Falling at 30,000 feets

"Uh..." Jayden began, his voice lower than usual as he shuffled his feet slightly, avoiding her gaze. The pillow he held was clutched so tightly its corners were wrinkled. "Can I come in and sleep with you?"

The question hung in the air, simple but heavy with unspoken meaning. The warm glow from the bedside lamp cast soft shadows across his face, making his expression harder to read.

Jane swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. She'd been half-asleep a moment ago, but now she was wide awake-every nerve ending in her body tingling with awareness.

For a moment, she said nothing. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her robe-she'd pulled it on over her pajamas when she heard his knock-as her thoughts spiraled.

This is normal... we're married... this was bound to happen sooner or later... this was always the next step...

She inhaled quietly, her chest rising and falling slowly as she forced herself to relax.

"...Sure," she said at last, her voice steady despite the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She adjusted her robe instinctively, pulling it closed a little tighter as she sat a little straighter against the headboard.

Jayden stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him. The floorboards creaked gently under his weight-familiar sounds from the months they'd spent living in this house, but now they felt charged with new tension.

Each step he took toward the bed made Jane's heart pound harder against her ribs. Oh, get a grip, Jane, she scolded herself internally. It's not a big deal. People do this every day.

Jayden reached the bedside and carefully placed his pillow down next to hers, adjusting it with unnecessary precision-smoothing the case, tapping it into place-clearly trying to buy time. From the corner of his eye, he stole a quick glance at her, then immediately focused back on the bedding.

Then, slowly, he slipped under the blanket-keeping a respectful distance between them, his body angled slightly away as he lay down on his back. The space between them was easily wide enough for another person to fit comfortably.

Safe.

Too safe.

Jane followed, lying down stiffly on her back, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She kept her hands clasped in her lap, her body rigid as a board.

They both stared at the ceiling.

Silent.

Neither moving.

Neither daring to close the gap. The only sound in the room was the soft hum of the air conditioning and their quiet, measured breathing.

Seconds stretched into minutes.

Then-

Jane turned slightly toward him, her shoulder brushing against the sheets as she shifted.

"Well..." she began, her voice hesitant and barely above a whisper. "You go first."

Jayden turned his head, meeting her eyes for a brief second-his dark gaze warm but uncertain-then quickly looked away, clearly just as unsure of what to do next as she was.

Jane immediately turned back to the ceiling, swallowing nervously as she stared at the same water stain she'd been meaning to have fixed for weeks.

Another pause. Long enough that Jane began to wonder if he'd fallen asleep.

Then-

Jayden shifted. He propped himself slightly on his elbow and leaned toward her, his movement slow and deliberate.

Jane's breath caught in her throat. Her hands clenched into fists under the blanket as she watched him draw closer, his face illuminated by the faint light from the hallway under the door.

His face drew closer.

Slowly.

Carefully.

He lowered his head-

Jane's eyes widened, and instinctively-her hand shot up, pressing her palm gently but firmly over his mouth.

"Wait-" she said quickly, her voice a little too loud in the quiet room as she avoided his gaze.

Jayden blinked in confusion, pulling back slightly as he looked at her hand covering his lips.

"...What?" he asked, his voice muffled slightly before she lowered her hand.

Jane's voice faltered, her cheeks flushing faintly pink even in the dim light. She fidgeted with the edge of the blanket, her eyes fixed on the pillow between them.

"Did you... buy that...?" she trailed off, her words stumbling over each other.

"Buy what?" Jayden asked, his brows knitting together in genuine confusion as he propped himself up fully, looking at her with concern.

Jane's face burned brighter now, and she finally managed to force the words out in a rush.

"I-I mean..." she stammered, still not looking at him. "... you know. My career is just starting-I'm building up my flight hours,... I'm not ready for kids yet..."

The words tumbled out awkwardly, leaving her feeling exposed and foolish.

A beat of silence followed. Jayden sat still for a moment, processing her words-then his expression softened, understanding dawning in his eyes. A quiet, gentle smile formed on his lips.

"Jane," he called gently, reaching out as if to touch her arm then pulling his hand back again.

"...Hmm?" she responded, finally glancing at him-her eyes wide and embarrassed.

"If you're not in a hurry," he said calmly, his voice warm and reassuring, "I can wait. For as long as you need."

She blinked, her confusion clear on her face. "What do you mean?"

Jayden didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned closer again-slowly, so she had time to pull away if she wanted to.

Jane froze. Her eyes fluttered shut, bracing herself-her heart hammering against her ribs.

But instead of her lips-

She felt something light. Warm. Gentle.

A kiss. On her forehead. Soft and brief, like a butterfly landing on her skin.

Her eyes opened slowly, her breath catching as she looked up at him. His face was close enough that she could see the faint lines around his eyes, the warmth in his dark gaze.

"Until you're ready," he said quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I won't touch you. I'll wait. We can take this as slow as you need."

Then he smiled-soft and affectionate-and without another word, he shifted back to his side of the bed, pulling the blanket up to his chest as he lay down on his back again. That careful, respectful distance remained between them.

Jane lay there, stunned. Her heart was still racing-but for a completely different reason now. Warmth spread through her chest, unexpected and unfamiliar, making her feel light and a little breathless.

Then-

Her brows furrowed slightly as realization hit her full force.

Damn it...

She pulled the blanket over her face in embarrassment, burrowing into the sheets until only her hair was visible.

I misunderstood everything...

"So when he said 'sleep together'... he really meant just sleep..." she muttered into the fabric, her voice muffled and mortified. She buried herself deeper under the covers, wishing the bed would swallow her whole.

Just then-

A soft beep broke the silence, cutting through the quiet of the room.

Jayden reached for his phone on the nightstand, his movements quiet so as not to disturb her. The screen lit up faintly in the dark, casting a cool blue glow across his face.

A message notification from an unknown number.

His eyes scanned it briefly-then paused. The faint smile that had lingered on his lips faded-just slightly-replaced by an expression that was hard to read in the dim light.

On the screen, a single line read:

"Mandy will be back tomorrow."

Jayden's fingers stilled around the phone, his thumb hovering over the screen as he stared at the words.