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Moment of Peace

by

Raining Sky Guy

AN. You shouldn't make me watch someone with Makoto's sort of personality in the middle of the night. Really this is just cuddling. S*it happens to my brain late at night. I'm a Makoharu shipper all the way.

Even after everything, it seemed the scouts still plagued him. Makoto mussed sadly as Haruka shook and protested in his dreams again.

Makoto had insisted on crashing at his house, for an impromptu sleepover. Haru had looked at him, in that quiet way of his as his sea-blue eyes sparkled with joy. They had dined —makarel— and stayed up —not so—late just talking to each other. Or actually, Makoto doing the talking and the other nodding or shaking his head.

Haru had already expressed his unease with so many scouts, but Makoto hadn't quite figured it haunted the other even in his dreams.

The green-eyed male did not even hesitate. He picked himself off the extra futon that had been set up for him and crawled under the almost-merman's covers. He wasn't exactly subtle —if Haru woke up from his nightmare all the best for him, really— but he was careful as he pressed as close as possible to the black-haired teen. He threw a hand over him in a loose hug and rested his head right beside Haru's.

"It's alright, Haru. Just swim away." He mumbled fondly and soon enough the shaking had stopped and the mumbling descended into a quiet whoosh of air as the other male started breathing normally. "I'm here for you too. Don't worry."

He was just about to drift off when he was startled awake as a pair of deep blue eyes stared back at him unamused. Makoto gave an abortive movement with his limbs but froze as he awaited the reaction of the other. Haru stared at him with sleepy eyes for a long minute before he rolled over sideways, facing Makoto and bringing him even closer if possible, burying his head in the crook of his neck. He mumbled something and soon enough he was asleep again.

Makoto smiled in his new position and still with that goofy face he drifted off.

Makoto had thought it had been over and done with, when the whole team was just about to begin practice —Haru was already in the pool— when a couple of adults appeared being led by their teacher. She was the first to spot him and hurried after him. The leaf-eyed teen had trouble tearing his eyes away from the strangers, his fears coming true as she introduced them—they were scouts. They had seen Haru swim in that relay and had wanted to find out more about his potential.

Jerkily, Makoto accompanied them to the poolside where he could already see Haru with a deer-in-headlights look, looking about to dart away or somehow find a way to the ocean from that pool. He nodded curtly when they asked him questions, immediately finding an excuse to get out. Makoto too, suddenly remembered he had to use the bathroom, so he'd go with Haru!

He could feel the concern of his friends, but thankfully Gou-chan managed to draw their attention to Nagisa and Rei. So the almond-haired teen fully focused on following Haru to the lockers, where he just stopped working.

There was a big bout of silence, with Haru staring at his locker until Makoto couldn't handle it anymore and tried his shoulder. Silently, a pair of blue eyes turned his way, questioningly.

"Haru…are you alright? Do you want to leave early?" Makoto asked, feeling this to be a bad moment to push him. They had already talked about the whole scout thing and Haru would deal with the consequences when he felt comfortable—whatever the end result turned out to be.

"…"This time there was hesitance in Haru's features before he glanced down at his hands once and immediately looked away. Makoto smiled fondly and reached out to grasp his hand between his. Haru lowered his head, still not looking at him, but the other knew he would see the hint of a smile on his face.

He tugged Haru away and together they went over to his house, knowing their things could be recovered when there were no pesky adults nearby.

Haru took a lengthy bath and Makoto took that chance to make an early dinner —adding mackerel with a sigh, he couldn't deny Haru loved that stuff— and as the time kept ticking away, the green-eyed male finally knocked and entered the bath.

Haru stared at him, ocean-blue eyes just peeking above the surface. Makoto rested his hands on his hips, feeling once more like a reprimanding mother.

"Now see here, you've spent an hour in there, don't you think that's quite enough time? I bet your skin is all wrinkly. Hurry up that the food I made is getting cold." Makoto admonished softly, arms crossed over his chest, ready to haul the mostly-submerged teen out of the bathtub. Haru blinked at him, without making any attempt to get out. Makoto started walking forward to actually drag Haru out.

"Makoto…I'm not wearing a swimsuit right now."

That nonchalant phrase had his face heating up evenly and Makoto scrambling outside with a hurried apology.

After Haru finally finished, and both ate the reheated food, they made their way to the bedroom to lounge lazily. Makoto was still a bit worried and he announced the other he was sleeping over. When all Haru did was stare, blink and nod with relief—Makoto knew he had done well. As the host disappeared in search of another futon, Makoto sneaked unto his friend's bed.

Haru returned lugged with fabric which he promptly tossed to the floor and was startled to find his fellow swimmer in his bed with a blanket fort or cocoon or whatever it was called around him. Makoto just smiled goofily at him before opening his arms, creating an opening in that tight nest of blankets, inviting him over. Haru locked eyes with him before making his way over.

When they finally went to sleep, Makoto was still wrapped around Haru, the covers cocooning them from the outside world (the extra futon still lay forgotten on the floor). The almost-merman was once more facing him, arms raised to tangle themselves in the front of Makoto's shirt. The latter had a hand around Haru's head, having been caressing his hair just before drifting off.

Still asleep, both teens fought with each other and the covers to press even closer to each other. At one point Makoto woke up just as Haru seemed to be doing the same —his arm had started to ache— and they just stared at each other, not awake enough to be surprised at the tangle of limbs between them and the coves probably somewhere on the floor (joining the futon). Instead, Makoto breathed out in wonder before pressing his forehead against the other's.

"Go back to sleep, Haru. I'm here."

"I know." Haru replied, but kept staring at him much to the green-eyed male's surprise. Before the other could pose a question, Haru sketched a tiny smile; he freed one of his hands and raised it to caress softly against Makoto's cheek. "I know." He repeated before snuggling against him.

"Thank you."

End

AWWW, so sappy *flat voice*. Please don't judge me. Leave a review instead xD.