Not long ago, this never would have happened. Haruka had never been able to picture being this tender and loving with anyone. He was the vice-captain on the Iwatobi High School swimming team and a second year high school student at Iwatobi High School. Having graduated and celebrated their memorable years, he thought he would be an ordinary person. But then, all of a sudden, he had people in his life who needed him, who depended on him for everything. As soon as their first little boy had been born, he had felt his heart swell and burst with love he did not know existed. He shook his head slightly as he pondered this, still holding the little boy's hand.
"Daddy! Daddy! I wanna get a koi fish!" Haru gripped his dad's hand, pointing to a small area between two cabanas, particularly the one with a small tub of water and colorful egg-shaped water balloons.
"Wait," Haruka murmured, gliding his eyes through the section of the festival they stood in. This seemed to down the child, because his grip on his hand loosened. Haruka ruffled his hair and placed his large hands on his child's shoulders, and the little boy nodded, "Okay, Daddy."
Chōchins and akachōchins hung on thin strings connecting to every cabana, lining the dirt lane with illuminating soft light. Civilians in yukatas filled the area, laughing and being with their own family.
Five ikayakis came into Haruka's sight and he blinked. He took one stick, glancing to the right, seeing _. His wife. In her beautiful dark blue kimono with white spots all over it. Her glossy _ hair is in a updo-hairstyle, showing the bone structure of her face shapely. A hearty bang is swept to the side with kanzashi hairpins. The simple hairstyle provided her the impression of pure and a well-brought up lady, and even suits for a somewhat formal party. The small family all wore their yakatas, with the exception of Haruka.
"You owe me. Took me forever to at least make it to the stand! The line went almost out of the festival!" _ fretted. She knelt, giving each of her kids a fried squid on a stick, leaving the last for herself. Mako, their youngest, waved the stick before plopping it in his mouth and sucking on it. Haru left to show his younger brother how to properly eat the sea animal, not like a sucker. Hineko, the middle child, came up and hugged her daddy's legs, gripping the clothing. Haruka pressed his hand gently on the back of her head to his leg, petting it as she giggled.
"Do any of you want to get koi fish?" As if he said the magic words, the children bounced up and down in glee. Haruka let the tiniest of smiles grace his lips. The fact he could bring joy and happiness to other people, that he could do something other than recluse, made his heart feel light. He had spent so many years in solitary, never knowing he was even capable of giving love. For the first time in his life, he was truly surprised at himself.
Letting their eldest lead them to the stand, Haruka took a hold of _'s hand. When arriving, they knelt to the small rectangular pool of water. Haruka inspected the depth of it and watched the small ripples as someone tried to grab a water balloon. It was too small. _, knowing his look, laughed, messing up his hair, making the young man scowl and flip it back into place. Taking the stick to grab onto the items as he ate his fried squid in the other, he took no effort in grabbing the most numbers one could get with a stick: four.
"Mommy! I got one!" Hineko jeered, showing her mommy. _ smiled, praising her daughter. The little girl held the bag. "I think we should all get one, so they can be together." she suggested. Haruka watched a couple of children, who have strayed from their parents, attempting to win their own fish, but to no avail. He glanced at his own and held them out. "Here." The boys gasped, taking two fish for themselves each and ran off with a faint "thank you" in the distance.
When decided done, the kids held their bags containing their fish. "Look at them..." Hineko mused, watching the fish swim in circles. She giggled when it switch directions, turning back around and brushing its tail fin against the plastic. "Look, Mommy! It said 'hi'!"
"It did!" _ replied, smiling, "we'll have to get home soon, so we can put them in fresh water. How many did you get, Haru?" Both Haru's heads popped up. Haruka blinked impassively and Haru brought up three bags. "Wow, you got three!"
Mako threw his finished ikayakis on the ground and Haru grabbed it. "Are you done?" He nods and the older brother took care of gathering the rest, handing them to his dad. Haruka threw them in a nearby trashcan. He felt a tug at his leg and glanced down, finding Mako starring up at him with big begging eyes. Mutually understanding he picked up the small two-year old as he yawned, resting his head on his shoulder. "Go to sleep." He softly commanded. Mako did not need another word to close his eyes, drifting between sleep and consciousness.
"Should we take them home?" _ asked, behind him. "No. We'll wait longer before leaving." Both parents agreed, treading along the path. "I knew he wouldn't last this long." She giggled, petting his soft hair. Haruka hummed, getting a better hold of Mako on him. The couple and remaining awake children continued their small adventure through the festival. Haru and Hineko were spoiled with toys, food, and candy. Haruka nearly went swimming in a small tub of water full of koi fish. "You're not a dolphin, Haru, c'mon!" _ pulled him back with one arm, holding Mako in the other from undressing in public She understood why she was handed him for a brief moment. "And you still have your trunks on!?"
Haruka scowled, saying in a low tone, "But you said I could go swimming tonight if I came. Don't bribe me, then lie." Haru and Hineko had their faces pressed against the glass, watching the graceful beings glide through the water like birds splitting through air in the sky. _ grabbed his wrists from pulling anymore clothing off. His pants were unzipped and belt was unbuckled. "I said you can after the festival. I promised you that. Wait just a while longer. C'mon."
Contemplating, Haruka sighed. He pulled his clothing together. He took Mako back and gazed into the water, watching his reflection become infiltrated by elegant koi fish. His finger dipped in, feeling the water soak his index and was nearly startled when a koi thought it was food. It quickly swam away and he blinked as his family laughed at his bewilderment. Leaving and more into their walking, Hineko yawned.
"Are you tired, Hineko?" She nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Are you tired, too, Haru?" Haru bit back a yawn on cue making his eyes water. She took both their hands, leading them towards the exit. "I think we had a lot of fun, don't you think?" Both children were too tired to reply, but nod again, clinging onto their bags of fish. Hanging closely to her, Haruka walked ahead, heading them out of the festival and towards home on foot.
Taking some time to arrive, they made it to their home. Haruka unlocked the door, leading through darkness, gripping the still sleeping Mako. "I'll put them to bed and you can help Mako get dressed." _ suggested, guiding the kids. Haruka went to Mako's room, turning a small lamp on as to not wake him. He grabbed pajamas out of his dresser and changed him. Putting his neatly folded yukata on the dresser, he took Mako and put him in his bed, rising the covers to his chin and placing a kiss on his forehead.
_ just put Hineko and Haru to bed. She closed their separate rooms and turned to meet Haruka in Mako's room. When no one but Mako was in there, sleeping, she closed the door. "Haru-kun?" She searched the empty house, turning on small lights along the way. In the kitchen she looked on the fridge, catching the small pictures a child drew of a stick figure with scribbled black hair and purple and black trunks on jumping into water with a large smile. Above the figure read in bold, rainbow letters, " Y." and on the bottom were signed Hineko's, Haru's, and Mako's name.
Arriving outside to the backyard, she overlooked the large pool. Walking to the edge she sat down. Being right to wait, a figure's head risen to the surface, shaking their shaggy black hair of moist droplets. Smiling, _ said when he met her at the edge. "How did you like your birthday?" The other day their old friends came to celebrate. Even Seijuro and Nitori came. Despite of her still trying to get used to Rin, still holding a small grudge over the years of him ditching them and only coming back to their small group of friends in their Junior year, she still wanted Haruka to be happy. And his best friend was Rin. She did not want to cause any trouble or childish reason for him not to come. They spent more than half the day in the pool, racing and competing for old times. Today, it was family time to celebrate as it was the actual day of his birthday. Gifts and cake were given much earlier in the day to save their hungry stomachs and time for the festival.
Haruka shrugged, dripping his chin the water. "Good." He pushed himself off, gliding on his back, closing his eyes. "Good." _ watched him relax, letting the water take it in its embrace. Over the years, she has noticed his figure broadened, and his muscles enlarged. He has grown in height, but still remained to be the third shortest out of all his friends. Not that he cared.
"Come in." She looked at him again. "I don't always have my bathing suit on, like you do, Haru-kun."
"Get it on then."
"No! It's cold at night. I'll join you tomorrow."
Haruka frowned. "Get in."
"No. I already told you."
"Stop acting like a child."
"If I'm child, then you know what that makes you? A pedophile. And I won't be told what to do by a pervert."
Haruka sighed, getting out of the water, becoming aggravated. He went to grab her and _ pulled her hand back. "Ah! You're getting my kimono wet!" He went to push her in, but she sidestepped and shoved him back in the pool. He emerged, his messy hair soaked again. "Quit being a baby." He took her ankle and she lost balance, falling in. Coming up, Haruka had caught her in his arms. _, soaking wet and drenched, tried to glare at him. "This was my favorite kimono!"
"Shut up. You like swimming. Don't make the water hate you." _ made a small giggle. "I think the water might be anyway at you. You're cheating on it with me." He looked down at the water in silence. "... Sorry..." She laughed. "... but I've accepted another." He continued. _ wrapped her arms around him as he leaned on the poolside. "Did you really like your birthday?" He nodded, pecking her cheek. He nuzzled into her neck, nipping at it. _ blushed, feeling him slide one shoulder piece off of her, showing her bra strap.
_ gripped his shoulder, pulling away, showing his confused face and slightly impassive eyes. "If you're going to seduce me, at least do it in the bedroom." Haruka mentally rolled his eyes, not caring and tried to carry on with his ministrations. He breathed out a rough blow of air out of his nostrils when she pulled him away again. "Haru-kun, can we please continue this elsewhere? Not in the pool?" He stared at her, waiting for her to let him either continue or something else to bribe him with.
"You know... I got a new outfit a couple days ago. One for only in the bedroom when the door is closed, so..." _ found herself out of the pool, rushed inside the house, tracking water on the floor. She giggled having succeeded in winning a battle between her and the water.