Friday, January 31st, 2014 (Lunar New Year)

The wind blew through his bangs as Rin set his gym bag down by the bus stop. In reality, today it wasn't being used for swimming practice, but to carry enough of things from the dorm he needed when visiting home.

….Home.

Rin's previously blank expression shifted to one of an annoyed grimace. He'd go home any other weekend of the year but this one. Of course, there's no was that Gou would tolerate his absence, especially when the

No. He wasn't going to be thinking about that now.

Rin doesn't have to count the months to know that it's already been more than half a year since the fateful relay at Regionals. It's been a slow transition to feeling fully comfortable with the Iwatobi team, but he's long since managed to become used to Nagisa's overbearing presence, Rei's excessive use of theories and strange inability of swimming anything that isn't butterfly, and Makoto's over-caring and occasionally overbearing manner. Haru is a mystery he can't entirely comprehend, but that's old news. Rin had experienced firsthand how the years had hardened his empty exterior, and how that shield of ice was slowly but surely melting, revealing sides of Haru he's not so sure he's ever known. It's strange, but he's comfortable with being around his childhood friends, at least enough that he can spend time with them some afternoons or weekends without wanting to run away and somehow soothe his aching head.

It's more his aching muscles he nurses, actually. Between the hours spent coaching Rei on his stroke in the water with visual cues, carrying around a hyperactive Nagisa for one reason or another, testing different stretches and warm-ups with Makoto for the new training regimen they're creating together, or racing with Haru, every day spent with the Iwatobi Swim Club exhausts him more than his usual workout.

When his times started dropping, this was the first excuse he used to justify it in his head. Knowing it was detrimental, he decided it was worth it; it should only have been temporary, after all. But when his stamina was taking no shots, and his times still horrible, Rin was at a loss. At his worst, it felt like he was swimming against some sort of barrier in the water.

Rin sighed. He was trying to get out of this slump, avoiding swimming properly with Haru and his school while he could so that they wouldn't…what? Mock him, pity him, what was it? It was too much.

He felt some sort of relief when the bus pulled up to the stop, distracting him from his spiraling thoughts. Stepping inside, he opted to stand, dropping his heavy bag on the floor again and grabbing a handle as the bus jolted into motion. He tiredly observed the changing scenery outside the window, and felt slightly livelier when they drove by an area with a nice view of the ocean.

Until he realized that this shot of the water was way too familiar.

He whipped his head way angrily, realizing that they were in Haru's neighbourhood and he really wasn't in the mood for this-

Turning his head had been an even worse idea, as there was Haru walking home with a few grocery bags in hand.

Rin didn't process that he had hit the [stop] button until a *ping* resounded, and the bus slowed. Growling under his breath, he snatched the handle of his heavy sports bag, and roughly shoved his way out the bus. The tires screeched away as soon as he set foot on the sidewalk, and Rin was at a loss. The walk home would be awfully long from here, but waiting around for the next was not an option lest someone from Iwatobi spot him, namely-

"Rin?"

It was too late for that.

"Yo, Haru." He turned around slowly, bringing up an arm to scratch at the back of his neck.

"What are you doing here?" Haru's face carried its usual stoic expression, all traces of surprise wiped away but from his voice; not that Rin had expected anything else.

"Gou wanted me home for the weekend," Rin looks off to the side, cursing the whole situation. If only, if only he had been permitted to stay back in his dorm as he did every weekend, he wouldn't even mind putting up with an unknowing Nitori (would have actually been grateful for it), but-

why did Haru look like he understood exactly what Rin was feeling?

The spell was broken when Haru looked away for his turn. Of course, he shouldn't be so silly to think that Haru could have remotely any idea of the vortex swirling in his head….

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing here." And there went Haru being stubborn. He had no idea how to deal with this.

"Tch…whatever." Contrary to his uncaring exterior, Rin was desperately searching for a distraction, anything to avoid answering a question he had no idea why should even exist in the first place. Spotting the bags hanging from Haru's hands, he found an easy escape.

"What are you even carrying anyway? Looks like a lot."

"Rin." Haru was frustrated now. "Stop changing the subject."

"How should I know!?" All was as usual, Rin's frustration wrapping around itself and twining together to form a tightly-knit bomb, exploding after too much of Haru's prodding. He would let it out, wind up empty, then they'd restart and repeat the cycle. "It's not like I stopped here on purpose, of all places!"

Always (repeat and rewind the ticking clock, only to let it explode again and again).

"….you saw me." Haru still wasn't looking at Rin, but his eyes were downcast, and Rin could see the mistake he had made once again.

"…maybe I did." The usual pang that accompanied such a blunder was present too. He wanted to make it up to Haru, but he had no clue where to even start. But-

"You did?"

And there was the anomaly.

For the old Haru wouldn't have cared, or wouldn't be bothered to care; but this Haru was showing some interest in Rin that he couldn't explain, trying to look beneath the surface at the real meaning of his words instead of taking everything at face value.

And Rin knew that

"I'll walk you home." Expressionless, Rin wasn't sure how he picked up on the lighter atmosphere to Haru's demeanor, or the bounce to his step indicating that such a trivial detail such as Rin going out of his way to see him had pleased him enormously.

But here was his chance, so he wasn't going to complain.

"Haru…let me carry that for you. It looks heavy." He felt heat rising to his cheeks, and plastered on an angry expression, just to pretend like it wasn't his sentimental, romantic side coming out-

"Should you really be asking that?"

...

"Hauh?"

Haru turned back to face the front. "…aren't you the one who's always telling me to build more muscle?"

Rin wasn't sure if he took more delight in the fact that Haru had actually paid attention to him, or that Haru couldn't witness the happiness visible on his face right now.

"You know what? I take that back."

Haru's "I figured," was slightly muffled, but understandable as he turned down the sidewalk in the direction of Rin's house (how he remembered exactly which way to head, Rin would have to figure out later).

It took Rin a few seconds to get his feet to process that he needed to follow.