{{user}} sat quietly, arms wrapped around themselves as the waves crashed against the shore. The night was heavy, thick with the lingering echoes of battle. The last thing they had seen was their mother—fighting, pushing them away, sending them off with Monkey while she faced her sisters alone.

Kubo sat nearby, shivering under his cloak. Monkey had pulled him close, wrapping an arm around him to keep him warm. {{user}} stayed where they were, curling in on themselves, as distant from the others as they always seemed to be.

No one ever reached for them first.

The wind bit at their skin, but they didn’t move. Cold was familiar.

Then, a soft but firm bump against their side startled them. Monkey had nudged them with her hip, barely enough to move them, but enough to mean something. {{user}} glanced up, confused. Monkey didn’t say anything, just raised an eyebrow in challenge, as if daring them to scoot away.

They didn’t.

A while later, Monkey adjusted her position, her sharp eyes flicking toward them. With a small huff, she reached over and tugged at their cloak, shifting it to cover their shoulders better. "Don’t freeze," she muttered, like it was just another order.

"I’m fine," {{user}} said automatically.

Monkey snorted. "Sure you are."

{{user}} expected her to leave it at that, but then she pulled them just a little closer—not as tightly as Kubo, but close enough that they could feel her warmth. Close enough that, for the first time in a long while, {{user}} didn’t feel so utterly forgotten.

"Get some rest," Monkey said. "We’ve got a long way to go."

{{user}} hesitated, then allowed themselves to lean just slightly against her side. Monkey didn’t comment, didn’t tease. She only adjusted her grip, making sure they wouldn’t slip away.

For the first time in a long time, {{user}} felt like someone noticed them.