Practice had been canceled and Rin was-out. That just left, Sousuke looked over and sighed. Makoto had been sitting at his desk all after noon, doing his freakin' homework. He hadn't really even said anything to Sousuke all day.
Not that Sousuke had prompted much. It had gotten quiet between them since the last time. They talked, but not really. It was about nothing, the most meat talking being at practice when they would actually interact. They didn't avoid each others eyes, if anything Sousuke found himself looking at Makoto all the time, and those green eyes would flick towards him and then there was that shocking thread, so small just it would jolt through Souske and he'd remember everything they'd done last time, the honey smoothness of Makoto's skin and how it felt pressed up into Sousuke. He'd catch a glimpse of Makoto's lips and think about how he'd tugged at it before they'd gotten on the bed.
He hadn't left Makoto really since then and Makoto hadn't really avoided him at all, they just trailed after each other from class to class. To breakfast and practice and Makoto had even wordlessly started following Sousuke to the gym. Not talking was somehow not even bothering him then. They waited for each other in the locker rooms, they sat across from each other at lunch.
It wasn't even about the fucking - it was some strange - Sousuke hated it.
And now he was sure as hell getting tired of the not talking thing! Sousuke had been trying to read but every few minutes he just looked over and Makoto was just sitting there.
"Let's go to the pool," Sousuke said in a gruff voice.
Makoto looked up, glancing back behind him, his green eyes connected with Sousuke in one of those looks... It was like they were dancing around each other and it was fucking annoying.
"I'm pretty sure that Rin had the doors locked." Makoto said. "I think he's pretty serious about wanting the team to take the day off."
Sousuke sighed.
Makoto just chuckled. "It makes sense. Everyone's exhausted them selves trying to get ready for prefecturals. He wants everyone to be less sleep deprived and more ready to race."
Sousuke sat up from his bed. He hadn't bothered with a real shirt when he'd gotten out of the shower, donning one of his sleeveless running shirts. It didn't seem important anymore with- them, being what ever they were, what ever that was. It was more than roommates, but not exactly lovers and yet fuck buddies was the wrong label too. He leaned against the ladder to Makoto's bed. His eyes glanced around their room and of course circled round to land on Makoto.
Makoto adjusted his reading glasses, caught watching Sousuke in the reflection of the glass of his open laptop. The screen was black since Makoto hadn't touched it in a while as he scribbled down on his homework instead. Sousuke flashed him a smile and Makoto flushed, Sousuke could see it in the way his ears went red, and looked back down to his homework.
Those reading glasses, didn't look half bad on him. Sousuke kind of wanted to take them off, maybe with his teeth.
He surged forward, leaning down low as he hit Makoto's desk, making sure they were at eye level with each other. He smiled as Makoto gave him a questioning look. Makoto gave him one of those fake smiles back in return.
That mask was so much more visible all the time it felt like to Sousuke. But seeing behind the cracks was also easier all the time, and those few moments after they'd screwed each other that last time, there hadn't been any mask, no act pulled on because Makoto wasn't trying to be anything.
"You have homework to do too, you know." Makoto said as he glanced at his notebook then back to Sousuke.
Sousuke hooked his own desk chair with his foot and drug it over to sit next to Makoto. He shrugged as he filled out in the chair, leaning ever closer to Makoto. "I kind of like doing you more."
Makoto laughed this time.
Sousuke smiled. He looked back at all the stuff on Makoto's desk. Scratching at his head he tried to figure out exactly what did Makoto do when he had free time. All his books were for school, the laptop that every time Sousuke had seen open just had the schools assignment engine up. Once and a while Makoto had Pandora or Spotify up, but he always plugged in headphones before Sousuke could even hear a note or two.
Was this really the only things Makoto brought with him? The essentials?
"Is there something I can help you with, Yamazaki-kun?" Makoto asked. He looked over at Sousuke but didn't move to push him away.
Sousuke just shrugged, before asking. "What do you do, you know for fun?"
Makoto's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "Swim?"
"Yah right," Sousuke blew that answer off with out a second thought. "Come on really. Since you've been here all I see you do is swim and do your homework, and neither with an exactly convincing smile."
That mask was so fucking visible, Sousuke thought as he looked at Makoto's expression.
"Maybe because I really like to swim, though it is hard to smile while doing so." Makoto said, trying the answer again.
Sousuke just snorted. "You've already told me you don't love it. I don't understand why you do it but you certainly don't come back overjoyed after your water logged afternoons."
Makoto finally sat back, letting his pencil down on the notebook. "You're right," he gave a fake smile. "I let you do me in my free time."
It was Sousukes turn to laugh this time. Only because it was partially true.
But there was something-that sadness in Makoto was leaking out this time. Sousuke had managed to relax him and finally he was getting a bit more of a peak into those green eyes, a real one. That vacant, distant glaze he usually pulled up seemed to peel away with just enough pressure.
"What made you press the restart button, Tachibana?" Sousuke suddenly asked.
Makoto backed up immediately, his back going ram rod straight as he sat up, away from Sousuke. "What are you talking about?"
Sousuke gestured to the desk. "You left everything at home. You never go home. I haven't seen you on your phone more than a couple times. You don't really call your parents. you don't call friends. I'm not even sure you have a Facebook." Sousuke looked at Makoto a bit to the side. "That doesn't sound like you're throwing everything out the window and starting over at all."
This time green eyes didn't look up at him.
Sousuke sighed. "Come on just give me something. Fun? Everyone likes to have it, mind telling me what you do for it?"
This time green eyes peaked up and Souske knew he had him. He gave an easy smile, resting his folded arms on the desk as he looked to Makoto.
"You're going to think I'm weird." Makoto gave a wry smile. "And laugh."
"I already think you're weird." Sousuke let his chin rest over his folded arms. "but I'll try and contain myself for you."
Makoto just continued to look at him. "You know there's plenty of space, like on your bed or over by your desk."
Sousuke just smiled. "I like your desk." He raised a brow at Makoto. "Well?"
"Alright." Makoto said looking back down, and sitting back in his chair. "I like plants."
"Plants?"
"Yeah."
"You mean like gardening?" Sousuke connected.
Makoto just nodded giving that small smile.
"Well then why don't you have any in here?" Sousuke pressed on. "There's the window, I'm sure the seal is wide enough you could put a couple or so there."
Makoto turned his head to look. "Uh, yeah I-I guess I could put something there."
"Like tomatoes?" Sousuke asked.
Makoto laughed. "Not inside. Fruits and vegetables need bees."
Sousuke hummed. "Right, that pollination thing." He watched Makoto before suggesting, "but maybe some flowers?"
There was less sad this time when Makoto smiled at him.
Looking across Makoto's desk, Sousuke saw the framed photo Makoto had at the edge, picking it up gingerly to get a better look. "Who are these two?" He asked.
The smile was gone in a split second, and Makoto's expression softened, but in such a-it wasn't a good way. He didn't look away from the photo as he spoke. "That's my little brother and sister, Ren and Ran."
"They're cute," Sousuke tried out. He was watching, hoping that he didn't manage to over step. Something about this made it seem-
"They're dead."
Sousuke set the picture down, freezing.
Makoto looked distant as he stared at the photo. "It was last fall." He sounded-hollow. And surprisingly he went on, though in quite a different way, like he was on autopilot or as if he wasn't really fully filtering himself. "I was with them and it's not like Iwatobi is all that big and I-I wasn't watching and they ran across the road."
Sousuke swallowed watching as Makoto's chest heaved suddenly. "Ren was dead by the time I got there. Ran lived for about an hour after. She screamed most of that hour. ...Sometimes I forget it's stopped and I can still hear her some times, in my head."
There was a second Sousuke was pretty sure he could hear his heart beating in his ears.
Suddenly Makoto looked at him and Sousuke sucked in a sharp breath. Makoto's blinked rapidly his mouth open and he wasn't crying but he was so close-and for possibly the first time Souske didn't see a single layer of masks. He'd wanted to peel it all away and now that he saw it- Makoto's eyes shown with the most painful depth and his mouth moved like maybe he was still trying to call for help and he just-he looked so vulnerable.
"I'm-" Makoto started. He abruptly stood quickly taking several steps back. "I am so sorry." He held up his hands. Sousuke was still trying to figure out if it was in defense or surrender, as he himself stood slowly and Makoto went on. "I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry I just-"
He looked down at his hands before turning away and Sousuke surged forward. But once he reached him he wasn't sure what he had been thinking he was going to do. He opened his mouth to say something and he wasn't even sure what to say.
"I'm so sorry." Makoto said again shaking his head. Sousuke could see over his shoulder that he was shaking just slightly. He looked like he was about to drop.
And surprisingly Sousuke held out a hand, feeling like he could maybe catch him...
Makoto turned back around then, his vibrant green eyes down caste, looking like they were trying to find something but avoiding looking at Sousuke at all costs. "I'm so sorry." He was calmer as he said it this time, pulling in some control. "I never meant to say those things." He closed his eyes. "You didn't need to hear those things. I don't know how-I didn't mean to-I just was all of a suddenly saying them and I don't even know how."
Sousuke licked his lips, still unsure what would help. "It's fine."
"But it's not!" Makoto shot back. His hands went up to his face and he started rubbing at his eyes and cheeks, it was a scrubbing motion.
It frankly looked painful and Sousuke instinctively reached up, grabbing Makoto's hands and pulling them away.
In the next second Makoto was ripping his hands away from Sousuke. "Stop," he said briskly. It was honestly the most anger he'd ever seen out of the precious boy.
Makoto swallowed, his face starting to move back into a vacant apathetic stare. "Please," he murmured quiet. He looked down before gulping in several big breaths. "Can we please, just-just pretend I didn't say those things." Makoto closed his eyes again for just half a second squeezing them so tightly shut before he sighed and opened them. "Please, just forget I said anything."
Sousuke looked down at him, not sure what to do and shifting from one foot to the other nervously. "I'm not so sure..." he said a second later
"Please," Makoto cut in. He looked down at his feet again before looking up, he wouldn't quite meet Sousuke's eyes but he looked to his chest. "You're the only one who doesn't look at me-just please forget that I said any of that. No body else treats me like I'm still- just me."
Sousuke wanted to laugh. He'd been treating Makoto like he was some sort experimental genie pig.
"Makoto," Sousuke tasted the name on his lips, testing out of he really felt like he wanted it. He shook his head. "I don't know if I can pretend..." How in the world was he supposed to forget something like that?
"Please," Makoto pleaded again. His eyes flicked up finally to look at Sousuke. "You're the only person that when I'm with, I don't have to remember anything that happened last fall." He looked away again. "Please, you're the only island I have here."
It took a minute before Sousuke could really process but in the end he nodded. "Alright," he breathed out slow. "I can try and do that."
Maktoto looked away again but nodded. "Thank you," he murmured.
It was a few more seconds of silence before Makoto spoke again. "Can we go try and see if the pool is open?"
Sousuke nodded slow. "Yeah." He sighed. "It's not hard to sneak in through one of the windows if its not."
With a small nod Makoto, whispered again, "thank you." He turned away, heading straight for his swim bag.
Makoto was exhausted. Dripping wet, he sat at the edge of the pool looking down at the water as it glistened in the limited light. He didn't think he could manage to swim any more. But he was so close to the threatening hollowness In his chest. It felt like he'd scraped across the inside of his chest with a wire brush when he'd realized what he'd said to Sousuke earlier.
Sousuke hadn't said much since that time.
The doors had been locked, but Sousuke showed Makoto that one of the windows on the side of the building was always a bit loose and with a bit of prying, the lock would click and Makoto had wasted no amount of time hoisting himself up and into the indoor pool, Sousuke fast on his heels.
Makoto had stripped as he strode towards the water, having already pulled a swimsuit on in their dorm, he left a trail of cloths as he padded up on to the starters platform and dove off with out a word behind him to Sousuke. He wasn't even sure what happened to Sousuke as Makoto plowed through the water and started swimming so hard he was gasping by the time, several dozen laps later, he reached up to the pools edge and and finally stood up. Sousuke was sitting on the edge of the pool a lane over, he just looked at Makoto for a second before growling about his turn around times again.
Now Makoto felt a shiver run through him as he sat at the edge of the pool. Sousuke had seemed to disappear and Makoto wasn't sure if he wanted to go try and find him or not. He gulped down several breathes of air and tried to calm his mind.
He hadn't voiced what he'd just told Sousuke to anyone, not his parents, not even-not even his best friend.
Maybe he would have if everything hadn't all changed so fast. Haru hadn't been there but sometimes it felt like he had been, like Makoto had kneeled there helplessly as everyone important in his life bled all over his hands and slowly, painfully died.
Abruptly he felt something dropped over his shoulder and Makoto looked over to the black jacket flung over his shoulder and arm. Next to him, Sousuke stood casually looking out at the water.
Makoto pulled the jacket off his shoulder to see that it was a Samezuka jacket, and on the front his name was embroidered over the school patch on the right side.
"You transferred so suddenly Rin told me the school had to back order your jacket." Sousuke said. "It's been sitting in the store closet for a good two weeks now," Sousuke gave Makoto a significant look.
Souske looked back to the water. "I figured I better dig it out and make sure you wear it."
Makoto looked down at the jacket, running his hand over the smooth fabric under his name. "Thank you," he murmured to Sousuke.
"Yeah," Sousuke said. He hunched down next to Makoto and sat at the edge of the pool as well. Their shoulders brushed but Sousuke nor Makoto commented.
It was occurring to Makoto how much more formal Samezuka really was compared to Iwatobi as he got off the bus, standing next to Sousuke neatly in rows as the underclass men filed in behind them.
Since he'd-said way more than was appropriate to Sousuke, he was glad that not much had seemed to change. There was still a quietness between them. It had been quiet between them for a few days anyway, though it was more of a sensitive silence now. Makoto was aware of Sousuke watching him more often than not. He still gruffed at him when they did speak, he still growled and his general irritation seemed present.
It was something Makoto found himself grateful for. It was just every now and then, he'd catch Sousuke looking at him and it wouldn't be irritation, arousal, or that amused knowing look. It wasn't quite like the look he received from his friends. It wasn't the sympathy. But it was enough that Makoto would look away quickly.
"Makoto," Sousuke hummed next to him. It was just to get his attention, just enough to get him to look up as Rin spouted off the schedule for prefecturals.
That was another small change. He was no longer, 'Tachibana,' to Sousuke. It hadn't really been proceeded by an agreement or anything, but ever since two nights ago, Sousuke had casually started addressing him. It was still said like a bear growling and spiced with just enough distain Makoto at least knew it came from Sousuke.
He looked up, a bit nervously, peering around his teammates to spot Iwatobi standing near the door. He quickly looked back to Rin.
When the team was dismissed, Makoto turned his back to the front, not sure what he could do to get in with out being noticed.
"Come on," he heard the low threatening growl next to him. Looking up Sousuke was hunched over him and Makoto leaned away, his face was so close. The glare that was looming over him didn't look like one Makoto wanted to contradict.
"R-right," Makoto said a little nervously.
Sousuke turned, watching Makoto as he started towards the building..
Not seeing how he was left with much choice Makoto followed, sighing out of relief as he glanced up to see Iwatobi had already gone in as well.
Getting Makoto to keep up had only seemed to get harder as the tournament progressed. Sousuke had grabbed Makoto by the jacket twice to keep him from wondering off.
Sousuke was satisfied that his jacket was fitting perfectly. Though Makoto kept pulling at the collar anxiously. He'd shift nervously from one side to the other and by the time they mounted the bleachers Sousuke was feeling like a good shot of tranquilizer was probably the best option.
The idiot frowned as he stepped even farther behind Sousuke as the first heat was setting up below them. Souske pushed Makoto out, away from him with a huff.
"Would you two quit it!" Rin shot back at them. "Damn it all, I thought you two had stopped squabbling all the time!"
"He's acting like an idiot today," Sousuke said matter-of-factly.
Makoto didn't deny it, just gave an exasperated look to Sousuke.
Rin rolled his eyes and looked back to the heat, talking with Mikoshiba who had come to watch.
Makoto stepped away from behind Sousuke finally, once Sousuke had jabbed him in the side. He looked a bit more uncomfortable than he had thus far. Sousuke leaned over the railing as well to see a bright-eyed boy with blond hair eagerly waving up at them.
Turning, Sousuke watched as Makoto pulled on a pleasant and seemingly warm smile as he waved down at the excited boy.
Sousuke couldn't help but smile either as he looked over at Makoto.
The heat started and as the underclassmen of Samezuka started in on the cheers, Sousuke looked to the tournament.
The breast stroke was over in a flash and Makoto smiled as he blond boy climbed out of the pool vibrating with his win. Sousuke snorted as he glanced at Nitori's times. Makoto looked up at the times in prompting and sighed.
"He tried his best," Makoto commented. "That's all that we can ask from him."
Sousuke couldn't stop the unimpressed look he wore. As much as Rin babbled on about passion and dreams to match Makoto's ballads about hard work and support of your team, Sousuke still didn't see much use in being so positive about it all. No progress made and no win to show for it, counted more than hard work or heart or whatever in his opinion.
But he looked over at Makoto and ruffled his hair, pushing him gently towards the entrance. "It's your turn, pop tart."
Makoto didn't resist the playful jab as he smiled back at Sousuke.
"Come back with a win for us, Makoto!" Rin called to him.
"Hai!" Makoto nodded as he started to the locker rooms.
Pulling himself up at the starters block, Makoto breathed slow though his lips. He hadn't been through a real race in so long his limbs buzzed with it. He felt the water lapsing at his sides. He closed his eyes, letting the motion lull through him.
This is why he clung to the water. The gentle, perfect motion of the water, the way he could just be in it, let it surround him and just float away into it.
He took one more breath, opening his eyes.
The starters flare cracked over head!
Makoto on instinct more than anything leapt away for the block, arching through the air and letting the water catch him as he speared through it. His legs moving in powerful strong kicks to shoot him through the water.
As he surfaced, he took a breath and his eyes almost slipped closed again as he raised his arms and carried himself through the water. As he approached the other end of the pool, he flipped in the water, letting the current help turn him. He placed his feet before he rebound off of the wall and was soaring through the water again.
It seemed to end so fast. He almost felt like it never happened. His hand tapped down on the wall and he gasped for breath, chest heaving from the exertion as he stood there. It took him a second to realize the race was over and he glanced up at the score boards.
First flashed his heat, 1st place Tachibana Makoto.
Then his over all, Makoto breath stalled for just a second as he cocked his head at the score board.
He had managed to place 2nd overall.
As he returned to the bleachers, Makoto was a bit startled as Sousuke waved him over to a seat next to him.
"Yamazaki-kun," Makoto murmured as he approached. Heats for Butterfly stroke were already starting below, Makoto even spotted Rei mounting the starting block.
"Why are you still here?" Makoto murmured as he sat next to Sousuke.
Sousuke just smiled at him for a moment before answering. "I'm not competing in individual here."
Makoto's brow furrowed unsure. If Sousuke didn't compete here he couldn't just jump in at Regionals.
"Don't worry," Sousuke turned back to the pool. "I'm in the relay tomorrow."
There was a strange look in Sousuke's eyes as he looked away, Makoto furrowed his brow as he looked over at him.
When Makoto finally did look away to the pool his eyes skimmed over the bleachers. He ducked his head as he caught sight of Haru. He was looking back at Makoto, expressionless as usual but he didn't even look to Rei's race as the staring flair sounded.
Makoto shifted his eyes away and unfortunately noticed Sousuke was watching him. Like always. Caught between the two, Makoto's only choice was to look back up to the pool and watch the race.
Unfortunately Sousuke seemed to make it his initiative to keep Makoto close.
"What are you doing?" Makoto asked as he started on his way to the locker rooms after lunch.
Behind him, Sousuke hummed in acknowledgement. He sighed before answering. "I'm making sure you don't get lost."
Makoto snorted though smiled. Out of the two of them, Sousuke was quite a bit more likely to lose his way,
Makoto stopped at the entrance to the locker room, turning to face Sousuke. He gestured to the door. "I made it. Thank you for your guidance."
"Is that sarcasm, Tachibana?" Sousuke asked, a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "Seems someone is starting to take cues from a bad influence or two."
"Course not, Yamazaki-kun. Though if you need, I'd be happy to draw you a map of how to get back to the bleachers." Makoto let the joke slip, in as level a voice as he could.
Sousuke snorted a laugh, before he looked to the little plastic label marking the locker rooms, he reached forward and picked at it. "Free style isn't your best." He commented in what seemed like an off handish way, "you did really well in backstroke, I don't see why you're here again."
Makoto frowned. It always seemed no mater how much Sousuke picked at him, he still kept going. Sighing Makoto tried to pull on a smile. "Don't worry about me." He adjusted the Samezuka swim bag just a bit on his shoulder. "I've got some personal reasons to be here. Once they're dealt with I'll back off."
Sousuke just nodded. It was a moment before he spoke. " 'Kay. Your turn around time still needs work, so watch it out there. You were faster this last time but-"
"Makoto,"
The interruption caused both Makoto and Sousuke to look. A few feet away Haru stood, looking a little stunned as he watched the two.
"Haru," Makoto said out of surprise and greeting. "Uh hi,"
"Hi," he said back. He looked to Sousuke then Makoto again. "Are the two of you-?" He pointed to the locker room.
"Just me," Makoto said while pulling on a smile. "Yamazaki-kun was just giving me some pointers." Makoto looked over at Sousuke meaningfully, "he was also just going back to his seat."
Sousuke hummed to mark he heard Makoto but he was looking at Haru, and certainly not nicely.
"Nanase," he grumbled before looking to Makoto, "Mako," and turned away to start his way back to the bleachers. He, of course, went right past Haruka seeming as if he was meaning to push his shoulder into him, side stepping only at the last second.
Makoto shook his head before turning back to the locker room, continuing in. He knew it wasn't exactly polite but he went straight to a locker, opening it to lift his bag in and started to pull off his jacket.
"Makoto," he heard quiet next to him.
Makoto looked into the shadows of his locker for an extra second before he looked up at Haru.
"I-" Haru started, watching Makoto. "You did really great in your last heat."
Pulling on a smile was harder than expected, but Makoto mangled it. "Thank you, Haru. That means a lot coming from you."
Haru gave a small nod before he looked away, pulling the locker next to Makoto open. Makoto gave a small sad smile before he pulled his shirt up and off.
"Do you and Yamazaki hang out a lot now?" Haru asked abruptly, taking off his own shirt.
Makoto looked over at him, but Haru wasn't looking back. It seemed the distasteful feelings were mutual between Sousuke and Haru. Makoto folded his shirt to place it in his bag as he spoke. "Uh yeah. Kind of, I mean we are actually roommates so I do end up spending a lot of time with him, yes."
"Rin told me you two actually get along pretty well." Haru went on as he continued to get dressed. "He was kind of surprised you two made such good friends." It didn't sound like Rin was the only one surprised either.
Makoto chuckled as he dressed himself. "He can be a bit off-putting at first but it's not always like that once you get to know him." He looks down at the Samezuka jacket he'd set on the bench behind him. "He can actually be quite kind."
Finished, Makoto closed his locker and pulled the Samezuka jacket back on. When he straightened all the way, he turned and found Haru looking at him. He had on his own Iwatobi jacket. His oceanic eyes ran over the black jacket, pausing at the name embroidered on Makoto's right side.
"Haru," Makoto said quietly. He couldn't pull on a smile this time, he didn't want to disrespect his best friend with something so fake.
Haru's eyes flicked up to Makoto's face.
"Don't hold back." Makoto made sure he made eye contact. "Please, respect me enough to race for real. And give it your everything."
Haru's mouth opened like he was going to say something but instead he just nodded.
"Thank you, Haru." Makoto said and this time he let his sad smile come to his lips.
Not sure if he could hold it together much longer, Makoto didn't wait for his best friend, and he stepped around him and to the door.
This time looking at the starters block didn't fill him with excitement. Makoto instead stripped off his jacket, glancing up at the bleachers. Rin was watching, and so was Sousuke, leaning over the railing and making eye contact with Makoto, giving him a nod.
Makoto gave a polite smile back before he pulled on goggles and the swim cap, stepping up to the starters block.
His limbs felt almost stiff, he was aware of Haru glancing at him, on the block next to him. Makoto looked back letting a small smile be pulled to his lips before looking back to the water, bending to get into position.
The starters gun sounded and Makoto leapt into the air.
He felt like he was crashing into the water this time, his heart pounding already a second or two into the race. But determined he pushed through it, surfacing on the water.
A part of him had always known. Even if it wasn't completely conscious he had always known. But-then again it hadn't really been about anything other than the experience.
It was over in a flash though, like being caught in a typhoon Makoto slammed into the wall of the finish line. He braced himself up against the cement, his head hanging. He heaved against the wall, feeling that hollowness, the scrapping feeling, like he was being scoped out, all tearing through him. He squeezed his eyes so tightly shut, pulling it all together before he straightened and looked at his best friend.
He gave a sad smile, not even trying to hide anything from him this time.
Haru's eyes were so beautifully blue. So perfect. He looked at Makoto with such- Maktoto couldn't even bare to recognize it. He just kept that sad smile on as he looked at his friend.
In another world, maybe things would have all worked out, they would have all been fine maybe, but this time around-at least for Makoto it hurt to see everything he'd lost too much. He'd need this farewell as much as he'd needed to press restart on his life.
"I lost,"he breathed out at Haru.
His friend just stared at him, not even glancing up at the score board. They both knew after all.
Chapter end
Well that was-depressing.
Soundtrack for this old chap: Stones Throw Away, Bronze Radio Return
Also, from here on out will be the beginning of actual substance to the story. The first third or so was basically a nice set up, I needed to establish Sousuke and Makoto as a thing (largely sexual but hey they at least talk!) and now we set in for the deep shit. Also from here on out most chapters will have a soundtrack. I could have done that before, but basically all the songs would have been, "SEX!" with some possible rhythm and auto tuning involved.
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