Can You Hear Me? [OPEN]

He had seen her shortly after he sat down. Swimming, not too far from shore, she was looking at him. Well, let her look. It's not going to make me feel sorry for her, ditching her things to go for a swim.

As she swam farther out, he wondered if maybe she was trying to prove something. Something like what? That she wasn't afraid to go out deep? Or was it a challenge to him, to see if he would try to steal her things, too? Either way, he decided he wasn't going to care. She could stare at him all he wanted, he was going to keep his cool all day today.

He was disappointed in Alex, to say the very least. Maverick loved his little brother, very dearly, and had hoped to spend the day off with him, basking in the warm glow of the sun, swimming in the cool ocean, and maybe even building a sand castle or two. He smiled, thinking of the times they had come out before, and done those things. Alex was competitive, he'd given his brother that; always trying to beat Maverick's architecturally pretty castles with giant, cannon-mounted fortresses. The older brother would then sign a treaty of surrender, and Alexandre's kingdom ruled sovereign until high tide.

Maverick came back to himself in time to see the girl in the water start swimming out. And out. And out. He shook his head minutely, just imagining how he would chasten Alex -- like his father chastened him -- for going out to far. The sea was a cruel mistress, as Maverick well knew from his time spent on a boat. He had seen plenty of people cast overboard by rolling waves, and carried under by the current. Safety was never a sure thing with the ocean, not even for the strongest of swimmers, where he was boastful enough to hold himself.

She was still going out. Not a smart move, cutie. You'll get in trouble quick, if you keep on like that. Yet still she went out. Well, it wasn't as if she could hear his thoughts, now was it? Sighing, he sat upright, and cupped his hands around his mouth in preparation to say something. However, it was at this very moment the girl had chosen to start her grand misfortune with the current.

Karma's a bitch. That was his first thought. He had slept in late enough for Alex to come down alone and get into trouble, and this was his reward. Of course he was honor-bound to help, wasn't that what he was supposed to do? Yes, it was. He sighed, but stood up. He would help, of course, but the current would be dangerous even for him. Especially with clothing weight. Peeling the half-button button-up off his head (a distant corner of his mind thought about how great his entire body, nice abs and all, would look soaking wet), he tossed it onto the sand.

Wasting no more time than that, he took off full speed towards the glistening, still mostly-calm water. As soon as he could, he dove in, and began swimming. This was where he belonged, was in the water. It wasn't his home away from home, not at all; it was his home, and the place he slept at night was the secondary home. He cut through the water with great speed, but not much grace. That wasn't terribly important, though, grace could wait until later. He had to get out to that girl, and now. Problem was, she was out quite a ways, and it took him a while to reach her.

By the time he did finally reach her, his arms were beginning to tire from the unaccustomed demand he had put on the muscles. This, however, was a fact barely registered; his plan was about to come together. Grabbing her by the arm, he moved her up onto his shoulder to keep her above the water. It wouldn't be a very comfortable ride, but she'd make it back alive.

Turning around, he began the slightly less demanding swim back. He felt it, the current reaching out for him, but simply kicked its questing claws away, the savior did not need saving. Not, at least, today. The rest of the swim back was simply a blur of water and sand, bubbles and sunlight. His body simply worked mechanically, never ceasing until shore had been reached. He slid the girl off his shoulder into low water, the forcibly dragged her back onto the sand. He had saved her, yes. Didn't mean he wanted to, or was going to be nice to her about it.

Maverick was soaked, and none too happy with the girl he had dragged onto the beach. She had clearly been glaring at him while out swimming, had gone out too far, and he had even seen her try to fight the current on the way out. The first two, he could understand those. But you didn't fight the current; no one did. It was dangerous and stupid, like trying to fight the wind with a piece of cardboard: not only did it fail, it made the problem worse.

He was on the verge of saying something snarky and derogatory, when he saw her back. It looked like someone had taken a whip to her, as very few instruments could make that kind of mark. Maverick had a few old, soft pink scars on his back that looked the same, from when he had gotten caught fishing while not working for the Capitol. He hardly even thought about them any more, as they weren't visible, but it wasn't exactly something he was proud of. It also wasn't something he liked to talk about.

Sympathizing slightly more now with the girl, he wondered if he should do something about it. She surely didn't want the world to see them, not while they were still that visible, and they were still fresh enough that she would surely feel shame at their appearance. That, or he was reading way too much into this, and she just didn't care what anyone thought and wanted to be left in peace. Still, she was face down in the sand, and it wouldn't do her any good to breathe sand. He had to make sure she was alive, as well.

Leaning down, he gingerly rolled the prone body over. Seeing that she was alive, at the very least, he smiled slightly. Score one for him, and none for... for who? Who was he competing against? Regardless, score one for him. Deciding that immediately after a possibly near-death experience was no time for a chiding, he straightened up, and glanced about the beach. It was still pretty early, but there were a few people here and there. No one too close, no one to bother this girl, or her things that weren't too far away. He smiled, and leaving her to her peace, walked away to once more take a seat by his picnic basket.

Well, at least I have this. Saving someone's life and having unhumble thoughts has made me pretty hungry again. What did mom-- Oh. Fish sandwiches. Well of course. A quick inventory of the rest of the basket revealed a couple of pears, two chocolate bars, and two cans of cola. Not having the stomach for fish sandwiches for the fifth time in as many days, he grabbed a pear and crunched into it. They were his favorite, and a rare treat to get, as they were expensive compared to most fruits. The bread-winner though he may be, he certainly didn't do the shopping.

It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. Sun in a cloudless sky, warm breezes, and a shining sea front. Yes, this, of all places, was his home.