Odoroki
twenty-three.
“Been away for long?”
“Hm?”
“Whoever it is, you look like you’ve been away from them a while. How long?”
“Three months,” she said. “Yuu and I have been apart for three months.” She smiled at the woman next to her, and her smile widened just slightly as she noted the caring expression on her face. “It’ll be nice to see him again.”
“Is he the father?”
Natasha nodded, still smiling. “Yeah. He is.” She bit her lip, and she let her hand brush against her stomach, and she glanced away from the woman’s curious gaze to take in the approaching airport. The eighteen-hour flight had been hell on her energy levels, and for most of the flight, the only thing on her mind had been Yuu. In the airport, just a few hundred yards from the tarmac and the landing planes, Yuu was waiting for her, and that was closer than they’d been in months, and that was all that Natasha could focus on. “I’ve missed him,” she said, and she wasn’t sure if she was talking to the woman beside her, or if she was talking to herself.
The woman beside her went quiet, allowing her to drift off into her thoughts just long enough for the plane to land, and then Natasha felt a gentle hand on her arm. She turned her head away from the sight of tarmac speeding by, and she smiled. “I can help you get your bag down, if you like,” the woman said. “Would that be okay?”
Natasha nodded, and her smile softened. “I’d like that. Thank you.” The woman merely smiled and laughed softly, as though the offer was something ordinary, and then settled back into her seat- the plane was slowing to a stop at the terminal, and the pilot hadn’t yet given the all-clear for passengers to rise.
And then, people were standing and collecting their carry-ons, and Natasha watched as her bag was brought out of the storage bin and set in front of her. She smiled at the kind woman that had kept her company throughout the flight, and she laughed softly as she said her thanks. The woman merely smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgement, and then continued on- getting in line, walking forward, and heading on her merry way to exit the plane.
And Natasha was biting back the most ridiculous smile she could imagine as she followed the line to the luggage carousel, and she looked around, searching for Yuu among the sea of black hair and sunglasses.
And then, when her eyes finally rested upon him, her heart stopped. Her smile widened and brightened, and she walked forward as he did. The seconds felt like long, long minutes as they walked toward each other, and then time froze altogether as Yuu pulled off his sunglasses, flashed his trademark smile, and pulled Natasha close. “I missed you,” he said, and his voice was quiet, gentle, and she pressed closer- she pulled her carry-on close to her side, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’m here.”
He smiled wider, and he lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and his eyes were just as warm as she remembered as he gazed down at her. “Yeah, I know,” he murmured, “and I’m glad.” He grinned, and he let his thumb stroke her skin, and he looked at her as if she was the only other person in the world. “I love you, by the way.”
She smiled, letting her fingers brush through his hair. “I love you, too.” She felt her heart flutter as she watched his eyes, and then she got up on her toes, pressing her lips to his. She felt him smile as she kissed him, and she felt him kiss back, and she felt his fingers drifting over her spine. There were butterflies in her stomach, although she was sure that the movement she felt could have been the baby, and she smiled wide when she pulled back.
“Let’s get your luggage, hm?”
She nodded, still smiling. “Yeah. Sure.” He let her claim another kiss, and then her hand reached up and closed around his. He chuckled, and she closed her other hand around the handle of her carry-on, and then she let him lead her over to the baggage claim. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as the carousel whirred to life, and she watched as the first few suitcases passed by. A few people shuffled past her to claim their luggage, and she gave a friendly smile to those that looked up at her, keeping close to Yuu and holding his hand as she waited for her own luggage to come along.
He turned his head to kiss her temple, and he smiled against her skin. “I’m glad you came,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “I’m glad I could come, too.”
“Hm?”
“Whoever it is, you look like you’ve been away from them a while. How long?”
“Three months,” she said. “Yuu and I have been apart for three months.” She smiled at the woman next to her, and her smile widened just slightly as she noted the caring expression on her face. “It’ll be nice to see him again.”
“Is he the father?”
Natasha nodded, still smiling. “Yeah. He is.” She bit her lip, and she let her hand brush against her stomach, and she glanced away from the woman’s curious gaze to take in the approaching airport. The eighteen-hour flight had been hell on her energy levels, and for most of the flight, the only thing on her mind had been Yuu. In the airport, just a few hundred yards from the tarmac and the landing planes, Yuu was waiting for her, and that was closer than they’d been in months, and that was all that Natasha could focus on. “I’ve missed him,” she said, and she wasn’t sure if she was talking to the woman beside her, or if she was talking to herself.
The woman beside her went quiet, allowing her to drift off into her thoughts just long enough for the plane to land, and then Natasha felt a gentle hand on her arm. She turned her head away from the sight of tarmac speeding by, and she smiled. “I can help you get your bag down, if you like,” the woman said. “Would that be okay?”
Natasha nodded, and her smile softened. “I’d like that. Thank you.” The woman merely smiled and laughed softly, as though the offer was something ordinary, and then settled back into her seat- the plane was slowing to a stop at the terminal, and the pilot hadn’t yet given the all-clear for passengers to rise.
And then, people were standing and collecting their carry-ons, and Natasha watched as her bag was brought out of the storage bin and set in front of her. She smiled at the kind woman that had kept her company throughout the flight, and she laughed softly as she said her thanks. The woman merely smiled, nodding her head in acknowledgement, and then continued on- getting in line, walking forward, and heading on her merry way to exit the plane.
And Natasha was biting back the most ridiculous smile she could imagine as she followed the line to the luggage carousel, and she looked around, searching for Yuu among the sea of black hair and sunglasses.
And then, when her eyes finally rested upon him, her heart stopped. Her smile widened and brightened, and she walked forward as he did. The seconds felt like long, long minutes as they walked toward each other, and then time froze altogether as Yuu pulled off his sunglasses, flashed his trademark smile, and pulled Natasha close. “I missed you,” he said, and his voice was quiet, gentle, and she pressed closer- she pulled her carry-on close to her side, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’m here.”
He smiled wider, and he lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and his eyes were just as warm as she remembered as he gazed down at her. “Yeah, I know,” he murmured, “and I’m glad.” He grinned, and he let his thumb stroke her skin, and he looked at her as if she was the only other person in the world. “I love you, by the way.”
She smiled, letting her fingers brush through his hair. “I love you, too.” She felt her heart flutter as she watched his eyes, and then she got up on her toes, pressing her lips to his. She felt him smile as she kissed him, and she felt him kiss back, and she felt his fingers drifting over her spine. There were butterflies in her stomach, although she was sure that the movement she felt could have been the baby, and she smiled wide when she pulled back.
“Let’s get your luggage, hm?”
She nodded, still smiling. “Yeah. Sure.” He let her claim another kiss, and then her hand reached up and closed around his. He chuckled, and she closed her other hand around the handle of her carry-on, and then she let him lead her over to the baggage claim. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as the carousel whirred to life, and she watched as the first few suitcases passed by. A few people shuffled past her to claim their luggage, and she gave a friendly smile to those that looked up at her, keeping close to Yuu and holding his hand as she waited for her own luggage to come along.
He turned his head to kiss her temple, and he smiled against her skin. “I’m glad you came,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “I’m glad I could come, too.”