There was swimming every day. Thankfully Makoto only had one class. He took his time watching Nagisa and Rei. It was every day after swimming that Rei would come to take Nagisa home. It was a sight that Makoto soon learned to adjust to. He hadn't seen them on the bus since that first day.

"Hazuki-kun," Makoto called after the 10th swimming lesson. Nagisa stopped and turned to look at Makoto.

"What is it Coach Tachibana-chan?" he asked.

"Why is it always that other boy who picks you up?" Makoto asked. "Shouldn't a grown up do it instead?"

Nagisa shook his head. "Rei-chan's like a brother to me. He is more like family than any grown-up could ever be," the boy explained. "He's always looking out for me,"

"For how long have you two known each other?" Makoto asked.

"I don't know…" Nagisa got a thoughtful look on his face. "I can't remember a time when Rei-chan and I weren't around each other,"

Makoto nodded and let the boy go shower and change. He went out and was about to leave the swim club when he noticed Rei enter the building and Nagisa ran up to him as always.

"Rei-chan, for how long have we known each other?" Nagisa asked.

"Why do you suddenly want to know?" Rei asked.

"Coach Tachibana-chan asked," Nagisa pointed at Makoto and Rei grabbed Nagisa's pointing hand.

"It's not nice to point at others like that!" Rei instructed the boy. Then he looked at Makoto. "Why do you want to know, Tachibana-chan-san?" he asked.

Makoto fought back laughter before answering. "I was just curious,"

"I guess we were brought in by the same time, four years ago," Rei said. "I just took responsibility for him and we've stuck together ever since,"

"That's right!" Nagisa exclaimed even if he had no clue if it was or not.

Makoto smiled at the pair. He'd like to get to know them better. "Who do I have to ask to have the two of you over for dinner someday?" Makoto asked Rei.

"I don't know," Rei asked. "Someone from the staff?"

Makoto nodded. Then he let the boys go home.

The following day, Makoto went to Iwatobi Adopting Center and went to speak to one of the staff members. Her name was Maruyama. He told her why he had come there and what he wanted and she smiled at him. A few winkles could be seen at the corners of her eyes.

"You do know what people say, especially about Hazuki-kun, right?" she asked.

"That they are more trouble than they're both worth," Makoto answered. "I have." He then confirmed. "That's the reason why I want to try and have them over. I'm sure they can't be as bad as everyone says." he said this while smiling at Maruyama who smiled even more.

"That's an interesting approach indeed," she said. "If you are aware then I see no need of warning you further. But now remember that I did warn you about it. You'll be picking them up here on Saturday afternoon at five," she said.

"Yes," Makoto answered. "I'll be sure to be there," he assured her.

And so, Makoto was at Iwatobi Adopting Center on the following Saturday at four forty-five, to make sure that he would pick up Rei and Nagisa on time. The two were already waiting for him, sitting on the stairs in the hall as Makoto entered.

"Coach Tachibana-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed as he saw Makoto coming in.

"Hello, Hazuki-kun," Makoto answered.

"Are we going to your place, Tachibana-san?" Rei asked, now finally getting the honorifics correctly.

"Yes," Makoto smiled. "I'm curious about the two of you," he said.

Maruyama came down the stairs. "Good to see you, Tachibana-san," she said as she saw Makoto. "I'm glad you could make it. You may leave now if you want," she said.

"Thank you, Maruyama-san," Makoto answered her before he turned towards Rei and Nagisa. "Are you two coming, Hazuki-kun, Ryugazaki-kun?" he asked.

"Yes!" Both children exclaimed and Nagisa grabbed Makoto's right hand without hesitation before Makoto could manage to do anything else.

"Nagisa-kun!" Rei exclaimed.

"What is it?" Nagisa asked.

"It's not polite to just hold another person's hand like that," Rei instructed the younger.

Makoto chuckled. "It's okay," he said, shaking the surprise off. "I don't mind this." And with those words, he led the two children out of the orphanage.

"WOW! Your place is huge, Coach Tachibana-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed once he saw the house Makoto was living in. Makoto would agree with him. The house was fairly big for one person to live in alone.

"I'm not your coach here," Makoto said, instead of voicing his agreement.

"So, Tachibana-chan?" Nagisa asked.

Makoto smiled. "Yeah, that's okay for now," he said.

They walked into the house and Rei and Nagisa both looked around. Nagisa wanted to look further into the house, but Rei stopped him, saying that it was impolite, seeing as they were only guests at the moment.

"Do you want us to help out with anything, Tachibana-san?" Rei asked.

Makoto thought about that. "Not unless you want to," he answered. "I'm afraid I haven't got any toys or anything like that. You can perhaps find some paper and crayons if you want to draw. That's probably the most interesting I can come up with," Makoto said.

"That's fine," Rei said.

"Where are they?" Nagisa asked.

"Hold on," Makoto said before he went and grabbed both paper and crayons from a drawer and put it on the dining table in the living room. "Here you are," he said and stood up. "I will get dinner started. You two just wait until then," he said before heading to the kitchen.

The three of them sat around the table and ate about an hour later. Makoto was upholding a cheerful conversation about what Nagisa and Rei were normally doing. He was especially curious about Rei's interest, since he knew nothing of them so far.

"Eat properly!" Rei demanded at Nagisa.

Makoto looked to Nagisa as well. He had already noticed that Nagisa's table manners could use a lot of work, but he hadn't mentioned it.

"You're holding your chopsticks wrong too, Rei-chan!" Nagisa declared before sticking his chopsticks into the bowl of sauce, splattering it everywhere.

Makoto sighed. "Hazuki-kun, look here," he said. He then showed Nagisa how to hold the chopsticks properly and then showed the same to Rei. He always kept a gentle smile on his face while doing it.

"You're very kind, Tachibana-san," Rei commented.

Makoto looked surprised at him. "Thank you," he then said.

They sat and ate for a little while longer, and then Nagisa declared that he was full. Rei also said that he couldn't eat another bite and Makoto was satisfied with this result. He was happy that the two had liked his food. He had never cooked for anyone other than his closest family and himself.

"Hazuki-kun!" Makoto exclaimed. "You've got some sauce on your face," he said.

"Where?" Nagisa asked.

Makoto got up and found a small napkin. He sat down next to Nagisa and started wiping it off. He looked from Nagisa to Rei and then decided to voice something he had been thinking about for a little while now.

"I think we should call each other by first names," he said. "If you want to continue to come here for dinner on every Saturday. Just in here," he said.

"I don't mind," Rei said.

"Good," Makoto smiled. "So, I'll be Makoto from now on, and I'll call you Nagisa and Rei, respectively," he said. "That also makes it easier for us to get to know each other better,"

Nagisa and Rei both agreed on this before Makoto happened to look at the clock. "Oh?" he said, surprised. "Is it already seven fifty?" He turned to face both Rei and Nagisa. "We have to go now, you need to be back by eight exactly," And with those words, Makoto got up and pulled Nagisa with him to the door.

They all got their shoes and jacket on before Makoto led the way out in the dark and back to the orphanage. They made it just in time before the clock stroke eight. Time really did seem to fly when you were in good company, Makoto couldn't help but think so.