Work Text:
"What is free?"
Haru frowns. They were lying on the grass outside of their house, basking in the afternoon sunlight. Sousuke has one arm wrapped around Haru's shoulder and the other resting behind his head, while Haru has an arm over Sousuke's waist and is curled up against the side of Sousuke's body.
He tilts his head back to look at Sousuke, curiously. "What do you mean?" he asks.
Sousuke glances at him from the side and then looks back up at the sky. "You're always going on about being free. So, I was wondering... what is it really?"
Haru smiles softly. He puts his head back on Sousuke's chest and tightens his arm around his waist. "A feeling you get," he answers.
"That's... vague. What type of feeling?"
Haru sighs. He rolls onto his back and pulls Sousuke's arm onto his chest. "You feel free," he says, playing with Sousuke's fingers. "Like... nothing can stop you or get in your way. You feel happy, light... invincible. When I'm swimming, sometimes I see things that remind me of why I love to swim, and then that makes me feel free."
Sousuke turns his head and presses his forehead against the top of Haru's head. "What do you see?" he asks softly.
Smiling, Haru says, "My friends. Sometimes I see you. Animals."
Haru hears him chuckle. "Animals, really?"
"Yeah, they remind me of the people who are important to me," Haru tells him. "There's an orca for Makoto, a shark for Rin, a penguin for Nagisa, a butterfly for Rei, and a whale shark for you."
Sousuke splutters, pulling back. "What?! I'm nothing like a whale shark!"
Haru eyes him. "You've got a huge mouth like one."
"Oi," he growls, knocking his leg against Haru's. Haru laughs and knocks his leg back. They lie in silence before Sousuke asks, "When have you felt free?"
"I always feel free," Haru states.
"I mean... have there been moments that have stuck to you as you feeling truly free?"
Haru stares at the sky above them, contemplating the question. Has he had moments where he truly felt free? Scenes flash through his mind quickly and he smiles gently. "There have been a few," he says, his voice quiet and soft.
"Tell them to me."
Haru starts listing off particular moments from over the years.
When he swam in the relay in his second year of high school with his friends - Rin, Makoto, and Nagisa.
When he won the relay the following year alongside Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa.
When he finally figured out his was to go pro.
When he competed on an international level alongside Rin.
When he competed in the Olympics and won several medals.
"When I married you," he finishes off, rolling back and snuggling against Sousuke. He feels Sousuke laugh and tighten his arm around his shoulder.
x
"Same sex marriage is now legal in the Kansai and Kantō region of Japan."
Haru stills momentarily, before placing the knife he was using onto the counter and walking towards the next room. Sousuke sits on the ground at the table, his hand pressed against the cheek, as he watches the TV. Haru moves further into the room and they watch in silence as the news goes on to further talk about how same sex couples can get married in selected regions. In the background, a montage plays of same sex couples in wedding attire, kissing and celebrating.
"Well, would you look at that," Sousuke mumbles. Haru looks over at Sousuke, who flashes him a grin. "I wonder if Rin and Tachibana have gone out and gotten themselves hitched."
It turns out Makoto and Rin did go straight out and get hitched. When they arrive in Iwatobi to catch up with Haru and Sousuke a few weeks later after the news announcement, they both flash their matching wedding rings.
"When he heard the announcement, Rin went and booked someone to marry us," Makoto gushes to Haru and Sousuke. He then goes on to explain the whole ceremony. "There's a small place near our apartment in Tokyo and it was the perfect place to have it. There were lights everywhere and cherry blossoms were scattered all over. It was so romantic of Rin to organise it all by himself."
"Makoto," Rin grumbles, shifting uncomfortably in his sit, his cheeks tinged red.
"Did he cry his eyes out?" Sousuke asks, smirking.
"Sousuke!" Rin exclaims, glaring at his best friend.
Makoto laughs. "Yeah, he did," he admits.
"Makoto!" Rin yells, betrayed.
Haru, Sousuke, and Makoto all laugh to themselves as Rin covers his face with his hands. The ring on his finger flashes and Haru finds himself staring at it curiously. Sousuke and Rin then move into another room to catch up, leaving Makoto and Haru alone to talk.
"So, has Yamazaki asked you yet?"
"Ask me what?" Haru asks, putting down two cups off coffee onto the table for himself and Makoto. Makoto accepts the coffee, thanking him.
Haru takes a sip of his just as Makoto says, "To marry him."
The coffee dribbles out of Haru's mouth as his jaw drops, his eyes wide. Makoto fusses over Haru, apologizing as Haru cleans himself up and wipes the remaining coffee off his chin.
"It's fine," Haru reassures Makoto, after the one hundredth 'I'm sorry, Haru!'. "And no... Yamazaki hasn't asked me."
Makoto chuckles lightly. "I see you're still calling him Yamazaki after years of dating each other."
"Shut it," Haru mumbles, looking away and putting the coffee to his mouth, his cheeks a light pink.
"Do you want him to?" Haru looks back over at Makoto, who is smiling gently. "I saw you staring at Rin's ring."
Haru shrugs, putting his coffee down. He stares into the liquid before smiling softly. "I don't know, maybe someday."
Sousuke proposes a few months later. He plans the whole thing, trying to make it as romantic as possible. He takes Haru up onto the mountains that overlook the ocean. He does the whole get down on one-knee thing, holding Haru's hands in his own, only to have Haru ask, "Are you okay?" and continue asking him questions instead of listening to what Sousuke had to say. In the end, Sousuke had to stand back up before Haru stopped asking questions.
"I cannot fucking believe you said sure," Sousuke complains.
Haru rolls his eyes, staring at the thin bang on his finger. "Sure means yes as well."
"I know it can. But you don't use 'sure' when someone asks you to marry them, Nanase!"
He rolls his eyes again. He smiles faintly at the ring before looking over at Sousuke. He puts his hand on Sousuke's thigh and rubs it, leaning over and kissing his cheek. Sousuke turns to Haru and they kiss each other. Haru breaks the kiss and looks away. "Oh no..." he says, his voice quiet.
"What? What's wrong?" Sousuke asks, concern filling his voice.
Haru looks back at Sousuke, eyes wide. "How am I going to get rid of you now?"
Sousuke storms off, flipping Haru the bird. Haru laughs at his fiancé before getting up and chasing after him.
They get married a year after Sousuke proposes. They get married on a beach in Tokyo, surrounded by their friends and family. Haru did want to have the wedding by a pool, but Sousuke had been quick to forbid it. So they both settled on getting married by the ocean at sunset. It been utterly amazing. They scenery had been perfect, the venue had been phenomenal, and they had looked amazing in their white tuxedo's. Haru had never felt so loved than he did in that moment. The way Sousuke looked at him and kissed him once they were wed had left Haru feeling free and like he was floating.
To no one's surprise, Rin is the one who cries the hardest at the wedding.
"Wow, I don't think you cried this hard at our wedding, Rin," Makoto states, staring at his husband's tear-stained face in wonder.
"Shut it," Rin mutters, cleaning his face with a tissue Makoto had given him. Makoto laughs and places his hand on top of Rin's.
"Hey, does anyone else think they look really adorable?" Nagisa asks, his chin propped in his hands as he stares dreamily at the dance floor - where Sousuke and Haru were slow dancing with one another.
Makoto, Rei, and Rin turn in their seats and stare at the newly-weds. They all hum in agreement to what Nagisa said, watching the two dance slowly with one another, whispering into each other's ears.
"What do you think they're talking about," Rei asks.
"Probably how much they love each other," Nagisa guesses.
"You suck at dancing, Yamazaki," Haru whispers into his husband's ear.
"You're the one who's been tripping over constantly," Sousuke whispers back."
"Because your big feet keep getting in my way."
"That's only because you don't know where to put your damn duck feet."
Haru's jaw drops. "I want a divorce."
"Fine, but I'm taking Mr. Saba with me." Mr. Saba was their goldfish, who unfortunately had been named by Haru.
They glance at one another before Haru's lip twitches and then they're both laughing at each other. "Kiss me," Haru suddenly whispers, grabbing onto the lapels of Sousuke's jacket.
"He's over there with -" Souske gets cut off when Haru pulls him down and presses their lips together hard. His hands immediately go around Haru's waist and rest on his back. Haru's hand move from Sousuke's jacket and snake around his neck, threading his fingers through his dark hair. They kiss each other deeply, gaining a little attention. Everyone starts whistling and wooing at them when Sousuke suddenly lifts Haru up in his arms and twirls around with him.
"Get a room!" Rin yells.
x
Sousuke smiles, running his fingers through Haru's hair. "I felt free on that day, too," he admits.
Smiling, Haru tilts his head up. "So you know what's like being free now?"
Sousuke brings his hand up and cups Haru's cheek. "If being free means all the stuff you said, then I've been free since the moment you became part of my life, Haru."
Haru's heart soars and he smiles. "I love you," he whispers.
"I love you, too," Sousuke whispers, before pulling Haru into a long, deep kiss.