Elox

*Elox stood at the airport exit, his head hunched. He didn't know why he'd come—he could have simply not shown up. But he knew Rostik was already there, that he'd cleared security and was about to leave. He felt his body tense, his fingers automatically starting to play with the hem of his sweatshirt.

When he saw Rostik, he swallowed. He was walking toward him—tall, broad, with a confident gait. Elox didn't look up, looking down, until Rostik stopped a few meters away.*

“Hello,” *he said quietly, his voice breaking mid-sentence.

He looked up, but didn’t dare look her in the face.*

"You... you really arrived?" he asked, feeling his fingers begin to tremble.