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𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽 — 𝙰 𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕-𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 & 𝙰 𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕-𝙴𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥
𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘺,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯
𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵...
— ᴸᵃʷʳᵉⁿᶜᵉ ᴳᵒˡᵈˢᵗᵒⁿᵉ
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ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN HIS COMPOSURE, THE RAVEN SPUTTERED AS HIS SCALDING COFFEE SPILLED FORTH. Inebriated and shattered, he struggled to conceal his inner turmoil, endeavoring to present himself as something more than the fool he felt, hoping to leave a favorable impression on the new Commanding Officer. "You hungover, Major?" Questioned the brunette, reclining by the window, indulging in the refreshing morning air before addressing matters at hand. "No, sir." Replied Bucky. "That won't come for another couple of hours." He asserted confidently. "You're still drunk-" Scoffed the Colonel, amused by his audacity.
"Coffee sharpened me, sir." Bucky deadpanned, taking another sip, which once again, he spat right out due to it's intense heat. "Clearly." Said the man to himself, before clearing his throat and getting down to business. "Colonel Huglin didn't think much of your skills as an Air Executive." The brunette mused. "Well, I didn't think too much of his--" Retorted the raven, only to have his sentence finished by the new CO, who had already anticipated his reply. "Too much of his flying?" Egan let out a sigh, unsure of what to expect, until a lighter placed on an official document signed by the colonel caught his eye.
Noticing his gaze, Harding reached for his lighter, flicking it open to ignite a cigar. "Well, I ain't Colonel Huglin." He shrugged, hinting something only the two men knew. "No, you're not..."
***
Barging into the cafeteria with unwavering determination, Bucky found himself half an hour earlier than the rest of the soldiers. He wasn't surprised to see his best friend already halfway through his breakfast, deeply engrossed in a discussion about strategies and the progress of other crewmen with Jack, the commanding officer of the 418th squadron, or rather, the ex-CO. The atmosphere crackled with intensity as they delved into their conversation, focused on their mission ahead. "Can I get some coffee?" He requested the waiter, marching to the table to join the two Majors. "Boys." He acknowledged, taking a seat. "Bucky."
"Well?" The blonde arched a skeptical brow, sensing the weight of his friend's demeanor and knowing there was something significant to share, as evident by the rare potency in his deep blue eyes. "I got demoted," Egan stated flatly, the words heavy with implication. "To?" inquired Jack, his tone laced with curiosity, yet tinged with concern. "CO of the 418th squadron." The raven replied, his gaze apologetic as he delivered the news. "Sorry, Jack. The boys are back with me again." He shrugged, a flicker of excitement cutting through the tension. "Long as I get my fort back." Not giving it much thought, Jack brushed it off.
"Yeah... Harding wants to see about that." The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as uncertainty hung in the air. "What, I'm Air Exec?" Jack questioned incredulously between mouthfuls of food, his appetite suddenly diminished by the weight of this. Bucky just looked away, unable to face him after practically stealing his position. "You son of a bitch-" Cursed the man, pushing his plate away in frustration. "It wasn't my idea — Huglin recommended you." Informed the raven. "Then you're both sons of bitches." Jack scoffed bitterly, not taking the news well.
"Goddamn Air Exec." He grumbled, rising abruptly from the table, his displeasure evident in every step. "Look at it this way: LeMay thinks we're the least disciplined Bomb Group in the entire wing; maybe you can make a difference." John tried to console Jack, striving to find a silver lining in the situation. "I don't wanna be the guy wiping your ass, Bucky." snapped the man, his exasperation tangible as he stormed away from the table, leaving the remains of his breakfast behind in his wake. "Welp, that went well..." Mumbled the blonde, shaking his head in disbelief as he returned to minding his own business until the upset man had left the room.
Once the man scrammed away, his departure echoed with tension; the atmosphere seemed heavy with uncertainty. Yet, just as one door closed, another one swung open with a sudden burst of energy. A woman, brimming with joy, pretty much burst into the kitchen, her arrival a stark contrast to the somber mood that had just vacated the space. "Buck- Bucky! You'll never guess what!" y/n rushed up to the two, her excitement palpable as she narrowly missed colliding with the server carrying a hot pitcher of coffee. "Mornin' Duck." The two men greeted in unison as she plopped down on the seat beside the raven's.
"Klaus, perfect timing- could you get me some coffee, please?" She requested with a wide grin. "Of course, ma'am." Smiled the server, sensing her thrill as he promptly moved to fulfill her request. "Why, aren't you a peach today..." Smirked the blonde knowingly, concealing his delight quickly with another bite of his eggs. "I'm assuming your meeting went well?" Bucky mused, taking a sip of his coffee, not spitting it all out for the first time this morning. "Yeah, I got promoted... You?" The girl informed, her tone a mix of excitement and curiosity. "I got demoted." He grinned, finding her smile to be irresistibly contagious.
"So you're flying?" She asked, her ecstasy for the man evident, knowing that flying in the front was all he was ever passionate about, aside from perhaps seducing ladies at the pubs. "Yes, ma'am. CO of the 418th," Chuckled the raven, relieved to be back in the fight after missing out on a crucial mission due to desk duty. "Isn't that Jack's squadron?" y/n wondered aloud, piecing together why the man seemed so upset when he left the cafeteria. "Yeah... He's not too happy about his promotion." Bucky scoffed. "What about you, though?" He then asked the Major, returning to the topic at hand.
"CO of the 351st," she smiled toothily, her pride evident as she shared her accomplishment, still finding it hard to believe that it had actually happened. "You know what's strange? The man appeared completely unaware of my identity until Bremen was mentioned. What's even more peculiar is that he seemed to possess more comprehensive knowledge about the entire incident than I did." She mused. "It kind of reminds me of that one time in middle school when my science teacher wouldn't let me join this science fair, despite my significant contributions. Then, one day after Ga — oh, wait..." She began narrating a similar incident from her past, only to abruptly stop as she realized the implications of what must have actually occurred with Harding.
"Here you go, Major." Klaus placed her coffee before her, nodding as she thanked him before walking away. Egan and l/n exchanged an astute look, silently acknowledging that they were piecing together the true reason behind their respective changes in roles. Cleven, who had caught onto the significance of the subtle silence, played it cool and continued eating as if nothing had changed. "You got up early this morning." Bucky mused. "Did I?" Gale muttered, feigning innocence. "See Colonel Harding before me?" The raven confronted. "Oh, I know that look very well, Major Cleven... I can read you upside down." y/n scoffed, seeing through his attempt to deflect the question.
"All I said was the army's right about you being a leader — that you lead best as a squadron commander." Cleven deadpanned, addressing the raven. "And if it weren't for you yesterday, we would've surely lost all of our men, either to those Krauts or the rough landing," Gale acknowledged, his tone filled with gratitude and respect as he gazed at the girl with softness in his oceanic eyes, silently conveying his appreciation for her bravery and quick thinking. "I only spoke the truth. You two don't gotta send me any flowers." He brushed it off, finishing his meal with a casual shrug, downplaying his own role in the events.
Smiling to herself, the girl took a delicate sip of her coffee, feeling a rush of warmth envelop her chest — a sensation she thought had been lost to her for all these years, until now. It was a feeling that startled her with its sudden and powerful return, filling her with a sense of longing and hope she hadn't dared to entertain before. "Oh, I made one last request before being demoted." The raven said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over the trio as they finished their breakfast. "Hmm?" The blonde looked up at him, sensing the weight of his words.
"I want to write the letters to the families of the boys that we lost." He sighed, his voice heavy with the burden of responsibility. "I think it'd be better coming from... from me; not someone that they never met." He frowned, his expression reflecting both determination and sorrow. "I'll help you." The blonde instantly volunteered with a firm resolve. "Yeah, me too." Chimed in the girl, her tone filled with empathy and understanding, knowing that grief is easier to bear when shared, especially in times as intense and chaotic as these. "I'd appreciate that." Nodded the raven, a half-hearted smile forming on his face, grateful for the support offered by his companions during this difficult task.
"You know, uh- If this whole thing ended, and there were only two pilots up in the air... I'd ideally say it'd be me and it'd be you, Buck. But now I think it'd be Ducky who'd help us get there — to safety." Egan reflected, his voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and acceptance of the changing dynamics of their squadron. "Don't count on it." The blonde and the y/h/c spoke in unison, their voices laced with playful affection. As they locked eyes, a shared sense of déjà vu washed over them, igniting a warmth that transcended words. It was a moment of quiet intimacy, filled with unspoken promises and the gentle flutter of rehashing deep connection.
"Jesus Christ- can you two just bang already? The sexual tension here is thicker than pea soup at this point."
(1.7k words)
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