Arthur was sitting on the deck to his beach house. He hadn't been there in a long time. Not since the summer from before his last year of high school. He looked out at the calm water and wondered where all his life had gone.

College, of course. And then it took him a few years to get started as a writer. A few more to become well-known. And even more than that to finally pick a place to settle after years of moving around, writing novels.

And then he had become an editor. Editing books.

And now? Well, now he was well into his thirties, and he was considering settling down. Making a family. Or possibly adopting.

But before doing any of those things Arthur had to come back to this particular place.

He had pitched in the money with two friends to rent the place for the summer, to get away from his family. Lovino and Mathew, those were his two friends. If you wanted to call the sad trio that.

Arthur sipped his cup of tea as a gentle breeze rolled off of the coast, rustling his hair and bringing back too many memories for his comfort.

Arthur closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, a small sigh. He knew why he had to come back. This was the place that he had fallen in love. Or something along those lines.

Arthur opened his eyes again and ran a hand through his hair. By this point, there was no stopping the memories.

0-0-0-

"Let's go to the beach." Mathew said quietly. Lovino looked at him like he was crazy.

"Beach? As in sand, and the sun, and volley ball, and all the other stupid cliché shit?" Lovino rolled his eyes.

"No, I like it, you arse." Arthur replied, slightly bumping Lovino.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Fucking fine." He said, but there was a slight glint of excitement in his eyes.

Arthur and Mathew shared slight smiles.

0-0-0-

Arthur felt a small smile on his lips as he remembered his bickering friend Lovino and his peace-making friend Mathew. They were the only things that kept him going during his school years.

0-0-0

Arthur walked into the beach house, looking around and then going to pick his room, setting his bag on a bed in the room he liked to claim it.

He went to the windows and looked out at the beach, a small smile. Maybe his summer would be bearable.

"What the fuck? What the hell leaves a fucking basket of tomatoes as a welcome gift?" Arthur heard Lovino shout. He sighed and closed his eyes.

0-0-0-

Arthur looked out at the water. The more he thought about it, the more he remembered. This beach house wasn't just important to him. Lovino had changed over that summer too. All because of three idiots.

0-0-0-

The first day on the beach for the three was not going well. It was over crowded. And the three were self-conscious. And they only knew each other.

"Bloody brilliant idea, coming to the beach…" Arthur muttered.

"I don't want to fucking hear it." Lovino said, glaring at him. "I said this was a bad idea."

"Hey, guys, there's a clear spot over there…" Mathew said quietly, pointing to a clear spot of sand.

Lovino was off in a minute, pushing through people without a second glance, heading for the spot. He was the quickest of the three, and the least polite. The other two followed, apologizing for Lovino and hoping he would get the spot.

To their dismay, Lovino and some other, tall, albino-looking male that two others accompanied were arguing over the spot.

Lovino was glaring at all three of them while saying, "Fuck you, we saw it first."

"Nein, we were here first, brat, so get lost." The albino said.

"Fuck you." Lovino said.

"You wish." The albino replied.

Arthur took this as the moment to step in, same as another of the other two, a tall blonde.

"Lovino, be nice." Arthur said at the same time as the blonde, who said, "Gilbert, mon ami, calm down…"

"Fuck them, Arthur, we saw it first." Lovino said, giving him a glare.

Mathew jumped in here. "We could always share…"

The third of the other group nodded. "Si, let's just share!"

The blonde nodded while Gilbert just huffed and looked away. Lovino crossed his arms and glared at the third of the group, a dark-skinned, dark-haired male.

"Okay, good!" The third of the group said. "I'm Antonio!"

"And I am Francis." He said, smiling.

Gilbert just muttered his name.

Lovino refused to say anything, so Arthur introduced all three of them. "I'm Arthur, this is Lovino, and that is Mathew."

The other three nodded and soon bother groups were sitting under umbrellas, on towels. Gilbert asked Antonio if he wanted to play volley ball. Antonio agreed and invited Arthur, Lovino, and Mathew.

Mathew declined, but went to watch while Lovino agreed, muttering something about putting a certain albino in his place.

Arthur declined, instead choosing to read a book he had brought.

Francis had already left for something else, so Arthur was alone, in one sense. He slowly relaxed, leaning back and opening his book, one he hadn't ever read. He read for a while, happily in peace, until a shadow fell over his book.

Arthur looked up, seeing Francis. "Can I help you?" Arthur asked.

Francis shook his head. "You have been reading a lot."

Arthur noted the French accent and nodded, turning back to the book.

"So do you always spend your summer vacations doing nothing and being generally boring?" Francis asked.

Arthur looked back up at him, slightly tiffed by the way the blonde was speaking to him. "I don't recall asking you for the thoughts you had on how I spend my time. I also don't see how it is your business how I spend my time, considering that I will most likely not see you again this summer, or ever."

Francis was quiet for a moment before saying, "I have it figured out. You are boring because you are British and cannot help it."

Arthur looked at Francis in shock before scowling. "Well you are rude and unbearable because you are French!"

Francis grinned and shrugged. "You have quite the temper, non?"

Arthur glared at him. "Could you please just go away so that I forget that you even exist?" He looked back down at his book.

"How very boring of you to say... Well, I will leave you for now. But don't worry, cher, this beach is very small and this summer is just beginning."

Arthur glared at Francis as he walked away, not bothering to look back. "Stupid French Frog." He looked back at his book, sure he wouldn't see the stupid Frenchman again that summer.

0-0-0-

Arthur couldn't help the small smile that crossed his lips when he thought of just how wrong he had been that summer. He took another sip of his drink before going back inside the house and retiring for the night.

0-0-0-

A/N So... I'm not even sure what this will be yet... But I don't think that this is going to have a super happy ending. It may not be sad.. But I doubt it will be extremely happy either.

Also, I am in the need of a beta for this story. So if you are interested, please just send me a pm. Then we can talk and figure something out.