Chapter Text
The road leading to their little cottage home stretched far into the distance. The sun was a sinking orb in the sky, blindingly bright and beautiful. It was something out of a fairytale.
Just like a certain someone I know, Haruka thought to himself, smiling lightly.
“Oto-chaaaaan!!! I’m hungry! When is Papa coming home?” A small voice trilled from behind him.
“Coming, Yu-chan! Calm down, calm down, he’s on his way.” Haru called back soothingly, chuckling a bit while leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.
“Oto-chan!” A small red bundle zoomed across his line of vision, barreling directly into his stomach and knocking him to the cool concrete of their front porch. Haru let out a small grunt as his daughter unceremoniously sat up in his lap, bright, innocent eyes glowing up at him.
“Yuzumi, how many times have I told you? Old people can’t take your barrel rolls anymore. Maybe five years ago I would’ve been able to, but not today.” Haru reprimanded softly, twirling the small, cherry-eyed girl in his arms amid shouts of “Oto-chaaan!” and “You’re so mean!” Looking at his daughter in his arms now, Haru couldn’t help but think of how lucky he was. Chuckling slightly to himself, Haru marveled at how Rin had always been labeled as the romantic of the family. He was just as sappy.
“ ‘To-chan?” What’re you laughing at?” Yuzumi lilted, her curly raven hair dappled with shades of blue in the early evening sunlight.
“Nothing, nothing. Come on, let’s get you some food. Can’t have your stomach getting angry, can we?” He said as he tickled her small belly. Her tinkling giggle resounded through their small, sea- side cottage. “If only you didn’t run around so much you wouldn’t eat as much as Sakura and Rin combined…” Haru muttered to himself, sighing. “Speaking of which, Yu-chan, where’s your brother?” Yuzumi rolled her eyes. “Where he always is, obviously. Watching the ocean. He’s so boooooring.”
“Kura- kun! Come in for dinner!” Haruka called to his son. “And don’t say that about your brother Yuzumi. I was the same way…I’m still the same way.”
Sakura sat on the beach, staring at the seemingly endless ocean, blue eyes focused, brow slightly ruffled. He grunted slightly when he heard his father calling for him, but made no move to stand from his spot of reverie. At four years old, Kura was already taking after Haruka in habits and Rin in temper. He got angry easily, his face lighting up to match his fiery red hair, contrasting with the blue of his eyes. But at the same time, Kura loved to sit by the beach, watching the waves gently roll back on forth along the sand, touching his toes in the cool water. At times like these, he was quiet, observant.
That is, until, his younger sister would come rumbling across the beach, as she did every evening, and disturb his moments of peace. Honestly, that girl needed some type of leash. But no matter how much his sister pestered him, the only thing that would get him moving from his sacred spot was the sound of Rin coming home from coaching the very official, extremely high-profile Australian Olympic swim team.
Every single day, without fail, Rin would burst in through the carved wooden entrance to their small home, calling out “Yu-chan! Kura-kun! Haru! Tadeima!” And every single day the two bright-eyed children would rush to be enveloped in his warm (bone-crushing), but warm, embrace while Haru stood in the background, laughing and kissing Rin’s forehead when the children scrambled away to retrieve something or the other to show their father. Haru always said that they looked like two ripe hawthorn berries rolling across the floor.
Their life was happy, and their stomachs and hearts were always full to bursting.
After the kids had been put to bed and the sun had set, Haru and Rin would sit on the back porch, admiring the soft whoosh of the waves as they rolled back and forth. The warm night air would sweep over them, reminiscent of the hot Australian afternoon. Rin and Haru would lean against each other, sharing soft caresses and quietly muttered jokes. Sometimes, they would talk about the past, the warm air relaxing them into a state of near- lethargy. Affectionate mutters of “You’re growing old Rin” and “Oh yeah, I’m not the one with the gray hair” would bounce between the pair as easily as the breeze swayed the palm fronds back and forth. Years of learning about and growing with each other had gotten rid of the uncertainty that came with the blushes, as well as the pounding of hearts, but their bond had only grown stronger over time.
The day was always ended in the warm night air.
A new one was always started in the cool hours of the dawn.
A dolphin, a shark, and two rays of sunshine living under the same roof.
It was a fairytale dream come true.