Okay, announcement time! First of all, I wish to apologize: first for this delay, and then for the next few that are doubtless going to happen. You see, because my sister didn't pay the bills like she was supposed to (*irritated grumbling*) we have no cable, phone, or internet at home. So that means that I can't update. I have two chapters finished- this and the one I'll upload tomorrow/Tuesday- but that's the most you may get for the foreseeable future as I am leaving my friend's house on Tuesday to return home. I'm sorry- so very, very sorry- for this massive issue, but there's really nothing I can do about it. Just write what I can and upload what I can and when. I'll try my best to give you more chapters soon but I don't think it'll be happening.
Apologies! Enjoy the chapter? *sweatdrop*

Chapter 28- Of Freedom and Deceptions
A slow exploration. Fingers creeping over the soft white of the covered mattress. Patting at the surface. Sweeping a hand to and fro. And finally, when all other options came up empty, a confused bleary-eyed glare.

All of which told Rin the same thing: he had woken up alone in bed.

He rolled over to check the (equally empty) other side and finally just flopped onto his stomach muffling a very long sequence of furious profanity in his pillow.

He should not be alone in bed.

Especially since the clock only said seven-thirty.

Rin exhaled forcefully through his nose, the final sign that he wanted no part of a day spent alone, and resigned himself to sitting up.
It was an off day, a rare free Monday, and he had been fully expecting to spend the day lazing about with Haruka and Makoto. To find them both nowhere to be seen was more than a little infuriating. Especially because Makoto had sworn up and down over dinner last night that he would be home all day to make up for being gone the day before (and causing their fight, though they both assured him that had nothing to do with him and had been their own stupidity) and if he wasn't in bed Rin would bet the angry boiling in his gut that the brunette was at work. Otherwise he would have been dragged out of bed by one or the other to enjoy the morning with them. If they hadn't woken him, then it was likely Makoto was trying to sneak off. He'd done it before.

Rin stormed out of the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time, and found Haru by his lonesome watching the news over his usual mackerel breakfast.
Akiha lay in a stripe of early morning sun and it was to her that Rin went, bypassing Haru's curious stare and quiet query. Rin curled around their Bobtail, petting her sun-warmed fur, smiling despite himself when she stretched out and began purring.

"Rin. I said. Do you want to see the movie in the city later?"

The redhead grumbled. "What, like a date?"

Haru sounded a little happier. "Yeah."

"No."

"What..?" The black-haired teen said.

"No. I don't. I don't want to go on a date without Makoto. Who, I note, isn't. Fucking. Home."

Haru sighed. "Rin, let's not have the same fight twice. He had to work."

"He promised."

"Shit happens."

Rin groaned and buried his nose is soft fur. "I hate his work."

A warm heavy body draped over him, Haru leaning down to press a kiss to his temple, and when he looked the older had settled back (still resting on him) with a smirk.
"So. Date?"

Rin sighed largely, just to watch Haru rise and fall with the motion of his chest.
"Yeah, sure, why not. Sounds good. Just please, please- keep your fucking pants on."

"I'll even wear underwear."

Hearing that shouldn't have been such a relief but it was and Rin had to snort a laugh the second it was said.
"Deal."

Haru sat at the top of the stairs and tossed a crumpled page of Makoto's English notes (rendered worthless once the brunette had begged Rin to re-write them in his flowing script; Haru's attempts to write English letters were far more passable) down the stairs for the kitten to chase while Rin decided on outfits for them. Akiha brought it back up every time- a ball only slightly smaller than her head- and waited with shining eyes for the next toss.

"How about this shirt?"

"Fine," Haru responded without looking back.

A hanger smacked into his back and he stifled a yelp last-minute, whirling with a glare. Rin stood in the door, eyebrow lifted, hands propped on his hips, tapping his foot agitatedly.
"C'mon, Haru, you didn't even fucking look. I'd like us to look good if we're gonna go out."

"When do you ever not look good?"

Rin flushed, gaping like a fish at the stone-faced older boy, and then looked away. "Yeah yeah, cute. B-but seriously, work with me here."

But after Rin helped Haru squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans he was very sure did not and had not ever belonged to him, the redhead ducked his head to the curve of Haruka's shoulder and murmured a quiet, "Thank you."

Haru smiled, pulling the younger into his arms, resting his head against Rin's. "I don't really compliment you two enough. You're really cute, Rin."

Rin pinched his ribs (not painfully). "Shut it. Don't push your luck. Now what shirt should I wear?"

Akiha dropped the paper ball inside the room and peeped as loud as she could. Haru smiled slightly and turned to Rin.

"Am I done?"

And the redhead pouted. "You still haven't picked a shirt."

As they devolved into squabbling Akiha watched them. Then, after a minute, she huffed, dropped ocean eyes to the ball, and started to bat it around with frequent glances up at two of her bickering humans as if to say she had an object of great desire and she knew it and they were being stupid enough to ignore it (and her).

Bundled against the weather- Rin rolling his eyes with exasperation upon catching sight of the mackerel mittens the Tachibana twins had gifted his boyfriend- the pair fed Akiha fresh wet food to distract her from them dashing out the door.

"So where are we headed?" Rin sighed into the early March air.

Haru shrugged. "Dunno."

"You don't know." Rin said in a deadpan tone with a lifted eyebrow.

"Not yet," Haru replied, lackadaisical as could be. "Probably should head for the city at least."

Rin scoffed and stormed ahead. "You suck at date planning, Nanase."

Haru got a text mid-ride and Rin whipped a glare at him because Haru's phone was on silent and the black-haired boy had decided a while back that if his two lovers were going to pressure him into carrying the thing around he was at least going to assign each of the people most likely to call him with specific rings so he could pick it up at his discretion. But it was on silent right now? Rin had been suspicious from the beginning about Haru spontaneously deciding they needed to go on a date but now he was just wary as could be.

Haru scowled at the device and pocketed it roughly. Rin narrowed his eyes.
"Who was that?"

"Nagisa."

"Rrrrreally?"

"We're getting off here."

"...wait, what?" Rin blinked.

He didn't have time for anything else: Haru grabbed his hand and yanked him off the train the second the doors opened and hauled Rin after him to (after a moment's pause to regard the route map) a train that went to the westernmost edge of Iwatobi's neighbor city.

"Haru, dammit, hang on a second-! Do you actually even know where we're going? Like seriously!"

"Working on it," Haru replied as he pivoted into a position near the opposite doors. Rin careened into his chest and knew if it weren't for the older teen's secure grip on the overhead strap that they would have gone tumbling. As it were, Rin realized he was centimeters from kissing Haruka, pressed chest to chest, Rin's hands clamped in a panic on the bar.
A couple of anxious titters broke their stare (impassioned, and Rin wouldn't bother pretending otherwise- he had been contemplating kissing Haru breathless) and they embarrassedly set themselves straight, though Haru's grip curving under Rin's elbow lingered perhaps longer than was necessary.
The schoolgirls looked mildly disappointed though, if anything, and so with an internal grin wide enough to be considered devilish on the next long turn he reached up to clear a couple of stray locks of hair from those breathtaking azure eyes.
Haru leaned away from his touch after a moment caught staring but understood immediately when the trio of girls set to giggling all over again. He rolled his eyes at the sound.
He leaned in, head tilting up, lips once again mere centimeters from Rin's, and could almost feel the tension in the three girls as they waited with bated breath in anticipation of a kiss.
Then Haru grinned- quick as a flash, there and gone again- and kissed him on the nose.
"Idiot." He said warmly.

Haru got one more message that resulted in another sudden change in direction and it was at this one that Rin dug in his heels.

"Okay, now wait a damn minute. It's official, someone is telling you where to go. I knew you of all people weren't spontaneously romantic enough for something like this. And so help me, Haru, if this does have absolutely anything at all to do with Nagisa and surprises I. Am. Leaving."

Haru stared at him, standing on the sidewalk with arms crossed and expression sour and foot tapping, and sighed. The older glanced down the street and back to his irritated red-haired lover.
"It's only another three blocks. Can't you go that far?"

Rin merely cocked an eyebrow.

"I swear it has nothing to do with Nagisa."

Rin continued to glare at him for another minute or two but when Haru's gaze never wavered he eventually exhaled hard and relaxed.

"All right, fine!" The redhead snapped, running a hand through his hair and pacing past his recalcitrant boyfriend.

Rin fumed for two whole blocks, tuning out an exasperated Haruka, but halfway down the third he happened to look up and froze in his tracks.

"Makoto..?"

The brunette stood in front of the local theater, hands in his pockets, dressed in Rin's favorite of all of Makoto's shirts, relaxed and grinning at the sight of his lovers.
"Hey you two. Just in time. What took so long?"

Haru breezed past the startled Rin and hugged Makoto with a furtive look around. "Rin insisted on dressing up. Then he didn't want to come."

Indignant, the redhead thawed out and came back to life. "Wh- that's- I just wanted you to look good! And you were being a secretive little shit and wouldn't tell me anything about where we were headed or- or anything! Y-you said the person texting you was Nagisa and- and you had your phone on silence you little bastard! So I wouldn't know! You did this on purpose! Both of you! Just to fuck with me!"

"It's to make up for yesterday," Makoto hummed. "That was my fault. I was so eager for the hours that I forgot it was going to be our weekend. So, I'm sorry, Rin."

The redhead didn't respond but his fists were tight at his sides and his head bowed.

"Rin?" Haru said quietly.

Rin sniffled. His lovers rushed over, Haru nuzzling into Rin's neck while Makoto lifted his chin and laughed at the sight of the youngest's tears.
"Oh, Rin. Please tell me those are happy tears."

"Of course they are!" Rin spat, brushing the trails roughly away. "I just- I didn't- didn't expect- and I was all mad- and you were planning this- the whole time- the whole time?"

"The whole time," Haru admitted.

"You stupid idiots! I was so pissed!"

Makoto just laughed at Rin's petulant outburst, kissing his forehead. "Glad you're happy now."

The movie was decent, not that Rin ended up paying much attention to it. He was much more keen on snuggling up to Makoto, resting his cheek on the gentle giant's shoulder, enjoying the scent and feel of having his boyfriend close. Haru had cast him maybe a dozen amused looks about Rin's clinginess but had gotten a raspberry for his trouble. Still virtually attached to Makoto's hip Rin allowed himself to be dragged to their apparent final destination- an outdoor café. With the weather finally warming up enough that no one needed more than a light jacket (especially more inland than seaside Iwatobi) Rin found he appreciated the thought- and the fresh air. Though he'd backed off as they wandered from deserted street back to populated space, Rin settled right back at Makoto's side when he saw how charmed the hostess was by the brunette's demeanor. He shot her a glare when her hand lingered what he (and Haru, if Haru's fierce scowl was any indication) felt was too long. She sat them with no further fuss after that, taking drink orders after handing them menus.

Haru had only started to pout when Makoto flipped the black-haired boy's menu to the second-to-last page and pointed to an item. Judging by the excited look, Rin figured Haru had just found mackerel. He snorted and shook his head, dropping his chin onto his palm and glancing back and forth between the pair.
"You two are the most perfect married couple."

Makoto squeaked and blushed but waited until their waitress had come by and left their drinks and taken food orders before he leaned across the table and hissed, "Rin! Stop that. We're not- Haru and I aren't any different from- what we have with you is the same."

"Oh come on, we all know I'm the odd duck out," Rin snorted as he swirled his coffee.

Haru and Makoto both turned wide eyes to the youngest. The brunette's jaw dropped and it took him a moment to formulate a reply.
"Rin... What do you mean?"

Red eyes glanced up at their shocked expressions then away. "Oh, don't act so dense." He flicked a droplet off the end of his stirrer in Makoto's direction. "You two were practically made for each other. Attached at the hip from day one. And then I came along and forced you apart to settle between you and hope it would work out."

Makoto looked mildly horrified. "...please tell me you don't really think that, Rin."

He snorted. "Everyone does."

"Rin, Makoto and I..." When ruby eyes met sapphire Haru paused, momentarily stupefied, before he managed to finish. "Makoto and I were never like that. There was never anything romantic or sexual about the relationship between us in all that time we spent together."

"But then why-" Rin's brow furrowed, worry and confusion starting to contort his features.

"Besides, you and Haru were together before I came around."

"Well yeah, but Mako, I forced Haru-" Rin spluttered.

"Haru won't do anything he isn't at least partially interested in." Makoto interrupted with a sweet smile. "He did have an attraction to you. And he didn't to me. It's that simple."

Rin sighed aggressively and shoved a hand with just as much force as was hidden in his tone through his hair. "So then, where do I fit?"

Makoto beamed at him but it was Haruka who softly said, "You were the catalyst."

The brunette grinned. "Right! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You two would still be together and I would still be on the sidelines watching you."

Rin sighed. "No. Haru and I would've separated, probably after Regionals. I would have seen how shitty a relationship we actually had after what you guys did for me. He would've remained friends with you, because there's nowhere you two belong more than next to each other. And I... I don't know. I might have given Ai the chance he wanted. Or I might have pursued you myself, Makoto. If Haru hadn't had the dumb idea to try this threesome thing before Regionals we probably all would've been headed to hell in a handbasket."

Makoto turned to Haru with his gentle smile. "Then I'm glad you did."

Haru looked away almost immediately, cheeks taking on a slight rosy tint that made Rin smirk. "I just wanted us all to be happy."

Then his brow furrowed and he looked back at the table. "If... If Rin hadn't pulled me into a relationship with him, I probably never would have realized I even had feelings for you, Makoto. I didn't know friendship from love, after all."

"It's all blurred lines between you two," Rin laughed.

"Still," Makoto said quickly. "We owe you. We owe you everything."

The glint of the gold ring on their hands made a heavy weight- heavy, but not unpleasant- sink into Rin's stomach and he smiled.

"Don't let us forget," Haru finished.

"I won't," Rin agreed. "Because it's hard to forget."

The sun shone bright on their table for a moment, three different rings bright with gold and color, as Rin clasped their overlapping hands with his own.