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When they say gifts are best served in person, Rin agrees. So when he finds out that Isagi’s birthday is today, he becomes hesitant.
There isn’t any proof of friendship, an ornament to display the bond or a pledge to say there is a mutual agreement for their friendship. And when they meet at a cafe, Rin is clueless.
Clueless as fuck.
Tension looms around their seat like a thick heavy scent of grounded coffee, not meant to incite their thirst, but to choke them. Both are awkwardly sitting face-to-face with expressions hard enough to resemble a stone.
He shouldn’t have let him sit with him. It’s Rin’s fault for why they are in this predicament in the first place. When Isagi slips to the chair, he knows he only has a choice to regret it later.
But it is Rin who first took the initiative, prying his lips apart that is already wet from the coffee he just sipped on. The words are stuck however, as if there isn’t enough slide from the drink to push the words out— but it is clearly courage that is lacking.
“It's your birthday today. I heard.” Rin keeps his hand steady on the table, as steady as the monotonous tone of his voice.
Isagi is surprised, with the way his fingers stop circling the rim of his cup. Clearly isn’t expecting Rin to talk, and start a conversation with him. He only smiles, one that is quick to disappear.
“Yeah.” Short and effective, that’s what his brain can afford to supply at that moment.
He must’ve heard it from others. Isagi thinks. So he ends it with that. Not like Rin's tone is indicating it as a question when it sounded rather confirmative.
After less than a minute, not even a full 30 seconds of exchange. They’re back to square one, with the tight grip of aroma whiffing out of their drinks as it starts to cool down. There is that invisible wall again, hard and impenetrable for their small words to break. And both of them are far too reluctant to try. So unlike them, when they’re always on each other’s neck every time they get the chance. It seems like entering the same cafe has them on an unspeakable impasse.
“That’s great.” Rin quips once again, this time looking over the window so he can excuse not to look at Isagi. “What are you here for, by the way?”
Isagi hums and the sound of his spoon hitting the marble cup hits Rin’s ears. His lower lip then raises a tiny bit, appreciating Rin’s effort to continue the conversation going, even if it already looked like it was the final straw before they can try to recover it.
“I actually ditched Bachira and Chigiri. You know they’re always on to some prank and it ends up with me getting the shorter stick. Kinda wanted to breathe— you know. Luckily, this is the closest shop.”
This time, Rin is already looking at Isagi. Eyes observing how he stirs his coffee, and Rin can’t even take himself to look away. Deeply immersed in seeing his eyes go downcast, his pretty eyelashes Rin has never gotten the chance to take notice — finally did. To his lips that probably tastes like coffee now, like the one he has on the tray before looking lost in the midst of the busy cafe.
For a free time, Rin should’ve spent it back in the dorm where no one will dare to bother him. Yet instead he’s wasting it away for taking so much time to finally get the chance and spit out a simple greeting. A "Happy Birthday" that’s it.
An all too simple greeting prior to meeting again, perhaps Rin thinks Isagi will belittle him, if he ever greets him. With a condescending look that says aw-did-the-almighty-rin-has-fallen type. But they’re in public, no way Isagi’s dislike of Rin will run that far to the point of humiliating him. After all, he never once did, not even when playing against him.
“—Rin? Rin? Are you there?”
Rin is pulled from his reverie by Isagi’s hand waving in front of his face.
Right…
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”
Isagi just grins before he straightens back to his seat. Him and Rin have never been able to mix, maybe that’s how things are meant to go for them. He’s only lucky he saw Rin out of pure luck and grab it, because he doesn't know if there'll be another chance like this where he can sit in silence with Rin without any hostility. Definitely not on the field.
He can only wonder if Rin got all of his rambles, or if he listened at all. But it’s fine, it's okay . Maybe this surprise encounter already counts as a gift to him.
Hell, he already counts it as one before realising it.
Rin however, is chanting on his brain; spit it out, spit it out, spit it out, for so many times as if he’s trying to summon something out of thin air. His intense stare has Isagi thinking if he's annoyed for snapping him out of his haze.
Just spit it out.
It’s not even the word love he’s gonna say. So why is it so hard for Rin to say "Happy Birthday"?
Obviously, everything requires a tantamount of energy to exert by Rin when it comes to Isagi Yoichi.
Silence passes once again, like so many people outside of the window who keep walking past the cafe. Like Rin, he thinks it’ll be easy to forget and his greeting would not make any difference to Isagi's day. He probably already got too many wishes from his friends that his own isn’t anymore needed.
Isagi drums his fingers on the table, scrunching his nose. “I should get going, they must be searching for me right now or bad case, they’ll lock me out of our dorm.”
Isagi is about to stand up when Rin calls for his attention. “Isagi, wait.”
Isagi turns with raised eyebrows, “Hmm, what is it?” Does Rin want to go back with him?
Rin swallows, and in tune with his voice is a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. Gifts are best served in person and he ultimately believes it, it only sucks he doesn’t have one in hand, but a simple greeting. “ Happy Birthday. ”
“You should’ve said that earlier.” Isagi replies, teasing. “But thank you, it means a lot.”
Isagi smiles, one that turns his eyes into crescents and his lips curling to its fullest. Rin can only tilt his own slightly and think how much of a fool he is to be that delighted.
As Isagi can only give one last enthusiastic nod, he waves Rin goodbye, leaving him and his coffee that has gone cold. Never mind going back to the dorms with Rin, he doesn't even want Rin to see him smiling from ear-to-ear because of his greeting. Rin, on the other hand, has been left on his own, feeling an eerie sense of accomplishment fill him, the plan has somehow worked out like Bachira and Chigiri said.