Welcome to my new adventure!

Just so you are aware, my life is incredibly crazy right now and I'm not sure how much I will update. I will strive for once a week.

I also am unsure how long I want this to go- I guess I'll wait for your feedback on it.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"Hey! We need someone over here!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

….Fire.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"There are still two more trapped inside!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

It gives light. Warmth.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"What?! Two more? Aren't they on the fourth floor?!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Without control, it consumes everything it touches.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"Hey! Can you hear me in there?!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

It can destroy everything in its wake.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe….

Breathe.

"Makoto!"

What? That voice…

"Makoto! Help!"

….Haru?

"Makoto!"

Haru? Where are you, Haru?!

I can't see!

Haru!

"Makoto."

Haru…

"Makoto Tachibana."

Haru! I'm coming!

"Tachibana."

"Tachibana!"

Makoto jolted out of his daze and came face-to-face with his superior, Mori, who was wearing his firemen's helmet and had an axe in his hands.

"Wake up, Tachibana! C'mon, stop daydreaming!"

Mori shoved the axe in Makoto's chest and his hands fumbled to grasp it.

"R-Right!" Makoto stuttered.

Makoto turned to face the target, his face already heating up from the blaze. They had only gotten the call a few moments ago but the fire had already consumed the entirety of the front of the shop. It was threatening to spread to the surrounding buildings.

Why did Tokyo have to be so congested? Makoto thought as he stared up at the mass of flames in front of him. The buildings on either side of the shop had narrow gaps that separated them, making their jobs even more difficult.

"Why're you just standing there?!" Mori yelled, making Makoto flinch.

"A-Ah, r-right! I'm going, sir!" Makoto said.

Makoto lowered the mask of his helmet down over his face and he rushed up to the building. He climbed up the ladder that two of his other firefighters had placed there earlier and stood on the slanted roof.

Makoto's main job was to vent the fires to prevent spreading to the sides. This was critical in preventing the spreading of fires in such a clustered city. He only had to go inside a burning building if it was absolutely necessary.

He was a rookie after all.

Makoto lifted the axe over his head and swung downward, striking the roof and crushing the tiles with the back of the axe. He struck a few more times until a gap had appeared and smoke and flames billowed from the hole. Makoto raised his arm to shield his eyes from the bright fire and he coughed from the smoke.

So hot, Makoto thought.

"Tachibana!" Mori called from below.

Makoto rushed to the edge of the roof and glanced down at his superior. He was busy spraying the building with the long hose but he managed to keep an eye on all of his team.

"Yes, sir!" Makoto called.

"We're going to need some more holes!" Mori called, turning his body to spray the side of the building. "This fire is spreading!"

Makoto nodded. "Got it!"

Makoto turned back and found another spot, lifting his axe up and swinging down to create another hole. Flames and smoke burst through the hole and Makoto jolted back as the hole widened and shingles fell inside.

Flames rose up into the night air and Makoto took another step back, tripping on a loose tile. He fell hard on his back and the axe slipped from his grasp. He scrambled to grab it, but another broken shingle collapsed under his foot and he started to slide down the roof.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Makoto yelped. He clawed at the roof but the shingles gave way to his gloves. The axe fell off of the roof and into the bushes below, Makoto's body almost following it.

At the edge of the roof, Makoto jammed his heels down to stop his sliding, his feet catching the gutter and making his body come to a complete stop. He panted as his heart pounded against his heavy chest and he leaned his head against the roof once he knew he was safe.

He definitely could not tell Haru about this.

"Tachibana!"

Makoto jumped, almost losing his footing, and glanced down. Mori was standing down at the ladder sans fire hose with his helmet shield up. His brown eyes were staring up at him in worry.

"You all right?" he hollered up to Makoto.

"A-Ah, y-yes!" Makoto responded.

Mori nodded and his face went cold.

"Good. Now don't drop your axe again, you idiot!" he yelled, his face going back to usual scowl.

Makoto flinched and scrambled up to his feet.

"Yes, sir!"

This was going to be a long night.

"Good work, boys," Mori said at the fire station.

The firefighters in the station all groaned from being up all night trying to put out that fire– Makoto included. His back ached from the fall but he decided not to mention it. It could have been worse. He was still covered in soot from the fire that they had just put out not even a few minutes ago, but he was too tired to go to the showers.

The clock next to the alarm system chirped just as sunlight peeked through the tall windows.

"Ah, just in time. All right. Shift's over, guys. Go home," Mori announced as he stretched. Before he headed to the break room, he turned to gaze out at the men. "'Cept you, Tachibana. Stick around."

Makoto flinched at hearing his name and his eyes darted around wearily. The other firemen simply shrugged at him and waved each other off to go home. Makoto sighed and laid his heavy firemen's jacket in his assigned locker. He kept his pants and snug shirt on and he headed to the break room.

Mori was sitting at one of the tables flipping through the morning's newspaper. His usual scowl was softened by the fatigue of the night, but Makoto still wanted to be careful.

"You… wanted to see me, Captain?" Makoto said sheepishly.

Mori cut his eyes up to Makoto and then slapped the newspaper down on the table. Makoto flinched at the sound and straightened.

"What the hell was that today?" Mori asked in a low growl.

Makoto blinked and then fidgeted with his fingers.

"Um…"

"You being a space cadet– again!" Mori said, slamming his palms on the table. Makoto flinched again and took a step back.

Man, Mori was scary.

"S-Sorry, Captain," Makoto apologized gingerly, bowing to his superior.

Mori opened his mouth to chew him out but paused when he saw Makoto's left hand shaking against his side.

Still like a kicked puppy, Mori thought.

"Look," Mori started, his voice softened. "I know what you went through was hard, and traumatic," he said. Makoto jumped and leaned up slowly from his bow, his eyes wide as he stared at Mori. "But that was over a year ago now, right?"

Makoto blinked at him and then grimaced. He felt his hands shaking more by his sides and he gripped his pants to seize them.

"Um... well," Makoto stuttered.

"It's time you start moving on," Mori said.

Makoto bit his lip and stared hard at the ground.

"It's…"

"Hard?" Mori finished. "I know it is. But I recruited you that night because of what you did."

Makoto snapped his head up to look at his captain in the eye, his own eyes wide and his hands now curled into tight fists.

"You remember?" Mori asked.

Makoto took a shuddering breath.

"What you did was outstanding and an act of bravery. It would be an honor to have you on the serve with us."

"Yes, I… I remember," Makoto said, looking away.

"Then straighten up," Mori said sternly, making Makoto straighten to attention. "No more of that garbage that you pulled last night, got it?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Makoto said.

"Good," Mori said. He picked up the newspaper and leaned back in the chair. "Now go home. Go shower. You reek."

Makoto allowed a small smile to appear on his face before he nodded at Mori and turned on his heel to head to the washroom.

After he had changed into his civilian clothes, he realized just how dirty he had gotten over the busy night. His hair was dark with soot and smoke and his face was smudged with black dirt and grime.

He needed a shower.

But not until he got home and into the safety and privacy of his own bathroom.

Makoto headed out of the fire station and down the bustling Tokyo street. The sun was rising over the buildings, the light hitting Makoto's worn body and making him hum at the warmth. These long shifts were grueling, his body having to adjust to 12-hour shifts and 24-hour shifts.

But he told the Chief that he had wanted to work as much as possible since schooling was not on the table anymore.

Makoto finally reached the apartment complex and climbed the stairs up to the third floor. He reached the blue door at the end of the hall and opened it.

"I'm home!" he announced as he walked in.

"Ohh, Mako-chan's back!" came a chirpy voice from the hall.

The short blond rounded the corner in his pajamas and ran up to Makoto, crushing him in a hug. Makoto groaned from the pain in his back but managed a smile.

"Ah, hi, Nagisa," Makoto greeted.

"Nagisa-kun, how many times do I have to tell you to clean up your side of the room?!"

Makoto peered around Nagisa's head to see Rei standing at the hallway that led to the bedrooms. His hands were on his hips and he had his usual demeaning scowl on his face. He approached the two of them sternly.

"Ah, hello, Rei!" Makoto greeted.

Rei gave Makoto a quick smile.

"Good morning, Makoto-senpai," he said sweetly before latching onto Nagisa's collar. "Excuse us, but we really need to go discuss our roommate agreement."

"Rei-chaaaan, c'mon! I'll clean later! I promise!" Nagisa whined as he was dragged back into the hallway.

Makoto chuckled lightly and shook his head. It's always like that with those two.

He sat down at the front door and started to take off his shoes, grimacing when he saw his dirty hands. He almost had his first boot off when he heard light footsteps.

"Makoto."

Makoto peered up and smiled at seeing his best friend.

"Ah, good morning, Haru!" Makoto greeted.

Haru blinked down at him curiously.

"You're dirty," he said with his usual deadpan expression.

"I know, I know," Makoto replied lightly.

After he took off his other boot he glanced up at Haru, noticing he was wearing a messy apron and was carrying a wooden spoon.

"Working on something new?" Makoto asked, pointing to the spoon.

Haru glanced down at the spoon and hummed.

"The professor wants us to create a new soup with limited ingredients," Haru said.

"Limited ingredients?" Makoto asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah," Haru said. "I just finished."

"Eh?! But Haru, it's nearly 7 in the morning!" Makoto said, standing to his feet.

Haru pursed his lips and looked away. Makoto noticed his hand tense around the wooden spoon as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I couldn't sleep," he explained softly.

Makoto went rigid, his brows creasing and his hands clenching. A light tension fell between them and Makoto felt a lump forming in his throat.

"Haru…" he whispered.

"Want to try it?" Haru asked, interrupting Makoto's train of thought.

Makoto glanced up at his best friend, sensing his want for the tension to drop. He let out a long sigh and smiled, allowing the air to lighten.

"Sure," Makoto said while tilting his head.

"It's in the kitchen," Haru explained.

Haru turned around and took a step towards the kitchen but he quickly hobbled onto his other foot to avoid the weight.

Makoto stopped to watch Haru limp back to the kitchen and he felt his heart clench.

It's bothering him worse this morning, Makoto thought.

"Makoto?" he heard Haru call from the kitchen.

"Ah, coming!" Makoto called. He rushed into the kitchen to peer into Haru's soup.

"Eh? Haru, is this mackerel?"

"Yes."

"What?! Why?"

"The professor said to only use limited ingred—"

"Yes, I know that! But why mackerel?"

"Why not?"

"Haru!"

A small smile appeared on Haru's face at Makoto's whining, and Makoto felt his chest grow warm. A smile from Haru was few and far in between nowadays, so he would take the smile any time he could.

"How was work?" Haru asked after stirring the soup.

Makoto's smile faltered and grew stiff, and his hand travelled to the back of his neck to massage the skin.

"It was okay," he said quietly. "One of the shops downtown had an electrical malfunction, but that was it."

Haru cut his eyes at Makoto and scanned his torso briefly. He noticed the soot and dirt that lingered in his hair. The back of his hands were red, most likely mild burns from last night's fire. Other than that, there were no other signs of injury.

"Did you get hurt?" Haru asked, turning his gaze back to the pot.

"Haruu, I told you not to worry, didn't I?" Makoto whined.

Haru smiled at his friend and his whines and nodded, believing him to be fine.

"Well, I'm in desperate need for a shower," Makoto said.

"Yeah, you reek," Haru said.

"Haru!" Makoto whined as he headed back to the bathroom.

Makoto slid the door shut behind him and locked the door. He paused, listening carefully for any footsteps that may want to enter. He took a deep breath and carefully started undoing the buttons on his shirt. With shaking fingers, Makoto pulled the shirt from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Turning his head, he twisted his torso to get a look at his back from the fall.

There was a soft glow of purple on his mid back and he hissed when he twisted to get a better look. It would heal just fine.

But the purple bruise was not the only thing that caught his attention.

His eyes wandered over the expanse of his back, the skin shiny and mutilated.

Burns.

There were several deep scars etched into his back like carvings. The scars looked almost brand new, but Makoto new better.

The beam.

Makoto turned to face the mirror and his face scrunched into a grimace.

More shiny and charred skin was panted into his torso. Long, deep scars travelled down his chest and to his abdomen.

The sharp glass.

His shoulder had nasty surgical scars and he reached up a hand to grip it.

"Ah… AH! That… hurts!"

Makoto's breath caught when he heard his own voice echoing in his mind. His hand gripped his shoulder harder.

"Where's… where's…"

"Sir, we need you to lie still."

"But… where's Haru?"

"He's got third degree burns all over his torso and back. His shoulder is dislocated."

"Haru… where's…"

"He's losing consciousness!"

"Haru…"

By the time Makoto recovered from his memory, he was gripping the sink with white knuckles and heaving. His arms were stiff and sore from his muscles staying flexed.

He could almost feel it.

The burns on his chest and stomach.

The blunt force from the beam that fell on top of him.

The glass that ripped into his skin.

Pain sprouted into his mind and surged down his limbs, making him feel numb afterwards. It was so painful. The memories from that day still had control and Makoto was sick of it.

Makoto gulped down the guilt that had managed to claw into his throat.

If only I had been quicker… Makoto thought.

If only I had gotten to you faster…

Then… you wouldn't have had to suffer—

"Makoto."

Three blunt knocks on the bathroom door startled Makoto out of his thoughts and he jumped, almost crumpling underneath his weak knees. He blinked a few times.

How long had he been standing in front of the mirror?

"Uh, yes, Haru?" Makoto called.

There was a pause.

"You okay?" Haru asked tentatively.

Makoto wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with a shaking fist and nodded to himself.

"Yeah," was his quivering answer.

"You sure?" Haru said.

The door jiggled a little and Makoto felt his heart go into overdrive with panic. He lunged to the door and made sure it was locked, relief washing over him once he realized he was safe.

Makoto turned his head back to look at the mirror and he saw the scars on his body. He gulped down guilt and shame and he straightened to release a slow exhale.

"I'm fine!" Makoto called.

"Okay," Haru said after another pause. "I'm going to class now. Rei and Nagisa already left."

Makoto blinked and looked down at his hands. Rei and Nagisa already left? Just how long had he been standing in the bathroom?

"O-Okay," Makoto replied, turning to the shower to turn it on.

There was another pause and Makoto knew Haru hadn't left yet.

"Get some sleep," Haru said. "I'll see you after class."

"Okay. L-Later, Haru-chan!" Makoto called.

Another pause, and he heard Haru mutter a quick, "Lay off the –chan."

Uneven footsteps trekked down the hallway and Makoto waited until he heard the front door slam shut to release the breath he was holding.

He walked to the shower and stuck his hand in, only to jerk it back with a yelp.

The water was too hot.

Makoto twisted the knob in the shower and turned it until the arrow was pointing towards the blue. After a few more minutes, he stuck his hand in, nodding to himself when he felt that the water was frigid and ice cold. He stepped into the shower, the water sending shivers down his aching back.

Makoto sighed.

He longed for a day where he could take hot showers again.