I can't stop with the FLUFF! I appreciate that you are here reading my crap. I love you all. Again, inspired by Bridgerton (at this point, are you surprised?) This time it was Alone Together that murdered me. Also, would it be a one-shot collection by me if it didn't have the island? :)

I don't own things!

The sea reflects a sunset painted pink and gold. A warm breeze tickles her skin. Somewhere in the jungle behind her, a bird cries. There's no job pressure or people, only an unbroken horizon and unparalleled peace.

"Food!" Jimmy announces as he sits down next to her presenting a basket full of bananas, oranges, and berries.

She reaches over and pops a berry into her mouth, and relishes the sweet tang. They had been to Paris, Venice, and places other people had never seen. Yet, she loved it here the most. Even though it was dangerous, she knew they could face it all together.

Plus, there were advantages to having an island to themselves.

Her eyes drift to Jimmy, and she can't help but notice how his skin is slick with sweat and his hair ruffles in the breeze. Her mouth dries as she plays last night in her mind again and again. How soft and smooth that skin was against the pads of her fingers. His soft sigh of pleasure as he said her name. The moonlight dancing on his face. The decision she'd made as she fell apart under him.

"Cindy, are you listening to me?"

"Hm?"

He raises a curious eyebrow at her. "I was telling you I was late because I had a run-in with the snakes. What were you thinking about?"

"What inspired you to collect this?" She produces the pearl that hangs on a golden chain around her neck. It's cool and smooth against her fingers.

"I wanted to do something nice for you," he declares with a shrug.

"You could've brought me a flower or something," she argues. "Besides, didn't you open 100 oysters to find it?"

"137," he corrects. "When I saw those oysters, I wondered if they had pearls and if you might like one. I wanted to give you one to make you smile. I thought it might impress you. "

"No one had ever done something like that for me," she softly adds.

"I remember you telling me that."

"You do?"

"Genius," Jimmy teases as he taps his temple with his finger.

She rises to her knees and moves in front of him. "I knew that there was a chance you cared about me. I tried to deny it for so long, but the truth is from that day on, I was bound to you. You were my first kiss, my first time, my first love. My soulmate."

"Soulmates aren't real," he argues.

"Let's not argue about that right now. The point is, you reached into a girl who used hate as a fortress and tore it down brick by brick. You staked a claim on my heart I could never root out," she takes his hand and puts it over the pearl resting on her chest.

"What are you saying?"

"Marry me."

"Are you serious?" He inquires, his eyes wide.

She deflates slightly. "That's all you have to say?"

"Well, no, but-" he licks his lips, searching for the words, and then he sighs with frustration.

"This is a yes or no question! Do you want to marry me, or don't you?"

He frowns, and she can see his mind churning. Then he closes the distance between them and kisses her. It's hard and hungry initially, but then it shifts into something tender and reverent. Slowly, his mouth drifts across her jaw, down her neck. Every kiss is an unspoken sonnet against her skin. Joy expands and bursts inside of her as sunlight edged with brilliant gold. A while later, he pulls away and rests his forehead against hers. She opens her mouth, but her words melt on her tongue like sugar.

"I thought I'd never see the day Cindy Vortex was speechless," he teases.

A pang of irritation breaks her momentary silence. "You haven't answered my question."

"I thought it was obvious."

"Neutron," she growls.

"Yes," he finally concedes.

She sighs in relief, brushing her fingers against the familiar stubble of his jaw and the curve of his ears. "For most of our childhood, I was cruel to you. I don't understand how we got on the other side of that, but I thank every god and stroke of fate. Because I loved you before I even knew what love was. If I'm honest, since the first time one of your inventions malfunctioned." He snorts, but she shakes her head softly. "It's true. If you want proof, there's a tree here with a carving of a heart with our initials in it from the first time we got stranded."

"May I see it?"

"Later," and in an echo of his earlier action, she leans forward and kisses him.

Desire pours back and forth between their mouths like a rich wine. When her hands move to the waistband of his shorts, Jimmy pulls away again. He's breathing heavy, and his cheeks are flushed. "Cindy," his voice is low, and desire shivers down her spine. "We should go back to the treehouse. This beach might be uncomfortable."

She whispers something salacious into his ear. He presses his lips to hers and pulls her into his lap. As she melts into him, she tastes their future on his tongue. It's beautiful and wonderful, filled with endless possibilities.