I was watching Tarzan at the time and it gave me an idea.

"I'm going to explore the area for a bit Captain. I won't be long." I called out to the Captain as I packed some ammunition and shouldered a rifle. The Captain and I are here in the Congo by invitation from Professor Calculus to help him on an expedition to find a lost civilization. Or something like that. "Stay close to the camp lad. There are jaguars around here and other wild animals that could harm you." the Captain called back to me as he pitched a tent near the fire pit. "I've handled my fair share of wild animals Captain. I'll be alright. Stay here Snowy. I don't want you to get hurt." I said as I scratched behind Snowy's ear. He whined in complaint but stayed put. I waved to everyone as I ventured off into the lush green forest.

I smiled as I walked through the forest teeming with life. You could hear the birds and other animals going about their daily search for food and struggle for survival. I looked around and admired the various plants and flowers around me. As I was admiring the nature around me, I had a sinking feeling in my gut. Like something was watching me. I grabbed my rifle and loaded it as I kept an eye on my surroundings. Just as I finished, I heard low growling behind me. I swung around just in time to come face to face with a roaring jaguar leaping at me. I brought the gun up just in time to block the jaguar from ripping off my face.

I was pinned to the ground while the large cat snarled and snapped its jaws inches away from my face. I grunted as I struggled to push the wild beast off of me. My strength was beginning to fail me and the jaguar's teeth were getting closer to my neck. "This is it." I thought to myself. "My life is going to be ended by the fangs of a jaguar. Goodbye Snowy, I will miss you. Take care of the Captain for me." Just as I felt the heat from the jaguar's breath on my neck, I felt the weight of the animal shoved off me. I backpedaled until my back hit a tree. The jaguar, dazed and confused as I was, snarled at me once more. It was about to pounce on me when something jumped in front of me. Or rather, someone.

It was a woman. A woman with (h/l) (h/c) hair that was messy and tangled. She looked about my age and wore animal skins around her. She was crouched like the animal in front of her. The two circled around each other, snarling and growling. The jaguar looked past the mystery woman and at me and charged at me. I curled myself up in the hopes of protecting myself from the attack. But it never came. I peek up to see the woman wrestling with the predator. I watched paralyzed with fear as the two battled each other. Scratching and biting one another. I knew I had to do something, otherwise, we'd both be killed. I spotted my gun a few feet away from me, loaded and ready to shoot. With a surge of adrenaline, I dashed for the gun. I aimed at the Jaguar and fired.

The woman shoved off the jaguar and it fell to the ground. Dead as a doornail. The jungle became silent. So quiet, that you could hear a pin drop. All I could hear was the sound of my deep breathing as I watched the mysterious woman's movements. She turns around and faces me. She had the clearest (e/c) eyes I've ever seen. Her eyes stared into mine and mirrored my curiosity and confusion. She didn't break eye contact as she crouched down and inched towards me. I stayed completely still as she moved, not wanting to frighten her.

She inched closer and closer until our faces were mere inches apart. Her eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion as she examined my face. She hesitantly put her hands on my cheeks and gently moved my head from side to side, taking in every part of my face. Her thumbs traced the freckles on my cheeks. Her eyes seemed to spark in wonder as she looked up at my hair. She reached up to touch my flick but flinched her hand back, as if afraid to. "Go on. You can touch it if you want." I said in a gentle whisper. She looked into my eyes once more. Those beautiful, hypnotic eyes seemed to stare into my soul. She looked back up at my hair and carefully ran her fingers through it. The feeling if her hands going through my hair sent shivers down my spine.

She let out a small, barely noticeable giggle. I couldn't help but smile along with her. She looked down at my chest and was fascinated by my sweater. She ran her hand down my arm feeling the texture if the soft fabric. Her hand soon traveled to meet mine and she lifted it up. She felt the calloused skin of my hands from all of my previous adventures. She slowly places her palm on mine and compares the sizes. She smiles once again and looks up at me, her eyes capturing me once more. I felt as if time had stopped. I could have stayed like this forever. That is until Snowy showed up.

Our bond broke as the little white terrier ran up to us and jumped between us, startling the mystery woman. She reeled back in fear. "No no! It's alright. There's nothing to fear. He just wanted to say hello. This is Snowy." I said in a gentle way, hoping that she wouldn't run away. She sat frozen as Snowy walked up to her and sniffed her. She soon relaxed and started to sniff him as well. I smiled as the two interacted with each other. Snowy playfully barked at her and she imitated him almost perfectly. they looked like they were communicating. She seems to imitate animal sounds to communicate. Fascinating. I decided to try something. "Can you say Snowy?" I asked sounding out Snowy's name slowly. She looked up at me and copied me. "Sssnnnowwy." I smiled as she did so. "That's good! now, try saying Tintin." I said as I pointed to myself.

"T-tinntin." She said struggling a little bit. I smiled even more. "Good job. That's my name. What's your name?" I asked. She looked down in thought. She must be trying to figure out how to say it. All that came out of her mouth was a bunch of gorilla sounds. Must have been raised by them. "I don't understand gorilla." I said with a light chuckle. She let out a frustrated grunt. "That's alright. You'll get it soon." I said gently. She looked at me and smiled. I then heard the Captain shouting my name from afar. "I have to go now. Hopefully, we'll be able to see each other again someday." I said with a sad smile and stood up to leave. I grabbed the rifle from the ground and threw it over my shoulder. I looked back at the woman and waved at her before heading back to the camp.

Later at the campsite...

"Eat lad. You've been staring at your plate for twenty minutes. Are you feeling alright?" The Captain's voice broke me from my dazed state. "Oh. Yes. I'm alright. I was just thinking." "Drinking? Aren't you a little young to be drinking Tintin?" The Professor asked misunderstanding what I said, as usual. "No no. HE SAID HE WAS THINKING!" the Captain yelled to the Professor, nearly destroying my eardrums. "Oh. My mistake. What were you thinking about dear boy?" Calculus asked. "Nothing really. Just remembering some birds I found earlier. They were quite beautiful." I fibbed. I don't like lying to my friends, but I really don't want to deal with Haddock's teasing right now.

After our meal, everyone went back to their tents. Except me. I told Haddock that I was going to take the first watch of the night. Just to make sure no wild animals attack. I sat near the fire with my rifle in hand. I looked up to the sky and stared at the stars. All I could think about was her. Was she thinking about me? Would she even remember me? I sighed and looked back at the ground. She was so strange, yet so beautiful. Why can't I get her out of my head?! The sound of a twig snapping brought me out of my thoughts and back into reality.

I readied my rifle and aimed at the bushes in front of me, ready to fire. My breath quickened as the branches of the bushes moved. I was just about to fire when a familiar face appeared from the bushes. I couldn't help but smile as she ran on all fours to me.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again. But it looks like you found me." I said with a smile. She smiled up at me but got distracted by the fire. She stalked up to it and watched it carefully as if it would jump out and attack her. I chuckled as I watched her. "Don't be afraid. It's called fire. It keeps us warm and gives us light when the sun is gone." I explained to her. She tilted her head and reached out to it before I could stop her. She screeched and drew her hand back to her chest. "Hold on. I'll fix this." I said as I quickly grabbed the first-aid kit and knelt down in front of her.

She clung to her hand as tears streamed down her face. "Let me see it." I said as I gently reached for her injured hand. She flinched back at first, but slowly let me see it. It wasn't too bad, but it needed to be wrapped up and would need rest. "This might hurt a little bit, but it will make it feel better. Alright?" I said to her as I held it. She nodded in understanding and closed her eyes as she turned her head away. I began to treat her wounds.

She did surprisingly well in keeping her hand still as I put the medicine on it and wrapped it up for her. "There. All better. You just have to stay off of it for a while. Understand?" I asked as I gently rubbed her hand. She nodded with a small smile. She scooted closer to me and put her head on my chest, snuggling into me. I was surprised and a little bit hesitant, but she grabbed my hand and made my arm wrap around her waist. I smiled a little and adjusted her and myself to be a little more comfortable. "You know, you are a strange person. But I can't help but be intrigued by you." I said softly to her.

"(Y-y/n)." I heard her whisper. I looked down at her. "What did you say?" I asked. "M-me. (Y-y/n). You, Tintin." She said pointing as she said our names. I smiled, finally knowing what to call her. "Well (y/n), why don't you get some rest. You'll need it." I said brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She smiled before dozing off. And before I knew it, I fell asleep as well.

Captain Haddock's POV.

I woke up to take my shift for lookout. I'm surprised that Tintin didn't wake me up. I hope he is alright. I better go check on him. I step out of the tent to find Tintin fast asleep leaning against a log. I chuckled at the sight. Always manages to work himself to sleep. I walk over with a blanket to cover him when I get a strange surprise.

I see a strange woman lying next to him, her head on his chest and his arms around her. He has a lot of explaining to do. But later. I covered the two of them with the blanket and took my place for the night.

The next morning.

Tintin's POV

I woke up from my pleasant sleep to the sun shining on my face. I rubbed my eyes and tried to sit up but felt something holding me down. I looked down to see (Y/n) sleeping on my chest. I couldn't help but smile at how peaceful she looked. I wouldn't mind staying like this for a while longer. The sound of suppressed laughter snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see the Captain and the Professor along with other members of the crew looking at the two of us, failing miserably at containing their laughter.

"Have a good rest laddie?" Haddock said with a snicker. I felt my cheeks flame up from embarrassment. I felt (y/n) stir in her sleep. I looked down to meet her sleepy (e/c) eyes. "Good morning. I have some people for you to meet." I whispered to her, trying not to frighten her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked at the group that was watching us and shrunk back. "It's alright. They won't hurt you. These are my friends." I said standing up. She hid behind my leg as I stretched out my back. Leaning against a log all night isn't the best for one's back.

"Come along (Y/n), they won't hurt you. This is Captain Haddock. He may look scary, but he has a heart of gold." I said while helping her stand to her feet, being very careful with her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you lass," Haddock said taking off his hat and holding his hand out. (Y/n) stared at him and tilted her head. She looked back at me as if to ask permission. "Go on. He won't bite." I said with a smile. She turned back to him and grabbed his hand and examined it. She placed her palm in his and compared sizes like when we first met.

"What on earth is she doing?" The Captain asked. "Just let her. She's never seen people like her. I'm fairly certain she was raised by gorillas, so this is a new experience for her. Just keep still and let her continue." I explained as (Y/n) continued to examine him. She then came to his face and looked shocked. "That there is my beard." The Captain said with a chuckle. She smiled and grabbed his beard and tugged it a bit. "Careful. It hurts when you pull on it." The Captain said gently prying her hands away from his face. He then noticed the bandages on her hand. "What happened to her hand?" He asked. "She discovered fire last night. But she learned not to touch it the hard way." I said as we watched her examine the Professor.

"This young lady is remarkable! She has the mannerisms of a gorilla." He said as she grabbed his glasses and inspected them. She figured out how to put them on, but they were upside down. I chuckled as she looked around with a look of confusion. She huffed before returning the glasses to the Professor. "She's very intelligent as well." He said cleaning the lenses before putting them back on. (Y/n) walked around the camp examining everything. She came across a picture frame that held one of the crewman's family. she sat down and stared at it for a while. I went over to her and knelt down beside her. 

"That's called a family." She looked up at me as I spoke. "Do you have a family?" I asked. She set the picture down and ran towards the trees. She leaped up into a tree effortlessly and disappeared into the branches. "Where's she going?" the Captain asked. "I have no idea. She just ran off when I asked her if she had a family." I said with a shrug. "I bet she wants you to meet her parents." the Captain joked as he nudged me. I shot a glare at him as I lightly shoved him. Before I could say another word, (Y/n) popped out in front of me hanging upside down from a vine with a grin on her face. "Tintin!" She said as she dropped down onto the ground. "Hello again. You really mustn't sneak up on me like that." I said with a smile.

 She stood up and held out a paper to my face. "Family." She said as I gently took it from her. I looked to see the paper was a child's drawing of a small girl among large animals that looked like poorly drawn gorillas. She pointed to the small child. "That. Me." she said as she pointed to herself. She pointed to the gorilla that held the drawn child's hand. "Mama." she said with a smile. "That's a big family. Where are they now?" I asked. Her smile disappeared. "Gone. Family no more." She said just above a whisper. "What happened?" I asked. She turned towards the camp and pointed towards the rifles. "They were shot?" I asked. She nodded slowly as she looked down. "Do you have anywhere to go?" I asked her. She shook her head. "You could come with us. We're going back home in a week or two. You'll be around people like you and me, but you won't be able to come back to the jungle." I said turning her head to face me. 

Her eyes stared into mine, shining like gems. As I gazed into her eyes, time seemed to stop. As if the world was completely frozen. "Be with you?" She whispered. "Yes. You'll be with me. I'll show you everything and teach you everything. But if you want to stay, that's just fine. It's your choice." I said taking her hands in mine. "Want to go. Alone here. Want to be with you." She said hugging me. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back. "That's just fine by me."