Chapter Seven

Date Six - Dinner at Home

Haru had sent a few brief messages. Things like checking that Rin had recovered from his bout of sickness - Haru being charitable enough to believe Rin's sickness thing rather than his aversion to gory movies. They were brief messages, short things and Rin answered them in the same manner, brief and without expression or explanation .

Rin had finally given up - he truly was done with dating Haru - instead of being in touch and it organising something else, Rin skulked around Samezuka spending inordinate time in the pool and doing homework in preference of thinking about Haru.

It was Makoto who intervened - he had started to ignore Haru's messages so when the message arrived from Makoto, Rin opened it and responded with a yes, agreeing to meet Makoto at the local play park.

Rin wore a baseball cap and hoodie as he walked into the park, seeing the Tachibana twins swinging like monkeys on various play equipment. It didn't take long to spot Makoto sat watching, his face full of big brotherly concern, eyes tracking their movements as they ran between slides and swings and bars.

"Makoto," Rin said taking a seat beside him.

Makoto's answer was a subtle shrug of shoulders and a slight glance.

"You wanted me here?"

"It's about Haru."

Rin scoffed. "Did he tell you about our dates? All of the disasters? I think the world is against us, damn it."

"He did," Makoto replied, his voice sympathetic and soft, "but it's some bad luck. The world is not against you."

Rin tsked in response. "Easy for you to say."

"Haru wants to try something simpler."

"We've done simple. A walk on the beach... A movie... A dinner... All these things should've been simple."

"It was just bad luck."

"Bad luck! A guy drowning, me getting sick and you and Sousuke..." Rin coughed rather than finishing his sentence and Makoto had the decency to blush at the implication knowing full well what Rin was alluding to.

"Haru wants to cook you a simple dinner. At his house on Saturday night."

Rin bit at the inside of his cheek and considered it as he watched the Tachibana twins now searching through the sand with pretend microscopes, appearing as though they were searching for something in the ground.

"They're into this archaeology show - searching from dinosaurs," Makoto explained as he figured where Rin's eyes had gone.

"When does he want me?" Rin asked after a few minutes of companionable silence watching the twins.

"6.00 pm."

Against his better judgement, Rin nodded, his head in his hands as he thought of all the things that could still potentially go wrong - the Nanase house could burn down, one of them could suddenly discover an unknown allergic reaction to some food substance or they could be interrupted by a herd of angry seagulls. Whatever Rin was going to risk it.

"Tell him I'll be there," Rin said as he got to his feet, glancing one more time at the Tachibana twins as he left, offering them a slight wave.

Unlike other dates, Rin didn't take any time deciding on clothes - he threw a clean t-shirt on and a pair of sweatpants that hung perilously low on his hips. He then made his way to Iwatobi, wandering slowly as his brain still considered all the terrible things that could potentially happen. He still opted for the Nanase house burning down as the most likely scenario as he listened to music on large black and red striped headphones.

Once he arrived at Haru's home, Rin paused at the doorway, afraid to knock and enter into another disastrous attempt at dating but then he steeled his expression into a grim line and knocked sharply twice.

A few moments later, Haru opened the door, casual clothes and an apron, a spatula in hand.

"Come in," Haru offered without any further preamble and he wandered back towards the kitchen without another glance at Rin. Shrugging, Rin entered Haru's home, removing his sneakers and closing the door behind him. Haru's home was not unfamiliar to Rin but if he hadn't known where the kitchen was he would've easily found it due to the smell of meat cooking.

Following the smell, Rin arrived in Haru's kitchen, watching the way Haru was so focused on the task. Rin knew Haru rarely prepared meat - he was more fond of fish and vegetables - but the effort of cooking hunks of beef said something to Rin.

"It's ready. Take a seat ."

Again, Rin didn't need a tour of the Nanase home as he knelt down at the table, utensils laid out, glasses of iced water waiting to be drunk. There was broccoli, boiled rice and steak cooked to remain still pink.

Rin would've eaten it rarer but then that was a habit he'd picked up in Australia where steak was often served so rare it was red in the middle.

"You made this for me?" Rin asked, a small blush on his cheeks at the clear effort Haru had put into this date.

"You arranged those dates that went wrong..." Haru replied, his eyes downcast and face looking away.

Rin reached over the low table to grab one of Haru's hands, twining their fingers and bringing it close so that he could kiss his knuckles.

"Thanks."

Dropping Haru's hand, Rin began to eat, tasting the slight scorch on the meat and the sesame oil and seeds served with the broccoli. Haru was a proficient cook, even with the more Western style, and Rin ate until there was nothing left on the plate, reassured and feeling it was very unlikely that he would get food poisoning.

"I'll help you with the dishes," Rin offered but Haru declined with a firm shake of the head, his dark hair falling in his eyes.

"No - stay... They'll wait until the morning."

Rin swallowed as Haru crawled to Rin's side, his eyes dark and his expression determined. When Haru straddled his lap, Rin felt a gasp fall from his lips at the dark sexuality Haru seemed to radiate in that moment, his hands skimming over the tank top and touching Rin's skin, skittering over his muscles.

"No interruptions."

Rin liked the sound of Haru's voice, deeper seeming and he leaned to press a kiss to his lips, feeling no reticence on Haru's part as his mouth opened, as Rin slipped his tongue between those parted lips and their kiss became more heated. Rin found himself on the floor, his back against the hard wood and Haru was pulling at the hem of his tank top, sliding it up so his mouth could move to Rin's abs and nipples, to the ridges of his muscles, Rin squirming under his enthusiastic touch and kisses.

Panting after a nip to his nipple, Rin grabbed for Haru's hair to pull him up so he could meet his eye.

"You sure?"

Haru nodded, sliding off Rin and getting to his feet and offering a hand to help him to his feet.

"Sure."

Without any hesitation, Rin grabbed for Haru's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet, falling effortlessly into Haru's arms.

"My bedroom."

Rin remembered Haru's bedroom from sleepovers with Makoto but this time the sleepover was more adult in nature. And minus Makoto.

They made their way to Haru's room with only the smallest touch of hands and once they were there, stood in the middle of Haru's room, they paused and looked at each other.

Haru's room was still reminiscent of a boys room - not a grown man as there were posters of water and dolphins, books on shelves and Rin tentatively touched at the waistband of Haru's cargo shorts.

"The door is locked?" Rin asked.

"Yes," Haru confirmed, stepping forward and grabbing for Rin's long hair to pull him in for a kiss.

The kiss became grabby, hands tracing backs and sides and asses. Their groins bumped together, hardness answering hardness and Rin moaned when they started to set a rhythm together, their hips moving effortlessly and creating friction.

Rin slid his hands to the front of Haru's shorts so he could undo button and zip and he did so carefully, feeling the heat of Haru's cock through the unsurprising material of his swimsuit.

"Want you," Rin whispered as he rubbed his hand over the straining fabric.

"Want you too."

Showing that, Haru reached for Rin's sweatpants removing them swiftly, Rin's tight boxer briefs following. Haru wrapped a hand around Rin's dick and his head fell forward onto Haru's shoulder as he felt the unfamiliar touch stroking him, caressing him, Rin getting the impression Haru was memorising the feel of his cock, hot and heavy in his fingers.

Unable to stand, the pleasure so intense, Rin guided them towards the bed and they collapsed onto it.

It was small and with a hard uncomfortable mattress and rough uncomfortable blankets but Rin didn't care as Haru kissed at his neck and stroked his cock.

"Haru..." Rin moaned, the two syllables drawn out, repeating his name again as he got closer to orgasm, a thumb tracing the head, slicking the digit with pre-cum.

Rin was lost - so lost that he only came somewhat to his senses when there was no hand on his cock. Then he heard the insistent buzz of a cell phone on vibrate and the ringing of the doorbell.

Haru seemed annoyed but grabbed for his cell, stashed on the bedside table and a small gasp escaped his lips

"What?"

Brandishing the phone, he near threw it at Rin and he saw the message from Makoto. And Rin's heart sank. The twins were missing. Run away.

Without hesitation, Haru ran to get the door and Rin redressed, his erection wilting quickly after the news. He heard Nagisa and Rei before he saw them, discussing where they'd looked already and how the Tachibana family were panicking.

"We'll help," Rin said as he entered the room, all eyes on him as he walked in - Rei and Nagisa curious about why he was at Haru's house. Though perhaps it didn't take much for them to figure it out when Rin had to run a hand through his tousled hair.

They consulted with Rei and Nagisa where people had already looked and Rin and Haru opted to try the beach and shoreline. It wasn't like Ren and Ran to run away - yes they caused some trouble but not of his magnitude or nature. Rin didn't want to think how Makoto felt, running around Iwatobi trying to find his siblings. Or how their parents felt. He could see a little of that feeling on Haru's face - anxiety wrote on his features as he did up his laces and prepared to leave his home, Rin only a step behind.

It wasn't too late but it was dark already and that only increased the anxious feeling in Rin's stomach as they jogged towards the shore.

He remembered briefly the man they had rescued on one of their previous unsuccessful dates and the way the tide and waves could be so dangerous and Rin didn't tell Haru those dark thoughts as they looked.

"Let's split up, cover more distance," Rin suggested and Haru agreed, parting with a quick squeeze of hands before they went in opposite directions in search of Ren and Ran.

Rin tried to imagine how he'd feel if Gou was missing and then shook his head to get rid of that idea. But Gou was older – more than capable of looking after herself. Unlike the young Tachibana twins. Rin was running when he saw a torch near the water's edge and he increased his pace, his arms pumping and feet at a full run, the torch light getting closer and the adrenalin coursing through his veins.

When he got closer, he did make out two small figures, and he let out a small laugh, sure it was Ren and Ran. Once he got close enough to confirm, he slowed his pace and grabbed for his phone, texting Makoto a simple message.

/I got them./

Rin wanted to be angry at them as he caught his breath, hunched over, the two of them looking puzzled at his appearance but Rin knew other people would be – Makoto, their parents, the police and half the town so he would let the other's do the lecture and let it go.

"What…were… you… doing?" he asked, panting slightly from the exertion.

"Digging for dinosaur bones…" Ren answered sheepishly. "Like in our show…"

From then Rin answered numerous calls as he gathered up their shovels and marched them into town, seeing Makoto and his parents run towards them, both angry and delighted at the twin's appearance. Rin received hugs from the twins and Makoto and the Tachibana's before he made his excuses to leave, scratching at the back of his neck in embarrassment as really he'd not done anything.

Nothing that was celebration worthy. Haru kept his eyes on Rin as they were crowded and Rin felt hot from that gaze but exhausted to do anything about it. When Haru approached him, Rin didn't feel the hot sexual desire of before, and when Haru invited him back, he accepted on the proviso the futon was pulled out and he slept there.

Haru didn't say anything as they got ready for bed, Rin stripping to his boxers and wrapping himself up in a blanket, both of them lying in the dark room with an awkwardness lying heavy in the air.

"Maybe we're not meant to be together…" Rin said softly and there was no answer from Haru and Rin was pretty sure he wasn't asleep even if he was pretending he was.