"And this too. Thank you” I sigh, stepping back and closing the car truck after keeping the last suitcase. I gesture to the driver to get ready to start.

I take a last glance making sure we haven't missed anything

I look up to see Jasmine dragging herself towards the car. An oversized hoodie eloped her frame, her eyes covered with black shades and the hood over her head.

“Jasmine, what did I tell you about covering-” I stop myself when she removes her glasses shooting me a glare with her dark circled eyes

“Wow, it seems like sleep escaped someone's dictionary”, I comment, looking at her exhausted state in the afternoon. I did think her plane fright might be serious but not this much. It's like she hasn't slept for whole night

“I know. Don't talk” she mutters, opening the car door and sitting inside. We have already bid everyone goodbye. Liam and Stella stayed here last night because Stella wanted to be with Jasmine before her flight.

In the early morning, I went back to the studio to move the painting there and for a last-minute check. I have also asked my family not to see us off at the airport as I am taking Jasmine on the private jet. Mom complimented my thinking while Aunt Lia couldn't hold her excitement.

Even I couldn't get proper sleep as my night went in arranging the jet and other stuff for Jasmine's comfort. Also looking through the dictionary Liam gave me to translate and know about basic Hindi words.

I should be getting worried about Jasmine's family's reaction towards me. They were introduced to me and assumed I was her boyfriend comically because I was angry when Jasmine mixed glitter in my shampoo and I reacted in a very unexplainable way

Even though it took professionals to fix my hair without damaging it. I am grateful for that moment because at least I get to be closer to her now

I get inside the car, closing the door and instructing the driver to start the journey

“Sleep well, wildcat?” I ask, nudging her shoulder playfully. She groans resting her head on the window at the other side “Barely, whenever I tried to sleep I had nightmares of vomiting in front of everyone and embarrassing myself”

I touch her forehead with my palm, making her shoot her eyes open. Her temperature seems normal, but the jet has medicines so it won't be a problem

“What are you doing” she mutters in annoyance, removing my hand. I chuckle, leaning back against my seat “Well lucky for you I have a surprise”

Jasmine's eyes narrow at me, already trying to guess what I am planning. “Unless they are anti-nausea pills or a teleportation device. I don't need it” she says before relaxing again. She would have tried to pursue me in spilling the surprise but she didn't. Maybe too tired for it.

✄┈┈

After a long drive, we finally arrived at the airport. Jasmine was already tensed, her foot tapping anxiously on the floor, hands twisting each other on her lap.

I would have tried to calm her down. Hold her, maybe, but it's not the right time. She is a bit snappy right now

It wasn't until we passed the airport exit and headed towards a different terminal for private flights. Jasmine frowns in confusion and lowers her window to look out “Lucas, I think we missed the spot”

I shrug my shoulders “No, we are in the right direction”

She looks at me with a mixture of confusion and doubt “Are you kidnapping me or something?” She accuses, making me scoff, “Whenever we are alone, do you think I could only do criminal things to you?”

“Who knows?” She says sarcastically, a small smile appearing on her face for the first time in her whole day. I roll my eyes trying to show my annoyance but I am relieved that she seems less anxious now

The car stops, and I turn to her with a smirk “Your surprise,” I say and open the door, letting myself out. In a few seconds, Jasmine steps out, her jaw drops at the sight of the private jet waiting. The crew standing nearby with a welcoming smile

I approach the crew and greet them, “Thank you for coming at such short notice. I am really grateful for your understanding” I give them a polite smile.

A woman in her late 30s steps forward, her attire making it clear that she is the pilot. “Good afternoon, Mr. Williams. I am Lucy Webster, your captain for today” She forwards her hand as we exchange a handshake. “Nice to meet you Mrs. Webster. Liam has mentioned you”

She smiles politely at my words before stepping back “Mr. Williams and Miss Miller have travelled many times with us. I am glad you have trusted us too.” She introduces me to the rest of the crew, the co-pilot and the air hostess while our luggage is taken inside

“Hope you and…” her professional voice trails off when she sees Jasmine. Who is still standing near the car with her mouth open in shock

She is under some heavy rush of emotions

I take her hand in mine, gently pulling her forward me “She is Jasmine Singhania, my friend” I introduce her to the crew, forcing myself to say the word ‘friend’

It's harder than I imagined

Jasmine snaps out of her amazed state and greets the cree cheerfully. Her early trace of nervousness fully left as she engaged with our pilot

She seems completely fascinated by female pilots. After some good minutes of chatting and socializing like she has known her for ages, Jasmine finally starts climbing the stairs to the jet, she didn't say anything to me yet

With each step, my heart starts beating faster. I am not nervous about the flight but about her reaction to the arrangement

She steps inside, finally pulling her hood and sunglasses down. When she scans the cabin, something shifts, she doesn't react but freezes on the spot. Her eyes widen, brows furrowed.

I watch silently standing behind her

“You did all this?” She asks, carefully stepping forward as if she is walking on a cloud. Her head turns left and right, taking in every detail. The extra cushions on the seats, a soft yet thin blanket neatly folded as she didn't like thick blankets. It was kept aside along with a few plushies. A box filled with her favourite cinnamon rolls and cans of sparkling water

The chess box, crossword puzzle, a few books and magazines that revolve around her liking.

The playlist was filled with her favourite songs she listened to late at night or early morning during her yoga. It also included almost all her favourite Indian movies that she watched on repeat.

Overall everything that could keep her distracted from her fear

“Why?” She whispers looking around, her fingers gently grazing over the seats like she is trying to make sure this isn't a dream.

“You don't need to worry about getting sick or embarrassing yourself in front of anyone now. I thought this is more comfortable” I reply tearing my gaze away before she can catch me staring at her

“You remembered all this?” She asks, her voice soft and almost careful as she picks up a magazine. Her eyes met mine; between the brown fleece, I could see a hint of moisture.

I shrug my shoulders, ignoring the sudden pick up of my pulse “You talk a lot, it's hard not to notice”

Jasmine stared at me for moments longer, her eyes flicking over my face trying to catch something. “You listen” she comments quietly keeping the magazine down

She steps closer, not closing enough distance for me “You are a menace too, but my favourite one now” she says with a smile, enough to erupt a whole box of butterflies in my stomach

My lips automatically curve up, breaking into a genuine smile. She might have returned my words back to me, but the only thing I could focus on was her calling me her favourite.

I am one of her favourites

“Finally, some acknowledgement, I feel blessed” I let out a dramatic sigh, keeping a hand on my racing heart.

She rolls her eyes “but you could have told me last night. I would have gotten my beauty sleep”

“I would have, but that's not how surprising works. Plus, you can sleep here if you want; it has a bed,” I add, pointing at the last door towards the bedroom. Jasmine's eyes widen in excitement “really?” Before I could reply she rushed off to the bedroom.

This might not be enough to recover the tears she had shed because of me, but I will try.

While I thought these things would keep her distracted during the flight, I forgot what would happen during the take-off

“Jasmine, calm down” I repeat gently, trying not to react to her nails digging into my forearm. I inhale a sharp breath when she pulls my arm against her chest without realising. I straighten my palm to keep it open, away from touching her uncomfortably

She continues to mutter something in Hindi, her eyes closed. I could guess that she was praying but I didn't understand the need for her to clutch onto my arm like a lifeline

While I don't mind her touch and would bear the pain. She has no clue what she is doing to me

Before taking off, Jasmine exchanged our seats ten times. Going to the front and then at the back, near the window or at the aisle seat. At last, she settled at the aisle seat but only at the condition of all windows being shut and watching her get comfortable

Until I was beside her and she grabbed my arm when the pilot announced the take-off

“Jasmine, we are in the sky. You can relax now” I sigh softly, unbuckling my seatbelt with my free hand. She shakes her head, slowly opening her eyes “Thousands of miles off the ground! How can I relax!”

I sigh, shaking my head; I slowly lift the window cover. “Jasmine, look at this,” I request her softly. She slowly opened her eyes but not fully yet, her expressions nervous. I bob my head towards the window making her look out.

The jet was flying high between the clouds in broad daylight. We were flying between the white smoke-like clouds that didn't give much vision to the land below

“What are you scared of? We have taken off safely, the crew is experienced, and the jet is comfortable. Both Liam and Stella travelled with this” I say trying to assure her of any kind of overcoming fear

“the people...” she trails off, her voice gets lower. I gesture to her to look around the cabin, “It's just the two of us, even if you feel sick then the crew and I are here to help you”

She nods at my words, her shoulders slowly relaxing. I have observed that she wasn't scared of flying or planes but it was the people and judgment that brought her to this state. If she tries not to overthink then this flight will go smoothly

“How are you feeling?” I ask carefully trying to locate any discomfort

“I am still feeling weird, my stomach feels full and fuzzy” she mumbles

“Are you sure it's not because of the pizza you ate as breakfast?” I tease, trying to divert her mind off this. I remember Mia mentioning Jasmine's request for pizza in the early morning.

“I thought of it as my last meal! It's my favourite!” She says defensively, her grip relaxing on my arm. Her soft fingers gently wrap around my forearm now.

“Second favourite” I correct “and please don't say things like that”

“I know; I mean, I can't make biryani early in the morning, and no restaurant delivers it so early”, she adds; suddenly, she releases my arm and crosses her arms together.

“Still, now don't think about it much and focus on other things”, I say, giving her a bottle of water, which she accepts without complaints; I grab the remote and turn on the television “What do you wanna watch?” I ask bringing the remote in front of her eyes

Jasmine's head bobs towards the television, her eyes narrowing, reading the names of her favourite movies. “There are too many! How can I select?” she grumbles, scrolling through the options. Her attention is already moving off.

I shift my seat leaning back to take a better look at her expressions. How her eyes squint in concentration, how her eyebrows furrowed together, and how her lips form in a small pout when she dislikes something.

It's not that hard to understand her expressions. She is good at controlling herself but she usually doesn't until it's not necessary. I have memorized most of them and now understand them.

I regret not bringing my sketchbook here

“This! Watch this with me” she says, grabbing a fluffy cat plushie and snuggling it against herself. Exactly where my hand was a few minutes before.

I should have stayed quiet and let her hold me

I glance at the screen when a melodious tune starts playing. I mostly expected her to put the movie of that favourite actor of hers and that's exactly what happened. I lean forward, opening my mouth to say something but she interrupts me “Do you have a problem?” she asks in a firm voice, raising her eyebrow

“No ma’am” I mutter, leaning back quietly

Jasmine was persistent in watching the movies despite being sleepy. She completed the whole movie and moved on to the next one and then the third one even though she watched them hundreds of times

I pretended to watch them along with her.

But deep down inside, I was just watching her

Watching her smile through the scenes, her eyes lighting up at any of her favourite scenes. When she hugged the shawl closer around her, how her nose scrunched when there was a cheesy scene. How the most beautiful shade of pink hue covered her cheeks at a romantic scene. She loved them, she didn't even have to say a word. Her eyes told enough.

She also enjoyed her lunch and cinnamon rolls while watching the movie. Fortunately, she had no sickness during that time, just small stomach aches that went away when she relaxed.

I was relieved that she was doing well

After long hours of continuous movie marathons, Jasmine dozed off in her seat. Holding the cat plushie tightly, I know she is missing Charlie, and to make his absence less acknowledged, I brought this.

And then slowly, her body relaxed completely. Her head tipped towards the side, she leaned sideways until her head touched my shoulder

I froze

Not because I minded it, I could never mind this

My heart started beating faster against my ribcage. The simplest contact is enough to drive me crazy. I snuck in breath, not moving. I was too scared that my slight movement could wake her up and break this delicate moment.

Her head slowly falls on my shoulder; she is too deep in her slumber to realise what's happening around her. Her cheek brushed against the fabric of my t-shirt, eyes closed, and mouth slightly parted. Her fingers still clutching the blanket.

Her breathing was soft, almost rhythmic

Her body melted beside mine as if she belonged here

Her face is bare of makeup now. She looked beautiful anyway. Her honey-toned skin glowed under the warm cabin lights. The dark circles she was worried about didn't matter here.

Her lips gently parted, they looked too far tempting for me to just sit still and do nothing

She looked so vulnerable, peaceful and trusting

Oh God

I am a gone case here

I could admire her for hours without complaints. Sit still, being the human pillow for her and not disturb her sleep but not gather the courage to say what I truly feel.

As the credits rolled quietly on the screen, I turned off the TV. Jasmine didn't make the slightest movement, she was completely in deep slumber.

I looked at her, gently brushing the hair strand falling on her forehead away. Her fingers curl around the edge of the blanket, she lets out a soft sigh that makes something shift in my chest

She will wake up sore if she sleeps in this position

Carefully, I slip one hand beneath her knees and one behind her back lifting her up in my arms. A soft hum escapes her lips, but she doesn't wake up, just snuggles into my chest.

I look up and close my eyes biting down a groan at this feeling. She fits perfectly in my arms, her softness and the warmth that spread across my chest.

It was better when she was conscious and pretended she didn't like me carrying her. I thought it was easy to carry her when she was asleep, but it was not. She just snuggles as if she knows it's me and getting more comfortable with it

Composing myself with a deep breath, I carry her quietly towards the bedroom. Opening it with the help of my foot and stepping in.

I pull the covers back with my hand and lower her onto the mattress. Tugging the blanket away from her grip and pulling the covers over her.

She slowly stirred up, her brow furrowing together as her hand reached for my face. But I held her wrist, preventing her from whatever she was doing. I can see she is still half asleep and unaware.

“It's all right, just sleep”, I assure her.

Making sure she is comfortable again and her breathing evens out, I leave the room.

✄┈┈

“What time is it?” Jasmine's sudden yell makes me jump in my seat. I look at her standing beside my seat while breathing heavily, her hair messy.

“Calm down, we still have an hour-”

“AN HOUR! I gotta get ready!” She storms back into the room slamming the door shut. I look over the seat, wondering at her panicking state behind the door “Why?” I ask, loud enough to reach her ear

“Why? What do you mean why? I can't possibly meet my family wearing a hoodie and sweatpants after two years!”

Oh

I didn't think about it like that. I thought she was comfortable in that outfit, on top of that she looked extremely content and peaceful while sleeping that I had no heart to wake her up

I took a small nap on my seat and continued to study the dictionary

“I will most probably wear a suit, It's really simple but subtle, right?” She asks but before I can answer she adds “Help me with the colour choice”

“Red, mostly crimson, like the colour of the dress you wore at the graduation party”, I blurt out without thinking twice. There's dead silence before the door bursts open and Jasmine stomps out.

She stands before me crossing her arms “And what? Make everyone think I am a newlywed couple? Why did you suggest it? I can't wear red Lucas!” she exclaims through her hands in the air

I blink in surprise. I didn't think my small suggestion would result in this conclusion. “I suggested it because you look good in red, especially crimson” I reply calmly.

Her expression flatters, eyes soften, slowly taking my words “You think I look good in red?”

I shake my head, “I know you look good in red”

She takes a deep breath, keeping one hand on her hip while she waves the other one. “No, it would look too much. Red holds some great significance in my culture. Suggest something else”

I think for a moment before answering, “How about purple? It's your favourite too”

Her face lights up as she nods in agreement “Yes! Perfect! Thank you” She turns around to leave but stops and faces me again. Her expression changes to a hesitant one.

I frown in confusion but don't ask anything, waiting for her to continue.

Without a word, she moves closer, and before I can react - she wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me. Her cheek rests on my chest while I stay frozen due to the shock of her actions

“Thank you for everything. For being so considerate and understanding me,” she mutters, her soft thank you makes my chest tighten. I wrap my arms around her back with a shaky moment, unconsciously pulling her closer and resting my chin on her head.

I haven't ever felt something like this

She doesn't pull away nor protest it. We stand there in silence. Her breathing syncs with mine as I saviour this moment of her against me.

I love her too much now