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Harvey shielded his eyes from the sun, admiring the beautiful pale blue sky. Wispy white clouds stretched over the mountains, kissing the peaks in the distance. Winds were gusting at ten miles per hour and the temperature was perfect. He zipped up the leather flight jacket he wore for occasions like this, the stitching on the cuffs frayed from being tattered in the wind. He chuckled to himself at the thought, there had never been an occasion like this. He certainly never felt this way about anyone before.
He walked around the two-seater biplane, patting the fuselage as he did his final checks. It was a beautiful model, a classic Ferngill Republic design. The body shined in a stunning shade of vermillion with tail numbers painted on the side in bold black text. He leaned over the side into the aviator’s seat, giving the instruments a once over before takeoff.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” His companion asked.
“Is thrust how a plane moves forward?” He chuckled. The farmer blinked.
“I . . . don’t know.” They laughed, scratching their temple with their index finger. Harvey’s lips curled into a smile as he stood up straight, stretching his back. He needed them to trust him but he knew he had to earn it. He watched as they rubbed their left arm with their right hand, staring at their own feet against the bare ground. He walked towards his nervous co-pilot, placing his firm hands on their tense shoulders. He sighed, rubbing their shoulders gently. Their soft cherry pink lips quivered, it took all his strength to resist kissing them.
“Yes, it’s perfectly safe.” He said with a reassuring smile. “There’s nothing to worry about, I’ll take care of you.” The farmer looked straight into his eyes, piercing through his calm façade. Harvey’s heart skipped a beat, their ability to take his breath away in an instant still amazed him.
“Ok,” the farmer nodded, placing their hand on top of his, stroking it lightly.
“I’ll keep you safe.” He said in whisper.
“I know.”
He placed a finger under the farmer’s chin, tipping it up slightly, noting the flush on their cheeks. Their eyes sparkled with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Harvey closed his eyes and pressed his lips lightly against their forehead, earning a gasp.
He handed them a jacket in one hand and a helmet with goggles in the other. They slipped the helmet over their head, grasping it with two hands to make sure the fit was snug but not uncomfortable. Harvey handed them the goggles, pausing to check the lenses before helping them pull the goggles over the helmet. He zipped up their jacket and patted them on the shoulder and back.
“How do I look?” They chuckled.
“Beautiful,” Harvey grinned. He liked the way they looked normally but the sight of them being flight ready was one he wanted to remember. “Oh, one last thing.”
Harvey handed them a pair of brown leather gloves, watching with adoration as they pulled the supple material over their slender fingers.
“These fit perfectly, how did you know?”
“Lucky guess,” he smiled. Butterflies fluttered in Harvey’s stomach, he cleared his throat, feeling it tighten as he pulled on his own gloves. He had done this a million times but he never had a passenger before.
“Ready?” He asked. They nodded, giving him a sweet smile. Harvey took their hand and helped them into the passenger’s seat. He pulled the harness tight around their body, shaking off a flash of panic as the thought of losing them crossed his mind.
“Everything ok?” Ever perceptive, he loved that about them.
“Yes,” Harvey breathed, placing another kiss on their forehead before giving their harness one last tug. He hopped into the aviator’s seat, turning on the engines. He couldn’t see the farmer’s reaction but he prayed to Yoba that they weren’t afraid. The thought of sharing this experience with them consumed him the past few weeks, he desperately hoped they would like it too. He knew he wasn’t the most exciting person but maybe . . . just maybe, this could change their mind.
The plane rolled to a start. Harvey gripped the throttle as they moved forward, picking up speed. The plane barreled down the runway as Harvey pulled up, gaining altitude. Harvey ran through each step in his mind methodically, air speed and climb rate were good he murmured, checking the various instruments in front of him. Together, they cut through the clouds, flying alongside the birds over the mountains as he leveled the plane. He could hear the farmer laughing in front, the sound of their giggles mixed with the engine were music to his ears.
“Can we go higher?” They yelled.
Harvey smiled, anything for them. He pulled up slightly, earning a whoop from his passenger. They raised their arms above their head, laughing as the plane continued to climb. Harvey was on top of the world, he never felt so alive. He could feel his pulse soaring, the love of his life and the entire world were in front of him, how could he be so lucky? He meant it when he said he felt younger with them around, he didn’t feel like the boring old doctor, he just felt like himself.
“This is amazing Harvey!” They shouted over the noise.
“I’m glad you’re having fun!”
They flew over the valley, the sea water sparkling beneath them. They could see Elliott standing on the beach and Mayor Lewis in the town square. He wished they could stay up here forever, just the two of them in the clouds.
“I love you, Harvey!” they shouted. Harvey blushed, doing his best to focus on steering the plane as he opened his mouth to return the sentiment.
“Harvey . . .”
“Yes, dear?!” His face burned as they peered over their shoulder and smiled.
“Harvey . . . Earth to Harvey?” Harvey blinked and the farmer was gone. There was no plane, no clouds, no admission of love, just sterile white walls and posters for medicines that no one needed. His arms were on the counter and Marnie’s patient record rested beneath him.
“Everything ok, Dr. Harvey?” Maru asked in a calm voice. Harvey sighed, the deafening white noise of the clinic swallowing him whole. He sat up straight on the physician’s stool, running his hand through his hair. He swiveled to face Maru with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Yes, I’m fine.” He said, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. Another daydream too beautiful to be true.
“The Mullners dropped off a sample, I’m going to run it but it won’t be done until tomorrow.”
“That’s alright. I’ll look at the results in the morning and give them a call if necessary. Thank you, Maru.” He averted Maru’s gaze. He tried to stay professional, after all, what would his young protégé think if she knew he spent the afternoon dreaming of flying away with the farmer down the road?
“Sure.” Maru turned towards the door tapping the clipboard in her hands. “Actually . . .,” she said turning back around. “Are you ok? Can I . . . get you anything?”
“Just a headache.” He turned his chair back around to face the counter. “I’ll be fine, I probably just need some water. I’ll be sure to rest later.”
“Ok, take it easy, the day’s almost over.” Maru patted him on the shoulder. He sighed, listening carefully for the click on the door as her footsteps faded away.
He reached for the travel mug on the counter and took a sip. The coffee was cold now but it was still pleasant. He cradled the mug in his hands, remembering the smile on their face as they dropped it off to wish him a good day. Maybe it wasn’t all in his head.
Harvey held the mug to his chest, hugging it. He wished for the courage to tell them how he felt, how it made his day whenever they stopped to just say hello. He could never take them on a magical airplane ride over the valley, his eyesight and fear wouldn’t allow it. There had to be another way, another grand gesture he could do. He saw the way that others acted around them in town, he couldn’t be the only one who felt this way about them.
“Please wait for me,” Harvey whispered. He clutched the mug tightly in his hands as he closed his eyes. He pictured their beautiful face, the sound of their laughter. He longed to hold them in his arms, to feel them melt into his embrace as they held each other. The farmer was the only one for him, he knew that much since the day they moved to Pelican Town.
A buzzer from the main clinic door woke him from his trance. Harvey opened his eyes and placed the mug on the counter, a slight tremble in his hands. He cleared his throat and rose from the chair, noting the time. He straightened his coat as he walked towards the door, tucking a pen into his top pocket. He smiled thinking about the dream and the way they told him they loved him, it was enough to keep him going for the rest of the day.