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| It's not about love, and it's not about life; it's about everything that is big enough to be wrapped up into one hug; something small enough to go into every single vessel of the earth, but large enough to encompass it all |
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Author's Note
This is loosely based off of Free Iwatobi Swim Club. Well, a lot seeing as I used the character names and themes, but it's a fanfiction that I hope you will enjoy. The theme is a little cliche as usual, but I want to wrap this up with a bang. Just so you know this will happen over a period of time so in the interest of not writing a novel I'm going to make each day a really short.
We're Coming Home Haruka-chan!
Haru sighed, and sat down, annoyed at having to come here, it was a perfect day. A perfect day to swim, and Makoto sat next to him trying to lessen the pain of being away from the water. Well, he wouldn't say pain, but he was definitely irritated at missing this perfect opportunity to swim. He couldn't even spend proper time with Makoto, because well, Japan was changing, but he didn't think it would really be appropriate. Besides, Haru wasn't the most explicit person anyways. He expected his parents to come down, and have to get up, and be pushed between two hugs as they told him how much they missed him, even though it was obvious they were missing work more as they constantly checked their phones. Haru sighed, finally the flight seemed to come, and another wave of people walked in. Some were foreigners who had come from Tokyo to see some more of Japan, and others were visiting. He waited to see his parents. Suddenly Makoto got up, and Haru glanced at him. Makoto smiled and said "There's a little girl, and she looks like she's lost. I'm going to help her, be right back Haru-chan." Haru glared up at him slightly for the use of chan at the end, but shrugged. He wasn't interested in helping the girl, but of course Makoto was. His blue eyes shut out the world until Makoto returned, and the tall young man walked toward the rather annoyed girl with black hair in a loose side ponytail that hung down to her waist, shorts, and a T-Shirt. Makoto thought she was probably a foreigner, but she looked Japanese. Approaching in a friendly manner he said in practiced English "Hello, are you looking for someone?" The accent was heavy and the girl's frown deepened before she looked at him.
She gave him a once over before responding in perfect and fluent Japanese giving away that she was in fact not a foreigner "Who are y-" she stopped, and gave the tall brown haired male a once over. Before saying "Makoto right?"
Mako was startled, but answered "Yes, uhmmm, who are you?"
She didn't answer and asked "Are you here to pick me up, or is Haruka here?"
Mako said "Haru's here..." trailing off, but knowing he probably wouldn't get a response to his previous question until this girl go what she wanted, but still how had she known their names.
The girl stared at him "Where, I don't speak telepathy."
Makoto paused and said "Who are you first?"
The girl sighed and then withdrew a letter from her messenger back, and he noticed she wasn't carrying much else. He realized she was probably not at the baggage claim because he was holding her up, and felt mildly concerned about her bags. She said "I'm giving this to Nanase Haruka, it's from his parents."
Makoto paused, she still hadn't answered his question but he walked over to Haru, who opened his blue eyes a bit gazing up at him, and Makoto smiled softly. "Haru-chan, someone has a letter from your parents."
The girl approached, and the letter fluttered onto Haru's lap. He glanced at the girl for a moment, but shrugged, and then opened the letter. After reading it his eyes widened and he stared at the girl who was now impatiently standing there as if she had somewhere better to be. Makoto gently took the letter from Haru and read it before his face too held a look of surprise. The girl looked harshly upon them and said "Got the gist of it now?" She didn't seem very happy to be finally meet her big brother.
House Rules
She still hadn't told them her name, but they found out in the letter as all three of them awkwardly got into the car. It seemed Akira would be staying for about one week until the day before her birthday, and then she would go back to Tokyo. Makoto wondered briefly why the day before her birthday, but seeing as she was sitting and reading a book, pointedly ignoring them he decided not to push it.
Haru wasn't driving, but he said "Makoto, aren't we all meeting at the beach today?"
And the pointed question, if Rei, Nagisa, and Rin were going to the beach with them - then what did they do with Akira. Suddenly she seemed to have found her voice when she said "I can stay back, I have to unpack." What she really wanted was to be alone.
As they pulled up Makoto felt a little bad at leaving her here for hours, while they went and had fun, but she seemed to know what she wanted. Although with only one bag he wondered what she would be doing other than unpacking.
They were about to leave when Haru spoke up "We'll be back, ummm;" he looked to Makoto for help, and of course Makoto knew exactly what Haru was trying to say "House Rules; your room is the one upstairs on the left. Try not to get out, as you could get lost. And don't drain the bath."
Akira raised her eyebrows before shrugging and presumably heading upstairs to unpack, not even bothering to say goodbye.
Where Were You?
Makoto smiled as he got back spending time with friends was always fun. He vaguely wondered what Akira was doing, but his mind was more on getting Haru in the bath before he ran back to the ocean. He had to practically drag him out. Actually it had been a two hour game of catch Haru, and it was Makoto and Rin who had finally gotten him.
Entering the house Haru looked at Makoto and said "I can make dinner, but I'll take a bath first."
Makoto smiled, priorities. Nodding his head he said "Okay, but don't take too long as our guest might be hungry."
Haru visibly frowned at that before walking off. Not finding the girl on the bottom floor Mako walked up the stairs and knocked on the closed door to the guest bedroom. Clearing his throat he said "We're back, Haru will make dinner as soon as he's finished with his bath." He winced that didn't sound very promising. As he heard no response opened the door cautiously. Seeing the messenger back laying on the futon. A look of confusion passed his features, they had been gone for hours, and still it looked like the room hadn't been touched. The bag hadn't been unpacked.
Mako's eyes widened. She wasn't here. Well obviously she could have left, but what would Haru's parents say, what would they think. She could easily get lost, it wasn't a big town, but still there was plenty of opportunity to get lost. Bolting down he ran into Haru, and wondered what was wrong. Usually he would still be in the bath. "Haru, Akira's missing!"
Looking at him Haru simply raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.
Makoto sighed, and then calmed down and told Haru.
Haru shrugged and said "She'll be back, she left her things here." Then looking at the kitchen he said "I'll make dinner." Then putting his apron over his swimsuit they had mackerel for dinner.
Makoto sat near the door, and waited, and Haru sat next to him simply because he didn't need the sleep. Sitting there he wondered where his 'little sister' was. Another thought wandered through his mind; why hadn't his parents told him? He knew that they didn't speak very much and even more rarely saw each other, but he was fairly sure you would speak to your son about. Still it was only one week, but it was turning out to be a lot of work. Vaguely he wondered if Rin's sister Kou had given him this much trouble. But then the age gap wasn't that great. He surmised that she was turning 17, and as he was 25 there did seem to be a lot of difference.
After another hour or so he finally got up, and decided to get some sleep. If she still hadn't appeared by morning he would go and look for her with Mako. Sighing and shaking Makoto awake he said "She hasn't showed up, but it's three in the morning, we can get a few hours of sleep, and then see where she is in the morning.
Too tired to reply Makoto simply nodded his head and walked to bed. Hitting the covers he wrapped his arms around Haru, and they both fell asleep. Makoto was the first one to wake, and he head downstairs. The smell of something cooking though made him confused. Haru was upstair sleeping. He saw Akira standing at the stove, and cooking as if she was at home. Which he supposed for a week it was. Still it was only a week, and the thought it rather strange. Trying to remember he suddenly exclaimed "Where were you last night?!"
So uhmmmm
Haru got up, jolting awake from Makoto's voice. Heading downstairs he felt a faint anger bubble up at him, she had made Makoto worry. Why was she such a bother? Narrowing his eyes at her, he said "Answer the question."
Akira shrugged and said "Why does it matter?"
Haru spoke up "It matters."
"I went out to get something other than mackerel." It was only half honest. She had grabbed a snack on her way back, but that wasn't where she had been the majority of the time.
Makoto, sufficiently calmed down when he realized that the answer was probably correct (they didn't have much anything else except rice and that particular fish) said "When did you get back?" He was a little concerned, and he wondered if this would have been him in Ren and Ran had been older.
She shrugged again, and Makoto almost had to laugh at the similarity between her and Haru, but refrained. He didn't think Haru was in the mood, and he didn't know her very well. She finally responded "I don't know, but I came back through the other door, not the front." That was a blatant lie that she hoped they bought. She had actually only recently come back, she had been getting used to the neighborhood, and letting off steam.
Makoto nod his head, she had probably locked the door behind her and had to come in through the other one. They stood there awkwardly before she spoke "I made breakfast." And handed them Mackerel. It was actually cooked rather well, and even Haru had to approve.
The rest of the day Makoto and Haru went to the Iwatobi swim club, Makoto taught, but Haru often went there and swam, sometimes giving Makoto the much needed back up when a kid was just a little too stubborn, and Makoto a little too kind. It was an arrangement that wasn't questioned, and it wasn't like they could keep Haru out of water anyway.
Makoto had invited Akira, and was a little surprised at her blatant opposition on the matter, he wondered if she had ever learned how to swim, maybe she didn't want to. She was a third year in high school, but it seemed as if she was taking the week off for some reason.
They had no idea what she did that day, but Haru didn't really care, and Makoto couldn't do much about it so she was left to her own devices. However they did notice that whenever they woke up there was some form of breakfast ready for them to heat up, or maybe it was warm.
Sosuke Yamazaki
He was watching Rin swim; butterfly. He felt a familiar ache in his shoulder despite the fact that it was healed. Weak, but healed. He wished he could swim like that, but knew better than that. He wasn't Haru Nanase who couldn't' stay away from water, no matter what you did.
He paused, that stroke had been a little off, and he shouted. Rin stood up at the other end of the pool, and shouted back. There was a little comfort in the familiarity of it. He heard footsteps and turned. This pool was open to anyone, the high school's swim club wasn't using it right now, and when they weren't others could.
A girl with black hair, and strikingly familiar blue eyes stared at him. He glanced at her, and then looked back. He didn't pay her much mind until she dove into the pool. Her form was excellent. When she surfaced though instantly he noticed the butterfly, it made his breath catch. After watching her for 25 he knew that Rin had noticed too. Setting himself up the boy in the pool started swimming his butterfly to coincide with the girl's stroke. Rin pulled ahead for awhile, but on the last turn they were neck and neck. He couldn't tell who touched the wall first, and didn't have time to ask, because she immediately went into backstroke. Someone who swam the IM. Interesting.
He and Rin left before she was finished, and on the way back they commented on how odd it was.
Two Days Later
Akira felt herself fall into a comfortable routine. Dangerously comfortable. The purple haired boy was fun to race, and she didn't have to speak to him. And then there was the guy who always came with him, somehow he seemed bigger than Makoto, but was smaller. She barely saw her so called brother, but didn't care. She was gone until late at night. She packed herself a bag for the day, and then didn't come back until late, and got to spend most of the time at the pool. She wondered if the Swim Club had time off this week. She only had three more days until she was going back to Tokyo, and she wanted to make it last. Even if she didn't enjoy their company she enjoyed just being able to do what she wanted. Her face soured, for three more days..and then who knew what would happen. Groaning she flipped onto her backpack and just floated, it was irritating, she had just messed up that butterfly. She should probably be getting back, it was early in the morning, and she would have to come back tomorrow.
Mom?
Haru knew that Makoto was taking today off, for some strange reason he had gotten into his head that Haru and Akira needed to spend time together, and he decided to take The three of them to a Water Amusement Park. (Switching to Makoto) He guessed that that would appease Haru enough to go along with it. He wasn't sure what Akira was doing, but he was going to get her to come. He was going to wake up early to make sure that he caught her. He knew that she sometimes left early, and sometimes left late, but he hoped he would catch her.
Early in the morning he knocked on her door, and then opened it. He missed her. Where was that girl? He saw her phone laying on the bed and was about to turn away when it rung. Seeing the number he saw that it was from Haru's mother. He thought it would be a pleasant surprise. Taking the phone he shook Haru awake. If all went well they might even learn a little bit more about Akira. Besides the letter which basically said that Haru had a sister, and that they needed to take care of her for a week there had been little else. Haru opened his eyes, wondering why Mako was waking him up early, and reached his arms out to pull Mako back. He was tired, instead Makoto handed him the phone and said "Haru, your parents are calling Akira."
Haru sighed, and then took the phone. "Akira?" He heard Mrs. Nanase's voice drift through the phone.
"It's Haru."
He waited before hearing a faint threatening note saying "Is Akira there?"
"I don't know."
He heard his mother's sigh and he himself wasn't extremely pleased with the phone call. His mother said "Where is she?"
Haru gave the phone to Makoto and turned away making it clear that he wasn't in the mood to talk. Makoto smiled, glad that he had gotten at least a few words out of Haru. Sitting in bed he said "This is Makoto, Mrs. Nanase. We don't know where Akira is. She does her own thing."
He was good at reading silent language and so he knew that Haru's mother was frowning on the other end of the line. She answered "Well she better be working on the wedding preparations, I told her to stop swimming..."
Four things happened at once;
Mako's eyes widened as he comprehended, and immediately thought about where Akira might be and who he should call. Rin swam at the Iwatobi pool, and of course he hadn't seen her come back so he wouldn't be able to tell if she had been swimming. Maybe she thought that he had known the entire time, and that was why she had been so closed off. But the other part that was possibly more confusing.
Haru turned as he heard the word swimming, wondering if Makoto was going to take them all the beach or the pool instead of the amusement park. He would probably find that much more fun. To be in the water.
Mrs. Nanase didn't hear the silence on the other end of the line, and continued on "Maybe you can help her. I don't want her to be wearing jeans, and a T-Shirt around her fiance. I was rather hesitant to allow her to come here, but she told me that it would be a good way for her to step back and let me plan the wedding; thank goodness she would have wanted it in the pool."
The last part struck Makoto, that was how his and Haru's wedding had been, purely symbolic, but still. He spoke evenly, trying to stay neutral when he said "Well Haru, Akira, and I are all going out today, so maybe we can discuss it."
Mrs. Nanase seemed to think about it before saying "Okay, don't worry about the cost of the dresses you buy I told her to charge everything on his credit. I thought it was very gentlemanly of him."
Makoto only said softly "Very." And then the line was dropped.
Haru looked up questioningly as Mako relayed what he had heard. He saw Haru's eyes widen. He wasn't quite sure what Haru thought of his little sister, but he could see a spark of something when he explained what was happening. Hopefully Akira would finally give some answer.
Poolside Questions
Akira finished the 400 IM she had been swimming, glad to have the pool to herself despite how nice the silent company had been. Presenting a substantial challenge to beat. She could tell the boy specialized in Butterfly and Free, but the one who only watched seemed to have too much of a built body not to be a swimmer, even if she never saw him swim.
Floating on her back she gazed up at the sky as it changed from inky to light. She had spent the night out, she should get back. She'd have to be back around noon if she wanted to come back in time to meet with the other swimmer. Suddenly she looked over the edge and saw Haru and Makoto.
She wasn't a very sociable person, but even she could read the questions on their faces, and then that dangerously comfortable routine might change when they said "Your Mother Called."
200 different answers
Haru sat there listening as Makoto asked question after question, and wondered how he could talk so much. But strangely enough Haru never tired of hearing his voice. The change, the way he would throw in something that he knew Haru was thinking about, how he knew what Haru was thinking. He listened to Akira too. Her tone was even, but he could hear the anger, and felt a small amount of it himself.
An arranged marriage seemed rather, well too traditional. But it was the question about swimming that hit him to the core "Why did your mother tell you to stop swimming?"
He heard the inhale, a sharp contrast to the rest of her attitude of all the previous questions and rehearsed answers. She shrugged and said "She thought it made me less social, and also disliked that I would rather spend time in the water than with people." But it seemed almost as if that was it. Even if it was a simple statement.
Makoto's brows furrowed "But don't you swim with other people?"
She paused and then shook her head, and said "No, I swim alone..." but Haru heard the other part of the sentence, alone and free, and Makoto too heard it ringing in the air.
Still he couldn't fully understand, swimming alone.
Haru stood and then said "The water likes you." And even if Akira didn't understand Mako did, and his eyes widened. Because if Haru had determined that the water liked his little sister, then he would too. Smiling slightly Mako said "Let's go to the amusement park."
Akira glad to be off the hook, but still a little nervous about this openness she supposed it could be called, was rather slow to stand. Smiling at her, Mako said "We can sort this out later."
He didn't realize that Haru had plans too. Plans that involved helping his little sister 'sort out' this wedding problem.
17 years
You can't fit 17 years into three days, but somehow the time seemed endless. Time spent in the pool; Akira swimming the breast and the back, and Rin swimming the Free and the Fly while Mako, Haru, Nagisa, and Rei swam 100m legs, and Sosuke watched and cheered.
It's hard to fit team into three days, but somehow the cracks filled seamlessly, and even Kou had to admit that it felt nice to be like this.
But one thing that was truly impossible or so they thought was to somehow get more time.
The day of her birthday, she should have been celebrating with her new found friends, and yet she was off getting stuck in an arranged marriage. No more time, Haru was locked in his room, Mako was drawing up a bath, Sosuke was being somehow more silent, even Nagisa had fewer words to say than usual.
But maybe just maybe miracles happened.
Or at least that's what they thought when Haru walked in with an actual smile on his face. Just maybe they would be able to fit 17 years in after all.
