The Tao of Surfing (Part III)

Posted on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 @ 11:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde

1,125 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: An Angel's Sacrifice
Location: Planetoid
Timeline: The First Night

[PREVIOUSLY]

"Would it help you to know that, using a tree for a surfboard, is a sacred thing? A whole ritual in and of itself. Finding the right one and making one from it is a time consuming but wonderful thing. It ties you to the board, and the board, ties you to the water. It's a part of you just like you are a part of it. And you can keep it with you all your life. Someday, teaching the next generation the same way, passing it on. Continuing the journey." He smiled as he leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head again. "When we settle, Elf. You'll see."

[CONTINUED]

"It seems there is much I need to learn, then." She smiled up at him. "That's something else to live for. You need to teach your children these things."

"Ours." He whispered back. "You are the only one I want to have a family with."

"Ours." She caressed his cheek with her hand. "A family. It was a dream I once had and thought lost because I could not imagine it with anyone but you."

"Maybe it’s time to consider it." Jason replied softly. "I mean, we only just got back together and mended those bridges we thought we destroyed, but we don't know how long we'll be here." He paused for a moment, holding her close. "I know this might be too fast, and I am sure you'll tell me if it is, but there is no one else but you. You've had my heart since our very first kiss."

Her heart was racing through her veins and she felt breathless. She hadn't felt this way in a very long time. "I don't know. Is twenty years too fast?" she teased. "I never really stopped loving you. If I had, I wouldn't have been so angry. And now I know the truth, I don't want to waste any more time if we both know what we want." Her sister would laugh to see her like this. Jayde was the one to think things through, to take her time. But this did not feel like rushing into anything. It felt like coming home.

Jason laughed softly, taking her hands in his. He turned her around to face him, the fire illuminating their faces, as it cracked slightly in the background. "Aloha Aku No, Aloha Mai No" He whispered to her. "It means: I give my love to you; you give your love to me. My father would say that to my mother every night and every morning since he learned it. To them it was more than a phrase. It was a statement of their love. A proclamation that they were no longer two people, but one made whole again. They would share the world together and keep each other safe till death do they part. And I say this to you, making the same proclamation. You are my guiding star. My other half. The part of me that makes me whole again. My heart is yours like yours is mine. No matter where we are we will always be with each other. Whether separated by walls or miles or even galaxies we will always be together." He placed one hand on her heart, then placed her hand on his. "In here." He smiled at her and whispered softly again. "Aloha Aku No, Aloha Mai No."

"Aloha Aku No, Aloha Mai No." She did her best to pronounce it correctly. "May our hearts ever be one." She was not as poetic as he was, but her words were just as sincere.

Jason let go of her hands and reached into his shirt. He eased a necklace out from under his shirt that had a single charm around it. A ring made of gold with a diamond on it. Inscribed inside were the same words Aloha Aku No, Aloha Mai No. He yanked the necklace off and removed the ring, holding it to her. "I hope it still fits. I was going to give this to you back when we were on the Maquis ship, but things got crazy and, well you know how that ended."

She stared at the ring. "Oh, Jason. I wish..." She was crying again. "You kept it, all this time?" Her heart ached for what they'd lost, but at the same time, they'd both grown over the years and would be stronger together now.

He placed his hand on the side of her face and wiped the tears away. "Yes, because deep down, I knew you were my one. I messed things up with you and I wanted to make it right. Now that we've got passed what happened and are back to building what we lost, probably making it better than it was before, I don't want to lose it again." He smiled at her and whispered. "You don't have to take it now, and if it doesn't fit, you can just wear it around your neck. I just want you to know that, even back then, I knew you were the one for me."

"No. I want it now." She managed to smile at him. "It will be better than before. I was so angry back then. Thanks in part to Liang, I've overcome that." Then, remembering how angry she'd been again at Jason she smiled wryly. "Mostly." She held out her hand. "Let's see if it fits. If it doesn't, I'll wear it around my neck until we can have it altered."

Jason smiled, taking her hand with one of his, and holding the ring in his other hand. Slowly, he eased it over the tip of her ring finger and slowly down. He looked into her eyes while he slid the ring to her knuckle and finally to the end. It was a little snug, but not enough to where it couldn't come off or go back on. "So, we're clear, that's an I do right?"

"Yes. It is definitely an I do," she replied softly.

Jason laughed happily before pulling her in for a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as if he was afraid to let her go again. Despite their current situation, and his lack of medication, he was as happy as he ever was. Whether they got out of there or not his life was set on the course it was on and it was with Jayde by his side. The one that got away and, through much effort, got back again.

____
OFF

Lieutenant Commander Jason Smoak
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant Commander Mira Jayde
Executive Officer

 

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