Notes: Kinabra Surfer AU. This has been on my mind for a long time now, and I thought I'd love to contribute to the small amount of Kinabra fanfics! This will be a pretty lighthearted piece considering the angsty origins of the pairing, with some comedy along the way. There'll be glossaries at the end of each chapter to clarify any surfing terms used. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

Surf's Up!

01: take-off

He had always loved the ocean. The ocean was a form of escape, a place to obtain true tranquility as he melts into the wondrous blue, with the rush of water being only sound he could hear. The singing of the waves was his favourite melody, the only soundtrack he would listen to on repeat.

Similarly, surfing had always been a part of him. Growing up in a beachfront home, the ocean was never too far away, and with the family pastime being regular surfing trips, it was no wonder that he was initiated into the waves as soon as he could balance on his feet. He would never forget the feeling of riding on his first wave, the exhilaration and unadulterated glee at finally being able to fly on water.

He had never felt so alive.

He was what they'd considered a natural, being able to travel alarmingly well on a board amongst fierce waves. He glided along the unpredictable turns and twists of the water with an unrivalled grace, a surprising ease amongst nature's most unrestrained at such a young age.

However, just as surfing had brought about the greatest joy he had ever felt, it was the wild waves that had caused the pain, pain, so much pain, and the a loss so great that he never set foot on a polyurethane board ever again.

Loud cheers ring in Cobra's ears as he watches his friend do a pop-up and then a bottom turn, successfully riding the wave, before smacking the lip and doing a series of more difficult techniques. The water crashes onto his back as he pumps along the wave, a grin plastered onto his face. Cobra shakes his head at the confidence exuding from the dark form amongst the waves, as said surfer straightens his back in a soul arch.

"Cocky bastard." Says a voice beside him, and Cobra could only nod in agreement at Laxus' words.

"Why aren't you participating this time?" Cobra asks, turning his attention away from the competition and to his blonde friend.

Stretching on his chair, Laxus rolls his eyes. "I'm getting too old for these little competitions. 'Sides, I'm giving them a chance to win."

"I don't think they'll appreciate you saying that," Cobra smirks, as Laxus simply shrugs.

Both turn their attention back to Gajeel, who was finishing up his ride and heading towards the shore. "…and that was your crowd favourite, the Black Steel!" Gajeel grins and does a mock salute to the audience, before jogging past to join his friends.

Laxus grabs the bottle of water beside him and aims for Gajeel's head, letting go with quick swing. Gajeel dodges the bottle, laughing, before picking it off the sand and taking a big gulp. "Pity that didn't hit you."

"Gotta take more than that to knock me out," Gajeel notes smugly, loosening his long black hair out of its low ponytail. "Wasn't that just off the hook?!"

"You just had to do a soul arch, didn't you?" Laxus sneered.

"Sad 'cause I did it better than ya?"

"Next time, the bottle will hit you in the face." Cobra shakes his head at his friends' bantering, turning to face the ocean once again as another contestant paddles into the water.

"Cobra, where's the rest of 'em?" asked Gajeel, his eyes searching amongst the crowd.

"Natsu's probably preparing for his turn, and Sting and Rogue are at the bar grabbing something to drink." Gajeel turns to look at Cobra, seemingly waiting for him to say more. "Ah, I missed the only person you wanted to know about, didn't I? Your 'Shrimp' is taking care of the shack."

Gajeel grins again, murmuring a thanks before grabbing his surfboard and running in the direction of the surf shop, where Cobra, Gajeel, and their three other friends worked part-time for their summer break. While Laxus had already graduated from university and taken over his grandfather's company, the other five resorted to summer jobs for extra cash while their families took care of the tuition fees. The local surf shack was a family business that had existed for many generations, and being its frequent patrons, it was only natural that they had chosen to work there for their summer holidays.

"He's so whipped," Laxus scoffs.

A snort, before, "and you aren't?"

"At least my girlfriend's working for me. I'm not the one chasing after her like a lapdog."

Despite Laxus' denial, Cobra knew that his friend was equally as 'whipped' as he had just labeled Gajeel to be. The two continued to watch the competition in silence, their faces expressionless.

"Party starts at 8." Laxus says, his gaze still focused on the surfing. "The way this is going, I'll be surprised if the winner's not one of them." Amused, Cobra picks up his own water bottle and unscrews the lid.

"And you said Gajeel was the cocky bastard."

introductory chapter! Kinana will appear in the next~

Glossary

pop-up: going from lying on the board to standing up in one jump

bottom turn: the first turn at the bottom of the wave

smacking the lip: moving towards the peak of the wave after a bottom turn

pump: an up and down carving movement that generates speed along a wave

soul arch: arching the back to demonstrate confidence and nonchalance while riding a wave

off the hook: positive phrase describing waves of a good size and shape