Writings of an Owlmoose

Summary: Wakka and Chappu practiced every morning on Besaid Beach.

Notes: Written for an LJ metafic meme. This is a “deleted scene” from Red and Black by storyless; it fits within Chapters 4 and 5.

Metadata: Lulu/Chappu. PG, 717 words. Pre-game, no spoilers. First posted April 2007.

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Forwards

Wakka jogged down to the beach with the sunrise. A light breeze teased his face as he rounded the last curve of the trail down the mountain, and he sped up when he hit the beach, sprinting the last few steps into the shallows. He tossed the blitzball in the ocean, then dove in after it. His fingertips found the ball, and he snatched it before it could be lost to the current; with a well-practiced flip, he flung it outwards, then twisted his body to follow and kicked, making contact with his bare toes. He emerging from the water, took a deep breath, and blinked his eyes clear. Chappu stood calf-deep in the water, holding the ball, and he tossed it back.

“Not bad, brudda,” he called out. “I almost ate sand trying to catch it.”

“You going goalie or somethin’?” Wakka grinned at his brother, plucking the ball from the air and throwing it back again, still treading water.

Chappu caught the ball with a laugh. “And miss out on the thrill of scoring? Nah. I’ll stay with you at forward.” He took a few splashing steps forward, then jumped up and out, executing a graceful dive into a wave. Wakka followed him beneath, and the two of them spent the next several minutes on passing drills. They both ran out of air at the same time and swam for the surface, taking deep breaths as soon as they broke free.

“Ahh.” Chappu leaned back and floated on the waves, lying flat on his back. “Sun feels nice, ya?”

“Sure does.” Wakka took a few lazy strokes and then surrendered himself to the tide as well, not thinking about anything in particular, just feeling the cold water and warm sunlight. After a few minutes, he popped upright. “Want to go again?”

“Okay.” The brothers dove and resumed their practice. Quick spins, tight turns, passing the ball back and forth, never missing a catch or a kick. The other Aurochs had already remarked on their near-perfect teamwork; the joke was that each could read the other’s mind. Wakka would always laugh, but sometimes he wondered if it might be true.

After nearly an hour, the men turned for the beach and headed for shore, tired but invigorated, first swimming, then standing upright and walking in through the shallows. “Man!” Chappu shook the water out of his ears as he emerged. “I’m ready to eat. You bring any breakfast?”

“In the pack.” Wakka dropped to the sand as Chappu rummaged through the bag, pulling out skins of water, a loaf of bread, and two hunks of meat. He tossed Wakka one of the skins, and Wakka downed the water, drinking deeply, letting it splash on his face. Then he tore into his food; the salt on his fingers flavored the cold meat. “Nothin’ like good food after an early practice.”

“Good stuff,” Chappu agreed through a mouthful of bread. He swallowed, then collapsed backwards, eyes closed, hands laced behind his head, legs sprawled. “Aaah. This is the life.”

Wakka glanced sideways at his brother, noted more of a glow to his cheeks than was usual, even after an invigorating workout. “You seem pleased with yourself.”

Chappu smiled without opening his eyes. “Guess I am.”

Wakka lightly kicked Chappu on the shin. “Wouldn’t have anything to do with how you and Lu snuck off last night, would it?”

The smile widened, but Chappu said nothing, just stretched with a contented sigh. Wakka kicked him again, jabbing a toe into Chappu’s calf, but there was still no response. He turned his face up to the sun and leaned back on his hands, basking in the sun and the sound of the waves, ignoring the voice of jealousy that whispered in the back of his head. He’d gotten very good at not paying that voice much attention.

Next to him, Chappu stirred and sat up. “Life is good, ya?”

Wakka turned his head, met Chappu’s eyes. “Better now that you’re on the team with me.”

Chappu held out a fist, and Wakka bumped it with his own. They grinned at each other for a minute, and then Wakka levered himself to his feet. “C’mon, let’s get back.”