OK, so even though I initially wrote it as a one-shot, this one will continue through the flight back to London as Sybil and Tom get to know each other. This one's going to be very light on plot, and by that I mean, it won't really have one :)
I read a description of a movie about a man and a woman who go through every stage of a relationship over the course of one international flight, and I'm adapting that idea here. So consider this fic an experiment in fluff.
"The take-off"
As the plane began to taxi away from the gate, the flight attendant approached Tom again, bending over slightly to speak.
"Good morning, Mr. Branson, may I take your coat?"
Tom let go of Sybil's hand to slip out of his jacket and hand it to the petite blonde woman.
"May I get you some orange juice or coffee? I can also make you a bloody Mary or a mimosa, if you're feeling so inclined," she said, giving him a wink on mentioning the cocktails.
Just the thought of alcohol made Tom's stomach turn, and the distaste showed in his expression, making Sybil snicker.
He narrowed his eyes at her, then turned back to the flight attendant. "Orange juice and coffee, please. No cream, no sugar."
"My name's Edna. Just buzz if you need anything," she said, pointing to the call button above his head.
She was about to turn to go, when Sybil called out, "Oh, Edna? I know I said no before, but could I have a coffee also? Two sugars and cream—or soy milk if you have it."
Edna nodded curtly and went back to the front to get their drinks.
"I think she likes you," Sybil said with a smile.
"What makes you say that?"
"She didn't offer me a cocktail, to start. And she didn't lean over quite so suggestively when taking my order."
"Are you jealous?" He asked playfully.
"Well, I've only known you about ten minutes, but I already know you have a history of kissing women you've just met."
"I don't, actually. It's just been you."
Sybil blushed, which made him smile. "Nevertheless," she said, elongating the word. "I feel the need to assert myself."
Tom's brow furrowed. "How would you do that?"
Seeing Edna approach out of the corner of his eye, Tom was about to turn to receive his order, when he felt Sybil's left hand on his face turning him back toward her and—not unlike she'd done at the bar the night before—pulling him into another kiss.
Edna cleared her throat loudly, clearly annoyed. Tom pulled away, then turned and took his orange juice and coffee with a sheepish smile.
Sybil's expression was a bit more self-satisfied than Tom's as she reached over him and took her coffee. "Thanks, Ed!" she said brightly.
The flight attendant left without a word.
"That ought to do it," she said, winking at him as she took a sip of her coffee.
He laughed. "This is going to be a long flight."
"Are you complaining about my kissing you?"
"God no. I'm complaining about having to be on this plane for eight hours and not be able to do much more than kiss."
"If you think that, then you're not as adventurous as I was hoping."
Tom had just taken a sip of the orange juice, and hearing her proceeded to spit it out onto the screen on the back of the seat in front of him. Such was Sybil's laughter at the display that tears formed in her eyes. The passenger in front of Tom peaked over the seat with an irritated look in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, sir, that was my fault," Sybil said, apologetically.
"It really was," Tom added, earning him an elbow from Sybil.
The passenger rolled his eyes and faced forward again, as the safety message began playing.
Tom and Sybil looked at one another as they tried to hold back their laughter. Sybil took her napkin to wipe the juice off Tom's screen.
Tom took another big gulp of his orange juice. "I don't mean anything by this, but when I first saw you at the bar, I didn't peg you for the . . . well, the adventurous type."
"That's because I'm not really," Sybil said with a shy shrug of her shoulders. "The friends I was with didn't even believe me when I told them I'd just snogged someone."
"So you didn't just suggest we have a shag in the airplane toilet?"
"Oh, I did. But I've never done that before, neither have I ever kissed a man I've known only three minutes, nor propositioned one on an airplane. I'm a rather boring person, as it happens."
Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "So what, I bring it out in you?"
"I'm afraid so," she said. She bit her lip, suddenly nervous. "I'm not totally turning you off am I?"
"For you, I don't think that's physically possible."
Tom lifted his hand to her cheek and caressed her face with his thumb. He leaned in a pulled her into a kiss. After a few delicious seconds, he said, "See, I can do it too."
They were about to lean in again, when the captain's voice came on over the loudspeaker.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is the captain speaking from the flight deck. We're currently next in line for take off on our way to London's Heathrow, so please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened. Flight attendants, prepare for takeoff."
Tom pulled away from Sybil and took his orange juice, downing the rest in a single pull. He sat back in his seat and grabbed both arm rests tightly.
Sybil watched him curiously. "Are you afraid of flying?"
He smiled nervously. "No, just the take off bit."
Sybil smiled, endeared. She pried his left hand from the armrest between them and slipped her hand into his, interlacing their fingers. "I'll save you if anything happens," she whispered.
"Promise?"
She nodded and lifting the armrest between them, leaned into his shoulder. Tom kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes as the plane began to speed into its ascent.
"Now we just have to wait for the 'ding,' " Sybil said.
"Wait for what?"
"You know, Say Anything."
Tom pulled back to look her in the face. "I'm a bit lost here."
"Haven't you seen the movie Say Anything?"
Tom shook his head.
"Well, we'll have to watch it when we're home," she said, leaning back into him. He smiled at how easily she assumed they'd be in each other's lives beyond today.
Sybil, not even having noticed what she'd said, went on, "It's from ages ago. It's got John Cusack and Ione Skye. He's this directionless bloke that falls in love with the cleverest girl in the class, and at the end they move to England where she's going to uni, but she's afraid of flying so when they're on the plane he says everything's OK once you hear the ding."
"I still don't know what the ding is."
"It's when the pilot turns off the seal belt sign, and . . . " she trailed off suggestively.
Tom, getting her meaning, completed her thought. "And you're allowed to get up from your seat, and . . . "
"And go to the lavatory. You know, if the urge strikes."
"Something's striking, all right" he said, bringing their intertwined hands to his lips and kissing the tips of her fingers.
Sybil giggled. Would they really do it?
