It's taken me slightly longer than usual to update, but if the extra day dragged by, please accept my excuse of having to split one giant chapter into two still relatively big chapters... *smiles* So, here's two chapters uploaded at once! (but feel free to leave reviews for both!) Hope you enjoy!
Here, we re-visit the beach… More bonding moments…and maybe a treat or two…

There was a pained yell from one of the open doors down the hall, and those headed down the corridor to the car park stared in surprise as Kise Ryouta suddenly came flying out from the room and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Sorry senpai…" he remarked morosely into the carpet. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to the beach with us!"

"Didn't Moriyama tell you I was sleeping?" Kasamatsu could be heard yelling back in exasperation.

"I just thought I'd check…" Kise called back apologetically, "…Okay…we'll meet you down there soon! Have a good sleep!"

"Tch, just wait…" Kasamatsu grumbled flatly, "I'm already up, so I'll come now…" Hyuga, and Kiyoshi, who had seen the whole thing just stared –Kiyoshi unable to stop himself from chuckling as Kasamatsu appeared a few minutes later in his swim trunks and carrying his towel. Kise delightedly hooked an arm around his senior's neck and was subsequently elbowed remorselessly in the gut.

"You guys sure got lucky with your juniors," he deadpanned irritably as he joined the two Seirin seniors. Kise mock pouting from behind him.

"…You think so, do you?" Hyuga remarked dully, the three of them –plus Kise in tow –heading out to the car park to join the rest of the group.

Riko drank in the fresh sea breeze with delight as she stood staring out at the beach with her hands on her hips. It was an absolutely beautiful day –probably going to be really hot –and the sand was buzzing with life.

"Shutoku's set up a volleyball net, for anyone that's interested," she called out, pointing over to where Miyaji and Kimura were busy warming up –with no sign of Otsubo or Takao…Actually, after straining her eyes for a moment, she could pick out the point guard busy digging a hole while Sakurai and the Seirin juniors made use of the sand and appeared to be building a castle.

"I know right," Koganei exclaimed hotly; apparently as a response to something Mitobe had…telepathically informed him, "They're building a sandcastle without us!"

"Sandcastles?" Murasakibara's ears pricked up in interest, "Muro-chin, Muro-chin, can we go build one?"

"Is this going to wind up me building one while you stick popsicle sticks in it?" Himuro remarked with a raised eyebrow. Murasakibara chuckled sheepishly and poked him in the nose with the stick of the popsicle he'd just finished eating. Himuro just chuckled and waved over at Kagami.

"Taiga, come build sandcastles!" he hollered. Kagami burst out laughing as he hurdled the railings alongside his brother and jogged down on the hot sand to discover that Takao was not only digging a hole, he was digging a hole with the intention of putting Otsubo in it.

"Kagami!" the point guard sniggered as the small group ran over while everyone else decided to investigate the volleyball net, or busied themselves with setting up umbrellas, towels and deck chairs. "Come help me dig. The hole is gonna be huge and we're gonna bury Otsubo!" Kagami raised an eyebrow at looked over at Shutoku's captain.

"Lost a bet," he sighed heavily as an explanation. Kagami grabbed one of the nearby shovels and started digging; pulling up more sand for the sandcastle-builders to use. It appeared that Sakurai had quite a flair for shell decoration.

" –Hey, look, there looks like there's a camera crew down the beach," Takao remarked conversationally. Kagami glared at him –understanding what the sneaky point guard was getting at. He knew what they had to do –but he thought he thoroughly deserved to bury someone in the sand first.

Riko couldn't help but laugh as she saw giant basketball players sitting in the sand and building castles like they were children again. More hilarious was the fact that though they were all incredibly good at basketball, the majority of them were useless at volleyball, sans Kise, who seemed to be great at everything.

"Over the net," Izuki was coaxing a rather irritated Hyuga. "The ball goes over the net."

"I know that," he snapped crossly, "I'm trying!" He swung his hand at the ball and it promptly went flying straight into the net to clatter to the sand. "No, that's it –I'm sticking to basketball!"

"My, Hyuga, not like you to quit at something," Imayoshi remarked lightly from where he was lounging on a deck chair, watching the proceedings in interest.

"I'm not quitting," Hyuga sniffed, "…I'm subbing out so I can…put sunscreen on."

"You already put some on."

"You can't be too careful," Kiyoshi reminded him seriously, pointing at his bright red shoulders. Imayoshi just chuckled to himself as Hyuga stalked back over to his chair –which he pointedly moved further away from the irksome captain.

"Ahh, isn't this nice, Aomine-kun?" Momoi sighed contentedly as she propped herself up on her towel to get a better look at what was going on with the rest of the beach. She glanced sideways for a moment to where Aomine was sunbathing with her and Riko –it almost seemed like he'd fallen asleep already, but she knew that beneath lowered lids, he was intently watching the goings-on; especially those occurring over by the sandcastles…

"Hah?" he remarked in a grunt, pretending not to have heard her correctly. She just giggled.

"It's nice to be with everyone, isn't it?" she pointed cheerfully, and giggled when Wakamatsu cheered explosively at having managed to score a point against Miyaji.

"Is it?" he commented in a bored tone.

"Ahh, Aomine-kun," she grumbled, "It's okay to admit you're having fun every once in a while…" She and Riko exchanged glances and smiled helplessly, letting out a small shriek when the volleyball strayed from the game for not the first time.

"Can I join you?" Kuroko's mild voice inquired suddenly from behind them, and Momoi looked over her shoulder in delight.

"Tetsu-kun!" she cheered, "Of course!" He settled down into the space between her and Aomine, sipping at a soft drink. "Could you rub sunscreen on my back please?" Polite as ever, Kuroko took the bottle from her, and seemed completely oblivious to the somewhat jealous looks that his teammates were flinging him.

"Phew! I'm exhausted now!" Takao declared as he slumped down into the sand and closed his eyes blissfully.

"…Where's Otsubo?" Midorima inquired flatly as he looked up from his book from the shade of an umbrella.

"Hmm? Oh…Koganei and Mitobe are digging him up," he chuckled innocently, as he rolled over to look up at his shirtless boyfriend. "Coming for a swim later, Shin-chan?"

"Not likely."

"But we're at the beach!"

"…I fail to see your point. I can appreciate the ocean just fine from here." Takao rested his head on his folded arms and rolled his eyes –knowing that if Midorima just got down to water, he'd enjoy himself. It was getting him to stop being so stubborn that was the problem. He suddenly yelped in surprise as someone bodily sat on his back and pushed him deeper into the sand.

"Keep him there, Kise," Midorima advised haughtily, and Takao struggled with a laugh.

"Oi, Kise!" he chuckled; bucking up and sending the blonde flying over into the sand. "I thought you were playing volleyball?"

"I keep winning so they kicked me off," Kise laughed lightly, "And I thought Midorimacchi looked so lonely over here!"

"I preferred being alone."

"Oh don't be such a tsundere," Takao teased, and Midorima glared over at him, "He likes you, really," he added to Kise.

"I disagree."

"Midorimacchi, I'm hurt!" Kise wailed teasingly, kicking back and lying in the sand with his eyes shut happily. "Ahh this sun is so great! We should do this more often!" Midorima glanced up from his book as he heard a complaint from Wakamatsu as he promptly missed an easy shot. Green eyes followed the ball as it rolled over to the sandcastles, where Wakamatsu and Kagami suddenly seemed to strike up conversation. He chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, Shin-chan?" Takao inquired curiously, still looking up at his boyfriend.

"Nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing," Kise pointed out cheekily as Midorima spied Kagami and Wakamatsu calling over Kasamatsu and Kaijo's point guard suddenly looking unusually gleeful. Kasamatsu looked over and caught Midorima's gaze, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the ocean, and the shooting guard had no problem with nodding his consent.

"Oh…I was just wondering…" Midorima commented casually as he looked down at his book again, "Takao, was Otsubo displeased that you didn't unbury him?"

"Furious," Takao sniggered, "It was hilarious!"

"Must have been."

"Why do you ask –" Suddenly Takao let out a wild yelp as something yanked on his feet and he suddenly found himself being dragged unceremoniously through the sand by his ankles. He twisted in shock and discovered that his extraordinarily sand-coated captain was casually tugging him down towards the water with murderous intent in his eyes.

"No!" Takao exclaimed, only to find himself lifted from the ground as Kimura grabbed his elbows and began running him down to the ocean –Takao crowing out cries for mercy the whole way. Midorima actually started laughing –with Kise joining in with delight…until he too was yanked up by his armpits by Miyaji, with Moriyama grabbing the blonde's ankles and racing him down to the water.

"No! Let me go!" Kise exclaimed, "Kasamatsu-senpai! Help me! Don't let them do this to me!" Kasamatsu just grinned at him and waved to him cheerfully as Kise was transported like some kind of rag doll down to the ocean and unceremoniously thrown in after Takao.

"Ahh, it's a good day," Kasamatsu breathed with a stretch as they all burst out laughing –catching sight of two very sodden, pouting mischief-makers resurfacing after their dunking.

"Ugh…what's going on?" Aomine yawned disinterestedly, rubbing his eyes as he heard the crows of laughter accompanying Kise and Takao's horrified cursing.

"Nothing, Aomine-kun," Kuroko commented innocently as he saw Wakamatsu press a finger to his lips as he and Kagami tentatively approached Aomine's contentedly sunbathing form from opposite directions.

"Tch…Kise always was too loud…" he grumbled irritably –and then all of a sudden, his eyes bolted open in shock as his towel was grabbed at both ends and hoisted into the air –him going with it. Like being trapped in some kind of hammock, he found himself swinging in mid-air, with the familiar guffawing of Wakamatsu and gleeful laughter of Kagami informing him of who to blame for this.

"Oi! Put me down, you bastards!" he yowled aggressively, knowing exactly where he was being carried and not in the least bit happy about it. "Bakagami!" He just heard cackling laughter –as though this was the funniest joke ever, so he twisted violently and managed to topple out of his towel prison and onto the sand.

No sooner was he free than he angrily lunged after Kagami, who was closest. The redhead was helpless with laughter but still managed to escape from him, at least for a few seconds. Wakamatsu just staggered back to the rest of the group amid a chorus of laughter.

"Run, Kagami! He's right behind you!"

"Catch him, Aomine!"

But Kagami was too breathless from laughing to keep up his sprint for too long, so when Aomine tackled him around the waist and forced him to the ground, he let himself fall –trying to regain his breath as they tumbled down into the sand.

"You…should've seen the look on your face!" Kagami chortled teasingly, clamping his hands over his face as Aomine hovered over him to pin him to the ground, eyes glinting as a predator's might when faced with especially delectable prey. And like a predator, he moved on instinct. "Oh my god…That was fucking hilarious!" Suddenly, Kagami felt his hands yanked away from his face and pressed firmly into the sand as Aomine crashed his lips down on his in a searing kiss.

Kagami's laugh died in his throat and his eyes fluttered shut as a tongue forcefully snaked into his mouth and demandingly ran across his –silencing him most effectively. He let out a soft noise as Aomine twisted his head to deepen the kiss; hands gripping his wrists tight and lips hungrily devouring his own. The tongue inside his mouth rolled across his own in hot, thick strokes, delving deep and seeking to dominate him completely.

And there was something kinda…hot…about that.

But Kagami was no pushover.

He let out a low moan, lips pressing back with almost bruising force. Aomine's eyes snapped open at the sudden ferocity of the kiss and Kagami smirked, his eyelids fluttering open smugly as he tugged one hand free of the other ace's grip and cupped his tanned neck. Like he'd done at the Christmas party, he slowed it down; lips massaging against Aomine's in long sensual movements –almost lazily, though still with that burning, arousing hunger.

"Mmm…Ah…" Aomine moaned into his mouth, control wavering as he let Kagami drag him down; the hot skin of their chests meeting oh-so-lightly. One of his hands gripped the sand as his breath started escaping from him. He could feel Kagami's hand on his neck loosely sliding up to grip his hair. And then the bastard pulled back, tongue flicking against Aomine's top lip teasingly before trailing back between swollen lips.

"You're gonna pay for that, Bakagami," Aomine growled crossly, though he wasn't entirely sure if he was referring to Kagami's attempt to throw him in the sea, or for trying to dominate him.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Kagami mocked, biting his lip to keep from bursting out laughing again at how there was sand stuck to Aomine's skin and hair. He just swatted at the bluenette's face and ignored his own suddenly flaming cheeks, rolling violently to free himself. Managing to break away, he surveyed Aomine swivelling to face him, both poised on all fours to break into a sprint at any second.

Kagami couldn't help but laugh again as he fought to regain the breath that Aomine's lips had stolen away. The other ace was watching him with the same intensity that he wore when they were going one-on-one, but his mouth was curled in a grin that made his impending death seem kind of worth it.

"Run, Kagamicchi!" Kise yelped in the distance, and Kagami bolted for the ocean, Aomine hot on his tail a split second later. Their friends erupted into cheers and roars of encouragement for both of them as Kagami hit the water running; Aomine tackling him into the waves as soon as he caught up.

They both resurfaced with a gasp, Kagami and the nearby Takao and Kise duo all bursting out laughing at the mutinously unimpressed Aomine, who had discovered too late that despite escaping being thrown into the surf, he had been lured out there anyways.

"Lighten up, Ahomine," Kagami teased, splashing away the glare on his face.

" –Guys, guys, there are children around," Takao scolded in a mockingly serious voice. Kagami flushed bright red, suddenly realising what had happened and kind of wanting to plunge his head underwater in embarrassment. Instead, he decided to dive after the cackling point guard. Aomine just scoffed and cursed violently as a large wave buffeted him off his feet.

Regaining his feet, he ran a hand back through his drenched hair as he watched Kagami blundering through the water like some flat-footed giant, with Takao cheekily dancing out of reach. He laughed as Kagami promptly tripped and clumsily fell face-first into the water with a curse and an almighty splash.

Hearing that rare laughter, Kagami looked back over his shoulder as he spat out a mouthful of seawater and couldn't help but grin back at Aomine sheepishly as the bluenette gave him a smirk laced with a smile.

Kise and Takao, who were standing there in the shallows with their hands on their hips, just exchanged glances and burst out sniggering as they started jogging back up to the sandcastle builders with Aomine and Kagami slowly following after them.

"Is that a smile I see, Ahomine?" Kagami remarked teasingly, slinging an arm around the other ace's shoulder and jabbing him in the gut with a finger.

"Tch, you're dreaming, idiot," Aomine snorted, looking away and feigning disinterest –but not fooling anyone for a moment.

"Does Kaga-chin taste good?" Murasakibara commented curiously as the pair of them passed by; Takao and Kise rather suspiciously whispering all sorts of devious things in Sakurai's ears.

"Hah?" Aomine remarked with an obnoxious yawn.

"He must do. You were eating his face," the purple-haired giant deadpanned and Himuro physically snorted uncharacteristically in amusement and clamped a hand over his mouth as Kagami promptly turned the colour of his hair and looked away. Aomine caught Himuro looking at the redhead, and, snorting hot air, leaned over and softly nipped at his bared throat –an action that had Kagami letting out a soft keening noise –much to his mortification.

"Yeah, he does," the bluenette confirmed darkly, glancing down at Himuro with narrowed eyes.

Himuro had considered informing a very obviously jealous Aomine that he had no interest in Taiga, because he saw him as a younger brother…but this was absolutely far too amusing to put a stop to just yet. Taiga probably wouldn't thank him…but since he apparently hadn't noticed how Aomine acted whenever Himuro was around, he didn't need to know.

"…What are you two up to?" Riko suddenly inquired suspiciously –having come over to see what terrible things Kise and Takao were suggesting to the increasingly flustered Sakurai. "Oh, Kagami-kun. Aomine –I think your…antics…attracted some…attention…" She nodded down the beach a little way, where that camera crew from earlier was making its way along the sand, but were casting a scheming eye in the direction of the pair of them.

"Oh nothing, nothing," Takao assured her lightly, "Say Riko…I have an idea that you might be interested in…"

"Ssh! Kise, you'll give us away!" Riko hissed warningly and Kise crammed the back of his hand into his mouth to stifle his chuckles as they slowly staggered their way back to their group lugging buckets of seawater with them.

Hyuga and Kasamatsu were relaxing rather contentedly on the sand; towels over their faces to keep them from getting burned. A few metres away from them, rested Imayoshi and Midorima, who were perfectly happy with napping in the shade.

Their blissful rest was about to be rudely interrupted.

"Go!" Kise yelled, and suddenly, there were three very drenched, very shocked captains leaping to their feet and a thoroughly unimpressed shooting guard glaring over his shoulder.

"Kise, you're dead!" Kasamatsu growled, springing up and tripping on his drenched towel as he shot after a mischievous Kise.

"Okay, get back here!" Imayoshi snapped, lurching out of his deck chair and spinning around to see an utterly terrified, but trying-not-to-laugh Sakurai jetting away, spouting apologies but still sounding kind of pleased with himself. Deciding that a drenching was a drenching –even if not by Wakamatsu, Imayoshi darted off in pursuit. Sakurai tore across the sand –almost falling into the hole that Otsubo had been buried in. Imayoshi did fall into it, but didn't let that stall him for long as he chased Sakurai down to the water.

"Izuk –" Hyuga growled crossly –assuming it was his point guard –but Izuki was sitting nearby chatting with Momoi and Kuroko. He looked over and his mouth fell open as he spied Riko standing there with the empty bucket and a look of glee on her face at having been included in the boys' mischief.

"Bye, Hyuga-kun!" she giggled, dropping the bucket into the sand and running off after the boys. He just stared for a moment as she glanced back over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him.

Coach or not, she was getting thrown in the ocean.

He raced after her; Riko letting out a cry as he scooped her up and carried her, still running, straight into the surf –throwing her out into the ocean. She surfaced with a laugh, high-fiving Kise and splashing Hyuga and Imayoshi.

"Come play, Shin-chan," Takao suggested to his thoroughly soggy boyfriend. Midorima just folded his arms and blinked back at him stubbornly.

"No."

"I thought you might say that," the point guard admitted innocently, and suddenly, he was re-drenched with another bucket, and another and then one final torrent of about three buckets of seawater as their teammates, Kagami and Aomine took great delight in soaking the shooting guard all over again.

Midorima slowly spat out a mouthful of salty water and glared up at Takao, who had both eyebrows raised expectantly.

"…Fine." Resigned to his fate of having to enter the water, Midorima stood, pulled off his glasses and placed them neatly with his things. No sooner had he done so, than Takao had grabbed his arm and was yanking him down towards the sea where it seemed that a full-on water fight was taking place.

Their whole group, deciding that that looked like far too much fun to miss out on, all jumped up and started jogging down to the water to join in. Momoi and Riko found themselves hoisted up on Imayoshi and Hyuga's shoulders –cheering on the others from the air as the boys they were sitting on tried to dunk each other under.

"Hey! Look, they're having races over there!" Koganei exclaimed in delight as he saw people in fluoro vests beginning to set up flags and a banner being rolled out advertising an event. A few of the group –drying off from their exhausting war in the water –looked up in interest.

"Sounds fun," Kagami remarked excitedly –apparently his weariness fading away at the mention of a competition. "Tatsuya, wanna go check it out?"

"Sure," Himuro chuckled, accepting the hand offered to him to help him to his feet. In the end, quite a few of them wandered down the beach to find out what was happening. As they approached, it became obvious that it was a locally run event to advertise the opening of that new hotel. It was this that the camera crew had been milling around; waiting for.

There was also a large sign advertising the "Biggest Splash" competition on the wharf later in the afternoon.

The banner said that there was no need to register –they just had to find a partner and show up. There were heaps of people milling around already and the starting line was incredibly long –obviously they were expecting quite a crowd.

"Ahomine?" Kagami inquired curiously, but Aomine was already lounging over on a towel with Momoi, who had her camera out in preparation for photos. With a shrug and rolling his eyes at Aomine being too cool for such childish games, he glanced over at Himuro, who nodded with a small smile.

"Momoi, Momoi!" Takao chuckled –already knowing that Midorima would not be participating in this event, no matter how much water they threw at him. He'd settled with stealing his boyfriend's glasses. "Take a picture of me!" He struck a pose and the camera clicked as Momoi giggled.

"…I need those to see, Takao…" Midorima deadpanned, and Takao danced back into his fuzzy range of vision, the frames delicately balanced on the end of his nose.

"…Do I suit them, Shin-chan?" he remarked with a smirk as tilted the glasses down and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he looked up at his boyfriend smugly. Midorima paused for a moment and swallowed audibly.

"…I believe I need to go back to the lodge for something," he commented flatly, after a moment of pondering.

"What for, Midorin?" Momoi remarked in interest.

"…Sunscreen."

"You can borrow some of mine," she chirped up helpfully.

"…My one is special and I have to go get it," Midorima insisted, subtly tugging on Takao's wrist as Aomine quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. "…Come, Takao."

"But I was going to do the three legged race with –"

"You seem to have mistaken that for a suggestion." Takao, still wearing Midorima's glasses, gave him a very confused look, but then saw the expression his boyfriend was wearing.

"Oh," he commented slyly, pushing the glasses up further on his nose in understanding and his grin growing wide, "Oh, Shin-chan, I never knew…"

"Never knew what? We're getting sunscreen," Midorima sniffed flatly, but Takao quit his protesting and went with his boyfriend, who tugged the glasses off him so that he could actually find his way back to the lodge. Takao just winked at Aomine and Momoi as they passed; Midorima's cheeks turning pink.

"Not our room!" Kise hollered brightly.

"Kise!" Midorima snapped hotly and facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Maybe I should start wearing your glasses more often, Shin-chan."

"Holy crap! You guys are doing awesome!" Wakamatsu exclaimed as he tugged a wide-eyed Sakurai over for the piggyback race –passing Kagami and Himuro who had just gotten placed for the third time. Kagami punched the air triumphantly –laughing as Kise and Kasamatsu staggered over the finish line –Kasamatsu looking thoroughly displeased at having been carried like a bride. The camera clicked as Momoi laughed, and Kasamatsu promptly squirmed until Kise dropped him to run over and beg her to delete the picture.

"Hey, Furihata and Sakurai were being carried sacks of potatoes," Koganei pointed out to him. Imayoshi and Hyuga had taken their supposedly friendly competitions to the next level and had involved their juniors. The race just finished had the specification that one of the pair had to be carried by the other. Poor Furihata and Sakurai had wound up as their unfortunate partners. Furihata was currently giving Sakurai a rather sympathetic look as Wakamatsu hoisted him onto his back for the next one.

"Muro-chin…Carry me. I wanna race," Murasakibara commented with a popsicle in his mouth.

" –Atsushi, there's no way I can carry you," Himuro sighed apologetically. Murasakibara just chomped on the stick in his mouth sulkily.

"I reckon I could do it," Kiyoshi mused conversationally, rubbing his chin and looking at the giant as though trying to talk himself into it. Himuro's eyebrows shot up into his hair and Murasakibara turned to look at Kiyoshi with a pout. The inner conflict was visible in his eyes. He didn't particularly like Kiyoshi…but he wanted to race. The winners got sweets.

It was an incredibly comedic line-up to say the least.

Kiyoshi was standing there with Murasakibara's long limbs dangling around his neck and waist and doing his best to make it look effortless. Wakamatsu, to try and even things up, had traded in Sakurai and had Imayoshi on his back. Kagami got stuck with Hyuga.

"Wakamatsu's faster," Imayoshi reminded Hyuga as they waited for the starting gun.

"Yeah, but you're fatter," he sniffed back childishly.

" –Hey –" Kagami complained; offended.

"Beat him, Kagami," Hyuga patted his shoulder reassuringly.

The starting gun sounded with a bang, and the contestants shot off –well, staggered ungainly. Their friends burst out laughing at how ridiculous they looked –those racing struggling to take the whole thing seriously with how hilarious Kiyoshi looked with Murasakibara holding out a popsicle stick like a sword as though the centre was his horse and he was charging into battle. That definitely got the attention of the cameras, and the event organisers were helpless with laughter.

Kiyoshi and Murasakibara –having apparently amused their competition to the point of many of them having to stop to laugh –managed to cross the finish line first –Kiyoshi face-planting in the sand and Murasakibara going flying over his head and managing to avoid crashing into anything. The crowd cheered as Kiyoshi rolled to avoid being ploughed over by both Kagami and Wakamatsu, who came charging in after them, being egged on by their riders.

"Atsushi…" Himuro scolded with a chuckle as Murasakibara wandered back over with a box of sweets held triumphantly in the air. He gave the other Yosen ace a pointed look. Murasakibara pouted, but opened the box and held out two of the candies to Kiyoshi.

"Thanks," he panted with a bright grin, sand sticking to his sweaty skin. Himuro gave him a grateful look as Kagami staggered over to where their friends were sitting, watching the proceedings with a great deal of glee.

"Ugh…" Kagami groaned, rubbing his head where Hyuga had been pulling at his hair in an effort to make him go faster.

"Getting slow, Bakagami," Aomine chuckled as Kagami limply collapsed on his stomach across Aomine's knees, "Oi!"

" –Give me a break," he grumbled flatly as Aomine rolled his eyes and leaned back to make himself more comfortable with the redhead sprawled across his knees. "Hyuga's fucking heavy…"

"Hey, I heard that!" Hyuga snapped hotly.

"Bet Imayoshi's heavier," Wakamatsu muttered, tapping out as well and lying down in the sand beside Sakurai.

"Smile!" Momoi exclaimed suddenly, and Kagami and Aomine barely had enough to glance up as she snapped a picture of the pair of them. Kagami quickly scrambled back into a sitting position but she just waggled a finger at him to tell him that she was definitely not deleting that.

"Come on, let's have a nice one!" she giggled, crouching down and shuffling a bit closer. Kagami and Aomine deadpanned in annoyance at having a camera shoved at them.

Click.

"Satsuki, you're being annoying…"

"Just one nice one, Aomine-kun," she scolded. "Your mother made me promise to get one nice photo of you this trip!" Aomine rolled his eyes flatly but softened his expression –just slightly. He still looked bored.

Click.

"Aomine, that doesn't count," she sighed.

"Come on," Kagami snorted, elbowing him in the ribs playfully, "We can do one nice goddamn picture –"

Click. Momoi giggled at the picture of the pair of them glancing at each other and raised the camera to eye-level again as Kagami turned to offer the camera what he hoped was a passable smile considering he was in the same frame as Aomine. She kept the camera clicking as he seemed to notice that Aomine was disinterestedly gazing off into the distance, and scolded him. With a wicked glance at the camera as Kagami crossly jammed his face into his personal space, Aomine grabbed the redhead's chin and crashed an open-mouthed kiss against his lips.

Still leering down the camera as Momoi gasped (but continued taking pictures), Aomine grabbed Kagami's face with both hands so that he couldn't pull back and visibly let his tongue slick into his mouth. Her mouth fell open, just knowing that that picture was going to detail that rather well.

As Kagami kissed back, shock fading, Aomine tugged him closer by his hair and with his free hand, batted away the camera; lips roughly working at the other ace's in long, hungry movements. Kagami pressed forwards; finding the heat of Aomine strangely intoxicating and wanting him closer. At the shift, he felt the bluenette smirk against his lips and he kissed back a little harder –wanting to make sure that he was wearing a smile when he pulled back.

Suddenly, he wrenched back with a start as something cold and sticky dripped down his back –Aomine mimicking the motion. They leapt apart and turned to glare at a very smug Murasakibara, who was holding two dripping popsicles aloft rather pointedly.

"What was that for?" Aomine growled crossly.

" –Muro-chin said you two needed to cool off." Aomine's expression darkened dramatically as he glared over at Himuro, who just waved lightly.

"…Can I see the photos you…took of the races?" Riko inquired in a slightly shaky voice from somewhere behind them.

"Yes, I think I too, would like to see those photos," Kise remarked lightly.

"Maybe just bring the camera over, Momoi-san…" Kuroko coughed, and Momoi nodded mutely as she slowly got to her feet, her eyes wide at what she'd just witnessed. Kagami huffed in annoyance that there was now currently melted popsicle on his back.

"Tatsuya…popsicles, really?" he complained loudly as he glared over at his brother.

" –There are children around," Himuro reminded him teasingly and Kagami flushed again as he shuffled over as Himuro offered to accompany him down to the ocean to wash it off. Aomine saw them go and gritted his teeth crossly, folding his arms huffily.

Tch. That guy. Dammit. Himuro always seemed to be able to get Kagami's fucking attention so damn easily! He scowled and brushed his lips with a thumb as he mused mutinously over being left there and ignored.

He sighed and slumped down in the sand, not giving a shit that it was going to stick there.

Okay, so he'd finally had to admit to himself that some of the time he kissed Kagami because he knew that for that small span of time, he –not Himuro –would have his absolute, undivided attention. In Aomine's mind, Kagami effectively choosing Himuro over him was pretty much labelling him as second best. He didn't do second, and he wasn't too good at sharing. Sure, Kagami was just a pretend boyfriend, but he was his pretend boyfriend.

But getting (and keeping) his attention wasn't the sole reason why he kept kissing him –and that kinda pissed him off, because that other reason currently eluded him.

The actual kissing part wasn't the problem. That was them being natural –because what was more natural to them than basketball, and he and Kagami kissed how they played basketball –intense, fierce and passionate…because this was all just another game on a bigger stage –with a bigger audience cheering from their seats. This wasn't real; they were still just opponents, locked in another of their one-on-ones; without restraint, filled with fire and completely focused on each other.

He had the feeling that they both understood that.

So the kissing, that didn't matter. Even the rush he felt when their lips were locked together was practically the same as the one he felt when they went head to head on the court.

But his reasons for kissing Kagami when he did –aside from the whole Himuro aspect of things –he honest to god didn't know. Maybe it was some weird instinct? He barely thought about it. His body would just move on its own, moving on impulse when Kagami was close or was wearing certain looks, or just…because.

Like that kiss on camera just then; what the hell? Kagami had been annoying him, and suddenly he'd just sort of acted –just rolled with it, as Takao had said to. Reason, already flung to wind with his decision to go with his gut, probably wouldn't have helped him anyway, since the thought of "kiss him" hadn't even crossed his mind. It hadn't involved conscious thought on his part, except maybe 'this is really gonna embarrass Bakagami'.

It was automatic –like a reflex. No…actually, it was more than that; more like getting caught up in the moment and having no control over his actions.

It was like he just couldn't help himself.

Ugh, this whole thinking things through was exhausting. Exhausting and it made his head spin in annoyance and confusion. Back to doing and not thinking –at least until today was over.

"This is a very, very bad idea."

"What are you talking about?" Kiyoshi remarked quizzically, "This is a great idea!"

"…Kiyoshi…you let Imayoshi and Hyuga have large sticks," Riko remarked with a wince, "Izuki, tell him!"

"Definitely a bat idea," Izuki remarked with a straight face, and the majority of their friends burst out laughing with Hyuga being the only one to tell him to just shut it.

Kiyoshi, it appeared, had decided to ask Kimura and Miyaji to bring along some watermelons. As he laid out clean towels on the sand –they'd all been back to the lodge for a late lunch and hence gotten new, dry, clean towels –it had become apparent what he intended.

"I don't know…" Wakamatsu was looking rather apprehensive, "…Seems like they're going to be more interested in hitting each other than the fruit…"

"Someone might get hurt…" Riko admitted.

"That would make me really meloncholy," Izuki piped up.

"Izuki!" Hyuga groaned.

"His jokes are berry good," Imayoshi commented –just to piss him off.

"Don't even start," Seirin's captain complained as Izuki grinned at someone getting on board with his jokes.

Currently, there were two towels, each with a watermelon perched on them, spaced a very reasonable distance apart. Hyuga and Imayoshi were blindfolded and spun –and their respective teams were going to attempt to guide them towards the fruit, which they would then split open with the large sticks that each of the captains were holding. Shutoku and Kaijo were taking the next turn –though theirs was going to be less of a grudge match, it seemed.

"Go!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, and the two disorientated captains staggered forwards, holding their 'weapons' at arms' length. Seirin and Touou quickly began trying to draw them towards their watermelons whilst also keeping them away from each other.

"Hit it! Hit it!" Koganei exclaimed as Hyuga stood over their one hesitantly. He raised his stick and brought it crashing down on the watermelon –splitting it open and sending juice flying. In triumph, he tore off his blindfold as Imayoshi managed to locate his melon as well. Of course, neither of them could resist tossing some of the juicy flesh at each other.

"This is awesome!" Kagami exclaimed appreciatively as Kiyoshi headed to set up two more melons. A local newspaper in the area for the hotel opening was investigating some of the activities of the beach-goers, and apparently this was proving most intriguing –they were taking photos and even asking some of them questions about other things they'd been doing throughout the day.

The redhead had managed to swipe a large piece and was guzzling it with great gusto. It went so well with the hot day. Juice ran down his chin as he quirked an eyebrow over to where Aomine was lolling nearby and pretending to be bored. With a snigger, Kagami spat a mouthful of seeds at him –earning him a glare.

"What's the big idea?" Aomine grumbled flatly. Kagami shrugged childishly and took another bite –only to repeat his assault with the seeds. "Oi!" the bluenette complained and then snickered at him as he sat up. "You've got food all over your face, slob." Kagami's response was to throw a handful of watermelon at him, hitting in the side of the face with a satisfying slopping noise.

"Gross…" Aomine scoffed, getting to his feet and trying to flick the juice off as it ran down his chest. He tugged the fruit off his face and obligingly dumped it on Kagami's head. The redhead's eyes lit up crossly –annoyed that his head was now incredibly sticky.

That of course, led to more watermelon being thrown than eaten –by all of them.

"It's interesting," Kuroko remarked conversationally to Momoi as they sipped on their sodas as they watched the madness go down. She looked at him rather curiously and he nodded over to where Kagami and Aomine where throwing fruit at each other –probably a little harder than necessary. "…Usually it's Aomine-kun that provokes Kagami-kun."

"You're right," she admitted in realisation, "It's almost like Kagamin wants Aomine-kun to be chasing him, right?" Kuroko nodded again and they both chuckled as they watched Aomine briefly –just briefly –grin over at Kagami before ducking behind a chair to avoid being hit again. "…And Tetsu-kun…you've noticed too, haven't you?"

"I have," he admitted with a small smile, "…It's like we're getting the old Aomine-kun back."

"He seems so happy," she murmured in wonder. These past weeks, she'd seen it –seen the light in his eyes and heard the grin in his voice. He even laughed. Even when he pretended to be mad, or bored, or annoyed, there just seemed to be something about him that was…different. And now –he was on the sand, just joining in with their friends (albeit pretending to be disgruntled about it). It was so unlike him, and yet so like him at the same time –so like the carefree Aomine he used to be.

Aomine groaned and slumped down in the nearest deck chair. His limbs were so sticky and covered in fruit and sand –but he was physically having to put in effort to ensure that no one saw him grinning. He was pretty pleased that he'd managed to smoosh a decent amount of watermelon into Wakamatsu's hair.

"Tired already?" Kagami mocked, wandering over to him ever-so-innocently.

"Tch, I'm bored," Aomine lied smoothly, but the redhead just smirked knowingly and couldn't help but lick his lips slightly as he stared at the other ace's handsome tanned face –practically dripping with watermelon juice.

He wondered if he tasted sweet right now.

Distracted by such a thought, he didn't realise that Aomine had stood, and was currently chest to chest with him, lidded eyes rather smug as he reached behind Kagami's back and tugged at his concealed hand that had been loaded with a fist of fruit.

"You really think you're going to beat me with dirty tricks?" he sneered.

Kagami thought back to the basketball game they'd had yesterday and decided that yes, he was. Before his mind could catch up with his body, he leaned forwards and closed the gap between them; lips demandingly attaching to Aomine's, tongue flicking out teasingly –just to taste the watermelon on him.

Aomine, a little stunned, just blinked in surprise, but smirked as he pressed back –only to suddenly find a handful of fruit mashed into his hair, and Kagami pulling back with a wicked grin. His eyes narrowed crossly at his own cheap trick being used against him as the redhead waved back at him mockingly.

"…Are they flirting?" Riko remarked incredulously as she sheltered behind Kiyoshi and discovered that Takao had had the same idea. For some reason that he did not wish to disclose but everyone pestered him about (despite knowing full well the cause), he wasn't quite as agile on his feet this afternoon.

"…If you mean flirting in the sense of how if a little boy likes a girl he'll pull her hair and call her stupid…then yeah," he replied flatly, vacantly licking his fingers clean of watermelon juice. "Kiyoshi…just stay right there…"

"Why –" Kiyoshi began to say, just before a glob of watermelon came flying an incredible distance and landed on his head as Midorima proved that it wasn't just basketballs he could throw with shocking accuracy.

"Missed me, Shin-chan!" Takao taunted, sticking his head out from behind Seirin's centre –only to wind up with a face full of fruit, since Midorima had anticipated his boyfriend's taunt and had already sent a second handful flying. Takao blinked the fruit from his eyes in an unimpressed deadpan as Midorima rested his chin in one hand with a small smile, and held up a juice-covered hand to accept a high-five from Kasamatsu. The pair of them appeared to share the belief that Kise and Takao were getting on a little too well. Despite now being further covered in fruit, Takao couldn't help but soften his expression at the sight of his Shin-chan smiling –in the company of others, no less!

"Look at them," Takao chuckled as they continued sheltering behind Kiyoshi as fruit kept flying and Aomine and Kagami kept up their arguing –Kagami with an arm wrapped around Aomine's torso to hold him in place while he mashed melon into his hair. The bluenette was glaring at him mutinously –but everyone could see the smile in his eyes. "Anyone would have to be fucking stupid to not believe that they were together after today." He chuckled incredulously and sighed with relief as Momoi called a ceasefire to get a group photo.

Riko looked over at Takao with a wince as Kuroko, passing by with Momoi and Kise, overheard his comment, and added flatly, "Takao-kun…I think you're forgetting who you're talking about…"

Hope you liked the beach antics! (For some reason while planning and writing this chapter, I couldn't stop singing/listening to All Summer Long" by Kid Rock. It makes for a good montage song). I just love writing everyone having fun together, and Takao and Kise being little minxes...

Hope you liked, and hope you like the next chapter too!
xx K