Well, this is sort of a random pairing…I think it was actually a challenge fic from a year ago that I never finished. Until now…dun dun dun!
Anyway, I really had fun writing it, so I hope ya'll have fun reading it. If people are interested I might start working on a second chapter.
Mako loved the sea. He loved the adventure, he loved the sunshine beaming down on his face, he loved the sea-kissed winds racing against his body. Most of all, he loved the freedom that the vast ocean offered. It was the ultimate escape. He certainly did not love this.
Life guarding. Sure, it sounded like the perfect occupation for someone such as himself, but it was far from it. Sitting around on the beach all day, making sure snot-nosed little kids didn't drown themselves and dealing with wise-ass teenagers who didn't know where the safety line was drawn, was not Mako's idea of fun.
The fishing season wasn't going too well this year, and thus he had needed to take up another occupation to compensate for the loss of money. So, he had gotten a job at Domino Shore; with decent pay, it would have been better. It was all he could really do for now.
Now Mako had always considered himself to have a decent amount of pride. He was, after all, a high ranked duelist and an accomplished fisherman. All of that pride had been blown to smithereens his first day on the job. If only his father could see him now. He mentally groaned as a girl in a hot-pink bikini walked up to his post.
"Excuse me sir…" the girl spoke, giggling with one of her friends. "Can you help get my back?" She then held out a white bottle of sun tan lotion. Mako didn't even look at her before he spoke, had had learned quite quickly how to deal with the occasional annoying floozy.
"I'm busy right now." He resumed staring back off into space, not moving an inch.
"Um…" The girl looked first at him and then off into the horizon. "It doesn't look like you're doing much of anything right now."
"Hey you!" He yelled, blowing his trusty whistle loudly at a bunch of stupid kids off in the distance. "Off the rocks!" He looked down to see that the girl had left and he let out a relieved sigh. However, he soon found himself bored as there were no more brainless girls to ignore and no more dumb ass kids he could blow his precious whistle at. Shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, Mako searched the beach, looking for something, anything of interest. That's when he spotted the familiar mess of tri-colored hair that could only belong to…
"Yugi?" He called out to the boy who was just entering the beach area, his band of trusty cheerleaders following him.
"Hey, Mako!" The small boy waved and came over to the duelist. "What are you doing here?"
"Working." He replied flatly.
"It's that freaky fish guy!" Mako turned his head to see that trademark blonde mop bounding towards him. "What's up, man?" Joey smiled.
"Nothing much…" Normally, Mako would have been more exited at seeing a few of his former opponents, both of whom had defeated him, he added mentally and he scowled. He wasn't really in the mood today.
"Come on guys, let's go set up a spot and get in the water, it's so hot!" Tea came up to the boys and dragged Yugi away by the arm.
"I'll be right there!" Joey called over his shoulder and turned back to Mako with a sigh. "Man, I really did not want to come here today."
Mako snorted and shook his head. "You and me both."
"So what you been up too?" The blonde asked.
"Same old, same old. This job is just for the summer, then I'm going back to my normal routine."
"Right, dueling and fishing?" Joey grinned and plopped down in the sand next to the other boy.
"Yeah, something like that." Mako shifted his attention to the blonde, clad in only a pair of green swim trunks, who was beginning to build a make-shift sand castle next to him. "Why aren't you in the water with your friends?"
"I…just don't feel like it." Joey replied, not looking up from his sand pile.
"Hmm…" Mako sighed and turned his attention back to the ocean, wishing he was out there instead of sitting here on his ass. He had to admit that it felt nice to have the blonde duelist next to him; misery loves company he supposed. "It's a nice day out…you should go have some fun."
"I don't wanna, just leave it alone okay?" Joey shot back, a slight twinge of anger in his voice.
Mako raised an eyebrow at that. "Now, now, no need to get all snippy."
"I'm NOT being snippy; it's just…uh, never mind…" Joey shook his head, unruly blonde locks swaying in front of his eyes.
"Come on, now you've got me all curious!"
Joey looked up to glare at his companion, only to see him grinning down at him, and sighed. "Alright, but if you tell anyone I'm gonna hurt you…"
Mako usually didn't take threats too well but he decided to let it go, considering that he didn't really take the threat all that seriously. "I promise I won't tell a soul."
"I…" Joey dropped his head forward, shadowing his cheeks which he was sure were sporting a light blush by now. "I…can't swim, okay!"
Mako just stared at the other boy for a moment, before he burst out laughing. "You're serious?"
"Yeah, and don't laugh!" Joey scowled and tried to reach out and smack the laughing boy on the head, but he dodged the attack easily.
"Sorry, it's just…I thought most people learned to do that when they were kids."
"Yeah well, I had gangs and an alcoholic dad to deal with when I was a kid. Learning how to swim just wasn't on the top of my priorities list."
"Oh…" Mako sounded at least a little sorry for his outburst but turned to look at his companion with a smile. "I could, you know…teach you, if you want."
"I dunno…"
"Don't you want to be able to have fun like the rest of them?" He gestured over to Joey's friends who were all having a good time in the water, and he saw Joey gaze at them forlornly. "It'd be my pleasure." He added and grinned.
"I don't have anything to offer you. It doesn't seem fair."
"I'm sure we can work something out. Besides, I don't have anything better to do."
Joey sighed and looked towards the horizon, the afternoon sun glittering on the crisp ocean waves. It was really pretty. He turned to the other boy and smiled. "Okay, when can we meet?"
Joey glanced down at the piece of paper in his hands. He had followed the directions given to him by Mako and now he stood in front of the Domino Sports Center. He had been there before, but never at midnight. Mako had told him that no one else would be there at that hour so they could have some privacy, and Joey wouldn't have to be subjected to the humiliation of being out swam by an eight-year-old.
"Hey Joey!" Mako came up from the behind the blonde, giving him a rough pat on the shoulder. "You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be…" Joey murmured.
"Try not to sound too excited."
After changing into proper swim attire, the two entered the empty pool area. The air had the slight salty smell of chlorine to it, and the lights were dimmed. Mako flipped a switch and the large room lit up, causing Joey to squint at the sudden brightness.
"Want to put these on?" Mako held up a pair of floatation devices he had found left near the pool, the kind that go around you arm.
"I'll kill you." Joey glared at the brightly colored fish that decorated the 'swimmies', smiling up at him, mocking him.
"Just kidding, geez…" Mako shrugged and thew the plastic over his shoulder. "Alright, let's get started!" With that, Mako jumped into the water, causing Joey to flinch as some of the liquid splashed up at him.
"Well…what are you waiting for?" Joey walked over to the edge of the pool, shifting from foot to foot. Hesitantly, he dipped one foot in the water before hastily pulling it back out.
"It's not acid you know!"
"It's cold!" Joey whined.
"It'll warm up! Stop being such a puss!" Mako groaned, suddenly wondering why he had volunteered for their little 'lesson' in the first place. Other than the fact that Joey had a really nice…
"Ass!" Joey yelled down at the boy in the water, unwittingly finishing Mako's thoughts. "Just give me a second!" Mako sighed and came over to the edge of the pool, resting his head on the concrete as he looked up at the blonde expectantly.
"Some time this millennium?"
"Alright, alright! Keep your panties on!" Mako grinned as Joey began to look flustered, tying to hide his nervousness with attitude as usual.
"Hmm…take your time." Mako sighed, resting his head on his hands and watching as Joey slowly, inch by inch, made his way closer to the pool. He picked his head back up when he noticed the blonde's ankle a few inches from his him and he grinned, reaching out his hand to take a firm hold of it.
"What the!" The blonde's panicked words were cut short as he was dragged underwater. He kicked and screamed desperately, but to no avail; he couldn't bring himself to the surface. He felt a strong grip on his wrist and he was pulled upwards, gasping and panting as he hit the wonderful air.
"Face your fears head-on, that's what my dad always taught me!" Mako grinned as he watched Joey fight to catch his breath, only to have the blonde glare at him from underneath long soaked bangs a second later.
"Are you crazy?" Joey yelled, "You could have killed me! Stop laughing!"
"Relax, I promise I won't let you drown."
"Dammit, let go of me!" Joey growled as he realized the other boy still had a hold on him. Mako nodded his head and let go, watching with a smirk as the blonde slipped underwater once more, bubbles emanating from the spot. Mako sighed and dove back in for the boy, this time bringing him over to the shallow end of the pool. Baby steps, he had to remind himself, baby steps.
"This is a traumatizing experience," Joey moaned and glared at his tormenter, relieved that he could now stand up amidst the water surrounding him.
"Damn, I've never seen someone sink like lead that fast!" Mako exclaimed, grinning when a certain phrase popped into his head. "Don't you even know how to doggy-paddle?" He laughed as he caught Joey's death glare, knowing how much he despised being compared to a dog. He decided not to comment when the blonde's hair fell his eyes and he shook his head rapidly, sending water droplets flying everywhere.
"Let's just get this over with, okay?" Joey grumbled, crossing his arms.
"Alright, let's start with the basics." Mako began, sticking his hands out, palms face up on the top of the water, and Joey gave him a puzzled look. "Come here!" Joey jumped slightly but did as he was told, walking up to the other boy and blinking down at his palms.
"Um…high-five?" Joey asked.
Mako sighed and shook his head, reminding himself that Joey was always a little slow on the uptake and to be patient. "Lay down in my arms."
"Excuse me?" Joey gaped, blushing slightly. "What kind of guy do you think I am?" The other boy rolled his eyes, but didn't miss the embarrassment in the others face, which was quite amusing.
"I'm going to hold you above the water while you practice swimming."
"Oh, right." Joey made his way slowly and cautiously to where the other boy was, as if he was afraid the pool was about to open up and swallow him whole any minute.
"Ok, just lie down." He helped to get the blonde situated so that his stomach was on top of Mako's hands, holding him in place, while the rest of his body mostly floated on top of the water.
"This is so pathetic," Joey groaned as he helplessly let his limbs drift around in the water, eagerly awaiting further instruction so he wouldn't have to remain in such an awkward position.
"Well?"
"Well?" Joey snapped, trying to look over his shoulder to see the other boy's face, but not wanting to lose his balance and risk sinking into the water below. He had gotten enough water up his nose from the last time he was submerged and he didn't really need anymore. "You're supposed to be the teacher! Teach!" He heard a heavy sigh above him.
"Just move. It should be self explanatory; I'll inform you if you're doing anything wrong."
"Geez, why the hell do I need your help again?"
"Emotional, but more importantly, physical support."
"Right." Joey took a deep breath and turned his head back to the water below him, his nose just grazing the surface. He was afraid, even though he would never admit it. He tried to remember everything he'd seen other swimmers do, and began moving treading his arms through the water experimentally.
"That's good," Mako encouraged, "Now try kicking your legs." Joey did so and Mako turned his head as he kicked up water towards his face. Once the blonde was basically swimming in place, Mako gently released his hold around Joey's waist, trying to make sure the blonde didn't notice.
"Hey, this isn't so bad…" Joey became more confident and began moving his limbs a bit faster, not even noticing that he was moving on his own until he found himself on the other side of the pool. With his nervousness creeping up again, he looked over his shoulder to where Mako was standing with his arms crossed in the shallow end. "M…Mako?"
"You're doing great! Wait…don't stop!" Mako sighed as he noticed the panicked look on the blonde's face, freezing up. He dove under the water and swam quickly over to the blonde when he noticed him starting to sink again. By the time he got over to the blonde, he had already sunk like a rock to the bottom, and was not moving. Mako got a good grip on his waist and prepared to haul him up to the surface once more, when something stopped him, an incessant tugging on the blonde's body. He looked down to see that part of the blonde's swim trunks had gotten stuck on the large drain plug at the bottom. He gripped the material and pulled as hard as he could, trying to tear it, but it wouldn't budge. He panicked slightly as he looked at the blonde's lifeless face. He could hold his breath for quite some time, but he was guessing the blonde didn't have quite as much lung capacity. He had to get him some air, now. Finally giving up on tearing the material, he pulled off the garment completely, grabbing hold of the blonde as soon as he was free and swam to the surface, throwing the limp body over the edge onto the concrete floor.
"Dammit Joey, open that big mouth…" Mako climbed onto dry ground and pulled the rest of the blonde's body up with him, laying him flat on his back. When he didn't receive any response, he rested his hand underneath the blonde's nose, but he wasn't breathing. Mako felt his heart drop; this couldn't be happening, how could he have been so careless? He was supposed to be a lifeguard for Christ's sake! How could he let someone drown right in front of him? Lifeguard…right. Mako pushed all his panic and guilt aside, remembering one of the things he had learned during training - basic CPR. Grabbing the blonde's face, he leaned down and pushed as much air down his throat as he could, pumping on his chest thereafter. He repeated this a few times until he felt himself going dizzy from blowing so hard. Just as he was about to start again he noticed a faint sound coming from the blonde beneath him.
"Joey? Can you hear me?" The blonde coughed slightly and Mako pulled him up, slapping his back and helping him get some of that water up.
"Ugh…" The blonde stirred slightly before falling limp again.
"Joey!" Mako grabbed hold of him and shook his shoulders desperately.
"Alright, stop being so loud already…I feel like shit…" Joey muttered out, still keeping his eyes closed, and not moving, but he was breathing again. Mako let relief wash over him, noticing for the first time just how bad his hands had been shaking.
"Shit Joey…you scared the hell out of me."
"Mmm…" The blonde cracked an eye open to see the other boy looming over him, still holding him just a bit tightly. "Uh…where are my shorts?"
"At the bottom of the pool."
"Oh…" Joey flushed slightly once his mind had begun to cooperate with him again. "Um…could you pass me those?" The blonde gestured over to where his clothes were set down on a table, not making eye contact with the one who was still gripping his arms.
"Sure." Mako reached over and handed the blonde his things, noticing that a naked, wet, Joey was not that much of an unpleasant thing to have underneath him. However, he figured the last thing the blonde wanted after just having a near death experience was being hit on, so he kept his opinion to himself, for the time being.
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why are you sorry? You saved me." Joey stated as he slipped on his jeans; a bit of a difficult task, due to his wet skin.
"Yeah, but if I would have paid more attention, nothing would have happened in the first place."
"No, I froze up; it's not your fault."
"So it's not just that you can't swim, is it? You're afraid of the water?"
"I guess…you could say that." Joey looked down at the ground, obviously not wanting to admit it. "It's just that…it can be really overwhelming. One minute, everything is fine, and the next it's swallowing you whole." Mako nodded his head, understanding exactly how violent water could be, but at the same time, he had always respected it, even after it had taken away his own father.
"If you let me teach you, I can help you get over that fear. That is…if you still want me to."
"Yeah, of course. I…trust you." The blonde peeked up from his messy bangs to give him a lopsided smile, one that Mako couldn't help but return with one of his own. "So…when should we have our next lesson?"
"Right now."
"What? After what just happened?" Joey gasped, but Mako just crossed his arms firmly.
"What's the point in delaying? We still have plenty of time."
"But…my shorts…they're still at the bottom of the pool!"
"So? Just go without them. It's not like I don't already know what you've got." He grinned, only to receive a glare from the blonde in return. But, he didn't miss the slight blush, either, so it had been worth it.
"I'll just wear my jeans…thanks." Joey sighed and made his way back over to the edge of the pool, looking over his shoulder to see if the other boy was following.
"Fine, but it's going to get a bit uncomfortable," Mako said as he climbed back into the water, offering his hand to the blonde standing over him, who accepted it.
"Whatever…" Joey climbed back in hesitantly and they went back to the same stance they had started with at the beginning of the lesson, with Mako's hands on his waist, and Joey staring down into the water like an idiot.
"Um…just don't let go, okay?" the blonde asked lightly.
"…I won't."