A/N: wow, that came out a lot faster than I thought it would! Yay me! \(^.^\) I can't guarantee that the other chapters will come out this fast but if its any consultation I have 30 pages already written in word so I'm at least dedicated to the story :)

Also, just so you know, this chapter is a bit... fluffy... there will be angst, trust me it's already written, but I thought I'd make it a happy, feel-good read before I rip all your hearts out. ^-^ That, and I like good story progression, and just getting right into it doesn't fit my taste.

So yeah, thanks for checking my fic out and please read and leave a comment/review! I always seem to write faster when I get comments :)

(c): I don't own free, free owns me. o_o

Chapter 3: A Fine Line Between Dreams and Reality

Not all realities incorporate our dreams.

Not all dreams fail to become real.

No matter the form it takes, water is always beautiful. Haru thought this as he stepped onto the sandy beach. The waves before him were violent, crashing into one another like a vicious battle of survival to the fittest. The victor would go on to fight while the loser would be crushed into foam. They were than brought to Haru's feet, licking at his toes like he were its new king.

The power of the ocean always left him in awe. He loved the pool, sure. But the ocean always held a mystery that he had yet to explore. It was sudden and unpredictable. Haru wanted to see where the flow of the water would take him.

Just the thought of water made him throw his shirt off to the side with a quick whip of his hand. In anticipation, the water pulled back, begging him to come. Within the waves a hand was emerging. Transparent and shining, it was reaching for him.

The corners of Haru's mouth lifted as he smiled. It was beautiful and warm, a smile that had been seen by so few despite its magnificence. The warmth didn't stop there, but instead reached to his eyes. A deep blue, reflecting the tone of the water with such heart, such passion. His stoic expression was abnormally vibrant, reflected in the way his cheeked glowed, how is eyebrows were arched, and the jut of his chin. Haru's face was alive and truly lovely.

He could not wait a second more. To just stand there was becoming unbearable, torturous even. But as Haru made to move his feet, he found he couldn't. He yanked at his legs, yearning to be free of the sand that had covered his ankles. But his strength was pitiful in comparison to what held him. Help! His eyes spoke, catching onto the hand that had previously been reaching for him.

The hand, however, was now doing the opposite, curling its fingers back in and pulling back into the waves. "No!" he called out loud. "Wait!-ah!" the sand suddenly became loose below him and he sunk into the ground. Haru was now covered up to his thighs.

All the warmth that had covered his face was gone, now replaced with fear that he wouldn't be able to escape... There had to be something, anything that he could grab onto that would pull him out! He looked behind himself, but found nothing.

By nothing, there literally was nothing. The distance behind him was pitch black. There was no clouds, nor buildings or even an outstretch of sand. It was just him, the grains that held him, and the ocean. Except that was gone now too.

As the sand sunk again once more, dropping him to his waist and causing his head to hit hard against the ground, he became aware that sight that had previously memorized him had vanished.

Haru's stomach tied into knots and he was panicking. Terror was creeping up on him and his breath became uneven. He had to get out, he had to get out!

He became desperate, scraping his fingers roughly against the sand to try and crawl out. "Help!" he called, as if someone could hear him. In the sand, he could feel hands stroking his flesh. The touch was soft, but unlike a caress, it lacked any motion of love and only managed to send shivers up his spine. In a fluent movement, the hands roughly grasped onto his legs and started to slowly pull him down.

"hah.." his voice caught in his throat. He tried to kick, but his legs remained motionless. Pained, Haru ignored the blood of his now scrapped fingers and focused all his depleting energy on this one act.

But the sand kept creeping, and he was falling ever faster into the hands now slithering over his chest. Defeat took over, and Haru's hands fell limply before a pair of bare feet. His eyes, which too had been falling shut, became wide.

"Makoto!" he cried, reaching up for his best friend. "Makoto help I can't get out!" But Makoto, who stood there with a bright smile and a kind expression, didn't move. He just leaned over and watched as Haru sunk to the bottom.

"Makoto, please!" Haru's voice cracked and he tried with all his heart to pull himself free, to pull himself towards him. "Help me… I can't get out! Help me!" Emerging from the sand, a hand made entirely of what was trying to kill him, grabbed the side of his face. "Makoto…" another hand grasped the other side. "MAKOTO!" he choked back sand and tears stung in the corners of his eyes. Why wouldn't Makoto help him? "Save me!"

One by one, the grains of sand piled over him, and Haru was submerged into forever darkness. The nightmare, however, did not end. He hung there, motionless, everything black. Hands pulled at his skin, at his hair, at his heart. He couldn't breathe, he was choking and his lungs were on fire, but he continued to live. Haru was left to suffer from in this paralyzing fear.

And he was alone. Nothing but dark. Nothing but terror.

Completely alone. Nobody would save him. Nobody cared. Not even Makoto.

Terrifying alone. This was his fate. This was all he had in his future.

Endlessly alone.

"Ah!" Haru nearly screamed, tearing himself from his bed and falling to the floor, clutching his drenched T-shirt like a lifeline. Beads of sweat danced on his skin and kept his hair damp. That wasn't all that was wet, however, and Haru desperately wiped at his eyes.

It was just a nightmare, just a dream. It didn't happen, it couldn't happen! Still, his heart couldn't stop pounding and his body couldn't stop shaking. Though the hands were gone, he was still able to feel them slithering across his skin.

"Mh…" he cringed his eyes shut, pressing his forehead into the carpet. The terror still racked through his body, threatening to break him. Haru's hands weaved into his hair and pulled, hoping that it would make him feel better, but it did very little.

Instead, he concentrated on breathing. He counted to five, breathed out, and then breathed in for five more. He did not allow his mind to wander.

Simply put, Haru was scared. He was scared that in subtext, the nightmare was real. That he was indeed alone. But worst of all, that Makoto would leave and abandon him like that, allowing him to sink in his own despair.

Many times, Makoto had done that complete opposite. He had raised his spirits and made him feel loved. Makoto was very good at making him feel happy. So much so that Haru had become completely attached to his best friend. It no longer was a relationship based on wanting to be by each other's side, but a need to be. He was completely stitched into Haru's life. The only way to take him out would be to take it entirely apart.

And that, essentially, was what he was frightened by most. That Makoto would leave his life. That one day he would wake up and find it was all a dream and he really was alone. But maybe even more than that, he was afraid that there would be a day that Makoto wanted to leave his life. That he wished to, even. It was one thing for him to be missing from him. Purposely abandoning him was another thing entirely.

On most days, these kinds of thoughts were buried deep within his heart and kept hidden from even himself. But there had been days where his fear dug itself back out. These days were the scariest. Makoto, of course, knew nothing about the fears the plagued him. Haru always dealt with them alone, using small tricks to remind himself that things were okay and he didn't have any reason to worry. And for the longest time, things had been fine. Ever since Rin and they had all made up, life had been good. This nightmare had been an abrupt slap in the face.

Letting out a shaky sigh, Haru sat up. The color was all but drained from his face, reflecting the toll the nightmare had taken on him. Behind him he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it protectively around his head and shoulders, burying his nose into the fabric.

Makoto won't leave. Haru reminded himself. Makoto promised. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare. He repeated these words over and over, using repetition to make himself believe. It seemed to work, as his hands gradually stopped shaking and he could finally get a grip over his thoughts.

Still, after such a dream he could not go back to bed. Instead, he kept the comfort of the blanket and wondered into the kitchen. He pulled out a carton of milk with a mug and pored the white liquid up to the rim. Haru then set it in the microwave with a slight clink, closing the door and pressing start.

He watched the mug rotate dully, he face stoic as ever. Many times when he was younger, his mother would do the same thing. Whenever he had been sick or down or just not being his usual self, she would make him a mug of hot milk touched with honey and hold him in her arms, giving him a great sense of warmth and comfort. Even now, when it was only him, it still brought the same sensation.

The beeping of the microwave brought Haru out of his memories, and he took it out, careful to not burn his fingers. He blew at the puff of steam swirling above before adding a little bit of honey and putting it to his lips. It at first burned his tongue and throat, but after he got past that initial point he could feel the glowing warmth in his tummy and it made him feel much better.

Licking his lips slowly, Haru cradled the mug in his hands and went to sit on the couch. There he curled in his legs to his chest and stared at the blank TV, every now and then drinking his milk. The clock told him that Makoto would be there in a couple of hours. Because Makoto always comes. He reminded himself firmly.

As soon as Makoto would step through the door, Haru knew that all his fears from the dream would be compromised. He just had to wait till then.

Scooting into the corner of the couch, Haru gently laid his cheek on his knee, staring into his cup. The contents rippled at his movement, and he found it reminded him of the water. For the first time, the thought of it made him feel uneasy. He hoped Makoto would come soon.

"Haru, are you sure you're okay?" Makoto asked with uncertainty, watching Haru's movements closely.

"Yes." Was his answer, refusing to look at Makoto. "I told you that already."

"I know, I know!" Makoto let out a shaky laugh, never removing his eyes. "But you look kind of pale... what if you're getting sick!?" Haru rolled his eyes and looked at him.

"I'm perfectly fine. See?" he grabbed Makoto's hand and placed the back of it on his forehead. "Don't worry so much. I just had a bad night's sleep."

"If you say so…" Makoto pulled back his hand and decided to drop the subject. Usually he wouldn't have found any concern in this. But since he had walked in and found Haru bundled up on the couch, he couldn't shake the unease that was building in his gut. It was strange enough for him to be on the couch. It was another thing entirely to not be sitting in the bathtub. If it wasn't for the fact that Haru had called his name upon entering, he wouldn't have even noticed him and would have gone straight to the bathroom.

It wasn't just his behavior though. He looked different. His cheeks were paler in contrast with the darkness under his eyes, which had a sort of glazed look to them. Of course, all these symptoms he was noticing were in fact symptoms of bad sleep. If this was the case, why did Haru have a bad night last night? Did he perhaps have a nightmare? Makoto got sad at the thought. If that was true, and now he suspected that he was right, why was Haru trying to hide that instead of talking to him about it? Granted, Haru had never been a talker. But Makoto always wanted to be Haru's exception.

At any rate, Makoto really didn't need to know the details anyway. He would trust that Haru had his own reasons why he didn't want to share. As his best friend, Makoto had a job to be there for him. He hoped that would be enough.

"Makoto! "

"Eh?" he nearly stumbled over his feet.

"Stop looking at me like that. You look creepy…" Haru puffed out his cheek, turning his head.

"Wha- sorry, sorry!" Makoto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. In his deep train of thought, he hadn't realized he been showing his emotions through his facial features.

"What were you thinking about?" Haru asked.

"Nothing really!" more awkward laughing. "Just- Oh! Mom made us cookies!" Haru's face showed interest, so Makoto dug into his bag. "She made your favorites!" he handed to them. "Chocolate chip!"

Haru took them gratefully, rather amused that the chips were shaped into fish. More than anything, well besides mackerel, he loved Makotos mom's cookies. His own mother failed at cooking, and any cookies he had had at his own house were either store bought or severely burnt. Makoto's moms however were super soft and gooey and absolute perfection.

Just the thought made him open up the bag and start to nibble on them.

"Tell your mom thanks." He said through bites.

"You can tell her yourself." Makoto said brightly. "She invited you for dinner tonight. Its family night!" Haru could vaguely remember the last time he had visited the Tachibana's for their family night, which had consisted of a very wild game of Uno, a very awkward conversation about the birds and the bees, and a cake on the ceiling. He gave a small smile.

"Alright. I'll go." He bit into the rest of his cookie as they walked into the school building.

"Great! Ren and Ran will be excited! They've missed you."

"How? I was over last week." Makoto shrugged.

"I-"

"Tachibana-san!" cried a voice, completely overriding what Makoto was about to say. They both stopped and looked around for the caller. "Tachibana-san, I finally found you!" Stopping in front of them, a man who looked to be in his later 20's with square glasses and shaggy brown hair, smiled.

"Ah! Mori-Sensei!" Makoto bowed slightly. Though Haru didn't know this man, he inclined his head slightly for respect.

"Tachibana-san!" he grabbed Makoto awkwardly by the hands. "You did it!"

"Huh?" he looked confused.

"I knew you would!" Mori-sensei continued. "They said it was impossible from someone at this school, but you sure showed them wrong! Woo!" he reached into his pocket and threw some ribbon in the air. "Kampai!"

"Sensei, what are you-"suddenly a look of comprehension not shared with Haru glowed over Makoto's face.

"You mean-?"

"Yes!"

"For real?"

"Yes!" Mori-Sensei started pulling Makoto down the hall. "We have a lot of paperwork to do!"

"But I have class!" he looked back at Haru with bright, sparkling eyes. Haru's own grew wide as he realized these sparkles were tears.

"Don't worry about it, I'll email her a message! This is for your future, Tachibana-San!"

"I- Sorry Haru!" Makoto called, already halfway down the hall. "I'll see you later!" They then vanished around the corner, leaving Haru in the hall trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

For his future? What did that even mean? It was possible that Makoto earned a scholarship or something. He got good enough grades for it. But even if that was true, why would it cause him to tear up? It didn't make sense to Haru.

"I'll just make him explain later…" he sighed, walking towards class. It was strange, walking to class without Makoto. He was so used to the tall boy's presence that he literally could feel Makoto missing.

Haru took his usual seat and stared outside, even when the session started. Despite deciding that he would just ask Makoto, he couldn't help but wonder what brought his friend to tears. Thinking about it made his mind muggy and Haru found it incredibly annoying. All his own ideas were lame. They ranged from practical, like earning a scholarship or spot in a swim meet, to just plain stupid, like Makoto somehow invented a way to let them breathe underwater or Makoto was the hero of time and was summoned to fight and save the world.

The lunch bell rang and Makoto was still not in class. Sighing, Haru grabbed his lunch and made for the roof. Rei and Nagisa would sure be there, and with any luck Makoto would soon join them.

"Hey, Haru-Chan!" Nagisa chimed brightly, waving as he walked through the door. "Where's Mako-Chan?"

"Not sure." He said honestly, sitting against the wall next to Rei. "Some strange guy dragged him somewhere."

"Dragged?" Nagisa and Rei said in unison.

"Oh no! Haru-Chan, how could you let Makoto be kidnapped?!"

"This is bad, Nagisa-kun! Makoto-sempai could be in grave danger!" Ignoring their shenanigans, Haru opened his bento and put some mackerel in his mouth.

"Haru-chan, how can you eat at a time like this!?"

"I'm hungry."

"But Mako-chan could be fighting thugs on the verge of death!" Rei nodded along.

'Despite his muscular stature, Makoto-Sempai wouldn't do very well in a fight. He's too nice for that." It was Nagisa's turn to nod along.

"Hey now…!" Makoto had chosen this time to appear, looking at them all with a faint look of hurt.

"Mako-Chan! You're not bleeding in an alley!" Nagisa jumped at him for a hug of relief.

"…Why would I…" he shook his head, deciding it wasn't best to ask. He took a seat across from Haru.

"Haruka-sempai said you were dragged away by a strange guy. We just assumed…" Rei adjusted his glasses.

"…A strange guy?" he laughed at Haru, who shrugged as he lowered his bento.

"What was that all about, anyways?" he asked. "You haven't been in class all day."

"Oh..." Just at the question, Makoto's face became red. "That's cause I-"he played with his fingers. "Haru, I'm moving to America!"

Gosh they are all just a bunch of cutie-patooties! :3 The fact that I crush them all later makes me feel evil..

Also, I just love a sassy Haru... he's just so fun to write XD I should just write a fic with his sass.

So, I put in some symbolism here, and I thought I'd share the information just in case you don't know it:

- a starfish represents divine love, and is often associated with salvation during troubled times

- a dolphin, also Haru's represented animal, is considered a messenger of love