Jay fidgets with the bracelet, turning it over and over in his hand, and the weight of it is nothing like the weight of a sword. It makes him want to laugh. It's made of sturdy black string, and tied at the ends with a double knot that is as complex as his feelings are at the moment. There is no doubt that it took a long time to create.
His eyes flicker up and catch her in the middle of a conversation. He doesn't understand the words that are coming out of her mouth. All he sees is the way her hair looks, and the way she seems to shine.
He wants to say something.
He's a bundle of nerves, and his hands are shaking. They've been through so much the past few weeks, and most the the events were directly his fault. Stupid teapot of teran, stupid wishes, and stupid pirates with their stupid games. Jay grabs at his ribs in frustration, still bruised and sore from scrap and tap. The worst part was having to admit that they lost.
But they did lose? And why does his stomach flip whenever he sees her?
"Hey, uh, Nya?" He finally speaks up, and immediately regrets it. What if she still hates him? What if after all this is over, she never wants anything to do with him ever again. What they had before was awesome, and then she went cold, and he wasn't sure how how he had messed it all up.
"Yes?" She looks at him, and a million more thoughts fly through his head like a mass migration of butterflies.
"I-I..."
"Are you okay? Your cheeks are all red." Nya looks at him with concern, and places her hand on his forehead.
He swallows hard.
"I...made something for you. You know, to apologize." He holds out the bracelet, and waits for her reaction.
"A friendship bracelet?" Nya laughs. "You can't be serious!"
"I-it's not just a friendship bracelet." He feels his face grow even hotter.
Nya smiles. "Well, then what is it?"
"Um...I-It's a...well, I guess, a promise bracelet."
"A promise for what?" She asks, looking at him as if his answer determines the fate of any future chances he has with her. Talk about no pressure.
He grabs her hand in his, forcing her palm closed around the bracelet as he tries not to desperately squeeze her hand too hard.
"It's a promise, that after all this is over and we win, I will always be there for you, even if you don't want me in your life anymore."
She gives him a questioning look, and he can tell she's debating.
"But what if the only thing I want is for you to not be in my life?"
Jay frowns, trying to hide the pain. Those words hurt worse than any hits he took aboard the Misfortune's Keep.
"I would still do it. Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I can't be there for you as a friend. Besides, I'll probably need a babysitter for the next ten years anyway," he replies, trying to joke the pain away.
She can't help but laugh at that last statement.
"Is that the real reason you want me to keep you around?"
"Well, there are a couple other reasons, but the main one is that I can't imagine life without you, and I know that might sound cheesy, but it's true. I mean, who else would have me, right?" He shrugs.
"If you are trying to make me jealous, it's working. I've seen your fangirls."
"Well, I'm not trying to make you jealous."
"Then what are you trying to do?"
Jay takes a deep breath.
"I'm trying to make you mine."
Nya doesn't say anything for a few minutes, and his heart feels like it's about to burst. He wonders if this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have just stayed quiet, and not bothered her with his silly gifts.
"Please say something."
She finally looks at him, and the smile on her face is breathtaking.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"I'll be your girlfriend again, dumbass." She smacks him on the back of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For being a dork."
He rubs his head and smiles. "Worth it."
"Hey, Jay, I just wanna know, did you really think I was going to say no?"
"Um, well, yeah, I mean, you've been kind of weird lately, and I know I can be annoying, and-and..."
She rolls her eyes and kisses him, effectively cutting off his sentence.
It feels good. It feels really, really good.
To have her lips on his again, to have her arms around him, is like heaven. He's missed this so much, and now, he doesn't have to worry about it anymore.
He kisses her back, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. His elemental power flutters under his skin, yearning to be cut loose and reconnect with the elemental master of water.
"I missed you," he mumbles against her lips.
"I missed you too."
He can feel the weight on his shoulders lift. He's so happy, he could cry. He leans in to deepen the kiss but Nya pulls back, much to his dismay.
She holds up the bracelet and twirls it between her fingers.
"Help me put this on."
"With pleasure."
He ties it around her wrist, his fingers brushing her skin gently.
"Perfect," he whispers, smiling.
"It is perfect." Nya agrees, leaning in and kissing him again.
This is his favorite type of kiss, the ones where he doesn't even know he's kissing her, and he's just there, enjoying the way her lips feel against his, and how they move, and how much he loves her.
He kisses her back eagerly, trying not to let the feeling go to his head. Saving the world can wait just a little longer, because right now, he has all the peace that he needs.
