manubibi | [FREE!] Oh, I think that I found myself a cheerleader

Titolo: Oh, I think that I found myself a cheerleader
Fandom: Free!
Personaggi: Nagisa Hazuki/Haruka Nanase
Genere: romantico, fluff
Avvertimenti: future!fic, crossdressing, in inglese, established relationship
Parole: 1017
Note: fic per la challenge "Fallo Felice Fest"! I miei prompt dati dallo Slackbot (<3) erano: "01. Fai felice il Natale scrivendo o disegnando fluff!" e "11. Fai felice Abilene del COW-T 5: un bel fanwork con del crossdressing!", e ho deciso di scrivere una cosa che li condensasse entrambi. È una sciocchezuola, ma non mi capita spesso di divertirmi a scrivere ormai, quindi... sì, ecco, ne è valsa la pena di fare tutto di corsa oggi per postare XD

When Haru mumbled sleepily with his face half buried in the pillow last night, his eyes closed, and called Nagisa "my cheerleader", he definitely had not expected such a thing to happen. Then again, this is Nagisa. In hindsight, him having an idea like this would have been a logical foresight.
Because in the end, some days Haruka thinks his boyfriend must be paid under the desk by someone - possibly Makoto? - to be this cheerful and supportive despite him having his own life and problems to think about. Adult life took their time and gave them independence back, it stole precious words only scattered through messages or phone calls, made them run around in circles for months as they settled in Tokyo, and the city stressed them out to the point that once Haru found Nagisa in tears on the floor, wailing that he wanted to go home, while he himself was feeling the same, but was unable to hug Nagisa, sit by him on the dirty dusty old carpet and just allow himself to weep like a child as well. Instead, he simply left and swam it out, to each their own way to deal. At that time, their experience in the city had seemed to be on the verge of ending, Nagisa for sure was feeling like simply giving up, letting his story branch into another one.
And yet, now Nagisa seems to have gotten used to the pulse of their new life, almost all kinds of challenge, even when they keep him up at night on a book or make him work until he doesn't even have the strength to eat, let alone walk.
And Haru, he works himself exhausted every day at the pool, working his body almost too much to get better, and better, and better until... he is not even sure he knows whether he should look at the next Olympics or wait it out for the ones after. He knows Rin is hell bent on going at the next ones, even though some days it feels like he's saying that so that Haru will go, and they'll motivate each other endlessly, so that sort of settles it sometimes. Some days, he doubts it all, he tip-toes along the edge of whether this is really his dream, but that is such a slippery slope that, for his own health, he avoids it entirely. Sometimes the thought of diving pokes at his mind, too, but it would probably require too many technicalities that he is not willing to put himself through. After all, he still swims free.

Anyway, Nagisa. Nagisa, currently, is bouncing on his toes, with a strand of golden hair tucked behind his own ear somehow, his shoes tapping on the floor as some things in his hands make a flapping sound and agitate the air in front of his face.
"H-A-R-U C-H-A-N!" He spells out loudly, with his trilling, bubbly voice that echoes briefly in their little - filled up with pink and round things, of course - room, while his arms wave around and he kicks his feet softly in alternating hops with a giant smile on his face. On him, a white outfit made of a tee with black stripes descending across his chest - where, apparently, breasts are supposed to be, and it's funny because for a second the idea that he might have borrowed a girl's outfit sounds funny in Haruka's mind -, and a simple, short black skirt that seem to be exactly his size, with wide fringes. He must have wiggled into them somehow, and yet he looks absolutely comfortable, even when skipping, little tap taps on the floor punctuating the rhythm that must be in his head.
"What are you doing?" He asks, not sounding blunt just because he is too surprised for it. Nagisa giggles softly, and he sighs making little dimples appear on his cheeks.
"Well, you said I was your cheerleader, and I thought it would be a great idea to dress like one," he explains. "Do you like it?" He adds, twirling on the spot, wobbling a little, and chuckling. "Woops."
"... Yeah," Haru replies, with a little, almost impossible to see, blush on his cheeks. He is almost twenty-two, the fact that Nagisa can still disarm him by just shaking his pom-poms in the air like an overly-excited child is quite surprising. Or maybe it's the curve of his butt. Or the awe at seeing him so energetic after an entire morning spent studying... although he suspects maybe today Nagisa spent a little less time at his desk and a little more putting together this outfit.
Nagisa smiles again, and hugs Haruka like he had just replied, "I do".
"Ah, I hoped so! I really wanted to surprise you," Nagisa chirps, and then looks down at himself. "Yeah, this looks cute indeed," he decides with a cheeky look and then a laughter. "Can I come like this at the next race?"
How is that even a question? Haru should really say no, that he cannot, that it's not appropriate, but Nagisa is giving him a big, pleading magenta look and how can he say no to that? Really, it's near to impossible.
"... Yeah, fine, suit yourself," he mutters.
Nagisa's little squeal makes the corners of his mouth tilt just slightly upwards, but his face morphs to a small frown when he sees the other turn around to go take it all off.
"Where are you going?" He asks, almost running after him. After all, Nagisa looks really good like that.
"Well, I was going to take it off..." Nagisa mumbles, giving off an odd, almost upsetting, weird vibe.
"Why? You look good," Haruka replies, staring and blinking with those big blue eyes of his, telling Nagisa more than words are needed for. He likes it. He appreciates it, and the effort, and from now on there is going one more memory carried along with them, it will be one tiny spark made alive, maybe, by seeing cheerleaders somewhere.
Nagisa looks back, slowly melting again into a sheepish smile.