Child Haru & Makoto

[backstrorca]

[He honestly wasn't sure how it happened. Or why, or how it was logistically (or feasibly) was possible--

--but that didn't stop the reality that a Haru that Makoto only believed was left in his memories was here before him.

The small boy couldn't be much older than Ran and Ren were now--if he was older that was. Makoto was already too flabbergasted to accurately judge how old exactly this child could be. But he was undeniably Haru. The same Haru that he knew back then...and really not much different than the Haru he knew now. At least expression-wise.

Makoto kneels down to be eye level with the boy, giving him a cautious smile.]

Haru-chan, right?

Comments

[asight]

[This is thankfully before the time Haru starts fussing about the honorifics, and even if it isn't, Haru's too preoccupied by this tall, tall version of Makoto to even care. He doesn't take a step back - he's not scared, this is clearly Makoto - but he doesn't hold back his surprise.]

Of course it's me.

[He grumbles, not sure how to take all this. Makoto is so tall now. And mature. It's not fair. He shoves his hands in his pockets, looking to the side.]

Ma...koto. [Is he still allowed to call him that?]

[backstrorca]

["Of course it's me." A perfectly Haru thing to say from this small Haru-yet-not-Haru in front of him. If Makoto had any concerns of the child being a strange doppelganger and not actually a younger version of his best friend, they would certainly be disprove now.

Makoto has to laugh a bit at the ridiculousness of it all, a wide smile on his face. He still has no idea how this happened, but that's pressed to the back-burners for now at the novelty of the situation.]

Yep, Makoto is right! You can just call me Makoto, Haru-chan. Seems like you've come a long way, huh.

[asight]

[Haruka pouts frowns. This isn't how they're supposed to be - this isn't how Haruka and Makoto are. They're supposed to be on the same grounds and equal and best friends. Not a- a babysitter and child!]

I guess...

[He turns back to face Makoto, sizing him up.]

You're really tall.

[It seems so strange to him, and he doesn't like it!!]

We can't play when you're like this.

[backstrorca]

[Makoto is almost surprised at how blunt this young Haru is, but it's really not far off the mark of how Haru is now. He apparently got better at not vocalizing his more crass thoughts, which is another observation that has Makoto chuckling to himself.]

Sorry about being so tall. [Why did he feel like he needed to apologize for that?] I've grown a lot over the years, I guess! You'll get taller too, don't worry.

[He has to wonder if Haru was always miffed about him growing taller now, and he makes a mental note to ask about it later.]

I don't see why we still can't play though. I know I'm not the Makoto you know now, but I'm still your friend regardless.

[asight]

[Well, he's pleased to hear that, anyway. He never had any doubts, but it's still nice to have it confirmed. Makoto right now has to be, like, ten years older or something. He looks like a proper adult and everything.

Does he get just as tall, he wonders? And as muscular? Do they still share popsicles- do adults even have popsicles? He looks up at Makoto with large, curious eyes, all his questions flashing across them because he refuses to be too much of a pest about it.]

We were going to go to the playground together.

[backstrorca]

[Haru looks at him so eagerly--and Makoto is actually amazed at how easy he is to read. Easier even, at this age, as if hasn't quite built up all the walls around his emotions yet. The unspoken questions sound out loud in his mind, but of course this is still Haru and they go unsaid.]

Were we? We went there a lot I remember.

[It had been a long time since he and Haru had gone to the playground, but he remembers spending several afternoons there, on days they had no swim club meetings, and even more before they started swimming.]

We can still go if you want, Haru-chan. I think it would be fun, though I might not fit on the jungle-gym as well as I used to.

[asight]

If we're going to go anywhere, it should be somewhere Makoto can go, too.

[Said in the huffiest way possible, like duh, Makoto!! Get it together. How are they gonna play if he can't get on the jungle gym or go down the slides! He supposes they can at least swing together.]

Do you want to swim?

[A slight sparkle in his eye, but mostly he suggests it because he knows Makoto likes to swim together.]

[backstrorca]

[More and more has this conversation become eerily parallel to real-life situations he find himself in with Haru on a daily basis--only perhaps with a bit more sulkiness. Surprising really, but nevertheless amusing and dear to him.

Makoto has to raise his hands in defeat to the playground comment, feeling the need again to apologize for making such a silly suggestion--but stops himself this time.]

Swimming sounds great! It's always fun to swim with you, Haru-chan. We get to do it a lot now, and it makes me really happy.

[asight]

[There are some things about their relationship that will never change, and that's a thought Haru quickly packs away to examine later. He thinks to run, like they usually do, but one look at Makoto's legs and he knows he'd have no chance of keeping up.

Hufffffffffff.]

What are you talking about...

[He turns his head to the side again.]

Let's go.

[backstrorca]

[It takes all of Makoto's self-control to not burst out laughing again, but it's impossible to keep his amusement off his face. He wouldn't be able judge normal-Haru as much for being moody, that much was for sure. But Makoto is still determined to gently ease in answers to some of Haru's unasked questions, so he's plenty prepared to deal with any form of pout this small Haru could throw at him.]

Alright. We can go to the swim club to swim then, though it was recently remodeled so it's a little different than what you remember.

[Makoto offers his hand first without thinking--it's what he did with Haru countless times when they were young and what he does for his little siblings all the time now--but he has to wonder if Haru will even take it. He certainly would if they were still young, but this dynamic already seems to have the other on the defense.]

[asight]

Remodeled? What was wrong with it?

[Last he remembered, the swim club was perfectly fine despite being pretty old. Did they just add some new facilities or something? Maybe a bigger pool?

Haru looks at Makoto's hand for a moment, thinking how weird it was to be so large, but eventually slips his hand into that bigger palm. He's not adverse to holding hands with Makoto - they do it all the time, after all - but it's just. Different. Yet so similar at the same time.]

[backstrorca]

[Makoto has to admit that his heart does a little flip when this smaller Haru takes his hand with only a moment of hesitation--huffy or not, it didn't change the fact that this was still the friend he remembered from his childhood. And that friend was being pretty damn cute at the moment.

Haru's hand is so small in his, about the same size as Ran's or Ren's. That alone is enough to invoke feelings of protectiveness towards the younger boy, as well a strange awkwardness. He was so used to the size of Haru's hand now; holding a hand that was so small just made Makoto feel clumsy, like he was going somehow to break him.]

Can you believe that they almost tore the swim club down? We weren't able to swim there for a few years. But we started our own swim club instead, and now the old club is open again so we can swim there too.

[Makoto gently leads Haru down the path they have taken so many times before--and continue to take well into this Haru's future.]

[asight]

[Haru may be a brat, but he's generally a well-mannered brat. He doesn't act out, doesn't throw tantrums, doesn't jump and swing around or chase after imaginary things. He just walks by Makoto silently, though at the news his expression scrunches.]

A few years? Then how did we swim?

[The ocean isn't the same. And Makoto-

A look up. Does this Makoto like the ocean?]

[backstrorca]

[More unspoken questions light up on Haru's face like a neon sign, and Makoto's gentle smile only becomes more endeared.]

We swam together in middle school, and the pool wasn't closed down until then. [Wait, maybe he shouldn't go much futher down this train of thought, now that he thinks about it.] There's also a pool in the city nearby that we would go to sometimes with Ran and Ren--ah, I guess they would be pretty young if you know of them though. You also took a lot of long baths to make up for lost time!

[Makoto pauses, debating on how to approach the unspoken question. The little furrow of concern in the other's brow was too obvious.]

We didn't really go to the ocean much! And I guess that was out of consideration for me. We had other places to visit if we wanted to swim.

[They didn't get to visit those places often, and it wouldn't be until high school again where they were really able to swim with each other again. But considering everything turned out fine, he felt guiltless enough leaving that part out.]

[asight]

[Haru nods as he takes in the information, absorbs it without really committing it to memory. Though as well as Makoto can read Haru- despite the age gap, Haru can still see hints and signs in Makoto. He notices that pause.]

It's too sandy anyway. And the waves makes it hard to swim.

[A huffy response. Although he does very much enjoy swimming in the ocean, for Makoto's sake, he doesn't mind giving it up.]

[backstrorca]

[It was certainly a huffy way of saying that "it's okay to be afraid, I don't mind not swimming in the ocean" but the point still rang true. Makoto offered the boy a smile, chuckling a bit to himself as they crossed a bridge, almost halfway to the swim club.]

Thank you for taking good care of me, Haru-chan.

[And it was true, this Haru and the Haru he knew know had always and would always take care of him in ways he couldn't even hope to repay.]

We get to swim together all the time now though, so it's not a long break.

[asight]

[Haru flusters, his head turning to the side, a habit he still has in his older years.]

What are you talking about...

[His grip strengthens, as if silently asking Makoto to change the subject. Because he's too embarrassed to do anything else but sulk at Makoto's gratitude.]

[backstrorca]

[Truly, this was a smaller version of the Haru he knew now, and Makoto was endlessly amused at the similarities. It wasn't if the Haru he knew now hadn't matured--but some things never changed. So many mannerisms he could clearly see Haru doing in his mind had been played out by this smaller version of him.

Luckily for Haru's embarrassment they have finally hit civilization, almost upon the swim club itself. Makoto does Haru the favor of switching gears.]

They repainted the outside of the club, but we should be able to see it pretty soon, Haru-chan. They even made the pool a little bigger.

[asight]

[And there's that sparkle in Haru's eyes, the same sparkle he still gets at just the thought of being able to swim. He clutches Makoto's hand tighter in anticipation.]

Oh...

[He looks up at him with those wide, innocent blues, as if asking silent permission for them to hurry and get on with it.]

[backstrorca]

[Makoto would never stop being amazed at how open this young Haru was, and how easily his emotions would show up on his face. He gives a gentle smile to his young friend, leaning over just a bit so their height difference wasn't so extreme.]

We're almost there, so let's hurry! The pool is waiting for you, Haru-chan.

[Makoto gives the hand in his a small squeeze and lengthens his gate, speeding into a fast walk. It takes them a little more than a minute to finally arrive at the doors of the swim club, and Makoto gives pause for Haru to take in the new appearance.]

[asight]

[He squeezes back, nearly jogging just to keep up with Makoto's long legs. But he doesn't mind because with each second they're getting closer and closer to the pool, to the water. His skin's already tingling at the thought.]

Ah...

[His blue eyes widen a bit more at his surroundings. He can smell the chlorine, and--

He blinks, looking over at the wall full of pictures. He doesn't move over just yet, but he sees himself - him and Rin and Nagisa and Makoto - and he also sees.

Is that his older self? He can't tell from his current position.]

[backstrorca]

[Makoto notice's Haru's gaze on the picture that still stood of them in the new swim club. He gently tugs Haru over so he can get a better look--knowing he was probably curious but not wanting to ask.]

We've been a in a few more tournaments since we were young. Made some new friends too. Coach still helps us out in high school when we have time, so he likes to put our pictures up here when we do well.

[He has to laugh a bit--it felt strange to explain all these current happenings to someone who wouldn't experience them for a few years.]

One of our new friends joined our swim team before he even knew how to swim. But he tries very hard, and has helped us in a lot of ways.

[asight]

[Huff!]

You're still taller.

[When does Makoto get so tall?? So rude.

Ah, but-]

Rin comes back?

[His eyes sparkle with quiet happiness.]

[backstrorca]

The frustration at the height difference makes Makoto chuckle to himself, trying to make his amusement not too obvious. Makoto knew he was tall, but he didn't think it would bother Haru this much.

Ah but it seems his little friend is distracted with something else.]

Yes. Rin comes back during high school and we get to swim with him again.

[Makoto has to smile himself. It was a snapshot into the past, talking with Haru like this. But it was nice to know that some things he valued then would probably not change.

Of course there was always more of the story to tell, but there was no reason to spoil the future this much anyways.]

Are you ready to see the improved pool, Haru-chan?

[asight]

[Haru smiles, knowing that he gets to swim with Rin again. He- really misses him, even if he doesn't say it. He'll never forget that sight he saw during their relay.

But at the mention of the pool, Haru looks up, eyes wide and full of anticipation.]

Mm. I'm ready.

[backstrorca]

[Ah, and some things really don't change at all, and probably never well. He gets the same glance from Haru that he has seen countless times before whenever a chance to get into the water is presented to him.

It softens Makoto's smile, and makes his heart feel almost feel lighter.]

Then let's go to the locker room--ah wait, do you have a swimsuit, Haru-chan?

[Makoto starts to head towards the locker rooms anyways. Haru wore his jammers now almost every second of the day, and it was hard to think of a time when Haru wasn't prepared for any opportunity to swim.]

[asight]

[Haru shakes his head. This is before he starts wearing them under his clothes.]

I keep it in my bag.

[Which he doesn't have with him. And which regular Haru hasn't had in years.]

I can borrow a spare. I don't mind it.

[backstrorca]

[They're entering the locker room now, Makoto taking a moment to open one of the larger closets near the doorway.

Being new, the swim club was equipped with plenty of new spare suits for the kids who wanted to "test the waters"--as well as some spare wet suits Makoto had borrowed himself when he volunteered at the club.

Makoto of course, had his own leg suit in his schoolbag, which he had brought with him. He sets it down on one of the benches, digging it out.]

Then feel free to pick one that fits you. I'll meet you in a second.

[Changing in front of Haru now would be...weird. So he walks over into one of the other parts of the locker room to change himself.]

[asight]

[Haru nods and heads off the area where he remembers the spare suits being. Thankfully, they're still there, and he picks out one that looks about his size. He quickly changes, wanting to get into the water as soon as possible.]