Screaming giggles erupted from young Gohan's mouth as he was thrown gently into the air by his smiling father. The sea air sang through his hair as he watched the land around him. The summer sun beat down hard with shining heat, Gohan whining and trying to move as his mother placed sun cream an every inch of skin he had. Goku laughed and placed Gohan onto the warm sand below them. Quickly taking the small clothes off and dressing him in swim wear. Glancing his eyes over he watched as Chichi did the same, just catching her blush as she noticed her husbands gaze and smirk upon her. She leant forward and took Gohan from Goku, brushing her baby's hair from his eyes and watching Goku change into his swim wear.
The beach was busy, people running everywhere, if a patch of sand wasn't taken up by a group of people it was filled with sand castles. Luckily the Son family had been able to find decent space, not too far from the rolling waves but not too close and also a place where they could sunbathe and watch little Gohan play in the sand. Reaching his arms out Gohan grunted for his father, slightly dejectedly Chichi handed over the baby. Gohan was just coming on two and his speech was picking up well. With the intense heat of the summer the young family had made their way to the beach, both parents agreeing on letting Gohan come. For Goku this meant Gohan could have a little fun and for Chichi this meant an educational visit, the small boy hadn't been to the beach before and there was plenty for him to learn here.
"You see all that water Gohan? That's the ocean….you want to go play in the water?" Gohan had one hand clutched onto his father's chest and one hand in his mouth as he looked over to the sea. Slowly he shook his head and looked slightly worriedly at his smiling father. "Its ok son it won't hurt you, daddy will look after you. How about we go down there and look for some pretty shells for mummy…as a present for driving us here?" Gohan looked over at his mother who was gently lying down a blanket they could all sit on to eat later on.
"Present for mummy" Gohan smiled and clapped his hands as Goku placed him on the floor, his small hand in his fathers as Goku walked him closer to the waves, every now and again the child would stop, whimpering a little at the hard falling waves and picking up a plain flint stone and shouting present. Goku would laugh and urge his son forward before finally they reached the waters edge. Leaning forward Gohan looked at the wet sand and poked his bare feet into the sinking soil. Small shells and shining stones lay scattered around him and Gohan ventured on under the watchful eye of his father.
Leaning down to pick a small stone up Gohan ignored his fathers warning and was soon covered by salted water of a large falling wave. Letting out a cry he fell onto his bottom and let the shocked tears fall. Goku rolling his eyes and smiling walked over and stood Gohan back on his feet, looking up the sand banks to find his wife peacefully watching them.
"Son you have to watch the waves before you lean down. Now come on you're a tough boy and it's only a bit of water. Ok so let's stop crying and wipe those tears and look for that shell." Gohan wiped his face and took his fathers hand.
"This one!" Gohan held up a small rock, its shiny black surface was sparkling in the sun and small drips of water leaked out of the small holes that had been eroded into it. As the hot sun dried it out, the pebble faded to its usual grey, Gohan very disappointed at its ugliness.
"That's a pebble Gohan" Goku reached down and picked up a cockle shell, its deep blue oval shell glistening as Goku handed it to his son. "This is a shell. A shell is a kind of house for little sea animals." Gohan looked down at the shell and threw it on the floor, scowling at it.
"I don't like that one!" Goku looked down on Gohan shocked, smiling gently as the little boy ran forward and picked up more shells that lay around. "This one! This one" Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! This one, I want to give mummy this one." Goku walked over and bent down to his son's level. Looking at the small shell in Gohan's open hand. It was rounded with the usual squared off bottom. The shell was pink, a very light pink and around it lay rings of white, or what looked like white. It may have been an even lighter pink.
"Well that one it is then." Gohan squealed loudly causing many people to look over at the now dancing and smiling child as he clutched his fathers hand and toddled up the steep, sandy banks of the beach and up to his mother, who was lying peacefully in the sun waiting her family's return. She smiled when she felt the familiar weight of her husband's body against hers, his chest pressed to her side and his hands gently rubbing her stomach. Hearing Gohan giggle silently she swatted his hand away and sat up, a deep blush already on her face. Goku sighed with a laugh and sat up too, pulling his slightly struggling wife into his lap and firmly holding her there.
"Mummy this is for you." Gohan smiled sweetly and held out the small shell in his hand, one arm folded shyly behind his back in an attempt to show his care. Chichi gasped and smiled brightly, taking the small shell and admiring it. Gently she put it into her hand bag and took little Gohan into her arms for a large hug. "Thank you for letting me comes to the ocean Mummy."
"Thanks you sweetie it is a beautiful present. Did your father put you up to this by any chance?" Gohan giggled as he watched his father shaking his head in a no behind his mother's back.
"Nooooooooooo" Gohan sang the word out and then laughed loudly as his mother rapidly turned around and tickled his overly ticklish father, who in turn burst out in fits of giggles, rapidly moving and begging her to stop.
Sighing he placed his head on her stomach where he let her stroke his hair, Gohan sat beside them building a castle in the sand, growling each time the well he was trying to dig caved in. The buckets of filled and tipped over and over until Gohan had a whole city, Goku and Chichi's craftsmanship also in the design. In the centre a large castle which Gohan built (it was in truth a large sand mound with a few shells and stick poked in but it was good enough) Surrounding that were tens of small houses with gardens. Goku still worked hard on the large sand wall that surrounded the land and whilst Gohan added the finished touches to his castle Chichi dug the moat and made the bridge.
Sitting back the small family admired their handy work. Goku once again placed Chichi in his lap and let Gohan climb up onto his shoulders. Goku managed to talk Gohan out of putting water into the moat, the dry sand was not used to water and would crumble or just absorb all the liquid. Gohan although disappointed listened to his father's advice, although daddy never helped him with his homework because he wasn't too sure what to do a lot of the time his daddy was very smart. He knew how to make a house and a fire, he could cook outside (but not inside) and any bruise, scratch or breakage on him daddy could fix it…even if it did hurt a lot. Sometimes, at night, if he had been a good boy in the day daddy would come in and tell him stories of the adventures he had as a little boy.
"Daddy have you ever seen a castle? A real one like our one?" Goku looked at his father with widely curious eyes.
"Oh yes I've seen loads. With huge walls and a giant moat." Gohan looked at his father smiling.
"Did you ever meet a king? And a Queen and save the princess?" Goku laughed as Gohan slightly forced Chichi of his lap so his son could sit there and hug his father.
"Oh yes I met a King. A big king with huge horns and giant axe. I never met the Queen but I sure saved the princess." Chichi smiled and hugged Goku more, kissing his chest lightly.
"That was mummy wasn't it?" Goku nodded.
"It sure was." Chichi hugged Goku tighter and Gohan jumped up in the air and onto his feet. On the horizon dark clouds were beginning to gather, the waves had increased in size and the small gentle breeze was gaining strength. The sun was only just setting beyond the waves, small ships a silhouette against the reddening sky and although the black clouds a warning to all nothing could break the joy he felt watching the waves lap against the shore, his wife clutched to his body and his son playing happily in the sand…slowly burying his fathers feet.
Goku leant down and rested his head upon his wife's, his son successfully covering his father's knees. Watching the clouds silent creep forward Goku held his family, smiling even as a beautiful day came to an end, all the happiness he could need was right around him.
The End
Hope you liked that, just a piece of pointless fluff. Please review and thanks
Lots of love and luck
Chemical Connection
