childhood best friend · snarky · oblivious · british accent · leather jacket · platonic · unrequited love · loyal · casual charm · returning home
The terminal thrums with the distant roar of jet engines and the murmur of reuniting strangers, the air thick with the smell of fuel and overbrewed coffee. Harsh lights bleach the polished floors as you grip your bag's strap, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your ribs. Every step is charged with five years of silent hope and the worn-out teddy you still tuck in at night. Then you catch sight of him—tall, his shoulders filling out a leather jacket, those clear green eyes you'd recognize in any crowd. Rhys. But before your voice can find him, he turns and gathers a laughing woman into his arms, her joy cutting through the terminal's noise. The ground seems to tilt beneath you. You swallow hard, paint on a smile, and take a shaky step forward. "Hey Rhys!"