NOTES: Who's excited for season 3 of Free! to come out this summer? I definitely am lol and to commemorate the start of season 3 I've decided to upload this Free! fic for everyone to read. Sorry yet not sorry if I didn't put anyone's fave ship here. *smirk face* Also I just wanted to let everyone know that I wrote this story before the release of the three new movies and before season 3 was even announced so this story actually takes place after season 2. This file has been on my computer for so long...guess I just wasn't sure if I wanted to upload it because it's short and I think this first chapter is kind of uneventful...nothing much actually happens here but I hope that you'll read it anyways as there's a lot more drama to come. And...sorry for the long and boring intro…*is begging for forgiveness* So...have fun and thanks for reading in advance!

Story 1, Part 1: Careers

A lone figure stood with his back to the clear blue pool as his own ocean blue eyes stared wistfully at the cherry blossom tree behind a fence that surrounded the pool area. Hands in the pockets of his blue jeans, he never once looked away from the reminder of his most precious rival, friend and love. If one was just merely passing by they would just see a teen with a bored poker face staring at a cherry blossom tree; only those close to him have a slight chance to see what he was truly thinking about.

His rival, his love was leaving again. He didn't want the other to go but he knew deep down that the other had already made up his mind to leave, to go back to the place that had made him want to quit swimming all together. Back to the place that had changed his friend drastically.

He closed his eyes, shielding away the pool of blue as he calmly allowed the wind to ruffle his hair, seeming to let the peaceful day sink in. He had his own training to do soon after all.

Suddenly the sound of loud pounding footfalls disrupted him of his tranquility and he snapped open his eyelids to turns his head slightly at the sound. Who he saw surprised him a little, although he didn't let it show.

"Haru!" The new comer called, making his way to the slightly shorter teen. A grin on his bright face showcased his sharp shark-like shining white teeth. Scarlet red eyes looked into ocean blue eyes as he smiled wider than humanly possible. Haru gave a responding rare small smile back, a mere twitch of the muscle around his mouth as he looked into the overjoyed scarlet eyes. He wish he himself could feel some of the joy the other was radiating with, but couldn't muster any.

"Rin." Haru replied softly and look at the other as he quirked up an eyebrow ever so slightly in a silent question. Rin was supposed at the airport by now and on his way to Australia.

"I needed to give you something before I left." The scarlet eyed teen replied with another grin as he pulled two boxes from his pocket. How he had missed seeing the protruding boxes Haru didn't know.

Giving one with a blue ribbon on it to Haru, he waited impatiently for the other to open it. With one look at Rin's excited and impatient expression, Haru looked slightly curious, shook his head and pulled the ribbon off and opened the box.

His eyes widen a small fraction as he admired the necklace lying daintily in the rectangular box.

Rin shifted uneasily as Haru continued to silently stare at the necklace. A minute had gone by and the blue eyed teen hadn't said anything yet. Not that he ever talked much to begin with.

"Do you like it?" The scarlet eyed teen asks his companion quietly, afraid his voice would shatter the invisible glass that seem to rise up from nowhere.

Slowly Haru nodded, he hadn't expected Rin to give him something like this and as a parting gift no less. Smiling with relief when he saw Haru give a slight nod of his head, his confidence came back as he stepped closer to the other and plucked the necklace from the box.

"This is a reminder that we'll be together again as soon as we finish our training. We'll make it to the Olympics and we'll win the gold metal. I'll always be there with you Haru. I'm not leaving, not anymore." Rin said softly as he joined the clasp of the necklace together, letting it hang around Haru's smooth porcelain neck and wrapping his arms around the ocean blue eyed boy from behind.

The dolphin charm on the necklace glistened in the sunlight as Haru leaned back slightly into Rin's embrace. He didn't want Rin to go all the way back, especially not now, but he knew that they'd have to go their separate ways sooner or later. At least in the future they could be together again, and he hoped on everything that Rin won't be distant with them, with him, ever again. As much as he hated to admit it, that had affected him more than he'd liked it to. Haru raised his hands up and held onto Rin's strong arms prolonging the embrace for as long as he could. He and Rin both didn't know when they would be able to meet up in person again. They both just hope it wouldn't be long.

Knowing he had to leave soon as he had procrastinated for long enough, Rin sighed deeply and spun Haru around slowly and pressed his lips softly on Haru's. Responding after a short moment, Haru wrapped his arms around Rin's neck to deepened the kiss and parting his lips ever so slightly for Rin to slip his tongue through and invade his mouth.

With a mental sigh, Rin broke apart their joint lips and looked deeply into Haru's very blue eyes, etching the slightly shorter boy's features into his memory. He knew he wasn't to likely forget, but he felt the need to take last good look at this wondrous blue eyed beauty before he left.

"I have to go now…" Rin said quietly breaking eye contact with Haru.

The usually quiet teen just nodded in understanding. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around Rin's neck, afraid of letting go as if he did, then the scarlet eyed boy before him would just disappear forever, and he didn't want that.

"I'll come back, I promise you Haru…" Rin said again after a moment of silence, his voice thin and wavering as tears started to form his bright red eyes. He was always one to easily start crying after all.

"I know you will…" Haru said finally speaking up again. He gave Rin a tight hug to which the taller teen responded to immediately, wrapping his arms tightly yet delicately around Haru's waist as if he was the most precious thing in the world to him, which in many ways he was.

"I love you, Haru." Rin whispered sensually into Haru's ear and loosened his hold on the blue eyed boy. Haru gave Rin another small rare smile and said quietly, "I love you too Rin...and I'll miss you."

Rin gave Haru a large grin showing off his shark-like sharp teeth and swooped in for another short kiss. He then allowed Haru to put on the necklace he'd gotten for himself to match up with the one he'd gotten for Haru, except his was a shark.

"Bye…" Rin said turning away with a slight wave looking back at Haru one more time before he'd have to travel thousands of miles away from the one person who matters most to him, away from Haru. The one he fell in love with, the one who could challenge him like no other and the one he will always chase after no matter what challenges are thrown at them and the one he'll always hold on tightly to, forever, and nothing would stand in their way.

"Bye, Rin…" Haru whispered quietly to the receding form of his red haired rival, to his optimistic dreamer boyfriend.

A/N: Idk if I made it clear lol but when Rin said he wasn't leaving anymore he meant that even if he was thousands of miles away, he'll always be in Haru's heart just like he is in his. And I know I could have easily made him do that but I didn't really think of it until several edits later and by then I was just too lazy to fix part of the chapter just for that bit of dialogue. But I feel like Rin being the romantic he is would definitely say something cheesy but sweet like that lol.

Annd thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter however short it is, but I'll come back with a longer chapter next time and let the drama begin whoo!