Many thanks to javamomma0921 for an amazing WC with me tonight. It was quite cathartic and it was her photo on tumblr that helped to inspire this piece. In the spirit of St. Valentine's Day, here's some human Alice and Jasper for all of you. Much love, and many thanks for all of the support I've received from all y'all.
This is unbetaed, all mistakes are mine. The ending was helped along by javamomma0921, and Alice ;) I can't express how much tonight helped.
~S~
"Jas? Where are we going? And why do you have your guitar?" Alice grumbled as she followed me through the dense woods behind my house. "I know you bring it everywhere…but the woods? Really?"
"I want to show you something. Trust me?" I turned my wide blue eyes to her narrowed brown ones and chuckled. "You've never been very patient."
"And you're testing what little I have. You could have warned me to wear more practical shoes. Ugh." Her gaze dropped to the ballet flats she was wearing, now coated in a thin layer of slime and mush from the melting snow.
"I'll buy you a new pair." Truth be told, I had been too excited to be concerned with what either of us were wearing. I had barely remembered my guitar and another important piece of my plan. The guitar was hastily slung over my shoulder, hiding my back pockets. I prayed everything stayed put during our mini hike.
"I'm holding you too that." Alice managed to retort, slightly breathlessly as I continued at a breakneck pace. "Slow down!"
"Sorry." I paused, waiting for her to catch up, "We're almost there anyway."
"Almost where?" From the tone in Alice's voice, I knew we would have to hurry, otherwise she'd be in too much of a temper to want to see - or hear - what I had planned.
"Trust me?" I asked again, pleading. I couldn't contain my excitement much longer, I was half tempted to sling Alice over my other shoulder, just to get us to our destination that much faster.
"Fine." She huffed, allowing me to drag her the remaining quarter mile. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by a gasp, "Jasper! This is beautiful."
I had lead Alice to a clearing that had become my refuge from almost the moment my family moved from Texas. "It's been my escape…until I met you, that is."
I was getting sappier than I expected, but Alice always brought this side of me out. Throughout high school and college I was viewed as the quiet, brooding Texan, despite having lived in the northwest for 15 years. I generally kept most of me bottled up and hidden away, not daring to let anyone in. Alice was my perfect foil, constantly pulling me from my emotions, forcing me to relax and just let go. The only other thing that could do that was music. Hence the ever-present guitar.
She just quirked an eyebrow at me, knowing I had some plan formulated, and signaling that she was willing to wait me out for the time being. I knew I had to hurry, before I lost the moment.
Wordlessly, I gestured to the blankets I had laid out earlier in the day, and waiting until she had settled herself before sinking to my knees across from her. Guitar settled in my lap, I slowly began strumming, missing notes, waiting for the perfect song to come to mind. I wanted something simple, and could feel my grin grow when the notes morphed into one of my favorite love songs. Alice squirmed slightly, realizing I had something bigger up my sleeve than just showing her this clearing.
Clearing my throat, I stumbled over the chords a few more times before my confidence surged and I began singing:
Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will.
For if I ever saw you
I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.
Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart.
And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know, I will
I will.
Alice's mouth popped into a perfect 'O', her eyes refusing to believe what I was doing. Her voice was a strained whisper when she finally spoke "Jasper?"
"Marry me?" I had pulled a simple ring from my back pocket as she stared. Paul McCartney had always been a master of romance and love songs, and I saw no reason to elaborate on his already perfect wording. I Will was a more obscure track from the White Album, but from the moment I had met Alice, it had just fit.
"Yes!" She squealed, launching herself at me, narrowly avoiding the guitar as I thrust it to the side, prepared to catch her with both arms.
I laughed at her exuberance before giving in and losing myself to her soft, insistent kisses.
~S~
Hours later, after much cuddling, kissing and of course driving Alice to the mall to buy her the promised new pair of shoes, I found myself traipsing back through the woods in the near dark. I had foolishly left the guitar and blankets exposed, and I wanted to retrieve them before the elements could go to town. I was still smiling like an idiot, I didn't think I had stopped since I had pulled Alice into the woods with me, if anything, it had only gotten wider. My cheeks weren't starting to hurt, which I took as a good sign. I was over the moon ecstatic with how the afternoon had played out.
I stood in my, no, our clearing; guitar in hand , blankets at my feet and stared at the sky. All the emotions I'd been holding back bubbled to the surface, any nearby neighbors would think I had lost my mind as I took a deep, cleansing breath. Hoisting my guitar high over my head, I took a running leap over the pile of blankets and whooped, hollered and yelled, "She said YES!"
I continued to shout, spinning in circles until I collapsed onto the blankets, sky spinning above me at a dizzying rate. I waited until my heart-rate returned to normal before standing and folding the blankets and walking back to my house.
"She said yes." I whispered, my smile growing impossibly wider as I glance back towards the woods one last time.