Work Text:
“Miss, you’re flying standby, so I cannot guarantee you that you’ll be on this flight today.”
Aubrey looks up at the words, frowns at the prissy tone the airline agent is using before glancing over at the passenger who looks near tears. She lets her gaze trail down the brunette’s body, can’t help but notice the legs that seem to go on forever before tracking back up and falling on a beautiful face. She watches as the brunette sighs, thanks the gate agent and leaves the desk looking completely dejected.
The brunette drops into the empty seat next to Aubrey and pulls out her phone. There’s no subtle way for Aubrey to look at her face, but then she sees tears drop onto the glass screen of the woman’s phone and it makes her look sideways to confirm that yes, the brunette is silently crying while trying to type out a text message.
“Are you okay?” Aubrey asks softly, and the woman’s head snaps up in surprise. She reaches up to wipe away her tears with the sleeve of her cardigan, but Aubrey’s already handing her a tissue.
“Thanks, I just—.” The woman stops to take a deep breath. “My baby sister is getting married tomorrow and I already missed her rehearsal dinner and if I’m not on this flight I won’t even make it to the wedding,” she explains with a shaky voice.
Aubrey’s heart breaks, especially when it seems like it’s taking all of the brunette’s effort not to cry.
“I’m so sorry,” Aubrey says softly and the woman shoots her a watery smile.
“Nothing you can do about it,” she replies with a shrug, and actually, that’s not true.
The brunette’s holding her passport in her hand, boarding pass tucked into it and Aubrey reaches out, taps the boarding pass with her index finger.
“May I?”
The woman looks confused at the request, a little wary but nods and Aubrey grabs the sheet of paper, slides it out of the passport.
“Anastasia Conrad. That’s you?” Aubrey asks to confirm, her finger sliding over the name before she looks up at the brunette.
“Stacie,” she says and Aubrey smiles softly.
“Aubrey,” she says, sticks out her hand and Stacie takes it, shakes it even though she looks more confused than ever.
Stacie frowns when she sees Aubrey reach for her phone. She doesn’t want to be nosy, but she can’t help but watch closely as Aubrey scrolls through her contact list and calls a number.
“Hi, can you connect me to the revenue management department?” Aubrey shoots a smile to Stacie, hopes it comes off as reassuring. “Hi, who am I speaking to?… Hello Mary, this is Aubrey Posen. I’m calling to see if you’ve already released the last of the first class seats for miles upgrades for flight Victor X-ray 1128?… Really? Well, that’s great to hear because there’s been a mistake with my girlfriend’s ticket. She's flying with me and she hasn’t been upgraded. I’m at the gate and they’re telling me that she’s on standby and that’s unacceptable.”
Aubrey glances at Stacie who’s watching her closely, surprise and confusion evident on her face.
“Anastasia Conrad. Her booking number is alpha-fiver-six-romeo-victor-whisky… That’s right, we booked separately but I called last week to link her booking to mine… My corporate code is charlie-zero-four-nine-one… Oh, there’s no need to apologise for the mix up… Could you release 2A for her?… Perfect, thank you so much Mary.”
She hangs up and turns to Stacie, who’s staring at her with her mouth open in surprise. Aubrey chuckles, and she’s a little embarrassed by how Stacie is looking at her. She looks away, watches as the gate agent receives a phone call.
“What just happened?” Stacie asks after a while. “What did you do?”
Before Aubrey can answer, she sees the gate agent hang up and look around the gate, gaze falling on Stacie. Aubrey nudges Stacie, motions her head towards the gate agent who’s walking over to them.
“Miss Conrad?” the gate agent says and Stacie’s looking up at her, nodding. “Here’s your new boarding pass. Looks like you’ll be flying with us today after all.”
The slight edge that underlines the words makes Aubrey frown, but Stacie’s face lights up and she decides to let it go, lets the gate agent walk away.
“What did you do?” Stacie asks, looking at Aubrey again.
Aubrey turns to meet her gaze, and Stacie is looking at her with a mix of wonder and bewilderment and it makes Aubrey blush and shake her head softly.
“There were still seats on the flight so I got you one.”
“You—I don’t even—” Stacie can’t seem to find her words, and she looks down at her new boarding pass, sees the words printed in capital letters across the top and her eyes widen. “This is a first class seat.”
“There were still seats in first class,” Aubrey explains but Stacie still looks shocked.
“Obviously it’s socially frowned upon to tell a woman you just met that you love her, but it sucks that you can’t because I really want to,” Stacie says, and now Aubrey’s really blushing.
“It was nothing,” she tries to say, but Stacie’s shaking her head.
“No, this is… this is everything. I don’t even know how to start thanking you.”
“You really don’t have to,” Aubrey insists.
“How did you even manage this?” Stacie asks, holds up her boarding pass.
“I work for Virgin Atlantic, in their corporate office, so I always fly first or upper class and I’m allowed to take people with me.”
“Your boyfriend must love that,” Stacie says and it’s supposed to be off-handedly but Aubrey can tell that she’s fishing for information.
“I actually have a girlfriend,” Aubrey says, and she can’t suppress her smile when she sees the elation and then disappointment flicker across Stacie’s face.
“That’s… that’s great.”
“Yeah, I think you’ll really like flying with Virgin from now on,” Aubrey teases and Stacie looks adorably confused.
“What?”
“You’re my girlfriend. At least, you are now, according to the system.”
Aubrey bites her lip as she watches the words sink in, sees Stacie light up and then pout once she fully catches on.
“That was mean,” she chides, but she’s smiling so there’s no malice to her words.
Aubrey laughs, shrugs one shoulder. “I barely use my corporate benefits so it was really no problem to help out.”
“Thank you,” Stacie whispers.
“You’re welcome.”
They look at each other in silence for longer than is socially acceptable, and when Aubrey licks her lips, Stacie’s eyes drop to follow the motion. She swallows thickly, and Aubrey breathes out softly, but then somebody behind them drops their bag loudly and they both spring apart, the moment effectively broken.
Stacie looks down at her passport, slides her boarding pass into it so as to not lose it.
“I’ve never flown first class before,” she notes, looking sideways at Aubrey again.
“I’m so sorry,” Aubrey says and it makes Stacie tilt her head sideways in question. “I’ve spoiled flying for you.”
“That good, huh?” she asks with a grin that Aubrey mirrors.
“You get used to it very quickly,” Aubrey explains and that makes Stacie laugh.
“Do you live in Philly?” Stacie asks but Aubrey’s already shaking her head.
“I’m originally from North Carolina but I live in LA now. How about you?”
Stacie smiles at Aubrey’s words, because “I live here too. Originally from Philadelphia.”
Aubrey smiles coyly at her when she sees Stacie’s grin.
“What brings you to my lovely Philadelphia?” Stacie teases.
“Work,” Aubrey says simply and Stacie nods when she realises that’s all she’s going to get.
Aubrey’s about to ask Stacie what she does when the gate agent starts announcing the boarding process over the tannoy and Aubrey freezes, listens to the announcement. She stands up, grabs her bag and coat before noticing that Stacie’s still sitting, watching Aubrey in confusion.
“You coming?” Aubrey says.
“What?”
“If you don’t want to be on the flight, why did I have to pretend you were my girlfriend?” Aubrey teases and Stacie rolls her eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“We can board,” Aubrey explains, gestures behind her.
“No, they just announced that they’re boarding platinum and gold members and first cl—oh.”
Aubrey really tries not to laugh as she watches comprehension wash over Stacie, but she must fail because Stacie glares at her as she grabs her things.
“I’m not used to this fanciness!” she says with a pout and Aubrey takes pity on her, reaches out to hold Stacie’s passport and boarding pass so the brunette has a free hand to grab her jacket.
“I’m really going to have to guide you through this, aren’t I?” Aubrey teases when Stacie falls in step with her and they walk to the gate agent who’s checking the passengers’ documents.
“My guardian angel,” Stacie says wistfully and Aubrey laughs, hands their documents to the gate agent.
“Enjoy your flight,” the woman says through gritted teeth, eyeing them and Stacie lets Aubrey go through first, frowns back at the gate agent when they’re walking down the jet bridge towards the plane.
“God, what’s her problem?” Stacie grumbles under her breath but Aubrey catches it.
“She's unnecessarily catty,” Aubrey replies, agreeing with Stacie.
“Don’t get her fired,” Stacie teases and Aubrey rolls her eyes.
“That’s not exactly within my power,” Aubrey replies and Stacie arches an eyebrow in disbelief.
They greet the flight attendant once they reach the plane, and Stacie is pleasantly surprised to find out that they’re sitting next to each other. Aubrey smiles coyly as she hands Stacie her documents back.
“I can’t exactly have them put you in a different seat if you’re my girlfriend,” Aubrey explains but Stacie’s already grinning widely.
“So am I going to have to pretend to be your girlfriend during the whole flight?” Stacie flirts, leaning over the armrests to watch Aubrey put her bag in the overhead bin. Aubrey shoots her a look, but Stacie’s cheeky grin doesn’t budge. “Not that I’m complaining. The opposite, really…”
“Will you be quiet and enjoy this first class experience I’ve arranged for you?” Aubrey says, exasperated, but she can’t stop smiling so Stacie takes it at face value.
While they wait for the other passengers to board, Stacie pulls out a large book from her bag and then kicks the bag under her seat. Aubrey’s messing with her phone, but she looks to the side when she hears Stacie open the heavy book, frowns when she sees graphs and illustrations that completely baffle her.
It takes Stacie 8 pages before she starts feeling watched, and Aubrey doesn’t look away quickly enough when Stacie lifts her head.
“What?”
“Light reading?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Stacie says with a shrug.
“I never asked what you do,” Aubrey says.
“You didn’t,” Stacie teases and Aubrey sighs, wry smile tugging at her lips. “I’m a mechanical engineer. Well, I’m finishing my PhD but my supervisor says I should just say that I’m a mechanical engineer.”
Aubrey’s eyes widen and she’s clearly impressed.
“Wow,” she says with awe. “That’s… wow.”
“Thanks,” Stacie says, but when Aubrey keeps watching her in wonderment, she can’t help but blush lightly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Aubrey says, gesturing to the book and turning back to her phone.
They exchange idle small talk throughout the first part of the flight, and Stacie’s palpable excitement at being in first class bleeds into Aubrey’s own demeanour and she’s suddenly reminded of why she likes flying in the first place.
Aubrey’s working on her laptop when Stacie shifts next to her, and Aubrey can feel that she’s being watched, so she slowly turns to find Stacie on her side in the reclined seat, grinning up at her, sleep mask up around her forehead.
“See you tomorrow, girlfriend,” Stacie says with an exaggerated wink, blows Aubrey a kiss and Aubrey’s too surprised to say anything as Stacie pulls the mask over her eyes and leans back.
Stacie’s sleep mask offers Aubrey the security of being able to watch Stacie without the chance of being caught, and she takes the opportunity presented to her, watches as Stacie curls her legs under her and pulls the heavy blanket over her body. She’s asleep in no time, and when her face relaxes, Aubrey lets her eyes lazily trace the slope of Stacie’s nose, along her cheeks, linger on her lips and how Stacie sighs softly in her sleep.
She’s not sure why she’d done it, had never done a stranger such a huge favour and that was what Stacie was, technically, a total stranger and a chance meeting but she’d looked so sad and something inside Aubrey had wanted more than anything to fix it. The woman was full of energy and compliments and teasing words and Aubrey’s grateful to herself for being open enough to even ask if Stacie was okay and to then help her when she indicated she wasn’t. Stacie had certainly made her boring work trip way more exciting.
Stacie sighs softly again and Aubrey suddenly feels like a voyeur so she packs away her laptop, turns off their overhead light and then prepares to go to sleep.
She wakes up to someone whispering her name and fingers softly trailing up and down her arm and it’s such a nice way to wake up that she involuntarily moans softly, nuzzles into her pillow.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” Stacie says in a sing-songy voice. Stacie chuckles when she sees Aubrey blush, basically confirming that the blonde is awake and has heard her. She doesn’t stop moving her fingers over Aubrey’s skin, though. “Aubrey…” she coaxes.
“What time is it?” Aubrey asks, voice thick with sleep, eyes still closed.
“Too early,” Stacie says and it brings a smile to Aubrey’s face.
“Are you going to open those gorgeous eyes anytime soon or should I just leave you be?” Stacie teases softly and Aubrey’s blush deepens, even as she slowly blinks open her eyes, meeting sparkling green ones. “Good morning.”
“Hi,” Aubrey says and she has to look away to yawn. Her eyes flit over Stacie’s shoulder to look out the window, the sun barely peeking out over the horizon and Aubrey groans in complaint at not having slept nearly enough.
“They’re serving breakfast in ten minutes,” Stacie says and Aubrey’s looking at her again.
Stacie’s hair is open and loose, a wavy mess and Aubrey realises that the woman had had her hair pulled into a french braid before and Stacie’s attractive but with her hair framing her face she’s downright gorgeous and Aubrey can’t look away.
Stacie blushes when she notices Aubrey outright ogling her, and she’d say something about it if she hadn’t just been doing the same while the blonde was asleep.
Aubrey clears her throat, looks away and around the cabin before glancing back at Stacie.
“I’m just going to—” she says, gestures vaguely to the bathroom and Stacie smiles in response.
When she comes back, Stacie can’t help but scoff at the sight of her.
“How do you look so good at four thirty in the morning?” she says and Aubrey’s blush is immediate, but then they’re being served breakfast and the moment passes.
They’re laughing and trading college stories when Aubrey says, “I mean, I was in an all-female a cappella singing group.”
“No way!” Stacie says, surprise loud and Aubrey expects mocking words to follow but then she’s the one being surprised when Stacie says, “So was I!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I was in a super male-dominated major so my friend suggested it might be a way to make some female friends,” Stacie explains. “We weren’t really that good, like definitely not for competitions or anything, but it was fun.”
“Our group did competitions. It was really serious. I was Bellas captain my senior year and I’m a little ashamed to admit that I kind of ruled like a dictator,” Aubrey says and then Stacie’s staring at her, brow furrowed and Aubrey can practically see the cogs in her brain working.
“You were in the Barden Bellas?”
“How did you—?”
“Oh my god, this is insane,” Stacie exclaims before Aubrey can even finish her question. “I know a girl who was a Barden Bella. Or, is a Barden Bella. She keeps saying—.”
“Bellas for life,” Aubrey says, interjecting almost on autopilot at the familiar saying, eyes going wide.
Stacie’s grinning widely, piqued both by the saying and by how small the world is.
“Did she say when she graduated Barden? I probably know her,” Aubrey says, eager to figure out their connection.
“I think it was in 2012? Her name’s Chloe Beale.” Aubrey stares at Stacie, mouth open in surprise and it’s a little disconcerting. “Do you know her?”
“Chloe’s my best friend.”
“You’re messing with me,” Stacie says seriously, doesn’t want to believe it.
“I swear I’m not. How do you know Chloe?”
“She’s dating my housemate.”
“Beca,” Aubrey says.
It’s all the confirmation Stacie needs that Aubrey is telling the truth because wow and, “This is insane! What are the odds?”
“Chloe’s going to freak when I tell her,” Aubrey says with a laugh because the situation is too wild to believe.
“I can’t believe you were a Barden Bella,” Stacie says, and she seems lost in thought again. “That’s…”
“What?”
“Beca showed me some videos on YouTube. You guys were hot, especially in those flight attendant outfits,” Stacie says wistfully. “Do you still have the uniform?” Stacie asks and when Aubrey stares at her in surprise and amusement, Stacie blushes a deep red.
“I do,” Aubrey confirms and Stacie’s eyes widen with thinly-veiled excitement.
Once they land, Aubrey becomes aware of the fact that there is no reason for them to stick to each other anymore, but she barely has time to be sad about it before Stacie slips her hand into Aubrey’s while they’re getting off the plane.
Her surprise must be evident, because Stacie leans in and whispers, “Gotta keep the charade up,” and when Aubrey turns to smile at her, they’re standing very close to each other and Aubrey knows she could just lean in and kiss the woman. Stacie sways forwards, almost as if she’s going to kiss Aubrey, but then somebody behind them clears their throat and they’re shaken out of the moment. Aubrey doesn’t let go of Stacie’s hand until they’re at the baggage carousel.
“I don’t have any checked baggage,” Aubrey confesses softly and Stacie’s gaze drifts down to her carry on.
“I had a lot of fun flying with you,” Stacie says, turning fully towards the blonde.
“So did I.”
“Thank you for getting me here,” Stacie whispers, and Aubrey’s smile turns almost shy.
“You’re welcome.” They’re looking at each other, and it’s a little awkward, neither of them knowing exactly how to say goodbye. “Are you being picked up?”
“Yes, my mom should already be outside,” Stacie says and Aubrey gives a single nod.
“Okay, well,” Aubrey starts, and she loosens her hand from Stacie’s, who looks down at her now empty hand with a frown so she doesn’t see Aubrey step closer and is caught completely by surprise when Aubrey’s lips brush against her cheek. “Bye,” she whispers and turns away.
Aubrey’s heart is beating wildly in her chest as she turns away before seeing Stacie’s reaction, her nerves getting the best of her. She ducks her head to hide her insanely giddy smile as she walks away.
“Aubrey, wait!” Stacie calls out after a bit, quickly closing the distance between them and Aubrey turns in surprise.
Stacie’s holding her scarf, and Aubrey’s face falls and she’s not quick enough to mask her disappointment.
“You almost forgot this,” Stacie explains, stands close as she loops the soft fabric around Aubrey’s neck before letting her hands trail down Aubrey’s arms slowly. “I guess I’ll see you around, guardian angel.”
Stacie’s grinning, and even though Aubrey’s a little let down by Stacie running after her to return her scarf and not something else, she can’t help but mirror Stacie’s grin as she turns away again.
Aubrey finds the chauffeur holding her name card and follows him, and once she’s settled in the town car, she lets out a deep breath. As she watches the city wake up during her drive, she reflects on the night she’s just had, the woman she’d shared it with and knows without a doubt they’d had a connection and that she’ll be able to easily track Stacie down.
Reaching into her coat pocket for her phone, her fingers brush against a piece of paper and she frowns as she pulls it out with her phone, face breaking out into wide, giddy smile when she sees what’s written on the piece of paper.
'916-555-0192 Call me -S'