From Pauper to Prince

by DatHeetJoella

When Prince Nagisa hears that he is arranged to marry Prince Haruka of Iwatobi, he is more than a little upset. In order to take his mind off things, his tutor Rei decides to take him to the town near the palace, where they meet a poor boy with a heart of gold. Little did they know that this meeting would change their lives forever. -MakoHaru ReiGisa

3. Sink or Swim

A/N: Happy birthday, Nagisa! Unfortunately, you're not really in this chapter but your memory is alive.

There are a couple of things I want to mention at the start of this chapter:

First off, from this point on we're heavily going to diverge from the plot of the movie in favour of my own agenda and the things that I wanted to happen in this universe. So for those of you who've seen the movie, there may be some tiny things that are still the same but don't expect the exact same turn of events. After all, this fic is only loosely based off the movie.

Second, I'm currently working on chapter 5 of this fic and I will post chapter 4 once that one's done. I hope I can keep a regular updating schedule of around the start of a new month, but I can't promise anything. This may seem like a slow schedule, but it's the best I can do and since this fic doesn't have that many chapters, it shouldn't be too long before the entire thing is up.

Third, in my head, I envisioned this chapter and the next as one. As soon as I was writing this chapter, I realised that that would be impossible. This chapter on its own is already 16k, which is longer than the previous two combined, and if I stuck to my previous planning, it would be a 35k chapter, which is a little much so I know I made the right choice to split it up. Therefore I hope this chapter will feel like it's enough to stand on its own, but I think it will.

Lastly, I kind of forgot to mention this in the previous chapters, but the ages of the characters are a little different than in the series: Rei is a little older than Nagisa and Makoto (contrasting to the anime where Makoto and Nagisa are actually older than Rei), and Kisumi is also older than the other characters, he's like in his mid-twenties. Though this doesn't necessarily change anything in this fic, I wanted to mention it since it makes more sense this way. I hope you understand.

Also, a brief reminder that this fic is set in a fantasy universe rather than a historical one. Electricity and plumbing are here, advanced technology's not.

I could be forgetting to mention something here, but I think that's it. I've rambled enough anyway.

So, I hope you enjoy!

TW: mentions of blood, but nothing too bad.

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The next morning Makoto was awoken by a soft knock on the door that startled him awake. When he opened his eyes and looked around himself, he was met with a high marble ceiling and for a second he panicked and sat up because he wasn't lying in his bed and didn't know where he was, but then the memories of the past two days shot through his mind and he remembered, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Then the knocking continued, a bit more insistent this time and Makoto tried to speak up but his voice was still groggy with sleep. He cleared his throat before he tried again.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened and the same servant that had shown him his room yesterday came in with a silver tray in her hands. "Good morning, Your Highness," she spoke with a nod of her head, "I brought you your breakfast."

"In bed?" Makoto questioned in bewilderment. He had wanted to return her greeting first but he was so astonished that he forgot.

"Is that not customary for you?" she asked, worried if she had somehow offended him.

"It is, it is!" Makoto hastily said before he remembered that as a prince, he should be calm and collected. "I was just expecting to have breakfast with Prince Haruka and the king and queen."

The woman shook her head. "The king and queen have left the palace to attend to business and won't return until next week." She put the tray down over Makoto's lap. "Prince Haruka has requested your presence at ten o'clock sharp. He will be waiting for you in front of the gardens."

"Alright. Thank you," Makoto muttered with a soft smile and the servant blushed before she bowed and quickly took her leave.

Makoto didn't think much of it and turned to the tray in his lap. Truthfully he was not used to eating in bed at all; the only times he could ever remember eating breakfast in bed was when he was sick as a child and his mother would feed him broth - that sometimes consisted of nothing more than hot water and some old bread. Breakfast and dinner were practically the only times his family got to spend time together and converse and he always treasured that. Regardless of what his mother served, he enjoyed being together with his family and he especially looked forward to hearing about his siblings' day and watching them eat. It always reminded him what he was working so hard for and to see his hard work paid off by the joyous smiles of Ran and Ren always gave him strength.

Once again he was hit with a pang of homesickness and he just wished that they weren't too worried about him. His parents, though grateful, had already been suspicious after he had come home with higher earnings than he had in a long time, but he had been able to ease their concerns with parts of the truth. He could only imagine how they must feel now after he had abruptly left in the middle of the night with nothing but a vague note that he hadn't even written himself, for they knew he couldn't. Not wanting to get lost in how much he missed his family, he shook his head and turned back to the tray in his lap.

Because it was so normal for him to have breakfast with his family, he had expected that it was like that for other families too but apparently the customs were different in royal families. Now he just hoped that the servant hadn't interpreted his words the wrong way and that she assumed that he was expecting that they would have breakfast together so he could get to know his future husband and family-in-law better.

It wasn't like it would help him to worry about that now, so he decided to just start with his breakfast already. He didn't know exactly what time it was but he didn't want to be late, especially since Haruka would be waiting for him.

He lifted the lids off the plates and he saw freshly baked bread, fried eggs and all other types of food that he couldn't even begin to recognise. Everything smelled absolutely delicious and even though he had been stuffed to the brim before he went to sleep, his stomach started to rumble just from the sight and scent of all the food.

Eagerly he dug in and he moaned softly for it tasted like absolute heaven. It was just as good as dinner had been yesterday but he had restrained himself back then and suppressed every urge to make a noise, for he didn't want to behave oddly or do something they would consider to be weird. But now he was alone he allowed himself to revel in it and enjoy all the food to the fullest. The only thing he missed was the chatter and presence of his family and once more he dearly wished that he could have shared this food with them. It only made him determined to work even harder from now on so that one day, they would feel satiated too after eating a meal that was as delicious as this one.

At this point he was basically just stuffing his face with it, trying not to feel guilty for eating so much food all by himself but he had to admit that it was definitely much more pleasant than to be malnourished. And if he had been with others he would have gladly shared everything, but he wasn't now so he forgave himself for his gluttonous behaviour.

Just as he had taken another large bite there was knocking on his door again. Remembering what Rei told him about speaking with his mouth full, he quickly tried to swallow but the food got stuck in his throat. He reached out for the cup of tea that was on his tray and took a big gulp in the hopes of washing it down, but the scorching liquid only burned his tongue and made him cough violently. It was almost funny how obvious it was that he wasn't used to this. All of this luxury and class was too much all of a sudden for a simple boy like himself.

When he finally caught his breath he called, "Come in," and was relieved to see that it was Kisumi who was standing at his door.

"Are you alright in here?" Kisumi asked with a chuckle as he walked in, holding a large box in his arms and kicking the door shut behind him.

Makoto's face darkened with embarrassment and he coughed again before he nodded. "The food just got stuck in my throat."

Kisumi laughed again. "Slow down a little and don't eat too much all of a sudden," he advised good-naturedly, "You don't want to get a stomachache."

"Right," Makoto mumbled. He hadn't actually thought about that; it had never been a concern before and that was why he didn't think there would be any consequences to his gluttony.

In the meanwhile Kisumi had put the box down on top of the desk and he pulled back the chair and sat down on it backwards, leaning onto it as he looked at Makoto.

Suddenly Makoto remembered his manners. "Sorry, do you want some?" he offered, gesturing towards the plates.

"No, thanks," Kisumi declined with a soft chuckle, "I've already had breakfast along with some other servants."

"Oh, okay," Makoto nodded, "Do you mind if I…?"

"Of course not." Kisumi waved dismissively with his hand, "Take your time, Your Highness."

At that Makoto chuckled lightly as well and he took another bite. "Do you happen to know what time it is?"

"Certainly," Kisumi said and he took his watch out of his pocket, "It's a little past nine, so you have more than enough time left to eat in peace before you need to get ready."

"I see," Makoto muttered and he smiled softly once more, "Thanks."

A smirk appeared on Kisumi's face and he leaned his chin onto his arms, looking slyly at Makoto. "Are you excited?" he asked, although the smug tone in his voice told Makoto that he already knew the answer to that question.

Makoto's cheeks grew a bit warmer. It was no use denying it and Kisumi didn't seem like he would scold him for feeling this way; on the contrary, he almost seemed to encourage it. "Kind of, yeah."

"You're not the only one who's excited," he sang, implying that he knew more than Makoto expected him to.

"What do you mean?"

"While I was eating breakfast with some other servants, Prince Haruka showed up. He asked one of the maids if she wanted to tell you to meet him in the gardens at ten. He seemed a little bashful or even shy, maybe. It was cute, honestly."

The thought of Haruka being excited to see him too made his belly tingle with fuzzy feelings and if he was looking forward to their meeting before, then he really couldn't wait now. The mental image of Haruka shyly requesting his presence was so endearing that Makoto almost regretted that he hadn't been there to see it. To witness that beautiful face turning pink in the cheeks just like it had yesterday because of him. His heart started to beat a little faster all of a sudden and he could feel his own cheeks colouring even further as he thought of that adorable sight.

His emotions had to be shining through his expression for Kisumi laughed for the umpteenth time that morning. "So if you finish up your breakfast, then I'll help you get ready. After all, you want to look your best for Prince Haruka, don't you?" he teased and he tipped it off with a wink. Before Makoto even had the chance to sputter a reply, Kisumi continued, "That's right, I almost forgot! I got you new boots."

He turned back to the box he put on the desk before and he took one boot out of it, holding it up to let Makoto see. It was a large black boot, seemingly made out of fine leather.

"It looks nice," Makoto commented, "and expensive. Were they?"

"That's none of your concern," Kisumi said as he shook his head with a small smile, "If you just worry about Prince Haruka, then I will worry about everything else."

"I… Alright, thank you," Makoto replied and he returned Kisumi's smile, deciding not to argue it.

"You're turning more and more into a prince with every passing second," Kisumi remarked and though it was intended to sound like a joke, Makoto could heard that he actually meant it and that made him feel a bit more at ease.

Once he was done eating breakfast Kisumi helped him to get ready for the day. After freshening himself up in the bathroom, Kisumi assisted him into another one of his suits that was too tight around his shoulders, though it was a little more 'casual' than the one he had been wearing yesterday, or so Kisumi claimed - in actuality, it still seemed incredibly formal but he had learned not to question it. When he had asked about the crown, Kisumi informed him that he only had to wear it on formal occasions such as yesterday and that he shouldn't wear it today for Prince Haruka would not be wearing his, either. This made Makoto feel a little insecure, because the crown was basically the only thing that made him look like a prince and without it, he looked like nothing more than a servant at best and therefore he was afraid that Haruka would see right through his façade. Kisumi assured him that that would not be the case. Although his clothing may not be as fancy as Prince Haruka's would be, there was no reason for him to be suspicious or wary about it for he had no reason to believe that Makoto wasn't actually Prince Nagisa. If anything, he would take it as a form of modesty and Prince Haruka didn't seem to be the type to care too much about the garbs of others. Especially not when the person inside the garb was as handsome as Makoto, Kisumi concluded with another wink; Makoto soon found out that that was his thing and while someone else might have made him feel uncomfortable with those kind of gestures and comments that were almost flirtatious, he knew Kisumi didn't mean it like that and was just trying to make him feel less tense and more at ease, and Makoto appreciated that.

The boots that Kisumi brought him fit and even though they were new, they were already much more comfortable than Kisumi's had been for they were the right size and most likely also because they were made out of the finest materials. When he asked him how he was able to get them so quickly, Kisumi had simply said that he had a few tricks up his sleeve - in reality he had gone out to get them yesterday while Makoto was with the royal family, being lucky enough to get there right before the store closed, but Kisumi enjoyed being mysterious and cryptic so he hadn't told Makoto that and Makoto hadn't cared enough to pry any further, his mind engulfed with thoughts about Haruka.

"Are you ready to go meet your prince, Your Highness?" Kisumi asked with a grin when Makoto was fully clothed.

The nerves that had been coiling in his stomach yesterday returned, although they were not just from anxiety, but from excitement as well. They still had a few minutes to spare before it would be ten o'clock but Makoto didn't want to leave Haruka waiting, so he took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

Kisumi opened the door and gestured to it with his arm. "After you."

For moral support, Kisumi accompanied Makoto through the halls of the castle. Makoto was pretty glad about that, since he didn't want to accidentally get lost inside the large palace because his mind was drifting off and Kisumi's presence prevented that from happening.

When they got to the doors of the platform that led down to the gardens Makoto saw Haruka's back through the glass; he was already standing by the railing and waiting for him and his heart skipped a beat.

"Have fun," Kisumi whispered with a pat on his back before he turned around as if to take his leave.

Makoto took another breath to calm himself before he opened the doors. At the sound of the doors opening Haruka turned around and once again every cohesive thought dissipated as he stared into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

"Good morning."

With just that soft murmur in that alluring voice all of Makoto's nerves vanished. Somehow, when he was in Haruka's company he felt comfortable and safe, like everything would be alright no matter what happened as long as he was near. It was odd, an odd sense of belonging that he couldn't help but feel despite having just met him.

When he realised that he hadn't responded, he quickly stuttered, "G-Good morning, Haru."

"Has everything been to your liking?" Haruka asked and Makoto could tell that he was not simply asking that out of politeness, but out of genuine concern and his heart leapt inside his chest. "Your room, the food…?"

"Yes, everything is perfect," Makoto assured. It was honestly more than he could ever dream of having and he had never expected to experience something like this, so he was more than satisfied with everything that had been prepared for him; well, for Nagisa actually, but still.

"I'm glad. If there is ever something that is not, then please let me know so I can make some arrangements."

A fond smile stretched his lips. "Thank you, Haru. Did you sleep well last night?"

Haruka's thin eyebrows were raised in what seemed to be surprise, almost as if he was startled by Makoto asking him such a question, but then he averted his eyes and a tiny smile appeared on his face as well. "I did, thank you. Did you?"

"Yes." Makoto nodded and then his eyes fell on the stone railing Haruka was standing in front of and he saw two baskets standing on top of it. Just as he was about to ask about them, Haruka spoke again.

"Shall we go?" he proposed and he grabbed the handles of the baskets, pulling them off the railing.

Seeing Haruka carry the baskets himself was a bit odd to Makoto; when he had tried to carry his own suitcase Rei had told him that princes weren't supposed to carry their own belongings, but the servants did for them. He looked around himself but he saw no maid or lackey nearby.

"Where are all the servants?" He honestly hadn't intended for that to sound like he was so spoilt that he needed servants to do everything for him, but he was seriously wondering for they had been all around the palace yesterday yet he hadn't run into anyone today besides the maid that served him his breakfast.

Luckily Harka seemed to recognise the integrity in his voice and he said, "I dismissed them all for today. My parents are gone so I figured I'd give them a day off." So we could be alone without anyone disturbing us. Haruka hadn't verbalised those words, but somehow, Makoto could read them in his eyes and his heart made another jump, fluttering inside his chest. If there was something that Haruka had already given him, it was cardiac problems.

Still, he couldn't help but smile and the caring side of him just had to reach out to the baskets. "Please, allow me."

"It's alright, I've got it," Haruka declined but Makoto wasn't having any of it.

"I insist," he said, remembering how Nagisa had told him the same in a way that he was just unable to go against and he therefore hoped that these words would have the same effect on Haruka. After all, Haruka was the real prince here and Makoto was used to carrying stuff that was much heavier so two baskets were absolutely no trouble for him.

Unfortunately, Haruka was quite the stubborn one as well and he looked up at Makoto, almost as if he were challenging him but then he simply snorted. "We'll make a compromise, then. Here," he said and he handed one of the baskets to Makoto and held onto the other one himself.

Knowing that this was the best he was going to get, Makoto chuckled lightly before he took the basket. "Alright."

They walked over to the stairs and without thinking Makoto reached out his hand to Haruka. Although he surely didn't need any assistance walking down the steps, it had been an unconscious excuse to hold on to his delicate hand once more. Makoto seemingly wasn't the only one who desired this, for Haruka accepted his hand, his slim fingers curling around Makoto's larger ones.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs they released each other's hand and Makoto missed his touch once more. It was odd that he already longed for Haruka's touch after the short amount of time they spent together but he couldn't help it; it almost felt as if his hand was incomplete without Haruka's in it. He didn't want to make things awkward nor overstep Haruka's boundaries, and therefore he didn't reach out to him again. Not without a valid reason, anyway.

They strolled into the garden and Makoto felt a little strange, like he was being watched. He glanced around himself but couldn't see anyone, until he looked back over his shoulder up to the doors he had just gone through and saw a flash of pink before it disappeared again and it was enough for Makoto to know what, or rather who, it had been. Inwardly he rolled his eyes and shook his head at the spectator. And apparently he was not the only one who had noticed him.

"Your servant," Haruka started in a tone that Makoto hadn't heard from him before, "Sir Shigino, was it not?" When Makoto nodded he continued, "Has he worked for your family for long?"

"Yes," Makoto confirmed, remembering that Kisumi had told him this on the carriage, "His family has served the royal family for generations and he grew up inside the castle."

When Haruka's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, Makoto realised his slip-up and he really hoped that Haruka wouldn't seek anything behind it. He was lucky, for that didn't seem to be the part that Haruka had been interested in.

"Are you two close?"

This inquiry almost sounded like it was laced with jealousy and even if Makoto couldn't really believe that that was the actual emotion behind his questions, it still made him feel a little warm inside.

"No, not particularly."

"I see," Haruka mumbled and Makoto caught the tiny grin that was forming on his lips just before he turned his head away to focus on the path before them. Good.

Since Haruka had asked him such a question seemingly out of nowhere, he supposed it wasn't that weird if he asked Haruka a question too, for he was genuinely wondering. "You mentioned your parents left the palace, right? Are they away on business?" It was sort of like he was fishing for an answer that he already knew, but he just found it odd that they went out on business the day after Nagisa should have arrived for their arrangement. To him it seemed like one would plan no such trips after just having met your son's future partner for the first time and he was staying over at your home.

"Sort of. I wasn't informed what for but since it was rather impromptu, my best guess is that they're trying to find a maiden to break off the arrangement between our kingdoms."

At that Makoto softly gasped. Even if it would be really convenient for Nagisa if that were to happen, the thought of Haruka being arranged to marry someone else was like a punch right in his gut. Although he was not the one Haruka would eventually marry, for now he could at least pretend that he was and even then, the arrangement between him and Nagisa didn't feel the same because he knew Nagisa's heart belonged to Rei.

"Are you okay with that?" he couldn't help but ask, the concern he had unintentionally bleeding through his voice.

Haruka looked at him and smirked. "They're not going to find anyone. They were already informed by all the neighbouring kingdoms that there were no princesses or ladies left to be married off; there weren't that many girls born in our generation, save for your sisters perhaps. So when they heard that Nagisa Hazuki from the kingdom of Sano was still unwed, they made the arrangement as quickly as they could."

"Oh," Makoto mumbled and even if it really wouldn't be him who got to marry Haruka in the end, he felt relieved nonetheless.

"And if, by any chance, they do find someone, then I'll just express my preference for this arrangement," Haruka said, "It helps, you know, being the only child in a royal family and therefore the crown prince."

Makoto chuckled softly at that joking remark, his belly starting to tingle with butterflies at Haruka's words. Though the little voice inside his head remained telling him that there was no way this was going to happen, he tuned it out for as much as he could. He enjoyed being with Haruka and he wanted to make the fullest of it while he still could.

"So, where are we going?" he asked then. Up until now he had just blindly followed Haruka and had forgotten about the baskets they were carrying, but now that he was reminded of it, he wondered if Haruka had planned a picnic. It would be a little odd since they had had breakfast not too long ago and Makoto wasn't sure if his stomach already had room for lunch.

"I want to show you one of my favourite spots," Haruka began, "There's this lake a little outside the castle walls that I spend most of my spare time at - which is not much, but I rather enjoy being there. I thought we could go swimming together."

At those words, Makoto felt a bit alarmed. "Ah, I um, I've never swum before," he confessed. "We don't exactly have a lake right outside the castle walls." He wasn't sure if that was true or not, but it was the only valid reasoning he could instantly come up with.

"Oh," Haruka uttered this time, "I can teach you, if you want. Or we could do something else if you'd prefer that."

"Oh no, I'd love to go swimming with you. If you want to teach me, that is." His enthusiasm was clear in his voice and normally he would have felt ashamed because of it, but when Haruka looked at him with a glimmer of excitement sparkling in his beautiful eyes, the embarrassment evaporated before he could even feel it.

"Great," Haruka said and there was not a hint of sarcasm in his voice; like he was genuinely thrilled to share his beloved activity with him.

"Did you bring any costumes for swimming?"

"No."

"Oh," Makoto repeated, "But then how are we going to…?"

Haruka looked over at him, his face blank and his tone serious as he said, "Why, in the nude of course."

Immediately Makoto's face heated up at the thought of being naked in front of Haruka and worse, of seeing Haruka naked. His ethereal presence was already overwhelming Makoto as it was and if he were to see him in his purest form then he would most likely blush himself to death. Although everything felt really familiar and natural with Haruka, he was not quite ready for something like this yet.

"I- uh, I'm not sure if I, I mean…"

When Haruka saw Makoto's widened eyes and red cheeks and heard his stammering reply, he couldn't help but laugh lightly. "I was joking," Haruka said as he lifted his free hand to his mouth to cover up his smile.

"Haru!" Makoto whined but he couldn't even be mad or annoyed for Haruka's laughter was just so breathtakingly stunning that he couldn't do anything but smile as well.

"I thought we could just swim in our undergarments. It's warm today so they'll dry soon and I did bring us some towels, so if that's alright with you..."

"Yes, that's fine," Makoto affirmed with a small chuckle. Even if being in front of Haruka in nothing but his undergarments was still rather embarrassing and awkward to Makoto, it was far better than being completely naked and he did want Haruka to share his joy with him, so that was alright. "So, do you have any other hobbies besides swimming in the nude?"

Though the question was asked in a teasing manner, Haruka understood that it had been asked out of genuine interest. "I do. I like to paint, much to my parents' dismay."

"Really?" Makoto asked, "How so?"

"They think that princes are to be painted, not to paint themselves," Haruka explained with a shrug, "They were against it at first but they allow it now, even if they'd rather have me focus on other things. Fortunately, I've never really cared that much for their opinion either way."

"Well, I think it's amazing," Makoto thought earnestly. He didn't think that there was anything wrong with Haruka enjoying something, even if it was not usual for princes to do such things. As long as he wasn't harming anyone, why should it matter what kind of stuff he enjoys doing? In fact, Makoto found it very impressing that he was able to do something that required so much finesse; he himself would be much too clumsy for anything of that caliber. Then again, Haruka was so elegant and graceful that it really wasn't a surprise that he was good at something like painting.

"I could show you sometime, if you'd like," Haruka offered and although he tried to sound nonchalant, Makoto noticed some kind of timidness in his voice and it was incredibly endearing.

"I'd love that," he beamed. The fact that Haruka was willing to share so many things that were dear to him was really special to Makoto and the feeling it gave him was indescribable.

Haruka bit his bottom lip and averted his eyes again; he was honestly too adorable for words. When he recovered his composure, he turned back to look at Makoto. "What about you?"

"Me?" Makoto questioned in bewilderment. Although it was a very reasonable wonder in this conversation, for some reason he hadn't expected Haruka to ask him in return. It wasn't like he had much spare time to begin with, but he supposed that Haruka could relate to that as well, since he was constantly being prepared for the time when he'll become king. Still, it wouldn't be very believable if he had no hobbies at all. "I like to play guitar," he eventually said, and for once, it wasn't really a lie. "Do you play any instruments?"

"I do," Haruka confirmed with a nod, "I play piano and violin."

"Wow, really? You're so talented, Haru!"

"It's nothing," Haruka brushed off as he turned to face the ground beneath them and Makoto could see a cute blush beginning to blossom on his cheeks. "I was taught more out of obligation than interest. But it's not bad, I suppose." Through the curtain of his hair he looked back up at Makoto, "Do you play any other instruments besides guitar?"

"Ah, no. I sing a little, but that's not really the same as playing an instrument, is it?"

He merely shrugged, almost as if to say that that didn't really matter to him. "I'd love to hear it sometime, if you'd want to sing for me."

"I guess that would only be fair, wouldn't it?" Makoto spoke with a small giggle. If it weren't for all the time he spent singing on the town's square then he probably would have been a little hesitant about singing for Haruka, although he had to admit that the thought of singing in front of a crowd filled with strangers did not make him as nervous as the thought of singing for Haruka. Somehow, the need to perform well was even higher now, despite him literally earning a living with it usually. It was most likely because Haruka was so amazing and gifted in every aspect that Makoto felt the need to impress him or at least show him that he wasn't completely worthless at everything. Because for once, he felt the need to be liked by someone. It wasn't that strange though, because this wasn't just anyone, this was Haruka. Beautiful, kind, charming Prince Haruka.

"Do you have any other hobbies?" Haruka asked then, breaking Makoto out of his reverie. "Besides singing and playing guitar."

"Oh, I uh…" Makoto stammered, looking for an answer. After successfully coming up with a hobby he could actually do, he hadn't expected Haruka to ask him for something else as well. While the fact that Haruka was interested in getting to know him better made him really happy, it was pretty troubling. "I like to… read."

The second he said it, he regretted his words. He had just told Haruka that he liked to do one of the things he most definitely could not do. It was just something he could always imagine himself loving, because he always loved the bedtime stories his parents would tell him and even now he still enjoyed the stories they and sometimes he himself would tell the twins before they went to sleep. It was one of the reasons why he'd always dreamt of being able to read; there were thousands of stories out there waiting to be explored yet they were completely out of his reach. But he was still young and he had faith that one day, he would be able to read a book from cover to cover.

"There's a library inside the palace. I can take you there later," Haruka proposed, "You can read any book you want."

"Oh, I uh," Makoto echoed, knowing that he had brought himself into a tight spot, "Thank you, Haru, I really appreciate that, but for now I'd rather spend some more time with you." And again, it wasn't even a lie.

"Oh," Haruka mumbled in return, looking a bit taken aback by those words. "Alright." The tiny smile that he couldn't repress was quickly becoming one of Makoto's favourite things. Especially because it gave him the feeling that Haruka shared this sentiment entirely.

It didn't take much longer until they got to a small iron gate inside the castle walls at the edge of the gardens, an opening that separated the palace grounds from the outside world. Haruka pulled it open without much effort; it was never locked according to him, which was convenient since it made it easier for him to sneak away. The mental image of Haruka running away from his duties and swimming freely while the servants were panickedly looking for him was amusing and even if he really hadn't known him for long yet, it seemed like something that really fit Haruka.

When they got to the lake, Makoto saw that there was no sand at that there was only grass up until the water's edge. That frightened him, because that most likely meant that there was no shallow part and that the water was deep everywhere. Although there were no beaches in Sano and he had therefore never been to one, he had seen images of it and he had sort of expected this lake to look similar. But he was wrong and that made him a little more hesitant. He did his best to swallow his fear though, for he didn't want to disappoint Haruka and he wanted to experience what it was like to swim since it brought Haruka so much joy.

Haruka stopped near the water and put the basket down on the ground, the motion telling Makoto that he should do the same and he put his basket down next to the other one. Then Haruka lifted the lid of one of the baskets and looked inside, and when he couldn't find what he was looking for, he tried the other one. He pulled out a large, checkered blanket that confirmed Makoto's earlier wonders about a picnic; Haruka most likely brought food for a picnic so they could swim the entire afternoon without having to go back to the castle for lunch. It felt like it was going to be nice and a lot less formal than dinner had been yesterday. But with the king and queen's absence, Makoto expected that any meal that was yet to come inside the palace would be much more casual since it was just Haruka and him. And alone with Haruka, he couldn't feel anything but comfortable even if he got a little embarrassed sometimes.

Makoto grabbed two corners of the blanket and helped Haruka spread it out over the grass. Once it was in place Haruka turned back to the baskets and took two towels out of it, carelessly throwing them on top of the blanket.

In the blink of an eye Makoto heard a loud splash and then he realised that the place that Haruka had previously stood at was occupied by nothing more than the pile of his discarded clothing. Apparently Haruka was also very skilled at quickly undressing himself and though it astounded Makoto, the thing that he regretted the most about this whole situation was that he had missed the assumingly graceful arch of Haruka diving into the water headfirst. When he looked over to the water he saw Haruka's dark hair breaking the surface as he came back up and his beautiful eyes met Makoto's in a questioning look.

"You're so fast, Haru," Makoto remarked and he just received a nod in return.

There was nothing left for him to do but to take off his clothing and he sincerely hoped that in these past two days he had paid enough attention when Kisumi and Rei helped him so he wouldn't make a fool out of himself when he eventually had to put them on again. He did his best to will his self-consciousness away, but it was easier said than done. Especially since Haruka was still staring at him.

When Makoto looked over to Haruka again he quickly submerged himself once more, most likely feeling caught. It brought an amused smile to Makoto's face, but it also made him feel a little weird. He was glad that Haruka had looked away, though; being undressed in front of him was one thing, but undressing himself while Haruka was watching felt a bit too intimate too soon.

His thoughts were quickly wandering off and he tried to take his garments off as fast as he could, but alas he was nowhere near as supple and agile as Haruka and he clumsily stumbled about as he merely tried to take off his boots. The fear of making a fool out of himself was planned too far ahead in his mind because he was already doing that and he was glad Haruka wasn't watching anymore.

At last he had finally undressed himself and it felt like it had taken much longer than it actually had. Hesitantly he looked over the dark depths of the water and he couldn't help the fright that crept inside of him at the sight of it. Who knows what might lurk in there?

"Are you coming?" Haruka asked, his concern mixed with a hint of impatience. When his eyes found Makoto's naked torso he bit his lip again and turned his face towards the water.

"Y-Yes," Makoto stuttered, which was something he had been doing a lot lately. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that everything was alright. Haruka came here all the time and if there was truly something dangerous hidden in the lake then Haruka wouldn't swim here whenever he pleased. And even if the water was deep and he couldn't swim, Haruka surely wouldn't let something happen to him.

The longer he would dawdle, the more anxious he would get so he decided to just throw himself into the deep already. So he held his breath, pinched his nostrils shut, closed his eyes and jumped in.

The second his head went beneath the water, he panicked. He released his breath and opened his eyes as he frantically flailed his limbs in order to get himself back up, not really knowing where the surface was anymore. When he emerged he took a sharp breath and without realising what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around Haruka's shoulders and clung to him, their bare skin pressing against each other in a way that otherwise would have made Makoto's heart beat out of his chest with nerves and perhaps some excitement, but it was now beating out of his chest with distress and the only thing that was on his mind was that if he let go of Haruka, he would drown.

"I can't swim!" he yelped as he kept kicking his legs, "Haru, I can't-"

"Nagisa," Haruka called, "Nagisa!"

When Makoto finally registered that Haruka was talking to him, he abruptly shut his mouth and stared into Haruka's eyes.

"You can stand here."

At that Makoto stopped kicking and stretched out his legs, feeling the sand at the bottom of the lake beneath his toes.

"Oh."

But despite this, Makoto didn't release his hold on Haruka's body. Both of his feet were flat on the ground and yet Makoto was still drowning within the endless pools of Haruka's blue eyes, that were far more deep and mysterious than the water that enveloped him, keeping him entranced with their beauty.

Then another colour entered his vision: a soft, adorable pink. Haruka was blushing and the sight of it made Makoto realise what kind of situation he had brought them in, their naked upper bodies tightly pressed together and his own cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Immediately he let go of Haruka.

"S-Sorry."

"It's alright," Haruka mumbled as he tried to regain his composure. "Let's try to float first, okay?"

"Okay," Makoto agreed, although he was still a bit hesitant.

Haruka easily noticed his fear and he smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry, I'll support you."

Although he had meant it literally, Makoto still felt like it was moral support too and he nodded. Haruka placed his hands on his back and told him to lift his legs, tilting his body so he would float on his back. Makoto tried to keep his breathing steady as he did as Haruka instructed. The vast blue sky greeted him and as he stared at the clouds, he didn't feel afraid anymore. But it wasn't just because he could see the sun and breathe, but also because of Haruka's hands on his skin, holding him up. In his hands, Makoto felt completely safe.

But then Haruka's touch disappeared and with panic beginning to form again, Makoto shot Haruka a look but before he could do anything else, Haruka said, "Relax, you've got this."

And he was right; even without Haruka's hands supporting him, he stayed afloat. Still, he couldn't look away from Haruka's eyes, like the only thing that kept him from sinking was the spell that he had caught him in.

Eventually Haruka gestured that he could get back on his feet and he smiled encouragingly at Makoto. "That was really good," he said and Makoto smiled back at him. "Think you can float on your stomach now?"

That question startled Makoto; he didn't think that floating on his stomach was a thing and the thought of it was pretty scary to him, putting his face underwater again and being unable to breathe. "Okay, I- uh…"

"Are you afraid?" Haruka asked, proving that Makoto was not the only one who could read the other, "To put your head under?"

"A little," Makoto admitted, feeling disappointed in himself. He didn't want to be held back by this fear especially since he didn't know why he was so afraid. But most of all, he didn't want to let Haruka down.

Contrary to what he was expecting, Haruka's smile softened in what seemed to be understanding. "Let's try that first, then. Take a deep breath and slowly lower yourself into the water. Once you're under, slowly breathe out through your mouth and try to open your eyes, alright? I'll do it with you."

Makoto nodded because he did want to try to conquer his fear and when he felt Haruka's smaller hands closing around his, he felt a little more confident. He closed his eyes, feeling comforted by Haruka's hands in his.

"Ready? One, two, three."

On three they both took a large gulp of air before bending through their knees and lowering their heads into the water. Haruka didn't push or pull him, he merely held onto him and that made Makoto feel a bit more safe. He slowly breathed out and he tried to open his eyes.

The water stung his eyes a little but it was clear enough for him to be able to make out Haruka's form. His raven hair was dancing around him in the water, tiny bubbles escaped through his pink lips, and his beautiful eyes were piercing right through Makoto's soul. He was so breathtakingly gorgeous. His fair skin seemed to light up inside the water and at that moment Makoto felt like he was a sailor, lured to his death by the persuasions of an enchanting siren. But Haruka was no siren, he was a merman who was going to save him from drowning.

Their gazes held each other and Makoto didn't feel afraid anymore, he didn't feel anything for he was simply lost in Haruka's eyes. At some point he ran out of air, though, so he had no choice but to resurface and Haruka came up with him.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"It wasn't," Makoto said with a hopeful smile.

"Are you feeling comfortable enough to try floating now?" Haruka questioned, his tone filled with nothing but care and concern.

"Yes."

"Alright, bend at your waist so your upper body is in the water and then slowly lift one leg at a time. Breathe out slowly."

Makoto nodded and did as he had been told, but the closer he came to the water, the more hesitance he felt again. Closing his eyes in the hopes of easing himself, he put his face into the water. His heart began to beat faster again and he didn't dare to lift his legs, feeling like they were the only thing that kept him from sinking to the bottom. When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness and all of the air that he had stored inside of him to stay underwater was released in one blow and he just felt like he had to come back up again.

"Still scary, huh?" Haruka inquired softly when Makoto stood up straight without completing the task he had been given.

"Yeah… sorry."

"It's alright," he said reassuringly, "I'm sure you'll get used to it and that overtime, you won't feel afraid anymore. Can't expect your fear to be gone after only your first try, after all. For now, we can just swim with our heads above the water. Is that okay?"

Makoto's inner turmoil was halted at these words; he had wanted to swim with Haruka and he was afraid that it wouldn't be possible because he wasn't comfortable with putting his head under. He was really glad that Haruka was so patient with him and that for now, he just wanted to share his joy and have fun swimming with him rather than being insistent to rid Makoto of his fear of the thing he himself loved so much here and now. The way Haruka did everything he could to ensure his comfort and understood him even if he had no reason to since he had no such fears himself was really appreciated by Makoto and it truly showed just how kind and considerate Haruka was.

From then on, Haruka taught him how to swim breaststroke and backstroke. He did tell him not to swim breaststroke too intensively with his head above the water since his back would eventually hurt because of that, but it wasn't a problem while swimming leisurely and that was what they were doing now. Still, backstroke was more fitting for him because according to Haruka, he had the right build for it; broad shoulders, narrow waist and long arms and legs. Makoto remarked that Haruka had a lot of knowledge of swimming and Haruka explained that he had always been interested in water and swimming and therefore he had read up about it a lot when he was younger.

When Makoto asked him what Haruka's favourite stroke was, he easily answered that he only swam free. Since Makoto didn't know what exactly that entailed, Haruka gladly showed him. Of course, it was absolutely beautiful; it was filled with grace just like everything else he did and while he was swimming Haruka really looked like a merman, merging with the water and becoming one with it. It was no surprise that Haruka could swim like that, and yet it still took Makoto's breath away for it felt like he was witnessing something ethereal from another world, for the mere sight of it was too much for a simple mortal like himself. If he didn't know any better, then he would have thought that Haruka was a prince of the water instead of a prince of the land, for it seemed like he truly belonged here.

It was clear that Haruka was in his element and seeing the sheer happiness radiating off his handsome face made Makoto a lot more confident as well. He barely even made any slip-ups and he didn't stutter or feel embarrassed anymore, because he couldn't think of anything but wanting to make sure Haruka would stay that joyful for the rest of eternity and he couldn't help the desire to be the one who brought that smile to his lips.

All in all, swimming was a lot of fun and Makoto enjoyed it much more than he had initially thought after the fear he had experienced. Whether it was the actual swimming that was fun or simply the fact that he was swimming together with Haruka who was sharing his favourite activity with him, Makoto didn't know, but it honestly didn't matter either. All that mattered was that he was with Haruka and they were having a great time together.

After a few hours of swimming and floating about together, Haruka proposed that they should take a break so they could eat the lunch he had brought and Makoto gladly agreed. Although he was always physically engaging during the day for many of his errands included carrying heavy boxes and crates throughout the town, swimming was exhausting in its own, different but good way. He was using his muscles in a way he never had before and next to that, he had never been one to turn down a tasty meal - unless Ran and Ren or his parents needed or wanted it more, of course - so a little break was very welcome.

Makoto hoisted himself out of the water and then he offered out his hand to Haruka. Even though he didn't need the help since he had swum here on his own countless times before, Haruka still accepted Makoto's hand, allowing him to effortlessly pull him out.

When they were both on land Makoto reluctantly released Haruka's dainty hand again and grabbed the two towels that were lying on the blanket and handed one of them to Haruka, who took it with a small nod of gratitude. Throwing the towel over his head, Makoto began to rub his hair dry but then he halted when he made a grave mistake: he looked over at Haruka and his heart stopped.

Haruka's hands were also in the process of drying off his hair for as much as that was possible and the towel was covering his head, seemingly not noticing that he was taking Makoto's breath away and made his heart cease beating.

Water still clung to Haruka's skin, tiny droplets cascading down his torso and disappearing into his knee-length undergarments, that were stuck to his legs in some places. His body was slender but not ravenously thin for there was clear meat on his bones; his ribs weren't protruding and there was only a slight hint of his abdominal muscles and hip bones visible. His skin was fair all-over, from his beautiful head to his adorable toes with the sole exception of his nipples that were a light pink, contrasting beautifully with the rest of his body. From his long and sculpted legs, to the way his muscles moved beneath his skin and even his cute belly button, everything about Haruka was simply perfect, like he was chiseled by the Gods themselves, crafted to create the most flawless human to ever scrape the surface of this planet. That had to be the truth for Makoto couldn't comprehend how someone as gorgeous and all-around magnificent as Haruka could exist otherwise.

"Are you alright?"

The sound of that captivating voice that fit the rest of his lovely self snapped Makoto out of his trance. "Yes, I'm fine," Makoto confirmed, trying his best to sound honest as he let his towel drop to rest on his shoulders, "I just had some water in my ear, that's all."

"Make sure to dry them properly," Haruka advised good-naturedly, "You wouldn't want to get an ear infection."

"You can get an ear infection from that?" Makoto questioned in disbelief.

Haruka hummed and nodded, and once he was content with toweling himself off he dropped the towel and sat down on his knees on top of the blanket.

"I see. Thanks, Haru," Makoto beamed and he sat down next to Haruka, who had opened the baskets and began to unload them.

Soon enough the entire blanket was filled with boxes and Makoto had scooted over to another part of the blanket so he could properly look at Haruka as they ate. Haruka was pouring them drinks from the small jug that he brought into smaller cups and he told him that he could take anything he wanted. Although there definitely wasn't as much food as there had been yesterday either, there was still more than enough to satiate them both. It was all food that could be served cold and along with all the other aspects of their little picnic, it was easy to tell that Haruka put a lot of thought and care into it.

As always, everything looked absolutely delicious and Makoto didn't know where to start. He reminded himself to be civil and calm while eating, because unlike this morning, he was not by himself this time and he didn't want to make a mess of himself in front of Haruka. Especially not since he really wanted Haruka to have a good impression of him.

Still, when he took a bite of some sandwich that was richly filled with lettuce and tomatoes and some type of meat that he couldn't immediately place, he let out a soft moan. "This is delicious," he mumbled with a full mouth, but then he remembered his manners and quickly swallowed. "Did you make this?"

"No?" Haruka mumbled in confusion, "The cooks did."

Only then did Makoto realise how stupid that question had been; of course Haruka hadn't made this stuff himself. "Oh, well, because you said you dismissed the servants for today," he reasoned, trying to save himself as best as he could, "And it just seemed like something you would be good at."

"I did," Haruka said, nodding like he understood Makoto's question now, "but I did ask the cooks to make us some cold lunch first. I told them they could take it easy with the dinner preparations and that they could just whip up something quick when we get hungry. I hope that's alright…?"

"Yes, of course it is," Makoto murmured with a smile. He was actually rather glad with that, because a quicker dinner with few preparations meant that there would be less food that would go to waste and he could only imagine all the work the cooks had every day so they definitely deserved a break from it all, even if only for a little while. Despite growing up with all of these luxuries and his status, Haruka wasn't stuck-up or spoilt at all; he was kind and humble and he seemingly didn't take advantage of his privileges nor abuse his power and Makoto really admired that - the mental list of things he admired about Haruka was growing longer and longer with every passing second. He didn't really know the king and queen so it would be unfair of him to judge, but Makoto felt like the air around Haruka differed from the one that hung around his parents: he had an aura of royalty and elegance but he wasn't haughty at all, which was an impression that Makoto did get from King and Queen Nanase. He didn't know much about Iwatobi in general, but if the situation for the common folk was similar to the one in Sano, then perhaps his reign would bring some real change and improve the lives of the poor and unfortunate. People like him.

"Honestly," Haruka continued after having taken another bite of his own sandwich, "I've never tried to cook before, but it does seem like it would be something I'd enjoy."

"Yeah?" Makoto murmured and Haruka nodded as he took a sip of his cup. "Why haven't you tried it, then?"

"I've never really thought about it before. I suppose it's not really 'proper' either, so I'm sure that my parents would have shot it down if I ever brought it up."

"Then why don't you try it now? Your parents aren't here and I'm sure the cooks wouldn't mind having the evening off as well."

"You wouldn't mind?" Haruka inquired, "I've never done it before so I can't guarantee that it will be edible."

Makoto laughed lightly at that. "Of course not. I'm sure it will be fine. I've never cooked before either so we could try it together, if you want."

"I'd like that," Haruka spoke with a small, almost timid smile.

"Great! I'm a little clumsy though, so I'm not sure if I'll be much of a help."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Haruka assured and Makoto smiled at his words, finding it amusing how Haruka used his own form of comfort against himself. "What do you want to eat?"

Makoto thought about it for a little while. He didn't really have a favourite because any food that filled his stomach was just as good as the next. "What's your favourite food?" he asked, deciding that that was what he wanted to eat.

"Mackerel," Haruka answered without hesitation.

"Then we'll make that."

"Do you like mackerel?" Makoto could swear he saw a glint of excitement inside of Haruka's beautiful blue eyes when he asked that, like he was hoping that he liked it too.

"I've… never had it before," he said, deciding to be honest. He didn't know what it tasted like and he didn't want to say that he liked or disliked it if the opposite turned out to be true. Fish was scarce in Sano because it wasn't located at the coast so all the seafood that was sold was expensive for it was imported from neighbouring kingdoms like Iwatobi, therefore only the rich and noble ever got their hands on it. He was sure Nagisa and his family did eat fish on a regular basis, so he needed to give a reason as to why he had never eaten mackerel before. "I was allergic to seafood as a child so I haven't had it since then."

"Oh," Haruka sighed, clearly disappointed, "Should we make something else then?"

"Oh no, it's alright. I'm sure I've gotten over it since then," Makoto quickly recovered, smiling awkwardly as he fumbled with the hem of his undergarments at his ankle. "Besides, I want to try it."

"But what if you get sick?"

The worry in Haruka's question softened Makoto's smile into a genuine one. "Thanks, Haru. I really appreciate your concern, but I'm sure it will be fine."

"Well, if you're sure…" Haruka shrugged and he took another sip of his tea. "Come to think of it, I believe we had salmon during dinner yesterday."

"Ah really? See, I didn't even notice that," Makoto chuckled, pretty relieved that his story was plausible.

"Is there anything else you want to eat?" Haruka then asked, "Maybe something for dessert or something?"

Again Makoto had to ponder about that. "Maybe something with chocolate?"

Whenever he passed by the bakeries or the stalls of bakers during the market, everything smelled so good but there was always one thing that stood out to him: chocolate cake. The mere scent and sight of it could make his mouth water and he swore he could practically taste it sometimes. In a distant recollection he could see himself enjoying it, although he wasn't sure if it was an actual faded memory or a far yet vivid dream. Getting a chance to taste it was one of his simplest yet deepest desires but he knew better than to ask for it. Chocolate cake was expensive, a luxury they couldn't afford and with earnings being tight, he had to set priorities and there were so many things that were much more important. So he never dared to wish for it or dream of it, not until now.

"Like chocolate pudding?" Haruka inquired, "Or chocolate cake?"

"I was thinking chocolate cake," Makoto muttered, trying to conceal his elation, "But only if it's not too much trouble!"

"It isn't," Haruka assured with a comforting smile, "Alright, so mackerel and chocolate cake. I'll ask the head chef to give us the recipes when we get back later."

"Sounds like a plan."

They continued to eat with light, pleasant conversation in-between bites. Like he had expected, he felt a lot more comfortable being with Haruka alone, eating in a more casual setting rather than the formal dinner he had attended yesterday. Just like having a meal with his family, eating together with Haruka was pleasant and he enjoyed it a lot. It was not that it was better than being with his family, it was just completely different, a good kind of different that he wouldn't mind experiencing more often in the future.

Once they both had their fill they took the mostly empty boxes off the blanket again and put them back into the baskets. Haruka told him that they had to wait at least half an hour after eating before they could swim again and although Makoto enjoyed swimming, he didn't mind waiting for a little while. Especially not since the company was as great as it was. They lied down on the blanket together as they waited, watching the clear blue sky in comfortable silence.

---

After a couple more hours of swimming and having fun together, Haruka and Makoto decided it would be best for them to start heading back. It was slowly getting colder outside and even if the summer's warmth lingered throughout the night, the water would cool down considerably. Besides that, they wanted to have some time to freshen up before they started with their dinner preparations.

The walk back to the palace was a little tiring, yet Makoto barely even noticed it because it seemed to be much shorter than it had been that morning. Although Haruka generally didn't strike him as a very talkative person at first, when they were alone it wasn't hard to sustain an ongoing conversation at all; in fact, the more time they spent together, the more natural it became and they effortlessly flew from one topic to the next, which made the walk back even more pleasant than the way to the lake had already been.

At the doors they had met up this morning they bid their goodbyes for now, promising to meet each other again in the kitchens in about an hour and a half. Then they went their separate ways and even if watching Haruka go made him feel a little empty, it was hard to truly be sad when he knew they would meet up again in less than two hours. Next to that, he was actually quite eager to take a bath and rest up for a little while because he was pretty tired and he wanted to have plenty of energy again to make this evening with Haruka perfect and enjoy it to its fullest.

It was a little struggle to run the shower and bath on his own and to find the right temperature, but once he figured it out it was very pleasant and relaxing in the hot water that filled the large bathtub really helped him unwind. Like the tiredness and aching just seeped out of his pores. Though he dearly appreciated everything he had at home, he definitely wouldn't mind having a tub like this one. He could only imagine, coming home after a long day and plopping down into the warmth, submerging himself and relishing in it. Ran and Ren surely would love to play in a bathtub like this one too. Thinking of it brought a fond smile to his face and he closed his eyes in contentment as he leaned his head back against the rim.

When the water turned cold, Makoto decided it would be best to get out. He had no idea what time it was and he wouldn't want to make Haruka wait for him, so he pulled out the plug and stepped out, towelling himself off as well as he could before he put on the bathrobe that had hung inside the closet since he came here. It was a bit too small on him but that didn't really matter, it was comfortable nonetheless.

Inside his room he saw that he still had more than twenty minutes left before he was expected downstairs and he lied down on the bed, thinking he could rest for a few more minutes before he had to get dressed once more. At that moment there was a soft knocking on the door again and without sitting up, he called for them to come in for it could only be one person.

Like he had expected, it was Kisumi who opened the door and he walked in without hesitation, immediately beginning to talk to Makoto as he walked up to the wardrobe he had hung his own clothing in. He selected another outfit for him and Makoto let him, just putting it on without protest; it wasn't like he knew anything about which garments matched with each other or for what occasions they were worn, so he trusted Kisumi's vision far more than his own. It did baffle him that he needed to wear different clothing now than he had during the day, especially since he had barely even worn them, but Kisumi told him that would be for the best so he accepted it without questioning it any further.

When he heard about the plans Makoto and Haruka had made together, Kisumi had laughed lightly. What he found so funny was a mystery to Makoto and Kisumi didn't do much to clarify the reason behind his amusement, just told him that he better put on an apron so he wouldn't stain his borrowed garments. That made Makoto pause with a bit of concern, since he was basically the clumsiest person alive; he felt like a walking catastrophe at times and therefore he couldn't rule out the possibility of him ruining Kisumi's clothing even while wearing an apron. The worried look that was written across his features at that thought made Kisumi laugh even harder than he had before, assuring him that he had just been joking.

With another wish of fun, Kisumi waved him goodbye and when Makoto left the room he didn't feel nervous anymore. Instead, his stomach was jumping with the giddiness of excitement. Even if he wasn't confident in his skills at all, he knew that that didn't matter to Haruka, that he just wanted to spend time with him and enjoy themselves even if the results of their attempts turned out to be a complete failure.

Downstairs he saw that Haruka was already waiting at their agreed spot. He looked up when he noticed Makoto approaching him and an adorable smile stretched his lips, making Makoto naturally smile back at him. When he ran his eyes over Haruka's body, he saw that he was actually wearing different clothing than he had during the day and internally he breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Kisumi in his head for preventing him from making a glaring mistake.

"Good evening, Haru," Makoto greeted, "Were you waiting for long?"

"No, I just got here myself," Haruka murmured with a shake of his head.

"That's good." Makoto would have hated to make Haruka wait for him, though he did get the impression that Haruka always purposely arrived a little early so he wouldn't have to wait for him either. That thought made him feel even warmer inside than Haruka's mere presence already did. "Shall we get started?"

Haruka nodded and opened the door to the kitchen. "After you," he said and he gestured for Makoto to go in first.

"Thanks," Makoto mumbled before he entered the large kitchen.

At this point it really shouldn't be a surprise that every chamber in this palace was bigger than his entire house and his father's workplace combined, yet the sight of such a spacy kitchen still baffled him a little. Especially when he compared it to the tiny kitchenette his mother always had to work with. But when he thought about it, it wasn't that odd considering how much food was prepared here on a daily basis, for even if the royal family only consisted of three people, there were still many servants who needed to eat too and a small kitchen was just not practical in that aspect. Although the sight of the large marble counters and the big pots and pans bewildered him a little, Makoto did his best not to let his wonder show on his face.

But he didn't have much more time to be amazed by the kitchen's size before he was startled by a piece of fabric entering his field of vision and delicate hands at his neck. It took a good second before he realised that Haruka had put an apron over his head and was now tying a knot at his waist to keep it in place.

"Ah, thanks, Haru."

When he looked back over his shoulder he saw the words that Haruka hadn't spoken aloud in his beautiful eyes, a soft smile adorning his pretty features once more.

"I'll tie yours too," Makoto proposed and Haruka nodded and handed him the second apron, allowing him to put it on for him. Even if he knew Haruka was perfectly able to tie his own apron, he couldn't help but want to do it for him, like it was an excuse to be a little closer to him for a while. It didn't seem like Haruka minded it though. Not at all.

"Thanks," Haruka muttered almost inaudibly, but Makoto had heard it anyway and he smiled at him again. It seemed like he couldn't do anything but smile when he was around Haruka.

"So, mackerel first?"

"Actually, it's better if we start with the cake first," Haruka clarified, "That way it will be done and cooled off by the time we're done with the mackerel so we can dig in immediately without the mackerel getting cold in the meanwhile."

"Ah," Makoto uttered, "I hadn't actually thought about it like that, but that does make sense. Do you have the recipe?"

"Hmm, the chef said he would write down the recipes and that he'd put them on the counter," Haruka said as he walked further into the kitchen, "Here they are."

Makoto went over to Haruka and peered at the sheets of paper that were lying on the marble in front of him. Contrary to the kitchen's size, the fact that the words written were nothing more but vague scribbles that he couldn't make out wasn't a surprise at all. Yet somehow, he hadn't thought that this would pose a problem when he had suggested them trying to cook.

"If you'll read the instructions then I'll try to find the ingredients, alright?" Makoto offered, hoping that his voice would not betray his reasoning.

"Alright," Haruka simply agreed, completely unaware of Makoto's sudden unease. "He even wrote down the placement of each ingredient so it shouldn't be too hard to find."

"That's really helpful, otherwise I'd probably waste hours with just trying to find everything," Makoto commented with a small chuckle.

Haruka nodded. "I'll make sure to thank him again later. And if we destroy the kitchen, I'll apologise too."

At that joking remark Makoto laughed again. "I hope that we don't, but I don't know who he is so in case we do, please apologise on my behalf too."

"I will, I will," Haruka snorted, and the cute smile that he wore showed his pearly teeth and once more Makoto's heart melted inside his chest. "So, first things first: flour. There should be a white bag in the pantry over there." He pointed at a door.

"Alright," Makoto uttered while opening the door Haruka had pointed at and trying to find what he was looking for. There were multiple white bags in the pantry, in varying sizes so he asked, "Which one's the flour?"

"The one that says 'flour'?" Haruka responded, not in a demeaning way but more in a suggesting way, like he wasn't completely sure if the bags actually had labels or writing on them.

The bags did have words on them and it was then that Makoto realised he had made a mistake; he thought that letting Haruka handle the recipes and instructions would make sure that he wouldn't expose himself but he hadn't considered the possibility that even retrieving ingredients would require reading skills. His mother couldn't read either but she had no problems with cooking because she knew what everything was and where it was kept inside their house, but Makoto didn't have the knowledge nor the familiar environment.

For the first time in hours, panic was beginning to bubble up inside his stomach again, but then the words Rei had spoken to him back in the palace of Sano resonated through his mind again.

"You're a clever man, Makoto. Use your head," he mumbled under his breath in an attempt to stop himself from losing his demeanour.

"Did you say something?" Haruka called from the kitchen.

"No, I was just trying to find the right bag!" Makoto yelled back. There wasn't much time left before Haruka would get suspicious so he had to be quick. He had to use his common sense and through the process of elimination of which were not likely, Makoto was eventually left with two bags. From that point there was a fifty percent chance of getting it right - but also a fifty percent chance of getting it wrong and he didn't know what the consequences would be if he got it wrong. One bag had more letters on them than the other, and "flour" didn't seem like a very long word so the most plausible option was the one with fewer letters but then again, what did he know about writing?

"Oh, and we need baking soda too," Haruka then exclaimed, "That should be over there as well."

Suddenly, Makoto's problems dissolved into thin air; if one of these bags was indeed the flour, then the other should be the baking soda and based on the word lengths that he could make out, he could even tell which one was which. But even if he couldn't, it didn't matter for as long as he brought these two bags Haruka wouldn't notice a thing - unless these bags contained something entirely different but that was an option he wasn't considering at that point. So his three-second turmoil came to an end and he picked up the two bags and went back to Haruka.

"Are these the ones?" he asked just to be sure.

Haruka looked over at the bags and he nodded in confirmation. "Next, two eggs."

Internally Makoto breathed a sigh of relief again. It wasn't like he could mess up with eggs except for accidentally dropping them or something. "Only two?" he questioned in bewilderment.

"Yes," Haruka said and when he saw the look on Makoto's face, he elaborated, "We're only going to make one cake."

"What about the servants?" They needed to eat too and surely one cake wouldn't be enough to feed everyone who lived here.

"They already had dinner," Haruka clarified, "Since I didn't know when we would be back I told them to not wait for us so we're just cooking for the two of us."

"Oh," Makoto sighed for even if it was unrealistic for them to cook for the entire palace when they had no experience whatsoever, that meant that the cooks didn't exactly have a day off, "So they still had to work."

"Hmm," Haruka hummed, "but they all work different hours so it's not like they never have a day off; they switch up the work between themselves. And even if they had a different job, they still needed to cook multiple meals a day for themselves."

"That's true, though I doubt it's as much work to cook for a few people than to cook for a whole palace."

"That's right, which is why it's good that this is their only job. Besides, I'm sure they're all not very eager to be poisoned by two clueless princes."

Makoto giggled softly, "We won't be that bad, will we?"

"I hope not, but if we will and do poison ourselves, it was nice knowing you," Haruka joked and yet there was still a trace of sincerity in his voice that Makoto couldn't explain, but appreciated nonetheless. "But in all seriousness, if we survive and have some leftovers, anyone who dares to try them can."

Once more Makoto couldn't stop himself from laughing lightly at Haruka's remarks, the deadpan expression on his face and in his tone just being so amusing to him. "Enough joking around," Makoto teasingly said, his voice betraying his amusement, "Eggs."

From that point on they continued to gather ingredients and luckily, Makoto didn't encounter the same problem of flour and baking soda again since the other ingredients were much more easy to find. It didn't take very long until Makoto was whisking the batter and the sweet scent of chocolate was already entering his nostrils.

Haruka opened a drawer and took a small spoon out of it, scooping up a tiny bit and he held it to Makoto's lips, offering to let him try it and Makoto eagerly accepted, allowing Haruka to feed him.

"Ah, it's already so good," Makoto moaned, savouring the taste in his mouth, "I could eat it just like this."

"In that case we could have made chocolate pudding instead," Haruka sighed with a shake of his head, though the tiny smile on his lips told Makoto that there was absolutely no malice in the gesture. "Don't eat it like this, though. You could get sick."

"I know, it's just really good! Here, you should try it," Makoto thought, looking down at the spoon and back at the bowl with the chocolate batter, not knowing what to do. But then Haruka shook his head again, this time declining his offer. "I don't know what type of poison you put in it," Makoto stated at Haruka's refusal to try it despite feeding it to him himself, being unable to keep his face and voice straight, "but it really tastes great."

"I believe you," Haruka chuckled lightly and at that moment Makoto was absolutely sure that the sound of Haruka's laughter was the most beautiful sound in the entire world, wanting to capture it so he could treasure and cherish it forever. "I'm just not really fond of sweet food in general."

"Haru, you should have said so! We could have made something else if you don't like sweet food."

"Why? You like it, right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"We're making the mackerel for me," Haruka interrupted, "and you might not like that either. So it's only fair that we make something you like as well, even if I'm not too fond of it. Besides, I am going to try a slice, but the batter itself would be a little too much for me."

"Alright," Makoto gave in, "but you don't have to push yourself if you don't like it."

"Hm," Haruka hummed in agreement, "Same for you."

Makoto nodded and then he resumed whisking the batter while Haruka got started on making the frosting. They worked together in a comfortable silence and Makoto couldn't help but sneak a glance at Haruka every once in a while. When he looked over and met Haruka's eyes, Haruka quickly looked away again as if he were caught doing the same thing and Makoto pretended not to notice it, simply turning his own head to face the counter.

Then another spoon entered his vision and he unconsciously opened his mouth again. The flavour of chocolate was strong on his tongue once more and the frosting was even sweeter than the batter, tasting like pure heaven.

"Is it good?"

"It's delicious! It might be a little too sweet for you, though."

Haruka shrugged. "If you like it, then it's fine."

Those words brought an appreciative, almost enamored smile to Makoto's lips. "Thanks, Haru."

Once they deemed their work to be done they put the frosting aside and poured the batter in the cake pan, and Haruka put it in the oven.

"So, the mackerel," Makoto said. Because the making of the chocolate cake had been successful up until this point, he was feeling a lot more confident than he had this afternoon when he proposed it, even if making mackerel would be vastly different. And if he somehow was still able to mess up, he was convinced that Haruka would be able to turn the mackerel into a success too.

"Do you want to prepare the mackerel or cut the vegetables?"

"The vegetables?"

"Hm," Haruka affirmed, "As much as I'd like to have just mackerel for dinner, according to the cooks it's not a 'proper' meal on its own so we'll have vegetables and rice too, if that's alright with you."

"I see, that's fine with me," Makoto replied. It wasn't like he knew anything about fish so he wouldn't have questioned it if they only had mackerel, but he had absolutely no objection to having more variety on his plate, especially not if it was nutritious. "If you do the mackerel then I'll cut the vegetables?"

"Alright."

Makoto was glad that Haruka had agreed, for he couldn't read the instructions the chef had provided and since he had no clue how to prepare fish, cutting the vegetables seemed like a much safer option for him.

Haruka told Makoto which vegetables he should get and while he was grabbing and washing some of them, Haruka put on the rice so it could cook slowly while they worked on the rest of the meal, the scent of chocolate wafting from the oven and filling the air around them.

One thing that Makoto hadn't expected when he was cooking was to cry; the strong smell that the onion he was chopping emitted made his eyes itch and water and he did his best to rub them with his wrist, making sure not to use his fingers.

"Do you feel that bad for cutting it?" Haruka teased, and this time he couldn't keep his face straight either, a tiny smirk breaking through his serious expression.

"Yes," Makoto confirmed with a small chuckle as he continued to cut the onion the board, "I hate it because it makes my eyes prickle. The smell is way too strong! I definitely prefer the smell of chocolate."

"I don't like the smell of onions either, which is why I was glad you wanted to do the vegetables."

"Well, I don't find the smell of mackerel to be particularly pleasant either," he admitted, "so I guess it's a win for us both."

"That's because you're not used to it. Once you taste how delightful it is you won't be able to get enough of it. You'll want to smell it every single day," Haruka declared solemnly and Makoto could feel a smile beginning to take form on his mouth again, "Might even want to invest in some mackerel-scented perfume after that."

In an unsuccessful attempt to repress his smile, Makoto bit his bottom lip. "Is that appealing to you?"

"Very," Haruka breathed and at this point neither of them could hold back their laughter and they chuckled softly.

"I see, I'll keep that in mind the- ow!" He was so distracted by Haruka that he hadn't been paying attention to what he was doing and had accidentally cut his forefinger. There was a small gash in his skin and blood was starting to drip out of it in beads.

"Did you cut yourself?" The playfulness that had laced Haruka's beautiful voice was immediately gone as he grabbed Makoto's hand to look at the wound, concern written across his face in a language that Makoto could easily understand. When Haruka raised his finger to his mouth and put his lips around the wound to suck softly, Makoto's heart stopped for the umpteenth time that day.

A fierce blush immediately blossomed on his cheeks and his jaw dropped, gaping at Haruka like a mackerel. Every word that had been in his vocabulary instantly vanished from his mind at the sensation of Haruka's soft lips on his finger, the warmth of his mouth enveloping his skin and when he ran his tongue over the gash Makoto's soul actually left his body and ascended to the upper planes.

It was at that moment that Haruka realised what he was doing and he let go of Makoto's hand like he had been burned, his finger naturally falling from his mouth to rest at Makoto's side again. An adorable pink hue appeared on his otherwise porcelain cheeks and he tried to hide his embarrassment behind his fringe. "I'll go get the first-aid kit."

"Ah, you don't have to, Haru!" Makoto dismissed, waving his hands frantically in front of himself.

"Yes, I do," Haruka protested, "You have to disinfect it."

When Makoto opened his mouth again to tell Haruka that that really wasn't necessary, the piercing look that Haruka shot him made it clear that there was no room for argument.

"Rinse it off under the faucet and sit down," Haruka commanded and Makoto did as he had been told, finding Haruka's concern for him incredibly endearing.

It didn't take long until Haruka was seated next to him, the first-aid kit open on the table next to them. Haruka grabbed a small bottle out of it and Makoto held out his hand, letting Haruka take care of his wound.

"This will probably sting a little," Haruka said as he twisted off the cap. Makoto gritted his teeth in awaiting but when Haruka let a few drops fall into the gash, it didn't hurt as badly as he had braced himself for. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"No, it's fine," Makoto answered truthfully and Haruka appeared to be relieved.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were clumsy," he remarked as he began to wrap a small bandage around Makoto's finger.

Makoto giggled, "I warned you."

"You have to be more careful from now on, otherwise you will be banished from this kitchen." Although Haruka said it in a teasing manner, Makoto knew that he actually meant it, not wanting him to hurt himself again.

"I'll try my best, but I can't promise anything," he responded, knowing that the chances that he hurt himself again were big, if the tiny scars and marks that littered his hands from all the time spent working in his father's shop were anything to go by. They made him seem like a pretty lousy blacksmith, but truthfully he was just incredibly clumsy with things that required finesse, especially since he often got lost in thought while he worked.

In the meanwhile Haruka had finished wrapping his finger and cut off the gauze from the roll and the end of the bandage usefully stuck to itself. Without thinking Haruka raised his finger to his mouth once more and pressed a tiny kiss against the wrapped-up wound before he quickly put everything back into the box and he got up to put it back.

He was honestly too cute.

Time flew by and before they knew it, their food was ready. They hadn't run into any more problems after they continued and Makoto knew that that was because of Haruka. If he had been on his own, he definitely would have burned the food or hurt himself in another way besides cutting himself. But Haruka had been patient with him, gave him instructions clear enough to understand and therefore everything had been a success.

Now they were sitting across from each other at the table in the middle of the kitchen to reap the fruits of their labour. He had to admit, even if the scent of raw mackerel hadn't been very appetising, now that it had been grilled it smelled really good and he couldn't wait to dig in and try it. Despite claiming to love mackerel so much Haruka hadn't started to eat it yet, like he was waiting for Makoto's reaction first.

Not wanting to leave either of them to wait any longer, Makoto cut a bite-sized piece off the mackerel and ate it, chewing thoughtfully. It was still a little hot so he probably should have blown on it first, but soon an oily yet savoury taste spread through his mouth.

"Ah, it's really good!" Makoto exclaimed once he swallowed.

A tender smile softened Haruka's features. "I'm glad," he said sincerely before taking a bite himself, "You're right, it is pretty good. Maybe not as good as when the cooks make it, but good nonetheless."

"I was right when I said it seemed like something you'd be good at. If you can already make something this good on your first try, I can only imagine what kind of food you'd be able to make after gaining some more experience."

"We made it together," Haruka corrected.

"Yeah but honestly, you did all the hard work," Makoto said, "I only followed your instructions; without you, I would never have been able to make something like this. So really, it's all thanks to you."

"Don't sell yourself short," Haruka murmured, "It's not a contest, and we both did our best. And now we get to eat the results of that together."

"That's true," Makoto chuckled warmly, knowing better than to argue with him, even though he did still think that Haruka would have been fine without his assistance and he only would have made a mess if it weren't for Haruka.

"I was right too," Haruka stated quietly, "when I said that you'd be alright. Except for cutting your finger, then." He paused to take a bite of rice. "And when I said it would be something I'd enjoy."

Hearing those words made the smile that already stretched his lips widen. "I enjoyed it too," Makoto uttered. This time, however, he was completely sure that it was not the actual cooking he had enjoyed, but cooking together with Haruka. He was pretty sure he'd enjoy about anything if Haruka was with him. "Except for cutting my finger."

"Does it still hurt?"

"No, I can barely feel it anymore," Makoto replied honestly, tilting his head a bit to the right as he smiled, closed his eyes and beamed, "Thank you, Haru."

"It's nothing," Haruka mumbled and he quickly put another piece of mackerel into his mouth as he averted his gaze, a tiny blush creeping onto his cheeks again.

They continued to eat in silence, but Makoto didn't mind it at all. Simply being together with Haruka was comfortable and pleasant and they actually didn't even need any words for the fact that it could be quiet and still feel so right was more meaningful than any uttered words were; the glances at each other spoke louder than a thousand words could. Makoto didn't even need them to get to know him better, for his quiet mannerisms helped to slot the pieces of the puzzle that was Prince Haruka together just like any conversation would have, and perhaps even more.

When their plates were empty, Makoto felt like he was filled to the brim. He was glad that nothing went to waste and it wasn't like he had to force himself either; they had made just enough food to satiate them both, in contrast to the abundance that the cooks usually put on the table - not that they could help it though, they were merely doing as they were told. Haruka seemed to prefer it this way too and that made him hopeful for the future.

Even though he felt like he couldn't eat another bite, when Haruka returned with two plates of the chocolate cake, he spontaneously grew a second stomach. Haruka put the plates down in front of them and sat down again, and Makoto saw that he had given him a significantly larger slice than he had himself. It made him feel warm inside, for even if he knew Haruka didn't really like sweet food, he still appreciated his thoughtfulness.

Eagerly Makoto tore a piece off the cake and put it in his mouth. This time he had to hold back a moan of delight: the cake was fluffy and a bit moist and the flavour of chocolate was rich on his tongue as he chewed. It tasted like absolute heaven, even more so than everything else he had eaten that day and that said a lot. Like 'heaven' gained a new meaning with every new dish he tried here. Or with every moment he spent together with Haruka.

"It's so good," Makoto spoke with his mouth still full, the taste of a dream come true making him forget his manners for a moment, "Really Haru, you have to try it!"

Haruka did as he had been told and took a bite. "It's good," he confirmed, "Not as good as the mackerel, of course, but good. It's not too sweet and I like that."

"I'd say that we did a pretty great job," Makoto said after another bite, feeling glad that Haruka was enjoying it too despite usually not liking this sort of food. Then his eyes fell on the corner of Haruka's mouth where a small smudge of frosting lingered, clinging to his skin. Before Makoto knew what he was doing, he reached out to Haruka to wipe it away and then he promptly put his finger in his mouth to suck the chocolate off. When he realised what he'd just done, he blushed all the way up to his ears.

"S-Sorry."

"It's alright," Haruka mumbled and his cheeks lit up in a colour that matched his own.

Fortunately, the awkwardness never lingered and a comfortable silence settled between them once more as they ate their cake.

After they were done eating, they did the dishes together. The servants had apparently told Haruka that he could just leave everything as it was and that they would take care of it, but Haruka thought that they should clean up their own mess and Makoto wholeheartedly agreed. While Haruka washed the dishes, Makoto dried and even if this usually would have been the perfect opportunity to tease each other, Makoto didn't want to lose his attention to what he was focusing on or otherwise there would be shattered plates on the floor in no time. One look into Haruka's beautiful blue eyes told him that he was thinking the exact same thing.

Once the kitchen was spotless again, Haruka and Makoto decided to retire for the night. Cooking, eating and cleaning had taken much longer than they initially thought and it was quite late already. Since they were both exhausted from the day, it would be better to go to bed so they wouldn't be too tired tomorrow. And yet Makoto couldn't help the reluctance in his heart at the thought of having to part with Haruka again.

"I'll walk you to your room," he offered in an excuse to be with him for just a little longer, before he got a bit unsure as to how Haruka would interpret those words so he added, "If you want me to, at least."

"Alright," Haruka accepted, and though he tried to sound nonchalant, Makoto could somehow still feel a hint of relief emitting from him.

They walked through the large palace corridors in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence and before Makoto even knew it, Haruka came to a halt in front of a white door.

Knowing that this was truly the moment of their separation, Makoto smiled once more before he said, "I had a lot of fun today, Haru. Thank you."

"I had fun too," Haruka confessed, staring bashfully at their feet.

"Um, Haru?" Makoto asked to gather Haruka's full attention once more, deciding just to ask the question that had been on his mind the entire way here. "I was wondering if you'd like to have breakfast together tomorrow…?"

A look of surprise appeared on Haruka's face before he smiled as well. "I'd like that."

"So, tomorrow at eight?" Makoto proposed, for even if he'd enjoy to sleep in since he was never able to do that at home, he actually wanted to make the most of every moment he had here and while he could sleep back in Sano, he couldn't be together with Haruka there.

"That's fine," Haruka approved with a small nod.

"Great! Well, then. Goodnight, Haru."

"Goodnight."

Before Makoto knew what was happening, Haruka got up on his toes, lightly gripped his shoulders and pressed a small kiss against his cheek, right beside his mouth. As soon as he felt it, it was gone and with the click of a door swinging open and shut again, Haruka had disappeared into his room and he was alone in the large corridor.

Instinctively Makoto raised his hand to his red cheek, touching the place where Haruka's soft lips had been just a few seconds ago and he couldn't repress the laughter that bubbled up inside of him, feeling simply too much elation to contain within himself. His heart fluttered inside his chest as butterflies roamed through his belly and made his entire body tingle with happiness.

He was honestly too cute.

---

A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please consider letting me know! ^^

You can come and talk to me over on Tumblr or Twitter DatHeetJoella if you'd like.

Again, thank you for reading, I wish you all a wonderful day and I hope to see you at the next chapter! ^^