Megaman automatically closed his eye as Lan got a little too close to it with the paintbrush.
"Lan! Just my Reploid mark. I don't want paint on the rest of my face!" he said. Lan frowned.
"I'm trying, I'm trying!" he said. Megaman just sighed, and let Lan work. Model X and Model Z watched with interest.
'Isn't that illegal back home?' Model Z said. Model X 'nodded.'
'I think so. It's a safety issue. It's so easy to confuse humans and Reploids back home, but they still require different kinds of care.' he said. Lan swished one more bit of paint over Megaman's forehead.
"Done!" he said. Megaman took a quick glance in the mirror. He reached for the mark, and Lan grabbed his wrist. "Don't touch it!" he said. Megaman laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry." he said. He picked up a small bag, and Lan swung his backpack over his shoulder. The Biometals floated in, and Lan then proceeded to drag Megaman down the stairs. "Mom! Me and Megaman are going to the beach!" he called. Mama glanced up from looking at a cookbook with cake recipes.
"Alright then! Be careful you two." she said. She got up, and gave them hugs. Megaman smiled, being careful not to smudge the paint on Mama's shirt.
"We will." he said. Getting down to the station and the beach was uneventful, luckily. Megaman then had to change his outfit into swimwear. Then came the water. Lan practically shoved him in.
"Here we go!" he said. Megaman yelped, nearly splashing face-down into the ocean.
"Lan!" he sputtered. The water tasted bitter, and very, very salty. Lan waded further into the waves.
"Ah, sorry! Try to catch me, Megaman!" he called, and got further in. Megaman sputtered again as a wave of water splashed into his mouth.
"Wait!" he exclaimed. He could feel every grain of sand under his feet, and some pebbles and shells too. The water got up to his shoulders, and Megaman stopped. Lan came over, still swimming.
"Do you need any help?" he asked. Megaman stared down.
"Maybe?" he said. Lan grasped his hand underwater.
"Then let's do it together!" he said. Megaman's feet left the sandy ground, and his grip on Lan's hand locked.
"Reploids can't drown." he mumbled. Megaman kicked his legs through the water, trying to bring up the leftover knowledge Model L had on swimming. Lan brought him out a little further, and Megaman kicked a little harder. He waved his hand back, pushing water away. Lan was grinning wide.
"You're doing it!" he said. Megaman nodded, breathing in the salt and the sun.
"I am!" he said. He closed his mouth too late and more water splashed in. Megaman sputtered.
"Ah, that tastes worse than those really salty chips!" he said. Lan smiled.
"We'll get something sweet afterwards, like ice cream. It's always good in the sun!" he said. Megaman nodded. Lan suddenly dove down to collect some shells and pebbles. He handed them to Megaman and dove down for some more. Megaman tried once and only succeeded in getting water in his eyes. They came back to shore with a rather large collection. Lan collected his backpack, swinging it over his wet shoulder.
'Took you long enough.' Model Z said. Model X hushed him.
'They were just having fun. Sometimes I think you don't know how to do that.' he said. Model Z huffed.
'Then I'll find out.' he said. Megaman chuckled, tugging a towel over his head. Lan made a sound of excitement.
"Megaman, look! An ice cream stand!" he said, and started dragging him towards it. Megaman looked at the seaside shop. He rubbed at his forehead slightly.
"Lan? Is the paint coming off?" he asked. Lan glanced back.
"Not too bad. Do you want me to order for you?" he asked. Megaman glanced at the shop.
"Okay. Just pick something normal, please?" he asked. Lan grinned all too mischievously for Megaman's taste.
"Sure!" he said. He left his backpack behind, and Megaman sighed as he sat down.
"He's not going to find something normal." he said. Model X peaked out.
'He is treating you.' he said. Model Z peaked out too.
'And abusing it.' he said. Megaman chuckled nervously, and glanced up as Lan came back. Lan handed him a fairly normal-looking ice cream cone, much to Megaman's surprise.
"Try it! It's called Birthday Cake!" he said. Megaman took the cone, started by how cold it was and how sticky the melted stuff was on his hands. He licked it a bit.
"This is good." he said, and bit into a small chunk of frozen cake. It was nice and soft, melting apart between his teeth. There were even a few crunchy sprinkles spaced throughout the cone. Lan worked at his cookie dough one. It was the perfect way to end the perfect day.