Summary:

The retelling of Free!, only with Haru as a girl. High school had never been so stressful for Nanase Haruka before. At least not until a certain redhead had returned, and thus, her entire life was turned upside down with her best friend and her rival vying for her affections. Eventual Makoto/Haru

Pairings: Makoto/Haru. Nagisa/Rei. Mikoshiba/Gou

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. More expressive Haru. Jealous Rin. Jealous Makoto.

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter One: Reunion

"I'll show you a sight that you've never seen before." - Matsuoka Rin

XXXXXX

"Are you sure that you're not secretly a stalker or something?" Nanase Haruka or Haru to her family and close friends was annoyed, nearly glaring at the grinning redhead standing across her, arms behind his head.

Sounds of water splashing and the loud roars from their demon of a coach echoed across the pool complex of their swimming club. On either side of Haru, Tachibana Makoto and Hazuki Nagisa exchanged semi confused and amused looks.

From day one ever since a certain Matsuoka Rin had enrolled as a transfer student in Haru and Makoto's class in their elementary school, and had even somehow 'coincidentally' joined the Iwatobi Swimming Club, Haru had never taken to him, unlike so many of their classmates and club mates. In fact, she glares at him if he so much as twitched wrong or even breathed in her direction.

Honestly, Makoto has no idea what Rin had done to step on Haru's toes as well, since she is usually quite impassive. And he had never seen Haru dislike someone so much as she did Rin, and he'd known Haru ever since they were in their diapers, as their parents were friends ever since their high school days, and thus, have often made play dates for their children.

Like on one school day when Haru and Makoto's elementary school teacher had told them to draw a picture of what they imagined themselves doing ten years from now, and Rin had ended up in a group with Haru, Makoto and another girl. If looks could kill, Rin would be six feet under.

"Why, whatever could you be talking about?" Matsuoka Rin grinned innocently.

Haru stared blankly at him for several moments before apparently deciding that talking to him is a waste of her breath and decided to go for another round in the pool instead. She could never get enough of the water that several of her friends, Makoto included, have wondered if Haru is not secretly a dolphin.

"Ah, wait, Nanase!" Rin called out to Haru before she could slip into the water. He almost cringed at the death glare that the shorter and smaller girl sent him as she adjusted her long hair beneath her swimming cap and her goggles. For someone so small (he'll never say that to her face, he values his life, thank you very much!), she sure had a fierce glare, especially for a nine-year-old. "Do you want to join the relay with me?"

The grin on his face was so bright that Makoto could swear for a moment that his teeth are nearly gleaming.

There was silence for several moments.

"…Excuse me?"

XXXXXX

"I can still make it in time." Tachibana Makoto muttered to himself around a mouthful of toast as he put on his shoes, calling out to his mother before actually leaving the house. "Kaa-san, I'm leaving now!"

"Have a good day!" His mother called from the kitchen even as he closed the shoji door behind him, with the calls of his younger twin siblings echoing behind Makoto as he did so.

The seventeen-year-old teen then started making his way down a familiar route that he had walked thousands of times, and could probably walk with his eyes closed – towards a certain house that is in a street across from his, located in one of the quieter residential areas in Iwatobi where several of the older houses are located.

Makoto's face brightened as he spotted an old woman wearing a long white apron over a blue kimono coming out of a house, clearly about to go shopping.

"Good morning, Tamura-san." Makoto greeted politely like he always did every morning whenever he runs into one of his neighbours.

"Good morning, Makoto-chan." The old woman smiled at the boy whom she had watched grow up. She then fished about in her basket before handing Makoto a slice of freshly baked bread wrapped in a cloth. "Take this with you."

"No… I've already eaten breakfast." Makoto tried to refuse, but the old woman smiled.

"Take this to Haru-chan." Tamura smiled knowingly at him, and Makoto chuckled nervously before taking the bread.

"T-Thank you very much." Makoto chuckled nervously before moving on his way to his destination, walking up the usual flight of stairs with the white torii gate, his sharp ears catching a soft 'mew' behind a clump of bushes growing by the sides.

A tiny white kitten with its tail curled around the body mewed at Makoto, and he chuckled, stopping and kneeling down to scratch the kitten on the head. He knew this kitten. The kitten's mother who had just passed away approximately a month ago is extremely fond of his childhood friend, and somehow always took it upon herself to guard her house until Haru returns.

Haru is extremely fond of the cat as well, feeding her fish and such every now and then. And when she had passed away, and Haru had learned that the cat had left behind a tiny kitten, that same affection was passed onto the kitten who seemed to share the same affection for Haru that its mother had.

Makoto chuckled, scratching the kitten beneath its chin. "Good morning," he smiled before making his way up the stairs and towards a house that looks rather old but well maintained. There is even a mailbox on the outside, with a name plaque with the name 'Nanase' painted on it.

Makoto pressed the doorbell, as is his routine, and waited patiently. When there was no answer after several moments, he then took several steps backwards and craned his neck upwards to look at the second floor bedroom that had the windows shut with blue curtains covering the inside.

Makoto sighed. He knew where the occupant of the house would be now. "Oh, come on," he almost groaned as he made his way to the back of the house where he knew the back door will be unlocked.

Sure enough, the back door is unlocked, and he then entered the house, removing his shoes before he entered. "Excuse me." Makoto called out politely, even as he entered the house that he knew so well by now, as he had been over here so many times, and had spent majority of his childhood having sleepovers with his childhood friend in this very house.

The olive-haired teen then made his way towards the bathroom area and saw a set of light purple pyjamas thrown in the laundry basket, with the bathroom door shut. "Naturally, she's here." Makoto sighed to himself.

Whereas when he was younger, he had no qualms about just walking into the bathroom where a girl might or might not be wearing anything, when he had grown into a teenager and an adolescent boy, he had taken to respecting his friend's privacy and gender. Childhood friend or not, she is still a girl. A young woman.

"Haru? Are you in there?" Makoto called out through the bathroom door, rapping on it lightly, wondering if the girl had fallen asleep in the bath or something.

There was a light splash inside before a rather muffled voice answered. "Yeah. I'll be right out."

Five minutes later, the bathroom door slid opened, and a petite pretty teenage girl a head and a half shorter than Makoto emerged, dressed in the female school uniform of Iwatobi High School, only without the blazer. There was even a damp towel around her shoulders, and she is currently towelling her sleek black hair dry, which just reaches a little below her shoulders.

"Good morning, Haru-chan." Makoto greeted as is his routine.

Nanase Haruka stared at him blankly with her blue eyes as she towelled her hair dry. "I told you to lay off with the –chan," she deadpanned, obvious that this is a conversation that they've had countless times in the past. "You're gonna be late." She stated as she walked out of the bathroom area and towards the living area.

"That's my line." Makoto sighed, following her out and towards the kitchen where Haru proceeded to put on a dark blue apron hanging on the hook and started cooking her breakfast.

Makoto stared, speechless for about five minutes as he watched Haru frying a piece of fish in the frying pan that she's using, flipping it with expert ease almost as if she's done it a million times before which she probably did.

When Haru's grandmother had passed away when they were in their first year of middle school, Makoto had panicked then, as her parents were often away on some business trip, thus leaving the old lady, who had been Haru's maternal grandmother to raise her by herself. And when Grandmother Tomoe had passed away, Makoto had been worried that Haru's parents will want to take their daughter away with them.

Surprisingly, Haru had been very stubborn, and had refused to budge an inch when their parents have wanted to take her away. In the end, Haru's parents have agreed to leave their daughter in Iwatobi on the condition that Haru calls them every night, and that Makoto's mother will check in on her every now and then.

While Makoto is relieved and all at that point in time that Haru won't leave Iwatobi and him, he can't help wondering at that time what kind of parents would willing leave their twelve-year-old daughter all alone in a big and empty house, basically leaving her to raise herself. Sure, Haru's parents send her money every month and such for necessities, but will it kill them to at least come back more than a few times a year to spend time with their daughter?

Haru had always spent celebrations like Christmas and New Year's over at the Tachibanas, and Makoto's parents have always made sure that the petite girl never spent her birthdays alone, with Makoto's mother making Makoto bring his childhood friend over to the Tachibana house after some celebration that they have with their friends.

When they were younger, Haru had often had sleepovers at the Tachibanas, with both Haru and Makoto playing video games until they have fallen asleep. Makoto's younger twin siblings have both adored Haru as well, as she had often helped Makoto to babysit them when they were younger. Ren, Makoto's younger brother in particular had adored Haru, and Makoto had suspected that Ren might have a bit of a crush on Haru.

"Wait, why are you grilling fish?" Makoto cried, resisting the urge to throw his hands up in the air with exasperation. Didn't she just have that for breakfast and dinner the previous day?

"I haven't had breakfast," was Haru's statement of the year answer.

There was a light ting from behind them just then, and Makoto turned only to see toasted bread popping out of the toaster, already a crisp brown. "Toast and fish?" Makoto sighed, wondering if he should be worried about Haru's strange eating habits.

If his mother and Makoto himself hadn't made her, Haru would probably happily eat mackerel for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or not even eat anything at all. Her slim figure is probably due to her strange eating ways, though Haru could eat as much as she wants to, and never gets fat, much to Makoto's envy who always had to be careful about what he eats.

XXXXXX

"So?" Haru sighed, glancing at Makoto beside her as the pair made the short ten minute or so walk towards their school. "Why did you come get me?"

"You didn't show up for the opening assembly yesterday." Makoto reminded her with a gentle smile.

"I called in sick, didn't I?" Haru deadpanned, and Makoto sighed.

More like she overslept and decided that getting up for school is too troublesome.

"Do you know which class you're in then?" Makoto asked with a raised brow, and Haru closed her mouth and looked away pointedly. "We're in the same class again." He grinned. After all, Haru and Makoto have been in the same class ever since they have first started school in kindergarten. "Class 1. We've got a new lady as our homeroom teacher." Makoto barely restrained his amusement from showing as he recalled how the boys in his class have reacted upon learning that a lady teacher is their homeroom teacher. "They already gave her a nickname. She teaches classical literature but she's a little on the odd side…"

Haru's mind started to drift away as she nodded absent-mindedly to whatever that Makoto is saying, her eyes going towards the sparkling blue waters of the ocean that they're walking past. Haru looked longingly towards the ocean, wanting to just swim in it, but she knew better, especially after having come down with a really bad cold that almost developed into pneumonia one year and was almost hospitalised because of it. Mrs Tachibana was really worried then, and Haru felt almost bad for worrying the nice lady.

She sees more of Makoto's family than she even sees her own that even Makoto's parents sees her as their own daughter, and Makoto's younger twin siblings sees her as their older sister. Ren and Ran even affectionately address her as 'Haru-nee'. One time in middle school during one of the usual Friday night dinners that Haru always spends with the Tachibana family, Makoto's mother had even jokingly stated that she wouldn't mind if Haru marries Makoto. Haru didn't react or show anything, but Makoto's face had turned red enough to rival that of a tomato.

'It needs to get warmer so I can swim in the ocean.' Haru thought absent-mindedly.

After a moment, Makoto soon realised that Haru wasn't listening to him, but was instead staring at the ocean with longing in her eyes. He then smiled and looked down at the shorter girl. "I hope it gets warmer soon so you can swim," he commented, and Haru looked away with a huff, much to Makoto's amusement.

Makoto and Haru made it to their classroom and slipped into their seats ten minutes before the bell went off. Much to Haru's relief, she had a back window seat next to Makoto whom she had been sitting next to in terms of class seating arrangement ever since they've first started school.

Haru stared out of the window absent-mindedly, supporting her chin with her right hand, barely noticing it even as their classmates started to file into the classroom and settling down into their seats.

'I wonder how he's doing now…' Haru thought sadly, recalling what had gone down on that night nearly four years ago.

Their homeroom teacher, a pretty lady with soft brown hair and eyes, looking as if she should be on the front cover of a fashion magazine begun roll call, calling out name after name. Finally, she reached Haru's name who almost didn't hear it as she was so lost in her thoughts.

"Nanase Haruka?" The teacher called out questioningly, noticing the mark that she's put down next to the name the previous day, marking the student as absent, and wondering if she is here today. "Is she here today?"

"Yes, she's here, Ma'am!" Makoto called out, drawing their teacher's attention to the back where they were seated, even—much to Makoto's dismay—nearly half the boys in their class. Haru might not look it, but she is extremely popular with the boys ever since their middle school days when she is first starting to blossom. Probably, it is her icy attitude and the fact that she doesn't speak much that entices the boys so much.

"Oh, you're right!" The teacher exclaimed, noticing a face that she hasn't seen before in the vacant seat next to the window in the back. "You were absent yesterday, right? I'm Amakata Miho, your new homeroom teacher." She smiled warmly at Haru. "Nice to meet you."

XXXXXX

Makoto and Haru were the first ones out of the classroom the moment that the school bell had gone off for lunch hour, ignoring the gossip and talk that the rest of their classmates were having amongst themselves, and debating just what kind of job that 'Ama-chan' must have prior to becoming a teacher.

"I didn't bring lunch." Haru told Makoto even as they made their way towards the rooftop to spend their lunch hour, as is their routine, seeing as the rooftop is quieter, as compared to their classroom.

"Want to buy something then?" Makoto suggested, and Haru stared at him. Fighting through the sea of students just to buy something from the cafeteria? No, thank you. "Or do you want some of this?" He held out several pieces of dried squid. "Squid."

Haru stared at the several pieces of dried squid without saying anything for several moments before a loud voice called out their names—or rather, their nicknames.

"Haru-chan! Mako-chan!" Both juniors turned only to see an energetic blonde waving to them at the bottom of the stairs. He is wearing a red tie, so that must mean that he is a freshman, as the juniors (the second years) wore green ties and the seniors blue. "It's been forever!" He grinned a hundred watt smile at them. "I'll be joining you here at Iwatobi High School."

Silence.

The two childhood friends then looked at each other in confusion, wondering who the blonde is. "'Mako-chan'?" Makoto echoed in confusion.

"'Haru-chan'?" Haru echoed at the same time.

'Haru-chan' is the name that only her family or Makoto's parents calls her by. 'Haru', on the other hand, is the name that she only allows Makoto to call her by. Everyone else tends to call her 'Haruka' or even 'Nanase'.

The two then realised who the blonde is as a childhood memory came to the fore of their minds where a rather child-like and high voice cried out, "Haru-chan! Mako-chan! Rinrin!"

Both Haru and Makoto turned and stared at the blonde who is beaming excitedly at them. "Nagisa?" They echoed in unison, staring at the blonde in disbelief, as they hadn't seen him ever since their swimming club was shut down back when they were still in elementary school.

Hazuki Nagisa only grinned in response.

"How many years has it been?" Makoto wondered on the rooftop as the three of them looked out over the walls of the rooftop that overlooks an empty swimming pool. "I don't think that I saw you after the swimming club was shut down."

"Yep, because I went to a different school." Nagisa said brightly, sipping on his juice box. Something caught his eye just then, and he brightened, leaning over the sides of the rooftop, looking as if he would fall off at any moment, much to Makoto's horror. "There are cherry blossoms next to the pool!" He said excitedly, recalling the enormous cherry blossom tree in the school courtyard when they were kids. "Weren't there cherry blossom trees at the elementary school, Haru-chan?"

Haru sighed to herself. "Like what I'm saying, can you stop calling me that?" she grumbled.

"But that's your name, Haru-chan."

"But that pool is old and not in use. There's no swim club either." Makoto told Nagisa, changing the subject expertly.

"Where do you swim then?" Nagisa asked, a confused look on his face upon hearing that there isn't a swim club in the school.

Haru was silent for several moments. "I quit swimming competitively," she said bluntly, pushing some rather unwanted memories to the side.

"What?" Nagisa was bewildered and confused all at once. "Why? Why'd you quit? I was all excited about getting to swim with you again in high school!" The torrent of words came out like a hurricane from the blonde chatterbox.

"We're not little kids anymore. Things aren't the way that they used to be."

"Haru-chan." Nagisa gave Haru a rather sad puppy eyed look.

"Well, she stopped swimming competitively, but she still loves the water." Makoto cut in before Haru could say something that she will regret. He grinned at Haru. "Haru can't live without being in water." He teased. "During the summer, she swims in the ocean, and she was even soaking in the tub this morning."

"What does that have to do with swimming?" Nagisa was confused. "That just means that she likes baths. Ah!" His face brightened up as a ridiculous idea presented itself in his head. "How about a hot springs club?" He suggested, clinging onto Haru's right arm. "Let's start a hot springs club!"

"I can't stand the heat." Haru answered bluntly, trying to pry Nagisa off of her.

And it is true. After all, whenever she went to the hot springs whenever Makoto's mother invited her with the rest of the Tachibana family during one of their yearly trips to the hot springs resort of Hokkaido, Haru could never stand to stay in the hot springs for long.

"Don't be like that!" Nagisa wailed.

Makoto chuckled to himself. 'Nagisa hasn't changed one bit,' he thought.

"Okay then. Then how about—"

"I refuse."

"I didn't say anything yet."

Makoto then raised an eyebrow as he noticed a female student with dark red hair done up in a high ponytail behind them who was having lunch with another girl with hazel brown hair done up in a bun. The girl looked strangely familiar, and even gave him a small nod before returning to her conversation with her friend.

Haru who had noticed where Makoto is looking turned over her shoulder only to spot the same two girls. Her gaze rested on the redhead for a fraction of a second longer before she sighed and picked up the empty juice box that she was drinking out of.

"Let's go. Lunch hour is almost over," she stated, chucking the juice box into the trashcan by the door of the rooftop, being followed by the other two boys.

"Hey, have you heard?" Nagisa asked as the trio walked down the stairs, heading back towards their classrooms once more. "The swimming club that we went to in grade school is going to be torn down soon." He hopped down the rest of the stairs.

Haru's eyes widened slightly as she remembered what had happened the last time she had gone back to their old swimming club. Not even Makoto knew what had happened during that winter, as she had never told him. Probably, the only one who does is their old swimming coach who had been there that day.

"So before that happens, why don't we pay a visit?" Nagisa suggested.

"To dig that up?" Makoto asked curiously, remembering the promise that the four of them have made that day when they have buried their old championship trophy.

"Exactly!" Nagisa said brightly. "We can sneak in at night…"

"You can go by yourself." Haru stated bluntly.

"Don't say that! Come with us, Haru-chan!"

"I'm not going."

"Don't you think it'll be fun?" Nagisa pleaded, turning the dreaded puppy dog eyes on Haru. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have as much an effect on her as it did on Nagisa's family, particularly his older sisters.

"I don't."

Makoto chuckled upon seeing Nagisa trying but failing to persuade her. Haru had always been very stubborn. It is one of the traits that Makoto had always liked about her. Even so, Makoto had always been able to persuade Haru to do things that she will refuse to do so in the beginning.

"Why don't you just humour him?" Makoto said teasingly.

"No, it's too much effort."

Makoto grinned wickedly at Nagisa. "But there's a pool there," he said, one hand at his chin and pretending to think aloud. At the slight twitch of Haru's brow, he knew that he had gotten her. "A pool is much bigger than a bathtub."

The two boys were having so much fun with the only girl amongst the trio that they completely missed seeing a shadow just behind the door of the rooftop that slinked away quickly before anyone could see her.

As Haru turned around to face Makoto, a hopeful look on her face at the words 'pool', he knew that he's gotten her.

Hook, line and sinker.

A/N: This must be the third sports anime that I'm writing FF for. Anyway, this idea has been hatching in my mind for sometime now, and I only decided to start writing it now. So Haru will be a little different from the Haru that is depicted in canon, particularly his (her) fetish for stripping whenever he likes and walking about with a swimsuit at home.

Anyway, the eventual pairing will be Makoto/Haru, but it won't be so soon. And seriously, Rin is seriously asking for a punch in the face with the way that he is acting in the anime, though he had more or less redeemed himself in the last episode of the anime.

Anyway, I hope that you like this story, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!