Ship: Handong, Gahyeon
Members Are: In a Non-DC AU
Categories: Fluff
Summary: On a dreaded plane ride, Gahyeon's beautiful seatmate Handong distracts her.
♡
Gahyeon has a secret.
She's terrified of flying.
But it's not such a secret as she keeps glancing out the window, only to face forward again a second later with anxiety written all over her face. Her best friend, Lee Dami, is several rows ahead – there was a mix-up with the seating, and it was the best they could get; there weren't two seats available together. If she had Dami to distract her, she might be better off.
But there's a stranger next to her instead, and a very attractive one, at that. Gahyeon is too distracted by her nerves to pay much attention, however. She gave the woman a once-over when she sat down, but now, she couldn't even describe her if she tried. Blonde hair, isn't it?
She sneaks a peek, curiosity making her forget her stress for a moment. But when she looks over, she does a double take. The woman is already looking right into Gahyeon's eyes.
Concern is etched into them, and she gives Gahyeon a soft smile. "Are you okay?" she asks.
Gahyeon opens and closes her mouth like a fish. She's so taken aback by the woman's lovely voice that it takes her a second to register what was said – and then her anxiety comes rushing back. She nods, giving a weak smile in return, and rests her head back against the seat. She stares straight ahead this time, trying her hardest not to look at the woman through her peripheral vision.
It works for about two minutes, until the plane seems to go over a bump. It's just like in a car – only, when she's in a car, Gahyeon doesn't yelp.
Thoroughly embarrassed, she sinks down in her seat, slumping as far as her seatbelt will allow.
This time, she can't ignore her seatmate turning her head and ripping out her headphones. "Are you okay?!"
Gahyeon looks over, trying to feign calm. "I – I hate planes." Yeah, no kidding, she thinks to herself. That's obvious. Why did I say that? "The first plane ride I took was awful. It was filled with turbulence, and it was so scary. That's why I hate them now."
"I fly all the time. It's gonna be okay. And by the way, turbulence is nothing to worry about, although I know it seems scary. The most it can do to you is make you bump into something if you don't have your seatbelt on – and that's in the worst cases."
Gahyeon breathes a little, surprisingly soothed by the woman's words. "Okay."
"I'm Han Dong – just like that, call me Handong."
"Got it. I'm Lee Gahyeon."
Handong sticks out her hand with a grin. "Nice to meet you."
Gahyeon grasps it, returning the expression. "Likewise."
Handong's already distracted, however. "You're shaking!" she exclaims.
"Oh, it's just, ah, anxiety, it'll go away eventually—"
"Oh, honey..."
Gahyeon's heart jumps even more than it did a minute ago. Handong is holding tightly to her hand, murmuring soft things as she looks worriedly at their interwoven fingers. Gahyeon giggles nervously, having suddenly forgotten all about where they are.
Handong rubs her free hand over Gahyeon's briskly. "You're okay," she soothes her. "I've got you."
"T-Thanks," Gahyeon stammers. A bright red blush has already overspread her cheeks. At that, it tinges her ears, too.
"Hey, not bad."
"Huh?"
When Gahyeon looks down again, she finds Handong loosening her fingers to get a better look at Gahyeon's palm. She begins to trace the lines. "This one is life," she explains, "and this one is love. I used to know all of them, but I've forgotten now."
"So, did you say my fortune's good?" Gahyeon asks curiously.
"Mhm." Handong nods. "See where it begins? That's a good thing, it means that you'll be content. It's about...hmm, average depth – that signifies how important relationships are to you. And it's quite long – that's a lasting relationship."
"Cool!" Gahyeon brings her hand closer to her face for a moment, studying it. Handong is right in her physical analysis; she can't help but wonder if she's right about the spiritual, too.
"And this one," Handong continues, taking Gahyeon's hand back in her own, "is the life line."
"It's short," Gahyeon points out. "Isn't that bad?"
Handong laughs. "No, don't worry. It's not about your lifespan. That just means you're independent. The length signifies how others affect your choices in life."
"Oh," Gahyeon hums.
"And this one is the deepest line. You're going to have a very rich life full of experiences and adventures."
Gahyeon chuckles. "Sounds about right."
Handong grins. She pulls her gaze from Gahyeon's hand to her face, but she doesn't drop her grasp. "So, are you going on vacation?"
"Yup." Gahyeon gestures towards the front of the plane. "I came here with my best friend. Our mutual friend is getting married."
"Oh, how lovely!" Handong coos.
"It will be nice," Gahyeon agrees. "They're lucky to be able to do it in such a beautiful place, especially with such nice weather right now."
Handong hums in agreement. "Wish I could say that I'll be enjoying it, but this is a business trip for me."
"Oh, what do you do?"
"I'm a model. Here for a show."
Oh. That makes a lot of sense.
Gahyeon doesn't even realize that she's said that aloud until Handong laughs. Instantly, her face colors scarlet again, and she slaps a hand over her mouth. "Sorry, that sounded weird—! I didn't mean—"
"No, no. That was funny. I mean, thank you, right?"
"Yes, yes, thank you is fi– uh, yes, it's a compliment. Sorry."
Handong laughs harder. "Okay, then thank you."
"You're welcome. You're really gorgeous."
"Oh, you're sweet—!" While Handong beams, Gahyeon sinks in her seat again. She's not so good at flirting under pressure, though Handong doesn't seem to mind. "You're pretty easy on the eyes, yourself," she adds. When Gahyeon dares to meet her gaze again, Handong winks.
Gahyeon bites her lip in embarrassment. "T-Thank you," she practically whispers.
Just in time to spare her from further embarrassment, a flight attendant approaches. "Something to drink?"
The woman is quite pretty: her features are doll-like, huge lips and eyes with sharp cheekbones. Her uniform is slim-fitting and attractive on her curves. A brief flash of annoyance runs through Gahyeon's mind as she checks Handong out. This one is mine, she thinks. Get your own.
And then she realizes what she just thought. She shakes her head a bit. Why am I getting jealous over someone I just met?!
Gahyeon is so busy telling herself off that the flight attendant has to prompt her. "Ma'am?"
"Oh! Just, um, a Coke, please."
"Yeah, that's good, two of those," Handong tells the attendant.
But when it's poured and placed in front of her, Handong picks it up and puts it on Gahyeon's tray table. Gahyeon looks over in surprise, and Handong smiles. "I'm not thirsty."
"O-Oh! Well – well, thank you!"
The flight attendant slips snack bags onto their tray tables, and again, Handong tosses hers Gahyeon's way. This time, Gahyeon chuckles. "Thank you, really."
"No problem. So, have you ever been here before?"
"Uh, yeah, actually!" Gahyeon brushes pretzel dust off of her hands and reaches for her phone. "Last year." She opens her camera roll and leans over as she scrolls through it. "Actually, this is when Dami and I met Yoohyeon – our friend, our mutual friend whose wedding we're going to."
"Oh, cool!"
"Yeah, she works at the hotel that we stayed at."
"Wow, beautiful!" Handong leans closer, admiring the ocean sunset Gahyeon's found.
"Right?"
Gahyeon attempts to keep swiping, but Handong stops her, pointing to the selfie that popped up with a grin. "Much more beautiful."
Gahyeon blushes madly. "Ah, thanks..." Embarrassed, she moves on, but Handong stops her again, pointing to a handbag slung over Gahyeon's shoulder.
"Oh, this brand—! Wait..." She fumbles for her own phone and pulls up her own camera roll, handing it to Gahyeon not a moment later. "That's me."
"Whoa!"
Handong is decked out head to toe in beautiful designer clothing – the same brand as Gahyeon's now rather modest-seeming handbag – front and center on the runway. She looks stunning, the perfect example of a high fashion model: hair slicked back, dramatic makeup painting her features slim and sharp, clothes arranged ever so carefully to drape her body the right way.
It's quite different from the girl wearing an oversized t-shirt and a bucket hat sitting next to her, but Gahyeon likes them both the same. She finds beauty in Handong's versatility.
"You look incredible," she says honestly. Finally, it's Handong's turn to blush.
"Thank you."
The two continue to swap photos and stories as Gahyeon munches away on her snacks. With their upbeat conversation, it doesn't seem very long until the PA system lets them know that they'll be landing soon.
Gahyeon's least favorite part.
That's enough to knock her right back into her anxious state. Though it's not as intense as it was earlier thanks to the conversation that Handong continues, by the time that the plane starts to descend, Gahyeon is trembling again. As Gahyeon braces herself on the chair in front of her, Handong threads their fingers together again and places her other hand on Gahyeon's bicep. She holds tightly there from when the wheels touch the ground until the pilot brakes.
Gahyeon sighs deeply in relief, but she's breathless seconds later when Handong's head lands on her shoulder.
She looks over a little, hardly daring to do so, but needing to see that angelic face so close. And when she does, Handong tilts it up towards her, looking into Gahyeon's eyes. Before she knows what's even happening – has the whole ride been a dream, really? – their lips have met.
And Gahyeon won't be shy about it.
She nips and licks her way into Handong's mouth right away, and Handong hums in appreciation, tilting her head for a better angle. Gahyeon no longer has any idea if the plane is still moving or what the hell's going on around her. All that she can focus on is how good Handong tastes. She's a delight for all the senses, Gahyeon knows it.
Only when the cabin lights turn on do the two of them pull apart, giggling nervously. They can't even look at each other for a couple moments, but when they finally do, Handong pulls out her phone again. "Let me get your number. In case we have some free time while we're here."
"Oh, yeah, I-I'd love that," Gahyeon stammers. She takes out her phone as well, trying not to shake as she does so, and exchanges it for Handong's.
When she hands it back, they trade smiles as well. "You know what?" Gahyeon prompts.
"What?"
"This is the best plane ride I've ever had."