15. Two-Sided Story

Both shot up in bed, like a couple of teenagers having sexy time only to have the parents show up home early and only to be caught red handed.

Only it wasn't the parents, it was a friend.

"Fin?" came Brad's call again.

This had been a regular occurrence during his flight school days and her teaching school days, just showing up at each other's homes to see if the other was there.

"Stay here," she hissed to Pete, tying up her robe and leaving the room, careful to close the door behind her. "Brad?"

"You're home."

"Yeah, coming." She checked her hair in the hall mirror to make sure it wasn't too too messy. Then she opened the door to find her forlorn looking friend. "Hey!"

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"Not really, I - can I come in?"

"Oh - yeah, sure, come on in." Thankfully, Pete had taken off his shoes - cough, and the rest of his clothes, cough cough - in her room, so they were nowhere in sight.

Now he - Brad that is, not Pete - stood in her living room, hands jammed into his pockets.

"Um, would you like to sit?" she asked him, gesturing to the couch. She hoped, guiltily, as he was clearly upset, that this wouldn't take too long.

"Thanks." He sat down with a sigh.

"So what's up."

"He doesn't think I'm ready."

"Who?"

"Maverick," he said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh." Also the man who was currently naked in her bed. "Oh, yeah, right. What do you mean?"

"I can see it while he's teaching, hear it when he talks to me: he doesn't think I'm cut out for this. And the mission is fast approaching, we're running out of time here."

"Oh, Brad-" She sat down next to him. "I'm sure that's not true. It's just this is a very specific mission, by the sounds of it. I think he's just nervous for everyone."

"Well, you don't know him like I do." Again, Bitter Brad was here.

No, I don't. I know him much differently. "I'm sorry you feel that way - maybe you could talk to him about it?"

"Already tried, it just ends in a big fight."

Yeah, she figured the whole 'talking it out' thing would be a bit of a stretch, with Brad at least.

"Are you okay?" he asked her suddenly. "You seem a little - frantic?"

"I-" It was then that she realized she was running her palms up and down her legs, all while her feet bounced against the floor. She was not sitting still.

Okay, this was Brad, her friend, she could just tell him the truth, he wouldn't judge. Well, some of the truth that is...

"I'm actually - I'm actually with a gentleman caller..." she finally settled on, like it was 1856 or something.

"Oh." He blinked back. Then he suddenly made sense of her lacy robe and his eyes grew wide. "Oh-"

"Yeah..."

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, yeah."

"This pretty new?"

"Yeah it is. We really connected and I like him a lot."

"Okay." His eyes flitted down the hall to where her bedroom was. "Be safe and let me know if he gives you any troubles."

"I know, Brad, but thanks anyways."

He got to his feet and headed for the door. "Sorry for barging in."

"No, no, it's fine. It could have been any night. You be safe and let me know if you have any troubles too, okay?" If 'he' gives you any troubles, she realized, as they were talking about the same 'he', Brad just didn't know it.

"Yeah, be safe."

"Will do."

"Have fun."

"Yup."

"Use protection."

"Already on it."

"All right. Night Fin, thanks for everything."

"Anytime."

When she returned to her room Pete was sitting there in bed, the sheets slipping down his body.

"Well-" She sat down on the bed beside him, hoping to resume their former cuddled position - and other activities as well. She felt a little guilty but she was disappointed that Brad had shown up, on this night of all nights. It couldn't have been a night when she was eating dinner alone in front of the TV like usual - however, this made her realize just how many evenings she had been spending with Pete recently. "That really killed the mood."

"Yeah... I should probably go." His eyes fanned around the room, searching for all his items of clothes.

"What happened to you being all mine tomorrow on your rare and special day off granted to you by none other than the admirals and maybe even your own guardian angel?"

He chuckled. "Well, when you put it like that... I mean, if you still want to."

"Uh, yeah, how could I say no to that opportunity." She bumped his shoulder for emphasis.

"Okay." He chuckled and lay back down, arm sliding around her in a cozy hold. "All right, it's a date then."

"Good." She lay down too.

They slept in - not late but definitely later than usually allowed by their jobs so it was a treat. After a shower they made brunch together before heading out for an adventure.

Before leaving, Pete retrieved something from one of the bags on his bike: a polaroid camera. "Goose was the real photographer, but after he died I took up his capturing of memories. Carole kept his old camera, but I got one of my own."

"I love that!"

And off they went. This included a stroll through the market and a dog park, hand-in-hand, arms swinging.

"He thought I was an alien, or some man from outer space." While they strolled, Pete was recounting the details to her after his last mission with the DarkStar and how he had parachuted out and landed somewhere far away, leaving him lost and disoriented.

"Like David Bowie, a Star Man. That's honestly adorable."

"It was, and I would have appreciated it more had I been less out of it after having just ejected out of an exploding aircraft."

"You really know how to go out with a bang, huh?"

"That's what I'm told."

Once or twice throughout their lovely day together, Finley found her thoughts drifting back to Bradley. It was really hard not to tell him about her and Pete because he made her so happy. But she knew it was best to keep that under wraps for now. Both Pete and Brad had enough going on with the mission right now without her being all like, 'oh, Brad, by the way, you know Maverick who you hate so much? Well, we're dating'. Okay, well not exactly like that, but you got the point. Bottom line, it was staying secret for now.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Pete held up the camera. "Photo time?"

"Photo time!" She leaned into him and he held up the camera to snap their picture. He kissed her cheek right as he took the photo.

Click!

Click!

He took two, capturing two memories, she laughing while he smiled into the kiss on her cheek. "There-" He handed one copy to her. "Now we both have one." She responded to his adorable sweetness by kissing him.

The day went by way too fast, but they cherished every moment.

She was still half asleep the next morning, early, when soft lips brushed her temple and hairline. "I gotta go, Sweetheart, but I'll see you later. Have a good day." Another kiss, this one lingering before the lips pulled away and footsteps signaled him leaving.

Finley rolled over, a smile stretching across her face as she did. Yup, that 'Sweetheart' had definitely been for her. And boy did it ever feel good.

Work is really busy, but here's a mostly sweet and fluffy chapter - truth be told I'm already planning another PetexYoungerOC story!

As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))