You still looking for prompt ideas, my friend??
How about some army days Mac and Jack. We all know Mac left MIT to enlist, which was a year or two post high school. So how about Jack finding out (maybe purely by accident or sneakily using his skills & connections) that Mac's 21st birthday is coming up and making sure Mac celebrates or making the day special for him?
Of course my friend !!
Jack was acting weird, had been for the last few days, and Mac didn’t know what to do with him.
Whatever was happening wasn’t disrupting their work at all, or really anything they did. If Mac didn’t know any better he would’ve just said it was Jack acting normal, but Mac saw him quickly hide things or change the subject when he entered the bunks. Jack also had either excused himself early from lunch, or apologized for being late. The one day when they were out and gone to a populated town, Jack mingled amongst various vendors before they ended up leaving, and when they got back, he hurried off to who knew where before arriving to the bunks an hour later than normal.
Mac had tried to ask if everything was alright, if there was anything he could help with, but Jack brushed him off saying nothing was wrong and that he was just trying to get some extra work done to earn brownie points and favors from anyone and everyone he could. Mac didn’t believe him, but if Jack didn’t want to share what he was actually doing, Mac wasn’t going to push. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had times like that. Jack was also more comfortable with openly showing emotions, so Mac was sure that if it was something that was big, Jack wouldn’t hesitate to tell him.
So when Jack rushed off again after returning, Mac thought nothing of it. It was his week to tell the quartermasters what items they needed restocks on anyways. It did strike Mac as strange that the guys that they regularly interacted with was questioning every item Mac named, and when he asked—
“Guess you’ve never gone through it thoroughly; normal thing to get specifics on supplies used so we know what to order for the next shipment.”
That was a lie. Mac knew that much. Never had he been asked for specifics on supplies he regularly used. Nevertheless, Mac answered every question he had, and then some before heading towards the bunks.
Then there were the guys that stopped him every couple of steps, giving a quick greeting or asking him a random question. It had to be Jack’s doing. He couldn’t think of any reason why though. It wasn’t that he was annoyed with everything, but he did just come back from being out all day, and he really only wanted to relax.
So when Joe and Patrick stopped him at the entrance to the bunks, he wasn’t feeling all that calm and relax.
“Soo, how was your day, Hollywood? Anything exciting happen?”
“Pretty boring for us here. Think Jewels saw a scorpion hut that was it. How many IEDs did you find?”
It was getting ridiculous.
“I mean, I came back alive and uninjured so— just a normal day I guess.” He went to step between them, only to be blocked. “Guys come on. I just got back and I’m tired. I’d like to lay down.”
“Yeah, but, uh, you can’t. There’s— a snake in there; big one, very poisonous. You shouldn’t go in there until they get it out.”
Mac raised a brow at the poor excuse. “Pretty quiet in there for a snake. I’ve heard Trunks scream over a moth, so there’s no telling how loud he’d get if there was a snake in there.”
“Uh, he’s not in there.”
Mac sighed and put a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “And they call me a bad liar.” He then maneuvered his leg to get Joe off balance, making him fall into Patrick and clear the way. He didn’t know what he was expecting when he entered the bunks but having a paper chain on his bunk and Jack hastily shoving party hats on everyone wasn’t it.
“Aw hell, I knew I shoulda had someone else guard the door.” Jack said, slipping a hat on his own head before doing the same to Mac. “Was nearly done too.”
“Uh… what’s going on?”
“We’re havin’ a party! For you!”
“Why—?”
“Cuz it’s yer birthday? Why else?”
Mac blinked. That wasn’t right. His birthday was March 23rd which was— that… day… okay, maybe Jack was right, but that didn’t give any indication on how Jack found out about it. Mac never said anything or gave any hints, mainly because he really didn’t care about it.
“And the big two-one too! Finally legal to get a drink. Man, time sure does fly doesn’t it?”
Maybe that one was considered just a little more important than others.
“How did you find out? It’s not like I said anything.”
“It was easy when the pieces were put together.”
“What pieces?”
“The pieces that’s yer file and says when yer birthday is.”
“Why were you looking at my file? How’d you even get access to that?”
“Let’s not sweat the details. Today’s a day of celebration! Yer only twenty-one once, and while their ain’t an ounce of booze in this bornin’ place, we both got a weekend pass to go party it up and get you yer first taste, and don’t tell me you’ve drank before. Don’t think my old heart could take it.” Jack went to his bunk and shuffled around a few things, turning back to Mac with a snack cake with a candle sticking out of it. “Happy birthday, Mac.”
Mac wasn’t one for birthdays, hadn’t been for a long time. Whenever the subject came up, he would change it or spit out a weird fact that would make everyone look at him funny. Jack finding out through faux espionage wasn’t really all that surprising if he counted all the other things he found out through pure luck. But he did appreciate the effort Jack went through for an impromptu party; magazine crate paper chain and all.
“Thank you.”
