Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

„Haru? Hey, Haru. Don't ignore me.“

It was a way too familiar picture of the two of them – Haru who tried to look anywhere else but Rin while the redhead put an arm around his shoulders as a sign of overly affection. They weren't alone – every member of the former Iwatobi Swim Club was in the same room, chatting. How could they not notice? Haru thought to himself. He didn't reply to Rin but also didn’t try to shake his arm off.

It felt light, the touch of his arm, and more like an airy sensation. When he glanced at the other swimmer he was looking at their friends with a light frown, as if he was overthinking again. But Haru decided it would be weird to approach the topic.

„Haru-chan, come here~!“ Nagisa was on his way to him and he sensed Rin slowly backing off.
What is this about? he silently wondered and felt two arms hugging his waist, with a lot more pressure than the arm on his shoulder seconds before. He suppressed a startle, since he didn't want them to notice how skittished he became.

His gaze went down to Nagisa's blond and he silently watched his friend lovingly nuzzling his stomach. „Nagisa,“ he called out softly before putting his hand on the quirky young adults head. He had grown a bit since the last time they were all together, but there was no way he could ever erase the image of the quirky little boy that they've all known for years.

The Olympics were over since nearly three months and they all finally found the time to meet in Tokyo to celebrate that Haru had improved a lot. He won a silver medal for freestyle and bronze medal in his relay – it wasn't gold, but it also wasn't exactly the regionals.

Haru wasn't too enthusiastic about the party but it was a long time ago since meeting his friends and talking to them. It eased him up and made him more comfortable than he'd been weeks ago. But he couldn't get over the fact that Rin was there, too.

He couldn't decide what to do, so he ignored him for the whole evening. In all this tumult he wondered if anyone would even notice him talking to Rin or not.

The evening went on and Rin silently stood in the corner, always sure to have the dark-haired man glancing at him. Neither of them tried to approach the other again, but when the friends parted, Rin followed him home.

„Why are you following me, Rin?“ Haru asked. The darkness and silence was broken by his soft voice.
„I don't have anywhere to go so I figured you'd let me stay with you,” he answered as soon as he catched up with him and – again – threw his arm around the other's shoulders.

Haru glanced sideways. This was real – no Illusion – Rin was here, in Tokyo, with his arm around his shoulder, walking to his flat together like they always did when Rin came back home. It was his usual routine, coming first to Tokyo because it was the first stop from Australia to come to Tokyo airport.

From there he would visit Haru – wether he was at this time at home, in the school or in the pool.
They would instantly race when he found Haru in the pool – or get to the pool when they didn't meet up there. From there his journey would lead to see Sousuke and Makoto – then back to Iwatobi to meet his mother and sister and his other friends.

Rin was beaming every time he got back – shining and radiating it within a radius of 100 kilometres and it effected everybody, even Haru.
But now he was looking vulnerable and like he didn't know what to talk about, but to be honest, Haru did not let him any chance to do so.

When they got to his flat, Haru had the keys already in his hand, opening the door and leaving it open for Rin to follow him. He had to go back to close it again, because, of course, there was no way Rin could have closed it by himself.

When he turned back he saw the red head looking at a newspaper folded neatly on the table. Haru certainly knew which article he was looking at. Times and times in the last weeks he himself had read it, drawn out every word of it, imagined someone reciting it and then Rin narrating it. It resembled his elementary school self, exited about absolutely anything.

When their last year in high school approached, Rin got a lot back from his naive young self. It was astounding how happy he was again, but Haru had not once since Rin came back from Australia ever truly believed that everything was lost.

„So you do read articles about me, Haru~“ Rin flashed a bright grin while looking at the newspaper. He turned to him and when they two turned to each other, one stayed expressionless.

„Don't you think this is inappropriate, Rin?“ There was a slight hint of anger in his voice he desperately tried to contain.

„Sorry.“

Silence filled the room, not even Rin's finger tapping the table he leaned against would make any difference.

„Nevermind.“

The known for freestyle swimmer took of to his small bed room, changing out of his clothes and taking sleeping pants on. When he got back to the kitchen to get some water to drink he looked at Rin again, who hadn't moved.

„How long are you going to be here?“ Haru asked him, but Rin just shrugged.
„I'm going to make myself comfortable,“ he said instead and went off to bedroom, leaving his friend behind.

He stayed in the kitchen for a while, sipping his water and thinking about this new circumstances.
His mind kept working endlessly beginning by the fact how this all was even possible. The fact that Rin was back made him s.o.m.e.h.o.w happy, but..

He glanced at the newspaper which was in fact real. It was here and it was neatly folded on this table since about two months. The headline he was reading throughout those months never failed to make him uneasy. And still, there was a dull sting in his chest when he read it now.