🕒 final boarding call
Airport reunions are the best, but airport goodbyes are the worst if you never wanted to say goodbye in the first place.
pairing: joshua x gn!reader; implied breakup off the page
word count: 2.3k
tags: angst with (some) comfort, open ending, mom it hurts, longing and yearning and pining
warnings: none
a/n: this is what happens when shua goes on wv live for 16 minutes after months of radio silence, time is weird here but just go with it please, shua i miss you
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“May I have your attention please. This is the final boarding call for Korean Air Flight 705 to Seoul. All ticketed and confirmed passengers should now be on board the aircraft at Gate 113.”
Fifteen minutes left.
This was the last round of announcements for the final boarding call. You both only had 15 more minutes left on the clock.
Yet here you two were, still seated at the same small cafe table, across the person you both never thought you’d hear or see from again.
The person you both would not admit how deeply and terribly you missed.
You clutched the disposable cup of black coffee close, allowing its heat to keep you warm and its bitterness to keep you awake. He could easily down the remnants of the iced americano in his hand, the cardboard sleeve already damp with condensation, but he bade his time. He always took his time with you.
An hour ago, he was grateful for the extra three minutes he took to double-check his luggage before leaving the airport cafe. Because if he had left three minutes earlier, then he wouldn’t have heard you asking if you could take his seat when he left, wouldn’t have almost bumped into you as he stood up, wouldn’t have seen the unguarded look in your eyes when you both slowly recognized who the other was.
“Shua.”
His breath caught in his throat when he heard his name from your lips and how distantly familiar it was. It had been too long, way too long for his liking since he heard your voice.
“Hi,” he breathed out. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to place his hands in the forced proximity between you two. And because you could not help but feel so stupidly and unreasonably homesick at how helpless he looked, you closed the distance between the two of you into a briefly civil hug.
“How are you?” You ask him. “What are you doing here in Tokyo?”
“Ah, this is just a layover. I’m going back to Seoul.”
“Oh, okay—”
He checks his watch. “I actually need to board in an hour.”
“…Oh.”
Shua sees your face fall for a moment. A surge of hope blooms in his chest at this, but he has to ground himself back to reality. “What about you? What are you doing here in Tokyo?”
“Actually, I’m also just here for my layover. I have…four hours, 25 minutes to go.”
“You just arrived?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you’ve still got the long haul ahead of you,” he laughs lightly, his eyes closing into moon-like crescents the way that you always knew they did, and it pains you to see them and not be able to kiss them the way you used to. “Where are you off to?”
“Paris.”
“Paris—wait. No way. Is this what I think it is?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m going to work there, finally. And study. Mostly work, for now, but…I’m getting there.”
His eyes widen at this information you’ve just shared, and it pains him to know that he could not just hug you and sweep you off your feet the way he used to. So he settles for a hand on your shoulder, a gentle squeeze with his thumb slightly sweeping back and forth, before he says, “Wow. I’m so proud of you.”
Your heart swells at the comment. He’d always been rooting for you to reach this dream of yours since Day 1. You thought he wouldn’t be there to see it to fruition anymore, yet here he is. In a way, he is here.
You shake your head and remember where you both were. Did he say he was going to leave in an hour? “Shua, it’s so nice to see you again, really. It’s okay if you need to go. I think that was your boarding call I heard just now over the PA.” You stumble over your words, not knowing what to say, desperate to get this over with before you could embarrass yourself or worse, let out the emotions that were building up in your throat.
“Hey,” he catches your attention and you finally look at him. You see his gentle smile before you both look down at his wrist. That’s when you notice.
It was a simple watch you knew well, an inexpensive silver digital Casio watch, worn from years of use. He could've worn any fine watch he wanted—you're sure he’d already amassed the massive collection of timepieces that he only used to dream of, but it surprised you to see this particularly simple watch. It made you remember how years ago, you surprised him with it on his birthday saying, “This could be the start of your dream collection.”
“Don’t worry. An hour is a long time. I’ll take my time.”
You unconsciously let go of the pendant you’ve been worrying between your thumb and index finger. The way the light bounced off it caught Shua’s eyes. He knew that necklace—it was a birthday gift, a silver pendant inlaid with tiny cubic zirconias that glinted when you moved. But he didn’t know how or why you still had it, and why you were wearing it. He knew how sentimental you were with jewelry. You wouldn’t wear just any necklace on any given day—everything always had a meaning. That's how intentional you always were with what you did. It catches him off guard, but he decides to stay silent.
“Okay,” you say. You both sit down at the table in awkward silence. You wrack your brains with something—anything—to say. He sees your silent struggle, so he beats you to it.
“I tried baking, you know?” Shua launches animatedly into his story. “I went to this sandwich shop in Seoul recently that sold cookie sets and I got to try their white choco chip macadamia cookie. It was so good.” His face aimed to express just how delicious the said cookie was. “I tried the recipe and it turned out exactly the same!”
The laugh that escapes your lips was as natural as it could be. “Is that so?”
“Yeah!” His eyes sparkled, turning into two crescents when he smiled that smile that scrunched up his nose. You almost melt on the spot. You never thought you'd see that smile again. His face turned curious before he asked, “Did you ever get around to trying it? Baking?”
“Uh…no. No, I still want to try it. I don’t know, just really put it to the side with everything that's been happening.”
He saw the pinch of sadness in your eyes. If only he could tell you that you were the reason he became brave enough to try baking. “Well, it's high time you should! I told Mom about it. She said that cookies are always the easiest to bake as long as you follow the recipe. That could be your starting point.”
Mom. You realize he didn't say my mom. He said it as if she were still yours, too. “Oh yeah, how is she?”
“She's doing well. That's actually where I came from, we were in LA for a few weeks. She went home a bit earlier so I could spend some time alone there.”
“That's nice.” And before you realize it, you blurt out, “I miss her. It's been so long since I saw her.”
“She misses you too.” He looked straight into your eyes, lingering for just a moment longer and hoping it could also convey the words I miss you too.
You look back at him, a small smile growing on your face. He reciprocated it with his own. It was one of your favorite ways of communicating, both of you believe how much a simple curve of the lips can say. You both knew what those smiles mean even now.
“So you went back to LA? How was it?”
He exchanges stories with you as if no time has passed at all. Despite everything, you two knew each other the best. It turns out that you were still each other’s best friend. Surprisingly, not even time and space can change that fact.
“May I have your attention please. This is the final boarding call for Korean Air Flight 705 to Seoul. All ticketed and confirmed passengers should now be on board the aircraft at Gate 113.”
You both check the time. Thirty minutes left.
How was that 30 minutes already?
“So, Paris!” Shua claps in an attempt to turn your attention away from each passing minute. “Tell me about Paris.”
“I’m so excited!” The feeling is palpable in your tone. You recount your journey, never failing to remember all the support he showed throughout the parts of it where he was there. “Though, you’ve been to Paris, right? You know that it’s not exactly all that.”
“Yeah, all that glitters is definitely not gold,” he laughed as he sipped his cold coffee. “And all that smells isn’t exactly French perfume and fresh croissants.”
It was your turn to laugh at how bluntly he said everything in his matter-of-fact tone. “I heard! But if you ask me, Paris is really just a stepping stone. I don’t think I’ll stay there forever.”
“So where do you want to stay?”
Anywhere you are, is what you wish you could say. But you settle with, “I’ll cross the bridge when I get there. All I know is that this opportunity will bring me anywhere I want. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I’m proud of you. Really. I’ve said that right? But I really am. Wow.” He shakes his head, still in awe of the whole thing.
“Thank you, Shua.” You keep your coffee cup close to your lips, blowing softly as you cradle it with both hands. You shudder involuntarily because of the unexpected cold you felt in the airport despite the long-sleeved shirt you already had on. You regret leaving behind that jacket at home.
Ever observant, Shua deliberately shrugs off his cardigan and holds it out across the small table. His white shirt looked immaculate on him, and his bare face was etched with concern. It physically hurt your heart to look at him, but you know you could never stop. He held your gaze, his eyes wide open and full of unspoken emotions. How could he be this beautiful?
How could you both let go?
“Shua, please—”
“Just—I know you need it. You’re cold.” He gently shakes the cardigan in his hands to prompt you to take it.
Knowing you have no choice in the matter, you take it with a sheepish smile, surprised at how it was unexpectedly heavier than you thought it was. What you were wholly unprepared for was how it would envelop you in his scent, his perfume a light and clean musk mixed with the lived-in scent of him having worn this for what you assume were hours.
“I missed you.”
When those words were finally spoken out loud, it was as if a weight was lifted from both your shoulders, replaced with a sense of calm. You both thought it was taboo.
While the breakup was amicable, it was still painful. And while you both knew it was for the best and for the sake of one another, it was still the cause of many days passing with unshed tears in your eyes. Because if it really was for the best, why did it haunt your nights with the unfulfilled potential of what you could have been together?
Were you both really better off apart? That question never left your heads, as much as you tried pushing it down in the recesses of your brains.
And now you both see the answer. It was right in front of you.
“I missed you too.”
“May I have your attention please. This is the final boarding call for Korean Air Flight 705 to Seoul. All ticketed and confirmed passengers should now be on board the aircraft at Gate 113.”
Ten minutes left.
“I guess that’s my cue to go.” He stands up to gather his things. Your eyes follow his every move as if committing it to memory. You realize you actually are taking in as much as you can in this moment because he was leaving again, there is no other choice.
Do you really have no choice? No choice but to leave again? He turned these questions over and over in his head. No answers came up. Not now.
“Oh, wait.” You move to remove his cardigan on your shoulders, but he stops you and shakes his head.
“No, keep it.” He looks at you as if searching for something in your eyes. “Maybe you can return it when we meet again.” When we meet again.
He can’t help himself. He leans down for an embrace, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as he rests his cheek on the crown of your head.
You can't help yourself. You stand to meet him in a proper embrace, not like the brief one you gave earlier. You wrap your arms tight around him, afraid to let him go again. He strokes your head and ventures a feather-like kiss to your temple in an attempt to comfort himself by holding you in his arms.
When you both break away, you find your hands latched together. You knew you could not utter a goodbye. Wordlessly, he looks at your hands. He looks up at you. And with one last smile, he let go and walked away.
“Shua!”
He looked back, with five minutes left on the clock for him to board. He took in as much of the scene as he could: the hustle and bustle of the airport seeming to quiet down to let him focus on you, your hopeful eyes, your mouth slightly turned up in a smile, your hands worrying at the cuffs of his oversized cardigan on you.
“Call me when you get to Seoul. Safe skies.”
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