„We are now boarding all remaining passengers on flight UA389 with service to Honolulu. Please have your boarding pass and ID ready"
"Alright, Cath. Let's go" Steve said as he stood up and grabbed both their bags, holding one hand out to her, asking her to get up. "Ugh" Catherine replied as she rolled her eyes while getting up "I already feel sick just thinking about aaaaaaall the turbulences we're gonna get in to over the pacific ocean" she moaned.
Steve shot her a quick smile before pulling her into his arms and giving her a tight hug "You'll be fine, Cath. You've survived black ops and deployments in the most dangerous countries in the world, I'm sure you can handle a few bumps." He chuckled "and I'm right there, if you need a shoulder to cry on" he winked as he motioned them towards the gate where the plane was parked.
"I got window" Steve stated as he handed their boarding passes to the flight attendant, not waiting for Catherine to object.
They had spent five more days in L.A., made use of that Jacuzzi a couple more times before they decided it was time to go home and get settled in, be back with the family and enjoy their rekindling on the island they both loved.
When they both got seated and buckled their seat belts, Catherine turned to look at him while reaching out to hold his hand "You ready?" she asked in a low voice, very well aware of the déjà vu she was creating right now. Steve smiled at her, "A hell of a lot more ready than the last time you asked me" he chuckled. "This trip definitely went a lot different than I planned" he concluded as he gave her a quick peck on her lips. "Yeah" she agreed "sorry you didn't make it to Coronado, Sailor." She winked "I kinda beat you to your game, hm?" she joked in order to down play how sick she was already feeling before the plane had even taken off. Steve laughed at her comment and kissed her again "Yeah I guess you did. I'm glad you did" he whispered before he gave her another peck on the lips. "Me, too." She smiled "I'm ready to go home." "I'm ready to have you home" he answered honestly, when the Captain introduced himself and let the passengers know that they were ready for take-off.
As soon as the plane started speeding up and leaving the ground, Catherine could feel the nausea creeping in and held Steve's hand tightly, closing her eyes. "You okay?" he chuckled at the fact that she had been half way around the world on basically all types of planes and she would still feel weird and sometimes sick in passenger planes that – in comparison to the military transports they had been on – are like flying first class.
5 hours and 27 minutes later, the plane touched down at Honolulu International Airport. Two weeks after they had left the island in hopes to find one another, they returned united.
Steve and Catherine waited for everyone else to deplane, as she wasn't quite sure she was able to walk without fainting or throwing up. "You good, Cath?" he asked, concerned about the fact that she had been looking like hell the entire flight.
"Yeah, I think so. This one was by far one of the worst flights." She said with a pale face, holding on to the seat in front of her for assistance as she slowly got up. Steve grabbed both their bags from the overhead compartment and walked closely behind her, touching the small of her back to make sure he was right on spot if she wasn't feeling well again.
"Let's get you home" he smiled at her, as he slung one arm around her, holding her tight over her shoulder. "You look like you could use a beer" he chuckled "Ugh" Catherine let out immediately "just thinking about alcohol right now makes me want to throw up" she laughed slightly "Tea and my bed sounds better" she winked, emphasis on the my.
Steve smirked at her, well aware of her choice of words "Alright then, Lieutenant. Let's get you home in your bed then."
Steve couldn't wait to have her home. Back home. Their home.
The beach house didn't quite feel the same after Catherine had left and even when he brought Lynn there, or any other date for that matter, he always had a guilty conscience creeping in in the back of his mind. The house had always felt like their home, even if it was his parents place to begin with.
But something about Catherine living there, decorating the place here and there, cooking in the kitchen and spending so many nights there that both of them lost count, it just felt like something that they had build together.