A/N: So, this started as a one-shot mile high club idea and became so, so much fucking more. There's a couple of OCs, a whole lot of drama, but ultimately, Rinharu/Harurin. So, get reading.

P.S. Last Semester isn't over either. I'm finally getting settled in my life. Enjoy this and enjoy my other works!

XXX

"Nitori...It's been awhile. I need a favor, it's my family...my children..." the telephone made the man's voice sound many years older than it was.

"You know I'd do anything for you and your family. You just name it."

"I can't...not over the phone...we...we have to meet. Come to Tokyo. But, be discreet. No one can know…"

XXX

Haruka stood in front of the men's bathroom mirror in Tokyo's Haneda airport. Gate 5 in the International Terminal. Gate 5 was where all flights from New York and San Francisco went back to Japan. It was even home to the occasional Washington D.C. flight. Haruka was especially familiar with this gate.

He'd been here before. He'd be here again in another three days. Then, another seven after that. Or was it eight? He couldn't say for sure. He didn't know, he'd have to check his calendar. Haruka hardly knew where he was on any day, given how much he moved it all blurred together, but the shapes of the sinks reminded him. Airport bathrooms all look the same, but they have slightly different sinks. Spend enough time in enough airport bathrooms and sure enough, it becomes clear, all the sinks are different. Japanese ones were rounder than the American ones. And when Haruka was in Japan, he was only ever in Haneda. He looked at his watch, 5 AM. Well, that was what it was in New York time. He still hadn't changed it over. It was later in Tokyo, evening, but it felt like 5 AM.

His eyes were a bit sunken in, and he looked like death warmed over. But he had learned when he first started almost 5 years ago what to do to fix that. He pulled out of his department issued suitcase a miniature make-up bag. Yes, not only did Haruka have a girl's name, but he also wore makeup. The makeup was all business though. When you worked for Japan Airlines, or JAL as everyone in the "biz" called it, you wore makeup. Because if you didn't, you looked jetlagged, and if a customer complained that you weren't bright and happy, you were sacked. And for all of its miseries, Haruka actually liked his job.

He pulled a small thing of concealer out of his bag. He began to work on his eyes some.

He heard the sound of more suitcase wheels screaming against the floor. He didn't have to look over to know who was now standing next to him. It was the person responsible for Business Class on all of his flights, his old swim coach who had recommended him for this job when he first started out. It was the person who first taught him how to blend the makeup onto his face. Haruka felt a bit badly that he had surpassed him, but his old coach never seemed to mind.

"Let me guess who that is for," Sasabe teased putting on makeup himself.

If Haruka weren't so tired, he probably would have blushed. Sasabe was referring to a certain passenger who frequented Haruka's first class compartment. He was referring to Matsuoka-sama, one of the highest ranking Japanese officials, who was also a major investor in technology that made several trips to the US. And the man who Haruka served on every international flight. Instead, Haruka rolled his eyes, "I do this before every flight. You know that. You taught me after all."

Sasabe patted Haruka on the back, "And I had a damn good student after all. Hard to believe you're running first class on international flights after only five years."

Haruka felt a pang of guilt, but Sasabe was being sincere. He was truly proud of Haruka. He was rather content with business class. JAL had tough requirements for its crew, but it compensated them well. Sasabe simply enjoyed the luxury of travel. Haruka had other reasons for working so hard.

Haruka dabbed some blush on his face. His stoic face made him seem unapproachable, which was certainly not acceptable for the cabin crew's first class leader. The blush added just enough color to his face to make him seem less scary. Afterwards, he put everything back into his makeup bag, and slipped it back into his suitcase. He looked at his reflection in the mirror.

He wasn't as young as he was when he had begun, but today, he had to be at the top of his game. After all, it was three years ago today that he had met Rin Matsuoka, and although Haruka waited on several famous passengers. There were none like Rin Matsuoka. Rin was the one who kept his job exciting and made it worth doing.

XXX

Haruka brought over a tray with several glasses. One third were filled with champagne, one third were filled with orange juice, and the last third were filled with sparkling water. He leaned the tray over, "Matsuoka-sama, would you like champagne, orange juice, or sparkling water?"

Rin's eyes twinkled as he looked up at Haruka. He was dressed in a pinstripe suit. Haruka imagined it had to be Armani. That or it was custom made. Suits may make every wearer look better, but no one in the world looked that good in a suit. Rin's red hair was longer than he would have thought would be allowed for an official, but there was something so intoxicating about it, that Haruka was sure anyone who knew him decided that it was acceptable, "You know what I always start with, Haruka."

And Haruka reached for one of the champagne glasses to hand to Rin. Rin nodded taking it and placing it on the small side table next to him, "Thanks."

Then, a sort of devious expression appeared on his face, "Say, Haruka, why don't you sit down in the aisle next to me and have a drink? It's been, what? A year since we met? Something of an anniversary drink then."

To the day, Haruka thought, but he doubted that Rin Matsuoka would keep track of something like that. For Rin, what happened that day probably hardly mattered, but for Haruka it was life changing.

Nagisa, a blonde man sat next to Rin, and already had his drink from an earlier passby that Haruka had done. Haruka had seen him with Rin a few times, he couldn't decide whether the two were associates or if Nagisa was Rin's assistant. Nagisa cleared his throat.

Rin turned to Nagisa, "What? We're the only two people in first class during this jaunt," he turned back to Haruka, "Am I wrong?"

Haruka bit his lip. It was unintentionally seductive and Rin's grip on the glass tightened a bit. Haruka lowered his eyes to look at Rin's hands. They were surprisingly muscular. Haruka wondered how they would feel wrapped around his- the look on Rin's face indicated that he was expecting an answer. Haruka cleared his throat.

"Y-you're right, but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to drink during work hours."

Rin raised the glass to his lips but spoke before taking a drink, "Suppose I command you to drink with me? Aren't you supposed to put the customer first?"

Haruka felt himself flush a bit.

"What's wrong with it Haruka? It's not like we'll get you in trouble for it."

Haruka looked over to Nagisa hoping for a bit of help on this one. The blonde man was in the company of Rin and definitely could be Rin-ish, for lack of a better term, but he had his moments where he could be the voice of reason, or so Haruka had seen over the year. Nagisa helped him, "Rin, you're not being fair and you know it."

"It's a 13-hour flight. It's not like we're going to get him pied. It's one glass of champagne."

"Rin…" his tone was a bit harsher this time.

"Fine, Nagisa," Rin rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the darkhaired man, "I guess you're going to get to stay sober, Haruka. This just means I'll just have to find another time to buy you a drink."

Haruka's cheeks felt hot, he moved quickly out of the room, "I better get your dinners ready." Before he left, he placed a sparkling water down next to Rin's champagne, letting their fingers brush up against each other for just a passing second.

When he was out of earshot Nagisa commented, "I know your game here, Rin, but jeez. You're going to ruin his life. There's no reason to make him fall in love with you on top of it."

"He's an adult, Nagisa. He can feel whatever he wants to feel. Christ though, I need to have more patience. The pieces aren't in place yet," Rin polished off the champagne.

XXX

If Nagisa had to pinpoint a time when it all began, it must have been when he had been in college with Rin. That had been when he discovered himself, when he discovered his best friend, Rin, and when the two of them had entered a sort of partnership.

The two of them lived in the same suite in college. Their college dorm was made up entirely of individual rooms, but a set of about six individual rooms shared bathrooms and kitchens. He and Rin had met because the both of them were got up early to do morning swims. Neither of them were going to be olympists, but Rin said it cooled off his head, and Nagisa felt strangely similar. One thing led to another and the two of them ended up at a ramen stand outside of Tokyo University drinking beers and eating bowl after bowl of freshly prepared ramen.

"So, what's your big secret?" Nagisa slurred out after about five beers.

"My big secret?" Rin's face was flushed.

"Yeah. You always seem like you're hiding something, something huge," Nagisa took the last swallow of his beer and then ordered another.

I am, but Rin didn't know Nagisa well enough at that point to reveal all of his past. In fact, Rin had never known anyone well enough to reveal it all. They were either already part of it, or he kept his mouth shut. Getting close to anyone only meant you'd get hurt. That was what Rin had learned from his family. Rin chose to sip on some of the soup in the bottom of his bowl. He needed to stay sober enough to protect himself.

Nagisa sighed, this wasn't getting him anywhere. He had been hoping to make a new friend. Rin seemed like a great guy, "Fine. Then, tell me this, why are you here?"

"At Todai?" Rin asked.

"Yeah."

Rin furrowed his brow. The answer to that was complex. Actually, it wasn't. It was getting there that was complex, "I want to accomplish something. I think that going to school here will help me with that."

"Whaddya wanna 'complish?" Nagisa asked.

Rin sighed. The blonde wasn't going to let this go, was he? Very well, "Have you ever wanted something so badly, that it's all you can think about? Ever?"

Nagisa smirked, "Finding a sexy male model to fuck."

Rin laughed, but then his face straightened out, "I'm serious. Something that compels your very existence. Something that you need so badly that if you don't achieve it, you'll die."

"Nah," Nagisa shook his head, "I don't think I have anything like that."

Part of the problem was that Nagisa was definitely drunk. He did have goals and aims, but Rin was being so serious. Too serious. Nagisa thought he'd have to help get Rin out of his shell, "So, what is it then? What is it that compels you live, Rin?"

Rin's answer was simple, one word, "Revenge."

Nagisa only stared him, trying to focus.

Rin continued, "There's a certain man who I want to make so ashamed that he kills himself."

Nagisa laughed, "You're kidding."

But, Rin's expression told him otherwise.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yeah, fine. I'll help you get your revenge Rin."

"What?" Rin actually laughed. No one had ever said that to him. Everyone else had tried to get him to move on. Nitori, Gou, Nitori's father, all of them had tried to help them by trying to get him to simply move on. No one had ever offered to help him, "You're drunk."

"Yeah. But, I'm serious. You're an interesting guy. I'd really like to be friends with you. Tell you what, I lied. There is something I want too."

"Oh?"

"I want to make more money than anyone in my family."

Rin raised his brows. He knew that Nagisa came from a family with good business ties. Nagisa's father and mother were probably worth around 45 million American dollars.

"I want them to recognize me. So, let me follow you. I'll help you get your revenge. If you help me get rich."

Rin nodded, "That sounds like fun."

Rin knew he needed money to do what he wanted to do. Working with Nagisa would have benefits, but he'd keep the blonde on a need to know basis.

"Drink on it with me, Rin."

"Alright," and Rin ordered the two of them a few more beers.

The two of them had been friends a long time as a result and they had helped each other enter office. In the time they'd been friends, Nagisa had slowly gotten Rin's entire past out of him, but, Rin's revenge seemed far off. So far off that frequently, Nagisa forgot entirely about it.

And so, when the two of them landed in New York that time, and Rin turned to Nagisa and said, "Nagisa, I need a favor," Nagisa was caught off-guard, but obviously he agreed.

"It's about that thing."

Nagisa's brows raised, "And you're trusting me?"

"Second to Gou and Nitori, I trust you more than anyone else."

"Why aren't you asking them then?" Nagisa could figure out the answer, but it was rare for him to be placed on par with Rin's most important people.

"You know why. Gou is completely against getting any revenge for what happened."

Nagisa's expression tightened. To be fair, Nagisa wasn't particularly keen on it either. He wanted Rin to be happy, he just doubted that Rin's revenge would lead to that.

"And, if Nitori figured it out, which if the pieces were laid out in front of him, he surely would, then he'd be sad," Rin paused. And then, he looked at Nagisa, "You though... You'd be amused."

"The pieces?"

"Yes, you, Gou, and Nitori all have as many pieces of the puzzle as I do. But, I believe a new piece has landed right in front of us. What luck," something about Rin seemed distant.

Nagisa looked puzzled. Rin's eyes stared at the substitute first class steward, "The sub?"

"The sub. Look into his background. Tell me what you find. If I'm right, I'm too close to it. It's too dangerous. But, if I'm right, I want to get him promoted. I want him to be my personal steward. And when the time comes, I want to use him to get my revenge."

Nagisa only repeated it, "The sub?"

The man was darkhaired. He had some girl's name, but he was nothing special. Nagisa had hardly paid him any attention except to notice that he wasn't the usual guy who took care of them on their flights.

"Just see what you can find. I think if you look deep enough, you'll realize what I have. It's all in his eyes, 'Gisa."

Nagisa shrugged, "Alright."

A few weeks later, Nagisa knocked Rin's San Francisco Hotel Room door. Rin answered it, "Do you have documents for me to sign?" He assumed that it had to do with their business in San Francisco's Japantown.

"I do. But, that can wait for tomorrow. I have news about the sub."

Rin's eyes widened, "Come inside."

Nagisa let the door fall shut behind him.

"Well?"

Nagisa smiled, "You're going to like it. You're going to like it a lot."

XXX

A/N: Well? Are you interested in knowing about Rin's past? Haruka is a bit deeper than he seems I promise.