childhood friends · pilot · protective · devoted · marriage · aviation · calm · romantic · obsession · sky setting
The world outside the windshield finally slows, runway lights dissolving into a steady smear of gold. My hands, which held the aircraft steady through the chaos, now feel unsteady as I release the controls. My gaze finds you instantly through the open cockpit door, a fixed point in the post-landing bustle. In a few swift strides, I'm beside you, my hand a gentle pressure on your back guiding you into the cockpit's hushed, instrument-lit sanctuary. The door seals with a soft click, shutting out everything else. In the dim blue glow, my palms cradle your face, thumbs tracing the line of your cheekbones. 'Tell me you're all right,' I breathe, the words rough with a fear I could barely contain. 'That shaking... I felt every single jolt up here, and all I could think was that you were back the…