Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be spazzing so bad after watching FrFr! 3.

Warning: Yaoi fanfiction. Semi-AU and partial crack (because I can't help it.) May contain spoilers for the anime, novel and Drama CD. Some scenes have been modified and may not follow canon. MPREG

Rating: M for this chapter

Pairing: Tachibana Makoto X Nanase Haruka. Mikoshiba Seijuurou X Matsuoka Gou

A/N: This is going to be the last chapter. For this chapter, it will alternate between the current timeline and flashbacks. Scenes divided by short page breaks will indicate the same timeline or scene, and longer page breaks will indicate a change of timeline from the past to the future and vice versa. This will also be the longest chapter I've written for this fic so far. I'm trying to tie up loose ends left from the previous chapter.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, this will be written mainly from Haruka's point of view.

This chapter will be a mix of crack, then fluff, then crack again. Couldn't resist the crack, since this is the last chapter/chance for me to do so anyway.

Also, I realised that I've increased my fic's rating to M, but hadn't written anything smutty ever since chapter 2. For those who were looking for more Mako on Haru action (or for this chapter, Haru on Mako?), hope you enjoy that little scene I have hidden in the chapter. It's not explicit or anything (I think), but if it's not your cup of tea, please scroll quickly till you've passed it.

Mai-chan, thank you for reviewing this story so consistently. Yeah, this is the last chapter. Do enjoy the chapter~

Kazuki, I wish I can draw…but I can't. I can only write. T.T . I did commission for MakoHaru and their babies' artwork, but eh…both babies were male… XD. I'll see if I can get something from this year's Comic Fiesta (though I have a feeling I might be requesting for Valvrave the Liberator commissions this round…)

Guest, I didn't actually think of pairing MakoHaru's kids with SeiGou's kids, but if I did… Kintarou X Akira and Natsuki X Hanatarou? Or maybe Natsuki X Kintarou X Akira? I don't know…

Anonymous Anon, you share my thoughts on MakoHaru's relationship. What drew me to this pairing…wait, to be honest when I first started watching Free! I thought it would be clichéd friend zoned sweet childhood friend (like in shoujo manga. Main reason why I hate reading shoujo manga), while main char gets paired with badass rival char. At the start, I didn't root for any pairing. I just liked Makoto alone as a char. I was pleasantly surprised to see that KyoAni actually provided a heck load of fodder for the childhood friend pairing too (because it sells their merchandise, but that's beside the point). It caters to those who like relationships with a quick spark (HaruRin, yeah I like Rin uke) or a steady build up (MakoHaru). I've always liked reading relationships with steady build ups, because those tend to last longer. MakoHaru packs so much fluff and sweetness into their body language too. Okay, this is getting long. Will stop now. XD

To the story then…

To Makoto, With Love

By: Gwynhafra

Final Chapter

"Haru...I can't seem to find my shirt. You know, the one with the breast pocket which you got for my 38th birthday." Haruka looked up briefly, turning his head towards the direction of his bedroom at the sound of his gentle husband's voice.

"Second drawer on the left." He called back.

There was a bout of silence. "Ah. Found it! Thanks!"

With that, the black-haired man turned back to whatever he was busying himself with initially. A family photo album lay open on his lap, and he turned the pages carefully, tracing his fingers over some of the pictures, even as he looked for ones he could add to his secret collection. It was a hardbound collection of memories which recorded their lives together, both before and after marriage. He smiled faintly as he flipped through his wedding pictures, even as he took one out to add it to an immense collection of pictures in a leather bound journal resting on his lap. Turning the pages, he found himself staring at pictures of his twins too. He gave a sigh and ran a finger along one which had Makoto holding both twins.

XXXXXXXXX

The young couple found their hands tied with the birth of their twins, especially during the first month of the twins' life. Both were new, inexperienced parents, but parenting seemed to come naturally to Makoto, what with his nurturing character, and experience gained from many years of caring for his siblings. Haruka wasn't completely a lost case when it came to motherhood, since he was introduced to Makoto's younger siblings almost the same time the brunette was, but he hadn't been the one to care for them when they were both very young.

Haruka was especially worried for his daughter, despite Rei reassuring him that the two weren't exactly that premature, and that they were both breathing properly. His daughter didn't have problems with her lungs, but it still didn't change the fact that she was smaller and weaker than her brother. For a period of time, Haruka wasn't allowed to be in water for too long, at least until he healed from the birth and his stitches were removed. Without his usual bathtub soaking hours, he spent his days caring for his twins, holding them in his arms all the time, be it if he was resting in bed, or if he sat on the couch to enjoy some movies.

When the twins were a couple of weeks old, and once he had recovered enough, he was gladly reunited with his beloved water, but even when he was soaking in the tub, he had his children in his arms, though he did reduce the water level because he did not quite dare to let his daughter be in contact with water for too long. His son was exactly like Makoto, loud and unrestrained when he wanted something. When he got hungry, he'd wail and cry until Haruka fed him, and even then Haruka was a little worried that his baby boy was taxing on his sister's share too, what with how much he was drinking. His daughter would cry weakly when she was hungry, or if she had some kind of discomfort. She was initially weak and unable to latch on, and during the first couple of days of her life, Haruka had a bit of a struggle trying to nurse her. Makoto returned to find an exhausted and highly worried Haruka tearing up slightly because he couldn't feed her, and because she wouldn't stop crying in his arms. The brunette helped Haruka to prop pillows up to allow his tired spouse into a more comfortable position before taking over the duty of carrying his daughter, supporting her head carefully even as he held her against his spouse, speaking reassuringly at her to encourage her to drink.

At night, their children slept in a bassinet right next to their bedside, though Haruka woke frequently in the middle of the night to check on his children, somehow fearful that his daughter would suddenly stop breathing. Makoto would stir too whenever he felt the weight on Haruka's side of the bed shift. He'd crack his eyes open to find his spouse padding over to the children's basinet, peering in and watching them sleep. The black-haired man would then breathe a silent sigh of relief, readjust the covers over his children, then pad back to bed and settle next to Makoto again.

Topics of communication between them centred heavily around the newborn twins, and for Makoto's case, around Haruka too, as the former enquired about the latter's health. Haruka, as usual, tried to handle a lot of things on his own, and Makoto was hard pressed trying to read his expression to guess his state of mind, and to chip in when he was needed. Haruka was the one dealing with the feeding of the children, and when he rested, his mother, who stayed with him temporarily to take care of him, would be the one to take care of the house. Makoto would help out once he returned, but there weren't many hours for him to do so since he tended to return late thanks to his shifts.

On the occasions when Haruka was awake, Makoto would enter the room to find the black-haired man relaxing on their bed with the twins nestled in his arms. He wouldn't budge for a while, and Makoto would approach him with a bowl in his hand. "Okaa-san made this porridge. She made sure to put mackerel in." He informed, even as he mentioned Haruka's mother.

Haruka nodded his thanks, and Makoto settled next to him. "Here, Haru. You need to keep your strength up. Sit up a little." He coaxed, even as he reached out and started arranging pillows behind his spouse to support his back. Haruka allowed his husband to feed him since his hands were full. When that was done, Makoto would place the bowl on the table beside him and lie next to Haruka, comforting the latter with his presence and speaking quietly about his day. When Haruka got sleepy, he'd take the twins, put them in their bassinet and tuck his spouse into bed before heading downstairs to help Haruka's mother with the cleaning up.

This routine lasted for a few months, at least until the twins grew older and stronger, and once Haruka could finally be at ease with his daughter's health, the couple finally had time to themselves, and could rebuild their romantic relationship again.

Their boy, Natsuki, was a happy baby, as he smiled repeatedly at his parents when he was spoken to. Their daughter was a lot more subdued, or in Makoto's words, she was just like a miniature version of Haruka, but on the occasions when Makoto could make her smile (and her daddy was really good at it), he'd end up getting all smitten and gushing over her, at least until mommy rescued her from his arms before he crushed her in a muscular hug.

Makoto got Haruka a camera sometime before the twins were born, and while it was barely used then, Haruka found himself whipping it out to take pictures to add to their family photo album. The black-haired man kept a record of his family, nicking pictures to keep in his own personal journal, which he decorated and kept in his own cabinet. Makoto could very well have raided the drawer and looked at it, but Haruka knew that his husband respected his privacy, and wouldn't look at it unless Haruka gave him permission to.

The twins began to crawl about and walk around shortly after. When the twins first learnt to stand, Makoto kept trying to go over, hold their hands and support them, and Haruka had to force him onto the couch and sit on his lap to prevent him from spoiling them. When Akira fell over while trying to walk, Haruka tried to mother her, but Makoto wrapped his arms around his waist and trapped him in place, as he wanted his daughter to learn to pick herself up. In the end, she didn't cry as she stood up, then toddled on shaky feet towards the couch, heading towards her mother, who swept her up in his arms and ruffled her hair affectionately when she reached him. Perhaps not wanting to be left out, Natsuki toddled quickly towards the couch too and all but barreled into Makoto's knee, causing his daddy to give a yelp, and his mommy to turn away and chuckle quietly.

The twins started running about shortly after they learnt to walk, and started playing with each other after that. It was also around that time the secret of their birth was revealed, and Haruka kept them indoors to protect them from all the publicity. When the reporters stopped attacking their family, the Tachibana couple took their children out for their first introduction to the other parents and their young children.

The rest of the families knew about the Tachibana family because of the article, but it was Haruka who really left an impression in their minds as they tried heading to the park, Haruka spotted a fountain and started stripping, and Makoto gave a yelp and tried to stop him. Haruka already had that reputation around Iwatobi, so him randomly stripping around bodies of water wasn't a new sight for everyone else. Still, Makoto was so embarrassed over it that they didn't manage to do the children's first introduction there.

The children's actual first introduction was at the swimming pool, since they wanted to know daddy's place of work, the same place which kept kidnapping daddy from them. Haruka went to apologise to the owner of the swimming club for his prolonged absence (though now the guy finally knew why), and the twins stood by the pool's edge, staring at the sparkling water with an equal amount of curiosity and reservation. Makoto's students giggled and gushed, all dying to approach the children but somewhat a little afraid of doing so because Haruka was there too, and the guy wasn't exactly easy to approach. The students ended up approaching Makoto instead, asking him about the twins.

Haruka threw a side-glance at Makoto, who was being swarmed by young, giggly girls. Seeing how preoccupied his husband was, he decided that it was up to him to teach the children swimming instead. He carried Natsuki…and held him above the water.

Makoto was talking to his students one moment, and dashing towards the pool the next. "Haru! He's too young to be in the adult pool! The water's too deep for him!" He was filled with the fear that his spouse would let the kid swim free…even before the poor fellow knew how to swim in the first place.

Haruka threw him a stare as Makoto took Natsuki out of his hands. "When lions teach their cubs…"

"They're not lions!" Makoto yelped.

The girls were taught by Haruka instead as Makoto went to teach his twins, making sure that they had their arm floats on. Both took to swimming like fish did, much to Haruka's delight. They started out in the kiddie pool, under the watchful eyes of their parents and the curious gaze of other swimmers at the club. Before Makoto knew it, after a few lessons the twins joined their parents in the adult pool and were racing each other.

"How did they grow so fast…?" Makoto asked, sounding a little amazed. He lingered around the twins worriedly anyway, just in case they got tired. They weren't good with long distances yet. He chuckled. "They take to water as much as you do."

Haruka smiled slightly. "They were conceived in water, and born in water. I believe I have done my part in letting them be one with water." Haruka dived into the water and glided gracefully under his twins, circling around them.

Makoto sighed. At this rate, the twins were going to have their first romantic encounter with water too, just like Haruka. He didn't how what to feel about that. He remembered his last water bill and winced as he thought of it multiplying once the twins grew up. Haruka read his thoughts from his expression and dived again to hide his own amusement.

XXX

There was no clear cut discussion over who was supposed to do what for parenting duties, yet there was a comfortable arrangement between the Tachibana couple. Makoto and Haruka were both working parents, and contact with their children was limited to mornings and evenings. Haruka requested for far fewer shifts though, as his children were still young. Still, when he was out at work, Makoto's mom was the one who took care of her grandchildren mainly (a task which she was only more than happy to do). When the couple returned, Haruka would sit the children down and look through their pre-school homework, while Makoto would be the one to put them to bed before retiring for the night with his spouse.

Haruka strictly forbade his spouse from singing to their children to sleep. As mild and gentle as his spouse was, he had a strange affinity for singing rock songs. He wasn't bad at singing slow songs, since he did compose a love song for Haruka during their 6th wedding anniversary, retelling the start of their relationship together in Iwatobi from young, and of the blossoming of love (Haruka remained expressionless when he sang, but it did lead to a steamy make-out session much later, after the children were asleep). The children thought the song was nice, but they rather liked it better when daddy sang something livelier, and Makoto was too much of a softie to say no to their request. Makoto tried to sing them to sleep, and Haruka ended up going to the twins' room to find both of them jumping about on their respective beds, obviously more awake than when they were put to bed, and Makoto belting his rock song, so into it that he had probably forgotten what he was actually supposed to be doing.

"Makoto…"

Makoto finally remembered what he was supposed to do when he heard Haruka calling his name, and Akira turned to her brother and whispered to him. "Papa's in trouble." Natsuki nodded in agreement at that, and both twins watched their father, who was looking sheepish before their mother. The twins didn't need to know how their mother punished their father later.

The brunette had to use an alternative way to put the children to sleep. Haruka allowed him to tell bedtime stories to the children, which at least wouldn't keep them awake. He told them about the swim club, and noted with a chuckle that his young twins' eyes sparkled in a way which was similar to their mother's as he narrated both he and Haruka winning their past competitions. Haruka would sometimes enter the room when Makoto was talking to the children and settle next to him, lean calmly against his arm and close his eyes. Makoto would smile and know that his spouse was taking the chance to reminisce.

The children were growing quickly, and Haruka made sure he cooked meals for his family as much as he could. Makoto had initially offered to split the duty of preparing meals with Haruka, but after too many attempts at burning down the kitchen and losing limbs, he sternly told Makoto to just sit down and eat his cooking. He'd head to the marketplace early in the morning to get fresh produce and seafood, then prepare breakfast for his children before heading off to work with Makoto.

Sometimes he went to the marketplace with Makoto, and sometimes he went alone. It didn't make much of a difference though, as some mothers and fathers who were also making their purchase would approach him and try to make small talk with him. He wasn't the talkative type, and he wasn't the one to initiate any kind of talk with the rest, save for greetings when he passed them. Still, while his taste ran more towards men, or more accurately, one man, it didn't change that he was still an attractive man, and the ladies did like to come up to him.

Makoto sticking around him for so many years desensitized the other residents of Iwatobi to the otherwise uncommon sight of two men being all close and intimate. Now they thought nothing about it, as the other homemakers enquired about the welfare of his husband and his children. Haruka found it useful when they exchanged recipes with him and gave him parenting tips, sometimes even giving him home-cooked meals he could bring back to his family.

When he did return from the marketplace, he entered the house to hear peals of laughter from his children. Walking in, he found his family in the living room, where the twins were apparently treating daddy as a playground, and were swinging off his arms. "Ah, Haru. Welcome home." Makoto greeted warmly. He couldn't give Haruka the usual hugs and kisses, as his arms were very much preoccupied. Haruka was glad that labour work was Makoto's strength, or his arms might fall off from carrying a pair of energetic twins.

"I'm home." Haruka proceeded to prepare breakfast, even as he could still hear his children's happy squeals and Makoto's laughter. At some point, however, Makoto's laughter became soft yelps of pain, and Haruka stopped in the midst of setting the dishes on the table to investigate the cause of it.

He had a sense of déjà vu the minute he entered the living room though, as he found Makoto seated on the ground, with the twins climbing all over him. Both were arguing as to who would get to marry daddy when they got older. Makoto gave another yelp as they even tried to climb up to his back and head, pulling at his hair.

"Haru… save me!" Makoto yelped to his spouse, who was calmly taking pictures.

"Don't want to. It's too troublesome." Haruka responded.

Makoto's neck cricked a little under all the manhandling from his children. "Haruuu…" He whined again.

When Haruka decided that he had enough pictures to at least fill a page of the family photo album, he took pity on his spouse and headed over. "Natsuki, Akira. Stop bullying your father. You're going to make him cry."

"Haru…" Makoto whined, this time because of embarrassment. The twins obediently stopped trying to climb onto daddy and instead went to their mother. "Mommy, what's for breakfast?" Natsuki asked.

"We're having tuna and mackerel." He informed, and the twins cheered. "Tuna!"

"No squid?" Makoto asked pitifully.

Haruka resumed setting the table with the twins close at his heels. "You're not really that young anymore, Makoto. You should watch your cholesterol level."

"All right…" Makoto sounded a little upset. His eyes widened, however, when he saw Haruka also set a dish of squid on the table. Laughing, he pounced at his spouse and hugged him. "I love you, Haru!"

Haruka flushed a little. "Just this once."

XXXXXXXXX

"By the way, Haru. Gou mentioned that her brother will be in Iwatobi for a few days. Would you like to meet up with him before we go for our trip? He rarely comes back to Japan anyway, so chances like these are hard to come by." Makoto's voice made him look up from one of the pictures, which had Rin looking flustered at having a pair of twins prod and poke him curiously.

Haruka thought about it a while. "Yeah sure. Why not?" He turned back to the picture.

XXXXXXXXX

The doorbell rang.

Haruka was still busying himself with getting the clothes out of the wash and didn't hear the sound. The twins went racing to the door on their mother's behalf to greet whoever it was there. They threw open the door to find a cap wearing man standing there, with his hand raised as if he had paused in the act of attempting to ring the doorbell a second time.

The man was a complete stranger to them, and the twins saw the confusion in his eyes when he looked ahead the minute the door opened, but saw nobody. He looked down, saw them, and his eyes went wide. The twins, in turn, stared back up at him. Akira shyly hid behind her brother, who stood before her protectively. "Who are you?" Natsuki asked.

The man took off his cap and held it awkwardly before him, and when they saw his hair, Akira gave a whimper, for it reminded her of blood… well, in a different sort of way from Seijuurou-san, but still. Probably in an attempt to be friendly, the man's lips twitched awkwardly upwards, as if smiling wasn't a thing he usually did. He eventually succeeded in pulling his lips back into half a smirk, revealing rows of sharp, children-eating teeth, before speaking up.

"Is your mo- I mean your moth- god, I can't say the word! Is Haru… I mean Haruka in?"

Natsuki turned around and called out. "Mommy, there is a talking red shark at the door!"

"Who are you calling a talking red shark, rude kid?!" The man snarled, causing Akira to tear up.

There was the sound of swift footsteps, and moments later, the twins' mother came into the view. "Didn't I say not to speak to strangers…Rin!"

"Haru…so I did come to the right house…"

XXX

There was an awkward moment of silent staring, two pairs of eyes fixed onto one. Haruka placed tea on the table and gave Rin a cup before handing his own children some juice. Rin was seated opposite the family, and he remained with his gaze fixed on the children. One of the twins, the boy with emerald eyes, continued glaring at him in a manner similar to Haruka's, looking at him with utter distrust. The girl with sapphire eyes, who was pretty much a younger version of Haruka, was expressionless, but she clung to Haruka's shirt tightly in a timid manner which wasn't quite inherited from Haruka's personality.

At some point, Rin broke off eye contact with the family and looked around the room instead. "This is the first time I'm at your place here…"

"You weren't in contact with us after you've gone off to Australia to become a pro. We haven't heard from you in years." Haruka pointed out. It wasn't the first time Rin had gone missing on them, but at least this time it wasn't out of spite.

"That's true… I don't often return to Japan anymore. I'm a permanent resident there now." Haruka could hear that, considering his Japanese sounded a little foreign accented. Rin spotted one of the photographs. Getting off the couch, he took a closer look. "So the articles are true…"

"Rin. What are you doing here? Why the sudden visit?" Haruka asked.

"I just felt like it." Rin replied, with his eyes still fixed on the photo - a wedding photo. He turned to find Haruka staring at him with narrowed blue eyes, obviously not believing him one bit. "Ah fine. I just happened to chance upon a…blog… Something about supernatural happenings in the world, and it featured something called mackerels of Box X. Your name was mentioned in the article. I came to see with my own eyes to make sure the writer wasn't bullshitting." He realised his slip of tongue when Haruka narrowed his eyes even further. The twins blinked up at him, probably having stored the vocabulary in their mind, but not quite understanding it. "…bluffing." He corrected quickly, not that it would do much help.

He stared at Haruka a while longer, then gave a groan and ran a hand through his own hair. "The idea of you being married to Makoto wasn't quite a shock. Makoto spoils the hell out of you for as long as I've seen you two together. But the idea of you being a mother… that's just weird…"

Haruka's eyes asked silently. "Are you trying to start something?"

Rin continued looking at the twins. "…They sorta do look like you… so…" he gave an awkward cough and cleared his throat a little. "Did eating mackerel turn you into a woman to go with your name?" He was probably partially joking to rile him a little. Haruka decided the fastest way to convince him was to show him, as he got up from the chair, headed to one of the cupboards and retrieved an album. He placed it on the table, and Rin took it. "There. That should answer all your questions." Haruka informed him calmly.

"What's this?" Rin flipped it open, blinked and gave a yell before closing his eyes. He opened it a peek and made an attempt to look before shuddering.

Haruka continued calmly, even though Rin was wincing before him. "Makoto had a collection of photos from when I was still pregnant all the way until when we held the twins in our arms." His husband was extremely attached to his phone camera that time, as he took pictures of his spouse at every given opportunity. He even invested in a decent printer so that he could print them from his camera. Looking at Rin's reaction, he smirked slightly. "You sure are cowardly for someone who just came back from a different country."

"Ah shut it! No one will remain calm at seeing a pregnant man!" Rin snapped. Haruka was glad that Makoto's pictures didn't include those of him in labour. Rin might faint.

Haruka gave a soft exhale. "It wasn't that big a deal." Well, Rei fainted and Makoto panicked when they found out, so maybe only his, Gou's and Nagisa's reactions were abnormal. "Rei and Gou helped me through it, and Makoto was very supportive."

"Why didn't Gou tell me about this…oh wait…" Rin's mind went back to years ago. Gou did actually call him once, right when he was concentrating for the next day's tournament, to inform him that Haruka gave birth. He thought she was pulling his leg and ended the call, and forgot to call her back to clarify after the tournament was over, as he was too filled with the euphoria of having gotten first place.

"You should stop it with the habit of hanging up on your sister." Haruka said, sounding like a mother chiding a wayward son.

Rin glared in a silent request for him to shut up, then took a sip of tea, probably to calm his nerves. He set his cup down and turned to the twins. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to see that you're doing well, Haru."

Akira tugged on Haruka's sleeve, and he looked down at his daughter. "Mama…who is that man?" She asked softly.

Haruka realised that, in his excitement to see an old friend, he had forgotten to introduce Rin to his children. "Matsuoka Rin. He's Matsuoka Gou's older brother. He's also Kintarou and Hanatarou's uncle."

The twins' eyes brightened at the word "uncle". Haruka was a pretty strict mother sometimes, and didn't want to spoil them by giving them too many presents, and he even made sure daddy didn't either. Uncle Ren and aunt Ran spoilt them with presents every time they came to visit. They once heard daddy talking to mommy that their twin relatives were having a competition against each other by giving more presents than the other to see who was the better aunt/uncle, but the twins did love the word aunt and uncle ever since then. An uncle of their closest playmates must be just as nice too.

There was an immediate change of attitude as the twins warmed up to Rin immediately, going to his couch instead and studying him. Rin looked a little nervous when Natsuki started examining his hair and teeth, while Akira poked at his arm. "H-Haru…what are your brats doing? Stop them!"

Haruka didn't, not with excellent photo-taking material in front of him. At seeing what Haruka was doing, Rin gave an exasperated sigh. "Unbelievable!" He muttered in English.

The twins stopped, even as they looked up at him in amazement. Akira turned back to Haruka. "Mama, what's that?"

"That's…English…" Haruka's expression darkened. It was not a subject he liked back during his schooldays, and not even after he graduated.

Rin smirked. "Hello. How are you? I am Rin. Nice to meet you. I come from Australia." The twins looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes at that. Looking over at Haruka, who was looking a little jealous at the attention his own children were giving Rin, he smirked. "Your mother was never really good at English. He struggles with it."

The twins turned to their mother. "Really?" They sounded like they had just found out the hero of the Super Mackerel manga their mother drew for them wasn't real.

Haruka flushed slightly. "I can speak English!" It had just been quite a few years he last used it. His children were looking expectantly at him, so Haruka wracked his brains for something he could piece together in words. "Rin…is…girl…"

That seemed to please his children, who clapped and cheered. It didn't have the same effect on Rin. "Fine, Haru. If it's a competition you want, bring it on!" He stood up.

"Just what I was looking for! We'll compete in terms of swimming though." Because there was no way in hell he could compete against Rin in English.

Rin smirked. "Fine. Place?"

"The swimming club. Makoto's at work there right now."

Rin's lips pulled back to reveal pointy teeth. "Just as well. I wanted to meet him anyway."

XXX

"Rin! When did you come back to Japan?" Makoto greeted warmly the minute he entered the pool area with Haruka. The twins went running to daddy, who picked them both up and held them easily even though they were both quite big now.

Rin looked around. "Just this morning. So this is your place of work huh, Makoto. I'll bet Haru dragged you into getting a water-related job too."

Makoto chuckled. "Well, I have an affinity to teaching, it seems, and there was a vacancy here for a trainer. I've been sticking around ever since. The boss is nice too, since working hours are negotiable." He gestured to the pool. "It's a slow period for us now. I have only a couple of students to attend to, so do help yourselves to the facilities. Natsu, Aki. Make sure you stay close to mommy." He let his children return to Haruka's side.

Haruka went over to Makoto, touching his arm lightly. "Makoto." He told his husband. Makoto stared at him wordlessly, and Rin noted how they still did their silent flirting with each other. Their staring had, if anything, gotten more intense. He really had been away from Iwatobi too long…

"You want to race Rin? Well, the pool is quite free so I guess it's okay. Let me get permission from the boss." Makoto headed off, and not too long later he returned with a man who looked to be in his 50's.

The man's eyes widened as he recognized Rin. "I- I don't believe it! You're Matsuoka Rin, the one who set a new tournament record three years ago! It's an honour to have you here at our humble swimming club." He bowed.

Rin bowed back awkwardly, as if it were a greeting of a gesture he didn't often use, which he probably really didn't. "It's nice to meet you too." He greeted back.

Makoto had a stopwatch in his hand. "We would like to record this personal competition for the club's promotional purposes, if that's okay with you, Rin."

Rin nodded his assent. He then went back to throwing Haruka a stare of challenge. Moving as one, both of them stripped, causing the club owner's jaw to drop, and Makoto's two students to squeal.

"How…how do they strip so fast? Also, was there a need to be that fast?" The owner asked in amazement.

Makoto chuckled. "Haru's always had a competitive streak when it comes to Rin, even over the most mundane of challenges. This is one of them."

The level of muscle increased drastically. Rin threw a side-glance at Haruka, who didn't look like he was lax in his training, as he still had his swimmer build. In fact, that didn't look like the body of someone who had had two kids. The water deity or mackerel fairies must have been kind to him. Haruka told his husband to give the start signal, and Makoto smiled and nodded back at him. Rin snorted slightly. They were bad enough before they got married, and now they were not even bothering to hide their not so subtle eye flirting.

At Makoto's signal, both dived into the water. Rin had the advantage, since swimming was a daily activity to him, like eating. He very quickly pulled ahead of Haruka and did the turn, returning to the starting block. The water was fairly biased towards Haruka though, siding with him as always. Right after the turn, the freestyle swimmer's stroke was faster, and he glided gracefully in the water, looking like he was catching up.

With a desperate kick, Rin pulled ahead and slapped a palm against the wall, just mere second before Haruka did. Makoto and the club owner checked the video, then proclaimed that Rin won the race.

Rin cheered and pumped a fist into the air. "How's that, Haru!" He taunted, turning to his lifelong rival. Haruka wasn't paying attention to him though, for apparently Makoto had him in a hug.

"You were really great, Haru!" Makoto was all flushed with delight as he nuzzled against his spouse. The children too were gushing at mommy, talking a mile a minute about a dolphin swimming.

Rin gritted his teeth. For some reason, he felt like he lost.

When the family finally stopped having their eyes on only each other, they remembered Rin being there, and Makoto went to congratulate him for his win. Rin waved a hand. "Just go back to your wife, Makoto. Better still, go get a room."

"Where are you going, Rin? Wouldn't you join us for lunch?" Makoto asked, wondering why he was leaving so soon.

Rin shook his head. "I have another appointment to attend to. I'm heading to SeiGou Water Paradise. I have a dear brother-in-law to greet." With the way he said it, it might have been more appropriate to replace the word "greet" with the word "strangle". He turned to Haruka. "We'll compete again eventually. Just remember, I'm better."

"We can do this again right now." Haruka's expression darkened.

Rin merely threw his head back in a laugh, then left.

XXX

Haruka watched the children, who were squealing in delight as they raced the Mikoshiba kids. Turning back to their hosts, Haruka noted how Mikoshiba was no less sappy over Gou even after being together for years, as he had his hand around her shoulders. Well, Haruka wasn't one to talk though, for Makoto had a hand on his lap, and he didn't look like he was removing it anytime soon.

"Ahahaha! You have fine kids there, Tachibana-kun. Of course, my boys aren't going to lose to your twins. Go, Hana! Make sure you defeat Tachibana-kun and Nanase-kun's children!"

The poor redhead got ignored as the children were too involved in their game to hear him. Makoto smiled at the other couple and gave a slight bow. "Thank you for inviting us over. Our children are always happy to be around other children their age. They were excited the minute they heard that we were coming over here."

Gou smiled. "It was our pleasure. We should be the one to thank you for the delicious mackerel lasagna you brought over." It wasn't the usual ingredient for lasagna, but somehow Haruka made it work.

The children continued running around, and at some point Mikoshiba went to join them, followed shortly by Makoto. The mothers were the only ones who remained seated as the two idiot fathers ended up towering over the brats in their game of tag. It looked like a couple of giants chasing after four dwarves.

Gou chuckled over her husband's childlike antics and turned back to Haruka. "They're definitely enjoying themselves. The children, I mean. Our husbands are probably enjoying themselves too in a different way. Natsuki's always been fine around other children, but how's Akira now?"

Haruka glanced at his daughter, who was laughing and looking very carefree. "She's fine if she's with her brother, or with your children, but she's still very shy, and clams up in front of other children." He told Gou.

Gou chuckled. "Well, she is the baby of the family. We get some privileges as the youngest in the family. It was onii-chan who was the mature one." She sighed fondly as she recalled her own childhood. "She'll grow out of her shyness eventually, if she mixes around with other kids more often, or if she gets younger siblings. Speaking of which, are you and Makoto-senpai ever going to give them any younger brothers or sisters?"

Haruka stiffened slightly. "Makoto and I…haven't discussed that yet." He looked at her. "What about you?"

She giggled and turned a little pink. "Sei-chan and I decided that we're happy with just two. They're already a handful sometimes." Right after she said that, there was a yelp from Makoto, which made the two mothers look over. Apparently Natsuki was being pulled in opposite directions by the two Mikoshiba brothers, who were both arguing as to who the black-haired boy belonged to. Makoto was trying to stop them from possibly dislocating his son's arms, while Mikoshiba was laughing and cheering his sons on.

Deciding that she should stop them, Gou called out. "I have ice-cream in the fridge. If you don't hurry over, I'll finish every single one of them." That got the children's attention, as they went running to her. Natsuki and Akira gave her wide smiles when she handed them their icy treats. "Thank you, Gou-chan."

"Natsu, Aki, you're supposed to call her Gou-san." Makoto corrected his children.

Gou sighed. "I'm Kou…

XXX

Haruka looked up when Makoto entered the room. They returned home and retired for the night after dinner with the Mikoshiba family, and Makoto had taken the twins to their bedroom to put them to bed. "They fell asleep almost immediately. I think all that running around tired them out. I didn't even need to read them a story." He chuckled, even as he changed into his nightwear and climbed into bed, snuggling next to his spouse.

Haruka set the book he was browsing through aside and turned to face his husband, who was watching him. "Hm?" Makoto enquired at seeing Haruka stare at him.

At reading Haruka's intentions, the brunette turned bright red. "You're in the mood to…" He didn't manage to finish his words, for Haruka pressed his lips to Makoto's. When their make out session became a little more carried away, Makoto pushed Haruka away with sheer willpower. "Hang on, Haru. I need to find that box of…"

"I don't want it." Haruka said darkly. Makoto blinked when Haruka pulled his head down and stared into his eyes. What he saw there made him frown.

"You want to give Natsu and Aki a sibling?" Makoto asked. Haruka turned away, which was an answer in itself. The brunette shook his head. "No, Haru. I will not let you go through that experience. Not ever again."

"Makoto…"

Haruka's words were cut off when Makoto held him by the shoulders. "I could have lost you back then… and you were in so much pain…" Makoto whispered.

Haruka blinked. The experience actually traumatised Makoto, the father more than him, the mother. Then again, his husband's over protectiveness over him was not new. He held Makoto's face and stared again. "Makoto, you didn't lose me, and we have our twins as a result." Twins he and Makoto loved dearly. "I want to share our family with any other children we may have."

Makoto saw the stubbornness in his eyes and knew that he was fighting a losing battle, especially when Haruka's hands started wandering. "You don't have to go through this, Haru." He still sounded conflicted.

"I don't mind. We're not getting any younger, Makoto." He stared into Makoto's eyes, a deadly weakness for his husband. "If it will make you feel any better, I'll…go for a C-section this time."

Makoto's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. After a while, he gave a weak smile. "Very well… we'll talk to Rei about this."

XXX

Saba X was, apparently, only a one time deal. Haruka had sunk to the ground in a puddle of misery when Rei told him that the pseudo-womb was already broken down and absorbed by his body after the birth of his twins. Makoto looked worriedly at his spouse, who had his knees to his chest, his arms hugging them, and his face buried in his arms. He had only seen him in this state once before, after Rin rejected Haruka's friendship.

Rei, probably in an attempt to be comforting, adjusted his glasses and tried to sound cheery. "Well…think of it this way, Haruka-senpai. At least you have a normal male body again."

"Rei! That's not helping!" Makoto chided. He knelt down to his spouse's level and hugged him. "Haru, it is unfortunate that we can't have anymore children, but we're already very blessed with our twins. Let us do our best raising them." He kissed the top of Haruka's head as he continued stroking Haruka's hair, trying to soothe him.

"Makoto…" Haruka's voice was steady, indicating that he wasn't crying. He looked up at his spouse. His blue eyes were calm to Rei, but to Makoto, he was definitely upset. "…saba betrayed me…"

"That's what you were upset about?!" Makoto yelped.

XXXXXXXXX

Makoto had not brought up the topic of children ever since then. Haruka was grateful for it, frankly speaking. Being a man, it was not in his nature to want to carry children, but it would still have been good if he could give Makoto other children, for Makoto was a very good father.

He flipped to another page, smirking slightly when he picked up a picture of three crying faces. Makoto wasn't too happy with him taking this one…

XXXXXXXXX

Makoto and Haruka had settled themselves on the couch earlier with a plate of mackerel pizza placed before them and a cup of juice and water each on the table. Makoto had switched on the TV earlier, and both of them now sat watching the Olympics, looking eagerly for an old red-haired friend.

Haruka sat with his legs drawn to his chest, even as he leaned against his brunette husband. Makoto ran his fingers through his hair, stroking gently.

Haruka sat up straighter the minute he spotted Rin getting ready to dive at the starting block. Makoto became visibly excited too. The minute the signal went off and all swimmers dived into the water, Makoto started cheering. "Go, Rin!"

Haruka didn't say anything, but Makoto was pretty sure he was rooting for their friend too. Both former swimming club members watched excitedly as fans did during a football match, with Makoto cheering at the TV screen.

"He's at third place!" Makoto exclaimed. Haruka watched on quietly. Haruka wasn't expressive when it came to words, but from the way he held Makoto's hand, the brunette had a feeling that he was picturing himself as one of the swimmers.

Rin got second place after the turn, and the couple watched with bated breath as to whether he could catch up to the leading swimmer. He overtook the one at first place, got overtaken, and repeated this until he passed the finishing line, touching the wall mere milliseconds after the guy two lanes away did.

"Second place huh...that's not bad." Makoto chuckled.

Haruka gave a sigh. "If he doesn't resist the water, he could have moved faster."

Makoto gave a light laugh. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Ah, the swimmers of the next lineup are ready. I think I've seen some of them featured in magazines…"

Makoto continued commenting on the swimmers' performance, talking about their styles compared to Rin's. Haruka was only half-listening though, his mind tuning his husband out and instead focusing on a distraction which was slowly getting his attention. Makoto had started out stroking his hair, but at some point that hand moved to hold his shoulder, then ran up and down Haruka's arm in soothing motions. That, at least was the tame part of it. It turned a little less innocent though, when that arm snaked to his side, then his waist, and somehow ended up on his thigh. He didn't know if his husband was actually doing this intentionally, knowing full well the effect it had on him, or if his husband was so used to caressing Haruka subconsciously that he didn't even realise what his own hand was doing.

When that hand came dangerously close to his inner thigh, Haruka picked up the remote and switched the TV off. That brought Makoto's attention to him, and also stopped that hand. From the confusion on Makoto's face, he really didn't intentionally feel his spouse up. He did, unintentionally, turn Haruka on though. "Haru, you don't want to watch that anymore? Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed instead…mmmff?" Haruka cut him off when he sealed their lips together with more aggression than usual, still sensitized from both Makoto's touches, and also from watching a swimming competition filled with oh so much on-screen water.

Haruka broke off the kiss, pushed Makoto down onto the couch, and then straddled him. Makoto turned a deep shade of red, a sign that he was a little nervous. No matter how many years they were together, Haruka could always get that reaction out of him. Makoto gasped out when Haruka ran his hand along his chest, "H-Haru, not here! The children…"

"…are asleep." Haruka finished for him, even as he drew patterns on Makoto's shirt with his fingers, fully intending to exact payment against his husband's misbehaving hands earlier. He bent down and kissed Makoto again. When he pulled away slightly, he could see a slightly glazed look in his husband's emerald eyes. "Just remember to keep it down, dear."

"Haru!" He knew his husband was finally in the mood too when the brunette pulled him down and kissed him, even as his hands slipped into the black-haired man's pants. It had been many years since they made out on the couch, with the last one being before the children were conceived. It was exciting, but not exactly the most comfortable of places to get romantic since their couch wasn't exactly that big, and Makoto's large form was half hanging off from it. There was a silent battle for dominance as the two continued kissing and touching each other. Makoto won out due to the advantage in build and strength. Over the years, his gentle-looking husband learnt all his weaknesses thanks to him observing Haruka daily, and he was using them against the black-haired man. Haruka wasn't complaining though. He liked being the only one to know that the smiling brunette had a darker, less innocent side to him. They moved against each other, still fully clothed, and when Makoto's hands slipped under Haruka's shirt and moved to his chest, teasing him, Haruka gave a silent gasp and shuddered, surrendering first.

Makoto hadn't reached his own release yet though, and as Haruka stroked him, feeling him through the cloth, Makoto's breathing became heavier. "Haru…! Haru…! I'm going to…"

There was a loud crack of lightning outside, then abruptly, the whole place went dark.

Makoto gave a loud, rather unmanly yell and grabbed onto Haruka, his arms clamped around his spouse in a crushing hold. Haruka could feel him shaking in fear as he whined with his face buried against Haruka's chest. Haruka exhaled. "Makoto, the way you are embracing me tightly is somewhat romantic, but it's getting a little hard to breathe." He could feel something pressing against his inner thigh, and he was pretty sure Makoto wasn't hiding mackerel in his pants to surprise him. The darkness was a mood-killer though. The not-mackerel was rapidly getting soft.

He was prepared to get up and look for the circuit breaker to reset it, and that was when he heard Akira cry. His daughter hated the dark as much as Makoto did, and his head turned towards the direction of the sound, motherly instincts kicking in at the sound of his child's distress.

"Akira…I have to get to her…she's frightened…" Makoto whispered shakily. Haruka felt himself lifted and set down on the couch, and then there was a rustle as Makoto got off the couch and walked away.

"Wait, Makoto!" From the bangs and crashes leading away from the couch, he could tell that Makoto was fumbling in the darkness. Haruka could hear Makoto telling himself. "Flashlight…flashlight…where's the flashlight?" Another few crashes later, one of which made Haruka's eyes narrow in the dark because he was pretty sure that was the sound of demise from one of his favourite handmade orca-shaped figurine, there was a click as the flashlight came on. Makoto then proceeded to the children's bedroom, while Haruka remained seated on the couch, watching as that spot of light moved away.

XXX

Natsuki woke up, blinking blearily the minute his sister started crying. "What's wrong, Akira?" It was all dark though, and he couldn't even see her, even though her bed was just across his.

He carefully got out of bed and felt around for the light switch of the table lamp, and after clicking it a few times, the room remained dark. He tried the same on the light switch for the room, but even that didn't help. Fear was starting to take him too, though he tried to keep calm, even as he made his way to his sister's bed. Akira continued crying, and he located her pretty easily before putting his arms around her, holding her in a way he saw his dad did to his mom plenty of times. "Don't worry, Akira. Mommy and daddy will be here to save us."

Akira sniffled. "Onii-chan… I'm scared…"

They heard footfalls from the staircase. Natsuki tried to sound brave for the sake of his sister. "See! They're coming for us!" For some reason the footsteps were slow though, unlike the graceful footsteps of their mother, or the strong, steady footsteps of their father. Natsuki looked down and saw light under the door, though for some reason it was dancing all over the place. He paled, remembering that one time the whole family watched a horror movie, one which featured ghostly apparitions. Both daddy and Akira had clung tightly to Haruka, who remained expressionless throughout the movie. Those definitely looked like the ghostly lights he saw. What he heard next made his gut fall further into the pit of his stomach.

"Naaaaaaaatttssssuuuu….Aaaaaaakiiiiii…where aaaaaaaaare youuu…I'm coming fooooor youuu…"

Natsuki felt the last of his courage leave, and both twins screamed in fear.

XXX

Makoto clutched the flashlight in his hands, treating it like his lifeline. That one, much too tiny spot of light didn't do much to help ease his fears. He didn't think his own house could look so scary before, and made his way carefully up the stairs, wincing with every creak under his weight. Walking slowly along the corridor, he started shaking violently as he threw fearful glances at every door he passed, already imagining scary things throwing themselves out of the rooms as he passed them. His hands, which were holding the torchlight, shook as if he had Parkinson's disease. "Natsu, Aki…where are you? I'm coming for you!" His voice came out shaking and barely a whisper because of his fear. Natsuki screamed, and Akira cried louder. Protective daddy instincts overpowered his fear for a moment, and Makoto located his children's bedroom by following the sounds, even as he threw the door open. "Natsu, Aki. I'm here! You don't have to be afraid." He wrapped his arms around his children and pulled them into a tight hug, enveloping them with his large form.

XXX

Daddy really did come for them. Natsuki could feel relief run through him when Makoto wrapped his arms around them, covering them with his large and reassuring form. Natsuki felt his fears melt away, and even Akira stopped crying. Now there was just one small problem. Daddy himself was shaking like a leaf, and with the two children held tightly in his arms, they felt like they were strapped and trapped to a massage chair that had gone rogue, and their tiny bodies rattled along with his. It reached a point where both twins felt sorry for their father. "It's okay, papa. We're not afraid anymore." Akira said gently as she patted his face softly, though she felt wetness there. Daddy was obviously more scared of the dark than they were. He used up all his courage just making his way to them, and was tearing up like mad now. Both children struggled to get out of his hold, to no avail as daddy was physically much stronger than them.

"Don't leave daddy's side." Makoto whispered shakily to his children as he tried to stop them from struggling.

Natsuki continued wiggling. "Daddy's no good! I want mommy instead!" He wailed.

Right at that moment, the lights came on, and Haruka walked into the room minutes later, obviously having delayed his entrance to bully Makoto for not taking his advice to remain on the couch and let him go to the children instead. Makoto looked at him like he had just seen his savior. "Haru!" His voice was filled with relief. Haruka took in the sight of three teary Tachibana faces. He said nothing as he merely whipped out his camera and pressed the shutter key.

XXX

Much later, after Haruka had patted Makoto on the hair, calmed him and put him to bed, he went to his children's bedroom to check on them. Akira was fast asleep, tired from having cried earlier. Natsuki sat up when he entered the room. "Mommy?"

Haruka went to sit on his bed, even as he ran his fingers through his son's black-hair, which was as untamed as Makoto's. "What is it, Natsuki?"

Natsuki frowned slightly. "Daddy's really weak… when I grow up, I want to get stronger, so that I can protect daddy."

Haruka ruffled his hair. "Your father's not weak. He's just…strong in a different way. Also, you don't have to worry about him. It's my job to protect your father. Instead, promise me you'll protect your sister instead, no matter what. You're the older brother after all."

Natsuki nodded. "I promise, mommy." He kissed Haruka on the cheek and let his mother tuck him into bed. When his son's breathing evened out in sleep, Haruka gently padded out of the room and returned to his own bedroom instead, climbing in next to Makoto and hugging him. "Our children really are growing so fast, Makoto." He thought before closing his eyes.

XXXXXXXXX

Haruka traced his fingers over a picture of Makoto grinning and holding Natsuki by the shoulders after Natsuki won one of his karate competitions. Natsuki took up karate to strengthen himself after that incident, and to actually be able to defend his sister physically with the body Makoto and Haruka gave him. Akira herself grew out of her shyness, seemingly sharing her twin brother's sentiments at not worrying their weak-hearted father.

Haruka sighed as he took another picture out of his family album, this time one with them on a camping trip. Makoto didn't grow out of being a scaredy-cat, but he was still a wonderful father. It was all because of his upbringing, actually, as the Tachibana family went for trips together, and sometimes they took Haruka with them. Makoto was very family-oriented, and continued that practice even after he and Haruka started their own family. From when the children were young until they were grown up, Makoto always brought the children along on all their trips, be it if they camped outdoors, or if they checked into hotels. The whole family was very close-knit because of this practice, but there were times Haruka thought Makoto was a bit dense, especially when Haruka hinted that he wanted alone time with his husband. Heck, his husband even brought the children along for their wedding anniversaries, though Makoto didn't have reservations when it came to cuddling Haruka in public or in front of their children. They had their own romantic time when the children were asleep in the next room anyway.

Makoto's idiot father tendencies showed up very often, with that blackout incident being one of the more extreme cases. When it came to a show of courage though, he wasn't doing too well. Haruka once chided that Makoto even had to rely on young Natsuki to put bait on the fishhook for him.

Still, Makoto loved the family dearly, and even out of that, his love for Haruka was strongest.

Speaking of which, it did remind him of the last time Mikoshiba Seijuurou actually challenged Makoto to a love confession showdown.

XXXXXXXXX

"Tachibana! I will not lose to you!"

Makoto blinked, confused when Mikoshiba pointed a finger right at him. "What…are we having some kind of competition?" He asked with his hand paused in mid-motion of feeding Haruka.

Haruka noticed that Mikoshiba Seijuurou sometimes felt a little insecure around him and Makoto, who were permanently acting like an old married couple on a daily honeymoon trip. Makoto wasn't intentionally challenging Mikoshiba to prove his love for Gou. Makoto was just being…Makoto. His main calling in life was to spoil Haruka.

Mikoshiba wouldn't relent though. "Let us prove who loves his spouse more! We'll say a line to our spouse, and whoever gets the best reaction out of our darling wins!"

"What kind of a competition is this?" Makoto asked weakly.

Mikoshiba took that as consent as he turned to Gou. "Gou-kun!"

"Please don't call me Gou and kun, dear." Gou sighed.

Mikoshiba continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted, as he used what he might have thought was his most seductive voice. To Haruka, it just sounded loud and enthusiastic as usual, enough for the whole of the diner they were in to hear them. "For the rest of our lives, will you let me display my muscles to you in any choice of clothing you put me in?"

The diner was filled with hacking and choking sounds from unfortunate patrons who didn't manage to swallow in time. Gou blushed crimson, putting her hair colour to shame. "Wh-wh-what are you saying, Sei-chan? Mou, don't say something out loud like that!"

As Gou continued gushing, Mikoshiba turned to Makoto. "Hahaha! Your turn, Tachibana!"

"Eeeeeh? Why do I have to do this…?" Makoto turned to his spouse, who was watching him curiously to see what he could possibly say to make him change his expression. Smiling, he took Haruka's hands in his own. "Haru…I'll get you a swimming pool."

It didn't sound romantic in the slightest, or at least not to the curious onlookers, but those seated within the range of being able to see Haruka's expression suddenly fell to the ground and lay there in a crimson puddle from excessive nosebleeding.

Both couples were blacklisted from the family restaurant that day.

XXXXXXXXX

It was still, to date, the best love confession Haruka had ever gotten from Makoto. True to his words, Makoto worked his way up to the position of manager, then later co-owner of the swimming club. It was the closest to getting Haruka a swimming pool – by getting the whole swimming club and all its swimming pools.

Haruka wasn't too sure if the confession he had in mind could even compare to what Makoto gave him.

"Haru, what have you been doing since earlier?" Makoto's voice over his shoulder made him look up. He was so busy reminiscing that he didn't notice Makoto walking up to him. His husband peered at the journal he kept open on his lap. "Oh? Your own personal collection of photos? The pages are decorated really prettily. As expected of you, Haru."

Haruka snapped the book shut, and Makoto wondered if he saw something he shouldn't. "Ah, sorry, Haru. Was that private?"

His black-haired spouse walked over to him. "I've wanted to keep this a secret until we've reached our 20th wedding anniversary, but I guess 19 is a good number too." He pressed the journal to Makoto's chest, right over where his heart was, and when Makoto took it, Haruka gave his husband a quick kiss before heading off quickly to hide his expression.

Makoto blinked in confusion, then looked down at the journal and turned it over. At seeing the words on the cover, he covered his mouth and gave a chuckle, followed on by another as warmth burst in his chest.

For emblazoned on the cover, in metallic colours of blue and green, were the words of Haruka's heart.

"To Makoto, With Love"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The End

A/N: It's finally over! *stretches*

Makoto and rock song? Because OLDCODEX. XD

The idea of Makoto being a poor cook comes from MakoHaru's Character Duet CDs. Seriously, Haruka should just cook for him his whole life.

Sorry about the elementary level of sentences which Rin was using when talking to the twins. I tried to picture him saying something used in basic self-introductions in a foreign language. Haruka's sentence wasn't grammatically correct, but I do believe he'd just be speaking content words without practice.

Now then, next fics I'm working on…

Free – It Feels Best Only With You (MakoHaru, T-Rated)

Valvrave the Liberator – Friends with Benefits (HaruEru. High M-Rated) – posted in second account

Thank you so much for reading this fic. Before I close the curtain on this fic…

Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn