#bob squared

"Happy to take your money, Garcia. My money's on the mobster," he quipped, throwing down a ten of his own and gesturing at an alpha with slicked back hair on the inside of the booth a few from the group had taken up residence in. He had his arm around the only female in the pack and was quietly chatting with a very animated man with an obnoxious gold chain and the kind of showy muscles that come not from hard labor like the ones under the sleeves of the alpha they'd deemed the Cowboy. This one that Bob quietly referred to as the Greaser had a small, barely perceivable smile and watched his mate with a fondness that made Bob's own heart ache. As much as he hated to, Bob had to admit Jake might just be right. And Bob wasn't even sure the cowboy was an alpha despite the rest of the group readily agreeing.

Mickey seemed to be having some doubts as well. He smiled at Hangman, but it came off as put on, the kind of confidence his erstwhile teammate never had to fake. After all, Jake Seresin was a neverending well of self-regard.

"What makes you think that? Yeah, the mobster is definitely an alpha, but he's not commanding the space the way the cowboy is." Nat, an alpha herself, turned to Bob and rolled her eyes.

Hangman grinned. It looked less inviting and charming the way it did when he flashed it at the single betas and omegas who came to the bar and more the smile of someone who knew they'd won the game before it even began. Fanboy's cheery grin visibly faltered.

"I tried to chat up the female," Jake admitted, much to everyone but his chagrin. Even Nat raised her eyebrows, but Hangman was too busy being smug to pay their surprised reactions any mind.

"That's a level of ballsy I didn't think even you were capable of, Seresin," Rooster shot at him, taking a lazy sip of his beer, face nonplussed even when Jake turned his Cheshire grin to the squad's only omega.

"What? You jealous, Bradshaw?"

Before Rooster could bite back, Payback cut him off.

"Get to the point, Bagman. At least give Mickey the courtesy of knowing why he's losing money tonight." When Mickey shot him a fake hurt look, Reuben just shrugged and grinned. They all knew that Fanboy's proverbial goose was cooked.

"Right, so where was I?" Jake drawled. He hadn't taken his eyes off Rooster, who was doing his best to ignore the obnoxiously cocky alpha who was blatantly peacocking for his attention. Again.

"They need to fuck and get it over with," Nat muttered into Bob's ear right as he took a sip of his (non-alcoholic) drink. He should've known to brace himself the second she leaned in conspiratorially, but her little asides routinely caught the WSO off guard. It took a kind of effort Bob had practiced as long as he'd known Phoenix, but he was able to swallow his mouthful of Sprite without sputtering or choking. His glass, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

Fortunately, Phoenix was on top of it, instantly mopping up the spilled drink with the kind of speed and efficiency that meant she'd already carefully weighed the pros and cons of her snide remark before it even left her lips. When the others turned towards them, concerned, Bob waved them off, wiping his mouth with a clean napkin Natasha handed him with a smirk.

"Anyway," Hangman said, finally turning to face Fanboy, "I was talking to the female of the group - definitely an alpha, by the way - and the greaseball glared at me like he wanted to blow my damn head off. He stormed over, put his arm around her shoulders, and told me in no uncertain terms to get lost."

"What did he actually say? The exact words used?" Coyote spoke up.

Jake only grinned more. "He told me to get my goddamn hands off his girl and fuck off."

Most alphas would be at least repentant about treading on another's territory as laughably outdated as that notion was, but Jake just laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Typical.

The squabbling only got louder, so Bob used his empty glass as an excuse to get away. His call for refill requests fortunately was ignored just like it normally was, so he didn't have to haul half a dozen various beers across the crowded bar. And he didn't have the voice of his mom in his ear, scolding him for not being a gentleman like he did when he didn't ask at all. It was a win-win all around.

That was one thing about being the quiet beta of the group. When he was younger, Bob resented how easily overlooked he was. 'A wallflower,' his sisters called him when he told them about how he was always passed over by his peers at school. 'A sweet, upstanding young gentleman,' his grandma declared him to be as she pinched his cheeks until they hurt. 'A late bloomer,' his pa deemed him when Bob didn't get the same growth spurt at the same time all the other boys did. 'Just like your dad,' his mom would say with a wistful smile, no doubt thinking about their younger years. He didn't like any of it.

But, grudgingly, Bob Floyd learned the benefits of being generally overlooked. Anything he did well always shocked and impressed the others around him. The few moments he'd let his wit out to cut like a fresh rapier, his opponents were always thrown off. And the few people who did notice him, like Natasha Trace and, eventually the entire Dagger Squad, were the kind of friends you made for life, the ones who saw Bob for who he was and liked him for it.

Which is why it surprised him when one of the omegas from this new pack looked straight at him from across the bar and gave him a faint smile. Bob had to fight the immediate urge to turn around, to see who else this man was looking at. But he saw the eye contact and the way the omega appeared briefly hesitant at Bob's lack of response. And his blatant staring. So quickly, Bob smiled back. It was perfunctory but natural. Not one of those he'd give in the hallway while passing any number of faceless, nameless officers he'd most likely never see again. It was genuine. And even across the room, the omega seemingly sensed the sincerity, and his face relaxed.

Whatever little moment was or wasn't happening got abruptly interrupted when another bar patron accidentally walked right into Bob, who barely avoided the man's drink spilling on him. He'd been in this situation more times than he could recall. Fortunately, this man that Bob quickly clocked as another beta, one with long brown hair and a gentle face, acted more concerned with Bob's state of being than the condition of his now half-spilled glass of white wine.

"I'm so sorry," the beta said, grabbing some napkins from a nearby table and checking Bob over for errant stains. "Don't know how I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Bob assured him with a smile. Fortunately, his dress shirt was just as clean and crisp as when he'd put it on after drills that afternoon. "No harm done. It happens all the time."

Their interaction was fairly short: the stranger apologized a few more times, tried to start mopping up the spill with his handful of napkins until Penny threw Bob a spare rag to use instead, and even turning down a free refill (a first that he could remember from Penny), declaring that the incident must be God telling him that he's cut off for the night. It didn't surprise Bob when the handsome beta walked back to the corner with that strange pack, right into the arms of a different small omega who immediately inspected him like he'd been in a serious accident as opposed to the human equivalent of a fender bender. Bob watched as the beta reassured his mate, nuzzling his forehead against the omega's cheek until the latter visibly relaxed.

"Weird evening, isn't it?" Penny asked when Bob finally stepped up to the counter, placing his empty glass there for a refill.

"Yeah, there's something about that pack," Bob admitted, watching as the bartender swept his old glass away in a motion as easy as breathing. "The squad's been taking bets about them all night."

"I meant the two spills in less than five minutes, both of which you were involved with," Penny said with a grin. Bob had the decency to blush, something that only made Penny laugh mirthfully. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. I won't charge you a clean up fee."

Quick as a blink, the bartender turned to the soda fountain, filling up a brand new glass. She turned and set it down on the counter in front of Bob and popped a new straw in it in one fluid motion with the kind of easy grace that always secretly astounded the pilot.

"By the way, you left your jacket," Penny added, nodding over to a black lump of fabric in one of the bar chairs.

Confused, Bob picked up what appeared to be a much-loved but clean hoodie with the name of some band he didn't recognize splashed on the front. Bob Floyd didn't wear hoodies, preferring zip up sweaters instead. And he certainly didn't listen to the kind of music where the band spelled their name in letters so jagged and stylized that he could barely make out the words. But he could see why Penny thought it was his. Written on the label in bold, sharp script were three familiar letters - B O B.

Before he could do more than process the name, a voice came from behind him.

"Um…that's mine, actually."

It was a nice voice: low, quiet, and so soft around the edges that it was almost a hum. It was the kind of voice that was more used to rounding the ends of sentences into a question even when stating an objective fact. The kind of voice Bob could easily imagine murmured into his ear late at night, one he could feel through a rumble in a lover's chest pressed against his back.

Maybe it should've been a surprise when Bob turned around to see that omega from the new pack, the one who smiled at him from across the room. But for some reason? It wasn't.

His voice fit his appearance. Whether it was the mop of brown curls, the cozy and clearly well-loved sweater, or the openness in his face, one word came to Bob's mind: soft.

But there was more to this omega than that. There was some steel there. Even mated omegas tended to avoid being alone with someone unmated that they didn't know. Even a fairly harmless beta like Bob could prove a threat in a room full of liquored up and rowdy patrons. But this omega didn't even seem nervous about Bob himself, just about interrupting his conversation with Penny.

And when Bob spent too long staring at this handsome stranger, those eyes went from warm and friendly to flinty and hard. The tentative smile on his face stretched taut, as if putting on a gruesome mask of the kindness that was previously on his face.

Before the omega could ask, Bob quickly blurted out, "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to stare. It's just…" He gestured down at the tag and the faded name in Sharpie, his words failing him.

"Surprised someone still writes their name on the inside of their clothes as an adult?"

And a sharp sense of humor to boot. Bob added that to his mental tally of this omega who was becoming more fascinating by the minute.

"No," Bob said with an awkward little laugh. "No, it's not that. That makes sense if you're living with other people. Keeps you from getting your clothes stolen."

The stranger nodded, his stance becoming slightly less defensive even as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"I was just surprised is all," Bob continued, pointing at the tag. "Penny, the owner, thought this was mine."

The man across from him paused, blinking rapidly, a cute little crease of confusion forming between his eyebrows.

"Wait, but…" He pointed at the name tag on Bob's shirt, the one that said "FLOYD" in all capital letters.

"Last name," Bob explained. He extended his hand to shake before introducing himself. "Lieutenant Bob Floyd."

The other man paused, eyeing his outstretched hand hesitantly. This wasn't exactly a typical greeting to a mated omega, but Bob wagered this wasn't your typical mated omega anyway.

After a moment of hesitation, he took Bob's hand, giving him a firm but friendly shake. "Bob Reynolds. No fancy title. Just Bob."

Their hands lingered perhaps a few seconds longer than strictly necessary, and Bob had to ignore the way his heart pounded just a hair faster.

They talked for what felt like minutes but stretched out to over an hour. On the surface, the two Bobs had little in common beside their names. After all, what would a straight A student turned decorated Navy lieutenant have in common with a middle school drop out who spent most of his adult life struggling with addiction and housing insecurity even have to say to each other? Yet they continually found common ground.

"Vodka soda?" the Other Bob asked as Bob took a new glass of Sprite from Penny. At Bob's frown of confusion, Bob Reynolds gestured at the drink. "Drinking a vodka soda?"

"Oh!" Bob Floyd exclaimed, chuckling a little nervously under his breath. He was used to the teasing from his heavy-drinking friends, but experience didn't make the sobriety talk any easier. "No, just a Sprite." Pointing at the dark cola on the bar next to the other man, he added, "Rum and Coke?"

"Close," Bob R. said with a little laugh of his own. "Just hold the rum and replace the Coke with a Dr. Pepper. I've been clean for two years this coming February. Not breaking that for a shitty cocktail."

"Oh." Bob knew from the way the other man's face tightened just a fraction that he'd made the situation awkward just that much weirder from his reaction. So clearing his throat, he added, "Congratulations. That's a huge accomplishment."

When Bob R. waved away the compliment, Bob F. doubled down.

"No, seriously. That's impressive. I don't drink because I don't like the way it makes me feel and it tastes gross. But you're here at a bar, addiction ground zero. That must take a lot more self-control than it seems. You make it look easy." He spoke with such sincerity that it seemed to strike the omega speechless for a moment. The other man blinked a few times, eyes darting around like he was trying to process the words.

Bob gave him that space, let him sit in the compliment and figure out if he even wanted to respond to it. Unfortunately, he took a sip of his drink when the Other Bob found his words. And even though he'd learned how to keep it together with Phoenix, he had no defenses against this new Bob.

"Bars aren't that tempting to me. Now a crack den? That would be a problem. I'd be like a kid in a candy shop."

A few minutes later, Bob Reynolds apologized for making the lieutenant choke on his drink, but to Bob Floyd? It was worth it to make the other man laugh so hard tears pricked his eyes.

Naturally, conversation shifted towards their respective groups. The Other Bob was the first to offer up details about his pack.

"So, the beta that bumped into you? That's William," Bob R said, pointing out the man with the long, brown hair and friendly face. "And the omega in his lap? That's Miles. They're bonded. Joined the us together a few months ago."

All of the pack were introduced in turn, so Bob was able to put an actual name to the unofficial titles the Dagger Squad had dubbed them.

Bob R agreed that "Cowboy" was an appropriate nickname for the one called Rhett, not just because he wore a cowboy hat and boots. Finding out he was a former pro bull rider was a shock but nowhere near as much as finding out the cowboy was an omega.

"I thought he was maybe a beta," Bob admitted, trying not to stare at the man out of sheer curiosity. If the cowboy noticed how closely both of the men at the bar were watching him, Rhett gave no indication of it. "I've never seen an omega who's built like that."

When the other man's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of bright pink, Bob tactfully said nothing. But he found himself glancing at the seat of the tall omega's pants, idly wondering just how built this cowboy really was.

The well-dressed alpha sitting nearby was introduced as Todd, an unlikely pairing for a rough and tumble country boy like Rhett. But, according to Bob R, they joined the pack as a mated pair.

The three in the corner booth were all directly mated to the Other Bob, a revelation that didn't come as too much of a surprise from the casual way he'd noticed them touching the omega all night. Nothing untoward, of course. Just leaning against him, holding his hand, draping an arm across his shoulders. Little careless gestures that spoke of quiet companionship and a deep affection.

The muscular beta with the gold chain who was now visibly playing footsie under the table with his two alphas was Jordan. The only female in the pack was indeed an alpha like Hangman had claimed with a pretty name that suited her well. And the one with the slicked back hair, the alpha who'd confronted Hangman earlier, was introduced as Rocco.

"He's the head alpha," Bob R added, popping the de-shelled peanut the WSO offered him into his mouth.

Bob didn't mean to laugh. It just bubbled out of him, fast and sharp enough that he covered his mouth and glanced around to make sure he hadn't disturbed any other patrons. The Other Bob didn't question him, just watched patiently with a raised eyebrow and an amused quirk of the mouth. It hit Bob that the other man knew that he didn't have to ask, that Bob would explain himself. Phoenix had given him the same look innumerable times in the past few years they'd been partners. That thought was quickly brushed under the proverbial rug. He wasn't quite ready to ponder the meaning of that revelation and how it made the tightness in his chest that had been there since this mysterious pack entered the bar loosen just a fraction.

"Hangman was right," Bob said, gesturing at the preening alpha still at the center of attention of the Dagger Squad.

A few of his teammates caught his eye, shooting curious looks at him, some of them even openly gesturing at Bob R then back to him in silent question.

He ignored them.

Bob Reynolds gave a nervous wave and a bashful grimace in an approximation of a friendly smile. When he turned in his chair a bit to subtly put his back to the group, Bob Floyd didn't blame him.

"I'm guessing 'Hangman' is that blond alpha who looks like he thinks he's a king holding court in front of his subjects?" the Other Bob asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Bob muttered, tossing an errant peanut shell in an empty Budweiser glass he'd designated for such a task. No need to get Penny on his ass for making another mess for her to clean. "He's more a court jester who thinks he's king. If we had a leader other than Mav, it wouldn't be him." Tilting his head, Bob gestured at lone omega in the squad who was sitting by the wall, too distracted by the temptation of the bar's piano to pay Hangman any mind. "More likely, it'd be Rooster. Or maybe Phoenix, but I don't think she'd be too pleased with me for saying so."

The Other Bob risked a look at the Dagger Squad, just long enough for him to register their faces, most of which were still eyeing the two Bobs at the bar with unabashed curiosity. Bob Floyd turned and looked himself, briefly catching Phoenix's eye and blatantly ignoring her raised eyebrows.

"Do they always stare like that?" Bob Reynolds asked with a wince, his voice slightly higher and creaking from embarrassment.

Catching Payback's eye, Bob Floyd's unamused stare was met with an impish grin and a wink. When Fanboy wolf whistled, Bob turned back to the Other Bob with an audible sigh, fighting down the urge to roll his eyes.

"Unfortunately," he deadpanned, taking another sip of his Sprite, for once wishing it was something a little stronger.

After a few moments of the kind of awkward silence that only comes when two people know their every move is being heavily scrutinized, Bob R spoke up.

"Are they always this…" He glanced around the room, blinking rapidly like he was searching for his next words which had suddenly taken flight from his brain. Bob returned the same polite patience the omega had given him just minutes before, letting him figure out what he wanted to say and not interrupting or pressing him.

When he found the word, the Other Bob wrinkled his nose as if dissatisfied with the results of his searching.

"This…nosy?"

"Absolutely," Bob said with zero hesitation. That awkward expression bled from Bob R's face, replaced by the kind of genuine amusement Bob F wasn't used to receiving from something he'd said. Hangman had once declared he had no sense of humor, but it wasn't Bob's fault he didn't like being unnecessarily mean for the sake of a joke. But if everyone responded to jokes as beautifully as Bob Reynolds, maybe he'd need to start making more.

"Makes sense why you guys were nicknaming some of us. Have you been watching us all night?" There was a twinkle in the omega's eyes that made Bob's stomach flip in the same kind of way as when Becky Wilson in 5th grade held his hand for three precious minutes during recess. The same one as when Melinda Davis kissed him after junior prom.

Bob Floyd was many things but a stuttering fool wasn't one of them. Usually. So he cleared his throat, composing himself before he answered.

"A little bit," he admitted. Even if his voice was steady, the tips of his ears burned hotter than an overheating F/A-18 engine.

The impish grin that spread across Bob Reynolds' face should've been classified as a military-grade weapon suitable only for use in active combat. Definitely not something to be used in the middle of a bar against an unarmed combatant. Bob Floyd's stomach wasn't the only thing flipping; his damn heart felt like it was doing jumping jacks in his chest.

"Explains the nicknames," the Other Bob said with just a hint of a drawl. There was a mischievous light in his eyes, almost like he knew what he was doing to the flustered beta across from him. "You guys debating on who's the cutest? Because I can make a good case for myself."

"Not exactly," Bob said wryly. He took another sip of his drink to whet his suddenly-dry mouth, hands still fiddling with the same peanut he'd been rolling back and forth for the past few minutes.

The Other Bob waited, eyebrows raised expectantly, his smile growing more dangerous by the second. Bob Floyd thought he caught the other man sneaking a glance at his ears which were bright red by now judging by how they burned with the kind of heat usually only registered on the surface of the sun. But, when he glanced up at Bob Reynolds' eyes to catch him looking, the omega was merely watching him back.

"We were…" he started, cutting himself off before continuing. "They were making bets. About your pack."

Bob R's eyebrows shot up even further, making his forehead crease in a way that the WSO struggled to not label as 'adorable.'

"Nothing weird," Bob F added quickly. "Things like who was going to win that game of pool. Or who'd finish their drink first."

The Other Bob nodded, but Bob Floyd couldn't help but notice a twinge of some expression he couldn't quite place cross his handsome face. Relief?Disappointment? Hard to tell.

"Not exactly the most exciting bets. I think my idea is way better."

Bob F nodded absently, finally popping that peanut in his mouth and slowly chewing.

"Hangman and Fanboy were betting on who the pack alpha is," he finally added, flicking the crushed peanut shell into his cup to join its conquered brethren.

That seemed to interest the Other Bob, who perked up, sitting taller in his chair.

"Oh, that's what you meant by 'Hangman was right.' Everything's making sense now." He tapped his forehead, just like the meme, causing Bob F to let out a snort of laughter he couldn't quite hold back. Bob R beamed at him, eyes crinkling at the sides with laughter.

Since the squad were still closely monitoring the duo at the bar, Bob pulled up a picture on his phone to introduce his teammates in turn. Words flowed out of him, but in all honesty, Bob wasn't quite sure what all he said. He was hyper focused on how the Other Bob pulled his chair closer to better see the phone screen.

Stillness, it seems, was not a natural state of being for Bob Reynolds. He shifted in his seat, shaking his leg and rocking back and forth in an almost imperceptible way that Bob Floyd hadn't noticed until they were practically pressed against each other. Their legs bumped a few times and the Other Bob's hand brushed his own when he'd point at something in the picture that Bob himself had never noticed before. His heart practically pounded out of his chest any time they touched. If the omega knew what he was doing to him, Bob sure as hell couldn't tell. So he kept talking regardless.

The only thing he specifically remembered saying was mentioning Nat's civilian boyfriend she'd been with for the past year or so. Later, he wondered to himself why he'd brought that up, but all he knew was that Bob Reynolds had seemed tense when Phoenix was brought up and that his smiles and quiet touches came much more frequently after.

"You guys seem really close," the Other Bob said. Bob Floyd risked a glance over at his teammates and let out a relieved sigh seeing they'd moved on from staring to yet another game of darts where Payday and Coyote teamed up against Hangman. From the look of it, things weren't going well for them on that front.

"I mean, yeah. We're around each other what feels like every minute of the day. Can't even use the latrine without the entire unit knowing about it. 'Least, that's what it feels like."

The laugh the Other Bob let out wasn't faked; it was genuine but with something that rang hollow underneath. "I definitely understand that. Everyone knows everyone else's business in a pack, after all."

Now it was Bob's turn to smile ruefully. His eyes dipped to his own hands, watching as if from a distance as his index finger traced the bottom of the glass back and forth, swiping through cool beads of condensation and letting the water break, sliding down his skin and onto the bar counter.

Thoughts lingered on the tip of his tongue, ones he'd left unspoken to anyone but his closest family. They'd welled up before so many times along with a fierce sense of envy so strong Bob had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat - when Maverick finally settled down with Penny and Amelia, when his baby sister introduced the family to her new mates, when Coyote's pack came for a surprise visit on shore leave.

By the time he looked back up, the Other Bob was also following his movements. When he stopped, the omega blinked and looked back up at him, the upturned tilt of his lips distinctly bittersweet. There was an understanding there. A lack meeting another lack, like the holes in their hearts saw through the facades they held up and recognized each other.

So, for once, Bob didn't think through what he said. He just spoke.

"It must be nice to have a pack. A…family."

Several seconds passed before Bob Floyd found the nerve to lift his head up to see the other man's reaction. Would that change how the omega saw him? Would such rank honesty earn him discomfort or even the kind of pity he felt lurking in the eyes of even his closest friends? But, no. The Other Bob didn't give him a sad smile and a pat on the back. He didn't squirm away from the WSO either.

If anything, Bob Reynolds looked confused.

"What?" Bob Floyd found himself asking, the words leaving his lips involuntarily, not caught or even delayed by the ever-present filter he normally pushed all his thoughts through.

"But you have a family."

Before Bob could protest, to say that he meant a non-blood family, a group of people that chose each other willingly, a round of raucous laughter erupted from the direction of the dart board. The Hard Deck might have been emptier than normal, but this was the kind of hooting and hollering that would've drawn the attention of the entire place even during peak times.

Both Bobs immediately turned in their seats to watch as Coyote and Payday knelt on the floor to do push ups as Hangman strutted around like…well, a rooster while the others jeered at the losing duo and cheered them on in turn. From the expressions of chagrin and dread on Javy and Reuben's faces, Bob knew without a doubt they'd be going at it for quite a while.

The breathy laughter to his right drew Bob's attention back to the omega next to him. Bob Reynolds let out a little snort, covering his mouth and practically giggling as if his own noise only tickled him further.

"They do this often?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Bob answered, chuckling to himself as Jake put his boot on Javy's upper back, posing like Captain Morgan on the other pilot. He caught Bob's eye, holding a precise, showy salute and grinning at the WSO. At least until Javy shifted his shoulder forward, purposefully causing the cocky alpha to stumble to catch himself, which only made the Dagger Squad howl with laughter.

"Honestly, it's their fault for betting against Hangman at darts. I swear he leaves his bunk in the middle of the night to practice in the rec hall."

Turning back to the bar, Bob R fixed him with a look that Bob F could only describe as fond.

"There's always at least one troublemaker in a pack," the Other Bob said with a wistful smile. His words were so casual, taking a sip of his soda after like there was no weight to them at all. But they hit Bob Floyd all the same.

As if he was on autopilot, Bob pushed the button to turn his phone screen on, looking at the same picture that had greeted him for years. He could still smell the briny ocean spray lapping against the shore and feel that familiar California sun beaming down on the back of his neck, making his skin prickle in the way that let him know it was time to reapply sunscreen. Some 80s rock he vaguely recognized played in the background, but Bob could barely hear it over the grunts and yells and laughter as his squad loped around the beachfront. After a while, teams and scores and even winners were forgotten, replaced with the pure joy of tackles and touchdowns. Even Bob himself, initially turned off by the excess testosterone and macho posturing, got into it, scoring a goal where everyone cheered like it was a winning one. For once, he'd enjoyed being the center of attention, foisted up into the air by his comrades who chanted his name as he threw his head back, laughing.

Penny'd insisted on taking a photo. She'd said they needed a token, something to remember in the coming days and weeks of training for that mission none of them should've come back from but, by no small miracle, all of them did. The whole squad kept it as their lock screen for all this time. Girlfriends, boyfriends, and packmates got the honor of being their wallpaper, kept safe and secure behind a password. But the Dagger Squad were the first thing they all saw when they grabbed their phones in the morning and the last thing they saw as they went to bed at night.

As the screen went black, Bob Floyd was greeted with his own face. Only a couple of hours ago, he'd seen it in the mirror of the men's room as he looked up from washing his hands. Then he was met with a frown, one he quickly schooled into a neutral expression. It was just another night out, one he tagged along to because he had nothing better to do when Phoenix asked him his plans for the evening. That Bob in the mirror had lines on his forehead and a weariness in his eyes.

This Bob, the one reflected by his phone screen, couldn't be more different. Gone was the grimace, replaced with upturned lips, like the remnants of a smile tugged at his mouth. The lines on his face were still there, of course, but not as deep as they'd been before. And his eyes? Now those were the most different.

Bob Floyd wasn't unhappy. The exact opposite, actually. He was doing the job he loved with a team who both relied on him and cared about him, even if they didn't always notice when he left the table. But there was an emptiness inside of him. A loneliness he was loathe to name. But this Bob looked…lighter. Happier. Somehow more fulfilled. Like a conversation with a handsome stranger had buoyed his spirits in a way he didn't realize he needed until he saw the results himself.

For some reason, he felt the urge to turn and look at this unusual pack. Most of them paid him no mind, not the cowboy and his fancy alpha. Not the mild-mannered beta and his doting omega. And not the female alpha or the showy beta, who were too busy flirting to pay attention. But the greaser - Rocco, he corrected himself - caught his gaze and held it there.

Bob couldn't fight the feeling that this was an important moment, that his new friend's mate was passing judgment on him. Normally, he wouldn't care what some knothead alpha thought of him. His parents had told him long ago that gender is irrelevant to what kind of person you are. You can't blame your mistakes on it or let it encapsulate who you are. But something about that moment made Bob want to be a 'good beta' for the first time in his life. Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

When the alpha raised his glass in a salute, a smirk firmly carved into his lips, Bob Floyd let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He lifted his Sprite in turn, toasting this complete stranger for something he didn't quite understand. Maybe he would later.

The Other Bob's voice jerked him firmly back into reality.

Turning to face the omega, Bob mumbled an apology. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, 'so, what's yours?'" Bob R stated, his head tilting to the side slightly, just enough that he had to gaze up through his lashes to make eye contact.

"Mine?" Bob F asked, brow furrowing in confusion. "My what?"

"Your callsign," the Other Bob clarified. "Sorry. I know I'm rewinding the conversation back a few minutes. Before we got distracted by the ruckus."

"Ruckus is a damn good way to put it," Bob said. He glanced back at the head alpha across the room, but Rocco had turned his attention away from the two at the bar.

"So, there's Payback. And Rooster. And Phoenix. What are you? Specs?" Bob R grinned as he said it, visibly proud of himself for coming up with a nickname.

"Uh…not exactly."

Bob Floyd had answered this question many, many times. People responded usually with confusion ('No, your callsign, not your name'), more questions ('Did you…choose that yourself?'), or, even worse, disappointment ('Aww, man. I was hoping it was something cool'). But this response? It was a new one.

"Hmm," Bob Reynolds said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully while looking off into the distance. The gesture made his already-thin lips smush together into a solitary line, making it look like he had a comically long frown. The word 'adorable' floated through Bob Floyd's head for the second time that night.

After a few moments of hard pondering, the Other Bob turned to him, releasing his chin as he declared, "I like it."

Bob blinked, saying nothing at first. And when he did speak, it was just one word.

"…What?"

"I like it," the Other Bob said with even more conviction, nodding his head as if agreeing with his own assessment. "It suits you."

Bob Floyd couldn't help himself. He laughed. It was sudden and jarring, like his body had a mind of its own. Like it was pulled out of his lungs by sheer surprise.

Bob Reynolds eyed him with a raised eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Normally people are disappointed that my callsign is just…Bob. They expect something cooler."

The other man audibly scoffed. "What? Like Hangman? Wow. He must be so cool." He made a quick pumping gesture with his right hand, wordlessly calling the blond alpha a jerk off. "No, Bob is unique. I bet there isn't another pilot with that callsign. There are probably dozens of 'Hangman's. And, after all, you know what 'Bob' stands for, right?"

"If you say 'Baby On Board,' I'm going back to my -" Bob F started, shaking his finger at his fellow Bob.

"No, no," Bob R said, waving away the other man's concerns. "Nothing as lame as that."

"Then what?"

Bob Reynolds grinned.

"Big Ol' Balls, obviously."

When Bob Reynolds said his goodbyes and made his way back to his pack through the slowly emptying bar, he was hyper aware of the phone resting heavily in his right front pocket. He ran his fingers over the glass faceplate, feeling the tiny cracks in the touch screen, the ones Jordan insisted wouldn't be there if he'd just get a proper phone case. If he traced the name of the man he'd spent the last hour and a half with, give or take a few minutes, no one would know. Or even blame him.

The rest of his pack was suspiciously silent as he slid into the oval booth at the far end of the room, the one right next to the door. Everyone had made their way over to the table eventually, nearly filling it up. It wasn't an easy fit like it had been with just his bonded mates where he could stretch out over the worn brown vinyl, resting his head in one of their laps. But the way Miles chirruped happily, wrapping his arms around Bob and pulling him close, rubbing their noses together, more than made up for the lack of space.

"You tryin'a get us another beta?" Rhett asked with a grin. He'd long ago taken off the cowboy hat. Now the Stetson decorated the table in front of them, set amidst a veritable field of discarded and half-empty glasses.

At those words, Jordan perked up.

"We could use another beta. William helped get our numbers up, but you damn alphas outnumber us," he said, shooting fake glares at the three at the table who just chuckled in response.

"There are three omegas too," William added, pointing at Rhett, Miles, and Bob himself in turn.

Jordan dismissed him with a simple "psht" sound.

"There is never such a thing as too many omegas," he said as justification. Todd, who never missed an opportunity to cuddle with the nearest omega, nodded his head as if agreeing with some deep, sage wisdom. Rhett nudged him with his elbow, snickering when the alpha pouted at him, exaggeratedly rubbing his side as if dearly wounded.

"Can't disagree with you there," Rocco said, taking a swig of his beer before turning his eyes on Bob. Without even saying another word, Bob could feel his own face growing red. Rocco didn't even have to ask. From the smirk that tugged at his lips, he knew what Bob was thinking possibly even better than Bob knew himself.

As much as they so obviously wanted to, a stern look from Rocco quieted any more questions about the handsome stranger Bob had spent so much time chatting up. Everyone seemed mostly tired (or buzzed), so further talk was minimal, mostly just murmuring to the person next to them.

When William caught himself nearly falling asleep at the table, they collectively decided to call it a night. Miles and Jordan busied themselves organizing the glassware on the table, clean spills and stacking plates to make the night a little easier for the barkeep, while Todd made his way to the register to square up their tab.

It didn't take long before everyone filed out of the bar. Bob tried to catch a glimpse of his military counterpart, but, between his own packmates and the people settling up at the bar, there were too many people in the way. He could have sworn he saw that perfectly coifed hair swiveling to face them as they left, but he couldn't be certain.

The parking lot was mostly silent except for the buzzing of the neon lights in the Top Deck's windows, so any noise the pack made was amplified. From the words they exchanged to the keys jingling in the drivers' hands and especially to the gravel crunching under foot, Bob almost didn't hear Rocco when he started talking.

"Was he nice?"

"Hmm?" Bob answered, blinking and looking up at his mate. Rocco smiled down at him, one of those smiles that made him look devilishly handsome. That smile used to haunt his dreams before Bob had finally admitted his attraction to the alpha, but now it brightened his days and warmed his nights.

"Was he nice? The guy you chatted with."

"Oh? Yeah. Yeah, he was really sweet," Bob said, pushing his hands even deeper into his pockets as the cool night air nipped at his skin. Once again, he ran his fingers over the phone as if expecting it to buzz or ring at any moment. Or maybe he hoped it would.

"Sweet, huh?" Rocco said teasingly. He knocked his shoulder lightly against Bob's, who retaliated by leaning against him. From the way Rocco immediately put his arm around the omega, Bob didn't think he was complaining much.

His next words were quieter, spoken practically into Bob's ear.

"You feelin' better?"

Bob didn't mean to stop in his tracks, but Rocco jerked to a halt next to him, practically getting whiplash from the sudden pause in their walk. He wanted to deny it, of course. To tell Rocco that he had no clue what the alpha was talking about. But, looking up into the eyes of his mate, he knew that lying was useless. Rocco knew he'd been in a rotten mood all day, as much as Bob had tried to hide it.

He wasn't even sure why he'd been having a bad day to begin with. It could have been a million things. Or it could have been nothing. After all, it's like his therapist always said - depression doesn't always need a reason.

Hell, he wasn't even sure why he'd approached Bob Floyd to begin with. I mean, yeah, the guy had his hoodie, the same one Bob R had pulled on as soon as the crisp night air hit his bare arms. If Bob put his nose to it, he imagined he could still smell the beta's scent - clean and woodsy with just a hint of something sharp, like the one that lingered on his clothes the one time Todd had managed to convince him to fly on a plane despite his fear of heights. It was like gasoline or kerosene but not quite. The combination was odd, but Bob found that he quite liked it.

Their connection should have ended there. They'd touch hands as the WSO handed his hoodie back, Bob would think about it all night, and he'd look for the cute beta with big, blue eyes and aviator glasses every time they went to the Hard Deck from then on.

But talking to him just felt so…nice. He was nice. Bob Floyd was the kind of man who made every person he interacted with feel seen. He waited his turn to speak, and when he did, he made it clear he was listening, carefully logging little tidbits into some nebulous folder in his mind to reference later. And his life was so different from anything Bob Reynolds had ever experienced, full of dangerous missions, cocky pilots, and apparently some beach football. It didn't hurt that the WSO's eyes kept slipping to Bob's lips, his ears turning scarlet when Bob flirted back with him.

Somewhere in their conversation, the ache in Bob Reynolds' chest eased, leaving him feeling lighter than he'd been in days. And the new contact in his phone just meant this wasn't just a random chat between strangers. Maybe it was the start of something more.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Rocco's words brought him back to reality, back to the cold parking lot where his mate was waiting for an answer. None of the pack's vehicles had moved either. They waited for their alpha to lead the way. Or, more likely, they stayed to make sure nothing was wrong with Bob.

That thought felt like ice water over his head. Abruptly, Bob started walking towards Rocco's car, grabbing the alpha's hand to drag him along. Letting out a grunt of surprise, his mate followed wordlessly.

When they got to the car, Bob turned around to squarely face the other man.

"I'm okay, Rock," he said, meaning those words for the first time in the past week that he'd spoken them. "I'm okay."

Rocco fixed him with a stare, one Bob could never seem to hide from. It was like his alpha could see right through him, reading all the truths etched on his soul that he tried so desperately to keep to himself, not wanting to bother his packmates. After a few tense seconds, Rocco breathed out a little sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing.

"Okay," Rocco said. There was no pushing, no trying to get more information out of the omega. And Bob knew he wouldn't. His alpha trusted that he would open up in his own time.

The ride home was full of the regular noises: the hum of the engine, bits of scattered conversation, and a little off key singing.

When they pulled into their driveway and rolled to a stop inside the garage, Bob didn't even reach for the handle. He knew better by now. Long ago, Rocco had made it a habit to always open the door for his passengers. It was so ingrained into Bob that it took him a few seconds to realize that the alpha didn't move to exit the car.

"I do have one question," Rocco admitted almost sheepishly. He looked almost embarrassed to ask but bursting at the seams with curiousity, like he'd been chewing on his words the entire time they'd driven home."You know I won't press the issue. I don't need to know a damn thing about him until you're ready to talk. But it's kinda killing me. Can I…" His words trailed off, looking to Bob for permission.

When Bob nodded his assent, the alpha asked simply, "What's his name?"

Now that was a question Bob was more than happy to answer. Bob grinned up at his partner, smiling even wider when confusion and even a little bit of dread crossed his beloved's face. It was like he'd told the WSO; there was always one troublemaker in a pack, a fact Bob knew well from personal experience.

So, of course Rocco didn't believe him.

"You're fucking with me," he'd insisted. "There's no way that we went to a bar full of people, and you came out with a crush on the only other Bob in there. What's his name really? James? Tom? Lewis?"

It took pulling out his phone to show Rocco the new contact he'd entered in there just an hour ago, the one with the photo he'd startled the lieutenant when he snapped it so that the WSO more resembled a deer in the headlights than a decorated military officer.

When Rocco groaned in defeat, muttering "goddamnit, Bob" under his breath, Bob Reynolds laughed harder than he'd done in months.

Divider Credit -> @/strangergraphics

Images in header are not mine.

Hope you liked it! Feel free to like, reblog, or comment!

 Ever since he was young enough to remember, Bob Floyd had wanted to fly.

Growing up in a small town in Montana meant hard days sweating in the sun on his parents’ ranch, and quiet, lazy weekends spent in the fields watching the birds go by. He marked the months by their migration, as he never ventured beyond state lines. During his two-minute-long rebellious phase, he had dreamt of flying away with them, free from the responsibilities that kept him tethered to the same few acres, the same few faces that broke up the plains of nondescript wheat. That was, until one day, one by one, half the meadowlarks disappeared from the sky. Teenage angst didn’t feel particularly important after The Snap.

When the population returned, his family knew it would be his signal that it was time to leave. Bob had loved his town, and even more, had loved the people in it. They were kind, moving as one with the change in seasons. To them, amber meant slow down, not speed up. Snow meant an opportunity to check in with your neighbours as you shovelled the roads. And no one knew how to bake fewer than a couple of dozen cookies, lest you came to visit. They were like him, and he wanted to be like them. But more than all that, he wanted to make those few good people proud. So, inspired by the Avengers who saved the world, he did. With nothing but a duffel bag, his mother’s goodbye kiss and a promise to write back, he followed the birds all the way to Falcon Field. 

At twenty years old, he flew for the first time. He controlled his folksy accent, introduced himself as Robert, slicked his hair and moulded every part of himself into the recruitment poster that hung in his locker. In the end, he had so fitted the part of a model WSO that his promotion became inevitable.

At twenty-five years, he migrated again to Nevada, head of his class and straight into TOPGUN. At first, no one knew the quiet man's name. The sky didn't feel like freedom anymore; his mind was weighed down even as his body soared above the heavens. His youthful ability to know with complete and utter certainty that death was an impossibility slowly gave way to the wisdom of age. He started to bring a photo of his family for good luck on each flight, tapping it with gratitude on each landing. But by the time he graduated, everyone knew the name Lieutenant Robert Floyd.

At twenty-seven years, the most important event in his life up until that point occurred when he met a pilot known simply as ‘Phoenix’. She called him Bob. He was the only one who called her Nat, even though she flew every bit as terrifying and awe-inspiring as the real mythological creature. But somehow, despite all logic, the fear that accompanied each mission ended as quickly as the commander said their names together as training partners. Flying with her felt as natural as walking.

With Nat in the pilot’s seat, the years merged together, mission after mission, medal after medal; the mission to the uranium enrichment facility was supposed to be the greatest achievement of his life. But despite how vital he became to his Country’s most elite squadron, he no longer felt he had to be the platonic ideal of a Navy man, not around Dagger Squad. He got sarcastic when anyone jabbed at his partner, he took days off to the Hard Deck when previously they had been filled with studying, and just occasionally, he let his accent slip.

That was all until the sky opened up and the Shi’ar invaded.

Their battlecruisers and dreadnaughts far surpassed those of Earth, the alien race a funhouse mirror, merging man and avian into one race that surpassed his own in every way. Compared to them, his plane felt like a wren going up against an eagle. Fodder until the planet’s governments could get a plan together and a real hero could turn up. 

 Each tap of the family photo now felt like a goodbye. And each day he went back up to fight.

It wasn’t even a week into the invasion that Dagger Squad got the news they would have reinforcements. They had expected as much; what they didn’t expect was the non-disclosure agreement, signed under penalty of execution if they ever so much as whispered the nature of what that reinforcement was. Huddled together in a bunker, far below the desert lest the enemy was listening in, the head of the CIA, Valentina de Allegra Fontaine, told them about the Project Sentry.

Dagger Squad was abuzz with the news that they were getting the universe’s supposed mightiest hero on side as they took on the most dangerous missions. The rub? No matter how well Valentina tried to hide the mirth in her voice, the crick in her neck as she tried to forget the way he had pinned her to the wall, she couldn’t quite suppress how scared she was of their new addition. The instructions were clear; he would have an earpiece to hear them, but he was unable to talk to the squad. He wouldn’t listen to commands, but if they did it right and communicated, he could maybe avoid friendly fire. After each mission, there would be a crew waiting to sedate the Sentry and take him away until the next wave of Shi’ar ships. They weren’t to make contact with him, they weren’t to try and save him, and if they saw a shadow creep upon his body, they were to give the codeword over comms: ‘Yelana’. If that didn’t remove the inky blackness from his skin, Valentina would take it from there.

And if they broke the rules and let Sentry off his leash? Well, the Shi’ar would be the least of the planet’s worries.

 In any other situation, the Squad would bristle at the idea of such an unknown joining them, but the world was ending. So they would allow it this once. It was only Nat who saw the furrow of Bob’s brow as he sat in the bunker a while longer, thinking. She asked him if he thought it was a risk too far, but he just shook his head and muttered, “What kind of Government does that to someone, only to treat him like a rabid dog?”

 The first mission went off without a hitch. As did all that followed through the second wave of attacks, despite the mutters of disapproval of how many close calls they all had as the Sentry destroyed cruiser after cruiser, far too close to their planes for comfort. However, it wasn’t just the power of Sentry they couldn’t compete with; they knew his ego eclipsed even Hangman’s. So instead, they put aside their pride and, at Bob’s suggestion, set about learning how to work with him. After each flight, the Squad would compare notes on what little they caught of their suited saviour - a glimpse of a cape, a curl of brunette hair, a suit that shone like Solomon’s gold. It was like having front row seats to a destructive fireworks display, a flash of light followed by an almighty crack through the air as another ship imploded in on itself. The Hero moved too quickly to catch anything more; the radars on their planes would hiss static as he flew by before another potential catastrophic ambush was eradicated in the blink of an eye. Their job had been to stop the stragglers, intercept anything that went after high-priority targets while Sentry took on the majority of the universe’s best and most horrifying crafts. If they could do anything to aid him, then so be it, that is what they were there for.

The Sentry, the perfectly modelled stalwart, designed to be nothing other than Earth’s unstoppable saviour, felt to the world like hope. Hope the planet would actually be saved even as another wormhole opened and another wave of fleets entered. And through it all, watching the ceiling fan above his bed as he couldn’t sleep, all Bob could think about was where he went between the missions. If he knew how proud of him they were, that the rest of them were slowly catching up to what Bob had understood since day one. That the Sentry was trying to impress them, just as much as he was trying to save the world. So one mission Bob told him so, when the air was quiet, and the sweat beaded down his neck, he’d turn his comms to private. “Did good, Sentry. We couldn’t have done it with out you. See you soon.”

It was just a nano second, but the display on his console flickered on and off.

It was on the second week, as the battalions' flagship threatened to destroy New York, that Bob felt like he was beginning to understand the seemingly chaotic dance of explosions and destruction as the Sentry hurtled across the sky, shooting down flagships like they were nothing but clay pigeons. Whereas once the debris rained down like mighty storms, Bob learned the pattern of the Hero’s targets, directing the others and Nat on where to go and how to inaugerate themselves into the god-like power of the Sentry. It became like a ballet with an invisible partner, where once he moved forward, they would turn back, and when he ascended, far into the sun where their eyes couldn’t follow, they’d dive down and protect his flanks. It was almost beginning to feel like a team, and as the smoke lifted, there he was. Watching over Nat and Bob’s plane as they flew back to base. The morning sun rose through the clouds and every thread of his mop of hair, illuminating it until it turned as golden as his suit, a soft halo that proclaimed his inheritance to the power of the burning star. They were going too fast to make out his face, but Bob thought he saw him wring out his wrists like he was a nervous teenager asking a date to the prom. Before he could point him out to Nat, the angelic figure became boneless, his entire body spiralling like an eagle caught in a death grip as he plummeted down through the atmosphere and out of sight. It took only a beat before Valentina’s choppers descended upon him like vultures, ready to carry him away after another successful mission. 

 The Sentry was sidelined for the mission after that. Valentina made some excuse about him not being stable enough, needing longer to recuperate. Thankfully, the enemy was busy regrouping, sending just a few ships to threaten the East Coast, but it felt harder than any dreadnought they had ever faced. Harder still, without the partner they’d synchronised their every movement to.

They survived, but just barely. Intel told them they should have a few days, just long enough to get ‘the Sentry up in working order again’ as though he was just another piece of machinery. Bob said as much. Valentina glared. The team nodded. Only Nat raised a knowing eyebrow at her friend, but the moment was lost as the sirens blared their alarm across the base.     

 It was a shitshow. Two Dreadnaughts over half an hour away appeared over the Atlantic, surrounded by the carrions of cruisers that dotted the skyline like a murder of crows. And worse than all of it, their giant metal husks blotting out the sun, they just simply waited for Dagger Squad to arrive. Gloating before the inevitable massacre had even started. The rest of Earth’s heroes had been sequestered across the globe. No one had accounted for the fact that they had left the Capital in the hands of an AWOL hero. Bob reached over the seat to his pilot and squeezed her shoulder. Her silence was more unnerving than the fleet of alien technology that bore down on them. Even the normally reliable quips from Hangman were silent. That is, until a single feminine ‘shit’ rang in their ears. ‘Let Sentry out, fuck it. We’re dead either way.’

Dagger Squad did everything they could to keep the opposing planes distracted while they waited for the Sentry to arrive. They weaved through a seemingly impervious barrier of cruisers, dodging their laser beams as Bob swore he felt their syiging heat just inches from his head. Slowly, the battlefield eked its way closer and closer to the coast, toying with the nation’s final line of defence, while only a few remaining Air Force planes could provide backup. Without fail, they were all downed as quickly as they arrived.

“Nat, Maverick’s got two on his tail. We gotta go!” alerted Bob.

“On it!”

She manoeuvred into position, chasing behind them to get Bob lined up, but as his thumb hovered over the button - An explosion. Followed by the chunks of alloys as they pinged from his windshield, echoing in the cockpit as another flash of energy eviscerated through the second enemy ship like it was made of paper.

The alarms signalling the nearby energy disturbance confirmed what they all knew. It was the Sentry, alright. The comms erupted with cheers and hollers, while Bob simply muttered an honest “thank god, you’re okay”. However, the victory wasn’t as instant as they imagined. The Sentry was sluggish; if it wasn’t for the sky being painted by smoke that splattered through the air, the most eagle-eyed amongst them would have been able to make out his movements. Still faster than any TOPGUN plane, but slow for him, his shoulders haunched as he struggled to coordinate his body with his mind swimming in sedatives, every neuron misfiring for every time it fired correctly. But whereas once the newly formed team moved as a flock of swallows, perfect in their majestic flow, now they scrambled to keep the fleet away from Sentry as he put himself in front of plane after plane, taking them out as he block the enemy with his seemingly indestructible frame. But each time he moved more slowly. Took longer to recover as the planes kept coming. Bob couldn’t see the energy, the sheer indescrible power that had radiated off him the first time he truly gazed upon him. Now he just hung in the sky like a puppet whose strings were slowly getting cut, one by one, taking the brunt of each strike until he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and fire.

The order cut through the ringing in Bob’s ears, “Nat, we need you to intercept the jumpship that just broke formation, it's heading towards our aircraft carrier.”

Bob didn’t have time to question the crushing feeling that hammered into his chest as he felt the plane turn around. His eyes lingered, head following him like he was magnetised to the sight of him. It took hearing the urgency in his partner's voice to focus again.

They only needed seconds to reach and destroy their target, but once again, their enemy was ahead of them. By the time they dived through the remains of the jumpship, six more removed their stealth cloaks and chased behind them. Nat did her best to lose them, but they were on them like they were tethered together, predicting their every move before she had even made it. Bob tapped the button of the weapons system. The silence of their guns sent a knife through both of them. It was the very noise that he feared most as he lost his confidence back when he was still in training. Tapping his family photo, for what he knew would be the last time, he caught the terrified look of Nat’s in the cockpit window. Somehow it had never occurred to him that she could feel fear.

As much as it hurt to look, he held her gaze within the reflection, “It was an honour, Nat. See you on the other side, partner.”

Her voice held strong even as he saw the quiver of her lip, “You too, Bob. Let’s see if we can still take one of these fuckers out with us.”

Bob looked out over the battlefield as Nat tried to chase down another plane. Eyes searching for his friends. For the Sentry. He felt so helpless. His breath caught in his throat as he saw them all surrounded… But then he saw him, or rather, he felt him. A heat beyond that of all the enemy weapons shot past him, as that beautiful, majestic light roared back to life. Bob’s eyes ping ponged in his head as he kept up with the destructive brilliance of each ship disintegrating before them until a thump hit the top of their plane. Their aircraft twirled until Nat was able to get it under control, but there was no mistaking it; the Sentry had landed on them. With shaky legs, Bob caught the tip of his boot before he flew off again, a trail of destruction in his wake. It was only as the fourth cruiser went down in their orbit that Bob realised the Hero was protecting them specifically.

Thinking on his feet, he shouted at Nat to go after the rest of Dagger Squad. Sentry followed like a determined, faithful guard dog behind them, suddenly revitalised with a new strength Bob put down to this supposed ‘serum’, taking out each and every threat that got too close. Once they were all out of immediate harm, Maverick came over the comms, ordering them after the Dreadnaughts leading the fleet. They did so immediately, the Sentry flying in perfect synchronicity with their battered plane, cutting through the sky as, for the first time, the Sentry followed another’s lead.

Bob didn’t think he had ever seen anything more natural than the man next to him fly like the comics of his childhood. Certainly nothing more beautiful. Superheroes had inspired him to join the Navy, and now here he was, staving off the apocalypse with the man whose radiance lit up the sky brighter than a thousand suns. It felt like his entire life had been in service of this one moment. The dimple in the other’s smile was just the icing on the cake.

Bob didn’t know if he had time to fit him with an earpiece, but he had to try. “Sentry, this is the last push. You’re nearly there, you’re doing amazing - You can do it, bud. We know you can.”

Bob thought he saw his chest puff up like a peacock at his praise as his eyes burned a more precious shade of gold than any of the universe’s treasures. He nodded and shot from view, the sonic bang almost as loud as the Dreadnaught that, piece by piece, fell from the sky like a child destroying their Lego.

After that, it all happened so fast. A bang. The sirens of the fire alarm sounded as the engines blew. The shout of his partner telling him to evacuate. Bob didn’t know what had caused it, if he had let his partner down and missed an enemy ship, or if it was just a malfunction, but he did know the emergency ejection button didn’t budge. The power in the jet was almost gone. Nat screamed at him to evacuate, but he knew what she was doing. Knew she had seen how much fuel remained. Before she had time to protest, he rerouted the power to the failsafe and ejected her from the cockpit. The woosh of air blurred his vision as it stung his eyes. He closed them and breathed, more calmly than he thought he would when faced with this moment. He prayed his team would make it. That the Sentry could one day meet them all face to face, and they could see what he saw in him, with never a word uttered.

And so he fell.

And he fell.

The G-Force battered his body as chunks of metal slammed into the cockpit. He dived like an osprey towards the water, bracing himself for an impact that never came. Instead, his back landed softly on cool grass, wet with dew, swaying gently under his neck, even as the sky above him burned. And protecting him from the hellfire that rained down was what was left of the man’s face who had dominated more of his thoughts and dreams than he dared ever admit. The living embodiment of everything his younger self had dreamt of being… was slowly being taken over by inky tentacles of black shadows, crawling up his neck like ink blots on his deathly white skin. The hand that held Bob’s cheek was shaking, lips shaking in turn around words he couldn’t form. Even as unconsciousness threatened to take him, he could feel the sways of grass turn into the thundering tremors of tiny earthquakes as the Sentry struggled to contain his fury. His despair.

Bob could just about remember the codeword Valentina had taught them, “Y-Yelana.” But nothing happened. The shadows took more and more of his features like a black watercolour paint over the increasingly wet canvas of his face as the indestructible hero of the universe started to sob. Those iridescent eyes melted into deep blues. But they kept going, all colour draining from them as they took in what must have been Bob’s wounds. Without thinking, with the very last of his strength, Bob tentatively raised his hands and dug into the head of curls and brought him into the safety of the nape of his neck. He cooed gently, “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay, Sentry. I’m so proud of you.” 

And then everything went black.

When Bob awoke, sedation coursing through his veins as surely as his remaining blood, he couldn’t be sure if the shadow that lurked in the corner was real. By the time he blinked and awoke again days later, he would wonder the same. Again and again through Groundhog Day. The same room, same legs bandaged into casts, always soundtracked by the same beeping of machines. The only difference was the outline of a figure, reclining, sitting, occasionally even standing or pacing. Just once, he was able to ask it, “Nat?”

“She’s fine, she’s back flying already”, came the quiet response.

“A’nd S…Sentry?” he slurred, head rolling towards the voice.

The observation machine beeped as his heart sped up for a moment, “Sentry is good, too. Thanks to you.”

Bob slept soundly that day, watched over by his mysterious protector once again.

Despite its constant hovering, never getting close enough for Bob to identify its face, it never felt threatening or malicious, even as those two pricks of light glared at him with the intensity of a predator. Instead, they were the occasional reprieve from the dark, vast ocean that reclaimed him back into unconsciousness. It didn’t feel so scary knowing those twin lighthouses would be there when it spat him out again, and as he slowly grew stronger, he realised it wasn’t the shadow he had tried to stop from taking over the Sentry. By the time Bob could start to make out his features again, he was gone. All that remained was his family photo that somehow survived the crash.

 Locked away in the military hospital, stuck with his legs up in casts, Bob watched the sky as he had done as a child. The birds had vanished from their loving embrace, as if they knew the danger that was coming. And here was the man who had sworn his life to protect them, sitting as helpless as he had been when The Snap had occurred. All those years of training, and for what? It felt like the sky was taunting him now. A cruel old friend who had turned its back on him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. But still he sat and watched, hoping for any sign of his team returning safely from battle again.

Bob’s friends rang every day to give him updates. They were all somehow still standing, Nat having been able to return to active duty. So had the Sentry, apparently having never succumbed to the shadows that Valentina had so feared. In fact, no one had seen him fall since, seemingly, a deal had been struck between him and Valentina that he was given his freedom between missions, if just for a while, to stop the near disaster of Bob’s final mission. But he never stayed to meet the team. Nat had told Bob he fought harder now, never taking that moment to gloat over the falling husks of his prey - instead, he was quick and effective, no enemy ever getting within shooting distance of Dagger Squad. He fought like he was protecting something precious to him. Bob didn’t realise that it was because they were precious to him.

It was a week later that he had his first visitor, or rather, the first man he noticed out of the norm. It wasn’t the hair or the stature. He certainly didn’t hold himself the way he remembered him. Instead, it was the nervous wringing of his wrists as he stood in the doorway. It was his Sentry.

“Hi, um..” came the shy voice from under the protection of the turned-up hoodie. He hesitated again, seemingly thinking better of the whole thing. However, his eyes suddenly flashed gold, his body turning back to Bob with a harsh tug, like he had been possessed for the quick moment they had appeared. His eyes, now a sharp, brilliant blue, looked to Bob as vast as the sky, as easy to get lost in, and containing, within their rings, even more opportunity. Bob didn’t think the other man could ever truly understand how incredible it was to finally put a voice to the face.

He stood before him awkwardly, unable to think of what to say. So Bob did it for him; he extended a hand between them. “Bob”, he said, trying to keep the boyish giddiness from his tone.

The man went wide-eyed before they softened with something approaching amusement. He took his hand in his, not squeezing his hands as he held back his power, and shook. “Um, I’m also Bob.”

For the first time since being grounded, Bob Floyd laughed. “Don’t suppose I can convince you to be a Bobbie or something?”

He hadn’t meant anything by it, but the other man flinched. How weird for the man who possessed the power of the gods to be so affected by a name. “Um, ‘rather not if you don’t- it’s just… Don’t exactly  like the people who have called me that in the past.”

Bob nodded from his wheelchair. A quiet, gentle understanding that asked for no explanation. “Bob, it is then.”

The man offered a gracious smile as he struggled to move his gaze up from the injuries he’d failed to stop, “You… look like you could be a Robert?”

“Was a Robert. Back in the academy. Nearly ran myself into the ground being that perfect military man. It was my friends who called me Bob; I haven’t been Robert since.”

The shy man suddenly was all teeth as he couldn’t help the grin that tugged his face up. Now there was the brilliance of the sun. “Yeah, know that feeling. Bob, it is then. At least until I can figure out what type of Bob you are.”

Bob F took a beat, looking back out at the sky before glancing at the brunette who fiddled with the string of his hoodie, “I’m just glad you don’t want me to call you the Sentry.”

 The other Bob spluttered, anxiously asking how he could ever have recognised him as a hero. But Floyd just huffed and slyly said he could recognise the man who saved his life everywhere. Not to mention the one who held vigil over him as he slept.

The light of the sun was nice, but Floyd thought he looked the red hues of his blush even better.

“I wanted to ask you a favour…” the superhero finally ventured. “Valentina says it’s the final push tomorrow. The head of the whole fleet is coming to Earth and um… Could you… The Sentry listens to you. Could you, maybe.. I dunno, I’m sorry-”

“You want me on comms?” Floyd asked, raising a genuinely surprised eyebrow.

Bob nodded. He liked the blush of the other Bob, too.

 It took a while for Bob Floyd to get used to his vantage point being stuck on the ground like a kiwi bird, but once he got the hang of it, the Squad flew with the grace of swallows once again and all the power of the Skyhawks namesake, with Sentry at the head. It was like he had never been away as he guided them through the mission. It was only as Sentry dived into the Mothership, the way he always did, before Bob even gave the word that the WSO realised, the Sentry hadn’t ignored the Squad through the missions. He didn’t just follow his own path as they kept up. He had listened to Bob give orders to the others and worked around them. Their dance had been one of mutual understanding as they had flown together in perfect synchronicity. For once, Floyd no longer questioned why heart beat faster at the thought.

There was a terrifying moment when the Sentry burst into the Commander’s ship, and there was nothing. No sound, no signs of destruction, no grand final kaboom like in the movies. All was silent over the comms… Until Bob Reynold’s voice, for the first time, echoed in his team’s ears. He sounded like he couldn’t believe it himself as he uttered the phrase that would become renowned across the globe. But Bob wasn’t a man of words. Instead, he just said simply, “We did it.”

And then came the grand final kaboom.

The explosions really did look like fireworks when the Mothership finally fell. The other members of ground control helped Floyd outside, to gaze up at the sky without a screen separating them. They had been closer to the battlefield than he had realised as the smoke hung in the distance. And then he saw. And a second later, he heard the boom of the engines as Dagger Squad flew overhead. He waved at Natasha’s plane as she did a loop-de-loop right over them. That was his Phoenix, alright. 

 Bob Floyd wheeled his chair into the drab naval as his Squad made it home. They all cheered his name in unison, baptising him with cheap swill beer and expensive whiskey as they welcomed him into the heave of bodies, as they all stacked themselves into the tiny space. Nat ran to him and nearly knocked his chair over as Rooster patted him on the shoulder. Tears stung in his eyes as the reality hit him. They had won. He had made his hometown proud and then some… Then why did his eyes search out the room for just one man? The man who shifted the Earth around him when he thought for one desperate moment, something truly awful had happened to him, the same way the ground had trembled under him when he held Floyd’s injured body safe in his arms.

Nat smiled knowingly at Hangman across the room as he motioned the celebrating crowd to disperse like Moses. Despite the cramped room, they parted like the Red Sea, allowing Floyd to see the other Bob, eyes blue, bottom lip pinched between his canines as he tried not to grin. He looked happy. He looked as he deserved… Even if the Squad had dressed him in the ugliest Hawaiian shirt and party hat, signalling him as the official newest member of Dagger Squad.

Their gaze met. Bob’s eyes flashed gold. The Sentry walked him across the room to the WSO. By the time he got there, he was just Bob again. And the WSO was just Bob, too. 

Bob Floyd joined in on the celebrations for as long as he could tolerate, until the noise and the emotion of the day finally became too much. He left the Hero of the Hour to his adoring public, the sound of his laughter riding as high as Sentry over the music. He ignored how his breath caught in his throat when he saw men and women alike vie for his attention. So the lieutenant sat outside as the stars finally shone their brilliance on them all. But those tiny dots looked like Reynolds’ eyes as he sat by his hospital bed. So Bob closed his own, tried to block out the thoughts of the man inside, until finally he heard the birds sing again.

It was only when a voice behind him broke the quiet reverie that he remembered where he was. At first, he thought it was his mind betraying him as the request sounded just as sweet as the morning skylarks of Montana. “Do… Do you want to fly with me again?” asked Reynolds, all in one breath. In reality, he had stood there the whole time, working up the courage for what he didn’t know. He looked as surprised as the other Bob that the words had come out at all. 

Floyd just laughed as he asked how he expected him to do that. But the other Bob didn’t join in; he looked nervous again. He tried to find the words, but when nothing came, he instead opened his arms out. Luckily for him, his teammate had become an expert in reading him. By the time Nat noticed they were gone, only Bob’s wheelchair remained outside the bar. She ran back inside with a roar, gloating the whole way as she collected the money for the bet.

 Together they flew up high above the base, Reynolds holding him tight within his arms as he effortlessly supported his legs. The thick air penetrated Floyd’s lungs as he tasted the salt of the sea and the ash of the battle. So still Reynolds drifted further away, until the air turned fresh and the geese flew north past them, signalling the promise of the spring that they never thought they’d be alive to see. 

Bob Floyd had to admit, he missed flying almost as much as he missed his family. He had wanted to fly initially because of the freedom he thought it could provide. Then he lost his nerve when it only represented the great expanse of responsibility as the whole sky above him became his duty to defend. He could never quite put his finger on why his love of flying had returned when he joined TOPGUN, but looking into the eyes of the man who held him safely in the hands that held the power of galaxies, it clicked into place. Because he wasn’t the pilot, he never had been; he was Nat’s WSO. He was her support, as she was his. They trusted each other, her to lead them home every time, and him to always have her back. It was the trust in another and to receive it in turn, that he had loved more than the freedom or the ability to fight. And that was what he had found with the other Bob, as he had wordlessly, in his own awkward alter ego’s way, tried to fit in. The Sentry, Earth’s Mightiest Hero and potentially greatest threat, had tried to put his trust in them, and Floyd had made room for him, whether as The Sentry, and now as Bob.

He never told his new compatriot how much flying had meant to him. But he seemed to understand in the same effortless, silent way Floyd had understood him. And despite all of his nervousness, he didn’t seem surprised when he saw the other man staring at him rather than the plains below. He hadn’t meant to ask it, but the words punched their way out as Floyd asked him what he was thinking when their gaze lingered too long to ignore. 

Reynolds hesitated, “Just if anyone ever tell you you look like an owl with those glasses?”

“Huh. Anyone ever tell you, you look like a robin when you dodge questions and blush?” he quipped back.

  The dusty red hues only grew deeper as the arms minutely tightened around him. Floyd didn't realise that it wasn't embarrassment that painted his cheeks, but the starting embers of arousal as the Navy's golden boy's accent slipped. It had taken him years to be comfortable enough to slip back into his roots again, but with Reynolds, he wanted nothing more than to show everything he contained. Maybe it wasn't just the Sentry who desperately wanted the other's approval.

The WSO should have felt embarrassed being carried like a damsel out of a burning building. As much of the quiet Montana boy as he was, he was still a Lieutenant; he still had his pride. But what good did any of that do him when the face of the man he was with fell? Ashamed of his own inability to understand the conflicting emotions that echoed in his mind in the voice of the side of him he feared most, he brushed his hands over Floyd’s arms, as though he was comforting himself. 

“Bob”, he asked quietly, like he was enticing a frighted injured stray. “Why’d you bring me up here?”

He absent-mindedly shook his head. “It doesn’t feel right seeing you all cooped up. You belong up here… With the S-Sentry.”

 “You don’t look like him right now”, he said confidently as he kept his gaze fixed upon his. It took a second for Reynolds to reciprocate,  but when he did, whatever he saw reflected back at him seemed to give him the strength he needed.

“I… That’s the thing. I should be… I’m trying to understand, but- Can I tell you a secret?” The other Bob nodded, rubbing his thumb in up and down motions around the tightening cord of the flyers neck. “I’m terrified of heights. It’s part of why I need to become the Sentry when I fight. I could destroy the world when I’m like that, and yet I still can’t find the way to control it. Tch, some hero.”

He expected his companion to agree, but instead the thumb crept up along his neck, grazing his jaw line in a subtle plea to stay with him, “Then why do you think you’ve not changed, now?”

Why hadn’t he changed? It was a good question. One the Void seemed determined to stop him from answering. He gulped, trying to clear his ears as he cleared his throat. It was only when he saw Floyd suck in his lower lip, subconsciously wetting it in silent hope, that the voice went silent, and his found form. 

 “I don’t feel afraid right now”, he confessed, the wonder evident in the glimmering of his eyes, as beautiful and as shining as the stars that framed him. “Could… Could you stay with me? Just for a little while longer? I… I haven’t flown as myself since I first got these powers... Its not a good memory. But I want to make new ones now. Better ones.” 

 “With me?” Floyd asked, brushing a stray lock from his eyes that bounced back instantly.

“All of them with you. If… that’s what you want. It feels like when I'm with you, you understand me before I know it myself. I trust you”. He paused, but they both heard the secret word behind it, because Bob thought he felt it too. He thought Renyolds would apologise, take it back, but instead he sounded… Giddy? In truth, it was because that secret word had never dared cross his mind without the Void twisting it into something evil. Something pathetic. Instead, it was the Sentry that rang proud in his ear, that word as powerful as the energy that buzzed beneath his fingertips. “And more than that… I think I’m falling for you, Bob Floyd. You’re everything I ever wanted to be in a Hero. I was so terrified of letting everyone down today, but hearing you in my ear..?”

He looked even more bashful. But hidden beneath the surface was just the hint of an impish, delighted grin that Floyd knew was just the tip of the iceberg of all the things he was yet to discover about him. The grin lit up his voice as well as his face as he beamed, “I knew you had my back. When I was in the mothership… It wasn’t the Sentry, for the first time it was me. I felt in control because I knew you were there to catch me, Bob.”

For a moment, Floyd swore they must have ascended beyond Earth’s atmosphere, as all the air was punched from his lungs. But his Bob had been brave for him, so he could do it to. After all, what better confidence was there than being Bob Reynold’s hero? So for the final time that night, as Reynolds put his trust in his partner, Floyd paid it back in turn, cupping a hand to his cheek. Those once-tiny twin suns now turn as dark as black holes, swallowing the blues of his eyes. He waited a moment for the nod to come, and when it did, it was like the whole universe suddenly came into focus and collapsed around them into just their one tiny sanctuary beneath the heavens. Into just their slow, gentle press of their lips. Below them were all the troubles of tomorrow, of Floyd’s recovery, of learning where they went next under Valentina’s control and Dagger Squad’s teasing eyes. But none of that mattered when everything above them was possibilities and the promise they could do this whenever they wanted, now that the skies were back under their protection. Floyd swore he could feel the power of the serum as they kissed, those plush yet thin lips vibrating with untold energy as they opened up for him so sweetly. They moved once again in perfect synchronicity, ducking and diving their mouths in partnership, hands bringing them together, holding and cherishing. Safe, trusting and understood. They learned each other’s movements as quickly off the battlefield and on, leaving behind sparks only they could feel. Creating new memories that would stay with them forever.