The entrance to the hall is comparatively vacant when Haruka gets there. Unlike how it was this morning when the sea of people waiting to go inside stretched as far as the eyes could see, it's quiet now, save for a group of cheerful girls chatting away on the side and a few other people hanging around, scrolling on their phones. Haruka feels at peace here. Or at least he would have, if not for the thunderous pounding in his chest that resounds irritatingly in his ears like the blaring beats of drum from Makoto's favourite rock band's song.
Call it a sick game fate is playing on him, but for some obscure reason, Rin wants to meet him.
Again. Just the two of them.
What could it possibly be about? Perhaps Rin is going to scold him for showing up out of the blue? Or maybe Rin is pissed off over that weird question he asked at the end… Well, to be fair, it's not even his. Nagisa was the one who wrote it down on a piece of paper, claiming that it's the perfect million-dollar question –simple, sweet but thought-provoking enough to make Rin reveal more interesting details about himself. Nagisa said he took it from a psychology journal Rei was reading. Haruka personally thinks it's rubbish; if there's a thing about Rin he had learnt from the answer, it's that Rin is a painfully cute and endearing when he's flustered, and that he's a big romantic sap.
Not particularly a news to anyone.
Clutching onto his shoulder bag tightly, Haruka stands by the glass door, waiting. He's sweating from the sweltering heat –it is summer after all- and the double layer clothes he's wearing suddenly seems like a really, really bad idea. The sun has risen high above in the sky, scorching whatever bits of skin he has uncovered. A drop of perspiration trickles down the side of his face, running down mere inches away from the corner of his lips, and he sighs. Yes, he does love water a great deal, but not water mixed with inner bodily toxins and chemicals; it tastes gross, saltier than even the saltiest mackerel he's ever had.
Haruka shuffles his feet and glances at his watch. Fifteen minutes have passed. Without this heat he would've not minded waiting longer for Rin, but his clothes are already sticking to his body resembling a second skin, and it most definitely isn't a good feeling.
"Hey," A voice calls out, prompting Haruka to look up from the ground. He sees Rin, maroon hair in a ponytail and jacket off, leaving the printed T-shirt underneath. Stylish as always."Sorry I was late. Got caught up in something... Let's go grab something to eat."
"You're not busy?" Haruka asks.
Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Rin shrugs. "Nahhh… I don't have any more sessions after this. I was only on the stage for a while, it's not like I have to be there all the time," he replies. "Just figured that since you're here, we could… hang out for a bit."
"Where are we going?"
"I know this one sushi place, it's not far from here. Five to ten minutes if we walk," Rin says, grinning bashfully. Within seconds of realising that he's practically forcing this plan onto Haruka, however, his smile falters. "That is... Unless you have something else to do?"
"No…" Haruka mumbles, still unable to fathom why Rin wants to go have a meal with him, of all people, when it's pretty clear that Rin has so many other acquaintances in this place. Carefully, he studies Rin's face for any signs of anger or distress, but there's none. Rin is absentmindedly playing with the knitted bracelets around his wrist, looking giddy and hopeful, if anything.
Can Haruka say no to that? No, of course not.
"Do they have mackerel sashimi?" Haruka speaks after a moment of seemingly perpetual wait.
Instantly, Rin lights up like a shining star, beaming from ear to ear at Haruka in a charming smile. He leans in towards Haruka, bumping his shoulder a little in a cheeky gesture. "The best you'll ever have."
Who the hell suggested that they walk all the way in this blistering summer heat, without a parasol or any kind of protection from the sun? Oh right. It's Rin.
"Haru," Rin says, catching Haruka's attention as they turn another corner, following the directions to Saikou Sushi on his phone's map application. They're walking at a pace much too slow for his liking, but that seems to be Haruka's default speed and Rin has no choice but to give in, taking smaller steps than he usually does. Taking a gray handkerchief out from his pocket, he offers it to Haruka. "Here. You're sweating. Must be uncomfortable."
Rin watches as the boy accepts it wordlessly, dapping gently at his brow, then the bridge of his nose, going down the side of his (beautiful, beautiful) face.
Catching himself staring, Rin turns sharply away, swearing under his breath. "Want to take the jacket off? I can, umm... Hold it for you."
It's obvious how he hesitates at first, but Haruka quietly nods, taking off his jacket and handing it to Rin. "Thanks," he mutters.
"No problem," Rin says, slinging the jacket over his exposed arm, keeping his cool eventhough a freaking hell is breaking loose inside him at the thought of having Haruka's scent linger on him from the piece of clothing.
They walk the remaining distance in silence, each listening to their own maddening heartbeats.
Rin manages to secure a nice spot in the restaurant; a two-seat, side by side near the sushi conveyer belt that's situated further from the others. Not many people are around, anyway, it's a languid day for the shop that's usually bustling at night. Rin's sure as hell not going to reveal to Haruka that they're actually sitting at the 'couple's corner', though he suspects Haruka knows already from the snickers and weird looks some people are giving.
They had to order for the mackerel sashimi separately since it's meant to be fresh, so while Haruka waits for his food, Rin begins plucking a few plates off the belt to dig in.
"I… I saw the drawing," Rin says, breaking the comfortable silence that befalls them. "It's beautiful. The tree looks way too 3D, and don't even get me started on the cherry blossom petals! You've got some pretty amazing skills, Haru, do you draw other stuff as well?"
Yeah. You. "Sometimes. When I feel like it."
"You should consider going pro in the future, or something. Make a living out of the things you're gifted in, things you enjoy doing, that way you won't ever lose the passion." Rin takes a long, slow sip of his green tea before placing the cup back delicately. "That's what my dad told me."
"Your dad sounds like a wise person," Haruka says.
Rin halts for a split second in the middle of taking a plate of tobiko sushi from the conveyer belt, and Haruka watches a soft fond smile appear on his face. "He was," Rin replies faintly.
"Was...?"
"He passed away when I was a kid."
Haruka's eyes widen, letting out a subtle gasp. "Oh," he whispers, surges of guilt washing over him. "Rin, I'm sorry, I didn't know—"
"It's fine, it's fine! I don't think I've talked about it in the videos or anything, and it's been quite a long time anyway, so really, no need to apologise," Rin chuckles weakly and waves it off, telling him not to worry. Nevertheless, Haruka still can't shake the regret off; after all, he knows how it feels to lose your loved one for good.
The emptiness doesn't fade away.
Sensing how gloomy the atmosphere is changing, Rin continues, willing to keep the conversation going on a brighter note. "My dad, he used to tell me stories about chasing after your dreams, fighting for what you want, all that motivational talk and stuff. I grew up thinking that the future is a thing to look forward to, but after a while, I realised that it's not that easy. There'll always be something blocking the way… Without the passion, you'll never last."
"What about you?" Haruka asks. "What are you passionate about?"
The tone in his voice is different, Rin notices. Haruka has always been monotonous, but this time, he sounds almost… intrigued. Like he's genuinely interested in hearing what Rin has to say.
Honestly? It's kind of flattering for him.
Rin twiddles the chopstick in between his fingers, humming in content. "For me, I love making videos," he starts, closing his eyes, enjoying the calming instrumental that's just coming on the radio in the background. "But I also love to swim, and if I have to choose between the two… I'll probably go for swimming. Olympic gold medalist does have a nicer ring to it than a YouTube star, doesn't it? Sure, I could opt for becoming a YouTube partner and make some money from the views, etc, but I don't think it'll be satisfying enough. Not much of a challenge there…" Rin opens his eyes to see Haru looking intently at him. Feeling embarrassed, Rin gushes on, rubbing his hands over his face repeatedly. "Oh my god, Haru I'm sorry, I must've bored you to death. And on a freaking date too…"
Haruka perks up.
"This is a date?"
Puzzled by Haruka's question, Rin frowns. "What? Wait did I really say that, oh shit I think I did, w-what I meant was today's date is 25th July and we're outside, eating together, just the two of us and umm…" Haruka's clearly not buying it, the cutting edge in his glare not lessening one bit. Rin gives up. "You know what. Fuck it. It's a date."
Haruka stares silently, eyes softening a little. "Our second one," he states. Why does he sound happy?
"Technically, yes," Rin mutters, stabbing a piece of inari sushi on his plate with a chopstick. "Did the first one really count?"
"I think it counts."
"Okay, you're right. Considering that we did all those coupley things and uhh… you know. Slept in each other's arms."
"Mhmm."
"So…" Rin pauses, peering at Haruka from under his eyelashes. The boy is still staring at him, clear blue eyes reeling him in like steel to magnet. Self-conscious all of a sudden, Rin bites his lip and blushes at his own words. "I don't know, do we like, kiss now or what?"
Great, he just killed the mood, didn't he?
Haruka's eyes widen just a tiny fraction at the question, others wouldn't have noticed but Rin does, since he's seated less than a feet away from him. I-it's not like he was gazing into Haruka's eyes or something stupid like that!
"I believe that usually comes at the end of a date," Haruka suddenly says, downing a glass of water in one go. There's a glittering drop that spills and trails down his chin, but Rin's not looking at it (of course he is, who's he kidding).
Rin laughs, looking away as Haruka's pink tongue darts out to lick the remnants of liquid from the corner of his mouth. Hah, even he himself can feel the dreadful awkwardness in his laughter. "I'm just joking, really." He's not.
Haruka's gaze falls on the steam that rises in puffy clouds from the tea cup in front of him. Rin's is fixed on the soy sauce in his plate.
"But I'm fine with it, if you want to," Haruka adds.
Taken aback by Haruka's response, Rin turns a couple shades of red, face growing warm. There's a sinking heaviness in the pit of his stomach, and his hands are cold like he's been in an air-conditioned room for so long. His eyes flick towards Haruka's lips, lingering for a brief second before looking away just as fast.
Rin shakes his head. He can't do this. He'll have a heart attack if he does.
"No, we could totally save it for some other time, like when we've gotten closer, or…"
Turning to face the boy again, the rest of his sentence dies in his mouth when Rin realizes that Haruka is leaning forward.
Haruka is leaning in for a kiss. Shit.
Rin knows that he has to stop, because this is wrong, they shouldn't do this. This will be a bad decision. There'll be lots of regrets and disappointment that can stem from this one kiss, mistakes after mistakes, and Rin can't afford to make any when it comes to Haruka. He wants to do it right. He hasn't even confessed yet.
But he can't seem to move away.
They're inches apart, Haruka's body pressed tight against his side, warmth radiating off his skin. It's almost like the hot springs night all over again, no spaces in between, just them and these foolish, confusing feelings. Rin senses something bumping against his nose, and a puff of breath that's not his hitting his cheek.
Rin lets his eyes fall shut.
He waits for that moment to come. Closer… and closer…
Vrrr! Vrrr!
His phone vibrates. The melodious tone of OLDCODEX's song fills the air.
Rin doesn't know whether to laugh, or to cry. Maybe both.
Haruka's startled by the disruption, eyes flying open in shock. He sees Rin jerk away, snatching the phone from the table abruptly. Sighing, he straightens back in his seat, watching Rin take the call almost angrily.
"Screw you," Rin snarls at the caller, who turns out to be –surprise, surprise!- Sousuke.
"I thought it was Nanase whom you wanted to screw. Anyway, Rin you have to hear this! Guess what?" Sousuke exclaims fervently, blissfully ignorant to what he'd just done. "Remember that Orca guy I told you? I met him. Can you believe it?! Oh man, listen, he was cosplaying Tsukiyama, the purple-haired dude from Tokyo Ghoul, and he was wearing the mask so I still—"
"Sou…" Rin grits between his teeth, but Sousuke isn't listening.
"-couldn't see his face that clearly but damn it, he's super cool up close! I bought his photobooks, he signed on them and he even wrote my name with a little message—"
"Sousuke…"
"—wait, come to think of it I didn't even tell him my name, hmm, that's strange, how would he know—"
"SOUSUKE WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP FOR A SEC!" Rin finally yells into the phone, the outburst attracting a few curious eyes, including Haruka's. Crap, he really needs to cut down on the dramatic reactions. Cautiously, he cups a hand over his mouth to shield the conversation from Haruka, hissing at Sousuke on the line. "I'll have you know that you just ruined what should've been my first kiss."
"Damn," Sousuke laughs. "Sorry, that must've sucked. But wow, dude, you sure move fast!"
There may be times when Rin is willing to let Sousuke poke fun at him, but now's not it. He's still plenty irked by the cockblock. "Ugh, I'm hanging up now alright, I'll listen to your fanboy rants when I get back. Bye."
"Was it Yamazaki?" Haruka asks as soon as he hangs up.
"Yeah, he's hyperventilating about some cosplayer he met at Comiket, nothing much," Rin replies, clearing his throat. "Where did we stop?"
"We were going to kiss."
"Oh," Rin's face falls. "Alright Haru, I still think that we should keep this for some other time because, you know, it's kinda weird that we're going to do something only couples do when I don't even know if you like me-"
"I like you."
"-exactly, and yeah of course I like you too, but we're- wait. Did you just say you like me?"
Haruka shrugs. "I did."
"As in, 'you're cool dude I like hanging out with you' kind of like, right?"
"No. Not that."
Rin quirks his eyebrows. "The 'you took my breath away and I want to be with you forever' kind?"
"Maybe." Haruka falls deep in thought, staring at the ceiling wordlessly like it holds the solutions to his uncertainties. "I don't know how to explain, Rin. But I like you."
"You don't know?" Rin titters both in amusement at Haruka's confusion and also at himself. How is this guy even real? After hearing such things, how was he supposed to feel? "Shit, Haru, you're so good at messing me up."
Haruka looks down, masses of his bangs falling over his eyes. "Rin, I..."
"Your mackerel sashimi, sir," The waiter shows up with Haruka's order, placing it with polished refinement on the table. She smiles cheerfully and bows at them both. "Please enjoy your meal."
"Right, thank you," Rin reciprocates with a bright smile of his own, and she stalks off hurriedly with a light blush on her cheeks. "You were saying, Haru?"
Shaking his head, Haruka breaks a pair of chopstick with a crack. "...Nothing."
Yamazaki Sousuke is currently in heaven.
Comiket. A place made of dreams come true for otakus. Everywhere he turns, his teal eyes are greeted with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of doujin booths, lined up perfectly in respective sections segregated by genre. Horror, romance, ecchi, sports, yaoi; any theme he can think of will be somewhere in the list. To his left is the designated cosplay-related area, where people can take photographs of the numerous cosplayers roaming around, on top of meeting some of the more reknowned ones. To his right is the games and action figures section showcasing all the latest figurines released and in the making, handcrafted meticulously and painted to perfection.
When people say that you can use up your whole month's allowance in one day at the Comiket, they're certainly not speaking far from the truth. In fact, if he's got the close estimations correct, Sousuke thinks he's at least spent half of his money pool saved meant for the whole three days just from visiting the booths. And it's not even the end of the first day yet.
The best thing about today is, however, not the amount of limited-print doujin he's managed to get his hands on (having a broad, sturdy build helps a lot in pushing around in the crowd), nor is it the newly-released 1/8 scale Madoka figma in his bag that he literally had to kill for.
It's Orca.
Sousuke has been sending quite a number of fan messages via Tumblr over the period of time he spent stalking liking and reblogging Orca's photos at every chance he got. Meaning that, they've interacted –if answered asks and virtual conversations that don't involve revelation of real names and any sort of personal details are considered legit interactions, that is- and he's pretty sure the guy knows of his existence (it's near impossible to ignore when someone reblogs so many posts of yours in a row, right?). But Sousuke is not hoping for any special treatment, he just wants to meet him and say hi, and possibly just touch those amazing back muscles a little. No homo.
Okay, so maybe he has a little bit of a crush on this Orca guy whom he saw while scrolling through his dashboard the other day. But it's not like he can help it. The guy is just too freaking good at what he does. Sousuke doesn't think he's ever seen someone who can pull off such complicated-looking characters and still appear so damn photogenic and cool. He's never seen him without make-up before, and Orca always chooses characters with either masks or elaborate face paint designs -for all he knows he could have been some random average Japanese man on the streets- but Sousuke is sure that if they were to meet in real life... the man would be hauntingly beautiful.
And boy, was he right.
Sousuke doesn't know what character Orca is going to go as today, so he looks out for anyone tall, which is a futile effort, seeing that almost everyone in costumes either wear heels or are naturally tall and practically walking models. He first sees the mop of striking purple hair sticking out in the crowd of people when he passes by the cosplay area, and when he stops to look, his jaw drops.
It's him. Sousuke knows from the perfectly built body and the flawless poses he's pulling. Definitely him.
Once the mini photograph session has ended, Sousuke struts over to the man, flashing his most panties (or boxers)-dropping smile. He taps him on the shoulder and waves a little. "Hey," he says. "It's me, umm, Doritobod."
Even from behind the white mask, Sousuke can hear the loud audible gasp.
"I-it's you," Orca stutters shakily, backing up a bit, hands going up to cover his mouth. "Y-you!"
Sousuke chuckles and nods, pointing at himself cheekily. "Yeap. It's me."
"B-but, how!" Sousuke hears Orca say. He notices that the man is in reality a tad bit shorter than him, but still taller than most, but that body is still as delicious looking even when clad in Tsukiyama's horribly colour-clashing suit.
"By train? I can't drive yet, so it's the only way I can get here."
"No, I mean…" Orca stops and looks down at the ground, staring at his shoes. "Nevermind."
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sousuke inches closer and puts a hand on the man's shoulder. Could it be that… he doesn't like seeing him here?! "Umm, you know, if you want me to leave, I can go…"
"Wait!" Something grabs onto the fabric of his shirt, pulling to prevent him from moving. Sousuke sees the subtlest hint of a blush on the uncovered part of Orca's cheeks. "I'm happy to see you. I was just, tired."
Flooded with a sense of relief, Sousuke smiles, sliding his hand down to rest on Orca's back (smooth, Sousuke, smooth) to steer him away from the crowd. "I think you need some rest. Let's go back to your booth, shall we? You can sign your stuff for me there, too."
They made it back safely and Sousuke embarks on his shopping spree, buying almost all the versions of photobooks available as Orca sits behind the counter, attending to the other visitors. It's unbelievable how gentle the guy is, thanking every single one of his fans with a kind smile.
Sousuke has a strange feeling like he's seen that smile before… but where? And why does his voice sounds familiar as well?
Brushing it off as a coincidence, Sousuke steps up when his turn comes around, flipping open the first page of one of the photobooks for Orca to sign. "Write a message for me, will ya? I am your biggest fan after all," he teases.
"O-okay…"
"And can we take a picture together?"
"Sure…"
In the end, Orca does leave a little message along with a lovely drawing of a cat, and it's Sousuke who's left blushing to the root of his hair upon finding his name in the book neatly written in the correct kanji with the message "Thank you. You're really handsome, by the way (/)". He's thrilled, but Sousuke tries not to think too much into it, because Orca is just another idol to him, a person to be admired from afar, not a potential love interest.
Love interest? That's a spot reserved for Tachibana Makoto.
A/N: Lookie, lookie! First time introducing Sousuke's POV in this. It's the best way to delve deeper into the Soumako storyline in a closer, more thorough way. What do you think? Also, this chapter actually took a different path from my original intention, I wanted to make Rin and Haru get together but I thought why not torture them for a few more chapters... :P
Reviews/favs/follows are greatly appreciated, guys! Also on Tumblr and AO3 (I love FF, really I do, but I suggest you read them on AO3 too because this fic actually has accompanying graphics (screencaps, text messages, etc) so yea... for best experience, read them there!)