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"Okay, calm down, it's just a short flight. You can do this," Baekhyun mumbles to himself as he walks to the end of the line at the gate.
He absolutely hates flying. But what can he do when his company sends him to a meeting in another country? Just decline and say 'No, thank you'? Definitely not. He always tries his best to schedule meetings in the company building or online but his new client insists that he meets him at his factory. A factory located in another country which is about one hour away by flight. Every other person in his office would be happy to go on a business trip out of the country, it is basically a short vacation paid by the company, right? But as much as Baekhyun tries to focus on the positive aspects, the prospect of spending the next hour trapped inside a metal box about 30,000 feet in the air makes him want to throw up.
Just to make sure, he hasn't eaten anything the whole day and only downed a few cups of coffee. In hindsight, he isn't sure if it was a wise choice considering his trembling hands.
Way too quickly, he is the next one in line and allowed to enter the plane after his ticket is scanned. At least the company paid for a window seat in business class so he will only have to deal with one person sitting next to him. A stewardess greets him when he steps inside the plane and he shows her a forced smile, his stomach already turning upside down now his mind realizes it is getting serious.
He glances down at his ticket, row 6 and seat A. Silently hoping the seat next to him isn't occupied yet, he walks down the aisle while dragging his small suitcase behind him. A light sigh escapes him when he first spots the shoes of the person sitting in seat B. Great, now he will have to talk to someone. He tries to avoid eye contact as long as possible and decides to put his suitcase up in the storage unit first. Right when he struggles to lift the surprisingly heavy case over his head, a deep voice startles him.
"Do you need help?"
The voice came from his seat neighbor and causes Baekhyun to almost lose grip of his luggage. Just when it is about to crash down on his feet, strong hands support his own and the suitcase gets stopped before hitting the ground.
Baekhyun can't help but stare at the stranger with his mouth slightly open. Oh damn, that man is gorgeous. His hands feel soft and warm against his skin and his face shows a mixture of confusion and worry.
"Are you okay?" the stranger asks and only now Baekhyun realizes he is wordlessly gasping at the man in front of him for way too long, a line already forming behind him in the aisle.
"Oh, yes, sorry," Baekhyun mumbles, hurriedly letting the other passengers walk past him before he gathers all of his remaining strength and finally lifts his suitcase up to the storage unit, ignoring the heat creeping up in his cheeks.
He made sure to avert his gaze from the beautiful stranger the whole time but now he has to get to his seat.
"Could you...?" Baekhyun starts and risks a glance at the guy who still looks at him with a now unreadable expression.
"Oh, sure," the stranger replies and gets up from his seat, leaving Baekhyun slightly shocked by his height.
Baekhyun has to squeeze past him to get to his window seat and no, why does he have to smell good too? And not the typical 3-in-1 body wash scent, it is something more flowery, maybe cherry blossoms? Baekhyun tries to ignore it and settles in his seat, determined to stare out the window the entire duration of the flight. He notices the eyes of the stranger on him after he sat down, but he doesn't turn around. His stomach is already convulsing although the plane hasn't even started yet and the little scene he caused a minute ago makes everything a thousand times worse.
In the following minutes, Baekhyun spends his time stubbornly staring out the window until they finally receive the security instruction and the plane gets ready for takeoff. During the takeoff, he closes his eyes and nervously plays with the elastic band around his wrist. He calms himself with the fidgeting, steady and calculated breathing stopping him from having a panic attack.
Once they are in the air, he finally relaxes a little. Now the rumbling isn't as strong anymore, more like a continuous white noise that is much better to handle. He stops toying with his wristband and opens his eyes right when the stewardess arrives with her trolley.
Her gaze rests on Baekhyun when she asks, "Something to drink?"
"No, thank you," he brushes her off and is about to turn his head back to the window when the stranger next to him suddenly starts speaking.
"I think you should drink something."
Baekhyun snaps his head around and stares at him completely baffled. The look the stranger gives him is full of concern.
"You're so pale, you look like you're about to faint," he continues, his eyes not leaving Baekhyun.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" The words came out meaner than Baekhyun intended and the stranger's brows furrow a little.
"I'm Chanyeol if knowing my name makes you feel any better. You can do whatever you want, I just don't want you to throw up on me," he replies, his voice getting a little colder.
Baekhyun immediately feels embarrassment bubble up in his chest and he looks at the stewardess again, who observed their interaction with slight confusion.
"I'll take a coff-... no, a lemonade, please," Baekhyun tells her while forcing another smile on his face.
"Same for me, please," Chanyeol adds and they both watch the stewardess prepare their drinks.
They thank her after receiving the plastic cups and the moment she moves on to the row behind them, Baekhyun turns to the stranger.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he apologizes while Chanyeol takes a sip of his lemonade. "I'm just not feeling that great today."
It draws a small chuckle out of Chanyeol. "I noticed. Fear of flying?"
"Yeah, try to avoid it as much as possible, but this time I had no choice. Do you fly often?"
"Pretty regularly, that's why I can instantly spot someone who would give everything they own to be somewhere else right now."
"Yeah, you got me," Baekhyun answers with a laugh before he remembers that he hasn't even told Chanyeol his name yet. "I'm Baekhyun by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Baekhyun," Chanyeol says and the other one's stomach starts constricting for a vastly different reason when he hears his name come out of the mouth of the hot stranger.
He must have stared a little too long again because Chanyeol's next words seem to jolt him out of a daydream.
"I'm sorry, I have to get some work done."
"Oh, sure, yeah, it's fine," Baekhyun stammers as he watches how Chanyeol pulls a laptop out of his bag and he quickly turns his head to the window.
He doesn't want Chanyeol to think he is nosey by accidentally glancing at his laptop screen. A look at his watch tells him that 15 minutes have already passed since takeoff and Baekhyun can't believe how fast the time went by. He doesn't even feel particularly nauseous anymore, the lemonade actually helped. But he should really find something to eat once he steps on firm ground again.
With only 45 minutes to go, Baekhyun starts tapping on his phone, sorting out his photos and playing some offline games, typical airplane activities. He is surprised by how well he is able to relax when a sudden announcement coming from the speakers causes a cold shiver to run down his spine.
'Ladies and gentlemen, we are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return to your seats and ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened.'
"Oh fuck, no," Baekhyun whispers and closes his eyes after checking his seatbelt. "Why does that always happen to me."
While trying to calm his nervous system with regulated breathing, he notices by the sounds of some rumbling next to him, that Chanyeol has put his laptop back in his bag. Baekhyun's stomach starts gurgling once the first gusts of wind hit the plane and he tries playing with his wristband once more, but it doesn't seem to work this time. When the plane starts shaking for a few seconds, his stomach drops to his knees, pure panic rushing through his veins as he clings to the armrest, his eyes squeezed shut. But the armrest doesn't feel cold and hard like he expected. Instead it feels warm and kind of soft and... oh, no.
Baekhyun's eyes fly open and he immediately looks down to his arm which isn't lying directly on the armrest but holding on to Chanyeol's arm which is already occupying it. Absolutely horrified, he pulls his arm away and dares to glance at his seat neighbor. Chanyeol is looking at him with an amused smile playing upon his lips.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Baekhyun mumbles, shame turning his cheeks red.
But the other one just shows him a gentle smile. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
Baekhyun forces himself to stare out the window again while he keeps his hands in his lap this time. Thankfully the turbulences have gotten less and he is able to calm down a little. He isn't sure if this can get any more embarrassing for him, first he struggles to lift up his suitcase and now that good looking stranger probably thinks he is some big baby. According to his watch, he has survived another 15 minutes, so halfway done. It seems like he is prone to embarrassing himself every 15 minutes, so he intends to stay completely still and silent for the next half an hour.
But his plan is disturbed by another turbulence, this time a much heavier one which causes some of the other passengers to gasp out loud. And before Baekhyun can stop himself, his hand lands on the armrest for a second time because he needs something to hold on to, something to ground him. His eyes are slammed shut and because of the pure adrenaline pumping through his body, he doesn't even feel that his hand is clinging to Chanyeol's again. Only when the hand starts moving, Baekhyun thinks the other one is trying to free himself from his grip and he wants to retract his own hand, but Chanyeol holds him back. Instead of pushing Baekhyun's hand away, he interlaces their fingers and lets their intertwined hands lie on the armrest.
Baekhyun's eyes open in shock, his gaze flickering between their hands and Chanyeol's face. The other one just smiles at him, his eyebrows slightly raised in tentativeness. Baekhyun wishes Chanyeol would say something, anything that convinces his brain that he is not trapped in one of his daydreams right now. And luckily, Chanyeol's mouth opens right after Baekhyun has thought of his wish.
"You can pull away if you want to, but you seem to need it and I don't mind."
Baekhyun is rendered speechless and he needs a few moments to process what the other one just said. His voice is much shakier than he would like when he starts speaking.
"I-... I don't-... thank you."
Chanyeol's smile widens and he gently squeezes his hand. Baekhyun just nods and turns his head to the window to stop himself from staring for too long. He tries not to focus on how good Chanyeol's hand feels in his own, but he can't help it. His hand is a little bigger than his own, his slender fingers wrapping around Chanyeol's slightly thicker ones, feeling like a perfect match. He catches himself thinking about where else Chanyeol's fingers would probably feel really good but quickly scolds himself for the thought. This guy is just a nice stranger who he will never see again after this flight.
They hold hands for the rest of the flight, Chanyeol's reassuring squeezes appearing every time the plane starts shaking. Baekhyun doesn't dare to look at him another time, scared he will get lost in the soft brown eyes and embarrass himself again. During the landing, Baekhyun mentally prepares himself for the loss of Chanyeol's body heat which will inevitabely happen once their plane touches the ground. To make it less awkward, Baekhyun is the first one to pull away when they arrive at the airport and the plane drives to their gate.
"Thank you," Baekhyun repeats and finally looks at Chanyeol who is surprisingly already watching him attentively. "You really didn't have to."
"No need to thank me, as I said, I just didn't want you to throw up on me," Chanyeol winks, a bright grin on his face.
Baekhyun practically melts at the way Chanyeol is looking at him. That man is tall, gorgeous, funny, kind and smells good, where do you find a man who checks all of those boxes nowadays?
The plane arrives at the gate just when Baekhyun tries to muster up the courage to ask Chanyeol if, well... what should he even ask? If he can have his number? If he wants to see him again? What if Chanyeol declines? He doesn't know if he can handle another embarrassing situation today.
Caught up with his own thoughts, he doesn't notice that Chanyeol has already gotten up from his seat and is halfway down the aisle to leave the plane. He shakes his head when he realizes it, mentally cursing himself for taking so long because now he has lost his chance. For a second he considers running after him, but apart from this being kind of weird because they don't really know each other, he also remembers that he still has to get his suitcase from the overhead storage unit and by the time he is done, Chanyeol will be long gone. He lets out a heavy sigh and watches as most of the other passengers pass him before he stands up and retrieves his suitcase.
A gloomy wave of sadness washes over him when he walks inside the airport, Chanyeol nowhere in sight although his eyes still wander over the enormous crowd of people, searching for someone who is just a little bit taller than everyone else. But he doesn't have any luck and disappointment floods through him, which is replaced by hunger when he reaches the food stalls. His stomach is aching for some real food after living off coffee and lemonade the whole day and Baekhyun decides to give in to the desire. He heads to the closest 7/11, knowing his go-to combo of a premade sandwich and a sweet snack will hit even harder after such an exhausting day.
But when he turns the corner and approaches the refrigerated section, he suddenly freezes. He can't believe it, there he is. Chanyeol is attentively reading the ingredients of the egg salad sandwich and Baekhyun carefully steps closer because he knows he won't get another chance.
Chanyeol glances up when he notices someone standing next to him and smiles in surprise. "Oh, hey."
"Hi," Baekhyun answers shyly and returns the smile.
"I bet you're feeling much better now that you're walking on solid ground again."
"Definitely, feel like a different person. That's why I decided to trust my stomach with some food."
"Good idea, you still look a bit pale," Chanyeol chuckles before his eyes return to the egg sandwich in his hand. "Not sure if I should try this, never had it before. Do you know if it's good?"
"Yeah, I like it," Baekhyun confirms before he picks his favorite one from the shelf, ham and cheese. "But you can also never go wrong with the classic."
"That's my usual one too, but I think you convinced me to try this one for dinner."
They head to the cashier and before Chanyeol can stop him, Baekhyun snatches the egg sandwich and the drink he picked from his hand and adds them to his own items. "Let me pay. It's my way of saying thank you for... the plane."
Baekhyun can tell that Chanyeol wants to protest but he already handed the cashier his card and it is too late before the other one can interfere.
"Thank you," Chanyeol says once they are in front of the store and shows Baekhyun a warm smile.
"No problem," the other one replies and a slightly awkward silence starts spreading between them after his words.
But before Baekhyun can gather up his remaining strength to finally voice out one of his earlier thoughts, Chanyeol speaks up first, this time seemingly nervous.
"Since you bought me my dinner today..." he starts, fidgeting with his watch as he continues. "Maybe I could also take you out for dinner sometime?"
Baekhyun is more than shocked by the question, he never expected Chanyeol to be the one to ask. But at the same time, a comforting warmth starts spreading in his chest and he shows the other one a wide smile.
"Sounds good," he replies and notices how Chanyeol visibly relaxes. "Should we exchange numbers?"
"I would love to," Chanyeol agrees with a grin and takes the phone Baekhyun offers to him.
When Baekhyun has also saved his number in Chanyeol's phone, the other one looks at him with an apologetic expression. "You know, I actually wanted to ask you for your number before we got off the plane, but I got a really important call that I had to take so I had to rush back inside the airport. I'm really glad we both decided to get something to eat before leaving."
"I'm also glad because I was too scared to ask you on the plane," Baekhyun laughs but he ends up choking on his own saliva when Chanyeol reaches for his hand at the words.
"No need to be scared with me," Chanyeol replies softly and intertwines their fingers.
The gesture feels a bit too intimate now they are out in public and Baekhyun can't stop his ears from turning red, but he doesn't let go of Chanyeol's hand. Instead he squeezes it gently which earns him a chuckle from the other one and they continue holding hands while walking towards the exit. When they have left the airport building, Baekhyun spots his driver waiting for him.
"I have to go this way, my driver's waiting for me," Baekhyun explains and watches as Chanyeol also scans the bunch of drivers waiting for their designated passengers.
"Mine too, he's over there," he answers and nods in the direction of a luxurious and shiny black car, much more expensive than the one Baekhyun gets picked up with.
Baekhyun's eyes widen when he spots it. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'll tell you when we have dinner together," Chanyeol just says and Baekhyun gasps when he brings their intertwined hands up to his face and places a soft kiss on the back of Baekhyun's hand.
This time, he can't fight the blood rushing to his cheeks, feeling more than bashful at the gesture. He silently mourns the loss of skin contact when Chanyeol lets go of his hand and the other one must have noticed his slight pout before he turns around.
"I'll hold your hand the entire night next time, don't worry," Chanyeol winks with a bit of a mischievous twinkle in his eyes which causes the heat in Baekhyun's face to extend to his lower body. "See you, Baekhyun."
"Bye, looking forward to... dinner with you," Baekhyun shouts after him and watches as Chanyeol turns around one last time before getting into the car, a wide smirk on his face.
Baekhyun waits until Chanyeol's car has driven off before he heads to his own driver. When he lets himself fall onto the backseat, he comes to the conclusion that flying might even become bearable for him if he gets to hold Chanyeol's hand the entire time.