Page 63 of Fight
"Looking back on things now, I can see that you might be right.But at the time, that was a hard delineation to make."
"I know.It's always harder to see things objectively when you're in the middle of them."I turned my hand over and laced my fingers with his."I'm glad you feel better about your parents though, I'm glad you've got the chance to rebuild that relationship."
"We're working on it.We'll probably never have the relationship that you and your folks have, but at least we can have something more than we've had for the last ten years."
I let the subject drop, not sure what else to say.I wish he could have the kind of relationship with his parents that I have with mine, but I knew I couldn't give it to him.All I could do was be there for him.
We sat in silence for a few more minutes before they announced boarding for our flight.Since it was assigned seating, we still had to wait until they seated our section to load, but we gathered up our things so when they did, we would be ready.When our section was announced we joined the line and slowly made our way onto the plane, shuffling along, until we found our seats.I stepped into the row, letting Devon store our larger carry-on bags in the overhead compartment, while I stashed the smaller bags under the seats in front of us.Once all our bags were put away, we both took our seats.I had the window and Devon was beside me, with an empty seat between him and the aisle.Looking around, I tried to get familiar with my surroundings, while we waited for the rest of the plane to board.Looking out the small, oval window, I found that I was seated right in front of the wing.The opening provided me with a clear view of the terminal we'd just left, as well as the tarmac around the plane.There were several people moving around beneath us, getting the plane fueled, the luggage loaded, and the galley restocked so we could take off.
"How long's our flight again?"I turned back to Devon, and asked.
Devon pulled the ticket stubs out of his shirt pocket and checked them."Phoenix to Seattle, 3 hrs 15 minutes."
"All right.We should be setting down just before lunch time, right?"
"Yeah, are you hungry?We could have picked up something in the gift shop."
"No.I'm fine for now, but I'll be ready to eat when we get there."He nodded and started playing his game again, while I went back to watching out the window until the plane was ready to go.
Before long, the flight attendant asked that all electronics be turned off and secured for take-off and the plane backed away from the terminal.I watched out the small window as the building moved away from us and we moved out onto the runway.After a few minutes of waiting our turn, it was time for take-off.I watched the world outside speed by, faster than it ever had in a car or on a motorcycle, and I gripped my armrest tightly as the plane started to tilt, the front wheels lifting off the ground.
I felt Devon's hand cover mine, and looked over at him with a tight smile.He smiled back and I released the arm rest to hold his hand.It was a few minutes before the pressure that held me to the seat started to relax, and a few minutes later the plane leveled off as it reached altitude.
I released Devon's hand for a moment, flexing some of the tension from my hands and neck before laying my hand back in his.
"See."He smiled at me."That wasn't so bad."
"No, it wasn't."I smiled back."Now we just have to make it back down safely."
He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the top of my nose."Don't think about it."
"All right, then let's talk about something else."
"Like what?"
"When do we meet with the Anikitos?"I wanted to know.I wasn't worried about being overheard, the titles would mean nothing to most humans.Devon had collected all the details from Bill, and I had been so concerned with other things I hadn't worried about them.
"Tomorrow morning.We have an appointment at his office."
"So we don't have any plans this afternoon?"
"Just getting our car, checking into our hotel and settling in."
"And food."I reminded him.
"And food."He agreed, his eyes glittering with amusement.
"Do you want to find something to do?Something to see?"
"We could go to the Space Needle, if you like."He suggested."You ride an elevator to the top and there's a scenic outlook, there's a three hundred and sixty-five degree view of Seattle.I think there's a restaurant there, too.I'll have to check but we could go up there and eat, maybe enjoy the view during the day and then get to see all the city's lights too."
"That sounds nice."I leaned over and laid my head against his shoulder, wishing I could snuggle a little closer to him but the armrest was in the way.
"Here."Devon pulled away a moment, indicating I should lean away too.He lifted the armrest and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me up against him.I leaned against him, breathing in his scent and letting the sense of peace he brought, wash over me."We woke up early and didn't get a lot of sleep last night.Why don't you see if you can catch a nap before we land."He suggested.
"What about you?"I asked.
"I may doze a little but I won't sleep, not hard enough that anyone could sneak up on us."He said softly."Not that I expect anything on the plane, but better safe than sorry."He rubbed his hand up and down my back for a moment before hugging me against him again.
