(a/n: what the—?! how did this story get nearly 10k reads from one chapter to the next?! thank you!)
SORA'S HEAD was limp against her shoulder, exhaustion a heavy cloud above them. The plane shook from turbulence, and the pilot's steely voice instantly came over the intercom, a steady assurance that all was well. (Y/N) poked Sora's sleepy figure, the latter groaning in protest.
"I already told you." He whined, shifting in his seat. "All you have to say is 'May I have some snacks?' and the flight attendance will understand you."
"But Sora, I suck at English. I literally got a 2% on my English exam." (Y/N) nudged him with an elbow, pouting and batting her eyelashes in his face, hoping to convince him.
He nudged her back. "And if I ask in your place, what will I get in return?"
(Y/N) didn't skip a beat, her eyes dancing with mischief. "A kiss."
It was impossible to ignore the blush that heated his cheeks, and Sora instantly sat up straighter, clearing his throat and calling for the nearest flight attendant. All traces of slumber disappeared.
"Gosh, you're truly whipped for her, aren't you?" A voice from behind them mused, and they both suddenly found a head peeking in through the gap between their seats. A tuff of white hair greeted them.
"Whipped? As in whipped cream?" (Y/N) mumbled, rubbing her growling tummy. "Isn't that something you can eat?"
Sora handed her the bag of pretzels, and playfully pulled at the albino's hair. "Hey, Ryusaki, didn't you agree that if you tagged along with us, you wouldn't embarrass me?"
"You embarrass yourself just fine without my help." The albino, Ryusaki, retorted. There was humor in his voice, with the slightest hint of childishness.
Ryusaki was the man who owned the café where they'd been reunited. (Y/N) hadn't noticed the man until he'd slipped into the booth with them, busy smiling like an idiot and exchanging a look with Sora. They were close friends, apparently, which had shocked (Y/N) when she'd first found out.
She'd never really seen Sora... make friends. He'd been too busy making sure his brothers kept away from her to bother.
So it was nice, when she'd found out Ryusaki and Sora had met in Europe, and stayed buddies since then. Went to university together, shared a dorm.
As the plane stilled, Sora unbuckled his seatbelt, rising up from his chair. "Where are you going?" (Y/N) looked up at him, eyebrows knitting together. "I thought you were 'dying from sleepiness,' huh?"
"Well, I'll be dying from shame if my bladder fails me. I'll be back."
With his head still stuck between the two seats, Ryusaki hummed a catchy tune as Sora left. Since the moment she'd met Ryu, (Y/N) had had the vaguest sense that they'd bumped into each other from somewhere. But her memory, fogged as it was, couldn't recall from where or when...
Ryusaki slowly stopped humming, then blurted out, "I need to ask you for a favor, (Y/N)."
That was random.
The woman perked up, tilting her head to the side. His voice was different. "What's up, Ryusaki-san?"
"Just 'Ryu' is fine—but that's not the point. The point is, I... I need you to promise you're going to take care of him." His tone was solemn, his lips molded into a thin line. There was a pause, as if Ryusaki wanted her to understand the sincerity of the vow. (Y/N) furrowed her brows.
He swallowed thickly, continuing, "Sora is... sensitive. On the inside, at least. But he pretends like nothing gets to him. For his own sake or for others, I'm still not sure."
She wasn't sure what had caused him to address this—why he felt it was necessary. But she assured him she'd comply to his wishes anyway.
"Sora has a special place in my heart." (Y/N) admitted, smiling ever so gently. There was a twinkle in her eyes. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."
Ryusaki returned the look, dimples showing. But then the light in his eyes vanished, as if remembering something else. "He used to cry, you know? At night, after class, he would kinda just sit there and his eyes would water."
(Y/N)'s heart throbbed as he continued.
"I know what happened with... well, with his brothers. That can't be easy, when you love someone and they commit unforgivable actions. You're just at war within yourself, knowing that you should cherish your family, and yet... well, they're psychopaths."
Oh.
Then, if he knew about that, everything made more sense. Why Ryusaki was worried, why he was being protective.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm glad Sora has a friend like you, Ryu." Her mouth arched upwards, and she hoped he could hear the smile in her voice. She gave his head a pat, and that's when he retreated back into his seat.
"And I'm glad he has someone like you, too, (Y/N)."
Maybe friendships were meant to blossom, she decided, just as Sora finally came back from the bathroom.
"Aish, sorry for taking so long. There was a small line of people needing to use the bathroom. Apparently everyone's got a small bladder."
(Y/N) only smiled.
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Short chapter again, I'm sorry! It's been hard balancing end of the year exams and writing, lol. Good news is that school's almost over! I'll be writing a lot more very soon.
Question of the day: Since Sora spent the past nine years in Europe, what languages do you think he learned?