A/N: This is a fill for Sueanoi, who wanted a ficlet to accompany an art comm she bought from someone else. It showed X and Doctor Cain on the beach (as you will probably guess within a few paragraphs of this fic, LOL.) I hope you enjoy this, Sue! And everyone else, I also hope you enjoy!

The shade cools X's body, overheated from his armor, and he lets out a sigh even as guilt starts welling up inside him. "I should be working, not treating this like some vacation," he tells the man by his side. "The Maverick Hunters sent me here for a reason."

"Nonsense!" says Doctor Cain, waving an arm dismissively. "You deserve a break as much as anyone, my boy. You work harder than the rest combined." And that is why he brought X to this beach, where sunlight glints off the sand and water, and the ocean roars distantly with every wave. The hot sunlight almost makes Doctor Cain's eyes hurt, and he hastily puts his sunglasses on to protect himself.

X sighs and shakes his head. "I know I work hard, but I can't take a break right now. Just because there hasn't been an attack yet-"

"But that's just it. There haven't been any Maverick attacks in three months," says Doctor Cain. "Not since you and Zero saved the world. Sigma is gone, X."

Pained, X looks to the side, averting his gaze. "Zero more than me. I only walked out of there because of Zero," he whispers.

"Would Zero have wanted his sacrifice to be used so that you can work yourself to death?" asks Doctor Cain pointedly. "Or would he want you to take care of yourself so you can continue protecting the world in his stead? He saw something in you, X. Don't squander it trying to make yourself suffer."

X blinks away tears before whispering, "you're right, of course. Zero would want…" He trails off, shaking his head silently, before picking up a twig and tracing a vague pattern in the sand.

Silence falls over the pair. The ocean swells, increasing the loudness of the roaring waves. X watches a trio of seagulls dive for a discarded hamburger, and in the distance, children fight over a collapsed sandcastle. The noises blend together into a soothing murmur, and they fill the silence, keeping them company despite the lack of spoken words.

"I just wish Zero was here with us," says X after a long while.

"I know," Doctor Cain replies, then grins. "Zero on the beach, can you imagine?"

X laughs despite himself. "He certainly wouldn't win any Best Sandcastle contests."

"He'd build a fortress instead- he'd say they're sturdier and of higher strategic value than castles," Doctor Cain says, snorting and shaking his head.

"Zero did a lot of things well, but having fun just… never was one." X frowns, thinking his own words over as he voices them. It's the truth, and it's a large part of why he hesitates to join in the activities today, when Zero not only is unable to in death, but never would have in life, either. "I don't think he knew how."

"He had fun with you," Doctor Cain says, quiet. "Even when it wasn't something you'd ever call fun. He cherished every moment he had with you. I know," he cuts X's question off before X opens his mouth, "I know because I could see it in Zero's eyes. He never showed his emotions the way you did, but that was something even someone as stoic as he couldn't hide."

X hides his face to conceal the tears that finally fall. But they don't feel like a tidal wave, chaotic and out of control; they feel like a healing stream, like every choppy slap of the waves against the shore. They're rough, but steady, predictable. And just as his tears are the ocean, his other emotions are the assorted visitors of the beach, painting a picture of relaxation, of healing, of calm.

And for the moment, he can live with it. As he gazes on the beach, an idea even occurs to him, and he lets out a slow breath as he decides to do it.

"I have something to do," he tells Doctor Cain, who nods as X strides forward to the shoreline. He kneels down a few inches beyond the tide's reach.

Picking up his twig, he sketches Zero's face in the sand. It's not a particularly artful depiction, but it serves its purpose. He leans back, smiling, and then sits down, letting stray droplets from the waves hit his feet.

Doctor Cain joins him, a hand on X's shoulder as he realizes what X is doing. They sit together in the baking sun, watching the tide get ever closer, until a strong wave slams into X's drawing, effectively erasing it from the sand.

X sketches Zero again, hastier this time so he has time to finish before the next large waves hit, and then watches the process repeat itself. He smiles in spite of the pang he feels, looking skyward. "I know I'm an emotional idiot, but that's what you always liked about me, isn't it?" He wipes at his eyes, and then looks back at Doctor Cain, who gives him a gentle smile.

"It is. And he'd be as proud of you as I am right now," he tells X, squeezing his shoulder.

X lets out a sigh, before pulling Doctor Cain in for a tight hug. "I hope you're right," he murmurs.

The tide falls again. The waves' roar fills X's ears.

And for the first time since Sigma's rebellion, X feels at peace.