Bound to You

Chapter 35: Promises

“Okay um… First date?”

Darcy pursed her lips. “My first date was my senior year in high school. We went to see The Avengers and to McDonalds afterwards.”

Riker laughed. “McDonalds?” 

She reached over and smacked his arm. “Don’t laugh! It was small-town Georgia, our options were limited. First girlfriend?”

He smirked. “Ooh so we’re getting into the juicy stuff. Her name was Meryl and I was…14? Maybe 15.” His grin widened. “And she was 16.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Oh watch out everybody, we’ve got a player over here.” She said sarcastically. 

Riker beamed as he extended his arm toward where she laid a couple of feet to the left. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. His family had long since fallen asleep but they had decided to climb onto the roof, just as an extra precaution. Stormie and Mark both frequently woke up in the middle of the night. 

“Why are you so far away?” he questioned. He gently patted the spot beside him. “Come hither.”

Darcy smiled as she scooted across the shingles. Distancing herself from him was becoming habitual; she had to consciously remind herself when they were alone that it was okay for them to be close.

As soon as she was within reaching distance he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and pulled her into his side. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of cars driving up and down the road mingled with his steady, thumping heartbeat to drown out her thoughts.

They laid in silence for what felt like an eternity. The quiet was never uncomfortable or awkward; it was peaceful. There wasn’t always a need for words when they were alone. Sometimes just being together was enough.

“Tell me something about you that I don’t know.” Riker said, breaking the silence. “Something random.”

Darcy pursed her lips, contemplating all of the tiny details that he didn’t know about her yet.  “Hmm… Well my great, great, great, great, great grandfather was a pirate.” She said finally. Without warning she felt her back roughly hit the shingles as Riker moved abruptly to sit upright. 

“Ow, geez babe.” she complained, slowly sitting up to join him.

“Are you serious?? A pirate?? Like a real pirate??” He questioned, beaming excitedly. 

Darcy nodded. “Yeah, through my mom’s side of the family. Richard Worley. He honestly wasn’t that cool…he got hanged a few months into his career.”

Riker was smiling from ear to ear. “Still that’s so cool!” He gushed. “So wait, does that mean I can be like an honorary pirate since we’ve, you know, had-”

“Okay no, stop. Stop right there.” Darcy said, holding up her hand to cut him off. “It’s not like a gang initiation where if you sleep with a gang member you’re in. And in case you missed the first part, it’s an ancestor. I’m not hopping aboard the Black Pearl anytime soon.”

His grin only widened. “But if you were you’d tell me right?”

She shook her head, laughing in spite of her best efforts to keep a straight face. “What’s your fascination with pirates anyways?”

He shrugged. “Too much ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ growing up.” He joked. “So I’m sorry, but whenever we have kids their option for Halloween is a pirate or a pirate.” 

Darcy smiled halfheartedly. Kids…the future… Both frightening and uncertain concepts. “Yeah.” She said quietly. 

Riker’s expression immediately turned to one of concern. “What’s wrong?” he questioned. 

Darcy hesitated. She was unsure if it was a subject she wanted to discuss with him just yet. The future, their future…

“It’s just…” She started. “You say when a lot. When we have kids, when we get married…” 

Riker nodded. “Yeah?”

She hesitated once again. “Well…what makes you so sure?” 

He shrugged. “What makes you so unsure?”

“I’m not unsure.” she said defensively. 

He gave her a look.

She sighed. “It’s just that everything about the future is so…uncertain. It’s not that I don’t want a future with you. I do. I think about it all the time. Whenever I’m asked what lies ahead for me and Ross the only person I can think about is you. I want to be able to dream about marrying you. Planning our wedding, how you would propose… I want to dream about kids and grandkids and having a family with more children than we can handle I just-” She felt tears beginning to sting the corners of her eyes. “I’m afraid that if I let myself believe I can have that kind of future with you I’ll end up brokenhearted when I can’t.” She finished in a whisper.

A single tear escaped and rolled slowly down her cheek. The few times she did allow herself to dream about the future always left her more heartbroken than joyful. There were so many things that could go wrong. So many forces that could pull them apart. She wished she could share the extent of her concerns with him. But for her own sake, she couldn’t. Not now. Perhaps not ever.

“Darcy…” Riker said quietly. He reached up and gently wiped away the stray tear with his thumb. “The hiding, the secrets… It’s not forever. Okay? This isn’t how it’s always going to be. The contract isn’t permanent. One day you’re gonna be free from all of this crap and it’ll be a funny story that we tell our kids. About how mom and dad had to sneak around and hide on the roof and have taco dates in abandoned parking lots.”

Darcy laughed, despite the silent fears that continued to plague her. If only it were that simple. “I don’t know, Riker.” She said softly. “I’m just afraid that something’s going to happen or something’s going to go wrong and…I’m gonna lose you. And I don’t want to think about my future without you in it.” 

He shook his head. “You’re not going to lose me, Darcy. Believe me I’m not gonna let you go that easy.” 

She could feel her fears slowly beginning to subside. Somehow, Riker always made everything better.

“Do you promise?” she asked quietly.

He smiled, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen across her eyes. His touch still gave her goosebumps, though they’d shared many touches since that first night. “Here’s my promise.” 

He wordlessly reached down and removed one of the numerous silver rings he always wore. “I want you to keep this.” He said, reaching for her hand. “So wherever you are, or whoever you’re with, I’ll be there too.” 

She felt the tears she had been trying to fight immediately spill over as he slipped the ring onto her left hand. “Riker-” 

“I love you, Darcy. I know you’re worried. I am too, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. As cheesy as this is going to sound… I believe real love finds a way. It’s gonna work out. I promise.” He assured her. 

She smiled, a real, genuine smile for the first time in weeks. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”

Riker grinned smugly in return. “You might have mentioned it once or twice.” 

Darcy shook her head, laughing, as he pulled her back down to lie against his chest. She glanced down at the ring that now adorned her hand. The moonlight gleamed off of it’s surface, illuminating all of the tiny details and blemishes from years of wear. She turned it slowly, studying every angle. She had been given a fair amount of jewelry over the years, mostly from family. None had ever had as much significance as the beat-up piece of silver she now wore. It wasn’t just a ring; it was a promise. 

**PS- My great great (there’s a lot of great’s) grandfather actually was a pirate & he’s the one I used as ‘Darcy’s’ pirate ancestor. ;)**