IkuHaru

IkuHaru is the slash ship between Ikuya Kirishima and Haruka Nanase from the Free! fandom.

Dive to the Future
SPROUTING DIVE START!

As Haru, Asahi, Makoto and Ikuya are sitting in a cafe looking through Asahi’s photo album, they find a picture of Ikuya. Makoto explains to Asahi where Ikuya went after middle school, while Haru looks at the photo sadly. The other’s then begin to talk about the new comers tournament, but Haru barely listens, and stares at the picture of Ikuya instead.

Later, back in his apartment, Haru begins to think of the relay race that he did with Ikuya, Makoto and Asahi in middle school. They had come in third which had upset all of them. As they talk about the relay, Ikuya says that they need to practice more. Haru assures him that they will, so that they can win next summer’s tournament. Asahi and Makoto begin to talk about a possible training camp as Haru watches on. Ikuya looks over at Haru instead of the other two. Haru notices, which seems to cause Ikuya to become embarrassed as he looks away shyly. Haru continues to stare at Ikuya, despite this. Back in the present Haru feels sad as he sinks himself below the surface of his bath.

At the newcomer's tournament, Haru walks with Asahi after their race. He looks ahead of him and see’s Ikuya walking by. Time seems too slow and Haru stops. Asahi asks what’s wrong but Haru doesn’t answer. Just simply saying, Ikuya.

A PROMISE ON A SHOOTING STAR!

Asahi turns and see’s Ikuya, and he and Haru head after him, but they lose him.

During the relay in middle school they’re relay team was losing, but once Haru gets in the water they seem to have a chance. Ikuya stares at Haru in awe, and cheers him on along with the rest of the team. A couple of days later the team sneaks up on Haru while he’s sleeping, and announce that they’re going to do a training camp at school.

When Haru gets out of the water, Makoto points out that Ikuya is swimming freestyle, much to everyone’s surprise. That night, the four of them sleep in the school. Haru awakens in the middle of the night, seeing that Ikuya is no longer there. He walks out to the pool and see’s Ikuya sitting on the edge and looking up at the sky. Haru walks over and asks what he’s doing, startling the other boy. Ikuya says that he was looking at the meteor shower. He asks if Haru has ever wished on a star. Haru says that he hasn’t, since people have to make their dreams come true themselves. Ikuya says that’s a very Haru answer. Haru asks why Ikuya was swimming freestyle, Ikuya says that he was inspired by Haru’s freestyle at the tournament and wants to swim like him. Haru doesn’t want Ikuya to copy and believes he should swim his own way. Ikuya vows to become better at freestyle and leans into Haru intensely. He wants Haru to have a freestyle race with him someday. Haru stares at him a moment before agreeing. The two then look up to the meteor shower. Ikuya puts his hands together and makes a wish on one of them. Haru asks what he wished for, but Ikuya just smiles at him before saying that it’s a secret.

In the present Haru and Asahi look through the locker room for Ikuya, but can’t find him. Asahi begins to wonder if it was actually him. Haru insists that it was. Along with Kisumi they begin to look through the program to find Ikuya’s name. Haru is confused as too why Ikuya is swimming and IM instead of relays. They go over to where his teammate’s are but are unable to find him.

Ikuya is in the locker room and begins to think back to swim practice in middle school. He see’s Haru swimming and decides to work hard. Both Makoto and Haru notice how hard he’s working today. When practice is over, Ikuya decides to swim some more. Haru watches him swim. Ikuya then passes out and Haru dives in to save him. When Ikuya wakes up in the hospital, Makoto tells him that Haru was the one that saved him. Ikuya thanks him, Haru is just happy to see that Ikuya is okay. A few days later the two are at the pool. Ikuya says he’s sorry, since the rest of the team couldn’t practice because of him. Haru says it’s okay, but Ikuya know that this mean they won’t get to swim for the rest of the summer. Haru tells him that they just have to wait a bit longer to reach their goal. Ikuya vows to get stronger by next summer, and holds out his pinkie to Haru. He asks for him to have a freestlye race with him next summer, and Haru promises to do so. Back in the present Ikuya looks down at his pinkie remembering the promise.

As Haru and the other’s watch Ikuya swim, they notice how similar his freestyle is too Haru’s. When the race finishes Haru tells them that Ikuya had wanted to get better at free in middle school. They then raced down to the locker room hoping to catch Ikuya. They don’t find him, which disappoints Haru. As Haru is heading back to the newcomer's tournament and Ikuya is returning to the restaurant, they head up onto a bridge and start walking towards one another. The two both stop when they see the other. They both say the other’s name quietly. Haru tells Ikuya that he he saw his IM. Ikuya wasn’t aware that Haru was there, and didn’t see him swim. Haru asks why he did an IM instead of a relay, but Ikuya doesn’t care, since he can still swim alone. Haru is taken aback for a moment. He then apologizes for quitting the swim team in middle school without saying anything. He’s about to explain why, when Ikuya interrupts him, since it doesn’t bother him. Since it’s in the past. Hiyori then interrupts them, saying that Ikuya’s tired so he should take him home. He starts to leave Ikuya away, Ikuya giving Haru a slight lingering gaise. Haru reaches out his hand and slightly calls out to Ikuya, but he is ignored.

Haru meets the other’s at the cafe, where he tells them about his run in with Ikuya. As they discuss going to go visit him at his college, Haru looks over at the picture of them with Ikuya in middle school. He turns aways from it and looks down at the table.

FIRST SWIM IN ANOTHER COUNTRY!

As Haru listens to the results of the tournament, he thinks back to the day before, when he ran into Ikuya. Later he meets up with Makoto and Asahi to discuss what to do about seeing Ikuya again. The three realize how little they know about Ikuya in the process. The three then all go to Ikuya’s University to look for him.

INTERFERENCE OF LOSS!

Haru, Makoto and Asahi start by looking at the pool for Ikuya but he's not there since there's no practice. They walk out and run into Ikuya’s teammate, Tereshima. Haru tells Tereshima that they’re here to see Ikuya, and asks if they know where he is. They are eventurally able to convince Tereshima to tell them where Ikuya is.

Haru, Makoto and Asahi all look through the windows of the pool, when Hiyori shows up. He asks what they’re doing here. Asahi responds that they’re here to see Ikuya, which annoys Hiyori. He asks Haru if he remembers how busy he told him Ikuya was. Haru knows that there’s no practice today, and insists on seeing Ikuya. Hiyori eventually gives in and asks that they at least wait till after training is over. Haru looks over Hiyori angrily as he does.

They three go to the cafeteria, to decide on what to say when they see Ikuya. Haru wants to talk to him about the training camp that they had in middle school. Haru tells them about the conversation he had with Ikuya that night, and how Ikuya wanted to have a freestyle race with Haru the following summer, and him wishing on a shooting star, but never knowing the wish.

The three walk to the pool again, where they run into Hiyori. Haru asks if they’re allowed to see Ikuya now, but Ikuya had left practice early since he wasn’t feeling well. Makoto suggests that they could go check on him, but Hiyori tells them that they should really mind their own business. Asahi asks what Hiyori even is to Ikuya. Hiyori says that he’s his best friend. Haru asks if he knows about the three of them. Hiyori says that Ikuya told him a bit about them. How they were his teammates but broke up before their second year of middle school. Haru says that they want to apologize to Ikuya for that and for not fulfilling his promise to race Ikuya. Hiyori says that Ikuya doesn’t remember the promise anyway, and believes that he doesn’t need people who are weak as his friends. Haru becomes angry and challenges Hiyori to a race. Hiyori thinks its a good idea, with Ikuya’s friendship on the line. Before they can officially agree, Makoto says that he’ll swim against Hiyori instead.

When Hiyori arrives at the pool, Haru says that they thought he wasn’t coming. Hiyori says that he always keeps his promises, unlike Haru. Haru is taken aback by his accusation, but Hiyori ignores it in favor of asking Makoto to start the race, which Hiyori wins. Hiyori tells them that after Ikuya went to America he almost drowned just like he did back in Japan. He tells Haru that he’s heard a lot about him. There is a pattern of those who swim with him, they normally end up suffering. Haru starts to believe that this is true as he thinks back to both Rin and Ikuya. Hiyori then walks away. Makoto turns to Haru, trying to get his attention, but Haru just stares on in shock.

Dive to the Future
First Swim in Another Country! Interference of Loss!
 * When Hiyori starts to bring up Haru, Ikuya tell him to drop it
 * Ikuya knows that Hiyori talked to Haru and the other’s today
 * Haru is looking over footage from the last race with his team, when he see’s Ikuya in the IM
 * Ikuya reads the little mermaid, and begins to think about what he became, and wonders if it was worth giving up his friendships to obtain it.

Fanon
Shipping between the two began at the start of Free! Dive to the Future. The second episode mostly focused on the two's past as well as a subplot of Haru trying to find Ikuya. This fueled shippers.

Fandom
AO3

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Trivia

 * Both have tendency to wonder about the possibility of being ordinary
 * Ikuya was effected emotionally when Haru quit swiming, given how much he dreamed of racing him
 * Both Sousuke and Kisume have remarked on how similar their freestyle's are