Early the next morning, Finley and Bob are sitting at their kitchen table eating breakfast together before training.
"Babe, how long has it been since we've gone on a date? Like a proper date?"
Finley thinks about it as she chews her breakfast. "I don't know. Over a year maybe?"
Bob hums peering down at his date. A small smile dances on his face. "Finley," she looks up, "would you go on a date with me tonight?"
"Tonight?" She recites, her face beating red. She smiles lovingly leaning over the table and giving him a short kiss. "I'd love to."
"Be ready at 7?"
"You got it. What should I wear? I don't know anything fancy, love."
He chuckles caressing her hand softly. "You've always been a tomboy. I wouldn't expect you to dress fancy. Casual will be fine."
"Now that's something I can do. Are you ready? We can do the dishes together later."
"Yeah, yeah. Ready if you are."
They're about to head out the door when they receive a text message. The only group chat Maverick is invited to.
He texts: training is on the beach outside the Hard Deck. Bring athletic clothes and prepare to get wet.
She furrows her brows, Bob matching her reaction. "Did you know about this?"
"News to me. Then again he plans everything and I just go along with everything."
He hums again putting his phone on the table. Finley follows putting her phone next to his. Bob says, "we should probably change."
She looks down at her formal Navy uniform and sighs. "You're probably right."
Since she had some time off she managed to organize her belongings in their shared room. Individually they change into more fitted clothing.
She groans feeling the thin straps to her tank top dig into her shoulders. Her legs are exposed as she puts on her short athletic shorts.
"I don't miss exposing my body for the world to see."
"Why not? You're hot."
She rolls her eyes at him. "You know I don't like the scar."
He walks up behind her pulling her into him by the waist. He kisses the scar on her shoulder sending shivers down her back. "And I tell you every time you're beautiful inside and out."
"You always know what to say, don't you?"
"I try my best."
• • •
"What the fuck are we doing here?"
Bradley stands in the sand next to Finley. Everyone is waiting for Maverick to arrive. Finley was the one to speak.
He looks at her, "you're the instructor, aren't you supposed to know?"
She slaps her hands at her sides looking at the water, squinting into the sun. "I don't know shit. He plans everything, I just go with it."
"What the hell is he playing at?"
She looks around furrowing her brows. "Oh, you have to be shitting me."
Payback is standing off to the side crossing his arms. "What is it?"
She turns to Bradley with a disbelieving look. "Sometimes I think he lives a fantasy world." He raises a brow, confused. "You remember what I told you about that mission our dads had?" He nods. "As a team exercise, they played volleyball. It was to help them bond, show that what they did in the sand would help them in the sky."
Fanboy scoffs, "we're playing volleyball?"
"No!" They all look back up towards the Hard Deck. Maverick is walking towards them with a bag appearing with two footballs. "Dogfight football. You will be divided into two teams with the same amount of players. You will take your ball into the opposing team's goal zone before they do. You will have to stop the other team from advancing by grounding their ball. Both teams will play offense and defense at the same time."
Maverick tosses a football to Finley. She explains the remainder of the rules catching on. "The play starts in the middle of the sand. The first team to reach the opposing goal zone scores one point. If team A grounds team B's ball, team's A ball is still in play and can be used to score. If team's A ball is played after they grounded team B ball, team B can stop them and ground their ball. The place where this ball was grounded is where the new play starts. Once a score has been made, the next round starts at the middle of the sand. Make sense?"
As they agree she clasps her hands together. "Well you guys have fun, there is no way in hell I'm playing with you guys. Too much testosterone for me."
She waves them off as she runs up towards Penny who's sitting outside. There was number of protests but she ignores them.
"You're just like Pete," Penny tells her with a bright smile, "never listens."
"Hey, I have better things to do than be tackled by a bunch of men acting like they own the world."
"Mhm, like what?"
She walks into the bar with a smirk. The Hard Deck is used for many things... beers, the people, the Navy to be specific, pool, and music. But for Finley? Finley likes the term "storage unit."
In the back of the bar, Penny was nice enough to hold a couple of things while she and Bob aren't local. She smiles seeing her stuff still sitting on a shelf.
After ten minutes of changing, she walks out, a large item in her hands. Penny snaps her head from the sand to her. She's been watching the men and women play together.
"Huh, I forgot I let you keep stuff here."
"You were always so kind to me. I know I'm your favorite."
"Keep dreaming. So, surfing huh?" Finley licks her lips plastering a shit-eating grin. She stands in her wetsuit holding onto her longtime used surfboard. Penny laughs shaking her head. "You're lucky I know you so well. I made a call when Pete told me about this exercise."
She points behind Finley. She spins around seeing two figures with surfboards on the sand. She sputters, "what the— how did you get them here?"
"They visit quite frequently when you're away. I didn't know you love me so much to talk about me," Penny teases.
"You gave them your number?" She nods. "Huh."
"Go, have fun. You deserve to have some time with your brothers."
She mock salutes her running off to her brothers. She runs between the two shoutings, "keep up losers!"They run behind her following her with a laugh.
As the water meets her feet she already starts feeling free. She looks over to the aviators seeing them stop to stare oddly at her. She laughs at their expressions as Oaklynn, Dylan, and Finley swim further into the ocean. When they get far enough they turn to face the shore.
"Did you know that the loudest ocean sound came from an icequake?"
Dylan tucked a necklace into his wetsuit giving her an 'I'm done' look. "Unless your name is Google, stop acting like you know everything."
"You love me, dickhead." She looks behind her spotting the perfect wave. "Here we go. Let's do this." She isn't talking to her brothers, more so to herself.
"You're not doing it alone. Looks like a wicked wave."
"Then let's go."
Dylan said starting to swim forward. Finley took charge swimming faster between her brothers. When the wave starts to lift her she gets to her feet. Balancing on her feet she takes on the wave.
The surge of adrenaline makes her feel very alive. Not only that, but it also makes her feel happy. Therefore, it is safe to say that surfing is a strong mood enhancer. Each great feat of catching a new wave is rewarded accordingly, with a rush of neurochemicals that lead to a state of euphoria. She's at the peak of her happiness being in the ocean alongside her brothers.
"Woohoo!" She exclaims getting close to shore.
She looks over to Oaklynn with a smirk. He catches her eye and frowns. "Ay yo, don't even think about it!"
She smiles giggling like a child. Putting a little weight into her turn she tackles him off his board into the water. They roll under the water before coming up for air.
Dylan swims over to them letting his board go. He presses down on Oaklynn's shoulders pushing him under the water and getting on top of his shoulders. Luckily enough they're close enough to shore that Oaklynn can stand on his feet.
Finley crawls onto Dylan laughing with joy. "You think you can hold us, little brother?"
Oaklynn uses as much power as he can to toss the both of them off him tumbling into the water.
"You both are a pair of assholes."
"Get over here you little shit!" She dives down under the water grabbing him by the ankles. When she stands he goes flying.
"You bitch!"
She and Dylan laugh hysterically. Dylan clasps her on the shoulder. "Glad to have you back, Moony."
Finley has never heard Dylan call her that. Normally it was only the Navy men and women who called her that or Bradley. It's news to her.
"Good to be back, Dyl."
With that, the trio of siblings pulls each other into a group hug. They laugh about how weird and disgusting it is to be so close to each other.
A morning well spent.