Hiya my friends - I'm back after taking two years off from this story. Not sure how many of my original readers are still here; but if you are I truly thank you for still following me on this journey.

To reiterate, I do intend on finishing this fanfic! But I write rather sporadically. I've more or less outgrown this fanfic, and it is going to be one of the lowest things on my task list. But fear not my readers! I have put so much love and attention into this story that I will give it a proper ending.

Date: March 3 2017

Ch 25 - Fanning the flame

"Oh thank you!" Nausicaa declared, once she noticed the tray of food Asbel had brought to her. "What time is it? I've completely lost track."

"Past 2. It's time to eat."

"I suppose so. But I don't feel hungry." Her eyes, full of concentration, never left her plants as she sat at her lab bench. Asbel took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"You should eat. You're getting too absorbed in your work." His voice harbored slight concern.

"I can't help it! Look at these spores - they're growing so quickly! They were barely an inch tall two days ago."

Asbel eyed them skeptically, but waited for her to finish watering her plants.

"You've been spending 90% of your day down here in the lab… Don't you get bored?"

"Not really. Why? Are you feeling neglected?" She teased.

"Yes." He joked sarcastically. "I move here to the Valley to find you lavishing all your attention on your plants. And your pet rat." The girl laughed, and laid down her forceps and gloves.

"Fox squirrel…" She corrected, then circled the table and plopped down next to him. Her arms automatically slipped around his neck for an intimate embrace, and he brought a hand to gently support her waist.

"How goes it my love?" She started, ignoring the food tray once again. However, the man wouldn't be distracted from his original mission.

"Eat first; talk later." Taking the food, he decided to feed her a piece.

"You're no fun," she pouted, then obediently took a bite. Being her energetic self, she couldn't quite stay still, and proceeded to play with his collar.

"But really," she continued. "Anything new above ground?"

"You should come up to see for yourself." He replied. "Don't trap yourself down here at the bottom of your tower."

"But it's so peaceful…. And so much fun." She whined, glancing wistfully at her plants before bringing her attention back to him. Her hands gently framed his face and she smiled. Asbel spoke up again.

"When did you wake up? I didn't even see you when I got breakfast."

"Seven I think? Hmm… It has been a while." This time she tilted his chin towards her and kissed him tenderly for several seconds. When she pulled away the man gazed into her eyes, slightly entranced. But he quickly snapped out of it and began chastising her again.

"You've been forgetting to eat lunch for the last four days. At this rate I might eventually have to force feed you."

"I'm fine." She asserted.

"If I didn't come down here, would you have remembered to eat?"

"Eventually." The man uttered a single unamused laugh.

These days she had found herself depending on him for lots of small things: a jacket in the chilly wind, food when she forgot to eat, a dagger for a small fix, reminders for things she normally wouldn't forget. Was her memory failing, or was she more distracted now that he was around? She hadn't told him yet, but she loved having him within arm's reach (or at least within walking distance).

Asbel had been living in the Valley for a few months now, and had adjusted well. He complained about the blandness of the food occasionally, but otherwise had no real regrets in leaving Pejite. They still visited Pejite rather often - once a month the couple would take a weekend trip to Asbel's home town. For Nausicaa it was a sort of vacation; for Asbel, a chance to see his mother and keep in touch with the Pejite governing authorities.

Nausicaa had the talent of gaining the trust of just about every person she met, so the Pejites gradually became fond of her. Asbel's mother in particular began to show much affection and motherly concern for her, always watching out for her and making sure she was comfortable during her visits. They grew closer over time: their conversations turned into lengthy intimate chats and their understanding of each other deepened. When Nausicaa dearly missed her own mother, she found solace in her presence, and the same was true when Asbel's mother grieved for her departed Lastelle. One evening the elder surprised the younger with a gift.

"Nausicaa my dear, come here. I have something to give you." Curiosity and surprise was evident on the girl's face as she approached the middle-aged woman. Asbel's mother pulled a small box out of a cabinet, and opened the box.

"Here, wear this." The middle aged woman lifted a necklace out for observation. It was a gorgeous ruby pendant suspended on a delicate gold chain. The stone itself was flawless and of a intense and fiery red, while the gold surrounding the gem was hammered into delicate vines that curled securely around the ruby.

"Oh my goodness..." Nausicaa breathed in awe. "It's beautiful." As the Princess was admiring it, Asbel's mother had opened the clasp and proceeded to place it against the Princess's neck. The woman took a step back and wore a satisfactory smile.

"It looks good on you," The elder declared. "Keep it."

"No… I couldn't possibly take it."

"Don't be afraid; it is my gift to you. You are meant to have it." She reassured the young girl.

"But it looks so incredibly valuable…" she replied with hesitation.

"Yes, it's a family treasure that's been passed down the generations. However, I will feel better knowing that it is being worn by someone who truly appreciates it."

"I will take good care of it." Gratefully the girl reached out to embrace her adoptive mother, who received the hug gladly. "Thank you so much! You've been so kind to me."

"My darling, you lost your mother and I my Lastelle. The heavens were kind enough to bring us together."

During dinner Nausicaa found herself absent-mindedly feeling for the pendant… it was perfect length against her collar, and almost gave her a sense of comfort, as treasured gifts often do. Between her fingers the cool ruby had a perfect weight - neither too unwieldy, nor too small to go unnoticed.

"I see you're growing fond of it already." Asbel's mother piped up. Asbel, sitting next to Nausicaa, hadn't really noticed it until now and glanced over at her new possession. Realization flitted across his face as he recognized the pendant.

"It's pretty isn't it?" Nausicaa whispered to Asbel, still turning it over and admiring it in her hands.

"Yes it is," he agreed with a knowing smile. "Thanks mother."

"You're welcome. Now you know what I'm going to say - I'm not trying to push you. But she's practically family already - it only made sense to give it to her. Take your time."

"Okay." He replied in a low hum; Nausicaa was amused by his lighthearted tone of voice, reminiscent of a rebellious teenager who wasn't really listening. His mother clearly picked up on it and made sure she had the last word.

"Just don't wait till I'm dead." She retorted with a hint of sassiness.

"What was that about?" Nausicaa inquired out of curiosity a little while later, when his mother was beyond earshot of them.

"Do you want to know what that is?" Asbel asked, picking up the pendant and turning it over in his hand.

"I don't know, do I?" Nausicaa grinned, recalling the strange conversation between Asbel and his mother.

"It's the first necklace my father gave to my mother."

"Oh..." She replied, turning slightly serious as the information began to sink in. "Does this mean something?" She asked cautiously.

"It means she approves of you." He answered with a soft smile, and further explained when her eyes displayed perplexity. "Jewelry of that importance is only ever given away to a future daughter in law to signify acceptance into the family." At that revelation she widened her eyes and stared at the pendant in awe.

"Oh..." She breathed nervously, as slight bashfulness crept over her face in the form of a faint blush. He carefully tugged at her hand, pulling her closer to himself.

"No pressure." He joked kindly, amused by her reaction but feeling the same sentiment as her. With her body so close to him he ran his hands along her arms, perhaps in an effort to soothe her. The girl let out a skittish laugh; when she looked up she registered the same uneasiness in the mesmerizing amber depths. In that moment they realized that they were both very happy with each other, but hadn't thought about the issue in a while.

"Don't let this bother you. She's not trying to be pushy, just pronouncing her blessing on us. Ignore her if you like."

"I know."

"We can talk about it again later - when the time is right."

"And when is that?" She prodded out of curiosity, wondering if he had an agenda on his mind. However he merely shrugged his shoulders - an indication that he didn't know either. To be fair, their relationship was still changing. They had vastly different personalities, which sometimes made it difficult to interact and understand each other. Having lived independently for so long, Nausicaa's free-spiritedness occasionally confused Asbel, while Nausicaa admittedly seemed to toggle between clinging to him for hours, and disappearing for days to mind her own business.

On one occasion Asbel was lounging in the early afternoon sun in her office, watching her pack a small bag. She was clearly making a trip somewhere... From the water jar and light snacks, he deduced that she would be doing some walking or staying out for a bit, but not overnight.

"Where are you going?" He asked good-naturedly. Nausicaa's eleven year old self wanted to roll her eyes… she was frankly getting a bit tired of his nosiness these days.

"Just going out." Came her terse reply, hoping he would take a hint and not inquire further.

"Can I come with you?" She was busy enough running the errands without having to bring Asbel along.

"You came with me a few days ago." He frowned at the annoyance in her voice, but didn't react.

"Okay," he replied, slightly dejected. "When will you be back?" Nausicaa heaved a sigh internally at the way he continued pressing questions.

"Not sure. A few hours? Why?" She snapped, now clearly upset.

"Just want to know what you're up to." Came the answer. "Is that wrong?" It was his turn to be annoyed.

"No… it's just, I don't know." She sighed and rubbed her temples, clearly conflicted. She wasn't normally impatient with him; was she stressed? Perhaps; it was barely noon and she had already been to lab, flying lessons, and a meeting with the Valley council.

"I'm just… so used to being alone. It's strange having to always be accountable to someone. I feel like I'm always reporting where I'm going."

Asbel frowned but didn't pursue the conversation any further. His general concern for her daily activities had been misinterpreted as intrusiveness. Being the good-naturedly fellow he was, he decided to shrug it off and assume she had been having a bad day. However, her words did sting just a bit - as if she was trying to push him away.

"Sorry, I'll be back soon." She uttered apologetically. "Maybe tonight we can catch up." Not wanting to upset him any further she quickly left the room and hoped her mood would be better by the evening.

What is wrong? Why am I this annoyed by him? She wondered to herself.

When she encountered strange puzzles like these she would retreat first to the deep recesses of her mind. Was she being selfish? Too cold and distant? She felt terrible for brushing him off, but couldn't figure out why she did it in the first place. She still loved him, but sometimes just found him to be so annoying! Back when she had the time, she certainly didn't mind spending entire days with him… but now that she had her other activities, he became more of a distraction and less of a priority.

She needed to talk to someone about this... That someone almost always ended up being Tersa. Two hours later when she finished all her tasks, she appeared on Tersa's doorstep to have their sporadic long-winded chats.

"Tersa, am I too independent for Asbel?" Nausicaa blurted out rather suddenly, partway through their conversation.

"What makes you think that?" Her best friend snorted.

"Sometimes I feel like he's trying so hard to follow me around. Or maybe I leave him alone too much."

"So he wants to spend time together and you don't?"

"I like keeping my free time to myself." She admitted. "Is that bad?"

"No it's not; you've always preferred being alone. We've stayed close friends for the last fifteen years and we both keep to ourselves."

"But doesn't that just make us equally strange?" They exchanged nervous glances and burst out laughing.

Perhaps there was a lesson for her to learn behind all this. Being in a relationship meant living slightly differently…. such as sharing details of her day, and yielding up a bit of her free time. She wouldn't be able to disappear to the Toxic Jungle on a whim, or change weekend travel plans without first asking him. It meant being invested in his life as much as he was invested in hers, and occasionally yielding preferences on what to do for the day, or where to visit. They were honestly small sacrifices, but for someone who had always done whatever she pleased and made decisions by herself to be instantly implemented, these changes were slightly unsettling. Nevertheless she would do her best to try to be more accommodating.

That evening she made sure to tell him about her day - she had gone out to the jungle in search of a particular species of plants, a close relative to one she was already growing in her indoor lab. She was in a hurry because the best time to go foraging for plants undisturbed by insects was the lazy mid-afternoon, in the heat of the day. As she described her adventures to him, she noted how carefully he was listening to her, and her heart softened towards him. She most certainly didn't deserve the extent of his devotion to her, especially in light of her actions that day. When she was finished she glanced over at him and found appreciation in his eyes, much to her surprise.

"Thanks for telling me." He voiced earnestly.

"Thanks for listening." Was her reply. In the smiles exchanged, they found themselves falling in love all over again.

"I'll be back before nightfall," she had told him earlier in the afternoon before she left. It was supposed to be a short trip for plant discovery, and she packed little more than the essentials. But as the sun began to set, Asbel felt the Valley humming with curiosity over the ominously dark swirl of clouds over the jungle.

"It's a acid rainstorm." Yupa declared in his typical seriousness, when the Pejite arrived at the lookout tower.

"Is it common?"

"Several times a year we see it, but luckily it never touches the Valley. It normally does not come this close to us."

"But she's still out there." Asbel muttered worriedly.

"Don't worry. She's been out for longer in worse weather."

"I'm going out, just in case she needs help."

"Suit yourself. But be careful; planes do not last long in acid storms."

Ten minutes later Asbel was flying towards the black haziness and unsure of how to find her in an impending acid downpour. He needed to be under the stormcloud to search for her, but risked damaging his equipment from the acidity and also running into the trees. Pushing his doubts aside, he descended into the darkness and hoped he would find her quickly.

Nausicaa had been in the heart of the Toxic Jungle for several hours when she finally realized she had trapped herself in the heart of an oncoming rainstorm. Not that she really cared; she always figured out a way to survive. However, she had barely packed more than a days worth of food and knew she would have to do some improvising. Presently her ears caught the faint sound of an aircraft and she climbed her way up to the top of the forest to recognize a particular Pejite's plane. She smiled to herself and her heart warmed at the sight.

"Asbel." She whispered to herself, smiling gratefully. Even when she pushed him away for the sake of personal space, he stubbornly came after her - whether she needed him or not. This time she could actually use some help. To catch his attention she fired a flare, and the red spark streamed upwards into the dull grey sky.

Immediately the pilot saw her and internally breathed a sigh of relief. Asbel steered his aircraft towards her and watched her skip through the forest, leading him to an open patch, just large enough for landing. By the time he touched down the plane and opened the hatch she was already there to greet him.

"Asbel! Coming out in a rainstorm - are you crazy?" She was glad to see him but of course expressed it in the form of mild rebuke.

"I was worried!" He protested.

"I know. No time to argue. Switch off the engine and wait till you fall through before turning it back on."

"Fall through what? Where are we going?" He asked, bewildered.

"Down - I had you land on the sand. Once you're in free fall you need to turn on the engine to touch down safely." His mind raced and his countenance was visibly shocked.

"What about you?"

"I'll do the same thing with my glider."

"But your glider doesn't protect you!"

"I'll be fine - I've done it before. See you down below!"

"You be careful!" Reckless girl. He muttered under his breath. He watched worriedly as she calmly stepped onto her sinking glider and was eerily engulfed by the sand. Although protected by the cockpit, Asbel still felt like he was being buried alive, with the sand swallowing his plane and creeping up the sides of his window. The claustrophobia reached a climax, then changed into a wave of stomach churning gravity as he went into free fall. His instincts kicked in and he turned on the engine to avoid crashing to his death down below. When he had landed, he again opened the hatch to search for Nausicaa. To his relief she was a mere ten feet away from his plane, having landed just seconds before him.

"Asbel!" She piped up immediately and skipped towards him as he exited his plane.

"You alright?" The man took his time holding her and observantly stared at her to make sure she wasn't hiding any injuries. His hand swept away her bangs, revealing a small scratch on the left side of her forehead. Instantly a frown appeared on his face, but she took his hand and gently pressed a kiss on his palm. The princess looked deeply into his eyes and found concern pouring out of the hazel before her.

"I'm fine." She softly reassured him. "Did you bring food?"

"Enough to last us a few days."

"Thank you; you definitely saved me a lot of trouble." She confessed. Asbel however, was still unsettled at her casual demeanor after immersing herself into sand and falling 80 feet for the purposes of evading an acid rainstorm.

"Do you do this everyday?" He asked, almost accusingly.

"Couple times a week?" The man was visibly agitated at her answer and sent her an accusing glare.

"Asbel, not this again… " She whined in exasperation.

"How can I not worry about you?" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Staying out in an acid rainstorm, and drowning in quicksand - regularly?"

"I have to come here regularly." She replied resolutely, but was trying to avoid an argument and decided to look for ways to distract herself. Presently she noticed a loose thread on his shirt, and reached out to break it off. She sighed, and began to explain herself calmly and patiently to him. He was different from her, having been raised in different environments, and she needed him to see her perspective.

"The Jungle gives us information crucial for our survival. Toxins, water purity, farming, insects - the answers are only found by coming here. I grew up with the Jungle as my backyard. It's half my home, and it's not as cruel as it seems… if you respect it, it will respect you."

"You know I never understand you when you talk about nature." His voice now suddenly held tints of affection, stirring a small part of her into a slight giddy. She glanced upward to see a faint smile on his lips. Asbel wasn't interested in an argument either, and was honestly just glad she was safe. The girl's adventurous behaviors was an integral part of her personality and frankly one of the reasons why he loved her. He knew he could never really do anything about it (despite how hard he tried), and resorted to chastising her, in hopes of reminding her to be just a little more cautious the next time.

"Let me show you." She suddenly piped up, taking his hand and gently tugging him into the spacious cavern before them.

For the next hour she led him through the underground world - pure crystal waters, majestic trees now petrified into timeless structures, sand that filtered out toxins, and most surprisingly, her second lab. She had been growing more plants down here, fed directly by the clean water at its source. Asbel marveled at her ingenuity and tenacity; she was likely the first person to ever explore this far, and to even create a second scientific base all by herself. When did she have time to do all this - all by her own two hands? He frowned at his next thought - was she happy to be so alone?

"Do you like it down here?" She smiled at his question.

"Always. It's the only place where I find any hope and sanity in the Toxic Jungle."

"But all by yourself?" She picked up on the direction of his inquiry, and paused before answering.

"Yes?" She replied somewhat guiltily, then added, "though it does get quiet sometimes." While she began to water her plants he decided not to press further, and within her head an internal dialogue ensued. A realization dawned on her: she had purposely excluded him from her work in the jungle. While the solitude was enjoyable, she recalled her countless times of feeling lonely underground… Why had she never invited him to come with her? Was she afraid he would slow her down? Did that make her work more important to her than the the man of her life? Something needed to change… if they were to live together and be partners, they ought to openly share life - even if their individual responsibilities were meant to be different.

"If you're so worried about me, then come work with me." She suggested, while her eyes began to glimmer in hopes he would say yes. His lips curled upward at the suggestion, but then glanced at the elaborate creations and plant growths.

"I'm no biologist." He caveated.

"You don't have to be. Just come with me, so you'll always know what I'm doing." At this moment she approached him, her hands gently slipping from his arms to the back of his neck and sensually into his hair. His skin tingled where her fingers touched.

"Will you teach me?" He asked humbly, catching Nausicaa by surprise. If there was one thing he was usually terrible at, it was asking for help.

"Of course." A reassuring smile graced her features, while her eyes gave away how much she adored him. Her hands gently framed his face, while she pecked a small kiss against his cheek. When she drew away she realized that neither party was all that satisfied, so she slid her lips directly over his for the most sensual kiss she could give him. The pressure from her perfectly plump lips so quickly aroused him that he had to catch his breath in the middle, and he realized his hands had instinctively roamed down to pull her hips closer to his. She smiled upon seeing the affect she had on him.

"You sly devil." He huffed, still trying to regain consciousness.

"Don't say you didn't enjoy that." She teased in return.

Slowly the idea of getting married began to infiltrate their minds, and it would occasionally pop up in conversations. Indeed, it did felt like the next logical step: his mother had given approval, they had been living together for a while, and their lives were already intertwined beyond any chance of separation. Neither of them could ever imagine a life without the other person... and deep within their own hearts they had each made a long term commitment to the other. Perhaps the sense of officially being tied to someone was intimidating, so they were patient and had no hurry to be wed. But as the months passed by, both of them grew more and more familiar with the idea, until even Asbel didn't feel so nervous about asking for her hand in marriage.

"What if I were to ask you to marry me?" He casually brought up one day, as they were out on a late night stroll in the moonlit hills. Nausicaa had never heard him bring it up this unexpectedly, and suspected something was up his sleeve. The conversation took the direction of light-hearted banter.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" She asked matter of factly.

"And what if I am?" He tantalized. Nausicaa raised an eyebrow at the casual manner at which he was approaching it - was this how he intended to propose to her?

"What kind of a proposal is this?" She sassed in amusement. "Do it properly."

"But are you going to say yes?"

"What if I say no?" Caught off guard, he turned nervous and the utterly clueless look on his face was priceless to the woman beside him; she could barely contain her laughter.

"I'm just teasing my love," She sputtered out in between chuckles, gently placing a hand on his arm to appease him. "Ask, so I can answer you officially." He felt ever so slightly put out… did she know how she was bedeviling his poor heart? Regardless he knelt on one knee and steadied himself for the final moment.

"Will you m-"

"Yes."

"How am I supposed to do it properly if you won't let me finish the question?" He retorted, a little annoyed. The girl stifled her giggles and was amused at his fussiness.

"You're right; once more. Sorry for interrupting."

"Will you, marry me?" He asked, his words deliberate and clear. She had the beginnings of a gleeful grin when she responded.

"Yes, I will."

"Are you still joking? All jokes aside." He said sternly, though the twinkle in his eyes revealed a rising joy.

"No jokes. I am a hundred percent serious. The answer is yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Why would I say no? I'll say it a thousand times if that's what it takes for you to believe me. It doesn't matter when you ask me, how tired I am, or what my mood might be. The answer is and will always be, yes." Her expression turned gentle as she realized how much position of vulnerability he had to assume (not just in kneeling, but emotionally as well) to ask for her hand in marriage.

"You mean it?" He repeated, and she eyed him again with a quizzical expression.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Sometimes I can't tell..." He retorted in a half-joke and she let out a long-suffering sigh. Kneeling down to his eye level, she gazed intently into his eyes and spotted the faintest flicker of uncertainty in the amber depths. Seeing that in his eyes was nothing to joke about and she turned completely serious.

"I guess I'll have to show you." Without another word she leaned in and placed her lips against his, softly at first. One hand steadied his head and another rested on his chest, and she gave him one of her most sincere expressions of love. It was not a fiery embrace burning with fervor, but one of quiet intensity and deep affection. Her mouth caressed his lips gently but passionately, neither demanding attention nor forcing passion onto him… and she simply held him tenderly and treasured every part of him down to the touch of his skin. She leaned into him as if she needed nothing else in this world except for him, and even when the kiss had ended she held onto him, their foreheads still touching. She drew away slightly panting and breathless, for she had put her true emotions into it.

"Do you get it now? I'd die without you." She watched him nod his head in response, his eyes filled with understanding and joy.

"Good, because it's rather late, and I think we're both tired." Together the couple rose from the ground, but Asbel's vision started to cloud slightly. Having been kneeling for a while, the blood was slow to reach to his head, causing his head to feel light and dizzy.

"I stood up too quickly…" he muttered, then bent forward and leaned into her. The girl sympathetically knelt back down to ground level, supporting him gently. Her arms enfolded him as he focused on stabilizing his vision.

"You were nervous weren't you…" She began compassionately. "…there was no need." Her fingers gently stroked his hair, and her voice turned soft.

"There isn't a single person on this earth I would rather spend my time with. I love you and only you." She struggled to find the right words but her passion was rising within her. As her hands instinctively began rubbing his back, the warmth of his body radiated through her palms and fueled her.

"I'll have you entirely - your heart and your soul, the best and the worst hiding in the deepest parts of you." As she verbally expressed her love for him while maintaining physical contact, her mind naturally turned to desire, and she found herself applying more pressure through her fingers, as if to feel him beneath his clothes. Abel's own heart began racing at her passionate touch, but was immobilized by his lover's disarming honesty and simply listened in wonder.

"I want you physically." She admitted shyly in a softer breath, which intensified the earnestness. "I want you as mine to protect, to care for, and to support. And in return you have all of me, my complete devotion. I promise myself to you - to be yours for the rest of my life, and to never leave your side." When she was finished, she pulled away to look at him and cupped his face in her hands.

"How's that for an answer?"

"Wow." He breathed, when he could find no other words. The girl chuckled in self satisfaction.

"When you asked me to marry you, did you really think I would say no?"

"I definitely wasn't expecting a speech like that." He replied, then pulled her in for a ardent kiss. The fire in his soul was expressed to her in the strength of his arms and the force of his lips on hers. She accepted all of it hungrily, as her hands reached up to feel his jawline and neck. The kiss then turned into an intimate embrace as their arms found each other and held on with a newfound intensity. In that moment they acknowledged the start of a new phase, for both had taken the leap of commitment to one another - through thick and thin, for better or for worse, for years to come.

Aaaaand we have finally made it to this point! I honestly don't think I should end this story until I've married them off properly haha…

The most interesting thing is that my definition of a relationship has changed from the time I began this fanfic in 2011… it is now 2017. My writing style has evolved, and so has the content. If there are readers who have been with me since the beginning - thank you! I hope I haven't disappointed so far.

Did you know… I wrote the proposal scene six times! Each time with a different tone. I hope I finally nailed it with this last one.