Momentary Bliss | Dark A.I|

Chapter 12

The airport was crowded, the sea of people stretched as far as I could see. Katie's mom had a tight grip on my left hand, Katie held the right. I was nervous, my heart beat a million miles a hour, and my hands felt clammy in my friend's grip. Crowded places were not my favorite.

Part of me was scared for Ashtons return. What if he wasn't as excited to see me as I was him? Ashton is like family to me, but I'm honestly not sure where I stand with him. I know the boys are his family, each of them holding a bond that I could never hope to understand.

Ashton never really talks about his past. He's never told me how they met, or where he's from. He never talks about his real family either, his mother and father seem like long forgotten fragments. I like to imagine that he's like me, separated but longing.

As if Katie could sense my worry she squeezed my hand, sending me some kind of reassurance. Katie was my family too now. She had been my rock for the past year. She took in all my insecurities and fears, transforming them into something tolerable. Every tear, every laugh, every punch was shared with her. She was my sister in every sense of the word.

The atmosphere of the airport did nothing for nerves. The loud chatter and weird smells added to the ever growing list of annoyances. It made it feel as though my head was filled with cotton, pushing against the boundaries of my skull. For a second I wished I was numb, the idea of pawning off all of my feelings was certainly appealing. However the excitement kept me going, the idea of seeing Ashton was much more wanted.

I had never been in an airport before. The idea of gates and flight numbers was foreign to me and if Katie's mom wasn't there I don't think I would have ever found Ashton. But she, in all her infinite wisdom, somehow knew where to go. She held a bright smile on her face as she dragged us around the airport. Katie's mom was family too, the aunt that I wished had been with me the first time.

Finally we got where we needed to be now all we had to do was play the waiting game. We got there extra early, just in case Aston's flight arrived ahead of schedule. I wanted to make sure I was there to greet him when he lands. I shifted back and forth anxiously waiting for him to appear from around the corner.

Every few minutes I asked Katie's mom what time it was. The minutes dragged on, making the wait feel like an eternity. After a few more slow minutes I started to see people trickle into the exit. It started very gradually, but soon the exit became dense with people. I went up on my tippy toes in an attempt to look through the vast sea of disheveled passengers.

Each person looked vaguely similar, their tired eyes and unkempt appearances all blending together to create one mass of tired traveler. No matter how hard I looked I couldn't pick out Ashtons face.

The nervousness from before tripled. Maybe he really wouldn't be coming back. Maybe he had decided to stay in Australia with the boys. Maybe all those texts and calls were for nothing, just red herrings so I wouldn't suspect a thing. I couldn't help the small pit of betrayal that was settling in my stomach, rooting itself into my heart.

Before I could voice my opinions I saw it, the black mop of hair that I would recognize anywhere. He was here. The pit lifted, the roots retracted both being replaced by a new feeling. Love. I couldn't help the tears that started to well up in my eyes. The relief was overwhelming.

I watched as his form emerged from the crowd. His searching eyes are a stark contrast to the exhausted gaze of the other passengers. I watched as he looked around, his body stiff in anticipation.

I let go of the hands that held me back, shrugging off the binds that held me back from Ashton. My feet pounded against the cold linoleum as I ran to him, my small body weaving in and out of the crowd of people. I ignored the calls of my friend behind me as I ran, nothing mattered except reaching Ashton. Finally his eyes met mine, a smile of relief etching itself onto his face.

Suddenly he broke out into a sprint as well. His large form crashing into people ungracefully. "Sage!" His excited voice calls out to me, his long legs bringing him closer and closer. The crowd that once looked dead now looks at the two of us with delight. Their eyes shedding the tiredness of the flight, our run was gathering viewers. Slowly they made their way out of our path until finally there was nothing standing between the two of us.

I hurled myself at him, my body colliding with his. His arms wrapped tightly around me, his arms tight and secure. Suddenly my feet were no longer touching the ground. Ashton lifted me up into the air spinning me around in his arms. A loud laugh left him as he did, the sound soothing any nervousness that was left.

My legs wrapped around his torso, I wanted to bring him as close to me as possible. I buried my face in his neck, gripping the back of his shirt tightly as he started to walk back to Katie and her mom. "I missed you." I said, the sound muffled by his shirt. He leaned his head towards me and gave the top of my head a soft peck, his grip tightening even more.

"I missed you more." He told me his voice wrapping me in the warmth that I had so desperately missed. "I never wanna leave for that long ever again. It was torture." He told me, shifting my body into a slightly better position. "Never again," I repeated back to him softly. I don't think I could handle it if he left again.

"Well then let's go home." He said, walking towards the exit. Home. I like the sound of that.