Here's my first oneshot about Haruka & Momotaro!

I don't own any of the characters or Free! That belongs to Masahiro Yokotani and Koji Oji.

These are a mixture of oneshots about all three seasons and movies.

These oneshots will have no connection to one another (unless mentioned at the beginning of the chapter).

No pairing in this first oneshot!

Haru & Momo

Oneshot #1 – Inspiring

Momotaro always loved swimming. Every time he got to show off his skills was a win for him, especially when it meant that his opponents saw his true speed. Momo loved unleashing his maximum potential. However, that all began to change during his first joint training session with Iwatobi's team. Starting with Haruka Nanase.

Once he saw Haru swim, Momo could tell he had just witnessed something spectacular.

It wasn't that Momo felt jealous or inferior to Haru, rather he became inspired. He saw Haru's beauty shine through plain as day. As if the freestyle swimmer was a beacon to all who watched him. Not that Haru knew it or cared. But Momo still felt entranced all the same.

Seeing the other boy swim, Momo felt the need to show people more than just his fast times. He wanted to show people that he himself could be just as graceful as Haru. Momo wanted to create awed looks upon the faces who saw him swim. To have people get excited when they heard the name Momotaro Mikoshiba.

The young backstroke swimmer went to bed that night wondering how his goal could happen.

Today was Samezuka's third joint practice with Iwatobi. Usually his peers sulked about Mondays, but Momo felt pumped to swim! He wondered if anyone else did too.

As if hearing his thoughts, Haru dove into the water. The younger boy watched, entranced as he had been the last two times he saw Haru swim.

Momo felt laughter bubble up from his stomach. Count on the older boy to be the first in the water, before anyone else began training. Strapping on his orange goggles, Momo raced to follow suit.

Catching his breath at the end of the pool, Momo saw Haru come up to the end of the lane. Smiling, he passed the other boy a bottle of water. Haru nodded his thanks and stood up in the pool. Momo saw an opportunity to start a conversation. Granted they had never spoken to each other one-on-one before, but Momo wasn't one to feel shy about that sort of stuff.

"Hey Haruka, you were–"

"Call me Haru." Piercing blue eyes looked up at where Momo was crouching above him.

"Oh alright then! I wanted to say that I think you swim incredible! You seem so connected to the water, Haru." Seeing surprise in Haru's eyes, Momo continued on. "The way you move feels almost natural. I hope to swim like you someday, if I try hard enough!"

"I don't try hard when I'm swimming."

Hearing that, Momo's smile fell a bit. Right that made sense. But he couldn't shake the slight disappointment he felt at hearing this. If Haru didn't even try hard, how could Momo ever aspire to reach his level of talent?

Haru cleared his throat, causing Momo to focus on him again. Haru's eyes shifted to look at the pool. "But, I'm sure you'll continue to improve more and more each passing day. Look how far you came since the first practice."

Momo could tell Haru was earnest about this. When it came to swimming, the older boy seemed passionate about anything that had to do with water. And Haru even gave him a small smile.

"Thanks Haru! I'll continue to give it my all every time I'm in the water. I'll try and enjoy myself too. Having fun is just as important." Momo smiled bright at Haru. He wanted to grow as a swimmer, and hopefully by the next tournament he could show off just how much.

"Hmm."

Practice was over soon after, which Momo was a bit sad about. But then he thought of his conversation with Haru. Momo smiled as he felt energy rushing through his veins. He couldn't wait to improve himself.

So maybe calling Haru's house was a bit rash, but Momo was anxious to be near the older boy again. He thought they were on the verge of starting a good friendship. Surely more time with each other would increase that?

Haru answered on the third ring, staring confused at the phone. Who would call at nine in the morning? He wanted to sleep in today.

The only people who would call him were Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, or Rin. And Haru was sure none of them would do so, because they had just seen each other at practice yesterday at Iwatobi. To Haru's surprise, Rin had dropped by for a race. After satisfying himself, Rin gave a few butterfly tips to Rei before leaving.

So Haru didn't really know who was calling him on a Saturday morning.

"Hey Haru, want to swim with me today?" Momo was clutching the bottom of his shirt nervously. After all the courage he worked up to call his senior, what if he said no?

"Who is this?" Haru frowned slightly. Someone wanted to swim together on a weekend with him? He paused in deboning his mackerel for breakfast.

"Ah, sorry about that! It's Momotaro Mikoshiba speaking!" He paced a bit in his room, scratching the back of his head.

"Momo? How did you get my number?" Haru was surprised. He wasn't really upset, shocked was more like it.

"I asked Rin for it two days ago."

"Oh I see." Of course Rin did. Haru tried to feel surprised. But he knew that Momo was a good guy, so Haru guessed it was ok for him to have it.

"So how 'bout it? Want to go swimming?" Momo wrung his shirt nervously in his hand.

"Sure. Give me an hour and I'll meet you at the pool." After hanging up Haru continued to cook his meal. Finished eating, he went to put on his swim trunks.

"Hey Haru! Let's warm up together."

"Ok."

Both swimmers dove into the water. It was very leisurely and peaceful. Not what Momo expected, but he should have. Still, he couldn't help but feel as though he should be practicing hard.

"Hey Haru, do you want to race?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh ok then. Well, I'm going to go practice over there."

While Haru was trying to focus on floating peacefully, Momo's splashing made it hard. After the fifth botched lap, Haru swam over to him.

"You don't have to try and better yourself, in order to be like me. All I do is focus on the connection that I have with the water. Try to relax when you're in the pool, and see for yourself."

Momo could feel an inkling build up inside of him. A sort of pressure in his subconscious of another presence. The water felt amazing, rushing all around his body. As he carved his way through and made a path for himself, Momotaro felt a sense of peace unlike any he had ever felt before.

"How was it?"

"Incredible." Momo tried not to feel so awestruck, but he couldn't help it. Haru had just opened Momo's eyes to something amazing.

"I'm glad."

Haru then took off into the water once again, with Momotaro swimming right beside him. Haru felt proud. It was great to have this connection to the water shared by another person.

It was amazing because no matter what stroke he swam, Momo could feel that intensity from the water. He could also feel Haru's eyes watching him intensely, probably from someone besides himself creating their own bond with water.

Practice after school was fulfilling as always for Momo. Even though it was only Wednesday. Momotaro set a new backstroke record during practice. He even had a race against Seijuro, and the outcome was close too!

"So how are things going with Haru?" Rin was smiling, toweling off his hair.

"Great! We're friends now, I think. The last two weekends we've been swimming together." Momo grinned ruffling droplets of water out of his hair.

"Well good. I'm happy for you. Haru can be tough to get to open up at first, but once you do he's a great guy to know. Especially when he swims. When I first saw him swim, I couldn't get over that I had lost. I had declared him my rival ever since."

This surprised Momo. He stopped what he was doing when he heard this. "What do you mean, rival? Does this mean that you don't like Haru?" He knew that Haru wasn't the easiest to get along with. Momo had more than one teammate ask him why he hung out with Haru. But to dislike the Iwatobi swimmer?

Rin's burst of laughter shocked Momo. "What gave you that idea? No way would I ever dislike Haru. Being rivals means that we're not afraid to push each other in swimming. I challenge myself to be able to reach his level someday. I'm proud to call him both my rival and friend."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Rin!"

The older boy waved without turning around. Momo finished drying off and left the locker room.

During the next time he and Haru hung out, the orange haired boy asked the question that he had been wondering about.

"Hey Haru?"

"Yeah?" He kept swimming even while listening to Momo.

"Should we be rivals?"

There must have been something in his voice that he didn't realize, because Haru stopped swimming to look at him.

Momotaro's golden eyes were trying not to look at him. Haru tried to catch his gaze but to no avail. Even so, he had to know what Momo meant. "Why do you ask that?"

"Well, Rin said that you two–"

"It's none of his business what our relationship is." That got Momo's stare locked onto him.

"Well see, I mentioned that we are friends and he said that you two are as well. But then he went on to say how you both push each other during swimming, and aren't afraid to go past your limits when racing each other." Momo fidgeted, creating small ripples that surrounded him.

Haru sighed. "Listen. Our friendship means more to me than if there were to be some petty rivalry between us. I just," Haru looked up at the sky trying to organize his thoughts. "I don't need another rival. To care about beating me to the point where you start to not see anything else besides winning? That's unhealthy. I don't want that for you."

Despite his words, Momo didn't seem convinced.

"But I want to be a reliable person for you as well, Haru! I want to create that fire in you that I've seen during your racing with Rin. I want to contribute something to our friendship."

The older boy was confused as he contemplated the words. Momo felt as if he was an inadequate friend? Didn't he understand that if that were true, then Haru wouldn't bother being around him?

"I know that I'm not one to talk a lot, but you need to hear this. Momo, you inspire me every day. Your passion for swimming, and your recent bond with the water? That's a good thing. You put your all into every stroke you take, and I can see clearly how much you have grown since our first practice together."

Haru could tell his words were getting through to Momo, for his eyes began to lose their doubt.

"I wouldn't want us to be rivals, because our friendship is important to me. You bring a lot of joy to my life." By now his hand clutched Momo's shoulder.

With that, they both resumed swimming like normal.

Toweling off, Haru still felt something weighing on his chest from earlier. He knew that the younger boy believed his words, but felt the need to remind Momo again. Geeze, Haru knew he was really talkative today. He felt slightly drained from baring his feelings.

Still it couldn't hurt.

Calling his name, Haru watched as Momo turned around curious. Blue eyes looked into gold ones.

"Momo, I'm glad that we're friends."

What Haru expected was a smile or verbal confirmation. Not a full on jump tackle from his words. It was a good thing Haru had strong upper body strength, otherwise he and Momo would fall backwards into the pool after they both just got dry.

"Woohoo! Ya hear that world? Haru and I are best friends! I promise to be an awesome friend to you, Haru!" Momo looked up at him, golden eyes practically shining.

Despite Momo's loud exclamations, Haru couldn't help but smile.