Salt and Coffee Grounds

Makoto didn't know completely why he was at this little coffee shop a few blocks from the gym Haru used to practice, but he was. It wasn't normal for him to wait for Haru here, though it was warm and nice in the cold winter, and he mainly didn't normally sit with Rin's tall and mysterious friend Sousuke Yamazaki, but life wasn't always about normality.

It had happened earlier that day, while Makoto was switching classes, he had heard Sousuke call out, "Tachibana-kun." and had stopped. The black haired man walked up casually, and stared at Makoto for a second.

"Yes Yamazaki-kun?" Makoto said with his normal smile, and the other smiled as well.

"Nanase has practice with Rin today, right?" He asked, and Makoto nodded, though he figured that the male already had that confirmed. "You normally wait for him?" Another nod came from Makoto. "Mind joining me for coffee while you wait? I'm going to be waiting for Rin."

"Oh sure, that sounds fun." Makoto said, smiling his droopy smile and pulled a piece of paper free. "Here is my cell number, just send me the address and I'll meet you there."

So here they were, warm beverages in their hands in a strange silence. It wasn't as comfortable as Haru's and Makoto's silences were, the ones that they didn't need to say anything, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence either. Makoto took a drink of his coffee and noticed Sousuke's teal eyes were lingering on him. It wasn't like Sousuke was sizing him up, but more like he was judging something he already knew. Makoto sat his drink down and was about to say something when Sousuke spoke first.

"You're in love with Nanase."

Makoto started at the statement, and his hold he had on the cup tightened a bit. It wasn't like he would deny it, though maybe he should, but it wasn't like Sousuke was going to tell Haru. Makoto wasn't blind to see they didn't care for one another, and Sousuke's lack of respect when he said Haru's name just proved it to the brunette. So he just stared at Sousuke for a moment before looking out the window they sat next to.

"I am." Makoto said, and a small smile formed on his face. It wasn't the smile that looked off, but the sadness in Makoto's droopy eyes that gave away that he had long ago realized how hopeless being in love with Haru was for him. Haru was in love with Rin after all.

The silence washed over them again, the white noise of other people moving around them keeping it from total silence. Makoto's eyes moved from watching people pass on the street to his coffee cup. It was Sousuke again who broke the silence.

"So you realize they are in love too, huh?" and again Makoto's green eyes moved up to those teal ones, and saw the mirrored sadness there.

"Then you... and Rin?" Makoto asked, and was answered with a soft chuckle from Sousuke as he rolled his shoulder.

"Yeah... Since way before you met him." Sousuke said, and then looked at his drink that Makoto just realized hadn't been drunk at all. "I was hoping that... If maybe you didn't see it I was just crazy. You're to Nanase what I'm to Rin after all... I really don't like coffee." It was that off topic comment that made Makoto chuckle.

"You suggested this place." He reminded the man, and Sousuke nodded with a smile. They fell once again into their silence.

XxXx

Sousuke walked with Rin up to his apartment, his hands in his pockets and he listened to Rin talk about practice, which mostly consisted of Haru-this and Haru-that, normal conversation. Sometimes Sousuke wanted to just grab Rin's shoulders and kiss him just to make him stop saying that name, but he never would. The only solace he had was that Nanase Haruka was just as much in love with Rin as Rin seemed to be in love with him.