...oh snap, did I make Rin cry? Uh, whoops?

They had to stop by Makoto's house on the way. For one, Rin hadn't packed his legskin because he hadn't expected a talk about their screwed up relationship (or the lack thereof) would lead to a date at the pool. Though in hindsight perhaps he should have, given the parties involved. Haru had offered, but Haru only ever wore jammers (and all in the same design), and it'd have been too small for Rin, anyway. Makoto's would be a little loose on him, but Rin wasn't quite ready to go skinny-dipping with them just yet. Best not to give Haru any ideas, he thought.

Of course once they were at Iwatobi they got caught right away by the caretaker, because Haru had a habit of walking straight toward any body of water without so much as glancing at what stood between him and his goal. So Makoto had to explain they were here for a totally pre-authorized session of extra training, looking like earnestness personified as he single-handedly convinced the skeptical caretaker. Which was disturbing on so many levels. Rin sincerely felt uneasy for the fate of the world should Makoto ever decide to use his fearsome proselytizing abilities for evil. After all Makoto was already using them for questionable good.

Fortunately, Iwatobi's swimming pool was on a fairly isolated part of the school grounds, and completely deserted when they arrived. Haru immediately stripped and headed straight for the pool, at which point Rin turned to Makoto for a mute plea for explanation. When the hell had Haru put on swimsuit under his clothes?

Makoto shrugged with a smile. "He does that all the time. I'm not sure if he ever wears anything else under his clothes these days."

"Freak," Rin said, but without heat. Besides, he got to watch Makoto change and he could never complain about that. Makoto's lower back was a temptation incarnate at the best of the times. A couple of minutes later Rin had to leave first because if he watched Makoto bend over one more time he would be swimming with a boner.

In the pool, Haru was circling underwater like a dolphin, unhurried, ethereally graceful. Rin dove in to join him, and Haru kept pace with him until they turned at the wall and headed back to the diving blocks. Neither of them was moving at full speed, and it was...weird, swimming side by side with Haru, but without the element of competition. Just moving in the water. Feeling the water with his whole body. Feeling its caress.

When they touched the wall, Makoto was sitting on the diving block, watching them with a fond expression. "It's so odd to see you two swimming without racing." Then he added thoughtfully, "Odd, but nice."

That was pretty much the sum of how Rin felt, so he shrugged. "Are you coming in?"

Makoto, in lieu of an answer, dove over Rin's head. Makoto's front crawl wasn't bad. Actually, Makoto was pretty good with all strokes. He was fastest with the backstroke, but he'd always been a model student and was adept at all styles. Actually they'd all learned the different strokes as kids; it was just that Rin was best at the butterfly stroke, while Nagisa preferred the more playful flow of breaststroke, and Makoto the backstroke. Come to think of it, it was only Haru who refused to swim any style but the front crawl.

When Makoto returned to the diving blocks, Rin had his elbow perched on the line watching Haru lazily spin underwater. "Is he ever going to learn any other stroke?" Rin asked, tossing his head in Haru's direction. "As it is, he could either do freestyle or medley relay, but nothing else."

Makoto shook the water out of his hair. "Well. Haru's never been interested in learning specific styles. You know he only started swimming in the relay because of you." His mouth quirked in a rueful smile. "As for competition, it's not like I could enter other categories, either. Everyone has a favored style."

"You could—"

"But not to win," Makoto interrupted him gently. "Not to say winning is everything. But I think a healthy competition is a good thing. For that, you need to be at a comparable level with others. I know I'm not, with the front crawl or the butterfly. For the breaststroke, Nagisa beats me by four or five seconds these days." The look Makoto gave him was knowing. "You're best at butterfly, but you're very graceful at freestyle, too, you know. You could compete with either one."

Rin looked away. "But the upcoming meet at the national..." He'd originally limited himself to the 100-meter freestyle, which Haru also entered. But he'd lost during the regional, and wasn't competing in the national. Samezuka's medley relay team had won during its wave, and Mikoshiba hinted he would be willing to let Rin swim for the team, but – Iwatobi wouldn't be there. They weren't going to swim together, as same team or rival teams.

"Will you be in the medley relay?" Makoto asked, voice just gentle enough turn Rin's gaze back to him. "Because Haru and I would love to come cheer you on. So would Nagisa. And Rei and Kou-chan, too."

"I don't know yet," Rin replied honestly. "Mikoshiba-buchou hinted he might let me."

The understanding in Makoto's eyes hurt. "Rin, just remember: when you swim, you're swimming for the team whether or not we're in the water with you. We'll always come see you, all right?"

Rin could feel heat in his neck and face and had to look away. Makoto's hand was a shock of warmth against his cheek. Rin started, feeling another pair of eyes on him, and found Haru staring at him, just his eyes visible over the water.

"'My thoughts exactly,' Haru's thinking," Makoto supplied when Haru didn't speak, and Haru, to Rin's shock, did not dispute the claim even as he shot Makoto a withering look.

Haru spun like an eel, once against underwater, and surfaced halfway down the lane, the front crawl like a natural extension of his movement. Near the end of the lane Haru circled again and returned, surfacing next to Rin and Makoto. "Do the butterfly," Haru said in a complete non-sequitur, and both Makoto and Rin blinked.

"Huh? Why?"

Haru just looked at him. "I want to see."

"But you saw me. Back at the regional," Rin pointed out.

"That was different." Rin stared at him, brows knitted, but Haru stubbornly held his gaze. "Do it."

Makoto, when Rin glanced over at him quizzically, just smiled with a one-shouldered shrug. Rin gave a mental shrug. It was no hardship, and this was probably the first time Haru made such a request. Rin pulled out of the water and stepped on the diving block. No signal, no one saying anything, just him, the water waiting below, and Haru's bright blue eyes watching. Haru was in his lane, right under him, looking up like they were just switching during a relay. It was signal enough.

Rin dove.

Rin's legs could have segued into the trademark undulating kicks of butterfly stroke in his sleep. Not sliding through, like front crawl, but darting up and down in the water. More dynamic, perhaps even showy, with forceful arm movement and concerted leg movement. And Rin, with his powerful kicks, had always been best suited for this.

Maybe at heart he'd always wanted to show off, a little, especially to Haru. Because Rin had always preferred the butterfly even as he liked the front crawl for its sheer speed. But freestyle was Haru's. This – butterfly was Rin's. So Rin concentrated on the movement, on gaining the kick and pull to achieve more grace and power than simple speed.

When he touched the wall, Haru was waiting in the next lane, eyes intent. On the other side was Makoto, frank appreciation in his eyes. "That was beautiful," Makoto told him while Rin pulled off the cap to shake the water out of his hair. "Your butterfly is always beautiful to watch, you know."

Whatever Haru thought, he kept it to himself, but he was still watching Rin with unnerving intensity. Makoto glanced over at him, and chuckled. "For the record, I think I've only ever seen Haru give that look to bodies of water."

Haru huffed, but did not deny it. Then, slowly, Haru extended a hand toward him.

Rin was too startled to wonder what the gesture meant. But Haru was patient, holding out his hand, and Rin hesitantly raised his own to graze Haru's fingers with his own. Haru shared no such uncertainty, and immediately laced his fingers with Rin's. "Haru—"

Unexpectedly, Haru smiled. "That," he said. "That was what I wanted."

"You really need to stop making everything into swimming analogies," Rin said when he finally found his voice. Behind him, water swished softly as Makoto crossed the lane to join them, a gentle warmth just shy of pressing against his body.

Which felt nice, but wasn't necessarily a good thing, because when Haru moved closer, Rin had nowhere left to go except into Makoto's waiting arms. Which wrapped around him so carefully, Rin didn't have the heart to break out of the hold. And Haru was undeterred, pressing closer to brush his lips against Rin's.

The kiss was chaste and there was no rhyme or reason Rin should let out a faintest groan. But somehow it felt incomparably more sensual than the time Haru kissed him on his bed. Makoto's arms were strong, supporting him, cradling him while Haru's tongue traced his ear. Haru was definitely aroused when he pressed against Rin, but there was no urgency in the way Haru's fingertips skimmed down Rin's chest. Warm palms smoothed over his stomach, ran down his clothed thighs, and Rin clenched his teeth against another moan, irrationally wanting the legskin gone so he could feel the touch on his bare skin. His knees chose that moment to buckle, but Makoto had him well at hand, taking his weight easily.

When strong hands squeezed his waist, his moan turned open and full-throated. Couldn't help it. Haru looked pretty. But he had really strong hands. Despite being shorter than Rin, Haru still kept up with him stroke for stroke, and Rin secretly suspected Haru might win against him in a straight-out arm-wrestling contest. Just now those strong fingers were pressing hard into the unprotected flesh of his waist, tearing more sounds from him. Then, Haru really started going for it and kneaded his hips, and Rin couldn't help it. "Wait," Rin gasped, fingers scrabbling against Haru's forearms. "Ha-Haru, stop."

Haru's brows furrowed with a silent question, but Makoto – when had he ended up with his head resting against Makoto's shoulder? – shook his head. "We're at a public place," Makoto reminded them, and Rin groaned. That was it? No remonstration about moving too fast, no lecture on how they should maybe slow this down a bit? And more disturbing still, Haru just looked more determined.

"I like it better here. In the water."

Of course he did. Makoto's laughter sent quiet vibration in Rin's ear. "Of course you do, Haru. But we'll be arrested if anyone catches us like this."

"You're not helping, Makoto," Rin growled. It might have been more effective if his voice hadn't been so unsteady.

"Sorry." Makoto then shifted his grip on Rin, pulling him up, and of course the process brought their bodies together and – oh. Oh. Rin, and he was supposed to be the more worldly and experienced one here, blushed from head to toe. Somehow, despite having Haru unabashedly press against him only seconds ago, realizing it affected Makoto also was—

"Locker room?" Haru suggested innocently, and Rin glared.

"No!"

"We're going to have to wait, Haru," Makoto chided, but sounded like he was suppressing his laughter.

"Until?"

Damn, Rin hadn't expected Haru to be so single-minded. Briefly he wondered if Haru had put Makoto up to the whole talking him into a threesome thing.

Had he just thought threesome?

"Until Rin says yes."

Haru gave Rin a speculative look. "Rin won't say no," Haru said, and it sounded like equal parts promise and threat.

"I'm standing right here, you know," Rin snapped, only to have Haru ignore him. Haru really riled him sometimes.

Makoto let out a long-suffering sigh, but Rin could hear a huff of laughter hidden underneath. "That's not the same thing as saying yes. Come on. Don't you want to swim some more before we head back?"

This was Haru, after all. After another considering look at the two of them, Haru did a corkscrew dive back under the water, and started swimming again. Rin felt an irrational stab of disappointment that Haru didn't press the point. Which was stupid. He wasn't planning on having a threesome sex in the pool. He'd never be able to enter another pool again without remembering – things. Also, he hadn't consented to sleeping with either of them yet, let alone both. If – when – this whole thing blew up in their faces, the awkwardness would be so much less if they didn't add sex to the equation.

All those things made perfect sense in his mind. Even if they failed to distract him from Makoto pressed on his back. Or the heat nestled against his ass. It had been so damned long...! Rin bit back a needy moan forming in the back of his throat, and refused to let his mind dwell on how easy it would be to push down their legskins just enough for this.

Makoto let out a breath that wasn't entirely steady. "Um. Sorry. I'm letting go now, okay?"

Rin's legs held him, thank God, and he sighed in relief. Possibly also in disappointment. But mostly relief. He couldn't help stealing a look at Makoto, who was still blushing faintly. And oh-so-gorgeous. Rin's heart started doing the odd pitter-patter thing with flips, and of course Haru chose that moment to swim right up to Makoto. Rin wasn't even an arm's length away, not having moved after Makoto released him, and Haru wasn't shy about their bodies touching. Even when he pretty much climbed on Makoto to kiss him. And Makoto, being Makoto, automatically caught Haru in his arms. Rin was abruptly reminded of the time an enthusiastic Nagisa jumped Haru after they qualified for the regional, wrapping his legs around Haru's waist with careless exuberance. Haru wasn't quite there yet, but getting close. Makoto's hands slid down Haru's back, loving rather than demanding. Rin's arousal hadn't faded, although it had lessened, and now threatened a full comeback. How would it feel to have Haru cling to him like that? To have Makoto hold him up so lovingly as they kissed?

"You sure?" Haru murmured, and Makoto looked a great deal more troubled than when Rin was the one cornered by those blue eyes. Still, Makoto looked at Rin in askance, which – okay, so at least they were serious about wanting to include him. "Because if you say yes, Rin will say yes," Haru added. Rin sputtered, but couldn't manage to voice a denial. So Haru hadn't given up. He was probably just consulting the water about how to convince Rin and Makoto, or something. Damn the stubborn water-obsessed idiot.

"You sure you don't want to be dating the pool instead?" Rin asked, only to have Haru blink innocently at him.

"The water doesn't mind sharing."

Clearly insanity was catching, because that probably shouldn't make as much sense to Rin as it did. Rin sighed, tugging a hand through his hair. "Well?" he addressed Makoto. "Since Haru here is determined to think with his dick, that is."

Haru glared. "You want to."

"Never denied it. But your hormones have addled your brain and you're not thinking clearly. You're going to wake up and realize all this was a mistake."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Haru let go of Makoto and stepped back, eyes like glaciers. "Don't," Haru said, and his voice pitched low, but with all the chill of the arctic. "You know nothing about what I want. If you're too scared to accept that's your problem." The phrasing was deliberate, Rin realized, remembering he'd used those exact words to Haru before. But Haru wasn't finished. "I've never wanted anyone but Makoto and you. I want this. I want you." This time, Haru's gaze was as much an invitation as a challenge. "What do you want, Rin?"

To have the last four years never have happened. To go back to the way they were. To never be apart from them again. To never be so alone as he'd been in Australia ever again. For Makoto and Haru to be his. To be theirs.

"Rin." Makoto's achingly tender look was harder to bear than Haru's straightforward challenge. "Did you kiss me only because you expected me to reject you?"

Rin could not answer. To deny would be a lie. But to admit was unbearable. "This can never work out," Rin finally whispered, throat too tight to manage anything louder. His chest ached, his whole body ached, the water a sudden chill winding through every inch of his skin. "I'd rather keep being your friend than not have this work out and lose you both."

They were still close enough to touch, and Rin wasn't entirely surprised to feel hands catch him by the arms and draw him closer, Haru on his left, Makoto on the right. Makoto looked like he badly wanted to pull both of them in a hug, but gave Rin a heartbreakingly sweet smile instead. "I'm not guaranteeing this will work out for all of us," Makoto started, all but murmuring directly in Rin's ear. "I don't think anyone can. But I can never believe any pain or awkwardness could be worse than not having you two in my life." A kiss pressed to his temple, and Rin had to close his eyes, because he couldn't pull away, not when Makoto and Haru both clung to him so stubbornly. "Please, Rin." Makoto's voice softened to just barely above a whisper. "Stay."

Haru dropped a kiss on his shoulder that silently echoed Makoto's request, the undemanding touch more eloquent than any words. Rin shuddered, and was immediately drawn into Makoto's arms, instantly followed by Haru's wrapping around them both. Confusion of hands touching him, brushing back his hair, mapping the skin of his back, his arms. Despite himself, a tear escaped him, then another. Warm lips caught his tears – Makoto's, he realized with shock – while another pair of lips pressed at the back of his neck. He was enveloped in warmth, surrounded by it. Was drowning in heat and something else that filled every part of him. Something inescapable. Irresistible. His surrender was inevitable. And for once Rin didn't even mind.

"Yes," he whispered, and let go, trusting both of them to catch him.

The next chapter is the reason for the overall rating. It's also the longest chapter. (And the raison d'etre of this fanfiction.) Says a lot about my priorities, don't it? :D Unfortunately, I'm expecting a really busy week, so the next update will next Sunday at the earliest, probably a day or two later. :( Sorry.