In Times Of Struggle

She sighed a little and ducked her head back, wetting her hair. "This is going to be interesting," She murmured, shaking her head and laughing at the situation. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I said I wanted to go to the baths."

---

He grinned. "Absolutely not, I'm buying you steak, and then you can buy me lavish dinners. No gucci though, I'm a Prada man."

She smiled a little as she looked at him, "Sounds good to me, and prada it is," she said to him as she closed her eyes intensely relaxed just being in his company and in the warm water - it soothed her sore muscles.

---

He looked at her, "Me either," he murmured softly as he thought about it then sighed, "I don't know what really makes a man, taking care of your own, making sure to provide - making the woman you care about feel loved and wanted, isn't that what makes a man?" he asked.

"That's it, yeah." She nodded, moving to sit against the wall. "I suppose it's easier said than done," She murmured, laying flat on top of the water and floating.

---

"I'll buy you Fendi, or Louis Vuitton. No Coach, we are anti gucci-coach, this is very important otherwise we cannot be." He smiled a little.

She smiled, "I think the most expensive piece of clothing I own is like eighty dollars," she admitted to him, "and it was a gift," she said as she kept her eyes closed.

---

He looked at her and began to walk over to her, "Naomi," he spoke as he stood next to her while she float ontop of the water.

She opened her eyes, looking over to him. "Hm?"

---

"I'll buy you lots of stuff when we're rescued," He said with a smile. "That I promise. You've done so much, I'm going to return the favor."

"I don't need material things, just promise that once we get out of here you won't forget me," she murmured softly as she looked up at him with a weak smile. Talia liked him, he was funny, adorable, sexy and everything she could possibly want or need. There was the worry that this was temporary - that he would go to his world and her back to her own.

---

He wet his lips then looked at her, "can I kiss you?" he asked softly as he looked down at her, he didn't want to just do it - it could end badly, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel as if he were assaulting her.

He nodded as he listened to her, he understood where she was coming from. He was worried about what would happen when everything went back to normal. "I won't let that happen," He said to her. "We'll make sure it doesn't happen." He said to her. "As long as you promise me the same."

---

She looked up at him, not moving from her position, but moving so she could see him clearer. She wasn't surprised by his question, but she was surprised by the suddeness of it. She didn't show it though, instead nodding to let him know it was okay.

"I could never forget you, " she told him smiling a little as she nudged him playfully then laid her head on his arm sighing a little as she closed her eyes. "I'm so tired,"

---

He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers gently at first before cupping her face in his hands to deepen it ever so slightly.

She held onto one of his hands to keep from floating away, her other hand floating along with her. She moved the hand that was floating from the water, using it to hold his face to hers. She wasn't sure what to make of any of this, her brain felt like it had been fried. But it felt nice, and she had agreed to try with him.

---

He turned, putting his arm around her and holding her to him. "Do you want me to carry you back?" He asked with a small smile. "For you, I would. I don't mind."

He slowly pulled back from her then sighed a little with a small smile before stroking her cheek, "Tell me if I ever come on too strong," he told her softly.

---

She smiled a little, "Nah, I couldn't let you do that," she said to him shaking her head as she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm offering," He said with a shrug, adjusting so he could pull her into his arms. "When you're ready, I'll carry you back."

---

She smiled a little and shook her head. "Okay, but I'm not worried," She felt a little lightheaded at the whole situation. "You're eighteen, aren't you supposed to have raging hormones or something?" She murmured, joking with him, and still holding onto his arm.

"I never said I didn't," he said to her smirking a little as he looked at her, "I just keep them under check," he shrugged.

---

She nodded a little, "I suppose we should head back then, I'm getting pruney,"

"Great," She said, shaking her head at him. "Lovely," She said, raising her eyebrows when he smirked at her. It was like he was almost a new person. She let go of his arm and closed her eyes, going back to floating. "i take it, that wasn't your first kiss?" She asked curiously. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I don't normally kiss and tell either."

---

He nodded and stoof, pulling her into his arms. "Come on, climb up." He said, helping her onto his back and grabbing their things. "I'll take the long way back."

He shook his head, "It wasn't," he said to her as he stood there while she floated in front of him, "I don't want you to think I'm only after one thing, I'm not,"

---

She climbed onto his back then held on, "You sure I'm not too heavy?" she asked as she wrappedh er legs around his waist.

"I know you aren't," She said, looking at him. "I know you too well," She said quietly, relaxing into the water. "The wind is starting to get cold, we should go." She said, standing straight unwillingly.

---

He shook his head. "Promise you're not," He said as he carried her. "I'm glad we have those flax blankets. They make a lot of difference," He laughed.

She nodded,"They really do, makes it easier to stay warm, especially with the temporary homes I made on the beach, keeps almost all the wind and crabs," she said to him nodding a little, "I'll make the fire bigger tonight, we'll need it with how cool its been getting," she said softly then yawned sleepily.

---

He nodded a little, "we should get going then, its getting dark too," he said to her as he looked around.

She nodded and walked out of the warm water, moving quickly to get to her clothes. The wind blew cold at night and it felt like she was being stung by it. "Ugh, why does it have to get cold like this now, can't it wait til I'm laying down and sleeping?"

---

"Yeah, I'll help you when we get back. How will we keep warm in the treehouses?" He asked curiously. "We can't light a fire in there, can we?"

She sighed,"Well, I'm kind of hoping we can line the insides with flax mats," she said to him, "and then make little beds out of something" she said to him.

---

He nodded,"Do you want my extra blanket?" he asked her lightly, "I'm going to layer up tonight anyway,"

"No, but thanks," She smiled a little. "I'm just gonna cocoon myself tonight," She laughed a little.

---

"We could make bed frames out of bamboo and then sort of line it with the flax?" He asked her. "Its better than nothing,"

She nodded a little,"We could do that, maybe it'd be a better idea - building the beds per person so they're the right length without taking up too much room," she offered as she looked at him then sighed. "We're very lucky we found the building supplies on the plane, too bad there wasn't any insulation on it, we'd make a mockery of modern living,' she joked.

---

He nodded a little, "If you need it let me know," he told her lightly as he dried his hair.