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Haru never wanted to go camping with Makoto and his family. Every year, right before summer break, Makoto would tap his fingers on the counter while Haru cooked breakfast, smile, and announce the trip.
"My mom wanted to know-" he would start.
"No," Haru would immediately counter.
"We're leaving Saturday, bright and early," he would say, smiling. "The twins are really excited..."
And then Haru would drift into his own world, knowing full well it was a fight he wasn't going to win. Come Saturday, Makoto would bust into his house, pull him out of bed, and tell him that he'd already packed for the both of them.
When that didn't stir him, the twins would be sent in, and finally Mrs. Tachibana, with promises of mackerel cooked by the fire and even more time to swim, and finally told him he needed family time; he had no choice in it, and before he knew what was going on, Haru would be strapped into the family car surrounded on all sides by camping supplies and on his way into the wilderness.
This year was no exception. The only difference was that this year, Haru and Makoto were a couple, and instead of halfheartedly singing along to the radio or playing car games with the twins, this year, Makoto would slip his hand into Haru’s every so once in a while and talk to him softly.
“I’m so excited. The twins have their own tent now, so hopefully they won’t wake us up really early anymore,” Makoto said.
“They’re still going to.”
“You’re probably right.” Makoto smiled. “Are you really that unhappy about going?”
Haru shrugged. It wasn’t the camping itself that was so off-putting, but the lake they always went to was almost more mud and plants than water, and he’d barely be able to take a shower there, much less a bath. It was just so uncomfortable.
“You’ll have a great time, Haru,” Mrs. Tachibana said from the front seat. “You always do.”
The first few days passed slowly. Most of the time was spent in the shallows of the dirty lake or fishing at the shore. In the evenings, they had bonfires, roasting fish and marshmallows and whatever else they had on hand. Haru amused the twins by setting the marshmallows on fire and drawing designs in the air.
Not once did Haru complain to Makoto, even when they had to share the stuffy tent. Makoto didn't push his luck by trying to cuddle in the stifling heat, but they did still hold hands, since Haru wasn't wearing a shirt for Makoto to grab. He could tell that Haru, while maybe not having fun, was definitely more relaxed than he was even in the tub at home.
On the last night, Makoto had an idea; something to break the monotony of the trip. “Why don’t we spend the evening on the lake?” he suggested after dinner. “Go for a swim and then lay down on towels on the shore, just to relax? Does that sound nice?”
"Yeah," Haru said, leaning into Makoto's side to steal a bite of his s'more. "We should go soon so we can catch the sunset."
The swim itself was quick and cool, but a nice end to a long day, and after, Haru and Makoto spread their towels on the sand and lay next to each other, close, Haru using Makoto's chest as a pillow. Makoto ran his hand through Haru's wet hair, and they watched the sunset in an understood silence.
It wasn't too hot, so when the sun was finally down, Makoto wrapped his arms around the smaller boy before kissing his forehead. "Is this okay, Haru?"
Makoto felt Haru nod in his arms. "I'm going to nap for a bit," he said, and the last thing he felt and heard before falling asleep was Makoto's soft laughter.
“Haru. Haru, wake up, I want to show you something.” Makoto’s voice broke into his sleep, and slowly, Haru opened his eyes. “Look,” Makoto said once he had his boyfriend’s attention. He pointed at the sky.
The moon was huge and bright, and around it the sky was decorated with stars. Beautiful as it was, Haru wasn’t too impressed until he noticed that the whole scene was reflected on the lake in front of them, the trees around it muted, black smudges against the horizon. Crickets and owls and other animals leant their sounds to the night, making a calm buzz, but instead of feeling sleepy again, Haru felt more awake than ever. Makoto held his hand, rubbing Haru's palm with his thumb, and chattered softly to fill the space even more.
"It's nice, isn't it?"
Haru could only nod.
Time passed so quickly that it felt like only a few seconds before Makoto was leaning over his friend. He stroked Haru's cheek and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "We should get back soon to pack. We're leaving early tomorrow.
"I don't want to go home," Haru said, his eyes focused past Makoto, still on the stars.
Makoto chuckled. "I know. You say that every year."