"Get the shark."
Haruka glances back at his redheaded rival, a single eyebrow lifting in question. His sapphire eyes are painfully dull, and in all honesty, he could care less about Rin's explanation.
"Sharks are the best, clearly!" he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, you gotta admit, the little guy is pretty cute. Just look at him! He screams cuddliness!"
Haru's eyes fall back on the stuffed shark. He has to admit, it does look adorable. Shiny black eyes, "teeth" that couldn't harm a fly... It was even stuffed in all the right places, ensuring that it was prim and ready for hugging.
And then he sees a killer whale. A big, fluffy one that makes sounds when you squish it. One that, once you fill it, shoots water out of its mouth. It's a stuffed animal and a water bottle, all in one.
Haruka is sold.
He tugs on Makoto's sleeve. The taller boy glances down at him, and is more than a little startled when he sees an unmistakable sparkle in Haru's eyes. A sheen, a gleam, a shimmer of complete adoration and perhaps a little obsession. He cannot comprehend why he's at the receiving end of such a look, and suddenly his brain dissolves into a mushy, wishy-washy mess.
Perhaps he's a little too pleased.
"Makoto."
Haru says it in a way he hasn't quite heard before. His voice is low and just a little more intense than it should be, dragging his name out in all its girly glory. Mako dies a little inside, and decides that as long as he keeps it to himself, he's allowed to die a little more.
He manages to choke out, "What is it, Haru-chan?"
Haru points to a stuffed animal, and he wants nothing more than to melt into a huge puddle on the floor. Somewhere close by, he hears Rin objecting profusely, but neither of them pay him much mind.
"I want the killer whale."
I've just started getting into Free! yesterday and I am obsessed! Because... well, come on. Look at it. I'm pretty sure this fandom consists mostly of women. And I am unashamed to be one of them.
Honestly, I think this anime is doing a great thing. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a girl and obviously enjoy watching it. You're bound to get some serious backlash when attempting to create an anime like Free! and I respect the directors for taking that risk, that plunge (possible pun is definitely intended). In my opinion, we need more stuff like this.
Anyway~ I hope that they keep this anime going on strong! If they keep up the tradition of airing a new season every summer, I'm gonna look foward to July more than ever! I just made a quick thing in the midst of my hype... but expect more Free! from me in the near future! I think you can already guess my OTP. Oh, and one more thing - as I said, I just started getting into this anime. How's the characterization? :)