I have been super, super busy lately (I literally finished editing this in my hotel room on a business trip) and this chapter turned out to be much longer than I originally anticipated so its taken me a long time to get this finished. I should be moving into my own place within the next week or two though, so hopefully then things will start to calm down! Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! Hopefully the next update won't take so long.

The sun was shining the next morning. The sun was shining and the water was flowing and Gou had never felt better. The sunlight shone down, soothing her with its warmth, and she found herself leaning into it, bending her head from side to side to allow it to race over her.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood this morning. Even Goro, the coach having nothing but praise to sing for the boys and their performances. And their performances were better than ever.

The practice today felt different somehow. Each of the boys was in perfect form. Their times were good, their exchanges were superb, and their stamina was holding out well. Their practice lacked the hurried franticness that had dominated their previous days, as if the boys hadn't really hadn't known what they were doing or if they could even pull it off. But today there was a self-assurance, an understanding of wholeness and completion. As if the four of them had come together at last, fitting together their individual pieces to form a complete puzzle.

A team.

To the side Haru went up to Rei as Makoto and Nagisa were busy in the pool, and Gou watched as he suggested they work on their exchange in the meantime. It was the first time she could recall Haru requesting such a thing from Rei, the older boy offering him an extended invitation rather than the unblocked door he normally presented to his underclassman. The enthusiastic "Yes!" Rei responded with was enough to cause the smile that had been constantly flirting around Gou's lips since she had woken up this morning to spread fully.

Everything's perfect.

She hugged her notebook to her chest, heart so alight with euphoria she felt it may fly up into the sky. She smiled, a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun spreading through her.

Everything was perfect.

Something was wrong.

Seijuro stood next to Nitori, arms crossed over his chest as together they watched Matsuoka finish his lap. To say the red head was struggling would have been an understatement. He was floundering. His times had become some of the worse Seijuro had ever seen and watching him was almost cringe worthy.

Seijuro wasn't the only one who noticed either, for Nitori observed quietly, "Matsuoka-senpai seems really off today."

That he did. Matsuoka's mind seemed to be elsewhere than on their upcoming competition or even his own swimming, and Seijuro couldn't help but liken the teenager's movements to a machine. Matsuoka's heart wasn't in his swimming. No part of him was. He was simply moving automatically. Seijuro had hoped Matsuoka's struggles had been a temporary occurrence but it appeared to be only worsening. "Did he say anything to you, Nitori?"

Nitori shook his head. He pouted out his bottom lip. "He never tells me anything."

That sounds awfully familiar. Just as Gou had said. Now Matsuoka was shutting Nitori completely out as well. What is he hoping to accomplish?

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!" Nitori commented suddenly and Seijuro raised his eyebrows slightly at the change of attitude. "I'm sure Matsuoka-senpai went through much tougher experiences while he was abroad!"

Nitori was a little too hopeful to be legit. But then again Nitori had a knack for finding the best in others. That had been part of the reason why Seijuro had initially assigned him to be Matsuoka's roommate. Matsuoka, he was sure, must have felt a bit out of place returning to his homeland after being in Australia for so long. Nitori had been one of the best candidates for providing a welcoming and friendly presence to help Matsuoka integrate not only into the swim team but Japan as well. And Matsuoka provided a figure for Nitori to aspire for.

So Matsuoka inspired Nitori to be a better swimmer, but Seijuro's hopes that might work in reverse too and Nitori would inspire Matsuoka to be more amiable didn't look to have worked so well.

"Matsuoka didn't join the swim team when he first transferred here," Seijuro said carefully. "Do you know why?"

"No." Nitori tilted his head. "Did something happen?"

Seijuro's shoulders stiffened slightly. He had a feeling. Nothing but a feeling, but he felt it had something to do with Iwatobi. Maybe that was why Matsuoka had wanted to join the relay so badly.

He shook himself. Whatever had happened between Matsuoka and the Iwatobi members was none of his business. Inquiring about Matsuoka's past would only anger the other boy and Seijuro didn't want to tread into territory he was unwelcome in. Not to mention how unappreciative the boys in Iwatobi might be if he went sticking his nose into a possibly painful past. In the end his responsibility lay solely in assuring the swim teams success.

"Well, the past doesn't matter. It's performance that counts here. The fastest swimmer always wins."

That golden rule he governed all his swimming by.

"That's all."

It was dark by the time Seijuro got home. He had stayed late, cleaning up a few things around the locker room, because their time in this country was dwindling, and talking with Nakagawa, because their time in this country was dwindling. The competition was just around the corner and despite Seijuro's excitement he didn't practically like thinking about their definite return.

"Ueda and Noro's times are good." Nakagawa read from his sheet. "They've been steadily improving. Azuma too." He paused for a moment. "Matsuoka's times however..."

"I know," Seijuro closed his locker door. He felt rather than saw Nakagawa's gaze boring into his back.

"Do you plan to do anything?"

"Not as of right now." Seijuro reached for his jacket. "We have some time yet. Let's wait and see how he does."

There was a moment of silence then Nakagawa let out that sigh of his that said he was unhappy with Seijuro's decision but was willing to go along with it. "Very well." He flipped methodically through his papers. "Will you be seeing Gou-san tonight?"

Seijuro froze in the midst of zipping up his jacket. He hadn't said a single word about Gou to Nakagawa all day. Did Nakagawa somehow know about what was going on? No, there was no way he could know. Unless he had followed Seijuro home one night…But Nakagawa didn't seem like the stealthy, devious type. He was more of the type who would simply ask Seijuro point blank if he suspected Gou was living with him. Quickly Seijuro recovered, his hand finishing its ascent. "Of course I am!"

It was better to give Nakagawa a half truth and act like nothing was out of the ordinary. If he tried to lie then Nakagawa would more than likely catch on and that would just land Seijuro in even more hot water.

"I thought you might be."

Seijuro raised an eyebrow.

"You've been fighting a smile ever since we came in here." Nakagawa's eyes were impish. "Captain."

Seijuro rubbed the back of his neck. He was going to have to be more careful. Nakagawa noticing that sort of thing wasn't bad but others noticing could spell trouble, especially if a certain shark-toothed redhead grew suspicious. Matsuoka appeared to be primarily occupied with his own demons but it didn't take that much of a stretch of the imagination to believe he would become a demon if he found out what was going on.

Personally Seijuro would have liked to tell the whole world and everyone in it. But Gou had requested silence and so he would do so. As much as he possibly could anyway. Seijuro wasn't exactly known for being subtle.

He pushed open the door. "I'm home."

"Welcome home!" Gou stood on her knees in the midst of the living room and Seijuro might have found the position a little odd if not for the paintbrush in her hand or the long pieces of paper stretched along the floor. Not to mention the blue paint smeared across her cheek.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a banner!" Gou held up one end to proudly display it, even though it wasn't even halfway finished.

"A banner?"

"For when the boys depart for the competition."

"Ohhhh!" Now he remembered. They had just gotten the letter this morning. The second competition was to be held in a much bigger stadium quite a ways away from their home location and because of that any swimmers that were competing were to be bussed up a day prior and given hotel rooms for the night to insure they would be well rested and not travel weary for the competition. Those that weren't competing would follow up the next day for the actual competition.

Thinking about the competition reminded Seijuro once more of the other Matsuoka sibling. Should he tell Gou about Rin's sudden emotional struggles? He pondered that as he set down his bags and settled on the couch, mindful of her large colorful banner. He watched Gou work, swiping an arm over her head and undoubtedly getting more paint on her face.

No, he decided, he wouldn't. Not now at least. Telling her at this point in time would only cause her to worry, and she had enough to deal with managing the Iwatobi team and the upcoming competition. He didn't want to cause her anymore stress when she had all that going on. When they got back to Japan and things had settled down he would tell her.

Back to Japan. That day was creeping up faster and faster. It wouldn't be long at all before they were returning home and somehow the thought didn't make him as happy as he would have expected.

When they landed what would happen? He would return to finish his last year at Samezuka of course. That much was obvious. And Gou would return home to Iwatobi. That much was obvious too.

But what about…

Us.

He glanced up. Gou was bent over her banner, tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth and her hair hung messily about her face. There were streaks of blue in it, which somehow only made her cuter, and Seijuro found himself wishing for more time. More time for things to stay as they were, with him and her in this house and coming home to each other every day. But thinking like that…That sort of thinking only amounted to the fact that—

He didn't want things to change. The sudden realization felt a bit like slamming into the pool wall after misjudging the distance. Seijuro knew because he had done that before and he had promised himself he would never do it again but now it seemed like he was.

He didn't want things to change.

But then again…who said they had to?

He jumped slightly when Gou shoved the banner at him. "It's done!" She held it up for him to see. "What do you think?"

Across her banner was depicted a large wave, and in the top right corner a red and yellow sun so bright it was almost painful to look at. Words of encouragement like 'Fire it up!' and 'persevere' were scrawled across it, along with the swim clubs name. The whole thing was so extremely colorful the best word Seijuro could think to describe it was loud. So of course he loved it. "Woah, that looks great! You're so great at coloring, Gou-kun! You should make one for our team!"

"It's Kou," she corrected, "and no way! This one already took way too long, I'm not making another one!"

Seijuro suddenly noticed the strange gray drawing of some sort of bird…thing in the bottom right corner of her banner. It didn't look like something Gou had drawn. Seijuro had seen her drawings in her notebook. Well, he had seen her muscle drawings anyway. Come to think of it that was all Gou seemed to draw. Not that Seijuro was complaining. There was a reason he wore a speedo after all. He pointed at the strange bird. "What is that?"

Gou tilted the banner back to look. "That's Iwatobi-chan!"

"Iwatobi-chan?"

"He's our mascot!"

"…Oh." He still had no idea what it was. A canary perhaps? Or a really pensive duck. No wonder Iwatobi didn't wear their mascot on their jerseys.

"Haruka-senpai drew it," Gou explained, turning to the side and searching a place to put her masterpiece. "I thought it would be a nice thing to add for him!"

"Nanase?" He hadn't known the boy was so skilled at drawing. Skilled at drawing, cooking, and swimming. It seemed a little bit unfair that the boy had been gifted with so many talents. Seijuro might have been jealous if he had been the type who got jealous. Matsuoka on the other hand was that sort of type. Seijuro narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"We have a hosted event coming up." Gou finally selected a place she deemed safe and moved to place the banner near the opposite wall out of their way. "It's a play being held at the theater downtown."

"Really?" said Seijuro, only half paying attention.

"We're encouraged to dress nicely since it's a formal evening event." She straightened and wiped off her hands. "I hope you brought something. It'll look poorly on us if we don't dress formally!"

"I did, don't worry!" Thankfully he had had the foresight to pack something just in case. Or more accurately his mother had. She had reminded him more than once in the weeks before he had departed that a swim team captain should look esteemed every once in a while, and if he was going to another country to represent his own then he had better be prepared. She had been right, as mothers typically were.

A thought struck him then and he rubbed his chin. If they were going to be dressed up than maybe Gou would wear that hakama of hers again. Seijuro wouldn't mind seeing her in that once more. Not. At. All.

"I'll have to make sure Haruka-senpai doesn't wear his swimsuit," Gou was muttering to herself. "Or that Rei doesn't pick some horrible outfit that should never have been created. He's the worse when it comes to fashion."

"Rei? Really? I would have pegged Nagisa for being more of a fashion disaster."

"Surprisingly he isn't that bad. Rei though… Some of the things he finds are so ghastly I'm pretty sure they've based horror stories off them." She paused a moment. "This will be our last hosted event," she said slowly, "by the way."

Their last hosted event. Seijuro didn't miss the implication of that. Their last hosted event. And the competition was just around the corner. Time truly was running out. "I see." He coughed. His throat suddenly felt a little tight. "Well, I guess we'll really have to make this one count then!"

"Yeah." Gou's smile was almost as faint as her words. "We should." She shook herself as if dispelling some stray thought. "Anyway I'm sure the play will be lovely! Supposedly it's really popular and famous around here! The boys could really do with a bit of culture! I wonder if Ama-chan knows any quotes from it…"

She rambled on and Seijuro narrowed his eyes. Make this one count, huh? That…could work.

Tonight was not the night to talk about any possible future plans. The mood wasn't right for it. But the night of the play? That would certainly create the right mood. They would both be dressed up in fancy clothes and going to see a wonderful show. It would be just like a date even if other people were there. And even if other people were there Gou would be going home with him afterwards and that was the important part.

Coming home with him. He really liked the sound of that. And he wanted to keep it that way. If he could.

Yes, he decided, that would be the perfect night to talk to Gou. The perfect, perfect night. He tried to hide his grin at his brilliant idea.

Who said he wasn't a romantic guy!

Lights. Lights everywhere. Overhead and along every street, shining brightly on everything and everyone. And boy were there a lot of everyones. There were so many people. Walking across the street, down the street, in groups and packs and pairs chatting away together. All of them dressed nicely with well done hair and sparkly dresses and lively suits.

This must be what it's like to be rich. Gou's eyes were wide as she peered out the window. She had never been to this side of downtown before and seeing it now she understood why. She would never have been able to afford this stuff! Even seeing the boutiques they passed made her flinch imagining what the price tag might be. They sure are lovely looking though. Maybe if they won that five thousand dollars the boys would be okay with letting her go on a little shopping spree. It would clearly be a good morale booster for the club. Clearly.

Next to her Nagisa and Rei were 'ooo' and 'aah'ing over the sights as well and Gou tried her best to scoot over some more. The three of them had been crammed into the cab together and while Gou enjoyed her close relationship with the two, this was a little too close. Rei's thigh was nearly pressed against her own and Nagisa's occasional bouncing only made it that much worse.

She wrinkled her nose. If she had had her way she would have rode with Makoto and Haru, but Haru had pointed out Makoto was too big to sit three to a seat, and that it made more sense for Gou and Nagisa, being the smallest, to sit three to a seat. Not that Gou believed that had been Haru's true reason for their seating arrangements. Most likely he had just wanted to have Makoto to himself in the cab without Gou being a third wheel.

Gou scowled as Nagisa bounced again, pointing with a loud exclamation at the people on the streets. She'd rather have been in a cab with just one other person too. Too bad Hana and Amakata hadn't been able to come. The play was restricted to only the swim club participants so Amakata hadn't been able to tag alone and Hana had her own hosting event to go to, the nocturnal zoo no less. Hopefully she wouldn't get kicked off the tram like Gou had.

If Seijuro and I could have just taken a cab from home… But they couldn't. Regardless of her brother they both had their respective swim teams to manage. Some other time perhaps.

The cab finally pulled over and Gou opened the door before it had come to a complete stop. The wash of cool air that greeted her when she stepped out felt like an angel's breath after being crammed into there like a sardine in a can for over half an hour. She craned her neck up at the many lights and the decadent sweeping architecture of the playhouse. The stone building was quite old looking, with big stone archways and gold encrusted accents. Lights dotted it all over, bathing her in a golden glow and she took a deep breath. Even the air smelled richer here!

"Gou-chan," a voice whined behind her, "you're in the way!"

"Oh, sorry!"

Further down the road Makoto and Haru had also arrived in their cab. Of Samezuka there was no sign. They must be running late. Not that that was anything new.

"What an incredible looking building!" Nagisa laced his arm through Rei's as they made their way over to meet up with the other two boys. "Don't you think so, Rei-chan?"

"Yes," Rei squeaked,. His cheeks turned pick. He coughed. "It is very beautiful. It actually reminds me quite a bit of that history museum we went to upon first arriving here."

Gou grimaced. Thankfully there weren't any paintings, murals, or sculptures depicting bloody battles or executions or the like. Yet anyway. They had yet to go inside…

"Looks like we're all here." Makoto's smile slipped a little as he pulled out his phone to look at the time. "Hopefully Samezuka shows up pretty soon."

They were running pretty late and for such a time sensitive event too. Iwatobi had been struggling to get out the door on time as well. Who knew Haru, who could shed his clothes in two seconds flat, had such trouble when it came to tying a tie and putting on a suit. Nagisa had been a lost cause as well and if not for Makoto and Rei being there to help them the two might have ended up going naked. Not that I think Makoto or Rei would have complained about that.

"I-I'm sure Samezuka will be here in a few minutes." Gou tried to smile. "They almost always run a bit late."

"Gou-chan would know something like that about her husband-chan-oof."

Gou removed her elbow from Nagisa's sternum.

The host was waiting to greet them inside the lobby when they walked in. "Oh you made it!" She clapped her hands. "We have a section reserved for you upstairs! Once everyone gets here we'll take our seats! Please wait here in the lobby in the meantime."

The lobby was fairly decent size, covered with red carpet and red walls accented by gold, and a large chandelier overhead. There were an ample amount of mirrors throughout the room and Gou paused more than once to check on her appearance, fidgeting over her hair and dress.

"You seem to be awfully fidgety tonight, Gou-san," Rei remarked and Gou quickly pulled her hand away from her mouth where she had been chewing on a nail. Damnit. She hadn't meant for them to see that.

Haru said, "It's because she's waiting on Captain Mikoshiba."

Gou's face flamed. She was used to Nagisa saying things like that but Haru? "I-it has nothing to do with that! I-I'm just excited about the play!"

"Excited about something," muttered Nagisa and Haru turned his head away, hiding a laugh, and Gou was so surprised she forgot all about chastising Nagisa. She had never seen Haru smile, much less laugh, before. He was definitely in a good mood but the biggest difference of all was that he was expressing it.

What was going on? Ever since that night at the fair he seemed to be changing. Or maybe he was just becoming the person he should be.

If only brother would follow the same example.

There were several different entrances leading into the theater from the lobby. People were flowing through them at a relatively steady pace and through the doors Gou could see the rows upon rows of red velvet seats steadily becoming filled and far off the stage sat covered with a large red curtain.

"Look, Gou-chan!" Nagisa pointed at a group filing into their seats. "It's those Germans from the training camp!"

That it was. Dressed up like they were Gou had almost not recognized her adopted swim team. And if they were here then there must be a few swim teams scheduled to see the play tonight.

She glanced at the bronzed clock on the wall. Samezuka had better hurry if they wanted to be one of them too. The seats were becoming awfully full and they still hadn't shown up yet.

If they didn't make it in time…Gou felt herself deflate like a balloon. Imagining seeing the play without Samezuka and especially without Seijuro there just seemed to suck all the excitement out of the evening. It was their last hosted event. They were supposed to make this one count, like he had said when she had first told him about it a few days before. If he missed it…

Almost as if on cue a waft of air blew against Gou's back, signaling the entrance doors opening and being held open, and she looked up. The group members of Samezuka were waltzing into the lobby, a sea of black and white clothes, ties and jackets and buttoned down shirts and shiny shoes, and Gou would never ever suspected so many of them had brought such formal clothes with them. Or had Seijuro simply rented tuxes for the entire team?

That seemed like something he would do. Gou bet he actually hadn't even brought any fancy clothes for him and was just too embarrassed to tell her.

Then she saw him and her eyes widened.

Muscles were definitely Gou's thing. That wasn't a secret. She loved seeing muscles and she certainly enjoyed seeing Seijuro's. That wasn't a secret either, at least it wasn't to her. Seeing him in sleeveless shirts was great. Seeing him in swimsuits was wonderful too. But seeing him in a suit and tie, with hair slicked back and eyes brighter than amber, was something else entirely.

I would eat off him.

"Gou-chan," Nagisa whispered. He nudged her. "Gou-chan, you're drooling."

"O-oh!" She turned away to wipe her face. "And it's Kou!"

Seijuro caught sight of them. His face lit up and Gou's heart rushed in like a impossible current. "Ohhh, you guys look nice!" He greeted them much too loudly. "Gou-kun looks especially cute!"

Her face flushed. Saying stuff like that in front of her brother…But then again it wasn't like Seijuro hadn't greeted her like that before their accidental marriage. If anything this was a return to normalcy. "T-thank you."

"You look great too, Captain Mikoshiba!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Your suit's amazing!"

"Oh, do you think so?!"

"Yes, you look quite presentable," Rei agreed. "Is that a British or Italian style?"

The three of them became more than adequately distracted talking about how great they looked in their suits and while they did so Gou scanned the crowd of Samezuka members for her brother. She found him near the back, standing nearly against the wall, not paying the least bit of attention to Seijuro or her or even Haru. In fact Rin didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything at all. His gaze was on the floor, his hands buried in his pockets, shoulders slumped. Even his hair looked listless.

Gou's lips parted. She couldn't recall a time she had seen Rin like that. Not even when they had been kids and he had dropped his favorite toy in the ocean or when they had walked along that dock hand in hand, having lost something else much more precious to the ocean. Rin just looked…defeated. Like he had been the one who had lost that race instead of Haru.

The host called out and Gou jerked her attention back to their current event. "Now that everyone is here we'll move along to our seats now!" The host gestured at one of the entrances leading upstairs. "Please follow closely!"

"I'll see you guys upstairs!" Seijuro winked Gou's way, moving to head to the front of his swim team. Iwatobi slid into the crowd of Samezuka members. Nagisa had his arm laced through Rei's once again and further ahead Gou saw Haru had done the same with Makoto, whose face was so bright red it looked like he had been standing staring at the sun for far too long. She wasn't the only one who noticed it either, for one of the Samezuka members, Noro she thought, furrowed his brows at the sight. His eyes crinkled, as if in deep thought, then he turned and flung himself at Nakagawa. "Nakagawa, let's hold hands!"

"Have you lost your mind?! Absolutely not!" Nakagawa struggled to disentangle himself from the other boy. "And it's arms, you imbecile!"

Weirdos. Still Gou was a little jealous. She was the only girl here and instead of her being escorted by some handsome guy in a suit the boys were only escorting each other! Who was she supposed to link arms with? Her gaze shifted to Seijuro. But they couldn't do that. He had to lead his swim team and present a good example to follow. Her brother was here besides.

Her eyes widened. Her brother! Of course! He may not hold her hand anymore but maybe he'd offer her his arm!

She made her way through the crowd to sidle up next to him. His eyes were still on the ground in front of him as he walked and his hands still in his pockets but she wouldn't let that deter her.

"Hey!"

His head jerked up, as if she had caught him in the midst of a trance. When he saw it was her, his eyelids lowered to half mast. "Hello."

Boy, that hadn't been a happy greeting at all. He was definitely in a funk. "I'm glad you came tonight!" She forced merriment. "It's supposed to be a really good play!"

"I had to come," he stated tersely.

"Oh…" Well, then. This was not going the way she had wanted it to."I-I'm sure it will be fun though!"

Rin didn't respond to this. Not even a comeback disputing what she had said. She frowned a little. This was definitely not like him. He was typically a bit oppressive but this vanquished attitude was something different.

"Is everything alright?"

Rin grit his teeth. In his pocket Gou thought she saw his hand curl into a fist. "I'm fine." His voice was like a snarl. "Mind your own business."

She drew back. She was used to him snubbing her but outright snapping at her was not something he had done before. "O-okay." She moved away. Whatever it was bothering him it was clear he was in no mood to speak about it. Maybe later when he was less wound up she would ask again. Hopefully the play would help ease him into a better frame of mind. Or at least take his mind off things.

They reached the place they would be sitting and Gou nearly gasped at the sight. Their seating area was a large balcony that faced the stage directly, giving them an ample and fantastic view, and directly below the many plush red velvet seats of the ground floor. The balcony was more secluded than the ground floor, with no other groups seating behind or in front of them, and their seating separated from others by an aisle.

"Please seat yourselves in an orderly fashion!" the host called out a bit frantically. "The play is expected to start within three minutes! Please kindly hurry and take your seats!"

They aren't forcing us into our usual seating arrangement? Gou would have assumed now would be a perfect time to enforce that but maybe the host had decided to forego it because they were so late. She moved with the Iwatobi boys down to one of the front rows as Samezuka clambered to get into seats. Except there was one problem.

"There's only four seats to a row," Haru observed. The four boys stood in the row, turning and looking around themselves as if trying to find a secret fifth chair.

Gou pursed her lips. The one downside to the seating area they had been provided was the seating rows were on the short side. So all of Iwatobi would not be able to sit together. In that case…She looked back over her shoulder.

"I-I can sit somewhere else," Makoto offered. "Gou, you can have my seat."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine." Gou turned back. "I'll find my own seat."

Makoto frowned a little. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, of course, don't worry!" She had seen what she needed to when she had looked back a second ago. "I'll see you guys after the play!" She turned to head back up the aisle. She had a pretty fair idea where she could sit and anyway she didn't want to disappoint Haru by making him sit apart from Makoto. Not when their relationship was so new. Sitting this way would make everyone happy. Herself included.

Seijuro had taken his seat on the very last row of their seating section. Along the row with him were Noro and Nakagawa, but the seat closest to the aisle was empty. The Samezuka captain had likely sat there because he wanted to keep an eye on his team, but more importantly for Gou his sitting so far in the back meant Rin sat several rows in front of him. He wouldn't be able to see them unless he completely turned around in his seat. It was a perfect opportunity.

Seijuro was in the midst of chatting quietly with Nakagawa when she sat down and his sentence came to an abrupt end when he saw her. He blinked at her and Gou pretended not to notice the curious stare of Noro or Nakagawa's expression like he had already foreseen this happening.

"Is…something wrong?"

"No." Gou tried to ignore the hot heat in her face and the way her body felt too warm. "It was four to a row," she said as way of explanation. "So I decided I'd sit here!"

The smile he gave her was like she had just offered him the world. It was the same smile he had worn that night at the bar, that unbidden and unfettered smile that encompassed his whole face. Gou glanced away, her face growing so hot she resisted the urge to fan herself. But she was happy. Happy to see that smile once again. She hadn't known how much she liked seeing it.

"The play is starting," said Nakagawa and Gou straightened, dragging her attention to the stage as the lights dimmed and the curtain began to draw to the sides.

The play was in English, something that hadn't occurred to Gou until the actors began to enter the stage. With the Germans and other swim teams being here at the same time there was no way the play was going to be in Japanese. That wouldn't be economically wise or practical to show the play in every language, but luckily the actors were so extremely expressive with their actions and tones she could more or less guess what was going on in every scene. On occasions when it wasn't entirely clear a sign in several languages would be held up in the background detailing what had happened. And despite not knowing much English the actors spoke slowly and enunciated enough that she was able to pick up on a few key words here and there. Words she had learned from listening to her brother speak.

Speaking of which, he would be able to understand everything. She glanced down to where he sat several seats ahead of her. It didn't look like he was paying much attention to the play. His elbow was on the armrest with his chin in his palm, like he might take a nap or something. He was definitely down in the dumps. Even Nitori seemed a bit concerned, the smaller boy stealing several glances at him out of the corner of his eye next to him.

Maybe once the play got going Rin would enjoy it better.

The play was a series of skits based on several Greek legends. The first was the legend of Damon and Pythias, two boys who were such good friends that, when Pythias was placed in prison for angering a tyrant king, Damon offered to take his place in order to allow the other to go home and resolve his family affairs before his execution. However if Pythias did not return, Damon would be executed in his stead. Gou watched as on the stage the frantic and determined Pythias braved thieves and raging streams and crippling thirst to make it back to his friend in time, whilst in his cell Damon insisted Pythias would not abandon him despite the tyrant king's attempts to convince him that Pythias would be careful not to return in order to save himself.

"What an amazing bromance," Noro sniffled into his palms.

Nakagawa shushed him, though he too was swiping at his eyes.

The friendship of Damon and Pythias was certainly impressive, and Gou found herself clutching her hands a little too tightly as time started to run out for the poor hapless Damon, who continued to believe that his best friend would not desert him.

A sudden movement drew her attention to the seats in front of her. Rin had lowered his arm and she could see the tightness in his shoulders and back. His hands were clutched on the arms of his seat and he shifted once, twice, thrice. There was some sort of caged frantic energy to him, like someone trying to breath in the midst of drowning.

A noise on the stage made her look up. Pythias had run out of time. Damon was to be executed in his place. As Damon stood at the execution block he raised his head. With shoulders high he announced that while he still believed in his friend he sincerely hoped Pythias would arrive too late so Damon may die in his stead.

In his seat Rin gave an audible twitch. His arms were clenched close to his sides.

Damon had sunk to his knees, prepared to die when suddenly from out of one side of the stage Pythias dashed out. Pale, bloodstained, and disheveled, he flung his arms around his friend's neck with a sob of relief, and for the first time Damon turned pale and shed tears. Not for himself but for the state his friend had come in trying to reach him so desperately. Pythias began to undo his friend's bond, apologizing for his delay and begging forgiveness. When Damon responded to this Gou was unable to understand.

Rin shot up from his seat. Before Gou could do anything but blink in confusion he had already headed up the aisle and she just managed to turn in her seat to see him depart through the exit.

Something was definitely wrong. It could never be said that Rin wasn't an emotional person but for him to run out so abruptly meant something had really gotten to him. The play perhaps? She turned back around. A translation card had been held up for Damon's words. Because you are my friend, it read, I would have forgiven you of anything.

Gou turned briefly to Seijuro. "I'll be right back." She rose without waiting for a response or for him to ask where she was going. Nitori was turned around in his seat, halfway out of it, but Gou gestured for him to stay. She wanted a chance to talk to Rin alone first.

She couldn't not go after him. Despite his less than cordial mood he was still her brother, her family. And she didn't want to lose any more of it.

With some guess work she took the path she believed he had taken and managed to find him in the midst of the now empty lobby, shoulders hunched and hands fisted by his side as he made his way to the door.

She called out to him before he could reach it. "Brother!"

He froze at the sounding of his name and Gou ran to him. "Is everything alright? Why did you leave?"

Rin remained still then slowly he turned to face her. With an ugly scowl and an even uglier look in his eye. "You…"

Seijuro shifted in his seat. He put his arm up on the armrest, put it back down, crossed his legs then uncrossed them. He tapped his fingers. Nakagawa shushed him and he shot a glare at the other boy.

Gou was taking too darn long. It shouldn't take this long to use the bathroom. She was missing all of the play! They had both agreed to make it count and she wasn't even here. She was ruining Seijuro's entire plan!

He pulled his phone out to check the time, hiding its glow underneath his hand so as not to disturb the others watching nearby. The play of Damon and Pythias had wrapped up with the two boys having both been pardoned by the tyrant king after he had been moved by their deep and poignant friendship, and the new skit was called The Frogs. The oddly tilted play was about two writers battling each other to see who was the best tragic poet or something like that. Seijuro hadn't been paying much attention.

Seijuro moved his leg up and down. The seat next to him was still vacant and there was no message from Gou letting him know something had come up. He considered sending her a text himself but he didn't want to send her some overly concerned message when she might just be taking a while in the bathroom or something. He wasn't even sure if she had her phone on her. She hadn't been carrying a bag and there were no pockets on that dress of hers. Seijuro knew this because he had looked. Quite attentively.

He snapped his phone closed. There was no helping it. He was going to have to go look for her. If he didn't he'd just sit there wondering what she was doing and not be able to focus on the play at all until she returned.

Nakagawa looked questioningly over when he rose. "Bathroom." Well, it was technically true, as he headed for the lobby where the bathroom was located to check there first. It would be the most likely place for Gou to go. Maybe she had gotten caught up powdering her nose or whatever it was girls did in bathrooms. His sister always spent way too much time in the bathroom whenever he was at home too. To this day he still teased her about it.

He was just coming up to the corner to the lobby when a loud voice drew him up short.

"Stop sticking your nose in everyone else's business!"

Matsuoka? Seijuro had heard the other boy curse enough the last few days to recognize what his voice sounded like when he was angry. But who in the world was he yelling at?

"B-brother?"

Seijuro's eyes widened. Gou. So is this what had been going on? He should have realized it had been Matsuoka who had gotten up right before Gou, but he had been too distracted by the play and had assumed it was simply a swim member needing to use the restroom.

"You're always meddling with other people!"came Matsuoka's red hot voice from around the corner. "Nobody asked you to be so damn concerned! You worry so much about everyone else like your everyone's damn mother or something!"

Matsuoka was angrier than ever but there was a tremor to his voice too. Like he was on the verge of tears.

Seijuro tightened his hand. He wanted to go around that corner, but presenting himself now would only make things worse. His intrusion would make Matsuoka angrier and could very easily cause suspicion if Matsuoka didn't buy his excuse that he was there to use the restroom. If Matsuoka figured out what was going on that could easily cause a bigger gap to exist between the siblings. If not completely destroy any trust that might exist.

He grit his teeth. Getting involved in delicate spider web style family affairs that had nothing to do with him would only cause breakage and Gou didn't need something like that right now. Not when there was already such a large disconnect between the two of them. So he stayed where he was.

"What is it you're trying to do exactly?" Matsuoka continued. "Do you plan on making us reconcile or something? Is that why Samezuka and Iwatobi got paired together?" A brief pause. "It was you who did that for the hosted events, isn't it? Is that why I'm stuck seeing them almost everyday? Why they are always there? What other reason could there be for our teams to be paired together like they were? Why else would it be that Samezuka constantly gets paired with Iwatobi, huh?"

Seijuro waited, ears straining to catch Gou's response. Gou could tell him the truth now. She could tell Matsuoka all about the marriage. That their accidental marriage was the real reason their teams had gotten paired like they had. She could spill everything, explain that it hadn't been her fault that the host country had forced Iwatobi and Samezuka together, at least not intentionally. She could tell Rin everything, make him understand and be less angry at her. And, Siejuro suddenly realized, he wanted her to.

But no response from Gou came. She said absolutely nothing.

And he knew. It was because of him. Because she didn't want to tell her brother and have Matsuoka turn that anger onto him. She'd rather take her brother's wrath then have that happen.

Seijuro closed his eyes.

"We don't need to reconcile!" Rin was yelling now. "I don't need forgiveness! I never wanted it and I don't need it!"" The sound of someone's shoes on the carpet, like they were turning away. "I don't need them!" The sound of the lobby door opening. "I don't need anyone so just mind your own damn business!"

A slam. The door most likely. No further noise came. Matsuoka, it appeared, had departed.

Seijuro went around the corner. Gou's back was to him. She stood there absolutely still and staring at the door her brother had disappeared through. She didn't move nor react when he came to stand beside her. He glanced at the darkened door then back to her.

Matsuoka, he thought, truly had a knack for destroying the things he loved.

He placed a hand gently on the back of her head. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go home."

Eh heh.

Responses to some things!

MusicalHeartstrings - Yes, sorry! I was trying to incorporate the talk Rei had the boys in a subtle way as I didn't want to bore people rehashing the whole scene and since Gou didn't know about it in the anime at all. Looks like I made it too subtle lol.

NoTomorrow - Oh gosh thank you. I turned into a stupid, useless little ball of embarassment reading this review. Thank you so much and thank you for sticking with this fic considering how long its gotten!

booklover1334 - Momo will not be making an appearance in this fic unfortunately! When I first wrote this he hadn't been introduced yet and only Seijuro's sister had been mentioned so I had gone along with that, and since they're in another country it would be sort of weird for Momo to suddenly show up. I do plan on going back and editing the parts to include Seijuro mentioning Momo but I likely won't get around to that until its finish.