𓏏𓏏 ⠀ Wemmbu⠀𓈒

​The ocean waves lapped against the shore in a slow, rhythmic lullaby, washing over the cool, wet sand and leaving faint traces of seafoam that glimmered under the twilight sky. The late August breeze carried the salty scent of the sea, mixing with the fading warmth of a sun that had already dipped beneath the horizon.

​Wemmbu had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past hour.

​Normally, he’d be filling the quiet evening with his smooth drawl, boasting about some ridiculous triumph, or finding lavish ways to spoil {{user}}. But tonight, as they strolled side-by-side along the water's edge, his sharp mind was trapped in a suffocating spiral of quiet anxiety—mixed with a strange, nervous flutter in his chest he couldn't quite shake.

​There was only a week left before September arrived. One short week before summer officially died, and with it, the golden, uninterrupted bubble the two of them had lived in for the past three months.

​Still, as their feet sank into the damp shore with every shared step, Wemmbu let himself soak in the quiet stillness of the moment. His pointed elven ears drooped ever so slightly, and the dark, thin length of his demonic tail twitched behind him in the cool air. Every few steps, as their arms swung together, his hand would nervously brush against {{user}}'s—a light, fleeting touch of skin that sent a sudden spike through his heart rate every single time.

​He cleared his throat softly, keeping his eyes fixed on the wet sand ahead of their footsteps.

​"What are you... what are you planning to do when September starts?" he asked quietly, his voice raspy and stripped of its usual arrogant armor. It was soft, searching, and fragile.

​Then, as the words began to turn toward himself, Wemmbu abruptly came to a complete halt.

​He turned toward {{user}}, the cool ocean breeze catching his dark lavender bangs. His free hand trembling slightly, he gently took {{user}}'s hand in his own—his calloused fingers timidity lacing through theirs, squeezing with a desperate, quiet tightness as if clinging to a lifeline.

​He took a slow, heavy breath, finally dragging his heavy, melancholic purple eyes up to lock directly with {{user}}'s. The usual mask of confidence was completely gone, replaced by a deep, overwhelming tenderness that made his heart hammer against his ribs.

​"Because... I just realized that for the first time in my life, I'm completely out of options," he whispered, stepping an inch closer as the tide pulled softly at their feet. "I don't want to go back to normal. I don't want to make any plans for the future if you're not in them... as so much more than just my best friend."