It was one year later, to be exact.
The tournament was being held on the same day as the previous year, and just like the year beforehand, the Iwatobi Swim Club was brimming with excitement - everyone was more than ready to swim in the medley relay together to show off the teamwork that they had missed out on demonstrating last year. Especially Rei, who was more than a little convinced that he would overtake Rin and that Iwatobi would be the reigning winners who would make it to nationals later on.
No one could blame him for being so confident - he had worked hard in the past months and had improved vastly to the point where even Rin Matsuoka admitted to feeling a legitimate, growing threat in the way Rei swam. And besides, Rei had two years' worth of pent up enthusiasm for the event he had passed up the last time.
The five of them were still sorting out the consequences of Rei's choice, Rin and Haru most of all.
Despite the wholly better outlook on their repairing relationship after they had all swum in the medley race, several years of emotional trauma couldn't and wouldn't fix itself over night, as Haruka would come to learn through the various ups and downs of spending his time with Rin. Even though there were moments when the sunny, happy Rin shone through the rest of his broken personality - those were the memories that Haru enjoyed recalling the most - there were almost some where there was fierce yelling exchanged and furious, bitter tears - and Haru would remember these, as well, as they were a part of Rin he had long learned to accept. He would not just take Rin in his happiest of days - he would be there through thick and thin with him like he so desperately deserved, through the things that made Rin, Rin, and the boy in question had never been so grateful for another human being in his life.
Haruka accepted him for his glaring faults and would not leave him, would only help him try to overcome them as he relearned to be the person that others deserved to have in their lives. And even if he couldn't fully make that change, he knew that he would no longer be left behind or alone like he had been in Australia.
A year later, they stood there under that tree outside of the stadium, where Haru had written those specific words and where he found Rin. Where tears had been shed and frustrations vented. Where a resolution had been presented that had helped to reverse the entire situation - where they realized just how much they meant to each other.
There had never been a proper clarification between the two about how they felt. There was something there all right, both of them acknowledged this, but what it was exactly was still yet to be determined. Even with all the hours that they had spent alone, without the possibility of any interruptions, still little progress beyond maybe a lingering touch or prolonged eye contact had been made.
And frankly, Rin was sick of it.
Maybe Haru was okay playing coy for years to come, but the Samezuka swimmer was certainly not. He had thought about it for days on end now and though he hated to admit it, it was starting to affect his swimming performance. And so he had decided that on that very day, he would confess so that his feelings stopped wreaking havoc with his mind in the early hours of the morning and so he may actually swim properly like he had promised both teams. But most of all, so that someone he cared so completely for truly knew the depth of how he felt - he knew clear as day how he felt and soon so would Haruka Nanase.
That is, if he could actually work up the nerve to get the words to tumble out of his mouth.
For someone who had been so confident in his plans just a few hours beforehand, now that he was standing there, alone, with the person of his affections, for the life of Rin, he couldn't say those few simple words. His breathing felt restricted, his chest was swelling and his head was swimming with the possibilities and he couldn't pinpoint a time he had felt so nervous as then.
How the hell did Mikoshiba ever get the undying courage to confess to Gou so many times when Rin could barely muster up the bravery to say it once? How he did it, he would never know.
Letting out a shaky sigh, he wiped his palm off on his pants for the umpteenth time and scolded himself mentally - he was acting like a middle-school shoujo manga protagonist for God's sakes! But try as he might, every time he opened his mouth, the rush of emotion hit him and the words caught dead in his throat before they could even leave his tongue. At this rate, his sister would come scolding after them and he would lose his chance altogether.
As he replaced his hand at his side, it nudged Haru's hand accidentally, and the other boy peered down at Rin's before gently gripping it, experimentally twining their fingers together. When Rin didn't resist, he took this as an okay to continue, and did so with a squeeze as he returned his gaze to the tree before them.
Though outwardly Rin was struggling to keep a picture of cool and collected serenity and doing a passable job of it, inwardly he was pretty sure he was going to emotionally check out completely. His heart was pounding ridiculously in his chest and blood was rushing deafeningly in his ears, all of which he was positive was filtering into his reddening cheeks. Haru had made a move and Rin knew it was his turn to make one, too, but he was too focused on it being the perfect moment that he was losing all time he had to do it and oh, God, he was freaking out, how was he supposed to do this-
"Rin, we're going to have to go soon."
Haru's voice echoed past the racket in his ears and suddenly Rin's mind seemed to clear. He needed to do this now, regardless of how he felt the other boy might react or how utterly unprepared he felt he was, or he would never live it down.
Taking Rin's silence as a confirmation to his words, Haru began to turn slightly and tugged Rin with him. He was only stopped by Rin's uttering of his name.
"H… Haru?"
He stopped and blinked at Rin, turning around to face him again. "Mm?"
At the noise of acknowledgement leaving Haruka's mouth, Rin inhaled deeply and forced himself to look up and at Haru head on, his cheeks burning. He stared and composed himself for a few more seconds, heart thumping furiously, before taking a short step closer to him and finally letting the single phrase leave his lips.
"I love you, Haru."
Warmth flooded through Haruka at the confession - a mix of surprise and reciprocation filled his suddenly aching chest. A part of him knew, with all certainty, that Rin was in love with him, but another felt so indescribably euphoric, so relieved to actually hear the words from the boy. Haru had not imagined, not exaggerated the times he had spent and shared with Rin - no.
He loved him. He felt it, too. And he didn't have to stay quiet anymore now that he knew.
Rin felt a surge of relief shoot through his system, allowing him to relax for the first time since they had arrived at the stadium, but immediately he felt like he was about to buckle over when he heard Haru's voice a few moments later.
"I love you, too, Rin."
His head flew up to peer at Haru, whose face held the most genuine expression Rin had ever seen grace his features. Cheeks flushed, eyes soft, and mouth upturned in a smile that Rin wanted no one else to see but himself - one he wanted to see for the rest of his days if he could do so. Everything that Rin had been feeling crashed down upon him then, and he swore he felt his lip tremble and his eyes tear up to the most minute degree before a grin stretched across his face and he enveloped Haru, whispering over and over again how he felt.
Haru laughed, easily and comfortably resting his head on the other's shoulder as he returned the embrace. As Rin came down from the emotional wave he was riding, he quieted but still held tight to Haru, not caring about how Mikoshiba or Gou would scold him for being late. He wanted to suspend that moment for as long as he could.
When Haru began to pull away, he simply pulled him closer, which earned another chuckle from Haru who reluctantly pried them apart. However, instead of getting told they should hurry up and go, Rin found Haru staring at him. Rin's eyes fell to the other's lips, and he wondered if he was considering the same thing. He was proved both surprised and correct when gently, Haru leaned up and closed the gap between them, and though Rin's mind was racing at the contact, he found he could pay little attention to his thoughts when he was being kissed so sweetly. It was an easy, easy thing for him to reciprocate the action and forget about the impending tournament altogether, if just for a moment.
When they did separate - albeit with much difficulty - and ventured into the building as they should have long beforehand, they smiled at each other and knew, just knew that for all they had to go through to get to that point, all the distance and heartbreak… that all of it was worth it for them to be together like they were.