HAPPY BIRTHDAY RINRIN! Sorry if the second half seems rushed; it is. I wasn't originally intending to add his birthday but I kinda wanted to so it morphed into this. Also the second half is crap because I am exhausted from new job so I'm sorry about that, too. PLEASE READ THE SIDEFIC AFTER THIS PLEASE PLEASE I LOVE THE PORN I DID FOR THAT ONE AND IT'S ALSO FOR RINRIN'S BIRTHDAY SO YEAH

Chapter 25- Of Visiting and Birthdays
Rin outpaced Haru effortlessly every time they jogged. He'd noticed that the older boy was starting to catch up though. Slowly but surely the intervals of time he spent waiting for his boyfriend to catch up grew shorter.
Today was no exception; he'd finally convinced Haru that they needed to run and despite the lengthy complaints as soon as they were running the black-haired boy focused on the things he should- breathing, rhythm, Rin's back- and no words were shared between them.

"Haru!" Rin called at last.

The black-haired teen slowed to a stop, panting, and swiped a chunk of sweaty jet hair away from his face. He cocked his head and Rin offered a shark grin.
"Let's take a break. The convenience store Makoto works at is just two streets away. We can walk down there and see him, take it easy for a few minutes, maybe buy a- hey!" He yelped as Haru ran right past him, sapphire eyes sparkling eagerly. Ruby rolled but Rin was grinning. If Haru thought he was keeping that lead for long he was dead wrong.

They made the convenience store in no time and almost broke into a squabble when they both tried to enter the store at the same time and almost got each other stuck. The redhead grudgingly allowed his lover to go first and forced the black-haired boy to the drinks first before Makoto noticed them. Unsurprisingly, Haru grabbed a bottle of water. Rin snatched a bottle of Pocket Sweat and then- with a considering look at their boyfriend's broad back- grabbed two large bento. He brought them to the counter Makoto stood behind and grinned at the sight of the brunette so invested in filling the shelves that he was oblivious to his customers.

"Hey barkeep! I need a Pocket Sweat, a bottle of water, and two large bento, if you would."

Makoto jumped and then he whirled, happy-puppy grin and shining eyes on full blast, and hurried over to them. "You guys! What are you two doing here?"

"Running by. Stopped in to see how our sexy boyfriend is doing." Rin grinned, leaning on the counter and propping his chin on his fist. "When are you free?"

Makoto beamed at the pair, ringing up their purchases. "Next break's in twelve. Can you wait?"

Rin chuckled and Haru snorted. Before the redhead could reply Haru simply took his items and turned on his heel to leave.
Disgruntled, the youngest rolled his eyes. Makoto laughed softly and his fingertips traced the edge of Rin's jaw so lightly he wouldn't have known if he hadn't seen the movement in his peripheral vision.

"It's okay, Rin. I know that's a yes. I'll be out soon, all right?"

"We'll wait," the redhead hummed warmly under his breath.

They sat themselves on the concrete half-wall just outside the store. Rin leaned back on the grass filling in the space between building and barrier and smiled at the feel of the damp grass under his palms. Finally, winter was starting to fade. It meant Haru could get back in his own pool a lot quicker and some of his prickly demeanor would ease up.

The two boys opened their meals in unison and while they waited for their boyfriend they dismantled each other's bento- Haru stealing all the seafood items for himself while Rin in turn picked out all the meat in Haru's- but otherwise proceeded in silence.
Twelve minutes on the dot Makoto bounded out of the store like an eager pup and grinned when he spied the space deliberately left for him between his lovers. He ambled over and squeezed into the space, immediately finding a firm body pressing in on his from either side, and glanced with knowing exasperation between the two meals.

"Of course," he sighed. "You two would."

The brunette seemed happy just to be nestled between them but when Rin prodded him in the shoulder he turned excitedly to the redhead. Only to be confronted by... a piece of chicken?

Rin waved the morsel in front of his face tantalizingly. After a moment Makoto realized he was supposed to be opening his mouth so that the smirking redhead could feed him. He rolled his eyes and let him, chewing thoughtfully.
"It's not bad."

He turned the other way at a more forceful prod and just knew Haru would have his usual petulant scowl as he offered him a fried shrimp. With a laugh he took that too, shaking his head as he leaned back between the pair and let them eat.

"You have lunch yet, Mako?" Rin asked around a mouthful of pork.

"Mmm, another two hours. Then lunch, then another three before I come home."
Rin paused, a look of mild disappointment flashing over his face and gone before it could be caught.

Unless, of course, you were Tachibana Makoto and used to scrutinizing expressions and reading eyes.

The brunette smiled and accepted Haru's next prod with chopsticks easily, happy to snack on their food if they'd let him. Rin was quick to rise to the challenge and soon Makoto had to fend him and the black-haired boy off before they got food all over his uniform.

"Hey, hey! It's you two who're supposed to be eating!"

"Not too much," Rin argued. "We're still running another kilometer after this and then headed back home."

"Quite the workout today," Makoto observed with a smile.

"Haru needs to get his lazy ass in gear. I've let him off the hook for the last three days in a row but no more!"

Haru scowled darkly at the redhead. "Nobody asked you to watch my regimen."

Rin scowled right back. "Your body- both of your bodies- are my business. I want you both in the best shape you can be, for the pool..." He leaned in, tugged Makoto close by his collar, and his teeth scraped over the brunette's earlobe when he finished. "...and in bed."

Makoto reared back, flushing, and Haru leaned around him to pout irritably.
"You're not forcing Mako to work out."

Rin frowned thoughtfully, massaging one of the older boy's thighs. "That's because he has enough on his plate right now. He's trying to provide for his family by working and go to school and he's got to exercise and keep up with us in bed."

Makoto flopped onto the grass with a laugh. "That last one is what's killing me, I assure you."

"Watching alone would never satisfy you," Haru stated, fighting a smirk.

"Oh we know what satisfies me."

The low, husky tone that rumbled out of their boyfriend felt like a personal victory. Rin and Haru grinned at each other over their lover's torso. Then Haru poked the brunette in the side with his chopsticks and Makoto curled up with a yelp. The black-haired boy smiled gently at that and the youngest reached over to help their boyfriend upright.

"I've missed... this," Rin finished lamely, chewing his lip and glowering at the ground. "I missed..."

Makoto chuckled suddenly, warm and soft and loving, and when Rin pouted at him he gave the redhead a fond smile. "I've missed us being able to be us too. Without restrictions or worries or cares. Just us."

Rin pointed his utensils at his lover victoriously and took his own turn with flopping onto his back on the grass. "That. Thank you. That. I've missed that." He patted the brunette's back pocket with a mischievous smirk. "I've missed us."

Makoto stood and swiped his pants free of grass blades, rolling his eyes at the redhead. "Only you," he sighed.
But he was smiling.

He vanished into the store, leaving behind a pouting pair of lovers.
"Come on, he has like another five minutes left of this break!" Rin whined aloud- very loud- and tore up a handful of grass.

"Maybe today is different?" Haru said.

"Maybe," Rin agreed sulkily.

Then Makoto came out with a single light-blue Popsicle and his boyfriends perked up.

"You serious? It's barely above freezing and you have a Popsicle?"

Makoto laughed and wedged back into his preferred spot. "Clearly you need to cool down."

Lifting an eyebrow, Rin took a big chomp out of the top of the Popsicle the second it was unwrapped, much to Makoto's complaint, and Haru snapped a sudden glare on him. Makoto leaned toward Haru unconsciously to get away from the teenager eating his treat and encountered a different warm body- that also took a bite.

"Oh come on!" He whined. "This was for me! It's my favorite kind- uh. Rin?"
The redhead gave his lover a sumptuous look and sucked the bite of Popsicle he'd been balancing on the tip of his tongue back into his mouth, maintaining eye contact as he rolled his tongue over it, making a muted noise of pleasure that had emerald eyes widening.

On the beleaguered brunette's other side an absolutely lewd slurping noise sounded and Makoto whipped around to stare at Haru. The oldest had the good grace to not stare into green eyes as he suckled on his own bite of ice cream but the bulge in his cheek helped nothing and didn't help Makoto's stirring arousal.

"You two..." He croaked with a mouth gone dry.

Rin broke into snorting chuckles and Haru snickered. Makoto wanted to be mad, he did, but seeing them so relaxed and at ease put his ragged emotions to rest and so their antics (though very unhelpful to the tightness of his slacks) simply made him smile.

"Now I'm the one who needs to cool down," he sighed.
Without further ado he sucked the frozen treat past his lips and watched his lovers turned wide-eyed stares on him. A few unnecessary slurps and wanton moans later Rin's self-control was close to shattering and Haru was tense with the effort of holding himself back from jumping on the smug brunette. It was on a slow lick over the melting tip that he could physically see Haru lose the fight and it was that exact moment of Haru making a move for his boyfriend that the door to the convenience store opened with a friendly 'ding' and the black-haired boy was suspended mid-motion.

"Tachibana-kun, your break's almost up!" His co-worker called.

Rin sent the girl a dark look for interrupting but it went over her head. She went back into the store and with a friendly grin Makoto pressed the remainder of his Popsicle into the still-frozen Haru's hands. He swept inky bangs aside and kissed his boyfriend's forehead, then turned to Rin and yanked the redhead up by the collar of his tracksuit, all motions filled with an aggression that never failed to make Rin's knees weak. He waited with bated breath for the kiss that would steal the caught breath from his throat but it never came. Instead Makoto chastely pecked his boyfriend on the lips and walked back into the store.

His lovers stared after him, similarly dumbfounded, and then Rin made a small noise and curled up on himself in the grass.
"God I am so hard right now."

Haru cleared his throat, cheeks brilliant red. "You aren't... the only one."

Eventually they pulled themselves together- determined to, once they caught Makoto smirking at them from inside the convenience store- and resumed their training. If Rin hadn't been concentrating quite so hard on the burn of muscles and the aborted kiss he'd almost gotten out of the brunette earlier he might have realized everything wrong with the return to Haru's house. Might've seen the curtains swish in the supposedly empty house. He didn't, however, and was startled beyond measure when he opened the door and an explosion of noise and confetti greeted him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIN!"

Red eyes blinked rapidly, struggling to take in everything- the banner, his grinning friends, the cake a certain gorgeous brunette held, the Tachibana twins holding a lumpy and misshapen wrapped present, Seijuurou grinning victory and snapping a picture of his stunned face- and then it all clicked and he couldn't deny the way his heart swelled with happiness.

"You guys... did this for me?"

Rei crossed his arms, huffing angrily. "You didn't even tell anyone it was your birthday, Rin! Nagisa had to tell me or I wouldn't have known."

"Kou-chan had us all get together for this," Seijuurou added. "Seriously though, Matsuoka, you should've mentioned it."

Rin ducked his head. "It's- I haven't- there wasn't really many people to celebrate it with before... before now. So I kind of... stopped caring about it."
That got him a varied reaction of sympathies but none of them mattered quite as much as when Haru wrapped an arm around his waist and Makoto set the cake aside to come down into the entryway and pull him into a hug. The redhead allowed it, relaxing into his lovers' hold, and determinedly fought back the stinging tears.

Seijuurou snapped another picture.

Rin might've been mad about it any other time but at this moment he was simply too overwhelmed to be anything but grateful.

The pictures were practically never-ending as the party went on but Rin was glad it was the trigger-happy Captain on the job; it meant he'd have plenty to remember the day by. The twins were very eager to give him his gift (Makoto's father had picked him up from work; his 'last break' had been when he'd gotten off but he'd wanted to surprise Rin by being home when the pair got back and thus lied about it. The twins had had to come along once they learned about it and now here they were) and he'd humored them by opening it only to have his jaw drop.

"Th-this is..."

Ran bounced gleefully and Ren tugged the redhead down to whisper "It's actually from Onii-chan. Haru-nii-chan said we should wait and Onii-chan will give you our gift later," in Rin's ear.

Ruby eyes slowly found warm emerald and Rin found himself speechless. He couldn't say how long he'd wanted this particular MP3 player and headphone set but he knew he'd had them circled for a long time, to be bought when he could justify their exorbitant cost. To see them sitting under the messy wrapping (clearly a Tachibana twin debacle) but bought by Makoto almost brought him to tears all over again. Haru was suddenly rubbing his shoulders and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

"You'll get mine later too."

A few minutes later Rin noted Ran handing a confused Makoto a neatly wrapped box and though he wanted to know what it was it wasn't one of the presents that made it across his area amongst the birthday debris.

Rei had given him a whole set of books on theory and dynamics of swimming that he actually hadn't read. Nagisa's gift had been... unable to be admired in present company. Later for sure, though. Seijuurou, Nitori, and Sugimura had all given him different swimming-related items: a new swimsuit of the same style as his old from Sugimura, new goggles (red, he was amused to note) from Nitori, and Seijuurou had handed him a heavy book that Rin realized only a few pages in was actually a manual about efficiently running the Samezuka team. He'd given the older redhead a startled look but golden eyes narrowed right back in utter seriousness.

And Gou gave him a photo album, with only the first ten or so pages filled. There must have been a hundred available pages and he realized with a start that she intended him to use it throughout his whole life and with (yet another) watery grin he realized he'd be happy to.

A squeal brought the whole party's attention to a certain small Bobtail kitten who'd just discovered all the discarded wrapping paper.

Akiha frolicked among the torn paper, charging underneath and running circles beneath it. Ran and Ren were happy to keep her entertained but it was Nagisa who ended up with the most scratches as he kept tracing the nearly unidentifiable lump of kitten from above the paper and invoking her pinprick-clawed wrath. With a mutual laugh the threesome set upon their kitten, teasing her through the paper and enticing her one direction or another. She was amazing to watch- a tiny splotchy bullet rushing into a wall of colorful wrapping- and the whole party was happy to watch her play. Rin finally managed to capture the little energetic beast and he poked her in the belly with a wad of wrapping paper. She mewled and latched onto the ball with all four paws, back paws working to disembowel the paper with a look of pure innocence in big oceanic eyes. The redhead snorted and hefted the little body, holding her still despite her excited squirming.

"You're the cutest little demon I've ever seen... except maybe Nagisa."

"Hey!"

"And I'm glad I brought you home. You kinda... You made this home for us."

Makoto beamed and Haru nodded, leaning into his boyfriend's side and reaching up to pet the small kitten.
"Our home."

So... sleepy... But, a happy birthday to our favorite shark swimmer boy! Love you, Rin~