Note from the author: I do not own in any way, shape or form, the anime, manga or any of the characters from Free!
Swim practice was over. Again. Everyone was gone. Again. He was bored. Again. And Makoto had said he couldn't stay in the pool by himself. Again.
Haru sighed deeply, staring at the smooth blue water before him. Makoto worried too much. Unfortunately, even as he inched towards the still waters of the pool, guilt burned heavily in his stomach. Makoto would worry. Even if he shouldn't.
With the edge of the pool beneath his feet, Haru finally gave up and flopped down irritably. Nap time. He could take a nap. By the pool. At least then he could sleep with the scent of chlorine burning through his lungs. It was…soothing.
Following thought to action, Haru rolled slightly away from the edge before coming to a stop an arm's length away from the waters he loved before settling to his nap, one arm draped haphazardly over his eyes to block the ever glaring afternoon sun and the other beneath his head for comfort.
He drifted off to sleep under the ever important thoughts of how to spend the rest of his day. Nap. Then walk home. Bathtub. Then dinner. Then bathtub. Again. Then sleep. To dream of swimming of course. Wake up. Bathtub. Breakfast but only when Makoto comes and pulls him out of the bathtub. Then school. To daydream about swimming. Then Swim Club. To Swim! Then nap time. Again. To dream about swimming. Again. And with that last thought, Haruka's day was set.
When Haruka stilled for the last time, and his chest rose and fell in the deep, easy movement of one is truly under, Rin was, finally, able to approach.
This kid. He trusted people way too much. Some people would take advantage of that trust. Like him.
Rin sat quietly next to Haruka. Just sat. For a while. It was entertaining in its own way to watch Haru's black hair ripple with the afternoon breeze or the way his way too tempting muscles occasionally rippled and bunched as if Haru was dreaming so deeply about swimming again that even his resting body could not help but leap in response.
One touch. Lightly. A caress along the broad expanse of Haru's chest grazing the nipple that had so nicely elicited those vocal responses the day before. Rin was not disappointed today either as Haru's breath was harsher even if for just a moment.
It was a shame he'd covered up his face. He was beautiful. Even worse that Rin could never really see those beautiful, naïve azure eyes as he touched. That really was a shame.
Fingertips grazed Haru's jaw then stilled as Haru mumbled. Moved again when the boy only sighed lightly. The kid was really out of it at the moment. Such a shame. Not.
With that little devil on his shoulder that was occasionally responsible for taunting him into doing things he probably shouldn't, Rin leaned over Haru, careful not to let his shoes make a sound against the smooth, cool tile beneath him.
He was at the ocean. He dreamed of the ocean a lot. Just moments ago, he'd been swimming. But now? No, not anymore, and irritably, Haru didn't know why. He felt the smooth glide of the ocean spray as it drifted down his body.
"You shouldn't swim alone, Haru," Makoto told him worriedly.
Ah, there it was. The reason he was suddenly not swimming. Even in his dreams, apparently, his friend worried.
Another drop of ocean spray trailed down his sun warmed body. Warm, then fading into coolness under the light breeze.
"I'm not alone. You're here."
"I can't stay," Makoto replied sadly just before he turned and jogged off down the beach.
"Makoto," Haru sighed staring balefully after his friend.
Sighing again, Haru got up and was about to head into the ocean anyway, it was a dream after all, when a sharp pain rippled along one of the muscles of his abdomen.
One moment the ocean was before him and the next everything was black. Haru shifted slightly moving one hand to graze along the point of pain. The sun was a little blinding sitting as it was directly in his line of sight.
Wet. Water. Pain. Haruka looked at his stomach where light lines of water were trailing across his abdomen in exactly the same paths as the ocean spray from his dreams, and a sharp, red mark lay brightly against his tanned skin.
Must have been a bug.
A few feet away, Rin was cursing himself for that little devil that had gotten him into this. Everything had been going just fine. Until Makoto. It was Haru's fault. If he hadn't been dreaming of Makoto. If he hadn't called Makoto's name, Rin wouldn't have gotten mad. If he hadn't gotten mad, he wouldn't have nipped Haru. If he hadn't nipped Haru, the black haired boy would still be sleeping, and he'd still be playing.
Makoto's fault then. And Haru's. Mainly Haru's. But…no, definitely Makoto's. Fault that is. Not Haru. Because Haru was his.
Note from the author: Thanks for the reviews WannabeMarySue and LegacyofBlood. I hadn't originally intended to make this anything more than a one off, but I realized I hadn't actually ever said that. Right after I read your reviews, however, I decided I'd keep going! Hope you guys (and anyone else that reads it) enjoy! Also, I will try to update as religiously as possible for you guys as long as it entertains you. ^.^