Work Text:
The edges of his dream began to dissolve, too abstract for him to pull any memory of it with him into the waking world, as the comfortable veil of sleep lifted from his mind.
Pressed to his back, a warm and solid presence registered dimly in his mind as he swam through the stray cobwebs of slumber.
A warm puff of breath against the back of his neck was enough to make him smile, eyes slowly opening. His fingers fumbled, canceling his alarm before it could go off. With some very strategic and careful maneuvering, Payback shifted himself on the mattress, legs tangling in the sheets as he turned to face the still sleeping Fanboy.
He slowly pulled at the covers, readjusting them over their bodies and wrapped himself around the smaller man. The skin around his eyes was relaxed, short eyelashes fanned over his cheeks and nose twitching minutely with each long, deep breath. Payback's heart somersaulted in his chest, unable to help himself from reaching up and brushing his knuckles gently over the angles of Fanboy’s face.
Somewhere outside their shared bunk, a commotion kicked up, not loud enough to cause alarm, but enough to have him blinking away the remaining sleepiness from his eyes.
He leaned forward, mindful of where he rested his weight, and peppered kisses over his forehead, the body under him beginning to stir by the time he’d pressed his lips to each eyelid.
When Fanboy spoke, his voice was thick and slurred, heavily accented, and something about the way it sounded and his peaceful expression made Payback’s stomach flutter. “Reuben?”
“Early patrol today,” he said by way of greeting, plopping a wet kiss to the tip of Fanboy’s nose. Already anticipating the swing, he rolled out of range, laughing to himself as Fanboy’s hand flailed half-heartedly, vigorously rubbing at his nose with the other.
“Ay, por favor,” Fanboy grumbled, exasperated, and turned over, like he thought he could hide the tint rising in the tips of his ears.
Payback climbed out of bed and dressed quickly, yanking the covers off his friend as he walked by on the way to freshen up. “Gotta get ready, Fanny Pack,” he sang.
He couldn’t discern individual words as he stepped out of their room, but he could tell he was being cussed out by the rolling cadence and round, uplifted tone in Fanboy’s voice.
Lovingly cussed out, he reminded himself, smiling as he washed up and brushed his teeth in the officer’s shared bathroom facilities. By the time he returned, Fanboy was dressed and ready, if somewhat groggy looking.
“It’s a great day to be alive,” Payback couldn’t help but recite, pulling cranky Fanboy out of the room with an arm over his shoulders.
Together they made their way through the carrier’s narrow, dim corridors towards the mess hall, politely acknowledging passing officers and crew members.
“You seem sleepy, must’ve been worn out from last night, huh?” Payback commented, aiming for a casual tone but probably crash landing somewhere in “extremely smug and teasing” if the cutting side eye from Fanboy was anything to go by
He tried to stifle a laugh, averting his eyes and studying the ceiling above them. Fanboy knocked Payback’s arm off his shoulders, his glare locked so sharply on him that Payback could almost hear a missile-lock tone.
“You’re gonna need to look for a new WSO before the end of this deployment,” Fanboy threatened and Payback glanced back down. He could see right through the tight set in his jaw and downward twist at the corner of his mouth
He laughed, raising his hands in surrender.
Fanboy must’ve still been grouchy over the comment and tsk’d as they got their food, grabbing a table. “You don’t think I'm serious? See if that ugly little ‘stache’s still on your face tomorrow morning.”
Payback smiled over the rim of his coffee cup, batting his eyes. “You love me too much to take away my greatest happiness in life,” he said, sipping slowly before stroking over aforementioned facial hair with his thumb and index finger.
Fanboy’s fork paused halfway to his mouth, mid-chew, those beautiful eyes narrowed and glaring straight at him. “The fuck did you just say?”
He raised an eyebrow, the edge of a smirk teasing over his lips, challenging.
As expected, Fanboy didn’t back down, a small furrow forming between his eyebrows and jaw twitching. Payback watched, at first intrigued, as Fanboy shoved the eggs on his fork into his mouth and picked up his knife, eyes staring into his. He felt the self-satisfied expression on his face slowly sink into something more akin to amused disbelief as Fanboy drove his fork into the sausage on his plate, the sound of its casing snapping audible to Payback even from across the table. With his knife, Fanboy began sawing into the meat and Payback could only watch in mild horror when the knife began making violent, messy, jagged cuts.
Fanboy mutilated his food for a few more seconds and Payback knew whatever look was on his face must’ve been a sight to see from the way Fanboy’s stone-faced mask cracked, lips pursing against a smile.
Payback managed to look up from the now unrecognizable sausage and their eyes met, sending them both into a fit of laughter.
Not that he had a favorite, but if he had to choose his favorite part about Fanboy, it would be his smile, without question. Sometimes he found himself wishing he could just sit and stare into those sparkling, smiling eyes for hours (he could still remember being caught in the brightness of his smile for the first time, fresh-faced at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville, and still swore to this day his eyesight suffered permanent damage, the whole reason he could never fly solo).
Lost in the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and dimples in his cheeks, Payback startled when a hand slammed down on their table between them.
“If both’a ya’ ‘re done flirtin’, the commander’s lookin’ for ya’,” a grating, swinging drawl said.
Shoulders tense, Payback faced Elbow squarely, irritation flashing hot through his chest as the older man just smirked, a challenge behind it, slapping his hand down on the table twice more for good measure.
He stared at the lieutenant's retreating back, already formulating a few ways to fuck up the rest of his week, when a hand brushed against his. Turning, he found Fanboy staring at him, mouth tight around the corners, an aching contrast to his smile just a few moments ago.
Payback sighed, finishing his coffee. It really didn't make a difference, them minding their business and staying out of the bigoted dickhead's way, because he'd always find a reason to bother them, try to get a rise out of Payback again. “Same old Elbow. Bitter and lonely.”
Dirtbags like Elbow were kind of everywhere in any branch of the military and Payback had found himself dressed down by his superiors on multiple occasions for having the audacity to stand up for himself. Over the years though, especially since being somewhat permanently saddled with Fanboy as his WSO, he'd gotten better at letting it roll off his back. Or at least, that's the story his commanding officers were aware of.
He hadn't been given the call sign "Payback" for nothing.
“Wonder what the commander wants,” Fanboy mused as they cleared out and began towards Commander Borden’s office.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Payback replied, glancing at his watch. “I’m just hoping we can make it back in time for our scheduled patrol.”
He heard his friend snort as they turned the corner, their destination coming into view. “I’ve got a feeling whatever it is, it’s more important than our patrol.”
The office door was open and they stepped in, perfectly uniform and rigid. An almost tangible crackle jumped through the air, the hairs on the back of Payback’s neck raising.
“Lieutenants,” the commander said gruffly, peering up from the files scattered on her desk. Commander Borden was a lean, black woman with perhaps the most steady judgement in the entire U.S. Navy, and one of the few COs who, after reviewing one of Payback's altercations, had let him off the hook relatively easy. Payback had grown fond of her, even after only three months under her command, and not even for that reason. She was a reasonable CO, never let her ego give order, and maintained textbook professionalism while still being kind, the tough calls always made in good faith. Maybe it also had to do with how sometimes her smile in profile reminded Payback a little of his mom.
She set her papers and pen down, clearing her throat. “At ease, you’re not in any deep shit.”
They relaxed their stance, but his heart continued to buzz with anticipation.
The commander inhaled deeply, taking off her reading glasses and leaning back in her chair to take them both in fully. “You both have one hour to get your shit together. Your transport will leave in two hours and take you to the nearest commercial airport. You’ve got a flight booked back to the states.”
Payback stared in shock, completely blindsided.
“Sir,” Fanboy spoke, a hint of confusion in his voice that mirrored Payback’s own, “we’re being called back stateside... for a mission?”
“Not just any mission,” the commander huffed. “You’re being called back to Top Gun.”
Top Gun. Payback exhaled slowly, thoughts spinning, heartbeat kicking up a notch.
Before he could ask any of the dozens of questions in his head, the commander was shuffling papers and sticking her glasses back on, waving them out. “That’s all I got for you two. Dismissed.”
Neither spoke a word the entire walk back to the their quarters.
Top Gun had molded Payback into the pilot he was today; Payback and Fanboy had become the team they were today at Top Gun. Fragments of memories drifted to the forefront of his mind as they packed. Late nights reviewing material, quizzing each other over breakfast, knees touching under the desks.
He’d thrown up after their first hop and Warlock had gotten a missile lock on them within forty-five seconds, could still remember the way Fanboy himself had nearly hurled right on the bathroom floor when he found Payback retching over a toilet bowl and how they’d both ended up vomiting in the stalls next to each other.
Ah, memories.
It would be interesting going back, and more interesting to learn what the fuck was in store for them.
He was already looking forward to it.
Those beautiful eyes were looking at him, the question of ‘you ready?’ projected crystal clear. He knew by the way the corners of Fanboy’s mouth twitched that he’d received his reply.
‘With you? Always.’