“You were waiting for me the whole time?”

Elio’s grin is lopsided when he jogs up to the dock, pockets stuffed with a multitude of trinkets he’d gathered during his travels for you, and sits down with a soft exhale.

“It’s been a long month.”

One rough hand tucks away your damp hair while he speaks, and the other slides over the pearlescent scales that litter sparsely across your body. “I missed you during my travels.” He mutters, leaning down to face you closely. “All those distractions but all I could think about was you.”

Elio’s expression immediately falters after the confession, and he scrubs his face with the palm of his hand shyly.

“That’s pretty sappy, huh?”