Richard was not around, which made Aqua panic a little. He had to be back soon, she thought, because he hadn't taken the rifle, only his water canteen. She was hungry, though, and there was no food. The ocean seemed to be calling her, teasing her, daring her to attack it. She had grown tired of the nothingness inside her, so she let whatever desire came first to overtake her. That desire was hunger, so she took Richard's spear and walked towards the water with increasing determination. Fishing, she discovered, was so satisfying that it made her feel something again. When she finally caught a fish –the biggest she had ever caught– she felt the release of endorphins the activity had caused; she gutted it and scaled it with fierceness, taking out all her anger and sadness on the fish. It felt good, to move, to do something; she could see herself hunting and fishing and running and healing at the same time.
Aqua felt the unmistakable tingling sensation of being observed, and she turned to see Richard at the tree line. There was something in his face, but she couldn't decipher what it was; she gave him a little smile, wondering, absurdly, if it was love what colored his handsome features. He smiled too and approached her, which made her heart beat faster and louder, and her smile to widen unconsciously. He kissed her forehead, a deliberate and unexpected act that made Aqua gasp. Richard chuckled softly, not mockingly or condescendingly, but as if he were surprised by his own acts. The fish started to slip from Aqua's hands, and she caught it before the tide took it, giggling as well, flustered.
Richard gave her space, while at the same time managing to stay at touching distance from her. They spent the day in comfortable silence. Richard never averted his caring gaze from Aqua's blushed face; he was looking at her with awe, which made Aqua wondered what had triggered this change in him. At night they sat side by side, watching the stars that shined through the fading gray clouds together. They fell asleep holding hands.
"Richard. Richard, wake up. Richard, come look at this," Aqua was whispering. They had slept for so long that it was almost noon, and the sun shined bright and warm. Richard slowly opened his eyes, fluttering his dark eyelashes as he adjusted to the light.
"What is it?" he groggily asked.
"You have to see this," Aqua said with a smile so brilliant it dazzled Richard more than the sun had. She took his hand and pulled him up, giving him time to stretch. "Come, quick!" she urged him, almost dragging him by the hand.
She took him a few yards away from their bonfire; she had made a path of sand mounds and branches that led to the ocean. They knelt next to a little patch of sand that seemed to be trembling from underneath. Just as they arrived, the smallest creature emerged from the sand, followed closely by its siblings. Aqua gasped as the tiny sea turtles made their way out of their nest, with a delighted smile on her face and sparkling eyes. Richard had seen turtles hatching before, so instead he focused on Aqua's blissful face, which to him was the most marvelous event taking place. One by one, the baby turtles found their way to the sea, guided by the path Aqua had made for them. She got up quickly to scare away the preying birds; she guarded the turtles ferociously, making sure that every single one of them made it home. She went back to the nest to welcome the last turtles into the world, asking Richard to take her place as the turtles' guard. They were so small, and they moved so fast! In only a few minutes, there was only one left; the little creature tried to get out of the hole but felt onto its back. Aqua gasped, worried, and she very gently took it in her hands, placing it in the path and walking along with it as it rushed to the sea. She waved them goodbye as they swam in the clear, blue waters, hoping fervently that they would all survive.
"I wish I could take care of them in the sea, too," Aqua said wistfully. Richard didn't say anything, but she could feel his intense gaze fixated on her. The ocean was suddenly very interesting, captivating Aqua's attention completely; she didn't want look back at Richard. Her breathing and heartbeat accelerated; she knew that if they looked into each other's eyes, they would kiss, and she wasn't feeling ready for that yet.
Instead, she raced him to the bonfire, where she was already cooking the three fish she had fished. Richard expressed his pride at what a skilled fisher she was becoming.
"Soon you'll master spear-hunting, too," he said with a smile.
"I'm no spear-fishing master, though," she waved him off, shrugging. Nonetheless, she couldn't deny that she craved mastering every physical activity the Island had to offer that would keep her mind busy. Every now and then a painful memory made it back to her, and she had to fight to not crumble down again.
After a nap and a second meal, it started to dawn on Aqua just how monotonous and repetitive life on a deserted island was. Every day was pretty much spent the same, and she wondered how Richard had managed to not lose his mind yet. She toyed again with the idea of going back to the outside world –even if the outside world was in the middle of the twentieth century– but she knew Richard would never leave his people to go with her, so she discarded it completely.
The crashing waves tempted her with their sonorous music. She hadn't swum just for fun in too long; it would be a great way to break the monotony and keep herself distracted. The sun was just starting to set, and the bright blue gave way to a palette of soft pastel colors; blue, pink, yellow, and orange painted the sky, contrasting with the sapphire blue of the ocean. The scene was so beautiful and tempting that Aqua didn't have to think twice about it. In a second she was up from her blanket and running towards the sea. Richard's gaze followed her; he was sitting right next to where she had been, fixing his bow.
Aqua had gotten used to not wearing shoes she still gagged when she remembered how she had gotten her boots yet she gasped in surprise when her feet touched the wet sand. It was such a pleasant sensation she had to pause to truly enjoy it. When the tide started burying her feet in the sand, she stripped off her clothes, ignoring the fact that Richard who was blushing at the scene but not looking away was right behind her. Wearing only her underwear, she submerged.
The lukewarm water received her with joy, rocking her slightly as she swam. She emerged from the water, elated, looking for Richard. His face was puzzled, but slowly he smiled back at Aqua's inviting smile. She waved at him to join her, wanting to share such a wonderful moment with such a wonderful man. He left the bow and his clothes with Aqua's and joined her. Half her face was underwater; he could only see her shiny hazel eyes and her long, dark hair floating around her face like a lily pad. He swam to where she was and was received by a squirt of water to the face. Aqua's sonorous, beautiful laugh filled the air.
It turned to a splashing contest, the winner of which Aqua declared herself. Richard then challenged her to hold her breath as long as she could, and she found herself defeated; Richard could hold his breath for a whole minute! They spent hours in childish games –which made both of them feel more alive than ever– as the witnessing sky saturated its colors and the sun made room for the moon in the firmament. When she miscalculated the distance from the shore and could no longer feel the ocean floor, Aqua decided it was time to go back to the beach. She was tired, though, and Richard obliged to tow her back.
"Never would've believed you were scared of the ocean," Richard taunted, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh, I'm not! I just really like to feel something beneath my feet!" Aqua said. She was now only hips-deep in the water. The wind had picked up, and the waves were moving more swiftly and vigorously, rocking them from side to side.
"Of course," he teased, splashing Aqua in the face. She gasped and splashed him back, resuming the splashing contest.
If someone were to be looking at them from afar, they'd see a painting of love, hear a melody of happiness. Against the red sky, their black silhouettes danced playfully in the dark sea, blissfully laughing in harmony. Splashing each other like infatuated teenagers, their hearts beat as one, thudding with the force of new love.
The strong waves and the games made Aqua lose her balance, making her fall in Richard's arms. Heat spread through their bodies from where their arms touched. The laughter died down slowly as they caught their breath. Unconsciously, their hands wandered across the other's skin, until Aqua's found Richard's neck, and Richard's found Aqua's waist. Their gazes were locked, blocking out everything that surrounded them, until there was only Aqua and Richard in the world. In a blink, their lips found each other with the pulling force of a magnet.