Work Text:
~By the Sea~
A harsh vibrating sound against a hard surface echoes throughout the silent room and rudely awakens him in the dead of the night. He groans and rolls over onto his stomach, long slender fingers reaching to the bedside table to take a hold of the smart phone with the lit up screen. He opens his crimson eyes, squinting at the glaring, bright screen that nearly blinds him. The light that burns. He scrutinizes, trying to read the Caller’s ID on the screen. Through his blurred gaze, he sees just enough to figure out who was calling him in the middle of the night.
He glances at the tall, sleeping form in the other hotel bed. Sosuke’s back is turned to him and he faces the opposite wall. The slow and steady rise and fall of his chest indicates to him that the dark-haired young man remains in a deep sleep. He sits up and yawns, rubbing his eyes, and answers the phone.
“Aii, what’s wrong?” his hoarse, sleepy voice is concerned.
“I-I’m...I’m sorry, senpai. I didn’t mean to call you so late...I’m sure I woke you, s-so never mind. I’ll j-just hang up now, I’ll be okay.”
He tries to hide his annoyance of being woken up in the dead of night, because he can tell by Aiichirou’s voice that he needs him, “Ai, you’re being ridiculous.” he says, “I told you that you can call me or talk to me anytime you need something.” There is a certain gentleness in his voice as he speaks to the younger boy through the phone. Although short-fused and hot-headed, the cherry-red-haired Samezuka captain has shown his softer side much more lately.
He hears a sad sigh over the phone. Of course sweet little Aiichirou still feels bad.
“It’s stupid…” he murmurs quietly.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But I can tell that you need to talk about it. So what’s up?”
“It’s just, well...I-I can’t sleep. I’ve been trying to for several hours but I just can’t. I’m so nervous for the relay tomorrow. I don’t want to mess up or swim and have our team suffer because of me…I’m so worried, I have butterflies and I don’t feel tired at all.”
Rin sighs affectionately, “Ai, you aren’t going to mess up. You’re going to give it your all and it’s going to be awesome, I just know it. You’ve been working twice as hard as the rest of us. Harder than anyone else has. I promise you it’s going to pay off.”
“But it means so much to you...I don’t want to ruin it. This is our last relay together, your last one at Samezuka…”
“It’s already going to be the best relay I’ve ever had. Because it’s with the best team anyone could ask for. We’re going to have fun, and even if we don’t come in first place, it’s still gonna be a relay to remember. And you know why? Because we’ve all been working our a**es off, and we know we’ll give our best. I want to win, but it isn’t my biggest concern. My biggest concern is having fun and enjoying the fact that I get to swim with you, Sosuke, and Momo.” Rin replies, trying to reassure his kouhai.
“Okay..that makes me feel a little better. But I’m still really nervous! I want to do the best I can but I’m so afraid to fail! I want to make everyone proud and I want to show Sosuke that all of our hard work paid off. I don’t want to disappoint anyone...I’m scared…I can’t sleep and I won’t be able to do my best if I’m tired tomorrow.”
Rin thinks about this for a moment. The grey-haired teen was right. He wouldn’t be able to sleep if he was this tense and nervous. And nothing could would come out of the younger teen being sleep deprived. He knew Ai well enough to know that he would continue to lie awake for hours if something did not calm him.
Suddenly though, a light bulb goes off in his head and he gets this brilliant idea. He recalls an effective method of meditation he learned about a while back. He thought it would work well on Aiichirou.
“Ai,” he begins, “I have an idea that I think is going to help calm you down. It’s like a weird meditation thing. Come to my room.”
“A-are you sure?”
“If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have said it.”
“O-okay.”
Rin hears rustling on the other line...It tells him that Nitori is getting out of bed.
“I’m gonna hang up now, okay. See you in a moment.” Rin hangs up the phone and puts it back down on the nightstand. He glances again at Sosuke to make sure he did not disturb him. The tall, dark-haired teen remains dead to the world. Unresponsive, sound asleep, he does not even move.
Using the dim light from the bathroom that is slightly ajar, he makes his way to the door and opens the heavy thing as silently as possible. Ai soon appears down the hall, making his way over. His hair is tousled from tossing and turning, and he is clothed in shorts and an oversized t-shirt that is too large and hangs off one shoulder. He is rubbing his eyes and yawning, and his movements are sluggish. Rin can tell that his body is very tired.
He stops in front of Rin and locks his pretty blue eyes on crimson ones, “Thank you for helping me.” He says softly.
“Yeah, sure.” Rin side-steps to let him into the room, and then walks over to his bed and sits down, setting up the pillows so they provide cushion for his back as he leans against the headboard.
He pats the spot on the mattress in front of him, “Come on, sit down. It’s okay. Don’t be shy.”
Nitori slowly makes his way over to the bed and shyly sits down in front of the older teen, blushing in the dark. He is surprised when Rin gently pulls him close, with his arms around his middle, and pulls the blanket over both of them.
“Now Ai, lean against me.” Rin commands gently.
“Okay, Rin-senpai.” he responds, leaning backwards ever so slowly. He rests his head against the other’s well-toned, firm chest. He relaxes a bit when he feels and hears his heartbeat against his cheek. “Like this?”
“Yeah, you're good.”
Rin begins to rub Aiichirou’s neck and shoulders in long, slow strokes.
“The first thing we’re going to do is breathe.” Rin spoke softly, “Start by exhaling for four counts, then inhale for four counts and exhale for eight counts.” he said, “Now, breathe with me.. Out…” He exhales slowly, closing his eyes, and listens as Nitori does the same. “In…” Both draw in a slow, deep breath. 1...2..3..4., “Out….” 1….2...3...4...5...6...7...8…
“And repeat. There, just like that. In….out...”
As Aiichirou breathes the rhythmic, slow pattern, he starts to feel the beginnings of calm envelope him. Eventually, Rin stops him with a soft, “Alright. That’s good. You can stop now.”
The grey-haired teen finishes his last two counts of his last exhale.
“How do you feel?”
“A little calmer.”
“Good.” Rin replies, “That was only the first part of this exercise. Now we’re gonna move on to the second one.” He trails off for a moment, before continuing, “Now. I want you to lean against me and close your eyes. Focus on my voice, and try to visualize the scene I’m describing.”
The kouhai obeys, resting his head back against his senpai’s warm body.. His blue eyes close and he draws in another deep breath. He feels Rin’s warm, gentle hands and arms come to rest comfortably around his abdomen and wrap him in a silk embrace that reminds the smaller teen of a warm, soft blanket.
Once they are both comfortable, Rin begins to narrate in a soothing voice, his deep voice, but with a hoarse rasp from fatigue. However, the rasp does not bother Ai. Rather, it makes Rin sound quite soothing, and attractive, and Ai loves it..
“It is a bright, early summer day in June. It’s late morning. You look up at the blue sky. It is mostly clear, with a few puffy clouds littered here and there.. The weather is surprisingly moderate for summer. It isn’t hot as H*ll. There’s even a gentle breeze in the air. It is the beginning of summer, yet the perfect weather is reminiscent of spring.
As you walk to where you’re headed, you observe the beautiful Sakura trees around you. They are in full bloom, and the delicate pink petals give off a beautiful landscape. You pass the trees, and a few of the tiny cherry blossoms flit down and lightly brush against the exposed skin on your arms. You smile, because the Sakura blossoms lift your mood.
You turn to fixate your gaze ahead of you, so you can see where you’re walking. You take a moment to inhale the scent of the air. It is a fresh smell, of flowers, yet it is also mixed with the salty, fishy smell of the sea. You can hear it now- the waves crashing against the sandy shore, the gawking of the gulls above you. You are almost there.
Eventually, the steps leading down to the beach come into view. You make your way towards them, walking down the short flight of three steps. When you reach the bottom, you slip off your shoes so that you can feel the warm, soft sand in between your toes.
You set your shoes down next to a familiar pair of sneakers. I am already there, waiting for you. You wiggle your toes in the sand, before you start making your way across the beach to our meeting spot. The ocean ambience has doubled-even tripled, and it surrounds you and fills you with genuine calm and happiness as you walk across the beach, kicking the sand up. You are walking in the midsection between the dry sand and the water, leaving footprints in the wet sand. There is no one there, and it is a quiet, relaxing environment.
You walk until a large, flat rock comes into view. Your face lights up when you see a familiar figure.
“Senpai,” You call, with your large, bright smile, “I’m here!”
I look towards you, away from where I had previously been staring out at the ocean, and I smile back, waving at you.
You have not seen me since summer began, and you are so overjoyed that you break into a run. I stand up and stretch my arms wide, waiting for you to reach me. You trip on a small pile of sand, and you stumble forward. I catch you in my arms.
“Careful.” I say. You regain your balance, and we both look at each other and laugh wholeheartedly..
I take your hand and lead you to the rock, which is big enough and flat enough that a picnic blanket has been set up. We sit side by side on the large rock, opening the basket of delicious homemade lunch that Gou made for us.
As we sit together, we catch up on almost a full month’s missing news. So, lunch ends up taking us twice as long to finish, but neither of us mind at all. When we finish, we put the dishes back into the basket, and then we move the blanket to the sand. I lay on the blanket, with my arms behind my head, and you sit beside me. You sit cross-legged, resting your hands on your knees.
We spend a few moments in a comfortable silence, listening and watching the waves crash upon the shore, and the gulls overhead while we let our food settle. You yawn, full and content, and I yawn after you, since yawning is contagious.
“Ai, lay with me.” I tell you.
You happily oblige, uncrossing your legs and adjusting your position. One of my arms goes around your side as you move and rest your head against my heart.
I smile affectionately down at you, and then I take off my baseball cap, and I cover my face with it.
You briefly adjust your position, before closing your eyes. You let the sound of my breathing, my heartbeat, and the ocean waves send you off to sleep.
Both of us end up dozing for about an hour or so. We wake up almost at exactly the same time. It is late afternoon. We stretch and yawn, before I put on my cap and stand up. I hold out my hand for you to take, and I help you off the ground, with a smile on my face. You return the expression, your beautiful blue eyes boring into mine.
Once you have stood up, I entwine my fingers with yours and we go for a walk across the beach. We walk in the water, letting the waves pool at our feet.
Eventually, it turns into a playful game, and we try to shove one another in the water. It results in both of us going for a swim and having a water fight.
We splash and rough house in the salty water, all the while with loud laughter and slapping of water enveloping us and filling the once serene air.
We spend a good while playing in the waves like children, before we grow tired and make our way back to our spot again. We take off our t-shirts, and ring them out, draping them over a rock to dry. Then, we lay side by side on the blanket again, letting the vibrant, warm summer sun dry our wet bodies. As we lay on our bellies, we pick up piles of warm sand, letting it slip through our fingers and immersed in pleasant conversation.
Eventually, our bodies grow stiff and we have to change positions. We both sit up, and I pull you into my arms and into my lap. You lean into my chest and my embrace. I kiss you softly on the top of the head, before I begin running my long fingers through your short, soft, grey hair. You sigh contently, and then I begin massaging your shoulders and neck. I knead and stroke, slowly and deliberately, loosening up your tight muscles. I massage your nape, your collar, and on and in between your shoulders and shoulder blades. You relax, leaning farther into my touch."
As Rin narrates, he massages Ai exactly where he says, and the sleepy teen relaxes even more.
"At one point, I take a break from massaging, and I nuzzle the top of your head, sliding my arms down your sides and wrapping them around your waist. I close my eyes and smile into your hair, which smells like it has been freshly washed. We rock very slightly back and forth, and I hum into your silky head.
I murmur, “You smell nice.”
You reply awkwardly, “Thank you. You smell nice too. And you’re really comfortable.”
I smile, because you are just so d**n cute. I eventually let go of you, and you turn to face me. We notice that the sun is starting to set. It is a bit chillier, and the breeze picks up. The sky has become a canvas painted with hues of pink and orange. And your face is illuminated perfectly in the dying light of day, which seems to give it a sort of glow. Your hair is tousled, and the wind billows through it, billowing it ever so softly. Your bright blue eyes are as large as ever. A soft, sweet smile is shining on your mouth. You are looking down slightly, a bit bashful, and pink blush dusts your cheeks. Your cheeks, I can’t help but recall what I noticed, aren’t quite as baby-round as they used to be. Your face has started to very slowly mature. The makings, I notice, of a very handsome young man. I am hit with a bit of nostalgia as I recall the day we met. You were a tiny fifteen-year-old, and you still had your baby face. You were the cutest thing I ever laid my eyes on. But of course, I was too stubborn and too much of a prick to admit that back then. And you still are. But now you’re older, and a little taller. Your attractive, as I’ve always found you, and I know that you are just going to mature and become even more attractive as you age.
You see me blush slightly, as the wind billows through my long cherry-red fringe. I keep my crimson eyes locked on your blue ones, and my hands slowly slide across the blanket to take yours. Our blushing deepens as we lean towards each other. Our lips meet, and we kiss underneath the setting sun, with the waves crashing in front of us, and the gulls gawking ahead…”
Rin ends his story.. He receives no response, and feels someone heavy against him, and he is met with the sound of slow, rhythmic breathing. With a smile, he looks down at Ai. He has fallen off to sleep. The redhead smiles. For once, I did something right.
“How long ago did you fall asleep?” Rin asks softly, wondering if Ai had heard all the way up to the end or if he had fallen asleep before that.
Ai makes a small noise and shifts ever so slightly. Rin panics for a moment, afraid he had woken him up. Yet the boy continues to sleep.
Rin sighs, and yawns. He slowly and carefully wriggles out from underneath Aiichirou, keeping a hold on his back. Keeping one hand to support him, he adjusts the pillows and lowers him onto them. He then pulls the blankets over the smaller teenager, making sure that he was tucked in and would not wake up again from the freezing air conditioner.
Before he settles down, he places a gentle kiss on Aiichirou’s temple. “I love you, Ai…” he murmurs softly, before he settles down into bed, turning on his side so that his back was to the other, feeling embarrassed and cowardly that he had not had the guts to say it to the younger teen’s face before he had fallen asleep.
Exhaustion takes him over, and clouds his mind. He is asleep before he can see the smile that curves on the other’s lips, or hear, “I love you too, Rin-senpai..”