Haru's Second Love

The pleasant scent of sweet cream and coffee filled the air of the cafe, Saori took a deep breath and sat at one of the small tables. She pulled out her laptop and logged into it before rising off her chair to go to the front to place her order. As she stood at the counter she could hear the small bell on the door tinkle. She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see a pair of guys walk in. One had shaggy brow hair and was very tall, the other was slightly shorter and had jet black hair. Shrugging off the boys she turned back to the barista to pay for her coffee and reclaim her seat near the window of the cafe. The pari of guys that had come in began talking, well mostly the tall one.
"Haru, you need to study. I'm just glad I was able to drag you out of your bathtub long enough to come to the coffee shop with me."
Saori didn't mean to listen in on their conversation but they were right next to her table.

Makoto watched his best friend look at the girl next to their table in the cafe he had brought him too. They had gone to college in Tokyo together and now they were roommates. Looking out of the corner of his eye Makoto took in the appearance of the girl beside them. She was on the shorter side with a rather curvy appearance, her hips were rather wide and her upper body was filled out. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that had English on it. She had messy plum colored hair that was cut into a messy pixie. Her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose, her eyes were a golden color. A few stray freckles marked her cheeks and nose. Makoto looked away and back to Haru who was staring intently at the girl next to them.

Feeling eyes on her Saori looked at the table next to her and saw the black haired guy staring at her, he had an intense look on his face. His friend was blushing.
"H-Haru."
She heard the brown haired boy whisper to the black haired across from him. Shrugging off the weird encounter Saori turned her gaze back to her computer screen, they both looked familiar. It was a big campus, she had probably seen them around.
"Hey." A voice said above her.
Jumping Sai looked up and saw the black haired boy above her.
"U-uh. Hi?" She blinked at him.
He was really attractive, but his face was so stoic she couldn't tell if he was mad or not.
"You're in my English class." The guy commented as he stared at her.
"I-I am?" Saori stuttered as she met his blue eyes.
"Yeah, you sit a few seats away from us." The brunette, with whom the black haired guy was with, commented with a kind smile.

"Sorry for his behavior, I'm Tachibana Makoto. This is Nanase Haruka. He doesn't usually accost people he's seen. Sorry about that." Makoto apologized all over himself for Haru's behavior. He couldn't believe that he had just walked up to the girl from their English class and addressed her. It was totally out of character for him.
"Oh, it's okay. I'm Ito Saori."
"Ah, Ito-sama. I'm very sorry for his behavior."
"Saori is fine, and don't worry about it. It's always nice to know people you go to school with. Maybe you two could shine some light on what we're suppose to be doing for our paper. I'm a tiny bit stuck on it. I get the main idea but it's always nice to hear other ideas."
"The paper about art?" Haru asked leaning over to look at her screen.
Makoto was floored by this behavior from his best friend, the only girls he interacted with were his family and Gou.
"Yeah." Saori said with a smile in his direction.

Saori sat near the edge of the pool, she was watching Makoto and Haru practice. Well, Makoto was practicing. Haru was leisurely paddling through the water. Ever since the coffee shop incident Sai had found herself hanging out with the swimmers regularly.
"Sai! Why don't you swim?" Makoto called from the water as he stopped his stroke.
"I'm good, I'd rather stay dry with my book." She chuckled. She wasn't about to admit that she couldn't swim to the two fish.
"It's amazing." Haru chided from the opposite end of the pool.
"I'm really okay, thank you Haru."
Saori noticed she was staring at the shorter of the two males she was lucky to call her best friends a lot more than she wanted to admit. She felt drawn to him, he was so quiet and stoic around everyone. The only time she had ever seen him smile was while he was swimming. Looking up from As You Like It, Sai saw Haru get out of the indoor pool the college provided to their swim team. Droplets of water clung to his abs for dear life, slowly they slid down his body. Saori had to stop herself from following the droplets farther down his body. She looked up to meet his gaze.
"What?" Haru commented as he tilted his head to shake his hair.
"H-hm? Nothing!" Saori stuttered.

Makoto sat on his bed in his dorm that he shared with Haru.
"Haru, we have class in twenty minutes. Get out of the bath." He finally called.
"Do we have to go?" Haru's voice called back from the bathroom.
"Saori will be upset if you miss class again because you didn't want to get out of the bathtub." Makoto smiled slightly as he bribed the raven haired boy out of the tub.
"Fine." Haru grumbled.
Within moments he was out of the tub and fully dressed.
"Only because I don't want a lecture." Haru snapped as he saw the grin on his roommates face.
"I know, I know." Makoto chuckled in agreement. The black haired swimmer had a real soft spot for Saori, Makoto noticed it from the moment they all met in the cafe. It surprised Makoto to no end, he wasn't use to seeing Haru like a girl. As his best friend Makoto was sure that Haru had a crush on the plum-haired girl.

Saori sat in between Makoto and Haru in their English class, she felt a nudge from her left. Looking out of the corner of her eye she saw a piece of paper.
"We should all go out for coffee after class." Makoto's note read. Saori nodded and saw a grin light up Makoto's face. She passed the note to Haru who glanced at it and nodded as well.

"I swear he makes English boring." Haru grumbled.
"Miss A did a good job keeping it interesting." Makoto agreed with a chuckle.
"I love that English class." Saori commented looking at the boys as she sat at one of the tables in the cafe on campus.
"What would you like to drink, Sai? I'll buy." Makoto asked as he looked down at the small girl next to him.
"Hm? Oh. Just a hot chocolate, thank you Mako."
"Of course. Tea, Haru?"
"Yeah, thank you." Haruka said with a nod.
Makoto left the table but glanced back to see what they looked like alone. She sat next to Haru, her eyes trained on her book. His eyes were trained on her as she read. He knew that Haru felt something for her, but he wasn't sure if Haru knew that he did. Shaking his head he went to place the order at the counter.

Haru sigh as he thought about Saori again, her messy purple hair poking out in different angles, her glasses half way off her nose. He couldn't help but think of her all the time now, gripping the sheets of his bed he frowned again. Unable to think of a way to clear his mind he left the dorm and walked to the pool on campus. He stripped down and jumped into the water, the water welcomed him. His mind still buzzed with images of Saori. Why couldn't he stop thinking of her? What had she done to him?
"I don't get it." He finally said aloud. "What is it about her that makes me think of her? She's not that special."
Frustration filled him, he just couldn't wrap his head around she wouldn't leave his mind. He had never seen anyone like this, not Makoto. The only thing he could compare this buzzing in the back of his mind to was water.

Soft fluffy bits of precipitation fell from the sky onto the campus of Tokyo University, the trees limbs weighed down by the white flakes that fell onto them. There was somewhat of a buzz around the campus that put everyone into a christmas-y mood. It was only November but everyone was starting to celebrate the holiday season. Saori looked up at the sky again, it reminded her a lot of home. Hokkaido was absolutely covered in snow by now.
"Sai!" A voice called over to her.
Turning around she saw Makoto with Haru in tow. A blush lit her already red cheeks, Haru. He had been an image in her mind for weeks, it only got more powerful the longer she was around him. She couldn't help her crush, he was so nice. Where he lacked in facial emotion he made up from in kindness. Haru didn't seem excited to see her in the slightest, it hurt a little.

Makoto frowned at the tension between Haru and Saori, Sai seemed no different than usual. Haru was acting distant and withdrawn. He hadn't wanted to come out with Makoto. This was frustrating for the taller of the two, he knew that Haru liked Saori. He decided enough was enough and they had to get the feelings out there somehow. The snow was coming down a lot faster than before.
"I'll be right back, I have to run to the cafe I left something there. Don't move." Makoto called before running away from the pair, giving them alone time might solve something.

Haru wanted to scream at Makoto for leaving him alone with Saori. He didn't want to be alone with her, he was already plagued with her image in his mind. He'd had dreams of her and he still couldn't figure it out. Out of aggravation he sigh loudly, Sai looked over at him in surprise. He averted his gaze and then felt a small hand land on his shoulder. Jerking away from her touch he looked over to see the hurt expression on her face.
"What did I do, Haru? You seem really mad at me."
"You aren't special! Why won't you just leave me alone!" Haru shouted at her.

Saori couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she was numb. What had she done? Why was he so angry with her? She could feel her heart shatter in her chest.
Haru turned on his heel and stalked away from her, she could still see the frustration and anger in his eyes. It hurt more the longer she thought about it. Tears threatened to fall off her cheeks, she turned around and ran back to her dorm. She ran all the way back to her room, she slammed the door shut and was thankful that she didn't have a roommate. A sob wracked her chest, she didn't even bother to take off her wet clothes as she curled up on the floor near the radiator.

Haru floated in the water, his mind more clouded than ever. The sight of Saori with tears in her large, golden eyes was burned into his mind. He had hoped yelling and telling her that she wasn't special would shake him out of whatever was causing this aggravating state. It didn't appear to be working, he aimlessly floated around the pool. No one was using it today, so he had all day to hide in it. He knew that if he went back to his dorm Makoto would yell at him, he didn't feel like hearing that lecture. The sound of feet on the concrete floor struck Haru's ears, he knew who it was before they came into his view.
"Haru." Makoto's voice called out to him.
"I'm not in the mood Makoto, you can yell at me later." Haru said with a sigh before he dove under the water. He knew that if he sat under the water for a few moments Makoto would just leave. He stayed under as long as he lungs would permit. Out of oxygen Haru rose to the surface, true to belief, Makoto was gone.

The day was over, the lights of Tokyo were glittering like small jewels under a lamp. Makoto watched the door to his dorm, waiting for Haru to come back. He just wanted to know why on earth he had run away. Why did he assume he was going to yell at him. Makoto shot a text to Saori.
/Hey, have you seen Haru? I figured maybe he stopped by to see you or something before coming home./
The text sent, but Makoto was left unanswered. What had happened while he was gone?
Finally worried enough about both of his friends he pulled on his jacket and shoes, placing a hand on the door knob he waited a second before opening the door. The snow was still coming down, heavier than before. There must have been three or four inches on the ground, zipping up his coat farther he started to make his way to Sai's dorm. Wading through the drifts that lined the door way to her dorm building he entered.

Saori finally got around to changing her clothes, she sat on her bed in a pair of black joggers and a large white t-shirt her mom had sent her from the United States. Her beanie slouched back on her pixie cut plum hair, her glasses had slipped to the tip of her nose again. She groaned again and pulled her knees to her chest as she stared at her duvet. It was a deep blue, just like Haru's eyes. She shook her head, trying to rid him from her mind. She wasn't special to him, she just mad him angry. Tears threatened to prick up in her eyes again. A knock on her door made her sit up straight, she decided to try an ignore it.
"Sai. I know you're here." Makoto's voice called from the other side of the door.
"Mako." She whispered, sadness creeping back in.
Slowly she rose off her bed and opened the door to reveal the tall brunette. He was covered in little snow flakes, his nose and cheeks rosy.
"Can I come in?" He asked with a worried smile.
"U-uh. Yeah, I guess so." Saori stuttered as she let him past her. She took his coat and tossed it over the radiator to warm.

"Did you get my text?" Makoto finally said, he was perched on the edge of her bed. She looked over her shoulder and shook her head.
"I haven't been in the mood to look at it. Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked if Haru had come here, he hasn't come back to the dorm."
Makoto saw something he wasn't expecting flash across her face, sadness.
"No, he's probably at the pool. Why would he come here?" She mumbled, her gaze dropped to the kettle in her hands as she warmed water to make some tea.
"Well, he likes you."
"Does he really?" Spite colored her tone, this took Makoto by surprise.
"Well yeah, he's just to obtuse to understand that he likes you." Makoto chuckled.
"I'm pretty sure that's not the case." A small sniffle left Saori. Makoto's head shot up and he saw tears collecting in her eyes.

A sob filled the room, Saori's head was buried in Makoto's broad chest.
"Why on earth would he do that?" Mako whispered, most likely to himself but Saori still heard him.
"He must hate me." She said with finality.
"He doesn't. Take my word for it, he's never had much interest in girls. You're different; the moment he talked to you in the cafe, I knew."
Saori couldn't help but want to roll her eyes.
"You should go look for him." She said softly as she pulled away from the taller boy. She rose to her feet to retrieve his coat and hand it to him.
"You should come with me." Mako said, he looked sincere about what he thought. Sai shook her head and commented "I don't think I can face him right now. You go."

"What the hell, Haru?" Makoto shouted as he entered the indoor pool.
"I don't want to deal with this too, go away." Haru said monotonously.
"Haruka Nanase, get out. Now."
"I don't want to!" Haru shouted back at his roommate.
"Why did you say that to Saori?"
"I don't know!" Haru cried out. He stood in the shallows of the pool, his waist and below underneath the shimmering blue. Makoto folded his arms across his chest, staring down at his roommate.
"You need to talk about this. Why did you say that?" Makoto's voice coming out evenly now.
"I can't get her out of my head, she's always in the back of my mind! It distracts me from the water, from sleep, from cooking, cleaning, class work. I can't do anything without her being there! I don't get it! I just want it to stop!"
This was all the convincing Makoto needed to completely understand that Haru had feelings for Saori. He sat next to the edge of the pool and took Haru's arm to pull him out.
"Let me explain why." Makoto said gently.

Saori sat on her bed, her laptop in front of her. She was trying to distract herself from her feelings with some mind-numbing television. Without warning the door to her dorm flew open and Makoto entered the room with Haru in tow for the second time that day.
"You're here, talk it out. See you later." Makoto said with finality. He turned on his heel and left the room, allowing the door to quietly close behind him. Haru stood three feet from Sai's bed, he was looking at his feet. His hair was still damp, swimming, Saori decided.
"L-look, can I talk to you about what happened earlier?" Haru asked awkwardly, not raising his head at all.
"I guess." Saori said, her face down turned as well. She couldn't bring herself to fall into the trap that was his appearance.
"I didn't understand why you were always in the back of my mind, I couldn't do anything without thinking about you. I think I get it now, I've never felt like this towards an actual human. I've always had the water, it was my first love. I just figured it would be my only love. I was wrong."
"H-Haru. What are you talking about?" Saori whispered looking up, her fatal mistake. Their eyes met and she saw the tears that had managed to make their way into his blue eyes.
"I think I found my second love. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't know what I was feeling. Human connection is way different than what I feel with the water."

Haru couldn't read her expression, there were tears in her eyes again.
"Haru, come here." She said quietly. Slowly he made his way towards her. She reached up and pulled the lapels of his jacket. They were face to face now, he leaned in. His first kiss. Their lips met softly, moving in sync. He pulled away and looked at her, her face dusted with pink. He could feel the heat of embarrassment stretching across his entire face. She pulled on his jacket again and he fell onto her, he smiled again and pressed their lips together for a second time. This situation was far more comfortable than the previous one. He let his hands touch her hips softly, her hands finally let go of his lapels and tangled into his hair. As they came up for air again he whispered,
"Screw water being my first love, you are."
"I love you too, Haru." Saori whispered back.