beautiful face.

Michiru fervently combed through Haruka's unruly blonde hair, letting her hand brush against suffused cheeks to leave traces that echoed the touch with chills. As if simply trying to make sure everything was not simply sleep playing its infuriating tricks, she crawled her fingers over Haruka's upper body, kneading the pads of her fingers between each rib and the ridges of shoulder blades. Ardent nibbles went to her already bruised lips, their legs entwining to the point that they would never break free. The blonde tried to steady the girl above with even breaths and gentle touches although that quite possibly did the opposite. As Haruka pressed the girl closer, neither of them moved for a second. A warm tear fell from aqua eyes onto the pulsing temple of the navy colored ones, an aching yearning almost tangible within each hitching breath.

"Shhh..." Haruka breathed, thumbs massaging Michiru's shoulder to hold her upright. Their eyes met, hers glittering like starlights from the pooling tears in her lashes. "Focus on the present. You're okay, I'm okay, we're okay." Her shuddering breath were punctuated with the near hyperventilating intakes of breath- not sure from whose lungs each heady breath swelled from. Michiru shook her head in despair, aqua locks whipping across both of their faces.

"I can see it in your eyes. You're just as scared as I am." Shifting positions slightly, she rolled to the side so her head rested on Haruka's chest, the rest of her body curling up like a cat. Everything stilled for a moment, the air cooling several degrees before she gathered the courage to speak again.

"Of course I'm scared, how could I not be? Not once have you been wrong about your predictions, and with the darkening of my blade these last few transformations..." She shuddered, the entire bed vibrating although the tiny girl above refused to move. "Hey, have we ever lost a battle?" It was supposed to be rhetorical but Michiru nodded her head, hair splaying all across the blonde's chest.

"We both died."

"That was just a little miscalculation on our part." Haruka excused the comment with a playful nip to her ear, a wry smile jaggedly crossing her lips. "As Guardians, we shouldn't be surprised, this must just be another foolish enemy with another ridiculous pan to take over the world. That's assuming it's anything at all." Her voice turned husky from exhaustion, a yawn threatening. Michiru let out a watery giggle.

"I've never heard you sound so optimistic. You're almost starting to sound like Usagi-chan." She drolled, the aura of the situation livening considerably.

"I've never heard you sound so pessimistic. You're starting to sound like me."

Silence. Suddenly, the steady ticking of the clock in the corner felt as if it were a bomb about to blow, the faint rumble of the AC no longer simply white noise. Michiru seemed to be holding her breath, although they were close enough that Haruka could feel the rapping of her quickening heart. No more words were spoken, and soon the room was as quiet as the thoughts of a severed head. After a couple minutes of silence, Haruka was sure Michiru was asleep by the rhythmic heaves of breaths, the heavyweight of her hand rested upon her blonde hair going limp. Although just as Haruka's mind began to slip into the comforts of unconsciousness, she felt a single tear drop from above and trace a cold trail down her bare shoulder.

The sea was alive as ever.