Chapter VI
The sunlight shone brightly through the window to my officer's billet. One of those rare sunny days in the Pacific Northwest; not a cloud in the sky, and very warm. I awoke to a scene I wish to have replayed every morning for the rest of my life; Lisa's hair stretched out over my face, tickling my ears, caught in the corners of my lips. I'd thought like that before with other women, but nowhere in those lovers past, not Minmei, not Carla, not even Nikki, had I ever felt as complete before; never was there such security and serenity. I'm not overly sentimental, and nowhere near sappy, as a rule, but it seemed like maybe, just maybe, in each other's arms, we could escape all of the pain and unfairness and misery that the world had to offer, and maybe allow a small part of our souls to become unburdened with the sorrows we dealt with every day.
I never let on to it, even amongst the guys in my squadrons, but my luck with women was almost as bad as Lisa's luck with men. Every time I allowed myself to get close to a woman, to allow myself to feel something, it always ended up that I was a better friend than a lover, or that they thought of me as their older brother. Always "Rick Hunter to the rescue". Why they couldn't figure out a way to solve their own problems was beyond me, but if it helped them out, I guess it was worth it. Problem was, I had to be strong for everyone, 24/7, like being a commanding officer. I had no one to be weak around, no one to collapse with, and no one to go to pieces in front of. I had to always suck it in and take it on the chin, when part of me wanted to just run and hide. I looked at Lisa's slumbering form and knew that, in equal measure, we would be at each other's side, and could be strong for each other and could each be weak in the others' presence. I knew that I could surrender all of my fears, all of my doubts, all of my insecurities to her and never be afraid or alone ever again. I knew that, in her presence alone, as well as in her arms, I would be as safe as an infant in a cradle.
The pager near my bedside told me that Barton had relieved all of my squadrons from duty for the day, that it was a day of R&R for us. I levered myself up onto my left elbow traced my right forefingers along the curve of her body. I wanted to touch every last inch of her beautiful body. The way her frame sloped, from her jaw, to her neck, to her shoulders, to her chest, to her hips and legs, was thoroughly enticing and intoxicating. I started at her shoulder and went down her arm, heading towards the small of her back and saw some scars there. I wasn't shocked; I knew she had been through some really rough times and battles, but I had no idea where those scars came from. I promised myself I'd ask about them later, but not make too much of an issue out of it.
She was really quite beautiful, not in the shallow-pin-up-calendar-bikini-babe way, but a mature beauty, one that had seen it all and withstood everything nature, time and acts of Zentraedi could throw at it. I looked at her again, as if through new eyes. I finally had a reason to live, beyond strapping myself into a flying arsenal and hurling myself at the implacable foe. I had one person, above all others, who gave a damn if I returned from patrol. It was a fulfilling feeling, and it was almost like a second, more powerful set of shielding on my VT. Her love would keep my hope alive, and I knew it could be the only light I would ever need in the dark days I knew were coming.
Lisa started to stir. "Wha…?"
"Morning, sunshine," I whispered.
"Morning, yourself. When did we get to sleep, anyway?"
"I lost track after 0400," I smirked.
"And what time is it now?"
"1100 hours," I replied, half ashamed that we'd committed a breach of protocol like that, even though it was an off-duty day, and half satisfied that we had finally reached that plateau where such intimacy was second nature.
"Ye gods, Rick," she yawned.
"And you know what?"
"What's that?"
"There's no one I'd rather sleep through my shift with than you," I grinned.
"How romantic," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Though, I'd have to agree with you on that point. It does seem like this is the last quiet time we'll have for a while."
"There's so many things I want to tell you, Lisa," I said, intensely. "And we don't have a lot of time, and I don't know where to start."
"Well, what do you want to say most?"
"That if there was only one word I could speak for the rest of my life, it would be your name," I said, solemnly. "But more substantial than that, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, again, for all of the pain I've ever caused you, and for all of the tears I've made you cry. I wish I could take them all and turn them into rain, though, Lord knows, this part of the world certainly doesn't need more of it…"
She held her fingertips to my lips. "A very wise man once said, 'Love means never having to say you're sorry,'" she replied. "You've more than made up for what's gone before, and shown me how truly wonderful you are. And I don't think that any craft ever constructed, no matter it be by human or Zentraedi craftsmen, could ever fly higher than my heart now that you're in my life."
My heart leapt into my throat at her words, and I said, "Now that the Earth is leveled, you're the only family I have left."
I saw her eyes well slightly at the thought of her own family, her father, who died at Alaska Base, and her 'honor family' of the bridge crew, now held hostage by Maistroff and Howe. "You're all I have left, Rick," she sobbed softly.
"I'll always protect you, and never fail you. I promise."
I looked again into those warm, enchanting eyes of hers. Their beauty alone made her the envy of many; they were enchanting to the point of being hypnotic. I kissed away her tears and smiled at her. "I kinda fudged it and rushed it the first time, Lisa, but I want to get it right this time. I love you with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my life. There is no one, absolutely no one, on this rock I'd rather join my heart and soul with for all eternity." I fumbled at the pathetic excuse for a CD player that the barracks had to offer. "I guess this song kinda sums up our relationship."
Didn't I say I wasn't ready for romance?
Didn't we promise we would only be friends?
And so we danced, tho it was only a slow dance,
I started breaking my promises right there and then.
Didn't I swear there'd be no complications?
Didn't you want someone who'd seen it all before?
Now that you're here, it's not the same situation.
Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore.
This night is mine…
It's meant for you and I.
Tomorrow is such a long time away.
This night we are together.
I've been around; someone like me should know better.
Falling in love would be the worst thing I could do.
Didn't I say I needed time to forget her?
Aren't you running from someone who's not over you?
How many nights have I been lonely without you?
I've told myself how I really don't care.
How many nights have I been thinking about you?
Wanting to hold you but knowing you would not be there…
This night is mine…
It's meant for you and I.
Tomorrow is such a long time away.
This night we are together.
"I love you, Lisa, with a passion I've never known before. And this, above all else, I know with all my soul that you are the woman I love and would like to marry. Will you marry me?"
"Oh, Rick," she replied, obviously overwhelmed. Part of my piloting instinct is to overkill a target rather than underkill, and that extended to personal relationships as well as to piloting. "Of course I will. I meant it when I said it before this crazy conflict started, and I mean it twice as sincerely now."
"Lisa, you've made me the happiest man in the RDF."
"Would you care to show me how happy you are," she winked.
"I thought I did already," I winked back, pleased that such jousting was second nature by now.
"True, but we want to have stories to tell the grandkids, don't we?"
"Ah, yes…" I smirked, feigning an elderly tone of voice. "Ya see, sonny, there was that one day, when yer granny and I were just engaged…" I let my voice trail off, as Lisa's face couldn't handle the humor any further.
"That was good," she conceded.
"That was my intention," I rejoined.
I leaned in, my lips burning for hers, and she offered them in return, so full of life, of passion, that they were a well that I could fall into and never fear drowning. Could life get any better than this, I wondered. Then, we fell into another round of enhanced passion, and all other thoughts flew out the window.
AN: Regarding a solely romantic fanfic, I don't have the creative energy. I write romance when I have a happy spot in my heart, which, of late, I have, and combat when I'm royally pissed at something. But don't worry, action lovers, there will be more chances to see "stuff blowing up". J In addition, and I know it's kind of an oddball idea, but there are anime conventions and writing conventions and the like; why not, at some point, hold a convention/get together kind of thing for the people who write on this site? It's not an urgent idea, but maybe it may work. Of course, I'm figuring that most of us are of the age when we can do that kind of thing, but maybe I'm wrong. Email and reviews are accepted, as always. Till next time.