A/N: Hey guys! This is my response to there just not being enough Haru fanfiction out there. I sort of tried to move out of my normal writing style here, and I'm not sure how I feel about this versus how I usually write. Let me know what you think; all reviews are appreciated!

"Haruka, I –"

"Don't call me that," he muttered in his flat voice, earning himself a frustrated sigh.

"Haru, I just want you to know that you can always talk to me about what's on your mind."

Haru looked up and nodded once. "Okay."

She frowned at him, her fingers stilling in his raven hair. "Haru…"

His eyes found her bright amber ones before noting the frown weighing down the corners of her lips. "I don't…"

"It's fine," she mumbled, her fingers resuming their travels through his hair. She tried to lose herself in the way he smelled; chlorine, pineapple and something distinctly Haru. "I get it."

"Kei-"

"Haru."

He frowned, sitting up from his position leaning against her on his couch. She didn't look upset, but there was a clip in her voice that told him otherwise. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off, "Don't worry about it. Just… focus on what you need to focus on to succeed at regionals."

She stood from the couch, grabbing her backpack from its resting place beneath his coffee table. The brunette swung it over her shoulders and began heading for the door. Haru followed her, catching her wrist as she reached for the doorknob.

"Kei, I can't tell you what I'm thinking if I don't know myself."

"You're missing my point, Haruka," she said. The glistening moisture in her eyes prevented him from correcting her. "I am here to listen to you, to help you whenever I can. When you're feeling down, I want you to let me help you back up. I… want you to trust me."

"I trust you," he muttered, his free hand cupping her cheek. His lips descended on hers in a chaste kiss that she didn't return. The swimmer pulled away, tucking a lock of curly hair behind her ear.

"Only as far as Rei can backstroke," she muttered before quickly turning and slipping out the door. When it shut with a soft snap, Haru raised a hand to grasp at his bangs in frustration.

Kei was his childhood friend, now his girlfriend, and he couldn't have asked for anyone better to have by his side. She was quiet and reserved, intelligent and thoughtful. She understood all of his quirks, and accepted them. They didn't always need to talk, and he felt at ease with her. She was like the water; he longed for her presence whenever there was something wrong, when he needed to free his mind. She was a constant in his life, steady and unchanging. He could rely on her for everything. But he still hadn't figured out how to open up about his feelings to her.

Most of the time, Kei just knew what he was thinking and how he was feeling. But he felt so lost after prefecturals and everything that had happened with Rin, even he didn't know what he was feeling. She could tell that there was something wrong, and had been trying all afternoon to draw it out of him, but to no avail. He knew it was frustrating her, but was at a loss on how to fix it.

The teen made his way to his bathroom, pulling off his clothes as he went. He needed to sit in the bathtub.

It had been four days and things had continued as normal with Kei. They held hands in the hallways between classes, she kissed him before he headed to swim practice, and she texted him later in the evening to see how the team was progressing and to wish him a goodnight. He picked her up in the mornings before school, greeting her with a kiss, he still replied to her texts, wishing her a pleasant night's sleep. But nothing felt like normal. There was a distance between them, and Haru didn't know what that meant.

"Have a good practice," said Kei, standing up on her toes to reach his lips. After the brief kiss, she moved to turn away, but Haru's fingers laced with hers. She turned, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Can we talk?"

The brunette nodded slowly. The halls were deserted save them, so Haru asked, "Are you angry with me?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Then what's wrong?"

Her eyes broke away from his, staring unseeingly down the hall. "Nothing, Haru."

He was silent for a beat before stating, "You're lying."

She gave him a warm smile that didn't touch her eyes. Ocean blue eyes found exhaustion and sorrow in her amber orbs. Her hand rose to gently cup his cheek. "Please, Haru, just focus on regionals and getting your friend back."

He looked at her with widened eyes. Was that what he wanted? For things to return to how they once were between himself and Rin? She gave him another knowing smile and her fingers slid down over his skin, her hand dropping to her side. Kei moved and walked a few steps down the hall before Haru caught her again. He buried his face in the nape of her neck.

"I'm sorry, Kei."

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" the chanting of his teammates and friends in the bleachers rang in his ears each time he turned his head for air. His hand slapped the concrete wall and he surfaced, gasping for breath. The stadium had erupted with noise, and his eyes moved to the scoreboard. They won.

A small smile twitched at his lips and he looked up at the faces of his friends. Rin extended his hand, and he took it, allowing the other teen to help haul him out of the pool. No sooner had he emerged from the water, he found himself engulfed in the arms of his teammates.

"Go, go, Makoto! Go, go, Nagisa! Go, go, Rin! Go, go, Haru!" his friends continued to cheer. He turned his head in the direction he knew they were sitting. They were on their feet, posters waving wildly, and smiles splitting their faces. Except for Kei, who, even from a distance away, looked sad despite her clapping and cheering.

"Haru, that was the best sight you could have ever shown me," Rin said, drawing his attention back.

Haru gave his friend a small smile, his hand unconsciously moving over his heart. He was happy to have been able to swim for his team again.

Kei sighed when she heard the knock at her door. She opened it, revealing her boyfriend standing there in his Iwatobi t-shirt. She stepped to the side, allowing him to come in. In all honesty, she was surprised he had knocked. They had long since stopped the pleasantry when entering each other's home.

They had barely made it to her bedroom when his hands found her shoulders. She looked up at him, his tall, lean figure towering over hers. "Why are you sad?"

Her chest tightened painfully. "I'm fine, Haru."

"Please stop lying to me," he muttered, wrapping her up in his arms. She turned her head to the side, listening to the steady beating of his heart. He rested his head atop hers, one hand coming up to bury itself in her hair, cradling the back of her head.

Kei stood still in his arms, her heart beating a bruise into her chest. "Haru, please just drop it."

"I can't drop it. We're… not the same anymore." The girl pulled away, turning from him so he wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes. He didn't move to touch her this time. Slowly, he asked, "Are we… breaking up?"

She whipped around to look at him, shocked eyes wide and spilling tears. "I don't want to."

His body visibly relaxed and an expression of relief crossed his face. "Then let's fix things."

The couple soon found themselves seated on the step of the shallow end of Kei's pool. The pool was the reason Haruka had originally sought her friendship, and had become a special place for them. They bonded there as kids, and she had confessed to him there. It was where they kissed for the first time, where they both felt the most at ease.

Kei pulled her knees up to her chest, her arms locking around her legs. Her chin rested atop her knees. Haru's legs dangled over the edge of the step, and his eyes scanned over the water. He turned to her then, noting the way she had curled up around herself. It had been a long time since she had seemed so shy and closed off with him.

"Kei, why are you sad?" he asked again. "Ever since you left my house that day, at school, at regionals… you haven't been yourself. You've felt… far away."

"I've had a lot on my mind, I guess," she muttered, sitting up slightly. Haru used the opening to place a hand on her knee. His thumb stroked slowly across her skin, coaxing her to continue. "Ever since you found out that you were going to be racing Rin in prefecturals, you've been pulling away. It just got worse after you guys won a spot at regionals."

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his eyes falling from hers. The way he had been feeling lately, she must have been feeling for weeks.

"I understand, Haruka," she replied earnestly. "I get that things were hard. You quit swimming because of what happened with Rin in middle school, and you had to face that guilt again. You had to sort through how you felt about your friend who seemed to regard you only as a rival. You had to discover why it is you swim in order to make sense of everything and to remind Rin of why you were such great friends. I just… wish you had let me help you."

Pink dusted his cheeks as he turned his head away from her. "I'm sorry. I just… don't know how."

"You just talk. Tell me what you're thinking. I know it's something you aren't used to but… you weren't used to being physically close to people, remember? Now look."

His eyes widened slightly at her words. She was right. There was a time when the thought of sitting so close to her, his fingers gently skimming up and down her shin would have made him uncomfortable. And it was nearly unimaginable to think that he would love the feeling of holding her against him, or that he could fall asleep leaning on her, his head cradled between her chest and her hand as her fingers ran through his hair.

"I just wish sometimes that…" she cut herself off, shaking her head.

"Kei?"

She gazed up at him with eyes that were once again watery, and cheeks which were flushed scarlet. "I wish that we had the special sort of bond you have with Rin."

"W-what?" he stuttered, blinking in surprise.

"I have been sad because I've missed you and I am jealous of Rin. I have always been jealous of Rin."

"Why?"

"Ever since we were kids, he has been the person closest to you, Haru."

Haru frowned, and said, "Rin is a friend who is special to me, but, Kei, there's no reason to be jealous of our friendship. You and Rin have always been my best friends."

"But Rin-"

"Rin is Rin so he is my best friend. But you are Kei, and I love you, and nobody will ever compare with that."

Kei looked up at him, her lower lip trembling. "H-Haru?"

"I love you, Kei, and I am sorry that I made you feel like that."

"I love you, too, Haruka. Thank you for convincing me to talk."