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Eijirou has never been to the ocean before. As a dragon, he has spent most of his life in the volcanic regions in the north, land bound with a desert further north and forests surrounding the rest. Until Katsuki travelled to those volcanoes in search of a dragon, Eijirou had never left his homeland. Only after being defeated in battle did Eijirou accompany Katsuki around the continent. Still, they have never been to the ocean, and Katsuki intends to rectify that.
Growing up in a nomadic tribe in the south, Katsuki has been to many places. While a good portion of the year was spent in the grassy plains following herds, the harsh weather of winter was spent further south where they could hunt in the forests and fish in the unfrozen rivers and the sea. He remembers playing at the beach when he was very young and not yet expected to hunt and help provide.
Katsuki directs Eijirou to a different ocean in the west. There are a few villages dotting the coastline. They fly further north to find a remote location to stay for a few days. Instead of landing down on the shore, Eijirou swoops down, testing his mettle against the waves. He crashes through, and Katsuki’s breath is taken away as the icy water freezes him to his bones. His anger quickly heats him up enough to scream at Eijirou for pulling that stupid stunt and direct him back to the shore.
They sit by a campfire for the rest of the evening as Katsuki tries to warm up himself and his stupid cold-blooded lizard. After a warning the next morning, they stick to the beach. Katsuki talks about the stupid, childish games he played. Eijirou, of course, wants to try them all. Katsuki’s refusal to enter the water and a lack of supplies excludes most activities. However, there are still a few.
Katsuki shows Eijirou how to find the best piece of driftwood to carve. They spend a few hours doing that. Katsuki proudly shows off a wooden dragon, thin wings outstretched and scales painstakingly cut out. Eijirou holds up his clumsy attempt at Katsuki, with two holes for eyes and a slashed frown. A wedge is cut from the back to represent his cape. They leave both on a rock closer to the treeline to stare out at the sea.
Katsuki also tries to bury Eijirou in sand, but the dragon can’t sit still after sitting for so long. He gives up and lets Eijirou bury him. Although Eijirou shifting into a dragon and kicking up enough sand to create a dragon-sized hole quickly ends that. Katsuki blasts him as he tries to reach for him. He makes Eijirou cover it back up and moves onto the last feasible activity: building a sandcastle. They head towards the wet sand and start building.
Afterwards, Katsuki scowls down at their creation. It’s a sad fucking sand castle. They didn’t have anything but their pot which still has a dent in it that he needs to flatten out. They had nothing to help build up the towers, and although Eijirou has decorated it with a few seashells, they do nothing to distract from the sorry lump of sand that it is. But, Eijirou is smiling wide, tail wagging as he takes in the disaster of a castle. He stares up at Katsuki and his smile falters. He hesitantly asks, “Is it not good?”
Katsuki’s heart clenches at his deflated face. He glares at Eijirou and states, “It’s the best sandcastle I’ve ever fucking seen.”
Eijirou’s smile returns full force, and he chatters away about how fun the day was and how they need to bring more stuff next time. Katsuki scoffs but prepares a mental list of what they should bring. He also needs to bring them over during the summer when it’s warmer. Eijirou could enjoy the water and sunbathe on the beach afterwards.
They camp on the beach that night, huddled close by the fire. The soothing sounds of waves crashing against the shore gently lull them to sleep. Their wooden counterparts stand guard over them as they slip into sweet dreams, both imagining their next adventure together.