Work Text:
Weighing his options, there were few, preferable summer jobs available in a seaside town to pick from- and most involved some form of physical labor. Sweating away the months working road construction to fill in the assortment of potholes and paving streets worn by winter vacationers wear and tear, or being hard-pressed to find a patch of shade cutting endless miles of grass on a seater lawnmower for the local city department. So if he had to spend hour after hour outside during the day, why not enjoy the extended bouts of sunshine while getting a deep tan in the process. A collection of Eijun’s scattered thoughts as he attended the annual sign-ups for coast guard training.
Overjoyed that the fall and winter months had faded away. Keeping fit by training indoors working at the local pool teaching classes (even if he was a little bored out of his mind just watching out for fitness students and lane swimmers safety). Yet when the buds began to appear on the trees, showers of blossoms slowly raining from the sky, Eijun knew the time was almost upon him; sounds of the waves crashing against the shore filling his ears like promises during his frequent morning runs.
Growing up near the coast he spent his summers like many other neighborhood kids, biking around until exhausted during the day but being sure on sunny days to stop by the beach. Summer’s piercing, warm rays toasting his skin to a golden glow as Eijun ran through the sand for games of tag and volleyball. Hours spent watching the swirling waves dissipate as they crashed onto shore, the shouts of swimmers and surfers as they raced back and forth to and from the water.
Eijun’s craving for one job position in particular growing with each passing of the summer sun; the elevated sights from a guard chair along the shore.
He wasn't sure when he became fixated on becoming a lifeguard, enough determination stored to pass the various courses and exams along the way until he finally earned his needed certifications. Smiling right along with Haruichi and even moody Furuya as they made a pact to apply for coast guard training and jobs for the upcoming summer.
Focus kept at holding his overexcited urges at least somewhat in check, the trio all managing to pass their spring courses somehow (Eijun knowing Haruichi had assisted with more than his fair share of practice and studying).
Nervousness mixed in and shrouded by a layer of pure elation the first time he climbed the guard chair for an elevated view of the waves, trying not to let his wide smile get the best of him to blind everything else for the remainder of the day.
Now however, Eijun was used to the familiar sights of the sand and intense midday sun, along with the beach’s unique cast of characters it drew to its sunny shores.
A few of these so called ‘characters’ both a reason to continue to work at the beach, and in many other ways a case to run away screaming.
Chris was not one of those latter reasons.
In fact if anything, Eijun would lump his feelings more into a twisted mass of admiration, frustration, and wonder for the older man as he spent two summers watching him, elevated over the beach from his guard chair. Binoculars trained on the churning waves and masses of people having fun, watching for even the slightest sign of trouble in the ever-growing crowd.
Chris’ returned feelings were anything but the same, Eijun sticking to his side like glue on the beach. Questions shouted up to the tall chair, most ignored until Chris could no longer stand the endless chatter aimed at gaining his attention until they were answered.
“Stop for just five minutes Eijun, just five minutes and I guess I can give you a few tips once I’m done work…”
It was the day the unthinkable accident happened, Eijun captivated watching Chris sit tall and still while staring at the water. Eijun’s mouth going a mile a minute involuntarily until he noticed the twitch in Chris’ posture.
“Eijun, hold these for me until I get back!” The binoculars barely missing Eijun’s face as Chris vaulted down from the chair, piercing whistle sounding shrilly across the sand as the lifeguard sprinted towards the water.
Eijun frozen in place as he watched Chris dash out into the freezing water, buoy bobbing behind his swift strokes as he cut out deeper into the pounding surf. Eijun both in awe and in someways helpless to assist. Watching as Chris managed to throw the buoy right in front of a thrashing girl, reaching with his arm that had a prior history of injuries for the remaining unconscious swimmer.
Unconsciously, Eijun found himself at the water’s edge as Chris drew closer and closer towards shore until he carried the boy and assisted the girl to the edge of the water. Knowing to stay back as other staff arrived to assist, noticing the tinges of blue in fingers and feet as Chris went to work on the unconscious young boy. The boy’s... friend? Relative? Sister? Eijun couldn't be sure of their relationship, but he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks as everyone focused on the unconscious form lying on the sand.
Eijun could feel his own fingers going numb watching the scene, the crowd growing even more massive until a few retreated towards him. Jun, one of the other guards on duty leading along the little girl that Eijun recognized clinging to Chris in the water. Big, blue eyes lost as she constantly looked back over her shoulder towards the crowd of people now obstructing their view towards the water.
“Do you think my brother will be okay?” Looking down to see those eyes focused in his direction as Eijun took in the threat of tears behind her words, knowing he had to show faith in Chris’ abilities (and to soothe everyones racing nerves).
“There is no one I would trust more with your brother than Chris.”
Eijun suddenly knocked backwards from a solid weight against his legs, short arms connecting to wrap around his chilled skin. Reaching his own trembling fingers into locks of blond hair to try his best to soothe the wetness hitting his skin from the girl’s shaking shoulders.
It turned out – not even Chris could solve everything.
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Chris did manage to save the boy’s life that day, heart eventually beating and lungs restarted to take in air, but not before causing irrevocable brain damage. He would live, but not without life-long consequences – and Chris just couldn't forgive himself with the result.
Eijun found himself sharing his days with an entirely different person on the beach, Chris growing more quiet and withdrawn each day on duty. The guard only sharing the bare minimum of details to his fellow co-workers as he arrived and left each day. Gaze growing more disinterested, with Eijun trying his best to bring in new distractions and jokes each day to try and crack even one smile on Chris’ downcast face.
“It's not going to work Eijun, just like every other day it hasn't worked,” Chris’ dead-eyed stare growing even more despondent, “Try to focus instead on your own training instead of wasting your time on me.”
Chris ending the conversation by climbing down from his chair, Yuuki making his way over towards Chris to drop off a cold water, a clipboard, and a few choice words. Eijun glancing at the pair in passing as he made his way towards the water, knowing his things were safe with the other guards nearby.
“Eijun!” Yuuki’s voice reaching over the normal beach noise, “Take extra care today as the currents just outside the shore are extremely strong.”
Turning back to look over his shoulder at the guards before nodding in acknowledgement. Truthfully, he was far too melancholy himself lately, too much time spent trying to cheer up Chris rubbing off on his own psyche that maybe it was a good idea to take Chris’ advice… to spend more time focusing on himself and his own training.
Cold water hitting his toes shocking Eijun back to the present, taking in the waves crashing towards shore, surfers swimming out and chasing the waves back in with each new surge. His eyes following the small groups of swimmers close to shore in the chilly water, goosebumps climbing his limbs as he walked deeper into the water. Rolling his shoulders, stretching of limbs to slowly adjust to the temperature change before he fully swam out into the deeper water – heeding Yuki’s warnings to not stray too far from shore with the strong water currents. Finally feeling warmed up, muscles used to the water and sand scrunching underfoot as he looked out across the rolling waves.
“CHARLIE! Charlie where are you?”
Eijun’s head snapping towards the shore, a woman frantically calling amongst the groups of people on land and in the water, searching for someone. Turning his own eyes back to the water – chilled quickly to the bone by the pair of eyes staring back at him.
The first misconception to be dashed off of Eijun’s list early in his days spent at the beach, or in the pool, was just what a drowning person actually looked like in the water. All the television programs, movies that displayed prominent flailing arms and splashing water from a drowning person was a lie. There were no failing arms, no kicking legs trying to stay desperately afloat only – stillness… silence… pleading eyes begging for rescue before the water sucked them under with the rolling tide.
Images burned into his memory that came flooding back, pictures from the film playing out in front of Eijun’s eyes from the water – that of a young boy with a mouth forming a silent scream, eyes begging to be rescued from the cold.
Knowing that he could – he should swim to his rescue immediately, but looking back for confirmation to the shore… to a sight that froze Eijun in his tracks even colder than the water surrounding his limbs. Chris’ gaze not staring at him, but out into the depths of the water… straight into the wide-eyed gaze of the boy gasping for air as the swirling waves tried to take him down.
It was like all of the stories Eijun had heard from others about time seeming to stand still, coldness melting to a numbness as his heart decided on the course of action it should take in the face of many different paths, watching as the rescue buoy slipped from Chris’ fingers to send a spray of sand into the air. Fear so evident in the guard’s eyes, staring completely past Eijun to mirror the boy’s motions of struggling for air; Chris instead struggling for action against his limbs paralyzed by the past.
He only had moments to act before disaster would be the likely conclusion, Eijun turning his attention from Chris to the boy slowly drifting ever further away from the shore. Feet firmly pushing off soft sand to drive into the cold water and propel him towards the boy slowly drifting away.
“ORA!!!”
A splash startling Eijun from his swift strokes as a flash of red landed perfectly (just avoiding striking him in the head) in the waves, knowing Jun’s voice from his regular screaming matches with the other guards while hanging around Chris’ tower during the day, not having even a moment to spare to look back towards the shore.
Managing somehow to slip the strap around his shoulder as Eijun pulled his body through the swift waves, seeming to reach the boy’s slow moving arms in no time at all. Eijun shifting to push the buoy ahead with his foot the closer he inched to the boy in the water, all of his training kicking in to assist at the last moment in the chilly water.
“Grab on and I'll pull you back to shore!” Watching as fear dissolved to hope as small arms clung onto the floating buoy, the boy’s chest heaving a little as he became more settled and Eijun felt safe enough to move in closer.
“It's okay and I'll pull you back in quickly, but is there anyone else out here with you?” A shiver running down Eijun’s spine at just how strong the water was curling around his feet. Cold beginning to creep up his back at the thought of anyone else trapped out in the water.
“No I was the only one… I didn't listen and went too far out into the water…” tears falling with the boy’s words.
“No need to cry. I’ll get you back to shore quickly, just hang on tight!” Eijun fighting the fear trapped in his throat, tension easing when the boy managed to show a slight smile. Waiting until his little arms were wrapped tightly around the buoy before turning back towards the shore.
Jun and Yuuki already crashing into the water to meet Eijun’s brisk pace, the trip back hardly taking any time at all before his feet were on soft sand. Using his built-up strength to support the boy who barely had enough left to stumble, let alone stand on his own once reaching the shore.
“We’ll take it from here Eijun.” Yuuki’s calm voice stated.
Jun reaching out to support the boy’s shoulder as Yuuki walked by their sides, silhouettes disappearing further inshore as Eijun caught a glimpse of Chris’ still frozen form. Tears just as frozen on Chris’ face; his pain finally overshadowed by a grateful smile and his eyes finally alight again with something that appeared to be almost like hope.
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Of course after Eijun’s little stunt he was treated with a chorus of yelling (mostly from Jun), a cascade of tears (mostly from the boy and his family), and some embraces from unexpected people (mostly Chris), while learning a wide variety of lessons that day. The most important - just how wonderful it was to be able to see Chris smile again.
Thanks to Eijun’s quick actions to get him out of the water, the boy recovered quickly. Raichi spending all of his free time from that moment forward following Eijun around the beach. His older brother Sanada apologizing for his loud and brash behavior to Eijun, but no one really minding the extra positive energy he infused during the day.
Chris becoming even more open, more welcoming as he watched Eijun blossom and take his knowledge to heart while observing him during the day. Arms and legs becoming even more toned and chiseled with the daily swim and run regimens suggested by Chris to help prepare his body for the gruelling schedule he would face with the upcoming summer training.
“Thank you Eijun for everything you've done.” Chris showering a rare moment of praise one morning while watching the sun rise.
Sweat pooling at Eijun’s brow every morning filled with training exercises and drills. Chris looking on with instruction and joining in on many of the drills, confidence slowly returning with a glow shining in his eyes as they worked together. Mornings slowly growing shorter as the days grew hotter inching towards the promise of summer. Bringing along with it the returning crowd of college students on break, and high school students spending their extra time catching the best waves early in the morning at the beach.
One of those early mornings quite unlike any other Eijun had experienced.
He was used to being the first body pounding the sand up and down the shore with his early morning sprints. Chris normally joining him later into his workout to stretch, or swim, or coach wherever he happened to be at that time in his routine, so it was a little shocking when one morning Chris was already standing at the shore staring into the surf and waving as two surfers emerged from the water.
Eijun catching a peel of the most obnoxious laughter he had ever heard as the pair jogged from the chilly water towards Chris, amusement melting away to a light shoving match and they started to egg each other on the further along they made it on to shore.
Shivers travelling down Eijun’s spine as two pairs of eyes caught his attention studying him intensely. A curl of desire flaring within Eijun at the surfer who was gorgeous from his very first glance. Steam evaporating off his well-toned muscles as he flexed to shift the surfboard he was carrying more evenly on broad shoulders; Eijun jumping and snarling in response at the smirk he faced when caught staring.
“Looks to me like you have a stalker Chris…” The man’s smirk growing even wider with his own secret joke.
Eijun feeling the hair prick on the back of his neck, a shiver rolling down his spine from just the look on the surfer’s face as he surveyed him from head to toe. Intuition kicking in of a warning, a sliver of just how important he would soon become in Eijun’s life – but not before a herd of insults and brashness came crashing in on him first.
“Oh, Eijun?” Chris turning in his direction with an expression that was a rare sight, even for Eijun who normally saw him on a daily basis. “He passed that stage long ago I’m afraid, now I'm pretty much stuck with him every morning – not that I mind too much… minus the volume of course.”
Red flaming his cheeks as he ran towards the group converged on the beach, briefly wondering about how much his hair was tousled by the wind from his run. Cheeks still stinging a little from the harsh sea breeze brushing against his lightly burned face from so many hours spent outside in the harsh rays during training.
“Hmm, we might be able to help with that… Kuramochi, are you still any good at training dogs?” The surfer’s irritating smirk growing somehow wider. Eijun feeling his rage building steadily higher from the attitude facing him from a person he didn't even know.
“Kazuya, do your best to keep that nasty personality of yours in check! He is a friend of Chris after all… that has to be worth something in your book.”
“Friends would be stretching the truth just a little-“ Chris’ face falling into a slight grimace as Eijun’s irritation only grew with the whole lot of them, “Student perhaps, even though I think he’s saved me now far more times than I'd like to admit.”
Eijun feeling his heart race with the rare praise, but not entirely at just Chris’ words alone; Kazuya sending shivers up his spine again with his looks alone, the kind that wanted to consume him whole and leave little else left.
“Well, we’d best get going and cleaned up before work as this guy takes forever to primp his hair.” The guy Eijun remembered as Kuramochi reaching for Kazuya’s strands before the spell was broken, gazes parting as Kazuya ducked to escape pinching fingers.
“See you later Chris-senpai,” those eyes back on Eijun for a brief moment, “Eijun. I’m sure we’ll see more of each other soon.”
Eijun finding himself staring after the pair as they finished with their goodbyes and waves, Kuramochi punching Kazuya none too lightly in the side as they walked down the stretch of beach towards the parking lot.
“Seems you made an impression with them,” Chris smiling almost too knowingly in Eijun’s direction before waving him over onto the beach.
“How do you know the both of them?” Eijun huffing on the jog over, accepting a bottle of water from Chris that he pulled out of his bag.
“We went to the same high school together, and pretty much grew up in the summers along the beach with those two spending every waking moment surfing while I was too busy speed swimming then taking guarding lessons. Get used to them, you’ll likely see them around a lot during the summer.” Eijun’s heart racing at the mere thought, those piercing eyes coming back to him from memory from only a few minutes ago. “However, you'd better get back to training if you want to keep that a reality.”
Chris taking off down the beach to squawked protests from Eijun trying to catch up to him, the cold surf splashing at their toes to announce the almost-start to summer.
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Summer blew into the bay with gorgeous weather, very few rainy days that some of the team were attributing to Eijun’s sunny nature earning him a new nickname or two along the way.
“Hey Sunshine Boy! I see you’re brining the great weather with you again today!”
“Sunshine Kid, you're just too happy for such an early morning…”
He felt right at home, still getting up early for his morning run before going over the day’s plan with the other guards in the daily morning huddle. Starting out in teams for the first few weeks until the new guards grew more comfortable with the different posts, with each location’s peculiarities and habits, until they could finally be split up into smaller groups.
The last place they were left alone was the most popular surfing spot, Diamond Point, one of the most erratic and producing some of the most vicious waves for hundreds of miles around, drawing in surfers of all stripes along the way.
Furuya had started the week in the chair, rescuing two people by halfway through his shift and showing signs early of wilting in the midday sun.
Haruichi was made of much stronger stuff, being short in stature not ever getting in his way as he competed on the beach with his older brother Ryousuke. Trying to pave his own way in fitting in with the guard crew.
Last of the new trainees was Eijun. Chris meeting him out on the shore to go over the day’s weather and notable events before taking off for his own post a little further down the beach.
“Haruichi relieves you at four pm. Keep a close watch today Sawamura, as there is a high probability of rip currents.” Chris reading from his schedule book he kept close at all times, keeping track of weather patterns, rescues, and supply orders among other things.
“Of course Chris-senpai, leave it to me!” Eijun full of stored energy, feeling there was nothing better than the rays of sun on his skin as he watched over the safety of the beach.
His first few weeks had been almost blissfully too quiet. A few girls playing tricks on him pretending to be drowning, giggling as soon as he was neck-high in the water near their sides only to stand up safely on the sand, earning an earful of shouting and anger that didn't last long until he earned their friendship (and the reward of staying dry in their presence).
There was also always a wandering child along the shore, but Eijun was so quick at spotting them. His long legs letting him sprint swiftly down the shore to catch up to any wandering child, before their mother or guardian came along to give them a light scolding and drag them away from the water’s edge.
Today’s assignment, minus the probability of the rough currents, appeared to be just as boring of a day. Groups of surfers used to the rough conditions passed to and from the waves, Eijun’s attention straying to them every once and a while before focusing back to the more shallow water with its groups of parents and children, looking for any signs of trouble.
His gaze scanning the water constantly, bringing up his binoculars on occasion to check farther away into the choppy water where the surfers frequented. Intuition alerting him something was off before he even caught the tail end of a monster wave rising above the rest of the water. He could see a pair of cheetah print shorts easily from his elevated position, a surfer he knew by sight clinging onto his board but appearing to be okay. Eijun felt his heart racing, palms starting to sweat as he looked around the open water for the person he was fairly certain would be by his side.
A flash of bright blue caught Eijun’s attention as the sun glinted off a stray surfboard floating in the water, his gaze drawn to the object gliding through the waves knowing a surfer shouldn't be far away- until he finally spotted him. A figure only growing smaller as they struggled against the waves, current showing its strength as it pulled them out swiftly into the deeper water.
‘That surfer - he's not coming up!’ He ran to grab his buoy hanging at the side of the tower, blowing his whistle and hitting the alert button for the backup guards on duty before racing towards the water. Making sure his gaze was fully on the bobbing person in the water as he ran along the shore. ‘I've got to hurry! He's really struggling and the current is dragging him out!’
“Hang on! I'm coming!” Eijun shouting out into the open surf as swimmers moved out of his way in the shallow water.
“HELP!” Eijun heard faintly from further out in the water as his body adjusted to the chilling surf and salty water, strokes strong and sure as he kept his eye on the struggling surfer to draw closer. Shoulders sinking as Eijun drew close enough just in time to support him from going under.
“It's okay, I have you now…” Eijun leaning his weight securely on the buoy under his arm, helping it to steady them so the swimmer could catch his breath over the pounding waves. A hand reaching down by the man to grimace in pain at a possible lower extremity injury. Eijun not fully realizing who he had safely in his arms until that familiar smirk hit him at full force once again.
“Ooh… sounds like some romance novel meeting speech. Here to sweep me off my feet?” A gasp going through the man’s body as he reached again for his leg, “Foot I guess I should say…”
‘He doesn't recognize me… I didn't think it had been that long, but maybe he hit his head falling off his board?’ Hand going to Kazuya’s head automatically to check for any bruises, bumps, or blood he might not even be aware of in the water.
“What in the world are you doing?” Kazuya going rigid at Eijun’s touch, wet strands carded through Eijun's fingers as he stopped to take in Kazuya’s wild eyes staring him down.
“Making sure you didn't hit your head falling off your board! You jerk…” Eijun thinking he whispered the last words soft enough to not be heard, hands withdrawing from the wet strands before they were grabbed again.
“Oh, it’s you. Sorry I couldn't recognize your voice at first when it isn’t either screaming or angry at me.” Kazuya’s laughter piercing even over the roar of the waves.
That laugh. The laughter that clung to Eijun’s skin, and sucked underneath to his ribs, his heart- before lodging itself permanently there. I need to stay in the present, clear my head and get us both out of here.
“Can you kick at all Kazuya or where exactly are you hurt?” Eijun keeping Kazuya’s body firmly supported against his own in the harsh waves.
“It's my left side all the way down to along my leg. I slammed into something hard, whether it was my board… or a rock hiding in the water… but it just burns. If it wasn't for you right now, I really don't know what would have happened. That and I'm as blind as a bat without my glasses, which I hope makes up for not recognizing you right away.” Kazuya leaning all of his weight into Eijun, the urgency increasing with the longer they spent in the frigid water.
“You're probably not going to like this very much-“ Eijun grabbing as tight as he could onto the buoy with one arm, and Kazuya with the other as he finally could see just how far they had floated from shore. Sirens and screams a dull hum from how far away they had drifted in such a short amount of time, “But the easiest way for me to get you back to shore is to keep drifting as far as we can where the breakaway waves start to form, before swimming back in with it.” Kazuya’s muscles tensing even further under Eijun’s grip before finally relaxing, eyes drifting back to shore.
“I'm blind as a bat right now, so I have no choice but to trust you do I- partner?” Kazuya smiling as he said those very weighty words. Eijun momentarily frozen before snapping out of his daze.
“Partner?!” Eijun keeping busy by looking out in the water to see just how far they had left to go before he would start cutting his way back towards the shore.
“Of course! You're the brawn since my legs are pretty much out of commission,” Kazuya making his point trying to kick a little against the water, only to grimace in pain, “and of course I'm all the brains to save your ass if you make a mistake- well, that and all the looks of course.”
“You're awful! I should just leave you here and swim back to shore with that nasty personality you have but- Chris-senpai would kill me as he likes you for some unknown reason.” Eijun adjusting his grip as Kazuya’s laughter grew more uncontrollable, knowing it must be painful for the surfer but the other obviously not caring.
“That's right, you'll not only have Chris to deal with, but a wrestling fiend by the name of Kuramochi who will try to chokehold you to death. So, let's both do each other a favor and make it back all in one piece.” Kazuya’s laughter subsiding, a look of surprising trust taking over as Eijun looked back to focus on the breaking waves not far from their backs.
“Alright, that's a promise. Just whatever happens, aim for staying with the buoy as these waves will be rough for a bit until we reach over and back through them again.” Eijun seeing Kazuya nod along with agreement and take a tighter hold on the buoy between them.
Eijun took in a large steadying breath of air, muscles loosened for the energy he knew he would need to pull them both back towards the shore. Ready for the chill of water seeping in around his neck and legs, but using adrenaline to his advantage to kick through and steady the both of them over the choppy breaking waves before they finally reached calmer waters.
“Alright Kazuya, we’ll start to make our way back now. I'm going to swim following the shore for a bit to make sure we're out of the strong current that took us out here in the first place, then we’ll start to cut back in.” Eijun focused so much on the movement happening far away at shore, he missed the look Kazuya shot his way until he responded.
“Sounds reasonable enough to me, maybe you do have a few brain cells after all…” A visible shiver running over Kazuya’s body that Eijun managed to catch, an instant reaction for him to plan the quickest route back with their exposure to the cold lengthening.
Working hard against the water was not a foreign concept to Eijun as he quickly pulled away from the swifter currents, finding the swirling water underneath his toes less threatening before aiming the pair of them towards the shore again.
“Hang on Kazuya, we’re heading back in…” Mumbling Kazuya’s only response as Eijun’s heart raced faster, limbs set into motion as he clung onto Kazuya and the buoy tight before cutting an angled path back across the water towards shore.
He moved on autopilot, relying on months upon months of building up strength through early morning runs and swims that protected his body from the cold water. Eijun able to find the best path back towards shore before sets of hands were reaching out for the both of them. Kazuya pulled away from him by Chris before he was carried out of the cold water to shore. Yuuki reaching under Eijun’s arm to support his exhausted body, grateful he was able to get them both back safely before his own limbs gave out from the exertion.
“You did an amazing job, Eijun. We've had everyone leave that area of the beach today until the waves settle down a bit, but I think that surfer might just owe you his life for being so aware of just how strong the waves were.”
“Thank Chris-senpai. He had the insight to warn me today before I started. I didn't know it was going to get that bad out there though.” Eijun stumbling along at Yuuki’s side until they found their way back to the guard tower.
The motion up by the road catching Eijun’s attention as an ambulance’s back doors opened, Chris and Kuramochi helping a now unconscious Kazuya into the back. Chris exiting before Kuramochi called out from the back doors, obviously asking him to look over something for them. Kuramochi’s eyes scouting back out towards the shore before spotting Eijun, a genuine smile gracing his face before lifting a thumbs up towards him.
Eijun making the same motion with his own weak smile before Kuramochi disappeared inside the ambulance again, doors closing swiftly as the sound of sirens echoed off along the shoreline as it raced away towards the nearest hospital.
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Chris receiving a call later that day that Kazuya was okay. He had swallowed some water trying to fight the thrashing waves, along with bruised ribs and hip, and a broken left ankle, but he was alive and would make a swift recovery. Eijun busy for the remainder of the day getting checked out himself, a few scratches and errant bruises littering his body, but other than soreness he was perfectly fine.
Eijun wanting to keep his mind and body busy the next day, getting up earlier than the sun to set off towards the beach. Running through the low tide surf to cool his toes and clear his head as the sun began to rise lighting up the shore.
He made himself go back to the same stretch of beach from the day before, taking his time weaving through the stretch of exposed sand to trace the same distance of water where he had rescued Kazuya. The water still just as cool, helping him to stay focused until he finally spotted a glint of the sunrise flaring back at him from something buried halfway in the sand.
It was common to find scores of scattered shells, seaweed, and creatures along the shore at low tide, but Eijun was searching for something far more valuable and keeping one particular person in mind as he scanned along the shore. Approaching the object he had seen, expecting to uncover another shell like the others he had encountered all morning, but instead finding a clear set of glasses reflecting back at him. Eijun depositing the somehow unbroken glasses on his head after cleaning then in the waves, before jogging towards the guard tower in the distance.
Euphoric with finding the focus of his search, Eijun missed the two figures leaning on the tower’s deck as he skipped along. Jumping at the sound of voices directed at him from above.
“The doctor told you to take it easy Eijun,” Chris’ scolding tone catching attention, “but you were never one to listen to orders, were you?”
Eijun jogging quickly up the ramp towards Chris’ voice, stopping short as his eyes met the person standing beside him. Normal smirk replaced by a lop-sided smile, caramel eyes warm as he took in Eijun’s wind swept hair and wet legs fresh from the cold surf.
“It's always better to keep moving forward Chris-senpai, besides I had a mission to complete before starting work today.” Eijun taking a few steps forward, grabbing the pair of glasses perched on his head to slide them down to settle on his nose, face scrunching at just how blurry everything became under the lenses. “Also your eyesight is horrible Kazuya… no wonder you fell off your boa-“
Warm fingers briefly touching Eijun’s face before the glasses were delicately pulled away. Kazuya lifting them to peer over the lenses as Eijun squawked in protest. Kazuya’s regular glasses moved to perch on his head before slipping on the sports glasses to peer back at Eijun in perfect clarity.
“Thank you Eijun for finding these,” Kazuya pausing to snicker lightly before continuing, “and for rescuing me yesterday before I even knew I needed rescuing myself.” Gaze locked directly onto Eijun as Kazuya’s smile softened, a blush making Eijun’s skin glow to match the pink clouds dotting the sky.
“It was nothing! I just thought the same principle could apply that I used for our escape yesterday… that they would circle back to the shore with the waves, and easier to find at low tide.”
Kazuya leaning in to swipe his thumb against that glow, freckles speckling and shifting underneath the swipe of skin as he withdrew, “Always my hero it seems.”
“Kazuya, you should really go home and get some rest!” Kuramochi screaming up from the sand, surfboard balanced over one shoulder and dripping water pooled into the sand, “You can come back again and thank Eijun more later.”
Kazuya turning to smile at Eijun fully before settling his weight on the crutches under his arms, turning to head towards Kuramochi’s teasing voice. “Oh, I fully intend to- every chance I can get until my leg heals.”
Eijun unable to stop his staring as Kazuya slowly made his way down the ramp to join Kuramochi, both of them slowly making their way to the parking lot away from the shore.
“Looks like you managed to gain a fan of your own Eijun.” Chris smiling mischievously as he took out his schedule to make notes for the upcoming day, “Now go and get changed so you can face it head-on, as always.”
Unable to stop the splitting grin from taking over his face at Chris’ words, wondering just how much of Kazuya’s words were bluster and just how much would end up being the truth.