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Haru hated to say it but…
Rin was right.
As he looked out over the crowd in the stands all around, there was one thing he wondered. Something that felt so stark…between all of the announcer’s words, which sounded like he was still underwater.
“…I wonder if he feels shorted at all? Watching him climb the podium after–well! Our Australian underdog surely has revenge on his mind for the next games, wouldn’t you say?”
“Couldn’t agree more. Those two better watch out.”
Haru’s eyes felt hot, as he realized it was him next. He tried to ignore the sudden swelling feeling, almost like he was being choked but. Well it was hard. And he knew he had to keep it together because–
“Japan really knew what to look for with this team. Having two medal on the podium, and so close? I wonder if these boys can keep it up next time. Think we’re going to be treated to two new world records?”
“Broken one after the other. I can’t wait.”
Haru didn’t remember stepping up, but he can almost pinpoint exactly where in the crowd his family is. Not his Mom and Dad. He knows they’ll be watching the recap when they get home to Hokkaido. Taking advantage of the break in weather to enjoy a trip in the mountains together. It doesn’t bother Haru as much as some people might think. It’s simply just their dynamic.
But his own little found family. And somehow, while the world blurs and he feels the presence of two people beside him, one stands out. One that’s really been there since the beginning. The reason all of this happened.
“Who said the Japanese team is the most stoic of the bunch? Look at those waterworks. Let’s give it up for the gold, silver and bronze for the 100m Freestyle event…”
Ah. They were both crying, weren’t they?
Haru looked over at Rin, and felt something in his chest unlatch. He had never seen a smile quite like that before. The lights accentuating the tears on Rin’s face. Haru could almost hear Miyako and Gou screaming amongst the crowd, louder than anyone.
…except for a moment, Rin’s eyes widened and he looked around almost frantic. Haru stared at him, and when Rin’s eyes landed back on him–
They softened once more. And Rin grabbed Haru’s hand and raised it up with their fingers laced together, and the crowd roared.
–
“Geez, will you quit?”
Haru shrugged as he sat down next to Rin, pulling his knees up to his chest.
“You really are a shark. Beating out your old teammate for another country…”
Rin groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. But a smile quickly followed, as he stared down at the sand. “When you put it like that…yeah. Jerald already texted me, saying he hopes I enjoy it while I can. Guess I lit a fire under him too.”
Haru made a noise in agreement, and rested his cheek on his knees, looking over at Rin. Rin was staring up at the sky still, seemingly unaware of Haru’s gaze. Or he was, and that’s why he was so squirmy. He reached into his bag and pulled out his medal, holding it up against the night sky.
“You’re good at that.” Haru said. Rin smiled, and turned to face him with a grin.
“What’s this? Haruka Nanase agreeing I have some good ideas?”
Haru’s face felt hot, and he shifted his gaze towards the sky. “No. Stop calling me that.”
Rin laughed, and looked back down at the medal between his fingertips. His thumb brushed over it, cherishing it. Haru watched from the corner of his eye, and for a while they didn’t talk. It felt like they didn’t need to. The Olympics had ended days ago, and they were finally able to venture home for some space.
…well. As much space as they could get in a small town like theirs. Everyone proud of their new status, and they couldn’t go anywhere without wide eyes and chatter. Iwatobi was always a place where everyone knew everyone. But now it felt like everyone really knew everything, and Haru found himself venturing out less and less during the day.
He knew Rin felt the same. And maybe that’s why they stumbled into each other on this old beach front in the middle of the night.
The same beach–
“I can’t believe we’re back here.” Rin started again, with a tone that edged more sheepish than anything. Haru looked over at him. After a moment, he nodded.
“You were showing off back then too.”
“Oi, that’s not what I–”
Haru raised a brow, and gave Rin a doubtful glance. “Even as a kid…talking about winning gold medals and dragging me into it.”
Rin stared at him for a moment, then huffed as he bit his lip and jerked his head away. “Well, it worked didn’t it?? Got your ass out of that musty old house, so you could do something with your life.”
Haru looked at Rin for a long moment. He didn’t answer right away, before resting his chin on his knees and staring up.
There weren’t any meteor showers or many stars at all tonight really. It had rained earlier, and the clouds were still dispersing. Haru couldn’t tell if he was grateful for the moisture, or mournful that the sky was still a haze.
“...does it feel like you thought?”
“Huh?” Rin stared at Haru through wide eyes, like he was grappling for some underlying meaning in all of this. Haru simply shrugged.
“You won gold. That has to mean something with how much you were crying–”
“Haru!” Rin kicked some sand Haru’s way, and Haru smiled instead of anything retaliatory. “And anyways, you were crying too…”
It was quiet for a minute, both of them lost in their own little worlds. Rin seemingly grappled with an answer he didn’t know how to give. But Haru heard him inhale and speak again.
“You know…I used to think people were just meant to stay the way they were. That besides getting taller, you were always going to be the person you started out as. That people who changed that much were just strangers…”
Haru felt something cold flood over him. But he tried to ignore it. “You’re not. You’ve changed a lot.”
Rin laughed. “Exactly. You changed, I changed. Hell, we’ve probably changed a hundred times and we’re still not done yet.”
Rin leaned back on his palms, the gold medal balanced meticulously on his knee. Haru stared at it for a moment. But his gaze trickled up instead…until it met crimson.
“You can spend years becoming somebody else…and still somehow find your way back to the same person.”
Something in Haru unfurled. And he couldn’t look away, even though the urge was overflowing. But Rin continued to pin Haru into place with his words.
“Out of everyone in the world, out of all the swim meets and swimmers and–well. Somehow out of everyone in the world, I ended up meeting you.”
Haru’s mouth felt dry, and he couldn’t respond. But Rin must have spared him a scrap of pity, because he continued. Even though Rin’s words seemed a little cracked around the edges in turn.
“And I dragged you into all of this right at this very spot! Geez…I was a little cocky, huh? We spent years trying to get here, and…here we are. That’s insane when you really think about it, huh?”
Haru could only muster a huffed “You make it sound like we didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Haru had never believed in things like fate or anything…isn’t their own merit and hard work what got them there? He had never bought much into romantic notions like Rin. But, he couldn’t help but admit there was some romanticism in the whole concept.
“...ah yeah. Maybe. But you can’t tell me it’s not weird.”
They fell back into a comfortable silence, the droll of waves lapping at the sand the only thing that remained for a while. Haru wanted to point out that Rin hadn’t exactly answered his question and gone off into another spiel entirely…but he didn’t.
Instead, Haru was the one to try something new.
“It’s not.”
Rin looked over at him, and the stupid smile that crossed his face sent Haru back into that strange pit of whatever it was curling and wrapping around his insides.
“Guess I really am an idiot. I spent half my life thinking I was chasing you just because I wanted to beat you.”
Haru swallowed, his reply coming up in an instant, without thought.
“That was one time.”
But Rin shook his head, tucking his gaze the other way. Haru watched his hand reach back to his neck, rubbing it self consciously. A tick Rin had held since as long as Haru could remember.
“...think I was just finding more reasons to end up beside you.”
Haru didn’t reply. He didn’t know how. And Rin looked back up, before knocking their shoulders together. The warmth flooded Haru from that spot, permeating his entire body.
“Yeah, fine. You asked if it was what I thought it would be. It wasn’t. My dream was winning gold.”
“...and now?”
Rin remained where he was, the line of their bodies disappearing against one another. Haru could feel every word, every breath Rin took, every–
“I think my dream was just getting here with you.”
Haru felt that knot in his throat tighten and curl harder. His lips parted around nothing, words unspoken. Clearly after a few moments, Rin felt a little awkward of the whole affair, and began to pull away…
Not before Haru rested his cheek on Rin’s shoulder though, trying to ignore how he felt Rin instinctively stiffen. He didn’t want to know why, because any reason was more than he could handle right now. So Haru just willed Rin to stay there, just stay for once. Just for a few more moments, and let him selfishly take this in.
“...I got you back.”
Haru settled on, reaching over to brush his thumb against Rin’s gold medal resting comfortably on his leg. He didn’t feel any animosity or ill will over Rin getting it. After all, wasn’t it Rin’s dream first? Something Haru had just tagged along for? Of course Haru would be getting the next one, but.
And he could feel Rin inhale sharply, not letting an ounce of breath out as he waited for Haru to finish. Haru was trying. He wasn’t very good at this whole words thing, especially when it came to Rin.
“So I think I did pretty well.”
Rin didn’t reply. Haru wondered if he had said something wrong, or too much.
Until a weight that was so familiar on his shoulder tipped onto his head instead this time.
“Well, maybe the universe knew what it was doing for once.”
Haru’s fingers curled loosely around the strap of Rin’s medal, pulling it to where their legs were pressed against each other’s.
“Maybe.”
Rin laughed. “Strange, huh?”
Haru looked up, and somehow Rin looked up at that same moment. A star streaked across a patch of clear sky where it burned away an instant later. And Haru smiled, feeling Rin’s cheek against his head.
“...not really.”
I think I was always going to find you.
This time, Haru didn’t need to make a wish.