Firstly, I know I shouldn't have started a new story. But I fell in love with Free! I mean who wouldn't. Hot half naked guys dripping wet.

Anyway I just had this idea and I needed it to pen it down. I meant for it to be like a one shot. But this is more like the prologue to the story to find out the characters and the situation. I'm almost done with the main story so I should finish it within the next day especially since I'm starting my new job the day after.

I'm rated it M for limes in the next chapter.

The preliminaries were in 2 weeks. They seriously needed to do well in hopes of getting funding for the club and attracting new members. Makoto had managed to ask Sasabe coach to stop by three times a week to give them some advice. But still he couldn't help but wonder what else he could do to improve training.

Suddenly, he felt water splash against his face. He turned around to see brown haired kouhai resting on a float with a big smile on his face.

"Nagisa, stop playing around."

"Demo, Mako-chan we've been training for the last five days without a break."

"You need to learn from Ryugazaki. He's training so hard. Even Haru is training."

"Haru-chan is Haru-chan. He just keeps swimming. Rei-chan is just too serious."

"Nagisa, the preliminaries are in 2 weeks. We have to do well if not we can't get funding for our club."

He ended up face to face with a pouting Nagisa.

Sometimes he seriously wished that he wasn't the captain of the swim team. They were four very different individuals with four very different styles. They were doing alright for the relay in regards to timings. They would get through the preliminaries but whether they could place well enough to get some recognition was a different story. He could only sigh.

"Gomenasai, I'm late." He turned around to the manager who was running towards the pool.

"I've brought drinks and if you need me to time you guys for the relay or individual events I'm ready."

"Arigato Kou-chan." he replied as she handed him a bottle of water.

"Gou-chan me too." Shouted Nagisa.

"It's Kou not Gou. For that I'm not giving you any."

"Eh?" he complained as he swan towards the only female member of the swim team.

Sitting at the edge of pool, he took a sip from the bottle as he stared at his members thinking 'Maybe I'm stressing out over nothing. All of them had their strong points and they were working hard in their own way. Things usually worked out in their own way, most of the time anyway.'

Suddenly he felt two hands cover my eyes and someone's clothed body touching his bare back. "Ma-ko-to." He heard someone whisper in his ear.

To him it was a familiar voice. He quickly grabbed those hands and turned around to find a long black haired girl. "Hikaru! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in America?"

"I just reached Japan this morning. Papa is getting a transfer back to Japan so we're moving back to our old house. As soon as I heard, I wanted to come back as soon as possible. That's why I'm back here before Papa and Mama. They'll arrive next week. And I wanted to come see you. Your mama told me that you had swimming training."

"Wait does that mean you're going to be studying in Iwatobi High School."

"Yup. I start tomorrow. I went to get my uniform just now." The girl stared at the boy before her. "Makoto, I haven't seen you for 3 years but you've really grown. You're so much taller than before."

Suddenly her body fell forward slightly. "It's Hika-chan!"

"Nagisa."

"Hika-chan, when did you come back? Are you back for good?"

"Nagisa, you're as loud as usual. Yes I'm back. Papa got a transfer back to Japan."

"Yatta! You're going to join the swimming club right?"

"Maybe?"

"Oh come on we need more members. You were pretty fast. It will be just like old times."

She looked as if she was thinking before she broke into a smile. "Just kidding. Since I found out Makoto was the captain, I wanted to join. I want to spend as much time I can with you guys."

"That means he have one new member. And a female one at that. This way Hika-chan can wear a swimsuit and attract even more members!"

"Nagisa!" shouted Makoto. "She can't do that."

"Eh?"

"Makoto I don't mind. Besides I came prepared."

Suddenly she started to unbutton her blouse.

"Hikaru, what are you doing? Why are you stripping? I have enough to handle with Haru acting like this."

"Did someone call me?" said Haru as he popped his head out of the water.

"Ike." Shouted Nagisa.

Soon her shorts went as well and she was only in a white halter top bikini. "My stuff is mostly in boxes so I couldn't find my swimsuit but I managed to find my bikini."

Makoto couldn't help but sigh. She quickly glomped him seeing his reaction. "Makoto, were you thinking of something perverted?"

"No way." He quickly said as he quickly loosened her arms from around his neck as he turned away from everyone to hide the blush on his face. However, unknown to everyone, the blush on his face was due to a whole different other reason. He could feel her almost naked body against his and her breasts were pushed up against his back. He was a normal healthy seventeen year old boy and she was a pretty girl. Not to mention the said girl was the one he had a fallen in love with when they were 12. His reaction was perfectly normal.

Apparently, there was another reaction further down and to hide that, he quickly jumped into the pool.

"Erm, who is this?" asked the red haired manager with Rei behind her wondering the same thing.

"Morizuka Hikaru." Said Haru in his usual monotonous voice.

"Oh Haru-chan remembers." Commented Nagisa

"I almost thought you had forgotten me, Haru." Replied the girl as she patted Haru's head.

"Don't touch me anyway you want." Said Haru before swimming away.

"She used to swim with us at the same swimming club when we were younger."

"I remember now, you're Rin's imouto. Kou-chan."

"Hai."

"Oh Hika-chan. And this here is Ryugazaki Rei-chan. He's in the same class as me."

"Hajimemashite, Ryugazaki desu."

"Konnichiwa. You can just call me Hikaru. I'll be starting my second year at this school tomorrow."

"And she's joining the swim team too!"

"So you'll be seeing me more often. Though I think it must be fate you joined Rei-chan. You're another boy with a girly name."

"Hika-chan you and I think alike."

"Well, I didn't exactly want to join."

"Don't tell me. Nagisa did you force him?"

"Hidoi, Hika-chan."

"Eh, Hikaru senpai, it's a long story." Said Kou.

"It doesn't matter. Since Rei-chan seems to be working very hard now. Anyway let's just swim for now." She quickly jumped into the pool and swam to the lane Makoto was at. He was in lane 3 and he was already making the turn and was on his way back. She waited for him at the end.

He was swimming the backstroke and he couldn't see what was in front of him. But suddenly his head hit something soft and he couldn't help but stop. He knew that he wasn't at the end yet. He still had about four metres to go.

"Makoto, you've gotten stronger. It really hurts."

He quickly turned around. "Eh? Hikaru. What are you doing? Did I hit you?"

"You did hit me but I wanted to stop you so we could talk."

"Where did I hit you?" he asked as he readied his hands to massage wherever he had collided with.

"Makoto it's fine."

"No it isn't. You bruise easily."

Suddenly, she blushed. "It's my breasts."

He couldn't help but turn his gaze toward that part of her body. "Gomen." He could start to feel his cheeks heating up. And if he didn't control himself who knows what he might have ended up touching.

"It's fine."

"Erm… so what did you want to talk about?" he asked as they moved towards the wall.

"Actually, I just wanted to ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What time do you guys finish training?"

"In about an hour, around 6?"

"Your mama, invited me over for dinner."

"Oka-san?"

"She was going out to buy groceries when she saw me and invited me over."

"That's just like her."

"Since I'm here, I'll wait for you and we can walk back together."

"Sure, but I usually walk back with Haru."

"You guys are really like an old married couple. You guys are always together."

"We are not that bad."

"The two of you have been in the same class every year since you met each other. You guys are fated to be together."

"For your information, I actually like girls not guys."

"Then what do you think about Kou-chan. She's hardworking and cute too."

"She's a nice girl."

"And?"

"She's a good manager?"

"Would you date her?"

"She's not my type."

"What is your type then? I asked you this before but you never gave me a proper answer."

"I don't have a type per say."

"Now you're just contradicting yourself."

Well, it's not like he could tell her his ideal type was a girl with long black hair, brown eyes and was named Hikaru.

"Well, an ideal is just an ideal. An ideal may not be the person you want to spend your life with or someone who you will fall in love with. A lot more goes into a relationship."

"Makoto, you talk as if you know what you want. Does that mean you have a girlfriend already?"

"No." He quickly denied. He just really wanted to change the subject. "What about you? I thought you told me you had a boyfriend."

"I actually broke up with him before coming back. I guess it was a mutual understanding. We both liked each other but we knew that a long distance relationship wouldn't last. Even now I still have feelings for him."

Makoto pulled her towards him in a hug and slowly stroked her head. "I'm sorry it had to happen."

"No worries, besides I'll find a new love soon."

"That's just like you Hikaru."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing." He jumped back into the pool and stretched out his hand for her to take. "Come on, since you are on the team you have to train too."

"You're being bossy Makoto. You should go easy on me, I still have jetlag."

"Am I? But you look totally fine to me." She could only sigh as she grabbed his hand as he pulled her in.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you something."

"Hmm?" She turned to look up at his emerald eyes.

"Hikaru, welcome back."

She replied with a big smile on her face. "It's good to be back Makoto."

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