[rin spits as ai shoves him past the door but not after undoing the mussed up appearance he was just saving himself with. whatever don't take his fashion advice!! rin kicks his shoes off indignantly, bristling as he looks over his shoulder]
And yes the whole team thought that, damn!!
[rin distinctly remembers momo telling him ai was cute once when his hair was all puffed up and hot and-- he shoves that thought aside. nope. nope. not right now. next time he'll keep his fashion, hair style, whatever advice to himself and be done with it. rin groans, but decides okay. being a shit is fine if ai is going to be this offended and he sags against ai's hands digging into his shoulders, leaning back into them with all his weight while supporting himself on his heels]
Think I remember you saying something about... me throwing the match? Does that mean I still have to cook? I dunno.....
[yes he's absolutely being a monumental shit right now since ai called him out and ignored him. it's the first time things have felt normal in weeks, months in fact. rin knows he has to do laundry and pack and get shit ready. but slipping back into something for just a brief millisecond is stupid. but he's selfish and never claimed to be smart]
[Not because Ai's self-esteem was low - not anymore, anyway - but the idea of Rin, specifically, confiding in or gathering this intel from their old team is laughable in how foreign it is. Or maybe Ai was projecting, his attempts at putting space between them obfuscating things he might've taken for granted in the past. For example, Ai thought of Rin often, so it stood to reason Rin maybe thought of Ai often... Especially in the context of swimming. But now, Ai operates under the exclusive purview of if I don't hear it or see it, it didn't happen. As far as Ai's concerned, if he isn't under Rin's nose, he's an afterthought now.
And Ai never heard wind of this in high school, so!!!
Rin quite literally digs in his heels, and Ai does a few mental calculations to make sure Rin wouldn't break his neck before... Oops, yeah, just as Rin leans back against him Ai is letting go and stepping aside and see you next fall, Rin.
You can make fun of his hair and talk behind his back. You can throw a friendly competition. But reneging on dinner plans? That's three strikes, Matsuoka, and Ai isn't impressed! He toes off his shoes and marches into their apartment.]
I'm going to shower! Cook or don't! But next time you flake, I'm not forgiving you so easily!!
[Is he pouting? Maybe. Truthfully... That spark of something old, and familiar, makes it truly difficult to be annoyed at Rin. Ai just wishes it didn't come at the expense of essentially cutting himself in half. Ai spares a moment to drop his sports bag near his bed and gather clean clothes before entering the bathroom... And...
Okay. He stares in the mirror. Ruffles up his hair. And stares longer. I don't get it...?]
rin absolutely topples over in a pissed off heap as ai pisses off to the bathroom. rin matsuoka is a man of his word. but you are the one insinuating he threw a game meant for children ai. so who's the unimpressive one now?? rin hauls himself off the floor, pissed and bristling as he tosses some curse at ai as he fucks off to the bathroom and rin equally fucks off to the kitchen.
it's some small stroke of luck that they have what they need. why rin bought ham in the first place is absolutely mind boggling. he didn't think ai liked this stuff that much, but... he makes a face at the eggs he pulls out of the fridge alongside the meat and shuts it with his hip, unceremoniously dumping everything on the counter.
whenever ai graces rin with his presence again, rin is absolutely not going back on his word. there's eggs. there's ham. there's fucking fluffy pancakes he whipped up with the last of the flour and eggs and even added some cinnammon to them because. well. it's something he picked up during his time abroad and it's good!
he shoots a glare at ai whenever he comes out, and runs a hand through his hair]
[Ai's shower is quick and unremarkable, though once again as soon as he's out and about to begin blowdrying his hair, he instead stops and just stares at himself in the mirror. Leans in this time. His hair was no good, but what about the rest of him? Ai didn't think he was that bad to look at; it'd take another day and an age to convince him to think of himself as beautiful, but. He had clear skin, he thinks he has nice eyes, he thinks his beauty mark is a very unique feature...
I thought I had nice hair, too. He ruffles up his fringe again. Pets it down only a little bit. Trying to see what apparently everyone else except him did... Maybe just this once he won't blowdry it, and will wait to see what happens.
Realizing he's in his head at the prospect of whether or not Rin finds him attractive, Ai slaps his cheeks twice and firmly scolds himself, you can't be concerned with something so vapid right now!!! before pulling on his clean clothes - short shorts, large shirt - and exiting into the apartment to the smell of something incredible.
If Ai was annoyed, it's firmly checked back in the shower. Rather than sit down, Ai comes to observe the spread that Rin's cooked up, goofy stupid little smile threatening to bisect his face in two.]
Wow, Rin-senpai! You actually did it. [Okay maybe he's being sarcastic with that one, only a little, but the joy in his expression is hard to mistake - as is the way he looks to Rin with it, paired with a slight simper on his brow line.] I guess some things you're still competitive about after all. [Running home? Beneath him. Making the best fucking breakfast for dinner? Check.]
I wonder how it stacks against our nutrition sheets. [Knowing Rin, it probably somehow manages to fit exactly into their nutrition sheets. Ai finally sits down, says his thanks, and begins to dig in.]
[rin's turned himself around to mess with the ham steaks, fussing with them on the plates again because. well, he's a perfectionist and this is nothing short of that. especially when they're headed to the very top a-s-a-p. he wipes his forehead, exceedingly proud of himself]
Damn right. Better be the best fucking breakfast you ever taste.
[it's supper actually rin, but alright. and when he does turn around again, he stares at ai wide eyed for a second because--
well.
he fucking did it. his hair is all messed up and not combed down, and rin's breath lodges in his throat for a moment. but it's gone an instant later, and run drags his hand down the back of his neck, muttering as he slides ai's plate over the counter towards him
It stacks up just fine! What do you think I am, stupid?
[rin spits and bristles in retort, pushing a spoon through his pancake to shove into his mouth. eating them with chopsticks isn't actually as refined, and he can appreciate things beyond chopsticks thanks to his time abroad. still, he keeps his eyes fixed firmly on his plate before muttering]
Wouldn't sabotage us so close to this anyways. You know that.
You get caught up in the heat of the moment, sometimes.
[Which is to say no he of course doesn't think Rin is stupid and he doesn't think Rin would sabotage them this close to training camp either, but similarly Ai doesn't think one (1) meal had the capacity to sabotage them, and he trusts Rin enough that even if it was intended as a cheat meal, it wouldn't tank their guts completely.
If Rin has a reaction to Ai's patient attempt at seeing what his hair looks like when it dries unkempt, he doesn't notice it. It had a penchant for drying straight anyway, but... Maybe it looked better with a little fluff to it? He doesn't know. It's on his mind as he eats though, which is distracting and unhelpful and making him feel self-conscious and stupid. It's just hair. It doesn't matter what Rin-senpai thinks, it won't change anything--
Ah.
Suddenly he's shoveling pancakes and ham steaks down his gullet with vigor.]
Thank you for following through. [Ai's crossed his ankles under their small table, and sits with the prongs of the fork pressed against his lip.] I wouldn't have actually been upset if you hadn't though... But it's every bit as delicious as I remember. Maybe in another life you had a shot at being a chef, senpai.
[there's a little pang of regret at ai's words, one rin tries to quickly stuff over with another mouthful of food. caught up in the heat of the moment is one way to put it. sometimes all he can think of is shattered china, and--]
Yeah.
[but at least ai has the sense to move onto something else, and rin is all too happy to put that thing behind him. rin just grunts in response. at least ai has some sense that rin keeps true to his word. well, mostly at least. depends on what the word is and what the situation is. he rolls his eyes at the praise, choking down a bite of eggs.
why the food suddenly tastes so sour, he'll never know]
Don't think I'd have the patience for something like that.
[well. that much is true at least. rin stabs at another piece of egg and rolls it around his plate for a moment]
...still think you'd be doing photography if it was another life for you? Or something else?
[The question is so out of left field and such a deep cut for all the conversations they've had and Ai truthfully didn't expect Rin to remember, because he never really does. Not because he thinks Rin is that cold, but because even now, this far along, Ai doesn't think of himself as memorable enough to warrant it. It's evident in the way he's gawking at Rin for a second, blinking owlishly.
Come to think of it, Ai hasn't snapped a single photo since Rin arrived. Hasn't brought out his analog camera even once. It's true, he's been incredibly busy between swimming and school and previously his work, but. Even his development studio - his closet - hasn't been touched in months. There's probably film that has been left developing in a vat of liquid since the moment Rin entered his front door.
The real answer isn't one he wants to say out loud because they have such a lovely peace right now and he doesn't want to ruin it. But Ai is a famously bad liar, so it's all he can hope that Rin chalks it up to overthinking, the way Ai instead dances somewhat awkwardly with the words he chooses to dig up that express his sentiment without bombing the mood entirely,]
Ah, well, it's hard to say, isn't it? I'm still not very good at it... At the very least, I wouldn't trade swimming for it.
[Because then I would have never met you. Something he would have said so unabashedly and wholeheartedly once upon a time. Now, it's a part of himself he's actively trying to disengage from. Time and time again, Ai re-learns just how difficult it is to untangle his life from Rin's influence on it.]
I'm surprised you remembered that, [he finally observes, smile a little bashful in how grateful it is.] It was so long ago.
he's absolutely aware of the shaky ground they're currently standing on, probably only held by the shattering pillars that is ai's restitution and determination to stay away from certain things at all costs. which is why rin feels like he's in a momentary panic, drudging up something he was astutely supposed to stay away from.
but, at least it doesn't seem that he's damaged something irreparably. or at least ai is willing to overlook if he did and give a plain enough sounding answer instead. one that makes rin's brows furrow temporarily, but he shrugs it off and picks at his food a little slower. because it sounds... well it sounds like rin at times, if he's being honest]
...always thought you were pretty decent at it.
[and he gives an honest answer in turn. but there's... something licking below the surface of that answer that rin doesn't like and is absolutely overthinking. so he strays away from it instead]
Saying I have a bad memory? [he huffs. which is partially true unfortunately] I remember shit that matters.
[Okay, maybe that does get a nice and big smile out of him, hidden first behind a bite of his lip and then an intake of another portion of food to chew over. Because even now, in an ever-present battle to do away with the parts of himself he wishes to do away with, the times Rin appraises him still feels. Nice. He will not call the sudden flutter in his stomach butterflies; this much was a natural reaction to being complimented. Anyone would react the same way, having something they cared about told is half-way decent.
And then he tunes into it like a sixth sense, the way Rin's words try to bite in order to obfuscate what Ai knows is something he's tripped on accidentally. It couldn't be helped; he did have a gut feeling about it, after all. Because he knows Rin too well, and even if Ai doesn't feel it at times, Rin knows him too well. Rather than try to pretend Rin didn't intuit something that was in fact there, Ai looks at him sincerely, his smile melting into a familiar, if slightly rueful simper.]
Not at all. Actually, Rin-senpai, I think you're too sentimental to have a bad memory... [Ai idly scratches at a spot on his cheek just below his birth mark,] It was just such a passing thing, and lots has happened since then. Right? It'd only make sense if you forgot.
[he huffs, pushing the last of his eggs and ham into a more manageable pile, still picking at it a bit on the center of his plate. and he knows ai is onto him, because that's just how they've always worked over the years. there isn't much hiding of anything (unless you count rin somehow missing on ai's feelings all through the years. there might have been inklings but never anything solid. that wasn't until--]
I wouldn't forget that. Not that much of an asshole.
[and he says it dismissively, giving ai no further room to weigh in on the matter, as he shoves the last bit of protein in his mouth and starts finishing off the cinnamon cake sitting separately. different palate foods touching? yuck, no thanks. he mulls over for a few moments as he chews, and swallows, changing the topic entirely. well at least for himself. ai can talk about his photography all live long day, but]
Should probably start laundry and packing all our shit.
[Ai's ready to protest too, because there is only one person at this table who thinks or has ever thought Rin is an asshole and it isn't Ai. Even when the two of them were at their lowest - even when Ai was taken by the scruff of that which has still gone unsaid and was raked through the mud and left to clean himself off alone, Ai never thought it about Rin once. Never looked down on him once, thought less of him once.
But just as Ai knows it'd fall on deaf ears, he also knows Rin's not interested in hearing how the wells of Ai's latent insecurities run despairingly deep sometimes, still. And it isn't a reflection of Rin, and if Ai were a better person it wouldn't be an issue at all, but.
Rin's eating, so Ai finishes his plate too, and while he feels there's nuance missing he'd rather be known, he's not interested in chasing the topic. This, too, he's grown better at since last time. All in the same pursuit of keeping the mask in tact.
He smiles as he begins to stand,] Let me wash all of this up? If you need coins for the machines my wallet is somewhere on my desk.
[he hesitates to let ai take the dishes. simply because isn't that his job, something he's defended and tried to do everyday since he arrived here months ago? but... ai offers him an out instead after a long stretch of silence (one rin doesn't even bother dissecting in his head because he knows) and rin greedily takes it without much thought]
I'll start with mine since I have less stuff. Just pile up what all you wanna take, and I'll do it next.
[rin excuses himself from ai's peripheral and kneels down on his futon, dragging his bag out and the clothes all folded up in the corner and in the bag along with it. he's good about doing his laundry anyways, but deciding what to take and what to wash. easy. he's done this song and dance too many times before after all.
after laying out enough outfits for a week (the hotels always have laundry spaces thankfully), he pushes them all in a smaller bag and lugs it over his shoulder. he's not taking ai's wallet though thanks, dutifully ignoring the thing on ai's desk before tossing a glance back towards ai]
[It kills him a little. That Rin's entire life is still in a suitcase. Ai's tried, he's really tried to encourage Rin to take up more space. Ai would have been happy to get him a storage unit, or shift around his presently unused closet and the photography peripherals inside to actually make room for Rin's stuff. Would have made room for a bed. Would have done whatever it took to make Rin feel more at home.
A part of Ai is aware hopes of that type of normalcy - that borderline domesticity they had in their early teens - shattered the same night his mug did. But there's a smaller voice, somewhere in the back of his head, always chiming louder whenever Rin needs to take a phone call outside, that maybe Rin has been looking for an out since the day he landed.
Funny how it's the little things that set him off; an open suitcase. After such a reasonably normal day. Ai straightens his back, sets his jaw, tells himself now is not the time, and collects their dishes and brings them to the sink. Back turned to Rin, Ai shakes his head,]
That's it. I'll get my stuff sorted once I finish this.
[He was mostly packed, and his laundry would be a smaller pile too having done a load just the night before; just his swimwear and some odds and ends.]
[needless to say, the next few days are relaxingly uneventful. Hustling and bustling to get everything ready for their time abroad. Rin does the laundry, tries to keep his attitude in check (easier said than done), makes all the food out of the fridge so it doesn’t go bad while they’re away, video calls his mom and sister everyday…
and that’s kind of just how they exist in tandem over the next few days. Similarly to how they have been in the weeks prior, after. Well, whatever one could label that last incident they had.
the airport is easy. They’re all on the same plane and rin is sat next to a seasoned pro of the team. He’s kind enough, and quiet. Reminds rin a bit of sousuke and they both settle into a comfortable silence, rin popping back an allergy pill to hopefully sleep away the miserable flight. It works.
kind of at least. He gets a little sleep.
he gets up a few times to stretch and move about the cabin throughout the flight, ducking down to check on ai and haru and ikuya and everyone else he’s made the pleasure of meeting throughout his professional career and beforehand. It’s abysmally quiet, even the buzz of excitement through the newcomers and old timers dulled in favor of getting some good sleep.
but once the plane lands, rin jerks to his feet, eager to get off the plane and towards their hotel. As they’re heading towards the shuttle that is taking them towards their hotel near the aquatics center, rin stretches his head and catches a glimpse of haru’s coach and mikhail deep in discussion over… something. He purses his lip and scoffs at the two always being so chummy, while one of the coach’s assistants gives out seating assignments for the shuttle.
This time rin is graced with ai next to him, but rin was there first so window seat is his. Sorry buddy, better luck next time]
[It appears seating arrangements on the flight had been more or less alphabetical order, as Ai was sat right next to Haruka the entire time. Thankfully, pure raw exhaustion and anticipation in equal measure made it extremely difficult for any odd atmosphere to sprout, and true to his word, Ai followed in Rin's footsteps to try and sidestep as much awake time on the plane as possible. Forty-eight hours of being awake plus an allergy pill seems to do the trick - almost too well. Ai finds himself nodding off on poor Haruka's shoulder not once but twice, and on the third start awake Ai tries to fall asleep with his face down on the tray...
It works, but leads to one hell of a crank in his neck the entirety of the deplaning process. He smiles upon seeing their seating assignments; deflates a little upon seeing the same sight Rin does in the distance. His uncle hasn't talked to him once since they all congregated at Haneda airport earlier. Well... We're on business, so it only makes sense.
Faintly, Ai wonders if the worries over whether or not their names would appear in a sports magazine with less than savoury contents would be one that followed them across oceans. Ai realizes in the same moment, as he shuffles down the length of the shuttle bus, he resents that he's starting to equate his uncle with that ordeal. A mistake.
Rin will see Ai clapping his cheeks twice before sliding into the seat next to him, not minding at all that Rin's got the window... It just means Rin will have to endure Ai leaning this way and that to try and peer out of it without just seating himself in Rin's lap to do so. There's a sparkle in his eye, a rare thing nowadays.]
I think Nanase-san isn't very happy with me, [he says through a wide smile, apparently having forgotten his own insecurities for a second there.] Isn't it seven pm local time? But it's still so bright out.
[He realizes he's basically corralling Rin against the glass, and sits back in his seat properly... It wasn't as if they could see much from the tarmac of the airport, anyway. Ai levels Rin with a smile more genial and calm.]
You look well-rested all things considered, senpai.
[frankly, rin is still caught up in other things, so he doesn't really notice mikhail's blatant ignoring of ai. he'll surely pick up on it later. despite being clueless in other avenues, that's one thing he's honed in on deeply so. after all the hurtful commentary exchanged during that phone call.
rin raises a brow at ai talking about haru. that's still all... awkward territory if he's being honest. he doesn't envy ai for having to sit next to the guy, even though rin knows haru doesn't care and is as amicable as ever (hopefully. sometimes it's hard to tell how the weirdo works, but)]
Why would Haru be miffed with you? And yeah, sounds about right.
[rin lets his gaze be tugged back towards the window, breathing a little relief at being given a tiny bit of breathing room. there's probably a thousand reasons he could settle on and he can't pinpoint any of them anyways. if rin's lucky, he'll get passed off to rooming with other members of the team he's not so. intimately familiar with.
even he's not sure he could stomach rooming with haru right now. maybe him and ai need some breathing space. sousuke? not the worst. natsuya? ugh... manageable. ikuya probably preferable above all else. but there's that dreaded prospect (or promise) or triple occupancy and maybe he'll luck out and it'll be two random teammates altogether. he rests his chin on the back of his hand, tugging down his cap a little]
Told you. Sleep deprivation and allergy pill. Still probably gonna crash tonight. Take the longest shower ever.
Ah... How to say it.... I fell asleep on him, I think.
... More than once...
[It isn't to say Ai doesn't have his reservations. Of course he does. He was only human, and for years Haruka has been a goliath in his head. In the pool and now out of it, too. Intimidation and inferiority seemed to go hand-in-hand most days, and Ai knows he has his work cut out for him over the course of this training camp and into the future road of their team as a unit, if he's to reconcile the guy taking up as much space as it seems he will.
More than anything, he's a teammate. So I can't let anything else get in the way. That bond has to come first.
Ai's fragile constitution is somewhat soothed at knowing room assignments statistically have to be in his favour. Even he thinks Rin could benefit from some space, even if Ai doesn't feel it necessary for himself. Rooming with Sousuke would be nice, he thinks. The younger Kirishima seems like he'd be quiet, conscientious...
His thoughts have strayed away from his attempts to spot any famous Parisian architecture over the crest of Rin's cap, and catching a glimpse in the window's reflection of himself so damned close into Rin's space nearly makes him snap back against his seat. Hands neatly in his lap, shoulders maybe a touch too straight.]
I know I shouldn't, but it's tempting to skip dinner and go straight to sleep once we arrive, [Ai admits.] Oh, Rin-senpai, we have a rest day tomorrow. I think some of the guys were going sight-seeing... Do you have plans?
[he shouldn't laugh. considering how famously awkward rin has made any future interactions between the three of them. but he does it anyways, trying to stifle it and equally failing at that as well]
Yeah, fall asleep on the guy who hates being touched. That'll keep you in the good graces of the team favorite.
[rin's sour because he still remembers it's his fault haru lost a qualification to ikuya, or maybe they could have tied again and... he shoves the thought away, trying to focalize more on the sights flooding his vision out the window. he notices ai jerk backwards in the window, and tries to pull himself back against his seat awkwardly, feeling bad for blocking his view or whatever he did to cause that reaction]
Mom and Gou want a postcard, so maybe get that out of the way... maybe dinner if we're not all dead on arrival still. You?
[Once upon a time, he could even be described as prudish. Rin had been touchy with him, not the other way around; Ai was always too polite and until only recently too self-deprecating to assume he had the footing to justify ever being that physical with any singular one of his friends, least of all Rin. Unlike Haruka, he might also be described as touch-starved, though that is a pit Ai is not touching with a ten foot pole, and certainly not unpacking on this bus.
Nor is he going to contend with the objective fact that Haruka is, in fact, the team favourite. Their golden goose; fastest qualifying times and two-time competitor. The face of billboards and sports magazines around the globe. It is a good thing Ai's wherewithal is well beyond the bounds of broken; he doesn't have it in him to even try and be upset about how much work he feels he has to put in to attain even an ounce of what seems to come so naturally to Haruka. Ai anticipates a lot of late nights in his immediate future. It's more productive, he thinks, to remind himself they both are on the same team. Whatever he's capable of, surely I am, too.
All thoughts halted at the prospect of Rin writing to his family; Ai had thoughts to do the same. He turns to face Rin with a rueful smile at the prospect of socializing, though.]
We'll see. It's probably best that I integrate with the team as much as I can... I feel I don't see many other newcomers. [Were you this nervous last year? He can't even bring himself to ask. Showing weakness was always difficult for him to begin with, but to show it so brazenly to Rin now, for some reason, feels akin to heresy. As if Ai has mandated for himself that anything short of the neat mask he's decided on is no good. So rather than make it Rin's problem, he decides then and there,] If they go out tomorrow, I think I'll see if they'll let me tag along.
[rin was absolutely nervous. damn near vibrating out of his fucking skin being in such proximity with athletes he's aspired to be like for god knows how long. people who can humble his normally cocky demeanor with a single glance or word, and while yes he's on more friendly terms with some of their seniors, he's still known as the loudmouth transfer from down under who has an affinity for forgetting personal boundaries and--]
Good for you.
[he smirks, shoving ai on the shoulder, as their hotel comes into view and his gaze is pulled out towards home sweet home for the next little while]
Long as you don't think about scaring people off with your ghost stories of bodies in the river. Seriously Ai, what the hell!
[he chides him playfully, as their teammates begin to pour out of the bus, and rin adopts his very antsy less composed self. he stands up, draping himself over the seat in front of him, and looking out towards the front and back towards ai]
Alright, we all go pack in the lobby like sardines now and wait for room assignments. Then we can all fuck off and do whatever. They just don't want us plastering our faces everywhere being stupid--
[rin shoves that thought away, because he's already done that in some famously bad manner. even if they're still sitting on it for whatever reason they are]
[It's platitudes, but it's better than arguing on a bus, and anything was possible with Rin these days, so Ai will take it. He does look at Rin with a too polite to be polite smile, though, getting one last word in--]
I said corpses, Rin-senpai. Not ghosts.
[--before happily letting his eyes continue to (politely, unobtrusively) gaze out the window. Paris was sincerely something magical. A splendor and majesty that bordered Budapest in its opulence; it is as if all over again he's been transported to an entirely other world. He wonders faintly if this is how Rin felt the first time he landed in Australia. The tarmac roads turn to the more familiar city streets of the outer arrondissements, passing the Aquatic Centre in its pursuit. And once it's put in park, Ai slides out of the seat to try and give Rin some room...
... And waits. For further instruction? Some of the guys have already hopped off, but not all. When Rin chimes in, even though he cuts himself off, Ai smiles. Rueful, apologetic, sympathetic all at once. A shame, for a moment, burns hot in his gut, but for Rin's sake he doesn't let it bubble up onto his expression. He surprises himself, even, in the way he reaches out to just for a moment touch Rin's side, hand immediately escaping back to his own. We'll be fine.
He turns his head back toward the mouth of the bus; Sousuke's already gotten off, it appears both Kirishimas are on their way out. Ai begins to walk forward,]
Come on, before our legs turn to stone.
[Still keen not to corral Rin more than necessary or inject himself overmuch, Ai makes his way down the aisle, smiling politely at whomever he makes eye contact with on the way. Outside the bus and on the sidewalk, he spares a few moments to say hi to Sousuke, ask him how his ride was, before following the larger group into the hotel lobby.]
[but they're still masterfully toeing the edge of whatever hell they've dipped into time and time again. and staying away from teetering down thankfully. even if the hand on his side almost has him jerking, but he restrains himself. right. they've always slipped into things like this before. nothing's changed. even if it has. oh so painfully in so many ways. and he takes the invitation to get the hell off the shuttle, stretching luxuriously as ai pauses to talk to sousuke.
he shoulder checks his best friend, because he has to and that's just how they roll. even if sousuke gives him a sidelong glance that he doesn't feel like unpacking right now and trails after the group towards the lobby.
haru's coach and mikhail are there with miyakawa, who is looking over a clipboard with them. they excuse themselves, and she straights up looking over all of them as she begins to list off names. like rin expected, it's triple occupancy. she rattles off names. it's nothing alphabetical, so maybe they did put some consideration into things like not putting daisuke the nudist with ikuya the prude or whatever... rin casts a glance towards ikuya, kind of hoping that maybe--]
410. Nitori, Nanase and Matsuoka.
[rin was in the middle of swallowing, and it absolutely goes down the wrong tube and he coughs loudly, something stuttering in his chest. miyakawa gives him a thinly veiled look, and raises a brow]
Something to share, Matsuoka?
[rin tries to swallow down the coughs, palm splayed across his chest as he tries to catch his breath. nononononono, no absolutely fucking not this isn't happening. through a little wheeze, he manages to spit out]
Nope. Good, thanks! Sorry.
[and gives her a little bow, feeling so sour, not able to look at anyone all of a sudden while she continues to list off lodging accommodations. rin's fists are tight at his side, but they haven't been dismissed yet. so he forces himself to stay still, even if he wants to spit out how there's been a mistake--much akin to a certain one bed situation long ago]
[There's a levity in seeing Rin and Sousuke so genial with one another. Ai might even call it nostalgic; that always seemed to be the beat between them, fistbumps and shoulder checks and all. A familiarity Ai might've said he was jealous of, once upon a time.
His thoughts short circuit when he hears the two names that flank after his own.
Rin's coughing; Ai is not looking at him. He is, in fact, staring out into the middle distance, trying to contend with the way it feels every ounce of blood in his system just went cold. Miyakawa's itinerary announcements fall on deaf ears; all at once, all Ai can hear is the sound of his own breathing, and his mental voice as he tries desperately to recall how he wronged which god to invite upon himself this fate.
Be realistic, Aiichirou. How bad can it be? We're all here for the same reason. And we should only be in the room to sleep. It's impossible for anything bad to happen. If it gets too unbearable, it isn't as if you're locked in. Ah, Sousuke-senpai's looking at you-- Nanase-san is looking at you. Breathe!! It's fine! It'll be fine!
All Haruka - and Rin, should he dare look upon his former roommate - would see is a young man who has suddenly taken a very serious interest in the marble lobby floor, swallowing hard around nothing, and who is several beats too late to recognize that assignments are over, that instructions have been given for the evening, and that a morning call was set for the day after next.]
--tori... Nitori!
[Ai snaps to when he realizes their team manager has been trying to pawn off his room card. Ai takes hold of it,] Thank you, [And stares down at those damning numbers.
Well. Such is fate. He puts on his bravest face yet, with a smile that is trying so damned hard to reach his eyes, as he turns to Rin, catapulting his brain somewhere roughly five years younger in the way it tries to grasp at straws.]
This is lucky! Isn't it, senpai? Since you've roomed with Nanase-san before, too. It's good our management took that into consideration.
[it would be so easy to scream at ai--fuck, anybody--about why this is such a huge fucking deal. rin matsuoka is about ready to claw his own skin off, and even some of their teammates give him a suspicious look, as his foot taps. but he immediately cuts the crap once miyakawa comes to hand off room keys. he's not even bothering to look at ai fixated on the ground because he's too busy looking everywhere and nowhere all at once.
until his gaze lands on haru. and he just sees that easy calm, with a touch of curiousity in his gaze.
and then rin's gaze lands on sousuke and he shrivels under the intensity of it. sousuke's brow is barely raised, but there's something in those deep blues that gives everything else away and well. rin barely hears that sousuke and ikuya somehow get off with a double occupancy, and that just makes him want to die even further.
how the hell does that fucking figure. it's easy enough to beg sousuke to switch with him, but before he can entertain the thought further, he sees mikhail giving him a look and rin grits his teeth and takes his key card, stalking off towards where their bags have been unloaded from the shuttle.
his giant duffel is near the top and he goes to grab it when another hand nearly touches his own and rin practically jerks away. because he sees the stupid dolphin covered suitcase, and knows--]
Ah, sorry. My bad.
[rin waits for whenever ai decides to come get his own luggage, foot still tapping against the ground incessantly, fingers pushing through his hair over and over and over again]
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Date: 2025-10-06 03:18 am (UTC)[rin spits as ai shoves him past the door but not after undoing the mussed up appearance he was just saving himself with. whatever don't take his fashion advice!! rin kicks his shoes off indignantly, bristling as he looks over his shoulder]
And yes the whole team thought that, damn!!
[rin distinctly remembers momo telling him ai was cute once when his hair was all puffed up and hot and-- he shoves that thought aside. nope. nope. not right now. next time he'll keep his fashion, hair style, whatever advice to himself and be done with it. rin groans, but decides okay. being a shit is fine if ai is going to be this offended and he sags against ai's hands digging into his shoulders, leaning back into them with all his weight while supporting himself on his heels]
Think I remember you saying something about... me throwing the match? Does that mean I still have to cook? I dunno.....
[yes he's absolutely being a monumental shit right now since ai called him out and ignored him. it's the first time things have felt normal in weeks, months in fact. rin knows he has to do laundry and pack and get shit ready. but slipping back into something for just a brief millisecond is stupid. but he's selfish and never claimed to be smart]
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Date: 2025-10-06 03:28 am (UTC)[Not because Ai's self-esteem was low - not anymore, anyway - but the idea of Rin, specifically, confiding in or gathering this intel from their old team is laughable in how foreign it is. Or maybe Ai was projecting, his attempts at putting space between them obfuscating things he might've taken for granted in the past. For example, Ai thought of Rin often, so it stood to reason Rin maybe thought of Ai often... Especially in the context of swimming. But now, Ai operates under the exclusive purview of if I don't hear it or see it, it didn't happen. As far as Ai's concerned, if he isn't under Rin's nose, he's an afterthought now.
And Ai never heard wind of this in high school, so!!!
Rin quite literally digs in his heels, and Ai does a few mental calculations to make sure Rin wouldn't break his neck before... Oops, yeah, just as Rin leans back against him Ai is letting go and stepping aside and see you next fall, Rin.
You can make fun of his hair and talk behind his back. You can throw a friendly competition. But reneging on dinner plans? That's three strikes, Matsuoka, and Ai isn't impressed! He toes off his shoes and marches into their apartment.]
I'm going to shower! Cook or don't! But next time you flake, I'm not forgiving you so easily!!
[Is he pouting? Maybe. Truthfully... That spark of something old, and familiar, makes it truly difficult to be annoyed at Rin. Ai just wishes it didn't come at the expense of essentially cutting himself in half. Ai spares a moment to drop his sports bag near his bed and gather clean clothes before entering the bathroom... And...
Okay. He stares in the mirror. Ruffles up his hair. And stares longer. I don't get it...?]
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Date: 2025-10-06 04:34 am (UTC)rin absolutely topples over in a pissed off heap as ai pisses off to the bathroom. rin matsuoka is a man of his word. but you are the one insinuating he threw a game meant for children ai. so who's the unimpressive one now?? rin hauls himself off the floor, pissed and bristling as he tosses some curse at ai as he fucks off to the bathroom and rin equally fucks off to the kitchen.
it's some small stroke of luck that they have what they need. why rin bought ham in the first place is absolutely mind boggling. he didn't think ai liked this stuff that much, but... he makes a face at the eggs he pulls out of the fridge alongside the meat and shuts it with his hip, unceremoniously dumping everything on the counter.
whenever ai graces rin with his presence again, rin is absolutely not going back on his word. there's eggs. there's ham. there's fucking fluffy pancakes he whipped up with the last of the flour and eggs and even added some cinnammon to them because. well. it's something he picked up during his time abroad and it's good!
he shoots a glare at ai whenever he comes out, and runs a hand through his hair]
There. Satisfied??
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Date: 2025-10-06 01:58 pm (UTC)I thought I had nice hair, too. He ruffles up his fringe again. Pets it down only a little bit. Trying to see what apparently everyone else except him did... Maybe just this once he won't blowdry it, and will wait to see what happens.
Realizing he's in his head at the prospect of whether or not Rin finds him attractive, Ai slaps his cheeks twice and firmly scolds himself, you can't be concerned with something so vapid right now!!! before pulling on his clean clothes - short shorts, large shirt - and exiting into the apartment to the smell of something incredible.
If Ai was annoyed, it's firmly checked back in the shower. Rather than sit down, Ai comes to observe the spread that Rin's cooked up, goofy stupid little smile threatening to bisect his face in two.]
Wow, Rin-senpai! You actually did it. [Okay maybe he's being sarcastic with that one, only a little, but the joy in his expression is hard to mistake - as is the way he looks to Rin with it, paired with a slight simper on his brow line.] I guess some things you're still competitive about after all. [Running home? Beneath him. Making the best fucking breakfast for dinner? Check.]
I wonder how it stacks against our nutrition sheets. [Knowing Rin, it probably somehow manages to fit exactly into their nutrition sheets. Ai finally sits down, says his thanks, and begins to dig in.]
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Date: 2025-10-06 10:28 pm (UTC)Damn right. Better be the best fucking breakfast you ever taste.
[it's supper actually rin, but alright. and when he does turn around again, he stares at ai wide eyed for a second because--
well.
he fucking did it. his hair is all messed up and not combed down, and rin's breath lodges in his throat for a moment. but it's gone an instant later, and run drags his hand down the back of his neck, muttering as he slides ai's plate over the counter towards him
It stacks up just fine! What do you think I am, stupid?
[rin spits and bristles in retort, pushing a spoon through his pancake to shove into his mouth. eating them with chopsticks isn't actually as refined, and he can appreciate things beyond chopsticks thanks to his time abroad. still, he keeps his eyes fixed firmly on his plate before muttering]
Wouldn't sabotage us so close to this anyways. You know that.
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Date: 2025-10-06 10:38 pm (UTC)[Which is to say no he of course doesn't think Rin is stupid and he doesn't think Rin would sabotage them this close to training camp either, but similarly Ai doesn't think one (1) meal had the capacity to sabotage them, and he trusts Rin enough that even if it was intended as a cheat meal, it wouldn't tank their guts completely.
If Rin has a reaction to Ai's patient attempt at seeing what his hair looks like when it dries unkempt, he doesn't notice it. It had a penchant for drying straight anyway, but... Maybe it looked better with a little fluff to it? He doesn't know. It's on his mind as he eats though, which is distracting and unhelpful and making him feel self-conscious and stupid. It's just hair. It doesn't matter what Rin-senpai thinks, it won't change anything--
Ah.
Suddenly he's shoveling pancakes and ham steaks down his gullet with vigor.]
Thank you for following through. [Ai's crossed his ankles under their small table, and sits with the prongs of the fork pressed against his lip.] I wouldn't have actually been upset if you hadn't though... But it's every bit as delicious as I remember. Maybe in another life you had a shot at being a chef, senpai.
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Date: 2025-10-08 09:51 pm (UTC)Yeah.
[but at least ai has the sense to move onto something else, and rin is all too happy to put that thing behind him. rin just grunts in response. at least ai has some sense that rin keeps true to his word. well, mostly at least. depends on what the word is and what the situation is. he rolls his eyes at the praise, choking down a bite of eggs.
why the food suddenly tastes so sour, he'll never know]
Don't think I'd have the patience for something like that.
[well. that much is true at least. rin stabs at another piece of egg and rolls it around his plate for a moment]
...still think you'd be doing photography if it was another life for you? Or something else?
[yes rin remembers things. sometimes]
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Date: 2025-10-08 10:06 pm (UTC)Come to think of it, Ai hasn't snapped a single photo since Rin arrived. Hasn't brought out his analog camera even once. It's true, he's been incredibly busy between swimming and school and previously his work, but. Even his development studio - his closet - hasn't been touched in months. There's probably film that has been left developing in a vat of liquid since the moment Rin entered his front door.
The real answer isn't one he wants to say out loud because they have such a lovely peace right now and he doesn't want to ruin it. But Ai is a famously bad liar, so it's all he can hope that Rin chalks it up to overthinking, the way Ai instead dances somewhat awkwardly with the words he chooses to dig up that express his sentiment without bombing the mood entirely,]
Ah, well, it's hard to say, isn't it? I'm still not very good at it... At the very least, I wouldn't trade swimming for it.
[Because then I would have never met you. Something he would have said so unabashedly and wholeheartedly once upon a time. Now, it's a part of himself he's actively trying to disengage from. Time and time again, Ai re-learns just how difficult it is to untangle his life from Rin's influence on it.]
I'm surprised you remembered that, [he finally observes, smile a little bashful in how grateful it is.] It was so long ago.
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Date: 2025-10-09 02:40 am (UTC)he's absolutely aware of the shaky ground they're currently standing on, probably only held by the shattering pillars that is ai's restitution and determination to stay away from certain things at all costs. which is why rin feels like he's in a momentary panic, drudging up something he was astutely supposed to stay away from.
but, at least it doesn't seem that he's damaged something irreparably. or at least ai is willing to overlook if he did and give a plain enough sounding answer instead. one that makes rin's brows furrow temporarily, but he shrugs it off and picks at his food a little slower. because it sounds... well it sounds like rin at times, if he's being honest]
...always thought you were pretty decent at it.
[and he gives an honest answer in turn. but there's... something licking below the surface of that answer that rin doesn't like and is absolutely overthinking. so he strays away from it instead]
Saying I have a bad memory? [he huffs. which is partially true unfortunately] I remember shit that matters.
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Date: 2025-10-09 02:49 am (UTC)[Okay, maybe that does get a nice and big smile out of him, hidden first behind a bite of his lip and then an intake of another portion of food to chew over. Because even now, in an ever-present battle to do away with the parts of himself he wishes to do away with, the times Rin appraises him still feels. Nice. He will not call the sudden flutter in his stomach butterflies; this much was a natural reaction to being complimented. Anyone would react the same way, having something they cared about told is half-way decent.
And then he tunes into it like a sixth sense, the way Rin's words try to bite in order to obfuscate what Ai knows is something he's tripped on accidentally. It couldn't be helped; he did have a gut feeling about it, after all. Because he knows Rin too well, and even if Ai doesn't feel it at times, Rin knows him too well. Rather than try to pretend Rin didn't intuit something that was in fact there, Ai looks at him sincerely, his smile melting into a familiar, if slightly rueful simper.]
Not at all. Actually, Rin-senpai, I think you're too sentimental to have a bad memory... [Ai idly scratches at a spot on his cheek just below his birth mark,] It was just such a passing thing, and lots has happened since then. Right? It'd only make sense if you forgot.
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Date: 2025-10-09 03:04 am (UTC)[he huffs, pushing the last of his eggs and ham into a more manageable pile, still picking at it a bit on the center of his plate. and he knows ai is onto him, because that's just how they've always worked over the years. there isn't much hiding of anything (unless you count rin somehow missing on ai's feelings all through the years. there might have been inklings but never anything solid. that wasn't until--]
I wouldn't forget that. Not that much of an asshole.
[and he says it dismissively, giving ai no further room to weigh in on the matter, as he shoves the last bit of protein in his mouth and starts finishing off the cinnamon cake sitting separately. different palate foods touching? yuck, no thanks. he mulls over for a few moments as he chews, and swallows, changing the topic entirely. well at least for himself. ai can talk about his photography all live long day, but]
Should probably start laundry and packing all our shit.
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Date: 2025-10-09 03:11 am (UTC)But just as Ai knows it'd fall on deaf ears, he also knows Rin's not interested in hearing how the wells of Ai's latent insecurities run despairingly deep sometimes, still. And it isn't a reflection of Rin, and if Ai were a better person it wouldn't be an issue at all, but.
Rin's eating, so Ai finishes his plate too, and while he feels there's nuance missing he'd rather be known, he's not interested in chasing the topic. This, too, he's grown better at since last time. All in the same pursuit of keeping the mask in tact.
He smiles as he begins to stand,] Let me wash all of this up? If you need coins for the machines my wallet is somewhere on my desk.
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Date: 2025-10-10 03:19 am (UTC)I'll start with mine since I have less stuff. Just pile up what all you wanna take, and I'll do it next.
[rin excuses himself from ai's peripheral and kneels down on his futon, dragging his bag out and the clothes all folded up in the corner and in the bag along with it. he's good about doing his laundry anyways, but deciding what to take and what to wash. easy. he's done this song and dance too many times before after all.
after laying out enough outfits for a week (the hotels always have laundry spaces thankfully), he pushes them all in a smaller bag and lugs it over his shoulder. he's not taking ai's wallet though thanks, dutifully ignoring the thing on ai's desk before tossing a glance back towards ai]
Need anything else?
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Date: 2025-10-10 03:29 am (UTC)A part of Ai is aware hopes of that type of normalcy - that borderline domesticity they had in their early teens - shattered the same night his mug did. But there's a smaller voice, somewhere in the back of his head, always chiming louder whenever Rin needs to take a phone call outside, that maybe Rin has been looking for an out since the day he landed.
Funny how it's the little things that set him off; an open suitcase. After such a reasonably normal day. Ai straightens his back, sets his jaw, tells himself now is not the time, and collects their dishes and brings them to the sink. Back turned to Rin, Ai shakes his head,]
That's it. I'll get my stuff sorted once I finish this.
[He was mostly packed, and his laundry would be a smaller pile too having done a load just the night before; just his swimwear and some odds and ends.]
Thank you, Rin-senpai!
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Date: 2025-10-12 03:02 am (UTC)and that’s kind of just how they exist in tandem over the next few days. Similarly to how they have been in the weeks prior, after. Well, whatever one could label that last incident they had.
the airport is easy. They’re all on the same plane and rin is sat next to a seasoned pro of the team. He’s kind enough, and quiet. Reminds rin a bit of sousuke and they both settle into a comfortable silence, rin popping back an allergy pill to hopefully sleep away the miserable flight. It works.
kind of at least. He gets a little sleep.
he gets up a few times to stretch and move about the cabin throughout the flight, ducking down to check on ai and haru and ikuya and everyone else he’s made the pleasure of meeting throughout his professional career and beforehand. It’s abysmally quiet, even the buzz of excitement through the newcomers and old timers dulled in favor of getting some good sleep.
but once the plane lands, rin jerks to his feet, eager to get off the plane and towards their hotel. As they’re heading towards the shuttle that is taking them towards their hotel near the aquatics center, rin stretches his head and catches a glimpse of haru’s coach and mikhail deep in discussion over… something. He purses his lip and scoffs at the two always being so chummy, while one of the coach’s assistants gives out seating assignments for the shuttle. This time rin is graced with ai next to him, but rin was there first so window seat is his. Sorry buddy, better luck next time]
How'd the flight treat you?
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Date: 2025-10-12 03:32 am (UTC)It works, but leads to one hell of a crank in his neck the entirety of the deplaning process. He smiles upon seeing their seating assignments; deflates a little upon seeing the same sight Rin does in the distance. His uncle hasn't talked to him once since they all congregated at Haneda airport earlier. Well... We're on business, so it only makes sense.
Faintly, Ai wonders if the worries over whether or not their names would appear in a sports magazine with less than savoury contents would be one that followed them across oceans. Ai realizes in the same moment, as he shuffles down the length of the shuttle bus, he resents that he's starting to equate his uncle with that ordeal. A mistake.
Rin will see Ai clapping his cheeks twice before sliding into the seat next to him, not minding at all that Rin's got the window... It just means Rin will have to endure Ai leaning this way and that to try and peer out of it without just seating himself in Rin's lap to do so. There's a sparkle in his eye, a rare thing nowadays.]
I think Nanase-san isn't very happy with me, [he says through a wide smile, apparently having forgotten his own insecurities for a second there.] Isn't it seven pm local time? But it's still so bright out.
[He realizes he's basically corralling Rin against the glass, and sits back in his seat properly... It wasn't as if they could see much from the tarmac of the airport, anyway. Ai levels Rin with a smile more genial and calm.]
You look well-rested all things considered, senpai.
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Date: 2025-10-13 06:30 pm (UTC)rin raises a brow at ai talking about haru. that's still all... awkward territory if he's being honest. he doesn't envy ai for having to sit next to the guy, even though rin knows haru doesn't care and is as amicable as ever (hopefully. sometimes it's hard to tell how the weirdo works, but)]
Why would Haru be miffed with you? And yeah, sounds about right.
[rin lets his gaze be tugged back towards the window, breathing a little relief at being given a tiny bit of breathing room. there's probably a thousand reasons he could settle on and he can't pinpoint any of them anyways. if rin's lucky, he'll get passed off to rooming with other members of the team he's not so. intimately familiar with.
even he's not sure he could stomach rooming with haru right now. maybe him and ai need some breathing space. sousuke? not the worst. natsuya? ugh... manageable. ikuya probably preferable above all else. but there's that dreaded prospect (or promise) or triple occupancy and maybe he'll luck out and it'll be two random teammates altogether. he rests his chin on the back of his hand, tugging down his cap a little]
Told you. Sleep deprivation and allergy pill. Still probably gonna crash tonight. Take the longest shower ever.
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Date: 2025-10-13 07:37 pm (UTC)... More than once...
[It isn't to say Ai doesn't have his reservations. Of course he does. He was only human, and for years Haruka has been a goliath in his head. In the pool and now out of it, too. Intimidation and inferiority seemed to go hand-in-hand most days, and Ai knows he has his work cut out for him over the course of this training camp and into the future road of their team as a unit, if he's to reconcile the guy taking up as much space as it seems he will.
More than anything, he's a teammate. So I can't let anything else get in the way. That bond has to come first.
Ai's fragile constitution is somewhat soothed at knowing room assignments statistically have to be in his favour. Even he thinks Rin could benefit from some space, even if Ai doesn't feel it necessary for himself. Rooming with Sousuke would be nice, he thinks. The younger Kirishima seems like he'd be quiet, conscientious...
His thoughts have strayed away from his attempts to spot any famous Parisian architecture over the crest of Rin's cap, and catching a glimpse in the window's reflection of himself so damned close into Rin's space nearly makes him snap back against his seat. Hands neatly in his lap, shoulders maybe a touch too straight.]
I know I shouldn't, but it's tempting to skip dinner and go straight to sleep once we arrive, [Ai admits.] Oh, Rin-senpai, we have a rest day tomorrow. I think some of the guys were going sight-seeing... Do you have plans?
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Date: 2025-10-14 09:41 pm (UTC)Yeah, fall asleep on the guy who hates being touched. That'll keep you in the good graces of the team favorite.
[rin's sour because he still remembers it's his fault haru lost a qualification to ikuya, or maybe they could have tied again and... he shoves the thought away, trying to focalize more on the sights flooding his vision out the window. he notices ai jerk backwards in the window, and tries to pull himself back against his seat awkwardly, feeling bad for blocking his view or whatever he did to cause that reaction]
Mom and Gou want a postcard, so maybe get that out of the way... maybe dinner if we're not all dead on arrival still. You?
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Date: 2025-10-14 10:12 pm (UTC)[Once upon a time, he could even be described as prudish. Rin had been touchy with him, not the other way around; Ai was always too polite and until only recently too self-deprecating to assume he had the footing to justify ever being that physical with any singular one of his friends, least of all Rin. Unlike Haruka, he might also be described as touch-starved, though that is a pit Ai is not touching with a ten foot pole, and certainly not unpacking on this bus.
Nor is he going to contend with the objective fact that Haruka is, in fact, the team favourite. Their golden goose; fastest qualifying times and two-time competitor. The face of billboards and sports magazines around the globe. It is a good thing Ai's wherewithal is well beyond the bounds of broken; he doesn't have it in him to even try and be upset about how much work he feels he has to put in to attain even an ounce of what seems to come so naturally to Haruka. Ai anticipates a lot of late nights in his immediate future. It's more productive, he thinks, to remind himself they both are on the same team. Whatever he's capable of, surely I am, too.
All thoughts halted at the prospect of Rin writing to his family; Ai had thoughts to do the same. He turns to face Rin with a rueful smile at the prospect of socializing, though.]
We'll see. It's probably best that I integrate with the team as much as I can... I feel I don't see many other newcomers. [Were you this nervous last year? He can't even bring himself to ask. Showing weakness was always difficult for him to begin with, but to show it so brazenly to Rin now, for some reason, feels akin to heresy. As if Ai has mandated for himself that anything short of the neat mask he's decided on is no good. So rather than make it Rin's problem, he decides then and there,] If they go out tomorrow, I think I'll see if they'll let me tag along.
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Date: 2025-10-17 11:16 pm (UTC)Good for you.
[he smirks, shoving ai on the shoulder, as their hotel comes into view and his gaze is pulled out towards home sweet home for the next little while]
Long as you don't think about scaring people off with your ghost stories of bodies in the river. Seriously Ai, what the hell!
[he chides him playfully, as their teammates begin to pour out of the bus, and rin adopts his very antsy less composed self. he stands up, draping himself over the seat in front of him, and looking out towards the front and back towards ai]
Alright, we all go pack in the lobby like sardines now and wait for room assignments. Then we can all fuck off and do whatever. They just don't want us plastering our faces everywhere being stupid--
[rin shoves that thought away, because he's already done that in some famously bad manner. even if they're still sitting on it for whatever reason they are]
no subject
Date: 2025-10-17 11:35 pm (UTC)I said corpses, Rin-senpai. Not ghosts.
[--before happily letting his eyes continue to (politely, unobtrusively) gaze out the window. Paris was sincerely something magical. A splendor and majesty that bordered Budapest in its opulence; it is as if all over again he's been transported to an entirely other world. He wonders faintly if this is how Rin felt the first time he landed in Australia. The tarmac roads turn to the more familiar city streets of the outer arrondissements, passing the Aquatic Centre in its pursuit. And once it's put in park, Ai slides out of the seat to try and give Rin some room...
... And waits. For further instruction? Some of the guys have already hopped off, but not all. When Rin chimes in, even though he cuts himself off, Ai smiles. Rueful, apologetic, sympathetic all at once. A shame, for a moment, burns hot in his gut, but for Rin's sake he doesn't let it bubble up onto his expression. He surprises himself, even, in the way he reaches out to just for a moment touch Rin's side, hand immediately escaping back to his own. We'll be fine.
He turns his head back toward the mouth of the bus; Sousuke's already gotten off, it appears both Kirishimas are on their way out. Ai begins to walk forward,]
Come on, before our legs turn to stone.
[Still keen not to corral Rin more than necessary or inject himself overmuch, Ai makes his way down the aisle, smiling politely at whomever he makes eye contact with on the way. Outside the bus and on the sidewalk, he spares a few moments to say hi to Sousuke, ask him how his ride was, before following the larger group into the hotel lobby.]
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Date: 2025-10-18 02:51 am (UTC)You know what I mean.
[but they're still masterfully toeing the edge of whatever hell they've dipped into time and time again. and staying away from teetering down thankfully. even if the hand on his side almost has him jerking, but he restrains himself. right. they've always slipped into things like this before. nothing's changed.
even if it has. oh so painfully in so many ways. and he takes the invitation to get the hell off the shuttle, stretching luxuriously as ai pauses to talk to sousuke.he shoulder checks his best friend, because he has to and that's just how they roll. even if sousuke gives him a sidelong glance that he doesn't feel like unpacking right now and trails after the group towards the lobby.
haru's coach and mikhail are there with miyakawa, who is looking over a clipboard with them. they excuse themselves, and she straights up looking over all of them as she begins to list off names. like rin expected, it's triple occupancy. she rattles off names. it's nothing alphabetical, so maybe they did put some consideration into things like not putting daisuke the nudist with ikuya the prude or whatever... rin casts a glance towards ikuya, kind of hoping that maybe--]
410. Nitori, Nanase and Matsuoka.
[rin was in the middle of swallowing, and it absolutely goes down the wrong tube and he coughs loudly, something stuttering in his chest. miyakawa gives him a thinly veiled look, and raises a brow]
Something to share, Matsuoka?
[rin tries to swallow down the coughs, palm splayed across his chest as he tries to catch his breath. nononononono, no absolutely fucking not this isn't happening. through a little wheeze, he manages to spit out]
Nope. Good, thanks! Sorry.
[and gives her a little bow, feeling so sour, not able to look at anyone all of a sudden while she continues to list off lodging accommodations. rin's fists are tight at his side, but they haven't been dismissed yet. so he forces himself to stay still, even if he wants to spit out how there's been a mistake--much akin to a certain one bed situation long ago]
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Date: 2025-10-18 03:18 am (UTC)His thoughts short circuit when he hears the two names that flank after his own.
Rin's coughing; Ai is not looking at him. He is, in fact, staring out into the middle distance, trying to contend with the way it feels every ounce of blood in his system just went cold. Miyakawa's itinerary announcements fall on deaf ears; all at once, all Ai can hear is the sound of his own breathing, and his mental voice as he tries desperately to recall how he wronged which god to invite upon himself this fate.
Be realistic, Aiichirou. How bad can it be? We're all here for the same reason. And we should only be in the room to sleep. It's impossible for anything bad to happen. If it gets too unbearable, it isn't as if you're locked in. Ah, Sousuke-senpai's looking at you-- Nanase-san is looking at you. Breathe!! It's fine! It'll be fine!
All Haruka - and Rin, should he dare look upon his former roommate - would see is a young man who has suddenly taken a very serious interest in the marble lobby floor, swallowing hard around nothing, and who is several beats too late to recognize that assignments are over, that instructions have been given for the evening, and that a morning call was set for the day after next.]
--tori... Nitori!
[Ai snaps to when he realizes their team manager has been trying to pawn off his room card. Ai takes hold of it,] Thank you, [And stares down at those damning numbers.
Well. Such is fate. He puts on his bravest face yet, with a smile that is trying so damned hard to reach his eyes, as he turns to Rin, catapulting his brain somewhere roughly five years younger in the way it tries to grasp at straws.]
This is lucky! Isn't it, senpai? Since you've roomed with Nanase-san before, too. It's good our management took that into consideration.
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Date: 2025-10-18 03:59 am (UTC)until his gaze lands on haru. and he just sees that easy calm, with a touch of curiousity in his gaze.
and then rin's gaze lands on sousuke and he shrivels under the intensity of it. sousuke's brow is barely raised, but there's something in those deep blues that gives everything else away and well. rin barely hears that sousuke and ikuya somehow get off with a double occupancy, and that just makes him want to die even further.
how the hell does that fucking figure. it's easy enough to beg sousuke to switch with him, but before he can entertain the thought further, he sees mikhail giving him a look and rin grits his teeth and takes his key card, stalking off towards where their bags have been unloaded from the shuttle.
his giant duffel is near the top and he goes to grab it when another hand nearly touches his own and rin practically jerks away. because he sees the stupid dolphin covered suitcase, and knows--]
Ah, sorry. My bad.
[rin waits for whenever ai decides to come get his own luggage, foot still tapping against the ground incessantly, fingers pushing through his hair over and over and over again]
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