Artificial Horizon - A César Fernando Basa x Reader story

XLIII - Final Approach

I almost pushed him away at the few seconds that he tested the waters for what I would be doing next; but when I didn't show any signs of fighting back, his mouth and tongue explored that of mine, deepening the kiss much more that seemed to make his intentions seeped through my skin and nerves.

It was a little strange. To find out that I've once dreamt that he would notice me; certainly, the reason why those dreams appeared in the form of a different person as César and in a completely different era that could somehow led for us to cross paths and definitely fall in love in the midst of a threatening war.

Elian Basa would always be an enigma. A strange puzzle piece whose intentions would forever make me wonder what was truly going on inside his head, always trailing the thin ice with his actions.

But as he had mentioned that I was in need of proving it another time... it was odd to have a touch of his feelings through a kiss and his gentle caressing on how he held my body against his. That... who would have thought that such a man as him would be capable of showing such affections to the likes of me? That a man, who've been a mystery despite the presence of the spotlight throughout his life, had been craving for so much more this way?

And yet...

"I've always wanted you, (Y/N)," he whispered to me a few moments ago before taking my lips against his.

Knowing that someone wants me so desperately... knowing that both his mind and body crave me... and to realize that that person is Elian... I didn't expect all of these things to excite me so much.

I never thought of any possibility that he would have any interest in me nor would he know my name at all. But all the strangeness of his actions and words throughout this promotional shoot, despite all of it being a rush, had been definitely a precursor to a dam that had been trapped for so long that was now given the opportunity to open.

By the time that we pulled away from the kiss, I was breathing quite heavily as I tried to catch my own breath. And all I managed to do was to look back at him by now.

He stared at me with warmth visible in his eyes, as if I myself was an enigma for him to solve, and then, he caressed my cheek, saying the next, "Naiintindihan mo na ba ngayon?"

"I... I think so," I stammered.

At that, he smiled softly, almost a strange emotion out of him but with the countless of times that I've seen such expression be painted on César's face, it no longer surprised me to know that he was capable to be much more handsome than he already was. "For that, I can wait as long as you need," he added. "I just hope that when you make your decision, your answer will be me."

I gulped in hard before countering, "Yeah, me, too. I hope that you are my answer, too."

I sigh heavily as I ensure the GoPros to be installed on the cockpit as usual for every previous flight, and now, for the last time on this shoot, are all prepared for. Due to Elian's recent illness, Capt. Zablan himself volunteers to do the 360-walk around inspection instead that leaves me with Elian to deal with the flight documents as I work.

With how we leave one another earlier today, I swear that seeing Elian and be close to him this way makes my heart flutter. Definitely because of that revelation, and I am like a teenager so excited at the prospect of knowing that my crush from back then also likes me back. At the same time, it is also a scary feeling that it is all too good to be true... that I'll later wake up from this dream and then to reality.

But this is my reality, right? I ponder. In my dream, he is César; and in here, he is Elian.

"Parang mas bigla akong kinabahan," Capt. Zablan remarks the moment that he returns back to the cockpit after his walk-around inspection. He chuckles as he removes his reflector vest, folding it properly before tucking it in his flight bag, and sits on the left seat himself. "Pakiramdam ko parang may CAAP check."