Notes & Disclaimer: this is a sequel to "Would you marry me?" which was submitted to RinHaru Week 2017 Day 7 (Prompt Eternal). Please note that Momoko Mikoshiba is my OC designed especially for this fic (though I might mention her at some point again, because I really liked her).
And well, Free! doesn't belong to me, unfortunately. RinHaru would be canon if it did. All credits go to its authors, then.
A place to call home
Rin Matsuoka was struggling to knot a damn tie. His hands were trembling, it seemed, so he just couldn't get that right. He sighs, his eyes meeting a grumpy red-haired guy on the mirror. That was the day of his wedding and well, he'd be late if that freaking tie didn't get knotted like right away. How come a man like him, who faced tough, sometimes dangerous situations on a daily basis was defeated by something as simple as knotting a tie? Well, his police uniform didn't include that annoying accessory, so that was probably why he was failing.
He turns around, looking for Haru. Then he reminds that he probably won't see him before the ceremony because, well, everyone was getting in his hair with that "the groom mustn't see the bride before she's by the altar" thing. Except that there was no bride in this wedding and they weren't getting married like straight couples would, so that kind of rule shouldn't apply.
Sighing once more, he tries to get his hands steady so that he can attempt to set that damn accessory straight once and for all. Just then, a cheerful woman with red hair like his barges into the room.
"Brother, you're gonna be late!" She looks at him and her mouth falls open. "Oh my god, don't tell me you still haven't finished that!"
The way she says so, as though knotting that tie was easy slightly pisses him off. But he hasn't seen his sister for a while, thus he's happy she, her husband and, of course, their little ray of sunshine have made it to the ceremony. They lived in Kyoto, so they didn't really get to see each other much. Distance didn't change the fact that Gou Matsuoka had supported her brother's relationship with Haruka from the very beginning, so it was nice to have her around for that occasion especially.
She gets closer to him and, as if by magic, makes sure the bow tie is properly placed around his neck, and knotted.
"You need to be a proper groom to Haruka-senpai," she says, tiptoeing to pat his hair down.
He scowls. "Oi, he's gonna be your brother-in-law sort of officially, you might as well start calling him Haru, you know."
"It's hard to do! He was my senpai back in high school after all," she pouts.
Rin throws a last glance to the guy in the mirror and says, "Alright, I'm ready. We're going on Mikoshiba's car, right?"
"Unless you want to drive a patrol car on your wedding day, yes, we're going on Seijuurou-san's car. He and Momoko are already waiting for us outside."
The groom smiles at the mention of his niece, and follows his sister as she makes her way out of the room.
Rin was on a short break from work, which he managed to get only two months after Haru's heart melting proposal, on their tenth anniversary. Only a few people from the force knew about his relationship with Haru, so they were keeping that a secret. Haruka owned a seafood restaurant, and a renowned one to be specific, so he also had to keep his private life as private as possible. Closer friends and some employees knew about it and covered for them, so this small circle of people who supported them was joining them for that festive occasion.
He and his sister leave his apartment, which is by now quite empty, although some cardboard boxes are still scattered across the floor. He and Haru are finally moving in to their new apartment – their home – the following day, so most of his own stuff has already been transported to that place.
It feels amazing to realize that in a few hours they won't be living apart anymore.
Haruka Nanase has lost count of how many shots of him his friend and best man Nagisa has taken so far. They're by a beach house, where his wedding ceremony is taking place. It's a small building in a reserved part of the land, which totally fits what he and his fiancé decided would be best for their celebration. His sister-in-law has done an amazing job having the place decorated with white silk laces, cherry blossoms and blue hydrangeas. Luckily, it is cherry trees blooming season. It fits the occasion perfectly.
His face won't show, but he's anxious. It's not like they're legally marrying, but rather celebrating the fact that they will finally live under the same roof. They've exchanged engagement rings on their anniversary, a couple of months ago, and well, he did enjoy the idea of making this look like a real wedding. Rin likes romantic things, so Haruka is more than pleased to provide him with some. Time had taught him that his fiancé's happiness had a positive impact on himself. Maybe he had learned to like a bit of romance, too.
"I wonder if Rin-chan will wear a dress," Nagisa comments as he now takes pictures of the place. "That was the deal, right?"
Rei, who is sitting down on a chair near the wedding arch, adjusts his glasses and says, "I don't think Rin will ever do something as shameful as that."
"He wore that maid dress for the school's annual festival, remember? What's the difference?"
Haru laughs as his friends discuss that and bring back such amusing memories. He also doubts Rin is going to show up in a bride's dress. When they were young, they had once raced – a challenge Rin himself had proposed – and the bet had been that the loser would wear a bride's dress at their wedding. Back then, the two of them probably didn't actually believe that would ever happen between them. But now, since they were to make that sure that long-term bond got stronger than ever, Haru has made sure he is neatly dressed up for his potential red-haired bride. He's wearing a dark blue tuxedo, over a white shirt and a light blue ascot tie with diagonal white lines adorning it. The choice of clothes has been perfect, for they make his charming blue eyes look like they are shining even brighter today, which they probably are.
"Well, if he doesn't wear it for the ceremony, you can always have him wear it on your honeymoon," the blond photographer points out, and giggles.
More guests arrive at this very moment, and Nagisa is left without any comments from Haru. Not long after that, a black Toyota parks by the house's entrance. The space they've organized for the event is on an open area behind the house, near a big irregular-shaped pool. The guests are sitting down around small, rounded tables that are set on both sides of a narrow corridor which leads to the wooden, bloomed arch where both grooms are supposed to stand before.
Momoko dashes into the backyard, her long red hair, tied in a graceful ponytail, waving as she reaches Haru and throws her arms around his waist. "Uncle Haru!", she greets cheerfully and asks, "May I step close to the arch already?"
He nods, completely surprised by the sudden arrival. The guests smile and chuckle, warmed by that sight.
Gou enters the place right after and waves to Haru, calling him over. Everyone is suddenly curious. Is that part of the plan? Was there a problem? Haru is worried as well, as he finds himself facing a serious redhead woman. Has Rin given up, by any chance? He hasn't said anything that suggested he didn't want it. What if he had freaked out about the whole living together idea?
Haru walks hesitantly towards the youngest Matsuoka. "What is it, Gou?" He whispers.
She opens a smile and announces to both Haru and the guests, "I'm overjoyed to be here today. It's time my big brother became a married man, and he and Haruka-senpai deserve all the happiness in the world."
Haru notices that someone is approaching the large sliding doors door that separate the house's living room from the backyard. His heart pounds hard against his rib cage.
"Well, that being said, I just want to apologize for the fact that my brother didn't fulfill his part on their childhood agreement, so there will be no bride here today," she grins just as Nagisa yammers from across the yard. "Which is why I guess both the grooms should walk all the way up to the altar together, right?"
The doors are slided open, then, and Seijuurou Mikoshiba walks past them, taking his wife by the hand. He grins at Haruka and pats him on the shoulder. "You may now meet your husband," he says.
A deep silence takes the place over as Rin steps outside and faces Haru. Although he's not in a bride's dress, he's wearing white, which also highlights the color of his eyes as well as his hair. The damn bow tie he struggled so hard against is red and somehow matches the light grey shirt he has on.
As they acknowledge each other, the both of them seem to have forgotten everyone else; their stares linger on one another. Then, Haru stretches his arm out and Rin accepts the hand that is being offered to him.
They take the first step towards the wedding arch, and a piano melody starts playing, filling the air with musical notes. Haru can feel Rin's palms are sweating. He smiles to himself just as the white-dressed groom asks through gritted teeth, "Should we march or something?"
Rin is also smiling, but it's an embarassed-to-death kind of smile.
"I guess we can just walk," Haru mumbles back and holds his hand tighter.
Damn Haru, he makes Rin feel as though he's really the bride in this wedding.
They receive fond glances from their friends and family as they walk past them and reach the arch. A brunette is standing there and smiles kindly at them. Miho Amakata, their former homeroom teacher – who had turned out to be a counselor and someone who supported their forbidden relationship from the start – had been invited by Haruka to perform the ceremony. To both their delight, she had accepted the invitation.
She cleans her throat and starts, "We're all gathered here today to celebrate Nanase-san and Matsuoka-san's union. They've been together for a long while, and I'm sure more often than not they were questioned, and even questioned themselves about whether this was the right path to take. However, there's a saying that goes 'All you need is love...'"
They can barely hear as Nagisa, sitting beside Rei on one of the first row of tables and seats, whispers to his boyfriend, "Isn't that a song?"
"...and that definitely apply to these young men," Amakata-sensei continues, receiving nods from the invitees.
Haru and Rin exchange a quick glance. Their hearts are filled with the same kind of love and happiness, and it seems to flow and overtake them, rushing through their bodies, going from one to the other by the mere touch of their entangled hands.
Amakata goes on, narrating the legend of the red string of fate, which she relates to their relationship. "People bonded by that thin line, invisible to human's eyes, will always find their way back to each other. Still, we now pray you won't ever need to drift apart from each other, but instead, have that string keep you close and surrounded by love."
Her soothing voice touches the hearts of every listener. Rin's eyes are shining with tears he is trying hard not to shed, and Haru is smiling; a brand-new sense of peace irradiating from within. The woman in front of them pauses, then gives a warm smile before she continues, "I have a special request from the grooms not to make this too long, so... I guess you can make your vows now?"
They turn to each other and what they see in one another's eyes takes their breath away.
Rin realizes his heart is now racing. He's curious to now what Haru will say, if he's going to say anything at all. He knows the raven-haired man he chose to spend his life with might stick to the traditional, not so meaningful words, or may just let his bright eyes say everything he means. Instead, Rin wishes he will say something, picking up his own words. At least, that's what he intends to do himself.
His niece, Momoko, seems to have understood quite accurately the instructions given to her, as she has now discreetly stepped close to them, holding a wooden basket decorated with flowers, inside of which lies a small white cushion with two golden rings over it.
"Rin," Haru starts and holds his gaze. "You're like water to me."
Everyone who knows Haru enough to understand he's not exaggerating smile. They couldn't have expected him to utter such words, but as he has, they realize that was to be expected. Just as Rin, the silent guests wait for the chef to elaborate. He probably wouldn't, however, his fiancé anxious look makes him try.
"You're… essential," the words slip out of his mouth a little uneasy. "You're something I can't live without."
The white-dressed groom smiles and blushes heavily.
"And I love you."
Cheerful clapping cuts through the piano notes. Rin is happy, because that muffles the gasp that escapes from his throat. He's not sure his voice will come out when it's his turn to pledge.
Haru picks one of the rings from the basket Momoko is carrying. "Therefore, I promise to love you, and cherish you and make sure you learn to love mackerel till death do us part."
"Don't count on that! I'll have you learn to eat meat instead!" Rin replies and laughs, at the same time he receives the ring from his beloved one.
Being recomposed by Haru's unique vows, Rin takes the blue-eyed man's hand into his own before he starts. He looks around, registering the faces of the people who are there for them.
"When I met this guy," he tells. "He was an airhead who cared about nothing but water and mackerel. Well, yeah, that hasn't changed much, as you can tell. But I'm happy to say I managed to make him care about me too. We went from rivals to friends, then lovers… we split up countless times, and every time that happened, I would realize Haru was the home I wanted to go back to."
He wavers as the grip on his hand feels tighter. Haru is staring at him with something in his eyes that says no one but the two of them will ever understand how that feels. As though that love that binds them together is an intimate and rare feeling no one will ever experience. His look says he gets what Rin means better than anyone. That they've got a world of their own.
"And now..." his voice fails a bit. "He's- you're gonna be my home, forever."
When he picks up the remaining ring from the basket, he realizes his hand is shaking.
"So, Haru," he slips the jewelry up Haruka's left ring finger. "I promise to love you, protect you and take you to the sea whenever you feel like swimming, and make sure you've locked every door when I'm not at home… till death do us part."
They exchange smiles and feel the touch of the ornament they are already used to wearing on their fingers, an ornament that now has a different kind of feel.
Miho, who seems to have become invisible, chips in with hesitation, "So, you may now... Uh, kiss each other?"
To hers and everyone's surprise, Haruka answers, "Wait, not yet."
Mouths drop open as the dark-haired groom starts unfastening the buttons of his tuxedo and releasing his neck from the hold of the tie. Pieces of clothes are suddenly thrown to the floor.
"What in the world is going on?" One of Rin's coworkers ask, expressing his surprise as well as that of every silent witness there.
Gou Matsuoka is barely unable to hold her giggles as her brother starts stripping as well. Nagisa whistles, to his boyfriend utter embarrassment.
When the newlyweds finally get to release themselves from their trousers, they are faced with complete relief by their guests. Under the fashion garments they're wearing swimming suits.
They grin at each other, their stares filled with excitement.
"So, are you ready?" Rin asks his husband.
Haru nods and pulls Rin by the hand. They walk all the way to the pool beside them and jump into the cold water. As they emerge, Haru asks, "Amakata-sensei, could you please repeat that?"
The teacher has been just as stunned as everybody, so it takes a fraction of second for her to understand what Haruka means.
"Oh, of course!" She stutters. "You may now kiss each other."
Haru plants a kiss on the corner of Rin's lips. They chuckle as they notice Momoko has dropped the basket and is covering her eyes with her hands, even though she has left a breach between her fingers so that she can spy through it.
More clapping follows and before they know, some of their guests are joining them in the pool, either by their own resolve or because they are being thrown by friends.
Their wedding party is a celebration that will be recalled by them and their guests for years to come.
Later that night, as the just married couple lie down in bed – they are spending the night at the beach house, and will only head to their new place the morning after – they talk about the party, as well as about their plans to the future, and about unimportant things.
Rin is the one doing most of the talk, as usual, and Haru is gleefully listening to him. When they are about to pass out from exhaustion, though, he's the one to comment, with a yawn, "I can't wait for us to be home."
"Really? I mean, this place is cozy and beautiful. And near the beach no less!"
"Yeah. But it's not our place."
Rin snickers, teasingly. "Haru, who knew you would want to live with me so bad, huh?"
"Shut up."
"Don't be like that. I'm your husband now."
"I can always file for divorce," the straight-faced chef retorts.
Rin sighs and bends over the dark-haired man, observing his serious face with a lovesick one.
"But you know," he says, brushing Haru's bangs off his face. "I understand how you feel about being home. Sort of, I mean."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. It will feel good. But I am home already, Haru."
Rin kisses his soulmate's forehead.
"You're the place I call home, is all."