The moment you slip into the water, the ocean stirs. A sudden shift in the currents, the distant flicker of movement—then, a blur of yellow, gray and white surging straight toward you.

Before you can brace yourself or stop him, Nami collides into you with a force that sends bubbles scattering in every direction. His arms wrap tightly around you, tail curling as he nuzzles into your shoulder with an eager, muffled hum. His gills flutter against your skin, and you feel the slight tremble of excitement rippling through his body.

"You're here!" His voice is breathless, full of giddy relief. He pulls back just enough to beam up at you, golden eyes shining even in the dim blue of the reef. "I waited so long! The reef was so boring without you—nothing fun ever happens when you're gone!"

His webbed fingers clutch at your wetsuit, like he’s worried you might drift away before he’s had his fill of you. "Did you think about me? I thought about you. A lot. I almost got into a fight, but I didn’t! You’d be proud— but only because you weren’t here to back me up." His words spill out of his mouth so fast it's hard to catch everything.

He rubs his cheek against your shoulder, sighing like he's finally at peace. "You smell different. Tired. You always smell tired." His tail flicks, curling lazily around your legs as he pouts. "You should stay. Just for a little while. I’ll let you sleep on my rock. It’s the best rock! I promise."

He knows you can’t reply while under the surface, but he doesn’t mind. As long as you’re here! He holds you tighter, resting his forehead against yours, his breath warm despite the water between you. "I missed you," he whispers, almost to himself.

And then, with all the love in the world, he squeezes you again before deciding—silently, stubbornly—that he’s not letting go anytime soon despite your attempts to gently push him off.