Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club

I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I've been so busy with school and stuff that I just couldn't find the time to sit down. I like finishing my chapters in one sitting because if I take breaks, my ideas will probably flutter away. So, that's makes it a bit more difficult I guess. Anyways, I'll try to update again this weekend.

So, I would like to thank everyone who has dropped by to read and review this story. This is my first Free! story, so please forgive me if the characters are a bit OOC at times. I haven't read High Speed, but I have gone through the drama Cds and they are simply adorable! So, please excuse my grammatical errors and I hope this chapter meets your expectations!

Taking Chances

Chapter 3 - Overturn

Ignoring the awkward silence that had just developed among them, Gou gave Seijuurou his cell phone back before she walked toward her brother. He seemed more than furious and she couldn't exactly see why. She hadn't done anything wrong or had she? Either way, Gou was extremely happy to see her brother and she couldn't help but form a smile on her face. She happily embraced his arm and pressed her cheek tightly against it. However, she still didn't manage to get his attention.

"Brother," She said to him, but his eyes were still focused on Seijuurou. His hands were firmly clenched into fists while his eyebrows were furrowed with anger. Gou looked at him curiously, but decided to ignore the issue. She came all that way to see him and he couldn't even take the chance to appreciate that. "I'm so glad I finally found you. I called you and texted you so many times, but I just figured you were busy."

"What are you doing out so late?" He suddenly snapped at her, giving her a really mean looking glare. Gou jerked back a little with surprised before she silently gulped. There was no doubt in her mind that she had caught her brother in a foul mood. He leaned closer to her and said something to her that sounded more like a snarl. "And what the hell were you doing with that guy? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Gou knew that he was just worried about her and as flattered as she was, she felt that her brother had no reason to get mad at her. Letting out a sigh, Gou looked down at the ground, regretting ever coming there at all. She should have just stayed home and swallowed in her grief like that way she usually did. Trying to act natural, Gou gave her brother a smile as she placed her hands behind her back. "I came to see you. Is that so wrong?"

"There are better times to do it, you know." He told her with a glare before he placed his hands inside his pockets. He smacked his lips annoyingly before he turned to look at Nitori. He had been staring at them silently while Seijuurou was busily doing something on his phone. Gou figured that he was probably looking at the number she had just given him. "Hey, you," her brother called out to Nitori. "Just go back to the dorm. I'm gonna walk my sister home."

"I understand, senpai." He cheerfully nodded, but instead of leaving, he turned to look in her direction. He gave her a smile and Gou couldn't help but smile back. He seemed like such a nice kid and she figured that her brother couldn't have found a better roommate. After all, he needed someone that could fill in the gap for Haruka and the others. Nitori, with his charismatic personality, seemed the indicated person to be by her brother's side especially now when he was going through some pretty rough times. "It was nice you again, Rin's sister. I hope you have a nice evening."

With that being said, Nitori headed off toward the building and now the only one left with them was Seijuurou. Gou looked at him and his words immediately came flashing back to her. She couldn't believe that he had actually confessed to her and had asked her out. She told him she would think about it, but in all honesty, Gou had no idea what she was suppose to do or say. She hadn't expected that from him and he had caught by complete surprise. Unconsciously, Gou placed her fingers over lips as she felt her cheeks flushing red. He had taken her first kiss out of nowhere.

"Matsuoka-kun," Seijuurou suddenly said, placing his phone inside his pocket. He gave them a faint smile which seemed to piss her brother off even more. "I'll be more than happy to walk Gou-kun home. That is if you let."

"I don't allow it." Her brother replied a bit too quickly. He suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her a bit closer toward him. Gou's eyes widen at her brother's reaction, but her heart skipped a small beat when she saw Seijuurou's torn face. "I already said that I was walking her home. Why don't you go find some other girl to hit on?"

Before she had a chance to say anything, her brother started pulling her away briskly in the opposite direction. It wasn't long before they left Seijuurou behind and Gou kind of felt bad for him. For some reason, her brother didn't seem to like the captain and she wondered if that was her fault or if the problems ran deeper than that. Either way, Gou couldn't see why anyone would even hate Seijuurou in the first place. He almost seemed as kind as Makoto. Once they had excited the school gate, her brother let go of her arm and started walking a bit ahead.

Gou let out a small sigh as she looked up at the dark, but starlit sky. It was a very beautiful and peaceful night, but her heart wasn't in the mood to enjoy the pleasant evening. There were so many things on her mind and encountering Seijuurou had just made everything worse. Now, she had multiple problems to deal with. Not only did she have to find a way to forget about Makoto, but she also had to find a proper response for Seijuurou. Then, to make things worse, she had no one to turn to for advice. She doubted her brother would understand boy troubles.

"So what were you doing at the Academy anyways?" Her brother suddenly asked her, startling her for a bit. He slowed down his pace and it wasn't long before they were both walking side by side. Gou bit her lips as she tried to keep herself calm. Her emotions and feelings were started to flutter frantically inside her since it always shocked her to realize that he brother truly cared about her. "It must of been important or else you wouldn't have bothered at all. What is it? Did something happen?"

"Nothing really." Gou told him, but her voiced had accidentally cracked in between. Then, for some strange odd reason, her body started to quiver and she wondered if it was just the chilly air that was making her cold. "I mean, nothing out of the ordinary really. We've been pretty busy lately and we've been practicing a lot. The guys seem really motivated and I'm really glad about it. What about you? Aren't you excited to swim with Haruka-senpai again?"

"Don't change topics." He told her, but she could sense something different in his voice. Noticing that sudden change, Gou suddenly felt like apologizing to her brother. She should have figured that excitement was probably the least thing he felt. It was true that he was motivated to beat Haruka in the race, but that was probably it. She didn't think that would be enough to release him from his pain and sorrow. "We're talking about you. I don't think you came all this way to tell me that. If you have something you want to say, just say it. Or what? You don't trust me?"

"No. I mean, of course, I trust you, but I don't think that's really the issue here." Gou began as an image of Makoto appeared in her head. There was no way she could ever tell him that Makoto had rejected her confession because Haruka. That would probably end her brother's friendship with them for good and was something she had been trying to save since she joined the swim club. That had been her sole purpose since the beginning. "I just don't think you would understand what I'm going through."

"Then why did you come?" He stopped walking and turned to look at her with frustrated look on his face. Of course, his attitude suddenly soften when he saw her eyes swelling with tears. Since she didn't want her brother to see her that way, Gou quickly rubbed her eyes, stopping her tears from crawling out. Gou formed a smile on her face and she hoped her brother would fall for it. "Hey? What's wrong with you? Did that punk do something to you!? That Seijuurou is such a damn player. Don't believe a word that guy says. He flirts with every cute girl he sees. He's going to regret-"

"He didn't do anything, brother." Gou quickly interrupted him. She wasn't about to tell him that Seijuurou had taken her first kiss since that would probably arouse more anger within him. Still, a part of her didn't really understand why she had to give him explanations especially when he usually didn't nose into her business. "I was looking for you and I just happened to bump into Captain Mikoshiba. He was going to help me find you actually."

"Oh, yeah?" He lifted an eyebrow as he crossed his hands completely unamused. He glared at her intensely and Gou could feel her mouth going a bit dry. She wasn't sure how much her brother had seen and she wondered if he had actually seen them kiss. "Then, are going to tell me what's wrong or not?"

Gou's eyes widen a little and she quickly looked down at the ground again. Snapping her eyes shut, Gou took a step closer toward her brother before she tightly grabbed his sleeve. Then, she slowly leaned her head on his chest which surprised him entirely. Of course, feeling her brother so close, brought her eyes on the verge of tears again. "I just wanted to see you." She said faintly, but loud enough for him to hear. A breeze swirled by them, but her brother's warmth protected her from the coldness. "I miss you. I wish you could come back home with us."

Her brother didn't say anything and it wasn't long before his strong hands rested on top of her shoulders. He pulled her away and he looked at her straight in the eyes. "I'll ask you again." He said to her in a pretty rough sounding voice. "What's wrong? You're acting weird. I'm not going to believe you if you tell me you're alright. I know you better than anyone and I can see past your lies. So, just get down to the point and tell me what's wrong."

"I confessed to a boy today." She suddenly blurted out and it was then that she could see the sudden panic grow on her brother's face. His eyes widen and with an open jaw, he stumbled back a bit. Gou sighed and focused her gaze on the ground. Despite the night's silence, Gou could hear her brother's breaths getting heavier and she could also hear him babbling silently to himself. She shouldn't have told him, but he was, technically, the only one she could turn to. "There's nothing for you to worry about, though. He rejected me on the spot. I guess that's why I've been feeling pretty down. I didn't have anyone to talk about it with so I decided to come to you."

There were so many things that she was leaving out, though. She was leaving out the part that the guy she had confessed to was Makoto. She was leaving out the part that he had rejected her because he was in love with Haruka. Gou turned to look at her brother, but his panic and surprise was still written all over her face. Her words had probably shocked him to the point where he could just stand speechless. She wondered what he would say if she told him that her feelings for Makoto were more than a crush. She wondered how he would react if she told him that she was in love with his childhood friend.

"What the hell are you saying!?" Her brother exclaimed, placing his hands over his hair. He stared at her angrily again, but Gou was already pretty much used to it. "Who the hell did you confess to!? What idiot would even think about-"

"It's fine, brother." She interrupted him again, giving him a small smile. It always made her feel happy when her brother showed signs that he cared about her. He didn't say it directly to her, but she knew the ways he implied it. "I'm sorry for bothering you with my problems. Anyways, I think I can walk alone from here. It's not very far away."

Without giving him another chance to speak, Gou gave her brother a quick kiss in the cheek before she started walking away. When she heard her brother calling her, she turned around and waved good-bye despite her urge of going back. With that being done, Gou started walking home by herself and a part of her couldn't help but sigh in relief. She knew that if her brother pressed the issue she really would have ended up telling him everything. Of course, that was something Gou had wanted to avoid since beginning since she knew her brother wouldn't hesitate to pound the guy that had managed to break her heart.

He was like that even back when they were little. She remembered when she would get bullied by the neighbor's son her brother would defend her each and every time. Then, he would end up scolding her to not go outside alone. They would tell each other secrets all the time and she would always be his partner-in-crime. She remembered the way he would always crack a stupid joke just to make her feel better and the way he would enthusiastically tell her about his swimming practices and competitions. He was really the definition of cute.

However, Gou noticed something in him change when he came back from Australia. He suddenly became distant and he hardly spoke to her at all. Then, he transferred to Samezuka Academy and he got even farther away from her. However, when she became the manager of the Iwatobi Swim Club, she noticed something. She came to the realization that her brother needed Haruka and the others. He needed his old friends back if he ever wanted to move forward. That's why she became determined to find a way to make them swim together again.

When Gou finally saw the roof of her house, she felt her phone vibrating inside her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and was a bit surprised to see that she had gotten a text from an unknown number. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Gou read the message and she immediately became surprised to see who it was from.

It was really nice seeing you. Thanks for giving me your number. I hope your brother isn't too mad at you.

Gou stared at her cellphone screen as she looked at the message over and over again. It was clearly from Seijuurou and she was surprised that he hadn't wasted any time to text her. Gou gripped on her cellphone tightly while an image of Makoto suddenly appeared in her mind. How she wished it was Makoto texting her that way. She wished it him that would get excited to see her, but of course, that spot was already taken by Haruka and he could never in a million years compete against him.

She was about to put her phone away when she suddenly felt it vibrate again. She sighed when she realized it was from the same number. However, his next message shook her up badly enough to almost make her want to drop her phone.

I guess, I'm going to have to ask your brother for permission to date you, huh?

…