A/N: Ah, so here it is. The first chapter. There's really not much to say. I wrote this within a day so it may seem rushed. But I had a lot of fun writing it nonetheless. A bit of fluff before all the heartbreak. Thanks for being patient with me and I hope you enjoy reading!

CHAPTER I: Reunion/Wasn't That The Whole Point of Coming Here?

Makoto had never been one to share his pain. He had always preferred the lonelier route of shouldering the burden then dealing with it when he could. That way, no one else had to get hurt. Perhaps, it was because he grew up trying to be a good older brother to the twins. Maybe, it was because he had grown up with Haru who preferred not to talk about things like that. Maybe, he just didn't want to become anyone's baggage. Makoto wasn't really sure.

So when he came to pick up Haruka from the station, he had dried his eyes and put on a carefree smile, the smile he always had on whenever he was with Haru. And it didn't take much effort too. He was always happy to see his best friend! Besides Makoto knew that, even if Haru did notice, he would do him the favour of not mentioning it, as he always did.

Makoto had always been grateful for that part of their friendship.

About three blocks from the station, Makoto began to run, eager to see Haru again. When he had arrived, he was panting and sweaty. He looked around and realized that the station was mostly empty, save for a lone boy who was sitting silently on a bench with his eyes closed. Makoto felt like his heart was about to burst at the sight of such a familiar face.

"Haru!" Makoto called out.

Immediately, the boy's eyes popped open, revealing tranquil blue eyes that looked in Makoto's direction. Once Makoto confirmed that it was indeed Haru, he didn't waste any time. Meanwhile, Haru had only just stood up, with one arm already hoisting up his duffel bag, when he was nearly tackled back down by Makoto's sudden embrace.

"O-Oi...!" An embarrassed Haru said, stumbling a bit backwards.

"Haru! I missed you!" Makoto said in exuberant joy, apparently unaware of anything else except for the boy in front of him.

"M-Makoto sto—!"

But Haruka didn't continue. Instead he let out a defeated sigh. Normally, something like this would merit an annoyed grunt or two and then he would tell Makoto to get off of him because it was embarrassing. But considering what today was, he thought... Today was an exception. Wasn't that the whole point of coming here?

He decided to let Makoto indulge himself longer. Besides, it's not like Haru didn't miss the big goof either. Haru tried his best to reciprocate the gesture by awkwardly hugging him back with his free arm. But he heard Makoto suddenly laugh and pull away.

"Haha, you don't have to force yourself, Haru. I was just excited to see you. I'm sorry for hugging you out of the blue!"

Haru looked at him with knitted brows, confused, before he realized that yet again the privacy of his mind has been violated. So he turned his head away in retaliation. Oh he was annoyed now, for sure. Well I'm sorry for forcing myself. And like the mind-reader he is, Makoto laughed in response.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm sure you meant well, Haru-chan."

Another defeated sigh escapes Haru's lips. All these years of telling him to stop adding "-chan" to his name and he hasn't learned once. Why do I even bother.

"Whatever." He says instead, picking up the rest of his luggage. "Let's go already. It's getting late."

"Eh? What?" Makoto says, visibly surprised.

"What is it?" Haru asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Does this mean... I can call you Haru-chan from now on?"

Haruka shot him a glare that obviously said 'of course not you idiot' and once again Makoto had laughed. It had felt so nice to laugh again! It was more than he had in months. He was always happy whenever he was with any of his old friends (though, he would never admit this but he was happiest when he was with Haru). He gently took one of the bags Haru was carrying and Haru let him take it without much complaint.

"But you know..." Makoto said as he took his place beside Haru.

Haru's watches him from the corner of his eyes and despite the stoicism of his expression, Makoto smiles knowing that Haruka was listening. He gazes far ahead, far, far ahead. Farther than where the sun was setting on the horizon. To a place even Haru couldn't see. Then... Makoto was gone. Lost in his own world. But Haru didn't dare ask, didn't have any intention of snapping him out of it. Under the warm orange light of the setting sun, Makoto had looked old, too old for someone their age.

Makoto eventually comes back and his face melts away into his usual expression. Though to Haru, he felt as if that mask could quickly give way to tears.

"I... really missed you, Haru."

"..."

Haru wanted to say a great deal of things in response to that. But he found himself unable to. He had always had a hard time expressing his thoughts into words properly. And throughout the years, it was thanks to Makoto that these thoughts and feelings were properly conveyed to the right people. He was so grateful... Yet here he was, unable to even express that gratitude.

"A-Ah, again...! Sorry, I must have made you uncomfortable." Makoto said, embarrassed.

No...!

"Forget I said it, okay?"

No, that's not...

"...true!"

Makoto turns to Haru confused. "Huh? Did you say something Haru?"

Haru's mouth was immediately sewn shut and freestyle swimmer just shook his head. He looked off to the side, being unable to look at Makoto's concerned eyes. Instead he tightened the grip on the handle of his duffel bag, trying to figure out why he was being such a big idiot.

Again he remembers a text he got from Rin on the train; Wasn't that the whole point of coming here?

Shut up. It's easier said than done.

"Haru?"

Haru breaks out of his mental argument with a nonexistent Rin to turn to Makoto.

"Ah, I was wondering... Have you eaten yet?"

Haruka blinked once. "Yeah, on the way here."

"O-Oh, I see..."

"..."

"..."

Haru was about to ask him if he wanted to get something to eat but was interrupted or rather, answered by an almost feral growl coming from Makoto's stomach. The brunette's shoulders tensed and he looked away from Haru in embarrassment.

"Makoto." Haru's stern voice pierced Makoto like an arrow through a stack of hay.

"A-Ah? Well, you see umm..." Makoto started, scratching his face nervously. "I was uh, working this afternoon so I didn't really get to eat lunch...? Ahaha."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"Ah...Umm..."

Haru took that as a no. He let out an exasperated sigh that distressed Makoto and the brunette went rambling on about something about eating crackers at work so Haru didn't need to worry or something. But Haru was having none of it. Jeez. Just how much of an idiot was this guy?

This is your chance Nanase! Take it!

Speaking of other idiots...

What? You gonna be a pussy about this again?

...I already said that it's not that easy!

So you are just being a pussy.

...shut up.

Aww come on! Wasn't that the whole point of coming here?

... ... ...

"Ah! I did make dinner at home so I can eat then. So really, don't worry about me, Haru! I'll be fine."

The last time you said that you almost drowned.

"We should get home soon. It's getting pretty late." Makoto said, checking his watch and speeding up his pace.

It's now or never.

Shit.

"Makoto wait...!"

Haruka stops Makoto by clutching onto his hand. This action greatly surprises them both and Haruka pulls away fast. He looks away, embarrassed but thankful for the orange hue of the sun that did well to hide his burning cheeks. (Somewhere at the back of his mind, he could hear his inner Rin cackling like a maniac.)

He's not looking at him but Haru could tell that Makoto was pretty flustered himself.

"W-What is it, Haru?" he opts to ask.

Haru mentally tries to calm himself down. Get it together. Ask him if he wants to get some food.

"D..." Haru starts but he finds himself tongue-tied.

"Hm?"

Just say, do you want to get dinner?

"Din...ner." he blurts out.

"Eh? What was that?"

Haru finds the need to slap himself stronger than before. (In the distance, inner Rin's cackle grows louder.)

"Haru, are you okay?" Makoto's furrowed brows indicate his concern for the mental stability of his friend.

I'm supposed to be the one worrying over you.

"Haru...?"

"Makoto." Haru said in a voice so resolute that it startled Makoto.

"A-Ah, yeah?"

There was a slight pause before a pokerfaced Haruka tells Makoto, "Come eat dinner with me."

This time it is Makoto who cannot find the right words to speak. Surely, eating dinner with his best friend wasn't something he should be feeling apprehensive about. He's done it a couple of dozen times already and yet he could not stop the constricting of his chest. Because the way Haru had asked, it was almost as if he were asking him on a...

"E-Eh. Haru, it's... okay. I don't really have any money—"

"I'll treat you."

"I don't want you to—"

"It's fine."

"But Haru—"

"Makoto." Again that resilient voice takes Makoto aback. He wasn't used to Haru being so... persistent.

Haru noticed Makoto's slight uneasiness so he tried to soften his voice and expression. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"M-Makoto... I said that it's fine, didn't I? Don't worry about it."

Though Makoto did relax more, he still looked pretty uneasy. You needn't be a mind-reader to know that Makoto was still not okay with the idea. You could see it in the way his feet shifted slightly, the way his eyes were intently studying the station's cobbled floor as if it were so interesting or the way his sweaty palm was tightly clamped on his now sweaty forearm...

Perhaps it was because his shoulders were starting to get stiff from lugging around his bag. Perhaps it is because he was already feeling tired and cranky. Perhaps it is because his old bathtub was calling out to him. Perhaps he just wanted to. But whatever it was, it had pushed Haru to grab Makoto's sweaty hand and dragged him out of the station.

"Eh— What— Haru, what are you— Stop—"

For someone as dainty as him, Haruka was surprisingly strong. And Makoto found it hard to shake off his grip. (Not that he'd put up much of a fight either) Eventually, after being dragged halfway through town, Makoto had given up.

"Jeez, Haru..."

"Shut up, Makoto."

And even though he knew that Makoto had given up, that he needn't keep holding his hand like that, Haru had still not let go. Sooner or later though, he knew that he had to. The sun was going down and pretty soon he was about to lose the only camouflage he had for his burning face.

Just... a little longer.

Oh? Being selfish now are we?

Shut up, Rin.

END of Ch.1