Sanctuary

A calm, salty breeze blew softly from the ocean, a beautiful aquamarine blue which stretched out in front of the lush tropical island on which our unlikely pair of strangers had both landed upon.

The sun shone brightly in the sky, its golden warmth spreading out far and wide across the island, glinting off the tiny rippling rivers and shimmering golden sand.

The heat of the day had been unbearable, but in the warmth of the night the air had cooled down significantly, allowing the silent couple to finally enjoy the beauty of the island they had both arrived at.

The woman, a tall, slender figure with skin tanned golden-brown from the sun, walked quietly, the soles of her feet barely touching the ground. Her hair was a wild halo of fire around her head, loose strands caught in the breeze and dancing around her face.

The man was an opposite. He was slightly shorter than the woman, with skin a paler shade of tanned gold. His dark hair, closely cropped and spiked, framed his angular face as he chose each footstep carefully, as if not wanting to draw any attention to himself.

Both of them had been there for a few days but had yet to introduce themselves to one another. After a few more minutes of meandering, the man finally plucked up enough courage to take the first step and make a connection.

"Um, hi. I'm Nathaniel," he said, holding out his hand in greeting.

The woman paused, her emerald green eyes meeting Nathaniel's gaze as if searching for any sign of danger before finally taking his hand in hers.

"Hello, I'm Jessica," she said with a warm smile.

From that moment onward something clicked between them. Jessica felt an undeniable appreciation for the subtle warmth of his hand against hers, and Nathaniel felt her strength radiating from her grip.

They struck up a conversation as they weaved through the dark jungle, Nathaniel telling Jessica about his life back in the city and Jessica telling Nathaniel about the culture of the small fishing village she grew up in.

On this tropical paradise, the two strangers soon felt like they had known each other their entire lives. Their stories were interlinked and they talked like they had known each other far longer than they had.

As they talked, they found that the island was teaming with life. Little lizards darted underneath the greenery, monkeys called out in the trees, and the ocean was alive with the sound of its joyous inhabitants.

The pair continued to wander deeper into the night, eventually stumbling upon a breathtaking waterfall that cascaded down into a small pool beneath it.

The natural beauty of the waterfall captivated both of them, and they took a moment to just savour its beauty. No words were spoken, just a sense of awe that filled the air.

The moonlight cast an ethereal light on the water, and the ripple of the water paired with the sound of the waterfall crated a magical atmosphere that both Nathaniel and Jessica felt sinking into their bones.

Among the world of nature around them, the bond that had started to grow between the two strangers had solidified.

The night eventually ended with a soft kiss on Jessica's forehead, and the pair made their way back to their respective dwellings, but not before exchanging goodbyes and individual secrets.

The weeks that followed flew by, and the couple spent every free moment they had together. As their bond grew, so did their passion. Every touch of the other felt electric and the love they shared spread out like wildfire, slowly consuming all those they shared it with.

In those weeks, they found that they were a perfect fit, complete with each other in a way they had never experienced before.

On weekends they would explore the island together, hand in hand as they pushed past boundaries they never thought they would go, exploring every hidden corner of their paradise.

They soon realized that the island was more than just a place to them; it was an otherworldly sanctuary for their love.

The days passed, quickly and slowly merging together until one night, Nathaniel pulled out a handmade wooden box from his pocket.

Jessica eyed it with curiosity, but Nathaniel simply smiled and opened it to unveil a tiny, shimmering, diamond ring.

Nathaniel's voice was steady and even as he looked into Jessica's eyes and asked her to be his for always, and in that very moment, there was nothing else in the world but them.

Jessica didn't hesitate and simply said yes, jolting into action and throwing her arms around Nathaniel in the most passionate embrace of their lives so far.

In that moment, standing in the warm night with the stars twinkling overhead and the waves crashing gently, they knew that even when they left this particular tropical paradise, they had found something even more precious - each other.