They had been in the air for a good few hours, beneath them the blinking city lights of Chicago, Michigan, and finally New York, had ebbed away, leaving below just the endless black roll of ink-black sea, rippling silver in the moonlight.
Every now and then they would pass through a cloud and the glimpse of the sea would momentarily disappear.
The sky was full of a million stars, seeming to surround them, hanging daintily, lost in the black of night like a thousand misplaced earrings.
Zoe's head rolled, bumping again against Max's shoulder, she stiffened and sat up, stifling a yawn and rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
Max was flicking through a paper, the pages rustled as he turned them.
"Aren't you tired?"
She asked, yawning again, this time It was unstoppable and she placed her hand to her mouth, her ears popping as she yawned.
Max shook his head, resting the paper down on his lap and slipping a hand over her knee, the skin of his thumb catching her tights.
"Too much going on up here."
He tapped the side of his head with his other hand, an air hostess was slowly making her way towards them with the drinks trolley.
"Tell me..."
Zoe rearranged herself in her seat so that she could face him, resting her head back against the head rest, the lap belt she wore digging in slightly where it clipped at her waist.
He leant his head back and puffed out a breath.
"I'm just worrying."
He said, the air hostess made her way to them, by passing the passengers in front who were fast asleep, their eye masks covering their eyes.
He waved the hostess past, with a silent thanks.
"That doesn't sound like you."
Zoe placed her hand on top of his own, curling her fingers around his hand that rested on her knee, she could feel the warmth of him, the strength of him just in those fingers.
He turned his head, smiling lazily.
"Ah...that was before I lost my job and spent all of my money on a flight to America to win back some girl..."
He spoke slowly, watching the glimmer of amusement ebb across her eyes.
"I hope she was worth it."
She smiled, tracing the ridges and grooves of his hands with her fingers.
"She was."
He nodded his head gently.
"But..."
He reached his free arm to fiddle with the overhead air conditioning unit, closing it off with an awkward twist.
"I still don't know what to when I get back. I won't have a job. I'll owe Robyn rent, I owe you thousands..."
He pinched between his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as he spoke. Zoe squeezed his hand tight.
"You don't owe me anything."
She said quietly.
He rolled his head to look at her, no smile, just a deep breath in and a drawn out sigh.
"I'll talk to...whoever is in charge of porters..."
She smiled again as she spoke but still his own smile remained elusive.
"I'm glad you did..."
She whispered, looking down at his hand, feeling a rough patch of skin where his sling had rubbed.
"Hmm?"
He murmured, turning to face her again, letting his head loll back against the head rest.
"I'm glad you came to find me."
She said, raising her gaze to meet his own, biting her lip as his smile slowly returned and he tilted his head forward so that their foreheads touched.
"So...do you still want me to come to stay at your...gaff? I can imagine Robyn has already given most of my things to charity and turned my room into some sort of in house spa..."
Zoe bit the edge of her lip against her smile, his eyes were so blue, and his skin was hot against her own, his breath smelled of the cider he had had when they boarded the plane.
"If you'd like to...then I'd like you too..."
He kissed her quickly before she'd even realised that he was going to, she touched her lips with her finger tips.
"I'd like to."
He hissed, his smile, that smile that he wore, splitting evenly across his lips as he pressed her fingers against his own between them, noticing the difference in their skin colour, her fingers the colour of melting honey, her nails free of varnish and perfectly neat.
"Do you know what I've always wanted to do?"
He asked, looking back up at her, noticing the soft rise and fall of her chest beneath her jumper.
She could see the sparkle ignite again behind his eyes, could feel the pressure of his forehead against her own, could see him again, through the fug of all that had happened, with Henry, Helena, they'd left behind those prisoners in the land of the free. Now they were just them, back to their life in Holby.
She dipped her eyes, watching his fingers snake her own.
"What's that?"
She asked, her voice so soft.
He smiled and nudged her nose with his own, tempting her with his lips.
"What is it you have to do to join the mile high club...?"
He asked, smiling again as the colour rose in her cheeks and she shook her head slightly against his.
"I don't think there's an actual club..."
Zoe whispered, closing her eyes momentarily as he dipped to kiss her again. This time he lingered as he pulled away, his lips just touching her own, his breath tickling her skin.
"Want to find out?"
He asked.
More soon (hopefully two updates tomo) x Someone asked if I'm American because I'd been writing about it, I'm not American but I spend a lot of time in Michigan and Chicago (I live in England though) Hopefully I did it justice! xxx