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winniemaywebber · 4 months

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Honeysuckle Rose • Part 4

part one part two part three

masterlist

mood board by @hephaestn

taglist: @ginabaker1666 @sagesolsticewrites @hephaestn @manonsmanicmind @derry-rain @bobparkhurst @bloodynereid

Her head leaning on her hand, her elbow on the table, Olive feels Valencia glance across at her. She has seen her eyes softening as James talks, unaware that her mouth is slightly agape. A sharp kick under the table snaps Olive out of her trance, Val shaking her head and smiling, those gorgeous red lips parting and showing her perfect teeth as she makes eye contact. “Breathe, Ollie,” she teases, as the boys engage in a conversation about something or another.

“Sorry,” Olive mumbles, awkwardly sipping her drink. “I'm not usually like this.”

“Maybe it's the booze?”

“Oh, probably. Yep, that's it. Not the most handsome man I've ever seen taking interest in me. Not that at all.”

“The most handsome, huh? Jesus, don't let him hear you say that.”

“Why not?” Olive giggles.

“He'll never fit his head through that door ever again. Not to mention us never hearing the end of it.”

“You girls wanna take a couple laps in the Jeep? Watch the sunrise?” Dougie asks, looking pointedly at Olive.

“We're all far too drunk to drive, Doug, and I ain't walking all that way,” he pauses for a moment, feeling Val's eyes focus on him. “Only walking my girl home.” The classic furrow softens immediately.

“That's what I thought, Everett. Good answer.”

“What do you say, Olive? Wanna take a walk with me?”

“Sure,” she replies, nervously. She glances over at Val, who nods towards her as Ev helps her with her jacket.

“Olive, see you tomorrow. Can you get here in time?”

“Oh, I'm sure I can,” a panic rising in her chest, hoping that somehow she was able to get back. Whether any time had passed between the two worlds, she had no idea and was terribly nervous to find out. Alas, she had to get home and check on Pearl, relieving Joan of her duties. But a few more moments with Dougie seemed so incredibly tempting that she felt herself taking his open hand and rushing out the door with him into the cold, morning air.

“You don’t have a jacket?” He asks as he sees her shiver the second the warm club is behind them.

“Didn't plan on staying this long, actually.”

He laughs a little, pulling off his own jacket. “Here,” he says, wrapping it around her shoulders. He pulls the sleeve up as she puts her arm in, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“Wanna hold your hand.”

His hand slips into hers and they begin to head towards the hardstand. Olive, pontificating how to make a quick exit without seeming rude, is distracted from her thoughts by an orange ember coming towards her face. Holding a lit cigarette in front of her, she knows he expects her to take it in between her own fingers. Instead, she drags on it from where he holds it, not once breaking eye contact and his mouth drops open.

“So, uh,” he clears his throat, moving the cigarette back to his own mouth as soon as she has blown smoke from her lips. “Where did you grow up?”

“Here,” she smiles. “I just moved back from London.”

“London? Wow, why?”

“Oh, errm,” she stutters, trying to formulate a story that has little substance but is not a lie. “I, uh…lots of things. I had a few things not work out. My grandma took a fall just over a year ago and she needs a carer. I decided to come home and take over.”

“That's real nice of you, Ol. I'm sure she's grateful.”

“I'm sure, too. She'll never say it, she's a grumpy old girl. But, I love her. She's my pal. Taught me how to be tough and I'm thankful for that.”

“Tough, huh?”

“Mhm,” she nods, realizing they are almost at the aircraft she fell from this afternoon. “What about you?”

“Lansing, Michigan. You probably haven't–”

“Never heard of it,” they overlap, Olive giggling and instantly going to cover her mouth with her free hand.

“Hey, no. You gotta stop that.”

“Why, Dougie?”

“Because you have a pretty smile. And you shouldn't hide it, especially when it's me making you do the smiling, huh?”

A moment of silence passes between them as they reach the wing of Just A-Snappin, coming to a stop. His hand on her cheek, hers on his back. “Tell me more about Michigan,” she murmurs, their noses almost touching.

“It's real pretty,” he replies, his hand going from her cheek to her hair to move a strand that's blown in her face. “Real pretty in the fall especially.” He sighs, his thumb gently stroking her mouth. “I'll take you one day.”

“I'd love that,” she replies, moving closer. Just as their lips are about to meet, a loud, shrill horn noise is heard over the tannoy, followed by a thick accent.

“James Douglass,” it commands. “Put that girl down and get to bed!”

“Dammit, Red,” he mumbles, turning away for a second and squinting up at the tower. “I swear he has eyes in his ass, that guy.”

“Is this goodnight?” she asks, handing the jacket back.

“It is. I'm sorry. I wanted to walk ya home but–”

“Look,” she says, kissing him gently on the cheek. “The sun is rising.”

For a moment, he holds her close to him before breaking away, kissing her softly on the cheek, too.

“Goodnight, Olive,” he says, beginning to walk backwards towards his destination.

“Goodnight, Dougie.”

The second his back is turned, Olive begins to run in a full sprint towards the Red Cross Hut to retrieve her clothes. To her relief, Helen is snoring softly in the soft light of the sunrise, Val nowhere to be found. Assuming she's still with Ev somewhere around, she delicately places the dress upon her bunk, pushing out any wrinkles and creases with her hands. Pulling her shirt, overalls and boots back on, stuffing the headscarf in her top pocket, she makes a hasty exit, extremely careful to not disturb Helen. She sighs softly and turns over, causing Olive to freeze as she tiptoes towards the door. Luckily, she remains asleep, the rapid movement not waking her once.

Returning to the plane and making sure there are no eyes on her, Olive runs around to the hatch she stumbled out of earlier. Seeing it left open, she hesitates, trying to reason with herself to stay. Thoughts of how devastated Pearl would be creep into her mind, cementing the decision. With a sigh, she climbs in, somehow finding long forgotten core strength. She reaches down and shuts the door with a slam, waiting a few moments. Closing her eyes, she waits, the blazing afternoon sun coming through the windows causing her body to overheat instantly.

Sadness crawling all over her, she kicks the hatch open again, her body suddenly heavy. Jumping out much more gracefully this time, she lands heavily in her boots, the scene around her seemingly unchanged. The group of girls she had originally been with were back in their usual spot, Olive now traipsing over to them casually, trying not to be seen. Heather greets her with a smile, her absence apparently unnoticed.

“Taking a look at the plane?” She asks before the final crowd of school kids of the day make their way around the circuit.

“Something like that,” she titters, grabbing a rake. “What time is it?”

Heather raises an eyebrow as she looks at her watch, trying to gauge the time as the warm sun reflects the watch face. “Errrm, it's two pm.”

“Oh!” Olive says, surprised. Seemingly no time had passed at all.

—

“Hiya, Pearly Girly,” she greets, walking into the house. Kicking her boots off by the door, Olive begins to walk into the kitchen, reaching into the beige fridge to quickly gulp milk straight from the glass bottle that was delivered this morning.

“Hey, you,” Pearl greets, hobbling in with her stick. “Get a glass, for goodness sake!”

“I only wanted a gulp,” Olive laughs, now seeing that she'd somehow chugged half the bottle.

“Some things never change, do they? You've been doing that since you were wee.”

“Old habits die hard, Grandma. Where's Joan? Am I late?”

“No, doll,” Pearl says, shaking her head. “She's out in the garden. Funeral director called.”

“Ah, shit,” Olive replies, peeking out of the window that's shrouded by a worn net curtain. She sees Joan pacing up and down the garden path, arms crossed and face growing more furrowed each second. “I'll make her a cuppa. You want one too?”

“If there's any bloody milk left,” she teases, leaving the kitchen. Olive titters and shakes her head as her back turns, clicking the kettle on.

—

Pearl and Olive sit opposite one another, sipping from their mugs despite the boiling hot weather outside.

“So, good first day? How did you like it?”

“Oh, I loved it,” Olive replies, a huge smile on her face. “I met some really nice people. Red Cross girls, took me under their wing and–” Olive pauses, realizing what she has said, seeing Pearl’s confused face. It settles in an instant, the ringing in Olive's ears subsiding as she sees her face return to normal.

“I used to love their jumpsuits. The headscarves they'd wear through the day while their hair was setting for a night at the club. I was always envious. There I was, sweating, beetroot red with a rake and overalls, while they were there looking all glamorous, handing out coffee and donuts to these handsome men. I would've traded places in an instant.”

Olive giggles. “I don't blame you, Pearly. I bet they were all beautiful.”

“They were,” she says, wistfully. “There was one man that caught my eye right before we moved. I never got his name, nor did we ever speak but you bet your bottom I was sat watching his every move whenever I could. He always had this dog with him–”

Olive, taking a sip of tea, inhales at the wrong moment and chokes as she hears Pearl’s words. “Jesus, Olive,” she laughs, trying her best to throw a napkin her way. “Wrong pipe?”

“Oh, yeah,” she replies, coughing a few more times. “Something like that.” It couldn't be the same dog, the same man. Surely not? Shaking her head through the shock, Olive trying to make sense of everything that's happened in the past few hours, Joan enters the room looking a little less stressed than the last times Olive has seen her.

“Hi, Olive,” she smiles.

“Joan,” she greets. “How are you?”

“Oh, better now I've got that sorted. Funeral home wanted to go through the order of service, and wanted to know how long my grandson's speech was going to be. You know our Kyle can talk.” Joan looks at Olive, her lips pursed slightly. “You remember Kyle, Olive?”

“Oh, er, yeah. I sure do.” How could she forget? Seeing him on the train while on her way home had brought up so much disdain that she'd felt nauseous for hours afterwards. Kyle, the first and only guy she'd let break her heart, and she'd let him do it because he somehow broke through all the toughness Pearl had taught her - and used it to his advantage.

“I do wish you two had worked out–”

“I wish he'd have been able to control himself and not sleep with my best friend.”

“Olive!” Pearl scolds. Standing up, Olive announces her leave.

“I need to shower. Nice to see you, as always, Joan. See you tomorrow.”

—

Olive sits on her bed, wrapped in a towel and tries to breathe slowly. Laying down on the bed, her wet hair soaking into the pillow case, she closes her eyes and begins to try and ‘center herself,’ an exercise she'd been taught in Movement Class at drama school. Feeling her lungs inflate and holding her breath for just a moment, Olive hears a small knock on her door.

“Ollie Pop?” Pearl calls, her voice etched with concern. “You alright?”

Breathing out slowly, Olive sits up. “Come in, Grandma.” As she does so, she puffs heavily and sits on the bed beside her.

“I like our Joan, but her grandson is a twat.”

“Granny!” Olive shrieks.

“What? You know if I curse, it's serious. He is. A stupid one at that.”

“Yeah,” she replies, sighing. “Besides,” she pauses, the panic attack pushed aside. “I'm a tough girl. Just like my Grandma.”

—

Laying in the softly lit room as the sun rises, Olive tries her best to read by the glowing lamplight emanating from her bedside table. The words scattering on the page, blurring into one another, she snaps it shut and sits up quickly as her alarm clock beeps, not wasting a single moment. Despite a night of minimal sleep, Olive gets ready in a flash, trying her best to remain as quiet as possible to not disturb Pearl who she can hear snoring from her room. Opening the door with a small creak, Olive smiles sweetly as her beloved Grandma sleeps peacefully, pictures of her husband on display on the table directly next to the bed. Closing the door quietly, Olive goes to the kitchen and boils the kettle for her morning green tea, waiting for Joan to come take over. Despite Olive figuring out that only a little time passes between worlds, she does not want to risk Pearl ever being left alone. Sipping at the hot liquid, she watches the sunrise through the garden window. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, her mind goes back to the previous sunrise she saw, under the wing of a plane with Dougie.

Finishing her tea, Olive quickly runs back to her room to collect her dog-eared copies of A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest, hoping to find time for some light reading throughout the day. Joan arrives soon after, instantly apologizing for yesterday as she walks through the door, eyes wide with anxiety.

“Joan,” Olive says, waving her apology away. “Not you that should be apologizing really. You're fine. It's fine and we're fine.”

“Phew, good. Our Pearl awake yet?” Olive shakes her head.

“Not yet. She seemed to fall asleep pretty quickly last night, too.”

“She's a lot more relaxed now you're here, Ol. She knows you're safe and I think that pleases her.”

“I'm glad to be here,” she pauses, smiling awkwardly. “Right, off to work!”

“Do you need something for lunch?”

“No, thanks,” she smiles, quickly adjusting her headscarf. “I'll grab a donut.”

—

Practically skipping to the airplane, she takes a quick look around to make sure nobody has eyes on her. Only a few early morning museum visitors are around, going into the building itself, trying to keep out of the cool morning air. Satisfied that nobody can see her, she clambers into the plane, body flopping into the aircraft like a hard loaf of bread.

“I gotta get better at this,” she murmurs to herself, wincing as her core tightens. Leaning down, she slams the door shut and waits. A dog barks in the distance, her eyes clamped shut in fervent hope. She opens her eyes and gently fiddles with the door, her head sticking out slightly. Waiting on the ground is Meatball, tail wagging the second he sees Olive.

“Hi, buddy,” Olive squeaks when she lands on the floor, a lot more graceful than yesterday's breathtaking bump. “Good morning!” Taking him by the leash, she retrieves her bag and begins to walk to the Clubmobile.

“Hey!” She hears as her back is turned. “Who said you could take my dog?” There's Benny, a playful smile on his face that Olive instantly reciprocates.

“He did, actually. Waiting right there to greet me.”

He laughs, leaning down to stroke the dog. “He just was excited to see his new best friend.”

“And so was I,” she replies, handing the leash to him. “I'd better run. Can't be late for my first day!”

—

“Aaah! You're here!” Val squeals, squeezing Olive into a quick embrace. “Come on,” she says, taking her by the hand and leading her to the hut. “Tat got a uniform for you, Lord knows where from but I gave her my measurements and what do you know, there was one spare, exactly your–our size.”

Hanging on the small locker next to a bunk, is a blue jumpsuit, emblazoned with the American Red Cross logo on one pocket.

“Here's your space,” Val says, gesturing towards the locker. “We have our own showers so we keep most of our stuff in there, toiletries, make up, what have you. We usually use this for trinkets, but decorate how you see fit, doll.”

Placing her satchel on the bed, Olive removes her clothes and slips into the jumpsuit, it fitting her like a glove. She stuffs The Tempest into one of the huge pockets while Val takes in her new look.

“Oh!” Val gasps, hands on her cheeks. “Don't you look adorable! Wait til Dougie sees you!” Rolling her eyes, Olive looks in the mirror one final time before heading to the door of the hut, Val close behind.

“Helen is already there,” she says, linking her arm with Olive's. “We'd better get there before she's rushed off her feet! Most of the boys are on the ground today, but they'll still be wanting coffee and donuts from us.”

“Makes sense,” Olive responds, waving to Tattie as she zooms past in her Jeep. She waves back, a smile on her face, the wind of the cool morning blowing through her perfectly styled hair.

“Tattie gets a Jeep?” Olive enquires, hoping there's no tone of malice within her question.

“Oh, yeah,” Val says, nodding. “She's the head honcho. She's General Spaatz's daughter, after all.”

“I dunno who that is, Val. Enlighten me.”

“In simple terms? Commander of the Eighth. That's all I know, to be honest. Don't make me go further than that, because I simply couldn't tell you.” She grins, flashing those beautiful teeth. “I'm so glad you came.”

“Me, too.”

—

“Olive! You're here!” Helen shouts through the hatch of the Clubmobile. Climbing down the stairs, she greets her new friend with a hug. Not used to this much affection all at once, Olive basks in it, feeling her face glow.

“Morning, Helen. Thanks for fixing up the bed.”

“You're so welcome, Ol. Nobody will be itching in our house! Not on my watch.”

“You'd think that should be the nurse's job, but here we are.” Val says, her tone scathing as she leans on the counter, flicking through a new copy of Screen Romances, Laraine Day and Robert Young upon the cover, cheeks pressed together.

“Oh, I love Screen Romances,” Olive pipes up as Val reads through, that famous furrow brought out in concentration. “The gossip columns are savage.”

“Oh, they so are,” Val responds, looking up, her eyes rolling slightly. “I live for it. I love the cattiness, the scathing remarks. Ugh, wonderful. I'll let you know if anything juicy comes up,” she says, nodding towards the hatch. “Someone's here to see you.”

“Donut from the prettiest girl in East Anglia, please.”

“Hey, Dougie,” she blushes, leaning out of the truck slightly.

“Look at you,” he says, biting his lip a little. “Blue really is your color.”

“Oh, stop,” she replies, cheeks glowing even redder. “You're just angling for an extra donut.”

“Maybe,” he says, leaning up to meet her in the hatch. “And a kiss.”

“Well, handsome, I can only give you one of those things right now,” she says, a donut in hand. “Meatball hair free, too. Must be your lucky day.”

“It sure is. Can I get a coffee too? Just cream.”

“Coming right up. No sugar?”

“Not when you're around. I'm sweet enough on you.”

“Are you trying to make me keel over?” She scolds, pouring the coffee into the cup. Brow furrowed, she hands him the cup, followed by a quick smile.

“Jeez, too much time with Valencia already. You've got that furrow perfected.”

“Maybe it was always within her, James,” she shouts, head still buried in the magazine. “Little help from me, and you being insufferable brings the best furrows out in people.” Olive shakes her head, giggling at the banter between the two.

“Will you be at the club later?” Dougie asks, sipping the coffee.

“I assume so,” Olive shrugs. “Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” he teases, winking as he walks away.

“She's right,” Olive shouts from the Clubmobile. “You are insufferable.”

—

Both Dougie and Benny turn the second Olive enters the club, linked arm in arm with Val and Helen who stand either side of her. She meets the eyes of either man in turn, feeling her cheeks glow with that familiar heat the second she makes eye contact with Dougie.

“I saw that,” Helen teases as they sit down, the same table as the previous evening. “You smiled when you saw Benny…”

“Helen–” Olive cuts her off, her cheeks now red with embarrassment instead of the previous limerence.

“But I saw that twinkle in your eye when Dougie looked at you.”

Val nods enthusiastically, lighting a cigarette before offering one to her companions. Her attention on them is taken away the moment Everett walks up to the table, her eyes glowing as he greets her with a kiss on the cheek.

Olive feels a presence behind her, before a glass - an Old Fashioned - is put at her place on the table. She turns to see Dougie, standing behind her chair with a whiskey in his hand.

“Thanks,” she says, demurely, hoping that the blushing is now at bay.

“You owe me a dance later,” he says, winking as he walks back to the bar before she can even muster an answer.

“Does he always do that?” she asks, turning to Val and Ev. “Ask a question then piss off to the other end of the room?” The couple and Helen burst out laughing at her tone, still not quite used to Olive's dry British humor. Not able to contain her own laughter due to theirs, she tries to pull herself together to reiterate the question. Ev is the first to compose himself, Val dabbing at his eyes with her handkerchief as he gasps for air a final time.

“Nah, not always,” he finally says, looking for his friend at the bar. “He's just nervous, I think.”

—

Feeling a wet nose at her bare ankle, Olive squeals and finds Meatball under the table.

“Aaah, hi buddy!” she says, placing her drink on the table and beginning to pet him. “Were you good today? We missed you!”

“Speak for yourself,” Val mumbles under her breath as she reapplies her lipstick , only loud enough for Olive to hear, causing her to shoot her a glance and giggle. Making sure Benny didn't hear, she smiles up at him.

“Hi, Benny. How was your day?”

“Better now for seeing you. Let me get this fella squared away. D'you wanna dance?”

“Love to,” she grins, placing her jacket on her chair. Val winks at her as she exits, clutching Benny's arm as he gives the dog to Buck and a few men around him before leading her to the dancefloor.

“I'm warning you, Benny,” she begins as they begin to sway together. “I'm not much of a dancer. I hope you enjoyed having toes.”

“I'm just as bad, don't worry. Just wanted a moment alone with you.”

“That's sweet,” she replies, smiling as she places a hand on his shoulder.

“So, how was your first day?”

“Oh, it was wonderful, thanks.” And she means it. It's the most fulfilled she's felt in years, these new people welcoming her and taking her under their wing. Everything that went wrong in London feels like a million light-years away; and being here, maybe it is. Benny narrows his eyes at her answer, trying to gauge any hint of sarcasm he may have missed. She shoves him playfully as they dance, giggling a little. “I'm being serious, Benny. It's exactly what I need.”

“If you say so,” he replies, smiling as he spins her away from him. With that spin, she crashes into none other than James Douglass, who automatically takes her in his arms.

“Dog needs taking out, Benny,” he teases, gripping Olive's hand. He quickly spins her to a new spot on the dancefloor and grins. “Told ya, you owed me a dance.”

“I didn't hear you asking, James,” she teases, feeling her cheeks flush as his hand lands on the small of her back. “It was more of a statement.”

“Right, right,” he says, breaking away. “Will you dance with me?”

“Yes, I will. But you'd better apologize to Demarco when he gets back.”

“Oh, I'm not sorry for anything, doll.” She tuts at him, letting him lead her nonetheless. Him touching her feels like lighting coursing through her veins, feeling her hair stand up on end. He moves closer as the band slows, their noses almost beginning to touch as they move in unison to the swelling music. Her inhale becoming his exhale, she moves and plants a soft kiss on his neck. She feels him gasp into her ear and it's enough to make her weak at the knees. Looking over his shoulder, she sees a light begin to flash red above the door.

“Hey,” she murmurs, gesturing towards the light with a movement of her head. “Does that mean something?” He turns and looks, his eyes suddenly downcast as he sighs.

“Ah, shit. Yeah.”

“I'll walk ya home,” Benny pipes up, suddenly behind them.

“Nah, I got it, Benny,” James replies, taking his grip off Olive.

“No,” Benny says, a little sternly. “I'll do it. Olive, you ready?”

“It's fine, I can–” she tries to say, but is once again cut off by incessant squabbling, the two men fighting like catty school children. Looking towards Val for help, Olive sees Everett talking to a man with big brown eyes, hair slicked back into a soft pomp, his body seemingly racked with anxiety. Everett and Val gently push him in Olive's direction, him ushering her away unnoticed.

“Thanks,” she sighs, staring into the pretty cow eyes of the man that rescued her.

“No problem. Harry Crosby,” he says, gesturing to himself, a hand on his chest as he introduces himself.

“Hey, Harry. Olive.” He stretches a hand out and she shakes it.

“I heard the commotion. I'm heading back to write to my wife. She would never let me live it down if I wasn't a gentleman to others. I'll walk ya home, Olive.”

“Oh, Harry. That's so kind. Thank you.”

As he holds the door open for her, she hears the arguing come to a sudden stop followed by a surprised “Crosby?!” and Val storming up to them. “Stupid boys,” is all she hears as she exits the club with Harry, her arm linked platonically with his.

#masters of the air #mota #masters of the air fic #mota fic #Honeysuckle Rose #Olive Lewis #masters of the air x oc #benny demarco #James Douglass #everett blakely #oc: olive lewis #oc: valencia dirosano #just a snappin #time travel #1940s #ww2 #wwii #winnie writes

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winniemaywebber · 3 months

Text

Honeysuckle Rose • Part 7

part one part two part three part four part five part six

masterlist olive's playlist ao3

taglist: @sagesolsticewrites @ginabaker1666 @hephaestn @manonsmanicmind @derry-rain @bobparkhurst @bloodynereid @archival-hogwash

A misunderstanding may lead to the end of two relationships, one blossoming, the other solidified. The girls take comfort in one thing: the knowledge that they have each other.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Olive shrieks as she collapses on her bed, her face a blotchy mess of tears and snot.

“Jesus, was it that bad?” Val teases, applying cold cream on her face.

“We know you prefer Dougie, but come on, Ol. Be fair,” Helen joins in, before seeing Olive’s face and realizing that now is not the time for jokes. Olive begins to explain, her two friends looking on in concern.

“Benny and I agreed to be just friends,” she whimpers, taking a handkerchief from Helen’s fingers and dabbing her face. “We embraced. It was just friendly, and we just talked. He knows how I feel about Dougie and how Dougie feels–felt for me.” She sniffles again, Helen’s bright eyes widening as Olive carries on with the explanation, Val crouching in front of her and taking her hand as Olive softly sobs.

“S-sorry,” she stutters. “I’m trying to be tough but I’m so–”

“Enough of that, Olive. You don’t need to be tough with us. We’re your family. We wanna see it all,” Helen soothes.

“Okay,” she breathes, trying to calm herself down. “Anyway, Dougie must’ve followed us and saw us hug because…” Another sob catches in her throat, new tears falling down her face and causing her perfectly applied mascara to begin running down her cheeks, black trails to form upon them. “He’s so…” she gestures with her hands, trying to pick the right word from her overloaded brain. “Angry.”

“Oh, honey,” Val breathes out, stroking Olive’s hand. “Hey, don’t let it worry you. He was probably just drunk and not thinking straight, hm?” Olive nods, in unison with Helen, causing the bed to shake and squeak slightly. “He’ll be fine by the morning. He’ll see you in that truck, making him a coffee and he’ll forget he was ever angry the second he sees your pretty smile, mkay?”

“Okay,” she whimpers, smiling wanely at her friends. “How was your little tryst in the Mess Hall, Miss DiRosano? Good for you, by the way.”

“What tryst?” She replies, brow furrowed in confusion. Helen gives Val the side eye, her smile making her cheeks turn pink.

“We saw you and Ev make a beeline for the mess hall when the siren went off, and–”

“I was hungry,” she blushes, smiling at herself in the small mirror.

“Oooohhh!” The girls squeal at the same time, begging for more details as they giggle like schoolgirls.

“Anything more than the cockpit incident?” Helen asks, her face turning a different shade of red than Val’s.

“Cockpit incident?” Olive gasps, waiting for one of them to include her in the story.

“I’ll tell you later, doll. Much too late for all that now. I'll just tell you that a table is far more comfortable than the cockpit of a plane.”

Val walks up to Olive, jar of cold cream in hand and crouches in front of her once again. “Close your eyes, girlie. Time to get ready for bed.”

Olive feels Helen begin to unpin her hair, brushing it with her fingers as she makes it loose. “Thanks, girls. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“And you'll never have to know,” Helen soothes, pulling the final pin out of her hair. “You’re stuck with us.”

—

“Morning, ladies,” Ev greets, his eyes sparkling with excitement as Val rushes to greet him with a chaste kiss.

“Hey, Blakely,” Olive greets, placing two cups down in front of him. “That one’s yours,” she gestures, pointing to the one on the right. “The other is for Dougie.”

“I don’t think coffee is gonna make it up to him, Olive,” he says, the furrow in his brow rivaling his girlfriend’s. “He’s really upset.”

“If he’d just listen to me,” she urges, head pounding with the lack of sleep and dehydration from the sporadic tears that keep sprouting out of her eyes. “If you could get him to see reason, I’d be–”

“Oh, I’m staying out of it,” he responds, taking the cup on the right. “None of my business if he wants to forgive you or not.”

“I didn’t do anything!” She feels herself getting hot, the anger soaring through her veins.

“Honey,” Val coos, patting his shoulder. “She didn’t do anything wrong. They were just talking about being–”

“Of course you’d believe her. She’s your friend,” he turns from her and back to Olive. “You led my friend on and I’m not okay with that.”

“Ev, darling,” Val urges, following him as he begins to depart. “She’s telling the truth…” The conversation trails off as they get further away, Olive turning towards whoever is next at the window.

—

As evening draws near, the girls, including Tattie, clean up the truck and the surrounding areas, ready for tomorrow. Another grounded, non-mission day didn’t change how busy they’d be - the boys would be milling between them, the hardstands and the briefing rooms all day, stopping for the occasional donut or pack of cigarettes. It’s when they’re closing the door of the truck that Dougie walks past, head down and eyes looking sunken from lack of sleep. Olive, not missing a beat, rushes towards him.

“Dougie? Can we please talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” he says as he keeps walking, brushing her off. “Save it for Benny.”

“I'd like to exp–”

“No need. I thought we were…” He sighs, a harsh breath pushing through his nostrils as he stops. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Find time, James. Nothing is going on between Benny and I. We are just friends!”

“That’s not what it looked like last night,” he sighs, his shoulders drooping as he sees Olive’s eyes grow misty at his tone.

“If you’d just listen to me for one damn minute,” she urges, trying to hold back the tears. It makes her voice squeak, the effort of keeping it in causing her chest to tighten, her neck straining with it all, too.

“No,” he says simply, and walks away.

Olive trudges back to her friends, letting the tears flow freely.

“Oh, darling,” Tattie consoles. “He’s not worth it.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her hip flask, making sure Chick isn’t around to see. “Here,” she says, opening the lid and handing it to her. “Take a little drink. It’ll calm your nerves.” Olive does as she's told, hoping the burn of the alcohol will somehow soften some of the pain. She opens her eyes to Tattie lighting two cigarettes, handing one to Olive as she stops wincing at the taste of the whiskey.

“Now,” she says, her eyes softening. “Coming to the club?”

Olive shakes her head, leaning against the truck and taking a deep drag of the cigarette. “No. Just going to bed,” she fibs, intent on heading to Pearl’s once the sun sets.

“Well, let us know. You know we’re gonna look after you.”

“Yeah,” she replies weakly, feeling Meatball sniff at her ankles in greeting.

“Hey, Ol!” Benny greets cheerfully, walking up to her. He sees her tear stained face and stops at the sight of it, his eyes darting around the space, seemingly ready to confront whoever has got his friend in this state.

“What’s all this? Who’s upset you?” He looks accusingly at Tattie, his eyes trying to find either of the other girls.

“Oh, no. Not them, Benny.” She laughs at the thought, knowing those are the people who would never do her wrong.

“Your anger is misplaced, doll,” Tattie laughs, patting Olive on the shoulder as she locks the door of the truck.

“Then who? Dougie?”

“Y-yeah,” she sniffs, tears dropping on to the end of the cigarette and extinguishing it, causing Olive to groan in exasperation. “He saw us hug last night and thinks I chose you.”

“Did you tell him what we were talking about?”

“Tried. He won’t listen. Doesn’t want to,” she says, dropping the cigarette on the floor and stomping on it in a rage.

“I can try talking to him?”

“Oh, yeah, Benny, I'm sure that would go down a treat.” She rolls her eyes, instantly regretting it, sighing at her own tone.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help, Ol.”

“I know, I know, darling. I’m just–I’m sorry, okay?”

“No need. You need me to walk you back?”

“No thanks, Ben. Just need some time alone, then going to bed. I’ll see you later though, yeah?”

“Of course. Get the girls to let me know if you need anything, okay?” Olive nods, reaching to hug him.

“Thanks, Benny. You’re a good egg.”

“I know. Now, where’s that smile?”

She remains stone faced, until he gently pokes at her face where he knows her dimple usually sits. It tickles, making her grin automatically.

“There we go. Come on, Meatball. Bye, Ol!”

—

Once the girls have made their way to the club, Olive sneaks out of the hut. Bag in hand to be able to bring more belongings from Pearl’s, she makes her way to the hardstand just as the sun is setting, the sky a beautiful shade of burnt orange. The moment she feels the warmth upon her face, the sadness slip away for just a moment. She turns her head towards it, putting her face right in the center of the sun’s rays. Looking around, she spots Kenny who is deep in patching flak holes, but senses her staring at him. He raises a hand, waving and then nodding towards the door of Just A-Snappin. He has left stairs underneath the open door for her. She places a hand on her heart, suddenly emotional all over again.

“Can I see a new dollar?” He yells across the hardstand.

“They look the same, Kenny. I'm sorry, fella.”

“Well, heck. Guess a beer tomorrow night will have to do then. See ya in a minute.”

“Yeah, start counting, Lemmons. I'm curious.”

Clambering up the stairs and pulling the door shut, Olive finds herself breathing heavily in a panic, hoping once again that this isn't goodbye.

—

Olive swings open the gate to Pearl’s as quick as she can, knowing that just being in her presence will soothe any pain. She opens the door to the buzz of the television playing Pearl’s favorite daytime hospital drama, Joan pottering in the kitchen and clearing up lunch.

“Hey, Pearly Girly. Nice lie in?”

“Lovely, thank you, my girl. Thanks for telling Joan to not drag me out of bed.”

“I told her you probably needed it after yesterday,” she giggles, the misery headache going away almost immediately. “Is she bringing you biscuits again?”

“Yes!” She says, her voice going up an octave with the joy of the remark. “I must have been nice to her today.”

Right on cue, Joan enters, carrying a tray with two cups, all the fixings for tea and the teapot.

“For you both,” she says, pulling a tea towel off a small plate to reveal two chocolate eclairs, Pearl’s favorite.

“I’d say you’re back in her good books, Grandma,” she says, taking a bite right from the pastry without grabbing a plate. “Thanks, Joan,” she swallows, smiling at her.

“I’m off. John’s funeral is this afternoon, and–”

“Why the bloody hell didn’t you tell me?” Olive urges, suddenly embarrassed that Joan was at work on a day like today. She holds a hand up, stopping her and shakes her head.

“Being here takes my mind off it. I wanted to be here today. I wanted you to be able to go to work, too. I don’t want you stopping your life for even a short time for a little old lady like me.”

“But it’s your husband’s funeral, woman!”

She breathes out, her hand on her heart. “It’s not really goodbye. It’s just a confirmation he won’t be coming back, but I know I’ll see him again. I said my farewells at the hospital. This is for everyone else that didn’t.” She picks up her bag, patting Pearl on the shoulder as she starts to leave. “See you tomorrow, friend.”

“Joan,” she says, wiping her mouth quickly. “Thanks for coming over today.

“Never a chore when it’s you, pal.”

—

Pulling on an old pair of leggings and an oversized shirt, Olive feels comfortable for the first time in days. Despite the jumpsuit making her look good, it wasn't necessarily comfortable and she felt her whole body relax as the softer material touches her skin. After filling her bag with a few more makeup products, moisturizer, losing count of the amount of underwear she shoves in the discreet pocket of the bag, she exits the room to hurry into the kitchen, intent on preparing dinner.

“What d'ya want for dinner, Grandma?” She pauses for a second, considering the options.

“Beans on toast?”

“Oh, lovely. Exactly what I need,” Olive declares, turning to go back into the kitchen.

“Hold on a minute, Ollie Pop,” she says, startling Olive a little.

“What's up, Pearl?”

“You look like shit.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“Not sleeping well?”

“I'm fine, Grandma. Just still adjusting to all this.” It was true. Journeying from here to her friends was starting to become physically exhausting, not getting a full night's sleep, afraid she'd be missing from either place if she was gone for too long.

“You need your rest, Olive!”

“I'm grand, promise. It's only been a month.”

“Hmm,” Pearl replies, her eyes squinting at her. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. I'll let you know if I need some time off, but right now, I'm doing just fine. Now,” she says, taking a deep breath to try and waylay the tears pricking at her eyes. “Hungry?”

—

Giving up on rest after tossing and turning for hours, resigning to catching a few hours once she's back at the hut later, Olive begins to write a new analysis of her favorite scene from Romeo and Juliet. This being the only thing she can focus on in the silent, wee hours, she scribbles out three back to back pages, her penmanship all over the place, twinning her erratic thoughts on the piece. With it, she attaches a letter:

Jules,

Let me know if I've still got it in me to study our favorite man; it's been a long time. I wrote this in a restless rush, dying to get the words out of my brain and onto the paper after a night of little sleep.

I don't know how much Brady has told you, so I will give you a quick synopsis: Dougie and Benny both made it clear they had feelings for me weeks ago, and I felt quite stuck in the middle, my friend. Benny, however, came to the realization that he saw me as a friend and told me so last night as he walked me home. Can you believe who saw the whole thing happen, both of us wrapped in what I saw as a platonic, friendly embrace to mark the start of a lasting friendship? Dougie has gone absolutely ballistic and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I have tried to reason with him, but he will not listen, nor can anyone make him. What would you do, my dear? Leave it alone? Keep at it?

My brain is full of so many foggy thoughts that the only thing that settled them was writing this for you. I do hope we can be friends, Jules. You sound like my kind of person.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Your friend,

Olive.

—

After Joan arrives, the two exchange pleasantries before Olive leaves, now back in the jumpsuit she's washed and ironed.

“You look lovely, kid,” she says, removing her jacket and hanging it beside the door. Olive is surprised to see Joan back in her usual attire. Today, she has chosen baggy purple pants, a tie dye t-shirt and a pink ribbon in her hair. She looks wonderful, much more her usual self.

“Oh, Joan!” she says excitedly at the sight of her. “Look at you! There she is! This is wonderful to see.” The pair smile at one another, before Olive grabs her bag, practically making a run for it out the door and down the lane.

Hopping the gate as she reaches the museum, the outline of Just A-Snappin is in sight through the early morning mist.

Chucking her bag into the plane with a quick glance around, she hurls herself into the aircraft, slamming the door shut behind her. Within seconds, the door is open again, the sweet smell of honeysuckle filling her nostrils as she breathes in and out slowly. Without thinking, a single word leaves her lips: “Home.”

—

She catches Brady as she makes the walk from the plane to the hut, packing his pipe outside of his own barracks.

“Can't sleep?” She says as she walks up to him, her head titled slightly as she asks.

“No,” he replies, placing the lit pipe in his mouth and puffing out the first stream of smoke through his nostrils. “I was thinking about Jules. That does it for me. It's either I lay in bed and feel myself almost begin to weep, or I come out here and pretend we're watching a sunrise together. It helps a little.”

“Oh, speaking of the sweet lady,” Olive says, rummaging in her bag. She pulls out the pages she has bound together with a red ribbon and hands them to him. “I wrote her this.”

“Jeez,” he says, sucking air through his teeth, surveying the weight of the pad of paper she's just handed him. “You write her a novel?”

“No. Just a six page analysis of the balcony scene.” He laughs, eyes squeezed shut, them crinkling at the ends.

“She'll love this, Olive. Truly. I think her having a pen pal will really make her happy, too.”

“I feel the same. I can't wait to get to know her. I'm sure she'll love having someone to keep an eye on you, too.”

“Hey,” he protests. “What for?”

“While you write to her about being a tough guy, I'll be able to give her the real truth. Making sure you're eating, sleeping, whatever. Here, I'll start.” She clears her throat, pretending to scrawl on her hand.

“Dear Jules. Caught your fella outside at sunrise. Don’t believe what he's saying, the man never sleeps and smokes like a chimney.”

He laughs through his nose, shaking his head. “I have a feeling she'll love you.”

“And I'll love her right back.”

—

A week passes, completing a day of work with the girls then rushing back to Pearl the same night. It was beginning to become hard to keep up with, the lack of sleep driving her into rages she hadn't experienced since the drama school days when the unbridled stress of performances would cause breakdowns.

The girls were becoming concerned and increasingly unsettled by it all, not to mention them not seeing her outside of work for days on end.

“Olive,” Helen urges one day, while Olive is furiously scrubbing a counter for the third time that hour. “Stop it. Talk to me.”

“I'm fine, Helen,” she replies, scrubbing so hard that they both hear her shoulder click. Helen takes the cloth from her hand, her hands now on her friend's face as she collapses into her.

“Hey,” she assuages, her voice low. Her arms wrap around her as she sobs, her breath ragged as her chest heaves. “Darling, you can't keep doing this. Please talk to us.”

“There's nothing to say. Everything and nothing, all at once. I really fucked up, Helen.”

“No, no, you didn't. You can't blame yourself for what James assumes he saw that night. It wasn't your fault, Ol. It's unfair to make yourself feel this way.”

“I miss him, Helen.”

“I know, doll. I'll try talk to him again.”

“What? You've tried already?”

“While you've been absent from the club, I've been trying to soften him up. He's coming around; I don't think he wants to admit he's wrong and that he's upset you. He's stubborn,” she says, rubbing Olive’s back.

“Don't I know it,” she sniffs, wiping her eyes with her hand. “I'll come out tonight. I think I need it.”

“Good!”

Val enters the Clubmobile, face pinched and the furrow harsher than ever. “Not you too!” Helen protests, shaking her head.

“What?” she replies, an edge to her tone. “Ev is taking Dougie’s side, I'm obviously taking Olive’s and it's like we're talking in fucking circles.”

“I'm sorry, Val,” Olive whimpers from across the truck, her fists clenched with the stress of the situation. “I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry you and Ev are fighting because of me.”

She shakes her head, flipping open a magazine she had left on the counter earlier. “We're not fighting because of you, doll. We're fighting because of Douglass.”

“Val…” Olive begins to protest, her face beginning to pinch.

“No. It's not your fault. You're allowed to be friends with Benny. I'm friends with Curt while dating Ev. It's the same damn thing,” she snaps, flipping a page with such force it almost causes the magazine to rip. “That make sense to you?” she yells over her shoulder. The two girls nod, wide eyed at her tone. “Everett?” She shouts again, not looking up from her magazine. He comes around the corner, absolutely flabbergasted.

“Makes sense, Val,” he sighs, turning and skulking away slowly.

—

“Hi, girlies!” Val greets as she sees her two friends walk up to her outside the club. “Beautiful as ever, you two.” She stubs out a cigarette against the wall, moving to stand in front of Olive as James exits the club.

“Douglass.”

“Valencia. Ev's waiting for you inside,” he gestures behind him, apparently intent on making his way back to barracks. Val feels Olive’s ragged, nervous breath on the back of her neck as she tries to make eye contact with Dougie, her eyes glazing over and pleading with him wordlessly.

“You look lousy, Ol,” Tattie says as she approaches the group that's congregated around the entrance. “Still not sleeping?” Olive shakes her head silently in response, nervously chewing at her bottom lip.

“I'm sure Benny would give you some place to sleep, Olive, if he hasn't already,” James spits out, his face falling the second the words leave his mouth, instantly regretful as everyone sees Olive’s face crumple, letting out a whimper that turns into a sob. Right on cue, Everett exits the club to find what's keeping Val and hears what his friend has just said.

“Dougie, Jesus Christ!” he shouts, shocked.

What happens next all happens in some sort of slow motion. Valencia walks up to Dougie with her elbow launched back , her hand balled up into a tight fist with Tattie rushing up to her, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her away from him.

“Val, no, no!” Tattie calmly urges, dragging Val away as she screeches at him, the shouts becoming almost guttural as her throat gives out.

“You do not speak to her that way! You don't say things like that to my friend. How dare you, James Douglass! Look at the fucking state of her!” Everyone's mouth agape, they silently turn to Olive who is wrapped up in Helen’s arms. Helen's chin is on Olive's head as she strokes her hair and shushes her through all the ruckus as she sobs messily on her.

“Olive,” James starts, his voice cracking.

“No!” Helen shouts, holding a hand up to his face. “You don't get to talk to her until everyone has calmed down.” Tattie looks at her in surprise, eyes agog that she's the one taking control of the situation. “Now,” she sighs, Olive feeling both of their heart rates come down to almost normal. “Can we please get a drink?”

Dougie begins to enter the club when Ev puts his fingers on Dougie’s chest to stop him from moving further. “Nope. You're gonna talk to her. You're gonna listen. You're not gonna be an asshole.”

“But I don't–”

“I don't care. We were wrong,” he pauses, breath shaky. “I miss my Val. All we've done all week is bicker and defend you two and I don't want to go up in a few days knowing that the last damn thing I said to her could have been poisonous. Get it together, Doug.” He turns to Olive, hugging her for a second.

“I misjudged you. I'm sorry.”

“Go in there and get your girl, please,” she sniffles, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “She's been pissed.”

“Believe me, I know. I've seen it.”

“She's scary, isn't she?”

“Yep. And I love it.”

—

“Come on,” Dougie murmurs as he grabs her hand and pulls her into the empty mess hall. She leans against a table, her arms crossed and tries her best to not make eye contact with him.

“Hey,” he urges gently, walking up to her and tries to put his arms around her. “Talk to me.”

“Oh, now you're interested in talking to me? You're suddenly ready to hear what I've got to say? Give me a break, James,” she responds, pushing his hands away from her. That contact alone sends a hot flash through her body, wanting nothing more than for him to touch her.

“Ol, I'm sorry, I–”

“You just assumed what you saw and didn't bother to check, to listen or fucking hear me out. I'm really upset with you.”

“I know, honey, I'm–”

“Nuh-uh. You don't get to be sweet to me after all that; the absolute hell you've put me through this past week. It's been horrible, James.”

“It's been awful for me, too,” he replies, almost whimpering, blinking rapidly as he takes a spot next to her, lighting a cigarette. “Tell me what happened.”

“Ugh, fine,” she relents, uncrossing her arms and placing her hands on the table to keep balance. Even him near her is enough to make her weak at the knees, his sweet cologne making its way through her nose.

“Benny walked me home, said he wanted to talk to me about something. Said he knew when to bow out because he saw how you looked at me, and how I looked at you. We agreed to be friends, and we hugged goodnight. That's it.”

“Ah, fuck,” he winces. “I really got it wrong, didn't I?”

“Yeah, you bloody did. Did you not think to ask someone? Even if you didn't want to talk to me right then, you could've asked Helen or Tattie. Val was telling the truth.”

“I know. I just felt stupid and I'm…” he struggles to find the words, his eyes fixed to the floor.

“Fucking stubborn, is what you are, James.” She sighs, finally lifting her head up to face him. “Think about it. Have you seen me with Benny since?”

“No,” he shrugs, handing her the half smoked cigarette. She takes it, shakily taking a drag as they share a moment of silence. He breaks it first, clearing his throat.

“Jesus, I've missed you, Olive.”

“I've missed you, too, James. But all this,” she gestures, the cigarette extinguishing as she stubs it in an ashtray, “has been fucking ridiculous.”

“I feel like a damn idiot.”

“As you should.”

“I'm sorry, Ol.”

“Thank you,” she breathes, their eyes meeting. She feels that familiar, delicious pit in her stomach as he looks at her, her toes almost curling at the sensation of warmth washing over her.

“So, you chose me, huh?”

“I did,” she smiles, beginning to walk away. He grabs her hand, pulling her back.

“I really, really missed you.”

“Me, too,” she sighs, their faces coming closer together. Dougie traces his fingers over the line of her jaw before gently grabbing her chin to pull her even closer to him.

“Please kiss me, James,” she gasps, feeling the pad of his thumb swipe her bottom lip softly. She takes a sharp intake of breath as she places her arms around his neck, her hands toying with his curls. “I might die if you don't kiss me soon.”

“Well, we can't have that, can we?” His thumb gently stroking her cheek, their lips touch sweetly, before his mouth opens on hers, her lips parting as he does so. It's clumsy, the two of them gasping for air each time they begrudgingly break apart, not wanting the moment to end. She clings to him as she perches on one of the mess tables, his hands gripping her waist in such a way that she finds herself moaning into him as he squeezes her. His tongue slips into her mouth, them both groaning quietly, barely able to catch their breath, kissing one another with the hunger of a starved man. His hands are caressing their way up her body when they hear a bang on the window pane.

Helen and Val knock loudly, their faces a picture of giddiness and relief. Helen, blushing, jokingly salutes Dougie before falling over laughing while Val shouts something incoherent through the glass before running into the club again.

“I've wanted to do that for a really long time,” he sighs, kissing her softly on the mouth, over and over again.

“I have, too,” she purrs, nuzzling herself into his neck and planting a gentle kiss upon the skin she can reach.

“Look at me,” he says, his voice low. “I really am sorry. Knowing I made you that upset breaks my heart.”

“I forgive you,” she replies, seeing his body relax with the relief her statement brings. “Just stop assuming things. We can talk about anything and I won't lie to you. Okay?”

“Okay,” he smiles.

“Now, please. Kiss me again.”

He doesn't hesitate, not for a second, his mouth on hers before she's even finished asking. It's in this moment that she knows she's where she belongs.

#masters of the air #mota #masters of the air fic #mota fic #olive lewis #honeysuckle rose #oc: olive lewis #oc: valencia dirosano #benny demarco #benny demarco x oc #james douglass #james douglass x oc #everett blakely #everett blakely x oc #ww2 #wwii #time travel #just a snappin #winnie writes

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