Oh wow I think I got this chapter out in a decent time, considering what's been happening at school lately. (Tests, tests and more tests. Yay!) But I am glad you all managed to survive that last cliffhanger...hopefully. So anyway, just enjoy this new chapter!

Disclaimer: Free! and it's characters do not belong to me and belong to the respected owners. I only own/made this story.

Three days had passed since the New Year's festival and a small, female, redheaded teen kept peeking into her brother's room. Her mother was behind her, a concerned expression on her face, and Gou gave the woman a confused look.

"Mum, do you know what's going on with Rin?"

The red haired woman shook her head "I have an idea, but I'm not sure."

Gou looked back at her brother with a worried look. Ever since the New Year's festival Rin hadn't left his room, and had just been lying on his bed all day with his back towards the door. Usually this could've been dismissed as lazy holidays for other teenagers, but for Rin it was odd behaviour. Every morning he'd wake up early and go for a run, saying he can't sleep late or be lazy since it wears his body down. However, it had been three days and he hadn't even gotten up once, only moving to either eat or go to the toilet.

"Well what do you think happened?" Gou asked, her eyes clouded with concern.

The mother sighed and frowned "Rin did tell you he's going to university in Australia, right?" Gou nodded "Well, he told me he would tell his friends on New Year's that he was going back to Australia. But by friends…."

"…he meant Haruka." Gou finished for her "I wonder what their conversation was like to do this to him."

"It's only a guess though!" the woman quickly interjected.

Gou nodded "Yeah, but it's a pretty good guess. In fact, I'm willing to be that's what happened. Brother always ends up looking like this when getting into a fight with Haruka."

Ms Matsuoka sighed "I wish I was around more at that time, but Rin kept telling me to not concern myself with him. You're a good sister to have helped him, Gou, and I think you should go and help him now since this seems to be a sibling thing. I'm going to buy steak to make him feel better."

The woman gave her daughter a large smile, and Gou smiled back and nodded. She didn't know if she could help her brother this time, but he definitely needed someone to talk to, otherwise he would end up staying in his room for the rest of the holidays.

Gou waved her mother goodbye as she went to the shops and turned back to Rin's room. She took a deep breath while standing in front of the door and stepped in.

"Rin?" she almost whispered, walking up to her brother "I was…wondering if you were feeling okay."

"I'm a horrible person, Gou." he responded, making said teen's eyes widen.

Gou frowned and shuffled closer, sitting on the bed and trying to see Rin's face, but to no avail as it was covered by hair.

"Brother, you're not a horrible person. I'm sure whatever happened can be sorted."

"I'm a horrible person." Rin repeated, face now dug into the pillows.

Gou's head tilted as she looked at her brother. Usually, when talking to him, he would think about what she had said and would start questioning her. However, right now he was just completely depressed and was thinking like a pessimist…almost like how he was when coming back from Australia.

"Well…what did you do? What happened?"

"I'm a horrible person." he said once more, voice muffled by the pillow.

Gou's eyebrow twitched "Surely what you did couldn't be that bad, and if you told me what it was then we can sort it out!"

"I'm a horrible person."

The room went silent, Gou looking at her brother as she tried to keep her calm. They weren't getting anywhere, and Rin refused to look at her. Maybe she should just give up after all…

"Alright, fine." Gou sighed heavily, standing up and heading to the door.

"Should I go to Australia?"

Gou stopped, looking back at her brother to see he was sitting up. His eyes looked a pale red and had large bags underneath them. Anyone would be able to tell he hadn't been getting much sleep, even though he's done nothing but lie on his bed for three days straight.

The room went silent as Gou gave Rin a worried look, wondering why he had asked the question. The only sound being made was the squeaking of the ceiling fan, which only made Rin's room colder than it already was.

"So that is it," Gou wondered aloud "Australia is the reason you're like this."

Rin nodded, his eyes glassy and lifeless, not even shifting to look up at his sister.

"But it's not just Australia, is it?" Gou questioned, sitting back next to her brother. She gave Rin a sorrowful look for a long time, before taking a deep breath and asking "You told Haruka you're going to Australia, didn't you?"

That was it. With that one line, Rin broke and held his head in his hands.

"I said some horrible things, Gou." Rin's voice cracked as he tried to hold back his tears "I yelled at him, I told him that I should just live in Australia! What kind of person does that to someone they care about…?"

Gou's eyes were wide as they stared at her brother "You said that? Surely Haruka said something to make you say that."

"Well, yeah, he told me he didn't need me." Rin sniffed, head still in hands "He told me I should've just left him alone the moment I met him…"

The female teen couldn't believe what she was hearing. Haruka would never say something like that! Would he?

"If he really said that then you shouldn't be blaming yourself like this, the fault is on both of you!"

Rin shook his head "But I made him say that! I told him I was going to Australia, and I didn't really know how he'd react but…but it's my fault! Now that I think about it he's right, I should've told him I'm leaving a few days before I left, not a year before! And why did I tell him on New Year's anyway? Why did I even tell him at all?!"

"Rin, calm down!" Gou hastily interjected, seeing her brother was about to have a meltdown "There's a reason Haruka said those things to you! There's a reason he reacted like that!"

"What other reason is there apart from he doesn't want me?!" the teen burst out, eyes redder than before "He said he doesn't care if I go to Australia! He said I'm just his problem! He doesn't care about me, and I always knew it! Deep down I always knew it…"

Rin trailed off, a heavy silence weighing over the two siblings. Gou could tell her brother would fall into a deep depression if she didn't say or do anything. Rin was very optimistic most of the time, but that was only when thinking about or helping others. Whenever he started doubting himself, which was very rarely, he'd start thinking like a pessimist.

"Brother, I know right now you feel like disappearing out of existence." Gou started slowly "But you even said so before, what kind of person does that to someone they care about? The reason Haruka said those things to you is because he cares for you, he's worried for you, and he didn't know how to react apart from lashing out at you for making a decision he thinks is reckless. Haruka knows better than anyone what happened to you when you went to Australia, he's just scared that will happen again."

The creaking of the ceiling fan continued to echo throughout the room. Rin sat quietly as he thought about what Gou had said, his fingers still clenching messy red hair.

"…I don't think he cares, Gou. If he knows what happened last time, then he's probably just given up on me. He's decided I'm just too much of a problem now."

Gou's eyebrows furrowed "Rin, Haruka said that because he probably had no idea what to say in that situation! It would've come as a shock to him to find out you were going to Australia, it came as a shock to me! Granted, I did think it was a strange decision for you to make, but I found it easier to understand. Haruka, however, doesn't understand it at all! All he remembers is you coming back and demanding a race, crying when losing and telling him you quit swimming then disappearing for four or five years. Only for you to come back and be a completely changed person who wanted nothing to do with any of them except racing!"

Rin buried his head deeper in his hands "…you don't have to repeat in detail the most shameful and idiotic thing I've ever done in my life…"

"Well, it's all fixed now." Gou quickly reassured "But the point is, that was probably one of the most heartbreaking things Haruka has ever gone through. During that time, Haruka was always interested in whatever concerned or involved you. When we were looking through the picture book of when you were in elementary school together, he was only ever staring at you. They were pictures of when you were smiling, when you were laughing, when you were the person that Haruka knew. When you were the real you. And, honestly, I had never seen Haruka with such a sad look in his eyes. It almost looked as if he was trying to hold himself back from becoming too emotional about it…"

Through Gou's whole speech, Rin listened intently. He listened to every word, thought about every sentence, and processed all this new information. His eyes were becoming less glassy, his hands that were gripping red hair loosening. He began to slowly understand what was happening as Gou continued with what she was saying.

"Haruka was just as lost and devastated as you, Rin." she reasoned, comfortingly putting a hand on his leg "The last thing he wants is for that time to repeat itself, which is why he didn't know what to do when you told him you were going to Australia. He doesn't want you to wreck yourself, he doesn't want you to change. He doesn't want you to leave again…he cares about you, Rin."

The male teen looked up at his sister with bright eyes "But that won't happen, I have a different mindset now. Now I know that he sees me as more than just a rival…and he doesn't think I'm a pest…"

Gou nodded "Then tell him that, and he will understand. He didn't know what you were thinking when you went to Australia the first time, so you have to tell him how you're thinking now. Then, hopefully, he will understand."

Rin sat quietly, thinking about what his sister had said. It was true, Haruka had no idea what Rin was thinking before going to Australia. He had no idea why Rin turned out like he did when coming back, and it was simply because Rin thought Haruka saw him as a pest and didn't care about him. He thought if he could beat Haruka, the teen would see Rin as his equal. But now he doesn't think that. Now Rin knows Haruka saw him as a friend, and always did. So he won't go back to being the obnoxious, demanding, and self-absorbed person he used to be. And if he could get Haruka to understand that, if he could get the teen to see that he didn't care about what anybody else thought of him except Haruka, then maybe he could fix this whole mess.

Maybe he could still be able to go to Australia without Haruka having to worry about him and stress for the future.

"Yeah, thanks Gou." Rin finally answered "…I'll tell him that."

Gou smiled and stood up "No problem, glad to see you look alive again. Oh, and turn off the fan! It's too cold, you'll get sick!"

Rin frowned "I need my air circulation or it gets too stuffy."

The smaller teen sighed and walked towards the door "Well whatever, just make sure you're out of your room before mum gets home. She's cooking steak tonight."

Rin's eyes brightened slightly and Gou giggled, walking out the door to leave her brother fantasizing about steak.

She knew Rin could easily get back on his feet, all it took was a little push. But she couldn't help worrying about Haruka, especially after saying those kinds of things to Rin. It wasn't her place to help the teen, as she barely knew him. Hopefully Makoto would be able to help him, as he always did in these situations.

…

A raven haired teen was lying on his bed, his back faced towards the tall brunette who was sitting next to him. Haruka's parents had already left, but he clearly remembered the words they had said before leaving.

"Thank you so much for letting us spend time with you Haruka, even though it didn't end too well for you. But if you want to talk to us about it, just give us a call. We will rush right back down here if you need us."

Those words meant the world to Haruka, but they weren't enough to make him forget the horrid information Rin had told him on the night of New Year's Eve. He wanted help from his parents, he really did, but he doubted they could help him in this kind of situation. Right now Haruka had only one solution to his problem, and that was basically his solution to every problem in his life.

Just ignore it and hope it goes away.

Just ignore Rin and hope he goes away.

But sadly, the world didn't work like that, and neither did emotions. Haruka knew all too well that Rin wouldn't just leave his head or heart that easily. He spent his years through middle school and the start of high school trying to get over and forget Rin, and he didn't want to go through that again. But it was as though that devastating time was being repeated, and Haruka felt like he was trapped in a never ending circle of pain and heartbreak.

Maybe he just wasn't meant to be happy. Or the more logical reason…maybe him and Rin just weren't meant to be.

Makoto gave his friend a sad look, he'd been sitting with Haruka for about half an hour and the teen hadn't said a thing. The brunette had never seen Haruka look so down and devastated before, and it was all Rin's fault.

"…Haru, are you okay?" he asked gently, trying to sound as sweet as possible.

Nothing was said, the teen didn't even flinch. Makoto wanted to comfort his friend, but he had no idea what happened between him and Rin. The brunette desperately wanted Haruka to tell him, but that was easier said than done.

"Alright then, I'll just leave. Call me if you need anything." Makoto smiled, deciding to give up and try again some other time. Haruka wasn't talking and he couldn't make him talk, so there was no point in trying.

As Makoto stood up, he froze when hearing a quiet "Wait" and felt his hand being grabbed by long, slender fingers.

The brunette turned around to see Haru's hand clenching his, but his back was still facing him.

"Don't…go…." Haruka muttered slowly, making emerald orbs shine.

"Haru…"

Makoto sat back down, his hand still being held by Haruka. Even though the brunette was glad Haruka grabbed him, the teen's hand felt cold. Cold and sweaty. It was winter at the moment, but it felt…unnaturally cold. A nervous or scared kind of cold. What in the world did Rin do to make Haruka feel like this?

While Makoto thought these things over, Haruka tried to stop his hand from shaking. He remembered clearly what Rin had said on the night of New Year's Eve.

"You don't need me, you have Makoto after all. He'll nurture you, he'll look after you, he'll make sure not to hurt you like I have done so many times. He's perfect for you!"

It was true, Makoto was better suited for him. Makoto always looked after him, always cared for him, so then…why did he fall for Rin? Why did he fall for someone so difficult and impossible to be with? It didn't make sense, it didn't make any sense, but there was nothing he could do about it.

For now he needed Makoto with him, just to comfort him, even though he knew that was selfish. But he didn't feel like being alone right now, otherwise the bad thoughts would cloud his mind and make him panic. Makoto was just a childhood friend, he always would be a friend, and Haruka felt relaxed when being near him. It was probably something to do with all the troubled times they've been through together, but Makoto always calmed him down, no matter what situation it was.

"Haru, you're shaking." Makoto pointed out, making Haruka quickly let go of the brunette's hand.

"I'm sorry…" Haruka apologised, placing his hand on the mattress and tightly clenching the sheet in attempt to stop shaking.

Makoto frowned and gently placed a hand on the smaller teen's shoulder, making Haruka flinch slightly.

"Haru…what happened with you and Rin?"

Said teen didn't say anything, just tightened his grip on the sheet. Makoto took a deep breath and tried asking again.

"Please tell me, Haru. What happened with you and Rin?"

Haruka stayed silent, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to find words.

He didn't know if he should tell Makoto or not, thinking that maybe Rin wanted to tell the brunette himself. But, they were friends, and Makoto was going to find out sooner or later. So Haruka may as well just tell him now.

"Rin…is going to university in Australia."

Emerald eyes widened and brightened as this was heard, making Makoto have to hide a grin.

Rin was leaving, again. It was just going to be him and Haruka again, they would finally go back to normal. Rin would no longer be around, Haruka would no longer ignore Makoto. It would go back to the way it used to be before Rin, and Makoto couldn't think of anything better than that.

"And what's the problem with that?" Makoto asked innocently "It's still a year away, after all."

Haruka shook his head "A year goes by so fast and…I just can't believe he's going back there."

Makoto frowned down at Haruka, there were so many things he wanted to say, but he knew it wouldn't help the situation at hand.

"But…" the brunette started slowly, making sure to choose his words carefully "…Australia does have very good universities, well, that's what I've heard anyway. And to get into Olympic swimming going overseas would be the best thing to do, considering Japan doesn't exactly have the best swimming schools in the world." Makoto chuckled half-heartedly, but Haruka just clenched his teeth.

"They're good enough!" he stated, almost knocking Makoto back at the sudden, aggressive sounding statement. "They're good enough to get into the Olympics, especially for someone like Rin! So why is he going overseas again? Why is he going back to Australia? Why…"

Haruka trailed off, Makoto's eyes still as wide as dinner plates. He understood why the teen was so angry at Rin's decision, but Haruka just didn't seem to be himself. He usually wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him like this. So just to check, Makoto asked;

"It is Rin's decision, it will help him and his career."

"It's a stupid decision!" Haruka aggressively spat out, making Makoto's brow furrow.

He grabbed Haruka's arm and said "Haru, turn towards me." Haruka didn't say anything, making Makoto frown and forcefully pull the teen towards him.

Haruka gasped slightly and was about to ask what Makoto was doing until he felt a cool hand on his forehead, the brunette's eyes widening as he felt how hot it was.

"Haru you're burning up, you have a really high fever!"

That was probably the reason as to why Haruka had such cold, sweaty hands. His face was flushed red and his eyes looked dazed. Sweat was dripping from his burning skin and dampening his clothes. Makoto had no doubt it was because Haruka continued to have baths through the winter but never dried his hair, which Makoto had told him to do numerous times. But, being Haruka, the teen didn't listen and said he wouldn't get sick.

Haruka made a small gagging sound, quickly grabbed his mouth and muttered "Makoto…I think I'm going to throw up…"

The brunette jumped up and hastily said "I-I'll grab a bucket! You just stay here and try not to be sick, I'll be right back!"

Makoto ran out the door, and once he was gone Haruka wrapped his hands around his stomach and tried to curl himself up. Moving into the position made it so he was able to see what was in front of the bed, seeing the scarf that Rin gave him on New Year's messily thrown on the top of his desk chair.

His stomach began cramping harshly, feeling as if there were something about to burst out of it. He had to hold his mouth again as he felt himself about to barf for the second time.

Haruka didn't know if it was possible or not, but he had a feeling his sickness had something to do with Rin. He had heard somewhere before that if your mental state wasn't healthy, neither was your physical state...yeah, like that could be true.

A loud stomach growl rumbled through the room, making Haruka wince in pain as he clenched his stomach.

Makoto better hurry back with that bucket.

No Haruka is not going through period pains and I know you are all thinking that so shhhh.

I do not have much to say here apart from me still making Makoto really mean and devious (I am sorry Makoto baby ;w;) but it is all for the story! So it must be done! Hope you can all wait for the next chapter while keeping at least some of your sanity.

Thanks for reading!