Free! Fanfiction
Kyoto Animation's swimming anime about Haruka Nanase, a boy who only swims free, and the childhood friends and rivals pulled along in his wake. One of the defining sports anime fandoms of the 2010s, its AO3 presence is overwhelmingly ship-driven: Haru/Makoto's wordless lifelong intimacy, Haru/Rin's chlorine-soaked rivalry, and Rei/Nagisa's comic devotion. Expect poolside pining, relay-team-as-family feelings, and futurefic following the boys to Tokyo and international competition.
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What is Free! fanfiction?
Free! fanfiction is fan-created stories set in the Free! universe. With over 35,000 works on Archive of Our Own, Free! is one of the most popular fandoms in the fanfiction community.
These stories explore beloved characters like Haruka Nanase, Makoto Tachibana, Rin Matsuoka, Nagisa Hazuki, and many more. Writers create everything from short one-shots to epic novel-length adventures, exploring relationships, alternate universes, and "what if" scenarios.
Most Popular Free! Fanfics
These are the highest-rated Free! stories on AO3, ranked by kudos from readers.
i thee wed
by sauntering_down
kink meme prompt: So, when they were younger, Mako and Haru "got married." Fast forward to high school. Maybe Makoto is being flirted with/asked out and Haru pretty much states Makoto is already happily married.'“But – I can’t be the bride!” Makoto exclaimed, waving his arms wildly – the ring went
seen everything there is to be shown
by sauntering_down
Kink meme prompt: Rin has a nightly visitor in his dorm room. They don't notice that Nitori is very much awake on the top bunk of the bed and listening to everything that's going on below him.'Perhaps he should set up a throwaway email address and anonymously send Rin a link to the Amazon page for t
Miscellaneous
by Thisisforthebest
Haikyuu!! and Free! Iwatobi swim club various character/female reader one-shots and threads I make to improve my writing and indulge my fantasies.No Beta We Die Like Men!(Unfortunately I do not own Free! or Haikyuu!!)
Future Earth, Future Sky
by Inky
The first time Makoto Tachibana laid his eyes on Sousuke Yamazaki was the day they had the relay race at the Splash Fest!, and it wasn’t anything special.
A Momentary Itch
by meiface
Haru keeps borrowing Makoto's clothes. It’s not a big deal except for how Makoto is losing his mind.
but loving him was red
by sauntering_down
Kink meme prompt: One day at a relay or at practice, something goes wrong and Rin gets injured or falls unconscious in the pool. Haru is the first one to dive in after him, even before his own teammates. 'His feet move automatically and suddenly he’s sprinting for the opposite end of the pool, disre
This part of us will never change
by ghostly
Haruka and Makoto have known they were truemates since childhood. Things were so natural between them that Haru hardly even thought about it; that is, until Makoto started talking to Kisumi again.
Catch A Falling Star
by hoshruba
“Oh, darling, do you remember… what was his name? Makoto, was it?” Haru freezes in place, his breath catches in his windpipe like cloth on brambles. He feels Makoto stifle a gasp and try to shrink into himself. “I asked if you ever saw him again.”
Dead Reckoning
by furiosity
In which Tachibana Makoto could do with a little less introspection and a little more faith.
2 / 13189000
by tide (tothemoon)
Even with all of Tokyo’s new acquaintances, classmates, near-strangers, and neighbors, Haruka and Makoto will choose each other.
for the soul
by jollypuppet
Written for the Free! kink meme. Makoto gets sick and loses his voice, and Haruka speaks for him for once.
You Smiled Because You Knew
by damaskino
Rin's a florist, and Haru's an art student who keeps coming to his flower shop. Rin has no idea what to make of it.
Had we but world enough, and time
by anditwasstinky (thewicked)
It all starts when Makoto drowns.
Dead Even
by novembersmith
”So it is that ‘dead even’ means that two people or things aren’t just close in a competition. In fact, there is no way to separate them.” AKA, a competition in stamina. AKA AKA, shameless porn.
Frenzied
by Thesis
"I don't want you to get married," Makoto breathes into his mouth, sad and desperate, barely fitting the words in between wet, messy kisses. Haruka just pushes their mouths together harder, pulling the taller boy closer by the shirt.
Main Character Syndrome (With Exceptions)
by The_Ravenclaw_Werewolf
THIS IS NOT A ONE-SHOTS FANFIC!Each anime protagonist, and a few favorites, are all brought together to watch each of the lives laid out before them. And along the way they will learn new skills, discover more about themselves, and make new friends.LISTED ANIMES BECAUSE OF AO3 TAG LIMIT:Cowboy Bebop
The Ordinary Life
by Ad_Astra
At the end of their first year of living together, Haruka thinks that cohabitation isn’t exactly what he thought it would be. It’s better.
Your Protector
by teke
Never give up on someone you can't go a day without thinking about.Haru has social anxiety, a stutter, and can't seem to catch a break. Makoto is a college student/barista who wants more than anything to be there for Haru. Only, this isn't a perfect world.
The Mating Habits Of Snails
by Shimegami
De-anon from the kink meme.Makoto and Haruka have been dancing around each other for fucking forever. It wouldn't be so bad but Rin's come back after five years and it's still the same, and doesn't look to be changing any time soon, which is just sad. So, for his own sanity, he's going to do somet
it's disgusting (how i love you)
by wino (thimble)
"Nitori, be ready to call an ambulance," Tall Redhead smirked as Other Redhead pushed the croissant out to eat it. He rolled his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and took a bite.Haru stiffened, and the rest of the shop seemed to wait with baited breath.Other Redhead chewed contemplatively,
Free! Fanfics by Length
Pick a reading commitment — from one-sitting one-shots to 100k+ epics:
Best Free! Fanfic Rec Lists
Popular Free! Ships
MakoHaru
Tachibana Makoto/Nanase Haruka
Childhood neighbors who communicate in glances, Makoto reads Haru's silences so fluently he answers questions nobody heard asked. Their one real fight — about futures diverging after graduation — is the franchise's emotional climax, resolved by choosing to grow in sight of each other.
14,000 works →
RinHaru
Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka
Rin came back from Australia broken and turned a childhood relay into a feud, but it's also Rin who drags an aimless Haru to Sydney and hands him a future in swimming. The series runs on their cycle of rivalry, rupture, and racing each other free.
12,000 works →
SouRin
Yamazaki Sousuke/Matsuoka Rin
Sousuke transferred to Samezuka for one final year swimming beside his childhood best friend, hiding a ruined shoulder that had already ended his career. His locker-room breakdown — and Rin's fury at being protected from the truth — gives the rival school its own devoted tragedy.
5,000 works →
ReiGisa
Ryugazaki Rei/Hazuki Nagisa
Nagisa recruited a track-team theorist who couldn't swim purely because his name sounded feminine like the others', then taught him that beauty includes belly-flops. The energizer rabbit and his beleaguered butterfly specialist are Iwatobi's resident double act and second-year heart.
4,000 works →
Common Free! Tropes
Popular Characters
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Free! fanfics are on AO3?
There are over 35,000 Free! fanfiction works on Archive of Our Own, making it one of the platform's largest fandoms.
What are the best Free! ships?
Popular Free! pairings include MakoHaru, RinHaru, SouRin. Each ship has thousands of dedicated stories exploring their relationship.
How can I read Free! fanfiction on my phone?
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