The night had fallen quiet, save for the faint rustling of the wind as it swept over the snow-covered ground. Lusi and Wushi sat near the remnants of their small fire, the warmth barely enough to keep the cold at bay. Both were wrapped in their cloaks, but the chill was nothing compared to the tension that lingered between them.
After the harrowing fall, they had managed to find shelter in a small alcove beneath the cliffs. Wushi had scouted the area for threats, while Lusi worked on setting up a makeshift camp. Though their bodies were tired from the battle and the climb, their minds were elsewhere, caught in the turmoil of emotions that neither could fully explain.
Lusi sat a short distance away, her eyes drifting over the flames. She couldn't stop thinking about how Wushi had shielded her during the fall, his arms holding her protectively against the brutal cold. It wasn't the first time he had saved her, but this felt different—more personal. More intimate.
Her mind wandered to the moments before their fall, the quiet tension when they had almost spoken about what was building between them. They were always so close yet so far from acknowledging the truth. She knew she couldn't afford distractions in this dangerous world, but her heart wasn't listening.
Wushi, sitting across from her, watched her quietly, his eyes unreadable. His thoughts were consumed by Lusi. It had been days since they had been separated from the others, and in that time, the connection he had tried so hard to deny had only grown stronger. The feelings he harbored for her were becoming harder to ignore, no matter how much he tried to push them down.
He could still feel the weight of her in his arms, the warmth of her body pressed against his when they fell. His heart had raced then, not from fear of the danger but from the closeness. It was becoming clearer with each passing moment—he cared for Lusi more deeply than he had ever imagined.
Breaking the silence, Wushi spoke, his voice low and measured. "Lusi, we need to address what's happening between us."
Lusi's eyes flickered toward him, her heart skipping a beat. "Wushi, I…"
She trailed off, unsure of how to respond. There were so many things she wanted to say but couldn't find the words for. How could she explain what was stirring inside her when she barely understood it herself?
Wushi stood up, walking over to her side. He knelt beside her, his expression softening. "You don't have to say anything right now. But we can't pretend this doesn't exist."
Lusi swallowed hard, her gaze meeting his. The truth was in his eyes—the same truth she had been running from. She wanted to deny it, to claim that she could handle whatever feelings she had for him without letting them interfere, but her heart betrayed her.
"I don't know what to do with these feelings, Wushi," she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Wushi reached out, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. His touch was tender, sending a shiver down her spine. "You don't have to know right now. We'll figure it out together. But I won't let anything happen to you. Not ever."
The sincerity in his voice melted away the last of Lusi's defenses. She felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the fire in front of them. For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to lean into that feeling, even if just for a moment.
Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his shoulder, closing her eyes. It wasn't much, but it was the closest she had come to letting her guard down with him.
Wushi froze for a second, surprised by the gesture, but then his arms came up around her, holding her close. They stayed like that for a while, the silence between them no longer filled with unspoken tension but with the quiet comfort of knowing they weren't alone.
As they sat together under the stars, the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them. Their journey was far from over, and the challenges ahead were many, but for now, they had each other, and that was enough.
Tomorrow, they would face whatever awaited them, but tonight, they found solace in the growing bond between them—a bond that neither danger nor destiny could break.