Makoto woke in the morning to the sound of the tent opening and the feeling of lips pressing to the back of his neck. He smiled softly, not opening his eyes yet. He felt familiar fingers ghosting over his shoulder blades and trailing down the ridges of his spine, being completely gentle the entire time.
"I know you're awake," Haru voice come from above him, soft in the sleepy atmosphere of the tent, but his gentle touches didn't stop. Makoto smiled a bit wider and cracked one eye open, staring up at Haru with a drowsy expression. He met Haru's gaze and the blue-eyed teen smiled, reaching to drag careful fingers through Makoto's sleep mussed hair.
"Morning, Haru," Makoto murmured, sighing softly in contentment. He loved it when Haru was like this, doting and gentle with his touches and kisses. Their other friends never saw Haru this way, but Makoto knew the blue-eyed teen became affectionate in private, and he always knew to treasure those moments.
"How does your back feel?" Haru broke the silence again a few minutes later, stopping his movements to look down at Makoto, meeting his eyes again.
Makoto had forgotten about his slip-up he previous day until Haru reminded him and he gingerly moved, feeling small twinges of pain in his back but nothing severe.
"Better," he said, smiling reassuringly at Haru, "Still a little sore, but I'll be fine." He started to sit up only to be pushed back down by Haru, a stern look on the other teen's face, "Really, Haru. I'm fine," he tried to protest.
"Just stay down," Haru said in a tone that Makoto knew not to argue with.
Haru's hands slid gently down his back and stopped at the waistline of his pants. Makoto felt Haru carefully press his hands down on top of each other on one side of his back, moving his hands in gentle circular motions. Almost immediately, a sigh left Makoto's throat and he moved his arms so that his head was resting on top of them, his eyes fluttering shut.
Makoto loved Haru's massages. Whenever Gou would assign them extra long practices, which was quite a lot lately, Haru could tell when Makoto muscles were aching from the constant laps of backstroke. Haru would practically drag him back to his house, make him lie down on the bed or the couch, and massage him until he was basically putty under Haru's hands.
It had started when they were in grade school and Makoto first started seriously training his backstroke for the relay Rin insisted on being in. Haru had noticed Makoto's discomfort and, almost over night, had forced his grandmother to teach him how to give massages. Makoto had been surprised when Haru offered to help him with his aching muscles, and he was also surprised at how good the black-haired teen was at relieving the stress. Haru had always been artistic; perhaps that was why he always seemed to know exactly how to move his hands in a way that wouldn't exacerbate the strain.
Makoto smiled to himself as Haru continued moving his hands. The blue-eyed teen pressed his fingers on one side of Makoto's spine, his thumb stretching to reach Makoto's side as he moved his fingers in a squeezing motion, moving and lifting the muscle under the skin.
"Is it okay?" Haru asked as he moved his hands to Makoto's shoulder blades, resuming the muscle lifting there, knowing Makoto always got a lot of strain in the area.
"Mhm... Feels so nice," Makoto mumbled, feeling almost relaxed enough to go straight back to sleep.
"Good. I'm glad," Haru said, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Makoto's temple, "Keep breathing deeply," he reminded. Makoto could hear a tender tone in his voice, and he knew if his eyes were open he would see that reflected in Haru's gaze.
Haru's hands finally stopped moving a few minutes later upon completing the massage. Makoto felt boneless and completely relaxed against his sleeping bag, ready to fall asleep again.
"It's nearly noon."
"What?!" Makoto said in surprise, his eyes shooting open to stare up at Haru.
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you wake me up then?" Makoto asked, "And where are my parents, and the twins?"
"I wanted you to rest... So you wouldn't get too tired when we swim," Haru answered simply, but Makoto knew there was another meaning behind his words. I was worried. I wanted you to be okay.
"Ren and Ran didn't want to swim. There's a carnival open near here. They went to that with Oba-san and Oji-san a few hours ago," Haru continued, "But we're going swimming." You promised.
"I can't protest to a day alone with Haru," Makoto said, smiling and reaching for Haru's hand, threading their fingers together, giving his palm a gentle squeeze. Haru smiled softly and nodded, giving Makoto's hand a squeeze back before he stood.
"Get dressed. I'll be right outside," he said before he shouldered his way out of the tent, letting the flap fall into place behind him. Makoto watched him go before he finally sat up, rolling his shoulders and stretching. The massage had helped and he barely felt any pain. He quickly got ready after, knowing Haru would be impatient especially if the prospect of swimming was on his mind.
Makoto put on his swimsuit under his clothes and exited the tent to see Haru standing there with his backpack and a cooler.
"What's in the cooler, Haru?" he asked as he went to get his own bag.
"Lunch."
"Lunch?" Makoto echoed, "Are we having a picnic, Haru?" he asked teasingly, his eyes shining in amusement. Haru looked away with a slight blush on his cheeks and a pout on his face.
"Shut up," he mumbled.
"No! It's sweet, Haru-chan," Makoto said gently, coming up in front of him, pressing a kiss to Haru's forehead, his hand coming up to cup Haru's cheek.
"Let's go. I want to swim."
The lake Makoto brought them to was a different one from before. It was closer to the campsite, more secluded with a grassy bank that bordered the small strip of sand in front of the water.
In a blink, Haru had set the cooler down, tossed his bag to the ground, stripped out of his clothes, and stood waiting for Makoto, which the brunet didn't expect, especially with how eager Haru had been to swim. Makoto moved fast after that, quickly pulling off his shirt and pushing his pants down his legs.
"Come on," Haru said, looking at the water with a ravenous look in his eyes. Makoto laughed softly and smiled, nodding.
"Coming," he said softly, making sure all their stuff was together before he followed Haru.
The water was a bit colder than the other lake, but Makoto didn't mind. He never had a problem with colder water like Nagisa did. Haru obviously didn't mind and he quickly made himself at home in the water after practically diving in, floating on his back, his eyes closed blissfully. Makoto chuckled softly as he watched him.
Eventually, Haru grew tired of merely floating on his back with his boyfriend just watching him. With a strong kick, he doused Makoto with water, obviously surprising the other teen. When Makoto blinked the water from his eyes, he was met with a challenging look from Haruka, a small smile on his lips. Makoto grinned and slapped a wave of water back towards Haru.
With that, there was no turning back. Haru was ruthless in any competition with Makoto, whether it was a video game or a splash fight. After a fifteen minute long, all-out war, Makoto was breathless from laughter, his hands held up in defeat.
"I give! I give, Haru!" he laughed, gasping slightly as he tried to catch his breath. Haru gave him a smirk and swam over to him, standing and wrapping his arms around Makoto's torso.
"Since I won, we're having mackerel for lunch," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Weren't we going to have it anyway?" Makoto asked, wrapping his arm around Haru's waist, pulling him close, their wet chests pressing together.
"Yes," Haru responded bluntly, "But before you could've at least complained."
"Aw, Haru!" Makoto whined softly before a finger on his lips silenced him.
"I just said, you can't complain now, Makoto," Haru huffed, giving him a pout.
"Sorry, sorry," Makoto laughed softly, leaning his head down to press his forehead to Haru's, "I won't complain anymore," he said, smiling down at him. He was quiet for a moment before he leaned down and pressed his lips to Haru's, sighing softly. He felt Haru relax against him and kiss back. Wet eyelashes brushed his cheeks as Haru's eyes closed and Makoto raised a hand from Haru's waist to cradle the back of his head, deepening the kiss.
It was Haru who broke the exchange off, pulling back slightly and taking a breath, looking up at Makoto.
"I'm hungry," he said plainly, unwinding his arms from Makoto's waist and taking his hand, tugging him slightly as he started to move back to the shore. Makoto followed him easily through the water, feeling hungry himself.
"We can keep kissing after if you want," Haru said bluntly, making Makoto's face flush. No matter how long their were together, or how much they kissed, he could never get out Haru saying things like that so frankly.
Makoto found that Haru had actually gone all out with his idea of a picnic. Somewhere buried in the camping supplies, he had found a large picnic blanket, which he packed in his bag. He set up the plates and food while Makoto toweled off his hair.
"Where did you get fresh fruit, Haru?" Makoto asked in surprise when he sat on the blanket, his towel hanging around his shoulders.
"I went early this morning to the boardwalk area where we swam before," Haru responded as he pulled the mackerel from the cooler, setting it on a plate, "Someone was selling it." And I knew you would like it.
Makoto smiled brightly, "Thank you, Haru," he said happily, reaching for one of the strawberries and biting into it, sighing in delight at the tangy yet sweet flavor of the fruit, enjoying the way the tiny seeds cracked between his teeth.
"No fruit," Haru scolded him, pulling the box of strawberries away, "Eat the fish first," he said, his tone a cross between a mother and a petulant child.
"Alright, alright," Makoto laughed, reaching for the mackerel without complaint, forking a bite into his mouth. Haru watched him for a moment before he was satisfied that Makoto was eating the fish and he picked up his own plate. They ate in calm silence, the sounds of the water lapping the shore, the trees and grass moving in the wind, and the delicate clinking of utensils on metal plates accenting the calm.
"Do you like it?" Haru spoke up once Makoto had happily moved onto the fruit. Makoto looked up, recognizing the shy and hesitant tone to Haru's voice.
"Like it? Do you mean the picnic?"
"Mm. Do you?"
"Of course!" Makoto answered, smiling brightly, "Why are you asking?" Haru looked away, fidgeting slightly and giving a shrug. Makoto smiled gently, moving to sit next to Haru, taking his hand and cradling it between his own.
"Come on, Haru. What's the matter?" he asked tenderly.
"I wanted to do something nice for Makoto," Haru finally said, blushing lightly and turning his head away from Makoto's warm eyes in embarrassment, "Because you brought me with you... And you want to make this special, but I do too," he said, knowing Makoto would understand even if he wasn't entirely clear, "I just... didn't want you to think that... that I wasn't having a good time," he mumbled, "Or that I was just going along with what you wanted to do because I was obligated too." He trailed off, his cheeks warm with the blush that only grew when he was speaking.
"I don't think that, Haru," Makoto said softly, pulling Haru close to his side, looking into the other boy's eyes, "I know my Haru-chan is way too stubborn to do anything he doesn't want to do," he laughed softly, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the top of Haru's head, "I really love this picnic... And I really love being on this trip with you... And I really, reallylove you, Haru," he said, smiling at the raven-haired boy.
Haru only blushed more at Makoto's words, but he forced his gaze not to shift away this time, keeping his eyes locked onto the shining green of his boyfriend's, a small smile spreading across his lips.
"Good," he finally murmured, "I'm glad." Makoto laughed and pulled Haru to his chest, squeezing him tight and nuzzling his face into the crook of Haru's neck, pressing a soft kiss to the skin there.
"Let's finish eating. And then we can swim more," Makoto said, giving him one last squeeze before he moved away slightly, reaching for a strawberry and raising it to Haru's lips, "Say 'ah.'"
Notes:
Sorry for another long wait! School and writing my other multi-chapter fic keeps me busy.
I got someone asking me if I was going to write "M scenes" and the answer issssssss:
No. Please look at the rating, friends. It is not subject to change ever. If you're here because you think this fic will magically change from a G-rated fluff-fest to hardcore porn, then you're probably wasting your time. I see no point in writing M scene just for the sake of writing pr0nz.
Thanks for any comments! They're always appreciated and make my day! uvu
Stay tuned!