Wordless
They were all silent in different ways.
For Rei, it never really worked — he could not get rid of the impression, vague yet undeniable, of cogs whirring in his amazing brain. With Nagisa it always was a sign of danger, a subtle call for help that even he had never missed once.
But Makoto had been there since Haru could remember. He had had plenty of time to learn that his silence was more than just one.
His calm was one of his favourite moments. It was the glue that kept them together in the air after the storm, whenever one of them felt too discouraged to go on. All it took was a fragment of Makoto's knowing glance, green and soothing; no words were said, and a smile, no matter how small, never failed to return to each of them. That silence was a blessing.
There was the other kind, too — it never failed to bring peace to his heart. It was like background music, except the complete absence of tones; it was a frame to Nagisa's chatter, or to his own sighs in the long walk home. It touched him lightly, with the grace of an evening breeze. Haru loved it.
And then there was the intense silence that pierced through his mind, whenever Makoto sought an opening, and whatever secret their hearts held unfolded at once under his eyes. That silence never lasted too long; to Haru, it was nothing more than a lingering second. Makoto knew him too well to let it pass.
It was immediately replaced by the quiet smile — the one that responded to awareness, understanding and love. It was worth more than any string of words he could ever put together; it was amazing, and painful, because Makoto was always right. He had no choice but surrendering, every time. No words were exchanged, as they didn't need them.
Of Makoto's silences, it was the one Haru loved the best. He had built his grasp on it over the years, learning to expect it, cherish it, then anticipate the moment it would come.
At some point in his life, Haru had decided to call it his own. He did not remember anymore, or maybe he never really knew. Not that it mattered much.
To Haru, in any case, Makoto's silence would always mean something more.
Happy birthday, emerald-eyed prince mother hen of the whole cast.