Chapter Text
Laughter roared across the room, smoky with barbeque on the grill and dim with mood lighting, as one of the Samezuka regulars re-enacted a lighter moment in the joint Samezuka-Iwatobi weekend training camp. It had been a gruelling but fun two days, and they’d gathered at a home-grown teppanyaki place for the congratulatory and farewell dinner. The coastal town they’d picked was rural and quiet, and the locals seemed to appreciate their energy as well as their patronage.
Both teams got on well, despite technically being rivals, and it was a testament to Nagisa and Mikoshiba’s aggressive friendliness that they were keeled over in laughter together over some mishap or the other, rather than raring to go.
…or, well, with some exceptions.
It was icy between Rin and Haruka at one end of the room, but things had, fortunately, not degenerated into any real smack talk because Makoto was by Haruka’s side and Rin was busy trying to keep Mikoshiba away from his sister. In addition to having to spend time with people he didn’t want to, Rin was getting increasingly annoyed by how much Makoto was fussing over Haruka and how much the Samezukas were talking about it (to be fair, it was an all-boys school but anything related to Haruka annoyed the shit out of him). Just watching Makoto pre-emptively hold out a tissue or a dish or a pitcher of water to that blank-faced idiot just as he needed it made Rin grind his teeth and stab his chopsticks into his bowl with more force than necessary. (When Mikoshiba gave him a curious look, Rin just scowled at him.)
He’d been sorely tempted to follow after Haruka when he up and left, but Mikoshiba was still on his radar and getting bolder despite Rin’s deflections. God, he hated this asshole sometimes, but he knew that Mikoshiba was incredibly stand-up and pretty freaking brilliant at the butterfly. It was still no reason whatsoever to hit on his goddamn baby sister right in front of him.
Fuck it. He was going to stick Gou with Makoto in trust that she would keep Gou’s chastity intact while he went to bitch at Haruka.
As Rin turned from Mikoshiba to call for Makoto irately, he accidentally caught the wistful look she sent after Haruka as he disappeared out the door at the end of the building.
Huh.
No.
Wait.
Oh. Oh.
Later, much later, when he was clearheaded enough to reflect on his actions, Rin would admit that he hadn’t been thinking straight; only that he’d been itching to start a fight, and that the guy he’d wanted to slug it out with had gone off, and that he couldn’t punch his swimming captain, and that he’d messed up his dives, and that he was getting bitten by mosquitoes, and that she was such an easy target.
“Must be tough, huh,” Rin said, “Lost causes.”
Makoto was startled out of her staring, gaze swerving around from side to side before it finally settled on Rin, a look of confusion on her face. He could hear the question before she even asked it.
“Yeah, I’m talking to you.”
“Oh,” she said, looking a bit happy, and wasn’t that a pisser? It just made Rin madder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
“Was saying that it must suck to be you.”
“Suck to be… What do you mean?”
“Having to deal with such an insensitive prick like that.”
Makoto’s smile fell slightly. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Rin rolled his eyes, “You know exactly what I mean.”
“If you’re referring to Haru, then you’re wrong.”
“My, oh my, defensive, aren’t we?” Rin murmured, “When that guy doesn’t even give a shit about you.”
Makoto’s lips thinned into a straight line, her expression crumpling.
“I mean, look at you,” Rin steamrolled on, “Haru, blow your nose. Haru, finish your vegetables. Haru, have some ice cream. Haru, here’s a towel. Haru, Haru, Haru. It’s like you live and breathe for that asshole. And what does he do for you? Like I said, an insensitive prick.”
“He’s not like that at all.”
And he wasn’t. But Rin was on a roll.
“But I’m right, aren’t I? The only thing he cares about is swimming, despite the way you fawn over him—”
“Rin, please. That’s just how we are, we grew up tog—”
“Or the way you look at him.”
Makoto stilled, for the longest moment, and slowly drew her gaze up until she was looking Rin squarely in the eyes.
“If a girl paid that much attention to me, I think I’d know that she liked me,” he said casually, briefly inspecting his nails, “So, either he’s a complete asshole, or he’s a lost cause. Between the two of us, and, well, knowing you, I can guess where he lies.”
Makoto said nothing.
“You know I’m right,” he prodded her for a response, a smirk flickering across his lips.
She remained quiet for the longest time but finally – finally – Makoto smiled at him.
Rin suddenly felt kind of awful.
It was a weak sort of smile, faint and resigned. Of all the reactions he had anticipated from her – anger, dismissal, disappointment (in Rin, not… not in herself) – this hadn’t been in the cards and… yeah, he was starting to feel pretty bad about it. Makoto was obviously really down when it came to her entire situation with Haruka and now she was having it rubbed in her face and Rin wasn’t sure how to backtrack. All he’d wanted was to get back at Haruka through Makoto, and as he watched her quietly pick at her food with her chopsticks, he realised that this was just another entry in the long list of things he’d managed to royally fuck up.
Before he could even try to be less of an asshole and attempt to make it up to Makoto, Mikoshiba yelled for them to pack up and head back to their rooms.
“I knew it.”
“What?” Rin asked uncomfortably.
“You did have something to do with it!”
“Something to do with what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me!” Gou jabbed a finger in the middle of his chest, “You know exactly what you did wrong! There’s guilt in your eyes.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rin pushed her hand away in irritation. Irritation was good. He could do irritation.
“I don’t know what you said, but you had better apologise to the captain!”
Rin looked confused, “…Mikoshiba?”
“TACHIBANA,” Gou yelled in frustration, tearing at her hair, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS CONVERSATION?”
“What about Makoto?” Rin tried for casual, glancing to side.
“For the love of—Didn’t you hear a single word I said?! I said that she’s been completely depressed! I know Nagisa’s the one who keeps everyone cheerful but when Mako’s sad, the whole team gets sad and no one feels like putting their all into practice. She says nothing’s wrong and she won’t talk to anyone. It’s gotten to the point that even Nanase-sempai’s been petitioning us for help.”
Rin shifted his weight from foot to foot, “… how’s that my problem?”
“Oniichan,” Gou grabbed the front of his jacket and made him look her in the eye, “I saw you talking to her at the dinner. I know you’re the culprit. You are going to make it up to the captain. She is the nicest person in the universe and the only person who would make her feel this way is a heartless jerk. I am not going to be the sister of a heartless jerk. She’s my friend and my upperclassman and, once, she was your friend too. You are not allowed to be awful to her. You hear me?”
Rin swatted her hand away, mumbling his assent. Satisfied, Gou let out a huff and went back to preparing dinner just as their mother’s car pulled into the garage.