Pairings/Characters: Chiaki, Nodame.
Warnings: Spoilers for Volume 9, I believe.
AN: There is a supreme lack of Nodame fic in the world. D: Anyway, this is how I imagined their flight to France.
Disclaimer: I don't own Nodame Cantabile. I don't own anything.
His Worst Nightmare
Final farewells attended to, baggage in the right place, tickets ready – perfect. The weather wasn't wonderful, but not entirely terrible. Chiaki had very carefully planned it so that the airplane would fly in the best conditions imaginable. Unfortunately, there was still enough cloud cover to make him extremely nervous.
Nodame picked up on his discomfort like a bloodhound. "Sempai, it doesn't matter if there's nice weather here. We're going to be flying a really long way! Who knows what kind of weather we'll see before we get there?"
Chiaki wasn't in a mood to hear that, and after he glared poisonous death at her ("Gyabo! A demon!"), he grunted into his seat. The seat in question was nowhere near a window. In fact, it was as far away from the windows as possible, though still not far enough.
Calm down, Chiaki thought vehemently, mentally pleading with himself not to look foolish in front of Nodame of all people. He hadn't panicked too much the last time he flew; he could do it again. This was a piece of cake.
...A large, slightly toxic one. One that Nodame baked.
When the plane took off, Nodame quite literally bounced up and down with excitement, craning her neck this way and that to get a good look out of a window that was quite far away, her mouth in its trademark pout. Chiaki impatiently (and somewhat squeakily) told her to stop, to hold still, to not embarrass him. She obliged, graciously neglecting to remind him that his behavior was unusual too and that if she weren't there with him, he might have a panic attack. Instead, she let him tighten his grip around her arm.
Granted, Nodame enjoyed the fact that Chiaki was holding onto her as if his life depended on it. But it did get quite a bit annoying at times. For example, when she needed to use the toilet. When she wanted to read manga. Wanted to stretch her legs. Eat something.
Sleep.
Did Nodame object to this unfair treatment? No. She did, however, take every opportunity to remind Chiaki-sempai that his wife ("We're not married!" Chiaki explained, to everyone within earshot.) will always be there for him and she is dependable and caring and whenever Chiaki-sempai feels his phobias creeping up on him, he can come to her for comfort. Mukya.
A throbbing headache clouding his better instincts, Chiaki almost let slip that he didn't care who was on the airplane with him. He was dying to tell her that he'd do the exact same thing if he were on the plane with Mine, or his old girlfriend Saiko, or – hell, even Masumi would do. This was strictly a ritual to keep himself sane until they departed onto glorious solid ground. She ought to know that, the weirdo.
But of course he didn't tell her that. It was too pathetic.
"Don't get used to it," Chiaki managed to impart. "I just don't f-feel well right now."
Nodame smiled.
END