when planets collide

☾ ⭒ one ⭒ ☽

IT'S SAFE TO SAY that if you're willing to pick someone up from the airport, you love them. It's even safer to say that if you're willing to wake up at 3am to drive nearly an hour from your house to pick someone up from the airport, you really love them. Amira was still struggling to figure out whether or not that was true.

The feeling of her phone vibrating at 2:30am caused her to shoot straight up in her bed. She accidentally fell asleep at midnight after promising that she'd force herself to stay awake so that she would be on time to pick up Aaron from the airport. However, since she so obviously failed, this meant she was speeding on her way to the airport in her giant coat, pajamas, and slippers at 3am.

So, not only was she incredibly late, she was also incredibly unfashionable, and she was sure Aaron would definitely not let her forget that. She'd already mentally prepared herself for the scolding, and as soon as she finally pulled up to the pick up area to find Aaron standing outside with his luggage, her heart dropped. When their eyes met, she sent him an awkward tight-lipped smile and he rolled his eyes.

"Hey," she sang as she got out of the car to help him with his bags. "Hey, bestie."

"Amira, get back in the car," he replied groggily.

"Do you want help?" He didn't say anything, just yawned and opened the door to the back seat to start loading his bags into her car. She just watched him, her arms awkwardly at her sides. "Hello?"

He ignored her again, so that meant she needed to be annoying. Obviously. So, she made her way directly in front of him, blocking him from being able to pick up his other bag, and waved her hands in his face. Acting like he didn't see her, he maneuvered around her to retrieve his last bag.

Amira let out a dramatic gasp before she stepped closer to him, puppy-dog eyes turned up a notch, with her arms outstretched and waited for a hug. Once his last bag was in the car, he shut the door and turned to look down at her. Even though he was annoyed, he found it increasingly hard to suppress his smile. Unfortunately, for him, he could never stay mad at her for too long. He rolled his eyes again before finally giving in and embracing her in the tightest hug he could muster.

"Sorry, I was late," she said into his chest.

"It's okay, I guess." Pulling away from the hug, his eyes scanned the length of her body. "What are you wearing?"

"It's 3am. Were you expecting me to be dressed in my very best attire?"

"You didn't even put on real shoes for me." He pointed offensively to her bright, pink slippers.

"It is 3 am," she emphasized before judging his winter-ready attire. "You have so much to say, and you didn't try for me either. You're wearing Uggs!"

"I just flew in!"

"So?"

He kissed his teeth before pulling her in for another hug. "Shut up."

They just stayed like that for a moment. This was the first time in two years that Amira and Aaron have seen each other. Since being in college, time and the distance affected them much more than they anticipated. After countless cancelled flights and simply just not having time, the universe was finally on their sides this winter break, allowing them to reunite.

During their junior year of high school, when the two of them were applying to colleges, they'd applied to a lot of the same ones because, like most best friends, they wanted to stay together, and, luckily for them, they were accepted to a lot of the same ones. However, because Aaron was so annoyingly smart and athletic, he got a full-ride baseball scholarship to Louisiana State University. He applied to LSU without telling Amira, which was fine, but, when he got accepted and decided to go, a part of her kind of hated him for it. Nonetheless, she was still excited to see him. So much so that she'd been counting down the days since they originally made the plan for him to return home a few weeks ago.