The store is glitzy with holiday decor. It's also crowded, noisy and Haru has had enough. He agreed to go shopping for presents, but now Makoto is browsing the Men's department. Haru's scanned the store for water, but the only thing close to it is the cologne display Makoto suggested. Everything else is dry goods. Dry, dry, dry. He'd rather be wet.

He stops a few feet from where Makoto examines a pair of plaid pajama pants. Without turning, Makoto says, "What do think of these, Haru-chan?"

"Stop with the chan. What do you think of them?"

"They're nice."

"So buy them."

"Hm." Makoto is undecided. "I thought you were looking at the cologne display."

"I was and no, Makoto, it's not water. It's water that's been destroyed."

Makoto picks up a different pajama pant, one with happy snowmen heads on them. "Look at these. Remember the time we went skiing and we made a snowman?"

"It was a snow merman."

"Right, but you did learn how to ski, sort of."

Makoto turns to look at Haru, who looks away. Makoto chuckles. "Snow may be water in another form, but it's not Haru's friend, is it?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"That's because you spent most of the day picking yourself up off the ground." He sees Haru's discomfort and suppresses his humor, mostly. "Sorry."

Haru looks back. "And you took to it like you were born in the Alps."

"It surprised me how easy it was. We should do it again."

"No."

"Harruu."

"Just when do you think that will happen when Ryuuji-san has me training all the time?"

Makoto sighs. "He's inhuman. Doesn't he realize you need time to rest?"

Haru approaches and in a lowered voice says, "You mean time to be with you."

Another shopper looks at them with a startled expression while another continues browsing, but smiles. Makoto grabs Haru's arm and pulls him aside.

"Don't you agree?"

"We've been together forever."

"Not like now. Does he know we're, you know, to-ge-ther?

"Probably, but he doesn't care about anything but swimming, which is why I tolerate him. Are you going to buy these or not?"

Makoto looks down, realizing he's still holding the pajamas. "Do you like them?"

"Do you?"

"But you have to see me in them and I want you to like the way I look." He tips his head with a small smile.

Haru steps in, his body almost nestling against Makoto's side. "I always like the way you look."

Makoto blushes. "In pajamas?"

"Whatever, but I like you wearing nothing at all best."

Makoto's blush deepens as he looks to see if anyone heard, murmuring, "You shouldn't say things like that in public." He meets Haru's eyes, then. Sees craving he begins to feel himself.

Haru says in a deadpan manner, "Then it's time to go home."

Makoto turns and carefully places the pajama pants back in place. They walk away, fingers brushing between them as they leave the store.

END