Faster, he needed to be faster and stronger than ever. All this time he was training like a maniac but even If his joints hurt he won't stop until he was satisfied. He was running his rounds at the beach as he noticed two big tents.
He stopped as he heard familiar voices and gazed over to the ocean where he could see the four Iwatobi Swim Club member's swimming. Rin furrowed his brows while observing them. He knew that they were here because he has met his sister earlier who told him about them.
Seeing them swimming together in the ocean like that gave him a strange feeling. He was a bit worried about Makoto and his phobia of the ocean. But as long as he wasn't alone everything was good. The russet-head remembered the incident with Haru and how Makoto was trembling, even after Haru was safe.
It was a fascinating mystery that this big guy who was a really good swimmer, still was scared of water. Rin back than admired him for that a lot. Today he just wanted him not to drown and be happy. He stretched himself before running again.
There has still been some days left until the big day and Rin had to do everything to be in peak form. How would he think about everything If he would be still a part of the group just like in the good old days?
How would it have been If he was beside Haru, rescuing Makoto out of the water and talking about embarrassing old stories in the old lighthouse? That moment If they would see the stars in sky and even reflected in the water?
However, Rin wasn't a part of this group anymore. He had his own path to go and couldn't be hampered by them. Even If his heart sometimes asked himself what would have been If Haru hadn't hurt him back then and he wouldn't travel to Australia?
Rin gritted his teeth. He would be still on the same level as them. But with the opportunity to train in Australia, he was better than ever. He disallowed himself to think about the past like this. It drove him mad and made him sentimental.
All he ever wanted was to be acknowledged by Haru but this guy had always been ignorant and repellent when It came to Rin. But that didn't matter anymore. He needed to win, to find out If he was able to surpass him. After all his wish has been to fulfill his father's dream and that was what he was going to accomplish.
xxx
Haru touched the end of the lap and surfaced with his head to look at Kou. The female Matsuoka beamed at him and checked his time.
"Sugoi! Haruka-senpai has improved his time!"
"If you think so."
"Of course! I think our vacation at the beach has worked pretty well on you!"
Nagisa who swam next to Haru in the neighboring track surfaced beside him and looked at the russet-haired girl with hope. "And me? How about me?"
"Well..." her smile didn't fade. "You need to pay more attention on your stamina, Nagisa-kun."
The blonde pouted while Makoto was pointing at Rei who made his laps.
"Rei-kun is getting better, too. He just has to become a little bit faster."
They gathered on the roof of the school, eating their breaktime snacks as Kou showed them the pictures of their trainings-vacation. As they mustered the photos, Nagisa noticed a picture of the captain from the Samezuka swim team.
Haru thought about the fact that this guy, who was after her was being sometimes too clumsy around her. Kou told them that she was scouting them and this guy has been just too helpful. The other Iwatobi members laughed at the picture's from the beach while Haru's eyes caught one of Rin.
Wordlessly, he picked it up and ogled it. Kou noticed him and showed other pictures from the other swim club and what discipline they will swim. She hadn't continued about her brother because Haru already knew it.
That's how it was. They spend their last 5 days, training their bodies and keeping themselves fit until the final day came. Haru was standing right at Makoto's house, ready in his uniform and his heads full of thoughts.
Makoto knew that his friend was tense and that it meant a lot to him swimming against Rin. However, Rei was better at showing his nervousness. Thanks to Nagisa, they knew that the four-eyes hadn't slept at all.
They were standing in a line to get their names checked. The fact that their names sounded girly wasn't a big deal therefore they stayed calm and relaxed. It was more a fact of amusement to them. While everyone was cheering each other up, Haru got behind and pondered.
As the four entered the changing room a nostalgic feeling rushed through them. They could see how the other members were changing and how they get massages from their coaches. It has been a long time since they felt something like this.
A bright sky with a powerful sunshine met their eyes as they walked to the grand stand. Flags of the teams has been tied to the metal and everywhere they looked, the swimmers got themselves ready with stretching exercises.
But Haru was looking for him, not caring about the others. Makoto of coursed has noticed this and smiled at him. Soon, Kou called to them and showed the boys her data which she has gathered through the days.
"Haruka-senpai, you're in teh 4th heat and you will be swimming next to my brother."
"Does that mean they chose the swimmer's due to their qualifying times?"
Kou nodded at Nagisa and looked down to Haru who was sitting on a bench, looking forward.
"In this case it means that they are even."
Yes, but not for long, Haru thought. The Iwatobi swimmer's watched the other teams and listened to Kou's information about certain swimmers. But Haru had no interest about them. That was when he stood up to pick his goggles. He nodded quickly at Makoto and turned around.
He had the feeling that Rin was already in the assembling room and headed forward. Haru was right. Just as he entered the hall, he could see Rin sitting on the bench. He looked really thrilled. The russet-head stood up promptly as he sensed the black haired male.
"A deal is deal. I'm here."
Rin made a noise. "Tch. Of course. I kept my level low to be in your niveau."
Haru's ocean-blue eyes looked right into Rin's maroon ones. The black haired male could sense tha rin was taking this to the top.
"That was unnecessary. We will meet at the final."
He saw how his rival put on his goggles and how he let the elastic band snap at the back of his head, like he always did. "I can't wait that long. Besides there's no guarantee that you'll make it."
He grinned at him, showing his shark-like teeth as he saw the slight change in Haru's face. The taller male walked towards him slowly but with a certain pressure around him. "It's just about you and me. I look forward to it."
The russet-head walked past him, letting Haru feel him for a brief moment. Haru exhaled deeply and put on his goggles as well. Deep inside he felt thrilled, too. It was the feeling that he would be able to open himself, to show what he was able to do, just to become free.
8 swimmers were making their way to their own staring block. That's when Nagisa saw them and pointed his finger out. "There! Haru-chan and Rin-chan! By the way Gou-chan...who do you want to win?"
The female Matsuoka pouted. "How many times to I have to tell you, It's Kou! I'm cheering for both! After all down there is my brother and Haruka-senpai is a friend therefore I'm saying...both!"
They could see how the swimmers got slowly on their block and how the tension rose. Makoto was nervous. He alone knew the situation between these two and therefore his heart was beating wildly.
Rin and Haru looked from the corner of their eyes at each other as the referee said the words. They bent down and got ready.
"Set." Their toes clung to the block while waiting for the final word, as in slow-motion. "Go!" There it was to give them the engine to jump and dive into the water. They could hear the audience cheering them from every side, everytime they had to lift up their head to breath in.
Rin was fully concentrated on his technique as he moved his arms and his likes while breathing in steadily. Haru couldn't really tell what was going on but he sensed that the russet-head was ahead of him. Even Makoto and the others could see from their place that Rin was really faster than him.
The Matsuoka could see the other side of the lap and made a lightning-fast roll into the water just to turn himself and to push himself from the wall. There was this brief second when he turned his head to the side to breath in again, while seeing Haruka's surprised face who just touched the wall.
To Haru's fright, he could see Rin's bright grin and made a quick roll to catch up to him. Rin could feel the black haired male behind him and used his strong leg kick to move forward while stretching his whole body to dive even more into the water.
Panic and disbelief rose inside of Haru as he tried his best to get forward. His arms rotated in the water just to catch up and his breathing got quicker. There it was, both reached the end of the lap and breathed in deeply while looking at the table.
"Haru lost...?" Makoto whispered to himself. The other members were mute and even Kou had no idea what to say, although she was happy for his brother. Nagisa's smile faded. "He didn't advance..."
Rin grinned widely and throw his fist into the water whereas Haru was staring at the table and seeing the number "2" beside his name. The Matsuoka laughed and splashed with water and could hear the cheer from his team. "YES! YES!"
He jumped out of the water and stretched his position while enjoying the moment. Finally he knew that he was better than Haru. The proof that could make it and that he could go on. Haru on the other side was still breathing heavily and looking down.
It was too fast and he couldn't realize what happened as he heard his name being called. "Haru! I win." He looked slowly up to Rin. "I told I will show you a different side of me and this is it Haru, I'm never going to swim with you again."
Rin's grin faded into a serious line as he watched Haru's expression with his opened mouth. "Never." That was the last word for the male above him. He turned around and went to his team while Haru looked after him.
The black-haired's eyes widened as he recalled the words over and over again in his head. Just like rain went away so he feared he was about to lose something precious. Suddenly the moment, Rin had kissed him lightly flashed before his eyes and he had to shake his head.
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hello there! I know It's been a while...gomen! I wanna hurry to make another chapter and add a bit of storyline before I can already make the smut part :D
thanks for reading 3