Free! - Gou Part 2

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Idk how I went from dispising author notes to adding them to every single update, but that's fine. Hope you enjoy.

I don't think that I tell you guys how much I appreciate you so, I really, really appreciate every last one of you. I don't know how some of you managed to stay with me for this long but you have and than you so much! It's been a long journey and I'm glad that some of you have been along for the ride. I love you guys and I'm always up for talking so message me if you want to. Thank you so, so much. And sorry you had to suffer through the earlier chapters.

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I swing my legs up, causing the swing set I am sitting on to start moving, just barely though. I place my hands in my lap and wait for her to show up.

I think about what Nagisa said to me before I came here, "be yourself," but myself is a monster. She'd run away in an instant if I showed her my true self. I can't have that, nope, not at all.

After a few nerve-wracking seconds, I hear footsteps approach me from behind, not knowing whether it is her or if it is a thug, I shoot up and turn around. Luckily for the both of us, it is Gou. She gives me a smile, pushes a few strands of hair behind her ear and speaks, "I am sorry I'm so late."

I check my watch to see what time it is, "You're only a minute late," I chuckle before I look over her. She looks gorgeous. She's wearing a beautiful dark purple dress that goes to her knees and tights to cover up her cold legs. Fall is ending soon, she really didn't have to wear all that. "You look beautiful," I say with the smallest of smiles that comes to my face so naturally.

She takes a glance down before looking back up at me almost as though she forgot that she put on this morning, "Thank you, you don't look too shabby yourself."

"Aren't you cold though?" I ask while not even waiting for a response before pulling my jacket off to hand it to her, "The movie, it's starting soon, we should get going."

She nods her head, takes the jacket from me, and comes by my side so we can head to the cinema. "You know," she starts, "I wasn't expecting you to ever ask me out like that."

"What do you mean? You knew I liked you."

"Well, yeah, but I mean more the way you did it. I thought you'd be super macho and ask me in the middle of class, but you dragged me to the side of the building and did it."

"I thought it'd be too awkward for you if we did it in front of our friends."

"I know," She hums, "and I appreciate it...though I do think you did it because you were scared I'd reject you."

"I was not," I hiss back, almost offended she'd think I would be scared. I'd have been heartbroken had she rejected me, but I wasn't scared she would. I'm scared that she'll end up hating me, though, "I was only being gentlemanly. Anyone would have done the same thing."

"Of course, of course...I wouldn't have been mad if you did do it in front of my friends. I'd have told you yes either way, though flowers would have been a nice touch."

"I'll be sure to bring flowers with me next time," I tell her.

She touches the back of her hand against mine before speaking, "I'd love that."

I don't respond. I don't because my mind starts to flood with one question, "do I grab her hand?" Nagisa never prepared me for this. He only told me to be myself. Something that I can't even do.

"Hand," I say as I lift mine up a bit, open with the palm facing upwards. The second the word exits my mouth J begin to panic. Why did I say that?!

She just gives me another smile before lifting her hand and intertwining her fingers together with mine. We held it in the air for a few seconds before we drop it down to our side.

The feeling of her small, soft hand in mine, it's so calming. I've always been this bruting, scary man, but under all of that, I've always wanted a friend other than Nagisa. Maybe this isn't quite the same thing, but having someone else to talk to is all I want. We have some time to go before I can open up to her, but I hope that I can and that she is the one. I truly do.

She gives my hand a good squeeze, "You've never gone on a date, huh?"

Without thinking I shake my head, but, once again, as soon as I say it I regret it. She probably thinks I'm so lame.

"I get it, you're kind of intimidating, you know. People fear you, I mean everyone!"

"Do you?" I whisper and though it's small and I can barely hear it she looks back at me as though she did hear me. A part of me hopes that she did hear me, but a bigger part hopes she didn't. If she answered yes what would I do? Apologize and go home? I don't want to scare her.

She lets another smile cross her lips, "Not me though," making it unclear whether she heard my question or not, "but since we're both close with Nagisa, I'm a lot closer to you than you are with others. Why is that by the way? Why don't you make new friends?"

"Because of (B/n) and (R/n)," I say, with a loud sigh, "they are all I have other than Nagisa and they don't have the best reputation. My first year, I got into a lot of trouble because of them. Lots and lots of fights. A lot of the old rumors still linger around about me, so friends are kind of hard to make for me."

"So you stick with them because that's all you got? That kind of sucks. You should really try making new friends."

I nod my head I agreement, "I should, but after (B/n) hurt Nagisa, I hang out with him just to make sure he doesn't do it again."

"You were really scary that day..." She mumbles, "I couldn't believe that Rin actually managed to get you out of it."

I look down at my feet for a second before looking back at her, "Me too. I'm usually...emotionless if you couldn't tell. When I feel anything it's typically anger, overwhelmingly so."

"But you like me? Isn't that an emotion?"

"Yes," I say as a smile crosses my lips and I look up at the cloudy sky, "and it shook my world. Every time I saw you, even now, my heart pounds so loudly. My head feels so dizzy. I feel like my body will give up on me at any second. I can barely breathe. It's a rollercoaster, but God is it the best rollercoaster I've ever been on."

"I didn't know you were so romantic," She giggles as we stop in front of the movie theater, "just so you know, I feel the same. Every time I look at you I just want to hug you to death. Every time I see you by yourself or with (B/n), I want to talk to you. I want to eat with you. I want to kiss you, right now."

"Yeah?" I ask as we turn to one another, "So do I."

We quickly press our lips together, if only for one second. We were very aware of the fact we are in public and very aware of the fact other people were around us. I hold onto her hand tight for a second before we both enter the theater to watch the movie.

--- random bonus brought to you by sleep deprivation and 3 am unfunny humor ---

"My poor little sister..." Rin cries with his knees held tight to his chest, watching the lovely pair from across the street in a bush.

Haru pats his back and Rei tries to calm him down while Nagisa fanboys over how "cute" his cousin can be.

"It's OK," Haru says.

"She's an adult after all," Rei adds.

Rei died of strangulation.

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