Work Text:
Phoenix picks him up from the airport, having gotten back to North Island a couple days before Bob did. She hugs him tight, ruffling his hair a bit and teasing him about it’s length, and then proceeds to catch him up on what he’s missed.
“Rooster’s been off in the desert at Mav’s hangar while Mav is on some very romantic getaway with Penny - I didn’t ask for details and I don’t think Rooster did either.” She changes lanes, looking over her shoulder quickly and smiling at Bob. “Uh, what else… I think Fanboy and Payback are dating.”
“What?” Bob asks, laughing a little as she shrugs. “What makes you think that?”
“Call it a vibe.” She winks at him. “Coyote and Hangman came back from Texas more annoying, if you can believe that. And Hangman brought his sister and niece with him, so watch out.”
“Why?” Bob laughs, trying to avoid her eyes. She reaches across the console and shoves his shoulder lightly, laughing.
“Don’t play coy with me, Robert,” she says, laughing as he frowns at the use of his full name. “I’ve seen him making eyes at you.”
“He makes eyes at everyone, Tash,” Bob replies, trying and failing to keep his voice level. She grins like she knows she’s won.
“Does he though?”
Bob looks at her and frowns, a mischievous look in her eyes that he doesn’t like. It’s like she knows something he doesn’t and they’re usually on the same page. “What are you getting at?”
She just smiles at him and changes lanes again.
---
After stopping off at his apartment to drop off his bags and change, she takes him to the Hard Deck, saying that everyone’s started camping out on the porch most days.
“Oh and because Hangman’s niece is like, obsessed with the ocean,” she says as she parks, winking at him. He, again, feels like he’s missing something.
“Tash, would you-”
“Grab my towel, would you Bob?” she asks with a smile. He flips her off but grabs it anyway.
Fanboy is the first person to see him, shouting at him excitedly and nearly tackling him in a hug. Bob hugs him back just as tight though, Fanboy’s enthusiasm contagious.
“How was Georgia man?” Fanboy asks as he pulls back and looks at Bob, holding him at arm's length. “Did you get tanner?”
“Probably,” Bob replies, looking at his arms. “Suns hot in Georgia.”
“Sun’s hot everywhere man, global warming.”
Bob snorts, shaking his head as Fanboy pats his shoulder and lets Bob walk around him. Payback is right there, grinning as he gives Bob a hug too. When he lets go of Bob, he heads towards where Fanboy is walking towards his car. Bob files that away as he heads towards the beach.
Toeing off his shoes, he steps out onto the sand. It’s warm and the ocean breeze isn’t as cold as it could be. It looks like everyone from the mission is spread out along the beach - Yale, Omaha, Harvard, and Coyote are playing two on two football, Phoenix and Halo are on loungers up closer to The Hard Deck , and Hangman is standing next to a woman that can only be his sister. Bob looks around for the supposed niece but she seems to spot him first.
“Hey!”
He turns and smiles as a child no older than five walks up to him, her hands on her hips. She has light blonde hair and big green eyes behind her glasses. Bob smiles at her instantly.
“Hi,” he replies, squatting down so they’re on the same level. “What’s your name?”
“Max,” she replies, tilting her head. “You have glasses like mine!”
“I do,” Bob says, even though they’re very different styles of frames. Max’s are hooked around her ears, the frames plastic and a cloudy pink. “Do your eyes not work so well either?”
“Yeah.” She tugs at the arms of her orange wetsuit, looking out towards the ocean. “Do you want to go in the water with me?”
“Where’s your mom?” he asks instead and she points to where Hangman is standing. “Can you introduce me to her before I go hang out with you?”
“She’s going to say yes,” Max complains but grabs his hand anyway, dragging him across the sand. He sees Phoenix laughing at him and scowls at her. As they walk closer the woman turns and lights up at the sight of Max, laughing a bit as she sees what’s happening. Bob refuses to look at Hangman as he turns around.
“Maxine, what are you doing?” Hangman asks, squatting down to her level. He smiles up at Bob, his dimples popping, and Bob tries not to let his face show how much that gets to him. “You can’t just drag people you don’t know around in public.”
“But he has the same glasses,” she argues, stomping her foot. Bob tries not to laugh, catching Hangman’s sisters eye. She winks at him.
“I’m Sophia,” she says, holding out her hand. Bob goes to let go of Max’s hand but she’s holding firm so he sticks out his other hand to shake. “Jake’s sister.”
“I’m Robert,” he smiles at her, “but they all call me Bob.”
“That’s your callsign,” Hangman reminds him as he has a staring contest with Max. Sophia shakes her head at the two of them.
“Maxine, you need to let go of Bob’s hand. You have to ask people if it’s okay before touching them,” she reminds her daughter, voice gentle. Max looks up at Bob and lets go of his hand. She then holds her hand up again.
“Can I hold your hand please?”
Hangman hangs his head and chuckles as Bob tries not to laugh. Sophia looks like she’s ready to burst.
“Only if you tell your mom you understand,” Bob says, smiling as she pouts. The family resemblance is stark and Bob’s never been able to resist the Seresin charm. It’s his main problem in life currently.
“Boooooooo.” Max pushes herself into Hangman’s arms and he stands with an arm under her bottom.
“Little miss,” Sophia laughs, touching her daughter's face. Hangman catches Bob’s eye and they both chuckle.
“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?” Bob asks, receiving two identical laughs in response. It’s almost scary how alike they all are.
“She becomes more like Jake every day,” Sophia mumbles, taking her daughter away from Hangman. “We’re going to go reapply sunscreen and have a snack before you head back into the water.”
“Can Robert come with me?”
“That’s up to him, honey,” Hangman replies for Sophia as she wrestles a hat onto the child's head.
“If you’re good,” Bob says, winking at her. “I’ll be asking your mom for a status report.”
Max groans again and then Sophia is kissing Hangman on the cheek and walking towards a pair of beach chairs down the shore a bit. Bob watches them go, waving when Max waves at him. When he looks back at Hangman, that soft smile is on his face again. Bob shifts on the sand.
“Sorry about her, she’s very outgoing,” Hangman explains, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair. “Keeps us all on our toes.”
“Sounds like someone I work with.” Bob nudges past Hangman, heading for the patio where Amelia is sitting quietly. He doesn’t have to turn around to know Hangman is following him.
“Aww, come on Bobby, I thought we were at least friends by now,” Hangman says as they walk up the wooden steps. Ameila looks at them for a moment, shakes her head, and puts her headphones in.
“Bobby?” Bob asks, pulling the door open. He gestures for Hangman to go ahead of him, curtsying a bit. Hangman laughs softly.
“Would you prefer Bert?”
“Absolutely not.”
---
Bob manages to escape Hangman’s orbit by getting him into a game of darts with Fanboy and Payback, skipping down the beach to where Phoenix is sitting. She grins up at him as he collapses into the sand next to her.
“Okay, you have got to tell me what’s on your mind,” he pleads, pointing at her around his soda can. “You were like this before I left.”
“Like what?” Halo asks, sitting up in her chair. She pushes her sunglasses up into her hair and smiles at Bob, reaching out to hold his hand for a moment in greeting.
“Hangman,” Phoenix tells her. Halo nods, a look of understanding crossing her face. Bob glares at both of them.
“Ladies.” He lowers his glasses and they both giggle at him. “Seriously.”
“Seriously, what I said in the car, Bob.”
“What did you tell him in the car?” Halo asks, leaning her elbow on the arm of Phoenix’s chair.
“I said Hangman makes eyes at everyone and she said ‘does he though?’ and won’t explain anything to me,” Bob complains, sticking out his bottom lip. Phoenix smacks his arm.
“Your southern drawl and a bit of pouting won’t work on me, buddy.”
Bob frowns, about to speak when a hand touches his shoulder. Phoenix’s eyes light up and Bob knows who’s there before he turns.
“Hi Maxine,” Phoenix says, reaching over to poke the child’s belly. Max giggles.
“Hi,” she says shyly before turning to look at Bob. “Mom said I was good and we can go play.”
Phoenix snorts behind him and he resists the urge to flip her off in front of a child.
“If I ask her, will she tell me the same thing?” Bob asks as he moves to stand. Max nods, her glasses slipping on her nose a bit. She pushes them back up and reaches for his hand.
“Mom!” she yells, getting Sophia’s attention. “I was good, right?”
Sophia laughs and nods, waving them off. Bob resigns himself to being a babysitter for the foreseeable future.
Max drags him down the beach until they’re standing just out of the water's reach. Bob makes her wait as he rolls up his jeans a bit and she crosses her arms as he works.
“You’re very impatient,” he tells her, staying on one knee so he can see her face as they talk.
“What’s that?” she asks, tilting her head to the side. Something about the tilt of her smile is so familiar to Bob and he doesn’t want to examine it.
“It means you don’t like to wait.”
“Yeah.”
She turns on her little heel and moves down the beach, holding up her hand for him to take and follow. Bob hears Phoenix and Halo laughing at him from where they sit and this time does flip them off when Max isn’t looking.
They walk to where there’s a pile of sand toys and Bob plops down in the sand as Max grabs the little shovels and molds. She starts to explain her idea for a fort and how she wants a moat (and how she knows that word is beyond Bob) and that he needs to build a tower and he honestly forgets about everyone else as she tells him what to do.
She doesn’t seem to stop talking, telling him about the ranch she lives on and how her grandma makes really good pancakes. Bob nods along with all of it.
“Mommy says Grandpa and Uncle Jake don’t get along,” Maxine says suddenly, looking up at him. Bob’s breath catches in his throat. “She won’t tell me why.”
“It’s probably grown up business,” he says, trying to steer her away from the conversation. “Have you started school yet?”
“No,” she replies, stopping her digging to look at him. “Grown up business is stupid.”
“Now that’s not a nice word,” he laughs, poking her side. She giggles and moves away from him. “How about you call it boring?”
“Maybe.” She looks at him for a moment, small eyes moving over his face. He smiles at her, unsure of what she’s looking for. Bob’s beginning to think she’s quite precocious. “Do you like my Uncle Jake?”
Bob takes a deep breath, tamping down on his initial reaction of laughing. “Yeah, he’s a friend of mine.”
“But do you like him?”
“I said he’s a friend.”
“Sometimes you don’t like your friends,” Maxine says sagely, nodding at him. Bob blinks a couple times. He’s about to respond when her eyes light up and she’s running around him. “Uncle Jakey!”
“Bob, seriously,” Hangman says as he walks over to where he’s sitting, Maxine around his legs. She’s laughing hysterically as he lifts his leg up and walks with her attached to it. “You don’t have to sit with her.”
“Yes he does!” Maxine yells, letting go of Hangman. “He has glasses like me!”
“Max, did you ask him if he wanted to build sand castles with you?”
Maxine looks like she’s about to respond when she stops and looks at Bob with wide eyes. She looks up at Hangman and sticks out her bottom lip. Bob sees Hangman bite down on a smile.
“I asked him to play,” she says, eyes wide. Bob has to admit, she’s good, but Hangman is looking at her like he knows her game. It’s incredible to watch in Bob’s opinion.
“Darlin’, I’ll build a sandcastle with you. Bob just got back and probably wants to catch up with our friends.” Hangman bends down to be level with Maxine, hands on her shoulders. He pushes her glasses up her nose and kisses her forehead. The floor falls out from under Bob. “Maybe if you ask nicely, he’ll come back over when he’s done.”
Hangman looks at Bob and winks quickly. Bob’s not sure his voice is going to work so he just nods. Maxine looks at him and sighs, reaching to hug him around the neck.
“When I finish, will you come look at it?” she asks, pulling back and placing her hands on his shoulders. Heart still in his throat, Bob just nods. She smiles and turns back to Hangman. “Okay, now don’t mess it up!”
Bob stands and watches as Hangman sits down in the sand and lets Maxine explain her vision. He never moves his eyes off her, nodding as she explains and offering insights quietly. She puts her arm on his shoulder and not for the first time that day, Bob swears he’s seeing double.
---
As the sun starts to set, Payback pulls out the grill Penny keeps in the office of the bar. Bob wasn’t aware they were going to have a barbecue but he’s not against it. He gets up off the sand and offers his help.
“I’d love your help but there’s a Seresin coming your way,” Payback says, grinning at him. There’s a look in his eyes and Bob glares at him.
“Why does everyone keep looking at me like that?” he asks. Payback just laughs and turns back to the grill.
Maxine seems to forget that she was going to show Bob her work because Hangman comes over sans the five-year-old and tells everyone that Sophia is taking her back to his apartment. Bob’s silently relieved, if not a little bummed to not see the child terrorizing her uncle anymore.
“She’s a handful, man,” Bob says as Hangman steps up next to him where he’s leaning against the railing. “It’s like dealing with a whole other you.”
Hangman laughs, cheersing Bob with his beer. Bob holds up his half empty soda can. “Oh, does she hit on you too?”
“Ha ha,” Bob replies, that pit in his stomach growing slightly. “She’s five, Bagman.”
Hangman looks at him and smirks. “No, I know. She’s got too much personality for her own good. I swear she has none of her father, which is probably for the best.”
“He’s not in the picture?” Bob asks, lowering his voice a bit. Hangman nods, taking a sip of his beer. He’s quiet for a moment and Bob curses himself. “You don’t have to tell me, that’s personal.”
“No, no,” Hangman starts, looking at him. “It’s fine. Her dad wasn’t really interested in having kids. Was a bitter son of a bitch about it too.” He looks out across the deck, mouth a thin line. “As soon as we could, we got Sophia back home. My parents and other sisters help with her.”
“How many sisters do you have?” Bob asks, laughing a bit. Hangman widens his eyes and starts sarcastically counting on his fingers.
“Uh, too many? Four, last I checked.” Hangman wiggles his fingers in Bob’s face. “All younger than me.”
“That makes so much sense,” Bob mumbles, taking a drink of his soda. It’s going warm now but Bob’s too lazy to do anything about it.
“You have any siblings, Bert?”
“What did I say about that?” Bob laughs. “No, just me.”
“Lucky bastard,” Hangman mumbles, and normally Bob would let that go but Hangman just shared something personal with himself. Bob clears his throat.
“Actually,” he takes a deep breath, “my parents died when I was young. Car crash. My grandparents raised me.”
Hangman’s eyes widen as his mouth opens slightly. Bob registers several different emotions on his face before he schools it.
“Shit, I didn’t mean-”
“No, it’s okay,” Bob says, placing a hand on Hangman’s arm. “You didn’t know. And besides, four younger sisters does sound like hell.”
“You have no idea,” Hangman mumbles. He laughs a bit and takes another drink of his beer. Bob drops his hand from his arm. “That why you don’t curse?”
“I curse when I want to.”
“Which is never?”
Bob rolls his eyes. “Grandma said it was impolite to swear.”
“Well aren’t you a southern charmer,” Hangman says, winking at him. “Root beer?” he asks, gesturing to Bob’s soda can. Bob nods and Hangman pushes off the railing, heading for the doors to the bar.
Belatedly, Bob realizes that he’s missed the several conversations going on around him. He puts his empty soda can in the recycle bin and walks over to where Fritz, Omaha, and Fanboy are talking about Star Trek. They’re deep in conversation, Bob not sure where he can jump in, so he listens to them speak for a moment.
The door to the bar opens and he turns to see Hangman looking at where Bob had just been standing. His face falls a bit, a can of root beer in his hand. The pit in Bob’s stomach grows a bit bigger. But then Hangman spots him and his face lights up and Bob’s back to feeling like he’s standing on a small boat on a rocky sea.
“Here,” Hangman says gently, handing Bob the soda. Bob sees Fanboy looking at them out of the corner of his eye.
“Thanks,” Bob replies, giving Hangman the best smile he can muster when he feels off balance. Hangman’s dimples appear on his face and he nods as he walks off towards Coyote.
When Bob looks back at the three men in front of him, they’re all giving him that look. The same one Payback had given him earlier. Bob ignores it and decides now's the time to jump into the conversation.
“I really liked Star Trek Beyond.”
---
Bob wakes up the next morning to several text messages from Hangman. The first is a voice memo, about seven seconds long, and from the series of texts after, Bob knows what he’s about to hear when he presses play.
“Robert! Hi! Can we play today? Okay. Bye!”
Smiling, Bob reads the rest of the text messages with a bit more context.
bagman: i’m very sorry, she keeps talking about you
bagman: soph was leaving her with me for the day, if you’re free at all
bagman: no pressure, obviously, there’s more fun things to do than hang out with a precocious five year old
Bob thinks about his plans for a long moment. He didn’t have any for the day besides doing his laundry and maybe catching up on his reading. There's part of him that wants to lay in bed and relax after a day of traveling and socializing. But there's another part of him that keeps thinking about how Maxine kept repeating that they both had glasses and Bob smiles to himself. He remembers being that little kid.
bobby: i'm free. what's your grand uncle plans for the day?
bagman: dude she only ever wants to go to the beach
bagman: she's like a fish with water
bobby: have you taken her to birch aquarium yet?
bagman: to what?
Bob sighs and calls Hangman.
“The what?” Hangman asks when he answers, Max yelling in the background. “Max, darlin’, you are so very loud.”
“The Birch Aquarium in La Jolla,” Bob replies, trying not to laugh as Maxine argues with her uncle. “Has she ever been to an aquarium?”
“I don't think so.” Hangman huffs and Bob hears Max laughing. “Are you saying you'll go with us?”
“I'll take you both,” Bob says, his brain going offline for a moment. “I'll even drive.”
“You have room for her booster seat? She's still a bit small.”
“I have a SUV, Hangman. I'll pick you guys up in half an hour.”
There's a pause and Max’s voice grows quieter. Bob heard a door shut.
“You don't have to hang out with me and my niece all day, Bobby. I know she seems to like you, won't stop talking about the person with glasses like hers, but you really don't have to entertain her.”
Bob thinks about what Hangman had said, about Max’s dad not wanting anything to do with her. The pit in his stomach aches a bit before he responds. “Afraid to spend the whole day with me, Hangman? Afraid you'll start to hate me as I steal Max’s heart?”
Hangman hums. “That doesn't sound like an issue to me.”
Bob shakes his head. “I'll see you in thirty.”
---
Bob buys the tickets before he leaves, letting the page load as he makes sure the backseat of his car is clear. When the confirmation page comes up, he smiles and jumps into the car. Hangman’s apartment is literally around the corner so Bob texts him as he’s pulling up and waits.
Max comes bursting out the door at full speed, Hangman right behind her. Bob laughs, getting out of the car to grab her before she hits the road.
“Maxine Evelyn Seresin, what have we told you about the road?” Hangman says as he comes up to where Bob is holding a wiggling child in his arms. She kicks, hard, and he hands her off to Hangman with wide eyes.
“I was going to stop at the car!” she cries, wiggling enough to get out of Hangman’s arms. He sighs, eyes closing softly, and looks at Bob.
“You can back out now,” Hangman says. Bob shakes his head and takes the booster seat.
“No I can’t, I already bought the tickets.”
Hangman stares at him as he opens the back door and gets the booster seat in the car. Maxine climbs in easily, settling in the seat and looking up at her uncle expectantly. Hangman shakes himself and takes Bob’s place as Bob walks around the car.
“Robert,” Max says to him as he gets in the driver's seat. “Uncle Jake says we’re going to an ac-arium.”
“An ah-quare-ium, honey,” Hangman says gently, sounding out the word for her. She repeats it back to him as he closes her door and opens his own.
“Ac-quare-yum,” she says, looking at Bob. He shoots her a thumbs up.
“Close enough, kiddo,” he tells her, smiling as she nods to herself happily. She sits back against the seat and looks out the window as Bob pulls away from the curb.
“Max, what do you want to listen to?” Bob asks, tapping the dash screen. Hangman chuckles, looking at her.
“Baby shark.”
Bob looks at Hangman, glaring when Hangman grins at him.
“How about Bruce Springsteen?”
“Who’s that?”
Bob smiles and taps until he finds the right playlist, smiling as Bruce starts to play. Max bops her head along and Hangman smiles.
He’s merging onto I-5 when Hangman turns to him.
“You didn’t have to buy the tickets,” Hangman says softly, smiling a bit when they hear Max humming along to the best of her ability.
“Don’t worry about it,” Bob replies. “I doubt you’ve ever been to the aquarium?”
“I’ve been to an aquarium.” Hangman laughs as Bob rolls his eyes.
“Aquariums on the west coast are magical.”
“We’ll see about that,” Hangman replies but he smiles when Bob shakes his head.
They’re quiet the rest of the drive, Max humming along in the backseat randomly. Hangman watches the freeway pass by and doesn’t say much, which slightly unnerves Bob but it’s also a nice change of pace from the frenetic energy he’s used to. Max seems to have taken it from him, dancing in her seat and pointing out every little thing she sees to her uncle.
“Look! A fish!” Max yells as they pull into the aquarium parking lot, a few fish statues littering the area. Bob grins at her, unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Just you wait, kiddo, there’s something cool at the entrance.”
Hangman helps her out of the car, and when Bob comes around, he’s crouched down in front of her and talking to her quietly. “You have to stay with me, do you understand, Maxine? I want you to either be holding my hand or Bobby’s, okay?”
Maxine nods. “All the time?”
“If we’re walking, yes. No running ahead, no disappearing. It’s one thing on the beach where everyone I work with is hanging out but this is like when we go to the grocery store.”
“One hand on the cart at all times,” Maxine recites dutifully. “Can I hold onto your pants?”
“Absolutely,” Hangman replies, kissing her forehead gently. She beams at him and takes his hand as he stands. Bob schools his face as Hangman looks at him. “Alright, Bobby. Lead the way!”
Maxine nearly vibrates out of her skin when they reach the front area of the building. She pulls Hangman along until they’re standing at the edge of the small pool there, two statues of whales coming up out of the water. Hangman picks her up so she can see it better and Bob pulls out his phone without thinking. He snaps a picture before his brain catches up to him.
“Robert! Look at them!” Maxine yells to him, beckoning him over. He walks up to them and smiles at her. Hangman’s looking at him funny, his eyes far too soft for Bob’s liking, so he pushes them along towards the entrance.
Bob pulls up their tickets on his phone as Maxine holds onto his pants, her head turning every which way. Hangman taps something out on his phone quickly as Bob leads the way into the building.
“Soph is going to lose it when I start sending her photos.” Hangman smiles, wiggling his phone in his hand. “Part of her is going to be bummed she missed this and the other is going to send you a Christmas card every year for this.”
Bob purses his lips and shakes his head. “What’s she up to today?”
Hangman grabs Max’s hand as they come to a stop in the entrance area. Max is staring up at the figures and posters above them, her mouth open slightly. “She’s taking a ‘self-care’ day up in Los Angeles. Booked herself a nice spa. This is her first real vacation in over a year, so I told her I’d help take care of Max so she can enjoy it.”
Bob smiles at that. He gestures to the different galleries.
“Max, which way do you want to go?” Hangman asks her. She looks up at them with wide eyes, shrugging.
“Where are the fish?”
“Everywhere,” Bob laughs, taking her hand. He crouches down to her level again. “To the left are big tanks of different types of fish and the huge kelp garden. To the right are the seahorses and seadragons. And straight ahead are the tide pools, but let's do those last.”
“Kelp garden!” Max cheers, looking up at Hangman. He nods at her. “Yeah!”
Bob stands back up and Hangman smiles at him. It’s softer than any Bob’s seen before and he turns on his heel to pull Max along towards the start of the hall of fishes.
---
See, the thing is, Bob knows that Phoenix and Halo and Payback and everyone see what he sees when he lets himself. He knows that they’re aware of the way Hangman’s been softer with him, less harsh, since the bird strike. At least since then. The quick weeks of training are a blur in Bob’s brain but he clearly remembers Hangman coming to his hospital room to check on him, pulling the blinds shut to help with the headache Bob had developed. He’d spoken softly and hadn’t made a single jab at Bob.
Bob knows from the way Hangman had hugged him, so tight, after the mission. As he’d let go of Phoenix (having practically lifted her off the ground) he’d turned to Bob and smiled so wide Bob’s breath had left his chest again. And then he’d wrapped his arms around Bob’s waist, hugging him tight, and Bob had let it happen. Had let himself enjoy it as he wrapped his arms around Hangman’s shoulders and squeezed.
“Congrats on the direct hit, man,” Hangman had said when he’d pulled back, smiling wide at Bob. Bob had just nodded, everything too much to process. And then Hangman had moved on to hug Coyote.
And then every little moment from post mission to now - Hangman buying him sodas and offering to refill his trail mix, Hangman including him in every single game of pool because together they’re unbeatable, Hangman teaching him his secret to winning darts.
Bob, on more than one occasion, catching Jake’s eyes following him around a room.
So Bob knows why the pit in his stomach feels heavy, why he keeps letting himself fall for the Seresin charm.
He tells himself it’s because there’s two of them. Double the power. That’s why he decided to take them to the aquarium.
---
Max gasps when she sees the kelp forest.
The aquarium is decently busy but there’s plenty of space to walk around, something Bob’s thankful for as Maxine pulls Hangman towards the large glass walls of the tank. She nearly brains herself as she runs right into the glass, laughing a bit. Hangman shoots Bob a look and Bob shrugs.
“Jakey, look!” Max says, breathless. There’s fish floating right above her head, all along the bottom of the tank, and in the kelp. “What’s that?”
“I think that’s a leopard shark,” Hangman answers, looking along the plaques at the base of the tank. “There’s leopard sharks, giant sea bass, kelp, and other random fish.”
“Giant sea bass?” Max asks, pointing to a giant fish floating slowly in front of the glass. Hangman nods, looking up and smiling at Bob as he walks over. Hangman’s crouched down to Max’s level again, pointing things out to her as the gardens sway gently.
Bob listens to them as he looks around the tank, watching the kelp move. The ocean doesn’t entertain him the way it does others, not after training to be in the Navy, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. He thinks Hangman feels the same way because he stands after a moment and sighs.
“Looks like something we trained in,” he mumbles. Bob snorts.
“I don't know, this one looks cleaner.”
Hangman laughs, shaking his head. Max pushes at their legs and comes to stand between them, reaching up with both hands to grab their hands. Bob tries not to think about how domestic and coupley it feels. Instead, he points out some of the shells on the bottom of the tank, telling Maxine what they all are. Hangman’s quiet the entire time, smiling when Bob catches his eyes.
They move from the kelp forest to the other tanks, Max asking to be lifted to see into some of them. Bob holds her on his hip, pointing out the creatures for her when she has trouble finding them. Hangman stands nearby, phone in his hand. Bob’s accepted the fact that Sophia is going to have numerous photos of him and Maxine by the end of the day.
“Jellyfish are my favorite,” Hangman says as they walk up to the tanks. Bob grins at him as he steps up to the tank, Max right next to him. Stepping back slightly, Bob snaps a photo of them. Hangman looks over his shoulder and winks at Bob.
“How do they see?” Max asks, tilting her head. Hangman picks her up, settling her in his arms as he points to one of the jellies.
“They have a complex system of eyes, actually. It’s not eyes like ours but unique to them, a nervous system that lets them detect things,” Hangman explains and Bob knows he’s dumbing it down greatly for Maxine. She doesn't know any different, nodding sagely.
“Can they see me?”
“I don’t think so, honey,” Hangman whispers. Max frowns and then looks over Hangman’s shoulder at Bob.
“They’re like us!” she says, reaching for him. He walks up to them, putting his hand on Hangman’s shoulder as he stands behind them. The area is a bit more crowded, people moving in close to the jellyfish to watch them move in the low light. Bob feels Hangman sway a bit into his hand.
“How do you figure?” he asks, grinning at Hangman as Max frowns and thinks.
“They have a hard time seeing things too,” she explains. Bob smiles at her, nodding.
“I guess you’re right,” he replies, squeezing Hangman’s shoulder as the man shakes his head.
“Okay, glasses wearers. Let’s let someone else stare at the jellies.”
Max pouts at him but lets him walk away, Bob’s hand falling from Hangman’s shoulder gently. He hates that he misses the contact as soon as it’s gone.
---
Maxine wants to see everything and neither Bob or Hangman can seem to argue with her. She pulls them through the entire aquarium, insisting on spending time at each new tank to see what’s inside. They spend the longest at the sharks, Max’s eyes wide as she watches them move.
When they finally make it to the tide pools, she looks like she’s getting tired. Hangman has her on his back, her arms wrapped tight around his neck, and the second they walk outside, she perks up. Bob almost groans. He sees Hangman laugh at him as he puts Max down on the ground.
“She’s the energizer bunny,” Hangman says as Max pulls him off towards one of the pools. Bob follows, pulling out his phone. Hangman helps Max up onto the edge of the pool and starts talking to her quietly. “Don’t touch any of the animals, but you can touch the water. If a fish brushes against you, be calm.”
“Okay,” Max agrees, bending down to touch the water. Bob walks up next to Hangman and watches Max lean forward against Hangman’s hand against her chest, sticking more of her arm in the water. She brushes her fingers against the rocks, giggling softly. She stills as something brushes past her, her eyes moving to Bob. He smiles at her encouragingly and she looks back down at the water.
Bob looks away from her to find Hangman staring at him, face oddly blank. Bob furrows his brow at him, tilting his head in question. Hangman’s face softens and he smiles, keeping a firm hand on Max as he reaches over and squeezes Bob’s arm.
“Thanks for taking us,” he says softly, Max leaning too far over to hear them. Bob swallows as Hangman’s fingers brush against his skin.
“You’re welcome,” Bob replies, hoping his voice isn’t as rough as it sounds to his own ears. Hangman just smiles and looks back down at where Max is pointing under the water. Bob takes a deep breath before leaning in to see what she sees.
---
Rooster is at The Hard Deck when Bob shows up, bounding over to wrap Bob in a big hug before Bob’s even all the way through the door.
“Bobby! How was Georgia?” Rooster asks, looping his arm around Bob’s shoulders and pulling him towards where Fanboy and Payback are already playing pool.
“Warm, muggy - good to see some family. How’s Mav?”
Rooster shrugs. “Fuck if I know, he’s been no contact this whole time. Left me in charge of Amelia, which I still hold, was a major mistake.”
“Not a big fan of babysitting?” Bob laughs, watching as Rooster puffs out his cheeks and sighs.
“She’s a moody teenager,” Rooster says, Payback and Fanboy groaning as they hear him. “She could’ve stayed with a friend.”
“Dude, you gotta shut up about this,” Payback says, knocking his fist into Rooster’s shoulder. “Bob, tell us about your day. Phoenix said you went to the aquarium with Hangman and Maxine?”
Rooster turns to look at him, his eyebrows pulled together. Bob looks between the three of them and decides to go for it.
“Yeah, we did, but quick question.” They all slowly nod, so he continues. “Is Hangman in love with me?”
Fanboy and Payback sputter, starting to talk over each other. Rooster looks right at Bob and frowns.
“I thought he knew?” he says to the others and Bob groans. “Wait, guys. I thought he knew.”
“No, I didn't,” Bob grounds out, crossing his arms. “I've felt like I’m on the outside of some big inside joke for weeks.”
“Hey, I’m sorry about that,” Payback says, holding up his free hand. “We all thought you two were like, dancing around it or something. Hangman’s been really obvious. We thought you were just weighing your options.”
“I didn’t know there were options?” Bob’s voice gets a little squeaky and he takes a deep breath. “You all thought this?”
“Well, yeah,” Rooster says, shrugging. “Look, he’s Hangman. He’s a jerk and he’s very, very full of himself, but he’s also annoyingly kind and a really good friend.” Rooster shrugs. “I hear his sister is here? I knew him when she got pregnant and the guy didn’t want to be with her. Hangman literally finagled himself a weekend off to go home to help deal with it.
“During TOPGUN, mind you,” Rooster finishes and Bob sighs.
“Okay… what does that have to do with me?”
Payback and Fanboy share a look as Rooster smiles.
“Well, he’s picked you.” Payback loops his arm around Fanboy’s shoulders, pulling him in tight. “And I guess that means all of that energy is directed at you now, too.”
“You’re all ridiculous,” Bob says, frowning. Rooster shakes his head, looking up as the bar doors open. He jerks his head, eyes widening slightly, and Bob knows who’s about to walk up behind him before he speaks.
“Fellas,” Hangman says, moving to stand next to Bob. “Rooster, nice to see you know how to fly home.”
“Hangman,” Rooster replies, reaching over and bumping fists with the other pilot. “I hear Sophia is here. How’s the kiddo?”
“A terror,” Hangman sighs, shaking his head. He looks at Bob and smiles, his entire face softening. Bob sees Rooster wink at him. “Sophia says thank you, by the way, for taking her. And for buying Max that jellyfish plushie.”
Rooster’s eyes widen behind Hangman’s head and Bob ignores him in favor of returning the smile Hangman’s giving him.
“I have some photos of you two I can send you for her,” Bob says, watching Hangman carefully. The man lights up a bit, nodding. Behind them, Payback coughs. Hangman turns to look at him.
“Oh, you want to lose some pool?” Hangman slips back into himself and Bob watches the change with wide eyes. Rooster winks at him. “Come on, Bobby, let’s kick some ass.”
It’s much later when Bob’s able to escape Hangman’s orbit, slipping away under the pretense of using the bathroom. He steps outside onto the porch and walks on down towards the beach, taking a deep breath. His head is swimming a bit and he hasn’t had a single moment to get his thoughts into coherency.
Because when he focuses on it, when he actually lets himself tally up all of the little ways that Hangman treats him differently, it’s dizzying. There’s the gentle hand on his arm when he wants Bob’s attention, the hand on his back when Hangman walks behind him, giving each of them space. There’s the way Bob’s glass was never empty the whole night, Hangman somehow always keeping his water full. Drawing him into conversations so he isn’t left out. Inviting him into inside jokes - telling Bob all of his little dumb jokes instead of announcing them to the bar.
Bob’s staring off at the surf when someone walks up next to him. He knows it’s Hangman before he turns his head.
“This isn’t the bathroom,” Hangman says, grinning. “Unless you’re looking to get a public indecency ticket.”
Bob smiles but he knows it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Hangman’s easy smile falls a bit and he shifts. Bob watches his face closely as Hangman takes a deep breath, eyes staring off at the waves a bit.
“Look,” Hangman says, twisting his hands together. Bob’s breath catches in his throat at the simple action, a clear sign of anxiety. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. It occurred to me today that I might have been… I don’t know, coming on really strong.”
Bob’s mouth drops open and he tries to think of anything to say but Hangman keeps speaking.
“If you’re… if you aren’t interested, I promise we can just forget this conversation and just remain friends,” Hangman looks up at him and takes a deep breath, “because I do like having you as a friend, Bobby.”
“Jake,” Bob begins but Hangman’s shaking his head.
“It’s fine,” Hangman says. Bob shakes his head, stepping into Hangman’s space.
“Jake,” he repeats, pulling on his shirt. Hangman steps into his space hesitantly and Bob realizes the balls in his court. It always has been. “Jake, I’m sorry if I made you think I wasn’t interested.”
Hangman’s face goes blank before it lights up, his dimples coming out with full force and Bob decides he’s done talking.
Using the inch he has on Jake, Bob pulls him in with two gentle hands on his face, cupping his jaw. Jake looks at him, eyes wide, before they slide shut and Bob slots their lips together. With a groan, Jake wraps his arms around Bob’s waist, pulling them even closer. Bob slides his hands up Jake’s face a bit, getting a better grip on his jaw. He shudders when Bob runs his tongue along Jake’s bottom lip.
Somewhere up the beach, they hear wolf whistles. Bob pulls back slightly, keeping their foreheads together, and rolls his eyes.
“They’re stupid,” Jake says, leaning in to kiss Bob again.
“They thought I knew you were in love with me.”
Jake pulls back and looks at him sheepishly. He opens his mouth to speak, twice, before he just shrugs. “Yeah… yeah.”
Bob kisses him again, flipping off their friends as they cheer from up the beach.
---
Bob wakes up the next morning to someone moving in his bed. He squeezes his eyes closed against the light coming in from the window and soft lips graze his forehead. The body moves away from him and he hears something slap against wood. Opening his eyes, he catches Jake pulling his phone to his ear.
“Sophia, what’s up?”
Bob can hear her talking on the other end of the line and then a loud squeal. Smiling, Bob scoots across the bed and plasters himself to Jake’s back.
“She spent the whole day with me yesterday,” Jake says, covering one of Bob’s hands with his own. Bob kisses his shoulder and smiles when Jake shivers. “Oh, she’s asking for Robert?”
Bob goes to pull away but Jake’s holding him tight. Maxine yells on the other end of the line and Jake pulls the phone away from his face, putting it on speaker phone.
“Maxine, can you repeat that so Bobby can hear?”
“Hi Robert!” she says loudly, ever excitable. Bob smiles. “Can we go to the beach today?”
Bob laughs into Jake’s shoulder. “You and me?”
“You, me, and Uncle Jake!”
Sophia laughs in the background before she speaks, quieter like she’s holding her hand over her mouth. “You can say no and spend the day together, it’s fine.”
Bob looks at Jake, eyebrow raised, and Jake has the decency to look a bit sheepish. Bob kisses his shoulder again and rests his cheek there.
“Can we go later? I haven’t even showered yet,” Bob mumbles. Sophia laughs.
“Absolutely. I can entertain her for a while so you two can have grownup time together.”
“Good bye, Soph.” Jake ends the call and tosses his phone on the floor. Bob laughs, wrapping both arms around him and pulling him back into his chest. Jake goes easily, humming softly. Bob tucks his nose into his neck and sighs.
“You know,” Bob says, because he feels like he needs to tell Jake this before they go any farther, “the other day, Maxine just freely told me some personal information about you.”
“Oh? What did she spew out now?”
Bob kisses his skin. “She said that Sophia says you and your dad don’t get along.”
Jake’s quiet for a moment before he sighs. “She’s like a sponge.”
“I just - I want you to know that she told me that. You don’t have to tell me anything.”
Jake pulls at his arms until Bob lets him turn into his chest. Jake tucks his face into Bob’s neck and Bob feels his stomach swoop.
“Later,” Jake says after he’s kissed Bob’s neck, pulling a few breathless gasps from Bob’s mouth. “It’s a nice morning. We don’t need to spoil it.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Bob replies, pulling Jake’s face up to kiss him. “Let’s talk about this giant crush you’ve had on me for weeks.”
“Ugh,” Jake groans, pinching Bob’s sides. “I regret ever telling you.”
Bob shakes his head, rubbing their noses together. Jake’s face flushes a pretty pink.
“If you hadn’t told me, I might not have told you.”
Jake’s eyes light up and he hooks a leg over Bob’s hip under the blanket. He pushes until Bob’s on his back, Jake hovering over him with a grin on his face. Bob pulls the blankets up over his shoulders as Jake leans in and kisses him, hands framing Bob’s face. Bob sinks into the pillows, letting Jake control the speed of the kisses. It’s lazy - nothing like the kisses they’d pressed into each other the night before. Bob shudders as Jake runs his hands down Bob’s chest.
“Mmm,” Jake hums as he pulls back, keeping their chests together. Bob places his hands on Jake’s back, running his fingertips along his spine. “I could get used to this.”
Bob hums in response, thinking about the night before. Something he’d said on the beach.
“You didn’t deny that you are in love with me,” Bob says, pressing a little harder into Jake’s back as he makes to move. He smiles at Bob and settles on his chest again.
“I didn’t,” Jake replies, voice a little wobbly. Bob moves his hands out of the blankets and cups Jake’s face.
“Give me like, a week or two.” He kisses Jake’s slack lips, reveling in the ability to stun the man speechless. “I won’t be able to deny it either.”
Jake laughs, happy, and kisses Bob again.
---
Maxine walks right up to them when she sees them next, her eyes honing in on their clasped hands. She looks up at Bob, hands on her hips.
“Robert,” she says. Bob laughs a bit at how she only ever uses his full name. “You said Uncle Jake was your friend.”
“He is,” Bob answers easily, crouching down to her level. She steps forward when he beckons her with his hand, putting his hand to the side of her head to whisper loudly to her. “But I also happen to like him, if you can believe it.”
Jake laughs, a happy sound that Bob’s become addicted to in the past fifteen hours. Max looks at them and grins.
“Good!” She grabs his hand, tugging it. “Now let’s go play.”
Jake lets go of his hand, watching with a smug smile on his face as Bob’s pulled down the dunes by the littlest Seresin.
“He’s a goner,” Bob hears Sophia say. When he looks, Jake’s watching him with a soft smile. He misses Jake’s response over the roar of the waves and Max’s yelling, but Bob feels like he knows exactly what Jake’s said by the way Jake’s smiling at him.
I am too.