Caramel sat by the fire, still shivering. Spring warmth wasn't quite here yet, so the nights were still cold. She wanted to get closer to the fire, but any closer would put her at risk of frying. So, she stayed in her spot, still shaking. 

Z noticed her efforts to get warm were failing. So, he scooted closer to her, taking off his jacket. "Here, wear this," he said, offering it to her. Caramel turned and saw it, pausing for a moment. "It's a bit dirty but should be better than scraps," he added. Taking that into consideration, Caramel took the jacket gratefully and wrapped it around herself.

"Yeah...I guess so. But wait--*achoo!* Won't you be cold?" she questioned. 

"I'm fine," he replied simply with a sniff. "I'm not getting cold that easily."

Caramel expected him to add on "At least not when I can be near you~". However, it seemed like that was a Z had to say. Frowning, she faced the fire again, watching the flames dance and flicker. After a few minutes, she heard a rustle. She turned and saw Z offering a coconut half to her. 

"Get yourself hydrated," he told her. Caramel reached for the coconut, but paused. Without his coat covering him up, Z looked in bad shape. He was dirty, his clothes were ripped, his eyes were dull, and his stomach was tightened enough to see his ribs. 

"Um...are you sure? You look hungrier than I d--*achoo!*" her concern was interrupted by another sneeze. 

"I...I just ate something before, I'm fine," Z said hesitantly, making Caramel suspect he was lying. However, he clearly wasn't himself, so she decided to bite. She took the coconut and sipped it up, but hardly focused on it.

 "You're still cold, aren't you?" he asked, changing the subject. Now that he admitted it, she WAS still feeling chilly.   

"Well, I wouldn't say--*achoo!* I mean, I'm not technically--*achoo!*" Caramel knew there was no point in lying; the sneezing gave it away all too easily. She shook a little, still affected by the chill of the water that afternoon. "Okay, yeah, I'm cold..."

Z shook his head and sighed. "Jeez.. don't keep it a secret, what will I do if you sick?" He reached for a log to feed the fire, but there were none left. On top of that, it was too dark to go out searching for some. "Well, it's not getting any warmer than this..." he said in defeat. But he then turned to her, cheering up a little. "I'll help you warm up alright?"

Caramel returned his steady gaze. "...How?"

Z shuffled closer to her and gently wrapped his arms around her. "Like this."

Under normal conditions, Caramel would've been embarrassed and annoyed. Now, she was embarrassed and worried. "U-Um, Z, you don't have to-- *achoo!* What if you get sick too?"

"I'm feeling fine here," he assured her. "In fact it feels good~"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaand THERE'S the Z I'm familiar with," Caramel said, half discouraged, half relieved. Yet, with Z next to her, something was still off. She didn't feel cold anymore, but she still felt shaky. What was that all about?

"Hey...remember that time I got stuck in those cobwebs in the cave, and Awesome had to put-and-pull me out?" Z chuckled. Caramel forced a small laugh, but still couldn't shake her feverish feeling.

"This feels odd..." Caramel pondered. "I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I'm still shaking despite his...idea. This isn't working. Maybe I should--"

Just then, without thinking, Caramel cuddled closer to Z, earning her a slightly curious look from him. 

"What the--?! WHY DID I DO THAT?! "

"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered an apology. "I was still shivering, so maybe I thought if I moved closer, it--*achoo!*"

 "It's fine," Z waved it off. "I was about to do that anyways. Didn't think you gonna do it first." 

  "I-I-I-I-I-*achoo!*"

"Geez, if we have the cloth for a sail right now, we could just let you sneeze us a gale off this island,"

Caramel scooted away a little, ashamed of her risky action. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-"

Before she could finish, Z grabbed her shoulders and laid her down, also lying next to her, like they had on their first night. "Just rest, okay?"

Feeling shy as usual, but tired, she didn't resist. "O-Okay..."

Z then pulled Caramel's head down to his chest. "Mm...there we are. Warm, isn't it?"

Caramel squeezed her eyes shut, blushing once more. "U-Um...mhm..."

As she stayed there, she heard the familiar beat of Z's heart thudding against her ear again. Her eyes fluttered shut and she listened closer, feeling more and more relaxed with each thump. "Mmmm..." a small smile escaped Caramel as she nuzzled in, letting the beat soothe her.

"Are you okay? You're getting all red..." Z pointed out. Drawn back to reality, Caramel realized what she was doing and grew shy again. 

"It's just...the, uh...thing must be working! Haha..." she said uncomfortably, moving her head away, privately missing the sound of his heartbeat already. 

However, Z placed a hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her back down to his chest where it had been. "No, stay here...please..."

Caramel gulped nervously. "If you insist..." she laid back down, and let the gentle, living-bass melody feel at ease. 

Meanwhile, Z stared up at the stars, lost in thought. "The coconut I gave her is one of the last things we can find throughout this whole island," he thought. "And there's no fish either, I haven't had anything for days...I hope maybe we can figure something out tomorrow..."

He then turned his gaze to Caramel, who breathed slowly, signaling she was feeling calmer now. She was so lovely, so precious. And she too, might be put in the state he was in now. "Should I tell her about our situation...?" he wondered. "Maybe not...but what if I don't have a chance anymore?"

Z took a deep breath. She deserved to know about what they were up against now. "Um.. hey Caramel-" he cut off when he realized she was already asleep, snuggled up against his chest. 

A gust of wind blew over the two, reducing the fire to embers. Z shivered a little himself. Without his coat, staying warm was a bit of a challenge. He scoured the beach for it, only to remember that he had given it to Caramel. His gaze fell on her, and he softened when he saw how peaceful and happy she looked, blissfully unaware that she might die the next day.

Giving her a sad smile, Z cuddled up next to her, and feeling cold, but determined, fell asleep, letting the breeze push at his back, blocking Caramel from the harsh winds of cold.

So it's finally begun...Starvation is setting in, and the trio is low on supplies. Someone hire a church choir, because we're gonna need a miracle here, and fast!