Make Love Under Cherry Blossoms

"What should we do now?" said Gou, looking absolutely miserable.

Miss Amakata paced around the classroom, picking up stray books and headphones as she went, and putting them back in place. She made a bothered face when Gou stepped right in front of her.

"Miss Amakata."

The teacher sighed, and the two boys in the room looked on anxiously. Rei adjusted his glasses. Nagisa stood on his tiptoes, panting a little, for he had just run all the way up to the fifth floor. Ever since the school building had burned down, their school had been renting abandoned office buildings, that obviously hadn't been built to accommodate a high school.

"Fine. I guess I can pull some strings and ask for a bigger budget." Miss Amakata said reluctantly.

At that Nagisa whirled around, and smiling broadly he clapped Rei on the shoulder. Miss Amakata gawked at them.

"Hold on! I didn't say we're getting a bigger budget. Finances are tight right now, and your swimming club is hardly a priority."

She crossed her arms and looked at each of them. Nagisa's mouth fell open.

"But this year we have way more club members. You can't just shut us down. Not after we made 6th place in Nationals last year!" said Nagisa, his hands shaking from frustration. If only Makoto were here. He would know what to do, what to say, how to say it.

Miss Amakata gave him a long hard stare.

"I'll see what I can do." She said, before returning to her books.

Both Gou and Rei left the classroom, their footsteps heavy over the plastic floor. The light from outside fell in through the blinds, giving the classroom a yellow haze. Miss Amakata seemed preoccupied with something. She kept picking up stuff and then putting them down halfheartedly, as though she had forgotten why she had picked them up in the first place. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but then the door opened and somebody grabbed his wrist - it was a strong grip, possibly Rei's - while Gou's voice said

"Nagisa, get a move on!"

He was dragged out into the hall and the door closed on him. Nagisa just caught a glimpse of Miss Amakata's doll like eyes before his friends cornered him.

"What was that all about?" Gou demanded, arms akimbo and face close to Nagisa's. She came up closer, trying to keep her voice down, so she spoke in a harsh whisper, one Nagisa had often heard his sisters use. "I am the manager. I thought we had agreed you would leave all negotiations to me."

Nagisa frowned. "Well you weren't doing a very good job of it. Two weeks have passed and we still don't have a place to train. We've been running laps all over town, but that doesn't mean a thing."

"Sssshhh, Nagisa, keep your voice down," said Rei, cautiously glancing over towards the closed classroom door.

"Fine." Nagisa said in a sullen voice. He looked at the both of them. Gou's red hair that now covered her eyebrows, Rei's firm shoulders and the necktie wound so tightly around Rei's neck. Nagisa sighed. "So, what do we do now? Any ideas?"

He locked his hands behind the back of his head, and without waiting for his friends, began walking toward the stairs. Soon enough they followed. Rei shook his head when they reached the fourth floor landing.

"I really don't know." Rei said, stopping Nagisa with a hand on his shoulder, and turning him around to look at him.

Gou stared absently from the window.

"Well I have placed a few ads at the local supermarkets, asking people to sponsor us," she said. "But I don't think they will."

There was some silence in their group of three. Rei's hand slipped down Nagisa's arm till their fingers clasped tightly, and Rei took Gou's hand in his other hand. The sun was setting outside. It was the end to a beautiful day.

"If we don't get the necessary funding," Gou said, "we'll have to disband the club."

Nagisa nodded. "Goro-chan won't let us use the old swim pool either. I already asked."

He felt Rei's hand squeeze his own. They exchanged a brief look. Rei's mouth had turned incredibly small, there were creases underneath his eyes, and Nagisa felt a thump inside his chest. A tight pulling sensation, like someone was tugging at his heart. Nagisa's gaze dropped to his own hot pink colored sneakers. He let go of Rei's hand, turned, and sprinted downstairs.

"Nagisa!" Gou vainly called after him.

But he didn't respond. Nagisa fled down the stairs to the ground floor and out of the building. Two blocks further, breathing hard, he leaned against a wall. Nagisa closed his eyes. He didn't want this. He wanted none of it. All the problems, the responsibility. They were all counting on him! The only reason he agreed to being team captain in the first place was because Makoto had encouraged him to do it, and because Rei was too busy with school. He never dreamed it would be so hard. Nagisa blinked. He started noticing more of his surroundings.

He was in an office district, apparently. Naturally in the after hours, all offices were closed, but he could still see plently of bars around him, and salary men on their drunken wobble home. Nagisa sighed. He pulled the cap further over his ears, and slowly started walking towards the closest bus stop - wherever that was.

"Hahaha!"

A familiar laugh. Nagisa perked his ears, he listened. He heard the laugh again, closer this time. Nagisa sped up towards the sound, eagerly bounding around a corner, dodging a salary man, then dodging a closed newsstand when he heard the laugh again. Louder, this time.

"When have you ever been subtle?"

It was Rin! Rin walking leisurely along with Sousuke. Their arms were linked... Nagisa spied them from behind a large potted plant. He frowned, lips tugged in concentration. Then Nagisa's eyes went wide when he witnessed Sousuke slap Rin on the buttocks.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sousuke said.

Nagisa gulped. He shouldn't be the one interrupting this. After all, it hadn't been that long ago that Rin had covered for him and Rei, when they'd slipped away from the rest of the group, to indulge in a little bit secluded fun of their own. Nagisa tapped his sneakers on the solid gray pavement. Some sober salary man sent him an odd look, but Nagisa paid him no heed. They were getting away, Rin and Sousuke, they were getting away. So absorbed in each other, they saw little else. They crossed the road without looking for incoming cars.

Now they were on Nagisa's side of the street, just meters from the potted plant Nagisa still hid behind. They couldn't see him. They were blind to the world. Rin toyed with the shoelace from Sousuke's hoodie. Sousuke slid his hand inside the back pocket of Rin's pants. Rin fluttered his lashes and said something softly against Sousuke's ear. Sousuke laughed.

It was painful to watch. How Nagisa hated interrupting this, coming in between such an intimate moment, cutting it short... it just felt wrong. Not to mention how the much larger, broad shouldered Sousuke would react to him if he did. Nagisa trembled on spot, just imagining the envy backlash. Nobody stood between Sousuke and his booty, nobody ever did.

Nagisa shook his head. He didn't want to move out from behind the potted plant, didn't want to make his presence known. But he had to, for the swim club!

With shaky steps Nagisa walked out onto the sidewalk. Rin and Sousuke had their backs to him. He could still back out.

No.

He wouldn't. Forcing his back straight, Nagisa put on his largest friendly smile and cried out despite the butterflies throwing fits in his belly:

"Sou-chan! Rin!"

His friends turned around. Quicker than lightning, Sousuke withdrew his hand from Rin's pocket. Rin's smile fell; his mouth fell open stupidly, exposing a row of shark teeth. Sousuke's eyes hardened, lips mouthing a silent threat.

Nagisa bounded over to them. In a few skips he was in front of Rin, and, ignoring the ominous aura that spread from Sousuke, he clasped Rin's hands in his.

"It's been so long! Good to see you."

Rin smiled back awkwardly. The smile was forced, eyes cringing. "Too long." For a split second Rin glanced sideways, probably hoping Nagisa wouldn't notice, but Nagisa did. He let go of Rin's hands, and came to fumble the front of his shirt.

Sousuke didn't say anything; refused to verbally acknowledge Nagisa's intrusion of their private time.

"Well uh," Nagisa re-started so eloquently, "I shouldn't bother you with this, ...our swim club is in a bit of a bind." Nagisa forced his eyes to remain wide open, as large as he could possibly make them. He would win Rin with his eyes, he would win Rin with his irresistable shining eyes. "Iwatobi High burned down to the ground two weeks ago, Nationals are only a month away, we have no other place to train. Please, please Rin, could we train together with you and Haruka?"

Rin's eyes softened in sympathy, his mouth closed, and the rigid set of his shoulders went slack. Rin breathed out a sigh.

The corners of Nagisa's mouth twitched, his jaw ached, he wanted so badly to stop smiling. But he couldn't, not now. His eyes began to prickle from not blinking for so long. Nagisa urged the tears on.

"I'm sorry," Rin finally said. The words formed a pit in Nagisa's stomach. The buzzing was over, the butterflies died. "The gym has a strict policy about professional swimmers only. I know how serious you guys are about swimming, but the association still classifies you as amateurs."

Nagisa took a deep breath. "Please?"

Rin shook his head, and smiled sadly. "You never give up, do you."

"That's part of my charm." Nagisa supplied.

At least that one got Rin laughing. Then he turned serious again, Rin's eyebrows did that concerned dip. "Your pool has been closed for two weeks? Where have you been training?" A pause. "Haruka, when you asked him if you could use our gym, I'm guessing he told you the same?"

Nagisa nodded. He couldn't keep this stupid smile up anymore, not with Rin's Concerned face staring at him like that. Nagisa deflated, allowed himself to blink - not a single tear fell from his eye. Wasted effort.
"Pretty much, although it was Makoto who told me."

Rin nodded, deep in thought.

"Makoto said not to bother Haruka, that he was under a lot of pressure." Nagisa worried his lip.

Sousuke stepped forward. The deadly violet aura about him hadn't changed. He stared daggers into Nagisa's eyes, and Nagisa found himself growing smaller by the minute.

"Don't pile your problems on Rin. He is under enough pressure from his job, and he doesn't need you guys coming in and messing with his head. Aren't you the team captain of your club? Grow up and act like one."

"Sousuke!"

Rin turned around to glare at his boyfriend. "How can you say that?"

"But it's true," Sousuke imposed with a childish huff.

"'Course it's true. I have a real shot at making it to Worlds this year, if only I can get on that relay team." Rin made a face. "And Haruka is racing me for it; there's only one spot: it's me or him."

Sousuke placed a hand on Rin's shoulder. "You will make it, I know you will."

"Eeh," Nagisa was uncertain whom he should root for. "I wish you both good luck in the upcoming tournament!"

Sousuke glared at him. Nagisa sighed, ...can't please everybody. Well, at least Rin beamed at him.

"Either I or Haruka will make a name in the world this year. And it wouldn't do for you and Rei to lag behind." Rin winked.

Nagisa bit his lip. Things weren't going well with him and Rei lately. He was unsure how to broach the topic to Rin..., they really hadn't seen each other in quite a while. "Yeah," Nagisa said feebly.

"So, since Haruka is too tunnel minded to make an effort at anything besides swimming," Rin announced, folding an arm around Nagisa's shoulder, and pointing toward the sky, "I, Rin Matsuoka, assure to rescue your club from this predicament, and give you and Rei your chance to shine under the spotlights of Nationals this year." There was a mad glint to Rin's eye, and the cheshire grin he wore was bordering on scary.

Sousuke facepalmed.