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Aimee waited with a complete lack of patience for Maeve’s plane to land, glancing up at the arrivals board every fews seconds. A box of cupcakes sat in the seat next to her, and a sign with Maeve’s name on it in marker (“Like you see in the movies,” Aimee thought proudly) leaned against the seat. There were more people in the terminal than she’d expected this late in the evening, but she didn’t have much experience with travel. She didn’t have much experience with anything, really, except baking. And a little bit with sex. Well, a lot of bit, but only with a few boys, and none recently…
Aimee jumped when she glanced up at the arrivals board again and saw there, finally, Flight 2301, New York to London, now arriving. Grinning, she grabbed the box of cupcakes and her homemade sign and set off to wait for her best friend to come home.
—
Maeve looked out the window of the plane at the lights of the city below her. It didn’t properly feel like coming home just yet, but she had a sense of nostalgic anticipation that she would have patently denied. The man in the seat next to her was still snoring loudly, though they were beginning to make their final descent. For the last time, Maeve elbowed him, though it only elicited a grunt.
It was a claustrophobic shuffle to get her bag from the overhead and make her way off the plane, and Maeve was happy to get into the terminal. Aimee said she’d be waiting for her at the - there she was, with a big sign with ‘Maeve’ written on it. Maeve couldn’t help but smile, and Aimee quickly approached and wrapped her in a big hug.
“Ahhh, you’re home! Tell me everything! I have cupcakes!”
Maeve grinned as Aimee pushed the box of treats into her arms and took her bag, then linked their arms and led her out to the parking lot.
—
“Have you talked to Otis?” Aimee asked tentatively, once they were out of the city and on their way home.
“Yes.” Maeve sighed. “He called.”
“Oh. That were nice of him, I guess.” Silence stretched for a moment. “How are you then?”
Maeve took a moment to answer.
“I was pretty upset at first, but…I don’t know. I do think they’re good for each other. Ruby’s nicer when she’s with him, and Otis is more confident and less serious.”
Aimee waited for Maeve to continue before filling the silence herself.
“I was asking about you, love.”
Maeve turned to her friend.
“I’m okay, really. I care about Otis, and I want him to be happy, but maybe that’s not with me. And maybe I’d be happy with someone else. There was this person at the program in America…”
“Ooooh, an American! Go on then, tell us about him.”
Maeve couldn’t help but smile.
“Nothing happened. Not really. Just a…connection. We were both focusing on Machado, which was kind of funny because… anyway, so we shared some books, and we started talking more and…”
“And you wanted to fuck him proper?” Aimee teased.
“What? No! It wasn’t like that.”
“Longing looks and accidentally touching hands and all romantic and stuff?”
“No, not really.” Maeve quickly turned to the window. “Maybe a little. I was still sorting out about Otis and…other things.”
“What was his name?”
“Carmen.” Maeve glanced back at her friend, who was frowning.
“That’s a weird name for a boy.”
Maeve gave Aimee a blank look.
“Oh. Oh! Maeve Wiley, I never! You like girls now?”
“I don’t know.” Maeve made a crooked half-smile. “I liked this girl. I’m not, like, in love with her or anything. She was just…special.”
“Well fancy that.” Aimee returned the smile, broad and beaming. “My girl is into girls. Good for you, pet.” She reached over to place a hand on Maeve’s, who for once didn’t immediately shy away from the affection. A car rapidly honking soon drew her attention.
“Eyes on the road, please, Aimee.”
—
Anna was waiting for them when they arrived, Elsie asleep in her lap.
“She wanted to wait for you,” Anna explained quietly. “She managed to get to, oh, maybe 9:30. Do you want to take her up to bed? I doubt it will wake her.”
Maeve smiled and nodded before picking her sister up.
“Your room’s waiting for you like you left it. Did you girls want something to eat? Tea?”
Maeve shook her head. “I’m full of cupcakes, actually, but thank you.”
Anna smiled and nodded. “All right. I think I’ll head to be myself, then, but let me know if you need anything.” She patted Maeve on the arm affectionately. “I hope the program was amazing, but I’m glad you’re back. You’ll have to tell me all about America tomorrow, once Elsie’s tired herself out. Good night, girls.”
—
Aimee followed Maeve up the stairs as she carried Elsie to bed. The younger girl maintained the bonelessness of exhausted youth. Aimee pulled back the cover on her bed so Maeve could lay her down. Elsie’s sister spread the blanket back over her and leaned in to whisper a soft “Good night” before kissing her forehead.
Aimee was smiling at her friend as she straightened, and Maeve fixed her with a concerned frown.
“What?”
“You’re really sweet with her, that’s all. It’s nice.”
“I can be sweet.” She paused as Aimee gave her a skeptical look. “Sometimes.” Another pause. “I can!”
Aimee smiled and turned towards the door.
“I can!”
—
“Shit, Aimes, I thought there was a cot.”
“Oh, it’s no problem, love. I can sleep on the floor just fine.”
“You’re not going to sleep on the floor,” Maeve said, frowning. “We can share the bed, I’m sure.”
“If you’re sure.”
Maeve nodded, and Aimee set down her bag to pull out her pajamas to change. Maeve found herself turning away, though she immediately thought this was odd, but covered by crossing to her bag to retrieve her own night clothes.
“Wall side or open side?” Aimee asked as Maeve was pulling a t-shirt over her head.
“What?”
“Which side do you want to sleep on?”
Maeve turned to see her friend sitting on the bed in an adorable long nightshirt with a unicorn on it. “Oh, wall side, I think?”
“Oh, thank goodness. I like to be out towards the room, not all bunched up.”
“You could have just said, Aimes.”
“It’s your first night home. I want you to be happy.”
Maeve made her way over to the bed and moved over to the far side.
“I’m home, and you’re here. I’m pretty happy.”
Aimee smiled and crawled into the bed, reaching for the bedside lamp.
“Me too,” she said as she turned it off.
—
Maeve was still on U.S. time, so she found herself awake and far more aware of her friend’s presence than she really thought she should have been. Not that Aimee was snoring, or taking up too much space. She’d been properly courteous, then snuggled in close to Maeve after a bit, though Maeve wasn’t sure how conscious that had been. Still Maeve was conscious of Aimee’s closeness, her soft, calming presence, her…
With a start, she had the sudden feeling her friend was still awake.
“Aimee?”
“Hmm?”
“Everything okay?”
“Mmmhmm.” She didn’t sound entirely convincing.
“What is it?”
There was a pause before Aimee answered. “Did you kiss that Carmen girl?”
“What?” Maeve was completely confused. “No. Like I said, nothing happened. There were a couple moments I thought something might…” She trailed off. “Why?”
Aimee shifted, turning towards Maeve, their faces none too far apart.
“I was thinking, maybe I should try.”
“What?”
“I haven’t been with a guy since Steve, and it’s been really nice, but I miss having someone, and there are a lot of pretty girls. Maybe I like girls and never knew.”
“I don’t know if it works like that exactly, Aimes.”
“It sounds like it did for you.”
Maeve didn’t have an answer for that.
“I’m not trying to stop you, but you probably shouldn’t do it just because you’re bored.”
“I’m not. I just want to see. What if I’ve been missing out all this time?” Aimee’s eyes widened, though Maeve could just barely see in the streetlight filtered through the light curtain. “You could kiss me!”
“Aimee! I just said not to - ”
“No, no, it’s perfect! I already love you tons, but it doesn’t have to be anything unless it is. Please, Maeve?”
‘ Unless it is .’ That played in Maeve's mind for a moment, and she looked at her friend differently in that instant.
“I don’t know, Aimee,” Maeve replied, but she sounded unsure even to herself.
“Don’t you want to kiss me?” Aimee asked, her face strangely innocent in the light of the simple, soul-baring question. “Am I not kissable?”
“Aimes…” Maeve let out a ragged breath. She could drown in the sincerity in Aimee’s eyes, and she found her own gaze drawn to the other girl’s lips, unconsciously tilting her head forward.
Aimee met her halfway, their lips barely touching at first in a tentative exploration. Maeve found herself melting into the kiss as Aimee sighed and pressed more firmly into the embrace. She felt Aimee take her bottom lip between her own and lost herself in the whole experience. She was vaguely aware she wrapped her arm around Aimee to pull her closer, desperate to be as close as possible, needing that closeness. She had no idea how long that embrace lasted before the two of them pulled back momentarily, coming up for air.
“Fucking hell,” Aimee said in quiet awe.
“Yeah…” Maeve looked at her friend, equally awestruck.
“That was amazing. Can we do it again?”
“I don’t know,” Maeve began, then paused at the look of complete trust and love on Aimee’s face. Maeve’s instinct was to pull away, to shield herself and hide, but this was Aimee. Her best friend, the person who was there for her even when they were fighting, who she trusted more than anyone in the world. The person she…
“Yeah, Aimes. I think we can do it again.”