Work Text:
bright and warm. heat baked her pale skin as she laid on the mauve beach towel. she tried to be prepared, lathering the exposed skin of her arms and legs with sunscreen; the faint scent of coconut. the heat radiating from the australian sun was completely different to that of her home in japan.
placing her beach hat on her face, she blocks her view in order to soften the blinding rays of the sun. it left her alone with nothing but the relaxing sound of her breathing and the slight bursts of sunlight peeking through the holes in her woven hat. along came a wave of relaxation as her eyes fluttered shut, welcoming the kind grasp of sleep. she sunk her toes into the sand, a contrast in heat as she broke through the surface. the unfamiliar squark of seagulls rang in her ears as she tried to drift off into a calm slumber.
“sana!” Upon hearing a familiar voice shout her name, abruptly waking her from her short siesta, she shifted her woven sun hat to no longer obscure her view of her surroundings. the familiar voice belonged to her highschool best friend chris, who was calmly escaping the grasp of the ocean as it lapped at his feet.
chris had spent his childhood in australia, constantly telling sana stories about it during their teenage years in cityside japan. when he would talk about his experiences, an indescribable passion and love would resonate from his voice - so it was no surprise to sana when he moved back there after he moved out of his family home. it was only now that sana finally had the chance to visit and experience for herself what chris had raved to her about all those years ago. it was all so foreign to her, yet she was coming to terms with what chris had found such a fond love of.
as he approached their twin towels, the tail of the board wrapped around his tanned leg like a stingray catching its prey. his bleach blond hair now a slightly darker colour as singular curls clung to his neck. “are you gonna just sit there all day or are you gonna come in?” he asked, his brow furrowed due to the blinding direction of the sun. he sunk down on his towel next to her, looking at her in question. despite being drowsy, she felt the need to appreciate the time she had here - especially with her best friend who she hadn’t seen in years. sitting up, readjusting herself to her bright surroundings as she replied, “alright, let’s go.” a large smile plastered on his face, highlighting his dimples, chris stood up ready to jump into action.
the wind caught their hair as they ran into the ocean, the cold splash of the water breaking their stride. despite the cold chill, it was refreshing and cooled down sana’s sunkissed skin. breaking through the shallow waves into the calmer deeper water, she let the ocean carry her. feeling as though she was crowd surfing, the expanse of droplets underneath her acting as the hands of her biggest fans. a soft cloud, carrying her around her new-found paradise. she heard chris sigh, his eyes closed with a peaceful smile decorating his face. sana understood.
this felt like home.