Work Text:
“Take this!”
A bit of mud flew through the air. Rin dodged it, looking back at the laughing young man who had thrown it.
It landed on the hair of his team mate, who at once ducked to grab a bit of mud for himself.
--
Rin had always admired Haru’s strength.
His love for water and quiet kindness for his friends.
Haru’s hidden passion for him.
Yet everyone needed help sometimes, a bit of protection from things they don’t want and that others might not pick up on. Even Haru needed that. Especially Haru sometimes.
When the swimming teams of universities from seven different countries jogged through the woods during a trainings camp after a night of rain, some got the “brilliant” idea to start a mud-fight. Rin laughed, hid behind a tree, momentarily grinning at the joyful screaming.
Once upon a time, Rin would have passionately thrown himself into the fun, trying to pull Haru with him, even berate him for not participating.
Those days were gone. Rin knew this was something his Haru did not like, probably did not even understand.
Sure enough, Haru had stepped back two paces, watching in bewilderment as young men and women laugh and got ever more covered in mud.
Two men were filling water bottles with mud on either side of Haru. He was not their target, but Rin knew he would soon be in the middle of their mud-duel. Rushing over, he gave a sharp look at the young Australian man that already came running with his bottle. Rin took Haru’s hand and spun him around, right as mud flew from another direction. It hit Rin’s back, but at least Haru had been spared.
Annoyed that he had been in the line of fire at all, Rin looked around for the culprit, but the chaos around them made it impossible to identify the perpetrator.
“Rin?”
Haru sounded a little confused.
“It’s okay,” Rin whispered. “Let’s go.”
He gently nudged Haru’s hand, making him follow deeper into the woods, away from the screaming and flying dirt.
“I’m sorry this happened. Are you okay?” Rin asked.
Haru nodded. “I don’t know…why people do this kind of thing?”
Rin’s expression softened. “They find it fun.”
“Yes.” Haru looked at their hands still holding each other and squeezed his in a way that was almost indiscernible. “I know that some people find this fun. Nagisa would have enjoyed it, maybe even Makoto. I just don’t understand why they would find it so.”
Rin pulled Haru a little closer. Often, when Haru didn’t understand something, he would just close himself off and look annoyed. That he would open up to Rin like this made him feel a surge of happiness and protectiveness.
“Haru,” he said in a tone that he normally only used when they were together in bed. “It’s okay. Not everyone is the same. If we were, it would be boring.”
“Boring…”
Rin regarded him. Had he heard right? There was still screaming and laughter coming from the mud fight. “Is anything the matter?”
“Is it not boring to you to be with me?”
Rin let out a surprised chuckle. “What?”
“You like that kind of thing too, don’t you? You want to join them,” Haru whispered.
Ah, so this was what this was about.
“I don’t.”
“You don’t have to lie,” Haru said.
“I am not lying.” Rin kissed the top of his head. “Yes, I could have fun in a mud fight, but no, I do not enjoy it when I know you don’t. You really think I care more for something like that than I do about you?”
Shy now, Haru looked at the ground.
“I can only be happy when you’re happy,” Rin stated. “My happiest moments are with you. When we swim together. When we eat together. When we are together in that way. Even when you cook mackerel for me. You are it for me, Haru. I thought you knew that.”
Haru let out a sigh and leaned his head against Rin’s.
“It’s all a bit much for you, right?” Rin asked. “The constant being together with all these people that you didn’t know before this camp. The loudness. Their curious questions.”
Though Haru didn’t answer in words, that soft nod against Rin’s cheek was all he needed to know. “See? You still went because you knew it would make me happy. We do things for each other and I am very grateful we did.”
Haru leaned back to meet his eyes. “That’s…”
“True right?” Rin said.
A few moments, Haru contemplated this. “Yes.”
“It’s very romantic of you,” Rin said.
Haru frowned. “Romantic?”
“Yes.” Rin took his hands and kissed one after the other. “Let’s spend the evening with just the two of us..”
Haru nodded, probably thinking about the loud karaoke party from the night before.
“W’ll have a quiet dinner. Swim in the pool a bit and then…”
Rin stopped talking when Haru reached down to take a tiny bit of mud on his finger and put it on Rin’s nose. “Now you were a mud fight too. You were saying? After the pool?”
Letting out a burst of laughter, Rin hugged him. “We can shower together. Would you like that?”
“Yes. I would,” Haru whispered, his arms wrapping around Rin’s waist.