A/N: Thanks to FanofBellaandEdward for being my beta!

VIII

Bright and early the following morning Rin was thrown from his dream by a loud crash.

He was out of his bed and sliding into the next room before his brain even properly realised that it wasn't a dream. He winded himself on the doorframe as he pushed into Gou's room. The first thought he was able to register was that the bed was empty and that he landed face down onto it after tripping over Haru's splayed legs.

"Shit!" he cursed through the darkness, fumbling about blindly for the bedside lamp. Flicking the switch, he brought light into the long room. Swivelling round on his haunches, Rin squinted down at the floor, "Haru? What're you doing? What's wrong?" Crawling over on his hands and knees, he turned Haru's shoulder so that he could look down onto the creature's face, "What were you trying to do?"

Haru's mouth was open and a soft rasping sound filled the quiet air between them. The sound made Rin shudder in the pre-dawn light as Haru struggled to find the ability to speak. "I … W-Water," he finally rasped.

Rin blinked sluggishly, the blanket of sleep still making his head feel woolly. "Do you need something to drink?" he finally asked, stifling a yawn. Haru looked up at him with wide, dark eyes before nodding awkwardly. "Okay, let's get you back in the bed first then I'll get you something to drink," with that Rin reached down and grasped Haru's arm. Now that he knew what to expect, heaving Haru back up onto the bed wasn't too troublesome. As soon as he was settled back on the bed, propped up on Gou's thin pillows and his legs stretched out in front of him, Rin sighed with relief before straightening up and turning back towards the door.

His legs felt heavy as he dragged himself down to the kitchen. As the water ran cold in the sink he rubbed a hand down his face and yawned a little wildly. He felt so tired; his skull felt fuzzy and like his brain was on fire.

Grasping the glass in both hands he trailed back up to the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Haru was thankfully still perched in the same place, his hair falling down in front of his eyes as he sat, hunched over with his arms resting on his knees. He was so thin and pale he almost glowed in the dim light. Rin settled down on the edge of the bed and held out the glass of water for Haru to sip. He didn't trust the creature to hold a full glass on his own, let alone in his little sister's bed.

Haru gulped the water down before shuddering and wriggling down underneath the warmth of the thin blankets. Rin set the glass up on the side but wasn't ready to leave Haru, not just yet. "Once you're strong enough," he hedged his voice thick with sleep, "I want you to come and meet my friends. I can't keep hiding away in this house for you. As nice as it is being out of the heat, I can't abandon my friends or my work at school."

Haru's eyes looked up at him before dropping back down to the strawberry printed duvet cover.

"I know it's frightening for you," Rin murmured tiredly, "but at the same time you need to do this. Experience summer with me and see how it goes. One day at a time, alright?"

"Summer … Too long," Haru rasped.

"You mean you … need to go back to –wherever you came from –by the end of the Summer?"

Haru shrugged his shoulders, "Too long … not swimming … hurts …"

Rin frowned. That didn't make any sense. "Do you mean you hurt because you haven't been swimming a lot lately or that it'll hurt more the longer you stay … human?"

"Both … Want to swim …" Haru peered up through his fringe, licking his pale lips. Rin swallowed thickly. The eerie look of Haru in the darkness made his skin crawl a little; his eyes were too wide and dark for his narrow face, his limbs too skinny and the scabbed over gills on his neck and webbed fingers and toes … it was almost all too much.

Rin tilted his head to the side and sighed softly, "Okay don't worry. Tomorrow –or today –we can go out into the pool and build up your muscle strength okay?"

Haru gave a short nod, "Okay … And f-friends?"

"My friends?" Rin asked, "Well we can have them meet you here first, so it's a safe place? Or you can just come by practice one day when you're stronger? Either way I can work with it. I'll say you're my cousin or something." Rubbing at his eyes, Rin glanced at the small clock on the bedside table. "Okay, it's late –or early. Either way I need to be up in five hours so I'm going to go and get some sleep. You going to be okay?"

Haru gave a stiff little nod. Rin decided he needed to be satisfied with that for now. With a strained smile, he stood up and, on shaking legs, made his way back down the hall to his own room.

Later that morning, Rin stared out over his kitchen with a disgruntled expression; damp towels and short bowls of water created a trail from the bottom of the staircase and into the kitchen, and then a smaller trail leading off towards the bathroom. It was a real mess and was going to take even longer to clear up, especially if Haru tripped on anything. At present, said creature was settled at the table with his feet submerged in about an inch of water in what was originally the washing-up bowl from the kitchen sink. For his part Rin was standing at the kitchen counter and was dissecting a small mackerel for Haru for his breakfast. The creature simply refused to eat anything else just yet, which meant Rin had to take at least a shower a day to rid himself of the fish stink. Rin had already wolfed down a bowl of cereal for himself, not wanting to waste any time in watching as Haru fumbled from bowl to bowl, his dainty narrow feet slipping awkwardly as he moved from room to room.

"I called up a friend of my mums this morning before you came down," he started softly his voice still thick from sleep, "He's cleaned out the pool for us. Thankfully he didn't ask too many questions about the mess at the bottom of it. So that means that we can go in the pool and spend the day building your muscles up."

Haru glanced up at him, the greenish-grey hue of his skin making Rin quiver. "Waste … time …" he grumbled around a mouthful of fish.

Rin frowned, "That's not a waste of time. What else would I do today?"

"Friends … Work … School …"

Rin almost smirked at those words. They were the exact ones he said earlier that morning, in that exact order. He couldn't help but shake his head as he took a long sip from his tea. "It's up to you, but the pool is there and ready if you change your mind. If not I may just go out for the afternoon. Let me know when I come back from my shower."

Haru didn't say anything as Rin drained the last of his tea and set it down in the sink. On his way out towards the main hall, he stopped in the doorway and turned to look at Haru, or more importantly the backs of his legs just visible from underneath the chair. Despite the fins and scales having dropped away, there was a lengthy puckered pink scar running up his shin. Rin wanted to look at them more closely but he didn't want to if it might offend the creature. Truly, washing out the fleshy mess from the bathtub had been a challenge enough.

Once he was washed, dressed and spitting minty foam out into the sink, Rin felt a lot more awake and a good thing too, as Sousuke would not stop ringing his mobile. In the end he'd asked and, whilst scrubbing his teeth, had listened to his friend go on and chatter to him about arranging a barbeque for that weekend. Rin had no objections, but did suggest that they could use his house seeing as his family were away. Sousuke had agreed and it was arranged for that weekend. That left Rin four days to teach Haru how to walk with confidence. It was a challenge indeed.

As for the rest of his afternoon, Rin wasn't busy. Makoto had invited himself and Sousuke over for dinner, but he was prepared for that. He was simply going to wrap one of Haru's legs in bandages and help him to hobble from place to place, the rehearsed story of a pulled tendon already forming in his mind.

Fully-dressed, Rin went back into the kitchen where Haru was sitting upright in the chair, his plate and glass empty. Taking them to rinse out in the sink, Rin made his way back around the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have two of my friends coming over for dinner tonight. They should be round for about 7pm. Do you think you'll be alright?"

Haru shrugged his hunched shoulders and dropped his gaze back down to the table.

Rin pulled out the chair opposite and leaned over the table, careful not to touch Haru's too-cool skin, "I promise they won't bother you. If you'd rather stay in my sister's room then that's okay too."

Haru shook his head, "Meet … Friends …"

Rin frowned, "Are you sure?"

Haru nodded before he raised his eyes to Rin. The taller boy tried not to feel his heart stutter in his chest. Those eyes were so deep he was sure he was going to trip and drown in them. Clearing his throat he rubbed the back of his neck and straightened up in his chair, "Right well then, let's get you over to the pool and see if you feel better."

Haru didn't do anything he simply let Rin clap him on the shoulder. He watched over his shoulder as the red-haired boy went back and forth organizing things before he unlocked the door that led out into the garden.

An hour later it was like Rin was accompanied by a totally different person. Haru seemed to transform as soon as he was in the clean water of the pool; he seemed to move a lot faster, even if his legs left him feeling a little clumsy. Rin was surprised at just how fast the creature was; if they were to race properly in a regulation pool, he was sure that Haru was going to come close to beating him. After a solid hour of streaking back and forth, Rin had to take a break to catch his breath, not that he would tell anyone that someone –or something –could swim faster than him. Not that it mattered; Haru was raised in water, lived and breathed the stuff, it was only natural for him to be a skilled swimmer.

Leaning back with his arms raised on the sides, Rin tilted his head back and let the warm sun dry the water from his face. He adored the light burn he felt in his thighs. He hadn't fought so hard to keep up in a long time, not even with Sousuke. He had sorely missed the challenge. The water lapped up his neck as Haru glided back towards the edge of the swimming pool, his wet legs brushing briefly against Rin's. Cracking open an eye, Rin tilted his head to the side so he could see the creature. "Feeling any better?" he asked as Haru slid above the surface of the water, the beads running down his narrow nose and dripping off.

Haru didn't reply; his eyes flicked to Rin's face before dropping down to the tiled edge of the pool.

Rin heaved himself out a little so he could grab his phone and check the time. It was almost 3PM. His fingers were pruning so much that the pads of his fingers were caving in. Slipping back into the water he grabbed Haru's arm just as the boy was about to dive back under the water. "I'm just going to get out for a while. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No," Haru said before sliding, like oil, out of Rin's grasp and disappearing beneath the water.

Rin watched the dark mass of hair descend to the bottom of the pool and sighed. He climbed out and dried himself off as a swift breeze tousled his hair. As soon as he was dry, he pulled a shirt on to prevent any further exposure to the sun before briskly walking into the kitchen. He made himself something to eat, downed a pint of water and then collapsed onto the sofa, his muscles relaxing as he sank into the cushions. Grapping the remote he idly flicked through the TV channels, looking for something to hold his interest. Haru seemed content to do laps in the pool, seemingly getting faster and faster as he got used to swimming with two legs instead of a tail.

All too soon the sound of the water splashing around managed to coax Rin back outside. He could watch TV anytime, but if Haru was right and he only had the summer to witness something so extraordinary, then he wanted to watch for as long as he was able.

Pulling one of the deck chairs over to the edge of the pool, Rin settled down with a cap on his head and a bottle of water in his lap. Haru was still swimming lengths but he seemed to have calmed down a little –then again Rin had no idea what the creature's usual swimming speed was. Sipping his water, Rin watched the pale muscles working through the water; the sheer power in those lithe limbs amazed him. The boy could excel at races if he were human.

An idea clicked in his head.

Toeing off his trainer, Rin kicked it into the water grateful that he'd pulled on his old pair for the day. The rubber sank below the surface before being tossed up onto the side. The top half of Haru's face came into view, his blank expression making Rin want to flick him just to get a reaction.

"Hey Haru, what do you think about staying human for the rest of the summer?" he asked.

Haru didn't do anything other than blink up at Rin. Somehow his eyes said everything in one blink; 'don't be stupid', 'I can't do that!' and 'you're an idiot'. Above all else, Rin suddenly felt like he was trying to persuade an oyster to taste good even though he knew it wouldn't.

"…Why?" Haru finally asked, his chin propped up and resting on the edge of the pool.

"Well some friends have this swimming team and are short one player. If you can manage to walk within a week or two, it would really help them. They'd even be able to go to the championships with my team," he felt foolish explaining the dynamics of racing to a fish.

Haru hummed to himself before peeling away from the edge and slipping back under the water. Rin sighed; he knew he'd been asking too much of the creature but he was still left feeling disappointed. Reclining back in his hair, the redhead watched the creature swim back and forth, even simply gliding on his back, his skin shimmering in the sunlight, and his legs bent under the lapping water.

By the time the sun was starting to sink like a fat red ball in the sky, Rin finally managed to coax Haru to climb out of the pool. It had been a little awkward as he'd had to stoop down and all but drag the creature out and park his rear end on the side of the pool, but once that was done and Rin had handed the creature his towel, he needed to set down the plan for the evening before his friends arrived.

"So I know you can't really say much at the moment, but as far as anyone else knows you're my cousin, right?" Rin reiterated for the third time as they let their legs drift along in the water.

Haru nodded, "Cousin. Cousin Haru."

"Exactly," Rin sighed and leaned back on his arms, "And you've hurt your leg. So you're staying with me for the summer as you recover."

Haru looked at him out of the corner of his dark blue eyes, "… Easy."

Rin smiled and shook his head, "If you say so. Now come on, let's get you inside and ready. You can't sit in front of my friends in just a pair of wet trunks."

Standing up and grasping Haru's arms, Rin managed to get the blue-haired boy on his wobbly legs with an arm secured around his neck, and his own arm wrapped around Haru's waist. He made sure to keep Haru fastened to his side as they made their way across the cool grass, before slipping over the doorjamb and into the house. Rin helped him up to his bedroom where he sat Haru down on his desk chair before turning back to his chest-of-drawers and rummaging around for some smaller clothes.

Haru sat there calmly, his hands in his lap and his legs bent back under the chair as he watched with wide, dark eyes as Rin drew out a thin shirt and a pair of long chino's. He handed them to Haru before settling back on his bed, "Do you think you can get those on?"

Haru eyed the clothes before shrugging and started to claw the shirt on over his head. Rin had to suppress a smile; it was like watching a puppy try and shake a towel off its head. He diverted his gaze as Haru wriggled out of the sodden trunks to change into the chinos.

"… Rin," Haru's voice carried across the room.

Rin turned to look over at the fully dressed creature, illuminated by the dying light, and felt his chest tighten. "Do you want some socks?" he finally asked his voice a little higher than normal. Haru nodded and held his foot out. Rin scowled and bit back the retort about feeling like Cinderella and Prince Charming as he crouched own and slipped the socks onto Haru's scaly, webbed feet. "There, now let's get you downstairs. I want to know what to order for you before my friends come over."

Haru frowned a little, "Why?"

"Because I don't want to take forever when they do come over to finally decide that you want prawn-fried rice, got it?"

Haru rolled his eyes but Rin was almost certain he saw those thin, pale lips quirk into a brief smile.

~0~

"KNOCK! KNOCK!" Makoto called through the front door. Rin rolled his eyes as he made his way over to the front door and welcomed his two friends into his home. Their arms were filled with some take-away boxes.

Rin frowned, "what's all this? I thought we were ordering food once you got here."

"We are," Sousuke said as he closed the front door, "But Makoto was too hungry to wait. I think he's been spending too much time around Nagisa."

Rin laughed as he helped Makoto unload the food onto the kitchen counter, "Well we're going to need to order some food anyway. I have a … er … house-guest."

His two friends frowned as they followed Rin through into the open-planned kitchen and living room and stopped short when they saw the dark-haired boy perched on the edge of the sofa, his blank expression drilling into them as soon as he caught sight of them. Haru made no indication to acknowledge them other than with a look. He didn't want to move. The atmosphere in the room grew thick and somewhat awkward as the three swimmers stood there near the kitchen with their arms laden with bags.

"So who's your friend?" Makoto asked, breaking the silence and turning his attention back to Rin.

Rin glanced over at Haru settled on the sofa before feeling the heat burning up his neck, "This is Haru. He's a distant cousin of mine. He's staying with me for the summer whilst he rests his leg. He had an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Sousuke asked, giving Haru a once over with a sceptical gaze.

"It was a biking accident," Rin shrugged as he got out plates and glasses for the four of them.

"Ah," Makoto nodded, seeing as he knew all about the bumps and scrapes acquired from riding a bike. His two younger siblings were proof of that. They practically wrote the book on how to fall off a bike. "So Haru where are you from? Haven't seen you around these parts," he called out over his shoulder.

Haru didn't reply. The silence alone was enough to draw three pairs of eyes to him. Rin could feel his body heat-up as his fragile web of lies hung in the balance. Haru shrugged. "Nagasaki," he finally stated.

"And how long do you plan on staying with Rin for?" Makoto asked as Sousuke grabbed the landline and punched in a number for a local take-away. Rin stood close to his friend but kept one ear strained for Haru's voice.

"All summer," Haru mumbled.

Makoto nodded before turning back to look at Rin. "He doesn't say much does he?" he stated with a breezy smile. Rin had always envied the taller man's easy-going nature. Everything came too easily to him. Was there a secret to living life that he knew and kept from everyone else? Rin had no idea, but he would never stop feeling envious.

Rin gave a grin and shrugged, "He's never been much of a talker. He's the strong silent type, is Haru."

"Haru … is that short for Haruka?" Sousuke asked as he waited, the phone pressed to his ear.

Rin swallowed thickly, "Er … yes."

"Bit of a girly name, isn't it?"

He shot Sousuke a dark look before snickering, "Please, like our little group can actually complain about that."

"He had a point Sousuke," Makoto grinned as he leaned on his clasped hands, "Nagisa is the epitome of girly names right now, and he's not complaining."

Sousuke rolled his eyes before finally getting through on the landline. "Rin," he hissed, "What do you and Haru want?" Rin shifted over the small post-it he'd written 'PRAWN-FRIED RICE' and 'SESAME SEED EGG ROLLS AND CHOW MEIN WITH ROAST DUCK'. Sousuke rolled his eyes but recited the request orders and thanked the lady on the other end once everything was ordered for a home delivery. "Right," he put the phone down and turned towards the others, "Who fancies watching a movie?"

The rest of the evening passed by without any unusual events; it didn't take long for the others to understand that Haru wasn't a big talker. Rin was sort of thankful for that, especially as the food itself presented them with a worthy distraction as well as the debate over what was good to watch. Makoto, of course, being the tie-breaker. When they finally left for the evening, bellies full and their minds numbed from the conversation and the tranquil evening. After they pulled out of the drive way and Rin closed the door to the rumbling of the engine, before shuffling back into the living room.

He settled down on the edge of the doorframe and looking over at Haru where he was lying down on the sofa, his legs looking a little stiff from the long day of over-bearing exercise. Rin crossed the room and settled down on the sofa. Leaning a little closer than necessary he said, "Thank you for tonight. I know I pushed you a lot and you needed to do a lot, with the exercise and all. I didn't mean to push you to do so much in one day."

Haru hummed low in his throat, "That's … Okay. Some people … need pushing."

Rin cast a look over at the creature nestled beside him, "I do appreciate it though. Thank you."

"You're … You're welcome."

"Do you want me to help you up to bed?" Rin asked after a few moments of just watching the smaller boy beside him.

Haru nodded, "Yes please … Tired … Sleep."

Rin nodded and stood up from the sofa, his knees creaking a little as he stretched himself out and worked the knots out of his joints. Haru was either becoming lighter and easier to lift, or Rin was just getting used to carrying his weight. Carrying the creature on his back, he managed to climb the stairs as quickly as his legs would carry him, before moving into Gou's bedroom. As soon as he made a move to go towards the bedroom, Haru's grip around his neck tightened until he stopped mid-step.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked as Haru loosened his hold.

"Don't … Sleep alone," Haru breathed his voice a little husky as he nuzzled into Rin's neck.

"Well you're going to have to. I don't have any other beds." It was a bald-faced lie but there was no way he could let Haru sleep in his parents' bed. That just would not do. Ignoring Haru's hold on his neck, Rin made his way into Gou's bedroom and, once he made sure Haru had everything he needed, he said 'goodnight' and made his way to his own room to sleep.

As he undressed and slid under the covers, he sighed with relief. The evening had gone well, with Haru meeting the calmer of his small circle of friends. The only question was, would he be able to get Haru strong enough to compete, and even if he could, would the others thing it was a good idea?

With a sigh, he rolled over onto his side and went to sleep.

A/N: I hope you lovelies likes this chapter! Let me know what you think! X