Unleash Me (a Shatter Me fanfiction)

Surprise - Juliette's POV

It is morning, a full two days since the leadership of the North American Reestablishment fell to me. The colors of the dawn wash the ceiling of our shared bedroom with beautiful shades of orange. Our dying sun, I suppose, has decided that it will shine for us one more day at least.
I roll over, and a smile spreads across my face. An angel with his crown of golden hair is asleep on the pillow next to me, his breathing slow and even. I feel bad about waking him up, but we have a long day ahead of us.
"Aaron," I whisper. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
Opening his vibrant green eyes, his dimples make a welcome appearance. "Good morning, love," he mumbles through a yawn. I sit up, and he follows suit."Can someone please tell me what time it is?" He asks. I smile mischievously; I'm currently blocking his view of the clock on our nightstand.
"Nearly ten o'clock," I respond. "Looks like we overslept."
"Did we?" He comments. "Frankly, with the night we've had, I'm not surprised."
I felt a blush creep across my face as I remembered. Last night, after cleaning up the mess we had made the day before, both of us had fallen into bed, sure that our exhaustion would take us right to sleep. But when it appeared that sleeping was not something our bodies had in mind, Aaron insisted that we celebrate our victory... evidently, his version of a celebration was something I had not expected. My lips still remembered the fervent touch of his, and my skin the feel of his hands. Gooseflesh threatened to spread.
I was drawn out of my reverie when Aaron leaned toward me until his face was inches from mine. "I would so enjoy continuing last night's conversation, love, but I believe we have some business to attend to... and need I remind you that this business of ours has nothing to do with our activities as of late? Or have you forgotten?" I silently shook my head no, his proposal fresh in my mind. We were going on an official date this evening... our first. "Good," he said with a relieved smile. "I'm going to take a shower, and then we should probably go." I nodded, and then he was gone.
After collecting my scattered thoughts, I went to our closet to get dressed. My wardrobe was still tucked into its corner, but it has received some nice additions in these past few days: an extra suit that Winston had made me (this one was closer to a deep red than plum, as Winston had insisted that I needed more "variety") as well as a few new dresses... one of which I will be wearing tonight. It was a beautiful blue-green color, nearly matching my eyes exactly, and it was much fancier than anything I had ever worn before. It fell in satiny waves to the floor, tighter around my waist with a full flowing skirt. I did an experimental twirl, then slipped on the matching pair of flats and went back into the room.
Aaron was tying his tie when I walked in, and turned around when he heard me behind him. His blonde eyebrows lifted in pleasant surprise. "You look quite stunning, love. It will be an honor to have you on my arm tonight."
"Actually, I meant to ask you... where are we going tonight?"
He offered me a sly grin in response. "It is a surprise... you must wait and see." And then he took my hand and lead me out the the door.

The tank vibrated beneath me as Aaron - at the wheel - manoeuvred it carefully over the rugged terrain.
"Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?" I ask for what had to be the fifth time.
He finally relents. "All right, if you must insist. We are going to a favourite spot of mine, from when I was younger. It's on a cliff that overlooks the harbor. I hope you like it... it's one of the best places to watch the sunset."
"But it's only one o'clock!" I protested. "How long do you plan on staying there?"
"Until seven or eight, all depending on when the sun sets tonight. I want you to see it. Before that, we can have a picnic, take a pleasant stroll along the shore... anything you like, really. I'm doing this for you, love."
Something swelled within me until I felt that I could burst from it; it was lighter than air, and made me feel like I would float right out of my seat and into the blue, blue sky. Instead, I leaned toward Aaron and laid my head gently on his shoulder. "I love you so, so much Aaron."
"As I love you, my darling Juliette." I could hear the smile in his voice. I loved it when he called me his darling. I entwined the fingers of my left hand with the fingers of his right, and he squeezed my hand in response. I smile blissfully.
Soon enough, Aaron turns off the tank and gently shakes my shoulder. I had fallen asleep. "We're here, love. Let's get going; we still have a ways to walk."
I sat up, rubbing at my eyes groggily. "How long was I asleep?"
"About an hour," he replies, opening his door and climbing out of the tank's cab. Then he proceeds to walk around the front and opens my door like a true gentleman, and offers me a hand down. I nod my thanks and he places a light kiss on my cheek.
We walk hand in hand through a lightly forested area; trees these days always seem to make me sad, branches bare save for a few leaves still struggling to hold on. Aaron stop and reaches up into their boughs. "Look," he says quietly, opening his hand for me to see.
Nestled in his palm is a leaf, perfectly green, its color almost matching his lively emerald gaze. "It's beautiful," I whispered, reaching out to finger its smooth surface. "Something growing amid all this death."
Aaron smiles at my words and tucks the leaf away in a pocket. "I'll keep it for you, then," he says in a soft voice. "And whenever you look at it, you will remember today, even if it turns from green to brown and dries out. Hopefully, next time we're here, there will be more."
"I hope so, too."
He tugged me along impatiently, but not unkindly, and soon we left the copse of trees. We found ourselves in exactly the place Aaron had earlier described to me, and the view truly was breathtaking. I gazed at my surroundings in wonder as Aaron set about preparing our picnic.
When I had finally had my fill of the view, I turned my attention to Aaron's handiwork. He had brought a checked blue blanket, which he had spread out on the ground in a spot shaded from the sun's harsh glare. The centerpiece - a trio of cream colored candles that provided an ambient glow - set a romantic mood, as well as the bottle of champagne and the pair of glass flutes he had set next to it. A white wicker basket, set off to the side, was filled with clean white dinner dishes and or favourite foods.
"Juliette, love," Aaron's voice said from my right side. I turned to him, and he drew me close into his arms. "Do you like it?" he asked tentatively, hopefully. I paused for thought.
"No," I finally answered, and when his face began to fall, I smiled. "I love it."

After we had both eaten all that we could and fell into conversation, Aaron paused. "Juliette, there is something I want to ask you."
Apprehension immediately began to build its walls inside me. What was he going to ask me? But still I urged him on.
"Will you dance with me?"
His question surprised me so much much that I had to pause before I answered. "Of course I would, but... I don't exactly know how."
He smiled and stood up. "But I do," he said, offering me his hand. "Come on, love. I'll show you."
"But... there's no music. The Reestablishment banned it," I protested, but I still took his outstretched hand and he pulled me up beside him.
"Who said we needed music? Just follow my lead, love; it will turn out all right." He encircled me with his arms, drawing me closer, and I reached up to wind mine around his neck. He pressed his cheek to mine, and we swayed like that for a bit, but then we were spinning in elegantly choreographed circles : step, one-two, step, one-two.
"What is this dance called?" I asked him, and I felt him smile.
"It's an old version of dancing called a waltz. Not many people know how to do it anymore."
"Who taught you?"
He was silent awhile before he answered. "My mother," he responded quietly.
"Oh," I said, immediately regretting my question. "I'm so sorry, Aaron."
"It's all right, love," he said, pulling back to capture my face between both of his hands. "Anything you want to know about me, I will tell you. You have become my life, and you deserve to know how I came to be the person that I am... no matter how awful that past may seem."
I felt a hot tear leak from my eye, and Aaron leaned forward to kiss it away. And then when his lips met mine, I tasted the saltiness of my sorrow. He held me close to him, and though we had stopped mid-waltz, I knew then that I'd never want to be anywhere else.