Notes:

Hello, I am Angela aka rpHaruka on tumblr. This is from a roleplay I have on tumblr with r-matsuoka. We like the story so much that we wanted to share it.

Chapter 1: Part 1

The night air carried by the wind, it was a cool breeze and it was blowing those rouge waves . Haru saw him across the road, walking with someone and laughing. His

blood red eyes were lite up and he looked so good. So handsome. He looks so happy now., you would think our past never even took place.

He can remember it like it was yesterday. High school sweethearts going off to college, promising to stay in touch. But somehow, it had all gone wrong. It had all fallen

apart. He had tried to move on but it wasn't working, time was not on his side.

-

It hasn't been long since Rin had returned to Iwatobi. After graduating, his mother suggested to come back and start searching for a job nearby. He decided to give it a

try, part of it because he missed Iwatobi but… another big part of it was because he blindly hoped to meet Haruka after all these years. People could maintain friendships

from high school, it was not that difficult. Yet, what he once had with Haruka was not… just a friendship. He once loved Haruka. No… he, he was still in love with him.

Trying to leave those memories a side, Rin decided to concentrate in his new friends, in his new life, in his whole world where Haruka… was no longer part of it.

That's what he was doing that night, deciding to go out with one of his friends to that club everybody was talking about. As he laughed, he swears he felt someone staring

at him. Unconsciously, he raised his gaze and met with a pair of blue eyes he could never forget.

He gulped. "Haru…"

He was not ready for this.

-

Haru was in his own little world and he didn't notice that Rin had seen him. He was dwelling on the past in his mind, wishing he hadn't seen him. The familiar pain it created

and the longing for what once was. Painful nostalgia.

He turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction, away from him. Away from the reminder of the pain. He could still remember what it felt like to kiss those lips

so long ago. To hold that hand, to look deep into those eyes and to swim together. He cherished those memories but he also dreaded them because of the heartache

they brought with them.

After dragging his feet because of his inner musings, he finally arrived home and headed to bed longed for sleep and the peace he hoped it would bring.

-

All these years running away from Haruka's memories to be drag once again by the same spider web. It never mattered what Rin ever tried to do, it was not even

possible to forget about him. Haruka was always in every thought that crossed his mind, in every action or decision he took… Rin couldn't take Haruka out of his head.

And then, after all these years, he finally get to see him across the street, thinking that maybe destiny wanted them to finally reunite. But all his hopes were scarred in

small pieces when Haruka walked away, as if they haven't seen each other.

His friend noticed Rin's sudden mood change and asked if there was something wrong. Rin denied everything and went to that bar to get him drowned in beer. He got

completely drunk that night, thinking that maybe it was an horrible idea to live in Iwatobi if… Haruka was still around and not with him.

-

It had been a week since he had gazed upon what was once his reason for breathing. He had dragged his feet all week as his mind was sucked back in time. Reminiscing

the good and the bad of once was.

He couldn't shake how happy Rin had looked and how he had moved on without Haru. Granted when Haru was around others, no one had a clue to his inner pain. His

heart felt like it was missing the key. His love locked inside and unable to escape. Rin was the one that got away and the one he would always long for.

After so much time, he just— when it was at its best, that love was so profound that he missed it and it cut deep that one person can move on—- while the other is

stuck and just can't.

He was currently at the grocery store and as he looked up, his eyes fell on him. How is it that he was seeing him again? He didn't need this constant reminder like this. This

town felt entirely too small. He moved his eyes down to the fish and began to browse for just the right one. He would just have to pretend that he had not seen the

redhead.

-

Living by himself at college, Rin was forced to learn how to cook and develop himself inside the kitchen. Even if he didn't actually like it, he admitted to himself it was an

easy way to keep his mind occupied and away from Haruka for at least an hour.

Ever since he spotted him across the streets that night, his thoughts and dreams were once again pure chaos. Rin was trying harder to keep himself busy 24/7. That

evening, he volunteered on cooking dinner for his mother and sister; that was the reason he was out there. Carrying a basket full of diverse ingredients across the aisle,

Rin stopped midway to grab a can of corn from the rack.

And there's when he spotted him once more. There he was; Haruka. Was the world mocking him?! The odds of finding him once more in such a short time were illogical

but here they were… so close to each other this time.

Rin lick his lower lip; his body moving by itself toward Haruka, just like bees are attracted to bees. He… needed to hear his voice, to… touch him once more.

Placing his hand on Haruka's shoulder he called his name.

"Is… that you, Haru?"

-

Haru froze —- stiff, like his body had forgotten how to move. He was hallucinating right? He didn't hear 'that' voice. It sent a familiar chill up his spine, the way his name

rolled off of those lips was too much to take,

He had to get away, he could pretend he hadn't heard him, couldn't he? He didn't — no he couldn't deal with this.

His mind played tricks on him, reminding him of things that he so wanted to forget. Like how warm the arms of the other boy used to feel. How he had cute habits that

only Haru knew or used to be the only one who knew,

After all, after all this time - it was possible Rin had had or does have another relationship. Haru however was so stuck in the past. He had not touched any one else and

he had not even wanted to bother with such things .He was too aware of the pain once it ended to bother jumping in in the first place.

-

Rin's hand remained on his shoulder, feeling Haruka's warm skin through the fabric. Being this close to the raven-head made Rin's whole world paralyze; they were so

close to each other that Rin could smell Haruka's shampoo and the hint of mackerel scent on his clothes. When was the last time Rin felt Haru's skin under his?

"It is definitely you!" Rin confirmed, hiding the love that wanted to come out of his lips as soft words. He smiled, pretending he was a good friend, pretending he was not in

love with him. "Can't believe you're still here at Iwatobi! How have you been?!"

-

There it was again that voice and he had been so lost in thought that he almost hadn't noticed that Rin was touching his shoulder, How long had he just stood there zoned

out, off in his own little world of thought?

He slowly reached up and removed that hand from his shoulder. This was the past that he was too afraid to face. Sure he thought about it alone constantly….but seeing

Rin made it all too real. Like a knife slicing at his heart.

He turned to face Rin but only to walk past him to the check out stand, forgetting the rest of his groceries. Too focused on leaving to even care.

-

"What…?", Rin whispered as Haruka walked past him, leaving him behind with words still on his mouth. The redhead was shocked, following Haru with his gaze until he left

the store. Did Haru really just… ignore him? Rin's hands turned into tight fists, his pride had just been hurt.

Heating up by the whole situation, Rin left his basket on the floor and went after Haruka in full speed. As he exited the store, he ignored the eyes he got on his back from

all the curious customers that witnessed their entire encounter.

"Wait up!" he warned, running as fast as he could after Haruka. "Hey! What's your problem?! I said wait!"

-

Haru exited the store after checking out and started walking home. To see him across the store was one thing but for him to get so near like that. He couldn't breath until

he was a little ways away from the store.

He heard a commotion not realizing it was because of someone on his tail, Rin. He didn't pay any heed to it and kept walking.

Ignoring Rin back there had not been easy, it had took all the power he could muster up. If he let him in—- he would just lose him all over again. There wasn't any point to

bring the past into the present.

Even though in his reality somehow he was still in the past.

-

Once outside, he spotted Haruka not too far from him and Rin's feet stopped moving. The redhead stood there, frozen on his spot, without being able to take his eyes

away from the boy he still loved. Haruka continued walking away, as if he was pretending Rin didn't existed or maybe… making it clear that, for him, Rin was not worth to

be noticed.

It hurts Rin, his heart felt on fire, but this was exactly the reason why he and Haruka never work out together. Haruka… didn't have time for someone like Rin.

Rin bit his lower lip hard, his pride hurt, and his feet went back running to Haruka. How dare him to ignore him like that?!

"Hey, Haru!" He yelled. "Wait up! I am talking to you! What's your damn problem!?"

-

Haru was on a more isolated street now so it was clear as he heard his name being yelled that Rin had followed him. He had to do something so the shark would give up

already. Had it not been clear that he couldn't handle any of this?

He still had no desire to see the swimmer he once loved with everything that he is, hell he still felt that way. Who was he kidding? Only himself.

It had been so long he could hardly remember why they had lost touch, how they had lost touch… it was like college life had consumed his time back then so much that

sadly he could never find time for Rin and it seemed when he was available Rin was the one who was busy. It was hard to maintain and it just evaporated like air.

They stopped calling each other, stopped emailing stopped everything. Or at least this was how it was in Haru's perception but at times two people see the same situation

completely different.

He could still not bring himself to stop and talk to Rin even if the redhead was literally chasing him down. Why would he go to so much trouble? Surely someone as strong

as Rin could move on or maybe Haru was just being a fool. He didn't think that though, he was so focused on dwelling on his pain —- it was a little ridiculous really to

outsiders who tried to look in.

-

Haruka seemed so distracted, so deep in thoughts, that Rin took that into advantage and reduced the distance between them. He reached his arm, stopping him from

running away, pulling him into the dark alley as they passed, and abruptly pushed him up against a fence.

Rin's heart was beating so hard against his chest, he barely was able to breath, gasping for air he had lost while chasing the dolphin. He locked Haruka against the fence

with one arm on each side of his head.

And there's when their eyes met for the very first time… being this close.

"What's… your deal?!"

-

Haru was taken out of his thoughts abruptly and downright shocked at what a hothead Rin was being. He found himself being grabbed by his arm and pulled into a

secluded alley — and then pressed against a fence. What few groceries he carried were now decorating the road.

The eyes before him, they were piercing into him, Haru's own eyes could not look away — not when he was this close. It was like he was screaming 'here I am notice me

god damn you'.

He looked so good still, it wasn't fair. How can someone look so damn good and make you miss them so damn much? Why the fuck did he still care about this guy? What

is it about him that sucks Haruka in?

Haru took in that face and his eyes barely swaying as he kept his emotions to himself. He didn't want Rin to know that he missed him. He didn't want it to be written on

his face. He didn't want him to know that no one had or could ever take his place in Haru's heart.

"What do you want?" His tone was calm, his question blunt.

-

Haruka had always been so expressionless, but this time it really bothered Rin more than he had ever wanted. It seemed like if Haru thought that if dealing with Rin was

such a hassle. Rin felt so irritated, deeply offended.

"What do I want?" He asked sarcastically. "Well, I don't know. Maybe for you to stop being some damn rude and answer back when I talk to you."

Rin was still blocking Haru's way out.

-

Haru breathed in deep, his heart can't take much of this, with this close proximity — it was pounding so hard it almost caused pain. He wanted to look away from those

eyes, they were filled with anger and maybe a hint of frustration.

He closed his eyes as a deep sigh escaped from his throat, "I can't think straight with you this close to me…." I can't deal with this…. He opened his eyes once more,

"What is there to talk about?" Eyes lock on Rin's once more - a serious look on his face as he hide how he really felt.

If he was honest, he wanted to forget the past hardship and run into the arms that were currently blocking him…but—- so much doubt filled his heart.

-