Day eighteen: bond

Haruka had gotten a call from his mother. It was nothing serious, no one was dying or in the hospital or missing, she just wanted to ask if he and Makoto and Rin would like to come for a visit later in the week. He hesitated, just knowing something would go wrong, but said yes because the last time he saw his parents was before the threesome had graduated from college. And truthfully, he really missed her.

"Haru, stop fretting, it's going to be okay," Makoto assured, looking at Haruka trying to fix his tie in the mirror. "I'm sure everything's going to go really well. We don't even have to stay that long."

"It's my parents, Mako." Haruka huffed, fingers absentmindedly touching his ring. "Well...my mom is okay, it's just...my dad. He almost didn't show up when we graduated but mom had to persuade him to go..."

"You're over thinking things," Rin said and kissed Haruka's cheek, patting his back. "We haven't seen them in awhile and a lot has happened, they probably just want to see you. Maybe your mom finally knocked some sense into him."

"If anything happens, we'll be there with you, and that's all that matters, okay?"

"...okay." he sighed.

After a light dinner, the group had moved to the living room for drinks.

"So, Haruka," his father started, pouring a glass of wine. "You've written some pretty popular books."

"Just something that I like to do, that's all," the young man shrugged. "Some being just three, but whatever."

"We've also heard that Rin's really close to joining the Olympic team and Makoto landed a teaching job, that's pretty impressive."

"I'm really proud of them."

Rin and Makoto glanced at each other, the tension in the room getting bigger and bigger. Mrs. Nanase offered snacks and the boys obliged quickly, doing anything to make the meeting any less awkward.

And then came the question.

"When are you going to settle down, Haruka?"

Haruka gripped his glass, biting the inside of his cheek. "I already have."

"Haruka, being a part-time aquarium employee and bare-minimum author isn't a stable career choice, and someday you'll have to buckle down and decide-"

"I knew you would do this." Makoto put his hand on Haruka's knee, squeezing reassuringly. "Why does it matter to you what I do with my life?"

"We only want what's best for you, Haruka. And this relationship of yours-"

Haruka set his glass down on the coffee table, standing up quickly and exiting the room and leaving Makoto and Rin in the room with his parents, hearing the front door slam.

"Mr. Nanase," Rin started, grasping Makoto's hand. "..are you still unhappy? About...us?"

The older man sighed, removing his glasses. "You two are great young men, really. I've known you for years now, and I know Haruka loves you two very much, but this relationship is just...unusual."

"Unusual because we love your son more than anything, and that he happens to love us the same way?"

"Rin, please," Makoto whispered, feeling Rin starting to get as irritated as Haruka had. But instead of leaving the room, he knew that Rin would stay and fight. "Don't start anything-"

"Your son is brilliant, sir. He has a wonderful career with me and Makoto at his side and he is happy. I'm so sorry that neither Makoto or I aren't actually women as our names might lead to believe, oopsies."

Makoto sunk back into the couch, knowing that Rin was moments away from yelling and starting something that would turn ugly immediately.

"Haruka?" he turned at the sound of his mother's voice and the door shutting. "I'm...really sorry about this. I told him not to bring anything up when I called you."

"Rin's probably arguing with him right now," Haruka sighed as his mother sat down next to him.

"Which means Makoto is trying to keep him calmed down the best he can," Mrs. Nanase said, looking at her son. "Haruka...about those two, you know I have no problem with it, as long as you are all happy. They're perfect for you."

"I know, mom." Haruka smiled slightly.

"I figured it was going to be you and Makoto in the end, but Rin is also nice, too," she admitted, making Haruka laugh. "But don't tell him that!"

"I won't." He paused. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"...thanks."

"Rin, please calm down!" Haruka heard Makoto shout, and he ran into the room seeing Makoto's arms wrapped around the fidgeting redhead, trying to stop him from doing anything even more stupid like attempting to assault their lovers' father in his own home. Yelling was more than enough.

"Can't you just accept that your son is happy and there's nothing you can do to change that? He doesn't need a wife, he doesn't need kids, and Makoto and I are going to be with him until the day we die because we love him and there's nothing you can do to stop me, or him!"

"Haru, a little help here?" Makoto pleaded, trying to pull Rin back down on the couch. "Please?"

He nodded, standing in front of his fired up lover, bringing his hands to his face, kissing him a bit too forcefully and Makoto sighed in relief when Rin stoped squirming in his arms.

"...sorry," Rin apologized, leaning back against Makoto, staring at the floor.

"Come on, we're leaving." Haruka said and took Makoto and Rin's hands, looking back at his father one more time before leading them towards the door, saying goodbye and thanks to his mother for the meal.

"So you yelled quite a bit, huh?"

The three had gotten ready for bed after the stressful encounter, Haruka in the middle, Makoto's and Rin's arms around him.

Rin sighed. "Yeah...I don't know, there's just something about him that makes me so..."

"Angry, yeah." Haruka finished Rin's thought. "Now you know how I feel all of the time about it. That's why I just walked out, I gave up trying to convince him that I was happy."

"At least you have your mom's support," Makoto chimed in, nuzzling Haruka's side.

"Mhmm," Haruka closed his eyes. "Even...even if he never comes around and says that he supports us...I think we'll be okay."

"And as long as Rin doesn't try to punch him again," Makoto glared over at the redhead. "That almost ended really badly, you know!"

Red eyes rolled in irritation. "He was asking for it."

"Rin-"

"No one is going to get away with calling our relationship unnatural and saying we're not good enough for Haru," Rin breathed in deeply. "Not even if it's from his own father."

"Remember when we told him?" Makoto added quietly, running his fingers through Haruka's hair. "He just...sat there. And I could feel how disappointed he was, in all of us."

"It's fine," Haruka sighed. "He can think what he wants. As long as I have you two, I'll be better than okay."

Rin and Makoto smiled, both kissing Haruka's hair.

"Love you."

Author's note: as of right now, there's five chapters left to be written. And I want to say now that this series is more than halfway over, a HUGE thanks to everyone who's liked, reviewed, and has read this series! Y'all are great!