This story is dedicated to the wonderful and talented Pabu who recently drew a comic for my story 'Big Brother.' She worked so hard at it and did such a fantastic job that I wanted to repay her by writing her a story.
This story is based on Pabu's modern (surfer) AU. I would highly recommend checking her out on tumblr at hvit-ravn dot tumblr dot com before reading this. If you look under the modern AU and surfer AU tags on her page, you'll find all of the art that inspired this story. Surfer!Fili&Kili are entirely Pabu's creation. I just put her art and ideas to a story. :)
As a disclaimer, I would like to say that I have never been surfing, so I must apologize for any inaccuracies. As much as I wish I did surf, I'm sort of land locked where I live, therefore I had to rely on a bit of research to try and make this passable in that department. Hopefully it's all realistic enough to serve the story. :3
Thanks again, Pabu! Sorry this took WAY longer than I intended. I hope you like it!
Life's a Beach
Fili cracks open an eye as the shrill ringing of the alarm clock beside his bed disturbs him from sleep. He throws out an arm and smacks the snooze button, blinking a few times as he tries to focus his sleep-filled eyes on the digital numbers on the clock. 5:00AM. Why would the alarm be going off at 5:00AM on a Saturday? He rolls back over, burying his face in the pillows, and is about to go back to sleep when he suddenly remembers. That's right, I'm taking Kili surfing today.
Fili sits up in bed with a yawn as he stretches his limbs and pulls the covers back, dropping his feet on the floor. He grabs a clean t-shirt and a pair of swim shorts out of a drawer and pads down the hallway to the bathroom. He emerges about ten minutes later and decides he'd better rouse his brother.
He heads for Kili's room and pushes the door open slowly. He can just make out the sprawled form of his younger brother in the dim light, tangled in the sheets on his bed with one arm draped over the side. Fili chuckles to himself as he enters the room and goes to stand beside the bed.
"Kili," he begins, shaking his shoulder. "Kili, wake up!"
Kili stirs, looking at his brother through half-lidded eyes. "What time is it?"
"About a quarter after five."
Brown eyes blink up at him as his words take a moment to register. "What? Fili, are you crazy? It's still dark outside!"
"The best waves are early, little brother," he answers with a grin.
Kili groans and rolls back over, hugging his pillow.
"Now, get up," the blonde urges, swatting at him before heading towards the door. "We're leaving in half an hour!"
Kili grabs a pillow and chucks it at his head as Fili ducks out of the room. Once the door is shut, he flops back on the bed, burying his face in his remaining pillows.
Fili walks into the kitchen, stifling a yawn, and sets about making coffee. As he opens the canister of coffee grounds he breathes in the aroma, already feeling his senses waking up at the familiar scent. Once the coffee is brewing, he opens the fridge and starts pulling things out to make breakfast. He figures if Kili smells food cooking, it might motivate him to get out of bed, so he gets out the eggs and the bacon and turns on the stove. Several minutes later, the cooking is done, but there's still no sign of his brother. Fili finishes setting things out and walks back to Kili's room.
When he opens the door, he finds Kili asleep again, hugging his pillow.
"Kili," he says, crossing the room, "get up."
The brunette responds by pulling the covers up over his head and retreating further into the pillows.
"Come on," Fili coaxes, "I made breakfast."
There is a muffled grunt in reply and Fili rolls his eyes. He'll just have to be a little more insistent. He reaches down, grabbing onto the covers with both hands, and yanks them off the bed.
"Fili," Kili whines, curling up on his side and clutching the pillows. "It's cold!"
He laughs. "It won't be if you get moving, now come on! Food's getting cold."
Kili groans and rolls over on his stomach.
Fili heaves an exasperated sigh. He tilts his head to one side, looking down at his brother with his hands on his hips when he gets an idea. He looms over Kili's prone form with an evil grin and reaches down, digging his fingers into his sides.
Kili gives a yelp, grabbing for his hands as he tries to squirm out of his brother's grasp. "Alright, I'm up, you jerk," he manages in a fit of giggles. "Get off!"
Fili lets him go as he rolls onto his back. "Well, get a move on then," he says, patting his stomach.
Kili swats his hands away, giving him a half-hearted glare, and Fili laughs.
"I really hate you sometimes," he says as he finally drags himself out of bed.
"Well, maybe if you hadn't stayed up half the night playing video games you wouldn't be so tired," Fili responds with a grin. "Now, hurry up!"
Kili grunts in reply as he shuffles around the room in search of clean clothes. The blonde takes his exit, shaking his head as he closes the door behind him.
Fili stands on the shore, digging his toes in the sand, and takes a deep breath of the salty air. The sky is full of pink and orange hues as the run rises and his fingers itch for his camera. He doesn't usually like to take it with him when he's surfing. Cameras and sand tend not to mix very well. He makes a mental note to come back with it another day.
"Fili," his brother calls, breaking him out of his reverie. "Are you going to stare at the water all day or are we getting in?" Kili stands already stripped down to his shorts, leaning against his board held vertical in the sand, surveying him with amusement.
Fili quirks an eyebrow at him. "Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't you little brother?"
Kili rolls his eyes. "We've been over the basics dozens of times," he says, picking up his board. "Enough of the kid stuff. I want to surf!"
He shrugs. "If you insist." He peels off his shirt, tossing it with the rest of his stuff beside his towel laid out on the sand, and grabs his board. "Let's go!"
The two paddle out side by side as the sun rises higher in the sky. Before they get out of the shallows, Fili stops, sitting up on his board. Kili shoots him a questioning look.
"You go on ahead and I'll watch from here. I want to see how you do."
Kili shrugs. "Suit yourself."
Fili watches him paddle out past the breakers as he sits with his feet dangling in the water, enjoying the sound of the waves. When he gets far enough out, Kili gets his board turned around and Fili sits up straighter, watching intently.
As the first wave comes up, Kili starts out well. He paddles hard as the wave builds and gets on his feet with no trouble. But as he gains momentum, he starts to get a little unsteady.
Fili cups his hands around his mouth so he can be heard over the waves. "Keep your nose up," he calls out, "you're pearling!"
Sure enough, the front of the board starts to tip too far down and Kili wipes out into the water. He surfaces a moment later and Fili just shakes his head as he scrambles to get back on his board.
"Don't say it," Kili says to his brother's amused expression as he manages to wrestle his board into submission. He sits up and folds his arms across his chest, shooting Fili a glare. "Not a word!"
Fili holds up his hands and shrugs innocently. "Watch the wave," he calls back.
"I was watching!"
Fili rolls his eyes. "Behind you!"
Kili realizes his mistake a second too late as the wave overtakes him and he gets dumped back into the water. The surge takes him most of the way back in and he surfaces a few feet away from his brother coughing up salt water.
Fili tries not to laugh at his expense, but he takes one look at him and all he can think of is how much Kili resembles a drowned cat and he loses it.
"Very funny, Fili."
"I'm sorry," he gets out between fits of laughter. "Your face!"
Kili has had enough. He swims over to his brother and grabs onto the front of his board. While he's too distracted from laughing, Kili tips it sideways with a jerk, sending Fili into the water with a splash. The blonde emerges sputtering and now it's Kili's turn to laugh.
"See how you like getting dunked in the ocean," he says, splashing him with a grin.
"So that's how it's gonna be," Fili responds, splashing him back. "You're on, little brother!"
Before Kili has a chance to react, Fili launches himself at him and shoves him under. It soon turns into an all out dunking war as the two wrestle in the water, laughing and splashing in the shallows.
When they've worn themselves out, Fili finally calls a truce as they sit halfway out of the water.
"Fine," is Kili's answer, "but I won."
"Don't start," Fili laughs, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Hey, bring your board in," he says as Kili swats his hand away.
"What? Why?"
"Because we're gonna take mine," he answers, rising to his feet and offering a hand to pull Kili up with him. "Let's get you on some waves."
He does as he's told and they head back out, Kili riding on the back of the board. They paddle past the breakers and when Fili judges they've gone far enough, they turn the board around.
"Okay," Fili calls over his shoulder, "just try and mimic my movements. We've got to stay in sync if we're going to stay balanced. You ready?"
Kili nods. "Let's go!"
They start paddling as the wave builds and Kili drops into rhythm with his brother, digging into the water.
"Up on three," Fili calls back. "One… two… three!"
They get to their feet in one smooth motion and Kili puts his hands out to help keep his balance.
"Keep it steady, you're doing good," Fili says. "Here we go!" He adjusts his position and Kili copies his stance, then the two drop in.
Kili feels like he's flying as they glide along the horizon through the ocean air. They ride the wave down smoothly, weaving just a little. Fili opts to keep things simple for the time being. They finish the ride without incident and once they level out, the two drop back onto the board and Fili turns to his brother seated behind him.
Kili breaks into a wide grin. "That was awesome!"
"Told you there's nothing to it. Want to go again?"
He nods. "Let's do it!"
They head back out a few more times, sharing Fili's board. He gives Kili pointers as they go, demonstrating his techniques while Kili mimics his movements. After a while, Fili decides to take him out one last time before letting him try on his own.
"Alright," Fili says, "Let's make it a big one!"
They paddle out further than they've gone before and get into position. As the wave builds, they dig deep, keeping in perfect rhythm. They pop up on Fili's count and drop into the wave.
As they glide along, the water curves into a perfect tunnel just ahead of them and Fili breaks into a grin. "Hang on, we're going in!"
He leans in and Kili copies behind him, urging the board forward. Then they're in the tube. For a moment, time almost seems to slow down as they glide along, surrounded by water, and Kili stares with wide eyes, trying to take it all in.
"Put your hand out," Fili calls back, extending his own hand so that his fingers brush along the wall of water on their left.
Kili follows suit, breaking into a grin as they fly through the tube.
They each let out a whoop as they make it all the way out the other side and glide back toward the shore. As they drop back down, Kili leans back on the board and closes his eyes, letting out a breath.
Fili looks back at him with a grin. "Pretty awesome, huh?"
He opens his eyes. "That was the best."
Fili's grin widens. "Then help me paddle in and let's get your board. We've got a lot more surfing to do!"
As the morning progresses, Kili starts to really improve on his own. Fili is still surfing circles around him, but he holds his own and doesn't have any more major wipeouts. They surf for hours, oblivious to the passage of time as they chase the waves.
The sun is high in the sky when Fili and Kili finally drag themselves out of the water and collapse on the sand. Kili stretches out on a towel with his hands behind his head, staring up at a cloudless sky.
"That… was awesome."
Fili sits cross-legged, surveying his younger brother with amusement. "Told you it'd be worth it," he says with a grin.
"What time is it, anyway?" Kili asks, squinting up at him in the bright sunlight.
Fili digs through his bag, searching for his phone. "A little after noon," he announces once he has retrieved it.
"Damn. No wonder I'm starving. We should get something to eat."
Fili nods. "I'm with you there, brother."
"Wanna hit the boardwalk?" Kili asks, sitting up and reaching for his shirt.
"Sure." He grins. "If you're buying!"
Kili rolls his eyes. "Fine. I'll get lunch. But you're buying me ice cream!"
Fili laughs. "Deal."
A few minutes later, the car is loaded up and they drive down to the boardwalk. The Saturday afternoon traffic has picked up at this point and parking is impossible. After circling a few times, Fili gives up and drives a couple of blocks down where he finally finds an open spot.
They grab lunch at a burger stand on the boardwalk, wolfing it down as they both realize how hungry they are. After that, Kili is still bent on ice cream, so they each get a cone and walk down to the end of the pier, leaning against the railing overlooking the water.
They eat in comfortable silence, enjoying the ocean air for a while. The water below is getting choppy and as he narrows his eyes, Fili can see dark clouds building on the horizon.
"I think it's gonna rain later," he comments.
Kili shrugs. "Plenty of time to hit the arcade though," he grins. "Come on, let's go!"
Fili shakes his head in amusement as he finishes the last of his ice cream and follows after his brother. There is a pretty good sized arcade near the center of the boardwalk and Kili is prone to spending hours there. Normally, the blonde isn't quite as enthusiastic about playing video games when they're so close to the water, but today he finds he's actually in the mood for it.
They spend the next couple of hours in the arcade. Of course, Kili has to make everything into a competition, so much of their time is spent on various racing and combat games; anything two-player oriented. Fili wins most of the racing games, but he gets his butt kicked at Mortal Kombat and most of the first-person shooters. The two are so absorbed that they don't notice the clouds rolling in until they hear thunder rumbling in the distance.
"I think we'd better go before the rains starts," Fili says.
Kili nods. "Good idea."
They start to make their way back to the car, but they haven't made it half a block when the skies open up and it starts pouring. They take off running, but by the time they get back to the car, they're both completely soaked through. Once inside, Fili and Kili take one look at each other and all they can do is laugh.
By the time they get home, they're still cold and wet and all Fili can think about is a hot shower. Unfortunately for him, Kili is thinking the exact same thing.
"Dibs on the shower!" He announces as soon as they get in the door, and he takes off down the hallway.
Fili groans. "You better not use up all the hot water!" He threatens, banging on the bathroom door as Kili locks himself inside. Now he'll just have to wait.
They order in for dinner that night. Neither feels like cooking and they're both too tired to go anywhere. Afterwards, the two sit cross-legged on the living room floor playing Mario Kart on the Wii. Kili insisted on setting it to the highest difficulty at the start, and they both suffer losses playing through the tournaments.
"Not Rainbow Road," Fili groans on the final round. "Why did we pick this one again? This course is impossible."
Kili smirks. "Bet I'll still beat you."
He rolls his eyes. "That's if either of us can stay on the road."
The race starts and Fili actually manages to get through the first lap without incident. He's not even paying attention to Kili at this point. His only focus is on keeping his kart on the road and not flying off into space.
It's the final lap and things are getting heated. This is the best run Fili has ever had on this course and he's actually starting to close in on the lead. Suddenly, Kili's kart rams into his from behind. He tries to maintain control, but there's nothing for it. As neither kart can manage to disentangle itself from the other, both go flying off the track and fall into space.
"Kili!"
The brunette looks at him sheepishly. "Well, that didn't go quite to plan," he grins. "I guess we both lose."
Fili narrows his eyes at him. "You are so dead!"
Kili's grin falters as he recognizes the mischievous look in his brother's eye but before he can make a move, Fili launches himself at him, pinning him to the floor.
"No!"
Kili's protests go unheeded as Fili attacks his midsection, tickling him mercilessly, and he grins evilly as Kili screams with laughter and tries to pry his hands away.
Later in the evening, Fili is stretched out on the couch, flipping channels on the TV absently. Kili comes over and nudges his leg.
"Move over."
He obliges, sitting up and propping his feet on the table instead. Kili plops down next to him and stretches his legs out on the couch, leaning back against Fili's shoulder. The corners of the blonde's mouth twitch into a small smile. His little brother always insists on using him as a human pillow. He slips an arm around his shoulders as much to keep it from falling asleep beneath his weight as to allow Kili to get comfortable.
"What are you watching?" Kili asks as he settles in.
Fili shrugs. "Nothing really."
"You could try one of the movie channels."
"Okay."
Eventually they stumble on the last half of an old monster flick neither of them has heard of. The acting is terrible and the special effects are worse. The two decide to amuse themselves by giving their own commentary to it and they laugh their way through the film.
"That was awful." Fili laughs as the credits roll.
"And look, they're playing the sequel!"
"Are we keeping this on?"
Kili grins. "Round two!"
Fili just rolls his eyes.
As the film progresses, Kili's commentary becomes less and less frequent. When Fili's latest remark doesn't get a response, he looks down to find him fast asleep against his shoulder. He smiles affectionately at the sight and pulls him closer. Resting his head against his brother's, Fili closes his eyes with a contented sigh. All in all, he thinks, it's been a good day.
So there you have it! It took me much longer than I should have liked, but I enjoyed writing this. :)
My mom's a California girl and has dated her fair share of surfers. That was a small part of my inspiration for starting them so early in the morning. She told me she got dragged out at the crack of dawn her fair share of times. So, I thought it'd be fun to do the same to Kili! :P
The Mario Kart thing and bad film commentary were drawn from my own experiences. If you've ever done Rainbow Road on Mario Kart, you know exactly what I'm talking about! As for the bad movies; my sister and I are Mystery Science Theater fans and we've tried to do our own commentary plenty of times (though she's a lot better at it than I am!)
I wasn't quite sure how to end this, so I give you sleepy Durins. :3
I think I may do more for Pabu's AU in the future because I really enjoy it! I'd love to bring Thorin in; especially after the latest drawing she did with him and Dwalin. I wholeheartedly approve of biker!Thorin. So we shall see!
Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, Pabu!
Reviews are appreciated. :)