Cross-posted to AO3

A/N: It's still the 2nd in my timezone, so Happy Birthday Rin-chan!

This was my first entry for the Rin's Birthday Countdown on tumblr (30daysofrin), and it's probably the second most self-indulgent thing I've ever written. Shota!Rin is my favorite thing ever, and lovestruck shota!Rin is even better. So yeah, I hope you enjoy reading about this adorable romantic dork as much as I enjoyed writing him.

Rin knew he made a few rushed decisions every once in a while. It's not like it was anything bad, though; he considered himself a man of action— okay, no, that was definitely sugar-coating it. He was super impulsive. He knew that, but it was inevitable: once an idea got into his head, he would make sure to see it to the end and would settle for nothing less. He honestly believed there was nothing wrong with striving for perfection, though, so he didn't actively fight against it. Besides, the current obsession in his mind was related to way too many important things (his father, his future, his dreams), but it was also mostly about swimming. Swimming was Rin's passion, something he approached with a level of seriousness and dedication that would leave people twice his age in awe. He wanted to make it to the top (he would make it) and become an Olympic swimmer, just like his dad had originally wanted to, and Rin was ready to do anything for that dream to be realized. A lot of meticulous planning had been set in motion in order to achieve this goal (Rin had pretty much the next 4 or 5 years of his life already laid out in his head), but before he could step onto the next stage, there was something else that needed to be done. He wanted to (no, had to) take part in the medley relay race in the upcoming tournament as a member of the Iwatobi Swim club. He figured, if he wanted to fulfill this dream, he should at the very least be able to accomplish the same feat his father had when he had been Rin's age. The first part of his plan was easy; he'd already transferred and settled rather comfortably both at school and in the club, so things were pretty good so far. Now, he didn't just want to take part in the race. He wanted to win, and in order to do so, he'd have to swim with a great team. The best team. And the best team needed the best members.

Rin had decided that, naturally, his team should include one Nanase Haruka. It was the obvious conclusion, really, seeing as Nanase was amazingly fast and his form was almost unreal. That part of his plan, admittedly, was proving to be a bit more difficult than he had expected it to. Convincing Nanase to become a part of his team was … tough, to say the least. Not only was he difficult to approach (and interested in nothing but the water, it seemed), but the boy was also unflinching in his constant refusals, like a solid stone wall built right in the middle of Rin's path, one which he outright refused to walk around or climb over: tearing it down to the ground was the only option. While there wasn't much time left before the tournament, he liked to think he'd made some progress on that front in the past few weeks, though (taking into account that Nanase had yet to fully kick him out of his social circle, and Rin was ready to take anything he could get), so his plans were still on schedule. After all, Rin had decided that Nanase must be in his team (it had to be him, and Rin would settle for nobody else in his place), and he was going to pull all the stops to get him to agree if he had to.

So when he had gotten it into his head that he would pay Nanase a visit that day (and hopefully get a definitive 'yes' from him to swim together in the process), he hadn't thought of anything else— and now he sort of wished he had.

Rin was running in the middle of the rain, hopping over puddles from storefront to storefront in search of a place where he could shelter himself at least for a while until the weather calmed down a bit, dressed in very light clothing and both umbrella and bike-less. Talk about the odds being against him. At least he wasn't lost (not that lost), so he could probably head back home with ease once the rain let up a bit. It was kind of a waste, when he thought about it, since he'd come all this way already, but there was absolutely no chance that he was going to show up at Nanase's doorstep looking like a drowned rat as he was now.

After all, it wasn't just Nanase's swimming that Rin liked. Sure, his stroke was practically flawless and almost dream-like, unlike anything Rin had ever seen before, but … Nanase himself was … rather pretty. Um, cute? Okay, no, Rin would definitely get killed if he used that word. But there was definitely something. There was something about him that quite simply took Rin's breath away and left him defenseless as he stared at the dark-haired boy move through the water like he was meant to be there, like he'd been born for it, and while Rin felt a small tinge of jealousy at that, he still couldn't help be drawn to him— it! His swimming! Gah, he was a mess.

He really was a mess at the moment, and he had never been to Nanase's house before, either, so there was no way he was going to show up looking like that. No, Rin hadn't spent his sweet time picking his current outfit (nothing too flashy, but not too crude, either) to let the other see him in such a disastrous state. What if his parents were there? What would they say? They certainly wouldn't approve of someone who currently seemed more rain water than boy (but maybe Nanase would— no, no no STOP THAT).

Rubbing his arms to push the cold away for a moment, Rin moved to his next location when the current store owner begun eyeing him suspiciously from the window (and no, Rin didn't have the time or money to waste on something he didn't even want just for the sake of being allowed in). He jogged lightly in place for a moment, trying to keep the blood flowing to his legs, when a faint cry caught his attention. It came from the bushes on the small garden a bit to his side, a soft meowing that piqued his curiosity and made him head over regardless of the rain that continued to cling to him, to find a little white cat (at least it seemed white, under all the mud it was covered in) hiding among the plants, drenched and cold and on its own in the dirt.

He didn't need to look twice to scoot a little closer, shushing the poor creature and trying to get near it without scaring it, and then picked it up in a gentle but fast maneuver before it could get away. A quick once-over let him see the kitten wasn't wearing any tags or any form of identification whatsoever, and Rin guessed quickly it was probably a stray, holding it close to his already damp shirt (getting mud all over it, but not like that mattered at the moment), and keeping it under his jacket for warmth. The critter resisted at first, but the coziness of Rin's jacket was apparently undeniable, because it curled up closer to him almost immediately, clinging to his shirt with its paws as if trying to burrow itself in his clothing. Rin pet its head softly, looking around to make doubly sure that nobody was currently looking for it, and went back to taking cover, carrying the kitten with him.

He waited for a few, long minutes, shivering and petting the kitty lazily while he watched the puddles on the street, but the rain didn't seem to be slowing down at all; on the contrary, it was raining harder with each passing second, and Rin wondered if he'd be able to get back home at all at that point. If worst came to worst, he had heard Tachibana's house was quite close to Nanase's, so maybe he could stop by over there instead in case he—

Rin was jolted out of his thoughts when the kitten suddenly started moving, meowing loudly and trying to get out of his grasp. He tried to soothe it, but to no avail.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked fruitlessly, the kitten continuing to struggle to get away, and Rin panicked for a moment, wondering if perhaps it was hurt or if maybe he was holding it too tight. But letting it run off on its own in that weather seemed a little too cruel, so he kept trying to get it to behave. "It's alright, just calm down …! Sheesh, it's just for a while, stay still, okay—Hey!" He let out a loud sigh when the kitten's efforts paid off and it finally broke free from his arms, jumping onto the ground and rushing to the corner, Rin chasing right behind it. "Oh, come on! You can't just run off like that—"

" … Matsuoka?"

Rin froze in place.

As soon as he had turned the corner, he had come face to face with none other than a slightly surprised Nanase, who otherwise looked like his usually calm self as he stood in the rain under his transparent umbrella (one of those things that parents just forced you to carry around with you, Rin thought dryly. The gross plastic shine didn't go well with Nanase's eyes at all … but, unlike Rin, at least he was dry). It was one moment, and Rin wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. He must have looked like an idiot, soaked from head to toe, shirt all dirty and with an obvious look of panic on his face. He hated it. Of all the streets in town, why did Nanase have to be walking through that one!? Why wasn't he at home, comfortable under a blanket and drinking a cup of warm tea, instead of being out there, in the rain, where he could find Rin making a fool of himself!? It was the worst, and Rin might have just forgotten all about the cat and Nanase's house and just turned around and ran. Any other form of humiliation would have been better than having to face Nanase as he was now. Merely a second had passed, during which Rin realized he should probably say something instead of just standing there panicking while gaping at the other (and mentally judging his choice of accessories), and forced himself into an impromptu explanation for why he was drenched, dirty, and freezing in the middle of nowhere. He didn't know if Nanase wanted one, even, but now that he was there, Rin was going to make conversation with him nonetheless.

"Ah, Nanase, hey there! Fancy meeting you out here!" He chirped cheerfully, doing his best to appear unaffected and keep his teeth from chattering too much, but by the look on the other boy's face, his act had no effect whatsoever. Oh, fine, fine, be difficult. He'd just have to resort to the kindhearted neighborhood hero card. Maybe he could get Nanase to search with him? That would be perfect! "I found a kitty in the rain just now, but it ran away—this way, and I was wondering if …"

A faint meow cut both his words and his plan short.

Nanase broke eye contact with him and his gaze fell to the ground slowly, with Rin following it only to find the very same kitten he had been chasing bumping its head cutely against Nanase's legs (ugh, lucky), and meowing at the shopping bag that was hanging from his hand. After it tried to swat at it with its paws once or twice, both boys looked up at each other at the same time.

"That's the—"

"Mackerel."

Rin paused mid-sentence. "Huh?"

Nanase simply lifted the bag a little higher in response, and the cat followed his movements, meowing louder still. Rin's eyes went from the cat to the other boy's face again, who seemed (Rin could dream, and daydreaming about Nanase was something he did a lot) like he was enjoying himself with the makeshift game.

"We ran out." He said suddenly, and it took Rin a moment to understand exactly what he meant.

"Who goes out to buy fish in this weather!?" Rin let out an indignant yell, and for whatever reason Nanase actually looked a little offended at it, throwing Rin off-guard for half a second.

"Mackerel—"

"It doesn't matter which one!" Rin sighed dramatically, trying his best to tone done the exasperation he felt at the ridiculous turn the conversation had taken. "It's raining!"

Nanase did nothing but look at him with a deadpan expression that pretty much spelled out 'at least I went out with an umbrella, unlike someone', and Rin sighed again, shaking his head before crouching to pick up the reluctant cat again.

"Never mind," he started, trying to keep the cat from pouncing back to the ground, and clearly struggling with it, "I'll just … deal with this one and … I guess I'll see you in class!" In spite of the evident effort he was making (especially with how much he dreaded looking like a fool in front of Nanase, of all people), Rin ended his phrase on a cheery note, grinning like usual, his expression looking completely disconnected from the battle of arms and paws that was occurring beneath it. Nanase simply stared at him silently for a while, then closed his eyes with a sigh of his own before taking a step closer and holding the umbrella between the two of them. He stayed like that for a moment, Rin throwing him a slightly confused look, even, before Nanase begun moving away.

"Come," he said bluntly, starting to cross the street, but pausing briefly when Rin didn't immediately follow. "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

Rin was pretty sure his face lit up like Christmas lights, and he'd gone so still that even the cat had stopped struggling (but that was probably since it was interested only in the fading scent of fish, anyway). When Nanase turned away and kept walking, though, Rin scrambled after him, almost tripping over his feet not once but twice, reminding himself that this was a stupid, stupid idea but he was going to share an umbrella with Nanase and, wow, had he not dreamed this might happen sometime. He would take all the embarrassment in the world for that— well, no, maybe not all of it. Just a little. He still had to be cool. He would not ruin this.

Be cool, Rin. Whatever you do, be. cool.

He caught up to Nanase fairly quickly, falling into step with him as they both walked under the plastic umbrella. Rin took a deep breath through his nose, holding firmly onto the cat as he stole a few glances at the other boy, who just walked in beside him silence, as if Rin weren't even there. The redhead couldn't help himself at the thought, sidestepping just an inch so that his shoulder 'accidentally' bumped against Nanase's, who, in turn, threw him a side stare that spelled he wasn't buying it.

"There was rain falling on me," Rin smiled quickly, trying his best to sound innocent, "your umbrella is a bit small." Nanase continued to stare at him for a full second, and then simply turned his eyes back to the road ahead, his voice steady and firm.

"Then get out."

Typical.

"Aw, come on!" Rin whined audibly, leaning forward a little to stare at Nanase directly in the eye. "What about the kitty?" If he hadn't been walking on thin ice already, Rin would've batted his eyelashes at the other on top of that, but apparently the words were enough to put a thoughtful expression on the boy's face, who didn't even look at Rin when he spoke again moments later.

" … fine, leave it and get out."

"Whaaaaat? Nanaseeee~!"

Rin made sure to bump their shoulders together again and again and again for good measure, and by the time Nanase eventually stopped trying to get him to cut it out or threatening to kick him out from under the umbrella's protection, they were walking close enough that Rin was certain the sleeve of Nanase's jacket was soaked as well. Enjoying his small victory, he smiled to himself quietly the rest of the way.

It wasn't a painfully long walk to the Nanase household, but it was long enough for Rin to think of a hundred and one ways in which he could approach the topic of the relay and … could he use the cat as leverage? Nah, that probably wouldn't work, he'd decided, and he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost walked right past the doorstep, turning back only when he noticed the lack of the umbrella, raindrops falling on him again. He hurried to follow after the other boy, who had just slid the door open without a word, and felt strangely awkward when he found himself inside the house, looking awful and wet from head to toe with a mud-covered cat in his arms.

"Stay here," Nanase said quietly after hanging his jacket and leaving the umbrella to dry off, "and take off your shoes."

Rin followed Nanase's example as he did as he was told (he eventually managed to kick his wet socks off, as well), the cat meowing faintly in his arms when the bag of groceries was carried further into the house. The entire place was quiet, save for the muted rapping of the raindrops on the roof, and Rin thought it all looked quite peaceful and fitting for a boy like Nanase. It didn't sound like there was anyone home other than them, even, and that too did not feel strange at all (and it saved Rin from the embarrassment of being introduced to Nanase's parents in his current state. That would have been a lousy first impression). He shifted from one foot to the other as he waited, petting the cat for nothing better to do, until the other boy finally returned, a plastic laundry basket and a small towel in his hands.

"Here," Nanase said simply, dropping the towel on Rin's head, then grabbing the basket with both hands and holding it out for him. Rin quickly pushed a blush down his throat with a thick gulp, looking at the basket in confusion for a moment until he noticed there was a small piece of raw mackerel placed on the bottom. His mouth opened in a small 'oh' shape at the realization, and he carefully placed the already struggling kitty in it.

Nanase turned away immediately afterwards with a curt 'hurry up', and this time Rin took a bit more time to follow after him, if only just to dry himself up a little in order to keep from making an even further mess of the house than he already was. The puddle that had formed at his feet didn't look like it would be a great help to his cause. At all.

Once he had deemed himself dry enough, Rin hurried through the house after the other, towel in hand and feet slapping loudly against wood and tatami panels (please don't let it be ruined, please please please) and finally catching up to Nanase, who was currently in the bathroom and had apparently (miraculously?) succeeded in washing the dirt off and wrapping the kitty up in a towel after luring it with the food, and was right in the middle of scrubbing it dry gently. Rin felt immediately better when he stood on the bathroom floor tiles, getting his confidence back and crouching beside Nanase with a mischievous grin on his face, ready to tease him for his soft spot for drenched stray kitties. But before he could get a single word in, Nanase reached out for the showerhead and unceremoniously aimed it at Rin's face, making him gasp, choke, and fall back on his butt with a loud thump.

"What was that for!?" he whined between coughs, straightening up and drying his face with the towel again. Nanase simply put the showerhead away in silence and picked the kitty up (which turned out not to be white, after all, but actually a soft cream color with a few brown spots here and there), standing up and heading out of the bathroom.

"There are clean towels there," he said plainly, pointing with his gaze to different spots in the bathroom, namely, a second basket and a small shelf by the bathtub, "shampoo and soap over there." Rin's confused stare was countered by a quick turn of the head as Nanase finally headed out and shut the door behind himself. "Just hurry up," he said from the other side, and Rin needed to stay on the floor (to the sound of the tub filling up, which he had missed before with the kitty's cries of protest) for a few moments to process the information.

Okay, so he could totally put the conversation about the relay on the background for one day.

Rin felt half-uncomfortable and half-absolutely-ecstatic about the whole situation. There he was, trying to score a few points with the most difficult boy in history (for the team! Points for the team, of course!), accidentally (miraculously) finding an excuse to invite himself over to his house, and suddenly jumping from that to taking a hot bath in Nanase's bathroom when it was still the very first time he'd ever been there. Sure, it was all just so he wouldn't catch a cold, of course, but Nanase was offering him his hospitality and might actually be worried about his health? Maybe. Probably not. It didn't matter anyway, because even though he was extremely self-conscious while he washed himself, he was at Nanase's and if this didn't count as them getting closer then he didn't know what would. It definitely counted. Totally.

He went through a slight moment of panic while shampooing his hair, wondering if he'd used too much or too little, or if it even made any difference at all. Nanase didn't look like he cared about that sort of stuff. Still, he hoped Nanase didn't have any sisters, because (while the fruity scent that his mother's and sister's strawberry shampoo had left on his hair once had not been all that annoying) he had certainly learned that no, it wasn't 'the same', and no, he shouldn't touch someone else's toiletries without asking every again. (Besides, strawberry-scented shampoo would probably only serve to attract more wild Nagisas, and really, he already had more than enough dealing with just one).

But Nanase had said it was okay (or rather, had pretty much silently ordered him to take a bath), and Rin decided that meant he could make himself at home for a while. He made sure to wash up quickly but thoroughly (scrubbed well behind his ears, even) before climbing into the tub, and his chilled bones were very thankful for it. Rin sunk as far as he could go, letting the warm water cover him completely and then coming up again for air a few seconds later, entertaining himself by wriggling his toes in and out of the water. And, inevitably, he let his thoughts wander.

It would be great if he could get Nanase to swim with him. There was no way they wouldn't win if they were in the same team, and Rin knew that for a fact. Nanase probably knew this, too. So why would he keep refusing? Rin was more than happy to give up the freestyle leg of the relay to him. He honestly didn't mind whatever stroke the other wanted to swim. Anything was fine, as long as he said yes. Rin was confident they could be the best team ever.

But they couldn't become a real team unless they got closer. And it would indeed be very nice if Nanase would yield just a little and became friends with him. Again, Rin was confident they could get along quite well, but Nanase was too stubborn and wouldn't even give him a chance to prove it. Rin already had a thousand and one ideas for all the things they could do together, and he quite literally couldn't wait to go through with them all. Hitting the beach, running, watching movies, playing games, having sleepovers, maybe going on a family road trip or two … ah.

Right.

Rin wasn't planning on staying very long. His sights were set on the world, and he couldn't stay in a little town like Iwatobi if he wanted to succeed. He'd already decided this, and wouldn't go back on his decision, no matter what. It would definitely be great if he could get Nanase to wait for him, though. Rin would come over to visit every now and then, and they would talk about their training, race each other a few times and … maybe Nanase would miss him? Maybe he'd smile and say something silly, and Rin would grin and pull him into a hug and—

The door suddenly opened and Rin immediately sunk further into the water, hiding his blush as he watched Nanase staring at him with an annoyed frown on his face (there was no way he could read minds, right!?), arms firmly at his sides as he stood quietly at the door.

"Wh— Hey! Can't you at least knock!?"

"You're taking too long."

Nanase didn't even bother to look embarrassed. He just turned around and started taking his clothes off, dropping them off with the rest of the laundry, and while Rin had seen him in his swimsuit a hundred times already this was a bit— it was way, way too much for his heart at the moment (he had not just been thinking of hugging Nanase and kissing him, he totally hadn't, so it shouldn't affect him, right!?). The world was probably testing him. And Rin hated losing. He had to concentrate really hard to keep his eyes on the water, but he managed it, clutching onto the edge of the tub as he chanted don't look don't look don't look endlessly in his head. His face burned and oh dear he must have been so red. It's perfectly normal for two boys to bathe together, duh, and he was probably overreacting a little too much, but Matsuoka Rin had a huge crush on Nanase Haruka and the mere thought of being in the same bathtub with him made the butterflies in his stomach flutter to the point of actual, physical pain. What if they touched accidentally and oh, oh, Nanase's skin must be so soft and he was right there and maybe just a little peek wouldn't hurt—

" … what are you doing?"

Rin practically jumped out of his skin when the voice reached his ears; he was hiding so much against the tub that he had almost curled up against the corner, his head practically submerged under the water and fingers clutching the edge shakily. Rin didn't dare and didn't trust himself enough to lift his eyes, not even to glance at the other's expression, but Nanase sounded as unamused as ever, so he could probably guess what his face looked like right now anyway. The water rippled around him with a sigh, and suddenly he was painfully aware of the other's presence in the tub, and it was worse than it was at the pool, because Rin was dying of embarrassment at the moment and had no idea how to hide it. He had to think of something, and fast.

"If you're done, get out. You're taking up all the room."

He could not think like that.

And he was not taking up all the room, Rin grumbled mentally, but he made the effort to straighten up anyway, bringing his knees up to his chest and brushing his bangs from his face with his hand, doing his best to force out the most relaxed voice and expression he could manage.

"No, I'm not done." And there's no way I'm getting out of the tub now, either, he thought to himself. Nanase didn't object to that, surprisingly, and simply slid a bit further into in the water, closing his eyes and relaxing as if Rin was invisible. "Look who's talking," the redhead bit back at the display, but Nanase paid him no mind and continued to soak calmly and silently.

Rin seriously didn't get him. Nanase was just too complicated. He was weird, quirky, seldom showed any regard for others, didn't like to talk, didn't smile often enough, didn't act like a regular person would and was so, so rude. He could be really annoying sometimes. But he could be kind when he wanted to. He was reliable and had a lot of talents. His form was perfect. He had a soft spot for kitties and classmates stuck in the rain. He was blunt, but that also meant he was honest. He was fascinating, intriguing, and totally cute. Rin didn't get him, but at least he was trying, and if there was one good thing about this situation (one of many good things, actually), it was that he had Nanase all to himself where they wouldn't be interrupted and where the latter couldn't avoid his questions nor his pleas. There were a million things he wanted to know, but Rin's priorities were set and, while he'd considered avoiding the topic for one day, he would be silly not to take advantage of the opportunity to make his appeal.

"Nanase." Rin called out firmly, and a pair of blue eyes opened to acknowledge him, the rest of the face hidden under the water. "Swim in the relay with me."

Rin's voice was steady and uncharacteristically serious, but in spite of his honest efforts all he got in return were a few bubbles blown into the water, and eyes that closed again, ignoring him.

He didn't even have to be a mind-reader to know that was a 'no'. Again.

Rin sunk into the water as well, shoulders hanging in defeat. Why was it so hard for Nanase to say yes? It wasn't like Rin was asking him to lay his life on the line for him. It was just one race. (Not exactly just one, really, since they had to qualify and then get past semi-finals first, but Rin had already assumed they would. He was so certain they'd win, he already had his eyes set on what cookie tin they would use to bury their trophy. He'd measured it already, and it worked.) One race, one last race and then Rin would be on his way, and Mister I'm-Too-Much-Of-A-Prodigy-To-Swim-With-Others Nanase Haruka could forget about him as quickly as he wanted to. Just one race. Was he asking for that much?

Rin jolted up straight again when Nanase's toes bumped against his shin.

"I'm not taking up all the room," Rin mumbled automatically in return, relaxing his posture a little but still keeping to his half of the tub, hoping that would end the argument.

Except it happened again.

"Wh—stop that." It came out more as a whine than as an order, sadly, but its effect was nevertheless exactly zero, because Nanase kept bumping his toes against his leg, as if telling him to make room. There was seriously no physical space left for him to keep moving back, so Rin couldn't do anything but continue attempting to get him to cut it out and—

… wait a second.

Rin had to hurry and make sure his mouth was closed shut before he accidentally ended up gaping at the other.

Was that … payback for the umbrella thing?

Rin's mouth curled up into a grin, challenge itching under his skin.

This was the kind of thing that he would've rolled on his bed in frustration for. Being teased by Nanase Haruka? It was the worst and he loved it, and he had to actually focus to put some bite into his words this time because, while he was being expected to complain, the butterflies in his stomach had gotten restless again, and the last thing he wanted was for the other to stop what he was doing. He just hoped Nanase wouldn't notice.

But that was not all, no. Nanase's skin was soft. It sent sparks all over him where it touched, and for once Rin had to wonder if perhaps losing this little test wouldn't be that bad after all. Oh good grief, this entire situation was the worst, a disaster, a complete and utter disaster, and the ground should probably hurry up and swallow him before he ended up doing something stupid like bump Nanase's leg in return.

Which was exactly what he did, all grins and smiles and half-lidded eyes when Nanase frowned back at him. Ridiculous, stupid stupid stupid, he was totally out of control, but Nanase wasn't complaining and it looked like he was playing along, even (or rather, stubbornly fighting back). A splash of water connected with Rin's face, and he let out a loud yelp and a laugh as he splashed back. It was probably a bad idea, but his heart was in overdrive at this point and Rin wouldn't lose on purpose without at least getting something out of it.

But right at that moment, a loud crash ringed through the house, startling them both and putting a stop to their little competition. The two boys looked at each other and then towards the door, eyes wide and startled as they worked out the source of the noise in their minds at the exact same time.

"Nanase?" Rin asked tentatively, sensing the water stirring around him and knowing the answer before he even asked the question. "What did you do with the cat?"

The dark-haired boy didn't even reply. He was out of the door even before Rin was done speaking (and thankfully Rin had the decency to look away while he grabbed a towel), the house growing silent again all of a sudden. The water in the tub had already turned cold, but Rin had been too overwhelmed to notice (nor would he have cared, really, though he did wonder if Nanase had), and simply went back to playing with his toes with a sigh. His skin still itched a little where Nanase's had touched. Maybe if he waited he would eventually come back? Or should he lend Nanase a hand instead? It took another crash for Rin to finally jump out of the bath as well, fishing a towel for himself out of the pile and peeking with his head out the door, unsure of how much he could do in his current attire (not that Nanase had had any time to get dressed, either).

"Need some help?" He called out, and there was a pause before what sounded like 'get the basket' floated through the house. It took a second for Rin to accurately connect the order to the empty one (that still smelled like mackerel) lying forgotten on the floor and then grab it, heading out to follow the sounds of Nanase chasing the cat through the house. He had barely taken a few steps out of the laundry room when the kitten sped right past him, followed closely by Nanase, who shoved Rin out of the way to continue giving chase. Rin could have sworn the butterflies had migrated to the spot right underneath where Nanase's skin had come into contact with his, because (now that there was no water in between) it felt tingly and warm and he had to bite his lip softly to make sure he wasn't dreaming. A few more objects tumbled to the ground in a nearby room, and Rin decided to shake his lovesickness away from just one moment to try and get the cat under control once and for all.

Rin followed the noise to the living room (walking carefully over a few frames and books that had ended up on the floor) to find that Nanase had successfully cornered the kitty in the kitchen. He moved very slowly towards it, but the ruckus had obviously frightened it, and it ended up speeding past him back into the living room to get away, backtracking when it ran into Rin, and ultimately hiding under the table, just out of his reach. Rin ducked immediately to try and drag it out, but one look at the kitty told him that, if he would rather keep his hands intact, he was better off staying away for now. He stood up as slowly as he could and exchanged a glance with Nanase, who looked troubled and a little angry, yet somehow a little frightened himself. In any other situation, Rin would've jumped at the chance to tease him, but at the moment that would have just been ill-timing of his part. His eyes went from Nanase to the table, then to the basket in his hands, as he tried to think of some way to make the plan work. The poor thing was scared and fast, and Rin was pretty sure that running all over the house after it (while knocking stuff onto the ground left and right) was probably not helping in the least, so before the situation got even worse, he quietly moved closer to where Nanase was, grabbed him by the arm and pulled to whisper at him.

"We're never going to catch it like this," he breathed out as calmly as he could, "It's scared." He stopped himself from throwing 'and running around in a towel is really awkward' in there, but even though his reasoning was solid (and Rin was pretty sure he knew a thing or two about maintaining the right level of assertiveness when chasing after someone), Nanase didn't look like he was ready to give up just yet. "Just give it some food and it will come out."

It was a good thing that Nanase was being silly with his attachment to the fish he had gone out to purchase (in the rain, in the middle of the rain), because the way in which his face scrunched up in something close to a pout at Rin's suggestion was doing extremely painful things to his heart. If Rin had been a weaker person, he would have stolen a kiss, right then, right there; but there was a task at hand and he was not going to risk everything for just one quick peck.

(Besides, while his main goal at the moment was the relay, Rin considered making Nanase like him was something that came with it; it felt like some sort of strange but challenging and life-changing sidequest, and he would clear it if it was the last thing he ever did.)

"Nanase, just give up the fish, please?" He batted his eyelashes twice, just for emphasis, but it could totally have passed for a quick blink. Nanase still stared at him, though, and Rin didn't know why, but that was both good and bad at the same time.

"Mackerel."

"Yeah, yeah, mackerel, fine!" He released his hold on Nanase's arm in frustration, scratching the back of his hair instead and sighing before pushing the other towards the kitchen. "Whatever, just do it!"

In spite of the desolated expression on his face, Rin had to admit it was a pretty endearing sight, watching Nanase ready to sacrifice some more fish (right, right, mackerel) for the sake of catching the poor, scared cat once again. It took a good deal of patience, a lot of here kitty kitty-ing and a bit of timing, but finally the boys managed to get the plastic basket upside-down over it. Thankfully, it was so busy eating contently that it barely reacted to the poor (but effective) excuse of a cage the kids had made for it, and they both slumped to the floor in relief, Rin with a smile on his face and Nanase throwing a glance that had a hint on despair in it at the state the living room had been left in.

"We make a great team, huh?" Rin grinned jokingly, chuckling at how stupidly long it had taken the two of them to subdue a single, small, scared kitten. Nanase just stared at him for a really long time (enough that Rin's grin almost faded away) before getting up with a muttered 'I only swim free' and leaving Rin crouching besides the basket and the captured kitten.

If Rin hadn't been so prone to daydreaming, he would've said Nanase looked a little flustered back then. But the moment was gone, and all Rin could do was wait, petting the kitty lazily through the openings in the basket with one finger as it ate its treat.

He wasn't sure how long he waited. It was probably just a short while, but being dressed in nothing but a towel around his waist in someone else's house made every second seem like it lasted twice what it normally did. Just when he was starting to wonder if perhaps he should just get up and head back to the bathroom instead, Nanase's voice called him through the house. The boy reappeared, fully dressed and carrying a bundle of neatly folded clothes in his hand.

"Matsuoka," he said again, walking up to him and holding out the clothes for Rin to take, "you can wear these."

Rin was pretty sure he broke the barrier of sound with the speed at which he stood up. Nanase gave him a look, but Rin quickly shifted to a smile and grabbed the bundle with a muttered thank you. Without even sparing a glance at the clothes, he immediately rushed to the bathroom, not because he was asked to, and not because he was uncomfortable or felt underdressed, but because he wanted to make absolutely and positively sure that, yes, he was holding Nanase's clothes in his hands and, yes, he was allowed to wear them.

It wasn't anything to die for, just a plain shirt and equally plain shorts, but anything was better than Rin's current attire at this point. They were both the same height, too, so the clothes fit him quite nicely, yet Rin still spent a ridiculous amount of time staring at himself in the mirror, trying to take a look at every possible angle and get the memory imprinted in his mind. Nanase had lent him his clothes. He was wearing Nanase's clothes, and it was impossible for Rin not to wonder when the boy had last worn them, of if he had ever slept in those, and wow it was all so silly but he couldn't help it. He liked Nanase so, so much it was almost sad, and he blushed brightly at the one thought that crossed his mind just by looking at his current reflection.

If Nanase and him got married, Rin would make sure they made a habit of wearing each other's clothes all the time.

He hid his face in his hands, suppressing a loud whine at how terrible, terrible his crush was.

Once he had allowed himself to calm down enough to not do anything stupid (again), Rin finally headed back to the living room, and to his surprise the scent of hot tea invaded his nostrils. Walking into the actual room showed him Nanase had already made some order around and was currently sitting at the table (just how long had he spent in the bathroom!?), and his blue eyes moved away from the basket only briefly to acknowledge Rin's presence. He had indeed poured some tea for them, as well, warm and inviting, and Rin didn't have to think twice to drop on the floor right beside him with a smile on his face. As expected, a soft frown was what he received in return.

"Thanks, Nanase," he said, flashing a relaxed smile towards him before claiming one of the cups and sipping his tea happily. There was a large, bubbly sensation spreading all over him at the moment, and he had already forgotten how cold he had been when it had first started raining, how flustered and embarrassed he had felt when he had first walked into the house. It all felt so distant now. He felt like could stay like that forever, sitting in Nanase's living room, just drinking tea and feeling Nanase's unmoving presence beside him, and it wouldn't be half-bad. The kitty chose that particular moment to cry out loud again, breaking him out of his reverie and making Nanase stand up with a huff, who left a slightly disappointed Rin sitting alone for a moment to share a few more pieces of his precious mackerel with it. Rin's smile turned fonder at the display, and he almost chuckled into his tea at how surreal it all seemed.

"Are you going to keep it?" Nanase asked out of the blue, and Rin's smile faded.

He hadn't thought about that.

Rin had picked the kitty up with the sole intention of keeping it dry and warm until the rain passed. But now he was unsure of what he was supposed to say. He had to take a moment to measure his words, considering he had no intention of telling anyone of his plans to study abroad just yet. In the end, a quiet 'can't' was all he could settle for, busying himself with his tea instead, to avoid further questioning. Nanase never stopped staring at the cat, watching it eat peacefully, and didn't say another word. Eventually he stood up, and when he stormed off Rin could swear he was frowning (he was 99% sure, considering he rarely had any reason to daydream of an angry Nanase). That quick mood change was odd, even for him. Still, even though the entire ordeal had been quite enlightening for Rin, he didn't get him completely yet, and the weird feeling in his gut was quickly forgotten, tea in hand.

When Nanase walked back into the room, he looked a lot less angry, but Rin didn't have enough time to wonder why, because a thick blanket was practically being shoved into his face, without any warning whatsoever. Rin had to keep himself from chuckling at the bluntness, setting his cup momentarily down on the table in order to drag Nanase by the arms to sit on the floor beside him again.

"It's big enough for two," he smiled, taking the blanket in his hands and quickly wrapping it around both of them before Nanase had a chance to protest, and leaving the arm that had ended up over Nanase's shoulder exactly where it had landed. "See?" He chirped, squealing inwardly when all the resistance he received from the other was a sharp turn of the head, a half-hearted attempt at struggling, and a pout. Oh, he could definitely get used to this.

The cat meowed again, and Nanase's shoulders stiffened, his brow creasing in a slight frown. Rin began cautiously removing his arm from around him, but when the frown on Nanase's face deepened, he stilled as well. No matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldn't figure out what it was that had made Nanase so angry, but when his fingers clenched around the fabric of his shorts as the cat kept meowing, Rin figured it probably had something to do with his refusal to take care of it.

(In his defense, things would have never gotten out of hand as they did if Nanase hadn't suddenly showed up with a bag of fresh fish.)

"We could take turns buying cat food, or something," he blurted out without thinking, and the glare Nanase shot back at him made him flinch a little. "W-What? It's not like you have to keep it inside! Cats like to come and go whenever they like." Rin had already come to terms with the fact that he was super impulsive, but if there was another thing he was confident in was his ability to improvise, and it apparently worked like a charm, because Nanase's eyes widened as he turned to stare at the laundry basket. He watched it silently for a moment, mouthed something that looked suspiciously like the word 'free', and Rin couldn't help laughing brightly at it.

It was ultimately decided that the kitty would be, as Rin had put it, 'returned to the wild' in Nanase's front yard once the rain had passed. And, in spite of protests, it was also decided (one-sidedly by Rin, obviously) that he would personally deliver food supplies for the kitty at random intervals, which in his mind also translated as 'excuses to drop at Nanase's unannounced while taking responsibility for his actions at the same time'. It wasn't much, and Rin wasn't sure how he felt about making such a promise when he would be leaving the country so soon, but if it meant a happy ending for the kitty (and Nanase, too, because he didn't look angry anymore), then he was willing to compromise, at least for now.

He still had no way of knowing if Nanase would swim in the relay with him after all or not. But simply by sitting there with him, huddled up under a blanket drinking warm tea and listening to the soft patter of raindrops falling outside, Rin knew they had definitely grown closer, both towards each other and towards being the best team there ever was, at the same time.

In fact, Rin felt like he had learned so much about Nanase that he now wondered if, perhaps, contrary to his previous belief, the transparent umbrella hadn't been forced on him, but he had instead purposefully chosen to use one, just to see the rain tracing patterns as it fell all over it. He also knew that Nanase liked cats, that his fashion sense was a bit plain but still charming in its own way, that his bluntness masked a genuine sort of kindness, and that he wasn't as reticent and unapproachable as Rin had initially thought he was. He also knew he liked mackerel. A lot.

If (when) Nanase and him got married, they probably wouldn't keep any cats. Or any other pets that ate fish, for that matter.

It would take a little bit more work than he had imagined but, sooner or later, Rin would get a yes from him. And maybe, just maybe, he could get Nanase to miss him, too. (He wasn't going to give up on that hug and that kiss so easily. After all, Rin could dream, and dreaming big was one of the things he did best.)

Perhaps Nanase was a mind-reader, because he chose that very moment to turn his face towards Rin with a tired stare that screamed 'what a pain' in every direction. Rin inevitably took the bait, returning that gaze with a sly smile of his own, the words 'a pain you don't mind putting up with' echoing in his head. He wasn't certain what Nanase gathered from it, but from the way he turned his head away again and blushed a little (Rin's butterflies did a small victory dance in his stomach), he figured more than enough of the message had gotten across. And when he leaned just a little bit closer, Nanase huffed loudly, but didn't move away.

Nanase was difficult and Rin really didn't get him (yet), but one thing was certain.

He'd definitely win gold for having the best of the best crushes in the entire world.