A/N: Clearly this instagram pic was an effective balm for a bad case of writers block because it sure got my fingers tapping… :-)
LSLSLS
This was it. The battle won. Hard fought, but victory was theirs and they were going to enjoy it, savor it, milk it for every drop of the merriment they could find within in.
They had earned it.
Tonight was not for thinking about tomorrow, or the many more battles that inevitably awaited them at some point not too far around the corner. None of that mattered right now.
Tonight was not for remembering the world was still imperfect, it was for relishing that all their efforts, this day, and all this long year, had made it far less so. Tonight was not for thinking of everything they still had to do, it was for rejoicing in what they, against all odd, had already accomplished.
So many impossible battles, so many losses, so high the price they had all willingly paid...to make all those impossible's, possible.
For themselves, they had not asked for anything. Just given…and given. No one resented it, not one member of the Nathan James's crew, either its official or its ever-increasing unofficial personnel number. But still, the feeling of receiving something tangible back…finally, after all they had all given and sacrificed, was euphoric.
Their victory, the seeming final in this particular leg of their lives, was an almost miraculous balm to the wounded remains of the people they used to be. With their every success the crew of the Nathan James was able to picture their repair, their days and lives after the apocalypse. They were all finally starting to see a real future in a very different, but still eminently livable, world. A world that they had played no small part in saving, a future as different, but maybe even more worthy, people.
Survivors was what they were, real survivors, but first and always foremost, they were protectors and they had done their duty this day. They had done it well and it was in no way contrary to say that pride was an emotion that was overflowing on the Nathan James tonight.
So many would live this day, because of them. So many who wished ill and harm, could never hurt or hinder again. Yes, this night the future looked as bright as any day that came before the plague. Brighter even, because nobody left alive could possible take for granted what was now going to come next.
Life…life was going to come next. Life would continue, life might even thrive at some point in the near future…because of them.
No, nobody could take for granted the breath they took within themselves now. It was so precious. They had survived against the direst odds and now for the first time were experiencing their, at times precariously optimistic hope, being replaced by actual tangible prospects for a bright and real future for them all.
Effusive were the heady emotions permeating the atmosphere all around them.
They were in a sea of celebration and people, over 200 of their now closest friends and family, yet they were seemingly alone on the small densely populated battleship heading back out to the vastness of their cerulean home.
The joyous roar of voices, the festive writhing of bodies… all seemed to melt away as if the festivities were occurring over the distant horizon of the slowly sinking sun.
For it was an old cliché, but it was the only one that came close to explaining their every emotion and every action that they both knew were coming …they only had eyes for each other.
This victory was theirs. Of course it belonged to many others too, but in this moment in time, it was just theirs. They had given so much, strived for this so tirelessly…ignored so much in favor of the mission at hand…
As their eyes searched and met, in that instant came the shared knowledge and joy at their accomplishment, and with it the absolute certainty that the time had come when they could ignore no more…
The airs of joyous relief and celebratory excitement were too infectious to possibly forego. It screamed for them to seize the moment, to not let another single second pass in the tiresome restraint of noble duty. Not now the job was done, their mission a success, their impossible mission brought to brilliant fruition…
Surely the time had come…
Surely no one could or would deny them now…
Not that it mattered, nothing could be done…
Nothing could stop what had now begun…
Their barriers were tumbling down, so fully they had been founded, when distance from their hearts desire had seemed so crucial. But the heavy stones were crumbling now, impossible to be replaced... They lay shattered by their feet, their very souls now forever visible to their mate. And both sets of gazes drank in the sight their souls true match.
Before even seconds passed, a mutual silent decision screamed at both that even the short distance of half a flight deck between them was completely unacceptable to their soul's desire to melt into one another this night.
Before even conscious thought there was fervent action, they moved at speed, their course unwavering. Emotions fought, too many to note or count, but in this exact moment in time, jubilation easily won. With their first touch their faces broke into clear reflections of the overwhelming joy both were feeling.
They held each other, bodies melting. Taking cues from their magnetic souls, trying to get closer still…
With an ease and grace as natural as if he had done it a thousand times, Tom lifted his beloved's whole form into his strong embrace. Rachel showed no shock at being lifted all encompassing into the Captain's arms. Only even greater merriment as her face broke into the biggest and most sincere smile of joy she had ever felt.
Everything about this felt so right and frankly magical, the stuff of fairy tales that didn't actually exist…except it did. She felt dizzy with happiness as she clung to her man… Yes, he was her man now, had been for a while. No words were needed, they both knew.
Rachel clung harder, wrapping her arms around his neck, belatedly realizing part of the reason for her faintness was that he was swinging them around in dance of delight. She marveled at the look of carefree abandon on his usually stoic features. She met his eyes in a silent communication of joy and hope, their foreheads just touching as he slowed his moments, their actions both on display and hidden as they were so similar to the various displays of celebration that were occurring in the sea of joy surrounding them.
Again it was a mutual silent communication that assured them that they were both sharing the feeling of the mood decidedly changing, but it was not a change for the worse…far from it.
As Tom slowed his movements further, to the barest swaying of their bodies, his eyes again connected to joyous deep brown ones that were now mere inches from his own. He witnessed as they darkened further, the brown receding as the black expanded. Her whole gaze shone with awakening arousal…and he was sure his own gaze mirrored hers in every way.
They stayed like that, now stationary in a sea of thriving celebration, but it was like no other's existed. It was like a switch had been flicked. They were happy, smiling, elated to be alive and victorious, all of that was true. But no longer were thoughts meandering on anything as trivial as the survival of the human race. As the throngs of their reveling friends seemed to disappear around them, their thoughts and desires turned exceedingly more selfish…
Lost in the trance her awakened desire had thrust her into, Rachel was almost unaware of her own actions until she felt the heat of her partners gaze increase on the first contact of her fingers lovingly stroking his face.
Tom briefly closed his eyes in wonder and bliss as she touched him, as she gently and reverently ran her fingers along his face as if he was so precious to her that she was afraid he might break. His heart actually did break a little at the immense emotion the act drew from him.
She was so precious, and she was his.
No words needed to be spoken, they both knew, and what was more, they both knew the time was now.
Their time started now.
LSLSLS
A/N: I hope everyone liked this! While I admit that I had every intention of this being a short little PicTag, my reawakening typing fingers didn't get the memo! So there is actually at least one more part coming and I will post it soon, but would love to know what you think of this in the meantime. :-D