SILVERCHAIR imagines [requests OPEN]

stranded (part three)

Chris tripped over a mangled piece of driftwood after trying his best to get Ben off of Daniel. He swept the sand off the back of his shorts and held as steadfast as he could with Ben still pummeling toward Dariel like a maniac.

Ben's eyes were in that dark, manic place they were in just days before I left.

I had made my raft as a last resort, really. One day the guys would be fine, on other days I didn't know what to expect. On the worst of days, it was a lot like what we were witnessing before our eyes. But this time it had gone even farther. Two growling young men acting like beasts with appetites that could not be kept in check.

Only Chris's mood stayed in tune. He stayed out of the tangled mess that Daniel, Ben and I had weaved. After we ran down and saw them rolling around in the pink sand, yanking each other back and forth, swinging punches and kicking each other, Chris actually let them continue their Neanderthal campaign.

"Best to let them get it all out," he had said to me before weeks ago when they had their first fight on the island. Ben had gone to Daniel's cave to see if he wanted to go for a walk. Talk things out. Daniel wasn't alone. I was with him.

When Ben's balled up fist struck Daniel's nose and red, sticky blood pulsated from his nostrils, Chris had had enough. I thanked my lucky stars for Chris. What would I have done here without him? I knew I couldn't break up the wrath between Ben and Daniel without getting myself hurt, too.

Chris had finally separated them. He nearly threw Ben down onto the sand.

"Stay put now," he warned. He spoke through gritted teeth and kept his watchful eyes on Ben before making sure Daniel was okay.

I was already at his side. I hadn't seen his angelic face in almost a week. I used the shirt I was wearing to wipe the blood off his mouth and cheek. I didn't care that it was Ben's shirt. Daniel was hurt, and I could feel his pain surge through every fiber in my body.

"Are you okay?" both Chris and I asked Daniel.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, feeling faint.

Chris looked behind him at Ben. "Get him water," he demanded.

Ben laboriously got up to his feet, shaking from the anger leaving his body. He was trying to catch his breath. He looked at Daniel and his features softened a little.

"I'll be right back." he said. His voice was a veil.

Daniel gripped my bloodied shirt. He couldn't look at me. I just wanted to look into his eyes. That's all I needed to feel better.

"I'm so sorry," he whimpered. "This is all my fault."

Chris placed his hands on his hips. It was clear he was feeling uncomfortable.

"Well, Ben should be back with some water soon. I'll get started on brekkie for us all, alright?"

"Okay," I nodded and watched as he trekked back to his area.

I didn't see Chris or Ben anywhere near us.

"Daniel," I bid him to open his eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't ask me to fall in love with you. I couldn't resist. I think I always had feelings for you, but I was with Ben all of the time he wasn't on stage. Parties, events, backstage, hotels. Here, everything changed."

His grip got even tighter.

"I don't want you sleeping in his tent anymore."

His crystalline eyes, with such depths within them unmatched by anyone I had ever known in my life, even the ocean itself, finally opened and my heart sunk. How could he ask that of me?

I was in such disbelief my words most likely came out crueler than I intended.

"You don't own me. Neither of you do."

It pained me to do so, but I let go of his body and shoved myself away from him. He shrugged forward and lay on his side, defeated and maybe a little regretful of what he had asked.

Ben returned with water, speechless. I don't know if he heard or saw anything. I couldn't read his face.

"Here you are," he leaned down to Daniel and put the bowl of water to his lips. "Drink up, mate."

A wicked little laugh seeped through my own lips.

"So, what? You two are mates again now? Perfect."

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the sand. They both looked up at me like two puppy dogs that had trailed mud throughout the entire house that I had just spent all day cleaning, on my hands and knees.

Ben was about to speak, but I waved my hand in the air and stomped my foot on the sand.

"I don't want to hear anything!"

Daniel drank his water and kept his eyes down. He knew better than to stir my emotions.

I was about to storm off, over to my favorite spot on the island, but then I stopped myself. What I was about to say never crossed my mind before, yet it was time. I had to say it.

"You know what?" I sassed, allowing my frustration with them both to finally be known. "I don't want anything to do with either of you today or tonight. Not a word, not a look, nothing. Leave me alone. Please."

I felt like I was going to vomit. The words left me breathless, and I almost wished I hadn't said them.

Daniel rolled over and slowly got up. He left the bowl of water on the sand and made his way back down the shore, past the waterfall and to his cave surrounded by the most fragrant, ever-blooming flowers known to us there. His nose was only swollen a little. He could manage.

Ben looked completely dumbfounded. I had to walk away as quick as I could in fear that I would slap that look off of his face.

***

I was skinny-dipping in the tide pool all alone. The water felt like satin against my bare skin. The boys knew this was my favorite spot. I hoped they would leave me be, and they did. The fact they both listened to me was thrilling. I felt so happy. To be free of them. I floated there, my eyes closed, the noon sun high and bright, absolving me of my sins. It was just turquoise water and hot, tempting sunlight, but I felt new again.

I pushed my body forward and brought my feet down so they touched the bottom of the pool. I trailed my fingertips on the surface of the quiet water and I breathed easy.

I heard a rustling in the distance, not far from me. Leaves dancing and branches crunching below some weight. It must have been coming from the surrounding thick maze of foliage behind me.

It was Chris. He had a palm leaf with food on it in his hands, careful not to lose his footing as he made his way to me.

I turned around in the water and covered my chest. I'm certain he couldn't see anything, but we both blushed regardless.

"Oh," he fumbled, almost dropping the sliced fruit. I could tell he had laid it out in a pretty pattern on the palm leaf for me. I smiled and instructed him to turn around while I put my clothes back on.

The sun felt so good on my body. I welcomed it as I put my shorts and shirt back on.

"I'm decent," I whispered teasingly. "Come and feed me. I'm starving."

He turned, his face beaming. "I figured you would be."

Chris set my food in front of me. "Hope you like it."

He shoved his hand into his pockets and turned to go.

I took a step towards him. "Wait--"

He looked at me. He had placed his beanie on his head. He was wearing his black shorts. He only had two pairs. Beanie. Shorts. What else did a man really need? He was so adorable, and I sensed the loneliness welled up inside him. I wanted to change that.

"You gave me so much food. There's enough here for two, don't you think?"

He shrugged. All of a sudden he didn't have any words for me. Did I make him nervous?

I sighed. "Please?"

That was the magic word. I sat down and he sat across from me. 

"You're really gonna like the mangoes. Sweetest ones we've had all season." 

I didn't miss him licking his lips as he looked at my face and then down at the fruit below us. I felt something flutter inside of me. It must have been my hunger unfolding. I had not eaten anything in two days. We ate quietly for several minutes. 

He shook his head. "Sorry, I forgot to bring you a drink. I'll be right back."

I had an idea.

"Chris, do you have anymore Sun Punch?"

He smiled wide and squinted his eyes. "Sun Punch, huh?"

We all drank it every night after Chris figured out how to mix rain water, sunshine, and fruit into something that sorta tasted downright awful at first, but the more you drank it, every little thing that bothered you just drifted away. When the firepit nights ended, so did the Sun Punch.

"Two Sun Punches coming right up," he winked. 

I put a slice of juicy, tangy mango in my mouth. It really was the sweetest thing I had tasted in a very, very long while. 

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

Sun Punch, anyone?