Haru is an artist.

It's no longer something he has to tell himself. Now, it's the reality in which he lives, not an excuse to his parents. It's not a fact he constantly has to state. Everyone in Iwatobi knows it by now.

As the summer sun beats through the window, Haru spends his days sketching, creating art with a careful hand. Right now, he's working on a commission for Nitori - a painting of some ducks in the river. He's working on the body of one of the ducks, sketching a draft of its feathers, trying to figure out which paints will be able to show the light reflecting off them most effectively. Drawing a line, he looks at it for a second before erasing it and trying again. It's a long process, but he doesn't mind - the end product satisfies him enough as repayment.

He's about to draw the line again before someone knocks at the door. Perhaps months ago, back at the start of the year, he would have felt like it was too much effort to answer the door, especially if he was trying to draw. But even then, a spark of happiness would ignite within him upon opening the door to one of his friends. After all, they're the reason why Iwatobi is so special to him. Besides, it's always a lucky dip as to which of his friends will be at the door - although it is more than usually Nagisa.

Today, however, he opens the door to the one friend - more than friend - he doesn't get to see as often as the others. A smile spreads across his lips without him willing or rejecting it. "Makoto."

"Hi, Haru," Makoto says, his usual warmth coming from him in waves. His orange and yellow t-shirt fits him almost perfectly, Haru realises as he remembers the way it had hung from his own frame when he borrowed it, making him feel like a child trying on adult clothes. Even if it doesn't fit Haru, though, it fits the season, bright and sunny like the weather and Makoto's smile.

Haru moves aside so Makoto can enter. "You're here early."

"The bus got here early." Makoto kisses Haru on the cheek as he enters, then removes his shoes at the genkan.

After four months, Makoto's kisses still leave the same warm impression on his cheek. Not that he minds, of course. He hums in reply to Makoto, closing the door behind him.

"Which means we still have some time before we need to meet Nagisa," Makoto finishes once he's standing at his full height once more. It's a constant reminder of how much taller than Haru he is, and Haru can't help but feel a bit miffed by it.

"I'll make some coffee."

"Thanks."

Whilst Makoto gets comfortable on the sofa, Haru starts brewing some coffee. (The sofa is one of the few luxuries Haru has indulged in since he's been getting paid. He swears it's the most comfortable seat he's had in a long time, but Nagisa thinks that's because he's been sitting on cushions and desk chairs for almost a year now.) His coffee is not as good as Nagisa's, especially not since Nagisa started that part-time barista course in the city, but both Haru and Makoto have become accustomed to instant coffee due to their low incomes. The coffee finishes brewing, and he pours it into mismatched blue and green mugs, covering the coffee stains on the white interior of the mugs. He puts the coffees on the table before sitting beside Makoto and leaning against his arm. Makoto picks up his mug before letting Haru settle into his side and taking a long sip.

"Thanks, Haru."

Haru makes a noise in response, still silently marvelling at how easily Makoto can drink from a fresh cup of coffee. Haru lets it sit for a while before drinking it, but Makoto always takes a drink as soon as he's given the cup. Perhaps it's his way of saying he appreciates the drink.

This is how they spend a lot of their lazy days, sitting together on the sofa and relaxing. It isn't often that they get the chance to relax like this, given the need for them to work as much as possible, but moments like this always make Haru feel just a little calmer. It's as though Makoto is an anchor, bringing him back to earth when he starts to drift. He's appreciated Makoto's effect a lot more, recently. With the number of commissions he's been receiving, he's glad that he has someone to remind him to take a break, not to stress himself out, but also to make sure he stays motivated and on task.

Makoto has told him before that Haru reminds him of why he composes music. "You were inspired by my music," Makoto said a couple of months ago. "That makes me remember that I write music to have a positive effect on others. When I think of that, I feel like I can go anywhere, write any song."

When Haru listens to Makoto's debut album, he feels the same way - as though he can make art which will take him anywhere. That's the effect they have on each other - inspiring and motivating each other to go as far as they can. Even when they have rough days - if Makoto's sales have dropped or if Haru has had negative responses to his art - they remind each other to breathe, to step back, and to try again.

Haru looks up at Makoto, resting his head on Makoto's shoulder. Makoto's drinking his coffee, eyes closed in satisfaction. His eyelashes are quite short, compared to Haru's. Haru has always wondered if Makoto can feel his eyelashes against his skin when they kiss. He looks at the freckles on Makoto's cheeks, the type that only really appear for a while in the summer, hidden beauties. Maybe he should make it his challenge to count how many there are. Although he doesn't think he would finish counting before he would kiss Makoto and lose count.

Makoto looks over at him and smiles softly. "You okay?"

Nodding, Haru leans up to press a kiss to Makoto's lips. Makoto smiles into the kiss, unsurprised by Haru's sudden affection. By now, he's figured out that Haru likes to be affectionate when they're alone. By now, Haru has also figured out that Makoto isn't one for physical contact unless he knows that the person he's in contact with wants to be touched. Haru doesn't mind, though. He likes to initiate their kisses, and he appreciates Makoto's thoughtfulness.

Pulling back, Haru asks with half-closed eyes, "You?"

"Yeah," Makoto breathes, leaning forward for another kiss. Haru meets him halfway. Despite his avoidance of initiating contact, once they've started kissing, Makoto doesn't hold himself back.

Today, their kisses are lazy. Light touches of the lips, bumping noses and unhidden smiles. Makoto leans his forehead against Haru's, letting his fringe join Haru's. They kiss again, unable to resist the warmth, the comfort of being together. Even after being in a relationship for a few months, they can't get enough of it.

Then someone knocks at the door.

Rather than springing apart, Makoto gently pulls away from Haru, who almost leans back in, but restrains himself.

"It's probably Nagisa," Makoto says quietly.

Haru sighs, but not in exasperation. He stands and makes his way to the door, making a mental note to finish his coffee when he returns to the sofa.

It's no surprise that Nagisa is indeed the one behind the door. "Hiya, Haru-chan!"

"Hi, Nagisa," Haru says, letting him in. Nagisa, like both Makoto and Haru, is wearing light clothing, but at this time of the year, no one can blame them. His pink shirt sways around his hips as he pushes the trainers off his feet and bounces to the kitchen area. "The kettle should have enough water in it."

"Thanks!"

As Nagisa busies himself with making a drink, Haru joins Makoto on the sofa once more, picking up his own drink as he does. Makoto presses a quick kiss to the top of his head. His own cup is empty.

Haru smiles at him before sipping his own drink. It's still hot, although not as scalding as Makoto's must have been. Still, it's good enough.

It doesn't take long for Nagisa to join them, sitting on a cushion on the other side of the table. He cups a plain white mug in his hands, taking a long drag of the coffee. Then he looks up at them, smiling. "You guys ready for today?"

They're going to a city today - not their usual city, but one about an hour's drive away, which luckily the bus provides a route to. It's not a place where any of them have been before, but they've been careful to research properly so they don't get lost when they get there.

Makoto nods. "The bus gets here in about fifteen minutes."

Haru already has everything he needs packed, and it only takes a few minutes to reach the bus stop. There's no need for them to rush.

Nagisa says, "I'm really excited about this!"

"Because Rei's going to be there?" Makoto says.

Ever since Rei moved away for university, the cafe has been a lot quieter, but Nagisa hasn't. He and Rei still talk every day over the phone and Skype. There's nothing except for distance keeping them apart, and today they'll be in full couple-mode. Not that Haru can complain, since he's always in couple-mode with Makoto, just with a lot less PDA.

"Of course!" Nagisa giggles. "But also because we'll get to see Rin-chan swim with his team in a competition."

That's why they're going so far afield. Rin invited them a few weeks ago to watch the competition, and they all accepted. It's a weekend, so it doesn't interfere much with their schedules. Besides, Haru in particular wants to see how Rin has improved things with his team members since they last spoke about it a few months ago.

"They'll do great," Makoto says. "Rin's a great swimmer, so the others on his team must be great, too."

They weren't the best swimmers, last time Haru saw them, but there was always room for improvement. Maybe their attitudes have improved, as well.

"Of course they'll do great," Nagisa says matter-of-factly. "I told Rin-chan if he gets any less than third, he's paying for dinner."

Haru doesn't think that's the reason why Rin would want to do well, but he stays silent. After all, the idea of Rin being afraid to lose in case he goes bankrupt due to Nagisa's huge appetite is pretty amusing.

As expected, Nagisa and Rei are all over each other as soon as they meet up in the new city.

Well, it's more that Nagisa runs up to Rei and started kissing him before Rei has a chance to do much else other than let him do it. Still, he kisses back in earnest, so much that Haru actually feels like he's invading their privacy by watching. He looks over to Makoto. Blushing, Makoto looks at Haru, and they silently agree not to look back until they're sure their friends are finished.

When Rei surfaces, his face is redder than Rin's hair, but he smiles at Nagisa without looking like he cares too much. Nagisa's cheeks are pink too, but his beam makes it look as though it's a natural flush. They make their way back over to Makoto and Haru, and everything returns to normal.

It doesn't take them long to find the swimming pool. A crowd of cars swarm outside it, taking over the car park. It's either a big competition, or everyone drove here individually. Haru hopes not - that's a lot of wasted space and unnecessary pollution. Of course, he's proven right when they enter the stands and see just how big the stadium is. Hundreds - thousands? - of people are packed into the stands, chatting amiably as they wait for the even to begin. The pool beneath them glistens in the light, and around it, at least a hundred professional swimmers are warming up, either in the sloshing pool or on the poolside, making sure they're fully prepared for the race ahead of them.

Rin and his team are grouped on the side nearest to them, most of them performing stretches. Rin himself looks like he's talking to his team members, a determined smile on his face. Unexpectedly, his teammates are smiling too, although they don't look quite as enthusiastic as Rin yet. Perhaps Haru's advice to Rin actually worked. It's entirely possible that Rin has grown closer to his team and started to create a strong relationship with them. That's why they seem to be getting along - because they are getting along.

After a few minutes, Rin looks up to the stands, locating them immediately. He grins and waves at them.

"He looks like he did when we were kids," Nagisa says, smiling. His face shines and he watches eagerly as Rin and his team make their way back to their captain. "He looks happy."

"Has he not always looked like that?" Rei asks.

Nagisa shakes his head. "When he was twelve, he moved away for a while to a swimming school. When he came back, he was really down in the dumps. He joined the local team at our high school and we got to swim the relay together again."

Now he thinks about it, Haru remembers Nagisa saying something about having swum with Rin before. Could it be that his love for the relay - the relay he swam with his friends - brought him back from his slump?

"He was really happy after the relay, for a while. When he went into professional swimming, it went a bit downhill. He wasn't all that happy for a while," Nagisa says. "Not until now."

Rin and his team head for the poolside to do some warm-up laps. They look determined, hopeful. Maybe they'll actually do well.

Not long after, the events begin. They start with individual races, which none of Rin's team feature in. Haru wonders if they chose to focus on the relay, instead. If they did, that's a definite change from when Nakagawa and Iwashimizu were complaining about needing to focus on their individual races. They might have done well, but perhaps it's for the best that they focused on the relay. All of the individual swimmers are amazing, streaking through the water at incredible speeds. Watching the freestyle swimmers reminds Haru of his own swim-club days, except his were a lot less exciting.

After the butterfly races have finished, the medley relay event begins. Rin's team are in heat three. The teams in the first two heats are good. Six months ago, Rin's team would never have beat any of them. Eventually, Rin's team step up to one of the middle podiums. Rin says something to them and they all nod. No arguing, no complaining. It looks good, so far.

Because it's backstroke first, it's an underwater start, so Nakagawa enters the water, poised on the handrail, ready to dive. A moment of tension fills the air, the seconds between the 'set' and the whistle. When the whistle blows, Nakagawa's entry is almost exactly at the same time. He swims the dolphin kick back up to the surface before taking on the backstroke. His stroke really has improved. Whilst he was good before, he's more streamlined now, and he spreads his energy so he isn't wasting it all in one area. It's a good-quality backstroke, lacking the power of Makoto's stroke but still effective in giving them a head start.

He reaches the podiums in second place and cries Iwashimizu's name as he dives overhead. Iwashimizu's breastroke has improved too. Especially in terms of the exchange, now he's able to keep, and even advance, their position a little. It's not the most spectacular stroke he's seen, but it does the job and keeps them in second place until he reaches the podium for the exchange. He calls Sousuke's surname above him.

Sousuke falls into the water in the way all swimmers wish to - a perfect dive. His butterfly is still full of power and an unnatural elevation that isn't possible for most swimmers. There aren't any noticeable improvements, which is probably because Sousuke is such a good swimmer anyway. He catches up to the swimmer in front at the turn, neck-and-neck. It seems like Sousuke is going to pass him when suddenly he falters, his right shoulder dipping under the water.

Nagisa gasps. "What happened?!"

But Sousuke swims on. He makes it to the podium in third place and calls to Rin as Rin soars overhead. Rin doesn't seem affected by Sousuke's fall. Rather, it looks like he's using more effort to bring their placement back up. His freestyle mystifies Haru - he felt it when he watched him swim the first time. The power he has in his kick, especially during the turn, amazes him. It pushes him forward easily until he's back in second place and gaining on first. He's right beside the first-place swimmer when their hands touch the wall. His head jolts up to the scoreboard.

Second place.

Rin grins, excited even though they came second, less than a second from first, from qualifying. He doesn't seem to care. Climbing out of the pool, he fistbumps Sousuke and congratulates his fellow team members. Even Nakagawa and Iwashimizu look happy, even though all of their training was for nothing. Even though they didn't qualify in a single event. They smile nonetheless, celebrating their achievement together.

Later, Rin takes them to dinner at a local restaurant, blowing off a meal with the rest of his team (bar Sousuke) at an all-you-can-eat buffet. The six of them gather around the table, chatting animatedly about the race, congratulating Rin and Sousuke on doing well.

"You were doing so well," Nagisa gushes to Sousuke. "But what happened in the last leg? You kind of fell for a second."

Sousuke's face doesn't give away much of a reaction except for a flash of pain in his eyes. Rin looks down too, as though it pains him as well. "I overtrained a while ago, back when I was in high school. I've been through therapy, but sometimes my shoulder acts up again."

Nagisa makes an 'oh' shape with his mouth and nods, not pushing the subject any further.

Rin, however, gives a forced chuckle. "Even though his shoulder's not at its best, Sousuke still gave it his all. He's an amazing swimmer."

Smiling, Sousuke looks over to Rin. "You're the one who almost got us back to second place, dummy."

"Yeah, but you got us in the same position too," Rin says. "Don't put yourself down. You did great."

"You all did great," Rei says. "In fact, I almost feel inspired by the beauty of your performance."

"You want to swim, speedo-glasses?" Rin asks, an eyebrow raised in a smirk. "I'll show you a sight you've never seen before."

"What, a lesson in not sinking like a hammer?" Nagisa laughs. Rei stutters a protest, but Nagisa is too busy laughing to listen.

As they argue, Rin turns to Haru. "Hey, can we talk for a second? Outside?"

Haru is a little confused, but agrees anyway and follows Rin outside. It's warm, since it's summer, but no one is outside the restaurant. They sit on some of the outside chairs, watching cars drive by.

After a few minutes, Rin speaks. "I've got to thank you, Haru. What you said back in February, it changed my perspective."

Haru remembers his words that day. He didn't realise at the time they would help Rin this much. "Really?"

Rin smiles. "Yeah, it did. I was able to show Nakagawa and Iwashimizu how much I care about relay, and even Sousuke's starting to get it. They all worked so hard today. We were a proper team."

"I'm glad," Haru says genuinely.

"It's all thanks to what you said back then. It really got me thinking, and I started being nicer, trying to be their friend. I helped them and tried to show them my perspective. It took a while, but they finally got what I was saying. It's thanks to you, Haru."

Haru doesn't say anything, and they continue to look out upon the traffic. It's peaceful, watching life pass by, especially after such an eventful day. Haru's glad his advice helped Rin, especially because Rin's advice helped him when he needed it most. He never got around to thanking Rin for that, did he? "It's the same for me, Rin."

Rin looks over to him, confused. "Huh?"

"If you hadn't given me advice, I wouldn't have gotten out of that situation," he says, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "I wouldn't have been able to stay in Iwatobi. It's all thanks to you, Rin."

Blinking, Rin looks at him for a second before he blushes. "You could have just asked for help," he mutters.

Haru looks over to him with a knowing look. Both he and Rin know he wouldn't have told anyone about his situation if he could have avoided it. Still, he appreciates Rin's sentiment.

Rin stands suddenly. "We'd better get back inside."

Standing, Haru joins him in returning to their friends.

It's late at night by the time they return to Iwatobi, but Nagisa insists on coming over to Haru's house for a while. Makoto is still there, too - he's staying the night - so it's almost like a slumber party for the three of them.

When Makoto goes for a shower at one point, Nagisa takes to teasing Haru. "You and Mako-chan are so sappy, oh my god. You really spend a lot of time kissing and stuff."

Haru's sure they haven't kissed at all since Nagisa's been here today, but maybe he's just forgotten. "It's not like we're as bad as you and Rei, though."

"We're not that bad!" Nagisa says, even though they both know just how much PDA Nagisa and Rei partake in on a regular basis. "Besides, you two act like you're a married couple already."

"You're the one that got us together," Haru reminds him. He wouldn't have realised his feelings if Nagisa hadn't told him what they were.

Nagisa sticks his chest out with a smug grin. "Exactly! You two should really be thanking me."

Haru takes the chance to be a little more serious. Without a hint of humour, Haru responds, "You're right."

"Of course I- huh?" Nagisa turns to him with wide eyes, his puffed-out chest deflating.

"You're right," Haru repeats. "You got Makoto and I together. Not to mention how much you've helped me with the situation with my parents, and Makoto with his career. So we should be thanking you."

Nagisa blinks at him wordlessly. It's honestly pretty funny to see him struck without words.

"Thank you, Nagisa."

Nagisa stares at him for a moment before his eyes begin to water and he pounces on Haru, gripping him in a bear hug. "Haru-chan!" he wails, but he's laughing at the same time.

Haru tries to protest, but to no avail. In the end, he lets Nagisa hug him, smiling into his shoulder. It's almost like having a kid brother, being around Nagisa. He's so energetic and full of life, but also so sentimental, it's endearing. Maybe that's why Rei likes him so much.

They eventually peel apart when Makoto walks in with a confused expression on his face. Nagisa launches a hug on him as well, even though Makoto thanked him months ago and hasn't said anything tonight. It's probably just something in the air. Still, it's not unwelcome. If Nagisa's happy, then Haru's happy, and Makoto is happy too.

Later, once Nagisa's left and they've been through the nighttime rituals of tooth-brushing and showering, Haru lies in Makoto's arms, sharing an admittedly small bed. They're half-asleep, worn by the events of today. They know tomorrow will be eventful too, considering how much work they have to do, but for now, they rest in each other's arms, indulging in the comfort of simply being together.

"I'm really glad you told me how you feel," Makoto says sleepily, his eyes drooping as they meet Haru's. "I'm really happy we're together."

"Me too," Haru says, and he means it. He loves all of his friends, but being together with Makoto, relaxing and enjoying each other's company, he feels safe and warm. He feels at home.

"I can't imagine not having met you," Makoto says. "What if you'd never come to Iwatobi? Or if I'd never started playing at the cafe?"

Haru thinks it's too late and they're too tired to be pondering hypothetical situations, but he lets Makoto go on. "We'd never have met."

"Exactly. Now that I know you, I can't imagine not being with you, you know?"

Haru does know. It's almost as though they were meant to be together, as though they've been together their whole lives instead of only having known each other for almost a year.

"I really love you, Haru," Makoto says, his voice getting quieter. He's starting to fall asleep.

Without restricting himself, Haru lets a soft smile spread across his lips. "I love you too, Makoto." He leans up and presses a chaste kiss to Makoto's lips before settling in beside him.

They've got a lot of work to do. Art and music, unprofitable careers that they both love. There are a lot of risks in being an artistic couple. But those risks and worries are for the daytime. For now, they are in each other's arms, they are safe. For now, they are free.

FIN

AN: Hi! I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has read and supported this fic. I am so flattered by all of the reviews and favourites that have been left here. Seeing that people have enjoyed this fic has really brightened up the past few months for me, so thank you!

you may have the key may be at its end now, but this AU isn't complete just yet. In December, I'm planning on releasing 24 one-shots for this AU in the run-up to Christmas. They'll all be posted on my AO3 account (the username is the same) under the series 'ACAU'. I hope you all enjoy those when they are released. I'll also post links to each one-shot on my writing tumblr, randomactuallywrites-57, and on my twitter, randomwriter57.

In the meantime, thank you very much for reading! Have a great year!

~Random