A tired grumble echoed. A figure stumbled groggily into the store, from the door that led to a small apartment upstairs.

Ethan brushed his long plait as he switched on the lights, to get ready for another day. He had postponed looking into some orders to keep watch on Matthew, but it was nothing he could not handle; he just would have to deliver supplies faster than normal. The only real annoyance was getting up earlier. Much like his nephew, he was not a morning person. He held yet another cup of coffee, what would get him through.

Now that Matthew was fine and on his own, he could finally take the chance to work until midnight, and not worry about not going to check on him. Today, he would finally go back to his usual routine.

Ethan dropped the cup on a table, fishing tools scattered all over it. He began to check things up, to then head for the main door to open for the day. His hand unlocked it with a grumpy yawn, moving away right after. He did not expect anyone to come so early, because most of his customers came in the middle of the day. He took a step away from the door, only to halt pokerfaced, hearing a small knock. He raised an eyebrow, turning slowly, his eyes narrowing.

“Who’s there?”

His surprise only grew, because there was not a call, but a calm bark. It was almost eager. He stood there, slowly recognizing that sound. By the time he brought himself to move, a parrot had done so already, flapping quickly to the door. Kalani let out multiple chirps, as if greeting the one outside. And so, Ethan slowly reached for the handle, opening slowly.

Both dog and human stared at each other for a long minute. Ethan looked down deadpanned, while Shamira almost seemed to stare smugly at him. It took another minute for him to speak, seeing and knowing well that she was alone, and that she could have very well been at the door for hours.

“He’s not with you.”

The words were let out plainly. Ethan barely reacted when Shamira let out a huff of agreement, her head leaned. She padded calmly inside, not needing to do anything more to make him bolt for his desk. His expression turned stern, an idea creeping into his head, which he did not like any. He pushed papers off, reaching for a phone he dropped there last night, as always.

Ethan wanted to call Matthew, not liking the implications of Shamira being here. That was not what he ended up doing, however. He stared pokerfaced, for he had a few messages, sent a few hours ago.

“What…”

He clutched more tightly the phone, reading the first message slowly.

“Ethan, if you are reading this, you’re already awake. I hope you had some coffee, or not. Maybe if you are half asleep you will get less worked up. Anyway… remember what you said about me doing what I wanted, as long as I told you? I might have taken your word on that. Maybe a little sooner than what you meant. But I‘m rambling, I’ll get to the point. They say a picture is better than a thousand words, don’t they?”

His eyes widened slowly, scrolling to the next message. Right there, a picture: Matthew holding his phone for a selfie with a nervous smile, standing on the sand. Or more like sitting on it awkwardly. He stared at the bronze tail, ignoring the fact that there was a mermaid putting two fingers behind his head, and a merman scolding her on the background. He could only focus on that tail, faint stripes running through it, even if its skin looked dolphin-like. There were black and silver fins, similar to the scales he saw falling when he found him. If Matthew were not facing the phone, he maybe could see another fin behind him, shaped like a crescent moon.

There was a smug smile on Matthew’s face. Ethan squinted at it with a frown, leaning closer to the screen. He could swear that there were small fangs, and that his hazel eyes were bright, sharper. It took him a minute to get over his bafflement. But soon he let out a grumbled huff, scrolling to the last message.

“So, yeah, did not know how to warn you of this. So I just dived right in, literally. Sorry? Not sorry? Both, yes, kind of. Just to keep you from wrecking the store, I’m fine; hope you can tell with the photo. As well, know that I have not left yet. I’m still around, for a few days at least, by the southern coast, as always. See you on your boat soon? I’ll explain better then. Please, no harpoons. Ps: I might not reply if you call, my things are on the beach. Seriously, you have a boat. I’ll accept your yells that way.”

Ethan slowly let down his hand, one of his eyebrows twitching. The animals looked up at him as he took a deep breath, laying away his phone in his pocket, not bothering to call. He stood silent for a minute, glaring at nothing. But after that, he did growl, loudly.

“You damn hasty rascal…”

Shamira exchanged a look with Kalani, both seeing Ethan bolt for his coat, grumbling angrily. No harpoons were grabbed, for there was more annoyance than anger.

————-

A faint rumble echoed. Three figures looked up slowly, their sharp eyes glinting in the dimly lighted waters. They watched the faint ripples on the currents above, cautiously and calmly. Soon, two bright tails moved, a third doing so more slowly. The three shadows made way upwards, having been waiting.

A boat sailed slowly towards the reefs. It was manoeuvring carefully, slowing down between the rocks. Once it halted completely, the man at the helm glared at the bright coral below. A parrot was calm on his shoulder, not letting out a single nervous chirp. A dog was leaning onto the railing, her snout pointing at each wave, her tail swaying. Both animals had been eager to follow. He had not bothered to go to the beach first.

Ethan took a deep breath and moved away from the helm. He stepped closer to the side of the ship, fixing his gaze on the calm waters. The sea was as blue as the sky today, almost clear. He heard a bark near him. But he refused to look at the dog. His eyes looked sternly at the bright ones below.

The human did not say a word when a merman emerged slowly, almost shyly. They stared for a few seconds at each other, one struggling to keep eye contact. When the silence was broken, it was with a nervous smile, almost sad.

“Hello, Ethan…”

Matthew sighed and bowed his head a little, because Ethan gave him a raise of eyebrow and crossed his arms at him. He did not look as happy as Shamira, who was looking down at him curiously.

There was a demand in Ethan’s glare, he knew. He did not need to hear him speak to know what he had in mind. Matthew floated there for a second, only having shown his head and shoulders, not emerged fully. Soon, he looked away, deciding to just show him.

Ethan’s eyes gained a slight trace of wonder when a bronze tail rose from the water slowly, hidden before. Matthew kept his head low as he displayed his fins silently, more clearly than how it could be seen in a photo. After a few seconds, he leaned to a side, letting him see his dorsal fin too. He let him see everything.

There was another minute of silence. Matthew grew anxious, because Ethan scowled. Perhaps there was judgment, his next words hinted it.

“So this is how you were before I found you.”

A quick nod was his answer, followed by a nervous twitch of tail. Ethan raised his gaze a little higher, looking down at him more. He pondered how he seemed to swim well, calm in the water. His tail was moving gracefully and slowly, his fins flowing around him. There was no trace of fear for the tides, only for his words. Matthew was rubbing his right shoulder with his hand, fidgeting, as if trying to think a way to excuse this. He tried to speak, dreading his abhorrence.

“I know you don’t like this. It is strange, sure, and you may think it is wrong… But I feel it is right. At first, I found the sea strange myself. But then I realized I missed it. I feel at home in it.”

Matthew flinched, because Ethan grumbled.

“You missed the sea, or them?”

That question was blunt, and it did take him aback slightly. He found himself thinking for a moment, only to answer tiredly.

“Both.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, seeing him give him an honest answer, no trace of doubt in that word. He had to look away from his firm hazel eyes, because something else emerged at his side, more strongly than he did. Matthew looked sideways, smiling as Iara gave him a reassuring nudge of tail and a firm nod. It was a silent promise of support; one that he would need, because his uncle did not sound happy, at all.

“You are really leaving again, with them.”

Matthew’s tail began to sway erratically below him, showcasing well his dread. He admitted, rather honestly.

“Only if you approved of it, I guess.”

Ethan snarled, slightly bitter.

“You have already made that choice twice without asking.”

Matthew cowered slightly at that, but luckily, Iara did not falter. Ethan looked down at her as she spoke up firmly, her azure eyes as reproving as his.

“He is asking you, right now.”

Ethan pointed with a hand, shrugging.

“Kind of changed already, didn’t he? A little pointless to ask now.”

“Not quite, Ethan.” The sailor looked at her with wonder, seeing her dare to refer to him by name and argue his words bravely. “He changed back once, right? We wouldn’t have done this again if he could not change his mind! We wanted to show you he’s fine like this, knowing you would argue against it, you stubborn human.”

It ran in the family. Matthew saw Ethan lean on the railing, pondering her words, slowly. Soon, he asked carefully, his tone hard to discern.

“Is that true, Matthew?”

There was wariness in Ethan’s tone. But he could see there was a trace of consideration. He was going to answer, but another did for him, again. He jolted a little when Alon emerged suddenly, finally seeming to realize there were no harpoons being thrown. The big merman surfaced behind them, arguing shyly.

“We wouldn’t lie, sir. Not even if we could do so better than him.”

“H-hey!”

Iara rolled her eyes, hearing Matthew swat at Alon, who raised his hands at his sides, wondering why that fact offended him. Ethan stared at the three, taking note of how the animals at his sides were completely calm. They were even eager to see them quarrel foolishly in the water.

Ethan stood there, noting how at ease Matthew looked near the two. There was barely any difference between them. Their momentary squabble ended when he called firmly, making Alon yelp and Matthew remember he was still staring at them.

“You two, go away.” Iara swayed closer to the boat, ready to yell in their defence. But she closed her mouth, because Ethan ended his sentence. “I want to speak to Matthew for a moment. Alone.”

She seemed to doubt, pouting. But she agreed in the end, because Matthew gave her a sigh and nod, nervously. Alon agreed immediately, knowing well that family matters were serious.

Matthew took a deep breath, and Iara and Alon gave him one last supportive glance before submerging. He knew they were still near below, and that they could hear what they would say. Still, without them at his sides, he felt smaller under Ethan’s stern look. He jolted when he was called with a wave of hand, the words demanding.

“Get closer. I want you face to face.”

Matthew moved near the hull of the boat, having to raise his head more to be able to meet his eyes. Ethan did not seem satisfied with that, however. So he raised his hand in question, not knowing why he was glaring in disapproval.

“W-what? I’m as close as I can be.”

“I have seen them breach on the beach. You don’t need the water. I want you to get on deck.”

“On deck?” Matthew leaned his head, raising an eyebrow with a smug smile. “Yeah, wait a sec. I’ll jump like a dolphin in a show. Do you have some hoops now that we think of it?”

Ethan rolled his eyes, seeing that becoming a merman had not taken away his sassiness. Matthew blinked, seeing him walk towards his cabin.

“Hey, where are you-?“

He was back soon enough. Matthew yelped, a big net falling onto his face, thrown grumpily overboard. Ethan snorted as he thrashed nervously, quickly pushing off the net with a small growl, only his hold preventing it from sinking. It was soon tied near a crank handle, looming over the water. It had been a long time since he fished, but he was going to get a big haul now.

“Get on it.”

Matthew looked at the big net, spacious enough for him to lay on it, more or less. It was not too rough to the touch, so it would not scratch his skin. He took a minute to resign. Soon, he slowly swam into it, nervously. Ethan made sure he was laying his weight on it before he began to rotate the crank, lifting the net up towards the deck.

In a minute, Matthew was able to plop himself on deck with a thud. His expression showed how much he disliked being treated like a fish. But he pushed those thoughts away, because Ethan crossed his arms again and stepped close to him.

Matthew laughed nervously, sitting up slowly on his tail, noting how Ethan looked like a giant now. Being unable to stand in front of the huge man only made him more daunting. Not that he thought he was dangerous, never. But he was ready to hear him yell, curse, demand; be told he was forbidden of his trust, forever, inhuman.

He may-

“Are you truly sure about this?”

Matthew blinked, because Ethan used the softest tone he had ever heard. His hazel eyes narrowed, noting how he was eyeing his tail and fins closely, worriedly. There was no apprehension on his stare, only curiosity. Soon, he answered honestly with a slow nod, smiling sadly.

“I am, Ethan.”

He did not seem completely convinced, frowning as he petted a parrot on his shoulder, whispering.

“How can I know that you’ll be safe this time?”

Matthew hated to see Ethan worry, he did not need to. He pointed his caudal fin at the water, his small fangs showing as he promised.

“With them, I will be. I’m a hundred per cent sure of it. They wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Ethan let his hand lower from Kalani’s feathers, sighing loudly as he came to accept Matthew’s choice.

“I can’t keep you in that darn cay like a goldfish in a bowl, huh?” His hazel eyes glinted with joy, seeing Ethan smile tiredly, shaking his head. “Just make sure that nothing bites your tail, you clueless mermaid.”

“Merman. I’m not a-“

“Whatever.” Matthew’s gaze softened, seeing Ethan step slightly away, waving him off. “I’ll tell everyone you’ve moved on to another island, with a boat I lent you. I’m not calling the police again. So, go fish. I won’t keep you trapped again.”

There was sadness in Ethan’s voice. He refused to look back as Matthew inched closer, leaning his head as he whispered.

“I’m not going away forever.” Ethan looked down slowly, because Matthew grasped his arm, with a sad grin. “I’ll come back when the tides are warm again. It won’t be that long, will it?”

Ethan huffed, his eyes narrowing with a knowing grumpy smile. Matthew waved his tail at him, taunting.

“Besides, I’ll need to check how you are doing! Poor Kalani can only do so much to make you smile; you never do unless we make you! I hope you won’t have forgotten what joking is when I’m back!”

There was a moment of silence. Shamira watched while both exchanged knowing looks. Matthew had inched closer to Ethan, crawling slightly near the edge of the deck. Below the boat, two merfolk had laid their ears onto the keel, trying to hear everything. And hear they did.

Iara blinked when a loud yelp echoed, followed by a startled gasp from Alon, because something made a big splash. Both watched baffled as Matthew rolled underwater with a dumb look on his face. He had not expected one of Ethan’s feet to nudge his tail off deck, where there was no railing. The three looked up as a voice rumbled into the waves, not needing to yell to make ripples on the surface.

“I hope I won’t see you mope again. You do it all the time.” The three merfolk emerged slowly, blinking as Ethan walked to the helm, huffing at them. “They better prove to be a good influence on you, or you are getting back to that net. I will not get my eyes off you if you come back with your tail between your-”

Ethan kept his hand up midair, trying to end the sentence. In the end, he just let it fall down. There was only tail, no legs. Matthew blinked poker-faced, because Iara suddenly pulled at him, squishing him as she boasted.

“No worries, Ethan! I will be the one to keep an eye on him! He’s in good hands! He won’t get into any trouble I don’t see coming!”

Alon coughed, swaying nervously at their side. He looked up at Ethan apologetically, whispering slightly.

“I’ll keep an eye on her, sir…”

Ethan stared at the two, floating protectively near Matthew, who was blushing madly while he tried to find a way to unlatch her tight hold. After a minute, Alon smiled, seeing the man sigh and slam a hand on the helm, looking back at the coast.

“You better.”

Iara let go of Matthew, because he gasped. He swam a little forward, seeing the boat begin to move away. Ethan gave him one last faked uncaring wave of hand, sailing away. And that made him submerge, bolt to take speed, unstopped by them.

Shamira was the only one looking at the waves; Ethan was staring at the coast ahead, firmly. She barked as he saw a bronze glint flowing by the boat, underwater. Soon, another figure caught up with it, making the waters gleam in gray. It took another minute for another to manage to swim as fast as them, a black and white tail moving gently near them.

Ethan did not look when a splash echoed, followed by yelled words, muffled by the rumble of the motor and waves.

“One last thing, Ethan!” There was another splash, the words muffled. A few seconds passed for another splash to echo, more words yelled. “Take care of Shamira while I’m gone, would you?!”

Matthew submerged again, his small jump ending. Yet he kept on swimming close, trying to keep pace with the boat. His hazel eyes showed sadness when Ethan only nodded faintly, only Kalani glancing back at him.

Ethan refused to say a word. And Matthew knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye, because he would come back.

Knowing that, he kept himself underwater, watching him leave. Soon, Alon swam to his side and gave him a reassuring smile, sensing his sadness. Only Iara did not slow her movements, her tail kicking fast and strong as she looked up at the eyes fixed on her.

She grinned, taking impulse, wanting to see Shamira closer. The dog barked when she jumped out of the water to look at her, much more impressively than Matthew, almost flying away from the waves. She managed to wave goodbye midair, diving elegantly a second after.

Shamira whined, seeing her figure make a sharp turn, stopping following. The other two had slowed, left behind by the speeding boat. The three floated there, watching the boat reach the eastern side of the coast. It slowly faded from sight as it went for the docks. Ethan truly did not look back.

Matthew bowed his head, letting out a long puff of water, his eyes closing with a deep frown. He did not object when they held him again, his tail swaying sadly. Iara brushed her forehead with his, while Alon laid a hand on his shoulder. The two tried to ease the sadness they knew would come. His hazel eyes opened, narrowing with a smile, remembering what Ethan whispered before pushing him off deck.

“See you soon then. You better be happy.”

He leaned against their hold, humming a small sound of agreement.

I will be.

 ———-

There had been warmth. And due to its absence, he squirmed slightly, moving his tail. He tried to curl it onto what it had been brushing before. Yet he could not feel the warmth of the other two, who had been beside him, holding him.

Matthew frowned, his fins twitching. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the slight cold currents. He sat up, sleepy and confused. They were not on the nest made of seaweed and coral anymore, he was alone.

The angelfish floated off the nest slowly, raising an eyebrow, not understanding why they were gone. They had been sleeping, sharing warmth in the now colder waters. They were waiting for him to get used to the change before beginning their journey into the sea. They were there, hugging him close. He could still see the hints of their weight on the seaweed. They left not too long ago.

Why wake up in the middle of the night?

Matthew swam under the reefs that loomed over the nest, peeking up with sleepy eyes at the bright moon above. He waved his tail and fins with a huff, trying to get used to the coolness of the water and shake off his daze. With a frown, he began to wonder why he was alone. It did not cross his mind that they left for ill-intended reasons, his trust too strong. He did not worry much, remembering how they brought him food the morning after his change. They could be hunting now. But that did not make much sense, because they had dinner when the sun went down. Finding food in the middle of the night was not practical, not when they could do it at dawn before leaving.

Matthew grumbled, shaking his head. He swam ahead, trying to guess where they were, ready to scold them. They could have at least told him why they got up. He sure hoped that they did not tell him, and that he had not ignored their words with a grumpy sleepy swat of tail.

The merman began to swim through the southern coast. If he had called, he would have maybe felt the movement between reefs, not so far away.

Her azure eyes watched intently the item in her hands, which glinted in the dark. Her fingers brushed with care its outlines, its gleams bright. Her eyes closed as she chuckled, her tail swaying happily, finally having finished it.

That chuckle echoed. Those hazel eyes blinked not far away. He slowed down, turning slowly to face the direction of the sound. It did not take him much time to spot her between the reefs. Iara was unaware of how Matthew loomed behind her, slowly nearing while she sat on the sand on the bottom.

“I swear, your nocturnal jaunts explain why you eat so much, Ia.”

Iara gasped loudly, her tail jolting as his grumble echoed behind her. Matthew raised an eyebrow with a frown, seeing her turn around with something hidden behind her, what she had been holding.

“Matt?! What are you doing awake?!”

He snorted, crossing his arm and his silver fins at her, pointing with his caudal fin.

“Could ask you the same, don’t you think?” He leaned his head, trying to peek behind her. “What are you holding there?”

He huffed, for as soon as he tried to lean around to see the object, she raised her fins and swatted at him.

“N-nothing!”

He pouted and swayed slightly away, hand raised in defeat.

“Ugh, fine.” He sighed, seeing her bite her lip. “Can I at least know why you left?”

Iara brushed her hair awkwardly, letting out a long trail of air. Matthew was confused by her odd demeanor, seeing her change her mind nervously.

“Okay, it is something. I just didn’t want you to see it yet.” Matthew’s eyes widened slowly, because Iara held the item out for him to see. “I was going to give it to you in the morning. But the moment does not matter if it’s done and you’re awake, right?”

Matthew sunk a little, staring baffled at the shawl in her hands, many bright stones and shells woven in between its threads. It was big enough to be tied around a neck, long enough to hang over a shoulder. He sat near her, his hand resting slowly and with doubt on it, mouth opening and closing. He had always loved to wear his leather jacket, as it allowed him to hide his scars. And this shawl… it could hang over his right shoulder and cover him. He could not hide his wonder in his next whisper.

“Y-you made this?”

It would be a silly question if she could take all the credit. Iara smiled, letting the shawl fall into his hold, amused by his dumb stare.

“Yes and no. Alon began to make it a long time ago, but he forgot it in the reefs. I remembered where he dropped it and finished it.”

Alon did try to reason many times how clothes were important for humans. She did not understand human shame, but she knew Matthew liked them for another reason. Though, his next words hinted that he did not only appreciate its possible use.

“It’s…” Her heartbeat fastened, seeing Matthew’s look up at her instead, loving more the gesture than the gift. “It’s beautiful, Ia. T-thank you.”

She chuckled, her tail swaying happily.

“I wanted to finish it before leaving.” Matthew blinked with her next words. “That’s why I left you two snoring without me.”

She slowly lost her smile, seeing Matthew stare at her with a confused look. She leaned her head, baffled by his stare as well.

“What?”

Matthew frowned, slowly tying the shawl over his shoulder, whispering worriedly.

“Ia, Alon was not there with me. I woke up because I was cold.”

She stuttered, not understanding.

“What? N-no, when I left, he was holding you tight, like if you were a plush! He didn’t wake up when I sneaked away.”

“Well, he is not there now. I’m not making that up. If he really was squishing me, I wouldn’t be here now. There’s no way to escape his hugs if he does not want to let go.”

Both exchanged long stares, pondering. Soon they looked away, pouting, speaking at once.

“He is making breakfast, isn’t he?”

The dork could worry about them a lot. And there was not a moment in which he did not love to boast his skills. They would not be surprised if he was trying to catch a big fish, to eat well in the morning and have a good start in their journey.

The two kicked their tails, swimming off the sand. Iara missed how Matthew secured with caring eyes the shawl, not wanting to swim as fast as her and make it fall. She led fast through the dimly lighted reefs, her eyes sharpening as she tried to spot the big killer whale. She paid mind to any movement around her, any fish he could be following.

There were no echoes of a chase. He was not hunting. All was calm. In the far distance, something glinted, vibrantly. A figure swayed over it, two hands brushing carefully.

His eyes watched carefully as he intertwined the vines, the silver leaves tied together to make a dense silky fabric. There was a plant nearby, still flowing alive, even if it had been cut. Most of it laid now in his hold, folded and sown many times. Its hues almost looked metallic, even if it was soft to the touch.

Alon smiled, clutching with a blush the neckerchief, made from the plant they made grow together. He had invoked his glow once more, to ensure this cloth would never whiter with time. While he admired how it almost looked like a necklace, even if it was fabric, a faint echo reached him. He looked sideways, seeing something gray swim in the distance.

“Iara.”

She slowed her fast moves, hearing his echo, which he had wanted her to notice. Alon did not move while she did, nearing him with curious eyes, spotting him in the dark. She was fast to sink to the rocks he sat on, her eyes narrowing at the outlines of what he held.

“Al?”

Iara finally sat at his side, eyeing with wonder the bandana he held. She grew even more surprised when he did not say anything, fast to lay the trinket around her neck, tying it up gently to let it hang over her chest.

“Like this…” Alon smiled sadly, his hands brushing her neck softly, now covered. “You don’t have to see those scars anymore.”

He hated to see her glance at them, a trace of that shame and regret coming back each time. He had planned to make something that would cover them as soon as he saw this plant grow strong. He knew it wouldn’t die even if cut.

Iara bit her lip, a trembling grin growing on her face. Her hands clenched onto the band, feeling how close it wrapped over her scarred skin, made to clasp but not pressure. She fell silent, but Alon saw the gratefulness in her eyes. Not too far, Matthew smiled sadly, finally having caught up.

The angelfish whispered, noting well that the dolphin was for once at a loss of words, the orca blushing slightly.

“It suits her.”

Iara seemed to nod, her gray tail swaying happily, matching the tonality of the neckerchief. Matthew felt joy as she saw her smile and laugh silently, closing her eyes to not cry. The two let her calm down. But soon, Alon looked at him. His silver eyes narrowed, suddenly, with surprise.

“Is that…?“

Matthew looked down, soon realizing what Alon was staring at.

“O-oh, this?” He swam closer to the two, the trinket swaying at his side as he did so. “It is a fine-looking shawl, I must say.”

Alon leaned his head with a confused frown, brushing it with a hand.

“I began tinkering with it, but…” He shook his head at it, not understanding. “I hid it away. I never finished it. So how-?“

“It was me.”

Both mermen looked again at her. She was smiling sheepishly, seeming to have recovered slightly from her surprise for her new garb. She laughed, making Alon blush with her next words.

“I had to finish it. You wouldn’t admit you wanted to give it to him.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow, while Iara grinned smugly at the now very shy merman.

“I was not- Well, maybe- I mean-”

Iara and Matthew snorted, because Alon’s brain seemed to melt. He did not know if to say he was shy to admit he liked him when he was wary, or if to explain he wanted to give it to him now but was unable to remember where he hid it. In his doubt, he just stayed quiet, smiling sheepishly.

The three just ended up falling silent, sitting together between colourful coral. She kept her hands on her neckerchief, her azure eyes looking at them both with more care than she could have for the gift. Those hazel eyes were fixed on his long shawl, one of his silver fins nudging it as he averted his gaze with a faint smile. Alon regained his composure, his remorse fading slightly as he pondered their closeness.

The three merfolk stayed there for a long while, their tails brushing gently. Eventually, it was agreed that they should go back to their nest. They had a long journey to begin in the morning. Once there, they rested between seaweed, their tails tangling as they curled close. They soon fell asleep, unable to feel the coolness of the waters. Only the wonder of the time they would share, no longer lonely.