Nov 24, 2015
The two pieces I did for SASO 2015
seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from Australia
seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from Australia
seen from Russia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Australia
seen from Russia
seen from United Kingdom
The two pieces I did for SASO 2015
Daichi looks at him, his expression blank at first. After a moment, it turns into a coy smile. "Suga, are you telling me that I'm the man of your dreams?"
Feathers was Team DaiSuga's Main Round 1 entry for the 2015 Sports Anime Shipping Olympics, where it came in sixth place.
Click here to read!
I guess we’re done with SASO, so here is my entry (not submitted) for “sins and virtues” for team rinrei! Read the rest of the comic below the cut or at pixiv (black and white). If anyone is interested, please expect a print fanzine with both comics, plus additional never-before-seen pages, plus other stuff... in like... some time... maybe. Possibly never. But maybe some day.
Also, I’m sorry for the long post, for my, ahem, non-rinrei friends who are still my friends somehow who are on mobile. But I think we all know deep down I’m not sorry. I’m never sorry.
I totally drew this start to finish in like 4 days, so that’s why there are no backgrounds after the first page, lmao. Anyways, I tried to put in all 7 sins and virtues, but there was an image limit, so that’s why it’s so wordy. And should Hell and High Water ever finish on a happy note, it would be like this,but it ends sadly, so nope.
So since final voting for SASO Round 2 is over, I guess it’s fine for me to reveal that I wrote our submitted entry this time around. It didn’t make it to the final stage of voting, sadly, but I had a good time doing it and I hope everyone who read it enjoyed it!
The theme was “Sins and Virtues.” I hope you like it!
We’re all guilty of something.
Gluttony
Rin gives affection freely, and Rei takes it just as easily.
Rin grabs Rei’s hand whenever he can. Holds it up and presses light kisses to it every now and then. Traces little circles on the top of his hand. Comes up behind him, wraps his arms around Rei’s waist, and settles his chin on Rei’s shoulder. Runs his fingers through Rei’s hair and kisses his cheek.
Rei’s come to expect it, almost begs for it when it’s not there. Now, as they sit in Rin’s dorm room, he does so, settling against Rin as they watch a movie. He doesn’t make any move to hold Rin’s hand or to cuddle him first, but he does make his presence known.
And Rin obliges, wrapping an arm around Rei to pull him in closer, pressing lips to his cheek as they settle in. He puts a hand on Rei’s knee and gives it a playful squeeze, causing Rei to yelp, laughs and tugs Rei down further against his chest. A hand goes into Rei’s hair, massaging his scalp with his fingers, soothing him. It’s such a calming motion it’s put Rei to sleep before.
Rin keeps it up as the movie plays on. Fingers trail up and down his arms. Lips ghost in light kisses on his neck. Eventually they’re lying down, Rei’s face pressed into Rin’s shirt while Rin rubs his back lightly.
Rei lets him touch his body with a hunger he’d never knew he possessed before Rin came. Rin’s changed so many things. The second his hands come to rest, Rei presses into them, begging for just a little bit more.
Rin obliges, like always, and Rei hums with satisfaction, rewarding Rin with a kiss.
He could be like this forever.
Prudence
He holds Rin’s hand the first time for practical reasons. The train station was crowded, so he grabbed Rin so they wouldn’t get separated.
It’s not until they’re outside in the sunlight, hands still linked, that he notices Rin is blushing and looking away. It confuses him a moment, because they’ve held hands before – Rin has no reason to look so bashful about it.
And then he puts it together: this is the first time he initiated.
As they walk, Rei finds himself reanalyzing all their time together. Rin had known, when they started dating, that Rei wasn’t good at physical affection. He’d known, but just because he knew, did that really mean Rei could go on like this?
They return to Rin’s dorm. Another movie date, after some time spent shopping. Like before, they sit down on his bunk, and like before, Rin starts to pull him close.
Rei stops him, slipping his own arms around Rin instead. He remembers all the things that Rin liked doing to him the most, the gentle kisses, the nuzzling, the hands trailing patterns on his skin. It’s Rin’s turn to feel that good.
Rei’s hands are awkward and unpracticed compared to Rin, but he tries, slowly moving in patterns he remembers from Rin’s own touches. Rin himself is blushing again, but he relaxes into the attention, a small smile growing on his face.
Rei pulls him down to the bed and wraps his arms around Rin, pulling them close together.
“Is this alright?”
“It’s great, Rei,” Rin mumbles against his chest.
Rei thinks he likes giving affection as much as he likes getting it.
Envy
Rin pushes Rei up against the door of his dorm room roughly, not even bothering to take this to the bed. His hands push Rei’s shirt up in their path to his shoulders, dragging his nails along Rei’s chest as he goes. Rei moans, his breath hot where his face is buried in Rin’s neck, and he lifts his arms obediently so the shirt can be yanked over his head.
The moment the shirt is off, Rin has his own mouth against Rei’s neck, and he’s biting, hard, marking Rei up with his teeth. Marking him so that everyone who looks at him will know that he’s Rin’s.
“I’m going to take you rough,” he growls.
It’s a command and not a question, but Rei gasps in answer anyway, “Please, yes, please,” his own hands scrabbling to pull Rin’s shirt off. Rin makes quick work of it for him, and Rei makes a noise of disappointment that is quickly replaced by more moans as Rin starts marking his chest.
Behind them, Rin imagines Haru. He imagines Haru watching while Rin ravishes Rei, leaving bruises where his fingers dig into his tanned waist, possessive, definitely leaving scars where his teeth break the skin on his shoulder. He wants Haru to know that Rei is his, and he wants to erase any thought of the other boy from Rei’s mind. Rei’s always saying, “Isn’t Haruka-senpai’s swimming beautiful?” Always watching him with those shining eyes. Rin will make sure he knows who the beautiful one is here.
(He doesn’t know that Rei gives even more glowing praise of his form, that Rei is always talking about how it’s the most beautiful, because he’s always in the water for it.)
Rin moves Rei off the door and pushes him onto the bed. “Please, Rin,” Rei moans, and Rin gets on top of him, powerful arms on either side of his lover. He lowers himself down, and his teeth capture Rei’s lips. Possessing him fully.
Temperance
“Hello, Rin.”
The greeting is sunny, just as Rin has come to expect, but he can’t help but gape anyway. He’s come to spend the night with Rei, while his parents are out of town, but suddenly he feels like he should be slinking away.
The marks Rin left on Rei’s neck after practice two days ago are still there, barely hidden behind the high-collared vest he probably wore to school today. Rin can’t see much else, but he can just imagine the rest are there, and the bruises on Rei’s waist, too.
Had he really done that?
“Uh- hey, Rei,” he says, almost guiltily, and walks briskly into the apartment, ignoring Rei’s curious look. Rei had asked for that, had said, “Please, please,” and it wasn’t like it was the first time Rin had put him in such a state. But that was always because he was too lost in Rei to care. This had been because of jealousy. This hadn’t been honest.
Rei, picking up on his hesitance, comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Rin’s waist. Trying to comfort him even if he doesn’t know what he’s comforting for. When Rin feels a kiss press to the back of his neck, and then another, he turns, taking Rei into his arms instead.
“Hey, what do you say we put in a movie and I give you a massage or something?”
Rei looks surprised, but pleasantly so. “Alright… that sounds nice.”
He starts to guide Rin toward his room, and Rin adds, “And I’ll cook dinner tonight, too, so don’t worry about it.”
Rei stops, turns and looks at him, surprise heightened.
“Am I getting pampered this weekend?”
Rin grins, leans forward to kiss Rei. The kiss is gladly returned. “You deserve it for putting up with me.”
Rei laughs, like that’s a joke. Rin follows him into his bedroom.
Lust
“Should we really be doing this?”
Rei huffs in disappointment and tries to swallow Rin’s protests in a kiss. He thought this was what Rin wanted, the way he’d clearly been trying to seduce him the whole time they’ve been shopping.
It had worked. Despite his better judgment and against all sensibilities, Rei finds himself in Rin’s changing room, both of them half dressed, the suit jacket Rin had been trying on tossed carelessly on the floor. Rei doesn’t want to stop. He doesn’t want to listen to sense, not now, not when he’s so hard and Rin is so delicious under his lips.
“I love this, Rei, really, but I need to buy this suit before-“
Rei cuts him off with a snarl, tugging on his pants. This isn’t fair at all – the one time he does something sexy and unexpected, Rin wants him to stop!
He gets a hand down Rin’s pants and squeezes his cock, which does the trick – Rin moans and starts trying to reach down his pants with him, bucking his hips into Rei’s hand to encourage him.
“I need you,” Rei breathes. “Right now, I need-“
“Excuse me, sir? This is mall security.”
Rin and Rei freeze, staring at each other in shock.
They’re thrown out of the store before Rin can buy his suit.
Justice
The suit is a nice one, as close to Rin’s size as Rei could get (having similar body types helps). It’s in a garment bag Rei keeps close to his body as he gets off the train to Samezuka.
Rin meets him at the train, eyebrows rising when he sees the bag. He gestures at it after their kiss.
“What’s that?”
“A new suit, of course. You need one for meeting with scouts, right?”
“Well, yeah, but how did you get my- never mind, that’s obvious.” He grins a little, digging in his pocket. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
Rin stops, blinking at him. “Huh?”
“My indiscretion caused you to be kicked out of the shop, so I felt it was only right to buy you this,” Rei explains, shaking the bag a little, and Rin gapes at him.
“You didn’t have to spend your own money on it! I can pay you back, really-“
“I won’t let you.”
Rei presses a kiss to Rin’s stunned cheek, and forces the bag into his hand.
“Come on, let’s go see how it looks on you.”
Greed
“You’ll never believe it, Rin,” Rei crows, flying into his arms and pressing a kiss to Rin’s lips before he knows what’s happening. Rei’s excitement is infectious, though, and Rin feels himself growing enthused from his tone alone.
“What happened?”
“One of my teachers encouraged me to write a research paper for a contest, and it was selected as a winner! I get to present it at a conference!”
It’s not something most people would find exciting, maybe, but as Rin listens to his boyfriend tell him the details in a rush, he’s happy for him. It’s going to look really good on his college applications, as if he needed the help with his scores. But he’s proud of Rei for doing something like that, and when Rei reveals that he can invite guests, he’s ready to say he’ll go, until…
“Saturday?”
“Yes. In the evening, so classes shouldn’t be a problem – you’re done at one, right?”
“Yeah, but I have a meet Saturday.”
The smile falls from Rei’s face so fast that Rin cringes. “But… it’s just a practice meet, isn’t it?”
“I can’t just skip meets, Rei. You know that!”
Rei’s deflating by the second, but Rin doesn’t budge. His dream is the most important thing. Rei has always agreed, before.
“But… But I thought, for this, maybe…”
Rin shakes his head. “Sorry, but I can’t.”
For a moment, he thinks Rei will protest. But in the end, he doesn’t. He just nods his head in agreement, like always. “Alright.”
Rin wonders sometimes if Rei will ever get tired of him taking so much of his love without giving much back.
Faith
The second his last event is over, Rin throws on his clothes and sprints out of the natatorium to catch a train.
He glances at his watch, heart beating fast. He has only forty minutes to make it to the venue and find the room Rei’s giving his speech in, and he’s not sure if he can make it in time.
But he has to. Rei has given him so much with nothing but the expectation of Rin’s love in return, and he has to prove to Rei that his faith in him will be rewarded, however he can.
And that’s why he runs, as fast as he can, out of the station when the train stops, dodging pedestrians and shooting through crosswalks as soon as the light changes. Fifteen minutes.
He’s gasping for breath when he makes it to the exhibit hall, and almost growls when he’s stopped by a security guard.
“I have to get in there, I’m already late!”
“You’re not getting in without a pass,” says the guard tonelessly, clearly judging his ragged appearance. Rin’s aware that he’s wet, red-faced, and wearing a track suit, but he needs in!
“A pass… right.”
He digs in his bag, praying that he remembered it. And there it is, at the bottom – the pass Rei had given him, with a quiet, “Just in case.” He presents it to the guard, who holds it up to the light for what feels like an age, before finally handing it back.
“You can go.”
Rin rushes in, turning some heads at his late entrance. But he doesn’t care about any of them, because he’s right on time and Rei is just stepping up to the podium.
Rei’s eyes are wide in shock when they meet Rin’s, and then he beams, the sun Rin has come to love.
He made it.
Pride
“Try this.”
Rei wrinkles his nose at the ice cream, pushing the cone away from him. Rin had been acting silly since they got to the park, and Rei’s starting to get a bit tired of it. People are starting to look.
“Why did you get that? You don’t even like sweets.”
Rin just grins, holding the ice cream toward him again. “But it’s romantic to share, isn’t it? Come on, it’s lime sherbet, it’s not even that sweet.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Rin’s voice gains an agitated edge. “Rei, really, just try some.”
Rei heaves a sigh and nods. “Fine.”
He tries to take the cone, but Rin shakes his head and pushes the cone toward him, smiling encouragingly. Rei frowns, but leans forward obediently for a lick.
The ice cream collides with his face, leaving sherbet on his cheek and nose.
“Uh-oh.” Rin giggles, gripping Rei’s chin in his free hand. “Looks like you have some on your face.”
He leans in to lick it off, and Rei panics, pushing him away. People are staring. People are judging.
“Stop that! You’re embarrassing me!” he snaps, wiping the ice cream off on his hand. Now he’ll be sticky. He scowls.
“Geez, I’m just trying to have some fun!” Rin snaps back, glaring at him. “You’ve let me do this kind of stuff before!”
“Yes, at home, where-“ He stops, sensing dangerous territory.
“At home where what!?”
“Where no one can see!”
Rin looks like he’s been stung. “So what if someone sees? We’ll never see these people again!”
“Yes, but what if-“
“What if what? Someone knows we’re dating!?”
Rei doesn’t say anything.
Rin stares at him a long time, then turns around and stalks off, throwing the ice cream cone in a trashcan with a heavy finality.
“Sorry dating me embarrasses you.”
Courage
He catches up, grabs Rin by the hand.
Rin pulls away instantly, and it hurts, but Rei doesn’t allow himself to feel it now. He focuses on Rin. He’s the one wounded. He’s the one who didn’t deserve it.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, knowing it doesn’t fix anything. Rin says nothing and keeps walking, and Rei doesn’t know what to do to heal this. But he has to, if he doesn’t want to lose Rin.
He takes Rin by the hand again, refusing to let him pull away this time. And then he spins him around, to face the other people in the park.
The picnicking couple they passed, the joggers, the ice cream salesman. He faces them all. And he shouts.
“This is Rin! He’s my boyfriend! And I care about him very much!”
He looks back at Rin, who’s blushing now, caught like a deer in the headlights. And he smiles at him. “And I’m not ashamed of him! Even when he wants to lick ice cream off my nose.”
Rin’s flush glows brighter. “Geez, idiot,” he mutters. “Now I’m embarrassed.”
People are staring. People are judging.
Rei kisses Rin.
Sloth
“Have you bought your plane ticket yet?”
Rin’s face goes a bit slack, his grin falling. Shit, he knew he was forgetting something, and now Rei’s innocent question reminded him.
“Not yet. I’m waiting until it gets a little closer, you know? Then they start lowering prices to fill seats.”
“Hm,” mutters Rei skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “You should do it soon, anyway. Graduation’s only a little over a month away.”
“I know, I know. But I’ve been really busy with training and everything.” He shrugs, grin returning. “But don’t worry, Rei. I promised I’ll be there, so I’ll be there!”
“I hope so. Gou-san and Nagisa-kun are very excited about it.”
“And you’re not?”
Rei gets a cute little blush, and Rin can’t help but chuckle. “Of course I am. I’m looking forward to it. It’s… been a long time.”
He adjusts his glasses, probably trying to hide his emotions behind his hand. Rin suddenly feels his own eyes prickling, and wishes he could reach through the computer screen and kiss boyfriend. Almost a full year in Australia has been amazing for his training, but has also driven him crazy missing Rei.
“But you’ll make sure to book your flight today, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do it. Don’t worry, Rei, I’ve got it.”
“Alright.” Rei smiles brightly. “I’ll talk to you soon. I love you, Rin.”
“Love you too,” Rin says, just before ending the video call. After all this time, he still blushes when he hears it.
He goes next to look at flights. He’s just pulling up the schedules for that weekend, the weekend of Rei and his sister’s graduation, when his phone alarm rings.
“Shit,” he mutters, jumping up and grabbing his swim bag. He’s going to be late for evening practice if he doesn’t hurry.
He glances at the flights, then closes his laptop. He’ll have time to do it later.
Hope
“Please, you have to have something. I’ll take Thursday overnight if I have to.”
It’s the third time he’s called an airline today, and it’s done no good so far. There are no open seats on a plane going to Tottori prefecture in Japan. Not in the next week. Not in time for Rei and Gou’s graduation.
He remembers Rei warning him, over and over, to be sure he did this. And normally, he would have. Normally, he is on top of things like this. He considers himself to be a pretty organized person.
But he’d gotten so caught up in his training and his work that he’d put it off, and now it was too late.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have a flight we can put you on. This tends to be one of our busier weekends – you should have booked ahead.”
He knows! Rin has to take a few deep breaths to keep from snarling at the customer service representative. She’s only doing her job, he reminds himself. And this isn’t her fault.
“Is there a waiting list I can go on, then? I can leave as early as Thursday afternoon and as late as Friday afternoon. I’ll take any number of layovers, I just need to be in Tottori by Saturday morning.”
“We’ll do the best we can, sir. You might have to pay a little more.”
“That’s fine, whatever, I just need to get on a flight.”
“Okay. I’ve put you on a waiting list. You’re the third on it, so if three seats open up, we’ll call you.”
Three? Rin feels his blood pressure rise, but he can’t do anything about it, short of turning back time and booking the flight earlier.
“Thanks for trying.”
“Sorry, sir. Goodbye.”
He keeps his phone within reach all week, bags packed by Wednesday just in case. He hasn’t told Rei yet, because he doesn’t know how to tell him. How do you tell your boyfriend you’re a disappointment?
But he calls the airline everyday asking for status. Two of the people on the waiting list have been given seats, sir. You’re at the top.
Rin doesn’t sleep at all Thursday night, staring at his phone, hoping and praying. This has to work out. It has to.
Friday morning, he gets a call.
“A seat opened up on our one thirty if you can get here by then, sir.”
Rin’s heart soars.
“I’m on my way.”
Wrath
“Why won’t you ever listen to me!?”
“Because you’re being unreasonable!”
“Unreasonable!? I’m unreasonable!? You’re the one who got us lost!”
“Getting lost isn’t the end of the world, Rei!” Rin snaps, feeling irritation with his boyfriend grow. They’ve been wandering the streets for two hours now – they’re tired, and their nerves are frayed, and he really doesn’t want to be lectured by his boyfriend anymore.
“My parents are probably worried and you’re breaking curfew! It’s certainly not good!” Rei fires back, sick of Rin dismissing his concerns. “If you’d just get a cab like I suggested an hour ago-“
“I told you, cabs are expensive!”
“It’s better than wandering around!” Rei huffs, adjusting his glasses contemptuously. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re annoying.”
“Annoying!?”
“All you’ve been doing is nagging at me since we left the theater! Even you have to be sick of listening to yourself by now.”
“You’re sick of me!? Is that what you’re saying?” Rin glares at him, and he glares back. “You’re not always a treat yourself, you know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean!?”
“It means you can be annoying, too! Not to mention rude and selfish.”
“I’m rude and selfish, huh? So what, Rei? What? Are you going to break up with me?”
“Maybe I will!”
“Not if I break up with you first!”
“Are you turning this into a competition? Our breakup!?”
They stop on the sidewalk, turning to face each other, eyes narrowed.
And then, together, they notice.
Love
They’re still holding hands.
Both of them go quiet, staring at their hands. Their fingers are laced together, tightly, like nothing can pull them apart. Even through all the arguing, they didn’t let go.
The silence stretches on as both of them think. The good times and the bad… they’re not worth being lost over this.
It’s Rin who speaks first, voice wavering. “Do you still want to break up?”
Rei shakes his head, eyes shining. “No.”
They move closer, kiss under the streetlight. Apologizing silently, the words neither of them can find pressed directly into their lips.
When they pull away, Rin says, “Let’s get a cab.”
“I’ll pay,” Rei offers.
They turn to start walking again. Rin lets go of Rei’s hand, only to move his arm around Rei’s shoulders. Rei wraps his arm around Rin’s back.
“I love you, Rin,” he whispers.
“I love you too, Rei.”
Title: Stripping is Not Beautiful
Pairing: RinRei
Prompt: That part in Future Fish where police!Rin thrusts his hips (you know the one)
“Stripping is not beautiful.”
Weeks ago, that was what he had insisted on. But Nagisa had wheedled, and wheedled, and wheedled, until Rei finally agreed to go with him, just once. It was a life experience they needed to have, according to Nagisa, so they trooped together to a club downtown, Rei hoping desperately that no one from work would see him.
They went in, sat at a table near the front of the building. A lot of the people watching were women in tiny outfits, who cheered the strippers on while giggling at the inappropriateness of being there. Rei wasn’t sure what made him more out of place, his gender or his relatively classy, unrevealing clothing.
Unlike his polo and slacks, Nagisa was wearing a flashy t-shirt and tight jeans, a leather jacket tossed casually across his chair. He seemed much more fitting as he cheered for the dancers, waving money around teasingly and giggling when one of the strippers blew him a kiss from on stage. “I think that one likes me, Rei-chan!”
“Mmhm,” replied Rei distractedly, glancing around to make sure no one was recognizing him. He wasn’t particularly enjoying any of this – not even the drink he’d bought was helping.
“Don’t be boring, Rei-chan,” huffed Nagisa, flopping back down in his seat. “Watch the dancers! Aren’t they beautiful?”
“They aren’t,” he replied smoothly, and Nagisa rolled his eyes and went back to watching. And Rei stood firmly by that assessment, until he came on.
He was wearing a fake policeman’s uniform, complete with hat, and he walked out slowly to a sensual pop song Rei had never heard. He moved with precise, fluid movements to the music, all alone on stage and owning it. He moved closer to the audience, hips gyrating smoothly in time, and Rei found he couldn’t take his eyes off him.
He was gorgeous.
Rei watched, enraptured, as he hopped off the stage, moving into the crowd to an eruption of cheers. He moved to different women in the crowd, giving them second-long lap dances or moving close as though to kiss them before pulling away. Women shoved bills into the waistband of his pants to encourage him.
And then he turned and came toward their table. Rei felt his heart jump into his throat in shock. The man grinned at him, right at him, and his grin was sharp, teasing, but oddly inviting. He locked eyes with Rei, and Rei’s vision was filled with bright red, full of life and soul and focused all on him.
He couldn’t breath.
The stripper stopped at their table finally, dancing seductively in front of them. After a moment, he took off his hat, freeing a long, red ponytail, and put the hat on Rei’s head, leaning in so close as he did it that Rei could feel his breath, hot against his cheek.
Rei could have fainted.
And then the moment was over. The dancer was gone, back on stage, pulling off his shirt and freeing his hair from its ponytail as Rei watched. His muscles were absolutely delicious. Rei was impressed by just how fit he was.
He’d hoped to see more, but that was as far as the dancer got before his routine was over, and he disappeared backstage while other dancers took their turn. He felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment, but it dissipated when he reached up and felt the hat still sitting on his head.
Nagisa was giggling, and had been for a while. “At least close your mouth, Rei-chan!”
Rei closed it with a snap, blushing furiously. “H-how long was I doing that…?”
“Pretty much the whole time,” replied Nagisa cheerfully, and Rei groaned and yanked the hat down to hide his face. The most beautiful man he’d ever seen had come right up to him, and he had gaped like a fish. How not beautiful. How embarrassing.
“I take it you liked that dancer, huh, Rei-chan?” asked Nagisa, and Rei could only sigh.
This was the fifth time he’d been back since the first time with Nagisa. He’d been alone those times, like he was then, and he hoped no one had found out about his once-a-week excursions to the strip club.
He still didn’t find the other dancers particularly enticing (though he had grown a profound appreciation for what they were able to do, as an art form), only that one. He knew now that his name was Rin (no last names, though, for the protection of the dancers) and that he was a crowd favorite. He’d seen other dances of his, in a variety of outfits, and he’d gotten to see his toned legs as well as his arms and torso.
Every part of him was beautiful, and Rei was finding himself insatiable.
He sat close to the stage now, and he’d put several bills now in Rin’s pants, blushing every time. He didn’t try to talk to him or anything, tried not to bother him, because he surely didn’t want to be bothered and probably liked women anyway. He just wanted to watch, and maybe indulge the occasional fantasy, the occasional dream that Rin the dancer appeared at his house, pulling off his clothes just for Rei this time.
When the show was over, he went to clear his tab at the bar. He’d trailed behind most of the other patrons and was the last to walk to the door, nodding to the bartender as he left.
When he rounded the corner to the exit, he saw a figure leaning on the wall right by the door, and his heart stopped.
He had to be dreaming.
Rin grinned at him, smoothing back his hair idly with a hand. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, a jacket folded over his arm, and the casual clothing made him look different, down-to-earth, but no less beautiful.
For a moment, Rei hesitated, and then he shook himself out of his trance. There was no way Rin was waiting here for him - maybe his friends were still backstage, or he was waiting for the bartender, anything else. Rei was, after all, just a random patron, and this was just a coincidence.
He nodded politely at Rin and started to walk past him, only to stop when he felt a hand touch his arm lightly.
“Hey.”
Now he knew he must be dreaming. This is how some of them started, after all. Rei stopped, turning back to Rin and hoping he didn’t look too dumbfounded.
“Um. Hi?”
Maybe he was imagining it, but Rin looked a little nervous as he smiled back at him, pushing his hair back again. “So some of the other guys are starting to call you my fanboy. I’ve never really had a regular before.”
Rei wondered how that could possibly be, how anyone who saw him dance once wouldn’t want to keep coming back. Instead, he said, “I watch the others, too.”
“Yeah, but they all notice you’re more interested in me.” He shrugged, looking away a little, like he was nervous that he might be wrong. He was much more bashful than Rei had imagined, but it only made him more endearing.
“Anyway, I guess I just wanted to meet my biggest fan,” he continued, turning back and smiling at Rei. His smile made Rei feel weak in the knees. “I’m Rin, but I guess you know that.”
“I’m Rei. Rei Ryugazaki,” he answered quickly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
They stood awkwardly in the hall for a moment, then Rin tilted his head a little and said, “You’re not a psycho or anything, right?”
Rei gaped. “Huh!?”
“I mean, you don’t look like one, but I have to be careful, right?” He laughed, like he was teasing, but Rei couldn’t stop blushing.
“N-no. I mean, I admit that I’m very… attracted to you, but I promise, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or-“
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Rin waved his hand. “I just wanted to know, because you’re, uh… you’re really cute.”
He slipped his hand up to his neck, looking away again. Rei hoped that if this was a dream, no one would wake him up.
“Rin-san,” he ventured, slowly, not sure what the protocol was for asking a stripper a question like this. “If… if this isn’t an inappropriate question, I was just wondering if you would… if you would please…”
“Join you for dinner?” Rin supplied.
“Yes. Join me for dinner.”
“Okay,” Rin agreed, and now he was blushing, which was ridiculous, because Rei didn’t see how he was getting anything out of this deal. “I’d like that.”
“Then let’s go. My treat.”
They went. They had a great time. And as Rei kissed Rin goodnight outside his apartment for the first time, he thought that he was going to have to tell Nagisa thank you.
Title: At the Aquarium (titling things is hard)
Pairing: Eli/Nozomi
Prompt: It was that official art of them at the aquarium together.
Notes: this is my first time writing either of these characters aaaaa
“Nozomi! Over here!”
Eli ran off ahead of Nozomi, her shoes making an echoed click against the hall in the mostly empty room. Nozomi felt fortunate that they’d come on a slow day – the aquarium was much nicer when not too crowded.
She didn’t speed her step on her way to join Eli, taking her time. Most people’s eyes would be on the fish here, swimming past the glass of the tunnel, but Nozomi wasn’t nearly so interested in them. They were beautiful, of course, and if she were alone she would probably take more notice, but for that moment, she had something much more beautiful to take her attention.
“What is it, Elichi?”
“Look! It’s a whale shark.”
Eli looked up at the whale shark, the light filtering through the water dancing on her face. Nozomi looked at Eli, smiling softly. It was nice, seeing Eli look like that, completely open and unrestrained. Happy.
“Isn’t it cool? You know, they’re the biggest fish we know of.”
She rattled off that fact easily. Something she’d learned in a biology class and been sure to remember. Nozomi didn’t really care about it. She hummed in agreement.
“I think it’s beautiful, Elichi.”
“Beautiful? Would you really say that? It’s still a big fish.”
Eli turned to look at her, laughing. Her laughter was a song all on its own.
“Of course it’s the word I would use,” said Nozomi easily, and Eli stopped laughing, suddenly looking at her.
Nozomi wondered if she’d figured out that she wasn’t talking about the fish yet. Eli was smart as a whip, she’d always said.
She decided to end the suspense by stepping forward and putting an arm around Eli’s waist, placing her other hand on her cheek. They kissed eagerly, not soft, but rough, and Nozomi backed her up until she was pressed against the tank’s glass. Eli slid her own arms around Nozomi, and seemed to forget about the whale shark entirely.
After a moment, she pulled away, looking flushed. Nozomi only smiled innocently.
“What if someone sees?”
“This hall has emptied out. There’s no one here to see but the fishes, and they won’t tell.”
Eli still hesitated. “What if someone comes by?”
“I’ll know before the do.”
Eli gave a short laugh at that. “Your spiritual power?”
“You should never doubt it, Elichi.”
“I never do,” Eli said, before kissing her again.
In case you had absolutely no idea and just could not guess it was me, here is my art for our main round one entry for team matsuoka rin/ryuuguazaki rei at the sports anime olympics. I hope it’s okay to reveal now, we didn’t advance so voting for us was long done. I mean, even if I didn’t say it was me, it should be super obvious that I drew this art, how many fanartists main rinrei over the other sports anime and updated within the last month and draw females way better than the males?
It’s me, I described me.
Please read the fic for the context of the pictures and also comment if you can, we just got 2, could... use some more... of anything...
sportsanimeolympics BR4 fills: (the rest of the) bikes edition.