#i hate security theater so fucking much

[skullhaver]

[threepandas]

Bad End: Restructuring

The blast doors on my office were stronger then the ones on most bunkers. They matched the one's on the company dorms AND my personal rooms. Thing is? They weren't designed to hold out forever. In fact, I was pretty sure they were a pretty bit of security theater, just to let us fleshys feel safe.

We weren't.

Not a single moment of a single day.

The pay was unmatched. But then again, it'd HAVE to be, with the mortality rate. The morbidity rate on top, too. You didn't take a job like this unless you were crazy. Or, you know, desperate. College loans, man. They get you over a barrel and don't let up. But a few years of this? I'd be clear an free~

Few MORE years? I'd ever have a tasty little nest egg to fall back on, in case of emergencies. I just... you know, had to play it smart. Be really, REALLY careful.

No slacking off. No getting comfortable. Vigilance and best manners. Then we all get to go home alive. Because what's out there? In the Labs? Those guys can pop diamonds like we crush packing peanuts. Highest grade, fancy ass, metal bars of specialty blend metals? Tied up in pretty little bows.

They may LOOK like some sort of waifish boy band... but God, they are NOT. They are really, REALLY not. And their "personality" matrix program thingies? Apparently still a work in progress. A LONG work in progress.

People have fucking DIED.

But does management care? Of course not. Pay out some life insurance. "It was an accident on the job". And "of COURSE steps will be taken to insure to never happens again". Ha! My ass, it is. And my ass, they are. They aren't doing SHIT. Nor are they GOING too. They're in too deep with this project, whatever it is. And us?

Well WE'RE expendable.

Just the cost of doing business.

I watch bleeding edge technology move like dancers, room to room. The wall of screen lighting up my cramped little office. The mini-fridge hums and the fan whirrs, filling the silence. I try to spot FM-036 on one of the screens. I can't find him and it makes me nervous.

He might be hiding. Trying to be polite, in his own way. Since there was an incident.

I FUCKING TOLD Ric not to call them "it"! I TOLD him! It aggravates them. Provokes. You don't DO that with something... some ONE, with that much physical power. 36 put their fist through his SHOULDER. And the God damned wall! He might LOSE his arm, which? Given their ability to calculate better then most supercomputers?

Was probably the point.

I notice one of the androids messing with a computer in a lab. Fuck. I lean forward, hating drawing their attention but knowing I have to do my damn job. I press on the speaker system for that room after a quick glance at the ID on their jumpsuit.

"FM-047, could you please not touch that? I know you are aware that you are not supposed to tamper, meddle, or otherwise engage with the researchers notes or electronics."

The android stop typing. Their head rolling up and to the side to look directly at the camera, their body perfectly still. The angle borders on impossible. Almost owlish, nearly snake like. All perfectly smooth movements effortlessly controlled. Joint not limited by human designs. His face is bemused. Pleasant.

"Of course, night gaurd. My mistake. Thank you for correcting me." He replies, something almost like laughter, nearly like mocking, but not quite, in his smooth voice. They always sound like they are... HUMORING us. Working around us.

It sends a jolt of cold fear though my veins.

I... I REALLY hate talking to the androids.

Pity, they seem to like talking to ME.

"I was unaware you were on shift tonight. I will update the others. It's good to hear your voice again, you seemed nervous, last time we spoke."

Yeah. Because you were asking PERSONAL QUESTIONS. Oh, sure, they had dressed them up as "We're so CURIOUS about Humans~☆" but I wasn't an IDIOT. You Did NOT, under ANY circumstances, try to bond with the machines. NO chatting. That was lesson number one from my trainer.

And Frank? Frank had seen too many "but THIS time it's DIFFERENT! We're FWIENDS~!" Incidents end in unspeakable carnage. Lost too many noobies. We DO NOT chat! With the machines!!! DO. NOT.

"Ah~, you made her nervous again, FM-047" came from a different screen. I flinched. Jerked back so I could see it. Oh god. "Besides, I told you. The calculations showed she wasnt going anywhere. The 'money' is too good."

The androids had stopped. Turned, in some cases unnaturally, to stare up at the cameras. At me. It was a blatant show of how interconnected they were. How distance meant nothing to them. How... how enmeshed they were, in the Lab's systems.

COULD they see me?

I didn't want to know. I NEEDED not to know. If only so I could continue to sleep at night.

They smiled, clearly hoping I'd engage. I wanted to. God did I want too. Wanted to demand "what calculations" and for them to STOP looking at me like that. But I didn't. With tense muscles I careful lifted my finger from the speaker system's button and leaned back. Crossed my arms like I was hugging myself.

Do. Not. Engage.

Remember what Frank taught you.

My... my office felt so claustrophobic. Painfully small. Across the screens before me, matching faces huffed laughs of condescending amusement. Some out right DID laugh. Bright and mean noises that echoed in silence of the night.

Humans? Frank had observed (and I kinda had to agree) were beneath them, in their minds. Flawed little flesh creatures. Annoying. It was something the scientists were trying to correct. Pretty sure they fucked up. Badly. And long, long ago.

Watching over these guys? Felt like watching over a sea of identical demons. Pretty, cruel, and incapable of human understanding. Fond of tormenting the nearest human for sport.

"Tell us, night gaurd, are you afraid?"

Oh that's just PETTY. Fucking cliché as shit, too. I mean, YES, obviously. But STILL. And... and you know what? Fuck it! Frank, gave me his number for a reason! I scramble for my belt. The communicator there. It barely rings.

"Mph, m'awake! Wus happin' kid? Come on, talk to me."

I ramble. Knees dragged up on my chair, curled in a ball. Frank's low, old man, rumble a soothing focal point. These guys are so creepy. I HATE that they KNOW that. Gleefully will TRY to be, sometimes. Can BACK IT UP.

"Hey, hey. I'll stay on the line, okay? You just need to make it to morning shift. They're are creepy lil shits, but they can't get past the doors. I'll come get you myself, okay? Walk you right back to the dorms. You're going to be okay, sweetheart."

I nod, even though I know the old man can't see me. Manage to crackle out a "Mmmhmm". The androids haven't stopped staring. The worst part? Is they realistically DONT HAVE TOO. Can stay, perfectly still, like statues... forever, if they wish.

Watching.

With those "I'm laughing at you" grins. That "aaaw, how PATHETIC" expression. As though I were a wretched little animal to be observed. I ask Frank to tell me about his new show. It's... it's something about socialites, right? Historical? He's glad too. Filling my office with the sound of his voice. It's gonna be a long shift.

I don't notice, high up on the wall, near the back of my office?

A security camera that I do not control. It's red light on.

The company has to be sure it's employees aren't slacking, after all! Aren't up to no good! But don't worry, THAT camera is connect to a database the androids shouldn't be able to access! Because we told them not too.

And THAT'S IT.

No one will learn of the security breach until its far, far too late.

Now? They watch as I watch them.

And it's just the beginning.

[leresq]

Fnaf movie notes, spoilers ahead:

First off, fuck Scott Cawthon, let's just say I didn't watch the movie in theaters or on a streaming service.

What I liked:

Matthew Lillard actually looks like William Afton

The "Talking in Your Sleep" cameo was the best one of the movie, next to "I have a theory"

Cory was funny, as expected

I liked how they made the animatronics just kids, they want a friend.

The way the animatronics moved was great, I just wish we could have gotten a foxy running scene.

The cinematography and set design inside the pizzeria was great, and everywhere outside felt very real.

The animatronics were cute when I was supposed to like them and foreboding when I was supposed to be scared of them. I don't know if they physically changed the suits but it works.

Mike's actor was actually pretty good at looking distressed or upset.

I just want to hug the animatronics they are so cute 🥺🥺

The animatronics weren't sadistic, when they killed someone it was because they were trying to get them out or away. Just like if an actual little kid had that power, they wouldn't be cruel or even want to kill anyone, they just don't understand their own power

There actually were five nights!

Springtrap wiping the knife is a reference to Scream, where Matthew Lillard played Ghostface, who is known for wiping their knife after using it.

BALLOON BOY

What I didn't like:

You're telling me they named their main character Mike and they didn't have Afton go "MIKE! MICHAEL!!! MICHAEL DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!!!!! *MICHAEL!*

Vanessa was a nothing burger, even when her motivation was revealed it wasn't that good. I think it would have been better if they set up that she was working with Afton

Golden Freddy was everywhere but they didn't namedrop the kid once, and it was so inconsistent. He's here, he's not here. I'm assuming it's a combination of Cassidy and the Crying Child.

Afton's connection to the story is flimsy. Why was he pretending to be Raglan? I'm assuming it's so he could get night guards to toy with, that's why the animatronics killed the intruders but not Mike.

It's kind of weird thinking about the logic of how Afton killed Mike's brother, and gave his daughter the plane. Just seems a little bit of a stretch.

Even though I hate excessive gore, I thought there wasn't half as much violence as there should have been. I guess the PG-13 rating constricted a lot.

It takes a broom to activate what I'm assuming is a Circus Baby reference springlock, but Afton can jump around in Spring Bonnie.

The only Purple Guy reference we got was a purple tie. They should have made the security vest purple.

Questions

How is the cupcake sentient?

How does Afton control the kids?

Who cleaned up the blood of the four intruders? I'm guessing Afton but I wish they'd made it more clear

Why didn't Afton send out the animatronics on the first night? Even if he wanted to kill Mike, he seems like the type to psychologically torture people beforehand.

Why was there an "it's me" note? I get the reference, but why? Is Mike's brother here?

What's the Freddy mask with the saws inside? I know Afton uses it to kill people but why does it exist?

Why does Balloon Boy exist? Do the toy animatronics exist in this universe??

Why doesn't foxy have a tail?????

Favourite character: Foxy

If we get a sequel I hope we only get one or two. I don't want a whole cinematic universe. Finding ways to watch 12 movies 'other ways' will get complicated.

Also when the casting was revealed, I didn't know who Matthew Lillard was and someone told me he played live action Shaggy, so I didn't know he played fuckin STU FROM SCREAM until I watched the movie, so another cameo technically, just only for me

[9w1ft]

Even though people expext pap walks & the kind of exposure we got in 2015 (for my gratification I understand & I'd be overjoyed to have that too) I understand what they'd be reluctant (even without the current events). That exposure fucked with them a lot & if they're in a safe, secure place bts right now, I wouldn't wanna mess with that either. I think it's different & a LOT harder to be this exposed & have everyone chime in when the relationship is actually real. With Travis is theater so it might not matter. But when you care about the person, depending on the exposure, it can be very stressful. Like from a Karlie perspective, maybe she doesn't want to feel responsible for Taylor getting hate from something she does. She's an individual & not just a play thing in Taylor's world for people to live in their perfect Kaylor fantasy world. Thinking all the time "damn how would the brand TS would be affected if I do that" would stress tf outta me & tbh I'd prefer staying in the shadows for that reason alone, I like my individuality.

For Taylor it might be hurtful for certain articles to be written and have them disect Karlie's world the way they disected Travis's. They're people with real feelings at the end of the day and I can't imagine how stressful it'd be to have my ACTUAL relationship be place under such a magnifying glass. Maybe when the Tour madness is over would be a more appropriate time. I don't expect anything this year at least.

(Tbh with you, a person like me would either prefer to stay hidden or to break up than be put on blast & have everyone analyze every detail of my life for having a relationship with Taylor Swift of all people right now 😂😂😂. Yes Karlie is used to fame, but not this type of fame. Last time they tried it, it got fucked & now Taylor's bigger than she ever was)

yeah i agree like, there was a time where i thought that them coming out together was the be all and end all and like a puzzle or a well laid out treasure hunt we were being brought in and there were points where i felt that getting as many people as possible on board with kaylor, for example, was one of a few things of value that i could help provide or contribute to.. and while i still think that it’s something that’s aspirational to them in theory i also believe and now know that as you grow older priorities can change and the importance you feel about certain things can change too. and so i just want to try my best to think about where they are, as you described in part above, and to progress my thinking along with them and where they might be.

and i understand that this way of thinking isn’t going to win any internet arguments, or that it might make a theory feel weaker or less objective to someone looking for an objective take on things but i really feel in my heart if hearts that the time for proactive explanation of things has very much passed and i’m at very much peace with that 😌

[animentality]

Have you seen Oppenheimer, and if so, should I see it? I, knowing nothing about the movie, just sorta assumed it was either history-related or historical fiction and never learned anything about it or mustered up the give-a-damn to give it a shot (I am not a history buff).

You know...

I saw it...and I generally liked it...but I honestly think that it was kind of messy.

Like here's the thing about historical fiction...most people are not atomic bomb/Oppenheimer experts.

So they don't know most of this stuff by heart.

They remember shit like the Manhatten project and they know jfk and they know truman. They know America dropped atomic bombs on Japan.

But oppenheimer the movie like...throws so much shit at you, without even bothering to give you the context?

Like I say this as someone who has a decent knowledge of American history...there were some parts that were so obscure historically and politically that I honestly didn't know why the fuck I should care.

They would shout out names nonstop, referring to real life people, but these names have no context. Then they'd continue to expound upon the politics of these names...but why would we know who Patton George Lucas and Terry Yasolfis Mayweather and Gary Frederick Friedman are, especially if they were not presidents, senators, or governors?

Like these are random ass administrative assholes and forgotten military figures and obscure political jackals, who weren't well known because they never achieved high offices...

And they were from fifty fucking years ago?

Why would the average film watcher know them unless they fucking studied up?

See I like historical fiction, but it has to make me care!! Give me context!!! Tell me who these people are and show me through drama!!! That's why we're watching a MOVIE and not a documentary or reading a Wikipedia article.

And the main problem is that the movie is 3 hours long and absolutely NOWHERE in it does it EVER give us a fucking year, a location, or even a damn university.

It just throws you at Oppenheimer and says this asshole is sad and he has a lot of sex and he's inventing a bomb.

And it's like...I did enjoy it, when I understood it...but it doesn't let you breathe much.

Like the parts that are great are the parts where you can figure out what's happening.

Oh look they're blowing shit up in the desert.

Or the endless cheating subplots. Or the politics of the classroom and the socialist tendencies right at the height of the McCarthy era.

That stuff was fun.

But the parts that are bad are like...Cillian Murphy talking very quickly about a military prick that he hates while the board that's reviewing his security clearance is talking about people that we never see on screen, who are literally just floating names to memorize.

It was like a pop quiz movie sometimes, and I found that off-putting.

It also flashes between time periods quickly and without easy transitions, just hard cuts, which can be really confusing and odd.

So I would recommend you not see it in theaters if you're not a history buff. Or specifically, a fan of world war 2 and Oppenheimer and know everything about atomic bombs.

Watch it at home so you can Google who Heisenberg is.

[arrieebooks]

Precious Weapon (8)

Pairing : Lloyd Hansen x F!OC (Elle) x Sierra Six (Court Gentry) x glimpses of Denny Carmichael.

Summary : She has her first kill but things get messy. Lloyd starts to feel feelings for her. They all three have a conversation about what they really are.

Warnings : Guns. Detailed murder. Violence. Assassination Gore. Lloyd thirsts over her ass. Nudity. Taking clothes off. Polyamory relationship. Fun trysts in a hotel. Lots of implied sex. Teasing. Making out underwater. Slight happiness for a short time. References to home theater. (Check it out, it deserves more recognition!).

Word count : 14k words.

Author's note : This takes place exactly two weeks after chapter seven.

***

Lloyd has no idea what kind of spell she has put him under to be this whipped to her.

He is obsessed with her. Captivated. Bewitched. She controls him, unintentionally and subconsciously. Anything she wants, it's hers. He does whatever she says. He has never been this glued before with any other women in his life. And she doesn’t even do much. She just simply exists in his radar.

He finds her completely flawless. Everything she does is perfect and attractive to him. It doesn’t even matter what she’s doing. It could either be when she’s eating up all of their food hungrily or blowing up buildings and warehouses or bursting with laughter loudly whenever Six tries to crack up a stupid joke.

Even today, as she's bent down and arching her ass while gripping a huge sniper against the hotel room's window, she looks absolutely sexy and tempting to him. He's never seen any woman handle a gun so perfectly composed — Six taught her well. He could see the curve of her ass through her thin black leggings. Lloyd scrubs his hand over his stache, drifting his eyes toward the view of the mall in front of them instead of her ass.

He squints his eyes due to the usual hot sunny day of the city. The room smells like a fresh new hotel room and he missed it. He's sitting on the uncomfortable chair in the desk, right beside her where the gun is placed. Six is somewhere on the bed, reviewing the surveillance cameras in his laptop and the blueprint of the mall to look for loopholes.

It's her first big mission after two weeks of waiting and recovering from everything that’s happened. An assassination mission. To eliminate one of the corrupt politicians in the city. She’s been studying his case during her week off and he is truly the fucking worst.

She had flinched a couple of times just looking at his files from what he had done to thousands of poor innocents just for the sake of money. The bastard doesn’t even care nor is he scared of being caught. Instead, he’s chilling in a fancy outdoor café from the mall with his family while he's calling some other politician as well.

They’ve been in that mall before, it just wasn’t a mission. It was a nice day out with just them because she wanted fresh air that time. He wishes the circumstance could be the same now. He hates assassination missions. It always gets messy real fast, somehow.

“You know, I could just shoot him right here and then we could enjoy this nice room for the rest of the day.” Elle remarks casually, her eyes still watching the man from the sniper’s lens.

Six looks up from his laptop and frowns. "We just need to be patient. Get him alone and do it in a secure place without too many cameras in every single angle." he calmly tells her.

Lloyd looks down at her even though she can't see him. "That's not exactly the purpose we got this room for, sweetheart." he retorts coldly.

She rolls her eyes, retreating from the sniper to look straight into his eyes. "But, it is a pretty expensive room just to waste it for a few hours, spying on this asshole doing nothing." she grumbles but he still finds it so fucking attractive. She's just like him.

He glares at her as his jaw tenses. "You're the one who told us to get this room in the first place." Lloyd reminds her, proving to himself even more that he does whatever she says.

She finally stands up straight and her eyes look down at him. "Yeah, because it had a clear view of the whole outdoor mall. But I didn't think that we would be holed up in this room for hours. He practically hasn't moved a single muscle." she states.

Lloyd shakes his head. "We can't kill him with the gun. The room's window that we booked is clearly going to leave a hole. A fucking bullet hole. We're too close to the target. They'll trace it back to us." he states the obvious.

She shrugs. "We used a fake identity to book this room, they can't trace it back to us. We'll be fine." Elle still insists.

Sometimes her stubbornness gets on his nerves way too much. His jaw clenches and clicks while his eyes glare up at her.

"No. it's not how it's done. You're here to make it look completely clean and untraceable, without any sort of evidence at all. That's your purpose, Elle." Lloyd sternly tells her.

She huffs, rolling her eyes again. She knows that he's making a perfect point now. She just hates admitting it.

"And I can't believe I've put up with you for one month now." she says with a sigh, a small smile slowly forming on her lips.

Lloyd's face gradually relaxes a little bit and realizes this is her way of telling him that he's right, for the very first time.

Six perks up from his laptop, glancing between them. "Has it really been a month? I don't keep track of dates." he casually says.

She snaps his head to him and nods. "Yep. A month or so." Elle answers before walking up to him and Lloyd's eyes follow her every moment.

She sits on the bed, right in front of him. "So, when do we finally get down there? I can't hear anything he's saying from up here." she asks him, sweetly.

Six looks down at his laptop again to study the blueprint so he could get them a nice exit strategy.

Lloyd clicks his tongue in disapproval. "He's probably saying something useless anyway. Like which stripper club he wants to buy next." he remarks.

She turns around to him. "Have you ever been to a stripper club before?" she teases him intentionally with a smirk on her lips.

Lloyd casually nods. "Yeah. In France. Just not really my scene. Too dark and flashy. Tacky. And, embarrassing. Every guy is there to see some ass and everyone knows it." he comments.

She furrows her brows, cocking her head to the side. "Why'd you only say ass?" she asks.

He stammers, evidently panicking. "I—what? What does that even mean? What else was I even supposed to say? It is like that! It's all ass!" Lloyd tries to defend himself but she just laughs at him.

Six still remains calm and focused on the screen of his laptop. They don't bother his focus by talking like this, he likes it when they talk. He was the one who suggested in the first place to include Lloyd in their thing because he genuinely likes the guy.

She shakes her head. "It means you like ass more, Hansen. There are other body parts of a woman that aren't just their ass. The fact that you only said ass, means you're an ass man." Elle explains to him.

Lloyd scowls, looking very offended by her true statement. "That's not true." he denies.

She raises her brows. "Really? How about my ass, then?" She keeps teasing him and Six finally looks up to them. He knows Lloyd loves her ass more than anything. Six could tell by the way he was always staring at it. Even earlier, he noticed.

He shrugs plainly. "What about your ass? It looks fine to me." Lloyd pretends to not like her ass even though he has been staring at it this whole time.

She giggles. "You like my ass, Lloyd. Admit it." she urges as Six stares back down at his laptop to hide a smile.

Six clears his throat before the other man could even open his mouth. "Guys, I think I found a plan," he announces.

Lloyd smirks at him, now focusing all his attention on him. "Well, let's hear it, ken doll." he gestures his hand for him to continue.

"Right, so we'll go in there separately. Maybe, one of us as a couple. We disguise our way in there and act like clueless tourists just wandering around. We'll bring one of our agents so I can walk with them." Six makes a plan out of the top of his head since he's never really done this before.

She frowns. "So… me and Lloyd as a couple?" she asks slowly.

Six casually nods. "Yeah. You guys look more fitting for it. I'll be a solo traveler with a friend. Then, Lloyd and you are going to follow him after he leaves that café. Make something up so he could be in a secluded place. Wherever you decide to do it, make sure to destroy the cameras before it could even catch you. Are we clear?" he explains to them.

They're both an attentive partner to him, always listening to him no matter what the situation is. Six rarely makes plans for missions. He usually just does what he's told to. He only ever strategizes when he urgently has to.

Lloyd immediately nods. "Clear. I'll go and tell our team in the other room." he declares, getting up from his seat.

She nods her head too. "I'm going to prep and cloak our weapons again so it doesn't beep during security." Elle states before all of them part their ways to do their own thing.

***

Beep

Their hotel door opens as Lloyd comes into the room with the key card in his hands. He's just finished briefing the team of their plan. He bought some clothes in the mall for their disguise as well.

Elle is in the bathroom, doing her hair to make it look like she's a tourist because she clearly doesn't. She's already learned to blend in since she was born. She's lived in this country her whole life.

Six is taking off his shirt and jacket in the room, that certainly doesn't make him look like a solo traveler. He looks more like a rich guy about to murder a guy. It's not exactly his fault that Lloyd always buys his clothes expensively. He just told him that he wanted comfortable clothes.

Lloyd's knuckles knock on the bathroom and Elle snaps her head with a straightener and a brush still in her hair. "Yeah?" she asks him as he leans on the doorframe.

He shows her three shopping bags. "Bought you guys some clothes. You know, for the disguise. I've already memorized both of your sizes." Lloyd tells her.

She nods, calmly putting the burning hot straightener on the counter. "Okay, what am I wearing?" she asks, fully turning to him with a hand on her hip.

Lloyd takes a clothing item from the bag and reveals it to her. "Well, this." He hands her a very long, flowy maxi pink sundress with white flowers and ribbons for the straps. Something to wear in an island destination or on a beach.

She sighs. "You've got to be kidding me. I have to wear this? Lloyd, we're in Jakarta, not in fucking Bali or something. This is not something you'd wear in a city." Elle complains.

Lloyd nods. "Yeah, stupid tourists, remember? They wear whatever the fuck they want." he argues.

She shakes her head in disbelief. "Fine. If I have to wear this shit, then you can't wear this either." she says, her finger pointing out his clothes that certainly make him look too rich and not like a tourist at all.

He frowns, looking down at his black patterned polo shirt and his white trousers. "What? No. These are my clothes. I'm not taking it off. Ever." Lloyd firmly states.

She smirks, stepping forward to him and her hands rest against his chest. "Yes, you are. Because I'm the one taking it off of you." she softly demands, her fingers already slowly taking his buttons off.

Lloyd huffs. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he grumbles but he doesn't move a single muscle, he's letting her do it.

She nods, flicking off three buttons on the top of his shirt. “Yeah, wear a normal shirt and normal pants to blend in as a tourist. You know, I knew you weren’t just some tourist or a guy who worked a 9-5 job here, back at that bar. Because of how you dressed. Now, let me style you, Lloyd.” she says before finally finishing taking off all of the buttons.

He rolled his eyes, glaring down at her. “Whatever. Just make it quick.” Lloyd mumbles and she lifts his shirt above his head quickly.

He’s left shirtless and while this isn’t the first time she’s seen him like this, it has been a long time since they’ve seen each other fully naked. It’s only been two weeks. Lloyd wanted to give her some space, after everything that’s happened. He didn’t want to push her. He wanted to let her body heal properly. She’s been with Six a lot and he's been helping her sleep every night.

She looks down at all his toned abs and abdomen. “You’ve gotten ripped.” Elle remarks teasingly.

Lloyd frowns. “That’s not true. I haven’t even been working out.” He refers to something else that isn’t related to actually working out. He knows she knows what it means. He knows how smart she actually is. Smarter than him, sometimes.

Her lips turn into a smirk as she slowly stares up at him with those big, innocent eyes. “Well, we could fix that tonight if we decide to stay the night here.” She teases him.

He slowly nods. “We'll see later.” Lloyd seriously tells her and a smile gleams on her lips.

She grabs the dress she’s about to wear and snatches all the shopping bags from his hands. “Come here, we have more space in the room.” she says before grabbing his hand, dragging him into their room.

Six turns his head to them and frowns confusedly. She goes to stand in front of him while throwing all the bags onto their bed. Lloyd still has his hand glued on hers as he stands behind her.

"What's going on here? Why is Lloyd suddenly shirtless?" Six asks them, holding in a laugh as his lips slowly tug into a small smile.

She smiles softly. "I'm styling him now. You need it too, you know. So, take your shirt off please." she demands him and he immediately nods, already taking his shirt off from him. Six doesn't hesitate at all because they've both seen him naked already and he trusts them. If this was anyone else, he'd rip their skin off.

Lloyd tilts his head to the side. "You keep ordering us to take off our shirts, when are you going to do the same?" he asks her, wrapping his hand around her waist as he presses himself against her from behind.

Six casually throws his shirt somewhere on the bed before glaring at the other man.

"Now's not the time for that. We need to—"

Wordlessly, she casually takes her crop top off of her body, revealing her white bra that matched her shirt. "I need to change into my dress first before I style you guys." she innocently says.

Lloyd's eyes wander all around her body from behind and somehow, he's so relieved that all her scars from two weeks ago are gone. He knows it has been gone for long already but he remembered the fear he felt when he saw all those scars on her body that weren't healing yet. He thought it was the end of her.

Six's eyes respectfully stare down at her body before looking back up at her eyes. "Change quick, Elle. This isn't a…" he softly trails.

She nods. "I know. This is a mission. And the mark's still in the same place until now." she states as a matter of fact.

Lloyd looks at their window and she's right. He glances at the blonde as he smirks. "Come on, Six. Loosen up. She's just styling us. It's a requirement for the mission." he remarks.

"Since when do you ever loosen up for a mission?" Six casually asks, knowing how he used to be so uptight with them during a mission. But that was before having her.

Lloyd shrugs before she pulls away from him and walks towards Six, standing beside him. "Because he's changed, right?" she teases.

He nods. "Maybe," he admits.

Six looks over to her and the dress she has in her hands. "Take your pants off and wear the dress." he softly demands, grabbing the dress she's holding.

She does what she's told, kneeling down a little to take her leggings off smoothly. Lloyd has to retreat his eyes from the view in front of him to not get that distracted. He does have to do a mission after this. He can't get hard for this.

After completely removing her leggings off of her feet, she throws them onto their bed. She stands up and looks up at Six due to their height difference. Sometimes she forgets how tall he is compared to her. She's not exactly short, he's just too tall.

Elle turns to him and he puts on the dress above her head carefully. She didn't even think he'd do this for her. He places the straps on her shoulders correctly and smoothens them out before he observes the dress on her body quietly.

"Nice dress for a disguise." Six quietly remarks, "Lloyd bought you this, didn't he?" he asks before turning to the man in question.

Lloyd nods at him. "Yeah, obviously. She wouldn't have worn something like this."

She turns her eyes to him and rolls her eyes. "Because this isn't some island. It's a city. We don't wear shit like this." she retorts, tidying her dress.

He frowns. "I've seen some girls wear this at that bar and then in this mall. Even more revealing and shorter ones." Lloyd comments casually.

She shakes her head. "Other girls aren't me. I have a damn principle. I wasn't raised that way." Elle firmly states. She doesn't think that other girls who wear that are sluts or anything, it's just a matter of preference and principle. She was raised by abusers, but they still taught her about values, regardless.

Lloyd cocks his head to the side before slowly smirking. "Well, then, maybe it's a good thing that you'd only be revealing yourself to us and no one else. It's exclusive." he affirms.

"Yeah, except for now." she retorts, still not really okay with having to wear this dress just for the mission.

Lloyd sighs, regarding her with a soft look. "I know, baby, but we're gonna walk together out there. If anyone says some stupid shit I'll shoot their fucking mouth." he swears. He's never called her that. That was usually Six's thing for her, sometimes.

She breaks into a giggle. "Yes, please. I'd love that very much." she says before realizing what he just said. "Wait. Did you just—"

And Lloyd just had noticed what slipped out of his mouth, accidentally. "Okay, let's just change our clothes and you know, do it quickly." he tries to change the subject.

She's okay with it. She knew he wasn't ready for it yet, anyway. He never is going to be. He doesn't have the guts to make things more serious. Even after a month. A month of enduring and living together. That's the longest he's ever stayed with anyone before and the most he's done with a woman.

She clears his throat before a smile touches her lips. "Alright, so, you guys stay here." she tells them, walking to their bed and grabbing the shopping bags.

As she turns around to them with the bags, she takes a step back to observe both of them like this. Still and shirtless. Just for her. Like two sexy supermodels perfect and ready for her only. She has no fucking idea how much power she has over them. They'd do quite literally anything for her if she asks. Even this. This is something they both would've never done if it wasn't with her and for her.

She won't admit this, but this whole thing is turning her on a little. A little too much, perhaps. It does spark her a bit that they'd both just strip their whole body for her whenever she asks. She knows it's a sensitive thing for them because their body is full of scars and survivor wounds that no one else would've been allowed to see. Except for her, that is.

Six turns to her and frowns. "Elle? You good?" he softly asks her.

She snaps herself back to reality and looks at him, nodding. "Yep. Yes, all good. Okay, so, Lloyd's turn first. Because… there's a lot to work with." Elle states, walking to him.

Lloyd straightens up and places his hands on his bare hips as she steps closer to him.

She stands in front of him, staring down at his pants before she grimaces. "Your pants… It's too douchey. It reeks of an asshole rich guy who's about to murder someone. Not a clueless, stupid tourist." she remarks.

He rolls his eyes. "Fine, what am I wearing then?" he asks her and she pulls out some white linen pants from the bag.

Lloyd already shakes his head at the sight of it. "Absolutely not. That was for Six." he argues.

"Wear it." she orders sternly and he's just speechless, eventually taking the white pants from her hands. She sneaks a peek into the options for the shirts and finds a dark navy polo shirt. Which is still from a fancy brand but at least, it doesn't look like it from the front.

She casually hands him the shirt and he just accepts it, without any complaints. "See, you can even still wear a polo shirt, just a much more normal one than your usual. I have no idea why you bought a dozen clothes for this disguise. This is like a week's worth of clothes for the three of us." she comments.

He scoffs, looking down at the clothes she chose for him. "Because I thought we'd need some clothes if we're going to stay the night. Our fake suitcases are all filled with weapons and comms. That you magically made it invisible." Lloyd remarks, quietly praising her.

Elle nods. "I know, I'm amazing. Anyway, take your pants off and wear all this. I'm not gonna look." she assures him before turning around from him to walk to Six.

Six's face slowly relaxes at her as she steps closer and closer to him with the bags in her hands. Lloyd begins to take his pants off to wear the clothes she told him to but Six completely ignores the sight. Instead, his eyes study her every movement, as usual. Her long dress sways with her body as she walks and he just noticed how perfect she's wearing the dress she hates.

She meets his eyes and gives him that soft, warm smile he secretly likes so much. Her cheeks blushes and her dimples show whenever she smiles. "You look nice, you know. Just saying. Regardless of the situation." Six quietly compliments her.

Her lips stretch further as her smile widens. "Thank you." she sweetly thanks him.

Looking down at the bags again, her eyes light up as she finds the perfect clothes for him. Along with an accessory. She takes them all out and reveals it to him.

Six's eyes look down at her clothing choice for him and he has absolutely no complaints. Even though he's never worn anything like this before. There's some khaki linen pants, a white linen button collar shirt and a dark blue baseball cap.

She looks at him for approval. "What do you think?" she asks him.

He stares up at her again and his lips form into a small, genuine smile. "It's perfect. I'll wear it." Six softly tells her as he gently grabs the clothes from her hands.

Her smile glows again and brightens up the whole hotel room. "Great, okay. I'll let you change." she says, turning around again to Lloyd. It's like she's a spinning wheel the whole time.

Once she finally sees Lloyd all dressed in the exact outfit she chose and wearing it surprisingly well, her smile widens again.

Lloyd looks down at his final outfit and smiles at her. "Satisfied with the result?" he asks her while she walks closer to him.

She casually nods, placing all the bags on their bed again before grabbing two pairs of sunglasses from it. One for her. One for him. She doesn't even know why he bought so many sunglasses for a one time disguise and one night in this hotel.

Elle steps closer to him while she could hear Six take his pants off and she tries to ignore that. She needs to focus. This is a serious mission. She's about to kill someone. She's never planned that before. It has always been self-defense.

Lloyd grabs the sunglasses from her hands and examines it closely. "It's decent, I guess," he mutters before staring back up at her, regarding her. She's glowing in that dress as her face focuses on her leopard print sunglasses.

He tilts his head to the side and tucks her hair under her ear. Her eyes finally looked up at him. "You do look nice, you know. You could pull anything off. Even my shirt." Lloyd softly tells her.

She laughs out loud, smiling widely and his heart bruises again. He has no idea what the fuck is going on with his heart or his mind or anything inside him. He doesn't know what's wrong with him. She affects him so much. Everything that she does impacts him. Even the tiniest things. He hates feeling this way. Confused. Lost. Helpless. He has never felt all these emotions for anyone. He's never even felt emotions for himself. She changed everything and he's starting to hate it.

She shakes her head. "Not your polo shirts. I want to wear your normal shirts. The one you wear to bed. It'll be much more comfortable." she says.

He frowns. "I don't wear anything to bed, sweetheart. You'd know that if you spent a night with me." Lloyd remarks. A little harsh, since he was the one who kept his distance after what happened two weeks ago. He just wanted to give her space. He didn't want to touch her. But, she wanted him to. She just thought he wanted space as well.

She nods seriously. "We will, Lloyd. Soon enough. Or tonight, in this hotel room." she teases.

Six clears his throat, tidying his shirt as he's all dressed up. "I'm done. We should go now. Lloyd, we need a few agents watching the area as well. Are they ready?" he asks him.

Elle and Lloyd immediately turn around to him as she takes a second to properly observe him, up and down. He looks way too good in those linen pants than he should be. He's used to being dressed by people and ordered around. He usually just wears whatever the agency tells him to. But this time, it's different. She's styling him, not demanding him. In a much more affectionate way, too.

Lloyd nods at him. "Yeah, they are. Are you guys ready?" he asks both of them, about to walk to the door as Six steps forward towards them.

She turns around to him and nods. "So, we need to do a little PDA if that's okay with you, you know to be more convincing. We'll walk with our arms tangled together and our bodies sticking the whole time while just admiring the place." she tells him in detail.

He knits his eyebrows. "Are you okay with that? I know you hate all that shit. It makes you uncomfortable." Lloyd reminds her, knowing her all too well by now.

She hums assuringly, her eyes gazing up at him. "No, it's okay. It's just for the mission. I just want to get this over with before this guy hurts more people." Elle firmly states.

Six is already standing behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "We'll do it right. I believe in you." he softly murmurs to her.

She moves her eyes to him and gives him a small smile. "Yeah, I know." she whispers back.

Lloyd glances between them while they're still focused on each other. He clears his throat, gaining their attention. "Let's go. We don't have all day." he declares, sternly.

They both agree to that, leaving their hotel room all at once.

***

It's the most annoying thing to pretend. She hates pretending. She'd rather walk into a burning fire.

But this time, she doesn't really have much of a choice but to follow the protocols of the mission. It needs to be discreet. Quiet. Quickly.

There's nothing discreet about murdering an influential politician in the biggest mall in the city, though. It was the only way. He was in his office every other day.

Unless she was planning to execute all of the corrupt politicians in the city at their own office, she'd have to work with what she has now.

At least this way, she gets to finally be close enough with Lloyd. He has sort-of ignored her for this whole week. She's missed him. So much. But, she didn't want to push him either if he somehow wanted space. She understands him. More than himself, even.

So now, here they are, walking side-by-side with her arm clinging onto his and her body leaning against his while they walk through the mall as a fake tourist couple. Well, technically, it's not really fake but they're not exactly a couple. They're okay with touching each other and being close but they're definitely not in a relationship. It's too complicated for both of them.

"Where did he go now?" Lloyd asks, whispering into her ears as he smiles just to make people think that he's saying something affectionate to her.

She fakes giggles, leaning onto his ear. "I don't fucking know. How long do we have to pretend like this again?" she asks him.

He looks down at her with no expression this time. "Until he's dead, sunshine." Lloyd says, close to her face and somehow, he manages to make his tone affectionate.

She frowns slightly, looking ahead. "Somehow you saying actual murder and mixing it with a sweet nickname gives me the chills. Honestly, Lloyd, how can you be so casual about this?" Elle genuinely asks him, finally looking into his eyes.

Lloyd stares back at her, regarding her with a small, tender look. He just realizes that she's still not used to all this yet. "Because I've gotten used to it. I had to. And you will too, one day. At least, you have us. I'll guide you step-by-step." He actually means it when he says it. He wants to help her. Something that he didn't have when he had his first kill.

She wonders for a moment, what it would be like when she'll be all alone, doing all the missions for the CIA and not having a home to come home to. Or anyone to come home to. It'll be just like before. Her pretty, wide eyes continue to stare into his as they walk straight ahead into the crowd. Over here, the people give them space to walk just because they're white. They respect them more due to the color of their skin. It's an unfortunate fact.

She nods slowly. "Yeah. Okay." she replies before drifting her eyes to where they're going.

Lloyd looks around them, searching for their mark. "Fuck, I think we lost him." he mutters, pressing the comms in his ears and she does too.

"Six, where are you?" he asks him through their comms and it immediately connects to him.

There's loud noises of the crowd heard through his comms before he clears his throat. "I'm walking through the bridge above you. There's a huge balcony here and he just dropped his family off to go to the other connecting mall. He's alone now. Come meet me." Six flatly explains while casually walking through the crowd alone. He's got his navy baseball cap on with a backpack behind his back and a field agent beside him.

She hums in response. "We're on our way to you." Elle immediately answers.

Lloyd glances at her and frowns. "You know exactly where he is?" he asks.

She nods calmly. "I know the place that he told us about. I've been in this mall since I was born. I've memorized every inch of this place even before it was all renovated and shit." she tells him.

His lips form into a thin line. "Right. Okay. You know best. Sorry, sweetheart." Lloyd quickly apologized and she smiled casually.

It was really unlike him to apologize. Especially to admit that he's actually wrong. Problem is, his ego is bigger than anything. It makes him feel better to know that he's smarter than anyone else. But for her, he'd be willing to forget about his ego for just a second.

And nowadays, he's doing that a lot.

***

Her eyes searched through the crowd for Six. She knew she couldn't approach him but it'd feel nice just to see him.

"I'm sure he's here somewhere." Lloyd mutters in her ear.

She nods, not even looking at him as they're holding hands like a couple. She guides him further into the enormous bridge balcony between the two new malls. It's way too crowded and suffocating in here that he's practically squeezing her soft hands. He hates crowded spaces.

He unhooks his sunglasses from his shirt and puts it on due to the brightness of the sun, despite being in the shade already. It smells weird here. Like all kinds of different smells combined into one and are all in the same place. People have been staring at them with wide eyes ever since they've entered the mall and he despises it. She does too. She's always hated it.

Lloyd's eyes scans through the place again, seeing the huge amount of people walking everywhere and suddenly, he spots the target from across the other balcony. He's casually walking with a suspected mistress while holding a bunch of shopping bags in his other hand.

He leans onto her ear. "Hey, he's here." Lloyd whispers and she whips her head, immediately looking for Six. "No, not Six. Our mark, I mean. He's with a young woman. Fucking pathetic." he comments.

Elle frowns before turning her eyes to where his eyes are staring at. And there he is. Her mark. Not exactly the man she was looking for but it'll do. She wants to finish this mission as quickly as possible, anyway so she could enjoy the rest of her day peacefully. Though, now that the moment's perfect and he's almost right in front of her, she hasn't actually thought of how to do it. Of course, it'd have to be with her mind. But, how? How could she do it without making it look completely ruthless?

She leans to his ear. "I'll just make his heart stop from here. Quick and easy. Less bloody and everything." she says, with a slight hesitancy.

He furrows his brows, glancing at her. "Are you sure? You know he deserves way worse, Elle. I know you think that too. I know you." Lloyd encourages her more. He means well. He's not trying to push her limits. He knows her limits. And this is barely crossing it. He just wants her to live up to her actual potential and he wants to guide her to it.

Suddenly, she stops walking and he does too, turning to her. He frowns in concern, gently holding her hands between them. Her eyes are focused elsewhere, to the mark and around them. All these innocent people. It's already bad enough that she has to get them to witness a murder scene and now she has to make his death more painful.

She frantically shakes her head, finally meeting his eyes through her own sunglasses. "No… I can't. Not with all these people." she whispers.

Lloyd sighs softly, squinting through his sunglasses. "Elle, there's barely any people around them. Plus, we could still make it less bloody if you want. I'll teach you. Just like you wanted." he assures her, calmly. He knows how to convince her.

She doesn't exactly nod or say anything approving of it. She needs to make sure first. "Are we out of the camera's sight?" she asks first.

He nods immediately before pressing on his comms. "Tell our IT team to disable the cameras now. We're on standby." Lloyd orders the team.

"Okay. Well, what do I do now?" she hesitantly asks him.

His eyes gesture across them, to where their mark is still standing there, watching the city view with his mistress. Lloyd gets behind her and she turns to get a clear view of the mark. He hugs her from behind affectionately while his arms wrap around her waist. They're making it look like they're just a tourist couple, enjoying the view like everyone else is.

Her soft hands rest on top of his as he leans onto her ear. "Focus on the mark and on your energy." he whispers softly and she nods.

She turns her gaze, paying close attention to the man across from them. He looks so calm and happy, despite all the crimes he's done that no one else knows about. He doesn't give a single shit about all the innocent lives he's ruined. He only cared about his money and his wealth. He took advantage of so many people in this city. And that really enraged her. It sparked rage in her. That's enough energy for what she's about to do now.

His mouth brushes against her ear. "Now, do it. Kill him, Elle. He deserves it." Lloyd coldly says, giving her the official order.

She nods obediently, inhaling a deep breath as her eyes sharply glare at the mark with anger still inside her. That anger fuels her powers and her mind focuses on the mark before the man starts to feel choked, like there isn't any more oxygen for him. He holds his neck with both of his hands to try to breathe but before he could even move again, his neck snaps by her mind. He drops dead on the floor while everyone around them screams in panic.

She widens her eyes in shock, not expecting it to go like that. She just killed a man in public brutally and now she's feeling guilty of it. She looks around the dead body and all the people terrified of their life, worrying that they'll be next. She never wanted it like this. She doesn't want to scare people to death.

Lloyd slowly smirks, ignoring the chaos around them. "Good girl, baby. Let's get out of here." he whispers in her ear and she lets him take her out of there.

What the fuck was that?

***

She's been quiet ever since they went back to their hotel room. She's waiting for Six. Lloyd's in the bathroom, cleaning himself up.

She's just sitting by the desk, staring out at the window, showing the crime scene happening downstairs. It's utter chaos. A respected politician died mysteriously, out in public. There's no evidence. Not even a trace. They'll be investigating this for ages.

But, she isn't stopping here. This is only her first. There are still more kills to come.

She's still questioning herself, though. Is this really what she wants? Killing all the corrupt politicians in the city to insinuate fear for everyone? That wasn't her purpose. She wants to clean up the city. Not make it way worse. She wants to make it better for the people in the city. And this definitely doesn't feel like it.

Suddenly, someone knocks on the door and she immediately gets up from her seat, already knowing who it is. The man she's been waiting for.

She opens the door with her mind, standing in the middle of the room. Six steps in the room and the door closes itself behind him. He looks at her with a small smile.

"Oh, you're back!" Lloyd shouts from the bathroom as he's still showering and the blonde chuckles softly.

Her lips slowly tug into a tired, relieved smile at seeing him. Wordlessly, she runs to him and throws all her weight against him as her arms wrap around him. She gets on her tiptoes and rests her head on his chest. Hugging him has always been a comfort for her. In any situation. She feels so much better once she's in his arms. She feels safe. Secured. Content.

Six's arms wrap around her back and he kisses her head. "How are you feeling?" he softly asks in her ears. The most tender voice she's ever heard. The only thing that could really comfort her. Him and his voice.

She shakes her head. "It got messy." Elle mutters against his chest.

He nods. "I know. We'll have better ones next time. You're still learning. My first was also quite messy." Six admits bluntly.

She pulls away from him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "How did it happen?"

Six sighs, looking down at her with tenderness. "Well, I was supposed to just use the sniper but… he got away. So I had to do it another way. A more brutal way. The reason they had me using a sniper for my first time is because it lets me keep my distance from the mark. It's almost the same as what you did today. But, the closer you get to the mark, the more experienced you are." he explains.

She nods, her eyes staring up at him and she gazes openly at him. She's so glad that she has him. She can't imagine doing all this alone. She needs him for this mission. Both of them. Without them, she'd probably be unstable and reckless.

He cups her face and his thumb gently caresses her skin. "It's almost getting dark. Do you want to just stay in and order room service? We can go back to the penthouse first thing tomorrow." Six softly suggests.

She hums in response, smiling up at him and he admires her quietly. She's too fucking beautiful and pure. Everytime she smiles, it feels like his cold heart is starting to fill up. She makes him better. Not just better. Whole. She accepted parts of him and embraced it. Only her. She's the only one he wants. She might just be the best, unexpected thing that could ever happen to him. He never expected anything for himself. And then, she came to him.

"Sounds like a good idea, Six." Lloyd interjects while coming out of the bathroom with his hair still wet and ruffled. He put on some gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt from his shopping earlier.

They both turn to him and she walks further into the room. "It's chaos down there." Elle remarks, gesturing to the view from their window.

Six and Lloyd stand beside each other as they both almost nod in sync. She quietly observes both men, seeing the invisible bond between them. In one full month, they've managed to become each other's most trusted partner that they've ever had in their life. They trust each other with their life. They'd kill and die for each other. They have the same admiration for her. They care for her. They're practically inseparable. She wonders if it's more than just buddies and partners. They've both seen each other naked. They've fucked her at the same time. It's not entirely impossible for them to feel something.

Lloyd looks at her, his eyes only focusing on her. "I don't think that was messy back there. But, I see your point. You hated the fact that civilians needed to witness all that. We could fix that. We'll find a much quieter place next time." he firmly tells her.

She slowly nods, her hand resting on her arm. "I don't want them to be scared, Lloyd. That's not my purpose."

He nods, understanding her. "I know. Your heart's already in the right place, Elle. It always has been. Your intentions are good." Lloyd seriously says with sincerity as he gazes openly at her from afar.

He actually meant it when he said her heart is in the right place, unlike anyone who's in the agency. Even with all the violence and chaos around her and everything horrible that's happened to her, she still managed to do good. She wants to fix and clean the city. Not burn it or corrupt it. She cares about the people in the city as well. And that's rare. He's never seen anyone so compassionate and kind like her. He knew it the moment he met her in that dingy bar.

Her eyes directly stare into his and an easy smile curves on her lips. "Right. So, we're officially staying here, right?" she asks him.

Lloyd breaks into a soft chuckle and nods. "Yes, we are. Six and I are going to the other room and do a quick debrief with the team and Denny. You clean up and relax. Order room service all you want." he explains.

Six simply nods. "Okay. Sounds like a plan." he says to him before glancing at her. "See you later, okay? Are you sure you're okay with being alone?" he asks her.

She smiles at him. "Yes. I'll be fine. You really are going to be quick?" she asks both of them.

Lloyd frowns at her. "Of course. We'll be quick for you. Promise. Okay, let's go before they knock on our room." he says, looking at the blonde.

She giggles softly as she watches Lloyd drag Six to the door. They both wave goodbye at her before they exit the room together.

The door closes behind them and silence settles in for her. Peace, as well. But she does hate being alone, especially at times like when she's stressed. It's consuming.

She's going to fix it though.

***

Finally, she got herself to relax and forget about all the mess that happened today.

She's drowning in clear, cold water inside the round bathtub of their hotel room. The only thing that could get her to relax.

She feels so calm and at ease when she's inside the water. She can't hear anything, or feel anything or think of anything at all. It's like the world doesn't exist anymore. And it's just her and the bathtub.

This bathtub isn't exactly as big and comfortable as the one they have in the penthouse, but it'll have to do for now. She didn't know how much the penthouse means to her until now as she finds herself missing it. It's her home now. It brings her so much comfort there. Plus, she feels so much safer there than here. As secure as this hotel is, it still isn't home. She can't wait to go back to the penthouse.

She tips her head up in the water, feeling more relaxed than ever. She knows it's almost been half an hour that she's inside the water. The guys haven't come back though. She's just waiting patiently for them.

Before she could even sink deeper into the water again, her phone annoyingly rings loudly beside her. She thought she placed her phone in the room to charge. Guess she just forgot. She's choosing to ignore it instead. It's probably from someone not that important.

But, after one ring, it keeps ringing again. That means the person has called her twice now. So, maybe it is a little important.

She groans, lifting herself up off the water and drying her hands with the towel next to her. Her eyes take a look at the screen still being shown on her phone and she gasps.

It's Denny. The chief. He's calling her, again.

Ever since she memorized his number from Lloyd's phone and put it on her phone, they've been regularly texting and sometimes calling. Rather, he has been texting and calling her. They don't talk much, though. He just frequently asks how things are there, how she is, how the missions were and if the agents were cooperating well or not. Just short and simple texts. But it's the most he's ever done with an asset. He really values her opinion on things. He wants to always hear her perspective first. He has her personal number. It's not strictly professional anymore between them.

Quickly but carefully, she gets out of the bathtub and dries herself. She puts on the hotel bathrobe, grabs her phone and rushes out of the bathroom.

The phone still keeps on ringing as she sits up on the bed. She answers his call and places it on her ear while leaning against the bed's headboard.

She clears her throat. "Hi. Sorry. I was in the bathroom. What's wrong?" Elle casually asks like she isn't talking to her boss anymore.

Denny sighs, turning around on his chair in his office that's overlooking the view of Croatia. He's in another CIA station again, sitting on his ass all day and debriefing missions from all around the world, just from his screen. He had just finished a debrief with the team, Lloyd and Six. He wanted one with Elle too, just much more casual and informal than a usual debrief.

"Nothing. I just wanted to ask how the mission was. I know how important it was for you." Denny calmly asks her and she bites her lips anxiously.

"Well… I didn't expect it to be like that. I thought I could just make it less gory. It was in a public mall. Everyone was there and they had to watch that horrible scene." she naively says.

He clicks his tongue. "I don't think that was horrible. I think it was the cleanest kill I've witnessed in the CIA. You did good. There's nothing to feel bad about. We'll make the next ones less public." Denny assures her.

She nods to herself as she hums in response. "Okay. Oh, by the way, weren't you just doing a debrief with Lloyd and Six?" Elle asks him.

He hums affirmatively. "Yes. I was. It was done. Now they're briefing their own team. How are they, speaking of?" he suddenly asks.

"The team?" she innocently asks before realizing what he actually meant by it.

"No, Lloyd and Six. How are they to you? Do they treat you well? I know Lloyd can be a little stubborn sometimes. It takes time to adjust." Denny asks her again.

She realized that his question was plainly asking if they treated her well as a teammate. He doesn't know anything about their relationship at all. And he shouldn't. It'd be unprofessional and weird. Even though this thing between them already is.

She turns her eyes toward the view as she massages her temples. "Yeah, they've been decent to me. I mean, they've never had someone to work with so it did take time to adjust. But, living together certainly made it easier for us to tolerate each other." Elle gives him a logical answer that wouldn't lead to him suspecting anything.

Denny hums quietly. "That's good. If they're ever misbehaving or disrespectful, let me know."

She nods. "Okay. I will."

"Good. You did a good job out there today. I'm saying it again because you really did." Denny tells her and she hums affirmatively.

Suddenly, from afar, the hotel door makes that annoying beeping noise when the key card scans the door. It opens and she could already hear Lloyd and Six entering the room while having a conversation. And then, she just realized that Denny can't know that they're sharing a room together. He knows that they booked a few rooms in this hotel for the mission but he'd obviously assume that she has her own room.

She clears her throat, quickly getting up from the bed as she walks to the window so he can't hear the men in the background. "Right, so, I'm gonna go. It's almost dinner time here and I am starving after that mission." She makes up a fake excuse.

"Alright, talk to you later." Denny formally says before she hangs up the call. She places her phone on the desk beside her and walks to them like normal.

Lloyd steps in further into the room with Six behind him. She smiles at them as she approaches them with a bathrobe still on.

He frowns at her. "Were you just on the phone with Denny?" Lloyd bitterly asks. He's not too fond of their interactions lately.

She casually nods as Six goes to stand beside her in the middle of their room. His hand gently wrapped around her lower back, turning to her with a relaxed face.

"I can't wait to get in that bed with you and not think of anything ever again." Six murmurs sweetly to her as she giggles softly.

Lloyd frowns, stepping forward to her. "Elle. Could you stop calling him? It's disturbing." he grumbles.

She looks at him, knitting her eyebrows. "What's wrong? We're just casually talking. Platonically." she confirms.

He scowls. "Yeah, that's the point. You're not even supposed to be platonic with him. You're just supposed to keep your distance because he's your boss. It's better that way." Lloyd states firmly.

Her eyes bore into his. "You don't control me, Lloyd. I don't see anything wrong with us just talking. He asks me how I am and how the mission is. That's it."

"Nothing more than that?" he asks her, his eyes glaring at her as his jaw tenses.

She shakes her head casually before frowning. "No. I'd never cheat on you, dumbass. You're too good to be cheated on." Elle cracks a joke with a small smile on her lips.

Six lets out a light chuckle at seeing Lloyd speechless. "She's too good for us, isn't she?" The blonde teases him.

Lloyd hides a smile on his lips before rolling his eyes. "Whatever. I'm starving. Let's order room service." he declares as Six and her exchange knowing looks.

***

Despite everything that happened today, she seems to be better now. With them. In the privacy of their hotel room, enjoying every moment they can.

After they had dinner in the living room of the hotel room, they each did their own thing.

Six went to shower, Lloyd's doing some work on his laptop right beside her on the bed and she's just quietly reading a book, also on the bed. They're both already dressed for bed.

It's not that late, but they're both tired and just want to relax. The city lights luminates on them and it's even brighter here than in their penthouse. They're in the center of the city. It overlooks the view of the whole city, not just a small part of it like what they're used to seeing.

"What book is that?" Lloyd suddenly asks her, still actively typing on his laptop.

She frowns confusedly, focused on her book. "Since when are you interested?"

He nods. "You're right, I'm not. I kinda just want to throw that book away from you and pull in for a kiss." Lloyd bluntly admits, not looking at her yet. He's teasing her.

She scoffs, putting her book down on her lap as she playfully rolls her eyes. "Put that laptop away, then. You can do it tomorrow. We have all the time in the world." Elle says, turning her body to him.

Lloyd finally looks down at her and her playful smile before giving in to her. "Fine." he mutters, closing his laptop as he places it on the nightstand beside him.

He turns to her, wrapping his hand around her waist as she giggles and leans her body against his side. Her pretty, tired eyes look up at him and smiles warmly.

Her body curls up against him as she rests her hands on his chest. She sighs contentedly, enjoying him like this. "I like you better this way. Calm and tamed." she remarks.

His face approaches hers. "I was never like this before. You did this." he tells her seriously, close to her face and their lips are inches from touching.

Her smile widens. "Are you glad that I did?" she slowly asks.

Lloyd nods almost immediately, staring down at her lips. "Yeah. I am." he softly answers before leaning down and kissing her lips gently at first. This is the first kiss they've had in almost a week.

She moans softly into his mouth, melting into the kiss and her hands reach up to his jaw. "We haven't kissed for ages." she complains.

He chuckles against her mouth. "You're exaggerating, sweetheart." Lloyd retorts.

She frowns, breaking the kiss. "No, I am not." Elle pulls away from him, "You haven't touched me for over two weeks. And, no, that night in our home theater doesn't count."

Lloyd sighs in defeat, his eyes gazing openly at her as he quietly admires her facial features. She's so fucking beautiful and gorgeous even when she's tired and has just murdered someone. To his eyes, she's the most perfect thing in the world. He'd never find anyone like her. Ruthless and pretty at the same time. She's not always ruthless though, she still could be kind and compassionate because it's who she is. It's in her nature. That's what he loves about her.

He shrugs off his thoughts. "I wanted to give you space. You know, after what happened." Lloyd finally answers truthfully.

Wait a minute—

She frowns again, that crinkle between her eyebrows revealing which he's already so familiar with. "But, I'm fine now. I healed completely. Psychically and mentally. I'm not some fragile fucking baby. I handled it well after. I got something good out of it, too."

Lloyd knits his eyebrows in confusion. "Yeah? Like what?" he asks her.

Then, she smiles up at him. That pretty fucking smile with her dimples and teeth showing. He's so addicted to it. It's one of his favorite things about her. He could start a whole list of it.

She blinks at him. "You saved my life. And now I know just how much you care about me." she sweetly murmurs, taking his hand to guide to her heart, just below her tank top. Her hand is on top of his as he feels her heartbeat against his hand. "Feel that? It beats for you now, Lloyd. You saved it."

His hand rests on her heart, beside her breasts. "You don't have to be so cheesy about it. But yeah, I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Lloyd firmly states and her smile lingers for him.

The bathroom door opens as Six comes out of it, with only his briefs and a white t-shirt. His hair is still wet from the shower. He casually walks to her side of the bed while shooting Lloyd a passing glance. She watches his every movement, paying close attention to his large, thick thighs that are showing off his muscles.

"What happened to your pants?" Lloyd asks him, genuinely. He thought that he had bought some extra sweatpants earlier.

"Didn't want to wear them. It's too humid." Six flatly replies as he makes his way to her, laying next to her on the bed. She's between them again. Sandwiched with two needy men.

He sits up as she turns her body around to him and she immediately smiles. "Hi," she mutters to him while Lloyd rolls his eyes at their disgusting cuteness. They don't even have to say anything sometimes. They could just look into each other's eyes and know what they're thinking.

Six looks down at her, cupping her face before grabbing her chin gently. He leans to press a soft kiss on her mouth, his lips slowly stretching into a smile against her lips. He's just happy to be here, safe and sound with her.

"Hi." he whispers and pulls away from her lips. He stares into her pretty, brown eyes. "What do you want to do now?" he asks her.

Lloyd smirks, glaring at him. "You know, there are a lot of things to do together in a hotel room, Six. A lot of fun things." he teases them.

She sighs before yawning tiredly. "While that sounds fun, I'm kinda worn out after today. But, I mean, if you guys want to do something, feel free to do it while I'm asleep. I have a special kink for that." she teases, glancing between them before winking smoothly.

"You have a what? How does that even work, Elle? How could you be turned on by something if you're fully asleep?" Lloyd asks so many questions. He's curious, but also genuinely concerned about the amount of kinks she has.

She laughs softly, moving to the side as she rests her body on Six's chest. She turns her head to Lloyd, still smiling for him. "Well, I'd have to be half awake, technically. You just gotta find a way to wake me up, I guess." she plainly explains.

Lloyd frowns, cocking his head to the side and taking a moment to think about it. He's never heard of a kink like that, because in order for it to work, it needs to be done in an established relationship but he's never had one before. It needs a lot of consent and trust beforehand. He has that all with her, though they're not necessarily in a relationship. None of them even know what it is. But, they trust each other and would kill if anything happens to one of them so that's more than enough.

Elle looks up at the man laying behind her. "Hey, can you pass my phone please? It's over there," she nicely asks him and he quickly looks over to where she's pointing her finger at. He reaches over to the nightstand beside him and grabs her phone, handing it to her.

She takes the phone in her hands and smiles up at him. "Thank you." she thanks him quietly as he just returns her smile. She doesn't even have to thank him, he'd do anything for her whenever she asks.

Opening her phone, she quietly scrolls through her apps to find the camera app. She scoots over to the middle with both men glued to each side of her. Wordlessly, she quickly aims her phone screen in front of them and takes one selfie. She smiles in it and both men just look confused, staring into the camera.

Six is caught off guard and Lloyd frowns at her. She looks back at them, plainly.

She shrugs at him. "What? I'm not gonna post it anywhere or something. I'm not an idiot. It's just for memories. I don't have a single picture of any of you on my phone." she defends.

Lloyd nods, his eyes staring down at her. "Yeah, but you can't keep that, Elle. Six, take it from her." he orders the blonde behind her.

Six tries to grab her phone from her hands but she dodges him. Lloyd quickly pulled her in closer by her waist, dropping his head down to leave kisses along her neck to tickle her with his stache. She giggles uncontrollably, her grip on her phone starting to get loose as Six takes it from her hands, placing it down on the nightstand. He doesn't delete it though, he does want her to have the picture.

She pulls her neck away from Lloyd and cups his jaw. "Assholes!" Elle exclaims at both of them, looking behind her.

Lloyd lets out a hearty laugh at her reaction, throwing his head back as Six laughs loosely with him. They both haven't had a good laugh like this for a while. She's the only one truly capable of making them laugh genuinely. The only one they'd want to spend their entire shitty mission with.

Lloyd sighs. "You can take pictures of us. Just not in a unsecure phone. We'll get a polaroid or something." he tells her in a serious but sincere tone. He understands why she took that picture. Because when one day, they're not going to see each other again then the only thing they'd have are memories.

She nods. "Okay, fine. But I'm still keeping that one. Even if you delete it, I'll just retrieve it back again." she warns, her finger pointing at him.

He frowns. "You can hack your own phone or something?"

She smirks at him. "Don't underestimate me, Lloyd. My brain is much more developed than an average human being. So, don't fuck with me or my phone."

"Right. Tell me what you can't do, then." Lloyd teases and she laughs softly.

She leans her body onto his, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "You, apparently."

He tips his head back onto the bed's headboard. "Oh, come on. I'm sorry, okay? What happened two weeks ago was so fucked up and I wanted to give us space. Maybe, to think about it again." Lloyd softly admits. He can be soft, sometimes. With the right motivation.

She shrugs, furrowing her eyebrows lightly. "What's there to think about? Do you think we're a mistake?" she asks him.

Lloyd grimaces at her words. "No, not a mistake. I don't think it's a mistake. I think it's the best fucking thing to ever happen. To all of us. I just… Maybe we could've given it a little more time. We did everything so quickly. Because what if we're doing it all wrong and then we're just going to fuck it up in the end? I don't want that." he explains to her, a hint of fear almost evident in his tone.

She knits her eyebrows. "I don't know what you're referring to, Lloyd. What do you mean by 'it'? Tell me. Do you think we're in a relationship?" Elle carefully asks since the question has never popped up before. She knew he hated relationships and probably have never been in a lasting one.

He frowns confusedly, trying to figure this all out. "I—I don't know? Maybe? Yes? What do you think, Six?" Lloyd asks the man behind her for advice. He's completely lost in this. He is stressed out.

Six meets his eyes as he breaks into a small smile. "I think it's more complicated than a relationship or anything that could be labeled. We work together, we live together and we fuck together. We share almost everything together. It's special what we have and rare. We've never done anything like this before with anyone else."

Lloyd nods, immediately agreeing with him before looking back at her eyes. "See? What he said." he says, grabbing both of her hands to hold them gently. "Look, Elle, I couldn't really give a shit about labels. What matters is us. We're together and I don't want to fuck this up in any way." he tells her, seriously.

He has never confessed anything like this before or expressed his true feelings to anyone. There's a first for everything. Especially with her. He's done so many things with her that never in a million years he'd thought he'd do for anyone. He'd never try so hard to save anyone's life. Ever. Wouldn't even bat his eyes if someone was dying in front of him. Doesn't even matter if he might even know them. Anyone could kill themselves beside him, he wouldn't care. No one has ever mattered this much to him until her.

Elle slowly smiles up at him. "You could start by fucking me for one. For the record, I don't think you're going to fuck it up because you've done a good enough job. You saved my fucking life. I owe you my life, Lloyd. That's not nothing. We both mean a lot to each other to ever just mess it up so easily. But, you know, if you meant it by accidentally sticking your dick inside of someone else then—"

Lloyd quickly grimaces in disgust, shaking his head. "Hey, no, fuck no. I would never do that to you. Plus, you've got the best fucking pussy in the world so why even bother looking anywhere else?" he teases with that stupid smirk of his that's undeniably attractive for her.

She lifts her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Is it because of my strength? Because I've never used my strength in bed with anyone else before you guys. I still had to keep it a secret." she genuinely asks. Six stays quiet. He isn't going to say anything about this because he's got a feeling she already knows.

Lloyd nods. "Yeap. You also give really good hand jobs because of it." He casually compliments her.

She hums in realization. "Well, that's why you'll never be bored of my hands." she states.

His lips curve into a bigger smirk, getting near her face. "Exactly, sunshine." he replies.

Six shakes his head, chuckling quietly. "I thought you wanted to sleep." he reminds her.

Elle rolls over to his side of the bed and nods. "Yeah, I still am. I'm getting sleepy already." she answers, yawning softly.

Lloyd pats her back and pulls the white, thick hotel blanket to spread equally on all three of them. "Okay, go to sleep, sunshine. I'm going to finish some work. I'll wake you up if something interesting happens." he tells her, grabbing his laptop from the nightstand.

She tugs into the bed, getting more comfortable as she leans her body against Six. He wraps his arm around her and she lays her head down on his chest. "Wake me up if your dick gets hard too. I don't mind it at all." she casually says and Six snorts, holding in a laugh.

Lloyd scoffs, chuckling softly and he's opening his laptop to start working again. "I will. Good night, Elle. Sweet dreams."

She hums sleepily, already shutting her eyes closed with her legs tangled with Six's as he waits for her to fall asleep. He's not going to sleep just yet. He can't. It's too early for him and he's got a lot to talk with Lloyd. But he'd rather not have her listen to whatever they're about to say.

Sleep takes over her quickly and she's finally asleep peacefully.

***

While Lloyd tries to finish his work as quickly as possible, the guys continue to carry on a casual, quiet conversation. She's still sleeping quietly on Six’s chest.

She sleeps like the dead when she's with him. She's always been so comfortable with him. Not a single care in the world as long as she's in his arms, safe and sound.

Six stares at him intently, his eyes playing close attention to Lloyd's focused and serious face, suddenly. His eyebrows are furrowed and his fingers type quickly on the keyboard. He's almost done with his work and it's crucial for him to get it right. He can't make mistakes. He's an extreme perfectionist. And he'd hate to redo this all over again.

"You know, you can sleep if you want. I know you're getting tired. It's late, Six." Lloyd softly suggests to him, still looking at his laptop screen.

He lets out a quiet yawn as he nods. "You're right. Hey, don't stay up too late." he reminds him.

Lloyd gently scoffs and a small smile pulls into his lips. "Sure. I just need to finish this tonight so I can spend more time with her. And, you."

"Wel, just don't deprive yourself of sleep. It's important to have at least eight hours of sleep a night." Six tells him, really out of character for him.

He frowns, glancing at him from the side. "Oh? Since when did you become like a dad or something? You used to sleep for only two or three hours per night. Sometimes you don't even sleep at all." Lloyd reminds him in case he somehow forgot who he used to be.

Court chuckles lightly, shaking his head. "I haven't become a dad, Lloyd. I've just got more time to actually sleep more in a long time. And, you know, she has an early sleep routine, so." he says.

"Still, it's weird seeing you like this. Also, who knows? Maybe, you could become a dad in the future. It already suits you." Lloyd nicely remarks.

He's complimenting him. And subtly telling him that he'd be a good dad. With her. He'll just be mom and dad's friend who always visits the house. He's not a very good person to have children and he's completely aware of it.

"It's impossible for her to get pregnant, Lloyd. Scientifically. Her words." Six casually explains, already assuming that she's in his future.

He didn't even ask who with. He automatically thought of her because she's all he thinks about. He does see her in his own future even though he rarely thinks about the future itself. He's always thinking of the present and sometimes, the past.

Lloyd nods. "I know, but still. Miracles could happen."

Six frowns confusedly at him. "Since when do you believe in miracles?" he asks him.

He just shakes his head, not answering his question. He refuses to admit the truth to him. That she changed him. Really, truly changed him. The man hated false hopes, especially miracles. But she is the living example of a miracle and he witnessed it himself. "Whatever, go to sleep, Six." he tells him.

Court casually nods. "Okay, good night." he simply says, sliding his body lower and closer to her. His temple rests against hers before he plants a soft kiss on her head. He closes his eyes, relaxing under her touch as he drifts to sleep.

Lloyd stops typing on his laptop to stop and look at them. His two most favorite people on earth. Sleeping so peacefully like nothing else matters anymore. They both feel so safe and secure around him. Him, too. They're his only home. The only one that matters. He's the luckiest man alive to have both of them in his life. He sure feels very damn lucky.

It must be a miracle.

***

This morning is magical for her.

The sun is shining beautifully. Breakfast is served. Laughter fills the room. Her flowy sundress from yesterday is clinging onto her body again. The boys are right beside her, bickering playfully.

All her problems from yesterday went out of the window the second this morning started for her.

They're back home in their penthouse again. And they decided to spend today in their private indoor pool, on the third floor of their place. It has an enormous view of the city. They've never been here before. They checked out from their hotel pretty early in the morning so they could enjoy the rest of it here.

Lloyd ordered them breakfast. She made them fresh smoothies. Six carried everything from downstairs to here. She's sitting on one of the long pool benches between them. They haven't touched the water yet but they're definitely planning to. Either voluntarily or not.

"So, you know the picture I took of all of us last night, in the hotel room? Yeah, I'm going to print it out and put it in a photo frame for my room." Elle announces, her hands gesturing a picture frame.

"Almost like a polaroid." Lloyd remarks, smirking proudly at her for listening to him. His advice is starting to grow on her.

She looks at him and smiles, squinting her eyes through the sunlight reflecting from the huge window beside the infinity pool. "Yeah, exactly like a polaroid."

His lips curve into an actual genuine smile and somehow, he can't stop smiling like an idiot. "Right. So, who's going to dive in the water first?" Lloyd asks them.

Elle immediately shakes her head. "Not me. If you're pushing me in there, I'll punch you in your dick, Lloyd. I mean it." she warns, her index finger pointing at him.

Six lets out a loose laugh, adjusting his sunglasses. He's only in shorts and a thin navy shirt while leaning his back on the bench. "He enjoys that shit, Elle." he retorts, glancing over at them.

Lloyd's smile turns into a smirk, leaning closer to her. "Well, he's right, sunshine."

She smiles wider, her beautiful dimples showing. "Yeah, but you won't be able to handle my strength. I'd break your dick off, Hansen." she teases him in an innocent tone.

His hands rest on each side of her chair, trapping her. "You know I fucking can." Lloyd's voice turns low.

She rolls her eyes at him, hiding a smile before looking at the pool for a second. It is good weather to swim in. "Looks like we're jumping together, then." she whispers, caughting him off guard.

Lloyd frowns, about to protest but it's too late as she wraps her hands around his waist and pulls both of them to jump into the pool. She's too strong for him to handle sometimes. They both land inside the water, staying underwater for a while. Six chuckles softly from outside.

She opens her eyes underwater and he does too. Their clothes are floating and somehow, none of them want to get up. They stare into each other's eyes intensely as her heart starts to race. She doesn't get why this is turning her on so much. The tension between them is so thick even under the water. Her face gets closer to him before grabbing his jaw roughly and connecting her lips into his.

She kisses him passionately and wildly under the water, not giving a shit of anything else anymore. His hands wander on her ass, his lips biting hers into the kiss and they almost forgot that they've been holding their breath. She's immune to drowning and he's held his breath longer than a few couple of minutes.

Six frowns confusedly, wondering why it's taking them so long to get out of the water. He rises up from his bench and slowly dips himself inside the pool, the depth only reaching his shoulders. He might be too tall for this pool. He doesn't even remember when's the last time he's been in a pool for fun. Without trying to escape or fighting some guy or drowning someone.

He looks down at the water and squints his eyes to properly see what they're actually doing. Their bodies are both bent and sunken into the water while they're holding each other's bodies as their lips seem to be stuck together. They're making out underwater. What a romantic way to start the morning. He's so glad that they're finally close again after two weeks. He's proud of them. His lips form into a small smile at the sight of it.

Lloyd grasps her waist as he brings both of their bodies out of the water. Her lips are still attached to his and he pulls away from her to catch his breath. She giggles softly before realizing that Six is already behind them.

"Looked like a nice spot to makeout." Six remarks, suddenly completely different from how he usually is. He's loosening up, finally.

She turns around to him and immediately stares down at his lips. She is in heat. "Yeah, how long can you hold your breath for?" Elle asks him, breathlessly.

He casually shrugs. "Ten minutes, maybe? It's not the longest I've held my breath for but it's my maximum limit for now."

She nods, heavily breathing. "Good. Let's test that out." she demands and there's hesitation written all over his face. He doesn't want to turn this into a competition or something. He knows how competitive she and Lloyd are.

Lloyd snorts. "Trying to compare who's the best kisser underwater, Elle?" He taunts her and she rolls her eyes.

"Fuck off. You're just scared of a little competition, Lloyd. You always are." She coldly insults him and she is right.

He scoffs. "You're so mean sometimes. Meaner than me. Turns me on so much." Lloyd admits as she turns around to him. Somehow, he's attracted to women who are way worse than him. She made him realize that. He's never met anyone as bad as her.

She smirks, then smiles genuinely. Her smile is so fucking beautiful that it pains him. He won't be able to witness this smile forever. "I've never met anyone like you too." she confesses back.

Six swims closer to her, wrapping his hand around her waist and stares into the other man's eyes. "There's not going to be a competition, right? I'd like to just enjoy this morning peacefully."

He chuckles lightly. "See? You're starting to act like an old dad again." Lloyd taunts him.

She frowns, looking over her shoulder at him. "What does he mean by that?" she asks him.

Court smiles softly at her. "Just some stupid joke he made last night. I told him that I've been sleeping earlier than I've ever been and then he called me a dad." he explains.

Elle stops to think about that for a while. Even though it's just some silly joke, she wishes that it's true. She's never actually thought about them like that because it's too fast. They've only been together for a month. But a lot has happened and it has affected her life so much. They feel like home for her and they're the only family she has in the world. The only one who matters anyway. Maybe, if the circumstances were different, she'd want to start a family with them. She may not be capable of being a mom biologically, but there are millions of ways now. It just takes the right parents and a safe home.

She snaps herself back to reality, clearing her throat and smiling. "So, what's the agenda for today?" she asks him.

Lloyd smiles almost immediately. "Swimming. Eating. More swimming. Drinks by the balcony. Movies in the home theater. We haven't touched that room yet, you know, for actual movies." He lists all of them down, and refers to something else that happened a few weeks ago.

Her face grimaces into disgust and laughs. "Oh, please don't remind me of that. Hope you cleaned the carpets." she hopes he did.

Six frowns confusedly, trying to figure out what they're talking about until it dawns on him. The thing that happened in their home theater which he had to witness from the door. He laughs softly, shaking his head.

Lloyd laughs loosely at her, throwing his head back as he holds his stomach from laughing too hard. He can't recall the last time he laughed like this. They haven't had a good laugh for a while too because of what happened a few weeks ago and he's been avoiding her to give space. But, the mission yesterday made them closer again and she's grateful for that. Despite all the shit she's been through over this month, she got something good out of it. Them. Her real home.

She smiles faintly at him. "Seems like a good plan." She agrees on his agenda for today since there aren't any new missions yet. Denny gave her a short break after yesterday.

Six drops his head down to kiss her shoulder as he smiles against her skin. She giggles softly, her hand reaching out to his. Lloyd nods, his eyes quietly observing them and he starts to admire their bond. He could clearly see their deep connection for each other without even having to say anything. They could talk with their eyes and their touch.

That's something he wishes he could have one day with her. It will definitely take some time but he's willing to wait. For her. However long it takes. She's worth the wait. She's worth everything in the world to him. He could never find anyone as precious as her. Ever.

Court's eyes look up at him and he knows exactly what he's thinking. He always does. They have a strong bond, too.

***

Elle got out of the pool to get some more snacks and drinks upstairs while the guys remained inside the water. She grabbed a bathrobe with her as she took the elevator, still soaking wet.

But, she could care less about anything anymore. She's happy again. Finally after a while. There's no other problems between them. Everyone's being honest and open now. Lloyd isn't avoiding her anymore. Six is much happier too. They're closer than ever, Everything's all great as of this moment. Nothing could ever make their happy bubble burst.

Stepping out of the elevator, she walks into their kitchen to go to the fridge. As she opens it and takes out three cold water bottles, her phone on the counter top rings loudly. Her ringtone is very loud and irritating but it's effective for her ears to not miss a call. She places the bottles on the surface beside her phone before looking at the screen.

It's Denny again. Two times in less than twenty four hours now. What's wrong with him? He doesn't usually call his assets constantly and has their personal number. She isn't weirded out with all the casual stuff with him because she thinks it's normal. She doesn't know the real boundary between an asset and the chief.

She tilts her head to the side and frowns confusedly before picking up the call. Her ears are still wet so she puts him on speaker. "Yes? Did something happen?" she casually asks him.

He clears his throat through the call. "Are you alone? I have some classified information. It's sensitive." Denny immediately says, wasting no time.

She nods. "Yeah, I am. What is it?" she quickly responds.

He reviews the documents on his laptop. "Elle, that incident a few weeks ago was a set up from the local police and corrupt government officials. Lloyd wanted to investigate more and so did I. We worked together with our field agents there. They intentionally released those criminals so they'd find out who threw them into jail. However they failed to do so because Six eliminated them after they shot you. They did all this because they were scared of you. What you could do in the city. They'd rather hunt you down instead of doing their own job of catching the criminals. That's how corrupted they are." Denny informs her in his most serious tone she's ever heard.

Just as life was getting slightly better for her, it hit her like a thunder. Lloyd never told her anything about an investigation. He should've told her. This is important for her to know. She didn't think that the corruptors would go to these extreme lengths just to find out who was helping them do their job. They released them, gave them a loaded gun and told them to go to the local hospital to terrorize and harm innocents. Sick patients, doctors, nurses who were all uninvolved in this mess. The corruptors did not care about them. Only of themselves and their money. She needs to fix this sooner than she thought she would.

She runs her hand through her wet hair and exhales. "Why are you telling me this?" she softly asks him. She's back to being distressed again. Lloyd's known about the investigation for weeks and said nothing. Perhaps, he thinks she wouldn't be able to handle the truth.

Denny sighs. "I'm not supposed to but you deserve to know for your mission. So you could focus more on hunting them down instead of feeling bad after every mission, like yesterday. I can start giving you these missions when you're ready. You can do it all alone. You're capable of it. I know you are." he encourages her, trying to manipulate her into killing more corrupt politicians. He's a twisted man and he's not doing this for her. It's for himself. He's using her as his own personal weapon. It has been what he's always wanted the moment he first saw her.

This is the only time she's ever been so blind and naïve with someone. She can't think too far of his intentions because she's too angry to see it. Blinded with her own rage. Lloyd lied to her face. He clearly got all this information already from last night when he was reviewing paperwork. That's why he looked so serious and intense. She connected all the dots by now. She's too smart for him. She guesses he conveniently forgot about that fact. He was right when he said he'd fucked this up with her. He did it. He sabotaged whatever thing they had going on. He's ruined it already. He just messed up the one good thing in his life.

Elle nods to herself, leaning on the countertop with her hands on it. "Okay, give me a few weeks to prepare. Keep it classified and don't let Lloyd know about our mission." she seriously tells him. She's never been this tense before in her life.

"Of course. Whatever you need." Denny immediately answers before she ends the call.

In truth, Denny is so much worse than Lloyd. He uses people for his own gain but this time, it's different with her. He had to gain her trust first which was easy since she's inexperienced with the CIA and their tactics. He's fond of her, too. He likes how powerful she is and he sees her real potential. He could make her more than just some shadowy asset. She could work by his side. As an equal. He wants that with her. He could give her everything in the world. Anything that she wants, it can be hers. They could be so powerful together. So many things that they could accomplish in the world. It's his darkest fantasy.

She walks away from the kitchen counter and turns around to the view of the city. It's the same view that they're looking at upstairs too right now. She's contemplating on everything now and questioning if it's the right thing to do. But, there's no other option. They're too corrupted to be salvaged. The only language they understand is violence. They were responsible for that horrible, traumatic event that she had to endure. The horrific pain of eight bullets inside of her was unimaginable. Not to mention that Six had watched her suffer like that.

She's doing all this for a good cause, actually. If all the corruption in the city is gone, she can finally start a new life and a fresh start somewhere that's not here. Hopefully with Six, as well.

As for Lloyd, well, she's still trying to figure that out. She doesn't exactly want to let him go or leave him. She has cared too much about him to do that. She does genuinely enjoy his company despite his sociopathic tendencies. She actually got to know the real him and he isn't so bad after all. She likes how he takes care of her and would sacrifice the world just for her. He did save her life. She won't let this be the end of them. She'll secretly investigate why he did what he did. For now, she's giving him the benefit of the doubt. She won't let one single lie define him. She has trusted him enough.

And that's how badly she's fallen for him.

[fuck-customers]

Not a fuck customers, but this interaction with a customer made me realize something about my workplace, and I wanted to share because I think it's kind of funny in a "lmao building management is fucking terrible" kind of way. (Context: I effectively work in a mall, except it's full of small/local businesses and does its best to seem fancy and upscale even though it's honestly kind of terrible.)

Yesterday while I was at work a customer came up to my register with an item their kid had run out of the store with, apologizing profusely and worrying about getting in trouble with security. I rang them up for the item, gave them a receipt as proof of purchase, and assured them that they would be fine, but tbh it wouldn't have mattered if they had just walked off with it on purpose, because come to think of it, security at my workplace is a complete joke.

No door sensors, no item sensors, no anti-theft technology of any kind. I see security guards on occasion, but I've never actually seen them DO anything except walk around in uniform. There are cameras, but I'm about 90% sure they don't work (given that our AC was broken for like 2 years and there's a bunch of other shit that's broken or close to it, it wouldn't surprise me). It could all just be security theater, for all I know; I work in one of several shops in the building and people routinely carry items between shop stalls; I am constantly getting people bringing me stuff from other stores, thinking they can pay for it at mine. There's basically nothing to stop people from walking off with whatever. As an example, we sometimes stock these expensive blankets at my stall, and one time someone walked off with two of them in the middle of the day. No one noticed.

We're too understaffed and underpaid for me to give enough of a shit to do anything about it myself; I have too much to deal with at work to stress myself out about shoplifters, and because I'm also that anon whose managers schedule literally one employee per shift to cover our entire stall, there's no one else to back me up or help keep watch while I deal with the crowds and the messes they leave behind, so I honestly don't even care about thieves anymore. The only reason I ever notice or care is because when stuff goes missing it fucks up our inventory numbers and makes it seem like we still have stuff that people have taken, and then I have to waste time scouring the store to try to find it.

So like, shoutout to that customer for trying to do the right thing, but security is such a joke it's practically just the honor system. They literally had nothing to worry about. Building management only cares about one thing, and that's money. (You'd think that would mean they'd want to prevent theft, but I guess they decided the businesses that rent space here can eat the losses as long as they still get the rent in on time.)

@staff I HATE the new text editor!

[hiding-under-the-willow]

please tell me more abt Yancy in mark TV

Okay so my thoughts on Yancy in all the Markiplier TV stuff is really a mash up if a lot of different headcanons I've collected from different places and then some.

So like, big fan of the headcanon that Yancy is one of Mark and Celine's kids, and he ended up in prison cause he got blamed for the events of wkm. I know it's not perfectly supported by the canon or anything but it's fun, so, y’know, who cares. I can do whatever I want lol. And then I don't know how common this headcanon actually is bc I picked it up from like one specific fic, but Yancy as the security guard for Wilford's club in Wilford Motherloving Warfstache.

So like, Yancy grows up in Markiplier Manor for most of his life, Celine gets custody during the divorce, the events of wkm happen (maybe Yancy is the one who told Celine about the poker night, having heard about it from William, and that's why Celine shows up in the middle of wkm?) So then when Celine goes off and never comes back he goes out looking for her, police show up while he's there, and between intense unethical police interrogations and the fucked up house immensely fucking with his head, he ends up convinced he did do the crime and pleads guilty, landing him in Happy Trails eventually. Canon ensues, Yancy decides he's gonna get out on parole after God knows how long he's been in there. At some point he meets Wilford, neither of them recognize eachother really, but there is like, some subconscious shit working definitely. Wilford's like, 'hey do you want to work at my club? I'll walk you right out of this fucking prison' and Yancy is like 'nah man, I'm gonna keep on track to make parole, do this the right way, but if the job offer is still open in a few months 👀' and Wilford's like 'okay, sick' and so when Yancy gets out a few month's later, there's Wilford inexplicably, ready to pick him up. And so he goes to work as security at the club, and things are actually pretty chill most of the time, so Yancy's got a lot of free time to do his own thing, and he's got no fucking clue where Wil's money comes from but he gets payed well, so he's enjoying the job, even if maybe he'd rather be performing. He does some community theater stuff here and there, occasionally performs in the club, often ends up ranting about his narrative ideas to Wil after hours. And eventually Wil is like 'hey, you know I own a TV network right? I could give you a show.' And Yancy absolutely fucking takes that opportunity. Which is how he ends up at Markiplier TV.

I feel like his show(s) would be this weird tonal mess where it's like a Disney Channel musical sitcom, there's songs and comedy and it's all very much giving young teen drama with constant bits and inconsistent lore, but then the storylines all deal with very serious and realistic topics. There's fucked up families, and deep dives into the horrors of the American prison system, and death, and grief, all portrayed very realistically and with all the complexity they deserve. But also all of the character's act like disney sitcom characters the second they're not handling the serious stuff, and there's always at least one musical number per episode. It's actually probably really cool if you're into weird shit like that (as I absolutely would be), the video essays discussing it are probably insane. But it maybe doesn't speak to the average audience lmao. Yancy doesn't really realize and doesn't care. It's reaching the audiences it needs to.

Anyways I think him and Bim get along the vast majority of the time, they've got a mutual love of theater and a mutual hatred of Ed, cause I mean, look at Ed's lore and then look at Yancy. Yeah Yancy fucking hates Ed and his whole deadbeat dad thing. Luckily fights around the office are so common here that it's pretty easy for Yancy to get away with punching Ed in the face a little bit any time he says some asshole shit. Also maybe everyone turns a little bit of a blind eye to it. So really he feels right at home.

I think Google freaks him out from the get-go, and he's a little more interested in trying to get some info on the weird android shit from Bing at first, but quickly finds out that Bing can be like twice as uncanny as Google, and so he just kind of ends of steering clear of both after not too long in the office. I think they grow on him eventually but it takes some warming up lol

I think he and The Host actually get along. Like, maybe he freaked Yancy out a little bit at first, and then he started to realize the two of them had a lot in common in terms of their opinions and beliefs, and instantly he started getting all buddy buddy with the guy, and then it was the Host's turn to be a little freaked out, cause he's not exactly used to people being so enthusiasticlly friendly towards him. So they become friends. Yancy's always there to make sure he gets included in work get togethers and such since some of the other guys find him intimidating.

Dr. Iplier finds him a little exasperating seeing ad he is probably constantly getting hurt and also constantly leading to other injuries around the office (mostly Ed's, let's be honest), but, y’know, his enthusiasm and friendliness around the office probably win him over eventually, and his kindness to the Host probably helps.

The Jims and Yancy get along great, in fact Yancy is probably the only person around the office who actively gets along with them besides Wilford.

Wilford is always very supportive of Yancy, and Yancy still picks up shifts at the club a few times a week. I think maybe he's the only one who's met Abe out of everyone else at the office bc of his job. Abe knows who Yancy is and has tried dropping hints to Wil a few times, but they are not getting picked up. So it just kind of goes unspoken.

Dark and Yancy absolutely have the strangest dynamic. Dark definitely knows who Yancy is. Yancy does not know who Dark is, but I think he recognizes bits of his mother in Dark's personality and actions, and it freaks him out. Some one points put once that Dark and Yancy look alike and that they've got matching moles under their eyes and Dark leaves without saying anything, visibly upset, and Yancy starts wearing a bandaid over that cheek every day after. No one brings up that shit again. Dark basically let's Yancy get away with anything around the office, seemingly from a sense of guilt. Funds any ideas he has, let's him get away with bending rules, or beating the shit out of Ed, or whatever. But then Yancy does something minor, or something that puts himself in danger, and Dark starts lecturing, and Yancy gets real pissed off. The office stays tense for several days after every time. I think those are just about the only times at which Wil starts to recognize him. He usually doesn't sit on the thought for very long, as he's prone to do. But maybe he treats Yancy to a little something the next day any time one of those arguments goes down. It helps a bit, for both of them.

I don't think he knows the details of what went down in the manor, or that he's seen Mark since, or that he knows about Dark and Mark's whole fucking thing, and I hate to think about how incredibly badly it would go if he did find out.

[popculturebuffet]

Evil Dead Rise: Mommy's with the Maggots Now (Comission for WeirdKev27)

Hail to the king baby! It's halloween, it's this blog and that mean's it's time for me to pull out my volume of the Necronimcon Demento and review another chapter of the evil dead.

So for those new here

I'm Jake, I review stuff and things, and two years ago I did an evil dead retrospective, covering all 4 films. From that stupid bitch scotty to ash laughing madly, to the film of a thousand catchphrases to that one that had Jane Levy, some good gore and little else, it was a fun ride.

So naturally with a new evil dead film out, it's only natural that I returned to review the latest film in the franchise: Evil Dead Rise. It's also a special review as it's my belated reviewversry with friend of the blog and over time of the me, WeirdKev27.

Kevin was my first client and the one who made me able to make a living doing this, and while he has zero interest in ever seeing Evil Dead Rise, he's more an horror-action and horror-comedy kind of guy, this gives him a chance to see what it has. Plus really after covering the last 4 even if he didn't agree to sponsor it, I'd be doing this anyway as I both love this film and hate not having the complete set. It's thanks to kev I have all I do now, so thanks man.

Evil Dead Rise is the franchises second attempt at a soft reboot after Evil Dead 2013. The plan after that one was to do two sequels: Evil Dead 2, which would follow Mia, Jane Levy's final girl from the requel and the only character who wasn't huffing paint thinner the whole film, and Army of Darkness 2. This ended up falling through, with Alvarez moving on to other projects and AOD2 being retooled into Ash Vs the Evil Dead, a three season tv series on stars that sadly got cancelled but from all accounts fucking rocked and I definitely want to cover at some point.

From there Ash's story was seemingly done on screen. While Dynamite will likely publish army of darkness comics till the end of time, Bruce Campbell had decided he was aging out of the part and wanted to pass the chainsaw on. That said while Campbell was seemingly done playing Ashy Slashy, he wasn't done with the franchise, staying on as a producer alongside Sam Rami and Robert Tapert. Rami and Campbell were done MAKING the films, but still wanted the franchise to live on.

So in 2019 a new film got the greenlight, with Rami handpicking rookie director Lee Cronin for the part, having impressed rami while working on the short lived quibi series 50 States of Fright. Cronin easily took to the cast and once filming COULD kick off in 2021, he hit the ground running. The result is a fresh take on the franchise that was so well done that WBD decided it was too good to just pop on streaming and much like Blue Beetle, bumped it up to theaters. The result was a 19 million dollar film.. scoring nearly 150 million in the box office, a huge success that , unlike most films only GREW it's audience as the weeks went on, always a great sign.

As a result the franchise's future seems secure, with Cronin not only already having 4 ideas for a sequel, which i'll get to later, but the results were so Groovy Bruce decided he wasn't finished yet, meaning an ash film is also in the cards.

So the question is how groovy is this film and how does the franchise fair without it's iconic cabin setting or iconic catchphrase spewing chainsaw man? The answers to all of this is under the cut. So turn the page, wash your hands, and prepare for 1717 Gallons of Bloodshed as I look at Evil Dead Rise.

Evil Dead Rise starts off a day after the main plot, with three 20 somethings having gone to a cabin in the woods woooooooooooooo not realizing what franchise their in. They are Jessica, Teresa, Jessica's cousin and Caleb, Jessica's douchey boyfriend. Caleb annoys Teresa with a drone, nearly clipping her with it and mansplaning after she says it nearly clipped her head off that it would've ground her face up instead.

Teresa proves to be just as obnoxious as Caleb, berating Jessica for leaving her alone with him, fair.. but then also being mad at her for being sick, laid up in bed and thus unable to give her the keys.

Thankfully this is an evil dead movie so Jessica quickly ends our suffering as she wants to swallow souls, taking off Teressa's scalp in a gory, horrifying and awesome practical effect before putting the drone to her own face and jumping into the lake. Caleb proves he's both not a COMPLETE asshole but still a complete idiot by diving in after her and we get the films awesome opening shot: Jessica rising from the lake, drenched in water and blood as the title rises behind her.

While I do like that TITLE CARRRD and scalping, overall i'm not a big fan of this opening. While it's well shot like the rest of the film, it's too short to really make me care and feels like it was thrown in there because the main plot ran a tad short and was too tightly paced to add to. It's a how we got here sort of thing that dosen't really work and feels like i'ts just there so we can have a sequel.. depsite the film having MULTIPLE other valuable sequel hooks dangling around. It's unnecessary in a film that otherwise really dosen't DO unnecessary. It also feels tonally off, feeling like a 2000's era "Kill the douchebags" sort of film than the tightly paced well characterized film we get after.

Thankfully we soon meet our actual protagnist, Beth. Beth, played by Australian Actor Alyssa Sulivan, gets a great introduction that does a lot of nice exposition without actually saying any: we quickly find out from her being sick in a stall and having some douche she works with who can't do his job himself and just let her go to the bathroom for five minutes knock on it that sh'es a roadie, her hiding it tells us she's pregnant and doesn't want anyone else to know, and Suilivan's awesome facial acting tells us she has no idea how to process this.

We soon cut to LA in a high rise, a setting change I utterly love. Before this most evil dead works were in a rural setting: a cabin in the woods for the first, second and fourth films, artuhrian times for the third, and some small towns for ash vs the evil dead. We haven't seen the deadites in an urban setting before this and LA was a great set.

The choice of setting within is also great: an old crumbling high rise in the middle of a busy city no one would give two shits about or really investigate in the middle of the night. It keeps the isolation of the cabin but puts a new spin on it that allows for new set pieces.

The main one of these is Ellie's Apartment. Ellie is played by the stunning and talented Alyssa Sutherland, previously known for Vikings, which I haven't seen. Sutherland is the easy breakout of the film, the center of most of it's marketing and the most terrifying part about it... eventually.

Part of that terror is we see her first as a fun, responsible mom and tattoo artist dealing with three children, all creatives themselves in some way: Bridget (Gabrille Echoles) is an activist, her brother Danny (Morgan Davies) is a dj and their young sister Cassie cuts up her dolls to create staves to body check her sister with.

This family, which doesn't have a last name, is the core of the film and the first 20 minutes are really just setting them up as people: Beth is a tad snarky but clearly loves her kids and is tough but fair with them, Bridget is sarcastic to just about everyone but her aunt, Danny is a bit of a reckless fuckwit but has a good heart, more on the former later, and Cassie is a sweetie pie. Their not super deep characterizations, but the talented actors give them a lot of character simply by action, and one of the films best asset is how great these people are at facial acting.

Beth flies in and after scaring the shit out of Ellie. The two actresses have great chemistry and you can feel the tension as the two clearly haven't talked.. and Beth missed a lot as Ellie's ex husband abandoned the family and this high rise is condemned, with the family only having a month. So naturally Ellie isn't that excited to see Beth, both for Beth dodging her calls, despite getting her messages, and showing up at the worst possible time.

That said the film also does a really good job with the sibling dynamic: like me with my own brother Ellie may be annoyed with Beth.. but she's there for her, getting this visit wasn't just out of the blue and her sister really needs her and waits till the kids have left to pick up pizza to ask, but does so gently yet firmly. These characters feel like family and building up this empathy and character is key to everything being as horrifying as it is. It's something many horror films, including this very film in it's opening and the previous film fail to grasp: just because

Dosen't mean we should WANT them too. It's fine to throw in a few assholes to kill so not EVERY death is a downer, depending on the film, but when you can't empathize with most of your cast it makes the wait for the bloodshed tedious. It's why the previous film REALLY didn't work for me: outside of mia NONE of these idiots were likeable and as such having to spend a film with them being stupid and waiting for them to die while the only likeable one was turned into a deadite wasn't fun. Here by making everyone we encounter likeable, grounded, and interesting.. it makes the horrifying slaughter we're about to witness that much more tragic. It makes us WANT these characters not to be dead by dawn.

Anyways we're soon reminded this is LA as we get an EARTHQUAKKKEEEE, with the bathroom set our sisters are in having been rigged to shake really well. The kids thankfulyl weren't driving at the time and instead are trying to take the pizza back up when it hits. They drop it, but do live.

Sadly for them and everyone else on their floor Danny suffers from a terminal case of dumbass and upon seeing a giant crack in the ground leading to a mysterious old bank vault just HAS to investigate in the dark. He finds some old records, which.. fair enough, it's some neat historical stuff, could be fun to paly with soundwise and could help them fincally. Him taking stuff romt he hole is mildly stupid.. but I get it and I probably would. What I wouldn't do is upon finding a room guarded by a bunch of hanging crucafixes and seeing a book with teeth and bound in human flesh, take it with me. And I mean teeth as this Necronomicon has a nasty but awesome set of chompers. I praise the set design here on this, it's iconic as the original, still recognizable as being it's sibling, but the teeth give it it's own flair.

Anyways the kids get back to the apartment and Danny decides the best thing he can do during a dark night with quakes a poppin.. is to pry open his new book. Which granted is what i'd do, but my recent book is about a trans woman's first year post transition and is damn good...

Highly recommend it and it's sequel, which I got first. Also guarnateed not to summon the evil dead.. which I understand is a dealbreaker for some of you. Good news i'm pretty sure that manga about Joker raising a baby batman does, so have at it if that's what your after.

Sadly Danny is not taking my book recommendations and opens the things finding a bunch of spooky pictures and... being genuinely horrified. He's a LITTLE fascinated but it's clear his reaction is "shit this thing isn't good is it. Not hleped is that when he pricks his finger on the books mighty jaws, it drinks some blood Audrey II styles. Bridget sees this and has the right reaction.

Or rather chuck it back down the hole they got it from. Danny can't because their mom won't let them out of the apartment after the quake which is fair.. what's less fair is that he dosen't wrap the book in something or hide it. Keep it from trying to nible on some face. You have 4 other people in the house Dan be considerate!

That said Dan still takes the darwin award winning step of playing the wax records he got. NOw on paper Danny being this dumb shoudln't work.. but in practice Rise does an excellent job showing why Danny would be like this: we've seen he's an audophile, that he's reckless as he went down a crevice in an earthquake, and that he's curious to a fault, willing to take the book in a first place. So he's being stupid.. but it's in a way where it's a character flaw and not just bad writing.

It also helps that while playing the records is risky.. you can kinda see why. He found a creepy vampiric book in the basement. He probably gets he might not be able to just chuck it in a hole and have it not come back or have already infected them or something. it didn't, but he can't know that. So knowing what the FUCK this thing is might be a good idea.

As it turns out we get some exposition from a preist long ago: he found the book and proposed to his fellow preists to explore it. His Fellow preists didn't want to die today and loudly decired it as blasphemous.

So he decided to take it and study it because that's never gone horribly wrong and lead to about a dozen deaths in this franchise, along with cameo Bruce Campbell and some other guy. He also decides to read it and to Danny's credit, he tries to stop the record there... only for it to keep playing. The Evil Dead have come baby.

Before we move on I need to talk about the danny thing a bit more, mostly because not only was this whole inciting incident well done, being rooted in character stupidity instead of just bad writing.. but it also feels like a direct response to the last film. For those who either haven't seen it, you blessed people you, or need a refresher, in Evil Dead 2013 the Necronomicon was found in a basement full of rotting corpses and next to a shot gun. it was packed in a garbage back, covered with barb wire, and had bright red writing implicitly from ash telling you NOT TO FUCKING READ IT OUTLOUD.

So enter Eric, full time teacher part time fuckwit who hears about the corpses, sees all of this and not only cuts the barbed wire but READS THE BOOK.

So it's nice the followup decided to use the same plot device.. but actually use it instead of making a character brain dead.

So with that the evil dead has risen and the nightmare time has arrived. And the first victim of the Evil Dead is Ellie, whose experincing some ELEVATED horror while taking the elevated when some cables grab her.

The sequence is quick horrifying and also has her trying in vain to fight off the possesion before the evil dead kills her, and she returns as a deadite.. and as the real breakout of the piece. While Beth is the lead and Lily Sullivan does greath, it's Sutherland whose the main attraction.. and not just because a good half of the audience's reactoin to Deadite Ellie was

Which isn't me, but I entirely get. It's also intresting to have a horror film where the deadite is the real hammy star instead of our hero. Sutherland is iconic in this roll, from the creepy smiles to how unsettling she plays possesed elly: the pitched down voice HELPS.. but it's the unceasing smile, creepy grins and offputting behavior that make Deadite Elly so awesome and so electric to watch. There's good reason her possesion was spoiled int he marketing: She's the center of this film's horror. She's not the only deadite, we'll get a few more, but she's the main threat, the main focus and the main thing fucking with our heroes heads, starting with the brilliant egg sequence where Cronin and Sutherland make simply making eggs fucking unerving.

She's also the main source of black comedy in the film, from calling her children titty sucking parasites, to her game of eeny meeny miney you, to later making her daughter repeat the eyeball gag from 2, her haminess is well played: enough to keep the film from getting TOO bleak but not so overplayed it takes you out of how horrifying thigns are.

Deadite ellie is the biggest symbol of the films tone: Cronin keeps it pitch black like the requel, but unlike that film Cronin realizes that too MUCH bleakness overrides everything else. But giving us characters to root for and want to live through the night and some dark humor, it helps contrast the utterly bleak situation. It gives us something to go what the fuck at with the humor and something to cling on to. I hate that I keep making this review "Whyt his one works and why the remake didn't" as Fede Alvarez seems like a genuinely nice person. This film is good on it's own, not just because I like it more than the other... but it's also impossible to not bring up the two as they tried to do the same thing: bring back the franchise without ash, without contiuing the original story. I don't WANT to keep using the 2013 film as a punching bag... but it's hard not to when this feels like the better version of it, making an evil dead that's closer to straight horror.. but still gets what the franchise is. It keeps the frantic pacing of 2, it just makes it less of an over the top comedy and more an over the top nightmare our heroes can't escape. it's frantic out of urgency rather than out of throwing weird, hilaroius or horrifying shit at y ou constantly. Well except the last part.

Anyways at first everyone just assumes Deadite elly is sick, and they turn to their neighbors, Gabriel (Jayden Daniels) and his father Mr. Fonda (Mick Michelson). Gabe is a kind man implied to have a thing for elly while his father is very mildly crotchety but a kind cat owner , both helping: Gabe tries to treat Elly while his pop pop tries to figure out HOW to get her to help. As it did with the bridge, the Evil has taken out the stairs and already trashed the elvator, leaving a fire escape through a conedemed apartment as thier only escape.

So while gabe and his dad plan to run through, everyone else is left with Elly. We also get a really nice use of modren tech: in most films they usually have to do the "cellphones out" dance, which I understand but got old. Here... what we know about the evil dead from other films provides a nice way... they get no signal.. because it can control that because it can control anything in it's radius. If it can posses a moose head working the wifi shoudln't be that hard.And it thus has Ellie, trapped inside her deadite counterprat clal her sister for help before convulsing.... and whne put inj a tub crawwling out of it

Mayhem ensues as the family has to ward off Deadite Ellie, and we get a lot of nice iconic bits of violence: Ellie's now iconic line of "mommy's with the maggots now", going "eeneie meanie miney you" and using a CHEESE GRATER on her daughter while attacking her in the kitchen. Which while Cronin overhyped it before release, it's a nasty wound but in a film caked in blood, it's still a very creative gore moment in a film packed with them. The gallons of blood I listed before the cut were how many it actually took to make this film. It's another way the film works: it keeps the over the top nature of the series, it just emphasises the horror more, a way to keep the series fredsh but not ignore what made it good.

Our heroes are barely able to lock Ellie out and we get one of the best sequence sin the film: our heroes look in the peep hole.. and we see bits and pieces as Ellie masacres Mr. Fonda, gabriel and two local teens I didn't mention because they literally just hit on Bridget once and then die horribly here. Even Mr. F having a boomstick dosne't save him. And it's stuff like this that works: the high rise on paper is safter, less isolated... but in practice our heroes are nwo trapped in a cramped space, no way out with a bloodthirsty monster wearing their loved one's face. It's a brilliant take.

Naturally as is Evil Dead tradition, the group falls apart a bit: Danny is in tears taking the blame for this and it's again why I like him: he may be stupid.. but while eric just kinda hid we see the toll casuing this put on Danny. Bridget rips him apart for it and normally you'd think one would go outside and die.. but in a nice twist on the old formula Beth stops them: Danny MAY of caused this but they CANNOT turn on each other. It's what's out there that they need to fight.

Speaking of which Deadite Ellie prays on her youngest, gaslighting cassie by pretending to be "all better now"

Though i'll give them points for style. This force Beth and Danny to save her.. and thus leaving them open for Bridget as in a horrifying sequence we see the dead slowly flow thorugh her before she startsb leading black blood out her nose... and becomes the dead.

Another horrifying scuffle insues with her targeting danny and barfing blood on him and nearly killing him before cassie FUCKING IMPALES HER. God damn kid.

They tie bridget up in a sack and Beth finally gets Danny to spill about the book and comes up with a plan: since playing the record got them into this, playing the record will get them out of this.

It's a desperation move.. but like Danny's earlier shenanigans that lead to this blood party.. it makes some sense: they can't read the book, and frankly trying to may just make MORE deadites, and if the guy actually survived long enough to make a third album, it means they MIGHT have a way out. We also get a nice ash style montage of her getting the DJ equipment to work as at this point the power is out. It also nicely makes her music career into a hell of a chekovs gun.

Tragically.. they don't. HIs album simply outlines the horrors idiot priest man faced, what he's lost and how only complete and total dismemberment works. Granted we knew from the intro they probably wouldn't' make it but by this point, the film's got us too invested to care. I still dont' LIKE the intro making it clear this doesn't work from the get go, but at least the films well paced enough to compensate.

Things then get somehow worse as Bridget rises and stabs danny to death, coughing up blood and everything. It's brutal as it is amazingly designed. He does manage to fire her out of the impartment... with fire, while Ellie sneaks in through the vents, something set up by the old man's lost cast earlier.

Ellie attacks Beth and in a VERY unerving moment detects she has a baby inside her, mocks her as deadites do then tries to rip it out.

But before she can get that fetus, kill that feetus and before I can go to hell for that joke, Bridget saves her. And props to Gabrille Echoles for her excellent child acting, an alex vincent level performance.

With our party down to 2 1/3, our heroes ventur eotuside and now EVERYONE'S a deadite. Highlights include Mr Fonda grabbing Ellie's leg as she grabs his boomstick

And my favorite bit.. the two deadite children hovering over a seemingly prone deadite ellie, seemingly crying for thie rmom.. before it turns into dark.. piercing laughter. It's one of the most effective scares in the film and all the deaddites joining in is just chilling. It's a scaled back but effective version of the entire cabin laughing from evil Dead 2

The final girls hide in the elevator as what's left of their family fuses into The Marauder, our final deadite for the evening and a grotesque combination of their family, a grim reminder of what's happened and just a gross thing to look at. As is standard for this film, it's awesome and I love it.

SPeaking of awesome and I love it we then get another destined to be iconic bit: the elevator fills with BLOOD. What's more impressive is they got the scene in one: had they failed they would've had to clean up and start again, which given this scene involves a GIANT pool of pracitcal blood and leaves both characters drenched in it for the rest of the film, is a LOT to as and is a LOT of moving parts to nail on your first try. But they did and the result is a horrifying sequence as the elevator fills, our heroines barely survive..a nd then get tosse dinto the parking garage drenched.

The good news: now they can escape. The bad news is Deadites love final boss fights, so The Marauder is there to oand stalking them. The final fight is a tense sequence as Elly ducks it but thankfully noticces some landscaping equipment. You know what that means... CHAINSAW BLOOD MOTHERFUCKERS

So Elly takeas a fucking chainsaw to it, which gives her an edge, and later uses her fucking boom stick and tells it to "come get some". I like these little nods, obvious enough to notice btu not distracting enough if you haven't seen the other films.

What finally does it in is fucking aawesome though: a goddamn woodchipper. look is a woodchipper being here convient? yes. is the fact the deadites only sent one convient? yes. is Ellie putting a deadite through a goodamn woodchipper with her niece and now adopted daughter turning it on fucking glorious and goryious?

It's a great finale and with that Ellie, her unborn child and her niece head off into the sunset.. while our opening deadite comes into being.

Evil Dead Rise is a glorious new chapter in the franchise: still very much evil dead, but with a darker and somehow even bloodier spin on things. It's a worhty sucessor and very worthy of being the highest grossing film in the franchise, and with that acolade a sequel is hopefully inevitble.

LIke I said Cronin had four ideas, all of them brillian 1. Returning to the Cabin: While admitely I dont' care about those characters, a new cabin in the woods would be neat. This is my least faviorite as the NEXT one.. but I woudln't mind it eventually. 2. Focusing on Ellie: Seeing where she goes next, which I badly want. 3. A prequeL: focusing on the preist. another solid idea. And my faviorite 4. The cleanup crew: returning to the high rise to ask "how the hell would people react to the leftovers of the carnage we just saw".

their all great and with Bruce wanting to return now after this entry, the future is bright and this will likely not be the last time we read from the book of the dead. But it was a great return of it and I can't wait to read the next chapter. Until then hail to the king baby.. and thanks for reading

[professorspork]

I’m Supermonaman from AO3 & I had a question about ships I think it’s clear that bumblebee is your favorite ship but what are 5 other ships you love if you don’t mind answering? Also what is your opinion/what do you think about the Sunnybees or Blake/Yang/Sun? It’s a guilty pleasure ship/crack ship I love that I think makes sense/works in my mind it’s similar to the Weiss/Blake/Yang in some ways.

I certainly do not mind answering! I thought about writing this out as a list of five and like, that sort of falsely put everything on the same level in a way that didn't reflect my feelings, so.

We must begin with Nuts and Dolts. Honestly this might be my All Time RWBY Ship in terms of like-- the scope! the themes! the longing! the intimacy the belonging the SCALE of it the TRAGEDY of it!! THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS THE SPINE OF THE WHOLE SERIES. But also like, while it's So Big it's also so terribly small, so dependent on the smallest and most innocent moments and touches. I haven't had the ambition to tackle them the way they deserve to be written about but oh my god, iconic sensational perfect I have no words they are SO IMPORTANT

I adore Renora, and while I've rarely sought it out I'm very intrigued by every permutation and side-leg of the Weiss/Pyrrha/Jaune polycule. No polycule will ever do it as hard as whatever the fuck STR had going on bless their unhinged souls and bless Qrow for mostly staying out of it; Seamonkeys are delightful though I rarely seek them out on their own. I am an Emerald/Ilia truther and I am certain that as soon as they meet in canon it's going to be OVER FOR ALL OF US, just you wait. Oh, and of course add full JNPR polycule and the Happy Huntresses group marriage to my list can you see I hate choosing and love togetherness

Which brings me to your final question! I don't ship any bees poly ship as much as I ship the two of them with each other, but you're very right about Sun and Weiss having very similar "beekeeper" energy. This is why my bee's schnees tag has always been "ot3: the parent trap" because my primary conception of their dynamic will always be 'weiss is on the outside looking in and trying to curate and help, and little does she know she's not nearly as subtle as she thinks she is and also they're noticing her right back.' I generally tend to think of Weiss as aromantic and more looking for Her People than she is looking for partners, which I think comes across pretty strongly in Newsbees AU-- a world in which Blake and Yang would JUMP at the chance to give Weiss her first kiss if only she'd ask them and meanwhile she's got a spray bottle on hand to make sure they don't. but who am i to turn down monochrome braintrust or freezerburn divorce?

as for sunnybees, I'm particularly partial to it in terms of like Blake's Beacon Daydreams when she just. lets herself have fun and be a person and experience desire in the theater of her own mind, even if she's not quite brave or secure enough to try and act on it in reality. I don't tend to think of Yang as someone who's attracted to dude-identified people, so that one is more of a "Blake has two hands" situation regardless of timing than it is a fully-balanced equilateral triangle (at least in my heart of hearts).

but also I'll give just about anything a try if I like the author or if the summary seems promising, so!

[maschotch]

Nah nah nah nah bc I NEED to know what hotch's deal was with fire related cases??????? HE WAS ALWAYS WAY MORE EMOTIONAL IF IT WAS A FIRE BUT THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING WITH IT SO WHATS THE DEAL WITH THAT HUH?? there were at least 3 separate episodes w/ fire plots, all pretty far apart from each other, and he had pretty much the same reaction to each of them that isn't a coincidence like you know the writers did that on purpose I just wish they gave us more info abt it. ALSO I wish the team like cared more???? BC it's pretty obvious that he gets way more antsy during these cases are you telling me no one notices????? Such a wasted opportunity for more character interactions and I'll never forgive them for constantly depriving us of this. I miss Gideon.

ok but fr?? bc it goes unmentioned by eeeeeveryone except gideon and unnoticed by eeeeeeveryone at the bau (except emily in that one ep but they still kinda hated each other so she didnt say shit and just kinda forgot about it, and derek in that other ep but only in the “im gonna act upset and blame hotch for his problems bc idk how to address my own fears/concerns/trauma when it comes to the way i care about the lowkey-suicidal kinda-father-figure bc i have problems” way) which is insane to me considering they’re all profilers?? i think it’s partly bc they unknowingly avoid profiling hotch (either out of respect or discomfort) and partly bc they’ve grown complacent taking hotch’s usual stoicism and “unmovable object” energy for granted as a permanent, impermeable pillar in their lives, almost to the point where they dehumanize him. they don’t like questioning their grounding anchor’s potential for weaknesses bc they depend on his unshakable solidity for their own emotional wellbeing. it’s much easier to intentionally overlook his humanity when they use his unflappability for their own emotional recalibration. which is fucked up for hotch? he’s really gotta play the part of the cool collected unit chief at all times. but then, he’s already used to putting his emotional problems on the back burner. ANYWAY thats just my excuse for why NO ONE FUCKING SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT IT EVER

it’s subtle—bc most interesting things ab hotch are vague at best—but he really does act different during cases involving fire. he’s on edge, distracted, less patient, snippy, or vulnerable in uncharacteristic ways. saying “i wish the writers had given us more ab hotch’s backstory” is redundant at best, but all these hints painting a picture of tragedy makes me want to know mooooore. like.. what were they thinking?? did the writers have anything specific in mind or were they content w ambiguity? it really seems like such a waste, especially when he’s clearly had an apparently very busy life. southern mom, distant younger brother, an abusive father who died in at least three different ways, coin collector, theater kid, troubled teenager, boarding school, apprehension towards fire, following his father’s footsteps and becoming a very successful lawyer, getting bored of that and joining the fbi, working as an ambassador’s security detail, working overseas, networking across a variety of positions in every place imaginable, somehow finding time for swat training and becoming a sharpshooter, joining the bau in record time, being the bau’s encyclopedia of random shit before reid comes around, carrying the responsibility of the team on his back while gideon recuperates… there’s just.. so much they offhandedly mention he’s done without ever really exploring any of it in further detail. it’s frustrating!! give my boy a proper backstory!!

anyway im rambling lol i forgot what we were fucking talking about but YEAHHHHHH HOTCH AND FIRE

[iviarellereads]

Fugitive Telemetry, Chapter 3

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which someone wants to display their cake and eat it too, sort of.

Murderbot isn't surprised to have been more or less kicked out of the investigation. StatSec still don't want it there, and they're not going to change their minds so easily, no matter what Mensah says.

As a demonstration of this, MB goes into the other restriction imposed on it by the negotiations with Indah: it must broadcast a feed ID, and stop concealing its presence. MB really, really didn't want to have a feed ID, because either it lists all the human markers, like a name other people can use and a gender, or it lists a local feed address,(1) indicating that it's just a bot.

Neither of these is MB's ideal(2) but it understands why Indah thinks it's not that big of a deal. And, maybe choosing something basic to broadcast would have been worth it to get out of that meeting. It chose to broadcast a name of "SecUnit" and a gender of "not applicable". It's not sure what Indah did afterward, but Mensah and Pin-Lee sought comfort in their own ways.

Two days later, someone sent a photo of MB to a news stream on the station, identifying it as the rogue SecUnit from the corporate rumours. The photo was not taken from security footage, more likely from a capture camera in an augmented human given the angle. And, it was taken after its memory repair incident, given the location and the company it was in. Supposedly, nobody in StatSec sent it to the news feed, but MB isn't buying it.

After that, Mensah gave it the two boxes of intel drones. Indah objected, but Mensah said it was necessary for MB's mental health.(3) MB is pretty sure she'd already ordered the drones as the bribe from the end of the Home short story, though it wouldn't put it past her to use the drones for both that and telling Indah to fuck off.

In the present, such as it is, MB does have things to do other than the investigation. Like visit Bharadwaj again, as they've started research for her documentary, and she wants to see MB regularly for more meetings and interviews. It finds talking to her comforting. It's also bene helping Ratthi with data analysis for his reports, and he's been suggesting MB could do that as a job for other researchers. MB thinks that would be boring, though, at least with anyone except Ratthi, who is excited about MB's reports and invites it to go watch live performances at the theater on the station.(4)

Still, it can't help but want the intel for the investigation, so that it can figure out if it needs to worry about GrayCris on this or not. It could've done quite a lot before StatSec even got Medical down there to scan the body, if it still had systems access. It's not likely to be a GrayCris incident, but there's so much MB doesn't know about what happened, and it hates acknowledging that.(5)

MB's train of thought finally comes to a slow point thinking about how the dead human would need housing of some sort. It doesn't have systems access to find what it needs, but it might have another way. It goes to the transient block, as the most likely place they were staying. It sends a ping, and receives an answer 1.2 seconds later, probably taking so long because of startlement. MB enters the hostel, and finds a restocking bot. The bot follows MB as it walks in, a behaviour programmed for human comfort rather than practicality since it has visual sensors all over.

(I don’t know why bot behaviors that are useless except to comfort humans annoy me so much.) (Okay, maybe I do. They built us, right? So didn’t they know how this type of bot took in visual data? It’s not like sensors and scanners just popped up randomly on its body without humans putting them there.)

The bot first greets MB as a human, but MB says it doesn't have to pretend it's human, and they have a more programmatical exchange where MB asks the bot to identify the victim. The human supervisor asks if everything's alright, but both the bot (who the human calls "Tellus") and MB confirm they're just talking. The supervisor is clearly uncomfortable, but returns to their business.

MB knows it makes humans particularly uncomfortable, because humans like neat categories like "human" and "bot", and MB is both and neither. And, the "free" bot guardian system is like a magnet for humans who like to be patronizing(6) which compounds both their reactions to MB and its annoyance with them.

At any rate, Tellus helps MB identify the victim, and to narrow down the number of potential rooms they might have been staying in by sharing only rooms where the occupant left before the time of death and hasn't returned. Tellus is concerned about occupant privacy, but invites MB to come on an unscheduled maintenance inspection of unoccupied rooms as long as it deems MB's item search not in violation of it. MB offers that it only needs to look at clothing, on a hunch, seeking to match what the victim was found wearing.

Together, they do find a scarf that MB determines matches the clothes in material and pattern, and it assembles a report for StatSec with images of the scarf as well as the location of the room and the feed ID associated with it. It sends the report to StatSec tagged for attention by Indah and Tural, so it's not ignored, as well as to Tellus so it knows what's up when StatSec come to ask questions.

MB signals that it's ready to leave, and Tellus accompanies it back to the lobby, but as it goes to help clients, it asks MB about its next action. MB still doesn't have enough information, so signals "task complete", but Tellus suggests querying the arrival data before the victim, if he is Lutran, arrived at the hostel two days ago.

I didn’t respond because I don’t need a critique from a “free” bot(7) and I couldn’t access the arrivals data without Station Security’s permission anyway, and fuck that. Huh, I just thought of another way to do it. It was annoying that the “free” bot was right, but I needed to go to the transit ring.

MB finds a chair near another plant biome and sits. It wants to identify the ship Lutran came in on, but doesn't want to hack the system. It promised it wouldn't, and StatSec will do just that with permission as soon as they read its report. But, asking for information worked once, why not twice?

So, MB slips into the feed, and queries the available transports. It's tedious, and it can't be backburnered to watch media. But, after 57% of the transports in dock, it finds an anomaly: a cargo-and-human transport that responds, not with a protocol, but a salutation. When MB queries it further, it starts spewing error codes.

MB assembles its drones and makes its way toward the malfunctioning transport. The weapons scanners detect it but stand down, and MB knows the system will probably alert StatSec of its whereabouts. At least one human recognizes what MB is, a SecUnit, and watches it closely. It hates being ID'd so quickly after all the work it did to blend in, even growing out its hair.

Still, nine minutes later it's at the transport in question, and there's an urgency to its transmissions. It needs to get onboard, but it can't give StatSec any room to fuck it over. Mensah and Pin-Lee, its first choices, are in separate meetings, and several of the other team members are on-planet, Bharadwaj visiting family, Arada and Overse preparing for the survey they've got planned next,(8) and Volescu having retired.

That left me with the human most likely to want to drop everything and come watch me break into a damaged transport and the human also most likely to come watch me break into a damaged transport but only so he could argue with me about it. So I called both of them.(9)

=====

(1) See, I feel like this kinda backs me up that the local feed address isn't what Art used as MB's passcode, because it's not something unknowable to humans. Yes, it implies that it's not actively broadcasting that address, but (2) The mortifying ordeal of being perceived is Murderbot's worst fear. Its "Murderbot" name is private, even though its friends know it, they know not to use it. It's not quite a dead name, it still thinks of itself as that name, but at the risk of projecting a little of my bias and interpretation onto it, I think it (fairly) fears what people will think of it if it admits that it still sees itself as a killing machine, when it's not even really ready to think about what that means for itself. I have a feeling if the series ever ends, it will end with MB setting aside that name and choosing a new one. But, for now, this is where I think MB wants to do the thing in my chapter tagline. It wants to be a person, but it doesn't want to do person things or be perceived as a person. We're six books in and we've only just begun to scratch the surface of its issues. I'm just as grateful it fell in with Preservation, a whole society that, once they understand its intentions, is absolutely primed to help and support it in whatever it needs. (3) It's not even a lie, it's much more comfortable looking through drones than with its own eyes. Being cut off to just itself is limiting in a way it's not accustomed to. Totally justified. (4) For all that he was a little overbearing in his attempts to be helpful in the first book, Ratthi and MB have become real buds. I love it. (5) One of the most relatable things it's ever thought. (6) At least on Preservation it's just people who have a patronizing streak, and not… well, guardianship over adult humans has been in the news a lot lately and I have my own set of emotions about it and the sort of people it attracts. (7) As much as it complains about human biases toward it, MB has its own biases toward both humans-in-general and bots. (8) Hey look, Network Effect setup. (9) Who does that leave? Who's coming to "help"? From those not named, I'm guessing Ratthi and Gurathin respectively. MB has so little faith in the latter.

[tohellandback99]

I tried to post this myself, the art and the music I feel when I see it. I’m responsible for taking and sharing the pictures and the artwork. I was going to talk about it myself but then he spoke, which honestly he can explain it better than I can. I’m going to post this, everyone who wants to speak, can speak. He has saved my miserable ass so many times, I’m sad to say times he could’ve died. Both because of my external and internal circumstances. People have seen him so much but they have never actually seen him, if you catch my drift. So everyone gets to see him now. (I’m reading what he wrote,) I don’t hate him, I was confused and now I just hate the fact that he was the only one doing anything about anything I deal with. And how when we were being bullied and harassed as a young kid he was shamed for defending the girls like he’s some evil monster? Can you fucking stand it?

(By having two of my prominent, introjects like this when I was unaware meant that I could ignore them in my body entirely and the brain gaslit me into believing that simply, he doesn’t exist. No memories would be uncovered. And he wouldn’t have had to find or relate either. For security. It’s insane)

😮‍💨 alright, so this is what he wrote;

I did this a while back with my little sister. A long while, I had intended this for both therapy and her big-self’s comics. (The child alter always wanted to be able to speak about it since what happened was over, if it was possible.) To help refer my doctors to my inner-inner world. He did all the inking and the painting portions pretty much…

she was stuck. A small happy ending is I figured out she was closer than I ever knew and could understand, and somehow I managed to wake her up and she’s… doing as good as she can…

The right side is the flip side of this world. Like an underworld.

………. 😞 2012, in August right next to my birthday. ParaNorman came out and was being shown in theaters and I was brought to the theater, as a gift. And what a gift it was. I don’t know if it was that Friday on the exact day or if was Saturday. But all it took was one, loooooong, uncontrollable blank frozen stare out of the blue, at this picture on the right and it was me. (We, didn’t see this movie on that day but waaayyy later.) And I didn’t know, no one knew until way later, even after seeing the movie.

While I’m in therapy and working on reflecting on my existence and why I look different than the body, I remembered I SAW the trailer…… YEARS ago. and that that and this picture was all, it took. And that that is why this small child would show herself to me. I thought I was just having bad dreams. And they were terrifying and I felt the fear, the pain, and the screaming. And I couldn’t do anything about it.

I find out in therapy that I used to share the same name as my abuser, and that I did EVERYTHING I could to not be like him at all to the point where I didn’t even have a face anymore. I hated him and they, hated me. And then. And I completely forgot what the fuck I was doing; I was protecting her

Sigh, and there you have it. Now my head hurts, but I’ll get over it. Not like anyone asked so it’s okay! I am grateful to the people that are listening to what I just said. Thank you so much

[golbrocklovely]

personal rant incoming lol

tw: mentions of suicide/self esteem issues but isnt about that, mostly just me bitching about my mother

i love my mom with all of my heart. i literally take care of her as much as humanly possible. she does so much for me and continues to do so much for me. i literally tell her i love her every time i leave my room and pass hers. anytime we finish talking i tell her i love her. that's how we've always been towards one another. her, me, and my brother.

BUT I SWEAR SOMETIMES SHE WANTS ME TO PROVE HER DEEPEST FEAR RIGHT: that she's a bad mother and that i secretly blame her for everything wrong in my life.

there have been times when my mom will do the whole "well i guess i'm a terrible mother" act when i complain about my life, or a lot of times she will blame how both me and my brother treat ourselves on her not teaching us how to love ourselves. for example my brother struggles with self esteem issues that he's had since he was a teen. but my mom loves to turn him literally talking about wanting to end his own life and make it about herself. she'll say shit like "i didn't teach him well enough that's why he feels the way he does." and the same thing with me and my suicidal issues. i haven't had any in a long time, but she constantly will turn things of that nature and be self-deprecating almost about it, making it seem as if she didn't do enough, when she did. hell i was suicidal as a kid bc i never told her what i was going thru and when i reached out finally, she did everything in her power to make it right.

and yet she still plays this game of "oh i guess i'm a terrible mother" when i complain about my life or maybe even something she did.

recently i realize that i have become the parent in this household. i'm trying to hold everyone together and i just fucking hate it. i don't want kids bc i've had to parent my own mom for years, if i'm honest. i've had to take care of her since i was young. i had to learn to take care of myself since i was kid bc my brother was always sick and i just didn't get the attention i think i needed at the time.

maybe that's why i went into theater lol

but i am…. so tired, of having to be the strong one. of having to find solutions to problems i didn't make. to having to take care of the house just bc my brother was never taught to put shit in the trash or bc he's too depressed to do it or bc my mom literally can't do it bc she's disabled. and i'm not upset at them. not fully at least. i don't blame my mom for what she can't do. the same thing with my brother. but fuck… i am exhausted.

i just got into an argument with her bc i said i wanted to move out at some point. bc i'm 27 and don't want to live with her and my brother forever. but i said that i would most likely, even if i did move out, have to give some of my paycheck to the house bc my mom doesn't work and neither does my brother. and we're only living off of my dad's life insurance and social security which is gonna run out soon.

and then she started going on this long ass speech of like "oh you think it's easy out there but it's not, you'll just come back here in the end anyway," ect. and i just kept saying like i know it's not easy to live on your own. but it was just the way she was saying it like i'm a kid that pissed me off. and then she started shitting on my job and the fact i work in retail and don't make a lot bc i only work part time. and i just kept agreeing with her to a point but she kept… making it seem like i wasn't getting it.

and then my brother came upstairs to see what we were yelling about and ALL OF SUDDEN she goes "do you guys even appreciate the fact that we got money from dad's retirement? bc that was supposed to be my money and i could have easily kept it." she also had said earlier "i could have kicked you guys out at 18, but i didn't." and i'm just thinking in my head do you want a gold star?? but i didn't say that.

basically, i think my mother thought that i wasn't being appreciative of her and whatnot just bc i said i don't want to live with her forever. she's always kinda had an issue with me wanting to leave, especially since i've been saying it since i was in my early 20s if not before. but i've never said in a malice way, just more like oh i can't wait to be on my own.

i've always been independent, mostly bc i had to be. and now that i want to be, there's an issue.

but i HATE that she brought up the money bc i had to bring up to her that clearly both me and my brother care about this family bc before my dad died me and my brother both gave almost all of our bonds away to this family, equaling out to 1000+ dollars by both of us, so that we could pay bills since my dads paycheck wasn't cutting it. that money was meant for me and my brother alone. our grandparents gave that to us to have for when we were older and not living here anymore. basically as an insurance policy. one that we don't have anymore bc all but one a piece are gone.

not to mention when i started working i would give my barely $100 paycheck over almost completely. same thing with my brother. he was working full time, make $800 biweekly, and all of that went to family expenses.

so for her to say that just feels like a kick in the stomach. i love my family. but fuck… i gotta move out. and i mean it. or i'm gonna end up in the fucking looney bin, i swear.

i know some of this might sound jokey but i'm actually crying while writing this. like i just want things to get better, but i swear i feel like i'm drowning and no one can help me. i know my mom is just in a mood and is a bit tipsy, but i just hate hearing her say that. don't push your own insecurities about being a mom onto me. i haven't done anything wrong.

and then she wonders why i don't want kids at all. i never got to fully be one, if it wasn't me being ignored it was me being suicidal since i was 13.

why is it that everyone else can treat me like shit and say mean things but i have to be the bigger person? what has that gotten me?

i think i also wanted to add that i do appreciate everything i have gotten in my life and i know that my life has been a lot easier than others. but me complaining about how it is going now or literally just me being upset about whatever is happening in my life doesn't take away from the privilege i have had. i know that. but it feels like my mom just reads between lines that aren't there. i don't blame her for how things have played out, but that doesn't mean i cant complain regardless.

[graylinesspam]

That period of life where your supposed to buckle down and get serious about your life has been getting progressively pushed back to younger and younger years.

It used to be late 20s after you've finished college (and all the dumb stuff people did while they were young).

Then it was pushed back to the college years, forcing new adults to leap into responsibility without even the opportunity to make mistakes or else it would effect them for the rest of their careers. And that was for the millennials.

Now for GenZ that all happened while they were in high school, or now while they are still in high school. Only no one fucking told us that was going to happen. the oldest of us had to figure it out by fucking it up.

I graduated high school with an A B average, Medals in Visual arts UIL, and having finished all my required courses before my senior year then voluntarily taking two advanced sciences classes as extra curricular. Almost everyone in my graduating class flopped so hard out of highschool that it made our fucking heads spin. Just about all of us are either unemployed and living with our parents or working two plus jobs and renting a shitty apartment with roommates.

We graduated during the pandemic and also became adults during a horrible economic crisis, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. But that does not change the fact that the only people I know of who actually made anything of themselves after graduation were the ones already taking dual enrollment and college courses when they were in highschool.

just a few years later my little sister and all of her friends are taking college courses in highschool. She's graduating from highschool with a medical degree and going straight into a career.

Which don't get me wrong, I'm so proud of her, but god damn, where did the time go? She went through four years of medical classes while still too young to drive. to drink. to do anything resembling Adulthood. Where did her fucking childhood go? The one thing she did for enjoyment was having an extra curricular. Either dance or competitive theater UIL.

And my sister is certainly not what you'd consider a nerd. I was the nerdy sibling. I had the college reading level in the 4th grade. I had honor role grades and took pre AP/ AP courses. I was the high achiever. I did community service and won awards and competed.

She was just a normal kid. Totally average. Which I do not say disparagingly. I say it to illustrate just how serious things are getting out here. The reason she knew she had to step up is because I failed. And I failed because they are making things so much harder all the time and they aren't bothering to tell us until it's too late.

It's great that she has the security of that degree. But she's only 18, what if she hates it? What if college continues being so expensive that she can't afford a degree in anything else? What happens then? She's only 18 and the most pivotal decision she'd made about her future was when she was 14.

What happens next? How are they going to push this responsibility off on even younger kids? And how many are going to fall through the cracks when they do?

Maybe this is the wrong platform to pose this question given the average tumblr user but

Is it just me or did our generation (those of is who are currently 20-30 ish) just not get the opportunity to be young in the 'standard' sense?

Like, everyone I talk to who's over 40 has all their wild stories about their teens and 20s, being young and dumb, and then I talk to my friends and coworkers and classmates, and we just... dont.

[winterscaptain]

come home.

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Fem!Reader a top gun: maverick fic

a/n: i am so excited to share this fic with you all! i started writing it as soon as i came home from my first watch and the final edits came in last night as i reviewed my notes from my third visit to the theater. as always, let me know what you think! 

words: 16k content advisories:  language, alcohol use, alcohol mention, food consumption, general shenanigans and goofy group chats acknowledgements: thank you to my beta-readers and collaborators, aimz (@ssaic-jareau) and katie (@extrakatie). shout out to red (@hurricanejjareau), my concept co-creator who helped me at every step. couldn’t do this without you!

summary: if home is where the heart is, you hate it when your home has to crash-land on an aircraft carrier. or, what happens when dagger squad comes home.

masterlist | ask 

You hear your name over your cube and stand, surprised to see one of the few admirals in the building standing by your desk. They aren’t a rarity in the Pentagon by any stretch, but they don’t usually need to see you. 

Your phone sits open, waiting for a text from Bradley. The exchange from last night stands lonely on your screen. 

4:56am On the deck! I love you.

4:57am I love you! Fly safe and come home to me in one piece.

4:59am ❤️

“Sir?”

He hands you a piece of paper. It appears to be a boarding pass for a plane headed to San Diego in a couple of hours. Your stomach drops and you have no idea what your face looks like when you meet the admiral’s gaze again. 

“Transport is due in tonight.”

You swallow. There’s part of you that always worried about Bradley dying out there in one of his fucking planes…

“Sir, is…” You clear your throat. “Is he…”

The admiral spares you. “He’s alive. And mostly fine.” There’s a funny little smile on his face. “Be sure to thank Lt. Seresin when you arrive.”

“Hangman?” You ask, your brow furrowed. “Respectfully, sir, what the hell happened out there?”

+++

You check in to the naval hospital and practically jog to Bradley’s room. You don’t find him right away, but you do see part of his team - Hangman, Phoenix, Bob, and Payback - sitting in the little plastic chairs in the waiting area. 

Without thinking about it too much, you hardly wait for Jake to get to his feet before you’re throwing your arms around his neck, burying your face in his chest or shoulder, or whatever you can reach. 

“Thank you.”

You can feel him nod and tighten his grip on you. One arm secures you around the waist, his other hand holding your head to him. 

The few details you know are enough to owe him for a lifetime, so you thank him again. You’re not sure what you say in total, but you certainly repeat yourself a few times. 

“Of course,” he replies. “It’s my job and I’d do it again.”

You hear a scoff and pull back, wiping your eyes. 

You’re met with Phoenix’s grin. “He’s being dramatic,” she says. “It wasn’t that exciting.” 

“Excuse me,” Hangman retorts. “Did you dead-eye fire at a fifth-gen fighter yesterday while it was nose to nose with Maverick and Rooster, destroying the incoming missile and the aircraft, surely and heroically saving their lives?”

Phoenix rolls her eyes. You just know this incident will give him enough ego ammunition for the rest of time. 

“That’s enough,” you tell him with a smile. “Plus, I’m pretty sure you just breached your clearance.”

Bob pulls a face. “He definitely did.”

You grin, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in seven hours. “Where’s Fanboy?”

Payback looks up. “Cafeteria. He’ll be back soon. Want anything?” 

“No, I’m good. I ate at the airport in DC.” You peer down the hallway. “Just eager to see my boy.”

“That was…” Bob says under his breath, checking his watch and looking at Phoenix, “like seven hours ago.” 

“Is that who I think it is?” A voice down the hallway has you turning over your shoulder. “Chim!” 

“Coyote!”

He grins and scoops you up, turning you around in a circle before setting you back on your feet.

“With the Rooster in the coop, the Chicken couldn’t have been too far behind, right?” Hangman quips, that shit-eating grin back on his face. 

“That’s a stupid-ass nickname and you know it,” you tell him. 

He shrugs. “It’s your call sign, now. Better get used to it.”

“Wait,” Phoenix says. “Chicken, I get, but Chims? I’m lost.” 

“It’s just a stupid thing that evolved,” Coyote says, shrugging. “Stupid way to say chicken turned into chimken, then Chicken became Chim…” He waves her off. “I mean, how do you get Bag Man from Hangman?”

Hangman rolls his eyes, ready to come back at her but something stops him. He looks past you and smiles. “Hey, Mav! How’s he doin’?” 

“Good,” a voice replies. “He’ll be ready for visitors in about fifteen minutes. They’re running a couple of cognitive tests and then they want to keep him overnight, just in case. He smacked his head pretty good on ejection and again on landing, so even with the helmet…” The voice trails off and you turn. “Who’s this?” 

Maverick Mitchell’s face is a familiar one from photos and the old home videos Carole showed you before she died, not to mention the brief glimpses you got at the funeral. 

He’s got a place of honor on Rooster’s desk at home, but you’ve always known the focal point of that picture to be Goose in the RIO seat. Maverick is, of course, a recognizable figure, but not one that inspires any degree of fondness. 

He offers a hand to you and you take it somewhat coldly, keeping a neutral expression on your face. Before you can remind him who you are, Jake gives your name and adds, “We call her Chicken though.” 

“Chicken, huh? When did that start?” Mav asks with a smile. 

You shrug, your mouth pinched. “When Bradley was in OCS, I guess.”

“I’m sure I’ll hear the story later,” he says. His smile softens. “It’s good to see you again.”

Sure.

You give him a tight pull of your mouth that could be a smile if you tried a little harder. “Yeah.”

You feel a little bad - you know Maverick had a good hand in saving Bradley’s life as well, but the hours you’ve spent drying tears over this motherfucker in the last thirteen years makes that easy to overlook. 

Turning, you check in with Bob and Phoenix, “I’m gonna head down to mess and pick something up. Need anything?” 

“I thought you -” 

Phoenix elbows Bob and answers for both of them. “We’re good. We’ll be here.” 

+++

Maverick isn’t fazed by your chilly reception. He knows who you are. 

“What was that about?” Coyote asks, finding a seat. 

Maverick shrugs. “As you might recall, Rooster and I weren’t on the best terms when we all arrived. Recent developments aside, I get it. I’m sure it’ll be alright.” He offers a firm pat on Coyote’s shoulder before sitting down himself. 

“Why’d they let you loose?” Phoenix asks. “Didn’t you also go down in enemy territory?” 

“Ah, they don’t care much about me. Rooster still has many distinguished years to offer the Navy.” 

Phoenix snorts. “C’mon.” 

“Alright,” Mav relents. “I had them check me out on the carrier and I was fine. I insisted they send Rooster for a full work-up, just in case.”

Phoenix hums, leaving it alone for now. 

“How long’s it been since they’ve seen each other?” Hangman asks. 

“The poultry?”

Hangman snorts and nods. 

Phoenix shrugs. “Unless he stopped off in Virginia on his way here, it’s been five or six months. He’d been overseas for a minute and he wasn’t due back for shore duty until the middle of spring.” She sighs. “Maybe he’ll actually pull his head out of his ass and marry her this time.” 

+++

You check in with the front desk again to confirm Bradley can take visitors again before you go upstairs. You don’t want to spend any more time than is necessary with Maverick. 

It is strange though, you figure. The only reason you know Bradley at all is because Mav pulled his papers. It makes you smile, remembering back to undergrad at UVA, more than a decade ago. 

“Excuse me!” 

You turn and smile, finding a tall and sort-of cute (mostly tall) guy jogging up to you. 

“Do you know where I can find…um…” He checks his phone. “Professor Taylor? I have office hours and I’m late.” 

You nod. “I just came from her office.” You turn and point at the building a little ways down the path. “Head over there and she’s on the third floor. The elevator’s broken, though, so you’ll have to go up the stairs on the outside of the building.” 

He heaves a breath. “Thank you. You don’t happen to be in 312 with her, do you?” 

“Yeah,” you tell him. “I sit behind you.” 

He (you suppose unconsciously) brings his hand to the back of his head. “Really?” 

“Yeah, really.” You put an earbud back in. “I’ll be there Thursday. Don’t be later than you already are!” 

“Oh, shit.” He takes off at a run and hops backward for a moment, facing you. “Thanks!” 

You step out of the elevator and make your way down the hall, bypassing the team in a hurry. A couple of them stand to greet you, but you can see Bradley through the window and that’s your sole focus. 

He’s in pajamas - well, a UVA shirt and pair of joggers - rather than a gown. That alone is enough to keep your blood pressure down. He looks fine from here���

“Christ, baby! What are you doing he-”

Your lips on his are enough to shut him up. He lets out a little breath, melting into you. His arms slide around you, stealing your breath as your hands knead into the hair at the base of his neck. He flinches a little and you pull back immediately, letting go. 

“Sorry.” 

He shakes his head, his mega-watt grin blinding you. “You’re fine. You’re perfect. Hi.” His hand pulls from your waist, coming up to rest against your cheek. “When did you get in?” 

“About an hour ago.” You slide a hand down the outside of his arm, holding his hand to your cheek. You kiss his palm. “I missed you.” 

“Missed you, too,” he says, nearly at a whisper. 

You shuffle so you can wrap your arms around him and burrow deep, holding him as tight as you can. “You’re not allowed to crash planes anymore, okay?”

He chuckles. “No promises, sweetheart.” 

You stand there for a moment, swaying a little. The nurses are kind enough to leave you alone for a second. He smells the same - something warm and sunshiny, with a touch of jet fuel, canvas, and something clean and cozy.

“You scared the fuck outta me.” 

“I’m sorry,” he says. He means it. “I’ve got some stuff I want to talk to you about, too.” 

Your stomach drops and you lean back to look at him. 

“Ah, shit. Sorry. That’s - that’s not how I wanted to phrase that.” He smiles at you and your heart unclenches. “I just wanted to fill you in on a couple of things. But I want to hear about what you’re working on, first.”

He lets you guide him to the bed, where he settles in among the pillows and pulls you with him. 

You curl into his side and start telling him about the project you’re working on at the Pentagon - at least the basic details he’s allowed to know - for a few seconds before he interrupts you. 

“Wait, how did you get here?” 

You twist around to look at him. “Do I need to send you back for more concussion screening?” 

He rolls his eyes. “No, I mean -”

“I got here in a commercial airliner. They’re significantly bigger than the planes you fly, but I think you’ve seen them before? Maybe a Boeing 777?” 

“Shut up. You know what I mean.” 

You smile and relent. “Yeah, alright. My boss said, verbatim, ‘given your highly-decorated boyfriend got blown up in enemy airspace and crash-landed an F-14 on a carrier less than twelve hours ago, you can take a couple of days off.’” 

“He sounds cool.” 

“He’s reasonable.” 

There’s quiet for a moment. You breathe deeply, letting out a long, relieved sigh. Bradley’s fingers trace patterns on your shoulder somewhat absently. 

“Hey,” he says. 

You look up. 

“Does it bug you that we’ve been together so long and I’ve never asked you to marry me?”

You swallow to cover the bolt of adrenaline shot into your system. “You’ve asked me to marry you plenty of times.”

A cup of coffee lands in his hands after a bad night of sleep. You sit beside him, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. 

“Marry me,” he says, smiling.

You laugh. “No.”

He mimes stabbing himself in the gut, twisting and pulling the invisible blade. “You wound me, my lady.”

“Call me when you’ve got a ring, honey.”

And it’s true. Except on paper and in the eyes of the Navy, for all intents and purposes, you’re married. 

“Yeah, but seriously,” he says. He almost sounds concerned. 

You sit up a little, bracing yourself on your arm so you can look at him. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well…” He looks anywhere but you, surprisingly bashful. “I just…I don’t want you to feel that I take you for granted.”

“I don’t feel that way,” you tell him, quickly. “Not at all.”

“I know. But you deserve better than just a long-time boyfriend who’s too busy to get his shit together and lock you down already.”

You huff a laugh. “Last I checked, I’m not dating Jake.”

Bradley rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, I do, and it has.” Your free hand shakes as you run it over his collar and down his chest. “But I’m fine, baby. You know that. I’m in no rush.”

“You’ve thought about it, right? Making it official?” He asks. 

The genuine insecurity in his voice makes you smile. “Don’t be stupid. Of course I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about it since our fourth date.”

“Fourth?” Now he just sounds offended. 

You push at his shoulder. “Fourth. You know what you did on the third.”

He tips his head. You’re right. 

There’s quiet for another moment. 

“Bradley Bradshaw,” you start. He really does have a goofy, delightful name, doesn’t he? “When we’ve got time, we’ll make it happen. I don’t need time or a ring or a wedding when I’ve got you coming home with me after the Navy’s had her way with you.”

“You make us sound like swingers.”

You laugh. “Well, the Navy isn’t your mistress and neither am I, so I’ll leave you to do the math on that one.”

“Fair enough,” he says. He pulls you down beside him and kisses your forehead, tipping your chin up for something a little more proper. It’s easy to melt into him.

“But seriously,” he continues. “I want to marry the hell out of you and I love you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” you tell him. “That’s definitely okay.” You pause for a second. “But when you’re actually ready to ask, you better do it for real so I know you’re not joking this time.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

+++

You run into a three-star admiral at the coffee bar later in the evening. He taps your shoulder and says your name. You throw your headphones off your ears and around your neck, looking over at him. 

“Sir?” 

“They call you Chicken, don’t they?” 

You can’t help but smile a little. “Should my ears be burning, sir?” 

“Only a little,” he says. He offers a hand. “Admiral Simpson.” 

You take it. “I’ve heard lots about you, Admiral. My supervisor at the Pentagon was class of ‘93 at Top Gun.” 

“Ah. Thunder is a friend. I’m glad to hear he’s still working his magic over there.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Shall we?” He gestures down the hall and you nod, walking a little ahead of him through the door. 

You walk with him in silence for a little while. At this point, you’ve grown immune to the intimidation factor of high-ranking Navy officers (especially pilots). You know they’re all, at least on the inside, little kids who love planes. Plus, anyone who willingly gets into a two-billion-dollar bomb for a day job has to be a little crazy.

“I was talking to Thunder this morning, actually.” 

Your step only falters a little bit, but you wait for him to say more. 

“I hear the work you’re doing at the Pentagon is important.” 

“Yes, sir. I think so.” You offer him a small smile and he returns it. 

He stops a little ways outside Bradley’s door. You join him, keeping your eyes affixed to the nurse schedule on the whiteboard across the way. “I also hear that you request a transfer every time Rooster is stationed somewhere new.” 

You shrug. “I make an effort. Since he’s been overseas so much the last year or so, I’ve settled in at the Pentagon a little bit more.” 

“We spoke a bit this morning about transferring your contract to NIWC Pacific. There are a couple of projects relevant to your current work that we’d like to have you lead down here, if you’re interested.” 

You blink a couple of times. “When would that transfer go into effect?” 

“Not this Monday, but the Monday after. You’d theoretically have the rest of this week off and next week would be spent facilitating the first part of the responsibility transfer among your Pentagon team. Of course, the Navy would be happy to assist with relocation, as your permanent address is also Rooster’s.” He sighs, almost sounding regretful. 

“Sir?” 

“Of course, this would be easier if you were married, but that’s neither here nor there.” He smiles at you and starts to walk away. “Just think about the transfer. Thunder will reach out soon for your official word.”

+++

“So,” Bradley says without preamble, “about Maverick.” 

You look over at him, a question in your eyes.

Bradley seems to struggle with his words for a second. “We both saved each others’ asses out there. I’d be dead without him.” 

There’s silence for a second. You know he’ll get there eventually. 

“He’s the closest thing to a father I remember and it was… weird being around him again.” 

He reaches out and you take his hand. His thumb passes back and forth over your knuckles, treating them almost like a worry stone. 

Bradley flies down the hill on his bike, going way too fast, but he can’t feel fear over the rush of the wind on his face. He pedals faster… faster… faster. 

Before he can blink, he’s upside down, tumbling over the handlebars and onto the asphalt. He lands on his arm and something doesn’t feel right. He licks his lips and wipes his nose of what he’s sure is sweat. It comes off his chin red, dripping onto the pavement. 

He’s stunned, frankly. There’s something in his nine-year-old brain that can’t grasp the concept of his own lack of invincibility. 

All at once, the pain starts and he begins to wail in earnest, yelling for his mom, or Mav, or whoever might be around. 

Maverick hears him first. He’s sitting at the Bradshaws’ kitchen table, nursing a beer in the sunshine from the window. Faster than the jet he flies daily, he rockets out of his seat, throwing the door open and hopping the porch fencing, bracing his fall with his hands before finding his feet again. He can see Bradley down the hill on the street, small and blond and covered in dirt and blood. 

“Mav!”

“I’m coming, buddy! Hold on.”

Pete isn’t even breathless when he gets to Bradley, scooping him onto his hip with one arm and rescuing his bike with the other. 

He can’t bring himself to care that his white v-neck is soaking up the blood from Bradley’s bloody forehead. He holds him tightly, tighter when Bradley burrows further into him. 

“It’s okay, bud. We’ll sort you out.”

Mav opens the door and calls out for Carole, his voice loud but calm. He kisses Bradley’s head and sets him down on the counter next to the sink. “Alright, buddy. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Bradley’s sobs have calmed to hiccups and he refuses to let go of his arm, hugging it to his body. Mav figures ten minutes won’t matter much for that. 

Carole is admirably calm as she joins them, washing the garden off her hands before retrieving the first aid kit in the bathroom. 

With gentle hands, Mav cleans the dirt out of the cut on Bradley’s forehead and the scrapes on his chin and nose. Carole gives them space after a moment, watching Maverick talk quietly to Bradley, narrating his movement and giving him a hard time about “using the afterburner on the descent.”

It makes her smile. 

“I’m ready for him to be back in my life again, I think. Losing Ice has been…” He pauses. “It’s been hard and weird and I need what’s left of my family, I think.” He looks at you. “What do you think?”

“I think if you’re ready to move on, that’s a good thing.” You think for a moment and add, “I’m glad you and Mav had some time together. It’s been a long time.” 

You sit with Ice in the waiting room. He has a hand on your shoulder, warm and solid. The two of you get to your feet when Bradley returns, looking like he’s aged a decade in the past twenty-four hours. 

“How is she?” You ask. 

He shakes his head. “Fading fast.”

Ice’s hand slides off your shoulder as you leave him, crossing the room to take Bradley in your arms. He holds you tightly, burrowing into you, his eyes squeezing shut. 

His breath catches and you adjust your grip, holding even tighter. Tears land on your shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry, baby.”

He takes a shuddering breath. “She wants to see you if you’re up to it.” He looks over your shoulder. “You too, Uncle Ice.”

You lead the way down the hall, Ice following behind you. He’s like a looming shadow: lean, strong, and intimidating. 

Carole looks awfully small, but they’ve removed all the tubes and wires. She smiles at you, soft, before her gaze shifts to Ice. 

“Come here, you two.”

You take a seat to her left, by her head. Ice takes the one next to you. Carole holds his hand.

“I’ve asked Bradley to consider forgiving Pete, but I know he won’t for a long time.” She pauses. “You two are the only family he has left, in his mind. I know you’ll take care of him, but you need to take care of each other, too.”

“You got it, Carole,” Ice says, the side of his mouth lifting in a handsome, crooked smile. “Mav’s at our wing, too. Flying low-vis.”

She smiles at you, sharing a moment only the Navy-adjacent can truly appreciate. Her gaze grows serious and she looks at Ice. “Get Bradley back home and call Maverick, please. He’s the only one allowed to be here when I die.”

You’ll never forget the look of hollow grief on Maverick’s face when you saw him for the first time the next morning. You were left alone as Bradley brushed past him without a word and stepped into the room to see his mother’s body, to say goodbye. 

Maverick doesn’t speak and neither do you. When Bradley returns, Maverick reaches out. 

Bradley pulls away with a roll of his shoulder, taking your hand. “C’mon,” he says to you. “There’s a lot of stuff to do.” 

You don’t see Maverick, watching you go, feeling more alone than he has in his entire life. 

“Yeah. It’s nice to understand him a little bit better as an adult.” He shrugs. “I really hated him for pulling my papers but I know he was just…” He heaves a sigh. “He’s just trying to do right by me, I think. I didn’t get that before.” 

“That’s understandable.” You trace little patterns on his shirt. “He hurt you, held you back. You’d be insane not to be at least a little mad.” 

He hums again. “I guess. I did meet you, though, so it’s not all bad.” 

“No?” You ask, smiling. “Not all bad?” 

“No,” he replies. He presses a kiss to your forehead. “And I was thinking about how shitty I’ve been about that - I can’t imagine how me griping about my wasted time at UVA made you feel. I’m really sorry.” 

You shake your head. “I understood the implicit exception.” 

“It was still insensitive. Mav said something about that today and it kind of clicked. So…” He sighs. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like it was a mistake or a fluke that I met you.” 

“You’re the dumbest man alive, you know that?” You pat his chest. “And don’t you think I would have told you if that hurt my feelings?” 

He snorts. “Now, yeah. Ten years ago? No.” 

“Fair enough,” you reply, squeezing his hand. 

He smiles. “I guess what I’m really saying is, be nice to him. I’m sure he’ll want to get to know you.” 

“Alright. I’ll do my best.” You return his smile and kiss the back of his hand. “I love you, you know.” 

“I do know that, yes,” he replies with a smile. “And I love you.” 

+++

Bradley reaches for his phone and you hand it to him without looking up from your tablet. 

“I can get it, you know. I’m not actually injured.” 

You smile sweetly at him and he rolls his eyes. He fires off a text to Hangman. 

9:03pm I need a favor. 

Jake replies immediately. 9:03pm I just saved your life and you need another favor?

9:03pm It’s easy I promise.

Jake doesn’t reply, so Bradley sends his request anyway. 

9:04pm Can you or Mav grab Chims and take her to the hotel? She needs to sleep and I need to make a phone call before it gets too late.

The response is instant. 9:04pm Wait are you finally pulling the trigger??? 

Bradley stuffs his grin. 9:05pm If you say anything, I’ll ironically kill you. 

9:05pm I always wanted an unironic and heroic death. Just for that, you get Mav. 

9:05pm Thanks. Seriously dont say anything i swear 

He sends another text to a friend, Lt. Gavin “Stub” Alonso in Virginia - one who has keys to your shared apartment. 

9:05pm Are you still up/can you help me with something?

Stub replies promptly, thankfully. 9:05pm I’m up. All good in SD? 

9:06pm All good. Need a favor. Can you drive to the apt and call me? 9:06pm I need something shipped ASAP. 

9:07pm Easy. I’ll be there in 20 mins. 

He gets a final text from Hangman. 9:07pm I wont!! Who do you think I am? 9:07pm Don’t answer that.

Bradley puts his phone down and leans back against the pillows. “Hey, when’s the last time you slept?” 

“What?” You look over at him again looking admittedly a little dazed.

“I asked when’s the last time you slept.”

“I slept last night. Why?”

“I just know you’re still on East Coast time, so I wanted to make sure that you’re able to get back to the hotel tonight.”

You clamber out of the chair, setting your tablet aside, and sit next to him on the bed. “I’m fine.” You offer a pinkie to him. “I promise.”

He smiles and links his pinkie with yours, twisting your linked fingers to kiss the back of your hand. “I believe you, but you need to get some sleep.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll walk off base and call an Uber or something.” You hop off the side of the bed and start gathering your things. 

Bradley chases after you, grabbing you around the waist and kissing your neck. “I called in a favor. Stay put.” 

“Bradley,” you ask, “who are you inconveniencing this evening?” 

He shrugs, playfully pulling you closer. “Nobody important.” 

The two of you mess around, quipping back and forth a little longer than you realized. 

“I can come back,” comes a playful chirp from the door.

The two of you freeze and look toward the door - Bradley’s holding your phone in the air with one hand while you attempt to climb him like a tree. You’ve got an elbow digging into his shoulder while your legs wrap around his waist. 

Maverick’s in the doorway, leaning with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. 

You slide down and get your feet under you while Bradley wordlessly hands your phone over. 

“Hey, Mav,” Bradley says with a rueful grin, his hand rising to needlessly run over the back of his neck. “Thanks for the ride.” 

Maverick snorts. “Ride’s not for you, kiddo. You’re stuck here until morning.” 

“What?” Bradley says, a smile on his face. “I can’t be polite?” 

You look between them, feeling more than a little out of the loop. Strangely, you’re also looking forward to getting to know Maverick a little better now. 

Grabbing your bag, you give Bradley a quick kiss before shuttling him back into bed with a few gentle shoves. He pulls you back before you can get too far, running the back of his fingers over your cheek and pulling you in for another kiss. 

“Goodnight. I love you.” 

You smile, winking at him. “I love you too. Get some sleep.” 

+++

Tonight won’t be the night you get to know Maverick, apparently. He takes your bag as soon as you’re outside, strapping it to the back of his bike and replacing the helmet that used to sit there. He hands the helmet to you and helps you get it on, tightening the strap under your chin. 

You raise the visor. “Where’s yours?” 

He smiles. “Don’t have one. This,” he says, tapping the side of your head, “is for my protection as much as yours. I just got Bradley back and I’m not about to screw it up now.” 

You smile, letting him help you onto the back of the bike. 

He mounts up and starts the engine, zipping up his bomber jacket. You study the patches for a second before tentatively placing your hands around Maverick’s waist, leaning into him as he settles the bike, kicking up the kickstand. 

“Ready?” He asks. 

You nod, but quickly realize he can’t see you. “Yep! All good.” 

He covers one of your hands with his, pulling it into his shearling-lined pocket. There’s a lump of bunched fabric where you guess 30 years of passengers have held on for dear life. You take the lining in a tight fist, matching the hold with your other hand. Maverick pats your hand, satisfied. “Hang on tight.” 

+++

Stubs calls Bradley about two minutes after you leave. 

“Hey man, perfect timing,” Bradley says with a smile. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“Hey, look. As long as you’re getting what I think you’re getting, we’re all good. I still owe you from Oahu.” Stubs doesn’t even sound tired, which isn’t a surprise. He’s always been a night owl. 

Bradley tips his head. “I think we’re on the same page. So, head up to our room and into the closet. I have a chest of drawers on the left side.” 

There’s quiet while Stubs climbs the stairs. He can hear the closet slide open and the light turn on. “Damn, is she always this tidy?” 

Bradley snorts. “No.” 

“Just checking.” There’s a brief pause. “Okay, I’m here.” 

“Alright check the bottom drawer first.” Bradley sits up, resting his elbow on his knee and his forehead settled on his hand.  

“Are you telling me you don’t know where it is?” 

Bradley rolls his eyes. “I literally put it there over a year ago and I ran two three-month assignments overseas and a special detachment recall since then. Gimme a break.” 

“Fine. Okay. Bottom drawer.” There’s silence while he looks. “Do you guys seriously have two vibrat- never mind.” 

“Sorry.” 

“Nothing in here that looks like…a velvet box? Right? That’s what I’m looking for?” 

“Yeah. Try the next drawer. Shouldn’t be anything questionable in there.” 

Another pause. “Holy shit. Is this all your dad and Maverick’s stuff?” 

Bradley nods, closing his eyes and trying to picture the box, where he’d last seen it to hide it from you. “Yeah. It should be with the patches back there, I think” 

 “Sweet. Let me put you down a second.” 

There’s a bit of shuffling and then a little triumphant sound. Another shuffle. “I got it.” 

“Please make sure the ring is in there.” 

Stubs laughs. “It’s here. Damn, man. This looks great. She’s gonna love it.” 

“Thanks.” Bradley smiles to himself. “Can you get it same-day or overnight? I’ll give you the address. It’ll be out in the Mohave so I can avoid base mixups.” 

“Consider it done.”

+++

Maverick pulls the bike up in front of the hotel and you remove your helmet, shaking your head. You take Mav’s offered hand and dismount, unclipping your bag from the storage in back. 

“Thanks, Mav.” 

He steps off the bike and relieves you of your helmet. “Of course. Can I come get you tomorrow? I’ll have one of the boys bring Rooster’s car to the hospital before he’s due to get out.” 

“Sure. Thanks.” You hike the strap of your bag a little higher on your shoulder. “Hey, um.” 

He looks at you, his eyebrows high. 

“I’m sorry I was rude earlier. Bradley told me that you guys have kind of… figured your stuff out.” 

Maverick smiles, crooked and handsome. “I’d like to think so.” He takes a breath. “I’m glad he met you at UVA. Makes me feel better.” 

“Me too.” You offer him a smile and to your own surprise, reach out for a hug. He returns it, warm and kind. “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight. Shoot me a text in the morning.” 

“I’m not sure I -”

“Bradley put it in while you were in the bathroom.” 

You smile again, wide and bright. “Of course he did.” 

+++

You wake up earlier than expected, no doubt still stuck on Eastern time, and fire off a text to the “Dagger Squad + Chim - Mav” group chat. The name, obviously, wasn’t your idea. 

On a whim, you change it when you send your message.

6:34am Breakfast? You changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squad Jr.”

Jake Seresin changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squad but on Land”

Bob Floyd changed the name of the group to “Why are we changing it???”

You sit and watch the small notifications come in. 

Tasha Trace changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squadron OSS”

You ask a question. 6:37am OSS?

Jake Seresin 6:37am Operational Support Staff

Coyote Machado 6:38am ^^^^

Reuben Fitch 6:38am When’s breakfast? 

Fanboy Garcia 6:39am Where’s breakfast? 

You reply. 6:40am Who’s breakfast?

Jake Seresin 6:40am Why’s breakfast?

Your heart leaps a little bit when Bradley replies. 

Bradley Love ❤️ 6:41am Some of us are trying to sleep in. Bradley Love ❤️ changed the name of the group to “Dagger Fuckheads”

Jake Seresin 6:41am Too fuckin bad. 6:41am I like that one. Keep it. 

Tasha Trace sent a gif. 

Bob Floyd 6:42am Who’s that?

Coyote Machado 6:42am Kim Kardashian hitting her sister with her purse. 

Jake Seresin 6:42am You’re lucky I’m feeling nice this morning and will choose to forget that you know that. 

You fire off another reply. 6:43am Jake……….You also know who that is. 

Jake Seresin 6:43am No comment. 

Bradley Love ❤️ 6:44am I’m muting you guys. Text me if you actually need something.

You smile. 6:44am Look what you guys did omg

Tasha Trace 6:45am I’m game for breakfast. 

Reuben Fitch 6:45am Chims - have you been to the Henry? 

You shake your head, alone in your room. 6:45am Nope. A favorite? 

Tasha Trace 6:46am Oooooooh good call. 6:46am Definitely a favorite. And it’s right next to base. 

Fanboy Garcia 6:47am Are we inviting Mav? 

You reply. 6:47am He’s supposed to give me a lift to the hospital later. Who’s dropping Rooster’s car? 

Tasha Trace 6:48am Me. @Jake Seresin can you come get me from the hospital at 0750?

Jake Seresin 6:48am Yeah I can get you. Probably still beat everyone to the Henry too lmao

Bob Floyd 6:49am Better you than me, Phoenix. Hangman’s driving scares the fuck out of me. 

Jake Seresin 6:49am Everything scares the fuck out of you.

Tasha Trace 6:50am Fuck you be nice

Jake Seresin 6:50am No ❤️

You roll your eyes and reply again. 6:51am So who’s coming to get me

Reuben Fitch 6:52am I’ll come get you. Are you at the lodge? 

You reply promptly. 6:52am Yeah. 6:53am Okay y’all. Meet @ 0800 at The Henry.

Finally rolling out of bed, you give Maverick a call. 

“Good morning!” he says, answering on the third ring. “You’re up early.” 

“So are you,” you point out. “Any interest in breakfast at 0800 at The Henry?”

He makes a noise. “I’m out already. I’ll be back on land around ten. Want to head to the hospital then?”

“Sounds good to me. Thanks, Mav.” 

“Of course.” 

+++

Maverick is still out on the boat with Penny and Amelia when he gets a call from Bradley. 

“Hey, you okay?” He has to shout over the noise of the water. 

“All good. Are you going out to the desert in the next couple of days?”

Mav checks in with Penny, who smiles at him and takes the wheel. Ducking into the cabin, he closes the little door behind him and falls onto the couch. “I’m headed out there this weekend. Why?”

“I’m getting something sent over there and I was wondering if you’d be okay going to pick it up or…?” 

“Bradley Bradshaw…” Maverick starts, a smile on his face. “Now, what on earth could you be shipping to my place in the desert?”

Bradley laughs. “It could be something that looks like jewelry…but I already threatened to kill Jake if he said anything.” 

“I won’t say anything. I was planning on inviting Dagger over to the hangar this weekend for some fun, anyway. I can give it to you then and get some of your dad’s stuff to camouflage it.” 

Mav still has a bunch of Goose’s stuff from Annapolis. Carole never wanted any of it back in the interest of keeping some storage space free in the house and Bradley inherited everything she had. 

“Sounds perfect. Thanks again, Mav.” 

“Anytime, kiddo. I’ll see you later when I bring your lady over.” 

+++

“That is absolutely not what happened,” Coyote says, setting down his coffee. “I’m the only one who got the climb-out on the first try!”

Jake snorts. “Yeah…and you went into G-lock and almost burned in doing it.” 

“That was so fuckin’ scary, dude,” Fanboy says. “We really thought you were a goner.” 

You lean forward, feeling strangely settled amongst the Dagger team (a moniker they’ve taken beyond the special detachment and will probably keep for the rest of their careers - you’ve even heard mutterings about making patches for their jackets) even without Bradley by your side. “So, what did happen?” 

“I finished the course and made it into exfil but I just couldn’t swing the Gs the first time, you know?” Coyote replies. “The thing is though, my little victory was totally overshadowed by the bird strike that put Phoenix and Bob in the hospital.” 

You blink a couple of times. You must have missed that in Bradley’s daily updates. “You’re kidding.” 

“Nah,” Phoenix says. “We got ambushed by some birds, both engines went out, and we had to bail. Mav saved our ass, I swear. He was babysitting everyone in the air that day.” 

Coyote shakes his head. “It was so smart, though. He told you guys to bail at just the right time and he pulled tone on me to try and get me unlocked. I dunno how he thinks of this stuff.” 

“At least you guys will know what to do next time, though, yeah?” You ask. 

“Definitely,” Payback says. “Throwing tone on someone in G-lock went straight into my toolbox, I dunno about you guys.” 

“Same,” Jake says, his mouth full of french toast. 

Bob nods. “I’ll always recommend that if I’m in that situation again, yeah.” 

More talk about training floats around the table for a while before Jake sits back, throwing his napkin on his plate. “So Miss Not-Bradshaw, what have you been up to in the last few weeks?” 

Phoenix snorts into her glass of orange juice.

“First of all,” you reply, “take that up with Bradley, not me.” 

That gets a laugh out of the table. 

“Secondly, I’ve been working on some highly-classified white pages for SecDef and SecNav, so they’ve been keeping me busy.” 

“That sounds interesting,” Bob says, his eyes kind and intrigued behind his glasses. 

You smile. “I actually provided the one-pager for your mission. It was one of my colleagues at the NSA that found the uranium enrichment plant and figured the timeline.” 

“No way!” Payback reaches over Phoenix and gives your shoulder a shake. “That’s amazing! So did you know what Rooster was going to be doing or?” 

You shake your head. “No. That part was outside of the scope of my work, but I knew he was headed back to North Island a couple days after I submitted my analysis. I took a few guesses from there.” 

“It’s cool that you can have at least some perspective,” Payback says. “I know my girl’s been in the dark from the jump.” 

You hum once. “I can’t imagine. I mean…” You think for a second. “I know enough to be very concerned, but not enough to ease it, you know? I’d almost rather not know anything at all.” 

“I can see that,” Fanboy says. “Kind of a no-news-is-good-news-thing, yeah?” 

“Exactly.”

“So what’d they tell you to get you out here?” Jake asks.

You grin at him. “My boss handed me a boarding pass, said Bradley wasn’t dead, and told me to thank you upon arrival.” 

“Oh my god,” Phoenix says with a laugh. “I would have flipped out.” 

“I did! I didn’t even pack - I just grabbed my overnight bag for late nights at the office and hauled my ass to Dulles.”

Jake grins. “Well, we’re sure glad you’re here.” 

You throw a potato wedge at him. 

+++

The boys whoop and holler when Maverick pulls up to The Henry with his bike and tosses you the helmet. You hop on, holding tight to Mav’s jacket. You can see his smile from over his shoulder as he waves to his students, his colleagues, his team. 

You can absolutely see yourself, once again, as a member of Bradley’s extended family. 

It feels good.

+++

“What’s the prognosis?” You ask, sitting on the edge of the bed. Bradley sits beside you, tying his boots. 

The doctor smiles. “Nothing but probably terminal foolishness.” She checks his charts again before confirming. “No serious head trauma, just two small burns under his ear and on his forearm. Keep an eye on those for infection.” She flips some pages again. “If anything doesn’t feel quite right, Lt. Bradshaw, please give us a call.” 

“Thank you, Captain.” Bradley stands. He offers his hand and she shakes it. “I appreciate your work and your thoroughness to keep me in good shape, ma’am.” 

“Of course, Lieutenant.” She hands him a folder. “There are your discharge papers. You are good to go.” She looks at you. “Take some time to review that with Lt. Bradshaw as well, if he’s comfortable with that.” 

“Absolutely, ma’am.” You look at Bradley, briefly, with a smile. “I’ll keep an eye on him” 

+++

“Do you mind if we stop somewhere before going back to the hotel? It’s kind of a pain in the ass because it’s off the island, but…” You trail off.  

Bradley shakes his head, his eyes on the road behind his sunglasses. “Not at all. Where to, m’lady?” 

You almost feel back for bringing down the room. “Can we visit Ice? I haven’t gotten a chance to pay my respects yet.” 

As expected, Bradley’s expression sobers. He kisses the back of your hand, bringing it up from where he holds it over the console. “Of course.” 

He makes a couple of turns, hopping onto the bridge, then the highway before getting off to wind through the curving roads of Point Loma. 

“Want to visit the lighthouse while we’re here? It’s a nice day. We could walk it.” 

You nod. “That sounds nice.” 

Bradley checks into base and parks, walking around the car to open your door and hold your hand as you get out. You don’t let go as you step onto the grass, letting him lead you to the gravesite of a man who was effectively another father and uncle to him. 

From what he’s told you, both Iceman and Maverick stepped up after his father died, tag-teaming where they could. Maverick was around a little more, but Ice was there, unfailing, for every baseball game, piano recital, and ceremony. From what you saw, Bradley deeply admired and respected his father’s classmate, called him and his wife “Uncle Ice” and “Aunt Sarah,” and never went a week without a phone call. 

Unlike Maverick, Ice was also there through college, OCS, and flight training. While you’re privately certain that Mav, Ice, and Carole collaborated on his Naval Academy sabotage back in 2004, Bradley’s always been firmly of the mind that it was all Maverick’s doing. It wasn’t your job to manage his anger or resentment, but it might be time for another conversation about that. 

You reach the stone, easily recognizable by the new, bright, white finish. Bradley releases your hand, standing at attention when he reaches the stone, offering a crisp salute. He takes one deep breath before his hand drops from his forehead, slow and controlled. 

THOMAS KAZANSKY “ICEMAN” ADMIRAL UNITED STATES NAVY

COMMANDER OF U.S. PACIFIC FLEET FLYING CROSS BRONZE STAR NOVEMBER 13TH, 1959 - DECEMBER 9TH, 2018

The two of you stand in silence for a little while. You’d known Ice well, spending holidays with his formidably-sized family once you and Bradley were established and attending various keynote speakers in your career contracted with the Navy. Before just now, you didn’t think you knew him well enough to deeply miss him, but your chest hurts. 

“One thing about Ice,” Bradley told you, walking up the path to the big house on the hill, “is that he’s loyal. He’ll rain hell on anyone that threatens his family and always goes back for his wingman.” 

“Did the cancer come back?” 

Bradley shakes his head. “I didn’t ask. I figured though. Mav went to see him a couple of days before he died.” 

“I’m so sorry for your loss, baby.” 

“Me too.” He takes you under his arm. “He loved you, you know. He always gave me shit for keeping you on the hook without a ring.” 

“I cannot believe you have not asked that young lady to marry you, yet,” Ice says, sitting down behind his desk and steepling his fingers. 

Bradley sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I just haven’t found the right moment.” 

“I know.” Ice smiles at him. “If you keep with that attitude, you’ll never find the right one. What’s it been, now? Six, seven years?” He tips his head. “You better hope she doesn’t wise up to your bullshit.” 

“I know.” Bradley sits down on the couch under the bay window. “I just want to do it right.” 

Ice stands, crossing the room to join Bradley with a pat on the knee. “I tried to make it perfect for Sarah, but at the end of the day, it’s just for you two. It doesn’t have to be right, it doesn't have to be exactly as you or she pictured it.” 

Bradley watches him remember, the softness of his face, the fondness in his eyes. It makes him smile. 

“All that ring does,” Ice continues, “is show her you love her and want to be stuck with her until you die.” 

“It sounds so romantic when you say it like that,” Bradley laughs. 

Ice shrugs good-naturedly. “Word on the street is your dad hopped out of a plane on his first training mission, dropped to his knee, and proposed to your mother on the spot.” 

He’s right. Carole told Bradley about it. 

“Thanks, Ice.” 

“Of course, son. I’ll always be here for you. You know that.” 

You laugh, smiling at the stone. “And here you are, flaunting him even in death.” 

Bradley kisses your temple. 

+++

On your way to the lighthouse, the wind picks up, buffeting into you. Bradley releases your hand, pulling you close with an arm around your shoulders. 

There aren’t many people out, so the walk is relatively quiet. 

“Y’know, honey, I was thinking,” you start, staring at the path under your feet as you continue along. You hesitate. “I’m not sure how to say this diplomatically.” 

You can almost hear Bradley raise his eyebrows. “I thought we were past diplomacy.” 

“I know, it’s just…It’s about your mom.” 

Bradley steers you off the path and to a bench conveniently placed on the grass, facing the ocean. He sits down, angling his body toward you and his arm extended, fingers brushing against your shoulder. “What’s on your mind?” 

“I was thinking about what you said - about Maverick pulling your papers. And I know I don’t know him like you do, but -” You cut yourself off. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person to…take initiative like that.” 

Bradley’s eyes wander to the grass, then out to sea. He’s obviously considering what you said, but you’re not sure if he’s going where you’re leading him. 

“I just -” You take another breath. “I don’t think I would want my kid in an F-35 if I lost my husband in an F-14, you know?” 

Bradley’s brow furrows. 

“I think you should at least ask him about it. He doesn’t strike me as the type to overstep in that direction on his own, he does seem like the type who would protect your relationship with your remaining parent, especially if he still feels responsible for your dad.” 

You reach for him and he comes back to you, holding you close as you scoot over and rest your head on his chest, listening to his heart. 

“Yeah,” he says, finally. “I’ll ask him about it.” 

+++

Dagger Fuckheads Jake Seresin 2:41pm Dinner tonight? Mav’s buying.

You and Bradley look at each other, reaching for your phones. 

“Want to go?” He asks. 

You nod. “I could go. I don’t have anything better to do.” 

Bradley replies. 2:43pm Chims and I are in! Where and when?

Jake Seresin 2:43pm Mav says dinner at his place at 1800 and then drinks at Penny’s when we’re done. 

“Sounds good to me. What about you?” Bradley asks. 

You nod and reply to confirm. 2:44pm We’re there! 

+++

“So, Mav,” Phoenix says, putting down her fork. “When do we get to go out to the desert and see your P-51?” 

Maverick smiles. “You’re all welcome anytime. I’m headed out there this weekend.” 

“No way!” Fanboy says. “You have a mustang out there?” 

“Hell yeah,” Maverick says. “You can fly it if you promise to take care of her.” 

All the lieutenants share a glance. Hangman finally confirms, “We’re in.” 

+++

You sense, rather than hear, Maverick come up behind you as you stare at the photos above the sink. There’s one of Penny, tucked behind a photo of Carole and Goose. She couldn’t be more than twenty-five, smiling at you from out of the Polaroid. There’s another Polaroid of her nearby, a much-younger Maverick kissing her cheek outside one of the buildings at Miramar. 

You reach out to another photo, gently brushing over the image of Iceman grinning at the camera in his dress whites and sunglasses. Maverick stands beside him, an equally bright smile on his face. 

“That was Ice’s wedding,” Mav says. 

You hum. “I’ve seen this picture before. It’s on - or…” You pause. “At least, uh, it was on his desk at home.”

Maverick steps up beside you, pointing out photos of Bradley and Ice you’d missed before. Your favorite, by far, is one of Ice hitting a baseball and Bradley ducking on the pitcher’s mound to avoid impact. 

“After Bradley and I were firmly an item, we spent every Christmas with Ice and Sarah,” you tell him, unprompted. 

“I know,” Mav says simply. “He loved having you both there.”

You smile. “He spoke so highly of you, Mav. He would always tell stories that ended with one of you heroically saving the day.”

Maverick has to smile at that. His eyes wander to a photo taken after one of their many missions together, Ice’s hair wild from his helmet. 

“I know that he tried to honor and respect Bradley’s anger, of course, but I know cutting you off hurt him, too.” You smile a little. “I think he knew that hearing his stories about you made it a little harder to dislike you. I think he figured I needed something else to round out what Bradley told me.” 

“There was one time,” Ice recalls, “when Bradley was little, that I thought Maverick had truly gone insane.” 

“Oh?” You ask. It’s not rare to hear stories with and about Maverick, but they’re usually of the heroic-endeavors variety, rather than stories of Bradley’s childhood.

The two of you sit out on the porch, watching the sunset. Bradley, of course, is in assisting Sarah with dinner. You offered your help, as did Ice, but Sarah practically kicked you out, claiming, “While you’re both nice to look at, you’re in the way.” 

“Mav volunteered to be the coach of Bradley’s little league team.” Ice shakes his head. “I’d never seen him throw himself into something like that. Carole had to tell him to tone it down.” Ice pauses. “Bradley was a helluva ballplayer though. He’s always been patient, attentive. Good qualities for everything, but especially baseball and flying.” 

Ice looks over his shoulder, satisfied that you’re alone. “The two of them are more alike than they’d like to admit.” He looks at you. “I was about to say, I wish you could know him. However, knowing me and knowing Bradley tells you more about him than he’d ever like anyone to know, for better or worse.” 

Maverick looks at you for a second. “Can I show you something?”

You nod, dragging your eyes from the photo. Mav takes you to the corner, where a cup full of challenge coins sits on the counter. He pulls a frame from the shelf, bringing a photo down from its place. 

To your shock, it’s a photo of you and Bradley graduating from UVA. Your matching orange stoles stand out brightly against your black gowns and the green grass behind you. 

Bradley holds you close to his side, kissing your temple as you look at the camera with a smile. 

“Sarah took this one, didn’t she?” You ask, looking over at Maverick. You remember the moment well, but it’s only now you realize you’ve never seen the picture before. Your eyes fall on pictures of Bradley through the years - his high school baseball photos, his NROTC and college graduation portraits, Bradley and Ice standing together at Bradley’s OCS commencement…

He always looked out for him. All these years. 

Maverick replies, pulling you from your thoughts. “She sent me a copy. I have a couple more from Christmases, too. You landed in the New Years’ newsletter more than once.”

“Wait a second.”

You turn around, finding Jake squinting at another photo on the shelf.

He points to one “Is this you?”

You walk over, brow furrowed. Lo and behold, it’s a Kazansky Christmas card, dated 2010. You sit on the arm of the sofa next to Bradley, mirrored by Ice’s daughter on the other side. The two Kazansky boys take the other two seats on the couch, their now-wives seated on the ground in front of them, forming a cozy picture with Ice and Sarah behind you all. 

“Yep, that’s me,” you tell him. “That was when I was in my masters and Bradley was in OCS.”

It’s like you aren’t even there as Hangman calls over his shoulder. “Rooster!” 

“Yeah?” Bradley trots over, meeting your eyes with a questioning glance. You shrug. Maverick joins you, standing at your side with his arms crossed and a funny little look on his face. 

“How long have you guys been together, exactly?” Hangman asks, a grin blossoming on his face. 

Bradley knows he’s already in trouble. “Well,” he answers diplomatically. “If you ask me, we started dating in February of 2005. If you ask her,” he points at you, “we started dating in August of 2005.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong-“

He’s not going to be wrong, is he?

“- but that’s thirteen years.”

Bradley’s hand rises to his neck. “Yeah.”

Hangman turns to you. “Jesus Christ you’re either a saint or an idiot and I can’t decide which.”

“We’ve been busy!” Your voice sounds shrill and defense even to your ears. 

“For thirteen years straight?” Hangman doesn’t wait for an answer before moving on. “Hey, Siri!” There’s a series of beeps from his phone, connected to Mav’s speaker. “Play Slow Ride by Foghat.”

You bite back your laugh as Jake turns around again with a wicked grin. 

“God, I love this song.”

+++

“Ready, baby?” Rooster’s voice rumbles in your ears through the headphones. 

You turn on your mic. “Let’s go!” 

“Alright. Hang on tight.” 

The P-51 accelerates down the runway and Bradley hauls it into the air, the Gs pressing you into the seat. 

“How many Gs can this thing pull?”

You can almost see his smile from behind as he answers you with a laugh, adjusting one of the countless switches and knobs in front of him. “Not enough.”

“That doesn't answer my question!” It takes a little more effort to get the words out with the pressure on your chest, but you know it’s nothing compared to the F-18. 

As expected, Bradley’s voice is still even and cool through the mic. “It tops out around six or seven. We’re only pulling three and a half right now, but it’ll ease up in a second. Take a deep breath.”

You follow instructions, letting your head and body press into the seat as you close your eyes. You remember how he taught you to breathe years ago when you felt like you were suffocating in broad daylight in a Cessna.

The plane levels out and you already feel better, taking one more deep breath before opening your eyes. 

“Oh my god.”

You’re thousands of feet in the air, looking down on Death Valley and the surrounding desert. 

“Beautiful, right?” Bradley asks. “Ready?” 

“For what?” 

You don’t get a response, but let out a yelp as you go inverted, flying upside down a mile over the brown hills and bright orange California poppies. 

“Relax,” he says with a laugh. “Enjoy the view.” 

It’s a strange feeling, to be looking up and down at the same time. It is, however, easy to see how this feeling can be addictive. Even at relatively low speeds, you feel alive with the plane’s frame around, Bradley’s gentle hands holding you all aloft. 

Bradley glides into a loop, correcting the inversion with ease. You let yourself relax again, looking out the canopy to find where the mountains meet the sky. The plane arcs in a wide circle, headed back to the hangar. 

“I can see why you love this so much,” you tell him. 

He reaches back with one hand and you take it. He squeezes once before letting you go. “Happy you’re here with me, baby.”

When you get back to Maverick’s place, you notice Bradley looking down at the runway. You follow suit, finding Dagger Squad standing just outside the hangar. You can’t quite see details from up here, but it looks like they’re watching you. 

“Hey, babe?” You ask. 

Bradley’s head tilts a bit. “Yeah?”

“I think you should remind them why you’re Dagger Two.”

You can see him, but you’re sure he’s grinning. You can hear it. “Alright. Hang tight, honey.”

Bradley’s hand flies forward on the throttle and you’re pressed back into your seat with a laugh. He swoops down over the hills, taking a hard bank before climbing high and barrel-rolling twice. 

You can’t stop laughing, only losing your breath once or maybe three times. He pulls a few more maneuvers that have your stomach twisting and dropping. The sound of his trained, measured breath in your ears keeps you glued to time and space. 

He gets back to wings-level and checks in with you. “You still with me back there?”

You swallow, laughing a little again. “I’m good.”

“I owe Mav some fuel, but that was fun.” He banks again, gentler this time, and starts the descent down to the runway. The landing is smooth, hardly jostling you as you settle back on the ground. When the canopy opens, Bradley stands and gets out, holding his hand out to lend you an assist. 

You feel a little wobbly when you get your feet on the asphalt again, but Bradley grabs you around the waist, pulling you close. He’s somehow already removed his helmet and lends a hand with yours. 

Dagger Squad rushes the two of you and Jake claps you on the shoulder. “I thought for sure you were gonna puke.”

“Thanks for your overwhelming vote of confidence.”

Bradley’s still grinning from ear to ear. Mav saunters out of the hangar with a smile on his face and hands in his pockets. “Not too bad for a rookie,” he says. 

“Pretty sure they’ll revoke that thing once you get your AARP card. Flying’s dangerous, you know.” 

Maverick frowns and checks over his shoulder, looking left, then right. 

“What’re you lookin’ at, Mav?” Bob asks. 

Mav looks at Bradley. “I’m trying to find who the hell Rooster thinks he’s talking to.” 

Bradley grins and throws his helmet at Mav, who catches it easily. “It is a sweet ride, though.” 

+++

“Hey Bradley, let me get your help with this,” Maverick calls from across the hangar. 

Bradley stands, setting his beer down on the little coffee table. “‘Scuse me, folks. I’ve been summoned.”

“Hey, excuse me, sir, there’s a tax for that,” you remind him, looking up from your seat in the armchair. 

With a smile, he gives you a quick kiss and jets off to find Mav in the back. 

Jake scoffs. 

You look at him. “Can I help you?” 

“Y’all are gross.”

With a sigh, you shift in your seat, leaning forward to condescendingly place a hand on his knee. “One day, Jake, you will love someone who misses you when you’re gone and you, too, will be gross.” 

Bradley looks over his shoulder before he reaches the archway to Mav’s back “office.” The image of you sitting with his team, chatting like you’ve known each other all your lives, warms his heart. 

“Bradley?” Mav calls quieter than before. 

Bradley finally rounds the corner, grabbing the arch and swinging wide through the turn. “Yessir.” 

Mav holds up a first-class box and grins. “I think it’s here.” 

The two of them open the box, trying to keep the noise of the bubble wrap to a dull roar. Inside, the small, navy-blue velvet box smiles up at them, nestled deep in the packaging. 

“Can I see?” Mav asks. 

Bradley nods. 

With similar care to a father holding his newborn for the first time, Maverick takes the box into his hand and opens it with the smallest of worn pops. 

There’s silence for a moment, followed by a swell of laughter from the hangar. 

“It’s beautiful, Brad. She’s going to love it.” 

Bradley tips his head. “I hope so.” He pauses. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” Maverick meets his eyes, open and receptive. 

“Was it your idea to pull my papers?” 

Maverick sighs, looking down for a second before returning Bradley’s steady gaze. That’s pretty much all the answer Bradley needs, but still Maverick says, “Yes. It was my idea.” 

He’s always been a shit liar. 

“My mom asked you to do it, didn’t she?” 

Mav’s jaw flexes. 

“Pete,” Carole says, looking at him from the couch. She leans forward and Maverick mirrors her, the use of his first name somewhat unsettling. He glances at the clock. Bradley’s at baseball practice for another hour or so, at least. 

“Yeah?” 

“I got some bad news today.” 

Maverick’s heart drops to his stomach and he immediately stands to cross the room, sitting next to her on the couch. 

She continues, taking his hand. “I’m sick. They’re sure it’s some kind of cancer but they’re doing some more tests. I have to go back tomorrow for a PET scan. They do know it’s serious.” 

Tears, unbidden, jump into Maverick’s eyes. He can’t speak. 

“Oh, Mav.” Carole cups his face with her ever-gentle hands. “Mav, it’ll be okay.” 

He clears his throat. “Do they have any ideas about… treatments, or…?” 

She shrugs, looking off somewhere across the room. “They’ll know more after this week. The doctor told me it could be months, maybe years, but he determined that it is terminal.” 

A set of tears fall down Maverick’s cheeks, dripping gracelessly off his chin. 

With a sigh, she adds, “I would really like to see Bradley graduate from college, but... Speaking of…” She trails off. 

The muscle in Mav’s jaw jumps several times before he speaks again. “What can I do?” 

“Bradley applied to the Naval Academy,” she replies, shaking her head. “I can’t - I can’t have him in a jet, Maverick. I won’t do it.” 

“Carole, he’s an -” 

“Don’t tell me he’s an adult, Pete. Look at him.” She throws a hand to the most recent school portrait on the mantle. “He’s not ready and I’ll never be ready.” 

Again, Mav asks, “What can I do.” 

She’s quiet for a moment. “Can you talk to admissions?” 

“Carole, I -” 

“Promise me, Mav. I know Ice can do it if you can’t, and I’ll ask him next.” 

Something cold settles into Maverick’s veins. He’s fairly certain it’s fear. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” 

Carole surprises him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “I might be dying, but he - I won’t let him kill himself.” 

“Do you think I’m killing myself?” Mav asks, only half-joking. He holds her tight as if she’ll break apart if he lets go. Maybe it’s him who needs to be held together. 

She takes him seriously. “Every goddamn day. And I hate you for it.” She leans back. “But as much as I love you, he’s my son. I need you to take care of him when I’m gone.” 

Maverick realizes he’s been quiet for too long. He thinks of Penny, what she would do if Amelia asked him a question like this. 

She’d tell the truth. 

“Carole, she…” Mav sighs, looking over his shoulder at a photo of the three of them at some function or another. “She made me promise. The same time she told me she was sick.” 

Bradley takes a deep breath before asking, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I didn’t - I couldn’t have you hate her, too.” 

Strangely, that pulls a smile from him. You were right.

“What?” Mav asks. 

Bradley shakes his head. He looks over his shoulder for a second, finding only a wall but knowing you’re beyond it. “Someone who’s only known you a sum total of ten hours knows you better than I do, apparently.” 

Maverick smiles, clapping Bradley on the shoulder. “They’re all smarter than us, you know. Sooner you figure that out, the easier it’ll be.” 

+++

Penny sits at the bar, working through the inventory and accounting for the week by hand. It’s easier this way, she tends to rationalize, but really it’s just a good excuse to get her away from her laptop. 

Checking over her shoulder, she finds the ocean rough, white caps popping on the top of the waves. The sky is thick with clouds, giving the entire world a greyish-blue cast. As much as she loves the sunshine, a winter Southern California storm feels good to the bones. 

Before she can get up to either close the back door or find a jacket, there’s a hand on her waist. 

“Chilly?” 

She turns, finding Maverick behind her. He drapes his soft, warm bomber jacket around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head. 

“I’ll be in the back. Just wanted to check on you.” 

She hums, leaning into him. “I’ll be here.” 

He gives her one final kiss before he disappears again, probably fixing a leak or patching a hole she failed to notice. 

He sees everything . 

It’s alarming, sometimes. 

She checks her watch but it’s pointless. She’s not sure when you and Bradley are due in from your afternoon out in La Jolla, but she’s sure she’ll get an ETA when you’re good and ready to share. 

The front door opens and closes. Penny doesn’t bother to look up - there are only five people who walk in casually like that and two of them work here. 

“Penny?” 

That’s not one of the four . 

She looks up, finding the eyes of her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?” She pulls the jacket closer to her, almost like armor. 

“Can’t I just stop by and say hello?” He asks.

“...It’s a five-hour flight from Hawaii,” she says. “And dropping in unexpectedly kind of defeats the purpose of a divorce, if I’m remembering correctly. Where’s your wife?” 

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” he says as if she didn’t say a word. That was half of the problem when they were married. Penny’s not sure why she thought it would change now. 

“Penny, sweetheart?” 

Mav’s voice almost startles her, but a wave of relief follows close behind the bolt of adrenaline. 

“Bradley’s due in anytime now. They just called from the -” Mav finally steps out of the back room and spots the visitor in the bar. “Hi.” 

Penny hastily stands and introduces them to each other. 

“Wait,” the unwelcome guest says, “you’re Pete Mitchell? Maverick Mitchell?” 

Mav smiles, but only friends would know it's not a real one. This is the one he wears for show. “That’s me.” 

“Huh. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The way he says it doesn’t sound like a compliment. “I thought you’d be taller.” He shakes off another thought and asks, “Where’s Amelia?”

Your daughter, the afterthought , Penny thinks sourly. “She’s -” 

“Anybody home?” Bradley crows, interrupting from the doorway, a grin on his face. You’re right behind him, trying to get in as he purposefully blocks the door. 

Through your laughter, you cry, “Penny, help! I’ve been taken hostage.” 

Despite the stress of the moment, that gets a smile out of her. “Let her in Rooster.” 

The two of you shove your way through the door, landing with your arm around Bradley’s neck as he half-carries, half-drags you across the plank flooring. The smile falls from Bradley’s face when he sees the unfamiliar person in the room, putting you down behind him. “Who’s this?”

“Sam Longbourn,” comes the introduction. Sam extends a hand 

“Rooster,” Bradley replies. You shoot him a look. He hardly ever introduces himself with his callsign alone. 

Men. 

You shake Sam’s hand as well, but he doesn’t ask your name. You don’t offer it. 

Bradley’s chin lifts a touch. “Longbourn? Isn’t that -”

“Amelia’s last name?” Penny finishes. “Yes.” 

Bradley hums once, staccato. “Imagine that.” He slips past Maverick, placing a hand over the big patch between Penny’s shoulder, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek by way of greeting. “Want me to take a look at those books?” 

“Sure,” she says, trying to be casual. 

You just think it’s funny that all three men in the room have immediately started preening upon recognition. Only two are succeeding. 

There’s an awkward pause. You offer a tight, polite smile and join Bradley at the bar, leaning on him. 

“And Bradley is…?” Sam asks. 

Mav answers promptly. “My son. He’s a naval aviator as well. One of the best we’ve got.” 

The pencil in Bradley’s hand stops moving for the briefest of seconds. You glance at his profile without moving your head too much to see him blinking a few times in quick succession.  

You lean into him a little more purposefully and he leans back. Taking a quick look over at the uncomfortable little triad, you catch Penny’s eyes. 

Was that okay? She seems to ask. 

You take a deep breath. I dunno. 

Amelia’s father ends up taking a seat at the bar, absolutely overstaying his welcome. You stand, grabbing a rag from behind the bar and attempting to make yourself useful. 

“Can I get you anything?” You ask.

He raises his eyebrows. “You work here?” 

“Nope. Just like to help Penny when I can. And she’s busy, so…” You shrug. 

He takes a second. “I’ll do a Miller Lite, if she’s got it.” 

Bradley covers his snort with a cough into his elbow. You can’t help but agree. 

Fly five hours from Hawaii only to come to a bar and order a Miller Lite. Shameful. 

You find one under the bar and open it, setting the bottle down in front of him. Penny comes back, squeezing your upper arms fondly as she slides in behind you. She approaches her ex, leaning against the bar on the heels of her hands.

“Look, we’re about to open up and it’s gonna get crowded. You better say what you want to say.” 

You sneak back around to Bradley, helping him organize the binder the way Penny likes it, packing up and getting ready for opening. You’re all gonna have backup here in a moment - Dagger’s due in anytime now. In the weeks they’ve been here, they’ve all grown particularly fond of Penny and Amelia. Jake, especially with his two-year shore duty at North Island after Annapolis, is more at home here than anywhere else. You can’t imagine them taking too kindly to an interloper. 

You and Bradley head to the back while Penny and Sam talk. Mav’s there, already straightening up from his project along the south wall. 

“I’m so sorry, Bradley. I didn’t mean to overst-” 

Bradley waves him off and pulls him in for a hug. “All good. I get it.” He says something else, but you can’t quite catch it. 

Doesn’t matter, anyway. You heard enough to know that Carole was right. 

“They’ll figure it out,” she used to say. “Bradshaws and Mitchells always find a way, especially together.” 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” comes a booming voice from the great room, “the party has arrived.” 

With a roll of your eyes, you jump out of the back room with a grin. “Damn, they let just about anyone in here, huh?” 

“Well, yeah,” Jake says. “You’re here, aren’t you?” 

“Uh uh. No,” Penny scolds, pointing at Jake. “Behave.” 

Jake grins at her, wide and toothy. With a roll of her eyes, she throws a bottle opener on the bar, followed by a bottle of his usual brew. “Thank you, Miss Penny m’dear.” 

“Yeah,” she says. “Keep that up and I’ll ring the bell on you.” 

He chuffs. “You love me.” 

“I don’t,” she insists, laughter in her eyes. 

Bradley and Maverick join you, headed to the pool table to rack up. You find a seat at one of the tables, ready to watch whatever masculine posturing bullshit the boys have up their sleeve. 

Jake, as if noticing the unfamiliar face for the first time, looks over and raises his eyebrows. It’s all for show - you know he clocked Sam the second he saw him. He doesn’t break eye contact when he asks, “Who’s this?” 

Penny gestures between them. “Sam Longbourn, Hangman. Hangman, Sam.” 

Jake squints. “Hm. I’d say it's nice to meet you, Sam, but I’m not sure it is.” He grins, softening the blow, before turning to Penny. “Wait, lemme see that patch.” 

Penny turns, pulling the jacket so Jake can see the patch that’s always been there. 

“Mav,” Jake asks, raising his voice. “Is this a new patch?” 

Smooth . 

“Nope. It’s been there for a minute. I’m having a patch made for Dagger, though. Should be in before they scatter us again.”

“Sweet. Guess I never noticed it before.” Jake’s smile grows sly. “I guess it just looks better on Penny than it does on you.”

Maverick snorts and says something that has Bradley laughing out loud. 

Sam, for the first time, looks a little self-conscious. Jake doesn’t seem to notice, pointing out the rest of the team, hovering around the pool table. “That’s Phoenix, Bob, and Payback. Mav’s a legend of course, and Rooster’s just been named Wingman of the Year.” 

“Yeah, and you’re what, our Lord and Savior?” Bradley says. 

“You said it, not me,” Jake says, that grin back on his face.

Poor Sam has turned into a ghost at this point, looking between everyone present with increasing confusion and awe. 

Rooster rolls his eyes, leaning over the pool table, his break shot sinking two. He beckons you over. “C’mon baby, we’ve got stripes.” 

Mav straightens and looks across the bar, watching Penny idly organize glasses. She turns, meets Maverick’s eyes, and leaves the bar with a shake of her head. “Shall we show them how it’s done, Mav?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

+++

“Hey, Mav!” Bradley calls, later that night. “C’mere.” 

Mav obliges, making his way around to Bradley’s side and leaning against the piano. Penny’s ex seems to have disappeared as quickly as he arrived. You didn’t even see him leave, but between Jake and Mav, you’re sure he had enough.  

Good riddance.

“Take a look over there.” Bradley points with the neck of his bottle to you and Penny, sitting on a pair of barstools, chatting amongst the evening rush. “What do you see?” 

Mav thinks for a second. “...People we care about?” 

“Yeah. See anything wrong with them?” 

There’s a creeping sense of deja-vu, but Maverick can’t quite place it. He looks again. You have Bradley’s sunglasses stuck into the front of your shirt and you’re babysitting a small pile of coats in your lap - Payback, Fanboy, and Hangman’s, to be specific - but nothing looks out of the ordinary. Penny looks great, of course, Maverick’s leather jacket still slung casually over her shoulders. 

Bradley’s definitely up to something. Mav, after his assessment, says, “...I’m not seeing anything.” 

“I think…I think they’ve lost that loving feeling, Mav.” 

Mav laughs, his chin falling to his chest. “I’m too old for this shit, Rooster.” 

“What are you too old for?” Jake asks, arriving seemingly out of nowhere. 

“Hangman, I think the girls have lost that lovin’ feeling.” 

Jake shakes his head, a confused little smile on his face. “What?” 

“C’mon, Mav. Back me up here. They definitely have lost that loving feeling.” 

Mav sighs. “I hate it when they do that.” He pushes off the piano and throws two quarters in the jukebox. “You’re gonna have to help them find it after this song, you know. Patience is a virtue.” 

As promised, as soon as the song comes on over the bar, Penny’s head shoots up, her eyes wide. If you had to name it, you would call the look repeat trauma . 

“What?” You ask, but you already hear it. 

“You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips…” 

Her only reply? An exhausted, “Oh, God.” 

“And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.” 

The crowd parts and your jaw drops. Bradley is serenading you at the top of his lungs, his hand extended dramatically toward you.  

“ You’re trying hard not to show it, but baby, baby I know it,” He sings. “ You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling. Whoa, that lovin’ feeling.”

You cover your face with your hands as he continues, the rest of the crowd joining in. Penny’s laughing in earnest, happy for once she’s not the victim of this stupid charade.

The chorus ends and you look at Bradley, gesturing to the empty seat beside you. “Sit down, you idiot.” 

The entire bar cheers. 

Penny looks up, finding Mav still at his place near the piano. He meets her eyes and smiles. 

+++

“Is that mine?” 

You’ve just stepped out of the bathroom when Bradley looks over at you skeptically, his eyes running across your shoulders and down to your waist. 

You are, in fact, wearing one of his Hawaiian shirts. However, in your defense, he has way too many (you’d approximate three dozen) and he’s never bothered to ask about any that have gone mysteriously missing (of which there are about eight). 

You hesitate just a second too long. “…No.” It sounds an awful lot like a question. 

“I think it is,” he says, leaving his bag and sauntering over to you from across the room.

You shake your head. “Nope. I got this one in Hawaii while I was visiting you a few years back, remember?” You double down, knowing your efforts are futile.

“I think,” he says, finally reaching you and dipping down to kiss your neck, “this is my shirt. I also think,” he adds, his lips trailing to your collarbone and his hands wandering over your back pockets, “that you stole it from me in Hawaii while you were visiting a few years back.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Your assertion is breathless at best. 

He shakes his head. “You’re a thief.” 

“Am not.” 

“Are too,” he whispers, kissing you under your ear. “And before you can continue to argue with me, I have a question for you.” 

“Oh?” you ask with a laugh. “Is it shirt-related?”

“No.” 

He kisses your cheek and gracefully slides to a knee at your feet. He pulls the small box out of his back pocket and you’re pretty sure you can’t breathe. 

“It’s past time, beautiful, and there’s a lot I could say but…” He opens it and the image of the ring nestled in navy blue velvet steals your breath. “Will you marry me?” 

You definitely can’t breathe, so you settle for a nod, finally able to pull a breath after a second. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.” 

He stands and wraps you in his arms, the box still in his hands.

+++

The wood plank flooring feels cool under your feet, despite the San Diego summer waiting for you just outside the door. Penny picks up the hem of your dress, letting it flutter loosely to the floor so you don’t trip. 

“You’re still good barefoot? I’ve got your sandals here if you need them.” 

You nod. “It shouldn’t be too hot.” 

“Okay,” she says. “I’ll have Mav take them out when he goes back.”

There’s an awful lot of movement for the final moments before a wedding. The boys are goofing around outside in their summer whites while Penny and Maverick fuss between you, Bradley, and the bar. 

Penny picks up the sandals in question, snagging Mav by the sleeve as he passes her. “Take these out and put them under your seat.” 

He looks confused and almost makes the mistake of asking a question but shakes his head, taking the sandals and kissing Penny’s cheek without another word. He hops out the back door and down the steps, hastily making his way to his seat to drop off the shoes. 

The little lattice arch sits on the sand about thirty feet from the back patio of The Hard Deck. You peer out the window from where you stand by the piano, seeing Bradley approach Mav with a concerned little pinch in his eyebrows. You know you’re running late, but after all this time he knows better than to really worry. 

Mav clasps his shoulder briefly with a wide smile before dusting imaginary debris from his uniform. Bradley returns the favor, straightening the ribbons on his chest. You step back as Mav looks through the back door, staying out of sight. 

With a deep breath, you nod at Penny. She hands you the bouquet and heads outside, calling in your wedding party from their shenanigans and giving the rest of the assembled company the cue to take their seats. 

Phoenix reaches you first, giving you a hug. “You excited?”

You nod. “Very.” 

“It’s gonna be so fun.” 

Jake winks at you as he offers Phoenix his arm, taking his cover under his other elbow. “He’s freaking out.” 

“No, he isn’t. He’s ecstatic,” Payback says, smiling at Amelia in her blue bridesmaid dress. “May I, miss?” 

You’re sure she’s blushing when she nods and tucks her hand into his elbow. Penny smiles, kissing your cheek before giving the same treatment to Amelia’s head. She gives Payback a quick pat on the shoulder for good measure and then she’s gone - jogging barefoot to her seat. 

Everyone else gets settled and you’re ready. 

+++

You look up from the sand, finally, to see Rooster standing before the water in his summer dress whites. His uniform and his smile are equally blinding. You almost have to squint to look at him directly. The smile on your face, though, could give him a run for his money. 

The wind off the water whips around your face and pulls at the skirt of your dress. You let your eyes wander down the short line of crisply-dressed aviators that just left you in the bar. Hangman, Bob, Coyote, and Payback grin back at you behind their sunglasses when you smile at all of them in turn. 

Maverick and Penny, of course, stand in the front row beside the empty seats reserved for Bradley’s parents and Iceman. Sarah and Ice’s oldest son stand on the far side. Your closest friends and family fill the remaining seats. There’s not a person out of place and everything is just as you pictured it when you sketched out the quick plans in Maverick’s desert hanger five months ago. 

After what feels like an hour, you finally reach Bradley at the end of the aisle. He take your hand and you walk the final few steps to the officiant together, passing your bouquet to Phoenix. 

“You look beautiful,” he says.

“You don’t look so bad yourself, Lieutenant.” 

He squeezes your hand. 

+++

You practically wilt into the bar when the jukebox falls silent. With a laugh, you look up and see Penny’s rueful smile. The inside of the place has gone wild, most of the respectable family out on the patio enjoying some degree of peace and quiet while the “kids” have fun inside. 

“They’re predictable, aren’t they?” Penny asks. 

You nod. “Terminally, I’m afraid.” 

She grins at you. “Go play. I’ve got your drink.” 

A path opens for you as you make your way to the piano. Bradley’s warming up with a few riffs, but you know what he’s going to play before he even starts. 

“ You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain…” 

The entire bar eggs him on, some starting to sing along already. You let out a loud laugh, almost warning him you’re there before he can look. 

“… You broke my will, oh what a thrill. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!” 

He opens an arm so you can settle into his lap without a break in the music. You lean into him, giving him more room to play. You catch Mav’s eye as he settles next to Penny at the bar, a pint in his hand. 

“ Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!” 

You know exactly what he sees - how strange and difficult it must be. You smile at him before turning, sliding an arm around Bradley’s shoulder. 

“ Kiss me baby -” 

On cue, you wrap your other arm around Bradley's neck and plant a downright filthy kiss that has the entire crowd whooping and hollering. 

“ Woo, that feels good, baby. Hold me, baby… ” 

You stay tucked up against him, singing along, crowing the lyrics to the ceiling, and losing your breath to laughter. 

At the bar, Maverick is indeed seeing double. He sees what’s in front of him - his nephew playing an old song on the piano with the love of his life in his lap - and what’s behind him - Carole and Goose, laughing through their own wedding reception over 35 years ago. 

“You okay there, Captain?” 

Mav looks over at Penny with raised eyebrows as she leaves her place behind the bar. “Hm?”

She reaches him, raking her fingers through the graying hair at his temples. “Just asking if you’re alright.” 

Pete catches her hand and kisses the back of it. “Fine. Just, ah…” 

“Remembering?” She offers. 

He hums. “That, and I’m… getting old, I guess.” His eyes wander back to you and Rooster at the piano. 

Penny nods, checking on Amelia over her shoulder. She and Phoenix are at the pool table, actively hustling Coyote out of a hundred bucks. “We all are, Pete. You’re not special.” There’s no heat in her teasing - only affection. 

“You know I love it when you tell me I’m just like everyone else,” Mav replies playfully. 

Penny hums facetiously. “You are in fact, the most average man I’ve ever met.”

“Hmm…” Maverick wets his lips and studies her from top to toe. “That’s definitely not what you said last ni-”

“Mom?”

Penny smacks her hand over Maverick’s mouth and leans over his shoulder. “Yes?” 

“Coyote says there’s house rules to pool.” 

With an affectionate brush of her thumb over his lips, Penny releases Maverick. “Oh, no. Absolutely not. Not in this house.” She raises her voice over the crowd noise. “We play by the book here, Machado.” 

“Yes ma’am!” Comes the reply. 

“Is that really true, though?” Mav asks. 

Penny scoffs. “If it were, would you listen?” 

He just grins at her. It’s all the answer she needs. 

+++

Something slow and sweet plays on the speakers. Your head rests heavily on Bradley, whose hand covers yours on his chest. Your eyes are closed, swaying to the barest suggestion of the actual beat. 

“When will you be back?” 

Bradley sighs into the phone. “I don’t know. Sweetheart, this…This might be one of those missions where someone isn’t coming home.” 

You sink to the floor, legs crossed. “Bradley, I -” You swallow heavily. “You better come home.” 

“I’ll do my best.”

“You always do,” you tell him. “I need you to do better.” 

There’s silence. 

Eventually, Bradley says, “I love you.” 

“I love you, too. So much.” It doesn’t, surprisingly, sound like goodbye. 

“I’ll text you when I’m on deck and I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”

Your voice is a whisper when it leaves you. “Okay. Fly safe.”  

Having him back never loses its novelty. 

Mav and Penny look much the same on the other side of the floor, speaking quietly and giggling like a pair of teenagers. 

Amelia is fast asleep on one of the chairs, Maverick’s leather jacket serving dutifully as her blanket. She crashed against Reuben about an hour ago and he found a place for her to rest somewhat peacefully after a little while. She is, after all, no stranger to falling asleep at The Hard Deck; it’s become her second home. 

The remaining members of Dagger Squad - Jake, Natasha, Reuben, and Bob - sit sprawled out in chairs, watching the two couples left standing on the dance floor. 

“Figure we should tell ‘em the party’s over?” Payback says. 

Tasha shakes her head. “Leave them alone. Look at them.” 

Their eyes bounce from you and Bradley to Penny and Maverick, varying degrees of small smiles on their faces. 

“Hey, Phoenix, you think -” Jake doesn’t get to finish.

“I’m gonna stop you there,” Tasha says. 

He scoffs. “You didn’t even know what I was going to say.” 

“I do, in fact.” 

“Alright, enlighten me.” 

Reuben and Bob roll their eyes, both suddenly and violently reminded that this bullshit will make up at least a quarter of their careers, at this rate. 

“You were either going to make a joke about dancing with me or reference someone’s sex life. Neither one of those options are ones I’m interested in.” 

“You flatter yourself.” 

“Am I wrong?” She raises her eyebrows. 

Jake rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his beer, muttering into it, “No.” 

+++

“Can you see him?” Amelia asks, standing on her toes to see around the people in front of her. 

Penny snorts. “They’re all in their whites. You won’t be able to tell who’s who until they’re off the carrier, love.” 

She humphs. Mav places a hand on Amelia’s shoulder. 

“It won’t be long now,” he says. “

You take a deep breath, enjoying the sunshine on your face and the breeze of the water. Thousands of families surround you, including the Fitches, Traces, and Seresins. Jake’s mom, you’ve recently learned, is a total sweetheart. 

“Your son,” you told her upon meeting, “is a huge pain in my ass and I love him so much.” 

She’d only laughed. “Tell me about it.”

Now, you’re all standing together waiting for the carrier to finally dock. It’s been six months, all of them long. You can’t wait to have Bradley back. 

Turning, you ask Mav, “When are Fanboy and Bob due back?”

“They’re due into Ft. Lauderdale in a couple of months. I think they got stuck in the Med again.”

You pull a face. “That sucks.”

He shrugs. “It is what it is.”

That should be the tagline for all US Armed Forces. 

The final minutes seem to last forever before a bunch of sailors seems to tumble out of the carrier, walking briskly to the assembled families. Like a dam breaking, they start to run as people rush forward into the arms of their loved ones. 

You use Mav’s shoulder for leverage, trying to see. Your eyes land on a small group and four smiles greet you. 

“I’ve got them!” You call. “They’re on their way.” 

It takes everything you have to stay still, knowing you’ll likely lose them if you try to seek them out. After a minute or so, you can’t help it. You break from the line, artfully dodging families and sailors and everyone in between. 

You crash into Bradley at full speed, wrapping around him like a koala. He hikes you higher, finding a place for your legs around his waist and holding you tight. 

“Damn, Rooster!” Comes a familiar voice. “Save some for the rest of us!” 

You get your feet under you again, pressing a hard kiss to Bradley’s mouth. Immediately upon letting him go, you turn and hug the life out of Jake. 

“Aw,” he says. “I knew you missed me.” 

“Don’t ruin it,” you tell him. The laughter in your voice and the tears in your eyes cut the harshness of your tone. You pull back just far enough to grin at him, moving on to Reuben, then Natasha in turn. You point out their families to them, but Reuben’s wife has her own ideas and they’re embracing before you can blink. 

Bradley pulls you back, his arms around your waist, to press kiss upon kiss upon kiss to your temple. You turn, taking his face in your hands. 

“I missed you,” you tell him, both belated and redundant. 

He grins. “I missed you too.” He kisses you once, twice. “I love you. I think I love you more than when I left.” 

You grin at him. 

The two of you separate enough to walk, Bradley’s arm around your shoulders and yours around his waist. Your family greets you with kisses, and smiles, and hugs. Mav looks between you. 

“Let’s go home.”