Title: A Simple Dream Is Good Too
(Fic Series): A Life Worth Living
Fandom: Free!
Pairings: Sousuke/Rin
Rating: T
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Post-Free! Eternal Summer Fic
Fifteen days was a long time to be alone, and Rin was wondering if he hadn't been spoiled by Sousuke's constant presence over the years.
A/N:
This is more or less what I've been working up to since the start, Sousuke finding a new dream. Mentions of characters from Adjusting but you don't really need to read it or know them for it to make sense. It's just a plus if you do. Thank you for reading! If you notice any glaring mistakes please let me know!
You can find this work on both tumblr and ao3
A Simple Dream is Good Too
Fifteen days was a long time to be alone, and Rin was wondering if he hadn't been spoiled by Sousuke's constant presence over the years. Even the five day trips Sousuke had started taking had felt like an eternity to him when he was staying home. He could only imagine what Sousuke felt like when he had to go out of Sydney for an event or training.
The first ten days weren't unbearable as Gou and his mom had flown themselves out there to visit him, but the last five days were brutal. Sousuke could only talk when he was in a Wi-Fi zone which was increasingly hard to find during the Indo-China tour he, Nurul and Amber had gone on. He only got to talk to him when he had landed and a few times during his first week. He got an email when day twelve hit and a huge written apology for not having any hotels with Wi-Fi.
He wished he could have convinced them to go on a reliable tour instead of the free style one they had chosen. One that guaranteed safe lodging, and more importantly Wi-Fi. Still, if there was one thing he and Sousuke had learned about the little traveling group, it was that they tried to get the realist experience possible. They never went to resorts or commercial hotels, and had an almost unyielding rule of giving back to the community. Rin agreed that it sounded a better way to be, but that didn't change the fact that it worried him.
Nurul's mother was Malaysian and thus Nurul had grown up in a bilingual house so she promised Rin she'd be able to get them through it without much trouble. He had been especially nervous since Sousuke, although pretty good after the past two and half years of immersion with the language, was still new to English. Not only that, but he never had a good sense of direction, even if it had been improving.
Really he just missed him.
He wanted to meet Sousuke at the airport but the idiot forgot to tell him when he was flying in, and had also failed to write it down anywhere. Rin had checked. He wrote Sousuke about it but he never got an answer so that meant he was unable to respond. He knew that if Sousuke could check his mail he would, Sousuke never left him hanging.
If he had known that he wouldn't be able to contact Sousuke he would have argued that buying the expensive international phone plan would have been worth it. Instead he had allowed Sousuke to go with his phone on airplane mode for the entirety of his trip, which was how Amber and Nurul preferred to travel anyways since it saved money.
He didn't even know what day he was landing; it was a tossup between two days. All yesterday whenever he had to leave the apartment he'd make sure to leave a post-it note just in case Sousuke came home while he was out. He made sure to burn the evidence after he realized how embarrassing he was acting. Sousuke could just call him once he was back in Australia.
And Sousuke did call him, after he was already in the taxi on his way home. He was so relieved just to hear from him he didn't even chew him out for not letting him pick him up at the airport. So now he was waiting, with as much patience as he could muster, on the couch for Sousuke to return after his fifteen day long absence.
Time had never moved slower for Rin in his life. Well, that wasn't true. The ride to the hospital after Sousuke's surgery was the longest, most agonizing hours of his life. Waiting for Sousuke to come home from a trip was a cake walk compared to that day.
As soon as he heard the door click open he bolted to the entranced and tackled the body before it had even finished opening up the door. Sousuke grunted in surprise before he started laughing, and Rin just dug his face into his windbreaker and squeezed him tighter. If the idiot thought it was funny then that was a small price to pay to hold onto him after so long.
"Miss me that much?" Sousuke chuckled as he wobbled them back into the apartment, trying to maneuver his travel bag out of the way as he closed the door. Rin said nothing but released Sousuke so he could take off the huge backpack and gave him a peck before stepping out of the way. Sousuke grinned like an idiot as he took off his shoes and tossed Rin his backpack, sliding off his jacket and following him over to the couch.
"I did," Rin answered belatedly, looking down at the backpack in his arms. "Miss you, I mean."
"I missed you too," Sousuke whispered as he stole another kiss. He pulled the bag out of his hands and tossed it on the floor. "I was going to show you your souvenirs first, but kissing you is a much better idea."
Rin finally smiled, pulling Sousuke in for another kiss before veering off course, landing it on his cheek. "You got me something?" He murmured as he kissed down his cheek and followed his jaw. Sousuke had a bad spending streak; whenever he went out he'd always get souvenirs for Rin and forget about buying himself something as a reminder of where he went. Sousuke just hummed before biting Rin's forehead, which was the only thing in his direct line of fire.
"What was that for!?" Rin spluttered pulling back. Sousuke just laughed and pushed forward until they were both leaning against the couch's arm. "You're ridiculous when you come back from trips, you know that?"
"Mhm, it's because I missed you too much," Sousuke replied as he bit at Rin's nose and the softness of his cheek.
"If you missed me than stop biting me and start kissing," Rin started before lips stopped him. He let out a pleasant hum and hugged him close, squeezing him as tight as he could. "Missed you," he repeated, whispering his affections for Sousuke between soft kisses, over and over again.
"Next time come with me," Sousuke blurted out as he was washed with sweet words of love. "We saw so many amazing things, but I want you to see them too."
"I have to swim," Rin breathed, aware that living and working towards his dream sounded like such a burden in that moment, even to his own ears.
His heart was fluttering from Sousuke's words and he could hear his own pulse beating erratically. He always felt like an idiot whenever Sousuke asked something from him, asked him to be there with him. It was like some weird affirmation that Sousuke loved him, even though the tall idiot made it obvious at all times. Sousuke seemed to be unaware of Rin's inner distress and just continued to kiss his eyelids. He worked down his face systematically, kissing his cheek bone and the center of the soft flesh and then his jaw.
"When you're not busy then. Even if it's for a little," Sousuke whispered, "come with me somewhere. Let's go somewhere."
Rin and Sousuke slowed down, all clinging and light kisses, and warmth. Rin felt so warm in his chest and his face. He only felt this whole body warmth when Sousuke was being extra sweet, extra loving. When Sousuke promised him things without even knowing it, settled doubts without even knowing they were there. His whole body felt warm and fuzzy, and full. Even though he'd never say it out loud, Sousuke filled Rin's heart up with a happiness that was nearly tangible.
"When I'm free," Rin promised and pushed Sousuke away while still holding his face close. Sousuke had a thoughtful look in his eyes before he kissed Rin's forehead and pulled back up so he was using his palms to keep him up.
"Rin, I know it's not much, and I won't be able to support us, and I won't be someone you could really be proud of introducing or anything, but could I," Sousuke rambled on, keeping his gaze fixed on Rin's shirt collar, "would it be alright if I just keep traveling? Not always, just sometimes. I wouldn't be able to get a permanent job though, and there would be times when I won't be around much. But I'll definitely make sure to be able to contact you more, way more than this time, even if I have to get an international plan. If it's alright with you, could I continue like this?"
Rin stared at Sousuke with wide eyes and felt like he had somehow traveled back in time. The last time he had seen Sousuke ramble on like that, so unsure of himself, he was eight years old. They had been messing around on the playground when he stopped to ask Rin if he'd be okay with him going away to a summer camp that was only a week long. He wasn't sure if he was amused that an eight year old Sousuke and a twenty-one year old Sousuke felt that those two things somehow meant he had to ask for Rin's permission or not. It was an eye opener though. It showed him just how much he meant to Sousuke, how much he considered his feelings when making decisions.
It was probably the fact that Rin was graduating college this year that brought it up. He's sure Sousuke had this in his head for quite a bit longer than just over the last trip. He had always known, and it was a bit scary, but when he saw how happy Sousuke was doing it he didn't feel as worried. The way he'd keep asking Rin to go places with him, promise to take him places after college, and force him to go on day or weekend trips together were all proof that it was a good change. Rin wasn't even sure if Sousuke knew that he had already found a new dream.
This was his new dream.
"If it's what you want to do then you should," Rin said with a smile, reaching up to brush back Sousuke's short hair. "Sousuke, if you're happy like this, even if it's only temporary it's good. If you're seriously happy with the way it is, then just keep going."
"I am serious," Sousuke assured. "I'd spend the rest of my life working shitty part-time jobs if I could do this, alone or with friends. I want to go with you, but you'll be busy and that's okay. We can go when you're not busy, and even then we can go after you retire. We could go visit all the places I want to take you."
Rin's face lit up at the sound of that and a grin split his face. He rubbed Sousuke's hair harshly before pushing him up and sitting up with him. He wrapped his arms around him and broke down into fits of laughter.
"As if I could say no to any of that," he mumbled into his shirt when he calmed down.
"I just thought you might be happier if I had a dream that had a more stable future," he confessed.
"Sousuke it's a perfect dream. You don't have to try to force yourself into a steady job, I was going to be the breadwinner anyways," Rin joked, kissing his shoulder before pulling back and looking at Sousuke. It was like looking at a kid in a candy shop who was just told it was okay to pick out as much as they wanted. Excited, but still nervous that it was some kind of trick, like it was a lie. "With all the traveling you've been doing you better take me on a wicked honeymoon though."
Sousuke smile was so bright and so free Rin felt his face ache at the very sight of it.
"Of course I will."