Forever and Ever Amen

[Izaak Finch]

Silence. How many people across this crazy world, zipping in and out of their jobs, their relationships and their lives took such a sound, or lack thereof, for granted? Furthermore, how many despised it? And why? Because from the perspective of one Izaak Jay Finch, as he strolled alone down a private Hawaiian beach, it was these moments he cherished most. All afternoon he had been pounded with questions at the press conference following his win of the ASP world tour, the media had been thrusting cameras and microphones into his face right from the very moment he had emerged soaking wet from the set that had led him to victory. Hell, they had even beaten his own girlfriend to greeting him. It had been “Izaak this...” and “Izaak that...” from then on in. As ecstatic as he was that he was now ranked as one of the world champions, Izaak had never felt more sick of hearing his name cried out in his entire life time. But one of their questions had plastered itself to the foreground of his mind and thus far had yet to be unstuck – “What’s next for you Izaak?”. If only they had known about the little velvet box that had branded itself hot against his thigh from deep within his pocket in the very moment of the question. What was next indeed. Of course he had responded with a responsible answer; knuckling down on his training in preparation for the next competition ahead. But what truly was next for him was no more up to Izaak than the changing of the seasons. One single-syllable word from Alianne would be the mould of his life’s direction. Little did his girlfriend know but the ball was in her court now.

Absentmindedly his calloused fingers sunk into the pocket of his jeans to rub across the velvet encased box as the mumourous voices inside of his head began to conflate into one very deflating possibility. What if she says no? For a commendable amount of time Izaak had been dancing around this thought, considering it from afar but never exactly having to confront its full brunt. But now it chose to approach him? Talk about bad timing. Still, it had every right to invade his nervous mind. After all this was Aly’s first serious relationship, would he be pressuring her into something she was simply not ready for? Had she even thought about a leap like this in their relationship? Izaak had been stewing over it for the last month, living in the deathly fear that one day he might just wake up and the vivacious blonde would be gone, clean out of his life like so many previous loved ones had. Life was far too short to be tip-toeing about chances instead of grabbing them by the shoulders. But perhaps this proposal he was planning might be the very thing he was fearing, the one that had the potential to drive Alianne Cooper out of his life. For a moment there on the shores of the deserted beach Izaak stopped and allowed the whitewash to rush up around his calves, dampening the rolled up hems of his denim jeans. His love for Aly overwhelmed him, spreading warmth right down to his bare feet as the Hawaiian winter sun began its slow descent towards the horizon. Unknowingly a smile stretched across his expression and for a short moment, all the blinding fear was forgotten, dissolved straight into his dazed blue eyes. Perhaps the butterflies that beat sickeningly about his stomach with their anxious energy were causing him to find reasons not to propose to her. But somewhere deep within him, Izaak knew that the way those beautiful amethyst eyes gazed into his own was no coincidence. Their feelings for one another were one and the same. As his mind recalled all the special moments they had shared over the past year, Izaak’s mind was made up. No matter how nerve-wracking it would be, he was willing to take the risk. Hell when it came to Alianne he was willing to do just about anything, he’d give up his world title as a surfer extraordinaire for her if ever a reason was called upon to do so.

Through a band of palm trees Izaak saw the late afternoon sun reflecting off the windows of their beachside cottage. Every step he took through the grainy sand was leading him closer and closer to his love, closer to taking one hell of a giant step in his life. The year of 2027 had been colossal for the Finches. Izaak and Alianne’s relationship had finally been aired out into the open and his tight-knit, mismatched little family had welcomed her with open arms. His sister and Fletcher had finally tied the knot last Spring and were expecting a baby in July, a daughter whose name had already been decided by Leah before her conception – Alexis. Marcus had also apparently gotten himself engaged to a woman young enough to be Izaak’s sister but so long as the old man wasn’t laying a finger on Aly or Leah and Fletcher and their little family, the twenty three year old could not care less about his father. And then there was Tristan; the little brother Izaak and Leah had never known existed. Having been put up for adoption for being a squib (no prizes for guessing that that was Marcus’ doing), last year he had finally managed to track down his biological family. Despite the nineteen years that had gone by, he had settled well into their growing family. He had even begged Izaak to take him on this trip with him, but the older Finch had insisted that this one was just for him and his girlfriend. And now in 2028, Izaak felt that this year was going to top even the last. His surfing career had just launched into success and here he was approaching the foot of his and Aly’s private utopia, just a setting sun away from getting down on one knee. His stomach twisted into a frenzy merely thinking about it.

His feet found the balmy wood of their open room, his nose caught the faint scent of coconut oil mingled with the ocean breeze and his heart discovered a faster beat to thud along to inside of him. In tune with the beachside fashion in Oahu, the buttons of the casual white shirt were all undone and the material left to whisper gently at his sides. So Izaak was able to rub his hands across the muscular planes of his chest, where he could almost see his heart rocketing against the sun-kissed skin, to silently will it to be still. Aly would surely be suspicious if she saw how nervous he was. The only time he was ever nervous around her was if he was waiting with baited breath for a competition the next day, and that was over and done with as of several hours ago. Last night he hadn’t been able to sleep at all, he had tossed and turned so much to the point where now he felt guilty for having kept her up as a result. But if only she knew what he really had been nervous about. The comp seemed like child’s play in comparison. “Aly?” He called out, but his voice was so highly strung with nerves that she could have mistaken him for a pubescent fifteen year old. Pulling a face at his lack of composure, Izaak clutched a hand to his throat much like he had his heart and tried again. “Angel, you’ve gotta see this sunset with me.” It was still a touch on the anxious side but it was a significant improvement. He could feel the ring box burning a hole against his thigh but to deter the need to check again to make sure for certain that it truly was there, Izaak fiddled with the colourful lei the locals had thrown around his neck. Hopefully Aly was in the mood for a walk along the beach, they hadn’t seen each other since his win and hadn’t exactly had much time to celebrate it before he had been whisked away by his management team and the media. Though surely that would be long forgotten by tonight.

 

[Alianne Finch]

Singing an old country song to herself, Alianne Faith Cooper danced around the bright, beachside cottage that she was sharing with Izaak as she changed out of her dripping wet, rather skimpy, bright purple bikini. It was what the blonde had worn, albeit she had a cover up on, to Izaak's competition earlier that morning. Aly had been bursting of pride as she watched her love own the ocean and waves, winning a major title that Alianne knew was major. The pride was swollen in her chest as she watched Izaak Jay Finch be whisked away from her to answer the questions of all the media stations covering the event. Clearly, the handsome, young surfer was not only important in her violet eyes but also in the eyes of the numerous reporters. The beautiful blonde watched her boyfriend answering the various questions being thrown at him with ease and style. Raising her sunglasses that kept her unusual eyes hidden from the muggles, Alianne Faith caught those vivid azures with her own violet in a whirl of color blending. A smirk appeared on her rose petal lips as she winked at him before disappearing into the crowd of people, knowing that Izaak Jay would come looking for her once he was finished with the press, publicist, and fans.

The young woman had returned to the private portion of the beach that had come with their elaborate, magical cottage, which Aly found hard to believe it was all just for the two of them. Alianne did not waste any time pulling her cover up dress over her head and dropping it in the soft sand. Next to the discarded fabric, Aly tossed her designer sunglasses that were a gift from Iz. He had given them to her when Aly had expressed her concern about the reporters noticing her odd, striking eyes. This had been Izaak's solution to ease Aly's worries and it had been working like a charm. Alianne turned her face upwards to the sun, soaking up all its delicious warmth. Alianne waded into the water as it caressed her feet and lower cafes. The blonde stood there a moment, squishing her feet in the wet sand as the salty water lapped around her feet. The past year, her entire relationship with Izaak Finch, had been utterly incredible. Alianne couldn't have imagined previously that she could ever find someone who matched her as completely as Izaak Jay. He really was her first true love, someone who was more than just that initial infatuation she had always experienced in the past. Aly smiled at the mere thought of Izaak Jay Finch, just a single thought, his name, was enough to have her grinning like an idiot. The young blonde waded further into the clear blue waters, diving under the waves, as she let the warm water envelope her.

After Alianne Faith had gotten her fill of the ocean waters, meaning that her hands and fingers were beginning to look like she was eighty years old instead of twenty two, she waded back out to the grainy, soft sand. The pure white granules clung to her wet feet, making them appear in stark contrast to her deeply tanned skin. All this time in the sun, watching her boyfriend on the waves as she soaked up the sun, had made the southern girl dark beyond belief. Her bright blonde hair and unique eyes combined with the dark skin made her beauty more striking than ever, not that Aly was vain enough to see that. Alianne picked up her clothes and sunglasses on her way back to the beach cottage. She knew Iz would be back soon enough and she didn't want to be dripping of salt water when he found her. Plus the sun was going down, the young couple might be going out to dinner to celebrate Izaak's big win. Today had been a very huge day for her lover and she intended to keep the celebration going.

Aly threw her swimsuit coverup on the couch as she headed back to the shower in the bedroom. She hung her bikini up on the drying rack before turning on the warm water in the stone shower. Alianne quickly washed off all the saltiness of the ocean, making sure to shampoo her hair. She didn't want her hair to dry out like the beach had a tendiancy to do to it. Stepping out of the shower, Aly wrapped herself in one of the fluffy, pristine white towels. Biting her lip, Aly went to the massive closet that held every article of clothing that she had brought to Hawaii with her. After a few moments of indecision, the young woman chose a light pink sundress that reflected her whimisical nature. Taking the hairdryer, Aly dried her long blonde tresses, stopping when her hair was only slight damp. It was left alone, wavy and natural looking. While she was doing all of this, Alianne was singing familiar, old songs that her parents had listened to back in Nashville. Alianne went back to her closet, grabbing a hat and throwing it on her head. The young, radiant woman went back to the wall long mirror. "That rebel moon is shinin'..Those stars burn like diamonds..Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide..I'll follow you where you're leading..To the first sweet taste of freedom..You got me runnin' baby, wild at heart." she sung softly to herself, approving of her reflection and thinking that Izaak would find this acceptable attire. It was a familiar voice, one that she very much loved, that stopped her. A grin on her face, Alianne listened as Izaak Jay asked her to come outside. Without hesitating, Aly went directly out of the cottage, not bothering to get sandals. She loved the way her feet squished in the sand. With one look out the door, she spotted her love, standing with his back to her. Her face lit up into a grin as Aly skipped lightly to his side. "Hey handsome." she said with a quick kiss on his cheek. The sun was setting over the horizon and it was clear that it was what she was meant to see. It was a breath taking sight, one that she believed had been created for her and Izaak alone. It really was something. "Oh wow..it’s gorgeous." she murmured back to him.

 

[Izaak Finch]

Izaak’s fingers could not resist edging their way along the ridge of the ring box in his pocket as he spun back around to face the glowing canvas of the Hawaiian sunset. It was a picture perfect scene to pop the question in, that fiery red light and the flamingo pink clouds screamed romance. But the surfer was no stranger to this. His proposal to Alexis had been at sunset, albeit the Bondi sunset and on the front porch of their home, but still. A soft smile touched the corners of his mouth as the memory of Alexis dropping to her knees with him and sobbing a ‘yes’ played over in his head. He remembered holding her tiny body tight to him as if nothing, not even forever, would tear them apart. But after tiresome years of wrenching the once on-again-off-again couple apart before they clawed their way back to one another, the fates had finally grown tired and decided to end forever what had never meant to be. The lids of his azure eyes slipped over his sight and Izaak sucked in his lower lip nervously. He was sure he had gotten it right this time, positive in fact that Aly was the one and he thought he’d never find her after Alexis. Yet still something tingled within him, a twang of doubt that she’d feel the same way about this proposal. It was only consumed a sliver of the thousands of possibilities swarming around his head but it was pulling tightly at his nerves.

“Hey handsome,” The surfer almost jumped out of his skin at his girlfriend’s all too sudden appearance by his side. His eyes shot open and gleamed a shocking blue, his heart exploded in his chest and he drew in a breath so sharply he almost choked. “Baby...” Izaak protested against the scare she had given him in an anxious chuckle but gratefully accepted the kiss she pressed to his cheek anyhow. It all seemed just that much more daunting now that she had materialised by his side and in that cute little sundress as well. God, Aly looked so good it ached. A set of bright white teeth pinched his lower lip as he forcefully averted his gaze from the blonde and followed the direction of her sight. “It is, isn’t it?” Izaak mused in amazement as he too fell into a dazed trance of pinks and reds and tangerine oranges but not too deeply that he wasn’t aware of his girlfriend’s body mere inches from his own. Out of familiarity he shuffled forward, dismissing what space had been left between them as he embraced Alianne from behind. His fingers found her hipbones, as prominent as ever on her slender frame, and drummed anxiously against them. Despite this key and lock fit the couple clearly possessed, Izaak still felt his stomach churn nervously and his heart thunder wildly against Aly’s back. “Aly I...” By this point his fingers had gone from innocently tapping at her hips to squeezing them relentlessly until his knuckles began to turn a milky white. “I uh...” The young man raked a shaky hand through his caramel crop of hair and sighed. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing sweetheart, he thought to himself cynically. This facet laid dormant in the twenty three year old most of the time, the awkward, fumbling, anxious sliver of his personality rarely ever saw the light as it was constantly in the shadows of his cool confidence. But now the tables were turned and Izaak felt like he was twelve again, and all because of a single ring in his pocket.

Their eyes clashed as Izaak stepped away from his girlfriend to take her hand instead, his azure blues pulsed nervously about her beautiful face as his hand trembled with the influx of nerves. “Come for a walk with me?” As he jerked his head down to the soothed shoreline, Izaak noticed the sun falling deeper and deeper past the horizon. If he wanted a sunset proposal then he was going to have to pull out his feathers, stop acting like a chicken and just ask her. It weren’t as if he couldn’t see his future with Aly, that wasn’t what he was worried about because it was as clear as his crystal blue eyes... to him. But what if she didn’t see what he saw? Was he husband material? Could she see him, waiting there with a big dopey grin on his face, at the other end of the wedding aisle? Would she want to one day have his babies? Perhaps Izaak was being too neurotic and too much of a thinker for a guy who more often than not acted on sheer impulse. But when he had already dragged himself battered and bruised back from hell, he couldn’t be blamed for fearing that kind of loss again.

 

[Alianne Finch]

Alianne's violet eyes watched the ebbing and flowing of the waves underneath the swirl of colors the sunset had created. She didn't flinch as she felt his corse hands wrap around her waist, molding himself to her. Her blonde head tilted backwards, resting his well muscled chest as she let out a sigh. Aly was wishful that those melted pinks, purples, oranges, blues, and reds would not disappear in the next thirty minutes. It was unrealistic thinking but Alianne always had been the dreamer in the family. The corners of her mouth turned upwards with chagrin as the vivacious blonde nodded her head to Izaak's "It is, isn't it?" "Well you know, they say all good things must come to an end. Though I'm not really sure I believe it." Aly said, with humor in her voice.

Alianne frowned as she felt Izaak's grip on her hips tighten as he struggled with his words. She wasn't really sure what had gotten into him. Izaak was usually so composed. It was hard to shake his easy going nature. He never lost his temper with the reporters that were endlessly following him around, asking questions about his life that was really none of their business. Aly admired him for it, knowing that she would get tired of that sort of treatment real fast. Izaak had risen in the world of fame with an air of confidence that suited him nicely. Now that same man had a death grip on her waist. "Ouch Iz." Aly said, placing her gentle hands on top of his.

Alianne turned her questioning amethyst eyes on Izaak's incredible blue ones as he stepped away from her. What is up with him today? she wondered silently to herself as she watched his facial expressions. "Sure baby. I'd love that." Alianne told her lover as she threaded her hand through his. Her bare feet squished through the grainy pure white sand as they walked away from their borrowed secluded cottage. The blonde could only hope that those reporters had all gone home for the night, leaving her alone with the love of her life. Her violet eyes glanced quickly at Izaak, drinking up his perfection against the colorful backdrop. Alianne truly felt blessed to have him in her life. It was funny how these things happened.

 

[Izaak Finch]

In the peachy light of the setting sun, Izaak managed a small but thankful smile as his hopefully soon-to-be fiancée agreed that a walk was most definitely appropriate. “Excellent.” And as he pressed his lips sweetly against her temple, Izaak thought to himself that it was most definitely excellent, more than excellent in his opinion. She would learn soon that it wasn’t just a walk, it was the walk into their brand new life together. So long as she says yes, but Izaak attempted not to think of the possibility of Aly refusing him, it would only serve to make him more nervous than he currently was and he knew she was already suspicious of his behaviour. At the thoughts swirling relentlessly around his mind though, Izaak squeezed his girlfriend’s hand, not as hard as he had her hips but just enough to remind him that they were still the couple they had always been. Certainly he was hopeful of someday making her his bride, but as the young man swept his eyes over her there was no doubt that there was so much more to Aly than simply that title. Since his and Alexis’ horrific accident and the fatal consequences that had shaken him right to the very core of his bones, Aly had been the one that had been there every single step of the way. She had stayed on the other end of the phone line on those long, long nights when insomnia had gripped him; locked away his bottles of scotch when he’d been drinking himself into a dangerous frenzy; been there for him when he wanted to talk and had been there for him when he hadn’t; she’d dragged his sorry self out of the house and allowed him to forget, if only for a few hours, his imminent depression. Though in short, she’d salvaged his life for him and later on had pieced his heart back together too. Izaak never liked to think about where he would be if it weren’t for Alianne Cooper, because he had a inkling that had she not been there for him he would have been pushing up daises by now. There was no way to describe how thankful he was for this young and vibrant young woman in his life, words were simply inadequate.

In the depths of his peripheral vision Izaak noted that the sun, now blood red, was beginning to sink over the horizon. His heart quivered in his chest, anxiety stemmed in his stomach and he tried to recall ever having been this nervous in his entire life. But regardless he touched his fingers to his pocket absentmindedly and drew in a deep, preparatory breath. “Aly,” his girlfriend’s name was a nervous breath as he halted his stride down near the shoreline where the whitewash had not yet managed to dampen the sand and pulled her in gently to face him. Both of Izaak’s hand came up to cup her beautiful face, his thumbs stroking her flawlessly soft skin as he prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do, falling ever deeper into those violet eyes. “You are honestly the most fun and vibrant person I’ve ever known. I don’t know how you put up with me after the accident when everyone else was ready to give up but I’m sure as hell glad you did. God, I don’t even know where I’d be if it weren’t for you, baby. But I do know this...” Izaak’s hands fell from their caress of her face as he dropped down on one knee, a small and shaky smile on his face as he did so. “I want to be with you, now and forever.” As he spoke this his hand fumbled in his pocket, waiting with baited breath for her reaction as he pulled out the unmistakable velvet box and lifted the lid, the diamond ring gleaming up at her from where he knelt in the sand. “Aly, will you marry me?” And thus began the longest few seconds of his life as he waited nervously for her answer.

 

[Alianne Finch]

Alianne's bare feet tread lightly on the damp, compressed sand as the young couple walked along the shore line, hand in hand. Aly's thoughts were wrapped around Izaak, wondering what he was going on behind those striking, azure eyes. The couple did not keep secrets from one another, except it seemed like Izaak was hiding something now. Patience was not a virtue that Alianne Cooper had been granted. A tiny, inaudible sigh escaped her lips in defeat. She would have to wait until Izaak spoke up to admit his thoughts to her. The blonde knew it would only be a matter of time. There was nothing her boyfriend couldn't confess to her. Aly knew Izaak inside and out. She had been there through the worst days of his life. Izaak was first her best friend, before he became her lover many many months after the first fateful meeting at the Harbour fountain.

Alianne paused on the white sand as she heard Izaak speak her name. This was it. Aly was about to be let in on the secret. The violet-eyed girl turned to face her boyfriend, a smile illuminating her radiant face. Izaak's gentle hands reached up to touch each side of her face. Aly's hands naturally went to his wrists as he began to speak. Confusion flickered briefly across her face. He words were tender but not unfamiliar to the blonde. Then, unexpectedly, Izaak sunk to one knee. Right there, in the sand. A gasp escaped her parted lips. Oh my god... Tears welled up in her amethyst eyes as they mixed with the beautiful bright blue of Izaak's eyes. "Aly, will you marry me?" Comprehension dawned on her face. The words echoed like sweet music in her ears. The diamond gleamed up at her from the little black box in which it was sitting. For once, she had no jokes to make. Alianne Faith threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him fiercely. "Of course," she said with a laugh. "Of course I will!" she said, smiling much brighter than the fading sun.