𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘 • ʳᵒᵇᵉʳᵗ ᶠˡᵒʸᵈ

chapter two.

chapter two — shot of sake
[ jasmine. ]
"honey is sweet — [but] who said you can't wear a flower crown and still remain a fearsome thing?" -patricia polacco & amanda lovelace.

i knew something was up.

i had a feeling that something had happened while i was in the dogfight, but another feeling told me i was going to have to try really hard if i wanted to find out what really happened.

but, for now, i sat and listened to phoenix and bagman bicker over the comms. "hey, phoenix, how about we tell people that 'bob' stands for something? other than robert, i mean." bagman said. "i'm in—" bob started, but natasha stopped him, "don't take the bait, bob. really want to know why we all call him 'hangman'?" "oh, wait, i got it. 'baby on board'." bagman chuckled.

i sat between reuben and mickey on the couch, all of our arms crossed with our legs stretched out onto the coffee table in front of us, intently listening. i rolled my eyes, "how about bagman's the best of bottoms?" "or bend over backwards?" reuben commented. i slapped him on the arm with a chuckle, "nice one." "shit !" hangman yelled over comm. "looks like he likes it, too." mickey joked with a laugh.

"greetings, aviators. fight's on." mitchell announced. bagman then called, "all right, phoenix, let's take this guy out !" brad sidled up beside the radio, "watch your back, phoenix."

i glanced at reuben, and he looked at me with a smile, gently nudging me in the ribs. we went back to listening, "break right !" bagman instructed. "breaking right." phoenix followed the impulsive command, but then we heard bob asking, "where's he going?" "that's why we call him hangman. he'll always hang you out to dry." i nodded as the explanation finally marinated in my head, "that actually makes some sense."

"leaving your wingman. there's a strategy i haven't seem in a while." mitchell pointed out. "he called you a man, phoenix. you gonna take that?" "just like you took me tripping you?" i muttered, getting a snort from mickey beside me. "so long as he doesn't call you a man." natasha replied. that got a laugh out of me. "talk to me, bob. where's maverick?" natasha asked. "jesus, his nose is already coming around !" bob began to panic.

"get him off of me, hangman." phoenix demanded. "for all you folks at home, this is how you bury a fossil." bagman quipped. "that's a really boring catchphrase." i added in the otherwise quiet room. brad chuckled at my comment. "all right, hangman. time to teach you a lesson." mitchell said. i tried to look out the window, but barely bothered to crane my neck more than i had to. "you're out, phoenix." mitchell sounded. "son of a bitch," natasha and i said at the same time.

coyote looked at me, "how similar are you two?" i casually shrugged, "we shared a room for three years. do the math." i didn't care to listen anymore without my best friend and bob in it anymore, laying my head on reuben's shoulder and snuggling into him, "wake me up when bagman's doing pushups." he let out a hearty laugh, patting my arm that wasn't touching him.

just as i was about to fall asleep, i put my attention back on the radio one last time. "phoenix, i can't see him. how close am i? phoenix?" bagman asked. "i'm dead, dickhead." i could almost hear her lazily smiling. "see you in the afterlife, bagman." bob retorted. i chuckled, turning back into reuben's arm.

bagman.

soon, i was woke up to watch bagman pay his debts in pushups. though it was extremely satisfying, it was a lot less satisfying watching your best friend and bob suffer right next to him. so, i laid in front of them and began to tell them small anecdotes i remembered from when we were together.