Parched

by fictitiousbitch

"I cannot fall in love." The phrase fell from the faltering lips of Nagisa with a certain sorrow. Never had he felt such remorse for lacking that feeling. . .until now. He regretted the thought, filled with accuracy and bitterness. But it was a flawed excuse; he was in love. It was just that he could never act upon it. Middle-eastern AU, Nagisa/Rei. More details in the foreword.

A few notes before reading:

I'm not very close to the Free! fandom despite watching the series out of curiosity (though Moulin Rouge-which may be referenced once or twice here-is one of my favorite movies!). However, when I had read about this plot bunny from tumblr user Naithescience guy ( post/55746193377/so-i-know-dancer-nagisa-and-guard -rei-was-already) I became interested in writing it.

This story is based off most if not all of the details mentioned in that text post, with a few attachments of my own to the plot (they aren't big, but they're notable imo). I don't take the slightest credit for the plot, or the series Free!/Swimming Anime and it's characters. I only own the composed writing based off the two.

Another thing: I'm going to keep smut at a minimal level. It's neither my strong suit or my favorite topic, but I understand it's place in this story; I will include it when necessary. Forgive my amateur skills in this subject; I'm still inexperienced with it at this time.

With all that aside, enjoy! I will attempt to update this story frequently to it's finish. Thanks to all that read and review.