A/N: anyone irritated by my cliff-hanger style can read the full fic on my AO3 account as it is complete. Link on my profile.

Chapter Twenty Two

Waiting at the train station in Iwatobi, Makoto rocked back and forth on his heels as he looked at the board and towards the direction the train would arrive in. It was late by only a few minutes and it made Makoto feel anxious. The train always ran on time and Makoto frowned as he checked his phone and wondered if it was a bad sign. That he shouldn't go back to Tokyo as it would be filled with bad luck but then he knew he had to.

He had to at least try something with Sousuke. And he was determined to do so. All he was glad of if the train was late, the twins weren't here as they were at school and their impatience would be much worse than his own.

His parents too had decided not to wave him goodbye and Makoto guessed that was a good thing too. He wondered if he hugged his mother one last time, whether he would rip his ticket in two and not even bother boarding the train, deciding to stay instead in Iwatobi where he wasn't as hurt and nothing reminded him of Sousuke.

But then he was still hurt and he felt guilty about Kisumi. So damn guilty.

As if thinking about him brought him into reality, Makoto heard footsteps and turned to see Kisumi stood beside him, his Iwatobi Swim Club work uniform on and his backpack slung over his shoulder. Since Makoto had left him at the edge of the pool, he had been too embarrassed to call and apologise for… whatever. He wasn't quite sure what he was apologising for.

"Sorry for the almost not sex" didn't sound right and Makoto had started typing messages before deleting them. He felt like an idiot.

"Hayato said you were leaving," Kisumi said as he sidled up next to Makoto, a hand scratching at the back of his neck awkwardly, "the twins…"

Makoto made a "hmm" noise in response as he wasn't sure what words to use. It was pretty much the most awkward situation Makoto could ever recall being in as the last time he'd seen Kisumi they'd been hot, hard and horny and now they were both stood fully clothed on the Iwatobi platform as Makoto's train kept on being so damn late.

"It's okay," Kisumi said, "you're not over the guy in Tokyo yet, right?"

Makoto dared to look up from the floor then and he saw the smile on Kisumi's face and despite his embarrassment and how he'd left him, Kisumi still had that open and honest expression on his face.

"It's… complicated," he replied his voice small and he shrugged, "I'm sorry… for what…"

Kisumi cocked his head and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. "Naw… we were friends before and we're friends whatever."

Makoto felt Kisumi's hand on his shoulder and he looked at the way he gripped onto his hoodie.

"He's a lucky guy… work it out, 'kay?"

A small smile crossed Makoto's face and he nodded. "I'll try."

He could try – he'd fucked up big style but there was always a chance he could heal it and Makoto had a plan to try out. At least he might be able to find a way to get his message to Sousuke if he was blocking him and ignoring him.

The sound of the train arriving broke Makoto's thoughts and Kisumi's grip on his shoulder and his old friend winked and gave a salute. "See you around," he said and Makoto waved back as Kisumi turned and walked off the platform leaving Makoto to board his train.

The train back to Tokyo was not as depressing as the journey to Iwatobi as Makoto did feel vaguely hopeful. Amazingly, he'd still not been fired and he confirmed with Nagisa he was on his way back and could work that night if needed and he ended up texting back and forth with his blond colleague most of the journey back. And when he arrived back in Tokyo, he realised he had missed the hustle and bustle of the city despite how much he had needed the break and the relaxing almost vacation of Iwatobi.

Taking the metro, Makoto stood next to a door and wrapped his fingers around the metal pole, looking up and down the carriage. He thought about that first time he'd seen Sousuke, the way he'd been unable to stop himself from checking him out and Makoto almost blushed at his own embarrassing attitude that first time and how far he'd come.

He also saw the copies of Tracks being read and he picked one up as he left the station and made his way to the apartment he shared with Haru. As his plan was as dumb as the one that had started it all and so as he walked, he flicked through the free newspaper feeling the residue of the newsprint on his fingertips as his palms had felt sweaty from where he gripped the pole as they travelled swiftly underground.

There was the usual "funny" stories and spins on the news but Makoto went straight to that page he both hated and love in turn, the pink hearts bright and the print obnoxious as there was the Rush Hour Crush page.

As he got to his apartment, Makoto's face was still in the page, his eyes scanning over the day's entry and he felt like he somehow had gone back in time as he thought about how he was going to word this message to Sousuke. Though this time it wasn't to the anonymous Mr. Tall Dark and Tattooed. It was to the guy he'd kissed, slept with and who had broken his heart. So it had to be good.

Arriving at the apartment, Makoto finally rolled up the paper and opened the door, walking in to smell Haru's cooking but unusually there was the scent of frying meat lingering which seemed odd as Makoto had only really known Haru to eat fish. And as he pushed open the door he was even more puzzled when he saw someone else in the apartment he did not expect.

Haru was on the floor as he often was when he was working, large books open as well as his laptop and notes scattering over the carpet with food or tea perched on the coffee table. His working style mirrored Makoto's and he was glad of it as it meant he could be as messy as he was naturally but among those notes was a guy with a ponytail and brightly coloured hair, his skin covered in tattoos.

"Ugh… am I...?" Makoto stammered and Haru looked up then from what he had been looking at – which had been a large piece of paper covered in photographs of the red light district and various fliers and stickers that Haru must've collected from the many bars.

Rin also looked up and his eyes narrowed sharply at seeing Makoto, a look that was almost in disgust and he wondered what Sousuke had told his friend. Probably everything. Probably that Makoto didn't trust him or give him the time he needed and so he probably deserved that look.

"You're back," Haru commented blandly and then seemed to return to whatever the project was and Makoto took that comment as he guessed it was meant to and he escaped swiftly to his own bedroom, closing the door loudly behind him and sitting down on his bed, his hands suddenly shaking again.

Rin was Sousuke's best friend and clearly hated him. Makoto had been hopeful after his realisation that he loved Sousuke – he'd been hopeful that with a grand gesture he may be able to fix what he'd broken but Rin's look all but shattered that. There was no point in putting some dumb trite clichéd crap in Tracks if Sousuke still felt like he had that night outside the karaoke club. No point at all.

"Fuck…" he mumbled as he pushed his bangs back from his face. He shouldn't have come back, should've just stayed in Iwatobi. Should've just fucked Kisumi in the swim club and got a job at the grocery store.

But then there was a knock at his door and Makoto murmured a quiet "come in" completely surprised when it wasn't Haru, it was Rin, cherry blossomed and shark tattooed Rin.

"Yo… come up to the roof with me."

That was all the tattoo artist said as he turned and Makoto blinked, confused. After a few moments he followed and saw Haru was working again and Rin was nowhere in the apartment.

"What…?" Makoto asked and Haru gave a shrug.

"We're working together… his tattoo designs and my graphic design skills."

That did make sense but Makoto still couldn't fathom how Rin and Haru had started talking or how Rin knew about the roof of their apartment building. It suggested that he knew the place better than just some casual visit and Makoto idly wondered if there was more to the situation than met the eye. But then he'd never seen Haru as remotely sexual so who the hell knew. He certainly didn't as he left the apartment, locking up behind him and following the route to the roof.

When Makoto had moved in, Haru had shown him the way to the roof and it was a place Makoto had spent some time in during those first difficult weeks. As while it wasn't like spending time in Iwatobi where it was quiet, where it was peaceful, where the sound of the ocean was never too far away, it did allow a moment of escape in an otherwise busy city.

Rin was smoking and looking over the edge at the streets below when Makoto joined him, making sure the door to the roof was left propped open so they didn't get locked out from their complex. Standing next to Rin, Makoto got a big inhale of cigarette and wrinkled his nose and coughed and Rin chuckled at his response, throwing it to the floor and stubbing it out before he poked at Makoto's collarbone with a firm touch.

"Fucking work it out with Sousuke."

The words were punctuated with more harsh pokes and Makoto raised his hands in defence as despite the fact they were just done with Rin's index finger, they did kinda hurt.

"He's been a grumpy asshole mess and you are the only one who can make it better."

Makoto managed to blurt out a "hnn" but it was as articulate as he got when he was faced with angry red eyes. And while Rin was considerably shorter than Makoto, he was still intimidating covered in ink and with his arms folded across his toned chest. Gaining some of his equilibrium, Makoto managed to speak in his defence from Rin's onslaught.

"He won't answer my messages or calls -"

"Yeah – well, you did ask Sei about him," Rin said with a snort and a breath upwards that made one of his bangs blow in air, "and he's stubborn and hurt… but he'll get over it."

Makoto raised one eyebrow to show his doubt about that as Sousuke had stonewalled him ever since the incident outside the club. Completely blocked him. But then he thought about his plan prior to the shock of Rin's appearance in the apartment and he looked at his hand still covered in newsprint from Tracks and his plan to use the Rush Hour Crush page again.

His thoughts stopped when he felt Rin touch his arm, a gentle touch compared to the pokes he'd inflicted earlier. "Hey… I get it. Sousuke's hard to get to know, hell, if we hadn't grown up together, I'm sure as shit wouldn't know anything more about him than you do. And fuck, he's been hurt a lot of times but he likes you… a lot so…"

Rin gave a shrug and let go, apparently preparing to walk away and back down from the roof.

"You love him?" Makoto asked, his voice shaking as he wondered whether this situation was even more complicated.

Rin turned and looked back at where Makoto stood. "He's my brother. We took him in when… well, I'll let Sousuke tell you that… and he was there when we lost my dad," Rin said softly and Makoto noticed his fingers reach for the shark tooth pendant around his neck. The one that matched what Sousuke wore around his sometimes. "He's an over-protective grumpy asshole with a fuck ton of baggage but he's family. My family," Rin stated and he walked back towards Makoto, "and if you hurt him again, I'll do more than poke you, okay?"

Makoto nodded to confirm he understood as Rin looked very serious, his eyes blazing and his mouth set in a determined line. Then he smiled, a charming smile that was nothing like the intimidating face he'd had a moment ago.

"Good… I'll say goodbye to Haru and go. I got a chest piece in an hour…"

With a small wave, Rin left the roof and Makoto stood alone, the breeze ruffling his hair and he felt a small smile cross his face. If Rin thought there was hope then Makoto had to have hope.

As now he knew that he stood a chance of getting through to Sousuke.