There are plenty of things Nagisa likes about Rei. Too much to mention, really, and exactly because there's no way he can spend days and days on summing it all up (it's not an exaggeration-he's done it once, in his head, and everyone still calls those days his 'dark period' since he said so little during that time), Nagisa bullies Rei instead. He bullies him into doing what he doesn't want to do, which either ends up in Rei loving or hating it, and frankly both options make Nagisa happy in ways he can't describe.
"Why do I always have to be the one you tease, Nagisa-kun?" Rei asks one evening, resting his head on Nagisa's shoulder and ignoring the looks some of the other passengers are shooting them. Nagisa looks at the window across from him and grins at the reflection.
"You're special, Rei-chan," he answers, and knows in his heart it's true.
"If that's the case," Rei mumbles, his eyes closed when Nagisa glances at him, "then I don't want to be special."
"Well that's not really up to you, is it?" Nagisa asks happily. Rei's lack of response says he's dozed off, and just the fact that Nagisa lets him should say enough. Only Rei is asleep and therefore doesn't notice this kindness, plus, he's kind of a dumb guy for being so smart. But that's fine. Nagisa likes that part about him too.
Okay, so he's going to mention one or two things he likes about Rei after all. He can't not, with Rei being who he is. Some things just have to be said. Like how innocent he acts like even though Nagisa totally found the porn magazines underneath his bed the first time he visited Rei's house, which, for Rei's sake, he hasn't told him about. Yet.
"Can you please stop with the innuendos?" Rei asks with a groan, pulling a face as if Nagisa's awesome sense of humor somehow pains him, and if anything it makes Nagisa all the more enthusiastic to come up with some more good jokes.
"In your endo," he says cheerfully. Makoto laughs softly before he walks off and sits by Haru's side on the edge of the pool. Rei takes another moment longer while Gou figures it out, and as she runs off to complain to Amakata-sensei, it finally seems to click with Rei and, along with a frustrated sigh leaving his mouth, he blushes brilliantly.
"Nagisa-kun," he says, gritting his teeth in effort not to either burst out and smack Nagisa or, more likely, to lash out at him in his usual 'don't say perverted things in front of a pure virgin like me'. "If you keep making these kinds of jokes, I will be forced to leave practice for today."
"Seriously?" Nagisa asks innocently, in that way he knows gets to people, especially to Rei. He's so easy. "You're leaving? I thought I was gonna teach you how to improve your dive some more?"
"I've trained enough for that with Haruka-senpai." Despite the hard tone of his voice, doubt is already settling into his eyes. Nagisa could recognize doubt anywhere. "But," Rei says, "if you're done joking around, I can stay. It's naturally the best option, as I have much more to work at."
"I'll help you!" Nagisa cheers. He latches on to Rei's arm and heads to the pool, Rei's protests ignored. He's got Rei right where he wants him; he isn't about to let go. Funny how Rei himself hasn't realized that yet.
"Can you please pay attention, Nagisa-kun? And could you leave my stuff alone?"
Another thing Nagisa likes about Rei is how he's so polite. It's charming, in its own way, and he sounds so pretty when he says 'please'. Which Nagisa will never say out loud, unless they ever put him on drugs or hypnotise him or something. He should be watchful-he's pretty sure he overheard Gou talking about it with a friend of hers.
"But homework is boooring!" Nagisa complains. He puts Rei's pencil sharpner down (an automatic one-what a nerd) and sits down on the bed again, stretching his feet in front of him. If only his legs were longer, he could put his smelly socks right under Rei's nose. It would be hilarious if he fainted.
"You asked me to help, that's why I allowed you to come along," Rei says. "If you've changed your mind, I have to ask you to leave."
"Ugh, fine," Nagisa groans. He searches a comfortable position on Rei's bed, his feet on the pillow just to get to him, his head resting on his hand. "Continue. I'm all ears."
Rei regards him suspiciously several moments, glances at his once fresh smelling pillow, then looks back at Nagisa again. He sighs and pushes his glasses further up his nose.
"Alright. I'm not as good at explaining history as I am at math, but-"
"Why did you choose red?"
"Nagisa-kun, could you keep quie-" Rei stops himself and looks up from the handbook that already looks worn out even though they've barely used the thing. He fixes Nagisa with a frown. "What?"
"Your glasses," Nagisa says. "Why did you choose red?"
He loves the glasses, he honestly does, they're like Rei's most special feature aside from his straight, wonderful nose and his eyes and his hair and his body, so muscly and manly and... other things. Anyway. Glasses. They're good. Great. Sexy. But, unlike Rei, extravagant.
Rei looks like he knows exactly what Nagisa is thinking. That's not very surprising seeing as Nagisa allows himself to be read like an open book. A children's book, because they're fun, much like Nagisa.
"You can't laugh," Rei says. He's already trying to figure out if Nagisa will even though Nagisa hasn't said anything yet, narrowing his eyes at him like he can see right through him and that, well. Nagisa isn't that readable either. But he is curious.
"I won't," he says honestly. He laughs when Rei raises an eyebrow. "I won't, I promise!"
A few more seconds pass before Rei's posture relaxes and he says, "Okay," which he follows with absolutely nothing. Nagisa stares at him expectantly. Rei looks away. "Just don't laugh, alright?"
"I won't laugh, Rei-chan," Nagisa says in the most reassuring way he can manage. He makes sure his smile is wide and trustworthy. "And I won't tell anyone either."
He doesn't know whether his words or mimics do the trick, but Rei looks him in the eyes again and even manages a smile, however small. He takes a breath, holds it, and lets it out softly. Nagisa waits patiently.
"The truth is... I picked these glasses because they go well with my hair. The color, I mean," Rei clarifies quickly, almost stumbling over his words. "The red and blue... They compliment each other, somehow. I thought it was beautiful."
Nagisa doesn't think at all before he speaks. "I think you're beautiful all the way." At Rei's startled expression he adds, "Not just your hair or your glasses, but all of you."
Silence falls between them for what feels like a long time. It lasts so long Nagisa briefly thinks Rei's parents are about to be home and he wonders if he can have dinner here, maybe sleep over if he really draws his out. His own parents wouldn't mind if he called it in, and Rei is easily convinced. It's worth a try.
Rei interrupts his brooding plans before they can turn into anything more concrete.
"You don't have to say that," he says hurriedly. He's avoiding looking at Nagisa's face again. What a wuss. "Besides, it's weird if you say it."
"Eh? Is that so?"
That's kind of insulting actually, but he'll wait to mention that in case Rei has a good reason for saying what he said. It's doubtful though-who wouldn't want Nagisa to compliment them?
"You're always teasing me," Rei says. "It's strange if you suddenly start complimenting me."
"That's not true!" Nagisa counters. "I can do both perfectly well!"
Rei deflates. "That's not exactly what I was hoping for. But," he starts just when Nagisa wants to ask what he means by that, and Nagisa doesn't miss the sudden awkwardness in Rei's posture, "were you serious?"
Rei asks really easy questions for being so clever. It's almost enough to lose faith in him as the class nerd.
"Of course I was serious!" Nagisa smiles. "Rei-chan is beautiful."
After some very concentrated floor-staring with a blush even the sometimes oblivious Makoto would notice, Rei closes his history book and calls off their little group study. Nagisa doesn't even have to ask about dinner tonight.
What Nagisa likes the most about Rei, he only figures out when it's happening. They're alone in the dressing room after training and as always Nagisa is still in his trunks while Rei has long finished, but he waits anyway because he's nice like that. (That, and he's eating over at Nagisa's tonight because if Rei is hospitable, Nagisa should be too.)
"You should spend a little less time chatting and more time changing into your uniform," Rei says, and it's wonderful how his tone is the exact same as the first time he said this to Nagisa, like this is something he'll never get tired of saying because he'll never stop finding it absolutely ridiculous how incapable Nagisa is at doing two things at the same time. He's got a point there, admittedly.
"Take it easy, Rei-chan," Nagisa soothes cheerfully. He's finally peeling off his almost dry trunks, peeking over his shoulder where Rei is turned with his back towards him, arms crossed over his chest. "It's just so much fun in here with all of us. Too bad Gou-chan can't join."
Watching Rei actually jump from pure shock is hilarious. He nearly looks back but remembers in time Nagisa might be naked (which he is), and the stiff way with which he looks ahead of him is quite funny as well.
"Please don't ever say that again."
"Too disturbing?" Nagisa asks pleasantly. He grins at the shiver running all over Rei's body, then turns back to getting dressed. He's taking even longer than usual today. Guess whose fault that is.
"Yes," Rei says grimly. They spend the next couple of minutes in silence, with Nagisa trying not to look at Rei too much if he doesn't want Rei to drag him out of the dressing room in his underwear.
The not talking really helps and it doesn't take long for Nagisa to be fully dressed, his hair dry enough so he doesn't have to worry about catching a cold (Makoto's whining is getting to him). When he turns around as he's slinging his bag over his shoulder Rei has turned as well and is looking at him.
"Rei-chan, you pervert," Nagisa can't help but tease. "Were you watching me undress? I wouldn't have expected that from you!"
"Nagisa-kun."
Nagisa cocks his head, wiping the bangs out of his eyes. "Hm?"
Rei walks up to him with four large steps, puts his hands on Nagisa's shoulders and leans down. This, Nagisa knows from that very second, is what he loves the most about Rei. He's a scaredy-cat with courage, a loser with his winning side, and someone with very nice lips. Nagisa closes his eyes at the taste of them and thanks God or whoever had their paths cross (maybe Rin, in the end, or Nagisa himself?) and grabs a hold of Rei's shirt to pull him nice and close. He's not going anywhere any time soon.