15 Years // harry styles

chapter twenty nine

H

The turbulence begins to bounce the plane, and I find my hand coming up to hold Bailey's head still against my shoulder. She's been asleep for about an hour now, and with 8 more till Germany, it'd be best to keep it that way for her sake.

I pull her closer to me, my chest serving as a pillow while the plane evens out again and she returns to deeper sleep. She shifts around in the seat, which is reclined completely, and I look down to see a frown on her face, her brows furrowing.

"No, no," she murmurs, pressing closer to me. Her fingers knot in my shirt as she starts to shift again.

"B?" I ask quietly.

"No, leave me alone!" She says, voice full volume now. I can't see past the wall of the compartment, but I can almost feel the glances. "No! NO!"

"Bailey, Bailey wake up. Wake up, it's me, it's H. You're safe. You're safe, open your eyes," I plead, shaking her as she begins to thrash. "Bailey!"

Her eyes fly open, and the look of sheer panic in her eyes makes my heart tighten.

"H?"

"I'm right here, cmere, you're all right," I whisper, pulling her back to me. Her whole frame shakes against me. "It's alright, shhh, I'm here."

Her breathing is fast and heavy as she tries to come back down from the nightmare, her hands still clinging to my shirt.

A few seconds later, I hear the faint creak of the compartment door. Taken aback, I sit upright, bringing B with me.

"Who are you? Are you authorized to be in here?"

"Yes sir, I'm on the list, I just wanted to make sure everything was all right in here," an all too familiar voice responds, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes back in my head.

"Quinton? Oh my god," Bailey mutters, burying her face in my neck in embarrassment before sitting back up. "Of course you have to see me like this. I can't believe we ended up on the same plane."

Out of all the flight attendants in the world, he had to end up on the same plane as us. Of course. Lovely.

"I know right! But hey, I definitely don't mind seeing you again," he smiles, and I feel my jaw tighten. "I just wanted to check in and make sure you were alright. Flight attendant's job and all."

"We're fine," I say sharply, forcing a smile.

"Can I get you anything? Water, gingerale?"

"I think I'm alright, thank you though," Bailey responds. I look at all the drinks our little cabin was pre filled with, then back at the boy, standing in the doorway like a puppy waiting for a treat.

"Alright then, let me know if you change your mind. The little green button will call me in," Quinton smiles and places a reassuring pat on her shoulder. It takes all my self control not to slap his hand away, but he's gone soon enough.

Bailey turns to me with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I probably just woke half the plane up, oh my god they all probably hate m-"

"Ah ah. Nope. Not your fault," I cut her off.

"But I was so lou-"

"Not in your control." I wrap my arm around her and begin to ease her back down to bed.

"But-"

"Shhh"

"Har-"

"Nope. Uh uh. Sleep now." I mutter, pulling her against my chest again. I can feel her protesting slightly, her muscles tense, but the she sighs and relaxes into me, and all my thoughts of the Clinton boy are pushed away. I pull the covers back up over us, and when her breaths begin to deepen, I find myself dozing off alongside her.

•|•|•

"Alright folks, looks like we'll be touching down in Berlin in about 30 minutes, so I ask you to please buckle your seat belts, stow your tray tables and raise your seat backs." The pilot's voice crackles throughout the plane, waking me up. B is awake next to me, playing a game on her phone.

"Good morning sleepy head," she murmurs, leaning over to kiss me. Her lips are soft and taste like candy, and I smile before sitting up and raising the seat back. We rummage around under the blankets to find the seat belts, clicking them in and sitting back again.

"30 more minutes," she sighs, resting her head on my shoulder.

"I can think of some ways to pass the time," I smirk, cupping her face and pulling her to me again. This kiss is deeper, full of excitement and I can't tell if it's the plane going down on her lips under mine that's making my stomach flutter. She's gentle in her kiss like always, but not sheepish. I reach for her waist to pull her to me, only to have her stopped by her seat belt.

We both pause before busting out into laughter.

I hear a knock at the door and my grip on her waist tightens.

"If that's Quinton again I swear," I mutter before the door slides down. A young woman is standing there instead, a large smile on her face.

"Looks like you all are ready for landing! Thanks for flying with us." The door slid back up quickly, and I relax.

"I think someone's a little jealous," B smirks, cuddling up beside me again.

"Of?"

"A certain flight attendant." I can't see her face, but I know she's gauging my reaction.

"Well he obviously likes you, but I wouldn't say I'm jealous. More so, protective I guess. The industry has made me that way," I explain, remembering all the times my trust was betrayed, the times I'd been used by people for a story. It's hard to keep my knuckles from clenching.

"He's no threat to me or you, just a boy with a crush. Now, whose ready for Germany?"

"You get to go first, there's someone waiting in the gate for you. Go to the left, and I'll be behind you in a little bit. I'll meet you in the hotel, okay? It's not far from the airport so it should be a short ride."

She smiles back at me and nods in understanding. We hold hands for the landing, watching out the window as the sunrise begins over the quaint buildings around us.

I hold her tight until it's finally time to go, watching her leave with a bit of pep in her step, though I know I'm not the only one watching her.