Arrivals and Departures

"Blake?"

"Ruby?"

She had changed – they had both changed – but her smile is still as radiant as ever. "Fancy seeing you here."

Blake manages a smile too, a little less bright, but just as sincere. She tries to think of something to say, something that isn't generic, but comes up short; seven years of not seeing or hearing from someone does that to you. "How have you been?" she asks, because it's the only thing that will stymie the awkward silence.

"Pretty good," Ruby replies, and Blake knows for a fact it's true because Ruby looks healthy and happy – she can see it in her eyes. "What about you?"

"Good as well."

Ruby nods, her smile now lopsided. Standing in the middle of the gate, they stare at each other, so far removed from the last time they had been together like this in an airport ten years ago, when Blake had left and Ruby had stayed.

Ruby doesn't ever like lulls in conversations, and Blake expects the question that falls from her mouth after she licks her lips; Blake notes they are no longer chapped like they used to always be in high school, but instead are glossy. "Black with cream?"

Blake's eyes flicker to look at the drink in her hand, and she raises it with a smile that hasn't yet left. "Always." She cocks her head slightly. "I'm surprised you remember."

Ruby grins, and that is when Blake realises she missed the crinkle around her ex-girlfriend's eyes whenever she beamed. "No one else drinks it like you do."

"Not anyone you know, perhaps." Blake sees the airport crew shuffling behind the desk, and knows there is still time left to kill before boarding. Her gaze flits down to see that Ruby too has a mostly empty cup in hand – plastic and cold, even in winter. "I see you haven't changed your taste either."

Ruby sheepishly runs a hand through her messy hair, and Blake notices that it's completely black now; no more rebellious red streaks running through choppy locks. "It tastes good!" she insists, and Blake's eyes soften because she hears the distant echo of eighteen-year-old Ruby in twenty-eight-year-old Ruby's voice.

"But I've been drinking other kinds of coffee since college," Ruby adds with pride.

Blake believes it, because Ruby is as earnest as ever. "Such as?"

Ruby opens her mouth to speak, but shuts it promptly, as if having second thoughts. Instead, her expression turns coy, and Blake is taken aback because Ruby never used to be able to do this; she has to remind herself that Ruby is now twenty-eight – they both are. "Whatever mood strikes me, Blake," Ruby finally says, dancing expertly around the subject.

Big round eyes stare up at her, glimmering with mischief that was both familiar yet foreign. "What about you Blake? Have you been trying anything new?"

And Blake thinks Ruby probably isn't just talking about coffee, but she can't really be sure; this new Ruby – bold, witty, guile – is uncharted territory, and Blake has no time to find her bearings, let alone plot out a map. "Yes," she answers, because it's the truth; she's just not sure what Ruby was exactly probing for, and so doesn't elaborate.

Ruby seems content with the reply anyway, as her eyes sparkle and her smile stretches wider.

Their gate finally opens, and a line has already formed for their boarding pass check. Ruby beats her to the punch. "I'm waiting on someone, so why don't you go ahead?"

Blake nods and waves politely as she leaves to queue, and she thinks she feels eyes burn into her back. She ponders over whether or not she should have asked Ruby for her contact information, because she believes the ones she has now are outdated, but decides that this is for the best. If Ruby wanted to stay in touch, she would have offered to trade; that was the type of person Ruby is. Or was. Blake frowns, because she can't be sure anymore – seven years is a long time, and the three before those were passed exchanging emails and relying on badly connected Skype calls.

Blake doesn't bother to swig the last of her coffee before dumping it in the bin. She crosses the threshold and ambles down the connecting walkway, into the aircraft and to her seat. She hopes the seats beside her stay empty, or that she at least gets courteous seat mates, and that the children on board stay well-behaved. She tries not to feel disappointed when the plane is filled, but Ruby is nowhere in sight.

When they land at their destination and Blake is safely in the confines of New York's airport with her luggage in tow, Ruby is still nowhere to be found – not that she was searching. Blake passes by a Starbucks however, and leaves with a vanilla latte in hand. Iced, even in winter.

As she takes her first sip, an old sweetness floods her mouth and dances on her tongue, and for the first time in years, memories of mistletoes and snowball fights and reading books by the hearth are evoked. Blake swallows and looks down at the drink, only semi-aware that she's in a cab and on her way to her hotel. She fleetingly wonders if one of the new drinks Ruby tries is black coffee with cream on those muggy summer nights.

Blake spends the next month not mulling over their encounter. Her friends stop asking why she occasionally orders iced lattes over her usual when the temperature is freezing. Things are mostly normal by the time Blake is to leave New York and head back to England, where she has made her home for the past ten – verging on eleven – years.

When she arrives at the airport, unchanged by the short span of time, Blake ignores how she subconsciously scans the crowd for a familiar face. In her hand is her regular drink, black with cream, but the heat that seeped through and warms her fingers does nothing to comfort her like it used to.

She doesn't realise how much time has elapsed, just people watching, until she takes another sip of her coffee and finds it's gone cold. She wrinkles her nose and throws it away, not too bothered that she's wasted a perfectly good drink – her mind is preoccupied with not thinking about…

The boarding call announcement sounds shortly after, but Blake stays in her seat until the last minute, content with watching everyone else wait in line. She tries not to feel disappointed when the last straggler boards and she's still alone; it's unreasonable and illogical, she argues, to have expected anything. She berates herself for even kind of, sort of, hoping anyway.

When she finally shuffles into the plane and takes her seat (she's thankful she has the aisle because she dislikes having to push through people), Blake pretends there isn't a weight in her chest.

She's heading home, and that's the last of that.

The word 'surprised' doesn't cover the scope of emotions Blake feels when she encounters Ruby again, in yet another airport, though this time in Seattle. She hasn't thought about her in two months – mostly because Blake's schedule has been hectic and hasn't allowed her much personal time (she's grateful).

"Why didn't I see you on the flight to New York?"

Ruby smiles. "I sat in business class."

"Ah."

She was content with leaving the conversation there, because she had been nursing a coffee and doesn't want it to go to waste – not when it's from Seattle – but Ruby finds a way to distract her, as she always did. "Oh, Blake! I want you to meet someone."

Ruby sounds excited, and as she motions another woman over, Blake can't tell her otherwise; so she sips her drink, the warm milky black brew comforting as it rolled down her tongue and into her stomach.

"This was the person I waited for," Ruby says when the meek woman reaches them. "Meet my girlfriend, Penny. Penny, this is Blake – one of my best friends from high school."

Blake sees the spark of recognition in Penny's eyes, followed by a telling cautionary glint; Penny knows Blake had been more than a friend, and Blake thinks it also shows in the way her smile no longer seems quite as cheery. "Hi! It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Her eyes flit to look at Ruby, who has become apprehensive upon noticing her girlfriend's not-so-receptive reaction. "How did you two meet?" Blake inquires, hoping the question bails her friend – and herself, really – out of the awkward situation.

Ruby readily accepts the lifeline with a broad, grateful smile as she slings an arm around Penny's shoulder; Blake notes they're almost the same height. "We met at one of Weiss's fancy-schmancy galas – y'know, the one she always tried to drag us along to wherever her family wouldn't let up? She has to host them now, since she's the new president and all, and I happened to be back in town that day. Penny's the daughter of one of their leading scientists."

The touch seemed to quell Penny's insecurities about their past, Blake thinks as she observes the tension in Penny's body melt away; she's glad, because Ruby deserves to be happy, and she wouldn't want a rift to be caused by events over a decade old. "Ruby spilt her punch on my dress," Penny quips, grinning when Ruby flushes in embarrassment.

Blake genuinely chortles, because that was so utterly Ruby. "Sounds like something she'd do."

Penny beams. "Doesn't it?"

Ruby sighs, though the exasperation doesn't reach her eyes. "I'm just glad Penny was so cool about it."

Blake is curious, and she can't help but ask, "So how long have you been dating?"

"A little over six months now," Ruby answers as she squeezes Penny to her side, the couple glancing at each other with soft, adoring eyes.

"Congratulations. I'm happy for you, Ruby," Blake says with a small smile, and she's being completely honest.

Ruby's eyes twinkle, and she looks at Blake with a modest grin. "Hey, give me your phone number! We should catch up some time. It'll be just like the good old days, with the gang."

"Sure."

They end up queuing together, exchanging casual questions and small talk before they split to go to their separate seats.

When they land, Blake spots them at the other side of the luggage claim and waves, receiving waves back.

She gets a coffee on her way home – a new flavour, recommended by Ruby during their short chat in line.

As she tries the iced white mocha latte, she feels vibrating from her pants pocket, and pulls out her phone. She smiles, and thinks that the flavour of sweet chocolate plays well with the short but enthusiastic message Ruby has sent.

Blake reminds herself to head to the gym soon; the sweet beverages probably didn't bode well for her figure.

She meets Weiss for brunch, because they're finally in the same city after months of not seeing each other, and they want to seize the opportunity for all its worth. So they do. They set an entire day aside to spend with each other.

One of their destinations shortly after their meal is a quaint coffee-house Blake's colleague had recommended. As Weiss orders for the two of them, Blake interjects just before her companion can finish her sentence. "Make that an iced mocha please."

Weiss raises a brow in bemusement. "Since when did you drink anything other than black with cream?"

Blake shrugs as they shuffle aside to wait for their drinks. "Someone inspired me to try something new."

"Who's this person?" Weiss smirks and nudges Blake gently with her hip. "Should I be jealous?"

"... It's Ruby," Blake says after a brief pause, and collects their beverages from the counter, handing Weiss hers.

She sips her drink, watching Weiss's expression melt from stunned to a strange blend of curiosity, hesitance and… something unreadable. "You met Ruby recently?"

"Coincidentally, at an airport. Her girlfriend is nice."

Weiss's eyes widen. "You met Penny as well? And you didn't think to tell me?"

Blake hums around her straw. "I thought she would have. I guess not?"

Weiss snorts. "She didn't. Ugh, I'll chew her out for this later." Piercing blue eyes focus on her, and Blake is spellbound. "So? How do you feel?"

Blake isn't quite sure if she should laugh or be offended, so her face scrunches to reflect both. "We broke up seven years ago, Weiss. It was mutual, and we became friends who just drifted apart. I feel fine."

Weiss's gaze flits to Blake's coffee before meeting Blake's eyes again. "And how is the state of your friendship now?"

"Better. I didn't realise how much I missed her."

They stare at each other in silence before Weiss finally breaks eye contact to drink her own beverage, seemingly having found the answer she needed. Blake smiles, because Weiss is still so predictable.

"Weiss."

"Hm?" And Blake's smile stretches, because Weiss is still petulantly looking away.

"Did you ever tell her?"

Weiss's eyebrows furrow, and she chances a glance at her companion. "Tell her what?"

"About you and I."

"... She's my best friend," Weiss says pointedly.

"That's not really an answer."

Weiss huffs and lifts her nose. "Well it's fitting, since yours wasn't really a question."

Blake chuckles. She caves into the impulse to hug the weakly protesting woman to her side. "You're adorable sometimes, you know that?"

"'Sometimes'?"

"Well…"

"Blake!"

"Weiss?"

"Yes, Blake?"

"... I…" she sighs heavily. "I didn't want to do this by phone."

Weiss stays quiet, so Blake nervously continues, "But we won't be able to meet for a long time… and by then you'll be… you'll be…"

"... Yes. I will be."

"Is there any way–"

"Blake, I love you. You know that, right?"

Blake lets out a shaky breath, feeling the dreaded sting in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I do. I love you too."

Their irregular breathing is all that fills the stifling space for a few beats.

"... I'll… see you at the wedding?"

Blake flinches, feeling a pang in her heart. "... Wouldn't miss it for the world. You'll look beautiful," she says softly, and she means every ounce of it, even if her voice wavers at the end.

Weiss laughs, sounding so close to the verge of tears, and it takes everything Blake has not to start crying. Her eyes water and her throat burns, but she swallows thickly, squeezes her eyes shut and forces back her own tears.

"Goodbye Blake."

"We'll still be friends, won't we?" Blake asks, pleads practically, and she knows her voice is far too hoarse to play it cool.

"The very best," Weiss gravelly whispers. "Take care, Blake."

"You too, Weiss."

When the call ends, Blake slumps in her chair and finally allows herself to fall apart.

She only picks up because the incessant ringing was making her migraine worse.

"Blake?"

"... Ruby?"

"I'm here for you."

The next time they physically meet is five months later, in Germany. They've been having Skype calls whenever time allows, and are also exchanging text messages frequently, but neither find it necessary to inform each other of their exact flight information beyond the offhand location mention; it disrupts the flow of their conversations, considering how often they both travel – something they realise early on.

It's coincidental, and they had tried to arrange something days before, since it was the first time in months they were in the same continent, but their lunch plans fell through because their schedules were too packed.

Blake was trying to pass her time with a good book – her layover was long, yet not long enough to warrant leaving the airport. Ruby stopped replying to her awhile ago, so Blake believes she's either busy with her own job, or already boarded her plane to who-knows-where. She doesn't expect the coffee that slides into the vision.

When Blake looks up, she's face-to-face with a grinning Ruby, who still has the cup outstretched. "Hey!"

Blake smiles, and gingerly takes the proffered drink. "What're you doing here?"

Ruby looks put off, and juts her lower lip out in a pout. "Not going to thank me for getting you coffee?"

Blake chuckles and raises the drink in cheers, before lifting it to her lips. She would think it black coffee with cream, if not for the hazelnut notes she detects at the end. Her eyebrows furrow, and she quirks a brow at her companion, who's drinking from her own cup. "What is this, even?"

There's that twinkle in Ruby's eye and it warms Blake's chest, but she takes another sip of the tasteful, if a little sweet, coffee and chalks it up to the beverage. "Hazelnut macchiato. Isn't it great?"

"Not bad," Blake replies with her smile still in place. "Thank you."

Ruby flops into the seat next to her, and it is then they discover they have the same flight back to California. Ruby still lives there with her sister, but she doesn't live with Yang anymore. She offers her spare room if Blake ever needs one, something Blake respectfully declines. Ruby and Penny had broken up mutually two months prior, for reasons Blake never probed out of courtesy's sake, and Ruby clearly isn't too heartbroken. Still, Blake thinks it weird to share a space with her ex-girlfriend, even if they also happened to be best friends in the past. Blake thinks of a home as a sanctuary, and she isn't quite sure of intruding on Ruby's personal space just yet; not when they've only started to catch up recently.

They chat until their coffees are long finished, and their gate is finally open; three hours is a short time when you spend it in good company. Ruby is in economy this time, but their seats are at the opposite ends of the plane, so they say their goodbyes without really saying goodbye.

When they land, they find each other again, but can only give each other a brief hug before Blake has to leave. The plane had wasted some time taxi-ing, and Blake has to rush to across town in order to make it on time for her lecture. Ruby makes Blake promise to try and clear her schedule so they can have a proper meal together, though.

On her way to the university, Blake grabs her usual because her job is always tiring and she needs the caffeinated pick-me-up. She can't rid herself of the taste of hazelnut, or the smell of roses.

A few days later, Blake is at a sushi bar Ruby frequents near the latter's flat, being treated to dinner by her gracious host. The food is good and the sake even more so, but Blake thinks the best part of it was the company she was in. Yang was supposed to join them, but she had something crop up at the last minute. They forget about the blonde's absence fairly quickly, lost in conversation and wine.

They only leave when a waiter tells them it's midnight, and the restaurant is closing.

Ruby's a little too tipsy to drive Blake back to her hotel, and Blake's not exactly sober herself, so they walk to Ruby's apartment, giggling like schoolgirls the entire way.

When Blake wakes up with a hangover to the smell of bacon and eggs, and spots painkillers and a tall glass of water next to her bedside, she's agonised enough to think that she's never loved anyone as much as Ruby at that moment.

She voices that thought after she cleans herself up a little in the toilet, and maybe it's because they're both still feeling the effects of last night, but the expected awkwardness that usually comes with those words doesn't follow; just secretive, almost shy, smiles exchanged.

They eat their breakfast in amiable silence, and Blake isn't surprised when Ruby cooks the meal to her liking – runny scrambled eggs with just a dash of cream and crispy bacon on the side. A mug of black coffee with cream in hand, and Blake feels at peace in the cosy abode, where everything seemed to smell like lightly scented roses.

After a particularly enervating string of lectures, Blake shambles back to her temporary office on campus.

She smiles when she finds a tumbler at her desk, with a small note wedged beneath.

'Thought you might need this! Just the way you like it!

-Ruby :D'

Blake takes a sip and sighs contently as the soothing taste of black coffee with cream pervades her mouth.

The dial tone only rings twice before Ruby picks up the call.

"How did you get it into my office?"

"I have connections," Ruby says smugly.

"Ah right, it's your alma mater."

"Aw Blake, I was trying to sound all cool!"

Blake imagines Ruby deflating and she suppresses a smirk.

"... So, you were talking about that new project–"

"Blaaaaaaaaakeeeee!"

Ruby drives her to the airport a week later, with time to spare before she has to leave for the gate. They decide to have lunch together at the food court, paid for by Ruby at her insistence. It's not as good as the sushi they had, Blake thinks, or even the breakfast the day after – which had been sublime – but it's still better than aeroplane food.

"Hey Blake?"

Blake looks up from her lunch. "Ruby?"

Ruby chews on her lower lip. "... Do you ever miss me?"

Blake presses her lips together as her brows knit. She knows what Ruby's vague question is actually asking, and is sorely tempted to act oblivious so they can keep up this charade. She decides otherwise. "... You never really forget your first love."

Ruby relaxes at that, and her eyes seem to soften a little – they become vulnerable for the first time in years, and Blake feels something catch in her throat. "No, you don't," she whispers. "I... I compare them to you sometimes, y'know? Subconsciously."

Blake involuntarily freezes for a split second, just long enough for Ruby to notice. "It's not your fault I broke up with Penny," Ruby hurriedly says. "We just couldn't see us dating in the long-run, so we decided to end it."

Blake nods stiffly. She wasn't presumptuous enough to assume she was what led to their break-up. "You shouldn't," she softly replies.

"But I do."

"... I did the same. Once in awhile." And the admittance lingers heavily in the air.

"We're not getting any younger, Blake."

Blake allows herself a small smile. "Are you saying we're old?" she jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

Ruby smiles too, but her eyes are still dark with severity. "I'm saying we're not eighteen anymore. We've changed. We're smarter now."

"Just a tad wiser, perhaps," Blake humbly agrees, a little unsure as to where Ruby was going with this.

"And I was wondering… if it'd be too much to ask that I… we… try again."

Blake's forehead creases in surprise. "What brought this up?"

"... I've been thinking. And I... I can see myself with you. In five, ten years. Or maybe, I want to see myself with you," she admits in a rush, furious blush staining her cheeks. "And… I mean, we're both… so…"

"Oh."

And that's all Blake says. Ruby uneasily fidgets in her chair, and Blake drops her fork to gingerly place her hand over Ruby's restless hand.

"We're different people now," Blake starts slowly – solemnly, almost. "And I… I don't know if I want to jump back into a relationship quite yet."

She watches Ruby's shoulders slump and her head hang, but her hand clamps down on Ruby's when it tries to jerk away. "... But I think a second chance isn't too unfeasible."

Ruby looks up at her with such hopeful eyes that Blake thinks her heart's stopped.

"Yeah?" Ruby breathes, a timid smile playing on her lips.

Blake tries not to notice how her own mouth twitches upwards at the sight. "Yeah."

They stroll slowly to her boarding gate, speaking in undertones with hands that barely brush. When they stand in front of it, a part of Blake thinks that they must have looked exactly as they did ten – almost eleven – years ago, when they end up staring at each other.

"See you around?" Ruby asks hopefully.

Blake flashes her a reassuring smile. "Of course." And they hug before Blake leaves.

They aren't eighteen anymore, fumbling through life, uncertain as to where or who they'll be. The distance feels almost irrelevant now; oceans can be crossed, and miles can be travelled.

She receives a text message shortly after boarding the plane.

'Next time, you're buying coffee. :D'

Blake smiles, and despite still being grounded, she feels on top of the world. She quickly taps out a reply and sends it before she can over think her words, then switches off her phone and reclines into her seat with a sigh. Her eyes drift shut, and she wills the aircraft to fly that much faster.

'It's a date.'

AN: Trying a different writing style because it's more concise (something that's evidently not my forte). Airport and coffee AU done in one fell swoop, BOOM.

Now that I think about it, I'm almost tempted to write from Ruby's POV.