Makoto's Misfortune - Free! Iwatobi Swim Club [2/2]

[SapphireSong]

Title: Makoto's Misfortune

Fandom: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club..... *sigh* If I did, there would be sneezing from ALL the guys, and the series would like... never end.

Summary: Makoto Tachibana ought to know to listen to Haru's advice by now, but he's fine, really. It's just a cold, after all, nothing to go home early over! Besides, the swim club needs their captain....

Now.. if only his nose would leave him alone...

A/N: Hi guys!! So I have been immersing myself (hehehe) in the Free! fandom of late, and this is the first of potentially several fic results that I want to share with you. I've noticed some interest for this series on here, so I'd like to offer up some sneezy Mako-chan for your reading pleasure! I decided to pester him first, because I just had to write a fluffy angsty thing where Haruka could take care of him. xDD But I love all of these guys to death, so you can probably expect to see more Free! from me - particularly Haru, Makoto, and/or Rin-centric things, since they happen to be my most favorites. X3 I'll be much more likely to post more stuff if you guys like this, so if you do, let me know! Feedback is always welcome~ (and fangirled over xD;; )

Finally -- this is what I call a bestfriendship fic for Makoto and Haru - it's not intended to be a pairing fic.. but if you really want to read it that way, go right ahead. xDD I just think they're wicked adorable together whether you ship them proper or not, so that's what I was going for.

If you have not seen these beautiful anime boys, here's a picture of the four who are in this particular fic of mine. xD

Left to Right: Nagisa, Makoto, Haruka, Rei.

This is a oneshot, but I'm splitting it roughly in half because it's long. ^^;; I'll post the second half in a few days, probably.

So... that's it! Enjoy

~Makoto's Misfortune~

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, Makoto (m)

Haru was right after all, Makoto thought ruefully, staring at the lab room clock with bleary eyes. I should’ve gone home...

It was 2:40pm, the end of last period; and ordinarily-good-natured Makoto was harboring more than a little ill will toward the lab report he was trying to write.

Twenty minutes... was the foremost thought in his mind. Twenty more minutes, and then I can leave.

Neither the assignment nor the class was to blame for his impatience. Actually, he enjoyed biology, and the labs were interesting, for the most part. He was good at it, too: an A’s student, in the top five of his class. Normally, he was engaged enough in the work that he didn’t look at the time once, and the 50-minute period passed quickly.

Today, however, he’d done almost nothing else but watch the minutes tick down, longing desperately for the bell to ring. And it wasn’t the work at all. It was the cold he was fighting to hide.

Makoto hadn’t thought much of it at first, as it had started out deceptively mild. It had been a while since he’d been on a swim team, but he remembered that it wasn’t uncommon for him to catch a cold shortly after the beginning of a season; so he wasn’t worried when he’d recognized the standard sore throat and sniffles developing earlier that week. Figuring it would clear up within a few days, he’d simply added more vitamin C to his diet and continued to work hard on his studies and the training for prefecturals.

However, rather than clearing up, his sore throat only got worse as the week went by; and then, this morning, he’d woken up sneezing.

To his dismay, he discovered that this was one of those unfortunate, miserable head colds that set in sudden and hard and seemed to afflict every part of the respiratory system at once. From the moment he got out of bed, his nose was running, his sinuses burning, his lungs seizing with the need to cough. The sensible thing to do would have been to call in sick... but he had both an English and a Mathematics exam today, neither of which he could make up. So, despite his misery, he had gone to school, hoping that the day would be kind to him.

Haru, of course, noticed his condition almost immediately, and bluntly informed him that he was an idiot for coming at all. Makoto had managed, barely, to laugh it off, explaining about the tests and reassuring him that he’d be fine, he just didn’t feel very well. Haru knew the importance of the two exams, so he let it go; but Makoto didn’t miss how closely his friend watched him for the rest of the day.

After English period was over, Haru had told him to go home; but since all that was left for the day was Biology lab and swim practice, Makoto decided he might as well finish the day out. Haru had given him his exceedingly displeased look before going with his own lab group, and Makoto had smiled a little at his friend’s obvious concern; but now, not even an hour later, he was wishing very hard that he’d taken Haru’s advice.

His mind had been hazy during the actual lab work, but he’d managed to muddle through it with his partner’s help. Now, the classroom was silent as he and the others completed their lab reports, the only sound the scratching of pens against paper and the occasional murmured exchange between partners. These write-ups, while extensive, were seldom overly challenging, and Makoto could usually complete them with time to spare. Today, however, he was having such difficulty concentrating that he could barely write a single sentence, much less finish quickly.

He was glad for the quiet, at least, for his head was pounding fiercely. However, the stillness also made it much more difficult to ignore the rest of his symptoms, which had grown progressively worse throughout the day. He was feeling uncomfortably warm, his hands straying time and again to the collar of his shirt to loosen his tie before he remembered that he couldn’t, not quite yet.

....Eighteen minutes...

Time wasn’t passing nearly fast enough, and he was beginning to get nervous. For, while he’d brought all the packages of tissues he could find with him today, he’d used up every last one. It was only a matter of time before he needed another....

Seventeen minutes... Just seventeen....

For a mercy, his nose had stopped running, so his need was not as immediate as it could have been. However, he could feel a vague prickling at the back of his sinuses.. and though he willed it to, it wasn’t going away. He rubbed discreetly at his nose, but that didn’t really help; at this rate, he could only hope that the period would end before anything came of it. Sighing, he attempted to drag his attention back to the paper before him.

“U..um.... Tachibana-san...” His partner, a pretty brunette, addressed him shyly, her brow furrowed. “What did you put for label D?”

Makoto turned his head, mustering up a smile. “I...” He started to answer, then stopped as the tickle flared eagerly within his nasal cavity as he spoke. He glanced quickly down at his paper, holding his breath for a moment. The itch seemed to calm a little, so he carefully let the breath out again. “’Golgi apparatus’,” he said finally, to which she nodded gratefully.

As she bent purposefully over her work, the sensation suddenly overpowered him. Flinching in surprise, he ducked into his elbow, breath catching sharply.

“Hh-ngh’t!” Anxious to make as little noise as possible, Makoto hastily stifled the sneeze into his shirtsleeve. His efforts seemed successful, for no one so much as glanced at him; however, the act cost him dearly. Pain thudded in the center of his head, and his nose burned terribly afterward. He winced, massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingertips as he endeavored to remain focused on his work.

It was no use, however. Once his body decided he needed to sneeze, there was no stopping it; and the itch had by no means been appeased by that single stifle. The prickling feeling was intensifying, swiftly affecting Makoto’s nasal passages and sensitive throat.... and to his dismay, it was becoming impossible to concentrate on anything other than getting rid of it.

“Hh-!” It was provoking a nearly maddening level of need, and Makoto found his breath starting to hitch without his permission. “hh-hh! ‘Nngx!” He stifled into his sleeve again; then, sensing that wasn’t going to work anymore, shifted to press the edge of his fist beneath his nose.

“hh... h’ngxt! ‘Nghx!-unh..” He managed to suppress two more, curling in on himself and away from his partner. The repeated stifling was making him feel a little lightheaded, so he tried to take a breath to recover... but he wasn’t done. “hh-hh – hh’Gxsh!”

“Bless you,” his partner whispered, brow creasing in mild sympathy.

Makoto felt his face grow warmer. It was getting more difficult to stifle completely, and that one had been louder than he wanted.

“Th...tha... nn.” He started to thank her.. but then dipped his head politely instead of finishing, afraid he was going to set himself off again if he continued to speak.

He wanted to go home more than ever, now. His head was throbbing steadily, and all of the stifling was making his eyes water and his ears hurt. The congestion building in his sinuses was worrying him greatly, only made worse by the angry stinging in his nose that would not be rubbed away.

He glanced at the clock again. Fifteen minutes, now. He sighed, resisting the temptation to bury his head in his arms.

The nearly-silent bout of sneezes had, perhaps, done some good, for after a minute, the prickling seemed to back off a little.. enough for him to get back to writing, at least. He brushed a knuckle under his rather sore nose from time to time, but he was able to scribble the last several lines without mishap.

The clock read ten minutes to three when the teacher called for the attention of the students again.

“All right, everyone,” he intoned, seeming to direct his stare to the back wall rather than at any of the students, “you have your exam on Monday, so be sure you are ready....”

Makoto blinked a couple of times, only half-listening. His head suddenly felt really heavy, so he propped his elbow on the table, resting his forehead against his fist. The exam... he’d forgotten that was Monday. His spirits sank further; he realized he’d been subconsciously looking forward to resting tomorrow.. but the exam.. He should definitely do some final studying for that.. but....

The teacher continued to drone. Within another minute, Makoto was so lost in weary thought that he almost didn’t notice the irritation stirring back up in his sinuses. He was reaching to rub absently at his nose when, too late, he realized he was going to sneeze again. He panicked, scrambling to pinch his nose.

“Hhng'IiKHSh!”

He tried very hard to hold it back, but only partially succeeded this time. His head bobbed sharply as it escaped, and chagrin flooded him as he realized that everyone in the room had quite likely heard it.

Sure enough, as he looked up guiltily, there was a brief moment of silence, during which the teacher shot him a chastising glare.

Makoto cringed inwardly. Yamane-sensei was known to be one of the harshest teachers at Iwatobi High School. He was a prestigious man, and very talented at his job.. but he was notoriously foul-tempered. No one knew why, exactly, but since he had been at the school for decades, everyone knew better than to complain. Knowing his reputation, Makoto had always made extra effort to be courteous and respectful in his class; however, he’d noticed that he did not seem to like Makoto very much. He’d been disheartened about it at first, though he’d done his best not to let it get to him. It helped that Haru had told him, quite matter-of-factly, that Yamane-sensei didn’t seem to like anybody. Still, though, Makoto had no desire to cause any form of disturbance in his class, so he was very relieved when the teacher left it at the glare and resumed his speech.

“We are going to go over the study questions for chapter 11,” he stated, shifting topics as his eyes left Makoto. “I want you to take out your notebooks.....”

But Makoto wasn’t able to obey. He was contending with the tickle, which had now returned with a vengeance. Before he could fight it back, the feeling overwhelmed him, and suddenly he was gasping an uncomfortably deep breath.

“hhh–! hh-EHJSsH’u!”

This time, he didn’t even have a chance to stifle; it burst out of him so quickly that the best he could do was cup his hands over his mouth and nose. The sneeze actually felt kind of amazing... in a startling, slightly painful way. But... it was also loud. Very, very loud.

Makoto heard several titters amongst his classmates as once again, the room went quiet immediately following his involuntary outburst; and dread knotted his stomach as he realized that Yamane-sensei had stopped talking and was making his way toward him.

Still half-covering his face, Makoto sniffled, then winced at the sound. Gingerly, he brought his hands down as the man approached, trying to look as collected and apologetic as he could.

“Tachibana-san.” Yamane-sensei folded his arms, staring down at him in a way that would make even the rowdiest of students squirm.

“Y-Yes, sir, I – nn..” Makoto hastily bowed his head, pulse thudding in his ears. “I am so sorry –!”

“Stand up and address the class,” he interrupted sharply.

“Wh –” Makoto blinked, confusion mixing unpleasantly with his headache. “O-Oh –” he scrambled rather dizzily to his feet, glancing briefly around the room before bowing again. “P-Pardon me,” he stammered, feeling heat rising to his cheeks. “I apologize for the interruption.”

Looking up, he saw that some of the students seemed sympathetic, while others looked amused or indifferent. Yamane-sensei, however, was none of those; and he pinned Makoto down with his steely gaze.

“If you cannot show respect for my class today, I see no need for you to remain here,” he said coldly. “Perhaps you would like to be excused.”

“I-I...” Makoto’s face was burning now, his mind an agitated blank; and it was inordinately difficult for him to choose the appropriate response. He knew he was being sent out in disgrace, but if he stayed, it would probably end up worse.... so....

“....Please.” He half-choked on the word, smothering a cough into the cuff of his sleeve.

Yamane-sensei narrowed his eyes in disgust. “Very well, you may leave.”

“Th..Thank you.” Makoto clumsily gathered up his belongings, then headed for the door. Noticing the many pairs of eyes fixed upon him, he pasted on his customary sheepish grin; but inside, he was shrinking in mortification.

The hall felt several degrees cooler than the room had been, and he shivered a little, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. At first, adrenaline still rushed through his veins, and he moved almost blindly, not really caring where he was going as long as it was away from that class; but soon, it started wearing off, and as he calmed, his pace slowed also.

Well, he thought morosely, sniffling. At least I got to leave.

His head was hurting him even more now.... actually, now that he was moving, he realized that most all of his body hurt. He rolled his shoulders, trying to feel more enthusiastic about the idea of swim practice. He was fine, after all, it was just a cold..

He sighed wearily, shivering again. He felt achy and tired, and, honestly, in no mood to swim. But they were going to be trying a new warmup regimen today, and practicing turns and dives, and running speed... drills....

He shook his head. Thinking about it was just making him more reluctant.. The best thing to do, he decided, would be to go freshen up – maybe get a quick shower in or something – and make himself more presentable before heading to the club room. He felt pretty lousy... so he imagined he probably looked it too. Haru would notice, for sure, if no one else... So, freshening up was a good idea. The extra time he had would come in handy…

Such being his plan, he set off briskly, adjusting his bag higher on his shoulder. He hadn’t gone very far, however, when the now ominously familiar itch spidered up into his sinuses again, distracting him enough to make him slow down. Frowning, he snubbed the heel of his hand against his nose, hoping that would help.

“..hh..!”

...It didn’t. The irritation simply buzzed further back into his nasal cavity, where no amount of rubbing could do any good. His breath caught, and he pressed the back of his hand beneath his nostrils, trying to stave off the insufferable feeling.

“hheh - hIH’JxSHU!”

Though he felt it coming, the first sneeze still caught him off-guard. He didn't even have a chance to think of stifling. It would have been much too hard to do so, anyway.

“hh-hh – ‘ngXJSHh!”

Before he could recover, he sneezed again, much more harshly than he had all day. A violent, heady, demanding tickle had settled into his nasal passages, and his strong swimmer's lungs were filling spasmodically, determined to clear it out. He barely had time to throw his arm over his face before two more exploded out of him.

“Huh’JHSsHh! hh-hh-hh–! hEH’JSSHh’uh!!”

These were powerful and wet, very different from earlier. Makoto was taken aback by the sheer force of them, but he was too preoccupied to think about it very much. By now, he had stopped walking, face buried in the crook of his elbow as he anticipated another.

“hh-hh..!”

When he actually let himself sneeze instead of stifling them, Makoto didn’t generally have fits. Most of the time, just one or two was enough... unless he was extremely tired, or his nose was over-irritated. And now.... was both. Which meant, he realized in hazy dismay, that he had no idea how long this would go on for.

The first few were uncomfortable enough that he was already more than ready to stop, so he tried everything he could to fight it; rubbing hard at his nose, holding his breath. But in response, the itch only seemed to grow.

“hh-GXSHh’u!! nnh..”

His face was on fire again, though more from discomfort than embarrassment now. At this point, he didn’t even care if anyone was around to witness him – the one and only thing on his mind was how very, very badly he needed to sneeze.

“hEHk-JXHSh!! hh - ‘NgSHXh! iyehhh...! hHgJsSHh’u!!”

He felt like he’d somehow inhaled a billion tiny feathers, and they were now stuck in his sinuses, aggravating their sensitive lining. Each sneeze only seemed to magnify the angry, tickling sting. He had no time to breathe, or move, or think. He could only sneeze. And sneeze. And sneeze.

“h’EH’jSH! hh! heh’EXJSHu!”

Each gulp of air he managed just ended up being the intake for another one, it seemed.. And still his respiratory system was not satisfied. He couldn't remember the last time he’d had an attack this bad.. stifling earlier had been even more of a mistake than not going home, he realized, sneezily.

So many... and he wasn't.. w..wh... wasn't...

“..h’hh – hyehh – hh-hh-HH...!”

The sensation was so intense that all he could do was let his breath catch, build, his system crying-desperate for relief from it. It was driving him crazy, and another was coming. Eyes watering madly, he tilted his head back, nostrils flaring, jaw slackening... still holding his forearm halfway to his face... the prickly, tickly feeling engulfing him. He was going.. t-to....!

“hhhh-!! hehEHnXJhSH’uh!!!”

It was by far the loudest, most violent, and highest-anticipated one yet. It seemed to come from deep in his chest, tearing viciously against his vocal cords. It set him reeling, stumbling; and his right shoulder struck what must have been the wall of the hallway.

Too dizzy to be concerned with where he was, he inhaled shakily for another – ...and then, just as suddenly as it flared up, the tickle disappeared, leaving him dazed and unhappy, but also extremely relieved. Exhausted, he shifted to lean against the wall, lowering his arm to take in precious oxygen.

That was rather like being trapped underwater, he thought fuzzily, reaching to rub tears from his tired eyes. As his breathing tried raggedly to correct itself, he broke down into a small fit of congested coughing, and he curled forward a little, clutching at his chest.

At that moment, he felt a firm hand press against his back, pulling him a step or two away from the cold plaster and steadying him so he didn’t trip. He knew instantly that it was Haru.

Before he could actually confirm this, though, a package of tissues was pushed into his hand. Going almost weak-kneed with gladness, he tugged one out and fumbled to use it. Closing his eyes, he blew his nose several times, forcefully enough that it honked. He felt a little stupid and disgusting doing this in front of his best friend, but his need for it surpassed the awkwardness. When he was done, he could breathe a little easier, though the pressure in his sinuses didn’t lessen any.

Sliding the tissues into his pants pocket, he lifted his head at last. His ready expression of gratitude died on his lips, however, as he found himself staring directly into Haru’s stormy blue eyes.

Makoto started, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Ha –” His voice cracked unexpectedly as he attempted to speak, and he winced, sheepish.

Haru’s angry frown deepened. “You’re still here.”

“..Y..Yeah,” Makoto acknowledged, weakly.

Haru stared darkly at him instead of responding, but as always, Makoto could read him loud and clear.

“I-I –” Makoto cleared his throat huskily, then tried again. “I’mb not gonna fall over, Haru,” he promised, making an effort to seem at least vaguely cheerful. “I’b... just sd – sneezi’g.. a l-hh!” He reached up to brush his bangs out of his eyes, taking the opportunity to also swipe at his nose. “a... a lot – hEH-XJSHh! ugh..” As if to prove his point, he sneezed again, and groaned. Thankfully it was just once, this time, but it still hurt.

He swallowed hard, then wished he hadn’t. Now his throat was sore again, too...

Belatedly, he realized that Haru was still staring at him, his countenance now decidedly more concerned than angry.

“Ah – I-I’mb fine, I –” Makoto tried his best to sound reassuring, but he had a sinking feeling it wasn’t working. “..er.. it’s just be.. because I was tryi’g to be quiet id class. Now my nose bust b-be mad at me.” He gave Haru what was supposed to be a grin, but his heart wasn’t in it. His voice was quavery, too, because he couldn’t seem to stop shivering. Why was it so cold in the hall..?

Meanwhile, Haru was now making his ‘Makoto is stupid’ face; so Makoto dragged his attention back to him with a sound that was half sigh, half apologetic chuckle.

“H-Haru –” he began, then froze in dismay as the prickle in his sinuses returned. “hh-h – hh’EJHSh! heh... hyehh... ‘nGJSsHu! hnh..” It died down to a vague burning after that, and he sighed heavily, massaging the heel of his hand against the spot between his eyes. His head was positively swimming now; if he never sneezed again, it’d be too soon....

Gazing listlessly at the tiled floor, he let his arm fall; then sucked in a breath as Haru stepped into him and put his palm to Makoto’s forehead.

His hand was cool, and Makoto shuddered slightly, drawing his own arms closer to his body. He hadn’t realized it, but.. come to think of it, he probably did have a slight fever. At any rate, even though he was cold, Haru’s touch felt pretty good. Quietly, almost subconsciously, he leaned into it, closing his eyes. Some of the tension from earlier left him, and his headache backed off just a bit.

Then, equally abruptly, Haru withdrew his hand. Makoto didn’t expect it, so head drooped forward a little before he straightened again. He grimaced, his own hand straying to his head as he tried to ignore the disorientation he suddenly felt.

Slowly noticing that Haru was still standing practically toe to toe with him, he hesitated, blinking; then gave him a slight shrug and another weak smile.

Haru narrowed his eyes. Then, without ceremony, he wrapped his hand around Makoto’s wrist, tugging it gently but firmly down, and started walking down the hall, bringing Makoto with him.

It took Makoto a moment to realize what was happening. But as soon as he did, he pulled back, opening his mouth to protest. “H-Haru, where are you taki’g mbe... I cad’t... the club, we –”

“Shut up.” Unmoved, Haru murmured the phrase without so much as looking back at him. He didn’t slow down, either; so Makoto had no choice but to stumble along after him.

They went on like that for a while: Haru marching steadily toward... wherever he was going, and Makoto trailing behind, feeling rather ridiculous. Haru kept a tight hold around Makoto’s wrist, leading him like he was a child. If he’d been feeling better, Makoto would have removed himself from his grasp and maintained that he was a mature 17-year-old, he was fine, and he didn’t need to be taken anywhere.... but... the truth was, he was so tired.. and his head was getting foggier by the second. It was so much easier just to let Haru pull him along... he didn’t have to think about where he was going, this way. Makoto rubbed at one bleary eye, shrugging his shoulders to keep his bag in its proper position. Once Haru had an idea in his mind, there was no swaying him from it... and, much as he thought he should, even the thought of trying to fight him on this right now made Makoto dizzy. So he decided to at least wait until they reached Haru’s destination... then maybe he could regroup his scattered thoughts and say... something.

Makoto didn’t even realize he was zoning out until a clattering of approaching footsteps jolted him back to reality. He saw with a start that Haru had brought him all the way to the front entrance of the school. Had they really walked that far...?

“There you are!”

The footsteps, as it turned out, belonged to Nagisa and Rei. Nagisa, of course, was in much more of a hurry than Rei, who simply followed calmly after the blonde boy. Both of them appeared rather anxious, however.

“Haru-chan! Mako-chan!” Nagisa panted, skidding to a stop and resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!!” As Rei came up beside him, Nagisa paused, seeming for the first time to notice the situation. “Where’re you going?”

Makoto opened his mouth, but Haru spoke first.

“I’m taking Makoto home.”

What! Makoto stiffened, attention swerving to Haru. Haru ignored him, eyes trained ahead.

Makoto floundered for a suitable argument. Deep down, he’d already guessed this was Haru’s plan, but somehow, hearing him say it out loud gave him much more motivation to object. He had logical reasons for doing so, too – he just.... had to think.... -

“What’s wrong??” Nagisa was exclaiming, eyes bright with concern.

“Are you unwell?” Rei chimed in for the first time, adjusting his glasses to study Makoto – also with concern.

“Ndothing!” Makoto blurted, shaking his head and trying to laugh as he took a step away from Haru. “I’b fine!”

Haru’s grip tightened around his wrist, jerking him back. “You’re not fine.”

The resistance he was giving forced Makoto to stay next to him. “I –! ...nn...” He paused, frustrated. He had plenty of things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t seem to get them straight in his head. He was fine... He was just... He.... was he fine..? He shook his head, trying to clear it, trying to glare at Haru... he wasn’t... he couldn’t...!

His thoughts ground to a halt again as, with the worst timing, the itch in his sinuses re-ignited. Breath stuttering, he dimly saw Haru glance sharply in his direction before he twisted into his opposite shoulder to shield his face.

“heh-nkJXSHu! hh’XjSsHh! hh-! ‘ngGHSH’h!” He sneezed three times in rapid succession, jaw clamping shut at the pain that erupted in his head and throat. Afterward, he tried to gulp a steady breath, but it turned into several hitching ones instead. “hh – hyeh – hhih! hEH’JGSsHXh’uh!! nnh..” He groaned, in spite of himself, burrowing his face into the material of his shirt, feeling self-conscious.

...It could be worse, he supposed. At least he wasn’t sneezing his head off anymore.

“Bless you!”

Judging from his tone, Makoto expected Nagisa to be gaping at him in surprise; but by the time he looked up, he saw that his expression was a thoughtful one.

“Haru-chan’s right,” he added, when his gaze met Makoto’s. “You should go home and rest.” He smiled encouragingly, but his manner was much more serious than was his wont.

“B..But..” Makoto wavered. Home... the idea was achingly attractive... especially the thought of curling up beneath warm blankets and just sleeping this whole thing off. Except... except he – “...Doh, I-I’b the Captain.” He sniffled, shaking his head again. “I deed to be at practice..” The team came first. He wasn’t going to ditch them for a stupid cold.

“You’re too weak now. The water will eat you,” Haru muttered.

He was dead serious, too, of course. Makoto didn’t know whether to laugh or wince.

He ended up coughing instead, muffling it in his sleeve before he spoke. “Well thed, even if I dod’t swib, I sh-should at least stay to watch y–”

“You’ll fall asleep.”

Makoto wanted to tug his arm away from Haru again; wanted to tell him that no, he would not fall asleep, thank you.... but he couldn’t.

Haru was radiating displeasure and annoyance; but beneath that was an earnest gentleness that Makoto knew well. Haru really, genuinely wanted this; and it gave Makoto pause. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was big enough of a deal.

“...I’ll be... I-I mean...” He started, then trailed off again, reaching to rub at his eyes. He really did want to go home... but the club was important, too. And as captain, it was up to him to see that things got done... but...

As Makoto dropped his gaze rather miserably to the floor, he could practically feel their eyes boring into him – especially Haru’s, who seemed the most insistent of all of them, albeit in his own quiet way. He still hadn’t let go, either. Makoto could feel the warmth of the other boy’s hand through his sleeve.

The silence stretching out amongst them began to feel a little awkward. Finally, Rei stepped forward, tentatively.

“We could... take a vote,” he suggested, glancing meaningfully at Nagisa, then Haru.

Nagisa lit up with interest. “What kind of vote, Rei-chan?”

“A vote for us to skip club meeting today,” he elaborated, folding his arms.

“Ah! Yes!” Nagisa crowed, beaming triumphantly at Haru and Makoto. “That would mean we could all go home, and Mako-chan could relax and feel better!”

“Yes,” agreed Rei, looking rather pleased with himself. “It makes perfect sense –”

“Doh, it doesn’t!” Makoto interjected unhappily, his voice sounding raspier than he wanted it to. “Dot if you’re just doi’g this for be!” He sniffled again, running a knuckle beneath his nostrils and then cringing inwardly at how very sore his nose was. It was probably bright red, too, he realized, suddenly. Cheeks growing warm again, he moved his hand to hide the lower half of his face from view.

“It makes sense,” Rei was saying, matter-of-factly. “I’ve studied the theory behind swimming – proper rest is just as important as training, if not more so.”

Makoto opened his mouth... then found that he had nothing to say to that. “I...nn.” He sighed, rather weakly, shoulders drooping.

“All right, then!” Nagisa piped up eagerly, apparently taking his silence as a concession. “As Treasurer of the Iwatobi Swimming Club, I propose a vote. All in favor of canceling club meeting today, say aye.” He straightened importantly. “Aye~!”

“Aye,” Rei put in quickly.

“Aye.” Haru uttered the word almost impatiently, as if it were simply a formality to him. Actually, Makoto had no doubt that it was.

All four pairs of eyes were fastened on him again. He shifted uncomfortably. “I – hh” He flinched, hastily cupping his free hand over his mouth and nose as another sneeze took him. “hh-hh – hehnx’JSHgH!” He stayed tense for a moment, expecting another, then let out his breath in a sigh when it didn’t come.

They were all still staring at him, of course....

He hesitated, then wilted in defeat. “...O-okay.”

~~~~~*~~~

That's all for now! Comments are much appreciated, I'd love to hear from you!

Edited October 6, 2014 by smileyfacegirl^^

[LeapYearKisses]

Oh man oh man, I'm loving the amount of Free! stuff floating around the boards these days! Thanks for sharing this little gem with us~ Poor Makoto... But at least he has his teammates to look out for him!

[Natto]

This was great! I'm always happy to see more Free! fic, and this one was particularly lovely. You described the process of having a sneezing fit incredibly vividly, and you portrayed Makoto's fever-induced confusion in a really realistic way. I love that Haru was the one demanding that he go home instead of swim--I can easily see the tables being turned, but it's equally in-character either way. Great job, and thank you so much for posting this awesome fic.

[Prowlav]

Omg.

Oh my goodness can I just love you because I've been hoping for a full-on fic of either Makoto or Rin for the longest time and

Smiley I have overflowing feelings for this fic! Super excited for the next part!! QwQ Mako's just so precious and so sweet and I was hoping to see some caretake by Haru >w<

And the way he stifles at first but then it becomes progressively far too much to handle, just... GAHHHH! Poor baby~~~ ;w;

And I felt soooooooooooooo bad when the teacher came up to him, I spoke aloud and was saying things like, "Nooo!! Don't be too hard on him ;-;"

AND THEN WHEN HARU CAME TO HELP. HIS CARE.

But I'd have to say, my favorite line is definitely:

“You’re too weak now. The water will eat you,” Haru muttered.

He was dead serious, too, of course. Mako didn’t know whether to laugh or wince.

OH HARU I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING!

All in all, I am so happy I got to read this and thank you so much for writing and posting this! I can't wait for part 2! >W<

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Oh my god such a beautiful peace of writing o-o. Like if you don't continue it would be bad :| like dude this is amazing <3 I really mean it. It's so cute & yeh wonderful for a first part c:

[silversnake]

This is so cute and well-written! I can't wait for the second installment :3

[EmeraldThread]

No matter how many times I read this, I still absolutely love it!!! X3 It goes way beyond the fact that you make Mako's sneezes so interesting, and the general caretaking aspect of it. So let me just really not quickly tell you everything I love about it (in no particular order) without quoting the entire thing.

First. Mako is so miserable. I feel really bad for him the more I read it. xD;;; From the beginning, you can just tell that this day has been a total drag for him and he just wants to get out of there. I mean, you open up with him counting down the minutes, and you can FEEL how slowly time's passing for him. It makes me thank Haru so much for just getting him out of school once Yamane kicks him out of class...so in a way, I should probably thank Yamane, too, even though he was a jerk about it in all ways...But no, seriously, he's just so genuinely miserable, and...I feel slightly guilty for enjoying it (but not completely because Haru).

Second. Your characterization. SO GOOD. I can't emphasize it enough, how amazing you are at this. And I mean, I already know how fantastic you are at characterizing anyone you write, but especially so with Mako and Haru. Their dynamic is something so unique (bestfriendshipping xDD), and there's such depth to their relationship that it requires real skill to write. And you did it. So well. Haru's reaction to Mako still being at school is so perfect, and so is Mako's reaction to...everything. Then again, that goes for Haru, too. I can't tell you enough how wonderfully you wrote them. Rei and Nagisa, too! Even with their brief scene, they're so undeniably THEM, and I admire this so much about your writing.

Third. Your descriptions. alskdjflasdkfjsdthey'resoawesome. This is the other thing that I always love about your writing. You make it so that everything appears so vividly in my mind, and I can feel what Mako's feeling (er...except not as...miserably...). The word choice you use is excellent, and I keep seeing phrases and mentally stealing them because they're so awesome. Not to mention, trailing off in the narration when Mako's going to sneeze? Just yes. Seriously, I love how you write this stuff, and I keep wanting to just...absorb your talent. xD;;;

Fourth. Spellings. Spellings. After all the trouble of coming up with them, you did it so flawlessly. Every single one is so perfect for him, and I don't even know what else to say about it because that's the only thing suitable for...saying...is that they're perfect. They're so him. And so...insistent...on being free sneezes and not stifled. xD They just sound so Mako in my head, and everything is just...him.

Fifth. THE CARETAKING SLDKJFSKDLJFSKLDJFS. Okay, so anything with Haru in it makes me happy anyway, and him caring for Mako in all his misfortune is, like everything else, perfect. I wish I could just quote all of the scenes with them doing the caretaking things because they're all my favorite. I LOVE when Haru finds Mako in the hall after his fit, and is super angry but in the caring Haru way (and Mako totally knows that he's angry because he cares). And their whole interaction, I can't even. You just...you...write...It's just perfect, okay? xD And then when Mako's trying to be like "Yeah, I can go to swim practice....yeah...." and Haru's like "Good try. *shoots him down*" Because he's right, the water would eat him. But it's all so them. I can't say it enough.

So...those are the major things. I probably forgot something. But just pretend I quoted the whole thing because I love it all so much. X3 Oh! And I'm glad you put Mako on the forum - we need more of him. And Rin. And Haru because I'm greedy and can never get enough of him...but no seriously, this is great, and I can't wait for you to post the rest! You wrote it beautifully. Rei would be proud.

[SterlingSilver]

Elements basically said everything that needed to be said, but hey, I'm going to write my own mini-novella on the subject~

YOU, SMILEY~

YOU ARE TOO GOOD <3

I have yet to see Free!, but you make this a very convincing story! Mako's line of thought is realistic to the core, I can tell that much. And Haru, from what I see and read when I look at this forum, is magnificently in character too! This just adds to the actual sneezing, WHICH IS OF COURSE EXPERTLY SPELLED. AND WELL TIMED <3.. UGHGHDLFJSKL:JDFKL <3

... that fit midway through <3... I wanted to hug Mako so badly xDD> Poor little guy QwQ~~

The pacing is also very, very good! Some stories that cover literally only an hour of a school day can often have trouble situating themselves within the time space, and then things feel too quick or way too slow. This is perfect >w<~.. Fantastic work so far, and I am really looking forward to the next part!

[funinthesun]

Oh my gods, there are no words to describe how much i love this! You got all of them! All of the characters! You captured their essences so well!

(not to mention that this whole situation is just hot, hot, hot!!)

[a red nine]

Ahh, you've posted a story, so I can finally comment on time! I have to say, I'm glad you chose Makoto as your first victim subject, as he's my favorite of the bunch and I've still only watched two episodes. This story definitely does him justice. You really captured his sweet personality well in his mannerisms and his sneezes were very cute too.

Some notable parts, since I do love taking out quotes and discussing them:

Knowing his reputation, Mako had always made extra effort to be courteous and respectful in his class; however, he’d noticed that he did not seem to like Mako very much. He’d been disheartened about it at first, though he’d done his best not to let it get to him. It helped that Haru had told him, quite matter-of-factly, that Yamane-sensei didn’t seem to like anybody.

Ahh that was so cute, Makoto being so self-aware, poor guy

“I-I...” Mako’s face was burning now, his mind an agitated blank; and it was inordinately difficult for him to choose the appropriate response. He knew he was being sent out in disgrace, but if he stayed, it would probably end up worse.... so....

“....Please.”

I felt even worse for him here! Thank goodness his friends came to his aid by the end.

“..er.. it’s just be.. because I was tryi’g to be quiet id class. Now my nose bust b-be mad at me.”

*bursts with cute*

“You’re too weak now. The water will eat you,” Haru muttered.

He was dead serious, too, of course. Mako didn’t know whether to laugh or wince.

Nice line from Haru there. Me too Makoto, me too

All in all, such a nice little slice-of-life moment, so cute! Your writing style is well suited for Free! drabbles (though this is too long to really be classified as that). It should be interesting to see what you concoct for Rei and Haru, hehe. Keep it up!

[DaylightStarr]

Okay, I haven't seen this anime, but you know how much I adore your writing. This was no execption! I got something of the feel of the characters just from how you wrote them, and because it's you I know that the feeling I got was very accurate! GAH! I love miserable-yet-determinded-to-be-strong characters best of all! The persistant friend is awesome too though. And when two strong wills collide it's just plain amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, you make me want to get off my ass and actually write something myself!

Have a great day!

DS

[snuffles]

Oooh, I haven't seen this anime yet but I've been meaning to and NOW it's all the more reason to watch it! I saw a smiley fanfiction and zoomed in immediately! That was just so cute I just want to scoop Mako and Haru up!

[SapphireSong]

Y...You guys.... are so overwhelmingly wonderful, I can't even >////< eheh, I am SO glad you like this!!!! Thank you all very very much for your amazing feedback, and just for taking the time to read this!!! I appreciate each and every one of you. >w<

LYK: Me too xDD I'd love it if there were even more, too. *not greedy at all* Thank you!

Natto: Thank you soso much!! :3 hahaha, yeah, I can see it happening a lot, actually, which is why I decided to write it for Makoto for a change. LOL, he might have different reasons, but I think he can be just as stubborn as Haru

Prowlav: Can I just love you for posting such a sweet review?? TwT Thank you soo much~! haha, I feel bad for Mako, too, but... that's what Haru and the others are there for. xDD (and not the teacher, I kind of don't like him very much at all xD;;; )

DNO: Thanks so much!!! haha, don't worry, the last part is already written. xDD I'm so glad you like it~

silversnake: Thank you very much~!

EoG: Uhhhhh....... asdfsgdhgjhklhkjklwhathaveyoudonetomewiththispost ^^;;;;;;; I think you already know how much I love this, but I'm just gonna tell you again. Just... haaah..... you.... your feedback... wonderfulness..... I can't *blushing like Mako* Seriously, like... you're so awesome. Your essay posts make my day. =w= <3 so uhh... let's see...

First - y..yes he is xD;;; and since that's entirely what I'm going for with this, I'm really pleased that it comes through..? xDD; hahaha, yeah... Yamane... is a jerk, but it is good that he kicked him out. xD;; haa, I... feel guilty for enjoying it too? Except not really. And yes, Haru makes everything better. X3

Second - uwaaaah~~~ :'D th-thank you >////< Though, I think you know that characterizing the two of them comes rather naturally to me xDD; but like... waahh~.... I'm sososo glad you like my characterization, because I think that's what I take the most pride in in fanfic writing..? ^^;;;; I'm glad I was able to portray all of them right. ^^;

Third - wut. Really? ^^;;;;; I know you've told me that before, but like... waah~ >w< Your descriptions always amaze me.... so. xD;; hahaha, yeah, that was wicked fun to play with. X3 Pfff, you have waaaaay much talent yourself, dude. <3

Fourth - Ehehh... ^^;;;;; I-I'm so glad ^^; I ended up finding a pattern I like, and... I'm really happy with how they turned out too. xD;; And I'm really glad you think they fit him :3 hahaha, yeah, free sneezes.... Mako really shouldn't stifle. xDD =w=

Fifth - uwaaah~! haha, yeah... I love writing the two of them. Veryvery much. xDDD I really like the hallway scene myself.... P..Perfect? wuuh~ >///< hahaa, yeah, that was fun to write. xD And yes, the water would. xDD

So yeah -- thank you sosososososo much, you. I can't even like... yeah. This was so... yeah... thank you. xD;;;; This is a post I'll fangirl over forever... xDD;; And I hope to keep adding more of the boys to the forum, hehe. Because all beautiful anime boys deserve to be tortured. Or something like that. *evil grin* But yeah.. again, just... arigatou gozaimasu

Black: UWAAH~!! *huggles* thank you sososo much, you're too sweet >///< Dude, you have GOT to watch Free!. xDDD Seriously, it's such a beautiful, short, awesome series, and I think everyone should see it. X3

hahaha, that fit... was very fun to write. xD;;; I did feel really bad for Mako, though... I'd hug him, too.... ^^;;;;

Ah! Thank you!! Pacing is actually something I think about a lot, so I'm really really glad you think it flows well here!! Thank you so much~~ :3

funinthesun: Thanks!!! I'm so glad - I work really hard to get characters right :3 (Isn't it though? xDD)

red: asfdfhskgjkl!!! Thank you~!!! Makoto is... closest to me of the guys, I think, he's really easy for me to connect with and write and I think he's adorable and there should be more of him on the forum. X3 (You should totally finish the series, btw. He only gets more adorable and awesome throughout. xDDD) Thank you SO much!!! You picked out some of my favorite parts. ^^;;;; hahaha, yeah, this is definitely not a drabble... it's even long for a oneshot but I'm soso happy you liked it!!

DLS: WAAAH thank you!!!! I'm so glad!!! Thanks so much for reading this <3 hehehe, me too X3 And yes, I love writing such characters... and such moments.... as you know xDD You totally should write something~!!! I miss your stuff! <3

snuffles: Yes, watch it watch it watch it. xDDD waaah, thank you so much!!!!

[SapphireSong]

So since you guys made me so incredibly happy with your wonderful reviews, I took the time to thank each and every one of you in the above post =w= And now, the rest, for your enjoyment~!

(Warning: much fluffiness ahead. xDD; )

~~~*~~~~~

The next several minutes were kind of a blur. Goodbyes were exchanged, and Nagisa and Rei disappeared as quickly as they had arrived, leaving Haru and Makoto standing by the entrance.

Without another word, Haru began to pull him toward the row of double doors.

Makoto was still trying to make sense of what had just happened. It had occurred to him after he agreed that he was, in fact, being coerced, and the more he tried to think about it, the more confused and uneasy he felt. He didn’t want to stay, to be sure; but they wouldn’t have canceled practice if it wasn’t for him being sick, so he was afraid they were making a mistake. If he was causing them to lose precious training hours, he was hardly a good captain... What if they weren’t ready for prefecturals? Because of him?

The more that all of this built in his mind, the more he wanted to resist Haru – but he had almost no energy left. He wasn’t sure he even dared drag his feet, for fear of falling over. So he kept going, staggering from time to time as he tried to keep pace with his friend. Haru never once loosened his hold on his wrist – as if he knew what Makoto was thinking and was determined to ensure that he would follow him.

They were almost outside when Makoto realized his nose was itching again. His bag had slipped down his shoulder and was hanging awkwardly off his free elbow, and he couldn’t hike it back up. His head was throbbing in time with his footsteps, and a deep, nagging ache had settled into his core.... All things considered, the last thing he wanted to do was start sneezing again.

Determined to be rid of the tickle before it could turn into anything, he knuckled the tip of his nose, none too gently. When this did absolutely nothing, he frowned, sliding his hand up to pinch the bridge of the offending feature. Normally this helped, if he caught the itch before it really developed into the need to sneeze... but he must have been sneezing too much already today, for the irritation didn’t abate in the least. Brow knitting in frustration, he pressed the edge of his fist fiercely to his nose.. but to no avail. The tingling mounted steadily, threatening to provoke another violent reaction from his tired respiratory system.

A pleasant breeze wafted against them as they left the building, ruffling their hair. Makoto’s bangs brushed softly against the bridge of his nose, and suddenly he changed his mind. He needed to sneeze.

Tipping his head back, he let the sensation flourish into a proper tickle, a truly desperate irritation that arrested his system in preparation for the inevitable. His eyelashes fluttered, tears coming to the corners of his eyes as his breathing turned quivery and deep. He might regret it in a minute, but he was too tired to fight it – the itch was too strong, the only way to get rid of it was –

“hehh’h –!” Makoto squeezed his eyes shut as his lungs expanded with a final gasp, eager to have it over with. And then –

“hht’!....”

It faded.

Makoto expelled his breath in a surprised half-cough, shoulders twitching. The itch had by no means disappeared, however – it had simply failed to produce a sneeze; and almost immediately after he lost it, Makoto felt it building up again.

He tried to zero in on the aggravating feeling, breathing shallowly through his mouth to coax it along. It seemed to be working; his nostrils quivered readily, air trembling in his chest.

“hh... hh’ – hh’hiht’!”

….Yet the moment he tilted his head back again, it was gone. Not the tickle – which didn’t back off even a little this time – but the sneeze itself. Makoto curled in on himself, scrubbing the back of his hand against his nose in ticklish, dazed annoyance.

By now, Haru had slowed, his hand loosening slightly around Makoto’s wrist; but Makoto was barely able to mentally acknowledge it, much less respond in any way. He was stuck in a perpetual pre-sneeze state now – the maddening prickle feathering along the sensitive walls of his nasal cavity, nearly making him lose control – except it stopped short every time. His breath hitched arduously, audibly, which was not going unnoticed by Haru, he was sure.... but the ragged gasps only teased him, refusing to result in what he now wanted more than anything.

“hh.. hh-hh! heh’ih!! h’ht’!” His diaphragm was spasming, trying to carry through with his illness’s demands. His hand hovered in front of his face, waiting – he wanted – n...needed –!

“Makoto.”

“..hnh?” Makoto looked up, his expression contorted with tortured, sneezy anticipation.

As fortune would have it, the late afternoon sun hung directly behind Haru, its light spilling lazily over and around the raven-haired teen and hitting Makoto square in the face.

Makoto didn’t know why, but bright sunlight made him sneeze. He’d learned how to duck his head or squint just right to keep it from affecting him all of the time, but occasionally he forgot. Now, it was just the trigger he needed to send him over the edge.

He inhaled mightily, only barely managing to turn away from Haru in time.

“hh’HYIH – hhHEhxHJSH’UH!” Makoto pitched forward, his belongings tumbling out of his grasp and scattering at his feet. He wasn’t sure he’d ever sneezed that hard in his life. As his breath quickened again, he clutched at the front of his shirt with his free hand instead of making any effort to cover.

“hh.. hih – iiyehh – hh-hh-hh! hHG’JSHxSHuh!! nngh..” Another, and the itch started to dissipate. Shakily, he swiped at his eyes, and then his nose, with the back of his sleeve, his heart pounding uncomfortably in his ears. Pricks of light sparkled behind his eyelids, and he sank down to one knee, still clutching his side. It felt as though his entire lung capacity had been employed toward those sneezes.

“Makoto!”

Haru was crouched beside him in an instant, finally letting his wrist go to grip his shoulder instead.

Makoto cracked open an eye. Haru’s were blazing with concern.

“I have... – ..get – th-thi’gs,” he tried thickly to explain, gesturing to his fallen bag when that failed. His lungs evidently hadn’t recovered yet, for his breath was coming in awkward wheezy gasps.

Haru looked down. Makoto’s bag had come open, and papers and books were strewn across the concrete. He knit his brow, returning his attention to Makoto.

“Makot--”

“h’HEGhJkSH’hh!--‘KGSH’ih!..nnh..” Makoto interrupted him with a double, surprising both himself and Haru. He winced afterwards, pressing his fingertips to the spot between his eyes. “S-Sorry,” he apologized hoarsely, offering his friend a weak smile.

Haru gazed at him for a moment, eyebrows quirking almost imperceptibly, then turned his head. “...Bless you.”

Makoto’s smile returned of its own accord at Haru’s quiet, almost embarrassed acknowledgment. “..Th..Th-thagks,” he responded after a moment, rubbing exhaustedly at his nose and sniffling hard.

Ignoring him, Haru looked around, then began picking up the contents of Makoto’s bookbag.

“H-Haru –” Makoto’s voice cracked painfully. He swallowed, then tried again. “Haru, you dod’t have t-”

Haru pushed his bag into his hands, giving him a pointed glare along with it.

“...mn..” Makoto blinked down at the bag, then at Haru as he began stuffing things into it. “...I’b fide,” he finished, rather lamely.

Haru dumped an Iwatobi-chan strap into the bag, pretending not to have heard. Makoto sighed. Wearily, he shifted to a sitting position, gaze flickering about the deserted schoolyard. Good.. at least no one else was around to witness this....

“hh-hh – hehXsSHgh!” He had enough warning to catch that one against his wrist, at least.

Haru paused, eyelid twitching slightly. Makoto suddenly had a bizarre urge to laugh. His best friend noticed every sneeze and sniffle... because he cared, and not about the noise. He was worlds apart from Yamane-sensei....

Makoto sighed again, rubbing his eyes. If only Haru was in his group.... things might have been different. Then again, he amended, if Haru was in his group, he probably would have dragged him home sooner.

“You were right, Haru...” he murmured, tenting his knees and resting his forehead on his folded arms. “I shouldedt have stayed for Biology...”

“Yamane.” Haru’s tone was sharp.

“..nn... Yabade-sedsei...”

Makoto heard a rustling sound. He looked up to see Haru sitting cross-legged in front of him, the rest of the books forgotten in his lap. His blue eyes were shadowy, troubled.

Makoto shook his head ruefully. “He didedt mbake fun of me, he...” He swallowed again, running a knuckle beneath his chapped nose. “..he j-just kicked be out.”

Haru’s eyes widened a little – not in surprise, but understanding.

Makoto nodded slowly. “...after mbaki’g be a..apologize to everyone first, ‘f course....” He chuckled, to mask his lingering embarrassment. “....but...” He leaned his forehead against his arms again, staring down at the ground. “Why ab I telli’g you, it doesedt eved matter now....”

“It does.”

Makoto raised his head. Haru was very still, his face neutral; but his eyes were adamant, harboring an underlying kindness.

Makoto felt his face growing warm again, even though goosebumps were skittering up and down his arms. “He said I was disrespecti’g the class...” He shrugged, trying and failing to smile. “I s’pose he had a poi’t.”

Haru held his gaze for several long moments, but did not say anything.

Makoto tilted his head. “...Thagks.”

Haru shot him a questioning look.

Makoto smiled faintly. “You’re thinki’g it wasedt my fault.”

Surprise and annoyance flitted across Haru’s face, but then he inclined his head. “Mhm.”

As usual, the more he opened up to Haru, the easier it got to talk about things. “I should have gone hobe... but I... I thought if I tried by best to be q...quiet, I....” He rubbed his nose, the memory seeming to encourage the itch.

Haru’s expression darkened toward a brooding scowl. Makoto tried to laugh again, sheepishly.

“I kdow... you thigk it’s stupid....”

“It is stupid. You’re sick.” Haru turned his head again, disdainfully. “If you need to sneeze, sneeze.”

Makoto shut his mouth, which had dropped open in bemusement. “I-I’b okay,” he insisted feebly, “and I dod’t nhh... n-need –” Just then, the tickle flared up, almost as if Haru had somehow known it was going to. “hh-nGSHxh!” It was of much more manageable size this time, though even half-stifling it made his head hurt badly.

As his eyes fluttered open, he was met by one of Haru’s most intense glares.

“H-Huh– ? hhh – hehEGKSsHh!!” Distracted, he sneezed openly – and much more loudly. He froze a moment afterward, startled; then guiltily burrowed his face into his arms.

Haru huffed a satisfied breath. When Makoto glanced at him, he saw that the corners of his mouth hinted upward. That’s better, his expression said.

“...ehh...” Makoto peered at him a moment, mouth still pressed into his sleeves; then burst out laughing. It was giggling, really – an almost helpless reaction brought about by his amusement and fatigue. He smothered it into his arms, shoulders shaking a little as he laughed and laughed.

After a minute or so, he realized that he was now coughing instead. It took yet another minute for his lungs to calm down; and when he was able at last to look up again, most of his mirth had faded.

“Y’kdow...” He paused, chagrined to find that he was a lot more congested than he thought. He rubbed his nose, sniffling almost self-consciously. “We.. we should probably go.”

Haru grunted an agreement, and Makoto sighed, untangling his legs and dragging himself to his feet.

Something scritched beneath his shoe as he stood, the unexpected lack of friction throwing his balance off. He teetered slightly, then recovered, glancing down in surprise.

He was stepping on one of his papers – it had somehow been missed by Haru, so he’d probably been sitting on it. He quickly stooped to retrieve it, carefully brushing off stray dirt with his thumb and squinting to read his own writing.

As he registered the page’s contents, his heart stopped. Though the sentences swam before his eyes, he could still make out their significance.

Biology.

Lab write up.

His lab write up, which was not supposed to be here, it was supposed to be graded, it was supposed to be..... it..!

“I.. I-I ndeed to go back –” The words tumbled from his lips, but his legs refused to move. Actually, his whole body felt frozen in place, so he couldn’t even look up from the paper to see if Haru heard him. Suddenly, all he could do was stare, his neat scrawl filling his vision, his surroundings seeming to distort and spin about him even though he knew he was standing still.

He had to go back, to turn in his work... Yamane-sensei would be furious.... the others would laugh at him.... but then no one would be there... right...? He clutched the paper, trying to remember what the time was, trying to force his body to move, trying... to.... think.... tired... he was so..... tired......

“Makoto! Makoto!!”

Haru was saying something. His name, repeatedly. He must have gone white, or something, because Haru never raised his voice unless he thought there was reason to.

In this case, he guessed the reason was he wasn’t answering... but he couldn’t get his voice to work, either. His gaze was locked on the page.. his mind... wasn’t.....

Haru grabbed the paper from him – either agitated or impatient, Makoto couldn’t tell. He scanned the front of it, frowned, and fixed his eyes to Makoto’s.

You’re being stupid.

Did he just...?

Makoto blinked several times. He wasn’t sure whether Haru had actually spoken, or just glared at him; but either way, it got his attention enough to pull him partway out of his daze.

As he gaped, Haru held up the paper, a look of... exasperation..? on his face. “This is last week’s lab,” he said, pointing to something Makoto had missed – Yamane-sensei’s grading notes at the top.

Makoto took a breath, and almost forgot to let it out again, his mind a hopelessly bewildering mix of relief and shock and exhaustion. Last week’s... so..... he was okay, he didn’t have to go back.... he didn’t have to talk, he... could... go home.

He didn’t even realize he was shaking until Haru pulled him, suddenly, into an embrace, his hold strong and steady against Makoto’s own trembling limbs. Makoto leaned instinctively into him, letting his arms encircle Haru’s middle. He could feel the tension leaving his body, and he shivered involuntarily, pushing his face into his friend’s shoulder. Haru was warm, his presence soothing; and Makoto was more than happy to just stay there like that, slowly calming down.

Haru seemed to be aware of how he felt, for neither of them moved for a good while. Makoto was just starting to feel truly relaxed when he noticed wetness on his cheeks and realized, belatedly, that he’d been crying.

Squeaking in surprise, he scrambled out of Haru’s grasp, drying his tears with his sleeve. Not startled in the least, Haru bent to put the paper into Makoto’s bag, then straightened to face him again.

“Are you okay?” Haru spoke quietly, mindful of his headache.

Makoto immediately felt guilty for making him worry. He squared his shoulders, smoothing the front of his shirt and giving him a sincere, if watery, grin. “Y-Yeah, I... I-hh!” His expression crumpled again as his breath snagged, his nostrils flaring of their own accord.

Haru arched an eyebrow.

“Iiieh – I – hh – h’ehh –!” He gave up speaking, lifting a hand in preparation. “hih.... hh-hh-EGKjSsHuh!!” He sneezed, sighed, and clumsily retrieved the package of tissues from his pocket. “...s-sort of... and... ndoh..” he admitted congestedly, hunching a little as he blew his nose.

This answer seemed satisfactory to Haru. He waited for Makoto to finish, then picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder to hang beside his own.

“Let’s go, Makoto.”

Makoto nodded, threading his fingers through the hair at the back of his head. Haru took hold of his wrist again; however, he was much gentler this time, and stayed beside him, letting their shoulders touch as they began to walk, slowly.

Makoto was grateful, both for the easy pace and Haru’s closeness. This had been one of the longest days of his life, it felt like; and even though he could have spared himself a lot of misery by listening to Haru sooner, he was glad to be walking home with him now. He was pretty sure he had a fever, since his whole body was aching... but it was slightly less noticeable now that he wasn’t carrying his –

He stopped abruptly, and Haru glanced sidelong at him.

“H-Haru, my bag is heavier thad yours! Let be –”

“No.” Haru tilted his chin up and resumed walking.

Makoto shook his head. “I-It’s okay, I can ha’dle –!”

“Shut up.”

Makoto opened his mouth, then closed it again. “O...Okay....” he managed finally, voice dropping to a whisper as he added, “...Haru-chan.”

Haru heard him anyway, though, if his subsequent head turn was any indication.

Makoto smiled faintly, listening to the scuff of their shoes against the pavement. He could carry his own things – really, he could – but he’d let Haru keep them, this time.

He supposed that Haru probably did know best, after all.

~The End~

So that's all~! Let me know what you think! ^^

Edited October 6, 2014 by smileyfacegirl^^

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

The end ?. You kidding me ?. Like wut I want more this can't end :|. I love this part tho <3. It's so beauituful. Makato's desperate sneeze fics are adorbs <3. Good job but pls do write other fics soon.

Edited November 1, 2013 by DeathNoteOwner

[a red nine]

Oh man girl, we can get to talking about the actual story and writing in a second, because that opening. Wow, if I were to quote it, it would just be a big brick of text;; It was, ahem, very well-worded, to say the least. Those selfish moments where you're reading so intensely that you skip words and you have to go back once or twice to make sure you've gotten all the details... Yeah, in any case, quite a cute moment from Makoto there, ahahaha.

I can't remember if I've told you this before, but you should be impressed with your ability to stretch small moments into full stories like this one. You don't need something unrealistically dramatic to always be happening to keep your own interest or our interest, for that matter - you can make a little thing, like the idea of a missed assignment, seem large and important. The way you wrote that scene was enough to make me double-check my planner to make sure I hadn't forgotten something myself! I was right there with the characters, experiencing their anxiety.

Haru and Makoto themselves are very in character (from what I know about their characters, anyway), and while I'm not sure if I ship them, I definitely don't not ship them, and fluffy scenes like this one appeal to me more in the realm of fanfiction anyway. Especially this bit:

“H-Haru, my bag is heavier thad yours! Let be –”

“No.” Haru tilted his chin up and resumed walking.

Even Haru's straightforward attitude can be quite endearing when put in this frame! Very good and reflective of the show. I didn't quote much this time around, but it was earnestly because it all flowed so nicely, I couldn't highlight something without also quoting a full scene of text, and it would just get messy. So yes, I really did enjoy it all! And I look forward to more.

[EmeraldThread]

Well. Uh. I don't even know what to say that I haven't said already, because everything from my comment on part one applies to this part, too. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME. You already know how much I love your writing (and if you forget, I'll keep reminding you forever), and the way you write Mako and Haru is so...well, like you said, natural. X3 I just...I don't know what to say...but I'll again just start pointing out all the things I love about this and you and your writing, which might end up being me repeating stuff, but y'know...you need to hear it anyway.

Dude, the caretaking and the relationship between Mako and Haru, you just...kanpeki. xDD I have SO many favorite parts (read: the whole thing), but some of them are extra favorites. Like when Mako kept losing his sneezes? That was so perfect, and I love how you led into photic Mako, and how you show that Haru obviously notices. It's kind of unexpected, because it seems like it'll be a scene where Haru says more to him, and then suddenly the sun. xD And the parts where he takes a while to build up to his sneezes is just...really cute.

Also this:

“Yamane.” Haru’s tone was sharp.

“..nn... Yabade-sedsei...”

Makoto's attempt to correct Haru and then just...pronunciation fail because congested. It makes me think of something else, though - the way Haru talks to Makoto. It's just...exact. He would be that firm about it, and yet Makoto knows he just cares deeply about his well-being, and it makes it okay. I like how you have Haru kind of trying to get Mako's attention while Mako's sneezing, too, and he just can't. And the way you write just shows how well you know these characters.

“It is stupid. You’re sick.” Haru turned his head again, disdainfully. “If you need to sneeze, sneeze.”

And this is my favorite quote in the whole part, and one of my favorites in the whole fic (joined by "You're too weak. The water will eat you."). I completely agree with Haru, btw. Stifling just seems painful...which is why Makoto shouldn't do it, and should listen to Haru. xD;; But seriously, I just love their attitudes toward this - Mako telling Haru he's fine but he's not, and Haru getting angry-concerned...and Haru pretty much dragging Mako home (and carrying his bag). X3 Oh! And the part where Mako thinks he didn't turn in his lab report? That. Just. I was scared for him, and also siding with Haru, like dude, it's not THAT important, just go home. Your health his more important and school can wait because Yamane's a jerk who doesn't deserve your beautiful lab reports.

Okay. Um. Rambling. I know I kind of narrated your entire fic back to you as feedback, but I just love the entire thing!! And I'm sososo glad you posted it!! Your writing is amazing, and every time I read it (especially this one), I start getting inspired to write myself. xD

[LeapYearKisses]

Wowowow, you spoiled us! I'm way too tired to give you a proper response, but you're writing and characterization are awesome, and I love the way you write sneezes, and everything else! Hope to read more of your stuff in the future!

[RemedyBane]

LOVE IT!!

[Prowlav]

Oh my goddddd

So much love for the second part!!

Makoto hitching and not being able to sneeze for most of the part-- HHHHHNNN <3 Too good~~ (But poor bby XD;; ). I love the fact that Haru really helps him out though, and even "forcing" him not to stifle and just let it all out >w<

But all this friendship fluff~~~ I really love how you depicted their relationship here, and even the fact that Makoto always knows what Haru is thinking by just looking at his eyes-- it's so sweet c:

alksjdf;lasdkj I'll be honest, I feel like this can almost branch off to even another part; I was thinking at the end, "GAH! That's it?!" It's too good to end!! Haha, but in either case, this fic is superb and all sorts of wonderful, and I'm filled with good vibes from this~

Thank you so much, again, for sharing this whole fic!

[SterlingSilver]

QWQ..... SO... MUCH... GLORIOUS VULNERABILITY. I nearly passed out from fangirling when Mako realized he was crying. I have never seen this anime, but I could feel this all clearly in the writing >w<~ Seriously, Smiley, you have a gift QwQ~

This is SO GOOD~ I'm on a crunch for time, so I don't have time to quote, but I want to say that I really enjoyed this fic :3

I enjoy everything you write, even when I don't know the fandom~ THANK YOU FOR SHARING <3

[RemedyBane]

this is just amazing!

[Natto]

Okay, finally getting around to actually commenting on this. As I've said before, I love this story. I love how you manage to stretch out such a small moment in time into such a long and satisfying story, and I love the interaction between Makoto and Haru. And poor Makoto's so out of it--no wonder Haru wants him to go home! Watching someone who is clearly not totally aware of their surroundings and is very sick and a scary, scary thing, and you captured that really well in Haru. You also captured Makoto's disorientation really well--the whole thing with the biology report nailed it. Also, I just can't get over what a jerk Yamane-sensei is! I know that was about the first part of the story, but still. I can understand throwing him out of class because he's being disruptive, but saying he's being disrespectful because he's clearly ill is just cruel. Haru is completely right that it was awful.

Also, this line here:

“Iiieh – I – hh – h’ehh –!” He gave up speaking, lifting a hand in preparation. “hih.... hh-hh-EGKjSsHuh!!” He sneezed, sighed, and clumsily retrieved the package of tissues from his pocket. “...s-sort of... and... ndoh..” he admitted congestedly, hunching a little as he blew his nose

is probably one of my favorite lines. I just love how Makoto is trying so hard to convince Haru that he's absolutely fine and then in the end he finally gives up because it's hopeless and Haru knows better than to listen to him. Also, the way you write sneezes is great--I'd never even think to write them that way, but I can hear them in my head really clearly and they're great.

Wonderful story! I'm so glad I finally go to read this part.

[March Hare]

You're amazing is what I think. I have to watch this anime now.

Your spellings are UNBELIEVABLY HOT, okay. And you are a master of bromance. EoG has said it all way better than I can right now, so I'll just leave it at WHAT SHE SAID. I second all of it.

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Oh my Lord! How have I just now found this? This was just beautiful! Please, you must continue this fabulous story till the end! I can't wait to read more!