Rin found himself staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t seem to fall asleep that night. The red head glanced to his side and there was the cause. He was lying on a single bed and right beside him was Haruka Nanase—the raven fast asleep. He went back to a memory a few hours ago. He seriously wanted to scream his head out at the woman at the front desk for giving them the wrong room. Damn their girly names. It was the reason why they ended up in a room with a single bed. The hotel surely mistook one of them as a girl, and there’s no way that it would be him. Haru had a more girly name than he did. It took all of his strength to keep his composure. Besides, it was just a waste of money if they looked for another hotel and cancelled their reservation. Rin sighed and turned back to staring at the ceiling.
Sleeping on the same bed was really nothing new for them—they used to do it when they were kids, and he could have been alright with it. Except for the fact that the bed wasn’t large enough to fit them both comfortably. Rin was the type to move in his sleep and with the bed’s size it was compromising his sleeping space. If he really wanted to have more room to move in, he would be forced to inch closer to the raven—pressing their bodies to proximities the red head found distressing. It’s not like he liked Haru in that kind of way anyway. Or that’s what he’d like to think. Didn’t he like someone else? A certain brunette with forest green eyes and an infectious sunny smile? And adding that it was only moments ago when he had confessed, for the second time that day, how much he admired Haru—not in a romantic way of course—and still do until now. Even if he said it confidently and in a serious manner, remembering it now really made him groan in embarrassment. It really made it hard for the Samezuka Captain to fall asleep.
He brought, well more like dragged, Haruka to Australia hoping to help the raven find his own dream. He knew he had forced his feelings about swimming towards the teen and deserved to be blown off by him. But he just wanted him to enter the same world that he would. He knew the raven will. He had so much potential in him and it hurt Rin if Haru would just let it die like that. But…that wasn’t his only reason. It was also because Haru was his drive. The one thing inspiring him to push through his limits and be the best. A light that showed him what path he should take and what to aim for. Although the raven didn’t answer his question if he had felt something during that freestyle race where they set a new tournament record, he knew Haru did. And tomorrow when he shows him the Aquatic Center, he was sure that the stoic teen would find what he was looking for. And it made the red head smile.
It was when he suddenly heard the sleeping figure beside him whimper and groan that the smile was wiped away from his lips. He turned his head and was met with Haru’s frowning face. His eyes brows were furrowed, having an unpleasant dream no doubt, and his lips were pressed firmly together. He had never actually seen the raven have a nightmare during their sleepovers back then. So he was worried and curious about what his friend could possibly be dreaming of. He saw Haru’s lips quiver and his mouth opened to utter out a silent word. Rin moved closer straining his ear to hear it.
“M-M…Ma..ko..to.” Haru whisper-groaned. Rin’s eyes widened for a fraction upon hearing the brunette’s name, but it was soon replaced with a sad smile. Earlier when he had showed Haru the ocean, the teen had also confessed—with a little pushing from him—why he was easily able to drag him here.
I just didn’t want to be over there right now. He remembered him say. The red head always thought that with the two knowing each other since they were kids, they would at some point get into a fight. It was a natural occurrence in any relationship. He and Sousuke fought all the time. So does Gou, Nagisa and Rei. But finding out that it was Haruka and Makoto’s first fight, he was a bit surprised.
But looking into it deeper, with Makoto’s personality and Haru being apathetic about almost everything save for anything related to mackerel and water, it was hard to imagine and it made it all the more possible for the two not to get into a fight. Rin had seen Makoto reprimand the raven, and their arguments were always quiet, either the brunette or the raven giving in. It still amazed him how Makoto seemed like a telepath to be able to tell what was on Haru’s mind. He then realized that this must be the thing Makoto had kept from him when they talked during the night of Tanabata.
Rin doesn’t know what exactly happened in the fight, but it was definitely about Haru’s lack of a concrete post-graduation plan and Makoto’s going to Tokyo. And with Haru whispering the brunette’s name regretfully in his sleep, he knew the raven must have said something that had hurt Makoto. He wouldn’t have seen the brunette in such a state that night. Just by looking at those eyes, he immediately knew something was wrong. And though he wanted to stay with him that night, to comfort him…he was just never really good at those things. Besides, giving the brunette time seemed to be the best thing he could do for him.
He looked at Haru, face still scrunched up from dreaming and reached a hand to gently pat his head. Haru really cared a lot about Makoto. It was a given since the two grew up together, but Rin could tell there was also something special about their relationship. Something that was natural between the two. Something he wouldn’t be able to have with either of them.
Rin inches closer and plants a kiss on Haru’s forehead. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Makoto isn’t mad at you. Nor will he hate you. So when we get back to Japan, make sure to apologize to him.” He said softly to him. Haru’s face softened and shifted back to its peaceful state. Smiling, Rin went back to looking at the ceiling, lying a little closer to Haru now. He closed his eyes finally feeling the sleep get to him. He doesn’t know if the raven heard him in his dream, but hopefully he did. Tomorrow, he’ll find out if this trip had helped Haru in any way possible. And he was sure it did, one way or another.
