Here's the new chapter! (^_^) It turned out longer than I had planned, oops! Hehe...

Anyway, this chapter contains very few spoilers about Free! ES episode 4, most of it is just my imagination being wild, so even those of you who haven't watched it yet are welcome to read the chapter! :3

Reviews are always welcome!

Chapter 4

"Good work today, Angel-chan!" Nagisa exclaimed. Once again, my bones cracked under his tight hug.

"Thank you, Nagisa-kun." I smiled at him, hugging him in return. Him and I had got really close after I had joined the swim club.

Nagisa had come to the obvious conclusion that I could do with some more swimming practice and had come up with the bright idea that we could use the indoor pool in the newly opened swim club. He, Haru and Makoto used to go to that club when they were younger and their old coach – who now owned the club – was happy to help us, boasting that with his assistance I would be a world-class swimmer in no time.

I somehow doubted that.

But we had been going swimming in the club almost every evening. Rei usually joined us – no surprise there, I had noticed that he and Nagisa were always together - while Makoto and Haru preferred to jog instead of swim – this was actually the first time that I'd seen Haru choose something else over swimming. I supposed that this was because Makoto had said that he would rather jog.

However, this particular evening it was just me and Nagisa. Rei had excused himself, explaining that he had some errand to do. If I remembered correctly, he had said something about an appointment with his dentist.

"Are you ready to go, Angel-chan?" Nagisa asked me, holding his bag over his shoulder.

"Oh … Why don't you go ahead, Nagisa-kun?" I suggested. "I'm feeling kind of cold, so I'm going to get something warm to drink first. And someone needs to tell coach Sasabe that we're off now."

"Are you sure? Alright then! See you tomorrow!" He hugged me one last time and headed out, waving at me and shouting that I better not be late tomorrow.

I smiled and waved at him. Once he was out of the swim club, I went to the vending machines and put the coins in the slot, then pushed the hot chocolate button. It wasn't as good as the hot chocolate my mom made, but it was sweet and warm and that was good enough for me.

I took the plastic cup and held it with both hands, enjoying the soothing warmth. The evenings were still quite chilly and the water in the pool was cold, even if the pool was indoors. I started walking around the swim club, looking for the coach to tell him that Nagisa and I were finished for today.

Oh … those photos …

I stopped to look at the old photograph that the coach had put on the wall. Nagisa and Makoto had told me about the time they were in the swim club with Haru and Rin and had won a race, but up until today I hadn't had the chance to look at the photo. It was odd, seeing my friends in it. They were so young!

Though Nagisa doesn't look like he's changed that much.

I giggled at the thought. It was true – the Nagisa in the photo was the same bubbly little thing that he was now. Probably the only visible difference would be his height.

Suddenly I heard the echo of footsteps behind me. Thinking that it was coach Sasabe, I turned around, ready to announce that I was leaving.

"Hey, coa- oh."

It was Sousuke. After our short chat during the joint practice and Haru's warning, I was quite wary of him. He didn't look too pleased to see me either. What was he doing here anyway? Didn't Samezuka Academy students have curfew or something?

"G-good evening, Yamazaki-kun." I muttered, looking away.

He didn't respond. Instead, he stepped closer to me, but he wasn't looking at me. His teal eyes were fixed on the photograph.

Oh. That's right … He's Rin's childhood friend …

"They seem very happy, right?" I asked. "Well, they probably were. They've just won a race, after all."

His frown deepened. That's when I realized that he was staring at a single person in the photograph – Haru. I gulped. I could sense that something bad was about to happen and on instinct, I took a step back. However, nothing happened.

Maybe it had just been my nerves?

"What are you doing here anyway? It's past closing time." Sousuke finally spoke, turning his attention to me.

"Oh, well … Nagisa arranged it that we use the pool here for additional practice." I explained. "I thought that I needed as much practice as I can get."

"Rin tells me that you haven't been swimming for very long."

"E-eh … you two've talked about me?" I blinked and then blushed lightly in embarrassment. "W-well, it's true… I know that I have a long road ahead of me."

"I'm curious. What is your goal exactly?" He eyed me from head to toe. "Even you must realize that there is no way that you will become good enough to compete before you graduate."

"I know that." I looked down. "But honestly … That's not really what I want. I'm not really sure why I joined the club… I just want to do my best you know? Even if my best isn't enough to make me as good as Haru-kun, just knowing that I'm giving it my all makes me feel better about myself… ehhh, are you feeling alright, Yamazaki-kun?" I asked slowly and took a step back. At the mention of Haru's name, Sousuke's eyes narrowed and he started giving off this dark aura. It was intimidating. "A-ah … Sorry … You don't really like him, do you?"

He nodded. I hesitated for a second – should I ask him about that? I was curious to learn what had happened between him and Haru. But that was probably something personal …

"Um … By the way, what are you doing here, Yamazaki-kun?" I asked.

"It's none of your business." He replied curtly.

Ouch … That was mean.

"Sorry … I was just curious, you know? I mean, you had to take the train all the way from Samezuka Academy… That's a lot of way to go just to get some fresh air …"

I really didn't know when to stop talking, did I?

Sousuke frowned and stepped closer to me, leaning down so that he was on the same eye level as me. I suddenly realized just how bigger than me he was and gulped.

"I don't need to explain my actions to you."

"I was just trying to make small talk, ok?" I turned my head and closed my eyes. I was scared, true, but at the same time being so close to Sousuke made my body temperature rise.

I had some weird kinks.

"Let's race."

"Wha-?" My mind went blank. Me race Sousuke? Now? I blushed and shook my head. "A-ah … sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea. I watched you swim that time, you see? You're a really good swimmer. You'll beat me without even breaking a sweat and I'll feel crushed afterwards."

"You're setting yourself up for failure again!" He frowned. "Stop thinking so negatively."

"I'm not!" I retorted, pouting. "I'm just being realistic. I've been swimming for no more than a few weeks. You've been swimming for years. It doesn't take much to figure out who'll win if we race."

Sousuke stared at me for a few minutes, then straightened up and took a few steps back. I sighed relieved – I was starting to feel like a cornered animal. Then, he spoke up again.

"You were about to go home, right?" He asked.

Whatdoido? Whatdoido? Whatdoido?

Sousuke had apparently decided to walk me home and was ignoring all of my feeble protests. The situation couldn't be any more awkward, as we were walking in complete silence and about two feet away from each other.

"Um … y-you don't need to do that, you know?" I asked quietly, looking down at the ground.

"It isn't safe for you to be walking home alone at this hour." He replied. His voice was void of any emotions.

"Then … shouldn't it be unsafe for you too?"

"I doubt that anything would happen to me." He chuckled lightly.

I guess he's right … No one would even dare to assault someone his size.

"So … I heard that you and Matsuoka-kun are childhood friends." I said. "That must be nice."

"Nice?"

"Ah … W-well, Matsuoka-kun told me that he used to live in Australia for a while. It's nice to know that you two still remained friends even when you were so far apart."

…

Had I said something wrong again? I could have sworn that for a moment, Sousuke's eyes became darker. He didn't say anything though and I wasn't sure if I should ask him about it. It was obvious that I had triggered some unpleasant memories.

"I was just saying this because when my family moved here, I left all my old friends behind. And … I think that the distance may be too much for us." I sighed.

"If you are truly intent on keeping your friendship, then you won't lose your friends." He told me.

"I guess … But I'm always busy with school and the swim club … Plus there's the time difference … It's just hard to keep in touch with them, you know?"

"Where are you from?" He asked me.

"I was born in Wales."

"Oh, that's in England, right?"

"Er … no." I chuckled. "It's part of the United Kingdom, but it's a separate country."

"I see. You sure moved pretty far away from your home."

"Yeah, tell me about it." I sighed. "Oh, but don't get me wrong. I love it here. I've always liked Japan. I used to read a lot of manga and watch tons of anime. That's actually why I chose to attend Japanese classes back home – I wanted to feel as close to Japanese culture as I could. When my dad told me that we were moving to Japan I was actually really excited about it." I chuckled.

"But … you just moved here like that? Without knowing anyone?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "My dad accepted a job in a hospital here and decided that we should all move." I explained. "Did the same thing happen to Matsuoka-kun?"

"Not exactly… He moved to Australia alone. He went to a swimming school there."

"Oh. That must have been very scary to him – being all alone in a new country." I muttered. "I can imagine how tough it must have been. But it seems to have played out for the best, right? He's now the captain of a very strong swimming team." I added, smiling softly. "Plus, he gets to swim with his best friend. That must be nice too."

"It's nice being in the same team." Sousuke admitted, smiling lightly for a second. "But essentially, when you swim, you're on your own. Having your best friend on the team doesn't make you swim faster or better."

"Huh? But … your relationship with the rest of your team is important, isn't it?" I asked. "I mean, having your friends cheering you on while you're swimming makes you try harder, right?"

"If you are confident in your own abilities you don't need anyone cheering you on." He insisted.

"That's sad." I muttered.

"What is?" He asked, looking at me and narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Just the way that you think." I replied. "You think that you don't need anyone, right? That's good to some degree; it shows that you're independent. But … you go beyond that. Tell me honestly, besides Matsuoka-kun, is there anyone else you call a friend?"

He didn't answer my question. I sighed and shook my head. Just as I thought.

"What do you think of Nanase?" Sousuke suddenly asked.

"Eh? Haru-kun? W-well … I like him." I shrugged. "At first I thought that he was really weird. And I still think that sometimes, but not in a bad way. He's just different than me, you know. To be honest, I can't understand most of the things he says, especially when he talks about water and swimming." I chuckled.

"He's not as great as you think." His voice was ice cold.

I sighed.

"Look, Yamazaki-kun … I'm not sure what exactly your conflict with Haru-kun is, but can you please keep it between you and him? Don't try to include me in it. I just want to get along with everyone."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression, and then shook his head. Then he burst out laughing.

"You're so weird."

"W-well …" I blushed and looked away. "You're weird too! I can never tell if you're insulting me or trying to encourage me."

"Can't I do both?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. There, he did it again, saying such confusing things!

"Do what you want." I sighed. "I'm too tired right now to argue."

Looking ahead, I was surprised to see that we were almost at my house. I didn't know how long we had been walking – usually I took the train home. I hadn't even noticed that we had been walking!

Wait … doesn't this usually happen when you're with someone you like?

I looked back at Sousuke, tilting my head slightly to the side. I still wasn't quite certain what to make of him. He was just as enigmatic as when I met him and he had managed to avoid all my attempts to get to know him better. But … I did enjoy talking to him … and he was handsome …

Maybe I did have a crush on him?

"What are you staring at?"

"Eh?!" I flinched. Sousuke's deep voice had pierced right through my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. "Ah, s-sorry … I was caught up thinking about something …"

"Were you thinking about Nanase?"

"No." I shook my head, resisting the urge to chuckle. Just how obsessed was he with Haru? "Ah, we're almost at my house." I looked at Sousuke. "Um … you know, it's getting pretty late. You can spend the night at my place if you want to."

"I can't. They expect me to return tonight. I'll get in trouble if I don't go back."

"Oh, I see. So Samezuka Academy has some pretty strict rules, huh?" I asked.

"That's only to be expected." He shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess… it looks like a pretty elite school." We had reached my house so I stopped and looked at Sousuke with a smile. "Well, thank you for walking me home, Yamazaki-kun."

"Don't sweat it." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. He actually looked embarrassed as I thanked him. It was odd, seeing him like this.

Alright … I should just go ahead and ask him. Even if he says no… at least I would have tried.

"Hey … Do you think that we c-could … exchange numbers?" I asked shyly. "I m-mean, I really enjoyed talking to you, so I thought that maybe … we could hang out again." I didn't get any response from Sousuke and blushed embarrassed. "Ah! N-nevermind! I-it was j-just a suggestion!"

"I don't mind." He said with and even face and then took his phone out. "What's your number?"

"Oh … Right!"

We exchanged numbers and then parted – Sousuke headed to the station and I went inside my house. I climbed the stairs up to my room and set my gym bag on the floor next to the bed. I opened the contact's list on my phone and smiled as I looked at my newest addition – Yamazaki Sousuke.

Oh god … I do have a crush on him …

"Gou-chan … weren't we going to buy ingredients? What are we doing at a sports store?"

"We need to buy some supplies to make the team's meals even more nutritional. Especially your meals, Angel-kun!"

"Eh? My meals…?"

"Yes, you are still as skinny as you were before you joined the club! You need to build some muscles!" Gou said as she gave me a stern look and pinched my arm to show me just how muscle-free it was.

"Ah, are you sure you're not even a little obsessed with this?" I asked hesitantly.

She made a face at me, but before she could say anything there was a shrill, inhuman voice and someone jumped between us.

"Gou-san! Remember meee?"

"Ah! Uh … Aren't you Captain Mikoshiba's younger brother … uh, Kintarou?"

"Momotarou!" He corrected her. "Mikoshiba Momotarou! I'm a first year in the Samezuka swim team! My specialty is backstroke! My hobby is hunting for stag beetles!" At this point I noticed that Gou was looking rather terrified, but the guy kept on rambling, blissfully unaware that she was retreating from him. "The biggest one I've caught so far was eight centimetres! My favourite kind of spaghetti is-" He suddenly stopped talking once he caught a glimpse of me and his grin widened. He grabbed me by the wrists and pulled me closer. "Woaaaah! As expected of Gou-san, her friends are also cute!"

Eh? Doesn't he realize that I'm a guy?

Meanwhile Momotarou had started his exalted introduction again. There didn't seem to be anything that I could do to make him stop. Luckily, Rin appeared seemingly out of nowhere, grabbed him and pulled him away from me. I sighed in relief, but then I saw that Sousuke was standing right in front of me. I blushed under his intense stare.

Oh, god, I have no idea what to do now …

After Momotarou was sent away, Rin explained to us that he had brought some of the Samezuka swim club members to buy new swimsuits. Apparently Sousuke and Nitori – a second-year student whom I had met during our joint practice – had tagged along.

"So are the others here too?" Rin asked.

"Nope, just us." Gou replied. "We needed to buy some things so that Angel-kun can become muscular as soon as possible!"

"Gou-san! Gou-san's friend! What do you think about this? Or this? Or this one?"

Momotarou was at it again, showing us all kinds of rather flashy swimsuits. Finally, Rin seemed to have had enough of him so he dragged him away, holding him by the collar. We could hear Momotarou gasping for air even when the two were at the other end of the store. Nitori followed them. He looked worried – obviously there was no telling what Rin could do to the other guy.

"So, you want to build some muscles?" Sousuke asked me.

"A-ah … not really." I admitted quietly, glancing at Gou. "I've always had a small build. I take after my mom, you see. So I don't think I'll ever become as muscular as … well, you and the rest of the swimmers."

"Protein supplements will not help you much. You have nothing to turn into muscles." He reached out and grabbed my arm, squeezing it rather hard. I winced in pain. "You're literally skin and bones. First you need to gain some mass." He let go of my arm and shoved his hands in his pocket.

"Ah … thanks." I blushed lightly and rubbed my aching arm. "Well, I guess we should go, huh?"

"Right." Gou nodded. "Have fun you guys!"

"Bye." I smiled and waved at Sousuke before Gou and I walked away. I couldn't resist the urge to look back, so I did. I saw that Sousuke was still standing in the same spot, looking at me. For a second our eyes met and I quickly turned away, blushing like mad. "Ugh … this is killing me!"

"Hm? Angel-kun, did you say something?" Gou asked me. "H-hey … Your face is all red! Are you feeling alright?"

No … I definitely wasn't.

PS: I hope you guys don't mind if I portray Momotarou as having pansexual tendencies, I'm really having a hard time seeing him as 100% straight even with all his fawning over Gou. XD

Also, about the colors on Angel's swimsuit - teal and purple... Teal is for Sousuke's eyes (I thought it would be fitting XD) and purple is because I thought that Angel should have a sea-related animal like the rest and I wanted it to be a seahorse (I loooove seahorses) and all of the pictures of seahorses I found had some shade of purple in it, so I decided to add purple too :) As I said, it's not a very smart explanation XD