Haruka Nanase was sat on his roof.
It wasn't something he did very often and he never told anyone he did it. Especially not Makoto, because god knows how much he'd worry. (Though Haruka suspected he knew already.)
The reason Haruka was on his roof was simply because it was beautiful. He didn't want to apply that word to this activity because it just sounded too much like something Rei would say but it was the only word for it, on the roof on a warm summer's night was incredibly relaxing, especially after a hot bath. The air was calm but every so often a sea breeze ruffled Haruka's drying hair and he would look up from his sketchpad or phone and gaze out.
He could never actually see the ocean at night. It was far too dark, but he knew where it was. The sea was where the sky smudged downwards into the water, and the sky was a little lighter there where the sun had set an hour or two earlier.
Sometimes Haruka came onto his roof at sunset. At sunset, the sea was gorgeous, pink and gold and glittering as the sun sank behind it. When Haruka was little, Grandma Nanase had told him that when the sun sank, it was swallowed up by the sea and released again in the morning on the other side by mermaids and sirens who lived beneath the waves.
Haru had never really believed that particular story, but it was nice to think of his beloved grandmother when it was so beautiful outside.
Whenever Haruka bought a new sketchbook, he always made sure the first thing he drew was something he loved. Sometimes it was water, his grandmother, a scene from one of his favourite books, Makoto, or the single torii by his house. But this time he had been drawing the view from the roof of his house. He had taken care to draw each house, stair, tree or star he could see, sketching every wave and boat and silhouetted fisherman.
Haruka was just about finished with his sketch when suddenly, his phone began to buzz in his pocket.
"Good evening, Haruka!" came the voice from the other end. Ah. Mother. She was probably reminding him to go to bed. Haruka had a tendency to stay up much too late and be utterly zonked in the mornings.
He pretended to listen to his mother prattle on about the importance of sleep and about her day and whatnot while he just continued to gaze out upon the town. He could see everything from this point. In fact, Haruka could see Makoto's house from his rooftop. He noted that only one light was on in the whole house - Makoto's. And he could see Makoto looking out the window.
Eventually his mother ran out of steam and she and Haruka exchanged their "goodnights" and hung up. Usually at this point, Haruka would resume his gazing but instead he kept his phone open and pressed a few buttons to call Makoto. Haruka chuckled to himself, watching Makoto's silhouette scrambling in his pocket for his phone before his ridiculous ringtone woke up his siblings.
"Makoto."
"Haruka? Why are you calling me? It's 11pm!" he whispered down the phone. Haruka chuckled.
"Stop staring out your window and go to bed." he said. Makoto's silhouette started.
"H-how- oh." he muttered. Haru watched him straighten up and look upwards. Haruka waved.
"Only if you get off the roof."
"..."
"You're scowling, aren't you?
"...no."
Makoto laughed down the phone.
"Get off the roof now, ok?" he said.
"Makoto?" Haruka asked.
"Hm?"
"Sleep well." he said.
"Sleep well, Haru-chan."
"Stop with the -chan already." he muttered. There was a chuckle from Makoto's end and a sigh.
"Go to bed!" Makoto laughed, hanging up. A tiny smile danced on Haruka's lips as he slid his phone into his pocket and climbed off his roof From the corner of his eye, he saw Makoto climbing under his covers, and the soft yellow glow of his window faded into darkness.
(A/N)
I have no excuse for writing this.
Actually I do, I went to the beach today! And now I totally understand Haru's love of swimming in the sea. (A word of warning, the English Channel is cold as fuck until you've been in there for a while.)
But yeah basically this whole thing came out of me noticing that when you're driving away from the sea, you can tell where it is because it's a smudgy bit when it's dark. I don't know.
Also the moon was huge and low and orange last night. I'm done now.
Rate and Review please!