Livin' On A Prayer

"Two words; Bon Jovi tickets!"
Buffer laughed. "Mate, Bon Jovi is two words."
Spider pouted, his face resembling that of a small animal, and then he brightened and shrugged. "Whatever. So, you in? My cousin won three tickets and you seem like a Jovi fan." He bounded around Buffer, who was trying to eat, like an oversized fly. Buffer tried not to choke on a piece of steak with laughter at the look on Spider's face. "C'mon, it coincides so very, very nicely with shore leave. Come on." Puppy-dog face. Buffer didn't fall for it.
"Sorry mate but I'm catching up with Monica this shore leave. You'll have to find someone else."
"Oh, but Buff, it's Bon Jovi and I can't t…" He was cut off by a voice at the door.
"You finished Buff? I'm doing the washing up now." Bomber asked as she entered the mess. Buffer nodded, putting his knife and fork on his plate and handing it back to her with a smile. Bomber glanced up at Spider. "What's this about Bon Jovi tickets?" She looked back at Buffer.
Buffer glanced up at Spider, who was now shaking his head and sliding a finger across his neck to obviously symbolise Buffer shouldn't tell her anything, but Buffer just smiled mischievously. "Oh Jason won three tickets to the Bon Jovi show this weekend. Spider's desperate for someone to take the ticket off his hands. You free?"
Bomber glanced as Spider, who quickly stopped his motioning and gave her a smile, but as she looked back at Buffer he glared in the man's direction. "You serious? I love Bon Jovi!" Bomber grinned back at Spider and he gave in.
"Yeah, I'm serious. It's yours if you want it." He forced himself to say.
Bomber's grin widened. "Serious? Gosh, you're the best Billy, I owe you one!" She basically skipped from the room.
Spider turned his attention to Buffer. "I could kill you."
Buffer laughed. "You'll enjoy yourself. Go on, go tell Jason the good news, that you found someone to take the ticket."
Spider shot Buffer a death stare and slouched from the room. Buffer just chuckled and opened his folder of paperwork.

***

"Bomber?" Spider appeared at the doorway of the galley, not a rare occurrence, but this time he was welcome.
Bomber grinned up at him, her hands covered in flour from rolling rissoles. She wiped a hair off her head with the back of her hand. "Hey Spi, what's up?"
"I heard back from Jason."
Bomber frowned. "Oh, what'd he say? Can I still have the ticket?" She looked a little crestfallen so Spider didn't run with the initial lie about having lost the tickets. Instead he told her the truth.
"Yeah, he's happy to give it to you." He said. In fact Jason had been delighted, saying stuff about telling mum about Billy's new girlfriend, to which Spider had threatened to dangle him from the quarterdeck railing next time he came for a visit. "But he's pulling out, he has a date for that night. I was wondering if your sister Jessie might want it."
Bomber glanced back up at him. She had no idea that Spider even knew Jessie existed. She couldn't recall speaking about her to him. Still, Spider had a habit of lurking in corners during private conversations, so that was probably all it was. She smiled. "That's a lovely thought Spider, but she's busy with Alex and the farm." She thought for a moment. "I could ask RO if he'd like to come?" She brightened up at the prospect of having RO there for company.
Spider nearly groaned. As if having Bomber for company wasn't enough (enough of what he couldn't be sure but nonetheless enough), now he'd have to compete with the irritatingly melodramatic and mostly dull RO. But he smiled weakly back at her. "Yeah, good idea." The sound of a noose swinging in the breeze could be heard in his head. Goodbye good night rocking out to Bon Jovi. "Will you ask him for me?"
Bomber nodded with a smile. "Sure, I'll get back to you." He didn't leave so she tipped her head slightly. "Anything else?"
"Uh, the tickets are for the mosh pit, if you want to know."
Bomber nodded approvingly. "Cool." She glanced back at Spider who was watching her with a blank expression. "What?"
"Nothing, I just thought you'd probably prefer seating. I mean, you…"
"William Webb, if you call me old I will kill you." But there was clear humour in her voice.
"Not old exactly, just, you know, past mosh pitting." He suggested, stumbling over his lame excuse.
"I'm 21, not 41!" She snorted. Then she stopped and looked back at Spider. "Are you sure you don't mind me taking this ticket?"
Spider shook his head mutely. Bomber continued. "It's just that you seem to be fishing for reasons to get rid of me."
"What? I offered the spare ticket to your sister!" Spider knew he was caught, so he turned the guilt on to Bomber, looking like a hurt little rabbit in headlights. "Why would I do that if I wanted to get rid of you?"
Bomber sighed and looked at the floor. "Sorry." She gave him a weak, lop-sided smile. "Bon Jovi!" She clapped her hands together enthusiastically then coughed as the flour blew around her in a cloud. She laughed and waved it away. "I wouldn't pick you as a Bon Jovi fan Spider."
Spider, preoccupied by the smudge of flour on her left cheek, just grunted in reply. Bomber continued, oblivious to his gaze. "Probably more like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan?" She teased.
Spider snapped out of his trance. "Well if you're going to stand there and insult me I'm off."
But Bomber seemed too caught up in listing emo bands he hated (she was now up to the Arctic Monkeys) to hear him so he just left. And though he knew he should be working or stressing about spending a concert with RO, he could only think about how much he wanted to wipe that bit of flour off Bomber's cheek.

***

"Robert…" A teasingly familiar voice called from the doorway and Robert glanced up from his bonsai tree to see Bomber standing there. He smiled and ushered her in.
"Hey. You know you have flour on your cheek right?" He pointed out, painstakingly blunt as always. But it was one of the reasons Bomber liked RO, and she grinned and wiped it off. He nodded, indicating she'd got it, and she leant against the table, watching him cut his bonsai.
"What's its name?" She asked with a grin.
RO turned. "What?"
"The tree, what did you name it?" Bomber continued with a cheeky smile.
RO just cast his eyes skyward and shook his head. "If you're going to be facetious then you can go."
Bomber laughed. "I'll stop. I just wanted to know what you're doing on Sunday. Bon Jovi is playing and guess who has tickets?"
RO looked back at his bonsai tree. "You?"
"No, Spider actually." RO just snorted as Bomber continued quickly. "But he has a spare one, says I can give it to you."
RO mulled over it for a moment. "Spider actually said that?" He looked back at Bomber who nodded. "The only thing Spider has ever given me is a headache." He said with a slight smile.
"Well, I suggested it but he kinda agreed. Anyway, whatever, it's yours if you want it."
RO shook his head. "I'm busy on Sunday. Holly is going out with Darryl."
"So?" Bomber asked, unsure of the link.
"So, he's Darryl and I don't trust him."
Bomber groaned. "RO, Holly isn't 12, she can look after herself."
RO glanced back at her quickly. "It isn't her I'm worried about."
"So you're not coming?"
RO shook his head. "Sorry Bomber, maybe next time."
"Because you're stalking your sister." She rolled her eyes. "That's a bit sad RO."
RO turned in his chair. "I don't think you get it Bomber. I mean, it's Dar…"
Bomber cut him off, standing up and waving him away. "Yeah, yeah, it's Darryl, spawn of Satan. Whatever RO, but if Holly kills you I'm not batting an eyelid in your direction." She gave him a wave and left. Her next suggestion was Nikki. But she knew she'd probably end up going after anyone. For some reason the idea of her and Spider out by themselves made her feel a little uneasy.

***

But luck was not on Bomber's side and when Sunday rolled around she found herself meeting Spider on the dock, dressed in her nicest civvies. Spider looked her up and down once, leaving Bomber feeling slightly uncomfortable, then smiled. "You don't scrub up too bad Bomber." He teased.
Bomber poked her tongue out at him. "Quiet you, Mr Hawaiian shirt." She touched his shirt lightly, laughing at the garishness of the colours and patterns. "Who chose this?" She asked, glancing back up at him (he was a full head taller than her, another thing rather annoying about him).
"Mum." He grumbled, trying to hide what he was saying. Bomber laughed so hard her stomach hurt before she finally stopped as she noticed Spider pouting at her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Really, it's nice you and your mum are so… close." She managed, smothering a laugh.
"I hate you." He growled, glaring at her.
Bomber grinned. "Sure you do." She pulled the two tickets he'd given her earlier out of her jeans pocket. "So, no one wanted this." She shrugged, handing him the spare ticket.
He nodded. "I know. I asked around." He fanned himself with the ticket lazily. "I sold mine." He shoved the spare ticket in his pocket. "So, we off?"
Bomber nodded. "Very forward-thinking Spider, you surprise me." She looped her arm around his jokingly and he glanced down at her. "C'mon, I'm starved."
Spider frowned, removing his arm from hers slowly. "Why didn't you cook before we left the ship then?"
Bomber smiled. "Because I knew you were buying. C'mon, let's go get something."
"McDonalds?" Spider offered.
Bomber rolled her eyes. "You have the culinary tastes of a 7-year-old." She shook her head. "Actually, I was looking at that restaurant on O'Keefe Street last shore leave. Youngs, you know the place?"
Spider shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Though I'd prefer McDonalds."
Bomber just laughed, shoving her ticket and hands in her pockets. "Let's go."

***

Youngs was busy, considering it was a little after 3pm. The man at the door gave them a small smile as they walked up. "Please tell me it's only the two of you." He said.
Bomber grinned. "Yeah." He sighed with relief. "Pretty busy, what's going on?"
He motioned towards the busy room. "A charter boat just came in. They gave us no warning." He grabbed two menus and two sets of knives and forks and they followed him into the crowd. "You got lucky actually, there was a cancellation just five minutes ago." He put the menus and cutlery down on a small table in the corner that had a candle sitting in the middle. "I hope you don't mind."
Spider scoffed, blowing out the candle quickly. "Just my luck, we get the cosy couples cancellation." He grumbled.
"Shut up." Bomber growled at him. She smiled at the waiter who'd just joined them. "Two beers, whatever's on tap." He nodded and walked off. Bomber took a seat, putting the candle at the end of the table as Spider, still grumbling quietly, joined her.
He flicked open the menu and frowned. "Yeah, should've gone to McDonalds."
Bomber scoffed. "You're pathetic. You're right tightwad, my shout."
Spider glanced up. "No, I'll pay. That's not the issue. The problem is I have no idea what half these words are."
Bomber rolled her eyes and pulled the menu off him. "I'll choose for you mister 'Big-Mac-is-real-food'." She laughed and scanned the list, just as the waiter came back with the beers. Spider took his gratefully, watching her scan the menu over the top of his beer. Finally she stopped and looked up at him. "What?" He was making her feel uncomfortable, staring at her like that. When he didn't answer she raised the menu a little higher so she couldn't see him any longer. Finally she found something and handed it back to him.
"Well, what did you choose?" Spider asked, still holding his beer to his mouth.
Bomber laughed. "Would it matter anyway? Would you know what it was?"
Spider shrugged. "Good point."
Once meals were ordered and Bomber had managed to get through one beer, she stopped being so rude and she and Spider actually managed a conversation, even a few shared jokes. A little after 5 Spider finally glanced at his watch and realised they should make a move. He was surprised it was already after 5, it felt like they'd only been there for half an hour, and he checked again but when Bomber checked her own watch and realised they needed to be at the concert in 20 minutes she swore softly. Spider chuckled and waived the waiter over who handed them the bill and then they jogged to the concert. They arrived with the last few patrons.
"Just in time." Bomber breathed, a little puffed from the run. She handed in her ticket as they went in. Spider followed her in, grabbing her hand as they pushed their way through the mosh pit and as far to the front as they could go. Then the band came on stage and the place went wild.

***

Bomber laughed. "Who would've guessed a mosh pit would go crazy for a bunch of 80s American rockers." She grinned.
Spider frowned. "You got lucky, they were pushing pretty hard."
Bomber smiled and squeezed his hand, which, for some reason, was still around hers even though they'd left the mosh pit long ago. "Thanks for that." He'd been standing behind her, holding back the onslaught of the moshers, and making sure she didn't cop an elbow to the face. She glanced at his neck, where a drunken idiot had landed on him trying to surf the pit. "How's your neck?"
Spider shrugged. "It'll be fine. Fat boy owes me a neck massage though."
Bomber laughed. "Ask the X tomorrow, she might give you one."
Spider narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. "That was uncalled for." Bomber laughed again. He motioned to a taxi nearby. "You don't mind sharing? Just I don't like our chances of getting one each."
Bomber nodded. "Agreed." They jogged up the nearest taxi, just beating three teenage girls who death stared them. As they got in the taxi Bomber shot them a cruel smile. Spider laughed.
"Don't taunt them." He glanced at her. "You're staying with your friend, aren't you?"
Bomber nodded. "Not that I'll see her for long. I can't believe we have a 5am start tomorrow. There should be some rule about these kinds of things." She leant forward and gave her friend's address to the taxi driver then leant back and clicked on her seat belt. "What about you? You going back to the Hammersley?"
Spider nodded too. "Yeah, I think ET and Charge are still there so it shouldn't be too bad." He chuckled. "ET and Charge, not too bad, I think that crowd surfer knocked some brain cells out."
"Oh no, there wasn't that many to begin with." Bomber grinned. Spider pouted at her. She shook her head. "You know, that puppy-dog face doesn't work on me." Spider shrugged. Bomber then noticed they'd reached her friend's street. She leant forward again, showing the taxi driver where to stop, and then turned to Spider. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." She opened the door then turned back to him. "Thanks again, I had a great night."
Spider smiled and gave her a quick wave, then she got out. And, for the first time ever, Spider couldn't think of anything to say.

***

Bomber yawned loudly as she and Swain carried the boxes of medical supplies up onto the ship. She noticed Spider talking to Buffer on the quarterdeck and gave him a nod. He smiled at her but kept talking. After a few boxes Swain was called away by the X and Bomber was left to carry the last of the medical boxes and all the foodstuff onto the ship alone. She frowned at the 10 boxes still sitting on the docks then slowly picked one up. As she turned she ran into someone. It was Spider.
"Hey, need any help?" He offered.
Bomber grinned. "Thanks Spider." She watched him pick up a box then he followed her back towards the ship. She stopped and motioned to the spot by the gangplank. "Watch your step here. If you spill my food you won't be eating until the next shore leave." He chuckled and took a big, dramatic step over the spot Bomber had motioned to. Being it was only a little after 5 and still dark, Bomber couldn't really see that Spider was smiling at just about everything she said, but he was being helpful so she didn't really mind what he did. After a few minutes the cases were all on the ship and Bomber started unpacking things in the galley. Spider mulled around the doorway, already having run out of things to do. Eventually Bomber gave up and glanced at him. "You want a brew?" She asked, shooting him a smile.
Spider shrugged. "Sure, why not." He leant on the doorway as Bomber made the coffee, then handed it to him when it was done.
She motioned outside. "C'mon, let's get some air. Maybe someone will find you something to do and you can leave me alone."
Spider gave her a cheeky grin. "Thanks. I feel so wanted." Bomber tapped his cheek affectionately as she walked past him and out onto the deck that was now quiet. The first rays of sunshine were starting to shine over the water and it looked rather beautiful. Bomber grinned at the sunrise.
"Just, not too close to the edge this time." She joked, remembering the last time she and Spider had been on the deck alone with only two cups of coffee for company. Spider just shook his head with a smile before the pair leant against a nearby wall, glancing out at the ocean.
After a few minutes of silence Spider started murmuring something under his breath and Bomber glanced him with a grin. "What the hell?" She laughed.
Spider smiled. "Sorry, I have 'Livin On A Prayer' stuck in my head." Bomber laughed as Spider softly started singing the Bon Jovi song. She put down her coffee and offered him a hand. Spider just looked at it. "What?" He said with a laugh.
"You aren't going to ask me to dance?" She said, giving him one of his puppy-dog pouts.
Spider smiled, taking her hand. "Sure, why not." He put down his coffee and spun her. Bomber just laughed as he started singing again. As people started to appear on deck they stopped with a laugh and grabbed their coffee, returning to the wall and grinning at Buffer who had just appeared on the deck. He just gave them a look of confusion as they continued laughing like idiots. When he was gone Spider stopped. "I better go see if he needs anything done."
Bomber nodded, taking his cup off him. "Sure." He turned away but Bomber stopped him. "Give us one last chorus as you go Spi." She asked with a smile.
He frowned at her. "What am I, your performing monkey?" He joked.
Bomber nodded again. "Yes, you are. Dance monkey dance." He tapped the cups together lightly, making a clunking noise.
Spider bowed. "M'lady." He turned and started off and for a minute Bomber thought he wasn't going to sing, but then his voice drifted out from the side of the ship. "Oooh, we're half-way there, oh oh, living on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it I…"
Bomber laughed then, carrying the mugs back inside. She shook her head with a smile. "Spider." She grinned and went back to work.