It was the last day before the weather would turn colder for the year and it happened to be on a weekend day so that swim club members could go swimming in the ocean one last time before they would have to raise the money to use an indoor gym or just work out between the times they had joint practices with Samezuka. Makoto brought a bag with snacks his mom made for the group of four to enjoy.
After their stunt at the regionals, the swim club had gotten more popular and a couple more people joined the swim team the next year. They would have to wait and see how long the new members lasted in the club, but Makoto had high hopes for them. They seemed to be learning strokes well and would be ready for a practice race with the first years of Samezuka in no time.
This trip to the beach was for the original four members of Iwatobi however. Not even Rin was going with them. It was a celebration of sorts for getting so far. Makoto watched from the shore as Nagisa and Rei were running in the water, splashing each other and laughing. Undoubtedly, Nagisa would be the victor of the water fight, but Makoto didn't get to watch for too much longer as Haru sat down next to him, dripping wet from the swim he took the moment they set foot on the beach.
He looked at his boyfriend with his usual gentle smile, but when he looked at Haru, his eyes would get brighter and his whole face would glow. Haru had begun noticing this for a while before they started dating. It would make his skin prickle with happiness, but it took Haru a while and a little prodding from Nagisa to actually realize his own feelings toward Makoto and even longer to sum up the courage to ask his friend out. They had been dating for about a year at this time and still in the 'newly wed' stage of the relationship. They would probably never leave it at the pace they were going.
Haru placed a wet hand on Makoto's and leaned over to kiss his cheek affectionately. "You should come swim with me soon."
"Let me stretch out first-Haru, don't give me that look." Makoto sighed, his cheeks getting a little red as Haru pulled a pouty look on his face. It didn't take him long to figure out that he had Makoto wrapped around his finger and would do anything for him with that look on his face.
"Fine, fine, but if I get a cramp, you're going to have to save me, okay?" Makoto sighed, pulling his shirt off slowly, stumbling over the motion a bit and giving all the beachgoers a good look of his hard abdomen. Haru never got tired of looking over Makoto's muscles. Even before they started dating, it was hard not to notice his muscles. With increased practice and everything, Makoto was a poster boy for physical fitness.
"Haru…it's bad enough everyone else stares." Makoto blushed and looked at Haru through thick lashes. Haru almost smiled before realizing they were in public still and he didn't feel comfortable expressing himself around a lot of other people. Makoto caught him though and gave him a quick, sarcastic grin. "You don't have to hide that beautiful smile anymore."
"Don't get cocky." Haru punched his boyfriend lightly in the arm with a sigh. His lips pulled up into a half smile before he turned around and began jogging toward the water. "Come on, you're taking too long."
Makoto grinned and began running after Haru, dodging the other beach-goers. Once Haru reached the water, he waited for Makoto who kept running, picking Haru up by the waist and further into the surf. Laughing, Makoto placed a kiss on Haru's lips again before letting him go and diving under the chilled water. Haru stood there, shocked until Makoto came back up, brushing his hair back in his usual way. "Oh, sorry, did I scare you, Haru?"
"Not exactly…Since when were you able to be that free in the ocean?" Haru was confused at Makoto's sudden enthusiasm.
"Since Haru is here, nothing can go wrong, right?" Makoto smiled that same bright smile as always.
It was the last one Haru ever saw on his face. That day was the day that Makoto Tachibana died. And the day that Haruka Nanase gave up on swimming and his love for water for good.