Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club and make no money from these writings.
A Mermaid Among Men
Chapter One
Splashing water glittered in the afternoon light as the Iwatobi Swim Club practiced in their school's pool. It was the weekend, but they had obtained permission to be on school grounds as long as their club advisor was present as well.
Gou grabbed the silver whistle that hung around her neck and put it to her lips. The whistle was a gift from her brother to help her gain the Iwatobi swimmers' attention while they were in the water. The sharp sound of the whistle pierced the air, and the small gift served it's purpose. All eyes turned to her. "Okay guys," she announced. "It's time to stop for a lunch break!"
Haruka was toweling off his hair when he turned to face his best friend. "Hey Makoto," he said to grab the taller boy's attention. "What time is it?"
Though he was curious as to why it would matter, Makoto picked up his cell phone that had been lying on top of his towel. "Twelve-o-five," he responded. "Why?"
Sighing as he draped his towel around his neck, Haruka told him but announced loud enough for the rest of the club to hear, "I have to skip lunch and the rest of practice. There's something else that I have to do."
The club members all stopped and stared at their Vice-Captain in shock. Haruka Nanase was leaving practice early on a beautiful day with perfect weather? Was he sick? By the time they had snapped out of their stupor, Haruka was already in the locker room getting changed.
"W-wait a second! Haru!" Makoto yelled as he and the other curious club members followed their stoic teammate.
"What do you need to do so badly that you're going to skip practice?" Gou asked with her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Having already tugged on a pair of track pants, Haruka pulled a light t-shirt over his head before answering, "I have to pick up my cousin at the train station."
"Your cousin?" Makoto mused aloud as he tried to think back. Then it suddenly hit him and he perked up. "You mean Kagome?"
The other club members looked on in confusion. Since they hadn't known Haruka as long as Makoto, they knew next to nothing about his extended family.
"Yeah," Haruka answered simply as he slipped his feet into his sandals and packed up his swim bag.
Realizing that he was going to have to lead the conversation, Makoto prodded, "I didn't know that she was coming to visit."
"She's not," Haruka told his friend as he patted his pockets to make sure that he hadn't lost his wallet.
"Then why do you need to pick her up at the train station?" Makoto asked now even more confused.
Haruka slung the strap of his bag across his chest and turned to face his friend. It was only then that he realized that the rest of the club was also in the room, eagerly listening. "She's moving in with me," he told them as if he was giving a weather report.
Makoto blinked. Many questions raced through his mind, but the first out of his mouth was, "Why?"
Haruka shrugged casually. "Mom called a couple of weeks ago," he explained. "She'd been talking with Aunt Risa and heard that Kagome was having a hard time at school and at home. They decided it might be good for her to switch schools and come out here, so she's moving into the house with me and transferring to Iwatobi."
"What do you mean she was having a hard time?" Makoto asked as his brow furrowed with concern.
"Dunno," Haruka said as he stepped towards the door to leave. "I didn't think it was my business, so I didn't ask."
"Wait!" Makoto called as he grabbed his friend's wrist. "Wait for me. I'm coming too!"
"What?" Nagisa finally jumped in. "Mako! You're leaving too? What about practice?"
Makoto smiled brightly at the slightly younger boy. "If she's moving to town, Kagome probably has a lot of luggage with her. They'll need help," he reasoned. "Plus I really want to see Kagome again."
Rei noticed that Makoto knew the girl in question but Nagisa seemed clueless. "You've known Haruka and Makoto longer than I have, Nagisa. Do you not also know this girl?" He questioned.
Nagisa looked to Haruka who was leaning against the wall watching the locker room's clock. Turning back to Rei, he shrugged and shook his head with wide eyes. "Beats me. I'm in the dark here."
Makoto laughed as he tossed his things into his bag and looked towards his two younger teammates. "You've met her before, Nagisa," he informed. "It was a long time ago though. We were all still in elementary school, and it was before Rin. Just think back. Kagome came to the swim club a few times with us. She's the same age as me and Haru." When he saw that none of what he was saying was clicking, Makoto added, "Just think about it and you'll remember her. She looks like a girl version of Haru!"
Nagisa turned to study Haruka intently. He thought about what the second-year boy looked like when they were kids and added long hair. It only took a few seconds for the memories to start clicking into place. Tapping his fist on his open palm, Nagisa's eyes finally lit up with recognition. "Oh! I think I remember now! She would only visit sometimes during school holidays."
"Bingo!" Makoto nodded as he walked to stand beside Haruka. "Let's go!" He said as he patted his friend's shoulder.
Haruka had just pushed himself off of the wall when Nagisa cried out, "Waaah! You have to wait for me! I wanna come too!" Haruka sighed as he took up his place against the wall once again.
Makoto smiled as Nagisa pulled on his shorts over his damp swimsuit and began throwing his things into a bag. "You coming too, Rei?" Makoto asked the only team member who hadn't seemed to abandon practice yet.
"I'm not sure," Rei hedged. "I don't know Haruka's cousin and there's still practice."
"What practice?" Gou groused from the doorway as she threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Most of the team is ditching anyway!"
"Why don't you both come?" Makoto suggested. "You'll meet her eventually. With all of us there we can give her a big welcome!"
"Is no one going to clear this with me?" An annoyed voice came from behind Gou. Miho glared at the teens as they suddenly looked towards their forgotten advisor, but she couldn't stay angry at the sheepish and apologetic looks that they gave her. Sighing, she waved them off. "Fine, fine," she told them. "I have lesson plans to make anyway. But all of you better be on time for practice tomorrow!"
The team nodded happily. With a little more persuading, Gou and Rei finally gave in and also agreed to come to the train station. Once their things were put away and the gates to the pool were firmly locked, the swim team plus their manager started on their way to the train station.
"Besides what she looks like, I only remember a little bit about Kagome," Nagisa pouted as they walked.
"I'm not all that surprised," Makoto chuckled. "You probably only met her a few times before she stopped visiting."
"Why'd she stop?" The younger blond asked.
"Kagome's dad, my uncle, died," Haruka answered. "He was my mom's brother."
Silence fell over the small group for several minutes as no one was sure of what to say. Finally Gou could no longer take it and rerouted the conversation. "So what's your cousin like?"
Haruka shrugged slightly at first but smiled softly a moment later and answered, "She's nice. You'll like her."
Makoto nodded in agreement. "Haru and Kagome might look alike, but their personalities are like night and day. Kagome is bright and loud and is always smiling! About the only way they're alike is their love of the water," he laughed.
"She swims too?" Rei asked.
Makoto nodded with a hum. "I don't know if she still does, but she used to. Haru and I are actually the ones who taught her how. She's from Tokyo and had never had the chance to learn before she started coming here. I knew for sure she was really related to Haru when she took to it like a fish!"
Haruka rolled his eyes. "You sure have a lot to say about my cousin that you haven't seen in years," he pointed out while giving his friend a knowing look. Makoto had always tried to hide it, but it hadn't escaped his attention when they were kids the way his friend would blush and be just a little more goofy than usual around Kagome.
Blinking several times in shock, Makoto blushed lightly before looking away and scratching his cheek. "Well..." He started. "She was just really nice."
Gou gave Makoto an analyzing look but didn't call him out on anything. Instead, she took pity on their Captain and redirected the focus once again. "You said that she's the same age as you and Haruka?"
Glad for the shift in focus, Makoto smiled at the only girl in their group and nodded. "She's actually a little older. She's older than Haru by a couple of months."
Gou watched Haruka for a moment as she tried to figure out what his cousin might look like. 'Probably tall and thin,' she reasoned to herself. 'Black hair. Long or short? Hmmmm...if she's a swimmer, probably short or medium? Blue eyes.' She imagined Haruka's cool and aloof eyes on a more feminine face and blushed a little. 'Pretty,' she concluded.
As the train station came into sight, everyone except for Haruka got a little nervous. Haruka glanced at the clock as they walked into the station and frowned slightly. "We're late," he said to no one in particular.
The group made their way towards the benches in the waiting area and looked around. It didn't take long for everyone to spy one lone, grumbling girl surrounded by bags and suitcases.
"Kagome!" Haruka called out and waved as he approached his waiting cousin.
The girl who had been facing away from them suddenly sat up straight before whipping around to look over the back of the bench she was sitting on. "Haru!" She called back excitedly. Looking down at her watch, she looked back up at the black-haired teen and glared. "Haruka Nanase, you're late!"
Haruka watched as Kagome aggressively gathered her bags. Thinking back to when they were kids, he knew that he should probably defuse the situation before she actually made it to him. It was time to shift the blame. "I would have been on time, but I got held up by the welcome wagon."
Kagome came to stand in front of him and gave him a flat look before she rolled her eyes and smiled. She dropped her bags and threw her arms around the taller boy. "I'll forgive you this time," she assured him as she tightened her grip. Her smile brightened as she felt him return the hug. She had missed her cousin, and it had been far too long since she'd seen him. Breathing deep, she could smell the chlorine lingering on his skin and in his hair. 'He must have come straight from the pool,' she thought with a small giggle. He hadn't changed. "Now who is this welcome wagon you mentioned?" Kagome asked as she pulled away from the hug.
Haruka stepped aside and pointed towards his friends who were standing a little behind him. Kagome smiled and was about to introduce herself when she stopped and stared at one face that seemed particularly familiar. She looked a little closer and it was only when the young man waved a little awkwardly that realization hit her. "Makoto?" She asked a little unsure.
"Hi Kagome," Makoto greeted with a smile. He had been worried for a moment that she either wouldn't recognize or remember him.
Kagome's face lit up a split second before she ran towards him and jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. "Mako!" She cheered. "You got so tall!"
Makoto chuckled at her energetic greeting as he happily returned the hug and said, "I don't think I say the same."
Pulling back with a playful swat at his arm, Kagome mock-glared as she told him, "Don't tease. We can't all be giants." Her attention was diverted when she felt a light tap on her arm. She turned and saw a hopeful looking young man who was only a few inches taller than she was. 'Blond hair and pink eyes,' she thought as her mind supplied the image of a little boy with the same features. "Nagisa!"
Nagisa instantly brightened and hugged the older girl, happy to be remembered. Makoto leaned in close to Haruka and whispered, "How do you think she'd react to knowing that he didn't even remember her at first?" Haruka smirked but otherwise didn't say anything about it.
Picking up several of her bags while Makoto got the rest, Haruka spoke, "Kagome, the two that you don't know are Rei and Gou. We're all part of the school's swim team."
Kagome released Nagisa and stepped towards the two new people. "I'm so sorry for not introducing myself sooner," she apologized with a small bow. "I got caught up in reunions. I'm Kagome Higurashi, Haruka's cousin." Smiling at the two in front of her she looked to the girl first and asked, "Rei, right?"
Rei and Gou both wilted a little at the not-completely-unexpected mix-up. "No," Rei corrected gently. "I'm Rei. She's Gou."
"Kou," Gou threw in.
Eyes wide, Kagome bowed deeply as she quickly stumbled through an apology. "I'm so sorry! I-I shouldn't have assumed!" Straightening, she sighed and continued, "I hope that didn't make a bad impression."
As Rei assured Kagome that it was fine and happened all the time, Gou took in just how off she had been when she envisioned Haruka's cousin. The girl was very petite, even an inch or two shorter than Gou herself. And she was a bit more curvy than she had originally guessed. But she had gotten black hair and blue eyes right! Though, Kagome's hair was much longer than she had expected, hitting about mid-to-lower back on the girl. And her eyes, while the same color as Haruka's, didn't have the same coolness as her cousin's. They were large and expressive.
"So you're also in the swim club?" Kagome asked the two younger teens. She already knew that Haruka, Makoto, and Nagisa were swimmers.
Gou snapped out of her thoughts to smile and nod at Kagome's question. "That's right! Rei is a swimmer, and I'm the team manager."
"Haruka and Makoto say that you used to swim as well, Higurashi," Rei stated.
"Oh, please call me by my first name, both of you," Kagome smiled. "If you're on a team with my cousin, I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of each other." When the two lowerclassmen agreed with their thanks, Kagome answered Rei's unasked question. "And that's right, I like to swim too. I was actually on my school's team for a little while back in Tokyo, but I never got to compete."
Nagisa perked up hearing that and quickly chimed in, "Hey Kagome, if you were on your team in Tokyo, why not join our team here?" Turning to look at the team's Captain and Vice-Captain, he asked, "Girls are allowed to be on the teams, right?"
The two second-years looked at each other and shrugged having no idea. "Um, I'm not really sure," Makoto eventually spoke up. "I mean, Gou is part of the team, but she's not a swimmer. And I've never seen girls competing at the tournaments. We'll probably have to check the rulebook." He glanced over at Kagome who was watching him and added, "Besides, we didn't even really ask Kagome if she wants to be on the team."
"I don't see why not!" Kagome chirped. "I really enjoy swimming, and it's where you guys probably spend most of your time anyway. Would I need to try out or anything? I know that I'm transferring mid-term, so I missed sign-ups."
Again, the club members were stumped on the actual procedure. "We don't really know," Nagisa laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "The club had been dissolved until we started it up again earlier this year. We all joined at the beginning just so that we could have the bare minimum of members!"
Gou clapped her hands together before stepping up and taking the lead as the team manager. "Okay!" She announced to catch everyone's attention. "First, let's get Kagome's things to Haruka's house. You probably have a rulebook laying around somewhere, right Haruka?"
"Yeah, probably," Haruka answered as he readjusted one of Kagome's bags on his shoulder.
"Good," Gou nodded seriously. "Second, we get the lunch that we skipped." She smiled a little when she heard Nagisa give a small cheer. "And third," she concluded. "We figure out if girls are allowed on the team. Any objections?" When no one spoke up, Gou smiled and pointed towards the exit. "Then let's go!"
"Yes!" The team yelled in unison with mock salutes.
Kagome watched the group of friends and laughed. Their chemistry together was great, but it made her a little sad at the same time. This was a close group of friends, and she was the outsider in this situation. Reaching up to her chest, Kagome touched the spherical pink jewel that hung around her neck. But wasn't that why she'd come to Iwatobi? She needed a fresh start, and that's what she would get here far away from the well and all of the memories that it contained.
She started slightly when an arm draped itself around her shoulder. "Come on," Haruka told her as he nodded towards the exit. "Let's go home."
"Yeah," Kagome smiled with a small nod.
As everyone left the station, Makoto fell into step on Kagome's other side and looked down at her with a smile. "You should come to the pool with us tomorrow for practice," he suggested. "It's been a long time since we've seen what you can do. If you want to be part of the team, we need to make sure that your technique isn't rusty," he teased.
"Oh, I'll make you eat those words tomorrow!" Kagome answered as she bumped his arm with her shoulder. They may have gotten older, but she still had friends in this town. She just had to get to know them again. "Come on," she said as she grabbed both Haruka and Makoto by the hand and tugged. "The others are going to leave us behind, and I think your manager said something about lunch. After that train ride, I'm starved!"
With that the two boys picked up their pace, not bothering to point out that they were carrying the majority of her luggage.
