Chapter Text
Something’s definitely different, Haru thinks. It could be the unfamiliar setting, or his lack of memories of getting here. It could be because someone else is here as well.
“What the fuck,” Rin says. “This is not my fucking room.”
“No kidding,” Haru agrees, glancing around the apartment. It’s small, modern looking, well lit, and fully inhabited by strangers.
“Did we get drunk last night?” Rin asks. “Do you remember anything?”
“I remember going to bed,” Haru says. “But not here. In my house.”
Rin sighs in agitation, standing up from the couch and pacing the floor. “Damn, I don’t remember anything. Is this one of Nagisa’s pranks? What the hell are we doing here?”
“Whatever happened, we need to get out before someone sees us and calls the police.”
“Screw the police, I want to know what’s going on!”
Haru slaps a hand over his mouth. “Don’t yell, or we’ll be caught even faster.”
“I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch,” Rin says, grinding his teeth together.
“I doubt Nagisa would leave us in danger,” Haru replies, trying to keep a level head. “But we need to get out and call him, just to be sure.”
“Fine,” Rin grunts, patting his pockets. “Fuck. I don’t have my phone.”
“We’ll use a payphone.” Haru doesn’t bother adding that he doesn’t have his, either. His phone is basically a permanent fixture on his bedside table, and most of the time it’s not even charged.
“Do you have any money?” Rin asks.
“We’ll steal some, or beg or something.”
“Fine. Great. Now we’re thieves.” Rin storms to the door and yanks it open, still glaring at him. “Do you ever think your sentences through? And people say I’m the future criminal.”
Haru freezes.
“Why do you look like that?” Rin pivots to the open door and stops in his tracks.
“Um…” The man at the door scratches his head with the hand not holding a bagel bag, looking slightly puzzled. “You two look a little… younger than usual.”
Haru recovers first. “We were just leaving,” he says, trying to slip by the huge man. (And trying to remember where he’s seen him before, because he looks familiar.)
However, Rin has other plans. He grabs Haru’s shoulder, securing him in place, and glares at the mystery man. “Not so fast, Haru,” he says. “I want answers.”
“Rin,” Haru hisses, glaring. God, he’s an idiot sometimes. “What are you doing, we have to leave.”
The man’s eyes widen in surprise. “So it is you,” he says, moving past them into the room. “But, you look so different.”
“I’m sorry, do we know you?” Rin demands.
“Guys, it’s me.” When neither of them responds, he adds, “Makoto.”
Haru squints at the man, moving from his green eyes to his pointed chin and friendly smile. Sure, he’s a little sharper and his eyes are a little more aged, but he’s definitely…
Oh my god.
“Makoto?” he asks. “You look different.”
“What do you mean?” Makoto asks, still puzzled but not alarmed. “You guys are the ones who look different. Younger.”
“What?!” Rin exclaims. “You’re the one who looks older, if anything.”
“It’s true,” Haru agrees. “Makoto, what’s going on? Where are we?”
“Hey.” A new voice joins the party, and everyone turns to face it. “I heard screaming. What’s--”
Rin shrieks. Haru stares. Makoto simply looks back and forth between them and the newcomer in mild confusion.
Sharp chin, pointed teeth poking out of a slightly agape mouth, long red hair tied back in a messy ponytail. He’s wearing a black tank and low slung gray sweats. Taller, more muscular, and older, but…
“Rin?”
“Makoto?” the new man says. “Who are these? They almost look like-”
“You’re…” Rin takes a shaky step forward. “Y-You’re… me?!”
The other Rin, the one who apparently lives here, seems far less surprised than the rest of them. “So, it finally happened.”
"What happened?!” Rin exclaims. “Where the fuck are we, and how the fuck are you me?!”
“Ah,” the newcomer says, taking a few steps forward. “Ask Rei if time travel’s possible when you get back to Iwatobi. We’re in Tokyo, by the way.”
“We’re in Tokyo?” Haru asks, covering Rin’s shocked squeaks with his hand. He seems to be adjusting much faster than Rin. Tokyo Rin smirks at them.
“Real cute,” he says, turning towards the couch. “You might as well sit back down. There’s a lot of explaining to do.”
“I’ll stay, too, if that’s okay,” Tokyo Makoto says, following them. “I want to know what this is about.”
“So,” Tokyo Rin says, “can I get you anything? Are you guys thirsty?”
“We’re fine,” Haru says, shaking his head. “We just want answers.”
“Okay, then.” Tokyo Rin sits across from them, stretching his arms and legs out. “Well, the first thing you’ll want to know is that you’re in the future. I’d say about four or five years.”
“How is that possible?” Haru asks.
“I don’t know. Scientists have been trying to crack time travel for years with no luck, and suddenly you two just drop into my home. Your Rei, the science nerd, is gonna be upset for a while, but he’ll science himself out eventually.”
“Okay,” Rin says, moving closer to Haru as Makoto sits on his other side. “So we’re in the future. How do we get back? And why?”
“I can’t explain much of that,” Tokyo Rin replies. “But you’ll be back before the end of the day, and no time will have passed in Iwatobi. As for what you’re doing here...”
“Rin?” A sleepy fifth voice calls, and suddenly a man wanders in from the other room. “Did we get robbed?”
Tokyo Rin sighs. “Morning, Haru. Come say hi to our guests.”
Haru frowns, looking the man up and down. He’s shorter than Tokyo Rin, with straight black hair and blue eyes clouded by sleep, and even with the stubble and the sharp lines and the obvious age difference, Haru can see that it’s him.
No way.
“Morning, Makoto,” Tokyo Haru says.
“Good morning, Haru-chan,” Makoto replies. Tokyo Haru frowns at the -chan, but doesn’t argue. He blinks the sleep from his eyes and then locks eyes with Haru.
“So today’s the day.”
“Wait--” Rin seems to have gotten his bearings back much quicker this time. “Did you two just wake up?”
“Fuck,” Tokyo Rin whispers, glancing at Makoto for help.
“Do you live together now?” Rin asks. “Why?”
Makoto steps in now. “Uh, Rin, I know this might be hard for you to hear, but-”
“Oh my god,” Rin whispers. “Don’t tell me-”
Tokyo Haru cuts him off, sliding his arm around Tokyo Rin’s waist and plopping down next to him. “You get together in about a year.”
There’s a heavy silence around the room. Rin’s face is getting red. Haru’s finding it hard to think.
They. Get. Together?
“I would’ve put it a little more tactfully than that, babe,” Tokyo Rin says. And regular Rin freaks out.
“What the fuck?!” he shrieks. Makoto flinches. “What the holy flying fuck?! Oh my god, tell me you’re lying.”
“Rin,” Haru protests. “Come on, don’t.”
“Did you hear them, Haru? Why the fuck are you so calm?!” Rin’s eyes are stretched wide in panic in the second Haru sees them, before he’s turning towards Tokyo Rin again. “How did this happen? I’m not even gay!”
“Maybe you’re not, but I am.” Tokyo Rin shrugs, then redirects his attention at Haru. “Hey, Haru, it’s gonna be a lot of work, but I know you can break him down. He’s just stuck in some stupid internalized gay panic.”
Rin moans. “I can’t believe this. What the fuck?”
Tokyo Haru and Haru share a look. “He’s difficult,” Tokyo Haru says, “but it’s well worth the wait.”
Haru doesn’t say anything in reply. He’s not so willing to believe.
“So you guys do couple-y stuff like kiss and hold hands and stuff?” Rin asks, sounding both repulsed and intrigued at the same time. “And you’ve been together for four years?”
“They’re married now,” Makoto helpfully points out.
“But- We- You- I mean, Haru agrees with me!” Rin says, turning to Haru. “It’s weird, right? I mean, knowing that we’re gonna get together soon? That’s just fucking crazy, not to mention stressful. I mean, you just told us that we’re going to get married. What are we supposed to do until then, act like everything’s normal?!”
Tokyo Rin sighs. “Look, I know you’re in the middle of some sexuality crisis or whatever, but would you just listen to yourself? You’re going on about not wanting to be fuck-buddies or lovers or whatever with Haru when he’s right next to you.”
“It’s not like he wants to get married, either,” Rin huffs quietly, and Tokyo Rin continues.
“Besides, ending up with this guy isn’t the worst thing in the world,” he says, turning to Tokyo Haru with a fond look on his face. Haru feels sick and sad, like his stomach is in his throat, and he’s not sure why.
“That’s not what you said when I beat you in that race yesterday,” Tokyo Haru says, completely blank and deadpan. Tokyo Rin whirls on him, and Haru can see the similarity a little better now.
“Oh, fuck off,” Tokyo Rin says. “You’re the one who married me.”
“You’re the one who proposed.”
Rin blanches. “I what?!”
Ignoring them, Tokyo Rin and Haru draw closer to each other. “And you’re the one who said yes,” Tokyo Rin replies.
“Best decision I ever made,” Tokyo Haru says. Their faces are inches apart. Makoto looks on fondly, like a proud parent. Haru feels like he’s intruding on a private moment.
Then their lips brush against each other and Rin makes a little strangled sound in the back of his throat. Looking over, Haru notices that he looks like he’s in pain.
Is it really that bad? he thinks. As if Rin’s reading his mind, he glances over. Their eyes meet.
Makoto clears his throat and Rin looks away so fast he’s probably dizzy. Tokyo Rin and Haru pull away from each other, looking not at all ashamed.
“Rin,” Tokyo Rin says. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“What do you want with me?” Rin asks, and he sounds almost panicky. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“Rin, he’s literally you,” Haru says quietly.
“I just.” Tokyo Rin glances at Tokyo Haru for moral support. They squeeze hands. “I just want to talk to you,” he says. “I’ve been through where you’re at right now, and I’d rather not put you through it, too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rin mumbles, but he follows Tokyo Rin anyway.
Before they leave the room, Rin shoots a glance back at Haru. He looks confused, and Haru doesn’t blame him for that.
It’s just… He also looks sad.