#mickey fanboy garcia x oc

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

There's Nothing I Wouldn't Do

Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia x Nadia Garcia (OC)

A/N: I wrote this to go along with a series being written by mayhemmanaged and cassmitchell called Gunpowder & Lead! Update as of 01/31/2024: This story is no longer connected to anything being written by the two accounts mentioned above. They are reworking this story. This is MY HARD WORK AND EFFORT and I will not be deleting it just because this character is no longer included in their story.

The character of Attie Blake is @dakotakazansky's. Fern belongs to @desert-fern. Obviously all of the Daggers are the property of Paramount. The only characters who are mine are Nadia 'Nova' Garcia and Alex.

Disclaimers:Female!Reader, and all the warnings below!

Warnings: Abuse, Recovery from Abuse, Assault

As a reminder, everyone’s experiences are different. Everyone’s experiences are valid. This is a fictional story.

My Masterlist

It’s just past noon on a sleepy Wednesday in Austin, Texas. The afternoon sun beats hot against my face. I grab onto the hood shrouding my features and tug it up a bit higher to make sure nobody can see me. You see, I’m not supposed to be here. The only reason why I am is the baby boy in the carrier strapped to my front. Alex. My son and the only good thing I have in my life. 

So why am I standing in front of a tiny flower shop named Hera's Orchard in one of Austin’s winding streets of small businesses with my baby in my arms and everything important to me in a bag at my side? There's a rumor, a rumor floating around on the dark web talking about this place. Rumor says that if you walk in and ask if they have any asphodel in the back, they'll help you, no questions asked.

I inhale deeply, trying to breathe despite my bruised, aching ribs and broken nose. I have to do this. For Alex, there's nothing I wouldn't do. I can take any and everything Arthur, my husband, lays on me. But the minute he turned his hand on our son, I'd had enough. The bruised ribs and broken nose, they're what I'd gotten for standing in his way. They're also the final straw. The tiny bell above the door jingles and as I walk in, the humid air stinks of soil and the heady perfume of the thousands of blooming flowers lining the walls. I feel a little bit like I've walked into a jungle. But automatically, instantly, it feels a bit easier to breathe.

Alex seems to like being in Hera's Orchard too, his chubby little hands grasping for the bright colors he can see even as his big eyes go wide at the onslaught of new sensations. I cuddle him closer, kissing his downy head before boldly forging my way to the counter I can see in the back.

There's a sign on the petal strewn countertop, proclaiming, "Ring the Bell for Service! Someone will be out shortly!" Right beside the sign is a bronze bell, like the kind they have on hotel concierge counters. I press it just once, and then have to drag a few petals from Alex's little fingers. If I hadn't caught them, they would've gone right into his mouth.

"Buddy. Alex! No, honey. Those do not go in your mouth." My son is ever vocal, babbling very seriously back at me. I'm having an oh, so serious conversation with my baby when an amused mock cough catches my attention. While I was conversing with Alex, someone walked out from the back and came to stand behind the counter. 

She's beautiful, her shoulder length brown hair is tied up into a knot at the back of her head and green eyes bore right through me. She's small and slight, but when she folds her arms across her chest, the muscles bulge with hidden strength.

"Hi, welcome to Hera's Orchard. I'm Fern, how can I help you today?" I can't hide my nerves as I slide the hood off, finally revealing my face to Fern. Her piercing eyes soften, seeing the bruises rising up vividly across my face.

"Hi, Fern. I'm Nadia," I make Alex wave with his little hand, "and this little guy is Alex. I read online that you just got a shipment of some rare asphodels into the store? I was hoping to purchase one as a gift." My throat is dry as I catalog the expression on her face. Fern's serious and stern. The sweet, slightly goofy grin she'd leveled at Alex just moments before is gone.

"Come with me." I grab my bag and follow her into the back. "Hey Charlie! Can you take over in the front? I've got a consult on a custom flower arrangement here!"

Charlie, a teenage boy, thin and gangly with the wildest curls I’ve ever seen, levels Fern with a lovestruck expression before walking out to man the counter. I know what he's so struck by. Have you ever been in a room with someone and been captivated by them? That's Fern's energy, from head to toe. I follow her into a small, plant covered office. Just as we sit down, Alex begins whimpering and gumming at my fingers.

"Sorry, he's hungry. D'you mind if I nurse him while we chat?" I can't believe I'm asking a stranger this question. Arthur would cut me down on the spot if he knew. Per his rules, babies are to be bottle fed only when other people are present.

"Of course. Feed the little guy. Take your time. I take my custom arrangement consultations very seriously." Her smile is soft as I situate Alex at my breast, heaving in as deep a breath as I am able as he begins to nurse hungrily. 

"Now that he's eating, do you want to tell me a little bit about the person you'd like to gift this special arrangement to?" Fern's got a little sketchpad in front of her and she begins to sketch bloom after bright bloom as I explain what I'm looking for.

"So, you're looking for an arrangement that is subtle and beautiful to gift your husband?" There's something dangerous in Fern's eyes as she uses a knife to cut the sketch free and hand it to me.

"Yes.” I trace over the thin wispy lines of the sketch, before murmuring, “This is beautiful. How soon can you have it ready?" 

I can't believe I'm doing this. Can I poison my husband? That’s the catch about Hera’s Orchard. It is a flower shop, one that has rave reviews and an ever growing list of clientele, but it’s true clientele is a bit shadier than housewives who want a fresh bouquet for their dinner table. ‘Asphodel’ is the key word in those situations. 

"Come with me." Rather than answer my question, she leads me to a small doorway in the back of the shop. She unlocks it with a key and grabs my bag. With Alex in my arms, I walk through the door, pausing only so Fern can latch the door behind us. Fern stops at the end of the passageway, knocking on the door. A small window opens, looking us over before the door opens and we're let through. 

"This, Nadia, is the Underworld. This is Persephone and Songbird. They run this place and are my closest friends." The women I see arrayed before me are beautiful and strong. Are they the salvation I've been looking for? Can they save Alex, and by extension me, from more suffering?

"Hey, Bruiser!" It's Persephone, her tone musical even as she wiggles her fingers at Alex. "What's up, Buttercup?"

"Seriously, Seph?" Fern's disgust at the nickname is palpable but I can tell it's a play at disgust more than the real deal. "This is Nadia Wilson. She walked into the Orchard looking for an asphodel."

Those seem to be the magic words. Before I can blink, I'm pulled to a table with Fern on my right and both of the other women in the room seated before me.

"I'm Persephone," Her voice is soft as she looks at me with Alex snoozing in his baby bjorn after his lunch. "Bruiser mentioned that you needed some help?"

At my confused look, she's quick to assure me, "Hey, you can talk openly here. We've got the entire Underworld locked down. Nothing leaves this room. I can assure you of that fact. We got the best hacker we know to build our anti surveillance gear."

As much as that intrigues me, if only because I just built an anti-surveillance setup myself,  I desperately need their help more. So I let the whole tale spill. How I emigrated to Texas as a young girl and taught myself how to code. How I'd fallen in love with the green beauty of the city and the hills surrounding it. But sadly that wasn’t all I’d fallen in love with. Arthur Wilson had swept me off of my feet. He seemed like a gorgeous man who had money and seemed to adore everything about me. So I hadn't hesitated when he asked me to marry him.

"Alex," you explain to the women, "is the only reason why I’ve stayed in my marriage for as long as I have." 

My breathing is ragged as I stare at the wall behind their heads. "Arthur, my husband, has hated Alex since before he was born. My husband hated how my body changed with the baby. He hates how I'm not back to my pre-baby weight or body type yet. So he takes it out on me." 

"At first it was just with his words. A probing comment here, a harsh word there. Then he started hitting me. I worked so damn hard to lose weight, to go back to what I looked like before, and it still wasn't enough. He's been hitting me more and more frequently."

"Then to top it all off, there is something else too. He's been cheating on me, I know he has. I've found red hairs on his clothes and he stinks of a perfume that's not what he buys me and insists I wear. But I could stand all of that. Last night, he tried to hit Alex. He's only three months old!" Your voice breaks and a tear slips down your cheek as you sob the words out. "He's just a baby, after all. Babies cry!"

"I can't let him hurt my baby. I can't live like this. Not anymore. Please help me. Please." My broken tones echo in the room around me as I make pleading eye contact with Persephone and Songbird in turn.

"Of course we'll help you, sweetheart! We're the Furies. It's what we do." I can't help my sobs as I let myself fall apart at their words.

3 weeks later

I wasn’t sure what to expect as the outcome from that first meeting at the Underworld, not at all. But whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t this. It’s 3 AM and red and blue lights blanket the front lawn of the suburban home I shared with my husband up until a few hours ago. That’s when I’d come downstairs with Alex in my arms and found Arthur and his newest side-piece, the red-head whose hairs I’d noticed on his suits, dead on the lounge chair in his study in various stages of undress. Like any dutiful wife, I’d screamed until our housekeeper found me and stayed by her side until the police arrived.

My pain and fear are all too real. Since I met with Persephone, Songbird, and Bruiser, it seems like Arthur turned all of his attention on me. I’ve been under a microscope ever since. He’s added a potentially broken wrist, two black eyes and a twisted ankle to the broken nose and bruised ribs I had the day I’d left Hera’s Orchard with a gorgeous flower arrangement under my arm. So the tears I cry as I clutch Alex to my chest in front of the sweetest Police Sergeant I’ve ever met are real. His face has been continually distressed since he first found me and I can’t believe how good he makes me feel.

“Sergeant Mickey Garcia,” he’d said, smiling at me as I tried to settle Alex from when the baby had been startled awake at the sirens of what seemed like the entirety of the Austin Police Department spilled onto our front lawn. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

I’d stammered back my own greetings and let him lead me into the kitchen.

“C-can you tell me what happened?” He’d blushed crimson when I tried nursing Alex to get him to settle down. His face had only grown more and more serious the more I spoke. I found myself spilling the entire tale to him, captivated by the curls spilling over his forehead. 

“Sergeant Garcia,” his superior, a man with arresting green eyes and dark blonde hair calls Mickey over to him. All night I’ve been getting appraising looks from the men of APD. Either I look like shit with a squalling baby in my arms or they’re trying to figure out if I have the courage to turn black widow on one of the Police Department’s biggest donors. I do, but they won’t ever know. I look like a beaten down, broken woman, but I’m far from it. I’m a professional woman. I build custom computers and security protocols for corporations around the world. It’s my true passion and calling, one which Arthur had never cared to know about.

As Mickey briefs his superiors, the looks I get go from being evaluating to pitying. I know I look a sight, bruises turning blue and green on my tan skin and with bags so dark under my eyes they’re purple. Add to that my pajamas, bedhead, and a squalling baby and I’ve successfully slipped under APD’s radar. They’re sure to have pulled the security footage, the footage my paranoid husband always had recording, by now, the footage which shows me asleep in my bed or sleep-walking to Alex’s room when my collicky baby wakes me up in the middle of the night. Alex is a sleeping weight against my chest before Sergeant Garcia walks back to me.

“We’re going to get you into an ambulance Mrs.Wilson and get you and Alex to the hospital and check out. If you’d like, we can call someone to come stay with you while you’re there and who can take care of Alex while we wait?” His voice sounds like sex and smoke. Were I not so recently a widow and not so injured to boot, I would have jumped him on the spot.

“Yes, I have someone I can call. I’d like to change and grab a bag for Alex if I can first though?” At his nod, I limp my way upstairs, putting together a bag for Alex before handing the Sergeant both the bag and Alex at his insistence. Arthur never once held Alex like that. When I step out of the bedroom in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, Alex is happily drooling against Sergeant Garcia’s chest and he looks too comfortable for this to be the first time he’s holding a baby.

“Wow.” My voice is quiet. “This is not the first time you’ve held a baby, is it Sergeant?”

His chuckle is bashful and shy. “No, actually. My sister in Miami has three kids. I’ve held them all.”

“D’you have any babies of your own, Sergeant?” I don’t know why I’m asking that question, not now of all times.

“No, I don’t. But I’ve always wanted to.” He clears his throat before helping you into the ambulance and handing Alex to you. “Now let’s get you in touch with who you wanted to call. Who’d you like to call?”

My voice is all fire as I say, “Attie Blake. She’s a friend and my lawyer.”

4 months later

Arthur’s sister and mother had put up a perfunctory fuss when they found out he was dead, accusing me of murdering him and any other depraved things that came to his mind. They even tried to sue me. But even their high paid team of lawyers couldn’t stand up to Atlas Blake. With Attie’s help, I managed to win the case and secure all of Arthur Wilson’s fortune into a trust fund for his son. Mickey’s been by my side ever since as well. It was almost too easy to fall in love with him. Especially when I saw how easy it was for him to accept Alex as a part of the package deal. Mickey helped me scope out the location so I could buy the small shop near Hera’s Orchard which I made into a net-cafe and officially introduced me to Birdie Floyd and Emory Seresin, who I only knew so far as Songbird and Persephone.

Since then, my life has never been better. The Furies are the closest friends I have, and the shop, named Daedalus’ Automata, is the perfect place for me to do my thing. What’s my thing, you ask? Before my marriage, before Arthur demanded a trophy wife, I was in cyber security. Give me any network and a computer and I could tell you how secure the network is and at least four ways that I could make it better. I also make custom computers and anti-surveillance hardware. It’s how I continued making money under Arthur’s nose. Now, it’s how I’ve been paying back the Furies for helping me. I keep any mentions of the Furies out of the internet and away from the Task Force’s attention. The best part is how Mickey doesn’t care when I come home smelling like grease with Alex in my arms. How I wish I’d met Miguel Garcia first. 

It’s late when I stagger through the front door late on a Friday night. It’s date night and I’m so late that I’m sure any excuses I have will be flimsy at best. Mickey had grabbed Alex from Daedalus when he got off of his shift, so I don’t have the baby with me when I walk through the door. The entire house is filled with the most delicious scent, and as I look at my watch, I know I’m at least an hour late for dinner.

“Mickey?” My voice is soft as I toe my shoes off and walk through the house. “I’m sorry I’m late, vida. I had this absolute wreck of a computer get dropped off for repairs.” In part that’s true, I did have a wreck of a computer dropped off for repairs. But that’s not why I’m late. The Furies were running an op tonight, one for which I was on comms, making sure my girls were safe as they were running around doing what they do best. I walk through the kitchen, my heart dropping at the sight of the candles on the dining table, the wax nearly melted away.

“Mickey?” My voice drops to a whisper when I walk into the study and see all of my computer screens fired up, filling the entire room with their cool blue light. On the screen flash three dossiers, my own, Fern’s and Ranger’s in addition to the blueprints for the facility we hit tonight. It was a strict information gathering op, but so important. How could I have been so stupid that I hadn’t locked that information down before I left this morning?

“I think you’ve got some explaining to do, amor.” I’ve never heard Mickey sound so serious. “I love you, and I promise I’m not angry, just worried. Tell me what’s going on.”

I can’t resist melting into his embrace, inhaling the musky warm scent of his cologne as he squeezes me tight.

“I love you, Miguel. I just need to have you sign something first. Then I promise I’ll tell you everything.” Then I reach for my phone and speed dial Attie. 

“Hey Attie, I’m going to need an NDA here.” I can’t help looking at Mickey over the next half an hour we wait in the kitchen. I’m puttering around nervously, barely able to stomach the stew Mickey made while I finished up at the shop. Mickey’s not much better. He eats too, but he keeps stealing these searching glances of me, and the tension enveloping our small kitchen is nearly too much to bear. He tries to speak a few times but each time, stops short. I can’t help wondering what this means for us, for Alex who already has heard us both refer to Mickey as dad or daddy.

It’s the doorbell ringing which startles me out of the pensive way I’ve been glancing into Mickey’s eyes. It’s Attie at the door with Bradley right behind her.

“Hey Nova.” She’s smiling, which should provide me with a sense of relief. But I can’t help the dread pooling in my gut or the bad portents which my mind is constantly bombarding me with.

“Hey, Attie. C’mon in.” I hug her for a few minutes before leading her and her six-foot shadow into our kitchen.

“Hey, Roos.” Mickey sounds exhausted and I can’t believe it’s because of me. “So you’ve been read into what the girls are doing too?”

It breaks your heart when he folds into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and runs his fingers through his curls. 

“How bad is it, Bradshaw?” At Bradley’s lack of response, I can see Mickey’s jaw tighten and worry cloud his features even more.

“It’s alright, Mickey.” It’s Attie who takes control of the situation. “Read over this, sign it, and then Nova and I will tell you what’s going on.”

Mickey gives the document a cursory look over, scrawling his signature where required before pushing it to Attie and leveling me with one of his intense panty dropping looks. It’s with my heart in my throat that I let the whole tale of my introduction and involvement in the Furies spill. Anger glints in his eyes as I finish. 

“I need a drink. Whiskey, Roos?” He can’t even look at me. I understand needing a bit to process, but Mickey’s never processed like this before. Please let him understand. Please let this not be the end. I share a scared look with Attie before standing to grab a tumblr for her, too. I don’t drink, not a drop, and while I’ve never minded Mickey or our friends drinking, tonight the sight of the alcohol slipping down his throat just fills me with dread. Maybe it’s residual PTSD from Arthur, who’d beat me if he got too drunk, but it’s just as likely to be the tense situation I’ve found myself in. 

“So where do we go from here?” Mickey’s looking right at me as he says the words. “I know you know this, amor, but I’m on the task force hell bent on finding Persephone and the Furies. To stop them. How can I protect my family? The woman I love, the woman I wanted to ask to marry me tonight, when she’s on the other side of the work I’ve devoted my life to?”

My smile is tremulous as I launch myself into his arms. Relief floods my veins, maybe this isn’t the end!

“You wanted me to marry you, Miguel?” I can’t hide my sobs as I bury myself into his skin. His arms are strong and secure as they automatically wrap around me.

“Course, amor. I’ve wanted to ask you to marry me since the day I met you.” I can’t help the clumsy, salty, kiss I press to his lips. “I’ve wanted you and Alex from first sight. This doesn’t change anything, not between you and me. It’s going to change everything at work, though.”

I get lost kissing Mickey for several more long moments, until the baby monitor on the counter chirps, spilling Alex’s cries into the room.

“I’ll get him,” I murmur in Mickey’s ear. “Attie will join me. Talk to Bradley, vida. He knows, so does Bob.”

Attie’s a silent shadow behind me as we walk into the nursery and I change the baby’s diaper.

“It’s going to be okay, Nov. The entirety of Mickey’s loyalty is with you and this little guy. They’ll figure out a way to keep us safe. And we’ll do our part to keep them safe too.”

Mickey looks relieved when I walk downstairs once Alex is back to sleep. It’s looking at his face and the home that we’ve made together that I make a vow I’ll keep if it’s the last thing I do. I’ll protect my fiancé, protect his friends and protect our son. If someone finds out about the Furies, it won’t be because of me. Nobody I love will ever get hurt again, not if I can stop them. 

It’s that righteous vision that fills my veins when Mickey and I get married in a small courthouse ceremony a few weeks later surrounded by our friends. It’s a hurried engagement, but necessary, especially since spousal immunity can only help when in our situation. He adopts Alex too. Attie checked, Mickey adopting Alex does not void the Wilson trust fund. Things seem to smooth between Mickey and I. Our two week honeymoon in Miami is the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. Not to mention, the most time I’ve spent naked in one stretch. Mickey didn’t let me out of bed for the first 48 hours we were there. 

When we get back, life sinks into its own balanced pace. My new normal, punctuated by the gorgeous solitaire diamond on my left ring finger, is full of promise. But as things pick up and I start hearing more and more about a new king-pin taking over Austin, the more I worry about what’s to come. But I’m able to put my worries aside for the most part, staying vigilant. I do what I can to help the cause, sending the young boys and girls who need help to Cora’s Bakery down the street for pomegranate scones. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and that’s all of us. It’s why we do what we do.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@dakotakazansky @cherrycola27 @thedroneranger @desert-fern @sarahsmi13s @hisredheadedgoddess28 @roosters-girl @roostette @bobby-r2d2-floyd @footprintsinthesxnd @genius2050 @angelbabyange @djs8891

[callsignspark]

soft-tober | 17 | Mickey Garcia

soft-tober is about experiencing the joys of October with loved ones. each day is a fall-related one-shot for one of the couples from my Dagger, Sword & Shield universe, plus a few extras! today is Mickey and Carlee with “Quit trying to scare me! I know that’s you!” from this prompt list.

If you’d like to be tagged for soft-tober, please send an ask!

word count: 1.9k

soft-tober masterlist | main masterlist | divider credit here

warnings: plane crash (no description, mentioned in a flashback), leg amputation (no descriptions), a little suggestive/implied smut

callsignspark disclaimer: my blog is an 18+ space; minors do not interact - you will be blocked. I do not consent to my work being copied, run through an AI generator, translated, or posted elsewhere. I do have an AO3, where I eventually will be cross-posting my works.

17. "Quit trying to scare me! I know that's you!"

It’s a cold and rainy Friday evening in October when the power goes out, rain viciously pelting the siding. The storm gets louder without the soft background noise of sports highlights playing, the wind whipping even faster as thunder rumbles nearby. The eerie quiet of the house unsettles Mickey.

He’s always hated storms, and after the horror movie marathon Fritz hosted last week, he’s even more on edge. And it doesn’t help that Carlee has been messing with him. His lovely wife taking advantage of his jumpiness just to make herself laugh.

She’s used her phone to flicker the smart lightbulbs when she’s not home. She’s snuck into a room and moved things on him, feigning innocence when he asks. Her favorite so far was when she scared him without even trying; she was just standing in the kitchen, and he hadn’t expected her to be home. The undignified squeak he let out had her snorting in laughter.

They’ve been harmless and funny pranks so far, but turning the lights out during a storm is too far.

“Quit trying to scare me! I know that’s you!” Mickey yells from his spot on the couch, rolling his eyes when Carlee doesn’t respond.

He stays on the couch, knowing that she’ll give up soon enough if he doesn’t react, and checks the weather report, hoping it’s changed. It hasn’t. The worst storm of the year, and it’s now predicted to go all night. He jumps a little when lightning flashes, branches slamming against the windows.

“Carlee, just flip the breaker back on; I want to finish watching the highlights from the Mexico match!”

Mickey waits for a minute, straining to hear movement over the rain and groaning when she doesn’t listen to him. His annoyance grows when he stands up and sees the Clarks still have power across the street.

“Why tonight of all nights? She couldn’t do this when it’s sunny outside?” He grumbles, searching through the junk drawer to find the good flashlight before making his way to the garage.

“Seriously, Carls? This is just not fun-” He cuts himself off, almost tripping through the doorway in surprise as he shines the light around the garage. Shocked to only see his car, realizing that his wife isn’t home.

“Shit, I guess the power really did go out.” He mumbles, hesitantly shuffling down the steps into the conjoining garage.

Or it’s a serial killer like in that movie, his brain adds.

“It’s not a serial killer; it’s just the storm. It’s not a serial killer; it’s just the storm.” He chants, feeling less confident about his decision to investigate alone. “Fuck! This is how white people always die in horror movies!”

“What are you talking about?”

Mickey is forty-six and a Captain in the United States Navy; he’s defied death a hundred times, watched the love of his life almost die in front of him, and seen atrocities play out all over the world. He is a brave man, and he has the chest candy to prove it. So, needless to say, he isn’t exactly proud of the high-pitched scream he lets out. Or the way he chucks the flashlight towards the voice, wincing as it clangs off something metal.

“Mickey!”

“When did you get home!”

The married couple yells at each other, one laughing so hard that tears are forming, the other hunched over, trying to regulate his heart rate.

“I just got home!”

“Why didn’t you park in the garage?!”

“Baby, the power is out on our side of the street. I can’t open the door right now.” Carlee explains through poorly muffled giggles. “I parked in the driveway and came in the front door.”

“Our side of the street?”

“Yeah, the grid must be split down the middle.”

“Stop laughing!” He demands. “I think I’m having a heart attack!”

“You are not having a heart attack, you big baby.” She stands beside him, comfortingly rubbing his back even as she laughs at him.

Mickey straightens up after a few minutes, his heart rate mostly normal, and he happily accepts a kiss. Tugging his wife closer to deepen the kiss, he hums when her nails scratch the back of his head. His hair is too short right now for her to grab the way she likes.

“Don’t you wanna know what you hit with the flashlight?” Carlee murmurs against his lips.

“Hmmm… what did I hit?”

“My leg.”

“Oh, fuck! I’m so sorry, Carlee!” Mickey drops to a knee, using the beam from the discarded flashlight to guide him as he rolls her pants up. “Did I hurt you?”

His strong fingers gently brush over her skin, looking for signs of injury as goose bumps erupt across her body.

“It was the other leg, Mic.” She cups his cheek as he finishes examining her right leg, her heart fluttering at the way her husband looks on his knees for her. Big brown eyes looking up at her, filled with concern and love.

“Well…” He trails off, pressing a kiss to her stomach as he unbuttons her slacks. “Better check this one, too. Just in case.”

Mickey slides her pants off, a slight fumble as they realize her shoes are still on, but it doesn’t ruin the mood; the garage suddenly warm despite the dreary weather outside. He loves the way her professional button-up looks dangling around her thighs. How it gives him a glimpse of her blue panties underneath every time she shifts.

He carefully examines her left leg, starting at the titanium ankle and working his way up to her knee. He treats the prosthetic limb the same way he did her other leg, genuinely checking for dings in the metal. Mickey’s heart clenches when he kisses the skin of her knee, still scarred after all these years. It’s been almost two decades, but he still can’t think about that day. About how many times they almost lost each other.

If he lets his brain go there, he can still feel the heat of the flames licking at his skin through his flight suit. The smoke stinging his eyes as Carlee yells at him to leave, to save himself.

Fanboy! Go!

No! Not without you!

You have to go! There’s nothing you can do!

I am not leaving you!

Miguel, you have to, or we’ll both die!

Then we’ll both die! I’m not leaving you! I’m getting you out of here!

And he did. Pulling her from the wreckage of what used to be their plane and to safety mere seconds before it completely blew apart. Everyone kept touting the accident and subsequent rescue as a miracle. The malfunction that took down their plane was a wide-reaching issue, but it was something that could be fixed before it hurt anyone else. And Mickey was hailed as a hero, willing to sacrifice himself to save his pilot.

It’s a miracle you were able to get to her, was the praise Mickey received over and over again, even as he was getting reamed out for not following protocol.

It’s a miracle you’re alive, came the chorus as Carlee was honorably discharged from the Navy. No one seemed to care that she was still in a coma.

It’s a miracle, was the party line, as everyone ignored the negligence and failure of the software company that didn’t account for everything.

The two of them seemed to be the only ones who knew it wasn’t a miracle.

It was pure luck.

Luck that Mickey was able to drag her out from under the mangled metal. Luck that the tourniquet in the medical supplies was unharmed. Luck that it was only one of Carlee’s legs that was hurt.

The real miracle would be if she ever woke up again. The medically induced coma the doctors put her into after the amputation surgery was complete meant that they had no idea how about her brain function. If she had been deprived of oxygen too long in the wreck.

The slight damage to Mickey’s lungs from smoke inhalation gave them a clue of the best-case scenario. But Carlee had been in the thick of it for a while before he had been able to reach her. He could only hope that he had been quick enough. Hope wasn’t enough, though, so from his post at her bedside, he did something he hadn’t done in years.

He prayed.

Prayed for a miracle.

In the end, he’s pretty sure it was the doctors who saved her, and whatever higher power he begged to save his pilot tucked his request for a miracle away for a day when it was needed more. For a day that allowed him to live and put him on a path that would reconnect him with Carlee. That day of the uranium mission was the catalyst for Act II of their story, this half with a happy ending.

“Mickey… It’s okay, we’re okay.” She hums, wiping the tears that have begun dripping down his cheeks.

“I know, I know, amor.” He kisses his way up her thigh, his words muffled against the crease of her hip. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He pulls back, face damp as he takes in her smile, bright in the darkness. “Well, as a medical professional, I can safely declare your legs free of injury from the dastardly flashlight.”

“Oh! Thank you, doctor! Whatever would I have done without you?” Mickey laughs as she throws a hand over her eyes, playing up her Georgia drawl as they move past the heaviness of the moment.

“Well, now, ma’am. I was only able to look at your lovely legs. I still need to complete your full body examination to give you a clean bill of health.”

Carlee tugs him up, smiling as he wraps his hands around her waist. “Is this a thing you wanna try, or are you doing a cheesy bit.”

“Cheesy bit, I don’t think I could keep up the doctor thing without ruining the mood.”

“Good, otherwise it would be a waste of a cute set.”

“Oh… are you planning something special for tonight, Mrs. Garcia?”

“I am. Now, if you’re a good boy and pull my car into the garage, I’ll show you what I had in mind up in the bedroom.”

She’s planted a quick kiss to his lips and gathered her clothes before his brain can even begin to catch up, distracted by the sway of her hips as she heads toward the house.

“Is this some kind of trick so you can scare me?”

Carlee cackles from the doorway, her shirt mysteriously unbuttoned to confirm that she is, in fact, wearing a matching set. “Are you still gonna come upstairs, even if it is?”

“Yeah, course.”

It’s at that moment the power comes back on, and he stares at his wife. Admiring the way her figure is backlit by the kitchen light. Her dark skin glowing as she smiles at him, short-circuiting his brain.

“I’ll see you upstairs then, baby.”

The wink she sends him as she saunters away gets his heart racing, in a good way this time, and Mickey can’t even bring himself to care that he’s getting soaked as he pulls her car into the garage or that she’s definitely going to scare him. He gets to fall asleep next to her, which is something he never thought would happen.

That’s more than enough. That’s all I need.

@gretagerwigsmuse | @hangmanapologist | @hangmanbrainrot | @princessphilly | @hangmanssunnies | @thesewordsareallihavetogive | @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby | @katieshook02 | @hellojameshowyadoin | @aristotles-butthole | @atarmychick007 | @whatislovevavy | @kmc1989 | @sometimesanalice | @laracrofted | @yuckosworld | @mika-darling | @bradshawsbaddie | @bobblebobsbae | @ohtobeleah | @withahappyrefrain

[foreverrandomwritings]

Actions Speak Louder Than Words- Part 5

Summary: It’s dog fight football day how will Mute and Ramble handle it? Will feelings be hurt on the sunny california day? 

Pairing: Romantic!(slow burn) Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia x Afab!OC

Warnings: Swearing, tattoos, drinking, anxiety I think that’s it. As always if I missed anything please let me know. 

Word count: 2995

Masterlist  Series Masterlist

Jane and John had both eaten a quick bowl of cereal and some fruit for breakfast as they had slept in and were running slightly late for their afternoon plans. They got dressed quickly. Jane opted for black biker shorts and one of John’s shirts because she wanted one that had a bigger fit today. John put on a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt. They both wore gym shoes. 

The car ride over was filled with the duo singing along to one of John’s playlists. It bounced between the Black Eyed Peas to Britney Spears to Three Doors Down. They talked about when they were going to order the stuff for the home theater. Ramble brought up Fanboy to which Mute blushed and told him to drop it. They pulled into the parking lot of the bar both excited to play dog fight football for the first time. 

They saw that some of the others had already arrived and that some of them weren’t there yet. Jane was the first one out of the car this time. But John was quick to meet her on her side of the car. He opened the back door and reached into their beach bag for the sunscreen. He sprayed down Jane and then she returned the action. He grabbed the bag as Jane went to the trunk grabbing out their chairs just in case. 

Mute had a really good feeling about the day. After the week with the crew she was finally starting to feel like she fit in. The final point was what Mickey told her last night. How they were all her friends and that they loved having her here. More importantly, he was her friend. 

As they made their way behind the building they heard music coming from inside. As they rounded the building they saw Fanboy, Payback, Halo, and Hangman already on the patio. Fanboy and Mute made eye contact over Hangman’s shoulder and Mute put a finger to her lips telling him to be quiet. She carefully made her way behind Hangman. Once she was about a foot away from him she let out a loud “boo” which had the pilot jumping in the air screaming. 

He whipped around seeing the duo giggling behind him. Mute had a giant triumphant smile on her face. “Fuck Mute you’re just as sneaky as Bob is.” He told her, shaking his head. Mute made her way up the stairs gaining high fives from Payback and Halo. 

“Hi Fanboy.” Mute said to the back seater and he decided he’d never get tired of hearing her say his callsign. 

“Hiya Mute, have a good drive in?” He asked her with a friendly smile on his face.

“We did, even though I had to listen to John’s absolutely terrible singing the whole time.” John smacked the red head's arm at that. 

“Hey don’t be rude, I’m the best fucking singer you’ve ever heard.” He told her with a pout. 

“Oh yes I’m so sorry forgive me oh amazing one.” Mute said, trying hard not to laugh. Fanboy just stared at her, happy to see her calmer and more relaxed than when she left the night before. He hoped he could see her like this everyday. 

“I’ll forgive you this time. But only because you are just too damn cute not to.” John said as he tapped her nose with his finger giving her a beaming smile. She swatted his hand away in return before giving him an equally happy smile. 

“Where’s everyone else at?” John asked the group of aviators. 

“Omaha decided to stay home because his wife isn’t feeling well today. Fritz and Rooster are inside helping Penny, Mav and Hondo with something. Bob and Phoenix are on their way.” Halo replied to the taller man. 

“Where’s Coyote at?” Mute asked Hangman, the blonde seemed mildly surprised at the question. The only time she had spoken to him was in the air. 

“He had to run by the store to grab a case of water and some chips for lunch. He should be here soon though. Then we’ll see how good you play.” He responded to her sending a wink her way at the end of the sentence. 

“She’s gonna whoop your ass bagman.” Phoenix spoke up from behind him as she and Bob rounded the corner. Mute gave her a fist bump as they made their way onto the patio. 

“I’m gonna run the food inside. Then we can head out to the beach and get our chairs set up.” Phoenix said to Mute as she passed her, Mute gave her a nod in reply. Phoenix was quick running the food in and was out in less than a minute. As the two front seaters started down the stairs Mickey, John and Bob joined them. 

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They had finished setting up about 15 minutes ago. Chairs, umbrellas, coolers and bags all lined up. Natasha, Bob and Mickey had explained the rules of dogfight football and now they were all sat talking getting to know each other better. Mute stood up and announced she was going to run up to the bar and asked if anyone needed anything. They all told her they were fine. 

Then she was on her way to the building. She passed by Coyote on the patio who must've gotten there while they were setting up. She gave him a nod in greeting before slipping into the building a wave of cool air hitting her as she entered. Right before the door closed she heard Hangman speak up. 

“Have any of you heard her talk as much as she did this morning when she got here?” He asked the group but Mute didn’t stick around to hear their reply. She rushed to the bathroom as anxiety flowed through her.

She had finally felt like she was fitting in. She was hoping she could find a group where she was comfortable. But now she was regretting talking so much. She should’ve known better, thoughts of her childhood flowed through her mind. All the times kids, teachers and her parents told her she talked too much. How the kids would tell her to just shut up already. How her parents would reprimand her when teachers would write on her report cards that she was talkative. 

She had decided when she graduated high school and started the academy that she wouldn’t talk to anyone unless it was a superior. John was the only one she had opened up to in ages. He had wormed his way into her life no matter how much she silently protested. Now her heart broke as she realized it was like high school all over again.

She quickly went to the bathroom before slipping back outside and walking down the beach. Everyone was gathered around near the water so she hurried her steps until she was stood by John. He flung his arm over her shoulders and pulled her into a side hug continuing his conversation with Maverick. She noticed a beautiful woman she hadn't seen before standing and talking to Rooster about something. As their conversation died out Mav turned to Mute. 

“Hey Mute.” He greeted her with his usual Maverick smile then he gestured towards the woman that had been talking to Rooster. She wasn’t standing next to Rooster anymore she was right next to Mav. Mute must’ve zoned out because she didn’t see her walk over. 

“This is my fiancé Penny, I don’t think you’ve met her yet. She was out the two nights you guys came this week.” Then Maverick was nodding towards Mute and Ramble. “This is my new two seater team I was telling you about. Jane and John or otherwise known as Mute and Ramble.” 

“You are the pair that got tone on him Monday aren’t you?” Penny gave a beaming smile before extending her hand to shake the aviators. 

“That would be us.” John replied quickly with a proud smile on his face. 

“He needs his ego knocked down sometimes so thank you for that.” Penny said back, sending a wink towards Maverick. He gave her a playful shake of his head at that. 

“Alright old man, are you ready to get your ass kicked?” Rooster said as he came up behind Maverick and slapped him on the back lightly. 

“I’m gonna kick your ass sounds more like what’s going to happen.” The captain replied. 

“Let’s get this party started, aviators.” He yelled out to the group. 

“Rooster, Fanboy, Fritz, Mute, Phoenix and Coyote on a team. Halo, Bob, Ramble, Hangman, Payback and myself on the other.” He said as everyone gathered around the footballs. Hondo blew a whistle and then they were off. 

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Mute was having a great time, she had gotten the hang of the game pretty quickly. The thoughts of what Hangman said earlier were cleared from her head as she was passed the ball by Fritz. She could see Ramble coming towards her from the corner of her eye. She sidestepped him quickly as he came up on her. The wind rushed across her face as she ran past her backseater.

She was on cloud nine as she weaved through the aviators until she was scoring with the ball. Her team cheered her name as they all came up on her. Rooster and Coyote picked her up as Phoenix gave Hangman a middle finger. Fanboy and Fritz were hollering at her patting her legs. She had a wide smile on her face when her eyes connected with Fanboys. He gave her a beaming smile, a look of pure happiness in his eyes. 

As she was set back down on her feet John came running over. He dramatically fell to his knees before bringing his head down to the ground. His arms were stretched out towards Mute hands grasping sand. He brought his head back up. The sand he gathered in his hands slipped through his fingers as he brought his outstretched arms towards the sky. Mute giggled at her best friend's antics realizing he was bowing for her. 

“All hail the powerful Jane.” He spoke out in an announcer's voice. Then like dominos all the aviators around her fell to their knees. Bowing dramatically at her feet. 

“All hail the powerful Jane.” They all spoke out through their laughter. The scene before her reminded her of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The scene was so similar to when Bridget was playing soccer and her friends bowed for her. Then Mute was flashing back to before the game started. The words Hangman spoke flowing through her and her mood soured again. Even though Fanboy said they were all her friends she was now having a hard time believing it. 

They all slowly stood up but then John was tackling her down into the sand. They both laid there as John rolled off her. They were breathing heavily as they looked upon the clouded sky. Jane fixed her sunglasses that were knocked askew when John tackled her. The other aviators moved away from the duo as Mav called for lunch. 

John grabbed her hand and squeezed once a silent ‘Cammineremo’. He could tell something was wrong when she hesitated to squeeze back. Her silent ‘Saremo Potenti’ came as two weak squeezes back. He turned towards her and saw the solemn look on her face. He had seen that look before. She got that look when she felt as though she was alone again. That look lived on her face when they became friends all those years ago. 

“What happened?” John asked her quietly not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. 

“Hangman made a comment about how much I was talking this morning.” She replied, turning her head to look at him. She thought about not telling him and trying to act as though she was fine. She wouldn’t have been able to though, he had always been able to read her. 

“Do you want me to go and say something?” He asked her, already moving, to get up. But he stopped as she shook her head. 

“It’s alright John, I’m okay.” She told him with a weak smile. “Let’s go and get something to eat. I'm starving since I cleaned the floor with you in that game.” 

“Okay hotshot let’s go and get you some food.” The wso said as he stood up pulling her along with him. He had decided to talk to Hangman anyways. 

             🌊🏈🌊🏈🌊🏈🌊🏈

They had eaten lunch and played a few more games. They had all taken a swim afterwards to cool off. John and Jane took turns dunking each other under the water. The group played a few pool games. Categories, racing, who can hold their breath the longest and a few rounds of chicken. Now they were all sitting around a bonfire a couple yards away from the Hard Deck. They wanted to be far enough away to avoid the crowd. But also close enough to go and grab drinks if they wanted. There was a faint breeze that would occasionally wash over the group of navy personnel. 

Idle chatter flowed about the group. Mute sat listening to the group talk to each other. Ramble kept a hand on her leg occasionally stroking his thumb along her knee. Hangman stood up from his spot in the sand. He announced to the group that he was going to go grab some drinks from the bar and asked if anyone wanted anything. Everyone responded with a yes or a no. 

“I’ll go with you and help.” Ramble said as he stood up striding towards the blonde as he walked away. Mute didn’t think anything of it. But John had a plan forming as he and the aviator walked together. 

“Did you say something about Mute talking too much this morning?” John asked Jake bluntly, wanting to get straight to the point. Jake looked stunned for a second before responding. 

“What are you fucking talking about man?” He asked the taller man. 

“She went to the bathroom this morning and she was fine. She came back and she was acting a little upset. When I asked what was wrong before lunch she said you made a comment about her talking too much. So did you make a comment about it or not?” Jake stared at John for a second then went to defend himself before a look of regret popped up on his face. 

“Fuck, I said something this morning about how I had never heard her talk as much as she was this morning. She must not have heard the rest of what I said. I told them how great it was to see her coming out of her shell. I’m so sorry man, I really didn’t mean anything by it I swear.” Jake said with a slight pleading look on his face. John narrowed his eyes at him. 

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. When we get back to the group I expect you to apologize to her.” Jake nodded his head bringing a hand up to his neck sheepishly.

“I really didn’t mean to offend your girlfriend. I’ll apologize when we get back.” John laughed at that. 

“She’s not my girlfriend.” He told the blonde.

“So you’re both single then?” Jake asked him. 

“Yes we are both single.” John said reluctantly, Jake wasn’t the one he wanted Jane with. Fanboy would be perfect for her if either of them got up the guts to actually talk to each other. The conversation was dropped at that.

Once they got back to the fire Jake asked Jane to go on a walk with him. She looked at John with a curious look and he just nodded his head. So she stood up and walked towards the blonde. He let her lead him down the beach. Then he apologized to her. Back at the fire, they were sitting around talking when Nat asked John about his tattoo. 

“Hey John, I noticed a tattoo on your chest earlier. What’s it say?” She asked him before taking a sip of her drink. 

“Saremo Potenti, it’s Italian for we shall be mighty.” He said as his hand came to lay on his shirt right above the tattoo. 

“Does it mean anything?” Rooster piped up.

“It’s something that Mute says to me. She has one that kind of matches mine in the same place right above her heart.” He said as he thought about their time at the tattoo shop. 

“What does hers say?” Asked Halo.

“Cammineremo, it’s Italian for we shall stride. That’s what I say to her, it’s normally before something that’s stressful or uncomfortable. It started while we were back at the academy.” He replied to the group. He looked up at the beach and spotted her walking with Jake. They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. 

“How long have you two been dating?” Came Fritz with the question this time.

“We aren’t dating. She’s more like a little sister to me.” He laughed as he shook his head.

“Though I imagine if I wasn’t gay then I’d definitely go for her. She’s quite the catch once you get to know her.” Fanboy could feel relief wash over him at the realization. But then there was jealousy and disappointment. It was obvious now that Hangman was trying to worm his way into her pants. Hangman was a very attractive man, he had seen plenty of air bunnies fawning over him at their time in the bar. There’s no way he had a chance if Hangman was after her. 

“I’m gonna head out guys.” Fanboy said abruptly as he stood up. He gathered his chair and was making his way to his car not waiting for anyone to say anything. He would miss the disappointment in Mutes face when she got back to the fire and saw that he was gone.

A/N:I think this one had a bit more of fleshing out than the last chapters did. I also realize that this part literally took forever and that's my bad sorry guys. Please wear sunscreen and protect yourself against the evil sun!☀️

Tags(Open): @wkndwlff​ @sylviebell​ @coffee-prince-kyungsoo​

[joaquinwhorres]

Tailspin - Part 4 (Fanboy Garcia x F!OC)

SUMMARY ››››› Having grown up just across the bridge from North Island, Carolina Alvarez has been told her whole life to stay away from the Top Gun boys. And for the most part, she has. That is, until Fanboy catches her putting quarters in the jukebox at The Hard Deck and initiates a game of cat and mouse that ends with her exactly where she swore she’d never be.

PAIRING ››››› Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia x F!OC

WORD COUNT ››››› 5,592

WARNINGS ››››› None?

MASTERLIST ››››› Here

A/N ››››› The moment you've all been waiting for. Unless you've somehow managed to avoid all of the spoilers I have on my blog about this.

She didn't respond to any of his texts.

His calls went unanswered too, the line ringing only once before routing to voicemail each of the three times he tried.

But it wasn't until the small Read 10:59 AM appeared on Bob's phone that he started to accept that Phoenix might be right. 

His face fell as he stared at the screen for a moment longer before handing the phone back to Bob. "Thanks," he said, the word sounding flat and hollow. 

The other man's mouth made silent attempts to form words as he accepted the phone, only stopping when Fanboy shook his head, relieving Bob of the sense of duty to respond. Bob sighed, pressing his lips together in a commiserative frown as he placed his phone upside down on the bar in front of him. "I'm sorry," he finally managed. 

"Jesus, he doesn't need your condolences," Hangman sighed loudly from where he lay across the leather couch nearby. The accompanying eye roll was practically audible. 

Bob side-eyed Hangman, his lips twisting in contempt.

"Oh, come on," Hangman scoffed as he rose into a seated position, throwing a hand out to gesture towards Fanboy. "You're acting like you just found out your mother died just 'cause some ex from five years ago who blocked you."

The words either didn't reach Fanboy or rolled right off him because his attention remained fixed on the phone in front of Bob. 

"I just don't get it," Fanboy murmured. 

"She's. Not. Interested," Hangman asserted, ignoring the warning looks from the other aviators. "Get over it or give up the dream that you're going on this mission." The blonde shook his head as he stood up. "If I stay at this pity party any longer, I'm going to start growing ovaries," he quipped, heading towards the door.

"Like you could handle them," Phoenix called after his retreating form. Hangman didn't slow down or even acknowledge her statement though as he disappeared out to the hallway. 

Bob shot Phoenix a smile as she shook her head. "Asshole."

"As much as I hate to say it, he has a point," Payback said gently from his seat next to Fanboy. "You've been off your game up there."

"I–"

"Come on man," Payback cut him off with a sympathetic smile. "I've seen what you can do. You were the best Wizzo in our class."

"I know," Fanboy said, hanging his head. "I just can't shake it." 

Payback pressed his lips together, meeting Bob's eyes over Fanboy's hunched form. The other WSO widened his eyes meaningfully, the loss for what to do written clearly on his face. Payback jerked his head in dismissal, and Bob slid from his seat, patting Fanboy's back once before heading over to Harvard and Fritz. 

With a quick glance up to the heavens and prayer for help, Payback scooted closer to Fanboy. "Look, do you still trust her?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle and low. 

Fanboy looked up, meeting Payback's eyes, and he could see that his closest friend here—the only one who knew just how little sense this all made—was approaching the end of his rope. 

"Yeah, of course." 

"Then trust that whatever reason she has for not wanting to talk to you is a good one." 

It was a solid piece of logic, easily traced back to the golden ring that encircled Payback's left finger. Fanboy could practically hear Neema's voice in the advice, reminding him that Caro had never done anything without a reason. While each of her decisions were explained with a breezy sentence or sharp quip, there had always been a thorough and conscientious thought process behind her actions.

But she had always offered up her reasonings willingly. They had never been so much as veiled, let alone something he had to pry from her. 

And it was that thought that led him to shake his head, eyes peering appealingly at Payback, urging him to understand.  "I can't," he whispered, the admission coming out pained and apologetic. 

Payback didn't have the time to do much more than sigh before there was a shuffling at the door that drew their attention. An administrative officer stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand. "Coyote, Payback, Fanboy, you're next." 

The three men nodded, Coyote using Yale's distractedness to spin a shot into the goal before backing up, grinning from the foosball table. Payback slid from his seat, clapping Fanboy on the shoulder as he did so. "Come on. We'll figure this out after we go make an old man do some push ups." 

"198…" Hondo counted, following it up with a loud, "Down!" 

Fanboy wasn't sure what hurt more: his muscles that had been battered from the flying and subsequent push ups, his ego at having Maverick continue to best them despite having no WSO or wingman, or his conscience for being the reason that Payback and Coyote were both sweating next to him. 

Because he couldn't stop thinking about it.

About that look on her face when he told her he'd missed her. 

About the stupid gray letters that appeared on Bob's phone. 

About the last time he'd seen her and how he should have just said it. 

"200!" Hondo announced. "You're good to—" 

The rest of his sentence was lost as Fanboy pushed himself up off the ground and onto his feet, taking off down the tarmac.

"Fanboy!" Payback called after him, but the backseater didn't stop, starting towards the building with more purpose than he'd even shown in the goddamn air. 

Ahead of him, Hangman grinned, the sun glinting off his golden hair. "You know, if you ever get her to talk to you, make sure to thank her for me. For taking out the competition." 

Fanboy's jaw set, his hands clenching into fists, but he continued on and into the showers, to wash away–even temporarily–the feeling of failure. But even the scalding water couldn't burn it away, and he emerged from the showers feeling somehow worse than when he went in.

"Fanboy." 

The sudden sound of his name caused his heart to jump in his chest, jerking around to see Phoenix's form waiting beside the door. She pushed herself away from the wall to fall in line with him. 

"What was that?"

He shook his head, turning back around so he could head towards the debrief room early for some peace and quiet before Hangman, Harvard, and Yale came down. 

"Hey," Phoenix called after him, catching up with long strides. "I'm serious. Calling the wrong break is the kind of error that gets you washed out of flight school."

Fanboy shook his head, looking away from Phoenix. He could still feel her gaze on him, insistent and intense. "I know," he mumbled. 

"Look, I've already got my hands full with Rooster; I can't have you spinning out too," Phoenix sighed, hand pushing at his arm to turn him towards her, finally getting him to stop. "So explain it to me–why is an ex you haven't seen or spoken to in the past five years so in your head?" 

Fanboy sighed, running a hand over his head, the short hairs tickling his palm. His eyes rested on a photo of a pilot grinning in the seat of an old F-14. 

"Because when I left, she loved me, and now she looks terrified of me. Something happened."

He chanced a glance at Phoenix's face finding the pilot staring at him with furrowed brows. "Five years happened." 

He shook his head. "It's bigger than that. I mean, if you're right, she blocked me a while ago, and I don't know what I did." 

"Maybe you didn't do anything," Phoenix shook her head. It was his time to look at her confused. "Maybe it isn't about you. Maybe she needed to block you to move on. Maybe she has."

The sentence hit him like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of his lungs. It was a moment before he could breathe again. 

"But why wouldn't she just say that?"

"I don't know," Phoenix shrugged. "But you need to figure out a way to let this go and get your head on straight. We need you on this mission." 

Her last sentence was lost to him though because finally someone said something actually actionable.

He needed to get his head on straight. And that's exactly what he would do.

Renew Chiropractic was a six minute drive from base.

Six minutes.

For the past week, he had only been one well-timed traffic light or random turn down a side street away from seeing her on one of his runs. Instead, it took a Google Search and a four hour wait until his scheduled appointment slot. 

His head was still reeling with the revelation as he pushed open the glass front door, entering the serene chiropractic office. Everything about the room was meant to be calming: the soft jade color of the walls, the essential oil blend puffing out of the diffuser, and the soothing nature sounds bubbling from the speaker. Even the row of empty chairs along the wall looked more plush than one might expect from a doctor's office. 

None of it seemed to have any effect on him though, each muscle in his body still tense and on alert as he approached the front desk. 

A tall, thin black man with wire-rimmed glasses looked up as he approached, eyes widening for a second upon seeing Fanboy in front of him. 

"Hi, can I help you?" the receptionist asked. The middle-aged white woman sat next to him cast him a puzzled look before her eyes too wandered to Fanboy. She sat up a bit straighter in her seat, hazel eyes narrowed slightly as she followed his progress towards them. 

"Yeah," Fanboy said, stepping up to the desk. "I have an appointment with Dr. Alvarez." 

He offered them a hesitant smile, one that he hoped softened the edges of his obvious anxiety. Instead, the woman's mouth drew in tighter, dangerously close to a frown. The man next to her however schooled his features into professional sympathy. "I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Alvarez actually had to step out." 

Fanboy's shoulders sank under the weight of his disappointment. He'd known it'd been a risk using his name while making the appointment. A part of him had considered using a fake name, but ultimately decided that would cross the line into unhinged.  "Do you know if she'll be back today or this week?"

The man shook his head. "She didn't say." 

"Dr. Houten is still in and he should be finishing up with his last patient if you would like to see him instead," the woman offered, rising from her chair. "I'll just let him know." 

Fanboy took a deep breath, eyes floating to the open hallway behind them as he weighed his options. He could stay and waste his time getting adjusted by her colleague which meant he'd have to wait until next week in order to try catching her here again or he could just leave and camp out in the parking lot like a total lunatic—he didn't finish the thought. Instead, down the hall a door opened and out of it came Dr. Lane. 

The same woman who had spilled a drink on Caro that first night back at the Hard Deck. 

Who, when he asked during his physical, had scoffed at the very idea of knowing Caro beyond that incident.

Who now made eye-contact with him and clearly and solemnly said, "Shit." 

She spun on her heel, hands coming up as if to push someone behind her, but instead, the person brushed her aside, coming out and peering down the hall to see what had prompted the reaction.

Caro.

She was openly shocked, her eyes wide and locked on him. Dr. Lane cast a quick glance between Caro and Fanboy before fixing her own determined gaze on him, her jaw set as she started down the hallway towards him with long purposeful strides. She stopped next to the older woman who had freed herself from behind the receptionist's desk.

It took less than a second for him to discern what was happening, the piercing realization bringing with it an acute and sharp pain in his chest. They were barricading him from the hallway. They were protecting her from him. 

His face crumpled, brows furrowing and lips bowing into a frown. "I just came to talk," he said, his voice desperate and thin.

Dr. Lane shook her head. "You should head back to base." The words were technically a suggestion, but they sounded far more like an order. "She knows how to reach you if she wants to talk." 

Fanboy opened and closed his mouth again, eyes shooting over her shoulder to try to find Caro. She had come closer, reaching the trio now and laying a hand on the other doctor's shoulder. "Jas," she said calmly, gently pushing her to the side so that she could come out into the waiting room. "It's ok." 

The statement did little to pacify Dr. Lane. Instead, the other woman shot Caro a look that very clearly expressed her distrust of the situation. She didn't say anything though, allowing Caro to pass in between her and the Renew Chiropractic employee. 

"We can talk outside," Caro said, pointing to the door behind Fanboy. 

He nodded, leading the way out, pausing only to hold the door open for her before he headed down the path and out of sight of the glass front door. 

When he turned to face Caro, he found her with her hand stuffed in the pockets of her maroon scrubs, her face carefully and uncharacteristically impassive. 

"I'm sorry–" he started before Caro cut him off.

"You found where I work?" Her words came out even, dull almost, but he could sense the danger underneath them. 

"I tried to text and call, but–"

"But I didn't answer, so you decided to ambush me at my job," she finished for him, folding her arms across her chest.

"It wasn't an ambush!" he protested, his heart rate rocketing at the accusation. "I made an appointment. So you'd know I was coming." 

He watched her process this statement in real time. Her brow scrunching in the middle and corners of her mouth tugging down slightly. Her eyes slid to the right, towards the building, before snapping back to him. It was then that she seemed to see him for the first time—noticing that he was in his service khakis and the tension in his shoulders and maybe even the plea in his face for her to just give him a chance. 

Caro took a deep breath, audibly pushing it out through her nose. "Ok," she said, her voice having lost some of its edge. "I can give you fifteen minutes." 

Fanboy also breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes falling to the ground between them before flickering up to her. "You know, the website said forty-five," he attempted with a smile which faded quickly as her eyes hardened once more. "Sorry, yeah, fifteen minutes." 

Silence entwined itself between the two of them as they stood in front of her office building, both in their respective uniforms and both wishing very much that this wasn't how they were spending their day.

Caro was the one who finally broke the silence. "You wanted to talk?" 

"Yeah," Fanboy breathed out, hand coming up to rub the back of his head. "Yeah, I did." His eyes met hers again, despite the fact that every time he seemed to look at her, she seemed to grow even more guarded, even further away. "The other night at the Hard Deck…and then now…" he took in a deep breath before releasing it and the remainder of his sentence with it. "It just seems like there's something wrong between us." 

"I was just surprised," Caro shrugged.

"Yeah," Fanboy agreed, hating his masochistic need to push the subject. "It just seemed like more than surprise. I know it's been years, but I thought…you just didn't seem…I don't know…"

"Happy to see you?" Caro supplied, raising an eyebrow. 

He flushed at the accurate indictment of his own ego, and she shook her head at him. 

"What were you expecting, Mickey?" she asked, exasperation tingeing every word. "Me to throw myself into your arms like nothing's changed?"

The thought had crossed his mind more than once, but even he knew that outcome was more of a daydream, a fantasy, than a possible outcome of his arrival back in Fightertown. 

"No," Fanboy shook his head. "I just thought we were good." 

"We're fine." 

"Then why did your receptionists just try to keep me from seeing you? And why has Dr. Lane stepped in to keep you from spending more than five minutes with me?" 

He didn't want to know the answer to either question. There couldn't be a good reason–one that would get him back on track and restore his focus on earning a spot in the mission. Whatever she said was going to spin him out worse than he was already. But he had to know. Because if he left it at Caro's lie he would never forgive himself. Just like he already couldn't forgive himself for just accepting that the original plan for their relationship's end was just fine. That nothing had changed from the moment they made that agreement to his last moments of saying goodbye.

"They're overprotective," Caro supplied. 

"But they don't even know me." 

"They know about you. That's enough."

He grew quiet, and the urge he had to walk towards her, to close the space between them, died. Instead, he pulled back some, as if she had poked a finger into his chest the way she used to when she was mad. 

"What do they know?" 

For the first time, Caro was unable to meet his gaze, her eyes going to a large ceramic flower pot that lined the path. "They know I loved you and that you left and blocked me so I haven't seen or heard from you in five years."

"What?" His horrified whisper seemed to suck out all of the air and sounds from their surroundings. 

Caro met his eyes, and he could see the emotion there for the first time, thick and threatening.  "You left," she repeated, "And you blocked me." 

"I didn't block you–" he started, voice still wavering and almost soundless. 

"You did," Caro said with a nod. She took a breath in, and like that, the emotions fell back down into her and away from the surface. "It's fine, though. It doesn't matter anymore."

"It matters," Fanboy insisted, finally taking a step towards her. 

"No it doesn't. I'm over it." 

"It matters to me," he tried again, taking another step, but Caro tightened her arms against her chest. 

"It shouldn't," she said flatly. "Because it wouldn't change anything. You'd still have gone to Virginia, I'd still have been here, and life still would've moved on for both of us."

"Would it have?" He sounded almost as desperate as he felt.

"It did," she said, quietly. Caro ran a hand through her hair, looking over his shoulder and out into the parking lot. "Things are different now."

There was something in her voice. A distance almost as if trying to avoid coming too close to what exactly life had changed. 

A thought popped into his head, and before he could stop himself, the question was escaping. "Are you seeing someone?"

Caro's expression turned stony, and she straightened her spine. "What? You'll only respect the fact that I'm not interested in starting whatever it is you're hoping for if another man is involved?"

"No," he sputtered. 

"Then why does it matter if I'm seeing anyone?"

The pressure in his chest felt worse than any G force he had ever experienced. 

"I just–" he started, struggling to form a response that wouldn't further drive her away. "I'm trying to understand."

Her eyes fluttered closed in obvious annoyance, but he supposed the gesture was better than having her turn away. When she looked at him once more, she was still clearly frustrated, but her gaze had softened some.

"I'm not seeing anyone," she admitted. "I'm just older now. I have more responsibilities, and I can't—" she cut herself off, swallowing and then breathing and then restarting again, slower this time. "I can't do this again," she finished, gesturing with a finger. "I need something stable now."

He was able to nod twice before the weight of his thoughts caused him to just hang his head to stare at his shoes. "Yeah that's...that's fair," he managed. Quiet once more settled itself around them, ballooning in the space between them so he felt even further from her. "Could we at least maybe get a drink while I'm here. As friends?"

"Mickey," she said, gently. Too gently. "You know we can't be just friends."

A car door slammed in the parking lot behind him, pulling Caro's attention from him. The color drained from her face, taking with it the awful look of sympathy. Instead she looked horrified, like she might throw up or pass out. Or both. 

"Caro?" Fanboy asked, closing the space between them in two long strides. "Are you —"

"Mama!" A delighted shriek cut him off as quick and heavy thwaps hurtled towards them. He turned, watching with wide eyes as a little girl with bronzed skin and dark pigtails barreled towards Caro, only stopping when she collided with the chiropractor's legs, narrowly missing him. 

He was going to be sick. 

"Look!" The little girl demanded, shoving her hand up into Caro--her mother--'s face. "Kelsey painted my nails!"

Each little finger nail was a different color. Some a neon green, others a deep glittery navy, a sleek red, and a metallic purple. No two colors or textures were the same. 

"I see," Caro said with a nod, taking the girl's tiny hand in hers and tilting it back and forth to inspect each nail.

For a second it looked as if she might glance up to meet Fanboy's eyes, but instead she looked into the little girl--her daughter--'s face. 

"You know Bryson would probably like to see your nails, " she commented, releasing the small hand. "Why don't you go show him, and I'll meet you in there when I'm done talking? Then we can go home." 

The little girl looked up at her before suddenly shifting her attention to Fanboy, her big brown eyes peering intently at him, assessing. 

Evidently he failed as she frowned and then turned back to Caro, appealingly. "Um, what if you came with me?" Caro gave her a small smile, reaching down to brush hair out of her daughter's face. 

"Give me five minutes ok? You can ask Kelsey to help you keep track," she said, looking up to where the babysitter—Kelsey—hovered. It was then Fanboy noticed that she was staring between him and Caro, brow furrowed. She seemed to snap out of it at the sound of her name though, reaching a hand out for the little girl. 

"Come on, Dalia. Let's go show Bryson." 

The name caused all breath to escape from Mickey's lungs, and this time Caro's eyes did shoot to his, their gazes locking on each other. 

Neither of them took their eyes off of the other as the little girl reached for her babysitter's hand, letting the teenager guide her inside and away from Fanboy and Caro and the tension between them outside. 

"Dalia?" He asked, the repetition of the name more than just a question of whether or not he had heard it correctly. 

He was met with silence, which maybe should have been answer enough. Still, he felt like he needed to hear it, needed some sort of response, and so he attempted to ask again. 

"Is she…?" he trailed off, looking to the door the little girl had passed through just moments before. 

The little girl.

His–

He couldn't finish the thought. 

Because she couldn't be. They had been safe—mostly— and who was to say that she hadn't been with anyone after he left? And it was entirely possible that when he'd shared that name with her five years ago, both of them wrapped up in her sheets with his arms around her and her head resting against his shoulder, she had decided that she'd liked it too and wanted to use it herself for any future children.

But when he met her eyes again, he could see it all over her face. 

"Oh my God," he murmured. 

"Mickey, I—" 

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, heart pounding as the world seemed to spin around him, alarms whirring to life to signal that he was crashing. 

"I tried."

The words came out so small and quiet, it broke something in him. 

"What?" his voice cracked on the word. 

"Right after I found out. I tried calling you and texting, but nothing went through. I even tried reaching out on Facebook, and I was blocked." She spread her hands wide, shrugging.

It hit him then: he had blocked her. Right after he had returned to his squadron and gotten word of their upcoming short deployment. It had been too hard seeing pictures of her pop up on his feed. He wasted hours talking himself out of reaching back out and begging her to at least try long distance with him. He'd blocked her to protect her from any potential weak moments on the carrier. 

"Shit," he breathed out, stepping backwards. His hand going up to his forehead. He missed his curls, something to hold onto to ground him in reality.

"I–" he started before taking another breath and trying again. "Do I need to sign papers or something?" 

"Papers?"' Caro repeated. "For what?" she asked.

He lifted the hand from his head, gesturing to where his—Dalia had disappeared.  "For her."

Understanding dawned on her face as she offered a smile that made him want to scream just to dislodge the emotion caught in his throat, threatening to choke him. She shook her head. "You don't need to do anything."

"I should help. I want to help," he pressed, correcting himself. 

"Mickey," Caro said clearly, sternly. The same way he imagined she spoke to Dalia. "You're fine. Nothing changes just because you know now."

He breathed out a disbelieving, humorless laugh. "Everything changes."

"You're still in the Navy."

He sucked in a breath. Fuck. 

Fuck.

She didn't need to continue. Bringing up the Navy was enough, but she went on anyway, whether because she thought he'd need more explanation or because she wanted him to feel the weight of her world. 

"You're still stationed on the other side of the country. You're still gone in a month. You still have deployments and missions and wars and I don't want that for her." Caro stopped, and he could see the emotion back on the surface. It was everywhere from her eyes to her now slightly slumped shoulders to the desperate edge her voice had taken on. "I'm just trying to do what's best for my daughter here. You see that right?" 

Fanboy's shoulders dropped. "I know," he said. "It's just…I have a daughter, Caro. I want to at least meet her. Even if it's not as her dad." 

Caro was quiet, and he could see the thought turning over in her head. The tinkling bell of the front door opening interrupted her, prompting the pair to turn in tandem to see who was coming back out. Fanboy's breath caught hoping for Dalia to come bounding around the corner. Instead, it was Dr. Lane.

"Caro?" she asked. "I've been sent to inform you that it's been six minutes."

Caro nodded, offering a quick reassuring smile. "I'll be right in." 

Dr. Lane nodded, her eyes falling on Fanboy with a hard, assessing look. She remained standing, just off to the side, resolute. 

This prompted a softer, more genuine smile from Caro. "Can you let her know Jas?" she asked. The other doctor seemed more than a little reluctant to head back inside, disappearing with another sound of the bell.

Caro waited a second more, as if not entirely sure Jas was gone. Finally she faced him again, more relaxed than he'd seen her since he returned to San Diego. "I'll think about it," Caro assured. "Just promise me you won't try to come back here again or try to see her on your own. Please." 

Fanboy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I promise."

"I'll text you. Either way, I'll text you, and we'll talk. Deal?" 

A sad half smile crossed his face remembering all of the other deals they'd made. This felt like the worst one by far. 

"Deal," he agreed.  

Caro re-entered the office to find Dalia standing on one of the chairs, peering over the reception  desk. 

"Dalia," she sighed, hand going to her head as her daughter's head whipped around. "No standing on the chairs, remember?" 

"Sorry," Dalia and Jas both apologized and Caro's eyes slid over to the auburn haired woman as her daughter jumped down off the seat.

"I thought you'd have headed back." 

Jas shrugged. "Thought I'd stick around just in case." 

"That's kind of you, but I'm fine," Caro said, heading forward to her daughter, wrapping her arms around the four year old's torso in a swaying hug. 

Jas snorted. "That has got to be the least convincing I'm fine ever." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Kelsey apologized from where she had taken her mother's seat next to Bryson.

Caro shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Thank you for dropping her off." She looked down at the four year old. "And giving her a fun day." 

Kelsey smiled as her parents came down the hall together, Dr. Houten giving his wife the same look he gave patients who came in after complicated car accidents. His eyes found Caro's, and her stomach dropped. 

"Are you ok?" 

"I'm fine. Really," Caro dismissed. "It was just awkward." 

"What was awkward, Mama?" Dalia asked, leaning her head back to peer up at her mother. Caro offered a smile.

"I got a surprise visit from someone I haven't seen in a really long time. And sometimes when you haven't seen someone in a long time, things are awkward."

"Oh." Dalia said, hanging herself forwards on Caro's arms. "Can we go home now?"

Caro nodded. "Let me grab my things from my office, ok?" 

She headed towards the back and Dr. Houten followed her. "Robin filled me in a little on what's going on. If you need to take a few days to sort this out, I can take your patients and we can reschedule the rest–"

"It's fine. Really," Caro said, bending over her desk to pick up her purse. "He won't be back."

He raised an eyebrow.

"He doesn't want to see Dalia?"

Caro looked up at him. "He won't be back here. I just–I need this to keep me busy."

He looked unsure, pressing his lips together before nodding. "Ok. But if it becomes obvious that you need time off, I'm not giving you an option."

"Thanks, Mark," Caro said, shouldering her purse. "Really."

He smiled, looking for a second like he might be tempted to give her a side hug before realizing that'd be even more awkward than a regular one. Instead, he laid a light hand on her back as if ushering her out of her own office. 

Dalia was straddling two chairs when Caro exited the office, her hands wrapped in Jas' for stability. The guilty look on Jas' face killed the reprimand on Caro's tongue, replaced instead with a laugh and shake of her head. 

"Ready?" She asked her daughter. 

Dalia jumped out of the chair, tugging her hands free from Jas'. "Can we get ice cream?"

Caro loved her daughter. 

She was so good. So easy all things considered. She wanted her mother and ice cream and fun, and she didn't need any complications to her life. 

"Hmm," she hummed, squinting in mock-thought. She could practically feel the excitement bubbling off of the four year old. "I don't know…."

"Pleeeeeeease," Dalia begged, skipping forward to wrap her arms around Caro, head tilted up to implore her mother with big eyes.

"Ok," Caro agreed, tapping her daughter's nose. Dalia let out a cheer, releasing Caro and bouncing off towards the door. 

It was entirely possible that more sugar was the last thing Dalia needed, but the girl apparently knew a thing or two about timing her questions. 

"You know," Jas said, sidling up next to Caro. "I like ice cream."

Caro raised an eyebrow as she pressed out the door, waving a hand to the staff remaining behind. "Is that supposed to be a subtle hint that you'd like to join us?"

"To be fair, subtlety is not my strong suit," Jas admitted, walking alongside Caro. "If you'd rather keep it just a mother daughter thing, though, I totally get it."

Caro smiled at her new friend before her eyes darted to her daughter about to hop into the parking lot. "Hand please, Dalia," she called out. The little girl turned and scampered back, taking hold of Cato's outstretched hand. "What do you think?" Caro asked her daughter. "Can Jas join us for ice cream?"

"Yep," Dalia chirped as she skipped next to her mom. Caro looked back at Jas with a smile. 

"You're in."

Next Chapter (Coming Soon)

[tngrace]

Getting Caught

for my darling @bayisdying 😘 🏷: @dragon-kazansky @mrsjaderogers @askmarinaandothers @cycbaby @breadsquash @ladylanera @callmemana @callsignscupcake

NSFW! EXPLICIT SMUT!

Mickey had been in meetings in Pensacola for a week with some of the other Daggers. They were giving opinions and briefings on an upcoming mission for a different squadron, and Lucky had missed him terribly. If Hadley hadn't missed him just as much, she would've seen if someone could've kept her so they could have a proper reunion. But Hads was so excited about Daddy coming home, Lucky didn't even bother asking anyone.

They had a great dinner, Hadley practically glued to Mickey's side. After several bedtime stories and lots of cuddles, Hadley finally fell asleep. Mickey tucked her in, kissing her forehead and making sure her nightlight was on, before he quietly closed the door and went to find Baylie.

He finds her in the shower, and he quickly strips, closing the door behind him. "Room for one more?" he grins peeking around the shower curtain.

"Always," she smirks, pulling him into the shower with her. She pulls him close, their lips immediately attaching, hot water spraying all over them. "I missed you," she murmurs.

"I missed you too love. Hate being away from you." He wraps his arms around her tighter, their bodies molded as one. His hands trail up and down her back, keeping her as close as possible. "Want you," he whispers in between kisses.

"Always want you," she murmurs back. She jumps and he catches her easily, her body twining around his. Her hands sink into his hair, tugging just a little as their kisses getting deeper and hotter as the hot water runs over them. "God please," she moans as they pull apart to pant for breath. He lifts her higher, teasing between her legs, and just as he starts sliding in, they hear the door open.

"Mommy?"

They both freeze, neither daring to breathe, in fear they'd start laughing.

"Yes baby?"

"I can't find daddy." They can hear her sniffing as if she's on the verge of tears. Baylie stifles a groan as she slides down and peeks around the corner. Hadley is rubbing her eyes, her stuffed bunny hanging at her side.

"What do you need daddy for baby?"

"More cuddles," she pouts. "I wakeded alone."

Baylie does laugh at that. "Baby go back to bed and daddy will be in there soon ok?"

"But he wasn't in bed."

Baylie sighs; lord their little girl just had to get her stubbornness. Mickey is snickering in the shower and Baylie elbows him. "I know Hads. Go back to bed please."

"I want daddy!" She even stomps her foot for good measure.

Baylie turns back into the shower to look at Mickey, who just shrugs. "Hadley go back to bed and I'll be there soon ok?"

The temper tantrum stops instantly. "Daddy?"

He sighs as he peeks his head out of the shower now. "Go to bed Hads."

"Why are you in there with mommy?"

"Saving water. It's important. Now go back to bed so I can get clean and come tuck you back in."

"Otay," she yawns. She clutches bunny to her tighter, closes the door and goes back to bed. Mickey busts out laughing as Baylie just groans.

"She'll forget by morning. Now come here," he murmurs, pulling her back into his arms. He resumes their kissing, lifting her once more. Being wrapped in his arms, with his lips on hers, it's easy to recapture the mood. She clings to him, their lips barely leaving each others as Mickey pins her to the wall.

"God it was only a week, but fuck I missed you so much," he moans. His hands snake between them, stroking over her, making sure she'll be ready for him. Her head hits the wall as she moans. "You missed me too didn't you mi reina? Missed me filling you up? Missed my hands on you?"

"Mickey... fuck, please," she begs.

His hands go under her ass, as he lifts her to the perfect angle. "Yea... yea I know you did babe. I know."

He kisses her hard to silence her moans as he slides in at once. She clenches around him to keep him from pulling out, and he moans into her lips. "Fuck Bay," he moans, his lips moving down her neck.

"God you feel so good," she murmurs, her hands sliding through his hair.

"So do you." He silences her next moan with his lips as he pulls out and slams back in. He finds an easy rhythm after that; not too fast, but hard and deep. "Mickey... please," she begs, feeling the tension tightening.

"Yea... yea I know. I gotcha," he promises, as he finally starts picking up speed. "Gonna cum for me Bay? Cum all over me?"

"Fuuuuucccckkk," she tightens around him at that, and he just keeps going.

"Come on babe. Cum for me," he pants, feeling himself teetering right there on that edge too. He adjusts her just enough that he slams into that sweet spot, and Baylie shatters, moaning his name into his neck.

Her body tightens around him, and Mickey keeps thrusting, only taking a few more strokes to send him over the edge with a moan of her name. He gently rocks into her, dragging it out, until the coolness of the water registers and they both shiver. He gently eases her down, kissing all over her, murmuring how good and perfect she is, as he washes them both off.

Once dry, he tucks her into bed, promising to be right back. Hadley has thankfully fallen back asleep, so after tucking her in, he rejoins Baylie in bed. "Fuck I've missed sleeping next to you," he whispers, as she curls around him and they both fall fast asleep.

Hadley Kate unfortunately does not forget and promptly informs Caroline the next time she sees her that mommy and daddy shower together to save water. Grace overhears and cant help but giggle into her hand, thankful that Bradley just happened to be outside at the moment and couldn't hear the girls.

[whiskeyswriting]

Ain’t Always The Cowboy

{ Song Inspiration: Ain’t Always The Cowboy by Jon Pardi }

The group of them had been enjoying the bonfire after the Founder’s Day parade. Laughs and drinks had been shared. The air was full of stories and love amongst the friends.

“Wait wait… Oh what was the name of that big shot bull rider that tried to help scam Whiskey…?” Baylie asked Grace.

“Ugh! Don’t get me started on how much I hate big city people,” Jake exclaimed.

Alana felt all eyes fall on her as Jake ranted on. “Yeah we’re the worst,” she says with a playful tone.

"You're far from being the worst..." Grace starts saying.

"He's just still mad Baylie dumped him to move to a big city," Bradley teases.

Alana looked between the two of them. “You two dated? I never knew.”

“Yeah we were high school sweethearts,” Baylie replies. “But now we’re not.”

“You’ll always be my first love Baylie,” Jake says smiling at her. “Even if you annoy me to death now.”

Once again, Alana looked between the two of them. Baylie was happily engaged to Mickey. Jake was the town's eligible bachelor. Alana couldn't help but wonder what would have been the cause of their breakup. She also wondered why he keeps glaring at her with anger in his eyes.

SEVEN YEARS EARLIER

Jake is driving to the Kazansky ranch after picking up some breakfast for him and Baylie. He brought a cooler full of ice and water to help her dad with some labor on the ranch. When he pulls up, he spots Baylie sitting at her window.

He smiles at just seeing her. They had just graduated high school and would both be starting community college in a few weeks.

Baylie had finished packing all that she needed to pack up. Rachael knocked on her door. “Bay? He just parked. Your dad and I are going to give you both some privacy.”

Everyone in town kept telling Baylie to break things off with Jake before he left her. “Bay… You know the cowboy always rides away. He’s going to leave you. High school sweethearts don’t always last.”

Baylie opens the door and hugs her mom. “I love you mom.”

Tom sends Jake up to Baylie’s room. His green eyes fill with confusion when he sees that her room is packed up. “Bay? What’s going on?”

“I’m not gonna beat around the bush Jake. We’re done.”

It ain't always the cowboy

That ain't got a lot of hang around

Jake nearly drops the coffee and breakfast. “What do you mean we’re done? Baylie we just had a date the other night and we were fine?”

“Well… Things change… people change. Listen Jake, I’m not going to be tied down to be your little wife to be getting knocked up and being barefoot just being a doormat for you. I’m going to Billings. I’m going to med school and becoming a doctor and this little town will never see me again.”

Ain't got no settle down in their boots

Gone's just what they do

“Baylie! You know that’s not how I see you or would treat you!”

“No I don’t. Maybe you turn out exactly like your uncles and father and become the cowboy that leaves me for someone younger…”

Her words felt like a buckshot to his heart. By his silent reaction, she knew she’d hit the mark. She grabs her backpack and puts it on. She then starts stacking a few boxes to take to her car.

“Bring me the boxes over there. It’s the least you can do before we’re really done.”

That restless runnin'

Searchin' for somethin'

He followed her down the stairs and to her car. “Baylie please! We can’t be over! I can go visit you… I can transfer to Billings…”

“Jake! Stop! I don’t love you anymore!” Baylie felt guilty lying but it was the only way he would let her go. After putting the boxes away, she climbs into her Jeep and closes the door before he can reach her.

“Goodbye Jake. Don’t call or text me. We have nothing else to say to each other. You’ll only hold me back.” With that, Baylie puts her car in drive and leaves.

Leavin' love in the dust of a midnight Chevrolet

It ain't always the cowboy that rides away

His eyes fill with tears as he watches her drive away. Drive away from him. From her parents. From her home. Driving away with a promise to never return.

PRESENT

“So that’s why I left Mount Deston for Billings,” Baylie says finishing the story.

“I remained angry at her for a few years. But after she came back we had a proper sit down talk about us.”

“We finally realized we both wanted different things from each other in high school and even now. I’ll admit apologizing to Jake for how I ended things helped me a lot. I eventually realized I hurt as much as he had hurt.”

Jake hold his beer up. “Besides she’s too stubborn to actually be my wife.”

Alana can’t help but roll her eyes at him. “I pity the woman you end up marrying if you keep that attitude.”

“Ha! Don’t worry doll it’ll never be you,” he replies to Alana with a wink.

“It’s okay. I’ll survive knowing the one that’s hung up on his high school girlfriend and won’t move on isn’t into me. I’ve been through worse.” Alana senses someone is watching her, and not just those sitting there at the bonfire.

She looks closer to the pier and the water when her eyes fall on him. She doesn’t need to see his face to know it’s him. She knows that body and the way his arms are crossed.

Alana doesn’t even say anything as she puts on her jacket and just leaves the bonfire.

- -

Cowboy AU 🏷️ List: @luckyladycreator2 @mischief-siriusly-managed

Whiskey's Barrel: @askmarinaandothers @bayisdying @breadsquash @callmemana @callsignscupcake @cycbaby @dragon-kazansky @gracespicybradshaw @hisredheadedgoddess28 @ladylanera @starlit-epiphany

- -

A/N: To be added to this (or other tag lists), please fill out the form located in this post.

[bayisdying]

TINY CURL (NSFW 18+)

A/N: Listen. This was born because the way I felt personally attacked by that fucking curl. Motherfucker knows he's hot as fuck. Damn you Danny. Anyways enjoy this fucking smut you whores.

Tagging the whores: @mtnofgrace @mrsjaderogers @dragon-kazansky @cycbaby @askmarinaandothers @callsignscupcake

Happy Thirsty Thursday!

Lucky wasn't very fond of going to Navy dinners. She liked dressing up in nice dresses and all but it was always so stressful meeting all the high ranking officials. Navigating her way through conversations without being discharged from the Navy.

What she was fond of? Her man looking damn good in a suit and doing his hair all fancy.

She was almost done getting ready, just needed a hand zipping her dress all the way up. She walked into the bathroom and had to pause to gather her thoughts. Mickey was finishing up his hair, leaving a single curl on his forehead.

He sees her in the mirror and smiles at her.

"You look gorgeous Lucky girl." and he wasn't wrong. She was gorgeous, but he was delicious.

"Zip me up?"

He motions for her to turn around, and his expert hands zip the dress up. His touch was gentle but it sent chills up her spine.

"Are you alright Bay?"

"Just fine." She squeaks out, turning around and eyes finding that damn curl again.

He kisses her forehead, not wanting to mess up her lipstick - that would have to happen later.

Lucky is uncharacteristically quiet on the drive to the hotel where the dinner was being held. She was fiddling with her fingers and Mickey could feel her side-eyeing him. He wasn't sure what was wrong but he laid his right hand on her thigh, which caused her to jump a little.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, worried.

"You just look too good for your own good." She whispers. "especially with that fucking one, tiny curl."

He laughs. "the curl has you hot and bothered?"

"Yes!" She exclaims then whines knowing he is going to tease her with this knowledge the entire dinner. And as much as she usually loved his teasing, the last thing she needed was for some higher up to see them messing around.

"Oh Bay." His hand moves higher, the thigh slit of her dress giving him easy access to bare skin. Goosebumps pop up everywhere on her exposed skin.

"Mickey, we have to behave."

"Where's the fun in that pretty girl?"

Fuck.

As if the night couldn't get worse, they had been seated at a table with nobody they knew personally - but they were some of the head honchos.

Ice probably thought it would be smart for the two of them to socialize with these people - too bad his surrogate daughter was practically on fire.

When Mickey talked, the curl moved and it was damn near hypnotizing. Lucky had to keep sipping her drink to keep herself busy, and she really tried to join the conversation. But it's hard to talk when your husband's hand is ghosting you where you need him the most.

It's even harder to talk when he finally reaches that spot. Lucky swears if she had been drinking at the time she would have choked.

He makes lazy circles over her underwear, smirking a little when he feels the wetness already there. Only he could do this to her.

Lucky was barely hanging on by the time dessert was served. She was soaking wet, damn near ready to cry, and miserable. Mickey had that damn smirk on his face again, and his curl was coming undone a bit.

"Damn him for being so fucking sexy." Lucky thinks before removing his hand and excusing herself to the bathroom.

She knew he would follow her, she was his magnet. He could never stay away from long.

"Having fun cariño?"

The words are barely out of his mouth before her lips are attacking his with a fire that burned hotter than the sun. She's pulling him as close as possible by his suit jacket, hands everywhere she could reach. They don't part until they are both breathless.

"Take me home right now Mickey."

"Yes ma'am."

They snuck - not so subtly mind you - out of the hotel lobby. Once they hit the parking lot he lifted her easily into his arms bridal style and her lips attach to his neck leaving bite marks wherever she can.

They barely make it through the doorway before her dress is unzipped and on the floor leaving her bare except her very soaked panties.

She reaches up and curls the curl that started this all around and around her finger.

"You just love the curl don't you?"

"Fuck yes."

She squeals as he picks her up and brings her to their bedroom. Kisses growing more and more needy as he lays her gently down.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world." He says, his eyes drinking in the sight of her.

He removes his clothing and pulls down her underwear leaving nothing between them. He slowly sinks into her, easily bottoming out with how much he's teased her tonight.

The sound she makes when he's fully inside her is music to his ears. He starts at a slow and steady pace, drawing moans from Lucky as she claws at his arms, begging him for more, but he doesn't give her it just yet. She's begging him for harder and faster. Her words are incoherent and breathy as he fills her so deliciously at that damn tortoise pace.

"Mick...Mickey please."

"Please what Lucky? Use your words."

"Just.."

"Just what?" He teases.

Tears slide down her cheek and he wipes them away with the pad of his calloused thumb.

Her first orgasm comes like a freight train, it's so intense Mickey has to still inside her as she cums around him with a primal scream.

"That's it baby girl. That's it cariño. God you feel so damn good." He moans as he starts to move again. This time his pace is a little faster, but it still feels torturously slow.

Lucky can only whine in response as the pressure in her stomach comes back.

"You know how we were saying we wanted to start a family?"

Lucky's eyes meet his, tears still welling up from her last release.

"How about I put a baby in you right now?" He asks with a growl that tips her over the edge again. The thought of giving this beautiful man a baby consumed her mind as she came again.

Once she came down from her second high, he finally gave her what she wanted.

He went faster, deeper, and harder. Causing her to scream out in pleasure, and damn it if he didn't love that.

"Fuck Bay. You're so good. I love you. Holy shit." He can barely string words together when she cums around him a third time, his own release following shortly after. After a few minutes of catching their breath, Mickey slowly removes himself from her and finally collapsing on his side of their bed.

"Holy fuck Mickey." Lucky says pulling at that damn curl - now a total mess and barely even a curl - one more time. "That was hot."

"Can we name our kid Curly if this works?"

She playfully punches his shoulder.

"So no to Curly Garcia?"

-----

A/N: IM SO SORRY MOM.

[thewulf]

Skies of Concern || Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Summary: Request -may i request for top gun maverick with husband!mickey 'fanboy' garcia x civillian maverick's daughter!reader please? when you heard that mav called mickey to join a mission, you kind of mad to your dad cause it is dangerous for mickey (worried)... Read Rest Here

A/N: Eeeeek! This one was fun to write. Super cute and fluffy. Memories are in italics. Hope you enjoy anon!

Pairing: Mickey Fanboy" Garcia x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.6k +

T/W : General TGM warnings

The sun dipped below the horizon casting a warm, golden glow across the tarmac of the Naval Air Station as you waited for the aircraft carrier to arrive back on base. You stood near the water as the anticipation built with each passing minute. You were anxiously awaiting the return of your father, Maverick, and his trusted wingman and your beloved husband, Mickey Garcia.

But even in the middle of the tension and worry that gripped your heart your mind wandered back to a warmer memory. A moment of serendipity that had brought you into the orbit of the charismatic WSO who would later become your husband much to your fathers dismay. Although he eventually came around and loved Mickey as his own son.

It was a balmy evening at the Hard Deck as you waited for your father to return from a training mission. He’d asked you to meet him there against your better judgement. Although you didn’t frequent the bar that often anymore you had sought solace in the familiar surroundings of the bar, the chatter of fellow Navy personnel providing a comforting backdrop to your thoughts. As you nursed a drink at the counter trying to push aside the nagging worry that always accompanied your father's missions, you noticed him.

Mickey Garcia, with his effortless charm and magnetic presence strode into the bar. His flight suit a testament to the adrenaline-fueled world he inhabited. His gaze briefly met yours and in that fleeting moment, something sparked between you—a connection born in the anonymity of the crowded room. You should’ve run far, far away after the smirk grew on the pilot’s face. But you couldn’t. It’s like that one look had you rooted right into the bar stool.

Unbeknownst to Mickey he had just caught the eye of Maverick's daughter. You had planned to keep your identity hidden. More than content to observe from the shadows as he approached with a casual confidence that belied the danger of his profession.

"Hey there," he greeted you. His smile as warm as the fading sunlight outside. "Haven't seen you around here before. I’d remember a pretty face like yours. You can’t be a regular, no?"

His words were laced with genuine curiosity with a playful demeanor drawing you in despite the weight of your worries. Little did you know that chance encounter would set the stage for a journey fraught with danger and adventure but so much love. Oh, so much love.

As Mickey leaned casually against the bar with that signature mischievous twinkle in his eyes you couldn't help but return his flirtatious banter. "Well,” you replied with a playful smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "Maybe I like to keep things interesting. You never know when a new face might turn up." He was right. You often avoided the Hard Dec as it was your father and Penny’s spot.

Mickey chuckled. The sweet sound sent a pleasant shiver down your spine. "I like the way you think," he said. His gaze lingering on you with unmistakable interest. "Name's Mickey, by the way. Mickey Garcia." You nodded. You knew that. Hell, you knew most of your dads pilots even if you hadn’t formally met them. But you had to play dumb to keep up your charade.

You extended your hand. A coy smile playing on your lips. "Nice to meet you, Mickey. I'm... just a girl trying to enjoy her night."

His handshake was firm, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through you. "Well, just a girl, if you ever need someone to show you around this place… you know who to call," he spoke with a confidence only pilots seemed to have.

Before you could respond to him the familiar sound of your fathers voice cut through the air, drawing your attention to the entrance of the bar. Your heart skipped a beat as you watched your father stride in. He looked to be in one piece. Your concern washed away in an instant. His presence commanded the attention of everyone in the room. When he spotted you chatting with one of his pilots at the bar he made a beeline right to you with a less than thrilled look on his face.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Your dad greeted you. His voice was warm with affection as he pulled you into a quick hug. "You holding up okay?"

You nodded. A small smile tugging at your lips as you leaned into his embrace. "Yeah, Dad," you replied oh so grateful for the familiar strength of his arms around you. "Just glad to see you back in one piece."

But as Pete pulled away his gaze fell on Mickey, and you felt a knot of tension coil in the pit of your stomach. There was a shift in the air. A subtle change in your dads demeanor that set your heart racing with apprehension.

"Fanboy," Maverick spoke with an icy tone as he turned his attention to the charming pilot beside you. "Fancy seeing you here."

Mickey's easy grin faltered and was replaced by a look of uncertainty as he met Maverick's gaze. "Hey, Maverick," he replied. His voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. "Didn't expect to run into you here. You’re not usually here after missions."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between them. The air thick with unspoken tension as Maverick's gaze bore into Mickey with an intensity that made you squirm in your barstool. Finally, Pete spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "No funny business with my daughter, Garcia," he said. His words a thinly veiled warning. "Or you'll answer to me."

Mickey swallowed hard. The weight of Maverick's stare bearing down on him like a leaden weight. "Yes, sir," he replied. His voice was barely above a whisper as he nodded in silent acquiescence.

And as Maverick turned away with his arm slipping around your shoulders in a protective gesture. You couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead for you with Mickey. The chemistry between the two of you was something you’d never experienced before. There had to be something more. You felt caught between the love of a father and the allure of the skies.

It had been years since that fateful meeting at the Hard Deck, years filled with adventure, love, and the occasional heart-stopping moment as you watched your husband and father take to the skies together. But through it all you had remained steadfast in your support for both of them.

As you stood there the memories of that first encounter with Mickey came flooding back. A bittersweet reminder of how far you had come since that chance meeting. Now, as you awaited their return, your heart swelled with a mixture of pride and worry. You knew all too well the dangers that lurked beyond the clouds. But despite the nagging fear that gnawed at your insides you refused to let it consume you. You had learned to trust in Mickey's skill and your dads experience.

Your thoughts then took to earlier on in the week when you father broke the news he was taking your now husband with him to go fly a mission in Russia. He couldn’t tell you the details, but you knew it was going to be risky. Anything overseas always was. A pit formed in your stomach at the thought of the two most important guys in your life putting their lives in danger once again.

Unable to contain your fears any longer you turned to your father with a pleading look in your eyes. "Dad, you can't do this," you said, your voice trembling with emotion. "You can't take Mickey on this mission. It's too dangerous dad!"

Maverick's expression hardened. His jaw tightening as he met your gaze with a steely resolve. "I have to, sweetheart," he replied with a sorrowful look as his voice firm but tinged with regret. "We're the best chance they've got and Mickey's one of the best damn WSO’s I know."

You shook your head. The frustration and fear bubbling up inside you like a tempest ready to burst. "But it's not fair," you cried out as the words tumbled out in a rush. "Both of you don’t need to go. How about just you? Or him? Not both of you! I can't take it dad. Please" You knew the pleading would likely fall on deaf ears, but you had to try.

Your voice cracked with emotion. Tears welling up in your eyes as the weight of your fear threatened to crush you. You had spent countless nights lying awake dreading this exact moment when the call would come. One that summoned your father and husband into the heart of danger once again but farther away than you thought possible.

This time felt different, the stakes higher than ever before. And as you stood there with anger and despair boiling over inside you, you knew that you couldn't bear the thought of losing them both, not now, not ever.

Maverick's expression softened. A rare flicker of sympathy crossing his features as he reached out to pull you into a comforting embrace. "I know, sweetheart," he murmured. His voice gentle against your ear. "But we have a job to do, and we'll come back to you, I promise."

You clung to him like a scared five-year-old but you really couldn’t care. You were terrified. The weight of his words offering a sliver of solace amidst the storm of uncertainty you prayed with all your heart that his promise would hold true. That both your father and husband would return to you unscathed once more.

The anticipation was palpable as you stood on the base. Your eyes fixed on the horizon where the carrier would soon appear. It had been over a week since you last saw your husband, and your father depart on their mission. Each moment of their absence had felt like an eternity.

But now as the massive silhouette of the carrier emerged from the vast expanse of the ocean your heart leaped with relief. They were back. They were safe. You knew it because you hadn't received that dreaded call. The one that brought news of tragedy and loss. Still, despite the reassurance a knot of anxiety tightened in your stomach as you waited for them to disembark. You couldn't shake the lingering worry, the fear of the unknown that had plagued you since the moment they left.

And then, finally, the gangplank descended, and a surge of relief washed over you as you caught sight of familiar figures making their way down onto the dock. Your heart raced as you scanned the crowd searching for the faces you longed to see.

And there they were.

Your father emerged first with his iconic aviator shades shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. Beside him, Mickey walked with a confident stride. His tattered flight suit a testament to the adventure they had just returned from.

Without a second thought you rushed forward ignoring the protests from the officers guarding the walkway. Your heart pounded with a mixture of joy and apprehension. They were here. They were safe. But still you needed to see them with your own eyes. To feel the reassuring warmth of their embrace. His embrace. Your husband and beloved.

Without hesitation you rushed forward to you husband. Your arms outstretched as you leaped into his embrace wrapping your legs around his waist. "Babe!" you exclaimed while happily peppering his cheeks with kisses. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? I missed you so much! Don’t go for that long again, please." Your eyes scanned his frame for any sign of distress.

Mickey laughed while wrapping his arms tightly around you and returning your kisses with equal fervor. "I'm fine, honey," he reassured you, his voice filled with affection. "Not a scratch on me. I missed you more than you know pretty lady." He gave you a squeeze as he held you in his arms as the both of you ignored the bewildered captain beside you.

Your attention wholly focused on the man holding you in his strong arms. But when you finally pulled back you couldn't help but notice the grin spreading across your fathers face as he watched the reunion between his daughter and son-in-law.

"Looks like someone's glad to see her husband and not so much her old man," he remarked with amusement twinkling in his eyes.

You flushed with embarrassment realizing you had been so caught up in your reunion with Mickey that you had all but forgotten all about your father. But as you glanced back at him you found nothing but warmth and understanding in his expression.

"Sorry, Dad," you said sheepishly. "I was just... really glad to see Mickey. It’s good to see you too." As you attempted to slip down from Mickey's hold expecting to stand on your own feet again, you felt him tighten his grip around you. He wasn't willing to let you go just yet and a warm sense of contentment washed over you as you remained enveloped in his embrace.

Maverick chuckled. His eyes had a knowing amusement in them as he watched the scene unfold. "I can see that," he replied. His voice tinged with pride. "I see I’ve officially been replaced."

You grinned with your cheeks flushing with affectionate embarrassment at your father's teasing remark. "Well, Dad," you spoke playfully jabbing his shoulder from Mickey’s hold. "I think there's enough love to go around for both of you."

Pete laughed. "I suppose so," His voice filled with warmth as he spoke. "Just don't forget who taught him everything he knows."

You smiled, feeling a rush of gratitude for the two most important men in your life. "I could never forget.”

As Maverick chuckled, shaking his head, and walked away he left just the two of you there to continue on. Mickey still held you close in his arms. His embrace filled with a longing that mirrored your own. With Pete out of sight he seemed to pull you even closer. His touch igniting that usual fire within you.

Feeling his warmth enveloping you, you melted into his embrace. Your body fitting perfectly against his. His lips found yours in a hungry kiss. A silent declaration of his desire and his longing for you. The kiss deepened becoming more passionate as if he couldn't get enough of you after being apart for too long.

When he finally pulled back his breath came out in ragged gasps. He pressed his forehead against yours with eyes dark full of desire. "God, I missed you," he murmured. His voice husky with emotion. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes as he winked suggestively. His lips curling into a playful grin. And as you stood there wrapped in his embrace surrounded by the sights, and sounds of the base, you knew that the reunion you had been longing for was just beginning.

With a shared smirk Mickey held you a as tight as he could without squeezing you completely. His gaze was filled with promises of the passion to come. "Let's get out of here my love," he whispered. His voice low and intimate. "I want to show you just how much I missed you." The earned a giggle out of you as you knew he meant business when it came to that look.

And with that he carried you effortlessly towards your car. Each step filled with anticipation and desire. With a thrill of excitement coursing through you, you knew that the night ahead held endless possibilities. And you couldn't wait to explore them all with the man you loved.

Jake Seresin/Top Gun: Permanent Taglist (If you'd like to be added to any or all works please fill out the form here: Taglist Sign Up) @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @mamachasesmayhem @hardballoonlove @rosiahills22 @djs8891 @illisea @jessicab1991 @guacam011y @dempy @hiireadstuff @kenn-spencerswifey @abbersreads @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

[floydsglasses]

A Quiet Place- DAGGER EDITION

SUMMERY: If they hear you, they hunt you. The world we once knew full of sound is gone, and silence is the key to survival, if you wanna avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death.

Dagger Squad X Various Original Female Characters ( Basically each story involves one of the dagger's with an original character, each set in the world of A Quiet Place)

Contents Involve: Post Apocalyptic, Angst, Use of ASL, Fluff, Death/Mention of death, implied smut, pregnancie for one story, mention's child death, blood

MASTERLIST

ᴀ ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ʏᴇʟʟ- Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

𝙑𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚- Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Way Out There- Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia 𝙒𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘿𝙖𝙬𝙣 - Robert "Bob" Floyd

MOODBOARDS

A Whisper Not A Yell - Moodboard

Vanishing Grace- Moodboard

Way Out There - Moodboard

Waiting till Dawn- Moodboard

[jackiequick]

BABY ON BOARD HAS A WHAT-?!

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Reader/Bob x OC (Nurse Anna)

Other Characters: The Daggers (+ JenPen Mitchell) and a few other background characters

Timeline: Set some time after The Uranium Project

Setting: The Bradshaw Household

It was an delightful Tuesday afternoon, the sun was shining brightly but it was windy and a bit chilly outside. The crew was mostly there expect for Amber who was assigned with a few meetings with her father that day, other than that the Daggers were together at The Bradshaw Mitchell household.

Usually they would be outside on the patio but it was too windy to sit outside today, so they all hang out inside in the connected kitchen and living room area. Fanboy, Phoenix and Payback were fighting over which set of movies watch next on the flat screen Tv while Coyote and Bob was helping Rooster fixing the front windows that seemed to go scratched from week…let’s just say it no more playing inside.

JenPen was putting away groceries that they brought earlier while Hangman was sipping a beer in the kitchen island nearby one of the stools, plugging in everyone phones to charge.

“Hey, what time is Angel coming back home?” Jake asked using Amber’s nickname instead as he glances at his Instagram account.

“Why? You miss your girlfriend?” Jen teased the pilot, grabbing a bite of the freshly washed grapes left on the kitchen counter.

“Wha—No! I mean yeah, of course I do, Miss Bradshaw.”

“Mitchell—Bradshaw, actually. When I do get married, I might keep my last name.”

“Pfff, Bradshaw is too much a chicken to finally find a ring and propose to you.”

“Be nice, you’ll be Uncle Hangman one day you will have to be on your best behavior.”

Jake laughed at the nickname and rolled his eyes, “What you doing this weekend?”

“Uhh, I got to study the metrics for a few planes and might just wash my hair afterwards.” Jen said with a simple shrug and smile.

•

After a while, Coyote and Bob took a break from helping Bradley with the window. Javy went to wash his hands in the kitchen while Bob headed to the bathroom upstairs to wash his face. While Javy was drying off his hands, he heard a light ping coming from the section of phones being charged.

Coyote raised an eyebrow, checking to see who’s phone it was exactly. He flipped though the phones and lightly tapping each other curiously until another message came in. It was Bob’s phone.

You could’ve sworn Javy did a double take as he saw the message, the poor man’s jaw dropped. The message first being a photo dump of the beautifully made sky outside and the new message said ‘Hey darling! How are you?💘’

“Huh?” Javy muttered, he tries not to be curious about his friends business because everyone tends to be somewhat open with a lot of things. But this caught his eyes since he never heard of Bob Floyd having a lady. He read the caller ID and continued, “Who’s Nurse Anna?!”

Javy’s yell caught everyone in the room’s attention, all faces whipped around towards the tall man in confusion. Everyone expect Phoenix who was sorta listening but too busy texting Lieutenant Magnet Kenner about god knows what. Rooster was sitting next to his girlfriend messaging her tired shoulders as he asked, “Uh, what?”

“Who’s Nurse Anna?!” Coyote repeated again as if it was obvious the first time he questioned the name.

“Uh context please, pal..” Said Payback turning his head from the couch to look at him.

“I was drying my hands after helping Roo with the windows and I heard a ping coming from one of the phones. So I went to check who’s phone it was and guess who’s phone it was?”

“Who’s?”

“Bob’s!”

“Relax, it’s probably a friend of his from work.”

“A friend? Oh really?! A friend who’s a nurse…?”

“Uhh yeah…”

Fanboy stood up from the flooring in the living room to see the messenger ID on Bob’s phone lock-screen. Later on another message popped up from Nurse Anna saying 'Change of plans I might not be free Friday but we can definitely do Saturday instead 💞'.

Mickey smiled and let out a small chuckle reading it out loud, “Uhh I don’t know Ruben, the contact on the ID says Nurse Anna with a blue heart emoji! She called him ‘Darling’ in the two messages she sent to Bob. She asked about meeting up on Saturday and added a few love emojis too! I don’t think it’s a normal friend from work kinda thing…”

Coyote joked, “What? You think they’re just hooking up?! Like a causal hook up? Gahhhh no, that’s not Bob’s thing, last time I checked.”

The trio kept arguing on who is this Nurse Anna girl was and acting like they were trying to decipher a mystery case. JenPen added in a few jokes about how ridiculous they were acting, however she was just as curious about it all.

Hangman thought it was just a casual weekly hook up between the their friend and some pretty girl or something. The loudly voiced conversation kept going on for more than two minutes as all the Daggers expect Phoenix, who was just watching all of them discuss the matter at hand.

Little did they all know Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd was upstairs, standing in the hallway near the staircase hearing everyone, trying his hardest not to laugh.

•

Rooster eyebrows bounced motion and laughed as he exclaimed, “Damn! Well it looks to me that our WSO has himself a little girlfriend.”

Hangman was sipping his second beer as his mind was clearly in space. Soon enough his eyebrows popped up and he almost spit out his drink coughing, “BABY ON BOARD HAS A WHAT—?!”

“Awww he fell for a nurse.” Jen says in pure awe how Bob was probably in love, leaning into Bradley’s warm touch on her shoulders.

“I’m still on the part where Bradshaw said GIRLFRIEND!” Hangman said chuckling and coughing a bit.

“I think it’s cute.” Fanboy replies with a smile, “And she sounds super sweet!”

•

The conversation contained so much energy and no one noticed that Bob was gone, since they more focused on the mysterious lady.

Fanboy thinks she’s blonde with green eyes, Hangman thinks she’s gotta be a redhead with green eyes, Ruben believed she was a nurse on base for the longest time, JenPen guessed that she must’ve been one of the most talented nurses in school and Coyote had a gut feeling Bob met her months before they all returned to Top Gun for that mission.

Rooster was curious as he stated his questions to the group, “Who can she be? I never heard a nurse named Anna...or so I think?”

“I bet she’s hot! Like super hot!” Hangman said grinning as Coyotes chuckles slapping his shoulder mutter for him to shut up.

Ruben turned to Phoenix smiling, “Your awfully quiet, anything you’ll like to share with the class?”

Phoenix looked up from her phone confused, “What do you mean? Just because Bob and I fly together doesn’t mean I know everything about ‘em, he probably met her one day before we all met at the bar or something. Last time I checked nurses need a night off to have fun too.”

“Your sure about that? Phoenix you fly and eat together, you share teaching tips together. Also you guys even shared a life or death experience together with all of us. I feel like you know something!”

“Well I-”

Suddenly they all heard footsteps and the room went silent, some of them noticing their teammate walking into the living room. They all waited and looked around as if they were just caught in the act of a horrible prank.

•

“Phoenix doesn’t know because she was passed out in a hospital bed in another room, when it happened.” Said the voice of the man who’s phone started all of this with a soft smile. Bob stood there leaning against the wall fixing his glasses and trying not to laugh at their faces. Especially Natasha’s confused one.

Everyone turned to Bob in shock and motioned for him to continue. He said, “Well, after the whole bird strike that went down that same day, Phoenix and I was sent the to the med bay, when I met her. I woke up, less than half an hour after it happened, doctors came and checked on me. Then Anna walked in…she came in with extra blankets and check on my IV, to see if I needed anything…”

“And?” Phoenix asked, waving her hand gently as if to cue in that she wanted more information about this.

“She was pretty. I didn’t have my glasses on and I've just woken up with a headache, so my vision I was still slightly blurry, but I could tell she was absolutely stunning dressed in her blue scrubs and her brown hair that was in a ponytail…and she was very kind.”

Hangman smiled, “That’s her job, Bob, to be kind and treat patients well, for they can try and get better.”

Rooster looked up glaring at his blonde savior, “Who’s telling the story? Him or you?”

“Him duh!”

“Then let him tell it, Bagman!”

“Yikes..sorry, Floyd continues please, she sounds pretty nice.”

Bob smiled laughing softly and continued, “Because she is! Gentle and passionate too. She stayed with me for a while, asked how I was doing at the moment and what is my job in the Navy. Uh, eventually we started talking about movies and music, and then before she left to go see other patients..I asked her out, telling her once I got out the hospital and could be finished with our missions, I would like to take her to a nice restaurant…”

JenPen smiled listening as she heard Fanboy asking, “She called you darling? How long have you two been going out?”

“Oh no! She calls every single one of her patients darling or dear but for me darling just stuck I guess. I call her doll or honey, sometimes sweetie.” Bob said the last few nicknames with a laced dreamy smile as if thinking about his lady.

“You didn’t answer Fanboy’s questions though! How long?! I gotta—” JenPen asked but was cut off with a hand covering her mouth.

Rooster had his hand covering his girlfriend’s mouth snickering and looked up at Bob smiling, “Go on. She’s quiet now.”

Once again Bob laughed shaking his head and went on explaining, “We’ve only being seeing each other for 8 weeks more or less, with our busy schedules and all. I wanted to keep our relationship a secret for a while. You know, just the two of you and see where it goes."

Coyote rubbed the back of his neck chuckling awkwardly, "And I let it slip..I'm sorry man, I didn't know and you know I can get a little nuts sometimes."

"It's perfectly fine, I was expecting for you guys to find out eventually this month or so. Actually glad it wasn't Jake."

Hangman looked up with his eyes widen offended and gasped somewhat loudly, "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN-?!"

"You would've texted Javy! Better yet, you would've called Amber then she would've told the all ladies!"

"I wasn't going to do that!"

"Oh really?"

Bob pointed to the iPhone in Jake's hand brightly lit as his fingers were on paused. Robert asked, "Who were you texting, Hangman?"

"No one." Jake exclaimed quickly, closing the messages that he was sending to his girlfriend and throws his phone on the couch. Everyone's eyes darted to the iPhone that showed messages from Amber popping up like crazy.

"You were saying.."

"Shit."

All the group could do was laugh and roll they’re eyes at this point from seeing the scene play out. Truly none of them were sad or annoyed Bob for keeping such a darling secret, it’s his life and he should be able to keep such good things to himself, of course when JenPen and Bradley did say that when Bob and his lady were ready they would love to meet her one day. Bob appreciated the welcoming ideas and support he’s getting as he went on to actually reply to Nurse Anna’s text messages knowing she might be busy but 100% checking her phone waiting for a reply soon.

Coyote kept apologizing for spoiling that little surprise even though no one was really mad at him or anything, as Fanboy and Payback sending all the good thing to their teammate’s way. As for Phoenix, she was very much happy but a little disappointed in herself for not finding out sooner or at least pick up the clues firsthand.

If your wondering about Hangman, he left the gang early to pick up his lady and well this happened…

Jake sat in the car, opening the door seeing Amber as he grinned like an idiot bursting to tell her everything that happened today. And once Amber climbed into her seat grinning and buckled in her seatbelt she said, “Ok, oh my god. Tell me everything!”

“Yes!” Jake shouted as he buckled in his own seatbelt, “Baby on board has a girlfriend! I was like ‘What? That’s crazy?!’ I didn’t believe it, but from what I heard she’s really pretty cute and she’s a nurse.”

“Ugh! Why is it that the day I have to work, is that day all the good things happen? Let me guess, you found out!”

Hangman snickered, “Nope!”

“Then who?”

“Coyote.”

“What?!” Amber gasp laughing.

Let’s just say the rest of the ride home was full of gossip and laughter from that one single car. The rest of day went as follows, Coyote and Payback went out to keep helping Rooster with the broken window, Fanboy and Bob chatting about their day and future relationships, while Phoenix and JenPen were ordering stuff on Amazon as they fixed up a few things around the house.

Thank you for reading this story and I really hope you liked it! 💙

Tags: @t-nd-rfoot @gaminggirlsstuff @theloveoftoms @rooster-84 @happilycameron @mandylove1000 @topgun-imagines @levijeanqueen @drspencereidhotch @fanboygarcia @starkleila @msrochelleromanofffelton @gcthvile and etc

[callsignspark]

soft-tober announcement

soft October - part of the Dagger, Sword & Shield universe

by callsignspark

October is my favorite month of fall. It’s just the right blend of warm days and chilly nights. Apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin carving, corn mazes, and trick-or-treating to end the month. It’s filled with soft memories of fun times spent with loved ones. I’m taking inspiration from these fond memories of mine and creating soft-tober!

Sixteen days of warm, cozy, and sweet fall-related prompts for all of my Dagger, Sword & Shield universe couples! (Plus a few extras!) Starting October 1st, I’ll be posting a short one-shot of each DSS couple based on a prompt from one of these three lists.

The masterlist for soft-tober can be found here! And on my main masterlist and the DSS universe masterlist! All posts relating to soft-tober can be found here!

If you'd like to be tagged for soft-tober, please send an ask!

callsignspark disclaimer: my blog is an 18+ space; minors do not interact - you will be blocked. I do not consent to my work being copied, run through an AI generator, translated, or posted elsewhere. I do have an AO3, where I eventually will be cross-posting my works.

01. Javy & Erin - “Do you want some hot chocolate?”

03. Callie & Kelly - “Do you like cinnamon?”

05. Jake & Flora - “Trick or treat?” “…Depends on if you’re the treat.”

07. Logan & Kristina - “It’s Halloween, why are you already putting up Christmas decorations?”

09. Bradley & Mary - “Is this costume too revealing?”

11. Billy & Aaron - “I don’t like scary movies.” “I’ll keep you safe.”

13. Warlock & Betty - “Here, take my sweater.”

15. Mav & Penny - “It’s never too early for Halloween music!”

17. Mickey & Carlee - “Quit trying to scare me! I know that’s you!”

19. Hondo & Cara - “Isn’t this stuff for kids?”

21. Cyclone & Linda - “Halloween is for children.”

23. Neil & Laura - “Candy corn is the best candy.”

25. Reuben & Danielle - “I forgot how cold it could get.”

27. Natasha & Calvin - “Do you like my costume?"

29. Brigham & Catherine - “Hey, where’s your costume?”

31. Bob & Elaine - “We should carve pumpkins!”

tagging some friends and people who might be interested!

@gretagerwigsmuse | @hangmanapologist | @hangmanbrainrot | @princessphilly | @hangmanssunnies | @thesewordsareallihavetogive | @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby | @katieshook02 | @hellojameshowyadoin | @aristotles-butthole | @atarmychick007 | @whatislovevavy | @kmc1989 | @sometimesanalice | @laracrofted | @yuckosworld | @mika-darling | @bradshawsbaddie | @bobblebobsbae | @mothdruid | @ohtobeleah | @rhettabbotts | @sunlightmurdock | @withahappyrefrain | @roosterbruiser | @blue-aconite | @sylviebell

divider credit here

[foreverrandomwritings]

Actions Speak Louder Than Words - Part 6

Summary: Unexpected news hits the duo's household Sunday morning. It takes them out of town for the week. Will things be the same as when they left? Will Mute finally tell Fanboy about her feelings? 

Pairings: Romantic!(slow burn) Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia x Afab!OC

Warnings:Death, alcohol, shitty childhood, that’s it?

Word count:4847

Masterlist

Sunday morning in the duos household started out relatively normal. It was much like a morning they would spend together back in Virginia. Waking up around the same time and going into the kitchen to make breakfast together. Then they would pick out a show or movie to watch as they ate.The phone call from John’s father had felt just as normal when his name popped up on John’s phone. But as he answered the phone he could hear the sadness in his voice 

“Hey John, is Jane there with ya?” The older man asked his son. Jane paused the tv so they would be able to hear him better. John turned the call to speakerphone. 

“Yea, what’s wrong Papa?” John looked at Jane as he placed the phone on the table in front of him. A sense of dread settled into the both of them when they heard a sniffle on the other end. 

“It’s your Nonno. He had a heart attack last night and passed away.” Jane gripped her backseater's hand at the news. John gave her a confused look as their eyes connected. Jane understood what the look was trying to convey. How was his beloved grandfather dead? They had just spoken to the man earlier that week. 

“We’ll talk to our Captain and be on our way as soon as we can be.” Jane spoke for John. He was already in the first stage of grief. Denial. 

Even though Jane was extremely close to his family, it being the only one she really knew. She knew she had to be strong this time. She had to take care of John like he so often took care of her. She would be mighty. She would stride. For both of them. 

“Good Morning Captain Mitchell. I’m sorry to be calling you this Sunday. But John's grandfather passed away last night. I was wondering if we could have a couple of days to go and help with everything?” Jane spoke into the phone as she started packing John's bag for him. She went through his drawers grabbing out clothes and stuffing them in the bag. She slipped into the closet grabbing the bag that contained his black suit that was for weddings and funerals. 

“I’m sorry for your guys’ loss, kid. Take the week and let me know if you need any more than that. I’ll handle Vice Admiral Simpson and Vice Admiral Bates for you guys tomorrow.” She was relieved that she wouldn’t have to make that phone call. 

“Thank you so much Captain Mitchell. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I know more.” She told the man on the other end of the phone as she walked into John’s bathroom. She rushed around the small room quickly, grabbing all the essentials he’ll need. 

“Let me know if you guys need anything while you're gone or when you get back.” She let out a shaky breath pausing in the middle of John’s room looking around. She was mentally checking off everything she had grabbed to see if there was anything he might need. 

“We will, thank you again. Have a good rest of your Sunday.” Jane grabbed John’s phone charger and an extra pair of shoes.

“I’ll see you both when you get back. Goodbye Lieutenant.” She could hear John on the phone with his father as she exited his room moving towards her own. 

“Goodbye.” she told the captain, grabbing her bag and packing it quickly. Throwing her phone in the pocket of her sweatpants as the call ended. She grabbed a black dress from her closet. She moved into her bathroom once she had everything from her room. As she finished her bag she moved to the living room to usher John out the door. He was sitting on the couch staring at the blank tv in front of him. 

“John, are you ready to go?” she asked him quietly, his green eyes found her blue ones and she could see tears forming. She dropped the bags on the floor and rushed towards him. He wrapped his arms around her middle digging his head into her stomach as she came to stand between his legs. He took in a deep breath before he started sobbing silently. Jane could feel a wet spot forming on her shirt from his tears. She ran her fingers through his hair, an action she had done many times when he had trouble falling asleep and found himself curled up in his best friend's bed. 

“Let it all out John. I’m here, I’ve got you.” She stood there for a while letting him squeeze her as he cried. As his breathing started to steady he pulled back looking up at her. His green eyes were red and puffy, cheeks stained with tears. He looked so small as he sniffled before her. 

“What do you need from me?” She asked him as she held his face in her hands. 

“I just want to go home.” His raspy voice let out. 

“I got our bags packed so we can leave right now.” Her eyes darted towards the bags by the front door. He nodded once as she stepped out of his hold. He stood up and grabbed his keys from the bowl on the kitchen table. He handed them to her as he opened the front door. She grabbed their bags and locked up the house. Then they were off for their five hour road trip. 

                                    💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷

When they arrived at the vineyard the driveway was packed with cars. It looked like most of the family was already there. They would probably have more flying in over the next couple of days from Italy. John’s parents, his fathers parents, his siblings and their families all lived close together. But his aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts and great uncles all lived in Italy. 

“Sarmeo Potenti.” Jane said as she grabbed her best friend's hand. He had reached the acceptance stage of grief on their drive there. Deciding that he would need to be the one to hold it together for his family. While John planned on being strong for everyone else Jane knew she had to be strong for him.

"Cammineremo." John replied, squeezing her hand before leading them both inside. They were both swarmed by his family as they entered the large mansion. His brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews all rushed up on them. All of them coming from different directions and different rooms. 

“Are those my amazing Navy children I hear?” Jane and John both perked up at the sound of the woman's Italian thick voice. 

“Mamma.” John pulled the woman into his arms. Her beautiful laugh filled the space as he spun her around. 

“Put me down John. I need to go and love on my daughter now.” He set her down and she pulled his face down to kiss his cheeks. Then she turned to Jane. Jane gave her a big toothy grin, one that wasn’t shown very often. But this woman standing in front of her had made her feel love that she had never felt from her own family. She had made her feel at home every time she saw her.  

“Oh my beautiful girl. Come here now.” she gestured for Jane to give her a hug and the red head didn’t hesitate. There was something about the way she hugged her that made all the stress leave Jane’s body. She pulled back and kissed Jane's cheeks. 

“Have you guys eaten anything in the last couple of hours?” She asked both of them. Jane shook her head, smiling at the woman. She always knew how to take care of them. 

“Not since breakfast. We left as soon as we got the call.” She shook her head at them muttering under her breath about how irresponsible they were. 

“Follow me then. I just made an early dinner. Plus your father and Nonna are in the kitchen and will want to see the both of you.” They followed her steps as she weaved through the crowd of people and the maze of the hallways. 

“How are they doing?” John asked her as his eyes scanned the rows and rows and rows of pictures on the walls. There were ones of every big life event for John and his five siblings. There were baby pictures of the Grandkids and some of their kindergarten graduations and high school graduations. There were even ones of Jane up there. Pictures of her at graduation and a few from over the years when they could make it home for holidays. 

“As well as you can expect. Nonna is the one who decided to take him to the hospital when he started to complain about his chest hurting. We just didn’t get there in time. He died an hour after we arrived. His DNR meant they couldn’t do anything to bring him back.” Sadness leaked from her voice as she spoke. John and Jane looked at each other with tears in their eyes. 

“Is everyone else flying in?” Jane piped up as they entered the kitchen. All of the children and grandchildren were already here so she could only assume the extended family would be flying in. 

“Yes they are dear.” Nonna’s voice said before Jane was gathered into another hug. Cigars and sandalwood filled her nose. She squeezed back as a hand came to rub against her hair. 

“Hello Papa.” Jane said into his chest. Nonna was fussing over John in the background. 

“Hello Jane.” He said as he pulled back. Jane kissed his cheeks earning a tear filled smile from the man. Even with the events that called them here he still looked at her with love and pride. He looked at her like she had desperately wanted to be looked at growing up. Her own father had never looked at her like that.

“Don’t hog her Giovanni.” His mother said as she pushed him out of the way. He went over to John pulling the tall man into a hug. 

“I’ve missed you both so much.” The gray haired woman said as she held Jane's face in her hands scanning her over. Nonna had always favored John and Jane over her other grandchildren and it was known to all of them. 

“We’ve missed you, Nonna. We were planning on visiting after we settled into Fightertown. I’m sorry we didn’t come sooner.” Jane really was apologetic that they hadn’t made it here recently to see everyone. Especially now that Nonno was no longer with them.

“Do not fret dear. He knew how much you cared for him. Now let's eat, you both look skin and bones. The Navy must not be feeding you enough.” Jane shook her head at the woman. But she knew better than to argue. Italian’s were all about their food and family. 

So John and Jane sat and ate until they felt like they couldn’t eat anymore. They talked about their new squad and their house. They promised to have the family down soon. They also promised to come and Visit more. It was the last night before chaos was to ensue so they soaked it up. 

                                      💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷

The week passed by in a blur. They quickly made funeral arrangements. They had family and friends flying in consistently. There were loud laughs and lots of drinking. There was enough food made to feed a whole battalion. They all spent time celebrating the life he had lived. 

They held the funeral on Thursday. As everyone that they were expecting was already there. The turn out was massive. Almost two hundred people had shown up for the man. Friends and family from Italy, some old customers of the vineyard that doubled as a bed and breakfast and many friends that he had made around town. 

The last day there was Saturday. It was bittersweet for everyone around. John and Jane always missed being around their family. They truly felt cared for and loved when they were around the rowdy bunch. They sat around that morning eating breakfast and talking.

“Aunty moot.” Their four year old niece piped up across the table. Her pigtails swinging around as she seemingly danced to a silent song. Jane always adored the way she said her callsign. 

“Yes, little bug?” The front seater responded, making a silly face at the girl. The nickname for the little one had stuck like glue with the way she was always finding little crawling critters and carrying them around. 

“Have you or Uncle Amble found boyfriends yet?” John choked on his food as the little girl spoke. The other adults around the table were all laughing at her words. They had all been wondering the same thing this week but didn’t know how to ask. 

“No honey, we haven’t.” Jane was trying to hold back a laugh at the look John was giving the little brunette. 

“Do you like anyone?” She asked before taking a bite of her pancake. 

“Yes we both do little miss nosy.” John said, pointing his fork at the girl, narrowing his eyes at her. She stuck her tongue out at him scrunching up her little nose wiggling her head. He gasped at the way she was mocking him. 

“I hate to cut this short but we gotta head out if we're gonna make it home in time for bed at a decent hour.” Jane stood and took her dishes to the sink as she spoke. Then she went back to the table gathering anything else that was dirty but not being used. 

“Do you really need to leave so soon?” Nonna questioned them. Jane and John looked at each other briefly. They knew they could get more time off if they needed. But also still being so new to the Squad meant they needed to play catch up. They had talked about it extensively the night before and decided they absolutely had to go back today. That was the most ideal so they could have a day to reset and get back in business mode. 

“We’ll be back before you know it. We have a family day coming up as well and would love for you guys to come and see us.” John went to help Jane load the dishes into the dishwasher. 

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” It was his Papas voice that responded this time. He would make sure that at least him, Mama and Nonna would be there. One of Johns sisters and her husband would be able to handle business at the Vineyard in their absence 

They were making their way out the door shortly after. Nonna grabbed a bunch of leftovers to send home with them, which she promised would survive the trip. They packed the car quickly before they were giving out hugs. 

“You deserve to be happy Jane. You should go for the guy.” Mama whispered to her as they embraced. The older woman desperately wanted the pilot to have someone that truly understood her. Someone that she could love and be loved by. 

“I’ll think about it Mama.” Jane told her reluctantly. She was already happy with the family she had, the support system that had been unwavering for so many years. But ever since she met the brown eyed wso she had hopes of more. Hopes of finding someone to love her like Papa loved Mama and Mama loved Papa. The way that Nonno and Nonna loved each other. 

“Jane we gotta go.” John’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and her hug. 

“I love ya Mama.” Jane said to the woman that held warmth that Jane never wanted to leave. 

“I love you, my beautiful girl.” And Jane knew she meant every word of it. She’d always been sure to remind her that she was loved. Something she never was as a child. Her parents had reminded her of that fact every chance they got. 

“I will see you soon Mama.” It was a promise that they wouldn’t go so long between meetings. John quickly gave his mother a hug while Jane slipped into the passenger seat of the Bronco. She looked at the large house and all the memories it held for her best friend and their family and she was filled with happiness. 

She had never thought she’d have a family like this. Growing up she had always dreamed of it, hoping that one day she would feel the love that a true family could give her. She wished that she could go back and tell her younger self that it wasn’t just a dream. That she only had to wait a few more years, then she would have more love than she ever hoped for. 

“Ready to go?” John’s voice once again broke her from her thoughts. She turned to look at him, rolling her eyes.

“You weren’t giving me much of a choice out there. But now you’re asking nicely?” She scoffed at him. He gave her a shrug and turned the car on. 

“Wanna go to the hard deck tomorrow?” John asked her as they started down the long road past the fields of grapes. 

“You just wanna see him don’t you?” She turned the questioning onto him, teasing her eyebrows at him. She didn’t even know who he was, John’s type had been broad over the years they had known each other so she knew she would be surprised no matter who it was. She just knew he had to be a part of the squad since they hadn’t met anyone else in fightertown. 

“Maybe I do. But you can’t act like you don’t want to see Fanboy either.” She punched him in the arm at the end of his sentence.

“Don’t hit the driver, that's dangerous.” He playfully scolded her causing her to roll her eyes once again. 

“Who is the guy anyways?” Jane asked him expectantly. 

“I’m not telling you. I don’t even know if he swings my way so I’m not getting my hopes up.” That had been a problem for him in the past, crushing on someone that was straight. She had seen him heartbroken from it and really wished this time was different. 

“Fine then don’t tell me. But just for that I get all the desserts they packed for us.” She gave him a goofy smile sticking her tongue out at him as he protested. They bickered over it for a few more minutes before they came to an agreement that Jane would get sixty percent of the desserts and John would get forty percent. They drove the rest of the bouncing between talking, singing songs and Jane took a short nap. Then they switched and John slept all the way up until they pulled into the driveway of their house. 

                                        💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷

Sunday morning they both decided to sleep in. When they woke up they opted to catch up on some chores around the house. They ate pasta for lunch and decided to go for a run. They both slipped into running clothes and Jane gave John one of her airpods so they would be listening to the same playlist but could still talk if they wanted to. 

They stretched before Jane proposed they race and see who could make it back to the house first. John asked what the prize was and Jane asked him what he wanted. He told her that if he won she had to ask out Fanboy and if she won he would tell her who he liked. They both shook on the deal and Jane promptly pushed John making him stumble before she was taking off.

“Hey, that's cheating.” He yelled out after her as she giggled loudly.

“Your legs are way longer than mine so this just gives me a head start.” She yelled back at him. They ran about three miles jumping between leads. As they rounded the corner back to the house John started to speed up causing Jane to do the same thing. She was hot on his heels when he tripped and fell into their neighbors yard. 

“Fuck are you okay?” She asked him as she stopped next to him. Worry shot through her as her eyes scanned his body for what he hurt. 

“I think I’ll be fine. Can you help me up?” He asked her, reaching a hand up towards her. She extended her hand out to him and as they clasped together she realized she had made a mistake. He gave her a grin as he pulled her down into the grass beside him and took off to the house. He let out a triumphant welp as he stepped foot into the driveway. 

“You dick. That was definitely cheating.” She gaped at him as she made it to the driveway after him.

“You're faster than me so it was a head start. Let’s go inside. I wanna pick what you wear when you ask out Fanboy tonight.” He threw a wink at her before making his way up to the door pulling his key out of his pocket and unlocking the door. She grumbled the whole time she showered, then throughout John tearing apart her clothes that mostly consisted of sweatpants and navy gear. 

“You need to go shopping soon because your options are fucking awful.” He said from inside her closet. She laid stomach down on her bed wrapped in her towel playing on her phone as he went completely ignoring his comments. 

“Oh here we go, something good.” He said loudly before he appeared in front of her. She glanced up at him and saw a pair of black ripped jeans and a sky blue cropped tank top in his hands. She scoffed as her eyes shot back to her phone. 

“I’m not wearing that.” She told him simply, then her phone was ripped from her hands. 

“I will give you another ten percent of the desserts if you do.” She pondered the thought for a second before nodding her head in agreement. 

“Great, get dressed, I want to leave in thirty minutes.” He threw the clothes at her and made his way out of the room quickly. 

“Can I have my phone back?” She yelled after him. 

“No, I’m holding it hostage until you ask him out.” He called back, making her swear loudly. She got up and got dressed quickly. She pulled her hair into a half up bun before applying some mascara to her eyelashes. She slipped on her favorite pair of vans then she was slipping out to the living room. 

“You literally took forever. Let’s get going.” He huffed at her loudly, Jane threw up a middle finger in response. She took in his outfit as they left. John had opted for a pair of dark wash jeans and a tight fitting green top that matched his eyes almost exactly. 

                                      💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷💔🍷

The ride over to the bar for the pair was quick and mostly John talking. He was pestering her over how she should ask out Mickey. She stared out of the car window trying to build up her confidence for the task. She figured she’d just go right in, find him and then ask him. It would be easy and quick, just like ripping off a band aid. As they pulled up to the building she slipped out of the bronco. She let out a shaky breath as she shook out her hands and jumped around a little bit. 

“Cammineremo.” John said to her playfully as he slipped past her. 

“Saremo Potenti.” She whispered out, catching up with him in two large steps. She scanned the bar swiftly looking for a certain brown eyed wso but not seeing him. Her confidence deflated slightly as she realized he wasn’t here yet or maybe not coming at all. 

“He’ll probably be by later Babe.” Her backseater had realized the absence as well. She shrugged before making her way to the bar ordering an old fashioned in hopes it would help take the edge off. John went off to find the squad deciding against drinking as he heard what Jane had ordered. 

“Hey there Mute long time no see. How’s it going?” She turned and spotted a certain blonde aviator next to her. She grunted in response as her drink was set in front of her. She took a big gulp of the liquid wincing slightly at the burn in her throat. 

“That kinda night then?” He asked her as he ordered two more of what she had. 

“Not in the mood Hangman.” she grumbled once again that night. She had quickly forgiven him that Saturday night on the beach as he apologized and told her what had happened. They had even talked a bit more and she had grown fond of him. 

“Just take the extra drink and let me know if you need anything yea?” He said sliding over another drink to her and giving her a reassuring smile. 

“Thank you.” she felt bad now that she was being rude to him. 

“It’s alright. If you wanna talk, I’m here for you okay?” she nodded at him and he was slipping away from the bar. She followed him with her eyes taking note of where the rest of the squad was in case she wanted to join them. She however did not, she sat at the bar for hours watching the door for any sign of the man she desperately wanted to see. 

Every time it opened and he didn’t walk through she became even sadder. She threw back drink after drink. John was watching her carefully, he knew this was out of character for her but he also knew that he hadn’t really seen her heartbroken before. He was tempted to go up and pull her out of the bar but knew she was a grown woman and she would tell him if she wanted to go home. 

“Do you think we should invite her back here?” Asked Phoenix as Jane downed another drink. 

“She just needs some time alone.” He looked at his best friend before his eyes flickered back to his pool partner. 

“Do you know where Mickey is tonight?” He asked the brunette, understanding flashed through her eyes at the question. She had caught the way Mute and Fanboy looked at each other more than once. So it was no surprise that the red head was disappointed with the lack of Fanboy in the bar. 

“He’s on a date. A new tech girl asked him out and he said yes.” John was surprised at the reply. He hadn’t expected for Fanboy to be going out with anyone else. He had obviously liked Jane so he wasn’t sure what made him say yes to the other woman. He glanced at his best friend again and saw her head slumped in her hands. 

“I’m gonna go and grab Jane and head out guys. We’ll see you tomorrow.” He made his way to his best friend not really waiting for any replies. He brushed past the aviator he had already gotten his hopes up for. Their hands brushed one another’s and he quickly pulled back. He missed the hopeful look on the pilot's face as their skin made contact. 

“Let’s get going honey. We’ve gotta be up early tomorrow.” He said as he slipped some money on the counter looking at the woman in front of him. She looked utterly destroyed, her mascara having run down her drink reddened cheeks, a pout on her lips. 

“Can you carry me?” She hiccuped at the end of the question. He gave her a silly smile laughing at her goofiness. 

“Of course I will, my mighty Queen. Go ahead and jump on.” He turned his back to her and she jumped onto it. Wrapping her hands around his neck to hold on her legs wrapping around his middle. He grabbed her legs as he weaved out of the bar. Going in and out of the small crowd quickly. He slipped her into the passenger seat buckling her up before slipping into the driver's side. He decided he wouldn’t tell her where Fanboy was tonight instead of being at the bar. He couldn’t handle her being anymore upset than she already was. 

“I love you so much John.” she told him as he carried her to her room. Even in her drunken state she knew she would always be able to count on the tall man. 

“I love you too Jane.” He told her as he laid her on her bed. He grabbed her a sleep shirt before he helped her get undressed. Slipping it over her head she hummed a thank you. He pulled her phone out of his pocket and put it on the charger. He laid a kiss on her forehead before he slipped out of the room. He really hoped she wouldn't feel too sick for work the next day. He hoped even more she wouldn’t be too upset with the news of Fanboys date. 

A/N: I can’t wait to start on the next chapter of this soon. Thank you all for showing support on this series!

Tags(open): @wkndwlff​ @sylviebell​ @eternallyvenus​ @loving-and-dreaming​ @princess76179​ @kmc1989​ @coffee-prince-kyungsoo​ @starset21​

[joaquinwhorres]

Tailspin - Part 1 (Fanboy Garcia x F!OC)

SUMMARY ››››› Having grown up just across the bridge from North Island, Carolina Alvarez has been told her whole life to stay away from the Top Gun boys. And for the most part, she has. That is, until Fanboy catches her putting quarters in the jukebox at The Hard Deck and initiates a game of cat and mouse that ends with her exactly where she swore she’d never be.

PAIRING ››››› Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia x F!OC

WORD COUNT ››››› 5,721

WARNINGS ››››› None

MASTERLIST ››››› Here

A/N ››››› These two are my babiest babies. I'm absolutely in love with this couple. Mickey is such an underrated character, and everything I've been planning for this love story just has me so excited to share more of this.

If Caro had things her way, they wouldn't be here.

Instead, the group of girls would be in the middle of a dancefloor, surrounded by strangers as they downed enough shots to feel like they were living inside of a synth pop song.

She'd even be happy with taking over a line of stools at the shitty bar three blocks down from their apartment, drinking beer and alternating between telling stories and guessing at what was happening on the sporting event broadcasted on the TVs.

And if there was no other acceptable place in the vast array of options that the San Diego nightlife offered, they could have bought a couple bottles of wine and binged The Bachelorette from the comfort of their own home.

But they were here. And instead of a scandalously tight dress or shorts and a cute tank top or a soft set of pajamas, she wore a cotton sundress from Old Navy which had only been meant for Sunday dinners with her abuela. Then again, wearing it to the pseudo-goodbye party for her best friend for the past four years seemed like an acceptable exception. 

Sami grinned at her across the table. "I still can't believe you agreed to come here," she said.

Caro shrugged. "You have to finish your bucket list, and I wanted to spend time with you." 

"But you're here," Sami said, gesturing around the room. "You hate this place." It felt surprisingly cramped for a beach front bar where one whole wall was windows. If Caro had to guess it had something to do with the little model airplanes and mugs that hung from the ceiling and the fact that every wall that wasn't a window was covered with Navy memorabilia. The bar also might have felt more crowded than it actually was given that half the people here wore the same tan uniform. But as small as the place felt, there was a relaxed atmosphere that permeated the place, reminding her of her abuela's living room during a family party.

"I don't hate this place," Caro corrected, her tone suggesting Sami's ridiculousness. "Just everything it stands for." 

Sami laughed at this, and the other girls broke into smiles and shaking heads. 

"Drinks are good though," Caro said, toasting Sami with the Collins glass of her mojito. "And the company's not bad." 

"You can't tell me you don't enjoy the eye candy either," Amber added, lifting the tiny black straw and pointing it towards the group of Navy guys in the back whose loud cheers carried across the bar as one of them stood up from where they'd just taken a shot on the pool table. He was shaking his head, but a friend had already peeled off from the group and towards the bar.

"It's like they were plucked out of an Abercrombie ad," Amber said, her voice laced with awe. 

"That's their whole appeal," Caro remarked, watching as the red haired pilot drummed his hands against the bar top waiting to be served. 

Sami acknowledged this with a nod of her head and wry smile. "You're not wrong." 

"You're a little wrong," Kayleigh disagreed, punctuating the statement with a pause and a glance around the table to make sure she had everyone's attention. "They're fantastic in bed."

Caro rolled her eyes with a smile as Amber and Sami laughed. Kayleigh took a sip from her drink looking very self-satisfied. 

"I'm sure they're only half as good as they think they are," Caro remarked, and Kayleigh gave another shrug. 

"Still three times better than most men." 

As Kayleigh was the only one with experience, having snagged a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Texan pilot last year, Caro ceded the point with an incline of her head.

"Speaking of all this," Sami said, waving a hand in Kayleigh's direction. "You need to help me with strategy." 

This seemed like an excellent opportunity for Caro to slip away and make her way over to the corner of the bar that she'd been eyeing all night. "Got it," Caro said, pointing a finger at Sami. "I'm going to go find the perfect song to make someone come over and sweep you off your feet." 

Sami's brows furrowed in confusion before her eyes landed on the old fashioned jukebox that was currently belting out Creedence Clearwater Revival. Her face softened into a teasing grin. "I'm not going to see you for the rest of the night, am I?"

"Not if everything goes according to plan," Caro shook her head, scooching out of the booth. She smoothed down the skirt of her dress before looking up at her friends. "Any requests?"

The group shook their heads, and Caro turned away from them, weaving through the crowd towards the jukebox, its neon lights guiding her way.

There was something innately comforting about sifting through a jukebox's catalog of songs. Even when she found herself in the very place she'd been warned away from for most of her life, at least she was here with the Beatles and the Eagles and Patsy Cline. The familiar song titles greeted her like old friends' faces in a high school yearbook, and as she flipped through them and remembering people she'd forgotten about and finding other surprises like "Mambo No. 5" it was enough to put her at ease for the first time all night. 

Sami might be leaving. Adulthood might be before her. But her music was here and would be for as long as there were jukeboxes.

So, even when she sensed someone come up behind her, she didn't stop to look at them or feel tension creep up her spine at the prospect of conversation. She remembered that a jukebox naturally caused lines and that she had all night to peruse through its songs before making sure her friends were either going home with someone else or safely back in the Lyft with her. 

Caro finally located the song she had been searching for in the back of the alphabet, pressing in the number and smiling softly as the familiar strums of the guitar filled the bar along with the shaking tambourine. 

It was in this moment, as she listened to the first few lines of the song and fiddled with her next quarter, that the person behind her spoke. 

"This is a great song." 

Caro looked over her shoulder, finding a young Naval officer with a buzzcut standing a few paces behind her. Maybe, if he hadn't been so right that this was a great song—or if he hadn't left so much space between himself and her, honoring the privacy of her jukebox ritual–or if hadn't offered up the warm and earnest kind of smile he gave her—maybe, if he hadn't done all that, she would have just nodded or shot a quick smile and gotten out of there. But instead, because he seemed to get it and the compliment was simple and straightforward and not about her at all, she offered her own genuine smile back along with a "Thanks." 

"It's the Temptations right?" he asked, taking a step closer.

The smile faded from her lips as her lapse in judgment became all too clear. 

"Van Morrison, actually," she corrected, turning back around to the jukebox and slipping her second quarter in.

She flipped through the pages slightly faster this time, passing by "Dancing in the Moonlight," "Hey Mickey," and "American Girl" as she worked her way back to the beginning of the alphabet. Behind her, she could feel the officer take another step closer, and her back stiffened. Rather than continue to creep up behind her, though, he moved into her line of sight, standing next to the jukebox to watch the catalog pages turn.

"Need a recommendation?" he asked, shooting a slightly more hesitant smile than before, this one going completely ignored. 

 "From the man who thought The Temptations sang 'Brown-Eyed Girl?'" she asked, letting the question sink in as another two pages of song options went by. "I'm good." 

He exhaled a laugh, shaking his head at himself. "Maybe I can redeem myself."

"And maybe I'm not interested," Caro retorted. 

The words hung in the air between them, the sheepish smile slipping from his face, instead replaced by a slightly bewildered expression. She couldn't entirely blame him. The words had come out sharper than she'd meant them to, and all things told, this was far from the worst pick up attempt she'd ever faced. 

Her finger slipped from the next button as her shoulders relaxed from where they'd been raised in defense. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I just–I don't date sailors, so you're wasting your time with me."

Confusion overtook his features, his eyebrows drawing together in a questioning look as his head tilted to the left. It was almost like he'd never experienced rejection, which, based on his boyish good looks, wouldn't be all that surprising.

"You do know you're at a Navy bar, right?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"And you know people come to bars for reasons other than picking someone up, right?" she returned, mirroring the head tilt.

He laughed at this, acquiescing the point with a nod. "I don't suppose it'd make a difference if I told you that I was more of a pilot than an actual sailor, would it?" 

She eyed his haircut which was unusually basic for a Top Gun boy. His demeanor also seemed to hide the trademark overinflated sense of ego especially well. Compared to Kayleigh's Texan from last year, she had to wonder if he was lying in hopes that her answer would be anything other than what it was.

"Not a good difference," she remarked, a smirk curling up the corner of her lips. "I don't even talk to Naval Aviators if I can help it."

"In that case, I'm honored," he said, grinning good naturedly, and she shook her head at him, turning back to the jukebox and her selection.

He moved a bit closer to her, the smile fading as his eyebrow rose instead. "So, no Navy boys at all no matter what? No dating or flirting or letting them buy you a drink?" 

"Nope," Caro said, letting the "p" pop. 

"What about a song?" he asked, tilting his head towards the jukebox, and Caro felt a smile grow despite herself. She tilted her head to look up at him.

"I already put my quarter in."

"Another song?" he persisted, and she shook her head.

"If it means that much to you though, I'll dedicate my next song to you." Caro said, looking back down to the song selection. It was in the beat between her offer and his response that she found the perfect selection, pressing in the selection as he voiced his doubt. 

"This isn't going to be good is it?" he asked, and Caro grinned as she backed away from the jukebox. 

"It's a great song," she responded with a shrug before spinning on her heel and making her way back to her friends, enjoying the last verse of "Brown-Eyed Girl" in peace.

Upon arriving at the table she found they were down a girl. 

"What happened to Amber?" Caro asked, sliding back in next to Sami.

Kayleigh looked over her shoulder towards the bar. "She went over there to buy some girl a drink and hasn't come back." She shrugged, turning back to face the other two girls. "Looks like it's going well." 

Caro's gaze was drawn to Sami who seemed perfectly fine with Amber ditching the group for a girl despite the fact that tonight was their last night together and supposed to be all about Sami. Before Caro could comment on it though, Sami spoke. 

"Oooh, I like this song," she said, nodding along to the lyrics. "Good choice." 

"Thanks," Caro said, pausing to listen to "Fox on the Run" instead as she contemplated whether or not to push the issue of Amber's disappearance.

...you think you got a pretty face

But the rest of you is out of place

I've heard it all before…

Seeing Sami bop along to the upbeat song was enough to make Caro decide to let the issue drop. Instead, she steered the conversation into learning Sami's top picks of boys for the night and what she had nicknamed each of them. From there, Kayleigh picked out a few that she thought might be underrated–Buzzcut included–and both teased Caro mercilessly for her lack of interest in choosing any of the boys whatsoever. 

It was in the middle of pestering Caro to at least choose the one she'd find the least objectionable if they were the last two people on earth, that Sami stopped mid-sentence. "Didn't we, like, just hear this song?" 

The table quieted, each girl listening to the familiar tambourine and tenor voice.

"We definitely did," Kayleigh agreed, the confusion Caro felt mirrored on the other girls' face.

"I swear to God Caro, if you're going to John Mulaney us with 'Brown-Eyed Girl,' I'm giving out your number to every Navy boy in this place," Sami threatened. 

"I only put in the two songs!" Caro protested. "It's probably just a weird coi–" she stopped mid-thought, turning in her seat to face the jukebox. No one was there. Or anywhere near it really. But as she scanned the bar, finally finding Buzzcut sitting by the pool tables, the source of the repeat was all too clear. Because he was already looking at her. He smiled and mouthed something to her. 

As if she could read lips across a crowded bar. Or at all.

Annoyed confusion overtook her face, and he responded by tapping his ear. 

A reluctant, mildly amused smile grew as she shook her head and turned back to her friends.

"Oh my God, Caro, who are you smiling at?" Sami asked, bumping shoulders with her. 

"An idiot I met at the jukebox who keeps trying to shoot a shot he missed," Caro said, taking a sip of her mojito.

"There was an idiot at the jukebox, and you're just telling us now?" Sami asked, "Which one?" She stood slightly, looking over the crowd, and Caro flicked her arm. 

"Buzzcut, with the other Navy boys," Caro answered, fixedly taking another sip.

"The one with the smile?" Kayleigh asked, fully turning around in her seat to look. Caro flicked her too, but she just waved a hand back.

"He's cute. Even with that haircut," Kayleigh mused, nodding approvingly at Caro.

Caro gave her a very unamused look as Sami grinned. The final bit of "Brown-Eyed Girl" played out as the song shifted to the Beatles. 

And then she realized which Beatles song was playing and looked over to Buzzcut who offered her a smile and tilted his head towards the jukebox. As if to acknowledge that yes, he'd played this song too. She let out a small huff which could have easily been mistaken for a laugh as she looked back at her friends. 

Each of them were still, listening to the lyrics as if trying to deduce whether or not this was another song played for Caro. It hit them at exactly the same moment. 

So how could I dance with another? When I saw her standing there?

"So he totally played this song for you too," Kayleigh said. 

"Yeah." Caro nodded, not even bothering to deny it. She looked down at her mojito, attempting to stir the ice even more as the lyrics continued to sink in.

Well, she looked at me, and I, I could see

That before too long, I'd fall in love with her

"Oh my God, this is working on you, isn't it?" Sami bumped Caro's shoulder with her own. 

"It's not working. It's just surprisingly accurate," Caro refuted with a  jerky shrug.

"So is his heart going boom right now, then?" Sami pressed, and Caro spun in her chair quickly as the girls laughed at her quick reaction only to find no one approaching. 

She glared at them, sticking up her middle finger as the other two collapsed into giggles. 

"Look, you could at least let me live vicariously through you," Sami reasoned. "And if you won't let me have that as my going away present, you could at least continue this song battle for my enjoyment."

Caro sighed dramatically as she stood from the table, and Sami cheered. "This is for you, and just for you," she said, pointing a finger at Sami. 

"And it is much appreciated," Sami grinned back. With that, Caro took a long drink from her mojito before heading back off towards the jukebox. Buzzcut seemed to notice her approach and separated himself from his own friends, going to meet her, but instead she brushed past, not even bothering to look or speak to him on her way to the jukebox. 

Laughter followed in her wake as did, apparently, Buzzcut. 

Caro ignored his presence as she flipped through the catalog, looking for the perfect response. 

"Told you I can pick a good song," Buzzcut said, and she could hear the grin in his voice. 

"I don't think copying my song choice counts as you picking a good song," Caro responded, giving a shrug as she kept her eyes focused on the songs before her. 

"Obviously that doesn't count," he agreed. "I just had to get your attention somehow." 

"And annoy everyone else in the bar?"

He shrugged. "I annoyed you the first time it played, they can be annoyed the second." 

She shook her head, fighting the smile that was attempting to make itself known. "How thoughtful," she said flatly.

"My actual song was pretty good though." 

"It was the Beatles," she dismissed, eyes narrowing in on the jukebox's David Bowie offerings. "Of course it was good."

"Yeah, but it was so good it got you to talk to me again," he pressed, and Caro shook her head as she entered the number for "Modern Love."

She stepped back from the jukebox, arms crossed. "So is this like a bet?" 

Surprise infiltrated his face. "What? No–"

"A dare? Because if your friends told you to come over here to like get my number or something, I'm not interested, but I do have a friend who might be." Caro said, raising a skeptical eyebrow.  

"There's no game or bet or anything," the boy protested, looking back over at his friends and cringing slightly as he turned back. "I just saw you across the bar and thought I'd take a chance. The only thing my friends are doing right now is watching me blow it pretty badly."

Caro's eyes darted towards the pool tables, finding a group of boys staring in their direction. One of them waved at her when he caught her gaze, and another elbowed him. Her eyes flicked back to the boy in front of her. 

"That's pretty embarrassing." 

He huffed a laugh and looked back up at her. "Extremely," he agreed. A silence took over between the two of them, as Bowie continued his song. 

Never gonna fall for Modern love, walks beside meModern love, walks on by

Buzzcut pointed to the jukebox, and Caro stepped aside, assuming his position on the side so she could watch him flip through the songs. He was mercifully quiet as he turned back towards the beginning of the alphabet. It took him a suspiciously short time to enter in the code, and as she matched it to the options available, she let out a laugh.

Take a Chance on Me - ABBA.

He looked up at her with eyebrows raised, and she shook her head. 

"It's my friend's last night in San Diego," she said, shrugging. "And she's the only reason I'm here. Once she's paired off with some Top Gun pilot and crossed it off her bucket list, I'm taking off." 

"Bucket list?" he repeated, quirking an eyebrow. 

Caro nodded. "It's a thing we did at the beginning of freshman year. We each made up a list of things we wanted to accomplish before we graduated and left for the real world, and she, for some unknown reason, decided that she wanted to take a Top Gun boy home." 

"I'm guessing you don't have that on your list," he said, an amused smile on his face. 

"That would be correct." 

"You know, I happen to know a couple of people that could help your friend out." 

"You could help my friend out," she returned.

He shook his head. "Not interested in your friend." 

"You haven't even seen her." 

"Don't need to." 

The comment hung between them and Caro rolled her eyes even as her cheeks warmed a bit. 

"Why don't you guys come over and join us," he said, gesturing with his head towards the pool tables and the group of pilots over there. "You get to hang out with your friend, and she gets to cross off her bucket list item." 

It was undeniably an offer she shouldn't refuse. It would give Sami the in she needed to be able to accomplish all of the major items on her bucket list, and she would still be able to spend time with her even as the other girl attempted to find her way into a pilot's pants. Knowing Kayleigh and the fact that it was practically a miracle no one had come up to whisk her away yet, she would also probably peel off with some pilot and have a great night. All Caro would have to do was put up with some admittedly respectful if not persistent flirting from a cute boy. 

There were worse ways to spend a Friday night. 

But as she looked over at her table and at Kayleigh and Sami laughing at each other, a protective jealousy rose up in her.

"As much as this might make me a terrible wingwoman, I kinda want to keep her to myself," Caro admitted, looking back at Buzzcut. 

His face was surprisingly understanding. "I get it," he nodded. "Goodbyes are weird." 

Caro pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, casting another glance at Sami, and wishing that she was a slightly better person. Instead she turned to the Navy boy and shrugged. "I'm sorry." 

ABBA started up on the jukebox and rather than responding he pointed to the jukebox as it sang the line: If you change your mind, I'm the first in line. 

Caro smiled. "Have a good night, and good luck, with everything…." 

"Mickey," he supplied. 

Her eyebrows rose. "Your callsign? Really?" 

He grinned sheepishly, shaking his head. "No, uh, it's my real name." 

Her jaw dropped. Actually hung open in disbelief. "No it isn't."

He nodded his head. "It is."

"Your parents named you after a cartoon mouse?" Caro asked, a laugh waving as an undercurrent in her voice.

He shrugged. "I think they just liked the sound of it." 

She shook her head in continued disbelief before looking back up at him. "Well, extra good luck with a name like Mickey," she said before turning around. 

"Do I at least get to know your name?" he called after her, and she looked over her shoulder at him. 

"Caro." 

He smiled, and despite herself, she did too before making her way, for the last time, to the booth that held both of her friends. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaand?" Sami asked as Caro once more sat down on the bench next to her. 

"That looked really flirty," Kayleigh said, putting her head in her palm. "You guys were smiling at each other a lot."

Caro shrugged. "He's nice." 

"He's nice," Sami mimicked, nudging at Caro. "And yet you're still over here with us." 

"Because he's still a Top Gun boy," Caro returned, pulling her mojito back over to her and taking a sip. 

Sami and Kayleigh gave each other a look before Sami turned back to Caro. "You knoooow," she dragged out, waiting for Caro to acknowledge her before continuing. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for you to have one one-night-stand. Just to celebrate graduation and the last day of your unbridled youth." 

Caro snorted at this, and even Kayleigh shook her head at Sami. 

"You know, listen to ABBA, take a chance," Sami pressed, and Caro turned back to her drink, taking a sip and ignoring her friend. Sami looked like she wanted to say more, but before she could further press the issue, her eyes flicked up as two boys approached the table.

One was the bar drummer from before, with light orange hair and a scattering of freckles across his nose. He hardly looked any older than them, and looked like he could be one of the frat boys from Fiji. Next to him was a dark skinned boy, his hair cut into a close cropped fade and his hands tucked into his pockets. 

"I don't suppose any of you know how to play pool?" The drummer asked.

Sami flashed a smile up at him. Because of course she was into the drummer. "When you say 'know,' does it mean I have to be any good?" 

He exhaled a laugh and shook his head. "We can teach you. We just need partners," he said, gesturing between himself and the other man. 

It was quite obvious that they didn't. For one thing, they could play just the two of them, and for another, the girls had witnessed them playing all night with the other people in their group. But, Sami didn't seem to mind how lame the excuse to talk to her was. Instead, she told him,  "Yeah, I'll play. Kayleigh?" 

Kayleigh eyed the quieter of the two, eyes dragging from his face down his thin muscular body to shined shoes. There was a pause before her eyes moved back to Sami. "Yeah, I'm in." 

"Great," he smiled. "You're welcome too by the way," he offered to Caro. "There's a group of us in the corner." She didn't even bother looking. She knew exactly what corner he meant and who was probably there eyeing her. It was well played, she had to admit. 

"Besides, you can watch me kick Kayleigh's ass," Sami said, motioning Caro out of the booth so that she could slip out to play pool. The guy laughed as the two girls joined them. 

Caro shook her head at her friends. "You guys have fun. I think I'm going to finish my drink and head out." 

"No," the two protested, but Caro continued to shake her head to ward off any protests. 

"I've got breakfast with my parents tomorrow," she lied. "I'd have to leave soon anyway." Sami frowned but stopped fighting, instead stepping forward to wrap Caro in a tight hug. The two girls swayed back and forth as Caro fought to keep herself from crying in front of strangers.

"I'll call you on the road tomorrow," Sami promised into Caro's hair, and Caro squeezed her even tighter. 

"You better." 

Sami pressed a kiss to Caro's cheek and then released her, offering an attempt at a smile and letting Kayleigh give Caro a goodbye hug. This one was quicker and after she released there was an awkward pause before Caro told them goodbye and the boys started back towards the pool tables, the girls heading off with them. 

Caro watched them leave, not even bothering to sit as she finished off the last of her drink and started towards the door, phone in hand to summon her Lyft. 

She had barely been outside for five minutes, her ride just picked up when the door behind her opened and a familiar voice spoke. "You weren't kidding about leaving, then." 

She didn't bother looking at him, instead eyeing the distance of her driver to the beachside bar. "Nope." 

"Need a ride?" 

This time, she did look at him, eyebrows raised. "I'm not getting in the car with a stranger who's been trying to take me home all night." 

He laughed, hands raised in front of his body as if to demonstrate he meant no harm. "Fair enough." He dropped his arms and the two stood in silence, Caro looking at the 12 minutes between Faruq's present location and hers. The silence wasn't long lasting though, as Mickey spoke again. "I have a proposal for you." 

"A proposal? Already?" Caro asked, and he laughed at her. 

"If I can guess your favorite song, will you give me your number?"

She eyed him: the hope and amusement on his face and the unassuming nature of his smile. Matched with the absurdity of his request, the proposal seemed entirely harmless. Almost ridiculously harmless. More as if it were for show for her than an actual request. 

"I'll cancel my Lyft if you can guess my favorite song."

He grinned slowly and then began nodding. "Alright. Ok." He patted down his pockets before noticing something over her shoulder. He darted away but before she could even turn to ask where he was doing, he was back, holding a cocktail napkin out to her. "Here, write it down on this so you can't change it."

Caro accepted the napkin but looked up at him. "I don't have a pen." 

He looked at her and then the napkin, eyes cutting to a group of girls huddling around the side of the building with colorful drinks in hand. "One second," he said, holding up a finger before walking backwards and then turning to go over to the group of girls. 

Caro watched as they each eyed him with interest and excitement, one letting her eyes trace up and down his body as he talked to her friend. Two of the girls dug into their bags with more enthusiasm than a request for a pen necessarily warranted, and Caro felt her lips turn up as she watched his face. 

He was completely oblivious in his eagerness.

Mickey looked over his shoulder, as if to check that she was still there, and seeing her looking at him with amusement, he smiled at her and then turned his attention back to the girls, one finally digging up an ugly yellow and purple Planet Fitness pen and passing it to him. 

Caro could tell he was thanking her before he walked quickly back over to her and passed it over. 

She shook her head, leaning against the railing to write down the song name, one hand cupping over her writing as she did so. "You realize that any of them would happily give you your number, right?" 

"No way," he said, shaking his head, and Caro paused her writing to give  a raised eyebrow up at him. "They were married." 

She leaned her head out, looking again at the group of girls, this time scanning their hands. At least three of them did have wedding bands on. Including the one who very obviously checked him out. 

"Besides," he said, pulling her attention back to him. "I don't want their numbers." 

She rolled her eyes and finished off writing the band name, passing the pen over to him to return. He did so quickly before coming back and looking at her with a mock intensity. His eyebrows narrowed, and he held his hand up to his chin. 

"Am I allowed questions?" 

Caro smiled and nodded. "Three. Yes or no only." 

"So I get three yes or no questions and one guess or I lose my chance?" he clarified, and Caro nodded.

"And you'll shake on it?" he asked. 

Caro laughed and offered her hand. "Yes, I'll shake on it." 

"Good," he said, taking her hand in his and shaking it a few times before letting it go and taking a step closer. 

"Hm." He squinted his eyes at her, back in his assessing mode.

"Is the song in English?" he asked, finally.

She nodded. Wondering if it was her own bronzed skin or cleverness that prompted the question. 

"Ok," he nodded, almost as if her answer confirmed his expectation. He waited another moment before asking his next question. "Does it make you nostalgic?"

She tilted her head at this, eyeing him herself. It was a surprisingly good question. Not only did it speak to when she'd heard it for the first time and its age  but it also covered the vibes of the song. 

"Come on, you have to answer."

She smiled, shaking her head."No. It doesn't make me nostalgic ."

"No," he repeated, eyes raised. "I'll have to think about this," he said, turning out to look at the parking lot. Her phone buzzed. Your Lyft driver is approaching. 

"Time's almost up," she said, looking up at him, and he furrowed his brow, eyes focused on hers as if trying to see into her head, reading her thoughts. 

A pair of headlights pulled into the parking lot, circling a row of cars as it started towards her. She shrugged, moving towards the black Nissan that pulled up next to the curb. 

"I still have a question," he called out, and Caro looked over at him.

Sami's words echoed in her head. Listen to ABBA. 

"How about this," she started, and he walked forward, closing the distance. "I'll come back on some random night and some random time this week and stay for a drink. If you happen to be here too, I'll give you a guess. If not, I'll go about my life, and you'll find someone else for the summer." 

A smile split his face in two as he nodded. "Yeah, I can do that. Shake on it?" 

She stuck out her hand again and he shook it. Even as he stopped moving it up and down though, he didn't let go, and despite herself and the Lyft driver patiently waiting for her to get into the car, Caro didn't pull it away. His thumb ran over the side of her hand, and she pushed the feeling of butterflies aside, keeping her face as straight as possible.

"Goodnight for good this time, Mickey," she said, attempting to slip her hand out of his. He stopped her with a slight squeeze before releasing his hold. 

"Goodnight for now, Caro," he said, allowing her to get into the car.

He stayed in front of the bar until the car pulled out onto the main road, and even then, she lost sight of him before he went inside.

Next Chapter >>

Tag List: @cantfighthemoonknight @rae-gar-targaryen @akabluekat @hairringtonsteve @chrissymunson @candlelitcabin @veetlegeuse @itsjustgracy @oneirataxia-girl @kingsmakers

[whiskeyswriting]

School’s In: The Man

{ School’s In Masterlist }

Baylie Anne Steele. She always was someone who marched to the best of her own drum. And that was something her family and friend ls loved about her. She also loved telling stories. Being the only freshman girl in her film production class, Baylie felt like she had to compete with the guys. One day she was mumbling to herself “I'm so sick of running as fast as I can. Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man…” Mickey heard her and he chuckled. “Hi. I’m Mickey. I think we’ll have so much fun being project partners this year.” Baylie didn’t trust him at first, but as the weeks passed be and he showed he liked her ideas and really included her input into the projects, she found herself liking spending time with Mickey.

- -

Whiskey's Barrel (Permanent Tag List): @askmarinaandothers @bayisdying @breadsquash @callmemana @callsignscupcake @cycbaby @dragon-kazansky @hisredheadedgoddess28 @ladylanera @starlit-epiphany @tngrace

Whiskey's Pilots (Top Gun only): @novagreen04

[bayisdying]

Lucky Penny - Chapter Twenty-One

A/N: short, simple to the point is the name of this one. Just a nice little chapter before all hell breaks loose...again...

As always tagging the LOMLS: @dragon-kazansky @mtnofgrace @mrsjaderogers @callmemana @kloofspeaks @notyoursbutlewis @roosterscockpit @askmarinaandothers @cycbaby @starlit-epiphany @breadsquash

"Do we really have to send her?"

"She's the best of the best of the best, yes we do."

"Ice?"

"Make the call."

-----

Mickey returned to the hotel room to see his wife hang up her phone with a huff.

"I thought we agreed no phones on the honeymoon." He jokes, before he notices the look on her face. "Who was it?"

"Admiral Simpson."

He wraps his arms around her tight, he unfortunately knows what that means.

"Mickey, we have to go home as soon as possible, they're shipping me off in two days." She whispers against his chest.

He sighs, knowing this is what they signed up for joining the Navy but really? Their honeymoon?

The couple was used to packing quickly, and the tickets from Ice back to San Diego was a nice touch. They boarded a plane the next day leaving their honeymoon behind.

They spent the hours long flight snuggled up in each others arms. By the time they get back home, Baylie is grabbing her go bag and heading to her briefing on base. Mickey goes with her just to have something to do. He finds the gym and starts doing a workout, that's where Lucky finds him an hour later.

"They're shipping me out right now Mickey." Her voice is barely audible as she buries her head in his neck, unbothered by the sweat there.

"How long are they taking you away from me?"

"Two weeks, it's a simple in and out mission."

She feels the ghost of his lips on her forehead.

"I'll miss you every second of those two weeks cariño."

"I'll miss you even more." She places a soft kiss on his pulse point before stepping back. She looks at him, those grey eyes scanning his features like she is committing them to memory.

"I'll see you soon, go save the world."

And he watches as she walks away.

-----

Deciding he didn't want to go to the cottage without the love of his life, Fanboy made his way to the Hard Deck.

Spicy notices him first, eyes trained to look up whenever the door opens. She elbows Penny whose eyes also take in the sight of Mickey walking in. A week before the newly minted Garcias are meant to be home and very alone.

Mickey is grateful they don't ask questions and just pass him a beer, when Spicy pulled out one of Lucky's favorites he gives a quick shake of his head.

He makes his way out to back deck, the weather was nice and the bar was already packed.

Cin sees him first, guilt setting in. She of course knows why they are back - and why Lucky is already gone again.

"Well damn, has it been two weeks already?" Jake exclaims, "is our Lucky girl still inside?"

Cin tried to stop him with a look, but Jake Seresin liked the taste of his own foot.

"She got shipped out earlier."

Silence comes across the group, they had known a pilot was being sent on a mission - none of them anticipated Cyclone sending Lucky."

"Ice allowed this to happen?" Rooster asked then turned to Cin "you let this happen? I could have gone. Coyote could have gone. Hell even Jake could have gone."

"Hey!"

"Shut up Jake." The group says in unison.

"I tried, they requested Lucky and we couldn't change their minds - or Cyclone's." Cin explained, tears threatening to fall.

Roo hugs her. "Sorry didn't mean to sound so rude. I just don't understand why they would request Lucky and nobody else."

"It's one of her old squadron running the mission, they didn't even entertain any other offers."

"It's okay Cin really, we both knew what we signed up for, and still married someone else who signed up too." Fanboy says

Spicy comes outside with another round, and sits down next to Roo for her break.

"Do you need anything Mickey?" Spicy asks. "Anything at all?"

"Actually can I stay with you guys? I don't like being in the cottage without her."

-----

As Fanboy was getting comfortable on the Bradshaws' couch, Lucky was being introduced to her mission team.

Among them, someone she hadn't planned on ever flying with again.

This was going to be a long two weeks.

-----

A/N: hehehehehehehehe.