Notes: Guess who's going to show up in this chapter? UuU
I also noticed some time ago that it might appear that I don't like Nitori, but I swear that's not the case. He's a very sweet character, but it's easy to dislike him based on the fact that he seems very clingy and hopeful and may get in the way of some pairings. But if you really think about it, he's a pretty decent guy, a hard worker, and he's good enough to be on Samezuka's swim team. I made him the first victim because I thought the AU might be easier to digest if it was a familiar character, and I do regret killing him off sometimes :')
Sorry, Nitori!
Thank you for the comments and feedback!
By the way… what do you guys think of a Merman!AU? I have a decent draft started but I'm not sure if I should start posting alongside this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Free!. Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Enjoy!
The shrill screech of the alarm pierced through the previously silent bedroom like a freight train going through the wall, jerking Haru out of his sleep. Groaning at the stiff pain in his neck, the detective fumbled for his phone, willing the noise to pipe down. A glance at the screen informed him that it was 7 o'clock in the morning, which meant, after a whole night of tossing and turning, he'd gotten about three hours of sleep in total. Making a pained noise of despair, Haru silenced his phone, dragged the blankets up to his chin and rolled over until he faced the wall.
Makoto was coming to Iwatobi.
He was going to be working with Makoto, after how many years since they last spoke.
Darned Sasabe and his meddling! Now all Haru wanted to do was to stay in bed; it felt like a weird day and his late grandmother had always told him to trust his instincts. His instincts were hardly ever wrong anyway; that's how he was in the detective business to begin with.
The phone chirped, pulling Haru back from his thoughts. It was a text from Nagisa, as per usual.
Rise and shine, Haru-chan! It's time to go to work!
Nagisa was, amongst other things, blessed with the ability to be happy even at ass o'clock in the morning, which was something that Haru was pretty sure 99% of the task force, including himself, was not capable of doing.
Grumbling loudly, he staggered out of bed.
Shower first, breakfast after.
When he finally made it up to his office an hour later, reasonably more refreshed and with a cup of hot tea in hand, it's to find his already tiny workspace infiltrated by Rei and Mikoshiba. Nagisa looked elated by the fact and was practically glued to a very flustered Rei's side.
"What are you all doing?" Haru demanded, squeezing inside.
"Haru-chan!" Nagisa shouted brightly, looking much too excited for somebody working on a murder case. "Look who dropped by for a visit!"
"Well, it's not so much a casual visit as it is one of business," Mikoshiba admitted. "We came to drop off the witness reports that were collected at the scene of the crime yesterday."
"Did you check Nitori's belongings and bank account like I asked?" Haru asked, shrugging his coat off.
"Yeah, we did, and you were right. There was a watch from his grandfather that was missing and his bank account had been emptied quite thoroughly. The withdrawals happened about half an hour after Nitori's estimated time of death."
"Right," Haru muttered, taking the plain folder from Mikoshiba. "I think it's safe to say that the Pirate's back for good now."
"Then we're going to hunt him down and bring him to justice!" Nagisa exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air.
"Watch it!" Rei complained, trying to dislodge the blond.
"Aww, c'mon Rei-chan, this could be our only time to hang out! Haru-chan's a meanie who always makes me work overtime!"
"Stop getting handsy in my office," Haru said crossly. "And quit distracting my assistant, Rei."
"W-what! But I'm not—"
"Ha ha, you really are as tough as the others say!" Mikoshiba laughed, slapping Haru on the back. A vein twitched rather violently in the detective's temple.
"Everybody out! We have work to do!"
And so, everybody went to work. An angry Haru was a scary Haru.
"Maa, maa, Haru-chan, let's go for lunch," Nagisa moaned, pulling at Haru's sleeve. "It's twelve o'clock already, c'mon."
"Have you actually gotten any work done this past hour?" Haru mumbled. The reports from Mikoshiba were scattered across his desk along with photographs and the witness statements. The old bulletin board on the wall that had been previously empty save for an old picture and a couple of spare tacks was now covered from top to bottom with notes, photocopies and colour-coded pins. Nagisa had stuck up information about the Pirate's previous victims next to the new information, hoping to expand their mind map.
Profilers had him marked down as a young man, in his mid-twenties, and very, very intelligent. It was rare that a serial killer would be so young; Haru was only twenty-six himself and he had zero inclinations to walk around killing people. The Pirate's targets were, since his first kill, wealthy people. He murdered them, stole their money, left a clue, and then vanished without a trace.
But there hadn't been a clue with Nitori, Haru realized. Most times there was always something on the victim that hinted towards where the Pirate would strike next, like the business card of the company the victim worked at, but there was nothing on the banker's son. What was the Pirate doing this time?
"Ne, Haru-channn! Let's eat!" Nagisa wailed, his voice pitching dangerously high. "I organized your bulletin board for you, didn't you notice? C'mon, let's goooooooo!"
"Alright, alright, we'll go eat," Haru sighed exasperatedly, putting his pen down. He had to admit he was hungry as well, seeing as the rushed breakfast he'd made this morning after over-indulging in the shower hadn't exactly been filling. Mostly, though, when Nagisa set his mind onto something nothing short of a natural disaster could make him change his it and his whining was rumored to be able shatter glass if you let it run long enough. Haru really didn't want to confirm it.
"There's a new all-you-can-eat around the corner," Nagisa said excitedly as they took the elevator down. "We should totally try it out!"
"I'm trying to keep a budget here," Haru complained.
"There's mackerel," Nagisa added slyly, and the detective paused.
"…fine."
"Yes!" Nagisa shouted, as they walked across the parking lot. "We're off! Gotta beat the afternoon rush!"
"You're the only one in a rush here," Haru mumbled, when the sound of somebody clearing their throat caught his attention. Turning around, he found a light-haired young man hovering nearby, a dark messenger by slung over his shoulder with a notepad and pen in hand.
"Excuse me? Are you Detective Inspector Haruka Nanase?"
"That's me," Haru said shortly. "Who're you?"
"Ah, my name is Masutaro Asahara," the man fumbled, giving a small smile. "I'm a journalist, I write for the Iwatobi Daily, and I was wondering if you could give me a few words about the situation surrounding the city? Are you really taking on the case of the recent murder of Kanama Nitori's son?"
"No comment," Haru replied rather bluntly. "There's a press conference two days from now, ask your questions then."
"Ah, alright," Asahara said, looking a little despondent. "Hopefully I'll see you there then, detective."
"I'm sure you will," Haru muttered, pulling the zipper of his coat up. Nagisa was standing a little ways away, looking curiously at the reporter.
"Who's that?" he asked.
"Journalist," Haru grunted. "Weren't we supposed to grab lunch?"
That effectively rebuffed any further questions from the naturally inquisitive blond.
"I am stuffed," Nagisa sighed happily, patting his rounded belly. "That was awesome!"
"I have never seen anybody eat so many slices of tuna in my whole life," Haru deadpanned as the two of them grabbed their coats. "Where does all your food go anyway?"
"It's a secret only cute boys would know," Nagisa sniffed, turning his nose up. Trying not to roll his eyes, Haru fell into step with his colleague behind a group of schoolgirls exiting the restaurant at the same time.
"Hurry up, we've spent an hour and a half eating out already. I want to go back to the office."
"Ehhhh?" Nagisa cried, his good mood deflating like a punctured balloon, but before the blond could say another word they were interrupted by a high-pitched shriek from one of the schoolgirls.
"Help! Somebody help, that man stole my bag!"
The thief was already racing down the street, his hoodie pulled up over his head and the girl's grey school bag tucked under his arm. Pedestrians yelped as he shoved them aside, careless of who and what he stepped on. Haru instantly bolted after him.
"Haru-chan!" Nagisa shouted. "Be careful!"
The robber plunged recklessly onto the road, determined to get to the other side. A car swerved and Haru had to leap aside to avoid being hit. His muscles protested slightly, and the detective made a mental note to go to the gym more often. Racing across the street, he spotted the thief sprint towards the alleyway when suddenly, another man appeared from out of nowhere and rammed into the offending party, sending the two of them sprawling.
"Move it, trash!" the snatcher shouted, only to take a swift punch to the nose with a yell of pain. Aggravated, he tried to hit back, but the other man was quicker and had the thief pinned onto the ground within seconds. Haru's eyes narrowed at once; that was a perfectly executed take down. There were people in the force who couldn't even do a proper grab, let alone something that fancy. Hurrying over, he dropped to his knees next to the struggling pair.
"Detective Inspector Haruka Nanase," Haru said briskly, slapping a pair of handcuffs onto the robber. "Thank you for your help; I'll take over from here. You have the right to remain silent," he added to the now-dejected thief. "You have the right to an attorney, and if you do not have one someone will be provided for you. Anything you say can be used against you in the court of law, do you understand?"
"Yeah," the thief mumbled.
"Good," Haru muttered. "Nagisa! Call for backup!"
From the other side of the street, the blond waved his phone and hurried back to his call. What a day— he knew they shouldn't have gone out for lunch.
"…Haru?"
The man who'd taken the thief down had spoken his name. His voice was smooth, almost warm to the ears, and Haru knew that voice. Moving his head jerkily, the detective mentally braced himself as he turned and faced the stranger.
Light brown hair hanging loosely around a slender face. Bright, expressive green eyes, usually soft around the edges.
It was Makoto.
Oh, no, there was no possible way Haru could be this unlucky.
"Makoto," he said blankly.
"What are you doing here?" Makoto asked, looking stunned. He was much older than Haru remembered, though they had been only teenagers when they parted. His voice was noticeably deeper. His hair had grown a bit longer, and his previously thin frame had filled out with lithe muscle that made his shoulders broad and his forearms lean. The man before him was a mature adult now, and the years had been very good to Makoto.
"I'm working," Haru spluttered. "Why are you here?"
"I— I'm here for a job. I got hired to help solve a crime. I, uh, I work as a Private Investigator now, so, uh, yeah, that's why I'm here—"
"I know," Haru interrupted quietly, saving the PI from rambling on. "I'm the head of the case you were hired for."
Makoto's jaw dropped.
"You are?!"
"I am."
If there was one thing that didn't appeared to have changed, it was how easily Makoto displayed his emotions. Haru was certain he saw surprise, excitement, worry and nervousness play across the other man's face in the span of a second.
"That's… wow," Makoto breathed. "What were the chances?"
Haru snorted as Nagisa came dashing across the street with the group of schoolgirls as the sounds of sirens alerted them of the police car pulling up.
"Haru-chan! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Haru mumbled as everybody came to a halt around them. Two on-duty officers took the robber with them without any further complaints, the bag was retrieved, and everything was accounted for.
"Thank you very much!" the young girl said when Makoto handed her knapsack back. "I'm so sorry for all the trouble!"
"It's alright," Makoto said with a gentle smile, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Haru rolled his eyes as the girl blushed several shades of red and ducked her head shyly. His gut clenched reflexively, but he instantly pushed the feeling aside.
"Who's that?" Nagisa asked curiously.
"That's Makoto Tachibana," Haru said. "Makoto, this is Nagisa Hazuki, my assistant."
"So you're the one who's coming to help out!" Nagisa exclaimed as he enthusiastically shook Makoto's hand. "You were so cool back there, the way you took down the thief!"
"Ah, well, I used to be a cop," Makoto said sheepishly, not at all overwhelmed by Nagisa's excitable nature. "I'm pretty sure I learned a thing or two."
"You looked like Superman, taking down his enemy with a ker-chop! Ker-splat! And a hoiiii-yah!"
"I thought you were arriving a tomorrow," Haru interrupted, starting to panic a little now that the initial shock of running into an old face had faded. What was Makoto doing in Iwatobi right now anyway?
"I came to move some of my things into the temporary flat I rented," the brunet answered, scratching the back of his neck. "Then I went for a walk, to familiarize myself with the place. It's a nice city."
A silence fell over the two of them and Haru pulled at his tie, feeling very warm around the collar all of a sudden. Seeming to sense his unease, Makoto chuckled softly and said, "Well, I won't keep the two of you! I'll see you in the office tomorrow then?"
"Aw, are you leaving already?" Nagisa pouted, and Makoto laughed.
"Yeah, I have to finish unpacking. It was good catching up with you, Haru!"
"Sure," Haru managed, and Makoto gave them a little wave before heading down the other end of the street, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. Nagisa turned to Haru, surprised.
"Catching up? What does he mean, Haru-chan? Do you guys know each other?"
"That's irrelevant," Haru replied reflexively, trying to calm his pounding heart.
He knew he should've stayed in bed today.
Notes:
Let's face it, Nagisa is probably one of those kids who eats a ton but never gains weight. Also, when my archery team went out for team dinner at our local sushi buffet my co-captain ordered twenty pieces of tuna on a whim.
We devoured them all, ho ho ho.
Also, I was re-watching episode 3, where Ama-chan was telling the team if they got more swimmers they could get a budget, and I'm literally crying with laughter at the face Haru makes when he comes to the conclusion that he could swim all the freaking time. It's so hilarious I pee myself every time I watch that scene.
Rating will change after this chapter; I'm pretty sure the murder scene and (maybe?) a sex scene goes beyond a T rating, heh heh. I make no promises about the sex, though! We'll see if I'm capable of writing it. GO BIG OR GO HOME is what I always say OuO
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Until the next chapter then~
Laurie