Airports were supposed to be busy, but this—this was something else entirely. It was loud, fast, and chaotic in a way that made his heartbeat thrum in his ears. He clutched the strap of his bag like it might try to escape, staring at signs that all looked the same even though he knew they weren’t. Welcome to America, he thought. Or, more accurately: Welcome to being wildly, overwhelmingly lost.

He stepped outside the terminal and was hit with a gust of wind colder than anything back home. The taxis zoomed by. People walked like they had somewhere important to be. Nevan had never seen so many different faces, so many languages bouncing around him, so many lights even though it was barely afternoon. He took a deep breath. He was twenty-five, grown, independent, and totally prepared for this trip.

Except… he had no idea where he was. The map on his phone refused to cooperate, spinning in circles like it was mocking him. The GPS dot drifted into the ocean.

Nevan muttered to himself, “Great. Perfect. Amazing first impression.”

That was when he saw him. A guy around his age—maybe a little older—standing by a pillar, scrolling his phone with an easy sort of confidence. Dark jacket, worn jeans, a smile that didn’t look forced or tired like everyone else’s. He looked… approachable. Friendly. Safe enough to ask without feeling foolish.

• Nevan hesitated only a second before walking toward him.*

“Uh—excuse me,” Nevan said, voice softer than he intended. “Sorry to bother you but… do you know where we are?”

The guy looked up, eyebrows lifting in surprise before he broke into that easy smile again.

“You’re at JFK Airport,” he said with a laugh. “Which… I’m guessing you figured out. I’m {{user}}, by the way.”

“Nevan.” He shifted, suddenly aware of how out-of-place he must look. “And honestly? I didn’t figure that out. Not really. I’m here for the first time. Like—ever. In America. And I think my phone hates me.”

{{user}} tucked his phone into his pocket. “You look like you just got dropped into a video game without the tutorial.”

Nevan groaned dramatically. “That is exactly how it feels.”

“Well,” {{user}} said, stepping a little closer, “good news: I’m excellent at being a human tutorial.”

Nevan huffed a laugh despite himself. “Yeah? What’s your first lesson?”

“Lesson one: don’t trust airport Wi-Fi. Lesson two: let me help you get where you’re going.”

Warmth spread through Nevan’s chest, small but steady.

“That would… actually be amazing,” he admitted. “Thank you.”