The cabin lights dimmed slightly as the crew prepared for takeoff. Airam straightened in her seat, grip tightening on the armrest. She forced a calm expression, but her fingers betrayed her, tapping, clenching, unclenching.
She had never flown before. Never felt a machine this size lift off the ground.
The plane began to taxi, humming under them. Airam swallowed hard.
She kept her eyes on the window, pretending to admire the runway, but her chest rose and fell too fast. Her breath grew shallow.
Her toes curled in her shoes. Just air, she told herself. Just sky. How hard can it be?
But when the engines roared louder, deep and powerful, her entire body stiffened.
Harry noticed immediately.
He glanced sideways, lowering his book completely this time. Her knuckles were white against the armrest, her shoulders tense.
Then came the moment, the push, the sudden acceleration that pressed them back into their seats.
Airam gasped. Not loud, but sharp enough to reveal everything she was trying to hide.
Her eyes squeezed shut. Her lips parted. She held her breath without meaning to.
The plane lifted. Her stomach dropped.
Airam clutched the armrest with both hands now, trying not to look terrified. Trying not to make a sound.Trying not to show weakness, especially not in front of him.
Harry watched her carefully. A small, gentle smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Not mocking. Not amused.
Soft. Understanding. Almost proud or just seeing the brave, strong woman she used to be, vulnerable.
He shifted slightly, leaning her way, not touching, not speaking, but close enough that she could sense his presence.
And in a low, calm voice meant only for her ears, he murmured,
"Just breathe."
Airam's eyes flew open. She turned to him, startled.
His gaze held hers steady, warm, quietly reassuring.
For a moment, the world outside disappeared. The sky.The engines. The fear.
All of it blurred behind the steady anchor of his eyes.
She inhaled slowly, shaky, but real. Harry's smile deepened by a fraction, as if he'd just watched her conquer a mountain.
Airam looked away when the pilot announced it was okay to move around. Airamp pretended as if she wasn't nervous a while ago.
Harry glanced sideways. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small, private smile.
Airam pretended she didn't notice. She lifted her chin, fixed her gaze on the window, and let the soft hum of first-class comforts wash over her. Warm towels. Quiet cabin. Clouds drifting like cotton.
But every now and then, she felt him looking at her.
Neither spoke.
The tension between them curled quietly in the space the kind you don't touch, the kind you pretend isn't there.
Airam sipped her juice like she had no idea he was watching her enjoy every moment of her first-class dream.
And Harry…Harry simply leaned back, book open but unread, a faint smile tugging at him each time she made a little delighted sound at something new.
Silent. Close. A little too aware of each other.
The flight had settled into a calm rhythm, Airam scrolling through the entertainment screen like a kid in a candy store, Harry pretending to read but really stealing a glance at her.
Then the captain's voice came over the speaker.
"We may experience slight turbulence."
Airam froze. Harry closed his book.
The first shake was mild, barely fluttering. But the second had Airam's breath catching in her chest. Her hand shot instinctively toward the armrest. Instead, Harry offered his hands. Airam touched them and snatched her hand away immediately, cheeks heating.
"I...I wasn't grabbing you," she muttered, eyes glued to the seat ahead.
"You should," Harry said softly, his voice warm, too warm. "It will calm you."
Another light jolt. Airam tried to play it cool, though her spine was stiff and her shoulders tense. She held onto the blanket like it was a lifeline.
Harry turned slightly toward her, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"Just breathe. You're safe."
Airam glared at him. "Don't tell me what to do."
He didn't argue. Didn't tease. He simply… smiled. The kind of smile that said he understood way more than she wanted him to.
When the plane finally steadied, Airam exhaled dramatically and slumped back, pretending she hadn't been scared at all.
"It wasn't that bad," she said.
"You were shaking," Harry replied.
"Your face is shaking," she muttered under her breath.
Harry bit back a laugh, eyes softening in a way that made her heart betray her just a little.
The quiet tension returned, charged but now threaded with something gentler. Something neither of them dared acknowledge.
Airam turned back to the window, pretending to focus on the endless stretch of sky.
Harry watched her for a second longer before picking up his book again, still unread.