Oh. People. Oh. People. Sticking close was stupid advice, Haru decides. Sticking close has ended up with him starring alongside Rin in a thousand photographs just from walking from the car park to the shopping centre. Some are distant shots, from people who are too shy – or have a sense of fucking respect – to come up to Rin in public. And then there are people like this girl.

"Oh my gosh," she squeals, bouncing on the spot and if she didn't have dark brown hair, Haru would speculate if she was a Hazuki. "Matsuoka Rin, I love you!"

"It's always wonderful to meet a fan," Rin smiles pleasantly, practiced.

"Can I get a picture, please, please, please?!" she squeals again. Haru frowns. They've been here for half an hour and haven't even made it into a shop yet.

"Of course," Rin says the rehearsed lines again, and steps into a scripted pose with one arm around the girl's shoulders and the other hand pointing out in a peace sign as she snaps the selfie.

"Wait, wait, wait! Can I get a picture of you two together?!" more squealing. Haru needs ear plugs.

"Uh… do you mind, Nanase?" Rin asks gently, and it's obvious from the tone of his voice he's unprepared for this, and is a little nervous for Haru's answer.

"Whatever," Haru rolls his eyes and Rin steps into position next to him, arm hooked around his neck. At least the experience isn't that unpleasant.

"You have to smile," Rin teases. Haru lets out a scoff right as the picture is taken, and his expression is deemed suitable. "You're cute when you smile."

Haru forces a frown, tingling. Rin still has his arm around him. The girl is giving them a look.

"We're just friends," Rin says quickly. Her face falls.

Rin makes some tactful, again practiced, excuses and they finally escape. Rin still has his arm around Haru and they're getting even more looks and gasps and irritating camera flashes thrown their way. Rin smiles and waves, a complete composition of grace and gratitude.

"This is ridiculous," Haru huffs.

Rin pulls his arm back slightly to rub his hand on Haru's shoulder. "Sorry… I know it's awkward."

"It's annoying. And you're loving it," he says as an observation, not an accusation. It's too obvious to be an accusation. Rin grins accordingly, his ego shining a little. "Is it always like this?"

"Well… pretty much, yeah. And I guess malls are a bit of a magnet for screaming girls, but we're here!"

He drags Haru into a rather posh looking tailors. The man, broad shouldered and bearded, behind the desk greets him with a familiar smile and a handshake.

"What can I do for you today, sir?"

"No me, this one," Rin says cheerfully, clasping both hands on Haru's shoulders and bringing him front and centre. "Need to get him smartened up a bit."

"Of course, would you like to step into the back for measuring?"

"Sure!"

Haru, on the other hand, isn't so sure. And he certainly doesn't want to leave the safety of Rin's arm, which is back around his neck to walk him into the back room.

"I'll have to ask you to strip to your underwear, if you don't mind Mr… um…" the tailor quickly looks to Rin, because Haru isn't saying anything.

"Nanase," he informs.

"Mr. Nanase. There's a cubicle to your left if – oh."

What are you looking at?

Well at least Rin knows why Nanase's clothes end up so scattered when he gets into the pool, because hell fire this boy knows how to take his clothes off.

"I'm good at stripping," Haru says blandly, answering Rin's agape face.

Obviously not the kind Rin's interested in, though.

The tailor stares blankly for a moment, before regaining his professional composure. He directs Nanase up onto the stool and begins his work.

Just what the fuck is this bloke doing with this tape measure?! Why are his hands going there?! Why does that need to be measured?!

Nanase is looking thoroughly harassed. His tanned skin – with his ridiculous jammer line – is flushing by the second. He lets out a strangled yelp when his inside leg is measured. Rin wants to double over in laughter, but the way Nanase is looking at him with such a desperate, pleading mixture of 'this is all your fault and you're going to pay' and 'please help me' forces him to stay straight faced, though he daren't make eye contact for fear of losing it completely.

Rin talks to the tailor while Rin dresses himself, ordering a black suit and an electric blue, with an array of silk shirts and ties.

"Can you do… uh… skinny pants for both suits too please?" Rin asks with a blush.

The tailor raises his eyebrows and glances to Nanase, who is just approaching them. He stands a little behind Rin, like he's hiding. The tailor looks him up and down, looking back to Rin with a nod.

"Of course. It's a good look for him."

Isn't it just.

He hooks his arm around his neck again as they leave. The way Nanase doesn't shrug away or even look uncomfortable tells Rin that this is another allowed thing. He enjoys it to its fullest as they enter the chic, bright white tech store.

"Rin! You can't buy me that!" Nanase demands, looking at the pricey tablet box Rin picks up. Rin ignores him and they move off to another aisle, where he picks up the box for a newly released smart phone. "Or that!" Rin shoots him a look, dragging him to the laptop section, where he again goes for the top spec. "Rin…" Nanase almost whines.

"Hey, look," Rin interjects, a little offended. "I need you to have these things so you can do your job properly, alright? This is no different than if you were going and working for a proper company."

Nanase simply nods, tense under Rin's arm. They go to the music players. He makes a considered choice, avoiding the bulky, large capacity touch screen models and going for a small, sleek square with simple controls.

"And this is a present," he says, giving Nanase the box. "It even matches your eyes."

"But… why…?"

"As a thank you," he smiles, giving him a squeeze around the shoulders as they make their way to the checkout, where they have to stand and wait for the empty packages to be filled.

There are fans snapping photographs left, right and centre. Rin prepares himself for a media storm and hopes Nanase doesn't mind being on the front cover of every tacky tabloid going.

"You didn't even get anything for yourself," Nanase says, sounding a little cross as they get into the car.

"I don't need anything," Rin replies with an honest shrug. I have you. "Should I take you home?"

Nanase seems to consider this for a moment. "Come to mine… we'll have pizza. My treat."

"Are we making a weekly tradition out of this?" Rin asks, amused. The offer comforts him, shoving away Sousuke's voice ringing in his ears.

"Yes," Nanase decides.

Nanase calls out a small "I'm home," into the shared house as Rin followed close behind. "I brought Rin," he adds.

"HARU-CHAN!" screams Hazuki as he comes tearing out of the lounge and launches himself at Nanase, clasping to his chest with his legs around his waist.

Rin can't help but laugh as Nanase tries to peel the small man from his body.

They went to sit down. Hazuki climbed into Ryugazaki's lap in well-worn arm chair armchair and Tachibana sat up and moved to the end of the equally abused couch he'd been lying on, text book in hand. Rin took the movement as an invitation and sat at the other end. It wasn't a large couch, but there was enough space in between them for Nanase to squeeze his skinny ass down if he wanted, but he'd gone to find a pizza menu.

"Did you get new toys, Haru-chan?!" Hazuki squeals as Rin pushes the large bag towards the small table in the middle of the room.

"Rin got me some things for work," Nanase says noncommittally.

"Can we play?"

"Sure."

Nanase wanders off to call the takeaway and Ryugazaki wastes no time booting up the laptop while Hazuki sets to work filling the tablet with apps. Rin promises to get the phone going as soon as Nanase is finished with his current model ordering the pizza, but Tachibana interrupts.

"I'd… uh… get it a case first."

It clicks. "Water-proof," Rin agrees in a heartbeat. They share a smile, which turns into chuckles when Nanase returns.

"What?" he demands.

"Nothing, nothing," Tachibana says softly.

It's a tight fit with three grown men, one the size of Tachibana, on the small sofa. Rin is feeling thoroughly sat on with his thigh pressed so close to Nanase's, with his hip bone digging into his flesh harshly.

"You've got such a bony ass, Nanase," he complains quietly, poking him.

"You like my ass," Nanase responds instantly. The television is on and they're so close that Rin doubts anyone's heard him, but he still flushes profusely.

He doesn't deny it, Haru notes with an internal grin, leaning forwards over his knees so that his shoulders don't overlap uncomfortably with Makoto's or Rin's. Rin talks comfortably with Makoto about everything under the sun while his other friends abuse his new technology. He zones out, because it's easier that way, and settles into the comfortable companionship. Nagisa will still gush and giggle because it's Matsuoka Rin! Honestly, Haru-chan! But for now at least he's otherwise occupied. He'll be even more occupied when he's stuffing his face with food.

There's a tapping on the small of his back and he turns to look accusingly at Makoto, but his hands are sat innocently in his lap. There can only be one other suspect.

"Quit tapping me," he huffs, digging Rin's leg with his elbow.

"Sorry," he mutters, stilling his hand but leaving it in place. Haru feels this should probably be more uncomfortable than it is. "I didn't realise I was doing it."

"Don't worry, Rin-chan, I'd totally tap that too," Nagisa sings.

"Nagisa! Rei's right there!" Makoto scolds.

"Nah, Rei-chan's totally lost in this thing, he can't hear me," Nagisa coos, kissing Rei's cheek. He looks up from the laptop a little startled. "See?"

Rin begins unconsciously tapping again and Haru realises it's a beat. He's just getting a feel for it when their food arrives and gets up with a little resentment.

"Are those pants… yours?" he hears Makoto mumble while he pays the delivery man.

"Nope… don't know where he found them…" Rin responds.

"They're a bit…"

But then Haru returns, and whatever was being said is instantly covered by some bullshit about a song.

He promptly sits on the floor, between their legs. Rin is tapping his foot to the same beat. It's annoying. Haruka shuffles and sits on it.

"What the fuck, Nanase!" Rin cries with a start.

"You're a pain," he says blandly.

Rin lifts his toes, wriggling them a little into Haru's cheek. "Bony, bony, bony little ass," he hums around a mouthful of pizza.

Haru didn't let up his position for the rest of the evening, even leaning his head back in the space between Rin's knees when he looked up to talk to him. Rin declares it's time for him to leave at the end of a show Haru hasn't been watching, so he stands up.

"My foot is totally numb, you little shit," Rin grumbles.

"Don't be so annoying, then."

Haru walks him to the door anyway.

"See you tomorrow, Nanase," Rin smiles, wide and bright, genuine.

"Haru."

"I'll pick you up first thi – what?"

"You call me Haru, from now on," Haru adds softly.

Rin's grin widens. "I'll pick you up first thing, Haru."