Just so everyone knows for certain... I have no plans to end this fic any time soon. I don't even have a plan. I write as long as I have/get an idea for this fic. The last two chapters were due to a suggestion, even. So, I mean, if anyone wants to drop off something they'd like to see... Heheheh it'll probably get done~!
(So don't worry, Pandaphil383- silly swimmer boy & kitteh shenanigans will be ongoing XD)

Chapter 10- Of Ennui and Recoveries
Haru bowed deeply to Nitori, who squeaked and blushed and waved his hands wildly in a wasted effort to tell the older boy to stop, and thanked him for taking care of his home while he was away.

"N-N-N-Nanase-senpai! I-it was nothing, really!"

A bump rattled from the back of the house.

"Ai, what's wrong?" Kenji asked, his voice a sleepy mumble as he tottered to his boyfriend's side. The younger boy rubbed one tired eye then realized who was at the door. "Oh! Haruka-senpai!" He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and the pair stared at the black-haired boy with wide eyes.

"I-Is Akiha-chan all right?" Nitori asked hesitantly.

Rin draped himself over Haru's shoulders and nodded. "She'll be fine."

Makoto, hands in his pockets, smiled at the younger pair. "She'll make a full recovery in a few days, it seems."

Nitori beamed and Sugimura offered up a shy grin of his own.

"That's so great! Rin-senpai!"

The redhead pointed at his roommate. "Hey. You are technically in the house. You know the rule."

The silver-haired boy laughed. "Sorry, Rin. Kenji and I can leave now, if you want- I-It's past curfew for me anyway. Dad'll be really mad."

The redhead considered his underclassmen for a moment, then tilted his head to whisper something to his boyfriend. Blue eyes slid sideways, then down, something of a thinking frown tugging at the black-haired boy's lips, before Haru nodded.

"If they want to. I don't mind."

"Sleepover!" Rin cheered, reaching out and ruffling Nitori's hair.

"Eh?! Haruka-se..." The younger coughed at the sharp look he received. "Haru. Is that okay? R-really okay? A-and Kenji can stay too? If he wants to?"

"I-I'll stay if you do, Ai." Kenji whispered with a shy smile.

"Sleepover!" Nagisa crowed, dragging Rei into the house.

Seijuurou waved a hand nonchalantly as he strolled into the home. "I'll make up an excuse tomorrow, eh Matsuoka?"

Rin shrugged. "Fine by me. Although, Captain..."

The rest faded away as Rin followed the taller redhead into the living room and Gou giggled as she tailed the pair, tugging the remaining Samezuka students after her.

The sudden absence of the others and the profound silence they left in their wake made Haru shiver. He was happier, lately, with people around. Not only were they his friends, but their loud chatter kept the negative thoughts away. Without it, he had...

"Haru."

...Makoto. Even without everything and everyone else, he had Makoto.

He turned to face the brunette and green eyes were glowing in the darkness, his usual gentle smile on his face, the silver-white moonlight against his back making the older instinctively think of some divine gift. And maybe the brunette was: someone who understood the black-haired boy without words, without judgment, without confusion.

"She'll be all right."

They were the same simple words said to Haru all day. It was different now though. Now it was something about the emotion in Makoto's eyes and the soothing tone of his voice that finally made Haru believe it.

"Everything will be all right. Rin, the kitten, our friends. Everything is all right. Everyone is all right." He took Haru's hand and kissed his forehead.

"Now let's go inside before they wonder if we're all right." He said with a hint of a chuckle.

Blue eyes softened at the broad back as Makoto walked by.

"I love you."

And he turned, beaming. "I love you too, Haruka."

Nagisa tried to set up party game after party game and kept getting shut down with vehemence by Rin, who was sure that a.) Nitori and Sugimura were both too tired and too new to be doing anything couple-y like the blonde was suggesting and b.) he didn't want to see his sister doing anything couple-y with her boyfriend under any circumstances ever.
The blonde finally gave up with a loud huff, crossed his arms, and pouted. Deeming that minefield avoided Rin was content to find something else to do... until his sister yawned.

"Gou, you're tired?"

She shook her head with a sleepy smile. "No no, I'm fine!"

"Gou." Rin said and it was that disappointed tone.

"...kinda. I'm sorry."

Rin snorted. "Don't be. Sugimura's already gone."

The brunette had started to slump sideways a few minutes ago and now laid with his head in his boyfriend's lap, his breathing soft and even, as Nitori petted his hair.

Gou giggled at the pair and the silver-haired boy flushed (but it was a happy blush).

"Well then let's all retire, okay?"

"I'll get the futons," Haru said as he got to his feet.

Rin offered a hand to his sister. "Gou, come on, I'll set you up in Haru's room."

"E-eh?" She squeaked after he helped her stand. "But what about..?"

Her brother cast an idle glance back at her. "We sleep in the master. So Haru's room is open. And as a general rule, not just because you're my sister, I am not letting you sleep in a room full of guys."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Pretty sure only one is interested in me."

"One too many." Rin muttered under his breath as he all but dragged her up the stairs.

"Seijuurou-kun, you may want to take the couch."

"Yeah, Tachibana, that seems like a good plan."

Makoto set the table upright against the wall to clear space and a moment later Haru came back with an armful of bedding. Between himself, Makoto and Rei, they had the living and dining rooms set up for decent sleeping arrangements.
Nitori and Sugimura were shortly all wrapped up in their own futon and blankets and giggling quietly to each other. Nagisa tackle-glomped his boyfriend to their own bedding and with a much-put-upon sigh Rei bid his upperclassmen good night.
Haru and Makoto made their leisurely way up the stairs, hand in hand, and found Rin already turning down the bedclothes.
Haru was the one in the middle that night and he wouldn't have traded his position for the world because after the day he'd had he needed them to be so close.
His eyes were still gritty and felt swollen from all his crying- how did Rin cry all the time?- and he was happy to bury his head in Makoto's chest and will his troubles into the void of unconsciousness.

Rin stepped over body after body, muttering under his breath about who he was passing- "God, Nagi's drooling all over poor Rei..."- until he came to his underclassmen's side. He crouched by the pair's heads and smiled despite himself.
They were cuddling face to face, arms wrapped around each other, foreheads touching. He gave Nitori only a cursory glance- he'd seen the silver-haired boy sleeping before- and focused on Sugimura. He didn't know too much about the kid, really. Specialized in breaststroke but was honestly pretty well-rounded. He'd put up some halfway decent times since Rin had started paying attention to him. But it was the way Nitori lit up around his classmate that made Rin happy. Every time he was with the brunette the blushy, nervous pair just evened out and they became too adorable for words.
Still smiling he reached down and pulled their blanket up and tucked the pair in.

"Rin," Makoto called softly and the redhead lifted a hand to show he understood.

As he left the living room Nitori cracked an eye open, watching his upperclassman leave and kiss Makoto in greeting, and a broad grin stretched across his face. The silver-haired boy nuzzled back into his boyfriend's side and went back to sleep.

It's so nice to see you smile like you mean it, Rin-senpai.

The redhead pushed Makoto out of the way of the oven, taking the handle of the pot away from his lover with a click of the tongue. "No no, Mako, you burn water sometimes. You get the rice, okay? No sense in burning down Haru's kitchen."

The brunette shoved the smaller teen's shoulder with a pout. "It was one time, and you can barely notice the stain on the wall-"

"Bullshit, I've seen it-"

"Ah! Kou-chan."

Rin jumped and turned. His sister was leaning against the doorjamb and watching him with a look he knew well out of her nowadays- a warm happiness that suffused her entire being- and he rolled his eyes and beckoned her into the room.

"Stop making that face," he groused.

"Sorry!" She laughed. "You just look so happy. It... It makes me ha-"

He ruffled unbound crimson hair. "Yeah yeah, I know. I'm not a dick anymore, isn't it great? Kou, I get enough of that from him" he nudged Makoto, "and Haru. Don't start."

The redhead wandered over to the fridge and the brunette leaned down to whisper in Gou's ear.
"Don't worry, Kou-chan. I missed that smile too."

"Right?" She hissed back.

"Oi... What are you two muttering about over there?"

They both snapped straight and fixed Rin with forced innocent smiles and cheery expressions.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing at all, Onii-chan!"

The redhead's face twisted into a familiar disbelieving scowl. "Yeah, like I believe that."

Makoto and Gou waited until Rin turned back to the stove and grinned at each other, slapping a quick high five. Gou skipped off to her boyfriend before her brother could whirl again.
She glanced back- Makoto had embraced Rin from behind and that kept her brother from seeing what she was about to do.

"Sei~" she sing-songed. "Hey, Sei, are you awake?"

She reached for his shoulder and he met her hand halfway, bringing to his lips and kissing it. She giggled as he cracked open one golden eye and he pulled the too-short blanket open for her. There sure as hell wasn't much space on the couch, not even for Seijuurou, but they made it work and he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her in. He shifted a few times, long legs trying to find a comfortable position, and then all was still between them. She buried her nose in the space between those glorious pecs and he nosed soft carmine hair. Almost against her will she found her fingertips tracing the contours of his back- trapezius down to latissimus dorsi and in along the thoracolumbar fascia - and there was a snort of a laugh against her hair so she stopped. "Sorry."

"I don't mind," he rumbled. "How can I?"

"Breakfast!" The redhead in the kitchen hollered.

Breakfast would have been a quiet affair- Haru had come down from the bath with a sad sigh and murmured to his lovers about missing Akiha in the tub with him- except for the fact that the Samezuka swimmers had just realized that they did not have much time to get to their school without getting in more trouble. They ate voraciously but for a few small issues (Sugimura's quiet "Er, how many mackerel dishes are there?" and a chorus of "You get used to it." from the Iwatobi team and Rin) and hurried out the door after a few lingering goodbye kisses to their respective lovers on Iwatobi team.

Makoto hung up the phone and smiled at the rest of the table. "Kanashima-sensei says Akiha is doing good and we can bring her home tomorrow."

The twins leapt up from their chairs whooping and cheering as the Tachibana men laughed. Haru beamed, happier about this news then he would let on to anyone but Makoto's knowing eyes, and Megumi Tachibana smiled.

"I'm glad! Almost in time for the weekend, isn't it? Rin will be home too!"

If possible Haru looked even happier, sapphire eyes shining, and Makoto almost took his seat next to his boyfriend again. But Haru reached up and the brunette knew the look he was getting. Without looking at his family lest he turn bright red, he leaned down and kissed his longtime-friend-turned-more.

It was only when Ran giggled that he pulled back and Haru gripped one arm, leaning his head against it and smiled shyly up at the brunette. A warm grin was his response and Makoto took his seat to continue eating.

What seemed like too-few hours later Makoto's alarm rang and he sighed, unearthing himself from the blankets and turning it off.

"Haru-chan? Wake up."

"I was already awake," the black-haired boy replied quietly. "And lay off the -chan."

"Come on then," he murmured, nuzzling the back of his lover's neck. "Today we bring Akiha-chan home."

The pair got dressed slowly. Haru couldn't take his eyes off his boyfriend and the brunette couldn't find a clean uniform shirt for the life of him.

"Ahhh, I was sure I had one..."

"Try the third drawer, left side."

"Eh?" Makoto pulled a spare shirt from his dresser. "When did-?"

"Your mother put them in there last night while you were playing with Ren and Ran."

Makoto laughed and buttoned up the school shirt. "Thanks, Haru."

The black-haired boy looked away and Makoto chuckled quietly with a smile.

After breakfast though, and while Makoto was tightening his tie, a stray thought struck him and he blinked at his mother.

"Okaa-san, can I ask you a favor?"

Megumi looked up with the Tachibana family smile and handed her boys their lunches. "Of course, darling. What is it?"

"Akiha. When we bring her home tonight, she'll need to be watched for the next few days and we have school, so..."

"You want me to keep an eye on her while you're gone?"

Makoto nodded.

"I can do that." She laughed. "Now get to school and think of having your kitten home tonight!"

The day dragged on and on and on and by the end Haru was just depressed. He almost wanted to skip swim practice, he was so intent on getting Akiha, but the second Makoto had voiced that thought of his aloud their red-haired manager had whirled and pointed her rolled-up club papers right in the brunette's face.

"No way! We can't miss any training at all! Samezuka's being nice about the pool anyway and we are not going to look bad by not showing up!"

Nagisa got up on tiptoes and leaned close, telling Haruka in a stage whisper "Gou-chan doesn't want to look ungrateful after using her sex appeal to get us into Samezuka's pool."

Gou shrieked and swatted the blonde overtop the head with the roll. "Nagisa-kun! It's not like that! Not like that at all!"

Nagisa grabbed his head and whined. "Waaaah! Gou is mean to me! Rei-chan, make her stop!"

The blue-haired boy pushed his glasses up. "You deserved it, Nagisa-kun, for making such a comment."

"Whaaaat?! Rei-chan! You're supposed to agree with your boyfriend!"

The Reigisa duo continued to bicker good-naturedly as they hurried to the train station and it was only when Makoto leaned down and whispered "Rin will be there and we'll go get her together," as they waited that Haru perked up at all.

Gou criticized them up and down about their piss-poor times (even Rin, to his team's amusement) and they apologized profusely. Still, as Rei took his place at the head of the lane Haru sat on the edge of the pool with his boyfriends and continued to look miserable.
Gou sighed and shook her head, planting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly, those three..." She grumbled. "Haruka-senpai, your run is next! Please get ready!"

The black-haired boy sighed against Makoto's shoulder and gathered a knee underneath himself when Makoto grabbed his arm and turned Haru to face him.

"Make us proud?" He whispered as he let go.

"Better we do, faster my sister can be persuaded to let us go." Rin agreed with a dirty look in her (mostly Mikoshiba's) direction.

Haru's brow furrowed for a moment and then he smiled slightly and nodded. "Right. I will."

It was his second best posted time, only beaten by his record at the regionals relay.

They left on a high note that night, Rin's arms around his boyfriends' shoulders, each excited for their kitten to be back home.

"...think she'll be happy to see us?" Haru queried softly as they stood before the vet building.

"She loves us, Haru. She missed Rin after he was gone a few days, and-"

"-she's been in a strange place for almost a week without us. I'm sure she can't wait to come home." The redhead finished.

The second they walked in the door the receptionist lit up.
They'd become a constant fixture for the past week, coming every day to see their kitten, though sometimes it was the redhead alone without the pair that dressed alike. It had made the whole staff fall in love with the three boys' dedication to their little stray.

"Oh! Is it time for Akiha-chan to go home already? Goodness, how time flies!" She beamed at them. "Give me a moment and I'll fetch her for you."

Haru felt like the two minutes the receptionist was in the back dragged on even longer than the whole lonely week without the jingle of Akiha's little collar or the rattle of her toys. Her tiny mews and the way she splashed water around and swam with a look of joy. Her small body curled up next to him or between him and his lovers. Her-

An eager peep snapped the black-haired boy from his melancholy and a small white blotchy blur scampered out of the cat door and pelted madcap straight for the threesome.

Haru knelt and Akiha launched herself into his chest purring louder than she ever had before.

When his lovers joined in the petting of their kitten, for that moment all Haru cared about was the wistful feeling that all was right in his world again.

Next chapter's already partly done, too, so that might be up fairly soon. Sooner than this 'un, since I was stuck on it in so many places. And I really can't wait to write the next chapter but this one was in the way XD