Sky-diving

Sky-diving


Chapter Eighty-Two

The inside of the aircraft was far smaller than Lucian had expected.

The cabin walls vibrated continuously as the twin engines pulled them higher into the sky. It felt like Lucian could feel every bolt in the aircraft, while the deafening drone of the propellers swallowed every ordinary sound. 

They sat on narrow benches running along each side of the fuselage. They were already secured inside their harnesses while the instructors completed the final inspection. The thick straps crossed over Lucian's shoulders and chest, wrapping tightly down to his legs, pressing firmly enough that every breath he took reminded him they were there.

He adjusted his goggles for ther fifth time. He was already rethinking this whole idea. Jumping out of a perfectly working plane did not make any sense. 

His instructor laughed heartily. "Those goggles are not going anywhere, sir."

"I know,” Lucian muttered, looking away. The man did not let it go. 

"You've checked them five times,” he stated and Lucian shot him a look. "Nervous?"

Lucian let out a sigh, looking out the tiny windows.

Thousands of feet below, the roads were already shrinking to thin gray lines cutting across the fields like someone had stitched together different shades of green and gold. Cars no longer looked like cars. They looked like insects crawling quietly through the countryside.

"...A little,” he muttered, then his eyes darted across the cabin to meet the curly-haired man he was doing all this for. 

Artemis looked completely different. 

He was sitting comfortably against his instructor, his gloved hand resting on his knee while his eyes remained fixed on the scenery outside. Sunlight spilled through the window beside him, outlining his profile in soft gold as the clouds drifted slowly past.

There wasn't the slightest hint of anxiety on his face. Instead, there was excitement. Something Lucian hadn’t seen in a while. 

The boy was really looking forward to this and Lucian couldn't help his smile. To see the spark in those grey eyes, he would do anything. 

Artemis felt eyes on him. He glanced towards the professor, catching him in the act. He threw the man a smirk. “Smitten, professor?”

Lucian scoffed, rolling his eyes despite the smile touching his lips. “Cocky brat.”

"You've been staring at me for minutes. Anyonbe would think you want to eat me alive,” Artemis smugly responded. Lucian snorted but said nothing to that. Artemis watched him for some seconds before asking, “Having second thoughts?”

"I wouldn't dare,” Lucian responded, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to ruin the experience for Artemis, even if he could feel everything he ate earlier in his throat. 

Before Artemis could say anything, the jump light above the cabin door flashed from red to green.

The jumpmaster stood up to slide the heavy door open, and instantly there b was a violent rush of freezing air. The wind crashed inside with astonishing force, roaring through the aircraft until conversation became impossible. Every loose strap whipped wildly while sunlight flooded through the open doorway, revealing a view so breathtaking that Lucian forgot to breathe.

It didn't look real, almost like someone had painted the entire world. Artemis was guided toward the open doorway first. He didn't even hesitate for a moment, it was more like he would have jumped out if there weren’t protocols to follow. 

Standing at the edge of ten thousand feet, he glanced back over his shoulder. His goggles hid part of his expression, but Lucian knew he was smirking. 

"Try not to pass out, professor,” He said over the wind. Lucian wanted to retort but held back and nodded instead. He needed to prepare himself mentally instead of bantering words with Artemis.

However, nothing prepared him to see Artemis drop out of the plane. 

Lucian hurried toward the opening, his heartbeat pounding so loudly he barely noticed his instructor clipping the final straps into place. Cold air slammed against his face as he reached the edge. His eyes scattered throughout the horizon, searching for one person. 

There was no sensation quite like looking straight down from ten thousand feet. His stomach tightened instantly. Then he found Artemis.

A small figure suspended against an endless ocean of blue, arms spread wide as the wind carried him effortlessly through the sky.

Relief washed through him and Lucian laughed despite himself. He was the same person who bragged to Laura that the chances of falling to your death was less than two percent, yet here he was, panicking over someone who clearly had a parachaute. 

Watching Artemis like this gave him a sense of fulfilment he couldn’t explain. The boy looked so… free. He could watch him forever. 

"Ready?" his instructor yelled, snapping him out of his own thoughts. Dread filled him instantly but he nodded. Artemis would never let him hear the end of it if he backed out now. 

Lucian took a deep breath. "Let's go."

The first second felt like hell. Every organ inside his body seemed to rise into his throat as gravity ripped the plane away behind him. The wind exploded against his chest with unbelievable force, flattening his clothes against his skin while the deafening roar swallowed every thought inside his head. His heart hammered wildly as they accelerated through open air, the landscape rushing toward them faster than his mind could understand. Fear seized him for only a heartbeat before something else replaced it.

Pure exhilaration.

It felt like everything around him came to life.

The air wrapped around him, lifting and supporting him until falling no longer felt like falling at all. It felt like flying. Clouds swept past so closely he imagined he could reach out and touch them, while sunlight bathed everything in gold. He threw his head back and laughed.

Ahead of him, Artemis angled his body with effortless control, gliding across the current until the distance between them slowly disappeared. He reached a gloved hand toward Lucian.

Lucian reached back.

The resistance of the wind fought every movement, but he stretched just a little farther.

Their fingertips met.

Only for a second. A brief contact in the endless blue sky, with the whole world spread under them, it felt like the only thing that existed.

It set off a wave of sparks through them. Lucian caught Artemis’ breathtaking smile and his heart fluttered. The feeling of butterflies in his stomach made him want to lean forward and just kiss Artemis.

Then, almost simultaneously, both instructors deployed the parachutes, forcing them apart again. Lucian was caught off guard. He’d completely forgotten they had company. He should have gone for an AFF instead.

The sudden pull snapped them upright, and the roaring wind disappeared as if someone flipped a switch. Silence settled around them, leaving only the gentle flutter of nylon overhead. The world slowed to a peaceful glide.

Lucian looked across the open sky until he found Artemis again, suspended under a bright red canopy that drifted effortlessly through the afternoon sun. Artemis looked back at him, his smile still there, soft, beautiful, but unmistakably real.

Lucian couldn't stop smiling either then Artemis yelled the stupidest thing ever,

“Let’s get married, professor.”