Rin finished pasting down his last photograph for the day and laid the scrapbook down to admire his handiwork.

About a week after he and Haru had begun their meetings, he had started compiling a sort of research book that he kept well-hidden in his closet. He would put the photos Haru took in it, and would jot down notes. Every once in a while he glued in book excerpts or newspaper headlines dealing with merfolk, and he would ask Haru to confirm or deny common misconceptions or to explain sightings.

In the early pages he had tried sketching a diagram for explaining the makeup of the mermaid body, but had torn the page out to have Haru draw one instead. He smiled as he looked at it— the page was permanently marked in couple of spots from where Haru's arms had dripped water on it.

Haru's last batch of photos had been especially good. He had managed to get a few good shots of Prince Makoto and the royal family's castle. He had even gotten a long-distance shot of the Queen wandering in the garden. He hadn't explained why, but Haru had said he would never risk trying to get a photograph of the King. Rin didn't try to guess why.

He kept a second scrapbook as well, one where he collected random things he wanted to show Haru. He had managed to dig up a few more childhood photos from his parents, and had made a few elegant pages about Japan. He included pictures of Sousuke and his coworkers, and would snap pictures of almost any dog he saw to include for Haru. Those particular pages included little sharpie hearts that Haru had drawn next to his favorites as well as hastily scribbled 'ratings', such as "10/10- tiny legs" or "12/10- very fluffy, would like to pet" and so on.

As he left, he realized he should get a projector for his phone. Then, maybe, he could project his phone's screen onto the cavern wall and properly watch movies with Haru. He'd gotten a waterproof case, but something about huddling next to the phone screen together just didn't seem to cut it. It worked out just fine for random YouTube videos and the like, but he wanted Haru to see movies and shows as they were meant to be.

When Rin finally arrived at the cave, he first returned the camera to Haru and then showed him the newest pages he had made. He'd collected images of Harajuku's many unusual fashions, and he watched as Haru drew arrows and wrote notes about the things he liked and didn't like. Haru asked Rin about the kinds of things he wore when he wasn't out jogging or in his uniform, and Rin admitted that he liked getting dressed up quite a bit, and that his clothes were influenced by Japanese fashion.

When he had finished looking at the scrapbook, Haru brought Rin his sketchbook. For his art they had settled on fine-tipped quick-drying Micron pens, as the ink wouldn't bleed too much if it got wet and he didn't need to use his hands to smudge it. Rin whistled at the likeness of himself that looked back at him, and then turned to Haru with a smirk.

"You have noticed my teeth. I was waiting for you to ask me about that." He pulled at his gums, exposing his teeth to reveal, to Haru's shock (and horror), that all of his teeth were that way.

"...Yes," Haru replied sheepishly. Rin snickered.

"There's not any particular reason for it. They've been that way since I was little. I've had them filed down several times, but they still pose a hazard from time to time."

"I'll bet you've nearly bitten your own tongue off," Haru guessed. Rin only shuddered in response, apparently reliving an unpleasant childhood memory.

Haru allowed Rin to flip through the rest of the sketchbook, and he was susprised to find that Haru had attempted to draw him several times. He'd also drawn Sousuke, and he could tell it was referenced from the photos he'd taken for Makoto's benefit.

"How is he, anyway?" Haru asked when he noticed Rin admiring the portrait.

"Pretty good, actually, now that his attention's been diverted from me. He's been training a couple of the younger recruits."

"...Diverted?"

"Oh, uh... Sousuke has very serious mother hen syndrome. He needs to focus it on somebody. He got really worried when I started visiting you. He thinks I'm dating someone and hiding it from him."

"Makoto is similar. Every time he sees me lately he scolds me."

The two exchanged a dumbfounded stare that turned into a slow buildup of shared laughter. Rin shook his head.

"How did we end up with nannies for friends?" Rin asked.

"I'm not sure."

Haru fell silent, his eyes fixed on Rin as he continued flipping through his drawings. When Rin finally turned to look at him, his face changed to an expression of bewilderment, almost as if he felt he was being accused of something.

"What is it?!"

"...I was thinking..." Haru trailed off. Rin noticed how serious he had become and put the sketchpad away, crossing his legs and turning to face Haru.

"Yes?"

"You've shown me so many things. I'm sure it's been a lot of work for you to do, trying to teach someone everything about the world and thinking of ways to bring it to me. I can't even leave this area or stay out of the water too long." He shot Rin a warning glare when he saw him raise a hand to wave it off.

He wouldn't let Rin dismiss it. The bags under his eyes didn't lie.

"Well... Yeah, it's difficult sometimes, but it's fun! I like getting to be the one to show you these things."

Rin wasn't lying. Haru recalled his proud grin when they'd first made their arrangement to meet regularly, and the way his eyes had flared when he promised he'd show Haru "a sight you've never seen before", as he'd chosen to phrase it. This fact did not change Haru's mind.

"But all I ever bring you are things you've already seen before, besides the occasional good photograph of other merfolk," Haru continued.

Rin didn't know how to respond to that. He enjoyed Haru's gifts and the thought he put into them, but he wasn't wrong. Rin had seen enough fish, shells, and sea glass to last him an eternity. He'd lived by beaches his entire life.

"I know you're doing your best," he reassured Haru, patting his shoulder. It only seemed to irritate Haru, and his frown deepened.

Suddenly Haru jerked his head upright and pulled his spine straight, facing Rin more assertively than he ever had before.

"Meet me here again tonight. After it gets dark. You'll probably need the whole night."

Rin couldn't help but make a confused noise.

"I... I guess that can be arranged, but why so serious all of a sudden?"

"I'm going to do it."

Rin threw up his hands.

"You're going to do what?!"

The corners of Haru's lips twisted into a smug kind of smile, one that Rin had not yet seen.

"...I'll show you a sight you've never seen before."

------------

"Okay, you can drop it."

Nitori released a groan that somehow turned into a pained scream, letting the bar fall into its slot in the metal contraption above him. His arms flopped down to dangle limply off the sides of the bench. His lungs heaved up and down. He heard Sousuke click his tongue at him and jot something down on his clipboard.

"When did you turn into a physical therapist, anyway?!"

"I warned you." 

"What about me?!" A louder voice interrupted. Sousuke turned to find that Momo hadn't yet dropped his barbell. He nodded, and Momo released it with a shriek, sliding off of the bench to plop onto the floor.

"I didn't forget about you. I thought you could make it a little bit longer. And look at that! You did," Sousuke said with a self-satisfied smile. He felt something hit him in the back. He turned and found that Momo had thrown one of his sneakers at him.

"I can't feel my hands!" Nitori whined. Sousuke disappeared from the room and returned with their water bottles, refilled with cool, refreshing water. The two young men eagerly gulped it down, Momo nearly choking as he did so.

"Look, I may sound harsh, but you're making decent progress. That said, Nitori, your strength is a serious weak point. And Momo— you need to do some major endurance training. You've got boundless energy for all of thirty seconds, but if you don't learn to pace yourself this'll all be for nothing."

Sousuke's pupils nodded along as he talked, and studied his performance charts with genuine interest. As he packed up his things, he could see them quietly discussing their progress, one of them occasionally patting the other on the back in support.

He wasn't entirely sure when, exactly, Momo had shown up, but he had somehow ended up training two rookies. The Captain apparently appreciated it, and gave him a wink and nod every time they passed one another. Rin was starting to get suspicious.

"Sousuke!"

Speak of the devil, Sousuke thought to himself. Nitori and Momo immediately fell silent.

"Don't tell me—"

"I kind of need a shift covered."

The two stared each other down for at least a minute. Rin didn't budge. It annoyed Sousuke that Rin knew exactly how much he could get away with, but he couldn't be too angry. He could stop it anytime he wanted to. Maybe he didn't want to, and therein was the problem. He sighed and rubbed at his temples.

"Alright, fine— okay. I've got you covered. But I'd better get a shower first," he said, gesturing with his head at Nitori and Momo. The two waved at him, and Rin laughed.

"You running some kind of daycare?"

"Nah, I'm apparently a physical therapist. Or a personal trainer."

"And how are they coming along?"

"We're getting there. ...Slowly, but we're getting there."

Momo's second sneaker hit Sousuke in the back of the neck. He turned to lunge at him, and Momo crawled underneath one of the weight benches.

"I'm surviving," Nitori assured Rin. Rin's concerned expression had given him away. Sousuke chuckled.

Nitori's strange admiration for Rin had been apparent from day one. Rin had found him irritating at first, but had softened to him over time. They were on a first name basis, which was somewhat unusual for Rin, who preferred to use people's last names. Rin said it was a habit left over from his short time in Japan. (Sousuke always wondered why he had so many of those habits).

"Now, look. Minishiba could use a bit of an ass-kicking, but try not to kill Ai," Rin warned, his arms crossed. Sousuke scoffed at him.

"Again with the Minishiba", Momo grumbled from under the weight bench. Rin ignored him.

"You planning to tell me where you're headed tonight, or am I supposed to cover all of your shifts last second and not ask any questions?" Sousuke asked irritatedly.

Rin waved the question off with his hand as he turned to leave, saying goodbye to Nitori and Momo before doing so. Momo crawled out from his hiding place to wave a frantic goodbye with both of his arms.

Once the redhead was gone, Sousuke groaned.

"That wraps it up for today, I guess. I'll hit the showers."

Nitori took his chance at an early escape eagerly and darted from the room before Sousuke could say a proper goodbye. It seemed like everyone was doing their best to evade him. He glanced at the ground and confirmed that Momo was still seated there, looking bewildered as he stared at the empty doorframe.

"You didn't get a whole lot of time to chat today, did you?" Sousuke asked, and Momo quirked a brow at him.

"Well, no, but I didn't come here to chat."

"You didn't? Because I don't recall inviting you to join us, and Cap told me he had already hooked you up with a trainer. Which means you heard about our arrangement from Nitori and decided you'd rather be here. Why is that?"

He focused on Momo with an accusatory stare, and Momo avoided his eyes, retrieving his sneakers. He jumped up and tried to make a beeline for the door, but Sousuke caught his shoulder.

"When are you planning to ask him out? You know the Captain doesn't mind as long as it doesn't interfere with work," He said point-blank. Momo immediately tripped over his own words, sputtering as he tried to form a proper excuse out of all the ones that came pouring into his head.

"I'm not!" Momo eventually managed. Sousuke rolled his eyes and patted him on the back, sending him on his way.

He'd refer him to Rin, and if that didn't work, Sousuke would be left with no choice but to drop a hint to the Captain.

Alone once again, Sousuke gathered up his things and made his way to the showers.

------------

Rin sprinted across the beach, his sneakered feet kicking up sand.

He had worked with all the focus he could muster throughout his long work day. The excitement had been like an adrenaline boost for him, and he'd found that he finished certain tasks more quickly than he'd ever thought he could. The hours had flown by, and yet at the same time they had seemed to drag endlessly.

A sight you've never seen before. Haru's vague promise echoed in his mind once again, and he quickened his steps. He could feel his breathing becoming ragged, but he didn't care.

He nearly hit his head a few times as he maneuvered his way into the cove. Haru waited for him in the water, his head barely poking above the surface. It was nearly pitch-black without the sun. The just-now-rising moon only illuminated a small sliver of the water, and it was in this small illuminated space that Rin could see a pair of sapphire eyes observing him closely.

"Haruka," he said, feeling a grin twist the corners of his mouth.

"I can see your teeth from here," Haru responded flatly. Rin scoffed and knelt down beside the pool.

"Why did you call and tell me to bring my swimsuit at the last second?"

"We're going for a swim. I forgot you needed one of those."

"Where are we going?"

"That's a secret. Get changed," Haru said just before he submerged himself completely, disappearing from sight.

Rin sighed and stood up, quickly changing into his swimsuit. Every once in a while he stole a glance at the water just to make sure Haru wasn't peeking. When he was finished, he steeled his nerves and plunged into the water. It was even colder than he'd anticipated, and he yelled, disguising it as a celebratory cheer.

Haru reappeared and glanced him over. Rin couldn't help but notice that he looked mildly impressed, or perhaps pleasantly surprised.

"I've never seen a swimsuit like that one."

"It's an athletic one. Most people around here wear bikinis and board shorts."

"Is that semi-transparent section really necessary?"

"I've just got nothing to hide," Rin said with a smirk, splashing Haru. Haru glared, and then was suddenly underwater again, grabbing Rin's ankle and dragging him down.

As soon as he registered that Haru was trying to lead him and not to drown him, Rin followed along. They passed through a small underwater tunnel, eventually rising in a spot surrounded by large rocks. Rin gasped loudly for breath.

"You need to give me fair warning. I'm a human, remember? I have little human lungs and I don't have any gills." Haru's face reddened. He'd apparently forgotten that small detail.

"...We don't have to be underwater the whole time. Just until we're away from the beach and in the open water where we can see if there are any boats coming."

Rin nodded, following Haru underwater once more. Rin was glad that Haru couldn't see just how closely he was watching him. Seeing him move about underwater was something else entirely. They really were two different species— Haru's body moved almost as if it was weightless. Rather than fighting and cutting his way through the water, it almost seemed that it carried him.

After a few periods of diving, the two rested for a moment in a clear section against a pillar of rock. Rin glanced back and saw that the beach seemed to be at least a mile away. Perhaps Haru was using currents— his muscles didn't ache at all.

"I'll race you. First one to that far rock wins."

Haru took off before Rin could even register the comment as a challenge.

"Not fair!" He shouted, using the pillar as a kickoff point and assuming a butterfly stance.

Swimming, for him, was like riding a bike. He could avoid doing it for years, and it would come back to him as naturally as breathing, even if his form was rusty or his stamina left a lot to be desired. He furiously cut through the water, carefully regulating his breathing and his kicks. He caught a flash of silver-blue and realized he'd nearly caught up.

It was too little too late, however, and Haru slapped his hand against the rock. Rin caught up about two seconds later. Now he was tired— the rock was much further away than it had appeared to be.

When he looked up, he saw Haru staring at him with wide, almost frightened eyes.

"How the hell did you manage that?" He asked, and Rin furrowed his brows.

"I'm rusty. I told you I haven't practiced in a long time—"

"What are you even saying?! If we'd started at the same time you might have beaten me! I live in water, Rin."

Rin paused. He'd somehow forgotten that small detail.

"...Yeah, I guess you do. I won't feel too bad about losing by two seconds, then. In professional sports two seconds is a long time."

Haru's face became sad. Rin tried to laugh to break the mood, but Haru shook his head.

"You're incredibly talented. I can't understand why... Why did you give it up?"

Rin stiffened.

"It's nothing. It's a long story, anyway."

Haru didn't seem satisfied with his answer, but didn't push the issue. He pushed away from the rock, swimming lazily to allow Rin to keep up now that he was worn out. At this rate they were more drifting than swimming, and Rin could feel the waves pulling them along.

He looked up and noticed that the moon now hung high in the sky. It was a near-perfect circle, and the stars were beginning to show themselves.

"At least we've always had this in common," Rin said, pointing to the skies above. Haru hummed, shaking his head slightly.

"Not quite. You haven't seen it like I have, I'm sure of it."

"What's that mean?"

"I told you... It's a surprise. Anyway, look up there— we're almost to our destination."

Rin looked in the direction of Haru's pointed finger and could see a small mass approaching. He could see rocks and sand, and guessed that it was a tiny island.

"I've never seen this before," Rin breathed as they finally reached its shore.

"Well, there's almost nothing here."

"Almost?"

The moon was bright enough now that Rin could plainly see Haru smiling at him in the silvery light. He said nothing and gestured for him to follow, dragging himself onto the sand and forward towards the center of the island.

It really was tiny. Altogether it couldn't have been a half-mile across in either direction. But as he followed Haru, he saw what they had come for, and he stopped in his tracks to take it in.

"Go on," Haru encouraged, and Rin stepped forward as if compelled by some kind of magic.

Rin stood in water that only came to his chest at its deepest. The center of the island dipped down to form a pool. Rin felt the term oasis was appropriate. The water was still and a very clear, pale blue. It wasn't cold, either. The surface of the water did not ripple, instead forming a perfect, crystalline mirror.

Millions and millions of stars. Rin was standing in the stars.

He could scoop the stars up between his fingers, and could watch them trickle back into the mirror below. Looking up and down, he could hardly determine where the sky ended and the water began. The flickering lights danced on the water's surface in a way that almost compelled him to dance with them.

Living in the city— even his small city along the beach— he had never seen them like this. How far out had he and Haru traveled? How long would it take to get back? How tired would he be come morning? He couldn't bring himself to care. But looking at it, he could see that Haru was right.

Rin really hadn't seen the sky the way Haru had seen it.

"I can make out all of the constellations," he whispered as Haru floated to him. Haru was floating on his back, his eyes half-lidded. A dreamy expression had settled onto his face, and he looked like he could easily fall asleep that way. Rin decided to join him, letting go of the weight of his body and easing his way into a float.

There was no need to whisper, as it was impossible for anyone to hear them, but Rin somehow felt as if he'd be desecrating this place if he made too much noise. It was a zone of complete serenity. Loud sounds didn't suit it. Haru seemed to have the same frame of mind, as he'd barely spoken since their arrival.

"I feel small when I'm here. But... That's okay," Haru said, and Rin understood what he meant. Something about his own smallness felt comforting. Instead of feeling like his actions didn't matter, he felt like his mistakes didn't matter. That as imperfect and ugly a thing as he was, he could still gaze upon this beauty and know, somehow, that everything else would be okay.

It occurred to him that Haru was, in his own quiet and unassuming way, just as much a romanticist as he was. He couldn't help but smile at that. Actually, he couldn't help but smile at everything. He'd been smiling since the moment he saw the starry pool.

"This is pretty close to what I always dreamed about. When I lived in Japan, I always wanted... to swim in a pool filled with cherry blossom petals," Rin admitted. Haru hummed. "Actually, this may be even better."

"...Really?"

"...It is. It's much better," he confirmed as he took in his surroundings once more.

They floated side by side in relative silence for what seemed like hours. They would exchange a few words now and then, often asking questions that the other did not answer. Here, in this place, the silence was comfortable, and the questions didn't beg answers.

Rin had never felt so content simply to be with another. He didn't know of any other time he'd felt this aware of his own existence, or of the world around him. His heart swelled, and he wondered how he could feel so exhilarated and so relaxed at the same time. As he thought on it, he felt his fingers brush against Haru's, and seized his hand without thinking. Haru seemed to be in some sort of trance and paid it no mind. Rin stole a glance at him.

Haru's eyes were barely open, but what slivers of his eyes he could see were shimmering a more vibrant blue than any blue he'd ever seen. His long lashes fluttered sleepily, and his lids occasionally stayed closed for several seconds before opening again.

He was falling asleep. His dark hair flowed around his head like a crown, and his lips parted slightly every so often as if he were releasing small breaths. Finally, his eyes and mouth closed, and his breathing grew slow and steady.

Rin watched his peaceful face without moving or making a sound, and when he was certain that Haru was sleeping, he tightened his grip on his hand. He closed his eyes, feeling his breath hitch in his tightening throat. He wasn't sure why he was crying. He didn't feel that he was sad.

He thought for a moment. ...He knew exactly why he was crying, and it wasn't because he was sad. Not quite, anyway.

Rin took Haru's hand and held it tenderly to his own chest, only confirming what he had suspected when the evening had begun. He'd done the one thing he had promised himself he wouldn't do.

He had fallen in love.

------------

Exhausted, Rin plopped onto his bed. Sousuke hadn't yet returned home. He glanced at the clock— 4:45 AM.

Rin shook off the sleep threatening to overtake him and marched back into the kitchen, grabbing the phone. If he didn't do this now, he probably never would.

He felt nervousness rise in the pit of his stomach as the phone rang, and he stamped it down. Out there in that pool of stars, everything in his life had become unbearably clear to him. The complicated things had seemed so petty, so small. It didn't mean that he could fix them overnight, but he now felt that he could conquer the things that had held him back.

And he had to tackle the tallest obstacle while his high lasted.

"Hello? Who's calling at this hour?" Rin's mother answered groggily. He could hear his father grumbling beside her.

"Sorry to wake you, mom. It's me. It's Rin," he said quietly. He heard her jerk upright.

"Rin, sweetheart! You can call anytime you like, but what do you want this late?"

"Again, I'm sorry about the time, but I had to do this now. When can we meet up? Just the three of us, I mean."

Russell asked a question in the background, and Lori hushed him. Rin smiled.

"We... We're free tomorrow night if you don't mind coming over after nine. Has something happened?"

"No, mom. I just..." Rin took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "...I've decided that I need to tell you the truth. The truth about everything. And I can't do that over the phone. I'll see you tomorrow after nine."

Lori barely managed to choke out a confirmation and a goodbye through her sobs.

------------

AUTHOR'S NOTES

And so... IT BEGINS! Oh, Rin, you hopeless romantic you.

I wanted to include the whole "a sight you've never seen before" thing somehow, and then I remembered that cute scene from the first season where the Iwatobi gang finds a pool/waterfall thing like that where you can see all of the stars. I decided it was as romantic a place as any for Rin to have his realization.

And God, I'm glad I finally got to the part where Rin makes amends with his parents. Writing that awkward relationship was super painful for me, mostly because Lori is such an awesome character (I mean come on, she blatantly ships RinHaru).