Their Elemental Curse

Chapter 38

"You know, you give great advice. That's what I like about you" I responded as I gazed into her eyes with a warm smile.

"Thank you."

Gaia didn't say anything after that. It was nothing but an awkward silence between us for a few seconds before I spoke up.

"Hey Gi Gi?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you going to do once we get back home?"

She stroked her chin, thinking of an answer.

"Well, I might keep living my life and hang out with my friends: you, Robin, Mizu, Kim, Katie and Danny. All of us together. We'll eat nachos, hang out in Chinatown, go to the beach, and much more. It will be like a happily ever after. And you-"

She stared into my eyes.

"I would confess to you all over again. To let you know that my feelings never changed, but only grew."

I looked away, wondering if I should tell her.

"Should I tell her now in case we don't survive this? Or should I have faith we will survive this island and tell her once we get home, safe and sound?" I thought to myself.

"I want to ask you a question Beval. If you could kiss any girl in the world, who would be it be?" she asked, sitting on her knees.

I snapped out of my thoughts and giggled, recognizing the question that she asked me last September, the night of the sleepover.

"You already know the answer to that Gaia" I chuckled as I shook my head.

"It's Mina, right?" she answered with a sad expression, looking up the moon.

"Nope. Guess again" I smiled.

"Katie?"

"No, she's like three years younger than us."

"Kimberly?"

"No."

"Robin?"

"What? No, she's like a sister to me."

"Me?"

Slowly, the smile on my face grew, giving her the answer without saying it. Gaia's pupils enlarged as she smiled along with me.

"Yes Gaia, it's you" I nodded in a calm voice, grabbing her hands. "And I think it's time for me to tell you how I feel, I was going to tell you once we get back home, but now, I've changed my mind. Gaia, I like y-"

My words were stopped as a pair of Gaia's lips touched mine. It was just as warm as the first kiss, but more graceful.

I kissed back as we leaned in closer to each other.

After five incredible seconds, she broke the kiss and gave me a tight hug.

"You don't have to confess anything" she said before standing up. "It's getting late, I'm going back to bed, you should too. We may have to get up early tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, maybe I should. Hopefully, sleep will help me clear my thoughts a bit" I agreed, getting up from off the ground.

As we walked back over to our sleeping friends, I started to hear a faint rumbling sound as the ground underneath my feet started to vibrate.

"Huh?" I said out loud.

The rumbling grew louder and louder, and the ground shook harder and harder. It got so intense that it woke the others.