Permission To Fly: A Hangman Fanfiction

chapter 5: team bonding

I wake up and remember that it's Maverick's last day with us, and tonight is another bar night with Dad and Maverick. Apparently Maverick is heading back to the desert after this, but I'm sure I'll see him again soon. I change into my basic uniform and get ready to head to this morning's briefing. Making sure I have everything I need, I open the door and see Jake standing against the opposite wall, facing the door. I jump back a bit, startled from not expecting to see him, and walk out into the hall, shutting and locking my door. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, just thought you could use some company on your way to the briefing," Jake apologizes and I shake my head.

"It's not a long walk, Jake, I would've been fine. But a head's up would've been nice," I say, adding a laugh at the end to not sound harsh. I'm not a morning person at all.

"Yeah, I should've thought about that. And a note to self, Delilah is not a morning person. Do you like coffee or tea?" Jake asks and I raise my eyebrows at the question. I have no idea why he would ask that, but it's not a hard choice.

"Tea for sure. I sometimes will drink coffee later in the day, but tea is my go-to. Why do you ask?"

"Because next time I'll know that if I surprise you in the morning, even though you hate surprises, to bring a cup of tea with me," Jake smiles and I smile softly in response. He remembered that I hate surprises, even though he surprised me this morning. I guess it's a start.

"Earl grey with two raw sugar," I say and he looks over at me, confused.

"What? What does that mean?" I shake my head and sigh, he has a lot to learn.

"My tea of choice is a black tea, specifically an earl grey tea. It's a tea blend. And I like two teaspoons of raw sugar in my cup. Now you know how I like my tea. What about you? Do you like tea or coffee?" I ask, that way I could at least, maybe, do the same for him. It's hard waking up early all the time because I love to sleep, but I'm finally somewhat used to it.

"Oh, I just like black coffee. Nothing too fancy, but sometimes a cup of tea is nice at night. Although I don't know the blend or anything," Jake says and I nod, taking a mental note.

"Nice to know," I say and we reach the hanger at the same time Phoenix and Rooster do.

"Good morning Natasha, Bradshaw," I say, giving them a friendly smile and Jake just nods to them.

"Wow, Swift smiling in the morning, that's a first. What's your secret Hangman?" Rooster jests and I playfully roll my eyes.

"I'm happy to see both of you, that's all. We should take our seats," I say, moving to an empty seat. Phoenix sits beside me and I can't deny that I'm happy she sat by me. I don't want people to spread any rumors or assume Jake and I are dating. After all, it wouldn't be wise to get in a relationship if we're most likely going to be separated in a few days.

"So, how was your talk with Rooster last night?" Phoenix asks, leaning over to me to keep the conversation as private as possible.

"It was fine, nothing important," I say, lying a bit since no one knows about Rooster and Maverick's situation. Phoenix knows he's like an older brother to me, so it's not far off that we were just talking.

"Okay, I'm glad he wasn't mad or anything about the date. Sometimes I wonder if he loves you in the same way you love him," she comments and I look at her confused.

"What do you mean? He's like my older brother and I'm like the younger sister he never had. We dated for a short while when I was in high school, but it was awkward since we realized quickly that we were more like siblings," I say and she nods. "Trust me, that would never, ever work out. I've known him for way too long."