Claudia liked them, that was why Amber had been beaten bloody and bruised. A fan had dared to touch their beloved, a damned fucking fan. They treasured their fans, they understood the obsession, they understood their need for exclusivity.
IDOL created a fantasy, but that didn't mean they would stand down if the delusion got too far. That didn't mean they wouldn't act like motherfuckers to people who deserved it. People who hurt their families for them were people who deserved to go to hell.
And Claudia deserved all the karma she could get.
Oliver leaned over, tightening Amber's seatbelt with a quick snap of his fingers. She'd wiggled when he drew it too tight around her tummy, giving him a pout when it dug at her skin. He relented, begrudgingly pushing away the edge of protectiveness, loosening the straps to let it rest just over her skin. The cute bulge of a small belly made him smile.
They were on a plane, travelling to the first concert venue for the tour and he was given the privilege to sit by her. First-class tickets had been purchased, an expense to ensure maximum privacy during the long flight. Their people swarmed the section just after them, promising that for at least that corner of the plane. There would be a certain level of safety.
That and Claudia's security team would ensure it. If there was anything he would be thankful to Claudia for, it was her ability to procure the best security he'd ever had in his entire career. He now knew that it was the reason why JieMi's scandal didn't lead to swarms of fans after their sorry asses. And the reason why Amber could continue her classes right after.
Claudia was useful, he would give her that.
"We'll visit you all the time during the tour, you know that right?" Hikaru spoke to Amber from the window seat, glasses perched on his nose. "There's no way we'll leave you alone when we can do something about it."
There were other issues when it came to the tour, leaving her behind was one. Her, finishing school was another. Time spent apart would be time spent worrying for their soulmate. And time spent apart would mean no kisses for their touch starved souls. The sexual frustration would peak in their household and Oliver dreaded the day when he needed to take a shit, but the boys were wanking in every damn toilet. Of course, he could be the one wanking in the toilet.
"I'll be fine, It'll be nice to be independent for a while," she shrugged with a smile. "Besides, when I finish school I can go wherever I want and be with everyone. Travelling sounds nice." It was nice. Oliver looked forward to the day he could bring Amber shopping for clothes that were much more exciting.
"Wait till you experience the constant jetlag. It fucked me up." Ezra waved a hand to his eyebags, pulling his hair free from his eyes with a thick band.
He didn't sleep the night before, anxiety tinged in the bounce of his feet as he paced the room. Ezra was always worried at night, his brain would overreact, his mind would explode. Oliver had to pull him to her door that night to whisper to him that Amber was alright. The mini fart she let out after wriggling into Casper's arms made them both snort, struggling not to laugh beneath their palms.
"Your eyebags are hot," she pointed that out.
"The fuck, baby?" But Ezra's cheeks turned a soft pink, salmon with love. Soft, subdued, no longer always angry.
The seatbelt lights flickered, bouncing as the safety announcement played and the others were forced back to their seats. As the plane ascended, Oliver shivered clutching Amber's hand as he mouthed a soft prayer, traitorous brain spewing with thoughts of explosion, malfunction and death. He was mildly afraid of planes, more specifically perhaps, the fear of his soulmate and his best friends dying from a plane crash and leaving him behind.
Inhaling Amber's scent soothed him. The sweet feminine tang and the fresh crisp of apples lulled him into a brain dead state that had a loopy smile forming on his lips. The plane trembled and then stilled as it dropped into a steadier speed. The lights were turned on, signalling the end of the first possible imminent danger. He relaxed, but his hand remained in Amber's, relaxing the squeeze.
The others leave their seats almost immediately to crowd their shared space. But Oliver zoned out letting their words wash over him as he focussed, dumbly and with zero brain cells, on the warmth of her hand. It filled him, pulled and dragged at the emptiness in his chest. It satisfied him in ways he could not describe. It made him feel as if he could live with just her touch alone. It was as if he were in the warm soup of the best bath he'd ever had in his life. But they leave eventually, and Oliver had her all for himself.
His soul throbbed when she glanced at him with the warmest, loveliest eyes. He couldn't help himself, couldn't help the words from spilling through his lips straight from his breaking heart. It stung and burned every time it remembered what he'd done. A single action, a rippling effect. He was also low on brain cells and particularly emotional because of everything.
"I'm sorry."
"You need to stop apologising," she sighed and then smiled. "I'll get mad." The action hurt him when he realised his own words jolted the memories through her head. It made his brain flash with bad memories too. The words above her head, duller because they were so close, screamed his thoughts. Idiot, you made her sad. You made us all sad. Yeah, he did.
"I—" He stopped himself from saying the word again and then laughed, rubbing his nose. He could blow off the sadness with a bright enough laugh, he could drown out her thoughts with just enough energy. He bounced in his seat, schooling his thoughts into submission. "Yeah, alright. Alright."
She patted his cheek, accepting the apple juice from the flight attendant who breezed past. He took his cup of orange juice from her as she handed it to him. The liquid was sweet, its acidity was sour in his throat. It calmed him, and he allowed the grin to burst forth.
Oliver loudly exclaimed its amazing taste, then raucously declared his joy as he smothered her in another big hug. He then brazenly kissed her cheek with a noisy smooch that had MinJae throwing a pillow their way, annoyed that he was missing out. The guy missed but then got up to glare at Oliver from the front, middle finger up and with thick, long sleeves that ran to his fingertips.
Oliver laughed.
It was easy, too easy to distract himself and everyone around him with a smile.