AN - SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN UPDATES! I took a break and then lost motivation, which is what generally happens when I let myself stop writing for more than like three days. I managed to dredge up the willpower to write this, so HOPEFULLY I can get back in the game, but I make no promises. This chapter is from Haruka's POV, and, as you can probably imagine from the title, is tooth-rotting-ly fluffy. Except when it's not, ie when it goes on about Haru's shitty parents. The style is a bit different from the other chapters (more dashes, an entire section in parentheses, etc.) but the style change is more how I feel Haru should be written. I'm weird. Hopefully you like it, and the next chapter won't take months to come out.
It's something like destiny, she thinks: a promise between two children in the dead of night that had been only half serious, but taken to heart and held onto with a quiet but unyielding passion.
The story is this—
When she and Makoto reach nine years of age, Haruka's parents decide that the two are too old to continue their co-ed sleepovers. In typical fashion, her mother gives no warning at all and simply alerts her that this would be the last time she was allowed to stay at Makoto's house overnight and vice versa.
She doesn't even have time to argue; she's expected for dinner, and if she is more than a few minutes late Makoto will surely come after her. That her grandmother is there arguing on her behalf as she leaves — slamming the door like a child wronged — only mildly pacifies her.
Furious, she stalks the brief trip to Makoto's house, scowling all the way. She can only imagine the sort of face she must be making, for when he opens the door, his jubilant smile evaporates instantaneously in favor of pale, obvious horror.
To his credit, the boy manages to recover enough by the time she had stomped up the stairs and thrown her bags into his room that he can look her in the eye without flinching and ask, genuine concern bleeding through, "Is everything alright, Haru?"
"I'm fine."
He can't mask his dubious expression quick enough, and normally people doubting her word ranks pretty high on her list of irksome things, but Makoto just isn't someone she can stay mad at. His worried green eyes soothe her every frayed nerve, and when he asks, "Are you really?"
…She can answer, almost truthfully, "Really."
It's honestly troublesome by itself that somehow his very presence calms her down; who gave him that power, that control? Her grandmother — but not her parents, never her parents — had raised her to be independent, and she felt bothered when she relied on Makoto like this.
But at the same time, it was already a habit, and it was one she knew she couldn't (wouldn't; refused to) break.
Dinner is a tense affair — Haruka somberly tells the Tachibana family of her mother's orders, to Makoto's blatant despair and his parents' confusion and disappointment.
Mrs. Tachibana says, mostly to herself, "I can't say I don't understand her reasoning, but isn't this still a little too much? And so soon… The both of you are still children. I wouldn't think there would be anything to worry about for another year or two, at least."
Haruka says nothing, and the woman gives a demure smile before continuing, "Even if your mother may not like it, I want you to know that you are always welcome here, Haru-chan."
Mr. Tachibana picks up where his wife left off and says, "Yes, indeed. But before that, perhaps we can talk to her and convince her that she's being too harsh."
She scowls. "Doubtful. If not even Grandmother's stubbornness broke through, then it's hopeless."
Makoto's parents offer their apologies at the situation, while the boy himself pokes at his food without eating, eyes downcast.
In the midst of it sits the twins, age three. Ran giggles happily, eating messily in the way only toddlers can, oblivious to the mood. Less ignorant, Ren starts bawling.
And so the night goes on.
Haruka and Makoto retire to his room early, hoping to wash away the problem with videogames. They mostly fail; neither speak of it, but their thoughts and fears are still there, buried just beneath the surface.
Around midnight, Makoto starts getting drowsy — he was in the middle of a growth spurt that had let him finally surpass her in height, and needed more sleep than she did. He fights it for about thirty minutes, wanting to spend more time with her on their "last night" together, but she can see him slowly losing the battle, and starts putting away his games and controllers with a sigh.
She manages to nudge him towards his bed — for once, he's too out of it to protest taking it when he feels she should get the better accommodations as the guest — and settles down in the futon unhappily.
When he speaks, she isn't surprised. Makoto had always had a tendency to say whatever was on his mind when he was in that place between sleep and waking. It's the words themselves that stun her:
"Haru-chan," he mumbles sleepily, and she has to fight back the automatic urge to berate him for the honorific, "we'll always be together, won't we?"
Her first thought, from the brain, is, that's illogical. We're not even technically together all the time now, and to assume we will be in the future is silly.
Her second thought, from the heart and feeling significantly more truthful and all-around better, is a simple yes.
She clears her throat — it seems to have closed up without her noticing — and states, "Of course."
There is silence for so long she assumes he has fallen asleep, and she begins to doze, herself, but then—
"Mom says," he slurs, half-asleep, "that when y'love some'un… when you love someone, and wanna…" he yawns, "wanna be with 'em forever, you marry them. One day, will ya… will you marry me, Haru?"
Haruka freezes in place, heat springing unbidden to her cheeks, and—
(She thinks about it.
First she thinks about Makoto: He's clearly delirious. He's barely conscious! He couldn't have meant that. He was just saying whatever came to mind, like usual. But…
But what if…
Blushing harder still, she thinks of what her mother would say: That boy's hopeless. Nine years old, and still afraid of ghosts? He's too gentle — it's not natural for a boy to be like that. He's whimsical, irresponsible… instead of handling things on his own, he still turns to his mother for help… Don't be silly and throw your life away for a man that won't be able to care for and provide for you, Haruka-chan.
She scowls, both at the imagined use of the name she hated (coming from anyone but Grandmother's lips), and the thought of the words her mother is very likely to say.
When Dad starts his new job in Tokyo next month, you'll be moving with him and leaving me behind. You call that responsible? At least Makoto won't leave me.
She decides not to listen to her mother anymore.
She thinks of her father's words: You should listen to your mother, Haruka. You're still young and she knows best.
Typical. For all her mother harped on Makoto's non-confrontational nature, her own husband had the personality of a blade of grass, bending in the wind. Haruka can't remember the last time the man had said something for himself rather than for his wife.
She thinks of what her grandmother would say: You are a strong girl, Haruka-chan. You don't need anyone, but you are allowed to want them. Does he make you happy? Do you want him? He's a good boy, and if you want him… if he makes you happy, he has Grandma's blessing.
Finally, she thinks of what Makoto's parents would say: You are always welcome here.
She smiles.)
—And, after what feels like eternity, but is really only a couple minutes, she has an answer. She fixes her blue eyes on the snoozing boy and proclaims confidently, "Yes."
In his sleep, Makoto smiles.
He's still smiling when he wakes up — an hour after her, having slept right through breakfast, much to his parents' chagrin — and when she asks him about it, his grin turns bashful and his cheeks stain red as he mumbles, "Just a good dream."
Back then, she had returned his smile with a small-but-genuine one of her own. Makoto had written the experience off as dream, but Haruka never, never forgets it.
One day, Makoto and Haruka's shared dream comes true.
AN - Feel free(!) to squeal in delight and/or kill me for that ending. Honestly, that feels like a fic-ending line but the story isn't over. I have a very specific scenario/trope in mind for what will eventually be the "final" chapter in this time-skipping fic. I want it to end on the highest note possible, so I'll tell you right now the eventual ending is going to be Victorious Childhood Friend (or possibly They Do). Possibly the first with the second in parentheses right after, who knows. But yeah, like I said above, sorry for the wait and hopefully the next chapter, whatever it is, will be out faster. Thanks for the patience and love, guys.