Ocean Breeze (ch5)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $30+ PATRONS!

Wanted to write this idea a few weeks ago and the recent episode gave me a good reason to~ Angst/hurt/comfort/fluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shiroi Suna no Aquatope.

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						Chapter 5.

Even after their day off to enjoy the beach and barbecue has come to an end, Fuuka can't wipe the smile off her face all the way home. She hardly even realizes it, until she sits down with everyone for supper and Kukuru's grandmother makes the assumption that the day went well.

Fuuka blushes and dips her head as Kukuru excitedly tells her grandparents what they did with everyone. Though of course she and Fuuka eventually ask her grandfather how things had gone at Gama Gama today, unable to tear their thoughts away from work. Even though both girls express their gratitude for having the day off, they can both agree they're eager to get back to work tomorrow.

After helping clean up, they take turns in the bath before getting changed and ready for bed. The smile has unknowingly come back to settle on Fuuka's lips, so much so that it spreads to Kukuru as she lays out her futon.

"Someone had fun today."

Fuuka blushes as she catches herself grinning again and quickly covers her face.

"Ah, yes…"

Kukuru smirks.

"Fuuka, you're so cute! It's okay that you had fun, you know! You don't have to be embarrassed!"

"But…" Fuuka withdraws further into herself as the blush spreads down her neck. "It's like you all said… the beach was such a generic choice…"

"We were just teasing!" Kukuru chuckles, leaning over to poke Fuuka's side. Fuuka shrieks with a small laugh and quickly covers herself. Kukuru laughs again. "Of course a city girl from Iwate would love the beach. When's the last time you came?"

"P-Probably not since I was a kid."

"So no harm in enjoying it, then." Kukuru sits back and finishes laying out her blankets. When she glances back at Fuuka, she's smiling again. It's an expression she's been seeing on her more and more frequently by the day, and she's glad for it.

"I wonder…" Fuuka mumbles to herself distractedly.

Kukuru overhears.

"What's up?"

"Eh? Oh…" Fuuka blushes again as she finishes with her blankets as well. "It's nothing. I just remembered how after a day at the beach when I was little, I'd lie down for bed at night and it was as though I could still feel the ocean. I was just wondering if it might still happen."

"Oh, yeah! It definitely will!" Kukuru grins. "I still feel it, even though I go in the ocean all the time!"

"Really?" The hopeful little sparkle Fuuka gets in her eyes is enough to have Kukuru throwing her arms around her.

"Fuuka, you're so cute!"

"E-Eh…"

They share another laugh before Kukuru releases her and gets up to turn off the lights. She sits back down on her futon and slips under the covers.

"Go, go!" she says. "Lie down so you can feel the ocean again!"

Though Fuuka continues to blush, she does so and lies herself down on her stomach, folding her arms over her pillow as she closes her eyes.

"Just think of the water," Kukuru encourages her. "And that feeling should come in minutes." Kukuru has also laid down and closed her eyes, eager to surf the feeling again in her bed.

Fuuka rests her head on the plush of her pillow and envisions the ocean from beneath the surface. She thinks of all the sea life she'd learned about from Gama Gama, all the different kinds of fish and shrimp and sharks and corals. She remembers swimming with Kukuru and the others today, snorkeling down to observe the sea bed and all of the underwater life.

And before she's even really aware of it, Fuuka feels the peculiar sensation she'd been waiting for.

Even though she knows she is tucked into her bed, it feels as though the ocean is all around her once again, pushing gently at her stomach and passing through her in smooth rolling waves. She lets out a small, happy sound. From beside her, Kukuru chuckles.

"Is it working?"

"Yes!" Fuuka sighs blissfully. "I had a lot of fun today… but let's get back to work tomorrow."

Kukuru nods into her pillow.

"Agreed."

They murmur their goodnights, and then in the silence Fuuka dives back into her own mind.

The wave-like sensations continue washing over her, making her feel as though she's really back out in the water being gently rocked up and down in the sway of the tide. She envisions herself playing with the other girls again, splashing around and diving down to observe the fish, breathing in the scent of the sea and the wind and the sand.

She doesn't even fully realize it when her conscious reminiscing melts into a dream.

She's swimming with Kukuru and Karin and Udon, and everyone is laughing and talking about random things. The sun is so warm, a perfect contrast to the coolness of the water.

Suddenly they've all got their snorkeling masks and have dived down beneath the surface. Fuuka follows along behind the others on their way to the sea floor in search of fish. She pauses only briefly to turn back and gaze up at the surface with the sun shining through, shimmering in the ripples of the waves.

Fuuka smiles. It's the kind of summer she'd always wanted, at the beach with friends, enjoying her youth for once.

When she turns back, Kukuru and the others have swam on ahead, so Fuuka hurries to catch up.

But they don't turn back to wait or look for her. She swims a bit faster, but even though they're all moving slowly, she can't seem to catch up.

Suddenly, a school of fish blast past her out of nowhere, startling her and effectively knocking the mask out of her mouth. By the time she's composed herself, it's disappeared completely.

Holding tightly to the oxygen that remains in her possession, Fuuka quickly redirects herself toward the surface as the first pang of unease shoots through her. As she moves upward she glances back toward Kukuru and the others, but they've all vanished.

The first beat of fear passes through her heart when she realizes the water is suddenly growing darker, and the surface doesn't seem to be getting any closer.

She tries to stay calm, because she knows she has enough air, and she knows the surface isn't as far away as it seems.

But then, a sickening wave of nausea crashes through her, knocking half the air from her body as it flies away in the form of bubbles. And to her dismay, Fuuka notices the bubbles heading in the opposite direction. Somehow the world had shifted, and she'd been diving deeper all along.

Desperately she changes course and holds onto what little oxygen she has left. She can feel the pressure mounting in her chest, piling up on her slowly as her arms and legs start to become weighted with exhaustion. Her head becomes fuzzy and her vision blurs. Her lungs start to constrict, squeezing harder and harder as she tries to hold out. The panic that seizes her grips her like thick claws, stabbing her full of ache that throbs in time with her pounding pulse.

She tries to swim higher, tries to move faster. But she never gets any closer.

And the realization hits her like a full-force wave. She's drowning.

Her heart slams so hard it sends shockwaves through her whole body and into the water around her. She keeps trying, pumping her arms and kicking her legs as her vision stings and fills with tears that immediately get swept away into the ocean.

She feels the exact moment when she reaches her limit. Her heart feels as though it's going to explode as her lungs finally burst, and the rest of her air flies away from her. When her body instinctually tries to get it back, water gushes up her nose and down her throat, flooding her lungs in seconds. She flounders, clutching her chest and trying to call for help, but no sound comes out.

And no one ever comes back for her.

Fuuka can feel herself dying. The dark water turns cold and seeps into her skin, filling every piece of her and dragging her deeper and deeper down.

All at once, her vision goes black and the last of her strength drains into stillness.

And she sinks, without a sound.

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Kukuru sleeps for at least a little while that night before a chilled breeze wakes her. Even with her blankets covering her, the temperature had dropped more than expected.

She shivers, pouting at the fact that she'd woken up because of this, because she can tell she'd been sleeping quite peacefully until now.

She clutches her blankets closer to herself, refusing to open her eyes and admit that she's awake. But it's almost as if some fate or god is messing with her, because a particularly cold gust of air rushes in through the screens and comes right for her. Kukuru lets out a whine.

"Geez…"

She's too tired and too cold to have a desire to get up out of bed and fetch more blankets. So instead, she cracks her eyes open and turns to her only other source of warmth in the room.

Fuuka had turned onto her side to face Kukuru, and her blankets had slipped halfway down her side. Kukuru reasons that her roommate is probably cold too, so she justifies her own actions that way.

Kukuru slowly inches over to her and sidles herself against her. She slips her arms beneath Fuuka's and pulls herself close, shuddering a little bit as she adjusts to her warmth.

It sure beats just having to hunker down under more blankets.

Kukuru's lips form a tiny smile as she closes her eyes again and nestles a bit closer.

Right away she's so much more comfortable cuddling up close to Fuuka and taking in her familiar scent. She tucks her head in beneath her chin, resting it against her collar. The soft drumming of Fuuka's heartbeat thumps faintly beneath her ear, and Kukuru leans in toward it a little more, content to have the lullaby and the warmth.

Past the steady beat of Fuuka's pulse, Kukuru listens to her breath rolling in and out like the tide in a soft rush. Little by little, she feels herself drifting back toward a dreamland on the beach.

But just before she can nod off completely, another particularly cold gust of wind slips directly underneath her blankets and makes her shiver awake once again.

Geez, what the-?

But before she can get too annoyed with whatever entity is messing with her, Kukuru realizes there's been a change in Fuuka's breathing.

It's not much, but the pattern of her breath has become a bit irregular. Her inhales are shorter and weaker, and her exhales rasp slightly in the back of her throat.

Kukuru lifts her head up and eases back a few inches, worrying that she'd stifled her somehow. But even when she's put some distance between the two of them, Fuuka's condition doesn't improve. When Kukuru looks up, her expression is a bit tight, and her brow is trembling. Kukuru frowns.

"Fuuka?" She gives a worried little pat to her side, but her roommate doesn't respond.

Kukuru waits for a moment until her breathing improves a bit, then rests her head against her again. After a pause, she opts to close her eyes again and invite sleep to come.

But Fuuka's breath soon hitches again, and gradually her heart rate picks up. Kukuru hugs her a little tighter, rubbing her back softly.

"Fuuka…?"

But again, Fuuka doesn't wake.

Kukuru feels a knot of unease forming in her stomach. Something's wrong.

Fuuka lets out a soft whimper. Her heart begins to pound harder, until it's slamming and straining beneath Kukuru's ear. The stress and speed and force of it soon makes Kukuru stiffen with panic.

"Fuuka-"

Kukuru pushes herself away in a fluster and sees how pale Fuuka's complexion has become. She chokes out a feeble moan in her sleep, her forehead beaded with sweat.

Kukuru can't take it any longer. She sits up and gives Fuuka a firm shake to her shoulders, the concern thick in her tone.

"Fuuka!"

"Ah-"

All at once, Fuuka's eyes fly wide open, swimming with distress. She sits up and pitches forward, heaving in a gasp so deep and desperate it sounds like it hurts from the sheer force of it. She spirals into a bout of breathlessness so panicked she starts to cough every time she gets any air in her lungs.

Kukuru immediately grabs hold of her, trying to help her straighten up a bit while frantically rubbing her back and collar.

"Fuuka!"

She doesn't know what's wrong, if it was just a bad nightmare or if it's a panic attack or some other condition she hadn't known about. Fuuka is shaking all over, clutching her chest and heaving for breath, all while her pulse continues to race with troubling force. Kukuru gives a few firm pats between her shoulders.

"Easy!" she cries. "Just breathe, Fuuka-"

And once Fuuka realizes there isn't actually any water clogging her lungs, she makes sense of her surroundings and Kukuru's words. She draws in several more desperate breaths, shuddering with every exhale, scared she might not be able to get the air back again once she's let it out.

But she does, and as her body starts to understand it's not in any real danger, Fuuka slowly straightens out her posture. When she turns her face, she finds Kukuru wide-eyed and on the verge of tears.

"Fuuka! A-Are you okay-?"

And Fuuka's just too relieved and exhausted to answer right away. Her breath is still tangled in her throat so she can't find the words, so she just hopes the look of gratitude she sends her is enough. Fuuka collapses against her, and Kukuru catches her tightly, rubbing up and down her back.

"Fuuka? Fuuka-?"

Kukuru can still feel her heart pounding, but her breathing has started to slow down a little bit as the panic ebbs away. She hugs Fuuka close, working out her own shivers in the process.

It takes her another moment or so, but Fuuka eventually manages to curl her fingers into Kukuru's shirt, letting out a stunted breath.

"Kukuru…"

"Fuuka!" she cries. "A-Are you okay? Sh-Should I call someone-"

"I'm fine-" she manages. "I'm fine…"

Kukuru eases herself back enough to glimpse her face. And though her brow is still slick with sweat and her hair is still frazzled, her green eyes have softened with honesty. Kukuru blurts out a sigh and hugs her again.

"Thank goodness… H-Hold on, I'll get you some water." She carefully lets go of Fuuka just enough so she can lean over and grab an unfinished bottle of water from beside her futon and hand it to her.

Fuuka hesitates at first as she brings the bottle to her lips, taking an experimental sip to ensure the water won't suddenly come rushing down her throat. Just by watching her, Kukuru can assume what her nightmare had been about.

Once Fuuka is sure the water won't betray her, she drinks a little more before wiping her sleeve across her forehead with a sigh.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Kukuru takes the empty bottle from her and puts it aside, then looks back at her roommate.

Fuuka is still a bit shaken, and she keeps breathing in deeply as if to make sure she's still able to take in oxygen properly.

Kukuru scooches closer to her and eases her into another hug. Fuuka gladly sinks against her, grateful for her support. Kukuru pets up and down her back, feeling as the jolting beat of Fuuka's heart finally slows down into a calmer, steadier pulse.

Kukuru holds her for a moment, just as Fuuka had held her earlier that day in her moment of need. She hears Fuuka let out a long, quivering sigh against her shoulder. Kukuru doesn't let her go.

"Are you okay…?"

Fuuka breathes for another moment before mustering up a smile.

"Yes… Thank you, Kukuru."

"I'm glad. I wasn't sure what was going on." Kukuru lets out a weighted breath of her own as the gnarling twist in her stomach finally unravels. Fuuka returns the embrace on her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault!" Kukuru protests. "I'm sorry you couldn't just enjoy some rest after today."

"It's over now," Fuuka reasons. "It's just…" A flash of the dark water comes back to her mind, and her breath almost catches again before she pushes it away. "It just felt so real… I couldn't breathe-"

Kukuru taps her side gently.

"You can breathe now," she reminds her.

Fuuka nods and draws in another breath to prove it. After a moment, the last prickle of discomfort in her chest finally washes away.

"I'm so glad you woke me," she murmurs.

"I'm just glad I could help," Kukuru admits. "The breeze suddenly got so cold it woke me up. And then I noticed you were having trouble."

Fuuka blinks, a little surprised.

"Cold?" she wonders. "The breeze feels awfully warm to me."

Kukuru eases away from her and realizes she's right. The air is as cozy and warm as any normal summer night.

"Huh…"

Fuuka smiles tenderly.

"I suppose someone out there knew I was in trouble," she says. "So they woke you and sent you to save me."

Kukuru finally cracks a smile as well.

"Maybe! Whatever it was, I'm glad you're okay now."

"Me, too. Thank you, Kukuru."

This time, Fuuka pulls her in for another hug, and Kukuru returns it with a snug squeeze.

It's still the middle of the night, so they have plenty of time to sleep. As such, both girls slowly lie back down together.

Kukuru stays with Fuuka on her futon, curling up at her side. Fuuka loops both arms around her to keep her close, resting her chin on top of Kukuru's head. She breathes in deeply, and nothing frightens her anymore.

"Goodnight, Kukuru," she murmurs, letting her eyes fall shut.

Kukuru gives her one last little squeeze before nuzzling close. Once again, she lets Fuuka's pulse become her lullaby, and this time is stays calm and steady.

"Night, Fuuka…"

The combers of sleep wash over them gently from then on, coaxing them into a restful slumber.

On the roof above, a small familiar figure sits and watches the midnight ocean. Grinning, it wraps the slight chill of the breeze around its fingers and turns it to heat before sending it back off across the sea.

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A/N: I'm sorry for the drama... But Kukuru had a nightmare last chapter so now it was Fuuka's turn, and I really like the symbolism of her 'drowning' (from pressure of her work probably) and finding Kukuru being what saves her.

Not sure what will come next, we'll see what the next episode brings!