Intertwined

To the Destination

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"We are preparing for descent," the pilot says over the intercom. "Please find your seats, and I hope you have a wonderful trip."

I sigh, placing my bookmark into my book that I have gotten halfway through.

Today is the first day of the mission, and to not draw much attention to ourselves, we have taken a regular plane to our destination. We are all spread out on different parts of the plane with our partners, so I have spent a few hours sitting next to Bucky. Though we haven't talked much as he's been writing away in his notebook as I read.

"Hey, Bucky," I poke his arm, feeling the anxiety rising within me.

There aren't many things that I am scared of, but I do have a few things that make me tense up. Spiders, no matter the size, make me scream and I have to get someone to either kill it or take it outside. The fear of open ocean where I can't see land is why I try to get out of anything where I have to go on a ship. And while I know how safe planes are, landing will always make freak me out.

"Yeah doll?" Bucky looks down at me with a soft smile.

"So, um, there's something that I didn't tell you when we took off that anyone who flies with me knows," I slide my book into my backpack before shoving it back under the seat.

"And what is that?"

"Landing freaks me out to the point that I will stop breathing if I don't have something to focus on. Stevie rubs my back, Nat plays random games that she makes up, and just everyone has their thing that they do so I don't lose my mind."

"How can you keep getting cuter with every fact I learn about you?" He holds his flesh hand out. "Hold my hand, and I will keep your mind off the landing."

I place my hand in his, our fingers intertwining like it is the most natural thing. "Am I really getting cuter?"

"Do you think that I would just say something like that to you and not mean it?" He teases.

"No, I don't know, maybe," I stutter out.

He chuckles, "I would never lie to you about anything, doll. It's been a while since I've gotten to know someone, and even longer that I actually got to know a girl that I like, so every time you tell me about yourself, I just feel this happiness that I didn't know I still held. You are just cute," he shrugs. "More and more as we grow closer."

"You're cute too," I blurt out. My cheeks burst with heat as I shake my head. "Unless you don't want to be called cute. Then I would say you are handsome, and you are. You look cozy, if that makes sense. I want to snuggle up to you, which maybe on the way back I can. Like push the armrest up and lean into your side. Oh great, now I am rambling on and you are going to think that I am crazy." I sigh.

He gives my hand a squeeze, running his thumb over my knuckles, "Your rambles are cute, too. I like you getting all excited about a topic that you just have to blurt out everything on your mind. If you want, when we get to the hotel, you can snuggle into me. I don't know if I'm that comfortable, but I guess you can be the judge of that."

"If I can read my book and not have to move every few minutes, you'll be perfect," I smile.

"Did you know that we landed, and you didn't panic?"

I look around at people starting to stand up and stretch their legs and backs. The plane no longer in motion as we all wait to be left off. "Wow, I didn't even feel the bump as I was so focused on talking to you."