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In the neon lights of the packed honky-tonk bar, Natasha “Phoenix” Trace wondered how she had found herself here. Typically, her and her fellow Top Gun pilots would be spending their free nights at the Hard Deck, playing pool and shooting the shit until closing. Tonight was no different for the rest of the Dagger Squad, but Bob had begged her to come with him to Moonshine Flats to meet his sister for drinks while she was in town.
So now here she was, dressed in her civvies and nursing a beer as she waited for this mysterious sister to arrive. Although, mysterious might have been a stretch. If there was one thing Phoenix had learned during her time with Bob as her WSO, it was that he loved to talk about his family back in Montana. She had learned all about how Bob had grown up on a ranch with his mother, father, and two sisters, one older and one younger. It was his younger sister, Y/N, that had come down to San Diego to visit her brother for the week.
“Why this bar specifically?” Natasha shouted to her companion over the music. It was loud and packed; the blue and purple lights washing over her and Bob.
“Well.” Bob scratched the back of his neck. “It's her first night here and I didn't want Bagman scaring her off.” He huffed out a laugh. “So the Hard Deck was out and this place just…feels closer to home, ya know?”
“Really? I can't imagine you spending much time in a place like this.” Natasha laughed, trying to picture a younger Bob in a place as raucous as this.
“You obviously haven't seen him in his cowboy boots and Stetson, then,” you said teasingly from behind. Natasha turned to look at you, taking in your form. You certainly blended in with the crowd of the bar; wearing jean shorts that clung to your body and a crop top that showed just enough cleavage. Your feet were adorned with cowboy boots, worn in and sturdy, and on your head was your own cowboy hat.
“Y/N!” Bob shouted, pulling you into a hug. You returned it with just as much ferocity. You hadn't seen your brother in several months, not since before he left to join the mission at Top Gun. Your family had worried endlessly about his safety when they learned it was a classified mission that only the top pilots were invited to compete for, but he had made it back alive, and that's all that mattered.
“Missed you too, Bobby.” You laughed, pulling back from him. “Now, you must be Phoenix.” You grinned, looking the woman up and down. She was beautiful, with sleek brown hair that fell to her shoulders and warm brown eyes. “Bobby's told me a lot about you.”
“All good things, I hope,” she said, extending her hand for you to shake. Her grip was firm, and you could feel the same calluses that your brother had on his hands.
“Oh this and that. It's nice knowing that my brother has someone as reliable as you to watch his back in the air and on the ground,” you admitted, looking her in the eyes. Phoenix seemed taken aback with your honesty, her eyes darting to Bob for reassurance.
At his nod, she responded, “I do what I can. He does the same for me.” Your eyes twinkled at that, pleased.
“I'm gonna get us a round, let you two get to know each other!” Bob exclaimed, heading off to the bar before either of you could object or offer to go in his stead. You blew out a breath and shook your head with a smile, your hair falling into your face.
You weren't what Natasha was expecting. Bob's stories of you had made you out to be a firecracker of a woman, picking fights with men twice your size and never letting anyone tell you what to do. Yet, she could immediately see the softness in you in the way you silently thanked her for being there for your brother. Your eyes, which had previously shined with cockiness, had softened when you gazed at Natasha.
“I told him the first couple rounds were on me, since I chose the bar,” you said, taking your seat across from Natasha at the high top.
“Oh, Bob made it sound like it was his idea to come here, said he didn't want to overwhelm you with our typical bar.” And by “overwhelm”, she meant meet Jake “Hangman” Seresin. You were an attractive woman and being Bob's little sister wouldn't stop him from trying to flirt with you.
You scratched your neck, a little embarrassed. “I mean, he suggested we go somewhere more my style, but I chose Moonshine Flats.” Your eyes strayed from Phoenix to something behind her. Natasha angled her head to catch what you were staring at, but all she could see was a crowd of rowdy people surrounding something. “And that would be why.” Cheers rose from the crowd, as they parted to let someone through from the inside of the circle. There, in the middle, was a mechanical bull.
“Woah, no way!” Phoenix laughed, the sound escaping her before she could stop it. “You ride?”
“Y/N over here used to swindle men out of their money by betting that she could stay on longer than them.” And there was Bob, swinging his arm around your shoulder and clutching three bottles in his hands. He placed them down on the table and sat next to you, smiling innocently.
“Bob!” You scolded, trying to hide your blush. You weren’t necessarily embarrassed by your exploits, more like proud of them, but there was no reason for your big brother to air your business like that in front of his squadmate.
“What? It’s not my fault that they didn’t recognize an Elite Lady Bull Rider. A champion, no less.” Bob smiled, shooting his hand out to mess with your hair. You dodged his attempts, pushing back against him and almost knocking him off his chair. The sound of Natasha’s laugh broke the two of you from your play fight.
“Well, didn’t know I was in the company of royalty.” Natasha nodded her head at you, rolling her hand in a mock bow. You playfully rolled your eyes and took a gulp of your beer, letting the bitter taste wash over your taste buds.
“Why don’t you show her how you ride!” Bob exclaimed, his smile wide. You shot him a quizzical look, but his eyes refused to meet yours. Was he trying to…set you up with his pilot? Was that what this was, Bob leaving the two of you alone, talking you up, and bringing up how you “ride"? Sure, when he had shown you a photo of him and Phoenix together before their mission, you had made a comment about how pretty she was, and sure, it had been awhile since you’d pursued anyone romantically, but your older brother’s squadmate? What a cliche. Then again, Natasha “Phoenix” Trace was exactly your type, and you wouldn't mind seeing her out of those civvies. Bob snapped you out of your thoughts with a well-directed elbow to the ribs.
“Ow, dick!” You glared at him. He looked back at you, his eyebrows raised in expectation as he looked between you and Natasha. Fine, if he wanted you to show Natasha what you could do, you absolutely would. “Keep your eyes on me.” You winked at her, hopping down from your chair. Natasha raised her beer in agreement, taking a swig to hide her own blush.
You sauntered over to the mechanical bull, pushing your way to the front. There were cheers from the crowd, ready to see another person try their hand at staying on the beast. Even if the bull was fake, this was your element. Your confidence surged and you walked into the ring, easily pulling yourself on to the bull and positioned yourself correctly. Your hand immediately gripped the bull rope, getting a feel for the less than standard material.
“You ready, little lady?” The operator asked, standing near the front of the bull. He held a full beer in one hand, and it gave you a wicked idea. Before he could stop you, you had plucked the cup from his hand and began downing the alcohol. Around you, cheers and shouts rang out, along with chants to “Chug!” You finished the beer, handing the cup back to the stunned man.
“Now I am!” you shouted, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. “I’ll pay you back once I’m done,” you assured him. He gave a short nod and headed out of the ring to start the bull up. You adjusted your grip on the rope and clenched your thighs, preparing for the erratic movements of the mount beneath you.
From your position, you had a clear view of Bob and Natasha. The lights of the bar hit Natasha in such a way that made her glow, and although it was dark, you could still make out her radiant smile as she watched you. Next to her, Bob looked extremely smug, as if he had planned all of this and had known exactly what you’d do. Inwardly, you rolled your eyes. Of course he’d play wingman.
A countdown began throughout the crowd, all enthusiastically shouting “3…2…1!” Then, the mechanical bull started up, the unnatural jerking motions trying to buck you off. With one hand on the bull rope and the other holding your cowboy hat in place, you allowed your body to feel the movements. The bull rose and fell intermittently, shaking side from side and twisting around. The seconds ticked by, but through it all, you kept your grip tight and moved fluidly with the motions. You could hear the rally of encouragement from the pack of drunk spectators, but your focus was purely on Natasha. She gazed at you with such a reverence that it made you feel hot under the collar.
With a particularly nasty spin, the mechanical bull attempted to buck you off by jerking you side to side and then dropping down low to throw you off balance. Your hips lifted, but your thighs stayed squeezed to the sides of the faux leather of the bull. Compared to the ferocity and dangerousness of a real bull, this was a breeze. You let out a whoop and arched your back, keeping your hat on tight. You looked wild and free, unburdened by the obstacles of life.
Natasha had never seen someone so beautiful.
The bull began to slow; your time up. It eased down, allowing you to swing your leg over and slip off the side. More cheers met your ears, but you were a woman on a mission. You left the ring, politely waving off the few men who tried to approach you with offers of buying you a drink. Instead, you strutted your way back to your table, stopping right before Natasha.
“Wow, that was amazing!” she complimented, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It wasn’t done in a shy manner, more like she wanted to see you fully.
“Well, I ain’t no country boy quitter.” You winked, tipping your hat at her. Off to the side, Bob scoffed, amused by your method of flirting. “What can I say, I love to ride cowgirl.” Reaching past Natasha, you grabbed your forgotten beer and took a healthy sip.
“Okay, and that’s my cue to leave,” Bob interjected, getting up from his seat. You stuck your tongue out at him, which he returned with his own funny face. He threw a couple of bills down onto the table and hugged the both of you. “You,” He pointed at you, “keep it in your pants until you're in private. And you,” He pointed at Phoenix, “treat her right, but please for the love of God, don’t tell me anything. I’m still her big brother.” With Bob’s explicit approval, Natasha gave a mock salute, her grin wide.
“Yeah, yeah, love you too.” You began pushing him away, eager to get Natasha alone. “See you tomorrow.” Your eyes darted to Natasha’s, looking her up and down, your smile coy. “Although, probably not until the evening.”
“La la la, not listening!” Bob said loudly, putting his fingers in his ears. “Don’t make me regret this,” he called out, finally taking his leave. The two of you watched him go, suddenly aware that you were now alone together, the loudness of the packed bar falling away.
“So…you got a hotel room, right? Natasha asked, her eyes darting to your lips.
“Mmm, absolutely I do,” you assured, taking her hand to help her down from the tall chair. The action positioned you two close, so close that your breaths mingled.
“Good, that’s good,” she whispered, the sound only for you. “Can I kiss you?”
You let out a laugh, the sound light and amazed. Without another word, you brought your lips to hers. It was like someone had set off fireworks, and from the surprised moan Natasha let out, you knew she felt the same. Her lips were soft and tasted like cherry chapstick, and you found yourself licking your own lips when you pulled back from the kiss, if only to savor that flavor a few seconds more.
“Wanna get outta here?” you asked, already knowing the answer.
“Lead the way.” Natasha smirked at you, holding your hand tight.
“Oh, I will.” You smiled back, leading her out of the bar.
Damn, you owed your brother a fruit basket or something.