Free! Iwatobi Swim Club: Words and Worry

[milkyetoile]

Fandom: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club
Rating: K
Pairing/Characters: Rin, Gou, Makoto (MakoRin if you squint)
Summary: Gou tells Rin the events of the Iwatobi Swim Club training camp.
Notes: Post-anime. | Entry for WeeklyFree! art/fanfiction challenge. | Prompt: Night | Rin POV | Spoilers for High Speed! light novel
This includes one of my headcanons for Rin. And my feels for High Speed (/sobs in a corner). This is un-beta'd.

Words and Worry
By Milky Etoile

Rin was never one to express his worry blatantly. He wasn’t the kind of person to genuinely ask about someone’s wellbeing. The only times the words ‘are you okay’ passed through his lips were when he was being sarcastic or bored, his voice usually carrying flat and deadpanned tones.

That was not to say that he never acted on any feeling of concern. Contrary to what most thought, he constantly worried about those he cared about. It was a trait he started to develop since he became an older brother. He just learned to tamp down and mask his caring side as he grew older, acting distant and indifferent.

Not that the act ever fooled those who really knew him like his sister.

This time wasn’t any different.

“…I don’t think they told me everything but…” Gou hesitated, glancing at Rin’s carefully blank expression from beside her. “They were probably really bothered by what happened. Especially them—well, him. Haru-senpai didn’t say how he reacted but I’m sure you can guess.”

She didn’t need to specify who it was. He was already making up assumptions and possible scenarios to fill in the blanks in his sister’s story of what truly happened during Iwatobi Swim Club’s training camp.

Her words made something painful twist in his gut. Memories flitted in his mind—

—water, dark, fear, sinking—

—white, beeping, bus, trembling—

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm and seated instead of running to a certain house and checking to see—

He released a heavy breath and looked at Gou, who remained silent throughout his inner turmoil. She knew of what happened years ago in the river when Haruka had been sick and delirious and almost drowned because of his stubbornness. She was aware of how worried Rin had felt, not just for Haruka but for Makoto as well. It was probably the main reason why she thought to tell him about the events of their training camp.

A flash of anger shot through him at the thought of Rei being the cause of the unnecessary danger his friends were put in. He immediately quelled the urge to strangle the boy, knowing by now that the freshman probably only meant to do his best in catching up to his teammates’ skills. Nonetheless, Rin swore to pull Rei aside some time to discuss certain safety rules in swimming, more specifically not swimming unsupervised during the night and looking up weather forecasts when at sea…

“Onii-chan? What are you going to do?”

Gou’s voice cut through his thoughts. He gave her a deadpanned stare. “What do you think?” he asked.

She bit her lower lip, appearing anxious. “Don’t hurt Rei-kun, okay? He really didn’t—doesn’t know…”

He sighed again. “Fine…”

Reprimanding the swimming newbie wasn’t his real priority though.

“I heard what happened during your camp.”

That was his greeting when Makoto opened his front door at precisely 10 PM the next day.

He watched as Makoto’s green eyes widened in surprise before they flashed with wariness even as the taller teen’s lips pulled up into his usual smile.

“Rin-chan, good evening!” he exclaimed as if he had received the same words. “It’s unusual for you to be here—”

“Don’t change the subject,” Rin interrupted with a sharp glare. “You shouldn’t have even agreed to doing that camp if you were just going to stay so close to the ocean.”

Makoto tried to meet his gaze but ended up sighing after less than half a minute. However, he didn’t answer, instead asking, “Shall we go for a walk?”

The red-haired swimmer merely stepped aside and waited for the other to put on his shoes. Soon, they were walking side by side along the barely lighted streets.

After going past a few blocks in mutual silence, Makoto finally spoke.

“If we didn’t do the camp, we wouldn’t have made it past the elimination round for the relay.”

Rin gave him another glare. “You could have done it somewhere else.”

Makoto shrugged. “Probably. But we didn’t—don’t—really have funds for anything, unlike your team. We couldn’t afford to pay for training facilities.”

Rin only narrowed his eyes.

“No one was really hurt,” Makoto assured. “We made it out just fine.”

“There was a storm. Anyone of you could have drowned.”

Makoto stiffened beside him and looked away. “We didn’t.”

A tense silence covered the pair for a few moments.

Then, Rin sighed.

“So? How did you take it?” he questioned, his tone forced into nonchalance. “Did you freeze or almost drown?”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Makoto.

“Rin, please.”

He didn’t voice out what he was pleading for but Rin was certain of what he meant.

Makoto’s hands were starting to tremble.

Rin looked away, knowing he’d pushed too far.

But if he didn’t, who would?

“You should at least tell your whole team about…” he trailed off uncertainly, not quite wanting to say the words.

—water, deep, fear, drowning—

“Haru knows,” Makoto responded in a weak whisper.

Rin’s stare darted back towards him. “Does he know how much?”

Makoto refused to say anything else on the matter.

But it was Haru’s fault that his fear worsened but, at the same time, it wasn’t.

“Tell them,” Rin demanded with another glare. The words ‘or else’ hung heavily in the air.

“But—”

“Aren’t they your friends?” His emphasis on the word implied many things (sharing secrets under the cherry blossom tree, watching out for each other, what friends). Despite their years of estrangement, Rin was certain that Makoto understood what he meant.

Makoto stared back at him, as if he was trying to see through Rin. The redhead fought the need to fidget under his gaze.

Suddenly, Makoto chuckled, making him even more uncomfortable.

“W-what’s so funny?”

Makoto’s eyes brightened as his lips curved upwards into a smile. A warm feeling was practically oozing from the taller male, almost making Rin take a step back.

“They are,” Makoto said in response to his previous query. “I’ll tell them soon so you don’t need to worry, okay, Rin-chan?”

He harrumphed and started walking ahead, tucking his hands into his pants’ pockets. “Who said anything about worrying?” But, despite what he said, that horrible feeling in his chest began to loosen, making his shoulders sag down in relief.

“I’m glad to have Rin-chan as my friend,” Makoto added from behind him before their footsteps began to match again. His smile seemed to have widened, if it were possible. “You still watch out for me, even after everything.”

“Tch. Shut up.”

His tone was harsh but he couldn’t stop his cheeks from warming at Makoto’s carefree laughter and words.

(Because despite his indifference and refusal to be close to anyone, he still wanted to keep his friendships—and Makoto just affirmed theirs.)