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lottesreads · 2 months ago

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Why Me? - Part 14

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Forbidden relationship, some angst, fluff (yes fluff this time), lying, talk of abuse, swearing, mentions of death and cancer

Word Count: 6500

Summary: Your stay at Bob's is over and it's time to go back to work. It's different this time, knowing the two of you are on the same page, and you're excited to see where it takes you. Even if that means hiding it from everyone else.

A/N: I'm back my beautiful folks, it only took me being disappointed in real men again to want to write about the perfect fake one. That and Thunderbolts. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I love to hear what you think and I am very happy to be back :) (reblogs and comments make me happy btw)

It's also been so long I hope the taglist is accurate (but pls let me know if you want to be added or I missed you)

Masterlist

That weekend you don’t spend the entire time holed up in your room. You don’t cry again. And you don’t shut yourself off to the world. You see a reason to look for the sun behind the clouds, and when it finally emerges that Sunday afternoon, you take the time to allow yourself to feel it warm your skin. The gleam reflecting on that delicate butterfly pendant is what wakes you, and you know everything is going to be ok.

You’re at ease with your dad, granted, he’s still a bit upset with you. But “upset” with your dad means he just sighs at you every couple of hours and remembers that he loves you after he forgets what he was mad about. When he does that though, you get a little gnawing of guilt in the back of your head. Like his exhalation of breath is steadily blowing up a balloon of your own wrongdoings that could pop at any second.

As you get ready for work the next morning, combing your hair back so not a single stray stands out, you’re being pulled in different directions. Your dad wants to see you succeed, and you want him to be able to do that… from a safe distance. He and everybody else at work are your painful reality. And sometimes it’s good to remind yourself you can’t have everything. Not yet. On the other hand, you want to be happy outside of your career. And you think Bob can do that for you. More importantly you’re hoping you can do that for Bob.

Patience is a virtue, but you’ve decidedly been patient for long enough. For multiple things. Now you’re ready to take what you want. Even as your father’s bike rumbles out of the garage, you’re impatiently fiddling with your flight suit in the mirror. Your eyes run up and down your form several times, almost like anyone would notice a single wrinkle. Even so, you still find yourself smoothing out any irregularity, until you reach your face.

You had thought about covering the bruise with makeup, just to avoid the questioning. But what do you have to hide? This one was an accident this time.

She had usually refrained from actually hitting you in the face. Mostly just pushing and grabbing at your wrists to get your attention. It wasn’t uncommon for her to grip your chin in her cold hands and force you to look at her, but that rarely left any kind of mark to be covered. Only when she was uncontrollably angry would she leave a mark that could be so blatantly seen, so hard to cover up. One of those including the last time you saw her. When she left you crying on the floor of your bedroom while she made her plans to change the locks the next morning.

Often the blows to your face would be an open palm. One that would hurt enough to leave a sting and a faint flush that would be gone as quick as it came. The feeling, however, wouldn't disappear as fast. You’d be stuck with the memory of the burning sensation and gut wrenching fear for the rest of your life. There’s the occasional scar you’ll remember every once in a while that you’ll try to rub off from over your shirt or pants. But it’s already become a part of you. A part of your story you try not to dwell on no matter how hard your brain tries to get you to revisit.

A knock to the door has you flinching as you run to answer. Bob stands with his hands behind his back and dares to look surprised as you answer.

“Hey”, he greets you with a smile.

“Hey”, you breathlessly smile back. “You know you could have just texted me, right?”

“Uh”, he scratches the back of his neck as he walks you to his truck, “I guess, but that didn’t feel right to me.” He stands to open your door, and once again you are floored by this man’s chivalry. You smile as he slides in on his side.

The streets are still damp with whatever water mother nature rained down last night, and the slight chill from the walk to Bob’s truck gives you goosebumps under your flight suit. As Bob pulls away the radio turns on and he starts humming to the familiar Johnny Cash tune. You turn and smirk as he absentmindedly mouths the words.

“I fell into the burning ring of fire”, he mutters as you shake your head. He turns at the motion. “What?”

“You are not beating those country boy allegations, Bob Floyd.”

“Who said I was denying them?”, he asks with a nervous smirk.

The drive is short, but comfortable. Eventually your hands drift closer together the further into your conversation. But it’s cut short when you make it to the front gates. At the sight you pull your hand back to your lap. Bob tries not to take offense, he knows he’ll have to get used to this part.

Bob parks his truck and the two of you stare at the building in front of you. You’re both so unsure of how things are going to look when you step inside, but you know you’ll have each other.

“Hey”, Bob gently knocks his hand into your knee, “You ok?”

“Yeah”, you nod. This is something you’re good at, you remind yourself. Pretending. “We’re just carpooling to work for the same reasons we told my dad, ok?” Bob furrows his brow and nods, as if taking orders from a superior. “If anyone asks, stick to the story. And if you have to tell anyone, don’t make it sound too rehearsed or too casual.” His brow ticks up and you elaborate, “There’s a fine line in there- but you already did a good job with my dad. So, nothing to worry about, right?”

His brow is still furrowed in concentration but he forces the uptick of a smile. A grimace is what it is. You sigh and on instinct reach out to grab his hand before stopping and folding it in your lap instead. You realize you should have had a conversation before going to work, but this will have to do for now. “Just- act normal. We’re friends.”

“We are friends, Mantis”, he adds as you try not to get lost in his eyes. You know what he means. You were friends before you realized what you meant to each other, and you’re still friends. Nothing is going to change that.

-----------------------

You’re putting your bag in your locker when you hear Halo and Phoenix’s voices echoing across the tile. Taking a shallow breath, you grab what you need and turn to face them as they walk in.

“Morning!”, you smile.

“Morning, Mantis”, Phoenix responds before even looking at you. And then she turns. “Oh my GOD! What happened?!”, she asks as she gets close enough to inspect the bruise.

“It was an accident, I took a baseball to the face on Friday”, you tell her as she scrutinizes the mark.

“Why the hell would you even be near a baseball? There’s no need for-”, she stops herself before the steam starts pouring out of her ears. If you ever had any doubt she was protective- “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine”, you smile. Mostly just enraptured with the concern etched into her features.

“Ok… But say the word and I will be ready to bash in some skulls.” Begrudgingly, Phoenix allows you to finish what you were doing as Halo grimaces at your face. The three of you go on with your morning, walking to the classroom only to be greeted by more eyes on you. You’re really not meaning to, but you catch on to Bob as he gives you a small smile.

And even as Fanboy starts speaking, your eyes stop on Rooster as he sits in the back, head resting on his fist. You’re sure if no one was talking you could audibly hear him gulp as he eyes your bruise in regret.

“Whoa-”, Fanboy stares, “What the hell happened to your face?”. You stare at him straight in the eye as everyone else looks on.

“That’s rude”, you playfully scoff, “I don’t go around asking what’s wrong with your face”, you deadpan as Payback laughs from beside him.

“Man, c’mon”, he mutters as you smile.

“I wasn’t paying attention when playing catch. Not a big deal”, you finally tell him as you sit behind Bob. He tries best not to stare, but then his eyes move behind you and you almost swear there’s a glare under those lenses as he glances at Rooster.

“Welcome back everyone!”, your dad announces as he takes his place at the podium. “Glad to see you’re all in good shape”, his eyes graze the room and he winces at his choice of words once he sees you, “Well, most of you anyway.” You do your best not to roll your eyes as he gets on with the objectives for the week.

-----------------------

When lunch rolls around you’re feeling good. You’ve had the chance to get in the air, just to practice a few basic maneuvers, no dog fights quite yet, but you’re ready for whatever gets thrown your way. Everyone else is already in the mess hall, and you take the chance to enjoy the blue skies as you walk to join Bob. Still, you’re made aware of someone walking next to you and with a glance you realize the tall doofus is Rooster. He doesn’t say anything, but you can feel him glancing at your face again. You really thought after Friday he was going to try and stay away. But you guess it’s hard when you have to see each other every day at work.

“Can I help you-”

“Why are you covering for me?”, he asks, interrupting you. You furrow your brow and continue on. “You could have told them it was my fault.” You can’t help but scoff.

“I’m not gonna stir the pot, there’s no need for them to hate you more than they already do.” He huffs, half out of laughing and the other out of the truth.

“Well thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” You make it to the entrance of the mess hall and spot Bob waiting for you at his usual table. He hasn’t seen you yet, and you’re reminded of what made you run to him in the first place.

Rooster goes to walk off to his sad little table by himself, but at the last second you stop him.

“Wait”, he turns at your voice, “That box that you brought over, how long did you have it?” He shrugs, thinking back.

“A long time. I didn’t even know I had it until I started moving.”

“Did you have any idea what was in there?” He shuffles on his feet and starts picking at his thumbs. A nervous tick he’s had since he was a kid.

“I knew there was a letter for you. I didn’t open it. There was one for me, too.” He’s trying his best to look anywhere but at you. “Listen, if I knew what was in there I wouldn’t have left it sitting in storage for sixteen years.” He knows he’s not going to be on your good side in the near future. There wouldn’t be a reason for him to lie about this, and you’re inclined to believe him.

“Ok. Thank you.” The two of you stand there, longing to say anything else about the subject, to hear anything from a woman the two of you held so dear. Instead he clenches and unclenches his fist near his side. A way to stop himself from encroaching on your boundaries.

“You’re welcome”, he mutters indignantly. You sigh as you watch him walk away. Shaking the interaction off you make your way over to Bob.

-----------------------

The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. The rest of the week actually. Not a single thing out of place. Which unnerves you. Your dad has everyone back up in the air, practicing evasive maneuvers, target practice, any kind of skill the Navy doesn’t want rusting up before going back overseas. Whenever that’ll be.

You eventually tell Bob that he doesn’t have to walk up to your door every time he picks you up, but even as he texts you that he’s there, he’s waiting to open his truck door for you. And everytime it gets harder and harder to hide how giddy he makes you feel. You’re sure you can see on his face how he doesn’t tire of it. Almost like every time you walk out the door, he’s seeing you for the first time. And it makes you feel special. He makes you feel special.

Even when you don’t see each other over the weekend, the first weekend in a while that you decide not to see each other, you’re still texting almost nonstop. Your dad decided to spend the weekend with you, which you’re grateful for, but it’s kind of hard to pay attention to The Goonies when Bob keeps sending you pictures of Sylvia sleeping in precarious positions.

“What’re you laughing at?”, your dad asks as you shut your phone off.

“Nothing, just a stupid meme Phoenix sent me”, you easily lie before he turns back to the movie.

“Something I wouldn’t understand I’m assuming?” You fix your attention on his face in the glow of the tv. You take your concerns and shove them to the back of your mind as he chuckles at Sloth and Chunk sharing a Baby Ruth.

“No. Probably not.”

-----------------------

“Dude, why have you been giving Mantis rides for the past week?”, Fanboy asks Bob as he sits down across from him.. Bob swallows his mouth full of food before remembering to stay calm, despite his accelerated heart rate. He shrugs in an attempt to make it seem, as you said “casual”.

“Her car’s in the shop after she came over to help me look for Sylvia. She ran out during the storm, and while Mantis was helping me look her car took some damage.” He glances at Fanboy, who shrugs and decides it makes sense. But right as Bob thinks he’s in the clear, Fanboy has to pipe up again.

“Why didn’t you call me? I could have helped” Bob tries not to laugh as he remembers Sylvia booking it upstairs last time Fanboy came around.

“If she saw you, she would have run the other way.”

“Yet you called Mantis.”

“It’s cause Syl actually likes her.” Bob sees the real distress on his face as he picks at his food.

“You told me she was just shy”, he shrugs in response as you take your seat next to him.

“Hey, what happened to your car?”, Fanboy asks as you dig into your lunch. Your hand freezes for a split second. Bob can almost see it in real time how you adjust from your relaxed self.

“Oh, that- Well a palm tree fell on it and-”

“A palm tree?”, he almost shouts.

“Yes, a palm tree. Shop says it’ll take a while to have everything fixed, but they’ll be able to do it.” Bob wonders why you haven’t said anything to him about it. He tried asking you on a ride home last week why you wouldn’t just get a new car if the damage was that extensive, but you brushed him off. Saying something about how the car’s sentimental to you. Even if it is a hunk of junk.

-----------------------

Even in late September the heat radiating off the runway is enough to make you sweat. Not only that, but you’re about to head up in your jet which will make it even harder to see straight. You’re not gonna complain, though. It could be worse. You could be stuck in Lemoore, landlocked without a beach in sight. At least here you get the ocean breeze.

An arm makes its way across your shoulders, and you don’t even need to look over to know who it is.

“You ready to kick some ass?”, Phoenix asks as she marches alongside you. You can’t help but laugh. She’s been saying the same iteration of the same few words since you met. Whether it was for a test you stayed up late studying for, teaming up for a game of beer pong, and even when she threatened to go kick your ex’s ass when she lovingly named him “lieutenant douchebag”. But that’s a whole other story in itself. Just another time she had your back.

“You bet I am”, you respond with determination. Bob jogs up and meets Phoenix on her other side. You give him a look from over your sunglasses and he clears his throat.

“Hey Phoenix, your boot’s untied”, he points to her shoes as the three of you stop.

“You guys go on ahead”, she shoos you to keep walking as she kneels to relace her boot. The rest of the tarmac is almost empty, save for the few technicians tending to the jets. Still, you keep a safe amount of distance between yourself and Bob as you leisurely make your way further.

“So uh-”, Bob starts as you turn to spare a glance in his direction, “Are you doing anything Friday?”

“Depends on what you’re about to ask me”, you say with a small smirk.

“Well, I was wondering if…”, he stops to take a look around before continuing, scratching the back of his neck in the process, “maybe that might be a good day to go on that date we talked about?” Your knee jerk reaction is to smile, and it takes everything in you to chew your lip and look straight ahead.

“Yeah”, you cough, “That would work.” Phoenix makes her way back to the two of you and the conversation ends there. Bob nearly trips over his own feet as he tries to get a last glance of you when you stop at your jet, and you have to turn away in order not to laugh.

“Whoa, you alright there Floyd?”, you hear Phoenix ask him.

“Yeah- yeah I’m alright”, he mutters as you sneak a look at him. He catches your eye and your smile wins over.

That drive home you don’t hesitate to take his hand when his truck rolls off base. You try to hide your smile by staring out the window, but Bob can still see it in the way your eyes crinkle at the sides. He simply squeezes your hand and keeps on driving.

-----------------------

As soon as Friday rolls around, you’re having trouble trying to suppress your excitement for the night. Even as you beat Coyote in a dogfight, he raises an eyebrow at your overly animated figure giving him finger guns as he falls to do his pushups.

“Better luck next time Coyote!”, you throw over your shoulder as you head to lunch.

“Something’s different about you”, Phoenix comments under a squint while she points at you with her fork. She has you abruptly swallowing the bite of your lunch you were still chewing and you clear your throat before you choke.

“What are you talking about?”, you attempt to brush it off without even looking at her.

“I don’t know”, she muses. “You seem… lighter.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”, you ask with a dry laugh.

“No”, she waves her fork around again. Now sending salad dressing flying in specks over the table. “I just wanna know what changed.”

“Well”, you shift in your seat, “I have a standing therapy appointment every Wednesday and that’s been helpful.” Her eyes light up as she smiles. You didn’t realize you were so transparent. But maybe that’s just Phoenix. And your dad. They can see right through you even when you have trouble seeing yourself. Which is what makes it even harder to lie to them.

“That’s great!”, you nod in agreement and there’s a pause in the conversation before she mutters, “I thought you were on drugs or something.” You nearly spit your food out at the accusation.

“You do know what we do for a living, right? That’s a one-way ticket out of here.”

“I know, and I know you’re not the kind of person to go for that kind of thing… but it was just a big change in the last couple weeks.”

“Yeah”, you shrug, “I guess I just decided to stop wallowing and actually do something about it. Do things that will make me happy.”

“Well, whatever you’re doing, keep up with it. I don’t like seeing mopey Mantis, it makes me sad.”

“I was not being mopey”, you can’t help but scoff, even if there’s a bit of truth to her words.

-----------------------

Bob drops you off at your house as per usual, but this time he lets you know he’ll be back to pick you up at 6:30. You nod and squeeze his hand one last time before running out of his truck and into the house. That’s only two hours from now so you decide to start getting ready immediately. Wash the smell of jet fuel off of your skin. Primp yourself in a way that you haven’t in a long time.

Oh god, you don’t even remember the last time you had to get ready for a date. This was different though. This was Bob.

Of course, even if you are happy like you told Phoenix, not everything goes exactly the way you intend it to. Now for example. Bob will be picking you up for your date in the next few minutes and your dad is supposed to be with Penny tonight. The sound of his bike pulling into the driveway gives way for the first crack in this whole plan. This is how it starts, you think to yourself.

“Whoa, why are you all dolled up?”, your dad’s voice stops you in your tracks as you cap the lipgloss you just got done swiping on. He was not supposed to be here, damn it.

“What, a girl can’t wear a dress for no reason anymore?”, you try to brush him off. In your defense it is a basic yellow sundress, not that the man can differentiate any kind of dress from another. To him any kind of dress or skirt equals fancy.

“No”, he reasons, “Just wondering why you’re wearing one to go dogsit.” You scrunch your nose in frustration. Ensuring your cover, you told your dad you were dog sitting Sylvia while Bob went on a date. Which wasn’t entirely untrue.

“Oh I don’t know, I’m just sick of wearing a flight suit day in and day out. I need to feel like a girl.” The words weigh down on your tongue as you try to come off as light and airy. Bob was supposed to be here any minute, why isn’t this man at his girlfriend’s house?

He nods as if thinking it over and he just about leaves before tapping the frame of your door.

“Oh, did I mention Ice is thinking of having a retirement party?” You turn to stare at him without the barrier of your mirror.

“Really? Or do you mean Sarah wants to throw him one?” He smirks and shakes his head.

“Either way, he’s in remission now and I think it’s as good as any reason to celebrate.” You nod and take a deep breath. You both know having to retire because of cancer wasn’t ideal for Admiral Kazansky. For a while there you weren’t sure if he would recover. You’re just glad he’s finally getting the opportunity to celebrate his career in the Navy, even if it didn’t end the way he wanted it to. He still went out in a blaze of glory, putting your dad exactly where he needed him. Where Rooster and yourself needed him. You remind yourself to text him later.

Your dad walks back down the stairs and you glance at the clock. Bob should be here any second.

“I thought you were going to Penny’s?” You yell down to him as he goes to the kitchen.

“I was, but Jimmy’s sick so she’s covering for him.” You can hear the clink of a glass bottle as he opens the fridge and you roll your eyes.

“So instead of going to see your girlfriend where she works at a bar, you’re choosing to drink alone for the night?” There’s a moment of silence and you know he’s rethinking his choices. “I’m sure she’d be happy to see you during a long shift.” He places his drink back in the fridge, and before you’re done doing up your shoes, a knock comes from the door. Shit. “I’ll get it!”, you yell down the stairs.

“Bob, hey”, you hear your dad greet him as you awkwardly shuffle down the steps with only one shoe on, the other barely hanging on.

Your dad’s back is turned toward you as Bob stands at the door. “I’m sorry”, you mouth in an attempt to wipe the panicked look off of his face. The wide look in his eyes softens as your dad moves out of the way, opening up his view of you. He blinks a couple times to gather himself and you’re able to admire what he’s wearing. It’s not dissimilar to what he wore to brunch, a button up shirt rolled up at the sleeves, tucked into some nice slacks. He awkwardly waves at you, and you’re stuck staring into his blue eyes.

“So Mantis tells me you’re going on a date?” The panicked look reappears on his face, and you cringe as he stumbles through his words.

“Uhh- yes sir. I- I am.”

“Good for you”, he claps him on the shoulder and if you’re not mistaken Bob flinches at the contact. “How’d you meet her, one of those apps?” A sense of calm washes over Bob as he takes a look at you.

“No actually. I met her at the Hard Deck, sir.” Your heart warms as you walk closer to where the two men are standing. “She just caught my attention, and I haven’t been able to look away since.” Before your dad can sense the shift in energy, you clear your throat and take Bob by the arm.

“Right then”, you interrupt, “We should get going so you’re not late.” Bob’s feet follow the rest of his body as you drag him out to his truck and just when you think you’re out of reach your dad yells out the front door.

“Have fun Bob, be safe!”, he chuckles as you turn to him with wide eyes. Leave it to your father to embarrass you in front of someone he doesn’t even know you’re going on a date with. Parents must have the uncanny ability to know exactly when you’ll feel embarrassment the most, even if they don’t have any clue what they’ve done.

-----------------------

“Sorry about him”, you break the silence, “he was supposed to be with Penny.”

“Not a problem”, he glances over at you. “You look beautiful by the way.” You can feel your cheeks heat up as you smooth down the skirt of your dress.

“Thank you. You look really nice, too.” You reach over and take his hand, he squeezes a couple times as you let the radio take over the comfortable silence.

Of course Bob opens your door for you, and as soon as you're out of the truck he leads you up the walkway beating you to the front door. You’re not sure what to expect as he faces you.

“Now I know we can’t go out and have a normal date, but I’m hoping this might make up for it.” Reaching for the handle, he opens the door and follows you in.

“Bob”, you gasp. He walks behind you as you try to find every detail in what was once his kitchen. What stands before you now is a homey, dimly lit dinner. There’s a tablecloth over the old table you ate french toast at a couple weeks ago, plates are set with the appropriate silverware and napkins are folded underneath them. The sun peaking through the windows is the only thing lighting up the kitchen where an aroma of tomato, garlic, and herbs emanate your senses.

“It’s too much isn’t it?”, you turn as he rubs the back of his neck. Shaking your head you can’t hide your smile, and you can see the tension leave his shoulders.

“No, it’s- it’s perfect. When did you have time to do all this?” His hand finds the small of your back as he pulls your chair out for you.

“Well, I had this planned ever since I asked you out. I just kept putting off asking you again for some reason.”

“I already said yes, did you think I’d say no?” He bobs his head back and forth as he enters the kitchen, making you turn in your seat to watch him. He doesn’t answer as he grabs the food warming in the oven. “Bob”, you gape.

“I know you wouldn’t, but deep down there was some part of me that thought it was too good to be true.” He plates up your food and sets it down in front of you as you stare at him the entire time. The sun from the early beginnings of dusk settle over him and cast him in a soft glow. He belongs in this light you think. Brings to life the warm fuzzy feeling you get whenever you look at him.

“If it makes you feel better, sometimes I think you’re too good to be true.” He scoffs, but even as you reach across he still gives you his hand to squeeze

“Thank you”, he says as his eyes settle on you. He shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the daze you’ve put him in. “I hope you’re hungry.”

The two of you sit, eating a delicious meal that Bob made from scratch. Which you compliment him on and he accepts with a blush. He explains how Phoenix gave him the recipe, some family heirloom she wasn’t too eager to give over, but she only did it because it was for him.

You continue to compliment him over and over on his cooking and attention to detail, although you shouldn’t be surprised. He is a man of precision, and you’re sure he’d be able to follow a simple recipe, but still. He did this for you, and it makes it even better.

The two of you sit at the table a bit longer, talking about everything and nothing. You sit until the sun starts to fall further into the sky, painting the kitchen in a golden hue. You stay that way until Bob starts taking your plate to the sink. You move to get up and help start the dishes, but he turns and gives you a pointed stare. You try to play innocent but he sees right through it, stopping you and taking the dishes from your hands.

“I was thinking we could go for a walk.” A distraction more like. “It’s real close. We could walk to the beach, and if by chance we see anyone we know, we tell them my date ended early and I was repaying you with ice cream.” Distraction or not, it works. But you can’t help but feel grateful and sad at the thoughtful notion.

Bob pointedly gives a look to the neighbors house as he takes Sylvia’s leash in one hand, and leaves the door open for you. He walks closest to the road with Sylvia, letting his free hand fall between the two of you. You offer the same as the backs of your hands brush together as you walk.

The two of you make the short walk to the ice cream shop you passed weeks ago, the one you barely remember making some short remark about. Of course he remembered. The sun casts a golden hue over your figure which distracts Bob long enough for you to pay. He tries to grumble, but you silence him with a look.

“You made dinner, I buy dessert”, you tell him. He shakes his head, but the two of you keep walking. You talk about mindless favorites, colors, animals, what you were obsessed with when you were kids. And you find out Bob had an obsession other than planes while growing up.

“You’re kidding me? Bugs?” He nods as you lead him and Sylvia to rest at a bench.

“Nope, I was pretty into the outdoors as a child. Helps that I grew up doing work outside and I’d find all sorts of things in the fields.” You can’t help but laugh at the irony. While you happen to not be a fan of bugs, particularly the praying mantis, Bob has had a soft spot for them this entire time.

“I even had a journal of all the insects I’d find. Wrote everything I could about them, even included a little drawing.”

“Your own encyclopedia”, you smile. He laughs while you attempt to turn back to your ice cream. If you ignore it any longer it will melt all over your dress. You sit for a bit longer admiring the view over the ocean, but you know you need to head back soon. The sun is disappearing beyond the horizon and you wish for just one moment it would stop. Because in this second, right here with Bob, even out in the open for anyone to see, you feel free.

A Beach Boys song starts playing somewhere further along the beach and you both turn your heads at the sound. As the music continues to set the soundtrack to the night, a couple start to stand and sway together on the sand. They stumble a couple times on the uneven terrain but laugh it off and continue to move together.

Feeling Bob’s eyes on you, you turn to look back at him. He gives you a small smile drawing attention to the small dab of chocolate ice cream at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, you’ve got a little something right here”, you motion at your own face as he tries to wipe it clean with his hand. His attempt only smears it even more and you laugh as he continues to try and get rid of it. Relenting, you reach and wipe the melted chocolate off with your thumb. You slowly swipe over the corner of his lips, and with no napkin to wipe away the mess you’re left to lick it off your finger.

Bob just about chokes on air at your absentminded motion, but he manages to recover quickly. Hiding his shock under a cough as he stands. He stops himself from lingering on your hand after he offers his own to help you up, but you see the small twitch in his fingers as they fall back to his side.

The walk back is slower than the way over. You’re trying to savor this time, but much like ice cream you only have a short window before it’s gone. Hands brushing against each other, time starts to drip away as you get closer to the house. Your gaze is stuck on Bob the whole time, and you soften at the view. You’re surprised the ice cream didn’t melt any quicker in your hand the way you’re warming from the inside out.

He leads you through the front door and you stop in the living room as Sylvia pads off for bed. It’s already been a few hours since you got there and you know the end of the night has come. Bob steps forward and takes your hand in his. His thumb draws mindless shapes over the back of your hand. Reaching forward, you draw his face to look up at yours.

“You ok?”, you ask. He nods in your hand with a soft smile adorning his lips. You’re both thinking the same thing, you know it. There’s a bittersweet feeling that you can’t go out normally, that tonight might be a one off of walking together, getting ice cream. Normal date things.

“If this were any other ordinary date for you, what would you do differently?” You venture to ask. He takes a second to find his answer, still rubbing soft circles on your skin.

“I would have held your hand as we walked”, he brings your hand up as he kisses the back, “Put my arm around your shoulders as we watched the sunset”, he sets your hand over his shoulder, “And you know what I really wanted to do?” You shake your head as he takes your other hand in his, resting his free hand over your waist, eliciting a smattering of butterflies through your stomach. “I really wanted to ask you to dance.”

You shake your head as you relinquish your hold on Bob for a quick second. He furrows his brow as you scroll through your phone. Seconds later the melodic voices of the Beach Boys singing Don’t Worry Baby fill the living room. He laughs through a shy smile as you set your phone down and resume your position, only this time you put yourself a little closer to him.

“No reason we can’t do that right here”, you tell him. The song plays on as you rest your head on his shoulder, he soon follows suit and rests his head over your own. You’re surrounded by his scent and the only thing you can feel is him. The two of you sway slowly to the tune, but half of it is muffled by the sound of Bob’s heart beating.

Well it’s been building up inside of me

For, oh, I don’t know how long

I don’t know why

But I keep thinking

Something’s bound to go wrong

You know he can feel you smile through his shirt because you feel him do the same above you.

“You know”, he whispers, “even if we could have done this, it wouldn’t have been any other ordinary kind of date.” You lift your head to get a better look at him.

But she looks in my eyes

“Why’s that?”, you whisper back, unintentionally flicking your eyes to his lips and back.

“You’re not any other ordinary kind of person.” His eyes follow your same motion as you don’t even try to suppress your admiration for this man.

And makes me realize

And she says “Don’t worry baby”

“Neither are you, Bobby.” And as fast as you’ve gone before, it’s almost agonizingly slow before the two of you meet in the middle. His lips are soft on yours, but not only that. They’re gentle. Much like the rest of him. The two of you take your time savoring each other. In the back of your mind you know you’re not worried about someone seeing this time. In the safety of Bob’s home and Bob’s arms you’re at peace. You move at your own pace and everything is perfect. Almost.

Don’t worry baby

Everything will turn out alright

Don’t worry baby

A/N: I love Val Kilmer and his death really solidified the fact that Ice was going to live on in this story. I hope it brings a little bit of comfort to other people, not just myself.

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