A/N: Hey Guys! So I decided to post this chapter a bit earlier, instead of waiting for next week - YAY! *throws confetti in the air*

What do you guys think of the story so far? Please feel free to leave any reviews or constructive criticism, I'll happily take it all haha - Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Free!, I only own the characters in this story that I myself have created

Chapter 10

Light poured in through the window as Ayame groaned in her sleep. She shuffled around in her bed for a while before sitting up and stretching out her arms. Even though she had just slept, her body felt completely worn-out and exhausted - like she had been forced to carry a bag of heavy cemented bricks all night. She willed herself to get up out of bed and made her way to her mirror on her wall.

Yikes. She looked like an explosive mess. Her chestnut hair was tangled in a way that was unimaginable and stuck up in many strange directions. Slight dark circles hung around her tired eyes and her pupils themselves seemed to be quite swollen.

She thought back to the night before and the tiring events that took place. She had just managed to barley finish off her duties in the cafe, luckily scraping by a fearful run-in with her manager. However, it was clear that her body's energy levels were hanging on by a thread.

She huffed out another long breathe and dragged herself to her closet. A full day of school awaited her and then it was off to her job at her cafe. For once she was not feeling so cheerful about it, but knew she would regret it if she didn't attend.

A violent cough made its up her throat as she finished off knotting her tie, and she hunched over with her hand pressed to her mouth. Ugh, I feel horrible… Despite her bodies protests she sluggishly moved herself to the apartment's entrance.

Harkuka was currently in his cat form and perched idly on the living room sofa. His eyes watched her as she trekked passed him, seeing the disorientated way in which she progressed.

As ayame reached the front door, she found herself proceeding into another coughing fit. Her hand clutched her throat as she took several deep breathes.

"Ayame."

She swallowed and looked up at Haruka, now in his human form. As much as she tried she would never get used to his transforming. Sometimes he would be small, innocent little Dylan and other times he would be tall, broad shouldered Haruka - which was hard in itself to take in. At least now he was wearing clothes, significantly helping the shock factor. She eyed his light blue top paired with brown trousers and mentally sighed in relief.

She licked her dry lips, finding it difficult to locate her voice. "What is it Haruka?" She cringed. She sounded so weak.

He was staring down at her with an uncertain expression. His mouth set in a hard, thin line. "Don't go out. Stay here."

She frowned. What was he talking about? "I can't, I have school today. I need to go in."

He went silent and exhaled an exasperated sigh. Suddenly, he moved towards her in a lighting-like speed. She barely had time to blink before she was abruptly bundled up in his arms.

"H-Hey!" She could feel her cheeks burning. From the illness? She couldn't quite tell. "Put me down this instant!" Haruka's actions were so out of the blue, she didn't know how to react. The fact that he had his strong well-built arms practically encased around her made her flustered to no end.

She wanted to shout out in protest but her voice came out hoarse and frail. She might as well have been whispering at this point.

Haruka ignored her continuous complaints and made his way into her room. He set her down on her bed as she struggled against him.

"Haruka! I need to go to school!" At this rate, she was bound to be late.

He grabbed her covers and gently tucked her in, sitting himself down on a chair next to her.

"You are ill." He proclaimed.

She scowled. So that was what this was all about. "I am not ill, I'm perfectly fine." She made to get up, but Haruka pressed his hand to her head ultimately stopping her in her tracks.

"Your head feels warm. It's true, you have a fever."

His large hand felt strangely soothing against her forehead and she found herself slowly closing her eyes. Hmm, It feels so cool and nice…Wait! She shook her head, causing him to quickly remove his hand and stared back up at him.

"I can't stay at home, I need to go in today - what about my attendance? What about the cafe?" She'd never once missed a day of school and she wasn't about to start now. And the cafe was a whole other problem in itself.

Haruka slightly frowned. "You can miss one day, it won't matter."

"But-"

His eyes pierced through her, his unwavering stare sending chills through her core. His voice was light and gentle as he spoke. "You need to rest."

The sentence hung in the air, indicating to her that that was going to be the final discussion on the topic. She huffed out a puff of air in frustration. Haruka could be so stubborn sometimes - though she knew the blue-haired boy only meant well.

"Fine, I'll stay here" She reluctantly gave in.

She saw his form visibly relax a little at her answer. He looked away from her. "Good."

She grinned at his antics, it was no secret to her that Haruka could be undeniably cute sometimes. She felt like over the past few weeks that she'd known him, she was finding his small quirks more and more charming. Strange considering the fact that she could hardly understand him when they'd first met.

Ayame yawned into her hand, feeling herself beginning to dose off. "You know, I'm actually pretty tired." She snuggled further into her covers, enjoying the warmth they emitted. She'd not gotten a very decent's night sleep so she welcomed the comfort.

She felt her duvet begin to rustle as her blue-feline made it's way over to her, nestling himself next her.

She smiled, and called out in a sleepy voice. "Goodnight, Dylan."

There was (as always) no response.

—

As Ayame opened her eyes, she was greeted by a delicious aroma. She deeply inhaled the scent. What could it be? Her stomach growled, screaming for any kind of food.

She sat up in her bed and stretched out her arms. A loud yawn escaped from her mouth, as Haruka entered her room. He was carrying a tray with a large bowl placed on top of it.

"I made you some soup."

He set the tray down on her side-table and handed her the bowl with a small spoon. She looked curiously into the dish and saw little chunks of fish. Was that…? "Mackerel…"

"I tried some." He looked at her expectantly. "It tastes good."

"I-I bet it does."

Ayame inwardly gave out a nervous laugh. Well, it's the thought that counts. It had been a while since someone had made her a home-cooked meal. Growing up, her parents had never really been around. Always being busy with work, they didn't spend much time together. Causing her to often come home to an empty house and eat on her own. Come to think of it, most of her memories consisted of her spending time by herself. She sighed. Alone.

She thrust away her confusing, complicated feelings. She didn't want to start getting too emotional, especially in front of Haruka. She glanced at him.

He was watching her with patience, waiting for her to try his soup. Although mackerel was not her first dish of choice, she could tell he'd tried really hard to make this for her and wanted her approval. Here goes nothing. She slowly reached out for the spoon and dipped it into the bowl. She took out a small amount of the warm liquid, blowing on it lightly, before putting it in her mouth.

Her eyes widened. This is delicious! She wasn't sure how to describe the taste, it reminded her of chicken soup but different in a way. She couldn't exactly pin point it, but it was definitely good. The warmth of the broth spread throughout her mouth and she could already feel herself relaxing.

Even the mackerel itself was great. Rather than being hard and chewy like she initially thought, it was light and soft. Easy for her slightly sore throat to swallow. All in all, the dish was wonderful.

Haruka observed her, his eyes never leaving her face. She gulped down her mouthful and grinned at him. "This is amazing! you really did a great job of making it - I honestly feel better already!"

His eyes lit up at her reaction and he quickly looked away. "It was nothing."

She smiled with contentment, feeling her heart swell up with adoration. She reached out her arm and placed her hand on his head. She patted it softly, feeling the delicateness of his hair. "Thankyou, Haruka." She meant it. She always ended up pushing herself too hard, and without him by her side worrying about her, she would have ended up going far past her limits.

The blue-eyed boy kept still as she stroked his head. Ayame couldn't quite catch his gaze as he looked down at the ground. She faltered, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as she pulled away. But did not regret her actions.

After a while of silence, Haruka's eyes met Ayame's once more. This time holding a glint of nervousness in them. "I have something for you."

He reached into his trouser pocket, a look of strong determination on his face. Ayame was again puzzled as she watched him fish through his clothing. What was he looking for?

"Here." His hand, now in front of her, was enclosed in a fist and suddenly opened to reveal what was inside.

If it was possible, Ayame had never gasped so loudly in her entire life time.

His slender hand lay open and flat. Showcasing to her what it was he wanted her to see. And there, gently resting in the middle of his palm were a pair of familiar looking dolphin earrings.

Her hand flew over her mouth. What? But… She was again struck by the beauty of the earrings. The cerulean blue dolphins glistened brightly. They were leaping in such a majestic manner, as if there was nothing stopping them - as if their was no limit to their sky.

She gaped at Haruka, shock written all over her face. "H-How did you get these? I thought, I thought you…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. She remembered the frightful reaction Haruka had had to the jewelry. How his body became rooted to the spot, frozen as if he was barely amount of panic and worry she had felt when seeing him in that moment, in that state, was excruciating. She shuddered violently at the memory.

"That's what I need to talk to you about."

A sense of alarm grabbed hold of Ayame as she stared into Haruka's dark, blue eyes. She saw the unexplained questions, the all-round confusion but what stood out to her most was the amount of pain held within them. He was hurting, and he needed someone, he needed her.

She gave a small nod, indicating to him that she was willing to listen. Anything he had to say, she was all ears.

He let out a heavy low sigh. His hands clenching at his sides in anxiousness. "Firstly… He swallowed, trying to compose himself before he carried on "Everything seemed to start with the dolphins…"

A/N: 'GASPS' What do you think Haruka is going to reveal to Ayame? What could it be? Guess you'll have to find out next chapter - which is going to be posted next week. So make sure you are on the look out! :D

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