Ambervale Island
The sea was calm, the horizon blending into the blue sky. Savannah stood at the water's edge, the salty wind messing up her hair, her gaze fixed on the vast, empty water.
Her boots were stuck in the soft, wet sand, and her hands were folded in front of her as she let out a deep breath. The boats were late again-way too late. It had been days since the first batch of vaccines arrived. Now, it was the near by village's turn, each day made things feel even heavier.
The island, once a peaceful haven, was now a place of desperation. Floodwaters had destroyed the land, and the virus spread faster than anyone thought possible. People were sick, tired, and scared. Savannah, like many others, had been doing all she could to help. But it seemed like her efforts were just buying them more time-time she wasn't sure they had left.
The first round of vaccines barely covered the need, but they helped a bit. Now everyone was waiting for the next shipment, the only thing that could stop things from getting even worse. The only thing that could save lives.
But there was still no sign of them. Her feet ached from standing in one spot for so long, but she didn't budge. There was no point. The boats would show up sooner or later. She just had to be patient.
But the longer she waited, the more her thoughts started to race, like the waves crashing against the shore. She kept thinking about the families she saw the night before, how some were getting sicker by the hour, and how much they were counting on those vaccines arriving.
The sound of footsteps behind her snapped her out of her thoughts. She didn't need to turn around to know it was Elijah. The steady beat of his boots on the sand and the soft rustle of his jacket were all too familiar. "Savannah," he said, his voice warm but a bit puzzled. She could feel him before he came into view, his tall figure standing right next to her. "What are you doing out here?"
She sighed, a soft breath escaping her. "Waiting," she said, her eyes still on the water. "Waiting for the boats. They haven't shown up yet." Elijah didn't say anything at first, just watched her with a mix of worry and frustration in his eyes. He took a step closer, moving slowly. "You've been out here for over an hour, Savannah. The vaccine shipments are always late; you know that. It's the same every time. The weather's been bad, the waters are rough." His voice gentled. "You need to take a break. You can't help anyone if you're worn out."
Her fingers tightened around the herself, her nails digging into the fabric. She wasn't blind to the situation. She knew Elijah had a point.
Waiting here wouldn't make the boats come any faster. But deep down, she felt this urge, this need to take action. She couldn't just sit still, not when people were depending on them.
Depending on her. "I just..." Her voice wavered, the words hard to get out. "I feel like we're always waiting. We can't afford to wait anymore, Elijah. People are dying. They need that vaccine. We need it." Her eyes drifted back to the water, the silence between them thick and uneasy.
"I just... can't help it. I feel like if I stop looking, if I stop waiting... they won't come." She took a shaky breath and finally looked at him. "I don't know how much longer they can hold on, Elijah."
Elijah's voice calm. "They will hold on. You've done so much already, more than anyone could expect. And you're not alone in this." His eyes showed more than just worry now-there was a quiet admiration in them.
He was always there for her, no matter what. Even when everything else was falling apart, even when the virus was spreading too fast, Elijah stayed by her side, steady like a rock in a storm.
She let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing a bit as some of the weight lifted. Maybe he was right. She couldn't do it all alone. And maybe, just maybe, the boats would arrive soon. They had to. She nodded, a small smile easing the tension on her face. "Okay," she whispered, her voice softer now. "I'll wait a little longer. But I won't stop until they get here."
Elijah's smile was warm and gentle as he nodded.
"That's all anyone can ask for." They stood there for a moment, watching the waves together, just waiting.
Later that day
The evening sky glowed with shades of purple and orange, the soft, fading light stretching long shadows over the beach.
Savannah stood by the water, staring out at the horizon. The gentle sound of waves hitting the sand was soothing, but she felt a heavy weight in her chest. The boats hadn't arrive. She'd been waiting for hours. But as night fell, her hope stayed strong. She couldn't give up.The vaccines had to get there. She couldn't let herself feel hopeless, not now. Elijah still stood next to her, relaxed but focused on the ocean.
They had asked the head of the volunteer about the shipment but they too didn't had any clue nor they could do anything as signals there were really rough.
"Do you think they'll make it today?" Savannah whispered, her voice nearly drowned out by the wind. Elijah looked at her, his face hard to read for a moment. "They'll come," he said, sounding sure but with a bit of doubt. "Just not right away I think."
Then, like magic, something moved far off in the distance. At first, Savannah thought it might be a trick of the light or a bird flying by, but no-this was different. Her heart started racing as she squinted into the fading light. It was a boat.
"Look, Elijah!" Savannah exclaimed, a spark of hope lighting up inside her. Elijah turned quickly, his eyes locking onto the faint shape of a boat moving toward the shore.
For a moment, Savannah thought she saw the same glimmer of hope on his face. They had waited so long, gone through so much, but now-maybe this was it.
As the boat got closer, Savannah's heart started pounding with excitement. This had to be it. The vaccines were finally here. But as the boat came into clearer view, her hope started to fade. The boat didn't look right. It wasn't one of the official supply boats. No, this one was more like modern, more like a personal boat.
As the boat finally reached the shore, her confusion only got worse. There stood Arthur, Blaze's secretary, at the front of the boat.
Even in the fading light, his figure was easy to recognize. Savannah and Elijah exchanged a quick look, both of them frozen, unsure what to think. What was Arthur doing here?
The boat stopped just short of the shore, and for a moment, everything was still as Arthur stepped off and waited. But it wasn't Arthur who caught Savannah's eye-it was the person who came out behind him. Blaze.
She didn't need to see his face to know who he was. The long strides, the confident way he moved, and those unmistakable sunglasses-he looked just like he did the last time she saw him.
It had been too long since he left, but seeing him still hit her hard. Blaze stepped onto the sand, his eyes sweeping the beach until they landed on Savannah, like he'd been looking for her all along. His expression softened a bit, but there was still something sharp in his gaze. Maybe it was curiosity, or something more, but she couldn't tell from where she stood. Savannah's breath caught in her throat.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Blaze's voice was deeper than she remembered, laced with confusion as he looked at the full-body PPE suit she was wearing. The thick layers of protection were crucial, but his gaze kept drifting, trying to see her face behind the mask.
Savannah's heart raced. She wasn't sure how to feel. She hadn't seen Blaze in months-not since he left the island to join his work in the city. They hadn't talked since then, and now he was right in front of her, the last person she expected to see.
She glanced at Elijah, and for a moment, their eyes met in silent understanding. He was just as surprised by Blaze's sudden appearance. He shook his head slightly, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Savannah!!" But before Savannah could answer Blaze's question, her attention was pulled away by a shout in the distance. The head of the volunteer group was calling her name, urgent and clipped. She didn't have time for this. Not now.
Without missing a beat, she turned back to Blaze, her voice steady but firm. "There's work to be done," she said, her eyes not quite meeting his as she turned to walk away.
She felt his gaze on her back as she moved away from him, and for a brief moment, she felt the weight of his presence press in on her. She could hear the sound of his footsteps behind her, but they faltered after a few moments, a low sigh escaping his lips as he stood still.
Elijah stayed where he was, head down and eyes squinting in thought. When Blaze turned to look at him, Elijah spoke in a quiet, hard-to-read voice. "Boss!" Blaze said firmly, "Tell me everything that's happened here."
At the Midnight
Savannah sat down on the cool ground like porch, stretching out her legs and hugging her knees to herchest. The quiet night wrapped around her.
The waves crashed gently against the shore, their rhythm a haunting reminder of the ticking clock that was her life now. She watched the horizon, praying for the ships carrying the vaccine to appear.
But the sea offered no answers, just its endless expanse, calm and indifferent. She had been waiting for hours-no, days-but the ship had not come. The sun, a swollen red ball, started its descent into the ocean, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, and yet, the horizon remained stubbornly empty.
It was like the world was holding its breath, and she was the fool waiting for something that might never come.
"Maybe I should just face it," she muttered to herself, feeling a mix of exhaustion and defeat in her chest. What am I even waiting for? She didn't have any answers.
The evening got cooler, and night started to fall. The sea looked darker and more threatening, like it was laughing at her hope.
Suddenly someone came and sat next to her, she knows who it was.
Blaze.
She could smell his scent. Always a reminder of him.
"Why are you here?" She blurted out before she could stop herself. She'd asked him this when he first came to the island, but now it felt different. She really needed to know. She needed him to explain. Blaze didn't answer right away. He slide a little closer, his eyes locked on her. "I told you," he said, his voice low and a bit distant, "I have something to finish here. Something that was left unfinished."
Savannah frowned, squinting at him. "What do you mean?" She wanted to press him, but she could see he wasn't ready to talk, and she was too tired to argue. Her body felt heavy, like she hadn't slept in days. He must have noticed her frustration because he just shrugged. "It's something I need to handle." She nodded, deciding to drop it for now.
They just sat there for a while, quiet, just watching the moonlight on the water. The pain in her chest got worse, like a tight knot in her throat. "Blaze," she whispered, "you need to go. It's dangerous here. You could get sick, just like anyone else. You don't have to stay. Please, leave before it's too late." Blaze looked at her, his face softening, but his eyes were intense, catching her off guard. "Then come with me."
This made Savannnah to look at him, angrily. "What the-" she took a deep breath before finally speaking "They're my responsibility, they're dependent on me, they're counting on me, I'm their hope, I'm not leaving them hanging, when I know they need us the most."
Blaze didn't say anything just looked at her softly and smiled.
"Exactly! I'm not leaving you either, Savannah," he said firmly, like it was a promise he'd made long ago. "You're my responsibility, for dependence? I know you're more than capable yourself, but you can always stay dependant on me and anytime, and I won't let you face it by yourself."
Savannah's heart pounded hard in her chest. Responsibility? What did he mean by that? Was he saying what I think he's saying?
She shook her head, and scoffed. "You sound... weird" she mumbled, feeling suddenly self-conscious, her thoughts all over the place.
His words didn't make sense, but his voice, his eyes-they made her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about him. She thought he must be kidding, trying to lighten the environment or whatever. He always liked to play with words. She won't buying anymore.
Blaze didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He just looked at her, his gaze so intense it felt like he could see right through her. His eyes softened, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped. The moonlight made her face glow, and she felt almost magical, like she was more than just a person. But with him, she felt truly seen. Blaze had a urge to pull her close to himself but resisted himself. Maybe another time...
Savannah cleared her throat, "You should leave by morning, Blaze. It's too risky to stay here. You won't be able to keep anyone safe or yourself."
Blaze held her gaze, and after a long pause, he nodded. "I'll go, but only because you asked me to." A shiver ran through her at the thought. "Good," she said, her voice shaking a little as she tried to hold back her emotions. "Good night, Blaze." And she walked away.
"Good night, Savannah," Blaze said softly. Savannah didn't turn around. She just nodded.
Author's Note :
Happy reading<3
Blaze and Savannah are finally here together;)
Have a good day/night <3<3