Haruka Nanase stared down at the words written perfectly across his arm with his usual disdain.

Haru-Chan!

That's all it said. That's all it had ever said. And while Haru knew that the words were that of his so-called soulmate, he couldn't help but feel let down. That would be the first thing they said to him? A nickname he didn't even like being addressed by? Plus, it was so vague. There were no distinguishing factors to it. It almost sounded childish.

He sighed and pulled his coat over his arm. There was no point in trying to puzzle it out now. He and Makoto had tried time and time again but there simply wasn't enough to go by.

Makoto looked at Haru as he put on his coat, "Thinking about it again, Haru?"

Haru shot him a look that implied he didn't want to talk about it. What he didn't say, though, was that he was always thinking about it. Not because he wanted to find his soulmate, but because he didn't want to.

x—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Makoto Tachibana could recite the words written on his arm to you from memory. Not because he looked at it all day every day, he insisted, but because it was such a simple, short statement.

Think fast!

Two words. He had stared at two words for 17 years of his life and wondered, endlessly, when he would finally meet "the one". Many people in his 17 years had used that phrase in relation to him, but that never mattered. Those had to be the first words they ever said to him, and that had not ever been the case.

But he couldn't deny that his heart hurt a little every time he heard those two words.

x—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Mrs. Tachibana bustled about the kitchen, working on three pots at once and something else in the oven. How she did it, the boys never knew. She never wanted help, though. Not in the kitchen anyways. Instead, she tasked Makoto and Haru with keeping the twins entertained so she could cook in peace until Mr. Tachibana was home from work..

"Onii-chan!" The twins cooed in sync as they appeared with a video between their hands, "Can we watch this?"

Makoto took the VHS from their hands and flipped it over. It was one of the many home videos that Mrs. Tachibana had recorded all through their lives. The only downside was that she didn't think to label them until it was too late so there was no knowing what was about to be on them.

"Sure!" He smiled, patting Ran's head and turning towards the TV.

The twins settled on the ground directly in front of the couch, leaning up on either side of Haru's legs as he sat on the couch. Makoto popped the VHS in and started the movie before taking his spot next to Haru on the couch.

The scene unfolded before them on the TV screen; it was winter and a very young Makoto stood outside, ushering his parents out the door. He was wrapped up in a scarf, hat, gloves and coat as the snow fell gently to the ground around him. He was bouncing eagerly from foot to foot, but he couldn't have been much older than four.

"Makoto, darling, hold on a second!" His mother's voice came through the speakers as the camera twisted around to show the front door shutting.

A hand reached onto the screen and took a hold of Makoto's small hand. As soon as they made contact, young Makoto made a mad dash for the stairs that sat between his house and Haru's. Young Makoto took the stairs two at a time, dragging his laughing mother behind him along a familiar route.

Makoto chanced a glance at Haru and smiled to see a slight fondness in Haru's eyes as he watched.

"Haru-chan is waiting for me!" Young Makoto cried, turning to face the camera.

His mother's laugh sounded again and she finally released his hand. He made another mad dash around the corner and, when the camera managed to catch up to him, he had stopped short and was staring at an equally young, equally bundled up Haruka.

There was a long moment of silence where the two stared at each other before Makoto, in utter glee, exclaimed, "Haru-chan!"

Haru, in part, looked uncomfortable and turned away. (Makoto couldn't stifle a laugh as he watched, thinking about how many times he had seen Haru do exactly that. He had never really realized how far back that reaction went.) There was a moment of silence before Haru reached down, grabbed a handful of snow and, as he formed it into a compact ball, called to young Makoto, "Think fast!"

Young Makoto ducked and his mother's laugh came through the speakers. The twins rounded on the two, ignoring the part in the video where Haru's grandmother came out to scold him for being so rude. "Haru-chan, that wasn't nice!"

Haru shrugged and turned to look at Makoto. For his part, Makoto could see his own discomfort reflected in Haru's eyes.

There was no way, right? It wasn't possible, was it?

They both wanted to ask these questions but how would they know?

Instead, Makoto went for a light-hearted remark. "I don't remember this, Haru. Do you?"

Haru shook his head.

"I don't suppose you would," Mrs. Tachibana said from the entrance to the kitchen. All eyes turned to her. "You were both so young. In fact, you had both just learned to talk at that point."

"W-what?" Makoto asked. He didn't miss the knowing sparkle in his mother's eyes as she responded.

"There was a while when you were both infants where one of Haru's relatives got really sick and he had to leave for a little over a year. When he left, neither of you were able to speak full sentences. In fact, I don't think either of you could pronounce each other's names. That's why I had to film that moment. You had been so excited for Haru to come back, so excited to show him that you could talk and that you knew his name and, well, that's the first time you two ever spoke to each other. I guess the rest from there is history."

With one more knowing smile she beckoned the twins to wash up for dinner and the three of them disappeared.

A long silence ensued where neither of the boys looked at each other, but they both knew. Of course they knew. They were best friends, they had discussed the words on their arms with each other many, many, many times. There was no denying it now.

"Haru…" Makoto began, finding his voice weaker than he had hoped.

Instead, Haru seemed to have something to say. "Do you remember when I said I didn't want to find whoever would speak this words? I didn't want my soulmate?"

Makoto nodded, not trusting his voice again. He remembered that day very vividly. He had already been replaying it before Haru asked, fear settling into his stomach.

"I said that," Haru said, his voice barely above a whisper, each syllable dragged out painfully, "Because I was already in love with someone else. And I didn't want to have to give that up."

It felt like an anchor was sinking in Makoto's stomach. "Haru, I would never ask you to—this doesn't change—of course—!"

Haru looked up at him then, his blue eyes clearer than they had been in ages. They no longer looked like a storm looming over the ocean, dangerous and mysterious and still so enticing. They looked like a clear lake on a Summer's day—you could stare into the depths of his soul if you were willing to.

"That person was you, Makoto."

There was a three second pause where the words sunk into Makoto's mind. Haru watched with baited breath, waiting for the moment he could see the click. Three seconds. Two breaths. That's all it took for the telltale smile to appear on his lips. That's al it took for Haru to know that it was going to be okay.

x—x—x—x—x—x—x—

The rest of the night had been uneventful, despite Makoto's huge grin and Mrs. Tachibana's pointed looks. It wasn't until dinner was cleaned up and the twins were tucked into bed that Makoto and Haru got to be alone again.

As they climbed into bed, a movie playing quietly in the background, Makoto smiled to himself.

"I think," He whispered quietly, "this is the first time I haven't hated those words on my arm."

Even in the darkness of the night, even as Haru buried his head into Makoto's shoulder, he could see the smile that graced Haru's lips as he whispered, "I think you're right."