Falling at 30,000 feets

"Of course," Michael said brightly, throwing an arm over Jayden's shoulder and giving him a rough shake. "Jayden and I go way back-childhood friends. Practically inseparable. We grew up in the same neighborhood, took flying lessons together when we were sixteen..." Jayden looked away slightly, a faint flush rising to his cheeks as he adjusted his uniform collar. He'd never been comfortable with too much personal attention. Jane nodded slowly, still processing the information-she'd known Michael was friendly and well-connected, but she'd never guessed he had such a long history with the company's leadership. "Wait-" Michael suddenly froze mid-sentence, his arm still draped over Jayden's shoulder as realization hit him like a physical blow. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he looked from Jayden to Jane and back again. "You two know each other too? Like... know know each other?" "I-" Jane began, her cheeks flushing slightly as she thought about how to explain their unusual relationship. But Jayden cut in smoothly, extending the insulated flask he'd been holding toward her. The familiar blue and silver container was warm to the touch-she recognized it as the one she'd gifted him for their six-month anniversary, engraved with their initials. "Eat first," he said, his voice carrying a note of gentle authority. "It'll get cold. I'll explain later." Jane accepted it, a little surprised by his thoughtfulness. The flask was heavy in her hands, and she could feel the warmth of the food inside seeping through the metal. Before she could say anything else, Jayden grabbed Michael by the shoulder and began dragging him away, his grip firm but not harsh. "Hey-wait-!" Michael protested, stumbling slightly as he was pulled along. "You just gave her my meal-I was looking forward to that! I skipped breakfast because I knew you'd bring something good!" Jayden clamped a hand over his mouth mid-sentence and pulled him off toward the parking lot, his expression impassive even as Michael continued to mumble complaints against his palm. Jane watched them go, amusement flickering in her eyes as she shook her head. So they're childhood friends, she thought, twisting the cap off the flask and breathing in the familiar scent of chicken adobo. But their personalities are completely different. Michael's like a golden retriever-energetic, friendly, impossible to ignore. Jayden's more like a cat-quiet, observant, and does things on his own terms. Her expression softened briefly as she poured the warm food into the small container she'd pulled from her bag-he'd even packed extra rice and a side of pickled vegetables, just the way she liked it. Then her brow furrowed slightly as a new thought occurred to her. If Michael is a co-pilot... what exactly does Jayden do? She'd heard rumors about him being high up in the company, but no one ever seemed to have clear information about his role. He said he was chief pilot, but why would he be carrying my favorite meal around like he'd been planning to meet me? She exhaled and walked off toward the pilot lounge, the warm food in her hands a small comfort against the cool terminal air. Pilot Cafeteria – Later Jane sat alone at a corner table in the nearly empty cafeteria, her tray untouched for a moment. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly, casting harsh shadows across the linoleum floor. She'd found a quiet spot away from the main crowds, preferring to eat in peace before her next briefing. She had already eaten the food Jayden brought earlier-every last bite, even scraping the flask clean because it had tasted so much like home. Now, staring at the cafeteria meal in front of her-a sad-looking sandwich, lukewarm soup, and a small salad that looked like it had been sitting out for hours-she couldn't bring herself to pick up her fork. It didn't compare. At all. She picked at the sandwich half-heartedly, taking a small bite and immediately regretting it. The bread was dry, the turkey flavorless, and the lettuce was already beginning to wilt. I'm starting to hate this place, she thought, pushing the tray away slightly. His cooking is too good... is he secretly a chef? I've never met anyone who can make adobo taste like my grandmother's. Across from her, two flight attendants sat down at a nearby table, their voices carrying clearly in the quiet room as they chatted freely. "I heard the Chief Pilot stepped down from a top position," one said, pulling out her phone to show the other something on the screen. "The one who was running all the international routes? They say he gave up his spot on the flagship Tokyo flight." Jane's hand paused slightly over her tray, her curiosity piqued despite herself. She'd heard about the Chief Pilot position-everyone in the company had. It was one of the most prestigious roles in Aurelia, reserved for only the most skilled and experienced pilots. "Really?" the other replied, leaning in to look at the phone. "Wasn't he flying advanced jets before? Like military level? I heard he did a tour with the air force before joining Aurelia." "Exactly. So why switch to civil aviation? And why give up such a high-profile route?" The first leaned closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper even though the cafeteria was nearly empty. "I heard the heir of Aurelia Airlines is returning to take over. Big background-went to all the best schools, trained with some of the top aviation companies in Europe. Very low profile since he came back to the country a few months ago." Jane listened-briefly-her fork hovering over her plate. Corporate politics had never interested her much; she'd always believed that skill and dedication should be enough to advance in any industry. Corporate gossip, she dismissed, returning to her food and finding it even less appealing than before. She'd rather be in the cockpit than listening to rumors about company leadership. "Apparently," the first added, her voice dropping even lower, "only First Officer Torres has met him-they say he's the only one who knows what the heir looks like, what he's really like-" But Jane had already tuned them out, her attention drifting to the window overlooking the tarmac. She watched as a Boeing 747 taxied slowly toward the runway, its engines roaring to life with a familiar sound that always made her heart race with excitement. The conversation faded into background noise, just another part of the constant hum of activity that filled the airport. Moments later, the two attendants hurried off after receiving a message on their phones, gathering their bags and rushing toward the exit with worried expressions. Jane remained. Alone. Until- "Captain Harley." She looked up to find Jayden standing beside her table, his uniform immaculate as always, his expression calm and unreadable. Michael stood just behind him, bouncing slightly on his heels with barely contained energy. "Mind if we join you for lunch?" Michael asked cheerfully, pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down without waiting for an answer. Jayden followed, taking the seat beside him. He'd already removed his jacket, rolling up his sleeves to reveal forearms corded with muscle-evidence of years spent handling heavy controls and maintaining physical fitness requirements. Michael leaned forward eagerly, his elbows on the table as he looked between Jane and Jayden. "Let me tell you-this guy here-" he pointed at Jayden, nearly poking him in the eye, "-is Aurelia's newly appointed chief-" "Jane," Jayden cut in smoothly, his eyes on her nearly untouched tray, his expression shifting slightly to one of concern. "Is this what you're eating?" "I have a flight tomorrow to Seattle-red-eye departure," she replied, picking at a loose thread on her uniform sleeve. "Tonight I won't have time to go home and cook. I was just going to grab something quick here." Michael shifted in his seat, confused by the sudden change in direction. He'd been about to reveal Jayden's full role in the company-something he'd been dying to tell someone about for weeks. Jayden sighed softly, Without hesitation, he reached over and pushed her tray slightly aside. "Don't force yourself to eat something you don't like," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I'll bring you dinner tonight-after your briefing. I'll even pack it so you can take it with you if you need to leave early." Michael froze, his fork halfway to his mouth as he looked from the container of food to Jane's surprised expression to Jayden's focused gaze. "Wait..." he said slowly, setting his fork down and turning to Jane with wide eyes. "'Go home'? Then to Jayden, his voice rising slightly. "'Bring dinner'? Like... you live together? Cook for each other?" His eyes darted between them, noticing the small things he'd missed before-the way Jayden's hand lingered near Jane's arm when he set down the food, the way Jane didn't seem surprised by his familiarity. "...What exactly is going on here?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and betrayal. Jayden ignored him completely, his attention still focused on Jane. He'd always been able to tune out distractions when something mattered to him. "You didn't tell me you were working the red-eye," he continued, his thumb brushing lightly against the edge of the container as if checking its temperature. "So I cooked for two-made extra of your favorite fried rice with shrimp." Jane paused, looking down at the warm food in front of her. His tone was matter-of-fact, but she could hear the faint note of... something else underneath. Disappointment? Concern? That sounds like... a complaint? she thought, looking up at him with slightly raised eyebrows. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" she asked carefully, not wanting to seem ungrateful but also aware of how busy he must be. "You're probably swamped with work-" Michael waved his hands dramatically between them, nearly knocking over his glass of water. "Hello? Anyone? I'm still here!" he said, leaning forward until his face was nearly between theirs. "Can someone explain this situation to me? Are you two... are you seeing each other?" No response. Jayden was still looking at Jane, waiting for her answer. Jane was trying to find the right words to thank him without making things awkward. He leaned even closer, inserting himself between them and waving his hands in front of their faces. "Is anyone listening-" Jayden casually pushed his face aside with his palm, his expression never changing as he continued to look at Jane. "Jane," he said calmly, his voice cutting through Michael's protests. A pause. The cafeteria fell quiet around them, the only sound the distant clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Then- "We are married." Silence. Absolute and complete. Michael blinked. Once. Twice. His mouth opened and closed several times, no sound coming out. Then- "...Married?!" he exploded, nearly jumping out of his seat and knocking his chair back with a loud scrape against the floor.