pretty when she cries ; fitz

chapter two

she entered the gate of her connecting flight, checking her baggage into the claim before wrapping her fingers tightly around the straps of her backpack and ducking into the next and final aircraft.

her eyes nervously pointed from the seat number on her phone to the plaques labelled over every row pair. she stopped at the last business class section, her glance now fixated on a guy scrunched into the aisle seat, focused looking through the oval window where a plane got prepared to take off from the jetway.

"uh, 'scuse me, sorry. i-uh, got the window seat here next to you." her thick southern drawl was still weak when she spoke. she didn't feel the pressure of other boarders pushing behind her, the other business class people were taking the other seats behind her, shoving their luggage into the overhead compartments.

the younger looking man averted his attention to meet her soft-structured face. it was like splatter paint, how her face was dotted in freckles; even decorating the bridge of her dainty, turned-up nose. her breast-length brunette hair had been neatly combed that morning yet now it looked almost windblown from her travels. the part was still centered perfectly, from the shore of her hairline towards the back of her scalp. her jaw clenched, the bones which made up her neck and collarbone flexing while she did so.

he took in the sight that hovered over him for another millisecond before rising to his feet slowly, making sure his skull didn't go through the compartment above. he poked his head to the side, the corner of his neck brushing against the overhead storage as he let her shuffle in.

"thanks," she blushed, suddenly getting a whiff of his scent. her nostrils were filled with his manly cologne until it grew distant when she plopped down into her seat.

"it was no problem." he responded, her ears being relieved from their curiosity of what his voice sounded like. "i'm cam, and you are?"

"amalie." a smile crept onto her lips but it didn't meet her eyes. he returned it. "where are you from?"

"new zealand. but i live in melbourne," he stated, rubbing his newly sweaty palms onto his ripped black jeans. "you go to uni in america?" cam gestured to amalie's tarheel women's soccer grey crew neck and sweatpants.

"yeah, uh, yeah..." amalie stuttered, uncertain how to answer the question. "i play soccer for north carolina but i'm from tennessee." she explained, growing a little uncomfortable. she pushed it away, trying to carry on the casual conversation.

she had immediately been impressed by his stringy, confident height. now she observed his sunken, hooded ocean eyes as they stared back at her. he had a broad forehead, a straight yet strong nose and a small dimple sculpted in his chin. his tongue rolled over his pale pink chapped lips.

"i could've guessed you were from the south. sorry, but you sound like me when i try to make a north american accent." the electric blue-eyed man let out a chuckle. amalie, too, let out a small giggle.

it was almost like slow motion when she smiled, her lips parting to reveal her perfect teeth. this time, the smile met her light olive eyes. they sparkled as the cabin lights dimmed for take off. her round bedroom eyes were framed with lush, sweeping lashes naked of any cosmetic mascara. a beam of sunlight seeped in through the oval window soaking into the brunette's bronzed, honey-golden skin. he bit the side of his mouth.

"i want to hear your american impersonation!" amalie exclaimed like a little kid.

"no, no. it's alright--" cam denied.

"you can't say that and not do it..." she urged him along. it didn't work.

"not now, at least. i don't want to draw more attention to me than there already is." he smirked, looking at the rest of the business class that was absolutely paying him no mind. amalie giggled again.