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“oh my god.”
maverick squints one eye open at the sound of phoenix’s voice, arms wrapped around the pillow beneath his head. it’s early enough that he’s still mostly asleep, even as he feels the dip of the bed from phoenix sitting up and running her thumb over his cheek.
“mmph. what.”
“you have a zit,” she replies, far too cheerfully for this hour of the morning. “oh my god. there's proof.”
“proof?” maverick rasps, swatting half-heartedly at her hand when he realizes she’s snapping a picture with her phone.
“proof that you’re human,” she grins. “and not just a beautiful robot with zero imperfections.”
maverick snorts, wiping at his eye and then feeling for the zit on his cheek that phoenix is so thrilled about. "doesn't feel like much of a spot. who're you sendin' the picture to?"
he can hear phoenix's thumbs tapping at her phone screen as she replies, "daggers, obviously. this is an important development for our squadron."
"that their former team leader has a zit?"
phoenix just shoots him a bright grin, nose wrinkling in the way he loves so much. "that their former team leader is human." after a moment, she tilts her head and adds, "fanboy is going to be the most upset, I think."
maverick rolls onto his back, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. when he rolls the back of his head against his pillow to look over at phoenix, she's already looking back at him — well. looking at his hips, barely covered by the sheet. he smirks and breathes out a soft, "eyes up, tash. m'still half asleep."
she doesn't skip a beat. "you look pretty awake to me."
maverick takes a breath to reply, but he's stopped by the sound of phoenix's phone buzzing on the mattress between them. she reads through the messages and laughs, handing her phone over to maverick after a moment so he can read them.
coyote: he could still get it!!
hangman: and he clearly IS, ain't he, phoenix? 😉
payback: 30 second countdown to rooster threatening violence starts now
fanboy: this is OBVIOUSLY a ploy to throw us off. he knows we're onto him! get it trending my dudes #robotMav
phoenix: you can't hashtag in a text chain
fanboy: not with that attitude
bob: he could still be an alien. who else would survive mach 10
phoenix & hangman, simultaneously: 10.3
rooster: he blew the plane up, doesn't count
rooster: also if the zit is on his face, WHY is the photo a full length, nat. why.
maverick scrolls up, realizing that the picture not only includes the zit on his cheek, but it's angled to show the bare expanse of his back and half of his ass, uncovered by the sheets.
he sighs, laughing to himself. "natasha."
"what?" she asks innocently, barely containing the smirk and the gleam of mischief in her eyes. "maybe I wanted to show you off a little."
"mm. only a little?"
he drops the phone to the floor when phoenix slides onto his chest, leaning down to kiss him and laughing against his mouth. maverick can hear it buzzing with text after text, but phoenix expertly diverts his attention elsewhere.
hangman: cause a body like that is art, bradshaw
rooster: shooting you down next hop
payback: the violence!
coyote: nat, tell mav he's still the prettiest old man we know
rooster: has left the group
bob: has added 'rooster' to the group
bob: I'd miss you
rooster: you're the only good one, bobby
hangman: nat stopped replying, y'all. what do we think THAT means? rooster? you wanna take a guess?
rooster: you're gonna look so pretty burning in
hangman: that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me
[delayed]
phoenix: sorry, did you guys need something? I was a little tied up
coyote: 😏
hangman: atta girl
rooster: blocking ur number
phoenix: 😘