Henry had been pestering Ray about flying his helicopter, dubbed the Man-Copter, for days. Ray told him he'd teach Henry one day and Henry got tired of waiting around for it to happen. Ray was insistent that he was too young, too inexperienced, but he ended up having to teach Henry once he lost a bet. He didn't really want to teach Henry how to fly the Man-Copter, still thinking he wouldn't take it seriously, but a bet was a bet and Ray had to take him out.
But he wouldn't be taking Henry out by himself. Ray begged Dylan to join them on the Man-Copter, thinking that if Henry's boyfriend was there maybe Henry would take the lessons more seriously if the looming fear of accidentally killing him in a helicopter crash was present in Henry's mind. Dylan agreed to it on one condition: Ray leaving the Mancave on Saturday night so he and Henry could use it for their weekly date. Ray agreed to the terms, not knowing where he'd exactly go come Saturday night, but if it got Dylan in the helicopter then he'd take it.
Ray had every right to assume Henry wouldn't take it seriously, as the moment he saw the helicopter he immediately jumped into he pilot's seat and started pretending to fight off invisible space ships.
"Move." Ray demanded with a smile on his face.
"What?" Before Henry could even process Ray's words he was being shoved into the passenger's seat. "Dude!"
"Beautiful morning, hm?" Ray asked, ignoring Henry.
"Yeah, sure." Dylan popped up from the back row, scaring Henry.
"What are you doing here?" Henry whipped around to ask.
"Ray asked me to come."
"Seriously?" Henry turned to Ray.
"Yeah! I had to make sure to were viewing this as important." Ray told him.
"I am!"
"Of course you are, now that you know Dylan's life is in your hands. See me, I'm indestructible. Him," Ray pointed to the back row, "not so much."
"I'm very capable of dying in a helicopter crash." Dylan leaned forward in his seat to tell Henry. Henry just turned around and squinted at Dylan before placing a quick kiss on his lips.
"No kissing in the helicopter." Ray told them sternly.
"Can we get to flying already? I'm bored." Dylan voiced.
"We would be if Ray let me fly!" Henry turned back to Ray with an annoyed look on his face.
"Well, I assume you know the first rule of flying a helicopter." Ray stated as he put his seatbelt on.
"What?"
"Shutting up." Ray finished putting on his seatbelt just as Henry began to put on his. "Now, flying a helicopter isn't for babies."
"What's your point?"
"That you should read this manual, cover to cover." Ray picked up a thick book and held it up for Henry to see.
"All right, I'll read that manual. If you swear on your life that you read that manual before you flew a helicopter."
"Okay, you don't have to read the manual." Ray tossed the book out the helicopter, it hitting Charlotte in the head who was out running diagnostic tests.
"Ow!" Charlotte yelled and walked over to the helicopter. "Who threw this manual?"
"Uhh, some guy." Ray stated.
"Charlotte, will you please finish up the diagnostic test so we can get this thing up in the air?" Henry asked impatiently.
"Oh sure, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to waste your guys' time while I was pulling this manual out of my eye."
"Apology accepted." Ray told her, which earned him a manual thrown into his groin.
"Hey, why are we taking this helicopter?" Henry asked Ray as soon as he recovered. "I thought we were gonna take the Man-Copter."
"Because before you get to fly my super cool Man-Copter, which does exist," Ray made sure to point out, "you first need to learn on this rental helicopter."
"I'm starting to doubt it's real." Dylan mumbled from the back seat.
"It is real!" Ray defended.
"Whatever, let's just start this thing, okay?" Henry was getting impatient again. "I just wanna fly."
"Hey, it's not that easy." Ray reminded him.
"Oh, it's not?" Henry back-talked.
"No, it's not. Starting a helicopter is nothing at all like starting a car." Ray started going into the various buttons on the dashboard and all the lights only for Henry to turn on the helicopter with a grin on his face.
Charlotte yelled at them to turn it off, her still out there. "Who started the helicopter?"
"Uhh," Henry wanted to say "some guy" like Ray had before, but Ray interrupted him.
"Henry did!"
"Well we're not so sure who—"
"We're very sure, it was Henry. Right, Dylan?"
"Don't drag me into this, man. I don't even wanna be here." Dylan voiced.
"Henry did you start the helicopter?" Charlotte yelled.
"Uh, maybe. I think so!" Henry was all nervous now. "I'm pretty sure yeah, why does it matter? I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."
"Well, the next time you wanna start a helicopter, I'd appreciate it if you please tell me, so I can move my head away from the large spinning blades!"
In the middle of getting scolded by Charlotte Ray started the helicopter, not wanting to get yelled at by her anymore. Henry was very much so on board, not only were they finally going to fly, but he also didn't want to be yelled at anymore.
"Alright I'm gonna take a nap back here." Dylan announced once they were off the ground.
"What no, you can't nap." Ray told him.
"Why not? I'm not flying. I'm just a witness."
"Exactly. A witness needs to be awake so they can... witness."
"Or, I take a nap." Dylan didn't allow for anymore protest, laying down across the back seats, thankful there was a wall and window in the back, unlike the front which didn't even have a door. Sure it was unsafe but then again nothing about Ray or Henry flying a helicopter seemed safe to begin with.
After being in the air for some time Henry began asking Ray to let him take control. He started saying that he wouldn't be able to truly learn unless he was in the pilot's seat. Ray caved, him and Henry switching places while they were still flying, thousands of feet above the ground. The two unbuckled them selves and Henry climbed over Ray to get into the pilot's seat while Ray moved to the passenger's side. Henry's leg hit the control stick, causing the helicopter to rapidly jerk on it's side.
"Woah, what's happening?" Dylan shot up from the back and immediately noticed the change in positions. "When did you get there?" He leaned over to ask Henry.
"Just now," Henry said as he grabbed the control stick to reposition the helicopter, "I'm flying this rig now."
"Don't crash." Dylan patted Henry on the shoulder.
"Yes, thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Hey look, we're not that far from Junk-N-Stuff!" Henry noted.
"Yeah, so?" Ray was holding onto the inside of the helicopter for dear life, clearly weary about Henry flying still.
"So come on, let's fly over the shop so Charlotte, Schwoz, and Jasper can see us!"
"Uh no, no." Ray protested. "The answer is no."
"Yeah, of course the answer is no."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're against fun."
"What?"
"You hate fun," Henry clarified, "You're a fun killer."
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are." Dylan commented, startling Ray.
"Oh my god, I forgot you were here."
"What? I spoke like two minutes ago!"
"I wasn't paying attention." Ray mumbled, but Dylan could still hear him. "Anyways, I'm fun!" Ray shouted to the others.
"Then let's fly over Junk-N-Stuff." Henry stated.
"No, because I think we should fly over Junk-N-Stuff!"
"Yeah that's what I wanted to do."
"After I wanted to!"
"What?" Henry was confused at Ray's sudden comments.
"Just be quiet and fly over Junk-N-Stuff so we can have some fun. I'm just trying to have some fun!" Ray started rambling, nerves getting the best of him.
"Dude, you need to calm down." Dylan was worried for Ray's heartbeat at this point.
"I am calm!" Ray defended.
"Obviously not."
"Whatever, just keep flying towards Junk-N-Stuff Henry, and then I'll land."
"You'll land?" Henry asked. "Why can't I land?"
"Have you ever landed a helicopter before?" Ray questioned.
"Well, no."
"Then I'll land."
"How am I ever gonna learn how to land a helicopter if you won't let me land?" Henry argued.
"Simple, you won't learn. Now, switch with me, we're almost there."
"What? No, I'm not switching with you again."
"Yes, you are," Ray started moving towards Henry, "now come on."
"No, I'm staying here." Henry didn't move a muscle. Ray, however, was all over in Henry's personal space, crowding it like Henry was planning on moving over.
The two fought in the small space and eventually Ray fell out of the helicopter, Henry and Dylan gasping at the same time.
"Oh my god." Dylan commented. "You pushed him out of the helicopter."
"I did not push him!" Henry was extremely close to panicking. "He fell out!"
"That's not what he's gonna say."
"It's fine, it's literally fine. He's indestructible."
"Let's just hope he doesn't crash through the roof of Junk-N-Stuff."
"Yeah, that would be bad for business."
Henry and Dylan sat in silence for a while before Dylan started moving. He swung his leg over the passenger's seat, making an effort to switch from the back to the front.
"What are you doing?" Henry asked, gripping the control stick extra tight while he looked over.
"Moving." Dylan rolled over the back of the seat, awkwardly landing in the front. He positioned himself upright, looking over to Henry who still had his eyes on him. "Hi."
"Hi." Henry laughed.
"Well, this has been fun."
"Yeah, it has." Henry agreed. "You know what would make it even more fun?"
"What?"
"This." Henry leaned over to Dylan, kissing him now that Ray couldn't yell at them.
"Eyes on the road, Hart." Dylan teased as soon as they broke apart.
"There is no road."
"Well then eyes on the...sky." Dylan scooted himself over so he was pressed up against Henry's side, Henry leaning into the feeling.
They stayed out there for hours just circling Swellview.
When they came back down the two of them swore to Ray they couldn't hear their phones ringing, sharing a knowing smile with one another.