#gryphon982

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Having grown up in Brighton, Meng Yao rather takes the beach for granted. He would have preferred to take Lan Xichen somewhere more special, but then Lan Xichen said something about how he's never really been to any beaches in Hong Kong and Meng Yao picked up on a subtle note of wistfulness and that was that.

They've walked almost the entire length of the promenade at this point, and though nowhere is quiet in Brighton at the height of summer the worst of the tourists are well behind them. The sun is beating down and Lan Xichen's nose is peeling despite the suntan lotion Meng Yao helped rub all over him.

"It's beautiful here," he says with complete sincerity. Meng Yao thinks Brighton is a grotty little town he'll be glad to leave behind him, but he follows Lan Xichen's gaze and looks out over the shingle and the waves rolling up over the thin strip of sand.

"Do you want some more water?"

"Thank you." Lan Xichen accepts the bottle and takes a sip, then hands it back. His eyes are sparkling. "Shall we paddle?"

"Of course." Meng Yao stuffs the bottle back in his bag. They roll up their jeans and take off their socks and trainers, leaving the footwear on the shingle along with the bag, and walk out into the waves holding hands.

Lan Xichen has questions. Meng Yao identifies several types of broken shell, a dead crab rolling around in the waves, and a heap of bladderwrack.

"What about fossils?" asks Lan Xichen.

"You don't really get them here. You'd need to try Peacehaven instead, it's not far."

"One day," says Lan Xichen. "If you want."

"I want," says Meng Yao, and laughs when Lan Xichen wades further into the waves. "Gege, I can't come with you, I'm shorter than you. My jeans will get wet."

"Sorry." Lan Xichen disentangles their fingers. "I won't be long."

"Take as long as you want." Meng Yao's finished work for the day and has nowhere else to be, and he doesn't mind at all. It fills him with happiness to see Lan Xichen wading through the waves and grinning with delight every time another rolls in over his toes.

Lan Xichen holds out his arms and stretches. He closes his eyes and smiles at nothing. Then he opens his eyes again and glances at Meng Yao before turning away and breaking into a jog. After twenty paces he stops and looks back and Meng Yao beams and makes an encouraging gesture.

In answer Lan Xichen grins again. He starts moving again, not walking or jogging but running full pelt through the shallows, sand and saltwater kicking up at his heels. He runs and he runs with the sea breeze in his hair, and then he curves about, barely slowing, and comes pelting back to Meng Yao. The joy in his face demands an answer, and Meng Yao takes a few involuntary steps before breaking into an answering run of his own.

They are with each other in moments, and Meng Yao reaches out to wrap his arms around Lan Xichen's waist and Lan Xichen reaches down to set his hands to Meng Yao's face and they kiss like Meng Yao didn't know it was possible to kiss.