hali'a aloha (cherished memory)
RECAP: She sighed and made her way downstairs finding herself walking into the kitchen where she found Steve at the back sliding doors that led on to the beach holding two beers up. "Just like old times?" he asked her and she nodded and grinned at him whilst following him outside.
*Jess's POV*
Carefree and relaxed was what Jess was feeling right now as she sat lounging on the sun lounger next to Steve drinking her beer. After he had suggested that they come outside like old times she couldn't help but smile like a child in a sweet shop. She spun around on the lounger so she was sat back and just gazed in awe at how many stars were out tonight. With the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach and the crackle of the fire that was burning in front of them she could only describe it as perfect. Right then in that moment, for her, was utter perfection.
"I got the day off work tomorrow" she heard Steve say as she turned her head to look at him. "You did?" she asked as she looked at his face. He had a tiny bruise on his right cheek where Ryan had hit him but he was still as handsome as ever.
"Yeah I did," he told her as he faced the ocean again and she could see that he was still smirking. She spun around on her lounger so she was sat on the side facing him "what are you smirking about McGarrett?" she asked anxious to know what he was up to.
He laughed and looked at her again still with the same smirk on his face that he had before, "I'm just thinking that it's nice to finally have you back. And I get you all day tomorrow, just like when we were younger." She gave him a small smile; she had to hand it to him. He was right. It was nice to be back, to feel free and be able to do whatever she pleased. It was late; she was tired after everything that had happened today so she spoke up. "Steve I'm gonna head to bed. Im so tired after today" and she stood up looking out at the ocean once more. She turned back towards Steve to find that he was now eye level and pretty close to her face. She lost herself looking into his hazel eyes and it took everything she had not to kiss him right there and then.
He smiled at her, almost as if to show he was thinking the exact same thing and turned to go inside. She followed him in and locked the doors behind her. She put her empty bottle in the bin near the counter and left Steve washing pots she assumed he had used before she got there. She climbed the stairs and found the guest room. She walked inside and sat on the bed and took the time to look around and see if anything had changed since the last time she had visited which happened to be years ago. She spotted a picture that was new on the bedside table and leaned over the bed to reach it. She gasped when she saw it and her eyes filled with tears.
The picture was of a group of people with both her and Steve, both young children, stood in the middle of them laughing. It wasn't the two of them in the picture that caught her attention though. Both her parents and Steve's parents were in the picture. She hadn't even realised there had been a picture taken of all of them, she knew that they were all good friends because that's how Steve and her initially met but she had never seen this picture before. Both sets of parents were looking at her and Steve in the picture and the smiles on their faces said it all.
"Figured you could use some friendly faces right about now," she heard Steve say and she looked up to see him leant against the doorframe. She couldn't even speak she was speechless. He smiled and pulled away from the doorframe to sit next to her on the bed. "My mum was convinced that someday we'd both grow up to be married with keiki as she always told me," he chuckled softly at the memory. She had managed to stop crying and looked at Steve sat next to her.
He wiped away a tear that was running down her cheek and kept his hand placed against her cheek as he just looked into her deep blue teary eyes. Next thing she knew his lips were placed against hers softly. Her hand reached up and covered his and he pulled away. It was a small kiss, but Steve knew not to push too much and she was grateful. "Get some rest, we'll go swimming together tomorrow or whatever you want to do," he told her as he stood up and headed towards the door. He turned back to her; he spent a few seconds just looking at her before he smiled, "Night Jess".
"Night," she whispered back to him before he closed the door. Her heart was beating so fast.
*Steve's POV*
He left the guest room happy. It took everything he had not to take the kiss further but he knew she had been through a long day and she had stuff on her mind. He thought back again to the memory of his mother telling him that he should 'marry the girl as soon as they were old enough'. His parents loved Jess and so did he. He just had to wait for the right time to tell her.
*Jess's POV*
A sense of relaxation and safety washed over Jess as she woke the next morning. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the photo she found last night on the bedside table. She smiled to herself and played over the words that Steve had said to her the night before that his mum wanted nothing more than for them to marry and have children. It was sweet to think that even his mother knew they loved each other even from that young age. And then she remembered the kiss. A certain sense of dread then replaced the relaxed sense she felt before. What if he avoids her? What if it's ruined everything and she has to go?
All fear was set aside when she heard through the door, "Jessica Wilson, you have 30 minutes to get yourself ready and downstairs or I will go to the beach without you," she chuckled hearing Steve try his best to make himself sound authoritative. "Yes sir," she shouted back to him as she heard him laugh and carry on down the stairs. She was happy that she had brought her swim stuff silently thanking god that she didnt have to sit on the beach in pyjamas or work clothes. So with that she continued to the shower and got herself ready.
She stood at the top of the stairs just staring down at the bottom step. She had on a black monokini that was pretty low in the front and had the back cut out with her floppy beach hat. Her hair was styled in soft beachy waves which were unusual for her as she usually just stuck it up. She had put a tiny bit of make up on, a bit of mascara to outline her eyes, a bit of lip gloss. She liked making the effort now she didnt have to explain to an abusive partner why she chose the outfit she did every day. The banging of glasses and pots downstairs in the kitchen got her interest so she went downstairs to see what was going on.
She entered the kitchen and was surprised at what she saw. The table had been set for two with bagels, fresh fruit and orange juice already there.
"I didnt know what you wanted but I...," Steve gradually stopped speaking as he turned around to face her. He just stood there looking at her which got her nervous. Did he not like it?
"Steve?" she asked anxious to know what was wrong. His eyes made their way back to hers and he smiled. "Jess, you look beautiful," he said which allowed her to blush like crazy. Yet she couldn't help but find herself with a huge grin on her face. It was nice to be complimented and not questioned. "Thankyou," she answered and went to sit down. She watched Steve run around the kitchen getting everything together for breakfast, he just had his dark blue board shorts on and she could see every muscle in his upper back move when he did. She could look at him all day and not ever get bored. She watched him come back to the table with the carton of orange juice incase they wanted more and smiled at him when he sat in front of her.
"This is great Steve," she told him reaching out for the grapes in the fruit bowl."How did I know you were going to reach for the grapes first" he chuckled. She always had done that, she loved grapes. It was all she ate when she was about 7 years old. She laughed and stuck her tongue out before she continued to eat her breakfast.
"So what do you have planned for today?" she asked him curious as to what they were going to do. Days off were usually like gold dust for the two of them but Steve had managed to get her two days off, one to leave Ryan and the other so he could spend a full day with her in the happy knowledge that he had got her back and safe. "Well I know you love the beach so I thought we could just relax outside? I've made us some food up for dinner, we could go swimming..." he told her. And a plan had never sounded so perfect to her before. "Sounds great," she told him and finished off her orange juice.
"Oh and the guys miss you. Danny's been down my ear since you left Ryan for us all to catch up so Danny, Kono and Chin are coming down later tonight after work for drinks and to see you if that's okay?" he asked her. How could she have not realised before now that she wasn't alone she thought to herself. She had some of the most caring people around her and didn't think to ask for help sooner. She must have been silent for longer than she thought because the next thing she heard was Steve asking her if she was okay. "Yeah sorry," she said quietly, "that sounds perfect." She smiled at him as she watched him stand up and take both their plates over to the sink.
She took this chance to walk outside and just stand on the back porch and look out. The sun was hot today; the waves were crashing onto the sand. In the distance she could see a few boats dotted here and there. She was lucky. Lucky to live where she did, lucky to have a job that she enjoyed and also lucky to know the people that she did. And she thought to herself that it was about time she started to accept it. A warm hand on the bottom of her back interrupted her from her thoughts as Steve asked her, "you comin?" whilst holding up the cooler he had in his right hand along with a big teethy grin on his face. She laughed and nodded as they both made their way further onto the sand.
Keiki - children