A DNF Merman AU

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

~~◇~~~◇~~

A/N: It's finally time for a POV change!!

~~◇~~~◇~~

"Clay"

"Dream!"

"CLAY!"

He snaps back into the present and looks at his friend quizzically until he realizes just how far away Nick is. Clay must have stopped paddling after getting lost in his own thoughts.

"Where did you go for a second, man?"

"Honestly? I-I don't even know," Clay replies, his hesitation clearly revealing a lie. Thankfully, Nick lets it go, and Clay returns to his thoughts as they pull themselves toward shore. Sometimes, when he's surfing, he gets the strange feeling that someone, or something, is watching him. In another situation, this would probably make him feel uncomfortable, or even scared, but out here, Clay is in his element. No one is spying on him, but if they were, Clay cannot help but admit that they would have a fantastic show.

A few minutes ago, he could have sworn that he saw a face hidden in the waves, but when he had turned to look, there was nothing there. There was never anything there. He must just be tired. Or dehydrated.

"Hey, you wanna catch one more on the way in?" Nick calls over his shoulder.

Clay smiles. "Sure, Sap"

When they first started surfing together, nearly ten years ago, Nick had insisted that they call each other by surfer names. Clay was certain that Surfer Names™ were not a thing, but even though he had thought it was stupid, Clay had indulged his friend. Overtime, it just stuck.

The boys speed up their paddling to catch an approaching wave. When they feel their boards finally reach the crest of the wave, Sapnap pops up onto his feet, Dream mirroring him a few moments later. It has been awhile since they shared a wave, and he cannot help but think, we should do this more often. He leans over to cut Nick off, but his friend swerves away just in time, laughing heartily.

"Oh, you're on!" Sapnap grins as he leans forward to speed up. The boys continue chasing after each other and showing off, letting their competitive sides take over. In spite of their efforts, neither boy is successful in knocking the other off, and they hop into the shallow water when their wave dies down. Clay tucks his board easily under his arm and follows his friend onto the beach. They walk side by side until they reach Sap's lifeguard hut, and sit down in the sand, waiting for his shift to start.

Clay can't help but chuckle under his breath when he notices a lean boy practically staring at his friend, eyes partially hidden by fluffy brown hair. He is lounging on a beach towel, wearing green swim trunks and an unbuttoned purple aloha shirt.

"Nick! Looks like you got a fan," Dream teases, and Sapnap whacks his arm playfully.

"Oh shut up"

Clay laughs, but he pretends not to notice each time Nick takes a peek at the boy.

~~◇~~~◇~~

POV Change ;)

Karl is sitting on the beach, just a few yards away from the lifeguard tower, like he always does. He had been hoping to see the new lifeguard again today, but so far, the boy has not shown up. Guess it's his day off. Karl sighs and goes back to writing in his journal.

He gets bored eventually, and looks up just in time to see the most magnificent sight he has ever seen. It's the lifeguard. his lifeguard. oh yeah, and another guy, too. They're riding a wave to shore, giggling like school girls as they try to mess each other up. Karl watches as the boys finally hop off and bend down to grab their surfboards. And oh. The lifeguard lifts his board up and balances it on his head. The boy walks out of the ocean, and Karl turns a bright pink. He knows he's staring, but he just cannot peel his eyes away from those strong arms and broad shoulders. He carries the board with such ease, unintentionally flexing his muscles as he grips it tightly. His red trunks are somehow both extremely low waisted and sinfully short, showing off a lean stomach and defined thighs. Karl follows him with his eyes, practically drooling. After a few shameful minutes, he finally forces himself to look away, blushing. He allows himself to sneak a couple of glances at the boy, though.

Man. What a great day to be at the beach.