Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't end up traumatizing so many Comic Fiesta artists with strange requests for commissions.

Warning: Yaoi fanfiction. Semi-AU and partial crack (because I can't help it.) May contain spoilers for the anime, novel and Drama CD. Some scenes have been modified and may not follow canon. MPREG

Rating: M for certain post-birth descriptions.

Pairing: Tachibana Makoto X Nanase Haruka. Mikoshiba Seijuurou X Matsuoka Gou

A/N: I apologise for the delay in the latest chapter. Had my hands tied down with work, and I didn't want to risk posting this up without proofreading it first. (Truth be told, this chapter got deleted and rewritten a few times. *head desk*)

I also apologize if I make any of you flinch with some of the descriptions in this chapter. It's a bad habit of mine to make scenes as realistic as possible (as unrealistic as mpreg is. Did that even make any sense? O.o). If it's too much, please do mention it in your reviews, and I'll see if I can rewrite the scenes to tone them down.

This chapter will be fairly twin-centric. I wanted to end the story at 7 chapters, but it looks like I'll need an 8th chapter after all. You could still consider this chapter to be an end to the story, told from Makoto's POV.

OYuu, ehehe. I am kinda flattered that the chapter had that kind of effect on you. Enjoy the next chapter.

Mai-chan, I'll see what I can do. :D . Thank you for your support. Here's the updated chapter.

Guest, so sorry for the delay. Here's the updated chapter. :)

To the story then…

To Makoto, With Love

By: Gwynhafra

Chapter 7

"This is…where am I?"

There was nothing but silence around Haruka as he drifted aimlessly. He realised that he had seen this scene a number of times, being in the ocean, letting the darkness calm him. He closed his eyes, wanting to just feel the water in peace.

A soft giggle, followed on by another, made his eyes snap open. He turned, and instead of seeing the usual scene of orcas and dolphins swimming around a young child, he saw mackerels circling around a couple of infants. Both infants reached out with their tiny hands, seemingly trying to catch the fish around them.

Haruka stopped drifting as he floated upright in the water, facing them. "You are…"

One of the two infants turned to him and gave him a stare. The infant's mouth turned upwards in a wide smile, even as a giggle bubbled from the baby. Haruka found himself smiling back, affected by the baby's cheerful nature. He swam towards the two.

To his surprise, the other infant drifted away, seemingly taken by a current. Haruka swam faster, his hand scooping up the one still sitting on the ocean floor to prevent it from getting swept away too. Kicking his feet, he tried fruitlessly to bridge the distance between himself and the rapidly disappearing baby. "Wait! Come back!"

Haruka found himself swimming towards darker waters, and to his horror, the darkness took the second child from him. He held the first baby against his chest as he called for the other. The darkness spread, engulfing him too…

XXXXXX

Haruka gave a soft moan as he opened his eyes, bringing himself out of the darkness and back into a world of colour again. He lay there, disoriented and trying to figure out where he was, and it took him a while to recognise his surroundings being that of his bedroom.

He felt warm and snug, even though his lower regions hurt like crazy. There was a thin blanket covering him, enough to keep his temperature regulated but not enough to cook him in the early Autumn heat. Looking down, he was greeted with the sight of his beloved brunette husband, who was dozing in a chair next to their bed with his hand holding Haruka's tightly. Makoto had his head on Haruka's bed, though with his large form, it looked more like he was half on top of Haruka and half on the chair. Haruka stroked his husband's hand, his fingers brushing against the coolness of their wedding ring.

Makoto jolted awake almost immediately. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand. "Haru! You're awake! Thank goodness!" There was a huge amount of relief in his expression. He got out of his chair and held the black-haired man's shoulders. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain? Do you need me to get you anything?"

"Makoto..." It was a little difficult trying to answer when facing a bombardment of questions, and he only had one worry on his mind anyway. The brunette watched him for a while, saw the anxiety in those deep blue orbs, knew what he wanted to ask, then smiled gently.

"Don't worry, Haru. Rei said that you're in no danger. Our children are fine too."

"Children..." Then, his second child also...

Makoto reached out and stroked his hair. "It's a girl. You've also given me a beautiful baby girl."

A daughter...his little girl is alive... Haruka sank back against the pillows. "That's good." He said in relief.

The minutes ticked on in complete silence. Haruka glanced at his husband, who seemed contented just sitting next to him, running his fingers lightly over the back of Haruka's hand.

"Makoto…" Haruka began again, prompting his husband to read his expression.

"Huh? The babies? Okaa-san is taking care of them. Your mother has also been informed of their birth and is taking a train over as we speak." He paused for a moment. "It's been a while since I've seen them though. They're probably not going to look as small as when you first had them. Ah... I can't wait to hold them again…" Makoto mused aloud.

Haruka blinked at him before narrowing his eyes. Makoto didn't know what the babies looked like currently…it couldn't be… "Makoto…" If he was reading his husband right…did that mean Makoto was here all along?

Makoto saw his glare, gave a scared meep at reading the angry message and held his hands up in a defensive gesture. "But…but…I was worried about you, Haru! You wouldn't wake up!"

If Makoto hadn't seen the babies in a while, he couldn't even guarantee that they were truly fine. Haruka wouldn't be able to relax until he had personally seen his children. He wordlessly tried to move off the bed, ignoring the pain in his lower half, and Makoto gave a yelp before forcefully holding him down, pinning his hands to his sides. "Don't, Haru! Rei had to give you stitches because there was a bit of tearing, and you were bleeding out! Don't move recklessly!"

"Your priority should be the children! What kind of a father are you?!" Haruka snapped, feeling a strange sort of instinct surface, one filled with protectiveness over his babies. The look of hurt on Makoto's face made him mentally berate himself. He didn't actually mean to snap at his husband like that. "…I'm sorry…" The black-haired man mumbled out moments later. Makoto gave him a weak smile to indicate that he did not take his outburst to heart, and he took Haruka's hand, patting it lightly.

Rei walked in at that moment. "Don't be too harsh on him, Haruka-senpai. Makoto-senpai was really freaking out earlier." He nodded to Makoto's mother and Gou, who were each holding one of the twins. Makoto's mother deposited one of the twins, who was swaddled in a pink towel, into Haruka's arms. The new mother finally had the chance to take a good look at his second child, breathing out in relief at seeing colour in her face.

He rocked her and murmured to her softly before looking up at Makoto, who was holding their son. "…what happened when I was unconscious?"

XXX

Hours ago

"Haru…! Haru…! Haruka!" Makoto called out to his spouse, who remained completely limp in his arms. "Please…open your eyes…!" He lifted his spouse, who suddenly seemed so light, and pressed his ear to the smaller man's chest. Holding his breath, he listened intently, and couldn't describe the feeling running through him when he detected his heartbeat.

"Gou! Get this baby to breathe!" Rei instructed, even as he moved to Haruka's side. Just like what Makoto did, his immediate move was to check on Haruka's pulse. "It's steady, but he's bleeding quite badly. Please get him out of the water, Makoto-senpai."

Makoto obeyed and lifted the unconscious man, carrying him bridal style before padding carefully so that he wouldn't slip. It wasn't an easy task since he was treading water from the pool everywhere. Rei had inflated an air mattress earlier and placed it right next to the birthing pool while Makoto was in the water with Haruka, and it was upon which Makoto gently lowered his spouse on top of.

Gou was near them when Makoto carried his spouse there, as the second baby was still attached to Haruka by its cord. She would not risk cutting off the baby's lifeline before it could start breathing on its own. She cleared birth fluids from the baby's passageway and quickly used a resuscitation device to try to get the newborn to start breathing. The second child, a girl, was smaller than her brother, and born equally blue. Her brother had taken gulps of air almost immediately and turned a healthier colour, but this girl remained silent.

"Give her to me." Gou started a bit when Makoto spoke up. She didn't expect him to move from Haruka's side to hers so suddenly. Wordlessly, she passed the baby to Makoto, who took the child in his arms. "Okaa-san mentioned that Ren was born the same way." For now, his daughter needed body heat, and he would make sure he got her to start breathing. Haruka fought a battle to bring her into this world, and he would not let his beloved's efforts go to waste. Makoto undid his shirt and held his daughter to his bare chest to regulate her body temperature, even as he carefully covered her form as much as he could. He then proceeded to rub her back, massaging her and trying to stimulate her tiny little lungs into working. "Breathe for us, my daughter. Breathe for your mother and me. We've wanted to see you." He murmured gently.

He continued this for a few seconds, and just when Gou wanted to move on to giving the baby an emergency CPR, there was a soft choke. This was followed by a weak cry from the baby girl, who sounded almost like she was mewling. It wasn't the strong, uninterrupted cry her brother produced, but it was still a good sign that she is alive and breathing.

They monitored her for a while longer, making sure that she didn't stop breathing. By then, the afterbirth was already expelled from Haruka's body, and Makoto's mom was the one to cut the second child's cord. Makoto's jitters at seeing sharp objects did not improve in the mere minutes after seeing it during his son's birth, and the older Tachibana shared Haruka's sentiments at having the faint-hearted brunette point that at either of the newborn twins.

Rei tended to Haruka, while Gou tended to the newborn girl. She continued on where Rei left off in the birth certificate, recording the baby's birth details as 8 August, 12.05a.m. It took Rei almost half an hour to put in the stitches, but when he was done, Makoto carried Haruka to their bedroom and placed him there, keeping watch over him.

Rei adjusted his glasses, looking awkward at seeing Makoto hold his unconscious spouse's hand. "Urm…perhaps hold your children while waiting for him to wake?"

Makoto shook his head at that. He reached out, linked his fingers with Haruka's, then held on firmly. "No…I'll wait for him. We can hold them together when he wakes…"

XXX

Gou checked on Haruka's condition briefly, pronounced Haruka and the twins to be doing well, and allowed the new family to bond. Haruka continued to hold his daughter, who remained quite still with her eyes closed in sleep. Makoto sat by his bedside, bouncing his son in his arms.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest, Makoto? You're been almost constantly awake!" His mother sounded a little concerned for her oldest.

The brunette shook his head and smiled at her. "I'm not tired at all, kaa-san."

Makoto's mom knew that her son was probably too excited at seeing Haruka awake to even notice his own exhaustion, and didn't press him any further. Gou sighed and stared at the couple. "You're really lucky, Haruka-senpai. When I had my children, my husband got so tired from waiting that he fell asleep when I was in labour and only woke during the last couple of hours for my first, and the last hour for my second. If it weren't because he had such beautiful muscles…" She sighed wearily.

Makoto chuckled. "Now, now. I don't think I was able to help much. It's all Haruka's effort anyway. He was really cool and strong earlier."

"Makoto." Haruka called out. His husband met his gaze and did his usual mind-reading. 'Thank you for being here for me. I wouldn't have made it without you.'

Makoto flushed. "Haru…" He responded gently. The rest of the occupants in the room didn't know what the baka couple might have been saying to each other, but they could somewhat guess the context when Makoto moved closer, stared at Haruka lovingly, then bent down towards him. Haruka allowed his eyes to fall close, even as he anticipated what his husband would do next. Makoto's face was near his, and he could feel his husband's warm breathing against his face. He gave a soft, contented hum as he felt the light touch of his husband's lips against his, a reward for his hard work.

Their heartwarming display as a new family didn't last long, as the next moment, the door flew open as an excited blonde rushed in. "Mako-chan! Haru-chan! I heard that the babies are born! Mou, Rei-chan, why didn't you call for me when Haru-chan was having them?"

There was a bout of silence that followed, broken when the twins started crying from getting startled, and by Haruka's glare at the intruder.

Nagisa scratched his face. "Huh…did I interrupt something?"

XXXXXX

Much later, when everyone had gone home and the couple could finally be with their children in peace, Makoto snuggled next to Haruka, who lay completely relaxed by his side. The twins slept in a bassinet next to their bed, with their son moving occasionally, and their daughter lying absolutely still.

Makoto's gaze softened as he looked at the twins. "You know, with all the excitement earlier…we still didn't get the chance to name our children."

Haruka turned to him, and Makoto looked deeply into his eyes before he gave a sigh. "No…not water related names. We're not giving them seafood related names either."

Haruka's eyes narrowed. Why don't you think of names for them then?

Makoto rubbed his chin slightly. "Then…since they were born in Summer and Autumn respectively…let's give them names based on their seasons?"

Haruka turned the names over in his head. He liked the idea. In fact…

"Makoto…about their names, how about we name them…"

XXXXXXXXX

17 years later

"I'd like to present my good friends, the Tachibana siblings. Natsuki, the older twin brother has a girl's name, but he's reeaaaaally manly, and he's got fabulous muscles. Akira, the younger twin sister, has a guy's name, but she's reeaaaally…okay, maybe not really that effeminate, and she's got fabulous muscles as well. Their names are according to the seasons they were born in, since Natsuki was born in Summer, and Akira was born during Autumn. They will be in your class for this year, so please do take care of them!"

Silence followed the introduction, and then the class broke into whispers.

"Didn't he say they're twins? Why was one born in Summer, the other in Autumn?"

"He's seen the sister's muscles before? How close are they? Also…a girl with muscles?"

"That redhead's pretty! Is he a guy? He's a guy right? He's wearing a guy's uniform. Are you sure he's a guy?"

Tachibana Natsuki was the one who stood up first. "Kintarou, we're perfectly capable of doing our own self-introductions."

Akira was the next to respond. "Kin-chan…what kind of a character are you trying to portray me as?"

The teacher was the final person to respond. "Mikoshiba-kun…this is not your classroom…please return to the second years' floor."

"Ahahaha!" Said boy whipped out a poster from behind him. "If you'd like to see more of the twins, do join the swimming club! We're looking for new members like you! Natsuki, Akira, you'll be joining, of course?"

"Don't use us to advertise the club!" The twins retorted as one.

XXXXXXXXX

The Tachibana twins had a certain reputation around the school. Their existence became known to the residents of Iwatobi town when they were very young, after a foreign tabloid magazine reporter found out about their mother being a consumer of Saba X and published the news. The Tachibana family was under the spotlight for a while. The twins were too young to actually know what was going on, or why adults tried to approach them with mikes and cameras. Their mother didn't care much about what the public thought about him and didn't really get affected either. Their father was affected the most, as he tried to draw attention of the media to himself to shield his family (though anyone who tried to dig up dirt on him and his family ended up walking off with a huge guilty conscience).

It was then the ocean, which Tachibana Makoto feared the most, decided to give that family a hand, probably as gratitude to Haruka's devotion to water. Or at least that was how Haruka reasoned it. There was another victim of Saba X found around the same time as the revelation of the twins' parentage, as a guy would actually turn into a hot mermaid when he came in contact with sea water. Compared to that new case, Haruka's situation was considered a lot more boring, and the press went to hound the other poor soul instead, leaving the Tachibana family alone.

Still, it was sort of a coming out for the couple. Putting the idea of a guy somehow bearing children aside, it was revealed that there were two males in the town who were secretly married to each other. That same reporter who found out about them tried to put the focus of his story on two homosexuals running around the small town, hoping that it would be sensational enough to give him a scoop. The reactions of Iwatobi residents, however, were a lot more lukewarm than he thought when he ran around interviewing neighbours.

"Tachibana-kun and Nanase-kun? They're married? Urm… I see."

"They're in love with each other? Is that new? I thought they've always been that way."

"Mm…yeah, they were my classmates in high school, but their relationship has always been unique. Makoto's the sociable one, and Haruka's the quiet one. Makoto speaks on his behalf a lot because he's the only one who's able to read his mind. Yeah, I mean actually read his mind. It's not very often you find one without the other. Ah, so they're married…I should send them my congratulations…"

…to name some of the quotes from younger and middle aged folks he interviewed, both males and females. What the hell was wrong with these people, not even batting an eyelid at the news? Some did actually have an adverse reaction when he first mentioned that there were two men married in the town, but once he mentioned their names, their reactions immediately changed to an "Oh, them. How nice!" response instead.

He thought he'd get a different reaction from a person of the older, more traditional generation, and stopped an old lady, who was a longtime neighbour of the Nanase family and Tachibana family, to get her statement.

"Oh…Makoto-chan and Haruka-chan? Oh yes, I know them. I know them. Hmm? They're married? Thank goodness! They've always been together, always…always, for the longest time, ever since they were children. I wish them happiness."

The reporter dropped his mike. That was it…Iwatobi residents were seriously…abnormal…he should go back to his hometown and find a job there…

Right at that moment, the couple he was interviewing about came walking down the steps, probably returning from their parents' homes. Makoto spotted the lady and went to her. "Good morning, Tamura-san. Do you need help with that?" He asked, gesturing to her purchases.

"Makoto-chan, such wonderful timing! That nice gentleman over there just informed me that you and Haruka-chan are married! How wonderful! Do make him happy, Haruka-chan. Makoto-chan's a good boy after all. Here, some gifts for you. Do enjoy them with your wife, Makoto-chan."

"Ah, thank you…and…gentleman?" Makoto turned to find the reporter, who was already leaving and paused at the bottommost step at being addressed. Makoto's eyes narrowed, even as he placed himself before Haruka, shielding him with his large form. "You again?! What do you want this time? I've told you to leave my family alone!"

The reporter held up a hand. "I have no interest in your family anymore. Do whatever you want."

There weren't any news covering them ever since, and they lived just like any other family in that town. The twins' classmates in middle school didn't think much about them having two guys as parents, simply because their own parents didn't think too much about the idea either. They continued to grow in a warm, loving family, under the watchful eyes of their parents.

XXXXXXXXX

A year passed since the twins entered high school. Mikoshiba Kintarou became captain of the swimming club, Tachibana Natsuki was vice captain, and Akira was the club member who wouldn't leave water alone if it was in her sights.

Technically speaking, Kintarou was supposed to have graduated from high school, since he was two years older than the twins, but he had, quite unfortunately, inherited his father's carefree nature and tardiness, and was held back a year due to poor attendance. On the bright side, Iwatobi Swim Club had another strong swimmer still around for competitions.

Natsuki was the tallest club member, having inherited his height and his build from his dad. Kintarou, despite his muscle-filled name, could not put on muscles at all, and remained with a fairly tall, androgynous build to complement his face (which he inherited from his mom). In fact, Akira, who inherited her looks from her mother, had more abdominal muscles than him as she had also inherited Haruka's build.

Natsuki and Kintarou participated in competitions, with Natsuki swimming freestyle and backstroke, and Kintarou swimming butterfly and freestyle. Natsuki had a strong swimming style because of his build, and strength trained from karate, but Kintarou was the faster swimmer. It was also through that they decided who would be captain and vice-captain respectively. Akira could not participate in official competitions, as they didn't have a girls' team, but she did join if they competed against other schools, with her preferred style being breaststroke and freestyle. Natsuki quite fiercely insisted that his sister shouldn't be discriminated in competitions just because of her gender, and managed to get inter-school competitions to allow a special rule when it came to the black-haired young lady, letting her compete against the guys. With his sister having inherited their mother's looks and cool charm, Natsuki found himself constantly having to swat flies away from her.

Speaking of protecting one's sibling, there was a certain redheaded younger brother with a major older brother complex who wouldn't stop harassing the twins. "Oh! Hana sent me a text! I'll read it out!" Kintarou chirped. His demeanour changed in perfect imitation of his brother's expressions as he changed his voice to that of a rougher edge, "Koraa, Tachibana siblings! Don't you dare lay a hand on my brother, or you will regret it! I don't care if you guys have wonderful muscles, but you won't always have your way with your deltoids! Especially you, Natsuki! I don't care if you have the build of a swimsuit model, or that your abs and biceps are perfect! Stay away from my brother!...is what he said." Kintarou ended it with a shrug.

Natsuki felt a headache building up. Hanatarou, the second Mikoshiba brother, went to Samezuka, his father's old school. It wasn't helping that Hanatarou was very close to Matsuoka Rin, his maternal uncle, and picked up his crude way of speaking. If they did meet in person, however, the younger Mikoshiba brother would ogle at Natsuki's muscles as shamelessly as his older brother did.

"He doesn't have to worry. You may be our friend, but if you ever try to make a move on Akira, I will hit you personally." Natsuki warned.

Kintarou tilted his head. "Eeeeh… but I love both your muscles equally. You don't have to get jealous, Natsuki-chan."

The older Tachibana twin stared. His mother was right. Muscle-loving people could get very scary sometimes.

XXX

"Here, Akira." Natsuki passed his sister a popsicle, which she took with a word of thanks. He didn't offer the treat to any of his assignment group members, who were all walking over to the twins' house for a discussion, as he seemingly forgot about their existence. Their friends have been classmates with the twins long enough to know that when Natsuki was in the mood to baby his sister, he probably wouldn't notice them at all. "Tou-san said that kaa-san will be cooking tuna for tonight's dinner. We're going to have a feast."

Akira's eyes sparkled at that. Both twins loved tuna, though Akira was a lot more expressive about it. Their dad had said that both their mother and Akira's eyes were really pretty whenever they gleamed with delight, and Natsuki had to agree with that statement. It would really be a pain if another guy happened to see it. As it was, Kintarou wouldn't shut up about her eyes and her muscles.

Natsuki and Akira's group members, who were trailing behind them, froze. "Your…your parents are home today?" They asked warily.

Natsuki turned slightly, seemingly remembering that they were also there. "Yeah. Tou-san will have to close the pool early because it will be used for a competition tomorrow, so he will have to keep it in its best state after cleaning it up. He and kaa-san will be home early today." He noted Akira's expression and smiled in response, since his sister too looked forward to seeing their parents have dinner with them at home for a change.

Natsuki's group mates were less enthusiastic over the idea. "I'm sorry, Natsuki, but your parents are kinda well known for…"

Akira turned to them almost immediately. "They're perfectly normal." Her blue eyes narrowed, seemingly daring them to say otherwise.

One of the guys with them held up a hand. "I'm not saying that they're abnormal because they're both guys. The whole town knows about their circumstances. I'm just saying…"

"We're going." Natsuki insisted.

XXXXXXXXX

If the Tachibana twins' parents weren't home, their friends would only be more than happy to head over to their place. The twins' mother, Haruka, was really good at cooking, and he tended to prepare a generous helping of food the twins could heat up and eat when they returned home from school. It was difficult to go hungry in that house, since Haruka made cakes and biscuits for them too, ones which the twins' friends were more than happy to snack on whenever they headed over. When the twins' parents were home, however, it was always a bit awkward for the visitors. They really did have a certain reputation around town…

That day wasn't any different between the Tachibana couple, as Makoto and Haruka relaxed on the couch. Haruka was busy reading a brochure, while Makoto had his head on Haruka's lap even as he watched TV.

"Makoto."

"Hm?" Makoto turned to him. "Mm…you're right. We could use a holiday. Let's talk this out with the kids."

"…Makoto…"

"You want us to go on our own? …Hmm…I suppose that's fine too. Natsu and Aki are old enough now. We'll just need to stock the fridge before we leave so that Aki can prepare meals during our absence."

"Makoto…"

"Yeah, of course. We'll choose a place with water. We could go to a beachside resort or the hot springs." Makoto spoke reassuringly.

"…Makoto…"

"Don't worry, Haru. I'm not afraid of the ocean anymore…or at least not that much." At his spouse's stare, he chuckled. "Fine. Hot springs it is then. Kanagawa sounds good to you?"

"Hn."

Makoto turned back to the TV, and it was only then he realised that Natsuki and Akira were home. He was so focused on staring at Haruka that he didn't notice their greeting at the door. He sat up immediately. "Welcome back, Natsu, Aki. How was school?" He asked warmly.

"It was fine. Don't mind the interruption and do continue on with whatever discussion you're having, otou-san. We're just going to work on our assignment here." Natsuki told him.

"Makoto." Haruka spoke up. His husband nodded and turned to their children's group members, who were staring at them with dropped jaws. Makoto had never seen them before, so he could only guess that this was the first time the twins brought them home. "Haru's baked some cookies earlier. You may help yourselves to them if you'd like." He wore an expression stating clearly just how much he valued his spouse's pastries.

Haruka set the brochure aside and stood up. "I'll get some drinks." He stated calmly. Makoto got up too. "I'll help you out." The brunette said cheerfully and followed him into the kitchen.

Once the adults have left the room, the group of teenagers rounded on the twins. "Those were your parents? They're even more amazing than I've heard. My parents can't even communicate like that!"

"I don't know if that's considered amazing. They've been like that to each other for as long as I can remember." Natsuki responded.

"With how they're acting with each other, I'm surprised that you don't have any other siblings." Another classmate teased.

Natsuki frowned a little at that. He had asked a similar question when he was younger, and his father had specifically mentioned not to bring that up ever again, especially if his mother was around.

"…They were happy enough with just the two of us…" Natsuki said calmly. Akira could hear the evasiveness in his voice and glanced over at him.

The twins' parents returned with tea and treats, and while the group gladly accepted them, they couldn't help being distracted by the pair even while they went through their assignment. The twins were unfazed, seemingly completely immune to their parents' antics as they were raised in such an environment.

"Your shoulders seem a bit stiff, Haru. Turn over here a bit." Makoto spoke gently to his spouse. Haruka obeyed almost immediately, even though they were in the presence of complete strangers. The group gaped at the old, married couple as they flirted with each other like a pair of newlyweds, or at least the twins' father did. The twins' mother calmly leaned back, resting his head against Makoto's chest when he was done with his massages.

The Tachibana twins were completely oblivious to their parents' antics, focusing instead on going through the assignment guidelines to make sure they didn't miss out anything. Their group mates found themselves glancing at the married pair, being extremely aware of how much the twins' father stared at their mother, or the smallest gestures the twins' mother did in response, like placing a hand on his husband's lap, or letting a small, barely noticeable smile grace his lips. In fact, the visitors didn't even realise that at some point, the twins' mother looked over and noticed their staring.

The group gulped even as Natsuki continued discussing with Akira. Haruka's blue gaze was calm as he studied the teenagers. After a few moments, he finally spoke up. "You may stay for dinner if you want to."

XXXXXX

"Papa, mama. Dinner is ready."

Haruka opened his eyes and lifted his head at the sound of his daughter's voice. Makoto had kept him trapped in a cuddle on the couch while waiting for their children to be done with their group discussion. He hadn't realised that the boys who came home with the twins had long since fled, and that the group meeting was already over hours ago, enough time for the twins to set the table.

Haruka patted his husband's arm lightly. "Makoto."

The brunette nodded, smiled and let him go before getting off the couch. Out of habit, he held out a hand to Haruka to help him to his feet, and out of the same habit, Haruka took his hand and clasped it firmly. Their children said nothing to that, having long observed that the gesture was something special between their parents.

They sat down at the table together, an uncommon practice since the Tachibana couple worked shifts, and it was more practical for them to eat out usually while the twins ate at home. Makoto settled next to his spouse, while the twins sat opposite them.

During dinner conversations, Makoto and Natsuki were usually the ones doing the talking. Haruka and Akira were usually quiet while eating, speaking only when they were addressed to. Makoto smiled at his children. "How was school today, Natsu, Aki?" He asked as he absent-mindedly picked tuna out of his own bowl and distributed them evenly to his children's, as he knew they loved tuna as much as Haruka loved mackerel.

The twins exchanged glances before turning back to their parents. "I had another love letter placed in my shoe locker today." Natsuki reported.

Makoto chuckled, while Haruka's eyes narrowed slightly at the idea of someone possibly taking his baby boy from him. "That sounds nice." Makoto eventually commented.

Natsuki took another bite of his food, swallowed and continued. "It was actually meant for Akira. Again."

This time, Haruka was the one who looked over with a raised eyebrow, while Makoto's smile became a little forced. The brunette tended to be a little protective over his little girl. "I would have thought that your schoolmates would be able to tell the two of you apart by now."

"It's easy to forget. I have a girl's name." Natsuki replied calmly. There was no hint of complaint in his voice, as he had long gotten used to people mistaking him as a girl, then getting no small degree of shock at seeing his height and build, and knowing that he was far from being effeminate.

"Your name has masculine kanji." Haruka stated quietly, even as he refilled Makoto's bowl with dishes while the latter had his attention on their children. The brunette had given most of the best portions of his food to the twins, a habit he tended to do since they were young, and he probably wouldn't stop doing even after they've grown older. Makoto was left with mostly just plain rice in his own bowl, and Haruka rearranged the meat and veggies on his husband's rice, so that his beloved could still enjoy his dinner.

Makoto noticed him doing this at some point and gave his usual warm smile. "Thank you, Haru. You're always looking out for me." He chuckled and turned to his daughter. "I think Aki shouldn't have the problem of others mistaking her for Natsuki. Her name is used by both guys and girls, but plenty of girls are called Akira too."

"… My name has masculine kanji too…" She pointed out. Like her brother, she too sounded merely resigned.

Haruka's expression was unreadable at that, though Makoto looked over, noted the slight glint of doubt in his spouse's eyes as if he were worried that he might have gotten terrible names for his children, then turned back to the twins. "Now, now, Natsu, Aki. Your names are wonderful. We've put a lot of thought into them when we gave them to you. Natsuki, you're the light of our lives, and nothing made us happier than having you with us. Akira, you were a like an angel sleeping peacefully in your mother's arms when you were born. Your mother chose those names with love for you two."

The twins exchanged glances, smiled and turned back to their parents again. "We know. You've told us before. Plenty of times." Akira turned to Haruka. "We do not dislike our names, mama."

Haruka's expression lightened, and Makoto nodded to him before reaching out to hold his hand. Natsuki gave a light cough at that. "Otou-san… about that… our classmates are getting quite afraid to come over to our house."

Makoto looked over in surprise. "Eh? Why is that so? Your mother's cooking is really good."

"Or is it because we're both men?" Haruka asked quietly.

Natsuki gave a light laugh. "No one in town bats an eyelid over that, kaa-san. It's…urm…your displays of affection. They're not used to seeing it at that…level…"

The married couple exchanged looks, then Makoto reluctantly took his hand away, though Haruka caught it and held on. They weren't in front of outsiders right now anyway. Makoto gave him a smile, communicated wordlessly, then turned back to the two. "Sorry, we'll try to tone down the next time your friends come over. We're just so used to being in each other's presence that sometimes we do this subconsciously. We've been together for so long after all."

"I've been stuck with the same man almost all my life." Haruka sighed.

Makoto looked at him like a kicked puppy. "Eh, Haru! That was a mean thing to say. Don't say it like you're tired of being with me."

Haruka looked calm, save for the slight flush on his face and the small smile he couldn't quite hide. "Baka." He muttered in a fond tone.

The twins looked at each other again and laughed lightly. Their parents' way of flirting could be so obvious, but both found it endearing.

After dinner, the twins dealt with clearing the table and washing the plates. Haruka took pudding out of the fridge, which he made earlier, and started cutting fruits to arrange them on the dessert. Makoto watched his family, even as he mused that time passed really fast.

It felt almost like just yesterday when the twins were born, one loud, one quiet, and now they have both grown up into high school students. Both twins were a lot like Haruka in terms of looks and temperament, having inherited more of Haruka's traits than Makoto's. Both had black hair too, except Natsuki's took a slightly more brownish tint under sunlight, or any light for that matter. Natsuki inherited his green eyes, while Akira took after Haruka's ocean blue eyes. Natsuki was an interesting blend of Makoto and Haruka. Like Haruka, he was observant of people around him and his surroundings, but like Makoto, he would actually voice his thoughts aloud. He had always been the more outspoken and outgoing twin from birth after all. After a certain incident he went through when he was young, he became a pretty independent young man who was protective over his whole family, especially his sister, using his build and strength inherited from his father to his advantage. He had also grown taller than Makoto, or as Haruka teased his husband when they were alone, Makoto had shrunk with age.

As for Akira, the weak, silent little baby barely struggling to catch her first breath back then had grown into a beautiful young lady who was the spitting image of her mother, so much so that Makoto used to turn into a hopeless puddle of mush whenever his daughter did something cute when she was younger. Like Haruka, she wasn't very good at expressing herself, and it took her parents and her brother to read her and know what she was thinking. People tend to see her quiet, introverted side as her being cool, and as a result get drawn to her, and that was when her older brother would put himself by her side to act as her human shield. If she did inherit traits from Makoto, it was his fear of horror themed movies and games, and his affectionate nature towards people important to him.

Makoto next turned to Haruka. He smiled, thinking that with his twins turning out to be good kids, he had his spouse to thank for that. In terms of child-raising, the children were brought up mainly by Haruka when they were young, as Makoto had to work and didn't have much time at home with them. When Haruka returned to work too after the twins entered elementary school, they alternated among staying at their paternal grandparents' place, maternal grandparents' place and their own home. Makoto considered himself extremely fortunate, to have so many people helping to look after his family.

Well, if he had to say what he felt most fortunate about, it was being able to marry his childhood friend, sweetheart and first love. Starting a family with him was a pleasant surprise, but right now, he couldn't be more content with his life. He may have been Haruka's second love, but he fully intended to be by Haruka's side for many more years to come.

"What is it, Makoto?" Haruka's voice brought him out of his thoughts, having felt his stare on his apron-clad form long enough. Haruka held the plate of pudding in both hands, even as he gave his husband a curious look.

Makoto smiled, pulled him down onto his lap and set the plate on the table before wrapping his arms around the black-haired man's waist. Haruka gave a soft exhale. "In the mood to cuddle huh…"

Makoto rested his head on Haruka's shoulder, as they remained that way for a moment. After a couple of minutes ticked along, Haruka felt lips brush against his back in a light kiss. He turned to look at his spouse, who gazed warmly.

"Thank you, Haru. I'm glad it's you." "Thank you for loving me."

Haruka responded by placing his hands on top of Makoto's. He turned to give his husband a wordless stare. "I will not have it any other way."

To be continued

Makoto and Haruka's twins are written as Natsuki (夏輝 – Light of Summer) and Akira (秋平 – Autumn's Peace). Please excuse my blatant murder of Kanji. :p

I couldn't resist putting a cockblock scene from Nagisa in there. Don't get me wrong. I do think Nagisa is lovable, but he's cute whenever he (accidentally?) does not read the mood.

In the meantime, just a little for fun equation. Scorpio + Cancer = Leox2?

I was a little worried over the twins' characterizations, since both of them are Leo types. From what I read, those are somewhat very sociable, and they love getting attention to themselves. I think this only applies to their firstborn, but not their second child.

If you can't picture Akira's build, think Mikasa from Shingeki no Kyoujin. Akira's got Haruka's physique, with muscles, but not too much. Natsuki's the one who's all bulky, just like Makoto.

As mentioned earlier, this chapter is Part 1 of the ending. Part 2 is going to be Haruka's POV predominantly. Please excuse all the fluff in this chapter. I might have gotten a little carried away with it. Maybe take it as compensation for all the angst I put in the previous chapter?

Now then, the next chapter will be the last chapter. In the meantime…

Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn