An American In London S3

Paparazzi

An American In London: Season 3

I can hear each footstep thudding across the semi carpeted floor of the shaky jet bridge as
I'm first to leap off the plane and hit the ground running.

My backpack bobs up and down in the scuffle as my awkward attempt at running turned into a slow jog with the plastic boot on my shattered left foot scraping across the tiled floor of Hatsford International Airport. Running on the moving sidewalk as I jog through the terminal.
Not caring for the children and elderly I was tripping over to get through.

I finally reach the end of the terminal but the sign for border patrol tells me to go right and as I turn my left foot slams against a wall.

Now limping and holding in my scream through gritted teeth, I'm able to make my way to the desk. Probably looking like I had just come out of an insane Asylum or some shit from the fifteen hour-long flight to the Island Of Bridgeport, which I had yet to get a chance to see because I was so focused on seeing Mari again.

Reaching into my pocket, I slam my American Passport down on the desk with a semi-crumpled letter given to me by Mari's Uncle, Pierce Grayson.

The customs agent looks at me and then carefully unfurled the letter. She says something in Japanese and I shake my head.

"Sorry what?" I ask in English and she narrows her eyes at the letter until her mouth drops and she quickly stands in her seat and bows to me.

Confused I bow back, thinking it might be some cultural thing. She sits down again and grabs my passport, quickly stamping it and putting something on my record on the display screen.

"You know the King?" She asks as she hands the letter back.

I hadn't looked at it since Pierce gave it to me and squint my eyes at the strange Japanese characters, suddenly remembering Marius was the Prince of this country.
My own mouth drops with hers and I stutter while nodding my head.

The bottom of the letter had an official-looking seal and a signature reading
King Shawn Rupert Grayson of The Island of Bridgeport.

Feeling like a fucking idiot for not realizing this sooner I think culture shock had just slapped me straight across the face.

Forget time zone differences, I was definitely awake now.

She hands me my passport and I quickly thank her for continuing my running limp through the airport.

My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket but I ignore it as I near the front of the airport, with only an escalator between me and wherever Marius could possibly be.
Stepping on the stair, I start going down, but as I do I hear what sounds like a large crowd which is slowly revealed to me as the escalator goes further down.

Now I used to seeing large crowds at airports, that's one thing.

But not a large massive crowd of people staring at me and screaming my name at high volumes.
That was another thing.

Confused, I ignore these random crowds being held back by multiple bodyguards, which was more for show than anything else considering I had seen what the Grayson's were capable of, and finally there he was.

I run down the rest of the way and he starts running at full speeds.

I brace myself for full-on koala bear-Mari impact and he runs straight into my arms.

I catch him in midair and spin him around in my arms with the leftover momentum. His arms wrapped around my neck with his small head crying out on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him picking him up and waddling forward with him. Holding his head in one hand and his waist in the other.

He hides his face in the depths of my shoulder near my neck from the bright flashing lights that surrounded us as people scream our names.

Feeling overly protective of my fragile boyfriend I stare down the cameras and reporters with a nasty glare. Looking over to see Finley crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

"You two are so dramatic for no fucking reason. It's only been a week you saps, let's go." He calls and I look over at Mari.

"Prince Marius, Jamie Caspian, Prince Marius, Prince Finley,"

The screams don't stop and I wonder how he deals with this every day.

"I need you,"

I hear him whisper to me in this small helpless little whimper that makes my heart ache with sadness.

"Shhh I'm right here,"

I tell him and gently kiss his cheek and a little bit of his hoodie he had pulled up over his head in a failed attempt to be anonymous.

"I missed you,"

I mutter as I squeeze him tight. He starts to loosen up a little bit and pulls away just enough to look me in the eyes.

"I missed you too."

He says with his beautiful light green eyes flickering a registered happiness from my appearance. As much as I wanted to kiss him right then and there the cameras and reporters force me to pull further back, with one arm still wrapped around his shoulder we start to walk with the impatient Finley.