Thanks for all the hits, everyone! Please remember to review! Not only does it help motivate me, but also for past fanfictions, some of the best ideas I've gotten for past stories has been from reading a review

Silence laid heavy in the air as Rei dragged behind Rin, weaving around and about street corners before they arrived at a cafe. Rei waited outside, shuffling his feet and staring at the ground with irritation, not knowing if it was towards himself or the razor toothed upperclassman. As quickly as he had popped in, Rin brushed past Rei, plastic bag thrown over his shoulder. They ended up at a barren park, sitting on opposite ends of a swing set as the tension in the air built to a head splitting tightness.

Rei sat unmoving, hoping that if he waited long enough that Rin would give up and leave. His heart skipped a beat when he saw something shoot out for him in the corner of his eyes, arm lashing out and grabbing onto the fist before it collided with his jaw.

Rei blinked and saw that in his hand was not a fist, but a curry bun.

Rei made eye contact with Rin for the first time since they left school grounds. He was met with an icy scowl before the shark turned away with a sneer and they both ate separate and wordlessly. It was only when the white noise of the background happenings became too much to bear that Rei spoke up.

"Thanks... I mean... for the food..."

Rin stared ahead, away from Rei, with a sour look on his face. Seconds, and then minutes ticked by. Rei stomach knotted and he felt slight tremors through his legs as he could only imagine what Rin was thinking. Unable to take it anymore, Rei turned his back to Rin and walked, shakily and a little faster than he meant to, away from the park, away from this excursion, away from Rin.

"Where did you get that bruise from?"

Shudder. Completely frozen on the spot. Losing your composure is not beautiful.

"I told you. I fell."

Anger flashed across Rin's eyes as he sauntered up to Rei until they were eye to eye, and shoved his hard muscular chest against Rei's own built frame, causing the glasses wearing boy to stumble a step back. Foreheads nearly touching, needle-point teeth glistening, Rin repeated in a threatening, deep voice.

"Where... did you.. get that bruise from?"

Happening far too often as of late, something snapped within Rei again. Rei made a fast uppercut that Rin was barely able to dodge. Grabbing him by the cuff of the shirt, Rin wrestled Rei to the ground and a scuffle ensued, missed punches, harsh yanks and pushes. Flipping Rin over so that Rei was on top, Rei grabbed Rin by the shoulders and slammed him repeatably against the hard dirt, banging Rin's head each time. Rin grabbed Rei by the throat and pinned him, stomach to the ground, arms bent behind his back is a strong hold.

Rei hissed in pain as he felt the once healing bruises on his wrists and forearms blossom again, but unrelenting, Rin had him by the back of the neck and forced his face in the dirt, completely unable to move from the hold and from Rin's weight lying on top of him. Glasses having already fallen off a few feet away, safe from the fight, Rei squinted into the dust and his body vibrated with adrenaline and rage. Both were panting hard but Rin still laid on top of Rei to keep him from being able to get off the ground. When both had caught their breaths, Rin grumbled and shifted to get off the bluenette. Rin's hips rocked into Rei's, rubbing Rei's crotch into the ground, and before he could stop it, Rei let out a soft gasp.

Both froze on the spot at the noise. Rei could feel Rin staring at the back of his head and his entire face flushed with such a hot red that he could have sworn he was going to get sick right then and there.

"Did... did that hurt?"

Rei swallowed dryly, voice nearly shaking and said, "I'm... fine. It doesn't hurt."

Rin helped Rei up and retrieved his glasses for him, but Rei never lifted his gaze. He suppressed the shudders of humiliation as he cleaned the glasses on his shirt.

"You can have a free hit."

Rei's gaze snapped up to meet Rin's, but he was looking to the side with a hand running through his hair.

"Take the free hit before I change my mind." Rin grumbled.

Rei debated, and cautiously took grasp of Rin's collar in one hand, and with the other he struck his sempai across the face. Rin barely moved and after a second of silence, he smirked at Rei.

"Going easy on a free hit? Lost your chance, loser."

Had Rei half assed that punch? He couldn't tell. He couldn't think. There was no guidebook, at least not one he had read, that had a theory on how to deal with situations like this, or crazy shark-like swimmers.

"-eel better?"

Rei blinked back into reality and stumbled out a, "W-what?"

"I asked," Rin glared, that annoyed expression that was becoming pretty familiar, "Did that make you feel better?"

Rei stopped to think before realizing that he couldn't think. His mind was slow and at ease. The frustration that had built up the past few days seemed weightless, all of it being expelled in that final blow.

"Yeah.." Rei breathed out. "Yeah. It did."

Rin dusted himself off and decided to make his way out, nudging Rei with his elbow as he passed.

"Oi. You just got here, so stay out of fucking trouble, why don't you? And make sure you eat for once. I can tell you're an athlete and you'll lose your shape if you don't. I have my own shit to worry about, so take care of yourself."

And like that, the altercation was over. He was well past the coloured playground equipment and short stone wall that encased the park when Rin cast a look over his shoulder to see if Rei had left yet. He paused for a split second when he saw Rei, staring off in another direction, a few lone tears streaking calmly down his face, hugging the curve of his cheekbone. A tightness ripped through Rin's chest and Rin gripped at his ribcage, confusion struck across his face.

The next day, word had already spread like wildfire across the school that Rei Ryugazaki was off limits to anyone who didn't want to face Rin Matsuoka.