Love along the Waves

The question confused her. They were already engaged, why ask again?

“I’ve told you ‘yes.’”

“No, no… I mean now.”

…

“Now?”

“Why not? It’s not like we have all the time in the world.”

Roe just couldn’t conceive it. She blinked rapidly, his proposal sounding like gibberish. “But, how?” she asked. “Who would marry us? We can’t just waltz back into town and get a priest, not with our cover blown.”

“Then we’ll find another town with another priest.”

“You really are serious about this?”

“More than I’ve been about anything.”

Over half of the sections had been eaten by the flames. Being far from the destruction, the end of the world would’ve been forgettable if it weren’t for the ramifications – but even they couldn’t compare to what was actually going to come. Now, they were left with a mere 5 months…

The offer was sudden, yes – but with such little time to live, why did it matter?

“Okay,” she said.

Alec smiled and gave her a tight, grateful embrace, picking her up and spinning her around to prove it further – causing just a fraction of a smile to show on Roe’s face, yet it meant she felt the same. With a new sense of purpose, he briskly walked with Roe in tow, setting off on a journey into the scattered towns of upper Section 2…

But just as Roe expected, their mission was easier imagined than done. The first town might have worked – if they didn’t stumble upon it in the middle of an anomaly invasion, from which Roe had to resist the so-very tempting call of battle. The next one, evidently lacking rations, had just a citizen left, who fell dead at their feet from starvation. Third and fourth had too many tribespeople for Roe’s comfort – wary of connections to Dulcie, and definitely not paranoid.

When they arrived at the fifth, a more secluded one hidden in a valley between two hills, and with a “safe” proportion of commons to tribespeople… They had just a bit of hope. Then they found the residents were just drunks, who laid about and waited to succumb to their fates.

All within a week, their efforts led to nothing. Tired and hungry, they paused their travels and detoured to sit by a sandy shore. The tide pulled in and out, fish bones dragged with it. They opened their bags, the meat already dwindling, so only two slithers were taken.

“You’ve lost so much weight,” Roe said.

“Am I still handsome at least?” he teased.

“Naturally.”

“Good. I’d hate for you to think I’m ugly.”

“That would never happen.”

Roe examined her own body, frowning as she took in the thinner arms and legs… Under the clothes, an abhorrent decline of firm muscle. She hadn’t been in such a sad state since her early trainee days, when her physique was – dare she say it – average.

“But I will admit, we look frail,” she said with repugnance. “Could both be snapped like twigs.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, no?”

“It’s close enough.”

Alec stared into the water, lingering on the tranquil waves. Then he got an idea, moving to stand in the water as he started to unbutton his shirt. Roe tilted her head, and became even more curious when he suddenly dunked into the water. Munching on the plain and unsalted steak, she waited for him to resurface. He’d come up for air every now and then, insisting for Roe to just “hold on” – until finally, he achieved what he wanted.

Seeming proud of himself, he dropped a small pile of clams on the sand.

“There! More food!”

Roe felt bad for him.

“Alec… They’re dead too.”

“So? We still have the shells.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What are we supposed to do with the shells?”

He looked at her as if the answer was obvious. “Eat them?”

“I— No, you don’t eat the shells…”

“People eat shellfish all the time!”

“Shellfish. They only eat the fish part.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding…”

Roe’s eyes burst wide open as she covered her mouth.

“How did you think that was even possible!?”

“Yeah, yeah, make fun of me all you want.”

He grinned, looking at her fondly. He hadn’t seen her laugh in years. Grabbing a clam again as she continued her giggling, he thought of something else, and cracked the clam open. When he saw a pearl to his luck, he shouted for joy then said,

“Roe, go hide somewhere for a minute!”

“Wait, what? Why?”

“It’s a surprise! And don’t come out until I say.”

Shrugging, Roe heeded his advice, going behind some boulders. Alec was doing something, as she heard him scuffle along the sand and tore what sounded like a piece of cloth. She caught him running back into the sparse foliage, then hurrying to the shore while holding the few flowers he was able to find, and another trip for branches both large and small. The poor landscape would be even more barren. After 45 minutes of it all, she had the urge to peek – but respecting his wishes, she didn’t.

“Okay, I’m done! You can come out now!”

“What on the Nexus have you—”

Her jaw dropped at the display. With lines on either ends, a makeshift walkway in the sand was layered with leaves and tulip petals. The path dispersed into two at the top, formed into the shape of a heart with the stripped branches and some pebbles decorated on its edges. In the heart’s middle was a rickety arch – made with the longer branches, broken and tied together at the ends using threads of yarn, missing from Alec’s shirt.

The scene was both… Overwhelming and underwhelming at once. But no matter how “cheap” it looked, Roe could rush into his arms right then and there.

“I know we agreed on something ‘traditional,’ but since we can’t find anybody…” he gestured to their surroundings, “Why not do the job ourselves?”

“You’re… Crazy.”

“But you love that about me, right?”

Roe walked down the aisle, the ocean breeze gracing the air. She had no wedding dress, no fancy hairstyle or makeup, but it did nothing to prevent Alec from gawking at her like a beautiful bride. When she stopped in front of him, it felt like a dream. From his pocket, he took out the pearl – tightly knotted with more of his yarn, fashioned into a simple ring.

Her face was beet-red.

“Is this, um… The part we say our vows?” asked Alec.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been to a wedding before.”

“I’ve been hired to guard a few, but… Never paid much attention.”

“So… What are we supposed to do?”

“Alright then—” he took her hands and gently pulled her forward, “Roe, do you take me to be your wedded husband?”

“I… Yes, I do. Do you… Take me to be your wedded wife?”

“I do.”

Then for just a moment, the world stopped – as they sealed the deal with a kiss.