Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

“I didn’t tell you, Haruka,” his grandmother said while they set the table for dinner. She grilled mackerel for him again, and while he was not interested in the vegetable side dishes she placed in the center, he figured he’d indulge her in a few bites of it. Just for today. “I received flowers when I was at the doctor’s today,” she told him.

She slowly shuffled over to the kitchen to take up a thin vase holding three, dainty gardenias. With both hands, she set them down carefully and positioned the vase so it was between both their place settings. “They make a fine addition to our meal. Don't they look lovely?”

Haruka eyed them uninterestingly, but had to admit the flash of red was a bright contrast to the white ceramic bowls.

“A sweet boy gave them to me,” his grandmother continued, reached over to brush the tops of the flowers gently with her fingers. “He was in the lobby with his father, coming to visit his mother, you see. She was still recovering from giving birth to twins. He saw me, and asked if I might want one. I tried to tell him, ‘No, those should go to your mother, young man!’ But he insisted that I take three! My goodness,” she laughed. She shook her head fondly from recalling the incident and looked down at him. “He was about your age, Haruka. I wonder if you two would get along.”

Unlikely, he thought, but gave a soft hum of consideration as his grandmother eased onto the mat beside his at the low table. The children at his elementary school were loud and obnoxious. They lacked awareness of personal space and talking with them was too much effort. If this boy was anything like them, Haruka was convinced that they would definitely not get along.

“Don’t give me that look,” she admonished with a wag of her finger at him. She could always tell what he was thinking. She told him once that it was because he so closely resembled his grandfather, but Haruka was sure it was because of something else: his grandmother’s own willingness to better understand him. “You’re on your own too often. It can’t be good for you to be around an old woman all the time. You should try to make friends with the other children at school.”

Why? He wanted to ask. He liked his grandmother and their house. Liked the quiet; liked the way the soft breeze passed through their open shoji doors in the summer, liked the neighborhood cats that passed by sometimes. Just like this, he had no want for anything else.

She watched him closely, and a sad smile touched her lips, so lightly that it was barely there at all. “You see, Haruka. It could be soon, that one day I might not be here anymore.”   

~

Anger. Haruka was filled with it. It coiled deep down in his stomach and spread to his heart, seeped out to his fingers and toes. It was like every part of his body was charged with it, his blood raced and senses buzzed. However, there was no outlet and he could only glare at the memorial stone before him with clenched fists to fight off the snarl that wanted to burst out.

The extended family had already left after the wake. Many didn’t even stay for the kokubetsu-shiki, but Haruka had remained through it all. He remembered the blur of black suits and black kimonos, the picking of the bones, and placing the urn under the stone monument where his grandfather’s ashes also lay. His grandmother’s name had already been engraved on the stone, beside her husband’s, in red ink. Now, it was black and nondescript like all the others around them.

Incense was offered, water given, and flowers placed. His parents were speaking with another relative nearby, but Haruka wasn’t listening. His eyes caught sight of the flowers, red gardenias, just like that time ago.

His anger flared when he remembered, and he fixed his glare on them instead. How could there be such bright flowers when all he felt was this long-standing ache? He wished then, with all his might, that there were no more flowers. No more plants and trees. He wanted everyone else to feel the stark unhappiness that he was feeling. To know the pain that came from losing someone so important.

He reached out and touched the flowers briefly, wished for it all to fade away.

“Haruka, it’s time to go now,” his mother called, standing beside his father. He cast one last glare to the flowers before he turned and followed them. They didn’t hold hands on the way back to his grandmother’s house and Haruka didn’t expect them too. Neither was he surprised when they told him that they’d be headed back to Tokyo in the next week. He wouldn’t be going with them.

At their spot in front of the stone monument, the flowers were now bent over, withered and fading to dust.

~

Haruka was tired. It was late afternoon, and he was walking back to his house alone, having just finished his shift at work. The bag on his shoulder was light, containing only a sketchbook from his art class and his apprentice chef uniform. The restaurant he worked at had been bustling with activity today and he hoped that the commute home wouldn’t take too long. Familiar faces greeted him from the neighboring businesses as he stepped along the sidewalk and he nodded obligingly to each of them. He had grown up in this town, mostly raised by his late grandmother and over the years nothing had changed.

As he headed back to his empty, old house he had only one thought- a nice, long soak in the bath, followed by a serving of grilled mackerel for dinner as he watched the evening news. It wasn’t much, and he was sure that if his grandmother were still alive she would scold him for eating the same thing all the time, but it was what he liked. And no one could say that Nanase Haruka was known for doing anything that he didn’t want to do.

As he drew closer to his neighborhood, the sidewalk and road grew less crowded. There weren’t many people who walked about in the quiet, residential areas as opposed to the market and business districts and Haruka liked that just fine. He disliked crowded and loud places. It was the main reason he had refused to follow his parents to Tokyo after his grandmother’s passing, and that, along with the easy familiarity of the town, was one of the reasons he still remained there.  He passed one street after another, enjoying the quiet and almost completely empty streets as he neared his destination.

It was then that Haruka saw it. A girl, wearing her middle school uniform, was carrying a bright, yellow-colored flower.

He frowned as he watched her skip along the road, holding the flower securely in her hands. When she passed him by, he saw one last flicker of color from the flower before she was too far down the road to see. Haruka stood there, staring after her and he felt a sense of unease at the unusual sight. Plants and flowers did not exist in his town. He had cursed Iwatobi years ago and since then, all the remaining plants and trees had either died or faded away.

He shook his head, deciding that the flower he saw must have been something someone had brought in from outside the town. In that case, the flower wouldn’t last a day. The curse would take care of it and any others too.

Satisfied, Haruka focused his gaze forward only to stop again in surprise as he stared into the window of a nearby house. In the window, there were three red roses resting in a tall vase. The sight caused him to examine the street before him again in alarm. Haruka quickly noticed another house a few feet down had potted plants decorating its steps and he could only look around in puzzlement as more plants and flowers came into view. No one was around- no visible source to indicate where the plants and flowers had come from. But it was clear that they hadn’t been there earlier that morning. He would have noticed them when he had left for work.

He wasn’t left long to wonder about the plants’ sudden appearance, however. Almost immediately, Haruka heard a light, masculine voice say, “Here is the daffodil bouquet you asked for. I hope you enjoy them.”

Haruka started, turning suddenly to look where the voice had come from. He hesitated a moment, then cautiously took a few steps forward until he reached the end of the street, peering around the building that sat where the main road splintered off.

There, by the steps leading up to his house, he saw an explosion of color. There were plants and flowers everywhere. Entire rows were laid out in front of the old building and there were even some placed on small tables and makeshift display stands. He barely recognized the building as it was now, and he definitely didn’t recognize the young man standing in the middle of all the vegetation, carrying on a conversation with an older woman.

Haruka couldn’t see the boy's face. He was standing too far to the side and his face was obscured, but Haruka could see him extending a small bouquet to the woman who gently cradled them in her arms, careful not to jostle them.

There, he had found the culprit. An inconspicuous looking young man that was taller than himself, but still seemed to be around his age, Haruka observed bitterly. The boy appeared way too comfortable and at ease, his arms moving in fluid grace as he spoke with the female customer. Like he had no cares or worries in the world.

He felt a flicker of anger rise up in him as he set his teeth and marched forward. Intent on confronting the boy that had the audacity to set up a flower shop right next door to his house. For how dare he be the one to start growing flowers in Haruka’s dead, dead town when Haruka had spent all these years ensuring that it remained desolate?

Finally, he was standing behind the boy, who was now bidding the female customer goodbye. Seemingly unaware of the ominous presence behind him.  “Please come again!” the boy called after the woman, and his voice was so joyful, so infectiously happy that Haruka’s gloom dampened with mild curiosity. Just who was this guy?

Without warning, the boy spun around quickly and Haruka jerked back out of reflex in order to avoid the collision and he felt two hands clasp his shoulders as if to steady him. He scowled at just how outrageous this all was, and turned back towards the boy, fully intent on reprimanding him for not looking where he was going.

His eyes shot up, and he froze, catching his breath.

Standing before him was a tall and striking boy. He was slightly tan and broad shouldered, with long arms and big hands. The boy was wearing only a simple cream-colored shirt and jeans, the dark blue apron he wore across his front was slightly smudged with dirt and the unmistakable form of a notepad appeared in the front pocket. The boy did not seem to be bothered by the cold gloomy weather surrounding the dead town as everything he wore was airy and light. The list of grievances sitting atop his tongue fell away and Haruka paused a moment longer as he took the sight of the boy in. The face that looked down at him… was incredibly lovely.

It was soft and handsome, with a strong jaw that seemed to round out at the edges and was framed with light, fluffy brown hair. Two bright, downturned green eyes blinked at him with mild surprise and Haruka felt himself stare back as if in a daze, unable to move away. However, those eyes weren't the most distinguishing feature of that face.

The boy was smiling, and the effect of that smile seemed to radiate outward, making everything around them glow pleasantly.

Haruka felt his hands clench at his sides instinctively. The bag on his shoulder felt heavier now, and he was aware of the sketchbook just inside. He wanted to take it out and capture the scene before him, commit every detail to memory about that smile. That face.

“Ah!” the boy gasped, suddenly aware of his hands and he withdrew them from Haruka’s shoulders bashfully. When there was space between them again, the surprise on the boy’s face fell away and he sounded slightly troubled as he said, “I’m so sorry! Uh…Are you alright?”

Wordlessly, Haruka found himself nodding in the affirmative before his brain could catch up with him on what just happened. Why was he just standing there again? “Yes,” he finally gasped out and the other boy sighed in relief.

“I’m so glad,” he breathed, hand resting over his heart. The corners of his mouth dimpled in an easy half-smile, and there was a flicker of something creeping into that light, pleasant voice that continued with, “My family just moved to this town recently and I’m still getting used to it. I’m afraid I’ve become a little absentminded,” he admitted shyly—a complete contrast to his tall stature and easily the most adorable sight Haruka had ever seen. “Do you also live near here?”

“Yes,” Haruka’s mouth answered without his permission, because apparently that was the only word his brain synapses were allowing to be processed at the moment. His gaze inadvertently flickered up the stairs to where his house stood. The very place he had been intending to go to from the start.

The boy followed his line of sight and clasped his hands together excitedly. “Ah! So close! We’re neighbors then!” Completely unaware of how his open friendliness was throwing Haruka for a loop. He couldn’t believe the boy just said that and with such clear sincerity. Like they were already friends and hadn’t just met for the first time. He didn’t even know this boy’s name!

But the boy didn’t seem to be at all uncomfortable with them being on unknown terms, because he was still smiling brilliantly at Haruka as if they weren’t strangers at all. Maybe the reason he’s comfortable with talking to people is because he’s so big, he mused. Blue eyes traced the boy’s frame appreciatively. Broad shoulders. Toned arms fitted snugly in their shirt's sleeves. Lovely. Or it could that soft, honest smile and earnest eyes. Again, lovely.

“Well, I hope to see you again…Mr..?” the boy trailed off, looking at him expectantly.

Does he want to know my name? The thought shot through his mind. Nervous now, Haruka could feel his face heating up from embarrassment, and he really didn’t want to stay there on the street any longer. He was sure he looked ridiculous, conversing with his new neighbor while looking like a flustered fool.

Instead of answering the boy, Haruka gave a curt bow, a mumbled “goodbye”, and backed quickly away while trying to smoothly step onto the stairs. He made it easily to the first step, but in his hurry he tripped over the second and stumbled. He heard a distant and concerned, “Oh, please be careful!” from the boy down the stairs and hearing his voice only made Haruka hike up the remaining stairs as quickly and carefully as he could. Pay attention! He mentally berated himself on the way up, not realizing he had made it up the stairs or to his house until he had shut the door behind him.

As soon as the lock caught in the latch, Haruka leaned his back against the door. His bag slid off his shoulder to the floor and his hand came up to clutch at the front of his shirt, right above the heart. He could feel it racing underneath his clenched fist, knew that the blush on his face still lingered even after the multitude of deep breaths he took to fight against it.

Nanase Haruka hadn’t wanted for anything all these years. So long as he could eat mackerel and swim when he liked, he was at peace with being alone. But seeing that boy, with his bright, open smile and hearing his voice, so soft and inviting. It all changed everything.

I must have him. His hand clenched tighter in his shirt, and he could feel the sharp pressure of his thumbnail against his chest. For the first time since the passing of his grandmother, Haruka wanted.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Haruka found that being naturally quiet in a town full of long-practiced gossips had its advantages. Especially when it came to learning about new neighbors. Haruka discovered, in the span of one work shift, that the boy was named Tachibana Makoto. He had two siblings and they all lived on the second floor of their flower shop.

In the late afternoon, when Haruka was helping clear the tables, he heard the old grannies whispering over their barely tea and scones about how Makoto was only nineteen. They went on to say that it was such a shame to be so young and already laden with so much responsibility. Haruka tuned out the rest of their conversation after that, hurrying with the tables so he could help the other staff clean the floors now that they’d hit a lull.

However, it was when he noticed the teenage schoolgirls giggling dreamily over in the back corner that Haruka really paid attention. One of them insisted she had asked the boy herself if he had a special someone and she informed them that Tachibana Makoto was single and more importantly, available.

Haruka may or may not have taken his time sweeping past them, ensuring that the floors were properly cleaned.

~

Haruka made it home just as the grocery deliveries had arrived, a small service from the local grocer to customers with bulk orders. It was more convenient for Haruka, since his job gave him odd hours and he wasn’t able to browse through the stores whenever he wanted. He could simply slip his order form under the grocery store door and pay the deliveryman when it arrived a few days later. The downside was that the delivery service only unloaded the items from the van. It did not assist customers with bringing the items into their homes. So Haruka was left to manage carrying up all the food on his own.

Haruka felt no joy in climbing the stairs. The last few days had been warmer with a heat front settling into the seaside town and on some days, the sun had been scorching. Like today, with the way the sun’s rays baked through his dark hair and shirt. He could feel the sweat already sliding down his skin.

Haruka huffed as he reached the top of the stairs, trying not to jostle the contents of the two bags he was carrying as he set them down in front of the door. He wished that he hadn’t ordered as much this time around, but there was nothing to do but take a deep breath and hurry down the stairs for the rest.

This trip up the stairs, Haruka was carrying only one bag, because it was the fullest and the heaviest, and there was no way he could handle more. If he were honest, he was probably carrying too much already. Hauling it up the first few steps had him feeling dizzy, but once he reached half-way, he was already gasping and willing his legs not to buckle.

“Ah, you’re the one from before,” a familiar voice called out to him curiously.

Startled, Haruka spun around on the bottom half of the stairs, nearly dropping the bag, and saw the boy from the flower shop –Tachibana Makoto- standing there at the foot of the stairs, smiling at him. He wasn’t wearing his work clothes or apron today as he had on a loose t-shirt and a worn pair of jeans. In his left hand was a small, blue package.

“Do you need some help?”

“I’m fine,” Haruka said briskly, trying to ignore the way his pulse jumped when their eyes met. He made to turn around, but the brunet was already coming up the stairs to meet him, eyeing the bag Haruka was holding critically.

“That looks really heavy. You live at the top of stairs, right?” the boy asked, pointing directly at Haruka’s house. Haruka could only nod, dumbfounded when the boy took the grocery bag right out of his hands. “Here, let me help you with that.” Haruka’s arms fell to his sides the minute their burden was removed and as he watched Makoto reach the top - placing the bag down gently at the doorstep - Haruka realized it was too late to try and stop the boy anyway.

“Thank you,” he managed to say when he saw Makoto approaching, stopping on the stair just above his. I would have made it to the top, eventually.

Giving a casual shrug, Makoto moved down another step until their feet were level. “No need for that,” he passed off with an easy smile. “The rest of those are yours too?” Makoto asked, gesturing at the remaining bags.

“Yes, but I can-” Haruka tried to discourage him, but Makoto was already heading down the remaining stairs before he could finish speaking.

Meddlesome guy, Haruka thought to himself as he watched Makoto pick up two bags and begin to climb back up. He didn’t listen to a word I said.

But as he saw Makoto quickly bounding up, passing him with a bag held in each arm, Haruka had to admit that the help was nice. Especially when the help was stronger than he was and full of energy. The boy wasn’t even sweating from the heat.

It must be nice, being so big. Haruka decided that seeing Makoto’s biceps flex as he worked was quite nice too.

Together, Makoto and Haruka brought up the remaining groceries in just a few trips and once they were all at the door, it was easy work to slide them through and into the genkan. Haruka was sure that he could manage from there, but the brunet seemed uncomfortable with leaving Haruka to finish everything on his own.

“Are you really sure that it’s enough?” Makoto asked, eyeing the bags through the open door dubiously. “I could help you put them away if you need me to.”

“I’ll be fine,” Haruka assured, nudging a few of the bags further into the genkan with his foot.

“If you’re sure,” Makoto’s gaze still lingered uncertainly before a flash of awareness passed over his face. “Oh! I almost forgot. Here, this is for you.” He extended an arm, and Haruka saw the package the boy had been holding earlier. “It’s a greeting present,” he said once Haruka took it from him. “I’m sorry I haven’t properly introduced myself yet. My name is-”

“Tachibana Makoto,” At the boy’s surprised and questioning look, Haruka turned his face away, sure that his face was turning red. Great, he probably thinks I’m a stalker. “Small towns,” he forced out quickly, as way of explanation and he heard a hushed, understanding, “Ah,” in response.

“I guess that’s the standard in close-knit communities like Iwatobi, huh?” Makoto offered shyly, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. “Though it is a bit embarrassing to know that people are talking about me.” His hand stilled, fell to rest at his side. “I’m nothing special.”

You’d be surprised, Haruka wanted to say, recalling the excited chatter that had taken place at his work earlier. Instead, he looked over at Makoto again when he was sure his face had cooled. “I am-”

“I know,” Makoto interrupted gently with a soft smile and said, “You're Nanase Haruka.”

Haruka must not have been quick enough to conceal his own shock because Makoto promptly colored and studied his feet. “Small towns?” he tried, wetting his lips hesitantly. “I may have also asked one of the neighbors down the street, just to be sure.”

Haruka felt an unexpected wave of affection hit him and he stared down at the package in his hands. It was wrapped in shiny blue paper, a golden ribbon sloppily binding it together. The wrapping paper was a little loose and crumpled at the edges from being jostled, but he liked the color.

"We are properly introduced now, so there’s no need for me to accept this,” he said quietly, remembering his grandmother’s instructions to always first refuse a gift for propriety’s sake. After all, it wasn’t like it would contain anything he could use, right? He was just confused. There was no way he would have anything in common with this boy. The boy had brought flowers to the town and Haruka hated flowers so why…

Haruka extended the package back to Makoto who raised both his hands in alarm. “No, no, please. I want you to have it.”

“It’s fine.” He tried to brush it off. “It’s too much-“

“Nanase-san,” Makoto said firmly and his big, warm hands covered both of Haruka’s own on the package. Haruka glanced up and saw that that alarmingly attractive smile was back again, only sharpened to another degree. “Please take it. I insist.”

Makoto let his hands linger a few seconds longer and Haruka had to take a deep breath in order to retain his focus. “Alright,” he eventually conceded, his stomach doing a nervous little flip. I can’t believe I’m going to say this. “But if I’m receiving this from you, then you should be prepared for a return gift,” he warned; and when Makoto made to protest further, he quickly added, “I’ll need your phone number for that.”

Shoulders tensed, Haruka stood in his doorway, watching Makoto looking back at him and calmly digesting his words.

Idiot, he scolded himself, you ruined it all by saying something unnecessary.

His fingers gripped the package tighter, wondering if he’d be able to even keep it now. For surely, this boy would snatch it away and avoid him like some of the other Iwatobi residents did when he said or did strange things. It was inevitable, and Haruka felt he should have known better by now. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he stop himself from wanting this boy?

Pursing his lips, Haruka braced himself for Makoto’s rejection, but Makoto didn’t make a motion toward him, nor did he turn away either. He simply…stood there, letting the silence hang between them. More seconds passed by and Haruka thought he felt the air around them slowly grow warm. Makoto was now regarding him with a kind smile, as if Haruka hadn’t just said anything strange at all.

“Sure thing,” Makoto agreed easily, smile still pinned in place. He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket and handed it over to Haruka. “It’s a good idea. Neighbors need to rely on each other, after all.”

Oh. That’s right. Neighbors… The warm air around them seemed to dampen instantly and his eyes shot down in disappointment.

“Yeah,” he jerked his head in a nod and tucked the package carefully under his arm so he could quickly punch his number in. Makoto’s phone model was similar to his own so it was easy to navigate through the contacts menus. “Here.” When he was finished, he handed it back to Makoto and the boy studied the screen, nodding in satisfaction at the new addition before looking back at him expectantly.

“Aren’t you going to pass over yours?” Makoto asked him shyly, tacking on a low chuckle to his question.  Then, his eyes went dramatically wide and his hands came up again as he gasped out, “If you’re worried that I’ll drop it, I promise I’ll be careful!” It was disarming how someone so tall and broad could speak so gently one minute and then turn into a ball of jittery nerves the next. If it were anyone else, Haruka would have thought them insincere, but Tachibana Makoto was so honest, so open, so…

Cute, Haruka had to admit, fishing his own phone out of his pocket. “It’s here.” He handed the phone to Makoto and the other boy touched the screen, waiting for it to light up so he could access the menu, but after several seconds had passed, it only remained dark.

“Ah, Nanase-san…” Makoto called to him, looking at the phone and back to Haruka imploringly. “It’s not powering on. But I…I don’t know what I did.”

Haruka frowned and held out his hand. “Let me see.”

Once he had his phone back, Haruka fiddled with the power button, pressed down with his thumb once. Twice. Three times. The black screen only stared back at him, mockingly and he glared at it, aware of the quizzical glances Makoto kept sending him as he tucked it away. Haruka had no one to blame but himself, after all. It was his fault for not charging it properly.

“The battery’s dead,” he concluded and Makoto’s shoulders visibly slackened. “It wasn’t anything that you did,” he assured.

“Thank goodness,” Makoto sighed with relief, hand over his chest. The sight sent a thrill straight to Haruka’s heart, because his expression now was just like the first time they had met. Those soft, green eyes and that light, tranquil smile. “But what to do? I guess I could write mine down for you or-Ah! I know, I’ll send you a text. This way, you’ll have my number when you get a chance to charge it.”

Having decided that, Makoto took out his phone again and, after messing with it for several seconds, Haruka heard a light chime that signaled the message being sent. “There, you should get it when your phone comes on again.”

If only it could turn on now. “What does it say?”

“Now, Nanase-san, it isn’t good to spoil the surprise,” Makoto admonished playfully, his voice suddenly dipping lower. Purring, like a contented cat. Haruka was startled further, when he caught the brunet winking at him.

“You talk as if you know all about surprises,” he managed, trying to keep his own voice steady. However, he couldn’t control the light touch of warmth that crept up his jaw when Makoto fixed those warm, green eyes on him again.

“I may know of a few,” Makoto answered amiably, eyes glimmering.

Spine tingling, Haruka felt the sudden urge to reach out and drag the boy into his house. To keep him. But before Haruka could make a move or hope for things to go further, Makoto was backing away slowly, hands tucked behind his back.

“I’m afraid it’s getting late now,” he said, apologetically. From where they were at the top of the hill, they could see the blood orange sun already being swallowed up where the horizon met the sea. “I have to go back home.”

Haruka carefully maneuvered the package so it was no longer tucked under his arm. “Thank you,” he said, holding up the package in his hands. He inclined his head, careful to keep his face expressionless as he watched Makoto leave.

“You’re welcome,” Makoto beamed back at him as he started down the stairs. “Have a good night, Nanase-san.” He gave a final, big wave and made his way back to his family’s flower shop. Haruka watched him from his doorway the entire time.

When he saw Makoto’s door close, Haruka finally willed himself to go inside and shut his own. He placed the package on the low table in the dining room, plugged in his phone to charge, and set off to put away his groceries.

As soon as he was done shoving the last item into the pantry, he raced back to the dining room –slowing down marginally when he breezed by the family batsudan, displaying pictures of both his grandmother and his grandfather. One look at the phone told him he still had a few minutes before it was charged enough to switch back on. So he turned his attention to the package on the table instead.

Carefully, Haruka slid it over and untied the ribbon. He placed it to the side and delicately peeled back the tape keeping the wrapping paper in place, one side at a time. When he had peeled enough of the tape back, he slipped the wrapping paper off and was met with a plain, white box.  He lifted the top off and paused.

Inside was a deep blue apron, similar in style to the one he saw Makoto wearing the other day. But instead of it being plain, the white outline of a dolphin had been stitched at the top.

Haruka stared at it in awe, fingers brushing over the stitching as he traced the entire shape of it. A soft buzz came from his right and he saw that his phone was on again with a New Message notification flashing on the screen. He quickly snatched it off the table, knowing that there was only one person it could be from.

From: Unknown
Your name wasn’t the only thing I asked about. I hope you like it. :) – Tachibana Makoto.

Phone held firmly in hand, Haruka tried to calm the wild thudding of his heart. A deep restlessness stirred within him and it grew worse the longer he stared at Makoto’s name displayed on the screen. He knew now, that this kind of feeling couldn’t be easily willed away.

It was no use. Haruka sighed and set the phone back down on the table.

From that first moment, he had already been a goner. The only thing to do now was to make Tachibana Makoto his.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Several days had passed since Haruka had last seen Makoto and he didn’t know how much more he could endure before he gave in to all the chaos. With most of the part-timers taking off to prepare for the college entrance exams, Haruka and the other employees were forced to work at the restaurant every day in order to pick up their slack. It was incredibly frustrating. His shift hours kept fluctuating, and between that and his early morning art classes at the local college, he hadn’t any time to message Makoto back, let alone visit him.

There just never seemed to be an opportune time and the irony of his situation wasn’t lost on him. Especially after he had acknowledged the conveniences of living in small towns and how it had granted him the chance to meet Makoto again. But whatever luck he had stumbled upon wasn’t helping him now. Clearly, it was up to him to shape out his own opportunities, regardless of the constant hurdles his job and his college professors threw his way.

And he tried frantically to find other ways to work around those obstacles too, from rushing through his assignments to bartering with Chef Sasabe to let him leave early, but his plans always fell through.

So he waited, biding his time until the next opportunity would reveal itself. Though there were days that were especially hard. Like when Haruka would leave early in the morning and pass by the flower shop, wondering if Makoto had already started getting his siblings up and ready for school. Thinking about Makoto didn’t just end there either, as Haruka was constantly plagued by thoughts of the brunet throughout the day. Several pages of his sketchbook were filled with hurried drawings of Makoto and he’d caught himself numerous times doodling on spare napkins with his pen at work.

It seemed that no matter where he went or what he did, Makoto’s bright smile would follow along with him and so Haruka forced himself into his studies and his work. Anything really, if it meant that he could keep his hands and mind busy until he was able to find a solution.

~

After confirming the inventory with Chef Sasabe, Haruka emerged from the stockroom and spotted two familiar faces sitting at the table by the front, bay windows. Rei and Nagisa sat on the same side of the table, both still in their uniforms, and their study guides and books set out before them. The tea and cakes they had ordered in the meantime were pushed into the middle of the table, much to Nagisa’s apparent disappointment. Haruka suspected that Rei had insisted on waiting to eat or drink anything until they had reviewed a little more for their upcoming exams. Or, in Nagisa’s case, pretending to study while listlessly staring into space in order to get Rei to stop bugging him.

Oblivious to Nagisa’s antics, Rei continued droning on and the blond propped his head on his hand, nodding along dutifully for appearance’s sake. Though he appeared bored out of his mind, he didn’t voice any complaints. Even as his eyes rolled and his patience strained enough that he looked like he wanted to make a face. He kept glancing at the cakes too, as if he were debating on whether or not he could move fast enough to sneak a bite. But before Nagisa could give in to any sugar urges, his gaze strayed, and he spotted Haruka walking over to their table.

“Haru-chan, over here!” the blond exclaimed, immediately perking up and waving one of the menus around excitedly, reminding Haruka of a matador trying to entice a bored bull.

“Nagisa-kun, behave!” Rei scolded, but Nagisa continued to swat the menu around, almost knocking off his glasses. After several attempts, Rei finally managed to snatch the menu away and slide it across the table so it would be out of Nagisa’s reach. “You’re causing a disturbance. The management will force us to leave if you don’t pipe down,” he said, trying to shush the other with a finger poised in front of his mouth.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! Haru-chan won’t let them kick us out,” Nagisa insisted, smiling sweetly even as he continued speaking at the same voice level, much to his boyfriend’s dismay.

Those two haven’t changed, Haruka mused, regarding them both as he crossed his arms over his chest. They’re as rowdy as ever. He turned his head and shifted his gaze to Nagisa. “Looks like you’re working hard,” he said, motioning toward the book with a jut of his chin.

“Eheheh,” Nagisa giggled nervously, averting his eyes from Haruka’s bland stare. He had been caught. “Well, in order to get into the same college as Rei-chan, I have to! Though, he could have chosen a school with a higher acceptance rate,” he griped, huffing and swinging his arms around unhappily. “I’m wasting away my youth with all this studying.” Pursing his lips, he turned to confront his boyfriend and rubbed at the slightly discolored patches of skin under his eyes. “Look, Rei-chan, I’m getting bags!”

“It’s too late to change your mind at this point. You’ve already registered for the entrance exam and the fee is nonrefundable,” Rei reminded him, expression full of exasperation. He tapped the book in front of them expectantly. “If you review the material as I’ve advised, you’re guaranteed to pass.”

Nagisa groaned and slid his hands down his face. “I know. Guess there’s no helping it,” he sighed and nudged the book away from him like it was a detestable insect in favor of stealing a forkful of Rei’s desert. “The things I do for love…” he muttered as he took a large bite, ignoring his boyfriend’s indignant and flustered squawk of “Nagisa-kun! That’s, That’s-”

“Don’t be so upset. A little indirect kiss from sharing food is nothing compared to what we’ve already done.”

Rei gaped at him, looking completely scandalized but no matter how many times his mouth opened and closed, he couldn’t find anything to say and eventually dropped his head into his hands, hiding most of his face. “Isn’t Rei-chan cute?” Nagisa asked fondly, fighting off a laugh.

Really, these two. So bothersome. “You should be gentler with Rei,” Haruka warned, watching with mild curiosity as Rei’s ears promptly turned from pink to red. “If you keep teasing him like that he’ll blow a blood vessel.”

The slow stretch of Nagisa’s smirk made Haruka suspect his next words before the other boy leaned in slightly and said, “Nah, Rei-chan’s fine. His body’s plenty durable.” He waved his hand, seeming to pass off the notion, but his eyes glittered as if daring Haruka to ask just how durable Rei’s body really was.

But Haruka refused to take the bait, staring back at him impassively and Nagisa eventually shrugged, letting it go.

“I guess Haru-chan is too mature to get riled up by something like that,” he lamented, sighing as he leaned into his elbow on the table. He gave the fork one last lick before choosing to abandon it in favor of fiddling with a few stray napkins. “But maybe you’ll be interested in talking about this,” he suggested with a shrug. “Rei-chan and I went to that flower shop right by your house. I don’t know how you manage living next door to someone like that, because wow, he has one of the nicest bodies I’ve ever seen.”

“Nagisa-kun! He isn’t a piece of meat.” Rei frowned at him disapprovingly, finally feeling brave enough to reveal his face and enter the conversation again. “Tachibana-san’s value isn’t solely based on his appearance. He was very cordial and polite when he helped us pick out flowers for your mother the other day.”

“It’s true though. He has a rockin’ body,” Nagisa quipped back, grinning and wagging his finger without an ounce of shame. But he sobered a little, reached slowly over to clasp Rei’s hand, and said, “Though Rei-chan’s body is the best overall. Hands down!”

“You’re not off the hook, Nagisa-kun,” Rei reaffirmed, his stern voice at odds with the pleased smile he was fighting to keep off his face. He eventually conceded to it, however, when Nagisa refused to look away. “Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re doing. Flattery won’t get you on my good side and neither will it get you out of studying,” he insisted, his resolution dissolving with a sigh, and Haruka could see him closing his book anyway, slipping it carefully into his bag for now. The butterfly charms on the zippers of the bag jostled and swayed when he closed it, catching a few stray figments of light on their multicolored wings.

“Fiiiiiine,” Nagisa granted, though he wasn't at all concerned about Rei’s verbal warnings. He’d always gotten around his boyfriend’s ultimatums before and this time would be no different. “Rei-chan is right. He was nice. A complete charmer. Though he seemed too good to be true.” Then, he cast a look around the restaurant before he lowered his head, cupped a hand over his mouth and whispered, “Besides, you know what they say about guys like that.”

“Like what?” both Rei and Haruka asked at once, unconsciously lowering both their heads and tones of voices to match Nagisa’s.

“He’s that type. Think about it. He has an attractive face, the impressive build, and then there’s the whole tragic backstory. He’s obviously a heartbreaker!”  he concluded with a quick snap of his fingers. “Have you seen his flower shop lately? It’s swarming with girls and I’ll bet both of you a week’s worth of melon bread that the flowers aren’t the only things getting pollinated,” he declared, winking sassily, but the other boys just gave him a dim look, both unimpressed.

“You’re putting a lot of faith into the baseless rumors swarming around,” Haruka said, recalling the second time he had met Makoto. The brunet had been impressive with his physical feats- bounding up the stairs and carrying the large grocery bags as if they weighed nothing- but when they were alone, standing together in the doorway of Haruka’s house, Makoto had only been a shy and flustered mess. Helpful and sincere. Not once did Haruka ever suspect him of being dishonest.

“None of what you’re saying is possible,” he asserted, voice firm as he shook his head. He was about to say more, but then decisively bit his tongue. “He’s not like that at all,” he said, finally.

The other two were thrown off balance by his sudden reaction and their eyes widened as they quieted, understanding that his tone left no room for argument.

“How would you know that, Haruka-sempai?” Rei asked curiously, briefly exchanging a look with Nagisa. “While Nagisa-kun’s assumptions are rash, he does have a point. Tachibana-san is new to Iwatobi. He hasn’t established any credibility yet.”

“I’ve met him a few times,” Haruka admitted, choosing to omit that he’d really only seen the brunet twice, and the first time he hadn’t really talked so much as fled. They didn't need to know about that. “I would have noticed if he had any ulterior motives or not.”

“That’s true,” Rei mused, glancing over to Nagisa. “Haruka-sempai isn’t one to pass judgments lightly,” he pointed out reasonably.

“So maybe he isn’t that bad after all,” Nagisa agreed with a quick shrug, though he seemed reluctant to admit it. He slanted a glimpse at Haruka, studying his stoic profile for a moment before continuing casually, “But based on what we saw the other day, I can guarantee you that he won’t stand his own against all those admirers for long. If those girls haven’t gotten their hands on him yet, then they will eventually. It’s just a matter of time.”

Haruka frowned, staring ahead as he considered Nagisa’s words. He could tell that the blond wasn’t just indulging in the small town gossip now. Truth resonated with everything he said, and it washed over Haruka, distressing him enough that he had to cross his arms over his chest to prevent himself from commenting further. The last thing he wanted was for them to become suspicious. If they did, he'd never escape their questioning and he'd have even more to deal with.

So he stood there, his jaw tense as he vaguely listened to Rei and Nagisa continue to chat. The subject of Makoto trailed off into something else, but whatever it was, he couldn’t be sure. He was still too preoccupied. His thoughts were a mess, all the doubts and frustrations he had felt up until now were stacking up against each other, leaving him to sort through it all on his own.  

But compared to that, this new problem seemed more substantial, and now that he was forced to face it head-on, Haruka wasn’t sure what he could do in his current situation to fix it.

~

Later that day, when he was helping bring out a large food order, Haruka spotted the same teenage schoolgirls from the week prior. They were sitting back in their designated corner again, giggling and shoving at each other. He spared them a disinterested glance, wondering how students could be so carefree so close to exam time, but then he stopped when he noticed that some of the girls had individually wrapped flowers peeking out from their bags.

Without thinking, Haruka grabbed the nearest washcloth he could find and did a quick scan of the tables in their area. He spotted one close to theirs that hadn’t been bussed yet, and he took his time wiping it down, listening intently for any mention of Makoto.

Haruka wasn’t disappointed. He only had to wait a few seconds before he heard two of the girls bragging about how they’d found out Makoto liked chocolate. They’d brought him some today, along with their heartfelt love letters, and while he had gently rejected them, Makoto also gave them each a flower as a consolation.

“Tachibana-san is so kind,” one of the girls boasted, her high-spirited enthusiasm prompting similar reactions from her friends. “Even though he turned me down, I’m going to confess again after I graduate!” she declared, earning a few well-wishes as well as a few snarky comments about how she’d have competition next time for sure.

Before Haruka realized it, his hands were moving on their own, squeezing the washcloth tight enough to wring it out. Most of the water had splattered back onto the table, easily accessible, but a few stray drops had also managed to hit the floor. Haruka grunted irritably, bending down on one knee to quickly wipe it up. He could feel the girl’s eyes on him when he stood, measuring him; and he bit back a grimace as he stalked past them, blocking out their hushed, appreciative whispers. Nagisa’s earlier words flashed in his mind then and Haruka decided that going forward, he’d have to seriously rely on his friend’s observations.

He didn’t have long to wallow in his annoyance, however. As soon as Haruka stepped back into the kitchen, one of the other apprentice chefs shoved a worn, cardboard box full of fruit into his hands. “Nanase, I need a favor. Could you bring these to Chef Sasabe? He wants to use them as a substitution for one of the desserts tonight,” the boy, Narikawa, said. He was shivering a little as he spoke, indicating that he’d just pulled the box out from one of the coolers.

“Pomegranates?” Haruka asked, lifting up the box so that he could see properly through the holes. He didn’t remember Sasabe using them in the restaurant before.

Narikawa nodded, rubbing quickly at his arms as he lolled comfortably against a nearby utility cart. “It’s one of those food fads going on right now,” he said. “Hold on, I think I saw him put it here…” he trailed off, turning and rifling through the cabinet overhead. He pulled out a large, full notebook and flipped through it until he found a reference note for the ordered pomegranates. Balancing the notebook, he held it open and pointed to a picture clipped onto the order form that showed a pomegranate sliced open, its juicy, orb-like seeds on full display. “They’re a pain to clean, but Sasabe plans to cover the seeds in chocolate. Like we do with cherries,” he explained, planting a hand onto the utility cart so that he could shove the notebook back into the cabinet.

At that, Haruka paused, his head snapping up to stare intently at the other boy. Chocolate. That’s right, he remembered the girls mentioning that Makoto liked chocolate.

“You said Sasabe planned to use these for tonight?” Haruka inquired absently, slowly shifting his attention back to the box.

“Yes, that’s what I heard,” Narikawa confirmed. He was already turning away to return to his own side work as he added, “It’s a simple recipe though. He’ll probably only need one apprentice to help with the cleaning and the arrangement. I don’t think he’s decided on anyone yet.”

Haruka nodded distractedly, his mind now focused on something else as he hiked the box up higher in his arms. He backtracked around the other side of the kitchen, avoiding bumping into the other employees, and walked down the length of the cook line until he reached the two, tall metal doors that marked off the prep room.

He shouldered one of the doors open and carried the box to one of the nearest compartment sinks. He set up the box, and after rinsing the fruit off, began to slice them open. He spooned out the seeds, the amount of fruit making it easy to fill up several storage containers and left them in the miniature cooler. Finished with his task, Haruka cleaned off his work area and returned to the kitchen, stopping for a moment when he spotted the updated shift schedule hanging off the utility cart. He browsed the list and pulled the pen from the clipboard to jot his name down in one of the open slots.

Chef Sasabe would probably be surprised that he volunteered to help, since Haruka didn’t usually dabble in desserts as compared to the restaurant’s seafood dishes, but Haruka didn’t want to let this chance pass him by. He had been wondering how to proceed upon meeting Makoto again, and he was sure now that the pomegranates would be just the thing. He’d return the favor, and maybe, when he was finally reunited with Makoto, he’d manage to leave with more than just the flower shop owner’s gratitude.

It didn’t matter how many delusional girls flocked to Makoto’s shop daily. As far as Haruka was concerned, they could come all they liked, because the next time he saw Makoto, he’d claim him for sure.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

The sun was setting when he arrived and Haruka was forced to shield his eyes when a few stray beams of light bounced off the flower shop’s front windows. While bright and still fairly warm, the little neighborhood was a lot cooler now than it had been earlier that day. A lot quieter too, as many of the residents were already making preparations for the next day’s work in their own homes. Haruka liked the quiet, it allowed him to think freely and without interruption. Just the thing he needed in order to go about the next stage of his plan. Stepping closer, Haruka eyed the shop’s closed sign curiously as it swayed lightly with the evening breeze.

Makoto must have just closed his shop for the day, Haruka supposed, eyes flashing apprehensively to the windows again. He had hoped to catch Makoto before the end of the work day and he would have too, if he hadn’t fallen behind, waiting for the chocolates to cool.

After learning how to make them at work, Haruka had been able to replicate the recipe on his own easily. He had used one of his grandmother’s old molds to form the chocolates, and when they had finished, he took his time wrapping them, making sure they looked absolutely perfect before placing them into his messenger bag. He was confident that Makoto would like them. After all, each chocolate was made with exceptional care and, unlike any others, they held the power of Haruka’s wish. The moment Makoto consumed them, he'd be bound to Haruka for forever. No one would be able to come between them then.

Deciding he had lingered in front of the shop long enough, Haruka pushed the strap of his messenger bag more firmly onto his shoulder and turned his attention back to the door. He took a long, composing breath as the reality of his situation started to sink in. Any moment now, he’d be face to face with Makoto, and while he was starting to forget the rehearsed greetings he had planned in anticipation of seeing the other boy’s smile again, he had to remind himself to not get swept away like last time.

Don’t go losing your nerve, he warned himself. You can’t waste this chance. Setting his shoulders, Haruka slowly raised a fist and knocked.

Within seconds, he heard loud screeching coming through the door, followed by heavy footfalls. The footfalls grew closer, louder, and suddenly the doorknob was twisting and Haruka had to back up a little to avoid being hit in the face as the door swung open, revealing an unexpected scene. There was a faint jingling of a bell, swinging on the doorknob’s other side and Haruka stiffened as two children came stumbling out onto the doorstep. Their faces were flushed, and they were both squealing delightedly, leaning heavily onto the doorframe as they tried to catch their breath.

Haruka didn’t need to rely on the rumors to know that these two were Makoto’s siblings. He could see the blatant resemblance in their faces, from the way they laughed and how their eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when they smiled. Just like their brother’s. Just like Makoto. The sight made a different feeling rise up from deep down in his stomach then. Haruka recognized it as longing.

“I won!” the girl crowed, dancing around excitedly on tip-toe. She pumped her small fist into the air, and then turned to deliver a cheeky grin to the pouting boy beside her. “I opened the door first!”

“That’s not fair! You pushed me!” the boy complained, delivering a harsh poke to her arm. “I’m going to tell Oniichan you cheated.”

The girl immediately bristled and poked him right back. “Did not,” she insisted, sticking out her tongue. The action seemed to incense the boy further, but when he tried to shove at her, he missed and ended up tripping over his own feet.

“Serves you right,” the girl told him, regarding him as she folded her arms over her chest. “You’re just being a sore loser. Wait until I tell Oniichan. You’ll be in so much-”

“Excuse me,” Haruka burst out, purposefully pitching his voice so that it cut through their squabbling. It got the siblings’ attention right away and when they saw him, their heated expressions vanished immediately, replaced by two, wide-eyed stares. They remained frozen in place until the boy eventually panicked and hid behind his sister, clinging to the back of her shirt. The girl responded by widening her stance in the doorway and Haruka turned to face her, meeting her direct, green gaze head-on.

Her eyes, while noticeably striking, were different then Makoto’s. They were darker, and cut through him, piercing and sharp, reminding Haruka of the glinting, butcher knives he used at the restaurant. It was an intimidating quality in someone so young and Haruka knew he’d have to handle the situation delicately if he wanted her to let him through the door.

Better to start the conversation off simply, Haruka decided as he slowly inclined his head, and spoke directly into the drumming silence. “Good evening.”

Their assessment of him didn’t last long – three, maybe four seconds. “Good evening,” they parroted back to him, and while they didn’t make a move from where they stood, they did give a slight, customary nod of their heads in return, prompting him to continue.

“I’m here to visit with your brother,” Haruka pressed on warily, still trying to gauge the two of them. So far he couldn’t tell what they thought of him, but he hoped that by mentioning Makoto directly, he’d be able to relieve the underlying tension a little.

“You know our Oniichan?” the girl asked, tossing a questioning look over her shoulder at the boy, who only shrugged in answer.

“Yes,” Haruka nodded, gaze switching between their faces. “I’m an acquaintance of his.” He took a step forward and sifted through his messenger bag to pull out one of the bags of assorted chocolates he’d prepared. He held it up slightly, so that they could see he hadn’t come empty-handed. He didn’t know what kids were into these days, but they had to like receiving gifts, right?

Spotting the tell-tale plastic wrap and decorative blue ribbon, the boy’s face lit up with interest and he tugged at his sister’s blouse excitedly. The girl, however, did not share her brother’s enthusiasm.

She frowned at Haruka, eyes narrowed as she studied the parcel he was holding. Her hand was firm on the doorknob, ready to pull the door shut at any moment. “Oniichan never mentioned anyone. How do we know you’re not a strange pervert?” she demanded.

Haruka tried hard not to sigh. He just wasn’t good with kids. “I’m not,” he said simply, slipping the chocolates back into his bag and hoping his honesty would be enough for their interrogation. He was more concerned about the chocolates melting from the heat.

The boy shifted beside his sister hesitantly and cupped a hand to whisper his own observation to her. “He says he isn’t a strange pervert.”

The girl nudged the boy with her elbow, causing him to wince and back away from the door. “Stupid, that’s just what a strange pervert would say!”

The two glared at each other, ready to go at it again, but a sudden scuffling and a loud yell from inside the shop distracted them and they broke apart. Heads swiveling, the siblings shared a mutual, worried glance and before Haruka could question their behavior, they took off, dashing back inside. In their panic, they left the door wide open and Haruka stood there, momentarily caught off guard until he heard the children’s frantic calls of, “Oniichan!”

Mind whirling, Haruka stormed in after them, breezing past the front register and the rest of what he assumed to be a display room. It was dark inside and Haruka had to squint in order to maneuver around the plant displays and the miscellaneous floral coolers. The strap of his bag got caught on a wire hook on one of the displays and when he tried to fight against it, he was snapped bodily back, practically knocked face-first into a few hanging ferns.

He struggled to detach himself, but it only resulted in him being tangled up further. Letting out a frustrated curse, Haruka slipped out from under the strap, knowing that if he fiddled with it any longer, it would just be a waste of time. He left it hanging from the display and pressed on through the rest of the room until he reached a door in the back that was slightly open. There was a bright light shining from within it, a complete contrast to the room he was in now and when Haruka tilted his head, he could hear soft shuffling coming from inside and the sound of someone speaking.

With no other alternative, Haruka slipped through the door, stepping into a small kitchen. The lingering smell of burnt oil hung heavily in the air and when he spotted the large splotches of spilt oil and flour in the middle of the room, Haruka feared that there had been some kind of accident. He was only able to calm down once he noticed the children on the other side of the room, kneeling beside their brother and fussing at him to answer their questions.

“Oniichan, are you alright?” the girl asked, edging closer, her hands up and quivering as if she expected Makoto to have broken a leg or to start spurting out blood any second now.

“Yes, it’s alright. I’m fine,” Makoto assured her, taking a moment to gently pat at her hair. He slowly sat up, facing both of them and took each of their hands. “It was just an accident. I’m sorry that I scared you two.”

“Stupid Oniichan,” the girl muttered, huffing and turning her face away. She sniffed a few times, making a show of being put-out by her older brother’s scare, but everyone in the room could see the relieved, wet shine in her eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll be careful from now on,” Makoto promised, laughing softly, and the tension surrounding them finally seemed to fade away. “I’ll make it up to you soon, okay?”

They perked up a little, their heads snapping up with identical grins on their faces.

“I want ice cream!” the boy volunteered, his hand already shooting into the air above his head.

The girl shot him a disapproving glare, and raised her own arm up right after. “Then I want a new picture book!” she yelled, shuffling closer so that Makoto would focus his attention onto her. It made the boy do the same, and soon the two were nearly falling into his lap, each fighting over who would get their treat first.

“Now, now,” Makoto’s voice was soft and patient, even as he firmly removed their arms from where they had been playing tug-of-war with his waist. “I can’t get you anything if I can’t get up!” he warned, and his comment had them scrambling off of him instantly.

“Sorry, Oniichan!” they said together, ducking their heads to return his stern look with bashful smiles.

Makoto’s unyielding stance didn’t last long when confronted with the force of both their stares and he eventually deflated, conceding to defeat. “As long as you are aware from now on,” he told them, crossing his arms, and the two giggled conspiratorially together, relishing the fact that they’d broken their brother down. Again.

It seemed like it was the final push the little family needed, no more traces of worry or distress marred their expressions, and they all looked so relaxed that Haruka couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the moment. But eventually, the girl turned her head and noticed Haruka. Her whole demeanor changed when she saw him, and her apparent quiet, discomfort was enough for her brothers to pick up on, choosing to halt their side-conversation as they peered at her worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” Makoto asked her, placing a reassuring hand onto her knee.

“There was a stranger at the door earlier,” she said, pointing right at Haruka. “He said he knew you, but we weren’t sure.”

“Someone who said they knew me?” Makoto questioned, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline as he followed her line of sight. Haruka tensed instinctively, shifting on his feet and when their eyes met, he quickly realized he’d been unprepared for this. Unprepared for the way the pulse point at his neck would race or the sudden surge of heat he’d feel creeping over his face as Makoto sat there, frozen and gaping at him.

“Oh? You’re here, Nanase-san?” Makoto inquired pleasantly, still startled even as he pushed himself up from the floor by his forearms. He stood, careful not to slip on the splattered oil or bump into his siblings, and Haruka’s eyes were immediately drawn to the smeared, pink apron he was wearing over his clothes. The outline of it had little, decorative paw prints and there was a cat face stitched right across the front breast pocket.

The shirt Makoto wore under the apron was too small for him. It strained around his broad shoulders and chest, causing the fabric to bunch up at his armpits, and subsequently reveal more of those lovely, toned biceps to Haruka’s heated gaze. Haruka hadn’t realized he’d been staring at them this whole time, until Makoto was already standing in front of him, smiling, and Haruka swallowed hard, feeling that familiar swelling of his heart again. How could he have let time slip away from him for so long, and not have tried sooner to reunite with Makoto again?

“Sorry for barging in,” Haruka said, grateful that he’d managed to control his voice enough that his words sounded normal, despite the strong urge he felt to turn his head enough to see if Makoto’s shirt appeared just as tight in the back as it was in the front. Maybe if he was lucky, he’d be able to catch the shirt riding up a little later…

“Oh, no,” Makoto quickly denied, both hands raised in reassurance. “Please, it’s a wonderful surprise to have you. I admit though, that I didn’t expect you to drop by so soon. I was afraid that my texting you and interrupting your errands the other day may have been an inconvenience to you,” he trailed off warily, unconsciously rubbing at the back of his neck. He chuckled a little, in an attempt to disguise his troubled thoughts, but his breathing still came out with a bit of a sigh. It caught Haruka’s attention, and he frowned, recalling that he had seen Makoto act this way before, purposefully saying self-depreciating things and putting himself down.

He didn’t like it. Not when it dampened Makoto’s smile, turning it into something plastic and fake.

Slowly, with as much restraint as his racing, nervous heart would allow, Haruka let his hand rest on one of those thick, strong, biceps that, without a doubt, would one day drive him crazy. “You’re not,” he answered softly, letting his hand linger there for a moment, before reluctantly dropping it back down to his side. “I mean, it wasn’t a bother,” he amended, unable to control the slight flush that rose to his cheeks after doing something so bold.

“Hearing you say that makes me feel relieved,” Makoto confessed softly, staring down briefly at his feet. He raised his head and while his expression was unreadable, there was something about the way his gaze pierced right into Haruka’s own. How it burned, and Haruka gulped, transfixed, unable to look away even as Makoto took a step closer.

“Yeah…” Haruka nodded, dumbly. His mind was racing and his blood was running hot, but he couldn’t seem to force his voice to work, he could only breathe, and suddenly Makoto offered his hand to shake and Haruka wanted so much to take it, to hold it in his own, even if their reasons behind it weren’t the same-

An abrupt cough from behind them interrupted the moment and both boys jerked apart. Haruka’s eyes darted around the room distractedly until they landed on the two children who were staring up at them curiously.

The girl wasn’t smiling, but she looked decidedly more accommodating of Haruka now. The boy, however, looked ecstatic as he slinked closer to his sister. “I told you he wasn’t a strange pervert,” he quipped, smiling at her triumphantly. The girl scowled, lifting her foot up with the intention of crushing that smile along with her brother’s toes, but Makoto’s firm voice stopped her.

“Ren. Ran,” he stated their names sternly and ‘Ran’ reluctantly lowered her foot with an indignant sniff as Ren composed himself. “Since we have a guest, I’ll need you two to help bring out the silverware.”

Without further prompting, the two immediately shot off, their competiveness taking over as they raced into the other room. Makoto watched them, snickering softly, but Haruka only blinked, impressed at how easily the other boy had redirected their fight into something more beneficial.

“They’ll be back in a second,” Makoto informed him, raising a finger to his lips. He winked, allowing his hand to linger over his sneaky smile and Haruka felt his own mouth curling slightly upward, enjoying the way Makoto’s stance and expression were so carefree. “I usually let them get away with using plastic utensils, but since you’ll be joining us tonight, we can break out the fancy stuff,” he added brightly, talking over his shoulder as he turned to rummage through one of the cabinets.

Haruka frowned at that, his smile leveling out as he considered Makoto’s words. After having to work all day Makoto should be resting, not worrying about fitting a stranger in at the table. He let out an impatient huff, intent on scolding the other boy. Such a meddlesome busybody. He really needs to learn to put himself first.

Releasing a sigh, Haruka followed after him, his eyebrows pinched together as he watched the other boy carefully. “You don’t need to worry about me. It’s too much trouble- ” he began, but any further comment he may have had was cut off when Makoto swiftly turned, nearly knocking into him with a large tube of paper towels in his hands.

“It’s fine, really. You’ve come over here, after all. I’m sorry that all I can offer you are leftovers now that I’ve ruined what was supposed to be tonight’s dinner,” Makoto told him apologetically, already crouching down onto the floor and tearing off several paper towels in order to soak up the cooking oil. “Just give a minute to clean up and reheat the- AH-” Thud. Makoto’s back hit the oven, causing the forgotten pots and pans on the stove to rattle and nearly fall onto his head.

However, Haruka’s quick reflexes prevented them from toppling over and he pushed them back onto the stove immediately. For a moment, they both paused, still frazzled from the near-incident and neither of them spoke until Haruka eventually stepped back enough that Makoto could look up at his face.

“Thank you, Nanase-san. You really saved me there,” Makoto breathed, voice heavy with relief and he sent Haruka a sheepish, embarrassed smile before scooting forward to claim the paper towels again. To Haruka’s astonishment and irritation, the boy resumed his cleaning, acting like he hadn’t almost hurt himself for the second time that evening.  “That was really clumsy of me, huh?” he brushed off with a joke, his care-free tone causing Haruka’s mood to darken and his hands were twitching relentlessly at his sides.

This guy. So bothersome.

Before he realized it, he had already knelt down at eye-level with Makoto, slapping a hand against a low cabinet and effectively fencing the brunet in. Makoto jolted in shock at the sound, his shoulder bumping into Haruka’s outstretched arm.

“Nanase-san?” Makoto asked, glancing up at him worriedly and Haruka responded by pressing closer, knowing that if he didn’t address the issue now, the brunet would brush it off again and avert the attention onto something else.

“You do realize this is the second time tonight that you’ve come close to hurting yourself?” Haruka asked dryly, taking note of the way Makoto hunched his shoulders and how his eyes flashed down guiltily. “You’re obviously exhausted. Take a break, I’m sure your siblings can help me figure something out in the meantime.”

Those eyes were definitely looking back at him now and Haruka watched as Makoto’s mouth worked tirelessly to come up with more excuses. “I’m fine now, honestly. I was just being careless because I have a lot of things on my mind lately. You really don’t need to worry about it,” he insisted, but before he could ramble on Haruka slapped his other hand up, surrounding Makoto completely.

“Makoto,” Haruka said the name slowly, carefully. Prolonging the pronunciation like one would when speaking to a young child. It was the first time Haruka had ever addressed Makoto by his name directly and he felt a strange sort of satisfaction watching those green eyes widen in slight surprise. “Let me do it,” he added, purposefully changing his speech to informal Japanese and Haruka couldn’t fight the smirk tugging at his lips as he watched Makoto’s face burn and his mouth fall slack.

In just a matter of seconds, Haruka had changed the nature of their relationship entirely.

Makoto shook his head vehemently and Haruka could hear the high-pitched waver that had snuck into his voice. “B-But, Nanase-san,” he continued to stutter, the manner of his own speech slowly shifting to accommodate to Haruka’s own. “You’re a guest. Why would you-“

At the implication of the question, Haruka felt his own face heat up and he hoped he could force it back to normal before Makoto noticed. “Do I need a reason?” he asked distractedly, dropping his arms and turning his gaze away. “Can’t I just do it because I want to?” he grated out, stubbornly refusing to turn back around until his face had cooled.

“Well, if that’s what you really want,” Makoto eventually conceded with a resigned sigh. “You’ve made up your mind and I don’t think you’re willing to change it now.” Haruka nodded curtly at that and Makoto laughed, his lips tilting up into an exasperated smile. “I’m afraid it’ll probably end up being a tedious chore for you though,” he warned, murmuring softly.

“I’ll be the one to decide that,” Haruka promised, slowly standing up. “Just leave it all to me.” He held out a hand for Makoto and the brunet blinked blankly at it for a moment before accepting it. His long fingers easily wrapping around Haruka’s own and it felt so nice, so lovely, that it took all his will power just to let go when they were both standing again.

“I’ll leave it to you then,” Makoto affirmed, though he still seemed reluctant as he relinquished the paper towels to Haruka’s waiting hands. Once Haruka had them, he made short work of the remaining mess, gathering up all the loose flour on the floor and easily soaking up the rest of the oil. When he finished, he discarded the used paper towels in the trash and set the remainder of the tube aside on the counter.  Now that everything was clean, he could get started.

“Where is your pantry?” he asked, already sorting through the mess on the stove and trying to determine if any of the burned pots and pans could be saved and used or if he needed to make a quick run to his house to borrow some of his own.

Makoto shook his head in amusement at Haruka’s take-charge attitude and stepped forward, ready to assist him. But before he could answer Haruka’s question, the kitchen door burst open and his siblings charged in, causing a raucous.

Ran led the way, slamming the silverware tray down onto the table hard enough that the utensils bucked violently in their slots. Makoto jumped a little at the loud noise, but otherwise didn’t bother to correct her as she proceeded to sort through them. Ren didn’t join his sister at the table. Instead, he wandered past it, over to the other two and held out his hands, displaying Haruka’s messenger bag.

Haruka accepted it gratefully, chiding himself for forgetting it amidst all the confusion. Makoto and his family’s safety were obviously the priority at the time, but if something had happened to the chocolates, then Haruka wouldn’t have been able to follow through with his plan.

Hoping his efforts hadn’t been wasted, Haruka carefully took the bag into his arms and looked back at Ren, who had his hands clasped anxiously in front of him.

“Thank you,” he said with a curt nod and was rewarded by Ren’s small, shy smile before the boy turned back to join his sister.

Makoto’s stepped a little away, watching him, and with everyone momentarily distracted, Haruka took the chance to check inside his bag to access the damage. Luckily for Haruka, the chocolates looked no worse for wear and so when Makoto’s head turned back toward him, Haruka just casually set the bag onto the counter, acting as if it didn’t contain anything of value at all.

“Sorry about them.” Smiling fondly, Makoto came up beside him and watched as Ren and Ran dished out the silverware, splitting the forks and spoons up evenly between them. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a guest so they’re a little excited. I just hope they don’t break anything,” he added with wince, when Ran chose that very moment to slap the fork down onto the table, much harder than necessary. “Well, even if they do, they’re just things that can be replaced. They’re not that important.” Though Haruka noticed his voice tended to strain a bit, sounding almost forced as the twins finished up. He only really relaxed when they left the table and opened up the low cupboard to start pulling out the glasses.

“You spoil them,” Haruka commented, noticing how Makoto’s shoulders visibly sagged and he nodded his head several times in admission to that. “Is there anything you don’t do for them? You let them get away with using silverware instead of chopsticks… Don’t tell me you pack them along with their school lunches too,” he ventured, already guessing the answer without needing to see the way Makoto swallowed pathetically and evasively turned his head away.

“Ren has a little trouble using them so I try not push him too hard,” he admitted, scratching at the bridge of his nose nervously. “I’ve always had a hard time saying no to those two.”

“You love them,” Haruka deduced, understanding, and Makoto finally turned to look back at him.

“They’re my life.” His face shone as he said it, bright and blinding. “If I didn’t have them, I don’t know what I’d do. I don’t know how I would have made it through that difficult time,” he added, and the light in his smile receded a little with his last words. It was a small detail, but enough for Haruka to see just how tired Makoto was. How exhausted he had been from carrying so much on his own. And Haruka burned the image to memory, resolutely deciding that he'd figure out just what happened to make Makoto look like that.

But delving deeper into Makoto’s past would have to wait, there were other things more important now. And Haruka didn’t want to ruin the good mood between them, not yet, not when he was so close. It was best to hold back on the subject a little longer, seeing as he wasn’t exemplarity at comforting others anyway. But he could do something else for Makoto. Provide a momentary distraction, until he could find a chance to get the brunet alone. It would only make things more complicated to discuss a painful subject with Makoto’s siblings so close by.

“All the more reason for you to rest now,” Haruka told him, firmly taking hold of his elbow. At the touch, Makoto looked as if he would protest a little, but when Haruka pointedly tugged a second time the brunet nodded, and followed along obediently to table. “Ren and Ran will help me handle the rest.” He was sure it would be easy to convince the two to work with him. They'd do anything for their brother, and it would be good to get some bonding time in with them. Get them to like him more. Based off how much Makoto obviously adored them, Haruka was sure he'd soon become fond of them too.

Chuckling at that, Makoto allowed himself to be ushered to the table. “You’re really set on this aren’t you?” he asked as Haruka steered him to the nearest, unoccupied chair.

“It’s what I said I would do,” Haruka responded matter-of-factly, refusing to back down until he was sure Makoto’s backside had met the cushion.

“Stubborn,” Makoto commented softly, leaning lazily against one of the armrests.

Haruka scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It’s not about being stubborn. It’s about making sure I get what I want.”

“And do you always get what you want, Nanase-san?” Makoto asked, his voice taking on a teasing quality and when Haruka looked back at him, he had to resist the urge to drag the taller man out of his chair by the front of his apron and demonstrate just how capable he was when he set his mind to it.

“That remains to be seen,” Haruka responded confidently back, though he was finding it harder and harder to keep his mouth from curving upward in response to Makoto’s grateful smile. He still didn’t understand what he had done to have this wonderful, lovely creature fall into his life. But he’d be damned if he’d let him go now. “Remember what I said about staying put. I can’t focus on managing the kitchen if my thoughts are preoccupied with whether or not you’ll cause another accident,” he said, knowing that his stern voice didn’t sound as convincing as he intended for it to. But that wasn’t Haruka’s fault. Not when the room seemed noticeably warmer all of a sudden and those green eyes were still on him, watching him closely.

Luckily, Makoto didn’t say anything to continue their banter, he simply nodded his head in understanding, a bright and oddly pleased smile on his face as he resigned himself to his spectator role.

Satisfied that the main source of his distraction was reigned in, Haruka moved back toward the kitchen, already organizing a mental-list in his head of what he needed to do. Makoto’s siblings were finished with their task and idling by the counter, awaiting his instruction and giggling quietly to themselves about how their brother had been put in a temporary time-out.

Haruka slowly approached them, casually tapping his fingers along the counter as he marveled at just how easily things had fallen into place.

With their help, Haruka was sure he would have dinner up and ready in no time and soon, he’d have everything he’d ever wanted.