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"Haru-chaaaaaaan!" The groaning of the young Tachibana twins could be heard all throughout the house. If their mother had been home, she would have come in to nag them about harking on poor Haruka while he was on vacation. But instead it was just Haru and Makoto. And every time he would hark on them, they'd turn on him like a couple of hyenas.
"Ran, Ren, maybe you two should explain the game better to Haru."
"Oniichan! We already did!" Ren pouted, crossing his arms.
"Like, five times! Haru-chan just likes water too much!" Ran said, pointing an accusatory finger at Haru, who sat on the couch somehow looking scandalized and uninterested at once.
Makoto and Haru had come home from Tokyo for winter break a week ago. It had been two years since they had moved away from Iwatobi, and despite Makoto's frequent trips home to see his family, Haru had only joined his best friend a handful of times to visit. He didn't have any family here, and the only people he cared to visit were Makoto's family, and Gou, Nagisa and Rei (but they were off at college now, too, so that wasn't so often either).
Makoto's parents had grudgingly been ushered into going to a Christmas party. They deserved some time away from Ran and Ren, said Makoto.
So that was how Haru and him had gotten themselves into babysitting. It was reminiscent of years ago, when they used to watch the twins all time.
Makoto gave his sister a stern look. She grimaced at him, but sighed and began her explanation to Haru once more. "Haru-chan, the game is called The Floor is Lava, and when the floor is lava, you can't touch it."
Haru stared at her quietly before opening his mouth to repeat his previous concerns.
"No! We can't play The Floor is Water because that's no fun!" Ran intercepted him.
There was an awkward staring contest between Haru and Ran before Haru leaned back into the couch. "Okay." He stated nonchalantly, although Makoto could tell by the look on his face that he felt a little defeated.
The twins squealed in success and began climbing onto the nearest furniture. Makoto followed their lead and scrambled onto the couch beside Haru. Haru looked over and was met with Makoto's smiling face beaming from across the couch.
"What?"
"Thanks for playing with them. They love when you come home Haru."
Haruka's ears changed a shade and he looked away to watch the twins as they bounced from chair to chair.
"They always have new games I have to learn." Haru complained.
"Haru-chan! Your foot!" Ren suddenly cried from across the room, his eyes wide. "Get away from the lava!"
Ran gave her brother a harsh glare. "Don't tell them how to win!" She paused. "Oniichan, you're on fire, too, you know." She said, before she began to sneak up on Ren.
"It's fun to watch them play though. Even though we're no good." Makoto chuckled, pulling his own foot up higher from the ground.
Haru hummed in some form of agreement and pulled his legs onto the couch. Makoto scooted back slightly so Haru had more room on the couch. They watched the twins for a while longer, until suddenly Ren lost his balance and he fell onto the floor.
Makoto was on his feet in an instant, forgetting the game.
"No! Oniichan! Don't sacrifice yourself for me!" Came Ren's cry. Makoto gave a relieved sigh when he realized his brother wasn't hurt, but that was suddenly gone when his sister shouted.
"You're both all burned up! It's just me and Haru-chan!" Ran said matter-of-factly, and she began crawling across furniture towards Haru who didn't even seem to be paying attention.
"Haru-chan, look out!" Ren said in a gasp. "She's gonna push you in!"
Makoto watched in suspenseful silence and Ran pounced onto the couch Haru was on. Ren latched onto his brother's shoulder, also very wrapped up in the moment.
Haru finally seemed to come back from Whereever he'd been, and his eyes locked onto Makoto. Confusion crossed his features, and Makoto assumed it was Haru wondering why exactly him and Ren looked so strucken with fear. Makoto raised a finger and pointed towards Ran.
Haru turned his head and let out a startled snort when Ran suddenly pounced on him. They wrestled lightly for a couple moments before Ran flopped sideways off the couch. "Noooooooo!" She cried, dramatically.
"Haru-chan's really good at this game." Ren announced once his sister had quieted slightly.
"Oniichan and Haru-chan just sat together on the couch like an old married couple the whole time!" Ran pouted, sitting up from her spot. "They only moved their feet! I want a rematch!" She announced, standing up.
"Ran, it's not a competition." Makoto said, carefully.
"But Oniiiiiiichan!"
"Don't like lava." Haru muttered, and all three looked at him.
Ran's fist pumped into the air, and Makoto frowned when he realized what was coming.
"Okay, let's play The Floor is Water!"
--
Haru seemed to be permanently glued to the ground now, despite his declaration of "this is not water" numerous times.
Makoto lay next to him more often than not, because Haru looked lonely on the floor, and it was kind of cold down there, probably.
Ran gave a large yawn from her perch in Haru's old spot. Ren followed from the edge of the couch. "Oniichan," Ran started, pushing off from the couch.
"Aha, I won this time!" Ren stated sleepily, and followed his sister to the ground. Makoto splayed out his arms and pushed himself into a sitting position. He didn't notice until Haru twitched his hand that he was using the other as leverage. Makoto, blushing furiously, quickly moved his hand and sat crisscross.
"Y-yes?" He asked, still a little flustered.
"Is it bed time?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
Makoto was a little startled by the question, because usually his siblings stayed up until they passed out on either him or Haru. But then he had to remind himself that they were older now, and maybe a little more mature.
"Ah," Makoto reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping it to see what time it was (he'd finally gotten a touch screen rather than a flip phone). "Oh, yeah, a little past." Makoto said, guiltily. He should have sent them to bed already.
Ren walked up beside his twin and gave a half-yawn, half-whine. But when Ran grabbed his wrist and began pulling him towards the stairs, he didn't really give a complaint like he would have in previous years. "Come tell us a story when we've changed." Ran said, or rather, demanded, before she disappeared.
Makoto sighed, watching his siblings disappear. "I feel like I've missed so much. They're growing up." He murmured.
Haru sat up beside Makoto and their shoulders brushed lightly. Makoto stiffened a little, but when Haru didn't move, Makoto didn't either.
"They've changed." Makoto quietly went on, feeling a little old and a little somber and even a little lost.
Haru grunted beside him. "So have you." He muttered. "...Me, too."
Makoto smiled and turned to Haru. He was a little surprised to find Haru looking at him already, but continued. "Yeah, I guess we have." They stared for a while longer, before Haru finally turned away. Makoto noticed that Haru was sporting the same pink tinge to his ears that he had been earlier. Makoto suspected he was probably mimicking it.
"Oniichan!" Came the simultaneous call from upstairs.
Makoto nudged Haru's shoulder, and the other stiffened a bit, but didn't move away. "Want to read to them, too?" He asked.
Haru gave a sideways glance and shrugged. Makoto smiled and stood up, then turned to offer his hand to help Haru up. When Haru grabbed his hand, it felt like the old days; up the road at Haru's house when he pulled him out of the bath before school, at Iwatobi during practice, and after their race at nationals. Makoto kind of missed it, and it felt good when he gave a good tug to bring Haru to his feet.
Makoto headed into the twins room, and he was pleasantly pleased when Haru followed him and sat on the floor next to him. Makoto picked up a book beside Ran's bed that had a bookmark in it and began reading the story to his drowsy siblings. Despite their tiredness, it took longer than Makoto thought it would to put them to sleep.
It was when Makoto felt something on his arm that he stopped reading the words aloud. He looked down to see Haru's head leaning on his shoulder. Asleep? Haru hadn't seemed all that tired, but then again, Makoto had always been pretty good at telling bedtime stories.
The warm head on his shoulder was comforting, and before long, Makoto felt himself leaning sideways, and he propped his head ontop of Haru's. Makoto gave a start, though, when Haru's supposedly sleeping form suddenly tensed up, but the other didn't open his eyes.
"Haru, are you awake?" Makoto asked in a panicked whisper, quickly sitting up, mortified at the thought of being caught.
Silence.
"Har-"
"Hmm." Haru hummed, and lifted his head. He didn't look at Makoto, and stood up. "Let's go to bed." Haru murmured, and left the room.
Makoto sat with bright red cheeks before he slowly stood and followed Haru towards his bedroom. Haru's family still owned the house up the hill, but whenever Haru came to Iwatobi, he ended up just staying with Makoto and his family, because all of his furniture had been taken to his parent's house, and Haru didn't like owning only a futon and a single pan to cook with, and no working refrigerator.
When Makoto came into his room, Haru was already laying in his bed. Usually Haru slept on the extra futon, but they day before they'd arrived, Makoto's father had accidentally spilled his coffee on it while airing it out, and they hadn't gotten around to washing it yet. So Haru had just been sharing the bed with Makoto. There wasn't much room, but it was enough for them usually.
"Haru?" Makoto asked, standing at the door.
"Go to bed." Haru muttered. "Turn off the light."
Makoto frowned, but he complied and shut off the light before crawling into bed beside his best friend. "Haru?" He tried again. Haru stayed quiet. "Haru, are you okay? What happened suddenly?" Makoto asked, turning over to face Haru's form.
Haru remained silent for a while longer. "Earlier." He said.
"Earlier?" Makoto questioned.
"About...change." Haru said, still facing the wall.
"Ran and Ren's change?" Makoto asked, confused.
"No, us." He murmured, Makoto could feel Haru's body tense up by the movement of the mattress. "We've...changed."
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, feeling a little confused and a little flustered. What was Haru getting at?
"Makoto," Haru started, but stopped. He fell silent, and Makoto watched as his head turned. Makoto could see one of Haru's blue eyes glowing in the moonshine that bled through the blinds. Haru held Makoto's gaze for a moment, but then he turned back and the ball Haru was in seemed to get tighter. "Nevermind. Go to sleep."
"What were you going to say?" Makoto asked, inching closer to Haru's balled up form. His hand came to rest on Haru's shoulder under the blanket, and a shivered passed through it. Makoto felt the shiver, too, but didn't withdraw his hand. "What about us has changed?" He asked, his thumb moving lightly across Haru's shoulder.
Haru didn't respond for a long while, and Makoto wondered if he had fallen asleep, but then, Haru jerked slightly, and his whole body lifted so he could turn to face Makoto. Makoto startled, and he pulled his hand back, but Haru reached for it again, and Makoto was stunned when he laced their fingers together under the sheets.
"Haru..." Makoto murmured, his cheeks heating. He squeezed Haru's hand, and shivered when he received one back.
"Uhm." Haru stated, rather intelligently. "I like water over lava." He said, confusing Makoto. "But Makoto has a competing chance with it."
"Haru!" Makoto chirped, and suddenly wrapped his arms around the other, pulling him closer. "Yeah, I feel that change too."
Haru gave a shaky sigh, and draped his arms over Makoto's side, and they fell asleep like that.