Haru was looking through the window to the islands swimming facility. He was hiding, so no one could see him. Not from outside and not from inside.
It was nighttime and it was the third day of Iwatobi Swim Clubs training camp. He had come to watch every night since they arrived.
Haru sighed, looking at the figure flying through the water down in the facilities pool. He didn't understand how Rin could be like he was: hostile and selfish, only thinking about winning, not for once enjoying the water. Not like Haru did. Rin hadn't always been like that, Haru thought. When they were kids he loved water just as much as Haru did. That had been the thing that made them friends.
As Haru watched Rin, he realized that that fact had never changed, he still loved the water. Rin looked relaxed and comfortable down there, almost peaceful. He wasn't lit by the same energy he usually was surrounded by. It was just him and the water. He would probably kill anyone who would witness this soft side of him.
Haru wanted to join him, but he couldn't. Rin hated him too much, for that to ever be a possibility.
-X-
On the first day of their arrival to the island, they had discovered that Rin was there too. They had all decided to go and watch Samezuka Swim Team train.
It had only been a brief moment, but Haru managed to fall in love with the beautiful pool, before leaving for the camp beside the ocean. Haru couldn't stop thinking about the big blue pool and how much he wanted to swim there.
That meant that Haru now was lying awake and waiting for Nagisa to fall asleep. Luckily for him Nagisa fell asleep few moments after they had crawled into their tent.
Haru had feared that Nagisa, like the airhead he was, wanted to stay up all night to talk and have fun.
Haru, who only slept in a pair of shorts, hurried outside the tent. Nagisa was a heavy sleeper, so he didn't wake up, fortunately. Haru didn't want to explain what he was about to do. The sky was clear and the air was nice. Not too hot or too cool.
As he walked towards the indoor swimming facility he thought about how he would just take a look at the pool and if he wanted to, maybe try to sneak in and have a little swim.
When he came up to the window, he was surprised to see that someone was already swimming. The person was racing himself.
Haru kept watching the person. He was really obvious in the window and if the person had looked up for only a short moment, he would have been seen. Haru speculated who it could be when he noticed that the person had red hair. He could have kicked himself, who else would it be, but Rin. Now it was excluded that he could sneak in, not when Rin was there.
It surprised him that Rin would sneak in, in the middle of the night, to train. Was he really that desperate to beat Haru?
Rin must have felt that he was being watched, because he turned around, so he could look up at the windows. Haru had only found the spot a few seconds before Rin turned around. The spot was perfect; he was in a bush on his knees, with perfect view to the entire pool.
Rin took a few lanes in an incredibly fast speed, which Haru couldn't look away from.
Then he slowed down and Rin was just lying in the water, drifting. His eyes were closed and he made small movements with his hands so that he would not sink.
Haru got up and walked back to the tent, when Rin got up from the water to go shower. He smiled, it had felt that he had been with the Rin he used to know, it had almost been like when they were kids, except for Rin not knowing about it.
The next day, Haru repeated his trip. Haru told himself that, he just wanted to see the pool and that he would sneak in to have a swim if there wasn't anyone. The chances of Rin being there 2 days in a row were too much to be expected.
When he arrived, a tiny bit nervous, for reasons he wasn't sure of, Rin was in the water again.
Rin was also repeated last night. He started by racing himself and thereafter just relaxing in the water, while he sometimes looked around, like he was checking that no one saw him. Haru placed himself in the spot, just wanting to watch the water.
The third day, Haru went again. This time he didn't even try to tell himself it was for the water. He came only to watch Rin, who looked majestic while he was swimming.
How Haru wished it was him, down in the water.
For a moment Haru drifted away in thoughts. Rin looked so happy down there. Haru hadn't seen him like that, since before he went to Australia. Why couldn't they still be friends, why had he won their last race and hurt Rins feelings? Maybe if Rin would win their next race, then they'll maybe become friends again.
Haru looked up, to see that the pool was empty. He hadn't even seen Rin get out of the water, he had been too far away in his own head.
He got up and started walking back to the tent, shoulders hanging. He was sad because things were so difficult between them.
He turned around the corner of the swimming facility just as Rin exited the building. Haru turned around and hoped Rin hadn't seen him.
"Haru?" Rins voice sounded. Too late, Haru turned around to face Rin, who was walking towards him.
"Rin" Haru stated, trying to look like he was busy.
"What are you doing here? Gou said you guys were down by the beach" His face went from surprised to angry in a matter of seconds.
"I couldn't sleep. Went for a walk" Haru was getting nervous. Rin had always been able to see through his lies and although Rin have changed, he doubted that he had changed that much.
"You're the one right?" he shouted, face radiating anger.
"The on what?" Haru asked confused, trying to have a neutral face.
"The one who's been watching. I've felt it. It's you isn't it?" Rin moved closer to Haru. Eyes shooting daggers.
So Rin had noticed. That's what all the looking around had meant, but he still hadn't seen Haru.
Haru was about to answer when Rin continued "It's some creepy thing, where you watch the water, right? You're so weird Nanase. Are you getting off by watching the water?" Rin was mocking him now.
Haru was too stunned to answer. Rin Tsk'ed and started to walk away.
Haru watched Rins back as he walked away and decided that this would be the end of their rivalry. He ran up to Rin and made him stop by placing himself in front of him and putting one hand on his chest.
Rin looked down on the hand on his chest and up on the face right in front of him. He grabbed Harus arm, by the wrist and removed it from him, beginning to walk passed him. But Haru just took a step to the side, so Rin couldn't get away.
"You're wrong" Haru said quietly, voice just trembling a little. Rin looked surprised, bet he wasn't used to get told he was wrong.
"It's not the water. It's you" Haru looked at Rins face, to see the reaction.
His face showed a brief moment of surprise and disbelief, until he got his face under control and showed a frowning face full of mockery.
"Oh, so you get off by watching me?" He laughed out loud "I would never have thought of you like that Haru-Chan"
He added Haru-Chan to add injury to the insult. He knew that Haru hated the annoying nickname Nagisa had given him back when they were kids. He decided that, it wasn't worth being bothered about right now.
"No, Rin. That's not it. Yes I've been watching you, but only because you looked like the old you. The one I knew from when we were kids. You were smiling." Haru took a deep breath.
"It was nice." They were standing close.
Rin frowned even more than before. "Don't you ever say that again! I'm not like I was back then. I'm stronger and I will beat you!" Without knowing it, Rin had moved himself even closer to Haru, they stood so close, their feet touched.
"Rin, I don't care about that. I just want to swim with you again. Be your friend. I'm sorry that I hurt you"
Haru didn't move, he looked Rin in the eye. Let him know how he felt.
Rin startled Haru by leaning closer and kissing him, softly on the lips. When Rin broke the kiss, he was scarlet red in the face.
Haru lifted his fingers to the lips as to see if they were still there.
"Why?" He asked silently. He couldn't fathom what and why that had happened.
"Because I wanted to, because you were cute and because you needed to shut the fuck up"
They stood in awkward silence for a while.
"Rin. Do you like me?" Haru finally broke to silence. They hadn't moved, so they still were very close.
They looked at each other, both blushing.
"No. I Just wanted you to stop talking" He looked away.
The thing with Rin and Haru was, that Rin could always tell when Haru lied. But Haru could also tell whenever Rin didn't tell the truth or was hiding something and that was exactly what he did now.
"Do you hate me?" Haru looked down on his feet, don't wanting to hear the answer.
Silence.
More silence.
"No." was the mumbled answer from Rin.
"Then why?"
"I want to hate you, Haru. I want to hate you so much. You're perfect, everybody loves you. You don't even have to try. I want to hate you, because you're everything that I want to be. But I don't. Okay? I don't hate you" There was anger in his voice and embarrassment for saying that.
"I don't hate you either" Haru moved closer and took both Rins hands in his. Rin tried to break free of the grip, but his heart wasn't with his action and he gave up and let their hands weave together.
They would probably never admit anything more than that.
This time it was Haru who leaned in for the kiss.
They were still holding hands and the kiss was nice. Haru had never been kissed so carefully before.
Rin removed his hands from Harus and placed it on his neck, pulling him closer.
Haru shivered, he was still only wearing his shorts. He didn't want to make unnecessary noise, which could have woken up Nagisa, so he had gone without his shirt.
Rin led his hand down to Harus bare chest and gently pushed him away.
"Come again tomorrow?" Rin whispered in Harus ear, just before leaving.