Chapter Seventeen

A/N: I KNOW THE MEDIA IS PLAYSTATION AND MARIO KART IS A WII GAME OK I JUST LIKED THE PICTURE AAAAAAHHHH

- - - -

Makoto does not realize that it is possible for two human beings to be such amazing cooks.

He has to swallow occasionally to keep from salivating at the absolutely invigorating scent that is wafting from the tiny studio apartments kitchen, where Miss Amakata and her husband are hard at work, listening to old French tunes on their wind-up radio. He had offered to help with the cooking, and as much as Miss Amakata appreciated his offer, she had insisted he go have fun with the other kids in the living room while dinner was being made.

Asuka had announced she wanted to play Mario Kart, or as she had put it, "crush the souls of her enemies", which got a stern look from her father. Haruka, however, was completely up for the challenge. He grabs a Wii remote and a Nunchuk and plops himself down in the middle of the couch, waiting expectantly for Asuka to switch the screen to the game.

She chucks a wheel his way, which he barely catches with his sub-par reflexes. Makoto hasn't played this game very much, only occasionally at Nagisa's house when they aren't studying. Asuka flips through the screen to the main menu, and a bright melody plays through the speakers.

Suzuka takes the opportunity while Makoto is distracted picking his character to climb up on the couch next to him.

"Can I help steer?" She asks, batting her long eyelashes at him. There's no way he can say no to a face like that, and he nods. She situates herself in his lap, snuggling into his chest contently and watching the screen. "Pick Peach! She's my favorite!"

"Alright, princess," Makoto agrees, ruffling her hair, which makes her smile. Makoto selects Peach and notices that Asuka has already selected Rosalina, and Haruka has Yoshi.

"Really? Yoshi?" Makoto casts a sideways glance to Haruka, who frowns.

"What?" He huffs, sticking his nose in the air. "You have a problem with Yoshi?"

"No, no," Makoto shakes his head quickly, an untraceable smile on his lips. "Just... not what I expected out of you."

"Says the one playing as Princess Peach."

"Touché."

- - - -

Makoto quickly learns that playing Mario Kart in the Amakata household is one step away from a nuclear war.

"Asuka, I'm going to kill you!" Haruka shouts at his cousin, who is manically laughing as she flies by him, having just whacked his kart with a red shell.

"Should've protected yourself with those bananas!" Asuka laughs, practically dancing in her spot on the floor as she flies off a ramp and shakes her wheel, making her character do a front flip.

Muttering some French curse words under his breath, Haruka is fuming in the spot besides Makoto, legs crossed, eyes trained intensely on the screen. Makoto notices out of the corner of his eye that he is roughly biting his lower lip in concentration, pressing the gas button as hard as he can to propel himself forward.

As for Makoto, he's long since given up on trying to win first place in the Grand Prix. With Suzuka's help in steering, he's been thrown off the course too many times to count, putting him in twelfth place. He's already been lapped once, and not even the bullets are giving him a chance at being anything but last place.

Suzuka, however, seems to be having a blast, and she giggles relentlessly any time Princess Peach squeals as she flies off the track. Eventually Makoto gives up and allows her to take full control of the remote, only guiding the car in a straight line. She blows raspberries with her tongue to imitate an engine running, laughing at her own funny sounds.

When they approach the last lap, Makoto notices Haruka is gaining on Asuka, approaching the second place mark. Asuka seems to be oblivious to what is coming next, but the telltale smirk on Haruka's face shows he has a trick up his sleeve.

Just before she reaches the finish line, Haruka presses a button on his Nunchuk, and a blue shell flies through the air and makes Asuka's character fly into the air, allowing Haruka to whizz by easily, avoiding the blue explosion.

"No!" Asuka screams.

"Yes!" Haruka shouts back. "Get blue shelled!"

"Salop!" Asuka cries dramatically, inching past the sparkly finish line in fourth place.

"That's what happens when you mess with the Mario Kart master," Haruka taunts her, a prideful grin on his face. Makoto finds himself unable to look away from the way Haruka's eyes light up when he smiles, and how he realizes he never wants to see Haruka stop smiling.

"Shut up!" We were on Rainbow Road on 150cc! I'm barely warmed up!" She is practically hysteric. Who knew she took Mario Kart so seriously? "Next race, now."

"I dunno..." Haruka twirls the cord of the remote around his finger absentmindedly, his smile morphing into a smirk. "I think I should just quit while I'm ahead."

Asuka presses a button, and the game screen blinks and reloads. Another course is pulled up, one that is filled with a land of giant red and green mushrooms. Makoto pales when he sees the giant cliffs that he knows his kart is going to fall off of.

Luckily, Suzuka has decided she wants to sit next to her sister, who gives her a remote to supposedly play by herself. Makoto notices that the remote is not flashing, but he smiles when Suzuka babbles excitedly about "winning" and Asuka cheers her on, grinning all the way.

Makoto sticks out his tongue in concentration, struggling with keeping the kart on the track. When his character bounces on the mushrooms, he gains a power-up that gives him invincibility, and he knocks by three CPUs easily.

Haruka and Asuka are shouting at each other, both fighting for the first place spot once again. Makoto is too busy concentrating on not falling off the cliffs, but he catches a few choice words that probably should not be spoken around a six-year-old.

"Hey, Haruka, Asuka, language," Miss Amakata warns them sternly from the kitchen, and they quiet down, silently taunting each other with insults under their breath.

By the final lap, Makoto has somehow managed to get into third place. He accidentally loses control of his steering for a moment, but finds a secret shortcut that puts him in first place. Asuka and Haruka are both too busy bantering to realize Makoto has blown by them and he crosses the finish line in first place, a whimsical tune playing as he gapes at the screen.

Asuka and Haruka's expressions match his surprised one, and they shout a unanimous "What??", and Makoto can't tell if they're impressed or ready to strangle him for sneaking by them.

"What? I was just-"

"Makoto! Someone finally knocked Haruka off his throne!" Asuka cheers, practically diving for Makoto in a celebratory hug. "You have no idea how momentous this occasion is!"

"Asuka," Haruka pouts. "Shut up."

"But I've never been able to beat you, ever," Whipping her head around to look at her cousin, she shoots him an accusatory glare. "And Tachibana-kun just waltzes in here and beats you like it's the easiest thing in the world." She glances at Makoto, giving him a wide, toothy smile, cheeks tinged pink with admiration. Her arms are still wrapped around his body in an awkward hug.

"Asuka-chaaaan," Makoto's cheeks color, staring at his lap shyly. "I'm not that good. It was just beginner's luck."

"Not true!" Asuka insists, narrowing her eyes at the teenage boy. "Haruka, time to accept the fact you are no longer the master! A new king has risen, and his name is-"

"Everybody! Come set the table for dinner!" Miss Amakata's voice rings cheerfully from the kitchen.

Asuka sighs in disappointment, pulls away from the hug, and pauses the Wii game, turning down the volume with the television remote. "I suppose we will have a rematch after dinner," She grins, standing up off the floor and setting the remote on the coffee table. "I need fighting fuel anyways."

Haruka shakes his head, watching his cousin scurry off towards the kitchen.

"She's a strange one," Makoto comments airily.

"She likes you," Haruka mutters under his breath, so quiet Makoto isn't sure if he heard him correctly.

"What?" Makoto asks, taken aback by the sudden accusation. He wants Haruka to clarify on just what he means by that statement, but he's already off the couch and walking away. Makoto shares a look with Suzuka, who is watching the scene unfold with wide eyes, oblivious to what's going on. Makoto ruffles her hair. "Come on," He says to her with a smile. "Let's go eat."

"Okay!" She beams, taking one of his fingers in her chubby hand and leading him towards the kitchen.

When they round the corner into the room, he immediately notices the tension between Haruka and Asuka, like static electricity sizzling between their two bodies. Haruka dishes out the plates while Asuka places a set of silverware out for each person. Suzuka seems content with diving into a drawer and retrieving a bright purple plastic plate and a fork to match. He notices Haruka had left a space open for Suzuka's plate at the dinner table; Makoto realizes she must be going through an independent phase, and Haruka is playing along.

"Makoto, honey, would you help me carry the dishes to the table?" Miss Amakata asks, staring at an assortment of bowls and plates of all shapes and sizes sitting on the kitchen counter. He nods and comes to her aid, taking the main dish, which is a steaming chicken fricassee. The assortment of chicken, mushrooms, and potatoes looks delicious, and he swallows to keep from drooling as he sets it in the center of the table. Alongside the main dish is a bowl of sticky rice and green bean shiraae. Truly a mixture of Japanese and French cuisines, Makoto thinks as he admires all the food.

While Haruka fills up glasses of ice water for everyone with a ceramic pitcher, Asuka guides Suzuka in pouring a glass of milk. Makoto hears the familiar pop of a wine bottle and Mr. Amakata is pouring two glasses of cabernet sauvignon for himself and his wife.

Meanwhile, Makoto is dumbfounded on where to sit, and Haruka notices this as he passes around the glasses, pointing to the chair by the window. Makoto smiles in a silent gesture of thank you and he looks away, unable to meet his eye.

When they all sit down for dinner, the children clap their hands together and thank them for the meal. Makoto echoes the praise they give their parents haphazardly and helps pass around the dishes, taking a heaping portion of the delicious-looking chicken fricassee for himself.

The first couple moments are spent almost completely silent, simply enjoying the home-cooked meal. Makoto breaks the silence when he tries a bite of the chicken, his eyes lighting up in surprise. "Wow! This is so delicious!" He cries excitedly.

"I'm so glad you like it, Makoto!" Miss Amakata beams. "I wanted to make something French-style for you. Usually we aren't this fancy when it comes to dinner, but tonight was a special occasion."

"Oh, you really didn't have to go out of your way..." Makoto stares at his plate of food shyly.

"Nonsense! It was my pleasure."

The dinner is spent with polite small talk; Makoto gets the impression that everyone is slightly on edge, wanting to be cordial in the presence of a houseguest. Suzuka is the one who eases the tension among everyone else, launching into various stories about Mari and Takeo and too many other kindergarteners to remember. Then, Asuka shares that she got perfect marks on her math test that she'd been studying hard for.

Makoto notices that Haruka is silent throughout the meal, either picking at his food or taking the occasional bite. His jaw is still locked angrily, and Makoto being the worrywart that he is, starts to internally freak out.

Did I do something to piss him off? Was he still creeped out that I came to the bookstore without his permission? Was it something Asuka did? What if he -

Ah, right. This is Haruka he's thinking of - he is always annoyed at something. Makoto just needs to figure out what it is; suddenly Makoto really wishes someone could invent mind-reading devices already to sort out the enigma that Haruka Nanase truly is.

As dinner came to a close, Makoto notices the way Suzuka's head is drooping and her anecdotes are often being interrupted by yawns. Eventually Mr. Amakata claps his hands together and announces bedtime for the little girl, who tries to throw a fit but is interrupted by a yawn.

Haruka takes this opportunity to leave the dinner table, scooping up Suzuka and carrying her out of the kitchen. His heart positively melting, takes all his might not to outright coo at the scene unfolding in front of him. He disappears down the hallway, leaving Makoto alone with the rest of the family.

"You know, it's been forever since Haruka's had a guest over, and such a considerate one at that! Robert, did you know Makoto here helped Asuka with the new book assortment all afternoon?"

"Well, thank you, Makoto," Mr. Amakata regards him with a tight-lipped smile. "I appreciate you helping out my daughter. She always gets so excited when new books arrive to the shop."

"It's no problem, really," Makoto insists. "I'm always happy to help."

"Well, I have to go clean up the shop for tomorrow," Mr. Amakata announces, rising to his feet. "Makoto, it was a pleasure to see you again," He says, crossing the room and shaking his hand firmly. "I'm glad you enjoyed the meal."

He heads to the front door and disappears down the stairs. And then there were three.

"Asuka, would you help clear the table?" Miss Amakata asks. Makoto stands up with her automatically but is shot down. "Please, Makoto, you're a guest! You've done enough already."

"Really, I don't mind," Makoto promises her, and she nods, impressed by his politeness.

"Alright, then. Thank you, dear. Asuka, why don't you go help your father downstairs."

"But-"

"Asuka," Miss Amakata gives her a stern look, her voice firm. "I'd like a moment alone with Makoto, if you don't mind."

She huffs, taking one last lingering look at Makoto before following her father's footsteps out the front door. The door slams loudly, reverberating about the apartment.

A comfortable silence falls between the two as they wash the dishes in the large sink. Makoto notices they do not have a dishwasher, so Miss Amakata washes while Makoto dries with an old, faded towel. Makoto isn't sure if he should strike up a conversation, especially considering

"Did you really mean what you said about helping around the store?" She finally asks, cutting through the silence.

"Of course," Makoto responds automatically. "I really like this place. It's so homey and the atmosphere is so comfortable. Plus, I got to know Asuka a bit better."

"Well, what would you say about working here officially?" Miss Amakata offers. "I'm sure we could manage finding you a job here. I do happen to know the owners," She jokes with a wink.

"Wait, seriously?" Makoto squeaks, his jaw dropping. He would have dropped the plate he was holding if he hadn't just put it away in the cupboard. "You really mean it?"

"Of course I do!" She is smiling proudly as she scrubs off the excess food on the dinner plates. "I know you're an excellent kid, Makoto, not to mention your grades are stellar enough that I know you can manage a job. Plus, I get the feeling you've been looking to get out of the house."

She isn't wrong, but the thought still makes Makoto slightly uneasy. He'd never considered getting a job before; he always imagined himself going back to work at his old swim club or something, not a place like this. But, as he thinks more about it, he realizes what a good fit it would be.

A job, huh?

"Um, okay!" Makoto agrees, a large grin spreading across her face. "I would love to. Thank you so much, Amakata-sensei."

"Wonderful! I'll have Haruka call you later so we can coordinate you to the working schedule."

"What is Haruka doing?" Haruka's voice echoes to the kitchen as he emerges from the hallway, referring to himself in third person as he only seemed to catch the last sentence of their conversation. He leans on the doorway of the kitchen, watching Makoto curiously.

"Well, Haruka, I've just invited Makoto a job downstairs," Miss Amakata tells him.

Haruka's fists noticeably clench at his sides. "How lovely," He says through gritted teeth.

She doesn't seem to notice, her back turned to the boy as she continues to wash dishes. Makoto also avoids his gaze; he knows Haruka is practically burning holes into the back of his head with his red-hot glare.

"Makoto, it's time to get going," Haruka reminds him, and Makoto can practically hear Haruka straining to keep his voice level. "It's nearly ten o'clock."

"W-wait, what?" Makoto all but shouts. "Ah, I can't break my curfew! Thank you so much for your hospitality, Amakata-sensei!" He blurts out in a rush, clapping his hands together and bowing.

"See you tomorrow," She waves as Haruka and Makoto head out the door, Makoto thundering nervously down the stairs. Haruka follows behind casually, leading him through a side door instead of going through the store.

They take the metro home, the train car nearly empty at this time of night. They sit in the first row by the doors, with Haruka by the window and Makoto near the aisle.

Makoto feels the impending weight of the silence crushing him as he wonders what to say as Haruka stares out the window, watching the underground world whizz by. Before he can realize what he's doing, he blabs the first thing that comes to his mind, which, in hindsight, may be the worst possible choice of a conversation starter possible.

"How do you feel about going to a party with me this weekend?" Makoto blurts out, immediately regretting it after he said it.

"A party?" Haruka repeats.

"Yeah. My friend invited me to one, and he said I could take a friend," Makoto explains, trying to keep his voice level and crack-free. Did he really think this was a good idea? Surely Haruka will shoot me down.

The train rolls to a stop with a ping, and Haruka immediately stands up, brushing by Makoto and getting off the train. Makoto is so stunned he nearly forgets to get up himself and rush off the platform, following behind Haruka like a lost puppy.

After heading up the stairs to the ground level streets, Makoto mentally curses himself for even bothering to ask.

Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything, he thinks with disdain. Haruka is the exact type of person you'd expect not to show up to a party. Oh, he looks so mad... I'm so dumb, why did I even-

"Sure."

Makoto stops in his tracks, frozen in the unlit streets. "W-wait, what?"

"Sure, I'll go to the party."

Makoto's mouth drops open in shock. "Y-you want to?"

"Why not?" Haruka shrugs. "It'll be fun."

"O-okay!" Makoto grins, pleasantly surprised. "Maybe we can have a sleepover afterwards too!"

He looks back, noticing Makoto has stopped, and he raises an eyebrow curiously. "What are we, six?" Haruka rolls his eyes. Frowning, Makoto stares at his shoes, feeling stupid for suggesting it. Haruka snorts and rolls his eyes. "Makoto, I was kidding. Sure, let's do it. You've managed to catch me in a good mood."

"Great!" Makoto claps his hands together enthusiastically. He can't stop smiling, feeling successful that he actually got Haruka to agree to do something social with him.

Nothing is spoken the rest of the way home, and Makoto walks side-by-side with Haruka, a silent gesture that shows he's walking him home. Makoto has only a few moments left with him, and he realizes almost too late that he forgot the most important thing that needed to be said tonight.

An apology.

"So, about today..." Makoto starts awkwardly, not knowing what to say. He takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... Invade your privacy, or anything like that."

Haruka snorts in fake amusement. "Yeah, whatever, Makoto. Coming to visit my aunt and hanging out with my cousin for the afternoon? That's totally not unusual at all."

"Haruka!" Makoto raises his voice in a childish whine. " I'm just trying to-"

His complaint is interrupted by the last thing Makoto would ever expect out of Haruka: laughter.

His shoulders shake as the silent laughter bubbles into an audible melody. Haruka's laughter is deep and rich like rivulets of chocolate, a sound that reverberates out of his mouth and makes the whole world fall into place.

"Makoto, I'm just messing with you. Again. Come on, learn to get a sense of humor."

Under any normal circumstances, Makoto would have retorted with a sassy remark and brushed it off completely.

"Plus, you will need to be coming back again soon. I have a Mario Kart reputation to uphold, you know."

However, his heart is beating too erratically in his throat for him to think of anything else. Like his mind has completely shut down, Makoto just helplessly stares at Haruka, feeling like his knees could buckle and collapse underneath him at any moment.

Shit, is the first thing that comes to his mind. He feels his face pale.

"Hey, why are you staring at me like that?" Haruka demands. "You look like you're going to be sick."

He cannot find his voice. Makoto feels his cheeks flush and burn, and his stomach twists into knots. How many love songs had he heard that said 'he takes my breath away'? Now that line makes a lot more sense to him, and he becomes painfully conscious that he might faint.

"Makoto?"

Nagisa had been right. Oh, he had totally been right.

Makoto has a huge, unstoppable crush on Haruka Nanase.

Oh, fuck.

- - - -

A/N: frickin finally