Chapter Summary:
"These are the days that must happen to you." - Walt Whitman
Or
Haru boards the Titanic early, Makoto boards it late, and Nagisa perfectly demonstrates the phrase "love 'em and leave 'em".
April 10, 1912
A small stream of sunlight filtered through navy curtains and spilled onto a magnificent carpet. It danced across the foot of a king-sized bed, in which a thin figure was sleeping. The light ran off the bed and stopped just short of golden wallpaper on the other side of the room. Expensive furniture and elaborate paintings decorated the room, but none of the grandeur was of any consequence to the sleeping boy in the bed.
The door opened quietly and a boy with blue hair and dressed in a sharp butler's outfit entered the room carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. He set the tray down on a table next to the bed and then, showing no guilt or misgivings, threw open the curtains, bathing the room in an ocean of sunlight.
The sleeping boy groaned and burrowed under the covers.
"Nanase-kun, it's time to get ready for the day, you have a lot to do and the ship begins boarding in about two hours."
The boy groaned again and then spoke from under the covers, "Rei, close the curtains or I'll tell my father you called me that."
The butler smirked, "I will have to take my chances, Sir. We have much more pressing matters to attend to." Nanase senior insisted that although their Japanese heritage was important, when they were around English society the servants should address them as 'Sir' or 'Mister'.
The boy poked an eye out from under the covers for no other reason than to glare at the butler, when the door opened again, banging loudly as a third teenage boy strode into the room.
"Haru! Are you awake yet? There's a lot to do today," he spoke the last sentence in a sing-song voice.
Rei bowed, "Good morning, Mr. Matsuoka. I am attempting to rouse him but he is being rather stubborn this morning."
"What? Haru, how can you sleep at all?" He walked across the room and Haru noted that he was already dressed, garbed head-to-toe in the latest western fashion, another request of Haru's father. Rin looked out the giant window down into the street, placed a hand on his heart and said, "Today we embark on the biggest adventure of our lives!"
"We seem to 'embark on the biggest adventure of our lives' at least once a week." Haru pressed his lips together in annoyance before he sighed and sat up. He knew when he was beaten, and when Rin entered the room, any chance of sleep left it.
Rin spun around and threw his arms in the air, "What can I say? We live exciting lives." After Rin's father passed away he had fallen into the care of Nanase Senior and he had been traveling with them for almost a year. While Rin had originally stayed with his mother and sister, Katsu Nanase had swept in, whispering promises of adventure and power into Rin's ear. Haru's father had been friends and business partners with Matsuoka Senior, and it had always been their dream that the boys would one day take over their companies.
Haru rested against the headboard and picked up the cup of tea from beside his bed. A bitter taste doused his mouth and he spluttered, spilling tea all over the bed.
Rei was busy laying out Haru's suit for the day and didn't look up, but answered Haru's unspoken question, "It's English Breakfast tea Sir, I thought it fitting."
Haru glared, sure that when the ship landed in America, Rei would 'think it fitting' to serve him coffee or something else just as horrible.
For the third time the door opened and Rin's personal butler, Ai, entered the room. "Ah! Matsuoka-kun!" he blushed and bowed, "There you are! I went to wake you at the usual time and you were gone! I'm sorry you had to dress yourself and went unfed, I have biscuits and tea in the next room, I can-"
"Relax Ai, there's no need," He spun back towards the window, "I feed on the light of day!"
With his back turned, Rin didn't notice Rei nudging Ai and reminding him the proper way they should address their masters while in England. Ai blushed, he was inexperienced, but Rin liked that about him; he kept Ai around for his company, not his service.
"I'm sure you do, Mr. Matsuoka, b-but please let me go fetch you some breakfast."
"I have an idea," said Haru from the bed, "Rin, why don't you go with him so I can actually get dressed."
Rin waved a hand at him and walked towards the door, "Aw fine, don't keep us waiting too long! It's a big day!"
"The biggest adventure of our lives," Haru said rolling his eyes as the pair left, leaving him and Rei alone. "Rei, I'd like to dress myself this morning if you don't mind."
"Of course Sir, are you certain?"
"Yes, I'd like to be alone this morning."
Rei bowed, "Yes Sir, call me if you require any assistance."
He left the room and Haru fell back onto the bed. He had been rude to his friends, he knew that. They were just all so loud and so expressive, and it was so early. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before climbing out of bed and walking to the window. Gazing out into the street he tried to muster the excitement for the day that Rin had as he stood in this same spot. Haru turned away and looked at the ground.
Rin was so energetic, so passionate about everything. He was genuinely interested in business and the automotive industries, he wanted to learn and he wanted to have power. Haru wanted to spend the whole day in bed. He didn't want to face the sunlight, he didn't want to have to talk to strangers, and he didn't want to feign small talk. Haru recognized that while the pony show of high society might be right for some people, it definitely wasn't right for him.
Haru let out another long sigh and turned back to the room. Above the intricate headboard of his bed hung a painting he liked quite a bit. It depicted a small girl standing on a mountaintop. There were more mountains in the background and a raging river running below, and she had her head thrown back and her arms stretched out wide. Haru liked the picture because he couldn't tell if she was enjoying the mountain air or about to throw herself off the cliffside.
Dreading the day ahead, he looked over at the suit Rei had laid out for him.
.
There were no curtains on the windows of the Sleep Cheap Seaside Inn, so early morning sunlight flooded the ground floor hotel room. The wooden floor was cracking and uneven, and the only furniture in the room were two small beds pushed against opposite walls and a wooden desk in the corner. One of the beds was empty, but a large figure occupied the second and was sleeping soundly, unperturbed by the sunlight. Tightly curled in a ball, the boy had wrapped himself around a small sleeping cat, as if to protect her. He slept with a faint smile on his face, breathing deeply.
The possessor of the second bed, smaller and blond boy, quickly entered the room and shut the door.
"Mako-chan! Mako-chan wake up!" he hissed shaking the sleeping figure.
"Wah? Nagisa?" The sleeping boy sat up and the cat jumped to the floor, insulted.
"Mako-chan we have to go now." Makoto blinked up at him. "Mako-chan! We. Have. To. Leave." Nagisa shook him by the shoulders for emphasis.
The words finally seemed to register, "Why? What time is it?" he glanced out the window at the early morning sun, "Nagisa we must have at least three hours until they kick us out for the day."
"That was true until I got us these!"
Nagisa whipped two pieces of paper out of his pocket and shoved them in Makoto's face. Makoto squinted, reading, and then his eyes opened wide. His brain frantically attempted to process the words 'White Star Line', 'RMS Titanic', and 'Boarding Pass'.
"Where on earth did you get those?!"
Nagisa had already been throwing his few belongings into his bag, and turned to him smirking.
"The inn-keeper's son."
Understanding dawned on Makoto and he frowned, "I thought you liked him."
"I do like him! He is very cute!" Nagisa winked, "And ever so generous to me."
Makoto had a feeling Nagisa was not just referring to the stolen tickets, but declined to entertain that train of thought.
Nagisa's bag was now packed but Makoto hadn't yet moved from his place in bed.
"Mako-chan please, get up!"
"The tickets don't belong to us." Makoto crossed his arms.
"Mako-chan," Nagisa walked up to him and put his hands on his hips, "Think about the difference between him and us. Think about it, Mako-chan. He is an innkeeper's son at a very busy port. He sees and experiences all different kinds of people and cultures." Nagisa gestured back at the door to emphasize his point, "Now, we have traveled and experienced quite a lot ourselves, but we had to do it the hard way. We had to do it with the world against us. We saw the world while we were starving and gambling and sleeping in the streets. We've seen the world, sure, but we've only seen the darkest parts of it." Makoto looked at him with raised eyebrows and Nagisa gripped his shoulders, "Sure, Mako-chan, you look at the world and appreciate everything, you appreciate the week old food and the dirty hotels, and that's great, it makes you a great person, Mako-chan, but you know the world has never been fair to us. We deserve more and it's time for us to be unfair back." Nagisa pointed back at the door, "He will have many more chances, but this is our one chance."
Makoto stared up at Nagisa, realizing for the first time that while he had never considered their lifestyle uncomfortable, perhaps just a little lonely, Nagisa had been deeply unhappy. He wondered how long his friend had felt this way; they had known each other for about five years now, and Makoto marveled at how little he knew of Nagisa's life before they had met.
Nagisa took Makoto's hand as his eyes glossed over, "Mako-chan please, I can't do this without you. We have nowhere to go…"
Makoto rubbed his temple as spoke the second half of their mantra, "So we go everywhere." He sighed, "Alright Nagisa, I'll come."
"Mako-chan!" Nagisa yelled and squeezed him, he was considerably stronger than someone his size should be. "Thank you!" he pulled away, dragging Makoto out of bed, "You need to start packing, the ship doesn't leave for a few hours but we need to leave before he wakes up and realizes the tickets are missing."
Makoto had just bent down to pick up his shirt from the day before when a roar echoed from the other side of the building, making him freeze.
Nagisa smiled weakly, "Too late."
Footsteps pounded down the hallways towards them, accompanied with many animalistic bellows and shouts. Makoto was frozen in horror and Nagisa slapped him across the face, "Mako-chan! Pack! I'll get the door." Makoto watched him grab the chair from the desk and prop it under the door. Nagisa turned and saw him still standing there. "Mako-chan!"
"Oh! Right!" He threw on a shirt and trousers and then began tossing clothes into his bag while Nagisa jimmied open the window. Makoto picked the cat up from the floor and placed her gently out onto the street, she had been a stray he found and fed only the night before, but he was sorry to see her go, "Goodbye Dover, I hope you keep warm."
The doorknob began to rattle as someone pushed at the other side, shouting profanities all the while. Nagisa smacked Makoto with his bag, "GO!"
They climbed out into the street just as the door burst open, revealing the innkeeper and his son. The innkeeper yelled for them to stop, but Nagisa and Makoto were already sprinting down the street.
Makoto looked back only once, and was never able to forget the sight of the red faced innkeeper and son, both leaning out the window. The inn keeper was yelling and shaking his fists, but his son was grinning and looked rather impressed.
Although Makoto was against stealing, the wind rushing through his hair was exhilarating and the sun hitting his face promised good things to come, so he couldn't bring himself to feel too guilty.
In front of him Nagisa stumbled awkwardly and Makoto looked up at the sky and laughed.
.
Haru took quite a long time coming down from his room. While Rei had laid out Haru's most expensive suit, the one Haru wore when making first impressions, it hugged too close to his body, and he spent a long while picking out something different. Finally dressed in a simple and spacious black suit and green tie, he exited his room. He walked down a hallway decorated with several expensive vases and paintings, looking at the ground as he passed a well-dressed couple, thankfully entering the elevator alone.
The luxurious South Western Hotel had been built about forty years earlier and while Haru recognized it as a great feat of architectural ingenuity, he thought it was too large, too expansive for him to feel relaxed inside it. Members of high society preparing to board the Titanic currently packed the hotel, but even with all the rooms booked, the space-to-human ratio was too drastic. Even with so many people inside, it was still empty.
The metal elevator grate slid open to reveal the lobby, and Haru spotted Rin and his father lounging in couches by the windows. He walked over to them and his father glared as he approached.
"It's about time! We are on a schedule but apparently you're above that."
Haru stared down at his shoes and mumbled an apology as his father glanced over his suit.
"I thought that considering all the time you spent getting ready you would at least look presentable, but I obviously put too much faith in you."
Rin looked away and rubbed his neck while Haru mumbled another apology.
Katsu Nanase was a severe man with little to no understanding of failure. Known, respected, and feared in all the top circles, he had spent the last year spreading his influence. While he worked primarily in the automotive business, the ship industry had recently caught his attention, at least enough for him to buy tickets for the RMS Titanic.
He changed positions in his seat, exposing an ornate gold pocket watch pinned to his side. He was deep in thought and didn't notice Rin staring at the watch hungrily. Haru observed Rin's desperation, but Rin staring at the watch was such a frequent occurrence that he had grown unfazed by it.
Haru had heard the rumors of the watch's contents, and although Rin never believed him, he really didn't know what was inside it. While his father had frequently waved it in front of him, angrily telling saying that he would one day need to live up to the family legacy, Haru was blissfully ignorant of the watch's contents.
Rei and Ai appeared and announced they had finished loading the luggage in the carriage and were ready to leave. Having to ride the carriage to the loading dock annoyed Katsu. Although they were taking an automobile with them to America, it had to be pre-loaded onto the ship the night before, just like the rest of the large objects making the journey.
Ai assisted them as they climbed into the carriage, blushing as he took Rin's hand, while Rei took the reins.
It was a short ride to the boarding area and Haru stepped out onto the dock, greeted with crisp wind and the salty smell of the sea. He took shelter from the wind behind the carriage as his father passed out the boarding passes and then gestured for them to follow him.
The attendant checking the tickets spotted them as they approached and quickly silenced the woman with whom he had been speaking, "Ah, Mr. Nanase! Please don't mind the line, come on ahead." He bowed and took their boarding passes, stamped them, then bowed again. "All your rooms are located on the third deck. Mr. Nanase you and your son will be in the adjoining rooms B60 and B62, and young Mr. Matsuoka will be across the hall in B59. I hope you all enjoy your time aboard with us."
The attendant bowed a third and final time as they left, Rei carrying Haru's and his father's luggage into their adjoining rooms and Ai carrying Rin's things to his room across the hall. They all stood in the hallway as Katsu gave instructions. The ship was to depart soon and he dismissed the four of them with a couple hours of free time before they were to meet on the luncheon deck. Haru and Rin were to make an impression on the other members of high society over a light lunch which would be served by Rei and Ai. After they were all given the day's itinerary, Rei and Ai preceded downstairs to find their third class room while Rin excused himself to freshen up, leaving Haru and his father standing in the hallway.
Haru's father turned to look at him, his lip curling, "Get inside."
Haru shrunk quickly into the room and Katsu followed him, shutting the door. He walked towards his son with his shoulder back and his chin held high and placed a hand on Haru's upper bicep.
Katsu's eyes bore down on him and his voice was dark, "At noon, you will come down for lunch. You will socialize with other members of our class and make solid connections for future business. You will be courteous and entertain any young ladies that may be present. You will be engaged, charming, and polite. You will be punctual and under no circumstances," he gripped Haru's arm tightly, bruising the skin, "will you embarrass me."
Haru's eyes widened and he looked at the floor, nodding. His father let go of his arm and walked to the door, opened it, and stood in the door frame.
"Oh, and change your tie before you come down. Green is the color of the masses, at least dress like you're going to be taking over for me one day." Without waiting for an answer, he turned into the hallway, leaving the door open.
Haru held his breath for a few moments as he listened to his father's receding footsteps, quickly crossing to the door and shutting it once they finally receded.
Leaning weakly against the doorframe, he looked at the room, closely observing the king-sized bed with a canopy and the chesterfield sofa. His gaze swept to the large window with satin curtains, the electric fireplace, the gold patterned wallpaper, and the door opposite that led to an equally extravagant bathroom. He hated it all.
Haru's whole body quivered as he laid down on the bed. He wrapped his arms around himself and curled into a tight ball, bringing his knees to his chest and squeezing, imagining his skin, blood, and organs all caving in, collapsing inside him. He closed his eyes, not tired but longing to no longer be conscious.
He sat up. He stood and walked to the window, drawing the curtains. He fell back into bed, refusing to let the sun reach him.
.
Makoto was glad Nagisa had woken them so early because it took them ages to board the ship. They waited close to an hour for the health inspection and then another hour and a half to have their boarding passes checked. It took so long that when they finally arrived at their room, a tiny space with only bunk beds and a small desk for furniture, Makoto was feeling considerably less excited and significantly more doubtful about their trip.
New York . Makoto bit his lip. He and Nagisa didn't know anyone in America, not that they knew anyone in England either. They had spent the last several years traveling the world, but they had never traveled so far in such a short amount of time and with so few plans.
Makoto set his bag down on the bottom bunk just before collapsing into it. Almost immediately Nagisa was tugging at his shirt.
"Mako-chan! C'mon, get up!"
"Nagisa, get off, I'm gonna take a nap."
"Mako-chan, there's so much exploring to do! And I wanna see the ship take off," he gave Makoto a hard shove, "which is going to happen soon."
The similarities between this conversation and the one they had earlier in the day amused Makoto, at least until he realized he had lost their previous argument, so he reluctantly sat up.
"Fine, fine! I'm coming."
Nagisa cheered and pulled him out the door.
People were packed shoulder-to-shoulder on the ship deck and Makoto was grateful he was comfortable in crowds. Nagisa led the way, shoving and bumping into people, leaving Makoto to trail behind him apologizing to Nagisa's victims. Nagisa muscled his way to the railing, which Makoto would have thought impressive considering his friend's size, if he had not been at that moment fervently apologizing to a large Italian man. Fortunately, Makoto often had to apologize for things Nagisa did and had gotten quite good at it. He bowed and smiled, the man glared at him for a moment before he decided Makoto was not worth the effort and turned away.
Makoto sighed in relief and joined Nagisa at the railing just as the ship's horn blared, announcing that it was about to depart. All around them people were laughing, shouting, and waving to their loved ones back on the dock.
Makoto's heart beat nervously against his ribcage as Nagisa leaned far over the railing, waving and yelling just as enthusiastically as everyone else. He moved closer, ready to save his friend in case he slipped and tumbled over the side of the ship.
"Nagisa, do you know someone down there?"
"No, but that's not really the point Mako-chan! Everything's changing, I'm waving goodbye to our old lives!"
Makoto wasn't sure he was as eager or as grateful to say goodbye to everything he knew. He looked up at the sky and then let his gaze sweep over the thousands of happy people around him. He was afraid, but he waved anyway.
A/N:
I'm sorry it's taking so long for Haru and Makoto actually meet each other, it's just very important to me that I set it up properly! I appreciate everyone hanging in there, and I promise MakoHaru interaction (of sorts) next chapter!
Also next chapter: Tamura-san makes a cameo appearance as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, what's not to love about that?
Historical things:
-Built in 1875 and located in Southampton, England, the South Western Hotel was the resting place of many of the Titanic's first class passengers before the ship set sail.
