Putting the belt of mine back on my pants and also putting on my shoes, I walk through security in the London airport and then head over with Azrael, James, and Levi to the plane we booked our flights on. Jane has to fly back to D.C. today, and Azrael thought that it would be better to have her in his jet while the four of us headed over to Bahrain with commercial flights.
Walking to the gate where our flight will arrive soon, we sit down in some of the chairs around and wait. Levi and James talk about going to find a store to perhaps acquire a small meal before we get on the plane, and after some more dialogue they agree to do so and depart.
Azrael sits next to me and we talk and wait.
"Did you enjoy London?" asks Azrael to me.
"I did," I reply as I nod, "it was the first place I visited outside of my home country, but I hope it won't be the last. Not to mention that I hope this isn't the last time I come to London."
"I agree," says Azrael, "I really like coming here too. London I think is wonderful. I know they say that kind of things in the movies, but I really do think so."
"Do you think you'll enjoy Bahrain as much as here?" I ask Azrael.
"I'd hope so," says Azrael with a nod, "we'll touch down in the capital of Manama where we'll stay the whole time. The three days will be spent with equal proportion of meeting important figures and also lounging."
"Really?" I ask, "What kind of lounging are we speaking of?"
"Beaches and fine dining," answers Azrael, "I think it's wise to relax, as observing myself I seem to have improved in my physical state while not toiling continuously."
"I agree," I say, "you look better than almost a year ago when we first met."
"I do?" asks Azrael curiously.
"You do," I say with a nod, "your skin seems to have cleared up greatly and also your voice I think has smoothed out."
"I guess so," says Azrael as he holds up his hand, "I used to have awful burn marks on my fingers. But they're gone. And I don't cough as much. That's wonderful."
"It seems you're better off now, eh?" I say with a smile.
"It would," agrees Azrael with a smile and nods, "thank to you mostly. I really should pay you more."
It's not payment I want. I want something more intimate.
"We brought you some sandwiches," says Levi as he arrives back with James, "we're not sure what you wanted, so we picked a few to choose from."
"Oh, that's very nice of you," says Azrael as he smiles and takes a plastic bag handed to him.
"You can choose first," says Azrael as he holds open the plastic bag door me, and I look inside at the sandwiches.
"Thank you, I'll have this," I say as I pick out a tuna sandwich.
"No problem," says Azrael with a smile, and pulls out the turkey sandwich from the bad, and eats it happily.
Around the time when I finish eating my sandwich and take a swig of water, the gate opens and people start to line up to board the plane. Luckily, there's no drama that plagues so many airports and we're soon in our seats sitting down. Azrael and I sit next to each other while James and Levi are in front of us.
"Oh, crap," I say as I look around my backpack.
"What's up?" asks Azrael as he buckles his seatbelt and tightens it around the hoodie he wears today instead of his usual suit.
"Oh, well," I say as I turn to him, "I forgot my headphones. I usually only have my wireless ones, but I don't think those should be used on an airplane. Being signals and all that."
"Oh, do you want to use mine?" offers Azrael as he holds up his.
"Do you have two?" I ask while starting to reach out for them.
"No. But you can use them. I think I can ask for another pair," says Azrael.
"No, I'll ask for a pair then," I say as start to pull my hand back.
"It's really no trouble at all if you use them," offers Azrael, still holding them out.
"Hmm, well," I say, and I start to think quick and get an idea in my head, then smile, "how about we use it together?"
"How do you mean?" asks Azrael.
"Well, maybe we could listen to music from, say, your phone together," I suggest, "we can use one side each."
"Do you like the music I listen to?" asks Azrael.
"I do," I say honestly, "I'd say you have great taste."
"That's very kind of you," says Azrael as he blushes a little.
"So what do you say?" I ask.
"Well, why not?" says Azrael as he smiles.
Pulling out his phone, he plugs in the earbuds before offering me one side, which I take with a smile. Putting it into my ear, I start to hear the music of his. It's not bad at all, and consists of a guitar and what I think is a viola. But it could easily be a violin. They sound very similar to one another, and I can't tell the the difference.
"What is this music?" I ask curiously as the plane begins to move, and we start to move into position on the runway so we can take off.
"It's from a person called Astor Piazzolla," says Azrael, "it's said by many that he reinvented the Argentinian tango."
"Is this song a tango?" I ask.
"Not quite," says Azrael as he shakes his head, and so does the airplane as we start to pick up speed as the plane is taking off, "it's more of a slow waltz-like song. But you can certainly dance to it."
"Do you dance?" I ask.
"Not really," says Azrael, "I...I don't have people to dance with. And I don't think I ever will."
I nod, but I want to say that he will have one. Or does now. I would dance with him. Slow, softly, and tenderly. There'd be no trouble from my end to do that. I'd do it.
And now that I think of it, I should have told him just now, that I would dance with him. I regret not having spoke out. I know I want to be with him, and only him. There's no question in my mind. But I'm so...I don't know what it is that I am, but can't just tell him.
Am I waiting for some sign, some instance that I can say this to him, to divulge it? Should I wat for when he's alone, and not near others? Probably. Thinking now, it would be a terribly stupid idea to confess my love to him in an airplane.
One, he'd be exposed to many people, and I don't want that. Not to mention that, two, I want it to be between only me and him. Not anybody else around. Just him and I. Nobody else.
So I have to wait for that private and adequate instance.
Flying for several hours, Azrael and I listen to music from his phone, and when we don't like that we plug in the headphones to a chair and watch a movie or two together with the TV that is in the back of the seat in front of me. Azrael I let lean his head on my shoulder as we watch, and I couldn't ask for anything more as we travel together.
After our trip in the air, we start to descend lower and head back to earth. After touching down, we get out of our seats and then get off the plane with James and Levi. We collect our baggage and then go through customs and immigration, which is not at all difficult. The airport itself is not that large, which I like since I won't get lost and there's no possibility of it really present.
Once we leave the main part of the airport, Azrael uses his phone to order two taxis to the hotel that we'll be staying at.
"It's a resort, actually," says Azrael as he and I get into one taxi with Levi and the other in the other, "I think you'll like it."
"Have you been to Bahrain before?" I ask curiously.
"I have, yes," says Azrael, "my family, on my, ah, father's side, is from here. Partially."
"Wow, I never knew," I say with my eyes widening a little in surprise.
"It's not much," says Azrael with a wave of his hand, "I only know cursory Arabic, and in reality, I know more about D.C. than Manama, laughably."
"What's the place we'll be staying?" I ask.
"Sofitel Bahrain," answer Azrael, "it's wonderful. I've been there once or twice, and it really is wonderful."
"I can't wait to arrive," I say with a smile.
Azrael nods with a smile, and we drive for about half an hour before a very large building in particular appears before us and we are taken to. It's night out, and I'm starting to get a bit tired as we get out and grab our baggage. The hotel is beautiful I see as we enter in, and beautiful chandeliers hang down from the ceiling in warm yellow colors, and there are large geometric designs and pieces of art all around, that I'm moving my head more than my feet looking around instead of walking.
"Wow," says James as he also comes inside behind me, and Levi looks around as well.
"It really is something, isn't it?" asks Azrael to us as he smiles a little.
"Yeah," I say as I nod and smile, "you really do have great taste, don't you?"
"I'd like to say so," says Azrael.
Turning to the left, he walks over to the front-desk where he checks in for us.
The hotel itself seems to be a large round shape, not a full circle, but like a crescent, and all the rooms seem to point toward a certain direction.
"It's a little hard to see," says Azrael as he gets four card-keys as he points to a large group of windows that take up an entire side of the large atrium that the lobby is, "but over in that direction is the ocean. You'll be able to see it tomorrow."
"Maybe tomorrow then," says James hopefully.
Azrael nods, then leads us to elevators which we enter before getting off and then heading to our rooms. The beautiful decoration is still present, and soon we're at out rooms. Levi and James again are down the hall from us, and the rooms that Azrael and I have are next to each other but are within a pair of doors we can close so that we can have a hallway between our rooms private to everyone.
"Well, I'll see you three tomorrow," says Azrael.
"Good-night," says Levi to all of us, and James and I say the same thing before heading to our rooms.
Inside is a bed for me, and I start to settle in. I know that I could never afford this hotel room with my income, however generous Azrael is in my payment. But with him kindness and his income, I get the possibility of being in a room like this.
After showering, I think that perhaps I should say something to Azrael to show my gratitude for this opportunity.
Pulling my pajamas on my body that is slightly damp, I open my door and grab my key before walking the small distance to Azrael's door.
Knocking, I hear an answer before it opens. Azrael stands on the other side with only a towel wrapped around his waist and his skin slightly damp with his hair wet and shiny.
I have to remember just who I am to Azrael to stop myself from rushing forward and pressing him onto the bed as his appearance is just so delectable that I almost lick my lips.
"Hello, Hogarth," says Azrael as he opens the door more, and it's getting hard not to just have him, "what seems to be the issue?"
"There's no issue," I answer, "it's just, I wanted to say thank-you for paying for this trip and also my room. It's very nice, and I really appreciate it."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for that," says Azrael with a smile, "it's a given."
"Still," I say as I also smile, "I just wanted to say thank-you, again. I really appreciate it."
"Well, I'm grateful for you too," says Azrael as he smiles more, "you really help me out, and I like having you around. I know I've said that some bit, but it's true."
"I'm humbled by that," I say, and feel my face heat up.
"It's getting late," says Azrael, "you're probably tired. How about we continue talking tomorrow, eh?"
"Sure thing," I say as we both smile.
Saying good-night, I head back to my room, and get into bed. I am weary, so I start to doze off. But Azrael's words linger with me. His presence sadly though, doesn't.