A/N: I'm sorry it took a little while to update despite me having it finished already. The only excuse that I have is that I hate proofreading and in most cases I always proofread my fics more than twice before posting them, and I simply didn't feel like proofreading when I could spend my time writing instead. Still, I had to proofread at some point and tonight I finally managed myself to proofread for a final time before updating this fic. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I hope that it was worth the wait.

This part contains a small reference/spoiler for the novel High Speed! but it's not necessary to have read it in order to understand this chapter.

Please enjoy! :)

Later that evening Makoto was lying in his bed, trying to go to sleep. That should have been an easy task; he was very tired not only because of the day's events, but also because the painkillers were making him quite drowsy. And yet, he couldn't seem to fall asleep despite how exhausted he was, mainly because his mind was more active now than it had been all day.

Ever since he had woken up in the hospital the world around him had been a blizzard of emotion and confusion and everything was going so fast that he didn't even try to keep up with it and just let himself be pulled along with the flow of the people around him. From hearing what had happened to being dragged through the hospital to explaining the situation once more to his siblings and Tamura-san, everything had passed him and he couldn't fully comprehend what was going on. Only now that he was alone with his thoughts - and Haruka, who was sleeping in the futon beside his bed - everything really got through to him and he realised that if it weren't for the help of others, he would be dead now. He actually could have died without even remembering it.

But he hadn't. He was still alive, lived to tell the story, and it was all because of the boy that was currently asleep on his bedroom floor. Haruka had saved him, had risked his own life in order to protect his. Without Haruka, he wouldn't be here anymore.

Tears filled Makoto's eyes and he bit his lip to prevent them from escaping. Words could not even begin to describe how grateful he was to Haruka. He would be forever in his debt, for there was absolutely nothing he could do that could compare to what Haruka had given him.

Of course, it wasn't just Haruka who he owed his life to, for he wouldn't have survived if it weren't for the paramedics and doctors. They had kept him alive, but Haruka had given him the air to breathe, the will to live - even if he couldn't recall anything about the incident now it was over, he just knew that he wouldn't have fought as hard as he did if it were anyone other than Haruka pleading to him.

If it weren't for his best friend, he would have lost his life the way he always feared.

All of these thoughts were slowly beginning to sink in and his chest hurt because of something other than his broken ribs.A whirlwind of emotion overtook him and he didn't know what to feel the most, for it all blended together to form a knot in his heart; relief, gratitude, guilt. Perhaps the last one was the strongest.

What if the storm had been powerful enough to take Haruka down with it? What if Haruka had drowned trying to save him? Even if he would have done the same for Haruka in a heartbeat - obviously, the reason this had all happened was because he jumped in to save Rei, and Rei didn't mean even half as much to him as Haruka did - that didn't mean that he would ever be able to forgive himself if anything happened to him.

A deep sigh left Makoto's lips as he turned on his side to face the wall, biting back a small moan of pain as he did so, not wanting to wake his sleeping friend; after everything that had occurred, a good night's rest was something he had definitely deserved. It was useless to dwell on what-ifs. Everything was alright and even if it weren't, there was nothing he could do to turn back time - and even if there were, he most likely would do the same thing over again. He needed to stop focusing on the past and ensure that nothing like this would ever happen again.

Despite him telling himself this, it was a lot more easy in theory than in reality. It was just so unbelievable, he could hardly comprehend that everything he had heard had actually happened. Mainly because he couldn't exactly recall any of it: if he tried hard enough then he could see himself running into the ocean to try to help Rei, but he honestly didn't know if he actually remembered it or if it was a figment of his imagination based off what he had been told had happened.

It didn't really matter. Fatigue was really starting to kick in and it seemed like it wouldn't take long until his body would win from his overactive mind. He wanted it to. All of this pondering was giving him a headache and it wasn't like thinking about this all night would benefit him in any way.

Just as he was about to drift off entirely, cold air hit his back as his duvet was lifted. The mattress dimpled in with the added weight and almost immediately the cold was replaced with warmth as Haruka's body pressed against his, his arms snaking around his waist.

"Hmm, Haru?" he questioned sleepily.

No response was given and only then did Makoto notice that he was trembling.

"Haru?" he repeated more clearly, but when he tried to turn around Haruka's grip tightened and his forehead leaned against Makoto's back.

"Everytime I close my eyes we're back at the island."

Haruka's voice had been so quiet that he almost couldn't make out what he had said. But the more he thought about it, the louder the words resonated through his mind and the fact that Haruka was quivering despite it being toasty beneath the duvet spoke volumes as to what was going on.

Makoto turned around to face Haruka, not completely able to stop a groan from leaving his mouth and he wrapped his arms around him. Immediately Haruka buried his face into Makoto's pectoral. Ignoring the nagging pain in his chest, Makoto returned his embrace, holding him close as he tried to comfort him, the guilt he had felt earlier increasing tenfold.

"Oh, Haru. I'm so sorry."

"I was so scared," he whispered, "I thought I was going to lose you."

Those words hurt Makoto much more than he expected them to and he couldn't think of a single thing he could say to comfort Haruka. So instead, he tightened his arms around him and rubbed his back slowly, allowing him to let everything out without judgement or interruption.

"You just wouldn't wake up. No matter how much I tried, you wouldn't wake up," Haruka continued, pushing his face even deeper into Makoto's body to hide the tears that would inevitably come. "I was so scared. I thought you would never wake up. I can't lose you, Makoto, I can't."

With every broken word that he spoke Makoto's heart shattered a bit more. He couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified Haruka must have been, and the knowledge that he was the one who did this to him, who put him through this, was unbearable. He didn't know what he would have done if he were in his shoes, but he knows that the thought of Haruka dying was absolutely heartbreaking. It would kill him. Although he would give his life for Haruka any day, he wouldn't want him to be the one left behind to mourn for him either; that's why he would never have forgiven himself if he had died today, if he would have left his loved ones behind with an amount grief that was unfathomable to him.

"I'm so sorry, Haru," he muttered, even if that mere apology couldn't even begin to explain how sorry he actually felt.

Honestly, the reason why he felt so sorry was not because of what happened, not because of the taste of loss that his family and friends had gotten, but the idea of it. Because he still couldn't fully comprehend that this had actually happened. It was just so unimaginable. Even if his fear of the ocean was still actively haunting him, the last thing he expected when they agreed to go on the training camp was to have a near-death experience. If anything, all of this made him more aware of his own mortality. He had always taken life for granted, not realising that it could be over in a heartbeat. At any time his life could end so he needed to be more appreciative of the world around him. And the number one thing that he appreciated and was grateful to was currently in his arms.

Unable to control the thunder of emotion, Haruka couldn't stop himself from crying once more. He rambled on and on about the feelings he'd had, but all coherency was lost when his distress overtook him completely and he could only mumble as he sobbed.

"Shh, it's okay," Makoto murmured as he ran his fingers through Haruka's black locks, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. It's okay."

Makoto's attempts of consoling did not receive a verbal response, but gradually Haruka's hiccups passed until he was only softly sniffling. But even though his loud sobs had been traded in for quiet sniffs, Makoto didn't stop stroking his back and hair, held him close until Haruka was ready to let go first.

By the time Haruka's crying ceased, the front of Makoto's shirt was wet with tears, but that was about the last thing Makoto cared about. Apparently Haruka felt the same way, because he turned his head to rest his cheek against it, placing his ear over his chest. That action enticed a small groan from Makoto, who despite wanting to keep quiet, couldn't suppress it; Haruka had rubbed against his sternum and the contact made a dull ache shoot through his torso.

Haruka seemed to realise this as he slowly pulled away, and although his heart protested, Makoto didn't stop him. To his surprise - and relief - Haruka's grip around his waist remained, as he merely removed his head from his chest so he couldn't accidentally hurt him again and instead placed his head next to Makoto's on the pillow, tilting it so they were face to face.

Even if the room was dark save for the moonlight peeking through the curtains, Makoto could still make out Haruka's face, his large blue eyes puffy and most likely red. He could get lost in those eyes forever, and although the idea was ironic, he knew he wouldn't mind drowning in the ocean of Haruka's beautiful eyes. Much like the actual ocean, they were breathtaking - but luckily not quite as literally as the real one.

The eye contact was broken when Haruka suddenly averted his gaze and Makoto was brought back from his trance when that small mouth spoke, "I'm sorry."

Taken aback by Haruka's muttered amends, Makoto frowned and asked, "For what?" He couldn't exactly recall Haruka doing anything that would warrant an apology.

"Breaking your ribs."

His voice had been so soft and quiet that Makoto wasn't quite sure if he heard it correctly, but then he couldn't stop himself from giggling a little, immediately regretting it when his chest throbbed with another shot of pain.

"Thank you," he chuckled, a large smile stretching his face and Haruka's eyes met his again, blown wide with surprise and wonder, "for breaking my ribs." Without realising what he was doing he lifted his hand to cup Haruka's cheek, slowly caressing his skin with his thumb. "For saving me. I don't know what I can do to thank you, Haru. Without you, I-"

He halted when Haruka averted his eyes once more and Makoto could feel the skin beneath his palm grow warmer.

"Now we're even," Haruka uttered almost inaudibly.

"Huh?" The second it left his lips, Makoto understood what Haruka meant; he was referring to an incident that had occurred during elementary school, when Haruka had fallen into a river when he tried to retrieve the scarf of a classmate of theirs. Due to his 40 degree fever, he had lost consciousness as soon as he hit the water, after which Rin and Makoto had to pull him out of the river and an ambulance came that took them to the hospital. Luckily he wasn't hurt beyond the flu he already had, but Makoto still remembered how frightened he was. Simply recalling it was enough to make him feel anxious again, despite knowing that it ended well. And that wasn't even half of what Haruka had gone through last night. A new wave of guilt washed over him and he thought that they definitely weren't even, but he knew the last thing Haruka needed right now was to argue about how far in his debt he was. Hard as it may be, they had to try to put the past behind them and focus on making sure something like this wouldn't happen again in the future.

Haruka's eyes still wouldn't meet his but Makoto could see a single tear forming in one of them again, watching as it rolled over the bridge of his nose and seeped into the pillow.

At the sight of that Makoto fell apart and he pressed Haruka even closer against himself, barely even noticing the stinging of his protesting ribs because the wound in his heart hurt far more. He buried his face in Haruka's hair and nuzzled his scalp, wanting to comfort not only his broken friend, but himself as well.

The next day they were playing games in Makoto's room; Mrs. Tachibana had put Makoto on mandatory bed rest and even though he claimed that that wasn't necessary at all because broken ribs do not require bed rest, once his mother's mind was made up she wouldn't budge. Therefore there weren't a lot of things they could do besides hang around and play some games, so they had settled with a game of Mario Kart, but sans the twins this time as their mother had told Ran and Ren to leave them alone so Makoto could recover and rest properly. It wasn't like Haruka minded: for once swimming was about the last thing he felt like doing.

Despite the fact that these races were normally nothing short of heated and ruthless, there was no trace of that usual competitiveness left because neither of them was really in a fighting spirit at the moment; their thoughts were on completely different things than the game at hand.

Neither Haruka nor Makoto had mentioned anything about the night before, but it wasn't clear if they were pretending it didn't happen or simply didn't feel the need to say something about it. It wasn't like there was anything about it that they felt the need to talk about, and it wasn't like it had made things awkward between them, but for some reason they couldn't help themselves but ponder about the intentions of the other: had it simply been a mutual need for comfort and reassurance, or had there been more behind it?

These sorts of questions only added to the coiling pit of emotion and confusion that resided in the both of them, because of which neither were really focused on what they were doing as their minds were constantly drifting off; although Haruka loved the water, driving straight into the dark part of the sea on 'GCN Peach Beach' was not something he typically did. Usually Makoto would make a teasing remark about it when it did happen, and he would have now if it weren't for the fact that he had been stuck behind the same palm tree for about half a minute without realising it.

Even though it was usually a fierce battle of who came in first and who had to settle with being second, it was honestly a surprise that they weren't in the last places yet after a couple of races. That was, until the next random course was 'Rainbow Road'; one that definitely required a whole lot more of attention than Makoto and Haruka were currently giving it.

Their game of continuously falling off the track was interrupted when there was a soft knock on the door and it was opened, revealing Mrs. Tachibana standing at the doorstep. "Your friends are here, Nagisa and Rei. They've got the stuff you left back at the island. Can I send them upstairs?"

At the mention of Rei's name the foul taste of disdain returned to Haruka's mouth, but Makoto had already said, "Of course" before he had the chance to notice the dampening of his best friend's mood.

Not long after Mrs. Tachibana had left the door was swung open again as Nagisa ran towards them, almost crashing right into Makoto if it weren't for Rei holding him back.

"Mako-chan!"

"Nagisa-kun, watch out!"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot," Nagisa said as he sheepishly rubbed his neck. "I'm so glad you're okay! I told you guys that he would be, I told you!"

"There was no way you could have known for sure," Rei argued, "The chances were very small. Besides, he still has broken ribs."

"Now, don't mind the minor details. I believed in him!"

Nagisa and Rei's meaningless banter was about the last thing Haruka wanted to listen to right now, and it only managed to sour his mood further. He didn't comment on it, though.

"So, Mako-chan, how long will it take until your ribs are healed?" Nagisa then asked, plopping down on the floor and ignoring whatever Rei had said to him. Rei quietly followed Nagisa's lead and sat down next to him.

"About six weeks, probably."

"Aw, that means that we can't compete in the prefectural tournament," Nagisa sighed, clearly disappointed.

"I'm sorry," Makoto apologised earnestly, "I won't be able to swim the relay, but you can all still participate with your individual events."

"I know, but we were all really looking forward to-"

Nagisa's pouty complaint was cut off by Haruka's clear voice, speaking louder than any of them were anticipating. "I think we should disband the swim club."

"Ehh?!" Nagisa yelped and he and Rei stared at Haruka in bewilderment.

"Haru… why?"

Haruka looked away so he wouldn't have to meet Makoto's questioning green eyes, that would undoubtedly be tinged with a bit of hurt.

"It's just not worth it," he brushed off, but then he couldn't stop himself from elaborating a little, "If it weren't for the swim club then none of this would have happened."

It was quiet for a little while because no one knew what to say; they couldn't argue with Haruka's statement but they hadn't expected that such a drastic measure would be proposed, especially since it was coming from Haruka.

"I... It's my fault," Rei muttered after a while, head downturned to face his lap. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alright."

At that Rei looked up and he was met with Makoto's kind, genuine smile. That smile was always able to heal wounds, and if the wound of guilt that had formed inside of Rei was closed up by hearing Makoto's reassuring words, then it didn't take long until it was crudely ripped open again by Haruka's venomous snarl.

"It's not okay. Why were you swimming in the ocean at night?" His blue eyes were full of fire and with a frown he glared at Rei, mentally shooting daggers at him.

Rei averted his eyes once more as he swallowed thickly, unable to find the words to explain himself.

"You were practicing, right?" Nagisa offered, smiling gently at Rei in the hopes of comforting him. "He wants to catch up to the rest of us."

"Yes…"

Haruka sighed and directed his gaze to the pillow beside him, balling his hand into a fist. Even if Rei's intentions had been good, that didn't take away from the fact that he had endangered Makoto with his need to catch up with them. He couldn't simply forgive him for almost taking his Makoto away from him just because he had meant it well. These resentful feelings couldn't just disappear with a mere apology. It would take some time, and right now, Haruka wasn't even sure if he wanted to forgive him.

"Well, not that it matters now," Nagisa concluded with a sigh.

The dissatisfaction that was so obvious in Nagisa's entire attitude made Haruka even more upset than he already was. Makoto had almost died and Nagisa was complaining about some stupid tournament? He should be grateful and overjoyed about the fact that his friend had survived instead of complain about being unable to swim a relay in some unimportant competition. Did he even realise how grave this situation had been?

This only strengthened Haruka's desire to stop with the swim club. So far it was doing way more bad than good.

Sensing the mood he had created, Nagisa looked around for anything that would give him the opportunity to switch topics. "That's right! We brought your bags from the island. Rei-chan and I will go get them now."

"Ah, I'll get them," Makoto said as he pushed himself off the mattress, but Haruka's hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at Haruka, who merely shook his head, letting his eyes convey the rest of what he meant. "You're right, Haru. Thank you."

Nagisa made a comment about their baffling telepathic connection, but Haruka didn't stay to listen to it as he got up and left the room before Nagisa had the chance to finish his sentence.

"Haru-chan! Wait for me!"

When he got downstairs he saw their duffel bags and his cooler standing in the hallway; the tents were probably put back into storage by Mrs. Tachibana earlier. He crouched and opened the larger, blue bag, beginning to rummage through it.

"Huh?" Nagisa mumbled when he caught up to Haruka, "That's Mako-chan's bag."

"I know." Being able to escape from the suffocating air that hung in Makoto's room wasn't the only reason he had offered to get their stuff. He pulled some things out of the bag so he had a more clear view on its contents. A deep sigh left his lips when he found what he was looking for at the bottom of the bag. He grabbed it and held it to his chest, completely forgetting about Nagisa's existence.

The shirt. They had found it back. How it ended up at the bottom of the bag, Haruka didn't know, but he didn't care either - it was most likely due to his own frantic rummaging. It was a little damp from the rain and was covered in grains of sand, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that it had found its way back home.

"Uh, Haru-chan?"

Pulled out of his thoughts by Nagisa blatantly shoving his existence in his face again, Haruka huffed a little before he put the shirt and the other things he had taken out back into the duffel bag and closed the zipper. Then he got up and lifted it, intending to carry it to Makoto's room when Nagisa spoke again.

"Should I take your bag?"

"Leave it here."

"Why?"

With a frown Haruka turned to Nagisa. "I'm not going to take it to Makoto's room only to take it back down again later."

"Oh! Right." Seemed like Nagisa was a little more out of it than he was previously letting on. Mentally Haruka rolled his eyes before he began to walk up the stairs. "Then why did I have to come along?"

"I didn't ask you to."

"So mean," Nagisa sang, his tone sounding more teasing than offended, unsuccessfully hiding his amusement.

Back in Makoto's room Haruka dropped the bag on the floor and reclaimed his spot next to Makoto on the bed. Makoto proposed to continue their game of Mario Kart, and they all agreed, so he grabbed the remaining two remotes and handed them to Rei and Nagisa, who settled themselves onto the floor right beneath the bed. Even if he did absolutely nothing to give this impression, Haruka could tell that the reason he suggested this was not because he felt like playing a fun game with his friends, but to distract everyone from the elephant in the room and to prevent any more awkward discussions to be held. So he didn't complain and just went along with it as per usual, trying to focus his attention on the game like he normally would have.

And if the vast majority of his red shells hit Rei's kart, then that was purely coincidental.

Nagisa and Rei left later that afternoon. Makoto offered to walk them out but they refused, saying that they would be able to find their way back to the front door without any trouble.

As soon as they were alone again, Makoto softly said, "Haru… I know you're mad at Rei, but..."

He should have been expecting this. Makoto, ever the meddling mother hen, wanted to make sure all little chicks got along nice and fine, without any trouble or fights. And he hated this, because even if he found Makoto's meddling annoying at times, even if he despised Rei with every fiber of his being at the moment, he was weak to Makoto's soft voice and worrying nature, would often go along with it because it was easier than defying and disappointing him. He didn't want to hurt him, never, and he knew that keeping up this attitude would do just that, but he just couldn't help that he felt the way he did.

"Try not to blame him for what happened. He didn't mean for this to happen and he already feels guilty enough as it is." Makoto's voice was low and gentle, like he was speaking to a small animal, afraid to scare it away. Haruka knew that he was trying to convey his message without looking like he was disregarding his feelings. "You don't have to forgive him right away, but try to cut him some slack, please."

He knew Makoto understood that he felt this way and didn't blame him for it, that he just wanted to make things right for everyone so they could move on and put this behind them, so Haruka had no choice but to comply with Makoto's request. "I'll try."

"Thank you, Haru," Makoto murmured with a smile. It was the smile that he always reserved just for him and even though Haruka wanted to capture that smile so he could treasure and cherish it forever, he had to turn his face away at the sight of it as his cheeks grew warmer.

Not wanting Makoto to see him blush, he got up from the bed and stepped towards the TV, extracting the Mario Kart disc from the console. "Let's play something else," he mumbled as he grabbed a random multiplayer game.

The chuckle Makoto gave him in return was a clear indicator that he was well-aware of Haruka's pink cheeks and attempt of distracting them both.

"Alright."

Later that night Haruka went home as well.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay over tonight?" Makoto asked when Haruka was putting on his shoes in the genkan.

"It's not like I can stay here forever." Even if he would have liked to stay longer, especially now, he didn't want to overstay his welcome. He was sure that Makoto's family would like to have some time to reflect on the past couple of days, without him intruding on that. Besides, he didn't want to get used to the feeling of Makoto's arms around him only to have to return to a cold, empty bed in the end.

"I know, but…" Makoto trailed off, trying to find the right words to say, "Will you be alright?" It was the first thing that was said about the night before. He knew just how much Haruka was affected by what happened; the way he had been shaking and crying was not something Makoto would easily forget, and the idea of him having to go through it by himself, all alone and frightened, was absolutely heartbreaking. But he knew he couldn't force him to stay here, no matter how much he would've liked to, he had to take Haruka's feelings into account. Even if his gut told him otherwise, he had to accept that Haruka could determine what was best for him, for that wasn't Makoto's choice to make.

Haruka just nodded as he got up, turning around to face Makoto.

"You're always welcome here."

"I know," Haruka said even if it contradicted his previous thought. Nonetheless, hearing Makoto say it made him feel warm inside. "Thanks."

A sweet smile lit up Makoto's face. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?"

"I'll be fine," he assured, knowing that Makoto worried for him. "I'll come over tomorrow."

"Thank you," Makoto beamed and he bent down to lift Haruka's black duffel bag and cooler. Immediately a dull ache spread throughout Makoto's chest again and he let out a slight groan.

"Idiot! You're not supposed to lift, remember?" Haruka scolded as he took the straps out of Makoto's hands.

"Yes, Mom," Makoto teased, giggling at the look Haruka shot him.

"Go take your meds," he dismissed and he put the straps over his shoulders. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Haru."

"'Night."

Despite Haruka indirectly telling him to go back inside, Makoto stayed to watch as Haruka left. It wasn't like Haruka wasn't expecting it; when he exited the gate and turned back around to the house Makoto waved at him, and he raised his hand in a half-hearted wave back. Only when Haruka was completely out of view did Makoto close the door.

It was late at night when Makoto was suddenly woken by the sound of this ringtone. At first he tried to ignore it and he buried his face deeper into his pillow in an attempt to mute the noise, but the caller was insistent and didn't hang up. So he blindly reached for his phone and slid it open without looking at the number.

"Hello?" he answered drowsily.

Silence.

Makoto frowned before he repeated himself, but it stayed quiet at the other end of the line. Wondering if the call had been cut off, because he didn't even hear the intake of breath, he took the phone away from his ear so he could look at the screen. Squinting at the bright light, he read the name that was displayed on the screen and immediately the worry he felt overtook every bit of sleepiness.

"Haru?"

A sharp breath and a loud sniffle was all he heard before the line went dead.

The clock on his phone informed him that it was two in the morning, and he sighed. If only he had been more insistent on getting Haruka to stay over. Haruka never used his phone, didn't even know where it was half of the time, so the fact that he was calling him in the middle of the night clearly showed just how upset he was. He probably had a nightmare and needed to make sure that what he dreamt wasn't true. Or perhaps he hadn't been able to sleep at all, maybe he'd been lying awake the entire time with his demons keeping him from sleep and his thoughts eating away at him, convincing him that Makoto could be dying right at this minute and needing the confirmation that he was alive and well.

Whatever it may be, Makoto knew that he wouldn't leave Haruka alone to battle these demons all by himself.

'I'm coming over' was what he texted Haruka before he got out of bed and walked towards his desk. Grabbing a random notebook from a drawer, he tore out two pages and wrote identical letters on both of them, explaining his sudden disappearance for when his family woke up in the morning. He left one of them on his desk and took the other one downstairs and put it on the dinner table. Then he went to the genkan and put on some shoes and a light jacket before he left to head to Haruka's house.

Once he got there he wasted no time in taking his shoes and jacket off before he sped up the stairs, heading directly towards Haruka's room.

Inside the dark room there was Haruka, sitting on the floor next to his open duffel bag, the floor around him covered in shirts and swimsuits and other miscellaneous items that had been inside of it. He had been staring at the phone in his hands, but when he heard the door open he looked up.

"Makoto," he exclaimed and he jumped up, letting the phone fall to the ground as he practically tackled Makoto, encircling his neck with his arms as he buried his face into his shoulder. "Makoto!"

Despite his broken ribs, Makoto was still able to keep them upright. With his right hand he cupped the back of Haruka's head and with his left he pressed Haruka closer against himself, wanting to comfort his crying friend.

"It's okay," he whispered into Haruka's ear. "I'm here. It's okay."

"Makoto," Haruka sobbed, almost hyperventilating as he tried to talk more, but nothing but whimpers left his mouth.

"It's okay," Makoto repeated, "You don't have to say anything."

Haruka only nodded and tightened his arms around his neck, like he was afraid Makoto would slip away if he were to loosen his grip. Even if the way Haruka was leaning on him ached a bit, Makoto didn't mention it, didn't do anything but hold him, softly rubbing his back and murmuring little reassurances to him.

After all, Makoto thought he deserved some pain, because he was the one who was putting Haruka through this. Because of him, Haruka was experiencing this agonising terror, so the very least he could do was hold him and comfort him even if it meant that his chest would hurt. Not that he wouldn't comfort Haruka if this wasn't his doing; he'd do anything for Haruka and he would never want to see him cry or in pain regardless of who inflicted it, wished for nothing but for him to be happy, so the knowledge that instead of bringing him that happiness, he brought him fear and anxiety, hurt him far worse than a few broken ribs.

And yet, at the same time, seeing Haruka so distressed because of him made him feel warm inside. He hated himself for feeling this way, but he couldn't help the rush of hope that filled him when Haruka reached out to him like this, showed him that he cared for him in a way so genuine and pure, that it made him wonder if maybe, just maybe, Haruka cared about him just as much as he cared about Haruka. And even if seeing Haruka like this was unbearable to Makoto, he was glad that he was able to be here for him; he wouldn't want anyone else to be in his place. He wanted to be Haruka's rock, his ever-present support, but he felt like he had already failed that task for even allowing this to happen.

These were all very selfish thoughts, but as guilt-ridden they may be, they were thoughts actively coursing through his mind nonetheless.

Still, having to hold both Haruka and himself up cost Makoto a lot more energy than it usually would have, with the painkillers weakening his muscles with drowsiness. So he shifted his hold on Haruka's body and picked him up, carrying him over to the bed before sitting down on it. He sat back against the headboard and adjusted Haruka - who was still clinging to him - in his lap so his legs were over on one side and he could still bury himself in his torso.

Softly caressing up and down his arm, Makoto cradled Haruka against himself while Haruka tried to collect himself. It was to no avail.

"I just can't get it out of my head," Haruka admitted and his hold on Makoto's neck loosened as he pulled back his right arm so he could grab onto the front of Makoto's shirt.

"Oh, Haru," Makoto sighed, figuring that what Haruka needed was a distraction from it all. "Try to think of something else, something nice… It's almost your birthday."

"I can't, Makoto," Haruka sniffled, shaking his head with his eyes squeezed shut as he clutched Makoto's shirt in his hand, "I can't."

"That's okay. It's alright," Makoto said and he began to gently rock him, instinctively doing what he did whenever he had to calm down one of the twins. He didn't want to seem like he was trying to rush him, because even if it hurt to see him like this, he wanted to give Haruka all the time he needed.

Tears stung in his own eyes but he tried his best to suppress them. Right now, comforting Haruka was his main priority; he had to be reliable, so Haruka could depend on him like he always depended on Haruka.

One of Makoto's hands was raised towards Haruka's face and he stroked his thumb over his cheek, catching the teardrops that were rolling down his skin and wiping them away while his other hand kept rubbing Haruka's back in a slow, soothing rhythm. Without thinking about what he was doing, Makoto pressed a small kiss against Haruka's temple, after which he nuzzled the locks of hair that fell beside it.

Haruka leaned into his touch, then he adjusted himself in Makoto's lap so they were face to face with his legs on either side of him. For a second their eyes met and Makoto resumed caressing his back with his left hand while his other came up to wipe the tears on Haruka's left cheek away.

Once more Haruka's arms wrapped around Makoto's neck and Haruka hid his face in the juncture of his shoulder again. He wasn't crying anymore, instead taking long, deep breaths, like he was trying to ground himself. Breathing in the sweet, familiar scent of home was the final little push that made him capable of collection himself.

While the stuttering breaths regulated into a normal pattern, Makoto played with the soft strands at Haruka's nape, tickling the skin lightly with his fingertips.

After a while Haruka leaned backwards so his weight didn't partly rest on Makoto's upper body anymore, but he remained seated in Makoto's lap.

A soft smile appeared on Makoto's face and he ran his hand over Haruka's arm. "Have you calmed down a little?"

"Yeah," Haruka said with a small nod. "You're still scared of the ocean, aren't you?"

Makoto was taken aback with surprise at that question. He hadn't expected Haruka to bring the subject of his fear of the ocean up in this conversation. For a second his smile faltered before it was replaced with a more melancholic one.

"I thought I'd gotten over it. But when I saw Rei drowning, I completely froze. The memory of that day immediately surfaced." He bit his lip and averted his eyes, trying to suppress the emotion that always came along with recalling that fateful day. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this," he apologised sincerely and he looked back into Haruka's eyes, who in his turn looked away again before he spoke.

"It's not your fault."

"But," Makoto objected, "I was the one who decided to hold the camp, and I chose to start the swim club. But that was because I wanted to swim with you again. I wanted to swim in a relay with everyone again. But… If you're not there…"

He paused for a second to look at his lap, and when he looked up again his eyes met Haruka's.

"It's meaningless without you! I want to swim with you!"

A soft gasp left Haruka's lips at Makoto's heartfelt words. Those vibrant green eyes held every bit of love, adoration and devotion that his words had conveyed as well. If there was something in this world of uncertainty that Haruka was absolutely certain of, then that was that he loved Makoto with all his heart, and that Makoto loved him, too.

Slowly he lifted his hand to Makoto's face and cupped his cheek, stroking his skin with his thumb like Makoto had done to him earlier. There was still no resistance in Makoto's gaze, only affection. So Haruka closed his eyes and pressed his lips against Makoto's.

Contrary to what he was expecting, Makoto didn't kiss him back, but he didn't pull away either. Thinking that he may have been taken by surprise, Haruka changed the angle of his kiss, turning his head slightly to the right as he softly kissed his lips. But there was still no response.

Pulling back with a small frown, Haruka stared at Makoto in bewilderment and asked with a quiet voice, "What's wrong?"

Hesitantly Makoto looked at Haruka before he sighed and softly asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Haruka's frown deepened at Makoto's question. Of course he was sure about this, otherwise he wouldn't have kissed him, would he? And he was sure Makoto had wanted it, too. So the way he was phrasing this now only confused him more. "What do you mean?"

"I just…" Makoto started, but he didn't continue.

The love that Makoto felt for him was still ever-present in his eyes, but there was a tinge of pain that hadn't resided there before Haruka had kissed him. For some reason Haruka hurt him with his action while Makoto's eyes had told him that the desire for a kiss was mutual.

At this point Haruka didn't understand what was going on anymore so he had no choice but to wait for Makoto to find the right words to explain himself.

"You're emotional, Haru," he stated after some time, "You've been through a lot these past few days, and you're confused. I don't want you to misinterpret your feelings."

Misinterpret his feelings? If there was anyone who was misinterpreting his feelings, it was Makoto. Haruka put his other hand on Makoto's cheek as well and he turned his face so he could look into his eyes while he spoke, so he could convey his true feelings both verbally and non-verbally.

"Makoto, I love you."

"I love you too, Haru, but-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"That is the problem!" Makoto grabbed Haruka's wrists and removed his hands from his face, holding onto them instead and pressing them against his chest. "I love you, Haru; I loved you before this happened, I love you now this is happening, and I know I'll love you when all of this is over."

Makoto's voice was small as he spoke slowly. With every word Haruka's chest felt both lighter with relief but also heavier with the sentiment that Makoto was expressing. To hear him declare his love for him in a way so genuine and unadulterated, full of sincerity, was better than anything he could have wished for, but although it made him indescribably happy, it only confused him more. Because he failed to see why that was a problem, when to him, that was the opposite of a problem.

"Makoto…" Haruka softly sighed, his tone somehow containing every emotion that he felt.

"I just," Makoto said again, "I want you to feel the same; I don't want you to wake up one day and realise that you don't actually love me. That you mistook your feelings for love, when you've never actually loved me the way I love you…"

The sadness and desperation in everything Makoto expressed was so painful to watch. It was obvious that saying this hurt Makoto immensely, because this was something that he wanted so badly, but was afraid of having if in the end he would just lose it again. He was trying to prevent the both of them from getting hurt in the long run, and he didn't want Haruka to regret this. It was almost cruel, to have the thing he wanted most in the entire world inside of his reach, but too scared to get it because he would ultimately lose it again. At least, that was what Makoto believed.

But Haruka knew better than that.

"Makoto," he murmured, wanting Makoto to meet his eyes again so there would be no misunderstanding on Makoto's part anymore, "I love you. I have always loved you, even before you almost drowned, I knew I loved you, I just… never really thought about it twice. Because loving you is so natural to me, because you being by my side is so natural to me that I didn't realise that at any moment, you can disappear. I saw you as a constant in my life, I… took you for granted. But then you almost drowned and I thought I was going to lose you forever. I was so scared, and I told myself that if we would be lucky and blessed enough for you to survive, then I'd never take you for granted again. Then I would treasure you and cherish you like you always deserved to be. Because I love you, Makoto. I always have, and I always will."

With his cheeks glowing bright red from embarrassment, Haruka pointed his face towards his lap, trying to hide behind his fringe. He had said too much, he had definitely said too much, but he couldn't help it: as soon as he started all of his feelings came flowing out of him at once. He had needed Makoto to know that his feelings weren't temporary or superficial, that the love inside his heart burned with a fiery passion that would never smolder. But still, talking so much was not like him. Perhaps Makoto was right about him being emotional; even if that didn't invalidate his feelings, he was expressing them in a way he normally wouldn't have, at least not so easily or elaborately.

Silence lingered for longer than Haruka would have liked and every second that ticked by with no response from Makoto made him more nervous. He couldn't take it any longer and when he looked up he was met with Makoto's mouth hanging slightly open and his green eyes sparkling with wonder and amazement.

"Makoto…?"

At the sound of Haruka's voice Makoto's expression changed and he released his hands, pressing his left hand against his mouth as his eyes filled with tears. Haruka's eyes widened at Makoto's reaction to his confession; he didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't for Makoto to cry.

"Haru," Makoto sighed as some of the tears spilled over, then he removed his hand from his face and giggled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry I'm just… so happy."

A bright smile lit up Makoto's face that only proved his elation and the sight of it filled Haruka's heart with joy. He couldn't do anything but smile back at him, perhaps not as widely as Makoto's smile, but just as blissfully. His hands cupped Makoto's face again and he rubbed Makoto's tears away, which made Makoto chuckle again.

"I just don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Haruka said, repeating what Makoto had told him earlier that night.

In return Makoto wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into his shoulder, hiding his large smile in his skin. Automatically Haruka hugged him back, closing his eyes as he rested his cheek onto Makoto's shoulder and he sighed in contentment. Unconsciously he squeezed Makoto's body a bit and immediately an involuntary groan escaped Makoto's mouth. It startled Haruka a little and he pulled back slightly, but then he remembered and simply loosened his hold.

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Makoto muttered, leaning his head backwards so their eyes could meet again and Haruka took the opportunity to rest their foreheads together.

Every single one of his fears and worries evaporated into thin air as he stared into Makoto's forest green eyes and he felt nothing but love and affection filling every last bit of him.

Exactly two days ago time had frozen as his world stopped turning, an icy feeling of dread and despair taking over him. But now, time was standing still because they were the only two people in the world, completely filled with warmth and tenderness. Two days ago his heart was beating out of his chest with adrenaline and anxiety, but now it was thrumming with excitement and anticipation. Two days ago he had never been more scared in his entire life, and now he was feeling happier than he ever had in his entire life.

Unable to stop himself from smiling again, Haruka carded his fingers through Makoto's hair, after which he cradled Makoto's cheek. Makoto disentangled his arms from around Haruka's neck and wrapped them around his waist instead, pulling him just that little bit closer.

"Can I kiss you now?" Haruka teasingly asked, amusement that slipped into the phrase preventing him from sounding too serious.

Makoto laughed lightly, the pleasant sound resonating through the dark, empty room and it made Haruka's belly buzz with butterflies. "Yes, please."

Their noses bumped when they both tried to close the distance between their lips, and Makoto giggled again before he nuzzled their noses together. Haruka smiled at the cute and endearing gesture and then he tilted his head and finally pressed his lips against Makoto's.

It wasn't the first time their lips touched each other, but it was the first time they met in a mutual kiss. It was a little clumsy, because at first they simply pushed their mouths together, but as the seconds ticked by their lips slowly parted and locked, kissing in a way that neither of them had experienced before, but it was still absolutely mind-blowing. Haruka's lips were even softer than Makoto had imagined and the sensation of feeling them against his own was even better than he ever could have dreamed; Haruka basically melted at the feeling of Makoto's mouth brushing over his so tenderly and his left hand joined the other on Makoto's face, cupping his jaw like he just had to hold onto him in order for him not to be swept away by the gentle touch of those plump lips, for it was even better than he had expected. Never in his life had he thought that something as simple as a kiss could feel this good, and if it was already this amazing the first time around, then he was already looking forward to every single kiss they would share in the future.

Makoto's arms tightened around his waist and he softly sighed into the kiss. Haruka's heart swelled with affection at the sweet and gentle way Makoto held and kissed him, like he was the most valuable and precious gemstone the world possessed - and knowing Makoto, he probably did think something sappy like that. Still, it made him indescribably happy to know that Makoto loved him and the excruciating pain and fear he recently experienced felt like centuries ago, because at the moment, nothing but feelings of adoration and fondness coursed through his veins. It was exciting and new, yet it was also comfortable and natural and perhaps even like everything else was with Makoto; he usually didn't like change, but Makoto always provided that bit of familiarity that made him feel safe regardless of the challenges life brought onto him. But in this case, it didn't even feel like it was a change in their lives, but rather the next logical step. Their relationship wasn't going to change, it was progressing and developing into something that was always meant to be.

But he didn't believe this was fate; he didn't think that he wouldn't have realised his feelings if it weren't for the incident at the training camp occurring. No, he loved Makoto and Makoto loved him, so this happening was inevitable. With the way things had gone, he had been forced to open his eyes abruptly, but he firmly believed that he would have opened them to the obvious truth sooner or later. And even if he still would have vastly preferred that, he couldn't deny that every bad situation had a positive aspect: the more time he could spend inside Makoto's arms, the better.

No matter how much they both enjoyed the kiss, it had to end at some point. Reluctantly they parted but their faces stayed close, unable to pull away completely. Makoto leaned his forehead against Haruka's again, the mere touch igniting a spark that made Haruka feel like his body was on fire. The kiss had left them a little breathless, and Haruka hadn't known that something like sharing air with someone you love could be so intimate - honestly, the idea of breathing into someone's face sounded really silly and weird to him, but the feeling of Makoto's breath fanning against his skin only made him feel closer to him, it made his heart overflow with love.

Apparently, Makoto felt the same way, because he sighed and whispered, "I love you so much."

A smile threatened to stretch Haruka's face once more and he couldn't help but steal another chaste kiss from his lips. It hadn't been long since they shared their first kiss, but Haruka could already feel himself becoming addicted to Makoto's sweet lips. When he pulled back he began to softly caress Makoto's cheeks.

"I love you too," he murmured back, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't disturb the ambience of tranquility that surrounded and enveloped them, "so much."

It seemed like their minds had never been more connected than they were now; Makoto initiated another kiss and Haruka gladly obliged. He ran his fingers through Makoto's hair as he added a slight pressure and Makoto moved one of his arms up higher on his back, his large palm warm and welcome against Haruka's body.

This kiss didn't last as long as the first one, but just as much love was expressed with it. Haruka encircled Makoto's neck intending to rest their foreheads together again when Makoto suddenly pulled away.

Surprised at the sudden movement, Haruka was startled for a second before he snorted at the sight of Makoto covering his mouth with his hand to hide a big yawn.

"Sorry," he said after it.

"Am I that boring?" Haruka jokingly asked.

"No," Makoto sang, "I'm just very tired; it's the middle of the night." While he was speaking Haruka also yawned, and Makoto chuckled at the sight. "See, you're tired as well."

"I'm not tired," Haruka defended, "Yawning is just contagious." The way he rubbed his eyes while he spoke contradicted his statement.

Makoto wasn't buying it either, but he decided to humour him. "Let's just go to sleep, alright?"

Even though the last thing Haruka wanted was for Makoto to leave, he couldn't help but ask, "What about your family?"

"I left a note before I came here," Makoto simply explained, and Haruka was really satisfied with that answer: that meant that there would be no rush when they woke up tomorrow.

Haruka lifted himself off of Makoto's lap and lied down on the mattress instead and Makoto followed his lead and pulled the blanket over them. Once they were both settled beneath the covers Haruka closed the small gap between their bodies and entwined their legs, pressing his feet against Makoto's calves and he put his arm around Makoto's waist. Makoto raised his hand towards Haruka's head and began to stroke Haruka's hair out of his face and behind his ear.

Despite him feeling much warmer and safer than before, Haruka couldn't help but fear that the nightmare that brought Makoto here in the first place would resume if he went back to sleep. Even if Makoto was right beside him for comfort and reassurance, the terror that he felt when he woke up was something he'd rather never experience again.

Noticing the apprehensive look on Haruka's face, Makoto pecked his nose to gather his attention. "I'll stay awake until you fall asleep," he offered with a gentle, understanding smile, "In the meanwhile, we can just talk."

The compassion in Makoto's words and the soft look in his eyes made a small smile appear on Haruka's face. Makoto was trying to distract him from his thoughts and he really appreciated the effort he was willing to put into his comfort; he knew how tired Makoto was, and yet he wanted to keep himself awake for his sake. He was apparently really good at reminding Haruka why he loved him so much.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"It's almost your birthday," Makoto said again with a cheeky smile and Haruka snorted at the way Makoto managed to bring that subject up again.

"You're really passionate about birthdays today," Haruka remarked while he tried to suppress a smirk.

"Not just any birthday, your birthday," Makoto emphasized, "Is there anything you'd like to have?"

"I don't need anything," Haruka simply stated and when Makoto tried to object, he elaborated, "I've already got everything I could have wished for and more right here."

"Haru," Makoto breathed at Haruka's profound, heartfelt words. He was honestly way too adorable and Makoto couldn't help but want to kiss the feelings right off his lips. So he did, and he could practically taste the sincerity and love in the kiss that was short but incredibly sweet. Once he pulled back, he continued, "Still, there must be something you want to have, right?"

"Another kiss?"

Makoto chuckled, "I'll give you plenty more of those, you don't have to ask for them." To prove it, Makoto placed another tender kiss onto Haruka's mouth. "I mean a real gift. A present that I can wrap and give to you."

Even though he thought it was unnecessary for Makoto to give him something tangible when he had already given him everything his heart desired, he knew that Makoto wouldn't be satisfied with just giving him his love, so Haruka tried to think of something else that he wanted.

"Then… a new swimsuit?"

"Haru…" Makoto sighed in a mix of endearment and defeat, honestly not knowing what he had been expecting when this answer was so typically Haruka. "I meant something a little more special; something meaningful. You already have more than enough swimsuits."

"Swimsuits are special and meaningful to me. Besides, you can never have enough swimsuits." Haruka didn't see the problem; if Makoto was so insistent on buying him something then he'd rather get something he actually used often instead of Makoto wasting his money on something he didn't need.

Makoto didn't have the strength to argue with him, so he just accepted that as an answer. "Anything else other than a new swimsuit...?"

Their conversation didn't last much longer after that; after muttering some stuff about mackerel and the preferred preparations of aforementioned fish, Haruka drifted off to sleep. Makoto was glad about that, because he thought that Haruka deserved some rest and because he was also on the brink of nodding off.

But before he lost consciousness entirely, he pressed a small kiss against Haruka's forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Haru-chan."

The next morning Makoto helped Haruka pack his duffel bag again; after a little persuasion, Haruka agreed to stay over at the Tachibana residence at least the upcoming couple of days. They didn't tell Makoto's family about the development in their relationship, but judging by the knowing looks and smug smiles Mrs. Tachibana shot their way, they didn't have to.

On Haruka's birthday, a small party was held at Makoto's house: Nagisa, Rei and Kou came over and Mrs. Tachibana served salt-grilled mackerel and chocolate cake - when she had asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he had requested Makoto's favourite kind because he wasn't fond of sweets any way and the chances of her making a mackerel cake were practically zero. Makoto did end up giving him a new swimsuit - and a whole bunch of kisses - so Haruka was content and eager to use it.

Although he was still a little bitter towards Rei, he tried to push those feelings away for the sake of keeping a nice and pleasant ambience. But it was in vain.

Kou left a bit sooner because she wanted to catch the train before it got dark, and as soon as it was just the four of them left, Rei managed to rub him the wrong way: he brought up Makoto's odd behaviour when he tried to save him. Haruka immediately told him to drop it, dismissing any questions he might have had as flare of protectiveness burst inside of him. But Makoto objected, thanking Haruka for wanting to protect him but saying that it was okay; this was something that he wanted to share with Rei and Nagisa.

So he told them about his fear of the ocean: about the old fisherman and the goldfish that he gave him, about the typhoon that made the fisherman's boat sink and how many of the people on board drowned, about the goldfish dying even though he took care of them as best as he could, about how all of that rooted the fear of the ocean inside of him, the fear of something unknown lurking in the dark deep waters.

When Haruka could tell that talking about it so freely and openly was becoming too much for him, he cut him off, not wanting him to relive that intense fear again. After listening to Makoto's reasoning Rei's face drained from all colour, and knowing that he was feeling even more guilty about his actions now made Haruka feel the slightest tad better. For Nagisa, hearing the story of Makoto's past sparked the question of why he agreed to hold the training camp in the first place, to which Makoto simply answered that he wanted to swim with them.

Even if Haruka hadn't been entirely keen on the idea of Makoto sharing something so personal and sensitive and painful, he couldn't deny that it hadn't been a bad decision. If anything, it made the amount of respect that Nagisa and Rei had for him increase tenfold.

In the end, they didn't disband the swim club. Despite Haruka being so steadfast about it when he first brought it up, after hearing Makoto's motive behind starting the swim club in the first place, he didn't want to stop with it anymore. Because he wanted to swim with Makoto too.

With Makoto's encouragement they continued their practice like usual, but now focusing all of their attention on their individual events rather than dividing it between individuals and the relay. Makoto still came to practice, sitting on the edge of the pool with his legs in the water and he and Kou timed them and tried their best to coach them when Coach Sasabe was absent.

The resent that Haruka felt towards Rei gradually decreased and he decided to forgive him for what had happened. Even if he never said anything about it, it was obvious that Rei was really glad with that decision. In time, Rei also stopped blaming himself for what had truly been an accident that no one could have foreseen.

At the tournament they ran into Rin, who had been told what had happened by Kou. Makoto took this opportunity to talk to him about what happened during middle school. Rin's response was lukewarm at best, but Makoto had said what he wanted to and with that he left to cheer on his friends.

None of them placed for their events, but they had tried their best so all they could do was continue to train in the hopes of advancing to regionals next year, this time with Makoto and the relay.

Some time later Rin showed up at their practice. He had thought about what Makoto had said to him and wanted to patch things up with his old friends, because he realised that life is too short and too fragile to dwell on the past. At first the rekindled friendship between him and Haruka was still stiff and awkward, but as time passed they learned to truly put the past behind them and focus on the future instead.

For the first months after the incident Haruka still suffered from frequent nightmares and flashbacks that terrorized him. In the beginning they came so often and were so bad that Makoto and his parents advised him to go see a therapist so he could get help with processing the traumatising experience, but Haruka refused. He wasn't comfortable with recalling and discussing his feelings when it came to something that hit him so deeply in his heart, especially with a stranger, and he believed that talking about it with Makoto would help him far more. The first days were the worst and luckily Makoto was right there to hold him and comfort him until he calmed down again. As time passed the episodes became few and far in-between, but he always had that fear at the back of his mind. He doubted if he would ever get over his fear of Makoto dying entirely, but Makoto supported him and loved him throughout all of it.

Even if he felt that this accident hadn't made them stronger, it made them more cautious, more appreciative of every second they could spend with their loved ones; this accident hadn't made Haruka stronger, Makoto did, with his unconditional love and support and Haruka felt like it didn't matter what hardships the world threw upon them, as long as Makoto was by his side, he could take on anything.

Throughout the years, their relationship that was built upon love and comfort and trust never wavered. Even though the aftermath of that fateful night never completely left them, they had pulled through. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives and they were excited to experience the rest of their lives together.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! ^^

If you enjoyed this fic then please let me know :)

Either way, if you have any questions or comments or simply want to talk with me about MakoHaru, you can find me on Tumblr and Twitter DatHeetJoella

Thank you so much for reading, I hope to see you at my next MakoHaru installment and for now, I hope you have a lovely