Chapter 10: Tapered fly and free
A/N: Beta by M.H. :)
Friday, May 13th, 2016
"…In French?" Rin asked, his arm propped on Haru's shoulder as they headed towards their seats in the conference room.
"Maquereau," Haru said.
I wonder if we're pronouncing that right... "Norwegian."
"Makrell."
Too easy.
They sat down, tucking their gear bags under their chairs.
"In Spanish."
"Caballo," Haru said.
Rin snorted. "That's 'horse,' idiot. Try again."
"Nn." Haru paused thoughtfully. "Caballa."
"Better." Rin smiled. "How about Portuguese?"
"Cavala," Haru said, looking smug.
From Rin's left, Ikehara leaned over with a brow lifted. "Vocab lessons?"
"Just the essentials," Rin said, sitting back in his chair and slipping his hands into the pockets of his Team Japan warmup jacket.
"Ah…" Ikehara said, looking slightly puzzled.
"The best saba is imported from Norway," Haru said, starry-eyed.
Rin chuckled. Between the pools and the mackerel, I think you'll survive, Haru. He pressed his lips briefly. …Though I don't know how I will.
"Alright, everyone, let's get started," Assistant Coach Maekawa said from the front of the room.
Rin reluctantly turned his attention forward.
Akagi sat on a stool nearby, leaning back against the whiteboard. Both assistant coaches wore their red and white warmups; Maekawa's brown hair was tamed into a ponytail.
She waited a moment more for everyone to get settled, then stepped forward, wielding a whiteboard marker in her right hand. "Welcome back, Olympians. Training camp will feel a little different this time around. Today, we'll begin staggered tapering according to menus our team has designed for each of your unique training needs and temperaments."
There was a split of groaning and quiet cheering in the room.
"The goal is to rest, recover, and listen to your body. Some of you high-strung types are going to hate being less active and will feel awful at first—"
Rin could've sworn she glanced at him when she said that. Pff. I am not fucking high-strung.
"That'll pass as you begin to recuperate from the fatigue you've accumulated over the last several months of hard work. Expect shorter workouts of higher intensity. You must stick to your prescribed regimen. Extra training is not allowed; extra sleep is required."
Rin exhaled. Nn.
Maekawa's eyes scanned the room again. "For those of you on the other side of the spectrum—" Her gaze briefly landed on Haru. "—who live for tapering, don't expect to just screw off all day. There will be meetings with sponsor reps, interviews, photo ops, and lots of information on Rio. You'll get your vaccinations for travel, along with information on other health and security considerations."
Haru sighed, his chin resting on the heel of his hand.
"Remember to cut back on your caloric intake—you're not working as hard; you don't need to eat as much. Though," Maekawa smiled, "—if you gain a little weight it's not the end of the world. The dining hall will be adding a few regional cuisine items to the menu, so you can get an idea of what to look for when eating abroad."
She propped a hand on her hip. "After the Japan Open, you can expect a mix of tapering and normal workouts, with consideration to your other competitions leading up to Rio. Any questions?" Maekawa paused. "…Alright. Akagi and I will be passing out your schedules for the week."
Rin leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as the room dissolved into side conversations and the sound of papers rustling. "I fucking hate taper," he muttered.
Haru glanced over, his forearms folded against the table top. "Tapering is great. We should always do it."
Rin rolled his eyes. Of course you think so.
After getting their paperwork, they grabbed their stuff and followed their teammates out into the hall.
"Don't you feel better, after?" Haru asked.
Rin rolled his shoulders. "Eventually. But in the beginning it just feels like I got creamed by a bus."
Haru's eyes warmed with amusement. "You're supposed to sleep that off."
"Some of us are better at sleeping than others."
Haru lowered his voice to a whisper. "You don't seem to have trouble with me."
An irritated flush heated Rin's face. "Yeah, well, it's not like that's an option here, Haru."
"It's too bad." Haru glanced at him. "I really like going to sleep with you."
Rin inhaled. Haru. He was still embarrassed, but the annoyance faded. His breath came out in a puff and he rubbed the back of his neck. "…Same."
Haru smiled with his eyes as they walked.
Rin finally glanced at the sheet he'd been given. "Tailoring?"
Haru looked at his paper. "Me too."
-x-
Their destination kept them on the first floor of the main training building, but in the wing with the JOC offices. The glass-front room had mannequins in the window, some in formal JOC attire, others in Team Japan athletic gear for multiple different sports. Rin's gaze lingered on the formal menswear—a red blazer with gold buttons and the JOC logo embroidered on the breast pocket, a striped shirt with a stiff white collar, and crisp white slacks. The necktie was black with slanted white and red stripes, and the JOC logo front and center.
"We're gonna rock that, Haru," Rin said, grinning.
"Nn." Haru was frowning slightly. "I hate ties."
"You don't like things touching your neck?"
"Tight things are annoying." Haru's lips pursed faintly. "Touching is OK. Sometimes." Blue eyes flicked to him askance.
Rin's breath trailed over his teeth as he exhaled. I'm gonna remember that, Haru. He got the door…
Inside on the left, there was an angled mirror with three sections in front of a small platform. Four black garment bags hung on a rack nearby. On the right side of the room were two curtained changing areas and a seating alcove. The rest of the small space was taken up with a desk, behind which, a floor-to-ceiling curtain closed off the back of the room.
A quiet chime sounded when they entered the space. A man emerged from the back room; he was middle-aged with combed black hair and glasses, wearing a navy-blue suit with a thin, paisley tie. He smiled, a flexible tape measure draped around his neck. "Matsuoka-kun, Nanase-kun, welcome. Please, you may set your things down over there."
They dropped their gear bags at the base of a plush chair.
"My name is Hoshino," the tailor said. "We'll be fitting you for your formal uniforms today. The finished pieces will be ready next week." The man's eyes flicked over them as if measuring with a glance. "Your new suits and team attire have arrived. You'll be receiving your official suits and warmups for Rio during your final training camp in São Paulo." He paused. "Any questions before we get started?"
"None here," Rin said.
Haru shook his head.
The tailor smiled, waving a hand at the platform in front of the mirrors. "Who would like to go first?"
Rin glanced at the wary look on Haru's face and stepped forward. "Me."
Hoshino proved brisk and efficient; in short order Rin was retreating from the platform. He watched as Haru stood there stiffly while the tailor took the measurements. Haru tensed when Hoshino wrapped the tape measure around his throat.
"Thank you, Nanase-kun. We're done." Hoshino said, withdrawing the tape measure and stepping aside. "Please wait just a moment." He bowed and disappeared beyond the curtain into the back room.
Haru stepped down from the platform, tucking his hands into the pockets of his unzipped warmup jacket. He was wearing a navy blue Koutei T-shirt underneath.
"This is some kind of special torture to you, huh?" Rin asked.
Haru shrugged. "I just like being comfortable."
Rin cocked a brow. "If this is bad, what're you gonna do when we have to get all our shots?"
"I've never had problems with shots or other medical stuff," Haru said. "That time I fainted in middle school and woke up in the hospital with an IV…that wasn't a big deal."
"What? You fainted in middle school?"
Haru blinked. "Oh, I didn't tell you about that?"
"Haru." Rin started forward. "You—"
At that moment, the tailor came back, carrying two more garment bags. He hung the bags in the changing rooms. "Matsuoka-kun," he said, gesturing to the first room. "Nanase-kun." Hoshino gestured to the second room. "Please note that the pants are unhemmed, so watch your step when you come out."
Rin tore his gaze from Haru, stepping into the changing cubicle as Hoshino drew the curtain. He exhaled, turning his attention to the garment bag and dragging the zipper down. I missed a lot being gone. Haru, I wanna make up for lost time.
Rin stripped down to his leg skins and started getting dressed in front of the mirror in the tiny room. He pulled on white slacks and the striped, button-down shirt. There were white leather shoes and a matching belt. Rin's anticipation built as he knotted the JOC logo necktie and shrugged into the red blazer. He grinned at the mirror, pulling his hair away from his collar. Hell yeah, I look good. He turned, slinging the curtain to one side, impatient to see Haru…
Haru stepped out at the exact same time, giving him a cool look that had the air catching in Rin's throat. Fuck, Haru. You may not like it, but damn, you look hot in a suit. The red was offset by the glossy black of Haru's hair and Haru's eyes were a startling shade of blue in contrast. Not to mention that the properly fitted clothes accented Haru's lithe, muscular form…
A glitter of amusement came into Haru's gaze, as if Rin's face was shouting what he was thinking again. His cheeks warmed.
The tailor came forward, kneeling and folding the hem of their pant legs so they could walk without tripping. "Nanase-kun, please," Hoshino said, gesturing to the platform.
Haru stepped up and Rin enjoyed the view as the tailor worked, checking cuffs and sleeve lengths.
"How's the collar, Nanase-kun?" Hoshino asked.
"It's fine."
"Not too tight?"
"No."
The tailor measured and marked the hem for the slacks, having Haru turn to the side to see.
Haru nodded.
"Thank you, Nanase-kun. I'll have you get undressed…" Hoshino went to the nearby rack, taking down two of the four bags. "…And try on these items. Please let me know if anything fits improperly." He hung the bags in Haru's room.
"Thank you." Haru stepped down, his gaze scraping Rin head to toe before he disappeared into his changing room and closed the curtain with a snap.
"Matsuoka-kun, your turn."
"…Ah."
Rin stepped onto the platform, holding still as Hoshino worked.
Not a minute later, Haru flung the curtain aside and stepped out in jammers only. "Rin, look," he said, his eyes bright and voice warm with excitement.
Rin caught it all in the reflection—the black jammers with flowing lines of purple and white down each side, JAPAN in white text on the left thigh and a small Japanese flag on the left hip, just inside the pelvic bone. He whistled low. Yeah, Haru could rock a formal suit, but damn. You're fucking sparkling. And the gleam in Haru's eyes said he knew it.
"How's the fit, Nanase-kun?" the tailor asked.
"It's nice," Haru said.
"Excellent. Be sure to try on the other items as well…"
"Nn." Haru turned away eventually, heading back to his changing room.
Hoshino finished measuring the hem for the slacks. "How's this length, Matsuoka-kun?" he asked, stepping back.
Rin turned to the side, glancing down. "Yeah, looks good."
The tailor smiled. "Alright then. You can take this off." He moved the remaining two garments bags into Rin's room. "Please give these a try."
"Thanks."
Rin retreated into the changing cubicle and stripped carefully, mindful of the pins. He opened the garment bags and his eyes bugged at the clothes—multiple T-shirts, extra warmups jackets and pants, shorts… And his new leg skins. He pulled them from the hanger reverently, touching the smooth black material—the red stripes down the sides, the JAPAN in white lettering, the little flag in the same place as Haru's.
He stripped off his normal leg skins and tossed them to the floor, shimmying into the new pair…the fit was snug—perfect. He secured the waist and leapt from the changing room. "Haru—"
Haru exited his room, still only in his jammers. The addition was a black swim cap with the Japanese flag on the left side and NANASE in white block letters on the right.
Rin gaped. "Those are in there, too?"
"Yeah, a whole pack," Haru said, skimming Rin's new suit with his eyes. "You look good, Rin." His gaze seemed to linger on the little flag on Rin's hip.
Rin grinned. "A picture will last longer, Haru."
"It will," Haru said, lifting his gaze. "When are we going to the pool?"
He laughed. "I don't know. What does our paper say?"
Haru sighed, starting to turn around—
"—Wait." Rin grabbed Haru's arm, stepping up onto the platform and tugging Haru with him. "Look at us." He lowered his voice to hushed tones, gazing at their reflection, at their coordinated suits. "We look like real Olympic swimmers now." He slipped his arm around Haru's shoulders and grinned.
Haru was quiet for a moment, as if soaking it all in. Then his eyes warmed and he wrapped an arm around Rin's waist, his thumb resting lightly against Rin's hipbone. "Yeah. We do."
-x-
They arrived at the Sports Sciences pool a few minutes early for their workout session. The last session was just finishing up; a handful of their teammates were heading for the showers.
Rin's session was supposed to be 60 minutes with Coach Maekawa while Haru was scheduled to go 90 minutes with Coach Akagi. As others started to arrive, the split between the two groups became obvious. There was the mellow group—Haru, Ikehara, Kawamura, and a couple of girls…and the not mellow group, consisting of Rin, Mikoshiba, Momo, and Takara.
"Hey, you guys got your new suits," Ikehara said, smiling as he joined them in his usual jammers. "Looking sharp."
"Thanks!" Rin grinned. He and Haru were wearing their new suits and new swim caps—to break them in and get a feel for the new material, of course. Obviously those were the only reasons… Not because we're totally slaying.
Momo's jaw dropped. "Ehhh? I want my new suit! Nii-chan!" The kid hopped from one foot to the other, his goggles bouncing at his throat. "When do we get to go?"
Mikoshiba perched both hands on speedo-clad hips and laughed. "It's your lucky day, Momotarou! We get to go after lunch!"
"But I can't wait that long!"
Rin chuckled. He tried to imagine what the Team Japan speedos would look like, given that there wasn't much real estate. They'd probably get the Japanese flag on the left hip, but there wasn't anywhere to write JAPAN in the same size letters as adorned his and Haru's left thighs. …Unless they put it across the back, but he couldn't imagine anyone in the JOC wanting writing on a swimmer's ass.
"Haruka." Takara wore black kneeskins with splashes of lavender and a white swim cap. She smiled, sauntering up to Haru and giving him a once-over with her mascara-framed eyes. "You're luscious. Especially the…" She reached out—
In the same instant Haru moved out of the way, Rin lost it. He narrowed his eyes, his voice cool. "Knock it off, Sakamoto."
"Hmm?" Her fingers curled on air. She leveled a frosty gaze at him as she returned her arm to her side. "It sounds like you're attempting to claim victory is our rivalry, Matsuoka." Her eyes danced at him. "That's not really your call, honey."
Rin shrugged, not letting her get under his skin this time. "Fine. Ask him if you want."
"Nii-chan…" Momo's whisper was loud as he tugged on his brother's arm. "What's happening?"
"Gladly," Takara said, perching her hand on her hip. "Haruka, who do you love?"
"And…we're going over here, Momotarou." Mikoshiba dragged his brother away.
Love. Rin stiffened. Why'd you say it like that? …We've kissed twice and one of those times didn't really count. We've been on one date (not Sydney). Who the hell is thinking anything about 'love?' That shit killed dreams. Takara could've said 'like' or 'crush' or even 'boyfriend.' But you had to fucking say 'love' and make this weird.
Haru exhaled. "Give it a rest, Takara." His voice was quiet. "I never agreed to play this game with you." He settled his goggles over his eyes and headed for the pool.
Haru… Rin watched as Haru dove in. His heart was thudding in his chest like he'd done something wrong. He must have. Because Haru should've rolled his eyes and ignored her…or played along…or something. Instead of shutting it down like that.
Takara rolled her shoulders, turning away but not before throwing a smirk in Rin's direction. "Well, Matsuoka. I think you still have some work to do."
Rin glared at her back as she walked away. This is your fault. …So why do I feel guilty? He moved towards the pool, intent on joining Haru—
"Alright, Olympians, let's get going," Maekawa said, coming over. "Matsuoka, Sakamoto, Mikoshiba brothers, you're with me."
Reluctantly, Rin followed. Haru. What did I do…?
…After his 60 minutes were up, Rin climbed out of the pool, breathing hard and grabbing a towel. In a different lane, Haru and his group were still at it. But Rin wasn't scheduled to stay. He rinsed off in the locker room and donned a tank top plus his warmups. He glanced at his paperwork. A thirty minute lunch period followed a two-hour nap? Yeah, right. Aside from that one time with Haru (…or a couple times in the bath with Haru), he didn't nap.
Whatever. He grabbed his stuff and headed for the Athlete's Village.
Their room was on the sixth floor this time and vacant when Rin got back after lunch. He dumped his stuff at the foot of his bed and changed into his pajamas. He paused to draw the blackout curtains across the glass doors—the dark might help him doze at least. But the second he crawled into bed and laid his head on the pillow, taper-hell hit him like a one-two punch and he passed out.
-x-
Rin stirred when the mattress and blankets shifted… He was disoriented at first, blinking in the darkness, but then he smelled chlorine and Haru…and he relaxed. Rin rolled over, meeting Haru's embrace, dragging his arm across familiar shoulders clad in a soft T-shirt. Their limbs were a coiled, tangled mess when he sighed, content, his face pressed into damp strands of hair. "Haru…"
"Rin." His name was a breathy exhale in the quiet room.
-x-
When his alarm buzzed after two hours, Rin groaned. He felt like shit—tired and hot and cranky. This was why he didn't fucking nap. He twisted in Haru's arms, reaching to silence the damn incessant noise—
And his eyes flew open. Why are you in bed with me? We're not home—we're at training camp—and Ikehara-senpai is right over there—
He squinted in the darkness, thinking he could just make it out—that Ikehara's bed was empty and untouched. But maybe I'm imagining it. Rin flicked on the bedside lamp…and exhaled in relief. We're alone.
Haru grunted, pushing his face into Rin's pillow as if he could escape the invasion of light. His arm tightened around Rin's waist.
Part of him just wanted to say fuck it and snuggle in. It wasn't likely they were fooling Ikehara anyways. But out of common decency, Rin couldn't really ask the guy to come back to his own room just to find the two of them cuddling in bed…even if they were wearing their clothes.
"Haru, wake up."
"…Nn."
Rin pried Haru's arm from his waist, sitting up. "Haru—"
"Damnit, what?" Haru mumbled, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes.
"When you were aiming for beds, you missed."
Haru brushed a hand through his hair, looking up at Rin with sleep-laden eyes. "Don't think so, Rin. I was looking for yours."
Rin's face heated. "But Ikehara-senpai—"
"—has meetings until 2:30," Haru said and yawned. "He told me he didn't think he'd be back until 3."
…Oh.
Haru pushed the covers back. "But I can spend the rest of my designated nap period in my own bed—"
Rin snagged Haru's arm, pulling him back down to the bed until they were lying together, face-to-face.
"Rin…?" Blue eyes were searching his face.
Rin hesitated, gathering himself with a breath. "Haru, whatever I did, I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Haru's brows lifted.
"Earlier at the pool. When Sakamoto—"
"Oh." Haru's face shuttered; he was silent for an agonizing moment. "Don't let Takara get to you, Rin. She did that on purpose. She's just trying to get a rise out of you."
Rin pressed his lips. "Well, she's fucking good at it, the way she was flirting with you."
Haru exhaled. "I'm not gonna let her touch me like that, Rin."
"Nn." He frowned. "I just wanted her to get the idea."
"The idea?"
That we're…something. Rin's face burned. It felt too weird to say that out loud, especially when he hadn't exactly figured it out yet—what that something was. But we're not 'just friends.' …And I don't want to share this with anyone else.
Haru sighed. He reached over…and Rin exhaled raggedly when Haru's fingers slipped into his hair.
"…Rin." Haru's voice was barely a whisper. "Did you change your mind about 'someday?'"
"No." Rin curled his arm around Haru, pulling him in a little. "Except that I think 'someday' should be sooner rather than later."
"And it's not just sex, right?"
Rin inhaled sharply. "Haru, no." His face was flaming hot. "I'd never use you like that."
Haru relaxed, smiling with his eyes. "OK."
"…OK what?"
Haru shrugged, looking happy. "Just…OK. That's all I need right now."
Rin's breath slipped out between his lips. "Haru…"
Haru's warm, steady fingers coaxed Rin's head forward. Rin closed his eyes, feeling the plume of moist air against his forehead before Haru's lips brushed the same spot. Then Haru was sliding away, the mattress shifting as he got up. Rin opened his eyes, watching as Haru crossed the space between their beds in his T-shirt and boxer briefs and climbed into his own bed.
"You're supposed to be somewhere, right?" Haru asked, chasing his words with a yawn.
"…Yeah." Rin got up, fishing his folded paper from the pocket of his warmup jacket. He had a meeting about Granada in the main training building at 1:30pm.
He got dressed, grabbing the few things he might need, and turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness again.
"You set an alarm, right?" he asked, feeling the way around his bed to Haru's.
"Yeah. My next thing's at 2:30."
His eyes adjusted slowly. He found the edge of Haru's bed, leaning down towards the sound of Haru's voice. His fingers sifted through soft shards of silky hair; his lips found Haru's cheek. "Have a good nap."
"…I'll try. It was better before."
Rin smiled and felt his way to the door in the dark…
Monday, May 16th, 2016
It was 7am, the sun was beginning to break in through the clouds, and Haru was still asleep. Ikehara was sitting up in his bed with his laptop and headphones, so Rin wasn't worried about disturbing the guy when he perched on the edge of Haru's bed. Rin was already dressed in his leg skins, warmup pants, and tank top, sans the jacket for now.
"Haru, good morning," he said in English.
Haru stirred and blinked. "Huh?" He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The blankets pooled at his waist; Rin's shark T-shirt was slightly twisted around Haru's torso.
"I said… Good morning, Haru." He annunciated each word carefully.
Haru peered at him with a look like, what are you doing?
Rin fought the urge to grin. "We're having English Day. You can only talk to me in English. And I'll only talk to you in English."
There was a pause as Haru processed… Blue eyes slit in obvious annoyance.
"Well…? Aren't you going to greet me?"
A self-conscious blush rose in Haru's cheeks. "…Good morning, Rin," he said in quiet English.
Oh, you are too fucking adorable. Rin smiled.
-x-
They made their way down to the dining hall in their warmups, carrying their gear bags.
"What do you want to eat, Haru?" Rin asked as they headed towards the line.
Haru pursed his lips. "I want to eat sa—" He paused, exhaling. "I want to eat mackerel."
Rin handed him a tray. "And to drink?"
"Juice."
Rin smiled. "What kind of juice?"
Haru glared at him. "Orange juice."
Rin flicked his eyes toward the ceiling with a sigh. "You're still picking the easy words, Haru."
After loading up their trays, they headed to their usual table, where the Mikoshiba brothers, Takara, and Ikehara were already seated, along with a few other girls.
"After this, what do you want to do?" Rin asked as they set their trays down.
"Pool," Haru said, slipping into a chair.
"Sentence, Haru."
Haru exhaled. "I want to go to the pool."
Takara glared at them from the across the table. "What the fuck are you guys doing?"
"They're having English Day," Ikehara said, lifting his cup of green tea.
Mikoshiba grinned. "That's an excellent idea, Matsuoka-kun." He turned to his brother. "Momotarou! How are you today?"
Momo peered at his brother for several seconds as everyone waited… "Hi! My name is Momo!" The kid grinned proudly.
There was a quiet round of chuckling.
Takara rolled her eyes. "Did he flunk English?"
"Probably too busy hunting stag beetles," Rin said.
Momo was still beaming, oblivious. "I eat hamburgers."
-x-
After their workout at the pool—Rin was still amused by the murderous look Haru gave him for having to read off their set in English—they were headed to the clinic on the third floor. They checked in and sat in the waiting room, filling out medical history forms.
Haru started writing his name in English.
"Haru, you can do this part in Japanese."
Haru gave him a defiant look. "You said it was English Day, Rin."
"You knew what I meant." He nudged Haru's arm with his elbow.
Haru exhaled and started filling out the rest in Japanese.
When Rin was finished with his, he sat back, glancing at the clock on the wall. Why was it that waiting in any kind of medical facility meant that seconds felt like minutes felt like hours? …Or was it just his apprehension about the shots?
"Rin, are you scared?"
He snorted. "I'm not scared."
Haru pointed. "Your leg…"
His left leg was bouncing. Rin stilled it, his breath coming out in a puff.
"Do you want me to come in with you?"
Yes, he thought. "No."
"I can hold your hand."
That would be nice… If I was still five. He sighed. "I'll be OK, Haru."
Haru shrugged and went back to his form.
The door opened and a nurse in white scrubs checked her clipboard, looking out across the waiting room. "Matsuoka-kun?"
Clutching his completed form, Rin got up, shoving his other hand into his pocket as he followed her back.
The nurse led him to a cubicle that was little more than a computer on a desk and two chairs. He sat down while the nurse looked over his form. After a moment, she set the paper down on the desk, next to a plastic bin containing several packaged syringes.
Rin looked away, feeling a cold sweat line his collar.
"We'll start with your vitals, Matsuoka-kun," the nurse said in a soothing voice.
-x-
"…The main points are, don't drink tap water or anything made from tap water, including ice," the nurse said. "Eat only cooked foods that are piping hot or fruits with a thick peel that you remove yourself. You can be less cautious with any foods served in the Olympic Village. But stay away from street vendors and the like. There are more details in this packet for you to read." The nurse paused, slipping a folder into the plastic bag he would take away with him. "We're giving you a prescription for any food or waterborne illness you may contract—only take it if you need it." She showed him a vial of pills. "And mosquito repellant." She held up a lime green tube. "Use this whenever you go outside. Mosquitos will be less common at this time of year, thus the risk of Zika transmission is lower, but you should still take appropriate precautions. Be sure to read the details in here." She again tapped the folder, then slipped the pills and repellant into the bag with it. "Only practice safe sex—"
Rin felt a blush creep up his neck.
"—as Zika can be sexually transmitted…not to mention protecting yourself from HIV or any other STD. The Olympic Village will have free condoms readily available; of course you can also bring your own."
Yup, I one hundred percent got it and we don't have to talk about it anymore.
"Now, you're not planning on participating in the Open Water Swim event, correct?"
Rin shook his head. "No."
The nurse nodded. "Understood. So we won't be providing you with the antibiotics for that. We still recommend you avoid swimming at the beaches or in any other waterway to reduce the risk of becoming ill. Practice good hygiene, avoid hand-to-mouth contact until after you've thoroughly washed your hands, etc. …Do you have any questions, Matsuoka-kun?"
He shifted in the small chair. "No." He'd been sitting too long with the plastic bin of syringes staring him in the face.
"Very well. Then, as far as your immunizations…"
Rin inhaled, straightening in the chair.
"We'll be giving you a combination first dose of vaccines for Hepatitis A and B—you'll get a second dose in six months, after you get home—as well as a vaccine for typhoid fever. The Hepatitis vaccine is the injection you'll get today; the typhoid vaccine is a series of pills you'll take orally a week before you arrive in Brazil." The nurse smiled kindly. "So just one shot today."
Damnit, it's showing on my face again.
"If you're ready, we'll go back to the procedure room."
He exhaled. "Yeah."
She led the way towards a room in the back.
Rin passed other cubicles as they walked.
"…You mean the water makes people sick?"
He only heard Haru's voice because it was Haru…somehow Rin was tuned to hear him. And not only his words but the shock and dismay in his tone. The answering voice was muffled.
"…Matsuoka-kun?"
Rin caught up with the nurse, not realizing he'd slowed his steps. Haru. You didn't know?
The procedure room was full of all kinds of equipment Rin chose not to look at. The nurse had him sit in a padded chair with a bar that latched across the front. I'm not fucking passing out. He peeled off his warmup jacket as she washed up and snapped on a set of gloves.
"Alright, Matsuoka-kun, this won't be too bad," she said, arranging her tray of equipment.
Rin looked away as she swabbed his arm with a cold alcohol wipe and let the area dry.
"Expect to feel some soreness at the sight of the injection. A low grade fever, headache, and fatigue are also normal side effects." She stuck him without a break in her words; Rin winced at the pain and burning sensation. "Any difficulty breathing, swelling, hives, high fever, dizziness…would be signs of an allergic reaction. Please contact the emergency number immediately in that case. …There we go. All done."
Rin released the breath he'd been holding.
"You'll want to take it easy for the next twenty-four hours. Certainly no weight lifting or high intensity exercises." The nurse taped a bit of gauze to his arm, then proceeded to clean up her materials. "How are you feeling, Matsuoka-kun?"
"Fine," he said. Can I go now?
The nurse smiled as she discarded her gloves and washed her hands. "Alright, just a minute or two more. I've had larger men than you faint on me the instant they stood up."
Hmph.
After the prescribed interval, she unlatched the bar and moved it out of the way. "Take it easy. No sudden movements…"
Rin nodded, getting up slowly even though it was annoying. He felt a wave of lightheadedness as he straightened, but it passed.
"…Still doing alright?" the nurse asked.
"Yeah," he said after a deep breath. "I'm good." He pulled on his jacket.
The nurse smiled. "Then I'll get your bag and you'll be on your way."
Rin ended up back in the waiting area—Haru wasn't done yet. He sat down, clutching the bag of medical items and glanced at his schedule. There was another sponsor meeting in twenty minutes. After that, his calendar was clear for the rest of the day.
Rin waited. It would only take him a few minutes to get downstairs…
-x-
Twelve minutes later (not that Rin was counting), Haru emerged from the back, carrying a similar bag of supplies and paperwork.
"Haru." Rin got to his feet.
Haru looked at him and blinked…and Rin's breath stopped, strangled in his throat. The blank, shocked, numb look on Haru's face made Rin go cold. To anyone else, Haru probably looked like his normal, stoic self. But Rin could tell. Haru was shaken up…and Rin panicked inside.
I can't do this again. I can't lose you again like last time, even for one day. Rin propelled himself forward, grabbing Haru's free hand and not giving a damn who else was around. "Haru."
Haru blinked again and a trace of life woke in the blue depths of his eyes. "Rin." He paused, his forehead creasing thoughtfully. "I'm going to our room."
Rin inhaled. "Haru, you can knock it off with the English."
"It's OK. You have a meeting?"
"…Yeah. I'll come back right after."
Haru nodded. "I'll wait." He squeezed Rin's fingers and pulled away.
-x-
Rin's heart was thudding in his chest, pumping icy fluid through his veins. He couldn't stop thinking about it—coming back to their room, Haru and all of his things gone… Fuck! How much longer was this stupid meeting going to run? You have to be there this time, Haru. I can't—
"…What do you think, Matsuoka-kun?"
Rin blinked, coming back to the man sitting across from him, cups of tea and paperwork covering the table between them. The man wore a plain, navy blue business suit with a white shirt and no tie. They were sitting near the windows in the café on the first floor of the Sports Sciences building.
Rin tried to recall what they were talking about, but came up blank. "Sumimasen." He dipped his head. "Could you please repeat the question?"
The sponsor rep straightened a stack of paperwork and gave a sympathetic smile. "Matsuoka-kun, you just had your medical, right? Let's reschedule the rest of this conversation. If you could look over this information in the meantime, when you're feeling better…"
Rin's face heated. "Sumimasen. I—"
"No, it's alright," the man said with a wave of his hand. "We'll find a time later in the week." He got up; Rin followed suit.
They shook hands and Rin bowed from the waist. "…Thank you."
"Of course." The man gathered his things. "Get some rest."
Rin only straightened when the man had gone. He discarded his untouched cup of tea and grabbed the handful of paperwork, jamming everything into his bag with the medicine. Then he bolted for the stairs—
-x-
He got to the sixth floor of the Athlete's Village out of breath and perspiring—running after the damn shot wasn't the best idea. Rin shoved sweaty hair from his eyes and swiped his keycard at their door. It flashed red at him and he muttered a curse, forcing himself to redo the swipe properly…
The door unlocked and Rin rushed in.
"Haru—"
The lights were on, but Haru wasn't there. His things were, though. Haru's bed was littered with paperwork and his laptop.
Don't fucking panic. He probably just went to the bathroom or something. Rin drew deep breaths as he walked into the room. He threw his bag down on his bed and glanced at Haru's laptop.
It hadn't even gone to the screensaver yet, so Haru must've just left. On the screen, a browser was open with tab after tab of information about waterborne illnesses, parasites, sanitation…articles about places all over the world.
Haru. Rin sat down on the edge of his bed, his lungs emptying in a rush. Yeah, in the back of his mind he knew there were water issues across the globe and he was aware of the specific concerns related to Rio. But those kinds of problems didn't affect his daily life. To someone like Haru, though, who loved the water…
Rin sighed, thrusting a hand through his hair. His gaze caught on a scrap of paper on the nightstand between his and Haru's beds…
Shower was written there in Haru's neat English letters.
Rin ran for the door—
The men's bathroom on the floor had four shower stalls. Two of the four had showers going; the one on the far right had a door that was slightly ajar.
Oh, you'd better fucking be in here… Rin glanced around to make sure no one else was there before tentatively pushing at the door. Team Japan warmups were strewn on the shelf in the changing area just inside. The lights were on in the narrow, tiled space. There were spots for hanging towels, though they were empty now; a glass inner door led into the actual shower. Haru was sitting in the corner, in his jammers. He had his knees hugged to his chest as his frame was pelted by the spray.
Relief flooded Rin, though it was only half-hearted. He entered, closing the door behind him and securing the latch. Stripping down to his leg skins, he left everything else bundled up on the shelf next to Haru's things.
He opened the glass door and winced at the icy mist that hit his skin. "Can I turn it up?"
Haru nodded without looking up.
Rin adjusted the water to a reasonable temperature so they wouldn't freeze to death, then he stepped under the spray. He sat down next to Haru, his back against slick beige tile. There was just enough room to sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the narrow stall; if he stretched out his legs, he'd hit the glass door.
Haru immediately leaned against him.
Rin exhaled hard, circling Haru's frigid shoulders with both arms, unsure whether to be happy Haru was letting him in…or really worried.
"It's cold," Haru said with a shiver.
"Whose fault is that, idiot?" Rin tightened his arms, wiping icy water from Haru's hair. "And I said you could stop it with the English. We'll practice later."
Haru fell quiet. Rin cradled him as the shower spray pounded their skin.
Gradually, Haru's shivering stopped. "Your meeting's over?"
"Yeah…I fucked that up," Rin muttered. He sighed. "I couldn't concentrate."
"I promised you, Rin. After last time."
"…I know. But I still…" He pressed his face into Haru's wet hair. "I needed to get to you. …I didn't realize you didn't know."
"I don't really watch the news," Haru said. "I kind of stopped…after the tsunami."
Five years ago… He'd been in Australia then, in middle school. But Rin remembered the pictures, the videos…the walls of water and fire, the destruction, the dead and the missing… "I don't blame you."
"Water's dangerous. Your dad died that way... Rei and Makoto almost drowned that one summer in high school... We have to respect the water's power and fury—I get all that." Haru paused. "But just drinking water…just being in water like this…shouldn't make people sick."
…Haru.
"People need water to live. They shouldn't have to choose between dying or being sick all the time."
"…Yeah."
"It's not OK."
Rin didn't answer. Haru was right. But what are you going to do about it? You're talking about world peace, world hunger type stuff.
They fell quiet again, the water streaming through their hair, running rivulets down their limbs.
"…Rin?" Haru's wet hands grasped Rin's arms.
Rin lifted his head. "Yeah?"
Haru unfurled against him and snuggled in. "Thanks for being here."
Emotion clogged Rin's throat. He swallowed hard, but his voice was still hoarse when he got the words out. "Yeah, Haru."
-x-
…Rin's legs were falling asleep. He stretched them carefully, wincing at the sensation of pins and needles as he wiggled his toes.
Haru grunted his protest. "Why are you moving?"
"Because I need to, dummy."
"Nn."
"Haru, we should get out."
"Nn…"
"Seriously, look at my skin." Rin freed one of his hands, displaying the wrinkled flesh on the pads of his fingers and his palm. "Yours too." He grabbed one of Haru's hands, aligning their furrowed digits side by side.
Haru sighed. "…Fine." He sat up, taking his weight off Rin.
Rin extended all of his limbs, his joints popping; his back was sore from sitting so long against the wall. Reaching up, he turned the water off. "Are you hungry? Tired?"
Haru flung the excess water from his head and paused, looking thoughtful. "Yeah."
"OK." Rin got up, pulling Haru with him, taking care to pick the arm that didn't have gauze taped to it. "You didn't bring any towels."
Haru shrugged as they pushed the glass door open and exited into the cramped changing space. "Neither did you."
"Tch. Good point." Rin wrung the water from his hair, wiping the droplets from his skin. Now for the awkward part. "You wanna go first or should I?" he asked, shimmying into his warmup pants.
Haru's eyes flicked to him askance. He was shrugging into his jacket. "Or we could go together and let them think what they want."
"Haru…" Rin blushed. I can't tell if you're teasing or serious.
Haru's gaze warmed with a hint of amusement. He wrapped arms loosely around Rin's waist and pressed a kiss to Rin's cheek. "I'm kidding. I'll go first and let you know if it's clear."
Rin cared a lot less after that. Honestly, staying in here and giving everyone something to talk about didn't seem like a half-bad idea… But as Haru drew back, Rin could see the pain in the depths of Haru's eyes. Things were far from fine. He nodded.
Haru finished getting dressed, stepping into his sandals and slipping out the door.
Rin waited, quietly listening as he donned his warmup jacket.
A moment later, Haru pulled the door open, not saying anything but tilting his head in the direction of the toilet stalls.
Rin nodded. They snuck out of the bathroom without a word, dripping on the carpet in the hallway as they made their way back to their room.
Ikehara wasn't there when they went inside. They stripped down to their swimsuits and toweled off. Haru crawled into bed in his jammers and curled up.
Rin glanced at the clock. It was lunchtime; they both needed to eat. "I'll grab stuff from the cafeteria," he said, pulling on his standby black and red warmup pants and a gray sweatshirt. "What do you want?"
"Not saba," Haru murmured.
"Not saba?"
Haru started to shake his head, but stopped, wincing. "No. Just, like, rice or something. My head hurts."
Rin could feel a tickle of dull pain behind his eyes. "They said that was normal."
"Yeah." Haru closed his eyes.
Rin took a moment to straighten a few things, moving Haru's laptop and scattered papers to the desk. "Alright, I'll be right back."
"Thanks, Rin."
-x-
Down in the cafeteria, Rin filled to-go containers with savory rice porridge, fresh fruit, and a few other items. He grabbed packets of herbal tea to make upstairs.
"Rin-senpai, are you having a picnic?" Momo bounded up to him, thankfully stopping short of running into him given all the items piled on his tray.
The kid's sunny disposition made Rin's headache worse. "Sort of," Rin said. "Did you get your shots yet, Momo?"
"No, we're going after lunch!"
How can you look so happy about it? "Well, you can have your own headache picnic afterwards."
"Headache picnic?" Momo made a face. "That doesn't sound fun at all."
"Yeah, kinda not." Rin headed for the exit, carrying the tray. "See you later, Momo."
"Bye!" Momo dashed off towards the desserts.
Rin balanced the tray as he hit the button for the elevator, then again when he opened the door to their room. Soft, shallow breaths were coming from Haru's bed. Rin left the tray on the nightstand and went out to make tea and fill their water bottles.
Haru was still dozing when Rin got back.
He sat on Haru's bed, leaning back against the headboard and stretching his legs out on top of the covers. He sipped from a container of miso soup, glad for the quiet as his head throbbed.
Haru stirred a few minutes later. "What did you get?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his face. The blankets pooled at his waist.
Rin set his soup aside and pulled the tray into his lap, lifting the covers on several items. "Soup, porridge, fruit, salad. Anything sound good?"
"…Porridge."
"Here." Rin balanced the tray across their thighs—his left, Haru's right—and handed Haru a spoon. "Or did you want me to feed you?"
"Nn." Haru grabbed the porridge container and sat back, eating with his head resting against Rin's shoulder.
Rin exhaled, content, and went back to sipping his soup.
-x-
They were finishing up with the fresh fruit and tea when Ikehara came in. The guy glanced at the nest they'd made on Haru's bed and smiled empathetically. "You guys doing OK?"
Haru shrugged.
"More or less," Rin said.
Ikehara nodded. He crossed the room, unpacking his stuff. "The good news is, you pretty much only have to do it once. Though, you have to sit through the same scary briefing every trip."
"About the water?" Haru asked, his gaze fixed on his paper cup of tea.
Haru… Rin lowered his empty fruit container.
"The content changes." Ikehara went to the closet, stripping off his Team Japan warmups and dressing in gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt instead. "Some places it's about water and food, other places it's about pickpockets or express kidnappings or 'don't go out alone after dark.' Sometimes all of the above." He shrugged. "If you keep your head about you, you'll be fine."
Haru sighed. He finished his tea and returned the empty cup to the tray.
Rin set the tray aside—it was only trash now.
Ikehara sat down on the right side of the desk with his laptop and started working on something.
"Rin, where'd you put my laptop?"
"It's on the desk. On the left." Rin leaned back, stretching a little.
"Oh." Haru got up and retrieved it, along with the rest of his paperwork. He was still only wearing his jammers. He climbed back into bed and booted up.
"Haru…I'm not sure it's good for you to dwell on it." Rin crossed his legs at the ankles, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt.
"I'm not dwelling on anything," Haru muttered, pulling up a browser window and typing.
"Obsessing," Rin murmured.
Haru shot him a glare. "Go away, then. It's not like you have to watch."
"You'll just get depressed again!"
Haru inhaled through his nose. "Rin, it's important—"
"—What are you two fighting about?" Ikehara swiveled in his chair, his brows lifted.
Tch. We're not fighting. This is normal. Rin pressed his lips.
Haru looked away, miffed. "Water."
"…What about it?"
Haru didn't answer.
Oh, now you're not gonna talk, huh? Rin rolled his eyes. "Water's a big deal to Haru. He got upset when he heard about the water safety concerns in Rio."
"It's not just Rio, Rin. Almost two billion people in the world have contaminated drinking water. It's estimated that half a million people die each year—"
"Stop Interneting! And don't look at the pictures!"
"I'm not sure I understand the argument," Ikehara said.
"Nn." Rin's face heated. "We're not really arguing."
"He's just worried about me," Haru said, tapping keys on his keyboard. "He's afraid I'll go off and sulk or something."
Rin exhaled, exasperated. "You did. I found you curled up in the shower."
"Well, the irony of that aside…" Ikehara smiled faintly. "If you're passionate about clean water, Nanase-kun, why not do something about it?"
Haru looked up, lifting his brows. "Like what?"
"Like…raise awareness, raise money. It can be your platform. I'm not saying the problem can be fixed overnight, but you can do something to help. If you want."
Ah, hell. Why didn't I think of that? Rin sobered. Am I really that much of a self-centered asshole? Winning is all that matters, my dream is all that matters… He fought the urge to sigh.
Haru was quiet for a thoughtful moment. "I'm not that good at talking to people."
Ikehara shook his head. "You don't have to be. Talk to your sponsor rep. They'll get you in touch with the right people. Once you make a name for yourself, if people know you're attached to a cause… It shouldn't be this way, but gold, silver, and bronze talk. They just do. People pay attention."
Haru settled back, his frame relaxed, his eyes warm with possibilities. "Clean water…"
He looked so happy, Rin was jealous…in addition to feeling like a narcissistic jerk. I should just be glad you're not upset anymore. But he couldn't help thinking… Maybe my dream's not everything…or it is, but maybe it shouldn't be.
-x-
Rin headed back to the bathroom later with a length of dental floss, ready to attack a few stubborn bits he hadn't been able to worry from his teeth. Another shower was going when he got in there, but the place was quiet otherwise. Haru had been focused on his continued research when Rin left the room, making notes and devouring information on his laptop. It was rare to see him so motivated, but if anything could get Haru off his butt and engaged, it would be water.
Rin frowned at his reflection in the mirror above the basin. He looked like crap with burgundy hair falling in his face, his eyes shadowed by fatigue. He still had that dull headache. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea—trying a nap. Even if he didn't fall asleep, lying down in the quiet room would probably help his head. He started in with the floss.
Nap, dinner, go to bed early… If he was lucky, he'd start to feel normal again tomorrow. It had to happen soon or competing on Friday was going to suck. Not that he had to feel good in the water to kick ass and win, but it was more fun that way.
The shower shut off and Rin barely noticed, focused on his flossing. But he froze when he heard a feminine giggle from the same stall.
A glance at the urinals meant he hadn't accidently wandered into the wrong bathroom. Rin scowled, heat creeping up his neck. Don't fucking be subtle about it or anything. We're supposed to be tapering, not screwing around. The girl sounded like she was trying to keep her voice down; the guy, not so much. Their voices were muffled by the shower stall as they talked.
Rin went back to his flossing, irritated. If this was a little taste of Rio…I'll be bringing my headphones every time I have to use the fricking bathroom.
The stall door opened and a girl in blue and white warmups came out. Rin didn't recognize her; she wasn't on the swim team. The girl jumped when she saw him standing by the sinks; she flushed bright red and scampered for the exit.
Rin rolled his eyes, nearly done with his flossing.
The guy came out a minute later, in Team Japan warmups, scrubbing light brown hair with a towel.
Rin's insides coiled.
Kawamura noted his presence with a glance, but looked entirely unconcerned. The guy had a mellow, sated look on his face that Rin wanted to punch right off him.
Kawamura settled the towel around his neck and headed for the door. "Matsuoka," he said in passing, flicking a wad of refuse into the trash bin.
Rin grunted in reply, because he had no words other than you're a total fucking dick and I've lost all respect for you.
The guy left and Rin slumped forward, gripping the basin as anger ran hot through his veins and increased his headache tenfold. Sousuke, why? Why the fuck are you letting yourself be used by a guy like that? He stopped short of slamming his hand into something or kicking the wall, but fuck, he wanted to.
Rin discarded his floss into the trash and left the bathroom.
Haru was the only one there when Rin got back. He was where Rin left him—sitting cross-legged on his bed in jammers and a blue dolphin T-shirt, with the laptop in his lap. He looked up as Rin entered, as if he could sense something was off. Hell, Rin's footsteps might've been enough to indicate he was about to lose it.
Haru's face darkened with concern. He set the laptop aside. "Rin?"
Rin threw himself onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Haru's waist and burying his head in the front of Haru's shirt. "I fucking hate that guy," he said, his voice muffled by fabric. …And he hated himself for not being able to deal with this. For feeling things and not being able to turn it off—
Haru's arms settled around his shoulders, warm through Rin's sweatshirt. "Who, Rin?"
"Kawamura." Rin drew a ragged breath, his eyes burning. "He was doing some girl in the shower."
"Oh." Haru's fingers began to sift slowly through his hair. "Yeah, he gets around." Haru's voice was calm, soothing. "Hate's a strong word, though."
"Yeah, well, if he was screwing your best friend, maybe you'd feel differently." Rin stilled as the words came out of his own mouth, lifting his head. "Please tell me he's not also doing Makoto or anyone else we know."
Haru shook his head. "Makoto hasn't…" He exhaled. "We only run in some of the same circles. It's not like I keep track."
"Yeah…" Rin dropped his head against Haru's chest with a thud.
Haru's caresses resumed in his hair. "It bothers you, Rin? I got the impression Yamazaki and Kawamura go back a ways. That they're pretty good friends and it's an open thing."
"Tch. 'An open thing.'"
"When people agree to—"
"—I know what it means, Haru."
"So if they agreed to it, why is it any of your business?"
"It fucking isn't," Rin said, irritated and wanting to bite something. "But Sousuke's not happy. I can tell he's not happy."
Haru's fingers slid to a stop. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "You should stay out of it, Rin."
Rin exhaled roughly against Haru's chest. "Yeah, I know…"
"You can ask Yamazaki about it if you want, but…"
Rin raised his head. "But?"
Haru's face had shuttered. He shook his head.
"Haru, what?"
Haru's blue eyes darkened a shade. His hand came to rest against the side of Rin's face, his thumb near Rin's lower lip. "Just…be careful, Rin. He doesn't let you be free."
That didn't make much sense to Rin, though it was probably clear in Haru's head. Rin groped for the feeling behind those words. "Haru…are you jealous?"
"I don't get jealous."
Right. "I got to ask you about Makoto. But you didn't…" He pressed his lips, his heart pounding at the way Haru was looking at him, the way Haru was touching him. "You think there's something between me and Sousuke? There isn't. There never was and never will be."
"I didn't ask, Rin."
He smiled. "Your eyes did."
"What are you smirking for?"
"You…being a little bit jealous for me." Rin lowered his voice. "I like it, Haru. It's nice payback."
Haru's eyes widened; Rin felt the breath catch in Haru's chest…and Haru's heart was beating fast like his own. Rin tightened his arms around Haru's torso, his gaze dropping to Haru's mouth.
Haru's thumb bumped the swell of Rin's lower lip—he wasn't sure if that was intentional or not, but he felt a shiver of pleasure…and Haru's unsteady exhale.
Haru withdrew his hands. "You should get up, Rin." There was a faint tremor in Haru's voice, like he wasn't at all as calm as his words implied.
He should, but Rin didn't want to. He needed to and he would, but...the disappointment still stung. "Because you don't want to kiss me, Haru?"
"No. Because I really do," Haru said quietly and swallowed.
Rin let go, planting his hands to either side of Haru and backing off halfway. There, he hesitated. His head was whirling with reciprocated desire and he couldn't take his eyes off Haru's lips and flushed cheeks…nor could he forget the way it felt—Haru's heartbeat and Haru breathing against him— When he made a tentative move forward, Haru didn't move away—
There was a creak of footsteps just outside and they broke apart rapidly, Rin nearly tumbling off the bed. Fuck! His face was boiling and he didn't know how the hell they were going to explain this—
The door across the hall opened and closed.
"Oh, God." Rin laid facedown on the bed and groaned, the jolt of fear tempering his lust. After a bit, he raised his head, resting his chin atop his arms.
Haru was back against the headboard, sitting cross-legged and catching his breath, still looking at the door. He hugged a pillow to his chest.
"Sorry," Rin muttered.
Haru glanced at him, brows lifted with surprise. "Why? It's not like I said no, Rin."
Rin inhaled in a slow, controlled manner; his passions had cooled but it wasn't like those feelings were gone. Not even close. He sighed. Not that I want to be thinking about sex at all after the nurse's stupid lecture. He dropped his eyes to rumpled sheets. "Na, Haru…" Warmth built in his face again. He flicked his gaze cautiously to his friend. "Have you ever…?" Rin blushed harder, unable to get the rest of the sentence out.
Haru flushed a delicate pink, apparently getting it. "No." His face clouded, his arms tightening around the pillow. "…You?"
"No," Rin said.
The tension vanished from the air between them as they both exhaled.
Rin relaxed against the blankets. God, that was a load off. Not that it should have mattered… Ah, hell, who was he kidding? The envy alone would've killed him. But not having to worry about who was experienced or how he compared to others… It was a relief—comfortable, easy, and safe. It's just us. Rin kicked his feet up, crossing them at the ankles.
Haru's face had eased. He was open again, his eyes studying Rin with a measure of curiosity.
Rin cocked a brow. "What?"
"Nothing." Haru shrugged. "I just thought, in Australia… They gave us the one bed—"
"—I told you that wasn't a thing, idiot. Just because it's a different country." Rin rolled his eyes. "What about you? You're in college."
"So? Even though other people were doesn't mean I wanted to."
"Tch. The way you flirt with me sometimes…"
"Because I only want to with you, Rin."
Rin stilled, his eyes flaring wide, his heart thudding in his chest. Haru. His breath, when he finally remembered the whole breathing thing, came out shaky. There was desire, but it was a lot more than that. Haru's words and soft blue gaze were invitations—not to the Rin who wanted to stand on an Olympic podium in front of the whole world, but to the Rin deep inside…the one he didn't show people. The Rin who had fears and uncertainties and was afraid to fail. Not even Sousuke knew that part of him. But when you look at me, it's like you're looking at all of me, and you're still saying shit like that. That you want to swim with me, that you want to be with me, that you want…us. Rin pressed his lips. And even though you have Makoto, I'm the one… Strong feelings swirled inside him in response, feelings he hadn't labeled, but—
Rin inhaled again, exhaling in a puff. "Haru, if I hug you right now is that a bad idea?"
Haru's eyes warmed. "No," he said, freeing one hand from the pillow and reaching out.
Rin grasped the offered fingers, pulling himself up as much as tugging Haru towards him. They sat hip-to-hip, arms wrapping around each other from the side. Rin didn't have any words. He rested his head on Haru's shoulder and closed his eyes.
Haru's fingers tangled into his hair again and Rin sighed, melting into the embrace.
"How's your headache, Rin?" Haru asked eventually.
I forgot about that… It was still there, a little bit. Rin shrugged. "Not bad." He drew back slightly, meeting the contented, happy look on Haru's face.
"Wanna get some fresh air before dinner?" Haru asked, his fingertips tucking errant strands of hair behind Rin's ears. "We can walk outside," he said in English.
"Yeah." Rin smiled. "Good idea."
Thursday, May 19th, 2016
"You missed a button, Haru."
"I did not."
"Tch." Rin turned from their reflection in the mirror, hooking a finger into the collar of Haru's dress shirt. "The top one, dummy."
"Stop being fussy." Haru batted his hand away. "I'll do it for the pictures, not for clinic."
Rin snorted, grabbing his red blazer from the closet and pulling it on. He fastened the gold buttons, completing the look, and grinned at the mirror. "All we need now is the hardware, Haru." More gold, preferably.
"Mn." Haru slipped into his matching blazer, flicking the cuffs straight, his cool demeanor in perfect sync with the tailored, formal wear.
"You guys clean up well," Ikehara said, sitting on the edge of the bed as he tied his shoes.
Fuck yeah we do.
Ikehara straightened, the red of his blazer echoing the coppery highlights in his black hair. "Ready to go?"
-x-
"…With that, Olympians, we'll close out our final training camp here," Coach Fujino said from the front of the conference room. He was wearing a formal black suit and a white dress shirt, but the same black, white, and red JOC tie as the Olympians. His staff, behind him, were also suited up in black. "Starting tomorrow, you are Team Japan—representing our nation here and across the globe, competing side-by-side with the world's greatest athletes."
Rin listened from his seat between Haru and Ikehara, feeling smug and trying not to grin like an idiot.
"I couldn't be more proud of you." Coach Fujino paused, smiling. "After the Japan Open, the next time we'll all be together is in São Paulo. I look forward to seeing all of you there…and we'll go on to Rio together."
There was a lump in Rin's throat—just a little one. He soaked in the words, inhaling. Haru glanced at him and he did not glance back. Stop it, Haru. His face heated. From the corner of his eye, he saw Haru's eyes warm.
"As for one last bit of business before we head out... On the subject of team captain, I'm pleased to announce Ikehara-kun has been selected."
The Olympians clapped, the sound filling the conference room.
Ikehara made a humming sound when the applause died down. "It should really be Sugiyama-senpai…"
Sugiyama, in the last row, was leaning back in his chair, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks. "Nah, you got it."
"Very well, I accept." Ikehara got to his feet and bowed. "It is an honor and a privilege. Thank you."
Coach Fujino clasped his hands behind him, rocking back on his heels and smiling broadly. "Well, then, Captain Ikehara, would you please lead your team to the press room?"
"Gladly." Ikehara straightened, smoothing the front of his blazer. "Olympians…" He gave the room an easy smile. "Let's go."
Rin grinned as he got up, slinging an arm around Haru's shoulders as they left the room…
-x-
In two single-file lines, they entered the brightly lit press room, the seats filled with members of the media and cameras. Flashes were popping left and right as they made two tight rows in front of a giant banner with the JOC logo—the Japanese flag above the Olympic rings.
Rin and Haru were in the back row, to the side. They were standing close enough that the back of their hands brushed. Rin was blinded by all the lights, smiling broadly and bursting with pride.
"Hey." He nudged Haru with his left hand. "Smile a little."
"I'm trying." Blue eyes flicked his way, annoyed.
Rin chuckled, curling one of his fingers around one of Haru's. "Try harder."
"…OK." Haru captured Rin's hand instead, interlacing their fingers.
Rin's breath caught, heat creeping up the back of his neck. Haru…
From the corner of his eye, he saw Haru's face soften and his small, real smile… Haru was happy. Rin's eyes pricked with emotion. He gathered himself with a thick inhale and grinned as the flashes continued…