No Longer Alone (Reader x Tachibana Makoto)

The only noises that fills the empty room are the sounds of the clock ticking, the pitter patter of the rain outside, and the sound of your heartbeat thrumming steadily. You are laying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Now you may think this was a nice, peaceful scene, but inside of you, a battle is raging. The main piece of your life is now gone - for good.

Deep down, you want to wish that they'd bust through the door; but sadly that is only a dream now. It's been a month since you departed from your hometown, leaving behind your once happy life. And now you live here in Japan with your strict, hardworking grandparents.

Everything feels like a vague routine to you; rarely would you eat or sleep, or even do anything productive out of school. This is basically the gist of your day, staring at the ceiling fan twirl or pick out patterns in the wall and ceiling that isn't there. Or occasionally, you stare out the window of your small apartment, but the happiness of other strangers are cruel. You were once happy. But now... nothing. Emptiness.

As though you cried yourself dry, you haven't shed a single tear in about a week now. In and out everyday, tears would pour from your bright eyes - the eyes that are now bloodshot and red from lack of sleep and crying. You sigh, rolling over on you side; something you'd do every now and again if you felt somewhat uncomfortable. You fiddle with the strings of the fluffy, sandy brown rug that dominated the center of the pale, oak wood paneling.

The apartment you moved into had a very sea-related taste to it. It wasn't your choice, really; your grandparents own a fishing company, thus their love for the ocean is inevitable. You don't really complain about it too much, but being from the city makes it a little difficult to get used to it. It is a small and very, very cheap apartment. After all, your grandparents had no intentions of having children in the house. You and your two siblings try to cram in this small space, which usually makes you feel highly stressed. Luckily, you spend most of the time home alone.

Japan isn't so bad, though. You feel perfectly comfortable here. Especially because of the culture change that would've originally intrigued you much more if you hadn't lost your parents. A few months back, they had passed away in a car crash. You still wonder why this has happened to you... You and your siblings out of all people. And yet, you wouldn't wish this kind of pain upon anyone else.

I wonder if I'll ever really find a place to fit in here. I feel like an empty shell. Mom, dad... I'm sorry, you think to yourself, rolling up to a sitting position.

You rub your dry eyes, your body tensing up as if it was ready to let out a stream of tears, but nothing came. You shudder from the empty body response and pull yourself off the floor. You don't even hesitate as you make your way to your next location in this vacant apartment. You go straight to the window, sigh, and sit on the little fold-up chair that was originally placed on the balcony. You live on the eighth floor of a ten story apartment.

You could see the bright blue ocean from this window, but today under the thick mist of rain, the ocean takes on a dull grey color. You pretend to race with the droplets that hit your window absently. After several minutes, you feel your eyes slowly drift and focus on the people shielding themselves from the rain with umbrellas.

They all have social lives. You envy them. They all have purposes, places to go, people to see. The only thing that keeps you going is your siblings. What would become of them if you weren't around? A seven-year-old and three-year-old without their eldest sibling. You instantly shut the thought out and look over to a small, white round table beside the couch. Upon it, some really dated lamp and a digital clock. You look at the time with a small sigh. Only 2:04 PM. And it's Saturday...

A frown forms upon your face realizing you didn't have any plans like usual. Being alone is getting old. Fast. Yet you don't do a thing about it. Isn't that quite sad? You jump out of the chair, deciding on going on a walk to clear your thoughts.  After you got dressed, you go into the kitchen and write a note to your grandparents and siblings in case they return from the boat before you get home. You place it on the fridge with a red magnet then make your way towards the door. Before stepping out, you grab a key hidden within the soil of a potted plant resting beside the front door.

You step out of the apartment and begin your way down the eight flights of stairs. No elevator. As you step into the main lobby of the complex, you're greeted by Mrs. Yamada.

"Hello, dear. Where are you going on such a rainy day?" she questions with a smile upon her plump face. She wears thick framed glasses and has black hair, pulled back messily in a pony-tail, her bangs framing her round face. Her short stature made her look slightly younger than her actual age.

"I've got some errands to run," you lie smoothly, attempting to smile back.

"Well, be careful. Don't you have an umbrella? It's awfully wet out there."

You shake your head. "I'll be fine."

She hesitates, speculating whether or not arguing would be a good idea or not. But looking at you, or almost through you, her eyes widen. Honestly, you didn't double check a mirror to see how you looked. Could you really look that horrible?

"Alright then, dear... Take care," she dismisses with another smile and returns to her paper work. She's the owner of this huge complex, and her round nose is usually always stuffed inside a large amount of paperwork.

"Thank you."

And with that, you exit out of the old building. You slosh slowly in the now light, cold drizzle. It is a pretty cool, but muggy September day. The rain causes your hair to cling to your face and you try to brush it off absently. As you approach the manga store you had planned on going to, you groan quietly in disappointment. It's surprisingly closed for being a Saturday.

You sigh lightly, not wanting to return home and sit there, and do nothing. You are, however, a bit tired of getting soaked in the downpour, so you decide to go to the sweet little cafe about a block away. I can't go back home, you continue to get lost in your thoughts, I just can't. But a nice, warm cup of coffee sounds a bit appealing. This rain is absolutely freezing. It won't hurt to stop by the cafe.

The cafe door opened with a welcoming ring and the cashier greets you with a grin. She is short and skinny, and sports golden blonde hair.

"Hello. How may I help you?" she asks in an extremely peppy voice.

You give an inaudible sigh, not wishing for the friendly attention from her. You reach into your wet pocket and pull out some damp money. "I'll have coffee. Cream, a little bit of sugar," you order, placing the money awkwardly in front of the beautiful girl. Her looks take a blow to your self-esteem.

The girl could almost sense the sad waves rolling off you, so she didn't want to bug you any further. A scowl pulls across her face. Her blue eyes look nervously away from you. "Alright," her tone still light. "Take a seat, I'll brew something fresh."

You do as you're told and plop into a rickety, red chair near the window. You rest your arms on the table, letting your forehead fall on them. The cafe is pretty much empty. In fact, you are the only one here other than the girl. Then again, it is a small, not very known cafe resting on the outskirts of town. You let out another small sigh, quivering slightly under the sudden pressure of agony.

I wonder why the book store was closed, you complain in your head. It's just so unusual for it to be closed. Perhaps I'll ask my grandfather about it later. The sound of the door opening suddenly pulls you out of your reverie. You peek up from your arms, naturally, to see who it is. You shiver from the rush of cool air.

It's a boy... Not just any boy. You recognize him from your school- Iwatobi High. He's someone from the swim club you realize. Spills of dark hair clings to his forehead from being wet. He is pretty tall, especially in comparison to your short stature. His deep green eyes bore into yours, and you allow your face to bury itself back in your arms, blush pouring into your cheeks.  

The girl turns away from the coffee she is preparing to take in his order.

"I'll have an iced Mocha," he says in a gentle voice.

It's the voice of an angel. You find yourself a bit captivated by him now. You're not quite sure why. The man walks over to the table farthest from you and slumps into it. He looks highly stressed.

He is obviously deep in thought; the way he's tapping his fingers impatiently upon the small table, the way his eyebrows would knit together occasionally, and the way he would mumble randomly to himself about something. You couldn't quite hear what he is saying, which makes your curiosity over him magnify. Especially the nagging sensation in your mind over his name... What is his name? Surely you recognize him... but you can't put your finger on his name.

You let your head fall back onto your forearms, sighing quietly to yourself again. If only you could learn his name. After a few moments, the cashier lady gave him his drink and he quickly left the building, disappearing into the crowds of people who seemed to be returning home from work. You grab your hot drink and promptly leave as well.

You find yourself absently searching the streets for him, gulping down your drink in haste then discarding it in the first waste bin you find. As the sun begins to set, you sigh in defeat and find a bus stop; you're tired of being soaking wet and you have no idea where exactly you are anymore. You approach the bench resting beneath a nifty rooftop sitting upon two advertisement covered walls. You take a seat and wait patiently for the bus to arrive.

Time ticks on; the streetlights all around flicker alight, giving off a dull buzz smothered by the sound of the never ending pelt of rain. You look up to the darkened sky, sighing quietly to yourself.

"Is something wrong?" a friendly voice questions you. You jump at the sudden sound of noise.

You turn your attention to wherever the sound came from and jump again. "Eh..?" You gasp quietly, absolutely stunned by who it is.

His green eyes give a look of concern.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that," he says, throwing his hands up apologetically.

It takes a while, but you finally rediscover your voice: "Oh, no. You didn't scare me," you reassure, scratching the back of your neck in embarrassment.

"Do you mind if I sit beside you?" he asks.

You notice that he's still standing up. Perhaps he didn't want to sit by you without asking permission to avoid awkwardness. A little too late for that, huh?

"U-Uh... Sure!" You scoot over, and he sits in the now vacant space.

"Waiting for a bus with company is always nice," he says with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Were you lost? You're awfully soaked." He chuckles. God, what a cute laugh.

Blush pours into your cheeks and you give him a feebly angry look. "No. I was just... searching for someone." How do you tell a complete stranger 'oh, I was just trying to follow you because curiosity got the best of me'?

He gives a soft smile. "Oh? Did you ever find them?"

You look the opposite way, feeling suddenly interested by the advertisement to your left. "Well... Sorta, I guess," you mumble.

"Hey... Don't you go to Iwatobi High?" he inquires, face tilting out of curiosity.

This is the question you dreaded the most. You're not quite sure how he recognizes you. The only reason you recognize him is through the swim club; other than that, you probably never would've known his existance. As for you, you aren't in any clubs or school activities, so you aren't quite as easily noticed by people.

"Yeah. Why?" Playing it dumb. Just be cool... Just be cool. But you couldn't help but notice how beautiful his eyes are or the way his dark hair clung to his face, making his eyes an even more appealing lush color; or perhaps the way his muscles form noticeably in his tight shirt, the shirt that is even tighter from being soaked. Your palms are becoming sweaty.

"Thought so," he says with another soft smile upon his features. "What's your name?"

Oh, good. He brought the subject up first. You smirk--something you do out of your sarcastic nature--and reach out your hand.

"I'm _______. And you are?"

"Tachibana Makoto."

His hand hooks onto yours, and you could've sworn you felt an electric current pass between the two of you. Your heart sputters a little and your mouth goes dry. The man you now know as Tachibana raises a brow. Did he notice the 'spark' too? You pull your hand away and fix your hair absently.

"I recognized you from our literature class," he says, looking slightly uncomfortable from your confused look; which causes you to flush in chagrin realizing what a dumb expression you must've had. And, boy, he changes subject pretty quick.

"Oh..." was all you could say in return.

He smiles and you give a half-hearted one back.

"You never did answer my question, you know," he states, feigning hurt in his facial features.

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong? Why were you crying?"

You don't quite recall crying, but you reach up to rub your eyes, feeling the tears that clung to your eyelashes in horror. You wipe them away- not that it matters anymore. And you're not quite sure why, but you decide upon confiding in this stranger. Well, half-stranger.

"C-Can I ask you something?" you stutter keeping your eyes to the road that glistens under the streetlamps.

"Sure," he says in a skeptical tone.

"Do you have any fears?"

He smiles and looks over to the darkened ocean. It isn't very far from where this bus stop is located.

"Well, of course... but it's kind of irrational. Or so I think. My friends are very supportive of it though." His face lights up at the mention of his friends. What a lucky guy to have someone. And what lucky people to have a kind soul like him.

"What is it?" you question, unintentionally, out loud. You blush and look away once again. "I-If you want to tell me that is."

"If you promise not to laugh," he returns with a chuckle.

To your surprise, you actually genuinely smile, albeit a tiny one. Why would you laugh? You look back at him, raising a brow. "Okay, okay... I promise."

"I'm afraid of the ocean."

You look over to where the ocean is, barely hearing the crash of the waves under the sound of the rain. A small giggle forms in your stomach, but you hold it in, not wanting to break a promise.

"It's a long story... I'd rather not talk about it," he mutters, frowning at the memory.

A frown replaces the smile at how broken he looks recalling it. "W-Well... Would you like to hear my fear then? It's kind of irrational, too, I guess..." You didn't really have intentions of confiding 100% in him, but here goes nothing.

He gives you a look as if to go on.

"I'm afraid... of being alone," you whisper, lips quivering. It feels so good to get that off your chest. You don't even allow him to interrupt, you just start rambling: "My parents died in a car crash several months back. And I moved in with my grandparents along with my two other siblings. They're young and it doesn't faze them much... And I try to be strong--for their sake, not mine. It just gets so tiring... Then I start worrying about what if someone takes them away from me too? And my grandparents? I don't have any friends here... You're actually the first person I've told this all to. I'm sorry if this was a burden."

You hear the bus approaching in the distance, reaching into your pocket for money so you can quickly escape. Whenever the bus pauses in front of you, a hand grabs onto your sweater.

"W-Wait! Why don't I walk you home?" he offers.

You couldn't help but look at him dumbfounded. After giving him your sap story, he still wants to speak to you? You lift a brow quizzically. He stands up and pulls you in a gentle embrace, lowering those smooth lips close to your ear. You feel his warm breath ghost up the lobe, causing you to shudder lightly. It tickles your neck as well. And it doesn't quite help that you're not really used to human contact. You haven't been held since the last time you saw your mother.

"You know, you didn't break your promise... so I want to make you a promise as well," he whispers into your ear. Your breathing becomes a little shaky. In the distance, you hear a grumbled complaint of the bus driver, making you feel a little more anxious, but you don't dare pull away from such a warm hug. "I promise that you'll never be alone. I will never abandon you."

He pulls apart and smiles. "It must sound weird coming from a stranger, though," he breathes out awkwardly. Makoto is just too adorable.

"No..." you admit, matching his awkward tone. You wave the bus driver to continue on, leaving you and the taller boy in the empty street. You look up to see twilight still dusting the sky. You're not sure what time it is, since you can't see the sun from behind the dark clouds. You feel warm tears pricking your bright eyes. You, then, allow your eyes to fall back down to the man standing before you. "T-Thank you, Makoto!"

"You don't have to thank me, _______." The way your name rolls off his lips gives you a new sense of belonging, and you could almost see in those jade eyes that he discovered the feeling as well. "Now... let's get out of the rain, hm?~"

You wipe the tears threatening to fall away with your soaked sleeve and grin from ear to ear for the first time since the accident. As you two begin your journey to your house, you converse quietly. Or rather, he questions you and you usually fire your long answers. It's been a while since you've spoken and it feels nice to use your vocals again. You used to be extremely talkative before the incident.

Cherry red constantly dusts your face, especially as you pause in front of your apartment complex, looking into those gorgeous eyes. Gosh, you'll never get tired of those eyes. In the faint light, you can make out him blushing as well. He shifts uncomfortably under your gaze as if you intimidate him, regardless if you're much smaller. After a moment of heavy silence, he leans closer to your face, hesitating with a thoughtful expression.

"Mako-?" you begin, but you're cut off by his lips.

Such warm, delicious lips. At first, you don't return the affection, but after a few seconds of being in an absolute stunned state, you kiss him back. You feel his teeth graze gently on your bottom lip, a warm tongue following suit, asking for permission to enter. You grant him permission and part your lips a little more, feeling the warmth invade your mouth. You stand onto your tippy toes (curse your short stature) to deepen the kiss slightly. As he explores, you find yourself whimpering a little, shocked when you feel tears falling from your cheeks. He hugs you tighter, probably noticing the sobs beginning to shake within your chest.

The love in this kiss is just too overwhelming to your broken heart. You wish you could stay in this embrace forever, but you guys break away too soon. He breathlessly rests his forehead against yours, smiling. Then, the brunet leans to one side of your head, lips brushing against your ear again, and he whispers three words that causes the tears to flow so much harder: "No longer alone."

You smile, believing this beautiful boy with all of your heart that you are, indeed, no longer alone.


A/N: LET ME RANT A MOMENT--
Mako, your personality was so hard to capture!!
But it's okay, I still love you.
< 3

Anyways-- thank you so much for reading! I was on hiatus for a while, but I'm back... hopefully. REAL LIFE SUCKS //SOB I HAVE TO DEAL WITH... PEOPLE. //shudder

Oh, and I suck at romantic stuffs even though I love to write 'em. Harharhar. It took me forever to write this because Tachibana's motherly, smiley personality was hard for a calm, quiet introvert like myself to mirror. I try very hard not to make them OOC. I'm actually somewhat proud of this story... But yeah! Mako is perf. Love him. Bunches. And I love you bunches. Yes, you, you beautiful reader you.