For Catherine.

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The conversation Nagisa had with his parents was supported by his friends. He knew that if he had been alone, it would have simply been one-sided. That's how they always were. He basically had no say in how the conversation went. Anything he said was rejected or unheard. He knew. He knew… So to have all of his friends as well as a teacher accompany him was a blessing and the only way he'd win the argument.

Even still, his parents still basically got what they wanted. They only threatened to take something he loved away from him because he wouldn't simply do what they asked of him in the first place. It was their way or no way. He knew that… It had always been that way.
It was why he got so upset when Rei accused him of giving up. He hadn't given up! But this wasn't something… If your effort isn't acknowledged, if it is wasted and unrecognized, why give it in the first place? It is simply easier to concede… To give in. To put in that much effort to not gain anything all of the time is tiresome… It's draining and breaks you.

…So he cried. He was so lucky that he had so many voices to assist him, so many validating, considerate voices. The best was Rei- he offered to personally help Nagisa and make sure he's grades were sufficient. He was on the team, so it would also be easy for him to do so. He also had superb grades and was a massive bookworm, making him all the more a perfect candidate for him to tutor Nagisa if his grades were slipping. And best of all, he was hard on him when Nagisa needed it. However, he listened to him when he spoke. He wasn't like his parents…

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The sentence that was spoke rung in his ears and increased the weight on his chest. It was like his ribs were constricting and the world was spinning, slowly but surely becoming uniform in a void black. Again… They were telling him this again. His grades were fine…! They were fine…! So this wasn't… "That's not fair!" He yelled in retort, his heart welling and preparing for the shatter. He was still precariously holding it between his fracturing ribcage. "That's the end of the discussion, Nagisa. You are not allowed on the swim team- and don't you dare try to run away again."

If he did, his options were as follows: either be transferred, or be disowned. Nagisa was shaking, trying to keep from crying. "You can't… You can't do that…! My team needs me!" His father wouldn't have any of it and pointed a harsh finger towards his room. "NO!" Now, Nagisa's parents never hit him. However, sometimes he wish they would. It would make the burning feeling simmer down perhaps… If he could hit them back, scream and yell. If he were to get loud, they would label him "unreasonable".

"…Please…" He pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please don't do this…" They refuted him, his father's stone hand in the direction of his room. He couldn't breathe, his jaw jittering and clenching closed while his eyes welled up. "…Please… That's not fair… We can pretend I never said it and you'll never hear another thing about it, please…" He begged, regretting ever trusting the thought that parents like his would understand.

His father didn't waver and his mother was still… Disappointed in his life choices. "…Please…" He begged again, his voice barely making sound. Again… He was ignored. Again… He was denied. Again… He was rebuked. Everything went gray and Nagisa forcefully carried himself up to his room, feeling every single pound, every single limb, every single kilogram, every single cell on his body as he forced it to move. This wasn't… How could people be like this? Weren't they supposed to love and support him? Whatever this was, it was neither… It was ineffable. He didn't understand what their goal was for him- it was simply breaking him as a human…

Nagisa sat on his bed, feeling so empty that the tears didn't come, just barely sitting on his lashes and in his lids. They wouldn't come. They were there, but wouldn't come… He was in shock, disbelief, rendered unable to react.

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He didn't want to go to school. He didn't want to be here… He wanted to curl up into a ball and die. He felt dead… He… He couldn't tell his teammates. He couldn't. They'd ask why again… He couldn't tell them that he had that conversation with his parents… They'd look at him funny too… They'd… They'd… And he couldn't run away again or he'd never see his friends again! …Or they'd disown him… He loved his parents… He did. They were cruel but they were his parents. It was why he was so floored when they couldn't simply accept that he was their son, regardless of his choices… So why had this happened…? Over one little… One…

"…un… gisa-kun… Nagisa-kun!" Nagisa jumped, shocked out of his skin so terribly he physically jumped. "R-Rei-chan!" He yelled, completely flustered after being dragged from deep in his head. Oh no… He wasn't ready to face them yet- any of them…! The megane sighed, crossing his arms. "I've been calling to you for a while now- is everything alright?" Nagisa opened his mouth to reply… And within that single instant, several thoughts flashed through his head.

Pretend to be happy- it was what he always did… Why should he? He'd never get to swim with Rei or anyone else ever again… Tell him the truth- he wanted to… He would get asked why regardless since he had to leave- they'd want to know… Rei should be the first to know out of all of them for various reasons… "I…" He still didn't know what he wanted to tell him… In a sudden rush of emotions and scrambled thoughts, he felt the tears that refused to come yesterday suddenly assail him. Why now? It wasn't fair… This wasn't fair…

He clung to the front of his shirt, completely defeated. He needed… To make a choice. His family or his friends… That was basically the option they gave him. That alone came with its own set of problems… Where would he live? What would he do? How would he feed himself? If he stayed somewhere, would he owe housework or rent money…? He'd never get to see his parents again… He'd never get to see any of his family again for the rest of his life because of one decision- and if he decided he wanted to take it back, he'd never get to see any of his friends ever again...

"…I just… Don't feel well… Can you take me to the nurse…?" He asked, keeping his head down so Rei couldn't see the tears forming. Rei stared down at him for a moment, believing without a shadow of a doubt that something was wrong. He had never seen Nagisa sick, so he couldn't exactly doubt him and know for a fact it was something else… So he escorted him through the halls. Nagisa walked straight to the nurse's bathroom and shut the door behind him. He made fake puking noises, covering his mouth in between while sobbing. Go away, go away, go away…

Just leave him here to cry… But he knew Rei wouldn't do that. He'd stick with him and ask him what was wrong or if he needed anything or if he wanted him to escort him home or… Or… Stupid Rei… Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID REI!

…He was hysterical for about a good, solid ten minutes before he finally calmed himself down, that taking another seven or so. When he left the bathroom, Rei was standing there, waiting for him. "Nagisa-kun…!" Nagisa looked away from him, not wanting him to see his bloodshot eyes. This wasn't fair… He'd lose people he loved either way… But sometimes he wondered if he loved his parents out of obligation given who they were to him… "I think I just need to lay down for a bit… You can go back to class, sorry for worrying you… I don't know if I'll be able to go to practice today if I still feel like this later… I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry. Just rest- I'd much rather not have you come to practice and get better than have you be there and have it become worse." He said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything, please feel free to call me at any time, even if I'm in class." He offered. Nagisa looked up at him for a moment, eyes unfocused and unsteady, eventually finding their way back to the ground. He nodded and Rei stayed until he was in one of the pathetic beds in the nurse's office.

"If you're not back by lunch, I'll come to check on you." He said before leaving. He knew something was wrong- his intuition had told him, but he was never much to trust it over logic. However, with Nagisa he had learned to trust his intuition first and find the logic for it later. He had been crying… Something was wrong. For now, he would silently support him with whatever he needed. However, if his behavior persisted, he'd ask him about it.

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"You don't… Need me to come over today?" Nagisa shook his head. "…No. All of my grades are fine, so… It's okay." He was avoiding looking at him… How odd. Nagisa was always one for direct eye contact- even uncomfortably so. He was even kept to himself, his hands pressed behind his back. He seemed so small… Was he always really this small without his bodacious actions and constant talking at maximum volume? Still… Something kept nagging at Rei. "I… I'll see you tomorrow." Nagisa gave a brief wave before leaving.

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"He's not coming again today?" Makoto asked, confused. This was the fourth time in a row now he hadn't come to practice. "He's well enough to come to school… He can't even sit in during practice?" He asked, worried in general about him. Rei shook his head, unsure of how to answer for their absent member. "Apparently so… But there does seem to be something wrong… I don't believe he's lying about that… He hasn't seemed like himself lately." Makoto hummed to himself, trying to remember anything that could have been of note for Nagisa's behavior, but...

"…Do you think he had another fight with his parents?" Haru asked, gaining their attention. "Now that you mention it… How he's acting is pretty similar. He might have. We should ask him tomorrow. At least he hasn't run away like last time." Makoto added. True- he was facing his problems this time, if not alone… Still. Something about this didn't sit well with Rei… Not at all.

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"Something… Wrong?" Nagisa asked, tipping his head. "Ah, yeah, sorry! Actually I've kind of had this stomach ache for a while now and it kinda just bugs me at random times. I'd hate to puke in the pool while swimming or something!" He said, a hand on his stomach and one scratching at the back of his head. It wasn't exactly a lie. Every time he saw one of his friends, he felt the lariats start to form inside of him. He hurt… He didn't want to leave them, so he lied… He was still so undecided… He wanted to be with them. At least if he listened to his parents, they wouldn't transfer him… But… They basically won again…

He had no say in the argument. It was either their option or none at all. And… It was painful. So terribly painful that it physically pained him every time he saw Rei, Makoto, Haru, or Gou. "If that's the case, why aren't you home resting!" Rei lectured. "Ahaha… Sorry…! It's been kind of on and off, so… My parents didn't want me to miss school if I could help it. I mean I haven't actually puked yet, but sometimes I feel like I'm really gonna!"

Makoto's expression was graced with worry, Haru's seeming mostly neutral but his brow was furrowed a bit, Gou sighing, and Rei's a kind of disappointment for Nagisa's lack of consideration for his own health. He would need to do some research later on things Nagisa should eat or do to get better soon. "Well if that's all, you should have said so sooner! Poor Rei was worried out of his skin!" He was worrying them again? He needed to act better… To pretend… He needed… He needed to quit the swim club of his "own" violation. Then they'd never suspect his parents, then he'd never have to talk with them about why he had to quit.

…That was what he decided on. It would be easier to lie than tell the truth…

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"…I have an announcement to make…" Nagisa said, not bothering to change for practice. Makoto looked up from his shirt that he had around his arms, already changing for practice. "Yeah, Nagisa? What is it?" Nagisa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, doing so just for the sake of feeling his chest swell again. "…I'm quitting the swim team."

The outcries were instantaneous from everyone. "…Let me finish…!" They stopped, Nagisa clenching his fists, terrified of the words that already left his mouth. "I promise I'll find someone else to join the team so you can all still do the relay- I won't just leave you guys in the cold like that."

"But… Nagisa-kun… Why?" Rei asked, completely taken aback. And to think- they thought he was going to be the one to leave them! "I'm just having some… family problems right now and I'd much rather focus on that and being here right now… It's too strenuous… I'm sorry…" Rei and Gou objected while Haru was too shocked to say anything- Makoto held out a hand to stop them. "…I understand. You take your time with whatever it is you're dealing with and then you come back to us." He ruffled his hair gently and his kindness caused Nagisa to start crying again.

They were always so kind to him… How could he… How could he basically abandon them like this? It wasn't fair… This wasn't fair…! Nagisa let out a loud, hysterical cry. Makoto hugged him and continued stroking his hair like a pet. "It's alright, Nagisa…" He felt Gou gently rub his back, Rei couch down a bit and ask him if he wanted to talk, and even Haru come up with a worried expression on his face.

He was… Leaving them. He wouldn't get to come back… What would he even say to Rei next year? Could he lie to him for that long? He didn't want to do this anymore… He just wanted to swim with his friends… Everything hurt so much… Especially their kindness towards him right now.

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"Nagisa-kun, do you want me to come over today? I saw your grade on that last test… It dropped a bit so-"
"It's fine…! It's still passing, so they won't mind." He quickly retorted to Rei. It was quicker than he meant it to be, but… Rei furrowed his eyebrows. "…Does it dropping have anything to do with the problem at home?" He asked quietly, his voice barely audible. Nagisa quickly nodded and got up from his seat, taking all of his things and heading home. "…Good luck at practice." He said over his shoulder in the doorway, not able to look at him.

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"…I'm sorry, I haven't been able to find anyone to replace me yet…" Nagisa said, deeply bowing to Makoto. "Ah- that's okay. You just worry about sorting everything else out and we'll just get you back." He said with a smile. That's right… They still thought they'd get him back… They still thought… "…I'm sorry…"

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"…It's not just me right? He seems kind of… Upset all of the time?" Makoto asked, looking at Nagisa from afar with Haru and Rei as he walked home. Haru and Rei nodded. "…Do you think it has to do with the problem he mentioned?" Rei asked, Haru still watching him leave along with everyone else who didn't have any after school activities. "It might… I think we should try to cheer him up tomorrow. Gou- do you have any ideas?" Gou lit up, completely grateful to have been the one given the task to pick up their cute little penguin. "Not yet, but I will before the end of practice!"

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"For… Me?" Nagisa asked, looking down at the present. They all nodded enthusiastically. They had practically kidnapped him late on a weekend, telling him it was a mandatory swim club meeting. They said he still needed to go even though he wasn't currently "in the club". He still went since they didn't know he wasn't coming back… They had some fireworks and tons of sweets for him at a high location where you could see the stars clearly.

Their kindness… It hurt. So he cried. They gently rubbed his back and told him everything would get better… And Nagisa realized that this was how a family should make you feel. They had no idea what was going on and yet they still worried and wanted to make sure he was alright. They wanted to make him happy regardless of whatever had happened. He wanted to be with them for as long as possible, so there was no way… No way he could tell them what had happened with his parents. He loved them too much to tell them… So he cried, then ate so many sweets his stomach hurt, and set off a ton of fireworks, laughing and having a blast with his friends.

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"…Another… Tutor?" Rei asked, completely confused. Nagisa's mother nodded. "He didn't tell you? We got him another one." She reiterated, Rei being completely confused. He had come over to study with Nagisa- just for the sake of keeping him company when he had been told this by his mother at the door. "…I don't understand. Was there something wrong with how I was tutoring him?" He asked, wanting to find out what he had done wrong so he could correct it. He noticed Nagisa behind his mother in the house, so he called to him.

Nagisa met his eyes, they quickly filled with terror and he forced himself to look away. Rei didn't understand. "…I'm sorry, Nagisa needs to get back to studying now." His mother said quickly, using the distraction to her advantage to shut the door on Rei. What… What just happened…? Nagisa had another tutor? Why? He understood he was having issues at home again but… Why replace him? It was optimal that he be his tutor! Why?! He didn't understand…!

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Nagisa gritted his teeth, yelling back "I told you, it's a personal problem, now drop it!" He attracted the attention of some others around them. Nagisa jumped a bit, shrinking into himself when he realized this. "But I don't understand… We're friends aren't we? Do you not trust me with whatever it is that's going on in your house right now? Or is this person who's tutoring you a relative?" That he could understand- but right now he was being shut out completely. "Stop playing that "do you not trust me" card! It's getting old and offensive! I said it was a personal problem, so drop it Rei…!" He forced his chair back, it groaning against the floor in protest while Nagisa grabbed his things and left the room. He didn't understand…

He also noticed Nagisa didn't add "-chan" to his name… Something was seriously wrong.

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"…I feel like he's avoiding us. He dropped the club, replaced you as a tutor, and now that we're talking about this, we barely see him. I feel like he does that on purpose- he hardly eats lunch with us anymore…" Makoto put his hand to his chin, furrowing his brow, deep in thought. "He keeps saying it's a problem at home but… I feel like there's more to it than that." Haru nodded in agreement. "We should all try to sit down together and get him to talk to us- it worked last time." True. So they all agreed that's what they would do. They decided on Haru's house.

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"…I can't. I need to study for a test." Rei has asked him to come. It was easiest since they shared so many classes together. "…Nagisa-kun, plea-"
"I can't."
He couldn't face them as he was right now… He was too embarrassed about lying and the topic of argument with his parents still… So he couldn't.

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"…Is Nagisa-kun home?"
"…Yes? Can I help you?" His father asked, a bit apprehensive. Why? It's not like he didn't know they were friends… "I need to speak with him- it's urgent." His father looked at him for a moment, debating the weight of the supposed "urgency" before calling Nagisa down. "Yes?" His father stood aside. "He'd like to speak with you." Nagisa felt everything in his chest drop down to his feet and get caught in his stomach a good majority of the way down. His father left the doorway, going back inside of the house. "R-Rei-chan… Look if it's about not going to Haru's hous-"

"Nagisa-kun, it's not just that…! Something is wrong with you and we're worried!" Nagisa felt even worse. He didn't want them to worry… He didn't want to cause his friends any pain… This wasn't what he wanted…! "…N-Nothing's wrong… I told you, I'm just having some problems I need to deal with here, so- ah…! Rei-chan!" Nagisa yelled, Rei dragging him by his arm out of the house. "I won't have it! You keep saying that and trying to deal with whatever it is on your own but…! I won't allow you to do that anymore! Clearly this burden isn't meant for you to handle on your own!" He lectured, refusing to let him go. He had no idea where he was taking him- hell, Nagisa didn't even have any shoes on.

"Rei-chan! Let me go!" Nagisa objected, attempting to tug his wrist back and push Rei's hand off of him. Rei decided he'd take him to Haru's- he wouldn't mind if he showed up unannounced with Nagisa. He was worried too after all… So he did just that. He dragged him all the way to Haru's, Nagisa eventually stopped trying to pull away. He recognized the streets and knew where he was being taken. He could run when he let him go at Haru's- wait… Why… Why was he running from Rei? From Haru? From his friends…? This wasn't right… What… What happened?

Rei knocked furiously on Haru's door, calling for him. "Haruka-sempai! Open up! I have Nagisa-kun with me and we need to talk!" Given a few more poundings, the door was opened and Haru was on the phone. He pointed inside the house, and Rei dragged Nagisa with him inside. "Ah- ow, Rei-chan!" When Haru was done, he came into the room he had pointed Rei and Nagisa into. "…Makoto is coming over soon, too. We should wait for him. …I'll get us something to drink." He left the room and went into the kitchen, trying his best to relieve the tension that had gotten dragged into his house the only way he knew how- by doing what they usually did. He pulled out some fruit and asked if barely tea was alright.

Rei nodded, seeming exasperated and Nagisa didn't reply. Rei hadn't let him go yet… He was still latched onto his wrist, refusing to even give him a moment of escape. Even if he were to let him go, he had still been on the track team and could catch him easily… So honestly there was really no need. But it was more of a statement than anything. He wouldn't let Nagisa run away again- he was good for that in one way or another. He adored him- really, he did. However he disliked this part of him quite a lot.

Makoto arrived shortly after the tea was done, a flustered mess from running over so suddenly. "I'm here…!" He announced, breathless. He quickly adjusted himself, then sat with everyone else. "…Nagisa…" There was a thick tension between them all, no one sure how to start. "…Start by telling us what exactly happened." Rei demanded, finally letting go and crossing his arms. "…It's a personal family problem… I can't."

"Nagisa-kun." Nagisa practically jumped a mile when his name was called so sternly. "…Tell us what happened." He said again, refusing to take no for an answer. "…I can't…" He mumbled again, his grip tightening on his pants. Before Rei could speak again, Makoto gave it a shot. "Listen, Nagisa… We all know whatever it is has been really hard on you. You don't seem like your usual self at all and you've kind of been avoiding us… We just want to help you out in any way we can, so please let us in. Keeping it all inside is only going to hurt you more."

"What if it doesn't…?!" Nagisa yelled, the anger and resentment and all of the feelings he could never relay to his parents during an argument showing. "What if I tell you and it only makes it worse- makes you hate me like my parents do?!" They were all taken aback. "…Nagisa, I'm sure whatever it is would never make your parents hate you."

"They do…! They do! They try to say that it's "for the best" or what they think is "right" for me, but it's not! …It hurts! They won't even give me a chance…! They just dismiss it and tell me I'm wrong and…! And…!" Nagisa used his arm to wipe furious tears that were falling into his lap. Makoto gently rubbed his back. "Did you try talking with them? I'm sure if you do, like last time it-"

"Shut up, Rei!" Nagisa screamed, completely fed up. "You don't know them! You don't know me! If I tell you, you'll all hate me or think I'm weird! And even if you don't, that's not going to change the fact that I can never swim with any of you again!"
"…Nagisa… You can't…" Haru didn't get to finish- couldn't finish. Nagisa realized what he said and put his hand over his mouth. He let his other hand join it and they slid to his ears. He just wanted everything to go away… He didn't want this to happen. "Rei-chan's never allowed over again either… They think it's mostly your fault anyways…!" He was just letting it all fall out; not being on the team was the brick that held the dam together.

"My fault?" Rei asked, completely astonished by the statement. "I don't understand… Nagisa-kun, if you won't talk to them, then at least talk to us- don't leave us in the dark anymore. If you honestly feel like they won't listen… Have confidence that we will." He spoke while removing his hands from his ears. "…Please. We're worried about you… We just want to make sure everything is alright- because if there's anything we can do to help you, anything at all, we'll do it in a heartbeat!" Makoto nodded so fast he probably gave himself a headache. "So please… Won't you talk to us?" Makoto asked, gently placing a hand on his back.

Nagisa scoffed, eyes trained on the wet spots on his pants from his tears. He was quiet for a long while, Makoto's large hand on his back and Rei's long fingers wrapped around his own. "…I can still hear their voices clear as the day they said it to me... My mom… had made some joke about me having a girlfriend or something…"

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"Well then after that you'd have a wonderful girlfriend!" His mother said with a wide smile on her face. "Ahaha! Ah, come on mom! Girls can be so boring- boys would be better~!" Nagisa said with a chuckle and a raise of his eyebrows. "…Excuse me?" His mother said, the mood instantly dropping. Nagisa fumbled. "Ah… It was a joke!"

"…A joke?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Y-Yeah…" Nagisa stuttered, her gaze terrifying him. "…Well that didn't sound like a joke. It sounded like an implication that you could attempt to pass off as a joke." He was completely taken aback by how much she was reading into his one little comment. "Wha- no!"

"It's that swim club isn't it- being in a setting like that… It's corrupting you, isn't it?" A setting like that? Did she mean everyone being in swimsuits all of the time? Seriously? She thought he was gay because of something like that? "What?! Are you kidding me, no!"

"Oh I should have realized… I've let you be around things like that since you were little! Oh this is all my fault…! And to think I was letting you study alone with someone you've seen like that…!" She buried her face in her hands, horrified at her parenting job. "Wha… M-Mom… It was a joke… Really…! …Mom? Mom please don't cry… Please?" Nagisa got up from where he was sitting to comfort her. "…You need to quit the swim team." She said suddenly. "WHAT?!" Nagisa screamed, removing all traces of himself from her person. "Nagisa, it's corrupting you!" She retorted, her eyes full of tears for her poor child! "Mom it was a joke! I was kidding! Why are you trying to blame this on me swimming?!"

"Don't raise your voice at your mother." His father interjected, being mostly silent though the entire ordeal. "But I-"
"Do. Not." He said again, his voice stern in his position on the matter. Nagisa didn't utter another word. "You'll quit tomorrow." The sentence that was spoke rung in his ears and increased the weight on his chest. It was like his ribs were constricting and the world was spinning, slowly but surely becoming uniform in a void black. Again… They were telling him this again. His grades were fine…! They were fine…! So this wasn't… "That's not fair!"

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Nagisa laughed, pitifully. "…They hate me… They threatened to have me transferred or disowned if I tried anything like last time… They didn't want Rei to tutor me anymore because they thought…" He buried his face ins his hands, trying not to cry again."…Well are you?" Haru asked bluntly. "Haru!" Makoto lectured, his face screaming that huis current question just had impeccable timing. "…What?" Nagisa looked up from his hands. "Are you into boys?" Nagisa's voice broke and refused to let out any words, his face flushed. "…I… I don't know…" He mumbled. "…So there's a possibility you are."

"Haru!" Makoto yelled, not wanting him to continue. Nagisa had been through enough as it was. "…It doesn't matter if you are or aren't. You're still our friend and I've never a day in my life felt like you'd try to do something to make us uncomfortable, even if you did like one of us." Haru didn't care. Nagisa could want to marry a rock for all he cared- they were still friends and nothing would change that. "If you still want to swim that badly because you want to be with us or if you still want to be with your family so you can't anymore, I fully support whatever decision you decided to make."

"…Haru..." Makoto wasn't used to this side of him much. "…Haru-chan…" Nagisa felt his entire body shake and his eyes well up with tears again. He had been crying so much lately… He was so tired of crying… But this... This was a different kind of cry. It wasn't draining; it was cleansing. He tackled him from across the table. "…Haru-chan!" Haru was forced backwards, a grunt escaping him with all of the air in his lungs accompanying it. He looked over at the yellow fluff of emotion that was their friend and sighed, gently patting his head. Makoto sighed, grateful the matter was mostly resolved aside from Nagisa's decision, and he wasn't going to pressure him to make that choice today, or even tomorrow. …Hopefully soon, however. They did need him for relays still since a replacement hadn't been found.

He could make it whenever he wanted. Rei was just appreciative in general that Nagisa didn't have to bear the burden alone anymore. Honestly, the thought of Nagisa liking a boy didn't really bother him as much as he thought it would. Maybe it was just his personality or him used to seeing Nagisa cling to everyone on the team but… It didn't bother him. If Nagisa wanted to date someone the same gender as him, he wouldn't mind. His personality wouldn't change, so why should his opinion of him?

Makoto gently pried Nagisa off of Haru. Nagisa took to instead clinging to him and crying. Makoto didn't mind it and sighed, gently petting his hair the same as Haru had before. "No more tears, okay? You've been crying enough to fill the entire pool." He joked, flashing him a smile. "…I wanna swim with Mako-chan and Haru-chan and Rei-chan!" He sobbed. Makoto realized he wasn't going to stop crying anytime soon. He laughed a little, still patting his head. "Okay."

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Free! ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

"…So what are you going to do about your parents?" Rei asked him as they walked back, Nagisa still missing shoes and the hour a bit late now. "…I don't know. I really honestly hope they don't disown me, but if they do I hope they'll eventually start talking to me again. I do love them –they're my family after all. If I can, I want them to be able to accept me for whatever it is that I am. And if they can't… I'm lucky enough to have another family that will." Nagisa said with a warm smile, looking down at his dirtied socks.

…Rei was proud of him. He really was. It must be hard to live somewhere like that and smile as often as he did. Not only that, but he constantly made others smile as well. He was truly a magnificently beautiful person. Even now, he felt himself smiling at Nagisa, admiring his strength and beauty and perseverance. He opened his mouth to tell him how much he really admired him, but Nagisa got to it first. "Ah- Rei-chan, look! The store's still open! We should go buy celebratory snacks!" He quickly ran to the door of the shop, Rei remembering his lack of shoes.

"Ah- Nagisa-kun you're not allowed in without- Nagisa-kun!"
"Yehaaaay! We should get ice cream and cake and…"
"I bet you don't even have your wallet since I dragged you out of the house! Who do you think is going to pay for all of that?!"
"Ah, Rei-chaaaaan! Don't be such a spoil sport! Oh look they have this- oh, and these! And…"
Rei sighed… But would buy him all of his sweets anyways. He adored him regardless of flaws after all.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Free! ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

A/N: …Wow the worst word I used in this fic was "hell"? Go me!
So episode 5 really reminded me of a friend, so I dedicated it to her.
So there won't be any H stuff, but maybe I'll write a separate one shot for that...