CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

ONE

Life was good. Great in fact.

The white-hot sun set the sky ablaze into a brilliant blue, accented with dreamy billows of white. Golden rays pierced glimmers and shimmers of glitter across the surface of the cerulean sea. An inviting path of gold rippled out to the shore. The OuterBanks was alight in its radiant glory as the Pogues gazed over the luxurious view of the new build they had decided to invade for the afternoon.

A gentle sea breeze ruffled through their hair and loose t shirts, brushing over their skin and whistling a tune as it left. The sun looked magnificent casted over Harley's warm complexion and dazzling in her hazel eyes. She stood there like some sun goddess, in JJ's point of view, giggling at some dumb joke he had made.

"That's what, a three-storey fall to the deck?" Pope analysed staring up at the Routledge siblings. One hand masked his eyes from the glare of the sun, the other held a screw gun as if it was a pistol. "I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival."

Harley tilted her head up thinking. "So, there's two of us. Which means more chance one of us would survive. And so, I would survive."

Pope laughed. "No."

John B played along; the start of a smile hinted in his voice. "Hmm. Should I do it?"

"Yeah. You should jump. I'll shoot you on the way down."

"You gonna shoot me?"

"Yep."

Harley shook her head and crouched down to a sitting position. She slid very slowly to the edge of the roof. "Not me." She held out her hand to JJ, whilst she clutched at her fruit smoothie. "JJ, would you please help me down."

"Ah, I don't know. You're gonna have to let that smoothie go." He got up nonetheless and drew closer to the gap between where she sat and the construction ramp, he had been dangling his legs from.

She fake laughed and made grabby hands at the nonchalant, deviously handsome blonde. "I believe you have the strength to carry me and my smoothie for one second."

"The smoothie sure. You, not so sure." His lips curled and his eyes twinkled teasingly.

"That was rather insulting." She emphasised with an assured tilt of her head.

JJ held out his hands aiming for her waist to support her. "Scoot closer. I don't bite."

His eyes were alight with mischief which had Harley fighting to stay serious. They both knew he enjoyed biting, but Harley refused to respond still sticking to her decision that they would only be friends.

He stepped closer to Harley. Their eyes were tangled in silk ribbons of unspoken words and acts. Their bodies fighting the stifling pull between them. Familiar flashes flickered behind Harley's eyes and duped her brain into recreating ghost touches, smells and feelings. Her heart stumbled but caught itself as JJ reached up for her.

JJ settled his hands on her hips, whilst Harley leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. A hair's width apart, Harley saw the silvery flecks in his eyes and felt his breath fan over her skin. She shimmied forward and let JJ take the lead in hoisting her up and twirling her to her feet on the wooden walkway.

"They're going to have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." Kiara's voice was a snap back to reality. It was like blinking and everything around you speeding up, only to realise it hadn't sped up, the moment before had just felt intimately slow.

Harley unravelled her arms and smiled brightly up to her favourite blonde. "Thanks, dude." She laughed at his bewildered and annoyed expression, knowing she had purposefully ruined the moment, especially for him. In an attempt to appease him a little, plus for helping her, she leant up and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. She then left him there and climbed down to Kiara.