Chapter Text
The lack of words on Makoto's wrist never bothered him much. The most it's ever upset him was when his family or friends would bring it up, and that was only because he was being forced to think about it when they did. Actually, even then he wasn't too upset about it. Meeting his soulmate wasn't as big of a deal to him as everyone around him thought it was.
It was when he met Haruka Nanase that he began to realize the lack of words didn't necessarily foretell a lonely future.
It wasn't immediate. In his first class of the day, on a chilly October morning, in sixth grade, the teacher's introduction to the week's lesson plan was interrupted when a mother walked in, holding her son's hand as she guided him to the teacher at the front of the room. The mom and teacher talked in hushed tones. Makoto suspected that the children who sat closer to the front of the room, rather than in the back like he and his friends did could make out parts of what they were saying. That didn't stop the entire class from watching them carefully, himself included.
The teacher and the lady seemed to reach some sort of agreement, and the mom kneeled down as she gave her son a small dry-erase board and a marker. She kissed him on the forehead and left promptly. The teacher smiled kindly at the new boy before turning to face the class.
"Everyone, meet the new student, Haruka Nanase. Haruka, take that empty seat in the back corner there" she said. Haruka simply nodded and went to sit at the desk she'd specified, which happened to be right next to Makoto. Makoto smiled kindly at him, and Haruka gave a small nod in reply before he turned to face the teacher.
When lunch time came, Makoto met Nagisa in the cafeteria like always. Rin usually bought the school lunch, so he would meet them at their table.
"Mako-chan! Did you see the new kid? He's sitting all alone!" Nagisa cried. Makoto quickly hushed him, and looked around. Sure enough, the new kid was sitting alone in the corner, not even eating anything.
"C'mon. Let's go sit with him" Makoto suggested. Nagisa cheered and they went to sit with their potential new friend.
"Hey! Can we sit with you?" Nagisa asked excitedly when they reached Haruka's table. The raven-haired boy looked up and nodded. The blond and the olive-haired boy sat.
"I'm Nagisa and this is Makoto! I call him Mako-chan. Your name's Haruka right? Can I call you Haru-chan?" Nagisa babbled. Haruka looked vaguely amused, and he picked up the board and marker and wrote on it, then showed them the message.
Just Haru is fine.
Seeing Makoto and Nagisa's twin looks of confusion, he erased the message and wrote a new one.
I'm mute.
"Oh!" Nagisa blurted. Haru smiled sheepishly. Makoto suddenly realized that Haru didn't have a lunch.
"Hey, do you want half of my lunch?"
Haru looked at him, his face looking more shocked than he should have been from someone offering their food. Had he been offended?
"It's just, you don't have anything, and my mom always packs extra..." Makoto explained, feeling rather nervous now. Haru seemed to think about it, then nodded. Makoto opened his lunch box, and moved a napkin over to Haru before placing half of each of his snacks on the napkin.
"I can buy you something from the vending machine" he offered. Haru shook his head and reached into his pocket and passed Makoto some coins. He wrote on his board,
Just water is fine.
Makoto nodded in understanding and stood to go buy a bottled water. On his way to the machines, he spotted Rin.
"Hey, Rin" he called. Rin came over, carefully balancing his lunch tray.
"We're sitting over there, with the new kid, Haru" he said, motioning towards the table.
"Okay" Rin agreed, but before he could start in that direction Makoto stopped him.
"Um, he's mute, so don't offend him" Makoto warned. Rin's eyebrow raised questioningly.
"He's... Mute?" he said. Makoto nodded.
"Yeah. As in, he can't talk"
"I see" Rin said softly. He started to the table once more, making Makoto wonder what was going through his mind. He shrugged it off though, and continued to the vending machines. He got Haru's water and went back to their table.
"Here you go Haru" Makoto said, passing Haru his water. Haru nodded gratefully as he took the bottle.
"Hey, Haru. You mind telling us what your tattoo says?" Rin asked. Before Haru could even raise a questioning eyebrow at that question, Nagisa butted in.
"Yeah! We all know each others' tattoos! You should tell us about yours so we can all be friends!"
Haru considered it, then wrote on his board.
You guys first.
Nagisa pouted, but Rin laughed and showed Haru his wrist.
"It says 'Can you kill a spider for me?' Kind of weird that that's the first thing someone will say to me, let alone my soulmate"
Haru smiled slightly and nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze on Nagisa.
"Mine's pretty generic. It says 'Can I help you?' My soulmate could be anyone from a cashier to a waiter to a student I ask for help on math homework"
Haru nodded and smirked slightly, then looked expectantly at Makoto. Makoto blushed a slight pink.
"I don't have any words on my wrist"
Haru looked taken aback for a moment. He pulled Makoto's hands towards him, examining both wrists as if he didn't believe him. When he released the boy's hands, he seemed... Happy. Elated, even. Before any of them could ask, though, Haru rolled up his sleeve and showed them what his wrist said. Makoto barely heard Nagisa's excited cheering, or Rin's muttered 'Just as I thought'. All he could focus on was what Haru's wrist said, plain as day, in his handwriting.
Hey, do you want half of my lunch?