Three months had passed since that day. Three months and not a single word she spoke. At first he was convinced it was due to lack of trust, or general distaste that she felts towards him. But after the first month and a half, and with how well they had started to get along, he was sure her silence wasn't ill-intended.
Not that he spoke much himself. More words were used for speaking to cube than speaking to Chell. It wasn't because of lack of trust or general distaste on his side either. No, he would trust her to the ends of the earth, possibly to the point of ending himself if he believed that was what she wanted. But yet words never made their way out of his mouth so freely when around her. Something always found a way to catch in his throat and stop him from speaking.
Perhaps she liked it better when he didn't speak.
He couldn't blame her if that was the case. The sound of his own voice never pleased him, either. It was dull, and had become raspy and strangled over the years. A horribly cold gray slate now cracked and splintered with ugly shades of browns and murky greens. It was a terrible sound, producing terrible colors. No one needed to be subjected to such displeasure.
Her voice, on the other hand, oh he could only imagine! It would be powerful enough to shake the seas, to see mountains crumble, to turn the heads of ten thousand men as they reached out for something with which to steady themselves. It would be beautiful, a warm palette of oranges and yellows and reds. Bright enough no one would dare to look at; bold enough to stop one's heart.
Three months have passed without a sound from her. Sometimes it seemed Chell was trying; she would have such a determined expression, her eyes pinched up in the corners and her brows furrowed, her mouth opened barely and the muscles in her throat clearly tightening. But nothing would come. She would sigh voicelessly and give up for several days before making another attempt.
Sometimes, Doug couldn't help but wonder if she wanted to speak at all.
She hadn't spoken in there. Never once throughout all his time of watching her test, desperately hoping for her to stay alive and make it out safely, never once did she utter a sound. Never did he see her try.
The most he had heard from her was the cutting hiss she made upon their first meeting when she threatened to slice open his throat with a broken piece of glass. He wasn't going to stop her, he also had no words to give. If it was what she wanted, who was he to take that away from her?
She, however, seemed to change her mind.
Chell let him live. For what reason, Doug still didn't know why. He would have asked if he thought it could possibly do any good. She wasn't silent in voice alone, but mannerisms and intentions. She was a book closed firmly and reinforced with a lock and key. No amount of prying or pleading could render her open. She revealed only what was necessary to survival and minimal acquaintanceship. Nothing more, nothing less.
Not that acquaintances was the right word, but it was the closest that could come to Doug's mind. She let him live, he let her stay in his home, nothing more, nothing less. Though sometimes he was certain she got more out of their relationship than just a leaky roof over her head. Occasional lingering glances and light touches were evidence enough that like himself, Chell craved companionship.
It wasn't a place which they easily reached. Weeks were spent with nervous glances and angry glares shot across from the room, shakily handing over a can of peaches while avoiding the fork that threatened to be swung directly into an eye if the wrong moves were made. No, companionship was not even close to either of their minds those first weeks. Survival was all that mattered.
If there was one thing the two of them shared, however, it was the drive to survive. Both were great scavengers, both willing to take necessary risks to ensure their own needs were met. The only difference was that while Doug wished to look after the well being of Chell as well, she seemed to care less for him.
It wasn't until the fourth week, in the midst of a heat wave. All of the fruit had dried up and animals made themselves scarce. They had gone for a hunt, both expecting little to come of it, when the storm came.
It was fast in its approach and leisurely in its stay. Winds stronger than either had ever experienced, and rain as sharp as nails against their skin. It was a monsoon, and they were trapped in the thick of it.
Chell could have survived on her own. She could have been done with the scientist that held her back and left him to die in that storm. But she didn't. Where he could barely stand, threatening to be blown away at any moment by the next powerful gust of wind, Chell stood strong. She held firmly onto him with one arm, pushing and pulling against the blowing wind and thickets in their way with the other. They both made it safely to their home with little more than a few nasty cuts and sore feet.
Chell let him live yet again. And Doug still had no answer why.
After that day, things began to change. Chell remained as silent as ever, yet there was something more to her eyes. They gained a certain light, small at first but one that steadily grew, along with an added leap to her step. She no longer watched Doug with guarded eyes, always analyzing him for threatening movements or misbehavior. When one had food they would offer it to the other, no longer guarding their small portions like their lives depended on it, which they most certainly did.
It was late one night when Doug was certain things had really taken a change. The shack they lived in was small and cramped, with little to no furniture. Only a rickety chair, a lumpy couch, and a small wooden table decorated the single room. Doug had taken to sleeping on the floor, as Chell had made it clear her place was on the couch, and he wasn't about to tell her otherwise. But that night, as Doug curled up in his corner to go to sleep, instead of taking her usual place, Chell situated herself on the floor beside him, laying on her back and staring up through the cracks in the ceiling to the night sky. A brief moment later, she turned to him with what appeared to be the ghost of a smile, before turning away.
That night, Doug didn't sleep.
Their sleeping arrangements remained like this ever since, Doug always scooting closer to the wall so as to give her more room, and Chell in turn scooting closer to him. He could only assume it was warmth she wanted, as the nights were starting to turn colder. Throughout all of this she never spoke a word, only commenting with silent smiles that disappeared before he could be certain they were even real.
Two and a half months into their time together, and every night they slept closely together, limbs entangled and faces buried into each other. It was warm; it was safe.
It was still silent.
Chell's smile became less a mystery and more of a commonality. She smiled over everything now. She would smile when hunting, when cooking, even when watching Doug tinker with his radio. He loved her smile. He would give anything to keep it alive. When she smiled, the entire world froze. A warm glow hummed around the corners of his vision, encircling her. The air was sweet and still. Everything was at peace.
And yet, it remained silent.
Three months have passed, and Doug managed to make conversations with her. They were one-sided for the most part, her only ways to respond being with animated looks and attempted gestures. Because she never spoke, Doug preferred to stay silent as well. The sound of his own voice was troublesome enough, let alone when it was the only voice to be heard. He didn't want to burden her with that. But as more time went on, he found that it felt more necessary. Parts of him wanted to speak with her, to tell her about the world and share his thoughts with his only human companion. He started finding excuses to talk to her, commenting on the weather, or the excellent food she brought back to them, or simply letting her know it was good to see her. The last part felt unnecessary, but it always made her smile, and Doug would pass up that opportunity for nothing.
More days past, and more nights came without a word spoken. Doug had taken up the courage to ask her if there was a reason for her silence. Chell made no form of response, instead going about her day as if she had not heard him. He didn't press her for questions, he didn't bring it up again.
A week passed, and the nights were filled with a new chill in the air. They stayed close at night, huddling together next to the small fireplace in their home that luckily hadn't completely crumpled apart. Doug worked on his radio; Chell watched the stars through one of the holes in the roof. There was no conversations, no prompts for action. Chell took Doug's attention with a gentle tap on his shoulder, having become conscious of how easily he could be startled and not wanting to test his nerves. Doug turned to see a strained expression on her face, as if she were waging a battle in her mind. Doug waited patiently, no words asked, only a curious look into her eyes.
Chell slowly opened her mouth, words lingering on the edge of her tongue, but none were released, and she closed her mouth again. Doug told her it was okay, that she didn't need to say anything if she didn't want to. There was no reason for her to do anything she wasn't ready to do. Chell smiled, as she always did in their conversations. Though tonight, her smile was different. It was brighter, yet there was a lingering uncertainty. After a moment she averted her eyes, biting her lower lip as if deep in thought. Doug continued to wait patiently for her, saying nothing.
Then it happened. Chell only left him waiting a few moments before turning back to him, her silver eyes sparkling brighter than the stars above them. Steadily reaching forward, she placed one warm, calloused hand against his cheek. There was no time to think, no time to react. He barely had time to notice his heart stopping as she placed her lips against his.
The world remained silent, but the night was no longer cold.
It was the next morning when it happened. Arms wrapped tightly around each other slowly loosened as sleep turned into waking. Chell was the first to rise, shaking the hair out of her face and turning to look down at her sleeping companion. Gently, she brushed her hand against his shoulder, the fabric of his shirt still warm from their embrace. Slowly, his eyes opened to meet hers, warm smiles spreading across their faces.
"Thank you."
Those two words didn't register at first; coming out like ghosts, barely seen, barely heard, almost unreal. But they were there, and the smile on Chell's face was indicator enough that they had been real and hard earned.
The words repeated themselves in Doug's mind, displaying a brilliance of warm gold and amber. This was her voice. She had kept it hidden for so long, whether by her own volition or by some physical barrier Doug couldn't say, but now she chose to share her newly found voice with him of all people.
Doug couldn't speak, instead resigned to stare blankly at her for several moments, the words and their colors swirling in his mind over and over like a never-ending kaleidoscope. Perhaps it was the excitement, perhaps the anticipation and finally having this long awaited answer given to him, but without a thought he threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
No words were spoken. None could describe what he felt in that moment. Nothing could convey the joy he felt from being trusted by her in such a way. It was beyond comprehension or reason to him, yet it was real, and that couldn't be argued.
After that day, the world became a little less silent.