Soft Touch | Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace x OC

wait for me

Cecily sat on the leather sofa in the rec room, fiddling with the zip on her flight suit. Beacon had wandered off several minutes ago, complaining that she was no fun to be around.

Cecily couldn't argue with that assessment. She had moped for days, trying to shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach but with little success.

On the surface, she didn't know what caused her anxiety. She didn't know why her appetite had disappeared, why her leg constantly bounced, driving even the most patient people mad, or why she'd gone back to biting her nails.

Deep down, though, she knew exactly why.

As if summoned, the reason for all Cecily's nervous energy appeared in the doorway to the rec room with a barely there smile, making her insides feel funny. She couldn't tell if it was butterflies or stomach acid.

"Hey," Phoenix said, taking a step into the room. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all."

Phoenix made a beeline for the couches, and Cecily fully expected her to sit on the one opposite her. She didn't, opting to sink down into the soft leather right next to Cecily.

They sat in silence for a while. Normally, they would chat away about even the smallest of things, but Cecily didn't know how to talk to Phoenix anymore. It was almost like coming back to Top Gun had glued her mouth shut, making their shared moments uncomfortable.

"I feel like you've been avoiding me," Phoenix said, finally breaking the quietness.

Cecily turned to face the other pilot, eyes wide and uncertain. "What? No!"

Phoenix quirked a brow. "Really? Because you seem to leave the room whenever I come in, and this is the first one-on-one conversation we've had since you were called back."

Cecily frowned. "It is?"

That didn't seem right.

Phoenix nodded. "I just want to know why."

"No reason," she answered. As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they were wrong.

Phoenix's expression hardened, and she stood abruptly from her seat. "Got it," she said, her voice cold and even, as she turned and headed for the door.

Cecily shook her head before jumping up. "Phoenix," she called after her, but the other woman didn't stop as the door flung open and she left.

Cecily jogged after her, shouting her callsign down the hallway, but she still didn't stop.

"Nat," she tried instead.

It worked. Phoenix turned back to Cecily, who stood just outside the door to the rec room, but she didn't close the distance. "What?"

Cecily stepped forward. "You're right," she admitted. "I have been avoiding you."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "Why?"

"I'm scared," she told her as she fought every urge in her system not to fidget. "I was excited when I got the call that they needed me back here. I didn't know it was because you and Bob had to eject, and they didn't know if you'd be able to fly."

"Why would you ignore me for that?"

Cecily balled her hands into fists, biting her lip. "I don't..." she trailed off, uncertain. "You're my friend, Natasha. I don't want to lose you."

Phoenix's jaw clenched, looking down at her feet, then back up at Cecily. "Is that what we are? Friends?"

Cecily gaped, not sure she'd heard Phoenix correctly at first, but when the other aviator turned around to leave, she took a step forward. "Wait," she called. "Nat!"

But Natasha didn't stop. She disappeared down the hallway and didn't look back.