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The first time Haruka notices the feeling that blooms in his chest every time Makoto looks at him, they are second year students and they are cooped up in Haruka’s living room as it rains heavily outside, their text books scattered around them and on the table, studying for the math test the next day. They are both freshly showered, and Makoto had filled them both up on the dinner his mother had packed for their study session, and Haruka’s brain is fried as he stares aimlessly at Makoto’s concentrating face.
Makoto often comes to Haruka’s house to study with him, finding it easier to concentrate in a house only occupied by two versus five, and he more often than not ends up spending the night at Haruka’s even though he has to get up earlier the next day to reach his house and take his siblings to their bus. Haruka likes those nights. Even though they always left the larger teen a bit lethargic for the rest of the day, Haruka never says anything because he secretly likes being woken by the rustle of Makoto quietly packing in the morning. He enjoys lazily watching as Makoto carefully folds his futon and as he silently pauses at the door, before closing it softly.
Haruka watches as Makoto’s jaw shifts, and Haruka realizes that Makoto is chewing the inside of his cheek.
“Stop that.” Green eyes glance up at him in confusion.
“What?” Makoto asks.
“Stop chewing.” Haruka says, blue gaze even as he stares at the other boy.
“Oh. Oh!” Green eyes widen as Makoto drops his pencil, bringing a hand to his jaw, before a relieved smile breaks across his face. “Thanks for pointing that out Haru, any more and I would be sore tomorrow.”
The first time Haruka notices the feeling that blooms in his chest every time Makoto looks at him, Makoto is smiling and Haruka can’t breath for a moment.
-
The first time Rin notices the way Makoto and Haruka look at each other, they are third years and Makoto is tugging Haruka out of the pool, slick hands clutching at each other as Makoto congratulates the other boy on his win. Haruka’s race was the last of the competition so Makoto hands the shorter boy a towel for his dripping hair as they make their way back to their teams assigned bench, Nagisa vibrating in his seat with the excitement of his own accomplishment, and the blue haired one off god knows where. Haruka is slowly rubbing the towel against his hair, drying it with half-assed effort as Makoto talks.
Rin watches as Makoto frowns, before a resigned but fond smile plays across his face and the bigger teen reaches large hands forward to pat away Haruka’s hands. Makoto starts to rub at Haruka’s head with the towel, the quick friction surely doing a better job of drying the dark hair than Haruka’s slow method. Makoto resumes his talking, brow furrowed as he takes his time working at Haruka’s hair.
The first time Rin notices the way Makoto and Haruka look at each other, Makoto is rubbing at Haruka’s already dry hair with towel, Haruka’s wide blue eyes staring up at the other male in silent admiration, and they look like they’ve done it a million times.
-
The first time Rin gets fed up with Makoto and Haruka’s weird romance dance, is also, thankfully, the last. They are fourth years and having a joint practice once again, the cold fall air leaving the other team's pool useless and Samezuka's a useful alternative. Rin is observing the lovesick fools the moment they step in, and immediately notices the tension between the two boys as they tiptoe around each other.
They are exhausting just to look at. Honestly, how did they have the energy to fuck around like that? Rin wants to scream, and he almost does, growling beside Nitori as the younger boy times their other team members. He watches as Makoto and Haruka talk, the larger teen's nervous smile dropping further and further with whatever Haruka is saying. Makoto’s expression is clouding with pain alarmingly fast and Rin starts to swiftly walk around the pool to them. He catches a glimpse of Haruka’s frowning face as the boy turns around and dives into the pool, not bothering with a timer.
Haruka has gone from one end of the pool and is swimming back to where Makoto is when Rin reaches the taller boy. Rin stops in front of Makoto, who is standing beside the starting block, and the redheads anger swells when even Makoto’s surprise can’t stop the hurt from showing through. Rin glares, before turning and shouting to Haruka.
“Oi, fish-face Haru!” Haruka touches the wall and blue eyes look over the edge of the pool toward Rin.
“Watch this.” Rin says, english tinged with an australian accent and shark smile wide as he turns back towards Makoto. Rin reaches for the taller male, wrenching Makoto closer as he kisses the other boy firmly on the lips. The kiss is dry and tense, Makoto frozen, before the taller male jerks away. The kiss ends when Rin lets Makoto stumble backwards. Rin watches as Makoto steps back, one foot knocking into the starting block and the other… slipping down into the empty air above the pool water.
Rin observes Makoto's spectacular, slippery descent into the pool, Haruka barely stepping back in time to avoid a slap to the his shocked face. Makoto comes up spluttering.
As the taller boy coughs in the water, Haruka’s blue eyes turn icy and he’s out of the water before either he or Rin can realize what he’s doing. Haruka’s face is blank in his fury as his fist clenches, but he doesn’t even have the time to raise his arm for the punch before he’s halted by a hoarse voice coming from the water.
“Haruka!”
The first time Rin sees Makoto’s face pinched up in pure fury, is also, thankful, the last.
-
The first time Makoto realizes Haruka might like him as much as he likes Haruka, they are fourth years and Makoto has just gone tumbling unprepared into a pool and he can’t breath. He is coughing up water as he watches Haruka’s face go stoic in a white wash rage, and his shoulders hunch inwards in a sharp lance of jealousy. His eyes are watering as he watches Haruka heave himself from the water, cool blue eyes on his target the entire time, and his voice rumbles up through his aching throat in rage as he watches Haruka’s fist clench to raise a hand against their friend.
“Haruka!”
The dripping boy freezes. Like he should, Makoto’s anger tinted mind thinks.
“What do you think you’re doing?”Makoto’s voice rattles through his heaving chest.
Haruka is silent from where he stares wide eyed at Makoto, half turned towards Rin, half towards Makoto. Makoto scrunches his nose as he sniffs. He narrows his eyes towards the boy.
“Come help me out of here.” Makoto moves closer to the pools edge, and beckons Haruka closer. The smaller boy hesitates, Makoto’s uncharacteristic anger making him wary. Makoto huffs at Haruka’s puppy face and relaxes his expression.
“Haru, help me out.” He says, gently,and suddenly Haruka feels ashamed. He bends to grip the large hand offered to him and heaves the other boy out of the pool. Haruka bows his head once Makoto is stable, not wanting the guilt on his face to be shown. Makoto turns around sharply, and Haruka stares at the rivulets of water running down the backof Makoto’s calves.
“You.” Makoto addresses Rin, who’s been watching their interaction with curious eyes. The red head tenses in anticipation.
“I don’t know why you did that,” Makoto says, eyes narrowing, but Rin can still hear the forgiveness in his tone ,” but don’t do it again, got it?”
Rin gives a sharp, military type nod, grin returning to his face as he watches Makoto calm down once more, the last remnants of anger melting from the teens face. The large male sighs, head tilting back as his eyes close. When Makoto opens them again, he turns around to find that Haruka is gone.
“Haru?” His green eyes search around for the other boy.
“He went that way.” Rin waves towards the direction of the side entrance, where Makoto can see the door swinging closed.
“Thanks Rin.” With this Makoto jogs towards the door, pushing it open with a loud creak, and sees Haru’s back as he walks the path along the side of the building, large hedges framing the side not blocked by wall.
“Haru!” Makoto calls out to Haru and the boy stops, but doesn’t turn around as Makoto approaches. “Where were you going?” Makoto asks him, voice soft and questioning.
“The locker room.” One of Makoto’s hands rest on his should and Haruka flinches, but they don’t try to turn him around, and he’s grateful.
“Outside?”
“Long way around.” The shorter teen mumbles.
“Oh.” There is a tense silence before,
“Haru do you-”
“Makoto I-”
They both stop, eyes wide and Haruka turns around.
“Makoto, I -” I love you, “I’m sorry about what I said before, about how I didn’t need you to take care of me. I know you just care and want to help and I really am grateful and I do need your help, I do want you near, a bit too much actually, I’m sorry, I need you, and I shouldn’t have tried to punch Rin and-” Haruka hasn’t spoken like this in a long time, and his voice is speeding up but he’s cut off by Makoto.
“Haruka, I love you.” Makoto smiles, and Haruka‘s breath catches. Makoto’s brows furrow and his smile turns sober as he talks.
“Haru, do you…” Makoto’s smile disappears as he trails off.
“Yes.” Haruka chokes. “Yes, I do love you.”
The first time Haruka realizes Makoto might like him as much as he likes Makoto, they are fourth years and Makoto has just smiled and Haruka can‘t breath for a moment.