Snap

Disclaimer: No.

Summary: A collection of short one-shots based almost solely upon requests. Multiple characters, pairings, and alternate universes.

AN: So this is a series of short fics that I like to write at work when I'm bored out of my skull. They'll contain multiple characters, multiple pairings, and in fact you're more than welcome to make a request yourself. Whether it's in a PM, a review, or an ask on tumblr (sword-and-stars), I really don't mind! I'll post them as I write them.

Jet Plane
Yuri hates flying. Yuri really, really hates flying.

Yuri hates flying.

Yuri really, really hates flying.

Always has, always will, and that's never going to change. Literally if there's any other way for him to get somewhere he'll take it. Thirteen hour train ride? No sweat. Five day road trip? Yuri likes driving. A week on a bus and probably a few ferries and more bus rides and then probably a six day trek via donkey…

Well, even Yuri's got to call it somewhere, and he knows when it's time to bite the bullet.

It's not like he's scared of heights, he's done all sorts of crazy stuff like parasailing and bungee jumping and just— he just really hates planes. Who'd willingly put themselves into a metal deathtrap and go thousands of feet in the air?

Not Yuri if he can help it.

Sadly he can't help it right now and that's how he ends up feverishly fastening his seat belt on one of the aforementioned metal deathtraps. How did he end up with the window seat? Yuri HATES the window seat. The seat next to him is empty and he considers sidling over into the aisle and praying that no one comes and sits in it…

Yeah, right. The plane's already filling up with people and Yuri finds himself watching each person, wondering whether they'll be the one to stop or bypass his row.

The older guy in the pork pie and pinstripes goes in by, the lady with the squalling toddler sits down about three rows ahead and Yuri is grateful that he brought a pair of headphones. The lady with THREE squalling toddlers goes all the way back to where the bathrooms are.

Yuri lets himself breathe. She was the last person he could see, he might actually be home free and seatmate-less—

Except that Yuri Lowell is never that lucky.

"Excuse me, I am so sorry," he hears a high, stressed out voice saying from the front of the plane. Yuri Lowell is NEVER that lucky, and he can't even be surprised when a young woman slides into the aisle seat next to him.

Well, good for her, then, he grumbles silently. There goes his silent flight. Yuri can't even look out the window without wanting to claw his way right out of this plane. Where's Repede when he needs him? Where's anyone when Yuri needs them? Hell, he'd even take Mr. Incessantly-Cheerful-Flyer himself, Flynn who likes to call himself Yuri's best friend.

"…are you okay?"

Yuri jerks at the voice and when a hand gently taps the top of his hand. The woman next to him -pretty much still a girl- stares at him in open concern and he shifts away.

"I—I'm fine," he mutters, "Don't worry about it."

He's pretty sure that to anyone else that would be a blatant signal that he wasn't going to be much for conversation but apparently not to her, because she doesn't look put off at all.

"Do you not like flying?" She asks.

Yuri doesn't answer because it's right then that the engines start to rumble and the plane begins to move and he finds himself pressed back against the seat as hard as he can, his hands white-knuckled on the arm rests. He HATES flying. So much. The stewardess talks but he doesn't hear a word of it.

All he has to do is sit still and don't look out the window and he won't die. Probably.

"Excuse me…"

What will it take for her to get that he really, really doesn't feel like talking?

"If you're uncomfortable, would you like to switch seats with me?"

The sharp answer on the tip of Yuri's tongue stops dead and he turns to look at her properly. She's short with bright green eyes and pink hair that frames her face and kept out of her eyes with barrettes and right now she's frowning at him. Yuri raises an incredulous eyebrow.

"If…if you don't like flying, it's best to be on the inside, right?" She asks. "And I like the window seat. But if you're okay, then it's no problem."

Yuri is all kinds of not okay right now and the fact that the plane is speeding up is making him all kinds of nervous.

"Yeah, okay," he answers finally and unfastens his safety belt. The girl does the same and they switch seats under the dirty stare of the flight attendant several rows up. Yuri feels somewhat better almost immediately and the girl presses her nose to the window, stares out for a few moments, and then pulls back.

"My name is Estellise," she says, smiles, and holds out her hand. "What's yours?"

Yuri stares at her for a few moments, eyes the offered hand, and suddenly thinks about his single broken-in bag stashed underneath his seat, the one Estellise is sitting in now. She probably has a whole brigade of bags down in cargo; she looks the type and Yuri can almost smell the money on her. It's obvious enough in the way she just thoughtlessly gave up her seat, even though she's gotten the kind of deal she likes in sitting at the window. Overly friendly people kind of weird Yuri out.

Still, the kid's most definitely harmless and she's still smiling and waiting for him.

Eventually, Yuri takes her hand and shakes it firmly.

"My name's Yuri," he says, "Yuri Lowell. Nice to meet you."

Estellise beams a megawatt smile that could light up a darkened room.

"And it's very nice to meet you too," she replies, and Yuri can't help but think she means it. The plane (deathtrap, Yuri thinks) rumbles and shakes a little and Yuri's immeasurably grateful that he's not staring out the window, even though the girl next to him remains nonplussed.

Yuri hates flying. Hates, hates, hates flying and that's not going to change anytime soon, or ever.

But throughout the flight he unlocks his death grip on the arm rest and focuses on Estellise because she's a distraction he didn't know he wanted, and six hours in when she drops pasta on her front during the in-flight meal and buys the both of them a couple of those little bottles of wine from the same stewardess who was giving them death stares earlier, she becomes Estelle.

AN2: Thank you so much for reading! Again, if you liked this or have a request for me, please feel free to drop me a few words in a review or put something in my ask box~