This chapter was intended to be quite a bit longer but I've been super, super busy and I ran out of time before I depart to go overseas, and rather than wait another month I decided I would post what I did have written up. Hopefully upon my return my life won't be quite so chaotic and I can make a longer chapter!

The third law of aerodynamics states that systems left to themselves invariably head towards disorder.

Seijuro had never heard of this.

But even if he had he wouldn't have equated it with Matsuoka.

"Do you want anything?"

On the couch next to him he could faintly see Gou shake her head. It was dark inside the house, the only light coming from a single lamp in the corner. It had felt wrong to turn on more lights, the brightness somehow too harsh for such a moment. Gou wouldn't have appreciated that Seijuro felt.

He ran his finger along the collar of his shirt, tugging to loosen it. He had already undone several of the buttons and shed himself of the jacket and tie, but despite the lack of comfort the outfit provided he wasn't about to go into the other room to completely change just yet. Not when Gou was the way she was right now.

He glanced at her. She hadn't cried. Not a single tear, but her eyes were downcast and the corners of her mouth downturned. She sat listlessly, still in her pretty dress, her hands curled around each other in her lap and her gaze on the coffee table.

"What happened?" Maybe it was intrusive asking but Matsuoka had gone too far. Seijuro wasn't the type to just let things lie like that.

Gou frowned a little. "I'm not even sure myself."

"Matsuoka…"

He didn't finish, not sure how to, but Gou picked up on what he was trying to ask regardless. "After brother left the play I went after him to see what was wrong. He got mad about that," she said. Her shoulders sagged. "No matter what I do all I do is make him mad lately."

He thought of the dark dangerous edge Matsuoka had been skating along the past few days. The boy had been on a downward spiral ever since the end of the first competition. Ever since he had won that race. Seijuro had witnessed that firsthand watching him struggle in his swimming. Funny, he would have thought something like that would come from somebody losing, not winning.

"I don't think he's mad because of you."

If anything it was Matsuoka who was making Matsuoka angry. Gou had just happened to be the unlucky one who had been on the receiving end of his anger. Some people found it easier to lash out at the people they loved and the people who loved them than the person they actually had a problem with, and in that regards Gou was a prime candidate for Matsuoka to vent out his frustrations.

"I just wish he would go back to the person he used to be."

He looked questionably up at the soft words.

"I mean back before he left for Australia." She narrowed her eyes. "Actually even before then. Back before our father died."

Back before their father had died. So Seijuro had guessed right. Their father had passed away. "You've never mentioned your father before," he observed quietly.

"Yes, well…" She moved her hands around each other. "It was a long time ago. When he died I mean. He was a fisherman on the ocean and late one summer a typoon hit. A lot of fisherman died during it and our father was one of them." She pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, gaze wandering to the wall opposite her. "I hardly remember anything about him at all anymore. I was young when it happened and I've forgotten the rest. All I remember is his hands." She lifted up a hand as if to demonstrate. She dropped it back down into her lap. "I can't even picture his face anymore. Whenever I try all I see is…is brother's."

Seijuro raised her eyebrows. Gou saw his expression. She laughed, an aching hollow sound, and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess that's really weird to say, huh? I've…never said that out loud before…but I guess it really is true. Brother is the only one I can see anymore." She frowned. "I remember walking behind that procession of survivors like we were survivors ourselves. We were alone, just us two, but I wasn't scared. You'd think after what happened we wouldbe the ones scared of the ocean, but I'm not. Because brother, he held my hand." Her hand flexed in her lap. "He held my hand and I wasn't scared. Because I felt that no matter what happened I would have him there beside me to hold my hand." She paused. "But somewhere along the way he let go of me. He let go of my hand. I don't know when or how but he did. And now…" Her hand tightened. Her voice cracked. "Now I don't know how to get it back anymore."

She covered her face as she began to shake with the force of her sobs and Seijuro reached out an arm. She didn't remove her hands from her face but she still curled into him, her forehead coming to lay against his chest as he pulled her against him.

"I just want him to hold my hand," she quaked. "I just want him to hold my hand like he used to."

He tightened his jaw. Matsuoka, he decided, really was an idiot. A big oblivious idiot who was so wrapped up in his own inner angst he didn't realize how it affected the people he cared about. If Seijuro could he'd like to knock some sense into him. But in the end that wouldn't solve anything, and Gou wouldn't like that besides. No matter what Matsuoka was still her dear older brother.

"It'll be fine," he said, the words feeling inept and useless even as they left his mouth. "I'm sure Matsuoka didn't mean any of what he said."

Gou nodded mutely against him but did not respond. He thought about saying something else, comforting words like 'it'll be okay' and 'don't worry about it' but somehow those words just felt pathetic and meaningless. They wouldn't do any good. Not here in this situation. What could one say to that? Nothing really.

So he kept silent, threading his fingers through her hair, and let her cry against him.

It was dark inside the house. The only light came from a single lamp in the corner and through its dim light Seijuro glanced at the clock. The red numbers glared back at him like angry eyes. It was getting late. Quite late.

The play would be over by now and the swim teams heading back to their lodging. Hopefully Iwatobi wouldn't become worried about their absent manager who hadn't left them with an explanation about her departure. If they came over to check on her it would be rather disastrous. But neither his phone nor her phone had made a noise all night. If anything the group likely just assumed Gou and him had run off together, and they had, but not in the way he imagined Iwatobi would be thinking of. At least they hadn't been expecting her to come back with them to the lodges. Because Gou had been coming home with him tonight.

He shifted in his seat, careful not to disturb the slumbering girl whose head was in his lap. On top of an already mentally and physically draining day Gou's crying had exhausted her. She had fallen asleep some time ago.

Seijuro brushed back her bangs away from her face. Matsuoka really was an idiot. The boy focused too much on stupid things rather than the precious things he did have. Seijuro didn't fully understand Rin's reasons, though he was sure he had them, and it wasn't his business to extort it out of him. But he was still the swim team captain and he had to preserve what was most important to his team, as Nakagawa had so pointedly reminded him when he had gone to tell the other boy he was leaving.

"There's something I need to take care of." Seijuro kept his gaze elsewhere than on Nakagawa. He didn't want to show too much nor divulge too much either. "You can manage the swim team back, right?"

Nakagawa didn't answer him right away and Seijuro shifted, painfully aware of Gou waiting for him in the hall.

"Is it the girl or Matsuoka?"

Seijuro pressed his lips together. Damn Nakagawa. "Both." He straightened. "Do you have things here?"

At Nakagawa's nod Seijuro turned to leave. He was brought up short however.

"Captain."

Seijuro paused.

Nakagawa's dark gaze was piercing. "Don't forget what's most important."

Seijuro grit his teeth. He knew that already. He governed all his swimming by that, governed his whole life by it in fact. He didn't need Nakagawa to tell him stuff like that. He knew winning was what was most important.

But that didn't mean that the girl presently lying in his arms wasn't important either.

He rubbed a hand tiredly against his forehead. He still had to deal with Matsuoka. As captain of the swim team it was his responsibility. He had to make a decision about Matsuoka and the relay race.

He blinked an eye. Really it was such a pain being stuck between the two. Wanting to make Gou happy by making her brother happy, which ultimately meant keeping Rin in the relay and allowing him to compete despite his lackluster performance and disintegrating emotional state. Or be a swim team captain and do what was best for his own swim team regardless of how it would make some people unhappy.

Letting Matsuoka onto the relay team hadn't been based on Gou at all. That was the truth. But keeping Matsuoka on the relay after everything that had happened would be because of her. To make her happy. And that was the truth too.

And that made him feel a bit like he was struggling against a current he couldn't win against.

He frowned into the dim light. For all his bravado and loud self-confidence, when it came to Gou he always started to fall apart at the seams. It was incredibly frustrating and exhilarating at the same time, like racing against a really strong opponent he may not be able to beat. Gou was the only girl who had been able to do that to him, and she was the only one he wanted to do that to him. Actually now that he thought about it when it came to other girls Seijuro didn't even think about them. He didn't even really notice them.

She's the only one I want.

And that revelation was sort of terrifying.

If he did fall apart at the seams would she put him back together, he wondered. Or had she taken a string of him and wrapped it around that pearl ring of her's when he wasn't looking, pulling him apart slowly but surely? That ring she had worn like a wedding ring.

Seijuro narrowed his eyes. He really hated metaphors.

He didn't know what to do about Matsuoka. Not yet anyway. He'd decide that later. But for now…

Gou's open hand lay by his knee and he remembered what she had said earlier. If your brother isn't there to take your hand, he laced his fingers through her's, then I'll grasp it instead.

Her hand curled, tightening around his own and he fought off a smile. Even in her sleep she grasped back. So desperate for something to cling to huh? She could cling onto him as much as she wanted.

He glanced at the clock once more. He desperately needed to get some sleep. The competition was right around the corner and he couldn't be slacking off in practice.

He slipped his hands underneath Gou's arms. Slowly he leaned back, pulling her with him and moving his legs up onto the couch at the same time. She made a soft noise at the disturbance, but she didn't wake and Seijuro settled back, the girl stretched out a top him. When she moved he froze slightly but it was only to press closer to him, curling into him, and she let out a soft exhale that sounded strangely contented.

He may regret this in the morning. There was hardly enough room on the couch for him to fit comfortably, much less two people. He'd likely have a crick in the neck or an achy knee come tomorrow morning but, well, he could deal with a little bit of pain. If it meant getting to be with her like this then he could.

He wrapped his arms loosely across her and fell asleep to the feeling of her soft breath against his throat.

There was a dim light. A dim light that fluttered yellow just outside her eyelids, a glinting annoyance that prevented her from slipping back into full slumber. For a moment she just lay there, not awake enough to properly deal with it, grappling in her sleep fogged head if she should get fully up to stop the annoyance or try to ignore it and go back to sleep even though she couldn't recall leaving a light on. In fact now that she noticed that the bed around her felt weird too. Hard but soft at the same time, and warm. Impossibly warm. And a smell of sun and wind.

Her eyes flew open. She stayed utterly still, almost paralyzed as warm breath that was not her own blew across her and beneath her the rise and fall of someone's chest. Slowly, heartbeat in her throat, her gaze traveled upwards. Seijuro. He was fast asleep. His arms were loosely around her, more resting on her than clutching her, and she was lying on top of him. Stretched out over him with her legs between his own and her head on his shoulder.

For a moment she dare not breathe. Her heartbeat thrummed in her ears, so fast it might flutter out of her chest.

What had happened? She didn't remember having fallen asleep, and she was still in her dress and he was still in his tux. She remembered crying. Or sobbing more accurately. And telling Seijuro about her father. And Seijuro-

The thought stilled her. She remembered him. He had comforted her. He had held her while she had cried. She did remember that. He had comforted her and been there for her without asked prying questions.

Her gaze flicked to the wall. She had never mentioned not being able to remember her father's face and only seeing her brother's to anyone. Not Makoto, not even Hana. She had always been worried they might think she was heartless, for forgetting someone as precious as her father, or weird, for seeing her brother instead. But with Seijuro that fear had suddenly evaporated. She hadn't been scared telling him those things, had wanted to tell him in fact. Because she knew he wouldn't judge her for thinking or feeling that way. He wouldn't look down on her for it. And she knew that.

He had silently allowed her to lay out all her burdens, to dump out all her personal feelings and concerns onto him, and he had accepted it all with that silent strength of his she suddenly realized how much she appreciated in him. And had come to rely upon.

He always went after her. She would get swept out to sea, and he would swim out after her to bring her back to shore. He had already done it physically, and now he had done it emotionally.

Gou's smile was joyous but painful at the same time. She covered her mouth less she let out some hiccup of a noise. If Seijuro woke up she didn't want him thinking she was crying about her brother again.

Her heartbeat was much more under control and with a few steadying breaths she relaxed. She glanced back up. That stupid light was still on. Carefully she inched upwards and stretched for the light to turn it off. Seijuro moved, making a soft noise, and Gou's face reddened as his face nearly brushed against her breast, breath warm against her sensitive skin. Well…at least he was asleep. She wasn't sure how he would react if he awoke to her chest practically hovering over him.

She finally managed to snag the cord and yanked it down, bathing them both in darkness. She slid back into her prior position, careful not to disturb Seijuro too much. He stirred but did not wake, and even in his slumber his arms tightened around her.

Her smile was so wide it hurt a bit.

She wiggled to get more comfortable, settling closer into him. She closed her eyes, smile turning rueful as she slipped back into slumber. How many more times was she was going to wake up sharing the same sleeping place as Seijuro, she wondered, and not remember how she had gotten there.

The mirrors were foggy to the point Seijuro couldn't recognize his own reflection by the time he stepped out of the shower. He normally didn't stay in the shower for long – if he was going to spend time in water he'd rather spend it in the pool – but God had he needed it.

Running a hand through his hair, he swiped the glass, only to cause a smudge in his wake. Not that his reflection was likely any better. Despite the shower having helped wake him up he was still tired. He had woken up early and that on top of going to sleep so late had left him more than a little sleep deprived. It seemed like he was often sleep deprived this entire summer. Not very good for his performance but he had wanted to lipped away from the couch before Gou awoke. As much as he had wanted to stay, in that position with her in his arms and she so closely curled into him, he hadn't wanted her to wake up and have the situation to become possibly awkward. He felt like they were progressing towards something more than friendship and he didn't want anything to ruin that.

He wrapped a towel around his waist, not bothering to get fully dressed, and pushed open the door. Gou was awake. Sitting on her knees on the couch, mindlessly chewing on a fingernail, a little smile curving her lips, and instead of going into the bedroom to get properly clothed, Seijuro went immediately over to her.

"Morning!"

The sound of his voice made her jump, as if she had been caught doing something naughty. "M-morning!" For some reason her cheeks were a little pink and upon catching sight of him they only reddened further. "I-I see you've already showered."

Seijuro glanced downwards. Oops. He had forgotten he hadn't gotten dressed yet. Then again for someone who ran around in a speedo most of the day a towel was considered some pretty decent coverage.

"I don't suppose there's any hot water left is there?"

"Nope! Sorry. I uhhh…took a long one this morning." For a variety of reasons but he didn't want to say that.

"I suppose I can wait a bit then." She flexed her shoulders, as if the dress she still wore were giving her an itch. "Even if I feel absolutely disgusting."

Seijuro knew the feeling. Waking up in the same clothes he had worn to the play had made him feel more than a little grungy. His shirt was so wrinkled it would be a wonder if it would ever be flat again and he might as well have run a mile in the pants for all the good they looked. His mother was going to kill him if she ever found out how poorly he was treating his nice clothes.

"By the way," said Gou. "Sorry for ruining the play last night."

She would blame herself for that. He batted away the apology, one hand clenching the towel so it wouldn't fall. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn't your fault."

"You still got dragged into though. The whole thing with brother and I…"

She trailed off, frowning unhappily. While she was in better spirits than she had been last night, what had transpired was still weighing on her it seemed. Not that he could blame her. Getting yelled at by a person they cared about was never easy for anyone.

"The whole night ended up getting ruined," she griped. "And we were supposed to make it count too…"

Oh. Seijuro had nearly forgotten about that after everything else that had were supposed to have made last night count since it had been their last hosted event before they left this country. They hadn't been able to do that and now the last competition was just around the corner. But maybe…The idea struck him so hard it was like a tree branch had dropped on him. "Gou, let's go swimming!"

She blinked. "Swimming?"

"Yeah!" Seijuro was getting excited now. "We talked about it the night of the fair, remember? We can make that one count instead!"

Her brow creased. "Oh yeah," she said slowly, "I do remember that." She scratched her cheek. "But where would we swim?"

Seijiro almost faltered at the sudden realization but quickly recovered, more ideas slamming onto him like tree branches. "We can use the Samezuka pool!"

"The Samezuka pool?" Gou's brow creased further. "But isn't it closed at night?"

"I have the key!" It wasn't exactly very responsible and captain like of him to be breaking into his own swim team's pool but well…as long as he didn't get caught it was okay, right?

She rubbed the back of her head. "Wouldn't we get in trouble for doing something like that? What if somebody caught us?" Her eyes widened. "Would if brother caught us?"

Seijuro chuckle was dry. "I highly doubt Matsuoka will be breaking into the pool in the middle of the night." The boy wasn't showing much ambition during their normal practices, much less enough to be sneaking out to practice at night. Before maybe. But not now.

"What if somebody else sees us?" prodded Gou. "Like another Samezuka member. If they see us I'm sure brother would find out about it."

There was that, but Seijuro wasn't about to let that stop him. "I'm sure it will be fine! Nobody is going to show up there that late at night! Not after a full day of practice."

She still didn't look entirely convinced. Still, she relented. "I suppose you're right. Nobody is likely to show up to the pool in the middle of the night after a grueling practice." She gave a half shrug that caused her dress to move in a rather delightful way. "When should we go?"

Seijuro felt like a kid on Christmas morning. "We can go tonight!"

"I can't go tonight." She saw his traumatized expression. "I mean I can't go tonight because I have to make sure the boys get everything packed for the competition. If I don't those boys will end up putting off all their packing until tomorrow night and then they'd end up staying up way too late and likely end up missing the bus the next morning!"

That was…actually a good idea. Seijuro would have to do that tonight with his own swim team. God knows how long it would take some of those guys to find the stuff they needed in that mess they called their room, like Nitori.

"Tomorrow night then?" he asked hopefully.

When Gou smiled at him it felt a bit like New Years after Christmas morning. "Tomorrow night," she agreed softly, then leaned down and flung his pillow at him. "Now go put some pants on for crying out loud! You'll catch a cold standing around like that!"

"Oh, right!" He turned to head into the bedroom.

Tomorrow night. That was the night before they left for the competition. After the competition they would be on their way home. Time was running out.

Make it count. Seijuro hoped he could.

Foregoing individual replies because I have to get up early and I still have packing to do (clearly I have my priorities straight) but thanks everyone for reading!