Prompt: Haru having Makoto sneak out of his house at night to go on a date and takes him ice skating for the first time?
A/N: I wanted to post something for Haru's birthday, but because I realised I wouldn't be able to finish my current project in time, I decided to write one of the requests I still have in my inbox. I did this, thinking it would be a quick little thing, but it still got a bit longer than I intended. Thus, I'm a couple days late, but nevertheless: Happy Birthday, Haru!
Rating: T
Word count: 6,253
A faint buzzing sound above his head woke Makoto from his slumber. Confused and groggy, he blindly reached towards the headboard to search for his phone so he could check the time. When he got it and slid it open, the bright light pierced through his closed eyelids and he blinked a few times before his eyes could focus on the screen.
It was well into the night already, so when Makoto saw that Haruka had sent him two messages, his confusion only grew. What on earth could Haruka possibly need from him at one in the morning?
The content of said messages didn't quite clear things up.
'Meet me outside in five minutes.'
'And bring gloves.'
Makoto frowned as he scanned the texts over and over to make sure he was reading it correctly. While Haruka had no problem doing whatever he felt like at any given time, he rarely dragged anyone else into his plans this directly.
Since it was currently freezing outside and he was exhausted from studying in the library all day, not to mention the fact that it was at an ungodly hour, the last thing Makoto wanted to do was to leave his warm bed and go outside. Haruka had to have a darn good reason to make him change his mind. Thus, he texted him a quick 'what for?' and waited for his response.
The minutes ticked by, but Haruka's reply never came. With a sigh, Makoto pulled himself out of bed and put his socks on before he ventured out of his room. Knowing Haruka, he sent the texts only to not look at his phone afterwards, confident that Makoto would come to meet him as he had requested. If he didn't, then Haruka would probably wait for him for longer than he should, and Makoto couldn't do that to him. Especially not when the temperature had dropped to below zero like it had now.
As quietly as he could, Makoto tiptoed down the stairs so to not rouse his family. Haruka's impromptu plans, whatever they might be, weren't supposed to wake anyone but him. He gathered his things, slid on his shoes and coat and patted his pockets to make sure his gloves were still in there. Then, he left his house and slowly closed the front door behind him.
His feet left fresh prints in the thin layer of snow, but even the cold air biting at his skin wasn't fierce enough to banish every remnant of sleep from his system. His body was set on dealing with this as swiftly as possible and then return to the realm of dreams like he had never woken up in the first place. If only he had been awake enough to realise that nothing was ever so simple when it came to Haruka.
Like he had been expecting, Haruka was already waiting for him at the steps that separated their houses. A small smile naturally stretched Haruka's cheeks when he saw that Makoto had come, and it made Makoto's stomach tingle. No matter how tired he was or what kind of nonsense he had been awoken for, Makoto couldn't mind it anymore; as always, the sight of Haruka erased every feeling inside of him that wasn't absolute fondness.
"Thanks for coming," Haruka murmured once Makoto was standing in front of him.
He pouted his lips in a silent request for a kiss, and Makoto could never deny him one. Leaning forward, he chastely pressed his mouth to Haruka's cold lips, that revealed that he had been waiting here for more than five minutes already. To make it up to him Makoto kissed him again, longer this time in the hopes of warming him up a little.
Although every kiss they shared was a blessing in itself, Makoto didn't think Haruka would call him out here in the middle of the night just because he was craving a kiss or two. When Haruka pulled back, he said, "No problem. What do you need?"
"Do you have your gloves?"
"Yeah?" Makoto yawned, rubbing at his eyes to will the sleep away.
"Put them on," Haruka instructed and he dropped down to his knees, opening the zipper of the duffel bag Makoto hadn't noticed before.
Blame it on his clouded mind, but suddenly everything seemed to make sense to Makoto. Every piece fell together to form this horrendous puzzle: texting him in the middle of the night asking him to come meet him, gloves, ignoring his question, large duffel bag. There was only one conclusion he could reach.
"H-Haru," he stammered with trembling lips, eyes widening in horror, "You know I love you very much- more than anything, but I… I don't know if I can do this."
Haruka stopped rummaging through his bag in favour of whipping his head up to shoot him the biggest frown that had ever twisted his eyebrows. "Do what?"
"You know, the body…"
"What body? What the hell are you talking about?" When Haruka followed Makoto's line of vision and ended up on the duffel bag, it finally made sense. The incredulity was vibrant in his voice as he yelled, "I didn't kill anyone, you idiot!"
Hearing those words made Makoto snap out of his haze. Instantly, he realised how dumb he had been. Of course Haruka didn't kill anyone. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just that it's late and you have this bag and you're pressing me about gloves and- I'm sorry," he repeated, because his justification sounded very stupid, even to himself.
"I'm pressing you about gloves because it's really cold outside," Haruka said dryly as he plucked a scarf and a hat out of his bag, "and I didn't have a pair that would fit your enormous hands."
"Sorry," he mumbled bashfully, staring at his feet as he allowed Haruka to dress him up.
"It's fine. I've always known you are an idiot," Haruka teased as he yanked the hat down over Makoto's eyes.
"Hey, I just woke up and I'm really tired! For all I know, I could still be dreaming right now."
Haruka laughed lightly at his reaction and to complete the look, he tied the scarf over Makoto's mouth. "I know. You're forgiven." To prove it, he got up on his toes and planted a kiss on the tip of Makoto's nose, the only part of his face that was still bare. A frisky grin was left on his lips when he pulled back.
"Thank you," Makoto huffed as he adjusted the accessories, but he couldn't stop himself from gently smiling back at Haruka. "So, where are we going?" Judging by Haruka's preferred bag size, they had quite the adventure ahead.
"It's a surprise," Haruka replied as he grabbed the straps and hoisted the bag over his shoulder. "I promise there's no murder or hiding bodies involved."
"Thank goodness," Makoto chuckled. Now that he knew for sure that he was awake, he definitely didn't want a nightmare like that to become reality. "The bag looks quite heavy, though. Do you want me to carry it?"
"No, I've got it," Haruka assured, clutching the bag against his body like he was afraid Makoto could guess its contents if he held it. "Next time if there's an actual body inside, you can carry it for me."
"Alright." Makoto had an inkling that this would be one of those things that Haruka would never let him live down. He couldn't even really mind it because in hindsight, it was an incredibly foolish thought that deserved to be ridiculed.
Haruka slipped his gloved hand into Makoto's and guided him down the stairs, leading him to a destination yet unbeknown.
As they were strolling along the shoreline like they had done countless of times before, Haruka turned back to him. "Do you really think I have it in me to murder someone?"
He asked it so casually, like he was inquiring about the weather, that Makoto couldn't help but laugh again. "Of course not," he said sincerely, "But if you did, I would help you hide the body."
"Just for the record, if I ever did kill someone you'd probably be the last person I'd ask to help me hide the body."
"What? You can trust me!" Makoto urged, sounding almost offended at that notion.
"It's not that I don't trust you, because I do," Haruka vowed, rubbing his thumb over Makoto's hand, "but you'd probably act nervous and suspicious the entire time and end up exposing us sooner or later."
Makoto opened his mouth to protest, but when he truly thought about it, Haruka wasn't wrong. "Well, who would you ask then?"
Haruka shrugged, clearly never having put thought into it prior to this absurd conversation. "Maybe Nagisa."
"What, Nagisa?" Makoto scoffed sceptically, "He's like the biggest gossiper we know!"
"Yeah, but that's only when it comes to trivial things. If it's something dark like this, I'm sure it would be a secret he'd take with him to his grave," Haruka claimed, and Makoto had to admit his words held a point of truth. Nagisa would run his mouth when it came to all the embarrassing things Rei had done during a sleepover, but all the serious, important stuff he'd keep to himself. "Besides, it's not like any of our other friends would be of much more help."
"That's true," Makoto snorted, thinking about how their friends would react if they were to ask such a favour of them. Rei would probably lose his cool and instantly crumble underneath the pressure, while Rin likely wouldn't be able to stop crying with guilt for what he had done. Nagisa seemed like the only viable option.
And then there was Sousuke, who would probably be the best at hiding a body and keeping his mouth shut thanks to his broad build and stoic demeanour, but they weren't nearly close enough with him to ask him for help with something like that.
"Who would you ask?"
"Eh?" Makoto stumbled, caught off guard by that question, "I could never kill anyone!"
"Neither could I, but it's just hypothetical," Haruka insisted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes because that was well-established by now. "So who?"
"Hmm," Makoto hummed, looking up at the sky as he weighed down his options. "Probably you, Haru."
"Me? Why?"
"You're the only person I can trust when it comes to something like that," Makoto elaborated, his gaze meeting Haruka's and he bid him another tender smile, "You're so calm and level-headed even in the most stressful situations. And if I ever did end up in such a situation, I'd probably be freaking out and you would be there to comfort me. There's no one who can reassure me like you can, and I know you would never betray me, so you're my best option. Though, I'm not sure if I would want to drag you into something like that…"
"Good, because I wouldn't help you."
"What? You wouldn't?" Makoto faltered, jaw dropping in disbelief.
"No," Haruka claimed, unable to suppress a smirk, "I'm not going to prison because you were dumb enough to kill someone. If you got yourself into this mess then you can get yourself out of it too."
"I can't believe you," Makoto sighed with a shake of his head. "After all these nice things I said about you, you just cast me aside like this? I even said I would help you hide a body! You're terrible!"
"Careful with what you say," Haruka advised, trying to put up an eerie demeanour, but he couldn't quite mask the twinkle of joy that shimmered in his beautiful eyes. "Otherwise I might have to kill you."
That was probably the least threatening thing Makoto had heard in his entire life and he giggled, "You wouldn't dare."
"Is that a challenge?"
"You could never kill me," he stated, unyielding. "You love me way too much for that and you know it."
"I will actually kill you if you don't shut up," Haruka promised, but Makoto simply laughed again; the only way Haruka could kill him was with thoughtful gestures and loving looks. Haruka gently bumped their shoulders together in a way that only proved him right.
Silence fell between them as they moved through the snowy landscape in the tranquility of the night. Their playful banter had defogged his mind and clarified that they were not out here to cover up a homicide, but Makoto still had no clue where they were going or what they were actually going to do.
He sneaked a glance down at Haruka, who was clutching the duffel bag protectively against his side like it contained his very heart. Though arguably, he'd already given his heart to Makoto so he could cherish and safekeep it in his stead. Which indicated that it was important to Haruka to keep his surprise a surprise.
While his curiosity hadn't dwindled yet, Makoto decided not to pester Haruka about it. It shouldn't be too long before his secret was revealed if their destination was within walking distance. Until then, he would respect Haruka's wishes and summon all the patience in his being.
Eventually they got to the main shopping street. Unlike during the day, it was now quiet and looked almost abandoned, with all the people gone and only the streetlamps and the moon providing some light. Being home to mainly elders and young families, the nightlife of Iwatobi wasn't quite bustling and all the stores were closed. Therefore, Makoto had no idea what they could possibly be doing here. Again, he chose not to question it and he let Haruka lead the way without protest.
As they walked through the vacant street, Makoto's eye fell on something obstructing the path ahead and suddenly, he knew exactly where Haruka was taking him. In the middle of the square was a small ice rink that was placed there earlier this week.
Ever since he was a child, Makoto had dreamed of going ice skating together with Haruka. Alas, Iwatobi didn't have a rink and whenever they happened to be in another town or city, the ice rinks were always closed because of the time of year.
This was the first time Iwatobi had ever had an ice rink and Makoto was overjoyed when he heard about it. Nagisa had invited them all to go skating together that afternoon, but Makoto had to regretfully decline. The entrance exams were coming up and he had to utilise every available minute to study. There was no time to play around until he knew for sure that he would pass his exams and get into the college he was aiming for. Accomplishing his goals and making his dreams come true required some sacrifices, so until then he had to postpone his childhood wish of going ice skating. He figured Tokyo was bound to have some ice rinks too.
Because of his dedication to his studies, he hadn't been to the main street in quite some time and hadn't actually seen the rink before. Though it was dark, Makoto could clearly make out the wooden benches surrounding the borders and the stall that rented out the skates. As suspected, it was closed, so getting to skate was out of the question, but Makoto didn't mind it. Just being here was already amazing. It made him even more determined to study hard, so he could reward himself by going out to skate with his friends sometime afterwards.
Haruka put his duffel bag down onto one of the benches, but Makoto was too absorbed in marvelling at his surprise to pay the bag any more mind.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Haru," he murmured, leaning his arms on the border. He turned his head to the side to where he had presumed Haruka to be standing, but was instead met with empty air. Bewildered, Makoto looked around himself in search for his boyfriend, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Haru?"
As if on cue, all the lights surrounding the ice rink suddenly jumped on. The brightness startled him and his eyes frantically scanned the deserted street for the source. Now the area was lit, finding Haruka was far easier and he soon spotted him standing near the stall.
"What are you doing?"
"Turning on the lights," Haruka simply shrugged as he walked back to Makoto. "It's hard to skate in the dark."
"Yeah, but- wait, we're skating?" Makoto cut himself off when Haruka's words got through to him. Had he heard that correctly?
"Of course," Haruka said with a frown as he zipped open his duffel bag to reveal two pairs of ice skates. "It would be a waste not to after coming all this way."
"I, Haru!" Makoto blurted in awe at what seemed to be like a dream come true, but he couldn't let himself be consumed by enthusiasm just yet. "Are we allowed to do this?" The last thing he wanted was to pass his exams only for his school of choice to deny his application because he got arrested for trespassing a few months prior.
"Of course," Haruka repeated, and along with the skates, he fished a key out of his bag.
Makoto couldn't do anything in response but tightly wrap his arms around his love. Haruka chuckled at his excitement while Makoto gushed, "This is amazing, Haru! How- What have I done to deserve this?"
"This afternoon, when you declined, I knew that you actually wanted to come but felt like you shouldn't slack off on your studies. Even though Nagisa kept pressing on about it, you wouldn't let yourself be persuaded and I knew you hated to refuse his offer," Haruka started, and Makoto nodded in understanding; he always felt bad for saying no, but considering they were leaving for Tokyo in a few months' time, having to turn down their friends cut him extra deeply now. "I wanted you to be able to come, but I also didn't want to keep you from your studies so I came up with this."
"Oh, so you decided to keep me from my sleep instead?" Makoto asked with a cock of his eyebrow, but he couldn't veil his true feelings. "I'm kidding. I really appreciate this, Haru. Thank you."
Haruka smiled as he wound his arms around Makoto's neck and got up on his toes to draw him in for a kiss. In the meanwhile, both of their mouths had gotten cold thanks to the frigid winds, but there was no better way to warm them than like this.
When their lips ultimately parted, Makoto couldn't stop himself from nuzzling Haruka's reddened nose with his as a giggle of sheer joy bubbled up inside him. "Thank you, Haru," he reiterated as he leaned their foreheads together, staring straight into the ocean of Haruka's breathtaking eyes.
In response, Haruka could only kiss him again. His hands slipped down his arms to entwine his fingers with Makoto's instead. "Come on," he mumbled as he tugged Makoto towards the bench so they could put their skates on and Makoto didn't need to be told twice.
"How did you get permission to do this?" Makoto wondered when he was tightening the straps of his rental skates.
"I went to the stall and asked the owner," Haruka said like it was the easiest thing in the world, "Turns out the owner is a friend of Coach Sasabe's. He was talking to him when I went up to the stall and Coach Sasabe introduced us. I explained the situation and the owner agreed to let us use it for the night. So he rented me the skates and told me to pick the key up from him in the evening. I have to return it tomorrow morning."
"That's really kind of him, just giving you they key like that." Not everyone would let a kid they didn't even know lend the key to their business just because an old friend happened to be their coach.
"Coach Sasabe helped out a lot," Haruka snorted, giving credit where it was due. "He went on and on about how we went to nationals this summer, and I think that impressed him. If not, then it was probably because Coach Sasabe told him we have a knack for breaking and entering and told the owner he might as well give us permission otherwise we'd do it anyway."
Makoto laughed at that. Though his track record begged to differ, the last thing Makoto wanted right now was to get himself in trouble for something silly like this. Even if this silly thing meant the world to him.
"He only gave me the key to the rink though, not the one to the stall, hence me having to bring the skates myself," Haruka explained, and that cleared up the whole duffel bag situation. "The stall owner and I aren't quite on that level of trust yet."
Feeling nothing but overflowing happiness, Makoto could only laugh again.
Once the skates were secured around their feet and ankles, they got up and shuffled through the snow towards the entrance of the rink. Haruka unlocked the door and swung it open, pocketing the key. Then he got onto the ice and Makoto followed after him.
His first steps on the ice were quite shaky and he held onto the door for leverage, but Makoto wouldn't let himself be defeated so soon. After fantasising about it for years, he could finally skate to his heart's content and he wouldn't let the risk of falling scare him off. At least, that was what he initially told himself.
He lifted his foot to take another step forward, but the second it touched the ice it felt like he was slipping and he clambered back up, leaning his weight onto the door rather than his feet.
When he heard uncharacteristically loud giggling, he whipped up his head from where he had been focused on the ice to look at his boyfriend. "Don't laugh at me!" Makoto screeched, "This is my first time being on ice!"
"It's mine too," Haruka retorted, "but I don't move around like a newborn giraffe."
Makoto wanted to protest to that comparison - though he full well knew it was probably true - but that train of thought was halted before it could leave the station. "It's your first time too?"
"Hm."
"But I thought you went with Nagisa and Rei this afternoon?"
"I did, but I didn't skate. I knew you always wanted to skate together with me, so I was waiting for tonight."
His heart skipped a beat. Time and time again Haruka's thoughtfulness and kind soul managed to astonish him, though he really shouldn't be surprised at this point. It was one of the countless reasons why Makoto loved him so.
"Thanks, Haru-chan," Makoto murmured with a sincere smile, to which Haruka naturally responded with his usual rebuttal. "So nice of you to always save your firsts for me," he added, feeling like it was his turn to tease now after Haruka's giraffe-remark.
Haruka rolled his eyes, but didn't take the bait. "Just hurry up and actually skate already before I come to regret my decision."
"Um, about that," Makoto sputtered as he stared at his feet again, that were involuntarily gliding out from underneath his body in a side split, "I could use some help with that. Can you give me a hand?"
"No." Haruka turned his back to Makoto and skated away from him so he wouldn't see the mischievous smirk on his face. "I only skate free."
"Oh come on," Makoto pleaded, not daring to let go of the door because of his unstable footing. His determination was melting away like snow before the sun when he thought about how slippery the ice was and how much falling probably hurt.
"Just put your feet next to each other and straighten your back," Haruka said, skating a circle in front of him to show him the correct posture. "It's not that hard."
"We can't all be naturals at everything like you!"
"You haven't even tried yet. Just trust yourself and you'll be fine."
Makoto groaned in response; he wasn't quite so sure if he wanted to do this anymore. But Haruka had taken all this effort to arrange this for him, so he couldn't give up without giving it a shot; he couldn't let Haruka's surprise go to waste. What was the worst that could happen?
Holding tightly onto the border, Makoto put his feet back into their original position. He took a deep breath to collect all his courage, and then he let go. Slowly he moved his feet forward and slid over the ice.
"See, you can do it!" Haruka called in what was meant to be an encouragement, but ended up being a jinx.
The second those words let Haruka's lips, Makoto slipped and promptly fell on his butt.
Haruka sighed and skated back to his clumsy boyfriend, knowing he should have expected this much. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm hopeless, aren't I?" Makoto lamented, thinking that was what Haruka must have thought.
"You're not hopeless, you're just insecure," Haruka assured as he grabbed Makoto's hands with his and hoisted him up. "You're only falling because you think you're going to fall. Have some more faith in yourself, and if you do fall then just get up again."
"That's easy for you to say; I'm falling from a much greater height."
"Stop making excuses," Haruka chided, tightening his grip on Makoto's hands. He stared down at their feet for a moment as he hummed under his breath, "Alright, um…"
"Haru wait!" Makoto yelped before Haruka could move as much as an inch.
"You trust me, right?"
"I do, I do, but-"
"I won't let go," Haruka promised, looking back up into Makoto's eyes to show him how earnest he was. "I won't let you fall, but if you do then we go down together."
That was oddly comforting to Makoto. He was afraid of messing up, of making a fool of himself in front of Haruka, but the only thing that was foolish was the way he was acting; he had already fallen down anyway, so there was nothing left for him to lose.
"Ready?"
Taking another deep breath to ground himself and to will the shakiness from his legs, Makoto looked up and nodded.
"We'll take it slowly." With that assurance, Haruka's gaze drifted back to the blades beneath his feet as he pondered for a moment. Then, he began to skate backwards.
Suddenly feeling them move should have frightened Makoto, and it would have if he wasn't so entranced by Haruka. This was his first time on the ice yet here he was, skating backwards and pulling him forward like he was a pro. Haruka truly was a jack of all trades.
"Haru, you're amazing!" Makoto marvelled, gasping in awe. "How- Where did you learn this?"
Haruka only shrugged again. "I saw some people skating backwards earlier and I figured it wouldn't be much different than skating forwards."
A chuckle of admiration left Makoto's lips at his boyfriend's nonchalance. "How are you so good at everything?"
"I'm not good at everything," Haruka defended, "but in this case, I guess ice is just frozen water after all."
"You're one with the water in any form, huh?" Makoto giggled in adoration, "What happened to you only skating free, though?"
"I'm always free when I'm with you," Haruka replied without missing a beat, but when he realised what he had said, his cheeks grew a few shades darker and he averted his head.
"Haru," Makoto gasped, his heart swelling with fondness. Haruka's love never ceased to surprise him. He might not be the best at putting his feelings into words, but when it mattered, Haruka always knew just what to say. With every word that left his lips without second thought, he managed to make Makoto feel so special, like only he could.
Before Makoto could say anything else, Haruka changed the subject and nodded down towards their feet. "See, you're skating."
He hadn't even noticed it, but Haruka was right; his feet were gliding beneath him in small strides that matched Haruka's. Without his awareness, he had naturally mirrored Haruka, like they were two bodies in perfect harmony.
A wide smile instantly lit up his face and he looked back up to Haruka to share his excitement. But because he had moved unconsciously, now that he was aware of it, his feet began to speed up and they fell out of sync. The blade of his right skate got caught behind the other and he stumbled backwards, dragging Haruka down with him.
He landed on the ice with a hollow thud and Haruka fell on top of him.
"Are you okay? Did you hit your head?" Haruka worried, pushing himself off of Makoto's body. Contrary to what he had been expecting, Makoto started to laugh. Loud and bellowing, unabashedly, and Haruka's eyes widened at the sound of it. It was his turn to be surprised now.
"Sorry," Makoto breathed when he saw the look of confusion on his love's face. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine, but…" Haruka trailed off, not needing to voice his thoughts for they appeared vividly on his face.
Makoto let out a big sigh and threw himself backwards onto the ice, staring up at the starry sky. "Thank you, Haru," he whispered, for this was just what he had needed. He realised that there was no need to be scared, because everything would be alright; with Haruka supporting him, Makoto felt like he could do anything.
He had been so stiff and serious lately, doing nothing but sitting with his nose in his books all day. His daily life was reigned by his fear of failing his exams, so much so that he wouldn't allow himself even an hour or two off to have fun with his friends. The friends he was going to leave behind in just a couple of months. He would regret not studying more if he wasn't accepted into his university of choice, but he would surely regret not spending quality time with his friends before he moved away too.
His sights were set on the future so much that he had forgotten to live in the present. Every day he watched how his friends lived their lives while he locked himself up in the library and felt more miserable and anxious with every chapter he read.
And now, that mindset had bled over into his skating. He was so focused on all the things that could happen if he messed up, how much harder it was than he had imagined that he had lost sight of what truly mattered, what he was here for in the first place; having fun with his boyfriend.
As always, Haruka was the only one who could break through his barrier and show him that he could do anything he dreamed of, if only he believed in himself.
Haruka turned to lie down beside him, staring up into the endless sky. Their hands remained to be entwined, and Makoto pressed a small but loving kiss to his forehead, that was covered by his silky fringe. Then, he leaned his head against Haruka's for just a moment.
No words were spoken, for none were needed. Makoto had missed this so, and he made a silent promise to Haruka to spend more time together from now on. He wouldn't quit his studies all together, but maybe, just maybe, he would be able to pass his exams without dedicating every single minute of the day to them. It was all about finding that perfect balance.
Just like that, a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. With newfound valor, Makoto pushed himself off and got up. He held out his hand to Haruka, smiling and tilting his head in the habit he could never seem to shake. "Here, Haru-chan."
For once, Haruka didn't complain about the use of the honorific and accepted Makoto's hand like he always would. When he was back on his blades, Makoto pulled him in for a tender kiss. It was filled with relief and gratitude, but above all with affection. There was nothing that felt more right than holding Haruka in his arms, and it gave him the final boost he needed.
"Come on," Makoto said with a sweet smile, his hand finding Haruka's again. "We've been here all this time and we haven't even skated much yet."
He slowly pushed his right foot forward, then his left. Right, left. Within every stride, he grew more confident and dared to pick up the pace a little. Before he knew it, he was actually skating alongside Haruka, who naturally matched his rhythm.
Now that he finally felt comfortable enough to look up, he glanced over to Haruka. A proud smile adorned his lips, and seeing it made Makoto feel even better. As long as Haruka was here, he could climb every mountain and face any fear.
After a while, Makoto let go of Haruka's hand. He wanted to test his limits; to see how far he could go with just his own strength. He pushed himself forward on the ice, making sure to use his arms to keep his balance as he skated faster and faster.
The wind blew through his hair as he circled around the rink. It felt so liberating, like all his troubles vanished and he lost himself completely in the feeling. He was having so much fun and he felt like an idiot for almost letting himself be held back by his fear of the unknown. He had taken greater leaps than this, so he was glad that Haruka was always there to encourage him whenever he needed it.
"Look who's the natural now," Haruka commented when Makoto was skating beside him again, not able to hide how pleased he was that his surprise had turned around for the better. "You're way faster than me."
Makoto only chuckled as his hand found Haruka's again. Skating by himself was nice, but everything was simply more enjoyable if he could share the experience with Haruka. And he was determined to enjoy this to the fullest alongside his wonderful boyfriend.
When their legs were starting to get a bit tired, they decided to take a little break. They leaned against the border of the rink, staring up into the night sky with only the sound of their racing heartbeats accompanying the silence.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Haru," Makoto said again, and even though it hadn't been a lie the first time, his words held far more gravity now. "I'm having a lot of fun."
Haruka blessed him with a soft smile. "I am too."
"Sorry that I haven't been around as much lately."
"It's fine," Haruka brushed off, "I know you're busy. It can't be helped."
"Still, I miss spending time with you like this," Makoto confessed, glancing down at his feet, "Being here with you now made me realise that more than ever. I don't want to neglect my studies, but I don't want to neglect you and our friends either."
"You're not neglecting us." Haruka cupped Makoto's pink cheek with his hand and turned his head towards him, so he would take in every word he said. "We miss you too, but we understand that this is important right now. You have to focus on your future, and we're here to support you the entire way there. And when you're ready, we'll be waiting for you."
Although he always knew that Haruka and the others felt like that, hearing him say it so genuinely brought an amorous smile to Makoto's lips. He couldn't do anything but draw Haruka into a warm embrace, because he had no clue how to tell him how much that meant to him. Haruka buried his face in Makoto's shoulder as he hugged him back. "Thank you. I love you so much," he whispered, and it was the one thing he was always able to say.
Haruka chuckled at his sentimental boyfriend. "I love you too."
Such a confession couldn't be followed by anything but a tender kiss.
"We should do things like this more often," Makoto proposed, resting his forehead against Haruka's and giving his nose a small, loving nudge.
"We should," Haruka concurred, "How about this: when your entrance exams are over, I'll take you out on a surprise date again?"
"Sounds wonderful."
To seal that promise, their lips met in another passionate kiss. Though he was very much revelling in the here and now, Makoto was already looking forward to all the escapades they would take on together in the future.
Wanting to use as much of the time they had, they resumed skating soon after that. They skated and skated and skated. Not even the occasional slip and slide could press the fun, for they would always help each other back up, be it on or off the ice.
After skating for quite some time, they decided to go back home. Neither of them had much sleep prior to this, and to say that the physical exertion had left them both fatigued would have been an understatement.
Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end eventually, but they knew this was a night that would be remembered and treasured forevermore.
A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
You can find me on Twitter, Tumblr and Curious Cat as DatHeetJoella for more MakoHarus.
I hope to see you again with future updates and for now, I wish you a lovely day! ^^