Title: Completely Not
Ship: Selena x Rin
Word Count: 984||Chapters: 1/1
Genre: Romance||Rated: G
Challenges: Diversity Writing, Arc-V AUs, B28, K rated; Arc V Word Count Set Boot Camp, #5, 984 words; Rare Pair Week Day 3
Notes: This is set in an AU. One of those nice school-type ones.
Summary: Rin wants nothing to do with the beach or the ocean. Selena questions this.

Rin stayed on the spread out blanket, trying not to look too much at the hot sand and crashing surf. Just about everyone else in the class was having a good time running around in the water, shouting at the top of their lungs. Yuugo was, of course, chasing seagulls and shouting louder than everyone else.

Why he did that she didn't know. Rin pulled her attention back to the book she'd brought and tried not to think about it very much. At least they would go home soon. She'd be much, much happier away from all this noise and water.

Someone dropped down next to her and she looked up sharply to see Selena there, elegantly clad in a one piece a few shades darker than her long hair. The blanket had enough room for two, so Rin just shuffled a bit away so there was space in between them, and started to look at her book again.

"Why aren't you out there?" Selena asked, head tilted. Rin didn't look up.

"I don't want to be." What other reason did she need? She wasn't going to go near the water. End of story.

At least Selena didn't ask why she was there if she didn't want to get in the water. Class trips didn't exactly give one options.

Selena said nothing else, but Rin could feel her watching her. Rin wanted to tell her to leave her be, to just let her have her book and the quiet until this far too noisy and hot visit was over with.

"You don't like it here," Selena said at last, words flat and only faintly edged with curiosity. Rin's head jerked up as if on a string this time.

"Why should I?" The words poured out without a moment's thought. "It's hot, it's sticky, it's noisy, it's got everyone running around everywhere, and there's that!" She waved a hand toward the crashing waves before she dropped her gaze back to her book. "What has it got that I should like?"

Rin couldn't have been happier that Selena didn't say anything. It wasn't the first time she'd mentioned not liking the ocean to someone and somehow, even Yuugo didn't seem to quite understand it. He'd accepted it, because Yuugo accepted everything to do with her, but he didn't understand it.

Selena stayed quiet for a long time, to the point Rin hoped that she'd either left or at least fallen asleep. When she finally did say something, it wasn't at all what Rin expected.

"Have you ever been here at night? It's different at night."

"I don't care."

Selena snorted softly. "You probably don't. But if you come here when it's night and you're all alone, and it's just you and the ocean and the stars...nothing but freedom." Selena tilted her head back, staring up at the cloudless blue sky, an expression Rin hadn't ever seen before on her features.

She really means that. Rin couldn't remember anyone talking so passionately about anything. She pressed her lips together for a few moments. It won't change my mind.

"Prove it," she challenged. "Think we can get back here tonight?"

Selena eyed her with a trifle of a smile. "You have that motorcycle of yours, don't you? Can it carry two?"

"Of course!" It carried her and Yuugo all the time. Getting back here wouldn't be that hard, now that she thought about it. Granted, she didn't have a legal license and wouldn't be old enough for another few months, but the cops around here were pretty lax on checking. As long as you didn't get into an accident of some kind and showed you knew how to drive, they didn't usually bother you.

Besides, knowing Selena, she'd just wave her school ID at them and they would leave her alone altogether. Being from one of the richest families in town gave one lots of privileges.

Selena nodded briskly. "Then it's a date."

The two of them froze the moment the words passed her lips. Rin could feel her own cheeks scorching and Selena's reddened as well. She swallowed and fumbled for the water bottle she'd brought along.

"Right," she managed, the word somehow a squeak. "What time?"

It wasn't a date. Not like that. Selena could have had them driven down here in one of her family's limos if that was what she really wanted. People like her didn't date people like Rin. Rin recycled aluminum cans and scraps to get gas money for her motorcycle, and scavenged parts from wherever she could find them. She'd only gotten into the Academy because of a scholarship she'd been lucky to qualify for in the first place. Selena came from one of those families destined to attend from the day she was born.

Selena looked at least as disturbed as she felt, but managed an answer regardless.

"Nine? I can come by your room then."

Rin nodded. That sounded good enough. Ruri was her roommate, but she'd probably be off somewhere, likely with Yuzu. Ruri paid only enough attention to the rules to avoid being caught breaking them.

Selena started to get up, casting a brief glance at her before she settled back down, features firming as if she made some sort of decision. Rin told herself that she wanted to go back to reading, but in the last few moments, Selena just seemed so much more there than she had been before. A part of the world that she couldn't ignore even if she wanted to.

A part of the world that she hadn't imagined existed until it sat down next to her and asked questions that she didn't want to think about and challenged her to do something that would probably end with Selena annoyed with her.

Anyway, the sooner it was done the better. At least Selena seemed decent company.

And it absolutely wasn't a date.

The End

Notes: Sooo, anyone wanna see a sequel where Selena and Rin visit the beach by night?