Helloooooooo, fellow J/C authors! This story will be the first part of a 3-parter, mostly about Jimmy and Cindy! This one is a little more serious than the others I've done, but I hope y'all will like it.
Dedicated to quietthinker.
WARNING: FOR THE MOST PART, THIS STORY IS EXTREMELY FLUFFY. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR CUTESY PROPOSALS, YOU CAN LEAVE NOW. Please don't, though; there's action, too! Read and review, please! And enjoy.
Chapter 1: The Ring and The Sun
He was in the lab again, working on something special. Today was Cindy's 18th, and he was taking her out tonight.
I won't talk
I won't breathe
I won't move till you finally see
That you belong with me.
They'd grown a lot since 5th grade, he remembered. His fudgy hair was now much shorter (it was smaller, anyway) and her ponytails were considerably smaller. Plus, they'd been together since they were 11. Jimmy smiled as he thought of all the years he'd spent competing with her, up till the day they finally hooked up.
You might think
I don't look
But deep inside in the corner of my mind
I'm attached to you
Now he was ready to take the big leap of faith, to see if she truly loved him as much as he loved her.
Jimmy carefully put the heart shaped-cut diamond on the platinum band...Perfect.
That done, he quickly got a mini laser and set it to a fine point in soft fancy writing style. He picked up the ring and carefully engraved underneath the top, Forever Mine. (I would have done "J+C Forever," but it was already taken. Didn't want to be a copy cat.) On the direct opposite side, still underneath (like, across from the under-top), he thinned the laser point and engraved his Neutron icon. There; it was ready. Pleased with his unusually romantic craftsmanship, Jimmy put the ring in a dark green velvet ring box (to match her eyes, like Libby would say). Jimmy held the open box up and smiled.
"She'll freak when she sees it," he said to Goddard, "Won't she, boy?"
"Bark! Bark!" Goddard agreed, wagging his tail. Jimmy chuckled and petted his head. Then he sighed and sat at his keyboard. He'd adjusted the chair over the years to fit him as he grew. He looked at the ring in the box again. He looked around his lab, knowing he'd have to repeal the "No Girls" rule...Not that Cindy and Libby ever obeyed it anyway, but hey–what can you do?
I'm weak
It's true
'Cause I'm afraid to know the answer
Do you want me, too?
'Cause my heart keeps falling faster
It was time to pick Cindy up. They'd have dinner somewhere nice, go to Retroland, and walk in the park. It was the latter that he planned to pop the question to her.
"Wish me luck, boy!" Jimmy said as he gave Goddard a farewell pat. He ran out of the lab with a blue light jacket and got the hovercar, also modified for growing bodies. He stood under Cindy's window.
I've waited all my life
to cross this line
to the only thing that's true
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel!" he called, "Let down your hair!" Cindy stuck her head out with a sarcastic look.
"I'll use the door, thank you," she said. She closed the window and pulled on her green hooded light jacket with the zipper in the front. She put on the silver chained necklace with the teardrop cage-looking charm (like, it's these tiny silver, really thin bars in a teardrop shape), encasing her pearl. She quickly spritzed some jasmine hair scent over her head and examined herself. Let's see: Hardwood flip flops with green stringed flowers on top, knee-length khaki skirt, long-sleeved shirt in her usual pattern, (like her halter: same pattern with sleeves) lip gloss, hair up. Perfect! Cindy skipped downstairs, said bye to her mom, opened the door, and ran into a spin-hug from Jimmy.
So I will not hide
It's time to try
anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true.
"Whadja get me, whadja get me?" she asked when they stopped.
"Nice to see you, too," he smirked before he kissed her. Cindy was surprised; that kiss was particularly passionate.
"Whoa," she said, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing," he smiled and took her hand. They took off in the hovercar. They had dinner and went to Retroland. Using his mathematical hand-eye coordination, Jimmy tried to win Cindy a prize, but she won herself (she always had a better arm) and picked a plush doll of Sandy Cheeks, the squirrel from Spongebob Squarepants ("Because she can do karate," she said). Then they went to the park. Jimmy looked at his watch. It was nearly sunset.
"Quick!" he said, "To the fountain!" Snapping out of her "what a great birthday this is" train of thought, Cindy let Jimmy almost drag her to the fountain.
You don't know
what you do
every time you walk into the room
"You don't see this very often," Jimmy said, "but look." He pointed opposite the setting sun, "There's a moment sometimes when the sun and moon are at the exact same level." Cindy looked at the sky and gasped. He was right! In the ocean of orange and red, (and a bit of lavender) the moon's soft paleness was brightened. It looked purer than snow. It gave her an autumn chill.
I'm afraid to move
"Now look at the water," Jimmy pointed at the fountain. Cindy was humbled: Little jewels of sun-and-moonlight combined fell through the air into its little pool. Separated for a split second only, the shards of light cascaded in unity and reflected in the stone bottom of the fountain. Cindy was speechless; she'd never seen anything remotely so beautiful.
I'm weak
It's true
"It's beautiful!" she whispered in awe. Jimmy nodded and placed his hand across her shoulders. It took a couple of nanoseconds to find himself, having also been captivated in Mother Nature's rare gift.
I'm just scared to know the ending
Do you see me, too?
"That was your first birthday present," he said. She turned her head to see the light brightening his soft, melt-capable eyes, not seeing the same beauty sharpening her own piercing emeralds.
"First?" she repeated. He nodded.
Do you even know you met me?
"This is your other one," he said as he withdrew the small green ring box and handed it to her. Cindy's throat constricted due to her heart leaping straight up into it! She opened the box and saw the heart-shaped diamond immersed in light, throwing its pieces of reflection all over the box. Cindy's eyes popped open; she whipped her head up and said, "You're about to ask me something, aren't you?"
"You bet your gorgeous little head I am," he grinned and held her shoulders. As they drowned in each other's gaze, Jimmy dished out the monologue.
I've waited all my life
to cross this line
to the only thing that's true.
"Cindy," he said, "I've loved you since we were eleven years old, even when we fought. I've known you our whole lives, and loved you for seven of them. We went through the stupidest and most dangerous things together over those seven years, and it's taught me one thing: That I can't nor want to be with any girl in the universe but you. No other girl would have gone through what you went through with me. I know we basically hated each other back then, but I came back for more every day. I was so happy when we finally got together...Come to think of it, so was the rest of the town. But I was happier than any guy on earth. You were my greatest challenge, my favorite puzzle, and I couldn't be more grateful for it, because you made me want to be a better person. No one else could do that, Cindy–no one." He took her left hand and got on his right knee as he continued.
So I will not hide.
It's time to try
anything to be with you.
"Now I'm ready to take the next step. I'm ready to jump into the future with you and grab life by the throat. I don't know what's ahead of us, and I don't care. All I need will be mine as long as you are mine; and the devil take the rest."
All my life I've waited
This is true.
Cindy was sure she was dreaming. This was too good to be true! The boy (now a man) she loved was on one knee professing his love for her in an unusually well thought-out monologue, and she had a ring in her hand! She stared at the amazing genius, her eyes glossing. She smiled.
"You're prepared to deal with me for the rest of your life?" she asked.
"First of all," he answered, "It's not the rest of my life. I'm prepared to be with you forever. Second, I wouldn't be monologuing on one knee if I wasn't."
'Oh, he's good,' Cindy thought.
I know when I go,
I'll be on my way to you
"And you're sure it's me?" she said softly.
"Beyond doubt, Cindy," Jimmy's eyes softened, "You're the only woman I'm even capable of loving. Nothing you've done back then or will do could make me happier than giving me the honor of calling you my wife. Please, Cindy: Will you marry me?" (Well, he did say please!)
The way that's true
That did it.
Cindy's tears flowed freely as she grinned at the ring, then back at him. Her answer came in an outburst of joy.
"You bet your gorgeous head I will!" she cried as she fell to his level and threw herself in his arms.
I've waited all my life
to cross this line
to the only thing that's true
There are few times when a man's heart breaks from such an overflow of joy. James Isaac Neutron was now such a man.
So I will not hide
It's time to try
anything to be with you.
With his hand behind her head, Jimmy kissed Cindy with the overwhelming love her mere consent had inflicted on him.
All my life I've waited!
This is true.
Finally, their tears dry, they stood up. Jimmy took the ring out of the box and showed her the engraving.
"And look," he slipped it on her finger, "When you wear it, a faint trace of my icon appears on your hand. It shows up better in the dark, but it's still there if you look close enough." Sure enough, Cindy saw the Neutron symbol like a fading tan line on both sides of her hand. Jimmy closed it in both of his.
"This way, if we're ever apart," he said, "I'm still part of you." Cindy touched his face.
"Jimmy," she stated sincerely, "You've always been a part of me. I'll call myself blessed to be your bride."
"Cindy Neutron," he mused, "I like the sound of that."
"Me, too," she giggled, "and so will Libby."
"And my parents," he said.
"And Ms. Fowl."
"And the guys."
They walked to the hovercar, continuing the list until they got to Cindy's house. By now, twilight had begun to fall. Jimmy walked Cindy to her porch and they shared a long, deep kiss good night. They pulled their heads back, but weren't ready to leave just yet.
They stood hugging, lost in a wave of emotion such as they never dreamed of.
"I love you, Jimmy," she barely whispered, "so much."
"I love you, too," he said quietly before he kissed her again, "Happy birthday." She went inside and he took the hovercar home.
In her warm house, Cindy hung her jacket on the peg to her left, leaned against the door, and held her left hand to herself.
Her mother (whose name, by the way, is SASHA!) was on the couch with her reading glasses on, looking over the top of Pre-Empty Nest Syndrome for Morons as Cindy had entered.
"Well?" Sasha smiled, "How was it?"
"Like a dream," her daughter said, "Only it was real."
"So?" said her mom, still smiling, "What did he give you for your birthday?"
Cindy, still holding her hand against her chest, walked to her mother and moved her right hand. Sasha lost her breath.
"Not much," Cindy answered humbly, "Just his love, himself, and forever." Sasha leapt up and grabbed Cindy's hand, ogling the ring.
"Cindy!" she gapsed, "He didn't!" Cindy smiled.
"He did," she said, "Jimmy proposed." Sasha looked as though she'd gone completely numb. She fell to her knees.
"Mom?" Cindy moved to her side. Then Sasha threw up her hands and proclaimed, "THANK YOU, POWERS OF THE HEAVENLY HOST! THANK YOU!"
"Uh," Cindy was weirded out, "Mom? Are you okay?"
"Are you mad?" Sasha stood up, "I'm relieved! I've waited seven years for this to happen, along with every other person in town! Finally, no more talk of what a big-brained show-offy jerk Neutron is! YES!"
"Nope!" Cindy folded her arms and grinned maliciously, "Instead, you'll hear me babble of how wonderful, intelligent, and gorgeous he is! (She pecked her on the cheek) Night, Mom!" And she skipped upstairs, singing "Goin' to the chapel and we're–gonna get married..." As Sasha realized what Cindy had just said, she fell to her knees again and yelled, "NOOOOOOO!"
Author's Review:
IT'S TRUE! HER MOTHER'S NAME REALLY IS SASHA! Watch the ending credits of the episode "Maximum Hugh," and you'll see the name "Sasha Vortex!"
References: The sun and moon thing I got from the book "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks. I hope y'all liked the poetic touch there! I liked it!
Oh, before I forget: I didn't realize until way after I wrote this, but Jimmy's icon on Cindy's hand is just like the guy on Titan A.E.! How funny is that?
As I said, this story is Part 1 of a 3-part trilogy. There won't be as much humor in this as I'd usually do, but I couldn't help that, so I apologize in advance for any almost non-humor in the story. I'm handwriting the second story right now as I post this story, and I think it's going to come out really great (I hope it will).
As y'all have hopefully guessed, they're obviously 18, old enough to get married.
ATTENTION, ALEX FANS: I changed Alex's last name from Rogers to Turner. I actually knew a girl with that name in high school, even though I didn't know her that well. Believe me, my Alex is WAY different than her. In truth, I gave her the name Alex after this one scientist in the "Ceres" manga named Alec. But he was a guy. Anyway, Alex is going to have a major role in the last, oh...three chapters or so.
READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! I'll give you a cookie if you do...