Round and round the bottle goes, where it will land, nobody knows.

It's Free if it Takes Over Thirty Minutes

Chapter 15

Spin the Bottle

Rin's eyes widened as he saw Sousuke walked down the stairs. He really did not expect to see his ex-best friend. Biting his lip, he thought it would be easiest to play it cool.

Momotarou excitedly called out to the two marching down the stairs, "Come join us!"

Makoto felt pressured into playing; not that he didn't want to. Sousuke seemed indifferent about the situation and sat down next to Makoto in the only open spot.

Nagisa jumped forward and offered to go first.

"Okay, so, Hazuki will start, and whoever he spins will go next," The older Mikoshiba declared.

Nagisa excitedly grabbed the empty beer bottle, one that Seijuro had chugged upon his arrival, and spun it with the flick of a wrist. They all watched from their spots in the circle. Anticipation boiled within the blonde's pink eyes. The bottle slowed down, passing Haru, passing Rin, passing Nitori, Gou and Chigusa. Where it landed was no place special.

"That's no fair!" Momo shouted as a smiled grew along Nagisa's face, "He can't kiss his own boyfriend!"

Rei puckered up and Nagisa jumped on top of him pressing lips and tongues together.

"Ewwww, stop slobbering over each other, we didn't want to see that," Rin moaned.

"You turn, Rei," Makoto chirped, finding Rei and Nagisa's relationship adorable.

Rei nodded and hesitantly touched the bottle. His spin was much weaker than Nagisa's, not even making its way once around. The bottle made its way and pointed at Nitori. Nitori blushed and shyly looked away. Rei seemed just as embarrassed, but moved towards Nitori to prove he wasn't chicken. Everyone else's faces glowed either entertained or jealous. Rei and Nitori brushed their lips against each other's for a brief second and returned to their original spots. Everyone was "ooooing" and "ahing" as it happened, like middle schoolers would.

It was Nitori's turn. Nitori's face was still bright red when he started to spin the bottle. He was shaking he was so nervous. When the bottle turned slowly, Nitori closed his eyes. It had landed on a boy with bright hair.

Momotarou Mikoshiba took spin the bottle very lightly. He was the one to make the move on Nitori who spun the bottle his way. Nitori's eyes stayed open. Kissing his crush, he could never take it lightly. It was probably the biggest deal in his life at the time.

When Momo had completely cleared away, Nitori mumbled a, "shit," under his breath. His long grey hair hung in his eyes as he tried to recover. Rin was smiling next to him, giving him one of those playful nudges.

It was just his luck, Momo's spin landed on Gou. She refused at first, but gave in to pressuring crowds. After their awkward kiss of desperation and disgust, Gou quickly started a conversation to disrupt the silence.

"Makoto, where is Kisumi? I thought he would be here!"

He sighed, "He had plans with family. He never makes it." Scratching the back of his neck he said, "I'm really worried about him. He hasn't been acting right the past few weeks."

Sousuke nodded in agreement, "I tried talking to him the other day, but he's just acting different."

"Does anybody have any idea what may have happened? It happened the same night . . . that Rin called . . ." Makoto spoke with much concern and confusion regarding his roommate.

Sousuke was shocked to hear that it was that specific night he got into a fight. It was just a coincidence, but it bothered him.

"Maybe it's just school," Gou suggested.

Haru shrugged his shoulders, uninterested in the conversation.

"Maybe he c-couldn't afford the u-unicorn," Seijuro stuttered, completely wasted after drinking three and a half beers. Rin began laughing as Momo looked embarrassed, cause others to cheer in laughter. Rin's laughing put a small smile on Haru's face; a face that hadn't changed the whole party. Makoto noticed and grinned a goofy expression of joy.

"Gou! Spin!" Nagisa shouted.

She spun it, holding her shirt up as she bent over, making sure none of the boys could sneak a peek.

"Now, that's just plain wrong," Momo said in a relaxed voice. Nobody else was as calm about it as him.

The bottle was pointing straight at Rin who would have made out with anyone else in the room. The two looked sheepishly looked at each other.

Rin quickly pecked her cheek and protested, "There. A kiss. My turn."

Nobody rejected Rin's solution because they all realized how awkward it really was. As Rin spun the bottle, everyone watched as it slowed down. Everyone grew even more quite as the bottle pointed strait at Sousuke.

Sousuke twitched but said nothing. He waited for Rin to come to him, there was no way he'd waste energy for something he didn't even spin. He wasn't angry or argumentative about it either, just accepting and understanding.

Rin was the one who was hesitant, and angry at the lifeless bottle. None the less, Rin eventually scooted over to Sousuke and, with eyes squeezed shut, he kissed Sousuke's fair lips and backed away. Sousuke held his straight face; it didn't mean anything to him. Rin felt awkward, but who wouldn't? He was still trying to hide his confused emotions when he realized Sousuke had spun the bottle.

"Should I make up with Rin?" Sousuke asked, Makoto and Kisumi both looking towards him as he asked. They were all siting in the Tachibana's basement, which was still messy from the Christmas party.

"You know how I feel," Makoto said, turning his body on the couch to face his tall and quite attractive friend with an unattractive expression on his face, "You should follow your heart. If you miss him that much, you need to let him back it. Everyone make mistakes."

Kisumi snorted, "Fuck that. Rin was being an ass hole, he doesn't deserve your forgiveness."

Makoto shot his roommate a look of disapproval. Kisumi was seated in the chair opposite the couch, his hair a pink mess and bag under his sleepless eyes. Sousuke had been standing, but made his way to the empty spot next to Makoto.

"He tried calling me again. I don't know what to do."

Haru answered his phone on his way home from work, "Hello?"

"Haru? Are you home? I'm coming over. Now."

"Rin? I'm not. Coming home from work now."

"Fine. I'll pick you up and bring you here."

"Why-" Haru was cut off by the rining of a single side call. Rin had hung up. Unsure what do do, Haru sat down on the curb until he saw Rin's car approaching.

He stood up and opened the passenger's door as Rin slowed to a stop.

"Why am I going to your hosue?" Haru asked immediately upon sitting down.

"Sousuke won't return any of my calls. I really fucked up, huh?"

Haru just sat and listened as Rin continued to ramble, "He's my best friend, I mean, how could I be so careless? Is he better off without me? He definitely is. All I had to do was call-"

"Rin. Watch the road." Haru said frantically.

"Shit. Sorry. I'm in a really pisass mood. I'll take you home."

"No. Let's hang out," Haru looked down. He usually would have accepted to offer to go home, but he was worried about Rin.

They reached Rin's house and migrated to the livingroom.

"He's not home," Haru observed, talking about Rin's upstairs neighbor.

"I guess not. He hasn't been home since we got back from Iwatobi. Must be with family or something." Rin huffed, "By the way, why did you come back so early? I only came back because otherwise I would have lost the apartment. But what about you?"

"I had work," was Haru's excuse, but Rin new better. He was actually lonely in his house at home, his parents had only returned for one night. There was no way he would tell Rin that though.