Here's the new chapter! It contains a lot of spoilers about Free! ES Episode 10, so don't read if you haven't watched it yet!

Anyway, this chapter is long and a lot of things happen, so I hope that you guys like it! :) Angel and Sousuke really move forward in their relationship and Angel reveals something huge! :D

Reviews would be appreciated!

Chapter 14

I was walking to the changing rooms – I knew that Sousuke had gone there after we left the shower and I wanted to give him his jacket back. People were starting to give me odd looks, since I was wearing a jacket almost three times my size, and it was making me feel a bit awkward. I also wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing.

"Um … hello?" I called out a bit timidly as I walked into the room.

There was only one person in there – Sousuke. He was sitting on a bench, applying some sort of cooling ailment to his shoulder. It was still red – in fact, I thought that it looked even redder than before. When he heard me coming in, he looked up, startled for a second, but when he realized that it was me he sighed in relief and turned his attention back to his injury.

"Here's your jacket." I said as I placed it on the bench next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"It still hurts." He replied with a sigh. "But it's fine. I've known for a while how this would end."

"Wait … if you knew about your shoulder, then … why are you swimming?" I couldn't stop myself from asking this. "I mean, I know that you love swimming, but this can't possibly be good for you."

"I'll be fine." He said, smiling lightly. He took the jacket and put it on, covering his injured shoulder.

And just in time too! Not a second later Nitori entered, apparently searching for Sousuke. It seemed like Rin's race had started. He was kind of surprised to see me here as well, but what worried me more was that Sousuke's cooling spray was still in sight. Naturally, the light-haired swimmer saw it and began asking questions about it.

"A-ah! That's for me!" I replied before Sousuke could react. I grabbed the spray and put it in my pocket. "I … fell in the pool, you see, and I think that I might have hurt my wrist." There was no logical connection between those two lies, but I had never been good at thinking on my feet. "And Sousuke was kind enough to give me this. He says that it will really help me." I smiled softly, praying in desperation that Nitori would buy the lie. Sousuke didn't need to have his secret revealed in such a clichéd manner – he had to be the one to tell his teammates about it.

"Oh." Nitori frowned slightly, but to my relief he seemed to accept my explanation. "Well then … Rin-senpai's race is about to start."

"I'll come in a second. You go on ahead." Sousuke said, standing up.

Nitori nodded and left. Once we were left alone, Sousuke turned to me with a grateful expression on his face. I smiled and gave him the spray back. We stood in a somewhat awkward silence for a few minutes. I was looking at my feet, not really sure what else to do.

"You should go and cheer for your friend." I finally spoke up. "And please, don't forget that you promised me you'd tell him."

"I know." He nodded. He took one step towards me and pecked me on the lips. "You are a terrible liar, by the way." He added, smirking lightly.

I blushed and looked away embarrassed. I had never liked being deceitful, especially to someone like Nitori who didn't deserve it at all.

"W-well … is that a bad thing?" I asked.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair playfully. Leaning down, he rested his forehead against mine and stared at me for a few seconds before kissing me again. This time the kiss lasted longer. I closed my eyes, enjoying his taste on my lips.

I'll never get enough of this!

"Can I see you after the relay?"

"A-ah … Sure …" I muttered.

He still plans to swim in the relay?

We exited the changing room together and then parted ways, each of us going to their team. The race must have already started, since I could hear the crowd cheering for the swimmers. I quickened my pace, eager to see how Rin would perform.

"E-eh?!"

I blinked and managed to jump away just in time. Haru walked past me – I wasn't sure if he'd even noticed me – and a few seconds later Makoto appeared. He stopped when he saw me.

"Angel-kun … Did you see Haru?"

"Yeah." I nodded and pointed down the hallway. "He went that way … Did something happen again?"

"I'm not sure. We were watching Rin swim and then he just … ran off." He sighed. "Will you help me look for him?"

"Sure." I replied. "I think we should split up though. We'll have a better chance of finding him."

Makoto agreed with me and we darted off in different directions. I wandered around, looking in the changing rooms and in the shower rooms. Haru was nowhere to be seen. I was beginning to grow desperate and worried. I hoped that Makoto had better luck at finding jim.

If Haru is really upset about something, I'm sure that Makoto will be able to make him feel better.

"Uwah!" I had been lost in my thoughts and I wasn't looking where I was going, so naturally I bumped into someone. Looking up, I saw that it was Rin. "Oh … Sorry …"

"Don't sweat about it." He told me with a smirk. "So …" He stepped closer and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I hear you and Sousuke are pretty close."

"I guess that we are … " I muttered, blushing and looking down at the floor.

"I see." Suddenly his smirk faded and he looked at me with a serious expression on his face. "Then can you tell me what's going on? He hasn't been acting like himself for a while now."

"Ah …" I felt a cold drop of sweat rolling down my cheek. The situation was very complicated. I knew what was wrong with Sousuke, but I also knew that it was not my place to tell Rin. It was Sousuke who had to do it. "Maybe you should talk with Sousuke about this?"

"I tried to, but he always avoids answering." He frowned.

"Why don't you ask him again?" I suggested desperately.

Rin looked at me and his frown deepened.

"So you do know what's going on…" He said and then started walking, dragging me with him, ignoring my feeble protests. "We're gonna go see Sousuke and he's gonna tell me everything!"

We soon found him. Sousuke was sitting on a bench near the vending machines. His eyes were closed and he was leaning on the glass wall behind him. I wondered if he even knew that Rin and I were there. He was holding his shoulder and flinched slightly when I saw that.

Had Rin noticed that too?

"Sousuke."

Sousuke opened his eyes and stared at us with a slightly gaping mouth. His gaze shifted from Rin to me. I could see a question in his teal orbs – a question he didn't dare ask out loud – and I shook my head, silently assuring him that I hadn't said anything to his friend. He seemed relieved and moved his attention back to Rin.

"Tell me what's wrong." The red-headed boy said, sitting next to him.

I bit my lower lip. Now was the time. I looked at Sousuke – he was so scared, the poor guy! I could tell that he didn't want to break the news to his friend. But it was the right thing to do. He had to tell him.

It's ironic how the right thing to do is always the hardest.

"Nothing's wrong."

I gaped at the two stupidly. This was not the answer I was expecting. What happened to telling Rin the truth? What happened to our promise?

"Um … I think I should go …" I muttered. I felt like if I stayed here any longer, I'd burst and spill the beans myself. It was agony watching Sousuke struggle like that. But as I was about to leave, both Rin and Sousuke grabbed me, thwarting my escape. I had no choice but to stay, apparently.

Rin sighed and stood up, going to the vending machines. This surprised me – I was expecting that he'd press Sousuke for the turth. It was really disappointing that he'd accept a mere "nothing's wrong". I looked at Sousuke, pouting slightly. He sighed and shook his head.

"Tell him." I whispered, leaning closer to him so that Rin wouldn't hear me.

"I will." He whispered back.

"Sousuke." We both turned to Rin. He was looking at Sousuke and was holding a can of soda. "Here. It's on me." He said, tossing the can towards Sousuke, who reached out to grab it.

With his right hand.

I winced even before it happened. I saw his teal eyes widening in shock and pain and then heard a soft clang when the soda can hit the floor and rolled away from the bench. Sousuke bit his lower lip and looked down at his feet. I wanted to go to him, embrace him, comfort him, even shield him from Rin's reaction - whatever it might be - but I couldn't move. This was between Rin and Sousuke now.

"So … You have hurt your shoulder?" Rin said and stepped closer to his friend, grabbing his jacket. "Let me see."

"No…"

"Let me see!"

With one swift move, he managed to open and tug down Sousuke's jacket, revealing his bare shoulder. It was still bright red and there was no doubt that it still caused him pain. I swallowed hard and stepped closer, putting a hand on his shoulder and gently caressing it. He closed his eyes briefly and leaned closer to me.

"How long has your shoulder been like that?" Rin asked quietly.

"Since this morning."

"Don't lie to me." Rin growled, the threat in his voice was more than evident. "There's no way your shoulder got like that so quickly!"

"Matsuoka-kun …" I muttered. "Be more gentle … please …"

"It's fine." Sousuke patted me on the hand and then smiled at Rin. "I could never lie to you, huh?" He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "My shoulder has been like that for two years. It happened in the summer after 10th grade."

Two years?! He had been like that for two years? How terrible it must have been for Sousuke, being in constant pain and unable to do the one thing he loved so much …

"But you said that you were scouted …" Rin muttered.

"I'm sorry … I lied about that."

I gasped quietly. I wasn't aware just how far Sousuke had gone to hide his health problems. Was swimming that important to him? Didn't he realize that he was risking his health that way?

"Rin … let's go and talk somewhere else."

They didn't seem to be paying much attention to me, so I tried to leave quietly. However, as soon as I moved my hand away from Sousuke's shoulder, he spun around and grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me closer to him.

"You'll come too. You need to hear this."

"… and eventually, my shoulder broke down completely." Sousuke chuckled bitterly. "Of course that it would …"

I sniffed quietly as I listened. It was all so sad … and Sousuke was talking with such a calm voice, as if he'd already accepted it. It was unsettling how composed he was with this.

"I decided to give up swimming."

"What?" Rin and I exclaimed at the same time.

I went to Sousuke and took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Please … don't say that … You love swimming!" I cried out desperately. It wasn't fair, not fair at all! Why did Sousuke have to give up on a dream he'd had since childhood, and because he was working too hard to achieve it? How cruel was that? "Please, start doing your physical therapy again. If you're patient and take it slow this time, your shoulder will heal and you can continue with your dream! It will just take you a couple of more years probably, but that's ok! You still have time!"

Sousuke smiled and wiped the tears from my cheek. He didn't seem to have listened to me, though, and was still resolved to follow through with his plans. But why? His shoulder could be fixed and he was still young enough to give up a couple of years to heal it. If he really concentrated and started right away, he could probably be swimming again before he was 20! So why was he giving up so easily? That wasn't like him at all!

Upset, I slapped his hand away, spun around and ran off. I heard Sousuke and Rin calling after me, but all their voices did was to make me run even faster. I couldn't believe this. For the first time since I'd met him, I was furious with Sousuke. Why was he so keen on swimming with Rin? And why was Rin so willing to let him potentially lose the use of his right hand? Why were everyone around me so obsessed with swimming?!

I stopped when I was certain that I was far away from the two. Thank god that all that training had made me faster! I was sure that they hadn't followed me, but I still looked around warily. There was no one around me, which made me sigh in relief. I sighed, slumping to the ground and hugging my knees tightly.

Maybe I should go back to the hotel … I can tell Makoto and the others that I'm not feeling well. It would suck, not being able to see their relay, but I just won't be able to watch Sousuke swim with his shoulder …

"Angel."

I looked up and gaped when I saw that Haru was standing in front of me. How did he even know that I was here?

"So you know about Yamazaki's shoulder?"

"Huh? How did you know about that?" I exclaimed.

"I heard it from Kisumi." He replied. "I … heard you. Just now, when you were with him and Rin."

"You did?" I blinked and then suddenly stood up, hugging him tightly. "Please! You're good friends with Matsuoka-kun, right? Please … tell him not to let Sousuke swim. What if Sousuke's shoulder gets worse? It's not worth it."

Haru didn't reply immediately. He stood there like a statue, allowing me to sob for a minute or two. He didn't try to comfort me at all, but on the other hand he didn't push me away, so I supposed this was the best Haru could manage.

"Yamazaki wants to become Rin's true friend." He finally replied. "And the only way he can do that is if he swims with Rin today."

"Oh my god! Do you listen to yourself?" I exclaimed angrily. "You're saying that he can become Rin's friend only if he swims today and busts his shoulder completely. Is this how you think friendships are made? Because this is messed up!" I took a deep breath, though that didn't calm me down one bit. "If Matsuoka-kun expects Sousuke to risk his health just to prove that he can be his friend, then I don't think that he's the kind of friend anyone needs! What if I came up to you and asked you to chop off your leg or we won't be friends? Would you do it?"

"Do you love Yamazaki?" Haru asked calmly, acting as if my rant had never happened.

I drew in a sharp breath and looked up at him. He had the same calm expression he always wore and I wasn't sure if he genuinely wanted to know. Even if he did, I didn't know what to answer. I had never been in love, I had no idea what love was supposed to feel like. I looked down, letting go of Haru's jacket – I had been gripping it tightly without even knowing it – and took a step back.

"I … I don't know. I'm not sure." I muttered. "How do you know if you love someone?"

"You love someone when you realize you don't ever want to be away from him, even for a second."

I blinked. That had actually been a rhetorical question, yet Haru had answered it without batting an eye. He didn't even say anything about water! And he was talking about a guy too … I shifted a bit awkwardly.

"That sounds kind of … obsessive." I said carefully. "And … I don't know. I like Sousuke, I like it when I'm with him, when we're … uh, kissing." I blushed. "But I'm not sure if I love him. I mean, I haven't known him for that long and we actually see each other very rarely, you know?"

"Will you watch his race?"

"No." I shook my head. "I couldn't bear it."

Haru was silent. He turned his head away, looking up to the sky and watching a bird which was lazily circling somewhere in the clouds above us.

"You should stay and watch him." He finally said, not taking his eyes off the bird. "You love him, and maybe you don't like the decision he's made, but you need to be there for him. I think that he needs your support as much as he needs Rin's, maybe even more." He looked at me. "Why is it so important to you that he doesn't swim today?"

"Because … then he won't have a chance to go pro. And that's his dream!" I exclaimed.

"If it were his dream, he would do it." Haru shook his head. "If he wants to swim with Rin, then that is his dream now."

I tilted my head, pondering Haru's words. Sousuke didn't look like someone who would ever do something he didn't want to do. So maybe Haru was right?

"I can't understand you people at all." I muttered sadly.

"Come on. Let's go." Haru said, not paying attention to my words.

He really wasn't listening to me at all, was he? I sighed.

"Ah … you go and get ready for the relay. I need to go see Sousuke." Now that I had calmed down a bit and had some time to reflect on everything that had happened, I felt a bit guilty and ashamed at how I had reacted. I needed to apologize to Sousuke.

I found him and the rest of his relay team in the changing rooms. They were all in their swimsuits and were just about to head to the pool. When I burst in the room, they all looked up. I ignored Momo's and Nitori's startled faces and went straight to Sousuke. He was looking at me with a slightly opened mouth.

"I'm sorry … about earlier." I said. "I didn't realize what swimming in the relay meant to you. And … I'm still not sure I fully understand but I want to be here for you. I told you that I would be."

He smiled lightly and hugged me, kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you." He whispered in my hair. "It really means a lot to me."

I smiled too and got out of his hug so that I could kiss his injured shoulder gently.

"Good luck." I said.

Suddenly I felt someone wrap his arms around me and pull me closer to them. I looked to the side and was met with a grinning Momotarou.

"Angel-kun, does this mean that you will be cheering for us and not your team?" He asked slyly.

I blinked and struggled to shake him off. I could already sense that Sousuke was getting irritated and I didn't want them to start fighting right before the relay. They were a team after all.

"Momo! Let's go outside!" Rin grabbed the ginger by the arm and pulled him to the door, followed by a very flustered Nitori.

When Sousuke and I were left alone, I shifted a bit uncomfortably. I had said everything I wanted to, so now I had no idea what to do. Maybe I should go back to Gou and Ama-chan? Suddenly Sousuke grabbed me and hugged me tightly.

"I'm sorry. I know that it doesn't make sense to you. But this is something that I want to do." He muttered.

"I know." I replied. "Sousuke … you should follow your dreams. If you want to swim with your friend, do it. I'll be cheering for you." I smiled. "I … I like you, so I want you to be happy." I blushed. Why was this so embarrassing? I could make out with Sousuke, but I couldn't tell him how I felt? How ridiculous … "Uh … you should probably go back to your team. The relay will start soon."

"Yeah." He chuckled quietly. Lifting my chin, he kissed me softly on the lips. "I like you too. Angel …"

"Nagisa, how can you still not be packed?" Makoto asked, sighing in exasperation.

The ever-cheerful swimmer giggled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. We were about to leave in half an hour, yet Nagisa hadn't packed even a single sock. We had all gathered in our room, except for Gou and Ama-chan, and were trying to help him, which turned out to be an almost impossible task, since Nagisa had scattered his belongings everywhere.

"We did it! We made it to nationals!" Nagisa exclaimed suddenly.

"Yeah, you did." I nodded, smiling.

The relay had been exhausting to watch. Our team's performance was perfect, as I had expected it would be, but I still shuddered when I remembered how my heart almost stopped. Despite what I had told Sousuke, I was very worried about him and still thought that it was a bad idea for him to swim in the relay. And for a few painful seconds it seemed like I was right. Sousuke started out well, but at some point his shoulder must have started aching so badly that he couldn't go on. He started falling behind and I yelped in fear when I saw that he couldn't even emerge from the water. Frozen with fear, I thought that he might drown!

I was almost ready to jump over the railing and run to the pool. I was out of my mind. Thankfully, Gou and the others were there to hold me back, otherwise I would have jumped in the pool to save Sousuke. Looking back, I was glad I hadn't done it, because he managed to overcome his pain and finish the relay.

Nevertheless, I was still feeling nervous whenever I thought about the relay. Sousuke could have drowned! Just thinking about that made me feel like the ground would crumble beneath me and I wanted to cry. I could have lost him today … I sighed and covered my eyes with my hand.

"By the way, Angel-chan, will you be here to see us at nationals?" Nagisa asked.

"Eh? Of course that I'll be here!" I replied, looking at him confused. "Why do you even ask?"

"Well … you're going back home, right?"

I blinked and then frowned slightly, looking at Makoto. He was the only one whom I had told about that, after all. He flinched and waved his hands defensively.

"I just … Haru kept asking me what was wrong and I finally told him. And Nagisa happened to overhear us."

"Which means…" I said slowly, turning to Rei. "That you know too, right?"

He coughed embarrassed and adjusted his glasses. That was enough confirmation for me. I sighed. So much for trusting Makoto to keep his mouth shut.

"Are you really going to leave us, Angel-chan?" Nagisa asked sadly.

"Makoto-kun shouldn't have told you anything." I said, shaking my head. "I planned on telling you guys after the relay, since I didn't want you to get distracted. You see- uh …"

I couldn't finish the sentence, because at that moment I saw that Sousuke was standing in the room. I didn't remember him entering, we had left the door open, so it wasn't that surprising that someone could manage to sneak in unnoticed. Sousuke was staring at me wide-eyed.

"You're going to leave me?!"

It took him only two large steps to reach me. He was paying no attention to Haru or the others. He grabbed me by the shoulders, squeezing a bit too tightly, and shook me. His lower lip was quivering. It was obvious that the thought of me leaving had shaken him quite a bit.

"You can't leave!" He exclaimed. "Please … I can't … I just …" He seemed to realize that there were other people in the room and he trailed off, blushing.

I sighed. Oh god, this had turned into such a mess!

"Okay, listen up." I looked at Makoto. "Makoto-kun, didn't you tell them that I only thought that my parents wanted to go back? That seems like a crucial part to omit …" I sighed and looked back at Sousuke. I took his hands gently and smiled at him. "I'm not leaving Japan. My parents initially did want to go back to Wales, but then we discussed it and we agreed that things could work out even if we stayed here. You see … my mom is pregnant." I grinned. "I'm going to have a baby sibling."

Everyone were in stunned silence for a few seconds and then they started cheering. Nagisa even leapt at me, landing between me and Sousuke and hugging me tightly.

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed, holding me so tightly I felt like he was trying to crush my bones. "Angel-chan, you're gonna be a big brother!"

"Yeah." I chuckled and looked at Sousuke. He hadn't said anything; he was just staring at me and his face was an amusing mix of guilt and relief. "Um, hey guys, I'll wait for you in the lobby, ok?" I gently pushed Nagisa away and took Sousuke's hand. "Come on."

Taking my bag in my other hand, I led Sousuke out of the room and to the elevator. He was still silent and I felt kind of guilty. He had looked so scared when he thought that I was leaving … But how was I supposed to know that he'd come into the room at the most inappropriate of moments!

"Hey …" I said softly as we stepped into the elevator. "Say something."

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I just. When I heard that you might leave … I couldn't … I can't lose you." Suddenly he was hugging me again, with his nose buried in my hair. "I need you."

"You … need me?" I blinked.

"Yes." He replied. "I couldn't have made it today without you. When I was swimming, I knew that you were watching. I wanted to make you proud. That's why I kept swimming even through the pain."

"And I am proud of you." I quickly said. "Really! What you did today was incredible!"

He smiled and stroked my cheek, then kissed me gently.

"You're so amazing." He whispered against my lips. "I want to be with you."

I blushed and nodded shyly, muttering that I wanted to be with him as well. After saying that, I hid my face in his broad chest. I was feeling a bit embarrassed, but so happy and relieved! Sousuke appeared to be fine and we were now together!

It really seemed like a perfect happy ending!