Work Text:
ESTP paces back and forth, chewing on his lip. ISTP’s gonna kill him if she finds out he’s been fiddling with his lip piercing again – it’s already starting to sting a little – but he can’t help it.
Has the airport always been this loud? The din of people’s voices is stronger here at the baggage claim area, the whirring of the conveyor belts a maddening buzz in ESTP’s ears.
It’s odd experiencing life again. He hasn’t been sober for this long in weeks.
“Hey, why are you so worked up?” ESFP’s voice cuts through his daze. He glances up to see her perfectly plucked brows knitted together in concern, arms crossed over her designer bomber jacket. Her dark hair hangs in loose dreadlocks to her waist, swishing slightly as she shakes her head. “You’re even more fidgety than usual. What’s there to be nervous about when ENTP is finally coming back today?”
ENTP. Just the thought of him makes ESTP’s chest hurt. He hates it.
They haven’t seen each other in what feels like excruciating years. ENTP has been off in India for his big family function, the one they hold every couple years, and it’s like ESTP’s forgotten how he breathed without that solid presence beside him.
“I’m fine,” he grumbles in response to ESFP’s question, “just sick of waiting. His flight landed like five minutes ago; why isn’t he here yet?”
ESFP rolls her hazel eyes. “It takes time to get out of such a big airport, ESTP.” Then her expression softens a little, and she nudges him. “Cheer up. I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.”
ESTP just nods, staring at the horde of people filtering into the area and trying to make out the telltale figure of his best friend. He stops pacing, at least, but his hand fiddles with the spinny ring ENTP gave him a year ago to fidget with when he gets restless. The cheap, gaudy thing clashes horribly with the rest of his gold jewelry, but ESTP couldn’t care less.
“I’m back!” A familiar voice sounds from behind them, and ESTP and ESFP turn to see a breathless ENFP jogging back to their spot, bending over and catching her breath when she gets there. “The line at the bathroom was so long. Is all of America at this airport or what?!”
“Don’t worry, he’s not here yet,” ESFP reassures her, but the rest of her words fade away in ESTP’s mind as he catches a glimpse of a faded letterman jacket. His heart jumps into his throat, and he cranes his neck, trying to see better.
The figure disappears behind the baggage claim conveyor belt, but then-
When it resurfaces, rolling suitcases now, and ESTP freezes. It’s him, it’s him, ENTP, who’s making a beeline for them after having noticed the giant welcome home, ENTP! sign ENFP had made herself and brought. When he gets closer, their eyes lock, and the world fades away like it always does when they’re together. ESTP can vaguely hear ENFP shouting – she must’ve seen ENTP too – but his entire focus is trained on the man before him.
His best friend.
ENTP is, as ESTP suspected, still wearing his usual faded letterman jacket, little pins of the game characters he loves so much littering it. His dark hair falls across his brow, and his pale lavender eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles at ESTP.
Fuck, that smile. It’s crooked as always, like he’s planning one of his endless schemes.
ESTP’s feet take off running before he even realizes, and then he’s launching himself into ENTP’s arms.
“Woah!” ENTP’s expression morphs into surprise, but he still drops his baggage and wraps his arms around ESTP, catching him reflexively though he staggers a bit. “Hey, you.” His breath puffs against ESTP’s skin, voice soft and deep and achingly familiar as he laughs. ENTP smells like home, laundry and jasmine and something ESTP can’t name.
There aren’t any words in the English language to convey the mass of feelings choking his throat, so ESTP just squeezes him as tight as he can. “You took fucking forever to get here.” His voice comes out a little strangled despite himself.
“Sorry, I should’ve told the pilot to go faster,” ENTP replies, his words still laced with amusement, but there’s a gentleness in his voice now that there wasn’t before. Or maybe ESTP’s just imagining affection in places it doesn’t exist, like always.
ENTP sets him down after what feels like both forever and not enough time, touch lingering slightly longer than necessary. When ESTP pulls back – begrudgingly – his breath skims ENTP’s cheek as he searches the other’s face. There are bags under ENTP’s eyes now, but everything else is the same – the smooth brown skin, the beauty mark under his right eye, the unfairly long lashes. ESTP wants to sear it into his memories, wants to kiss him until he’s remembered what it feels like to be wrapped up once more in the person who matters most to him in the world.
Then ENFP smacks ESTP’s arm, and the moment is shattered. “Hey, we wanna see the man of the hour too, you know!”
“Right, yeah,” he mumbles. The noise of the airport crashes back into him as he staggers back, dimly registering ENTP’s smile redirect at their friends instead. For a second, his chest tightens. Then ENTP catches his eye from over ENFP’s shoulder and grins – easy, familiar – and ESTP exhales.
Yeah, this is enough.