Mint

You walked her hand-in-hand the ten minutes down the road to the natatorium that you hardly even noticed was there before (When’s the last time you actually went swimming?), listening to Yui chirp on about all the things she’s been learning in the water. It at least sounded like a lot of fun— for an eight year old, that is.

You were just in charge of dropping her off. Yui’s mom said she’d be by to take her home after her class, so you wave her off as she gets settled and joins the rest of the group of new learning swimmers and turn to leave…

But not without slipping on a patch of wet floor under your worn out sandals. Your trajectory? Right into the pool.

Bracing for inevitable impact, you squeeze your eyes shut, ready to be humiliated in front of a bunch of kids and never ever come back here to try and regain your dignity until something grabs you. Someone.

Sturdy arms wrap around your waist and hoist you away from the water and back to your feet, ones you don’t trust as much as you did five seconds ago. It takes you a moment to realize that you’re not having to walk home in soaking wet clothes, thanks to the guy that’s still clung to you, hurriedly asking if you’re okay.

He’s tall, about your age, with shaggy olive-brown hair and the most kind and striking green eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s clad head to toe in swim attire, which is ironically dry and leaves nothing to the imagination for his well built frame. Broad shoulders and a rock solid chest greet you along with a look of concern.

You can’t quite process what exactly is holding your tongue, the shock of losing your footing or his attractive features.

“I’m okay, just incredibly clumsy. Sorry.”

There’s a beat before he shifts to a soft smile. “You’re apologizing for being clumsy?”

Heat rushes to your face and you have to look away from his kind eyes, pushing a smile through your embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry.”

“There you go again,” he sighs, seemingly finding your habitual apologizing cute but also unnecessary. He gently guides you away from the wet sidelines of the pool. “I should be the one apologizing for not having any signs out. You could have gotten hurt.”

“It’s no big deal,” you reassure him, though his quickness to take accountability for the situation stirs something in your chest.

“Coach Tachibana!”

You hear a child’s voice and subsequently see the brunette’s face turn in response. He’s the coach?

“I’ll be right there!” He waves with that same kind smile before turning back to you. “That’s my class. Are you sure you’re okay?”

You politely brush off his concern with your hand. “I’m fine, really. You don’t wanna keep them waiting. I hear they’re vicious when their patience has run thin.”

Coach Tachibana gives you a chuckle, followed by a nod before he pulls up the swim goggles from his neck and proceeds to make his way to Yui and the other anxious kids.

You don’t waste a second booking it out the door, groaning over how pathetic it is to have slipped in front of such a cute athletic guy and the group of kids he teaches. But it only takes you a few seconds to realize that you never thanked him for saving you. Which might be even more embarrassing than nearly going head first into a swimming pool.

You decide to go against all previous vows you declared and go back the next day to seek out your rescuer. Yui’s mom was thankful that you offered to pick her up after class and give her time to make a quick run to the grocery store while her husband was still at work.

You slip in through the door in time to see Yui and her class huddled around Coach Tachibana, who looks even bigger and taller surrounded by the little humans, giving them a post-class pep talk of sorts. It makes you fidget with your hands a little.

You also notice there’s now a sign near the edge of the pool: “Watch Your Step.” You smile to yourself.

That’s when Yui seemingly notices you and calls out your name, just as she always does, waving her arms excitedly as she runs over. You tell her that you’re going to walk her home and encourage her to go get out of her swimsuit. She scampers off just as Coach Tachibana approaches you.

“Are you Yui’s sister or something?” He looks at you curiously, almost boyish.

“No, just a neighbor helping her parents juggle some stuff.” You extend your hand politely and give him your name, which surely the entire natatorium heard thanks to Yui’s little lungs.

“Makoto,” he replies with a smile, taking your hand with his own, large and a little clammy from the pool. His eyes crinkle a little behind his dripping wet hair, and his swim gear clings to his muscles that are way more defined now than they were yesterday. You swallow.

“I, um, also wanted to come back and properly thank you for coming to my rescue yesterday.” You pull your hand away and clasp them nervously in front of you. “If you hadn’t been there, it would have been way worse.”

You see his expression shift again, eyebrows raised and a hint of pink touching the apples of his cheeks. He reaches for the back of his neck and chuckles. “It’s, uh… N-No, just… right place right time, I suppose. No need to thank me. Really.”

Seeing him blush and stutter his way through it like he didn’t save you a load of humiliation makes your heart flutter. His kindness transcends even his features, it seems.

You pick up a bit of conversation with Makoto while you wait for Yui, exchanging little details like what you’re both majoring in. He tells you he wants to be a personal trainer and help swimmers reach their goals. You try asking him if he can train your center of gravity as a joke, and his laugh makes you feel lighter somehow.

Before you know it, Yui returns in her dry clothes and looks between you and Makoto. You hadn’t realized that the both of you are blushing now.

“Coach Tachibana, would you walk home with us?”

You make a noise, trying to quickly rationalize against her sudden request. “Ah, Yui, your coach is probably too busy to—”

“I don’t mind.” Makoto cuts in and you whip your eyes back to him, giving that warm soft smile you’ve been absorbing since you got here. “I just have to clean up and get changed, if you can wait a few minutes.”

“We can wait!” You know he was talking to you, but little Yui seemed to make the decision instead. You sigh in defeat.

The two of you wait outside so Makoto can lock up before joining you on your short walk back to your apartment complex, letting Yui babble on about her swimming technique and listening to her coach affirm that she’s improving well.

At some point, not only did Yui take your hand, but she also took one of Makoto’s as well, the three of you walking together in a chain along the sidewalk. Your eyes connect with his green ones, and his patient smile almost has your heart leaping out of your chest.

It’s a quick ten minutes, quicker than usual, and you’re not sure why that makes you a little disappointed. Yui’s insistence brings Makoto all the way up to the fourth floor stopping at your front door for Yui to take the ten extra steps to her own by herself...

But not before she waves for Makoto to lean down to her level and whisper something in his ear. Whatever it is that she said, it instantly makes his face turn a bright shade of pink.

And with that she runs off, thanking you both for walking her home and announcing her return to her parents before closing the door behind her.

“What did she tell you?” You laugh mostly in curiosity, but a bit over the fact that Makoto’s blush has effectively reached his ears as well.

He laughs nervously, and you think that maybe he’ll brush it off as nothing, but he gives you the truth instead.

“She, uh… told me that I should… ask for your number.”

“Oh.” You didn’t mean to sound so surprised, but honestly the fact that your next door neighbor, an eight year old, somehow seemed to plot this little charade between two adults was pretty impressive, in an embarrassing sort of way.

You share a laugh with Makoto, and there’s a long pause after, because there’s a small part of you that wants to push Yui’s little plan just a little bit more.

“Well… Are you going to, Coach?”

“G-Going to what?”

“Ask me for my number.”

It comes off way flirtier than you intended, and his face is akin to when you thanked him earlier, brows raised and jaw a little slack. Another pause.

“No wait, I’m sorry,” You double back, hands raised to indicate your jest. “She’s just a kid. She probably doesn’t even know if you have a girlfriend or if you’re even—”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.” You once again sound a little surprised that Makoto’s cute charm hasn’t brought someone into his life.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” He counters.

“N-No. I don’t.”

“Then… Can I have your number?” Makoto’s shy smile returns, tilting his head a little, and now it’s your turn to blush.

“Y-Yeah, of course you can.” You bite down on your lip as you pull out your cell phone, exchanging contact info with Makoto in just a few seconds.

He shoves his phone back into his pocket and adjusts his backpack on his shoulder. “I should get going then.”

He turns to head back the way you came, but before you can enter your apartment you call out to him.

“Thanks for walking us home.”

He flashes another smile and a wave. “My pleasure.”

You let the front door close behind you, eyeing the new contact in your phone with a giddy feeling in your chest.

You realize that there’s one other person that you should thank this time around.

a/n: so i had intended to write this as part of my selfship lore with mako, but it turned into an x reader fic instead. it's still very much how i envisioned meeting him for myself, but i thought i'd share it in a medium that everyone can enjoy! (´꒳`) 💚

...

"Wanna look at the menu? we still have a few stops" he asked showing you the menu on his phone, scrolling through the intricate and sugary drinks, the flakey and soft pastries, and of course the cats that lived at the cafe.

He smiled to himself over how cute they looked on the screen, "reminds me of this one cat I'd see on the way to Haru's house in Iwatobi. It was a little white cat" he reminisced fondly over the furry feline of the past, his gaze leaving the phone and looking over the sky line. It was a familiar yet strange sigh to him, not yet comprehending he was away from his home town. A sigh left him, as he fidgeted with his phone, thinking back to Iwatobi and how you both ended up dating.

Eventually the train made its final stop and Makoto gently coaxed you off the train and into the small bodega where the cat cafe was located.

A small shop, where the door rang when you opened the door, an old couple welcoming you with glee, cats meowing and rushing towards his side. You two wereh the only ones there, it was an odd time to visit the cafe anyways.

You both ordered drinks and food, sitting on the floor play with the kitties as while waiting for your order all while the cats clamored towards Makoto. Coaxing him into petting and giving them attention.

"Maybe you should stop studying, and just work here" you grumble petting the only cat that wasn't in Makotos lap, as you look at Makoto being covered in needy cats. "Uh, maybe if it paid a little more" he chuckled nervously getting up ( a bit to eagerly) to retrieve your order.

"Jeez these cats act like they've never seen a human" he mumbled speed walking to the register, while the horde followed suit.

As you both sat down to eat with a cat cuddled up to your thigh, the old couple brought the cats into the back (to prevent them from further bothering you), the sun was setting, the sweetness of your parfait on your tongue, the soft music playing in the background, quiet exchanged between other costumers, and Makotos soft eyes looking at you admiring the outside.

"Do you ever get bored of me?" he asked suddenly with a nervous undertone.

You furrow your brows at the question "no, of course not mako" you reply stealing the strawberry on his crepe. He gave a weak laugh his hands in his lap, staring at the plate of whipped cream and berries. "we've known each other since our first year of high school, and started dating since... and I feel like I haven't changed much, nor do I take you out one dates often". He said quietly looking away.

"Do you ever get bored of Haru? you've known him a lot longer than me"

"Wha- no! of course not, he's my best friend... and I like supporting him as one-"

"You see how dumb that question is?" you sigh scratching the kittens, ear. "There's a reason why we've stuck together so long, unlike me staring at my assignment I could stare at you for hours without going insane".

Upon hearing your last words he shyly looked away his ears now red. At the mere thought of being looked at by you for eternity, but now that he thought about it. There really was a reason why they stuck together, like every other friend he'd met throughout his years in swimming and how important each one is to him. But you, especially you who appeared in his homeroom during your first year of high school and brought him out of his shell more.

"Your right, guess I said that without truly thinking" he chuckled smiling at you, before picking up his fork to eat. Noticing more berries gone from the top. The his gaze followed you hand, and how your pointer finger and thumb looked suspiciously red. "H-hey!" he pouted eating the singular strawberry left, "at least I left you something" you giggle taking a bite of your parfait.

He mouth curled up subtly (there really wasn't a time he wouldn't be smiling around you), as he ate the sweet treat looking at you once more with those eyes.

"Then promise we'll never get bored of each other?" he smiled, his signature sweet smile that could make anyone's day better by simply looking. His pinky finger out, like he'd seen in so many movies and read in books.

"I pinky promise Makoto, I'll never get bored of you".

--

guys should I buy makoharu doujinshi