Time stands still as Kai collapses in front of me. Blood seeps down his arm where the bullet pierced him.
"Unghh..."
"Kai!!"
I scramble to him, trying to pull him to his feet. I see Tak closing in, his gun still raised.
"Kai, get up...I can't lose you. You mean too much to me."
"I know...Ahh! But you have to go. Save yourself... Please, (Y/N)... I can't lose you either."
"No. I won't leave you here to die."
I look around for a means of escape. Tak and his smugglers close in from the front and sides, forcing us back against the steep drop into the ocean.
"Hang on to me. I have a plan."
I carefully help him up, wrapping his uninjured arm around my neck.
"Well, well, well... Looks like you're in a pickle. I'll give you one more chance to surrender." Tak smirks.
"And be Hale's sick experiment? Never."
"Go to—ugh—Go to hell, Tak."
"Look around. You're trapped and out of options."
"Actually...we still have one. Kai, jump!"
Tak swipes at me...but I wrap my arms around Kai's waist and leap off the cliff!
"No!"
The water rushes toward us as we free fall. We crash into the water, basking in its warm embrace. Kai bobs beside me, struggling to keep his eyes open...
"Mnnn..." Kai cries in pain.
He's losing a lot of blood. I need to hurry.
Several bullets pierce the water as I swim toward Kai. Blood clouds the water around him.
Tak must be trying to finish the job. Stay with me, Kai.
I grab him beneath his arms, then start kicking toward the shore out of sigh of the cliff we jumped from... I break the surface, gasping for air, and manage to pull Kai to the beach. I press both hands against his gushing wound, trying to stop the blood.
"You can't die on me, Kai. I need you."
I apply more pressure, and Kai stirs, grimacing in pain.
"Ack! That hurts."
"I'm sorry...I'll kiss it better later."
"If there is a later."
"Don't talk like that. You'll make it..."
"You should've left me back there with Tak. I'm not worth it."
"You are to me. We need to get our of here. Can you walk?"
"Yeah...I think so."
He presses his good hand to the wound as I help him stand, then head toward the jungle...
After a while, when we're finally sure we've lost our pursuers, we stop to catch our breath beside a thundering waterfall. That's when I notice Kai wobbling a bit. His arm hands limp, blood seeping between his fingers.
"We need to patch you up before we go any further."
"It's nothing... I can—unngh—keep going."
He starts forward, but trips over a root and takes a knee.
"Or maybe I should take a minute..."
"Do you know how to treat a bullet wound?"
"Yeah, I can improvise something...though it'd be a lot easier with a second set of hands. After all, you are the doctor here."
"I may not be a medical doctor, but I know the basics of how to treat a gunshot wound. Now strip. I need to see what I'm dealing with better."
"You sure you don't have another motive?"
"I'm serious. Shirt off."
Kai removes his shirt...then winks at me and takes his pants off too. He settles against a large boulder and I kneel beside him, shaking my head and smiling.
"Just the shirt would've been fine."
"Gotta make sure you can see everything you're dealing with."
I use the spring's water to wash the blood away as best as I can, letting me examine the wound more closely.
"Looks like it went through cleanly. There's an exit wound back here..."
"Good. I wasn't looking forward to having to dig in my arm with a stick."
"I thought you liked my hands on you."
"On me, sure. Not in my arm."
"We should clean this properly. I don't want it to get infected..."
I have Kai apply pressure on the wound while I start a small fire and boil some water.
"If only I had my first aid kit with me. There are some clean bandages in there."
"Why not use this outfit from hale? It's not good to me now."
"Good idea. It's the only decent thing Dr. Hale has ever done. I like the idea of tearing her stuff to pieces."
"The one time a fancy shirt serves a purpose."
I rip up the blue shirt and white pants, then soak the strips in the boiling water. I pour some of the water into my bottle, then turn to Kai regretfully...
"I'm sorry. I need to clean it now..."
"How much is this going to hurt?"
"Well... You might want to hold on to me."
"It can't be that—OWW! I've dealt with worse—DAMMIT! "
As I pour water on the wound, Kai braces himself against me, clinging to my shoulders. I feel his fingers dig into my skin, almost transferring his pain to me...
"That's it. Just a little..."
He hisses in pain, pulling away reflexively as I wash deeper parts of the wound.
"The longer you resist this, the longer it'll take me to clean."
"I'm not trying to resist. Maybe I should just risk the infection."
"Trust me, you don't want that. Now hold still."
But as I continue to clean him, Kai can't help but shift even more in pain.
Maybe he just needs a distraction...like when he helped with my jellyfish sting.
I pause my 'torture' of Kai and swing my legs to either side of him.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm...getting a better vantage point. Would you prefer if I moved?"
"I didn't say that..."
"Maybe I should do this instead then..."
I snake my free hand beneath his underwear, teasing him just for him to forget I'm cleaning his wound.
"Ohhh..."
When I'm satisfied with my work, I pull back, nodding with gratification that no bullet fragments remain in the wound.
"All done cleaning. Was that so hard?"
"Not when a woman like you is taking care of me."
I hold one palm to his wound, keeping pressure while I retrieve some of the makeshift bandages. I slowly begin to wrap Kai's arm.
"At least this part's less painful."
He relaxes beneath my touch as I wind strips of cloth around the wound.
"Have you ever been shot before?" I ask with curiosity.
"What kind of question is that?"
"Given our latest encounter with a certain ex-partner of yours, can you blame me?"
"That's...fair. No, I've never been shot before. And I hope to God I never will again."
"Me too. I was worried you might not make it for a bit..."
"The closest I've gotten to pain like this was when I stepped on a harpoon. Even that can't compare."
"How in the world did that happen?"
He chuckles before he speaks, relaxing even more as I bandage him up.
"Exactly how you'd expect. I was messing around when I shouldn't have been... I was chasing my cousin around the dock. Stepped right on one of the side barbs."
"Wow. That sounds painful..."
"It was. I needed stitches...and pain meds for the smack on the head my mom gave me for not paying better attention."
He lifts his foot and shows me a thin scar on the bottom.
"Now I'll always have a reminder to pay attention at the docks."
"Like when a 'tourist' gets in trouble?"
"Exactly."
I pull the two ends of the clothes strip tight and tie it off. Kai draws in a sharp breath at the motion, closing his eyes for a moment.
"Can't say I loved getting a bullet wound dressed...but at least I have a gorgeous girl to play doctor for me."
"I'm glad you appreciate my sexy bedside manner."
I stand back to admire my handiwork while Kai changes into his clothes from his bag...
"Not a bad job if I say so myself. It should hold until we can make it back to camp."
Kai flexis his arm, testing his range of motion.
"Best gunshot wound I've ever had. Five outta five stars, Doc. I'm almost ready to run laps around the island."
"Almost? What did I forget?"
"My post-op prescription. A kiss to help me heal."
I smirk, leaning in close to him. My words come quiet and rough, just above a whisper...
"We certainly can't forget that..."
His breath catches in his throat as my lips hover above his. I can sense his need for my touch... I press my mouth against his gently, giving him the satisfaction he craves.
"Ohhh..."
His hand cups the back of my neck, keeping me firmly in place, but I don't mind. My tongue revel alongside his, tangling in a familiar dance. I feel the heat inside me rising to a fever pitch, begging for more...
"Agh!"
Kai shudders beneath me, wincing, and I immediately pull back. He gingerly tests his arm, holding it gently with the other.
"I'm so sorry..."
"Don't be. You patched me up. I just need to be careful for a bit."
"Maybe a refreshing dip in the water would help..."
I wade into the pool and is surprised to find it pleasantly warm against my skin.
"Does the water seem warmer than it should be to you?"
Kai walks in up to his ankle, the shrugs.
"It's not unusual for the tropics."
Kai looks back the way we came from, than shakes his head.
"As much as I want to rest, we need to keep moving. There's a trail of blood leading them here."
"Do you think they're still chasing us?"
"I know Tak. He won't rest until one of us is dead."
"Onward and upward, then..."
We stumble through the jungle as the vegetation grows denser, making it difficult to see more than a few inches in front of us.
"I can't see a thing..."
"We've been on Moku for days. Trust your instincts."
"You mean my instinct to trip?"
Kai lets out a low chuckle. His hand finds mine, the warmth of his touch providing gentle reassurance.
"I've got you."
The two of us walk carefully through the jungle, using the trees to steady ourselves. As Kai reaches out to the next tree to support himself, I see the branch move.
"Kai, wait!"
At my shout, Kai immediately pauses. I point out the yellow snake to him.
"You almost touched that Python bivittatus. A specimen that size could swallow you whole."
"How did I miss that?"
"You're injured...and my instincts are just that good."
Before we disturb the snake, Kai and I press forward, moving away from the sleeping animal. As we press forward, the trees steadily increase in size until the larger ones are the width of a house, extending several stories into the sky.
"This looks like a good place to camp out for the night."
"I don't know... There isn't much cover here. Wouldn't we be easy to find?"
"Not if we're up in the trees."
Kai approaches one of the nearest trees, nodding. Its roots are twice as large as him.
"Let me give you a boost up. Look at your arm. You are in no condition to climb up by yourself."
"You sure you can do it, Doc?"
"If you use your good arm to help, I think I can manage."
We stand by the giant roots and knit our hands together. Kai steps onto them, then lifts himself high into the tree. He extends his good arm and helps me following him up. Higher and higher, we climb up the wide trunk. Soon, we're safely in a tight nook overlooking the pulsing waves of the ocean.
"Whoa... What a view."
Kai pulls himself up behind me, straddling one of the ticker branches and leaning his weight against its round, upward-curving arch.
"Nobody on the ground can spot us up here." Kai tells me.
I rest my head against the winding branch hanging over the water. For the first time since arriving at Dr. Hale's camp, I feel like we can breathe.
"It feels nice to relax for just a bit... Maybe we can actually talk about what happened earlier?"
"Which part?" he asks.
"The part where you took a bullet for me."
Kai is silent for a few moments. I can tell he's reliving our hectic escape.
"I just...saw the gun and reacted."
"Kai... Thank you. That was the most selfless, courageous thing anyone's ever done for me."
"It was weird. I didn't think, I just moved. Like instinct took over. My whole being couldn't stand the thought of losing you..."
I'm suddenly aware of his every small movement... His thigh pressed against mine... The gentle breeze blowing through his hair... His gaze flicking up to meet my eyes...
"I still can't imagine living in a world without you. Thinking of you being shot made me realize how I feel..."
"And how do you feel?"
I can hear the blood pounding in my ears as my heart races, anxious for Kai's next words...
"(Y/N)... I love you."
"I love you too."
"You do?"
"Yes. Why are you surprised?"
He looks away and I see a flicker of vulnerability as he chooses his next words.
"You're so smart and determined and unbelievably beautiful. You deserve... I don't know. Someone better."
"Well, like it or not, I love you. You don't show it to many people, but I've seen that sensitive side behind your sarcastic façade."
"Nothing gets past you, does it?"
We share a laugh. Kai brushes his fingers against my cheeks. I relish the feel of his rough calluses as his hand moves down my body... Kai takes hold of my waist and slides me closer to him, his lips finding mine for a kiss that is desperate and joyous in equal measure. I feel his fire as he draws me to him, gripping my hips and lifting me onto his lap. His fingers splay out against my lower back. My tongue threads with his, weaving in an intricate dance, over and under, back and forth. I squeeze my legs around him, settling my arms on his shoulders.
"Are you sure about this? Your shoulder—"
"Will be fine, (Y/N)...I want you."
His words send a throbbing need humming through me. My every nerve ignites as I clutch at the clothes separating our bodies form skin-to-skin contact.
"I want you too, Kai."
Rather than seeing his smile, I feel it, wide against my lips."
"I love hearing you say that."
My hands work in unison with his, yanking and tugging at collars and buttons to remove every inch of fabric. When we're bare before each other, Kai sets our clothes down on the wide branch, then lowers me onto them until we're side by side.
"It'll be a miracle if we don't fall..."
"Sounds like a challenge." Kai chuckles with a challenging smile.
"Don't tell me you're backing down."
"Not a chance."
A moan slips form me as Kai lowers his mouth to my neck, sucking the sensitive skin there.
"Ohh..."
The jungle around me is filled with the sounds of the whistling wind, the shuffling leaves, and the crashing waves. But the island's noises aren't enough to mask my own from any smugglers who might be looking for us. His hand trails down my body, cupping my full breasts and kneading the beading surface of my nipples. I lean my head back and let out an unabashed moan as he finds the heat between my legs, his fingers moving slowly and steadily in and out.
"Ohhh, yessss..." I moan out.
His lips find my ear, growling...
"You want the whole jungle to hear us? "
"I blame you."
With a chuckle, Kai thrusts his fingers hard, making me gasp.
"Fine, let them hear us."
The bark is hard against my back even with the clothes beneath me, made more apparent as I squirm from Kai's touch. He stops as I sit up. I flash a mischievous smile, the advance on him, forcing him backward to the trunk of the tree.
"My turn."
Reaching down, I grip Kai in my palm, rolling my thumb over and around as I stroke the length of his arousal. He responds to my touch, leaning into me to allow me to access to him in his entirety.
"Daaamn..."
Kai's eyes shut. He rests his head back against the tree trunk with a groan as I continue to stroke him. Now it's Kai who is having trouble staying quiet as my motions pick up speed...
"Yesss..."
"What was that about keeping quiet?" I smirk.
He surges toward me, capturing my lips in a fierce kiss, his hands cupping my face.
"I don't care. I need you. Now."
"Then let's make the most of the view."
I carefully scoot back so my head is hanging over the edge of the branch. Once I'm secure, I guide his mouth between my thighs, rotating my hips so he can taste the warmth radiating from me.
"God, you taste so good..."
My back is fully arched around the curve of the branch, making more space for him to suck, lick, and nip my naked skin. He grips my thighs, massaging the hard muscles as he consumes me with a fierce passion. Each motion is heightened by my rushing blood as I hang my head back, my vision filled with the pounding of the waves against the cliffside.
"Enough of this teasing..." Kai smiles.
Kai stands, lifting me easily as he twists to put my back to the trunk of the tree. I can feel the hard length of him pressing against me and I reach down, eager to have him inside of me.
"Oh God..."
Gripping his ass, I guide him forward and with one thrust, Kai buries himself deep inside. I gaps and moan appreciatively, wrapping my arms around his neck as I hop up to wrap my legs around his waist.
"You feel so good..."
Kai's hand moves to brace my thighs, my back against the tree helping to hold us together as he draws himself in and out with increasing speed. His back muscles tense, flexing beneath my touch. My nails dig into his shoulders, driven by our shared pleasure.
"Ahhh..."
The speed of our movements increases, our bodies tangled and glistening form the effort. The inferno blazes bright in me and, with that, an insatiable hunger grows for more of him, for all of him. I crest in perfect time with the waves below, crashing like white, hot foam breaking free of the deep.
"Kai!! "
Kai follows my lead a moment later, clinging to me in his ecstasy.
"(Y/N)...!"
Our cries are lost to the wind whistling through the trees, sending blossoms swirling up into the air around us as we collapse against one another... A cold wind blows through the grove, peppering our bodies with goosebumps. We slip our clothes back on, the entwine our bodies again. Kai carefully lowers himself against the tree trunk, drawing me down beside him. He tightens his good arm around me, molding my curves to his. I sigh happily and lay my head on his chest.
"Hey." Kai smiles, rubbing his thumb on my cheek.
"Hi."
The soft ocean breeze rustles through the leaves, stirring the canopy above our head. Honeyed, floral scents mix with the salty brine of the ocean, wafting through the light wind and calming us immediately.
"Do you like living on an island?" I ask him.
"Sure? I dunno, it's not like I've lived anywhere else. Do you like living on a continent?"
"I guess I haven't really thought about it before..."
"You've traveled at least. Would you want to move to an island?"
"I would be open to it...as long as it's not Moku. I like adventures, but between the volcano, the mad scientists, and the stranded for days stuff, I don't think I'm ready to move here."
"Good thing there are plenty of other islands."
"...Like yours?"
"Well, yeah. It'd mean keeping you around."
"I suppose I couldn't convince you to move to the US..."
"It'd be a tough sell."
"Good thing I wouldn't mind moving."
I sigh and sink deeper against Kai's chest. He pulls me closer to him as we look out at the vast ocean.
"It's hard to believe that only a few hours ago we were running from Tak and Dr. Hale..."
"Speak for yourself. My shoulder says otherwise."
"I'm so sorry. I should've thought about—"
"Don't sweat it. You fixed me up pretty well, Doc."
"At least for now. We should return to camp tomorrow so we can clean and redress it properly."
"Right. Tomorrow..."
Kai's words trail off as he fights to keep his eyes open. I drop a kiss against his chest, smiling.
"Go to sleep, Kai. Sweet dreams..."
But even as I whisper to him, Kai begins snoring lightly. In the seconds before I close my eyes, something growing in the bark above me catches my attention.
"Mutated Flowers. They're devouring the tree... Strange. I've never seen a species destroy its host organism so aggressively before... Even the forest with the red torch ginger wasn't this bad. Come to think of it, I don't think these vines were here when we arrived..."
Squinting my eyes, I follow the path of the flowers starting from the ground, then moving up around the tree's trunk to extend across the branches stretched over the ocean.
"Kai, check this out. These plants are growing toward the ocean... Dr. Hale's chemicals must be accelerating their ability to mutate. Between the pollution from the lab and the seismic activity, every living thing is desperate to escape the island."
"Shhh..."
Kai stirs, eyelids fluttering...then settles back against the tree. He smiles in his sleep and squeezes me tighter. I can't help but smile at him. I push away thoughts about the mysterious flowers, my mind drifting to ones of Kai safe around me, cradled high in the trees.
The next morning, a loud rumble shakes us awake...and we feel the tree shudder beneath us!
"They found us! Someone's cutting down the tree!"
"No, it's the ground! The cliff's starting to crumble!"
We watch as the ground heaves, breaking apart the ancient grove like it's made of thin twigs.
"It's...a volcanic earthquake!"