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ficsbylexi · 4 months ago

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Turbulence of the Heart — One Shot

Leah Williamson x OFC

Shot warnings: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of AED, vomiting, mention and mild description of a panic attack, mention of broken bones, mention of physical child abuse and past trauma, cursing, Beth and Jen being little shits

Author’s note(s): yes, a self insert, I told you all I needed this💀. I don’t remember where the fuck are the toilets in STN airport but let’s pretend they’re directly in front of Pret. Why are these very well-payed women flying Ryanair? Because I said so. Can you guess who do I work for? Btw whatever is written in italics is in another language. Also if any of you works as cabin crew, let’s pretend Crew Control are nice, okay? I wanna be delulu for a bit.

Word count: 10.392

Summary: A coffee thrown on a flight attendant leads Leah to spend an entire flight blushing and being teased by her friends with a surprisingly good ending. Set in summer 2024.

Pret was the closest thing to quietness that Leah could find at the always bustling Stansted Airport. There were a couple families, some teenagers on a school trip and the occasional business traveler typing away on a laptop. Leah Williamson, however, stood out in the crowd, tall and striking, but entirely distracted. Her morning just hadn’t gone as planned. She was supposed to wake up early to finish packing for her trip with the girls, have breakfast and be able to take the train to Stansted with plenty of time.

Well she overslept her alarm, so she had to rush through everything and now was waiting to pay for an airport-priced-sandwich and a smoothie. Beth, Viv and Jen were already at the gate but texted her saying that boarding hadn’t even started.

“Next, please”.

She was checking her phone when she stepped forward, too stressed about possibly missing her flight even if Beth had already told her to relax and get breakfast. But the app wasn’t working now and her boarding pass wasn’t loading.

That was when disaster struck.

In her peripheral vision, Leah vaguely noticed someone in front of her—a small woman dressed navy-blue pants and a perfectly ironed white shirt, complete with a signature yellow scarf tucked smartly around her neck. The woman turned around at the same moment Leah took a step forward and shook her phone in frustration.

CRASH.

The iced coffee slipped out of the woman’s grasp, tumbling in slow motion before colliding with her uniform. The cup’s contents—an unholy amount of caramel-drizzled iced coffee—splattered all over the pristine uniform, leaving sticky stains streaked across the yellow and navy fabric.

“Oh my God!” Leah exclaimed, immediately realizing what she’d done. “I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!” Her hands flailed awkwardly as she searched for napkins, her panicked expression only amplifying the mess of the situation. The people around stopped in their tracks to stare at the tall panicking girl and the flight attendant.

The flight attendant —Gaia, according to the nametag on the blazer that was folded on top of her suitcase— stood frozen for a second, staring down at her now ruined uniform. Her jaw tightened as she slowly looked up at Leah with a piercing glare that made the footballer feel about three inches tall.

“I— I can buy you another one!” Leah stammered. “Or, or pay for dry cleaning? Anything! I’m so sorry—”

Gaia cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without a word, Gaia stormed off, coffee still dripping from her blouse.

The waitress, wide-eyed from the scene, observed the blonde in front of her. Leah, still in full panic mode, stood frozen for a second before glancing helplessly at the waitress. “I’ll… I’ll clean it up,” she muttered, grabbing napkins and dropping to her knees to wipe up the puddle.

In the cramped bathroom, Gaia shoved open the door, muttering furiously under her breath. Her coworker, Francesca, was already inside, fixing her hair in the mirror. Francesca raised an eyebrow at the state of her friend.

“What the hell happened to you?” Francesca asked in Italian, her voice a mix of curiosity and amusement.

“That stupid tall blonde girl spilled my coffee on me!” Gaia hissed, gesturing angrily to her ruined blouse. She yanked open her suitcase to grab her backup uniform, still ranting. “I mean, who just… walks around like that, not paying attention to anything and waving their arms around like they are the only person at the fucking airport?”

Francesca chuckled, leaning against the counter as she watched Gaia aggressively change. “Sounds like your lucky day,” she teased. “Maybe she was distracted because she found you cute.”

Gaia rolled her eyes dramatically. “Francesca, please”. She stuffed her shirt and pants in a plastic bag and into her suitcase and started dressing, still muttering in Italian. “Thank god I have the skirt with me as well. Can you imagine if I had to work today in coffee stained pants? They get sticky and smelly. I definitely wouldn’t be able to handle that for twelve hours”.

Before Francesca could respond, the sound of a toilet flushing interrupted their conversation. One of the stalls opened, and out stepped tall blonde girl, casually making her way to the sink to wash her hands. They barely looked at her, Francesca too busy putting lipstick on and Gaia fitting her shirt under her tights so it doesn’t move.

“Stupid tall blonde girl, huh?” Alessia said in perfect Italian, her tone amused as she dried her hands. She turned toward Gaia and Francesca, who stopped in their tracks and stared at her unamused, her blue eyes twinkling. “That would be my friend, Leah.”

“You can tell your friend Leah that she should be more careful”.

“Well,” Alessia continued, her cheeks a bit red since the girls clearly didn’t care about her listening into their conversation or that the girl they were criticizing was her friend, leaning as casually as possible against the counter, “I’m sure she didn’t mean to spill coffee on you. Leah’s a bit clumsy when she’s distracted and her morning was a bit hectic. I’ll make sure she apologizes properly.”

Francesca snorts while Gaia raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “Sure, whatever”.

Back at the table, Leah was practically vibrating with nerves when Alessia returned. “Less I fucked up, I threw a coffee on a flight attendant, her coffee. And she looked scary. Did you see her in the toilet? Is she planning to kill me?”

Alessia grinned, her amusement barely contained. “Well, she did call you a stupid tall blonde girl in Italian. Her colleague was there so I heard the whole story while she got changed. She does look intimidating, even in just a shirt and tights”.

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I’m never coming back here again.”

“To the airport? I mean I guess we could just not fly Ryanair. But relax”, Alessia said, patting Leah’s shoulder. “She’s mostly just pissed because her uniform got ruined. Buy her another coffee and something to eat, and she might forgive you. From what I heard it sounds like she’s got a long day today”.

Leah nodded, springing into action. She bought an extra-large iced coffee to replace the one she spilled, along with a pastry. For good measure, she also bought another coffee and snack for Gaia’s coworker. Balancing the coffees carefully on one hand and the paper bag with pastries on the other, Leah made her way to the entrance, where Gaia and Francesca had just returned from the restroom. Leah winced seeing Gaia in a skirt now and a slightly wrinkled shirt.

“Hi,” Leah said, her voice soft and a little awkward. Gaia looked at her, her expression still icy. “I—uh—got these for you. To make up for the coffee… incident.” She showed the coffees and the bag, which Francesca took without second thought, stepping back nervously.

Gaia eyed the offerings, then looked up at Leah, her gaze softening slightly. “Fine,” she said coolly, though there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “You’re forgiven… for now.”

Leah let out a relieved laugh, scratching the back of her neck. “Thanks. I really am sorry. I swear, I didn’t mean to”.

As Leah returned to her seat with Alessia, Francesca leaned over to Gaia, whispering in Italian, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Gaia rolled her eyes, but the small smile on her face said it all. “Well she is pretty”.

The boarding gate was buzzing with excitement as Leah and Alessia joined their friends Beth, Viv, and Jen. Leah was still flustered after the coffee debacle, and Alessia, ever the instigator, couldn’t resist recounting the entire story to the newly arrived group.

“…and then,” Alessia said between laughs, “Leah panicked, bought another coffee and a pastry for the poor girl, and apologized like five different times. Honestly, you should’ve seen her face—pure guilt.”

Beth burst out laughing, practically doubling over. “Leah Williamson, national hero and captain of England, brought down by a flight attendant. I love it.”

“Yeah, I mean, you should probably avoid any sudden movements on the plane,” Jen teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Who knows what kind of revenge she might be plotting.”

“Shut up,” Leah muttered, her face a deep shade of crimson. “I’ve already humiliated myself enough for one day. Also there is no way she just happens to be on our flight”.

“Less did say she had a Ryanair uniform”.

“Beth, ninety percent of the flights from Stansted are Ryanair flights, just look at the screens”.

Leah tried her best to stay calm, but her stomach dropped the moment she saw Gaia and Francesca appear in view. The flight crew—two pilots and four flight attendants—walked briskly toward the gate, their uniforms crisp and their demeanor professional. Gaia, with her serious appearance and sharp posture, led the way.

Alessia immediately nudged Beth, who was already snickering. “There she is,” Alessia whispered conspiratorially, nodding toward Gaia. Leah groaned audibly, but there was no escaping the teasing now, she spoke too soon. Of course the flight attendant that she ruined the uniform of had to be on her flight.

“That’s her?” Jen asked, leaning in with interest. “She looks so composed. Are you sure she wasn’t plotting your demise in that bathroom? Maybe she will do the same to you and claim it was turbulence”.

“Jen!” Leah hissed, mortified. “Can we please move on?”

“Oh no, no, no,” Beth said, smirking. “We’re milking this for all it’s worth.”

By the time they were boarding the plane, Leah had resigned herself to her fate. Alessia, Jen and her were in the first row, with Alessia in 1A, Leah in 1B and Jen in 1C, while Beth and Viv had the seats directly behind them.

Leah thought maybe she could pretend to be interested in whatever was outside and look out of the window if she asked Alessia to swap seats or focus on her phone and text her mother.

Fuck.

Standing at the front of the cabin, Gaia greeted each passenger with a polite smile as they entered the plane. Her professionalism never faltered, not even when her eyes landed on Leah and her group. Leah froze, her cheeks heating up, but Gaia’s smile remained perfectly neutral.

“Welcome aboard,” Gaia said, her tone steady, as Leah awkwardly shuffled past her into her seat.

Once everyone was seated and the doors were closed, the captain’s voice came over the intercom: “Cabin crew, arm slides and crosscheck.” The command was brisk and efficient, and the flight attendants moved with practiced precision. She confirmed with the crew at the back over the interphone and then turned around, facing the passengers.

“Once again dear passengers you are all very welcome on board this Ryanair flight to Tenerife,” Gaia’s voice came over the intercom, calm and composed. “Today in the flight deck you have captain Stefan assisted by senior first officer Lukasz, I will be your Cabin Supervisor and along with my lovely colleagues, Francesca at the back, Alina in the middle and Amanda with me at the front will be taking very good care of you. Our flight time today will be approximately four hours. Please pay attention to the safety demonstration while we point out some of the safety features on this Boeing 737-8200 series aircraft as it is a legal requirement”.

Leah slouched lower in her seat, mortification setting in all over again. “She’s the Cabin Supervisor?” Leah whispered to Alessia, her voice a mix of disbelief and dread. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“How would I know? They didn’t mention anything when she was complaining about you in the toilet”. Alessia replied, barely able to contain her laughter. “But this is just too good.”

“She probably hates me,” Leah muttered, running a hand over her face.

“She probably does,” Jen teased, leaning over with a grin. “I mean, you did ruin her uniform. Are you sure you didn’t accidentally spill that coffee on purpose? You know, to get her attention?”

“Shh,” Leah hissed, glancing toward the front of the plane. But Gaia was focused, making sure the safety demonstration was carried out as it should. Leah admired her professionalism—though it only made her feel guiltier about the earlier incident.

As the plane took off, the teasing subsided, Beth almost falling asleep while cuddling her girlfriend. But Leah couldn’t stop herself from sneaking glances at Gaia, who was seating right in front of her, nodding from time to time to what the younger girl seating next to her was talking animatedly about. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly confident and poised Gaia seemed, how she managed the cabin with precision and grace when securing everything for takeoff.

About fifteen minutes of peace passed by until Francesca came from the rear galley, pushing a trolley with sandwiches, croissants and lasagnas. She stopped at the front galley where Gaia was making herself another coffee and began whispering animatedly, recounting the previous events to Amanda. Francesca’s mischievous grin was impossible to miss, and though her voice was low, Leah could catch bits and pieces of what she was saying. “She was drenched in coffee, fuming, cursing… the tall blonde one… mortified… I bet she’s regretting everything…”

Alessia caught the gist as well, and her face turned bright red with laughter. She leaned toward Leah, whispering, “They’re definitely talking about you. I think Francesca finds this hilarious.”

Leah sank further into her seat, her hands covering her face while an embarrassed blush creeped up from her neck. “Why is this happening to me?”

Jen glanced at them with a smirk. “I mean, you did literally drench their Cabin Supervisor in coffee. Did you expect them to just forget about it?”

Beth and Viv leaned forward to join the conversation. “What’s going on up there?” Beth asked, grinning.

“Oh, nothing,” Alessia said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “Just Leah being the topic of conversation for the flight attendants.”

Leah groaned, her head falling back against the seat. “This is my nightmare.”

Francesca and Amanda passed through the cabin aisle with the fresh food service and when Amanda came back, Gaia had already set up the drinks and snacks trolley. After the drinks and snacks service concluded, with Gaia having walked the cabin aisle about seven hundred times, Jen said, Gaia and Amanda moved to the front galley to stow the trolley in place and the restock some items. However, Gaia’s focus was briefly interrupted when Amanda approached her with a pained expression.

“Gaia, my shoes are brand new, and they’re absolutely killing me, do you mind if I go to the back already? I’ll do a quick rubbish on my way”. Amanda said softly, wincing as she leaned against the counter.

Gaia’s expression softened immediately. “Don’t you worry, love. Go take a seat at the back for a bit, and I’ll come down in a minute to check on you. Do you have plasters?”

“No, I finished them yesterday, I did four sectors”.

“I’ll bring you some in a minute”.

Amanda gave her a grateful smile and slipped away toward the rear of the aircraft, a small, white, plastic bag on her hands. Gaia’s shift in demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Leah, who had been stealing glances toward the galley again since they came back. It was striking how Gaia could switch so effortlessly between firm authority and genuine kindness.

Gaia started writing notes and numbers and checking on her work phone when she was interrupted by a very tall, angry male passenger that stormed to the front of the cabin. Leah’s attention was immediately drawn to the man, whose deep voice carried across the rows.

“Excuse me!” he barked, glaring at Gaia. “Why on earth is there no ice onboard? This is unacceptable!”

Gaia turned to face him with calm professionalism. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have any more ice on this flight. If there’s anything else I can assist you with—”

“I don’t care about your excuses,” the man interrupted, his voice growing louder. By this point at least five rows of passengers were looking at them, some whispering. “This is ridiculous! But why would I be surprised? You’re cheap and disgusting, and your colleagues at the back are dismissive and rude!”.

Leah and Jen immediately stiffened in their seats. Leah’s hand gripped the armrest, ready to stand if things escalated further. Jen leaned slightly forward, clearly considering the same.

Before either of them could move, Gaia’s entire demeanor changed. She stood straighter, her presence somehow larger, and fixed the man with a piercing stare. Her voice, though still calm, carried an edge of authority that sent a chill through the front rows.

“Sir,” she said, her tone sharp but controlled, “you will lower your voice immediately. We do not carry ice on this flight because the previous crew had to use all of it, and no amount of shouting will change that. You are disturbing the other passengers and interfering with the crew’s duties. If you continue, I will have no choice but to involve the captain and, if necessary, have the police waiting for you upon arrival. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior, did I make myself clear?”

The man blinked, clearly taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but Gaia raised her head ever so slightly, her lips pursing and her eyes widening just enough to send a clear message: Don’t even think about it.

Without another word, the man turned on his heel and stomped back to his seat, muttering under his breath. The tension in the cabin eased instantly, and Leah let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

The girls in the front rows were stunned. Alessia whispered, “She’s terrifying in the best way,” and Jen nodded in agreement.

“Just reminded me of Katie when she gets angry at the ref but without the swearing”. Says Beth with a chuckle.

Leah, however, couldn’t take her eyes off Gaia as the Cabin Supervisor returned to her tasks, her composure unshaken. She couldn’t decide if she was more mortified, impressed, or… something else entirely. For the first time all flight, she wished she had another excuse to talk to Gaia—but she doubted she’d be brave enough to try.

As the aircraft began its descent toward Tenerife after three hours and a half, the atmosphere onboard was calm. Leah had finally started to relax a little, distracted by the gorgeous view of the ocean below as the plane lowered altitude. Alessia was reading a book, Viv was organizing the tour they would take the next day and Beth was chatting quietly with Jen. At the front, Gaia was busy closing the bar for the turnaround, efficiently securing all the items for landing. She moved with practiced ease, her focus unshakable even after a long flight.

But then, out of nowhere, the tall, angry passenger from earlier stood up from his seat three rows behind Leah and Alessia. He looked pale, and his movements were unsteady.

“Ma’am, I don’t feel so good,” he mumbled, swaying slightly.

Before Gaia could react, the man collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor with a heavy thud. The cabin erupted into gasps, and a murmur of concern rippled through the passengers. Leah’s stomach dropped as she froze in her seat at the sight.

Gaia was there in an instant. She pressed the call bell above Leah’s seat three times in rapid succession, a signal to alert the other three crew members that weren’t present. Without hesitation, she dropped to her knees beside the man. Leah could see Gaia’s professionalism kick in as she checked for signs of breathing. Her expression, while calm, was intense, and Leah could feel the tension radiating off her.

“Sir? Can you hear me?” Gaia said firmly, pinching his earlobe. “Fuck, not now”. She mumbled while lowering her body until her ear was next to his face and counting to ten quietly. “Oh god”. she muttered to herself before tilting his head back, opening his airway, and immediately starting chest compressions.

That was other three crew members arrived. “Jesus Christ”. Was all Francesca said before running back to the rear galley.

“Male, around fifty, travels by himself. Came to the front saying he didn’t feel good and collapsed on the floor. Not breathing.” Said Gaia, without stopping.

Alina picked up the interphone, her hands shaking but her voice firm: “Attention, please, attention everyone, we are having a medical emergency. If there is a medically qualified person onboard, please come to the front. I repeat we have an emergency, we need a doctor”. Immediately after, she called the captain. “Guys, this is an emergency briefing, are you ready to receive it?”

Amanda approached Jen, Leah and Alessia. “Could you please move back a couple of rows? Just to give us a bit more space to work,” She asked, gently but firmly.

The girls complied without hesitation, grabbing their belongings, Alessia and Jen sliding into empty seats two rows back, Leah sat on the empty seat next to Beth. Leah couldn’t stop glancing over the seatback, her heart pounding as she watched Gaia work. Alessia, equally tense, clutched Jen’s arm tightly, Beth hid her face in Viv’s neck while her girlfriend rubbed her back with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, no passenger stood up for the medical emergency, after talking to the captain, Alina repeated the announcement in english and broken Spanish, but still, nobody stood up. They were alone in this.

Francesca came back running, and started setting up the AED right next to Gaia and preparing the man. She had to cut through his clothes, shave and dry his sweaty chest. The coordination between her and Gaia was impressive, keeping in mind Gaia’s sole focus seemed to be on giving chest compressions. “Ready, clear!”. Francesca placed the pads on the man’s chest and took Gaia’s hands from the man, her breathing was ragged. “Do you want to switch?” Gaia shook her head no, she was biting her tongue to maintain her focus. The device analyzed the rhythm and recommended a shock. Everyone stepped back even further as Francesca pressed the button, delivering the first shock. The man’s body jolted slightly. Gaia immediately resumed CPR, with Francesca and Alina counting the compressions for her.

“Thirty”. Francesca gave her the mask to give the rescue breaths. Alina was close to tears, biting the inside of her cheeks. Amanda stood in the middle of the aisle to try and give more privacy to the man, her body trembling, she was already crying.

“Come on, come on,” Leah whispered, her fingers digging into the armrest.

The cabin was in absolute silence, at least the first ten rows could hear everything. People were stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happening, all eyes were on Gaia and her team.

The AED analyzed again and recommended a second shock. Francesca administered it, and this time, the man’s chest rose shakily as he gasped for air. Gaia quickly rolled him into the recovery position. “We’ve got him,” she said, her voice steady despite the situation. She glanced at Francesca. “Stay here and monitor his breathing. Amanda, Alina, check the cabin is secure for landing and stay at the back, I think it’s almost time.”

Even after the chaos, Gaia remained composed. She stood, brushing off her uniform, breathing deeply before calling the captain again: “Guys, it’s Gaia, he’s stable. Do I have time to check the cabin for landing?”

After hanging, she took her seat and signaled Francesca to do the same. Leah couldn’t take her eyes off her. The confidence, the competence, the control, the fact that after all of that she wanted to make sure everyone else was secure—it was impossible not to be impressed.

“Cabin crew, sit for landing”.

The landing was smooth, with the man stabilized and conscious, though still weak, as the ambulance crew waited on the ramp. As soon as Gaia opened the aircraft door and extended the stairs, she helped the paramedics board, efficiently briefing them on what had happened. Francesca led one of them to where the man had been sitting to get his belongings.

The passenger was taken from the aircraft, and the cabin fell into an almost eerie silence as everyone processed what had just happened. Despite the stress of the situation, Gaia returned to the front of the aircraft to begin the disembarkation process, her voice clear and calm over the intercom as she gave the final instructions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tenerife. You may now disembark the aircraft using both the front and the rear steps. For passengers traveling with children, please hold their hand as you walk down the stairs and until you are in the terminal building. On behalf of the captain, first officer and specially your onboard crew, we thank you for flying with Ryanair today and hope to see you again soon”.

Leah, Alessia, and the others waited until the very end to disembark, hanging back as the other passengers filtered off the plane. Leah was still shaken, though not from fear. She couldn’t stop thinking about Gaia—how she had taken charge, saved the man’s life, and then carried on as though it were just another day at work.

As they reached the front of the plane, Francesca the captain and Gaia stood near the door, his hand on her shoulder. Her polite yet tense smile firmly in place as she thanked each passenger for flying with them. When Leah approached, Gaia’s gaze flickered to her for the briefest moment.

“Have a nice holiday,” Gaia said evenly, her tone professional and distant.

Leah opened her mouth to say something—anything—but no words came out. She hesitated, her cheeks flushing, before giving Gaia a small nod and stepping off the plane. Alessia, walking just behind her, raised an eyebrow as they stepped onto the ramp.

“You didn’t say anything?” Alessia asked incredulously, nudging Leah in the side. “After all that?”

“I couldn’t,” Leah muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, great job saving that guy’s life. Also, sorry about the coffee?’”

Alessia snorted. “Maybe start with ‘thank you.’”

Leah sighed, already regretting her silence. But as they walked toward the terminal, one thought kept running through her mind: That can’t the last time I see her.

The group of footballers didn’t hear it, but the moment Francesca placed the yellow strap across the open door and turned around to talk to Gaia, she was already taking out the trash trolley, opening it and emptying the contents of her stomach in it. Her body shaking as she vomited and coughed, the tips of her fingers turning white with how strongly she was holding onto the trolley. Stefan held her ponytail while rubbing her back. Francesca couldn’t hold it any longer either, and sat down to cry on the jumpseat.

“I’m gonna call Dublin” Lukasz told the captain, stepping out of the aircraft.

At the back, Alina was crying as well, on the phone with her fiancé, while Amanda had hidden inside the toilet during the disembarking process, she had had a panic attack.

Amanda was the youngest in age and in the company, barely four months flying, this was her first medical emergency, while Alina had already been cabin crew for about two years. She had tried to calm Amanda during landing, as she was hyperventilating, holding her hand and telling her about how she met Dimitrij three years before, at twenty-three, and had been engaged for over a year, how she never cared about the decade between both of them and how they had been looking for houses closer to London with big gardens for their dogs. Amanda had just turned nineteen the week before, she had been planning her holidays in Ibiza with her friends from her hometown that morning and texting that guy from Tinder. Sitting in that tiny toilet, all she could think about was that man laying lifeless on the floor and her supervisor performing CPR on him like a robot. She got into the toilet the moment the aircraft left the active runway.

Having been deemed “clearly not fit to fly” by Crew Control, the six of them got their suitcases and left the airport on a taxi to a fancy hotel close to the beach. Their flight back scheduled for late in the evening the next day.

Twenty minutes later they were checking into the hotel. Amanda was still shaking, Alina was taking care of both of their their trolleys, while Francesca kept her arm around the younger girl and Gaia handled everyone’s passports for the check-ins.

The hotel bar was warm and lively, buzzing with the low hum of conversation and clinking glasses. Leah sat at a table with Alessia, Jen, Beth, and Viv, trying her best not to fidget. Alessia had spotted the flight crew as soon as they got out of the van, and Leah’s heart had almost stopped when she realized they were staying in the same hotel.

“This has to be a sign,” Jen had teased, her mischievous grin making Leah groan.

Another thirty minutes passed when the crew came back from their rooms, no longer in uniform, and sat at a nearby table where they ordered drinks and some tapas to share.

Now, sitting across from the crew’s table, Leah couldn’t help but steal glances at Gaia. The cabin supervisor was talking with her colleagues, laughing softly from time to time, her head tilted slightly as she sipped from a glass of red wine. She looked stunning—unfairly so. Her short black dress hugged her figure perfectly, her legs elongated by the same pair of high heels she wore on the flight. Her dark hair, which had been neatly pinned up since that morning, now cascaded down her back in soft waves until her hips.

“Fuck, she looks stunning,” Leah muttered, more to herself than anyone else. But Alessia, ever the meddler, heard her loud and clear and elbowed her in the side.

“Then do something about it,” Alessia hissed, smirking.

Before Leah could protest, the captain at the crew’s table stood up and announced, “Alright, I’ll pay for this and then I’m off to bed. Enjoy yourselves.” He waved off their thanks with a smile and headed toward the elevators after stopping at the bar, leaving the cabin crew and first officer to their own devices.

Not long after, Gaia stood up and made her way to the bar, her empty glass in hand. Leah froze, her eyes following her every step.

“This is your chance,” Jen whispered, nudging Leah. “Go.”

Leah hesitated, her palms suddenly clammy. “What do I even say?”

“Literally anything,” Beth said with a chuckle. “Just don’t spill another drink on her.”

Alessia snorted, and Leah shot her a glare before finally summoning the courage to stand. She made her way to the bar, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it.

Gaia was leaning against the counter, waiting for the bartender to return with her drink. She noticed Leah approaching in the mirror behind the bar and raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a sly smile.

“Well, well,” Gaia said as Leah reached her side. “If it isn’t my favorite clumsy blonde.”

Leah winced, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah, uh… about that. I’m really sorry. Again.”

Gaia chuckled, turning to face her fully. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with worse. But I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Following me, are you?”

Leah’s cheeks turned pink. “What? No! I mean—definitely not. We’re just, uh, here on holiday.”

“Mm-hmm,” Gaia said, her tone teasing. “Convenient.”

Leah scratched her head, unsure how to respond. She was never this flustered, not even during the most nerve-wracking matches. But there was something about Gaia that completely threw her off balance.

Gaia tilted her head, studying Leah for a moment. “So, are you always this shy, or is it just around me?”

Leah blinked. “I’m not shy.”

Gaia smirked. “Could’ve fooled me.”

The bartender returned with Gaia’s drink—a fresh glass of wine—and Gaia turned to pay. Leah, desperate to regain some semblance of composure, cleared her throat.

“Can I… can I buy you a drink? To, you know, make up for the coffee incident?”

Gaia glanced at her over her shoulder, her smirk softening into something more genuine. “That’s sweet of you, but I think you’ve already done enough.”

Leah frowned. “Oh. Right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m kidding,” Gaia interrupted, laughing lightly. “Sure, you can buy me a drink. But only if you join me.”

Leah’s heart leapt into her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Gaia picked up her wine and nodded toward a quieter corner of the bar. “Come on, then. Let’s see if you’re as interesting off the pitch as you are on it.”

Leah payed and blinked surprised as she turned towards Gaia. “Wait, you know who I am?”

Gaia arched an eyebrow as she led the way to a small table. “Of course I do. I’m Italian—we love football. But I’ll admit, I didn’t recognize you at first. You looked so… panicked on the plane.”

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands as they sat down. “Great. That’s the impression I made.”

Gaia laughed again, the sound light and melodic. “Relax. You’re doing better now.”

Leah looked up, meeting Gaia’s gaze. For the first time all evening, she felt herself start to relax. Maybe Jen was right—maybe this was a sign.

“How old are you?” Leah asks.

“Twenty-six”

“I’m twenty-seven”

“So,” Gaia says, swirling her drink in the glass. “You’re a footballer.”

Leah chuckles, nodding. “Yeah. You’re a flight attendant.”

Gaia raises an eyebrow. “Wow. Look at us, uncovering life’s biggest mysteries.”

Leah laughs, shaking her head. “Alright. But how long have you been doing it?”

“Flying? About six years now,” Gaia says, leaning on the bar. “It was supposed to be temporary after I dropped out of uni, but…” She shrugs. “I fell in love with it. The travel, the people, the chaos.”

Leah tilts her head. “Even the difficult passengers?”

Gaia smirks. “Especially the difficult passengers. There’s something very satisfying about shutting down a grown man throwing a tantrum over ice.”

Leah grins, remembering how effortlessly Gaia had handled the situation earlier on the plane. “Yeah, that was—honestly? A little terrifying.”

Gaia laughs, eyes gleaming. “Good. It’s a survival skill.”

Leah watches her for a moment, fascinated. “And what about you?” she asks. “What’s your survival story?”

Gaia’s expression falters just slightly before she covers it with a smirk. “That’s a deep question for someone you just met.”

Leah shrugs, offering a small smile. “I like deep questions.”

Gaia considers her for a second, then exhales, tapping her nails against the glass. “Let’s make it fair then,” she decides. “Have you ever heard of the 36 questions to fall in love?”

Leah raises an eyebrow. “I think so. It’s supposed to be, what—scientific? Like, guaranteed to make people fall for each other?”

Gaia scoffs. “I don’t believe in that part. But I always thought it would be fun to try with a stranger.”

Leah’s heart does a little unexpected flip. She smirks to cover it. “So you’re saying I’m your stranger for the night?”

Gaia holds her gaze, lips curving into something dangerously close to a challenge. “Do you want to be?”

Leah swallows. She doesn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” she says, her voice lower than she expected. “I do.”

Gaia nods, pleased, finishes her wine and stands up. “Alright then, footballer,” she says. “Let’s see if this works.” Gaia chuckled, setting her glass down and offering her hand to the blonde. “It’s still early enough for dinner—by southern European standards, at least. What do you say we go up to my room, order some room service, and keep talking? I don’t want to unveil my deepest darkest secrets in public”.

Leah felt her heart skip a beat. “Yeah,” she blurted out grabbing her hand, a little too quickly. She immediately winced at her own eagerness, mentally slapping herself. Smooth, Williamson. Real smooth.

But Gaia didn’t seem to mind. She just smiled and turned, motioning for Leah to follow. They walked to the elevators together, the air between them charged with an unspoken energy that Leah couldn’t quite put into words.

Gaia’s room was significantly larger than Leah’s. The king-size bed dominated the space, flanked by modern furniture and a small seating area. There was even a balcony with a view of the ocean, the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore audible in the quiet room.

Leah couldn’t help but notice how immaculate everything was, from the neatly folded throw blanket on the couch to the pristine arrangement of toiletries on the bathroom counter. It was clear that the airline took good care of their crew.

“Wow,” Leah said, taking it all in. “This is… a lot nicer than my room.”

Gaia smirked, tossing her bag onto a chair and leaving her shoes in a corner, Leah did her same with hers. “Perks of being a Cabin Supervisor. The company knows how to keep us happy.”

Leah sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little out of place in such a luxurious space. Gaia, however, moved around with ease, pulling up the room service menu and sitting next to Leah on the bed.

“What do you feel like eating?” Gaia asked, handing her the menu.

Leah scanned the options, her stomach growling softly. “Burgers?” she suggested. “And maybe soft drinks? I, uh… don’t want to risk saying anything stupid if we drink more.”

Gaia laughed, a genuine, melodic sound that made Leah’s chest feel warm. “Good call. Burgers it is.”

They placed their order, and as they waited for the food to arrive, they continued talking, their conversation flowing as easily as it had downstairs. Leah felt like she was being pulled closer and closer to Gaia, like there was some invisible force drawing them together. They sat shoulder to shoulder on the bed, their legs brushing occasionally, and every touch sent a jolt of electricity through Leah.

After a while, Gaia leaned back on her elbows and tilted her head, studying Leah with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Alright,” she began, “let’s start the game”.

“Sure”.

Gaia’s smile widened, and she grabbed her phone, pulling up the list of questions. “Okay, question one: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be?”

Leah thought for a moment, tapping her fingers on the bedspread. “Probably my granddad. He passed away when I was young, and I’d love to have a proper conversation with him.”

Gaia’s expression softened. “That’s sweet. I’d pick my great-grandmother. She was apparently a real firecracker”.

They went back and forth, answering each question with increasing honesty and vulnerability. As the questions got deeper, so did their answers. Leah found herself opening up in a way she hadn’t expected, sharing stories about her childhood, her struggles with her injury, and her dreams for the future. Gaia, in turn, revealed bits and pieces of her own life—her love for travel, her complicated relationship with her family, and her secret dream of one day settling down in a quiet little town in southern Italy.

By the time the food arrived, they were on question fifteen: “What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?”

Gaia thought for a moment, then answered: “Probably moving here. I had almost no savings, no plan B, my english was shit, I had no support from my family because they were pissed I dropped out of law school… It was hard but I was so happy once I started working. It helped me toughen up”.

“That’s impressive”. Said Leah with wide eyes. “I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been”.

“Yeah but that was ages ago. What about you?”

Leah paused, staring down at her burger. “Honestly? It used to be winning the Euros with England. But now… I think it’s surviving the setbacks. The injuries, the doubts. Just making it through, you know?”

Gaia reached out and lightly touched Leah’s arm, her gaze warm and understanding. “That’s a pretty incredible accomplishment.”

Leah looked up at her, their eyes meeting. For a moment, the world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in the quiet intimacy of the room.

Gaia broke the silence first, her voice soft. “Ready for the next question?”

Leah nodded, her heart racing. “Always.”

They kept going and the atmosphere in the room shifted as Leah glanced down at the phone and asked question eighteen: “What is your most terrible memory?”

Gaia’s playful demeanor softened, her face falling just slightly. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to the ceiling as if trying to decide how much to share. Finally, she let out a long breath and said quietly, “It used to be my mum beating me up the day of my first communion.”

Leah’s breath caught in her throat, her heart twisting at the pain in Gaia’s voice.

“I was only nine,” Gaia continued, her voice steady but her gaze distant. “She used to do it a lot, but that was the first time I realized… no one in my family thought it was a bad thing. I remember standing there in my long puffy white dress, the one my grandmother made, and thinking… ‘This isn’t normal, is it?’ But no one said anything. It was normal to them”.

Leah’s chest ached, and she opened her mouth to say something—anything—but Gaia wasn’t done.

She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. “But after today…” Her voice wavered slightly, and she swallowed hard before continuing. “I think today might’ve replaced it. It was the first time I’ve done CPR on an actual human. I felt his ribs breaking under my hands.” She shuddered, closing her eyes briefly. “I didn’t even realize what I was doing until it was over, like I was on auto-pilot, I knew what I had to do and I did it but... Once everyone was out…” She let out a shaky breath. “I vomited. It was awful, for all of us. Amanda had a panic attack. We were all crying. Crew Control said it was better for us to stay for the night and calm down than to risk having an episode and making a scene on the way back, even if we didn’t operate the flight”.

The silence that followed was heavy, filled only with the distant sound of the ocean outside the balcony. Leah sat frozen, unsure of how to respond. Words didn’t feel like enough, but she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.

Slowly, she set the phone down on the bedside table, moved the food around as to not spill anything and shifted closer to Gaia. “Come here,” she murmured, motioning for her to move closer.

Gaia hesitated for only a moment before leaning into Leah’s open arms. Leah pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly. Gaia rested her head on Leah’s shoulder, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything.

Leah could feel the tension in Gaia’s body slowly begin to ease, her breathing evening out as she relaxed into the embrace. “You’re incredible, you know that?” Leah said softly, her voice steady but full of conviction.

Gaia let out a quiet laugh, though it sounded more like a sigh. “I don’t feel incredible.”

“Well, you are,” Leah replied firmly. “You saved a man’s life today. That’s… not something most people can say. And what you went through as a kid…” She paused, her voice catching. “You didn’t deserve that. None of it.”

Gaia didn’t respond, but Leah could feel her hand clutching gently at the fabric of her shirt, as though anchoring herself to the moment.

After a few minutes, Gaia’s voice broke the silence, quiet but steady. “We still have more questions to get through, you know.”

Leah smiled, pressing her cheek against the top of Gaia’s head. “Do you want to keep going?”

Gaia nodded and sat up slightly, though she didn’t move far from Leah’s side. She reached for a plate with chips, setting it in between them and then took the phone, scrolling to the next question. “Alright… question nineteen: If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you’re living now? Why?”

Leah thought for a moment, her arms still loosely around Gaia. “Yeah, I think I’d change some things. I’d spend more time with the people I love, stop worrying so much about things that don’t really matter. Maybe take a few more risks.” She glanced down at Gaia, her lips quirking into a small smile. “Like answering the 36 Questions with a beautiful stranger.”

Gaia’s laughter was soft but genuine, and for the first time that evening, Leah felt like she’d managed to lighten the weight in the room.

“I think I’d save as much money as possible and then get unpaid leave for like the last three months and spend them in Bali. Die next to the beach in a cute bikini and a nice drink in my hand”.

They kept going, teasing and joking, having finished their dinner by the time they got to the twenty-fourth question. “How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?” Leah’s voice lowers as she reads the question.

The air between them shifts. Leah watches as Gaia’s little playful smirk fades, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. She doesn’t speak right away, and Leah, who has already learned that Gaia is rarely at a loss for words, immediately knows—this isn’t an easy one for her. Gaia exhales through her nose, staring at the question as if she could change it just by looking at it hard enough. “Well,” she says, her voice noticeably quieter, “that’s a loaded one, isn’t it?”

Leah stays silent, waiting. “You don’t have to answer”.

“I proposed the game, it’s okay”.

“But if you don’t want to…”

“I trust you”.

Leah’s breath catches for what seems to be the hundredth time today. She bites the inside of her cheeks while nodding.

Gaia presses her lips together, then tilts her head slightly, as if deciding how much to say. “I used to think,” she starts, voice measured, “that having a bad relationship with your parents was just… normal. Like, I knew not everyone’s mother hit them when they were angry but I did think everyone had to earn affection. That love was given out in tiny doses, only if you behaved exactly right.” She swallows. “It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

Leah feels a dull ache in her chest. She shifts slightly on the bed, their knees almost touching. “Gaia…”

Gaia shakes her head, waving a hand as if to dismiss any sympathy. “It’s fine. I mean, it’s not, but—I got out. I left home the second I could, and I never looked back.” She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “And the best part? No one even cared. No one came after me. That just proved it, you know?”

Leah clenches her jaw, resisting the urge to reach for her hand. “I’m sorry.”

Gaia shrugs, as if it doesn’t matter. “I don’t really have a mother anymore. Not in the way that counts.” Silence lingers between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Then Gaia shakes her head and forces a smirk, attempting to defuse the weight of her own words. “Alright, your turn. How’s your relationship with your mum?”

Leah takes a deep breath, glancing down at her hands. “It’s… good,” she says, almost feeling guilty about it. “She’s always been supportive, always pushed me to be better. I think she worries about me being alone, though.” She lets out a small chuckle. “You know, football takes over everything. Sometimes I forget to call as much as I should.”

Gaia hums, studying her, a small smile tugging at her lips. “She sounds like a good one.”

“She is.” Leah hesitates, then looks at her carefully. “If it means anything… I think it’s really fucking impressive that you got out. That you didn’t let it turn you into someone like her.”

Gaia meets her gaze, something flickering behind her dark eyes. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, then exhales softly, offering a small, genuine smile. “Thanks,” she murmurs.

Leah watches her, feeling a warmth settle in her chest. Slowly, cautiously, she lifts a hand and brushes Gaia’s fingers with her own. She half expects Gaia to pull away, but instead, she turns her hand over and links their fingers together, giving Leah’s a small squeeze.

For a moment, neither of them speaks. They don’t need to.

Then Gaia clears her throat and smirks. “Alright, footballer. Next question.”

And just like that, they move forward. But Leah knows—this moment will stay with her.

They continued the game, by the time they reached the final question, they were lying side by side on the bed, looking at the ceiling, still holding hands as they talked, thumbs brushing the other’s skin.

And when Gaia finally asked the last question—“Share a personal problem and ask for advice on how I might handle it”—Leah didn’t hesitate.

“I’ve been scared,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “About my future, about… everything. My injury, my career, what comes next. I’m scared I won’t be the same player I was before.”

Gaia looked at her, her dark eyes filled with empathy and understanding. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now,” she said gently. “But you’re more than just a footballer, Leah. You’re strong, and kind, and resilient. Whatever happens, you’ll find your way.”

Leah felt a lump rise in her throat, but for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t fear or anxiety—it was gratitude. Gratitude for the woman beside her, who had somehow managed to make her feel seen and understood in a way she hadn’t expected.

They turned their heads at the same time. Their hearts beating strongly. Noses almost touching. The thought of getting closer crosses Leah’s mind. Gaia’s eyes glance at the blonde’s lips time and time again, wondering what it would feel to close the space between them and kiss the pretty girl in front of her.

They stayed like that for a while, the questions forgotten as they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, the quiet intimacy of the moment stretching long into the night.

Leah shifted slightly on the bed, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was late—later than she’d realized—and she sighed softly, knowing she probably shouldn’t overstay her welcome. She sat up, careful not to disturb Gaia. “I should probably go,” she said, her voice quiet but reluctant.

Gaia bit her lip, her eyes fixed on Leah’s face, their hands still linked. There was a playful glint in her gaze, but something else lingered beneath it—something softer, almost vulnerable. “Do you really want to?”

Leah froze, her heart skipping a beat. She opened her mouth to respond but faltered, her hesitation clear. Gaia’s question hung in the air, and Leah found herself unable to look away from those dark, captivating eyes.

Before Leah could overthink it, Gaia leaned in, closing the small gap between them. The kiss was soft, unhurried, and yet it sent a spark of electricity through Leah’s entire body. Gaia’s hand cupped Leah’s cheek, anchoring her in the moment, and Leah found herself leaning into the kiss, her fingers brushing against Gaia’s waist.

When they finally pulled apart, their faces still close, Leah let out a breathless laugh. “Fuck I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you in that dress”.

Gaia smiled, her thumb grazing Leah’s cheek before she whispered, “Do it again, then”.

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Leah stirred, her body instinctively curling closer to the warmth beside her. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and when she did, she couldn’t help but smile.

Gaia was still asleep, her face relaxed and peaceful, her arm draped over Leah’s waist. They were tangled together under the sheets, their bare skin warm against each other. Leah felt a surge of contentment wash over her as she replayed the events of the night before.

After a few minutes, Gaia’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled sleepily at Leah. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Leah replied, her voice soft while caressing Gaia’s cheek. The italian got closer, her face now hidden between Leah’s neck and shoulder, placing a small kiss there.

They stayed like that for a little while, neither of them in any rush to leave the comfort of the bed. Eventually, though, the sound of bustling activity outside the room reminded them that the world hadn’t stopped just because they’d found each other.

“We should probably get some breakfast,” Gaia said, stretching lazily before sitting up, the soft sheet falling from her body.

Leah nodded, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment as the moment ended. “Yeah, before Alessia comes knocking on my door looking for me.”

Gaia laughed as she got in the shower, and within twenty minutes, they were making their way downstairs to the hotel restaurant.

As soon as they entered the breakfast area, Leah froze. Across the room, her friends—Alessia, Beth, Viv, and Jen—had pushed their table together with the crew’s, leaving two empty spots in the middle. They were all eating breakfast together, and the moment they spotted Leah and Gaia, every single one of them turned to look.

Alessia was the first to react, her eyes widening in delight before she let out an exaggerated gasp. “Leah! Gaia! What a coincidence!”

Gaia raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as she glanced at Leah. “Your friends seem… excited.”

“Kill me now,” Leah muttered under her breath, her cheeks already flushing. They went to fill their plates with food from the breakfast buffet before taking their —apparently designated— seats.

The teasing began before they even reached the table. Beth was grinning ear to ear, Viv was trying (and failing) to keep a straight face, and Jen looked far too pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Francesca and Alina were whispering amongst themselves, barely concealing their laughter. Amanda was quiet but had a shy smile on her face. Without makeup and wearing normal clothes, she looked her age more than ever.

“I hope you both slept well,” Francesca said sweetly, though the glint in her eye betrayed her teasing intent.

Gaia took it in stride, her confidence unwavering. “We did, thank you. And you?”

Francesca waved a hand dismissively, clearly unprepared for Gaia’s composure. “Oh, just fine. Nothing interesting to report.”

“Gaia!” Alessia suddenly exclaimed, leaning across the table. “You should’ve seen Leah last night—she was so worried about you after that coffee incident! She wouldn’t shut up about it for hours.”

“Alessia,” Leah hissed, glaring at her best friend.

“What?” Alessia said innocently, her grin widening. “I’m just saying, it’s cute.”

Gaia chuckled, her eyes flicking to Leah. “Is that so?”

Leah groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Can we please change the subject?”

“Absolutely not,” Jen said with a wicked grin.

The teasing had definitely not stopped as they ate. In fact, it intensified after Jen checked TikTok for a moment, only to find someone had recorded the whole incident from the day before. Beth took her phone and started reading aloud the comments: how hot they all are, how professional they remained and a couple of them remarking that flight attendants are actually trained for everything.

Leah couldn’t help but squirm in her seat as Beth read out the comments. Her face was beet red, and she felt all eyes on her, the teasing relentless. She tried to ignore it, but the more they read, the more embarrassed she became.

Amanda wasn’t really paying attention, Francesca flipped her long braids with an exaggeratedly smug expression on her face. Alina asked to be sent the video so she could show it to her husband.

“Actually I want it too, I’ll need it to write the report”. The groans from the other cabin crew didn’t wait. “Don’t be like that, we have to write it anyway. I might also send it to the instructor, it will be good for whomever is doing the anual examination soon”.

“You’re going viral Gaia!” Exclaimed Beth. “The super-hot superhero”.

“I swear, if I hear ‘hot flight attendants’ one more time, I’m going to die,” Leah muttered under her breath, covering her face with her hands.

Jen just smirked at her. “Come on, Leah, you’ve got a real-life hero sitting next to you. You can’t deny that’s pretty cool.”

Leah shot her a glare but couldn’t argue. Jen wasn’t wrong.

Not long after, Captain Stefan stood up from the end of the table and walked over, his usual serious demeanor replaced with a hint of concern. “Gaia, can I have a word? About yesterday’s incident,” he asked, his tone gentle but firm.

Gaia gave a small nod, looking visibly drained for a moment from everything that had happened before regaining her composure. They walked off toward the hotel’s pool area for some privacy, and the girls continued to talk amongst themselves, but curiosity got the better of them. As soon as the rest of the crew left the breakfast area, Beth stood up and left with Jen to spy on what was being said between the captain and the cabin supervisor, watching as the two of them engaged in a serious conversation a few meters away from the main area. Alessia, Viv and Leah followed shortly after.

Stefan and Gaia were deep in conversation, not noticing the little crowd just a few meters from them pretending to sunbathe on the sunbeds .

Leah’s attention was caught by the occasional words drifting over.

“…aircraft was Echo India Delta Yankee Papa…” Stefan’s voice was low and professional.

“…incident occurred about thirty minutes to landing, so 18:45 Zulu…” Gaia replied, her voice sounding tired but still sharp.

Beth leaned over to Jen and whispered, “That sounds like another language. I don’t even understand half of it.”

“Yeah, it’s like they’re talking in codes or something,” Jen chuckled.

But Leah wasn’t listening to them. Her eyes were still on Gaia. She couldn’t stop looking at her, drawn to her strength, her grace, and the vulnerability that was barely masked behind her stoic demeanor.

Suddenly, Gaia’s facade cracked. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as the weight of everything she had gone through the day before came crashing down.

Leah’s heart lurched at the sight. She felt a strong urge to go to her, to comfort her, but she didn’t know if it was the right time. She stayed frozen, unsure of what to do.

“It was so fucking scary, Stefan…” Gaia sobbed, her voice shaky with emotion.

Stefan responded by pulling her into a tight, reassuring hug. It was clear that they had known each other for years, a bond forged by countless flights and shared experiences.

Leah kept watching, her heart aching. She wanted to help, but she didn’t want to intrude. Just as she was about to turn away, Stefan caught her eye and gave her a gentle nod, silently encouraging her to approach.

The soft smile on his face made Leah feel a little more at ease.

“Do you want me to call crew control and get you another night here? You look like you could use it,” Stefan offered kindly.

Gaia looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but there was a glimmer of hope in her gaze. “You can do that?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

Stefan chuckled softly. “I’m the base captain. I can do whatever I want. Just let me make the call for you.”

With that, Stefan walked off to make the call, Gaia alone. Leah hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to approach, but her heart told her to go.

She sat down beside Gaia, who was still wiping at her eyes, clearly embarrassed by the breakdown. Leah gently pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her, not giving her a chance to protest.

Gaia bit her lip, clearly uncomfortable but also grateful for Leah’s presence. “Sorry about that,” she murmured, her voice still shaky. “I didn’t want to break down in front of everyone. I’ve always thought that crying in public is embarrassing”.

Leah smiled softly, her fingers gently brushing through Gaia’s hair. “You’re allowed to. You’ve been through a lot. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Gaia nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude, but it was clear she was still processing everything. Leah held her close, and for the first time, she felt like everything else faded into the background.

They stayed like that for a while, letting the sun warm them, enjoying the quiet companionship in the midst of everything that had happened.

As the minutes passed, Leah pulled Gaia by her legs, urging her to cuddle on her lap, feeling her tension slowly ease away. The weight of everything, from the medical emergency to the emotional toll it had taken on Gaia, seemed to melt away in the comfort of their shared space.

They didn’t say much, but there was something about the stillness between them that spoke volumes. It was as if, for a moment, the rest of the world had stopped, and all that mattered was that they were together.

#leah williamson x reader #woso fanfics #woso imagine #woso x reader #leah williamson #leah williamson fanfic #leah williamson x ofc

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lanaindublin · 3 months ago

Text

The modern climate of airline travel frays the mind and will drive even the most resolute of men to eventual madness...

4/2/2025

Regardless its an evironment I braved manys a times, this piece is a little something I drafted up while I was waiting in the boarding hall in alicante last september, presented here in its entirety for friends to appreciate:

6:18am, 19th september 2024, international speak like a pirate day. I embark on a grim journey to the land I, in a prior age called home. In this entry I feel compelled to engage in the time-honoured tradition of authors to complain about the state of airline travel. My woes naturally start long before the clock struck midnight marking the beginning of this most dour day, wherein i had to strike a fine balance in booking my passage. I was in no short supply of options in terms of times, airlines and spans of my visit, but the constraining factors of: being present for a long distance cycle my mother had planned, being present for a sufficiently long time to compensate for the months i have spent in spain away from her doting presence, not staying so long that i might cause my beloved to expire from a broken heart, and the ever-present question of money. Sadly, all these constraints, combined with my choice of departure airport, Alicante, and eventual destination, Dublin, coalesced into a singular grim realisation, that I would have to travel with the airline known as ryanair. Even as I write this passage the feeble of mind, and weak of will, queue in the priority boarding line for my flight...no matter, I shall air my grievances with them at a measured rate. The process of booking a ryanair flight is an exercise in observation, focus and force of will, their website (being the sole avenue by which you can reliably aquire a booking) is a veritable labyrinth of additional charges, extra luggage, travel insurance, in-flight meal pre-orders, shoe-shining services, proprietary travel insurance, novelty ryanair airplane models, giftcards, snowglobes, at-destination car rentals and priority boarding options. If you can navigate this gauntlet of extra charges you will be asked to give the company a scan of your face via webcam to verify your identity and sell onto third party data brokers, and only then, will you be offered the ticket of your dreams at an affordable price. And for now you are granted reprieve, until the day of your journey.

5am is not an hour I voluntarily awake to any engagement, nay, it is a mark of the clock i reserve for stumbling home after a night of frivolities cut short, or the midway point of an average session of Sid Meiers Civilization. Regardless, this was the time whence I was roused from my slumber. I awake to the sound of hatsune miku singing melodious lyrics over the sound of a percussive instrumentation. I silence the phone alarm and take in the surroundings of the sitting room of a friend of the family who lives nearby. Two hours to take-off, cutting things pretty close in the grand scheme of things, but i am already checked in online to keep check-in desk operators to a minimum, my boarding pass is on my phone to save the cost of ink and paper, and cabin luggage is heavily encouraged to curb the cost of luggage handlers. Indeed with such a barebones itinerary 2 hours might just suffice. Instant coffee, a perfectly fine breakfast, exchanged pleasantries, a short car ride and a sincere adieu. I am on my own, with just my purse and a small backpack to carry me through this journey. One last deep breath of crisp morning air and I enter the terminal. Air travel has changed in hops and skips over the 20 something years ive been cognizant of it, never had the privilege of flying pre-9/11 when you could board a plane with a machette, a loaded gun, a lit cigar and a caraffe of double-proof rum. No no, in this day and age I find myself wondering if security is going to take exception to the baking paper-wrapped bowl of homemade marmalade i intend to take aboard.

And so, bloated with the oversized second coffee i took moments after entering the terminal, i waddle towards the waiting xray machines. My boarding pass persuades the electronic gates, which mercifully stand eight-abreast, as six of them are giving no end of trouble to my fellow travellers, unyielding in their cold logic, that the crumpled piece of home printed paper clutched in hand does not constitute a proper boarding pass. I throw my bag and purse into a scanning tray, just as it is picked up by the rubbery grasp of the conveyor belt, i remember to toss my phone in too, and moments before i walk through the metal detector gate i am beckoned to place my "jacket" in too. I flail my jumper, which contains no metals to speak of, over the plastic divider and cleanly into my second scanning tray, moments before it dissapears into the dark maw of the x-ray machine. I step through the metal detector gate and am spared the indignity of a randomly selected cavity search this time. A hapless gentleman in front of me is halted as his satchel contains contraband, the security officer spends a full eight minutes searching the satchel which seemed to contain a total of three pens, before producing a swiss army knife no bigger than a fig, the officer takes the contraband aside, a beloved family heirloom no doubt, dangles it above the disposal bin, looking towards the man, and with a shrug as if to convey "sorry, we are just doing our job, like the gestappo were" drops the knife into the void. The man seems to utter some words, in protest or resignation, i cannot tell, for his voice seems distant and muffled from the depths of his own personal orwellian inferno. After this charade has held up the line for the better part of half an hour, my bag finally emerges from the machine, a second security officer, perturbed by the queer orientation of my bag and the grey ovoid cast by the silhouette of the marmelade on the x-ray image, enters a prolonged groping session with my luggage, their practiced hands capable of ascertaining the presence of class 5 drugs and plastic explosives alike through up to 20cm of clothing and flesh, with nought but an authoratative squeeze. Seemingly unsatisfied by the thorough molestation of my bag, it is taken to the mouth of the machine and put through again at a more neurotypical angle. And with one final squeeze for the Jansport to remember them by, my luggage is relinquished, and i am set free into the purgatory of duty-free.

Before I am permitted to even gaze upon my boarding gate, I am funneled through a winding path of liquor, cigarettes and chocolates, my senses blinded by the lights of images of naked, impossibly muscled men and cloying scent of their advertised fragrances, allegedly akin to what these bearded millionaires' perspiration must actually smell like. I resist the urge to lick the lcd projection of Adrian Brody's photoshopped abs long enough to escape the duty-free labyrinth. As I make my way towards my gate I pass a sign advertising a meal deal of a sandwhich, drink and packet of crisps for €23.99, and I begin to ponder the feverish pasageway i just exited. For once upon a time, airside retail was a wonderfully novel idea, exploiting a loophole which permitted travellers bound for foreign countries to be sold luxury products without the need to apply value added tax, at least that is my understanding of the practice. For decades, family members arriving from abroad would brandish colossal toblerone bars, 5 liter bottles of gin, and 1000-count cartons of cigarettes to fend off the hordes of encroaching relatives, all at a price that would be foolish to turn down. But at time of writing, i know this to be a mere fantasy, and the duty-free section a relic of a bygone era. Previous excursions would have me noting prices of whiskeys, and calculating value ratios down to the alcVol/ml€^2. But now, not only is it no longer worth it, it is actually more expensive than simply buying the products from your local supermarket. Regardless, I drift into the boarding gate hall.

The term "liminal spaces" has garnered a reputation in recent times as abandoned office buildings crawling with entirely tangible dangerous monsters. But a liminal space is by definition, just an area that you pass through. In this moment, walking the length of the vast boarding hall of Alicante airport, I feel its liminality soothing, the stalls and stands of business and enterprise fade from my mind as the polished tile floors pass beneath my feet, and I in turn pass beneath the grand cupolas of the terminals ceiling high above, as the travellator carries me along like some new fangled machine from turn of the century futurist novel. I pass through a passport check, the man in the booth does not look at either my face or the photo in my maroon passport booklet, simply holds it to a scanner that detects the digital chip in its binding. An obfuscated security system notes my presence in the terminal, and I am allowed through. Before I know it, I am in front of the ryanair boarding gate, and i am once again thoroughly grounded in reality.

Michael Oleary is the worst thing to happen to air travel since George Bush. Me and my ilk have tangled with ryanair and their ways in the past, and we have not always come away unscathed. They will humiliate you in front of your loved ones, tear down any semblance of dignity and pride you once held. They will charge you for checking in late, checking in early, not printing your boarding pass, and they will tear you to shreds if you so much as dare to speak out against them. You see, flying with ryanair is not just a test of your administrative ability in procuring a ticket at the advertised price from their labyrinthine website, it is a test of charisma, deception and self-control. "Why yes I believe its quite reasonable to wear a rainjacket, scarf and jumper in these exotic climes. Well what does it matter that I just took them out of my bag? Speaking of, lets check it fits in the sizing box...yes, yes that looks like a good fit, and with minimum groping too." The snootiest of the discount airline flyers have finished their priority boarding, and after a time I step to the line at the boarding gate. My eyes dart frantically from one overburdened boarding staff person to the other, thoughts of 'Does my fanny-pack count as a bag?', 'Surely it would count as a personal item...' and 'Shit, which pocket did I leave my boarding pass in?! Oh right its on my phone...' "I know I was asked to print this out, but I think if I just turn up the screen brightness it-" the staff do not care...this time... I join the masses on the slow march down the finger and into the fuselage, but wait- whats the meaning of this? The finger is cordoned off by a fabric belt!? The crowds descend a stairwell to the barren tarmac below, the finger lies limp and unpiloted as we are ushered through lethal traffic of tarmac buses and luggage trains, to our awaiting aircraft.

Approaching the stairs up to the aircraft doors, I furiously fight the urge to pose alluringly for a photo-op within the aircraft's turbine intake, or to pet the underside of the plane like a beached whale. After another eternity of waiting for everyone in front of me to finish their shuffling about and stowing their seats, I am finally permitted to take my seat in the most cramped space three people have ever been seated abreast in, since the trans-atlantic slave trade. By the end of the flight my leg muscles will have cramped into a gordian knot, that will take months of physiotherapy to recover from. Regardless, it is not too long before we are taxi'd and ready for takeoff. As the turbines engage I feel pressed into the tiny seat by the sudden g-forces of takeoff, I glance out the window as the wings catch the air beneath them. I guess no matter how harrowing they make the experience to get here, I can never get over the novelty of the ground pulling away beneath us. As we ascend to cruising altitude we veer out over the meditteranean in cloudy conditions, and we ascend into the cloud cover of this dreary grey morning. But then, moments later a most curious sight appears out the window. A vista of fields made of clouds like cotton balls, and the colours of a sunrise in dream-like pinks and pale yellows, an incandescing red eye peers through the clouds, the sky above turning a light turqoise as I gaze at this wondrous sight, the alto-stratus clouds in the far distance are painted a gleaming silver, the sun peaks above the cloudline in a blinding flare, the light of its incorrigible fusion reaction uncontested by the overcast sky, the interior of the cabin, moments ago, illuminated by nought but some scant blue LEDs, is now painted by rays of otherworldly gold, ryanairs signature gaudy mustard-stain-yellow on cigarette-smoke-stained-blazer-blue interior furnishings, almost looking good in this majestic illumination. The sunrise continues with a divine indifference to the joy and suffering of the world below, and for a time all the snark and snide is knocked out of me, seemingly left on the tarmac far below, as I beheld the sights no human was ever meant to see, riding on the wings of a man-made miracle.

#february 2025 #writing

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