Sequel: Released into the Air
Status: Finished

Submerged in Water

Sense

"So... not to burst the bubble of tranquility or anything." Jonathan started as he made his way out of the water with just his boxers on. "But why the hell are we out here?"

I was already out on the beach, waiting for him to exit so we could find some fresh water on the island to drink and maybe something to eat for him. I had found some fresh seaweed underwater this morning and had already had breakfast. I offered some to him, but he had politely declined.

"I'd like to give you some bullshit answer, but honestly... I just freaked out and ran for it." I told him truthfully.

"Well that's to be expected I guess, if there was a hiroshima equivalent drama bomb to be dropped, it would've been that one."

"Tell me about it."

He was still wet and he shook some water out of his hair and it managed to fall across his pec and then slither in slow motion down across his abs and over his belly button. I tried to keep myself from drooling. As hot as Jonathan was dry, handsome and ridiculously mysterious. He was beyond irresistable when he was half-asleep, still wet and barely clothed.

He yawned. "There are animals on the island."

I had to rip my eyes off him to turn around and look at the island before us. "I don't see any."

He walked up and around me. "You're element may be the ocean, water princess, but mine is the land."

He started jumping on the sand and kicking his feet into the air, like he was doing a dance.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm exercising."

I gave him a strange look. "Right now?"

"Best to get it over with in the morning." His logic, in my eyes, was somehow flawed. "You know how you can sense water?" He continued on with another different topic completely.

"Yeah?" I waited.

"I can do that with the land."

"Oh." I stopped to process. "That's how you knew last night..."

He nodded quickly and a smile grew on his face. "Yup."

"And is that how you know animals are nearby?"

"Yes." He had moved onto jumping jacks. "Are you good at running?"

"No, I'm horrible."

"Yeah I noticed, but I thought it would be polite to give you the benefit of the doubt or to let you redeem yourself somehow."

I walked up closer to him. "And let me guess, you're very good at running because that's your element, yes?"

"Mhmm." He agreed through pursed lips. The sound reminded me of a moan and for a second I was turned on until he started talking again. "Sure you don't want to come for a run with me?" He made sure.

I was scared that I would slow him down. "Uh..."

He stopped jumping and he came up to me, still wet and drop-dead gorgeous. He lowered his head to become eye level with me. I don't know if he knew how seductive he could be but it was definitely having an effect on me. He batted his eyelashes and said the magical words. "I'll hold your hand..."

"Hell yes." I said louder that what could be considered normal.

He laughed and shook his head at me. "I'm glad you're so enthusiastic."

I really hoped he didn't notice the major blush I had on my cheeks. He took my hand more gently then I had been expecting, almost like he was afraid he might hurt me and then pulled me towards the palm trees. Once we hit them, he started moving faster until we were at a pace that I could handle. I was tall and had long legs so it was rather easy to keep up with him but all the genetic help in the world couldn't fight my water-genes and I was still slow and ditzy. I stumbled a few times and yanked him back while doing it. I went on like I hadn't done it and he didn't complain.

I was out of breath by the time he had stopped. We had only done it for two minutes and I felt a little saddened by the fact that I couldn't run like I used to. I tried to console myself by reminding myself that I was running faster than normal.

It was too cold for there to be any food to find on the island and I wondered for a second what Jonathan was going to eat. I prayed to God that this running thing wasn't just some ploy to actually have a hunting partner. The last thing I needed was him ripping some rabbit's head off in front of me.

He turned to look at me and frowned. "What? You look worried."

I bit my lip. "Maybe we should go back... back home." My breathing was ragged from the running.

"I thought you wanted sanctuary for a few days?" He replied. "What's really wrong?"

"I..." I swallowed. "Look around, there's no food." I protested.

He shrugged. "There is, I can smell it. Root vegetables." He lowered his other hand to the ground, while still keeping a tight hold of mine. "Taro root, I believe. A whole whack of them near the stream."

"Stream?" I was surprised. I let out a sensory signal to find it and I was surprised to find it was only a minute away. "Oh."

He smiled at me. "You look relieved."

"Just..." I blushed. "Nevermind."

"No." He protested. "What is it?"

"I was scared you were going to kill something." My voice was high pitched but low in volume. "The way you were talking about the animals being on the island..."

He gasped, like I had just spoken about something dirty. "I can't believe you would even suggest that." He breathed. "Animals are my friends and I don't eat my friends."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just stared at him for a second until I finally uttered an "oh."

He looked a little mad, but he still held onto my hand as we started walking to the stream that was close by. The island wasn't big enough that we could ever get lost on it. Honestly, it looked like a small chunk of thrown-up dirt that someone didn't want and decided to get rid of because of how barren it was.

He let go of my hand when we reached the river. He went to drink from it. I took a sip but I found myself not that thirsty so I left it and went to check where the stream was coming from. I followed it thirty feet or so upstream until I reached a small rock formation that was in the middle of the island. The stream was coming from a small crack in the middle of it. I pressed my hand against the rock and I could feel the water coming from just below rock and coming up through the ground like a geyser. It was a strange formation.

I walked back and Jonathan was already tearing out long stalks of something. He held up the end of them at me, the part that had been in the earth and it reminded me of a mix between a potato and a beet. "Do you need to cook that?" I asked.

"Nah, I can eat it raw." He said, while ripping another one out of the dirt. "Though it would probably taste better cooked."

"Hmmm." I answered, watching him do his work with my arms crossed under my breasts. It was nice watching him work. It made him seem more masculine then he already was. Knowing that he was self-sufficient, even on this uninhabital island out in the middle of nowhere, was impressive.

"You're staring at me." He continued picking out roots.

"So what if I am?"

He flashed me a smile then his eyes reverted back to the task at hand. "I'm feeling self-conscience."

"Don't be, I always think you look good. I'm sure everyone feels the same way."

He snorted. "I don't mean like that." He stopped trying to wedge a root out and looked up at me while wiping sweat off his brow. "I mean... it's kind of like your grading me on my behavior."

"I'm not. I'm impressed." He smiled again at me and then went back to work at getting a large root out. "Jonathan, why are you here with me?"

He didn't stop. "Because you looked like you needed someone."

"Did this idea stem from an Ender trait or a human one?"

He chuckled. "Both."

"You know, I've been thinking a lot, about fate and destiny." I began. "Maybe you are here for a reason. You kind of came into my life at a perfect time. You're here with me, on this island alone. What are your feelings on this?"

"There is a reason for everything." His voice was monotone. "There is even reason that we're on this stupid island right now." He finally wedged the root out, with great success. He held it up at me and smiled. "I believe that we were meant to find each other. In a way, we can write our own destiny, but I choose not to dwell on it right now. Thinking about it is too complicated."

I frowned at him, not liking his answer.

He went on. "Like, hypothetically speaking, if I were to kiss you right now. What would happen? Was it meant to happen because of fate or because of my own free will? Are we meant to be together? Are we meant to grow from this experience to shape ourselves into someone we need to be? Is this someone that we become necessary for the future? And if I hadn't kissed you, would I still be able to fulfill my destiny the same? Is there a reason I'm even explaining this to you right now?" He pointed a root at me, like I was a drawing board. "That, right there, is what makes fate confusing, because in the end, it could not even exist. It's simply a belief. Like Santa Clause, except fate rarely ever hands out presents. And fate doesn't care if you're naughty or nice."