Hey guys! I have some big news! Wait for it, *dramatic pause*. I'm writing this in my new house! :D Man, it's been a while since I've been able to write something! It feels great! Anyway, I recently read a comic known as "Starfighter", anyone read it? It's awesome! (I don't suggest it for people who don't like yaoi though.) But, the art is amazing and I'm addicted to it. O_O Sorry, I had a moment of fangirling. One thing I want to get past before I start, YuiSeoMugi had a few questions, and even though I already answered them for her, other people might be wondering the same thing, so I'm going to answer them again, but this time so everyone else knows. :) Kay?

Q: How old are Norie and Kotarou?

A: Norie and Kotarou are in the 5-6 range. I still wanted the original Free characters to be somewhat young, like mid-twenties, and it's just cuter than what I had originally planned. So, yeah.

Q: Is Makoto married? And if he is, to whom?

A: Makoto is married! He's married to a girl named Chiemi Kudo. And if anyone's wondering how they met…..let's just say they met in college. (More info might be revealed later.) Haha, suspense. ;3

With that said, let's get started! Thank you for the people who have started following, favorite, or just reviewed this story! I really, really appreciate your support! And thank you runyoucleverboyandremember4321 for giving me some advice on this story. :) That, and the fact that some of my ideas were inspired by your collage of HaruGou oneshots. (Sorry, let's just get to the story….)

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

-Winnie the Pooh

Kotarou waited anxiously in his seat, his legs shaking, and his arms stiff. His eyes continuously looked back at the door, only to become more concerned.

"Come on, Nori-chan." He thought to himself. "Where are you?" Just then, a tall woman, probably in late thirties, walked into the room, causing the brunette to panic. She took out a clipboard and mentioned the word that was pure dread for the boy.

"Everyone quiet down so that I may take attendance."

Meanwhile, the diamond eyed girl rushed past the citizens on the street; her breathing hoarse, and her face scalding. Her feet were, currently, squishing against the ground, you'd think she would have fallen by now, but she continued to quicken her pace without the worry of a sudden fall.

The teacher kept calling out the names of kids in the room, while Kotarou continued to shake at the thought of Norie not arriving in time. Then, his nightmare became a reality.

"Norie Nanase?" She called out.

The obsidian haired child speedily attempted to dress herself, and by dress herself, I meant she was hopping on one foot trying to get the other shoe on. Along with that, she threw on a mint green t shirt, and hopped into a pair of loose jeans. Not the best choice in clothes, but did she care at the moment? Not in the slightest. Finally reaching her destination, she busted through the doors, and started to run through the hallways to her next destination.

"Norie Nanase?" She called again. The room remained silent as the kids looked around in search of the absent child. When she was about to go on to the next name, the class jumped at the sound of the door slamming open. They saw the girl with her hand raised in the doorway.

"I'm here!" She said loud enough for the teacher to hear. She then made her way to her seat, which was a few seats away from Kotarou's. Everyone stared at her, except for Kotarou of course.

"Norie, dear." The teacher started. She looked up at her with a blank expression, along with some of the other students who stared in interest. "Why are you wet?" Some of the kids giggled at the question. Kotarou, on the other hand, put his head down in embarrassment; even though Norie was the one that was supposed to be embarrassed, her friend couldn't help but feel the embarrassment for her.

"I was swimming." She replied to the now awfully confused woman.

"Why were you swimming this early in the morning?" She asked to try and clear things up. Norie thought about it, but she didn't have an answer, or at least an answer that would explain why she was late for school. She just shrugged, as her answer. The teacher sighed at the response. "I'll let you off for today, but don't be late again. Unless you have a reason next time."

"Yes, ma'am." She muttered. The class proceeded to the usual lessons, including the occasional laughter coming from the class. Norie, however, didn't pay attention to a single word she was saying. Her mind was somewhere else, in a different part of the world. Suddenly, without her knowledge, she dove into the crystal blue waters of the Pacific. Eyes closed; embracing the feeling. With each thrust, with each stroke, she felt herself going deeper into the abyss. Then, she saw a unique hue tinted within the water. Her eyes widened; the beauty before her, a sight that was truly breathtaking. The light from above was reflecting off of the smooth surface of a thousand jellyfish! Each one danced in the water with grace and delicacy, flowing around Norie with precision. She found herself mimicking their movements; pirouetting in her own forest of cherry blossoms. Her ocean was a wonder, a creation wanting to be shown to the rest of the world. It was no surprise that this was her getaway when she was in deep thought. While in the middle of her dance, she felt a sudden jolt of pain run through her arm. Then, Norie blinked, and she was back in her classroom. She had completely forgotten where she was, and looked lost in the wide room.

"Nori-chan!" When she heard her name being called, she remembered where she was, and what was going on. She turned to her right to see her best friend standing beside her. "It's time for recess." She sighed in disappointment; realizing, once again, that her daydream wasn't real.

Even when she was outside, she was caught in a state of thought. She couldn't stop thinking about it even if she tried. While in her thinking stage, she cautiously jumped from rock to rock, with Kotarou following behind her. They were the kids that stayed away from everyone else, or Norie was at least. She would prefer to be distant from the other kids, minding her own business. Kotarou was different, but because he always worried for her, he stayed with her. Even if Norie never wanted to go on the swings, or the slide, Kotarou stayed. They made their own fun by themselves. They didn't know why or how they were such good friends; maybe it was because they've basically known each other since they were born, or maybe it's because their dads grew up together and it just sort of happened. Whatever it was, they were happy with how it turned out.

"What do you want to play today, Nori-chan?" The boy asked regaining his balance on one of the rocks. When he did, he noticed that Norie most likely wasn't listening to him. "Nori-chan?"

"Hm." Well, at least she showed some acknowledgment.

"You've been different today, are you ok?" He asked. She didn't know how he could tell she seemed different. She acted the same over everything, then again, somehow Makoto knew what her dad was feeling. Huh, must be a Tachibana thing.

"I'm fine." She replied not making eye contact.

"Then, what are you thinking about?" The next thought he had was that she was ok, she just had something on her mind that was bothering her, or she was confused about it. Norie didn't react to his question right away, she, instead, hopped off of her rock and sat on the ground.

"….my mother." She replied. Already knowing what she meant, Kotarou sighed and hopped down next to her.

"Nori-chan, she's not your mother." He groaned. He knew his friend had a very active imagination, but this was a little much.

"Not yet." Kotarou paled at her choice of words. Was…was she serious?

"Not yet?" Kotarou repeated. "Nori, you can't just force two people together, that's not how it works!" Norie viciously glared at the boy, causing him to flinch.

"What do you know?" She questioned. His face became painted with a very light pink; fiddling with his fingers, he found a way to explain his reasoning to her.

"Well, it's like making friends." He explained. "You wouldn't just go up to someone and say that they're your best friend. That would make them feel awkward." Her glare slowly disappeared.

"I guess that makes sense." Kotarou sighed, this time, because all of the tension that was between them was released. "But…." Kotarou looked back at her. "Daddy knew her, she was in our house."

"Nori-chan, why are you so set on having that lady be your mom?" He couldn't help but ask, ever since she met her, her mind's been revolved around her. Or, at least that's what it felt like to him.

"Kotarou, you've always had a mother, you don't know what it's like to not have one." She murmured drawing in the dirt.

"Yeah, but why her?" He specified. "Why do you want it to be her?" Once he spoke, the two of them became quiet. Kotarou waiting for an answer, Norie pondering the question at hand. When Kotarou thought that she wouldn't reply, she answered.

"She just looked like a mother to me." Kotarou saw an unknown happiness in her eyes, her silver opals sparkling more than they already did. A dreamy expression enveloped her face, a small, sweet smile involved in it. His eyes widened, his cheeks flushed. He quickly turned his face away from the girl; how could he argue with her when she seemed and looked so happy?

"What are you thinking of now?" He inquired.

"I'm going to get them together." She answered full of determination. Kotarou blinked, making sure he heard that right, and then shook his head.

"Wai-wha-Nori!" He stuttered. She looked at him with no change in expression.

"What?"

"You can't be thinking about doing that yourself!"

"I'm not." After she mentioned those words, she stared intently at him. He didn't have to hear those words twice, he heard her loud and clear.

"No, NO!" He yelled standing up. "You're not bringing me into this!" Norie's eyes became saddened; her expression changing into a kicked puppy look.

"Please?" She begged. The brown haired boy avoided her gaze, knowing that if he looked, he was going to fall into her trap.

"No, this plan you have is going to end up horribly!" He shouted to her once more. There was no way he was going to get caught up in this, obviously, disastrous idea. He knew that he couldn't lie very well, nor was he great at being James Bond. In conclusion, this would never end well for him. While keeping his stance, one eye accidently opened. Only to see a very sorrowful mermaid looking back at him. Kotarou twitched at the sight; he started to feel guilty about not helping her, after all, he was the only one she really trusted. It made him feel like he had just betrayed his best friend, and he couldn't stand the thought of it. "Ugh, ok," He sighed slumping over. "I'll help." Norie was more than satisfied with what he said. She stood up and sprung forward, embracing him.

"Thank you." She said squeezing the slightly taller boy. Kotarou's face reddened at the sudden impact of affection; he hugged her back, but very lightly. Making sure he didn't cause pain to the maiden. After a few minutes, they heard the teachers calling everyone into the school. Recess was over. They both let go in synch and sprinted towards the teacher.

"So," Kotarou started, already exhausted from running. "What do you have in mind?" Norie, not out of breath, turned to him and replied,

"We'll talk about this during practice." He nodded as they reached their class; Kotarou didn't exactly know how to get two people in the same place at the same time, but knowing Norie, she was going to find a way anyhow.

After school ended, it was time for Norie's favorite part of the day; swimming lessons. Her and Kotarou raced there, with Norie winning, knowing that once they got inside, they had to go to separate rooms to change. Norie always tried to be the first one in the water, and there were many reasons why. She was able to think more clearly in the substance, and it gave her a sense of purity. Something that she couldn't feel anywhere else; it was her wonderland. However, a lot of times she wasn't the first one there, and she had to become a series swimmer. Today, everything was different. Today she had to become a spy, become secretive and sly, and more importantly, she had to know which was the right way, or the wrong way. Her mission was going to be difficult, but she was doing it for a good reason. If she couldn't accomplish this, she was certainly going to get-

"Nori-chan, what are you doing?" Norie blinked in realization; she wasn't a spy yet. Yet. "Daddy wants everyone to meet up." Still slightly confused, she walked over, with Kotarou by her side, to the group of kids that magically clumped together.

"Kids," Makoto started. "Starting today, there will be a new kid attending this swimming class. I want you to make him feel welcome." After he finished, he turned to a small boy against the wall. They saw him bend down, and some heard him whisper, "It's your turn." The kid nervously nodded and turned to face the rest of the class.

"Um," He began. "My name is Fuyuko Matsuoka, I came from Australia, and I hope you will like having me here." When the introduction ceased, the class welcomed him to both Japan and the swim school. Norie, on the other hand, squinted her eyes in suspicion; something was off about that new swimmer, he reminded her of…something. She couldn't put her finger on it, he was from Australia, so she obviously hasn't seen him before. His grapefruit orange hair, the way it hung to the side of his face, even the color of his eyes seemed familiar. She just couldn't think of why. What was it? This issue resulted in her staring/stalking this boy every time he wasn't paying attention. When both Norie and Kotarou were out of the water, Kotarou walked up to her to ask her the very question.

"Nori-chan, why do you keep staring at him?" He questioned whispering.

"He reminds me of something, I don't know what it is," She replied also whispering. Hearing that made Kotarou rethink the question over.

"What? There's no way you would have seen him!" Norie knew he was right, but his look was iconic. Where had she seen such a look before?

"Well, let's go."

"Wait, what?!" Kotarou quickly grabbed Norie's arm, halting her to a stop and causing her to turn around. On the verge of annoyance. "What are you doing?" Well, geez Kotarou, what do you think? She was going to go talk to him, duh! For some reason, Kotarou always tried to stop her from her ambitions, and trust me when I say, it happens all the time. She yanked her hand from his grasp and continued to walk towards her current headache.

"Hey." She called out, wanting to get the boy's attention. Clearly startling him, his head turned in surprise, staring at her with candy apple red eyes.

"H-hi," He stuttered. "Di-did you need something?" Kotarou approached the two at that moment, standing behind the raven in a shy matter.

"Yeah, why do you look like that?"

"Nori!" With a very confused Fuyuko, and a defensive Kotarou, Norie ignored her friend's scolding and instead waited for an answer.

"You remind her someone," Kotarou tried to simplify. "She just wants to know why, basically." Fuyuko shrugged, not knowing what to make of the pair.

"Well, I've been told that I look a lot like my dad but then there are others who say I look like my mom but I don't know which one I look like more because I think I look like me and I'm the only one that looks like me because there's only one of me. I've also heard that I look like my aunt Gou but I don't know how that's possible because my dad didn't marry her that would be creepy and-"Norie shushed his talking by putting her hand on his mouth, she had to comprehend what he just said. Dang, he can talk fast!

"Wait, Gou?" That name sounded like a name that she knew, and if she was correct, then this kid looked familiar for a reason.

"Yeah, she's my dad's little sister though she says that her name is Kou which it's not but she wants people to call her that but I don't think anyone ever-"Kou? That's what her dad said the lady's name was!

"Wait, wait! Your aunt is Kou?!" She asked frantically.

"How did you know?" Fuyuko inquired furrowing his eyebrows. He thought back to the words he was saying, then put his hand up to his mouth in embarrassment. "Oh." He commented in realization. The diamond eyed girl put her hands on the boy's shoulders.

"That means you know her, right?" Fuyuko, slightly creeped out, nodded to her question. She stared at the pinkett with purposefulness, her mind already kicking into gear. She turned to the brunette, her mind filled with ideas. "This is great." She said to him.

"Wha-what do you mean?" Kotarou questioned the girl; he could tell that whatever she was thinking involved the Matsuoka, and that made him feel even more uncomfortable.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Fuyuko inquired, but soon regretted it. Norie turned to face him, a devious smirk on her face. Fuyuko gulped at the sight.

-Timeskip-

"So let me get this straight," Fuyuko stated to the two. After he was kidnapped, both Norie and Kotarou explained the situation, and by situation, I mean telling him that they were basically planning to force his aunt with her father. "You want me to help you get her father with my aunt?" They both nodded, Kotarou nervously, and Norie indifferently. "I don't get it, why do you want aunt Gou to be your mother I mean she's really nice and a great person but I'm pretty sure you can't just force two people together that's not how love works right? I'm don't think you can maybe if they were trapped together in the same room for years but I wouldn't know it never happened as far as I know and I'm not supposed to say that she had a bad relationship before so it would be more difficult to get her to fall in love with someone and-"

"Geez, do you ever breathe?!" Kotarou asked him, interrupting him in the process.

"Yeah, and daddy's a good person, he wouldn't hurt Miss Kou like someone else did." Norie assured.

"How did you know?" He inquired again. Again, he thought back to the words that he said, following with him placing his hand over his mouth. "Oh." He cracked a bashful smile, scratching his cheek. His smile was perky, and maybe a little benevolent. Kotarou and Norie both noticed that two of his top teeth were missing, creating a cute-ish atmosphere around him. "Sorry!" He apologized; probably for talking so much.

"Will you help?" Norie asked. Fuyuko fiddled with his hands, not knowing if this was a good idea or not. After all, he had just met the two of them, and the blue one was already asking him for a favor. Should he trust them? "Please?" Fuyuko thought harder. He admitted that his aunt needed someone in her life, someone better than the person that dumped her, and even if he didn't know this girl's father, she seemed like a pretty nice person to be around. With a smile plastered on his face, he made his decision.

"Sure, aunt Gou needs someone to love anyway, and I want to help make her happier!"

"Are you serious?" Kotarou questioned in disbelief. Norie smiled cutely, creating a rubescent cheeked Fuyuko.

"Thank you." She thanked the orange haired boy. Afterwards, she couldn't help but lunge forward. Spawning an awkward hug between Norie and Fuyuko. She couldn't be happier than she already was, she was too excited about starting the mission. Overall, she couldn't wait to see the results of her getting the two adults together.

"Y-yeah," The boy stammered. He cleared his throat. "You can, you know, let go now." She pushed herself off of him, causing him to fall over. "So, Norei?"

"Norie."

"Right, sorry, um…..what do we do first?" He asked. "I mean, how do we get them in the same place? We're six."

"Does your dad know where Miss Kou works?" She questioned him. Fuyuko nodded.

"Sure he does, why?" Then, both Kotarou and Fuyuko paled, as Norie snickered at the sudden thought. "Is this bad?" He whispered to jaded boy. He shakily nodded.

"Yep, it's bad."

Done the chapter! It's not as long as the first, but I had to end it here for reasons not worth mentioning. I'm sorry for those who wanted some HaruGou in this chapter, but I had to tell this for story development. I promise there will be HaruGou in the next chapter though. :) By the way, a song I was listening to while writing this is, "Promise of a Lifetime" by Kutless. Of course, I listened to the nightcore version, but it's still a great song! So, thoughts so far? Was it rushed? Rate and review please! Thanks for reading, see ya milkshakes! :3