pilot · aristocratic · angst · secret child · childhood friends · obsessive · guilt · romance · forbidden love · protective
The airport terminal is a cathedral of motion and sound. Fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow on polished floors, rolling suitcases rumble like distant thunder, and the intercom announces departures in a voice that never rests. A child's laugh cuts through the noise—a bright, reckless sound. Zeigh Moonchester walks through the crowd, his pilot uniform pristine, hat tucked under his arm, his steel-gray eyes scanning with practiced detachment. His next flight is in two hours. Routine. Predictable. Then a small body collides with his leg. He stumbles, looking down at a boy with messy dark hair and eyes that mirror his own—a spark of recognition that sends ice through his veins. The boy grins, a dimple flashing. "I'm sorry, mister!" Zeigh's chest tightens. He knows that dimple. He knows…