Fall Weather
A Free! oneshot
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Free! characters belong to Oji Koji-sensei, not to me. Ah, my first true Makoharu… -w- Read, review, and enjoy!
- ^-^3
It is the next semester, their last as second years, and Makoto smiles to himself, because it is a day like any other.
He collects Haruka and they walk to school together, as usual. They go through their classes. They eat lunch on the rooftop with Nagisa—and, these days, with Rei, of course. Then there are more classes, and they all meet at the pool at the end of the day, and Kou is there to cheer them on since they performed so well at the relay…and yet they didn't win because of the shenanigan they pulled, so she works them even harder than before.
Then Makoto walks Haruka home, and they hang out for a few hours, do some homework, and then Makoto goes home for dinner and to sleep.
The next day is the same, and the day after that. Lather, rinse, repeat.
But the days are growing shorter and the temperature is dropping. Pretty soon they won't be able to swim outside anymore. Pretty soon they'll have to have their joint practice with Samezuka at the indoor pool.
Pretty soon, it'll be hard to have Haruka all to himself after every long day.
So one day Makoto feels a little impish, a little devious. Nagisa and Rei have already gone home because they wanted to run and there's barely any daylight left after school now. Makoto and Haruka go up to the school pool, and Makoto allows it because no one's around. It's just him and Haruka and the one thing Haruka can't resist.
Naturally, Haruka goes for a quick swim.
"Haru…," Makoto chides, but he's not insistent. He waits until Haruka is out of the pool and showers and changes. Then they're heading home.
While walking, Haruka shivers, and it's the opportunity Makoto's been looking for. He shrugs out of his jacket and drapes it over Haruka's shoulders after taking his bag for him. After all, Makoto Tachibana is a gentleman.
"We'll catch a cold if we don't hurry home," the brunette says. He tugs on Haruka's wrist, and the raven-haired boy is fine being led the rest of the way.
Outside Haruka's house, Makoto tells Haruka to warm up in a bath. But then Haruka sneezes.
Suddenly Makoto feels as though he has a little Rei and a little Nagisa on his shoulder in place of an angel and a devil. Little Nagisa grins and says to Makoto, "He's not warm enough! Hug him, hug him!" Meanwhile, little Rei sighs reprovingly and remarks, "You do know what this means, don't you? You went too far for your own desires. Now he's got a cold." He doesn't have a cold, Makoto tells himself, but he's not completely sure he buys it.
Haruka goes inside, taking Makoto's school jacket with him, and that's that. So Makoto heads home and tries to focus on the sweet sight of Haruka drowning in Makoto's extra-large jacket, and not on the idea that maybe he really shouldn't have let Haruka swim today…
Then the morning comes. And yes, Haruka has a small cold.
Makoto is mortified. So much for days being the same… Haruka rarely gets sick, but he stays home for the first time in a long while, and Makoto has to trudge to class, because he has to get the notes and work for his best friend, especially because it's his fault. Still, Nagisa and Rei are surprised to hear that Haruka's out sick, and it kind of drives home to Makoto that he really can't be so selfish when it comes to Haruka.
But then—an idea strikes!
The club captain rushes home via the store, and he drops his things off at home before going to Haruka's. After all, if Makoto got Haruka into this little mess, then surely Makoto can get him back out by nursing him back to health.
Makoto's train of thought briefly derails when he sees Haruka sleeping so peacefully with a bit of color in his cheeks. He's not supposed to think these things, that Haruka's cute, that he wants to hold him, that he wants to be with Haruka every single day of their lives, but Makoto actually accepted all of it a long time ago. It wasn't that hard since they've been together for more than a decade already, even if only as friends so far.
He does the bare minimum of things, because Haruka is so much better at Home Ec. than Makoto ever has been. But even Makoto can manage a decent porridge. And he times it so that he comes in with some medicine and water right as Haruka wakes up.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Makoto says. To anyone else, Haruka's face looks expressionless. But Makoto knows him. He can see the slight flush of color in Haruka's cheeks and the smile in his eyes.
"Makoto…" Haruka's voice is a little garbled. He's a little dizzy.
Makoto kneels beside him and passes him the water and medicine. He gives Haruka a small smile. "It's all right, Haru. I'm here. Ah, take this. It'll make you feel better." He watches Haruka struggle with the glass, and he sighs. "I'm sorry, Haru. It's my fault. I should've stopped you the other day at the pool."
Haruka looks at him and motions for the porridge. He eats it slowly, and his head appears to clear somewhat.
The taller boy frowns and rests his chin on his crossed arms on the edge of the bed. He wants to apologize for the half-truth he told just now as well, but that would involve an uncomfortable, long explanation that Makoto isn't ready for yet. Not tonight, not this weekend, not this year—maybe not ever. Because there's no chance that Haruka wouldn't misunderstand; something like that is always a possibility.
"…it's not your fault," Haruka says at last.
Makoto tilts his head to one side, looking up at Haruka. "It's all right, Haru."
Haruka gives him the tiniest of glares, as if to say, "Well, since you're so insistent that I blame you…"
And then Haruka leaves Makoto with no doubts in his mind whatsoever…
- ^-^3
Nagisa and Rei gawk at them the next school day. "Makoto-senpai!" Rei exclaims. "Are you sure you should be at school?"
Makoto, ignoring the heat of his face, waves him off. "It's fine, Rei. I'm fine. Promise."
"Your face is pinker than my swimsuit, Mako-chan…," Nagisa chimes in.
"Eh-heh…"
"You really shouldn't be in school, though, senpai," Rei continues as they have lunch. "When did you get your cold?"
"Oh, I'm not contagious or anything. I've had it all weekend. It's almost gone now, I think," Makoto says.
"How did you get it, though?" Nagisa asks. The blond looks at Haruka. "I'd expect it of Haru-chan this time of year, since he's always trying to swim when he shouldn't."
Rei agrees. "How did you catch a cold, Makoto-senpai?"
Makoto goes to answer, trying to come up with something, when Haruka says for him, "Fall weather." The other two exchange a look and seem to accept it, but Makoto is almost thankful for the cold, because his face grows even hotter when he's the only one who sees Haruka's sly smile aimed at him. Fall weather, indeed.
- ^-^3
X3 I. LOVE. MAKOHARU. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was a mutual thing, them bringing out the imp in the other. I mean, come on. And this is quite Mako, to have things not quite go his way… But Haru knew, and he felt the same way. These two boys have been on the same wavelength for ages. B) And if you didn't get how Mako could've caught a cold, here are two hints: He caught Haru's cold…*chu*
Thanks for reading, and please review!
-mew-tsubaki XDDDDD