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It is the morning light that awakens Sousuke first.
The warm rays filter in through their open window, dancing through the still bedroom with cordial tidings of a new day to come. Their presence elicits a grumble from the tired male, his body sluggish and lazy in the early morning as he resists full cognitive awareness for just a few minutes longer. The slumbering world he had been privy to was one of a happier place, one where hopes could be filled and dreams were accomplished by those willing to pursue. But here, reality was hardly so kind and it bared its fangs in a small throb given by a very sore shoulder.
Greenish blue eyes opened slowly.
Before him was a mess of almost wine-colored red hair. Tangled and fussed up, the long strands fell limply in front of a face as exhausted as Sousuke's own probably appeared. Feeling his lips twitch Sousuke turned his own head, pressing closer - despite the insistent throb of his shoulder for his attention – so as to nuzzle his face into the soft bed of hair. Rin smelled of chlorine and cherry blossoms and Sousuke couldn't resist a deep inhale of the scent. It was an exquisite scent, lovely in a way that made it almost intoxicating to the butterfly swimmer's senses. It smelled of a past – riddled with happiness and dreams – and of a future conveniently riddled the same way. The smell brought him comfort when nothing else could.
It was a smell he had missed.
Pulling his head back, Sousuke replaced it once more on his pillow. Noticing the way Rin's lips parted beneath his hair Sousuke reached up so as to gently and carefully brush the locks behind his best friends ear.
It could never be considered fair how beautiful Rin Matsuoka was.
Even as a child Rin had possessed a very slender face, but now - with age and exercise - the teen had managed to elaborate the sharpened features upon it in a way that betrayed the quick grace he possessed during the waking day. His brows were relaxed, betraying the vulnerability that Rin only ever allowed himself to feel when in Sousuke's presence, and his eyes were a softened slant that reminded Sousuke of a cat. Carefully sliding his hand up along Rin's body (and consequently, ignoring the pain it brought to the forefront of his mind) Sousuke reached to press his thumb gently beneath the shadow of Rin's eye. The skin there was still slightly puffy and dark, betraying to Sousuke the news that perhaps even while they slept Rin had been crying in his own dreams. The thought caused Sousuke's heart to ache even as it swelled with a new appreciation for his 'captain'. Swallowing down his own emotions Sousuke dragged his finger down, moving to carefully press at the corner of Rin's mouth where just a sliver of sharp teeth could be seen behind beautiful lips. Unconsciously Sousuke licked at his own, his heart still pulsing at the thought of the emotional turmoil Rin had spent the night in, before he was slowly letting go.
Curling forward, Sousuke wrapped his good arm tighter around Rin. Too tired to hold his other one up any longer Sousuke brought it down to instead idly trace the harsh ridges of his friends spine. Although it was initially meant to bring himself comfort, the true unconscious goal of Sousuke's movement soon betrayed itself at the first stirring of Rin's body. But rather than loosen his hold to give Rin room to move instead Sousuke held on tighter, for once not wishing to allow Rin a chance to leave him before Sousuke was ready to do so.
“....mmm?”
Rin's head lifted, his eyes bleary in the morning light as they tried to align in order to see straight. “Sousuke?” Although his name was spoken like a question Sousuke didn't respond. Instead his hand continued to rub Rin's spine before finally sliding forward to rest upon the smaller male's angular hips. Pausing there a moment, Sousuke could feel a smile growing on his face when he suddenly buried his face in Rin's hair once more. “You have no ass, Rin.” The comment was accompanied by a jab of Rin's knee, now fully awake, into Sousuke's own. However, their bodies were so closely entangled that the wound was barely felt. Instead of a groan a chuckle escaped Sousuke at that, his hand pressing a little lower as if to feel the very same thing he had been mocking only to drift down to Rin's thigh instead.
“Go back to sleep.” The words are breathed out lowly so Sousuke can take another breath in of the delightful scent of his new dream. And, for his part, Rin doesn't reply but in his silence Sousuke could hear the turnings of the other male's mind. Rin always had been a bit of an overthinker, the sort who fixates on something and can never let it go until things can be resolved in a way that he deems worthy. It was a flaw of his, the sort of thing that Sousuke was sure had caused the wall in Australia to grow so large.
Pulling back, Sousuke brought his eyes down to linger in pools of red. Although some days it was like a storm in those bright hues of Rin's this morning he could only find peace and quiet. There was a trust there that calmed Sousuke and reminded him that even after all they have been through their relationship still held strong. Smile relaxing into a simpler quirk Sousuke remained captivated by that gaze for a time that stretched into eternity. It felt as though Rin was reading right through him, picking apart the lies and the truth in his search for the core of who Sousuke was. Guilt weighed heavily upon Sousuke at this thought but it was soon shaken aside when Rin closed his eyes once more. The other male breathed heavily out, lips pressed apart for a moment too long for Sousuke to resist bringing his own in close. The proximity caused Rin's own eyes to flutter open before a very slight flush tinted at pale cheeks. A moment later and Rin was pushing away and just like when they were children Sousuke let him go. Without a word Rin stood, tank top slipping down one shoulder, as he slid his shoes on and left the room. Groaning to himself, Sousuke rolled over onto his back, feeling oddly cold now that his bedmate was gone, and closed his eyes once more. In this position his shoulder didn't hurt as much but the knowledge that he would need to go to the hospital today lingered persistently on the back of his mind. He also knew, if anything, a certain redhead was going to insist on accompanying him today despite having his own duties to take care of as the captain of a swim team post-competition. Exhaling a mirthful breath at that Sousuke allowed himself to drift back into a barely cognizant state of awareness as he waited for the sound of their bedroom door to open once more. However, as the seconds ticked by, the dark haired male became unaware of when he stopped being able to sense the room around him so that it wasn't until he could feel the pressure of another body upon his did he even recognize Rin's return.
Opening his eyes once more the teen was greeted with the image of Rin;s face encased in a halo of sunlight. It reflected off of his tanned skin and ensnared Sousuke's mind with a warmth recognizant from before. “Welcome back.” Reaching up with his good hand, Sousuke brushed Rin's hair out of his face once more and smiled when the smaller teen leaned into his touch. “Did I wake you?” It was as though Rin already knew the answer to that question as he shuffled his body so that he was lying on top of Sousuke, legs falling between the larger male's own, and chest pressing down as elbows moved to the bed on either side of Sousuke's body. “From a good dream too.” Rin made a throaty sound laced in amusement at that. “Good, consider it revenge for waking me up.” The care that Rin took to not put too much of his weight on Sousuke's bad side was obvious but Sousuke chose to appreciate it in quiet. Smiling, the teen slid his hand further back so that his fingers could stroke behind Rin's ear as he spoke.
“Had to brush your teeth?”
“You looked like you wanted to kiss me.”
“What if I like the taste of your morning breath?”
“Then you'd be disgusting. I probably should have made you brush yours as well.”
“No kissing then?”
“I didn't say that.”
Rin's body pressed forward at the same moment that Sousuke lifted his head up. The two met halfway in a kiss every bit as gentle as the way they were now holding each other. The room around them was quiet save for the sounds of early morning filtering in through their window, allowing the two to fixate solely upon the touch of the other against their skin. It was a feeling that caused Sousuke's eyes to drift shut, his head falling a little back down so that Rin's hair tickled his cheeks when the other teen pushed higher up to keep their lips connected. Just like his awakening it was a slow, sleepy kiss. One not meant to escalate but that held all the pent up love and trust that had built up between them over all these years spent both together and apart. It left Sousuke's body burning, like he was set completely ablaze in a pure adoration for the male pressed tightly against him. The emotions within him weighed almost heavily, making Sousuke wonder if he had the strength still to bear through such an intense love after the fight to get here had taken so much out of him. But, as the first caress of tears dripped from Rin's eyes onto his own cheeks, Sousuke knew the truth of how he could do anything for this precious being.
Reaching up with both hands now Sousuke rubbed his thumbs under Rin's eyes and smiled when their foreheads were brought together.
“Stay with me for a while longer, Rin.”
It was a selfish request although Rin would never think it was as the tears continued to pile upon him. “I'd hate to spoil you.” The male replied, his voice slightly choked up as his head was brought down to bury his face into Sousuke's neck. Humming happily Sousuke wrapped his arms around the lithe male and closed his eyes once more.
Around them a peace still lingered.
Maybe it was his own inner peace, brought about through his admittance of the lies that had built between them. But in it Sousuke found a happiness he had not felt for nearly two years now.
Losing swimming was hard.
But compared to having lost Rin before, Sousuke was fairly sure he could make it easily through this transition.
And this time Rin would be by his side every step of the way.