Makoto spent the night at Haruka's house after Haruka discovered he was pregnant. They didn't do much sleeping, as they were both too overwhelmed at the news to feel the least bit tired. They spent a fair amount of time just crying and smiling in each others' arms in the bathroom, and once they dried their tears, Haruka threw away the test (after gazing at it one last time, as if to confirm that the result was in fact positive) and they migrated to Haruka's bedroom. There, they curled up on the bed and simply lay in silence for several minutes until Makoto said with an airy laugh, "..we're going to be parents."
This remark sparked a series of discussions that would last them into late hours of the night. Gender preferences (they immediately agreed that they would be content with either); possible names ("If you say 'Mackerel,' I'm sleeping downstairs,' Makoto teased, which earned a pout-scowl from Haruka); scheduling a check-up with the doctor, to make sure there was nothing wrong with the pregnancy; what they would do about finishing out high school, then Makoto's university education, then post-graduation jobs… But the topic that was most immediately of pressing importance was the question of how they were going to tell their friends and family.
"...we should tell the team, first," Haruka suggested when Makoto brought it up.
"Um, I was thinking we should start with my parents…" Makoto disagreed. His eyes widened in alarm, though, as he acknowledged the potential that their series of lighthearted yet extremely impactful discussions might turn into an argument. "But, if you would rather tell the team first-!" he quickly countered himself.
Haruka raised his eyebrows calmly. "That's a good idea, though. I agree with you; family first."
Makoto's body laxed with relief. "Oh-!" A contented smile appeared on his lips. "That's settled, then. We can tell the team immediately after we tell my parents…. ...oh, but what about your parents, Haru-?" Makoto felt guilty saying that; he knew that Haruka's parents were a touchy subject, since they were never around for their son and Haruka had never been close to them. Still, they were his parents, and so it was necessary to consider them.
"...I'll surprise them. When they come home in the summer," Haruka grumbled reluctantly.
"Are you sure about that…?" Makoto furrowed his eyebrows, concerned that maybe it would be a better choice for Haruka to inform his parents of the pregnancy ahead of time, instead of having them come home to see their son carrying a baby around.
"Yes," Haruka snapped. He didn't seem irritated or angry with Makoto; only certain about his decision. Makoto sighed quietly and smiled, unwilling to go against Haruka's word.
"Ooh! We should find time to tell Kisumi, too…" Makoto suggested suddenly.
Haruka scowled, the very sound of his old "friend's" name putting him in a bitter mood. "Do we need to tell him…" he grumbled.
"Alright, I'll tell him," Makoto chuckled.
Haruka's scowl lightened into more of a pout, and then the pout faded into an apathetically thoughtful sort of expression. "...when we tell the team…" he murmured after a pause, "We'll have to ask Gou not to tell Rin." He seemed hesitant to finish his statement. "...I want to tell him myself."
Makoto tilted his head slightly, his content expression unchanging. "Makes sense to me," he agreed with a smile. A mild form of relief flickered in Haruka's eyes.
The silence that followed signified that their conversation had met a sufficient end. Neither of them spoke for several moments; eventually, Haruka let out a quiet yawn, and planted his forehead against Makoto's shoulder. Makoto automatically brought him into a gentle hug. "Are you sleepy, Haru-chan?" he teased, gazing at his boyfriend with utmost affection.
"...drop the -chan, moron…" Haruka mumbled into Makoto's chest, his eyes drooping closed on their own accord.
"Did you call me a 'moron'? How very, very rude of you…" Makoto was only jokingly offended; he knew that it had gotten late (with a glance at his alarm clock he saw that it was well past midnight), and after finding out the biggest news of his lifetime, Haruka had to have been exhausted. Besides, Makoto was beginning to feel a yawn coming on, himself. "Let's get ready for bed, shall we?"
But Haruka had already fallen asleep. Chuckling adoringly under his breath, Makoto carefully slid out of the bed in order to turn off the lights. Not bothering to change into pajamas, he crept under the covers, making sure not to disturb Haruka as he pulled the blanket over the both of them. "I love you so much, Haru… Sweet dreams," Makoto murmured. He pressed a soft kiss to Haruka's forehead and wrapped his arms around him as gingerly as possible. Within minutes, he, too, had nodded off to sleep.
As opposed to being lost with sleep, their conversation from the night before was still fresh in Haruka and Makoto's minds when they awoke the following morning. It was a Saturday, so they took their time meandering out of bed and preparing for the day: they simply lay cuddling for several minutes upon waking, sitting up only once the sun was too bright for them to keep their eyes closed. Makoto drew up a warm bath for them while Haruka prepared a light breakfast. It was while they sat together in the tub that they decided that once they were dressed and clean, they would go next door to Makoto's house and make their first round of announcements.
"...are you nervous, Haru?" Makoto asked as their bath water drained away, combing his hair.
Haruka- brushing his teeth beside Makoto- raised his eyebrows questioningly, then gave a shake to his head and spit into the sink. He rinsed and used a towel to wipe the toothpaste off of his mouth, looking up at Makoto. "Your parents are understanding people."
"Hm, you're right…" Makoto agreed, but his tone and smile both seemed forcefully optimistic, with an uncertain air to them. Noticing, Haruka tilted his head slightly.
"Are you nervous?"
Makoto's eyes widened in alarm. He wanted to defend himself, but, he knew he had been caught red-handed. "...well…" He scratched his cheek, which was flushed light pink in embarrassment. "I know they wouldn't do anything drastic, like tell us to break up, or disown me…. But, I'm afraid that because they care about us so much, they'll tell us that we made a mistake. And, I honestly don't want to have to argue with my mom and dad," he confessed.
Haruka considered that for a moment, then put away his toothbrush and said, "Then we'll just have to show them how dedicated we are to this."
Makoto was still a little hesitant, but he couldn't disagree.
The brief distance from Haruka's house to his own felt exaggeratedly lengthy to Makoto. Once they descended the stairs, Makoto felt as though he was still standing in the doorway, and it seemed to him that each step they took toward his front door pushed his home further and further away. It took less than a minute to step up to the porch, yet Makoto sweated as if they had walked for miles. He hesitated at the door, feeling as though he was visiting the house of complete strangers; he even almost rang the doorbell.
"..Makoto." The sound of Haruka's voice as Makoto reached a shaking hand toward the doorknob made him jump out of his skin. "You're a mess. Are you sure you're ready to tell them? Though, not that you have any reason to be scared. Because it's going to be fine."
Makoto gulped, wiping his palms on his pants. "I know… ...I know." He drew in a deep, slow breath, and flashed a teensy smile down at his boyfriend. "I'm sorry. I think I'll be alright…. I just needed a moment."
Haruka said nothing in response; but there was a reassuring sort of calm yet confident twinkle in his eye that helped Makoto relax just a little bit more. He gave Haruka's hand a gentle squeeze, and using the hand that he didn't take, Haruka opened the door.
As Haruka closed the door behind them, Makoto took a couple more calming breaths and then cleared his throat. "...Mom, Dad? Where are you?" He hoped his voice wasn't shaking.
"Living room!" came his father's voice.
"Kitchen, sweetie," his mom called over the sound of running water. She switched off the sink and called, "Is Haru with you?"
Makoto couldn't help but grin a little bit. "Of course." His face quickly sobered again. "...um, can we sit down? All four of us. The living room is fine… ...I- we- need to talk to you."
Even without being in the same room as them, Makoto could feel the concern appear on his parents' faces. Silently, his mother set down the dish she was washing and dried her hands on a towel, while his father folded up and set down his newspaper. Mrs. Tachibana joined Haruka and her son in the entranceway, and together they entered the room in which Mr. Tachibana was already sitting. Makoto's mother sat herself in the armchair beside her husband while Makoto and Haruka took the sofa across the room. It was just as Makoto had guessed: both of his parents wore expressions of evident worry.
"Honey, is everything okay…?" Mrs. Tachibana asked immediately, resting a hand over her heart.
"Yes, yes, everything is fine-!" Makoto reassured her quickly. His nerves from a few minutes earlier were gradually starting to reappear. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "...we just… have some news." He glanced down at Haruka as if to say, Are you sure about this?, to which Haruka gave a small nod. Makoto gulped, sat up straighter, and looked seriously into his parents' faces. "...I don't want you to be upset with us. I understand that this is going to come as a big shock, and there are a lot of risks and consequences involved… And it definitely might be true that we've made a horrible mistake. ...but..." His next words froze in his throat. 'Haru is pregnant' just didn't feel right; to him, that gave the connotation that he was putting the blame on Haruka. So, after a moment of gathering up the courage, he declared, "...we're having a baby together."
Just as would be expected, he was met with a heavy silence as his parents' mouths fell agape. Their eyes darted from their son's face, to Haruka's, to Haruka's abdomen, back to their son. Makoto braced himself for a whirlwind of questions.
But they only asked one. "...have you already made an attempt?" Mr. Tachibana whispered while his wife clutched at her chest.
Makoto nodded slowly, his heart hammering in his ears. "We took a pregnancy test last night, and… He's two months gone…"
Slowly and carefully, Mrs. Tachibana relaxed her shoulders rested her hand on the arm of the chair. "You boys are both so, so bright…" They both expected her to follow this with something along the lines of, 'So why would you do something so STUPID?' But they were wrong. "So… I trust that whatever decision you make has got to be the right one."
As Makoto and Haruka's jaws dropped, Mr. Tachibana nodded his head in agreement. "If you think you're ready to handle a baby, then, we're not going to stop you. We will, however, be here for you whenever you need us."
"Absolutely," his wife seconded. "We'll help you boys through this, every step of the way. As long as you're both safe and happy. And, if you don't want this baby-"
"We're keeping them," Makoto assured her quickly. His face flushed and he scratched his cheek. "...this wasn't an accident…" he murmured.
Mrs. Tachibana smiled softly; the gentle smile that her son had inherited. "Well, we're here for you." She stood from her chair and placed a soft kiss on each of the boys' heads. "I love you so much. Both of you."
"Besides," Mr. Tachibana chuckled, "we already consider Haru a part of the family."
It was almost like Makoto was more surprised at his parents' calm response than his parents were to hearing the news. He opened his mouth but simply couldn't speak, so Haruka spoke up first. "...thank you…" he whispered, eyes shining with either relief, or tears.
"Yes, thank you…!" Makoto repeated. "...Mom, Dad… Really. Thank you so much-"
"MAKO'S HOME!" Ren and Ran suddenly burst into the room, wearing matching grins on their faces. However, when they saw the calm but serious expressions on their family's faces, the excitement disappeared from their expressions. "...what's goin' on?" Ren asked, looking around at everyone in the room.
"Your brother and Haru had something very important to tell us," Mr. Tachibana informed them with a smile. The twins gasped and turned their full attention to Makoto.
"Can you tell us?" they demanded eagerly. Makoto glanced at Haruka, then, with a gentle smile, stood and kneeled to their level. It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders; sharing the news with his little siblings would be much less strenuous, now that the obstacle of his parents had been cleared.
"Ren, Ran… In a few months, you two are going to be an uncle and an aunt," he murmured, resting his hands on their shoulders. They raised their eyebrows at each other, confused.
"Huh? But… We're too YOUNG for that!" Ran argued. Makoto chuckled.
"Well, Haru and I aren't that young…"
Ran crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows together. "Wait. But to be an aunt and uncle, doesn't that mean you have to have a baby?"
"Dummie, that's the point! Mako and Haru-chan are having a BABY!" Ren gave his sister a smack on the arm and rolled his eyes matter-of-factly. Ran gaped.
"Is that true-?!" she asked Makoto frantically, her eyes darting between him and Haruka.
"Mhm, it sure is! Right now, there's a little baby in Haru-chan's tummy." Haruka coughed awkwardly at Makoto's word choice, but Makoto only smiled and ignored him.
"Ew…" the twins groaned in unison, their faces contorted with disgust and bewilderment. However, after a few seconds, the deeper meaning of their brother's news seemed to dawn on them, and they suddenly regained the excitement they had entered the room with.
"Mako and Haru-chan are having a baby!" Ran repeated after her brother, bouncing up and down. "It's going to be so cute!"
"I'm gonna be an uncle!" Ren laughed.
"And I'll be an aunt! We can snuggle with the baby…"
"And play peek-a-boo!" Grinning from ear to ear, the twins hurried to give big hugs to their brother and Haruka; Ran even gave Haruka's stomach a little pat, which simultaneously revolted and amused him.
As the twins skipped around the room singing "Little tiny baby, little tiny baby," Makoto caught Haruka's eyes. They smiled at each other, and almost shared a kiss until they realized that Makoto's entire family was right there in the room. But still, both of them felt a substantial amount of happiness welling up inside of them: not only had their first round of breaking the news gone exceptionally smoothly, they also gained further reassurance that they were not alone in the journey ahead of them.
Haruka and Makoto spent the weekend feeling relatively excited and confident about their situation. They had successfully informed someone of the pregnancy, and now had the support of Makoto's parents! However, as the following Monday approached and the reality of breaking the news to their friends dawned on them, they (well, mostly Makoto) began to grow nervous again.
After a day of attempting to act natural, the couple decided they would make their announcement at the very beginning of swim practice. Arriving first, they waited, slightly anxiously, in the locker room until Rei and Nagisa got there, entering the room hand-in-hand. Makoto stood up the moment they walked in; Haruka stayed seated on the bench. "You don't have to change into your swimsuits yet. We have to tell you and Kou something, first," Makoto told them, feigning his typical calm and leaderly smile. Rei and Nagisa exchanged a glance that only the two of them could interpret.
"That's kinda crazy, 'cause, Rei-chan and I have something to say, too!" Nagisa exclaimed. He smiled his perfected artificial smile, but Rei's expression was lined with apprehension.
"I believe Kou is already by the pool…" Rei remarked, gazing off to the side so as to not make eye contact with either of his seniors. Noting his discomfort, Nagisa pouted in concern and gave Rei's hand a reassuring squeeze. Rei squeezed it back.
Gou raised a skeptical eyebrow when the team came outside wearing their school uniforms. "Where are your swimsuits?" she asked them, crossing her arms lightly over her chest.
Letting out a light laugh, Makoto scratched the back of his head apologetically. "Sorry, I asked them not to change out… ...we have some announcements to make." The annoyance in Gou's demeanor quickly faded, and she dropped her arms to her side with a look of concerned curiosity on her face.
"Um, you and Haru-chan can go first!" Nagisa offered when Makoto looked at him like, Would you like to speak first-? "You looked really ready to talk when we got here, sooo, we can wait." In actuality, Nagisa had misinterpreted Makoto's anxiety as eagerness; but Makoto wasn't going to tell him that. They had to make the announcement sooner or later… No sense backing out now.
"...so… Haru and I… Well, we…" Makoto didn't understand why he was struggling so badly to get the words out. These were his best friends; they should be the easiest people to tell big news to… But for whatever reason, he was horrified. Sweating nervously, he groped the air for Haruka's hand, as he needed some form of support. "...um… We're-"
Haruka wrapped his fingers around Makoto's hand, and finished his sentence for him. "-having a baby."
Just like Makoto's parents, their initial response was silence. "...huh?" It was uncertain whether Gou truly hadn't made out what Haruka said, or if she just wasn't understanding his words. Haruka sighed silently.
"I'm pregnant."
Their friends reacted now, as if someone had hit play on a paused movie. With a sound combining a shriek and a gasp, Gou's eyes bulged and her hands flew to cover her mouth, which had fallen agape. "A… baby… You're… You guys… HUH?!" she screeched.
However, her sudden state of immense surprise still paled in comparison with the shock on Rei and Nagisa's faces. The peculiar thing was that mixed into their wide-eyed, open-mouthed expressions of disbelief, was clearly some… relief. "...is that… true, Haruka-senpai…? Makoto-senpai…?" Rei whispered in a tone of anticipation. It seemed as if he was waiting for a justification to the excitement that he was currently restraining.
Those few words seemed to have been enough talking for Haruka; Makoto took over again, now that the main point was made. "We found out Friday evening… Two months pregnant," Makoto confirmed.
Rei and Nagisa stared at each other in awe; and then, relief with a sprinkle of delight rushed into their expressions like water from a broken dam. "Oh, my god!" Nagisa squealed before Makoto, Haruka, or Gou could ask what was going on. Nagisa's eyes darted back and forth between Haruka and Makoto, sparkling excitedly- or perhaps those were just the tears welling up in them- and then landed on Haruka. "I… I'm pregnant, too, Haru-chan!"
Now it was Makoto and Haru's turn to be shocked (meanwhile, poor Gou seemed as though she was about to faint). "...oh, Nagisa… How did…?" Makoto gasped airily.
"A few months ago, school was making me really sad so I thought that if I had a baby, I could drop out… But even though I know that was a really bad idea now, I don't wanna get rid of the baby, so Rei-chan and I are gonna keep it!" Nagisa explained, smiling widely but wiping at his eyes as tears began to fall.
Nobody knew what to say; one pregnancy within their group of friends was a life-changing phenomenon, but two pregnancies… It was so unlikely that there simply weren't any words for it.
At least an entire minute passed without any talking: just various sounds, including Gou's failed attempts at finding something to say, Nagisa crying and hiccuping against Rei's arm, and Makoto sighing in amazement. Eventually, Gou seemed to string some words together. "...well, I…. guess, congratulations, you two…?" she managed in a baffled tone. Haruka and Nagisa both thanked her- Haruka under his breath, Nagisa in a squeak. However, Gou gradually composed herself, and as she did so, her bewildered face sobered. She then verbalized the question that was pressing at the back of all of their minds: "...but what are we going to do about the swim team?"
Her mildly grim expression was now mirrored on all of the Iwatobi boys' faces. It was an obvious question to consider, and it had crossed their minds; but the boys had done their best to ignore it as best they could. Nonetheless, now the elephant in the room was staring them in the faces, and they were left with no choice but to discuss it.
They stood in silence for several moments, individually thinking over the scenario. Then, it seemed like everyone had the same idea, as all eyes suddenly turned to Nagisa: the one who formed the club in the first place.
He seemed to shrink under everyone's gaze. "...w-what?"
"Well… You were the first one to start recruiting people when the club formed, right? Do you think we could recruit two more people before you and Haru have to leave the team?" Gou's tone was calm, but it almost had an accusatory undertone. It made Nagisa feel even smaller.
After a few seconds, Nagisa gave a hesitant shake to his head. "...well, honestly, no… Especially not anyone as good as Haru-chan…"
The atmosphere was growing heavy, because they all knew he was right. "...and also, although this may be childish of me…" Rei added, adjusting his glasses and furrowing his eyebrows, "I really don't think I could be part of a team without the four of us. It just… wouldn't feel right…"
"No, I feel the same way…" Makoto sighed as Nagisa quickly nodded in agreement. But this still didn't seem to provide a solution for the problem at hand.
"...I want to swim for as long as possible," Haruka murmured.
Gou pursed her lips together in thought. "...how about this," she finally proposed. "Let's keep the club together until the tournament next month. If Haru and Nagisa are still able to race by then, we'll enter. If not, then, we'll disband the club before we register for the tournament. That way, we can still use the pool for at least another month."
The Iwatobi boys all looked at each other, then eventually back at Gou. It was logical enough, and it wasn't as if any of them could think of an alternative… So, it was unanimously agreed that they would keep the club together only until Haruka and Nagisa were too pregnant to race safely. It was clear that none of them were exactly happy about ending the Iwatobi Swim Club; especially not Gou. In fact, it looked as though she was restraining herself from ripping out her hair or bursting into tears. Yet, she wasn't mad at her friends, only… shocked. The thought of them becoming teen fathers never even crossed her mind….. But she wasn't mad.
"I'm surprised, though, Haru. Getting into a situation that will make it so you can't swim for a while…" Gou commented as they stood in silence, only partially teasing.
"...I don't like swimming competitively, anyway," Haruka mumbled.
Now the only people left to tell (immediately, at least) were Rin and Kisumi. Originally, Makoto intended to wait until the weekend to get together with Kisumi; however, the more he thought on it, the more eager he became to tell him sooner (after clearing the hurdles of his parents and swim team, Makoto finally felt confident about delivering the news). So, he called his old friend and arranged to meet up at a coffee shop on Wednesday evening.
After ordering their beverages (neither of them actually got coffee; Makoto ordered hot tea with sugar and honey while Kisumi ordered a strawberry milkshake), the two boys made casual conversation, catching up on some of the basics of their high school and family lives. It was when their drinks arrived that Makoto decided to introduce the purpose of this outing. "...so, there's something big I need to tell you."
Kisumi raised his eyebrows as he sipped his milkshake. "Hm? Well, I'm all ears, Mako-chan."
Makoto drew in a deep breath. He was fairly confident that Kisumi would support them no matter what… He only had to tell him. "I told you that Haru got the artificial womb surgery, right-?"
"Yup!" Kisumi nodded, chewing on his straw. "Texted me the day he got it done."
"...well, you see… Now, he's… ...we're having a baby together."
The straw slipped out from between Kisumi's lips and swirled around the brim of the cup. For a few seconds, he only stared at Makoto. "...like… Now?"
Makoto gave a small nod to his head. "Haru's about two months pregnant." The words felt strange on his tongue. Even though he had already made the announcement twice before, he was still wrapping his head around the fact that he and Haruka were truly having a baby together.
Kisumi just sat there, blinking. After a moment, he whistled. Then he slowly grinned. "...to be honest, I never thought the two of you would ever have sex. I mean, you're such a baby, and Haru's such a prude…"
Makoto's cheeks heated up and he took an embarrassed sip of his tea. "Haru isn't a prude-! ...it was his idea, actually…"
Kisumi let out a laugh. "Whoa there, Mako-chan, I didn't need to know which one of you kickstarted your sex life."
"That isn't what I meant-!" Makoto gasped in a horrified whisper, blushing deeper and choking on his tea. "I meant, having a baby was Haru's idea…"
With a light chuckle, Kisumi's grin softened and he took another sip of his milkshake. "I know, I know… ...why didn't you guys wait until after you graduated, though? I mean, it's your third year…"
Recovering from his embarrassment, Makoto shrugged slightly. "Haru seemed to have his heart set on starting a family as soon as possible… And you know how stubborn he is."
Chuckling again, Kisumi nodded a couple times. "So then, are you going to drop out before you graduate?"
"Well, I know I'm not going to… And I still plan on going to university, too. Haru has never really been serious about school, so, we're thinking he's just going to drop out once he gets farther along. ...and as for how we plan to balance school with the pregnancy, and then the baby…" He scratched his cheek with one finger, giving a lopsided smile. "We're still working out the details. But we'll figure it out…"
"Hey, I'm sure you will." Kisumi smiled. "So, have you been to the doctor yet? To make sure this is the real deal?" Kisumi asked. Makoto's eyes widened slightly, his heart skipping a beat; they had considered that a doctor's examination could prove the test result wrong, but, they were so caught up in the thrill of the test being positive that it seemed set in stone…
"...well, no… But, we did make an appointment for this weekend." A pain pulsed in Makoto's chest as he imagined being told that the test was mistaken, and Haruka wasn't actually pregnant. He could barely make the words out, because he understood the weight of their truth. "...so if it... doesn't go well, I'll let you know…"
Noticing the change in Makoto's demeanor, Kisumi gave his foot a reassuring nudge under the table. "Well, if it does work out… Promise to make me the godfather when the baby's born, alright?" he teased with a wink. That made Makoto smile a little.
"I would love to, but I'm not too sure how Haru would feel about that…"
"I know, I know~" Setting his milkshake down, Kisumi reached across the table and rested his hand atop Makoto's. "But seriously, it'll probably fine. Those pregnancy tests don't normally come up positive when they're not supposed to, y'know? And no matter what happens, rest assured that your buddy Kisumi has your back."
Shoulders relaxing, Makoto smiled gently. "Thank you, Kisumi… It means a lot."
"Don't mention it, Mako-chan. What are friends for?"
Haruka, impartial to moping at home alone while Makoto was rendezvousing with Kisumi, was waiting in the Tachibana household for Makoto to return home. He was playing cards with the twins when Makoto arrived. The moment he heard the door open, Haruka abandoned his deck and hurried (not too quickly, though- he didn't want to seem like an abandoned puppy) to greet his boyfriend. "Welcome home," he said calmly as Makoto took off his shoes and hung up his coat. He smiled at Haruka.
"You smell clean… Did you use my shower?"
A subtle blush swept across Haruka's cheeks and he glanced off to the side. "...your mom said I could."
Laughing lightly, Makoto pecked Haruka's lips and then took him upstairs.
"...so how'd it go." Haruka kept his voice flat in order to avoid any bitterness. Not that Makoto would have been surprised or offended to hear venom in his tone; he knew perfectly well how Haruka felt about Kisumi. He smiled anyway.
"Really well! He was a little surprised, of course, but he also promised to be there for us no matter what happens," he explained cheerily, kneeling in front of his dresser and pulling out a set of pajamas.
"Great," Haruka mumbled quietly enough that Makoto couldn't hear him.
"Now the only person left to tell is Rin!" Although Makoto's tone was cheery, Haruka received his words like an icy breeze. He tensed, and the change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed. Makoto's smile faded and he gently got to his feet. "...do you want me to tell you for him?" he offered softly.
"No," Haruka insisted. The quickness of his response made Makoto jump slightly. Haruka stared at his feet. "...I'll tell him."
Makoto bit his lip uncertainly. "...alright… Well, I'm going to get a quick shower and brush my teeth, okay?"
"Okay..."
Makoto pressed a careful kiss to Haruka's forehead before slipping out of the room and down the hall.
Sighing quietly, Haruka fell back against the bed. His friendship with Rin was… complicated, at this point in time. Rin had certainly changed since he first returned to Japan: he had recovered a lot of the spirit he had when they were children, and had become an all-around friendly and hardworking guy. He had righted all of the wrongs he had created after coming back from Australia- including his tarnished friendship with Haruka. Yet, at the end of the day, both of them had to admit that their friendship was not flawlessly mended. There were still a few small cracks to be filled, and it would be a while yet until things were 100% fine between them.
Haruka felt tired. He considered getting under the covers and trying to fall asleep while Makoto was in the shower; however, a sort of tugging feeling in his chest made it clear that it would be impossible to go to sleep now. Before leaving practice the prior Monday, Makoto had made sure to ask Gou not to mention the pregnancy to Rin, because Haruka wanted to tell him himself. Haruka had overheard him make this request, and hearing it come from Makoto made him feel like no he had no choice but to commit to it. He had to do it… He had to tell Rin… And at the moment, it felt like it was now or never.
He sat up and retrieved his cell phone from the bedside table. According to the clock, it wasn't unreasonably late; only 7:15... He dialed Rin's number.
Rin didn't answer until the final ring before the call would have gone to voicemail. "Ah, hey, sorry it took so long to answer… I'm a little busy right now." Haruka's eyes widened slightly, and he wondered if he really would have to wait to tell him, but then Rin added, "What's up, Haru? Need something?"
He didn't sound particularly rushed or upset; still, Haruka had the common courtesy to make the conversation brief so Rin could return to whatever he was doing. Besides: it would probably be better to get it over with quickly… "I just wanted to tell you something." He closed his eyes, and let the words escape his mouth. "I'm pregnant."
Haruka couldn't see Rin's face on the other line, but he could imagine his shocked expression clearly in his head. "...you're… Wait, what-?!" he spluttered. Haruka could feel his heartbeat quicken softly.
"I'm pregnant," Haruka repeated. "Two months gone, I took a test on Friday. Makoto and I are going to the doctor on Saturday to make sure," he explained in a level tone.
On the other line, Rin ran a hand through his hair, mouth opening and closing like a beached fish gasping for air. "...pregnant… Uh… Are you, keeping it-?" he managed to get out.
Haruka's eyes widened in alarm. "Of course," he snapped immediately, horrified at the very prospect of getting rid of his child with Makoto.
"Right, uh, sorry… ...um, congratulations-?" Rin struggled to put the simple words together.
"Yeah… Thanks."
Silence. Haruka considered hanging up there, but then he realized there were a couple other things he should probably mention first. "...Nagisa is, too. With Rei's."
Rin was barely even drawing in a breath, yet he choked hard enough to induce a brief coughing fit. "Seriously…?! ...geez, is there something in the water at Iwatobi…?"
Haruka casually disregarded Rin's feeble joke. "We're going to have to disband the swim team."
"Oh… I guess so, huh-? That's a shame… But, that's probably for the best, with your, uh, circumstances…"
"Yeah."
Another uncomfortable pause. "...well, uh… I have to go, but, we can talk later, okay? About, uh, this."
The thought of further discussing this topic with Rin at first unnerved Haruka, but after considering it for a moment, it was also sort of relieving. Regardless of their damage, Rin and Haruka were best friends. Once he came to terms with it, Haruka was sure Rin would be willing to help him and Makoto out. "...yeah."
Neither of them said good-bye; they just hung up, both feeling undeniably awkward.
For a moment, Haruka just stared at his phone. ...he did it. Everyone that really needed to know about his pregnancy- except for Coach Sasabe, Ms. Amakata, and perhaps a few others- now knew. Sighing softly, Haruka powered off his phone, and crawled under the sheets.
Meanwhile, Rin slowly set his phone on the ground beside his bed, trying to comprehend the conversation he had just had. Haru… and Nagisa… were pregnant? Now? In high school?
"What did Haru-senpai want….?"
Currently, Rin was alone in his dorm with Aiichirou- and both of them were half naked. Today was their one-year anniversary, and Sousuke agreed to switch rooms with Aiichirou for the night, to commemorate the special occasion. Originally, their plan had only been to sleep in the same bed, so as to spend as much time together as possible on the night that marked the first year of their relationship; but after just a few minutes of laying in each others' arms, they developed… other desires. They had just stripped out of their shirts and were kissing softly yet passionately when Rin's phone rang.
"...he's…" Rin shook his head; he didn't want to think too much about that now. This was his time with Aiichirou, and he was going to dedicate every second of his attention to the boy sitting before him. "I'll explain later. But, for now…" A gentle smirk curled on the corners of Rin's lips. "Where were we?" he murmured. Those words seemed to wipe the memory of the suspicious phone call he had just witnessed from Aiichirou's mind. Squirming in quiet excitement, Aiichirou closed his eyes lightly and tilted his head, inviting Rin to access his neck. Rin didn't hesitate to start laying kisses and nips on the tender skin. Aiichirou gave little whimpers of pleasure while gently gripping his boyfriend's shoulders, as Rin pulled him closer by his waist and grew more passionate in the necking. It was likely that Aiichirou would wake up with marks on his skin.
Rin slipped his hands away from Aiichirou's waist and began trailing them over his pale body. Eventually, they made their way back downward, to Aiichirou's crotch. Still sucking on Aiichirou's neck, he fumbled blindly with the waist of his pajama pants and tugged them down, revealing his underwear. Just as he made to remove them, as well, Aiichirou gave a gasp of protest and flinched away from Rin's touch. When Rin opened his eyes and sat back in alarm, he saw that Aiichirou's eyes were closed tightly and nervously.
"Ai, are you alright-?" Rin froze as a horrible thought crossed his mind: had he subconsciously gone too far? Did he misinterpret Aiichirou's frightful whimpers as sounds of pleasure? Was he mistaken about how far Aiichirou wanted to go, and just pushed his boundaries by trying to undress him?
Slowly, Aiichirou opened his eyes; but he still didn't look at Rin. "...um… I'm scared," he whispered. Rin suddenly felt a wave of guilt crash over him.
"...oh, my god, Ai, I didn't mean-"
"No-!" Aiichirou interjected, looking up at Rin with wide eyes. "...it's just…" He bit his lip and hunched his shoulders, seeming to shrink in on himself. "...I'm afraid of getting pregnant."
Rin's heart skipped a beat. Had Aiichirou actually heard his conversation with Haruka-? After all, Rin did utter the word "pregnant" out loud… Or, had Aiichirou been considering this beforehand? If that was the case, did whatever Aiichirou overheard trigger this worry? Still, after just a few seconds, Rin managed to calm himself down. "...you won't get pregnant, Ai. I'll make sure to, you know… Pull out. And I'm going to use protection; I have a condom right here," he assured him gently. To prove himself, he reached into the pocket of his own pajamas and removed an unopened condom. Aiichirou stared at it for a moment, then glanced back up at Rin.
He spoke hesitantly. "...why did you already have condoms-?"
Flustered by the question, Rin's face flushed. "...well, I… wanted to be prepared, in case this happened," he admitted. The blush on his cheeks was quickly mirrored on Aiichirou's, and he gasped a soft "oh-!" under his breath. Rin cleared his throat and slipped the condom back into his pocket, a little embarrassed now.
"...but… But what if you don't pull out in time? Or the condom breaks?" Aiichirou reasoned nervously.
Responding to Aiichirou's anxiety, Rin quickly composed himself and resumed a comforting demeanor. He reached out and gingerly pressed his hand against Aiichirou's cheek. He half expected him to flinch away; but instead, Aiichirou leaned into his touch and even rested his own hand atop Rin's. "Well, then… We'll just have to get through it, you know? Cross that bridge when we get there." He flashed a warm smile, and he felt Aiichirou's tension loosen a bit. However, he still seemed a little unconvinced. Rin's smile faded slightly and he carefully removed his hand. "...but if you really are scared… I'm not going to force anything on you. If you're not ready, I can wait."
At the moment, Rin and Aiichirou were both virgins. They had discussed sex before, and done sexual things- heavy touching, naked kissing… But this would be their first time going all the way. Although it was suppressed by the increasingly strong sexual desire both of them were currently feeling, they were nervous. Even though they agreed that they wouldn't want to lose their virginities to anyone else, deep down, they felt natural uncertainties.
But they were already so close, and neither of them really wanted to stop now.
"No-! No, I'm… I'm ready," Aiichirou insisted. He paused, then added," I've wanted to do this for... a really long time. I love you. So, um…." Relaxing his body, Aiichirou shimmied all the way out of his pants, then took Rin's wrists and placed his hands on his own waist. He gazed into Rin's eyes, blue into red, and whispered in an innocent yet somehow incredibly sexual tone: "Please take me, Senpai."
The heat in Rin's lower regions suddenly intensified. Being in such close proximity to such a beautiful boy, and knowing he was the object of his affection, made Rin become the nervous one. "...oh, holy shit…" They then dove into each other as if their bodies were pools.
When Sousuke returned to his room the following morning, he swore that he could hear the two of them from all the way across the dorms.