I thought it's cute how Rin pretends he doesn't really care for Gou, but in the end he does what she wants. And Gou worrys a lot about Rin's wellbeing. I always have been fond about the big brother/little sister theama (not romanticaly, that is), so I thought I will give it a shot. plus soft RinHaru :) Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Free! Iwatobi SC, but damn I wish I did XD

It was Thursday evening. Rin had gone jogging after their swim practice had ended. After the three hour run he finally felt satisfied and returned to his dorm's room, where Nitori was already waiting for him.

"Senpai, your phone was ringing just a moment ago." Was the first thing he heard opening the room's door. Making a small 'tsk' sound Rin went to his desk to look at the device. The screen lit up and a note 1 missed call and 1 msg greeted him on the display. He pressed a button to check who it was from and clicked his tongue again, it was Gou. What does she want now? Rin sighed and opened the message. Only three words showed on the text part. "Onii-chan, help me" And Rin's eyebrows pulled into a frown. Help with what? He scrolled down the entire message, but there was no continuum to those three words. What the hell does she want me to do?! Rin closed his phone and tossed it onto his bed, taking a towel from the closed.

"Where are you going, Senpai?" Nitori asked in his usual worried voice when Rin opened the room's door again to head out. Rin rolled his eyes. "To take a shower. I'm tired." The answer came out angrier then he intended it to be, but the younger boy just made a silent 'Oh' and smiled at him. Rin took a long shower, easing his muscles under the streaming water and sloppily drying himself dropped onto his bed, feeling too tired for anything else than sleep.

...

The following day started as usual, waking up unwillingly, breakfast, Nitori talking, which Rin mostly let go past his attention, and going to school. Nothing unusual, a surprise test in Math, which he did quite okay, the history teacher going on about some historically important character, which he apparently admired so much, that Rin thought he did explode, if someone stopped the word waterfall that bubbled from his lips. Then there was the lunch period. Class again and swim practice. A normal day, until…

"I feel like I'm forgetting something…" Rin said to himself while getting ready for the practice, which Nitori interpreted was a request for him to help his senpai out.

"What is it? Do you have your towel? Goggles? Or did you have to do something? Maybe the captain wanted something from you?" The young swimmer looked at him with puppy like blue eyes. Rin frowned.

"No." Was his answer to all those questions and put his bag over his shoulder leaving their room, while Nitori was calling after him to wait for the young boy. Rin sighed and looked at his phone. "Almost four, huh…" And then it hit him. Gou had asked him for help. I can as well call her and ask what she wanted. Rin thought and dialed the familiar number.

Instead of making the sound for the caller to wait, while the phone rang, it played a melody and a robotic sounding voice said "I'm sorry, the number you are currently calling is not available." Rin looked at his phone, as if the thing had made a joke he didn't get. Furrowing his eyebrows he dialed the number again and got the same answer. Something wasn't right… Usually the one that wasn't available was him and Gou had to call and message him over and over again, while she never shut off her phone. The girl was practically living on it, looking up weird sites in the network about swimming and muscles and anything else a girl her age would be looking at. Rin shuddered unconsciously at the thought, not even wanting to know. If she would be in class she did put it on silence, or voice mail, but shutting it off…

Rin clicked his tongue. "Maybe I should go see her…" He sighed and turned away from the road that led to his schools swimming pool and went in the opposite direction – to his home. It took him about thirty-five minutes to get to his house and Rin pushed the doorbell. No answer. Rin clicked his tongue. He hadn't brought his key with him, as he didn't intend to actually visit here when he left. "Gou! You there?" He shouted wile banging on the wooden door. Still silence. Rin sighed. Their mother was on a business trip till Sunday so Gou would be the one to open the door for him… that is if she would be here. But where was she? Maybe still at school? Rin felt his face cringe at the thought.

"It can't be that important, right?" Rin muttered under his breath. He looked at his phone. If he hurried back, he just might get to the practice on time. He looked up again at the silent house.

"Damnit!" Rin cursed through his teeth and started running. Fifteen minutes after he stood at the school gate, sign saying 'Iwatobi'. Taking a deep breath he sighed, while texting Nitori that he did be late for the practice. Putting his phone back in his pocket he went in the school ground. I will just go to her class. He assured himself and entered the building. Finding the right classroom he looked around. Looked like the classes for today had ended and only those with club activities had stayed behind. Rin cursed again.

He turned and started heading downstairs, to the teacher lounge. He didn't really want to do this, but asking them to call his sister for him was somehow more… comfortable? Yes, more comfortable that way. He stopped before the door that had a sign 'Teacher Lounge' on it and knocked on the door lightly. Opening it he bowed, asking for forgiveness that he had interrupted and called to a particular teacher.

"You are Gou-kun's brother?" The teacher asked. Rin almost felt a smile creep on his lips imagining his sisters reaction whenever someone called her that.

"Yes. I have some business with her, but I can't seem to be able to find her." Rin said, trying hard to sound as polite and important, as he could. After all, the teacher could just dismiss him with a 'you should go look for yourself', or 'stop bothering the grownups'.

On which the teacher let out a long 'hmm' sound and then looked Rin in the eyes.

"Well, I could have called her for you, but Miss Matsuoka didn't come to class today." Hearing the words Rin felt something sting in his chest and his eyes widen in surprise. She wasn't in school all day? Bowing and thanking for the time the teacher spent for him Rin exited the teacher lounge. Moving slowly to the exit Rin noticed in his periphery vision a familiar looking girl, one of Gou's friends. Rin turned and caught the girl by her arm, surprising her.

"I'm sorry. You are… em… Gou's friend, right?" Rin asked, by the name of all that's holy, not able to remember the girl's name. The girl nodded stiffly.

"I'm Rin Matsuoka, Gou's brother." On that Rin saw the girl's body relax noticeably.

"Oh yeah, she pointed you out in one of those swimming competitions when she dragged me with her!" Rin sighed; he had no time for this crap.

"Have you seen her?" He asked slightly angry.

"No." She shook her head. "Not since yesterday evening."

With that Rin let go of the girl's hand and looked at her as if to judging, if she maybe lied to him, before turning, muttering a thanks and went outside. Something was wrong. Rin felt it creep around his heart, a 'bad feeling', presumption… He clenched his fists. Where could that pipsqueak be? Letting a hand slide through his messy hair Rin sighed again. Would she skip school? Rin asked himself, not noticing he stared at the outdoor pool of Iwatobi high. Would she? Having one of her weird, crazy ideas and think only of the club? Rin almost smacked himself on the head, smiling, the smile not reaching his eyes.

"She isn't you… or Haru, or the other swimmers. She isn't obsessed with swimming…" He said to himself in a whisper, not noticing he wasn't alone anymore, till a familiar voice called out.

"Rin?"

The redhead teen looked up just to meet with brilliant blue eyes looking at him.

"H-Haru… what are you doing here?" Rin looked at the expressionless teen before him.

"I go to school here." A nonchallanged answer came from him and Rin wanted smack himself again.

"I know that!" Rin rolled his eyes. "I meant… Why are you here?"

"I saw you and came to ask you the same question."

That took him aback. He was thinking… somewhere deep, deep in the corner of his mind to go and ask someone from the Iwatobi bunch, if they had seen Gou, but this was… Somehow he wasn't quite ready to speak with them, just yet… Especially with Haru. No. Wait. Haru actually could be the best option after all. He wouldn't try to dig deeper into it. Question him and stuff. Yeah. Haru may be the best person for him to run into right now.

"I…" Rin cleared his throat. "Have you seen Gou?"

"No. She didn't come to practice today."

"Did she say something? Where she could go?" Rin felt his voice shake a little.

"No. I don't know where she is."

The words hit him like an icicle had been rammed through his chest. Somewhere… in a corner of his mind he hoped a little that Haru would say that she was just doing some stupid research for the team, chlorinating the pool, or drawing muscles on the strategy table… something… ANYTHING! That the feeling he had in his chest, the creeping feeling, was not true. That it could go screw itself somewhere else and leave him the hell alone!

"I see…" Rin said almost inaudible, looking down, his hand frozen in the motion of combing back his red hair. The bag in his other hand slowly sliding out of his grip and hit the ground by his feet. "Miss Matsuoka didn't come to class today." "I haven't seen her since yesterday evening." "I don't know where she is." All those words went through Rin's mind over and over again. Since yesterday evening? Since yesterday?! Since she texted him? Since she asked for his help and he ignored her…

"Rin?" Haru spoke when the teen before him hadn't moved, or uttered any other sound for quite some time. "You okay?"

Rin didn't respond. He could have just called her back! What took it? A minute max to do so… But he ignored it and now she was missing. And it was his fault! He could have just FUCKING called!

Haru's eyes widened slightly as he noticed the small trembling of Rin's entire body. Although the teens eyes where casted down, Haru could see the glistering in them and Rin's sharp shark like teeth where biting in his lower lip, almost drawing blood. Something was wrong… definitely and absolutely wrong! He went closer to Rin, while his mind was questioning what he could do. What would Makoto do? Or Nagisa? Rei? What would a friend do?

When he got just half a meter away from the apparently frozen redhead Haru did something unlike himself – he hugged him. Lightly putting both arms around the broad shoulders, which where trembling under his touch, and pulled the unmoving teen closer. He could give him warmth. Haru thought. Makoto had said that being warm is a pleasant feeling and to give someone something pleasant feels really good. So he would give his warmth to Rin and make him feel good again.

Rin snapped out from the abyss of thoughts just to be shocked speechless again. He looked with wide eyes at the sight that now was before his eyes, Haru's shoulder, dressed in a white t-shirt. He felt warm breath hit his own cheek and neck and firm, gentle hands around his shoulders. Rin's eyebrows pulled together and anger bubbled up in his chest. He was ready to push the slightly smaller teen away and yell at him, but the action he did next surprised even himself.

Clenching a handful of white fabric covering a slender and muscular back in both hands, he sank his face between Haru's neck and shoulder. Squeezing his eyes shut, a soft sob escaped his lips and after warm tears hit Haru's collarbone.

Haru felt as if he was hurting. Seeing… Feeling how much Rin was in pain made his chest clench together. His shaking didn't go away, but just got stronger, now added with sobs, his body shook like a leaf… like he had been swimming in the Antarctic ocean a moment ago… And Haru tightened his embrace. That was all he could do. Just that, but he felt that it helped.

"I couldn't… I don't know where… what do I do..?" Rin muttered between sobs and sharp breaths. Haru didn't understand any of it, but he would listen… listen to anything, to whatever Rin had to say.

...

"Haru! Where are you?" Makoto's voice echoed through the school's yard. And with that Rin realized what he was doing and let go of the embrace, stepping a step back. Haru let him free from the captivity of his hands without resistance, although he hadn't minded to still be holding onto him as their friends would eventually find them. But he knew the redhead would feel shy and didn't want to add that feeling to the mess he already was carrying with him right now. Rin turned his face to the side, not able to look back at Haru and rubbed a hand over his eyes, sniffing softly. His cheeks and tips of his ears now were colored in light red, while he mentally cursed at himself for showing Haru such a weak side of him and being a goddamn crybaby.

"Ah! There you are! I thought you would think of jumping back into the pool even though the practice… is over."Makoto's voice trailed off when he saw Rin stand before Haru, the redhead's head turned to the side, so hair was covering his face, one hand pressed at his mouth and nose while the other one was resting on his hip. Haru looking back at Makoto, only his head turned. "Rin? What are you doing here?" The green eyed teen's question was without accusation, pure surprise.

At that point Nagisa and Rei also cut the corner of the school building. Shit! Rin thought while trying his best to get his breath back to normal and steady his voice to actually speak.

"Rin-chan?!" Nagisa's enthusiastic voice echoed loudly through the yard and Rin almost jumped from the sound and added one more curse to his self scolding, he should have left right after Haru had given him his answer, damn it!

"Rin, is there something wrong?" Makoto asked suddenly. Damn that sharp-eyed bastard! Rin sighed and finally confident that his voice wouldn't betray the state he was just moments ago he turned his face forwards.

"Yo." He tried to sound as casual as he could, while his purple eyes looked over the four guys before him, finally stopping at Makoto. "Yeah… Well…" He took a deep breath. Pull yourself together, damnit!

"Gou is missing." He finally said with a serious face. "I couldn't contact her and came looking. Seems like no one has seen her since yesterday…" Rin's voice trailed off as the guilt filled feeling crawled up in his chest again.

"Rin-chan, don't you think you are overreacting a bit? Just by not being able to contact her. You usually don't contact her either,so… I mean, she could have gone somewhere without telling anyone, you know. Some kind of girl stuff, or something?" Nagisa smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere that had build up between them after Rin finished talking.

"SHUT UP! SHE IS MY BABY SISTER!" Rin's eyes flared red with anger and his sharp teeth where perfectly on display as the teen yelled, for a moment giving Nagisa an image of his head being bitten off and the blond unconsciously stepped back. The purple eyes slid over everyone face and Rin swallowed, lowering his head and put a hand to his forehead, his fingers tangled in red hair. Muttering under his breath. "I'm sorry…"

That sentence seemed to shock everyone more than the yelling and Nagisa even felt his jaw drop. The Iwatobi swim club knew firsthand how Rin's personality could be, after all he had developed quite an attitude, but a sorry right after it was a bit new. Haru's and Makoto's eyes met and the green eyed teen slightly nodded with understanding. There was something wrong, something was eating on the redhead more than simple inability to contact his sister.

"We will help you look for Gou-chan." Makoto suddenly said in his soothing voice, the calm smile plastered on his face. Rin looked up with clear surprise showing in his purple eyes.

"Yeah!" Nagisa joined in, completely forgotten the yelling and scary image in his mind. "She is our manager too, right?" Rei pushed lightly his glasses up as a confirmation and Haru ever so slightly nodded.

"Maybe you should call the Samezuka captain as well?" Makoto said thoughtfully. At that Rin's surprise couldn't be contained only in his look and a disbelieved "What?" escaped his lips.

"Well, let him help. I mean, more people searching would give us a better chance to find her, or where she was last." Makoto said in his calm and collected voice, giving of that angel like smile. And Rin felt his own smile slowly pull on the ends of his lips. He had to smack himself mentally to not go to the tall, green eyed teen and hug him for his words. No more hugging! He shouted at himself.

Rin took his phone out from his pocket and dialed a number. It rang two times and a slightly squeaky and worried voice shouted in the receiver, so that all five guys could hear it. "Matsuoka-senpai!?" Rin bent his head slightly away from his own phone at that and after a second put it back to his ear.

"Nitori… Is the practice over?" He spoke calmly, surprising himself.

Haru's eyes widened at the question Rin just had asked the boy on the other end of the phone call. Practice? Rin skipped out on practice? It was like Haru had skipped a bath or didn't eat mackerel for a whole day. This was truly serious.

"Yes, senpai, just now. We are changing right now. Mikoshiba-senpai was really angry and…" Nitori's words were cut off by Rin.

"Nitori, can you give your phone to Mikoshiba?" There was a sound of 'hn' as the boy probably nodded and after a moment an angry sounding voice roared in the receiver. "Matsuoka?!" Rin bent his head away again. They had to stop doing that… Rin sighed.

"Yes, captain, I…" And he suddenly didn't know what to say. There was a moment of silence till Mikoshiba broke it with a cocky laugh.

"If you want to apologize you will have to do that in person, jerk. I don't take phone calls as display of sincerity."

Rin just stood there lost for words, staring somewhere between his nose and the ground. How was he supposed to say it? What was he supposed to say? A soft brush of a hand on his shoulder pulled him out from the thoughts and he turned his head. Haru stood there, not saying a word, just looking at him and somehow that had saved him… again.

"I need your help." Rin spoke, not looking away from the brilliant blue that captured his purple eyes.

"Matsuoka, you sick or somethi-" The Samezuka captain didn't finish his sentence when Rin spoke again.

"Gou is missing." There was a dead silence.

"Bastard, say that sooner! How did that happen? What you need?" Rin felt a mix of a smile and annoyed frown drifting towards his face at his captain's words.

"I… The Iwatobi team offered to help search for her and… well, I guess, we need man power." There was a definitive throat clearing cough at the other end of the line.

"I will get the team ready. Where do we meet?"

Rin broke eye contact with Haru for the first time since the talk started and looked past him to Makoto.

"Where do we..?" He couldn't even finish the sentence before Makoto answered. "Central park."

Rin repeated that to Samezuka's captain and the call ended. Rin looked at his phone and with an almost hopeful look dialed a number, put it to his ear and waited. A melody played and before a mechanic voice could start their sentence, he pressed the 'end call' button, putting his phone back into his pocket after, his eyes darkening in color again.

So yeah, that is part 1 of my little story full of the FEEEELS hehehe Anyway, part of this was inspired from a drawing (I don't know the artist, sorry; but I'm really thankful to that person) which I couldn't stop looking at for an hour and so this happened… Next part: Rin find's Gou?

If you like it, show it. Comment, favor or just read it again XD Till my muse catches me again. *waves*