As soon as the idea of a sleepover had been proposed, Haruka knew that he would end up being the host. His living room was mostly clear anyway, so it wasn't too much of a pain to fit his futon plus four sleeping bags in there.

They'd started out with some TV, but there was still so much to catch up on, so much to talk about, that it soon turned into just sitting in a circle, swapping stories. Rin didn't speak too much about Australia, but he had a lot to say about their brief school days together. Things that Haruka had forgotten entirely, Rin recalled as if it had been yesterday.

By the time it was dark, Nagisa had ingested enough sugar to start with the games. After daring everyone to do an impression of someone else in the room, he proclaimed that it was time for more uncomfortable truths.

"Haru-chan!" He pointed imperiously. "Your first kiss. Go!"

Makoto glanced at Haruka and it was obvious what he was thinking: Has Haruka ever actually kissed anyone? It couldn't have been more obvious if he'd said it aloud.

"Oh, and you can't say 'water' again this time," Nagisa added, prompting muffled laughs from the others.

Feeling a little offended, Haruka didn't even hesitate before stating, "It was Rin."

The silence that followed was so immediate and so profound, that Rin's little, "Urk," actually echoed around the room.

The awkwardness began to get to Haruka, so he continued:

"It was about a week before he left Japan. We were the last two in the locker room at the swimming club, and he pushed me against a locker and told me to close my eyes, and I did. And then he kissed me. I thought about punching him, but it actually didn't feel too bad, so I didn't."

Still nothing but silence. Haruka shuffled in discomfort but didn't offer any more details. Those were for him alone.

Nagisa was the one to finally break the unnatural quiet. "I can't believe it." It was barely more than a breath.

"I wouldn't make up something as embarrassing as this," Haruka said.

"No, I mean," Nagisa struggled, eyes wide, "I can't believe that Rin-chan was your first kiss, too."

"…Too?" Haruka blinked.

"Nagisa?!" Rei's jaw dropped.

Nagisa brought his hands to his cheeks, highlighting just how red his face was.

"It was the day that you guys graduated. Rin called me behind the school and asked if I'd kissed a girl yet. I said no, and he said that I could practice on him if I wanted." Nagisa's eyes had a faraway, almost wistful glaze. "After, he said I tasted like cherries."

Haruka turned to Rin, and saw him burning a hole in his lap, face cast stubbornly downwards. It was redder than Nagisa's.

Makoto, who had been speechless and impossible to read up until this point, finally spoke.

"Tasted like cherries?" he murmured to himself, before addressing Rin: "That's what you said to me!"

Haruka's jaw joined Rei's on the floor.

"Even Makoto-senpai?" Rei cried.

"It was just a line?" Nagisa cried, louder.

Rin jutted his chin out, his face still flushed but utterly defiant. "Who the hell actually has a mouth that tastes like cherries!"

"I thought I did," said Nagisa, sadly.

"Nngh. I'm sorry." Rin looked away. "I just— I just thought—"

"You thought it sounded cool," Haruka said, evenly.

"Oh no! I was played!" Nagisa wailed.

"You must've watched a lot of romantic dramas as a kid, huh, Rin?" Makoto started laughing into the back of his hand.

"I'm ruined!" Nagisa pitched from side to side. "No one is going to marry me now!"

Haruka watched until it finally dawned on Rin that he was being teased.

Allowing a small smile, he muttered, "Jeez. Gimme a break, you guys."

"Wait, wait, wait." Rei's voice had less levity and more exasperation. "You're saying that Rin-san was everyone's first kiss?"

"Well, not exactly. He wasn't yours, Rei," Makoto pointed out.

Nagisa gasped. "Or was he?"

"Of course not!" Rei snapped. "How could that be possible? Besides, I haven't even—"

A little too late, he suddenly clammed up. Now all attention was on Rei.

"Rei-chan, you've never kissed anyone?" Nagisa sidled up to him.

"It's— it's not so strange." Rei was on the defensive.

Haruka caught motion out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly Rin was lunging across the circle.

"Come here, Rei!" his teeth gleamed in the dim light.

"Ack!" Rei scrambled backwards just in time to avoid Rin's lips.

Rin pulled back, grinning, his hands raised in peace. "Just joking, Speedo Glasses. Didn't want you to feel left out."

"I'll be your first kiss, Rei-chan," Nagisa offered, all fired up.

"No, thank you!" Rei replied, indignant.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Haruka threw back his head and laughed. The others stopped.

"Haru…" Makoto smiled.

Then everyone was laughing.

—

Later that night, after the others had finally fallen asleep, Rin slipped out of the front door for some fresh air. The second he was alone, he felt his face start to burn again and sank down onto his knees.

Everyone must've worked it out, he was sure of it. Rin had approached each of them during his last week before leaving the country, and convinced them one by one to give him their first kiss. They were all such good guys, no one would say it out loud: that Rin had obviously wanted to make sure that none of them would forget him.

He cringed, remembering the foolish plan that, at the time, had seemed inspired. He'd felt like a genius. When, in reality, he was just a stupid kid.

The door slid open behind him, and Rei stepped out. Rin wasn't sure what to say, so he stared ahead and waited. Rei dropped down to sit beside him on the ground.

"I used to feel so jealous of you," Rei said, eventually.

"Because of the elementary school relay?" Rin asked, eyes still fixed ahead.

"Yes. You shared something with the others that I couldn't." Rei sighed, and Rin didn't need to see his face to know that he was smiling now. "But with everyone's support, and being able to spend time together like this, and getting to know you, Rin-san, all my insecurities just… faded away."

Rin swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat.

But Rei wasn't finished. "…And now I find out something like this."

Rin turned to him, confused. Their eyes met.

And then Rei kissed him.

It was short, hard, clumsy — barely a press of lips and slight clacking of teeth before Rei was pulling back, pushing his glasses up and looking away awkwardly.

"There. Now. Everyone's on the same level." He sounded satisfied.

Rin sat in shock as Rei got to his feet and started heading back inside. He was almost through the door before Rin gathered enough wits to form words again.

"What the heck was that?" he finally managed.

Rei paused. "…Team bonding." Then he was gone.

Rin continued to sit, hot-faced and reeling. Then he laughed, barely remembering to smother the noise with his arm.

Once he'd regained his composure, he stood up and headed back inside to join his friends. His old friends who hadn't forgotten him, and a new one who never would.

For a stupid kid, he was pretty damn smart.