Suddenly I ship Rintori really hard.
Summary: Nitori knows he can't do much when Rin's nightmares hit. He hopes that being there is enough. Rintori.
Disclaimer: Wilder still doesn't own Free!, what else is new.
It's Darkest In Your Head
The first time Rin wakes Nitori up is a week after moving in.
Nitori jolts awake at the scream that comes from the bottom bunk, and he looks over the edge to see Rin huddled in the corner of his bed and releasing choked sounds that could be sobs.
"Matsuoka-senpai, what…?" Nitori starts to say, his eyes wide with concern.
"Shut up," Rin gasps. "Shut up, go back to sleep."
"But – "
"Shut up!" Rin yells, clutching his head in both hands.
Nitori falls silent, but he creeps down the ladder and stands in front of Rin's bed. Rin looks up, his jaw clenched, his eyes pained. Aiichirou sits down on the edge of the bed hesitantly, ready to flee if Rin gets hostile.
He doesn't, just puts his hands back to his eyes.
Rin's breathing slowly but surely returns to something normal. He lowers his hands and his gaze flicks over toward Nitori.
"Go back to bed," he says almost steadily.
Nitori does.
It becomes a fixture of living with Rin. Once a week is standard, but twice isn't uncommon.
Two months into living together, the night of a particularly vicious nightmare, Rin grabs Nitori's wrist when he comes to sit on Rin's bed. Aiichirou starts and locks eyes with Rin, who is biting his lip so hard that a slow trickle of blood has started. Slowly, the younger swimmer places his other hand on top of Rin's, which doesn't pull away.
"I…" Rin begins, and Aiichirou can feel his fingers trembling. Rin doesn't continue.
"It's okay," Nitori says, brushing his thumb over the back of Rin's hand.
It's not okay, but for a moment, Rin looks like he might believe it could be.
When Rin tells him what happened to his father, Nitori finally understands.
When they get back to the room, Rin sits down on the edge of his bed and points to the space next to him. Aiichirou takes a seat with about a foot separating them. It's as close as they've ever been.
"You're not bad, you know?" Rin says with the ghost of a laugh.
"Matsuoka-senpai, are you all right now?"
Rin sighs and looks at his own folded hands.
"Nah. But what else is new."
"Can I help?"
Rin looks up. Nitori jumps a little bit as Rin touches his cheek and leans in to press their lips together for just a brief moment.
"Wh-what… why?" Aiichirou whispers, so aware of Rin's hand against his skin.
"'Cause you're a good kid."
Nitori starts to get up, and Rin catches his hand.
"Stay," Rin says quietly. "Do you mind?"
Mutely, Aiichirou shakes his head and sits back down, closer this time. Rin's arm slides around his waist, and he leans his head on Rin's shoulder.
He lies with his back against Rin's chest that night, listening to the soft sighs of Rin's breath and wondering if he'll ever be enough to keep the nightmares away.
End Chapter