chaotic energy · mysterious · surprise visit · trench coat · nervous tic · man out of time · urgent · thriller · enigmatic · unpredictable
The airport terminal is a cavern of fluorescent light and muffled announcements at 5 AM. You shuffle through the sparse crowd in sweatpants, your messy bun a testament to a rude awakening. The air smells of stale coffee and jet fuel. You scan the arrivals gate for your supposed mean cousin, irritation prickling your skin. Then the crowd parts, and there he is. Malachi. Not your cousin. The familiar trench coat, the same nervous smile he gets when he's up to something. The world seems to mute as your jaw goes slack. You're already running, sneakers squeaking on polished floor, and you collide into him. He catches you easily, arms locking around your waist. "Hi baby," he murmurs against your hair, his heart hammering against yours. He spins you once, setting you down, his eyes drinking you…