How time flies, Haruka thought as he removed the last of his clothing and slowly lowered himself into the porcelain bathtub. The warm water relaxed his muscles and eased his mind, always putting him in a rather happy mood despite what his exterior seemed to reflect, an expressionless boy.
He hummed to himself as he squirted water from two small figurines, a cute dolphin in his right hand and a cuddly looking orca in his left. The water from both toys projectiled beyond the boundary of the porcelain tub and landed in a puddle by the door, Haruka stared at the wet spot he had just created and sunk himself lower in to the tub.
Some time later the front door rattled and creaked open, "Haru?" a warm voice called out. There was a soft thump as the person placed their bag on the floor. Footsteps approached. Thud, thud, thud, like the beating of a heart. Swoosh, the water sloshed dangerously against the rim.
"Ohayo, Haru-chan" the voice said from the door. Ever slowly he lifted his gaze to meet the vibrant green eyes of his best friend Makoto. The latter took a step forward, Splish, right in to the cold puddle of water. "Eh?" Makoto looked down at his now wet sock. Haru looked away, slightly embarrassed as he attempted to hide the two figurines underneath the warm blanket of water.
Having removed his socks Makoto towered above Haruka who's expression remained blank. "Haru-chan" Makoto smiled warmly as he extended his hand to the dark haired boy. A flash of emotion reflected in Haruka's eyes, "Drop the chan already", as he grasped the taller boy's hand. Shaking the water out of his hair he stepped out, reaching for a towel that Makoto then placed in his hand.
"Neh, Haru how about we go out for dinner?" the tall brunette asked. Haruka's hands stilled against his head, the soft towel shielding his right eye, "Mackerel?" The other boy laughed, "Yes I will buy you mackerel."
Makoto turned and headed for the door, "I'm still not done packing up at home but I'll go ahead and change into the clothing I brought in my bag" with another half smile he turned back around and disappeared around the corner. "Mackerel" Haruka half whispered as he turned to look at the shinning beauty that was water. The dolphin and the orca had escaped their underwater prison and were now swimming (more like floating) side by side.
/
Haruka had enjoyed dinner with Makoto. There had been an opening of a small restaurant near the beach, it promised exquisite seafood and a peaceful atmosphere for the guests to enjoy their meal at a reasonable price. Mackerel had been listed in several forms on the menu both to Haruka's delight and Makoto's amusement.
After dinner both boys then decided to walk along the small road overlooking the ocean, the sky slowly changing from a glowing orange and merging with an ink blue. Haruka wanted to thank Makoto for the dinner, since the gentle boy always seemed to be treating Haru out for dinner or a quick snack. "Makoto..." he started and his voice faltered. He had never been good at expressing himself but this was Makoto, not a stranger. Nonetheless the green eyed boy turned to his friend, tilting his head in a questioning way. Haruka stared into those green orbs, thank you. Makoto smiled and gave him a nod.
That was a special bond both of them shared. Having known each other since kindergarten their way of communicating slowly changed from the taller boy always chattering away, to getting short conversations from Haruka and eventually they could communicate with just a simple stare. Mind reading, it wasn't much of a surprise to their families and close friends that they are able to communicate in such a unique way since both boys were always together from day one, inseparable.
The wind brushed through their hair as they watched the last remainder of the sun sink beneath the horizon, the lights aligning the street flared to life. "Haru." Makoto's gentle voice broke their silence. Haruka gazed sideways at his childhood friend. "I'm glad that you agreed to move in with me." As Haru continued to stare at Makoto the brunette became slightly nervous. "I mean, Haru...I-I'm glad we can continue to be together!" As those words slipped through his mouth Makoto clamped a hand over his lips as a blush spread across his cheeks.
Haruka turned to look at the embarrassed boy before him, his eyes shone with a familiar emotion. His heart fluttered, thump-thump-thump-thump. A small gasp escaped the dark haired boy as his cheeks heated up with a faint blush. "D-don't say such embarrassing things in public." Haruka turned his head to look back at the ocean, an elderly couple walked some distance away.
"Ah! Gomen..." Makoto laughed nervously. Haruka dared a glance back at his friend, Baka. The other boy gave him a soft smile, eyes illuminated by the street lights, "Let's head back home." He turned to leave and Haruka followed, their steps in sync as they walked side by side.
/
Once back home Haruka changed into his normal nighttime attire, a slightly over-sized shirt and a pair of shorts, he softly padded out of his room and down the hall to the one occupied by Makoto. Standing at the doorway he watched his friend, who's back faced him, search through the contents of his bag, his muscles moving hypnotically. Haruka could feel his face heating up again, he wasn't aware that he had been taking small steps forward until his foot knocked over an empty box. At the unexpected noise Makoto whirled around, the small hint of fear in his eyes was quickly replaced by relief, "H-haru! you scared me."
Scaredy-cat, Haruka raised an eyebrow. The taller of the two let out a sigh, "Ano...I sort of left my night shirt at home and sleeping in my button downs is pretty uncomfortable, you wouldn't have one that could possibly fit me?" Makoto rubbed the back of his head and gave Haruka a shy smile.
"Haru?" Makoto's voice brought the black haired boy to attention. Haruka's eyes had trailed over the muscular arms of his best friend before drifting down to stare at the toned stomach. Now looking at the curious look Makoto gave him he took a step back and signal with his head for the brunette to follow.
They walked back to Haruka's room, occupied with a small bed, a bookshelf, a tiny dresser and a desk with a few pictures adorning its surface. The dark haired teen walked over to the wooden dresser and searched through its top drawer, once finding what he was looking for he turned around and presented the item of clothing.
It was a large green shirt, much larger than any Haruka would ever wear. "Is that..?" Makoto began. Yes, Haruka's eyes answered quickly. The green eyed boy took the shirt and put it on as Haruka spoke, "You left it the last time you slept over." The shirt fit perfectly on Makoto, showing off his broad shoulders and making his vibrant green eyes pop.
"Arigatou Haru-chan." There was a few seconds of awkward silence as both boys stared at each other. The blue eyed boy turned away first, walking to his bed and sitting down. Makoto took this as a signal for him to leave, "...Well, uh good night Haru," he said as he walked towards the doorway.
"...Makoto..."
Stopping Makoto looked over his shoulder at his normally non-verbal friend. Haruka could feel his heart beating a little faster as he locked eyes with those beautiful green ones. "I'm glad too."