Fly High and Go Far

PHOENIX-Chapter Ten: Hot to the Touch by Grace Potter

Sam said goodbye to her mother and her two brothers as she boarded the USS Abraham Lincoln. The last thing they told her was to come home and that they'd see her soon. Sam felt her eyes tear up, but she patted her wings, knowing that a piece of her family was with her. After getting on board, she walked through the hangar bay. They had just loaded their jets on board, and Sam stared right at hers, smiling big at her name. They had just painted on her new rank that she received only two days prior.
"I miss you, Dad," Sam thought to herself, reading her last name. But she knew that this is where he wanted her. She kept walking with her seabag on her back and her uniform bag in her hand and backpack in the other. Going up ladder wells weren't the best with full hands, but she made it up the three flights and down a p-way to her door. It had her name on the door, and she opened it up. Happy to set her things down and relax on her bunk, she got a tapping on the bathroom door. She turned around and the door opened.
"Guess who your suitemate is," Phoenix peeked her head in. Sam got so giddy and ran towards her girlfriend, pulling on her dress white collar.
"Get in here," Sam said, bringing her close for a kiss.  Phoenix melted and then pulled away.
  "Don't mess up my whites! I just got them dry cleaned," she chuckled.  Sam laughed too and rolled her eyes.
  "Oh shut up," Sam replied kissing Phoenix again.  "I just want to know who set this up because a handful of people know we're together."
  "Maybe it was because of them?" Phoenix wiggled her eyebrows.
  "Oh pffft, hush."

  The two of them settled, getting their bunks ready and their room situated before the boat casted off from the pier.  Sam felt the multi-ton vessel shift and start to move.  That's when she knew it was game time.  Phoenix had gone back to her bunk to set up everything from her laptop to her bed that was covered in cute bedding.  Sam waltzed over there, coming to lay down on Phoenix's bed as she situated her laptop to connect to her gaming system.
  "Trace, we're going to be gone for a month?" Sam chuckled.
  "Yeah, and I just got new games about three weeks ago.  So of course I'm going to spend my free time playing games," she joked around.  "Like, I just started Stardew Valley and there's a character in here that reminds me of you and I'm trying to woo her!"
  Sam smiled and shook her head, staring up at the steel ceiling that was covered in white paint and power lines.  Phoenix walked over and sat on the edge of her bed, bumping up against Sam.
"What's on your mind?" Phoenix asked. Sam sighed and sat up to hold Phoenix from behind.
"I love you, Natasha," Sam muffled into Trace's back. Phoenix turned around and looked at Sam.
"What did you say?" She asked softly.
"I love you, Tasha," Sam pulled away. "I'm scared to lose you."
"Well we're both here, and you were the first choice for team leader," Phoenix said, standing up slowly. Sam looked up at Trace and smiled sadly.
"I'm only a backup. There's no way they're letting me fly the actual mission," Sam replied, sighing.
  "Who says I'm going on that trip?" Phoenix said softly, cupping Sam's face with her hand. "I mean, they haven't chosen anyone for it yet."
  "Natasha," Sam looked at her girlfriend.  "You're the best of all of us.  Of course you're going on that mission."
  "No, you're the best of us.  Do I need to remind you that your profile is way more decorated than us?  Fuck, Sam, you have two more rows of medals than the rest of us and! And! You're a Lieutenant Commander!" Phoenix backed up and threw her arms out in frustration.  Sam smiled a bit and sighed.
  "I don't like to flaunt that," Sam retorted quietly.
  "Well I will.  As your girlfriend, it is my job to hype you up.  And if you won't say you're the best than I will.  Rooster too.  And Bob," Phoenix thought about it.  "Also probably Coyote."
  Sam sat there and stood up, staring at Phoenix, "you can gush all you want.  I'm going to go get lunch and then go see what we have planned for the day."
  "Flight ops?  We aren't doing flight ops until tomorrow," Phoenix followed Sam as she headed to the door.
  "Then what are we going to do today?" Sam asked, opening the door and running right into Rooster, who stared down at the two girls.
  "Hi Rooster," Phoenix piped up.  "Did you want to come get lunch with us?"  He stared quizzically at them.
  "What were you two doing in the same room?" He asked quietly.  Sam pushed him to the side.
  "You are not going to be the reason I miss lunch, Bradshaw!"