mild angst; no warnings I... I had to. I hope it's close to what OP had in mind, and thank you for the beautiful prompt! ;^;
I Tried (442 words)
When he lay in the bed alone, he could see them.
Trophies— medals and statuettes; local; regional; national.
Pictures— of Rin and the two together; of stadiums; of podiums; of water.
When he lay alone in that too-big bed, he tried to keep his gaze fixed on the ceiling; if he looked over at the wall, he wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away.
Sighing was a truly unpleasant sign of emotion. It was resigned; it was lamenting. And Sousuke often sighed when he stared at that wall, alone in that bed.
At least... I tried…
In order to stare at that wall, he had to lie on his bad shoulder. The dull throbbing that sometimes came with the position was a good compliment to his state of mind.
Haruka Nanase would often come home late— later than Sousuke would have liked, but earlier than he expected. When he shed his swimsuit— reluctantly shed it, Sousuke always noticed affectionately —and crawled up into bed, he had a way of blocking the view of that damn wall.
"Good evening, Sousuke."
The blue-eyed raven touched his nose briefly to Sousuke's, and the later closed his eyes.
"'Evening, Nanase."
Haru pressed their foreheads together, then twined his fingers with Sousuke's beneath the covers. "We should take that stupid wall down."
"I told you— I like it there."
“I don’t even want it on display.”
“You should be proud of it.”
"I don't like the expressions you make when you're staring at it."
Sousuke laughed; although it was just a single, huffing breath, Haru knew it to be a laugh. "Don't say stupid things."
Haru softened, murmuring something indistinct and then kissing the other sweetly. Sousuke returned the affection, then winced back as his shoulder twinged under him. Haru nipped the other's lower lip as he drew away too, staring at his lover's averted face for a moment.
"Here."
Sousuke grunted with surprise as Haru pushed hard against his good shoulder, flipping him onto his back— off his old injury. Then the smaller crawled up onto his chest, nestling down into him.
"More comfortable," Haru murmured, and Sousuke smiled slightly.
"You're such a brat."
"Hmm..." Haru hummed noncommittally, eyes closed. And all Sousuke could do was sigh— a different type of sigh, less defeated than his usual sighs —as he brought one hand up to rest on the other's back.
"... I tried."
"You succeeded."
Sousuke growled softly. "You don't say?"
"Rin has nothing but respect for you," Haru said softly, eyes still shut. "And the same goes for me."
Sousuke fell silent for a moment, then closed his own eyes and grumbled, "Whatever you say, Haru."
FILL: TEAM MATSUOKA RIN/RYUUGAZAKI REI, G
I... I had to. I hope it's close to what OP had in mind, and thank you for the beautiful prompt! ;^;
I Tried (442 words)
When he lay in the bed alone, he could see them.
Trophies— medals and statuettes; local; regional; national.
Pictures— of Rin and the two together; of stadiums; of podiums; of water.
When he lay alone in that too-big bed, he tried to keep his gaze fixed on the ceiling; if he looked over at the wall, he wouldn't be able to tear his eyes away.
Sighing was a truly unpleasant sign of emotion. It was resigned; it was lamenting. And Sousuke often sighed when he stared at that wall, alone in that bed.
At least... I tried…
In order to stare at that wall, he had to lie on his bad shoulder. The dull throbbing that sometimes came with the position was a good compliment to his state of mind.
Haruka Nanase would often come home late— later than Sousuke would have liked, but earlier than he expected. When he shed his swimsuit— reluctantly shed it, Sousuke always noticed affectionately —and crawled up into bed, he had a way of blocking the view of that damn wall.
"Good evening, Sousuke."
The blue-eyed raven touched his nose briefly to Sousuke's, and the later closed his eyes.
"'Evening, Nanase."
Haru pressed their foreheads together, then twined his fingers with Sousuke's beneath the covers. "We should take that stupid wall down."
"I told you— I like it there."
“I don’t even want it on display.”
“You should be proud of it.”
"I don't like the expressions you make when you're staring at it."
Sousuke laughed; although it was just a single, huffing breath, Haru knew it to be a laugh. "Don't say stupid things."
Haru softened, murmuring something indistinct and then kissing the other sweetly. Sousuke returned the affection, then winced back as his shoulder twinged under him. Haru nipped the other's lower lip as he drew away too, staring at his lover's averted face for a moment.
"Here."
Sousuke grunted with surprise as Haru pushed hard against his good shoulder, flipping him onto his back— off his old injury. Then the smaller crawled up onto his chest, nestling down into him.
"More comfortable," Haru murmured, and Sousuke smiled slightly.
"You're such a brat."
"Hmm..." Haru hummed noncommittally, eyes closed. And all Sousuke could do was sigh— a different type of sigh, less defeated than his usual sighs —as he brought one hand up to rest on the other's back.
"... I tried."
"You succeeded."
Sousuke growled softly. "You don't say?"
"Rin has nothing but respect for you," Haru said softly, eyes still shut. "And the same goes for me."
Sousuke fell silent for a moment, then closed his own eyes and grumbled, "Whatever you say, Haru."