"Haru, seriously…"

"But I don't want you to leave."

Rin's sigh was lengthy but soft. He turned his head to eye the fingers tugging at the hem of his jacket, then traced up the arm, the shoulder then the pouting, pretty face it led to.

Crap.

He clicked his tongue as he faced Haru completely, back facing the front door as he brought a hand up to thread through his black, soft hair lovingly. He pursed his lips, feeling his heart clench at the sight of Haru's eyes lighting up, and softly closing as he keened into his touch.

"You know I don't wanna either…"

Rin's voice was low and tender. Haru loved the sound of Rin's voice. He loved everything about Rin, actually.

I'll have to let him know sometime, won't I?

"—But this other school is good, and doing joint practice—"

"—is a good opportunity that shouldn't be missed." Haru droned by rote, sinking into the comfort of his palm at his jaw while thinking how nice Rin still looked when his brows furrowed like that. "I know you should go, but…" Rin watched Haru gently clasp his elbow, his face lowering into another petulant expression that made Rin clench his teeth. "I'll miss you…"

"Goddammit."

Haru's head tipped up pliantly at Rin's finger under his chin, and his eyes fluttered shut at Rin's small growl rumbling at his parted mouth. He wrapped his arms around Rin's neck with a contented sigh, relishing the way their lips dragged over each other so smoothly.

"Don't give me more reason to miss you…" Haru muttered into the minuscule gap between their lips, his hands trailing up to the back of Rin's head as he savoured how warm and light Rin's breath was.

"I oughta say the same thing," Rin chided in that hushed tone that only Haru ever heard, "Stop bein' so fuckin' cute." Rin pecked his cheek and nestled his head in the crook of Haru's shoulder like a puzzle piece that always belonged there. He nearly purred at Haru clutching him fast, drawing circles at the shirt on his back and breathing peacefully at his nape.

God, Rin loved him. He never said it outright, not yet at least, but he loved Haru so much it was dangerous. Fuck definitions of love being different between teens and thirties; none of that could debunk how his brain spun and his heart hammered at the sight of Haru's tiny, coveted smile with the twinkle of those endless blue eyes lidded in innocent pleasure. As much as his frown was just as endearing, that wasn't the face Rin wanted to imagine when he was away from him; not at Haru's bedside admiring how his hair hooded his features, admiring how the glow of moonlight casted dusky shadows onto his tranquil, sleeping face.

"…Right, you know what?" he pulled back, holding Haru by the shoulders as his features lit up in inspiration, grinning at Haru's expression moulding into precious confusion. "Wait here."

Haru blinked at Rin leaving a chaste kiss on his cheek and watched him jog up the stairs with a bounce at his feet. His eyes fell to the unobstrusive, black backpack just at the foot of the door. Compact, practical, convenient. Funny how that was everything but when it came to dealing with Rin himself. Haru entertained an extremely selfish thought of hiding it, but it quickly vanished to his unfortunately persistent voice of reason.

His gaze rose at the approaching thumps of Rin's footsteps, and the last time his eyes widened at that was when Rin stayed over for the first time, wearing his clothes.

"Rin…?"

"Well, I kinda hid 'im when I stayed over before…" Rin smiled sheepishly as he held out a shark plush-toy under his arm.

Haru gaped as Rin stood facing him, holding out the plushie like a bright-eyed stray he picked up from the streets. It was about the size of his school bag; its little shark teeth was curved into a grin that was startlingly akin to the one Rin was trying to contain when Haru looked at him again. It had blunt fins and the grey, fluffy skin was a tad smudged, and suddenly Haru envisaged grade school Rin lightly snoring as he clutched it in his slumber. But the white, sewn shine in its round black eyes was spotless.

"Well, uh," Rin ruffled his hair, voice shying at Haru's entranced stare alternating between the plushie and him. "I was homesick when I first when to Australia, and I got this guy years ago at an arcade here. He's like my version of a safety blanket, I s'pose." Haru still stared wordlessly as Rin looked at the front of the plushie in mock examination. "Doesn't really have a name. Could call 'im 'Jaws'; that sounds badass." Rin made a boyish snicker as he brought Jaws up beside his head, facing Haru. "Inn'he cute?"

Haru's heart jumped at Rin's eyes scrunched in a wide beam and his burgundy locks shifting against Jaws' plush gills. Cute. Haru nodded. Really cute…

Rin opened his eyes after a little giggle, clamming up when he saw a blush seep through Haru's still stunned expression.

"W-Well," Rin brought Jaws back to the front of his stomach with a little cough, "I don't bring him around as much anymore, 'cause I'm big now and, well yeah…" his cheeks went warm at noticing Haru gradually reaching for Jaws like a unsure child. "A-And if you're gonna go missing me for just a couple of days, I suppose you could use 'im." Rin playfully huffed, but his expression stilled when Haru finally held Jaws, tentatively pulling it into his own grip.

"…He's clean, by the way." Rin added suddenly, his tone keeping level and uninterested as he mindlessly scuffed the floor with his feet, but his eyes kept trained on Haru scouring over Jaws in silent earnest.

…

Soft.

…

"I like Jaws."

Rin nearly choked when Haru timidly nosed it.

"W-W-Well, that's good, then!" Rin laughed in a shaky fluster.

Fuckincutefuckincutefuckincutefuck.

"So I'll be gone for a couple o'days and you can get some bonding time with Jaws!"

Rin bit his lip to contain himself from hysterics when Haru nuzzled his cheek against Jaws, nearly breaking skin when Haru hugged it almost experimentally and his cerulean eyes shimmered with soundless affection.

Fuckmehe'sgoddamncutefuck

"Mm. Jaws will be good." Haru decided as he settled it into his arms, his chin resting on its fin. "...Something the matter?"

"Just," Rin opened and clenched his fist for some attempt at release, "You—and Jaws, just—I can't really—" Rin whipped his head away while gnawing on his knuckle, cursing inwardly at feeling his blush crashing onto his cheeks.

"Oh," Haru blinked, feeling Rin's eye on him when he looked down at Jaws again. "…looks like Rin."

Rin nearly keeled over when Haru gave Jaws a firm, affectionate squeeze after that statement.

"Fuck, you did that on purpose," Rin spluttered as he clutched his side like he'd been shot, "Like you know my weakness or something."

"Mm." Rin nearly chuckled at how Haru didn't even deny it, and his chest felt overwhelmingly fluffy at Haru cradling Jaws around like a calming metronome.

"Ah shit," Rin regained his composure and checked his watch, walking over and slinging over his bag. "I gotta go now. You gonna be okay?"

"Nn." Haru nodded with his face half-hidden snuggling into Jaws, making Rin's lips pull up into a smile of pure wonder.

"Awesome," he leaned in for a quick kiss, before turning the knob with a click. "See you in a couple of days, right?"

"Right." Haru's eyes lidded, and a dim shine resting in the blues of his eyes made Rin's heart swell. "Take care."

"You too." Rin smiled warmly; his teeth worried at his lip a bit before he finally headed out.

Haru watched the door coasted to a close that rung in his ears, puffing his cheeks in some disappointment at realising the house he resided in so often felt a bit too quiet all of a sudden. With that thought, he looked at Jaws in its wide, fabric black eyes and the stitches of its little sharp-toothed smile. He brought it to his face again, eyes sliding shut as he inhaled, and exhaled, and the room didn't feel as cold as before.