College Life Part 4: Love bytes -- True intentions by Greenbeans Disclaimers: This is a continuation of the "Love bytes" story. This has some "girlish" scenes in it (or as my friends call them "fufu moments") Sorry guys, you'll have to just wade on through. Mild cursing, 'nuff said. Comments, thoughts, complaints, compliments, ramblings, and flames are all accepted. But the latter two stand a serious chance of being printed out and turned into rat cage lining. All characters are property of their respective holders. I belong to myself, thank you, and have a nice day :) Sorry if this one ended up weird. I was sick when I wrote it and it all sounded good at the time. Maybe they *should* take my computer away from me when I get like this.... ********** Wednesday ********** Haruka hadn't shown up for Calculus Tuesday, but she was back today. Luckily, the assignment had been one Beans was able to do herself. This time Beans was determined not to dig herself anymore holes by asking awkward questions. If Haruka wanted to tell her how things worked out, she would. Though she desperately wanted to know since she had spent Monday and Tuesday worrying about both of her friends. After class, they moved to the lounge where they normally did their homework. "Thank you for leaving us on Monday," she spoke softly once they were settled down to work. "Everything is fine between us." "I'm glad to hear it," she admitted. "I wouldn't want to see either of you hurt." "You are a good friend to us. I'm glad that Michiru was right about you," she flipped open her text. "But I wish she'd warned me about having to carry you in Calculus...." She watched Beans out of the corner of her eye, wanting her to take the bait. Beans wasn't going to play along. "You volunteered for the burden; don't begrudge the work." She smiled, Beans did present her with a constant challenge. She liked that. ********** Saturday (fufu alert) ********** It was overcast this morning, thus preventing the sun from intruding upon my sleep. Contently, I stretched out on my bed and was about to fall back asleep when the phone rang. "Hello?" I asked. "Busy?" It was Haruka. "No, and why do I fell like I've had this conversation before?" I yawned a bit. "Then you will remember the drill. Front steps in ten minutes," she said. "Give me a half hour, I just woke up," I replied. "Lazy. You don't get up with the sun?" She teased. "Not if I can help it," I answered and hung up. What did she have in mind this time? Another one of her little 'rides'? ***** A half hour later on the button a yellow sports car pulled up to the front steps of the dorms. Michiru got out to allow me to get in. She was dressed with her -- I don't want to call it 'usual', but it was the norm -- usual elegance. I don't know how she managed it, but she looked fabulous in anything. Usually, I didn't care, but I think she could even manage to look wonderful if all she was wearing was a potato sack. (If you've ever seen a 100lb potato sack, you'd know that that'd be quite an accomplishment ;) Haruka was looking stylish herself today in dress slacks, button shirt, and a sports jacket. I'd noticed that Haruka's tastes clothing-wise varied as much as the weather around here. One day it could be jeans and a tee shirt while the next it would be a fashionable dress. Though odd at times, with combos that I'd figure would clash, but she's able to pull off successfully. And there I was in khakis and a "Byte Me" tee shirt. Needless to say that I was feeling rather underdressed for whatever it was that they were planning. I shook it off and crawled into the car with backpack in tow. "Why did you bring that?" Haruka asked once I was buckled in. "Call it my security blanket," I patted my pack protectively. I never went anywhere without it because it had everything I needed in it. Like a purse, only bigger and more utilitarian. It also accurately told of my student status which could be good or bad depending upon the situation. She just shrugged and started the car. "Where are we going, and don't tell me 'for a ride'?" They both smiled slightly at that. "We are going shopping," Michiru answered. 'Shopping? Why would they take me shopping?' I asked myself. That just didn't make much sense to me. Especially since we'd never really done anything together before except homework. I would have never imagined that they would want to spend a Saturday with me *shopping*. "Um, what for?" I asked. "Full of questions today? I need a new tuxedo and Michiru wanted to look at dresses. We decided to go to the Starlight Ball that's being held at the college next Saturday. Only, we didn't bring any of our formal clothing with us, so we need to buy some," Haruka explained. I was surprised. Not really at the part of Haruka buying a tux; that somehow figured. But to get a full answer out of her without having to pull teeth was a switch. They probably figured that it would be 'fun' to go look at clothes together. Oh well, it certainly didn't rate very high on my list of things to spend a Saturday doing. My own tastes were rather simple and went along the line of 'if it fits me, is clean, and fully covers my body, it works'. An attitude that thoroughly disgusted some of my female friends who tried to convince me to take 'joy in being feminine.' As I saw it, 'being feminine' to the extent they wanted required a lot of extra time that I could better devote to other things; namely my computer. The first shop we went too didn't hold much promise in my opinion, but we went through it any ways. As we progressed along I saw a possible motive for bringing me with. I got the feeling that Michiru enjoys dressing other people as much as she enjoys dressing herself. Finally, I told her that we were out looking for dresses for her, not me. "I'm sorry Beans, I didn't realize that you preferred tuxs like Haruka did," she said with little remorse. I turned red while Haruka laughed. "I prefer dresses," I told them calmly. "Really? I would have never known. You never wear them," Haruka continued to press the subject. "I'm afraid that I have to agree with her on this one, Beans. I see her in dresses more often than you," Michiru added. "You *live* with her! Of course you'd see it more often," I exclaimed. "Yes, but if even *Haruka* can put forth the effort, so can you! So should you. Do you realize how hard it can be sometimes to get her to put one on?" Michiru continued. "Heh, but it's a lot easier to get me to take one off, ne?" Haruka added wickedly. (Insert the famous sweat drop here if you wish and see notes below ;) After Michiru and I returned to our normal flesh tones and Haruka stopped smiling shamelessly at us, I said, "What does it matter if I wear a dress or not? It's just a piece of clothing." "You really don't get it, do you, Beans?" Haruka scolded. "Yes, it is just a piece of clothing, but what does it say? What you're wearing right now for instance." "It says that I'm a poor college student that doesn't have the money to spend on a lot of clothes," I replied annoyed. "Maybe to you it says that, but to me it says that you just haven't tried very hard yet," she crossed her arms across her chest. "But that'll change." "How are you so sure?" I challenged. "Because, you will grow with time. It's just a matter of maturity. You haven't reached a point yet in which you care, but you will. And we have decided to escort you along to that point," Haruka combed her hand through her hair. "Trust me on this one Beans. Before I met Michiru, I didn't give a damn, but I've grown since then. Someday you'll meet someone that will make you want to grow. We just want to make it easier on you for when that time comes." I leaned myself up against a wall and closed my eyes to think. I certainly hadn't expected this from them. It stung to have Haruka, king of the tomboys, criticizing me on my lack of acting feminine. I could also see their points. I didn't know Haruka before she met Michiru, but from what I've seen she probably was just a guy lacking the balls. (Don't scream at me) That made her words hurt all the more, but it also gave them the ring of truth. "Alright, dammit, but go easy on me, I'm on a budget." They smiled to each other. "Budgets are not a problem," Haruka assured. ***** (Sparing the guys the gory details) I returned to my room laden with *stuff*. My roommates were gone again this weekend. Of course, they were gone *every* weekend, so they didn't get to witness this switch. Haruka and Michiru came up with me. It was their first time in the room I that shared with Alex and Jeff. It explained an awful lot about me once they got a good look around. The reason they came up, besides to help me carry things, was to "purge" me of my "bad habits." In short, Michiru was going to take my plain pieces of clothing away. 'Not forever,' she promised, 'just until you learned that they were only appropriate for certain occasions.' I groaned as Michiru put some of my most favorite tee shirts in the bags that we'd emptied of new clothes. She wanted the "Byte Me" shirt too, but I drew the line citing that their were too many people in the world that needed to be told that on a regular basis. She relented and let me keep it. Once she was through, the bags were full again. I mourned the loss. "See you tomorrow morning," she said pleasantly while leaving with my clothes. "That didn't hurt too much, did it?" Haruka followed her out with the rest of them. What did I just set myself up for? I was going to be teased for my sudden change of tastes. I sighed, maybe not sudden, I'd always liked certain styles of clothes, I was just encouraged to pursue them more. To Michiru's chagrin, she discovered that my tastes paralleled Haruka's a good chunk of the time. She still steered me towards more 'mature' fashions while letting us indulge in 'wilder' things. During the expedition, they told me briefly about a friend of theirs that would have loved to have been there. Setsuna, I think her name was. They told me how she adored shopping and one day dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. It was a noble cause. Maybe she could come up with fashions for those with no fashion sense. Oh, and at the end of it all, Haruka did find her tux and Michiru her dress. Though I doubt that was the point of the whole exercise. ********** Sunday ********** I joined Haruka and Michiru in one of the lounges in the student union. Their playing was as beautiful as ever. I marveled at the skill they possessed and wondered why no one had picked up on it. They could have sold millions of CDs if they ever did one. I know that I'd be one of the first at the store to buy it, that's for sure. After another heart wrenching piece, Michiru stopped for a moment to rest. "Do you play any instruments?" She asked while leaning up against the piano. I shook my head. "I'm afraid that the only keyboard that I have skill with is one attached to a computer. I used to play a little piano, but that was a long time ago." "You could always relearn," Haruka said. "I did." (thanks Tim ;) "Maybe so, but I'm quite content listening to you two play. It makes my heart want to leap out of my chest and fly when I listen to you," I admitted. Michiru smiled slightly at the compliment. It was true though. I lived in awe of their skills and dreamed that someday I'd find my own 'instrument' for expressing myself. ********** Wednesday ********** We had decided to do our homework at the tables near the arcade machines today. Michiru only had two classes on Wednesday, so she was seated with us reading a book while we argued over how to do a problem. "You do it like *this*, Beans!" Haruka shoved her paper over mine so that I was forced to see it. "You can do it that way, but that's not the easiest. Do it like this and it'll all work out in half the time," I replied angrily. Haruka could be so *stubborn*! It often made me want to whack her upside the head with my Calculus book. "Why don't you each do it your own way and see who finishes first?" Michiru suggested while still reading. "You can do it however you want, but I'm not getting into a contest with her," I stated. "Afraid I'll beat you?" Haruka sneered. I leaned forward. "I *know* you'll beat me. There's no point in even trying, so I might as well go slow and get the right answers, ne?" [Eyebrow twitch] "Fine, let's go Michiru," she stood up to leave. Michiru sighed and put her book down. "Sit down Haruka. *I'm* not ready to leave yet. Stop being childish, both of you. You have to work together if your going to pass this class, or do you both plan on taking it again next term?" [Scene freeze with looks of horror on both Beans and Haruka's faces. The words "Not Again" (in hiragana :) scrolling behind them] Haruka coughed into her fist [and everything returned to normal] "I think we had better work together on this one, Beans," she said. (Sorry, This is a copy of the scene in "Greenwood" when Suka-chan has "Panic" scrolling behind him ;) I agreed and we began again with only minor disputes while we worked. Michiru shook her head and went back to her reading. Not long after that Andy showed up. I prepared myself to restrain Haruka if necessary. She was probably still mad about his chasing after Michiru. Haruka looked up and stretched out. "I need a break, I'm going to go play the game," (I'm sure you realize which one 'the game' is) That was odd. Haruka leaving the table to Andy with Michiru here. "'Kay, I'll catch up to you while you play," I replied. "You do that," she said with none of her usual cockiness. Andy sat down in the seat she had vacated next to me. "What are you doing?" He asked. Haruka's Calculus book was open right in front of him. Besides, what am I *always* doing? "Calculus," I answered patiently. "Oh, I took that in high school. It was easy," he commented. I resisted my urge to shove my book down his throat. Why did everyone who *understood* math always have to say that? It was NOT easy, they just didn't realize it! Michiru watched us from behind her book. "Yeah, sure," I answered while continuing with my work. "Um, well, I --" He cleared his throat and I looked up to him somewhat annoyed. "Yes?" I asked. "Eh, would you like to go with me to the Starlight Ball this Saturday?" He blurted out in a rush, then turned red. I wasn't doing that well myself. The only reason he probably wanted to take me was because he crashed and burned in his attempt to take Michiru. "I --" I began, about to say 'no', when Michiru kicked me *HARD* under the table. I glared at her. "That would work out wonderfully," she said innocently. "We could go as a double date." "Great!" Andy exclaimed. "I'll meet you in front of the student union at, say 5:30, so we can get some dinner before hand." If he glowed any brighter he'd be a light bulb. He left then, walking on air. I turned to Michiru and hissed, "What the hell didja do that for?!" Haruka took her chair back and asked Michiru, "So we're going on a double date after all, huh? I was wondering when he'd build up the nerve." "What?" I looked at both of them stunned. Haruka laughed at the dumbfounded expression on my face while Michiru chuckled lightly (I can't imagine Michiru giggling like a school girl, so she chuckles) "What have you two been up to?" I demanded while waving my book at Haruka threateningly. "Nothing much," Haruka said. "Just helping him along a little." "Michiru?" "The reason Andy gave me his phone number was because he wanted some ideas on how to get a date with *you*." [My jaw hit the table] "But, as you could tell, his social skills are lacking a little, so we decided to help him out," Haruka added. "I didn't know what he wanted before Michiru and I had our talk last week. But it was okay once she told me everything." "He gave me a ride because he wanted to practice asking a female before he tried asking you," Michiru continued. "He still managed to botch it up though," Haruka said slightly annoyed. "And how long did it take you to finally talk to me?" Michiru teased. [Eyebrow twitch] "Um, yes, but that's not one of my strong suits." "Do you two mind?! You just set me up for a date with someone I barely know!" I got back to the point. "Oh don't let it get to you," Haruka encouraged. "It will be fun and we'll be there. Besides you needed a reason to wear that blue dress we picked up over the weekend." [Light bulb visibly going on] I'd been setup from the start! "Damn you --" "'Many times over for the things that I've done,'" Haruka finished. She grinned at me. "Two can play at this game." "I think the correct number is three," I glanced over at Michiru, who was also grinning. They were definitely evil as a pair. ********** End part 4 ********** Evil, ne? Alright, I'd like to discuss briefly my portrayal of Haruka since that's a ripe subject for debate. The one thing that's most open for debate in this fic is her sense of humor. I'm going with the idea that she has a kind of wry sense that can lead to statements with dual meanings. I've kicked it around with some about how Haruka would better be portrayed: elegant, like Michiru, or like my brother. I chose my brother because, hey, we already have the elegant side in Michiru and my brother can be rather interesting at times. But this also leads to a possible description of her being "crude and unrefined". I don't think that she's either of those things, but it works out better for me if I keep her on the boarder for this fic. Sorry if that disappoints you purist, but I'll still happily hash it out with anyone who wants to discuss it. BTW, I *do* own a "Byte Me" shirt, it's one of my favorites =) Next episode: The conclusion of the "Love bytes" arc. "The big night", is, well, a girlish romantic one. So, if that makes you're stomach turn, I'll catch up with you in part 6. Otherwise, see you then! I'd like to acknowledge some of my favorite fanfic authors whom I drew inspiration from: * Tim Nolan: "Awakening", "Obligations" Thank you for answering all of my outer Senshi questions =) * Jackie Chiang: "Senshi Kurai" I really liked this fic for being serious and still having fun! * Brett Handy: "Oh my God!!" Series Thanks for all the advice and encouragement you've given, mate! Check out his Oh My Goddess and Ranma fics at his website at: http://www.ozanime.com/darkwind/ * A Sailor Moon Romance: For posting this and providing me with plenty of fics to read ;) http://ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu/~aerdnahu/ Also: * 'Misty' the rat: Thanks for bugging the hell outta me while I wrote this. You're lucky I haven't turned you into bento yet...