Title: Post-Olympic High
(Fic Series): A Life Worth Living
Fandom: Free!
Pairings: Sousuke/Rin
Rating: T
Warnings: N/A
Summary: Post-Free! Eternal Summer Fic

Rin brings home a silver medal in his stroke and a gold medal in the relay, and can't even describe the feelings he's experiencing. Sousuke and Rin celebrate in a much slower, sweeter pace than one would expect.

A/N:

This one was really fun to write, but at the same time difficult because I didn't want to say any specifics as to which butterfly race he won, what Olympians have to/get to do afterwards, etc. Sorry for any inconsistencies.

If there are any glaring mistakes feel free to let me know so I can fix them! Thank you for reading and I hope everyone kind find some enjoyment out of this short piece. I always have a lot of fun writing about the sweeter sides of Rin and Sousuke's relationship.

You can find this work on both tumblr and ao3

Post-Olympic High

"I feel like I'm just going to float away," Rin whispered into the silence of the hotel room. Sousuke laughed and flopped down next to him on the bed.

"I feel like my jaw's going to break from smiling too much," Sousuke declared, grin right in the same place it had been since the big moment.

"Silver," Rin murmured.

"Yeah."

"And gold too."

"I was surprised about that one actually," Sousuke commented. "I mean I figured you'd do fine in your own event, but the relay was a surprise."

"A huge surprise!" Rin agreed.

His body was aching and he felt like he had drifted off into a dream. Two medals in his first Olympics. Sure he had been training and placing just fine for Australia after he was allowed to officially live and swim there, and it wasn't like he was eighteen any longer, but still. Twenty-three years of his life lead up to this moment and he wasn't even sure what to do with himself any longer. All words had been stolen from him.

Even Gou and his mother had flown out to see it too since it was only in Tokyo. It was a bit jarring to get beaten by Haru for third in the one freestyle, but he had placed silver in butterfly and that was big enough by itself. Big for Rin and big for Sousuke. It was Sousuke's stroke after all. Rin always felt a bit more passion for swimming it after he made the connection that by swimming it he could carry Sousuke to the Olympics, through their shared stroke. It was the stroke that Rin had taught him in first place.

Rin closed his eyes as he felt kisses land on his face and leaned into the hands that started massaging into his hair. He was so tired, so excited, and so loved. Seeing Sousuke, Gou and his mom in the stands was amazing. Seeing Haru, Makoto, Nagisa and Rei was also amazing. He missed them so much and was so happy to be able to see them a bit even during the busy schedule because of the games. It was already Haru's second Olympics and fifth medal, but even that couldn't stop Rin's good mood. He was finally there, and everyone he loved was too.

"Happy?" Sousuke questioned and Rin hummed in response, content to let Sousuke continue his massage as his hands traveled down his neck and to his shoulders. He rolled over onto his stomach so he could work on the back first and enjoyed the methodical rubs. He recognized the less leisure and more serious rubs from the regular ones and smiled at Sousuke's care. Sousuke had been extra cautious leading up to the event, and was still worried about Rin's shoulders even afterwards.

Pleased kisses trailed across Rin's back and he was almost annoyed that they'd have to stop in an hour before he had to meet up with the team for the celebration. He was still a part of a team and he had responsibilities and obligations to uphold. In reality he just wanted to spend the rest of the night without interruption, basking in the high of his wins and enjoying Sousuke's sweet presence. He'd have liked a leisure night, going out to dinner with him and the rest of his family instead.

"Sousuke," Rin called into his pillow before rolling back over and opening his arms wide. Sousuke slid into them, pressing smiles into Rin's hair and trailing his hands down his sides, continuing the massage as best he could as Rin squeezed onto him.

Rin dragged his hands up into Sousuke's hair and started threading his fingers through the clipped strands. He ran a hand up and through the hairs that were sticking up, wishing they were bangs but had been cut too short to be them. Rin always thought it was cute how they stuck up after they were trimmed back. He rubbed his hands all over Sousuke's face, running his thumbs along the underside of his eyes and the top of his cheek. Palming his forehead and running fingers over his eyebrows, thumbs tracing along the sides of his nose and the seam of his smiling lips.

Sousuke was with him. He was with him at one of the most important moments of his life. He wasn't somewhere else, living some other life; Sousuke was still by his side.

Rin had lost count of the nightmares he had about Sousuke being absent from it. Lost count of the times he worried Sousuke would leave him, or they'd get into a big fight. None of that came to be, they were still together, and no fights were strong enough to tear them apart for more than an hour, let alone forever. It was like a sweet dream too good to be true, he had to confirm it was all real. That this was not just hopeful wishing of a lonely self who lived a life separate of Sousuke.

Sousuke kissed Rin's thumb as it rubbed against his lips again and opened his eyes, staring into Rin's own thinking ones with love and affection. Rin pushed his head back against the pillow more in surprise and tried to fight down a grin before guiding Sousuke forward to meet him. He opened his grin and pulled Sousuke into the first deep kiss they had shared that day.

It was much too difficult to keep their relationship on the down low even though the team and coaches knew of it. There had been a gag order put in place, and they both knew how difficult it might be should it get out any further. They didn't want to start trouble by celebrating too passionately in the wrong place.

By the time they had entered the hotel room all they wanted were sweet kisses. Sweet, soft, promising. Sousuke was everything Rin wanted and more. He was full of passion sure, but more than that he was love and affection and understanding. He was golden honey poured in warm tea and fresh baked confectionery treats with powdered sugar on top, and even though Rin had a distaste for sweets he loved Sousuke.

Loved the Sousuke that was warm and freely affectionate, the one that everyone else had claimed only existed with him, the one he secretly loved having to himself. He loved the Sousuke that tasted like cinnamon fireballs, sweet with a hot burn on his tongue. He loved that it was both literal after discovering the candy, and an analogy for the very passion within him. He loved the Sousuke that held him close and didn't want to let go, savored all of Sousuke's strange and unexpected flavors.

"Thinking something romantic and overly dramatic?" Sousuke's soft voice questioned against the side of Rin's mouth as their kiss broke.

A mischievous glint grew in his eyes and Rin turned his gaze away, not denying anything, but not satisfying him with an answer either. He'd never understand how he'd figure it out, he was sure that he wasn't being particularly slow or strange in his movements. Even Sousuke said himself that there wasn't a real physical difference between when he was thinking and when he wasn't, he could just tell. Rin thought maybe Sousuke was just hiding what gave it away so that he couldn't make sure Sousuke wouldn't notice it again.

"That's sweet of you," Sousuke hummed, "but I don't need compliments I can't hear."

"Cocky aren't you," Rin huffed, a tiny laugh that didn't quite pass his lips, just bringing a smile to his face. He ruffled Sousuke's hair with his hands roughly before smashing their lips together and pushing him up and off. "As much as I'd like to stay like this, we should probably shower now."

"Let's shower together," Sousuke mused as he rolled away back to the other side of the bed. Rin grinned down at his lap as he ran a hand through his own hair, trying to pull out the newly formed knots.

"If we do that we're never going to get ready in time," Rin replied before standing up and sauntering off. "Besides the walls aren't that thick, and don't forget this room connects with my teammates'."

Sousuke glanced at the connecting door at the other side of the room and sighed. The unholy joys of group events were sharing of rooms and spaces. Sousuke wasn't even staying there himself, and instead was sharing a room with the two Matsuoka women at a different hotel. He insisted it was fine to have rented his own room, but that was a suggestion that they all knew wouldn't make it very far with the two stubborn females.

"True, it was kind enough that your roommate let this happen," Sousuke grumbled. Rin snorted, but agreed.

His roommate and a good friend, Will, said he wasn't going to come back for a while but advised them of anything too serious since they did have other things to do after. It was a terrible joke and even Sousuke was a bit embarrassed though Will seemed to think it absolutely hilarious to have both of them blushing like mad. Rin cursed at him that he'd never do it anywhere he knew Will could tape him and they both laughed at Sousuke's expense as he awkwardly excused himself from the conversation.

"If you can behave yourself you can join me," Rin called from within the small bathroom and Sousuke considered his own capability. He decided being around Rin after his win was of course the most important and followed after. He took extra care to make sure his only set of clean and nice clothes were under a clean towel and protected from any stray spray of water. Hotel room bathrooms were unreliable when it came to keeping things dry.

"So does this mean I'm dating a Silver Medalist or a Gold Medalist?" Sousuke mused out loud and Rin started choking on his own laughter before he turned on the cold spray and made sure Sousuke was the first to get hit. He hissed and glared, but let it go as warm water replaced the icy spray.

"Gold medalist, unless you think I didn't have anything to do with winning that relay," Rin accused with an amused smirk. Sousuke looked up at the low tile ceiling as if to think about it before he pushed Rin under the spray and made sure to pull Rin's long hair over his head and into his face. He laughed at how his hair soaked up the water in an instant and clung against his angry frown. He looked every bit a drowned cat ready to bite.

"I'm going to kill you," Rin spit, pulling hair out of his mouth. Sousuke just laughed more before pushing the hair back and apologizing with kisses.

"Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't make my Olympic medalist boyfriend upset on his big day," Sousuke teased. Rin punched him but smiled anyways. "Should I wash his beautiful, famous locks?"

"You're such a dick," Rin laughed but grabbed his shampoo and shoved it in Sousuke's hands anyways.

Sousuke was perfectly content with taking care of Rin's hair, enjoying how Rin leaned into his hands and smiled while he did it. When he finally finished putting in the conditioner to sit, Rin reached up to lather the shampoo into Sousuke's hair. He started washing his, kissing Sousuke's chin when he leaned back into the spray. Rin felt at peace. He wondered if he would ever feel this good again, but watching Sousuke close his eyes and hum as Rin rinsed the shampoo out of his hair he thought he definitely would. This wasn't a peace that could leave him. He was holding it in his own two hands at that very moment.