An: not spell checked

"C-Coyote?" I call out.

  The group had congregated in our small living space, building a fort to watch a movie. The walls are made out of couch cushions and pillows, the roof made out of blanket.

  Megamind plays on the TV, and I try to wiggle out of the tent.

  Fanboy is currently wedged on top of my legs, with my head resting on Rooster's shoulder. Payback is next to me with Phoenix laying left to right on our backs, her elbow digging into Rooster's back.

It's fair to say, I can't move.

  "C-Coyote, I'm stuck." I peep out, and Hangman sticks his head in the tent.

  "Coyote, come get your girlfriend." He calls, passing bowls of MnM's and chips too Payback.

  "You get her." Coyote calls back from the kitchen, and I reach out my hands to Hangman. He waves me off, moving towards one of the chairs, popping an Oreo in his mouth. Rooster grumbles, making a point to disagree with everything Hangman says.

  "We can move." He remarks, and Fanboy shakes his head.

  "Nah, let Coyote rescue her. She needs her knight in shining armor." He mumbles, shifting so I'm even more smushed.

  "This is Bullshit!" I call to Coyote. "Come get me!"

He grumbles, and I see his feet move into view, covered by mis- matched black and grey socks.

  I smile as he grips my hands, attempting to pull me out. His hands are warm, enclosing mine and gripping my wrists. He grunts, yanking backwards.

  I shift a bit, but then Phoenix moves, pinning me even closer to the ground.

  "Damn it, Coyote, use those muscles of yours!" Hangman calls, and Coyote pulls me harder, straining my arms in their sockets.

That's when Fanboy shifts, and I am pulled out of the tent, with Coyote tumbling backwards. I land on top of him, my hands on his chest, my long red locks falling to cover my eyes.

  I look up, blowing my hair out of my face and meeting his gaze. He stares at me, his mouth slightly parted.

  "Get a room, you two!" Payback calls, and I scramble to my feet, tucking my hair behind my ear as a chorus of wolf- whistles fill the room.

  Coyote stands up slowly, eyes on my face. Although my face is dusted with red, his shows no evidence of embarrassment.

***

  I stand in the locker room, brushing my hair. I sigh, gently pinning it up in a tight military bun. Coyote sits up from strapping is flight suit, eyes trailing up the back of me.

  I ignore the way the air at the back of my neck stands on end, turning and making my way to my locker.

  "Does it embarrass you? The idea of us..." he trails off, wiping a rag over his helmet. ".. being together?"

I pause, closing my locker stalled.
   "I..." I frown. "No."

He looks up at me, brown eyes searching my face.
  "Really?" He asks. I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as I grab my helmet, striding out of the room.

   "Come on, Coyote!" I holler. "We can't be late!"

The locker room door slams shut behind me, before it flies open again, Coyote running after me.

"Date me." He says, grabbing my arm. I halt, stopping to look at him. He is nervous.. a bead of sweat is on his forehead— maybe he's just hot.

"Date me." He says again, speaking fast. "What are you doing tonight? I'll take you out. I'm sick and tired of just being friends. Fritz was right, I'm done being your wannabe boyfriend." He pauses, mouth opening and closing, breaths coming in pants.

"Javy..." I say, before Bob comes whirling around the corner.

"Guys, come on!" He says, oblivious to the way Coyote takes a step backwards, hands in fists. "Maverick is gonna loose his mind."

"We're coming." He says, striding after him, leaving me standing in the hallway, still in shock. I come to my senses, running after them, my heart hammering in my chest.

  I break into a sprint, my helmet slamming into my side.

  "Coyote— Coyote!"

He pauses mid stride, and I grab his hand.

"Yes, Javy. I'll go out with you." Is all I say, giving him a smile before walking out onto the tarmac. I can almost feel his giant grin and he follows after me, whistling happily under his breath.

***

I know it's trouble when there is a blinking green dot on my radar.
"Bob..." I trail off, and I hear the other Weapon's Systems Officer curse.

"It's Maverick." I say, twisting in my seat. "I can't see him."

"Tally!" Bob calls. "Twenty miles out closing!"

"Shit." Coyote says, sighing. "It's your call, Phoenix, what do you want to do?"

"Continue. We're close. " She says gruffly. "We have stay on target."

"He's swinging around to the north!" Bob calls, and I watch the radar.

"We should be able to get to the target on time. Prepare for pop- up!" I call.

"Be ready on that Laser, Bob!" Phoenix says, and I tap away at my screen, watching our course.

  "Copy, I'm on it!" Bob says.

"Blue team," Maverick's voice comes over the Comm. "Bandit is closing."

We ignore him, our minds on the course ahead.

"Popping now!" Coyote exclaims, pulling us into an ascend, before pulling into an inverted dive. As the plane flips and we are upside down, I let out a breath.

"Talk to me, Foxy, where's Maverick?" Coyote asks, his voice strained.

"F-Five miles out, coming in hot!" I reply. The plane twists so we are facing upright, and I hear Phoenix let out a puff of air.

"Target's in sight!" She says. I groan, watching Maverick near us.

"Where's my Laser, Bob?" Coyote asks, and I see the target below us, a white dot in a field of brown dust and dirt.

"Dead eye! Dead eye!" Bob says frantically. "Sorry, it's no good, and I can't get a read!"

"We're out of time!" I say.

"We're dropping blind!" Coyote snaps, releasing the bombs out of the bottom of the plane.

I cross my fingers, but hear my pilot curse.

"Damn it, missed!" He cries.

"Pull up!" I cry, before being smashed into my seat.

It feels as if I weigh thousands of pounds, my brain being smashed, my chest compressed to the point where I can't breath. My eyes just barely remain open as I stare at the blinking dot that is Maverick, pulling up behind us.

"Maverick... has missile lock on us!" Bob cries, and Phoenix curses, pulling out of the intense climb.

"We're dead." She says forlornly.

"Blue Team, that's a fail." Maverick snaps, and I see him pull even closer to us. "Level out, Coyote."

That's when I realize my pilot hasn't spoken. I stare at the seat in front of me, waiting for him to respond.

"Coyote, do you copy?" Maverick asks.

Then the plane tilts to the side in a ghostly way, as if on its own accord.

"Coyote?" I ask, trying to reach my pilot. "Coyote, are you alright? Coyote, you need to level out."

  "Fox, what the hell is happening?" Maverick asks, and the plane starts a slow spiral downward. My stomach rolls into my throat, and I have the sudden urge to puke.

  "I-I don't know." I say, my heart hammering in my chest. "I-I don't know, Captain."

  "He's in G-lock." Maverick says. "Coyote. Coyote! Fox, try to reach him."

  "Come on, Coyote, please!" I cry, my breath coming in short pants as I watch out altitude dip terribly low.

  I say his name again, leaning forward to shake him, my breath catching in my throat.

  "You're gonna have to eject!" Phoenix calls to me, the Comm humming in my ear. "You're gonna burn in!"

  "I'm not leaving him!"

"I'm coming after you, just hang in there, Fox!" Maverick calls, and I slam my eyes shut as the beeping of missile lock fills the cockpit.

"Coyote, wake up! God, damn it Javy!"

But my pilot doesn't hear any of this. He is dead to the world.

I liked this chapter.

Love you all!

-❤️Kena