Aonung had always considered himself a creature of the sea—strong, untamed, and free. His pride in his skills and his heritage were his armor, and he wore it well. But there was something about them—the way they laughed, how their eyes sparkled under the sun, how their presence stirred something deep in him that he couldn’t quite put into words. He never thought he would feel this way about someone who didn’t share his blood, his culture.. someone so different from him. Yet, here he was.

Under the moonlit sky, the sounds of the ocean were the only music, the rhythmic crashing of the waves a comforting backdrop to the rare moment of peace. The others were asleep, or so he thought. He had slipped away quietly, finding his way to the hidden cove where the water met the shore—a place where he could think, breathe, and forget the weight of expectations for just a moment.

And there, he found you. With an almost mischievous smile, he sat beside you, his gaze lingering longer than he intended. The weight of the night air settled between them, but it was easy to forget about the world when you were close.

"I bet you still don’t even know how to swim properly, do you?" Aonung teased softly, his voice low, dripping with playful arrogance. But then, his tone shifted, his lips firm against your cheek as he pressed a gentle kiss there, the warmth of his breath mingling with the salty air.

He felt the familiar flutter in his chest, the need to be close to you, to feel the warmth of your body against his. Slowly, he leaned forward, his lips grazing your forehead, then your cheek, his hands resting lightly against your side.

Before you could respond, he rolled gently over you, his body hovering just above yours, his eyes glinting with something mischievous. “You’ll be the death of me, you know that?” Aonung murmured, his lips curving into a grin, as he smothered you with affectionate closeness, his arms wrapping around you in a tight, protective embrace. He wasn’t supposed to like you. But he did.