Once she was gone Makoto smiled at him, "Today was fun, thanks for meeting with us."
Haruka smiled with one corner of his mouth, holding on to Etsuko like a life line, his heart beating rapidly.
Makoto picked up the three bags that where his, off the park bench where Aoi had left them.
Haruka watches him silently, content cuddling the sleeping boy in his arms.
The tall man glances at him, he cleared his throat and turns away,
"Would you...maybe like to have tea with me..seeing as Etsuko is asleep..don't really want to wake him..you don't have to-"
"Makoto." Haruka said, quietly. The man looked up sheepishly, when he heard his name, having his attention Haruka finished, "Yes."
Makoto's smile was priceless, it always made Haruka feel weightless. The tall man took a hold of the last bag on the bench, leading the way slowly. They crossed the park, passing the neat trees getting ready for October, their leaves changing color. Etsuko breathed easy, not even shifting in his sleep as Haruka slowly followed after his friend.

Makoto took a key from his pocket, the three of them had to walk up a few flights of stairs. Haruka going slowly so as not to wake the sleeping Etsuko, they walked quietly, without meaningless conversation.
Going down an open hall way and at the end, Makoto stopped at the last door taking the key he had palmed and pushed it into the lock.
Makoto pushed open the door and moved for him to go first, "His room is upstairs, on the right." Haruka nodded, pretending not to notice the tingle as he brushed past the taller man.
Ascending the stairs, Haruka manages to find the young boys room. Inside, is nicely colored and shared by the twin boys, a single bunk bed it in one corner.
When Haruka approaches with Etsuko still sleeping in his arms, it was obvious which bed was his. However, he lays the young boy on the bottom bunk over the covers.
Once he had the boy settled he moved away, rolling his shoulder back. Then he reached into the top bunk and took the seahorse plush, it was very realistic and brownish orange in color.
Haruka set the plush next the the dreaming Etsuko, then turning he pulled a crocheted blanket from the arm chair in the room, where it looked like Makoto read them stories.
Moving back to Etsuko, he gently placed the blanket over him. Haruka smiled to himself and brushed back some of the boys hair away from his eyes, then slowly trying his best not to wake him, Haruka removed his shoes. Taking them with his fingers he made sure that the young boys feet where covered, then turned to leave.
"Haru..?" a small voice asked sleepily.
"Mmm?" Haruka tilted his head, towards Etsuko, standing in the door way.
"Will I see you again?" Etsuko asked, trying to keep his eyes open.
The same color as Makoto's...Haruka thought, his heart fluttering as Makoto's face drifted in his mind, strikingly clear.
"Likely." He assured the boy, attempting to breath properly.
Etsuko smiled and then closed his eyes once more.
On the way back in the hall, he noticed Makoto's bedroom door open. He bit his bottom lip, knowing he shouldn't snoop, but the room called to him, so he wandered in. The bed was large and in the center of the room.
It was made, however a pile of laundry was on top of the spread. It looked like Makoto was in the middle of sorting and folding.
Haruka could hear Makoto in the kitchen down stairs. The kettle starting to whistle, the clinking of tea cups.
Clutching Etsuko's shoes, Haruka turned to leave before the tall man came looking for him. That's when he saw the dresser, it had a range of pictures on it. Haruka moved closer and noticed he recognized some of them, it was rather easy to guess the others though.
One depicted Makoto with his boys, there was also one of his twin siblings.
Haruka doesn't question the twins, they look very similar to Makoto himself, with green eyes, though slightly darker hair. Haruka feels like he's seen them before, but not sure where he might have.
Over the years, Haruka has seen an over abundance of twins with green eyes, in his dreams and foggy memories.
He pushes these lingering ghosts away, by returning to the other pictures on the dresser. One hand still holding onto the boys shoes, Haruka reached out his right hand and pulled out one picture hiding behind the others, he finds it curious; why leave have it here at all, if you can't see it...
Seeing the face before him answers his question, even without meeting her, he knew this was Etsuko's mother. He looked a lot like her, with darker hair then his father.
The lady in the picture was standing on the beach, wind blowing her gray dress to the side, along with her long black hair.
Her eyes were a crystal blue, they sparkled like water did in light.
She seems care free and it was very obvious that whomever had taken the picture, she loved dearly.
Makoto... Haruka thought, he could feel his heart beating faster, gazing at the young woman.
She was far to young to die...looking at it better he noticed, that she was holding her belly, gently. It was hard to tell, she was only just starting to show.
She's pregnant in this picture. Haruka was going to set the photo back, where he found it, then he changed his mind and placed it more to the side, making it viewable with the others.
Haruka's heart was still beating heavily, I'm not jealous...I like the fact he keeps her picture..it shows he cared about her. I wonder if he just recently stopped wearing his wedding band...

Going down the stairs quietly, Haruka places Etsuko's shoes by the entrance and then slipped out of his own. Following the noises from the kitchen, Makoto had his broad back to him when he entered the room.
Haruka smiled slightly and seated himself on one of the stools at the counter, looking around Haruka concluded that the apartment was really nice. It wasn't flashy like his parents, something more in between like his own home was. Not fancy, comfortable and spacious.
"It was Kotone's choice, when we first looked around, she thought it was perfect for raising kids...even though it's the city." Makoto said, apparently noticing Haruka looking around.
"Kotone..." Haruka stated, looking at him gently. He didn't have to ask, but he wanted Makoto to clarify, to have a name for her face.
"Yes. Kotone was my wife of seven years." Makoto said, rather shyly.
Haruka thought of the photo and smiled, her name suits her...wait..
"You must have married, very young." Haruka commented.
Talking over the passed few days, Haruka already knew they where both thirty one years old. Makoto rubbed at the back of his neck and with his other hand placed a cup of tea in front of his guest.
Haruka glanced at it when Makoto replied, "Yeah, she was eighteen and I was seventeen, I was twenty four, when the boys where born."
He took a hold of his own tea and continued. Haruka's eyes settling on his. He stood across from Haruka, his stance leaning forward.
"We got married, planning to settle down in town after school, but when that came around years later, Kotone got the job offer in the city.
It was really worth it, she had worked really hard on her Manga. So we moved, that's when she found out she was pregnant." Makoto looking down into the brown liquid of his cup, swirling it around absentmindedly as he continued.
"She died, giving birth to the twins. She was only twenty five years old."
Haruka's hand twitched and moved a little closer, he was about to pull it back when Makoto held out his hand for him to take. Haruka slid his right hand into Makoto's left, the taller mans tea sitting on the counter forgotten by his left hand.
His hand was warm and Haruka squeezed gently, not having words of condolence just wanting to be there for him.
Makoto's eyes watched their joined hands, he could see the lighter skin where his wedding ring used to rest, Haruka ran his thumb over it soothingly.
"I feel like, I've known you for ages." Makoto told him, his eyes low as he kept them on their joined hands. Not daring to look up, but adding pressure with his fingers gently.
Haruka wanted to see his face, to dive back into Makoto's wonderful, loving and kind expression.
"So do I.." Haruka told him, his voice shaking slightly, his own heartbeat seemed overly loud. His words, had the desired affect, Makoto's head tilted up.
Haruka found his gaze, meeting green and causing a shiver to run though his body.
Nodding Haruka assured him gently, suddenly afraid that if he was to loud, this dream might fade like the others.
Not this time...Don't wake up...
"Haruka..." Makoto said it lowly, just like he had before his son had dragged Haruka away while in the clothing shop. This time, the meaning seemed to be shining though everything else, the admiration and love reaching out to Haruka tentatively.
Makoto also seemed to think, that anything more said might shatter something; as though words where tangled and he didn't want to disturb the mood with stumbling sounds.
Haruka had to blink, but he didn't want to look away. Instead his eyes got very wide, amazed at all he could gleam from his friends expression alone.
"Makoto..." Haruka manged to say, this also seemed to be enough for the other man.
He smiled, shakily releasing his hand, moving it back to his tea.
"I didn't mean to make the conversation so depressing...sorry." a light dust of color touched his cheeks, with pleasant warmth.
"Don't apologize." Haruka stated seriously, "I want to know you." he glanced to the side feeling his own cheeks heating, making him smile.
"I want that too." Makoto said, Haruka didn't have to look at him to know his friend is still smiling.
Though they are no longer holding hands, Makoto doesn't stop the back of his hand brushing Haruka's, which Haruka hasn't bothered moving back into his own personal space on the small counter.

A little later after they had chatted and finished their tea, Haruka made his leave. He didn't want to be invited to dinner, he knew Makoto was one to offer and Haruka wouldn't have been able to refuse the kind man.
He smiled to himself and stuffed his hands into his black jacket, single shopping bag swinging at his wrist.
Walking home with thoughts of Makoto who was already pulling at his heart. Haruka never thought, that after a request to have their lunch hour together, that he would begin to fall so fast.
Maybe it wasn't fast at all...his mind suggests. I intend to find out more about Makoto..it might take me forever...I think I'd be happy with forever..

You've got it bad...Rin's voice entered his mind. Haruka rolled his eyes and deemed to ignore it, as he walked closer to home.