Title: With You
Pairing: Rin/Kai

Rating: G
Theme: 29: the sound of waves
Disclaimer: All characters portrayed herein do not belong to me. They belong to their creators, and I am making no profit from them.

It was a wonderful day to work on a tan.

Hirakoba Rin stretched out on his towel, reveling in the feeling of the Okinawa sun beating down on him. There was just enough of a breeze to keep him from overheating, he had his tanning oil, a drink, the waves crashing nearby, and best of all, no threat of a Kite in Captain Mode threatening to give him laps for "slacking off." There wasn't anything Rin could want for.

Well…maybe one thing.

Sitting up, Rin scanned the shoreline until his gaze landed on the one person he wanted to see. His own personal surf god, riding the waves as if he had been born to it…which, really, he had been. Kai had literally been born and raised mere feet from the ocean; he liked to brag that he knew how to swim before he knew how to walk.

In Rin's mind, Kai was many things. He was Rin's best friend, his partner in crime. He was Rin's math tutor, but that was fine, because he was Kai's English tutor.

Kai Yuujiroh was also Rin's secret love.

Or not so secret, depending on whom you asked. Chinen had called Rin on his crush several times over the past month, and Rin knew that Kite had noticed how Rin's eyes lingered on Kai in the changing room before and after practice. Kite was also discreet enough to not indicate that he knew anything, beyond a few significant looks at Rin.

Rin knew that he had to say something to Kai at some point. Regional tournaments were coming up; he couldn't afford to be distracted by some silly crush. No, he had to tell Kai and tell him soon, because then it would be settled, one way or another. The only problem was that, every time Rin tried, the words caught in his throat.

"RinRin?"

Rin jumped as he felt someone poke his shoulder, then blushed. How could he have missed Kai coming back onto shore? "Yes, Kaikins?" he asked, repaying an annoying nickname with an annoying nickname.

"Where are you? You looked like you were miles away."

I was with you, Rin wanted to say, but, again, the words wouldn't come. "Just…thinking about my tan," Rin improvised, holding his arm out to study it.

Kai reached over and ran his hand down Rin's arm. "You still trying to get as dark as Eishirou?"

"I've given up on that!" Rin dramatically flopped backwards onto his towel. "The man is some sort of tanning god! He doesn't even try, and he turns out gorgeously dark every single summer~!"

"He's going to have skin cancer before he's thirty," Kai muttered.

"Why Kaikins. You almost sound jealous." Rin looked up at Kai. A small part of him hoped that Kai was jealous because of Rin's words, but the rest of him was too practical for that. "Even in the winter, he's darker. I think it's just an Eishirou thing."

"So, you think he's gorgeous year round?"

"Kai…." Slowly, Rin sat up again. "What's wrong with you?"

"Just answer the question, RinRin."

Rin sighed. "Fine, Kaikins. Yes, Eishirou is attractive year round. But then," he flipped his hair over his shoulder and smiled winningly. "So am I, and so are you. We're gorgeous people; what can you do about it?"

Kai looked at Rin, his eyes seeming to penetrate Rin's soul. "You think I'm good looking?"

"Would I have said it if I didn't?" Rin rolled his eyes. "Yes, I do. Better looking than Eishirou, actually, because you don't have that 'I scare small children and pets' vibe going on." Why is he so fixated on this? Why does he keep looking at me like that?

Kai flushed a little. "Yeah, well, you're prettier than us all," he said quietly.

"Kaikins?" Almost hesitantly, Rin laid a hand on Kai's shoulder. "What's on that mind of yours? You know you can tell me anything."

"Not this."

"Please, Kai?"

"You may regret it." Again, Kai's eyes looked deep into Rin's.

"I've never regretted much with you." Rin's voice was soft but serious.

Slowly, as if he didn't want to startle his blond friend, Kai leaned in and pressed a soft, barely-there kiss to Rin's lips. "I like you, Rin. A lot."

"You idiot." Before Kai could recoil, Rin's arms were around Kai, pulling him down on the towel with him. "I like you, too." He laughed. "I bet everyone knew it but us."

"You do?" Slowly, Kai's shocked expression faded away to be replaced by an almost evil smirk. He rolled so that he had Rin pinned beneath him as he asked, "So…does that mean I can kiss you?" even as his lips brushed Rin's.

Rin's arms were looped around Kai's shoulders already, pulling him down for another kiss. "Please do, Kaikins."

--The End--