He found her at the cliff's edge, her arms folded protectively across her stomach. Quietly moving up behind her, he hesitated before loosely wrapping her in his arms.
To his surprise, she didn't pull away but instead leaned back in his embrace, seeking comfort.
They stood silently for a long while, witnessing the sun's inevitable descent and the emergence of the still unfamiliar stars. His grip tightened suddenly and her arms, laying over his now, returned the gesture.
"C'mon," he whispered. "The guys'll worry."
She gave one last glance at the horizon before they turned and left, hand in hand.
***
Just as the second moon rose above the horizon, they arrrived back at the small home the natives had given the four stranded teammates . By unspoken agreement, they both moved to her room.
Under the cover of darkness, beneath the blankets, they lay together; facing each other, foreheads touching, legs brushing, hands coming together and entwining gently in the space between them.
"I want to go home." Her barely audible whisper broke the silence.
"I know." He squeezed her hand. "Me too."
They spent the night together, drawing comfort simply from each other's presence.
In the morning, things looked brighter.
--end--
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