Homecoming

Summary: Rin hasn't seen Haru all week because he's been away. They got into a little argument just before he left. He ponders over what he should do.

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! or any of its characters.

Rin let out his millionth sigh of the day and slid his hands into his back pockets. He stared at the shelves full of candy blankly, his eyes feeling tired under the stark fluorescent lights. He was completely worn out; the flight had required that they wake up just after three in the morning and he was dealing with some severe jet-lag. After the way he swam in that tournament, his body was ready to collapse onto the nearest bed and rest forever.

He couldn't wait to get home, to smell the familiar scents and see the familiar sights. He could practically feel the warm water of the bath he would take washing over him, soothing and lulling him into a state of absolute, impenetrable relaxation. The knowledge that he was practically minutes away from getting to relax seemed to make his exhaustion worse, and he felt far more aware of how sore his body was. He wanted more than anything to step out of that store and sprint all the way to his destination.

But first, there was something he had to do. There was someone else he couldn't wait to get home to.

He grabbed one of the larger heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, turning it over to see what kind of chocolates it included. It was assorted dark chocolate. Did Haru even like dark chocolate? He decided against it and picked up a box of milk chocolates, scanning over to see if it was a specific kind. Caramel-filled. Haru would most likely complain about it being too sweet. He gave up and decided to scan over the fruit-flavored candies, searching for something that was less decadent.

No. Fruity candies were something exchanged by two friends when someone happened to bring them along to school. It wasn't romantic. It had to be chocolates. Those were what you got when you liked someone, especially when you wanted to apologize for something. This was something Rin was sure of; he would only accept chocolates as an apology if it were him.

Rin chose the biggest box he could find of assorted milk chocolates, deciding he didn't care if Haru liked them or not. It was the sentiment that counted, not the gift.

But as he was exiting the aisle, he stopped and thought.

"Chocolate hurts his stomach, doesn't it?" he murmured to himself.

He recalled a night a while ago when they had gone out for ice-cream, Rin's treat. Haru had ordered a small cup of chocolate ice-cream and Rin had insisted that he get the biggest one on the menu. He'd even forced the order taker to give him a large. Haru took this as a challenge and ate every last drop. Afterwards, he was stuck in bed all night with a stomachache. They hadn't even gotten to go to the movies like they'd planned.

Rin growled softly at his own stupidity and turned back around. He would get Haru those little gummy sharks at the end of the aisle, too, just in case. They were Haru's favorite color, and they at least involved water in some manner. That would make him happy. Hopefully.

As Rin stared at the two bags he picked up, he scratched his head. These weren't enough. He had to get something else. What else do people get when they want to apologize? He wracked his brain, trying to remember what people in movies always got their lovers after a fight.

Flowers! He rushed eagerly over to the section where the flowers were kept and glanced over at the selections. Doubt settled into his mind before he could pick anything out. He wasn't so sure how Haru would take receiving flowers. He didn't even really know Haru's opinion on flowers.

Well, he put one in my hair that one day, he thought, remembering. They had spent the day on the grassy hill near Haru's house, laying out on a blanket and having lunch. While they were staring up at the sky, Haru leaned up and began picking idly at the grass. Rin had closed his eyes and was nearly asleep when he heard the smallest of gasps, so quiet that he would not have been able to pick up on it if he wasn't already attuned to the limited number of vocal reactions Haru had. He opened his eyes and leaned up to see Haru was staring at a small blue flower—a weed Rin saw in practically every field—with the faintest look of interest.

"You like those flowers? I see them everywhere," Rin said.

"I've never seen them," Haru mumbled. He looked over at Rin curiously before reaching over and putting the flower in his hair.

"Why did you do that?"

Haru stared at him seriously. "I like it with your hair."

Blue flowers it was. Unfortunately, there were no blue flowers. Rin clenched his jaw in irritation and decided that any colors close to blue would be suitable. There were a few that were a lighter shade of purple that could possibly pass, but Rin didn't like them. There was a bouquet of roses that were purplish-pink that he had his eyes on. Roses were supposed to mean love, right? No, those were red roses. What did purple roses mean? And the violets in the corner weren't cutting it.

This wouldn't do. They had to be blue. He turned his head and scanned the area for an associate to help him. When he found a woman standing at the end of the flower aisle, placing bouquets on display, he called her over.

"What can I help you with?" she asked happily.

"Do you have anything blue?" he questioned, doing his best to sound casual and to mask his growing frustration.

"You mean like violets? We have some over here." She pointed.

He shook his head. They just didn't look elegant enough for Haru. "Do you have anything else?"

"Well, we have blue roses, but we keep them in the back because they're more expensive. Would you like those?"

He nodded, accidentally appearing more delighted than he would have liked to. He coughed awkwardly and followed her to a set of double doors, where she disappeared and came back with a bouquet of the blue flower, swelled with life and surrealism. Rin knew instantly that they were perfect for his purposes. He did not hide the small smile that played on his lips.

"Are these for your girlfriend?" the woman asked as she rang him up for the candies and the flowers.

"Uh…yeah. Something like that," he stuttered, feeling his face flush red. "I'm trying to…apologize to someone."

"Ooh," she said understandingly. "Well, these will surely do the trick. You know, blue roses don't occur naturally. They have to be specially created. That's why they're so rare—and so expensive. Apparently they represent the mystery of new possibilities."

"You mean like being afraid of something?" he asked with a hint of dread that he hadn't intended to include. If that was the case, those were definitely not what he wanted. Haru would certainly ask what blue roses meant.

The woman shrugged. "I don't think just that. I think people who say that mean all of the feelings that come along with being in something new and exciting. Like when something totally enchants you, but you still feel a little bit anxious because it's a new experience. You know?"

Rin liked that. "Yeah, I know."

"Do you want to put a name on the card?"

"Um, yeah. H-Haruka."

She smiled and wrote. "Haruka." She handed him the bouquet and the rest of his items. "She's a lucky girl."

The house was completely silent when he got there. All of the lights were turned off except for the kitchen. Rin was sure to be quiet; he wanted to surprise Haru. He slipped off his shoes and snuck towards the bathroom door, where he knew his boyfriend would be sitting in the tub. Although Rin felt nervous at dealing with the most likely still angry Haru, he was excited to see him after his long week away at the tournament.

He opened the door grandly, smirking. "I'm home."

No Haru. That was odd. Confused, he approached the tub and looked to see if the swimmer was submerged. He wasn't there. Rin scratched the back of his head and stepped back into the hall. He took a few steps and checked the next door down to see if Haru as in his room. No luck there.

He remembered the kitchen light being on and decided to check there. Sure enough, there was Haru, standing in his bathing suit and an apron at the stove-top. Rin, standing in the archway to the kitchen, took a moment to admire the sight of his boyfriend who he had missed with so much fervor. There was little he loved more than seeing Haru half-naked, cooking, and wearing that adorable expression of concentration.

A loud clearing of Rin's throat brought Haru out of his deep meditation. The redhead was hiding the flowers behind his back as he went up to the surprised Haru and gave him a quick kiss.

"You're earlier than I thought," Haru said, motioning down towards the food he was preparing. "I was making dinner. It's not done yet."

"That's okay. I can wait," Rin replied. He noticed it was not mackerel as usual, but instead a plump steak. "You didn't have to make me that."

"I wanted to," he said defiantly.

"Okay."

They were both silent for a moment.

"Hey, listen…," Rin began. "About that argument we had before I left…." He pulled out the bouquet and presented it to Haru sheepishly. "I…got you these. To say sorry."

Haru just stared at him.

"And these," Rin added quickly, showing him the candies and the box of chocolates. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just got them both. I remember that chocolate ice-cream made your stomach hurt so—

Haru had walked past Rin abruptly and out into the living room.

"Haru? What are you doing? If you don't like them—

He was interrupted again by Haru returning, clutching something in his hand. Rin realized it was a giant handful of those blue flowers from their picnic. He couldn't hold back the smile that appeared on his face as he took the gift from Haru.

"What did you get these for?" he asked, his smile widening.

Haru went back to preparing the steak. "To say sorry. I don't like when we fight."

Rin laughed. "I don't either." He placed both bouquets on the table and turned to snake his arms around his lover's waist. "What was that fight even about, anyway?"

"I didn't want you to leave."

Rin nuzzled into the hollow of Haru's neck, kissing the skin lightly. "I shouldn't have. I don't like being away from you. We lost anyway."

"You sound happy about that."

"I don't really care about winning. I'm just happy to be back. With you."

The sun filtering through the half-open blinds woke Rin up in the morning. Haru was plastered to his side, relishing in the warmth of their bodies pressed together. The redhead carefully removed the arm across his chest and sat up, running his hand through his hair. He found a pair of pants on the floor. Putting them on, he headed out to the kitchen to start something for breakfast.

When he saw the two bouquets lying side by side, he couldn't help himself.

Haru woke up alone, with a warm dent in the empty space where Rin should have been. He could hear the familiar noises of Rin preparing breakfast in the kitchen. The smells of the food wafted all the way into the bedroom, causing his stomach to growl. He had missed his redheaded lover.

"Haru," Rin called.

He rolled around to stare at the ceiling. "What?" he called back.

"I have to go pick up some eggs from the convenience store. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

After a while Haru dragged himself out of bed and into the kitchen. Sitting on the table was a glass vase, filled with a beautiful bouquet of blue roses and blue weeds. Haru smiled to himself.

A/N: it's 1 am and I'm tired and it's probably not the best time to be trying to write competently...but I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think :)