I sat in the gate area in the Chattanooga Airport and watched my family disappear back down the stairs and out the door, leaving me alone to wait for my connector flight to Charlotte, NC. Not that I minded, I preferred the privacy and they weren’t allowed past the gate anyways, airport security and all that…actually my dad could have gotten past the security since he’s an air marshal, but he didn’t and I was grateful. With a sigh I sat down in my area and spread out my stuff into the seat next to me.
That’s when I noticed him, Will Ruch. My best friend since sixth grade and the man I had secretly loved for a year now. Guess where he was; in the area directly across from mine. He didn’t recognize me though since we were both attending different high schools and he hadn’t seen me turn emo plus he had only seen me wearing my glasses once…which was the last time I had seen him.
I sat in shock and stared at him. He seemed unaware of this and I took the liberty to look him over. I had seen pictures of him without his glasses, but it was different seeing him in person again. His strawberry blonde hair had darkened a little, making his storm blue eyes lighten and making them even more beautiful since the last time I had looked into them. Will was wearing his BDUs and sitting among a group of other students from Central going to ROTC summer camp. His nose was buried in a book, as usual, and he wasn’t paying any attention to any of them.
I didn’t know what to do. Should I go over there? Considering the fact that I hadn’t seen him in a year that’s what I really wanted to do, but I didn’t know if that would be the best idea; he was with a group of potential, and real, military people and besides, what if he didn’t recognize me at first? I could get in trouble if he didn’t and I might get him in trouble period if his commanding officers didn’t want any outsiders sitting by their trainees. In the end I decided to chance it, the possibility of seeing him again was too great for me to resist.
Grabbing my carry-on bags I started over to the ROTC group. A guy looked me up and down and I sneered at him, but he continued to look, a little more intently too. One of the commanding officers noticed and snapped, “Bernstein!” the guy sat up straight in his chair and looked ahead, obeying the non-verbal command. I smirked and the commanding officer gave me a polite nod, apologizing for Bernstein’s behavior; I smiled in return and he went back to watching the boys. After taking a deep breath I sat down next to Will and like always when he was reading, he didn’t even notice my presence.
“Hi,” I said timidly, trying to get his attention. Either he didn’t hear me or he thought I was talking to someone else since he didn’t even turn my way. I poked him, “Hi Will.”
This time he looked up and gave me a confused look, “Huh?” he asked.
I smiled at him and said, “Hi. What are you reading?”
“Oh, h-hi. I’m r-reading Band of Brothers.” He held up the book so I could see the cover.
I laughed, “How many times have you read that book, man?”
He gave me a confused look, “Do I know you?”
“Duh. It’s Krys you dumbass.”
His eyes went wide and he blushed, “Krystal? How come you’re here?”
“I’m flying out to San Diego, what else would I be doing here? I told you I was being sent to my grandparents.” I replied in a sarcastic tone.
He blushed a little more and said, “Oh. I’m g-going to camp.”
I rolled my eyes, “Oh, so that’s why you’re in camo and surrounded by a bunch of other people in camo.”
“Shut it,” he complained.
“No I won’t. How else am I supposed to bug you otherwise?”
“You’ve been hanging around Taylor too much.”
“That’s what happens when you strand me at Tyner…” I hissed under my breath. I think he heard me since he went quiet and he looked a little hurt. I regretted what I said almost instantly, “Will, I’m sorry-”
“No, it’s ok. I just couldn’t s-stay Krys…I had to g-get out of there.”
I sighed, “I know. It doesn’t make it any easier though.”
He looked down and away from me, but placed his hand on mine, “I’m sorry…” My breath caught in my throat and my heart skipped a beat at his proximity.
“Will, I-”
He gave me a confused look and turned back towards me, “What?”
“…I…” he waited patiently for me to go on like I always did with him when he was badly stuttering over a word. Taking a deep breath I focused on his hand and told him in a quiet voice, “I love you…”
“Huh?” He hadn’t heard me, dammit. It was hard enough to get it out in the first place and now I had to repeat it?!
“I. Love. You.” I said a little louder.
He froze.
“Y-you wha-?”
I swallowed and continued, “I love you, Will…I always have.” He took a deep, shaky breath and rubbed my hand with his thumb, then said something I couldn’t hear. “I couldn’t hear you,” I told him kindly.
“I-I love you t-too Krystal.”
This time it was my turn to freeze.
My pulse raced and my palms became sweaty as what he had just said ran again and again through my head. He loved me? He really loved me? I had known for some time that he liked me, but I had no idea that he loved me too.
“Really?” I asked him, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes.
“Y-yes…”
I sunk so far down into the seat in relief I almost fell out; Will smiled and laughed at me. I bit my lip and sat back up in my chair, looking at him. He looked back at me, waiting, but his feelings of love shown quite clearly in his eyes. I lost myself in their stormy depths and before I knew what had happened his lips brushed against mine. A shock went through me and I gasped in delight, my deepest desire coming to pass. He must have felt the same shock as me because he moved back in surprise and just looked at me. I smiled at him and his hand rested against my cheek before he leaned back in and kissed me.
I knew this was his first kiss and I was incredibly proud of him for having the courage to kiss me. Never-the-less I wanted to teach him what I had learned from going out with Matt. My arms circled behind Will’s neck and I kissed him back fiercely, catching him off guard. He recovered quickly though and returned it with just as much passion as I was showing.
I couldn’t breathe; I thought I was going to faint. He tasted so incredibly good and somehow he was kissing me exactly how I liked and I was beginning to feel very light-headed and giddy, oh man, so giddy. When the kiss ended I sincerely wished that it hadn’t and I sat there trying to breathe, my eyes closed and completely out of sorts.
“So, you finally came up for air…” someone sarcastically remarked.
We both turned to see a security guard and one of Will’s commanding officers looking at us, their arms crossed and smirks across their faces. I knew that both of our faces must have been as red as roses. I cleared my throat in embarrassment and looked at the floor.
“Ruch, explain yourself,” his commanding officer snapped, “Now recruit.” Will tried to stammer out an answer, but failed miserably. In an attempt to save some grace with this man I raised my hand as if I was talking to a teacher. He noticed me and snapped his head towards me, “Yes young miss?”
“U-uh, this was my fault sir.” His eyebrow rose in question, and I continued, “Will didn’t know I was here.”
“Just who are you?”
“Krystal Williamson, sir.”
The security guard laughed, “You’re that preacher’s kid, aren’t you?” I nodded and he laughed some more.
The officer’s left eyebrow rose and his lips twitched in amusement as he coughed to hide a laugh, “What is your relation to my recruit?”
“I’m an old friend, sir.”
“Friend? Are you one of those girls my other recruits tell me Ruch is always talking about?”
I looked at him, my lips rising in a smile, “Always talking about? Only good things I would hope…” I saw Will’s blush darken out of the corner of my eye.
“They are as I’m told.”
I smiled, “Good.”
“Would you explain yourself then Miss Williamson?”
I cleared my throat and scratched my nose in embarrassment, “Um,” my blush grew some more, “w-well you see sir…I came over to say hello and I t-told Will how I truly feel about him and…”
He nodded his head, this time allowing himself to smile, “I understand, just keep it PG you two.”
“Yes sir,” we both responded.
“Good.” Both the security guard and the officer left, leaving us alone together.
Will sighed in relief and covered his face, bending over, and then I suddenly started laughing. At first it was the nervous laugh of a person glad to not to be in trouble, but then it grew into a full and bodied laugh which had me leaning on Will for support. It infected him as well as he looked down at me, a small chuckle escaping from his lips.
Once I finally got control of myself I wiped the tears from my eyes and managed to get out, “S-sorry…”
He smiled and put his arm around my shoulders, allowing me to rest my head against him. I listened to his heartbeat and my eyelids drooped in contentment, almost lulling me into a stupor. Will rubbed my upper arm almost without realizing it and then his hand traveled up and he began to play with my hair. I snuggled up against him some more and he slid down in his seat so I could rest my head on his shoulder.
I breathed in deeply, drinking in his scent…I didn’t know what it was off-hand, but something like Old Spice I was sure. I felt him bury his face in my hair and my eyes slid shut in happiness, still a little unbelieving that this was happening to me. A dastardly little idea flashed through my mind and my lips subconsciously rose in a smirk, one that Will wasn’t aware of or else he’d be getting a little, excuse me, quite nervous. I slowly leaned more towards Will and tilted my head, aiming for his neck.
He realized I was moving and asked, “W-what’re you-”
“Shh…” I cut him off by pressing my index finger against his lips and lightly kissed his neck. He inhaled sharply and I smiled, biting his neck. I soon lost myself to what I was doing, delighting in every tiny gasp and loud inhalation from him, encouraging me to greater lengths yet all the while making sure I left absolutely no hickies. It was like a policy of mine; I liked being kissed on the neck and kissing people on their necks, but I refused to give or be given hickies, all they did was cause trouble with parents.
I finally had to stop for breath and just lay against him, my thoughts clouded and feeling light-headed. I could tell he was having trouble breathing and my lips twitched in a waiting smile each time he shivered as I lightly traced his neck with my fingers. I grew tired of my game eventually and contented myself to just lie against him.
Will apparently didn’t want the game to end.
He moved me into a more comfortable position for us both and traced my neckline with faint touches of his fingers, making me shiver. “You want to do the same to me, don’t you?” I asked him in a whisper. He just smiled. “How does that count as an answer?”
“It d-doesn’t.”
I looked up at him, “Will you give me one?”
He looked at me, tracing my lips with his eyes, “Maybe…”
I rolled my eyes and groaned, “Oh god, don’t start that old thing again.”
Laughter entered his voice as he answered, once again, “Maybe…”
“Smart ass.”
“Maybe…”
“Maybe, huh? You are a smart ass.”
“Maybe…”
“No, no maybe-” he captured my lips in a tiny kiss and I swallowed, suddenly breathless. He gave me a smile like that of a little boy that had just eaten an entire cake without getting in trouble.
“I l-love you Krystal.” I gasped at the depth of emotion in his eyes and bit my lip, feeling incredibly unworthy of him. His hand lightly lifted my chin and he pressed his lips against mine, but before I could kiss him back his tongue darted out, licked my lips and he withdrew. Will gave me his playful smile that I found so incredibly sexy, causing me to blush and bite my lip. “You’re so pretty…” he told me.
I shook my head, “No…I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Don’t a-argue with me.”
I laughed at his tone, which he only ever used with people he cared about, and asked, “Why am I pretty, then?”
Will’s hand rested against my cheek and his thumb caressed my lips as he explained, “Your eyes are t-the most beautiful brown I’ve ever seen, your lips just make m-me want to kiss you, you’re sweet when you w-wanna be, your hair is really soft, you’re adorable when you act offended-”
“Are not!” I protested, a blush spreading across my cheeks.
He laughed at me, “Are too!” I muttered under my breath, my blush spreading even more and he turned me back to face him, “Are too…” I shook my head stubbornly, but he ignored this completely, leaning in and kissing me again. My eyes slid shut and I sat there, my mind going blissfully numb, and even though it was over as soon as it stared I could feel the ghost of his lips against mine.
I smiled and opened my eyes to see him looking at me…and his commander looking at me from the other end of the seating area. He gave me an eyebrow raise and I coughed, forcing myself to sit in a more public appropriate way. He nodded in approval and I sighed in relief; that was not a man I wanted angry with me.
“I hate that I’m going t-to be away from you…” Will told me confidentially.
“We survived a year apart, I think we can deal with less than a month,” I whispered back to him.
“T-that doesn’t make it any easier…” he sighed and ran his fingers through my hair almost absent-mindedly.
“I know,” I comforted in a half whine, “but we’ll get through it.” A boarding check called out and all of Will’s camp buddies started to move.
“I have to leave…” he told me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, once again dreading the feeling of separation from him that I had felt so many times before. We got up and he held me against him snugly as I mentally ordered back my tears; I was not going to cry in front of him, that wouldn’t be fair to either of us. “Don’t c-cry Krys,” he whispered, making tears gather in my eyes without my consent. Damnit, how did he always know when I was about to cry?! “I’ll see you w-when I get back.” He kissed my forehead and I looked up at him, praying my tears wouldn’t fall until he was past his boarding gate so he wouldn’t have to see them.
“I love you Will.”
“I love y-you too,” he tilted my chin upward and kissed my trembling lips gently and tenderly, “bring me b-back a seashell, ok?” I laughed and wiped away a tear that was about to fall, “Ok?” he asked again. I nodded and he gave me one last kiss, “I’ll see you soon.”
Then he was gone, disappearing beyond the bend of his boarding gate. That was it…I couldn’t see him again till he was back from camp. I grabbed my bags and sat in my boarding area, where I was supposed to have been the entire time, as if any of the security really cared as long as I was sitting down and not causing trouble.
Once I was comfortable the tears began to fall, one by one like the little cursed things that they were. I wouldn’t get to see him until after I came back, there was no way to contact him in that dratted camp, and then when school came around I wouldn’t be able to see him like I would wish because of our difference in high schools. I could wait though, I had done it before and I could do it again.