Sophie stood just beyond the glass doors of the arrivals hall, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, fingers curled tightly around the placard she'd made herself.
DARREN was written in bold, uneven letters, with a tiny heart she'd pretended wasn't intentional.
She craned her neck every few seconds, scanning faces as they spilled out,strangers, families, tired travelers until suddenly, there he was.
Darren stepped through the doors, taller than she remembered, pulling his luggage effortlessly,eyes still adjusting to the scene. He looked around once… twice....
And then he saw her.
Before he could even smile properly, Sophie was already moving.
She ran past a confused couple, dodged a trolley, and launched herself straight into him.
"Oof....Soph...!" he laughed, barely managing to catch her as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"I missed you," she said into his neck, breathless and laughing.
He shook his head, amused. "You are ridiculously emotionally attached."
She pulled back just enough to look at him. "Oh please. You love it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"
She grinned. "You flew halfway across the world. That's not exactly different."
That did it. He smiled fully now, warm and unguarded, and leaned in to kiss her, slow, familiar, grounding. The kind of kiss that made the noise of the airport fade into nothing.
When they finally pulled apart, Sophie reached for his suitcase. "Come on, give it...."
He gently moved it out of her reach. "Absolutely not."
She laughed. "Why not?"
"I'm a gentleman," he said seriously. "I wouldn't dream of letting a lady carry my luggage."
She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible.". "And charming," he added, grabbing her hand instead.
They walked out of the airport like that, fingers laced together, shoulders brushing, Sophie leaning into him as though she still needed proof he was real.
The drive home was filled with easy chatter, updates, jokes, stolen glances at red lights. Sophie kept one hand on the steering wheel, the other still laced together resting on his thigh, just because she could.
When they finally got inside her apartment, the door barely closed before Darren pulled her to him again.
"Hi," he murmured against her lips.
"Hi," she echoed, smiling.
Their kisses turned slower, deeper, hands familiar, confident. Sophie tugged him closer, and he laughed softly into her hair.
"Okay," he said, slightly breathless, "I need a bath. Long flight."
She tilted her head, pretending to consider it. "Am I invited?"
He smirked. "You're clingy."
She laughed, bumping her forehead against his. "You love it."
"I do," he admitted easily. "But I know you're joking."
She paused.
Then, without another word, she reached up, pulled her top over her head, and turned toward her room to the bathroom.
There was a beat of stunned silence behind her.
"....Sophie."
She glanced back, eyes sparkling. "What?"
He stared at her, genuinely caught off guard. "I thought you were kidding."
She smiled slowly. "Did you?"
He didn't answer. He just hurried after her, catching her hand before she reached the bathroom door.
"Well," he said softly, voice warm and full of promise, "this just got a lot better than I expected."
She laughed as he pulled her inside. Darren closed the door behind them, not rushing, just leaning back against it for a second as if he needed to steady himself. He looked at her the way people do when they're still catching up to a moment they didn't expect.
"You're dangerous," he said finally, a smile tugging at his mouth.
Sophie laughed, folding her arms loosely not shy, but not performing either. "You're the one who said you knew I was joking."
"I overestimated myself," he admitted.
He crossed the space between them, resting his forehead against hers. His hands came up to her waist, warm, familiar.
"I missed this," he said quietly. "Missed you."
Her teasing softened instantly. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he said.
She kissed him again, slower this time, less playful, full of everything she hadn't said while counting down days. His hands slipped into her hair, her fingers curled into his shirt, and for a moment there was nothing but breath and closeness and the quiet hum of the apartment around them.
When they finally broke apart, he brushed his thumb along her cheek. "Still want to join me?"
She smiled. "I wouldn't have started this if I didn't."
He chuckled, low and affectionate. "Fair point."
They moved around each other easily removing their clothes, turning on the water, brushing shoulders, stealing quick kisses in between small motions. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't desperate. It felt like reunion.....like slipping back into a rhythm that had always been theirs.
As the water began to run, Darren leaned in, lips brushing her ear. "You know," he murmured, "I really did think I had you figured out.".
She smiled against his shoulder. "That's your first mistake."
He laughed, pulling her closer as steam filled the room, the world narrowing down to warmth, laughter, and the quiet joy of being together again.
And for the first time since he landed, Darren felt like he'd truly arrived.