Jade and Minkie sigh in relief that they are still in the competition, whilst Trina looks down at the floor, sad that she’s just been eliminated. There doors all slide open, releasing them from their glass tubes, except for Trina’s which stays closed.
Trina: What the hell? My door won’t open? [Knocking on the glass]
Aurora: I’m so sorry, Trina. I just had to make the decision that I felt was right.
Trina: It’s fine... I understand. Can I get out now?
Quietly, a light blowing noise starts coming from above Trina. She looks behind her curiously, what was going on?...
*BANG*
Suddenly, a large explosion goes off in Trina’s tube, sending flames all around it with her still inside!
Trina: Oh my god!!!
The Islanders all start screaming and freaking out as Trina begins burning alive.
Georgia: Someone help her!
Merylee: What’s going on!
Quickly the fire gets bigger and bigger as the islanders screams get louder and louder. None of them know what to do.
A few of the flats; Leo, Nathan and Raphael start trying to smash the glass by ramming into it, but it’s too hard to break and too hot to apply pressure to.
Eventually the flames die down, but by that time Trina is already dead. The islanders shock wears off and they all start realising what’s happened and fall into a symphony of crying, freaking out and heavy breathing.
Elliot: I think I’m gonna be sick. I think I’m gonna be sick.
Alex: This can’t be real? Surely?
Poor islanders, if only you knew what TV show you really signed up for...
pairing: kakashi x sakura
event prompt: summer // road trip
additional prompt: “why does that sound like the plot of a coming of age film?”
genre: fluff // romance
word count: 1,364
summary: He watches them for a moment, not tempted to burst their bubble of contentment, and he drinks in the sight of her like a man starved.
A/N: Something short and super sweet because I am like two days behind on my prompts and my rainstorm fic for day one is taking way too long to finish. I hope you all enjoy!
note: this fic is unbeta’d any mistakes are my own.
In hindsight, he really shouldn’t have been all that surprised to find her in his apartment.
Sakura always had this funny way of showing up when he least expected it. Kakashi should have been able to learn to read the signs more clearly or at least be more prepared, but there is little that he – or anyone, really – can do besides go with the flow of her spontaneity. It was one of the reasons why he fell in love with her.
And yet, after all their time together, here Kakashi is, standing stock-still in the entryway to his home, transfixed by the sight of Sakura rolling around on his living room floor with Pakkun.
He watches them for a moment, not tempted to burst their bubble of contentment, and he drinks in the sight of her like a man starved.
Only after he’s had his fill and his perusal of her is complete does he state his greeting of, “I thought I locked the door when I left this morning.”
Kakashi shuffles himself through the archway, pressing the door closed and toeing off his sneakers. He doesn’t hesitate in pulling off the black medical mask in her presence, nor does Sakura have to pester him about wearing it indoors. They had a long conversation a few months back about his self-esteem, about the necessity for him to cover most, if not all, of the horrendous childhood scar that dissects the left half of his face.
Sakura insisted that despite his abnormality, she accepts all of him, and liked to periodically remind Kakashi that their group of friends felt the same way. She was empathetic towards his plight nonetheless, but that didn’t stop her from trying to coerce Kakashi into seeing things from her point of view. Let it never be said that he could be outmatched in stubbornness, however, and as a result, Sakura demanded that they come to an agreement.
The rule was as follows: Kakashi could wear the mask as much as he wanted in public, but never at home.
Not around her.
Sakura’s head shot up at the sound of his voice, fingers pausing in their tickling of a particular patch of fur on Pakkun’s belly. The pug whined at the loss, nipping at her hand in an attempt to make her start petting him again, but Sakura chose to ignore it.
Instead, she examines him, scrutinizing Kakashi in the same way he had done to her upon his arrival. Her study is slow and meticulous, staring at his toes and ending when their eyes meet.
“You did,” Sakura affirms while standing. She brushes off some of the dog hair that accumulated in her lap before adding, “But you always forget that I know where you hide the spare key.”
“There wouldn’t be a need for a spare if you would have told me you would be back,” He mutters. “I would have been here.”
The grin she graces him with is equal parts warm and coy, and Kakashi is drawn in like a moth to a flame. It seems like Sakura must be under the same spell because she meets him halfway, her arms encircling his waist while Kakashi’s wrap around her back.
He holds her close, close enough to be considered suffocating, but Sakura voices no complaints and tucks her head underneath his chin.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming home.”
It’s more of a statement than an accusation, but Kakashi can’t help but feel a twinge of embarrassment by the whiny tenor in his tone. If Sakura noticed, she doesn’t pay it any mind, pulling back far enough so that she can look him in the eye with a sly smirk curling in the right corner of her mouth.
“I wanted to surprise you.” She leans up to place a kiss on the tip of his nose. “You know, for someone who’s seeing their girlfriend for the first time in weeks, you don’t seem all that excited.”
“Maa, would you be happy to see someone that’s going to eat all of your food and steal your dog’s attention for the next three months?” Kakashi questions playfully.
Sakura pouts, her cheeks puffed out and her mouth drawn down in a frown, but Kakashi distracts her by sliding his hands up and along her shoulder blades before he buries his fingers into the tuft bubblegum pink hair at the nape of her neck.
His thumbs press into the underside of her jaw, angling her face a certain way before he leans down to kiss her.
It’s chaste, something soft and sweet, and for the first time since Sakura left for medical school at the beginning of the semester, Kakashi feels whole again. He knows for sure that Sakura reciprocates the sensation because she sighs and practically melts into his embrace.
“That,” She whispers when she pulls away a second later. “Is more like it.”
Sakura presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth, then another right under his left eye where his scar is the widest. She leans back and looks like she's about to say something, but there’s a soft ‘yip,’ then a full-on bark followed by the pitter patter of paws against the hardwood floor.
Pakkun circles them twice before he forces himself between their legs, causing them to break apart. His head sways as his eyes flicker between them, tongue lolled out to one side. Whatever the dog’s internal debate was, it appears that Sakura was the better choice because he starts pawing at her calf, demanding to be picked up.
“See what I mean,” Kakashi mumbles with a roll of his eyes. “Stealing all of my dog’s attention.”
Sakura laughs, a bell-like titter that makes his heart flutter. He really missed that sound; there’s something about hearing it in person rather than over the phone or on facetime.
“He’s liked me better since the moment you adopted him,” She corrects, bending down to pick up Pakkun. She cradles the dog against her chest with one hand, reaching out to tug on Kakashi’s sleeve with the other.
“Come on. You can welcome me home properly by cooking me dinner.”
Kakashi doesn’t protest because he knows when the time comes and he’s about halfway through stumbling, fumbling, and failing to make a decent meal for the two of them, Sakura will grant pity on him and offer some assistance.
-o-
Sometime later, after dinner is finished, the kitchen cleaned, and Pakkun walked, they are lounging on the couch, Sakura curled up against his side.
Kakashi is playing with the ends of her hair, pulling his fingers through the thick strands while halfheartedly paying attention to the movie playing on the television.
“Ino invited us on a road trip in a few days.” Sakura murmurs suddenly, eyes closed as her head rests on his shoulder. “Something about wanting to get everyone together to go explore the countryside before the summer ends.”
Kakashi snorts. “Why does that sound like the plot of a coming of age film?”
Sakura chuckles softly, and he doesn’t see her shrugging her shoulders, but he can feel her shoulders lift underneath his arm.
“It’s Ino. Do you expect anything less?”
No, no he doesn’t. It’s not the first time Kakashi has wondered how Genma has put up with the exuberant blonde for as long as he has.
There's a short stretch of silence in which Sakura shifts her position, and Kakashi changes the channel before he asks, “Do you want to go?”
Sakura doesn’t answer his question right away, and Kakashi doesn’t press, allowing her time to weigh the pros and cons internally.
Eventually, she responds with, “Why not? It’ll be nice to see everyone. I’m sure Naruto and Sai are itching to get their hands on you.”
It is a tempting prospect, and though Kakashi would prefer not to be trapped in confined spaces with Naruto for extended periods of time, he knows that it would make Sakura happy.
And for Sakura, he was willing to do just about anything.
He leans down to press a kiss against her temple before coinciding with, “Sure, but you’re packing for the both of us.”
Later on in the day, as the sun begins to set, Trina bumps into Elliot whilst leaving the kitchen. The moment she says hi to him, his face immediately drops.
Trina: Hey, what’s up? Is everything okay?
Elliot: Honestly, no.
Trina: Oh, honey! Do you wanna talk about it?
Elliot: Honestly, no.
Trina: Hey, don’t be like that. Sometimes it helps if you talk about you problems. I wanna help.
Elliot lets out a long sigh and looks up at the sky, then proceeds to struggle to get out his next sentence.
Elliot: Basically I- Well... Um- Me and- Mery- Look, I can’t talk about it. Not here. [Gesturing to Merylee who is sat nearby]
Trina: Oh! It’s about? [Also gesturing to Merylee]
Elliot: Yeah...
Trina: Let’s go somewhere else and chat then, maybe the living room?
Elliot: Sure.
Elliot glumly walks to the living room, with Trina following closely behind.
Trina: Okay. What’s up.
Elliot: Merylee hates me! In fact all the heels do.
Trina: That’s not true! I don’t hate you! And I don’t think any of the Heels do either.
Elliot: Well, they definitely don’t like me! Plus, I don’t get on with any of the flats. [Sigh] I think I might leave.
Trina: What!?
Elliot: I’d rather leave on my own terms then get eliminated out by no one picking to couple up with me! That would be so embarrassing.
Trina: Merylee picked you.
Elliot: Only because she couldn’t pick Leo. You could see that in her face! Next recoupling I am literally on the chopping blocks.
Trina: I’m probably on the chopping blocks today! Connor and Aurora are really getting on and it’s showing. But I’m just not letting it get me down. Like if this is my last day, I wanna enjoy it!
Elliot: That’s a good attitude, I guess.
Trina: Hey, let’s say this.
Elliot: What?
Trina: If by the next recoupling we still haven’t found partners, how about we couple up?
Elliot: Like... You and me?
Trina: Yeah! Why not?
Trina stretches out and arm and Elliot hesitates before looking into Trina’s eyes, who’s smiling goofily at him. He smiles back and shakes.
Leo: [Grabbing everyone’s attention.] Everyone listen up! Me and Raph wanna talk, so if you could all sit around and be quiet that would be really appreciated.
The islanders all stop talking and freaking out and gather around the sofa’s, eagerly waiting for what Leo and Raph will say.
Raphael: Now, I hate to say it. But at this point in time there is nothing any of us can really do.
Merylee: [Sarcastically] Thanks! That’s made me feel so much better!
Raphael: Be quiet Merylee!
Leo: Anyway, as Raph was saying. There’s nothing we can really do, so the best thing we can suggest is we all play along with this sick game until someone comes to help us.
Disagreeing murmurs echo around the living room, no one likes this idea.
Lydia: So we should just give up?
Leo: No, no! That’s not what I mean. Someone is bound to come help us soon. I mean, all of our friends and families know where we are. They’ve probably already reported us missing.
Raphael: But for now, I think we should all just keep playing ‘Love Island’ and try to survive.
Lydia: How on earth are we supposed to fall in love with someone whilst also being in a competition to the death?!
Raphael: Katniss does it in The Hunger Games?
Lydia: Oh no! No way! You did not just compare our predicaments to a shitty fictional book!
Minkie: He has a point.. And hey! The Hunger Games is not shitty...
Everyone goes back into their own conversations about how scared they are and soon no one can hear anyone.
Raphael: [Shouting over everyone] Can we focus please!
The villa goes silent again.
Raphael: There is nothing we can do. Except play along and try to survive. You can either accept this, and make it further in the competition. Or cry all day about how you’re destined to die and then not make it another week because you’ve been voted off by us.
Those last few words hit hard on the islanders, they slowly realise that now it’s everyone for themselves. They must find love or die.
Merylee sees everybody having conversations and turns to talk to Trina, only to remember that she’s dead. Grabbing her throat, Merylee feels all her spirit and oxygen get sucked out of her. She lowers her head and walks away from the group, dragging her head as she walks.
Georgia sees this and decides to check on her, even though the two have never been very close.
Georgia: Merylee wait! [Catching up to her]
Stopping, Merylee takes a deep breath in.
Merylee: What? [Angrily turning to see Georgia]
Georgia: What’s wrong? Why are you walking off?
Merylee: Everybody hates me! You would’ve all preferred me die than Trina.
Georgia: That’s not true!
Merylee: Well I wish I had! Trina was my only friend and now she’s gone! I have literally no one.
Georgia: I thought you and Alex were a thing?
Merylee: Barely! We’ve only started talking today and he didn’t come check on me when I walked off. No one did.
Georgia: I did.
Merylee: Why? You hate me!
Georgia: That’s not true! I don’t know you, Merylee. No one does.
Merylee: [Sarcastically] Great.
Georgia: Because you’re so closed off! You haven’t given any of us a chance to get to know you.
Merylee: Except Trina.
Georgia: I’m sorry about Trina. I really am.
Merylee: [Holding back tears] So am I.
Georgia pulls Merylee into a soft hug, Merylee hugs back 10 times harder. Clearly she really needed that hug.
Georgia: Look, let’s get back to the others. You can sit with me if you want.
Merylee: Yeah, I’d like that.
As they head back to the living room, they see everyone standing up and walking towards them.
Georgia: What’s going on? Where’s everyone going?
Connor: [Stepping out from the swarm of people] To bed. We’re all shattered and I think a good sleep is really gonna help some people.
Jade: I don’t know how any of us are gonna sleep after what happened tonight.
The Islanders all trail off to the bedrooms, keeping to their separate beds in fear of getting punished for breaking the rules. Everyone sleeps in their couples, with even Leo sleeping with Jade. They were too frightened to sleep alone.
Nathan and Connor both hug the people they’re coupled up with, wishing them luck, whilst Leo doesn’t even look at Jade.
*Ding*
Merylee receives another text and reads it aloud.
The Text: “Jade, Minkie and Trina, you are now vulnerable. Will everyone enter the door to you right and let Aurora make her final choice.”
Everyone slowly heads into the glass door on their right, trying to be reassuring to the three vulnerable heels.
As they get into the room there are three archways with the vulnerable Heels names on it, they are asked to stand under their names and as they do so big glass doors close in front of them, locking them in tubes.
Jade: Ew, I don’t like this. What’s going on?
Leo: Be quite and let Aurora make her decision.
Nathan, Leo and Connor stand in front of their partners and wait for Aurora to pick one of them.
Aurora: This was a really hard choice that I’ve been thinking about for sometime now. You are all lovely people but obviously I can only pick one, and now seeing the vulnerable heels in front of me, I may be having second thoughts… But, I know I should pick based on my relationship with the flat and not the heel. So, with that being said I chose this flat as I really liked our chats and thought we got on really well. The flat I have chosen is…
Aurora: Connor.
Connor’s face lights up as his name is called out, he walks up to Aurora and hugs her. Everyone else claps in celebration of the new couple.
