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The sun was bright, the wind light but growing warmer with each day. The sand was coarse against her bare feet, but she adored the way it felt between her toes. It abraded her, and she wished it would score her mind and heart so she could feel better.

Ever since Nathair had figured out why Linh had reacted so strongly and then placed her in his nest, they’d not spoken about it again. If he truly wanted to, he could have pestered her about it, but never did.

A nauseating, dark part of her had worried he wouldn’t want to be near her anymore. That once he discovered what had happened, he’d no longer want to be her friend, or even... want something more.

She knew what happened wasn’t her fault, but that didn’t stopotherpeople from being fucking stupid.

She’d worried Nathair would change.

And he did.

Her smile grew when he used his nose hole to huff away sand that clung to the shells in his palms. He meticulously cleaned each one for her, brushing them off and showing he cared about the task she’d taken on.

In the four days since she’d asked him to hold her after crying her heart out, Nathair had been even more attentive.

Not once did he try to touch her intimately, but he often caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. The few times she waited for her hair to dry so she could restyle it, he’d sit her on a coil of his tail and comb his claws through the strands until it was untangled and glossy. He even just simply held her hand... and his thick thumb brushing over the back of her daintier one made her heart weep from its gentleness.

He’d carefully yanked his nest to a spot of the cave where a streak of sunlight hit the middle, allowing her to have brightness. He’d also managed to find more cloth from somewhere else within his tunnel system so he could cushion it better for her.

Each day, they came to the beach to collect shells. Or she would create sandcastles or dig a hole – only for him to help until it became a massive crater in the sand.I kind of like that we’re leaving our mark in the world.Maybe they could dig all the way through the earth and find themselves on a different land.

Her mind directed back to the day before.

After they’d dug, a part of the hole’s wall had collapsed and half buried Nathair. So, Linh had pushed more and more onto him until all that remained was his head.

“Now you know how I feel every night,” she’d said, until she kicked sand on his face – knowing it wouldn’t bother him due to the fact he didn’t have eyes like a human.

His roar had been playful and instantly had Linh squealing as she ran.

He didn’t grab at her, he never did, but he shot forward to block her path. Before she knew it, she’d been circled, and she’d burst into a fit of giggles.

I really like the beach.

It was separated from her old life. Nothing here could remind her of home, of what happened, and it allowed her to remain in the present.

Like most days, Nathair would hunt for all manner of sea creatures for her to eat. Oysters, prawns, and he’d even once tried to gift her a small shark – she told him to put it back since it was too big. She only knew what they were due to old books detailing animals that had been seen before the Demons arrived.

At some point, she planned to ask him to take her to his pond so she could forage. She’d been putting it off, worried he’d abandon her there.

I’ll have to get over that at some point.She’d been struggling to forgive him for trying to get rid of her.

They also had not spoken of his desire, or her own, which was growing. In some ways, despite all its unpleasantness, she was thankful the other day had transpired. Knowing she wasn’t the only one growing attached, and beginning to long for more, was reassuring.

She wanted more, wanted to touch him, to do more than just hold his hand, or cuddle in the security that wasallof him.

Linh knew she’d first clung to Nathair for all the wrong reasons. But the longer they spent together, and the more she got to know him, the deeper her feelings evolved.I like him.

She liked his waterlily-and-moonflower scent. It was so gentle and refreshing, and often made her mind hum in its pleasantness.

She liked his scales and the way they felt inside her palms, against the tops of her feet, and against her face. She was beginning to want her pants or sleeves to ride up so she could feel them against her calves and forearms. She thought they would feel nice against her thighs, sides, and stomach – but she wasn’t brave enough to do anything about that, even if it was just for an innocent caress.

I like his skull a lot.She’d never been particularly frightened of it, nor had she ever been disgusted by it.

Her mother was her mentor when it came to work, and they’d both often held skeletons out of fascination. Understanding the biology of creatures, humans included, often aided their capabilities with their medicine.

The longer she gazed at his ethereal face, the more she wanted to cuddle his skull in her arms. It was Nathair’s face. It was who he was, and that’s what made it beautiful. Everything about him was magnificent, especially the mesmerising way his black scales gleamed with rainbows.

She had a funny feeling that he’d added her to his riches, but he didn’t seem to realise he was the most breathtaking thing in his home. He took up the entire cavern with just his mere presence.