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Haru rang the doorbell twice, slightly annoyed that no messy brown-haired, eyeglass-wearing ball of sunshine was there to greet him. He was the one who invited Haru over, after all. Before he could dwell on it further, the door opened to show Makoto already wearing an apologetic smile on his lips.
"I'm so, so sorry Haru. The twins were adamant about me not leaving until they decide. Come on in! You must have waited outside for a while, right? Are you cold? Do you want tea? Or should I-," Makoto abruptly stopped talking after Haru lightly squeezed his arm.
"I'm fine, Makoto." Haru looked directly at Makoto's green eyes, willing them to see the honesty in his words. How could he not be fine? Makoto's presence set Haru's heart at ease, even before Haru can realize how uncomfortable he is to begin with.
Makoto gave a sigh of relief and turned his attention to the stairs. The twins were rushing down and Haru worried that one of them might trip or fall. Haru grew up with these kids too, after all, helping Makoto look after them while they grew up. Haru considered them to be his "adopted" siblings or, if he wanted to be more honest with himself, practice for his future family with Makoto.
"Haru-nii! Haru-nii," they called out simulatenously.
"What is it?" Haru knelt down so he could look them in the eyes. He worried it was something that urgent and looked at Makoto for confirmation, but he was greeted with a small smile instead. Haru kept his relieved grin to himself.
"Haru-nii, who do you think between the two of us should marry Makoto-nii-chan?" Ren asked in all seriousness and with so much sincerity that it took Haru a moment to internalize the question he had just heard. He looked at the two children, dumbfounded.
"Of course, it's me Ren! Don't be stupid. I'd take better care of nii-chan than you ever could and I'm a girl, so I can actually marry him! Right, Haru-nii?" Ran was looking at him with sparkling eyes, expressing their desire to make Haru agree with her.
"But I'd make sure nii-chan's having a fun time, all the time! I won't ever bore nii-chan. And who said I can't marry nii-chan, huh? Haru-nii, I can marry nii-chan right?" Haru had another pair of hopeful eyes set on him, not helping with his currently speechless situation. They started shaking him and playing with him, trying to entice them to say the name of the winner tonight. But before they can completely take a ride on his back, Mrs. Tachibana entered the room with the announcement that dinner has been served.
Haru had been completely silent at dinner that night. The rest of Makoto's family didn't find it weird. They have accepted Haru's nature. But acceptance was different from knowing and Makoto knew the difference between Haru's silent-calm and his anxious/angry-calm. Tonight, he saw a disturbance in the normal peace of Haru's ocean blue eyes. The depth of it reminding Makoto of the ocean he feared. He did not like this look on Haru, at all. So Makoto kept a close eye on him throughout the night. The only clue he had was the tightening of Haru's hold on his chopsticks when the twins mentioned their desire to marry their older brother. It perplexed him because he couldn't understand how THAT could bother Haru in any way. It was just the twins being the kids they were. But Makoto had not missed Haru's figure relaxing when his father explained that it was taboo for siblings to marry each other and that they should just let it go. Makoto had not noticed any other peculiar signs in Haru's demeanor for the rest of the night, so he decided to let it go. Haru would tell him what was really bothering him when he was ready and Makoto was willing to wait for Haru anytime. Too bad he couldn't really read Haru's thoughts that night.
Why do you get to say they want to marry Makoto so easily? Why can't I say THAT? Anyway, neither of them can marry Makoto because he's going to be marrying me.
~ ^_^ ~
It was a week after their wedding ceremony and they had finally finished moving into their new apartment. It was in an expensive part of the neighbourhood and Makoto would have protested more against it if he hadn't seen the way Haru's eyes shone brightly at the sight of the pool the building housed. It was like seeing a child getting a toy after weeks of being kept away from it. Makoto knew he could never stand a chance against that look.
It was when they were started placing the china plates they took from Makoto's parents as a gift, that Makoto remembered the night of Haru's indecipherable expression.
"Haru, what upset you that night?" Makoto asked him after he retold the events to Haru. Makoto feared Haru planned on never telling him as he turned his head to the side and blushed. Haru cleared his throat and resumed his work before he started talking.
"... I got jealous over how the twins could announce they wanted to marry you so casually... I wanted to be Makoto's bride." Haru started burying his head in his sweater just as he said the second sentence but that didn't stop Makoto's acute listening skills from catching what he said. He has adapted to Haru's ways, after all.
"And you are my bride now, Haru!" Makoto giggled, lifting his partner into a hug and spinning them around the room until they, somehow, landed on the couch. "Mr. Haruka Tachibana, thank you for marrying me. I promise to love you everyday and I'll make sure you will never forget it. I'd marry you thousand times more, if that's what you want," Makoto said as he kised the top of Haru's head.
Haru buried his head into Makoto's shoulder while drawing hearts on Makoto's chest, "... I like how my name fits with yours, Makoto."
"I like how it sounds too Haru-chan. I like it very much." And that was the time he let the "-chan" slide. Haru was too busy admiring his new name, after all.