airplane ﹙short story﹚

eighteen

"Theo."

Javier's voice sent a chill of sudden discomfort through his bones. He glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye, narrowed into a flaming glare.

"Don't you dare," he hissed through clenched teeth, settling a harsh hand on his shoulder. Though his warning was intimidating enough, Javier was already shoving off his hand, and darting towards the blond boy tying his shoelaces back up.

Theo barked his name, and ran after him frantically. Javier skidded to a stop in front of Atticus, who blinked in surprise and gazed at the unfamiliar boy.

"Hola," he drawled, a cheeky grin plastered across his face. Atticus shrugged on his coat, a little confused. If Theo hadn't been so intent on giving his friend am earful, he might have found it endearing the way his brows pinched lightly.

"Hello," he answered unsurely, tilting his head. His strawberry lips briefly flickered into a smile. "You are?"

"Javier," he greeted, abruptly shaking Atticus' hand, who looked startled enough to draw the attention of a few people around them. Javier just had that kind of public unawareness. "And you're Atticus. You see, my mate Theo hasn't stopped chewing my ear off about you the whole way through security and–" 

Theo shoved his friend with his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him away. "What are you saying, you fuck? Don't say stupid stuff!"

Javier only bellowed with laughter as he wriggled out of his friends wrestle, twirling behind him and beside Atticus. The blond was wearing a subtle smirk on his face, and it made Theodore's cheeks go pink.

"You talked about me?" He playfully teased, and Theo shot him an embarrassed glare.

"He's lying."

Javier beamed. "I'm not."

"He says he isn't." The blond titled his head to the side, and Theodore's knees nearly went weak. "And here I thought you said you could last without me."

"You should have heard him earlier," Javier butt in, leaning down towards Atticus' ear. "He was all like, 'he's so annoying, I want a girlfriend, blah blah blah'."

Atticus was grinning. "Oh, really? He seemed quite fond of me when he clung to my hand during the landing."

Theo cursed under his breath, slapping his hands across his face. "Shut up."

Atticus and Javier broke down into hushed chuckles and amused laughter. When Theodore peaked through his fingertips, ready to smack his friend over the head, he noticed he had already scrambled past him.

"Don't do anything stupid without me," he huffed, a panicked pique in his tone. "My mother is yelling at the security guard! If she takes off her shoe, it's all over..."

The Mexican boy disappeared into a crowd of travellers not a moment later, and Theo was left in the silence that lay shattered between his new acquaintance. He was quick to shove his hands into his pockets, blowing out a breath of air.

"So..." He spoke up awkwardly, his gaze sweeping the floor in front of Atticus' feet. The boy had stood by now, and Theo noticed how much taller he seemed. Much taller than him. It made him a little self conscious, but he could swallow it down for the blond's case.

"So." Atticus replied back, his face unreadable. It was not like Theo had been any good at reading people in the first place.

"Where are you staying?" The brunette asked carelessly, shrugging his shoulders to ease the tension in his muscles. Atticus' lips pulled into a soft smile, warming his insides.

"Further up North," he responded, a little dryly, hugging his suitcase to his side. "My family live up there. I'm going to visit them."

Theodore was rubbing his fingers together in his pockets. "Just you?"

Atticus' eyes flashed with unreadable intent, before his shoulders sagged ever so slightly, and his smile turned sad. "I don't have anybody back home. Apart from my father, but he's still in prison at the moment."

He blinked in surprise. Theodore couldn't hide his initial shock, and he fumbled to find something to say. "Oh, man, I...I'm sorry about that."

"It's no big deal." Atticus warmed up again, and it seemed he had put the whole thing behind him already. Theodore was fairly envious. He wished he had that sort of closure with his father. "It's where he should be. We don't particularly get along much, anyway."

Theodore rubbed his chin awkwardly. He hadn't know what to say to that. He made him wonder how such a sweet, albeit annoying, and caring guy was hiding behind those shimmering ocean eyes. The scars on his cheek cropped up in his mind – they each had memories within the dip of the skin, each leathery exterior surfacing an event.

Theodore had similar ones. He believed everybody did.

"I should..." Atticus' voice pulled Theodore abruptly from his thoughts, and he peaked through his eyelashes to glance at the boy. "...get going. I'm going to miss my train."

He gripped onto the handle of his suitcase, drawing it towards towards his hip. It tilted as the wheels rolled against the smooth floor, making a quiet rumbling noise. His lips were shaped into a bittersweet smile, and his blonde locks swayed delicately on his head.

"I suppose this is goodbye. I hope the trip back won't be too boring without me there."

Theodore couldn't help but scoff at that, and rolled his eyes. "Don't get too big for you boots. Just because I tolerated you in the end, doesn't mean I enjoyed myself."

That same laugh fell from the blond's lips, and Theo's chest ached.

"Whatever you say, angel."

Fuck. The brunette couldn't stand this. His chest was swelling with an unfamiliar pain, and although faint with the short time they had spend together, the desire to stay by his side was strong. He released a shuddering breath, and held out his hand.

Atticus glanced at the crumpled up note, and raised a brow.

"Before you go," he mumbled under his breath, shrugging his shoulders as if his heart was thumping against his ribs. Their was a beat of slow, hot silence as the blond read over the small paper, his lips curling up into a smile.

Can I have your number? x

n̶o̶ XXXXX XXXXXX

Atticus' eyes were twinkling. "You kept it?"

The way he uttered those words, as if they were so precious, made Theo frown in embarrassment. "Don't."

Atticus pulled out his phone, and flashed Theodore one final smile.

"Goodbye, Theo."

The brunette smiled, calmly, and finally met his eyes. "Goodbye, Atticus."

The last thing Theodore saw, was his broad frame disappearing into the crowd, and his fingers typing his number into his contacts.