Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/1701590.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Major_Character_Death, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, Gen, M/M
  Fandom:
      Free!
  Relationship:
      Matsuoka_Rin/Nitori_Aiichirou, Haruka_Nanase/Tachibana_Makoto, Hazuki
      Nagisa/Ryuugazaki_Rei, Hazuki_Nagisa_&_Nitori_Aiichirou, Haruka_Nanase_&
      Matsuoka_Rin
  Character:
      Nitori_Aiichirou, Matsuoka_Rin, Haruka_Nanase, Hazuki_Nagisa, Tachibana
      Makoto, Ryuugazaki_Rei, Hanamura_Chigusa, Amakata_Miho, Sasabe_Gorou, OCs
  Additional Tags:
      big_gay_boat, Titanic!AU, makoharu_-_Freeform, Anal_Sex, Car_Sex, Smut,
      sluff, OCs_-_Freeform, Suicide_Attempt, Depression
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-05-28 Updated: 2014-06-09 Chapters: 4/? Words: 8384
****** Sinking Diamonds ******
by matosuwa
Summary
     Amakata Miho is trying to uncover the secrets that lie in the ruins
     of Titanic. Nitori Aiichirou is one of the oldest living survivors,
     and claims that he knows where the Heart of the Ocean is. Nitori
     tells Miho and her team all about his experiences on the Titanic, and
     about the love he shared with a poor artist named Rin.
Notes
     first chapter! i've had this idea for a while, and I'm excited to
     finally be writing it! It's not exactly like the movie, don't worry.
     I've changed a lot of things around, actually, to fit the characters
     better.
***** Welcome Aboard! *****
“Miho,” one of the crewmembers murmured from where the brunette was carefully
observing the new findings, “Mr. Aiichirou Nitori is here,”
Amakata’s eyes rose, the light hazel sparkling with excitement. “Send him in!
Please!”
She gently set down the crusted piece of parchment paper and wet her lips as
she reviewed some notes on Aiichirou. At age one hundred, he was one of the
oldest survivors of Titanic. And he also harbored one of the most interesting
stories.
He came from money, obviously. Being a first-class passenger on the Titanic was
not cheap. At least, not back in the 1910’s. He was the son of Japan’s
embassador to England at the time, and was traveling to America with his
mother, fiancé, and close friend so he could attend art school. His large
entourage of family members and friends seemed a bit extensive, the more Miho
looked into it. But, she had also learned that Nitori was to wed his fiancé
upon arriving in America. A wedding that never occurred. He was just seventeen
years old at the time of Titanic’s sinking.
The sound of wheels brought her to attention. An old man with startlingly spry
looking turquoise eyes was wheeled in on a plush little wheelchair. He smiled
at her, face crinkling in all ways endearing. He was tiny, obviously being
slight of frame. She glanced down at the sketched portrait lying beneath clear
water that sat on her desk, and automatically knew it was he. His beauty from
youth was now well disguised by old age, but still quite evident now that she
saw him. She strode across the carpeted floors of the submarine, smile bright.
She offered a hand to him, which he shook with gentle, small hands. He glanced
around the room hesitantly, before the girl standing behind him pushed him
further inside. He seemed nervous, but in an apprehensive way.
“Welcome aboard, Aiichirou,” Miho greeted him, pulling out her desk chair and
sitting across from him in the cramped space. Other members of her team crowded
around the two, obviously eager to listen to him speak. He was quite an
important person in the recovery of la cur de la mer.
“Thank you,” He replied, his voice soft and spoken with a gentle, English
accent. “Ah, this is my daughter, Chigusa.” The woman from behind him nodded,
smiling politely.
“We’re so excited to finally get to talk to you!” Miho started, smiling once
more. “I have so much to ask about your experience on Titanic. Are you
comfortable? Do you need anything?”
A light flickered in Aiichirou’s striking eyes. He sat up a bit more and craned
his neck to glance around the room. “I want to see my picture…”
 
“Oh!” Amakata exclaimed, “Yes, of course!”
She stood and pulled the thick paper from the water, slipping it onto a plastic
tray used for observance. She blushed a bit at how blunt the image was. It was
brilliantly sketched, showing a young Aiichirou reclining on a couch naked.
Around his neck lay the object of her personal interest- the Heart of the
Ocean.
Lightly, she presented the image to Aiichirou. His eyes widened, filling with
emotions that seemed to be a cross of surprise and nostalgia. He couldn’t tear
his eyes away, and pressed his fingers against his lips as he remembered the
way that Rin had peered up from him from behind the easel. Those deep red
eyes…curious, flustered, amazed…
He finally glanced up, and nodded, his face laced with a sad little smile. Miho
took the sketch away, and slipped it back inside the rectangular tank of water.
She turned back to him, and settled down into the chair, her face set in a now
serious tone.
“Do you remember getting this drawn?” She inquired, holding her hands in her
lap.
Aiichirou laughed, “Yes, of course. Like it was yesterday…”
“And the necklace… That’s what you’re wearing? The Heart of the Ocean?” She
asked, gesturing to her own neck.
“That’s the only thing I was wearing,” Nitori snorted, “It was terribly heavy…
Rin suggested I wear it for the picture.”
Amakata laughed, and glanced over at the framed photograph of the necklace. It
was regal in every single way. A deep blue diamond, cut into a heart shape,
hanging on a long string of smaller, white diamonds. It would have weighed 112
carats all together, and was worth roughly $20 million now. It had mysteriously
gone down with ship, and Aiichirou would’ve been on of the last to see it.
“So you, Aiichirou, would have been the last person to wear it… Right?” Sasabe,
another crewmember, piped up.
Ai directed his gaze from one of the windows, watching as they submerged down
into the icy Atlantic waters. He met Sasabe’s eyes and nodded, “I was the last
to have worn it. But I took it off as soon as we finished the drawing.”
Goro nodded, and tilted his head to watch the last dregs of daylight evaporate
into the dark ocean around them. They’d be under water for nearly the entire
day.
“Would you care to share your story with us?” Miho asked. “We only know so
much… And it’s going to be quite a while before we reach Titanic.”
Nitori closed his eyes, and Miho could see the eyeballs moving back and forth
beneath the papery-lids, as if he was trying to recall every little detail
about his trip. “It’s been quite a while,” He murmured, opening his eyes once
more.
Chigusa patted his shoulder, “You don’t have to remember everything, Dad. Not
if you don’t want to.” She urged him, quietly.
He shot her a small smirk. “Let me finish…. It’s been quite a while, but I
still remember everything. Down to those beautiful crystal water glasses…”
Miho clicked on her tape recorder and leaned in.
“For such a rich boy… I wasn’t very happy,” Ai told them, and the memories of
April 10th came flooding back.
-----
He squinted at the bright, midmorning sunlight as he glanced out the window.
People were swarming at the dock, and his driver had to honk several times
before a path was cleared for them to get through. Rich and poor people a like
were all eager to board, all eager see the world’s newest wonder: Titanic.
He glanced over at Mai, his fiancé, as she finger combed her long, deep brown
hair. She was dressed elegantly, like the rest of them, in the newest English
fashion. His father had left a lot of money for them after he’d died two years
ago, and Aiichirou’s mother, Miyoko, was not yielding in extravagant spending.
His deep black silk suit fit like glove, yet still made him feel suffocated.
“We could have taken a private ship,” Aiichirou remarked, turning his nose up
slightly as a hoard of dirty-looking men ran by. They shouted out to one
another in thick, burly-accented Russian, hauling burlap sacks over their
shoulders instead of luggage. “We could have avoided all this… clutter.”
Miyoko shot him an appraising look from over Mai’s head. “Aiichirou, be
excited! Darling, nothing is more luxurious than Titanic. One we’re on our part
of the ship, you won’t have to give a commoner a second glance. It’s all
separated.”
Nitori let out a disgruntled “Nnh,” before turning to glance of the window. The
breaks were pulled and they slowed to a stop. He felt the automobile creak as
the driver disembarked, and began to chat with a man dressed in sailor clothes.
Miyoko and Aiichirou got out while Mai fixed her earrings in a compact mirror.
She’s so vain, Ai thought to himself, sending her a sideways glance before
stepping out.
He felt small against the crowd’s rush of energy. He heard his mother
instructing the bellhops who began unloading the luggage. Mai finally stepped
out of the car, and pursed her lips at all the people, the fishy scent of the
ocean, and the sight of dirty plumes of smoke rising from the smoke stacks.
Aiichirou could match her apparent disgust. Finally he could agree with her.
Miyoko rushed off to the car parked adjacent to theirs, leaving Ai alone with
his stoic fiancé. He didn’t meet her gaze as she turned to look at him, her
face softening for once. Guilt over took him every time she looked at him like
this. She looked at him… expectantly, like she was waiting for him to hold out
an arm to her, or that he would lean down and whisper to her how beautiful she
looked today. Ai felt that she’d be looking at him this way forever.
He felt a sharp shoulder slam into his. He opened his mouth to tell the
offending man off, when he met the wine-colored eyes of Nagisa Hazuki, his
closest friend. Nagisa grinned at him widely, showing off all of his white
teeth, and an excited blush was radiating all over his cheeks. “Aiichirou!!” He
exclaimed, “This is so exciting!”
He turned to Mai and nodded one, “Ms. Kato, good morning!” He cheered. Nagisa
may have been one of the only people alive that knew about the whole situation
between Ai and her. Miyoko and Nagisa were the only souls who knew that
Aiichirou had no interest in marrying Mai… or any woman for that matter.
Mai, however, did not know that her fiancé spent every night on the brink of a
panic attack, dreading their arrival to America, and dreading the prospect of
having to marry her. He dreaded the wedding night, and the honeymoon, and all
the pressure of having children that this wedding would bring upon them. And he
could tell that she liked him, and liked the forced gestures of affection he
would perform once every so often. But it was all for money.
“Aiichirou, given the circumstances, this is the only thing we can do,” Miyoko
had once whispered to him, brushing the choppy silver strands of hair out of
the trembling 16-year-old’s face. “I know that you can’t love her… But marrying
her could save us.”
 
The Kato’s were rich. Richer than the Nitoris, obviously. And the day that
Aiichirou married Mai, all that money would become a part of his account. Then,
all of his mother’s worries would melt away. His, thought, would apparently be
permanent.
“Aahh..” Nagisa sighed loudly, “Looks like we’re ready to board! I’ll help you
unpack once I’m all settled, okay Aiichirou? You brought a lot of stuff with
you!”
“It’s the paintings,” Mai scoffed, and watched as some of Ai’s luggage was
carried up into the ship’s deck. “He had to buy some Posacca while we were in
Spain.”
“It’s Picasso,” Aiichirou hissed, shoulders tensing. He watched as she sent him
a pouty look, her pale skin crinkling between the brows as she squinted up at
him.
Nagisa could feel the mounting terseness between the engaged couple. “Let’s go
aboard!” He announced, clapping Ai on the shoulder and dashing off into the
crowd.
Aiichirou watched as Nagisa weaved past pedestrians and sailors, dangerously
skidding past moving cars and gnarly looking horses. “N-Nagisa! Hold on!”
Aiichirou called, speeding after him.
He darted up the loading bridge, and onto the upper decks. Mai was walking at a
leisurely pace behind him with one of her servants, scowl still present. Nagisa
stood close to the helm, waving madly down at the people below. Ai watched as
families said goodbye, crying and hugging.
Here, he decided, was a good time to say goodbye to his happiness.
***** First Sight *****
Chapter Summary
     Rin and Haru make it aboard, Nagisa meets an American, and Aiichirou
     storms out of an afternoon tea party.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Haruka peered over his cards and onto the table, where a large pile of money,
gold, and two coveted tickets laid. He swallowed the lump in his throat, dark
blue eyes darting from the opposing players, and then over to Rin. Rin, who’s
mouth was covered by his hand of cards, shot Haruka a reassuring, collected
glance.
They were going to win.
Haru had seen that look on occasion. From relays in frigid, Latvian rivers to
jumping onto moving train cars in Germany, Haru could always count on this
look. They would finally make it to America.
“Well, gentlemen…” Rin started, “Let’s see what we’ve got here.”
Haru sighed in mock defeat, laying down his disappointing hand of cards. Rin
clucked his tongue in a disapproving fashion, bluffing. The rough-edged Scott
seated next to Haruka fanned his cards out, eyes downcast. Another empty hand.
The Scott’s friend, a Swedish man, slammed his own hand down arrogantly,
shooting Rin an appraising look.
Rin bit his lip, “Uh oh, Haruka… This isn’t good.”
The Scottish man perked up a bit, raising his brows at the sound of Rin’s
depressed tone. The Swedish man took a long inhale from his cigar, fingers
itching to grab the tickets and the pot of money. Rin shot Haru another look,
and slammed his hands down onto the table, revealing a full house of cards.
“We won’t be back to Ireland in a long time!” Rin cheered, watching as their
opponents faces fell. He smiled sharply, reaching out and snatching the
tickets. Haruka dodged the raining fists from the Scott, and scooped some of
their money into his bag.
“Two tickets on Titanic!” Rin shouted, drawing attention to their corner of the
sleepy pub. He thrust his fist in the air, holding the yellow tickets up high.
“Titanic?” The bartender asked, “Doesn’t she leave at noon?”
Rin and Haruka both whipped around to see the clock. 11:55.
“Go! Go!” Rin hollered at Haru, as the chaos in the pub erupted again. Their
opponents had turned on one another, arguing about how much those tickets had
cost. Haruka and Rin lit out of the pub, carrying the few belongings they
possessed over their shoulders.
They burst onto the dock, taking a second to locate the loading bridges. Rin
let out a laugh and took off running, Haru in tow. They bobbed around the
floods of people, all waving madly up at passengers above. Rin skirted around
the large hoards of crying families and stage coaches, dashing up the pristine
arches of metal and into the lower decks.
“Tickets?” A weary crewmember asked, holding out a gloved hand.
“Right here!” Rin cheered, slapping the third-class tickets down into the man’s
palm.
“And you’ve been checked for lice?” He asked, raising a brow at their shabby
appearances.
Rin glanced back at Haruka, “Of course! We’re running late because we had to
wait in line for so damn long.”
The man stood back and nodded, letting Rin and Haru plow past him and into the
hallways.
“Two-ten… Two-ten…” Rin murmured to himself as they strode down the crowded
hallways.
“It’s over here!” Haru called from further down the hallway. Rin followed him
into their small, freshly-painted room.
“Matsuoka Rin,” He introduced himself to their confused roommates, “Nice to
meet you!”
 
Aiichirou frowned as the servants bustled around their stately suite. Mai was
unwrapping some of his recently purchased art, clicking disapproving at the
abstract shapes and surreal colors.
“This isn’t art… You could have bought me something nice, instead of wasting it
on these pieces of garbage…” She stated, holding up one of the smaller
canvases, “This doesn’t even make any sense…”
Ai fought back the urge to rip the painting out of her hands. Instead, he
forced a light, tightly-laced laugh. “Mai, art doesn’t have to make sense.”
“It would look much better if I could actually understand it.” She shot back,
passively.
Ai stood and observed the Picassos already hanging on the wall. “This room
needs a bit of color, though.”
Mai sighed, and stood next to him. “We won’t have these in our bedroom, once
we’re married. I’ll do all the decorating. You’ll have your own little studio,
won’t you?”
She sneered the word “studio.” She thought that artists never amounted to
anything until they were dead. Mai had already given Aiichirou an earful once
he told her he was going abroad to study art. He knew the lecture all too well.
“Of course not.” He mindlessly replied, glancing down at his impeccably shined
shoes.
Nagisa burst into the room, “Aiichirou!”
Ai turned, facing the blonde. “Yes?”
“Come with me onto the decks! You can see dolphins!” He cried, pointing out
onto their patio. “It’s amazing!”
 
The sun had finally begun to set, and Aiichirou squinted as harsh sunlight
flooded the tea room. Around him, people who were all to familiar to him were
daintly sipping tea or smoking from elegant cigarette holders.
Half of these people, he’d never met. It didn’t matter. They were still
familiar to him.
A loud, American woman sat across the table from Ai. She was obviously new to
all of this… New to the expectations that came with first-class life. She
laughed loudly, wore strings upon strings of pearls, and still carried a humble
sense of humor with her. Her son, a shy, bespectacled boy, seemed embarrassed
by her. Ai could tell, with the way he figited around after every joke she
told, or when she let out harsh barks of smokey laughter. She meant well,
however. She had a kind look etched in eyes, an unbent perspective on life and
the luxuries she was now surrounded in.
Aiichirou lit a cigarette, feeling Miyoko and Mai’s eyes turn to him, both
drawn up in distain. He could barely inhale before his mother was beginning to
scold him.
“Aiichirou, you know how I feel about smoking…” She hissed, her warm, blue eyes
icing over. Ai pulled it away from his lips, holding the smoke in for as long
as his lungs would allow.
Mai reached over his lap and plucked the freshly-lit cigarette out of his right
hand. “It’s terrible for your skin, Aiichirou. Once we’re married, you’ll stop
smoking all together. Right?”
Ai knew that everyone at the table was watching them. He blew out the cloud of
smoke, and Mai crinkled her nose. He drew his lips up tight in a pressed line,
mimicking a smile.
“Of course,” He whispered, pushing back from the table. “Excuse me.”
Nagisa stood as Ai strode away from the table in brisk, clipped steps. Rei, the
American’s son, watched from behind his eyeglasses with a crinkled brow.
“Let him go,” Mai pointedly told Nagisa, rolling her eyes.
Nagisa glanced down at her, and plopped back down into his seat. He glanced
back once more, before turning back to the table. His father, the ship’s
designer, was chatting with the American woman now, discussing Nagisa’s future
plans at University. Once they were back in England, he’d start college.
The blond took a sip from his teacup, and directed his attention towards the
prim-looking American boy. He smiled brightly, leaning towards him some more.
“And what about you…” Nagisa said, “Rei, was it? Are you going to University?”
Rei blinked, startled at being addressed by the blond. “Ah… I’ll be attending
Harvard Law next fall.”
“Isn’t that grand?” His mother cut in loudly, making him jump yet again. Rei
blushed harder. Nagisa smiled softly down into his teacup.
“Quite… So, Rei. What interests you?”
 
Rin and Haru leant up against the life boats, soaking up the afternoon’s waning
sunlight. The ocean’s air was bitingly cold, but held promises of new
beginnings on it’s western coast.
As Rin had been sketching in his leather-bound book, Haru was making minimal
talk with another third-class passenger. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and
an angelic-like smile that light up his green eyes. He had introduced himself
as Makoto, and was traveling to America from Turkey.
As Rin looked up from his pencil sketches, he glanced around the lower decks.
He’d been out here for nearly an hour, making quick, rough drawings of whatever
sparked inspiration. From here, he could see the multiple floors that towered
over the main deck. Dining halls, ballrooms, and suites spilt out into
balconies, and Rin watched as the rich passengers gazed over the poor, down
into the ocean. He was about to turn back into his sketches, when his eyes
caught on one of the upper decks.
He stared for a moment, letting his eyes register. A slim, elegantly dressed
boy with silvery hair glowered down at the water. He was like moonlight, with
pale skin and hair. Rin swallowed the dryness in his throat away, eyes still
stuck.
Makoto followed his gaze, turning his eyes up at the top deck. He let out a
small chuckle, and gave Rin a playful smile.
“Good luck,” He joked, “I don’t think we’ll run into him in our dining hall.”
Rin tore his eyes away, finally. He ran a charcoal-covered hand through his
deep red hair, frowning. Haru was watching the boy, too.
The boy’s eyes slid over to Rin’s, where they met for a moment. He looked away.
And then back. Rin tried to hold his gaze.
A girl with sleek, black hair darted out onto the top deck, unattended. She was
dressed in dark shades of purple, carrying herself arrogantly. She snuck up
behind the silver-haired boy, a deep frown set on her face. They exchanged
words back and forth. The silver-haired boy stood up straighter as they talked,
his hands curling over the railing and gripping it tightly.
In an unexpectedly impolite gesture, the boy pushed away from the railing and
strode right past her, down the decks and back into the ship. Rin craned his
neck, trying to watch him walk off for as long as possible.
"Do you want to draw him?" Haru asked, vaguely, following Rin's gaze.
Rin cleared his throat and shrugged, starring back down at his sketch book.
They'd never meet again, so why bother?
Chapter End Notes
     Rin might seem OOC, but I'm basing it more on childhood rin. Like,
     before Rin became an angry shark boy. Also, this chapter was unbeta'd
     so sorry for errors and stufff
***** Coming Alive *****
Chapter Summary
     Aiichirou feels that there is only one way out. Rin begs to differ.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"I was living a life that was a constant loop of… Parties and champagne and
croquette. I felt like I was one of the only people who had grown tired of it.
And my engagement to Mai made me feel even more trapped… More locked into this
life that I resented completely. And I was suffocating, and at that time… My
sights were so narrow that I could only see one escape." Aiichirou murmured,
the crew hanging on his every word.
 
===============================================================================
 
Rin had found himself on the middle deck after dinner. The wooden bench he lay
on was stiff against his back but offered an amazing view. His battered wool
coat softened the bitter Atlantic bite somewhat, and he was entertaining
himself by blowing puffs of cigarette smoke up into the frigid night sky.
Bright stars dotted the inky blackness, and reminded Rin of the nights he spent
in near the salt flats in Bolivia, where the reflective, mineral-rich ground
would reflect the summer meteor showers.
 
The hum of the engines and slosh of the churning sea blended together, creating
a soothing slew of white noise that seemed to hold time still. He blew out one
more stream of smoke slowly, watching the translucent plume evaporate against
the night. He bolted upright as the sound of clattering feet and gasping sobs
shocked him out of his comatose lucidity. A young man had sprinted past his
bench, and continued to run towards the very back of the ship. 

~~~

Aiichirou gasped as he stumbled over his fast-moving feet. He stumbled,
clinging to an iron post that jutted up from the ground. He caught his breath,
feeling his hot tears cool quickly in the freezing breeze. Darkness curled at
the corners of his one-track mind. The edge of the boat was mere feet away. He
steadied himself and carried onwards, inhaling shakily as he felt the cold wind
whip at his hair. His harsh breaths were mixed with strangled whimpers, and his
mind felt blank. Now, nearing the edge, the roar of the unforgiving ocean was
loud in his ears, and the grind of the propellers below was deafening. He was
finally giving in, finally letting go.
Aiichirou’s numb fingers gripped the cold metal bar at the bow’s very edge, and
he stared straight at the ominously infinite stretch of starkly black oblivion.
His eyes couldn’t tell apart sea from sky, and his head hurt just looking out
into that unsaturated darkness. He glanced over his shoulder once, thumb
scraping over the smooth rail a few times.
His body felt foreign as he stepped up onto the bottom rails, hands shakily
gripping the mast beside him. His arms felt weak, and he struggled to stay
upright as he stepped over the rail entirely, and let his back face the wide
void that lay behind him. He forced himself to turn around, and gasped quietly
as he turned around completely. Now he faced his fate head on. He just didn’t
know when to let go of the rail.
 
Was he supposed to have any enlightened thoughts before he pushed off of the
bow and down into the icy waters? Was he supposed to feel at peace in the
moments before he ended his own life? Or would his suicide remain unspecial,
unnotable, just like the entirety of his short life? When was the right time to
let go?
 
He extended his arms, still gripping the cold metal railing, but leaning
further over the edge. He was starting to feel less and less self aware, and
began to let his mind dissolve into the numbness that was consuming his being.
He no longer felt human, no longer felt alive. He was already dead inside, so
now was the time… One… Two…
 
"Don’t do it!"
 
Aiichirou hauled his body back against the rails, whipping around. His heart
hammered, and he could feel it vibrating inside his chest. How long had it been
beating like that? He sobered up somewhat, and his mind cleared. A boy who
looked only a few years older than he did stood a few meters back, eyes wide
and right arm outstretch towards him, fingers twitching nervously, left hand
holding a cigarette up by his face. “Here! Take my hand.. I’ll pull you back
over!”
 
"S-stay back!" Aiichirou yelled, over the howl of the wind. The boy only inched
closer. "I’ll… I’ll do it! I’ll jump!"
The boy nervously took a drag from the burning cigarette, quickly exhaling. He
kept his eyes glued on Ai, and he shuffled closer stiff, hastily tossing the
burning tobacco roll over the edge. Aiichirou trembled as he watched the
cigarette sail over the edge and down into the ocean, gone forever.
 
Rin’s eyes nervously darted over the scene, and his clenched his jaw. It was
the boy from earlier, that beautiful, lithe boy who’d sparked so much
inspiration in Rin that he’d forgotten what the rest of the world looked like.
The grey-haired rich boy who resembled freshly fallen snow, or a vibrant moon
beam was hanging off of the edge of Titanic, prepared to jump down into that
vicious water. “No… No you won’t.”
 
Aiichirou’s eyes snapped back over to Rin. “What?” He hissed, “You- you don’t
know what you’re talking about! You don’t know me, so don’t try and tell me
what I will and will not do! Stop bothering me… You’re distracting me!” Ai
leaned forwards glancing back at the horizon. He had been so close. So close.
 
Rin licked over his jagged teeth, frowning. “I can’t do that… See, I’m involved
now. I can’t just let you jump now. You jump, and I’m gonna have to go in after
you.” He tugged off his worn coat, throwing it off his shoulders and tossing it
onto the floorboards.
 
Aiichirou squeaked, “You… You can’t be serious. You’d die before you could
resurface, I’m sure.”
 
Rin swung his suspenders off of his shoulders and rolled his head from side to
side, loosening his neck. “I’m a great swimmer,” He leaned his elbows against
the railing and sighed. “It would hurt like hell, obviously. But if I were you,
I’d be more scared of how cold that water is.”
Aiichirou let his eyes wander back to Rin’s, and he seemed to finally realize
who it was. It’s that poor guy from earlier today…
 
He cleared his throat a bit, and wet his lips with his tongue. “H-how cold?”
Rin shrugged, drumming his fingers against the metal. “Pretty fucking freezing…
You uh… Ever been to Russia?”
 
Aiichirou knit his eyebrows. “What?” He asked, sharply.
 
"They have some of the coldest winters in the world there…" Rin stated. "One
day me and my friend Haru were trying to take some bobsleds over a frozen
river… We must’ve had too much faith in how sturdy it was, and I ran over some
thin ice. Fell in before I could even think about what was happening… And let
me tell you. Water that cold… It has its own special kind of pain. It’s like
teeth sinking into your skin from every angel, freshly sharpened swords driving
into your sides, and your ribs tightening over your lungs until you can’t even
breathe. Once you’re under, you’re pretty much done for. You can’t think about
anything… Except maybe about how much pain you’re in."
 
Rin watched as Aiichirou’s pretty blue eyes widened, and he let out a defeated
sigh. “So it’s kinda shitty that I’ve gotta go through it again once I jump in
after you… But, what other choice do I have? Can’t let you go in alone…”
 
Ai swallowed the lump in his throat, tearing his gaze from Rin’s and back to
the open precipice that glared back emptily. He couldn’t speak, and his mind
was running at lightening speeds, a sharp contrast to the way he’s been
thinking mere moments ago.
 
"So I’m sorta hoping that maybe you’ll consider coming back over here… We’d
both be better off that way," Rin said, voice trustworthy and stable, his words
enunciating smoothly against the high winds.
 
"That’s preposterous! You’re insane!" Aiichirou retorted, chin trembling.
Rin snorted, “Everyone always says that… But who’s the once hanging off the ass
of a ship?”
 
Aiichirou didn’t reply. He let his eyes fall shut for a moment, and he
shuddered against the cold. He felt the man come up behind him.
"Come on, give me your hand." Rin said, his hand cautiously reaching out and
brushing Ai’s elbow. "You don’t wanna do this. Just take my hand."
 
Rin’s eyes widened as he felt a soft hand softly clamp down on his. Aiichirou
was surprised too. Rin’s grip became firm, and with great vigilance, Ai stepped
over his own foot and turned towards his savior.
He met the man face on, and now took the time to observe his appearance. Even
with Aiichirou standing a few inches above the decks where the man stood, he
was taller. He had deep red hair and eyes to match, jaw line sharp and strong.
His shoulders her wide looking, his clothes shabby and well worn. Aiichirou had
never seen anything more gorgeous.
 
Rin felt his cheeks heat up as he came face to face with the boy. Rin swallowed
sharply as he took in the gentle face, watery blue eyes, and tear stained
cheeks. The boy was obviously a few years younger than him, but seemed to be an
old soul. His grey hair had tints if lilac and periwinkle, and Rin noticed an
adorable little beauty mark under his right eye. He was entranced completely
for a moment.
 
Rin finally came to his senses, and grinned, flashing a row of sharp teeth.
“See? Easy.”
 
Aiichirou let out a small, uneven laugh.
 
"I’m Rin Matsuoka." The redhead stated, nodding once,
 
"Aiichirou Nitori." Ai replied, voice broken.
 
Rin smirked, “Fancy name.” He said, and Ai let out a wavering chuckle. “Ready
to come back over?”
 
Ai sucked in his breath and nodded. Now, his biggest fear was falling.
 
With heavy limbs, he lifted on foot into the first rail. His eyes were glued on
Rin’s, and he felt his heart flutter with newly awoken liveliness. And then his
one foot snagged on the other’s loose shoe lace.
 
Ai went down faster than Rin could blink, and he gave out a bloodcurdling
scream as he dropped over the bow like a lead weight. His shoulder protester as
he was jerked to a stop, right hand still locked in Rin’s.
 
Rin mustered up his capable arm strength in holding Aiichirou steady, still
shell-shocked from the boy’s sudden slip. His face strained as Aiichirou
dangled, still screaming out.
 
"I got you!" Rin shouted, "Don’t you dare let go! Don’t let go!"
 
Ai nodded, dangling helplessly. Rin grunted and reached for his other hand,
leaning so far over the rail that the rounded bar pressed up against his
stomach.
 
Even though he looked small, Aiichirou weighed a good amount. Rin could feel
beads upon beads if sweat rushing down his neck and back as he continued to try
and hoist Nitori over the railing. Ai’s eyes were round and pleading, never
leaving Rin’s gaze.
 
"Pull yourself up! Come on!" Rin said, yanking at his arm and raising him up
slightly.
 
Finally, Ai’s body began to cooperate. His left hand scrambled for the rail,
and he held onto the top railing, knuckles whitening in the strain of his own
body weight. Rin’s left hand grabbed Ai’s vacant wrist, and began to lift him
further over the railing.

Ai felt strong hands wrap around his waist and drag him up and over the
railing. He heard Rin’s voice in his ear, whispering a breathy “I’ve got you,”
before hauling him over all together and plopping him down against the cold
wooden deck with much more force than he had intended.
Rin leaned over Aiichirou, trying to see his face. Ai lay on his back, hands
strewn back by his head, chest heaving and arms limp. Rin snapped his eyes up
as he heard the sound of running feet stamping over the floor.
 
Three crewmembers, obviously alerted by the sound of Aiichirou’s screaming,
stood at the far end of the deck. They stood and took in the scene before them.
Rin, rough-edged and dishevled, loomed over a tiny and battered looking
Aiichirou. Then, Rin was in handcuffs.
 
"The poor don’t know they’re goddamn place on this boat," one of the men
sneered, "trying to rob a first-class passenger… What’s it gonna take to make
you learn where you stand?"
 
The master of arms held Rin back as Aiichirou was sat down on one of the
benches. His mother and Mai soon arrived, Nagisa in tow with that American boy.
Nagisa and Mai huddled over Ai, prodding him for answers, while Miyoko and Rei
kept a distainful eye on Rin.
 
"Just throw him in the holding cells," Miyoko said dismissively. "We’re just
lucky that Aiichirou isn’t hurt."
 
"Mother!" Aiichirou exclaimed, finally finding his voice, "It’s all a miss
understanding!"
 
Everyone turned to stare at Ai, who pulled his jacket tighter around his body.
His eyes darted towards Rin’s. “It’s really stupid, really. I was trying to see
the ah… The…”
 
"Propellers?" Nagisa prompted.
 
Ai’s eyes snapped open, “Yes! The propellers! The railing was wet from the
ocean, and I slipped. Mr. Matsuoka here was quick enough to yank me back just
in time!”
Rin’s brows scrunched up in confusion, and Aiichirou shot him another pleading
glance. He nodded dumbly, and everyone turned to stare at him now.
 
The master of arms folded his arms over his chest, “Was this what happened?” He
asked, sounding incredulous.
 
Rin nodded again, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
 
Nagisa smiled, “That means he saved Aiichirou’s life! He’s a hero!” He cheered,
rising to his feet and striding over to where Rin was now being uncuffed.
 
"Is a reward in order then?" Rei asked Miyoko quietly.
 
Miyoko turned her cool gaze on Rin, stenciled eyebrows raised in disapproval.
“Twenty dollars sounds adequate.”
 
"Twenty?" Mai asked, "Is that how much Aiichirou’s life is worth?"
 
Miyoko’s mouth settled into a tight line. Nagisa stood directly in front of Rin
now. The blond bounced up into his toes.
 
"I have an idea!" He announced. "How would you like to join us for dinner
tomorrow evening? I’m sure everyone would love to hear about how you saved
Aiichirou from a tragic death!"
 
Rin met Aiichirou’s eyes once more, and Ai gave him an encouraging smile. He
glanced back towards the bubbly blond kid in front of him and nodded once.
“Sure,” He replied, and Aiichirou’s smiled widened.
===============================================================================
 
“That…” Ai stated, wrinkled hands clasping together, eyes turning to gaze out
the windows as they descended into the ocean further, “Was the first time I can
recall feeling… More alive than I’d ever been.”
 
 
Chapter End Notes
     yeeeeeeeeaaahhhh okay okay okay okay!!!!!!!! Rin is a beautiful
     tsundere okay we'll see more tsundere rin soon i promise okay
     thanks for all the kudos! and feel free to comment because I love
     getting feedback!
***** Late Nights and Early Mornings *****
Chapter Summary
     Haruka gets in late that night, Nagisa and Rei try and fight off
     boredom, and Aiichirou has found himself a new favorite artist.
Chapter Notes
     arrrggghhh this took forever to update i'm so sorry! i was struggling
     on the chapter for some reason? idk... unbeta'd, so please excuse
     errors. and the plot will pick up in the later chapters, I promise!
     also, kudos + comments would be lovely!!
Rin woke slowly, allowing the pink sunshine to open his eyes little by little.
Ever the early riser, he could hear the loud snores of their roommates,
accompanied by Haru’s inconsistent muttering. Rin chuckled. Haruka had always
been one to sleep talk. Rin liked to think that Haru did all of his talking in
his head, but words escaped his mind as he slept.
 
As he lay in his small, bottom bunk, he took time to observe the way the white
paint that had been layered over the wrought iron bars of his bed was starting
to bubble and chip from the air.  His sheets were surprisingly soft, and
smelled like springtime in the Alps. All of his belongings were stuffed in a
small bag, under the beds. That was really all there was to this room. It was
stark and crisp, barren and unlived in. Yet, Rin had never felt more thankful.
 
He heard the springs of the bed above him creak, and Haruka hopped down onto
the floor. He rummaged around for his bag a bit, which Rin assumed he had put
under his pillow. He held an extra shirt in his hand, and made his way towards
the door, obviously on his way to bathe in the third-class facilities.
 
“Hey,” Rin said,  “Why’d you come back so late?”
 
Haru had one hand on the doorknob, and he turned his head to glance back at
Rin. “Makoto and I found a swimming pool.” He said, yawning a bit at the end of
his sentence.
 
Rin sat up more, supporting his weight with his elbows. “Isn’t the pool only
for the first class passengers?”
 
Haru shrugged wordlessly, “No one was using it.” He deadpanned before opening
the door and striding out into the quiet corridors.
 
Rin chuckled and stood, dragging a hand through his tangled, red hair. He
pulled his bag out from under the bed, and slipped his button-up shirt on over
the white tank he’d worn to bed.
 
He dressed quickly, eager to get out of the stuffy bedroom. Just as he was
slipping his suspenders over his shoulders, a sharp knock at the door snapped
him out of his early-morning haze.
 
He glanced at the still-sleeping men in the bunks beside his, and strode over
to the door. He opened it, and was met by a crewmember; dressed impeccably in a
stiff, button up jacket. He stood at attention, as if in a police lineup. Rin
pulled himself up to his full height, wondering if the man was here for Haru.
He had trespassed in first-class territory.
 
“Yes?” Rin asked, eyebrow cocked.
 
“A message from Mr. Aiichirou Nitori,” The man began, voice clipped. He held
out a piece of paper, obviously reading Aiichirou’s handwriting.
 
Rin’s eyes widened, and he bit back a grin. He’d forgotten all about his dinner
invitation.
 
“If you would be so kind, please meet me on the B Deck at nine am.” The
crewmember read, and folded the note back up. He handed the small square of
paper over to Rin, who accepted it with trembling hands.
 
Rin nodded, and the man walked off. He slouched against the door, opening the
note carefully. Aiichirou’s curled, precise cursive had been penned in deep,
indigo ink. Rin read it and reread it, smiling to himself.
 
He glanced down the hall to read the clock at had been propped onto the wall.
It was a little after eight. He grabbed his boots and tied up the hardened
twine laces. Before he left, he grabbed his leather sketchbook, and slipped a
small piece of charcoal into his pocket. As he made his way down the hall he
passed by Haruka, who’s hair was dripping wet still.
 
“I’m going up,” Rin said, making his way to the elevators. Haruka nodded, and
made his way back to the room.
 
He got to the elevator just in time, feeling his stomach flutter a bit more as
they ascended. He gripped his sketchbook, drumming his fingers against it. He
was spit out onto the B Deck’s luxurious glory, observing the emptiness of it.
Only a few well-dressed aristocratic types wandered around, probably making
their way to the tearoom for coffee.
 
Rin pushed through the doors and outside. The sun was still waking up too,
hovering just about the ocean, like it didn’t want to part. The clouds had been
stained pink and orange in the morning light, and Rin took it in with a deep
breath. He settled into one of the deck chairs, and began to sketch.
 
 
Aiichirou had woken up with one thought in his mind. He had to see Rin again.
The name, Rin Matsuoka had haunted his sleep, playing over and over again in
his head like a mantra. The feel of his hands, closing over his waist, made his
skin tingle and his heart stutter on its rhythm.
 
Just after he’d awoke, he’d made his way over to his desk, and carefully penned
a note to him. He sent it off with a butler, and began to dress.
 
He glanced in the mirror, and slowly began to tame his mussed hair back into
place. In the mirror, he could see the sun’s morning rays trying to peer into
his room from behind the heavily drawn velvet drapes. Ai walked the stretch
over to them, and yanked the curtains apart, smiling as the bright morning
light spilt into the dark suite. He stood in the sun for a moment, lavishing in
the way it warmed his skin and made colors dance behind his closed eyelids. He
hadn’t done anything remotely close to this in years. And it felt even better
now.
 
Ai dressed carefully. He pulled on a starched white shirt, buttoning it up all
the way and smoothing down the collar. Next, he tied a silken necktie in place.
It was a pretty turquoise color, and he admired it more a moment longer than
usual. A black vest, black jacket, and black pants were added, and he pulled on
his newly shined shoes. In the mirror, he ruthlessly inspected himself.
 
And then he realized how he might be late to the date he’d planned.
 
“It’s not a date,” Ai chided himself, and slipped down into the stateroom’s
main quarters. Breakfast was already being set out. Aiichirou kept a stern eye
on the clock as he picked at a hard-boiled egg.
 
At eight fifty, he left the room after instructing his servants to let his
mother know that he was going for a walk.
 
His breath stuck in his throat as he saw Rin, reclined on a chair, serious
expression on his face as he sketched away in his book. He inched closer,
trying to keep his heart rate in check.
 
“Ah… Rin?” Ai started, watching as Rin’s eyes rose to meet his.
 
===============================================================================
 
“Are you bored?” Nagisa asked, swirling the crimson tea around in it’s
porcelain cup. Both of his elbows were resting roguishly on the low tea table,
hair left unstyled and wavy around his face.
 
Usually, this kind of uncouth display of manners would make Rei click his
tongue is resentment. So, why couldn’t he look away? This blond kid had been
badgering him since yesterday morning. He was foolish and inappropriate. And
Rei hated himself for admiring Nagisa so, so much.
 
Rei sat up taller, fingers pushing up his eyeglasses farther up his nose. He
watched as Nagisa attacked a piece of iced cake without a fork or knife. Rei
sighed and shook his head, trying to fight down a smile.
 
“I suppose.” He finally replied, “I expected the ship to have more attractions
aboard.”
 
“Nn,” Nagisa agreed, mouth full.
 
“All the activities aren’t anything different than what I could be doing at
home,” Rei continued to complain. He drummed his fingers one by one against the
white tablecloth.
 
Nagisa wiped at corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. “Why don’t we go
explore?” He asked, eyes bright and wide.
 
Rei raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Explore?”
 
Nagisa nodded, both hands splayed flat against the tabletop. “It’s a huge ship!
There’s gotta be something for us to do.”
 
===============================================================================
 
 
“So you lived in Romania for three years?” Ai asked, amazed.
 
Rin nodded, “Yeah, and then we moved to Rome.”
 
“How long did you stay there?” Aiichirou questioned, eyes wide. “I love Rome.”
 
“You probably wouldn’t have loved the Rome I stayed in…” Rin chuckled dryly,
“We stayed there for about a week, really. I thought it would’ve been more
ambitious there.”
 
“It’s Rome,” Ai laughed, “The greatest ambition there is living comfortably,”
 
“It was fuckin’ gross in the places me and Haruka stayed,” Rin replied,
clicking his tongue.
 
Ai blanched at Rin’s vulgar word choice, and laughed nervously.
 
“What did you call me up here for anyways?” Rin asked, staring out at the
horizon so he could avoid Aiichirou’s piercing blue eyes.
 
“Ah,” Ai started, “I never got to thank you last night. For pulling me back, I
mean.”
 
“Thought you were treating me to dinner,” Rin lamented, shoving his hands into
his pockets.
 
Ai flushed, “That was Nagisa’s idea. I just wanted to thank you… personally.
You’re a great person, Rin. You… you see people.”
 
Rin laughed, finally meeting Ai’s gaze. “I guess you could say that.”
 
“And…?”Aiichirou tilted his chin up and smiled, “What do you see now?”
 
Rin swallowed thickly, feeling a blush tickle over his cheeks. Mindlessly, he
blurted out the least-provocative thing that came to his mind. “You wouldn’t
have jumped.”
 
Ai flinched, “What makes you so sure?”
 
Rin shrugged, “You looked to scared.”
 
Aiichirou strayed over to the side of the deck and leant his arms up against
the rail. “Of course I was scared. But it just seemed like all the weight of
the world was piling up on top of me. And the speed at which my life was
traveling… Far too fast for me to do anything and try to stop it.” He turned
his head towards Rin. “I’m engaged.”
 
Rin froze up a bit. “Oh…” He muttered, coming up to stand besides Aiichirou.
“What’s she like?”
 
He heard the boy heave a loud sigh.
 
“Uch, she’s dull, vain, stiff, dreary, humorless, and even more of a prude than
I am,” Aiichirou rattled off, like he’d repeated this list in his head
countless times. Which he had, of course.
 
Rin made the connection in his head between Ai’s fiancé and the girl from the
other day, dressed all in purple. He shook his head, “Shit… She sounds
terrible.”
 
“Oh believe me,” Ai sniffed, “She is…”
 
His voice trailed off, and Rin turned to glance at him with a confused
expression. “What?”
 
Ai hung his head, “I just don’t have the heart to hate her. I can’t.”
 
“When’s the wedding?” Rin asked, genuinely curious.
 
“A month,” Aiichirou murmured, voice heavy.
 
Rin licked along his teeth, “And what are you gonna on the honeymoon night?”
 
Ai’s head whipped up to look at him, his eyes wide and filled with shock.
“What?”
 
Rin ran a hand through his flyaway burgundy hair. “Probably difficult to get
hard for someone who you can’t stand,” He smirked.
 
Aiichirou shook his head and pushed away from the railing. “You can’t possibly
be asking me that. You are rude… and uncouth… and you’re not asking me this!”
 
“I am,” Rin responded, following him out into the middle of the deck.
Nitori scoffed, dodging Rin’s question. “Hah… Well, Mr. Matsuoka. This has been
a lovely chat,”
 
Rin rolled his eyes, “Yes it has.”
 
“I’ll be on my way now.” He briskly shook Rin’s hand, trying to ignore the warm
sparks that he felt as Rin’s large hand clasped his. “Good day, Rin.”
 
“Good day!” Rin called after him, sarcastically.” Ai took off down the deck,
but stopped in his tracks.
 
“Wait!” Aiichirou said, “I’m not leaving. This is my deck. You leave.”
 
Rin laughed loudly, drawing the attention of a few passerby. “Who’s the rude
one now?”
 
Ai strode back over to him, hands bunched tightly in fists. “You are such a
child.”
 
Rin smirked again, lavishing in the cute expression Aiichirou wore when he was
angry. He felt the sketchbook he’d been holding for the past hour disappears
from his grip.
 
“What is this?” Nitori asked, flipping through it with annoyed wrist-flicks. He
slowed down his movements, and began to browse through Rin’s sketches. He
looked up with bright, shiny eyes. “You’re… an artist?”
 
Rin nodded, “Yeah,”
 
A smile spread across Aiichirou’s face, “I’m an artist! Or… Well, I like to
draw… And I’m going to art school in America… But you’re work is so much more
exquisite.”
 
He took a seat in one of the deck chairs, eyes never leaving the book. Rin
joined him. “That’s not what they thought in Paris,” He murmured, frowning.
 
“Paris?” Aiichirou asked, finally tearing his eyes away. “You do get around.”
He offered Rin a cheeky smile, with one brow raised.
 
Ai’s cocky look vanished into an embarrassed one as he flicked through a few
more pages. Sketches of naked men and women met his gaze, and he coughed
awkwardly.
 
Rin fought down the urge to rip the book out of Ai’s grasp. This is mortifying…
 
“And uh… these were drawn from life?” Ai stammered, scrutinizing a sketch of a
shirtless guy for a few seconds longer than Rin would have liked.
 
Rin had never, ever felt so self-conscious about his art before.
“Er… I guess you could say that.” Rin mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.
 
 
Ai snapped the book shut and met Rin’s eyes with a determined look. “Rin, could
you teach me how to draw like this?”
 
“Depends…” Rin mused, carefully taking the book away from Ai. “Will you travel
with me once we get off the boat?”
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