Makoto had all but sequestered himself in his apartment. As the winter holidays begun to draw near, his professors had seen fit to pile on the work. There appeared to be some collective agreement that they had to press as much into those last few weeks before their students were free on their breaks. This left Makoto trapped in his apartment the moment he had any free time outside of classes, trying to scratch out even a small dent in he mounting pile before it completely overwhelmed him. 

The routine was broken when Makoto’s phone went off on the other side of the table. Haru’s name flashed across the screen, a sight that had become more frequent since they had ended up in separate sections of Tokyo. 

“Haru.” Makoto couldn’t help the relief that came into his voice even before the other spoke. 

“Makoto,” Haru offered in response, in the same neutral tone he affected most of the time. “Just finished practice. Did you want to get dinner?” It had become an unspoken agreement between the two to get dinner on occasion, bridging the gap between their respective apartments in Tokyo. Makoto looked down at the study guide he was about halfway through and groaned. 

“I want to, Haru, but I have so much work to do. Maybe this weekend?” Makoto knew Haru’s schedule was demanding, but he hoped they might be able to find time this weekend. He would hate to miss out on time with Haru, but the weekend offered time not wedged as much between classes and training schedules. 

“What are you going to eat?” Haru asked. 

“Something here, probably.” Which meant he probably had another date with instant noodles. Not the most exciting prospect. 

“I’m coming over.” 

“Haru? No, really! I won’t be good company! I still have two study guides to go through!” 

“I’ll be over as soon as I can catch the train. See you soon, Makoto.” 

“Haru–” The line went dead before he could protest further. Makoto slumped at the table for a moment, shaking his head. His apartment wasn’t even suitable for guests in its current state. There were piles of papers scattered everywhere, put in spots on the floor vaguely by what class they were meant for. Even then, some of the piles had fallen over and were dangerously close to invading on other piles. As the day had gone on, the system had slowly devolved until now there wasn’t even a clear path across the floor. 

Makoto surveyed the mess, debating between cleaning some of it up before Haru arrived or trying to get as much work done as possible. If he got this study guide done, then he might be able to take a break and spend some time with Haru… 

The latter option won, if only because it meant Makoto didn’t have to move from the warm cocoon he’d built around himself with blankets. That, and it allowed him to continue working on the task he’d been at before Haru called. He was just putting the finishing touches on the sheet when he heard a knock at the door, signaling Haru’s arrival. 

“Haru? You can come in!” he called, only then scrambling around to try and clear a few empty instant noodle cups from the chaos before Haru saw them. He was just discarding them when Haru entered from the doorway, having already removed his shoes. 

“Welcome, Haru.” Makoto smiled as he took the other in. Haru still had his training jacket on, but he was gripping a bag in his hand that appeared stuffed to the brim with food items. “Haru! You didn’t have to, really…” 

“You sounded stressed. I’d rather cook for you than have you eat more instant ramen,” Haru responded, already brushing past him and to his small kitchen. Haru began pulling things out, setting them on the counter as he did. Haru could navigate almost as well as Makoto, but it wasn’t a surprise considering it only really got use when Haru came over. Makoto could only watch as Haru set to work. 

“Hm? No mackerel?” 

“Trainer said I should eat different kinds of protein. And you like beef better.” Makoto beamed at the comment, proud of Haru’s growth in his training and flattered at the care Haru gave him. 

“Thank you, Haru,” Makoto said. Haru gave the smallest nod of assent before he continued to wordlessly work at the meal in front of him. Makoto debated letting him work and going back to his own. He knew Haru wouldn’t mind, but even so it felt rude. 

“How was practice today?” Makoto elected to ask instead. He leaned against the counter as Haru worked. 

“Fine. We worked on technique for most of practice. Coach wants our form perfect.” Even as Haru intoned it, Makoto could hear the undertones of annoyance. Haru may have professed that he was determined to take his swimming to the competitive stage, but that didn’t mean he didn’t prefer just swimming freely. Technique days were some of his least favorite. “He says I’m improving.” 

“That’s great, Haru.” 

“You can work on your schoolwork. I’ll bring it to you when it’s done.” Haru was focused on the cooking and the meat sizzling in the pan now. Makoto paused a moment before nodding. He plopped back down at the table, trying to work on the next study guide. He supposed it was good to get something done. 

It wasn’t long before Haru was moving over to the table with two plates, piled high with meat, vegetables, and rice. He set them on empty sections of the table before sitting down across from Makoto. 

“Eat up. I made something for after.” 

“Haru–” 

“I wanted to. You’re working hard. Now eat.” 

Makoto could hardly argue with those words when his stomach growled, reminding him just how long it had been since he had last eaten a meal. The smell of the meal was tantalizing enough as well, certainly better than the smell when Haru prepared mackerel. It wasn’t long before Makoto was eating his food eagerly, shoveling the food in large mouthfuls, hardly chewing as he ate. Haru was a good cook, and the meal didn’t disappoint. 

“So, what did you bring for after?” Makoto asked curiously as he finished off the last bits of food on his plate. He hadn’t been aware of how quickly Haru was eating, but the swimmer wasn’t far behind him in terms of what was left on his plate. Haru finished the last few bites before speaking. 

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise,” he offered, standing up and taking both plates with him back to the sink. He was only there for a few moments before he came back with two steaming mugs in his hand. He offered one to Makoto, who took it and peered down into the mug eagerly to see what it was. He was greeted with a pleasantly brown liquid and the warm smell of milk chocolate wafting up at him from amidst puffy white marshmallows. A grin grew quickly across his face almost immediately as the chocolate smell reached him. 

“Hot chocolate! One of my favorites. Haru, thank you,” he beamed, moving to take a sip quickly. He hissed when the too hot liquid met his tongue, pulling the mug away. 

“Let it sit for a few minutes first. It’s hot, Makoto,” Haru offered, moving to set his mug on the table and guiding Makoto to do the same. 

“Thank you, again, Haru…” 

“It’s no problem. You should have a break,” Haru responded, leaning in to capture a quick kiss. Makoto’s smile widened, if possible.