Hey guys! Back here again, sorry I took so long, final year of college started: D so excited to graduate! I hope you enjoy the fic! As always, thank you for reviewing my work, it means a lot to me. Also... get your Kleenex. Love you guys! Take care

Chapter 6: Hiding the Pain

"Why are you concerned about that Sōsuke?" Makoto tried to shake him off the question but Sōsuke wouldn't let it go.

"I want to know Makoto…I want to take care of you" His eyes were swelling up as he told Makoto all this. Tachibana didn't know how to react and the only thing that came out was a lowly:

"Why…?" He stared blankly at Sōsuke. No one ever showed that kind of interest in him.

Because you know…

I love you…

These words struck Makoto down whilst Sosuke didn't even flinch to tell him this. The silence was making the moment weird. It was as if neither of the two knew what they have gotten themselves into. Sosuke's eyes started to water bit by bit, he started to think Makoto didn't feel the same, that he was going to get rejected again. This happened a lot to Yamazaki, get to know someone, even have intimate affairs but at the end, he was just a fling. His breath started failing him, he felt the pain in his chest grow wild at Makoto's absence of words. He turned around, devastated and reached for the doorknob with gleamed eyes. Before he could open it to get away… Makoto grabbed his hand, tears in eyes and a grip that could hold down an elephant if it tried to get away.

"You know…" One more tear fell down.

"No one's ever told me something like that before…" He tried to move his hand towards himself to bring Sōsuke closer to him but he froze. At that moment Sōsuke looked at Makoto, finally understanding what the prolonged silence was for and pulled Makoto into a hug.

"Sōsuke… I love you too" He squeezed in Yamazaki's chest, yearning for comfort in his arms.

"Scared me for a while there Makoto…" He quickly changed his mood, he was happy but you couldn't tell. He usually tells these little funny phrases that calm the mood. Their lips met again, this time not with the heat and passion of foreplay but with a kind touch. Yamazaki turned his face away, he got more and more expressive whenever he spent time with Makoto. He leaned on the wall, scratching his head.

"Is it okay if I come see you more often?" He looked away, tilting his head downwards. Makoto smiled at this.

"I would be lonely if you didn't" They both looked blushed, it was awkward to feel this right after what they just did. (Ahem… *cough* sex *cough*)

Sōsuke caressed Makoto's cheeks with his big hands.

"You just focus on getting better alright?" He kissed Makoto once again and Yamazaki went out the room. He had a lively expression on, he was always so sad, so lonely and neglected but now with Makoto, his life was finally making sense. Tachibana was all he could think of. He thought Makoto was the end to all his suffering and problems but it wasn't long before he was reminded…

He felt and electric pulse of pain running through his neck all the way down to his shoulder, making him stop in his tracks and grab hold of it. He was outside of Makoto's room in the hospital almost brought down to his knees due to the pain.

"Not now… please…hold on a little longer"

"I…I want to swim with him…" Tears fell down the boy as he held his shoulder, begging for the pain to stop. He saw the doctor go into Makoto's room and decided to quickly leave the hospital, he didn't want Makoto to see him like that.

"I told you already! There's nothing you can do about it, if they like each other then that's that Haru!" The red haired boy argued.

"What about Makoto?"

"What of it?"

"We've always been together, he's always been there for me…"

"And have you always been there for him?"

Rin and Haru were arguing about the newly formed relationship between Makoto and Sōsuke and honestly… Haru wasn't taking it too good.

"Of course I have…"

"Haru…" Rin seemed ticked off for a moment. He grabbed Haru and leaned him on the wall with a push.

"I can vouch for him, out of all of us, Makoto's suffered the most. I can't believe you're not happy for him"

"That's not it…"

"Huh?"

"I miss him"

"Then go pay him a visit at the hospital, today is supposed to be the day he's discharged"

"Yeah… that's probably best, want to come along?"

"I can't just skip practice Haru, I'm the captain you know?"

"…" Haruka looked away and left the school before Rin said anything else. He headed to the hospital to see Makoto.

Sōsuke headed back to the school for practice, he got there a little late because of the trip.

"Took you a while, Sōsuke" Rin bluffed while changing clothes in his room. Sōsuke took off his shirt and looked back at him.

"Yeah…" Said Sōsuke with a depressed tone.

"Oi… what's eating you? You look like you came out of a funeral" He questioned his friend.

"Nothing… why?" He rolled his eyes to avoid eye contact while he finished dressing up.

"Tchh… you're being dumb, well whatever. Let's go, everyone is waiting for us"

"Didn't you have a date with Haru?" He smirked as if teasing his captain.

"Huh? Mataku… You can joke about me but you can't tell me what's wrong with you? He went to see Makoto at the hospital"

Yamazaki laughed for the little parts that came before the big statement. When he heard that Haruka went to the hospital his expression changed.

"He went to see Makoto?"

"Oh? Do I smell some jealousy in your words?" Rin was the one teasing him now.

He looked to the side again

"Tch…" That sound assured Rin he touched a sensitive spot on Sōsuke.

"Warui warui!" He apologized, Rin kind of knew Sōsuke wasn't in the best terms with Nanase.

"I'm going Rin" He put on the shirt he had taken out and got some pants but before he removed his swimwear to put them on Rin stopped him.

"Matte Sōsuke, what are you doing? Don't skip practice"

Sōsuke turned and grabbed him by the shirt, surprising the shark toothed boy. He put on an angry face while he pushed Rin onto a wall.

"You may let him hold you back in your swimming career, but don't misunderstand me. I'm not letting him confuse Makoto any longer now that we have a chance for ourselves"

The tall guy went out the room without saying another word to Rin, who was still in the wall a little shocked from the moment.

"Heh…"

"You've got guts Sōsuke, I'll give you that" The captain went to the main pool to start the practice.

"Gather around Everyone!"

"Makoto, you gave us quite a scare when you came here yesterday" The doctor was evaluating Tachibana's vitals and checking that everything was in order to officially discharge him.

"You seem to be fine now, do you have someone to pick you up?" The doctor kindly asked.

"Well… not really" Just as he said that someone knocked on the door. He saw Haru's semblance through the little window in the door.

"Ah come in! Are you his friend?"

"Yeah, is he alright?" Nanase asked with bountiful curiosity while staring at the handsome man in the bed.

"He's all good and ready to go, all his vitals are fine and he made a fine recovery. That's all for today,I'll take my leave" The doctor exited the room and left the boys alone in it.

It was an awkward silence for a while, they only stared at each other. Haru wasn't every talkative and Makoto didn't really know what to say.

"I'm glad you're alright" Haruka broke the silence.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I caused so much trouble"

"I informed your parents, they were relieved to hear that you were going to be discharged today. They're returning from the city today to come see you home safely"

"I see… thank you Haru" He looked at Haru with those green emeralds.

Haru got closer to Makoto and sat on the bed. He took his hand and put it near Makoto's thighs.

"Makoto…" He softly moved his hand

"H-Haru?" The boy didn't seem to grasp the reason behind Haru's behavior.

"Is Sōsuke that much greater than me?"

Makoto's gaze widened a bit in surprise.

"Why do you say that?"

He kept getting close to Makoto, who was trying to avoid being so close to Haru but just couldn't.

"I miss you…" He almost whispered to Makoto.

"C-Chotto Haru…I can't…" Before he could say a thing the dolphin boy pressed his lips along Makoto's and sealed a kiss. Makoto's semblance changed, he felt so confused and he was at the mercy of Haru now.

But this wasn't the case…

For the one whose heart was breaking into pieces yet again, whose soul was returning to its pale and worthless color. Sōsuke had quite the view from the window in the door. His chest ached and his eyes swelled up.

His hand trembled while holding the doorknob to the line between his happiness and despair.

To open it would mean…