My first fiction on Free! and my second fiction posted. Sorry if it wasn't good as I'm kind of new at this. However, I hope you enjoyed it.
*I do not own the characters. It all belongs to it's rightful owners*
It has been a few weeks since the swimming competition ended. The day was still vivid in the mind of the captain of the Iwatobi swimming team that he hopes that the five of them could be together again.
Makoto stares out the window, looking at the spot where the pool should be. It is however, not filled with water as the weather temperature has drop since then and it would be too cold to be swimming in it. Besides, everyone has been feeling under the weather. This includes he himself, despite that he doesn't want to admit it. He did feel a little feverish since this morning but he put it aside of his mind, as he didn't want to make a fuss on it.
"Makoto." Haruka break his thought with his soft and stoic voice. Haruka is his childhood friend and one of the members in the swim team. All of the team members share one similar attribute that is having a girl's name despite their gender. Makoto naturally reacts to the voice of the blue haired.
"Hmm… what's wrong, Haru?" He replied with his signature smile. He stares at Haruka with his emerald eyes as he was waiting for some reply but instead Haruka looked away while muttered "nothing".
Haruka do realized that his friend's face was a little flush today but he didn't know how to tell the brunette. However, he does hope that his friend is feeling fine. Despite avoiding those emerald eyes, he secretly looks over to Makoto just to make sure that he is doing all right. Seeing that Makoto is being his usual self and was paying attention to the teacher at the front, which he should be too, Haruka sighed and thought that he might be over thinking.
Just as the class ended, Makoto as usual would walk home with Haruka since the both of them lived only a few steps apart. After changing their shoes, the boys were about to leave the school, the sky turns gloomy. It is dark enough to greet them with a heavy pour of rain. They didn't expect the rain as the weather report this morning said that it would be sunny that afternoon.
"Heeh… It's supposed to be sunny today!" Makoto whined and as usual becomes a worrywart. However he calmed himself as he brought an umbrella just in case anyone needs it. He put up the umbrella and offered Haruka a space under it. Haruka wanted to decline at first because knowing that the umbrella wouldn't cover the both of them but decided not to. He wants to go back to his bathtub as soon as possible.
By the time they reached Haruka's house, they were both soaking wet. Haruka offered Makoto to take a bath in his house and stay there until the rain stops. The brunette gently declined as his parents are out on a trip and he had to take care of his twin siblings. Knowing that he can't force the gentle giant to stay, he borrowed a raincoat to his friend instead. Accepting the help from Haruka, Makoto leave the house with both the raincoat and his umbrella.
When he got home, the twins are whining on how hungry they are despite them finished yesterday's leftover. Makoto sighed as he put the umbrella and raincoat aside and head to the kitchen. He made them something light to digest. As soon as the twin's stomach are satisfied, they both thanked their big brother and went to their room and do their homework. Forgotten that he was soaked before, which has now dried, Makoto decided to take a bath.
After cleaning himself, he took a dip into the bathtub with the water filled until his chest. As he trying to relax himself, he felt his eyes slowing become heavier.
"Onii-chan!" Ran was shouting outside the bathroom. Her voice woke Makoto suddenly as he seems to have dozed off while he was in the tub.
"Yes, I'm coming!" Immediately, he answered his younger sister. While that, his face are red from the steam and he felt his body warmer than this morning. It must have been the steam, he thought. As he stood up, he felt a little faint. He opened the window, which he forgotten to, and let the steam to go out, he then slowly lift himself up and making sure that he doesn't slip.
As he got out of the bath with a changed of dry clothes, he found both of his siblings were packing for some event. Curiously, he asked them.
"Where are you both going?" He was so confused that he probably wasn't listening earlier or he wasn't there when they talk about it.
"Camp!" both said excitedly. "We told Mom and Dad already last week", Ren said. "I guess you didn't know because you were at Haru-nii's house that time," Ran adds on.
She must be right, as he couldn't recall anything. "When are you going and for how long?" the brunette asked again.
"We are going tomorrow and we'll back on Sunday, the same day when Mom and Dad would be coming back". This time Ren answered. Makoto can only answered with an "oh". Despite that, he offered his help and they packed for almost an hour.
Finally it's time for them to get their beauty sleep because tomorrow will be a big day for them. It would be their first camp ever and they can't wait for the moment. He knew that they were over excited and couldn't get a wink of sleep. Thus, he forced them to their bed and he tugged them to sleep. It took him quite some time to get them to sleep and by the time they slept it was already past midnight. Yawning, he off the lights and walk to his room. Before going to bed, he has to set his alarm an hour earlier to prepare breakfast for Ren and Ran.
The next day, all three of them woke up as early as dawn. As he was preparing breakfast, he could hear the sound of them getting ready and they seems to be in a hurry. Guess they are really excited. He lays the plates and breakfast on the table, both already downstairs and rushed towards the table.
"Slow down you two", Makoto advised them because he was worry that they might have indigestion if they don't.
"Can't. We have to be in school already!" Ren answered with his mouth full of bread. The elder one could only sighed. As soon as they finished, they hurried to the door and bid their elder brother goodbye.
He looked at them as they carry their heavy baggage while racing to the school. He chuckled at the sight of his two cute siblings.
As soon as the two is out of sight, he closed the sliding door in front of him and want to go back to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. He had totally forgotten that he also has to prepare for school. Looking at the time on the wall, he should get ready already and pick Haruka up. As he walked towards the kitchen, he felt faint again. He was sure that he is feeling better this morning. Or is it that he didn't notice after all that ruckus.
This time, he felt his head is burning with dizziness and the world around him seems to be spinning around. Hurriedly he used the wall as his support when he realized that his knees have become weaker. He felt his head thumping and it hurts a lot. His breathe feels hot against his lips as he pants heavier every seconds. Sweat starts rolling down his cheeks and his vision starts to blur. It's getting harder for him to be standing and staying conscious.
He wanted to call for someone but all he could do was falling on the ground against his will as he sees the world turns black.
Haruka has been soaking in the bathtub in his favorite swimsuit from the moment he woke up. He was waiting for Makoto to come by and lift him up as he did every morning. He waited and waited and he felt as if his childhood friend is never coming. This time, forcing himself out of the tub, he goes out to his kitchen to make himself fried mackerel. While that, he looked at the time. It's already past 7.20. Makoto should be here already or we will both be late.
As he eats his favorite food, he felt uneasy and the food didn't taste as delicious as it always have been. Immediately after finished with his food, he dressed and quickly leaves his house. Since Makoto's house is at the bottom of the stairs by his house, he thought the gentle brunette would be there playing with the white kitten instead. However, from where he stood he couldn't see any sight of him. He went down the stairs and looking into Makoto's house. The door seems to be close but he knew that his friend wouldn't go before him. Curiously, he stood by the door. He took out his phone and starts punching Makoto's number. After the third rang, the operator spoke, "The number you have dialed…." Immediately Haruka disconnect it and call Nagisa instead.
"Haru-chan! What's up!" Nagisa cheerful voice answered from the other side of the receiver. In the distance, Rei voice also can be heard as if whispering something to Nagisa.
"Is Makoto at school already?" Haru asked.
"Mako-chan? No. He should be with you right, Haru-chan?" His cute little voice sounded confused. He turned and asked Rei who is besides him but he could only shook his head.
"Okay. Thanks and if…" Haruka stopped as he heard the kettle whistling inside of Makoto's home. The fire shouldn't be on if there'e no one in, or so he thought. Immediately he told Nagisa that he will call back and hung up.
On the other side, both Nagisa and Rei were left in confusion and had to go back to their seat when the homeroom teacher entered the class.
The blue-haired held his hand against the door, wanting to open the door. He was hoping that the door wasn't lock and true enough it wasn't. He was about to rush to the kitchen to off the fire but on the way he saw someone lying on the floor. Shocked, he immediately rushed by the side of the motionless figure. The sight of Makoto lying unconsciously reminded him of the day when Makoto drowned trying to save Rei who was out practicing in the sea in the middle of the night.
He held his friend up and felt the hot skin burn against his. He panicked. Makoto is running a very high fever and worse he is seems to be panting really hard. Hurriedly he carried his friend to the couch nearby and ran to the kitchen to stop the pitching sound of the kettle. He then fills a pile with cold water and took a couple of towels out. Since they were friends since young, Haruka knows where the Tachibana's keep their stuff. This makes it easier and he was relief that he knows.
He wet the towels and placed one of it on the brunette's forehead. While that, he unbutton Makoto's shirt and wipe it with another wet towel. After that, he went back to the kitchen to prepare some meal for the sick and he called Nagisa again. This time to ask the little blonde to inform the teachers about Makoto's ill condition and that he too will be absent to take care of him. Nagisa understood and end the call without questioning any further.
Haruka took out some medicine out and fill a glass of water. He brought it over to the side of Makoto and placed it there. He held Makoto up slightly for him to be able to eat the medicine but he never gain consciousness. Trying to ignore that fact, Haruka tried to let Makoto to drink some water but the water only flows out of the patient's mouth. Trying not to panic, he put down Makoto again and re-wets the towel that was on Makoto's forehead and placed it back.
"What should I do? Makoto can't even eat his medicine in this situation" He panicked while biting his thumb like he would when he doesn't know what to do. He was usually the calm person when it comes to Makoto; he was always worried about his friend. For that, Makoto is the only one who sees Haruka in every situation. He looked over his friend and sees that there was no improvement since this morning when he first found him. He couldn't think of another way for Makoto to eat his medicine except one. However, he would prefer it as the last resort.
He thought of maybe he should bring him to the doctor but the latter would be too big for him to bring to the clinic. Moving him probably wasn't a good idea anyway. He really has no idea how to take care of a sick person. Usually it would Makoto who is the one taking care of him when he is sick. Now that he thought about it, his friend had never been sick before but it can also be that his childhood friend never shows the signs.
The free style swimmer thought of calling Nagisa the third time but he remembered that the boy would be in class right now. Still thinking, he suddenly remembered that Makoto always have a thermometer when he was sick. Immediately he search around for the thermometer and measure the temperature of Makoto. It's 40c˚. Okay, now he is more panicked at the sight of that. That is already a very high number for fever. He wanted to call his friend's parents but they are away and couldn't come back immediately anyway. Now all he could think was to give Makoto the medicine.
His heart thumps when he thought of his last resort. He wouldn't want to do it to his best friend or any other guy. He sat by the brunette's side as he slowly wipes the sweat off the sick person. Seeing his friend is still burning with fever, Haruka took the courage to do it. He put the pills into his mouth and fills his mouth with water. This time he was determining to do it.
He leans closer to his friend and holds the jaws of the latter. As he got closer, he could feel the hot breathe against his skin.
"This is for his own good!" Haruka thought to himself as an inspirational quote for himself. He closes his eyes and pressed his lips against the other. While that he let the medicine and water flows into the other's mouth and let go off his friend went all of it has been swallowed by his unconscious friend. Though he could feel there's a few drip of water flows out of their mouth, at least most of it are consumed. He moves apart from his friend and blush at the sight of his friend wet lips.
Aside from the beating of his heart, he was glad that his friend finally took the medication. He wiped both his and Makoto's mouth and he headed to the kitchen again to check on the porridge he made earlier. As Haruka stirred the porridge, he put a hand close to his mouth and blushed at his crazy idea. "He must never found out" He assured himself.
Just as the food is ready, he placed it in a tray and placed it on the coffee table by the couch. Thinking of how he was going to feed his friend, his face is already as red as tomatoes. However, when it's time for Makoto to eat, his fever has gone down a little and Haruka thought that it would be okay for him to waking up.
He shook his friend gently to wake him up. Makoto's emerald eyes opened and he obediently eats when Haruka feeds him after blowing them. All though the sick didn't finish all of it, the blue haired was glad that he ate something at least.
All that left for him to do is to make sure that Makoto is feeling confortable and to keep the towels wet.
"Makoto! Makoto!" the voice sounded very familiar against his ears as his eyes trying to adjust to the light he wakes up to. Each time he blinks the view becomes clearer and a boy with aquamarine eyes and blue hair are staring down at him. Recognizing his childhood friend, he tried to get up.
"Don't get up" Haruka hold him down and told him to rest assured. Still feeling a little light headed and he was glad to. After recovering a little, he turns his head around to take a look. He is in his living room and the lights seem to be brightly lit.
"What's the time now?" Makoto asked as he held a hand up to his forehead but to find a towel on it. He held the towel high enough for him to look at it; he then recalled what happened before he passed out. "I have to get ready…. " He said while trying to get up again. Haruka relaxed him again and his face was filled with worries.
"It's already 7pm. The class has long ended." Answered Haruka. "You had me worried the whole time you have been unconscious". He adds on.
"Yeah! Haru-chan has been waiting by your side the whole" This time Nagisa shouted from another side of the room. "Who knows that Haru-chan might steal your first kiss at that moment!" The blonde teased with a cheeky smile on his face. What they didn't see was Haruka looked away with a blush on his face.
"Makoto-senpai, hope you are feeling better now." A guy beside Nagisa who was wearing a red glasses spoke.
"Thanks Rei. I am." The brunette said while smiling gently. He then turns to Haruka who was by his side, looking away trying to cover his red face. "Thank you, Haru-chan". He said while looking at his friend's with his emerald eyes. "Also, I'm sorry for worrying you."
"You can take off the 'chan'." He said with a slight pout but then he smiles back at his friend who seems better than this morning. "I'm glad you are feeling better now and to your usual self." Haruka said again gently after a few moments of silence.
"Yes. I'm back." Makoto said gratefully.