2A/N: Nov 20th, Day 1 of rinharu week.
Prompt: Setting AU – future fish
Hurray, rinharuweek is here! c:
This is based off of the picture at the end of Future Fish, where they're all sleeping on the floor, drawing on that piece of paper. I read somewhere on tumblr that it looked like they were drawing out what they wanted to be when they grow up, and I completely agreed. ~
This turned out really friendship-y, and less of a rinharu-based fic, but I like the outcome so I'm going to keep it like this and submit it for rinharuweek. (Still rinharu though!)
Despite everything, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Many people are to credit for the makings of this beautiful (rei.) show, but I am not one of them. ^^
Anywhere With You
"Ne, Nanase, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
I turn to face the brightly smiling red-head beside me. I met him the other day under the big cherry blossom tree at my elementary school.
Matsuoka Rin.
"Oi, Nanase!" he repeats, and I turn to look at him boredly.
"What?"
"Answer my question! What do you want to be when you grow up?"
I continue to give him my almost-glare, but I can tell that I don't quite manage to. Something about this kid makes me feel… like being friendly. It's weird.
Especially since I just met this kid.
I'm about to answer him when we both hear the voices calling my name.
"Haru!"
"Haaaruu-chan!"
We turn, and at the top of the steps are my friends, Makoto, and Nagisa. Behind Nagisa however, is a small, cute blue-haired boy with red glasses. He looks around our age.
Rin and I walk up to them.
"It took you long enough!" Nagisa complains, pouting. "Weren't we supposed to meet at your house at 3pm?!"
I point at Rin. "Sorry. Was picking him up. He didn't know where I lived."
"Mou! Nanase, I have a name you know!" Rin exclaims, but I can tell he's just joking. I humph.
Of course I know you have a name…
Rin turns to the three other boys. "I'm Matsuoka Rin!"
"I'm Tachibana Makoto," Makoto replies, smiling. I can see his eyes flicker towards me, silently asking me why he's here.
"Ah, I met him yesterday. I invited him to come along today." I say, dismissively, thinking back.
I walk down the sidewalk. Maybe I could go swimming today.
Somehow, I end up at my school. I glance over to the big sakura tree, bricks surrounding it. My teacher said that we'd be doing something artsy on Monday about those bricks.
…I wonder.
However, I suddenly notice a red-head, crouching at the base of the tree, looking up at the petals.
The boy hears me approaching and turns, an innocent wide-eyed gaze on his face.
"Eh? Who are you?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you sitting here?"
"I'm Matsuoka Rin! I moved into this town yesterday, so I'm just looking around at the moment."
A grin, so childish and happy, that I look away.
"What's your name?"
"…Nanase. Nanase Haruka."
"Ehhh. So you have a girly name as well, don't you?"
"I think your name is girlier than mine."
"Haaa? Oh yeah? Well-"
I shake my head to clear those thoughts. Truthfully, I don't know why I invited him. I'm sure Makoto and Nagisa think it's weird, considering that I just met him.
I agree. I should think it's weird as well, but for some reason… I just don't.
"Who's the other boy though?" I ask, pointing to the blue-haired boy. He's tapping his fingers together horizontally, clearly somewhat nervous. He looks at Nagisa.
"Aaah! This is Rei-chan! I met him yesterday as well, so I invited him along." Nagisa grins. "I hope you don't mind!"
I shrug.
"Hurray!" Nagisa exclaims, throwing his hands up and pushing Rei forward. He stumbles.
"Nagisa-kun..!" He looks at us. "Ah- My name is Ryugazaki Rei. I hope we'll get along!"
"…I'm Nanase Haruka."
Makoto smiles once more. "I think all of the introductions are done. Should we go inside?"
-/-/-/-
The rest of the day is a blur.
Countless moments of fun that consist of
exploring forests,
("E-everyone? Where are you…?" )
("Makoto.")
("AH- Oh, Haru-chan!")
playing with mud in the backyard,
("It's not beautiful!")
("Rei-chan, come on!"),
running through the sprinklers afterwards,
("Hahaha, Nanase, you're totally soaked!"
("So are you!")
puzzles, eating popsicles, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, and much more.
Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time the sun was setting over the horizon, casting a muted orange glow on everything around them.
"Waaahhh~" Nagisa yawned, "I'm so tired…"
We're all lying on the floor in a room in my house. The room's a mess, to be honest. There's a dolphin doll lying around, crayons placed haphazardly as if a tornado came in, books, a firetruck.
…Well, not that I regret anything.
"It was a fun day though…" Makoto said, followed by a yawn himself.
I have to agree. Rubbing my eyes, I glance over at Rin. He's lying on the floor, struggling to keep his eyes open. I watch them flutter as he tries to stay awake.
Unexpectedly, he notices me staring and turns his head over. Rin grins, tiredness making his smile seem warmer then I think it really is. (Or maybe it's just me)
"What is it, Nanase?"
"Nothing," I mutter, turning away. I can feel my cheeks heat up by an unknown cause, but I ignore it, hoping he doesn't see.
"Oh… I just remembered."
I turn back to him, curious.
Rin looks at me as well, eyes meeting; red that flashes like rubies staring down blue that drifts like the water. "What are you going to be when you grow up, Nanase? Me personally, I was thinking a cop."
"You want to be a police cop?"
"Well, sure, why not? Rin mimics a gun with his fingers, just like the little kid he is. "Aren't they so cool, fighting for justice with handcuffs and all that stuff?"
I roll my eyes, "Yeah, sure." But I could somehow picture it.
Rin notices the gesture. "I'll show you, Nanase. Look!" He grabs a stray red crayon with yellow papering around it. Soon, along with a gray crayon, he's drawn a police car, the red siren blazing, on a big sheet of white paper lying in the middle of the mess of the room. "Don't you wanna ride in one of these?"
"Not really."I admit. 'I'd rather swim.'
"Ooooh!" Suddenly, Nagisa comes and crouches beside me. "Nice picture, Rin-chan! You know, when I'm older, I want to be an astronaut!"
Rei remarks from where he's sitting, "An astronaut, Nagisa-kun?"
"Yeah! It'll be so much fun! Exploring space and finding planets- oh, not to mention aliens!" Nagisa babbles excitedly, all the while doodling over the page as well. I can make out Saturn and a rocket ship. He seems to be in the middle of drawing an astronaut now.
Makoto laughs from his spot over. "You have big dreams, Nagisa."
"It's only natural! One day, I'll take everyone out on a space voyage!" Nagisa looks at Rin. "Oh, but I'll get you an alien as a gift, Rin-Rin!"
"…Rin-Rin?"
I hide my snicker so Rin doesn't see. While he's getting over Nagisa's new nickname, I overhear him asking Makoto, "Mako-chan, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Makoto puts his small hand onto his chin in thought. "Hmm… Perhaps a firefighter? You know, I could save people and all that." Makoto smiles. "Yeah, that would be nice!"
Rei smiles as well, purple eyes lighting up behind glasses' lens. "Wow, that's really thoughtful. How beautiful!"
"Thanks," Makoto says, "but what about you, Ryugazaki-kun? What do you want to be when you grow up?"
("Tachibana, here! A crayon.")
("Ah- thank you.)
"A scientist, I suppose… I could conduct all sorts of experiments."
Nagisa jumped over to him, "Could you make me a really really really really cool rocket then?"
Rei closes his eyes, thinking. Finally, he pushes up his glasses. "Indeed, I could try."
"Ah! Rei-chan, you're the best! Oh, take this crayon, gogogo!"
"Wait, Nagisa-kun?"
"Just hurry! Draw!"
While they're caught up doing that, with Makoto trying to help calm Nagisa down, I realize how much energy has been given back to them. They're so energetic and smiling, as if they weren't exhausted simply minutes ago.
They look much better smiling.
'Rin, as well,'I think. I look over at Rin, and as I knew there would be, a smile is on his face. However, I am surprised to see ruby eyes once again meeting mine.
…
"…Why are you staring at me?" I ask, acting nonchalant, although I was caught off guard.
He doesn't respond, but still smiling, he throws me a blue crayon. Startled, I quickly open my hand and am able to catch it before it can hit the ground – or me – and break.
"Well?" Rin replies. "What are you going to be?"
I hesitate, and then open my mouth. "A merman."
"…What?"
"Didn't you hear me right?" I shrug. I throw him back the crayon.
He blinks, but still catches it. "Well, I think I did, which is why I'm confused, Haru."
'It's Haru now?'
"Can you even swim?"
I scoff. "Of course I can swim."
"Well, I can swim too. I bet I could beat you though."
There is a glint of challenge in Rin's eyes.
"You're on."
"Then it's settled. We'll have a race. Later, I mean."
Rin gets up and walks over to me. He holds the blue crayon out.
"This crayon is the exact same shade of your eyes you know. Just like the water."
There's a pause.
"…What am I supposed to say to that?" I say, finally.
"Nothing, I guess."
But still, he holds the crayon out to me. Patiently, waiting for me to take it.
I wait, yet he still doesn't drop the crayon.
Sighing, I take the crayon from his hand. For a moment, my hand is in his and I can feel warmth from his hand to mine. I feel as if it goes straight to my heart or – perhaps throughout my whole body – because I feel slightly warmer from the simple gesture.
"…I'd be a chef."
I can feel his gaze on me as I walk over to the sheet of paper. I see that Makoto has drawn a fire truck putting out a fire, whereas Rei has drawn vial with purple liquid.
As for me, I draw a small picture of myself in a chef's hat and clothes.
"…You're pretty good at art for our age," Rin remarks, looking over my shoulder.
"I'm also decent at cooking," I respond. Then as a second thought, I add, "And swimming."
He just smirks in reply.
"Oi- Nagisa-kun!"
"Nagisa!"
Rin and I both look over to Rei and Makoto, who are both looking at a Nagisa, lying on the floor, sleeping peacefully. He cradles a stuffed penguin and a yellow crayon in his hands.
"Geez… Going to sleep on the floor like this," Rei sighs, but he yawns right after.
"I'm pretty tired too… now that I realize…"
Soon enough, Makoto and Rei join Nagisa on the floor and the thief of sleep connects the three of them together.
I have to admit, the tendrils of sleep are pulling me in as well. It's tempting. I rub my eyes and glance at Rin.
His eyes flutter once more. "I guess we'll be joining them."
He lies down next to Nagisa and grabs a stuffed rocket. Too tired to mind what position exactly, I maneuver through the mess around the room and lie down next to Rin and Makoto.
But before I close my eyes, I scribble a fish in the middle of the page.
I allow myself a smile.
A comforting atmosphere lingers in the air. As I lay still, I notice that the sunset still gives off an orange glow. The sunset - it's like an official ending that signals that everything we did today has finally come to an end. Usually, that would be sort of sad. But today was fun. I spent time with everyone. I spent time with Rin.
The sunset just means that we'll have tomorrow and all the other days from now on.
I let the smile rest on my face as I contemplate those words, so soft and promising.
"…Ne, Haru."
At least, until a voice rises me from my reverie. I'm not upset, although I am too tired to open my eyes. "Yeah, Rin?" I answer.
"I change my mind."
"Hm?"
"I want to be a police officer, but I'd rather be anywhere with you."
...
The words fall out easily. "…Me too."
With the paper with all of our dreams for the future in between us, that's the last thing I remember before I drift off to sleep along with everyone else.
~The End~