We're Different Than the Rest

Chapter 40: The Offer

Aayla and Bly had spent three days on Simocadia. The first day they had spent exploring the capital city. The second day, they explored the mountain around them, finding gorgeous scenery.

The third day they decided to go swimming at a lake they had found the day before. Aayla packed a picnic basket with some sandwiches and fruit before they left for the day.

When Aayla and Bly got to the lake, the sun had just begun to peek out from the disappearing clouds.

"Last one in the water is a rotten gundark egg!" Bly yelled to Aayla as he jumped off a boulder and into the deeper side of the small lake.

Aayla ran after him, but stopped at the edge of the rock.

Bly appeared back above the water a second later.

"Jump. I'm right here. Plus the water is warm."

"Fine." Aayla closed her eyes and jumped into the lake. She resurfaced a minute later laughing.

"What's so funny?" Bly was completely confused.

"The fact that I'm scared of swimming."

Aayla laughed for a few minutes before stopping. "Want to have a splash competition? Whoever has the biggest splash when they jump in wins."

"You're on." Bly got out of the lake and cannonballed back in, creating a twenty foot splash.

Aayla was next. She copied Bly, and resurfaced smiling. "How big was the splash when I jumped in?"

Bly's face was plastered in amazement, "It was forty feet high! That's insane!"

"No, that's Jedi." She smirked and swam back under the water.

"That's not fair!" Bly splashed Aayla when she finally appeared from under the water level.
Aayla splashed him back. The small splash battle lasted a total of two minutes until Bly finally surrendered when Aayla started using the Force to help her.

"You need to stop using your Jedi skills against me." Bly pouted.

"And what if I don't?"

"It's not like I can do anything to stop you, I guess."

"I guess not." Aayla said with an innocent smile, which turned into a smirk.

"Oh n-"

Aayla jumped at Bly, pushing him under the water.

.oOo.

Aayla and Bly walked out of the LAAT just before sunset on their last day on Simocadia. Bly stopped three steps outside the door.

"I'm going to get a blanket, its chilly out here." Bly lied as he went back inside. He hoped she believed him.

"Okay. I'll be right here." She smiled and walked to the edge of the cliff, sitting down on the cold rock.

Bly walked back into the LAAT and opened the food cupboard door. He reached up to the top shelf (which Aayla was too short to see) and grabbed a small metal Caf tin. Bly carefully removed the lid and pulled out the dark blue velvet back. He quickly grabbed the blanket after tucking the bag in his pocket and met Aayla outside.

When Bly got to Aayla at the cliff edge, he surrounded both of them with the blanket. Aayla rested her head on Bly's shoulder and happily sighed.

"Cyar'ika?"

"Hmm?" Aayla hummed.

"I know you're comfortable but stand up and I'll take your picture with the sunrise behind you."

"Do I have to? You're so cozy."

"Yes, cyar'ika."

"Fine." Aayla fake pouted as she unwrapped herself from the blanket. "Are you okay, Bly? Your Force signature is scrambled, kind of nervous."

Bly chucked, but internally panicked. "Yes, I'm fine." He reached into hid picket and grabbed his data pad, turning on the camera. Bly took a picture of her and then set the data pad on a rock nearby. He carefully took the velvet bag out of his pocket- thankfully without Aayla seeing since she had turned towards the sunrise. Making sure that Aayla wasn't turning around to look at him, Bly pulled the item out if the bag. He quietly walked up to Aayla without her noticing, to much of his surprise.

Aayla felt a pair of hands grab her own as she looked out at the sunrise. She looked over at Bly, who was at eye level with her. A short wave of confusion washed over Aayla, even more as she realized that he kept getting shorter. Aayla started to sit down next to him.

"Aayla, love. Stand up." He chuckled slightly at her.

"I want to sit down with you."

"Cyar'ika." Bly stared into her eyes for a few seconds until she realized what he was doing.

"Oh- I-" A pool of tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. "Am I dreaming?"

"Aayla Secura, former Jedi Master, my will to live. Please forgive me if this is cheesy, I've only ever seen this in the holo-dramas that Wolffe Pack told us to watch."

Aayla laughed, causing Bly to laugh with her.
"You got me through the hardest part of my life, and now you give me a life that I never would have dreamed of. You are my best friend, and I don't know how I would live without you. I cannot imagine living without you for the rest of my life."

Aayla felt a tear of joy roll down her face, then another.

"Cyar'ika, will you marry me?"

.oOo.
Hehehehehehe cliffhanger!!!!!! I'm so sorry! Pretty sure you guys know what she's going to say. 😉

Sorry for the late update, everyone. My family is on vacation this week, so I didn't have time to write. If I'm being honest though, I'm glad I took a break for a few days because I had a bit of writers block for this chapter. We did a lot of hiking, which gave my brain a nice break and time to think about how I wanted to write this chapter.

Anyways, another update in a few days!