Absurd might have been the right word for how Haru felt, thinking that his vacation was already halfway over, and he and Rin only had two more nights together, wrapped in each others arms, kissing and cuddling and talking quietly while the world outside remain untouched by their presence. Together like this here didn't bother anyone, there was no one to see or hear or judge how they caressed each other. How they needed each other. How Haru was laughing so openly and wholeheartedly and Rin had turned off all his own defenses in exchange.

Really this whole thing shouldn't have bothered him so much. He shouldn't have been so wrapped up in the feeling of freedom and distance that he didnt even want to go home- home where his swim team was waiting for him. Expecting him to come back a better, happier person. Haru wasn't sure if that would happen… Even though he felt like a better and happier person here, he couldn't be sure if the flight home would leave it behind.

He hoped not, for the sake of all Rin's efforts.

That day they spent looking for appropriate souvenirs for their friends. A boomerang for Momotarou, a notebook and fountain pen for Nitori Ai, foreign candy for Nagisa, keychains for Rei and Gou, and Haru had picked out a large stuffed Orca for his best friend Makoto. It had the Australian colors instead of the traditional black and white, and came with a small card you could write a message in. Haru had inevitably written "i'm sorry." and Rin had told him that Makoto would appreciate it most.

Haru felt good about getting things for their friends, and the day was deemed successful enough by the time the two settled at a restaurant (a rather expensive one) and Rin sat down in the booth next to him, their legs pressed together and their hands entwined.

"Hey… Haru." Rin was thinking about the text to Makoto, and how he had wanted to get Haru flowers before this dinner date, but ended up unable to because Haru didn't want to be left alone for any length of time. So much so that he had followed the shark into the bathroom that morning and Rin complained about him watching him piss. But Haru had washed his face and ignored the comment completely. Rin was just happy he hadn't been aroused or something.

"Hmm?" Haru gave his hand a squeeze, though his eyes were strained downwards on the menu. Rin could see him struggling, unable to make sense of the english language.

"They have mackerel." He smiled, and Haru's face lit up significantly. Blue eyes shimmering.

"How do you know?"

"I called earlier." Rin gave him a small, affectionate nudge.

The other boy was about to lean over and kiss him, right then and there because it couldn't have been easy to find a restaurant here that served that particular kind of fish, and Haru had been craving it since they got to Australia on their first day. Not that he wasn't always craving it anyways… but still. The fact that Rin went out of his way (AGAIN) for Haru meant a lot.

The waitress appeared around the corner though, and Haru jumped and pulled back, his face reddening completely. For a split second he was happy that he couldn't understand what she said when she directed her comment at him, but then he assumed she wanted to know what drink he wanted and wished he knew the English word for water. He needed water. Cold water to put out the flame of excitement in his chest.

Rin spoke up though, unfazed aside from a dusting of pink around his ears, and then she left a moment later.

Haru figured, though his lower stomach was beginning to protest, that he would wait and show Rin his gratitude later.

…

Rin's favorite black tanktop was a little big on Haru, but that was okay, Haru thought it smelt amazing and was soft with just the right amount of material to be comfortable. And Rin could run his hands all over his body because it moved a lot, and didn't get in the way.

That was what Haru decided, was the upside to not packing enough of his own clothes, as Rin palmed the small of his back, and his shoulder blades, and occasionally teased his chest (being careful to graze the hard little buds, but not linger on them because he wasn't sure if Haru liked that or not).

"R-Rin." He whispered, breaking the kiss they'd been sharing, deep and hot and wet between their tongues. "A-Are we…"

Rin's eyes were brilliant and wild and dilated with arousal, and it all but stopped Haru in his tracks. What had he been about to say? His own ocean eyes peered down at the mess before him. Red, shower-dampened hair splayed across a fluffy, stark-white pillow. Cheeks flushed and the smell of cherry blossoms wafting between them.

"Together?" the other finished. "Do you want to be Haru?"

Haru barely heard him, but in response he pushed his knees a little farther apart so they were touching down on the bed, and he pulled forward, pushed down, and arched his back in one long, lavish stroke that left Rin breathless.

"A-Ah...D-Do that…. again." He placed his hands on the sides of Haru's legs, squeezing his thighs and the back of his legs and letting his nails sink into his soft skin.

The weight pressing down in Haru's testicals felt like fire, burning and slow and igniting his ever-dormant sexual repress. He kissed Rin again, but not on the lips, no, this time Haru's instinct lead his mouth to Rin's neck, and he bit gently, his heart hiccuping as Rin's hands slid up his ass.

"Mm-Nn...Nanase…" Rin whined. "Haru-ka…"

If anything, the way he said his full name, only made Haru suck a little harder, breathe a little heavier, grow a little harder (if even possible).

"Y-You're turned on."

Haru dug his hips down on Rin's, the thin material of his boxers hiding nothing against the others. It took him a few seconds to calm himself, just enough to recognize what Rin had really said, and then he pulled back, shocked to find the taste of salt and iron on his tongue.

"So are you." He licked the teeth marks he'd just put on Rin, and the other shivered. "D-Did that hurt?"

Rin nodded, so slightly. "But… ahhh." Haru's tongue explored up his jaw to his ear lobe. "I-I liked it." And it was true. Watching Haru come undone from his usual bored attitude, experiencing him ravish like this. Putting forth the effort to string together emotions like this. It made Rin's head spin.

Hands palmed Haru's backside feverishly, slipping up and down and grabbing and pushing and pulling and eventually, falling down beneath his boxers. Rin, completely determined now that Haru was complying with his wishes-rolling his hips against him over and over and every inch of his hard cock could be felt in the motion. Rin was going crazy for sure. Wondering why they'd never been able to do this together. Why did it take Australia to bring the passion out of Haru?

In one swift movement, Rin pushed his thumbs into the hem of Haru's underwear and shoved them down, his hard springing free in the motion, and Rin vaguely felt it poking him in the stomach. The other gasped at the sensation of cold air hitting him, and yet he felt suddenly so hot he could hardly move. Sweat began to make the back of his neck sticky.

"Y-You… too…. Rin." He panted between their tongues and lips and teeth clacking together, hands determined to find Rin's own waistband and slip his fingers into it. He groaned, shifting back to sit on the tops of the sharks legs, his mind going a million different directions at once and then collecting all together when he found the other watching him, so intently.

"Y-You're…" Rin's eyes were a little glossy looking though, and he swallowed, so caught up in his own emotions he couldn't really help himself. Ever since he was little he'd been wired to cry in intense emotional situations. Whether that be him in kindergarten wetting his pants and getting laughed at, or when he lost his favorite pillow (really his mom had just put it in the wash), or when Haru took him by the hand and let him into the relay again, after years of being separated. It didn't really matter anyways, Haru was used to it by now. But even so, Rin crying because of this kind of foreplay… it was kind of unsettling.

Not to mention Haru really had no fucking clue what he was doing. The actions he took, the decisions he was making- none of that was his brain. It was only his instinct and… well probably a whole lot of his heart too. He didn't know how two men could be together physically (it was impossible right?) but he expected that what they were doing would suffice in some way.

In the quiet, secluded space of their hotel room, where they were hundreds of miles from Iwatobi and all the pressure that came with it, Haru figured anything was possible.

Whatever Rin had been about to say didn't matter, didn't make a whole lot of sense to begin with either. Haru wasn't even paying attention to it now. He was pulling the material away from Rin's cock slowly, carefully revealing the swollen head, shiny from a substance that Haru didn't know the name of (but knew of only because of the very rare occasion he'd pleasured himself out of need and need alone). Haru remembered that it felt good to release that liquid-the sensation of losing your mind if only for a moment, and he knew that Rin must feel good now, for it to be dribbling out of him.

He sat above Rin, looking down at their two members, standing at attention, and then back up again. Rin's was bigger, but only by a little bit. Almost enough to make Haru feel like he lost a competition, but not enough to actually bother him. All he knew in that moment, was that he would "lose" to see Rin like this any day. That… that and he was glad they'd left a light on.

Breathing heavy Haru bit his lip. Now what? He wasn't sure, but Rin seemed to be waiting for him, or maybe he was just nervous too.

Slowly, swallowing his uncertaintly, Haru reached forward, past his own cock and straight for Rin's. He paused, fingers twitching until they settled ever so lightly against the underside, pushing gentle into the shape of the head. His fingertips were gentle, teasing, his thumb a little more assertive.

And the faces Rin was pulling…

Haru couldn't take it. Not the pleasure nor the (amazing) pain of Rin's teasing hands on his hips. Why wasn't Rin touching him? Why was he just lying there with his eyes shut and grinding his teeth together and- and sweating and…

Haru's hand worked on Rin's cock like he remembered how he liked working on his own from so long ago. It had been a very long time since Haru felt turned on, let alone aroused enough to jack off, but he remembered-remembered the sensations and hoped maybe it would work out okay.

"W-Wait-H-aru!" Rin, much to his horror, gripped his wrist and pulled him back, and if Haru's ears hadnt been ringing so loud, his head spinning so fast, he would have been too upset to even remain hard. It scared him to think he was so bad at this kind of thing that Rin wanted him to stop. Haru swallowed, chest heaving and eyes wide as Rin pressed his palm flat down on his abdomen, just under his belly button and waited.

He had to focus on his breathing otherwise he was going to explode right then and there all over the place right now, and they had only just started. His head was slick with pre-cum, dripping down his shaft in a sluggish stream, and Haru was so goddamn sexy he couldn't think straight. Let alone believe this was even happening. Rin replayed each night so far in his head over again.

Night one, he'd confessed to, albeit a little vague, it obviously did something right between him and Haru, because night two they had been cuddling. Night three Haru had kissed him a lot, and he'd kissed Haru a lot. Gently easing their newfound appreciation towards each others bodies into play. Spooning. A little bit of rubbing…

And now tonight, the fourth night they'd spend together, boxers pulled down and hot with lust and Haru's eager hand jacking him off.

"R-Rin." He finally spoke, and he looked like he was in pain.

"Let me… do you… a little."

Haru didn't know what Rin meant by that, but when his hand came off his hip and wrapped around his own hard, he gasped with a jolt of pleasure, the crickets in his stomach jumping over and over and making it hard to breathe.

"Let me know… if you're close…" Rin said, and again, Haru had no clue what he meant.

There was a moment of Haru rolling his hips up and his cock fucked Rin's hand slowly, and then a moment when Rin could see the build-up in his tension, and slowed down a little. It was quite obvious that neither of these boys had any talent in lasting long, but Rin still wanted to prolong the moment-or at the very least come together with Haru.

"Mmmn. C'mon…." Rin started to whisper, and it made Haru's hands tremble. He pulled away for a second, Haru's eyes opened, just enough to see Rin adjust himself under Haru, press their balls together, and then wrap his long fingers around both their shafts.

Haru wouldn't have known there were words to describe how it felt to have Rin pumping his cock right up next to Haru's- in the same stroke nonetheless- and that had nothing to do with the language barriers he faced here in Australia. The only thing Haru could even compare it too actually, was the way it felt to race Rin pace for pace in the water.

Rin, on the other side, knew he was going to come any second, and his free hand continued to press on his abdomen, thinking maybe it would help him last a little more (it wouldnt). There was a white light that kept threatening to push through the back of his eyelids and explode beyond his vision. It would flicker, but not quite erupt, and Rin could only hope Haru felt as good as he did.

What came as a shock however, was the silent, earth-shattering orgasm that rocketed out of Haru. He bent over, shaking and straining, but made no sound despite his mouth wide in a silent plea. Rin caught the expression, felt the heat of cum on hand, and then lost it in his own (not so quiet) ecstasy.

Haru watched himself come, amazed that so much white liquid could come out of his own body so suddenly, and make him feel so….so…

But when Rin came Haru was watching even more closely, the pulse of his orgasm still quaking in his bones. His legs trembled, his mind trying to grasp everything that happened. Rin flooded all over his own stomach, messing his shirt and not stopping until every drop had sufficiently been strewn out of him.

Haru stared, concerned and unconcerned all in the same moment. He felt lightheaded, yeah, but… but…. he…

"H-Haru." Rin saw the blue, dilated eyes roll back a second before Haru started to collapse against him. He wasn't especially heavy, but Rin wasn't expecting it, and his energy was drained, so it took all he could to keep their heads from whacking together as Haru fainted right there over him.

It was brief but scary. "Haru!" Rin insisted.

The dolphin raised his spinning head not a second too soon, caught Rin's gaze, and then went limp again.

"W-what happened?"

Rin stared at the ceiling fan, thinking about all the witty things he could have said in that moment ("The motion of my ocean too strong for you, Haru?") but what came out of his mouth instead was completely unprepared for.

"I love you."

"Wha-

"I love you." He repeated. "Haruka...Nanase."

"Y-yeah." A tiny kiss was placed to his neck (opposite of his new hickey). "Me too… Matsuoka."

…..

~Makoto~

He liked Sousuke.

….

He liked Sousuke….

Makoto…

Liked…

Dammit.

This wasn't something that was supposed to happen to people like Makoto. At least… well it wasn't supposed to BE people like Sousuke that happened to Makoto. Especially when their two best friends were in Australia and this whole thing just felt like a big stupid puzzle put together the wrong way.

Makoto really, REALLY, liked Sousuke though. So much that his sexuality didn't even speak up to remind him that until now he had no real preference for any gender, but he never anticipated it being pointed in the male direction.

They'd talked for hours the other day, long after their cake was eaten and their coffee was drank. They'd talked about everything. The weather, the ocean, their families, their friends (a lot about Rin actually), and it all made Makoto feel very important. Like Sousuke needed someone to talk to, and he was the one there for him.

One conversation in particular had stood out most between them. It was about the fisherman that died in the harbor from the storm that had changed Makoto's life when he was younger. The same fisherman that was infact, Sousuke's grandfather.

It seemed as though the two large swimmers had a connection long before they even knew each other. Makoto wasn't sure if he liked it or not, (since it was sad really) but it made him feel even more important. Made him feel like now, for all the reasons he had to be friends with Sousuke-this was real. This was the most significant.

He tried not to think about what the other swimmers would think about this whole ordeal to begin with, but it kept creeping into his mind throughout the night, especially when he thought about their agreement to hang out again soon. And while Makoto's heart would skip funny little beats, he was also feeling a little panicky, because of all the things on his mind, the fact that Haru would be back in two days was the hardest to push down.

What would Haru think of his and Sousuke's new friendship? He hadn't exactly made his distaste for the Samezuka swimmer unknown. The way Haru would glare at him, the way Haru had told the story of them getting into a fight when they were younger. The way Haru was jealous of Sousuke… simply because he was best friends with Rin.

Makoto didn't understand the blurred lines of friendships and relationships really, but he knew well enough that if being friends with Sousuke damaged his relationship with Haru… well that was something he wasn't willing to let happen. Haru had been like family to him since they were in the cradle, and he'd only just officially met Sousuke four days ago. Nevertheless though, Makoto assumed Haru would have enough respect for him to let him befriend whoever he wanted. Even if he wasn't happy about it, Haru wouldn't try and interfere.

Makoto was walking the tightrope of calling Haru and flat out asking him if he was okay with this, and hiding it for as long as he could. And what ended up making the decision for him wasn't either of those things. It was, surprisingly, Gou.

Makoto had been swimming backstroke in the familiar, small pool that he and his team had spent fixing up when they first started the club. The water felt good today-not too cold but still a little crisp on his skin, and he had been too wrapped up in racing Nagisa to realize he had an audience.

The smallest of their team had been getting taller lately, and thus, faster in the water because he covered more ground at a time. Makoto was impressed, and even though he slapped the wall first and won their friendly competition, he was breathless and achy with adrenalin.

"That was-Huff- Really good, Nagisa!" Makoto nodded at the smaller boy as he pulled himself up to sit on the ledge of the pool.

He was about to respond, open his mouth wide and smile and throw his head back and laugh and tell Makoto that next time he would for sure be tall enough and fast enough to beat him- but Gou's yell cut him off.

"Mako-chan!" She stood near the entrance to their locker room, waving her arm dramatically. "Hurry over here!"

Anyone who knew the wrath of Gou knew not to ignore in situations like this. Makoto smiled at Nagisa one last time, and pushed himself to his feet. Practice was almost over, so maybe she wanted to talk to him about the upcoming competition?

"Makoto." she said hesitantly. "U-Ummm… Yamizaki Sousuke is… He says he's here to pick you up?"

Makoto's heart escalated at an inhuman rate, rising to that special high place that no one else seemed to be able to reach, and then it came crashing down like a rollercoaster would after going over its largest hill. Threw him for a loop too.

"I-I-" He stammered. Why hadn't Sousuke said something more like "I'm here to talk to Makoto" instead of "pick him up"? At least then Gou might think it was just about their respective swim teams. Sousuke wasn't captain, but since Rin was gone it wouldn't be hard to believe he was helping out for the week. Gou would have believed that in a heartbeat (actually it was probably true. Sousuke may not be swimming with the team now, but he was always there trying to coach them as best he could).

Part of Makoto screamed at him for being so secretive. Reminded him that this was not the way his mother and father had raised him to behave. Besides, why should he be ashamed of Sousuke anyways? Didn't he deserve friends other than Rin?

Another part of Makoto insisted that he wasn't hiding Sousuke because he was embarrassed of him, or afraid of what others would think, but because he simply wanted this dirty little secret to remain between them and only them. It had bothered him enough to know that Nitori had already been dragged into this the other day.

"Makoto…" Gou surprised him by smiling. "Youre blushing?"

"E-Eh!" He tried to cover his face with his hand and look away.

She giggled, maroon eyes sparkling with delight and her small mouth twisting up at the corners. "Makoto!"

He shook his head at her, flustered because it was wrong of someone to be so happy for him keeping a secret like this.

She grabbed his arm gently and shook, waited until he finally locked his green eyes with hers, and then sighed.

"Are you dating him?" She said, just a little louder than a whisper.

"N-no!"

"Are you going on a daaaaate though?" She pried, bouncing on her toes just a little. "Makoto, it wouldn't make a difference to me if you were… you know that right?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course not! Sousuke is an amazing guy!"

"Shh…" He pleaded, glancing back at his team mates- Nagisa was forcing Rei to lift him up out of the water on his shoulders, as if they were about to have a chicken fight like they would every once in a while (but usually Makoto was there lifting Haru up on his shoulders to challenge them).

Gou waved her hand at him as if she thought his concern was absurd. "I wont pry for details now, Mako-chan."

"Tha-

"Because Sousuke is waiting!" And she was shoving him through the door she previously stood blocking. He was sopping wet and his towel was still sitting out on the bench and-

"G-Gou!" he would have pleaded louder if it weren't for the fact that Sousuke was suddenly right there waiting for him, standing tall and looking completely composed and handsome and dry.

Gou left him almost as quickly as she had pushed him in.

He ran a hand through his hair. What was she going to tell Nagisa and Rei about his sudden absence?

"I didn't think practice would go on this long." Sousuke purred, voice husky and low in his throat. He shifted on his feet, hands in his pockets, teal eyes warm and lazy.

"We were pretty much done with our real practice." Makoto smiled and blushed a little. "Nagisa and I were just racing for fun."

"I see." He perched his lips a little. "Do you have a towel?"

"I left it outside." Makoto glanced at the closed door leading outside. It wasnt worth the risk of being questioned. He would rather air dry.

Sousuke laughed gently, low under his breath. "Are you… afraid of what people will think?"

Makoto couldn't look him in the eyes when he said this, nor could he work up the courage to answer him. "Think… about what?"

"Us."

Sousuke said it so blatantly… as if they were really...going out...or...something. As much as the idea sounded pleasant to Makoto, he wasn't sure he could just jump into something so fast like that. He wasn't the impulsive type…

"You know…" the taller, fully clothed boy turned to look around their shabby locker room, which really didnt have lockers so much as tiny cubbies to store their things in. "I guess… It doesn't really matter at the moment right?"

"What do you mean?" Makoto felt a short stab of insecurity pass through him. Did Sousuke mean it didn't matter that they'd practically gone on a date yesterday? And They were hiding their friendship from their friends who they really shouldn't.

"I just mean…" He was warm and inviting when he turned back to Makoto, and he wasn't phased by his wet skin when he decided to sling his arm over the others shoulder. "That we're having fun together right? We enjoy each others company, right?"

"Right." Makoto realized he'd been hunching forward a little, and he straightened up into the friendly embrace. He was only an inch or so shorter than Sousuke really, but it felt like a lot considering Makoto was never shorter than anyone.

"So it doesn't matter, right now at least?" Sousuke didn't make much sense sometimes. "Who cares what our teammates might think right now? When you want to tell them, you'll tell them and then they will know. And thats that."

"Tell them what though?" Makoto lifted the arm closest to Sousuke's body and touched his back lightly over his clothes.

"About us."

"What about us?"

Sousuke scoffed, pulling his arm off of Makoto's shoulders and ruffling his wet hair until droplets flew everywhere, and the smell of chlorine was wafting through the air.

"That we enjoy each other."

"Thats vague." Makoto laughed softly, but his hand lingered on the others back. "I could just say that we're friends?"

Sousuke did that thing again where he perches his lips and raises an eyebrow in thought. It make Makoto's stomach flutter.

"Alright." He agreed at last. "But you know, you really should tell them I took you on a date."

Makoto's eyes popped open wider, and he was searching for any sign that maybe he was joking- just being sarcastic because of yesterday.

"If I recall, Sousuke." Makoto took a small step away from him and towards his cubbie where his clothes were waiting. "I was the one that asked you out to coffee yesterday."

"I wasnt referring to yesterday." he murmured. "I meant today."

Makoto shivered. He was joking about the coffee thing- it wasn't really him asking Sousuke on a date the other day. It was more like a test to see if they could hold each other's company well. And since they had, it felt like a date. But it wasnt. Not officially. He was only joking.

"A-Are you taking me on a date today?"

"Hurry up and get dressed and you will find out." Sousuke was purring again, and he left the locker room not a moment too soon-too give him some privacy to change.

Makoto was still wet but he didn't care. He was still hiding things from his friends but he didn't care. Haru was still in Australia but he didn't care.

He really, REALLY, just liked Sousuke.