"Rip Current"

Written By: yaruna

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing isn't mine! I'm not pretending they are, I simply love messing around with the lovable characters. Any similarity to existing works is purely coincidental.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Romance…? Alternate Universe

Warning:Probably some OOCness. Kind of bastard Heero in the first chapters. Some swearing. Won't pass the Bechdel test. Somewhat cliché, I think. Hmmz… what more… oh yeah, I'm a bit of a sadist, people will get hurt… sorry about that

Summary: Feelings are running high on the shorelines. Duo has arrived on the shores of Sanc Island and is making new friends, and enemies, among the locals as they surf their way towards the big competition. AU

A/N:I live for feedback

Sit back, and let the waves take you for a ride.

"Rip Current"

Chapter 22: Re Entry

 

Despite not having gone to sleep until long after sunset, we were up with the sun and found that the waves had grown even more during the night. We had our breakfast and all of us headed off towards Choker, boards under our arms. To be fair, Heero was carrying the board I'd heisted as my back-up board from Legends. I hoped I wouldn't have need for it, but if I went out there without a back-up, I definitely would. It's just the way of things.

We weren't the first ones on the beach, apparently more were expecting the competition to get going, and some were taking the chance to surf before the first heat of the day.

Wufei began to warm up, since his and Alex's heat was the very first of the day. Hilde arrived within minutes and immediately snapped a few photos of everyone. In case someone of them won, she said.

Heero put a hand of my shoulder, making me turn towards him.

'Be careful today,' he said, with a small smile and I snickered.

'I have no intention of making you save me again,' I said and almost leaned forwards to kiss him, but caught myself as the noise from the crowds made its way to my ears. Instead I put my hand around his wrist and squeezed gently.

His eyes narrowed, and I could tell he didn't like that I was still holding back, but still he smiled.

'I'll always pull you up,' he said,but I'd rather I didn't have to,' he said, a teasing edge in his voice.

'Me too,' I said.

'I'll head off for the debriefing. Don't push yourself, you're still healing.'

'Thanks, mum,' I said, and almost groaned when the words left my mouth. Way to go, Duo, calling your boyfriend mum. He gave a soft laugh however, and left us to join the other volunteer lifeguards that were driving the jet skis. It seemed as though there were more of them this time, and they'd be able to have two persons on every jet ski. Seeing Zech's sister climb up behind Heero on the jet ski made an odd feeling of discomfort flare in my chest.

'She's got a boyfriend,' Sally said in my left ear.

'So does Heero,' Hilde said in my right ear, and I felt myself blush.

'I'm that obvious?'

'Only to us,' Hilde said, and took a hold of my arm, accidentally brushing against the gash, making me flinch away from the unexpected pain.

'Hey, I thought you had healed?' she said, let go of my arm and rolled the t-shirt up to reveal a compress.

'I'm fine.' The sharp pain was over and done with as soon as she stopped touching the wound. The throbbing that had become slightly worse since the previous day however only increased. I could surf with it, no problem, but it was an annoyance.

'You always are like this. Acting all tough,' Hilde said and pouted slightly, before she grinned. 'I bet you've been getting some TLC from Heero though.'

'Hil', please,' I said.

'Guys, Wufei's starting,' Sally said, bringing our attention to the water, saving me from the discomfort of talking about my love life with Hilde. I wouldn't put it past her to have her recorder turned on in her pocket.

Wufei found some great waves out there, and was leading well into the fifteenth minute of the heat, when Alex managed to grab the biggest barrel of the heat.

'Oh no,' Sally said when Alex's score was announced to be over nine, and Wufei would need to get at least eight point five in the next five minutes in order to win the heat.

A wave rolled up behind him, looking to be a nice right, and he paddled for it. He took off deep on the wave, and was quickly enveloped by the barrel, putting him out of our sights, and Sally was almost standing on her toes, trying to see.

'It won't help,' I said, amused, and she exhaled forcefully.

'I know! But -' She interrupted herself as we saw a dark shape in the barrel, and then the board flew up without its rider. Sally whimpered softly and I placed my hand on her shoulder.

'I'm sure he's fine.'

'You weren't,' she snapped, and I opened my mouth to answer. I didn't have time to say anything before I saw his head pop up. He swam over to his board and got on it immediately, making me let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

He paddled back out, but Alex took the next wave Wufei would have had a chance on, and then the horn sounded, indicating the end of the heat.

The disappointment Wufei felt was apparent even from so far apart. He hung his head, and his back heaved in a deep sigh. Then Heero was there to pick him up and give him a ride in to shore as the guys in the next heat went out.

As soon as Wufei got out of the water, Sally went down to greet him. The hug they gave each other made me want that. It made me want the open relationship that they had. I had it at my fingertips, with only my own insecurities stopping me from grabbing what I wanted. I knew Heero would give it to me without a second thought. He'd be thrilled actually.

Why did I care about what anyone else thought anyways? Wasn't it Heero and I that mattered?

Wufei still looked disappointed as he joined the rest of us, and we quickly reassured him that he'd done great.

'I shouldn't have gone that deep though,' he said, second-guessing himself, and I was about to set him straight when Quatre spoke instead.

'You definitely should have. You saw a chance and you took it. If you hadn't, your points wouldn't have been enough to beat Alex anyways.'

I nodded. 'What he said.'

'I guess I know that. It's why I did it in the first place,' he said and narrowed his eyes. I looked to where he was watching and saw Alex and Mueller walk along the beach. 'Whoever meets that ass next, promise you'll beat him. He needs to get that arrogance of his screwed down a notch.'

'What did he do now?' I asked, curious.

'Nothing worth talking about,' Wufei said. 'But for the sake of it, just agree will you?'

'Sure,' Trowa said, and I shrugged.

'Of course, it's one of the reasons I entered, after all,' I said, and grinned widely at their exasperated looks.

'Back up, Duo!' Hilde said, not looking exasperated at all, but rather intrigued as she pulled her recorder out. 'This is all a challenge between you and Alex? Man, that's great, tell me everything!'

In the thirty minutes that followed, I told her a slightly revised version of how Alex and Mueller had come to challenge me at the Gundams. I didn't want to put anyone in a bad light, since in the end it would reflect badly on me, so it was a bit of a sugarcoated story that I told her. But I told her about the letters I'd received while I was off, and about the fire, and took the opportunity to apologize for not answering and saying thanks to everyone via her.

Then it was getting close to being my turn, and I warmed up before I went to fetch my shirt and got out in the water. I ignored the stinging sensation from my wounds and got onto my board, paddling out quickly.

There was a lull in the waves for the first five minutes, and neither I nor my opponent attempted to make anything out of nothing. At Gundams, it's the barrels that matter, nothing else will get you to the top scores. Had the lull been persisting much longer, we'd have had to go for the smaller waves anyhow.

Luckily, a set came in after only a couple more minutes. My opponent went directly for the first wave, paddling hard. I saw him pop up before he was lost behind the water, and I looked out over the ocean again, watching closely to find a good wave.

It didn't look like much, but the position of the next wave was perfect, and I felt the pull of it from so far away that I knew it would hollow out nicely, and I went for it.

As soon as I popped up, I grabbed the rail of my board to keep it in the water and dropped down the wave. My stomach jumped into my chest as I flew down the face of the wave. As soon as I was down, I plunged both my hand into the wave to slow down, and the wave hugged tight around me. It was a long ride inside the barrel, and I could feel water splash on my legs from the foam ball that chased me as I did my best to get out before it.

The wave began to pinch. I pumped once more, and was spat into the clear. The wave continued, and started to break ahead of me again. Riding the exhilaration from completing the barrel, I continued into a jump and dropped down on the other side of the wave where I immediately went into a paddle to get back out to the lineup.

That was a good one for sure, and the cheers from the audience confirmed it. I spared a glance towards Heero who sat on his jet ski with a visible smile on his face as he looked directly at me. It meant more than any cheers or applauds ever would.

The points from that wave alone put me way ahead of my opponent. The rest of the waves that came in during the heat were all low scores, with the occasional bail, for both of us, and the finish was a bit anticlimactic.

When the horn sounded I paddled for the incoming wave, caught it, and rode it in to be beach on my belly. No one was there to meet me, and I caught myself looking towards my boyfriend, with a tight feeling in my chest. His gaze was on the guys surfing the parallel heat, and I sighed.

I looked towards our camp where everyone else still was, except for Trowa who had already entered the water for the first heat of the quarterfinals. Quatre watched him intently, and Hilde was snapping photographs. Wufei and Sally were also looking out over the water. They looked worried so I lifted my own gaze and couldn't find Trowa.

I didn't have to wait for more than a second before he popped up behind the whitewater and pulled his board in by the leash. He pulled it under himself, and immediately got off again and raised his hand for a pickup. Not until then did I notice that his board had snapped at the tip, and I ran to the camp where his backup was. Quatre had already grabbed it and headed off to the waterline, passing me on the way, so I slowed to a walk and joined the rest at the camp.

'Duo, congrats!' Hilde called when she noticed me, and I chuckled.

'Now it suits you? I waited at the shoreline.'

'If you want the meet and greet, you have to tell your sexy boyfriend to not glare at me whenever I give you a kiss,' she said seriously, but was unable to keep her smile off her face.

'He doesn't,' I said, incredulous.

'He does, Sally said and I raised my eyebrows as I looked at Wufei, expecting him to back me up.

He held up his hands and shook his head. 'Don't look at me.'

'Lot of help you are,' I said and he rolled his eyes. 'He doesn't bite though, Hil'.'

'I'm not so sure,' Hilde mock-whispered to Sally, and she giggled as I blushed hotly.

'Okay, fine,' I said, and pushed my board into the sand, completely ready for a change in subject. 'Thanks guys for all the congrats at me getting into the quarters.'

Sally laughed loudly. 'Oh, right. Congrats Duo.'

'It was an awesome ride, that barrel of yours,' Wufei said, and I grinned.

'That's better. Thanks guys,' I said and sat down to watch as Trowa had now gotten back out there on his new board.

Quatre came back with the broken one, and he immediately put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair a bit, making me smack his hand away.

'Nice one, Duo,' he said.

'Thanks, buddy.'

Trowa paddled for another wave, caught it and got barreled by a small section for a second before his board appeared again, and the wave started to close out. He pushed into a turn and ran straight over the lip in a jump where he proceeded to twist himself and the board a full turn before he landed on the top of the wave and floated down into the whitewater.

Quatre and I shouted happily, and we all clapped our hands; it had been a beaut. With two minutes left of the heat, we were quite sure that he had it as a lull came in and they could only watch the waves go by without becoming anything worth surfing.

When the horn sounded, I grabbed a hold of Quatre and walked up to the beach where Trowa would come up, not wanting Trowa to get that feeling of abandonment that I'd gotten. Quatre resisted slightly, but then he locked eyes with Trowa, and I saw the joy in both of their faces. Quatre stopped resisting so I dropped his arm and simply watched as they hugged. Quatre slapped Trowa at the back a couple of times before they let each other go.

I grabbed Trowa's hand, and congratulated him. I wasn't sure he'd realized yet that he'd gotten into the semifinals because he blinked slowly before he frowned and looked towards the scoreboard. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and he let out a small breath.

'That's...' he shook his head, looking like he couldn't believe it.

'You're in the semi,' Quatre said, looking into Trowa's eyes with a small smile on his lips.

'It's what it says, but I can't really believe it,' Trowa said softly.

'You better. You've beaten five pros so far,' I said with a grin. 'Me included.'

'I seem to remember you beat yourself,' he said and I let out a short laugh.

'You sure seemed to try to take a leaf out of my book when you broke your board there.'

'My board is easier to fix than your back.'

'My back heals itself, your board needs assistance,' I said and he chuckled.

'Your back has gotten a lot of assistance, though,' Quatre said softly, and I laughed loudly.

'Touché, Q',' I said, and glanced up at the scoreboard to see that there was less than ten minutes left on the clock before my heat would start. 'I have to go check in. See you in a bit.'

The heat in the quarters proved to be one big lull, without any waves that would work for a barrel. My opponent had taken some smaller waves, picking up points on regular maneuvers, and I realized I'd been waiting too long. There was less than ten minutes left, and I hadn't caught a single wave.

There was nothing else to it, and I paddled hard for the next three-footer that came my way. The pressure on my arm was intense as I struggled to catch it, and I almost gave up when I felt the board take off below me, letting me pop up. I did every move I could think off on the small, but long wave, turning and twisting and just chasing points, before I finished off with a small jump over the lip.

It was a good ride, and in any other competition, I would have felt quite confident about it, but I had given priority to my opponent, and if a single wave would provide barreling opportunity, he would take it, and he would beat me soundly.

Since I had lost priority anyways, I paddled for another small wave, but the stinging and pulling in my arm was getting unbearable, and I pulled off. I'd gotten a six point seven on my last wave, and the other guy would only need a five to beat me, so I waited desperately for a higher wave.

I saw it coming, when there was less than a minute left. It was an a-frame, and we both paddled for it.

'Left!' he called, and we both popped up. I heard the horn but thought I'd managed to pop up before it sounded, so I drove down the wave, hit the breaks, and let the wave roll around me.

It was quick, and the section ahead slammed close just as the foam ball caught up and I threw myself off the board to save myself some hurts. The wave held me for a few seconds before I was able to resurface again, and I pulled my board in by the leash, getting back on it.

It was a slow paddle back to the beach, with my arm giving me a bit of trouble. Again, no one was at the beach to meet me, and I jogged up to our camp to find everyone staring at the scoreboard.

'What happened with Sykes?' I asked, pushing my board into the sand, and rolled my arm, feeling the sting in it still. If only it could stop thropping.

'He almost got barreled for a second, but his board still showed,' Wufei answered, everyone's attention still on the scoreboard.

His points appeared, with a five point one, and I bent my head with a sigh as he went by me.

'Yours are still coming, I'm sure you popped up before the horn,' Hilde said, still focused on the board, and then she shouted and jumped on me. I caught her around her waist and looked towards the scoreboard. I'd gotten a point fifty-nine, and I was on to the semis. By about a hair's breadth. Hilde kissed me on my cheek and I dropped her back onto the sand.

'I thought you said you were afraid of Heero?' I asked with a grin, still glancing towards the scoreboard to see if the points were still there or if they'd made a mistake.

'A little competition is good for the soul,' she answered, and hugged me tightly. I just barely managed to avoid wincing when the gash in my arm was pressed against.

When I went to the check-in to get my shirt for the semis, I met up with Broden who was going to be my opponent.

'Hey, Maxwell, how's it going?'

'Better than expected,' I said, grinning.

I was handed a blue shirt by one of the guys at the tent and I struggled my way into it, unable to lift my arm quite as high as I needed it to go. It was getting worse.

'Hey, bro, I'm sorry about last time,' he said when I popped out of the hole in the shirt and I chuckled.

'No worries, buddy. I've been told I was stupid to try and get away from the wave.'

'Well...' he said slowly before he grinned widely. 'It kinda was a bit stupid. Of course I was going to move, you had priority, I just hadn't noticed you catch the wave.'

'It's all good,' I said and grabbed my board as we walked down to the water. 'Good luck out there.'

'You too,' he said, and we paddled out towards the lineup, making sure to keep out of the way from the guys still in the final heat of the quarters.

To my dismay, Alex was currently winning, which would mean that the next heat was going to be him versus Trowa.

Neither of the two in the current heat took another wave until the horn sounded and I swore internally. Usually, I didn't care much, or anything, about who did or didn't advance, but Alex wasn't exactly on my list of best friends. Or even on my list of friends. So naturally, I had cheered for his opponent, even though I did not know that guy personally.

Alex paddled by where I sat on my board, and he sneered.

'You better win this, Reaper. I want the pleasure of crushing you myself,' he said.

'You'll have to get through Trowa first,' I said, and he laughed loudly. Actually, he cackled. He cackled as he paddled back towards shore, and I shook my head.

'Hey, bro! You ready, or what?' Broden called and I paddled up to him. He nodded towards Alex's retreating form. 'What's the deal between you and Mr. Arrogant Colonel over there?'

'Colonel?'

'His nickname. Don't you listen to the commentators?' he asked with a crooked smile and a glance my way.

'I tend to have my own running commentary,' I answered, and we grinned at each other. It's easy to zone the commentators out when you're into the action.

The horn sounded to announce the start of the heat, and we were back to business. I paddled away a bit to get into a better position, and noticed him follow me after a minute.

We both paddled for the first wave, but he had the inside, and I stopped paddling, letting him have it.

He disappeared from my sight for a few seconds before he reappeared on the shoulder of the wave. He did a small success gesture with his arm before he laid down on his board to paddle back to the lineup.

'Felt good?' I asked as he joined me. It was a bit of a moot question since his entire face was lit up like the sun.

'It was the best wave of the competition,' he said and I laughed.

'Best wave of the competition so far,' I said to him as I felt the next one pull me in and I went for it, leaving Broden behind.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it the best wave of the competition, but the barrel fell around me, and I worked to get as deep as I could before I had to escape through the next exit or have the wave close out on me. I felt the spray of the whitewash on my back, and then it rolled over my board, trying to push me off. I leaned down, took a hold of the rails, and lay down flat as the water washed over me. As soon as it stopped trying to push me away, I paddled back towards the rip to let it bring me out to the lineup again.

We were luckier with the waves during the semi than I had been during quarters. There were more barrel rides, even if most of them were small or short, giving low points all around.

During the last minutes, we were almost equal in points with me at a small lead, and I held priority so I stuck close to Broden, not wanting to give him the opportunity to grab a higher score, since both of our second points after our initial barrels had been quite low.

But then a smaller wave came in during the last couple of minutes, and Broden started to paddle. I knew I'd never be able to catch the wave with my arm hurting even worse than it had been, so I let him have it.

It was a good move on my part, because the next wave was better. It was probably pushing on ten feet, and I dropped into it. To be able to stand, completely straight, inside of a barrel is an awesome, but intimidating feeling. The power that is moving all around you can take you down in a moment, and you're surfing on the edge all the time. I brought my hand out and into the wave in order to slow down just a little more, to get deeper, but then I had to speed up as a complete section fell at once behind me and the foam ball came uncomfortably close. My heart rate was probably close to maxing out when I rode up on the wave to follow it as it pinched, and then I was out.

I think I shouted.

I know I jumped off the board with both fists shooting into the air just as I heard the sound of the horn.

I had gone far enough away in that wave that a jet ski had started to come my way. It took me a second to realize it was Heero, and I gathered my board up to sit on it until he arrived.

'Need a ride?' he asked with a smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes as he held his hand down for me to grab.

'I just had the best ride, I'm not sure you'll match up,' I said, grinning and he laughed.

Then he had to get away from me to meet a wave before he came back, and I immediately took the hand that he offered, getting myself on the pad. Zech's sister was still sitting on the back of the jet ski, so I couldn't say everything I wanted to Heero, and I settled for holding on to his hand just a bit longer than necessary for getting me into position.

He dropped me off by the shore and gave me a proud look, and a good luck for the finals before he went back out again, and I was again struck by how much I wanted to hold him, touch him, kiss him. All the adrenaline that flowed through my body after that wave probably had something to do with it, but I think it was more than that. It was love. Pure and simple love. I wanted him with me, near me. I wanted to hold him, and I wanted him to hold me.

When I got up on the beach this time, everyone surrounded me, except Quatre who was probably watching Trowa's hear that had started after ours. The organizers of the competition met me, asking for an immediate interview, and I followed them up to the podium after I'd given everyone a hug.

'Duo Maxwell, how do you feel now, having gone all the way to the finals?'

'I'm stoked to get there. I'm not sure I believe it yet, you sure they got the points all right?' I asked and gave a look towards the scoreboard.

'Completely sure. We're all impressed that you've gotten this far despite the extensive damage we saw done to your back just a few days ago.'

'My back's fine, your shirt was worse off, really,' I said, going for cheerful even though I was a bit uncomfortable talking about my injuries. I'd really rather put focus on the last wave I'd caught.

'Indeed. You got a nine point eighty-three for your last wave, congratulations for that one, and congratulations to your advancement to the finals.'

'Thanks,' I said and jumped off the podium where I was met with more reporters.

'Sorry everyone, Surf'd has an exclusive on this one,' I heard Hilde's voice from beyond the crowd, and I pushed through to get to her, and go back to our camp.

Trowa was under Alex in points, and there was a lull in the waves.

It was almost possible to touch the frustration I saw in Wufei's face, and again I wondered what Alex had said to him when they'd paddled back.

'Duo, where's G?' Quatre asked with a frown, and I could tell he'd been wondering about it for a while.

'He should be around,' I said and made a motion with my hand to indicate the crowd. 'He's never where I am during the competition.'

I used to think it was because he was shy, but now I was wondering if it wasn't because he didn't want anyone to recognize him as Pestilence. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that he and Howard were two of the greatest surfers to ever have walked the planet.

The horn sounded to indicate the end of the heat and Wufei swore loudly.

'Beat him soundly, Maxwell,' he said and I laughed.

'I'll do my best.'

'It better be good enough,' he muttered and I frowned.

'Just what did he say out there?' I asked, suspicious. He sighed and gave a small shake of his head.

'It doesn't matter. Just win.'

'Oookay,' I said, but grabbed my board and headed away a bit to warm up again. The finals would be on twenty minutes after their heat had ended, and I wanted to be back out in the water before then.

I went in just as Trowa came up and he grabbed my arm, making me wince as he put his hand right above my gash. He let go quickly, as though he'd been burnt.

'Sorry,' he muttered, but then locked his eyes with mine, and I could see an angry fire burning there that I'd never seen in Trowa before. 'Beat him,' he said, and I could only nod before he headed up, and I followed him with my gaze.

Everything in his body language spoke of anger. The set of his shoulders, the stomping stride, and the way his knuckles whitened as he held tightly to the board.

Trowa is a calm guy. I'd never seen him that angry before, and I doubted that simply losing a heat could do that, so I could only assume Alex had said something to him as well, like he had with Wufei.

I hoped I wouldn't disappoint them.

Chapter 23

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