The jellyfish releases its hold on me, but the sharp pain from its tentacle still burns through my leg.
"Unghhh..."
I hear splashing and, through my hazy vision, I see Kai swimming through the water toward me. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me toward the shore.
"Hold on to me, (Y/N). I've got you."
My leg throbs harder and I have to focus hard just to see straight as we approach the beach.
"Almost there. Just a little bit further."
I try to stand in the shallow water, but the pain radiates from my ankle through my body.
"Accck!"
I buckle into the water, but Kai scoops me up and carries me to the warm sand, carefully avoiding my stung leg. My breathing comes erratic from the mix of adrenaline and pain. I try to take deep breaths as Kai checks out my injury.
"It's swelling. A lot. We need to treat it...and fast."
"Get my bag. I should have some—Ow!—some acetic acid in my field kit."
Kai sprints down the beach to fetch my backpack, then pulls out my field kit.
"Now dilute the acetic acid with water. It's the closest I've got to vinegar, and we need to stop the nematocysts from injecting more venom."
Kai follows my instructions, then pours the resulting concoction over my ankle.
"AaaiiillllEEEEE!!"
I scream from the searing pain running down my leg. Kai take my hand in his, and I squeeze as hard as I can.
"You're strong, (Y/N). Just focus on me."
"It hurts so bad."
"I know. What else do I need to do?"
"You need to—aagh—grab the tweezers and pull out the stingers."
He lets go of my hand and fumbles through my kit until he finds the tweezers. He hovers above my leg and meets my watchful eye.
"This will hurt."
"Whatever you do, do it quickly."
"On it."
Without skipping a beat, Kai takes my ankle in his lap and plucks out stinger after stinger...
"Oww!! "
The pain from his tweezing is brief as he works fast and efficiently.
"I think I got all the stingers."
A thrill runs up my spine from his touch against my exposed leg...
"That's...surprisingly helpful."
Kai fills one of the beakers with seawater, then pours it over the affected area, cleaning it.
"We just need a bit of heat on it...and don't suggest sticking my foot in the fire."
"Don't worry. I have a better idea."
"You going to kiss it to make it better?"
"Glad you think that'd be hot enough, but no."
He digs a small hole in the sand, the carefully buries my ankle. After a few minutes, the throbbing begins to subside, though the pain from the sting remains.
"It feels like a bee stung me. A big bee."
"Guess it could've been worse."
"Yeah, now I can check treating a jellyfish sting off my bucket list."
"Pretty sure I treated the sting."
"Don't take this away from me. You can be my doctor any day."
He smirks as his featherlight touch runs up my leg.
"But then, who'd be my Doc?"
My breath hitches at his words, and heat rises in my cheeks.
"For you, I might be willing to trade off the title from time to time."
He moves the sand to get a better look at my injury.
"The swelling's still pretty sever. But if you rest up today, I think you'll be fine."
"Thanks...for taking care of me."
"I should be thanking you. If you hadn't stepped in..."
He trails off, his hand still resting lightly on my bare leg. He glances up to meet my gaze, his eyes searching.
"Why did you do it?"
"I couldn't stand to see you get hurt. I know we have our...differences, but I still care about you."
"(Y/N)..."
He glances away, refusing to meet my eyes as he mumbles.
"That doesn't mean I want to see you hurt."
It's just above a whisper, but my heart practically leaps out of my chest at his words. With the pain of the sting subsiding slightly, Kai and I change back into our clothes. I carefully stand.
"Think you can make it back to camp?"
I gingerly balance on my good leg, testing to see how the injured one bears weight.
"It's not so bad... With a little support, I'll manage."
Kai retrieves our basket of fish, then returns to help me limp back to camp. By the time we return to camp, night has fallen. I prop my foot on one of the containers as Kai starts a fire. Kai cleans and guts the fish we caught, skewers them, then places them on the campfire to cook.
"That smells amazing."
"We've got a while before it's ready to eat. Then what's left, we'll smoke for later."
I shift to get a better look at Kai and wince as a flash of pain shoots up my leg from the motion. His brows knit in concern.
"That bad?"
"It doesn't help that it's all I can think of. That and my empty stomach."
"I'd offer to distract you, but...I'm not the greatest at it."
"I don't need the greatest. You must have some trick up your sleeve to take my mind off things."
"Hm, there was this one game I played with my friends... Never Have I Ever."
"You realize we have nothing to drink, right?"
"I never said we played with drinks... We'd strip instead."
"Oh... That's a new take."
Thoughts of playing with Kai flash in my mind's eye... Stripping clothes off piece by piece until nothing is left.
"So you up for my distraction?"
"It's been years since I've played...but I know for a fact that you're going down."
"We'll see about that."
"Let me confirm I've got the rules straight... We say a statement that we haven't done. If the other has done it, say goodbye to a piece of clothing."
"Yup. And since I'm feeling so confident, I'll even let you go first."
"How generous of you. Never have I ever had sex on a boat."
"Now that's playing dirty."
"Well? Are you stripping or not?"
His eyes narrow before he removes his shoes.
"I live on a boat."
"Exactly. I always play to win."
"I'm already regretting this..."
"You're up."
"Never have I ever...gotten a lap dance."
I sigh good-naturedly and remove my remaining shoe.
"Are you happy? We're even now."
"Not until I hear this story, Doc."
"There's not much to tell. I went out clubbing with some friends. They paid for a lap dance for me."
"Heh. So the buttoned-up scientist does know how to let her hair down."
I shift my ankle and realize it's the first time I've thought about my sting for a few minutes.
"This actually seems to be helping..."
"Good. So stop delaying and take your turn."
"Never have I ever...flirted my way out of trouble."
Kai pulls his shirt over his head, then drapes it over one of the logs around the fire.
"I knew it."
"And before you ask, I got pulled over for speeding."
"That's it?"
"At least all I'll admit to."
I roll my eyes, but soon find myself getting lost looking at his newly-exposed chest.
"Hm...Never have I ever been on a plane."
"No fair. I live in LA."
"Hey, all's fair in love and war. And stripping games."
I can't help the heat that rises in my cheeks as I sit up in the sand and push the fabric down my legs.
"Two can play at this game. Never have I ever owned a boat."
"Ouch. That one stings. Never have I ever..."
We trade turns back and forth until we're both in various states of undress.
"Okay, last one. Winner takes all?"
"You're on. Never have I ever...been in love."
"Oh wow, bringing out the big guns, huh?"
"Well?"
I smile softly and shrug.
"Even nerds fall in love every once in a while."
"What happened?"
"We just drifted apart. I was young, it happens."
I feel Kai's eyes on me and the remainder of my clothing.
"Oh right..."
My fingers fumble with the clasp at my back as I begin to unhook my bra... Kai's hand shoots out to catch mine, stopping the motion, and I look up into his probing eyes.
"(Y/N)..."
I find myself leaning toward him, his eyes on my lips as they draw closer to his own... In the next instant, Kai grips the back of my neck and pulls me to him, kissing me deeply, hungrily.
"Oh! Ohhh..."
I wrap my arms around his waist, holding him against me as I part his lips with my tongue. He moans against me.
"(Y/N)..."
...Suddenly, a coconut falls nearby, breaking my concentration. We both practically jump apart.
"Sorry, I—"
I hurry to change back into my clothes as memories of last night come swirling back.
"We can't. We—"
"You're right. I didn't mean to tempt you."
As soon as I speak, I feel the air shift. Kai busies himself rotating the skewered fish, never so much as glancing my way.
"Food should be ready soon."
The tension is heavy, and I can tell both of us are thinking of the fight...and how we slept together. Only the flickering flames and crashing waves break the silence between us. Taking a deep breath, I decide to address the situation...
"Can we talk about what happened on the mountain...and on the way down?"
Kai pauses before pulling his gaze from the fire to look at me. He nods.
"Yeah, we probably should. About what I said earlier..."
"You mean how it was a mistake? You hurt me. It's not like I go around sleeping with every man I meet."
"I'm...sorry, (Y/N). I said a lot of stuff I didn't mean."
"I'm sorry to. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"I deserved it. I thought if I pushed you away, if I told myself not to care...things would be easier after we got off Moku."
"I get you don't trust easily, but I'm not going anywhere."
"Yeah, because you can't."
"That's not what I mean. I won't abandon or betray you like your old partner did. Can't you see that I'm nothing like him?"
"Are you? This is just a job to you. If we ever get off this rock, you'll just go back to LA."
"This might've started as a job, but we both know it's more than that now. Last night..."
"It was great, but this is all temporary."
"It doesn't have to be. What if this was meant to be? We could've been stuck here with anyone or by ourselves. But we're together. And I'm increasingly grateful for that."
I place my hand on Kai's thigh, squeezing gently. He smirks at me.
"Me too."
"So from here on out...hold nothing back?"
"I'll try. That's all I can promise."
"You'd better. Or else tourists will be the least of your worries."
He lets out a hearty chuckle. I lean against his shoulder as I eat our catch...and for the first time since setting sail, I feel completely satisfied.
The next morning, I wake to the steady lapping of the waves. I notice that the pain in my ankle has all but disappeared. Kai stirs in his slumber beside me and slings his arm over my chest.
How am I suppose to move trapped like this?
I drop gently, featherlight kisses against his bare arm. His eye cracks open...
"Morning."
"Shh... Go back to sleep."
I carefully move Kai's arm and slide out of the hammock as he drifts back to sleep. As I take a dip in the shallows to freshen up, a distant sound calls my attention toward the horizon. A small, brown object begins to take shape as it approaches the shore.
"It's a boat...and it's headed straight for us!"
I start jumping up and down, waving my arms and yelling at the top of my lungs.
"OVER HERE! WE NEED HELP! "
I hear a loud groan from behind as Kai groggily shuffles toward me.
"It's way too early to be screaming that much."
"But we're saved. There's a boat headed our way. Look! HELP US! WE'RE STRANDED! "
Kai places a hand up to shield himself from the bright sunlight as he looks out into the distance.
"(Y/N)...stop calling to them."
"I thought we were past the whole mistrusting everyone you meet thing."
"Yeah, but they've got a—"
His words are cut short when a hail of gunfire lights up the beach.
"Ahhh!!"
"Smugglers. We need to find cover fast!"
Kai grabs my hand, spurring me into action. The two of us race across the sand toward the jungle... But a volley of bullets blasts the trees! Splinters of wood fly everywhere. Kai turns toward me...
"(Y/N)!"
He presses my face to his chest and wraps his arms around me. I hear the wood shards peppering the beach around us.
"Hckk!"
Kai tenses as he's pelted with the bark, but I remain unharmed.
"Are you okay?"
"As long as you're safe. Now, come on. We've gotta move."
The dense vegetation slows our progress as Kai leads us further into the jungle, and I feel my fingers slipping from his grasp! Without thinking, I reach up and grab his wrist while, in perfect sync, he pulls me forward through a particularly dense thicket.
"Almost lost you!"
"I'd never leave you behind."
Branches smack and slash me as we sprint through the untamed jungle, quickly covering me in scrapes and bruises.
"Quick! They went this way!" one smuggler shouts.
"On it!" the other smuggler replies.
I push myself faster at the sound of voices, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I look to Kai.
"I thought smugglers normally stay off the radar. They're trying to kill us!"
"Does any of this look normal to you? We need somewhere to hide and hope they decide to just loot our camp."
We scan the area for a good hiding spot. My eyes land on a few wide trees just ahead.
"What about over there? I think we could each fit behind those trees."
"It's risky. We'd have to hide separately. That brush looks like it'd provide more cover for both of us."
Kai points to the underbrush ten feet ahead. I glance between the two hiding spots...
"Whatever we're doing, we need to do it quick."
"Follow me!"
I pull Kai over to the massive ferns, then tug him down into the underbrush with me.
"Oof!"
He lands on top of me, his limbs tangled with mine as I press a finger to his lips to silence him.
"In case we don't make it...I want one last kiss."
I drop my finger and replace it with my lips in a gentle kiss. Kai deepens the kiss and wraps an arm around me. He pulls my body tight against his, slipping his tongue between my lips. I can feel the quick, rhythmic pounding of his heart.
"Kai—"
He cuts my whispered word short, biting my lower lip and sending a wave of heat through my body. After a moment, he pulls back.
"This isn't how I thought we'd..."
"No goodbyes. We'll be okay."
He touches his forehead to mine. I focus on the rise and fall of his chest as the smugglers draw close...
Please let this work...
Kai's warm breath tickles my skin as we both listen in anticipation. The smugglers emerge from the trees, searching for us.
"They couldn't have gone far. Fan out..." the smuggler growls.
I can feel Kai's heart pounding in time with mine as a few sets of boots become visible. I can see the smugglers searching the bushes with the barrels of their guns.
Oh my God... If they find us, they'll kill us...
I look to Kai who shakes his head as if to deter me from doing anything rash. My head snaps up and my breath hitches as a pair of boots crunch over dead leaves within feet of our hiding place... I try not to even breathe as the smuggler's shoes stop right by the ferns, my muscles tight as I strain to stay absolutely still.
"There's nobody here." one smuggler shouts to the other.
"Maybe they circled back to the beach..." the other suggests.
I can hear the smugglers shifting the bushes near us...before the sounds of their footsteps start to retreat.
That was close!
Kai and I share a relieved look, but remain where we are.
"Thank God they're gone."
Kai lets out a deep breath, his chest brushing mine as he does.
"Good thing we were together."
"Yeah, you have an eye for hiding spots."
"I have many years of playing hide and seek in the jungle to thank."
My eyes widen in shock.
"So you deigned to grace the land with your presence?"
"Hey, you can't stay on a boat all the time...no matter how much you might want to."
Kai reaches up a hand and brushes a smudge of dirt away from my cheek, his face only inches away.
"All jokes aside... Are you okay?"
"I feel better with you here. I don't know how I would've managed without you here..."
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
I study his features, his own eyes never leaving my face. Time slows as the two of us lay there in silence. He shifts his weight, his thighs touching mine as he balances on top.
"I... We..."
The pull of his lips draws me in. My words come breathlessly as I speak...
"Yes...?"
His lips inch closer and closer to mine...but he stops short.
"We should go before they come back."
"Right..."
I look at the man pinning me down, keeping me trapped beneath him.
"I'll need you to go first. I can't move with you on top of me."
He untangles himself from me, then sweeps his fingertips over my exposed skin as he stands, sending a delightful shiver through me as I rise alongside him. We both pause for a few more minutes, but no smugglers walk by. Once we're certain it's clear, we both step out into the open.
"Our camp's not safe tonight. We need to find somewhere else to lay low for a while."
Kai starts walking in a completely new direction, avoiding the path the smugglers took.
"Do you think everything will still be there when we get back?"
"I hope so. But I'd rather risk our stuff than our lives."
I nod and continue forward. Kai slips his hand into mine, squeezing it reassuringly and not letting go...
"What are the smugglers even doing here? There's nothing on this island to steal. And I doubt they know anything about my work..."
I trail off as my mind flashes back to the glint of metal I saw while making camp a few days ago.
"That day when we made camp. I knew I saw a knife, but it was gone when I looked back. It must have been theirs."
"Wouldn't we have seen them by now if they were here this whole time?"
"The island is big enough to avoid crossing paths. There's a lot of Moku we haven't explored yet. The mountain range could've hidden the smoke from our bonfire too."
"I guess... Still doesn't add up to me. Whatever's going on, we need to find somewhere safe to hide for a while."
We continue hiking through the jungle for a few more hours until the dense vegetation parts to reveal a lost village.
"Where are we?" I ask.
"I have no idea."