And here we have part 2. I apologise in advance for the sort of 'rushed' feeling this chapter has. But hey, it's a two-shot. ;)
I don't own Beyblade.
Nile shook Hikaru's shoulder. She had fallen asleep on him and now, she stirred slightly under his touch before waking up all the way.
"Sorry," she gushed after realizing her position.
He smiled, obviously more energetic than he had been before she'd dozed off. "Don't be. "
Nile stood up, pulling her up next to him as he hadn't yet let go of her hand since taking it earlier.
The train began to slow, they had arrived at their destination. They made their way to the conjoining cabin and stood before the mechanical sliding doors. Beside them, the couple that Nile had taken so much interest didn't move. This was not their stop.
As the young woman cooed at the child in the pram, Nile got his first look at the baby. A doll-like, chocolate eyed girl of only about 8 months with a tuft of thick ebony hair giggled with glee at her mother. He found himself marveling at the fact that her eyes were so intensely dark for such a new life, but he soon met eyes with the mother and her deep black, kind glance told him immediately that she was the one whom the child had inherited those haunting eyes from. Just like he himself had received his own mother's eyes.
The doors slid open and Hikaru stepped off, her hand still entwined with Nile's. He followed pursuit, but not before he heard the man exchange what was intended to be a whisper with his wife, "They remind me of us when we were teenagers, don't you think?"
Once on the platform, Nile watched the train gradually pick up speed and chug away further and further until it was no longer in his sight. Briefly, he wondered where the couple could be going at such a time in the late afternoon, but his attention was soon captured by Hikaru.
"Perfect,"
Nile looked at her, wearing that blank expression of his.
"Perfect," she repeated. "There's no one else here. Come, the shore's just down those steps."
Hikaru raced along the deserted platform and stood by the railing that indicated where said steps were. Like a display girl showing off a prize to be won on a game show, she waved her hands around in the air. Nile couldn't hide a smile as it crept onto his face. He noticed how harsh the wind was, as well as the way it whipped its way through Hikaru's hair giving her an almost suggestive bed-head kind of up-do. He had to pull himself up there, so he shook his head from side to side in an attempt to remove such impure thoughts.
As he reached the stone staircase, he looked afar across the scene before him and he was suddenly breathless.
Yes, it was true that Nile was not completely unaware of the seashore's beauty. He'd seen pictures and he'd watched a few documentaries on quiet nights spent in nameless hotels while travelling with Wild Fang. But to actually be there, to really see in with his own two eyes… well, this was something totally different.
The foot of the stairs met a glorious sand floor that glittered in a way that made it appear to be covered in rich, gold sequins. Further down and to his left, the land ceased to exist as waves so gentle and pure moved in and out with no real sense of purpose. He had previously underestimated the ocean itself, it would seem, because the sheer size of it struck him with awe. It went on forever. An orange/pink sky framed the horizon, free from clouds or any other such imperfections. And the way that the sun hung so low gave Nile the impression that he was appreciating a very detailed watercolor painting.
There was a clean, almost antiseptic taste in the air and the subtle thickness to the breeze pressed his clothing against his body as he descended the steps. Far away, he could hear the faint song of a flock of seagulls preparing to retire for the evening.
Still caught up in his own wonderland, he jumped as he felt someone squeeze the sides of his waist from behind. The offender quite literally skipped around to stand beside him.
"So… what do you think?" Hikaru asked, though her tone indicated that she already knew the answer.
Still, he didn't allow himself to tear his eyes away from the view in front of him. "It's absolutely amazing."
"Like you," she muttered her head bowed in embarrassment. Once she had caught herself, she threw her hand up to her mouth in shock at how easily she's let her thoughts become her words. Timidly, she glanced up expecting ridicule, yet she found the space beside her to be empty. Looking around, she finally laid eyes on Nile who had run off towards the water.
He turned and waved, "Hey, what are you standing around for? Show me the water."
Relieved, yet somehow slightly disappointed that Nile had not heard her little slip of the tongue, she chased after him.
Nile stood in the shallow water, watching the little sand particles caught in the wave's motion wisp around his shoes. He didn't care that his shoes were now soaked, for he knew that life was short and any time spent worrying over spilt milk or wet shoes was time wasted. He bent down, cupped some of the water in his hands and then lifted them to his mouth.
"Nile, what are you doing?" Hikaru called from behind.
'What does it look like, girl?' he thought. 'I just rode a train for three hours. Damn it, I'm parched!'
"Nile, don't!"
Too late. He had poured a whole handful of seawater into his mouth. To say that Nile got quite a surprise would be an understatement. He had expected cool, fresh water to quench his thirst but instead was confronted with a mouthful of what tasted like a bucket of salt.
"Nile!"
Hikaru came running up beside him. He turned, not noticing her for he was simply just that distraught, and sprayed the water all over the poor girl like a sprinkler.
Nile grabbed his scarf and scrubbed his tongue with the course material. "Ew, ew, ew."
"I'm soaked!" Hikaru's outburst finally caught Nile's attention and when he realized what he had done, he almost fell over with panic. He forgot all about the horror that was wreaking havoc on his taste buds.
"Hikaru! Oh my g… I swear that was an accident! I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry. I mean, I didn't see you there and the… the water! Someone's dumped salt in the water! I didn't, I mean, I didn't realize…"
As Nile tripped over his own words, Hikaru burst out laughing.
"Nobody's put anything in the water, silly," she breathed between crippling hysterics. "Sea water is naturally salty, you're not meant to drink it. It's not like the waters in rivers and lakes."
Nile could only utter a quiet "Oh," as his face flushed pinker with each humiliating second.
She tried to speak, but couldn't for all the laughter. She grabbed his arm for support as she doubled over, clutching her chest with her other hand. At first, Nile was relieved that she hadn't punched him out; he knew that if he truly did anger her then she wouldn't hesitate to rearrange his face. But after about five minutes of being the butt of Hikaru's joke, his patience wore thin. Sternly, he put his hands on his hips and pouted.
"What's so funny?"
"You," she wheezed. She looked up sensing his unimpressed vibes only to keel over again at the sight of such a particularly cranky Nile.
"How?" he demanded more serious than ever.
"Your innocence. How can you not know that you can't drink seawater? And the way you spit it out, classic!"
Suddenly, a childish playfulness washed over him. He cupped more water in his hands. "You mean the way I spit it out," he drank the water. "Like this?" although it sounded a lot more like "Gike Giss?" Then he sprayed the water over her a second time, grinning cheekily at her stunned expression.
Instantly, she stopped laughing. Glaring at him, she bent down and collected her own water. "Actually, it was more like this."
Within seconds, Niles hair lay flat against his head. For a while he was silent, then with a deathly serious voice he breathed, "This means war."
He bent down again, and began using his hands to throw water up at her repeatedly until she was completely drenched. Hikaru , after recovering from the mini-tsunami Nile had wrought upon her, retaliated by simply pushing him over into the water.
And so, like two children, Nile and Hikaru chased each other through the water running parallel along the shore. Over an hour passed as the battle raged on. Playtime took a slightly rougher turn when Hikaru held Nile under the deeper pools for so long that he almost ran out of breath at one point. Nile didn't hesitate to combat that attack by picking her up and throwing her into the surf like a rag-doll.
Before they'd realized how much time had slipped on by, the sun had completely set. Now, the moon nestled midway in a starry blanket and spilled a silver stream into the blackened sea. Their clothes had dried, but they were still damp enough to feel more than a slight chill. By now, puffing and panting they had reached the end of the shore and come to a large, rock wall.
Nile turned to Hikaru who stood beside him marveling at the sight, "Truce?" he asked.
"Until tomorrow."
Nile smirked because he knew that she definitely meant what she said. Then, he began to move towards the rock.
"What are you doing?"
"Come on, you said you were going to show me the ocean. Why stop now?" He started scrambling up the wall. He made it look so easy.
"But, I've never climbed that rock. I don't know what's at the top."
"Only one way to find out."
She sighed and followed his lead. Surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult to climb as she had first thought. She discovered that it was simply a matter of placing one hand and foot after the other and hauling herself up. All she had to do was hold on.
She was almost at the top when she heard Nile's voice call to her, his head poking over the edge. "Careful, this last part is a bit unsteady. Don't grab the rickety one."
"Which one's the rickety one?"
As Hikaru laid her hand on another jagged rock, she answered her own question. The rock came away under her grip, and the shock forced her to let go of the rock she was using to support her weight. She screamed, not even having enough time to think about what was happening. For one terrifying second, Hikaru felt herself falling.
Until she felt a hand grab her wrist. She opened her eyes, momentarily wondering when she'd closed them, and saw her saviors face. Nile wore a wide grin as he pulled her up over the edge rather effortlessly despite his small frame. Once she was safe on flat ground, she caught her breath while Nile didn't even attempt to stifle his laughter.
"Told you to be careful."
Hikaru let out a low mumble that sounded an awful lot like a growl. "Did the saltwater make you crazy? That was so dangerous!"
"Relax! I'm sorry, are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"
"Well, no…"
"Good. That's all that's important at the moment, then."
"I suppose I should thank you."
"Don't you mention it," he said and he gave her a soft smile.
For a full thirty seconds, the pair fell silent. Nothing but the sound of crashing waves and heavy but steady breathing made itself audible. Nile watched Hikaru as she stared at the moon. The same moon reflected in her lavender eyes, making them twinkle in much the same manner as the stars above them. Before he knew what he was doing, he lent forward, just a little. Then a little more. Hikaru didn't notice him as he got closer. She jumped up and ran to the edge on the other side of the rock, crawling onto her hands and knees. She peered over the side, "Hey Nile, come look at this."
Maybe the seawater did make him a tad crazy. He was glad for whatever had distracted Hikaru, because for a moment there, he swore he was about to kiss her.
'Stop it,' Nile told himself. 'Don't be stupid. She's Hikaru and you're, well you're you… She'll never repay whatever feelings you think you're having so don't kid yourself.' He shook his head, trying to expel such far-out ideas and followed her.
Standing next to a kneeling an oblivious Hikaru, he saw what she had been so excited about.
"Wow," he whispered.
About ten feel fellow them at the foot of the rock, severely intense waves crashed and slammed against the surface. Sea foam flew everywhere with each constant bash that the waves gave.
At once, it became apparent to him that the ocean wasn't what he had previously seen. This was the ocean. This, in all its vicious, merciless power, was the true ocean. He thought about how the rock he was standing on would eventually be eroded by those waves. It may take hundreds of years, but the sea is in no haste. With each clash, it chisels away at seemingly indestructible boundaries, eventually wearing the rock formation away. He imagined himself trapped in that rage bellow him, and the idea sent a chill up his spine. Once caught, he knew that there would be no way to fight it. He'd be thrown around like a chew toy, held in a liquid cage until every last ounce of his strength and will to live was drained and he was pulled under into a watery grave. Nile realized that really, the ocean, at its most vengeful is quite a horrific thing.
"It's so interesting, isn't it?" Hikaru's voice brought him back to earth.
"Huh?"
"The sea," she explained. "It's just so wondrous. All it is, is water. Lots and lots of water. It takes no form at all, yet it has the potential for devastating destruction. It can kill you, but you'd die without it…"
He stayed mute, half listening to her talk and half listening to his thoughts.
She continued, "But it's so incredibly gentle at the same time. It sooths us…"
"Sedates us... relaxes us," added Nile.
"It's beautiful."
"Incredible."
Slowly, she got to her feet and searched through the darkness to find his eyes. "It's kind of like…"
Together, the same word left their lips in perfect union.
"You…"
He took a step further, illuminating any space between them. Hesitantly, he snaked an arm around her waist and held her hand with the other. In return, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
As the sound of the waved surrounded them, as the crisp night air caressed their still damp bodies, the atmosphere created the perfect moment.
Nile craned his neck and paused just in front of her face as if wordlessly asking her if it were okay for him to go further. Hikaru responded by leaning in the rest of the way. For one moment, one perfect moment that couldn't have lasted longer even if they had been given the blessing or the curse of eternal life, their lips touched.
To Nile, this was magic. He simply wasn't sure that there were any other word to describe the fireworks he felt right then and there.
Nile pulled away first, though he really didn't want to. A scarlet blush graced his cheeks.
Hikaru looked down somewhat embarrassed. She touched her fingertips to her mouth which was very slightly tuned up at the corners. "My first kiss."
"Mine too," he cooed.
"Was it, was it how you'd imagined it to be?"
"No. It was much, much better. "
Breaking the trance, Nile pulled her down to sit by him. He let his legs hang over the edge of the rock above the waves, and Hikaru cuddled up beside him resting her head on his chest as he held her there with his arm.
They sat there, watching the moon and the waves without speaking for fear of ending their experience too soon.
After a while, Nile finally spoke. "Hikaru, thanks for showing me the ocean."
"It's okay. You would've seen it sooner or later," she replied, letting her hand trail up to play with the bang in his hair.
"Probably, but I wouldn't have gotten to experience it like this. With you, I mean. Now, whenever I think of the sea, I'll remember this and I'll think of you."
She sighed, content in his arms. "Do we have to go back?"
Nile chuckled, "Unfortunately, yes. Yes we do. But not right away. Let's just stay here for the night, up on this rock. We can go back to reality tomorrow."
"Sounds like a plan."
And that's exactly what they did. For many hours into the night, Nile and Hikaru stayed comfortably motionless, content to simply embrace each other's company. Eventually, Hikaru gave in and fell asleep, but Nile's mind was wired. A million thoughts swarmed through his head. Gazing at the moon, he wondered what tomorrow would bring. Would he and Hikaru remain this close, or would the happenings of that night simply become a fond memory? Would they drift apart with the arrival of the morning sun, or would they remain the twin flames in which they had certainly become? Most importantly, would he ever see this place again? He had no doubts that he would visit this very same coast sometime in the future, but without Hikaru, it would be merely a beach. With Hikaru and just Hikaru, however, this place was not a beach. It was a different land, a different realm. As Hikaru slept so soundly next to him, he dearly hoped that he would one day be able to return to this place where the ocean meets the sand.
And that was that! Sorry about the ending, it's all I could think of at the moment. Constructive criticism is very much welcomed, so fire away if you see anything that needs improving.
Thank you to everyone who reads this. It means a lot.
Jessie
