Bloom and Scatter [Free! Zombie AU]

The Truth - Part 2

The Iwatobi evacuation had hit a sore spot, Rin could tell, because Tachibana had excused himself to read more of the books Nakagawa Akiko had left behind. He'd mentioned that she'd scribbled a little note on all of the front pages, about leaving her record of events for future researchers and survivors so they could know what had happened in Tottori University. Considering what Tachibana had been put through, Rin figured he needed the information and the closure more than Rin did. Also, despite appearances, Rin did not have the sensitivity of a brick wall; he knew when a guy needed space. Tachibana would most likely come back to him with information, on both the fog and Iwatobi, when he was good and ready.

Knowing what he knew now, though, Rin really did need to blow off some steam. He considered exploring Tottori University some more, but running into a toolbox had given him some arts and crafts ideas.

"What are you doing?" Tachibana's voice sounded both weary and wary as he crept into their designated base.

Rin kept hammering the nails into his bat, imagining each one to be someone or something he hated. The cargo plane pilot. The ugly banker dude who told him his cheque had bounced. The arms dealer with the stinky breath. The assholes who had whistled at a picture of his sister.

"Kitajima," Tachibana said, wincing at a particularly vicious slam of the hammer which partially cracked the wood of his baseball bat.

"Brush up on your Final Fantasy," Rin said sharply, though his voice was tinged with malevolent glee, "Nail bats, simple but deadly. One swing of this, and you'll get guts flying across the room."

"Please don't hit me with that," Tachibana's voice quavered slightly.

"I won't if you stop pussyfooting around it. If you're done moping, sit down and start hammering the other one."

"I, um, I brought dinner, actually."

Rin stopped hammering and looked up. He hadn't realised because the mask was on his face and couldn't smell anything.

"What did you make?"

"Canned stew. It's slightly past expiry, but I had some and it tasted good."

"You ate alone? Barbarian," Rin took the bowl from him and began unstrapping his gas mask.

Now that he could smell it, it was fucking amazing and he dug in with fervour despite the slightly amused warning to beware of the heat. It was his first taste of meat and a hot meal in a long, long time. Tachibana ended up leaning up against the wall behind him and curling up with one of the books, reading in silence, as Rin shovelled his dinner into his mouth and gulped down a bottle of water. Finally satisfied, he was suddenly hit by a pang of drowsiness. His first instinct was that he had been drugged. Then he realised he was being an idiot. Rin was tired. They had been running non-stop all day, and he hadn't allowed himself to rest since they had taken refuge in Tottori University. Although Iwatobi was his priority, it did him no good to barge in there blindly. He'd tried it the first time, and he'd ended up literally in a hospital. If Tachibana hadn't been there...

"I'm taking a nap," Rin said, stifling a yawn.

"Shouldn't you put your mask on?"

"Suffocating," Rin lay on his back, curling up on the sleeping bag that had been tossed over an old and thin mattress. The air was a lot better here anyway, "Maybe next time."