A/N: the beginning of the end. just remember, over all this story does have a happy ending for Rinharu I -promise-.
i promise i promise i promise
also, pretty much everything that happens in this chapter is going to be important later on. also, i know that i rushed this chapter. sorry not sorry i think it fits better later on, and jeez i hate writing fluff and the trip to france ooooozes fluff and I've written like 3 chapters in a row of goddam fluff.
XXX
The two of them boarded the flight to Paris. Rin had changed their tickets from going to Tokyo to going to Paris. He had also let his coworkers know that he would be taking some time off. A couple of them were surprised, others who were privy to more information about Rin, knew that Rin needed the time off to prepare for his future in Japan. His next move in Japanese politics was going to be huge. He needed to relax before that time.
None of them knew about Haruka, and Rin kept it that way. Haruka was something for only his closest friends and family.
After all, Haruka had a special connection to his past.
They boarded the flight, and Haruka sat down next to Rin. He had sat so many times next to Rin in first class, but never as a patron of it.
The eyes that he gave Rin came with a look that Rin understood. Haruka wanted to fuck, right here, right now. There were other passengers in first class for this leg, but Haruka didn't care. He wanted Rin to take him over to the bathroom and fuck him inside of it.
All of this was conveyed by the look in his eyes.
Rin shook his head, "Not going to happen."
"Why not?" Haruka pouted. He was already hard, and he had been expecting this since Rin had asked him to go on this trip.
"Because I want you to be well-rested for when we get to France. There's a lot that we are going to do the minute we land. Time to get your beauty sleep," Rin patted Haruka's head. Then, he picked up one of the pillows and rested it in Haruka's lap, "I promise it'll happen someday."
Haruka pouted.
"Okay, it'll happen on the flight from France to Tokyo. Fair?" Rin asked.
Haruka nodded, "Promise me."
"I promise you," and truly, at that moment, Rin meant it. Rin had no idea what would happen during the next couple of weeks that would cause him to lose Haruka, he had no idea that he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.
Rin placed his head square in the middle of the pillow. Haruka looked down at Rin, curled up in his lap. His eyes were closed and he looked at peace. Haruka calmed down his erection, and decided that this was nice enough, he could live with not being fucked by Rin during the flight. I'll have many more with him, Haruka thought, feeling truly happy for the first time.
The plane ride itself was rather uneventful, but everything changed when they landed.
They got off the flight and walked quickly through Charles De Gaulle. Haruka couldn't help looking around everywhere, listening to the French all around him. Being in France was already way better than he had expected. Rin moved rather quickly through the airport, eager to get him and Haruka to Paris. Rather like JFK in New York, or Narita in Japan, Charles De Gaulle was a good distance from Paris. He was eager to get Haruka to their temporary apartment. And he was even more excited to take Haruka all around. He had planned a significant chunk of this trip and he wanted to make the most of his time with Haruka. But, he was also looking forward to it as he wanted to enjoy his time in France. It wasn't often that he got to go on vacation to France and he never went there for work, so it was nice for him to be back.
Although he moved Haruka through the airport quickly, he did make one stop. There was a small stand in the middle of the airport. It was a Paul's stand. Paul's was a famous pastry store in France, so famous that even Haruka had heard of it, "Let's grab some coffees, and wake you up. I don't think you got as much sleep on the plane as you should have."
It was true, Haruka, who was never jetlagged somehow had not been able to sleep on that flight. Something about this whole thing was nagging on him. Something about everything just felt wrong somehow. It was all too good to be true. When he was with Rin actually doing things with Rin, he could forget it, but during quiet times, he'd remember. It was probably just his own insecurities, but something about all of this felt wrong. What does he even see in me?
The two of them stood in line. Rin ordered all kinds of different snacks, everything from macarons to coffee. It was probably too much for the two of them to eat for breakfast, but he assured Haruka that they would eat all of them eventually. He additionally bought a coffee for both himself and for Haruka. The French didn't really do to-go, but as this was the airport Paul's, they were able to get the coffee to-go.
After that, Haruka expected that they were going to spend the next hour and a half or two hours in line as was standard for passport checks. He had forgotten though that he was traveling with the Japanese Ambassador to the United States.
Rin was able to go through a special line, and of course, Haruka was able to come with him. The two of them were able to get their baggage quite quickly after that, and then they went to stand in the taxi line.
"There's a train that goes straight into Paris, and is relatively easy to take, I've done it with my sister a few times, but I don't want to keep up with all this baggage. Let's just take a cab?" Rin asked Haruka's permission. After all, he wanted Haruka to be comfortable with him. He wanted Haruka to enjoy this trip.
Haruka nodded. He didn't really have a preference about that.
The two of them piled into a cab, and the driver took them to their apartment in Paris. Haruka spent the whole time with his head outside the window, looking around the French countryside that they were driving through.
He did talk to Rin some. After the hand job that he had given Rin while Rin was trying to prepare for the trip when they were back in New York, Rin stopped allowing him to be part of the decision, so Haruka knew very little about Rin's plans for the trip. He asked, "Where are we staying?"
"About four subway stops from the Eiffel Tower. I've stayed in that part of the city before, lots of ex-pats, but it's really quite nice. The apartment we're staying in has a view of the Eiffel Tower supposedly," Rin answered. He had stayed in that part of Paris before, but never rented this exact apartment on airbnb.
The rest of the drive was done in silence. Haruka's attention seemed to be held by the outside world, and Rin was just happy to check his emails from work. Even on vacation, he couldn't completely go off the radar.
They arrived at their apartment building and Rin paid the taxi driver. The building was probably several hundred years old. There was no elevator and it was at least a 5 floor walk-up. Rin and Haruka were staying on the third floor. The super had been expecting them and gave them keys and everything else that they needed. Their apartment itself was rather small, standard for the middle class in Paris. It was a one bedroom, with a tiny bathroom and tiny kitchen. It did have a living room area that had been converted into something of a smaller bedroom. Both rooms had a view of the eiffel tower. In the view, it was small and in the distance, but they could see it. They could also see some other buildings in Paris. It was overall a nice place, but definitely nothing compared to Rin's apartment in New York.
It was nice though. It was cozy. It was similar to the apartment that Haruka had shared with Makoto, that Makoto was sure to have left by the time that he got back to Japan. Haruka sighed and sent those thoughts away.
Rin opened the windows up, "The breeze feels nice, doesn't it?" He asked turning back around to Haruka.
Usually, the weather in Paris was exactly the same as the weather in New York, but for some reason, this year, New York had a rather intense winter, while Paris's was mild. No one in Paris was complaining about that though as it brought several tourists in.
Haruka nodded.
"Well, now that we've dropped everything off, how would you like to go for a walk? There's a little cafe over here in this neighborhood that I like," Rin offered his hand to Haruka.
Haruka took it.
They locked up their place and went for the walk. The cafe that Rin brought him to was only a few blocks east of their apartment. They walked past some other places that Rin pointed out to him, a laundromat, a couple of grocery stores, and some other little shops that Rin was familiar with. There was even an old video rental store in the neighborhood, which surprised Haruka as he had thought that most of those had gone out of business.
They arrived at the cafe soon after. It was in the direction of the Eiffel Tower and its name was based on that. The two sat down outdoors. The day was beautiful, it was in the low 60s, and Haruka felt happy to be there. He liked the apartment, he liked being with Rin, and he could still not believe he was in France. The waiter came over and spoke English with Rin. Rin asked if Jeremy still worked there in French, and the guy was surprised to learn that Rin not only knew French, but that he knew someone at the restaurant. Haruka was pretty impressed too, and slightly jealous. He wondered if Rin kept track of everyone he ever encountered.
Rin ordered a full lunch for the two of them, as they had barely nibbled on what he had bought earlier at Paul's. Most of it had gone into the refrigerator.
When the waiter left, the two sat in silence for awhile, Haruka broke it a bit bitterly, "You can continue working on your phone if you need to."
"It's all handled for now. I'm happy to be on vacation with you, Haruka, I just have to address somethings to prepare for my next political move," Rin leaned back in his seat, he didn't want to think about that right now.
"What is that anyway?" Haruka asked, he wasn't that interested in politics. It wasn't that Haruka couldn't follow them or wasn't smart enough, in spite of not finishing college, he was incredibly smart. He just hardly followed the news or politics because it bored him, but Rin made things that he wasn't that interested in more interesting.
Rin laid his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand, "It's a secret right now, but I'm planning to run for Prime Minister, Haruka."
Haruka's eyes widened. That was the highest position of power in Japan. That would make Rin the most important and powerful person in Japan. Sure, there was the Empress and Emperor and their children, but they were solely figureheads. Rin would hold the actual power. He couldn't believe Rin was running for such a position, "Is that what you want to do?"
Rin shrugged, "I told you, once upon a time, Haruka, that everything was about motivation. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did, if it weren't for the right motivation."
Haruka didn't ask, he assumed Rin was after power, "What would you have done without that motivation?"
Rin smiled, "Who knows? Maybe I could have been a flight attendant."
Haruka narrowed his eyes, "I'm serious."
"To tell you the truth, I think I would have become a teacher. I really enjoyed learning and I think I'd enjoy sharing knowledge. I don't think there's any career more honorable than teaching. I'd want to teach people who had fewer options," Rin started to laugh awkwardly. He'd never told anyone that before, he doubted even his sister knew that, but he was telling the truth. He thought he would make a good teacher.
Haruka's eyes widened. It wasn't a career that he had imagined for Rin, but he could see Rin being motivating to kids, "Well. You'll change the world more as Prime Minister."
Rin laughed genuinely. Haruka didn't understand why what he had said was funny to Rin, but he wasn't bothered by it, "I hope that is true."
Their food arrived soon after and the topic was dropped. They moved onto other things like discussing how good the food was.
XXX
"Everyone always says that the Mona Lisa is a disappointment, but I don't think so," Haruka declared. They were sitting in Mariage Freres having high tea.
Rin sipped on the tea, there was a slightly arrogant smile playing across his lips. He enjoyed taking Haruka to all the places that he had been so many times, it entertained him to see Haruka's reaction to all of them, "I don't disagree with you actually. I think that it gets a lot of unnecessary flack."
They had just come from the Louvre and walked over to get tea. They had walked all through the little tourist shops near the Louvre. Rin could hardly believe everything he had squeezed into the week, they had been all around Paris, they had gone to everywhere from Sacre Coeur to Opera, they had gone on day trips to the Loire Valley, they had even gone to Mont St. Michel on a day trip. Somehow, Haruka had talked Rin into fucking him on the lawn near the Eiffel Tower, and as a private joke about the whole thing, they bought a large touristy Eiffel Tower for each of them to put in their apartments.
Today and tomorrow, Rin had planned for them to spend a significant amount of time in the Louvre. When they got bored of art, they'd do things like ride along the rivers on the Batobus.
The two had truly enjoyed their trip. It was hard to believe a week had passed, and yet, when the two of them thought of everything they had done, it felt like a lifetime.
Haruka put his cup down, "It definitely does."
His eyes darted around the tea room, looking at the giant cannisters of tea, "It's really nice to get to be here, Rin. My orphanage house mother was a huge fan of this tea. I don't know why. I mean, aside from the fact that she was the French teacher and that it is good, but like...I don't know. It just, it's nice to be here. I'm happy to be here. They have a location in Japan, but it's like not the same."
Rin smiled, "I know what you mean."
He wondered if Haruka's father had provided her with the tea. He knew that Mariage Freres was popular with the upper crust when Rin was a child. His birth father had liked it quite a bit. It would make sense that his birth father's sworn enemy would have liked it too and possibly introduced it to Haruka's orphanage mother, when he had dropped Haruka off.
Rin had mostly been able to evade his work messages, only addressing them at night, and so, when his phone buzzed at the table, he had planned to read it quickly and then, ignore it.
But, it wasn't a work text. It was from his sister, "Dinner reservations for five tomorrow, JV at 7."
Five? She must have invited Nagisa, Rin thought.
Rin's eyes widened.
"Something wrong?" Haruka asked, taking one of the miniature scones off the plate.
Rin sighed, "I think my sister got engaged. Or is getting engaged."
"To the guy you don't like?" Haruka asked.
Rin nodded, "Yeah. They're going to meet us for dinner tomorrow."
"Here?" Haruka asked stupidly. He shouldn't have been surprised that the Matsuoka family traveled on a whim to France.
Rin continued to nod, "Yeah, in the restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower…not casual."
Haruka laughed.
At least one of them could, Rin thought, but at the same time, he was glad. This meant that it was time for the next stage of his plan, "Haruka, I want to take you somewhere special today, before our dinner tomorrow."
"Okay, where?" Haruka asked.
"It's going to be a surprise."
XXX
Rin had taken Haruka to Rue de la Paie in the Place Vendome, where Cartier, a famous French Jeweler had a store. There, he had planned to buy the two of them matching rings. To his surprise though, Haruka would only let him pay for one, "I want to buy the one for you."
"But -" Rin had tried to protest.
"I hope you know what this ring means to me, Rin," Haruka said, "It means I really love you, and I want to be with you forever."
And somehow, even though it had only been a short time that they had known each other, and an even shorter time that they had been hooking up in this way, Rin couldn't fight Haruka about this.
"I love you too."
And later, as Rin slipped the ring onto Haruka's finger, he realized something with horror. He realized what had been nagging at him in the back of his mind. He realized what he hadn't wanted to face. I love him. I really actually love him. I have to...for my father...I have to…
The ring slid onto Haruka's finger easily. Haruka looked up at Rin seductively.
Rin didn't kiss him though. He put both his hands on Haruka's cheeks, "I love you. I really love you."
"I know," Haruka bit his lip, a bit surprised by the intensity of the emotion that Rin was displaying, because it seemed so obvious to him at that point, "I love you too, Rin."
But, Haruka didn't know. He had no idea.
Because Rin loved him enough to change. Rin had never loved anyone enough to change. Not Nitori, not even for his sister's sake, but for the son of the man who he thought he hated, Rin could actually change.
He couldn't do it. He couldn't go through with his plan. And he hated himself for ever wanting to hurt Haruka. The thought of him ever having wanted to hurt Haruka made him sick to his stomach.
XXX
The two of them walked from their airbnb apartment over to the Eiffel Tower. They wore matching suits that Rin had tailored for the two of them. They walked hand-in-hand, wearing their matching Cartier rings from the "Love" collection. The feeling of the metal against Rin's finger made him happy. He felt strangely at peace.
It seemed as though Rin had finally been able to let go of everything that had ever held him back. He had let go of his plans for revenge. He planned to still go back to Japan and run for Prime Minister, but he planned to do this in a different way than before. He no longer wanted to rise to the top alone, he wanted to have Haruka by his side. Haruka managed to control Rin's temper in a way. He made Rin feel whole. And he made Rin completely forget everything but the two of them. They were all that mattered. Just the two of them. Their pasts, Haruka's family history especially, didn't matter to Rin.
Rin had a new plan. He wanted to go against Mikoshiba, but solely to ensure the safety of his relationship with Haruka. He knew that he had to tell Haruka the whole truth as part of this. This was the only way that they would ever work. And Rin, for the first time ever, planned to let someone else entirely in. He planned to let Haruka in on everything. He would tell Haruka the whole truth, even the nasty parts.
And Haruka would understand. Rin was sure that Haruka would understand. He was that kind of person after all. He was someone who Rin could put all of his faith into.
Rin thought about these things as he walked by Haruka's side to Jules Verne. He said little to Haruka as they walked. Haruka looked in all the windows. He didn't really mind the silence, after all, on his finger sat a ring from Rin.
He had never been this happy in his life. Makoto was nice and good, but Rin was different. Life with Rin was an adventure. They were always moving, they were always going places, and Haruka knew that even if they stayed just in Japan, the same would be true. On the road in front of him, there laid so many new experiences.
They walked rather briskly and reached the Eiffel Tower within a half hour. When they got there, Nagisa was already there. He was slightly surprised to see Haruka, after all, he hadn't seen Rin since before the fashion show and hadn't really known about all the updates in his life. His eyes immediately went to the rings on their fingers, but he said nothing. He gave Rin a slightly strange look, but Haruka was admiring the architecture of the Eiffel Tower.
They'd spent a lot of their downtime over there, having even slept together in the lawn in front of it, but it was truly magnificent to Haruka.
"How was your trip?" Rin asked.
Nagisa shrugged, "You know how it is from California. Takes forever to get here."
Rin laughed. The distance to France from California was similar to the distance to France from Japan.
"Still," Nagisa smiled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Rin smiled, "You didn't bring your friend?"
"He had to work, but he's jealous. He wants to try the dessert here."
"Is it famous?" Haruka asked.
Rin nodded, "They make a dessert that looks like one of the bolts in the Eiffel Tower. It's delicious, but nothing is as good as the pomme frites. Don't worry, you can have whatever you want."
Haruka smiled.
Shortly after, they were joined by Rin's sister, who caused Haruka to instantly blush and who he assumed was her boyfriend, an orange haired man. All of them were in suits, with the exception of Rin's sister, who was wearing a large sunhat and a white almost beach style dress. It was surprisingly casual compared to the rest of them, and wrong for the season, but Haruka figured that it was one of her dresses.
Rin commented immediately, "What the hell is that? There's no back and you're - jeez, you're not wearing a bra!"
"Oh hush," Gou was used to her brother. This is how it had always been.
Seijuro looked at Haruka a bit strangely, then he looked at Rin. He bit his lip and raised a brow. Rin didn't meet his glance. He planned on saving his explanation to Seijuro for later. Not that he felt he owed him one.
Seijuro held out a hand to Haruka, "Seijuro Mikoshiba, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Haruka's eyes widened, "Seijuro Miko...Mikoshiba?!"
Rin sighed.
"The one and only," Seijuro smirked.
"Y-you're the president of JAL," Haruka's eyes widened.
"Among other things," Seijuro smiled.
"Wh-why didn't you tell me that he was the president of JAL?" Haruka glowered at Rin. This guy was basically the ultimate boss of Haruka.
Rin smiled, "I admit, I kind of wanted to see your reaction."
Nitori had mentioned him back in New York, when he made his unexpected visit, but Haruka hadn't put together that "Sei" was actually Seijuro Mikoshiba.
"It's really not a big deal," Seijuro said with a slight smile.
"I-I'm Nanase Haruka. I…" Haruka was too embarrassed. He felt so out of place. He had known that Rin was rich and had powerful friends, but he had never considered that Rin would have slept with the president of his company. Nor would he have expected Rin to hate him.
"It's fine, you can relax," Seijuro was kind, considering how Rin had talked about him.
Rin's sister was the next one to speak, she was shivering after all, "Can we head in?"
They walked over to one of the bottom posts of the Eiffel Tower. There was a guard standing there with a walkie talkie. It had a private elevator that was only accessible by those who had reservations at Jules Verne. He immediately recognized Seijuro and Gou. The two of them frequently went to Jules Verne, after all, "Welcome back, Mr. Mikoshiba, Ms. Matsuoka."
They smiled, "We have guests with us as well, Sam."
"Yes, of course, I recognize Mr. Hazuki and Mr. Matsuoka. And you are?" He motioned to Haruka.
"Nanase Haruka…" Haruka kept looking over at Rin. He felt so nervous, but the slight tug on his hand by Rin made him feel more comfortable.
The man crossed off his name, "Welcome to Jules Verne, Mr. Nanase."
Haruka nodded, and the man put them all into the elevator. The elevator went straight to the top of the Eiffel Tower, to a small restaurant inaccessible except by the elevator. The restaurant itself was very fancy, with only a few tables and a large bar. The tables all had views out over Paris. They were seated at a table with a view that went so far that Rin and Haruka were even able to see beyond the area of their apartment.
"Nitori couldn't make it?" Nagisa asked.
Gou shook her head, "He's in Japan, couldn't get away from work. I blame you for that Rin."
Rin smiled slightly, and explained to Haruka, "He's helping me make some arrangements for the thing I was telling you about."
"He knows you're running?" The look on his sister's face was one of surprise, but that didn't register to Haruka.
Seijuro decided to diffuse the situation, "Rin, will you go to the bar with me? I'd like your help in choosing the wine."
As if, Rin thought, but this would be good, he wanted to talk with Seijuro.
The two of them went off to the bar.
"I want to talk to you about a few things," Seijuro said. His voice was solemn.
Rin nodded, "I have some things I want to discuss with you too."
"Oh?" Seijuro asked.
"Since I noticed neither you, nor Gou have rings on tonight, I can only imagine you're going to propose," he paused.
"That's right. I have a favor related to that. Rin, I...I want you to be my best man."
"W-what?" That surprised Rin. He hadn't expected Seijuro to ask him something like that, "There has got to be someone better you can ask. You could ask anyone and they'd be better."
"I don't agree. For a long time, I've been trying to let you know how much I care about you, and I feel like this is the way to do it. You and your sister are my family. I love both of you very much. I want you to do this for me, if you wouldn't mind," Seijuro asked. The look that he gave Rin surprised him. The look in his eyes was genuine. He actually wanted Rin to be his best man. He actually wanted to be a part of Rin's family.
Has it always been me that has hated him? Has letting go of all that hate, falling in love for the first time, enabled me to see that all along everyone has wanted me to be happy? Even him?
Rin couldn't help himself though, over the years, he'd been in too many spats with Seijuro, "I always knew you were a dispicable person, but it seems like the rest of the world must think so too, if you've been rejected by enough people to ask me."
"You were my first choice," Seijuro didn't swoop to Rin's level.
"My sister must have made you do this."
"Actually, it'll be a surprise for her too, if you accept, that is."
Rin looked at him, really, all along it was me looking at everything from the wrong perspective, "Fine. I'll do it, but I want a favor."
Seijuro sighed, "What?"
"I want to meet with your father."
"I told you to keep me out of that, Rin," Seijuro looked rather hurt.
Rin put a hand on his shoulder, "It's not for that reason."
Seijuro raised his brows.
"I...I've changed, Sei. In the last two weeks since you saw me at my sister's fashion show, so much has changed," he looked over at Haruka, "I...I fell in love."
"With Haruka?" Seijuro laughed, "you've got to be kidding. As always, Rin, you're completely transparent. He's obviously my half-brother. I never knew I had one, not that I really care, you know me better than that, but come on. What's your plan here? Go to my Dad and say you'll out that and shame my family? Have him kill himself to collect his honor? Come on, Rin, this seriously has to be your worst ever plan, and I've known you for a long time."
"It was," Rin admitted, "I met him over a year ago. I thought it was luck, when I met him, that finally the universe had done something for me, but I was wrong. It was fate. He healed me, Seijuro. I mean christ, I bought him a ring. I'd never do shit like that, not even for a plan. He's made me into a different person, a kinder person, and I like it. I like who I've been over the last two weeks more than I've ever liked myself. I want to speak with your father because I want to let it all go. I want to tell him that I want to let it all go and I want him to do the same. I want us all to move on from the past and I want to live in peace with Haruka. I want to change Japan into the kind of place where we can all live peacefully."
Seijuro touched his face, "Jeez. I never thought I'd see the day," he smiled, "I'm happy, Rin. I'm really happy for you. Alright. You're lucky, my father happens to be in Paris. I'm planning on seeing him myself tomorrow, I'll give you his hotel information and you can pay him a surprise visit. Now, let's order some drinks. We have a lot of things to celebrate tonight."
Rin nodded.
They looked over the menus and Seijuro added, "Rin, will you tell him everything? All the truth? Including who he is?"
"I don't want to," Rin paused, and Seijuro looked him over, "But, I plan to. After I see your father. I plan to open up to him tonight. It's not going to be easy, but I want to tell him everything. I want to have him know all the truth. I want him to hear it from me, and I want to see where it takes us. It's going to be hard, but I think we can survive it. I really do. I think he's...he's going to understand. If he hears it from me, he's going to understand. I think that he'll be able to forgive me, and hopefully, someday, I can even forgive myself."
"I really am happy for you, Rin. I think it'll work out, don't worry," Seijuro smiled and put an arm around him, then he pointed to a wine and champagne combination, "I think we should get this one."
Rin smirked, "Looks good."
The dinner itself was rather uneventful. The food was incredible, and they all enjoyed looking out the window. Shortly before the dessert, Seijuro had asked for the champagne to be brought out. Next to one of the glasses, on a silver plate sat the engagement ring.
Gou smiled, she had known this was happening, but it still made her feel so happy. Most of her friends and family were beside her after all. She wished that Nitori could have been there, but she understood why he hadn't been able to be. Besides, she knew that she would catch up with him later on, "It's beautiful."
"It was my grandmother's," Seijuro explained to Haruka. Gou, of course, had seen the ring before, "I couldn't bear for them to actually put it in the champagne."
The ring had a pearshape cut diamond on it in platinum, and it was stunning. She handed it to Seijuro and he slid it onto her finger.
"Will you marry me, Matsuoka Gou?" Seijuro asked, humbling himself and blushing slightly.
She smiled down it and at him, "Yes, of course, I love you."
She held his hand for a minute and they all drank champagne.
Rin felt happy. It was all coming together.
Their dinner and dessert was finished shortly after and Seijuro paid for everyone. Rin announced to Haruka that he had to have a short business meeting that Seijuro had arranged for him, which Haruka didn't seem to mind, "I'll meet you back in our apartment."
Haruka agreed, saying that he wanted to finish his glass of wine. Nagisa was doing the same, so he said that he would entertain Haruka for a bit.
Rin, Seijuro, and Gou headed downstairs, with Gou stopping off to use the bathroom. Seijuro said that he would put Rin in a cab, and meet Gou back at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. They wanted to spend some private time together, understandably.
Seijuro led Rin to the street and they found a cab for them. Seijuro told the cab the address of his father's hotel and told Rin the room number.
"Hey," Seijuro said to him, "I'm happy for you. I really believe that you and Haruka will work. Be safe doing this, okay?"
Rin nodded. Then, he was off. He'd waited for this moment his whole life, but it was sure to go differently than he'd originally planned.
Still, he felt happier this way than he ever had.
XXX
Rin got to the hotel. Ironically, it was the Marriott on the Champs Elysees, where he had originally planned to stay with Haruka, before he had opted for the airbnb apartment. We're not so different, are we?
"I'm pleased to get to meet you face to face, Matsuoka Rin," the man who stood in front of him was the spitting image of Haruka Nanase. Rin wondered how he hadn't realized it immediately, and yet, there were features of his that matched Seijuro's as well.
Rin felt something inside of him lurch forward.
"Come in. Have a seat."
Rin followed him into the office part of the suite and sat down.
Mikoshiba laughed, "I have to admit I'm impressed by you, Rin. Or should I say, Erin?"
Rin's eyes flashed.
"I didn't realize it in those news articles. They must have airbrushed your exact coloring…" He paused, but not long enough for Rin to comment, "And while we move in the same crowds, I was never close enough to you to see it, but had I met you face to face, I'm sure I would have seen it. You are definitely Kikumaru's son, his spitting image."
Rin's lips tightened into a line.
"I'd guess you hate me, a sentiment I have to say I share."
"Why did you ruin my father's life?" Now that he was here, Rin couldn't help having some of his own questions answered. The bitterness had disappeared, mostly, thanks to Haruka, but he still needed some answers.
"Ruin his life?" Mikoshiba laughed, "I think there are probably some facts you're missing."
"You outed him, you shamed him, and you forced him to kill himself and his wife and to fake the deaths of my sister and me."
Mikoshiba continued laughing, "I never forced your father to do anything that he himself hadn't already decided on. Tell me something, did you ever figure out who your father's mysterious male lover was?"
Rin bit his lip, he hadn't been able to figure that out. He'd poured through the articles, but there was never anyone who stood out. If there hadn't been picture evidence, no one would have believed it was true. But the pictures were obscured, it was impossible to figure out who the other man was.
"I'm guessing not. Let me tell you then, it was me."
Rin's eyes widened, "Impossible...you were his -"
"His enemy and his rival, yes. But, it was more than that. So much more," Mikoshiba sighed, "allow me to educate you on some history, Kikumaru Erin."
Rin was quiet for once.
"Your father and I met in grade school. Most people, my son even, think we met in college. That's not true. I met him long before then. I beat him at almost everything, but he was a good rival. Once in awhile, he'd manage to outdo me, but I'd quickly get better at whatever game it was that we were playing. This was true until a certain point, when I lost to your father for what I thought was forever."
Rin raised his brows.
"Yes, I fell absolutely in love with him. But, your father never opened up in the same way other people did. He figured out a way for us to be together, but he didn't let me in on it. He couldn't. He married your mother, your mother who knew the situation and whose sole motivation was her status and her desire to have children. When I found out he had been secretly married and had fathered you and your sister, I was enraged. That's when I met Nanase. I fathered my own child. But, when your father revealed his plan to me it was too late. I had already entered my own marriage with Seijuro's mother and he became angry. I had already abandoned Haruka, and I offered to do the same with Seijuro's mother who had become pregnant by that time as well. I asked him to do one thing, I asked him to abandon his own children to just run off with me. We'd forget our rivalry and live together. But you, you and your sister had changed him," Mikoshiba laughed, "He wouldn't leave you. And I became bitter. Our battles began in politics and in business, but eventually, I realized there was one way to get the ultimate revenge on him. I'd take his family away from him, and leave him empty just as he had done to me. That's why I released those photos.
"When he died I assumed he had to have the last laugh, he took you two into the afterlife with him, ensuring that he'd never be alone. And when he died, I realized how wrong I had been. It wasn't game, you and your sister were real people. We were real people.
"Seeing you alive though, makes me all the more aware of how wrong about him I was. He really loved you more than me and so he left you to live. He and his wife loved you so much they sacrificed themselves to give you a new life."
Rin felt his anger boil inside of him, but he let it go, "I'm not here about any of that."
"Really? I would have thought for certain you were here to rattle me about my bastard. Wasn't that your plan all along?"
Rin wondered if it had been Seijuro who had revealed that when he informed his father that Rin was going to be paying him a visit. He doubted it though, perhaps the old man had realized it on his own.
"Make me do the same thing your father did, try to collect my honor?
"Your father sought no honor in his death. He made it look like it was about honor, but he did it purely for you. You have no idea how much I despise you and your sister and yet, isn't it funny, how your sister and my son have ended up together?"
"And me with your other son," Rin smiled, "I'm not here to threaten to release Haruka's birth history. I'm not interested in revenge anymore. Haruka doesn't need you to recognize him, he does well enough on his own, though I guess he did have help from you growing up."
"Help from me? What help?"
"The money you sent to the orphanage."
"I never sent any money, I never wanted anything to do with that piece of dirt," then Mikoshiba paled and he let out a gust of air, "Your fucking father. Christ."
It was my father's favorite tea.
Mikoshiba laughed, "You get it don't you Rin? I thought Haruka was the mark of the end of my relationship with your Dad, so I abandoned him. I would have done the same with Seijuro for him, but when that wasn't going to work, I decided to keep him. After all, Japan cares so damn much about legacy. Your father though, your father loved you children so much, he left part of his fortune to Haruka knowing I wouldn't take care of him after what my mistake led to. Not only did he save you and your fucking sister, he saved my own son."
Rin mentally thanked his father for that.
"So, if not about the bastard, what threat are you here to make then?" Mikoshiba asked.
Rin smiled, "I want you to leave us all alone. I want you to let Gou and Seijuro get married, and I want you to leave me and Haruka alone."
"That's it? Don't you want me dead for what I did to your parents?"
"Not anymore. I've let it go. I've let it all go, your 'piece of shit' son, helped with that. You should let it go too. This story has helped, but Mikoshiba-san, I let it go before that. There's no reason to ruin your life. My father did a lot right, but he missed one point. It's harder to live and let your enemies live. In the end, my father escaped his problems. I can say he did it for honor, you can say he did it for me and my sister, but it was an escape. Continuing to fight would have been harder. So, I'm doing it for him. I'm living in peace. You should try it too."
And with that, Rin stood up and walked out leaving Mikoshiba to himself.
XXX
It's time for me to make my move. The words played again and again in Nagisa's head. They were words from long ago, but he knew what they meant. They meant that Rin was going to change the lives of those around him. They meant that things were in motion. And now, it seemed as if they were finally coming true. Nagisa had always supported Rin. Always. That was part of the pact that they had made. That was the pact that they had made. Rin had supported him, hadn't he? Nagisoka had more than doubled his parent's fortune.
Would he be considered a traitor by Rin, his truest friend, for doing what he wanted to do?
He sighed. He mentally apologized to Rin. It's simply the right thing to do.
"Haruka-san, can I speak with you a moment?" It was just the two of them sitting at the table after all. They had been sitting in silence, but Nagisa broke that.
"Of course. What is it? Would you like to order another drink?" Haruka assumed that Nagisa wanted more to drink. Nagisa tended to overly enjoy the first class snack selection. And Haruka assumed that since Rin was off taking care of business, he had the time to have another drink.
Nagisa shook his head, "I'm oka- actually. Yeah, I'll order something with some real alcohol in it."
Haruka called over the waiter, and Nagisa ordered a bloody mary. Haruka went for a refill on his wine.
When their drinks came, Nagisa drank the whole glass in one gulp. Haruka raised his eyebrows, so this was going to be a serious conversation.
"I want to ask you something," Nagisa said.
Haruka nodded.
"How do you feel about Rin?"
Haruka looked down, how he felt about Rin embarrassed him. He'd been in love with Rin since he'd first waited on Rin. It was wrong, but it had led to the end of his relationship with Makoto. And yet, Haruka couldn't feel bad about that. One look at Rin and he felt a type of comfortable that he couldn't describe, "He's everything to me."
Those were big words for Haruka, but he felt comfortable saying them to Nagisa. Nagisa went pale. This was going to be hard. Haruka had fallen, Haruka had fallen hard. Nagisa had known this was going to happen, but that was before it seemed solid. Nagisa wished he had stopped this sooner, "You can't trust him. You have to end things with him to protect yourself."
"He's your best friend," Haruka was surprised that Nagisa would speak so negatively about him.
"He is. But, he's not yours. You can't trust him. He's just using you. You're a pawn to him, you've always been a pawn to him."
"What are you saying?" Me? A pawn to Rin? I have nothing to offer Rin.
"Why do you think Rin had you promoted?" Nagisa was going to have to break Haruka in order to help Haruka, this was going to require another drink, he ordered a second one, "He's using you."
"Using me for what?"
"Have you ever heard of KCorp and the Kikumaru family?"
"I vaguely remember the scandal," for Haruka it was a bit how the scandal with Clinton was for Americans born in the early 90s. They were alive, they knew something bad had happened, but it was hard for a child to grasp the details.
"Rin is one of the surviving Kikumarus. Rin's parents killed themselves after his father's arch enemy Mikoshiba, Seijuro's father and the owner of JAL, released photos of his father partaking in some, well, rather vanilla gay sex. It was a huge scandal though and his father faked Rin's death and Gou's death. They changed their names and moved in with the Nitori family."
"What has that got to do with me?" He wondered why Rin wouldn't open up and tell him this information himself. Could he have been afraid? Trying to protect me from anyone who would want to hurt him?
"You, Haruka, are an important piece. Because you are almost certainly Mikoshiba's bastard. He hid you away, and Rin intends to use you in order to cause Mikoshiba the same pain that befell his own family. He wants to put you in front of the media and watch them crush Mikoshiba, the way that Mikoshiba watched his father get crushed. His end goal is for Mikoshiba to kill himself. Just like his father and mother had to."
Haruka's eyes widened. I was only ever a tool to Rin. All for this? Everything he ever did, was for this? The ring twirled on Haruka's finger.
"That's right, and he believes that you're the son of the man who he holds responsible for everything. Haruka, Rin doesn't actually want you, he wants who he thinks you are."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you don't deserve to be involved in this. No one does, but especially not someone as sincere as you."
Haruka looked at Nagisa thoughtfully. He knew about Nagisa's past with Rin. He knew that Nagisa had been involved with Rin at one point. But, he also knew Nagisa well enough to know, Nagisa was not telling him this out of jealousy. Nagisa had his own special someone now it seemed.
And suddenly, Haruka realized how stupid and naive he had been. He had known it from the beginning though, hadn't he? Rin was out of his league. There was no way that Rin could ever be actually interested in him. And sure enough, he hadn't been.
"If you want, I can take you home," Nagisa offered.
"No, that's okay. I can take care of myself," and that, that much was true. Haruka was a survivor.
XXX
When Rin went home after the visit to Mikoshiba's suite, he found a note on the refrigerator. The handwriting was neat, and obviously belonged to Haruka. It was written in Japanese, and it was only one sentence long, "I know everything."
Taped to it was the ring that Rin had given him. Rin ignored that for the moment, and his eyes narrowed on the words.
Know everything? He thought, I doubt it.
He reached for the phone, but Haruka didn't pick up. He left a message that came across as more angry than he had intended it to, but he was bothered by this. After everything, after giving up and deciding to just simply live peacefully with Haruka, this had happened? "Haruka, whatever you think you know, you're wrong about. Give me a call."
Then, he reached for a beer in the refrigerator. Rin wasn't a big beer person, but he was annoyed and he wanted to just get drunk and escape. He had planned on telling it all to Haruka tonight. He had planned on letting Haruka in on everything. He appeared to be too late though. He wondered who's fault this was.
It couldn't have been Mikoshiba, he thought, could it have been Seijuro though?
Then, suddenly, he knew.
Nagisa.
XXX
That night, when he was drunk, Rin realized what he'd known all along…
What goes up, must come down.
That had happened to his father after all. His father had risen so far politically, and he fell so far.
The faster you rise, the harder you fall.
And that had happened to him with love. He had never felt it, so of course, when he felt it for Haruka, it was good. And when it ended, his life felt like it was over.
And ultimately, he realized what he had known deep down, this was why he had never fallen in love. He wasn't meant to have peace. He wasn't allowed to have peace.
There was only pain. There had only ever been pain in his life. Love was pain.
But, he had the chance to make a difference. And he wanted to take it.
"I'll become prime minister," he slurred to himself, "I'll save Japan. This won't ever happen this way again. And when it's over, I'll let it all go. I'll be free."
XXX