Notes: Thanks for reviewing, guys. Really, really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

00000

Chapter 4: Of Sun Block, Island and Fork

"What's taking him so long?" Dearka asked, getting all fidgety again.

The four were going to head to the small island in the middle as it is still low tide. And it took Nicol so long just to get his trunks on.

Dearka stood in front of the bathroom door, "Hurry up, Nicol!" He yelled, pounding on its wooden surface.

"I'm having problems with the sun block…" Came Nicol's reply.

Yzak sighed, "What? Too sticky?"

"Something like that."

"It's because it's sun block, you buggot." Yzak retorted as he stood up, "Hurry up or we'll leave you!"

"Wait! Wait!"

Dearka counted 'til 10, and soon after, Nicol came running out the bathroom. Almost hitting both he and Yzak with the door.

Yzak glared at Nicol, "Watch it."

Athrun stood up and smiled, "Shall we go then?"

00000

Nicol was staring at the water as they road the boat to the island. He couldn't help but be amazed at what he saw below.

Except for the fact that there were lots of sea urchins.

"What's wrong, Nicol? Do you feel uneasy?" Athrun asked, seeing Nicol's face expression.

"Must be the sea urchins bugging him." Yzak replied his gaze still fixed on the water.

Nicol turned to the pale boy, "How did you know?"

"Knowing you… You'd most pro-."

Yzak was interrupted due to Dearka's garbling sounds.

"What are you doing, Dearka?"

Dearka stopped and faced his friends, "I was trying to copy a fish."

"Fishes don't make sounds like that." Nicol stated.

"Oh? So you can do better fish sounds than me?"

"Well… No. It's just that they don't make garbly sounds…" Nicol replied, playing with his fingers.

Dearka turned back and continued to make garbling sounds. Once he stopped, Yzak raised a brow and tilted sidewards. He didn't like the sound of Dearka stopping.

The blonde then jumped in his seat. Landing as hard as he could.

The initial shock sent Yzak falling off the boat, and Nicol nearly falling.

Dearka snapped his fingers, "Darn!"

Yzak's hand shot up from the water and he grabbed Dearka's arm, "You're such a fool, Dearka." He tried hard to pull Dearka into the water, but it resulted to shaking the boat more.

The butler that was with them was trying to tell them to stop, however, Dearka's laugh was more or less louder.

Athrun was thrown off the boat, followed by Nicol, leaving Dearka in it with Yzak still cluthing his arm.

He stuck his tongue out at his three friends, taunted them, "I win."

"You win?! Dearka, did you super glue your butt or something?" Yzak said sarcastically, hauling himself up.

"No. Only an idiot would super glue his butt to a boat's seat." Dearka replied, oblivious to his friend's sarcastic tone.

Yzak rolled his eyes as he helped Athrun and Nicol get back on the boat.

"That wasn't funny." Nicol stated as he began poking Dearka on the back of his head.

"I know. But yet it was."

00000

Upon reaching the island, Yzak jumped out the boat and sat under the first palm tree he could find.

Nicol stepped out and dragged Athrun, "Let's make a sand castle."

"Okay." Athrun replied as he too dragged Dearka with them.

"Hey, what? No. Let me go. Stop it!" Dearka yelled.

Yzak chuckled and stood up. Walked towards his friends and allowed himself to be dragged along.

"Here!" Nicol exclaimed as he stopped dragging his friends. He dropped to his knees and gathered a lump of sand. "We need water to keep it right… Did anyone see my pail?"

"Oh, I'll get it. Will I put water in it?" Athrun asked.

Nicol nodded in reply as he made a larger lump of sand. Dearka and Yzak sat down and helped made the lump larger.

Athrun came back and set the pail next to Nicol as he too sat down.

It took them around an hour or so to finish the castle due to a few problems of either one of them messing one part up.

The four smiled in triumph at their sand castle until…

"Tag! You're it!" Dearka yelled, pushing Yzak and running.

Nicol and Athrun stood up and ran as well.

Yzak grunted and stood up, waiting for Nicol to stop running. He watched the younger of them run to the water, suddenly laughing as Nicol fell.

All three of them rushed to Nicol and helped him up, only to see him pouting.

"What's wrong with you?" Dearka asked, looking at where Nicol was looking.

"My slipper…"

"What?"

"A sea urchin slipper-napped my slipper." Nicol stated.

The three looked down at Nicol's feet, to find only one had a slipper.

Yzak raised a brow, "How exactly did your slipper get there?"

"It flew." Nicol replied, "That's why I hate sea urchins."

Eventually, Yzak was able to get Nicol's slipper back. And the four friends played for hours.

At 5 PM, the four laid down on the sand. Dearka nudged Yzak and laughed.

"Look, Yzak. Sand angel!" He yelled, making a 'sand angel'. Yzak sighed.

"Hey, guys… Our castle is in the other side, right?" Nicol asked as he stood up, "Let's go check if it's still there."

And so they walked to visit their sand castle. Which apparently, turned into a wet lump of sand due to a wave.

Their boat came and the four raced to it, Yzak and Dearka laughing at Nicol.

"That's… Unfair. It's harder. To. Run. In water. Y'know."

00000

Dearka stepped out of the bathroom as Nicol rushed inside and hastily closed the door behind him.

"What's wrong with him?" Dearka asked, drying his hair with the towel.

"He said he was itchy." Athrun replied, "Well, he's bound to be itchy. He is the last to take a shower after all."

"If we made him first then we'd be the ones itching." Yzak stated, yawning.

Dearka looked at the bathroom door and grinned as water flowed out the small space underneath, "Someone couldn't hold it anymore! Nicol! That doesn't mean you had to pee right next to the door, you could've ran to the toilet!"

"I didn't pee!" Nicol yelled back, "I just opened the faucet and then the water just kept flowing, and flowing, and flowing, and flowing…"

"We get it, buggot." Yzak said.

Athrun sighed, "What's down the drain of the faucet, Nicol?"

Nicol stood on his toes and looked down the drain, "There's a fork."

"What?… Dearka." Athrun eyed the blonde.

Dearka laughed nervously, "What? I couldn't help it."

"Of all the things in the world to do, Dearka. Stick a fork the down a drain?" Yzak said, "You are so troublesome…"

The two friends paused and then laughed together. Athrun grabbed the hardest pillows he could find and throw it at their faces.

"Ha-OW!"

00000

I'm proud, the four actually had a somewhat peaceful day in the small island. (laughs) Dearka's such a troublesome boy. Poor Athrun…