Title: Cooling Off
Fandom: Free!
Rating: G
Genre: Friendship
Characters: Makoto, Haru
Summary: The end of a day at the beach.
Cooling Off
Makoto rolled over and lifted his face to the sky, breathing in the salty scent of the ocean as he did so. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked up at the gathering dusk. The evening sky was a wash of purple and dark blue, fading to pink and orange nearer the setting sun. It was a beautiful end to a warm summer day, and he was glad to witness it.
Of course, not everyone was doing so. Small waves lapped against his side as he floated in the water, a by-product of the laps Haru was doing further out. That was the only reason his friend had come to the beach, and they both knew it. Makoto could understand, since what was the point if you didn’t swim? Still, lying on the beach was nice sometimes, and it was the perfect evening for that.
The teen watched the sky for a few more minutes, feeling a light breeze blow across his damp skin as the sun started to dip below the horizon. Finally, with a sigh, he dropped his legs and began to tread water as he looked for Haru. His friend was still doing laps, cutting through the water with ease despite the current that he was swimming in. Makoto admired the sight for the moment, then called, “Haru. Haru!”
The other teen raised his head and looked at him after the second call, a slight frown on his face. Makoto ignored the irritated look he was getting and said, “Haru, it’s getting dark.”
While they certainly knew the area well, both of them also knew it was dangerous to swim at night, especially alone. So while Haru was no doubt unhappy about it, he nodded and swam in, the two of them reaching the shore together. As they grabbed their towels and began to dry off, Makoto asked, “How do you feel about eating supper here? There’s still plenty of food from lunch we can eat.”
Haru considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Fine.”
Makoto smiled at him and went about preparing their meal, occasionally glancing over at Haru. His friend remained silent while he waited, his eyes fixed on the ocean. It was nearly dark by the time everything was ready, but a rising moon and the surrounding light from the city made it easy enough to see.
Haru settled down on his towel once Makoto called him, but the teen knew his mind was still on the water so he made a suggestion. “Do you want to go for a dip afterwards?” As long as they together and stayed close to shore, they should be fine.
Haru’s eyes practically light up at that, and he nodded eagerly and began to eat faster. Makoto chuckled as he helped himself to another rice ball, knowing they could relax later.