Psyche: Ehhh, I'm still a big supporter of Makoto being the killer-whale type (lately supported by episode 3 of Eternal Summer), but I understand your way of thinking. Makoto is usually the big softy type in the anime and novel, but frankly I gave him a background in this AU which, if he did not toughen up, he would have died a long time ago.
Guest ponders: THIS THIS THIS. THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED I SWEAR TO GOD. But not at the moment. BUT IT WILL BE. And people have told me that descriptions... I suck at. But I'm working on it, I promise!
Haruko: Theeeeere you are :D DID YOU SEE THE OFFICIAL ART WITH MERMAN HARU AND FIREMAN MAKOTO WATERING HIM WITH A HOSE OH GOD IT WAS HILARIOUS. Rei knows everything because that's just the way he is. Makoto thinks he knows everything but he will eventually learn more. And Haruka is just oblivious, partially because he's not the type to pry normally, even in the canon version.
Sheygon: I AM IN TEARS. I AM LITERALLY IN TEARS. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE A PAGE TURNER AND NOW I HAVE DONE IT. HUZZAH! Thank you so much for the praise!
Abiding Angel: Thank you~ I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY MADE HIM A MERMAN WEARING BLUE NAIL POLISH. I was like 0_o.
chocovic-chu: WAIT WAIT WAIT BACK UP HOLD ON A SECOND. YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE ANIME BEFORE COMING TO THIS SITE. Not that I'm saying that there's anything wrong with only reading the light novel version, but THE ANIME HAS SO MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN ALL OF THE CHARACTERS, ESPECIALLY HARUKA AND RIN. Not to mention that there are a lot of characters that are in the anime that are not in the novel, obviously because the boys are all in high school. Almost all of the fanfictions on this site are written by anime fans. And so, for the sake of your complete understanding, I DEMAND THAT YOU WATCH THE ANIME. You might also want to follow up with the second season because Sousuke is also in this fanfiction. BUT THANK YOU FOR READING.
Carly: I'm glad you like it dear~ Please keep reading and regard me kindly in the future.
WolfPacFaan: LET THE MINDFUCKING HEART-WRENCHING TIMES BEGIN. CLIMAX TIME IS APPROACHING.
Awesome Empress: I didn't really think of it as a buffer. But I'm pretty sure there will be hot sex in the next chapter. Probably. Whether or not it's out of love depends on how you see it.
Guest: Okay, so I received a total of FIVE reviews from a Guest and I am fairly sure that it is all from the same person, judging by the writing style. Whether you're one person or multiple people, thank you for reading and reviewing my story. :)
Nakaion Aquette: Thank you so much, dear! I love omakes. I loved all the FrFr omakes they gave us in the anime. :)
high as fck: Updated. Sorry, I've been busy. Nice name by the way.
I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or any of the characters in it.
So I have been very busy over these past two-three weeks. For anyone who is curious as to what I have been up to, let it be known that I have become an officially certified bartender~! Remembering all of the drinks was hard, but the classes were fun! Sorry for being so busy, but I hope this chapter makes up for it.
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When Haruka opened his eyes, he was underwater.
This has got to be a dream, he thought hazily as he felt himself falling deeper into the depths of what seemed to be a deep lake. Why else would I be underwater? Still, this place looks awfully familiar...
He could tell at least from the smaller shape of his hands that he had shrunk. Instinctively, he knew that he was at least nine years old. Why he had shrunk during his dream, he had no idea. Perhaps there was something that he had to look for that could only be seen from a child's eyes. Or perhaps this was reliving childhood.
He glanced down and gave a start. Makoto was there.
At least, he was pretty sure it was Makoto. The eye color was the same, as was the hair. But Makoto seemed to have shrunk into a child as well. His face was rounder with baby fat and his hand that was reaching up for Haruka was noticeably smaller.
Wait a minute. Reaching up?
To his horror, he realized that Makoto was shrinking into the distance, growing smaller and smaller in his vision. But even from far away, he could see the fear deeply imprinted into those innocent green eyes.
Makoto was SINKING. Makoto was DROWNING.
Frantically, Haruka kicked hard through the water to propel himself towards Makoto. For a while, Makoto grew bigger in his eyes again, a sign that he was getting closer. But then something snagged around the child Haruka's ankles and suddenly he could no longer move. Even worse, Makoto was getting smaller again, falling farther away. Invisible currents buffeted the young body, pulling it farther and farther away.
"MAKOTO!" he opened his mouth to scream, but the lake water flooded in, filling his mouth, his nose, and finally his eyes as everything turned black.
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"MAKOTO!" Haruka screamed, sitting up so fast that he got whiplash. Dizzy from getting up to quickly, he pressed a hand to his pounding forehead, teeth grit.
Makoto, who had been sitting at his desk reading one of his books, quickly jumped up and rushed to his Master's side. "Master Haruka! What is it? What's the matter?" he gently ran his hands over Haruka's temples, trying to soothe him. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Haruka grabbed onto Makoto and ran his hands over his face and neck. "You're real," he breathed in relief. "You're alive."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Makoto took his master's hands into his own and squeezed them gently. "You did have a nightmare. Would you like me to get you something? It's nearly time for breakfast anyway."
"No, just... just stay here," Haruka leaned over to kiss Makoto on the mouth, with Makoto gently responding by placing his hands reassuringly on his master's shoulders. They exchanged soft, chaste kisses and Haruka calmed down bit by bit. Eventually it ended with the two of them in each other's arms, Makoto whispering sweet nothings into Haruka's ear.
"Feeling better?" Makoto questioned, brushing dark strands from deep blue eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"..." Haruka sighed. He had heard Nagisa gushing on about how if one spoke about a nightmare, it would never come true. "... I dreamed that you were drowning."
Makoto's eyebrows shot up, though Haruka didn't notice. "Really?" he asked with fake puzzlement. "I can swim quite well though?"
"I know, I remember," Haruka acknowledged, the memory of his birthday running through his brain. "But... we looked like we were kids and we were both underwater. You were falling, down deeper into the water..." his eyes grew glazed as his thoughts drifted away to that poor helpless child Makoto whose green eyes were filled with fear.
"... A dream is just a dream, Master Haruka," Makoto said quietly. He kissed Haruka on the forehead and then lightly pushed him so that Haruka toppled on to the bed. "It's time for you to go back to your own room, Master Haruka. If somebody sees you coming out from here, there will be a lot of questions."
"But I don't – "
"No arguments, Master Haruka. I also have some things that I need to take care of after all."
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(Elsewhere, Rin was also having a nightmare.)
He was soon going to be eleven years old and he had never felt emptier. Even though he still had his sister and Haruka, memories of his other friend Makoto, the one who disappeared, continuously drifted in and out of his brain. Not to mention that he had been lying to Haruka for so long that he wasn't sure what to do anymore.
Really, everything was just too much for a child with too much life experience to bear.
The Tachibanas had been taking the loss of their first son terribly. The mother spent all of her time hovering over her other two children as if to ensure that they wouldn't disappear as well. The father, on the other hand, locked himself up in his office frequently to pour over books of mysterious origin. So many servants had quit, as they sensed that trouble was brewing on the close horizon. The few loyal ones that stayed still whispered uneasily among themselves, too faithful and yet too frightened.
Rin came to visit them frequently. He had offered countless times to let them all move into his own mansion, away from this house. Makoto had been such a lively child that the whole place seemed dead without him. But Lord Tachibana had always refused.
"I'll find him," he had proclaimed, tears making wet splotches on his glasses as he cried while sitting hunched-over. "I'll find Makoto someday."
And so Rin walked down the corridors of the Tachibana house, heading towards the office and mentally rehearsing his latest plea to have the Tachibanas move in with himself, Gou, and their mother. Their own house had been quiet since the death of his father, but it was never as bad as it was here.
It's easier when someone precious to you has died, rather than disappeared, he mused with a surprising amount of clarity. At least when your precious one dies, you know exactly where he is. But if they've disappeared, then you're plagued with hope and despair and the fear of him already being dead.
... Dammit, Makoto. Where have you gone?
He was shaken out of his thoughts as a maid suddenly blazed past him, screaming at the top of her lungs. "HELP!" she screeched. "THE MASTER HAS GONE INSANE! HE'S KILLED THE MISTRESS AND THE CHILDREN! HELP! PLEASE!"
... What? Rin watched her go, suddenly afraid to move. What is she saying?
He glanced down the hall to where he could see the open door to the office. A smashed tea set was in front of it, leaking tea like blood. A chill ran down his spine and his body suddenly felt very, very cold.
... No way.
He laughed uneasily to himself. There was no way that could be true. Maybe the maid had just gone insane? Or maybe she was trying to draw attention to herself? Rin had heard of an overseas story called "The Boy who Cried Wolf". This was probably something similar... right?
Using the wall like a crutch, he stumbled along the corridor, taking small steps towards his destination. As he neared, he faltered, too afraid to look.
But eventually he rounded the corner and peered around the door. A gasp tore out of his throat and he opened his mouth to scream –
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"Master Rin! Please wake up!"
"Whoa! Wha... Ai!"
The blurry face of his devoted servant swam before him. Rin blinked his red eyes and sighed in relief. "What, it was a dream... Sorry about that Ai, was I making weird noises in my sleep or something?"
"Y-Yes, you were trembling and looked to be in great pain..."
"Sorry. I just had an old nightmare. Guess since I've seen Makoto again, it's going to haunt me for a while..." Rin felt that he was sitting in his office chair. Perhaps he had dozed off while signing papers. He felt a throb on the back of his head and attempted to raise a hand to touch the spot.
His hand, firmly tied to the armrest of his chair with rope, remained practically inert no matter how much he strained.
"What the..."
Suddenly all the memories flooded back into his mind. Mikoshiba... Nitori... Gou... Gou!
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" he snarled, fighting against the rope which bound him. "Ai! What's going on!"
"O-Onii-chan?"
Rin froze. "Gou!" he yelled, eyes landing on his little sister who was also tied up to a chair across the room. Rin recognized the chair as Gou's favorite rocking chair. "Gou! Hang on! I'll save you!" Rin attempted to stand, chair and all, and pretty much waddled his way around his desk and towards his beloved baby sister.
"Oops. Nitori, I think you had better tie up your Master's legs too~"
Mikoshiba was standing next to Gou with an infuriating hand on her slim shoulder. His smile was absolutely wicked. "This is my 'Plan B', Lord Matsuoka," he said as casually as casual could be. "You either go along with what we've ordered of you, or..." the hand on Gou's shoulder slid to her throat, "... you could always just give me your sister."
Rin let out a wordless scream of fury and almost managed to kick Nitori in the face as his legs were being bound. The gray-haired servant barely managed to avoid it by turning his head. "There we go," he muttered as he tugged at the rope. Now Rin couldn't move at all, not unless he threw himself on to his face and used his teeth to inch forwards.
"O-Onii-chan!" Gou yelled, surprisingly calm and determined despite being held hostage. "I'll be okay so whatever it is they want, don't – "
"Hey now, you're cuter when you're quiet," Mikoshiba interrupted. The loud sound of a slap filled the air and Rin's jaw fell open as he stared at the purpling bruise on his sister's face.
"GOU!" he screamed in utter outrage and he strained against his binds once more. Nitori jumped back a little, wary at what a furious Matsuoka Rin could do with sheer willpower.
"Well then, now that you know, I'll be taking your little sister away for now!" Mikoshiba said cheerfully, gripping both sides of the chair and lifting it very easily, Gou and all. "Nitori will tell you the terms and such. Of course, after seeing this kind of thing, you know that I'm okay with being a little rough with her, right?" his eyes darkened, like a sunset. "So of course, you'll agree to anything we say, right?"
The door swung shut behind him and Nitori and Rin were left alone. "... Master Rin, shall I state the terms now?"
Rin, acknowledging defeat, slumped down in his chair with bitter eyes.
"Do what you want."
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"I am so, so sorry," Mikoshiba said regretfully as he wet a handkerchief in the sanctuary of Gou's private bathroom. "Did I hit you too hard?"
"No, I'm okay," Gou said, tilting her head to the side so that the police chief could wipe away the purple eyeliner on her cheek. Mikoshiba had smeared it on his hand beforehand to create something resembling a hand-shaped bruise on her face. "Besides, you slapped your other hand against your own leg to make it sound louder than it actually was, so it was more like a gentle tap, really."
"Well, I'd hate to ruin such a pretty face," Mikoshiba grinned at her. "Hey, after this whole Ácweorran thing blows over, would you like to go have dinner with me – "
"No."
"Oh. Okay."
Visibly deflated, Mikoshiba shuffled his feet a bit awkwardly as he wiped the last of the eyeliner off. "So, uh, we'll have you stay at my place for a while. My little brother Momotarou can bodyguard you, and if you get lonely you can hang out with my little sister too."
"Onii-chan isn't coming with me too?"
"Afraid not. We need him to work us for a bit. But since it'll be dangerous for you, you'll need to go into hiding, Lady Gou."
"Don't call me Gou, call me Kou. And can you tell me exactly what this whole 'Ácweorran' thing is supposed to be about?"
"Sorry, can't tell you. The less you know, the better," Mikoshiba said cheerfully, rubbing an affectionate thumb on her cheek to show that it was squeaky clean. "There! All better!"
"Could you untie me now?"
"Ah, right. I forgot," Mikoshiba pulled out a blade from somewhere inside his uniform and started to saw at the ropes to set his captive – albeit fake captive – free. "Say, Lady Gou, why did you agree to do something like this? I mean, lying to your brother and all that. You don't even know the reason, and yet you went along with it anyway...?"
"Ah..." Gou stood and stretched her limbs. "A friend of brother's contacted me. He said that the Samezuka police are trustworthy... and he's very attached to Onii-chan, so I don't think he was lying."
"Really? What friend would that be?" Mikoshiba scrubbed the eyeliner out of the handkerchief in the sink and used it to lovingly wipe his blade. It was a gift that he had received from a respected senior. Idly, he wondered if this 'friend' was someone very close and personal to Gou. He hoped not.
"Sousuke-kun. Yamazaki Sousuke-kun. He said that you guys were trustworthy enough."
Mikoshiba dropped his knife and it clattered onto the floor. Gou bent down to pick it up. "Mikoshiba-san, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," the police chief said with a strained smile. His eyes, however, were frantic. "I just slipped is all."
"... Really?"
"Really~" Mikoshiba grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around before drawing her close. "You're so cute, Lady Gou~ Ah, may I call you Gou-kun?"
"Don't you dare! Call me Kou! Kou! And don't touch me!"
Outwardly, Mikoshiba laughed merrily as he teased the adorable younger Matsuoka sibling. Inwardly, he was freaking out to the point where he thought he would faint.
Shit. Yamazaki Sousuke, huh? A seriously troublesome bastard is interfering with the plan, isn't he?
He rested his chin on top of soft red hair, despite the shrill protests of the girl forcibly held in his arms. He squeezed her gently and she stilled, realizing that his intention was not of teasing, but of the need for comfort. Unaware of the terrible thoughts whirling through his mind, she placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder and leaned in a little to his touch. Mikoshiba smiled blankly at her, his thoughts focused solely on the menace on hand.
If worse comes to worse... Yamazaki Sousuke... I might need to kill him.
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"Haruka. Your father and I are going to town... would you like to come?"
Lady Nanase walked into her son's bedroom to find him curled up in his blankets despite it being the middle of the day. She walked over to sit on his bed and put a hand in his hair.
"What's the matter with you? Didn't you sleep last night?"
"Not enough," Haruka mumbled, cracking a murky blue eye open to look at her. "Is Makoto back yet? From wherever he went?"
"No, but he'll probably be back tonight," almost absentmindedly she stroked her son's hair with a very conflicted look on her face. What was so beautiful about the Lady Nanase was the look of quiet melancholy permanently etched onto her face. It made her seem quiet and mysterious, which had served as catnip for men in her courting days. Whatever emotion behind her emotionless face was indiscernible, but Haruka thought that if he looked into her eyes long enough, he could see a flicker of sadness. "So are you coming?"
Haruka thought about it. He had finished the large amount of homework that Amakata had given him, therefore leaving him with way too much free time. Makoto wasn't home either... and besides, he hadn't been to town for a very long time. As a child he had enjoyed going to the local bookstore or wandering around the candy shop owned by a very nice old lady named Tamura.
"Sure, I'll go."
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Wandering around the streets of the small town brought back many memories of his childhood of when he used to spend his time pursuing anything of interest in the shops. The old bookstore still carried some of the fairy tale books about mermaids he had poured over as a child. He flipped through them with a nostalgic smile aimed at the drawings of half-fish, half-humans. The bookseller greeted him with a vapid smile; it was a different person than it had been before.
The candy shop was still the same. The moment he walked in, Haruka's nose was assaulted with scents of chocolate, dried fruits, and mint. His eyes were drawn to a colorful lollipop display and he drew near, only for a very familiar and kind voice to call out to him.
"Oh, Haruka-chan! It's been so long!" old Grandma Tamura came out from the back of the store, a hot tray pulled fresh from the oven in her protected hands. "You've grown so much! Here, take a cookie," she offered a gooey chocolate chip cookie to him, smelling like a piece of heaven. It was still warm and melted on his fingertips and tongue. "Would you like to buy anything?"
"Maybe," Haruka replied, nibbling on the cookie. "Do you still have those saltwater taffies?"
"Oh, yes! I remember you used to come in here all little and sweet and chew on those while hanging around my skirts," she reminisced. "You were like a little duckling, following me around while I tended to my shop."
"You reminded me of my grandmother," Haruka agreed. "That's why I always followed you around..."
"I'm honored. Your grandmother, the deceased Madame Nanase, was a great woman," Tamura walked off towards a shelf and pulled off a basket of saltwater taffies. "Here, take some. On the house." "Oh, I couldn't..."
"Go on, go on, it's been so long since I've seen you. Take it as a gift," Tamura smiled kindly at him. "Is there anything else that you would like?"
Haruka thought of Makoto and remembered his love of chocolate. "... I have a friend who likes chocolate."
"Milk, dark, or white?" the old lady asked, already moving towards a table with silver trays lined with creamy chocolates. "I can give you a box with assorted, if you'd like."
Haruka stared at the display, thinking of his servant and what type he most likely would have preferred. "... I think Makoto would like milk chocolate. He really likes the sweeter type of food, I think."
"Makoto-chan?" Tamura's eyes suddenly lit up, her face suddenly sparkling with a youthful glow. "Oh, Haruka-chan, have you made up with Makoto-chan?"
"Huh?" puzzled blue eyes widened. Tamura kept chattering, clearly trapped within her memories.
"Oh, I remember when you two used to come in here. Is Makoto-chan still smaller than you? He used to look up to you like his big brother and hide behind you when strangers came too close," she chattered dreamily. "You're right too, Makoto-chan did love milk chocolate. I'll give you a nice big boxful, so tell Makoto-chan to come visit me sometimes too, okay?"
"Wait, Tamura-san," Haruka said, holding up a hand to stop her monologue. "I'm confused. What do you mean we used to come in here together? I never came here with Makoto before. I only met him a few months ago."
"Eh? What are you saying, Haruka-chan, have you forgotten?" Tamura tilted her head in confusion, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening. "You and Makoto-chan were so close! Practically joined at the hip, until..."
"Until?" Haruka pressed, suddenly feeling a pounding headache coming on. He placed one hand on his forehead and the other against the chocolate display table to steady himself.
"Well, for a little while, you stopped coming and Makoto-chan would pop in by himself. He looked so sad sometimes... not to mention, when you started coming again, Makoto-chan would hide himself in a corner and avoid you. I thought that you two had a fight or something and that your friendship was broken... but it seems that you've made up!" she clapped her wrinkled hands together. "Oh, I know! I'll give you some chocolate covered nuts too. Makoto-chan used to love those."
"Wait, Makoto used to come in here and... avoid me?" Haruka asked. The pain in his head was increasing exponentially and he was having trouble standing straight. "Why did he avoid me...?"
"I'm afraid I don't know why," Tamura shook her head. "It's just that... sometimes while he was here, you would pass by the window. Then Makoto-chan would look outside after you with such a longing expression... sometimes he would leave the store and walk a few steps after you... Haruka-chan, are you alright? You look pale."
"I'm alright," he muttered. "I... I'll come back with Makoto and pick up those chocolates, okay?"
"Oh, of course! He did stop by a few times earlier this month though," she added. "Buying all sorts of sweets and asked for them to be wrapped," she winked at Haruka, unaware of the painful strain on his mind. "Perhaps he's found himself a lady friend."
"Uh-huh," the dark-haired teen said faintly. "I'm... going to go now. Thank you for your time, Tamura-san."
"Anytime, dear. Have a good day!"
Haruka left the smell of chocolate behind, feeling dizzy as he wobbled down the dirt streets. He found a bench underneath a flourishing plum blossom tree and sat down on it, waiting for his headache to pass. Though the heavy scent of the flowers made his stomach feel queasy. It was all too much at once.
What's wrong with me? he wondered, pressing a hand to his forehead and feeling sweat. No, even more important than that, Tamura-san said that Makoto and I knew each other from childhood... for such a long time to the point where he used to be shorter than me?
He thought of Makoto who didn't exactly tower over him, but had a good, tall figure with wide shoulders excellently muscled to match. And then he couldn't help but snort at the thought of Makoto ever being smaller than him.
But Tamura was a very honest woman. There was no reason for her to lie – she was delusional, perhaps, but she wasn't a liar. He groaned quietly and leaned back. If he had really met Makoto so long ago, why didn't he remember him from when he first met him? And it wasn't like Makoto showed any signs of knowing him...
Haru-chan, Haruka's eyes flew open as he remembered the night when he had fallen ill and woken up with his servant loyally at his bedside. He called me Haru-chan.
It been in a moment of sleepiness, Haruka knew. It was a slip-up, a mistake, but that just made it all the more suspicious. The way Makoto had called 'Haru-chan' just made it seem like he was so... used to it. If he really was used to it, then that had to mean that he and Makoto had indeed known each other from childhood.
Wait a minute... I'd never let anyone call me 'Haru-chan' so casually, he thought. Well, no one but Nagisa, anyway. Am I mistaken...?
"Haru-chan!"
Bolting to his feet, Haruka looked around wildly, searching for Nagisa, or maybe even Makoto. But it couldn't have been either of them... it had been a voice so high and sweet that it could have only belonged to a child or maybe a girl. But it had called his name with such desperation...
"Haru-chan, wait for me!"
"Makoto... you're too slow."
He could almost hear the soft pattering footsteps of children running. It started from his right, and then it passed in front of him and continued on. Unaware of his own actions, he began to chase after it, afraid to let it fade away.
"Haru-chan, don't run so fast! You'll bump into people!"
"I'm not clumsy like Makoto so I'll be fine. You're the one who should be more careful."
"That's too mean, Haru-chan!"
"Lay off the 'chan' already."
Haruka followed the voices down the streets, not paying any mind to the people he passed by. He even downright ignored the unfortunate folks he bumped into and went on with nary an apology. Puffing with some exertion, he found himself being led closer and closer to the town square.
He knew this place. He had been here many times before for the majestic white marble fountain that had been built as a gift and tribute from the white men of the west. A majestic figure carved from the stone graced the pedestal in the center. A prudent artist had painstakingly carved the likeness of a sea god from a faraway place. It looked like the pictures from the books in the bookstore, with a long fish tail in place of legs curling around the pedestal and the tip of a fin dipping into the shallow water. Spouts of water shot from the merman's mightly weapon, a three-pronged trident, in three thin streams. The fountain itself was round, with several statues of marine animals sitting on the edge. The one before him was in the shape of a dolphin, chipped in several places by careless children. A series of coins littered the bottom; another western culture item, in which it was believed that one could simply make a wish by tossing a little money into the fountain. Haruka knew the truth though – he had seen men come and scoop up the money with long handled nets and cart them away to whatever landowner or politician wanted them.
"Haru-chan, don't dive into there! You'll get into trouble!"
"Let me go already, Makoto. This is what I came here for."
"Haru-chan!"
He couldn't help but chuckle faintly at the childish protest that he had no doubt made in his youth. At this moment, Haruka had to admit to himself, seeing the water simply sitting there, untouched, with no guard in sight, made him long to strip off his encumbering suit – a typical thing for him to wear during an outing, stuffy as he felt it was – and dive into that pure refreshing coolness before his eyes. He shook his head and glanced around, wondering what had led him here. There were certainly no children swimming in the fountain, and the few he saw were with their parents. Then, what had called for him to come here?
A memory...?
Farfetched, perhaps, but Haruka felt that he had recognized the childish voices. One had been himself. The other had been...
Another headache abruptly shot through his skull and he almost cracked his head against the stone dolphin's equally stone dorsal fin. He crouched slightly, a hand to his mouth due to nauseous pains. At the moment he was disoriented, confused, and understandably frustrated. If only the damned pain could stop so that he could remember...!
"It's been a long time since we were able to meet."
"Aah, far too long. I almost thought that I would never be able to see you again."
The pain had gone, but in its place was bewilderment as Haruka's head shot up at the familiar voice of his servant. His actual, seventeen-year-old servant with the voice and body of a man was standing only twenty paces away, speaking to a man even taller than he was. With a start, Haruka recognized him. There was no one else with such piercing teal eyes.
Yamazaki Sousuke.
Rin's best friend – other than himself.
Sousuke had a surprisingly gentle look on his face that he usually reserved for only Rin. Haruka often had the feeling that Sousuke resented him for holding the redhead's attention so often.
So what was this unlikely duo doing in the middle of town, chatting like old friends?
Still half-crouched from his sudden bout of pain, Haruka was conveniently hidden from the view of his green-eyed servant and friend-enemy.
"Here, let's sit," he heard Makoto say and then a moment of silence as the two seated themselves on the edge of the fountain. "I've missed you... ah, I suppose I should call you Yamazaki-kun in public. Or Lord Yamazaki."
"I hate it when you call me that," he could hear the frown in Sousuke's voice. "You could always just call me Sousuke. I don't like it when you call me by titles."
"But that is improper. Our differences of status – "
"Have no meaning to us. In my opinion, your status is no lower than my own, despite that earring you wear."
"But Yamazaki-kun – "
"Call me that again and I'll dunk you in the fountain."
Makoto's clear laugh rang out and even though Haruka couldn't see, he knew that the brunette would be shaking his head in amusement. "You're so mean," he teased. "You've been mean, since our childhood days."
"We were already ten years old when we met for the first time. I don't qualify those as 'childhood days'."
"That's because Sousuke follows the ways of the west more than those of the east," Makoto agreed. "You've always preferred suits over yukatas, bread over rice... kings over emperors."
Sousuke laughed lowly in his throat. "The business that I do reflects that. You know that."
"I suppose... then again, it's more of a familial influence, isn't it?"
"It's always been about family."
A comfortable silence stretched out between the two, while Haruka puzzled in the background. How did Sousuke know Makoto? From childhood? But he too had known Sousuke from childhood, and he had never mentioned Makoto to him before... and the word 'king' struck a raw chord inside of the normally stoic teen.
"I really did miss you," Sousuke suddenly said, breaking the silence. There was a faint rustling of clothes and suddenly the ladies all around the square were erupting into shocked gasps.
"Why I never," he heard a scandalized lady nearby say to her friend. "Two men embracing like that... in public!"
"Sousuke, please," he heard Makoto hiss in a begging whisper. "Not here."
"Does it bother you that other people are looking?"
"... Are they looking?"
"What do you think?"
Unable to take it anymore – and because he couldn't stand to hear Makoto's answer – Haruka stood from his hiding place and called in a strained voice, "Makoto!"
Hastily breaking away from Sousuke's hands – one arm around his shoulders and the other dangerously placed on the inside of his thigh – Makoto's head whipped around and his green eyes glowed with such happiness that Haruka was momentarily dumbstruck. "Master Haruka!" he cried out, striding towards him with quick steps. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just..." Haruka looked past him to glare at Sousuke. "What are you doing with Yamazaki?"
"Nanase," was the cool reply. Sousuke had a naturally serious face though around Rin he broke into smiles often. A lazy smirk played around his lips and he stood. "Makoto, I'm going to go back to my store. It was good seeing you, no matter for how short."
"You too, Lord Yamazaki," Makoto said, bowing in Sousuke's direction. He had yet again taken up familiarities in Haruka's known presence. "I hope to see you again soon," he added loudly and boldly. There were more scandalized whispers all around... as well as a few giggles from excited young ladies who enjoyed the spectacle.
"Me too." Sousuke turned and strode away, to his store or whatever slimy hole he had crawled out of. Scowling furiously, Haruka rounded on Makoto and prepared to bomb him with questions. And no matter how hard Makoto tried to evade him, he wouldn't get away this time.
.
.
.
King watched, a little brokenheartedly, as Makoto rushed away to greet his master, a virtual tail wagging behind him. As much as his dearly beloved tried to deny it, his loyalties were clearly torn between himself and Nanase. It had been so long since he had seen Makoto's face that something within him boiled with anger as Nanase so easily managed to snatch away his attention.
If Nanase's glare could shoot daggers, then he supposed the entire scene would be covered in carnage. He heard women whispering behind him and sighed silently as he realized that it was time to leave.
"I hope to see you again soon," Makoto said, as loudly and boldly as anyone could please. While it seemed like such a typical good-bye, King knew that it was a secret message meant solely for himself. Smiling at the bit of pluck that the normally shy brunette had developed, he said, "Me too," before walking away, eagerly awaiting the day where he could again caress that sweet face which he treasured so much.
IMPORTANT: The Western influence did not come into Japan until around late 1890's/early 1900's, I believe. Because of that, older common folk like Grandma Tamura are more used to addressing people with honorfics, regardless of classes or nobility.
IMPORTANT 2: Grandma Tamura, as some of you may have guessed, is based off of Tamura from the anime. She appears in both first episodes of each season as Makoto's other neighbor who calls him 'Makoto-chan'. She doesn't address Haruka by name, but I'd wager a guess and say that she calls him 'Haruka-chan'. On the other hand, I was totally wrong about Rin calling Sousuke 'Sou'. Dammit. Oh well.
So I reread my last chapter and realized how many typos there were in it.
Derp. But I'm too lazy to fix them.
Anyway, for the sake of a new summary, I came up with this.
Nanase Haruka, the young master of an elite family, is given a new slave to call his own. But something about this slave bewitches Haruka and leaves him longing for more than simple loyalty. But if Haruka isn't careful, then Makoto will lead him to his doom. Makoharu. 19th century AU.
Nooooooot the best, but it's more accurate to the plot. But it sounds more like the description of a supernatural fanfiction... Urgh, why must I be so bad at this?