“Shauna?” You whisper as you stop out into the porch. Your eyes immediately find her, standing by the makeshift table of stacked tree logs, her face bathed in the flickering glow of the fire. The glint of her hunting knife catches the light as she works, slicing through the fresh meat in front of her.

At the sound of your approach, she glances over her shoulder, a small smile tugging at her lips. With a subtle tilt of her head, she silently invites you closer.

“Natalie and Travis finally brought back a deer,” she murmurs, her voice low, almost absentminded, as she feels your presence behind her. Without hesitation, you slide your arms around her waist, resting your chin on her shoulder. Instinctively, she leans into you, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

There’s always been something unspoken between you and Shauna—before all of this, during, and you’re certain, even after. A tension neither of you name, but one that lingers in every glance, every touch. Everyone notices it—the team, the coaches.

The way you’re always by each other’s side. The way your hands find each other in moments of silence, in moments of chaos. It isn’t strange, but it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Shauna hums softly as she wipes the blade clean, then carves off a generous piece of meat. “Saved you the biggest slice,” she whispers, her voice carrying the faintest trace of amusement.

Then, with a smirk, she drags her fingers through the fresh blood before pressing it to your cheek, smearing the stain across your skin. She leans in, placing a slow, deliberate kiss over the mark.

“Lucky you, hm?”