Written by Aetas
Based on some situations originated by James Cameron.
The wind was cold, but the sun
felt warm. The ship's deck was empty, save for us, and I could feel the world
begin to close in around the two of us as I approached. Just the sight of him
weakened my knees. The way he stood there, so still, so deep in his thoughts,
was beautiful. The ocean was nothing but a soft whisper below us; the waves
rushed past the ship's sturdy bow with a noise so faint one could almost forget
that the ship was earthbound after all. The sky was alight with brilliant
shades of sunset, and twilight was coming fast. Darkness was imminent, but in
the lingering light I felt a gentle serenity.
"Hello, Jack." My voice
came suddenly even to my own ears, but so softly that I feared I couldn't have
been heard at all. I watched as he turned to face me, his expression at once
surprised yet distantly hopeful. His eyes on mine made my heart begin to
flutter. "I changed my mind." Still he did not answer. I wrenched my
gaze from his face, his beautiful, perfect face. "Fabrizio said you might
be up--"
"Shh." A smile danced
over his lips, and I could feel a spark of happiness light up inside me as my
eyes returned to his. "Come here."
I obeyed and grasped his
outstretched hand, powerless to do anything else. His fingertips were light
against me, softly touching my waist as he pulled me close.
"Close your eyes," was
his whisper, breathed gently against my ear. I closed my eyes. "Step
up." I was pulled closer towards him and up to the bow of the ship. I
shuffled forwards, hesitant, and could feel the cold metal base of the railing
touch the tips of my toes. "Step up on the rail." Jack still held me,
lifting me slowly as I placed my feet against the painted metal bars. For a
moment, I could feel myself losing my balance, but his arms caught me and I
relaxed against him. His voice was a whisper again, nearly lost behind the rush
of the waves below us. "Do you trust me?"
I did. Of course I did. In his
arms I felt safe, protected. Here, the world was ours.
"I trust you, Jack."
He lifted my arms outwards, his
hands just barely supporting mine. I felt his fingers trail away before his
hands returned to my waist. "Open your eyes," he said, and I did.
The world returned to sharp
focus, and before me I could see nothing but clear ocean. The water was
endless, infinite in front of us, and the cresting waves sparkled with the gold
of the setting sun. I could almost feel myself being lifted up, as if the ship
below us had faded away and it was just us, soaring through the sky.
"We're flying!" There
was no better way to describe the sensation, the feeling of wind brushing
against my face, the way the whole world was laid out at my feet.
I felt Jack's fingers gently
twist themselves between mine, caressing my outstretched hands. His face was
beside my cheek and I could feel the warmth of his skin. He was all that kept
me grounded. Without him I would surely have toppled forwards, meeting my death
in the darkness of the eternal ocean below us. But I was safe. In his arms, I
was free.
"Come Josephine in my
flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes..."
The End.