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blue-aconite · 1 year

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let me drown || intermission - learning the truth

Summary: Bob learns the truth.

Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, swearing, mentions of infidelity/cheating, mentions of violence

Word Count: 5.1k

Authors Note: Writer's block has been a bitch. Thank @demxters for curing it. Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually.

Thank you to my amazing beta @writercole, who is the sole reason this chapter even sees the light of day.

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Fall 2018

Bob’s POV

Bob rifled through his locker after a long day of drills. He was looking forward to meeting his fiancée at home, ordering a pizza and watching a movie. He needed something to distract him from the fact that he hadn’t heard from his sister since Saturday when he dropped her off from their round of golf.

Taylor, being the fantastic, supportive fiancée that she was, reminded him that Thea had her own life and that she would let him know if she needed him. That idea comforted Bob through Sunday. And Monday. And Tuesday. But it was now Wednesday and his texts weren’t even marked read. Delivered but not read. And it worried him.

Finding his phone tucked away in his gym bag, he opened the device, clicking into his contacts to find his sister’s number. Hovering over the call button, he was interrupted by the door slamming against the wall, the rest of his squad piling into the locker room. The last thing he needed was them to listen in to a private conversation, so he pocketed the phone again, looking for his watch and glasses instead.

“Nice work today, Floyd.” Orca, clapped him on the back, opening his own locker. Spot made an agreeing noise as he settled onto the bench next to them, Rover in tow. Bob’s pilot gave him a thumbs up, pushing his hair back from his face.

“Dude, you need a haircut, you look like Kurt Cobain,” Spot jabbed, reaching out to ruffle Rover’s hair. Rover pushed his hand away, kicking Spot in the calf at the same time. “Fuck off Spot.”

“Boys, let it go. Who’s up for drinks tonight?” Choruses of yes echoed through the locker room but Bob stayed silent. Orca rolled his eyes as he shut his locker.

Bob knew what was coming before Orca even opened his mouth. “Floyd come on, drink with us.”

“Ah no, I have plans. Sorry. Thanks though,” Bob declined. Both Rover and Orca looked disappointed at his refusal to partake in their usual intoxicated shenanigans.

“Come on, Floyd,” Rover coaxed. “You never come out for drinks.”

Bob coughed, lips drawn in a tight smile. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

Rover rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to no doubt continue to try and convince Bob to join them. Orca had long abandoned the conversation, opting for the showers. Spot was already drying off.

Bob beat Rover to it. “I have plans with Tay. Another -.” The sight of Bradshaw walking past the locker room stopped him mid-sentence. He excused himself, grabbing his bag and headed in the same direction as Bradley had gone.

“Rooster!”

Bradley swivelled around at the sound of his name falling from Bob’s mouth, eyes wide open in something akin to horror. Bob’s brows furrowed as he approached his sister’s boyfriend.

As Bob got closer, he got a better look at Rooster. The man looked terrible. His cheeks were hollowed in, skin clammy and dark bags beneath his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days. On top of that, he kept twitching, shifting his weight like he wanted to bolt from Bob at any second.

“Bradshaw. What’s going on? You look like you’ve been awake for 72 hours straight. You okay?”

“M’fine.” Rooster mumbled, his eyes downcast as he fiddled with his fingers.

Bradshaw was evidently lying but Bob had more pressing concerns. “Have you talked to Thea? Is she sick? I haven’t heard from her for days and I’m getting worried.”

“I don't know.” Bradley squeaked, the mere mention of Thea’s name causing him to visibly pale. He looked more stressed, eyes darting back and forth between Bob and the exit.

Bob let his gym bag onto the floor, crossing his arms across his chest. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know’? Did you two have a fight or -”

“What’s it to you?” Bradley suddenly interrupted, nostrils flaring. “Why don’t you stay out of Thea’s relationships? She’s a grown woman,” he snapped, walking backwards away from Bob, tripping over his own feet in the process.

Bob immediately reached out, trying to steady Rooster. The man hissed as Bob grabbed a hold of his upper arm. “Don’t touch me. I said, it's none of your business.”

“My sister is my business, Bradshaw. Now what the hell is going on? Thea won’t answer my calls and you look like shit -”

“I SAID I’M FINE, FLOYD!” Bradley shouted, shoving away from Bob, breath laboured.

The sudden outburst made Bob recoil. He stood staring in shock as Bradshaw spun on his heel and stomped around the corner, disbelief that Bradshaw even had that much ire in him. After a moment, Bob recovered and shouldered his duffle again, heading towards the corner that Bradshaw disappeared around. Rooster knew something and Bob had reached the end of his patience.

He couldn’t fight the sinking feeling in his gut. Something was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it. He walked at a brisk pace, trying to catch up to where Rooster had disappeared. Raised voices from a room further down the hallway Bob had just entered stopped him in his tracks.

“Athena, I told you to stay the fuck away from me,” Rooster growled, his voice unmistakable. Bob crept closer, trying to stay quiet. He peeked through the open door, catching a glimpse of Rooster and Athena. Bradley had his shoulders hunched up high, hands balled into tight fists. Athena on the other hand was leaning lazily against the desk behind her, mirth dancing in her eyes.

“Aww, Bradley. You act like you have a choice. We work together,” she cooed. She straightened up, reaching out to run her manicured nails along his bicep. “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t have fun with me. It’s not my fault that you spilled your guts to the princess.” She said the last part slowly, gleefulness dripping from her voice.

The fact that Bradley didn’t shy away immediately from her touch had the warning bells ringing in Bob’s head. He had overheard enough conversations on base to know that Athena liked to refer to his sister as princess, a jab he hadn’t fully understood until now.

“Don’t call her that. And don’t fucking touch me.” Bradley spat, echoing the words he had told Bob just a few minutes ago. He took a step back, although a minute too late for it to be genuine.

Everyone on base knew that Bradshaw and Simons had been somewhat of a thing, or at least being involved in a friends with benefits situation since they started flying together. It had never been a secret but Bob had assumed it had ended sometime before Bradley met Thea. Watching the two of them together, Bob finally understood what was going on.

He was starting to connect dots and lines and felt a deep wave of anger build in his chest, radiating out through his veins. He backed away slowly, death grip on the strap of his bag. He tried to stay silent, refusing to let his anger take over and give his eavesdropping away.

He stopped to control his breathing, hands balled into tight fists. He didn’t know everything but he knew enough. Rooster and Athena’s conversation had told him plenty. Closing his eyes for a moment, Bob took a deep breath before heading towards the parking lot. He dug out his phone on the way, dialling Taylor’s number.

“Hi darling, I am sorry but can we reschedule for tonight? I’ll make it up to you, I promise. There’s something I need to do.” Bob kept the phone between his shoulder and ear as he looked around for his keys.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Tay asked, concern evident in her voice. He could hear Charlie in the background, little yips as he probably raced around Taylor’s legs.

“It’s Thea. I just need to do something.”

Taylor relented after hearing Thea’s name. “Of course. I’m actually kind of relieved, work has been a lot and I could clock some overtime catching up on stuff.”

“Are you sure? And please don’t overwork yourself, darling. You need to rest as well.” Bob put the keys into the ignition, transferring the call onto the truck’s speakers via the bluetooth.

“I’m sure. Me and Charlie are going to have a quiet night in with takeout and I’ll just catch up on some work. You go and deal with whatever you need to do.”

“I love you. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”

Taylor echoed back his sentiment before Bob ended the call, tossing the phone in the passenger seat and reversed out of the parking lot. The rest of the squad liked to frequent a bar about 15 minutes from base, so Bob reached his destination quickly.

He hadn’t bothered to get back into his uniform after the shower so he was dressed in his civilian clothing. Bob found a baseball cap in the trunk, putting it on before heading inside.

He could hear both Orca and Spot the moment he stepped through the door, so he kept his head down as he made his way through the crowd. He made sure to keep out of sight from there most of his squad was seated, walking past the bar and opted for a lonely booth in the corner, hidden from sight. He could see them clearly, and hear but Bob was pretty sure no one had noticed him, which was his goal. He didn’t want to raise any suspicions if his plan would actually work out.

He watched as Spot and Orca teamed up to try and beat Rover at pool. The rest of their squad was scattered around, watching the game. Orca huffed a laugh suddenly, leaning across the table to whisper to Rover. Bob’s pilot smirked, pocketing a solid before speaking.

“You serious? What the fuck happened?”

Orca shrugged, nudging Spot. “Tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

Spot smirked over his beer bottle. “You hear about Bradshaw and Floyd’s little sister?”

“Bradshaw was waxing poetic about her some week ago, what about it?” Rover reached for a new bottle, pushing his empty one aside.

Orca laughed. “Did you know Athena made a bet that he couldn’t get her between the sheets in two weeks?”

Bob’s blood boiled but he forced himself to stay seated, wanting to hear the rest of their conversation.

“Shit man, and he agreed to it?” Rover laughed, sinking another solid.

“Nah, not a first, but -”

“Last I heard, he did. Claims he fucked her till she cried.” Spot interrupted.

“And then they got in a fight and he went and fucked Athena that night. He’s been looking like shit because she kicked him on his ass.” Orca joined, laughing as he clinked his bottle with Spot’s.

“Well, that explains a lot.” Rover snorted.

Bob saw red as his teammates laughed together. He stood slowly, quietly making his way out of the bar, once again evading the attention of his coworkers.

The drive to Thea’s passed in a blur, anger blazing coursing through his veins. He had trusted Bradley with Thea, trusted him to take care of his sister. And Rooster had betrayed her. He’d deal with Bradshaw later, now he needed to take care of his sister.

After parking in Thea’s driveway, heart breaking at the sight of the darkened home, Bob texted Taylor asking her to stop by Thea’s place on her way home.

He exited the car, taking a few deep breaths before climbing the stairs onto the front porch. The place seems empty. There was no light coming from the windows, nor sound from inside the bungalow.

He tried the doorbell first, twice, but received no answer. “Tiny! Open the door!”

When nothing happened, he knocked, fist pounding against the door. “Thea!”

There’s still no answer so Bob reached for his keychain, easily finding the spare key Thea had given him when she moved in. “I’m unlocking the door now.” Bob announced as he stepped over the threshold. “Thea, are you home?”

Thea’s POV

What day is it? Thea stared blankley at the muted TV in front of her. It felt like years had passed since her fight with Bradley and the aftermath. When he admitted to cheating on her, when he called her Athena’s name. Everything felt numb. She wasn’t sure if she had actually moved since collapsing onto the couch after she had forced Bradley out of her home. He had pleaded with her, begging her forgiveness but she had all but shoved him out onto the porch, telling him to leave and never come back.

She had watched as Bradley drove away, heart breaking as she thought back on the event of the last few days. She had then numbly taken a seat on the couch and stayed there.

At first, she had expected to cry more. She had expected the anger, heartbreak and everything that came with being betrayed in such a vile way by someone you loved. What she hadn’t expected was the inability to feel anything other than the numbness spreading through her body, the absolute acceptance.

A loud noise broke through the haze, echoing through her house. The doorbell. It rang twice and when she did nothing, a few rapt knocks echoed through the house.

“Tiny! Open the door!”

That’s Bob. She wanted to get off the couch, unlock the door and let him in but her limbs wouldn’t move.

“Thea!”

She wanted to call for him to come in but no sound escaped her mouth when she opened it. She could hear the keys in the lock, and felt relief as she remembered that she had given her brother a set of spare keys when she moved in.

Thea didn’t move as she listened to her brother moving through the space, watching as he came into the view from the hallway. He smiled gently as he took her in, approaching her slowly.

“Hey kid,” he whispered as he squatted in front of her, “you had me worried. You’ve been MIA for days.”

She didn’t answer him, hiding her face from him as she felt the tears building at his concerned tone, not wanting to cry in front of her brother. The couch dipped beside her and she felt her body lifting, warm arms wrapping around her.

“Talk to me, Tiny.”

And the dam broke. The numbness that had engulfed her since the weekend was suddenly swept away and all the emotions that had been repressed came flooding, as she sobbed against her brother’s chest. Bob stayed quiet, rubbing her back slowly while she cried and cried. He offered no words of encouragement, just let her wail against his shirt until her tears had soaked the material of his shirt. His lips were pressed against her forehead, his back taunt as if holding himself back.

Once the tears started, she couldn’t stop them. She hiccuped repeatedly, trying her best to stop them but it was futile. Being held by her big brother made her feel safe, comfortable. It felt like he would protect her from anything bad ever happening again.

“Shh, Tiny. I’m here.” her brother whispered, one hand gliding through her hair. It was something all of her brothers used to do as kids when she was upset.

She felt herself calming down as he repeated the motion. Her sobs eventually stopped and turned into sniffles. She still clung to him, not wanting to let go, not wanting to lose the feeling of being comforted by Bob.

They sat on the couch for what could have been hours but in reality was only thirty minutes. Bob’s phone buzzed a few times but neither paid any mind to it. After she had calmed down some, she leaned back to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks. Bob still hadn’t spoken, one of his hands wrapped around hers.

“Why haven’t you called me? Why haven’t you told me?”

Thea had assumed that her brother had seen Bradley at base but never gave any thought that he would have found out what had transpired over the weekend. “How did you find out?”

Bob chuckled humorlessly. “Ran into Rooster who was acting odd. Then I overheard a couple of conversations. I don’t have the full story though, but I think I know enough.”

Thea hiccuped again, reaching for the tissue box on the coffee table. Bob beat her to it, offering her a tissue. “I didn’t want to bother you, mess up your life -”

“Thea, there’s no way you could ever mess up my life.”

“I did. I never should have gotten involved with your coworker. Now you’re stuck between me and -”

“I’m not stuck anywhere, baby sister,” Bob assured her. He was looking at her now, making sure that she kept eye contact as he spoke slowly. “Now, what happened?”

Bile rose in throat as she thought back about the past weekend. She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to revisit the betrayal Bradley had put her through. She hiccuped, slapping a hand over her mouth as she hurried to the bathroom. She emptied the contents of the stomach in the toilet, sobs wracking her frame again. Just thinking about Bradley made her feel sick to her stomach, heart breaking all over again.

Bob followed closely, holding her hair back and rubbing her back soothingly.

Thea leaned against the tub when she was done, gratefully accepting the glass of water Bob held out to her. “Thank you.”

Her brother waved her off, swallowing thickly. “Tiny. I need you to tell me what happened.”

She shook her head. Ratting Bradley out could have consequences for Bob, seeing as her brother looked minutes away from storming out the door to find Bradley and put him into the ground. “I don’t know if I can tell you. It’s -”

“Don’t protect him, he doesn’t deserve it.”

Thea choked up. She didn’t want to get Bob in trouble. “I know what will happen if I tell you. I’m not going to let you get in trouble over me.”

Bob held out his hand, pulling her off the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, guiding them back to the couch.

“I promise to stay right here, no matter what you tell me, okay? I won’t get in any trouble. I won’t go looking for him. You don’t have to worry.” He promised, tapping her nose gently, a common gesture throughout their childhood.

Biting her lower lip anxiously, Thea debated doing as he asked. She knew he would find out the entire truth sooner or later. He already seemed to know the key parts.

Seeing her hesitate, Bob opened his arms so she could lean into his embrace as he held her close. He murmured soft assurances that everything would be okay and he just wanted to know the truth.

Hiding her face in his already tear-soaked shirt, Thea started tentatively to tell him what had happened after she and Bradley had left the dinner with Athena, him and Jake.

Bob’s POV

It had taken Thea over an hour to explain in full detail what had happened between her and Bradshaw. Bob felt his anger rising once again as he held his baby sister close, wishing desperately that he hadn’t promised her that he would find Rooster.

The more he found out, the angrier he got but for Thea’s sake he tried to stay calm. After she had sobbed her way through the entire thing, she had fallen asleep in his arms, most likely exhausted from the emotional turmoil. Bob had carefully picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, making sure she was comfortable under the covers.

He then went through the bungalow, cleaning up as he went and then sat down on the couch with his head in his hands. He felt helpless, powerless even. He had allowed someone to hurt his baby sister and now he didn’t know how to help her. The urge to find Rooster and take a swing at him rocked through his body but he stayed put. He had promised Thea and unlike Bradshaw, Bob kept his promises.

A tentative knock on the front door was heard and followed by the soft sound of paws padding along on the wooden floor. Charlie came into view, the corgi yapping happily at the sight of his dad. Taylor appeared behind him, takeout bags in hand and a worry etched across her face.

“What is going on?” She set the bags down at the table, returning his hug as he stood to embrace his fiancée.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bob sat down again with Taylor by his side, their hands intertwined. “Bradley cheated. Thea’s a mess. I don’t know what to do.”

Taylor made a surprised noise, her eyes widening before anger overtook her features. Her mouth opened and closed in shock, trying to find the right words. “He did what?!”

“He fucked Athena after he and Thea got into a fight about Hangman, which I’m still trying to wrap my mind around.” Bob snarled but reminded himself to stay calm. Charlie huffed unhappily at being left on the floor, nudging Bob’s leg.

“Fucking bastard. I ought to run him over with the Rover.” Taylor looked as angry as Bob felt. “Where is Thea?”

“Asleep in the bedroom. She passed out after telling me what happened.”

Taylor reached down to pick up Charlie, getting off the couch. “I’ll go and see if she wants some cuddles. There’s sushi in the bag, her favourite.” Bob’s heart swelled at the obvious concern his fiancée showed for his little sister.

He opened his mouth to respond when his phone rang, interrupting him. Marcus’ name flashed across the screen and Taylor motioned for him to answer as she made her way towards the bedroom. Bob watched as she quietly opened the door, slipping inside with Charlie in her arms.

Bob swiped to answer the call. “Brother,” Bob greeted, “to what do I owe the pleasure?

“Have you heard from Thea? I’ve been trying her for days and all I’m getting is straight to voicemail,” Marcus demanded immediately.

“Hello to you too, nice to hear from you after so long,” Bob snarked.

“Robert…” Marcus warned.

Bob sighed as he debated how much to divulge, ultimately settling for the whole truth. “That guy she was seeing from my squadron? Bradshaw? He, uh,” Bob paused, clearing his throat before continuing. “He fucked her, bragged about it to my squad, and then cheated on her.

The other end of the line was eerily quiet and Bob wondered for a moment if his older brother had hung up the call. “Marcus?”

“Tell me you’re fucking joking, Bobby. It’s a joke, right?”

Bob sighed. “I wish, trust me. But she just spent the last two hours sobbing in my arms and I had to practically pry the whole story out of her,” he paused, letting the information sink in. “I ran into Bradshaw at base earlier and then overheard a couple of conversations while doing my wallflower thing. I got the gist of it but needed to hear her version as well.”

“Please tell me you got a couple of swings in.” Marcus seethed. Bob leaned back against the couch and scrubbed his hand down his face.

“No. I promised her I wouldn’t go after him. Piece of shit would deserve it but she’s worried about it affecting my job. You know how she is.”

Marcus snorted. “Yeah. How is she?”

“Bad,” Bob sighed as he spared a glance into the bedroom where Thea was buried underneath the duvet. “Asleep, though. I’m still at her place. Don’t really want to leave her alone. Taylor’s with her right now.”

“Do you need us to come out there?” Marcus asked. Us meaning himself and their two other brothers.

Bob set his jaw and shook his head even though his older brother couldn’t see. “No. I’ve got it handled.”

“Layla says her mother can come stay with her and the girls if you need me to come and kick some ass.” Marcus’ wife was pregnant with their third child and the last stages of the pregnancy had taken its toll.

Bob rolled his eyes. “No, I said it’s fine. Stay home. And tell August and Richard the same. I got a plan.”

“Well then, remember, leave your phone behind, cash only, hide your plates, and it’s only murder if they find a body,” Marcus said before ending the call abruptly. Bob could only shake his head, mouth turning upwards in a faint smile.

Taylor returned from Thea’s bedroom sans Charlie. “What did Marcus say?”

Bob snorted. “He told me it’s only murder if they find a body.” Taylor joined him on the couch again, leaning into his side.

“And what about the others?”

“Marcus didn’t say anything but I’m assuming he’s reporting back right now. But I told him to tell them to stay put. I haven’t heard from them yet though I have no doubt that I will soon. Hopefully they’ll trust me to handle what I’ve broken.” Bob choked up on the last word, and swallowed hard. Taylor laid her hand on his face and he leaned into her touch, craving the comfort of his future wife.

“This isn’t your fault, sweetheart.”

He swallowed harshly, trying to get rid of the tears threatening to burst forth.

“It is. I trusted Bradshaw with her. I never should have introduced them.”

Taylor shook her head, a watery smile on her face. “Darling, you couldn’t have known. Stop blaming yourself. Now, what’s next?”

Bob was quiet for a while, not sure how to tell her the way he wanted to uproot their lives. “She needs to leave this place. I want her as far away from Bradshaw as possible. I can request a transfer and I know Thea’s job has offices all over. But I need to know what you think first.”

Bob hated to ask her to be the deciding factor, to leave her home and her job. She had always supported him and his dreams. Flight school and then all the deployments. To throw this at her with no warning was the last thing Bob wanted but he knew Thea couldn’t stay here. She needed to heal, preferably a thousand miles away from Rooster.

Taylor brushed a hand over his hair. “If we need to leave, I’ll find work elsewhere. It’s no problem. I might not be able to move as quickly but if this is what we need to do, we’ll do it. I love you and I love Thea.”

“Are you sure?”

“Robert Floyd, I will follow you wherever you go. You know this. I know how important Thea is to you. And I know how important Thea is to me.”

Bob felt tension bleed from his shoulders as he embraced her, choking up once again the obvious love she held for not only him but his family as well.

“I’ll put in a request for transfer as soon as I’ve talked to Thea. She might not want to move but she needs it.”

Taylor kissed him gently before leaning back. “I’ll talk to my boss then,” She looked over to the bedroom. “Why don’t you wake her up and I’ll unpack the food. I think we all need food.”

Bob stretched as he stood before pushing the door to Thea’s room open. “Tiny, wake up.” He reached out to brush some hair from her face. She stirred awake, eyes blinking against the light coming from the hallway. Charlie was snoring at her feet, paws moving as he dreamed.

Thea yawned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven. Taylor brought sushi, will you please eat some?”

She turned away from him, hiding her face in the pillow and mumbling something that sounded like a no. Bob sighed.

“Thea Olivia, please come and eat. You need it.” He didn’t raise his voice but left no room for argument either. Thea sniffled into the pillows before sitting up.

“I’m not very hungry, Bobby.”

“If you don’t come and eat, I’ll tell Marcus that he can come out here and he’ll probably bring August and Richard with him.”

Thea whined, pulling the duvet over her head. “You told them?”

“Marcus called. He was worried that you hadn’t answered your phone.” Bob told her gently, pulling the duvet away from her face.

“I didn’t want him to worry,” Thea mumbled. Bob smiled, wrapping an arm around her.

“And you were going to succeed in doing that by not answering your phone?” he joked lightly, hoping to lift her spirits.

Thea laughed, a genuine laugh that reminded him of coming home from school and meeting her in the front yard as he hopped off the school bus. “I just don’t want anyone to get in trouble because of me. Or worry too much,” she whispered, scratching Charlie behind his ears.

Bob tapped her nose. “We’re your big brothers, Tiny. We’re always going to worry.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching Charlie occasionally kick his little feet as he kept on sleeping.

Thea broke the quiet first. “What if I never stop feeling like this?”

It was a whisper, barely audible but Bob heard her. It broke his heart and filled him with rage at the same time. Bob knew that there wasn’t anything he could do to ease his sister’s pain and there was nothing he could do to retaliate and teach Bradshaw the lesson that he deserved. His job would be on the line, his livelihood, his entire life. And he had promised Thea.

Bob didn’t consider himself to be a violent man. He preferred to use his words instead of his fists. He was calm in fast paced situations, which is why he was so good at his job. But as Thea quivered in his arms, he fought the urge to cause further bodily harm to the man who had promised to take care of her. Rooster had failed to deliver on his end of the promise he had made Bob in the beginning of his and Thea’s relationship.

“Okay. Just don’t break her heart.” Bob’s voice was soft but stern, arms crossed across his chest.

Bradley smiled, dragging a hand through his hair. “How do you know she won’t break my heart?” He asked jokingly, bouncing his leg.

“She might. But if she does, I don’t have to pick up the pieces.” Bob clapped him on the shoulder and walked away.

Unable to find the right words to comfort his little sister, he simply pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head.

“You’ll be okay, kid. I’ll see to it.” He had no choice. He would never fail her again.

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#fic: let me drown #oc: thea floyd #bob floyd & sister!oc #fe writes #top gun maverick fic #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc

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topguncortez · 2 years

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Day 26: No One Left Behind ➢prompt: "Why did you save me?" ➢character: Robert "Bob" Floyd ➢warnings: hazing, underaged drinking, toxic parents, near drowning, fear of water ➢word count: 3.3k ➢masterlist | whumptober | library

Bob never liked large bodies of water. He grew up in a landlocked town in the middle of nowhere Wyoming. The only things to do in the summer were to run in the backyard through a sprinkler or to go to the pond. Everyone went to the lake, it was the place to be during the unforgiving summers. Kids, teens and adults would spend their days on the sand shores, fishing, sunbathing or playing in the water. Bob didn’t like the lake because of what lurked underneath the surface. He had seen the pictures of the large fish that fishermen pulled out of there. He had heard the rumors and the legends of different ghouls and demons that supposedly haunted the waters and would pull unsuspecting swimmers into its depths. But what really sealed the deal for Bob hating the lake, was when his younger brother pushed him off the family pontoon.

His parents didn’t realize Bob had gone overboard for several moments, he usually was behind them in the back, silent and holding on to his lifejacket tightly. But it was Bob’s older sister who shouted that the then six year old Bob was in the middle of the lake.

“Mom! Bob fell over!” She shouted.

“Oh my god!” His mother shouted and his dad quickly turned the boat around. Bob was luckily wearing a life jacket, but was kicking and splashing around, trying to get the lake grass off of his legs. His glasses had fallen off and were sinking towards the bottom, which caused more panic as he couldn’t see what was going on. When his father got close to him, he jumped into the water and swam over to where he was. Bob clung to him, his hands tightening around the shirt he wore.

“Kick your goddamn legs, Rob,” His father cursed as he swam them back to the boat. He lifted up the little boy into his mother’s arms and Bob clung on tightly to her.

“Oh my baby boy,” She cooed, and dried him with a towel, “I’m so sorry we didn’t notice.”

“Well maybe if he would fucking talk,” His dad cursed again, stepping up onto the platform of the boat, “Fucking say something next time or swim your ass back to shore.”

“David!”

“Well?” His father shrugged, “Kid needs to learn to do something for himself. Quit fucking babying him.”

Ever since that day, Bob did all he could to avoid water. But that seemed to be a bit of a paradox when he joined the Navy. His dad even laughed at him when he came home with his enlistment packet in his hands.

“You can’t fucking look at water without panicking. The fuck did you join the Navy for?”

“To help pay for school,” Bob said softly, “And they’ll teach me at boot camp.”

Which was true. His father had told him from a young age that they would never be able to pay for his college. That he would have to figure it out by himself. His older siblings didn’t go to college. His two older sisters MaryAnn and Elizabeth both married local ranchers. His brother Michael was set to take over the family ranch. But Bob was determined to not be stuck in no named Wyoming for the rest of his life.

And Bob was right, they did teach him how to swim in boot camp. It wasn’t beautiful, but he could pass the swim test and keep himself above water. But Bob knew that he wasn’t going to willingly jump into the pool and go for a swim. It also helped that he was wearing a life jacket the whole time, which gave him some comfort. After boot camp, Bob had gotten his acceptance letter into the Naval Academy. His mother cried when he told her, and didn’t stop crying until after they dropped him off in Maryland. Bob had never been to the east coast before, nor spent this much time away from his family. What kept him going in boot camp was the fact that he would be home in ten weeks. Now he was moving across the country.

Bob had three roommates in his tiny four person dorm; Geco, Tank, and Hermes. They were almost the polar opposite of Bob. Each of them were nearly 6’2 and built. Hermes currently holds the class record for fastest PT test. Though Bob couldn’t compete with them physically, he competed with them in the classroom. They envied the way Bob just understood everything that was being taught in their classes, and hardly had to study for exams to do perfect. Bob had offered to help them study, but they all shot it down. Most people in the class had envied Bob, and labeled him as the enemy, except Y/N.

Y/N, like Bob, was also on the outskirts of their class. She was a legacy student, her dad being the current commander of the pacific fleet. She had gone by her mother’s maiden name, so she could make a name for herself fair and square, but it was unmistakable who’s daughter she was, with her bright blue eyes and blonde hair. Oh, and the way she was ice cold. Unlike Bob, she didn’t let the whispers and the jokes bother her. She let them bounce off her back and continued on with her studies.

“Hey, Frost,” Hermes said. Bob was currently in the library, sitting att a table across the room from where Frost was. She had been there as long as Bob had been, her nose in a text book, “We’re having a little party this weekend at the SigEp house. You should come.”

“And why would I do that?” Y/N asked.

“Cause I’ll be there,” He smirked and held his hands out. Bob watched as Frost rolled her eyes and turned around, “Come on, don’t be so cold,” She continued to ignore him, which was something Hermes couldn’t stand. Bob watched as he clenched his jaw, “Fine. Just so you know, the only way you’re here is because your dad is fucking Iceman Kazansky. He probably couldn’t stand having a fuck up as a daughter and had to do some chairty work.”

Bob’s eyes widened at Hermes' words, and waited to see what she would do. He watched her body shake as she gripped her pencil in a vice grip, causing the wood to splinter. Hermes also watched her, and let out a laugh seeing no response from her, and advised his little posse to leave her table. Bob waited for them to leave, before standing up from his own table and walked over to her.

“You deserve to be here,” Bob said softly. Y/N looked up at him and his heart faltered a bit, seeing the tears in her eyes. His jaw dropped and he quickly dug in his backpack, looking for the packet of kleenex he usually kept on him. Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed as she watched him dig around in his bag, before stretching his shaky hand out and offering her the kleenex. She smiled at him and took it.

“Thank you, Bob,” Y/N said.

“You know who I am?”

“Of course, Bob Floyd, political science major. You sit in front of me during intro to strat,” Y/N said and packed up her books. Bob watched her as she moved quickly, “Thanks again. And I’ll see you at the party.”

“Y-Yeah!” Bob called out to her. Once she was out of the library Bob cursed himself, “What the hell? You’re not going to the party. You don’t party.”

— — —

The music was too loud for Bob’s liking. He didn’t understand how people would like their music this loud. He couldn’t even understand what was being said. The house was hot and stuffy, with people all over the place. Bob found a corner of the kitchen that was somewhat uncrowded and close to the table of snacks. He was nursing a cup of sprite that he had poured himself and snacking on the various mixes. Bob had never been to a party before.

His eyes scanned the kitchen, looking for Y/N. He knew that she was either already here or showing up late. He had watched Mean Girls before coming to the party, to somewhat understand what to expect. Apparently, you didn’t show up to parties at the time the host said they started, so Bob waited nearly an hour before arriving. He also felt slightly overdressed in his khaki pants, button up shirt, and vans. His roommates were wearing jeans and tshirts, and Bob made a mental note to go shopping for some.

“Do my eyes deceive me?” Bob turned around and let out a breath, “Bobby Floyd? At a party.”

“Hangman,” Bob sighed, “How are you?”

“How am I?” Hangman said, “I am magnificent. How are you? And why are you here?”

“I was invited,” Bob said.

Hangman raised his eyebrows in surprise. Jake Seresin was two years older than Bob, and had met him during recruitment over the summer, and was one of the peer leaders in his tactile movement and strategy class. Jake was also the quarterback for the football team, and had perfectly styled blonde hair and a bright smile. Bob had tried to hide in the back of the class, but Jake easily picked him out of the class, and told him he was “taking him under his wing”. Bob took in the sight of Jake’s outfit, dark blue jeans, a fitted black t-shirt, and cowboy boots.

“So really, why are you here?” Jake asked again.

Bob opened his mouth to answer, when he heard Y/N’s voice enter the kitchen. She walked right past him, a couple girls right behind her. His blue eyes watched as she greeted some of the other party go-ers and poured herself a drink. Jake followed Bob’s eyesight and smirked.

“The admiral’s daughter!? Way to go Bobby Boy,” Jake clapped him on the back, “I knew you didn’t just decide to show up cause you were “invited”.”

“Why is it so hard to believe-”

“Go talk to her,” Jake said.

“Oh no, I-I can’t,” Bob shook his head, “She’s with. . . him.” Jake squinted his eyes and looked back up at where Y/N was now being crowded by Hermes. She looked uncomfortable as he put his hands on her hips and tried to pull her back into his chest.

“The dude trying to force himself on her? Hermes? Nah, she’s not into him.”

“Well, he looks into her.”

“Bob, trust me, she’s not into him,” Jake said.

“How do you know?”

“Cause she’s walking over here right now,” Bob lifted his head up and his eyes widened as she walked over with determination. Jake took a step back as Y/N put herself by Bob, and wrapped a hand around his waist.

“Babe! You’re here!” She smiled and kissed his cheek, “I told you, Adrian, my boyfriend is here.”

“My fucking roommate? Next you’re going to tell me that his crying at night is actually cause you’re giving him head and not cause he misses his mom,” Hermes joked.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Y/N sassed. Jake smirked at Bob, who looked uncomfortable. Jake rolled his eyes, and subtly grabbed Bob’s hand to put around Y/N’s waist. He jumped at the feeling and Jake just nodded.

“Listen, Hermes, how bout you and the freshman jock squad go take a walk,” Jake said, “You guys are fucking wasted. Now go, or I tell Coach Smith and we run Death Hill until someone really dies.”

The group all agreed and disbanded. Y/N waited a bit, still keeping her arm around Bob until they were out of eyeshot. She sighed and untangled herself from Bob’s side, and Bob had to fight back a frown.

“Thanks, Floyd,” She said and walked away from him.

— — —

It was a beautiful night, and Bob could see the stars for once. That was something he missed since moving out East. You could hardly see the stars at night due to all the city lights and pollution. Back home, Bob would lay on his roof and look at the stars until the late hours at night. It helped calm him. He knew all the constellations in the sky, and could tell you their stories, and what season they are most prominent in. Currently, he was looking at Orion, and recalling one of his favorite stories about the constellation.

He wondered if Y/N liked the stars too. He was surprised how quiet it was outside, most people preferred to be inside the sweaty, hot house. Those outside were couples making out, girls having a drunk heart to heart, or people smoking weed. Bob had been offered a joint, but was too scared to do it. He had smoked weed once with his older sister, and could remember how angry his dad had gotten when he threw up on the floor. Bob swore he wasn’t going to try the drug again.

Bob’s moment of quiet was cut off by a hand landing on his shoulder. He jumped and looked over his shoulder at Hermes, Tank and Geco standing behind him. He felt his stomach drop and he scrambled to try and get away, but Tank and Geco grabbed his arms.

“Bob, I don’t think we have properly introduced you to the SigEp house,” Hermes smirked.

“I-I’ve been here before,” Bob said.

“Oh yeah, with Seresin,” Hermes nodded, “Your little butt buddy? Oh wait. . . that’s Frost isn’t it. Sorry I forget, that you like both of them to fuck you.”

“I don’t do-”

“I don’t give a fuck who fucks you in the ass, Floyd. But stay away from my girl.”

“She’s not yours,” Bob sneered. He wasn’t sure where that came from, but he hated the way Hermes was talking about Y/N. She wasn’t an object he could own.

“No? Then why was she just sucking on my dick and not yours?” Hermes laughed and Bob felt himself deflate a bit, but shook his head.

“Just let me go. I’ll leave the party,” Bob said honestly.

“Oh no. . . No can do. Bobby Boy. It’s time for NIGHT SWIMMING!” Hermes yelled loudly, which seemed to get the attention of some of those in the house, because a group came rushing out. Y/N was dancing with Jake when she heard the commotion from outside. Her and Jake shared a look before pushing through the crowd to go outside. Jake saw Hermes first, standing up on a chair and cursed.

“Shit. . .” Jake said, “It’s Bob.”

Y/N pushed her way through the crowd and made it down the deck to the pool. Bob looked terrified in Geoc and Tank’s hold as Hermes was taunting him. She had been to enough frat parties to know what was going to happen. Hermes grabbed a random beer as Tank held Bob’s chin open. He dumped the alcohol into Bob’s mouth, not caring that he was fighting against the hold on his arms and choking. The crowd seemed to instigate the brutality even more as the three boys stripped Bob of his clothes.

“Adrian! Stop, just let him go!” Y/N pleaded.

“Oh look Floyd, you’re little girl friend is here. Hope you can swim!” Hermes yelled.

“Throw him in! Throw him in! Throw him in!” The crowd cheered. Bob was frozen in fear, only in his underwear and socks. He tried with all his might to push out of Tank and Geco’s arms, but it was no use as they pushed him into the deepest part of the pool. The crowd all cheered as Bob was tossed in, the boys high fiving each other.

“Help! Help me!”” Bob yelled as he started thrashing.

“Calm the fuck down Floyd,” Hermes spat.

“I can’t swim!” Bob felt his lungs starting to close up as he breathed in water. He frantically kicked his arms and legs, trying to keep himself up. The panic rose in his chest, and suddenly he felt like he was back in the lake as a child. He couldn’t see much other than blobs of people staring at him.

“Bob!” Y/N ran towards the edge of the pool. Hermes grabbed her waist to stop her, but she kneed him in the balls, “Burn in hell.” She spat at Hermes, before jumping into the pool.

Bob’s head started to spin as he felt his body being pulled under. He could feel the tears running down his face as fear had him in a vice grip. Y/N swam to him fast, and wrapped her arms around his chest.

“Calm down!” She yelled, worried that Bob was going to pull her under as well, “I got you, kick your legs with me.”

“I can’t!” Bob gasped out.

“You can,” Y/N grunted and wrapped her arms under his armpits. Jake had made his way down to the side of the pool, and knelt down. “Breathe, Bob, I got you.” Bob took a deep breath as Y/N reached the edge of the pool. Jake grabbed Bob’s arms and pulled him out of the water. The crowd around was shocked as Bob laid on his back, coughing up water. Y/N pushed herself out of the pool, and helped roll Bob on his side, so he didn’t choke. Bob let out a sob, as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees.

“We got you, Bob,” Jake said, rubbing his back. Y/N wasn’t sure what to say, brushed the wet locks of blonde hair out of his eyes.

“The bitch can’t swim!” Hermes chuckled.

“You could’ve killed him!” Y/N yelled at Hermes.

“Just pointing out the weak ones,” Hermes shrugged.

Y/N clenched her jaw and went to stand up, but Bob grabbed her wrist. She looked down at him and he shook his head. His chest was still heaving up and down, his blue eyes wet with tears. Y/N nodded and knelt back down next to him.

“Alright. . . EVERYONE GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE!” Jake yelled and the crowd quickly dispersed. Jake was angry and looked down at Bob, who seemed to be doing a bit better, “I’m going to get a towel. You okay?” Bob nodded and Jake looked at Y/N, “Frost?”

“I will be,” Y/N said and Jake nodded, walking towards the house, “I’m so sor-”

“I’m sorry,” Bob said, “Your dress is ruined.”

“Are you really concerned about my dress?” She asked in disbelief, “Bob, you nearly died and you are worried about my dress.”

“Seems expensive,” Bob waited a moment, sitting down on his butt and running a hand through his hair, “Shit. . . my glasses.”

“Oh, I think they are at the bottom,” Y/N peered over the edge of the pool, and sure enough, his glasses were sitting at the bottom, “I can get-” He grabbed her wrist again to stop her.

“Why did you save me?”

“You needed-”

“No,” Bob shook his head, “Someone would’ve jumped in eventually when I went passive. But why did you save me?”

“Because. . . I like you Bob,” Y/N admitted, “A lot. And I should’ve done more to stop Adrian, and I am so sorry for what they did. This is going to be dealt with. They won’t get away with this, I plan on letting my-” Her words were cut off as Bob grabbed her face and kissed her. She froze for a split second, before kissing him back. Bob’s hand caressed her face as her hands went to the back of his neck. Their kiss was split up by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them.

“Well, excuse me for interrupting and saving my mentee from pneumonia,” Jake said, and handed Bob a towel, “You going to be okay, Floyd?”

“I don’t plan on going swimming anytime soon,” Bob said looking up at Jake and then at Y/N, “But yeah,” He grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together, “I’ll be okay.”