A/N: Wow I am sorry, I haven't updated in ages! Thank you to all my lovely reviewers, your comments make my day. Heads up for mild swearing, and enjoy :)
"Muuuuuuuuuuum!" Gou's anguished cry rung around the house, "I don't want to wear it!"
"Gou!" Harumi sung, shoving a bright red bathing suit into her daughter's hands, "You're wearing it, you silly girl! It's solely to boost morale!"
"I don't see why I should be in a swimsuit when I'm not even swimming!" the girl cried, chucking the cloth back her mother's way.
"Don't you want to impress the boys you swim with, darling?" the woman asked, shooting her daughter a wink and placing the red fabric in her hands once more.
"I don't need to get into a swim suit to do that!" Gou protested, scowling.
"Ah. And what're you going to do – play them some violin in the pool?" her tone was mocking.
"Mum!" the girl cried again, "I'll look like the biggest idiot!"
"Then you're just going to have to jump in and swim, aren't you?" Harumi tested slyly as she turned back to folding the washing, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eye.
Trying not to stiffen at the motion, Gou turned away from her mother, fingering the fabric in her hands, "You know I'm not a strong swimmer, ma," she muttered.
"Stick to the shallow end then!" Harumi piped up, whirling on her daughter, "Please, for me, Gou!"
Her daughter narrowed her amber eyes, "Why?"
"Your father loved the water… I think he'd be happy to see you swim with your brother."
Silence.
Gou averted her eyes and stood, "Well dad's not here to see it, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"
Harumi said nothing as her daughter retreated to her room, leaving the woman to muse to herself, wondering where she'd ever gone wrong.
It wasn't long before Gou emerged from her room, wearing her usual uniform. What caught Harumi's eye, however, were the unmistakable red straps peeking from beneath her daughter's white shirt.
"Have fun at school!" she called to the girl as the door slammed shut.
OOO
Gou had never considered herself as confident. Sure, she was sure spoken and stubborn, but body-wise she'd never been as flaunting as other girls. The swimsuit her mother had insisted upon was a one piece, a scarlet red (that Gou thought clashed with her hair rather awfully), with little cups for her breasts and thin straps that stretched over her shoulders.
It was rather pretty, she thought.
It even made her tiny form seem shapely.
Perhaps spending one session at Samezuka in nothing but her swimsuit wouldn't be as bad as she thought – the weather was hot anyway, and she was contemplating whether she'd dip her feet in.
When she began undressing along with her swim team, Nagisa made the mistake of a rather crude comment, "Ah? Look, Gou-chan's finally putting her sex appeal to good use- AH!"
He received a nasty kick in the shins for that, and Gou decided to leave her Iwatobi jacket on, leaving her legs as the only item on display.
"I think you look cute, Gou-chan," Makoto said as they walked out of the locker rooms.
Blushing, she smiled, "Thank you Makoto-senpai."
Whipping out her notebook, she turned to her team, "Now," she began, all business, "the prefecturals are fast approaching and we've still got some ways to go. Makoto, you've got to work on regulating speed. Nagisa, practice your turn. Rei, you've got to get smoother in your stroke. Haruka, you need to work on getting your turns more powerful, so you can work with Nagisa. Alright, off you go!"
The team complied with her orders, and in moments they were warming up in the pool. Frowning, Gou turned her attention back to her almost full book. For some reason it saddened her to know there was only two more schools they needed to scout to have the district competition covered.
At least I'll get to see Sei when we make it to regionals… there'll be even more teams to scout then.
Halting mid step, Gou realised what thought had just run through her mind.
No, no, no, she shook her head, this is all for Rin. It's to get Rin back, not to be with Sei.
And that was when she saw him, heaving himself out of the pool, shaking his hair free of water, looking glorious in his speedo. The Iwatobi manager felt a sliver of drool on the corner of her mouth and she wiped it away, hurrying to look as though she was busy.
Tearing her eyes from him just as he looked at her, she opted for unzipping her jacket and taking it off, trying to drape it over her arm as casually as she could.
"G-Gou-kun!" Captain Mikoshiba boomed, striding slowly over to her, "U-Uh… swimming today, are we?"
Hiding a giggle behind her hand at she flush adorning his cheeks, Gou shook her head, "Mother made me wear it to 'boost swimming morale'. Apparently teenage swimmers – especially boys – want nothing more than to impress a girl in swimmers with their revolutionary skills in the water."
Mikoshiba laughed at that, pointing over to a dry bench, "Here, put your jacket and notebook over there and we'll take a tour around the pool to ensure ultimate success!"
Laughing and a little more at ease, Gou tentatively stepped along the wet tiles to dump her things in a pile before turning hurriedly to face the Captain. She caught him staring.
Trying not to blush, she made her way back over to the pool's edge, "So… the tour?"
Snapping himself out of his dazed reverie, Seijuuro flushed a little more and began walking, Gou beside him.
"About prefecturals," she began, her voice just above a whisper, "there's only two schools left to scout."
"Two? Only?" his voice held the same surprise and dismay that she felt.
Gou nodded sadly, "And to think we made such a good team…" she sighed.
Seijuuro paused for a moment, turning to face her slightly, "We do make a good team, don't we? We should offer our services to other people – for a price, of course."
She grinned up at him, a strange twinkle in her eye, "I think you've got the right idea, Cap'n."
Seijuuro didn't know what did it.
Perhaps it was the way her skin looked like porcelain or ivory.
Perhaps it was how the swimming costume made her look ridiculously endearing.
Perhaps it was because he loved the way she said 'cap'n', with that ridiculous glint in her eye.
But suddenly he was slipping on a rather small puddle, and in a split second there was a mighty splash, and he was sinking. Even underwater, he could feel his face flush with embarrassment. Captain of the swim team, falling into the pool?
Pfft.
Ridiculous.
He looked up towards the surface of the water, and saw an image he knew he'd never forget.
His eyesight made everything blur, but he could clearly see her burgundy hair, her amber eyes, her pink lips as she leaned over the ledge and fuzzily called his name, hand outstretched to reach for him.
He broke the surface, taking in a much needed lungful of air.
"Seijuuro, are you alright?" her voice made his heart flutter.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said hurriedly, unsure where to place his eyes – was he to look at her smooth legs – her slender waist? Better yet, her position leaning forward gave him the most perfect view of her -
"Here, let me help you," she braced her feet on the ground and nodded to her hand.
Doubtful that she would be able to pull him out of the water, and positive that he could get out of the pool fine by himself, Seijuuro took her hand anyway, not wanting to miss the rare skin-on-skin contact with her.
Giving a tennis-like grunt (that's hot, he thought), Gou heaved – and Seijuuro was utterly surprised to find himself rising out of the water – but that wasn't the only thing rising.
In a desperate attempt to avoid another embarrassing scene, Seijuuro attempted to pull his hand back – but Gou's hold on him was too tight, and his sudden tug pulled the manager off balance.
"AH!" Gou screamed as she was pulled forward.
With a mighty splash, both the manager and the Captain went under.
All Seijuuro could see was bubbles – bubbles and red hair. There was a slight weight over his right shoulder – and with a start he realised it was Gou. Kicking powerfully, he broke the surface, Gou still clinging to his shoulder from where she'd fallen.
The Captain of the Samezuka Swim Team was suddenly acutely aware that their bodies were pressed up against each other's, heat radiating between them despite the cool water.
"Uh – oh god, Gou, I'm so sorry-"
He was cut off as she giggled, still spluttering somewhat, and still clinging to him.
Her smile, her laugh, her warm breath on his neck – it was getting too much for him. He knew if he didn't get away from her now, he'd do something he'd regret.
But she was so close – so close, and so warm and so… Gou.
Slowly, remorsefully, he retracted his arms from around her and put some distance between them.
"Wait!" she cried, suddenly panicked as she reached for him again, tugging herself close to him.
"Huh? Gou-kun… are you okay?" he took note of her trembling lips, her slightly glossy eyes.
"N-Not in deep water," she whispered, "I can only swim in shallow water."
He didn't question her, instead wrapping an arm around her firmly and tugging her towards the edge of the pool. Placing his hands at her waist, he lifted her to sit on the edge of the pool, "Better?" he asked in a low voice.
She nodded, looking away with burning cheeks.
"My father died out at sea," she blurted suddenly, "I don't like deep water."
For a moment he was silent, watching her intently. "Well… would you like me to teach you how to swim in deep water, then?"
Her eyes trailed slowly over to his, glinting hopefully, "I-I can't ask you that," she whispered, gaze briefly seeking out her brother's form as he swam laps in a far lane, "you're busy."
The red headed Captain shook his wet locks, "I want to teach you, Gou. Stay behind after practice for a bit, yeah?"
Nodding, Gou smiled at him and stayed sitting on the edge, leaving her legs in the water as the Captain moved to bark orders to his team. From her vantage point she could see her team as they practiced, and she made mental notes of their progress as she waited.
After a while she stood and hurried over to her jacket, slipping it on and zipping it up hurriedly as she went to meet her sopping wet team.
"Good work today!" she smiled, brushing her damp hair out of her eyes, "Off to the change rooms you go!"
And so the team headed into the adjoining room, Nagisa whispering things about her sex appeal as they went.
Rolling her eyes, Gou surveyed the now empty pool, enjoying the overwhelming scent of chlorine, the muted chatter of the teams as they changed back into dry clothes. Slowly, she wandered over to the edge of the pool – and her foot slipped in the same puddle Seijuuro's had.
OOO
"So, tomorrow Captain?" a familiar third year asked.
Seijuuro could see a familiar second year hovering by the door, eager to leave.
"Tomorrow you'll go through the same drills as today. Nakagawa's in charge, and if I hear that a single one of you," he set his glare on the sea of faces, "has mucked up, it's training all weekend, got it?"
The team nodded frantically, "Ah. Dismissed," and they filed out of the exit with the exception of two people – a second year and a first year.
Nitori and Matsuoka, the Captain knew, would be staying back.
Rin swung open the door and headed out into the pool area, getting ready to swim again.
And that's when he saw it – well, when he saw her.
She was under water – in the deep end her knew she couldn't swim in. She wasn't flailing, however.
She was dead still.
It scared him more than anything.
"No!"
And he dived in without a second thought, numbly aware of the Captain bursting into the room behind him at the noise, of Nitori shouting about someone drowning, of the laughter of the Iwatobi boys still in the opposite change rooms.