"Come oooon." Rin's words are whiny and dragged out, his arms crossed and his expression appropriately irritated. "You've been in there for like an hour."
"Fifteen minutes hardly equates to an hour, no matter how long it might feel," Rei responds haughtily from the bathroom.
"What are you even doing in there?" Rin demands, tossing his head back and staring at the ceiling of Rei's room.
"Is that really any of your concern, Rin-san?"
"Kinda, because I'm fucking here, and you're taking forever."
"I'll take this moment to remind you that you showed up without texting first. I had thought I was going to be heading there by myself." Rei's voice is strained, like he's focusing hard on something, and then Rin hears the snip of scissors.
"Are- Are you? Oh my god, are you giving yourself a fucking haircut in there?" Rin exclaims, laughing and sliding a hand down his face.
"A trim!" Rei responds shrilly. "Stop distracting me!"
"They had a word for that in Australia. Metrosexual. You are metrosexual as fuck, Rei."
Rei groans in exacerbation. "What does that mean?"
"It means you worry about your appearance like a girl," Rin says with a sigh, plopping down at the head of Rei's bed and skimming his books. "And you're obsessed with hygiene and that kind of thing."
The sound of metal clinking on ceramic echos from the bathroom, the faucet runs, and Rei finally opens the door, his hand busily brushing through his fringe. "I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping up one's appearance," he says indignantly. "Beauty is very important in women and men."
"I know, I know," Rin waves his hand at Rei dismissively as he looks over his books. "It isn't a bad thing. I just let my hair do whatever, and it ends up looking crazy unless I just tie it back."
"I disagree," Rei says importantly, assuming a proper megane position, fingers resting against his red frames. "Your hair has a very natural order of disorder, which can be very rugged and beautiful in its own way. I read an article about the rugged, tousled look on men, and in a survey, most women preferred that look over others."
Rin turns to look at Rei with a quirked brow. "Really?" He grimaces suddenly. "The hell kind of magazines are you reading?"
"Why are you even here anyway, Rin-san? Not to be rude, but my house isn't exactly on the way-"
"Those," Rin points without looking at a small pile of books that he's laid on Rei's glass coffee table. "I brought them back."
"Oh," Rei picks them up, sifting through them. They look immaculate, not even a bent page. Loaning something to Nagisa is always a gamble, and he usually has things returned to him a little worse for wear or a little bit sticky, but he sometimes forgets that Rin is almost as tidy as he is. Rin's personality mirrors this behavior. "Thank you. But, couldn't you have just brought them with you? You could have given them to me at the cafe."
"I wanted to borrow some new ones." Rin says, pulling out a book to glance at the cover and then sliding it back into place. "That's okay, right?"
"Of course," Rei smiles and sets the books back down on the table. He'll put them back in their rightful places later, when he gets home.
Rin pulls out two books and stacks them next to his hip, looking for a third. "Why isn't Nagisa here? I figured you guys would have been going together."
"He'll be running late. He's coming straight from a shopping errand with his parents, so he's on the other end of town."
"Aww," Rin says in mock-pity, "So if I hadn't shown up out of the blue, you would have gone all by your onesie?"
Rei huffs. "Being alone for one train ride is hardly anything to concern myself with." He watches Rin pull another book out of the shelf, and finally he stands up, books tucked under his arm.
"Let's go. Yo, you have a bag I can put these in?"
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The train arrives a little later than expected, but as they're already running early, it isn't a problem. Rei blows hot breath into his gloved hands, rubbing them together. Rin is tapping on his cell phone when the train finally pulls up, and the men shuffle aboard and find a vacant spot to sit, which isn't difficult as the train isn't carrying many occupants.
Rin is still typing out a message, gloves in his teeth. "Aren't your hands cold?" Rei asks, frowning. Rin shrugs.
"I can't type with my gloves on." he mutters through gritted teeth. He pauses, and finally slips his phone in his pocket and replaces his gloves on his hands. "It was Haru. They're gonna be late."
"They, meaning Makoto-sempai as well?"
"Yeah." Rin sighs. "Assholes need to learn to be on time."
"Makoto-sempai is usually very punctual. Something probably held them up." Rei reasons, leaning back in his seat.
"Oh, I'm sure. They probably just got distracted." Rin has a peculiar way of making perfectly normal words sound dirty, and this never ceases to amaze and horrify Rei's careful sensibilities.
"You mean you think…?"
"I don't think, I know," Rin says with a jagged grin. "Those two are always at it. It's obvious."
Rei's face is very near the color of the blood pumping underneath it. "I try not to think about it!" he says in a hushed voice. Rin stares at him peevishly.
"Does it like, offend you? What they get up to?"
"What! No!" Rei answers, adjusting his glasses distractedly. "That's not it. I mean, Nagisa-kun and I…" He clears his throat and ignores Rin's re-emerging grin. "I'm just not used to discussing things of that nature so freely, yet. I'm working on it."
"That's cool," Rin shrugs, feeling a buzzing in his pocket and pulling out his phone again, glancing at the text and then stuffing it back in his pocket. "I figure being with Nagisa, you're adapting real quick, though. That boy doesn't have a filter."
Rei chuckles, fondly. "No, he does not."
"Speaking of filters," Rin starts, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, "I've got a question."
"Go ahead."
"So, who were your friends before you met those guys?" Rin asks. "I'm just curious."
Rei smiles. "Are you asking because it appears as though you all are the only friends I've got?" he asks.
"No, dude, that's not what I-"
"Well, it's true," Rei says, and Rin clamps his mouth shut faster than he can swim the 100m free racing against Haruka. "I thought you knew?" Rei adds, noting the concerned look on the redhead's face.
"Knew what?"
"How anti-social I was before Nagisa-kun badgered me into joining the swim club." Rei chuckles. "I had acquaintances of course, people to swap ideas with or talk to on occasion, but 'friendship' and 'teamwork' weren't really my thing. I couldn't see the point."
Rin groans exaggeratingly. "But then friggin' Nagisa, with his boundless energy and charisma and his puppy-dog eyes pulls you in, and suddenly you're discovering the meaning of friendship, huh? God dammit, it sounds like something out of a shoujo manga." He laughs. Rei drives his shoulder into Rin's, knocking him off balance.
"Shut up!" he exclaims hotly, but he's withholding a giggle. It did seem ridiculous, but he knew that Rin was speaking ironically. If anyone had had a soul-crushing journey to discovering the meaning of friendship and teamwork, it was Rin.
"Naw, though," Rin says when he's stopped laughing, "I kinda figured that. I just didn't think you'd be so cool talking about it."
"There's no reason to find that sort of question offensive. I lived that way for so long, I didn't see anything wrong with it."
"I can relate to an extent," Rin exhales loudly. "When I was a kid I was always somehow the center of attention, and really social. I guess I didn't make any real long-lasting bonds until I met those guys, but still, I feel like I was always surrounded by people. And well, you know what happened in Australia, so I kind of fucked that up for myself."
Rei nods somberly. It reminded him of their very similar (but at the same time very different) anxiety disorders. Rin's isolation had been the product of turbulent emotions and chaotic thinking, whereas Rei's was caused by his need to push himself academically.
"Hey, sorry to dampen the mood, or whatever."
"You didn't," Rei assures hastily.
The train finds their stop, and the men exit back into the biting cold. Rin noticeably chatters his teeth as they set off in the direction of the shopping district where they're meeting everyone.
"Those guys better not make us wait out in the cold for too long," Rin says grumpily, pulling his coat more tightly around himself. "I'm super one-hundred percent sure that I will flip my shit if they do."
The temperature had definitely decreased since they'd first boarded the train. Rei flashes Rin a look of pity. "It must be especially hard on you, Rin-san. It's never cold in Australia, right?"
"Never ever," Rin shakes his head. "Not where I was staying, anyway. But my school was up North. It was pretty tropical."
When they arrive at the cafe, Nagisa is waving his arms at them from a nearby bench, bundled up in a pink and cream-colored coat and a rainbow scarf.
"Rei-chan! Rin-chan!" He runs to meet them, his cheeks and ears pink. "I can't believe I was the first one here! I thought I was gonna be late!"
"Nagisa-kun, you didn't wear a hat?" Rei chides, placing his gloved hands over Nagisa's ears in an attempt to warm them. Nagisa smiles impishly.
"I forgot," he admits.
"Why did we even decide to do this on such a cold fucking day, anyway?" Rin asks no one in particular.
"You don't stop doing stuff just because it gets cold, Rin-chan," Nagisa points out. "When are Haru-chan and Mako-chan getting here?"
"In a bit," Rin says, checking his phone quickly to see if he's received a text. He stuffs it back in his pocket with added emphasis, nothing new in his inbox. "God dammit." he snaps bitterly, "They're probably fucking."
"They probably are." Nagisa agrees with a serious head-nod.
"You two-!" Rei blurts, face going pink.
Nagisa rubs his back comfortingly. "Poor Rei-chan," he says with a giggle, "Haru-chan and Mako-chan are almost eighteen now! It's only normal to-"
"I know it's perfectly normal!" Rei wails, covering his face. "We just don't need to speak of it so brashly! What if they spoke of us the same way?"
Rin laughs. "They'd be too afraid to, you might sense it and have a freak out, like you're doing right now," he teases.
Rei sighs heavily. "Let's just… Walk around for a bit before they get here. Check out some of the shops, maybe?"
"Ooh! I saw a massage parlor on my way here, it's just around the corner!" Nagisa chirps, pointing the way. "Wouldn't that be just awesome to get a rub down right after a tournament, or something?"
"That doesn't sound half bad, but we can't kill time at a massage parlor. Maybe something a little more normal." Rin points out.
Rei smiles. "How about there?" He gestures to a small charm shop in the other direction, and Nagisa claps his hands together.
"Yeah! They have tons of cute stuff!"
Rin groans and trudges after Nagisa, who is literally skipping. "Those two assholes better get here soon. I'm hungry, and I've had enough of the damn cold."
"Stop complaining," Rei chuckles. "you're reminding me of Makoto-sempai's siblings."
"Are you comparing me to a damn twelve-year old?" Rin snaps dangerously.
Rei pushes up his glasses, a confident grin pulling at his lips. "Prove me wrong and stand in the cold while Nagisa-kun shows you charms without complaining once," he challenges, and Rin's face screws up in determined resolve.
"Fine!" he announces, and hurries after Nagisa, who is already looking avidly at the charm displays on the sidewalk. "Nagisa! Show me some fucking charms!" Rin demands.
"Yaaaay!" Nagisa exclaims in joy, and Rei can't stop himself from laughing.
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Author's Notes:
More butterbuddies!
There just isn't enough of them out there so I'm just going to continue to write whatever awkwardly adorable crap comes into my brain for these two. I've never written a fic without a clear goal in mind, but this one is literally going to be as 'slice of life' as it gets, so I hope you guys don't mind. :3
