Haru woke to the noise of Nagisa bouncing around the house. He checked Makoto's futon to find it empty, and he momentarily panicked, before realizing the reason that Nagisa was so excited was because he was talking to the person he was looking for.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the waffle place for breakfast?" Nagisa's voice echoed out from the kitchen, rousing the other two from their sleep.

"I'm sure, Nagisa. I'm a little short on money, and it sounds like the waffle house is a bit pricey," Makoto replied as he moved through the kitchen, the sound of pots and pans clanking together. "We should go later in the week. I'll just make breakfast instead."

Haru saw a flash of blond and pink flannel pajamas rush across his vision before he watched Nagisa unceremoniously jump on Rei, startling a wounded animal noise from him. "Rei-chan! Rei-chan! We're going to eat Mako-chan's cooking!" he screeched happily, shaking Rei. The boy under the covers made no move to get up, and Haru suspected he probably died.

"Nagisa," a grumpy sounding Rin from the other side of the room barked, voice rough with sleep. "You're going to break someone's ear drums, stop yelling so much."

Nagisa pouted before jumping on Rin, earning a muffled grunt from him. "Don't be mean, Rin-chan! Did you not hear what I said? Mako-chan's going to cook for us!" he cried, pulling at Rin's covers.

"Oh my God, would you stop," Rin complained, pulling the covers back up. A small tug-of-war erupted between them, and Haru got up to enter the kitchen.

"Makoto," he said from behind him, startling the brunet as he was chopping some veggies.

"Oh, gosh, Haru, you scared me! You're so quiet," Makoto said, clutching at his chest.

"Need help?" he asked.

"Ah, only if you want to help, Haru. I'm pretty much done, except for the eggs. You maybe should set the table?" he suggested. Haru watched him for a bit before doing what he was told.

Haru felt odd, watching Makoto work in the kitchen. He could almost say that he didn't like it. Even though he would get to eat Makoto's cooking, he didn't like it. The way Makoto moved without any hint of nervousness, the surety he had as he cooked the eggs and plated the rice reminded Haru of the time apart they had.

Of the time that Makoto was slowly, very slowly, moving away from needing Haru.

He watched Makoto and wanted to take the cooking utensils from him, he wanted to lean up to his ear and whisper how Makoto didn't need to learn to cook, that he would do it for him everyday, if he wanted. Haru wanted to tell him that he could rely on him, that Haru would take responsibility for all his meals, and would cook all his favourites everyday-

"Looks good, Makoto," Rin said gruffly as he tried to shake the sleep from his eyes. Makoto smiled at him as he handed him some tea.

"It might not taste as good as Haru's cooking, but you won't die from it," Makoto joked.

"I hope not, you had to live off this stuff for seven months," Rin quipped back. "Did your senpai eat what you cooked?"

"Ah, I always cook for Chiaki-senpai," Makoto replied easily as he took a sip of his tea. Haru felt a sudden drop in his chest. Makoto always cooked for his senpai?

"Mako-chan cooks for Chia-chan?" Nagisa said, pulling a very wounded looking Rei into the kitchen as everyone sat down at the table.

"Just in the mornings. I had early classes while he had classes late in the evening, so we set it up that I'd cook breakfast and he'd cook dinner," he said. Haru didn't like hearing that either. Makoto ate what his senpai cooked for dinner, everyday. Like they were close, like they could depend on each other.

Like how Haru and Makoto used to be.

The gang began to eat, talking and joking ("This is really good, I'm not gonna die!" Rin had said, and Makoto kicked him under the table). They were almost done when they heard a chime in the living room, and Makoto stood up to get his phone.

"Who is it Mako-chan?" Nagisa said, mouthful of rice.

"Nagisa-kun, please swallow before you talk," Rei looked mortified. Everyone looked up to see Makoto wearing an amused smile on his face.

"Chiaki-senpai's a giant three year old," was all he said, before he handed his phone to Nagisa, who made grabby hand movements at him.

"'I miss my Makoto-kouhai's breakfast cooking'. Aw, Mako-chan! He even sent a sad face, how cute," Nagisa laughed, showing Rin and Rei, who leaned in to get a better look, before they also began to snicker at his immaturity. Haru kept his head down and continued eating, one grain of rice at a time. He realized that he was probably scowling at his bowl.

"And he calls me the giant puppy," Makoto muttered, seemingly put off by what Chiaki had called him yesterday.

Nagisa suggested that they send Chiaki a picture of what they were eating, but it was mostly done, so Rei suggested they take a group picture of them with their empty bowls instead. Haru leaned in next to Makoto, pressing his cheek into his shoulder.

"We should be able to see the fireworks on this side!" Rin called, waving them over. It had nearly been a few weeks since Makoto came home, and it was already Obon. Everyone followed Rin, who made his way to a secluded spot on the beach.

Makoto looked up at them and called to them. "Hold on one second you guys! My phone's ringing! I'll catch up in a second!" before he climbed up some stares to a higher part of the temple.

Nagisa nudged Haru in the ribs. "Now's your chance, Haru-chan!" he whispered loudly.

"Yes, Haruka-senpai! We'll wait here while you go up to Makoto-senpai," Rei said turning Haru around and pushing him towards the stairs.

"You'd better do this, Haru, he's got about a week left before he needs to leave," Rin said, watching Haru from a slight distance.

Haru stared at his friends as they waved him to go. Haru looked up at the stairs, before slowly beginning his climb.

His feet felt heavier with each step, and he was nearly at the top before he was sure that he would have a heart attack. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage, and he was positive that he'd die before he even reached Makoto.

Haru was at the top of the steps as he watched Makoto lean on the railing, speaking into his phone. Haru couldn't help but admire him from afar. How long had it been since he had really looked at Makoto? He could barely remember anymore.

He wished he could call out to Makoto, as he hung up his phone and looked out into the expanse of the dark horizon. Haru felt a twinge in his chest as he approached him. Makoto had grown so much without him. Haru felt like he hadn't changed at all. He wanted Makoto to hold him in his arms and tell him personally, all the things that changed about him, all the things that were different so he could catch up.

So they could go back to the way things were before he left.

"Oh, Haru," Makoto called as he noticed Haru walking towards him. "Sorry, did they send you up here to get me?"

Haru looked up at Makoto, admiring the way the festival lights hit his face. "We should stay here," he said quietly, moving to the railing.

"You want to stay up here?" Makoto asked him. "I guess the view is better up here. Let me go get-"

"No!" Haru yelled. Makoto stopped to stare at him, surprised. "They said they liked where they were, and told me to stay with you."

"Okay, then I guess we stay here," Makoto said, leaning on the railing next to him. He turned to smile at Haru, who was suddenly thankful for the lack of light that could hide whatever euphoric expression he had on his face.

They stood together in a silence that felt so familiar and comforting to Haru as they watched the sky get darker and darker. Haru looked at Makoto carefully, realizing how much he actually missed him.

Had Makoto gotten more muscular since he left? Haru could almost bet all the mackerel he had at home that Makoto could lift him up with one arm. He almost wanted to test his theory, wanted to run at Makoto full speed as he jumped in the air before landing in his embrace. He wanted to hear Makoto say how there was no effort at all in keeping him up above him, against his chest.

Haru observed the profile that he dreamed about all of these months. Haru thought, heart aching at the notion, that Makoto's profile looked more masculine, more rugged. If only he could pull his face towards him, to observe his profile better, to trace the contours of his jaw with his nose and lips, breathing in the sent of warmth, comfort, the sea, fresh citrus, and mint.

"Say, Haru," Makoto spoke softly after a while, and Haru looked up at him. "Did I do something to make you angry?"

"Huh?" came out of Haru's mouth before he could stop himself.

"It's just," Makoto began, scratching the back of his neck as he thought of what to say. "This whole time you never texted me back. I had thought that maybe... I had said something to you that made you angry, and that you were ignoring me-"

"No," Makoto turned to Haru, who had placed his hand on Makoto's arm. "You did nothing wrong," he said. You could never do anything wrong, he wanted to continue, except leave me behind and forget all about me.

"Really? Are you sure?" Makoto turned to face him. Haru saw relief spread across his face as he nodded. "I'm glad, then. I really missed talking to you."

Haru's heart skipped as his stomach began to do flips. He clenched the hand that was still on Makoto's arm, feeling the firm muscles there. "I missed talking to you, too," he replied quietly.

"Then," Makoto turned to look at him, pulling away from his arm gently. "Why did you never text back?"

"Because I..." Haru couldn't look at him, coudn't continue what to say. He felt Makoto stare at him, waiting for him to continue. He looked down at the ground.

Makoto glanced at his phone, replying to a text. "Haru, I'll be back," he said, turning to go.

"Don't leave!" Haru said, starting towards him. Makoto turned back to glance at him.

"I'll be back in a bit, Haru, promise," Makoto said as he was facing him. "I just have to go and -"

"I love you!" Haru blurted. He watched Makoto freeze and straighten his posture, turning to face him fully. "I couldn't text you because I didn't know what to say. I... I didn't know what to say to you when I figured out how I felt. I... I love you, Makoto."

Haru felt breathless as he watched Makoto. Why wasn't he moving? Why was he looking at him that way? He saw a muted seriousness, a pain in Makoto's eyes that he didn't like seeing, and his heart quickened as Makoto bowed deeply to him.

"I'm sorry," Makoto said, head still parallel to the ground. "I... I have a girlfriend."

Haru felt every nerve in his body come alive at those words, he was suddenly unable to move. "... What?" he whispered, still staring at the back of Makoto's head.

Makoto came out of his bow and looked at Haru in the eye, expression serious. "I can't return your feelings, Haru," it looked like it pained him to say the words, almost as though he was gritting his teeth. "I'm seeing someone."

Haru stared at him, feeling his world tumbling around him, feeling the ground fall out from under him even though he continued to stand in place. "Makoto?" he felt his voice shake around the name, afraid his voice was going to shatter, too.

"She's here now, to meet my family," Makoto said quietly, almost a whisper. "I was going to go get her."

Haru backed away from Makoto, stunned, lost, on the verge of breaking. He turned to grip the railing, steadying himself. "Haru," Makoto reached for him.

"Don't touch me!" he cried. Makoto's hand froze just above Haru's hand. "Don't touch me," he said again, meekly. Makoto's hand went back to his side.

Haru stood there for a while, shaking with unshed tears, covering his mouth to muffle the sobs that threatened to break loose from his throat. Makoto watched him with a pained expression, before turning away from Haru, leaving him at the railing, unable to say anything.

Haru waited a moment before he let go of the railing and started running. He heard people calling his name, but he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything anymore. Nothing mattered. Nothing was important. Not when he'd lost everything.

He threw open his bedroom door and nearly ran into the drawer as he pulled out the shirt that he had kept all this time. The shirt that he wanted to return when he confessed his feelings. When Makoto returned them.

He gripped it tightly in his hands as he began to shake. He wanted to rip it apart, destroy the thing he had been holding on to for so long. He didn't need it anymore, not when Makoto didn't-

"Makoto," he whispered, falling to his knees as he held the shirt to his face. It still smelled like him, almost taunting. He felt the tears begin to roll off his cheeks, dampening the shirt as loud, broken sobs wracked his lungs and escaped his lips.

Makoto.

Don't leave.

Don't forget me.

Don't leave me behind.

Makoto, please.

Please.

He passed out, hugging the shirt tightly to his chest.

He woke up to the sound of knocking at his bedroom door. He kept his head under the covers as Rin, Rei, and Nagisa came into his room. There was a silence that was heavy, no one was sure how to break it.

"Haru," Rin began, quietly.

"Don't," he said, his reply muffled by the covers. He curled in on himself. Rin clicked his tongue, but didn't push.

"We met her, Haru-chan," Nagisa said, sounding so defeated, so winded by the words. Haru squeezed his eyes shut.

"We're sorry, Haruka-senpai," Rei muttered. Haru hated those words more than anything. They had nothing to be sorry for.

"How was she?" he asked. He felt tension crackle behind him.

"What?" Rei replied.

"Was she beautiful?" he pressed.

"No, she wasn't!" Nagisa cried, sounding like he was in tears. "She would never be as beautiful as you are, Haru-chan! She was-"

"Don't lie to me!" he yelled, startling Nagisa into silence. "Please... just tell me."

"She was beautiful, Haru," Rin spoke, sounding frustrated by the words he was saying. "Incredibly gorgeous."

"She was very kind to him," Rei said, voice cracking at the words leaving his mouth, "and to us."

"They love each other," Nagisa sobbed, sound defeated despite his earlier outburst. "So much. Haru-chan, I'm so sorry. I-"

"Stop," Haru said, still under the covers. He curled more into himself. "Please... just go."

The three of them left after a moment, unable to say more. What could they say? When Haru heard the door shut, he felt his shoulders begin to shake with sobs that he refused to let loose. He couldn't cry, not again.

Makoto had found someone. Makoto had found someone who was beautiful, kind, and in love with him. Someone who was unafraid to show her love for him, to shower him in the affection that Haru couldn't muster.

Makoto had found someone that wasn't him.

Haru sat up and looked around the room. His eyes felt dry, sore, and heavy. He held the shirt in his lap, afraid it would shatter, that it would disappear if he let go.

He thought about how Makoto had left him completely. How he had learned to live without Haru being there, next to him, standing by him, supporting him.

He thought about how his room never looked more empty.