If Rin could pick out the one thing that bothered him the most upon coming home from Australia, it would Haruka and Makoto. How they were a lot closer than he could have ever remembered them being. At least, it seemed that they were a lot closer if the way that the taller man trailed after the other almost all day, every day was any sort of indicator. It really wouldn't have bothered him so much if the two didn't act like such a married couple around one another, what with the light bickering ending in smiles; the two continuing to walk side-by-side, even if the red-head was close behind or in front of them.
After a while of observing, his only goal was to figure out what kind of relationship they truly had. After all, if he could find that much out maybe all the bitterness he felt towards it would disappear and he could go back to just not even bothering with it again. It would have been just like old times when they were younger and swimming together back in the old club.
At least that's what he thought before something deep in his gut told him that even if that happened nothing would be resolved. No, he wanted Haruka for himself and, with the way things were going now between him and Makoto, Rin honestly knew in his heart that he wouldn't feel any better until his first best friend belonged to him. A terrifying thought, considering he never really wanted anybody before Haruka. Nobody really appealed to him - not even Nitori who threw such obvious advances from time to time, what with the way he fussed over swimming and running with him sometimes. He felt bad for his poor roommate and the obvious affections that Rin had to train his mind to ignore. Someday Nitori would eventually find someone better to swim for, someone who would pay attention to him the way that the kid deserved.
Rin knew that no matter who Nitori chose to be with that it wouldn't grate on his mind like how the relationship he had to witness every day between a certain pair of his teammates! Oh, how the sight of the two drove him up a mental wall! It almost pushed him past the line of insanity to watch Haruka be so damn domestic with Makoto! It was practically waved in his face at certain points, especially when Nagisa had the bright idea about getting together once a week with the entire gang of five - which promptly meant that Rin would be on the floor with a pillow while Rei cuddled with Nagisa and Makoto sat on the couch with Haruka, watching the movie comfortably. Really, Rin always thought that he should be on that couch in Makoto's place, leaning on his crush and enjoying a good film or two.
Then again, maybe he really was just looking too far into this and should have just calmed down and asked one of the two about their relationship. Perhaps he was just being overprotective and wanting far too much so his imagination ran wild the more he saw the two together.
"You two act like a married couple," Nagisa had pointed out one time when the five of them went to an aquarium for a nice laid-back day.
The comment almost drove him wild, knowing that it was most certainly not directed at himself and Haruka, and all thoughts that it was just his own imagination flew out the window. At least it really wasn't just him who thought along those lines.
"Eh...? It's not like you and Rei are any better, Nagisa," Makoto pointed out in return, getting a rather loud yelp and a blush out of Rei who hadn't even realized he was holding the shorter boy's hand while they walked alongside one another.
"Makoto, I believe that you and I would both find it highly improbable that Nagisa and I act in such a manner. There's no logic behind that accusation."
"But, Rei, acting like a married couple is so beautiful!"
The quick response that came from the quirky blond didn't help in making Rei's blush disappear, and he had to reach up to fix his glasses out of nervous habit. The oh-so-riveting conversation was ended there and Rin just had to look over to Makoto and Haruka, a scowl briefly curling his lips downward with the slightest show of sharp teeth. The taller of the pair was talking away, as usual it seemed, and smiling at the short answers he got out of his shorter companion. They really were like a married couple and the fact that they just seemed to have to stand so close to each other was not helping that in the slightest. How. Peachy.
Rin's curiosity took over quickly as both he and Makoto watched Haruka quickly walk away to observe a tank that had mackerel and other sea creatures in it. Seeing his chance, he quickly turned to the remainder of the pair and crossed his arms with a slightly cocked eyebrow. He was going to find out what was going on between the two even if it killed him.
"Rin?" Makoto had asked, though the red-head in question was cut off the moment he opened his mouth by a quick cry of, "Haru!"
Just by the tone alone, Rin could tell that the man in question was trying to get into a door that lead backstage so he could go swim with the wildlife. The fool... Really, sometimes Rin couldn't help but wonder why he started loving Haruka in the first place but here he was, smitten with his raven-haired friend. Emotions had a rather strange way of working. Shaking his head with a small, almost unnoticeable smirk and a chuckle, he turned and ran over to help restrain the near-stripping man to keep the five of them from getting tossed out of their small haven.
Rin supposed he would just have to wait to find out about the relationship between those two after all. Although, a shark's patience is never exactly a thing to be trifled with in the first place.