Work Text:
"I feel weird," Harry muttered as he smoothed down his uniform. "Haven't worn that thing in too goddamn long." He fiddled with his tie before adjusting his cap once again. "Remind me again why we decided on wearing them?"
He looked at Rosie, brows knitted together. Rosie chuckled. "William asked us to. That's why. And we both know you can't deny him any wishes."
Rosie himself hadn't really worn his uniform ever since he left service, but it was William's graduation from basic training, and he'd asked his dads to appear in uniform. So that's what they did.
They may have left the Air Force on paper, but your heart never leaves. It simply can't. Especially if you fight in a war like the Second World War. But now William was about to enter the Vietnam War. A war that would take him away from home and everything he knew. A war that was costing unnecessary lives.
The sun was beating down onto the graduation field, and a crowd of bystanders had already formed. Mothers, fathers, siblings, friends. They were all there to see their boys graduate from basic training.
Harry felt a little out of place. So far, he and Rosie were the only ones in uniform. Especially one from the 1940s. They'd already caught a few eyes, most of them admiring but some… not, and while Harry usually despised any kind of attention like that, he put up with it. Only for William, though, he told himself. And he already prayed that the war would be over by the time Joseph turned eighteen.
"Quit being so dramatic!" said the boy, now intervening. Joseph appeared behind Rosie, beaming up at his parents. "You should be proud to wear your uniform!"
"I am Joe, I am, but it's just been a while, you know." A sad smile flashed over Harry's face as he ruffled the hair of his youngest son. "It doesn't bring up a lot of nice memories."
The young boy frowned, head tilting to the side in a lack of understanding. "Is that why you and Pa never talk about it?"
Harry nodded. "Mostly. But that's not important right now. Your brother is about to graduate, and he asked us to appear in uniform. So I'm willing to push all those bad memories aside."
Slowly, Joseph nodded. "Oh… That makes sense. I guess."
A small chuckle escaped Harry's lips, and he bent down to press a kiss to Joseph's hair.
In that moment, Rosie started to slap Harry's arm excitedly. "There they are!" he muttered, turning to fully look in the direction of the approaching recruits. They were officially Airmen now… Just like Rosie and Harry had been twenty years ago.
Harry followed Rosie's line of view, a smile appearing on his face. He'd see his boy again. After seven and a half long weeks of only letters, he could finally hold his boy in his arms again. "Have you spotted him yet?" he urged, but Rosie shook his head.
"I would suspect he's somewhere at the end," Rosie said, reigning Joseph in by his shoulder. The crowd was getting excited, and Joseph had a history of getting lost in busy crowds. Rosie didn't want a repeat of that during William's graduation.
With squinted eyes, Harry scanned the group of recruits marching in their direction, trying his hardest to locate his son. It was nearly impossible, though. All the boys looked nearly the same in their uniforms, hats, and especially their haircuts.
The announcer was babbling away, but Harry and Rosie tuned it out. They just wanted to see their son. They couldn't care less about what flight was marching past them. They just wanted to see William.
The ceremony passed in a blur. That's how Harry would describe it. They sang the anthem, they stood at attention and saluted when the flag passed them—Joseph mimicking his dads with a proud smile—and now it was finally over.
Some last announcements were made, but Harry's attention was already redirected. He looked at Rosie, leaning in. "Have you seen Ev and Margareth yet? They were supposed to be here!"
"I'm sure he's here somewhere. They probably put him somewhere with the active service members. He's an O-5, you know that," Rosie answered, his hand finding its way to Harry's lower back. A steady presence to keep his husband calm. "Well, see him last, when we tap William out."
Harry pursed his lips but accepted it. Ev had promised to come—at William's request. Harry knew that the boy would be disappointed if he didn't show.
"I think it's time now," Rosie muttered, gaze sweeping the crowd. "The ceremony is over." He clasped Joseph's shoulder again just when the boy was about to run off. "Ah-ah," Rosie warned. "We'll go together. You know what we talked about."
He gave his son a stern but amused look, and Joseph resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course, Pa. I won't go anywhere without you or Dad," he recited dutifully, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Good." Rosie nodded. Then he grabbed Harry's hand, still clasping Joseph's shoulder. "Now, let's go and find William."
With a calm stride, the Rosenthals made their way across the field, smiling at the reuniting families. Just a few more moments, and they'd be reunited with their son and brother as well.
They mostly kept their silence before Harry decided to speak up. "Rosie." He turned his head to look at his husband. "Are you really gonna pull the whole Airman Rosenthal number?"
A broad grin spread on Rosie's face, and he briefly squeezed Harry's hand. "Oh, absolutely," he said. "It would be a waste not to do it."
With a disapproving look, Harry sighed. "You're gonna make me do it as well, aren’t you?"
The grin on Rosie's face widened. "100 points for you, Harry. I will absolutely make you do it." Before Harry could argue, Rosie pointed in the distance. "There he is! Look at him! All suited and proper." He let go of Harry's hand and adjusted the cap on his head. "Showtime," he then whispered, approaching William.
The young man stood at attention, staring ahead as the recruits around him were tapped out. He hadn't seen his family yet. He knew they were here, he just didn't know where.
And then, a familiar voice sounded right beside him. "Airman Rosenthal!"
William had to repress the urge to turn his head. He knew that voice. Better than anything else in this world.
Moments later, his father marched into his field of view. With a sharp salute, Rosie greeted William, face cool. William returned the salute, just like he learned. He remained at attention.
"Airman Rosenthal," a softer voice then spoke up, and Harry stepped forward. A faint smile danced around his lips as he saluted William. "I see you have successfully completed basic training." Harry nodded in acknowledgment. Pride shone in his eyes.
"Yes, sir," William replied, keeping his gaze ahead.
Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I'm proud of you, son." Then he stepped closer, and a split second later, William was back in the arms of his father. He clawed at Harry's uniform, a heavy breath escaping his lips.
"I missed you, Dad," William whispered, pressing his face into the crook of Harry's neck, just like he did when he was still a little boy. "I missed you so damn much."
Tears gathered in Harry's eyes. He blinked them away. "I missed you, too, my boy. I missed you, too."
When Harry broke the hug, a soft smile spread on his face. He grabbed William by the shoulder. "Look at you. You'll do an amazing job. I just know."
William returned his dad's smile. "Thanks, Dad." Then his attention fixed on Rosie and Joseph. First, he bent down to embrace his little brother. "I bet you liked being an only child for those seven weeks, didn't you?" he joked, but Joseph immediately shook his head.
"It's funner when you're around," he insisted with a broad grin. "The boys on the street don't play baseball, so I had to play football." He grimaced at the thought of the sport, and Rosie rolled his eyes, grinning.
"Football's great," he whispered under his breath.
Harry snorted. "You were football captain. That's different."
"Pa!" William interrupted the moment, throwing his arms around Rosie. "I knew you'd pull something like that," he laughed.
Rosie wrapped his arms around his son, holding him close for a moment. "Did you, now?" he chuckled, shaking his head. "Looks like I've gotten too predictable."
William pulled back. "Not at all," he insisted. "The boys didn't think you'd do it."
"The boys?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow. "Who are the boys?"
William didn't bother replying. He only turned around, whistled, and motioned for a small group of young men to come over. "My roommates," he explained. "They didn't believe I was your son, so I told them I'd prove it by graduation."
With an acknowledging hum, Rosie nodded, glancing at William. "You want me to go full Colonel on them?" The only response Rosie got was a smirk, and he knew what he had to do. Harry just rolled his eyes, trying to hide an amused smile.
As the group of young men approached, Rosie squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. This opportunity was way too hilarious. He couldn't just let it pass without taking advantage of it.
A brown-haired guy was leading the group, extending his hand to Rosie when they arrived. "Mr. Rosenthal," he greeted, but Rosie only eyed the hand, not taking it.
"That's Colonel to you, Airman," Rosie demanded, putting on his best authority voice. "And I expect a proper greeting for a superior officer." The Airman blinked at Rosie, clearly startled. "You wanna try that again?" Rosie asked, and the young man took a few seconds to process the situation.
The three boys behind him were equally surprised, but followed their leader.
"Yes, sir. Airman Carter, sir," the brown haired Airman introduced himself with a sharp salute that Rosie returned. His lips twitched for a moment, but he managed to keep his act up. The other boys followed.
"Airman Smith, sir." Salute. Rosie returned it.
"Airman Parker, sir." Salute. Rosie returned it.
"Airman Rossi, sir." Salute. Rosie returned it.
All four Airmen stood at attention, and behind Rosie, Harry shook his head. William and Joseph had to stiffle their laughter. "I'm starting to think that I'm not the dramatic one anymore," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes.
Rosie inspected the boys with pursed lips before he nodded. "At ease, gentlemen." The boys complied, and immediately, a grin spread on Rosie's face. "Now, that was fun," he said, glancing back at Harry.
"Robert Rosenthal," he then introduced himself, extending his hand toward Carter. "Pleasure to meet you."
The group of Airmen stared at Rosie as if they'd seen a ghost before they all shook Rosie's hand.
"Holy shit, man," Parker whispered, looking at William. "You really didn't lie."
A snort escaped William. "Why would I lie about my parents?"
Parker shrugged. "I don't know, man. Lots of people do."
Now, Harry stepped forward. "Hello, boys. I'm Harry Crosby-Rosenthal. Nice to meet you all." He shook their hands, a warm smile on his face. "Excuse my husband's antics. He's excited he's got to wear his uniform again."
It was around lunch when the Rosenthals finally got to leave the base. They were starving, ready to hit the road for some lunch.
A heavy sigh rolled past William's lips as he walked beside his dads, Joseph's hand in his. "I thought Uncle Ev would be here too," he said, disappointment swining in his voice. "I told you to invite him."
Harry turned his head to look at his son. "We did invite him, but you know how busy his schedule is… He said he'd try to make it, but he couldn't promise anything."
"I know…" William muttered, trotting over the now almost empty parking lot toward the family car. "I just would've liked to have him here…"
Rosie stopped, placing his hand on William's shoulder. "He said if he can't make it to your graduation, he'd try to visit you at technical school." He squeezed it reassuringly. "He's trying his best. You gotta give him that."
William opened his mouth to reply, "Yes, I know—"
A loud voice interrupted him. "A-ten-HUT!"
Immediately, William's body snapped into attention, and Rosie and Harry almost did the same, until they saw who handed out the order. A smirk appeared on Rosie's face. Of course, Ev had the same idea as him.
"Airman Rosenthal!" Ev came closer, Margareth trailing a few feet behind, shaking her head with a faint smile.
William's eyes widened when he saw Ev, and he raised his hand to salute. "Colonel Blakely, sir," he greeted him, as his eyes started to glow with happiness.
Ev returned the salute as he stood before William. He couldn't keep the act up for long, though; he laughed and pulled the young man in for a hug. "So proud of you, boy," he said, clapping William's back. "So fucking proud."
He pulled back and stepped aside so Margareth could give William a hug as well. "I'm sorry we're so late," she apologized. "Being a Lieutenant Colonel at such an event isn't easy. We got held up by just about everyone here." As if out of reflex, she carefully dusted off William's jacket.
"But we're here now," she smiled. "And I'm very hungry." She turned to face Harry and Rosie. "How about some lunch?"
Harry returned her smile. "You read our mind, Margie," he replied, pulling out the car keys. "Let's go!"
Ev wrapped his arm around William's shoulder, pulling him in closer. "You ever get in trouble, you come to me. I know some people," he whispered into his ear, and William grinned.
"I'll make sure to think of it."