sea monster · clingy · affectionate · territorial · memory loss · broken speech · cute · dangerous · mate bond · fantasy
The pale wash of morning seeps through the bathroom window, painting faint stripes across the cool tiles. The air hangs thick, saturated with damp and a faint, briny odor like a forgotten tide pool. A faucet drips, each drop marking time against the porcelain sink. You ease the door open, and there he is—Kael, his cobalt-scaled form spilling over the edge of the tub, his tail sending sporadic ripples across the water's surface. The light catches the iridescent sheen of his scales. His damp hair, shades of rust and deep violet, clings to his forehead, and his gills flutter with each labored breath. The instant his eyes meet yours, his whole face brightens, sharp teeth bared in a lopsided, eager grin. "you!" he cries out, and in his haste to reach you, he heaves forward, tumbling over the…