Free! fic; Haruka's cold

[redbluemoon]

This is so amazing. Your characterization is BEYOND perfect and the way they interact just feels so natural, even if you weren't acquainted with the awesomeess of Free!. The sneezes give me chills =33. So terrific beyond words. You should write more. Please never stop writing <3

[Blessing Queen]

Loved the fics!Thank you for sharing!

[Mei]

*drags herself out from Lurker Rock* I'm.....alive..... How I have more free time during the school year, I don't know, but I neglected my fandoms the whole summer while I worked like a mad person. Guess who finally marathoned all of "FREE! Eternal Summer"? There was a lot of cooing, and sometimes a yell of "WTF?!?!" But the finale scenes calmed me down from what was going to be a very loud rage about the decisions they made about Haru, so I'm still mostly pleased. And yay, I have inspiration and time to write again!

I also just marathoned all of the abridged series, "50% Off". If you haven't watched it? You need to watch it. Really. Here's the link to the prologue:

Watch it. I'll wait.

...Done? Okay, here's Mako and Haru being adorable-boyfriends-who-don't-know-they're-dating! SPOILERS only for the first episode.

“It’s a great idea!” Nagisa waved his arms wildly, face bright. “I remember Rin-chan talking about it before, he’d be thrilled, and we worked so hard to open the pool early anyway, and it would look amazing-”

“Thanks, Nagisa.” Makoto smiled at the blond’s enthusiasm. “It was just a thought, but if you and Rei don’t mind helping me, I think it would be a nice thing to try out. If we have it ready by the public tournament, Rin would have time to see it, too.”

“A pool of floating cherry blossoms would be a beautiful sight, indeed.” Rei agreed, pushing his glasses up. “Calculating the length and width of the surface area of the pool, the amount of blossoms we would need for the most stunning effect would be in the weight range of-”

“We can start gathering them after school today!” Nagisa chirped, interrupting Rei. “Let’s grab some bags, and the four of us can meet up at the park!”

“Oh.” Makoto blinked, suddenly looking hesitant. “Well, I think Haru’s actually busy, so-”

“No I’m not.” Haru’s voice came from behind him, startling the other three boys and causing Makoto to emit a funny, high-pitched squeak.

Whirling around, Makoto clutched a hand to his pounding heart, and stuttered “Ha- Haru, we can do it ourselves. Don’t you have that paper to write for Ama-chan-sensei?”

Haru stared blankly at him. “No. I turned it in. I told you.”

“Um, well…” Makoto stalled hesitantly. “I’m sure you have…something else important to work on…”

But Haru was already looking past him with that water-inspired glimmer in his eyes, clearly not hearing a word Makoto was saying. “How many cherry blossoms?” Haru asked Rei demandingly. “How long until we can swim in them?”

As Rei happily began monologuing his data, Makoto sighed and shook his head, looking exasperated but fond.

###

They showed up at the local park with rakes, where a dozen trees were blooming with the pink flowers, and began herding the loose petals into piles. Makoto, who was carrying some extra supplies in his pockets, worked as fast as he could, knowing he was going to have to leave early. It was his idea, so he would feel bad if he didn’t handle the majority of the work.

The entire time, he was listening carefully, and the moment the first sniff reached his ears, he started raking faster.

Nagisa was laughing and playing as much as he was working, tossing handfuls of pink flowers into the air and earning a scolding from Rei.

“Spring is the best!” Nagisa crowed. “There should be cherry blossoms all the time!”

Rei made a scoffing sound, the afternoon sun flaring off of his glasses as he adjusted them. “Nagisa-kun, centuries’ worth of poets have expounded upon the fact that the beauty of the cherry blossom is linked intrinsically to its fragile and fleeting nature. As a metaphor for mortality and the finite existence of youth, it-”

“Pretty is pretty whether you see it for a week or all year round.” Nagisa argued, pouting. Ignoring Rei’s flailing and loud screeching at being interrupted yet again, he turned to Makoto and wheedled, “Don’t you think it would be better if we always had cherry blossoms, Mako-chan?”

Makoto paused and leaned on his rake, swiping a hand across his forehead. “I think that sounds nice, Nagisa. But” and he smiled resignedly as he heard another sniff, “maybe it’s good that it doesn’t last for very long.”

“Ehhh~” Nagisa grumbled petulantly, turning to the last member of the swim team. “What do you think, Haru-chan?”

Haru, who had been raking with the single-minded intensity he showed anything that had to do with swimming, paused and looked up at him, frowning. “We can’t swim in cherry blossoms in the winter.” He sniffled, rubbed a finger under his nose, and went back to raking.

Nagisa giggled. “That’s a certified ‘Haru-chan Response’!”

Rei bullied Nagisa into working again, and Haru’s sniffling got louder. Makoto glanced over, noting the pink-tinged nose twitching spastically, and the dazed look in Haru’s normally sharp blue eyes. Haru rubbed a finger under his nose again, brows drawn together in irritated confusion. Makoto gave himself a five-minute deadline and turned back to his pile, trying to get as many straggling petals as he could.

“ht-UKsh!”

Make that three minutes.

Turning his body so he could rake and keep an eye on his friend, Makoto could see Haru’s mouth drop open slightly as his eyes squeezed shut. The dark-haired head tilted back slightly, and then snapped forward with a sharp “AKsh!” Haru sneezed into the air, blinking when his eyes opened again. Makoto’s lips curled into a reluctant smile at the surprise on Haru’s face.

“Someone’s talking about Haru-chan!” Nagisa grinned.

“Haruka-senpai, you should cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze!” Rei scolded, looking worried.

“hut-UHKshu!”

Nagisa whirled to face Rei, dropping his eyes into a dead-end stare and pursing his mouth. “I only sneeze ‘Free’.”

“Kaksh!”

“Nagisa-kun, that makes no sense whatsoev-”

“UTSHu! HutIKSH!”

Nagisa spun around again towards Haru, grabbing his head with both hands and adopting a look of suffering. “Haruka-senpai, that’s not beautiful at all!”

“AKSH! hut-uksh! UHKsh!”

“I-I didn’t say it wasn’t beautiful-”

While Nagisa and Rei were distracted, Haruka had dropped his rake to the ground and was rubbing frantically at his eyes and nose. Moisture leaked from the corner of his blue eyes, and his nose trembled and jumped with each sharp outburst, the nostrils a burning pink color that rivaled the surrounded flowers. He continued to sneeze, unrelenting and without warning, unable to open his eyes and his body shuddering with each release.

Time’s up.

Makoto set his rake down, pulling a pack of tissues out of his pocket as he strode towards the seizing boy. Coming up behind him, he curved an arm around his friend’s heaving chest and pulled him back into him, holding him steady. He used the soft paper to cup Haru’s nose, and the smaller boy sneezed jerkily into his hand.

“Blow, Haru-chan.” Makoto murmured into his ear.

“Don’t useUKSH! Hut-UKshuu!”

“Blow.” Makoto’s voice was low but commanding.

Haru gasped in a breath and blew. Makoto crumbled the tissue, stuck it in a different pocket, grabbed a fresh tissue and managed to catch Haru’s next two sneezes in it.

“Hey, guys.” He called behind him, using his large body to block Haru from the rest of the team’s sight. Nagisa was now throwing handfuls of petals at Rei’s face, yelling at him to “Sneeze beautifully, Rei-chan!” while the other boy was fending him off with a rake. “Haru has some homework he forgot to do. I’m going to go help him get it done.” Haru rocked back into him with another fit of sneezes, his hands coming up to hold Makoto’s and press it harder against his face, burying his itchy nose into the palm. Makoto rubbed the bridge of his nose comfortingly with two free fingers, tightening the arm around Haru’s chest. “Do you think you could finish up here? I’ll come back tomorrow to help out.”

Nagisa and Rei both gave him distracted agreements while the blond shoved the brunet into a pile, giggling wildly at the screaming about ruined symmetry.

“ht-ukSHI! USKsh! Uksh!”

Makoto pinched Haru’s nostrils clean, pushed another fresh tissue into Haru’s hand and guided it to his face. “Hold that there, Haru-chan.” He grabbed Haru’s other hand and led him quickly out of the park. The sneezing boy stumbled behind him.

Makoto kept a strong grip on Haru’s wrist the entire way home, and made sure to guide him up the stairs with an arm around his waist. His watering eyes were closed more often than not, and he slipped more than once at a sudden sneeze. Makoto got the shuddering boy safely to Haru’s house, and went around to the unlocked back door. Stopping in the hallway, he kicked off his shoes (Haru copied him automatically) emptied his pockets of tissues and took the used one that Haru had kept clamped to his nose the whole time.

“HUKshu! KSHU! Utsh!” Haru sneezed carelessly towards Makoto’s chest and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his (now free) hands.

“Don’t do that, Haru-chan.” Makoto grabbed his wrists gently again and pulled him into the bathroom. Turning the shower-hose on, he waited until it was lukewarm and quickly held it over his head, dousing himself and his clothes.

Haru peered at him with a red-tinted blue eye, finger pressed strongly under his nose. “Why are you- huKKSH- doing that?”

Makoto smiled at him. “Because I’m covered in pollen, Haru-chan.”

“P-UKSH! htUSKSu! Pollen?”

“Mm-hmm. And so are you.” Makoto pulled his friend towards him and tilted his face up. “Close your eyes.” Haru already had, nose crinkling into another “AKSH!”, and Makoto directed the streaming water directly onto the smaller boy’s face.

Haru relaxed minutely under the cascade, the tight irritation in his pale face easing. After a moment, he moved his face away from the stream and cracked his eyes open, looking at Makoto.

Makoto sighed and smiled, helplessly adoring, wrapping an arm around Haru so he could pull him closer. Rinsing down the back of his clothes, Makoto said “You’re allergic to cherry blossoms, Haru-chan.”

“Don’t use ‘chan’. And no I’m not.”

“Are, too. Pretending you’re not only works if you’re going to avoid them like you usually do, not go somewhere where they’re raining down on your head.”

Haru opened his mouth as if to say something, but sneezed again, his forehead lightly impacting Makoto’s wet shirt. He turned his face to the side, pouting, and Makoto chuckled at his embarrassment. Turning off the shower hose and throwing it over an arm, he started unbuttoning Haru’s water-saturated shirt. “If you want to help out tomorrow,” he said as he pushed it off Haru’s shoulders, “you have to use the medicine and face-masks I leave in your room every spring. If you don’t want to, then you have to stay home and let us handle it.”

Haru snapped out of his sulk and swung his face back, looking concerned, but his nose twitched and his face crumbled into another fit. “ht-ikss! akSH! hut-UKSHUU!” At a particularly large sneeze, he stumbled on the wet tile floor, and Makoto cupped the back of his head and drew his face into his shoulder. Haru muffled the next sneezes into the fabric, and Makoto dropped his hand back to Haru’s hip, supporting his shuddering body. He pressed his lips to Haru’s wet hair, waiting for the attack to die down.

When Haru emerged from his shoulder, sniffling uncomfortably, Makoto covered his hand with his sleeve and used that to wipe at the itchy pink nose. “You’re allergic, Haru.” Makoto repeated patiently, tapping the nose affectionately. “They make you sneeze.” Haru dropped his face to the floor, looking sullen.

Makoto coaxed Haru out of his pants, leaving him in just his jammers, and rinsed him off again. Haru stayed quiet while Makoto stripped to his boxers and did the same for himself, so the taller boy was surprised when Haru pressed in close to him again, butting his head against his shoulder like a cat. Makoto figured Haru was trying to get back under the water spray, and directed it over him. Haru stayed where he was though, resting his forehead against Makoto’s collarbone as the water rained down on his hair. After a while, he mumbled “Cherry blossom pool.”

“Hmm?” Makoto hummed, looking down on the dark head.

“I…wanted to swim…in the cherry blossom pool.”

Makoto’s heart broke a little at the tone in Haru’s voice, and he instinctively gathered him up in his arms. “I don’t think they’ll bother you in the water.” He murmured into Haru’s drenched bangs. “We’ll figure it out.”

Haru nodded. His nose brushing against Makoto’s chest elicited two more ticklish sneezes, and Makoto kissed his hair again and tightened his hold.

“…I want a bath.”

“Sure.”

[Akahana]

Makoto baby aaaahh!!! Seriously Free killed me and MakoHaru are my OTP and I love them and this is amazing and adorable~. Makoto is my favorite and I always love a new sneeze fic for him <3

[Akahana]

Also Haru baby it'll be ok don't be sad~ you'll be fine, the petals don't carry pollen and in the water you can swim in them, ugh his sadness broke my heart . Great new fic <3

[Maus_17]

This was brilliant! Makoto's affection was so sweet, and I loved how reluctant Haru was to admit he was allergic to the cherry blossoms. Poor baby! Amazing job!

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Omg omg omg HARU!!!!!!!!!! :heart:

[Ignis]

Nothing. Makoto flopped back against the futon, whimpering quietly and pressing two fingers under his nose. Haru shifted, and Makoto blinked open his eyes to see his friend crawling on top of him with a tissue and a determined expression.

“Haru?!” Makoto yelped, flailing a little while Haru dropped onto him and pinned him down. He tried to cover his face again, but Haru glared so fiercely that Makoto’s hands dropped meekly to his sides.

I CAN'T STOP IMAGINING THIS SCENE IT'S SO CUTE AHHHHHHH

[this_is_not_me]

Such an adorable fic! (I am also delurking, heh.)

I ship these two so hard. Makoto is made to be a caretaker and you got both his and Haru's personalities down so well. Please keep posting awesome stuff like this!

[Mei]

Guess who's computer got horribly sick and died. *raises hand* Months (and a new computer) later, I would like to humbly offer Part 4 to the people still reading and kindly reviewing this. This topic is now 'hot'! In celebration, I made the story 'hot'; Haru-chan and Makoto are now official boyfriends . I had to rewrite half of this after my computer crash, so I'm glad it's finally finished. Now I can go and work on the other story ideas I had to sit on for months. I hope this was worth the long wait. Enjoy!

Makoto loved student teaching. He really did. Sure he was nervous when he started out, but working with the children everyday made him even more certain about his choice of major. He really, really loved student teaching.

Even after discovering why Rei had mailed him a giant box of hand sanitizer, zinc drops, tissues, and disinfect wipes after Makoto told him his observation hours were starting this semester.

Makoto had caught cold after cold after cold, and of course he didn't blame the kids; children were still learning how things like germs and hygiene worked. It was his responsibility to be careful about his own health, all athletes knew that. And he was careful. He had even started using the stuff Rei sent him, but Mayu had to be sent home sick, and she had looked so miserable while waiting for her mom, she was nearly crying and feeling awful, and Makoto couldn't just let her wait alone.

So even if he caught what seemed to be a Monster Cold from Hell determined on devouring his insides, it was his responsibility. And he had tried to be an adult and handle it, but Makoto guessed he failed because the teacher he was assisting had sent him home a few days ago and told him not to come back until he was feeling better. A responsible adult would have been able to tough it out. Makoto had been lying spread-eagled on his futon for he couldn't remember how long, with a pounding headache and a runny nose because he hadn't had the energy to lift the tissue in his hand to his face the last couple of times he had sneezed. Makoto was supposed to be a role-model and guide for the kids, but what kind of teacher couldn't even wipe their own nose?

As if thinking about the sore appendage had brought it on, the low-level tingling in his sinuses rose up into it, traveling up into the bridge and down his flaring nostrils. Makoto thought dizzily about the tissue he was holding, but remained prone on the futon staring vacantly at the ceiling as his lips parted on a wavering inhale. "Haaaaah.......hih....hihhihHI- HAHhi..." His nose twitched and he scrunched it up, tightening his jaw against the sharp "hih!" that escaped from it.

The ringing in his head was growing louder, and Makoto realized it wasn't just his headache. He glanced blearily at his phone, his alarm, and his refrigerator before recognizing the sound of his doorbell. He took a breath before swinging himself upright, and that breath caught on a jagged gasp as the new position caused his sinuses to flare up and his nose to burn with a feverish itch. Slamming his eyes shut as he lurched off the floor, he stumbled towards the door as the pitch of his desperate hitching rose higher and higher. "hihihihihihiHIH!"

He wrenched open the door just as his head snapped down into a loud, shrill "hiiYATSHuu!" Raising a weak hand to his nose, he blinked past the tears in his eyes to focus on the person outside.

Haru, dripping water from his clothes and long bangs, stared back at him.

"...Is it raining?" That was the only thing Makoto's fuzzy brain could come up with.

Haru nodded.

"Oh." Safe in the assurance that Haru wasn't swimming in strange pools with his clothes on now (was that better than stripping?), Makoto started to drop his hand from his face, but then blushed and covered his nose again.

Haru reached for his other hand, slipped his fingers inside, and claimed the tissue that had been dangling there uselessly. He pulled Makoto's hand away from his face, and placed the tissue over his nose. Holding it there, he put his other hand flat against Makoto's chest and pushed him gently back into the apartment.

Kicking the door shut behind him, Haru pinched the nose in his grasp through the tissue and swiped under the pink, chapped nostrils. He nonchalantly took Makoto's hand and wiped it clean with the dry part before balling it up and heading unerringly for the box by the futon.

Makoto blinked, staring as Haru dropped his wet duffle and plastic shopping bag by the wall. "Haru-chan..." His voice rasped, and he swallowed.

Haru came back with a fresh tissue and cupped it securely around his nose, waiting. Makoto obediently blew, cheeks only a little pink. Coughing a little, he tried again "Haru...you're supposed to be in Australia."

"Rei called." Haru answered, dabbing delicately against the chapped area above Makoto's upper lip. Makoto's eyes fluttered at the light touch, but then he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to concentrate. "Huh?"

Tossing the tissue, Haru moved his hand up and placed the back against Makoto's forehead, frowning at the warmth. "You called Rei. Rei called Rin. Rin told me."

Makoto had fuzzy memories of talking on the phone with Rei (yesterday? The day before?), but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was about or what they said. But a thought was still nagging at him. "Haru, you said you wouldn't be able to visit until summer. The training program..."

"It's fine." Haru slid his hand down, cradling Makoto's cheek. Makoto took a second to appreciate the cool touch and the scent of rainwater before Haru lifted onto his toes and tilted Makoto's face down.

"Haru!" Makoto yelped, stumbling back. "You can't!"

Haru crossed his arms, looking annoyed. "I haven't kissed you in months."

Makoto winced, dropping his eyes guiltily to the floor. "I'm sick, Haru, we- we can't."

Haru stared him down a while before tossing his wet hair and shrugging out of his jacket. Dropping it to the floor, he peeled off his shirt, turning and heading into the tiny bathroom. Makoto hesitated as he heard the water running, wondering if this was supposed to be an enticement or payback.

"Makoto."

At Haru's demanding tone, Makoto shuffled over to the doorway, sniffling at the warm steam. Haru, already down to his jammers, was testing the water in the filling tub.

"I made it hot." Haru said unnecessarily (hot baths were normal for everyone but him). He started undressing Makoto, and Makoto gladly let him, head drooping and body relaxing in the moist heat. Haru sat him on the stool, and knelt down to run a soapy washcloth over his back. Makoto groaned lightly, pressing his aching forehead to his knees and closing his eyes. The steam tickled at his nose, and he sniffed and rubbed it against his knee. The heat and wet of the bathroom had brought the painful buzz to a moderate tingle, so he didn't fight it and let it tease and prickle at the bridge. His nose quivered as it crept down to the tip. "Hiih...hiiihahhiiii..." His breath hitched, breathy and slow, and he stayed relaxed and still as he waited for the need for release to come to a peak. "Hah...hahha...hah-hiihi...hihih-"

Suddenly Haru was pushing against his shoulders, raising him up, and Makoto gulped out a quick warning. "Ha-Haru-chan, wait I- I'm gihihhih! Har-hahihHAH-" Makoto blindly tried to curl his body back down, but Haru pulled him close and Makoto could only duck his head under his chin to smother a sneeze into Haru's collarbone. "hiHAMMPsh! Ha...hahhimmptsshu! HAH- hahah...hah-" Makoto panted on the cusp of a third, pushing his face against Haru's cool skin. Haru held his shoulders securely as they shuddered with every muffled nasal explosion, running a soothing hand down Makoto's back.

"hhhmmMPssh!" Makoto released a final crushed, breathless sneeze into Haru's clavicle, whimpering after. He burrowed his face further into Haru's neck, too dizzy and pained to be horrified about sneezing on his boyfriend's chest. Haru hugged him for a minute, kissing his hair, before guiding him to sit up so he could finish washing his front. Then Makoto was rinsed off, placed carefully in the tub with a warning to call out if he felt faint, and Haru disappeared into the apartment.

Makoto stayed in the hot water long enough to ease his congestion, but climbed out when he started feeling limp and shaky. Drying off, he touched his nose lightly, sniffing- his head was clearer, and he could breathe a lot better now, enough that he could smell Haru cooking.

Wandering into the living area, he saw that Haru was indeed working at the tiny counter that was Makoto's kitchen, pulling groceries from the plastic bag. He was wearing pajama bottoms and one of Makoto's large shirts, and Makoto smiled while gathering up both their clothes.

He was putting them away in the hamper when he heard the buzzing coming from Haru's duffle. "Haru, your phone's ringing."

"Leave it." Haru pointed at the low table, stirring the pot with his other hand. "Take your medicine."

Makoto eased himself down, picking up the water bottle, pills, and liquid medicine Haru had left out for him. After swallowing everything, coughing a few times, he asked "So, your program...it's okay?"

"It's fine." Haru said, moving the contents of the pot into two bowls.

"You said so, but...I don't understand how you suddenly have the time off to come home. You didn't want to be gone a full year, so you said it was going to be really intensive-"

"You wanted me here." Haru was scowling a bit as he moved the dishes to the table. "Don't complain when I show up."

"I- I'm not complaining!" Makoto backtracked, waving his hands and looking anxious. "I'm happy you're here, really, I'm just worried for- um, I mean, I don't even know how you knew I was sick..."

"You called Rei. Rei called Rin. Rin told me." Haru repeated matter-of-factly, setting rice porridge, mikan slices, and barley tea in front of Makoto.

"I- what?"

Haru glanced pointedly at the food, and Makoto picked up the iced tea, sipping carefully. It felt wonderful on his throat.

"You called Rei. He tried to get you to tell him how high your fever was and the last time you ate or took medicine, but all you did was whine about how you 'wanted Haru-chan' and how much you missed me."

Makoto choked on his drink, cheeks violently red. "I...huh?...what-"

"Rei called Rin to get in touch with me, partly because he believed I had a better chance of getting you to admit how sick you were, mostly because Nagisa was threatening to come over and care for you."

Makoto whimpered in humiliation, burying his face in his hands. "I'm sorry!" He wailed. "I don't...I don't even remember what I said."

Haru tugged on his wrists until Makoto slowly uncovered his face. "I was worried." He said softly. "I knew you were getting sick a lot, but this time seemed bad." He slid his hands into Makoto's, squeezing, and admitted bluntly "And I missed you too."

Makoto smiled bashfully, cheeks still red. Haru, holding his hands, leaned forward to murmur "And don't use -chan", breath brushing against his lips. Makoto reluctantly turned his face to the side, mumbling "I'll get you sick". Haru sighed against his temple, and then kissed it before moving back. "Eat."

Makoto finished his food under Haru's watchful eye, and felt a lot better for it. It probably had been awhile since he'd eaten anything. No wonder he had felt so dizzy and unfocused this morning. That was probably also the reason he was making embarrassing, fever-inspired phone calls to his friends. He mentally cringed about that again.

"Do you want to sleep now?" Haru asked. He was putting fresh sheets on the futon.

"I..." Makoto hesitated. "I'd like to stay up with you a bit longer. If that's okay."

Haru nodded, piling pillows against the wall. Makoto crawled over when he beckoned, scooting back to rest against them. The duffle vibrated again as he passed it. "Haru, your phone."

"It's fine, ignore it."

Makoto was about to scold him for that, but Haru turned around and wiggled back against Makoto's chest, sitting between his legs and wrapping a blanket around them both, and Makoto was distracted by his boyfriend's warmth. Makoto slipped his arms around Haru and pulled him closer, pressing his face into dark, still-damp hair. Haru somehow managed to find something with fish playing on the boxy little television set, and settled back into Makoto's arms.

Makoto slipped into a doze, resting his hot forehead comfortably against Haru's cool shoulder. It could have been minutes or hours, but he was lifted from it by the faint buzzing noise again. "You should really answer your phone." He yawned, muffling a cough into his sleeve.

"Not right now."

"Bad manners." Makoto chided, nuzzling into Haru's hair again. He traced the tip of his nose along the back of Haru's head, circling behind his ear, not realizing his mistake until it twitched. "Ah..."

He tried to let go of Haru, but the other boy had tangled their hands together and was keeping Makoto's arms firmly on his stomach. "Haru, I'm...hih..."

Haru twisted his neck around to glance back. "Sneeze?"

"Y-yeahih- yeah." Makoto tugged weakly against the other boy's grip. "Haru, c'mon, let gihHAH- hihiHAH..."

Haru eyed the trembling of the pink, sore nostrils with interest. Lifting an arm, he curved it up and back to stroke the back of Makoto's head, twisting his body sideways and brushing his own nose along Makoto's jaw. "Go on."

"hahahah- haaaHIH-" Makoto's scrunched, sneezy face was pink, and he looked at Haru with pleading, teary eyes before giving in and ducking to Haru's neck. Haru threaded his fingers through brown hair, smiling against Makoto's cheek as the other boy flinched into the bare skin exposed by the large t-shirt with a tremulous "hah-hahhahHIITssshu!", unconsciously tightening his arms around Haru with the sneeze. Pressed more firmly against the broad chest, Haru could feel both the rise and fall of stuttering breaths, and the fitful flaring of Makoto's itchy nose resting on the curve of his shoulder. He waited patiently as his boyfriend built up to another sneeze.

"huh...huhhuh...hahaHIT- HTTshuu!" Makoto whimpered a little, sniffling, and Haru relented and let go of his hands. Makoto scrabbled for a tissue, frantically wiping Haru's neck and shoulder before blowing his nose. "Haru, I'm sorry," he said apologetically, rubbing his nose and looking at Haru dejectedly over the tissue. "I don't mean to keep sneezing on you like this." If he got Haru sick...

Haru raised an eyebrow and stared; the expression he made when he thought Makoto was being an idiot. "You should have just let me kiss you, then."

Makoto furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Huh?..." Distracted by the ringing of his cellphone, he reached for it and flipped it open, missing Haru's pursed lips and narrowed eyes at the action. "Hello?"

"Where the hell is he?" A familiar voice snarled in his ear.

Makoto blinked. Haru was twisting around in his lap. "...Rin?"

"HARU! I know you're there! GET ON THE GODDAMN PHONE."

Wincing from the volume, Makoto moved the phone a few inches away. Haru had turned around to straddle Makoto's lap, facing him directly with his 'Makoto is an idiot' look.

"You CANNOT just leave the freaking country, you ASS! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME HARU, AND I SWEAR I AM NOT COVERING FOR YOU WHEN COACH FINDS OUT-"

Haru nonchalantly plucked the phone from Makoto's hand, and placed it down far enough that Rin's ranting about 'penalties' and 'prior notice' became a tinny noise in the background. Ignoring Makoto's baffled gaze, he leaned forward to wrap his arms around Makoto's neck, bringing his face dangerously close. "Stubborn."

"Haru-chan, what..." Makoto swallowed nervously at the determined look in the blue eyes, beginning to feel the creep of anxiety. "What did you...you said it was fine."

"It is." Haru was so close his words puffed against Makoto's nose as they left his mouth.

"But Rin...did you leave without telling anyone?"

"Yes." Haru pressed a kiss between his eyes, prompting them to close, and then to the bridge of his nose.

"Haru, you can't do that." Makoto's nerves were not settled by Haru lighting a second kiss, and then a third further down the slope. His nose crinkled at the touch, and Haru brushed another kiss against a flushed nostril. "You're going to get in trouble. This is your future..."

Haru's response was to kiss his nose and hum, and Makoto sucked in a breath. The vibration incited an answering buzz, and Makoto's voice wavered as he said "Stop, Haru, I'll sneeze again."

"I know. I'm waiting."

"You...h- huh? Huhh..."

"I told you to just let me kiss you." Haru's lips feathered against his nose, and the pink appendage twitched and shivered at the touch. Makoto's hands gripped weakly at Haru's hips, clenching and unclenching in uncertainty as their owner panted erratically. "hah...hihhah...hih-hih-hih-hih-"

"So don't complain now." Haru kissed his nose over and over, as if trying to kiss every freckle, carefully teasing out the inevitable reaction to the ticklish stimulus.

"HAHhah.....hah...HAHhihuh- huhhuhHI- HI-HIHI-"

Haru nuzzled his nose against Makoto's, self-satisfied smile on his lips. "Stubborn", he murmured again. He blew lightly into the nostrils, and then kissed the tip.

"hihiHATTSSHUuu!"

Makoto would remember later, with horror, that he had sneezed uncovered less than an inch from his boyfriend's face. All his thoughts at the moment had been swept away by first by the loud, forceful sneeze, and then by Haru tightening his arms around his neck and surging forward to kiss him firmly on the lips.

Makoto automatically melted into Haru, and was dazed and a little disappointed when Haru broke the kiss. Keeping one hand buried in Makoto's hair, Haru leaned back to grab the phone that Makoto had forgotten was making noise all this time.

Haru brought the phone to his ear. "Rin. Let Coach know I've caught a bad cold. I'm putting myself under the mandatory five-day quarantine. I'll follow the recovery steps, and report my status in a day or two. I'll see you and the team in a week."

There was another faint screech which Haru ignored, snapping the phone shut and tossing it aside. He wrapped his free arm around Makoto's neck again, settling against his chest with a pleased little sigh. Haru tilted his chin to give Makoto another kiss. "See. It's fine."

Makoto blinked, his thoughts feeling as scattered as if the sneeze had blown them away. "Haru, did you just..."

Haru kissed him again. Makoto knew there were things he should probably be reprimanding Haru about, but he couldn't think about them when Haru was kissing him.

Haru pulled back a little. "I'm going to keep kissing you." He declared bluntly, face blank. "And you already sneezed on me, so you don't get to say 'no' now."

"You made me sneeze on pur-" Makoto tried to protest, but Haru kissed him, interrupting, and Makoto subsided. It wasn't that important.

"Next time" Haru said, lips brushing against Makoto's, "kiss me when I tell you to, and I won't have to make you sneeze."

Makoto thought about arguing that he couldn't have known Haru meant to get sick, that this was a Monster Cold and Haru would regret it in the morning, that Haru really shouldn't be taking blatant advantage of team rules and the situation to justify his sudden visit to his boyfriend no matter how sick Makoto was...but Haru was kissing him again, and all he could do was mumble agreement and kiss back.

[truth]

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU. I've seriously read the past fics you've written on here a couple times each. This one did not disappoint. And you're right, it was hot. You write Haru sooo well and Makoto too. I love how mischievous Haru is in this one, and how adorable they are together. -throws my heart at you- here! take it! please de-lurk more often

[Akahana]

holy shit HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?! MAKOTO SNEEZING, HARU TEASING THEM OUT OF HIM, SNEAKY LITTLE DEVIL HARU??? MY FAVORITE JESUS FUCK NUTS <3 <3 <3

[Enfy]

Were I not new to the forum, I would have read this long ago. But I'm here now, and WOW! I love every installment of this. Your characters are spot on, your writing is beautiful, and the sneezes are just amazing! I love you and your writing! Thanks so much for sharing!! <3