@overheardatthepool dared to Makoto fic writers to use the word ‘smaragdine’ when describing his eyes and I’m not one to back down from a fic challenge, so here you go:
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Possibly Makoto's least favourite trait of drunk Rin was when he tried to show off using his English skills. Rin was fantastic at English, there was no doubt about that. He'd lived in Australia for many years, so it was only to be expected that he'd be fluent.
But that was never enough for Rin. He had to find some fancy word that none of them had ever heard of before. Some of the stuff he came out with Makoto was sure that even native English speakers hadn't heard before.
And as Rin stared at him across the table, eyes slightly glazed over and a giddy smile across his face, Makoto just knew it was coming.
“Smaragdine...” Rin whispered, as if he was relaying some secret code.
“Smah... rag... deen?” echoed Makoto. Then he followed up by not asking what it meant. Because he knew that Rin wanted him to ask what it meant.
“Yeah, that's you,” said Rin.
“Pretty sure it's not,” Makoto replied. He had no idea what the word meant, but he knew enough about how Rin was after a few pints to know that it would just be something he'd come across online somewhere and wrote down in case he ever needed it in future.
“It's an... emerald?” explained Rin, because he was going to explain it, even if Makoto didn't ask, “Some kinda green, that's what it is.” Then he pointed at Makoto's face, specifically at his eyes, but his hand was shaking around so much that it was hard to tell; “So there... your eyes are smaragdine.”
Makoto smirked; “Is that a compliment?”
“The best one,” Rin assured.
“All right. Well... thanks then. I'll just go Google some different words for red and give you a compliment right back,” Makoto said.
“That's cheating...” Rin muttered.
But Makoto was already scrolling through his phone; “Ruby, crimson, cherry, scarlet, vermillion, rosy, flaming – yes, definitely that – burgun-”
“Nooo... they don't count,” Rin whined, “It's got to be a gemstone.”
“Pretty sure that ruby is a gemstone,” said Makoto.
It was too much for Rin. He slumped down against the table, rested his head on his arms and glared out at Makoto with that special Rin frown he saved for when he was especially drunk and annoyed.
“If you're not going to take it seriously...” he said.
“Okay, I'm sorry. I take your obscure English words very seriously,” Makoto replied.
He got up and headed around the table to give Rin a nudge. But Rin just stubbornly sagged back into place and refused to move.
“You don't even remember what it is,” he accused.
“Smarg... uhdeen?” Makoto tried.
“Not even close,” huffed Rin, “Smaragdine. You have beautiful, smaragdine eyes.”
“Why thank you,” Makoto replied, “Your eyes are nice as well.”
“Wait... no, I didn't mean- ...Ugh, I guess I kind of did? Look, my head is fuzzy, so just take the compliment and go,” stammered Rin.
“I'd rather... take it and stay,” Makoto said.
Rin looked up at him, some of the layers of his annoyance falling back. The cogs were turning in his head. It was cruel, but Makoto knew that Rin's low alcohol tolerance meant that he couldn't hold onto a bad mood for long. Eventually, Rin pulled himself up as best he could manage and nodded.
“All right, but the next drinks are on you, since you owe me for that, smaragdine boy,” he decided.
“Only if you never call me that again,” Makoto cheerfully replied, as he moved away to go order another round from the bar.
Rin watched him go. He waited until Makoto was out of earshot before he muttered; “...No promises.”
Title: Different but the Same
Fandom: Free!
Rating: T
Pairing: Matsuoka Rin/Tachibana Makoto
Summary: Things have changed from since they were kids, but Rin thinks Makoto is still a huge pushover. Strangely enough, he doesn't mind.
Warnings: AU. Watch out for timeline changing and chronological event differences.
( they lay side by side, hand in hand, looking at the sky )
