Could It Be True? (Makoharu)

4 - Rewired Brian

Swim practice, to say the least, brought Makoto on to a whole other level with the physical concept of wanting to be in a relationship with Haruka.

When the changing rooms were vacant, except for the lingering silhouettes of Makoto and Haruka, Makoto found himself blushing profusely when his best friend got undressed. And even if he had seen Haruka in nothing—nothing at all—more times than he could count, it still had an excruciatingly crude effect on him.

Only, Makoto realised that it was just now having this remarkably impure desire wiring his brain. A bit more than my brain, Makoto thought, internally slapping his lewd thoughts away. To be quite frank, he had never really thought about sex, especially between two males. And according to the not-so-discreet boys in his class, it was an experience you should definitely invest in as quickly as you can. Makoto always tuned their bizarre hormone-induced rationalities out of his head. He was more focused on the simplicities relationships had to offer: handholding, kisses on the cheek, small dates at a local restaurant. All of those small, yet meaningful moments were the circuit to Makoto's innocent brain.

That was, until he finally admitted his feelings for Haruka. Now he imagined sensual scenes that made his stomach churn with heat as unforgivable as the flames of Hell. A Hell that was Haruka Nanase, of course. A beautiful tragedy; fire so elegantly dancing on Makoto's heart, slowly burning a hole right in the middle.  He had to admit, this foreign feeling was definitely one he could get used to.  But, he also knew that he couldn't act upon the scenarios his mind created with an R rating.  Explicit content in all forms enveloped the rational and reasonable side of his thought process.  Content that he would never let get the best of him.  Even if that's what he wanted more than anything.

Makoto would just have to deal with these problems on his own.

"How about that?  That was such a great first practice!" Nagisa announced with enthusiasm, his fists reaching towards the darkening sky.  Stars sprinkled their way into the dark purple and red sunset, layering Iwatobi's small town with a taste of serendipity.  Serendipity is definitely what I'm feeling, Makoto thought, gazing at his best friend through ebony hair and into the eyes of essence and liveliness.  He would never get over how stunning Haruka was.  He could stare at him all day without getting bored of his rare beauty. 

"Tomorrow, practice will be even more exquisite!" Rei exclaimed.  Nagisa hollered in response, and Makoto gave an all too excited "yeah!"  Haruka stared at the sunset, the colours of the sky reflecting in his eyes.  He seemed deep in thought, like he was on the verge of discovering the cure for cancer.  However when Makoto touched his shoulder, bringing him back to reality, he gave the slightest smile to his friends that only happened when he thought they had accomplished something wonderful. 

"I think this year will be good," Haruka said, the smile fading as suddenly as it had come.  His voice was soft, laced with hope.  Wishful.  It made Makoto want to embrace him, tell him that he felt this year would be amazing too.  Especially if he got to spend it with Haruka.

"If only the school would let summer practice happen again. . ." Nagisa said, a gloomy narrowing in his eyes and a slump replacing his once perfect posture. It was incredible how Nagisa could change from the highest of highs to a down low in such little time.  But it was also incredible how Iwatobi High decided against continuing summer practice for the swim club.  Summer, after all, was the season of swimming. 

Although Haruka took the lack of summer practice as an opportunity, substituting his lost time to the school club for a natural balance of competitive swimming on some days, and lazy, mellow swimming on others.  In fact, Haruka swam exceptionally more over the summer than when the swim club collected his strokes.  He had all day, every day to be as fluent with the water as a dolphin.

Makoto would love to see Haruka shirtless again.  Now, it interrupted his admiration for Haruka's swimming.  Makoto wanted to see him swim not only to watch his graceful strokes, but also to notice how toned and lean Haruka was. 

"We're going to make a simple stop by the sports shop, would either of you like to join?" Rei asked.  Makoto glanced towards Haruka, asking him with his cheeky gaze if he wanted to accompany Rei and Nagisa or not.  Ocean eyes looked back at Makoto with a pleading look that said, please, not right now. He smiled at the desperation entrenched in Haruka's blue layers, then cleared his throat before speaking.

"Haru and I have to study for an English test tomorrow, so we'll pass.  You two have fun though."  Rei nodded in understanding, while Nagisa gave an emotional awwww.  Their dispersion was painfully extended, due to Nagisa's undying protest for Haruka and Makoto to join them.  Eventually Makoto managed to talk him out of his childish argument, dodging his pouts and huge, wide eyes of indescribable reconsideration.  Nagisa always had that effect on his friends, tempting them with his cute, puppy-like expressions.

But now, alone with Haruka, Makoto found his breathing was ragged and his heartbeat was thrumming against his chest, begging for him to pay close attention to how much his best friend made his body ache with love and lust.  This now slowly aquatinted feeling was eating him alive, exposing the flesh that held his feelings so tightly compacted.  Get ahold of yourself, you idiot, Makoto thought, letting a shaking breath out that Haruka was destined to hear. 

And of course, Haruka did hear it.  He looked up at Makoto with hesitant eyes, as if he were trying to contemplate whether to ask if he was alright or not.  He seemed to brush it off, turning back to face the cracked pavement.  But his eyes still held a sense of doubt.  Makoto knew Haruka most likely wasn't going to ask him about it, he wouldn't know how to handle a situation of such intensity.  He wasn't much of a comfort figure.  And, Makoto was more than happy that this wasn't one of those rare times where Haruka did ask if he was okay.  He wouldn't have been able to explain himself.  His words would jumble up in the mess of his mind and he would end up blurting out something way too incomprehensible for Haruka to understand.  Instead he just decided to put his hand on Haruka's shoulder and grin at him with blinding beauty.

Makoto could have sworn he felt Haruka shudder against the palm of his hand.

And now, Makoto's mind was on turmoil, filling with lust-induced ideas.  He thought of all the ways he could make Haruka shudder with pleasure.  He thought of the electric feeling of having his hands on his best friends' sculpted body, the red hue that would appear on his face, the way his eyes would flutter closed.  Makoto was definitely breathing with not-so-fluent repetition now.

"Haru-chan, I think I'm gonna stop by my house before we study at yours," Makoto said, slowly, cautiously. He was so extremely frightened that a vulgar word would fly past his tongue before he had the chance to keep it in. Haruka nodded his head, blinking with pretty, delicate flutters of his eyelashes.

"Just come over when you're ready."

"Will do, Haru-chan."

"Cut it out, stop using '-chan'." Makoto chuckled, waving Haruka off as he ran down the corner that connected to his home. He opened the front door with an urgent need to just get inside, away from Haruka's piercing eyes and wickedly gorgeous body. He was an demon in disguise; mocking the presence of an heavenly angel. Or maybe, it was the other way around. Maybe Haruka was an angel in disguise. Makoto didn't know. And he intended to keep it that way. At least for now.