Really Cute and Sort of Hot (Free! MakoHaru) (Complete)

[Natto]

Natto: Hello there everyone! My Free! kick still hasn't ended, so this time I'm here with a MakoHaru fic. (Yes, I know 85% of the Free fic on here is MakoHaru, but it's a lovely pairing and we have what...7? 8? Free fics total? Not many!! So hush, imaginary critics.) Anyway, this story was actually inspired by an obs written by poppies, about being stuck on an airplane next to a sick girl. Here, Makoto and Haru are going to NYC to check out a university that Makoto intends to go to for a semester abroad. They're in an established relationship. They end up sitting next to a sick girl on the airplane, which gets Haru sick! This is a huge problem for Makoto, because he finds Haru's illness intolerably cute, but he hasn't told him about his fetish yet. The title is a reference to Makoto's feelings about Haru, not a reference to the quality of the story!!

The whole thing is finished already, and it has four chapters. I'll be updating every couple of days. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think! Thanks to smileyfacegirl^^ for her help with brainstorming this story.

~`~`~

Really Cute and Sort of Hot

by Natto

~`~`~

Chapter One

“Our seats are right down here...” says Makoto, gripping Haru's hand as he walks through the airplane's aisle. They're in a row of three, and there's already somebody settled down into their row. It's a girl in a oversized pink hoodie, with black messy braids sprouting from her head, and a lap littered in crumpled tissues. Her freckled nose is sunset pink save for scraps of dead white skin, and her eyes are bloodshot and ringed. She's breathing through her mouth in short, congested puffs, and she's slumped over., exhausted by her obvious disease.

Makoto tries not to look too upset, not wanting to insult the girl, but he's definitely...upset. Especially when he looks at his ticket and sees that he's in the aisle seat, while Haru is in the middle, smashed between Makoto and the contagious girl. This virtually guarantees that Haru will get sick. There's no way to avoid it, they've been up for 24 hours preparing for their trip, they're going to be trapped with this girl in a closed environment for the next 14 hours, and Haru's immune system is not generally that good.

He sighs. “Haru,” he says. “We should switch seats.”

Haru shakes his head. “The aisle seat is better for you. Your legs are longer, if you're at the end you can sit sideways and have somewhere to put them.”

“My legs fit well enough.” He leans toward Haru's face, nods toward the miserable girl. Whispers, “I don't want you getting sick, and you'll definitely get sick sitting next to her. Let's switch, okay?”

Haru shakes his head. “I don't want you getting sick either,” he says. Makoto sighs. Normally, he wouldn't be forceful about these things, but this is the first time they'll be alone together for a week at once, and Makoto is going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of Haru if he's sick. He's planning on telling Haru about his fetish eventually, but not when they're alone in another country. He can't drop news like that when Haru can't leave if he decides he hates him for it.

He sighs, tells Haru that he's willing to risk it. “I am too,” says Haru. “It's my seat.” Makoto sighs again. The girl rolls her eyes and stares out the window.

Voice lowered and face flushed. Makoto didn't mean to offend this girl by letting her hear them. He whispers, “Haru, please? It's going to be way more stressful for me if you're sick than if I'm sick, and I know you'll be able to stay calm if it's me.”

Haru steps aside without speaking. “Thank you,” says Makoto, smiling. They store their bags in the overhead compartment, and sit down. “I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited for this trip. I've never been out of Japan before. Have you, besides Australia with Rin?”

“My parents took me to France once when I was a baby, but I can't remember very much. Other than that, no.” Makoto puts on his seat belt, then reaches over and puts Haru's on for him. Not that Haru can't do it himself, or even won't, just that Makoto does these things by instinct. Thankfully, Haru doesn't seem to mind.

“What do you want to do when you get to New York?” asks Makoto. They have some specific plans, mainly scouting out Columbia, which is where Makoto will be doing his semester abroad next year, and going to all the aquariums and beaches they can manage in the space of ten days. Other than that, they're just going to go where the wind takes them. Makoto is fine with this, but he wants to make sure they're doing things Haru likes, instead of just deciding stuff for himself because Haru's not saying anything.

Haru is about to answer, but before he can, the girl next to them takes a sharp breath, and sneezes violently into her hands. “HAIIISHHUU! HUUHHHPP-ChhhSHH!” Sniffles loudly, wipes her nose on the sleeve of her hoodie, then picks up one of her crumpled tissues and stuffily drains her nose into it.

“Are you alright?” asks Makoto. Genuinely concerned and also praying that this girl has allergies. Allergies, after all, aren't contagious.

After a long coughing fit into her bundle of tissues, the girl croaks out an “I'b fide.” Then sneezes again. “Just have a cold,” she says. “I'b sorry, I'b goid to be sdeezidg ad coughidg the whole trip...hhUHH....” Her eyes lose focus and her nose begins to twitch. “HuuhhUHHCHHHIEW!” Spray everywhere. Makoto laughs nervously and tells her it's fine. Wonders why she doesn't have the courtesy to wear a face mask, and hopes that the spray isn't reaching Haru.

“Sorry to hear that,” says Makoto. “I hope you feel better soon.”

“Ugh, be too. Snff!” A strand of snot gets sucked up her pink nose. “I'b seeid by lodg distadce boyfried id persod for the first tibe ever. Snff. I dod't wadt hib to see be like this, but I guess I habe do ch...oi...uhhHUHHHSHHIEW! Choice.”

“I'm sure he'll just be worried about you,” he says. She probably doesn't hear him over the sound of honking into her tissues. Makoto sighs, and squeezes Haru's hand. Whispers that they'll need to buy some Vitamin C once they get off the plane, and get plenty of sleep that night. Haru shrugs.

The rest of the flight is spent watching movies on Haru's laptop, and trying to take naps over the sniffling, snorting, and sneezing of the girl in the window seat. The noise bothers Haru so much that he has to put in ear plugs. Makoto is bothered by it too, but it's not something he can just admit to and fix. Haru's bothered by it because Haru gets sensory overload. Makoto's bothered by it because he doesn't want to get turned on while he's on the airplane and can't do anything about it. More than that each nose noise helps cement the idea that Haru will get sick. This will ruin Haru's first trip to America, and it will make things unbelievably awkward for Makoto. Haru doesn't know about his weirdo fetish, so how the heck is he supposed to explain why he can't keep his hands off of him? Maybe, if Haru gets sick, Makoto should just leave him alone entirely. But that's not practical, they'll be sharing a hotel room, actually a hotel bed, and anyway what if Haru gets sick enough that he needs Makoto to take care of him?

He sighs. He's getting ahead of himself. This hasn't happened yet, and there's no guarantee that it will. If it does, he will handle it like the mature adult that he's attempting to be. He spends the rest of the plane positioning his body to block as many of the girl's sneezes and coughs as possible, shielding Haru from any possible germ-laden spray.

~`~`~

When the plane lands, they don't get off for another hour. The change in air pressure is making the girl next to them sneeze violently, over and over again, so hard and so fast that there's no possible way to contain them. She keeps dropping her box of tissues, and Makoto keeps picking it up and taking out tissues for her. She tries to thank him between sneezes, but between her gasping, hitching breaths, she doesn't get much out. This goes on for nearly half an hour before it tapers off, and then she spends the next twenty minutes blowing her nose. Makoto squirms uncomfortably in his seat, then jumps up in relief when they're finally let off the plane. Thankfully, they lose sight of the girl soon afterward. They get their baggage and go through customs, then head to the air train. Praying that the ticket machine will accept their debit cards and that they won't have to find a bank or a money exchange place in the middle of....where is this? The map says Queens? How do you pronounce that? Is that anywhere near where they're staying? Haru's going to have to take charge of directions because Makoto has no idea what he's doing.

The air train drops them off on the subway. The train doesn't show up for ten minutes, which would have been fine if there were a sign letting them know, but since there isn't the wait seems endless. Makoto is wound up from worrying, exhausted from the 14-hour plane ride, and just generally confused and wanting to fall into bed with his arms around his boyfriend. His body aches with the effort of dragging his luggage, and he wonders if maybe he's coming down with that girl's disease already.

The subway itself is crowded, though not as crowded as what he's used to in Tokyo. They actually manage to find two seats next to each other, something that Makoto finds pleasantly shocking. As soon as he lands on his gray plastic seat, his eyes shut and he falls instantly to sleep, only waking when Haru shakes his shoulder at their stop. The walk to their hotel is similarly blurry and stumbly. The trees are the most brilliant green he's ever seen, and the sky is scalding blue. The cracks in the sidewalk look like gaping mouths into hell. Makoto is asleep on his feet. When they get to the hotel, he sits on a red plasticky couch while Haru gets them checked in, flips through a magazine that he can't read full of celebrities he's never heard of.

Once finished, Haru shakes Makoto's shoulder, and they walk up a few flights to their room. Haru cards the door, and Makoto falls instantly into bed, barely looking at his surroundings. “I'm sorry Haru, I'm just so tired...” he groans, face smushed against his stark white pillow. “We'll do something fun later, I promise...”

Makoto is asleep before he hears Haru's response.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Natto

[JQLovesSneezes]

Stoooooop I love this so far!!! I love how protective you made Mako!!!! He is my absolute favorite, and you are writing both him and Haru so well right off the bat!! Thank you so much for writing this and I can't wait for your next update, Natto!

[Maus_17]

Simply adorable! I loved the stark contrast between Mako's fetish side and his protective slightly germophobe side. Always awesome, Natto.

[cupkake]

What a horrible cold that girl seemed to have. I mean it's not like I'm excited for Haru to catch it or anything, he'll be so miserable and it'll be so great.

Your descriptions are so good by the way, you capture all the right details. Can't wait for more

[Natto]

@ JQLovesSneezes: I'm glad you're enjoying it so much, thank you for commenting! And yes, it's hard to imagine Makoto not being protective of well, basically everyone but especially Haru. Thanks again.

@ Maus_17: I feel like for those of who have the fetish as applied to real people in our lives, there's this huge tension between wanting those people to be okay and enjoying their suffering. I feel like ignoring either one would be unrealistic—and out of character for Makoto because he's so very protective of Haru in particular. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Thanks for commenting!

@ cupkake: Don't worry, Haru will be just as miserable as she is. XD;; I definitely don't love tormenting these characters or anything. Thank you for your compliment about the descriptions. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.

Natto: Hey guys! Thanks so much to those of you who have commented. This is the longest chapter in the whole story. It's the one where Haru actually gets sick. The next two chapters after this are going to be shorter.

As a warning, this chapter contains an extremely vague reference to masturbation. It is not graphically described at all, it's one of those euphemistic fade to black sort of deals, but it's there. It's right after the part where Makoto says he's going to take a shower, so if you don't want to read it, skip that next paragraph. I don't think this is graphic enough to put the chapter in the adult section, but I'd like to give you guys a heads up just in case.

Chapter Two

Makoto wakes up to the sound of Haru exiting the bed and shuffling toward the bathroom. He tries to force himself to stay in bed, to let Haru use the bathroom in peace because he's probably just peeing, but his heart is pounding and he's hyper-alert to every sound.

The first thing he hears is a soft, shushing sound—Haru blowing his nose. It gets increasingly louder, and it goes on for a few minutes. Then, a small scratchy flurry of coughs, followed by another nose blow. A long, stuffy sniffle, then a squished little sneeze, “ksh!” More coughing. Another sniffle, a bit looser this time. More snuffling into the tissue. The bathroom light flicks off, and Haru's standing next to the bed, staring at Makoto with one raised eyebrow. “Did I wake you up?” he asks, voice thick with congestion. A small bead of mucus hangs out of his nose, and it takes a moment for him to notice and wipe it away. He's obviously sick.

“Uhh...yeah. It's okay though, I don't mind. You should come back to bed...” He says this having no idea if Haru even went to bed in the first place. Guilt twitches through his brain—he shouldn't have crashed so quickly, especially not if Haru was getting sick! He should have been awake to take care of him, or make sure that he sleep. Makoto buries his face in his hands, then looks up at his boyfriend with watery eyes. Haru sniffles, scrubs the underside of his nose with his knuckle. “Are you sure you're not feeling sick?” Haru shrugs. “You look like you might be catching a cold.” Haru shrugs again, and crawls into bed next to Makoto.

“I'b fide,” he rasps, sniffling between the two mispronounced words. “By dose is just irritated...hkk-shh!”

“Haru, it's okay if you're sick, you don't need to hide it from me.” Makoto pulls the blankets around Haru's shoulders, wraps his arms around his shivery body. There are goosebumps forming on his flesh, so Makoto hugs him tighter.

~`~`~

Haru is no better in the morning. Actually, he's worse. Last night he was coughing a little bit, sniffling a little bit, making having some small trouble getting air through his nose. Now, he's coughing almost constantly, his nose dripping relentlessly, and he seems to be too stuffed up to sniff the mucus up. Blowing his nose takes several minutes and accomplishes nothing but a coughing fit and increasingly pink skin. When Makoto palms his forehead it feels dangerously warm, and when he hugs Haru he can feel him shaking.

"Ohh, Haru, you can't go out like this, you're much too sick!" Haru responds by sneezing, six rapidfire shots into the air, followed by three sneezes that take forever to come out, aimed into the crook of his elbow. Makoto tries leading him back to bed, but Haru is having none of it.

"I probised I'd go to the Columbia tour with you. Snff. Thad's the baid reasod I'b he...here...hkkCHHAH!" He floods a tissue with a waterfall of snot. "You said you were dervous. Snff. I'b dot goid to leave you alode."

"It's...it's okay Haru, thank you for worrying about me." Makoto sighs. Haru's right--Makoto is nervous about the tour and the orientation. His English is atrocious, and despite the fact that the tour is for foreign exchange students doing a semester abroad, the whole thing is conducted in English. Haru actually speaks English with some skill, so he was supposed to translate when Makoto couldn't look up words in his dictionary fast enough. Besides, he'd just wanted him there for moral support. Makoto is going to be spending months away from everyone he's ever known, and he had hoped to ease into things with Haru by his side. "You should really stay here and sleep," he mumbles, staring down at his hands.

"I slept all dight, I'b dot tired. I'b goid with you." With that, he pushes past him into the bathroom, and ten seconds later Makoto hears the shower running. Makoto sighs, and tries to ignore Haru until he's finished. He's having a coughing fit, harsh and loud enough that Makoto can hear it over the shower stream beating down on the bathroom tile. Haru needs time alone with the water to gather strength for the day, and Makoto doesn't want to interrupt that, doesn't want to try to kiss the soreness from his throat. He won't be able to control himself, so he'll wait. He sits on the bed, stares at a crack in the cieling, and waits.

Eventually, Haru meanders out of the bathroom, fist curled around his lips to catch a cough. He's wearing just a towel, and he's shivering so hard Makoto can see it from across the room. “Let's get your clothes on,” says Makoto, taking a shirt and pair of pants from Haru's suitcase. Haru stalks over and snatches them out of Makoto's hands, then gets himself dressed. “I'b ready whedever you are,” he says flatly, shoving his belongings into a backpack.

“Okay, let me just take a shower first.” Makoto smiles sheepishly, squeezes Haru on the shoulder.

Makoto takes his time in the bathroom, hoping to give Haru a little time to rest before they head out, and wanting to listen to Haru's adorable sick sounds without having to restrain his reaction. Haru is blowing his nose, a soft sound that ends in a squeak. Now he's coughing, harsh and rattling and likely hurting his chest. Now he's sneezing--”Hsh-HH! Kshh!” Blowing his nose again. Makoto bites his lip, tries to will himself not to react to it, not to touch himself or do anything other than shower. He can't help running his hands over his body, can't help lightly pawing at himself as he washes. Maybe it's best just to get it over with, that way he can behave normally around Haru, no blushing or stammering or having to explain what he's so worked up about. He takes care of himself in the shower, then steps out calm and fresh faced.

Haru is laying on the bed, tissues bundled around his nose. When he sees Makoto he sits up, uselessly grabbing at the blankets to steady himself. His eyes are glassy, bloodshot. Makoto sighs. “Haru, are you sure you're up for this? If you rest today, you'll probably feel well enough to do things with me tomorrow.”

“The tour isn't happedidg toborrow,” rasps Haru. “The tour is what's bost ibpordadt...hhshh!” He catches his sneeze in the handful of tissues, then gives a tired blow. “It's why I'b here. Snff.”

“If you insist...” says Makoto. “Let's just get you some tea before we go, okay?”

~`~`~

The trip to the school is, supposedly, a short one, but it takes forever to get to the train station. First of all, they keep getting lost. Neither of them are familiar with the area, and Makoto is terrible at reading maps. Haru is decent at it, but Haru gets impatient after five seconds of trying to bring one up on his phone. “It's dot loadidg,” he grumbles. Makoto takes the phone and fiddles with it, then tries to bring up a map on his own phone, but in the end they only find a map of Columbia itself, not of the general area, which doesn't help them much with getting to Columbia. Because they can't find the train, they end up walking twenty-odd blocks, and by the time they get there Haru is exhausted. He says he's not, but his steps are plodding and his breath is short, and he keeps leaning on Makoto, just a little bit, for support.

The school itself is enormous. There are so many buildings it's impossible to know whether he's in the right place or not. The tour group is supposed to meet “in front of the school” but the school has many entrances, so “front” is a nebulous concept. The tour group is composed mainly of foreign students, but Makoto doesn't know what Americans are supposed to look like, so there's no way he can identify “non-American.” All he can hope for is finding a group of people his age who look confused.

That's going to have to wait for the moment though, because Haru has stopped in his tracks. His pink nostrils are flaring, and his puffy eyes are slamming shut. He sneezes harshly into his elbow, dislodging the scarf that's wound around his mouth and nose. It's summer, far too hot for a scarf, but they couldn't find face masks anywhere, and Haru doesn't want to spread his germs. So they bought a thin blue scarf from a street vendor for $10, and now Haru has is wound around his head like it's the dead of winter. Makoto picks it up, and notices that it's drenched in mucus. “You can't wear this,” he says, eyeing the globby deposits. “It's going to be so uncomfortable...”

Haru sighs heavily, then grabs the scarf, wads it up, and blows his nose into it. “Sorry,” he rasps. “It was ruid adyway. I'b sorry I wasted your $10. Snff. We deed to fide face basks before we beet your tour...hh-KKSHH! Hkk-SHH!” The scarf catches the brunt of the sneeze spray, and Haru snuffles into it, groaning. Makoto pats him on the shoulder, trying to be comforting and trying to block out how adorable he thinks it is.

“We're already ruddidg late th-though..EyhhkSHH!”

“That's okay, if you need it I'm happy to take the time to try to find one...” He trails off, not sure he wants to stick with this. They have already checked nearly every shop along the way that could have sold surgical masks, so they could easily spend all day in search of one. Makoto is playing it down, but he does need to make it to the tour on time. Besides that, Haru looks miserable, and Makoto doesn't want him trailing around endlessly in search of something that they might not find. “Do you think they even use these in America?” he asks. “You'd think we'd have found one by now.

“I dod't—HshhHH! I dod't dknow...” Haru blows his nose into the scarf again, prompting Makoto to rub his back in rythmic circles. “Whatever, let's just go. We'll biss the tour otherwise. Snff. I'll just be disgustidg...hhkkSHH!”

“You're already blowing your nose in public, so I don't think it can get any worse from here.” He says this with a smile, hoping not to sound critical. “It's okay, let's just go. I'm sure we'll find something later, we just haven't been looking in the right stores.” He kisses the top of Haru's head, then starts scanning the area for the mythical tour group. Finally, Haru points to a gaggle of students crowding around a teacher. He slams his hand back onto his mouth to contain a coughing fit. Makoto knuckles his back, reminds him to drink his tea. A sip results in a wince and more coughing, forcing Makoto to grab Haru's hand to steady it and make sure no tea spills. “Any time you want to go home, just let me know,” whispers Makoto. “Don't force yourself.”

“S-stop...stop sayid that...hhSHHH! KshH! Snff. I already told you, I'b dot...kkCHH! Abbadodindg you. SNRRK.”

Makoto is about to argue, but he's stopped by a young curly-haired woman who is only slightly taller than his sister, holding a clipboard and saying something he can't understand. Haru nods, then says something in English. His voice is weak, flat, and raspy, and he stops to cough midway through his sentence. “Haru, I can try to talk to her. It sounds like your throat hurts...”

“Do, you're dot goid to udderstad. Snff. She said thad this is the tour for idderdatatiodal studedts. Snnnrf. She wadts to kdow your dabe. Snff.” He wipes his dribbling nose on the scarf, then coughs again. “I told her, but you deed to say what p-prograb...prograHAhhh...programMPHHHCHH!” The sneeze gets muffled in the scarf, which Makoto guides to Haru's face. The sneeze is wet and messy, Haru has to blow his nose six times before he even comes close to clearing it. He pinches the bridge of his nose, tilts his head back, and sighs. The lady with the clipboard says something about Haru, to which he replies...something else. “I told her I habe a cold. Srff. I dod't kdow why she has to ask be that. Snff.”

“I'm sure she's just worried...” Worried, yes. Judging by the creasing of her forehead, probably disgusted too. It is beyond Makoto how anybody could find Haru disgusting, but the girl on the airplane's boyfriend probably felt the same way about her. Or not. Normal people don't think sneezing and sickness are cute. In any case he doesn't want anybody making Haru feel worse than he already does.

Makoto says the name of the program, hoping he's pronouncing it even remotely right. Haru and the lady say some more words to each other, which Haru does not translate. His head rolls onto Makoto's shoulder, and he sighs, then picks himself up and starts walking after the group, which has begun to move. Completely lost, Makoto just follows along.

The rest of the tour isn't any better. While Makoto certainly sees the beautiful buildings and the pretty lawn bedazzled with American students, he doesn't understand what any of the buildings are called or what they're for, and Haru isn't translating anything. He's just stumbling along staring at his feet, breathing heavily. Occasionally, he squints at the tour guide, as if trying to comprehend what she's saying, and gives up. Finally, Makoto gets tired of watching this, and asks, “Haru, are you okay?”

Haru nods, then closes his eyes and breathes shallowly through his mouth for a moment. He ducks his head forward in a “hhkCHH!” and then groans “Bakoto, I deed to go hobe...” He grabs Makoto's arms for support. His legs wobble, and his head droops like a wilted sunflower. He sneezes into Makoto's neck, then starts coughing. Makoto grabs him, steadies him, wraps his arms around him tight. His skin is jumping, goosebumping, and he's muttering about being cold. Makoto runs his hands over his arms, trying to warm him with friction.

“Ohhh, Haru, you poor thing, you're so sick...” Makoto kisses his forehead. People are staring at them, making Makoto blush. He doesn't know if this is a public display of affection thing, or if people are taking issue because they're both male, or because Haru looks like a bio-hazard and they're worried or want to get away, but either way he's nervous. Still, it doesn't matter, what matters is getting Haru back to the hotel and into bed. “Do you need me to carry you?” he asks.

Haru shakes his head, but his legs aren't working right. He's walking, but he's wobbly and one of his eyes is shut. His forehead is steaming like a sidewalk in summer, the fever that's been brewing has gone full-blown. “It's okay. I might not be as strong as you anymore, but I've kept myself in good shape. I can carry you, it's no trouble.” That isn't why Haru's and resisting Makoto knows it, but trying to soothe his pride would just make things worse.

Lifting Haru onto his back is no easy task. It's not that he isn't strong enough, it's just that angling his arms around him and hefting him up when he's not really contributing to the process is awkward. Haru eventually does help by grabbing onto the straps of Makoto's backpack. His head rests in the scoop of Makoto's neck and shoulder, close enough that Makoto can hear his labored breathing. He is breathing, this isn't some kind of infected-lung disaster, but he's obviously having a hard time with it. His nose sounds completely clogged, and his breath is whistling in his throat. He sniffles, says, “I apologize id advadce if I sdeeze od you. I'll try by best dot to but...Hhh...” He ducks his head, lifts the scarf to catch the oncoming “hehkkCHH! Ahh-HEHK! KhhiIICHH! Ughh...”

“Don't worry about it,” says Makoto. This even though he can feel the spitty spray from his sneezes. He doesn't want Haru worrying about anything. Anything. He hasn't done anything wrong by being sick. He's trying to be polite about it. Makoto is the one who should feel guilty. He walks unsteadily down the sidewalk with Haru on his back. His muscles cramp—Haru's heavier than he looks, and the road feels longer when he doesn't know exactly where he's going. Escaping the campus is difficult, and once he's free of the opulant buildings and swaying trees, he's still lost. The streets are lined with booksellers, food carts, and shops all bustling with people making too much noise. Haru presses his ear into Makoto's shoulder, claps a hand over his other ear, groaning about a headache. “I'm sorry Haru, once we get on the train I'll get some aspirin out of my bag for you...”

The train is nowhere to be seen. He doesn't know whether he's going in the right direction or not, and he can't read the street signs. Well, he can read one of them, which is numbers, but not the other which is English words. Five minutes into trudging along, an old woman with dishevelled grey hair and an enormous totebag shouts something nasty at them. Haru doesn't translate or explain, but he glares at her, then bursts into a coughing fit.

Finally, Makoto can see a subway entrance up ahead, but he can't remember if it's the right train. He knows that some of the trains go uptown and some go downtown, and he knows that he's supposed to go downtown, but he can't read the signs and can't ask anybody for help, and Haru is falling asleep on his back. He bites his lip, trudges down the stairs to the underground station, and yelps at a teenager with cornrows and a purple sweatshirt, “Downtown??” Thankfully, she nods and says yes. Makoto understands the word yes. This means they can sit down on the cracked brown benches and wait for the train.

Once in his seat, Haru slumps over onto Makoto, chest quaking with coughs. Sweat slithes down his forehead, and he's sniffling uselessly against a tide of snot. Makoto wipes it off with the scarf, then rubs Haru's shoulder and pulls him into a hug. Haru ducks his head and sneezes, “hkkSHH!”, Makoto pressing the scarf to his nose to catch it.

The train arrives in a rush of silver. Haru groans at having to stand up, so Makoto offers him his arm. “We'll be back at the hotel soon,” he assures him. They plod their way onto the crowded train, managing to find only free seat, which Makoto quickly leads Haru towards. He stands in front of him, guarding him from other passengers and guarding the other passengers from Haru's germs.

He slumps over, hand dragging on the steel pole supporting his weight. This is exhausting. Makoto wants to be home as badly as Haru does, actually what he really wants is to be home, literally in his dorm room, or in Haru's apartment, not standed in an unfamiliar city, without any idea what to do if Haru ends up being seriously ill. How the hell is it possible that he still thinks this is cute? What is wrong with him? It is, though, he's lovely with his petal-pink cheeks and his cherry-red nose, with his rattly, congested breathing. Of course he doesn't actually want Haru to suffer, of course he's worried about him, but... He sighs. “You're going to be okay,” he says, petting the top of Haru's head.

Haru replies with a rib-crunching sneeze.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Natto

[Akahana]

No Haru!! *cries*

[Maus_17]

This was so incredible! It pulled at my heart strings, how Haru was so stubborn in accompanying Makoto even when he felt sick. Poor Haru! He tried to muscle through, and then ended up having to be carried- that seems just like something that would happen IRL. XD amazing job! :3

[EmeraldThread]

I have a deep need for the rest of this. What are you trying to do to me, it's SO BEAUTIFUL, you wonderful person, I just can't. You've not only written my OTP, but you've written my favorite character completely miserable in a place where he's already undoubtedly uncomfortable. You're writing them both so in character, with Makoto's concern for Haru, and Haru's determination to stay with Makoto and do what they'd planned...until he can't. Which brings me to one of my favorite parts:

Finally, Makoto gets tired of watching this, and asks, “Haru, are you okay?”

Haru nods, then closes his eyes and breathes shallowly through his mouth for a moment. He ducks his head forward in a “hhkCHH!” and then groans “Bakoto, I deed to go hobe...” He grabs Makoto's arms for support. His legs wobble, and his head droops like a wilted sunflower. He sneezes into Makoto's neck, then starts coughing. Makoto grabs him, steadies him, wraps his arms around him tight. His skin is jumping, goosebumping, and he's muttering about being cold. Makoto runs his hands over his arms, trying to warm him with friction.

THIS. THIS WHOLE PART. And more, but I didn't want to quote TOO much, but dude, you've mastered making characters super miserable and I love it, sorry Haru. Basically all the parts where Makoto takes care of him because he's become useless...yes. Like okay, the other part is when Makoto carries him, and then Haru starts falling asleep on his shoulder, so Makoto has to navigate the city with basically no English skill at all. I felt bad for him, but also like Makoto how are you going to survive without Haru (not that Haru seemed to be all that helpful in this instance xD;; )? AH. And when Haru sneezes when he's talking, trying to tell Makoto to tell the girl what program he's in, that was BEAUTIFUL. I dunno, I just really love when characters sneeze in the middle of sentences. xD;;;

I seriously cannot wait for the next part of this. Every time I read a chapter, I'm just instantly impatient for the next one and end up reading what's here a bunch of times. ^^;; It's fantastic, though, and I'll be watching for more!

[SapphireSong]

NATTO. UM.

THIS. IS. BEAUTIFUL.

...Seriously, I'm not even sure what to say, I just love this fic so much. >//////< It's got literally everything I could ask for in a MakoHaru fic, just the way I like it. Your characterization is perfect - Makoto being a protective caring boyfriend and Haru's... Haru-ness xDD;; and I really really like the way you're handling the fetish element for Makoto! The whole inner conflict he has of finding Haru superwickedadorable and attractive and yet also being really worried and unhappy for him... it's right on, and I love it. xDD I can't wait to see how that plays out! I love the whole concept/scenario, too - it sucks so much to get sick while you're traveling, which is exactly why it's so beautiful in fic... miserable characters ftw~ and speaking of which. Haru. He's already so sick, poor baby!! How you're writing him though... his sneezes and his overall misery... it's... just.... I can't even tell you in words how I feel about this. Emoticons are necessary. xDD;; This fic is hot. Just saying. I love your spellings for Haru, and your descriptions, and even how he's reacting to all this, how he didn't wanna let Makoto down.... OH and I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with EoG, the part where he asks Makoto to take him home? SJDKFLSDJFKLF. AMAZING. It's like my favorite part so far, that whole scene where he's really weak and sick and feverish and poor Makoto has to carry him back but doesn't know where he's going.... it's just so great. T^T I feel so bad for them both. And yet. I LOVE it. xDDD;; And their relationship, how you write it, is so sweet and exactly how I picture them... so yeah. This is wonderfulawesomeamazing and I can't wait for more!!

Also, as a bit of an aside from all the fangirling lol xD; I really like the writing style you're using for this piece! I'm actually noticing some improvement in your technique/writing mechanics - I've always thought your writing was really good, so that means this piece is... really good. xDDD So thank you for putting so much effort into this and sharing it with us!! It's one of my favorite Free! stories now. =w=

So yeah.... I could literally go on and on and on about how much I love this, and pick apart every detail because I seriously love everything about it. xD;; but then this would be way way too long, so I'll just say THANK YOU SO MUCH NATTO and I CAN'T WAIT to read the rest!!!!

[melonbun]

I always look forward to anything written by you (though I haven't always been commenting )!

Just going to chime in with how awesome this fic is~ (I'm not over my Free! kick either ) I love how super protective Mako was on the plane because he *would* be all caring and motherly with Haru. I thought for sure that he was the one that would end up sick instead of Haru since he had more contact with the girl on the plane and was closer. But I'm not going to complain with either of them. And then poor Haru got sick so fast! I think your characterization was spot on. Haru *would* be really stubborn about it before admitting he needs to go home. I really liked the idea of Haru muffling his sneezes into the scarf too~

Anyways, can't wait to see what happens in the next parts!

[BlobOfGodness]

This was freakin' adorable. I happen to be more than satisfied. Although only having seen the first few Free! episodes, I can tell this is really in character. So cute.

Well done. (I'd be quite pleased if you continued, although you are by no means obligated).

[Natto]

@ElementsofGrey: Hahahaha I'm so glad you like it. I basically wrote about these characters because I know you and SFG would like to see it—my last fic, the RinRei one, was entirely for my own benefit, so I thought this time I'd try writing something other people would enjoy. Not that I don't love them myself, I'm not sure I'd be able to do it otherwise, but I did lean toward these two for you guys, so I'm so happy you're enjoying it!! Thank you so much for commenting.

Yeah—I feel like Haru would feel like he needed to be there for Makoto despite obstacles, since Makoto has done so much for Haru over the course of their lives together. This is a chance for him to help Makoto for once, and he wants to actually use that chance, but he's too ill and he can't. (Not that Haru never helps Makoto, but it is skewed in one direction and I think Haru would be aware of that.) He especially wants to because Makoto seems to agitated about his health, so he wants to prove that he's okay so Makoto won't worry. This part isn't talked about directly in the story since it's Makoto's POV, but that was what I was going for with Haru.

Ahh, that part was so hard to write! I live in NYC and I'm really familiar with the neighborhood I was writing about, so trying to write about it from the perspective of someone who has never been there was hard! XD; So I'm really glad it came out well because it was a challenge. And yes, god, I can't seem to give characters normal colds, they always have to be half-dead and totally wrecked over it. With fetish fic, I don't really see the point if they're not miserable—half the point of the stoy is the misery!! And yeah, I like it when characters sneeze in the middle of sentences too. Like, they need to so badly that they can't finish what they're trying to say.

I do that with fic I really like also, it's very flattering to hear that you read this more than once!! Thanks again for your lovely comment, it made my day.

@ smileyfacegirl^^: I'm so pleased that you like it!! Thank you so much for your long and kind comment.

We talked about this already, but yes, I'm really glad I got the whole fetish thing down correctly. Our fetish can seem sort of sadistic at times since it revolves around other people suffering, but it's not suffering in a really deadly or horrific way, and it's often mixed with more tender feelings. For Makoto I wanted to get across a more caring and empathetic version of the fetish, since I felt like that would be most in character for him. It's also helpful to me writing about that, since sometimes I feel a bit evil for enjoying this sort of thing!!

About the spellings—I always have to reach a bit with Haru because even though we've heard him sneeze, we've never heard him do so while being really miserably ill, just when he was shivery in the audio story and when he had a mild cold in canon. So I can't completely make it up since we have a canon sound to work with, but it can't be exactly the same. I'm glad to see that that worked out.

Really, you think the style has improved?? I'm guessing you've been reading my work for maybe a year now, so that's super cool that you think my actual writing style has changed noticeably during that time. I keep feeling like my style hasn't changed at all, or it's just gotten worse over time, so it's really great to hear otherwise. (I may bother you about what specifically you mean by this later if you don't mind!)

I'm just really glad you love the story so much, and I hope that the rest of it works out for you!! Thank you so much for all your help with its development. I would probably not have even finished the story without you!!

@ melonbun: Well, thank you for commenting this time! It's always nice to know who is actually reading my stuff.

I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get over it. XD; I still have at least one more idea for a forum fic, plus my drabble thread, plus I want to try to write Free stuff OUTSIDE of the forum...it's a fairly absorbing fandom to be part of!! So, you'll hopefully be seeing my stuff here for a while.

Haha, yeah, I tried a little bait-and-switch thing there—like, Makoto tries so hard to make sure that Haru doesn't get sick but no luck there. (I've written a longish Makoto-centered sickfic, so I wanted to give Haru the spotlight this time.) And I'm glad that you think I characterized them correctly. Proper characterization is always very important to me. And I like the “protective-resistant” dynamic between Haru and Makoto, so I wanted to get that across. Thanks again for dropping in with a comment.

@ Blob of Godness: Thank you very much! There is a bit more to the story—two more chapters, in fact. I'm trying to get into the habit of completing things before I start posting—I have a lot of unfinished works on here that make it pretty clear I should be doing that. But this story will definitely be continued. Anyway, I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I highly recommend watching the rest of Free. It's an excellent series and well worth the time.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Natto

[Natto]

Hello everyone! I replied to the comments individually, but I just wanted to say I really appreciate all of them, and everyone who is reading and enjoying the story!! This chapter revolves around Makoto finally admitting his fetish to Haru. So that's a thing. Let me know what you think if you can, and I hope you'll enjoy it!!

Chapter Three

It takes a while, but they make it back to their hotel. Haru manages to walk on his own, though Makoto still keeps a protective arm wrapped around his shoulder. They're both broiling hot, Makoto from the summer sun, Haru from both that and his fever, so the hotel room's air conditioner is welcome indeed. Or at least, Makoto thinks it is until Haru's limbs start quaking and he starts muttering into Makoto's chest about being cold. “Okay, I don't know how to turn off the air conditioner, I don't even know if it's possible, but let's get you into bed, okay?”

Haru nods, smushing his heated cheek against Makoto. He sniffles wetly, then trudges over to the bed. Throws himself down with a thunk and displaces the pillow. He sniffles again, and this time it's a much sharper sound. His breath hitches, his nostrils flare, his eyes water and waver shut. Nothing happens. “Are you okay?” asks Makoto, knowing full well that Haru needs to sneeze. Maybe if he makes him talk, he'll be more likely to actually do it?

“I...d-deed to...deed to...” Another pained and raspy intake of breath, another thick, oceanic sniffle. “I—HAHH...Snff! Snnffff....hhhehhEHH? Hhhh...ahh?” His hands fly up to cover his nose. Makoto lays down next to him, and moves those hands aside, leans in to kiss the damp, pink tip of it. First off he just finds Haru so cute he can't help it, but more importantly, the motion might actually make him sneeze. Maybe once he sneezes he'll be less itchy and congested. Haru's mouth gapes, and his eyes widen. His chest expands like an accordion, and his eyes stream with tears. Makoto kisses the left side of his nose, then the right. When that does nothing, he licks up from the philtrum, drags his tongue along the nostril rims. “B-bakodo, y-you're goid to...goid to getd si-sick....SNNFF!”

“I know, I'm sorry, I'm just trying to help you sneeze so you'll feel better.” Maybe he's behaving a bit ridiculously. He blushes, hoping he hasn't gone too far, hoping he hasn't made Haru upset or freaked out. Was what he just did normal? He really was just trying to help his boyfriend, but he's also fascinated with his nose.

He doesn't have time to think too much on it though, because Haru has finally folded forward in a sneezing fit. “Hh-SHH! KkhhCHH! ASHHHCHH! HehhCHHSHH! Kshh! Kh-hekhhch! Ehh...ehh...hppshh! Snff.” Makoto's shirt is damp with spray. He reaches over Haru to the box of tissues on the bedside table, which Haru snatches gratefully and drains his nose like a resovoir. He groans, and burrows into Makoto's arms. “I feel awful,” he wheezes. “I dod't thidk I'll be able to go out toborrow--” He stops, interrupted by a flurry of coughs. Makoto rubs circles on his shoulder blades.

“Of course not,” says Makoto. “You should stay in bed.” He kisses Haru's neck, feels it blazing with fever. “You're only going to get sicker if you push yourself.”

“I dod't wadt to ruid your first tibe outd of Japad...kshh!” The sneeze hits Makoto right in the chest. Haru looks at the droplets of mist fading into the fabric of his shirt, but says nothing. Makoto threads his finger's through Haru's tangled, sweaty hair and tells him it's completely okay. “You cad go out add do whatever you wadt toborrow..snff. You could go to the pa...parkehhCHH! HhCHH!” Haru's arms go up over his head, and he groans.

“I...I don't want to leave you alone when you're feeling this awful,” says Makoto. It's hard to get the words out. His cheeks are burning nearly as hot as Haru's are. It is deeply embarrassing to be laying in bed with Haru when he's so viciously adorable and he can't do anything about it. He can hug him and kiss him, but only in a comforting way. Which, of course, he wants to do. He want Haru to feel better, and he wants to take care of him, but he also wants to watch his pink nose sniffle and sneeze. He sighs. “I um...look, you should go to sleep, huh? That might make you feel better. Let me, um, let me help you get your shoes off.”

Haru gives him a look. Steely and loaded with meaning, though still puffy and blurred with disease. “Bakoto,” he rasps. Then says nothing for a while, his eyes closed. Makoto sits there with his heart pounding. Has Haru realized how oddly he's approaching this whole thing? The nose licking thing before was just weird. He has no idea why he did it, it was stupid stupid stupid...why isn't Haru saying anything? Does he hate him now? Is he just too sick to speak? Finally, Haru breaks the silence with a coughing fit. Then he says, “you're actid stradge. Snff. Whad's wrodg?”

“Nothing! I'm just worried about you, that's all.” Yeah, that's why his hands are quaking and he can't look Haru in the eye. “I, um...”

“Whatever it is, just tell be. Snff. If you dod't, I'll be worryidg aboudt idt while I'b tryid to fall asleep. I'b exhausted, so dod't do that to be. Srff.”

“Well, Haru, this isn't exactly something that's easy to say. I mean, um, I....” Now Makoto's entire face is lobster-red. Is he really going to admit to his fetish now, while Haru is feeling so terrible? Wouldn't that be offensive? He'd have the right to be angry at Makoto for enjoying his suffering, wouldn't he? Wouldn't any normal person get angry about that? Haru doesn't have the energy to get up and leave, but he'd have every right to throw him out of the room and make him sleep on the streets until their flight came. He'd have every right to break up with him and never speak to him again. Makoto buries his face in one of the enormous white hotel pillows and groans. “I don't how to say this...you're going to hate me...”

“Bakoto, we've dkowd each other our entire lives. There's dothidg you could tell be that would bake be hadte you.” He pauses for a long, wet noseblow. “Just tell be already. Snff.”

“I...”

“Hkshh! You...?”

“I um, I...well...” He lifts his face from the pillow, tries looking at Haru and then finds that he can't bear it. He can't help thinking that this will be the last time they ever see each other, and he'd rather focus on the lifetime of memories then on Haru in bed next to him, waiting to hear something awful about his boyfriend. Makoto sighs, the sound dragging out of his chest. “I um...I think you're adorable when you're sick. More adorable than usual I mean, you're always adorable!! But I um... I just, in general I think that sneezing and sickness are really cute and um, sort of hot, so...it's not that I want you to suffer or anything, and it's not that I'm not worried about you, but you're just really really cute and I want to kiss you all over your face and ahhhh....” He covers his face with his hands, then peeks out to check Haru's reaction.

Haru's expression is no different than it was before. Still cold and smooth with no visible feeling, other than the swollen irritation of illness. He shrugs, then drapes a lazy arm over Makoto's shoulder. “Is thatd all?” he rasps. “Why're you gettidg so worked up aboud that? Snff. You kdow I have a water fetish, this isd't ady weirder. You wedt out of your way to try to stop be frob gettidg sick, so clearly you care about by well-beid ad dot just gettidg off. Snff.” He coughs into Makoto's chest, too tired to bother covering his mouth. Then his nose wrinkles, and his head rears back in another sneeze, “Kshh! Ugh...I'b glad at least ode of us is edjoyid this. Dow I'b less worried about ruidid your trip—hkk-SHH! Ah-SHH!” He sneezes openly, the tip of his nose grazing Makoto's collarbone. “Is that gross or do you like that? Snff.”

“Nothing about you is gross,” says Makoto, tears brewing in his eyes. He wraps Haru in the tightest hug that he possibly can. “Thank you so much Haru. I'm so happy that you don't hate me. I'd understand it if you did.”

“That's stupid. Adybody who would hate you over that is stupid.” He pecks Makoto on the cheek, then sits up slowly to rid himself of shoes. “You cad kiss be if you wadt, but I'b too tired to do buch...snff.”

Makoto kisses Haru on the cheek, the pulls him as close to his body as he can without Haru somehow phasing into his flesh. He brushes back his fever-damp hair and tells him how much he loves him, and how lucky he is to have him in his life. He wraps his legs around Haru's waist, kisses his ears and his shoulders, strokes his face and ends up mumbling his love into the back of Haru's neck. “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me,” he murmurs. “I was so worried about what you'd think. When we sat next to that girl on the plane I thought I was going to die, because if you got sick I wouldn't be able to hide what I was feeling and also I want you to be okay and I'm just...just so happy you understand. I love you so much Haru-chan.”

Haru grunts his approval without saying anything. There's nothing left to say that requires words. He doesn't need to convince Makoto of anything anymore, so he can fall back into comfortable silence. Makoto knows that Haru loves him, he doesn't need to hear him say it. For nearly an hour they lay there on the bed, with the light still on and Makoto still wearing his shoes. Finally, they extract themselves from their tangle of limbs, Haru to cough and lay back down, Makoto to peel back the blankets and drape them over Haru.

“I'm going to go to the lobby to get hot water for tea,” he says. There's no reply, because Haru has suddenly swooned into sleep. “Or maybe I'll do that later,” he says, slipping off his shoes, switching off the light, and crawling under the covers with him. It's early still, and they'll need to wake up for dinner later, but for now all Makoto wants to do is hold his boyfriend while he sleeps.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Natto

[A-Place-To-Be-Me]

So. Much. Cute.

I don't even ship this normally (or m/m in general), but this... <3 Natto, you are a wizard.

[Not_Telling]

OH MY GOD NATTO THIS WAS FREAKING AMAZING.

EVERYTHING YOU DID WITH THIS IS JUST SO AMAZINGLY FREAKING AMAZING.

JUST...JUST...ALSIVAWOILJSVKBAOWIELJKSVNCAWEGFICLADWBCS THE WAY THAT MAKOTO WAS ALL EMBARRASSED AN EVERYTHING WHEN HE WAS TELLING HARU ABOUT HIS FETISH WAS THE MOST ADORABLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!!

[BlobOfGodness]

Well, that was marvelous. If I do say so, God that fantastic.

And the licking thing. Gog, the licking thing. I didn't expect to like that but, Jeez that was really good.

I was also stifling laughter at the 'water fetish' comment. Nicely, NICELY done. You get a cookie.

[melonbun]

@ melonbun: Well, thank you for commenting this time! It's always nice to know who is actually reading my stuff.

I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get over it. XD; I still have at least one more idea for a forum fic, plus my drabble thread, plus I want to try to write Free stuff OUTSIDE of the forum...it's a fairly absorbing fandom to be part of!! So, you'll hopefully be seeing my stuff here for a while.

I know what you mean! The season might be over, but the fandom lives on~ I'll definitely keep an eye out for anything else you put out. I'm like 90% sure I've already read your Mako fic. (I love all of 'em, but Haru is my favourite so I'm really biased towards this fic. )

Makoto lays down next to him, and moves those hands aside, leans in to kiss the damp, pink tip of it. First off he just finds Haru so cute he can't help it, but more importantly, the motion might actually make him sneeze. Maybe once he sneezes he'll be less itchy and congested. Haru's mouth gapes, and his eyes widen. His chest expands like an accordion, and his eyes stream with tears. Makoto kisses the left side of his nose, then the right. When that does nothing, he licks up from the philtrum, drags his tongue along the nostril rims. “B-bakodo, y-you're goid to...goid to getd si-sick....SNNFF!”

Oh man, I don't know where to begin with Chapter 3. The way that you write Makoto trying to induce Haru was incredible and sensual. Your descriptions are so freaking amazing. *melts at the part where Makoto is LICKING HIS NOSE* And then the second hand embarrassment while Makoto is trying to confess about his fetish. SO GOOD. Not to mention the bit you added about Haru's water fetish. Never thought of it that way before, but it all makes sense now. The spontaneous stripping compulsion when near water, talking to the water, sleeping in the bath. . .

Edited October 21, 2014 by melonbun

[42686]

aahhh you've blessed us with another fic

this is adorable and so well written <3

also i've been waiting for so long to read something with lose licking to be perfectly honest

[Akahana]

Uuuuugh you captured the anxiety of admitting our odd fetish!!! I think we all know exactly how Makoto feels and it's just scary. And Haru's not even fazed by it and is even willing to endulge him a little.

Also Haru having a water fetish is freaking adorable. I could imagine that the reason he can't help Makoto out of the pool is because it would leave him hopelessly aroused <3. But Makoto never minds and enjoys being the one to always help Haru out of the water.

This couple will be the end of me I swear...

[Akahana]

Uuuuugh you captured the anxiety of admitting our odd fetish!!! I think we all know exactly how Makoto feels and it's just scary. And Haru's not even fazed by it and is even willing to endulge him a little.

Also Haru having a water fetish is freaking adorable. I could imagine that the reason he can't help Makoto out of the pool is because it would leave him hopelessly aroused <3. But Makoto never minds and enjoys being the one to always help Haru out of the water.

This couple will be the end of me I swear...

[Maus_17]

Aw, how adorable! I love how Mako told Haru his feelings, and how courageous he was even after all of that internal conflict. Amazing! I loved this so much! <3

[Akahana]

Not gonna lie I'm hoping we get just a little sneeziness from Mako too

Can't wait for the final part <3

[EmeraldThread]

FAVORITE. CHAPTER.

Okay this is really beautiful, it just keeps getting better. Miserable Haru is my favorite, and you're writing him and concerned/fetishist Makoto absolutely wonderfully (so much so that I've read this 5 or 10 times since you posted it). X3 Every time a chapter ends, or I know I'm getting close to the end, I'm like "no...no...no it can't end yet why." I don't even know where to start telling you everything I love about it, so I guess the beginning is good, and I'll just go ahead and narrate your fic back to you because I love it all?

The way you describe Haru's sneeze getting stuck is fantastic. And I love that Makoto tries to get him to talk and help it along at first, and Haru breaking off his sentence every time because he has to sneeze is just...yes. Thank you. Andthenhegoesandlickshisnosewhat. I wasn't really expecting that, but I'm definitely not opposed to it. At all. X3 I just love their reactions to it and Haru's fit, your spellings are great, I don't even know what else to say except they fit him really well. Also, Makoto's awkwardness before he tells Haru about his fetish? Super adorable, and definitely relatable. It's just wicked cute how he's like "Haru it's not that easy" and Haru's just like "whatever it's fine" after he finally does tell him. Their actions and everything are just perfect, and I feel like I always just end up telling you that you write them so in character, but it's TRUE, and it makes reading your fics that much more enjoyable. Especially Makoto's rambling - before I even read it, I was hoping you'd do that kind of thing for him and was really pleased when you did. xD;; And then when Haru sneezes on him and asks him if he likes it!! I don't know, that part was cute, and I'm in total agreement with Makoto here - his sneezes (both of theirs) ARE really cute and sort of hot (or really hot...).

Natto, thank you SO much for writing this, especially with sfg and me in mind! And I think you're right - Haru doesn't want Makoto to worry, so he does try to keep that to a minimum and help him with big things like this, where he knows Makoto needs him to be there. You did a really good job making them lost in a place you're familiar with, then, because I had no idea where they were going and was like THANK GOD THEY FOUND THE TRAIN when they finally got there. Also, zero complaints from me on making the characters miserable. xD;;

As always, I can't wait for the next part!!

[Natto]

Hey everybody! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments. I'm going to forgo answering them, even though I greatly appreciate them, because I'm swamped with schoolwork and I'm never going to end up actually posting the last chapter if I save it until I have time to reply to you all. I apologize, but please know that they mean so incredibly much to me and I'm so grateful that you all took the time to tell me what you think of my work.

Anyway, on with the show! This last chapter is a short one, just about two pages. In this chapter, Makoto catches Haru's cold, and has some thoughts in the ocean. I hope you enjoy it, and that you'll let me know how what you think.

~`~`~

Chapter Four

“Ahh...the ocead is cold...” Makoto winces as the salty waves lap at his feet. Usually, jumping straight into cold water isn't a problem, as a swimmer it's something he's used to, but as of last night he's come down with a cold of his own. It isn't too bad yet, and Makoto is determined to make the most of their trip now that Haru is feeling well enough to get out of bed. The beach wasn't Makoto's first choice, but Haru insisted on it. “I cad't leave Aberica without experiedcidg the water here,” he'd said, his voice still sounding scratchy and clogged. “I bight dever get to see the Adladtic Ocead again. Snff! Ad by toborrow you're goid to be too sick to leave the roob, so...”

So they ended up taking a very long train ride out to Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn. They heard about Jones Beach, which was allegedly nicer, but it required taking an entirely differently set of trains than the one they'd only just barely gotten used to—a line called the LIRR, which actually led outside of the city. Makoto wasn't ready for that. He let Haru figure out the route to Coney Island on the the regular subway, while he collected supplies to get them both through a day out with their illness.

Now, they're standing in the ocean, both of them too congested to smell the combination of salt, seagull poop, and garbage. Compared to the beaches on Iwatobi, this one is dirty and crowded and unpleasant. Usually, Makoto wouldn't mind crowded. The beach is full of children building sandcastles and splashing water at each other, something he'd be happy to see if it were his own siblings, or if he felt well enough to appreciate the children's joy. Right now, though, the frigid ocean is making him shiver, the salty water is making his itchy nose itchier and his sore throat sorer. His chest expands, his nostrils flare, and he sneezes, “HA-ASHH! IIIk-SHHOO!” into the weak lapping waves by his feet.

Standing next to you, Haru hums his disapproval. “Letd's get all the way idto the water,” he rasps. “You'll feel better, I probise. Snff.”

“I'b pretty sure that all the trash in this water is goid to bake us sicker,” groans Makoto, grabbing Haru's wrist, which is already salty and wet.

“Id's dot poisodous, id's just paper and candy wrappers—hadg od...” Haru's nostrils quiver, and his eyes scrunch shut. “Kh-ehhch! It's water. It's fide. You'll be fide.”

Haru isn't saying much, so Makoto fills it in for himself. The water is vitality, the water is breath and life and beauty and healing. The water is how we connect to each other. The water is healing. For Makoto this isn't quite the case. The ocean has always scared him. When he was younger, the fear verged on phobia. Now, as a newly-minted adult, it still makes him nervous, but less so holding Haru's hand. Water is connection, that much is true. At least with Haru, the most important person he could ever connect with.

The water isn't exactly going to cure their colds, but standing here in the sparkling sun with his toes digging into the sand, Makoto is less focused on his stuffy nose and aching head. More importantly, he's less focused on Haru's similar problems. He sees his boyfriend's chapped lips and rose-red nose, but they don't make him nervous or guilty or worried. Haru be fine, and Haru won't judge him for liking it just a little. Maybe he should stop judging the water for having a little trash in it. Maybe he should try enjoying the water the way Haru does. Haru does look beautiful with his tanned skin studded with shining droplets of seawater. Makoto leans over and kisses Haru on the cheek, nibbling his bottom lip and wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

“I love you so buch,” he says, brushing Haru's hair behind his ear. He ducks his head to sneeze again, “Hahh-AHHKK'CHH!”

“I love you too. Snff. Sorry agaid for gettidg you sick...hkkshh!” Haru wipes his nose on the back of his wrist. Makoto kisses his cheek and promises him it's fine. Haru resplies by disappearing under the water, left foot splashing Makoto across the chest. Makoto doesn't follow him—he just laughs and gathers Haru into a hug as soon as he surfaces.

[Akahana]

Awwwwww my babies I love all of them~~ <3<3