Because he won't be joining the others for the drinks he insists they're going to have on his behalf, Kisumi savvies Makoto with a pout and some pleading into doing the honours of driving them to the cinema, so he can spoil himself with the overpriced, watered down larger they serve, resulting in a slightly grumpy Haruka having to slide behind the front seat of Makoto's red Civic to sit in the back, as the smallest, but his long legs are squished behind both chairs, rolled all the way back to accommodate Makoto and Kisumi's even longer legs. He sits behind Kisumi, because if his knees are going to annoy someone, it might as well be him. He fires Rin a text, even adding an apology and an "I love you", and promptly turns his phone off.
Kisumi grabs Haru close under his arm after he pulls the seat forward to let him out, just loose, just slotting him in, still the perfect height to tuck him in even after all these years. Haru slides his eyes over and sighs.
"Aww, come on. Be mine for the night," he whines.
"Kis…–"
"We've not hung out properly in forever," Kisumi continues, angling them towards the cinema while Makoto locks the car and tags along behind.
Haru sighs again. "I suppose since you're buying… behave."
Makoto frowns behind them. Haru might have the odd problem with Rin, but he's almost suspiciously close with Kisumi, resting his arm around his lower back walking ahead of him, whispering something between them. He's got the impression that Kisumi's just affectionate and touchy in general, but Haru seems the opposite. Maybe this is just acceptance, just tolerant of each other's personal preferences. He can only imagine that if Haru was more open to physical contact (and hopefully single) Kisumi would be even more all over him.
Maybe they have history. He doesn't know if Kisumi's gay, or just plain old clingy but… there's something.
Haru looks over his shoulder at Makoto, concerned by his silence, and quirks his lip up a little in an attempt at a smile. He catches them up on Haru's other side and Haru, because why not? loops his arm through Makoto's.
What was Makoto saying about Haru not being affectionate?
Sat in the middle, Haru is charged with holding the popcorn, which Kisumi is making the most of during the trailers and Makoto is tentatively taking, piece by piece. It's not really Haru's thing to be honest. He prefers salty, but he's been outvoted by the sweet-teeth. He crosses his legs in his seat, pushing up the arm rest on Kisumi's side to make room for his knees, leaning on his leg a bit. It's enough to keep Kisumi pacified at least, hand coming to rest on his knee and trace little circles. He gives him a smile. He knows the boundaries, even if he likes pushing his luck a bit too.
It's a superhero movie. Your usual mix of action, explosions, bad jokes and a cliché love scene, but while on one side he has Kisumi just in his element, on the other he feels Makoto shift anxiously. Giving Kisumi one last glance, just leaving him to do his thing, he turns to Makoto, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm?" Makoto smiles in question
Haru just cocks his head to the side, and then turns to ignore them both at the first note of the opening theme. Kisumi squeezes his knee. He knows what a movie buff he can be.
Not five minutes in, a supporting bad guy has had his hand sliced off, and Haru feels the hiss of a cringe coming from Makoto, and with a quick glance finds him turned towards him, eyes screwed shut and shoulders tight.
Oh. Oh. He gets it. He understood Makoto is quite the gentle soul, but hadn't realised he's quite this sensitive. He lifts up the arm rest between them too, inches to his side a little. There's just a breath between them, he can feel his presence right there, and slowly Makoto cracks an eye open as the scene audibly changes.
"Not into gore…" he murmurs, looking a little bit embarrassed.
"It's just ketchup," Haru shrugs, calmly.
After the second scene of violence, which even to Haru is a bit excessive, Makoto's edged close, pressed up now, Haru's knee practically in his lap. He feels him tremble a little, a worried breath escape, and brings his hand to his forearm, just holding. They don't make eye contact, don't even look over at each other, but Haru does make sure Kisumi's still occupied with doodling on his knee and is fully invested in the screen.
The third scene even has Kisumi making a little groan, and Makoto's completely given up whatever act he thought he was pulling off, ducking his head to Haru's shoulder where he hides for a moment, and returns far too quickly in mistaken belief the alien squid was no longer being hacked into sushi by chainsaws. Haru gives up too. Makoto's a hugger… he's not going to mind. He puts his arm around him, squeezes once, and looks back to the screen like this is nothing.
Honestly, just what was Makoto thinking when he thought Haru wasn't affectionate?
Makoto drops Kisumi off and Haru climbs out to get into the front, accepting the hug and a kiss on the forehead from Kisumi, who's just a little bit too tipsy to keep his hands in check, holding Haru's waist in a way that screams BOYFRIEND rather than bestie. Haru sighs as he buckles back in, avoiding Makoto's raised eyebrow by firing off his own. Makoto is the first to apologise.
"I should probably have said I'm not really into horror…"
"It wasn't horror," Haru says immediately, then bites it back. "But… well… yeah, they went overboard."
Makoto smiles, pulling away. "Thanks," he adds, warm, genuine, just a touch of a waver.
Haru shrugs in dismissal and they drive silently, Haru grunting directions into his suburb now and then.
"Will Rin still be home?" Makoto asks.
It's nearly nine. He'll get about an hour of Rin sulking from his exclusion, and then a panicked twenty minute snogging session so he doesn't leave Haru to go to bed upset.
"Yeah…" he grunts. He knows he'll be angry. But then he has an idea. "Are we not having drinks?"
"Hmm?" Makoto glances at him, sees a strained expression over his face, like he's reluctant. He takes the next left instead of the right to Haru's house. "I have a bottle of wine from my mum at home we can split."
Haru's not really sure what he's doing when Makoto lets him in and takes his jacket. He shouldn't be here. He lets Makoto direct him to the couch anyway. He balls up subconsciously, and Makoto rubs his shoulder gently as he passes through to the kitchen, the layout being open plan and spacious for such a small place, to open the bottle and pour them both a small glass. He's not a big drinker, and he'd much prefer to stay under the limit to get Haru home safe later.
Haru's quiet. Too quiet, just sipping at his drink disinterestedly, like he's sort of forcing it down. Makoto turns on the telly, flicking for something to break the quiet, and then passes the controller off to Haru when he comes up empty. His phone rings from the hallway.
"Hey," he answers Kisumi.
"Hey," he sounds worried, "Rin's texting me. Haru with you?"
"Yeah, we're splitting a bottle at mine."
"Reeeeeally," Kisumi slurs. "Right… I'll tell Rin he'll see him in the morning then."
"Yeah… I'll get Haru home before –" Haru glances over, eyes wide, and Makoto stops, cocking his head.
"Can I stay here?" Haru asks, feeling bold, feeling rude, but letting his trust in Makoto's good nature take over.
Makoto nods, returning to him and rubbing his shoulder again. He just feels like it's the right thing to do. "Sure. I only have the couch…"
Haru shrugs, apparently appeased, and leans his head onto Makoto's hand on his shoulder. It's warm, comforting, the exact opposite of the reception he'd get from Rin.
He downs his glass.