Chapter 3: For the Future
Tokyo – September, 2024
In ten years, Haru had learned to smile well enough for the cameras that he didn't look like an emo teenager in the photos anymore. But he still avoided the media at all costs. The two weeks after he returned to Japan with the Japanese Olympic swim team were a blur of polite ceremonies and photo ops. It wasn't nearly the same level of fanfare they'd received for the gold medal in the 2020 medley relay (Rin's Aussies had taken silver that year, but gold back in Rio), but the team's individual medal count was still high. Haru had—barely—eked out a gold in the 100-meter freestyle against Rin, but for the first time, the rest of the pack (all much younger) had been right up with them. He'd taken bronze in the 200-meter freestyle and another silver in the freestyle medley. The color of the medals didn't mean anything to him. They all went in a box back home, with the medals from Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016. He did little better than sleep walk through those two weeks, until the day he was finally sitting on a bullet train, headed from Iwatobi back to Tokyo.
Haru watched the sun rising over Mount Fuji, fully awake despite the early hour. His body was still on and off confused about which time zone he was in. It was nighttime in Paris. He wore a blue and white T-shirt—one of his favorites—and comfortable black pants.
Next to him, Makoto yawned and stirred.
Haru glanced at his sandy-haired friend. "Sorry to drag you out to sleep on a train." He was aware of how ridiculous it was to make a six-hour train ride when he could've flown instead, but flying was irritating. No matter how polite the Japanese flight attendants were, fans always hounded him, scenes were made. It was much easier (and quieter) to buy a nameless train ticket and slip onboard without anyone recognizing him. Plus, with Rin on a nine-hour plane ride, it was nice to share a bit of the travel burden and not pop in annoyingly fresh and well-rested.
Makoto smiled back at him, stretching a little, his T-shirt shifting across his muscles as he moved. "It's fun to go by train sometimes. I don't mind, Haru-chan."
Haru exhaled. "Ten years out of high school and you're still using -chan with my name?"
Makoto just smiled innocently. "Do we need to stop by your apartment before heading to the airport?"
He glanced up at his bag and jacket on the luggage shelf above the window and shook his head. "I have what I need. I never really unpacked."
Makoto nodded and yawned again, leaning back in his seat. He drifted off almost immediately. Haru returned to watching the scenery rush past the window.
They switched trains at Tokyo Station, taking the express train out to Narita airport. It was midday when they arrived. The agent at the security checkpoint fortunately didn't bat an eyelash as Haru showed his ID to access the international terminal; he and Makoto passed through quietly.
As they rode the escalators up to the first floor international arrival lobby, reality hit him square in the face. Haru clutched the strap of his bag, the words spilling out beneath his breath. "I'm really doing this."
"I'm surprised you waited this long, Haru," Makoto said from behind him.
Haru didn't answer. He knew why; Rin knew why, too. Haru could never ask Rin to give up on a dream for his sake, for his dream. I never thought I'd love someone more than water.
They stepped out onto the first floor, Haru's gaze immediately scanning the crowds, looking for a familiar red-haired frame. His nerves prickled with anticipation; a good kind of anxiety.
"It looks like Rin's plane just landed," Makoto said, stopping in front of the arrivals display board. "This is like the time I met the two of you here, just before Nationals in high school." He smiled. "You remember, Haru?"
He nodded. For many reasons, he'd never forget that trip to Sydney. For one, he and Makoto had fought, just before he left. Coming home to Japan and being welcomed back by his best friend… Haru inhaled, glancing away. "Makoto. Thanks for being here."
"I'd never say 'no' to this, Haru." Makoto walked past him, headed for the exit from customs.
Haru followed.
-x-
They waited on the edge of the crowds, back from the quivering sign-holding masses. Haru slipped on his shades to be safe.
"You look more conspicuous that way," Makoto said, chuckling.
"I do not." Haru continually scanned those exiting, quietly searching. The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. He knew immigration and customs always took a while, particularly with the extra forms Rin would have to fill out with his Australian passport. Still—
Haru kind of forgot how to breathe when he saw a flash of wine-colored hair. Rin wore a black T-shirt with a red and white shark outline on the front, over dark gray pants with a large black duffle bag slung over his shoulder. His baseball cap was pulled low and he peered over the top of his sunglasses.
Rin. Haru's lips formed the name, but no sound came out.
"Rin!" Makoto's instructor voice carried easily over the crowd; he waved until Rin spotted them.
Rin adjusted his sunglasses, his grin flashing teeth as he made his way through the mass of people towards them.
Haru's throat closed with heat. He had trouble swallowing; his eyes stung a little. Rin.
Their eyes met and Rin gave him a kind of knowing look before he turned to greet the sandy-haired man at Haru's side. "Makoto! How long has it been? Two, three years?"
"At least," Makoto said. The two clasped hands and leaned in for a quick hug.
"How's your wife and the kids?"
"Good. Ayane's four now—"
"Four?!"
"Hiro's almost two."
Rin shook his head. "I can't believe so much has happened. Gou keeps sending me pictures of her and Mikoshiba's little rug rat; the kid's growing like a weed. Not to mention, they're expecting their second in a couple months…"
Makoto nodded, pantomiming with one hand. "Your sister's out to here. And cranky. The heat, you know."
Rin laughed. "Thanks for the warning." His face smoothed. "I missed a lot, being gone." He looked at Haru.
Haru looked back at him, clutching the strap of his bag, so many emotions rolling over and over inside him that he couldn't even move.
Makoto glanced at him. "You're not gonna hug him, Haru?" he asked quietly.
Haru shook his head. He couldn't—not here. Because I won't be able to let go.
Rin smiled at him, reading his face. He reached for Haru's hand. "I'm home, Haru."
Haru inhaled deeply, grasping those fingers tightly, his eyes burning behind his shades. "Welcome home."
-x-
On the express train back into Tokyo, Rin sat at the window, Haru beside him. Japanese social etiquette be damned, he hadn't let go of Rin's hand and wasn't planning to anytime soon. Rin nodded off almost as soon as they sat down—he'd never been good at sleeping on airplanes—and his head rested comfortably on Haru's left shoulder.
Haru couldn't stop looking at their intertwined fingers, his mind struggling to process it all. This is happening. This is real. Rin's really here with me. There was a welling of emotion in his chest that he wasn't at all sure how to deal with.
A sniffle across from them drew his attention. Haru looked up; Makoto sat in the seat facing him, smiling and spreading his fingers in an apologetic gesture.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just… I've never seen you this happy, Haru-chan."
Haru's breath came out in a huff. "Again with the -chan." But he was happy. Very happy. He fought the urge to smile and lost.
They took the express train all the way to Shibuya station, stuffed their luggage into a locker, and used the underground tunnels as much as possible before heading outside into the stifling September humidity.
Beside Haru, Rin plucked at the front of his T-shirt, scowling a little.
"It's hotter at home," Makoto said, smiling.
"I didn't miss that part," Rin said.
They headed for the city office, a five-story structure of dark gray bricks with a curved wall of windows and a clock tower out front with a tall, lavender frame.
Haru drew a deep breath, staring at the entrance and the stream of people entering and exiting.
Rin glanced at him. "You're not wussing out on me, are you?"
Haru frowned. "No."
Makoto smiled and moved past them, holding the door.
Haru entered first, scanning the signs and the various lines and stations.
A clerk in uniform bowed to him as he entered. "How can I direct you, sir?" she asked.
Haru slipped off his sunglasses and cleared his throat, his face feeling a little warm. "Marriage registration."
"Of course." She bowed again. "Right this way, please."
The clerk led them a table with a stack of forms and helped him find the right one.
Haru drew a breath and started in, writing carefully, registering as the head of their new household. When he was done, he checked everything over, making sure he'd written everything correctly. Then he stepped out of the way, handing the pen to Rin.
Tucking his shades into the neck of T-shirt, Rin took the pen and the form. He leaned over the table's surface and began filling in the section for a foreign national. "Tch. How come I'm the waifu?"
"That's because—"
"Shut up, Haru."
There were ways Rin could get his Japanese nationality back if he wanted to, but he'd have to give up his Australian citizenship to do it. Haru wasn't about to ask him to do that and as far as he was concerned, it didn't really matter much anyways.
Rin straightened when he was finished, passing form and pen to Makoto for filling in the 'witnessed by' section. "I'm surprised under 'Occupation' you didn't write 'Free.'" Rin smirked at him.
Haru frowned. "It's a legal document."
"Have either of you thought about what you'll do for work?" Makoto asked as he wrote.
Rin joined Haru in frowning.
"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Makoto said, smiling. "One thing at a time, I guess?" He straightened, holding up the completed form.
Rin folded his arms and looked away. "Not fishing," he said very quietly.
The mirth drained from the moment, a few seconds silently ticking by.
"No," Haru said, in full agreement.
Makoto's face clouded with regret, obviously wishing he'd never brought up the topic at all.
Haru reached out, curling his fingers around one of Rin's hands and tugging gently. "Rin." He waited until Rin looked at him. "We're not going to lose each other that way." Not like how your father died.
Rin blinked at him and Haru could almost see the old horrors flashing behind his eyes. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded, nearly crushing Haru's fingers as he adjusted his grip. "Yeah."
"…I'm sorry," Makoto said softly.
Haru looked at his best friend with empathy.
Rin shook his head, brushing hair behind one ear, not letting go of Haru's hand. "Don't worry about it, Makoto. I…needed to hear him say that."
Rin. Haru felt warmth in his cheeks, emotion tightening his throat. He took the form from Makoto. "We should get in line."
When it was their turn, they went up together while Makoto waited in the back. Haru provided the form for the uniformed clerk to look over.
The clerk's eyes flicked over the paperwork; if she recognized either of their names, she didn't give any indication of it. "Mr. Matsuoka, your passport and affidavit, please."
Rin pulled the required documents from his pocket, handing over the blue passport and unfolding the notarized affidavit required by Japanese law for a foreign national to get married in Japan. The clerk took the documents and opened Rin's passport. She blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she looked up, her gaze flicking across their faces. The clerk cleared her throat quickly and returned her gaze to the documents. She scanned and returned Rin's passport. "Thank you. Everything appears to be in order. Please take a seat and we will call you up once your certificate is ready."
"Thanks." Haru turned, trailing Rin as they headed for the seats in the back where Makoto was waiting.
"This'll be all over the internet by morning," Rin muttered.
"Not my fault. I blend in," Haru said.
Rin shot him a glare.
"How many Asians on the Australian swim team just won three gold medals?"
"Tch." Rin dropped into a chair, leaving room for Haru to sit between him and Makoto. "That gold medal money is what'll put food on the table, you know."
Haru sat down and glared back. "Just because your country pays its medalists—"
"You two." Makoto laughed uneasily. "You're already fighting like a married couple." He smiled.
A married couple. The words evaporated Haru's annoyance. He tried to stop the smile that was building inside him, but he couldn't stay mad. Not when he looked at Rin and thought about them being an ordinary married couple.
Rin snorted. "We've been fighting like this for years."
Decades, Haru thought. Long before I ever realized…
"…Mr. Nanase? Mr. Matsuoka?"
They went up to the front and the same clerk passed a sheet of paper to them across the counter. The thick, watermarked page had their names and the official record, with the seal stamped in bright red ink in the lower corner.
"Congratulations," the clerk said, smiling at them.
Haru took the paper reverently, staring at the printed ink that made them an official, registered couple. It was real. It was done. They were married.
Rin eventually nudged him. "Haru, there's a line."
He tried to say thank you, but only managed to dip his head in a bow as Rin drew him away. Emotion was thick in his throat, blurring his eyes.
Makoto was waiting near the exit. Haru carefully folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. They stepped out into the humid air and midday sunlight, stopping near the base of the clock tower.
"Congratulations, you two," Makoto said, smiling broadly and looking a little misty-eyed.
"Thanks, Makoto," Rin said.
Haru nodded, looking up at his best friend since childhood… On impulse, he hugged Makoto fiercely.
Makoto laughed lightly, patting his back. "I know, Haru. I'll see you at home, alright?"
Haru stepped back to Rin's side, nodding again.
"I promised the in-laws I'd visit while in town, so I'll see you guys later." Makoto left with a wave.
They waved back, watching him leave.
Rin shoved his hands into his pockets. "Huh. I would've thought Nagisa and the others had some big party planned." He scowled. "Rei probably picked out matching outfits for us."
"I didn't tell them," Haru said. "Only Makoto."
"You didn't…" Rin peered at him, one brow lifted. "Tch. Don't tell me you're getting shy now."
"It's not that." Haru looked away. "I just don't want to share you right now."
His words hung in the air between them for a moment—
Rin's arm crashed around his shoulder, holding him in a way that was half headlock, half embrace. "Damnit, Haru. What am I supposed to do when you say things like that?" Rin spoke into his hair.
Haru shrugged, feigning ignorance though his face began to burn. "I don't know. Married people things?"
Rin's breath came out roughly, warm against his hair. "…Your place isn't that far from here." The arm around him loosened a little.
He shook his head. "I booked somewhere nice for our first night together. We can go there now if you want." Haru looked back over his shoulder, pausing, his heart knocking in his chest. "Unless you're hungry or something." He watched Rin's eyes glisten a little.
"Our first night together." Rin pried himself from Haru, clearing his throat and hastily donning his sunglasses to cover the emotion gleaming in his eyes. "Yeah, let's get our stuff and go." The shades didn't hide the flush rising in his face.
Haru grabbed Rin's hand and pulled.
-x-
The hotel was on the other side of Tokyo; it took another quick train ride to get there. They rode the elevator to the lobby on the 20th floor, walked through the low murmur of conversing patrons in the cocktail lounge, and checked in at the front desk. Another set of elevators took them to the thirty-fifth floor. Haru led the way down the hall, which was open-air to the lobby below, until he found their room. He unlocked the door with the keycard and let Rin in first. The restroom was on the left, the bed on the right. It wasn't the largest or fanciest room, but the panoramic views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows were unmatched, from Tokyo Tower all the way to the bay.
Rin dropped his duffle bag and headed for the windows, stripping off his hat and sunglasses. "You can see the port from here. Harumi wharf…"
Haru closed the door, setting his bag down and joining Rin. He met Rin's eyes in the reflection of the glass.
"Haru, I can see where we made that promise."
"…That's why I picked this place."
Rin spun and Haru found himself caged in his husband's arms. His breath caught and he trembled a little—or it was Rin trembling, or maybe both of them. He wrapped his arms around Rin's waist, holding Rin tight like he'd been longing to do all day, like he'd never let go.
At length, Rin drew back, but only far enough to allow their lips to crash together. Haru melted into the kiss, gasping deep in his throat, twisting his fingers into the fabric of Rin's T-shirt. There wasn't a sliver of air between their bodies, just hard muscles shifting beneath clothing and fingertips digging into skin. All of the kisses they'd shared, since Rio and even that night above the wharf, were chaste in comparison.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard, warm breaths mingling in the space between their mouths.
"I've been needing to kiss you for hours," Rin said, his cheeks nearly the same shade as his eyes and hair.
"For me, it's been days," Haru said, capturing Rin's lips again. "Weeks. Years…" He was blushing hard as he tugged Rin towards the bed.
-x-
After sunset, they only bothered with one bedside lamp, letting the orange glow of the Tokyo Tower and the city skyline bathe the room. They were sprawled naked on the bed, their hair still wet from the shower, surrounded by discarded towels, clothing, and empty room service trays; finally resting a little.
While Rin sat back against the headboard, surfing the web on a tablet, Haru lay on his stomach towards the foot of the bed with a pillow hugged to his chest, idly flipping through TV channels with the sound off.
There was nothing interesting on—reminding him why he didn't even own a TV back in Iwatobi. He bypassed news and movies, the variety shows and 'pay to watch' channels— A field of deep, crystalline blue stopped him. Haru stared, mesmerized, watching the undulating water, the pod of sleek, gray dolphins leaping together through the waves—
"Haru. Haru." Rin kicked him in the ankle.
"What?" He didn't turn from the screen.
"Tch. I've been calling your name for over a minute. How about Ko Yao Noi for our honeymoon?"
He didn't know where that was, but it sounded far. "I don't like flying. It's irritating."
A fluffy pillow struck the back of his head. Haru frowned. "I mean, if you want to, I guess."
Rin made a noise Haru associated with eye rolling. Seconds later, Rin flopped down onto his back.
Haru grunted as the sudden, extra weight pressed him into the bed. "Rin—"
Rin held the tablet in front of his face, blocking his view of the TV. On it was a picture of an infinity pool at sunset, on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The water was as smooth as glass, a perfect reflection of the sky.
Rin's breath tickled his ear. "We can stay at a villa with a private pool."
Haru stared at the image, his lower lip quivering. Rin plus water. "Damnit," he muttered. "I love you, Rin. When can we go?"
Rin laughed and tossed the tablet aside, hugging him instead.
Iwatobi – Late September, 2024
They didn't tell anyone at first when they returned from Thailand, slipping into town unnoticed off the train. Rin wanted to visit his father's grave before they did anything else. It would, undoubtedly, become a circus the very instant the others knew they were back.
Side-by-side, they followed the dirt path up the hill to the seaside cliff where the Matsuoka family grave stood just on the edge of the trees. A refreshing wind blew down from the mountains, carrying bright late-summer leaves down to the bay and slightly alleviating the heat.
Haru waited off to the side with their bags as Rin continued on, stopping in front of the granite monument. He watched the breeze sift through Rin's hair and flutter the fabric of his T-shirt and pants. They were both bronzed from two weeks in the sun and…relaxed. Haru had never seen Rin so at ease in all the time they'd known each other as these past few weeks. When Rin reached up to tuck some hair behind his ear, the sun glinted off the gold band on his finger—matching rings they'd bought abroad.
Haru knew a transition was coming, as they tried to adjust to ordinary life and figure out what that looked like for the two of them. But he wasn't worried. Being together, finally—that was all he needed.
Standing in front of the monument, Rin slipped his hands into his pockets. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. Haru wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but he was close enough that he couldn't not.
"I get it now, Father," Rin said, rocking back on his heels with his eyes closed, face turned towards the sky. "You didn't give up on your dream for Mom, Gou, and me. You set that dream aside…because you found something better."
Haru's breath caught, trapped in his throat.
"I finally understand." Rin pulled something from his pocket and knelt. Sunlight flashed off the gold medallion with its Parisian lanyard as he laid it against the stone. He straightened, touching the monument and pausing for a moment more.
Rin. The form walking back to him was a blur of colors. Haru blinked back the tears, dropping Rin's duffle bag to the ground. Rin smiled knowingly, his eyes equally heavy with emotion. They came together in a fierce embrace as familiar sea salt breezes brushed against them.
A/Ns: Japan (at least currently) does not allow dual citizenship. So for Rin to swim for the Australian national team in the Olympics in this story, he had to give up Japanese citizenship when he got Australian citizenship.
Also, same-sex marriage isn't currently legalized in Japan; same-sex partnerships are recognized in certain cities/wards. But maybe by 2024!
