Chapter update again. I will also be editing Chappie 1 and 2 so don't be weirded out by some update (if it appears) and no new chappie appears. Anyways, enjoy. Special love to all the people who favorited/followed/reviewed, I really appreciate it! Virtual cookies to all of you as well as a virtual brownie. *om nom nom*

Special, special thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Know-Your-Place

Disclaimer: I don't own Free! and I don't own Frozen, it's just a subtle reference. THESE SERIES/MOVIES AREN'T MINE DON'T SUE ME DANG IT.

Chapter 4: Falling

Makoto looked up to see the sun setting down in the sky. After the ferris wheel ride, Haruka had actually spoken up. The merman had said he was tired, and tugged at Makoto's sleeve, asking if they could go. With that, the group disbanded for the day, although not before Nagisa tried to offer the oldest teen a condom ("Just to be safe, Mako-chan!"). So here they were, walking down the sidewalk back home with the ocean on their left and the road on their right.

"Time really does fly by, huh?" he mused out loud. Makoto turned to look at the raven walking beside him, quiet as ever. "Did you have fun today too, Haruka?" The merman said nothing. As expected, Haruka turned to look at the ocean, which adopted an orange hue from the setting sun.

"Well, the ice-cream was a little messy," the brunet rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I guess we kind of let things go out of hand there, ne? But I hope you're not going to hate it after that, ice-cream is the best thing to have when it's hot out after all!"

Haruka grunted in response, but this time, turned to look at Makoto. "I'm going home."

"E-eh?" said male looked at the merman in surprise. Although he supposed it wasn't all too surprising that the other wanted to go home. The whole point of him coming to the surface was to find Rin, who was obviously no longer here. Again, the thought of the red-headed boy made Makoto's chest clench in pain, accompanied by Haruka's departure. "I see… I'll take you to the docks then."

"I can take myself there."

"But…" Haruka passed him an annoyed glance, telling him to stop nagging. Makoto sighed. "I'm sorry." Still, he couldn't help but feel hurt after being brushed aside so easily. The brunet groaned, he was being way too clingy. Since when did he become so whiny?

They continued their walk in silence. Eventually they reached the crossroads, one led to the docks, the other led to the Tachibana household.

"Ah, I guess this is where we depart…" Makoto looked at Haruka, the merman looked… sad… in a way. "But, no matter what happens, if you ever want to come back to the surface, I'll be here for you," the brunet said seriously. He then smiled warmly at the other, not noticing the blush on the merman's face. "Let's have fun together next time, okay, Haruka?"

The raven nodded. "Well… bye." The taller male was about to walk off when the merman grabbed his arm. He turned around and watched the shorter male lean in closer, tiptoeing to get closer to Makoto. Gentle hands took ahold of his face and brushed aside a few strands of hair. Haruka then placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before speaking quietly, "Thank you."

The boy pulled away and walked off towards the docks. Makoto watched him go, dumbfounded. Only when Haruka disappeared from view did the brunet begin walking back home with a new spring in his step. For the rest of the walk home, he couldn't keep the blush or the bright smile off his face.

Noticing there was nothing at home to eat for dinner, Makoto went out to go to the local supermarket. The kiss was… unexpected. He didn't think that the merman would be so bold to do that, then again, the raven-haired boy tended to be rather blunt about things. But just as happy as he was to receive that, he was saddened by Haruka's departure. He wondered when he would be able to see other again….

As he was picking out groceries, he remembered Haruka's cooking. Maybe next time he saw the merman, they could cook something together… nah, sounded too… cheesy? Too much like a married couple? Yeah, maybe Makoto would just cook him lunch. He wondered vaguely what merman ate, was it simply always fish? Maybe he should bring onigiri or something like that…

After having a friendly conversation with the cashier (not noticing that she was flirting with him), he walked outside the store. It was dark out. The street lights were the only things illuminating the lonely street. Makoto would have continued on his merry way had it not been for the person standing in front of him. Why… ?

"What are you doing here, Rin?" The redhead didn't answer, only giving the other an amused smirk. Makoto shifted awkwardly, not really sure what to say. He remembered how painful their last encounter had been and he didn't want a repeat of that. Thinking about it left him absolutely mortified.

He tried to push past the other boy, but Rin grabbed his arm and pushed him back to where he was. "Hmph, not even going to gimme a polite 'hi'?" The cocky tone in his voice made Makoto want to punch something. God, why couldn't he just go away?

"I didn't think you wanted to have anything to do with me. Isn't that what you said?"

"Che," Rin blew a stray hair from his forehead, "You're so boring Mako-chan. But I suppose that makes sense with an idiot like you. Still hanging around those other losers?"

"They're not losers, Rin. If all you're here for is to make fun of everyone, then please go home," Makoto pushed past him more forcibly, and this time, Rin let him go.

"Hmph, and here I thought you would be happy to see me again. Isn't that what you said a long time ago?" the redhead said, although this time he sounded a bit angry.

"… that was when it was 'us' and not 'I'," Makoto said quietly.

"O-onii-san! Makoto-san! Eh, what's going on?" Gou stepped outside of the supermarket, her hands full with groceries. Her auburn eyes darted from her scowling brother and the brunet facing away from her.

Makoto turned and gave her the best smile he could muster, "It's nothing! I'll see you later Gou-chan!" Before either of the redheads could say anything, he quickly walked off. He broke into a jog upon turning the corner. He sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through his hair. Today of all days had to be when he met that guy again.

He took a deep breath and passed the crosswalk, nearly home when he passed a particular alleyway. Normally, Mami would appear, clawing at his pants leg for food. Sometimes she would bring other cats, mainly kittens as well. He would always play with the calico cat though, despite what everyone thought, she was a stray. He couldn't bear keeping her locked up in his house or chaining her down with a collar, so he let her be. There were times she somehow snuck into his home, but for the most part, she kept her distance.

This time, however, while Mami did appear, she was alert. She meowed at him before biting at his shoelaces, she wanted him to follow. Curious, Makoto did as he was directed. It wasn't long before he heard voices.

"C'mon sweetheart, no need to be difficult." The voice sounded a little slurred and raspy, probably drunk. As he got closer, he could see two figures. One figure was being trapped against the wall by the other. Makoto tried to move a bit more quietly, attempting to get the jump on this person to save the poor harassed figure.

"Just loosen up a bit, and let me…" A slap could be heard.

"Don't touch me." The teen recognized that voice. And at the sound of it, he threw all caution to the winds. He barreled straight into the offender and punched the man straight in the jaw with a solid uppercut. The drunkard was out like a light. Makoto whirled around and grabbed the poor victim by the shoulders.

"Haruka! Are you hurt? Did he touch you anywhere?" Before the raven-haired boy could respond, Makoto began patting him down, checking for wounds or bruises of some sort. The merman slapped his hands away, irritated.

"I-… I'm fine." But he didn't sound fine at all. The boy looked paler than normal, and quite shaken up. The neutral mask made him seem calm, but the boy's eyes belied the fear he had felt earlier. Makoto wrapped his arms around the smaller male.

He spoke gently, "No, you're not. How about we go to my place for a bit? It's dark out, and dangerous things happen at night. Are you okay with that, Haruka?" He pulled away so the raven could reply. The imploring look he received was all he needed. Makoto put an arm around the merman's shoulders and gently led them back to his house. He didn't think about how intimate they looked. Nor did he notice the faintest pink that splashed across the smaller teen's face.

Upon finally returning to the Tachibana household, Makoto immediately ushered his guest to the living room and pushed him onto the couch. "Can you wait here just a bit, Haruka? I'll go get something to calm you down."

He put down the groceries and got out the mugs. He took a minute to ponder which tea Haruka might like before placing the water to boil in the kettle. Why was he worrying about tea? Regardless, he randomly searched through the tea bag box before pulling out chamomile for the both of them. While waiting, the brunet looked across the counter for Haruka who had turned on the TV. It was on the cooking show again. Figures.

After getting the tea out, Makoto walked over to Haruka, placed the cup in front of him, and sat down next to the merman. "This is tea. It's good for calming the nerves, but try not to drink too fast because it's really hot." Just as he was saying that, he drank his tea a little too quickly and choked. Haruka's mouth twitched in amusement. Despite the burning sensation of tea down his throat, Makoto smiled brightly back, happy that Haruka seemed to be feeling better. And then the realization dawned on him.

"What were you doing there anyway, Haruka? Did you get lost on your way to the docks?" Makoto silently berated himself. He knew he should have walked the other boy home!

"No." Haruka shifted uncomfortably. "I forgot…" But the merman was cut off when he heard screams come from the TV and a loud yelp from the brunet. Makoto, having forgotten that the television was on, looked up to see a trailer for the new horror movie coming to theaters. He was terrified of those things! He really just wasn't good at all with any of those scary things. Pathetic as it was, Makoto grabbed Haruka, and, unsuccessfully, tried to hide behind the smaller boy.

"Ahh…. Haruka! Turn it off, turn it off!" The merman immediately did as he was told, albeit slightly confused as to why the larger male would be so afraid of the picture box with flashy lights. As soon as the television was off, the brunet pulled away and sighed in relief.

"Whew, thanks Haruka… e-eh? What's with that look?" The raven was giving him a look. A look that clearly said, 'Are you joking? That wasn't scary at all.'

"Nooo, you don't understand Haruka! It really is scary, and I'm not so good with any of that stuff…"

Blue eyes rolled upwards.

"Seriously! Like when that lady came out of the TV and said, 'Ohhhh where's my baby?' and then she crawled out with a really scary face and… it's not that funny, Harukaaa!"

The merman was trying very hard to keep himself from laughing out loud. He covered his mouth and had to turn away from the brunet, though his shoulders were shaking. The brunet continued spluttering before sighing in defeat. Okay, he was being pathetic. And yeah, this was getting a little embarrassing, especially when he was being such a wimp in front of Haruka, of all people.

"Fine then, laugh at me," and he puffed out one cheek in indignation. The merman darted a glance at him, and this time, let out a gentle laugh. Makoto whipped around to face the other. The blue-eyed boy was wearing a gentle smile, and his eyes flashed in amusement when the brunet stared with the same dumbfounded expression. In retrospect, Makoto thinks this is where he really fell.

Without thinking, he reached out to caress that perfect face. At the last moment, right before contact, Makoto pulled back. What the hell was he thinking? Haruka stared at him curiously.

He struggled to come up with something to talk about. Something that would keep him away from feeling these emotions he shouldn't be feeling. "I… uh, how about we watch a movie?"

Haruka looked confused. "Right, I'll go pick one out! Be right back!" And the brunet ran out of the room, face completely red. He walked upstairs and wandered over to the DVDs he kept in his room. He took the opportunity to flop himself onto the bed. He was exhausted and confused, and wasn't really sure what to think. Haruka's just a friend. Haruka's just a friend. Maybe if he kept repeating that to himself, it would actually be true.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this…" he groaned. A few minutes of curling up next to his pillow, he remembered that he was supposed to pick out a movie. He dragged himself out of bed, and grabbed a DVD at random. Without saying anything, he popped the disc into the DVD player and sat down next to Haruka.

For the next hour, they watched Disney's 'Frozen'* to which Makoto promptly fell asleep. He wasn't really into the movie, and only had it for the sake of his younger siblings. He tried his damnedest to stay awake, especially since for his guest, but he passed out anyway. Haruka, on the other hand, was captivated by the movie.

"Love is… putting someone else's needs before yours." Really? Did that mean he was in love? He pulled out an old locket. He wondered vaguely if this was proof.

"Olaf, you're melting…"

"Some people are worth melting for."

Maybe… Haruka looked at the human sitting beside him. He was sprawled on the couch, half-leaning onto it, and half-leaning onto Haruka himself. The merman wondered vaguely when it started. He was warned about dealing with humans, but he didn't think too deeply about it. Now it was all so strange and so… complicated, as well as painful.

Merfolk were not nearly so difficult to understand. At times, he wished he had never left the water and met the enthusiastic redhead that was his friend. Though, when he thinks of Makoto's smiling face, he can't help but smile himself and feel a strange warmth blossom inside his chest.

It's been a while since he's felt this way. At least this time, he was more or less aware of what was happening to him. He closed his eyes.

"Let's swim together, Haru!"

"It's Haruka, not Haru."

"Jeez… don't need to be so cold. Just swim! I'll show you a sight you've never seen before!"

"Will you show it to me again? I've forgotten what I saw."

"Honestly, you're hopeless."

…

"I love you Haruka!"

"I love you too."

"I can't believe you. How could you let him die? I hate you… don't ever come near me again!"

"I'm sorry… please, don't go."

He opened his eyes and realized that there were tears on his face. He wiped them off quickly. For comfort, he clutched at the rusty locket wrapped around his neck and held it tightly to his chest. All alone again… if that was how the other felt, did he really know what love was? Was his ignorance the reason why his precious friend left?

He heard a groan beside him and felt arms wrap around him. Before he knew it, he was on his back, with Makoto squeezing the life out of him. Somehow, the larger male had fallen over and pulled Haruka along with him.

The merman tried to wriggle out of the brunet's grasp; this was a bit too close for his liking… a memory of what happened earlier that evening came up in his mind. For once, he knew how it felt like to be prey. The man eyes were unfocused, but predatory at the same time. This embrace was different. It was close and a little tight, but it felt safe. It felt more like an anchor, it anything, that kept him safely in place.

He turned his head and stared at the clueless brunet. Haruka couldn't deny that he was good looking, but he would never say that out loud. There were times when he caught himself staring, but he was sure the clueless brunet never noticed.

Once upon a time, the merman would have done whatever he could've did to get away from any touch of any kind, even when it was with his past companion. He was warier back then, but Makoto was different. Instead of shunning him, he stayed by his side. Took him in without any questions and offered him a place in his home. Haruka was no fool on how humans felt about merfolk. Demons or freaks, either way, they were to be exploited and used.

It was wrong to be taking advantage of Makoto's kindness, and to even consider having feelings for a human. But… it couldn't hurt, just this once, to stay like this for the night? Could it?

He shuffled closer to the larger teen and rested his head against the other's chest. The couch didn't have much room and it wasn't the most comfortable spot to be squished together like this. But it was warm all the same. Makoto pulled him closer, muttering something about pillows.

Putting someone else's needs first? He supposed Makoto had done that a million times already for him. Did that mean anything… ? Maybe he should ask the brunet for another movie as research….

Before he knew it, Haruka fell asleep as well. And the two lay there, until morning, to which Makoto woke up spluttering and apologizing before curling up in a ball, embarrassed.

End Day 1.

I don't know if this is too much introspection on my part by whatevs. Spring break = productivity. I hoped you enjoyed this chappie and I appreciate your reviews/favorites/follows for this story again. I seriously mean it. When I saw the stuff I flailed and waved my arms while giggling madly as the rest of my family stared at me thinking, 'really lost it this time.'

*In reference to the Frozen quote, I would like you to refer to the disclaimer up above.

Anyways, that's the end of this particularly long author's note. Please drop a review on your way out. And thank you very much for reading/clicking/whatever-the-hell-you-did-to-read-this-story.