Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds.
IRRelief fic, using godsliltippy's prompt "couples camping"
Somewhere above them, a bird cried. It was not, regrettably, the mythical phoenix signalling an imminent rebirth in a blaze of fire and ash, but the sound was no less beautiful for it. The clouds were dyed a deep red, stained by the setting sun and bringing to mind the ancient saying "red sky at night, shepherd's delight", which she murmured quietly next to him. He slung an arm around her shoulders, raising the tin mug of cocoa he'd just served up from the camp fire in front of them.
The mesmerising dance of the flames had never lost its appeal, no matter how many times he'd seen it. Many of their adventures needed more technological gear nowadays, heating cubes rather than a naked flame, thick insulated suits the only barrier between them and death, scanners to detect the smallest of lifeforms in an otherwise abandoned world. It was nice to return to the basics. Just them, a canvas slung over a branch for a lean-to, and a hot, flickering fire to welcome in the night.
"It's beautiful, Buddy," his wife whispered, quietly reverent of the scene slowly fading into darkness as the sun bid them farewell.
"That it is, Els," he agreed, tugging her closer.
Not another human in sight, just the way they liked it. On a planet with such an intense population, these quiet pockets, still largely untouched by man, were an international treasure. Permits to enter the lands were highly sought after, and difficult to get. Buddy had hunted one down for the two of them for one very special occasion.
Now, fifteen years later, he'd hunted down another to return to the place of breath-taking beauty that had captivated them so intensely.
Returning to a place they'd already visited was normally not on their agenda. They were explorers, pioneers in the field of finding the truth behind mythical creatures, and on occasion finding that the creatures weren't so mythical after all. The unknown was their destination of choice, always pushing on further and further.
Europa was their next aim, an expedition that would take years to complete and even longer to plan. Tomorrow, they'd return to the hustle of organisation and paperwork and exams to renew their space rated status before they could start on designing and building the ship to get them there.
For now, though, they were content with the peace and quiet of an old haunt. Buddy tossed another stick onto the fire, a shower of sparks rewarding him before the flames hungrily consumed the latest offering, flaring up brightly.
In the distance, an animal called to its mate, a long, low call full of meaning. It was answered, the sound identical to human ears. Buddy knew the creatures in question would have been able to divine an entire conversation from it. In the sky, the sun bid its final farewell before ducking below the horizon, leaving the deep red sky to darken further to black. Stars twinkled out from between invisible clouds, and at some point he lay back, Ellie joining him on the ground as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Happy anniversary, Els," he murmured, pressing his lips briefly to the top of her head. He couldn't see her smile, but he could hear it in her reply as she craned her neck to kiss his jaw lightly.
"Happy anniversary, Buddy."
IRRelief is an amazing idea and bless Gumnut for coming up with it! For those that don't know, it's a collection of prompts anyone can add to and use on tumblr, with a focus on fluff, to give us something to do while we're stuck indoors. Full details are on tumblr under the tags #irrelief and #irrelief2020
Thanks for reading!
Tsari