"Where do you think all of them go when they're on their own?" Niall asked Liam, handing Liam another shirt and a new needle.

Liam shrugged, "I'm honestly not sure. I think they just go where their feet take them. They don't really think about it." Liam started sewing again, his hands aching.

"You really should rest your hands. You've been at this for a while. Maybe we should go toward the beach. You could wash your hands and we could just, I don't know, talk, I guess," Niall rambled.

Liam smiled at Niall and put down the needle, "I think I'll take you up on your offer, blondie." Liam stood up and the two boys walked down to the beach. The sun was shining down on the water making it seem as though it were sparkling. Sea gulls flew above head and a few would dip down to get a taste of the cool salt water below them. Fish jumped here and there, Niall laughed when they made ripples in the water. Liam washed his hands in the cold water, surprised at the first touch. But once his whole hand was submerged, it felt so good. He massaged his hand as Niall through small pebbles into the water. "You're disrupting the fish," Liam said.

Niall dropped the other pebble he had in hand and sat down next to Liam, pulling his legs toward his chest. "It's really pretty here," he said.

Liam looked up, drying his hands by shaking them around. He then sat next to Niall, extending his legs after taking off his shoes. The water felt so good on his burning legs. "It's beautiful here. If I weren't stranded here, I'd really like to visit."

They were in a silence for a while, admiring the beauty of the sight before them. Niall thought that it would make a good postal card: "Greetings from God knows where!" Brilliant. Maybe he could send that back home. "You know," Niall said, "we could find a way to go fishing. Make some rods and hooks. We could use a pretzel or find worms to use as bait."

"I was thinking that same thing," Liam said. He stood up to go back to what they called camp. Niall followed close behind. "I was thinking we could use some of the needles that are bent and twist them more so they work better as hooks. Then we can feed a piece of thread through the pinhole and tie the thread to a piece of string or yarn then attach that to a stick or something. We'll have to make it fairly long, though."

Niall smiled, "you're a genius, bro." The two high fived. "Why can't the others be here to help us with survival? Like, are we the only ones that want to get off this damn island?"

Liam shrugged, going to sit back down to continue to sew. "They're still shocked. And Harry and Louis have drama, so they have that on their minds. Lou went out to get wood, so at least he's some what contributing something."

Niall's stomach growled and he looked up at Liam, "I think it's time for lunch."

.

After Liam and Niall had eating their portion of food for lunch, Louis returned with a big, armful of wood. Liam and Niall helped Louis carry the rest to the pile and Louis went to grab a pop from where they stored drinks under ground to keep them cooler. "It is so damn hot, I feel like peeling off my skin and throwing it into the ocean to be ate by those damn sea gulls."

"Easy there, bud. No need to get so violent. Think positive. At least we're not in hell," Niall pointed out, "it's a hell of a lot hotter down there."

"Go take a dip in the water. It will cool you right down," Liam suggested.

Louis took a long chug of his soda and then looked at Liam, "you know, big guy, that's not a bad idea. I'll throw on my trunks and go for a bit of me time. Just Louis and Louis. Chilling with my inner bro."

"Yeah, okay, when you say it like that, it's just really weird," Niall commented.

Louis rolled his eyes and crushed his can, throwing it farther away from them. And even though, yeah, he just littered, he really didn't care. He changed into his swim trunks, making sure neither one of them looked over at him as he changed and went down to the beach, his shirt hugging his skin. He stared at the water before deciding to take off his shirt when a voice stopped him.

"Going for a dip?" Harry questioned.

Louis shrugged, "what's it to you?"

Harry shrugged, "thought you'd like some company. It's really hot out here. I feel like I'm Satan's ball sack."

Louis closed his eyes and shook his head, "not an image I needed," he laughed. Louis took a quick second to look Harry up and down, "you know, you could probably join me, if you must. Just, no more ball sack jokes. I don't even want to hear those words."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "what about armpits?"

Louis swat Harry's chest, "shut up, will ya? This is, like, our one good moment. Don't ruin it. And don't say something stupid."

"Me? Say something stupid? Never." Harry replied with a wink.

Harry went out into the water first, shivering so much his teeth were chattering. Louis waited and yelled to Harry to turn around as he took off his shirt. He crept into the water, the chill racing from the tip of his toes up his leg and throughout the rest of his body. He swam toward Harry who had decided to go a ways out. He splashed Harry in the face and when Harry asked, "what was that for?" all Louis said was, "payback." Then he smiled, laughed, and splashed Harry again. They swam for a long while until Louis decided he needed to warm up on the beach, so he crawled his way out from the water and laid on the sandy beach. The warm sunlight hit his back as he laid on his stomach and all he thought about was how good it felt to be warm again. Harry on his side, looking at Louis.

"Why are you letting me do this?" Harry asked, watching Louis back rise and lower with each breath.

"Do what?" Louis questioned, his eyes closed, oblivious to Harry's looking.

"Swim with you. Talk with you. Why now?"

Louis opened one eye to look at Harry, "it's just a swim, Harry. Please, don't let this get to your head." Louis glanced at Harry's swimming trunks then added, "or other places." He closed his eye again and Harry shifted, trying to get into a better position.

"I'm--"

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it, Harry? There's hardly a cloud in the sky. The sea gulls are out, hanging around. We haven't fought at all and, hey, that's something to be proud of. But just because it's been a good day and I like you in that suit, doesn't mean I'll forgive you. I'm just--look at this as the chance to a new beginning. Okay?"

"Sounds like a deal."

---

Question: Although this was a shorter chapter, do you think this could be the start to Louis and Harry becoming friends?