My Darling Lies Over the Ocean (YouTubers AU)

25. For a relationship to work, love and hope need to also be partners.

It's only when Cry and Ken have ducked back into the camp area under the chilly mists of the first parts of nighttime that they realize that no one else is awake. Perhaps the long day had finally been what dragged everyone back into their makeshift tents and trying to get to sleep before the air got as cold as yesterday. Cry yawns much louder than he means which sends the small head of Ethan poking his head out of the tent.

"Sorry," Cry whispers, with only the slightest hint of a chuckle and Ethan smiles back that it's all right. Mark again is already asleep and snoring loudly when Ethan crawls back inside. The small man wraps himself around the warmness of his husband, and wishes that whatever Cry and Ken did while they were gone, that it's obvious from the bounce in Cry's step that they had a lot more closeness than him. Frustration feels like it's radiating out of Ethan's face and hands. First Felix and now Cry. Everyone seems to be getting attention out of their husband but him.

In the furthest tent, Tyler is as usual all alone, but the tears have stopped and now are replaced with a longing for someone to talk to when the pangs of loneliness get to be too much. He inhales deeply into the itchy brown blankets that have been his only comfort at night since they got on the island. Everyone is kind overall, but it's just not enough. Only Ethan seems to linger when the others break from meals and chores. The kind blue eyes and small smile reminds him so much of Evan that it both terrifies and excites him.

In one of the tent in between Felix is still wide awake and staring up at the fluttering leaves of their tent while Jack is busy on his right side and dreaming. The Swede has always been a night person, and even now he tries to find a way to not sulk in his boredom. In a vague bit of wondering he knows that Cry is the last one to fall asleep at night other than him. Perhaps he can get the smaller man to chat with him for a while. As if to remind him that Cry has mentioned that he's always there to talk if he needs him, the blonde reaches up and rubs the small white stone with the mask like face. The whispers of Cry and Ken grow even quieter and he is fairly heard Ken say goodnight.

Felix waits a few minutes before pulling away from the Irishman's side and heading out in the growing darkness of the night. The stars are shining their lights over the seven men as if telling them that they are protected. At least for right now.

"Cry?"

The slender brunette turns his head towards his name, and the dark blue eyes meet a pair of lighter blue.He sits up and Ken grunts, but doesn't move.

"Felix? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the Swede admits, his voice as soft as he can make it. The blue eyes hover over the concerned face and then shifts over to Ken's sleeping form. "I just...can we talk for a little while?"

"Of course. Just give me a moment and I'll be right out. Meet you by the fire pit."

Felix nods, already feeling better. The sand feels more natural on his bare feet than the day before, and he moves as quickly as he can to the familiar area that the group have their meals. The smell of cooked berries still hang in the air from their last dessert, which was nice to have after another dinner of meal bars. Once they all got off of this island Felix is never going to eat anything that looks like a meal bar again.

"What's on your mind?"

The deep voice that Cry has has always been soothing, but even more so in times like this. The small man adjusts his pants with tons of pockets before sitting down next to the blonde on one of the fallen logs.

"Just wanted to talk, " Felix mumbles, with his thin fingers playing with the necklace again.

The other man inclines his head in a tight nod.

"Do you think that we're really going to be rescued? It feels like we've been away from the rest of the world forever."

The Swede watches the other man consider the question carefully. His narrow shoulders hunched as he tries to get more comfortable on the makeshift seat of a log. The blue eyes looking at him, as if trying to figure out what the bet thing to say would be.

"I think that we can't lose hope," Cry settles on saying, his face almost too serious. "As long as we have hope, and each other, I think that it will all work out in the end."

The answer isn't the one that Felix has hoped for, but really searching his own thoughts, he really hadn't known what answer would have satisfied his dread. The salt of the sea is all he could smell for days, and now the harshness of the elements on his skin makes him miss his warm elegant house in the lavish hills of LA more than anything.

"Please don't give up hope, ok?"

The blonde looks into the kind face. The necklace resting in the middle of his chest seems to make the corners of his lips turn upward into what he knows, for once, is a hopeful smile.