He really shouldn't fall asleep on the train.
Not when he's by himself.
It might send the wrong message to others.
So Haru, being Haru, decides to tell him. Among other things. Such as, texting is not calling.
Disclaimer: the phrases in the [] brackets belong to their rightful owners; not to me.
He steps aboard quickly, hyper aware of the crowd of people behind him. A chest is already being shoved against his back, and he nearly knocks his nose against the back of someone's head. God damn. He lifts his suitcase up with him, and flashes his card. The machine beeps in approval, and he walks down the aisle to find a seat. It's more spacious then it seems, he decides as he weaves around a guy, standing in front of a girl, chatting. He glances at their features, and thinks of Gou. The lady behind him steps up, and there's a beep again.
Moving to the back, up the steps, Rin sits down. He slips off the straps of his backpack, and places it between his feet. He lets his suitcase sit on the seat beside him, a sort of armrest between him and the window. He marvels at how much space the fat thing takes up, and puts in his earphones. He tries not to yawn, as he pulls out his phone, fingers sliding automatically to the button at the side. Nothing. He tries again, and holds it for five seconds. The screen stays blank. What. He tugs his earbuds out and curses under his breath, remembering going through his playlist at least six times while leaving the airport-correction, waiting to leave the airport, and the persistent vibrations in his pocket until they finally stopped. Crap, this stupid piece of plastic's dead.
Well, to be fair, it wasn't stupid, and nor was it 100% plastic. Shit, this is the sort of thing Rei would say, isn't it? with his usual "Rin-chan-san" following.
Stupid. Who the hell listens to their playlist replaying while waiting for the damn bus. Without checking their battery level.
If he blocks out the pitches of other people's voices, he can practically hear Sousuke saying "I told you, Rin. Several times. To always check your phone's battery. And every single shitty time you would laugh at me. The one time I don't tell you-" and then Haru's there too, on Sousuke's side for once, nodding with a poker face. Stop laughing at me, he wants to pull his hair and scream, It's MY damn phone that died. How the hell am I suppose to stay awake now?! The lull of the bus engine is already starting to make his heavy eyelids heavier as it pulls away from Narita Airport.
Wait a minute…Rin narrows his eyes. The word bus didn't sound right. In Sydney, he usually took buses because he was able to make several stops on the way to his destination. So why-?
"Rin," phantom Sousuke is back again, "I told you not to overwork yourself."
"I didn't overwork myself!" Perhaps it's the fatigue, or the uncharacteristically high-pitched squeak that came out, or maybe the sight of a red-haired adult baring shark teeth at thin air, and a few heads turn his direction. They turn away to tell a group of teenagers, blasting their music too loudly, to shut up.
Phantom Sousuke rolls their eyes, "You are having a person who's shitty at directions to tell you you're not in Australia right now. In fact, you are on the other side of the hemisphere."
Did you know, Rin-chan-san, for my honors thesis I discovered that taking a train in Japan is x times more efficient than-
Oh shit. Rin groaned, I flipping forgot how buses get stuck in traffic here. Why the hell did I get on the bus?
The ruby eyes were glazed over, its lids struggling to stay up. Rin had already lost count of his yawns five stops back, not including the ones they skipped. Or maybe it was six. Or seven. Or ten. Whatever, they were pretty close to five, anyways. Approximately.
Rin-chan-san, I learned today that we can only round numbers safetly when they are off by 0.1. Even then, it is advised not to.
Who taught you this?
I learned it from Nagisa. He showed me the consequences by reading his lab report out loud.
He rubs his temples with two fingers. He should've taken the Keisei trains. Or the JR trains. Anything. He's barely awake by the time the bus comes to a stop—FINALLY—at the train station.
Rin snaps to attention, and scrambles to get his pack. He adjusts the straps, and curses when his phone slips from his back pocket. He bends down, and picks it up, making sure to shove it deep into his pocket, his earphones getting tangled up in the process. The bus conveniently chooses to come to a halt at that moment, and the back of the seat in front of him rams into his stomach. God damn. He swings his suitcase a bit too violently as he goes down the steps, nearly tripping down the steps. He curses again, and follows the others outside, through the entrance of the station, and to the ticket booth. He only stops for a brief moment in the washroom to fix his disheveled locks.
The world is probably ending when Rin realizes he cannot find his platform. This must be some cruel joke, because he had gotten around in Japan without a problem just six months ago, when he had been visiting Haru. Haru, who he couldn't even text for the past eighteen hours because he had stupidly forgotten to charge his phone before he boarded his flight.
"Rin."
"Hm?"
"Makoto says we're having a reunion."
"Oh yeah, he told me last night."
A pause, then, "Are you coming?"
He bursts out laughing, "Don't sound like a kicked puppy. Did you miss me that much?"
"Yes."
He smiles, feeling the bump of a circle underneath his nightshirt, "Me too, Haru."
"Are you, then?"
He laughs, "I'm not sure. I have to talk to Coach about it." But yeah, if I can.
"Call me if you do."
"Sure. Have you been practicing for the upcoming meet? You better be doing land work too, you hear me?"
"You're going to forget."
"I'll ask Coach tomorrow."
"Not that," there's a sigh at the end of the line, and the voice quietens, "You'll forget to call."
I might. "Worst-case scenario is me calling you when I'm in Japan. I'll call, Haru, I'll call before we see each other, okay?"
A quiet gasp, but too loud at the same time, "You'll come."
"Shit, Haru, I don't know. I'll try though, babe, and I'll call you. Worst-case scenario is-" Haru hums, and he laughs, "Love you."
"Me too. You'll-"
"Call? Yes."
He sighs, and rubs his eyes. Maybe there will miraculously be a socket on the train, after he finds the platform, and gets on the flipping train before it leaves, that is.
"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?"
YES, YES THERE IS. I need you to text my boyfriend and let me get some FLIPPING SLEEP. On a scale of 1-10, how helpful can you be?
"I'm looking for…platform 10, but I can't find—" Rin follows the conductor's gaze upwards, to the big sign above his head printed in bold "10". Oh. Well thank flipping God. "Uh, sorry. Thanks."
Right on time, since the light blue train comes rumbling in. Rin tries to give a smile to the conductor, but it feels strained on his tired face, and he steps into the suddenly formed crowd in front of the train doors. He tells his body to just flipping cooperate with him, to crash after he gets to his seat.
[I grew up
with sleepy on my eyes]
He rushes in, ripping out his ticket and looks for his seat. He checks the number one more time, before stuffing the ticket in his front pocket, and collapsing onto the chair. He pushes his suitcase underneath the chair, and lets his backpack rest on his lap. He leans back on the headrest and closes his eyes, determining to get as much shut-eye as he could.
The doors close with a ping, and the steady rumble of the train starts.
Last stop: Iwatobi.
He's got plenty of time.
The rubber sole of his boot meets the floor gracefully, harmonizing with air resistance and the different particles the floor consisted of, making a nearly inaudible thump upon impact. He swings his shoulder bag instinctively, body doing a 90 degree pivot on the spot. He tosses his bangs out of his face, eyes still closed, as the light above the door flashes. Ping. The train door closes, and he frowns, I need to cut down our transition time.
Rin would laugh if he heard him actually caring about times. He cared now for swimming, knowing he had to get a certain digit if he wants to stay in. His care for his swimming times, however, only went so far before he stops all together and just floats, embracing the water.
However, it is his bath time that gets compromised if he enters the train a few seconds too early.
Haru walks through the compartments, ignoring the shocked faces of people who had seen him come flying in, making it by a split second.
Big deal. I do this all the time. With a bag heavier than this, filled with canvases.
This was true, for, during his first two years at Tokyo, his time spent in the bathtub had increased. With Makoto having classes earlier than him, most of the time, there was no one there to pull him out. He could sit however long he wanted, and roast his mackerel in peace. Some mornings it would be too quiet after Makoto left, and lately the few hours in which they were free from both of their schedules were erased by a certain someone.
Despite the still-existent gap between them, Sousuke did drop by sometimes to check-up on him, "for Rin's sake." When Makoto left on his teaching exchange program in Switzerland, he hinted that it was the perfect opportunity for him to attempt to get along with his boyfriend. Haru had been reluctant at first, but he remembered the silent figure that hovered over Rin like an umbrella when he couldn't, and dropped-in for dinner. "For Makoto's sake, and your relationship," he had said. It had been a nice change of pace, with them alternating cooking days.
"You should teach Rin how to cook," he blurted out one day, after sinking his teeth into a piece of steak, spicy flavours hitting his tastebuds with a blast. "Now here's a proper meal," is what Rin would've said.
Sousuke's response had been a smirk, nothing more. He had looked up, eyebrows furrowed slightly, demanding for an explanation. He only grew more confused when the amused teal-eyed giant told him Rin knows how to cook. "But he always complains about mackerel. I can't seem to make anything he likes."
Sousuke had raised his eyebrows incredulously, "Are you shitting me, Nanase?"
He frowned.
"The only fish dishes he eats are yours, Haruka."
Oh.
It was only later, when he slips into the recreational pool five blocks away, that the nagging feeling shows itself, "Then, someday, I'd like to...taste something he makes."
Makoto eventually found out that 70% of his seminar classes in the semester consisted of him walking in fashionably late, with an additional 10% being him never showing up. It had taken lots of chiding, threats of telling Rin, and a long dinner filled with their orbs penetrating each other, until Makoto sighed and said, "Haru."
He looks at the kitchen tap. The last few droplets clinging to it fall, drip, drip. "Fine." Thus marked the commencement of the 121 days he spent perfecting his time spent in the bathtub, or any other body of water, with the arrival of the 8:10 train. It would be a lie to say he hadn't enjoyed the rush of adrenaline that filled his life as he struggled to synchronize with the train. It had to be that train, not the one before,
—"A waste of time," he had told Makoto—
Nor could it be the one behind,
—"You'll be late!" "Ten minutes." "Still." "Fine." "Okay, Haru?" "..." "Haru." "Okay, Makoto."—
It was almost like Rin had popped back in his life in the form of a train, and he was chasing after him. "I'll see you there," was their new exchange of goodbyes, after seeing Rin tear-up for the tenth time (Haru didn't tear up, water just got into his eye). Along the way, road work became easier, and his times improved drastically.
Haruka Nanase, apparently, had a secret training method that he refuses to talk about, in which physique is guaranteed to be boosted in a short period of time.
The train did not always come perfectly on time, so there were errors. It kept him on his toes, and shifted his daily routine around. The train operator's schedule, each time they switched the workers, changes, and he somehow picked up on each individual's morning routine as well. There was always something to show Rin, something to make him laugh.
Rin, of course, didn't know about his daily encounters with dangerous sliding doors.
Then there where days where Makoto left at the same time as him. Makoto nearly had a heart-attack the when he found out.
"Haru!?" Makoto's voice had risen several octaves, he noted, as he strolled leisurely down the aisle, looking for a seat. He only turns back when Makoto's stress-level doubles, What. "You could've been killed!" Makoto. No. "First Sousuke, and now you too?! What am I going to do with both of you?!" Don't lump me together with that guy. "How Rin handled having the two of you doing stupid stunts in his life 24/7?!" Makoto. "Maybe I need to Skype with him more often for therapy." Makoto. "Do you think Rin would be a good therapist, Haru?"
"Makoto," he sits down, making sure he has his friend's full attention, "I'll try to get on the train a bit earlier when you're here."
"What do you mean, when I'm here?! What about when I'm not here?" Makoto wailed.
He glanced at Makoto, and patted the seat next to him, "Maybe I should ask Sousuke for advice when you panic."
Makoto had turned red, and they didn't talk about that particular person for a while.
Later in the day, Sousuke told him bluntly that he didn't think Rin would appreciate it if he got squished and turned two-dimensional before their next race. Nor, Sousuke had added, before their marriage, whenever that will be. He also said Makoto once hinted Haru should be the best man at their marriage, because he was more responsible. Rin sometimes got a little too excited during celebrations.
Haru quickened his pace as the train rolled down the tracks, out of the station. He was heading back to Iwatobi, for a reunion Nagisa had told him about, two days ago. Which meant Rei would be there, whether he wanted to or not. Haru didn't mind a reunion himself, it would be nice to see everyone again, and it would give him an excuse to get Rin to come back, Is Rin even coming? Nagisa and Rei were probably, if not already there, on their way there, or stuck in some place Nagisa thought would be an interesting pit stop, maybe. If he arrives first...
He's not going to arrive first.
Rather, he will arrive precisely on time, literally on the dot.
What dot?
Well, figuratively then.
What dot?
There is no dot?
What dot?
...
What dot? What dot? What dot?
STOP; BRAIN IS CURRENTLY MALFUNCTIONING.
Rin.
What.
Okay wait. What was he thinking about... Bingo. Makoto had to leave a few days later, saying something about getting a ride from Sousuke, which meant there had been no one there to get him out of the tub. Which meant he could get his daily dose of adrenaline rush from the train doors. Which meant he would also have to commute alone, with strangers. Hopefully whichever stranger that he sat beside won't talk to him.
Maybe he'll see Gou—Kou, she wouldn't miss out on this. If she's there...the Mikoshibas will probably be there. Somehow. They'll find out. Then Rin, with his protective brother instincts, despite his tear-shedding condition (which Haru still needed to fix, by the way), would be there.
Would. Hypothetically speaking.
Rin...
Well, hopefully Rin would be there.
He said he would call.
Would, also hypothetically speaking.
The cellphone in Haru's pocket had been peacefully resting there all day. If Rin was coming, he would've called, or at least texted. Actually, normally he wouldn't; a bad habit that had stayed ever since the first time he came back from Australia for the New Years. That hadn't gone well.
Occasionally, he would text. Not that Haru liked that. Nope.
Calling though, would be a nice upgrade, since they'd been dating for...how many months now?
Haru adjusted the strap, and pulled out his ticket.
Thank whichever Deity existed; he had the aisle seat.
Worst case senario number one: he thought about Rin too much and needs to go relieve himself by looking at water.
Worst case senario number two: he needs to go relieve himself and has to practically step over someone, then trip, then have to socialize with them, while giving them the poker face because 'You are not allowed to talk to strangers', is what my boyfriend said. Although that might be referring to the ONE time he approached the aquarium security guard and asked if they were allowed to swim, and got both of them kicked out.
My boyfriend. That sounds nice. He should call Rin that more often. But 'Rin' has a nice sound to it, a soft delicate roll of the tongue off the roof of his mouth, emphasizing the 'i' however he wanted. 'My' boyfriend.
Haru's mouth flips slightly downwards as he approaches B1-006B. Were people...staring at his seat? His grip on his ticket tightens, and his hand slips instinctively down the strap of his bag, and into the front pocket.
Blue eyes do a 180 degree scan, and some pairs of eyes look away sheepishly when they meet his eyes. His seat is no longer on display for most people. Good. Others keep looking.
...Well then.
Was there something peculiar going on? Haru pulls out his ticket, and checks the number. Once, twice, not three times. Only two times. Checking it a third time would be...Haru checks it a third time. Nope. No mistake. It was his seat. Why were people staring at it. People do not stare at seats.
The confusion is masked by his deadpan look, as he sets his bag on the floor, and sits down. Then he looks to his left, and freezes.
Oh.
His seat partner.
Haru blinks, momentarily blinded by the colour that has just dived back into his world after six months being overseas.
There's red.
Red.
The silky strands of hair, the very same he laced his finger around when they kissed, the adam's apple that bobed up and down when laughter streamed out. The same lips he had brushed his own over, when they said goodbye, were open slightly. The red locks fell over the person's face, but Haru knew, without a doubt, that the sleeping person was-
The train rolls into a station, and Haru quickly sits down, never tearing his gaze away.
Rin.
Rin.
His gaze drifts down to the gold chain around Rin's neck, and his fingers instantly clutch the similiar silver one around his own.
His Rin.
Then his eyes narrow as he feels eyes boring into his skull. Or rather, through it, at Rin's sleeping form. People were still staring.
Haru frowns, and looks at the perpetrators.
Rin is mine.
There was no effect, as they continued staring. Some more intently than others.
Rin was better at this stuff. So Haru tries again, trying to imitate the expression Rin makes.
Rin. Matsuoka Rin. This person. He is MY boyfriend. Stop staring at him like that.
Sadly, Haru's telepathy skills are limited to a certain person named Makoto Tachibana, who is sadly too far away in Tokyo to be able to translate this into words.
Blue eyes gaze at the peaceful look upon Rin's peaceful expression. Haru's focus drifted from the abscence of creases on Rin's eyebrows, to his lightly tanned nose, and his lips. He said he would call.
His eyes traced Rin's jawline, marking all the places he wanted to touch with his own hands, and back to the crimson lips.
Too far away. Were you even going to tell me you were coming? Being 7 inches away would not satisfy Haru's desire, not after being deprived for six months of any physical contact.
[I feel so untouched;
and I want
you so much...]
From his peripheral vision, Haru could see that others were still staring. This needs to stop. Now. Because Rin is his water-better than normal water because, while Haru needs to share most of his water with other people, it is Haru-and only Haru-who got to swim in Rin. Because 'my' boyfriend.
If Rei was here, he would be able to back Haruka up with some logic and statistics about how they shouldn't be staring like that. But he wasn't here.
Rin...what would Rin have done? Well, Haru wouldn't have been as idiotic to fall asleep on the train by himself, but, hypothetically speaking...well...
It isn't fair, Haru decided. Rin was better at this "Hands off my boyfriend" sort of thing.
"Rin."
No response.
"Rin." Haru takes hold of Rin's shoulder and shakes him gently, "Rin. Wake up." And do something about all of...this.
"...Nngh," Rin's eyelashes flutter, and his head turns, the side of his face brushing Haru's hand. His eyes stay close, and his breath starts to even out again.
"Rin. Wake up, Rin," Haru reaches over with his other hand and shakes Rin again, until Rin finally raises his head.
"What is it...Haru?" He's obviously sleep deprived, probably from the lack of sleep during his flight to Tokyo, from Sydney. His eyes are bleary, and his lips are pulled in a pout.
Cute. Haru's hand touching Rin's face instinctively cups around his cheek.
"..."
Can I just kiss him now.
Rin sighs, nuzzling into Haru's warmth, "...Is it our stop yet?"
Haru blinks, taking a moment to process Rin's words, "No."
"...Then let me sleep," Rin mutters, flexing his legs. His backpack falls between his feet, and he pushes away Haru's hands. He shifts his torso to face Haru, and latches onto Haru's arm.
Pushy.
"..." Rin lets out a content sigh, and buries his face into Haru's shoulder, "Goodnight."
Goodnight? He really must be sleep deprived...
A small smile appears on Haru's face, before he remembers why he was trying to wake up Rin in the first place.
"Wait, Rin-" do something about these people looking like they want to molest you. A light snore comes out of Rin's slightly open mouth, cutting off Haru's words. Haru slowly relaxes against Rin's warmth, marvelling on how quickly their two bodies melded together after being apart for so long. He notices, with a huff of satisfaction, that the on lookers have stopped staring at Rin. Finally.
[I'm feeling like, there is no better place than right by your side]
Blue eyes shimmer happily as they look at the sleeping redhead, 0 centimetres away. Perfect. Touching Haru. Perfect. Holding onto Haru. Perfect. Sleeping with an adorable expression that's partly hidden by the stray strands of hair that have fallen onto his face. Perfect. He tentatively runs his fingers through Rin's hair, and thinks that he wouldn't mind if the train ride lasted for an eternity.
Except.
Pool eyes drifted to the lips again.
Now he wanted to kiss him even more.
(^^^)
"-And Winnie really misses you. She got estatic when she smelled your scent on the shirt I was wearing," Rin laughes, "You should've seen her tail when she realized you weren't actually with me," Rin pauses, then turns to Haru, "Come visit me in Australia next time, Haru?"
Haru doesn't respond.
"Haru?" Rin stops in his tracks, and Haru continues walking down the sidewalk, apparently lost in thought. Rin tsks, before catching up with a few long strides, and grabbing his wrist, jerking him into a stop, "Oi!"
Haru starts, "What is it, Rin?"
Rin studies Haru's nonchalant expression, "What are you thinking about?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...GOD DAMN IT HARU! FORGET IT," Rin snarls. He turns and starts walking away briskly, his suitcase making loud Thump, Thump noises as it rocked over the cracks on the sidewalk.
"Wait, Rin-"
Rin keeps walking, faster this time.
"Rin,"
Faster.
"Rin,"
Walk faster.
Haru huffs. He knows Rin is frustrated and yes he was spacing out but come on, did he not get use to that and FLIPPING TURN AROUND RIN AND LISTEN WHEN I TELL YOU TO WAIT. His patience wears thin, and he runs up, slipping his hand into Rin's in one swift motion, "Rin, why didn't you tell me-"
"I was going to text you."
Pause, "You said you would call."
"Haru, it's the same goddamn thing!"
"No." I wanted to hear your voice.
"God, Haru, do you want me to call you right flipping now?! Because I can't, my shitty phone died, I went on the damn bus and it took forever, I wanted to tell you, but we're both here right flipping now so DOES IT EVEN MATTER?!" Rin wretches away his hand.
He's not sure what it is anymore, why his chest constricts painfully at that, why his mind flashes back to that time, when Rin first came back, when he's pushed away. It's not going to happen, I'm not letting it happen, "Then when are you going to tell me?!" Suddenly he feels like he's back on the train, the eyes are there, ready to pounce hungrily on his boyfriend, and if he had gotten there any later, Rin being helplessly asleep for goodness sakes, "You never call when it's important!" There's water, back in his eyes, and he wonders if it's a late reaction to seeing Rin after 6 months, or something more, "I could've met you at the airport, we could've spent more time with each other, why are you so stupid?!"
Rin has stopped, but the torrent of waves inside him continue to surge, "Rin—"
Warm, and slightly chapped lips close around him, cutting him off. It's suddenly warm, kind of hot, even, and Rin's suitcase fell to the ground as he felt Rin's arms wrap around his waist. They are both lost in their own world, as a brush against the abdomen says I missed you, and a tongue making its way inside the other's mouth says You better stay close to me during this short time period, and a breath of warm air says Don't stop. But eventually they break away, both equally flushed internally, gasping for breath.
"Rin," Haru catches his breath first, "Next time, don't fall asleep on the train by yourself. You'll send the wrong message."
"Hah?!"
"People will think you're single and want to molest you."
"HAH?! What kind of thing is that to say to me after our first kiss in six months?! What the hell, Haru-"
Before Rin can fully enter his angry mood, because they're both way too tired for this, Haru tilts his head up for a kiss. "Love you, Rin."
There's a pause, and then Rin's lips are on his, "Love you too, Haru."
This is what happens when I put ideas down in writing before I actually process it. Basically, the overall setting is Rin and Haru happening to board the same train back to Iwatobi.
I'm so happy, though! I finally wrote something for Free! And it's descent! (kind of)
Thanks for reading :D