Part one of a three part epic. It's more a serious of interconnecting drabbles, but it's a thing. So.

I don't own Free!. I do have a collection of fortune cookie fortunes locked up in a tin. They stink.

Part One- Ai

Ai stared, unblinking, at the slip of paper in his palm. He thought fortune cookies were supposed to spout generic niceties and Zen riddles, like horoscopes. Not be scarily accurate to the holder's current situation.

"Oi, Ai. You alright?" Rin asked, standing directly before the younger swimmer.

That which you love most is right in front of you. Seize it before it's gone.

. . .

"It was really nice of you to invite me as well," Ai commented, helping himself to another serving of Kung-Pao chicken.

"Ai-chan, you're Rin-chan's friend, and that makes you my friend," Nagisa explained happily. Internally, Ai groaned. He hated that name...

Makoto nodded. "It feels like when we were younger, all of us playing after swim practice… Don't you agree, Haru?"

The raven-haired teen grunted in response, pushing his shrimp around with his chopsticks. Makoto signed. "You can't have mackeral every day."

A sharp laugh punctured the kitchen's chatter. "At last! A perfectly balanced and organized plate, with proper amounts of grain, vegetables, and meat!" Rei proclaimed, gesturing to his carefully crafted platter.

"Rei-chan," Nagisa whined, "it's gone cold. Just dump it on and eat!" He revealed his own dish, a hodgepodge goulash of all the entrees ordered.

Rei gasped. "Nagisa-kun! That is disrespectful to the Chinese culture- not to mention absolutely not beautiful!"

"Sho?" the blond responded, mouth full. "Aww geths jumpled yup hin my shtomach hanyway."

Rin, silently soaking in the atmosphere, munched on his spring roll. As he swallowed the final bite, he glanced at the clock. "Ai."

"Y-yes, Rin-senpai?"

The redhead wiped his greasy hands off on his jeans. "Curfew's in an should head back to Samezuka."

"Wait!" called the lone female voice. "I got us all fortune cookies!"

"Fortune cookies?" Makoto asked.

Surprisingly, it was Rin, not Rei, that answered. "They're these cracker-like sweets that have paper inside that say garbage about destiny. Like that Zodiac crap."

"Exactly!" His sister chirped. "And I requested them especially for you, onii-chan. Since you used to have them in Australia."

Rin nodded. "Huh. Not bad. Thanks, Kou." The younger Matsuoka beamed in response. "Still. Gotta leave no. We'll have them back at the dorm."

"Alright!" both Kou and Ai responded.

The two from Samezuka said their goodbyes and left from Nagisa's house in the direction of the train platform. "Sorry about that," Rin said after a few minute's walk.

"Huh?" The gray-haired boy cocked his head. "Sorry for what?"

"The Iwatobi gang. They can be… boisterous."

"I didn't find them that bad. Rather pleasant, actually," Ai answered.

Rin shook his head. "You were withdrawn and barely talked. Not your usual self. Uncomfortable."

"W-well, I-" Ai stammered. "I-I suppose- you noticed?" His cheeks flushed.

"You're my roommate. And my friend. I'd like to think I know you pretty well."

Not well enough, Ai thought. He knew the second he met the older teen that he was engrossed. He suspected Rin was as a well, but it was too difficult to judge for sure. Rin was far too invested in Haruka, yet skipped over "Aiichiro" for the decidedly more intimate "Ai." It even meant-

"Crap!" Rin's yell tore Ai from his thoughts. "That's the train! Hurry up, Ai!"

The boy sprinted after both the locomotive and his friend, but neither boy had the speed to catch their ride back to school. Ai grasped his knees and panted as Rin glossed over the timetable. "Next one isn't for twenty minutes. Damn!" he swore, kicking the sign in frustration.

Ai glanced around the platform. Save from themselves and the benches, the glow of the vending machine revealed nothing. They were alone.

Rin leaned against the chain-link fence, breathing deeply. "Need some water, senpai?"

The redhead brushed away the offer with his hand. "Guess we'll be here awhile, though, so maybe a snack?" He yanked the cellophane-wrapped cookies from his pocket and tossed one at Ai. "Make sure you don't eat the fortune."

Ai carefully opened the plastic, revealing the crispy treat inside. He broke the cookie in half and unfurled the paper.

Then he froze.

. . .

"Seriously, Ai, are you OK? You haven't moved in over a minute," Rin questioned, worry creeping into his voice.

Ai's pupils flicked between the paper and Rin. It's just not possible. Not. Possible.

Yet there he was, face just inches from the other's, Rin's hands on his shoulders. "I…"

Seize it.

Ai used his remaining control to push himself forward, cookie shattering on the ground.

I like the character interactions in this one. Feel very natural.

Tomorrow- Makoto realizes that Haru isn't as dense as he once thought.

Also: I wrote this for a friend who is partial to Sourin instead, so here's a deleted scene, left out to make it more ambiguous to her tastes.

When Ai backed away, his fingers continued to trace Rin's defined cheekbones. Rin, in response, smirked.

"Heh. Not bad at all, Ai. But you need more practice..."