Sailing Towards Eternity - An Ash Lynx Birthday Fic

Eternity With You

After Eiji had put away the food, Eiji directed the boat back to their starting point but didn't tell Ash where they were going.

"Just look at our surroundings, the beach over there, the ocean illuminated by the sun, and the cloudless blue sky. It's such a wonderful day today. I can't believe you just wanted to stay home reading books again." Eiji mocked him.

"What's wrong with that? I love lying on the couch with you and enjoying a good book while you show me the latest photos and tell me about college life."

"I love that, too. But on such a wonderful day, it would be a crime to hide in our apartment when we live in such a beautiful place. Today is a day to enjoy the sun and the sea for the last time. Soon, fall will come knocking at our door, and we can't swim in the ocean or sunbathe anymore. So, we should use the last rays of sunshine warming us, the soft breeze dancing around us, and the refreshing touch of the water on our skin. It feels like being reborn."

"Of course, I could never take part in such a crime. I promised you to be a law-abiding citizen from now on, after all." Ash smirked at him, a naughty glint in his eyes.

Eiji gave him a dirty look. "Don't make fun of me."

Ash laughed and leaned on his shoulder,

"You'll always be a hopeless romantic, but thank you for this wonderful day. It was perfect."

"It's not over yet," Eiji promised him. "The highlight is still waiting for you."

Where are we going? Back to the harbor again? You can see it from here, right?" Ash asked while shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand.

"Yes, you do. However, we don't go back yet; we're just passing by. We're flying towards the perfect sunset and our future."

Ash rolled his eyes. "You're driving me crazy with your vague hints; you realize that, right?" he complained impatiently. Eiji just smiled mysteriously and nodded.

The afternoon was still warm, although the heat had faded a bit. They enjoyed the view. The beach they saw soon changed into a shore and some cliffs the waves crashed relentlessly against, loudly and powerfully. A path turned uphill at the end when they finally saw a famous sight around here.

They could barely see the path leading towards it, but they did see the famous landmark on top of the shore. As Eiji had told him, it was a light illuminating the darkness and safely guiding everyone home.

During daylight, its white surface was easy to make out from the ocean, and you had a fantastic view from the top. At night, its bright light illuminated the night sky and the pitch black water, guiding everyone to the safety of the harbor. A nautical sun emitting its rays while the sun was resting, its beam breaking through the darkness and saving boats from crashing on the shore.

"Don't tell me we are heading to the lighthouse?" Ash suddenly asked him, eyes widening in surprise. He leaned over the edge of the boat like a little kid that hoped to see more if it bent closer or stretched out his hand towards it, not realizing the sight was too far away to reach. His innocent reaction was why Eiji loved to surprise Ash so much. His eyes widened, lit up, and sparkled with excitement like a little boy's when he had uncovered his surprise or when he had finally grasped what Eiji's plan was.

Although this was only the peak of the surprise's iceberg, the main event had yet to be revealed, and Eiji had looked forward to that moment all day. Even more so, he had looked forward to this for months. He had planned it meticulously and had been extra careful so that his suspicious and far too observant boyfriend wouldn't notice what he was up to.

Eiji smiled. "Yes, we are. You can see the perfect sunset from that shore," he explained, putting an arm around his waist from behind. "But please do me a favor and stay away from the railing. It would prefer if you didn't go overboard at this speed. There are strong currents and deadly cliffs around here."