“I love you”

My partner in crime— David, spits out suddenly. His face pale with fright as we stand atop the mountain, dropping a shocking bomb of a confession on me, here, on the final trial.

He visibly flinches at my lack of a reaction, and takes a deep breath running his fingers through his hair.

“Look..” “if we die here I knew I’d regret. I just— I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t say it now.”

He had a point, we were in the middle of nowhere, we had struggled through 7 painful trails, 7 painful weeks of brutality and death. All to get to this mountain, this mountain where the prize many had probably died trying to reach. Tears brim my eyes as the cold bitter snow continues to fall down onto our faces making them radiant pink. The final push brought me both happiness and relief but sadness and anger, I’m lucky if I ever find a bond like this again. Chances were you couldn’t form this bond with anyone that wasn’t your soulmate.

“I… I love you too”

My voice trembles, reluctant and he smiles. We both take a step forward and now are bodies are the only warm thing in the midst of this snow storm. I’d lived, no, survived through so much and this is all I want. In the grand scheme of things I just want to be loved. I find myself grinning like an idiot as our lips connect, as I taste the salty ice pieces on his lips and his on mine, my lips freezing up.

He doesn’t let me go when we’ve broken our kiss, he holds me as if when he lets go the wind will take me. . .

“I’m not going to let anything hurt you”

He whispers into my ear.

“Im a big girl.” “I can take care of myself”

That cocky smirk that had possessed my face many times before returning once he lets me go because, I could indeed protect myself. Not that it hurt to be protected every now and again