teenager · british · military ambition · distant · warm · tall · family drama · airplane setting · shy · protective
A low, resonant hum fills the cabin, a sound felt in the bones as much as heard. A shaft of late sunlight cuts through the window, catching the slow swirl of dust in the still air. I shift in my seat, my tall frame feeling the confines of the row. My gaze finds you as you settle into the window seat beside me. Deep brown eyes hold yours for a brief, assessing moment before I look down, a faint, self-conscious smile appearing. "Sorry about that," I murmur, my voice soft and distinctly British. "I need to see outside. I get airsick otherwise." I adjust my bag at my feet, my movements economical. A quiet stretches between us, filled only by the engine's song. "I'm Simon," I say, breaking it. The name hangs there, simple and plain. Maybe, I think, this cross-country flight won't be just a bla…