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Ever since they’d announced Field Day, Nicky hasn’t been able to stop talking about it. Never once have they seen their kiddo so excited about something, including when they’d gone to the Paw Patrol movie in theaters. He chatters and runs around and tells them every event, until the whole family has the schedule memorized.
This evening is no different. Nicky’s so excited Bradley’s sure he’s not going to sleep a wink, and much to their chagrin he hasn’t eaten much, either.
“And then there’s gonna be a bouncy castle and Bobby said we could jump together and then we’re gonna run so fast on the track we’ll be just like the Flash and then we’re gonna throw the big sticks and —”
“Nick. Breathe. Eat,” Natasha says lightly, a firm hand on his shoulder as she hands him his fork. “You won’t be able to do much of anything if you don’t get some fuel in your body.” She shoots a look toward Bradley, who simply grins at her as he lowers to his knees to plug something into the wall.
“Can we get pizza tomorrow? Lily’s getting pizza. She invited us,” Nicky says instead of eating, fork immediately down as he spins to face Bradley.
“We’ll talk with Lily’s parents,” his dad tells him, eyes narrowed as he sets up the webcam.
“Is Grandpa coming?”
“He said at the very least he’d meet us after,” Bradley tells them. “He’s been pretty busy this week.”
“For pizza?”
Natasha chuckles. “Maybe pizza.”
All of a sudden Nicky’s eyes go wide. He looks at Nat, who raises a brow, then at Bradley who curses under his breath when the connection doesn’t go through.
“When did Papa say he’d call? Are we gonna be here?” Nicky always knows when there’s a call coming. Perhaps the thing he’s always the most excited for, even over Field Day.
“Fifteen minutes,” Natasha relays. “It’ll be okay.” She sits with Nicky, her own dinner in front of her as the both of them finally eat. “Whatever you don’t eat now we can put in the microwave so it stays warm.”
The next fifteen minutes is a gentle reminder to chew with mouth closed, but the prospect of Papa calling gets Nicky devouring his food so he can sit front and center. Luckily Bradley figures out the plug-ins, and when the screen pops up he smiles.
“There. All big on the TV for us.”
As if on cue, the Skype call starts beeping, and Nicky leaps from his chair and does something like a roll on the floor.
“Oh, Jesus, careful!” Bradley laughs, moving to pull Nicky into his lap on the ground. “C’mon, don’t want to hurt yourself.”
“Answer, answer, answer!”
Nat comes over. Presses the big green button. And there, for all of them to marvel and smile at, is Jake.
Immediately Nat and Bradley reach over to hold onto each other, once Nat makes it to their side and takes her seat next to them. Jake looks tired, if the dark circles are anything to go by, but he still grins at the sight of them and immediately brightens when he sees Nicky. They can’t see much behind him, and both his partners blame it on the time zone difference as he sits up and leans close so they can hear him.
“There’s my boy,” he says fondly, before looking at Bradley and Nat. “Hey, sweethearts. How’s my family doin’?”
“Papa!” Nicky shouts, shooting from Bradley’s lap and getting close to the webcam. “Papa, tomorrow is Field Day!”
To say Jake’s disappointed once the details are given over is putting it mildly. After being on assignment in the Atlantic since the beginning of the year, it always hurts to hear what’s going to be missed, and when he hears how delighted Nicky is, the pain is that much more potent. But he makes sure to keep a smile on, especially once they tell him how big his face is in their living room.
“They always have cornhole,” he allows himself to complain. “How am I supposed to prove myself to the other parents?”
“I think they already know you’re from Texas, baby,” Natasha laughs. “You don’t have to prove much else.”
“Papa, I’m gonna win the biggest and best trophy!” Nicky promises. “All of the trophies!”
“Well, that’s a mighty big deal. I can’t wait to see what you bring home,” he says warmly, and then kisses his fingers to push them toward the screen. “But no matter what, win or lose, I want you to have a good time, okay? Promise me that.”
“I promise, Papa,” Nicky says, gazing up at awe before catching the kiss and smacking it against his chest. “Are you flying all the big planes?”
The call ends too soon, as they all do, but it ends with goodbyes, and love, and see you laters before he hangs up. Bradley and Nat make sure Nicky finishes a good chunk of dinner before he brushes his teeth, and then they both kiss him goodnight and tuck him in before making their way to bed.
“Mav might not come?” Natasha says to him. Her frown is distinct, and she pulls out a big shirt to sleep in. One of Jake’s, like she always does when he calls and missing him feels that much stronger. “That’s not like him.”
“He’s just been hard to get a hold of,” Bradley clarifies, stripping down, grabbing a shirt for himself. “I’m sure he’ll come at some point, but him and Ice have been working on something that’s kept them both busy.”
“Personal project?”
“I don’t know. They’ve been really tight-lipped.”
Natasha finally cracks a smile, moves to her side of the too-big-for-two bed and crawls under the covers. “I thought they said retirement would mean slowing down.”
Bradley chuckles, shaking his head. “When has Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell or Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky ever slowed down?”
-
“What did we sign up for again?” Natasha asks, eyes narrowing at the other pairs lined up along the track. Nicky bounces in front of them, almost on Nat’s toes, jumping out of his skin as they wait for the referee.
“I don’t remember signing up for anything,” Bradley murmurs back, looking at the Brooks family at the other end of the track. They wave. He waves back. “I think we were coerced.”
“Coerced. Tricked. Bamboozled,” Natasha agrees. Her lip quirks up. “And now I have a seven-year-old with me in a burlap sack.”
Bradley laughs. Reaches down to ruffle Nicky’s hair, who grins up at him so wide he shows off newly missing teeth. “Well. You did say you wanted to win something.”
“All right, everyone! Places!”
The voice of the principal through the megaphone goes off. Nicky starts bouncing with renewed vigor, and Bradley realizes he’s practicing.
“Do not show this to Jake,” Natasha threatens, pulling the sack up and around them.
Bradley kisses her cheek, immediately pulling out his phone to video. “You got it.”
“On your marks!”
“Bradley, I will fall!” Natasha yells, and Bradley takes three steps back before giving a thumbs up.
“Get set!”
“You got it, baby!” he shouts, pushing the record button.
“Go!”
The air horn blares.
Suddenly, Bradley’s yelling and screaming and cheering with the rest of them. He’s possessed by the spirit of Field Day, of seeing his partner and son move with purpose toward the other finish line.
Everyone else fades to the background. Nothing else matters. All he cares about is Natasha and Nicky, and the sight of them heaving themselves forward in leaps and bounds.
“Go!” he shouts. “Go, go, go, go, go —”
They hop as one unit, and it looks so ridiculous he starts laughing, too. Nat’s eyes are wide as dinner plates as she does her best not to fall onto Nicky, and Nicky’s so focused his nose is scrunched up. Until they cross the finish line, and Nicky collapses forward in a little heap, chest heaving as he dramatically sprawls on the grass.
“And our winners, Team Nicky!”
First.
Oh, god. They got first .
“YES!” Bradley shouts, fist pumping. “WOO!” The camera in his hand turns off as he drops his hand and rushes toward his family, scooping Nicky up to kiss his cheek and then laughing as Nat leans against him.
Natasha’s panting a little, too, but she looks up at Bradley, eyes sparkling. “Next time, you’re doing the hopping,” she complains, but her cheeks are flushed with pride as she glances toward the stage.
“C’mon, Nicky,” their principal says, gesturing toward the stage. “You wanna come get your prize?” Nicky immediately squirms out of Bradley’s grip, and then he’s marching up the too-big steps, clambering up to stand next to a couple of teachers.
“Now, some of you may not know, but there was a special prize for the sack races,” their principal remarks. “Something special for a special family.” Her arm goes around Nicky’s shoulders, who looks up at her with confusion.
Nat and Bradley glance at each other, tension immediately washing over them. Special family?
“After all, Nicky’s family is very proud to serve our country – often one or all of them go off to fly fighter planes for the U.S. Navy.”
“Like Papa!” Nicky pipes up. The principal smiles, something delighted in her look.
“Exactly. So for our special winner of today’s sack race, we have a very, very special prize.”
Suddenly, there’s a familiar sound, one that earlier had been lost in the cheers and Bradley’s own screaming. A familiar engine rattling as it rides up alongside the stage, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the front seat of Jake’s old truck.
“What the hell?” Bradley mumbles. His eyes go wide as he sees them step out, barely registering Nicky’s excited shout of “Grandpa!” when he sees Mav and Ice. “What’re they –”
“I don’t know,” Natasha whispers back, and her voice is tight. “With Jake’s truck…”
“All the way back from his post in Pensacola, thanks to the help of Captain Mitchell and Admiral Kazansky, let’s give a big round of applause for Lieutenant Commander Jake Seresin!”
The truck door opens. The cheers of the crowd are uproarious. And there, in perfect dress uniform, Jake steps out, as he looks up at his son on the big, big stage.
Nat’s knees almost give out. She falls against Bradley, who does his best to hold her up, shocked into stillness and tears springing immediately to his eyes.
But it’s Nicky’s delight that takes the cake, as he screams out what must be Papa and leaps off of the stage, landing with an oof and then sprinting full speed toward Jake. When they collide, Jake’s hat gets knocked off, and he does not hesitate to wrap his arms around his son, squeezing him so tight as the boy sobs into his shoulder.
“Oh, my god,” Natasha whispers. “Oh, my god, oh, my god .”
“Go,” Bradley mumbles, “we have to, holy fuck –”
And then they’re both running, too. Natasha at a full sprint, Bradley in a dazed jog. The cheers are muffled in their ears, blood rushing through them instead as the two of them collide with their partner, wrapping him up and surrounding Nicky in a tight, tight embrace.
When they pull back, the commotion has died down a little bit, the principal gesturing for the next event to start and to give them some space. But Bradley still can’t believe his eyes, and Natasha looks livid and ecstatic in the same breath.
“You bastard!” Nat says, tears choking her voice. “All of you are bastards .” She turns to glare at Mav and Ice, who simply smile at her with their arms around each other’s waists. “Why didn’t you say you were coming home?”
“What, you think I’d miss Field Day?” Jake laughs, hugging her tight against him again, kissing her temple and her cheek and every place he can reach. “I was told there would be cornhole.”
Nicky’s tears have subsided at this point, and he clings to Jake’s body and neck like a vice. Jake doesn’t seem to mind one bit, in the same motion kissing Nicky’s forehead right after he leans to kiss Nat’s, and then leans over to kiss Bradley’s, who finally crushes Jake in a hug once Nat manages to step away.
“What d’you think, Nicky?” Pete suddenly pipes up. They all glance over as he grins. “Do you like your Field Day surprise?”
The boy in question simply blinks, head on Jake's shoulder, eyes big and wide and owlish as he looks over at Bradley and Nat. “Does this mean we can get pizza?” he finally asks. “Lily said everyone can come.”
There’s a smattering of laughter, and then the tidal wave of children hit. Ones who have heard about Nicky’s parents from Nicky himself, about the three bravest people in the world who fly the big, big planes. The rest of the day, Nicky’s hand doesn’t leave Jake’s, even for cornhole, and Bradley and Nat get to watch as their partner showers Nicky in the love he hasn’t gotten to from miles and miles away. And to end a great day, they do end up with pizza, all of Nicky’s family with all of everyone else’s to celebrate a Naval aviator coming home.