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a & b - stranger

This is an AU where both of them grew up in Maryland, but in different cities. Addison in Columbia, Bryce in Baltimore. Addison has social anxiety and is terrified of flying. This is written to look like Addison writing to Bryce. 

Enjoy! 

Love Sofia 🦋

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It was on the flight from Maryland to LAX. You were almost stranger - you had know me for a day and a half at the most. I grew up in Columbia, Maryland; you were from Baltimore. Mads had convinced me to go with her to visit the capital. She was going to see Jaden, her long-time boyfriend and she dragged me along too. I was drawn to you immediately, although I stuck by Mads as much as possible. I didn't like interactions. Jaden had offered to take us to LA to meet the rest of his friends - the ones you and him were moving into a mansion with later that year.

I remember the day perfectly. You stole Mads' seat after she escaped off to the toilets, promising me she'd be back soon. I had been shaking when you sat down; I needed someone next to me on an airplane and Mads had been gone for a good five minutes before you took her place. I could feel my blood pulsing through my temples, and I pulled out the fold out tray to rest my head in my shaking arms.

I felt you flip up the arm rest between us and wrap your arm around my waist, pulling me closer to you as my breaths can in gasps, my throat refusing to accept the air that my lungs needed. I gripped at your hand, digging my nails into your skin. You winced but took the pain for me. I went ice cold and I scrambled for the sick bag, my numbing hands struggling to open the flimsy plastic. I gave up as you pulled the bottom of the bag out for me, bringing it up to my chin just as my stomach began its convulsions. My vision became blurry and I became hyperaware of your presence, with your hand gliding across my back. But for the very first time during one of my panic attacks, I didn't push someone away. During my previous attacks, I had become claustrophobic and pushed anyone who came near me away, often causing my attack to worsen. But as your warm arm seeped heat into my body, the tingling in the tips of my fingers returned, slowly spreading throughout my body until I was able to sit back up again, realizing that an air hostess was holding out a warm towel in my direction.

You took it for me, unravelling it and placing it on my forehead. Closing my eyes, I leant my head against the hard airplane seat. You remained wordless for a while, giving me time to adjust to my surroundings before I spoke to anyone. I heard Mads at your side, whispering, "It's ok, you can have the seat for now. She needs you more than me; I would have never been able to calm her as quickly as you just did then. Try and get her to talk, ok? She's really reserved, and it took me weeks when I first met her to get her to tell me about herself. By what just happened then, you probably know that she has anxiety and panic attacks. Let her know that she can trust you".

I heard her slip back into the seat behind you, sitting next to Jaden.

"Addi," you whispered, I opened my eyes slowly, "you can lay down on my lap to sleep if you want. The seats are really uncomfortable."

"Thank you," I breathed, falling onto your lap and shutting my eyes.

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My eyes fluttered open and I jerked upright, sniffing. You laughed slightly, removing your hand from my back, letting it fall to your side. "How long to go?" I whispered, rubbing my forehead.

You smiled, "An hour and a bit. You've been asleep for three hours or so. Gave me enough time to watch The Angry Birds Movie. I frowned, before you snorted. "Kidding."

I smiled, before becoming serious again, "How'd you do it?"

You frowned, confused, "Do what?"

"Stop my panic attack. No-one's been able to do it before. They usually last for ten minutes, and surely it wasn't ten minutes long."

"No, only two," you smiled, placing your hand on my leg, "Do they happen often?"

I sighed, nodding, turning away to look out at the billowing clouds on the outside of the window, thinking of my mom and dad and Lucas and Enzo, a whole 2,311 miles away when I finally touch down in LAX. Even they couldn't calm me down when I had a panic attack.

"You can tell me anything, you know. At any time. I promise." You said, bringing me back down from almost quite literally floating in the clouds.

"Even at three o'clock in the morning? When you're supposed to be asleep?" I questioned, looking for any sign of dishonesty in his eyes, knowing full well that my anxiety would be keeping me up at ridiculous hours of the night.

"Anytime you want. Anxiety doesn't wait for someone to be awake, so you can wake me up at any hour of the day."

"Thank you," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes again.

"Are you alright? What do you need me to do?" You said, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm ok, it's just that... no one except my family has ever... you know...known about my panic episodes..." I paused, looking at you as you tipped your head forward, waiting for me to continue. I sighed, "and I don't trust many people and I have social anxiety and I don't like being in public with lots of people and-"

"Hey. You can trust me, alright? I'm going to be your support system while you're in LA, 'kay? Your support system, best friend, confident, whatever you want, I'll be there," you said, as I nodded. You continued, "So you wanna watch Angry Birds?"

I giggled, "Why not."