Day nineteen: rumors

(warning, lots of swears ahead)

It had been a quiet morning at the Nanase-Tachibana-Matsuoka household. Had been.

Rin came in and slammed the front door, throwing his sports bag and unzipping his jacket on the way down the hall, hand tightly clenched around a magazine. He kicked open the bedroom door to find Haruka and Makoto still in bed, half-asleep, but the two sat up immediately when hearing Rin's loud commotion.

"What is it?" Makoto yawned, rubbing his eyes. Rin threw the magazine at him, and green widened when he saw the article the magazine was folded to: "Ever becoming popular swimmer engages secret girlfriend rendezvous in small cafe" The picture showed Rin holding a cup of coffee, talking to a girl that neither Haruka or Makoto knew, and then a close-up of the ring on the redhead's hand.

"My 'girlfriend', apparently!" Rin yelled, throwing off his jacket. "Or should I say fiance? Fuck!"

"She's not even cute," Haruka pointed out, huffing. "Is she just some random girl...?

"It's one of my sister's friends! We just happened to see each other, said hi, and that's it!" Haruka raised an eyebrow, as if the redhead would be lying. "Fuck off, Haru!"

"Well what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know, I just don't want this to get out of hand! I've been getting texts from Gou all damn morning saying that her friend is freaking the fuck out and well, so am I!"

"It should simmer down in a few days, stop yelling about it." Haruka waved off.

"I don't want to wait a few days!" Rin sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, and Makoto sat up to rub his back. "My personal life is none of their business."

Makoto nodded, nuzzling the nape of Rin's neck. "It's going to be okay. It's just a dumb tabloid magazine, it's not important."

"I could always release like...a sex tape or something, they'd be all over that shit." Makoto and Haruka both made a disapproving sound. "Well, I'm all out of ideas, then."

"Just ignore it, that's the best you can do." Haruka said. "As long as you're not actually seeing some girl-"

"Oh but I'm seeing two, and their names are Haru-chan and Mako-chan," Rin teased, earning a pillow to the face from Haruka.

"But you know, it is a matter of time before you do get more popular and if we're out with you...well, y'know..." Makoto brought up. "And they did notice the ring, and if we're wearing ours as well..."

"...shit, you're right." Rin sighed.

"I'm okay with it," Haruka only shrugged. "It's no big deal, whatever. If it happens, it happens. And about the ring thing, I highly doubt that any person involved in tabloids would make that connection easily."

Makoto nodded, looking again at the magazine. "Who even reads these, anyways? It's just a bunch of junk and people only write it because they have nothing else better to do."

"You want to go out later for lunch? Get your mind off of things?" Haruka asked. "My treat."

Rin just sighed, falling back on the bed. "Just let me shower and get ready."

"We've been in bed all morning, we have to shower too..." Rin felt a pair of lips at his ear, and a mess of black hair. "Come on."

A week later, Rin stormed back into his home, another magazine clutched in his hand.

"Again?" Makoto whined, trying to mat down his bedhead.

"Not...exactly." RIn only laughed, watching Haruka and Makoto's eyes widen.

'Overheard on phone: Matsuoka in relationship with two women with the names 'Haruka' and 'Makoto''

"Oh my god," Makoto looked up. "Is this real? Please tell me it isn't real." Rin shook his head, watching Makoto's expression gradually get worse.

"You remember when I called the other day, saying that I would be home late?" His two lovers nodded, slowly. "That's when."

"...please tell me they didn't hear what else you said." The horrified look on Makoto's face was unbearable. "Rin, I swear if someone heard you-"

"Calm down." Rin kissed the brunette, squeezing his hips. "They didn't put that in, so I assume they didn't. And you seem awfully calm about this, Haru."

Haruka just shrugged, yawning. "Like I said, I don't care. Plus all of my energy should be making sure Makoto doesn't panic too much."

"Definitely true."

"H-hey!"