He felt Haru's hand slip lifelessly away watching his body sink further and further into the violent swell of the waves that was crashing around them. Makoto tried to scream for someone to help but no sound came out. No matter how loud he tried the only sounds to be heard were that of the crashing waves and the churning of the ocean all around them. All he could do was watch his best friend slip further and further away. Makoto tried to dive down to reach him but he could not break the surface, it was as if the ocean would not let him take Haru back. A giant wave crept up behind Makoto crushing him, pushing him under the water. He could see Haru and tried to reach out to call out to him, but salty liquid filled his mouth instead. Everything was going dark and Makoto couldn't breath, he couldn't reach Haru and he no longer had the desire to try and break the surface.

Makoto woke up screaming his best friend's name, waking the Tachibana household in what was becoming a regular occurrence. The 13 year old boy gasped for breath as though he had been starved of oxygen as he took in his surroundings. He was not in the ocean, he was safe in his bed and Haru was also most likely safe asleep in his bed too. Makoto was shaking as though he was suffering from a fever, tears welling up, and his breath came short and shaky. He reached for the dolphin plushie that Haru bought him last year (after their trip to the aquarium) and held it close, trying to push the picture of his best friend being taken away from his mind.

Makoto reached for his phone and dialled Haru's number. He needed to know that he was really safe and hadn't drowned in the bathtub. Rationally he knew that would not happen, Haru's Gran-Gran doted on the blue eyed boy and would make sure that he did not stay in the tub for too long. She usually coaxed him out with some form of delicious treats that she would bake.

The phone rang and rang, and just when Makoto was starting to panic a muffled and incoherent voice answered, before pulling himself together.

"Makoto what happened? Its 2AM are you ok?"

"Ah ah I'm sorry Haru I must of dialled your number by accident I had my phone in bed with me sorry to wake you.."

"Mmmhmm. Ok night Makoto, try to get some sleep.." Haru doubted that it was an accident, it had happened one too many times to be considered that. Haru figured the taller boy was having nightmare's again and tonight something must of happened to him in Makoto's dream. He could hear the tension and fear in the boy's voice cracking unnaturally, it was as though he was going to cry. Haru let out a sigh and rolled over. Maybe he would ask Makoto to stay over tomorrow night, at least that way he could hold his friend when he got scared and make it all better.

The phone went dead and Makoto let out a breath he didn't know that he was holding, and put the phone back down. He knew that Haru must know that it wasn't an accident. He'd called during the night too many times by now.

The door to Makoto's room creaked open and the boy screamed, startled.

"It's ok son it's just me, okaasan. Can I come in?"

Makoto nodded and turned on the bedside light and shuffled over so she could sit down.

"Are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

Makoto felt the tears well up inside him again and this time could not suppress a sob.

"Haru was drowning and I couldn't reach him and he slipped away then a wave came and I couldn't breathe and ..and.."

Mrs Tachibana wrapped her arms around her son and held him in a warm motherly hug while he sobbed his heart out; she gently rubbed his back trying to soothe him. She was starting to worry about Makoto. He had been waking from nightmares several times a week, and it was starting to impact on everyone. She could see the bags under Makoto's eyes, the weary smile, and even his gentle temper was starting to be tested by the twins. She was thinking of having a chat to Haru's grandmother to see if she had any advice to pass on, she was a helpful soul like that. Maybe Makoto could stay with Haru for a few nights or vice versa. Maybe that would help.

Makoto finally stopped crying and was able to take a few steady breaths. "I'm sorry okaasan, I don't know why I keep having nightmares all the time. I'm sorry for waking everyone up."

"It's ok dear, your father and I know it's not your fault. We just want to help you."

"Onii-chan are you ok…Can we sleep with you? We'll make you feel better" Ren and Ran chimed in; they had seen hall light on and went to investigate.

"All right climb in, but no fighting"

"Hurray!" The twins cheered.

Makoto moved to the middle of the bed so both twins could sleep either side so that they would not fight over who go to sleep next to their big brother.

"No fighting! Makoto needs sleep, he is in middle school now " Mrs Tachibana added.

She kissed all of her kids goodnight and turned the light off and went back to sleep herself.

The next day Haru left early and went straight to Makoto's house. He knocked and was let in by Mrs. Tachibana. "He is upstairs getting changed, he overslept"

Haru took off upstairs to Makoto's room not bothering to knock, personal space and privacy was not really an issue for the two boys. They had grown up together and seen each other naked more times than you could count.

"Oh Haru, morning. Sorry I over slept I'll be ready soon" The taller boy tried to smile and not show how tired he was.

"You had another bad dream last night " Haru said, deadpan

"Ah…how did you know?" Makoto started to panic, what would his best friend think of him. Haru must think he is some sort of stalker calling him so late panicked about where he could be because of some dream.

"You rang me again at 2AM and you sounded sad" Haru turned his head away, trying no let on to how worried he was for his friend.

Makoto blurted out a string of apologies "I'm sorry for waking you Haru, I really am."

"It's ok I don't mind, do you want to stay over tonight we could play some games or something " Haru suggested. "Obaasan made some of those biscuits you like, so you should come over and we can do English homework together."

Makoto was relieved that Haru had not made a big deal about the 2AM phone calls. It was clear that he was worried about him and was trying to help him in his own way. He knew his raven-haired friend was not one to outright say "I am worried about you tell what is wrong" and Makoto appreciated this quirk. Makoto did not know why he kept having bad dreams all the time, but at least he had his friend. Haru was not always the one to have something bad happen. Sometimes it was parents, or siblings, or it was his old friends Rin and Nagisa. He had a dream last week that Rin died in a plane crash on his way to Australia and they would never see him again. He did not have Rin's number anymore and had no way to contact him but given plane crashes were rare it would be on the news if something like that happened.

School seemed to drag on forever and Makoto could not focus on any classes, he was too tired and all he wanted was a good night's sleep. He was looking forward to going to Haru's, maybe a change of location would work.

The boys walked home in comfortable silence. Haru's Gran greeted them at the door. "Welcome home boys." she said cheerfully pulling both boys down for a hug, she might be getting on in years and a lot shorter than either of them but she was still strong.

"It's nice to see you again Makoto, would you like some tea and freshly baked biscuts?"

"Sure, Gran-Gran. Thank you." She had insisted that Makoto call her Gran-Gran and not Mrs. Nanase. Tt was too formal for someone she said was basically family.

"Do you need some help obaasan?" Haru asked.

"No dear just take your and Makoto's things up to your room and by the time you change the tea will be perfect."

The evening went smoothly and Makoto felt relaxed, they had some tea and played some games, and finally finished their English homework so they could play more games.

Makoto started to think that he might get a good night's sleep.

They were too tired to set up the guest futon and decided to sleep in Haru's bed. The guest futon had only become a recent necessity as both boys had started to have a growth spurt and it was getting harder to fit on bed comfortably.

They chatted for a bit about how Nagisa might be going without them at elementary school and if Rin was going well in his new school in Australia before they drifted off to sleep.

Makoto could hear his heart pounding so fast that it felt as if it might burst. He ran and ran but he seemed to be standing still. He could see the boat from that shore being thrown around like it was a toy. He could hear the dying screams of the faceless strangers he didn't know and would never know. The smile of the old man who bought him goldfish at the festival now was replaced with a face of one facing true terror. Makoto wanted to help. He had to help, but no matter how far he ran down the pier it never ended and the boat sank before his eyes and there was nothing that he could do save the kind old man or the other people who would never see their families again.

Haru was woken by a soft cry and restless body of his best friend beside him.

"Makoto…Makoto wake up…Makoto!" Haru tried to shake the boy awake when suddenly Makoto jolted gasping for breath and crying, "I couldn't save them!"

"Makoto it was dream..Makoto it's ok you're safe" Haru felt scared he was worried for his friend, his kind gentle Makoto who always offered a hand to Haru and had always been by his side. Nagisa and Rin and even his parents left, but not Makoto.

"Ha….Haru..!" Makoto gasped finally getting his bearings, realising where he was. "I'm sorry Haru, I'm sorry, I keep waking everyone up and no one is getting sleep." Makoto sobbed.

Makoto's whole body was shaking from fear and sadness and Haru wanted to make that all go away and he had no idea how, but for now he could at least give the boy a hug.

Haru reached out and pulled Makoto to him and just held him there, telling him over and over that it would be alright. "I keep dreaming everyone is going to leave me and I'll be all alone." Makoto let out in a tiny whisper that Haru barely heard.

Haru leaned back so that they were laying down on the bed, Makoto with his head on Haru's chest curled into his side. "I'll never leave you. Makoto is mine" Haru said blushing slightly, trying not to look at his friend. Haru continued, "I worry about that too, you're not alone. Nagisa and Rin aren't here anymore and both my parents left for work, and obaasan is getting older. I worry she won't be here much longer and then it will be just me."

Makoto could hardly believe that Haru was being so honest, he was sure it was just his friends way of letting him know his was fears too, and not to be ashamed that he was having nightmares. It warmed Makoto's heart that his friend cared for him so much and was opening up about how he really felt. Makoto had been worried as Haru had hardly said a thing about their old friends not going onto middle school with them or about his parent's moving for work.

"Makoto's not the only one who worries over that stuff."

"I won't let Haru be alone and you can always have dinner at my house and we can both be big brothers to the twins, and then when we get older we can adopt all the stray cats and name them after fish." Makoto said sheepishly trying not to look too closely at Haru as he felt he was blushing brighter every second.

Haru snorted "We can't adopt every stray Makoto but we can feed them all in the back garden"

Both boys laughed and eventually sleep crept upon them.

Haruka had made his mind up to research ways to get rid of nightmares. He was not having a lot of luck turning up either folklore about scary dream eating demons or sleeping pills. He was glad Makoto was not around when he pulled up some of the folklore sites, the boy would never have slept again if he was reading about those monsters. He really was a big scaredy cat, but it had never really bothered Haruka, he thought it was what made Makoto, Makoto and that was it.

It was Gran-Gran that had the idea. She had been a history teacher and was well versed in all sorts of folklore from many different cultures. Haru always loved listening to his obaasan's stories and it would be one of things he would miss the most after she passed on.

She had suggested making a dream catcher. In folklore it was woven to block out the bad dreams and to only let through the good dreams. She had a book filled with different designs but none really caught his eye. It had worked out rather conveniently that he had an art project that required a report on making a gift for someone and had to include a photo of the artwork.

Haru and his gran-gran decided to take a trip into town that afternoon to buy what he needed. He decided to make the circle from an orca and a dolphin and found some green and blue ribbon to weave around. Instead of feathers he decided to draw sea creatures and glue them to strings of shells and glass stones. He drew a great white shark holding a katana for Rin, as that animal was native to Australia where Rin was now, and the katana for his Japanese heritage; a Rock-hopper penguin for Nagisa as he was always bouncing around, although he felt something was missing so he added a butterfly sitting on the penguin's nose he was not sure why a butterfly but it felt right. He also drew Makoto and Haru as mermen, Makoto had an orca tail and Haru had a dolphin tail. He had seen the little mermaid not that long ago and had been obsessed with drawing merpeople.

It took Haru several hours to finish and he could not wait till school tomorrow so Haru took off to Makoto's place to give to him before bed time.

Haru knocked on the Tachibana's door and it was Makoto who answered.

"Oh hi Haru want to come in?"

"No I just stopped to give you this, it's a dream catcher obaasan told me that they only let good dreams in and they stop bad dreams. I thought it might help" Haru put the dream catcher in Makoto's hands and looked away blushing. "Ah..see you tomorrow Makoto I hope it works." Haru went to dash off as he was feeling very flustered and like there was butterflies in his stomach. Makoto did not know what to say so he took Haru's hand and leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before pulling back feeling very embarrassed. Haru reached out before Makoto could run away and gave him a soft chaste kiss back before telling the younger boy that he would see him tomorrow.

Makoto stared at the gift Haru made, he felt so happy and he so felt very flustered. He could see the care taken and time spent on it, he admired how he even put their friends into the piece the shark and the penguin and the little drawings of Haru and himself.

Makoto proudly hung it by his bed and for the first time in over a week he slept soundly, there was no churning ocean no screams or cries for help. He only dreamt of Haru and Makoto living under the sea with their friends.

It had been several years since that day had passed and neither boy had left the other's side. Instead their friendship had blossomed into a loving relationship since that day. It was a rainy afternoon and Haru and Makoto were at Makoto's house on his bed locked in a heated exchange of bliss, slow long kisses tongues grazing over one another's, hands roaming tugging one another closer until there was no room between either. Suddenly Makoto pulled back leaping off the bed in fright. "What happened Makoto did I do something wrong?"

"There is something on me Haru get it off get it off" Makoto was jumping around in a panic freaking out.

"Hold still Makoto" Haru held the taller boy still and then laughed

"What's so funny Haru I could be getting eaten alive by a monster you know" Makoto sulked.

"It's only the dream catcher it must of slipped off with all the movement. Dream catchers only eat bad dreams, not Makoto" Haru replied matter of factly.

Makoto feeling safe again went to sit on the bed next to his boyfriend and smiled nostalgically at the dream catcher that was made with such love and care all those years ago.

Makoto put the dream catcher back in its rightful spot and pushed Haru back down on the bed to start back up where they left off.