Chapter Text
Haru stared at the water blasting out of the faucet. The plane bathroom was tight and uncomfortable. He felt a bit sorrowful for the water, trapped up thousands of miles above the sea, constricted in the pipes. He shut the tap off and wiped his hands on the scratchy paper towels before prying open the door.
He stumbled a bit in the aisle but made it back to his seat without incident. Awkwardly, he fumbled to get back to the window and fell into the chair with a soft thud. Outside the window, the ocean sparkled. Haru’s eyes took in all the shining blue. He knew that all the oceans were connected, but it felt different under a different name. The Arabian Sea looked warmer and smoother than the sea back home in Japan. His brain replayed images of a magenta-haired boy on a foreign shore, and he wondered which ocean he thought of as home.
“Whoa! We made it to land!” Nagisa leaned over the armrest to press his face against the window. “It’s so big!”
Haru peered around Nagisa’s head to see the view. Sure enough, Dubai had materialized in front of his eyes, jutting out of the ocean. The view was striking from above; the metropolis gleamed bright in the sunlight and reflected off the skyscrapers. His eyes hurt just trying to take it all in. Suddenly, golden orange sand appeared on the horizon.
Rei popped his head out to look. “Dubai is one of the most unique cities in the world because it has the ocean on one side and desert on the other. The desert keeps it hot and humid most of the year and they rarely get rain, except for storms. The city itself is a heat island though so it stays even hotter in the city limits. Plus the pressure difference can lead to winds that create extreme dust storms called Shamal winds.” He pushed his glasses up with a shrug.
Nagisa nodded along sagely. “Right. I think we learned that last year in geography class,” he lied straight-faced, “Anyways, our hotel is supposed to be on the outskirts, so maybe we’ll have a view.”
Haru shivered. He didn’t want to be in a place that dry, with no water for kilometers. There was something ominous about a place like that, something that felt abandoned and lost. He clutched the armrest and fiddled with the dolphin keychain on his bag. The plane was beginning to descend and he felt his heart lurch in his throat.
“Haru, you don’t look so good. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Nagisa peered at him with concerned eyes. “We’re going to be back on land soon.”
Haru nodded without comment. He hated flying and being so far from water. He remembered Rin dragging him to Australia to get out of his own head. Every trip afterwards always had his outline faded on the edges, and the planes always felt empty.
“We’ll have to go through customs and get our baggage. Then we can check into our hotel, but if you’d like to see the water, Haruka-senpai, we can go to the pool afterwards.” Rei explained.
Haru nodded attentively. This year’s world’s competition was being held in Dubai, and the pool was supposed to be brand new. Every pool had its special characteristics; bright lights, slippery edge tiles, rougher starting blocks, louder acoustics, etc. Nothing drastic since they all had to follow regulations, but still something he wanted to adjust to before the competition. Most importantly, he wanted to connect to the water.
“Haruka-senpai, Makoto-senpai is supposed to be arriving later this afternoon, right? Do you know when Rin-senpai gets in?”
Haru blinked slowly, “No.”
Nagisa cocked his head to the side with a confused expression. “He didn’t text you a time? It’s okay, he’ll show up sometime soon, I’m sure. Everyone else is arriving in the next few days.”
Haru nodded without comment.
Nagisa continued chattering to Rei about getting the best seats for the tournament and trying local cuisine, and something about a camel, so Haru took the opportunity to zone out and fade into the background. He tried to close his eyes and sleep, but his brain was caught on Nagisa’s comment. In the next few days, he would see Rin again. It had been two years since they went to Europe together. He tried not to let it bother him that he hadn’t texted; they didn’t owe each other anything and he would see him when he arrived. Simple as that. They were both busy, and neither of them was particularly good at texting. They had slowly stopped after their trip; Rin would send him birthday texts once a year and he’d respond back, but he didn’t know what else to say. His brain pointed out that he could text first and ask, but he squashed the thought before it could take hold. He wasn’t going to bother Rin when he was preparing for the competition. He wondered if Rin was nervous, or if he was just as confident as ever. He wished he knew if he kept in touch with any of the others, or if it was just him that was drifting away. But that wasn’t for him to know if Rin didn’t want to tell him, so he pushed down the questions and shut the window shade. The plane jolted sharply as they hit the runway and a voice announced over the loudspeaker that they had made it to Dubai, local time 10am.
“We made it Haru-chan! You can open your eyes now.” Nagisa chirped. He clapped him on the back, “It’s time to go and crush it at the tournament!”
Rei and Nagisa scrambled to pull the suitcases out of the overhead storage and Haru stood up in a daze. In a few days he would be swimming on the world stage. He knew that all the pools were the same regulation-size depth, but his head felt so deep underwater this time. He shivered and walked off the plane and tried to ignore the water pressure bearing down on his heart.
The air stuck to Haru’s skin in a sticky sensation. He could feel the sweat before the doors even opened, and when he stepped out of the airport the heat hit like a wave. Rei was busy calling a cab, and Nagisa was prattling on about all the tourist spots he wanted to visit, but Haru just stared ahead. The airport was covered in electronic billboards, changing every second to a new ad. Right in front of them was a large screen with a poster welcoming the swimmers to the world competition.
Haru stared at the pixelated image. Front and center were the UAE swimmers, but a familiar face stared back from behind. Magenta hair and sharp teeth flashed at him from the screen. He wondered when the picture was taken. His hair had grown out and his bangs were swept behind his ears for once. On the other side, Haru’s own face looked out at him. He didn’t remember having his picture taken but he supposed he must have at some point. Digital Haru looked back at him with an empty, blank look. He wondered if that’s what he looked like all the time. He tried to drag his attention to the other swimmers behind, but the ad changed and was gone before he could see. He looked down at his shoes and attempted to ignore the suffocating heat.
Finally, Rei ended his phone call with a huff. “I can’t get a taxi for at least 30 minutes. They say that because of all the people it’s packed and every cab is full.”
Haru pulled out his phone and clicked on the call button.
“Coach, we’re at the airport.”
A staticky voice could be heard cursing through the speaker, but Haru pulled it away from his ear and turned to the other two, “He can come get us.”
Nagisa and Rei’s mouths dropped open. Nagisa’s face broke open into a grin, “Why didn’t you tell us your coach was here? That’s great! Tell him thank you!” He sat down on his suitcase and spun in small circles on the sidewalk, “Man, that’s great timing. We’ll save money too, so we can go out later.”
Haru nodded blankly and sat on his suitcase. Makoto was supposed to fly in the next day with Nao-senpai and the rest of the medical staff for the Japanese team, so for the first day he’d have the room to himself. He wasn’t sure when the other swimmers would arrive, but he hoped they wouldn’t all show up at once. He never knew what to do in those situations.
After ten minutes of waiting at the departure gate, surrounded by honking, car fumes, stifling heat, and a general sense of exhaustion, coach’s rental car pulled up to the curb.
The sleek black exterior was covered in dust, but otherwise it seemed to be in good condition. His trainer stepped out of the driver’s side and nodded at Haru.
“Good to see that you made it through the flight.” He lit a cigarette and popped the trunk. Nagisa and Rei immediately put their bags in the back as they thanked him profusely. Haru just stared back at him and gave a pointed look to the cigarette. His coach leveled a stare back and raised his eyebrows. Haru looked away first.
“C’mon now, everyone in. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to.”
The crew piled into the backseat and Haru took shotgun.
“Thank you for getting us.” Haru said while facing out the windshield.
“Well I can’t exactly leave you there,” grumbled coach.
Haru thought about it but didn’t say anything. Coach turned on the radio and pulled out of departures, and after twenty long minutes, he took a turn into a parking lot. A shining glass hotel rose into the sky above them. Haru craned his neck up to the top but looked away when he was blinded by the sun. He tried to blink away the spots in his vision.
“Wow, this is awesome! Does it have a pool? It has to have a pool. Maybe it has breakfast too!” Nagisa babbled.
“How did you even get a room here? The swimmers have had it booked for months now.” Coach griped.
“I have my ways,” smirked Nagisa.
“You begged the lady on the phone for an hour,” deadpanned Rei.>
Nagisa smacked him in the arm without breaking his smile, “Like I said, my ways.”
Haru walked forward and pushed on the doors. He belatedly realized they said pull. He pulled them open quickly and was hit with a welcome blast of air conditioning.
“Bless whoever invented air conditioning. So sorry to the Earth, but wow,” Nagisa panted dramatically.
Haru walked up to the front desk but paused. He knew the staff spoke English, but English had never been his strong suit. He tried to remember the shape of the words Rin had once said long ago.
“Hello, we reserved two rooms.”
The receptionist nodded. “What’s the name?”
“Haruka Nanase and Rei Ryugazaki.”
She clicked away at the keyboards before asking for ID. She looked at the IDs and continued to click on the screen before walking into the back room. A memory of the last hotel mishap flashed in his mind and he tried not to fidget. Now wasn’t the time for that.
The receptionist returned and sat down at the desk chair. “These are your key cards. Please don’t lose them. If you lose them you’ll have to request new ones and it’s a hassle.”
The boys nodded and thanked her before turning to the elevator. The glass shone crystal clear in the center. The floors rose up in circular rings around the main common space on the ground floor. They entered the elevator and pressed the button for floor 9.
“Alright, I’m down five doors on the left if you guys need anything. Don’t.” Coach gruffly nodded before walking away.
“Rei and I are three doors down from you, Haru. Do you want to hang out after we put our stuff down?”
Haru shook his head. “I want to see the pool.”
When Haru’s head hit the water, it felt like he could finally breathe for the first time since he got off the plane.
The cool water surrounded his limbs and held him weightlessly. His hair floated softly above him, and the light scattered through the surface in refracted beams. The tiles shone brightly and the sounds of the other swimmers muted around him. The smell of chlorine infused itself into his senses, and he somehow felt at home. He rose up to the surface slowly to drift on his back. The flags were strung up in primary colors marking the nearness to the edge, and the diving blocks cast shadows at the corners of his vision.
Suddenly, he flipped over onto his front and backed up against the wall. He pulled down his goggles and his vision tinged darker. His feet braced against the edge and his fingers gripped the cold tiles. He leveled his stare onto the far side and imagined the flip turn. The sounds around him faded away into the background until all he could hear was his own breathing and water splashing into the drain. His heart rate slowed down and his body tensed up like a livewire. His breath held as he imagined the gun going up in the air.
Bam!
Haru pushed off with a splash. Faster, faster, faster he swam. The other swimmers paused their warm ups to stare. His stroke cut through the water like he was made for it. He took breaths like he didn’t even need them, and the water hugged his body as if it was carrying him forward. His form looked calm even with the wildly unrestrained speed. He hit the wall with barely a splash and didn’t hesitate before turning in the blink of an eye. Somehow he got impossibly faster on the way back. He glided through the water like he belonged there, and when he hit the wall the whole pool paused.
He broke through the surface with a splash and shook his hair out of his face twice with practiced flourish. Only then did he open his eyes and take a breath. He looked up through the water droplets on his lashes.
An open hand extended above him, and he traced the muscles up until he reached the smiling face behind.
“Haru-chan” Makoto sing-songed, “you shouldn’t use up all your energy on the first lap.”
Haru rolled his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
Makoto grinned. Haru took Makoto’s hand and lifted himself out of the pool. He could feel Makoto’s restrained pride at his successful surprise entrance, but he refused to give him the satisfaction and continued to act aloof. He walked over to the bleachers and grabbed a water bottle.
Makoto handed him a towel without missing a beat, and asked politely, “How was your flight?”
Haru sighed, “Long.”
“Yeah, I asked Nagisa when I stopped by the hotel and he said it was a bit stuffy but fine. We don’t have to go back for a week so it doesn’t matter too much now. Nao and I got in an hour ago so he’s back at the hotel resting a bit.”
“You should rest too,” Haru commented blandly.
Makoto laughed good naturedly, “I’m okay. I’d rather be here with you. Besides, someone’s gotta watch and make sure nobody hurts themselves.”
Haru glanced at the coaches and medical staff crowded around the pool and the bleachers. Everyone else seemed in good condition, but he didn’t press Makoto on it.
“Anyways,” Makoto continued, “I wanted to scout out who’s all here. I know Sosuke and Ikuya are supposed to show up sometime today, and Kinjou tomorrow. Momo and his brother should be here in the next hour or so, and Hiyori will probably arrive whenever Ikuya does. Kisumi and Asahi are supposed to arrive tomorrow too. I heard that Ai is going to show too. I haven’t heard anything about Ikuya’s brother, but Nao says he’s supposedly coming too.”
Haru ignored the list of familiar names. He had already looked at the roster when Nagisa showed him on the plane, and he knew he would see them all at one point or another. He didn’t want to voice his real question.
As if sensing it, Makoto looked away. He had the decency to pretend nonchalance when he said, “I think Rin is supposed to arrive today too, and probably will come swim within the next hour, if he’s anything like you.” He fidgeted with the water bottle container, “He’s the favorite this year for butterfly,” he mumbled.
Haru already knew.
Every tournament, the first name he checked wasn’t his own. He couldn’t care less about his own stats, but he knew every one of Rin’s. He had memorized his whole schedule for the year, just in case. He knew their coaches stayed in touch, but he still had enough pride not to ask. Instead he just stalked him online, because that was much more dignified.
Makoto hesitated as if he wanted to say more, but wisely kept it to himself. Haru nodded and got up from the bleachers. He should be training, not thinking about things that wouldn’t change. He couldn’t recover what he’d let drift out of his grasp, but he wouldn’t let it affect his performance. He had people depending on him, and he refused to let them down because of personal issues. He walked over to an empty lane and dropped into the water. Makoto stayed on the bleachers and pulled out a stopwatch and a clipboard.
A splash sounded in the water in the lane next to him.
Haru tuned out the newcomer and focused on the far edge. He imagined the kick-turn and tried to recall the sound of the crowd, the tension before the gun, and the feel of the water as he glided forward. He measured his breaths until everything focused into crystal clarity around him. Makoto didn’t dare breathe, waiting for Haru’s start. Without a sound, he took off like lightning and crashed forward.
Water streaked past him in a blur as he pierced the surface for a breath. Colors blended together in his peripheral vision and he turned forwards without pausing. He hit the turn hard and pushed with all the muscles in his legs. Faster and faster he swam on the way back. Thoroughly warmed up now, he turned again, to do a 200m this time.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence beside him in the next lane. Whoever was next to him was swimming neck and neck.
He suppressed his surprise at the unexpected competition. If someone wanted to swim with him, he would give them his best. He urged himself forward faster. The person next to him picked up the pace too, determined not to be outdone. They hit the third turn with a splash. Makoto’s face paled in the stands.
The last lap stretched out before them. Haru took a breath but couldn’t see anything with all the water splashing. He focused on the far edge and narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t intended on going this hard this early, and he could feel the fatigue setting in. There was something familiar that tugged in his stomach, something that told him he couldn’t lose this race, even if it was just practice. He kicked harder and gritted his teeth.
Faster, faster, faster the edge approached. He reached out his fingertips further with each stroke. They hit the flags and Haru turned his head for his last breath. He saw the white plastic of the lane barrier. Suddenly, the other swimmer tilted his head. Haru’s eyes widened at the unmistakable shade of hair that peeked out of the black cap. In a millisecond, he forgot all about the race.
That was all it took for Rin’s hand to slam against the wall with a resounding smack. His torso broke the surface of the water and he pulled off his goggles with his signature shark smile as he cheered.
Haru’s lungs contracted. His hands shook against his will and he knew if he let go of the tiles his legs wouldn’t keep him afloat. He coughed on water and looked at Rin’s proud face. He could have sworn he smelled the metallic taste of blood in the water.
Rin grinned with all his teeth and pride intact. “Long time no see, Haru.” He winked as he pulled off his swim cap and shook free his hair. “Want to swim a cool down with me?”
Haru froze.
“You could have called,” he said quietly. The water splashed over the lane barrier and the bleachers creaked where Makoto was gripping the edge too tightly. Rin’s eyes widened and his mouth opened, but no words came out. He blinked slowly.
Haru turned away. He pulled himself out of the pool and walked to the locker room as fast as possible. If anyone asked, the burning in his eyes was only from the chlorine.