Chapter Text
The villa sparkled beneath the late afternoon sun, the pool reflecting shades of blue so bright it almost looked fake. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze while ten Islanders gathered near the fire pit, drinks in hand and nerves beginning to show.
“Islanders, please gather around the sofa,” the familiar text announcement chimed through the villa.
Almost immediately, conversations broke apart.
“Well, here we go,” Sherry said, standing first.
The group made their way across the decking toward the oversized cream-colored couch overlooking the pool. Michonne settled into one corner while Amber squeezed in beside her. Leah crossed her legs elegantly, already looking camera-ready.
Lena dropped into the middle section of the sofa.
Even sitting down, she stood out.
Long black hair fell over tattooed shoulders, dark ink winding down both arms and disappearing beneath the tiny black dress she’d chosen for the evening. She looked relaxed, but her eyes were already studying everyone around her.
Across from the girls, the boys claimed their spots.
Rick sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
Daryl looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.
Shane sprawled comfortably across one end of the couch.
Phillip wore a practiced smile.
And Negan?
Negan looked completely at home.
One arm stretched across the back of the sofa as if he’d personally purchased the villa.
Lena caught him looking at her.
He smirked.
She rolled her eyes.
The smirk only grew.
“Right,” Amber laughed. “We’ve not even started and people are already eyeing each other up.”
“Who?” Shane asked.
“Everybody.”
A large television screen beside the fire pit suddenly flickered to life.
Several Islanders straightened immediately.
“Oh God.”
“Oh no.”
“This is embarrassing already.”
Laughter spread through the group.
The familiar theme music began playing.
A few people groaned.
“Ain’t no way they’re making us watch these,” Leah said, covering her face.
“They absolutely are,” Sherry replied.
The screen faded from black.
The Love Island logo appeared.
The boys and girls exchanged nervous looks.
A second later, the narrator’s voice filled the villa.
“Tonight, our Islanders will finally get a look at the people they’ll be spending the summer with. Some will fancy what they see. Some will regret what they see. And some will immediately start planning their wedding.”
Negan raised a hand.
“Guilty.”
Laughter erupted across the sofa.
The narrator continued.
“First up, she’s tall, tattooed, and probably responsible for half the boys forgetting their own names. It’s Lena.”
The screen goes out before showing Lena in an all black and red bikini sitting in the write chair. She puts her hair behind her ear as she begin to smile confidently at camera and begins to speak. “I’m Lena, I’m 24, and I’m from Oklahoma. I’m covered in tattoos from head to toe, I’ve got long black hair, and I’d say my type is confidence. If a guy can’t hold eye contact with me, he’s probably not my type. I’m not here to make friends—I’m here to find a man.”
The screen goes dark again before a beautiful girl in a brown full piece bathing suit pops up. Sherry smiles at the camera. “I’m Sherry, I’m 28, and if I want something, I go after it. I’m loyal, but only to people who deserve it. If you’re coupled up and I fancy your man? That’s not really my problem.”
The room stays quiet, everyone’s nerves higher than ever, as the Screen Switches to a woman in a pretty yellow two piece, her hair braided down her back, a gorgeous smile on her face “I’m Michonne, I’m 31, and I don’t waste my time. I know exactly what I bring to the table, and I don’t chase anyone. If a man wants me, he’ll have to prove he’s worth my attention.”
Michonne covers her face before looking back at the screen, as Amber appears, a confident smirk on her face as she speaks, “I’m Amber, I’m 23, and I’d definitely say I’m a girls’ girl… until we like the same guy. Then all bets are off. I’m here to find love, but I don’t mind causing a little chaos along the way.”
A synchronized “ooo” sounds in the room before one last woman shows on the screen. Leah, her long blond hair touching her camo bathing suit, a bored look on her otherwise gorgeous face. “I’m Leah, I’m 27, and I’ve never had trouble getting attention. I’m confident, I know what I want, and if another girl wants the same guy as me? Good luck to her.”
The room goes quiet, the T.V flashing again not letting anyone in the room speak.
A gorgeous man has appeared a smirk on his face as he leaves back, wearing black shorts and a shirt that fits tight on his biceps. He licks his lips before he speaks.
“I’m Negan, I’m 38, and let’s be honest—if I walk into a room, people notice. I’m confident, charming, and I know exactly what women like. The question is which lucky lady gets me first.”
Lena leans back trying not to bite her lip and kick her feet, as she leans back her eyes find Negan. His eyes flash a dangerous look before looking back at the T.V
The T.V shows off another man. Rick, wearing a blue button up, the top buttons undone, and a pair of dark blue shorts. He leans against his legs with his elbows.
“I’m Rick, I’m 34, and I’d say I’m a proper gentleman. I’m loyal, honest, and I’m looking for something real. Hopefully these girls aren’t just here for bad boys.”
Amber can’t help the squeak that leaves her lips as she looks at all the women “I call first dibs”
A dark haired man appears, wearing a black button up, sleeves rolled up, his hair cut into a short style, his smile dangerous, as he begins to talk he leans forward as if to be more intimate. “I’m Daryl, I’m 33. I don’t really do all that chatting nonsense. If I like someone, they’ll know. If I don’t, they’ll know that too.”
Leah looks up at the man noticing he still looks bored, sitting against the arm of the couch, his head leaning on his hand. She looks away quickly before A man that definitely isn’t her type appears.
A man who looks a little too cocky for her. “I’m Phillip, I’m 37, and people usually make their minds up about me pretty quickly. Luckily for me, they’re usually impressed. I know how to treat a woman right.”
No one makes a sound, making Phillip shake his head, “That damn video didn’t give me any justice, I sound like a dick”
His statement is cut off by the last man appearing on the screen, A hawaiian shirt, first two buttons undone, and black shorts. He smirks as he speaks, his voice a southern drawl, his posture strong and sure of him self as he speaks. “I’m Shane, I’m 35, and I’m competitive in everything. If I want a girl and another guy wants her too? Sounds like a competition to me.
The final introduction video faded from the screen.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the villa erupted.
“Oh my God, Shane, ‘sounds like a competition to me’?” Amber laughed.
Shane pointed at the television. “Did I lie?”
“Not even a little bit,” Rick admitted.
Everyone laughed.
Across the sofa, Daryl looked thoroughly unimpressed by the entire experience.
“You hated every second of that, didn’t you?” Michonne asked.
Daryl shrugged.
“Ain’t exactly my thing.”
“You’re on Love Island.”
“Yeah. Starting to realize that.”
The girls burst out laughing.
The narrator’s voice suddenly echoed through the villa again.
“Well, introductions are over, and our Islanders now know exactly who they’re living with. Unfortunately, knowing someone’s name and knowing they’re your future heartbreak are two very different things.”
A collective groan spread through the group.
“Future heartbreak?” Leah repeated.
“Already dramatic,” Sherry said.
Negan leaned back against the sofa.
“I mean, they ain’t wrong.”
“You’re definitely somebody’s future heartbreak,” Amber told him.
“Sweetheart, I’m everybody’s future heartbreak.”
The boys laughed.
The girls rolled their eyes.
Lena couldn’t help smiling.
Negan immediately noticed.
Of course he did.
“See?” he said, pointing at her. “She gets it.”
“No,” Lena replied. “I think you’re annoying.”
“Those are basically the same thing.”
More laughter followed.
The atmosphere had relaxed considerably since the videos.
People were beginning to settle in.
To get comfortable.
To actually look at each other.
Rick and Michonne were already chatting quietly.
Amber was teasing Shane.
Phillip had somehow positioned himself between Leah and Sherry.
And Negan…
Negan seemed completely focused on Lena.
The narrator returned.
“And now that our Islanders have seen each other’s introduction videos, it’s time for them to find out whether first impressions match reality.”
Several heads lifted.
“Oh?”
“Oh no.”
“What does that mean?”
Before anyone could speculate further, every phone in the villa chimed simultaneously.
The sound instantly silenced the group.
Lena reached for hers.
Everyone else did the same.
“Islanders,” Rick read aloud.
A grin immediately spread across Shane’s face.
“Here we go.”
Rick continued.
“Tonight, you will take part in the first coupling ceremony. Girls, you’ll each choose the boy you wish to couple up with based on your first impressions.”
The villa exploded.
“No!”
“Oh my God.”
“Already?”
Amber buried her face in her hands.
Sherry immediately sat forward.
The final introduction video faded from the screen.
ighted.
Across the boys’ sofa, Daryl looked like he was considering climbing the villa wall and escaping.
The Islanders stared at one another.
Everything had been fun and games up until now.
Now it counted.
The girls would have to choose.
The boys would have to wait.
Negan stood first.
The final introduction video faded from the screen.
Across the boys’ sofa, Daryl looked like he was considering climbing the villa wall and escaping.
Negan looked thrilled.
Absolutely thrilled.
The text continued on.
“Make your way to the firepit to find your first couples”
And somewhere in the back of everyone’s mind was the same question.
Who was picking who?
Negan stood first.
“Well.”
He straightened his shirt.
“Let’s see who falls in love with me.”
Lena laughed despite herself, as she smiled widely, and heads for the fire pit.
The Islanders stood around the fire pit, the villa glowing behind them as the sun dipped lower in the sky. The pool shimmered beneath strings of lights, and despite the warm evening air, there was a nervous energy hanging over everyone.
The first woman to step up is Michonne, a confident smile as she walks towards the men, she looks each one up and down. “I like a man who is confident but not cocky. I think I choose you.” Her sentence finishes with a finger on Rick’s chest. He smiles as he grabs her hand. “Okay I am one lucky ass man.” They both smile as Michonne drags Rick to the couch, sitting down and immediately snuggling up whispering to each other
The narrator’s voice echoed through the villa.
“One couple down.”
Lena was next. Her long legs in her black tight dress, she steps in front of the men, a pretty, confident grin on her face as she steps in front of them, her hips swaying as she walks. “This is a hard choice, you’re all so pretty” she licks her lips as she looks at Negan, at the end of the couch, she looks down as she stops right in front of him. “Negan, would you like to couple up with me?” she lays her hand out in front of him, and she smiles as he grabs her hand.
A deep smirk on his face “Oh absolutely sweetheart, was startin’ to get nervous, thought you didn’t like me.” Lena pulls him up from the couch. “Come on sit with me”, a small smirk on her lips as she turns around making sure her hips move, knowing it’s exactly where his eyes lay as she walks to the couch.
As the night comes to end, the paired couples standing together.
Michonne stood beside Rick.
Amber stood beside Shane.
Sherry stood beside Phillip.
Leah stood beside Daryl.
Lena stood beside Negan. Of course.