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[Location: Düsseldorf International Airport — Arrivals Terminal | Date: 22/12/2019 | Time: 10:15 AM CET]
A crowd gathered at the arrival gates, bundled in winter coats and scarves, some holding signs, others craning their necks with anticipation. Among them stood Rakim Rex, casually dressed in a pair of jeans, a white off-cardigan turtleneck, and a jean jacket made by an Italian designer named Print. The Jacket was ripped on the elbows, a little on the shoulders, with a hand-stitched white tiger in the middle of climbing a waterfall.
The finishing touches on his look were the two rows of sterling silver necklaces that hung around his neck and a silver stainless steel Rolex. He leaned against a marble column; his gaze fixed on the glass doors that separated the arrivals from the rest of the world. Flashes from nearby phones occasionally lit up as a few travellers recognised him and whispered among themselves.
Some had even come up to him to ask for selfies and to sign a few things they managed to have on hand. He had come early out of habit, but now he regretted his decision since he didn't quite expect to be this famous in Düsseldorf. Trying to remain composed, he turned up the music on his left airpod, a soft R&B track humming in his ears as he waited.
The beat thumped gently in his ears as Rakim exhaled through his nose, and he tried his best not to let the stray glances bother him too much. He didn't have to wait long as another group of passengers who had picked up their suitcases from the conveyor belt marched out of the glass door. He recognised her peach blonde curls in the mass of people, almost instantly, wheeling a matte black suitcase behind her.
She wore an oversized cream hoodie tucked into high-waisted Joggers with a matching pair of custom beige Air Forces. May's steps quickened the moment she spotted him, her dark green eyes lit up, and a wide smile appeared on her face. She immediately dropped her suitcase and practically jogged the rest of the way into Rakim's open arms.
He caught her effortlessly, lifting her as she wrapped her long legs around his waist and used her hands to wrap around his neck. Without a care for who was watching, she pressed her lips to his in a kiss that melted the hum of the airport into silence. Fireworks went off around them, and for 20 whole seconds, the world around them disappeared.
Her fingers brushed against the back of his neck, and when she finally pulled away, their foreheads lingered together. "Missed you," May whispered against his lips, her voice out of breath and soft.
"I know," he said, still holding her tight as the bright smile on his face widened. "I missed me, too."
May let out a snort and smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "You're impossible, you know that."
"And yet," Rakim said, gently lowering her to the ground, "you flew across the ocean just to see me."
"Can you even consider that little stretch of the North Sea between England, France the ocean?" May questioned, not really expecting an answer, considering that the two countries had managed to dig a tunnel connecting the island country to the mainland. "I mostly came for the hot showers and stocked minibar in your penthouse," she teased, brushing a curl behind her ear as she reached down for her suitcase.
"Hahaha, did my dear sister run out of apple juice or something, 'cause last time I checked, you don't drink alcohol?" Rakim retorted in question, but his hands wrapped around her slim waist subconsciously tightened in worry.
"Don't be silly, New Year's will be my 2 years sober mark, and I don't plan on slipping off the wagon anytime soon." She retorted with a gentle smile before promptly slapping his arms, forcing him to let go. Before Rakim could even respond to her words, an annoyed man's voice resounded, instantly capturing their attention.
"Whose fuckakter bag is this?!" A large, chubby man with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a fallen suitcase next to May's bags could be seen stopping his feet in rage. "People these days are too inconsiderate,"
Before he could turn a deeper shade of red that could well cause steam to escape from his ears, Rakim quickly sprinted before him. "We apologise, sir, we were just too excited upon meeting, we will pay if anything is broken."
The man huffed, clearly still irritated, but the sharp edge of his anger dulled slightly when he finally recognised who stood in front of him. His scowl softened into a blink of disbelief. "Wait a minute… You're Rakim, Finn is gonna lose his shit when he finds out," he said n excitement as he skilfully pulled out his phone and proceeded to face time the man in question.
Standing there in awkward silence, the 3 of them waited as the man's phone rang once, rang twice, rang thrice, and rang a fourth time. "Wtf Ben, I don't want to hear another one of your pigeon conspiracy theories. If the government has the time to send pigeon robots to watch your fat ass laze off at work, then they can dam well solve the self-inflicted refugee plague inflicting our country..."
The man named Finn, a fit-looking middle-aged man on the other end of the screen, continued on his rant, bringing up all kinds of topics. The man whom they now know as Ben could only stand there boiling over with rage, embarrassment and a multitude of emotions. His skin tone, which had been flushed in anger before, was now almost crimson with veins almost popping.
"Man, I don't even know how you managed to become the investment head at Deutsche Bank Cologne, given your character, oh, you're on FaceTime (huh)" Finn, who had his entire focus on his computer since answering the phone as he multitasked now sat frozen as he stared at the phone. "Your R'rakim... No way, no way, no way. You really are Rakim, I'd recognise those eyes even in a crowded bar fight,"
Finn's face quickly morphed into different shades of shock, disbelief, mistrust and finally acceptance. He adjusted his headset, the swivel chair beneath him squeaking as he sat upright. "Ben, you absolute cow—why didn't you say you ran into Rakim Rex of all people? Didn't we just watch their match against Mainz yesterday? What kind of horse shit luck do you have to run into him? Guess it's true what they say, what god doesn't give in looks, he makes up for it in other aspects."
"Oi, You Spanish puta did you just call me ugly?" Ben exclaimed loud enough to draw attention from nearby tourists and arrivals, not that he cared, though. "Everyone knows that the size of one's bank account adds fifty points to a man's looks. Considering my above-average looks and the size of my bank account, I might as well be 7 feet and a Hemsworth."
"You, a Hemsworth? Haha, that's the most preposterous thing you have said to date. What's next? You gonna tell me you are a distant Bezos?" Finn mercilessly retorted, not holding back any punches. "Anyway, you met Rakim, that's cool, I guess."
"Let me tell you, my mum was born in Australia, so the likelihood of me being a Hemsworth is just as likely as the fact that Rakim Rex, our Leverkusen wunderkind, is standing in front of me." Ben retorted in a smug tone, causing Rakim to wonder how his being here was enough reason to back up the mans lies.
Rakim exchanged a quick glance with May, who looked a little tired, before finally speaking up. "You might want to have your mum's DNA tested before you start claiming Avengers royalties. Before that, let's solve our dispute., My girl just landed, and I need to feed her before she becomes a different person."
"Hahah, I get it, snickers," Finn burst out laughing from the screen, finding it way too funny that Rakim even started to rethink his career choice, only coming back to earth upon seeing May's unamused expression. "Ben, what are you doing giving those kids trouble? Just have him take a picture and sign an extra jersey for me, or don't bother sitting next to me at the next home game."
"Shut up, I was gonna do that anyway, would I still be holding them up if not for my need to show off in front of you?" Ben quickly complained, his words firing faster than a Gatling gun before directly ending the call. "Sorry about that, but his family has been Leverkusen fans since the club's inception, so I just had to share this moment with him."
"It's all good, I have met weirder fans you two are actually quite mellow compared to the crazy stans," Rakim commented with a slight hint of fear. "How about we go out to my car? I've got my training bag with my boots and game kit; I can sign for you and Finn."
"Hahah, that sounds good to me, let's go quickly," Ben excitedly exclaimed before bending down to pick up his fallen suitcase. Rakim did the same for May's suitcase and handbag, placing her fallen puma cap back on her head.
Ben wheezed slightly as he straightened up with his suitcase, his breath fogging up in the chill of the airport air. "Let's go, we are losing daylight."
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To Be Continued...
