This isn't my best work, but I wrote this specifically for someone I love, you know who you are, Sakura.

Haru always silently protect Makoto, so I wanted to write him as openly protecting him, now that Haru is more open and speaks more, I think it's fitting.

It started at a party during a stupid, drunken game of spin the bottle. Makoto had only even gone because Haru refused to go alone and he wanted Haru to make some friends at his university, so Makoto had dressed up and gone with him.

He wasn't exactly drunk when he agreed to join, just tipsy, but he'd lost track of Haru and Asahi and Kisumi were playing, so he sat down between them, cup of beer in hand. He watched as drunk teenagers make out until it was his turn.

"Go on, Makoto, you might get to kiss a cute girl!" Asahi said, nudging him. Makoto sighs, looking around the circle. He only knew two people there, two people he didn't exactly want to kiss in the first place, still, it was his turn. He grabbed the bottle, spinning it as hard as he could. He watched the bottle spin, passing person after person until it began to slow.

"Oh!" Asahi shouted as the bottle came to a stop. "Makoto has to kiss Kisumi!"

Kisumi's grin was wide as Makoto turned to him. "Let's do it, Makoto," he said, leaning in. "It's not a big deal, right?"

Makoto shook his head, leaning his own head in. He gulped as he felt Kisumi getting closer, his hands cupping Makoto's face carefully. Then fireworks. Kisumi's lips pressed against his, soft and unchapped. Makoto's heart raced in his chest as Kisumi deepened the kiss, tongue pushing forwards into Makoto's mouth. Then it was over, Kisumi pulled away, leaving Makoto panting for air and cheeks hot.

"Who'd have thought you were a good kisser, Makoto?" Kisumi teased, licking his lips. "Had a lot of practice have you?"

Makoto stared straight ahead, fingers touching his lips. "I have to go." He stood up quickly, knocking his beer to the floor and muttering a quiet 'fuck' before heading off, not bothering to clean up his mess.

"Should we go with him?" Asahi asked Kisumi as he tried to clean the beer up as best he could with the small packet of tissues he had in his pocket.

Kisumi stared in the direction Makoto had gone. "Nah, he's probably gone to find his boyfriend."

"Makoto has a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, Haru, didn't you know that?"

"I had no idea!"

"They've been together since middle school, Asahi."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Shall we continue?"

Makoto leant against the wall outside, breathing heavily as he tried to calm his heart. His lips tingled from where Kisumi kissed him, face hot where his hands had been.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Haru! You made me jump…"

"I saw you rushing out, is everything okay?"

Makoto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Everything is fine!"

Haru leant against the wall beside him, a deep sigh falling from his parted lips. "Makoto, I've known you for a long time, I can tell when you're lying."

"Heh…"

"Is this about the kiss?"

"Kiss?!"

"Between you and Kisumi."

"Ha! I don't know what you mean, Haru-chan."

Haru rolled his eyes. "Shall we go home?" Makoto nodded, pushing himself from the wall.

"Did you make any friends?" Makoto asked as they walked down the street towards the station.

"No."

"Did you even try, Haru?"

"… no."

Makoto grinned, shaking his head. "Honestly, Haru, we went to that party so you could make some friends here."

"I already have friends here."

"Friends other than me."

"Asahi and Kisumi."

Makoto's cheeks heated up at the mention of Kisumi's name. "Y-yeah them too. You need more friends if you're going to get by here in Tokyo, Haru, you know I'm not always going to be around, and neither are they."

"I'll just make friends with the guys on my team. Stop bugging me."

"Okay, okay, you know I'm just worried about you though."

"You don't need to be."

Makoto sighed through his nose. "I can't help it, Haru."

"Start worrying about yourself a bit more, Makoto."

"What?"

"The kiss between you and Kisumi, don't make more out of it than it was. Kisumi is a flirt, he'd kiss anyone, game or not."

"W-what?"

Haru stayed silent as they got on the train, it was pretty much empty, so they both sat down. Makoto tried to talk throughout the train journey, but Haru continued his silence. It wasn't until the train was pulling into the station he'd be getting off at did Haru finally speak. "I don't want you to get hurt, Makoto. Be careful." Then he was gone. Makoto stared at him out of the window as the train pulled away.

That night Makoto dreamed of pink. Everything was pink from the gravel floor to the cloudy sky. Everything varying shades of the same colour. It was a strange experience for Makoto, he didn't often remember his dreams, and when he did they were always nightmares, so when he woke with nothing but Kisumi on his mind and the dream playing over in his head, he was confused.

Makoto was glad he had the day off from university, otherwise, he was sure he wouldn't have made it through the day. Everything was tired, from his eyes to his achy legs. The last thing he wanted was to swim.

Makoto was half-way through breakfast when the buzzer for his door beeped. With a sigh, Makoto pushed his bowl away from him and sluggishly made his way to the door.

"Who is it?" He asked through the door.

"Kisumi!"

His eyes widened, and a sudden wave of insecurity washed over him. "H-hold on a sec!" He replied, running towards his bedroom. He changed as quickly as humanly possible, throwing together a somewhat matching outfit, before heading back to the door.

"Hello!" Kisumi said large grin on his face as he entered without permission. "Sorry for intruding," he added, almost as a second thought.

"It's fine. Spare slippers are in there if you want them."

Kisumi took him up on that, slipping out of his own shoes and grabbing a pair. "I did call to say I was coming over, but you didn't answer."

"Ah. My phone is in my room, sorry."

Kisumi instantly made himself at home, sprawling himself across Makoto's floor. "I forgot how nice your place is."

"Thank you. Would you like something to drink?"

"Just water is fine!"

"Something to eat?"

"Oh, no thank you, I had breakfast on the way over. Stopped off at that little café down the road, it's quite lovely in there."

"Oh, really? I haven't had a chance to check it out yet, Haru's mostly been cooking for me since we came to Tokyo. He says I need to eat better than out at a café every day."

"Haru's been the one mothering you since you've been here? I find that hard to believe," Kisumi joked. "You two are so cute together."

Makoto laughed. "Haru's a lot more caring than he lets on."

"Especially towards his boyfriend, eh?"

"You'd have to ask Rin that."

Kisumi sat up straight, staring up at Makoto. "Rin? Why would I ask Rin?"

"Well, he is Haru's boyfriend after all."

"Woah, Woah, Woah, hold up. You mean to tell me you and Haru aren't a couple? You're just friends? For real?"

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think otherwise? Haru and I have always been friends."

"I just… I thought you guys were together! I had no idea Rin and Haru were an item!"

"They weren't exactly secretive about it," Makoto replied, walking away to get Kisumi his drink.

"Thanks. I can honestly say I never realised," Kisumi admitted, taking his drink from Makoto. "How long have they been together?"

"Um… since Rin swum that relay with us second year. They never outright said they were together, for obvious reasons, but it wasn't really a secret at the same time."

"Didn't you confess your feelings for him in middle school?"

"Huh?" Makoto tapped his chin. "Oh! I told him I loved him, yes."

"So, you're really not together?"

"No. Haru's my best friend, and that's it."

"Oh. Should probably tell Asahi that, then."

"Did you guys really think Haru and I were dating?"

"Yeah! The way you could read each other's minds and have silent conversations between you that no one else understood. Or the fact you can always speak exactly what Haru is thinking when he decides he doesn't want to talk anymore. You're always together too, I know if I see you, he's not far away. And finally, he was always really jealous if you were around anyone else."

Makoto laughed, setting his own glass on a coaster. "No. I used to have a crush on him… back in middle school, but I knew it would never happen, he'd had his eyes on Rin since the day we met him." He looked down at his hands. "I was never right for Haru. I could never be exactly what he needed or wanted. As for the jealous thing… I think he was just sad after Rin had left and was worried about losing another friend, not that he had to worry about that."

"Do you… do you still love him?"

"Hah," he chuckled nervously. "No. I got over Haru a long time ago. I think I just loved the idea of Haru. Being romantically involved with someone who I already cared so much about, it seemed like it would have been a great idea, but now… I think it would have ruined everything."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No! It's fine! Like I said, I've been over him for a long time. Rin and Haru are cute together, once they got over their teenage angst." With a light-hearted laugh, Makoto picked up his glass. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You must have a girlfriend, what's she like?"

"No girlfriend. I'm single as can be." Kisumi glanced at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. "I do have my eye on someone, though."

"Oh? Do I know her?"

"You know him."

"Him? You like guys too, Kisumi? Hah, it seems like everyone around me likes guys."

"Seems that way."

"Is it Asahi? I don't think he's gay though…"

"Asahi is hot, sure, but no. The guy I like is smoking. I mean, hotter than fire. With the best muscles, and a cute face to boot."

"Yamazaki?"

"You're really dim sometimes, Makoto." Kisumi leant forwards, softly pressing his lips to Makoto's. Makoto gasped into his mouth, eyes wide.

"W-what are you doing?!" He stuttered pulling away, knocking the table with his knee and spilling water onto the floor.

"Kissing you."

"K-Kisumi!"

"Don't mind if I do." He leaned in again, but Makoto moved out of the way, jumping to his feet.

"Stop it!"

Kisumi straightened himself up. "Sorry, Makoto. I thought this was the best way to tell you how I feel."

"Words! You can use words!" Makoto scolded, grabbing a towel he'd left on the door handle. "You don't just kiss people, Kisumi." He dabbed at the water on the floor, drying it as well as he could.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

Once Makoto had finished drying up the water, he turned to Kisumi. "Do you really like me?"

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't."

"Haru says you're a flirt and you'd kiss anyone."

Kisumi frowned. "I'm a flirt, sure, but I wouldn't kiss just anyone unless it's in a game that is." He smiled, eyes going soft as he caught Makoto's eye. "I was really happy when the bottle landed on me, Makoto. You have no idea how long I'd wanted to kiss you for. I had a crush on you all the back in middle school, I just never said anything because I thought you were with Haru. Then when I saw you again for the first time in high school, I was taken aback with how attractive you'd gotten. Not to mention your killer muscles."

Makoto gulped. He could feel the heat rising to his face and his heart pounding in his chest. "Do you really think those things?"

"I do. I only ever flirted with everyone around me because I couldn't have the one person I actually wanted to flirt with. Or at least, I didn't think I could." Kisumi looked up at Makoto with such large, hopeful eyes that Makoto felt himself melt. Without thinking, Makoto leant forwards, pressing their lips together. Kisumi pressed in closer, hands roaming over the large expanse of Makoto's back, while Makoto's rested carefully on Kisumi's hips, not really knowing where to put them.

Makoto could feel his heart pounding in his chest as they pulled apart, faces both red, panting heavily. "I swear, I didn't come here to do that," Kisumi said, running his fingers down Makoto's face, feeling the smooth skin beneath his fingertips. "But I'm not complaining."

"Makoto?" Makoto's head snapped to the side to see Haru standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised. "And him?"

"Haru! What are you doing here?"

"I text you that I was coming over. It's dangerous to keep your door unlocked." He turned purposely towards Kisumi. "You have no idea what kind of weirdos will wander in from the street."

Kisumi grinned, standing up to meet Haru. "If you're calling me a weirdo, Haru, take a good look at yourself. You're the one that just wandered in here, I had permission from Makoto."

Haru puffed his cheeks out, looking to the side, not saying anything more.

"I've been letting myself into Haru's house for as long as I can remember, Kisumi, I don't mind him just walking into mine. And Haru, Kisumi isn't a weirdo."

"Whatever. I'm making lunch. Mackerel."

"Well actually, Haruka, I was going to ask Makoto if he wanted to go out for lunch with me. As a date."

"And he'd say no. He loves my cooking."

Makoto laughed awkwardly, looking between the two. "Um… Kisumi, why don't we have lunch with Haru, then go out for dinner? On me?"

"The place will have to serve Mackerel," Haru piped up.

"Haru-chan, I know you miss Rin, but this will be a date, you can't come too."

Haru glared, sighing through his nose. "It's nothing to do with him."

"You two had another fight?" Makoto asked, finally moving to meet Haru in the doorway. "Honestly, you and Rin's biggest problems are you can never just be honest with how you feel."

"Long distance sucks," Haru admitted, walking to the kitchen with Makoto following behind. Kisumi had stayed back in the living room, wanting to give Haru and Makoto time to talk.

"I can imagine it does. I was sure you and Rin would be okay though, you weren't exactly completely all over each other when you did live close."

"It's not about that, Makoto. We're on different schedules. We never have time for each other. I just… I miss him."

"You have a break from school next month, why don't you plan a trip there? I'll even help out with the ticket price if you need it."

"You don't need to do that."

Makoto placed his hand lightly on Haru's shoulder. "I would want to. I would hate to be so far apart from someone I love, so if I can help you and Rin be together for a little while, I will."

Haru smiled. "So, you and Kisumi?"

"Hah, yeah… he said he likes me, Haru."

"Just be careful, okay? You… you mean a lot to me, Makoto, I can't see you get hurt by the likes of him."

"He's a nice guy, Haru."

"I'll take your word for it."

That afternoon, after the three had finished lunch, Makoto went off to do the dishes, insisting he didn't need any help.

"Want to hear a funny story, Haruka?"

"Hm?"

"Up until today, I thought you and Mako were dating! Isn't that funny?"

"Me and Makoto? Why?"

Kisumi explained all the reasons he thought they were together, Haru listening intently with his eyebrows raised.

"And that's why!"

"I had a crush on him."

"Wait, what?"

"In middle school. He told me he loved me, and I said it back… except I don't think I was clear enough, and I don't think he meant it as more than a friend."

"Shit," was all Kisumi could say, blowing out a puff of air. "Makoto thought you liked Rin back then."

"Rin? No. I thought Rin was insufferable when we were kids. Well… I still think he's insufferable but less so."

"So, when did you fall for Rin? And When did you get over Makoto?"

"Why do you care?"

"I just like to know romance related stuff."

"When Rin came back in second year, for both questions."

"Really? You liked Makoto all the way to second year? And you never thought of telling him?"

"Makoto is my best friend, I wasn't going to risk that by telling him stupid things. Who cares anyway? I love Rin, not Makoto."

"Good, Makoto's mine."

"He's not an object. You better be nice to him, Kisumi, if I find out you've hurt him, you'll have me to answer to."

"I'm not going to hurt him," Kisumi said, leaning back on his hands, and looking to the ceiling, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I love him. Have done since middle school. I never thought I'd get the chance to be with him, why would I ruin that?"

"I'm just saying. Makoto is the nicest person I know, I hate seeing him hurting."

"I know, I know."

It was then Makoto chose to come back in, his face slightly red from overhearing half of their conversation. "Haru, Kisumi, I'm going to take a bath, help yourselves to anything in the fridge."

"I'm going to leave, Makoto," Haru announced, standing up. "You have a good night tonight."

"Thank you, Haru."

Haru saw himself out with a final wave to Makoto.

"I'm going to go too. I'd like to look nice for tonight." Kisumi moved to stand in front of Makoto. "I'll see you later." He kisses Makoto before heading out.

When Kisumi first sees Makoto outside the restaurant they'd agreed on, he felt his mouth go dry. He'd never seen Makoto in a suit, and damn was he impressed. He smoothed his pink hair down, gulping as Makoto got closer.

"I'm sorry I'm late! I couldn't find my wallet and then the train was delayed!"

"Don't worry about it," Kisumi replied with a smile. He desperately wanted to kiss the worry off Makoto's face, but being in public made that difficult. They had to pretend to be friends, and that was already killing him.

They sat down at their table, the maître d already giving them strange looks as she handed them the menus.

"Perhaps we should have ordered in at my place," Makoto whispered, looking around the crowded restaurant at all the presumed couples.

"No. I'm happy to be on a date with you, Makoto."

Makoto smiled, holding the menu up. "Get whatever you want, Kisumi, it's on me."

"Can I get you?"

"You've already got me."

After dinner, Makoto walked Kisumi back to his place. Despite the people bustling around them, Kisumi and Makoto held hands as they walked, Kisumi's thumb brushing softly over Makoto's. The walk back didn't take long and soon enough they were standing in front of Kisumi's flat.

"Want to come in?" He asked, pulling Makoto against his chest. "I can make tea."

"I'd love to, Kisumi, but I have university at eight and I need to sleep."

"That's a shame." He leant in mouth against Makoto's ear. "I'd have loved to spend the night with you."

Makoto blushed. "I-I…" Makoto stammered, not knowing what else to say.

"We could watch all our favourite movies." Kisumi raised an eyebrow. "Why? What were you thinking?"

"N-nothing."

"Hah!" Kisumi kissed his cheek. "I'll see you soon, Makoto. Thank you for a lovely evening."

"Yeah, see you soon." It was Makoto that initiated their last kiss of the night, lips moving softly over Kisumi's.

"Text me when your home so I know you got back safe," Kisumi said when they parted. "I'll be worried otherwise."

"I will."

Kisumi stayed on his doorstep until Makoto was out of sight. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he'd heard from Makoto, so he just sat by his door, grinning wildly to himself. He was beyond happy.

Not long after Makoto was gone, Kisumi's phone started ringing. He picked it up without looking at the call ID.

"Hello?"

"I really like you."

"Makoto?"

"Got me. I don't think I said it today, but I really like you too. I don't know when I realised, or when I even started liking you, but I really do, and I'm glad you told me how you feel."

Kisumi laughed. "You didn't need to ring me to tell me that."

"Open your door."

Kisumi furrowed his eyebrows as he stood up. He opened his door, and instantly was pulled into Makoto's grip, phone dropping to the floor.

"I'll stay the night. What can one skipped day of university do?"

Kisumi dragged Makoto into his house, shutting the door behind him and pining Makoto against it, lips working feverously over his neck. "I'm glad you came back."

"Me too."