Shawn's POV:
This was it. The first day of my adventure and the last day with the love of my life. The first day without her and the last day surrounded by people I love. The first day to meet fans every day and the last day of privacy. The first day of a new life and the last day of a past one, a life that I had loved.
It was all worth it tho and Athalia agreed with me. This step was for me. For my future. Me. And it was okay to be selfish sometimes.
Then why was it so hard to want to get on this stupid plane?!?
We had pulled into the airport, gotten my passport verified, and luggage on board. Everything happened in a mechanical way, knowing what to do without a ton of hesitation because of past airport experiences.
"Twenty minutes to board for plane 0573 to London," the announcers scratchy, systematic voice blared over the confusion from the surrounding speakers. And it repeated it self 2 seconds later in case someone had been distracted the first time.
I looked at Athalia's beautiful face and lost myself in it. Part of me could see her soul and the other part of my vision saw her nearly flawless beauty.
Before I knew it, her face was inches away from mine, calling something into my retreated brain. Completely lost in wonder, I began to tune into her sweet voice and the words became clearer. "Shawn, Shawn. Earth to Shawn. Hello? You board in a few minutes. Shawn?"
I nodded my head and stared at her again. She stared back. Completely inaudible, she mouthed to me, "What?" as she smiled beneath her curiosity.
"You're so beautiful, my love."
Blushing furiously, she pressed her hand to my cheek. Her head tilted aside, she said through smiling lips, "That's not fair."
When her eyes met mine again they were glazed over by tears.
"Please don't cry again," I begged, "I can't-"
She abruptly cut me off, "There's only one thing to do to get our minds off this."
"What's that?"
She didn't answer me, instead she turned to my parents and Aaliyah and said, "Well be right back."
Smirking at me, she grabbed my hand and pulled me through the traffic of people and around a corner, out of sight of my parents. Even though we were still in public, neither of us cared. In an instant she was between me and the wall, her lips crashing passionately into mine. At first caught off guard, I didn't press back as violently. But it didn't take me long at all to hone in on what was happening. My lips were already moving naturally in sync with hers. I pushed her back gain at the wall, capturing her frame as close to myself as possible. Her hands were pulling her head to mine, but they moved slowly down to rest atop my arms, which were fastened to her tiny waist. I groped for the back of her jeans, and she shoved her hips closer to mine. Feeling me grow, she unintentionally smiled. Before gripping her butt, we caught each other's eyes for a moment. "Beautiful," I breathed into the kiss before my tongue slid along her lips, begging to be let it. When she parted her lips, I explored her. We both wanted to taste every piece of each other in the last minutes. Feeling many eyes being both flicked and caught upon us, I tried to ignore them before reaching my hands up her shirt.
Athalia's POV:
I gasped involuntarily as his hands found the skin beneath my shirt. Blissfully, I relaxed my chest, and let him work his hands around all of me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tried to shield us best I could from the public display, but we both knew many eyes were upon us. Gladly, I let him explore me with his tongue and his hands. I could tell he was refraining from grinding into me even a little. How I wish he could, but I'm sure these people thought we were just pervert teenagers anyway. Ashamed of their opinions, I felt my cheeks flushing with color, not the same way Shawn caused me to blush though. This was unpleasant.
I think Shawn noticed my retreat, for his hands found their way back down to my hips and his thumbs rubbed circles in the skin of my hips. He knew me all too well. He'd figured out that standing just like this, his touch circling my most scarred places, made me feel comforted. That he accepted and adored these parts of me regardless.
His lips reluctantly parted from mine and our eyes met again.
"The people?" He read my mind.
Nodding, my cheeks flushed even more. His hands swiftly moved to my cheeks. Bending down, he cupped my face tenderly and spoke softly, "Its about us baby. You and I, not them."
"You and me," I breathed excitedly.
"Forever?"
"Yes, forever," I agreed and his lips crashed into mine. Our mouths moved in sync perfectly, drinking in each other. His teeth found my bottom lip, pulling it towards himself a bit, the way I love so much. I yanked my hands behind his head and brought his face closer to mine, if that was even possible.
After a few minutes of sheer bliss, we stopped, nose to nose, breathing each other.
It was as if we had forever.
And we did.
He tilted his head back to get a good long look at me, and I smiled. He stole a sweet, quick kiss which he teasingly pecked upon my lips. Blushing furiously, my fingers brushed over his lips and landed on his chest. Feeling his heartbeat through my hand, I laid my head next to it and heard that sound which was the beat to every song of my soul.
"Five minutes to board plane 0573 to London. Five minutes to board plane 0573 to London. Five minutes," the speakers blared unclear and obnoxious into our trance, knocking us back into reality.
Refraining from grumbling, I let him lead us back to his family, were he said his goodbyes to a teary-eyed father, his mother choking back waterfalling tears, and a sniffling, red-eyed little sister. After Shawn walked away my eyes glazed over and the tears took away my last look at him. Quivering, I took darling Aaliyah into my arms, and Shawn's dad had done the same for his mom. It was a tender moment.
I wasn't sorry to let him go.
I just hoped when he came back he would still be himself.
The same Shawn Peter Paul Mendes his parents raises.
Our Good ole Shawn.
Shawn.
My Shawn, my savior, my everything.
He had been everything which made me who I was and wanted to be. Too much. Now, alone, it was only time for me to be me and discover myself. Space to see myself in a new light. It was scary. It was real tho, just as real as life. A new day. A revolution of everything I'd put away about myself. Depression didn't change me so much as it silenced me. The person I was, hidden under a mask. No more mask. And, in a way, I was using Shawn still as a mask. My job, and new friends - Clarice and Casper - were a new page. A new chapter. A new life, not because I got to start over, but because I got to open up a new door with a different perception.
The tears cleared for a moment as I closed my eyes just in enough time to see Shawn walking through the doors to board. "I love you!!!" He shouted to me and his family, and then touched his heart twice and also his head. Then he pointed to me.
Confused I didn't ask the meaning. I just wanted to absorb this as a memory.
As the door closed we all sobbed for a bit. Once we regained our senses and strength, we all breathed deep. I dried Aaliyah's tears with my thumbs, brushing them off her rosy cheeks. Feigning a smile, I hugged her for a moment again, tightly. Turning to his parents, I said, "He's going to make memories."
