Ship: Kawasaki Ryouya/Nishina Homare Fandom: Dansui Major Tags: none Other Tags: injuries, angst Word Count: 459
;')
***
"These are yours," Nishina said, holding out a pair of goggles.
"What?"
"They're yours. You left them after the Interhigh."
"Why are you giving them to me? I don't swim anymore." Kawasaki turned away, and that should have been the end of the conversation, except Nishina had never been one for giving up. Nishina grabbed Kawasaki's sleeve and pulled him back.
"What are you doing!?" Kawasaki demanded. "I'm not an athlete anymore. I don't need them, and I don't know why you kept them."
"I kept them for you! I looked up to you, you know. We all did. And then after the Interhigh you just left. No coming back to watch practices. Nothing. You were just gone. I heard nothing from you for two years, and then suddenly you reappear as the coach for Higashigaoka. That doesn't sound like not an athlete anymore to me."
"You don't know anything," Kawasaki snapped, yanking his sleeve out of Nishina's hand. "Don't talk about things you don't know."
"I know more than you think," Nishina replied. "I didn't then, but Coach told me about it after you showed for that first practice meet. And most of us suspected anyway."
"Then you know I'm not getting back in the pool. It's over. That's over, and there's no going back."
"I don't think you mean that. You say you're done with swimming, but it's not done with you. You wouldn't be coaching Higashigaoka otherwise."
"I coach," Kawasaki said. "I don't swim. There's a difference."
"There's a difference because you want there to be one. You're drawing this hard line so you can keep trying to act like the past is behind you and you've moved on. Well guess what? You haven't, and you're only hurting yourself." Nishina hand thudded into Kawasaki's chest, still holding onto the goggles. "Get back in the damn pool, Ryouya-san. It's time."
"I'm. Not. An. Athlete."
"Maybe not, but you're a swimmer. You can try to run away all you like, but you're not going to change that."
"Can I be a swimmer without being an athlete?" Kawasaki's voice was softer now, and more hesitant that Nishina had ever heard him.
"Only you can answer that," Nishina said, "but I think somewhere, deep down, you already know. There's a spare swimsuit in my locker; I think we're about the same size. I'll be here for another half hour at least."
Kawasaki didn't reply, but when he left, he took his goggles with him.
Nishina let out a long sigh as he slipped into the pool. There was nothing left for him to do except wait, but he suspected he'd have company again before he left. Or maybe he just hoped for the company. It was hard to tell sometimes.
FILL: Team Imaizumi Shunsuke/Kinjou Shingo, T
Fandom: Dansui
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: injuries, angst
Word Count: 459
;')
***
"These are yours," Nishina said, holding out a pair of goggles.
"What?"
"They're yours. You left them after the Interhigh."
"Why are you giving them to me? I don't swim anymore." Kawasaki turned away, and that should have been the end of the conversation, except Nishina had never been one for giving up. Nishina grabbed Kawasaki's sleeve and pulled him back.
"What are you doing!?" Kawasaki demanded. "I'm not an athlete anymore. I don't need them, and I don't know why you kept them."
"I kept them for you! I looked up to you, you know. We all did. And then after the Interhigh you just left. No coming back to watch practices. Nothing. You were just gone. I heard nothing from you for two years, and then suddenly you reappear as the coach for Higashigaoka. That doesn't sound like not an athlete anymore to me."
"You don't know anything," Kawasaki snapped, yanking his sleeve out of Nishina's hand. "Don't talk about things you don't know."
"I know more than you think," Nishina replied. "I didn't then, but Coach told me about it after you showed for that first practice meet. And most of us suspected anyway."
"Then you know I'm not getting back in the pool. It's over. That's over, and there's no going back."
"I don't think you mean that. You say you're done with swimming, but it's not done with you. You wouldn't be coaching Higashigaoka otherwise."
"I coach," Kawasaki said. "I don't swim. There's a difference."
"There's a difference because you want there to be one. You're drawing this hard line so you can keep trying to act like the past is behind you and you've moved on. Well guess what? You haven't, and you're only hurting yourself." Nishina hand thudded into Kawasaki's chest, still holding onto the goggles. "Get back in the damn pool, Ryouya-san. It's time."
"I'm. Not. An. Athlete."
"Maybe not, but you're a swimmer. You can try to run away all you like, but you're not going to change that."
"Can I be a swimmer without being an athlete?" Kawasaki's voice was softer now, and more hesitant that Nishina had ever heard him.
"Only you can answer that," Nishina said, "but I think somewhere, deep down, you already know. There's a spare swimsuit in my locker; I think we're about the same size. I'll be here for another half hour at least."
Kawasaki didn't reply, but when he left, he took his goggles with him.
Nishina let out a long sigh as he slipped into the pool. There was nothing left for him to do except wait, but he suspected he'd have company again before he left. Or maybe he just hoped for the company. It was hard to tell sometimes.