It wasn't the first time they'd had an argument, but this one was probably one of the more violent ones Rin had experienced with Haru. And to think it had evolved from such a petty situation.

'Why do you never race me anymore?'

'…Bothersome. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the water without rushing through it. Your attitude is…annoying.'

'Is that how you think of me!?'

The sun was setting, a light breeze was blowing, and the air in the empty Samezuka courtyard was thick with pent-up frustration and fury. It was after the Samezuka-Iwatobi joint practise, and Rin and Haru had stuck around in the pool for another couple of laps—only Rin stopped halfway through after finding Haru was just drifting around on his back. Cue irritation, cue yelling, cue the emotionless rebukes.

And then Haru climbed out of the pool and walked away without a single glance back, leaving Rin to tread the water, simmering with resentment, until he could collect his thoughts enough to follow. By then, Haru had already thrown on his jacket and was outside.

It wasn't just racing him, Rin thought angrily as he faced down Haru, who was glaring right back at him. "You've been distant for weeks, Makoto told me! Refusing to practise with them, refusing to swim medleys with them, what's up with that? What happened to 'For the Team?' "

Haru did nothing but turn his head away slightly, a bored expression plastered over his face. And Rin exploded.

"Don't you shake me off like this is nothing!" he grabbed Haru by the collar, yelling into his face. He was fully aware his anger may be bordering the irrational side, but he was so damn tired of Haru reverting back to his stoic state where he didn't give a damn about his friends. Rin was definitely not on Makoto-level with reading Haru, but even he could tell the difference between the poker-faced Haru who had learnt to treasure his friendships, and the Haru who was trying to isolate himself from the world.

Rin clenched Haru closer. He could almost swear he could feel the heat radiating off the other boy and searing into his skin. "Don't just go and abandon us, you asshole! Just tell me what's happening! Why the hell don't you care anymore?"

That was when the violence started.

Haru had always been a man of actions, not of words, and he demonstrated his displeasure by punching Rin in the face.

Rin reeled back in utter shock, but the electricity that crackled through the air scorched away his reason. "What the fuck!"

"Don't…touch me," Haru bit out, his eyes a dark, blazing blue that made Rin's stomach drop.

And so he did the only thing he knew how—and retaliated. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he growled, and launched himself at the raven-haired boy.

They grappled, all rationality giving way to animal instinct as they fought for the upper hand. Rin punched Haru, catching him on the neck, and then his own head snapped back and he tasted blood. Adrenaline shot through his body at Haru's eyes, so wide and brilliant and angry; he wasn't sure he had ever seen them so expressive apart from the time they fought under a cherry blossom tree, when the few words Haru managed to push out of his mouth caught him by surprise and sunk deep into his heart.

Filthy hypocrite, going back on his words like that! Rin brought his knee up into Haru's gut, and the latter staggered back, wheezing, but recovered faster that Rin was expecting and flew at him with such force that he was forced backwards and fell, Haru a hot heavy weight on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

"Get—off—me!" Rin snarled, thrashing under Haru's body and only succeeding in hopelessly tangling their legs together.

"Not until you promise to just—leave me alone." Haru's tone was harsh and clipped, yet there was a strange edge there, an emotion that didn't quite fit with their state…was that desperation?

The words were like a bolt of lightning. "What? Are you fucking insane?" The cuss words slipped into his speech, brought on by hurt and anger. "I'm not gonna leave you, and the fact you aren't telling me what's going on isn't exactly encouraging!"

Haru tensed up, hovering over him, and Rin found it extremely difficult to breathe. "I need to be alone…I can't think straight…"

Not for the first time, Rin felt a surge of frustration at being unable to read Haru properly. "Whatever it is, Makoto and them are there for you, why're you being such an asshole to them? Don't you care enough about them? Don't you care enough about me?"

His dark blue eyes flashed to Rin's like the crack of a whip.

Haru had always a man of actions, not words, and as their bodies pressed together he proved this fact once more by pressing Rin's wrists beside his head and leaning down to kiss him roughly, swallowing his surprised gasp with a shudder that Rin felt all the way down to his toes.

Wha—

His rival drew back, his face contorted with warring emotions, and Rin was struck speechless by the uncharacteristic expression.

Haru had always been a man of actions, not of words, yet he forced them out between clenched teeth. "It's because I care. Too. Much!" he spat out, as if each word were a curse. "I care too much about you and I don't know why, I don't know how to deal with it—I just don't know!"

He stopped, his chest heaving and his eyes wide and desperate and staring past Rin like he couldn't quite believe that he said it.

Rin's rage dissipated in an instant, like a wisp of smoke, leaving him stuck in the ashes of disbelief.

"I can't think. Having people around get in the way. Racing you is worse, it—it scares me. When I feel you in the water beside me…when you touch me, I just—I—"

As Haru stared into the distance, his face wrought with confusion and pain, Rin was struck with a sudden thought, a thought that would alter his feelings about Haru forever.

He's…beautiful.

The idea of it took him and consumed him until there was no turning back.

He pushed himself up carefully into a sitting position, shifting away from under the older boy so they were both on their knees, facing each other. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

While he couldn't read him, he knew what Haru was like. Someone who relied more on what they did rather than what they said, so consequently he was pretty shit at putting things into words. And when he felt something he couldn't express, things were bound to spiral out of control. I can only imagine what he's been feeling…

'I care too much about you.'

Could he really…?

Rin could still feel Haru's warm lips against his own, forceful and demanding and distressed. Do you really…?

"Haru," he murmured, reaching forward so his fingers lingered on the side of Haru's face, brushing lightly through his dark hair. You should have said something before, he wanted to say, but he couldn't because he knew that would be a useless rebuke, so instead he followed Haru's lead and showed him.

It was strange, Rin always felt himself to be more of a passionate, violent person, but when he kissed Haru it was gentle and sweet. And warm…so warm, it was spreading from his mouth, across his body, and when the kiss deepened he was shaken with a heady rush of arousal.

Their lips parted with a slight pop. Haru's mouth was open in a small o, his eyes still closed. They opened when Rin got to his feet and offered him a hand. "It's okay, Haru." They both heard the unspoken words, I won't let you be alone.

As soon as Haru was on his feet he dropped Rin's hand like a hot coal. Uncertainty was flickering across his face, a far cry from the previous aggravation.

The air was cooler now, but Rin still felt heat lingering on his skin that compelled him to move him toward Haru and hold him tightly in his arms, not speaking, not moving, just feeling the other boy against him. He turned his head so he could mutter in Haru's ear. "I'll walk you back to your place, I guess." He tried to sound nonchalant, but his voice shook ever so slightly.

Haru had always been a man of actions, not words, and as he curled his fingers around Rin's, the redhead felt a deep, warm happiness settle in his chest.

A/N: Omg this kinda sucks I'm sorry