"I promise it'll be fine!" Yuta yelled to his parents from his room, hurriedly stuffing a small suitcase full of clothes. "His parents are really nice." 

"But how are we supposed to you know you're not gonna....you know," His mother yelled back. Yuta sighed, picking up his luggage and walking down to where she was sitting in the living room. 

"Have you seen him? He's super Christian and so is his family. We will not being doing any of...you know," Yuta explained. 

To Yuta's surprise, a week earlier Sicheng had texted him asking if he wanted to come with his family on their annual beach vacation. Sicheng had explained that his parents wanted him to have a friend with him; in fact they'd suggested Yuta come along. Of course, Yuta would never turn down the opportunity to spend some quality time with his boyfriend, so he promptly agreed. However, his parents were a bit worried about the trip. 

"His super Christian parents like you?" Yuta's father asked.

"Thanks dad," Yuta sarcastically responded. "But surprisingly, yes. I mean, they don't know I'm gay and they have no idea Sichengie and I are together." 

Suddenly, Yuta's phone buzzed, and he grimaced guiltily at his parents. 

"They're outside," he spoke. 

His mother sighed. "Fine, go! But there better be no funny business. And be nice!" 

"Thanks mom!" Yuta shouted excitedly, tugging his suitcase out the front door and down to the driveway where Sicheng and his parents were parked. 

Sicheng's father immediately jumped out of the car as Yuta threw Sicheng a wink, helping him put his luggage into the trunk. 

"We're glad you're with us," he spoke, slapping Yuta hard on the back. Yuta smiled to hide his wince, thanking Sicheng's dad and hopping into the backseat next to him. 

"Ready?" Sicheng's mom asked as his dad got back into the front seat of the car, turning on the ignition and driving out of Yuta's driveway. 

"Yeah!" Sicheng cheered excitedly, giving Yuta a big smile. Yuta grinned back at him, resisting the urge to run his fingers along the plane of Sicheng's soft cheekbone. He had to be good this weekend; he couldn't get Sicheng into any trouble. He was lucky he even got to come. 

Sicheng's mother made small talk with him as they drove through the suburban lanes, past the houses of his friends. Sicheng simply watched, seemingly very relaxed, a soft smile ghosting on his lips. 

"What is it?" Yuta murmured to Sicheng as Sicheng's parents argued over which way to turn. 

"I'm really happy you're here," Sicheng responded in the tiniest of his whispers. He checked to make sure his parents were distracted and when he was assured they were, he reached over to squeeze Yuta's hand. Yuta grinned at him before he quickly pulled his hand away, his mother turning to face them. 

"The house is about two hours from here, Yuta, so get comfortable," she spoke softly. Yuta nodded back at her, pulling his phone and earbuds out of his bag. Sicheng took one of the earbuds and stuffed it in his ear with a sly grin, Yuta smiling at him and putting on some music. 

Cars passed them by as they drove onto the highway, yellow rolling hills painting a landscape through the window in the car. He half watched the outside and half watched Sicheng, one of Yuta's earbuds in his left ear. It wasn't long before Sicheng fell asleep, his head on Yuta's shoulder, his soft breaths filling the car. 

Watching him with gentle eyes Yuta fell asleep too, head on Sicheng's. By the time he woke up they were already there, Sicheng shaking him with a smile. 

"Come on, let's go unpack." 

Yuta rubbed his eyes and followed Sicheng out of the car, eyes widening when he saw the sight before him. It was about eleven am, the morning sunlight hitting the ocean water at the perfect angle. The sand looked soft, even from a distance, and although there were a few people at the beach it was by no means crowded. 

Behind him was Sicheng's family's beach house. Their cottage was right on the shore; in fact you could step directly onto the sand from the back balcony. It  appeared to be fairly small, with only one floor, and although it seemed old, it was definitely well maintained. 

"Do you own this place?" Yuta asked. 

"Yup. We inherited it from my grandfather," Sicheng's dad explained, and Yuta briefly wondered if Sicheng's family was rich. No way did anyone in his family own a beach front cottage. 

"Your room is to the left," Sicheng's mother spoke. Yuta nodded and lifted up his and Sicheng's luggage, tugging them down the hallway. 

"In there," Sicheng pointed. The room wasn't big by any means, but the bed was large and it looked over the beach. 

"Where will you sleep?" Yuta asked. 

Sicheng hummed. "Huh. There's only two bedrooms; I assumed they'd put you on the couch. Let me go ask." Sicheng left the room and Yuta nodded, setting down Sicheng's suitcase and looking around. 

Pictures of Sicheng as a kid were scattered around the walls. Most of them were of him at the beach or in the cottage; Yuta could tell they visited every winter and summer break. Yuta couldn't stop himself from smiling. Sicheng was the cutest kid. 

A few minutes later, Sicheng returned with a surprised look on his face. 

"What?" Yuta asked. 

"Uh-uh....they thought we should, uh....share a bed?" Sicheng said. Yuta immediately burst out laughing. 

"Do they know...." He trailed off. 

"No way! They do not. They just asked me if I was dating this girl from one of my classes. My mom said she just thought since we were friends, it would be better than you just sleeping on the couch," Sicheng explained. "Anyways, sometimes my cousins would visit here with my parents and I guess I'd always share my bed with them." 

"I mean....if you're not comfortable then I definitely can sleep on the couch..." 

"No, it's fine," Sicheng responded with a nervous chuckle. "I don't want my parents thinking something's off." 

Yuta sighed. "True." He looked around the room before stepping in closer to give Sicheng a tight hug, squeezing him tightly. He was about to lean in for a kiss when Sicheng's mom knocked on the wall next to the doorframe, the two boys jumping apart. They hadn't realized that the door was open

"I hope you like our little cottage!" Sicheng's mom spoke, luckily not noticing their hug.

"I love it, Mrs. Dong," Yuta responded. "Thank you so much for inviting me." 

"It's our pleasure. We're heading down to the beach soon!" She spoke excitedly. 

"We'll get ready," Sicheng responded. 

She walked away from the door and the couple breathed a sigh of relief, quickly shutting it. 

"That was close," Yuta said. 

"Let's be more careful," Sicheng responded. He listened as his parents left the cabin before pecking Yuta on the cheek, grabbing his swim trunks out of his suitcase. 

"I'll go change in the bathroom," he added with a smile. Yuta watched him go and put on his swimsuit himself, checking to make sure he looked decent in the mirror before waiting for Sicheng outside the bathroom. 

As soon as Sicheng stepped out of the bathroom, wearing just his swim trunks, he paused. Yuta looked him over; a smile poking at the corners of his lips. Damn did he look good, but Yuta didn't want to make him uncomfortable, so Yuta held his tongue and locked his eyes with Sicheng's. 

Sicheng was a different story, however. His eyes alternated between looking at Yuta's bare chest and his face, a blush climbing down his cheeks to his neck. Yuta smirked; he knew he looked good, and it was validating to see Sicheng respond to it. 

"Ready?" Yuta asked casually. 

"Y-yeah," Sicheng stuttered back. He began to walk towards the balcony and Yuta followed, but Sicheng kept looking back at him every few moments. 

To Yuta's surprise the beach still wasn't that crowded, the noontime sun beating down on his back. Immediately Sicheng's father beckoned the boys toward their staked out area, a sheet laying on top of the sand. They had a cooler filled with sodas, two beach chairs, and a giant umbrella shielding the whole area. Sicheng's mother sat on one of the chairs, reading a book titled 'The Armor of God' with her sunglasses on. She wasn't wearing a swimsuit; instead she had on a rash guard and capri length leggings. 

"For modesty," Sicheng explained. Yuta nodded and the two boys walked over. 

Sicheng's mother looked up at them and immediately handed Sicheng a tube of sunscreen. "Before you do anything else put that on," she spoke firmly. 

"Yes mom," Sicheng responded, squeezing a bit onto his hands then handing the tube to Yuta. The two boys lathered themselves up everywhere they could reach, but looked uncomfortably at each other when they reached their backs. 

"I-I'll do it for you," Sicheng stuttered, sitting down behind Yuta and getting more sunscreen on his hands. Yuta felt really bad; all of these different things must have been really uncomfortable for his boyfriend. 

Yuta tried not to seem fazed at all for Sicheng's parents, but it was quite hard. This was definitely the most skin to skin contact he and Sicheng had ever had, and it was pretty nice. 

Sicheng finished up quickly, and now it was Yuta's turn. Sicheng covered his cheeks with his palms, clearly to hide his blushing face from his parents, and Yuta was entirely distracted from the situation by how adorable Sicheng was. If Sicheng's damn parents hadn't been there, he would've given Sicheng a kiss right then and there. 

Finally, they were ready, running into the water together like little kids. Sicheng laughed loud and bright, his head thrown back, and Yuta thought he'd never seen a more beautiful sight. 

"Love you," Sicheng whispered into Yuta's ear before diving underneath the sea water. Yuta followed after him, grabbing his ankle in the water. Sicheng screamed and splashed Yuta hard. 

"Meannie," he spoke with a pout. Yuta just laughed more, glad all of their awkwardness was going away. 

They played in the water for a little while, swimming beneath the waves, accidentally swallowing too much salt water. The sand shifted between their toes and they laughed loud enough for the other people nearby to stare at them, but they couldn't care less. They were happy just to be here together, the entire world fading as it was just the two of them. Easily Yuta could imagine it: the two of them here again with Sicheng's parents, the two of them here alone in a few years, partying together, and far in the future, the two of them here with their kids. It felt easy to think about; the future had always made him terrified before. The idea of him and Sicheng, together, settled down, was a relief like no other. 

The water got too cold after a while and the boys got out, running along their sand towards their towels, shivering as they rubbed their bodies down. Quickly the sunlight warmed them until it was too hot, a shared coca cola the only relief from the heat. It soon got to their heads and they laid down on the sheet, Sicheng falling asleep within seconds. Yuta watched him: the way his black hair stuck together from the salt water, his peaceful expression, the way his long dark lashes casted shadows on his cheeks, the rise and fall of his slender chest. The way he smelled, like sunscreen and salt water, the sounds of waves crashing and children laughing and Sicheng breathing filling Yuta's nose and ears. But soon he realized he was being creepy and laid down himself, falling asleep under the sun, woken up after just an hour by Sicheng's mom telling them to reapply their sunscreen. The awkwardness was gone; they lathered it on each other without hesitation; it didn't have to be ual. 

"We need ice cream," Sicheng mumbled sleepily. Yuta couldn't deny that or him so they got up, walking down to the little ice cream shop. Yuta got chocolate and Sicheng got vanilla but they both got it in a cone, Yuta paying of course. They sat on the benches next to the stand and ate the sweet cream, dripping sticky onto their hands. Now, Yuta noticed more of the details: the smile on Sicheng's lips, the deep brown of his eyes, his toes digging beneath the warm sand. The smell of ice cream joining the rest of his scent, the sound of his voice and small giggles adding to the beach noises. 

Sicheng looked up at Yuta out of the corner of his eyes. "You're pretty," he mumbled shyly. 

"No...you are," Yuta responded. Sicheng giggled and leaned his head on Yuta's bare shoulder. Yuta logged another sensation into his memories; the softness of Sicheng's cheek. 

"No you," Sicheng responded, his ice cream and giggling. 

"No way," Yuta spoke, rolling his eyes and smiling. "You know I love you the most." 

Sicheng fake glared up at him. "Don't even bother with that argument. You know I always win." 

"That's because I let you," Yuta said. 

"Sicheng! Yuta!" Sicheng's mother shouted. The two boys shared a look and ran back over, still eating their ice cream. 

"We're gonna head inside; watch a movie probably. Do you wanna come with us?" She asked, closing up her book and putting it in her beach bag. 

Yuta and Sicheng looked at each other. "I'm getting kinda tired, you in?" Sicheng asked. 

"Of course," Yuta responded softly. And of course, if Sicheng fell asleep again on his shoulder during the movie, Yuta wouldn't mind at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Even though it was early, spending all day underneath the hot sun had made both of the boys very tired. That night Yuta was already buried under the covers, much too tired to take a shower, but Sicheng wanted one. Luckily, Sicheng's parents had already fallen asleep, so they didn't have to be as vigilant anymore. 

"Be back in a moment," Sicheng mumbled sleepily, pecking Yuta on the lips before going to the bathroom. 

Yuta had wanted to wait up for Sicheng, to wish him good night and all, but the tiredness was starting to take over. Even looking at his phone his eyes had begun to flutter shut, but when Sicheng walked back into the room, Yuta became wide awake. 

Yuta could deny it all he wanted, but deep down he knew that Sicheng looked just plain y. His pitch black hair was wet, hanging down as water droplets landed on Sicheng's bare, muscular arms. He was wearing just a plain white t-shirt and boxers, although parts of the t-shirt had become see through from his wet hair. His skin was flushed a bit too, presumably from the hot water. 

Both of them were frozen still. Yuta was concentrating hard, trying to control the way his body was reacting to seeing his boyfriend like this for the first time. Sicheng was more confused; he'd never seen this look in Yuta's eyes before, and he couldn't decipher the way he looked at him. 

Yuta grimaced and shifted in the bed, pulling his knees up to the bed. He covered his crotch with his hands, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Sicheng's frame. He just looked so....pretty. 

Sicheng watched Yuta back, unable to figure out what this was all about. Why would Yuta act so weird?

"Babe," Sicheng whined quietly, snuggling closer to Yuta. Yuta smiled but moved away and Sicheng pouted. 

"What are you doing?" Sicheng whined again. 

"Nothing, what do you mean?" Yuta responded uncomfortably. Sicheng had enough just then, climbing over Yuta's frame to tackle him as the two of them giggled. His knee wedged between Yuta's legs and suddenly, he felt something...hard. 

"Eep!" Sicheng squealed, immediately scooting to the other side of the bed. Both of them flushed with humiliation. "W-what was that?" Sicheng stuttered. 

Yuta gave him a look. "You know," he responded, deadpan. Sicheng blushed even more and stared down at his feet, his gangly limbs and body hunched into a ball of embarrassment.

"I-I..." Yuta sighed. "I'm sorry. , Sicheng, you're beautiful, that's obvious." The implication behind those words made Sicheng blush even more, his ears ringing and skin heated. "But that doesn't mean anything. I mean, we are sharing a bed and all, but I would never violate your trust. I love you; that means I always respect your decisions about what you wanna do with your body. I would never want to do anything you wouldn't want." 

Sicheng trembled, looking at Yuta out of the corner of his eye. "Th-thank you," he stammered. "A-and...I-I....I-I'm not gonna lie; sometimes I think about...it, with...you," Sicheng admitted in the tiniest voice. "But I really, really, still believing in waiting. Just...th-thank you for still respecting that." 

Yuta smiled brightly at him. "How many times do I have to say it, baby? You don't have to thank me for not pressuring you. It's the bare minimum." 

Sicheng slowly smiled back and uncurled himself from his little ball, scooting a bit closer to Yuta. 

"Don't worry, we can cuddle now. I have willed my away and I can promise you that it won't be coming back," Yuta spoke. 

Sicheng fully grinned now, moving to the center of the bed where Yuta wrapped his arms tightly around Sicheng. Sicheng buried his face in the crook of Yuta's neck, his eyes shutting easily. Both of them had forgotten how tired they were. 

"Good night," Yuta spoke softly. 

"Gnight," Sicheng mumbled, pausing for a moment. "I love you." 

"I love you too," Yuta responded. 

Sicheng paused again. "Thank you for coming with me." 

"It's my pleasure," Yuta responded.  

"I love you," Sicheng whispered with a giggle. 

"Baby, let me sleep!" Yuta whined. Sicheng giggled again, and Yuta waited for him to fall silent. "But I love you too."