It shouldn't have shocked her, but it did.
He was part of the first TOPGUN class she was in charge of on behalf of Warlock. Bob hadn't needed much or asked a lot of questions, preferring to figure it out himself, but they'd spoken a few times on base.
At the Hard Deck, they'd spoken more. They'd shared shy smiles and locked eyes across the room, and he would make her laugh without trying.
Abby liked Bob. She was sadder than she reasonably should have been when he graduated and left.
So, when he came back for a special mission, her heart surged. She saw his name on the list of recruits and felt giddy joy forming in the pit of her stomach. She looked forward to seeing him, wondering if he'd changed at all in the year since she last saw him.
He hadn't, not really.
His hair was longer, a faint hint of scruff on his jaw as if he'd gone an extra day without shaving, but the glasses were the same, and his smile was still shy.
A week into training for the upcoming mission, Captain Mitchell decided the aviators needed to let off some steam and learn to work as a team. They disappeared from base, and an odd silence fell over the air station.
"Are they up in the air?" Warlock asked as he walked into Abby's cramped office.
She looked up from her computer screen, meeting the older man's dark eyes.
"I think they're playing football," she told him. "I heard Maverick say something about team building and dogfights."
Warlock glanced over his shoulder as if contemplating what to do about it. He turned his attention back to Abby with a faint smile.
"Go down there," he told her. "Keep an eye on them."
"Yes, sir," Abby replied, standing and rounding her desk. She left her office behind her superior, who disappeared into his own office.
Abby shot a text to Penny, asking if she'd seen a group of aviators playing football. Penny's reply was a photo of the mission recruits, including the man who'd occupied Abby's mind for over a year, running after a football on the beach.
If Abby briefly zoomed in on Lt. Floyd, that was nobody's business but her own.
After a short drive, she parked in front of the Hard Deck and got out of the car. She heard them before she saw them. There was laughter, the distinct sound of Rooster singing, and wolf whistles going around. Abby smiled as she entered the bar and found Penny stocking the fridge behind the counter.
"They're still at it?" She asked after greeting the bar owner.
"I think they're done," Penny said, glancing out the large patio doors. "And they've taken over my chairs."
Abby couldn't see them from where she stood, but as she moved closer, they came into view. They were all gathered on the beach, just beyond the deck at the back of Penny's bar. Rooster stood, his arms spread wide as he serenaded the aviators. Hangman covered his ears while Fanboy, Coyote, Payback, and Phoenix laughed. Abby watched Maverick shake his head, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
Abby didn't see Bob.
"He's out there," Penny said as she came up next to where Abby stood. She should be embarrassed that she was so obvious in her infatuation with Bob, but Penny had seen right through her whenever Abby tried to deny it.
"You should do something about it."
Abby turned her head to look at her friend. "He'll be gone again in a couple of weeks."
"Maybe," Penny noted. "That shouldn't stop you from having some fun."
Abby pulled a less than attractive grimace. "He doesn't strike me as the 'just a bit of fun' type," she said, running her hand over her slicked-back hair. "And frankly, neither am I."
She moved towards the door to finally do what she'd been tasked with: Keeping an eye on the recruits. She opened the patio doors and stepped onto the deck. None of the aviators noticed her right away, but Abby's eyes immediately found Bob.
She swore her brain short-circuited.
Bob rested on a lounge chair and a striped towel with his hands behind his head for support. He was only wearing shorts, but the rest of his body was on display, and Abby couldn't help but gawk at him.
He was more fit and toned than she'd ever imagined. The lines of his torso weren't nearly as defined as any of the others, but he wasn't far behind, and she could still see his abs flex when he breathed. She wasn't entirely sure she was breathing at this point. There was a slight dusting of hair across his chest, and if she squinted, she was sure there was a small patch of hair just above his shorts, too.
It shouldn't have shocked her, but it did.
His eyes were closed, and thank god they were. Beside the chair was the yellow t-shirt he'd been wearing, and his glasses were placed neatly on top. She didn't know how long she'd been staring at him when Hangman said her name.
"Hm?" She asked, willing her eyes away from Bob, who had now opened his.
"You spying on us?" Hangman asked.
She shook her head and moved down the steps on the patio and into the sand.
"Not at all, Lt. Seresin," she said and sat on the steps, undoing the laces of her boots. "But Admiral Bates did wonder where you had disappeared to and sent me looking."
In her periphery, she saw Bob slide his glasses back on his face.
"Are we needed back on base?" Maverick asked, his expression serious.
Abby shook her head again. "No, I think he was just wondering," she told them, slipping the boots off her feet and placing her socks into them to keep them off the sand. "It was too quiet around base without you."
Bob had stood up, still shirtless, and Abby did her best not to watch him as he came closer. She focused on rolling up the legs of her uniform trousers.
"Could have invited me, though," she said and stood.
"We figured you were working," Bob said, speaking for the first time as he stood next to Phoenix.
Phoenix nodded. "Bob did suggest we invite you," she told her.
Abby looked at the WSO, whose cheeks had turned slightly pink, though it didn't appear to be from the sun. "You did?"
He reached an arm up to scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah," he muttered, and Abby watched his biceps flex. She barely registered the playful elbow in her side courtesy of Rooster.
She leaned down and grabbed her boots. "Well," she announced. "Since I'm already here but missed the fun, I'm going to walk a little. See you all back on base," she said with a wave of her empty hand.
Bob stared at her back as she walked towards the water. He watched her take her hair down, letting the long brown locks cascade down her back. Phoenix elbowed him in the side, much like Rooster had done to Abby a few minutes ago.
"Ow," he muttered, rubbing his ribs to soothe them. "What'd you do that for?"
She gave him a knowing look. "Go after her."
"Why?"
Phoenix raised a brow. "Don't play dumb with me, Floyd," she admonished. "You've been pining for her since you got here."
He stood there, looking from his friend to Abby, who moved further and further away. He turned his attention back to Phoenix. "What if she thinks it's weird?"
"She won't," Rooster cut in. "I have it on good authority that she's into you."
He didn't, but Bob didn't need to know that, and he didn't need any more encouragement because he took off towards Abby in a light jog.
"Lt. Lennox," Bob called, and Abby smiled to herself, happy that he followed. She turned and watched him jog towards her, but she hadn't expected him to still be shirtless.
Warmth rushed through her as he came to a stop unbearably close. She could smell the sweat and salt water on him, and she wanted to press her nose to his skin and breathe him in.
Instead, she smiled up at him. "Lt. Floyd," she greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"Bob," he corrected her, voice clear and strong.
"Bob," she repeated. "Then I have to insist you call me Abby."
He nodded his agreement.
"What can I do for you, Bob?"
He looked over his shoulder at the group of aviators, who offered him thumbs up and encouraging noises neither of them could make out. "Nothing," he said finally.
"Then why are you-"
"I'd like to take you on a date," he said, cutting her off. "If you want to, that is, and if this crosses a line, I'm sorry. We can just forget I asked and go back to being..." he trailed off when he felt a hand on his bare chest.
He looked down at Abby's hand and then back up at her face. Her dark eyes were bright, her smile was soft, and Bob forgot how to breathe.
"I would love to," she told him.
His eyes lit up, and Abby wished she could bottle that expression and keep it forever. "Yeah?" He asked.
"Yes," she agreed, letting her hand fall away from his chest. She hadn't meant to touch him, but when he started talking, her hand had done it of its own volition. She hadn't been in control of her movements. She had felt his muscles move beneath the smooth skin, and she had been struck by how fit he was.
"Okay," he said, scratching the back of his neck. A nervous tick, she realized.
"Text me," Abby told him and stood on her tip-toes to place a kiss on his cheek, but it ended up being dangerously close to his mouth. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bob," she said and started making her way back to her car. She waved at the other aviators as she passed them, and they shouted their goodbyes.
What Abby didn't see or hear was the cheering and pats on Bob's back when he told his teammates of his upcoming date.
"Well done, Bob," Phoenix said, giving her backseater a playful nudge.
A/N: Thank you for reading my story! All chapters in this work can be read independently of each other, though I have placed the chapters in somewhat chronological order. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! To learn more about Abby, her relationship with Bob, or simply talk to me, you can find me on tumblr at cantfighthemoonknight.