Lin was having a bad day. He knew he was having a bad day because he was surrounded by shirtless men and scantily clad women. He knew he was having a bad day because it was scorching hot and there was sand in his shoes. Most of all, he knew he was having a bad day because Matsuzaki was trying to strip him.

"Stop that," he snapped, slapping away her hand as she reached to unbutton his shirt again.

"I'm just looking out for you," she said. "You might get heat stroke. These things happen."

"I'm fine."

"That's what they all say. Then-" she snapped emphatically- "In the hospital on IV fluids and a heart monitor. Just like that."

He regarded her skeptically.

"No, really," she said. "I've seen it happen."

"If I start getting hot, I'll take off my own shirt," he assured her. She sighed and stared up at the fluorescent pink umbrella that Mai had brought on the case, which they had solved in the first ten minutes after arriving. Lin was highly suspicious that it was all a set-up to get them to the beach, and the fact that everyone else- except for Naru, of course- had "just happened" to bring a swimsuit. They'd strongly encouraged Naru and Lin to as well, "just in case", but he didn't think much of it. He didn't think they were that desperate for a group vacation. Apparently he had underestimated them.

Next to him, Matsuzaki shifted and dug her toe in the sand. He didn't see why she didn't just go have fun- Mai, and Yasuhara had tagteamed and made Masako and John play volleyball with them while Takigawa pretended he knew how to surf. Even Naru had removed his shoes and rolled up his pants so he could wade in the tide pools. Surely, there was someoneelse she could harass.

"Do you even own swim trunks?" she asked, giving him a long-suffering look. He considered for a minute. He did have that one pair that Madoka had given him last Christmas, with the pink teddy bears…

"No," he said.

"Then you should get some."

He glanced at her sideways.

"I don't swim."

"You know," Takigawa's voice interrupted from behind, "I get the feeling that she just wants to see you half- naked." He chuckled and sat down on the other side of Lin, patting him on the back. "Watch out, you never know what she'll do to get what she wants."

"Weren't you surfing?" Ayako asked, leaning across Lin to glare at him. It must've been an accident that she was pressing against Lin's chest to do so.

"I was," Takigawa replied, grinning. "Which is, y'know, why I'm soaked."

"Don't be a smartass."

"You know, you never denied that you just wanna see him naked."

"I didn't deem it worthy of a response. Lin knows I'm just worried about him. Don't you, Lin?" she crooned, still much too close.

"I…" he stopped because she was picking at the buttons of his shirt again. "Stop that!"

Ayako pulled back and folded her arms across her chest.

"You're at a beach! You don't have to swim, you don't have to make sandcastles, I'm not even going to make you come out from under this godamn umbrella, and I think that's generous, but the whole point of a vacation at the beach is to relax, so relax already!"

"I'm relaxed," he said, still poker-faced.

"You're not even slouching!"

"She has a point," Takigawa said. Lin chose not to acknowledge them, and they fell into an irritated silence. Takigawa hummed a fragment of an upbeat tune and watched John score yet another point in volleyball. Then he gave a thoughtful "Hmm- she is right," and reached over to unbutton Lin's shirt.

"What- stop that!"

And people wondered why he hated the Japanese.


Hey. Don't deny it. YOU want to see Lin strip too. Anyways, I promise these will get better eventually, and won't all be plain old humor. There'll be romance, drama, angst, blah blah blah. I just wrote D last night, or most of D, and it's angsty as hell. XD So yeah. There will be variety.

See you next time!