In Flight by R. K. Lilley Page A

get them unnecessarily riled up.”
    Now it was Stephan’s turn to look exasperated.   “I don’t think you heard the worst of what they’ve been saying.   James told me, and it wasn’t pretty.   They are being particularly raunchy and using a lot of profanity loudly enough for the rest of the cabin to be disturbed.   I need to address it.   Better to nip it in the bud.   And look at James.   He is seriously agitated.   Better to piss off a few jerks than to have an all out brawl on our hands.”
    I did look at James.   I studied him closely.   His agitation seemed to be growing by the second.  
    His eyes snapped wide suddenly, his gaze shooting to us, his hands going to his seat belt as though he were preparing to get up.  
    “Ah, shit,” Stephan muttered, trepidation in his voice.
    James seemed to get himself under control, carefully letting go of his seat belt and unclenching his hands.   He closed his eyes, his lips moving.  
    “He’s counting to ten,” I said stupidly.   “Can you hear what they’re saying that’s getting him all riled up?   I can’t hear a thing.”
    “I can hear their voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying at all,” Stephan said, watching James carefully.  
    Stephan was painfully tense.   I knew he hated fighting more than just about anything else in the world.   I had also seen him fight several times, though it had been years since he’d had to.   He was exceptionally good at it.   Whatever happened, he would be able to handle himself, I knew.   But he would hate it.   He abhorred violence of any kind.
    James opened his eyes suddenly, looking more furious than I’d ever seen him.   Apparently counting to ten hadn’t worked.   His hands shot again to his seat belt and I watched in horror as he shot from his seat, striding to the troublemakers with violence in every quick step.
    “Fuck,” Stephan cursed.   “Stay here.   Please,” he pleaded, going after James in a flash.
    There was a very tense exchange.   James was leaning down close to speak to the man who had addressed me earlier, and I couldn’t see his face or hear what he was saying.  
    Stephan was pointing at one of the other men and his voice was raised, though I couldn’t make out the words over the plane engine and the distance.   I was surprised that Stephan didn’t even look at James, making no attempt whatsoever to make him return to his seat.  
    Shit, I thought.   That probably meant his own temper was flaring up as well.   It really would be a brawl if Stephan started throwing punches.
    I saw the man who Stephan was clearly reaming out raise his hands, as though in surrender.   That didn’t seem to appease Stephan, though, who just turned to the man who James had taken special exception to.   I assumed he was still talking to the man, though I couldn’t hear him.  
    He was speaking quietly, while Stephan was just getting louder.  
    “I mean it.   One more word out of any of you, and we are diverting this plane and there will be law enforcement waiting for you at the gate.”   With that, Stephan stormed back to the seat beside me.   He still hadn’t bothered to make James take his seat.  
    A few tense moments later, James straightened, walking stiffly back to his seat.   He didn’t look at me, just sat, buckled up, and closed his eyes.  
    I felt a relief so huge it almost shamed me.   Seeing that, although he’d really wanted to pound someone, he had restrained himself, was something I’d almost needed to see.   Whatever else I didn’t know about him, at least I knew he could practice self-control.  
    Uncontrolled violence and aggression were the monsters of my childhood, and I felt almost limp with relief to see that I wouldn’t find them in James.   Not in the way I had feared.   The way I always feared, despite a decent amount of time and therapy.
    “What happened?   What were they saying that would involve law enforcement?” I asked