Makoto was scared upon seeing those big dark circles under Haruka's barely open eyes, his pale cheeks and an uninterested expression. This was not a good sight to see only minutes before handing in their homework and presenting it to the whole class.

He figured the reason behind this was a sleepless night, and he was more than right, but not as a result of Rin wearing Haruka out in bed. The truth was, Haruka has spent the night with his eyes wide open, cursing himself and the way he has treated everyone around him lately.

"Look, Haru, I know school is not your number one priority right now, but get yourself together. You shouldn't have spent a school night doing… that." Makoto blushed upon saying this. "And Rin should learn how to restrain himself." He continued.

"I didn't meet Rin after all…" Haruka sighed.

"Why not? I told you I could finish the project by myself."

"I… I think we broke up, Rin and I." Haruka looked at the ground, not really eager to talk about this, especially not to Makoto of all people.

"Oh…" Makoto was surprised by this information. He expected he would be more happy upon hearing such news, yet he felt sorry for Haruka, realizing he was probably very hurt. And if there was something he didn't like to see, it was his friend, all sad like this.

"You are free to gloat, I don't care." Haruka shrugged and dragged himself to his desk, falling into his seat.

"Haru, I… I'm really sorry, I am. There is no way I would ever gloat over something like this." Makoto was sincere.

"I don't think I can participate in the presentation today, Makoto…"

"Of course, I'll ask sensei to give us another day." Makoto patted his friend on the shoulder. "Or two."

The rest of the day seemed to drag out for Haru. Every minute felt like an hour, all he did was wait for the final bell to ring so he could take his things and go home, he wasn't even planning on going to the swimming practice.

In the meantime, Makoto spent his day watching over Haruka silently, using every moment to check on him.

"I swear, it will get better. It has to." He murmured to himself and decided to do something.

Rin decided there was only one way to keep his mind from wandering towards the thoughts of Haruka and the way his soft skin felt under his fingers, the shy moaning sound he would make underneath him and the burning desire in his eyes. For each time he would think of him, he also recalled how he told him not to come over and made up a whole story in his mind, a story where Haruka chose Makoto over him and how, while they did they homework, the learning session turned into a make-out session which ended up being a full on hook-up.

Just thinking about Haruka showing that expression to anyone but him made him crazy. And the only way he could vent it out was swimming. The cool water made him wide awake and the only thing that mattered was swimming as fast as he could. But with every stroke he took, he thought of Haruka and questions such as 'How would he swim?', 'Would he be faster than me?' appeared in his mind.

Not even the pool could made him forget.

"Shit!" Rin took of his goggles angrily and tossed them out of the pool.

"Matsuoka, I swear, don't make me send you to anger management!" His captain saw this action even from the other side of the hall.

"Ugh… I don't need anger management, I need Haru management." Rin murmured, wishing there was a way he could choose what to think about.

"Matsuoka senpai!" A voice of one of the underclassmen called for him. "There is someone looking for you in the locker room."

"Is it my sister?! Tell her to go away." Rin hissed.

"Um… it's a boy, so I guess… no… it's not your sister…" His teammate stuttered, the glow in Rin's eyes giving him the creeps.

"Haru?!" He wondered for a moment. "No, it couldn't be… Why would he…"

But the curiosity was bigger than him. He jumped out of the pool, grabbing a towel, and rushed towards the dressing room.

Seeing anyone but Haruka would be a disappointment now.

And it was, a disappointment, a huge one. A whole six feet of disappointment stood before him, wearing an Iwatobi uniform and a deadly glare.

"No! No way! Get out!"

"Rin, listen up. I come in peace…" Makoto assured him.

"Like last time? Are you here to warn me to stay away from him?! Cuz, you just got lucky, for he doesn't want to see me anymore. Guess you got just what you wanted, huh?" Rin smirked, trying to act tough and unaffected by all this.

But his heart thumped loudly in his chest and his blood was boiling, making that artery on his neck want to jump out from under his skin.

"Last time I was here, I asked something impossible from you. So, now, I will ask the opposite." Makoto said calmly.

"I don't have time for games, Tachibana!"

"It's not a game. I'm here to help a friend."

"Sure. Frieeeend!" Rin theatrically made air quotes with his fingers. "Let's stop pretending you don't want to bone him."

"Sometimes in life, we have to look past our own wishes for the wellbeing of our friends. I know things have happened, Rin… but there was actually a time in our lives when we were friends, remember? And that's why, I want to help you too."

"Cut the crap! I don't have to listen to this." Rin was annoyed by Makoto's words.

"Don't you remember how we all used to swim together? How we won that trophy together?" Makoto smiled gently, recalling those memories.

"Whatever, that's in the past…" Rin took a step back, ready to leave the conversation, but Makoto followed, coming even closer, now being at an arm's length.

"You have to work this out with Haru… He's suffering."

"Why don't you go on and comfort him, then? Isn't this what you waited for all these years?"

"I would do anything for him, if I could. But this is not… I'm not the one who… God-damn, Rin, you are the one he needs!" Makoto grabbed Rin's upper arm, holding him tight. There was something in the way he was looking at him that made Rin actually believe him for a moment.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like this." Makoto apologized and fixed his tie. "I should get going now. I hope you'll think about this conversation and do the right thing."

Rin stood still as Makoto walked past him on his way out of the locker room. He was looking down at his feet, unable to look at Makoto and not wanting to show him the desperate expression that overtook his face.

"What the fuck was this?" He wondered.