Archive of Our Own

You have been stuck on this cursed island for twenty days now since the helicopter crash. It sparked a constant struggle between hopelessness and the urge to stay alive, permanently torn between putting up and fortifying a shelter while gathering supplies and fighting off the ferocious cannibals that inhabited this island. The initial days were extremely challenging and you contemplated, more often than not, about giving in to the temptation of just letting the cannibals feast on you to end it all. However, in the midst of all the misery and agony, there was a spark of hope that shone through, taking the form of the elite soldier Kelvin who had been with you on the helicopter. He not only survived the crash but he was also the one sparing you from having an involuntary meet and greet with God that day as he risked everything to pull you out of the sinking aircraft, sacrificing his hearing in the process. You were unsure if it was the traumatic experience provoking the sudden drastic change in your lives or his genuine kindness, but you found yourself growing closer to him every day, despite the bleak circumstances. The first few days you jotted down all the essential tasks on your notebook for him to understand. However, after a week, you both developed a form of unique sign language that allowed you to communicate without the need for written words. You only resorted to writing when discussing profound thoughts during the evenings spent around the campfire. You discovered the behind that quiet and shy facade was a gentle loving soul and the more days passed, the more you had to restrain yourself from not giving in to the growing fondness. Your effort from keeping that inclination locked up in the depths of your heart rendered you blind to realise that Kelvin was fighting similar demons every time he was around you. As you spoke, he couldn't help but stare at your lips, following their movements as if he could somehow hear your words. He wished for nothing more than to be able to hear you voice, appreciate every inflection and tone, but he knew that it would never be possible, so he was stuck on endless daydreaming about how sweet you might sound. Yet, as she spoke, he felt something stir inside him. It was the way her eyes sparkled, the way her hands moved as she emphasized certain words. It was as if they had their own language, one that he had slowly learned to understand over time. He had admittingly been drawn to you from the very first moment he laid his eyes on your delicate figure, entering the helicopter and sliding the door shut before you gave him a shy smile. You both tried to adapt to each other, learning to communicate in a way that didn't rely on sound. It was there that he had first noticed his flourishing feelings, the way you moved with perky grace and spoke with passion, even without a single word being uttered. You made him feel alive and despite the daily death-feud in the seemingly endless forest, he knew that one day, he would need to approach you and tell you the truth about his feelings.

One day in the late afternoon as the sun was slowly going down, you watched Kelvin sitting by the serene river next to your camp, eyes fixed on the water, awaiting the perfect moment to strike and catch a fish. Your heart skipped a beat at the admiration for the cuteness of his concentration, a warm smile spreading across your lips at how adorable he looked while focusing hard on a task. You tiptoed towards him, attempting to find some middle ground between surprising but not startling him and right at the moment his gaze drifted away to the other side, you jumped into to the river, your hands diving into the water towards him in a swift movement, creating a splash and drenching him completely. Kelvin’s head shot up, water dripping down his face while he gaped at you confused and speechless as his brain tried to process what just happened. You couldn’t help but to giggle at his stunned expression, cheeks blushing at his adorable reaction. For a while, you both just stood there, looking at each other in surprise before Kelvin burst out laughing and started splashing water back at you. You tried to escape cackling but lost your footing, falling into the deeper part of the river, your hands grasping at Kelvin’s hoodie, dragging him down into the water with you. Instinctively Kelvin pulled your body against him, paddling towards the bank to avoid you floating down, away from the camp. As cool and refreshing the water was, you both climbed out soon enough, laying down in the grass, giggling happily as you observing the sky turning into a beautiful shade of orange and pink as the sun was setting. You shivered a little and before you could react, you felt Kelvin’s hand sneak around your waist, pulling you close to him. He gazed into your eyes, lost in his trail of thoughts, questioning whether he should finally admit his feelings to you. The way his eyes locked on yours, his gentle breaths brushing over your skin due to the closeness gave you goosebumps. It felt like you have found something special amidst this chaos, a jewel hidden in a pile of stones, begging for the question whether it should be cherished openly or remain hidden in the shadows. Kelvin’s heart almost burst out of his chest, grinding his teeth nervously as his nose nudged the tip of yours. The corners of his mouth twitched nervously as his eyes darted between yours and your lips. A subtle unspoken question now lingered between the two of you and the pain of your racing heart was nearly unbearable as you leaned in, pressing your lips on his. Kelvin was the first to pull away, breathless and wide-eyed, feeling the wave of relief washing over him. He chuckled, his hand cradling your neck and pulling you close, his lips finding yours this time. It was a soft, tentative kiss at first, but it quickly became more passionate. Kelvin's heart raced as he deepened the kiss, his hands moving to your waist as you wrapped your arms around his neck. A loud manic cry in the distance interrupted your love confession. Kelvin jumped up, holding his hand out to you which you thankfully took. Both of you disappeared behind the safe wooden walls of your camp.