28 Not Fairy Friendly

Ruby had to try really hard not to laugh when Ash was terrified of the plane. He gripped the armrests pretty much the entire time down to San Francisco like he thought he was going to die.

Her amusement at his discomfort was the only thing that got her through her own. Even though she bought first class seats, which were bigger, her wings did not properly fit in the space she had been allotted.

Putting up the arm rest between her and Ash helped but only a little. It was a very cramped ride. She had always hated chairs in human establishments. They were NOT fairy friendly.

"Do we really have to do that again?" he asked faintly went he stumbled his way off the plane so they could move to the waiting area for their connection.

"Yes," Ruby replied grimly.

Ash sighed and leaned his head against the back of the uncomfortable waiting area chair. She didn't even bother trying to sit in one, content to stand (or more accurately, hover) instead.

At least she could adjust the driver's seat when she was in a car so her wings weren't too squished. That wasn't possible on a plane. Unfortunately, driving was a lot slower than flying so she had left the car in long-term parking.

"Ruby, I'm hungry," he complained. "You did pack my pills, didn't you?"

She nodded. Knowing he would need to eat something tonight, she brought it in her purse. "Be right back."

Ruby headed over to a tiny convenience store area and got two water bottles and some pretzels and peach gummy rings for herself. She pulled out the pill pack in her bag and popped one out of its casing before dropping it in one of the bottles.

"Here," she said as she handed it to him.

Ash swirled it around a little until it was completely dissolved and the clear liquid had turned red. It looked a lot like the Kool-Aid she drank as a child, which was an oddly disturbing thought.

He sipped his imitation blood while she munched on her pretzels standing next to him. They were probably the first vampire and fairy in history to fly on an airplane together. This airport had never seen the likes of them before.

Ash finished his food first and tilted his head curiously. "Is that any good?"

Ruby shrugged. "I guess. I'm not normally the biggest fan but they were all out of the good chips. Want to try some?"

"…you know I can't digest your food, right?"

"I know. I meant licking it to taste the flavor. That should be alright, shouldn't it?"

He stared at her with something akin to awe. "I've never thought about that before! Simple yet brilliant. Alright. Give me one of each. I want to know what your snacks taste like."

Ruby shrugged and handed him a pretzel first. He licked it slightly apprehensively before making a satisfied expression.

"Fascinating! What is this taste? It's somewhat similar to blood," Ash noted.

"It's salty. Blood has a fairly high salt content because sodium is in so much of the food most species eat," she explained. "But the predominant taste in blood is metal because of the iron. At least to those of us who don't normally drink it. I have no idea what it tastes like to you."

He nodded his understanding and held out his hand for a peach gummy ring. Ruby was more curious about his reaction to this one and she was not disappointed. He recoiled the second it touched his tongue and immediately went to scrape it off with the hem of his shirt.

"Ack! What is that? It's horrible!"

Ruby laughed. "That, my friend, is sugar. It's a pretty big contrast to salt, isn't it?"

"It's vile. Do you truly find this flavor pleasant?" Ash asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, I love sweet things! Sugar makes the word go round. I can't wait to try all the food in Las Vegas; I heard it's one of the culinary capitals of the country. Don't worry though; I can do it during daylight hours so you don't have to feel left out."

He stared at her blankly. "Why would I feel left out watching you eat?"

"Uh…because you can't? Is that not a thing with you guys?" Sometimes she forgot how isolated vampires were from the rest of the world. The depth of his out-of-touch ways shouldn't surprise her at this point.

"Oh I see. Do you feel left out when you see others doing things you can't do as well?"

"Sometimes."

That was a lie. Ruby frequently felt that way. Even among her own she was an outcast because of her powers and appearance. If she ever wanted to fit in among the fairies it wouldn't be as her true self.

She could create a glamour that made her look like a regular earth fairy but would never be able to take it off. There was no one in this world she could trust. Her father had been right about her power being dangerous.

Ash blinked at her for a moment before smiling. "You're very kind. I am not offended by such things but your consideration is appreciated."

There he goes getting all formal on her again. She brushed him off before stuffing a handful of peach gummy rings into her mouth to end the conversation.

When Ruby got full she stuck the rest of her snacks back into her purse and marched over to a different area selling books and souvenirs. She needed to get something to read before she lost her mind. She couldn't sit there for hours with nothing to do.

She ended up buying two copies of the same thriller novel because it seemed like the least offensive thing there. She did not need to read about the love affairs of humans, thank you very much.

"Here," she said, holding one out to Ash.

"What's this for?"

"Reading material so we don't get bored while we're stuck here. Uh…you do know how to read, don't you? Sorry. I should have asked."

He gave her a warm smile and accepted it. "I know how to read. Thank you."

Ruby had never seen him smile like that wearing his glamour before. His usual smile was a lot pointier. As she opened up her book she couldn't help but think that his real smile suited him better.