Ben and Lu | 12/20/15
Dec. 20th, 2015 08:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainBen and Lu head home for the holidays
Lu blinked as the flight attendant's voice announced the plane's approach at LAX, and sheepishly pulled herself upright from where she'd dozed off against Ben's shoulder. "You should've just poked me," she observed, offering a sleepy, crooked smile. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, really."
Especially not with her contacts in, which always left her eyes feeling dry and pasty. Still, it was safer. If there was anything she'd learned last Spring, it was that "out" or not, drawing attention at airports wasn't something she was eager to do.
While Benjamin had been surprised when the sleeping Lu first slumped against his shoulder, he hadn't minded and he hadn't seen any reason to wake her during the hours it took to fly from New York City to Los Angeles. The decision to take the same flight as far as LAX had been made so that she could feel safer during the long trip home and, if she was sleeping, he thought she probably did. That was good. "That does not sound like a pleasant way to wake up," he responded, eyebrows ticking momentarily upward above his own undisguised eyes, "And there was no harm in letting you sleep."
He paused, reaching out to smooth down a bit the girl's of wildly misbehaving hair, then asked, "Was there?"
"Well, I might have drooled on your shoulder or something." Lu smiled, lopsided, as Ben smoothed her hair. "Is it awful? I bet it's awful, isn't it?"
"You did not," Benjamin assured her immediately; he hadn't actually checked, but he felt no trace of her presence against his shoulder apart from the dissipating warmth and assumed it was true. Though, even if it wasn't, he didn't think he would have told Lu. Then he smiled faintly and shook his head, "It...was not the way it normally is. I thought you would want it to be. That is all. You worry too much."
Lu's eyebrows rose and she grinned. "I worry too much? I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who changed her airline ticket so that we could travel together as far as LA." She reached over and squeezed Ben's hand. "Not that I don't appreciate it, because I do. But really, with only one of me and brown eyes? There isn't anything to make me stand out." Still, she did appreciate it. A lot. Granted, she'd traveled back to the school by herself in Fall, but...
She had to admit, she was still a little nervous about the return trip.
Benjamin blinked, seemingly at a loss for how to answer. While he had volunteered to alter his plans mostly because Lu had seemed anxious about making the trip and he had wanted to help put her mind at ease, he couldn't deny that he had been anxious too. And, even now, he regretted that she would have to make the last part of her journey without him. He looked down at the hand she had wrapped around his and, after a moment, squeezed back.
"Perhaps...I also worry too much," he acknowledged and produced another small smile to go along with the understated confession, "But we will be there soon. I will see you off. Then we can be done worrying." He knew this wasn't true, at least not for him, but it was a nice thought.
"At least until the return trip." She smiled, though, and leaned her head back against her seat, turning it to look at him. "Are you looking forward to being home?"
Benjamin's eyes flicked to the window on the other side of Lu and lingered there for a moment, taking in the familiar city that was now very visible below. There were a lot of good memories and a lot of bad memories tied up in Los Angeles, but he no longer considered it 'home'. Still, he knew what she meant and he nodded slowly. "Yes. I will see my parents. I will see Alison."
His gaze returned to the girl and he asked, "Are you?"
"Always. My dad's there." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Nothing quite like family for the holidays. And I worry about him, y'know? He's not as young as he likes to think he is."
Benjamin didn't know the situation that Lu was describing, not directly, but he still nodded because the importance of family was something he did know. "Then...it is good that you will be with him. You cannot know when or how things will change. Not for anyone." He glanced down at her hand, small and warm and still wrapped around his, and then up again. "You are close?"
"We are close," Lu confirmed. "My birth parents and I aren't, though I'll probably stop to see my mother while I'm in town. But Dad's amazing. What about you? I know you and Alison are close." His parents - well, she really couldn't remember him having said much about them, but she could only imagine how much they'd want to spend Christmas with their son. It didn't sound as if they'd had many opportunities.
Unconventional families were nothing new to Benjamin and he nodded without missing a beat as Lu discussed her birth parents and her adopted father; she was happy to be going home to someone she cared about and that was the important part. The question, though, gave him a moment of pause. "I do not know," he admitted, "We do not always understand each other. But I love them and they love me. That is enough."
"It is." Lu smiled. "And it's a lot more than a lot of people have. I can't believe the number of students at the school who don't have, well, anyone, really." Except each other. Which in a way, wasn't so bad, either. She grinned a little, and added, "If you decide you want a break, though, you can always drive down to San Diego for the day? It's not that far."
Benjamin knew that having a family to return to -- a family outside of the institute that was alive and well and wanted to be with them -- was uncommon at Xavier's School and he nodded. "It is difficult to understand, but it is the truth. We are fortunate."
He might've said more, but the offer to visit San Diego surprised him so completely that he lost track of his thoughts and his words. He blinked a few times, slowly, then said, "You...are inviting me?"
Lu laughed, mostly at the surprised expression on Ben's face. "Yes, I'm inviting you. If you'd like to come down, I'd love to just hang out. Maybe go to the beach or something?" She grinned a little and added teasingly, "Besides, it'd prove to my dad that I'm making friends who aren't me. I'm not altogether sure he believes me."
A small smile pulled at the edges of Benjamin's lips. "I do not know if my company will be better than your own," he said, "But I like the beach and I would like to 'hang out'."
"Oh, trust me, talking to myself gets old really fast. Give me a call once you find out what you've got going on." Lu let go of his hand as the plane settled down on the runway.
"I will," Benjamin agreed, gradually drawing back his own hand and glancing toward the window as the plane shuddered and settled and began to trundle toward the airport.
Lu glanced out the window as well, her previously forgotten apprehension building as they drew closer to the terminal. She was, she knew, being utterly ridiculous - it wasn't as if airport terminals across the US invariably had kidnappers lying in wait - but she couldn't seem to keep her fingers from tightening slightly on the armrests, either.
Even with the limited peripheral vision in his left eye, it didn't take Benjamin long to realize that Lu had tensed up or that her slender fingers were digging into the leather armrests like hooks. He understood immediately and regretted that he'd moved his hand away from hers. "Lu," he said, voice careful and quiet, but certain, "You are safe."
"I know. There's nothing to be nervous about. Right?" Lu's teeth worried her lip as she fought the urge to split, because seriously, now was not the time. "I'm being ridiculous."
"Nothing," Benjamin confirmed and, while he never fully believed that himself, he managed to sound as though he did. Then he touched her arm with one callused hand. "You are not ridiculous. You have endured something; you expect too much of yourself if you think it should not have an impact."
Lu sighed and let go of the arm of the seat to rub at her forehead. "I know. Really, I do. It's just frustrating." She smiled faintly. "And I think one of me's managed to acquire a phobia of airports, right along with needles, mental health facilities, and green jello. I probably should've seen that coming."
Benjamin knew little about Lu's life outside of the institute and the revelation that she'd been held against her will even before the time in the arena made him tense and he frowned, not knowing what to say. He couldn't protect her from the past. "I am sorry," he told her finally, "You should not have to be afraid."
"Oh, I think nearly everyone has things they're afraid of." Lu offered an apologetic look and a crooked smile. "It's okay. I'm not looking for sympathy, Ben. Things happen, and life goes on, right? It just gets awkward when one of me wants to panic, and the other two don't. Especially considering this isn't really the place to split."
Everything that Lu had said was the indisputable truth and, while Benjamin still didn't like it, he nodded his acknowledgment of the fact. He was silent for a moment, taking in the girl with her unfamiliar brown eyes and attempting to imagine what it must be like to be one person on the surface and three underneath. He couldn't. "It sounds...complicated," he admitted, lifting one hand to touch his unkempt hair and looking very slightly sheepish.
Was it? It didn't feel complicated, but then, Lu realized she'd honestly be the last one to realize if it was or not. "Everyone always says that," she admitted. "I guess it is? But it just seems normal." She reached up and brushed Ben's hair into position with her fingers.
Benjamin thought about that and supposed it wasn't unlike his own enhanced physical abilities; the kind of mutation that was lived with all the time and that didn't seem extraordinary until one realized what 'normal' was to everyone else. He nodded, about to speak when Lu reached out to him. The dark-blonde hair, wavy and naturally unruly, fell back almost immediately and he offered her a faint smile, "I do not know if it is awful, but I have been to told it is a lost cause."
"It's definitely a lost cause," Lu agreed. Despite lingering nerves, she smiled, just a little mischievously, and added, "You're lucky that the whole deconstructed look works for you." Really well, actually, one of her selves noticed, and Neutral Lu squashed that thought down before it could add to the overall chaos. The last thing she needed was another of her acquiring another pointless crush on one of their friends. There were enough of those floating around in her head already.
"Deconstructed...?" Benjamin echoed, clearly having no idea what this meant or that anything worked for him. At that moment, though, the plane finally came to a halt at the gate and a small chime signaled that the passengers were free to begin moving. Most of them did, but the blonde boy just glanced up and then back at Lu, his expression sobering as he asked, "You are all right?"
Lu took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled at Ben, nodding. "I'm alright. Promise." Orange seemed to have settled down, mostly for fear of upsetting Ben, but whatever the reason, she'd take it. She just hoped it would last until she got home. She got to her feet, gesturing for him to do the same. "Just have to grab my carry-ons and find my connecting flight. Not a problem."
Benjamin did, grabbing his own carry-on (a duffle small enough that it had fit under the seat in front of his) and stepping out into the aisle so Lu could do the same. He wasn't certain that the girl was telling him the truth, but he wanted her to be and nothing good could come of questioning her now that she seemed to have her composure back. "It is in this terminal," he said instead, reaching to pluck her bags from the luggage compartment and offering them to her, "Upstairs. It should not be hard to find. I will go with you."
"You're not going to let me out of your sight any sooner than you have to, are you?" It was sweet, really, and Lu offered a grateful smile as she shouldered her laptop bag and took her carry on. "I appreciate it," she admitted, as she linked her arm through his and started for the exit. "Don't you have someone picking you up, though?"
"No," Benjamin agreed, not seeming to realize that he was being teased, "I said I would accompany you until you left for San Diego and I will." He let the girl take his arm and lead them out into the jetway, ignoring the occasional stare he received from the other passengers now packed around them and focusing on Lu. At the question, he shook his head. "Dad is working. Mom sprained her ankle on set; I told her not to come. No one is waiting."
"How are you getting home, then? Lu looked over at him, concerned. Ben was drawing a fair share of attention, and the idea of him taking public transport really didn't appeal to her.
Benjamin blinked and shrugged; he had been much more concerned with Lu's plans than his own and he hadn't given that detail much consideration. He had no definite answer. "I have money for a taxi, but I might run. It is only twelve miles."
Lu gave him a skeptical look, sighed, and shook her head. "If you want me to not be stressing out? Take a cab this once, okay?" She grinned a little. "Go for a run after you drop your stuff at home."
"I...do not want you to stress out," Benjamin said apologetically, realizing belatedly that the girl was concerned about his safety and not simply curious or making 'small talk'. It was unnecessary, but that didn't seem to be what she wanted to hear. "I will take a cab."
"Thanks." Lu smiled, relieved, and gave Ben's arm a hug with hers as they headed towards the escalator. "I don't want anything to happen to you either, y'know." Or to spend the whole flight to San Diego worrying that something would.
Benjamin was quiet for a moment because, even though she was his friend, the realization of her concern for him was still new and he couldn't acknowledge it easily. He had never wanted her to worry. "I know," he said finally, "Nothing will happen."
"It had better not," she informed him. She smiled reassurance, her lips quirking into something more closely resembling a grin, though it looked just a bit forced. "We have beach plans. Nothing gets to screw up beach plans."
Surprised, genuine amusement flickered across Benjamin's face and he said, "That is a good rule." While it was true that the beach wouldn't be quite as welcoming now as it would be in the summer, there was something to be said for walking on cool sand and watching the waves come in and fire pits after sundown. He wondered if Lu had memories like those too.
"If it's not an official one, it should be." Lu smiled brighter, pleased that Ben had gone along with the joke. "So. I'm going to be okay, and you're going to be okay. End of story."
"End of story," Benjamin agreed, stepping off of the escalator and glancing up at a screen mounted on the nearby wall. There wasn't much time before Lu's next flight, but there wasn't much distance to the appropriate gate either. So far, the trip was proving to be about as uneventful as it could be and, with any luck, it would stay that way.
He looked back at the girl, then nodded up the corridor.
Lu nodded, then impulsively leaned up and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek before letting go of his arm and starting off down the walkway. "See you next week!" she called after her.
Benjamin had intended to walk with Lu the remaining distance and the girl's abrupt release of his arm was unexpected. It was the kiss, though, that left him utterly dumbfounded and unable to respond with anything more than one uplifted hand that could only vaguely be considered a wave. He watched her departing form for several seconds and, slowly, touched his cheek.
"...See you."
Lu blinked as the flight attendant's voice announced the plane's approach at LAX, and sheepishly pulled herself upright from where she'd dozed off against Ben's shoulder. "You should've just poked me," she observed, offering a sleepy, crooked smile. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, really."
Especially not with her contacts in, which always left her eyes feeling dry and pasty. Still, it was safer. If there was anything she'd learned last Spring, it was that "out" or not, drawing attention at airports wasn't something she was eager to do.
While Benjamin had been surprised when the sleeping Lu first slumped against his shoulder, he hadn't minded and he hadn't seen any reason to wake her during the hours it took to fly from New York City to Los Angeles. The decision to take the same flight as far as LAX had been made so that she could feel safer during the long trip home and, if she was sleeping, he thought she probably did. That was good. "That does not sound like a pleasant way to wake up," he responded, eyebrows ticking momentarily upward above his own undisguised eyes, "And there was no harm in letting you sleep."
He paused, reaching out to smooth down a bit the girl's of wildly misbehaving hair, then asked, "Was there?"
"Well, I might have drooled on your shoulder or something." Lu smiled, lopsided, as Ben smoothed her hair. "Is it awful? I bet it's awful, isn't it?"
"You did not," Benjamin assured her immediately; he hadn't actually checked, but he felt no trace of her presence against his shoulder apart from the dissipating warmth and assumed it was true. Though, even if it wasn't, he didn't think he would have told Lu. Then he smiled faintly and shook his head, "It...was not the way it normally is. I thought you would want it to be. That is all. You worry too much."
Lu's eyebrows rose and she grinned. "I worry too much? I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who changed her airline ticket so that we could travel together as far as LA." She reached over and squeezed Ben's hand. "Not that I don't appreciate it, because I do. But really, with only one of me and brown eyes? There isn't anything to make me stand out." Still, she did appreciate it. A lot. Granted, she'd traveled back to the school by herself in Fall, but...
She had to admit, she was still a little nervous about the return trip.
Benjamin blinked, seemingly at a loss for how to answer. While he had volunteered to alter his plans mostly because Lu had seemed anxious about making the trip and he had wanted to help put her mind at ease, he couldn't deny that he had been anxious too. And, even now, he regretted that she would have to make the last part of her journey without him. He looked down at the hand she had wrapped around his and, after a moment, squeezed back.
"Perhaps...I also worry too much," he acknowledged and produced another small smile to go along with the understated confession, "But we will be there soon. I will see you off. Then we can be done worrying." He knew this wasn't true, at least not for him, but it was a nice thought.
"At least until the return trip." She smiled, though, and leaned her head back against her seat, turning it to look at him. "Are you looking forward to being home?"
Benjamin's eyes flicked to the window on the other side of Lu and lingered there for a moment, taking in the familiar city that was now very visible below. There were a lot of good memories and a lot of bad memories tied up in Los Angeles, but he no longer considered it 'home'. Still, he knew what she meant and he nodded slowly. "Yes. I will see my parents. I will see Alison."
His gaze returned to the girl and he asked, "Are you?"
"Always. My dad's there." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Nothing quite like family for the holidays. And I worry about him, y'know? He's not as young as he likes to think he is."
Benjamin didn't know the situation that Lu was describing, not directly, but he still nodded because the importance of family was something he did know. "Then...it is good that you will be with him. You cannot know when or how things will change. Not for anyone." He glanced down at her hand, small and warm and still wrapped around his, and then up again. "You are close?"
"We are close," Lu confirmed. "My birth parents and I aren't, though I'll probably stop to see my mother while I'm in town. But Dad's amazing. What about you? I know you and Alison are close." His parents - well, she really couldn't remember him having said much about them, but she could only imagine how much they'd want to spend Christmas with their son. It didn't sound as if they'd had many opportunities.
Unconventional families were nothing new to Benjamin and he nodded without missing a beat as Lu discussed her birth parents and her adopted father; she was happy to be going home to someone she cared about and that was the important part. The question, though, gave him a moment of pause. "I do not know," he admitted, "We do not always understand each other. But I love them and they love me. That is enough."
"It is." Lu smiled. "And it's a lot more than a lot of people have. I can't believe the number of students at the school who don't have, well, anyone, really." Except each other. Which in a way, wasn't so bad, either. She grinned a little, and added, "If you decide you want a break, though, you can always drive down to San Diego for the day? It's not that far."
Benjamin knew that having a family to return to -- a family outside of the institute that was alive and well and wanted to be with them -- was uncommon at Xavier's School and he nodded. "It is difficult to understand, but it is the truth. We are fortunate."
He might've said more, but the offer to visit San Diego surprised him so completely that he lost track of his thoughts and his words. He blinked a few times, slowly, then said, "You...are inviting me?"
Lu laughed, mostly at the surprised expression on Ben's face. "Yes, I'm inviting you. If you'd like to come down, I'd love to just hang out. Maybe go to the beach or something?" She grinned a little and added teasingly, "Besides, it'd prove to my dad that I'm making friends who aren't me. I'm not altogether sure he believes me."
A small smile pulled at the edges of Benjamin's lips. "I do not know if my company will be better than your own," he said, "But I like the beach and I would like to 'hang out'."
"Oh, trust me, talking to myself gets old really fast. Give me a call once you find out what you've got going on." Lu let go of his hand as the plane settled down on the runway.
"I will," Benjamin agreed, gradually drawing back his own hand and glancing toward the window as the plane shuddered and settled and began to trundle toward the airport.
Lu glanced out the window as well, her previously forgotten apprehension building as they drew closer to the terminal. She was, she knew, being utterly ridiculous - it wasn't as if airport terminals across the US invariably had kidnappers lying in wait - but she couldn't seem to keep her fingers from tightening slightly on the armrests, either.
Even with the limited peripheral vision in his left eye, it didn't take Benjamin long to realize that Lu had tensed up or that her slender fingers were digging into the leather armrests like hooks. He understood immediately and regretted that he'd moved his hand away from hers. "Lu," he said, voice careful and quiet, but certain, "You are safe."
"I know. There's nothing to be nervous about. Right?" Lu's teeth worried her lip as she fought the urge to split, because seriously, now was not the time. "I'm being ridiculous."
"Nothing," Benjamin confirmed and, while he never fully believed that himself, he managed to sound as though he did. Then he touched her arm with one callused hand. "You are not ridiculous. You have endured something; you expect too much of yourself if you think it should not have an impact."
Lu sighed and let go of the arm of the seat to rub at her forehead. "I know. Really, I do. It's just frustrating." She smiled faintly. "And I think one of me's managed to acquire a phobia of airports, right along with needles, mental health facilities, and green jello. I probably should've seen that coming."
Benjamin knew little about Lu's life outside of the institute and the revelation that she'd been held against her will even before the time in the arena made him tense and he frowned, not knowing what to say. He couldn't protect her from the past. "I am sorry," he told her finally, "You should not have to be afraid."
"Oh, I think nearly everyone has things they're afraid of." Lu offered an apologetic look and a crooked smile. "It's okay. I'm not looking for sympathy, Ben. Things happen, and life goes on, right? It just gets awkward when one of me wants to panic, and the other two don't. Especially considering this isn't really the place to split."
Everything that Lu had said was the indisputable truth and, while Benjamin still didn't like it, he nodded his acknowledgment of the fact. He was silent for a moment, taking in the girl with her unfamiliar brown eyes and attempting to imagine what it must be like to be one person on the surface and three underneath. He couldn't. "It sounds...complicated," he admitted, lifting one hand to touch his unkempt hair and looking very slightly sheepish.
Was it? It didn't feel complicated, but then, Lu realized she'd honestly be the last one to realize if it was or not. "Everyone always says that," she admitted. "I guess it is? But it just seems normal." She reached up and brushed Ben's hair into position with her fingers.
Benjamin thought about that and supposed it wasn't unlike his own enhanced physical abilities; the kind of mutation that was lived with all the time and that didn't seem extraordinary until one realized what 'normal' was to everyone else. He nodded, about to speak when Lu reached out to him. The dark-blonde hair, wavy and naturally unruly, fell back almost immediately and he offered her a faint smile, "I do not know if it is awful, but I have been to told it is a lost cause."
"It's definitely a lost cause," Lu agreed. Despite lingering nerves, she smiled, just a little mischievously, and added, "You're lucky that the whole deconstructed look works for you." Really well, actually, one of her selves noticed, and Neutral Lu squashed that thought down before it could add to the overall chaos. The last thing she needed was another of her acquiring another pointless crush on one of their friends. There were enough of those floating around in her head already.
"Deconstructed...?" Benjamin echoed, clearly having no idea what this meant or that anything worked for him. At that moment, though, the plane finally came to a halt at the gate and a small chime signaled that the passengers were free to begin moving. Most of them did, but the blonde boy just glanced up and then back at Lu, his expression sobering as he asked, "You are all right?"
Lu took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled at Ben, nodding. "I'm alright. Promise." Orange seemed to have settled down, mostly for fear of upsetting Ben, but whatever the reason, she'd take it. She just hoped it would last until she got home. She got to her feet, gesturing for him to do the same. "Just have to grab my carry-ons and find my connecting flight. Not a problem."
Benjamin did, grabbing his own carry-on (a duffle small enough that it had fit under the seat in front of his) and stepping out into the aisle so Lu could do the same. He wasn't certain that the girl was telling him the truth, but he wanted her to be and nothing good could come of questioning her now that she seemed to have her composure back. "It is in this terminal," he said instead, reaching to pluck her bags from the luggage compartment and offering them to her, "Upstairs. It should not be hard to find. I will go with you."
"You're not going to let me out of your sight any sooner than you have to, are you?" It was sweet, really, and Lu offered a grateful smile as she shouldered her laptop bag and took her carry on. "I appreciate it," she admitted, as she linked her arm through his and started for the exit. "Don't you have someone picking you up, though?"
"No," Benjamin agreed, not seeming to realize that he was being teased, "I said I would accompany you until you left for San Diego and I will." He let the girl take his arm and lead them out into the jetway, ignoring the occasional stare he received from the other passengers now packed around them and focusing on Lu. At the question, he shook his head. "Dad is working. Mom sprained her ankle on set; I told her not to come. No one is waiting."
"How are you getting home, then? Lu looked over at him, concerned. Ben was drawing a fair share of attention, and the idea of him taking public transport really didn't appeal to her.
Benjamin blinked and shrugged; he had been much more concerned with Lu's plans than his own and he hadn't given that detail much consideration. He had no definite answer. "I have money for a taxi, but I might run. It is only twelve miles."
Lu gave him a skeptical look, sighed, and shook her head. "If you want me to not be stressing out? Take a cab this once, okay?" She grinned a little. "Go for a run after you drop your stuff at home."
"I...do not want you to stress out," Benjamin said apologetically, realizing belatedly that the girl was concerned about his safety and not simply curious or making 'small talk'. It was unnecessary, but that didn't seem to be what she wanted to hear. "I will take a cab."
"Thanks." Lu smiled, relieved, and gave Ben's arm a hug with hers as they headed towards the escalator. "I don't want anything to happen to you either, y'know." Or to spend the whole flight to San Diego worrying that something would.
Benjamin was quiet for a moment because, even though she was his friend, the realization of her concern for him was still new and he couldn't acknowledge it easily. He had never wanted her to worry. "I know," he said finally, "Nothing will happen."
"It had better not," she informed him. She smiled reassurance, her lips quirking into something more closely resembling a grin, though it looked just a bit forced. "We have beach plans. Nothing gets to screw up beach plans."
Surprised, genuine amusement flickered across Benjamin's face and he said, "That is a good rule." While it was true that the beach wouldn't be quite as welcoming now as it would be in the summer, there was something to be said for walking on cool sand and watching the waves come in and fire pits after sundown. He wondered if Lu had memories like those too.
"If it's not an official one, it should be." Lu smiled brighter, pleased that Ben had gone along with the joke. "So. I'm going to be okay, and you're going to be okay. End of story."
"End of story," Benjamin agreed, stepping off of the escalator and glancing up at a screen mounted on the nearby wall. There wasn't much time before Lu's next flight, but there wasn't much distance to the appropriate gate either. So far, the trip was proving to be about as uneventful as it could be and, with any luck, it would stay that way.
He looked back at the girl, then nodded up the corridor.
Lu nodded, then impulsively leaned up and gave Ben a kiss on the cheek before letting go of his arm and starting off down the walkway. "See you next week!" she called after her.
Benjamin had intended to walk with Lu the remaining distance and the girl's abrupt release of his arm was unexpected. It was the kiss, though, that left him utterly dumbfounded and unable to respond with anything more than one uplifted hand that could only vaguely be considered a wave. He watched her departing form for several seconds and, slowly, touched his cheek.
"...See you."
