Soulmates: Writing on Skin [Seaycee AU]

Eight

"Six hours of sitting in between you two without being able to move away was more than enough torture than I ever expected." Sean muttered as he followed Kaycee out of the airport terminal, Tahani close behind him.

"You had fun, Seany boy. At least we kept you awake." Tahani laughed, tugging her suitcase behind her.

"That was the problem. All I wanted to do was sleep, I've been up since five." Sean whined.

Kaycee rolled her eyes, turning around so she was walking backwards, "Are you going to be this much of a grouch the entire trip? Or are we gonna have to send you on another six hour flight back to L.A. alone?" She pursed her lips, waiting for Sean's reply.

Sean sighed, "As long as you guys let me sleep, I'll be fine." He returned Kaycee's stare, pursing his own lips to mock her. She threw her head back in laughter, slowing herself down so she'd be able to walk by Sean's side.

Tahani watched as Kaycee fell into sync with Sean in front of her. The two conversing about the flight and the trip ahead of them. She felt a smirk tugging at her lips. She saw the gleam in both of their eyes when they spoke to each other, how they'd unintentionally get closer as they were walking. She also noticed how neither of them could look away, their gazes fixed on each other so intensely she thought for sure they'd have run into something, or someone, by now.

"They're in their own little world, I swear." Kylie whispered, walking up behind Tahani, "It's almost scary how they don't even notice anyone else."

"It's intriguing, for sure," Tahani stated, watching as the two simultaneously threw their heads back in laughter, "They act like they don't see how special their bond is."

"I think they're learning." Kylie whispered, quieter than before.

Tahani looked to Kylie quizzically, but Kylie didn't meet her eyes. Instead, she just pointed to the van in front of them that would be transporting them to the hotel, "I think we should put our stuff in the back."

Tahani placed her suitcase on top of Kylie's in the trunk and climbed into the back with Sean and Kaycee, who were already buckled and on their phones. She took her place beside Kaycee, who resided in the middle.

As the rest of Kaycee's family hoisted themselves into the van, Tahani watched Kaycee's eyebrows furrow and her lips drop from their perpetual smile into a frown. She took a deep breath and turned her phone upside down in her lap and stared straight ahead.

"You good?" Tahani asked quietly.

"Jack's still being passive aggressive about this entire trip," Kaycee started, gaining a side glance from Sean, "He doesn't understand why he wasn't allowed to come."

Tahani watched as Sean quickly looked away, trying to avoid partaking in this conversation. She sighed, "Just tell him to drop it. If he doesn't respect that, then we'll figure out what to say next. You're not going to let someone who isn't even here ruin your birthday trip."

Kaycee let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned her phone around and hovered her fingers over the keyboard before telling Jack to drop it, just like Tahani had said. She pressed send and sat back in her seat, "That's gonna start an argument later."

Tahani bit her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from telling Kaycee exactly what she was thinking. She knew that wasn't something she needed right now.

Unfortunately for her, Kaycee noticed, "What? What do you want to say?" Kaycee asked. Tahani could hear the exhaustion in her voice. Exhaustion from fighting, whether it be fighting with Jack, fighting with herself to stay with Jack, or fighting with her family about Jack, Tahani couldn't exactly tell. But she knew that Jack was the problem.