#I'll probably sleep in rhett's room for some of it

[crinkled-emotions]

Would you do 47 and 57 with Rooster please? Thank youuu

You got it! Let's gooooooo!

In other news, I love Bob so much but I wrote over 10k of whump and angst for Rhett and I was like hEY wrong character! Then I was like fuck it you can stay.

47. "Hiding sneezes" and 57. "Stop telling me you're okay"

Notes: shaking it up a little! Daderick is on holidays 👀 what are the Daggers gonna do?

Out of the Daggers who flew the mission it was safe to say Phoenix, Hangman and Rooster had known each other the longest. While Natasha and Jake joined the Navy at 18, Bradley had been nearly 23 and while he wasn't the eldest in their class he was older than a lot of the applicants. This meant he had an air of maturity to him, independence already established. Natasha and Jake, before they became Phoenix and Hangman, had taken one look at him and decided he needed someone to confide in.

That was before Jake and Bradley started punching each other in the ready room after a training hop, then it was suddenly Natasha and Bradley versus Jake. She reached out to Jake but he pushed her away without a solid reason.

This meant, however, that she knew those two like the back of her hand. They'd managed to patch their shit up after the Dagger hop between the three of them and it felt like Natasha, Bradley and Jake were back.

When the team found their seats in class on Monday morning and Maverick didn't come running in, their attention immediately flicked between Rooster and Hondo who would know exactly where their leader was. Rooster looked a little spooked but Hondo waved them off.

"Mandatory vacation time. Pretty sure he's going away with Penny and Amelia."

"And he didn't tell you, Rooster?" Bob frowned.

"No, he probably mentioned it. I dunno."

Phoenix caught Hangman's gaze across the room. Jake nodded, and she shook her head. He raised an eyebrow and she squinted at him. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"Okay, then who's taking us?" He said. Hondo winced.

"Maybe you guys should go and prep for your hops."

There was a strangled noise from the front of the room and Phoenix glanced over her shoulder.

"I think I should say bless you?" She said to Rooster who waved her off.

"I'm okay, but thanks."

"Sure thing."

This time when she looked at Jake he got up, heading for the exit.

"C'mon guys, you heard Hondo. Let's get goin'."

When no one moved Phoenix cleared her throat.

"Okay team, let's roll."

Everyone stood at her direction and Hondo stifled a laugh when Hangman's face pinched in irritation. Rooster got up last and made that strangled noise again and Hangman caught him by the shoulder.

"You're gonna make your brain explode, man. We need your brain cells."

"Because you've got none?" Rooster deadpanned dryly. He followed the others out the door without anything further.

Between the team getting to the tarmac, getting into their flight suits and completing preflight checks, Rooster had stifled every damn sneeze threatening to break out. Satisfied with her jet's condition Phoenix made her way to Hondo, frowning.

"You know Rooster's not well, right?"

"I'll keep an eye on him. Go on, Cyclone and Bob are waiting for you."

Rooster was going up in the air last, with Hangman and Coyote to do some specialised single seater training. At that moment he was leaning against his jet, aviators covering his eyes and the dark bags from a lack of sleep. He attempted to stifle another sneeze and Bob frowned as he clambered down Phoenix's jet.

"Dude, let 'em out. It's gonna only make it worse."

"I'm okay," Rooster said softly.

"Stop telling me you're okay!" Jake finally snapped from the other side of Rooster's jet. Everyone held their breath, expecting another punch up, but to their surprise Rooster's eyes fell to the ground.

"Fine. Actually, I don't feel good at all, but Cyclone is waiting for me to fuck up and I can't just-"

"-what? Take a sick day? Roo, Cyclone would be okay if you took a sick day. And if not, well, he's got us to answer to. Insubordination is kind of my strong suit," Hangman said as he rounded the corner. Bob crossed his arms.

"He's right, B," Phoenix said softly. Rooster's shoulders shook.

"I don't want to be a burden," he muttered. Fanboy, Payback and Coyote, who had been preoccupied until now, made their way over and the team exchanged looks.

"Hey, Jake, take Roo back to the ready room and get him sorted. We got Cyclone and Hondo," Coyote said confidently. Jake agreed, hooking an arm over Bradley's shoulders.

"C'mon, don't fight me on this."

[maybeseveralthings]

working 3-4 am tomorrow

whooooooo I am so excited to wake up at 2:15 and leave for the fucking day!!!!!! which will not end until at least 9 pm!!!!