notes: Hey y’all!! I know I know, I’m late pls forgive me, I had massive writers block and didn’t want to half ass it but here is the second part as promised!! Hope you like it and pls dont forget to like and reblog 🫶🏽
We arrive at his cute little beachside cottage, and I can’t help but smile as I take it all in. From the cute birdbath out front, not unlike the one at his parents’ house, to the wind chimes on the porch and the rocking chairs just like the ones we always talked about sitting in when we were older, reminiscing about our youth.
“So, do you like it?” he asks, and I turn to fully admire him. Those baby blue eyes that I love so much and the side smile that brings out his long dimple.
“Yes, it’s gorgeous. You did good.”
“Just wait ’til you see the inside!” he replies, excitedly coming around to open my car door before grabbing my bag from the backseat. Then he takes my hand and leads me into the house.
-
Once inside I take in the picture frames, some with his family and teammates, but many are just of us through different stages of our lives. The blanket draped over the couch is the one I knitted him freshman year, not my finest work, but he always claimed it was his favorite.
Then he leads me to the small office lined with bookshelves that he’s already nearly filled, even though he’s only been here two months.
Then he shows me his bedroom, and I smile as I take in the picture of us on his nightstand, the one we took last summer where I kissed his cheek, and he blushed so hard I laughed ’til tears ran down my cheeks. He’s definitely not bringing other girls here.
I notice him set my bag on the small bench at the foot of his bed, and that’s when I realize, his house doesn’t actually have a guest room…
My stomach flips.
Suddenly, the sleeping arrangements become a lot more clearer, sending me right back to our conversation earlier and the fact that we’ve been dancing around whatever this is ever since last summer.
“I love it, truly. It’s very you,” I tell him, following him into the kitchen, where he starts pulling out the ingredients for dinner.
-
“I’m going to assume you’re hungry?” he asks, pulling out the cast-iron skillet.
Some old habits die hard.
“You know me so well.”
“Anything for my best girl,” he says, the tips of his ears turning pink as I round the breakfast bar and plant a kiss on his cheek.
“What’s that for?”
“I mean, you can’t be the only bold one here, can you?” I ask, daring to meet his eyes.
“Oh, is that so?” he replies, studying me for a moment before abandoning the skillet on the counter and cupping my face in his hand.
I close my eyes and lean into his touch, my heart beginning to race as I feel his breath against my face.
“Y/N, Can I kiss you?”
I nod, and his lips find mine. I melt into his arms, having dreamed about this moment for months, wishing over and over that it would happen again, that last summer hadn’t been a one-off.
I run my hands through his hair as he pulls me closer. The dinner plans are quickly forgotten as we stumble out of the kitchen and into the living room.
I feel him guide us to the couch and I straddle him as soon as he sits, feeling him grow harder underneath me as I bite his lip and start to slide myself back and forth onto him. Glad for once to have worn a dress as the friction from his jeans on my underwear sends jolts of pleasure through me.
“Can we talk about this first, baby?” he asks.
I still in his lap and pull back to look him in the eyes, suddenly worried about what he might say next.
“I do want this. Don’t think I don’t, God, no. I just want you to know first that I’m so sorry for how I acted last time. I freaked out that night and planned to talk to you in the morning. Having to leave came at the worst time.”
I nod, taking in every word.
“I just didn’t want to ruin things. I’ve always had feelings for you, and I know I didn’t handle things the best. But if you give me a chance, Y/N, I promise you, I’ll never hurt you again.”
I stare back into those baby blue eyes and know he means every word. His cheeks are flushed from his confession.
I feel his hands squeeze my waist, pulling me back to reality.
He’s waiting for my answer.
“Bobby, I’ve always been yours,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.
He grins before kissing me again, my hands tangling in his hair and his hands running up and down my thighs under my dress.
I pull back and moan in his ear as I feel his hand slide into my underwear and soon his fingers are making circles around my clit making me arch back into his touch.
His mouth finds purchase on my neck and he leaves hickies that I know will be very noticeable tomorrow but I don’t care. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Bobby please,” I beg, my brain short circuiting as he edges me closer and closer but slows down right when I’m on the cusp of my orgasm. “Not yet baby, I want to feel you cum on my cock.”
I feel my cheeks warm with a blush and I’m thankful he cant see my face. This side of Bob is one I’ve never seen before. But I can get used to it.
Finally he stops playing with my clit to take off my dress and i feel like i might cum at any second just from his touch. He’s wound me up so much I feel almost delirious.
His mouth connects with my nipple as his hand pinches the other and I half yell in pleasure. Wanting more, needing more. Needing him.
“Please, please, Bobby,” I beg and I feel him grin and then he’s standing, holding on to me like I’m made of feathers and then we’re making out against the wall on the way to his bedroom, his shirt I nearly rip off, leaving it discarded somewhere in the hall.
He lays me on the bed and climbs on top of me, my legs falling off his waist as he lifts up and takes me in. I feel a shyness creeping in, exposed to him like this.
I raise my hands to cover my face but he catches them with his before I get a chance to.
“Let me see you baby, please, all of you” He begs and I nod, watching as he looks up at me in question as his hand reaches for the waistband of my underwear and I nod again, not trusting that I won't stutter if I talk.
He slides them off slowly, the cold air raising goosebumps against my skin. Or maybe it’s the fact that he’s looking at me, now naked beneath him, with such adoration.
“God you’re perfect, better than in my dreams,” he whispers, almost to himself and I lift my hand to cup his cheek. He turns his face and kisses my palm and I smile at him.
“Bobby, I don’t mean to ruin the moment but take me to bed or lose me forever,” I half whisper, not able to contain myself any longer and it’s like a switch goes off because his eyes grow darker and he’s on me before I can say anything else.
Kissing me like I might disappear at any moment.
I kiss him with the same force, trying to reach down to the waistband of his jeans to take them off but he beats me to it, his underwear thankfully going with them.
I feel him pressing against my folds and I moan, wanting him so badly inside me but he seems to enjoy teasing me as he slides back and forth against me.
“St-op te-as-ing me,” I gasp between moans and he only smiles in response. Enjoying making a mess of me.
“Are you sure of this Y/N?” He asks, and I’m so needy at this point that I just push myself onto him. The head of his cock enters me and I nearly cry out at the stretch.
I mean I have caught his print here and there throughout the years when he would wear his damn grey sweatpants but fuck.
He slowly eases the rest of the way in and the pain from him stretching me open turns to pleasure as he slowly begins to move inside me.
I nearly cum just from it.
“Legs up darlin’” he drawls and then he’s taking me fully. Our moans fill the room and he’s kissing me as he drills into me, over and over.
My eyes are half open as I feel my legs start to shake, and drop from his waist. “I thought I said keep your legs up, baby,” He whispers in my ear pulling back to stare back at me and I feel a shiver go down my spine as he lifts them up and increases his pace.
I yell out in pleasure as I feel myself on the cusp of my orgasm.
“Bobby, Bob-by” I stutter and I’m shaking, getting there as he does too.
I feel him let go of my legs and they drop to his sides as he fucks me through our orgasms.
Who knew sex could ever be this amazing? I think to myself.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he says, his hand coming to rest on my cheek. “Me too,” I reply, and he leans down and leaves a kiss on my forehead.
“Okay, now this is the messy part,” I joke as he pulls away and it makes him chuckle.
“Let me run to the bathroom and grab you a towel love, then I’ll run us a bath, how’s that sound?”
“It sounds perfect.” I reply, smiling to myself, watching that perfect little butt of his.
Wishing I could stay here with him forever.
-
“Whatcha thinking?” he asks as I follow him into the bathroom, where the bathtub is slowly filling. The scent of my favorite soap filling the room. He’s really thought of everything.
“About us. About you. About wanting to stay with you,” I admit, giving him a bashful smile.
“So stay.”
“It’s not that simple, Bobby. I can’t just up and leave Montana.”
“Y/N, take all the time you need. But you’ve always said you wanted to leave there. You can come live here with me, or we’ll get you a place nearby if living together feels like too much too soon.”
“It’s not that, Bobby. I’m just scared… scared this is all a dream. I’ve wanted this for so long.”
He cups my face in his hands before responding, “I have too. I’m sorry if I confused you before. But I want you, Y/N. Here with me, wherever I go.”
“I want that too, Bobby,” I say. I’ve always wanted that. “But what if we don't work out? Our friendship will be ruined.” I continue, letting my biggest fear finally out in the open.
“Y/N, there’s not a world in which we aren’t together. I’m sure of it. I will never let that happen.” He reassures me, and I feel the weight on my chest ease a little.
“I hope so,” I reply. Letting myself smile and believe in him. In us.
“You’ll see,” he says, climbing into the tub and offering me a hand.
I settle between his legs and lean back against his chest, his fingers absentmindedly playing with my hair.
Maybe ruining the friendship isn’t always bad after all.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Top Gun (Movies)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Robert "Bob" Floyd/Jake "Hangman" Seresin
Characters: Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Robert "Bob" Floyd, "Dagger" Training Detachment Aviators (Top Gun)
Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fake Marriage, Love Confessions, 5+1 Things, First Kiss, Jake fell first but Bob fell harder, wrote this in one night, it is beta read though
Summary:
5 times Bob and Jake pretend to be together and someone believes them + 1 time they are actually married and no one believes them.
summary: with your childhood best friend’s birthday coming up, you meticulously plan a surprise party for him with the hopes that he won’t see it coming. however, what you didn’t plan for was falling for him after a dream changes the way you see him.
tags/warnings: friends to lovers, slow-ish burn, little bit of unrequited love (don’t worry this does change), no use of y/n, reader’s call sign is scope
word count: 8.9k
a/n: hi everyone, i’ve literally been so m.i.a lately but I’M BACKK!! so i have this entire story planned out and it will be a total of two or three parts. please let me know your thoughts on the story and i hope you enjoy!
"Where did Scope go?"
After finally being granted a two week long break, the squad decided to kick it off with a night at the Hard Deck.
While everyone was in close proximity to each other — some playing darts, others playing nine-ball — there were a few strays from the group. Hangman was busy trying to get a pretty brunette's number by the bar, and you were heading out to sit with some cute guy on the swing bench beside the entrance.
Bob jerked his head in your direction by the door in response to Phoenix's question.
Following his eye-line, Natasha let out a huff. "Looks like we lost another one."
Before going back to her game with Rooster who was laughing at his friends not making it even halfway through the night before hitting on someone, Mickey nudged Natasha.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
The apprehension in his tone caused the four to avert their attention back to you just in time to see you hurl whatever mix of food and alcohol was in your stomach on the boots of the guy you were with. The man was holding your arms to help maintain your balance, but the look of disgust across his features was evident. He looked around in search of someone, anyone, who would be able to take you off his hands.
A bunch of "oohs" and "yikes" escaped from your friends inside. Already knowing he was going to be sent to get you, a grimacing Bob hopped off the stool he was occupying.
"Yeah I know, I'm on it."
Everything felt dizzying. The lines on the floorboards blurred together as you immediately went to apologize to Max (or was it Miles), who you just yacked on. Mortification slipped through the pounding going on in your head. While you couldn't even pick your head up, eyes shut in the direction of the ground, a familiar voice filled the air.
"Hey man, sorry I'll take her off you hands."
The forearms you were gripping didn't hesitate at all to hand you over.
You understand that anyone would have been disgusted with the incident, but damn. Bob could've been a murderer for all Max (Mason?) knew. A string full of cursed grumbles came out of him as he walked off towards his car.
You stumbled into Bob looking for any sort of balance.
Bob's chuckle filled your ears. "Whoa, easy sweetheart. I told you to go light on those shots tonight."
A stabilizing arm wrapped around your waist while the other guided one of yours around his neck. He contemplated taking you straight home or back inside to get some water in you. Bob decided on the latter after hearing you mutter something about not feeling well.
"Bubs we both know I never listen to you."
He shakes his head at your stubbornness, lips quirking slightly at the nickname you've had for him since childhood.
You and him have been best friends ever since the day you met in kindergarten. It was the first week and everyone was playing outside while Bob sat under a secluded tree. Your little heart broke seeing him all alone and decided from then on that you'd never leave his side. This decision turned out great considering years later, you found out Bob wanted to talk to other kids but was just too shy and scared to do anything about it. While your never-ending questions about his glasses that were two sizes to big for his face made him nervous at first, he was always grateful that you gave him attention when no one else seemed to care.
You started calling him bubs after hearing his family called him bubba whenever you went over to his house for play dates. Although he grew out of the nickname with his family, you never found it necessary to shake the habit.
Bob never minded. In fact, he loved the nickname that was reserved only for you. Something to represent the closeness and bond of your friendship to each other.
After hauling you back onto the stool you originally occupied before leaving, Bob waved Phoenix over so that you'd have someone to lean on while he went to grab your water. Phoenix immediately handed the pool stick to Fanboy and sat on the stool beside yours. You slumped into her side, head resting against her shoulder.
"Scope, babe, what were you thinking? The last time you ate was during lunch and you decided to go ham on all the shots?"
You groaned. "Ugh, I know I know. But I wasn't in the mood for anything here. And I was not about to drive to another place for food just to come back here again. "
The pounding was still coursing through your skull and Bob thankfully appeared with the glass of water he promised. You practically ripped it out of his hand and chugged the entire thing in what seemed like two seconds.
Phoenix and Bob shared a look, laughing at your actions.
You were about to say you were going to head home before the southern drawl from the annoying man you've grown to love interrupted you.
"Aw damn! No way I missed it." Hangman, who was yelling at a volume ten times too loud for your liking right now, appeared in front of you wearing a devastating pout like he missed out on the greatest thing ever. "You hurl your lunch on some poor guy and I miss it?! Did anyone record it?"
Jake's amusement quickly came to an end as he bent over to rub the place on his shin you kicked in retaliation.
"Hangman, go be a dick somewhere else. I do not have the patience for you right now." You rubbed your temples at the headache that just wouldn't seem to go away. "I'm gonna head out guys."
"Alright, let's go." Bob offered as you slid from your seat.
Guilt filled your system, not wanting to make Bob turn in early just because you couldn't hold your liquor. But, the two of you did drive together since you shared the same street and Bob wasn't planning on drinking.
You shook your head. "Bob, no it's fine. I'll just get an Uber or something. Stay, have fun."
Ignoring your protests, Bob turned to grab his keys. Knowing that you weren't going to win this battle, you sighed and turned to give Phoenix a goodbye hug.
"Try to make it past the door without throwing up this time." Phoenix winked teasingly, resulting in her earning a poke at her side. She contorted her body away from your hand and you laughed, bidding her and the team a goodnight.
Bob appeared beside you once more and the two of you headed out.
-
Waking up the next morning wasn't nearly as terrible as you thought it would be. Your headache was completely gone but the hunger in your stomach was unbearable. You ate something light before going to bed, but it seems your body didn't get the memo.
Luckily, it was the first Saturday of the month, which meant it was your and Bob's monthly lunch date. You guys have had this ritual for years and only missed it whenever you weren't in proximity of each other. It was meant to give you and Bob one-on-one time whenever weeks got hectic and you two wouldn't get to hang out as much. Although you both loved your squad, it was always nice to spend time alone together just like you did when you were kids.
Pulling into your favorite part of town that was littered with everything you and Bob love—a cozy little cafe with the best waffles and coffee known to man, a bookstore across the street, and a movie theater just down the block—you rushed inside to get those delicious aforementioned waffles in your grumbling stomach as quickly as possible.
Your eyes scanned the cafe for Bob, knowing that he always arrived earlier than you did. After a few seconds, you managed to find him scrolling on his phone at a table tucked away in the corner.
You make your way towards him but just before you take a seat, you stop in your tracks.
"You're actually the best person ever."
Bob's gaze lifts to yours as he lets out an easy chuckle and stuffs his phone away in his pocket.
A smile splits across your face as you take in the stack of steaming waffles covered in whipped cream, fresh fruit, and chocolate drizzle. Right beside it is an iced coffee, which you're sure is made exactly how you like. You immediately reach out for the chair and hurry to grab the utensils to dig in. Once you successfully shovel a perfect bite into your mouth with a little bit of every topping, you let out a satisfied groan.
"Yeah, I figured you'd be starving after yesterday. Didn't feel like you should wait if you didn't have to." Bob began to eat the omelette that you only registered was in front of him after your post waffle clarity.
"I hope you get everything you ever wish for in life Robert Floyd."
The food still being chewed in your mouth made your words almost incoherent. But, after knowing you for so long, Bob was basically fluent in any state you were in.
''Slow down. We don't want you throwing all that up on my shoes this time around. They're new."
You let out another groan. This time out of embarrassment.
"Don't remind me. I actually can't believe I did that. Next time I don't eat and decide to drink the entire bar, I want you to bring that exact moment up."
Bob scoffs. "Yeah right, like you'd listen. Just like you did last night when I told you to eat."
You just shrugged knowing that he had a point.
After some more easy conversation, you decided now was the perfect time to set into motion the plan you've been working on for a few months now.
You set your fork down and reach for a sip of your coffee in order to give yourself a few seconds to prepare the most authentic looking disappointed face known to man.
"Okay bubs, I have some news and you're not going to like it." The middle of Bob's brows furrowed and you mentally applauded your grave tone. "But don't worry, I'll do my very best to make it up to you."
The utensils in his hands get set down immediately, his full attention on you."What is it?"
"I know your birthday is coming up in a few weeks, but I won't be here to celebrate with you."
Bob's concern drops immediately. He shakes his head, averting his attention back to his meal. "Oh my god. I thought you were being serious."
You were prepared for this exact reaction. So, you channeled all of your practice from the school play you did when you were in the seventh grade and pushed on.
"No Bob, I'm telling the truth. My sister sent the date for her college graduation ceremony and it falls on your birthday weekend."
He just nods along, clearly not believing you. "Yeah, yeah. You know, I thought we were past you trying to surprise me with some party. We both know every time you do, you get all pouty when I never fall for it."
You folded your arms and, true to his word, your lips pout. Bob sees this and points his fork at you. "Yes, just like that! I know you want me to feel excited by some big party, but, you know me. I don't need some big elaborate surprise to feel special."
"Okay, first of all, I am not lying. And second of all, everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday-"
"And I do."
"But it's not the same," you exasperate.
You've been trying to throw Bob a surprise party ever since your eighteenth birthday. You were looking forward to it all year and the week before your party was supposed to happen, bam. Your appendix burst. You had to cancel your party and, although you were grateful for spending a small celebration with your parents and sister, you were devastated.
Your parents offered to postpone the party, but you felt guilty making them go through all the trouble of planning again. But then, your lovely best friend decided to step in behind your back and throw you the party of your dreams. He singlehandedly sent out new invitations to your closest friends, called the catering place to reschedule, and rounded up your family at the crack ass of dawn to set up your backyard. All without you noticing.
After a successful day of keeping you in the house until night with a movie marathon, Bob dragged you out to your backyard. You immediatley broke down in tears, heart bursting at the seams. Purple and green streamers lined the fences that surrounded the yard, a double chocolate cake was sat on one of the long tables, and all of your favorite people were there. While you originally thought it was your parents who did this, they just pointed to a bashful Bob staring and awaiting your reaction.
It wasn't just the fact that he took the time and spent the effort to do all this for you, it was that he wasn't looking for any recognition at all. He just offered a shrug when you asked if he did all this and, when he nodded, you tackled him while in a fit of pure joy.
From that moment on, you've devoted your life to trying to give Bob the same feeling he did to you on that day. However, that obviously has never come to fruition since he always manages to figure out when you're lying. And while there is never a doubt in your mind that he enjoys the events you plan for him, it is a very surreal feeling to have someone do something for you exactly how you wished without being asked. The moment made you feel completely seen and you want Bob to know that you've always seen him, too.
While your past attempts have failed, this time you are sure you're going to succeed.
"Okay, prove it."
"I literally have the email that got sent to Becca. I'll show you right now." You pulled your phone out and opened the messages app. Turning it to show Bob, he reads the screenshotted email and examines the date stamp of the message. It was sent a week ago.
So, obviously the email wasn't real. You roped your sister into this and went as far as to create a fake email that looked exactly like her school's. With some research and careful editing, it looked legit. You called Becca and told her when to send it. Following the screenshot were messages about how you were oh so sad that you'd have to break it to Bob that you'd be missing his party.
Bob handed the phone back to you before saying, "Okay…this could still be fake. I don't believe you."
Sighing, you scrolled through your phone and opened up the messages with your Mom. There was a reused screenshot of flight information sent by an airline that you had from the past years with the date edited. It was followed by messages regarding pickup details.
Bob's shoulders slumped ever so slightly and you knew you got him. You had to keep yourself from smirking in victory. Who has a terrible poker face now Bob?
"Oh." His voice was small and guilt started to creep into your system at his obvious effort to not appear too disappointed. But you shoved those feelings down knowing that it was all going to be worth it in the end. "That's okay. Like you said, we can celebrate another time. Not a big deal. It's not like it's our first birthday we've had to make up."
You nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah exactly. I'll make sure you have the best time when I get back."
After finishing your meals and browsing the nearby bookstore, you two went your separate ways. Once you were in your car and one hundred and ten percent sure that Bob left the parking lot, you broke out in a happy dance.
Everything is going to be perfect.
-
"Thanks for letting me crash here Hangman. I owe you one."
Weeks had passed since you first broke the news to Bob that you "wouldn't" be here for his birthday. He originally offered you a ride to the airport, but obviously without a flight, that would just be a waste of gas and time. So, you made up some excuse about Jake owing you a favor and you wanting to be as annoying to him as possible.
Bob laughed at that and gave no protests since it meant Jake would be inconvenienced.
In reality, the two of you weren't going to the airport. Instead, you were going to camp out at Jake's apartment because Bob would never unexpectedly visit like he would Natasha's or Mickey's place.
It would only be for a day. Plus, Jake just moved into his apartment, making Bob the most unfamiliar with it, which is perfect for your facetime with him tonight.
"No problem Scope. But I got to hand it to you. I think this is the year you successfully surprise Baby on Board."
You beamed at Jake. "You think so?"
He nodded and guided you to the guest room.
"Definitely. As long as Fanboy doesn't open his big mouth and accidentally lets it slip at dinner tomorrow night."
You groaned, "Ugh. Please make sure he limits his alcohol consumption. You know how chatty he gets when he's wine drunk."
"Will do," Hangman promised. "What time is everyone getting here?"
With Bob's birthday being a day away, you wanted to go over the plan with the squad one more time just to ensure everything went perfectly. You bribed them all with free pizzas and beers that you and Jake picked up.
You settled down onto the very comfortable queen size bed before saying, "In an hour so I'll order the pizza in a bit. Can you put the beers in the fridge till they come?"
Jake hummed before walking out the door.
Flopping back onto the bed, you open up your phone and order a few boxes of pizza from the nearby place you know everyone loves. After all the food has been ordered, you decide to take a little nap before everyone arrives. But just as you're getting comfy and two seconds away from knocking out, your phone decides to ruin your peace with a ding!
Your eyes shoot open and immediately reach for the phone. Because, while you know that you aren't on a plane, it slipped your mind that Bob doesn't. What also slipped your mind was that you needed to text or call Bob before your flight, something you both always did out of habit to give each other peace of mind before boarding. You tap your phone on and open up the messages app.
From Bubs: Hey just wanted to check in. Are you about to board?
From You: Yep, boarding right now! Sorry it's really hectic here, slipped my mind to text you.
As soon as you sent your message, Bob responded with a Have a safe flight :) and you tossed your phone aside before knocking out cold.
You wake up around an hour later to someone jumping you and disrupting your peaceful slumber.
"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!"
A muffled groan comes out of you, courtesy of the sleeve of Mickey's hoodie covering your face.
"Fanboy if you don't get up right now, I will start biting."
He rolls off with all the urgency of a man who knows you're bluffing.
With your face hoodie-free, you're able to blink awake to see Phoenix leaning on the entrance of the door with an amused grin. "Come on Scope, get up. Everyone's here and so is the food. Be quick before the guys get distracted by some game on the tv."
"Okay okay, I'm coming," you mumble while rubbing the sleepiness out of your eyes.
Phoenix kicks off the frame to head back to the living room and Fanboy follows, but not before shoving you back on the bed when you stand up and running away giggling like a five year old.
"Mickey!" You huff and get back up to follow after them.
Reaching the living room, you see the group already cozy in their spots. Boxes of pizza are spread open across the coffee table, everyone has food and a beer in hand, and Hangman is already scrolling through channels to find something interesting. Rooster, Hangman, and Coyote occupy the L-shaped couch while Phoenix is crisscrossed on the nearby armchair.
You grab some pizza and a beer from the fridge before settling down behind the coffee table on the plush carpet beside Fanboy—but not before grabbing a hold of his head and giving him a noogie.
Once you're all comfy, you grab everyone's attention. "Okay people, big day tomorrow night. I need everything to run smoothly."
Even though you've run this plan with them a couple of times before, all of their eyes and attention is locked on you. They understand how important this is to you so, even if they don't need to hear the plan again, they humor you.
"You all know what you're doing?" Nods are given all around, but you still feel the need to double check.
"Nat, what time are you picking Bob up?"
"Seven-thirty, and we're going to that fancy italian place we go to every year," she responds.
"Perfect. And what time is everyone heading out?"
"Ten p.m sharp." Everyone says in unison.
A smile spreads across your face. "Yes, and most importantly, what are you guys supposed to do when giving your keys to the valet?"
Rooster swallows his bite of pizza before answering. "Find Jordan and give her Phoenix's keys."
When planning for tomrrow, you stopped by the restaurant last week to ask if anyone would be working that could pretend to have a "little misshap" and say that there is some sort of confusion with finding Phoenix's keys. This way, everyone else will have time to rush to Bob's house for the surprise without him seeing. That's when you met Jordan, the sweetest girl who agreed to do it after hearing the reason behind Bob's surprise party and who said she'd be working that night.
You let out a sigh, trying to let go of all the nerves and trust that your friends were going to do everything perfectly.
Seeing the anxiety written all over your face, Fanboy spoke. "Scope relax, we got this."
His shrug of confidence actually helped a lot to ease your worries, but you still decided to egg on him.
"Yeah as long as you, Mr. Chatterbox, are able to keep your lips sealed."
Fanboy put a hand to his chest in mock offense before getting distracted by whatever channel Hangman flicked to.
You relaxed against the couch behind you feeling hopeful that everything would go according to plan. A small smile was permanently etched on your face the rest of the night in ancitipation of Bob's reaction.
-
Is it considered breaking and entering into someone's house if said someone is your best friend who gave you a key to his apartment years ago for emergencies? Well, you constitute needing to surprise him as an emergency so, it's fine.
After Hangman dropped you back home, you were finally able to use your car without Bob noticing that it was gone from its place on the side street. You were going to have to do multiple trips from your place to his because of all the bean bag chairs and other decorations you bought, but at least it was only down the street.
You facetimed Bob at exactly midnight. Fanboy and Coyote decided to stick around a little longer so you asked everyone to quiet down before you headed to the guest bathroom, a place Bob definitely wouldn't recognize. You called wishing him a happy birthday, always needing to be the first to greet each other on birthdays. He wanted to say hi to your sister whose apartment you said you were crashing at, but you just told him she was sleeping. Another perk of being dedicated to calling at such a late hour.
Although he tried to hide it, you could hear the disappointment in his voice, the edge in his tone when talking about how excited he was to go out with the group. Your heart cracked a little at his sadness but you reminded yourself once again that it would all be worth it.
Now, it's up to you to get everything set up and you have around two hours to do it.
You work as fast as you could and had the layers of sweat to prove it. Bob's backyard was perfect. He lived in the coziest craftsman bungalow you've ever seen. Warm colors, the comfiest furniture known to man, and photos of his family and friends scattered everywhere. But most importantly, his backyard had a good amount of space. Just the right amount for the outdoor plan you had.
You clicked on your phone and had exactly twenty minutes to spare. The perfect amount of time for you to get ready before Bob got here.
You took the quickest shower ever, did some skincare, and put on your pajamas that you packed. The wide leg sweatpants and one of Bob's old t-shirts were a wonderful reprieve from the sweaty jeans you had been confined in.
By the time you finished up, you heard a couple knocks on the door and rushed to open it. Behind it was the squad, aside from Bob and Phoenix of course.
"Okay everyone, Phoenix texted me saying that she was eight minutes away so hurry up and get changed."
The men all filed into the house carrying a spare change of clothes you told them to bring for the night. Once everyone was dressed, you shuffled them into the backyard to hide knowing that Phoenix would be arriving with Bob at any minute. As soon as everyone stepped outside, their eyes widened in awe.
"Woah Scope, you did all this in the span of two hours?!" Payback gawked.
Bob's backyard was just how you imagined it would turn out to be. The grass covered area was filled with blankets spread across the floor, throw pillows littered everywhere, and eight bean bag chairs. Along the perimeter of the wooden fence and hung on some trees were fairy lights illuminating a warm glow that softly filled the space. In front of everything was a plastic backdrop stand holding a sheet. Off to the side was a table full of Bob's favorite snacks and drinks that surrounded the elevated projector you ordered online. And the cherry on top was the vintage popcorn machine you in a corner that you which was currently churning out some kernels.
When you two were younger, Bob always thought they were the coolest thing. So, you decided now was a good time to fulfill that childhood dream.
Coyote's jaw was practically touching the floor before saying, "No, seriously, you're insane. I don't know how you pulled this off, but you did it."
Before you could bask in anymore compliments, you heard the loud lock on a car go off. Phoenix and Bob are here.
You rushed to turn off the fairy lights so that they wouldn't draw Bob's attention through the windows.
"Quick everyone, hide!" you whisper-shouted.
All of them were quick to duck below the eye-line of any windows and you moved to hide behind a tree to serve as a final surprise. It was barely covering you but you knew the rest of the guys would draw Bob's attention away before he noticed.
After a minute, the door clicks open followed by Bob's voice. Peering around the tree, you see Bob semi-distracted by Phoenix as he steps outside, keeping his focus away from the entire set-up.
"Phoenix, are you sure we're even able to see the shooting stars with all the light pollu- What the?"
"SURPRISE!" Before Bob could even comprehend what was going on, you turned the fairy lights on with the remote control you grabbed before hiding and the guys popped up from their squatted positions.
If eyes could pop out of their sockets, they'd definitely be rolling out of Bob's head right now. He was a stuttering mess. "You guys- how did you- when did you-…what's happening right now?"
Phoenix jumped in with an amused grin asking, "You like it?"
Bob let out a surprised huff as he took everything in. "Of course! This is literally the coolest thing ever, but how were you all able to do this? You were with me the entire night. And I think I would have noticed you guys carrying all this stuff here."
Everyone let out a collective chuckle before Bob just turned to Natasha looking for answers. She just shrugged before spotting you from behind the tree and nodding her head in your direction.
You walked out from behind your spot with a shy smile. "Surprise Bob! Happy birthday."
Understanding seemed to wash over his features, the furrow in his brow immediately relaxing. You knew he realized that this was all some elaborate scheme you pulled off, yet the shock was still coursing through him. He shook his head in disbelief. "You did all of this? How did you do all this?"
You nodded. Before you could even get an explanation out, a squeal ripped through you Bob raced at you. He picked you up into the biggest hug ever and spun you around. You immediately wrapped your arms around his shoulders, giggling like a child.
After a few seconds he put you down, hands settled on your waist while yours slid to rest on his shoulders. His eyes gleamed under the fairy lights and you wished you could take a picture of the pure joy on his face. You had no doubt that your expression matched his.
"You liar," he accused, but there was not even a single ounce of betrayal on his face.
"Guilty. But be honest, did I finally get you?"
"How could you not? You had so much proof and, like, planned everything so ahead of time that I couldn't even convince myself that you were lying. How were you even able to answer from your sister's place?"
"I didn't. I crashed at Hangman's."
At the mention of your friend, the two of you finally separated from each other's grasp and turned to the group. You rolled your eyes at Fanboy who had his phone out recording the entire interaction.
Bob continued to look around, still taking it all in.
You clapped your hands and rubbed them together in anticipation. "Anddd, we're having a movie marathon. So, let's get this party started!"
Excited energy polluted the air as everyone took the time to grab snacks and popcorn.
Finally noticing the popcorn machine, Bob whipped his head in your direction. "No way. You actually got one of these?!"
"Mhm," you proudly nodded,"I thought of everything."
Shaking his head in awe he let out a breathy, "You really did."
Once everyone settled down onto beanbags that surrounded around the makeshift screen, you turned on the projector.
"NO WAY! STARWARS?!"
A laugh bellowed out of you from Bob's realization.
"Duh, what else would we watch for your birthday you nerd?" You ruffled his hair before plopping down on the seat right next to him.
Fanboy let out a dramatic, "SHHHHHH. It's starting," which left you with no other choice but to throw a handful of popcorn at him in retaliation.
The conversations and jokes didn't entirely settle, but they quieted down to just a murmur.
You were focused on the beginning scenes before feeling a pair of eyes on you. You turned to Bob and found him looking at you carrying a small smile that hadn't disappeared from his face since you saw him. He looked utterly contented.
Your face immediately mirrored his as you let out a quiet, "What?"
Bob leaned in to not bother your friends.
"I told you that you didn't have to go through all this trouble to make me have a good birthday. I love all of this though, thank you, but I would have been just as happy with you at dinner."
"I know, but I wanted you to experience at least half of what I did."
His eyebrows furrow.
"You know…for what you did for me at my eighteenth party." Realization hits Bob and he seems to finally see what the fuss was all about.
"Scope, is that why you've been scheming all these years?"
You nod.
"You seriously didn't have to go through all this trouble. You don't owe me anything because of that party."
A pink hue painted your cheeks. "I know, I just wanted you to know how special you are to me Bob. You don't know what that night meant to me."
He shook his head dismissively and breaks eye contact. "It wasn't all that. Anyone would have done that for you."
To bring his attention back on you, you gently place a hand on his arm.
"Bob. Not just anyone would have done that for me. And it's not just about the party. It's about the effort and thought that you put into all of it. I've never felt as cared about as that night and it was all thanks to you. And if tonight made you feel even the slightest bit similar, then I am satisfied."
The sparkle in his eyes caused by the light seem to only amplify. There's an indescrible look on Bob's face, and, for the second time that night, you wish you could take a picture to keep the memory forever.
Seemingly at a loss for words, he pulls you to him and wraps his arm around you.
Into your hair beside your ear, he breathes your name out like its a sacred thing that he has the privledge to know. "Thank you. This is the best birthday ever."
If the tightness of his hug is anything to go by, you think that everything was a success.
Before the two of you can pull apart, a pillow is thrown at the back of your head.
Whipping your head towards the direction it came from, you see all of your friend's eyes locked on the screen — completely unbothered — before pointing to Mickey.
"Oh really? Thanks guys."
"Fanboy! What the heck?"
"What? You guys were being too mushy. It's cute, but like, you're distracting."
And that's all it took for you to start a pillow fight with Mickey.
Easy laughter and jokes spilled out of everyone the rest of the night. After finishing the second movie, almost everyone was either snoring or drooling on themselves. The only survivors of the night were you, Bob, and Phoenix.
"Okay birthday boy, I think its time to wrap this up. Let's round everyone up and clean this mess up tomorrow, yeah?"
Bob responded with a nod before stretching his limbs out like a cat, prompting a sleepy giggle to fall from your lips.
Natasha, noticing that you and Bob were getting up, followed and started shaking some of the guys awake.
Once everyone was awake, they dragged their feet heavily inside Bob's house.
"Okay, Nat and Mickey, you're crashing at my place. Here's the keys. Go ahead, I'm just going to help set up the air mattresses here."
After a few minutes of setting up some air mattresses in the living and the boys playing a game of rock paper scissors over the spare room Bob had, everyone was settled in. They practically knocked out as soon as their head hit the pillows.
While Bob walked you to the door, not worrying about needing to be quiet since the guys were out cold, you told him to give you a second to grab something you forgot. A quizzical expression fell over Bob's features when he saw you walking out of the kitchen towards him with a glow in your hands. That is, until you began to sing happy birthday quietly.
"…happy birthday bubs. And many more."
The single candle topped on the small vanilla cupcake in your hands was raised enough to illuminate Bob's face in the darkness that enveloped the rest of the room. It reflected off of his glasses, but there was no doubt that the warmth exerted from Bob was caused by the flicker of the candle alone.
He stared into your eyes before you nudged him to make a wish. Shutting his eyes, he took a few seconds before blowing out the candle.
"You really thought of everything, didn't you?"
"I know they gave you a cake at the restaurant, but I wasn't there. And I didn't want to subject you to another moment in the spotlight, I know how much you hate it."
Taking a hold of the small plate in one hand, Bob wrapped his free arm around your shoulder and placed a kiss on the side of your forehead. Warmth filled your chest for what felt like the thousandth time that night and you couldn't be happier with how everything turned out.
"Goodnight Bub, I hope today was everything you wished for and more." You greeted him goodbye as you pushed the door open.
"Trust me, you outdid yourself. Can't believe you finally got me. Goodnight, Scope"
You were grateful to have basically done your entire nighttime routine at Bob's house because that meant you just needed to brush your teeth before knocking out. Once you entered your house, your ears filled with the sound of Fanboy's snoring coming from the couch. Unlike Bob, your apartment only had one bedroom which meant you were sharing a bed with Nat.
The door to your bedroom creaked, much to your dismay, causing Natasha to stir in her sleep.
"Scope, is that you?" she mumbled.
You pulled the covers on your side before apologizing. "Yeah, sorry babe, didn't mean to wake you."
She only hummed before going back to bed. After you were all snug under the blanket, you allowed yourself to fully relax and sink into the bed. All of the stress and worrying paid off and you couldn't be happier. You took a minute to replay the night before falling asleep.
It was still dark when you woke up to the feeling of being absolutely dehydrated and overheated. Kicking off the blanket you were encased in, you looked to the clock on your beside table that read four a.m.
You stumbled into the kitchen, still half asleep, before pulling a glass of water from the cupboard above the sink. Footsteps echoed behind you, but you were too busy trying to quench your thirst. After filling the glass with water and taking the largest gulp known to man, you startled at the strong arms that enclosed your waist before relaxing into the hold. Your head leaned back against the shoulders, eyes closing in comfort.
The sleepiness was evident in the deep rasp you usually heard in his morning voice.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing up?" He began peppering soft kisses along your neck, eliciting a hum from you.
"Was thirsty," you mumbled.
His aviator glasses bumped the side of your face, but you didn't mind. Turning in his grasp, you buried your face in his chest to breathe in his scent. The usual jetfuel smell that accompanied him after a long day of flying was replaced by clean cedarwood.
His large palm rubbed comforting circles up and down your back. You pulled back just enough to stare into the man's face.
Bob is just the cutest when he's sleepy.
The two of you shared a smile before both your eyes went to eachother's lips. You leaned in, your lips about to touch and-
You couldn't sit up fast enough. A sheen of sweat covered your forehead as you gasped for air. You looked around your surroundings, trying to grasp where you were.
Natasha was sound asleep beside you and the sunlight was just barely beginning to peak through your curtains. The noise of the birds chirping did little to ease the beating in your ears.
Did I just have a dream about dating Bob?
-
You have never dreaded the thought of coming into work more than you did now. You loved your job, you really did. But you didn't know what to do with the confusion that plagued your mind.
After the dream, you were totally out of it. You tried to act as normal as possible, but kept zoning out whenever you talked to Mickey and Natasha. You blamed it on being spent from all the planning and they thought nothing of it. The rest of the weekend, you did your best to avoid Bob at all cost, which proved to be a challenge, but you managed to do it.
However, now it was Monday morning and you can't exactly avoid Bob when you're both pilots in the same squadron.
Usually, Bob and you would carpool, but the thought of being confined in a vehicle with him for fifteen minutes made you feel even more sick than any g-force ever could. So, you sent him a text the night before saying that you and Nat were going to grab a bite to eat before work and would be up earlier than usual. You made sure to send it when you knew he was asleep, which was easy since he was basically a grandpa and slept at nine p.m. on work nights.
In the locker room, you were thankful that Natasha wasn't a chatty morning person because you were so lost in your thoughts that you don't think you could've held a conversation. As you pulled on your flight suit, you couldn't get the dream out of your head.
It didn't mean anything, it was just a dream. You aren't held liable for the things your subconscious pulls. Plus you've known Bob your whole life, if something was there it would have happened already. You're gonna see him right now and see that you're being ridiculous. It meant nothing. It meant-
"Scope. Scope, hellooo?"
The sound of Nat's voice pulled you back to reality. "Oh sorry Phoenix."
"Where the heck is your head at? It's time to go to the briefing room, we have five minutes."
"Right, yeah. Just super tired this morning. Let's go."
Too tired to consider question anything, Nat just shut her locker before the two of you headed out.
The closer you got to the double doors of the briefing room, the more you felt like your heart was going to explode. You haven't felt this nauseous since your first day at the academy. Nerves coursed through your system and you just thanked your lucky stars that you haven't fainted yet.
Your worries eased just the slightest bit when you realized that the guys weren't in the room yet. You were tempted to force Natasha to sit beside you, but you decided against it, needing to prove to yourself that your feelings for Bob were as normal as ever.
Taking your usual seat in the front row, you shut your eyes and tried to focus on your breathing. Its effects were just starting to kick in before Hangman and Coyote's loud voices echoed outside the room. Although you couldn't hear Bob, you were sure he was with them. Within two seconds, the doors burst open and the rambunctious group strolled in.
You forced your eyes open as you registered the all too familiar light footsteps approaching. The pounding of your heart felt like it was going at one beat per minute, each breath you took feeling more labored than the last. And then, you saw him.
Bob, as normal as ever, entered your peripheral vision and you refused to look at him head on. He was occupied flipping through a notebook he always brought, facing you while he stood in front of his seat.
With all of the courage you could muster, you finally stared up at him.
And, oh no.
It felt as though the air was sucked out of your lungs by some imaginary force. Your heart stuttered.
The position of the early morning sun shone perfectly on Bob through the window beside you. You often teased Bob for having the brownest blue eyes you've ever seen, but now they were brightened in a way you didn't have the pleasure of usually witnessing. His short hair that was usually gelled to the side was falling ever so slightly over his forehead. And you wanted nothing more than to satisfy the urge of pushing it back into place, just to be able to touch it. His green flight suit was partially unzipped at the collar, revealing the silver chain around his neck. Your features relaxed, drinking in the sight of him.
That's when he must have noticed you staring and raised his head. The soft curve of his lips deepened as your gazes met, nothing you haven't seen before. But the feeling of your heart plummeting to the floor was definetly a new sensation. Yes, Bob has always been cute to you, but in an adorable, puppy way. Definetely not in the way that made you want to pull him down by his dog tags to kiss him.
Stop. Oh dear god please stop. What are you thinking?!
His soft voice broke the trance you found yourself in. "Morning Scope. How was your breakfast?"
It was an effort to find your voice."Um, fine? It wasn't anything special, just a bagel."
He matched your confused expression.
"A bagel? I thought you went somewhere with Phoenix?"
Oh. That's right, you did tell him that.
Feigning realization, you quickly responded, "Ohhh, right yeah. Um, the place was actually closed so we just grabbed bagels on the way."
"Huh, that sucks sorry about that."
Before he could continue conversation with you, Mav's voice boomed through the room. He was going over the schedule for the day, but for the life of you, you just couldn't sit still. Your leg bounced the entire time and you were very aware of Bob's arm next to yours that rested in the middle arm rest. While you weren't touching, the close proximity was enough to make you fold your arms together.
This is going to be a long week.
-
And a long week it was.
Pretending like your entire world wasn't just flipped upside down drained the absolute life out of you. Thankfully, you and Bob didn't have many run-ins at work. Any time you were in the air, Bob was reviewing his past flights, and vice versa.
The only time you were forced to act normal was during lunch. While you two usually sat next to each other, you began to progressively make subtle excuses throughout the week to sit with the others. You spoke with Phoenix about the latest book you were reading, caught up with Coyote about the newest album your favorite band released, and even suffered through whatever Hangman was yapping about. And no one suspected a thing.
Then came Saturday. You were looking forward to the beach day the squad had planned, but, the universe had different ideas about that. As if it couldn't make your week any more difficult, you were hit with the worst food poisioning.
You started to feel it after lunch on Friday and became especially queasy when thinking about dinner that evening. Late into the night, you were awoken by the violent urge to hurl and ended up falling asleep on the bathroom floor.
After forcing a few pieces of toast down your stomach in the morning, you found yourself curled into the fetal position on your couch. Just wanting to sleep it off, you quickly sent a text about not being able to make it to the beach to the group chat. The heaviness and constant pain in your stomach made the thought of any notification feel too much, prompting you to shut it off for the rest of the day.
You successfully managed to sleep until heavy knocks annoyingly struck your front door. You tried to ignore it until Bob's voice carried through the door.
"Scope? It's me. Are you in there?"
Oh poor, sweet, caring Bob.
You wanted him instantly annihilated.
You forcefully grunted, "Bob. Use your key."
"Oh right," he quietly mumbled.
He had a spare you gave him as soon as you got the place in case of emergencies. He never cared to use it, often forgetting he even had it at all.
The jingle of his keys and the turn of the knob turning signaled his entrance.
"Aw, Scope." His husky voice was laced with concern. It would have melted your heart if the food poisoning didn't make you already feel like everything inside was disintegrated.
He immediately approached you, letting the door shut on its own before crouching in front of you.
This was your worst nightmare. Bob has seen you at your worst, worse than how you looked now. But that didn't prevent insecurity from flooding your system.
Your folded arms shielded your face, originally to keep the light out, but now to hide away from Bob. You felt disgusting. Sweat covered your entire body from the makeshift cocoon of blankets you wrapped yourself in and felt too lazy to unravel from. You hadn't managed to brush your teeth so you knew it could only smell horrendous. You wished for nothing more than to be swallowed by the earth right now.
And you just about wanted to implode when Bob ran a comforting hand up and down your side. The weight of his palm did quite literally the opposite of soothe you.
"Mm, what time is it?"
"It's two sweetheart."
Without opening your eyes, you began to push Bob away as you sunk further into the couch.
"Bob what? You're supposed to be at the beach right now," you whined.
"And so are you miss M.I.A," he replied, swiping your arms away. "What's going on? Got the flu?
"Food poisoning."
Bob hummed in response before taking a seat in the space beside your legs.
"Bob. Out. Beach."
He huffed out a pitiful laugh. "Scope, you went ghost on us. Everyone's worried about you."
"Okay well I'm alive."
"Barely"
"And you should be having fun."
At this, he brought his hand up to your face, brushing away the hair sticking across your forehead. Despite your embarrassment, you relaxed into the touch.
As if you couldn't fall for Bob any more, the look of care you were greeted with when you opened your eyes sent your mind spiraling. He was scanning your face, analyzing every sign of discomfort.
"Scope, there is no way I'm leaving you alone. We can go to the beach at any time. Someone has to make sure you're not dying."
Before you could protest, Bob just tsked at you. "Don't even bother. Let's get some water in you, yeah? Then you can go back to sleep."
Begrudgingly you agreed.
A few hours later, you woke up to the feeling of Bob's comforting hand rubbing up and down your calves. After he grabbed a glass of water for you and cooked up some oatmeal — which you promptly threw back up five minutes after eating — he gave you some medicine from your cabinet before letting you knock out. Thankfully, the pain in your stomach began to dull into a faint, barely there ache.
Somehow in your sleep Bob managed to rest your legs on top of his lap and turned on a show the both of you had been watching.
"Heyyy, you traitor." At your whine Bob turned to face you. "You're not supposed to be watching that without me you bum."
"I'm not. I'm re-watching the episodes we already saw."
"Oh. I think you're still a bum."
Now that your symptoms were more manageable, it left space for your feelings to return at full force. The easy smile Bob wore made you feel guilty for relishing in his presence, but you didn't have it in your to care. He was here, not at the beach. Of course Bob would be here, it's him. You just wish it didn't make you realize that one thing you've been trying to convince yourself of otherwise.
"You didn't have to stay here you know," your voice came out small. "You should have gone with the rest of them, I'm fine."
His head tilted, like you should know better than to say that to him. "Scope, I'd pick being with you over anything. Even if it means holding your hair up when you're puking your guts out." At your unconvinced expression he continued. "Seriously. We always go to the beach together anyways. Plus I was in no mood to get another sunburn."
Once he finally elicited a small smile from your face, he felt satisfied enough to turn his attention back to the screen. Your heart felt like it skipped a thousand beats just by looking at him. The dim lights, glow from the T.V. that illuminated his side profile so perfectly, and his obvious state of being at ease just did something to you.
It was time to call it.
You had a crush on Bob. Not some sort of weird after effect from your dream. No. You had true feelings for your best friend who you spend all your work and free time with.
Series Summary: After Bob meets Fanboy's sister for the first time, they hook up and agree to see where things go. All behind Mickey’s back.
Series Warnings: smut, navigating through a secret relationship, some angst, Rooster x Phoenix, people suspecting something between them, and Hangman trying to be messy
Warnings: Eventual Smut, Pining, Slow Burn, Stalking, Murder, Violence, Swearing, Mentions of Drugs and Alcohol, Geographical Inaccuracies, Other Bad Stuff Probably
- Part 6 Here -
Authors Note: I realised somehow a draft of Part 6 was posted prematurely and thanks to my cruddy internet signal, I couldn’t find it anywhere and assumed it had been deleted so rewrote the entire Part 6 🤣 so if this part doesn’t make sense or if you were confused by part 6, it’s likely you read the accidentally posted draft before I deleted it! The official Part 6 is tagged at the top if you need to have a read 🥰
—————————————
November:
The months were flying by, but not because you were having fun. No, without Bob, life had taken on a bit of a dull undertone. He was all you knew, he was there from the first day and now he was gone.
No, time was flying because you kept your head down, worked hard and spent every waking second with your dogs if you weren’t reading or on the phone to your family back home or Bob when he was allowed to call.
You had received calls from Unknown Numbers over the months, sometimes once a week, sometimes multiple times a day, always the same static silence on the other end. You eventually stopped answering, you tried to block them, but somehow they kept coming through.
As for the other calls, Lainey worried about you, kept saying she’d come out for a visit when she could afford it, but as for every phone call she made to you, she asked if you could come home.
“I can’t, Lainey, you know that. Plus I’ve got a life here now, I’ve got… friends.” You explained as you unloaded the dishwasher with your phone wedged between your ear and shoulder.
“I know, but we miss you. Dad misses you.”
You chuckled, “Then tell him to call sometime. He’s been shirking my calls and texts since I got here.”
You could hear her sigh on the other end, “He’s just busy with work, you know that, he’s never been great with communication.”
You nodded, although you knew she couldn’t see you. “Plus, you know the other reason I can’t come back. At least, not any time soon. I’m sorry.”
Lainey’s voice cracked slightly but she quickly regained her composure, “Yeah. I know. Anyway I’ve gotta go honey, Duncan’s home and I’ve gotta teach him how to cook something other than oven pizza’s if I ever want a night off in this house. I love you.”
You blinked back the same sting of tears you felt every time you said goodbye to her, “Tell him to take a cooking class before you leave him for a professional Italian chef. And send him my love, please. I love you both.”
“Will do.”
The line clicked off and you took a deep breath to steady yourself as you packed away the last clean plate. It was the same every time, you missed her so damn much.
You placed the phone down on the kitchen counter just as it began to buzz again. Scoffing lightheartedly, you answered without looking.
“Lains, I know you miss me but I do have to get some housework done tonight.”
Silence.
“Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. Fine we can spend another 2 hours on the phone then, but I doubt Duncan will be too pleased.” You grinned.
The crackle of static buzzed in your ear, and your brows furrowed, you pulled the phone back.
Unknown number.
“What the fuck? Stop calling!”
You hung up and slammed your phone on the counter, maybe a bit harder than you’d meant to, eyes rolling and a frustrated huff.
You made your way upstairs to shower before bed, your dogs following closely behind and climbing into your bed as they waited.
Turning on the shower, you discarded your clothes, climbing in when the stream was warm enough.
You washed your hair and had just started to lather your legs, when your dogs barked so loud it made you jump and drop the razor you were holding.
They never barked, not really, unless they saw something strange or there was someone at the door - your poor postman now refusing to put anything through the mail slot for fear of having a finger bitten off, despite your reassurance their bark was worse than their bite - so your blood stilled, and you turned the shower off, suds still clinging to your body listlessly.
You reached out and grabbed a towel, quickly wrapping it tight around your body.
Again they barked, louder and angrier this time, the deep kind of rumble that shook your bones and made the hairs on your arms stand up.
You carefully opened the en-suit door and peaked out into the dark room, hand slapping around for the light switch. The bedroom flooded with light but your dogs didn’t even turn to look, their attention focused intently on the large bay bedroom windows, obscured partially by curtains.
Their heckles were standing on end much like the hair on your arms as they continued to verbally assault whatever they thought was there.
You turned the light back off, creeping slowly towards the moonlit frames so you could better see what was out there without it being able to see you.
You prayed it wasn’t your stalker again, he had finally left you alone, and now Bob wasn’t here to protect you. A trickle of water slid down the dip in your back and made you shiver.
Reaching the windows, you shushed your dogs as you peaked out, carefully pulling back the curtain ever so slightly.
The street was lit by the almost full moon, dark silhouettes of trees and bushes a stark contrast to the grey of the moon that bathed the street and roofs and cars along the neighbourhood in their silvery light.
But not a person in sight. You waited a moment, looking for any sign of movement, but eventually let yourself release the breath you’d been holding, and you reassured your dogs that everything was fine.
You quickly returned to the shower to rinse off and finish up, eager to check the house to make triple sure you’d locked all your doors.
You dried off, got dressed in your pyjamas and made your way down the stairs.
Checking the front door first was your top priority, you quickly crossed over the living room and yanked on the handle. Locked. Checked the kitchen door and windows. Locked.
Making your way back out into the living room, however, you stopped short and your legs wobbled. Your body jolted as if lightning had struck you and and stolen the very breath from your shaking lungs.
A silhouette of a man stared back in at you through the crack in the curtain, his outline backed by the moon creating a nightmarish form of shadow puppetry against your thin curtains.
You couldn’t even manage a scream as you stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at the stranger and he stared back at you, unmoving, but still just as threatening.
You slowly backed up into the dark kitchen, hoping if you moved slowly, he’d stay right there, and not jump through your window like some crazy action movie villain.
As soon as you moved behind the kitchen sliding door, you darted towards your phone on the counter, scooping it up to call 911, but it was already ringing.
You answered again in a strangled scream without checking who the caller was.
“Leave. Me. Alone!”
“Y/N?” Bob’s voice called out on the other end, the commotion and chatter of plates and cutlery in the background and the soft hum of many voices holding conversations you couldn’t quite make out.
“Bob!” You gasped, clutching the counter.
“Y/N what’s going on? Are you okay?” He sounded panicked, desperate to reach through the phone to hold you.
You quickly ran to the living room, phone pressed to your ear. The figure was gone, your eyes swept to every window, back in the kitchen, back out, and nothing. Tank and Cody had followed you downstairs to inspect what had you so uneasy, running from room to room, ears perked and heckles raised to needle points in their spines.
“There’s… there’s a man, he was outside the house!” Your voice came out in a hiccupy wail as the anxiety began to crush your lungs. “The dogs- the dogs-“ but you couldn’t get anything out as your throat closed up and you struggled to breathe.
“Hey, hey! Baby, breathe, it’s okay. Are you hurt? Did he get inside?” Bob’s voice was a faint buzz as you leaned over the kitchen island, gasping for any small breath you could get to fill your aching lungs, he continued to speak, but his voice quickly faded to nothing by the loud buzzing in your ear and the rush of blood from your thudding heart.
“Y/N? Y/N! Baby, are you there? Tell me you’re okay!” His pleading voice pulled you back to earth, and you sucked in a desperate breath that felt like it went on forever.
You sobbed into the receiver, “He’s not- not in the h-house. I keep getting t-these phone c-calls, from Unknown Numbers-“
“What do you mean?” His voice sounded pained, like he wanted nothing more than to run to you, only he was so far away and he couldn’t.
“Someone keeps calling a-and they don’t speak, it’s just static.” Tank circled your legs as you made your way on wobbly knees back into the living room, while Cody inspected each window by hopping up with his front paws pressed to the sills and kitchen counters.
“Ok sweetheart, listen to me. I want you to call the cops, and if you feel unsafe, ever, I need you to pack up your stuff and take the dogs over to mine, hole up in there for a while, okay? Whoever this sicko is might have found out where you live but he hopefully wouldn’t know if you stayed at mine. Go through the back.”
You nodded, tears dropping freely from your chin now but at least the sobbing had subsided somewhat. “Yeah, yeah okay. I love you.”
“I love you, more than you’ll ever know. I’ll call you back later, I’ll get special clearance, just… keep your phone on you.”
You said your shaky goodbye’s before calling the cops, and you gave them a wobbly run down of your situation before pocketing your phone, doing yet another lap of the house to ensure you hadn’t left anything unlocked, petrified with every step that he’d jump out from around a corner.
Two squad cars pulled up within the hour, their blue lights casting an embarrassing glow across the street, luring curious neighbours to their windows. You were suddenly acutely aware that this type of area likely never saw the kind of action you were suddenly bringing to their doorstep, and your cheeks flushed red hot.
Several minutes later, you stood in your front garden, speaking to one of the officers, red nosed and swollen eyed, giving him an account of every single encounter you’d had since you moved in, feeling foolish and judged but relieved to have had it reported.
“Why didn’t you report this sooner?” He enquired.
“It didn’t seem like enough at first, and then it stopped for a long while, so I thought it was over. But now he’s back, and I don’t know what he wants.” You felt like sobbing again when the cop nodded, and gave you a sympathetic smile.
Suddenly, another car pulled up on the curb, one you recognised that made your stomach drop, and Dan climbed out, concern twisted across his sharp features as he took in the scene on your lawn.
The cop pocketed his note pad, “We’ll do one more sweep before we go, but it might be a good idea to get yourself some cameras, maybe an alarm system, just in case, but we think it’s likely just some harmless kid who’s taken a liking to you, probably one of your neighbours, a friend maybe. I wouldn’t be too concerned, but give us a call if anything else comes to light.”
Dan jogged over the lawn towards you as you nodded at the cop, “Thanks Officer.”
You turned to face Dan, his hand reaching out to touch your arm, inspecting your face for injuries, worry turning his lips downward and his eyes wide. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“What are you doing here?” You felt weary, rightly so, you didn’t call him, at least you didn’t
think you did?
“I was on a date, she lives up two streets over, then I saw the lights, realised it was your street and I got worried.” His brows furrowed as he gave you another once over. “Are you okay?”
You nodded, wrapping your arms around yourself. The cops were finishing up now and an icy wave of panic sloshed through your veins like a tsunami.
“Actually,” you let out a single sob, “I’m actually really, really scared.”
“Hey, hey… what happened?” Dan’s arm wrapped around your shoulders as he directed you to your porch steps and helped you to sit down, he sat next to you.
“Someone’s been watching me, calling me, I just feel on edge all the time.”
Dan’s head moved like it was on a swivel as he looked around your quickly darkening front lawn and porch, the blue lights of the cops cars quickly disappearing down the road. He noticed the lack of Bob’s truck in his drive.
“Your boyfriend not here to keep you safe?” His voice was disapproving, snarky for just a moment.
You shook your head glumly, “Away with work.”
“For how long?”
“Another couple months maybe, potentially more.” You sighed, wrapping your arms tight around your knees as you sat on the dim porch.
Dan sighed deeply, then took a tissue out of his pocket and handed it to you, once again wrapping a strong arm around your shoulders supportively. “Want me to keep watch in my car tonight?”
You let out a wet, surprised chuckle, more like a honk than anything, “No, that’s okay, thank you, that’s sweet of you to offer though. I think I’ll be okay, it was just a scare.”
Dan chuckled next to you, rubbing your arm reassuringly.
“Okay, well, if this happens again and Mr Hero next door isn’t home, I want you to call me, alright? You have my number. Or even if you just need to talk.”
You turned your head to look at Dan, to try and gauge if he had any ulterior motive, but his expression was nothing but concern and kindness. Maybe, just maybe, you and Dan had gotten off on the wrong foot. Maybe he was genuinely just a nice guy, and you read that as creepy or as having a motive purely due to your dark past.
You nodded.
“Thank you, Dan.”
———————————————
- 12 Months Earlier -
You spent days - or weeks, you weren’t sure anymore - just sitting in a small cell or in interview rooms with your lawyer and the detectives going over and over your version of events, trying to convince them that you couldn’t possibly kill someone.
You ran them through how you’d come home early to pick up your contraceptives, then you’d caught them in the woods, they’d knocked you out, tied you up.
“We’ve checked the house, there were no ropes Miss Y/N.” The detective argued in a bored monotonous voice.
Your lawyer, a middle aged blonde woman with perfect makeup and a perpetual frown slammed her hand down on the table maybe a little too hard for what the situation warranted.
“My client said she was carrying a pill packet in her back left pocket, have you checked for that? That should corroborate at least some of her version of events. Her sister also confirmed her whereabouts that night until she dropped her off at home, and the next thing Mr Donovan was instructing her to leave the property and that Miss Y/L/N was not feeling so good, and had gone to bed. Now in my mind that doesn’t seem like a great plan to have made if my client were preparing to bury the body that night. Her sister said she had also consumed a rather large amount of alcohol prior to being dropped off at the property. Do you think this all sounds plausible?”
The detectives took a deep, irritable breath as they leaned back against their chairs. “For all we know, she may not have been planning the burial that night, it could have been a drunken, spur of the moment decision.”
Your lawyer shook her head and continued with a scoff, “I don’t understand why it’s only her you’re looking into. I may have to open an investigation into Malicious Prosecution, maybe check that nothing untoward is going on… financially.” She lifted her eyebrow expectantly.
The detectives looked at one another uneasily, and one took the bait. “Fine.” He slammed his hand down. “We’ll speak to the farmer again, obtain a warrant for the fathers house, will that make you happy?”
And it did, your lawyer, the brilliant woman she was, grinned from ear to ear.
If it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have bothered to check Mitch’s home, or do a full sweep of your home. They were quite happy to put you away for the crime, whether because it was easier that way, or because they had received a pay off from the Donovan’s, you weren’t quite sure. You figured your lawyer was just saying that to kick them into action.
But your lawyer obviously knew something you didn’t, because she did file for further investigation, and it turns out the lead detective went to school with Mitch, had some sort of debt owed to him which Mitch promised to release him of if he just turned a blind eye or two.
More was done after that to properly investigate, new detectives were brought on who actually wanted to find out the truth, and upon further investigation, rope fibres were found in the bedroom carpet and wedged between the joint in the nail clippers, just as you’d said they would be.
During a search of Mitch’s property, however, rather taking him by surprise, they found the nail in his and Jordan’s coffin. An array of shovels and spades with dirt that matched the burial site, and a scarf. A scarf that was about to set you free and put Jordon behind bars for a very, very long time.
The scarf was used to strange Katie, the murder weapon, some of her skin cells were found within the fabric, her hair caught within the twist Jordan had made, and Jordan’s own knuckle hair.
You were finally let go, and after a rather gruelling but short court case, Jordan was found guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter and sentenced to only 17 years, and Mitch, who now denied having any involvement until after the body was buried and merely agreed to keep their secret and hide their tools, was merely given 6 months in prison on account of not being able to prove that otherwise beyond reasonable doubt.
He played the distraught father to a T.
It turned out that Jordan had met Katie on a night out months prior, they’d started seeing each other. Katie’s friends and family testified that she’d spoken time and time again how she had loved him desperately, and would have done anything for him to pick her, to leave you.
She had gotten pregnant, excited that this may be the push Jordan needed to finally leave you and be with her, but it had gone the other way entirely.
She told Jordan a week before the burial, while you were out at work, and he’d lost it, fuelled by alcohol and drugs and a bitter rage you had no idea he had brewing inside, he’d strangled her to death with her own scarf.
The rest was the sloppy shitshow you had somehow been unlucky enough to get yourself dragged into.
The media onslaught after that was relentless.
Headlines like “Blind to Love: How She Lived With A Murderer” or “A Good Actress Or Just Plain Dumb?” covered every newspaper for weeks, you couldn’t even leave the house without someone hounding you with questions, hurling abuse or trying to befriend you for the limelight.
“How could you not realise she was in your freezer for an entire week?”
They weren’t wrong, it was insane you hadn’t accidentally stumbled across her in the deep freezer in your shed between the week she was murdered and the weekend after when she had been buried.
“But surely you knew he was having an affair, right?”
You wished you had, but truthfully you had no idea. Other than him being somewhat quieter than usual, he was still Jordan, he acted no different towards you. Still fucked you, still happily ate the dinner you cooked him after working all day, still the same, day in day out.
Soon, Jordan’s friends began to harass you, threaten you. Nasty notes through your front door, texts from different numbers which would block you no sooner than the message had been opened.
You had rocks thrown through your windows and sausages laced with rat poison thrown over your back fence.
You feared every day for your life and your dogs, and so you made the decision to move.
Little did you know, that wouldn’t be the end of your troubles.
——————————————
January:
The last couple of months had been very up and down. Bob called as often as he could, talked to you for as long as he was allowed and managed to brighten your mood. He even told you all the filthy things he couldn’t wait to do to you when he got back, driving you wild and impatient as you waited the weeks away.
You still got ghost calls, and your dogs barked on and off every so often, spiking your blood pressure to the point where you’d had to start doing yoga to calm the now almost constant anxiety that threatened to swallow you whole. But you didn’t see your stalker again, and that was a blessing at the very least. Even if he still saw you.
Work had gotten better, with you and Dan now building an easy friendship out of the ashes of an uncomfortable start. He didn’t pressure you, or make you feel uneasy anymore, he didn’t try and flirt and the plastic smile was long gone and you realised you liked his genuine one way more. He was actually a pretty nice guy once you got past the layers.
You told him about Bob, and he told you about his new girlfriend, and you gave each other advice. It was easy, and it helped the burden of going home alone, even if not by much.
He still reminded you, time and time again, that you could always call if you ever needed anything.
But you hadn’t needed to. Bob still managed to quell any fears and offer you a comfort nobody else could ever replace whenever he called, and not to mention the letters.
Every week, without fail, you could almost set your calendar by them. You didn’t know how he found the time when he was busy doing all the mysterious, heroic things he was doing, but he did somehow.
They were in essence, love letters. He called you often enough to keep you up to date with things he was allowed to discuss, but the letters, they were so much more.
He poured his heart out in those, and you never took him for a paper and pen kinda guy, but they came together like a perfect symphony of words that floated through your head at night and lulled you off into a peaceful, secure sleep.
You pulled your car up on the drive and darted over excitedly to your mailbox, like you did every Thursday.
Your stomach did the usual somersaults when you pulled the white envelope out and turned it over in your fingers, your name and address etched in Bob’s perfect handwriting on the front.
You skipped inside the house and ripped the letter open eagerly, unfolding three pages thick with writing, front and back, as the dogs bounded up to you excitedly.
You fussed them without taking your eyes off the letter, reading Bob’s beautiful words as he proclaimed his love for you, how he yearned to see your beautiful face and hold you through the night again. He promised dinners, arcade days, adventuring on hikes and beaches and travelling, he promised to never let you feel unsafe again a day in your life, and you believed him.
But it was the last page that really had your heart thundering in your chest.
In his neat handwriting, right at the bottom were three, simple words you didn’t think could ever make you happier.
It’s my birthdayyyyyyy! Whoop whoop 24! Would love some Bob Floyd x reader smut heheheheheheh. Please I’m dyinggggg. Fluff and smut heheheh. Sorry I’m really drunk probably won’t remember this in the morning hahahah.
