Secrets

Stupid Pink Haired Snake!

It was still summer break for Makoto and Haruka. Most of the days were uneventful and they spent most of their time watching Ren and Ran as well as swimming. They've seen Nagisa and Rei a few times during the break but not as much as they used to see each other. Makoto is usually in the living room with Haru, while Ren and Ran lock themselves in their rooms.
Haru was about to get in the bath when the door bell rang.
"I'll get it, you stay out of sight." Haru walked towards the front door. He didn't want Makoto or his siblings to be in sight just in case it was their family.
When Haru slowly opened the door cautiously, he was surprised to see a familiar pink haired boy.
"Kisumi?" Haru asked quizzically. (Picture above)
"Good to see you too, Haru!" He said in an upbeat and cheery mood.
"M-Makoto" Haru shouted. "You can come out now."
Makoto emerged from the other room and his eyes lit up when he saw his old friend.
"Kisumi!" He laughed as he went to quickly hug him.
Kisumi was an old friend of Makoto's from middle school. Makoto spent more time with Kisumi and less with Haru. Makoto definitely didn't mean to make Haru feel bad, but Kisumi was a different story.

"Hey Makoto!" Kisumi yelled from behind.
Haru and Makoto were walking out of the school when a pink haired boy jogged over to Makoto.
Haru gave Makoto a look and Makoto introduced Haru to Kisumi.
"I'm in his gym class." Kisumi explained. Haru wasn't in the same gym class as Makoto that year, so he understood why he had never seen the guy before.
"Anyway Makoto, did you wanna go play some one-on-one basketball?"
Makoto didn't get the chance to answer before Kisumi put his arm around Makoto's shoulders and directed him towards the basketball court.
Makoto turned to mouth and apology to Haru before he was dragged away.
Before they were about to turn, Kisumi looked over his shoulder and sent Haru a devilish smirk before sticking his tongue out.
Haru was left standing there alone and had to walk home by himself for the first time since he and Makoto started to walk together in Kindergarten.

Haru snapped out of his memory and kept his face blank as Makoto and "the stupid pink haired snake"-as Haru liked to call him-conversed.
Before Kisumi left, his lilac eyes stared Haru down, forcing him to create eye contact. He flashed a grin before he closed the door.
"Well that was a nice visit." Makoto smiled. Haru didn't respond, instead he looked the other way and went up to his room.
About a minute later, Haru heard a knock on his door. "Haru?" Makoto asked quietly. "What's wrong? You didn't say a word since Kisumi left."
Haru sighed and ignored him. "He wouldn't understand anyway" Haru told himself.
Makoto waited outside of the door for an answer that never came. His heart dropped to his stomach as he dragged his feet to his room. Makoto plopped onto his bed, face down before curling himself into a ball. "What did I do wrong now?" Makoto thought to himself. He felt a familiar burning in his nose up to his eyes and a lump form in his throat. Tears ran down his nose and soaked into his bed. Makoto continued to let tears escape from his eyes as he drifted off to sleep.

That night, Haru took care of Ren and Ran and put them to bed. Haru was exhausted after cooking food and helping the kids with their summer homework.

A.N. (PLEASE READ) In the next paragraph it may be triggering to people who are sensitive to abuse. I will put another note when it is over. You won't miss anything important, it's just a nightmare.

"Daddy stop!" Ran cried as her father ripped up the drawing that she drew for him. "I made that for you and mommy..." she sniffled.
Makoto had just gotten home from practice and walked right into the incident. Their dad moved towards Ran and grabbed her by her pig tail.
"Dad stop!" Makoto yelled as he grabbed his fathers arm and pried his hand from her hair.
Makoto got down on his knees so he could be eye level with his sister. "Hey sweetie, why don't you go up to your room and I'll be up there as soon as possible, okay?" He kissed her cheek before she nodded and ran upstairs.
Makoto's father was seething with rage as he looked at Makoto. "You disrespectful bastard" his father yelled as he shoved him back into the kitchen table. His father landed one more punch to his face and Makoto fell. He was laying on the ground. Makoto saw his fathers shoes as he walked past him and in the direction of the stairs. Makoto, now full of adrenaline, quickly grabbed onto his fathers leg.
"No! Please don't hurt her! She's only eight!" He cried. "Please, hurt me all you want, but not Ran!" His father took him up on that offer and continued to kick Makoto in the stomach over and over again, before taking off his belt and whipping him with it. Makoto cried. It hurt so much, but it was worth it. Ran would be okay. Makoto looked up and watched as his fathers foot went to stomp on his face.

A.N. End of nightmare. If you skipped the nightmare, start reading from here:

Makoto shot out of bed. He was sweating and shaking uncontrollably. He weeped as he remembered the nightmare. Even sleep, wouldn't let him escape from his father. Makoto's chest was tight and his head pounded as he cradled his body and sobbed.

Haru woke up after hearing wheezing and gasps. He quickly got up and walked over to Ren and Ran's rooms. They were sound asleep. He rushed over to Makoto's room and swung the door open to reveal a shaking and crying figure. His face was red and wet with tears. His eyes were blood shot and his body was pale and shaking. This figure looked nothing like Haru's smiling and dorky best friend. This figure was broken. But still, there was no denying it. It was Makoto.
Haru ran to him and grabbed his face and looked into his eyes that were more a faded gray than green.
"Shhh, Makoto." Haru soothed. "Shh it's okay, you're okay. What's wrong?"
Makoto sobbed harder but managed to let out a strangled sound that sounded like nightmare.
Haru got up to sit next to Makoto on his bed and wrapped his arms around the boy. His hand rested on Makoto's head as he sobbed into Haru's shoulder.
"You're okay, I'm here. You're safe." Haru continued to talk to Makoto until he calmed down.
"H-Haru?" Makoto's voice cracked.
"I'm here."
"I'm sorry!" His voice wavered.
"Why are you sorry?" Haru asked confused.
"Because I made you mad. I don't know what I did, but I'm sor-ry"
"Makoto." Haru looked down at him. "You didn't make me mad. The truth is I was mad at Kisumi."
"Why were you mad at him?" Makoto questioned.
"I don't want to make you mad or upset or anything, but I've always felt like he was.. trying to steal you away from me." Haru explained.
"You were jealous?"
"Yeah. I guess. I just don't feel like he's the type of guy that you should hang around. I don't know, I'm just speaking my mind." Haru rambled on.
"Haru." Makoto cut him off. "No one could steal me away from you."
Haru's face flushed but he ignored it. "L-let's go to bed." Haru stuttered as he got underneath the covers.
"You don't want to go back to your room?"
"No. I want to make sure you don't get any more nightmares."
Makoto smiled before he got into bed next to Haru.
"No one could steal me away from you." Makoto's words echoed in Haru's head until he eventually dozed off.