AN: I promise it won't take me another year to update this, hopefully. Yeah, and there won't be any heavy smut in this story, like, I thought about it and it just wouldn't feel right in this story. This chapter came after a whole lot of re-writing, at some point I wanted to re-write the entire fic, but I think I made it work. I am truly sorry for making you all wait so long, I don't deserve the kindness you've showed me.

As soon as the teacher finished explaining the details of their upcoming project for summer break, Haru gathered his belongings and stuffed everything into his backpack. His classmates murmured amongst themselves, eagerly sharing the details of their plans for the break. It was still two weeks away, but the excitement was already buzzing in the air.

Haru kept to himself, tracing the outlines of the clouds he could see from the window next to his desk. The bright colors of early summer were at their peak. Blues, reds, and greens littered the landscape of the otherwise dull city. He closed his eyes and tried to picture the vibrant scenery of his hometown. He breathed in slowly through his nose, almost smelling the crisp salty air of the ocean so many miles away.

"Hey, Nanase." His eyes snapped open, the serene image in his head vanishing with a whoosh. He turned in his chair to face the boy sitting behind him, a frown delicately placed on his lips.

"What?" He didn't bother keeping the annoyance off his voice, after all he didn't care much for the other boy. Ever since the school year started, the other boy had done nothing but bother Haru. At first, he'd made fun of him for not talking, incessantly asking him if he was too stupid to talk. Then, when he realized Haru was receiving some of the highest grades in the class, he would mock him for kissing up to the teacher. Haru wasn't the only he bothered though, he especially liked to pick on the younger girls. Haru hated people like that.

"That guy is here again," the boy drawled, pointing towards the window Haru had just been staring out of. Haru looked down and saw the small group of parents that were gathering before the final bell rang, his eyes immediately found Rin, his arms stretched out above his head as a yawn escaped him.

"He looks weird. Who is he anyways?" The boy asked in a bored voice. Haru stared back at the boy and glared.

"He is not weird." Haru said firmly. He watched as the boy's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed, a smirk working its way into the boy's thin lips.

"I think he looks cool." The soft statement came from the desk in front of Haru. The brunette sitting there was staring down at Rin before she looked Haru, offering a shy smile. She was one of the girls the annoying boy usually picked on.

"Cool? He's super weird. Where did he come from, Nanase? He looks nothing like you so I don't think he's your family or anything." The boy sneered, "Actually, that other guy doesn't look like you either. My mom says all of you are weird for not being related and yet you all live together."

Haru froze, realizing that now others had overheard and were sharing confused glances with each other. Even the girl who had offered him a smile was looking unsure now.

Weird. No, no they were not weird at all. They were…

Makoto had always said it, but now Haru wasn't sure.

They were…

Haru rose from his seat and ran, leaving his backpack behind. The teacher called out to him as he ran out of the classroom, but Haru ignored her and kept running. As soon as his feet touched the pavement outside of the school the bell rang.

Haru ran until he collided with Rin.

"Woah, hey, what's wrong, Haru?" Haru only buried his face into Rin's stomach at the man's worried question. Rin seemed to understand he didn't want to talk because the man only wrapped his arms around Haru and kept silent.

"Your things are still inside, right?" Rin said after a moment, his hand landing on top of Haru's head. Haru nodded.

"I'll go get them. Do you want to wait for me here, or come with me?" Rin kept his voice soft.

Haru pulled away, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"I'll wait." Haru murmured.

"Ok." Rin patted his head once before he left. Haru glanced up as the man walked toward the school building. He didn't have to go very far, though. His teacher walked out with his backpack, a worried expression on her face. He watched as Rin spoke with her briefly. Once they were finished, and Rin had his bag slung over his shoulder, Rin walked back to him.

"Let's go home." Rin grinned, offering his hand to Haru. Haru took it, grasping it tightly as they walked their way home in silence.

…

Rin was a worried mess.

Haru had barely said anything to him since they arrived. He'd left his plate of food untouched and was currently holed up in Makoto's room.

Rin had no idea what had brought this sudden change in behavior. Haru's teacher had said that she hadn't heard what was said between the two boys, but that afterward Haru had ran out of the classroom. She'd asked the boy and the entire class if they knew what had happened, but no one gave her a straight answer.

Rin huffed as he began to pace, frustrated at the teacher for not paying enough attention, frustrated at the boy who caused Haru problems, and frustrated at himself for not knowing what to do. Should he just barge into the room and demand that Haru tell him what happened? No, he wouldn't do that. Should he lure the boy out with the promise of snacks and any game he wished to play? No, Haru would never fall for that. Should he call Makoto? No, no, the man was probably busy, and after all, he was paying Rin to look after Haru.

His raging thoughts came to an end when the front door opened.

In a rush of words, Rin explained everything that had happened to Makoto, who'd listened quietly without interrupting. He slumped down on the couch as he watched Makoto disappear into the hallway.

…

Haru stirred as he heard the door open with a soft click.

'I'm home." Makoto smiled at him. He shut the door behind his back and came to Haru's side, kneeling beside the bed instead of sitting down next to him. Haru looked away, his eyes landing on the wall opposite of him.

"Rin said you've been really quiet today, and that you haven't eaten much. Do you feel sick, Haru?" Haru closed his eyes as he felt Makoto's hand brush against his forehead.

"Are we…" Haru paused, his eyebrows knitting at the memory of the boy's words. "We're a family, right?" Haru finally looked up, meeting Makoto's confused eyes.

"Of course we are, Haru. Was–did someone say we weren't?" Haru watched as Makoto's face hardened, his lips pressing into a thin line. He'd almost never seen him wear that expression.

"They said it was… weird." Haru muttered out the last word. "They said Rin was weird too. I didn't like that. I didn't like that they said those things about us, but…" Haru trailed off, feeling ashamed at the ounce of doubt that had sparked in him because of the looks his classmates had thrown at him.

"It's alright, Haru." Makoto said gently as he sat down next to Haru. "We aren't your typical family, you know, but we are a pretty big one, don't you think? There's my mom and dad, and your grandmother. Ren and Ran are like siblings to you, right? Your mom and dad," Makoto added more quietly, "whom loved you very much and still watch over you." He offered a smile and Haru couldn't help but return it with a small one of his own.

"There's me, another older brother if you–"

"Dad…" Makoto stilled. "You feel like a dad." Haru glanced at Makoto, unsure if he'd said something that upset him. He was taken by surprise when Makoto pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, laughter spilling from his mouth.

"Well, that's that, then." Makoto words were muffled by Haru's hair. Haru giggled as well, Makoto's infectious laughter was to blame.

"Oh, what about Rin and Gou?" Haru asked as they pulled away.

"They can be whatever you want." Makoto said after a moment, his expression flickering between something Haru couldn't quite comprehend.

Haru pondered this.

"They remind me a lot of Ren and Ran," Makoto smiled, "but, Rin…" Haru took note of how Makoto's smile faltered a bit.

"Rin reminds me of you, Makoto." Haru nodded, pleased with his answer. Now that he thought about it, when he was with Rin it felt like when he was Makoto. They were both always looking out for him. He found that he enjoyed it even more when they went out together. After remembering how happy he felt while being his family, his earlier feelings of doubt seemed so silly now.

Haru jumped off the bed, finally feeling the emptiness of his stomach.

"Let's go eat something, oh, and I have to apologize to Rin." Haru said, darting out of the room. Makoto followed close behind, his mind reeling.

…

"He's always been so mature, that it sometimes slips my mind just how young he his." Makoto said as he took a seat at the dining table, setting his cup of steaming coffee next to a stack of papers he needed to grade. Haru had always been a reserved child, but he'd never had any problems with any of the kids in Iwatobi. If his memory served him correctly, he'd left quite a few of them eagerly awaiting his next visit.

"Damn brats." Makoto grinned in amusement at Rin's muttered words. He'd been this way since Makoto explained why Haru had been so distant today. Makoto kept staring as Rin tied his hair into a short ponytail, the last thing he always did before he headed off to his night job.

"I guess some things never change, huh?" Makoto flinched as Rin looked directly at him. He was caught staring once again.

"You were bullied as a child?" Makoto asked suddenly, hoping the question would distract Rin enough so he wouldn't inquire as to why Makoto was so fixated on him lately. Something Makoto wouldn't be able to explain without creating a gigantic mess of things. They were doing fine, Haru was happy, there was no need for things to change now. Perhaps, Nagisa was right after all. He did need a night out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd…

"Nothing I couldn't take care of myself." Rin shrugged, "You?"

Makoto shook his head, pushing his thoughts away for a more appropriate time, a time when Rin's presence wouldn't influence them.

"Not really, I've always been big for my age, so I think that kept them from doing anything to me." Makoto replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Right, I'm sure that's the reason why." He looked up as he heard the sarcasm in Rin's tone. The man was smirking, and dammit if Makoto could make himself look away.

"Goodnight, Makoto." Rin called out as he turned away, and still Makoto's eyes followed him, even after the door shut behind him.