Arg! I'm so sorry this took forever!

Chapter 10

"Haruka? What the hell?" Rin sputtered, brushing his hair back as Haruka looked at him. Aiichiro hid behind him, letting Rin keep him in place in the water.

"You didn't look busy," Haruka chided, shifting his arms to push him in a steady movement towards the tree. The tree easily in his reach, he lifted his hand out of the water and pulled himself out, sitting quietly as though he was meant to sit there.

Rin grumbled to himself, hefting himself out of the water before pulling Aiichiro up as well. "Well we were," Rin bit out, wrapping Aiichiro in the sleeping bag the moment the other was out of the water.

Haruka shrugged, easily swinging his feet as he relaxed on the branch. Rin brushed his hair out of his face, feeling the drops of water fall down his neck. Aiichiro shivered against him, leaning in for warmth as the sleeping bag quickly soaked up water.

"Didn't think I'd see you again," Rin spoke, arms lacing themselves against Aiichiro. The smaller, realizing he was safe, closed his eyes and relaxed, almost trying to fall asleep.

"And I thought alliances were off the table," Haruka spat out bitterly. Rin flinched at the sudden harsh tone, but turned away, not wanting to look his friend in the eyes. Haruka made a knowing sound, as if he already knew the answer Rin wasn't speaking.

They stayed in silence. Haruka's toes brushed against the water, he constantly disturbed it, creating ripple after ripple as he simply sat there, as if expecting Rin to suddenly come and apologize. Rin kept his mouth shut though, rubbing his arm up and down Aiichiro's back. Finally the younger seemed to fall asleep, and Rin breathed a bit easier.

"I don't want to fight you in the end," Rin quietly said. Haruka looked over at him in surprise, before glancing down at Aiichiro lightly snoring in his arms. Rin brushed some if Aiichiro's hair out of his face, wondering if there was anything else to say.

"You're not the only one who wants to live. I promised Makoto I would come home," Haruka explained, almost like a fact. "He promised me mackerel." Rin chuckled, almost as a reflex over Haruka and his mackerel.

"Not sick of it yet?" Rin asked, careful not to disturb Aiichiro with his laughs. Aiichiro stirred a little as they talked, but otherwise remained still.

"Never sick of mackerel."

Rin flat out laughed, his laughter echoing in the night air. Haruka looked confused for a moment, before he let out his own chuckle.

"I'm going to miss this," Rin finally got out. Haruka sobered up and silence descended over them again, only Aiichiro's snores and the pitter patter of water to accompany them.

"Home will not be the same," Haruka agreed.

"I didn't think you would grow so attacked to someone so small," Haruka voiced. Rin couldn't help but glance down at Aiichiro, seeing Aiichiro's fingers tightly clinging to his shirt, as if he was afraid Rin would run away while he slept.

"He saved my life." And that was all the explanation needed.

They sat together until the sun rose, and watched the red over power the blue, a domination for color that left the dark blue of the night fading quickly into the red and golden hues of dawn. Rin let the sun burn his eyes with a welcomed joy, knowing another day survived in the arena.

"Before the arena was flooded, I found some fish," Haruka began to explain. Rin turned his eyes away from the fading red streaks to Haruka.

"Back home, this fish was special, I think you remember it right? Only certain cooks could make it because the fish was so poisonous."

Rin remembered. He never risked it.

"I caught some, I'm not the best at preparing though, but some of the Careers were more than happy to try it though," Haruka was talking as though telling a child a story. Rin pursed his lips and said nothing.

"It took them a while to die, but eventually they did. I made sure to save some though, just in case I came across more. I don't think I will though."

When Aiichiro woke, Haruka was gone. Aiichiro did not ask about Haruka, nor did Rin bring it up. Instead the sun burned into their backs as they moved together towards the mountain, and in the bag Rin was holding, raw fish weighed down heavily. A cannon fire echoed through the air only once, and Aiichiro regaled Rin of his stories from home. He listened dutifully, asking about family and what he liked to do for fun.

"I wouldn't mind learning how to swim like you Rin," Aiichiro replied when Rin asked what he wanted to do after this was all over.

"I'll teach you," Rin replied, reaching under the water to hold his hand.

Neither commented over which one of them would still be left standing at the end of this. Silence once more descended upon the two of them, but the silence was uncomfortable, thick and heavy in the humid air. The water slowly descended, until they weren't walking in chest height water, or even waist high, but knee deep water.

Rin's jacket quickly came off, and his shoulders burned under the sun. Aiichiro took his off as well, but his skin didn't burn or freckle under the sun like Rin's just got tanner and tanner. He laughed at Rin's misery, but he wasn't laughing when Rin pushed him into the water.

"Rin!" Aiichiro wailed, pushing the water out of his face. Rin laughed at the kicked puppy look,
but still helped Aiichiro up, chuckling all the while.

"That wasn't nice," Aiichiro pouted, crossing his arms.

"Alright, I'm-"

"Tributes! Tributes!"

Rin's words died on his lips. They looked towards the sky, as if expecting to see a face to go along with the voice.

"I'm sure you have all been enjoying the water, we can't have dehydrated now can we?"

Rin scoffed, and Aiichiro stepped a bit closer to him.

"Tomorrow we will have the most wonderful feast set up for you in the Cornucopia. Be sure not to miss out!"

Rin placed his arm around Aiichiro as the voice clicked off.

"How many tributes are left?" Rin wondered aloud. Aiichiro frowned.

"Is your District-mate, Haruka, still alive?"

"Yes."

"There's four."