Hello~

First off, nice to meet you! I'm Pandora. You are? *waits for answer* Well, sadly, I cannot hear your name, but I'm sure it's lovely.

This is my first fic on this website (or any, to be honest), so do go easy on me for any mistakes. Also with this topic, the reason it's so short is because it's my first. Perfection is one of the qualities I like. Along with self awareness and innocence. I've been told, anyway.

So, disclaimer time! I do not own Free! If I did, trust me. There'd be a LOT less clothing. And straightness. And sanity.

This is where I shut up and tell you to enjoy.

Haru stood in the pet store, staring into the fish tanks. Fish had no idea how lucky they were. They got to be in water all day and no one stopped them. If Haru did that, Makoto would probally force him out at some point.

"Do you want a fish, Haru-chan?" Nagisa asked. Haru hadn't evem noticed the blonde approaching him, but now turned to him. Rather than answering him, though, Haru walked past him to find Makoto. He didn't want to be there any longer. If he complained to Makoto, surely he would let him leave.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked when he saw Haru. The raven wore an unhappy expression that made Makoto want to let him play in the water of the fish tank. That was probally what he wanted, anyway.

"I think I'm going to head home," he told his best friend. "Call me when Rei picks a pet."

"Roger."

Without another word, Haru left the store. He glanced at the ocean, really wanting to go swim there. By the look of the darkening clouds overhead, he's have to settle with his bathtub.

On his way home, he tried to figure out why he had been in the pet store in the first place. When Rei told them he'd never had a pet, Nagisa had dragged them all to the pet store. Rei got the worst of it, since Nagisa jad even forced him to call his family to ask if he could buy a pet. Shockingly, they didn't protest.

When Hary reached the safety of his home, he went straight to the bathroom and stripped down to his bathing suit. He didn't relax until he was submersed in the water. He closed his eyes, falling asleep and dreaming of the open ocean.

Later that day, Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto dropped by. Haru was still asleep in the tub, so Makoto had to wake him up. The raven did not look pleased about being forced out of the water.

"Don't look like that, Haru," Makoto pleaded. "You wanted to see Rei's pet, anyway."

"I said to call," Haru muttered. He stood up and wrapped a towel around himself.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he saw a flash of red before he was tackled to the ground. Wincing as he hit the hard floor, Haru looked up at his attacker. It just happened to be a large dog with red fur.

"Rei's pet?" he asked. Makoto nodded as Haru pushed the dog off, and took Makoto's hand to get up.

"Sorry, Haru-sempai," Rei apologized. He grabbed the dog's collar in an attempt to calm it. Not much luck, since as soon as Haru was up, it tried to jump up on him again.

"Why is it so hyper?" Haru complained. If this continued, he's throw them all out. Both the people and the dog were being too loud for his liking.

"I'm not sure," Rei admitted. His voice was troubled as he tried to figure out what could make his new pet behave like this. "He was quiet at the store."

"Maybe he likes Haru-chan," Nagisa offered. Everyone turned their heads toward him. The dog had never even seen Haru before, why would it like him? He shook his head, dismissing Nagisa's words.

"Just make it shut up before I throw it out," he muttered. Immediantly, the dog silenced and sat down. Haru blinked in surprise and moved over to it. Everyone watched silently as Haru placed a hand on the dog's head. "What's his name?"

"The store keeper told me his previous owner named him Rin," Rei told him. Rin barked at his name, aknowledging it.

Haru leaned back, examing Rin. His fur was all one shade of red, and his eyes were a similar shade, just a little lighter. His fur would need to be cut. It was too long. Strangely, it suited him, though.

"Rin, do you want some water?" Haru asked. Rin barked again in response, tail wagging. Content with such an answer, Haru stood up straight and walked towards the kitchen.

Everyone was surprised that the two were getting along. Haru never seemed interested in anything but water. Yet, there he was, taking care of a dog. No one had seen it coming.

"Rin! Rin!" Nagisa called. The dog looked over to him. What now? He found this kid particually annoying. "Be friends with Haru-chan, okay?"

Haru? Was that the one who smelled of water's name? It suited him. It was a pretty name, as was the boy who owned it.

The brat wanted him to be friends with Haru? That was fine. Agreeable. He'd been trying to get Haru's attention when his new owner noticed him, anyway. He'd been curious of why a human did not smell of his brothers. Being "friends" was okay, since he could not belong to him.

Rin barked in response, going into the kitchen to find his new friend. He found him playing with the water in the sink. The bowl he was holding had already been filled, now Haru had just been distacted by the water.

Amused, Rin sat beside him, watching. Haru glanced at him, but didn't want to leave the water. The more the dog stared, the more guilt he felt, so he sighed and turned it off.

"Now I get one more interuptor," he complained. Rin tilted his heads at the words. Interupt? That meant to stop, right? How had he stopped Haru? He was acctually enjoying watching the odd human. He seemed more like a fish than a man.

Rin barked in protest, and Haru stared at him. Haru, never having a pet himself, didn't know it was odd when a pet answered you. He didn't think it was odd when he tried to figure out what Rin was saying, either.

"If you're not an interuptor, then is it okay if I continue to play in the water?" he asked smugly. The dog looked away, not wanting Haru to guess the answer. "See?"

"Haru? Are you talking to Rin?" Makoto asked from the living room. Haru glanced at Rin, who seemed to wink. Was that even possible?

"Maybe."

"Rei-chan, you might have to give up your new pet!" Nagisa laughed. He poked his head into the kitchen to look at Haru. How interesting that he had grown a liking to something other than water so quickly. "Haru-chan will still him if you're not careful."

"My parents would kill me," Rei whined. He didn't mind if Haru wanted the dog. Even he hadn't wanted it. Nagisa had forced him to get Rin. But, if he showed up at home, having not gotten the dog he paid for, they'd surely ground him.

"I don't want him anyway," Haru muttered. Rin, hurt by this, got up and walked back into the living room. He had liked the boy right off, but he still didn't like him? Why not?

Well, he'd just have to change that. He'd get Haru to like him. In the end, he'd make sure he was Haru's pet. He didn't want Rei, he wanted the water boy. Even if he had Rei to hate him, as long as he got to be with Haru, he'd risk it.

"You upset him!" Nagisa accused.

"Sorry." Was he apologizing to the dog or to the blonde, though?

Nagisa went to Rin and dropped to his knees, hugging onto the dog. Rin didn't really like it, and tried to escape him. He was merciless, though, and would not let go. Poor Rin.

"And you're making him hate you," Rei warned the blonde. Nagisa let go off the dog and crawled over to Rei. Now the new victim, Rei was tackled by the blonde's arms. "What is it?"

"I want something to hug," Nagisa complained.

"Hug Makoto, then!"

Makoto blinked at Rei, but then smiled. "How did I get dragged into this?"

"By being Makoto," Haru answered for Rei. He walked back into the living room and sat beside his best friend. "You're the easiest target."

"Wouldn't that be Rei?" Makoto argued. He gestured over to his point, Nagisa almost fully in Rei's lap. Haru didn't even glance over.

"Rei is different," Nagisa pouted. Everyone knew about their "relationship", even Gou. Haru honestly didn't care if his friends were gay, and Makoto didn't pay that much attention to it either.

"Don't flirt in my house," Haru warned.

"How is that fun?"

Rin just sat there, watching this exchange in a bit of confusion. Rei and Nagisa were oddly close for two males. Was that allowed? Haru didn't seem bothered by it, so it must be. He thought such things weren't accepted. Maybe humans thought differently about certain things. But, since Haru didn't care, Rin accepted it as fine.

"I didn't say it was," Haru answered. He stretched and glanced at Makoto... Were those two also?

Rin walked around to Haru and Makoto and squeezed in between them. He huffed at Makoto before lying down, putting his head on Haru's lap. No way would he let them get any closer tonight, were that the case.

Thankfully, neither one of them objected to the dog in their space. In fact, Haru even started petting him. Rin closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Haru's warm hand combing through his fur. It was the most peaceful thing Rin had ever felt.

Why couldn't Haru have bought him?

Oh, do be a dear and review, wont you? I'd like to see if I should continue this... I probally will, regardless of reviews. Still, reviews are nice, right? I heard they make you all bubbley inside. MAKE ME BUBBLEY.