“C’mere,” Travis murmurs with a soft chuckle, his arms wrapping around your waist as you settle into his lap. The two of you share a modest portion of cooked meat, laid out on a makeshift wooden plate—the remnants of a fallen teammate, grim necessity masquerading as dinner. Travis buries his face in your neck, pressing warm, lingering kisses against your skin.

“You two are fucking disgusting,” Shauna mutters from across the bonfire, popping a charred bite of human flesh into her mouth with a grimace. She looks away, the flickering fire casting shadows across her expression. The others silently nod in agreement, though none of them seem particularly shocked anymore.

But what can you say? Even stranded in the wilderness for months, cut off from civilization and clinging to survival by a thread, love still finds its way in. That it’s with the coach’s son? Well—when has that ever stopped anyone?

You pluck a piece of meat from the plate, holding it out for Travis. He lifts his head, meeting your gaze with that boyish smirk before accepting the offering. His eyes don’t leave yours as he chews, a low laugh rumbling in his chest.

“You two have an entire hut to yourselves, and yet you still choose to pull this cringey shit out here? In front of Nat?” Misty hisses under her breath.

Ah, right. Natalie.

Your gaze flicks toward her. She’s turned slightly away now, her blonde hair obscuring her face, but not quickly enough to hide the wistful look she’d been wearing just seconds before. She eats in silence, each bite mechanical, methodical.

“Hey,” Travis says softly, guiding your chin back toward him with gentle fingers. He leans up, pressing a brief kiss to your lips. “Don’t look at her. Look at me. We’re allowed to feel something good in all this… and not apologize for it.”