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"Fucking Rodeo." Butch groaned annoyed and grabbed the other pilot by the collar. “Was that really necessary?!” Stressed, his mouth turned into a thin line.
"What do you mean Cobra? I was just doing my job. Besides, you don't have the right to talk to me like that." The younger man replied slightly more aggressively and pushed Butch away, who didn't hesitate to grab him again and press him against the wall a little harder than planned. Unfortunately, Rodeo was actually the better pilot of the two and Cobra didn't really have the right to talk to his colleague like that, but this time Tom had crossed a line. He really had fucked up.
"That's not what I mean and you bastard know it full well." Understanding flashed in Tom's eyes and he raised an eyebrow, an arrogant grin creeping onto his lips.
"Ah, is this about Karen?" He seemed almost uninterested and although both knew that he could easily get out of the position if he wanted to, he remained pressed against the wall exactly like that. Butch could hit him and glared at him angrily.
"She's been waiting for the ring, you know that very well. You've been giving her hope for the last few months and now you broke up with her on Valentine's Day?!" He would love to beat that asshole's face bloody.
"Looks like it, doesn't it? Typical Butch." Tom grinned humorlessly and coolly. "Of course you're on her side, aren't you? Of course the big brave hero protects the poor little girl. If you're that into her then just be with her!" This time Tom pushed him away with more force than necessary.
"That's not true, you know that Tom-" Butch began, raising his hands. "I would never-" he tried to soothe his friend.
"No, it's okay. I understand. It was clear that you would be blaming me from the start. It was clear that you were much closer to her as always. Have fun Cobra." As he left he shoulder-checked him without looking back. Cobra followed without hesitation. Maybe his friend was right. After all, he didn't know anything about the circumstances other than what Karen had told him, and that was only that he had broken up that same morning and he hadn't even listened to his friend's reason. Damn, they've been best friends for so long, closer than anyone and inseparable. What if his friend wasn't feeling well? He realized that he had judged too early.
"Rodeo wait. Craig. Tom! Stop walking." However, he ignored him and went on without a reaction and walked to the jet, which he loved with all his heart. Butch hurried and ran the last few steps to grab his best friend and turn him around. His lips became dry and his eyebrows furrowed slightly as he took in the blank expression on the other pilot's face. It wasn't something he saw from him often.
Tom usually wore his feelings on his sleeve, proudly showing what he thought and who he was. He was a leader. He loved and hated with all his heart. He could take responsibility and was a good person, but sometimes he overreached and made life difficult for those around him. The last time he had seen such an expression on his friend's face was when one of their friends died due to a jet defect during a training session. Back then, Tom had buried all his feelings inside himself and hadn't freaked out or been loud like he usually did. That was his way of mourning. That was his way of expressing it when he wasn't feeling well. "Tom."
"Go away Cobra. Go to her. You'd definitely make a cute couple." his voice was dripping with venom and Butch let go of him like he'd been burned.
"You are misunderstanding this." he defended himself, he tried to explain himself but he couldn't find the right words. For a moment he felt helpless. Tom snorted contemptuously, turned around and left again, but he didn't get away that easily. "I'm sorry. I only know how you can be and that's why..."
"That's why you assumed I played asshole with her and now threw her away and broke her heart?" Tom interrupted him. "That's why you assumed I didn't care about other people's feelings again?"
"That's not how I see you, Rodeo. You know that." Cobra sounded more than offended and frowned. Had he made his best friend feel like he thought about him that way and was only after his girlfriend? “You know that, right?” He repeated slowly after his friend didn't respond. An uneasy feeling spread through his stomach and without realizing it, his body tensed up.
"The only thing I know, Cobra, is that we've known each other for years and you're attacking me because I broke up with my girlfriend. Pretty suspicious, huh? That's so pathetic, I don't have to deal with it anymore."
"Shit, I'm sorry, okay? You're right." A little desperate, he ran his fingers through his hair, which he should definitely cut again. "Let's go have a drink." he suggested as a peace offering. Tom considered it briefly.
"You pay."
~~~
"So, tell me. Why did you break up with her?" Butch asked carefully, watching his best friend's face, which looked like he had bitten into a lemon.
"Because I just don't work like that. I am just not like that." He half hid his face behind the glass.
"What do you mean?"
"Women. I don't feel anything for women."
Shocked, Cobra opened his mouth, closed it again, blinked several times and then asked in horror, "You're gay?!"
"Not so loud!" the more experienced pilot hissed, eyes wide and breathing slightly quicker, covering his friend's mouth. Butch's mind was racing. He had expected everything from his best friend, as this man brought many surprises, but never anything like this.
"What the hell man, you're really gay?" He preferred to be on the safe side because he thought it was a joke. It had to be a joke. People didn't say that, especially not in the military.
"Yeah, maybe you want to tell the whole world?" the man groaned annoyed and averted his gaze and looked everywhere but at Cobra so as not to be judged even more.
"Probably not. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Butch promised, looking at him sincerely. It was true. He would never betray his best friend like that and it didn't really make a difference. "Did you tell her?" Tom hesitated briefly and then nodded.
"Yes. I fagot should never show my face there again." He said with a shrug and it seemed to bother him less than one would expect.
"Ouch. I'm sorry. Why were you with her if you're... Well, like that?" Butch asked slowly but also curiously. He knew that was probably crossing a line but he just wanted to know.
"I thought I loved her, I really did. I probably did too, but just like a friend. I thought I knew what love felt like, but it wasn't romantic love." Tom admitted unusually calmly, sipping his drink.
"I understand." Butch tilted his head thoughtfully when his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, if you know better now, that means you've met someone! Who's the lucky man?" His joy quickly died down a bit, something he couldn't quite understand.
"Nonsense. There's no one there." Tom quickly denied, but his glowing cheeks gave him away. His best friend grinned knowingly, but dropped the topic. However, what Butch noticed intensely for the rest of the day was how the fighter pilot kept playing with his hair, which was cute to be honest, and kept getting a little nervous throughout the rest of the day. He had never seen his best friend like this before and it would be a lie to say he wasn't at least a little jealous. Whoever managed to get the almost perfect fighter pilot into such a state had to be a really happy and good man. He just hoped Tom would be happy.
~~~
"Butch."
"Yes?" Cobra turned his head to his buddy, who was walking towards him with a worried expression on his face.
"Hey, it's about Rodeo." He admitted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. Butch immediately became nervous.
"What about him?" He tried making eye contact with his friend, who strictly didn't look at him.
"He is in the hospital."
"What?!"
"Tom's in the hospital. He got into something and-" Butch didn't let him finish and hurried off to run. What had his friend done this time? Worried, he ran towards the hospital; he knew he would get into an accident if he drove. At the reception he asked for his friend and hurried to the room, only tripping three times.
"Tom."
"Look who we have here. Cobra." Rodeo grinned and immediately sat upright, grimacing in pain.
"You stupid idiot, stay down." His best friend immediately pushed him back into a lying position and shook his head in dissatisfaction. "What happened?"
"I got hit by a car."
"What?!" Usually he kept his nerves, stayed calm and took life as it came but who the hell had hit his best friend?!
"I was stressed out about someone's behaviour and you know how I can be." he gave him a small smile and frustrated Butch nodded. If something bothered Tom, he could argue and fight very intensely. “He got mad, got in the car and drove towards me. The weirdo wanted to kill me!"
"Oh, I'll kill him." Usually that's how Rodeo was, the hothead of the two but obviously he wasn't up to it at the moment and what kind of best friend would he be if he didn't take on it? "Where does it hurt?"
"I'm not in pain, I'm fine."
"Don't even try. I don't want to repeat myself Rodeo. Where is the pain?"
"My ribs hurt." he admitted sheepishly with a sigh. "My left leg. My butt."
"Shit Tom, tell me that bastard's name and I'll finish him off." To his surprise, he pulled him closer instead and he was slightly startled when he felt lips on his own. It wasn't that he had never kissed before, but he had never kissed a man and especially not his best friend. A thousand thoughts raced through his head at once and he decided on the quickest and easiest reaction to the kiss. He ran away.
~~~
It had been 4 weeks since the kiss. Neither man had said a word about it. They continued as before, only now there was a certain tension between both of them. Their friends were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Rodeo overreacted to every little thing, much more sensitive than before and Cobra... Cobra was a mess. He didn't understand his thoughts or his feelings. The kiss should have disgusted him, right? But it hadn't done that. Instead, it had felt good and right. He silently cursed himself, Tom and the rest of the world and went back to being friendly to his friend but keeping his distance.
Tom screwed up. He knew that. He noticed that. But in his defense, he hadn't been entirely clear-headed at the time of the kiss. He leaned his head back unhappily. He urgently needed to distract himself from thoughts of his best friend. It hurt unnecessarily to continue to cling to him; he had no chance anyway. He gave up.
~~~
"Hey Rodeo, I-" Cobra began as he walked into his friend's small apartment. It hadn't been locked. His mouth dropped open. There was his friend. Pressed against the wall. Busy kissing. With a relatively handsome man. His best friend was naked, the other man was shirtless. "Oh God."
"Oh shit. Get out, Cobra!" Tom shouted in horror, turned red and tried to hide a bit.
"I'm sorry. I, uh. I'd better go." It was his own fault, this bitter truth became clear to him as he left the apartment. He hadn't brought up the kiss again, even though he knew exactly how he felt about the hot-headed pilot. He had ignored the topic for a month and a half, always putting it off. It was clear that Rodeo wasn't going to wait and he couldn't be mad at anyone but himself for that. As much as he would like to blame Tom for this, he hadn't given him any signal that he liked him back and had waited too long it seemed. Outside he sat on a low stone wall and looked thoughtfully into the distance. If he hadn't been so unsure and waited for so long, he would have been spared this sight. Frustrated, he hit a stone, but immediately regretted it because of the sharp pain.
"Cobra." He jumped in shock when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Tom. We need to talk. I don't know where to start. You kissed me. What was that about?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Rodeo sighed and sat down next to him. Butch briefly wondered where the other man was, why Tom had followed him, but the thoughts quickly disappeared when Tom leaned against him. "You're really blind sometimes."
"Maybe. Yes. I probably am." he wrapped his arms around Tom, ignoring the fact that they were out in public. He wouldn't hesitate again. He gave him a quick, gentle kiss. "So it was me that made you notice you liked men?" a slight and smug grin crept onto his lips and his best friend rolled his eyes and smacked him against the back of the head.
"You're unbearable."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes."