a/n: sorry this is late, in my proofreading I decided to add another major scene so I was fixing up a lot of things. I'll do my best to update the rest of the chapters quickly! :D

“Okay, today we are going to the beach,” Jihoon says, pointing a spoon accusingly at Seungcheol. “No three year olds.”

Seungcheol just laughs and tells Jihoon to eat his breakfast. Jihoon glares at him, but then Seungcheol asks if he’s going to wait until Seungkwan calls for another favour again, and Jihoon eats quickly. Seungcheol laughs again.

The drive to the beach takes a while, Seoul’s traffic chaotic. Jihoon has to tell Seungcheol to stay calm as someone else cuts in their lane in front of them dangerously. Seungcheol huffs and Jihoon reaches over to rest a hand over his on the gear stick, as the other car speeds off. It’s unconscious, an old habit, but Jihoon determinedly looks forward as he retracts his hand, ignoring Seungcheol glancing over at him.

Halfway, they take a break at a petrol station and Jihoon offers to drive for a while. Seungcheol relents with a sigh and they set off again soon after. Seungcheol falls asleep in the front seat, dreams of bright laughter and shared smiles, and wakes to the sea breeze ruffling his hair.

Jihoon is laughing, his window open as well, wind mussing up his hair. “Wake up, sleepy head, we’re almost there,” he says, and the grin he flashes Seungcheol is bright. Seungcheol mirrors it easily.

They park in the beach side car park, both of them running down the hill to the sand with almost crazed laughter. The few people on the beach stare at them, but Jihoon feels so free like this - sand beneath his feet and the sea breeze messing up his hair.

“Come on, we have to build a fort,” Seungcheol says, grabbing his hand.

“What?” Jihoon laughs, as Seungcheol pulls him down to the sand near the edge of the water line.

“The tide is rising, so we have to build a sand castle and then have defences against the rising tide,” Seungcheol says.

Jihoon scoffs. “That’s pointless though, you can’t win,” he says, but he’s already piling sand up with his hands and Seungcheol grins. Jihoon builds a sand castle and then creates some walls with wet sand in front of it, while Seungcheol makes trenches all around it using his feet.

“Is this wall high enough?” Jihoon asks and Seungcheol looks at it from where he’s crouched, on the other side of the sand castle. He nods and Jihoon takes the affirmation with a serious nod, fixing the rest of the walls to the same height.

“Jihoon,” Seungcheol says after a moment, and the younger looks up at him. “You have sand on your face,” Seungcheol comments, tapping his own cheek to indicate where it is.

He watches Jihoon paw at his face with the back of his hand, but only succeeds in leaving more sand on his cheek.

Seungcheol sighs and brushes the little bit of sand off his own hands. “Here, let me,” and he leans over to gently brush the sand off with his fingers.

Jihoon is staring at him with wide eyes, sand covered hands hovering in between them as Seungcheol brushes off the sand. But Seungcheol is staring at him too, eyes never leaving Jihoon’s. For a moment, no one moves and it seems almost like time has stopped.

Then Jihoon opens his mouth to ask something, probably if he’s done, but he doesn’t get a chance to, Seungcheol leaning the rest of the way to kiss him. The kiss is soft, gentle. Jihoon would have thought it was loving, if they weren’t about to get divorced.

At the thought, Jihoon involuntarily whimpers a little, and Seungcheol pulls away. He takes one look at Jihoon, before he’s leaning in again, kissing him again, and again. Soon the kisses are bruising, Seungcheol’s hands at his face and neck, keeping him from moving away, the two of them just kneeling on the beach, kissing with a deformed sand castle between them.

Jihoon doesn’t know how much time passes as Seungcheol leaves him breathless with bruising kisses, but then there’s water crashing against their legs and they pull apart in surprise. They scramble to their feet, turning to look at each other, similarly lost and bewildered.

Then Seungcheol screams. “The sand castle!”

For their morning effort has been washed away in a single wave. Jihoon gapes.

“Our sandcastle!” he cries and Seungcheol hurriedly crouches down to build the walls again.

Jihoon pushes him into the oncoming wave. Seungcheol stumbles into the shallow waters, but catches himself before he falls, turning back to stare at Jihoon.

“This is your fault!” Jihoon cries when Seungcheol stares at him, horror across his features. “You and your - your - ”

He can’t finish, face too warm from the memory of the burning kisses. Seungcheol’s shocked face changes to that of a smirk.

“Oh, my fault, really?” he says as he takes a step forward, and Jihoon feels fear grip him. He takes a step back. “I’m not so sure about that, Jihoonie.”

And Jihoon lets out a yell as Seungcheol bolts towards him. He makes it a good few steps before Seungcheol grabs him around the waist, hauls him kicking and screaming towards the water, and then tosses him into the ocean like a doll.

Now Jihoon is totally drenched, sitting in the shallow water with sea water dripping from his hair. His expression changes from startled to thunderous.

“How is this my fault?!” Jihoon yells, getting up to run at Seungcheol. The older doesn’t even bother running away, just laughs as Jihoon drags him into the water with him, until Seungcheol is similarly drenched. They stay there, splashing each other in knee deep water as Jihoon tries to get petty revenge.

Eventually Seungcheol steps close enough to grab Jihoon around the waist, pulling him close so that he can’t splash him