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“Okay, have fun!” His mom bent down to kiss his cheek. “Whatever you do, listen to him and trust him, and only him. Got it?”
“Yes, momma,” he smiled and kissed her back.
His basket had been painted as one of those carved pumpkins he saw along the streets since last week. He swung it in his hands as he climbed up the stairs leading to the Nanase residence.
“Hello!” he greeted Mrs. Nanase who had answered the door.
She was a very gentle looking woman with an air of elegance and sweetness radiating off her strongly. She had silky black hair and kind blue eyes.
“Oh, hello, Makoto-kun.” She smiled. “You look adorable!”
“Thank you,” he smiled back politely.
“Haruka? Makoto-kun’s here.” Light steps headed towards them. He felt his heartbeat race. He knew they attended the same kindergarten, but he had never properly seen him before. He did hear his momma gush about how thoughtful and polite and all around perfect (school, sports, arts and all) Haruka was every time after she had a talk with Mrs. Nanase, so he was kind of nervous. He sounded 1000% cooler than Makoto.
“Makoto-kun, this is Haruka.”
His eyes widened when Haruka faced him completely.
He looked surprisingly a lot like his mother, only he appeared more guarded, serious and aloof. He had jet black hair in a similar hairstyle as his, only it was facing the other way and a whole lot neater. He had small, pouty lips and a cute button nose. He had a slender built, with the beginning of an amazing swimmer’s body if what his momma had said was true.
But what was most startling was his eyes.
Eyes as blue as the ocean, Makoto marveled. They were half-lidded, but still shone bright and glimmered with intelligence, showing just how much more mature he was.
But of course, everything was spoiled by the fact he wasn’t wearing a costume. No, he just stood there in a plain t-shirt and a blue jacket, looking plain but still painfully breath-taking (though he wasn’t going to admit that).
“Why aren’t you wearing a costume?” he asked, a bit upset. His momma made him a wonderful cat costume, with the paws painted over his hands. He even had on his kitty onesie, and Haru wasn’t making an effort at all. He pouted.
“Don’t feel like it.” Haru said quietly.
Makoto tried not to act surprised when he heard his voice. His voice gave him the same feeling Makoto gets every time he stood under the warm morning sun, or gaze at the moon. He sounded as mature as he looked, too. But it really suited him.
“But, why not?” he whined.
“I don’t see the point.” He answered. For a split second their eyes met, sending an electric jolt through Makoto and perhaps Haru was a lot softer than he let on, because he looked away in discomfort, head held high indignantly.
“I’ll borrow you mine!” Makoto offered. He took off his cat ears headband and reached on his tip-toes and shoved them onto the boy’s head.
The boy grumbled, but didn’t say anything, running his fingers through his hair that had gotten messed up.
“You look pretty,” Makoto complimented, genuinely meaning it.
Haru glared at him.
“Have a good time, boys!” Mrs. Nanase said. “Be safe.”
“We will.” Makoto promised.
*
The other boy was gazing wistfully at the ocean. The younger had suggested they took this way, since it was calming and quieter. Remembering his promise to his mother to listen to Mrs. Nanase’s son, he just went along with it.
“Haru-chan, is it?” he ducked his head so he was in the other’s field of vision.
“Makoto, just call me Nanase.” Haru said quietly, sparing him a glance.
“But why? Your name is pretty!” Makoto tugged on his jacket sleeve.
“That’s why. It’s girly. I hate it.” He sniffed.
“I like it,” He smiled. Haru glared at him. “Haru-chan.”
“Whatever.”
Makoto hated the silence that stretched after.
“So you swim?”
Haru nodded in response. Makoto really should get used to his way of communication.
“What stroke?”
“Free. Only free.”
“Are you fast?”
Haru stopped suddenly, making Makoto worry if he had said anything wrong. “I don’t care about my time.” He resumed his walking.
“Oh.”
Haru glanced at him, as if making sure he was still following him. “You swim, too, right?” He asked slowly.
“Yeah. I swim breaststroke and freestyle.” He looked at the silent boy. Haru kept repositioning the headband.
“Haru-chan, next year I’ll make you a pretty costume!” he promised.
“Don’t bother.” Haru said sharply.
Makoto just giggled.
“Trick or treat!” Makoto said as sweetly as he could.
“Aw, how cute!” The young lady cooed, pinching their cheeks. “I know! Couple costumes. You wouldn’t truly and fully be a cat without your ears; in other words, your soulmate!” she sighed dreamily, pouring two huge handfuls of candy. “Ah, sweet, young love. May your red thread never stretch nor tangle!”
Haru had looked away, blushing. Makoto wondered what the lady had meant and if Haru understood her rambling, decided to put that thought aside, and thanked her for the large amount of candy.
“Haru-chan, it’s getting late.” He stated, voice quivering when he started noticing the growing darkness despite the orange glowing from everywhere around them.
His blue eyes seemed to shine in the dark. “Are you scared?”
“N-no!”
Haru gave him a sharp glance, though concern flashed through them for a short second. He reached out and intertwined their fingers together.
“Idiot, don’t pretend to be brave.” Haru glared at him half-heartedly. “Why should you be scared, anyway? I’m here.” A delicate tinge of red dusted his cheeks as he looked away.
He smiled. Haru really was a sweet boy underneath his aloof demeanor.
“Bye-bye, Haru-chan!” He waved.
“Goodnight.” Haru said without looking back, carelessly waving a hand in Makoto’s general direction.
“I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” He promised.
Haru didn’t reply but gave him a slightly hopeful look as he opened the door, and vanished inside.
**
“Haru-chan!”
Mrs. Nanase opened the door. “Happy Halloween, Makoto-kun!”
“You, too, Mrs. Nanase!”
“Haru’s getting ready.” She smiled fondly behind her. “He told me not to make him a headdress, as he said you promised. Is that true? If it isn’t I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“No, no.” he hurriedly assured. “I did promise him last year. I made him this!” He held up a delicately woven flower crown in his hands.
It was a crown made of camellias, daisies, primroses, red rosebuds and variegated and yellow tulips woven around a red thread. The two ends of the thread hung off the left side, and at the end hung two white pom poms that resembled dandelions.
“You took the time to make this, Makoto-kun?” Mrs. Nanase gasped. “It’s stunning! I hope you made one for yourself as well.” She said sternly in a joking manner.
“I did! Haru-chan insisted that he crowned me, so I wouldn’t wear it first.” He showed her his.
“Why did you take the time to put more than five types of flowers for Haruka but did three for yours?” She asked, examining his crown of daisies, primroses and gardenia. It was of the same design as Haru’s, with the two pom-poms hanging of the ends of the red thread.
“Haru’s more important.” He meant it with all his heart. No matter how much his mother advised him to put himself first before anyone else, Haru would always be his priority.
Mrs. Nanase paused, her actions showing that she really wasn’t expecting it, but knew it anyway. His words seemed to have confirmed something for her.
Both of the turned when Haru reached the doorway.
Haru endured a kiss on the cheek from his proud and touched mother (their matching costumes set her off) and faced Makoto.
Makoto took him in up and down. He was wearing a high-collar, shimmering white button up with long sleeves, matching pants and white shoes. He had two glittering white dots under each eye, defining his striking blue eyes even more.
“Haru-chan, you look like an angel!” he gasped.
“Makoto.” Haru smiled gently at him.
“Haru-chan, I brought you these flower stones to go with your flower crown!” he proudly presented Haru his flower crown. His mother had pointed out how out of place the bright colors would look against the pure white outfit, and suggested he got matching flowers encased in clear amber.
He carefully took out the removable fake gems out of Haru’s buttons (he made sure to tell Mrs. Nanase of his little idea before she sowed on regular buttons) and replaced them with the little flowers encased in clear amber. Then, he got up and gently pushed the crown onto Haru’s head, making sure it fit snugly.
“You’re so beautiful, Haru-chan.” He said softly. Haru’s eyes widened, and he looked away.
“Whatever, give me yours.”
He had already put in his buttons, so there was really nothing else for Haru to do except placing the crown on his head.
Makoto closed his eyes, and cherished the soothing, gentle and warm feeling Haru gave him when his fingers trailed down the side of his face. He felt the pom-poms graze his lips slightly when he looked up to look at Haru.
“You look beautiful, too.” Haru said quietly after they bid Mrs. Nanase goodbye and promised to behave.
However, in Makoto’s opinion, Haru looked as beautiful and as angelic as ever when the moon light glinted off his shimmery outift.
He didn’t say it out loud, though, and instead smiled softly at the other boy.
It only felt right to hold his hand this time, too.
**
“Haru-chan!” he called, ringing the doorbell. Since Mr. and Mrs. Nanase would be in town for a few weeks or months at most, Haru’s mother answered the door.
“Makoto-kun!” she said happily. She went in for a hug. “You’ve gotten a lot more muscular since I last saw you two summers ago!”
He chuckled good-naturedly. “We had intensive training for the relay.”
She nodded approvingly. “Haruka told me about it. Said you still went to the club even after not being official members, you sneaky little things!”
“Why not, right? Haru demands to swim every day regardless of the weather.”
“You’re no longer swimming breaststroke, right?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s backstroke now.” Makoto smiled, but it was rather dim.
She looked at him apologetically, since her son was one of the reasons he decided to change his stroke. Not after that incident.
A thought seemed to cross her mind. “How would Nagisa and…Rei, is it?- handle the club? Woulnd’t it be torn down if they didn’t have enough members?”
Makoto looked away sadly. “Unfortunately, yes. Hana-chan agreed to join just for the sake of saving the team, but other than that…” He sighed. “Let’s just hope the juniors next year actually likes swimming.”
“Mom? Who are you talking to?” Haru appeared behind his mother, a basket of clothing ready to be hung in his hands, and he was wearing an apron.
“Good morning, Haru!” He greeted happily.
“I’m going to hang these clothes.” Haru spun on his heels.
He nodded at Mrs. Nanase (she had smiled in understanding, making him blush) and excused himself to join Haru.
“Haru?”
Haru stood there, basking in the warmth of the sun, looking equally angelic and adorably domestic, because he was Haru and he was the only thing in the universe that could possibly be two separate things at the same time. Makoto felt warmth bloom in his heart.
“Makoto.” Haru acknowledged him before bending down to pick up his blue jacket and shaking it to get rid of excess water.
“Next week is Halloween,” he started.
Haru sighed. “We haven’t dressed up since we were 12, Makoto. No.”
“But I already made our costumes from when we were seven.”
Haru froze. “You didn’t. The angels with flowers?”
“I couldn’t exactly duplicate the design, but I did get you a pretty white sweater.” He smiled gently. “I bet you’ll look even more beautiful than back then.”
“Was I that ugly?” Haru deadpanned.
Makoto nudged him. “Oi. I want to do this, and I’m not doing it without you.”
“Whatever.” Haru gave him a glance before turning away to the clotheline. “I’m only doing this because you made me.”
Makoto repositioned the pom-poms to Haru’s left side of his face, and proceeded to rearrange the flowers, pulling them gently.
Haru seemed to enjoy the light hair tugging, as he absently quietly pulled at Makoto’s shirt as he worked.
The pom-poms bounced against Haru’s face, making Makoto smile at the sight. His long eyelashes grazed his cheeks, and his pouty lips seemed so inviting all of the sudden.
“You’re beautiful, Haru-chan.”
Blue eyes fluttered open, and Haru shoved him in embarassment, making him laugh.
Then they were walking along the same beach they had gotten used to ever since their friendship started.
Haru seemed to sense this, and grazed his hand lightly with his fingertips, an open invitation to hold his hands if he wanted to.
Their fingers interlocked, and they walked quietly until the reached the rock they always hung out at.
The sound of crashing waves and the light scent of sea breeze lightened his mind.
Maybe he should have told Haru just how much he meant to him from the start.
Maybe he should have told Haru he loved him when he almost drowned when they were in middle school.
Maybe he should have whispered a goodnight and an I love you last year before they slept in different tents during training camp.
Maybe he should have just come clean and admitted that he had long ago confessed his love and true feelings to Haru through his flowers.
He knew the worst that could happen was Haru acting like nothing had happened.
So he took the risk, and Haru had just turned around to say something, and he had always wondered if Haru’s lips tasted like chlorine from his extreme obsession with swimming and water in general, and he wasn’t disappointed.
Those pretty little pouty lips kissed back softly, and Makoto felt his heart fly and Haru himself was a sin, because nobody should be able to make him feel so strongly.
And Haru pulled back, his blue eyes brighter than Makoto had ever seen them. In his delicate hands, he held out a bouquet of flowers. They were the same flowers he had in his flower crowns.
“I love you too.” Haru said softly.
Makoto took the flowers and the meanings and unspoken words and promises they brought from his love, his angel, his best friend, his anchor. Haru.
They shared a kiss under the moonlight, exactly eleven years after they fell in love.