Hey, this is my very first fanfiction, and I hope you would like it ^^ Beta-ed by Clandestine Merria, many thanks to your help!
Also, inspired by on tumblr, go check out their beautiful art work!
"T-shirts. Pants. Long and short ones. Jacket. Laptop. Long Johns. Heater packs… …" A monotonous voice rattled off, the owner of the clear cut voice holding out a check list, rattling off one by one, ticking off the corresponding box as his counterpart responds with a noise of confirmation. It was a pretty simple job, he would admit. He would rather do this than rustle through the mass of clothes that was fitted in a luggage so huge, it nearly took up all of the available space on the floor of said owner's bedroom.
"Toothbrush?" He confirmed, relieved since that was the last of the list. That was instead replied with a sharp gasp from the back turned individual, who immediately stood and rushed to get it from his toilet. "Makoto," he called out, and he responded with a sharp skid to his actions, turning around to face his best friend – Haruka Nanase. Though he has taken a fond habit to call him Haru instead, to much dismay of the aforementioned male.
"You just reminded yourself earlier that you'd pack that tomorrow morning after you brush." He pointed out, and Makoto blinked before slacking, an awkward laugh bubbling from within – but Haruka knew better – and pushed his glasses up his nose as he walked back.
"Right, how could I forget?" He squatted down in the middle of the room, where his luggage sat, as he religiously began to pack his clothes again, reciting the checklist under his breath like a devoted Catholic would say their night prayers before bed.
Haruka watched him for a moment, sighing as he went to sit on the bed. "It's the fourth time you're double-checking this list, Makoto." That only earned him a nervous chuckle, as he continued to place everything in place. "I know. I'm just checking to be sure." He justified his worrywart behaviour, one that Haruka knew all too well.
Makoto was the 'mother' of the Swim Club. In fact, he was the mother of anyone that knows Makoto close enough to be a beneficiary of his constant worrying and concerns. Haruka was on the constant receiving end of that, being the closest to Makoto since their childhood. Makoto was often there to pull him out of what others would call embarrassing situations, though he was annoyed by his attempts. Even if he did stop him from ending up in the corresponding place's main office for trying to cause a public disturbance and destroying of said pool or body of water. Even when these events happens, Makoto was also the one that helped to bail him out.
Now, it feels like Makoto was finally worrying about himself instead of someone else, which often ended up in him forgetting his own safety entirely. He watched impassively as he finally zipped up the bright orange luggage, locking it with the attached security lock, and let out a huge, relieved sigh, giving Haruka one of those smiles that always managed to make him turn away, for fear that he could actually notice his embarrassment. But Makoto was never one for pointing out something like that, and instead he tiredly pushed his luggage upright and into a corner of the room.
"I'd go check on Ren and Ran." Makoto announced, pushing himself off the floor to do his daily routine, before being stopped by a hand to the shoulder. All Haruka did was to give him a nod, a straight stare, and Makoto knew to back down and nod. "Thank you, Haru." Haruka knew what the eldest of the three was planning to do anyway, namely enter the room softly and check if the bubbly twins are asleep properly, tuck them in and give them a small kiss on the forehead. Not like Haruka was going to do that. All he did was to open the door and check that the twins were sleeping soundly, something he was sure of since they were so excited with helping their older brother pack earlier, running all about the place, wearing themselves out with the activity. They were only satisfied when their brother assured that he was done, and ushered them to sleep when their bed time came.
When Haruka was sure that the twins were soundly asleep, he closed the door, and went back to Makoto's room, only to be greeted with yet another sleeping member of the Tachibana residence. Makoto was lying on the floor, halfway through the room to his bed, his glasses skewed as he leaned on his right. This wasn't a rare sight, as Makoto was quite known for his inability to fight sleep when his mind and body was clouded with fatigue.
Haruka sighed, exasperated, but he dragged Makoto's blue-black striped blanket down from his well-made bed, and covered Makoto with it, gently tucking it underneath his free arm. Haruka too, gently took the black-rimmed glasses off of the asleep swimmer's nicely sculpted face, letting said man's head roll flat onto the floor, folding up the spectacles and setting it on his study table, just like Makoto always does.
With Makoto barely stirring as Haruka took care of his sleeping routine, he was assured that Makoto was sound asleep and could barely be stirred. Even if the window was closed, it was still nearing winter, and the house internal heating had not been quite enough to keep him warm, especially when Makoto wouldn't be sleeping in the same bed as him. Makoto was known to be a living furnace after all, his big build somehow contributed to his excessive production of body heat.
He laid behind him, after just a moment's deliberation, reaching out to gently stroke Makoto's hair. "He's done well today," he thought silently, and even if Haruka was slightly annoyed with Makoto's inability to even get on a bed for sleep, he decided that this was not too bad either. He took a good look at those olive strands that gently fell and threaded between his fingers, tucking his arm under the other's head and neck to protect it from a potential sore neck and headache the coming day. Makoto would have to take a flight, and a body discomfort would be less than ideal, especially if you're squeezing with two other passengers. His big build would certainly bring him trouble with the cheap flight's standard smaller sized seats.
As he continued to stroke the mop of sandy-green hair, he found his mind wandering to his own set of bags at home, ready to be transported as soon as Makoto leaves the prefecture. Normally, people assumed that the pair never kept secrets from each other with how close they were, and that was normally true, but not today. Haruka had a special mission, one that he would keep Makoto in the dark until he had reached Tokyo University.
Even if Makoto could practically read him like an open book, he was confident that this time, Makoto had no clue at all. It's the little sad expressions that he directed to him when he thought Haruka wasn't looking, it's the soft sighs beneath his breaths, and it's the little frowns and constant reviewing of their memories. Makoto didn't know, and Makoto still assumed that tomorrow morning would be the last (mackerel filled) breakfast they would have together in a long time, when he was in fact, horribly horribly wrong. Especially since he has gotten back a confirmation letter of his acceptance into Tokyo University.
Watching Makoto pack had made him more miserable than ever, as he tagged along to help him with his shopping, his acquiring of books and clothes, preparing to be independent of Haruka for the first time in his life. The experience hit him harder than he thought it would. They used to be inseparable, even during school trips, they would share rooms. When Makoto decided to join the Swim Club, Haruka went without much complaint either. They were always together, and him preparing for a trip seemed like a first.
Haruka realised that he could barely bear it.
Makoto not being there to pull him out of the tub in the morning.
Makoto's strong hand not being there to help him out of the pool after a good swim, accompanying it with a gentle smile.
Makoto not being there to stop him from immersing himself with water in public places.
Makoto not being there to help him finish speaking when he got annoyed.
Makoto… not being there…
The thought itself was enough to drive him crazy, since he couldn't imagine a future like that. With that determination in place, he accepted an invitation to study at the University of Tokyo, the only condition was to swim competitively, to compete for University of Tokyo. He had originally thrown it to a random corner in his room, completely uninterested of the letter from a scout. But he dug it back out, wrote back an email of acceptance. In the return letter they sent back, there lay his student card, a map of the school, and his dorm number. The same one that Makoto is in, naturally. He had requested for that.
As his attention returned to the person at hand, a ghost of a smile could be seen in his lips, as he leaned forward to land a small kiss to the back of the head of the deeply asleep Makoto.
"…See you there."