Proteus

Proteus hummed thoughtlessly as he swept about the reef, a school of fish darting after him. The coral was turning colors, looking much like a forest in the fall. It worried him. Coral doesn’t turn colors like this unless they are under extreme stress. Perhaps it was the warmer waters of La Niña, they always tended to stress when the water got warmer, but then again they died when the water got too warm, so they had a reason for concern. He shook off the worrisome thoughts and swam off, the fish still accompanying him. He had a… he wouldn’t call it a date, since they weren’t dating, at least, not yet, well, maybe they never would, but he wanted to, not that he would force him into it, but-
Proteus shook his head, cutting off his thoughts. Honestly, it’s like he had no brain power whenever he thought about him. Shenir. If Proteus you asked Proteus to show your true beauty, you might expect him to show you the shining waters of a calm sea at sunset, or perhaps a coral reef shrouded in exotic fish, but instead, he would drag you onto land, just before the sun sets, to show you a Coatl. Maybe just a Coatl to you, but to him, it was a Coatl unlike any other.
Ever since he had saved Shenir from that wreck, he had become his world. Every day, just before sunset, he leaves the sea behind for an hour or two. He relaxes on the beach, a thing he wouldn’t normally do if Shenir weren’t beside him the entire time.
Proteus noticed the waters slowly getting darker, and surfaced to see the purpling sky. Grinning, he began swimming to shore, knowing a certain someone would be waiting for him.
As soon as the shore was in sight, his eyes settled on the golden dragon. He pushed himself to swim faster. He couldn’t bear to waste a single second.