My Notes app shows I wrote this story back in July of 2021... It has been waiting SO LONG to see the light of day and now it's finally time! I'll be updating this one for the next 8 weeks on Mayakuro Mondays! Lifeguard AU! I hope you'll enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.
Waves Of Affection
Chapter 1. The Girl In Pink
Ever since she can remember, Claudine has always loved the ocean.
Her parents would often take her to the beach for family vacations when she was younger. Claudine had later heard from her mother that she'd evidently charged headlong into the water at the age of four and tried to splash around and swim all on her own.
When her parents had seen her apparent interest in swimming, they'd signed her up for lessons as she'd gotten older.
Claudine had shot her way to the top of every class and blown her instructors out of the water with her skills.
Most people assumed she was a natural-born swimmer, but Claudine's family had no lineage of professionals. She herself had simply been infatuated with the water, and as such had trained herself day in and day out for many years.
She would often arrive at the community or school pool right as it was opening in the mornings and practice, and after classes or whatever else she had to do that day, she would return and swim until the pool closed as well.
Her coaches would give her goals, and Claudine wouldn't rest until she'd achieved each and every one as efficiently as possible. And she'd even done dangerous things like swimming at one of the pools even before the lifeguard had arrived, simply because she was so eager sometimes.
All throughout her middle school years, Claudine practiced and swam competitively, and won many awards for her efforts. Her family could tell it was very important to her, and a commitment she intended to keep to religiously.
And so they had made the decision to move closer to the ocean - so Claudine could swim to her heart's content. In addition to that, Claudine's new high school also had a massive swimming pool, and there was a community pool for locals only about ten minutes from her house.
Claudine was ecstatic from day one about this new change in her life, and she eagerly dove headlong into the experience.
Though she hadn't been to the ocean since she was much younger, the first time she'd stepped back onto the hot white sand and witnessed the vast expanse of endless blue water, she'd felt at home.
For her first year of high school in her new town, she used the school pool to practice in the mornings and evenings around class hours, and the community pool to practice on weekends. And as soon as it got warm enough, she began visiting the beach as often as possible, even before summer had officially arrived. She never cared if the water was cold in mid-spring; the moment the beach was open for swimming and the lifeguards were on-site, Claudine was in the water.
In this way, she established a routine for herself in her new town, and made many friends all through high school who either shared or simply admired her ambitions. And by the time her second summer here arrived, Claudine could hardly wait to be free of her school assignments simply so she could spend her days at the beach doing what she was most passionate about...
It's only been a week since summer vacation had started, but Claudine is already in the best shape she's ever been in, since she hardly ever stopped swimming all year-round.
This morning, she gets ready for the day ahead with the same eager spark in her eyes and bound in her step.
She first pauses by her bedroom window, where she's just high up enough and at just the right angle to be able to glimpse the beach from afar. Her window is almost always open, but she always loves to breathe in that first big breath of salty air every morning.
The day is already sunny and warm, and she hurries along to get ready. She puts on her bathing suit of choice, which is more for swimming efficiently than it is for style. It's a simple light pink one-piece with a bit of a frill around the collar, and a white splash of a swirl across the left side.
Over this, she puts on a t-shirt and shorts and packs her bags for the day. One contains her lunch and several bottles of cold water, and the other contains her towel, sunscreen, and other essential supplies.
After enjoying breakfast with her parents, Claudine wishes them well today, steps into her sandals, and heads out the door.
Already, the morning is slightly hazy with that telltale summer heat on the horizon, but she can expertly tell it won't be the oppressive kind.
Even though she's lived here for over a year now, she can't help but love the feeling this seaside town gives off, as opposed to the urban city area she'd come from.
Here, the sidewalks are white and clean, and the streets always have a bit of sand sprinkled across them. The trees are mostly tropical species, considering this is a vacation spot for many tourists, but to live here year-round always feels like a vacation to her as well.
There are many hotels she passes by on her walk, along with little shops and restaurants. The lawns are all bright green and colored with flowers, and there's always a squawk of a seagull sounding somewhere nearby.
It's the same nostalgic feeling she'd always get when she was a kid coming on vacation; only now it's her everyday life. She loves every piece of it, even the days when the sky turns dark and a sudden rainstorm plunders through. Even the storms are somehow more beautiful when they happen over the ocean; she'd stayed awake many nights watching the lightning touch the black horizon over the sea from her bedroom window.
But there are no storms in the forecast for today, so Claudine plans to have a full and productive day of practice.
After passing by just a few more buildings, she rounds a corner and the view of the beach spreads out before her eyes.
The road here is the sandiest of all, and she can feel it beneath her sandals as she crosses. She can already hear the rush of the waves and the calling of the seagulls drifting high above, or stretching their wings from their perches on the tops of street lights.
The local businesses are already getting started as well, mainly restaurants, gift shops, and ice cream parlors. Claudine catches the sweet sugary aroma of funnel cakes and the warm crispy scent of French fries on the air.
But nothing has ever deterred her from heading straight for the water, and that doesn't change today either.
After crossing the street, there's a wooden divider between the roadside and the sand dunes. Claudine goes to the nearest crossover portion, which has stairs on each side. The moment she steps foot into the sand on the beach side, she lets out a sigh. Her sandals sink down into it a bit as she proceeds forward, drinking in the sight of the early-morning beach.
The water is a beautiful blue, a few shades darker than the sky as the sun rises higher. There are a good amount of white friendly clouds today, and a fairly nice breeze. As she walks, she scours the sand for tiny little shells and things, pausing to pick up whatever strikes her fancy.
There are a few large umbrellas set up already, and Claudine is always early enough to claim one provided by the town instead of having to bring her own. She chooses the same one she'd been using the whole first week of the summer thus far, one that's about a dozen yards from where the white sand starts turning brown where the very edge of the tide had touched it.
As she sets down her bags to pull out her towel, she hears the high-pitched screech of a whistle. The lifeguards are doing their morning laps, which she knows by now, because no one else is allowed in the water until they've finished, returned to their posts, and made the announcement that all civilians are permitted in.
This morning as she waits, Claudine sheds her t-shirt and shorts and folds them up into her bag, then removes her headband and ties her hair back into a ponytail. She takes a seat on her towel and begins applying her sunscreen, takes a drink of water, and then begins stretching.
She watches the lifeguards in their red swimsuits finish up their morning laps and emerge from the water together before spreading out to their respective posts. Claudine stands up, giving herself a bit of a shake as she sets her eyes on the water.
A moment later, a female voice speaks over a megaphone, which carries across the mostly-empty beach.
"Good morning! It's currently 82 degrees and the forecast for the day is all sun and blue skies. The lifeguards are ready and the water is now open!"
There really isn't anyone else here yet who's ready to go in other than Claudine herself. Sometimes there would be a family with children this early who would splash around in the shallows, or a surfer or two. But this morning Claudine feels she is the only one.
She doesn't mind. Her ambition is to be a professional swimmer one day, and in order for that to happen, there has to be a performer within her as well. She never minds having a bit of an audience with all the lifeguards' eyes on her alone.
Leaving her sandals behind her, she takes off in a light jog across the hot sand, though in just a few strides it cools down from the spray of the tide. Her bare feet pat light footprints into the damp clay as the ocean rushes up to greet her.
No matter how many times she does it, she still gets a bit of a thrill in taking that first splashing step into the clear, ankle-deep tide.
She avoids the little shells rolling around in the shallow undertow and wades in up to her knees, loving the familiar feeling of the current bouncing around her.
The moment she's up to her waist, Claudine ducks under the next small incoming wave and submerges herself entirely. She feels the pull of the crashing water above her back, making much less of an impact than it would have if she'd stayed above the surface. She swims out a bit, then breaches again.
By now she knows exactly how these waters work. There's a spot where larger, heavier waves tend to build up and crash over farther down the beach where most surfers tend to go. But here, the waves are tamer, and there's a certain section where few ever break and the water remains relatively calm. This is where Claudine spends the majority of her summer days honing her skills.
She sets herself in place to swim parallel to the beach, casting her gaze out across the rippling surface of the water. Then, she draws in a breath, extends her arms, and begins swimming.
And to her, it always feels like the water curls around her body like the embrace of an old friend.
Maya had loved swimming from a young age.
There was just something about the way the water lifted her up and carried her, made her feel weightless in a world where her parents were always trying to weigh her down with expectations.
The water was her safe haven, a place where she could go to feel free, a place where she could disappear for a moment from the surface world and enter an entirely different one.
Be it the ocean, a lake, or even a contained pool, Maya had always loved the underwater world. There, it was quiet and fun and so beautifully blue.
Even at a young age, she could hold her breath for much longer than anyone else in her swim classes could - nearly as long as the teacher. It was made clear to everyone around her that Maya was a natural-born swimmer. Her parents were professional actors, and her bloodline also contained the genes of runners and other athletes. Maya was the first to swim, but it was no argument that she was exceptional at it. She didn't even have to train very hard or very often; the skills were simply innate to her.
By the time she was in middle school, her instructors insisted she should look into training to be a lifeguard. Her physique and strength were impressive, her form was flawless, and she was one of the best young swimmers they'd ever seen. Maya considered the task seriously, and when she thought about using her gift in order to protect and save others, she had agreed.
All throughout middle school she had trained hard whenever academics allowed, often surpassing her seniors in terms of their times swimming laps or depth diving. As the weeks progressed, Maya understood more and more that she needed to use the gift she was born with in a way that made the most sense.
She already loved the water anyway, and if she was physically and mentally fit and able to, there was no reason why she shouldn't be a lifeguard. She was sharp and observant, as well as quick to act, and even quicker to swim.
So she went through all the rigorous training and drills almost effortlessly, and was rarely ever exhausted even after the most strenuous of days. She trained until she was officially certified, and given the recognizable red one-piece swimsuit with the word "Lifeguard" across the front, and a first-aid plus sign beneath it.
In her early teen years, she accepted jobs as a community pool lifeguard, and was always highly commended for her watchfulness. She'd never even had to perform CPR or first-aid on any person at any of her pools, because she always noticed the signs of fatigue or distress far in advance, and would act to assist before any serious danger could arise. But if she ever did have to use CPR or first-aid, everyone knew she would be phenomenal at them, due to her perfect marks on all the tests and exams.
When she started high school, Maya was encouraged to take a job at the beach as an ocean lifeguard, because top-tier guards like her were needed on the most threatening water scene. And there as well - in spite of not being that used to swimming amongst waves and currents that weren't just stimulated at a pool for training - Maya excelled.
Even at her first year as a guard at the beach, she was recognized as one of their strongest and fastest swimmers, and her seniors commended her. Every call she'd made that summer had been a good and necessary one, and not a single casualty had come about.
Injuries, of course, were unavoidable with so many people in one place. But whenever there was an injury of some sort under Maya's jurisdiction, be it as small as a scrape or as severe as heat stroke, she'd handled it professionally and gotten the victim the care they needed to make a full recovery.
She loved being able to put the skills she was born with to good use and for the sake of others in order to make the beach safer and more enjoyable for all.
For the most part, her days consisted of sitting atop her shaded chair and observing the beach-goers and the waters beyond. She would have to blow her whistle once or twice to wave people closer to shore, but she very rarely ever had to get into the water for a rescue or emergency. Even so, she took her job with deadly seriousness as any lifeguard should, and she truly did enjoy making it her purpose in life.
When the second summer of her high school career comes around, Maya is told by her overseer at the beach that she has a different post this year, farther down the beach than last year's. Maya readily accepts the change.
From day one of the beach's opening season, she starts the mornings by running laps along the sand with her fellow guards before getting into the water for the daily swimming and diving routines. When finished, she swims back to shore and climbs up the ladder to her new chair to take up her position.
And ever since day one that summer, she'd spotted a civilian who was already on the beach so early in the morning, and clearly eager to swim.
Being the closest lifeguard to the girl's setup, Maya had made sure to keep an eye on her since she'd been the only one there that morning. She could tell right away this girl wasn't just here for fun like most others their age were; her swimsuit wasn't one for sunbathing and playing around with friends, and she had no one with her anyway.
Maya watched her stretch dutifully first before entering the water, and then she swam off as naturally as a dolphin. It was clear right away that she was a serious swimmer, and very trained as well. Maya admired her strokes and her kicks, watching her as she swam side to side, avoiding the waves expertly and sticking to the calmer waters.
She watched her perform all kinds of strokes and styles, and every single one looked to be on-par with Maya's own.
From that very first morning, Maya was very interested in that girl. And as the day progressed and more and more people showed up until the sand and water alike were covered, she still caught glimpses of that girl throughout the entire day, all the way until sunset.
It was Maya's job to people-watch, but she'd definitely been watching this girl a bit more often than she'd watched most others.
And it wasn't only on the first day of the season, either.
The girl came again the next day, and the next, all throughout the entire first week, save for the weekend, where Maya could only assume she spent time with family or running errands, perhaps. Maya herself typically got weekends off, as there were senior lifeguards hired specifically to work them, being those were the days when there was the highest congestion of people at once.
However, Maya was specially asked to work the beach's opening weekend as well, since it was one of the most hectic, and she had readily agreed.
Come Monday morning, she was wondering if she would see that girl again, or if she might've only been present the first week...
But as Maya emerges from the water this morning after finishing her laps, she can see one of the umbrellas has already been occupied by a familiar blonde girl with a pink bathing suit.
Smirking with interest, Maya jogs back to her chair nearby and climbs up. She picks up her water from the cupholder on the arm and drinks a good gulp, then casually glances at the girl down below a little ways across the beach.
The morning announcement is made, and the girl wastes no time heading for the water. With no one else on the beach yet, Maya is able to give her full attention to the swimmer in pink.
Even when she hits the water, her jogging pace doesn't slow down at all, and she continues onward as if she were just running along a sidewalk. Not the push nor the pull seem to affect her pace or balance at all. And the moment she's deep enough, she dives in with perfect form.
Maya watches and waits until she pops up again a bit farther out, then promptly begins swimming her laps left to right. Maya finds great entertainment in watching her, not only because she is so incredible at what she does, but also too because she is very clearly enjoying herself to the fullest.
Of course, in only ten minutes, more beachgoers appear, and Maya has no choice but to fairly divide her attention between them, until there are soon so many she can't focus on the girl in pink that much anymore.
But Maya does watch her a bit more frequently and closely than the others; and not just because she's entertaining and skilled, but for logical reasons as well.
In all her years of training, Maya knows to keep a close eye on people who stay in the water for a long time. Even though this girl is clearly a professional swimmer or an aspiring one, she's always the first one in the water and the last one out - and that was the case all of last week as well.
Maya often looks back to observe her just to ensure the blonde girl isn't showing any signs of distress or fatigue. Though she is always a bit relieved when the girl decides to bring herself onto solid ground again, either to rest for a while or eat lunch at her towel.
Even though Maya has gotten used to this girl, her schedule, and her impressive stamina over the past week, it doesn't mean she can just assume she's able to take care of herself at all times. She is still Maya's responsibility when she is on this beach and in these waters, so Maya is always sure to check back on her whenever she can.
Like all the other days so far this season, Maya only has to blow her whistle or give a few warnings to teenagers who are being a bit too rambunctious, or surfers who try to go out too far. But overall, it's another easygoing day.
The girl in pink returns to the water in the afternoon to continue swimming, and she stays until everyone else has resorted to packing their bags or taking one last walk along the shoreline at sunset. Maya stays at her post until the announcement over the megaphone rings out.
"Attention please; the water is now closed for the evening. All swimmers and surfers please return to shore."
And like every day last week, Maya's charge is the only one still in the water at the time. Even though the announcement is made at the same time every day regardless, she's the only one it's really meant for most of the time.
Maya watches the girl come up from her final lap, then turn to head for the shallows. She's absolutely drenched, her ponytail thick and dark with water all down her back.
But unlike any time Maya had seen her last week, today the girl is panting a bit as she emerges. Maya doesn't think it's anything to worry about, considering how self-sufficient of a swimmer she clearly is, but she watches her closely nonetheless.
Until now, Maya had always known this girl to head straight for her towel, gather her things, and head on home at sunset.
But this evening, once she reaches the shoreline, the girl sits down in the sand facing the water, leans back on her palms, and tilts her head to the sky as she catches her breath.
A faint flicker of concern sparks in Maya's stomach, so she jumps down from her chair onto the mound of sand to lighten her landing, and makes her way over.
"Miss?"
The girl jolts, whirling around to face her with wide, startled eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm perfectly fine, I swear."
Maya pauses a few feet shy of her and looks her over, this being the first time she's been so close to her. She's understandably soaked across every inch of her body, but there's no paleness on her skin or dreariness in her eyes. From personal experience, Maya can assume she'd just had a very fulfilling session and needed a moment to collect herself. She relaxes a bit, but still feels the need to speak to her.
"Are you certain? Do you feel dizzy at all?" She indicates a small building located at the back of the beach, beside the restrooms and shower stations. "Would you like to come with me to cool off for a moment in the air conditioning? Or perhaps have some water?"
"There's no need. Honestly." The girl gets up, brushes herself off a bit, and offers a bright smile. "Thank you, though. I'll be on my way home now."
Maya checks just one last time.
"Are you certain?"
"Oui, perfectly certain. Sorry for the trouble."
"Not at all. Please take care and enjoy your night."
"Merci."
The girl dips her head before passing Maya by and heading back to her towel.
Maya stands at the water's edge with the tide lapping at her ankles as she watches her go. She'd been watching her for an entire week and had already been very interested in her. But now, having gotten the opportunity to speak to her, she's ten times more curious about her.
Maya shakes herself off, reminding herself her job comes first here, since she has a duty to keep the community safe. But if there was ever another opportunity to make contact with this girl directly as there had been just now, Maya wouldn't hesitate to seize it.
She watches the girl collect her things and start walking off the beach until she's out of sight.
Maya then turns to look out across the water, at the beautiful oranges and golds of the clouds.
But most lovely of all is the pink of sky itself, which Maya now knows to be the exact color of that girl's eyes.
A/N: And so begins Lifeguard AU! In all her time people-watching, Maya knows when she sees someone special...
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