All I Want For Christmas is... You.

( JeTi. )

"Flight attendants, prepare for descent." A voice crackled over the intercom, shaking the girl from her restless slumber. She'd never been good about sleeping on airplanes -- or rather, any mode of transportation. She preferred a warm bed, complete with warm blankets and a very warm body next to her. Not only was this airplane cold, it was "stuffy," as her mother would say, and smelled faintly of stale coffee and a perfume that had her wrinkling her nose from the moment she boarded. "We'll be our descent into Los Angeles, LAX, shortly, folks. We're glad to have you traveling with us today on Korean Air. Thank you, and please enjoy your stay."

She turns her head to glance out the window, watching as vaguely recognizable landmarks come into view. Her knee bounces of its own accord, fingers tapping on the armrest to the same beat. Patience was never her strong suit -- then again, how could she be patient when she knew what was waiting for her?

Jessica. 

She'd been away from Jessica for three whole months. How she'd managed to survive, she wasn't entirely sure. Business had plucked her from the life she'd created with her girlfriend in Los Angeles, and dropped her right back in Seoul -- she couldn't complain, not really. Aside from being away from Jessica, it was like returning to a home away from home. That was the life of working in an international company that was desperate for fluent speakers.

They'd managed to Skype every day despite the time difference. She'd call Jessica as soon as she got to her apartment from the office, just as her girlfriend was crawling into bed. They'd talk about their days, how much they missed each other. She'd remind Jessica to turn up the heat, and Jessica would remind her to take out the trash. They'd laugh about mundane topics such as what they'd had for lunch or what they'd recently watched on television, and for a few short moments, it felt as though they were in the same room, together again. And when Jessica's eyelids grew heavy, when she was fighting sleep to spend just a few more moments with her, she'd tell her to get some sleep and dream of her. Reluctantly, her girlfriend would agree. When Jessica closed her laptop, she was falling back against pillows and into a world of dreams about a dark haired girl that had managed to sweep her off her feet. When Tiffany closed hers, she was standing, stretching before walking to the fridge to prepare dinner.

It wasn't a perfect system, but for the time being, it worked. 

Nothing would ever compare to the feeling of having having Jessica in her arms, but she made do with the resources that she had.

"Miss, please put your tray table in the locked, upright position. We'll begin our descent into LAX momentarily." 

She does as she's instructed almost immediately, as if hurrying her movements would somehow get the plane to land faster. The older gentleman next to her followed her lead, nodding his head to her in kind acknowledgement. He'd been a nice companion on the eleven hour flight; he was quiet, though his accent was thick. She smiled when he said he was making the trip to see his daughter, and he'd smiled in return when she mentioned that she too was making the journey home for someone very special.

The familiar feeling of a plane descending made her stomach lurch. How much longer would it be? Ten minutes? Twenty at most? How much longer would it be until the scent of flowers and something that could only be described as Jessica overwhelmed her senses? How much longer would it be until she held her girlfriend in her arms for the first time in months? Her fingers continued to tap along the armrest, the soft pitter patter of the movement drowned out by the commotion of a landing plane.

"Flight attendants, prepare for landing." She looked up as the rumble of moving landing gear filled the cabin. Five minutes to landing. Ten to get off the plane. Not soon enough. "Once again, folks, thank you for flying with us today. Luckily the weather was in our favor. If you are making a connecting flight, the departure boards are located in the gate. As it stands, all connections should be made with plenty of time to spare. Have a great afternoon, and a very Merry Christmas."

Her eyes drifted back to the window. She never failed to be amazed at the view, watching intently as the familiar city came closer. The traffic on the highway was an unpleasant, yet welcome sight. If she squinted, she swore she could see people walking along a sidewalk. This was home. She was coming home.

Within minutes, tires were kissing the tarmac. The rumble of breaks brought the aircraft to a halt, and Tiffany glanced out the window a final time. Impatience was getting the better of her, and she wished that there was a way they could taxi to the gate without crawling at a snail's pace. And slowly but surely, they made their way to the arrival gate.

"You may now unbuckle your seatbelts. Items may have shifted in the overhead compartments, and the flight attendants would be more than happy to assist you in retrieving your belongings." People had already begun to stand, stretching their aching limbs, tight from the long transcontinental flight. "We hope you choose Korean air for all your travel needs in the future." And once again, he uttered sentiments of a happy holiday and a good rest of the day. She didn't mean to be rude, but she had tuned the pilot out the moment he started talking. She was a girl on a mission, and that mission was to get off of this plane as soon as possible.

"You can go ahead, Miss. I understand the hurry to get to someone special." The gentleman next to her had stood, stepping back as far as he could to give her enough room to climb out.

"Thank you, Sir." The smile had turned her eyes into crescent moons, bright enough to light up an entire room. "Have a happy holiday. I'm sure your daughter will be so glad to see her father again."

And with that, along with a final smile in his direction, she was pulling her bags from the overhead compartment and making her way down the aisle, striding onto the jet-way with determination. 

The gate was packed, filled with families eager to board the same plane back to Korea, home for the holidays. A crowd had formed just along the barrier of the terminal, smiling faces and glassy eyes. Some, she was sure, were waiting for loved ones to exit. Others were watching as loved ones threw final glances over their shoulder, watching as they left for a period either long or short.

Jessica.

It was impossible to mistake that face, impossible to miss. Sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose, purse hanging from the crook of her elbow as she tapped intently on the touch screen of her phone. And in that moment, Tiffany realized that the grainy camera on her laptop hardly did Jessica any justice. 

She was beautiful, stunning. 

And as if sensing her presence, the blonde looked up, surprise coloring her features. The scene unfolded like something one might see in a cliche romantic comedy. Bags dropped to the floor, the entire world seemed to fade until all she could see was Jessica. And then Jessica was in her arms, threading her fingers into her hair, kissing her face until they'd both dissolved in a fight of giggles. 

"You're home." It's a breath of a whisper as Jessica pulls back from the embrace. Her hands fall to Tiffany's shoulders, squeezing slightly, almost as if she was trying to see if this was real -- if Tiffany was tangible. Real. Here.

"I'm home."