Enter the UST. So the PG rating of the chapter before? Pushing PG-13 now. :D

Just when Rin decided it was a fortunate thing that his friends always came in a package deal, he entered the Iwatobi swimming club's pool to find Makoto sitting alone at the edge of the pool, legs trailing in the water.

"Hey," Makoto greeted him with a flash of warm smile. "Haru's running late. He's in charge of class journal today. And it's Nagisa and Rei's turn for clean-up duty."

"Gou?" He'd expected his sister would be the most enthusiastic one about his visit. After a brief moment of hesitation, he went to join Makoto and sat a respectful distance away from him, dipping his feet in the water.

Makoto shook his head ruefully. "She's not joining us today. She's helping with a class project and can't get out of it, she said. She sends her apologies." A soft chuckle. "She says welcome, and for you to enjoy yourself today."

Rin made a noncommittal sound. He wasn't disappointed, but it was...awkward, being alone with Makoto. Makoto tilted his head, predictably taking his silence as disapproval.

"Sorry. And after you came all the way here to visit us, too."

"Not your fault," Rin said, and inwardly winced at how curt he sounded. "How-how have you been, anyway?"

Okay, he was terrible at making small talk. That was always Makoto's role. To keep up small talk and keep them running, like the grease that kept all four of them moving smoothly. Curb overenthusiastic Nagisa. Include aloof Haru in the conversation. Answer questions so Rin didn't have to talk to himself. Swimming together was easy. When they were swimming together, it was like he'd never left. But out of the water, Rin couldn't help feeling the gap of years.

"Eh, nothing special. Junior high was pretty uneventful. I..." A sliver of hesitation, then Makoto continued. "I wasn't in the swimming club for second and third year. Or first year of high school. So it was pretty boring, I guess."

Rin didn't have to read between lines, not for this one. Haru had dropped out of the swimming team during junior high, after that fateful race with Rin. So Makoto had followed. And when Haru started swimming again, Makoto had again followed. Rin swallowed the lump of guilt in his throat. "No wonder you were in such pathetic shape during prelims." Okay, that wasn't antagonistic at all. Rin backtracked hastily. "Anyway, I can't believe you shot up so much. You and I were about the same height back in grade school."

Makoto laughed easily, not taking offense. "Hit my growth spurt early, I guess. How was—" Makoto stopped, and Rin watched him, puzzled, as Makoto very obviously swallowed the rest of his question. "How's Samezuka?"

How was Australia?That was what Makoto meant to ask. And didn't, because Makoto was too considerate and even without knowing everything that happened, Makoto instinctively avoided the topic. "We have a strong team," Rin answered, because that was the truth. Haru probably wouldn't ask and even if Nagisa was only a year younger than they were, all of them had an unspoken rule against telling depressing stories to Nagisa. Hell, who knew how long he'd have to wait until next time he and Makoto were alone? And this was Makoto. It wasn't like Makoto of all people would judge him.

"And Australia was kind of terrible. Disgusting summers. Well, winter here. I couldn't get away fast enough for winter breaks."

"Oh." Makoto was clearly startled, but smiled encouragingly. "I heard it gets really hot."

"Yeah, and you burn up like a crisp if you're not careful. The sun's no joke there. Made outdoor swimming kinda painful if you weren't careful."

Makoto laughed softly. "I can imagine. Even here, really. We learned our lesson the hard way when we went for our training camp this summer. I started peeling the day after I got back. Even Haru. I think only Rei had the foresight to wear sunscreen the whole time."

And – Rin realized with a start – Makoto would never press harder. Would never ask first. Not unless Rin chose to tell him.

"Good athletic program there, though." It was in the past. He could talk about this. Really, he could. "I had trouble keeping up."

Makoto didn't answer right away. In fact Makoto looked like he was at a loss what to say. "Was it hard? The training."

"Yeah." Rin kicked the water lightly, not enough to kick up a spray, but enough to make it swish around his legs. "I was scrawny compared to everyone else. And - well. They were just better swimmers. I couldn't compare."

"Oh, but I'm sure—"

"It's okay, Makoto. I don't need you to coddle me." Rin didn't mean to cut him off, but he really didn't want to hear empty platitude. Or worse, words of consolation. "Besides, I got better. I'm going to get even better."

"I know that." Makoto's tone left no room to doubt his sincerity. "I know you will, Rin." His expression gentled. "Haru never doubted it, either."

"Haru told you that?" Because Rin rather doubted it. It wasn't like Haru to talk about things like that.

"No, but he doesn't have to."

Rin snorted. "No, he never has to tell you anything except—" What Makoto meant to Haru. Right. He couldn't talk about that, either. And if he was honest with himself, Rin would rather swallow his tongue than talk about it, anyway. Speaking of tongues, Rin thought wryly. Makoto would never be convinced his interest was very much returned short of Haru putting his tongue down Makoto's throat. And wouldn't it be a sight? Except, of course, Haru would never do that. Rin was kind of glad, except it made Makoto sad. Sometimes, when Nagisa was hanging all over Haru as usual, and Rei was speaking to Haru earnestly, or when Haru and Rin raced, Makoto got that look on his face. Sort of a wistful look. Like there was something Makoto really, really wanted, but knew better than to ask for, because he was convinced the answer would be no.

"Haru's serious about his feelings, you know. He's always been shy about expressing them, but that doesn't make them any less serious."

There was a hint of pain under the words that struck Rin. "What are you talking about?" Rin asked blankly.

"Well..." Makoto hesitated, a faint blush spreading over his neck. "You know that you've always been...special, to Haru. He's always wanted to swim with you, and—"

What? Rin shook his head helplessly. What was Makoto talking about? "Wait, what are you—"

"—And I know he doesn't say it in words, but he really does care about you—"

"Wait." Rin rubbed his forehead, feeling like he would get a headache if they continued. Makoto thought... How on earth had they even gotten into this tangled mess? "You think Haru likes me?"

Makoto let out a tiny sigh. "I'm just saying, even if he doesn't say anything, it's always been clear to people who know Haru well."

"It's not me he wants, stupid, it's—" You. The word stuck in his throat. He couldn't. Maybe, once assured of Haru's feelings, Makoto wouldn't need Haru's tongue down his throat to make the next move. Then they could exchange their vows or whatever and be together forever. Rin had no illusions; he had no place there, not between Haru and Makoto's tightly woven relationship.

The right thing, the honorable thing to do, would be to just leave it. Let the two idiots figure it out.

Damn it, Rin never wanted to hurt his friends, but this wasn't fair. While Makoto and Haru went nowhere with their relationship just waiting to happen, he was stuck, unable to say anything. And once the two did figure it out, then he would never have another chance.

Makoto wasn't expecting him to lunge forward, but this was Makoto: Makoto didn't even flinch, looking back at him with a puzzled expression. Rin kept his hand gentle, caressing the hair at the nape of Makoto's neck. Makoto probably wouldn't punch him. Or even if he did, it'd be worth it. So Rin leaned closer and pressed his lips against Makoto's.

Makoto's mouth was slack against his. Even when Rin licked at his lip, tongue briefly darting inside to steal a taste, Makoto remained still and unresponsive. Probably too shocked to do anything. A detached part of Rin's mind wondered if this was the first time anyone ever kissed Makoto. At least this was his to keep.

"Anyway, leaving Haru aside, it's you I like," Rin murmured against Makoto's unresisting mouth. There was still no response from Makoto, and Rin pulled away. He'd expected as much. It had always been Haru for Makoto. Confirming it shouldn't hurt this much. "Sorry," he said quietly. "Tell the guys I said sorry. I'm come visit again another day."

Before Makoto could reply, he got up and left, leaving Makoto looking like his world had just turned upside down.

"Matsuoka, you have a visitor."

It had been a week since he visited Iwatobi. Since then, he hadn't heard from anyone except Nagisa, who texted him complaining he didn't wait for them. Rin sighed, wondering if it was Gou again.

"Haru."

His visitor turned to pin him with a bright blue stare. "Rin."

Judging from the serious expression, whatever Haru was here for, the conversation wasn't the kind he could have in the lobby. "Come on. Ai's out right now. We can talk in my room."

Haru didn't say another word, falling in step next to him. After the door closed behind them, Rin sighed. "Make yourself comfortable. Want anything to drink?"

"No."

Haru laid a hand on the back of Rin's chair, but didn't sit. Rin sat down on his bed and raised an eyebrow. "So? What brings you here?" Actually, he had a guess. But what the hell, he wasn't going to make this any easier for Haru. Rin owed him, but he didn't owe Haru this.

"A week ago, when you came over," Haru started, then paused. "You saw Makoto."

There was no reason to deny that. "Yes."

"What did you say to him?"

Not what did they talk about, but what he said to Makoto. Rin guessed Makoto must not have told Haru what happened, then. "Not much." Just that he liked Makoto. "Why?"

"You upset him."

Probably true. "Ah."

"He won't talk to me." Haru's words fell softly, but Rin knew him enough to pick out the hesitation threading through them. "What did you say to him?"

"Why are you asking?" Rin asked bluntly.

"Because Makoto's upset," Haru repeated, and if this was anyone else, Rin would have banged his head against the wall in frustration.

"It was private. Which would be why Makoto chose not to tell you." That part was a guess. But if Haru came all the way to see him for answers, then Makoto likely hadn't said anything at all.

Haru frowned. "Rin, if you've hurt him—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Rin dragged a hand through his hair, pulling out strands in his agitation. "I told Makoto I like him. I'm not asking him for an answer back. Or pressuring him in any way."

"I didn't realize," Haru said finally. "That you felt that way."

Haru's words were quiet, but simmering underneath was hurt. And Rin didn't understand just what on earth Haru could possibly be hurt about when Makoto clearly liked Haru. Haru only had to say the words to have Makoto. Makoto wasn't oblivious about his own feelings for Haru – only about Haru's feelings for him. "It's not my business if you're too scared to tell him how you feel. But don't expect anyone else to hold back if you're not going to make your move."

The blank look of shock surprised him, and Rin stopped short. Could Haru really be that oblivious? For crying out loud, he'd come all the way to Samezuka to confront Rin for upsetting Makoto. Where was Haru's unperturbed composure now, his unflappable, infuriating calm? It never occurred to Haru it wasn't normal for him to react like this?

But this was about Makoto. And Haru. Damn it, if it had been anyone else Rin wouldn't have bothered.

"Nobody's standing in your way but you, Nanase Haruka," Rin said, and the strange equanimity of his own words startled him. He sounded serene, like somebody who'd already come to terms with his defeat.

"I—" Haru dropped his eyes, his blue eyes like swirling water, its calm disarrayed in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I don't think you do, no." It was more of a realization, really. Rin groaned, and let himself fall back on the bed. "Did you never notice? Haru, you came all the way here to talk to me when you thought I might have hurt Makoto. You watch him all the time. What did you think it all meant?"

"But...you said you like him."

Rin snorted, not bothering to sit up. "It happens sometimes. Pretty often, actually. You like someone, he doesn't like you back."

"You think Makoto doesn't like you back." Haru's voice was curiously calm again. "Did he tell you that?"

Well, no. Rin hadn't given Makoto a chance to reject him since he knew Makoto's answer before he ever said anything. "No. But he doesn't have to." He let out a sigh and covered his face with both hands. "You can tell him he can stop worrying about it. I knew before I told him," he mumbled through his hands.

The bed dipped, and Rin pulled his hands away from his face. Haru was sitting on his bed, watching him. The blue eyes were settled again. "You told him because you wanted him to know," Haru said, but the words were a question. Rin nodded mutely. "Before, Makoto said that he – wanted to swim with me. That it was..." Haru paused. Was it just a trick of the light, or was a faint blush dusting Haru's face? "...He said it was meaningless without me."

Rin's first thought wasn't a kind one. Just because he accepted Makoto liked Haru, it didn't mean he wanted a play-by-play on the actual confession. Possibly Haru was even more clueless than Rin gave him credit for if he didn't realize how Makoto felt even after that. The second thought was something of exasperation. Of course Haru would take all this in the context of swimming.

"Is that what he meant? That he—"

"—Likes you?" Rin finished for him. "Why don't you ask him?"

"I feel the same," Haru continued, as if he didn't notice Rin's interruption. "But I also wanted to swim with you."

Rin gaped at him speechlessly for a full minute. "Okay, you really need to stop with the swimming analogies," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"When you said you won't swim with me again," Haru began, then stopped. In the ensuing silence, Rin frowned, trying to figure out what the hell Haru was talking about. Was he referring to the prefectural, maybe? When Rin won in the 100 meter freestyle? "Nothing mattered anymore. I didn't want that." Haru was frowning now. "But you said you wanted to swim with me again. With us. In the relay."

Haru sounded both stubborn and uncertain, and Rin gave in to the urge and groaned. "Haru. Seriously. Stop that. When I said I want to swim with all of you guys, that did not equal a love confession for all three of you. Hell, is that what you think Nagisa means when he says that to you?"

Haru took a distressingly long time to answer that. "No."

Rin sighed. "There you have it then. When I said I want to swim with you three, I meant I want to swim with you three. When Makoto said he wants to swim with you, that it's meaningless without you, maybe he meant something more. But that's something you're going to have to ask Makoto, not me."

Haru pulled up his knees and folded his arms over his folded knees. His face was expressionless, but it was a thoughtful kind of expressionlessness, not the unfeeling kind. Rin did not bother getting up. He really had no energy for this kind of things, especially after Samezuka swimming club's brutal practice session. "But that's what I thought," Haru finally said. "That it's meaningless without you."

"Ha?" There was Haru-logic for you. But then again, in Haruka-speak, wanting to swim together equated true love. "What about Makoto, then?"

Haru considered that carefully. "I couldn't have done any of this without Makoto." Then, more softly he added, "It's no good, without Makoto."

Rin shook his head, putting an arm over his eyes. Yes, apparently it was possible for someone to be this clueless. "I feel so bad for Makoto," he muttered. Maybe Makoto didn't say anything not because he feared Haru didn't return his feelings, but because he thought Haru just wouldn't get it.

Haru reached for his wrist, pulling his arm away from his eyes, and Rin didn't have time to react save for a short questioning sound when Haru kissed him.

Haru's kiss was clumsy, so unlike his preternatural grace in the water. Just a press of mouth against his own. Cooler than Makoto's, but soft. But not hesitant. Rin wasn't sure what made him open his mouth, to flick his tongue against Haru's. His hand had slid into Haru's hair without him knowing, and he'd tilted his face just so that they fit better together—

What they were doing dawned on him then, and Rin pulled away. Tried to, anyway. Haru tried to follow him and caught the corner of Rin's mouth instead. When Rin tried to voice his protest, Haru kissed him again, this time properly. And damn, the kid was a fast learner. Haru's hand was fisting his sheet, and their angle was awkward, but Haru's tongue shared the same grace the rest of his body possessed in the water, darting and sliding in his mouth with confidence that surprised Rin. Or maybe it was just bullheaded determination.

When Haru finally pulled back, he was breathing quickly, lips wet and a little bit swollen. Anyone who took one look at Haru now would know he'd been kissing. Mesmerizing blue eyes, soft and dark, shimmered above him. "Oh," Haru breathed, and Rin could see the flush rising over his cheeks.

"You suck at that." Rin's mouth had gained a will of its own. But he couldn't help a smirk at the face Haru pulled. "Don't tell me that was the first time you ever kissed someone."

Now Haru just looked irritated. "Shut up," he muttered, but the faint blush had deepened.

"Make me," Rin challenged, and everything felt perfectly normal between them, the mutual challenge as natural as breathing, as swimming. And for one moment, he thought everything might be okay—

Haru kissed him again. And did he mention Haru was always a quick study? Because Haru was sucking on his tongue like he'd been French-kissing all his life. His brain short-circuited for a moment and Rin cursed himself for the lapse, because during that time Haru managed to straddle him, making the angle so much easier on both of them and oh yeah. His mostly chaste kiss with Makoto aside, he hadn't dated anyone in the longest time, and Nanase-fucking-Haruka had just grinded against him. That was it. He'd officially entered Twilight Zone and missed the sign a mile back.

Haru was the one who broke the kiss with a gasp, panting, looking down at him with something akin to shock. Rin was too busy restoring the blood back in his brain to even make a smart-mouthed comment this time. "What," he managed after a few tries, "the hell was that for?"What about Makoto? his mind whined, now that his brain was getting oxygen again.

Haru shook his head. "I...wanted to."

"Hell, you want something, all right." Rin sighed. "But tell you what. Don't go 'round kissing anyone until you figure out what the hell you want. Or rather, who."

Haru frowned at him. "You kissed me back."

Rin glared at him. He liked boys, damn it, and he'd have to be dead to not respond to Nanase Haruka sitting in his lap slipping him the tongue. "You kissed me first," Rin countered because he was five.

"You put your tongue in my mouth—"

"Oh my God, Haruka. Shut up," Rin entreated fervently. "And get off me," he added for a good measure. After scowling at him, Haru did get off him, sitting cross-legged on the bed while Rin sat up. "Look. In case you missed this the first time, I like boys. And I like Makoto. The one Makoto likes isn't me. And you don't know what you're feeling, let alone who you're feeling it for, so why don't we both call it a night? You can let me know how everything goes after you sort yourself out."

Haru just watched him for a long moment, then with a tiny shrug, slipped off his bed. His hand on the doorknob, Haru paused to look back at him. "Rin."

"What?" Rin couldn't quite keep the irritation out of his voice. He was trying to decide whether it'd help more to go swim in the pool, take a cold shower, or just jerk off in the shower. But every option necessitated that Haru leave his room. The sooner, the better.

"I enjoyed it. Kissing you."

Rin groaned. "Get lost, Nanase."

Rin wasn't sure, but he thought Haru's mouth twitched in amusement. "Good night, Rin."

The door closed.

I'm posting relationship troubles (?) on a Valentine's Day because I am morbid like that. :D

Happy Valentine's Day!

-February 14, 2014