Coming off the jet bridge, Klaus strolled through the terminal. His bag and book in hand.
A few steps behind him, Chubb caught sight of him walking carefree. Veins bulged on his forehead, the scene fueling his frustration.
"When I get my hands on you, you're gonna wish you kept those lips shut," he spat, words laced with venom.
Was he sure it was him?
No.
But it was easier to go after him than to go after the flight attendant.
Oblivious to the angry marshmallow behind him, Klaus stretched his legs and slung his bag over his shoulder.
"Can't wait to lie in bed," he yawned. "Gonna sleep like a log."
The sweater, sweatpants, and slipper loafers combo wasn't such a good idea after all. The way they comfortably embraced his body made Klaus extremely tempted to take a nap throughout the flight. But with plans to have a good night's rest, he powered through his drowsiness—just barely.
Chubbs began to approach him, eyes glued on him like a predator locking onto prey after starving for days.
Unfortunately for him, he still had other things to tend to.
A small figure slid in front of him, blocking his path.
Not to his surprise, it was the "fucking flight attendant".
His lips deepened into a frown.
Although he could've easily pushed her aside, the two towering figures on either side of her rendered that thought completely idiotic.
Even if he happened to get past her, he'd get flattened into fluff.
The two burly security guards loomed over him like a dark rain cloud, a subtle smirk on one of their faces.
The attendant stared at him with a knowing smile. "We're gonna have to ask you to follow us."
His brows furrowed at the two guards, weighing his options, and he decided it wasn't worth the hassle.
It wasn't like he had a chance to begin with; 9.9 times out of 10 says it would've been a one-sided beatdown, regardless of whether it was one-on-one or a one-on-two.
His jaw clenched while his grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.
The flight attendant kept her smile.
Seeing his attitude, she was not one bit afraid of the man before her.
She had seen people like him.
All bark, no bite.
'I could get used to this,' she grinned.
"Fine," he muttered. "Lead the way, yeah?"
"Sure," she responded. "Just follow me."
She didn't glance back, just walked toward the east corridors.
One guard walked beside her while the other, who smirked, lagged in case they tried to run.
Was he worried?
Not really.
Especially not by Chubbs; judging by his weight, he wouldn't get far before running out of breath.
His gaze then flickered on the woman wearing a grey hoodie. She pulled the drawstrings and tied them, trying to disappear from the face of the earth.
Despite her efforts, a few locks of blonde hair managed to escape from the opening. If that wasn't a dead giveaway, the pair of tight denim shorts was.
Klaus, on the other hand, continued to the baggage claim. He was completely unaware of the problems he had caused for both himself and them.
After a minute or two of walking, the baggage claim was finally in sight. Klaus popped his earbuds back in and waited patiently for his suitcases to come around.
Music continued to play softly in his ears. He quietly hummed along, tapping his feet to the rhythm.
His singing drew a few nearby looks, but they didn't linger. They were also waiting for their things to move on.
Not long after, two matte-black suitcases appeared on the conveyor belt.
He walked up and grabbed them, expending some effort.
'There we go.'
Standing at six feet—five feet eleven and three-quarters according to the sheets—and about 150lbs, he was neither the buffest nor the tallest of men, but juggling both school and his part-time job while having a high metabolism, there was never time or a need to work out.
Bzzzzt, bzzzzt
Just as he was leaving, his phone rang.
Klaus briefly hummed along to the ringtone, then slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone.
He swiped and pressed the phone against his ear with a smile.
A sweet voice came through almost immediately.
"Baby~ Have you landed yet?"
His deep-set eyes creased at the corners.
"Hey, Lainey. I just picked up my bags from baggage claim," he responded, his voice rid of any prior drowsiness.
"Great~" she replied. "I'm parked near the end—can't miss me~"
"Alright, I'll be out soon," he said, ending the call.
Klaus slipped his phone back into his pocket and made his way outside with his suitcases.
His smile radiated.
His mind wandered.
Then he collided with someone.
"Fuck, watch where you're going."
"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Clearly," she responded instantaneously.
Klaus took a deep breath.
"You could've said sorry, too," he muttered.
"What was that!?"
"Nothing."
"Just my luck," she said, storming off.
Klaus didn't get a good look at her, nor did he care to.
Now, back to what's important.
Klaus and Elaine first met in 7th grade through their mutual friend Lana, who happened to post him on her Snapchat story holding her pet cat.
At the same time, a nationwide pandemic made all in-person contact unsafe, leading to a brief period of online schooling.
Things were slow at first.
Random texts.
Random snaps.
But as months passed, feelings between the two began to blossom.
Calls began to last longer.
Venting about bad days became easier.
Even laughter came more naturally.
So after a few talks and clarifications, the two decided to take their relationship to the next level despite the distance.
Although a little shaky at first, things settled out well.
They communicated their problems, rather than letting them escalate.
Collaborated on solutions and were willing to compromise.
Took responsibility, and when due, talked to confidantes.
Yeah, most people don't want their business out there, but when problems become repetitive, a little guidance doesn't hurt.
Things were great. And after some time, Klaus decided it was time to switch scenery.
However, after graduating, it took him another year to build up sufficient savings and find a suitable part-time job that wouldn't conflict with his university classes.
But now here he was about to meet his girlfriend after years of FaceTime and phone calls.
He approached the automatic doors, and they slid open with a low whir. The moment he stepped out, a gust of cool air rushed past him, stirring up his clothes.
Fresh and chilled.
Better than back home, where it was humid 24/7.
His dark green eyes swept across the platform. They settled on a black Jeep that matched the description she had given him.
Although he kept a smile on his lips, a strange feeling knotted in his stomach. With every step, it was like walking down an empty school hallway; the world around him seemed to fade away, and the only sound was the soft steps of his footsteps in the stillness.
Butterflies fluttered in his stomach.
His heart pounded against his ribs.
His legs came to a halt as he heard the door click and slowly swing open.
"What's up with the theateratics?"
But as soon as it came, his smile quickly faded.
In the passenger seat of the car sat a pretty, petite brunette. Her long hair was worn in a single braid down her back, and her hazel eyes were framed by lovely eyelashes and sleek eyebrows that naturally drew attention. Her nose was small and pointed, and just below it, a pair of lips smeared with red lipstick. The reason his smile faltered.
His gaze flashed to the driver's seat.
Sitting behind the wheel was a man wearing gold-rimmed aviator sunglasses that caught the moonlight and hair slicked back in so much gel you'd think it was a terrible product commercial.
He turned his head. Eyes locking onto Klaus's.
The arrogance coming through as he stared at Klaus was blatant and unrestrained.
Klaus didn't hold eye contact for long before his gaze lowered toward his chin.
Red lipstick.
The same one Elaine was wearing right now, and the same lipstick that was smeared around her lips.
The exact shade she had asked his opinion on before boarding the flight.
Klaus's stomach tightened and his blood went cold.
He turned back toward Elaine.
Unwilling to believe what he was seeing, Klaus attempted to approach her gently; however, his words came out sharper than he had intended.
"What's going on, Elaine?" he asked with what he thought was a smile. "Who's the wanna be greaser?"
There was no answer.
She only smiled and turned towards the driver's seat. Lust and something vile in her eyes.
Her lips parted as she pressed them against the man's, kissing him intimately and affectionately.
Klaus took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Is this some sick joke?" he asked calmly. His steel-like gaze betrayed him.
Elaine gently pulled away, a strand of saliva briefly connecting their lips before snapping.
She looked into Klaus's eyes and tilted her head slightly, flashing a playful smile.
"I guess you could say that," she chuckled.
Klaus's jaw clenched.
'A joke?'
His knuckles turned a dark hue of purple and red.
For a brief moment, anger clouded his vision.
He wanted nothing more than to wipe those smug smiles off both their faces. Somehow, he held back.
'Did I do something wrong?' he asked himself in an attempt to make sense of the situation.
His voice now void of any prior delicacy, "What's this about? What happened to talking out our problems?"
They laughed.
A real laugh.
They stared at Klaus with false pity.
"I didn't think he'd actually come," the man said, clearly amused.
Elaine shook her head, completely ignoring his question.
"No," she said. "I knew he'd come."
"Isn't that right, my dear Klaus?"